Local shows see venue changes

It looks like the perfect spot for a romantic dinner, the kind of place where dudes get down on one knee and propose to their lady beneath red mood lighting -- either that, or the scene for a mob hit in some late night gangster flick.

With its dark brick walls, stained glass windows, photos of vintage Vegas -- there's the Silver Slipper -- and a piano man singing Bobby Darin tunes beneath a large Italian flag, Casa di Amore feels as familiar and inviting as a favorite old sweater.

What it doesn't immediately feel like is a rock club, though that's starting to change.

Beginning a month ago, the place has been offering shows three nights a week, with acoustic sets on Thursdays, blues jams on Fridays and original bands such as Vegas popsters The Big Friendly Corporation on Saturdays.

The gigs are booked by Chris Matteo, who used to run Matteo's Underground in Boulder City.

"I'm able to pull rock shows off there, which surprises some people, but come 11 o'clock, the place picks up and it changes," Matteo says. "I like the room, it's got a lot of character. It's like walking into old Vegas."

Though he has been hosting shows for only a few weeks now, Matteo already is starting to draw sizable crowds at the restaurant.

"A lot of the nights it's just a blowout, it's packed, which is good because I thought it would take me a little longer to build it up," Matteo says. "It's still going to take a little bit of time to get it to where I want it to be, but so far, so good."

Matteo also just started having bands at Frediani's restaurant in Henderson. It's a welcome contrast to the rash of club closings in Vegas in recent months, with Jillian's, the New York Cafe, Sin City Saloon, Squiggy's and the Slanted Clam all going out of business.

What we've seen in their place is more shows at nontraditional spots, such as the Kan Pai Sushi Restaurant and the Canvas Cafe, places that can subsidize music with food and other sources of revenue.

"I'm not at all surprised at more shows taking place in restaurants, especially in the all-ages scene," says Patrick Trout, a scene fixture who books shows at venues such as the Beauty Bar and the Icehouse and also plays with coed rockers Ministry of Love. "If you don't have alcohol or gaming, it's hard to make steady money and you need something besides the music itself to bring people in."

Trout remains optimistic that the Vegas club circuit will bounce back from its woes of late, a sentiment that Matteo shares.

And understandably so. If there's one thing that a place like Casa di Amore proves, it's that old legends die hard.

"We've been through recessions before and there's consolidations, there's places that close down, but then there's places that start up again," Matteo says. "Some things are going to be changing. But I think there's going to be some positive things coming out of all this."

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.