Thousands expected in downtown Las Vegas for free EDM show
WHAT WORKS IN VEGAS? No-cover, electronic music with El Cortez in the background.
The “Feed The Block” EDM show is once more taking over Fremont East, at the intersection of 6th and Fremont streets. Major Lazer is taking over the block party at 6 p.m. Friday. Electronic-music star Diplo, DJs Walshy Fire and ApeDrums, and emerging artist America Foster make up the act. Though the event is free, RSVP at feedtheblock.com.
The show will emanate from atop the Forest House Art Car, a feature at Burning Man, Electric Daisy Carnival and Life is Beautiful. As its creators point out, “It’s not just an art car; it’s a living piece of the community it was built to serve.”
Diplo is an especially familiar headliner in Vegas. Not coincidentally, he is also a resident performer at Wynn Nightlife’s XS Nightclub Encore Beach Club. Wynn Nightlife is in partnership with Corner Bar Management in the series, which bridges the open-air entertainment scene on Fremont Street with the heightened nightclub experience at Wynn.
The event is open to those 18 and over. The 18-20 range can see top EDM performers at “Feed The Block,” when they can’t (yet) at XS or Encore Beach.
“Wynn can start to build a fan base with some of the resident artists, speak to a younger audience, which they can’t do within their four walls,” Corner Bar Management founder Ryan Doherty says. “It’s basically an all-ages event.”
“Feed The Block” opened in April with a set by Wynn headliner Gryffin (he made news, incidentally, a few weeks ago as the headliner at XS when the fake Justin Bieber turned up at the club). About 4,000 folks turned out that night in the main venue, with about a thousand milling around the staging area.
The event is “sticky” for people visiting Fremont East.
“What we learned from Gryffin is, we saw a lot of people stick around,” Doherty says. “They were going to El Cortez, they were hanging around downtown. They weren’t just getting back in their cars and leaving.”
Doherty says the event drew attendees from Henderson and Summerlin. “When you see that,” he says, “it’s a win for downtown.”
The “Block Party” attendance nearly doubles what Doherty’s businesses draw on peak weekend nights. Corner Bar is the dominant hospitality company on Fremont East, operating La Mona Rosa, Cheapshot, Commonwealth, We All Scream, Discopussy, Lucky Day, The Laundry Room and Park on Fremont. The company most recently launched Doberman in the Arts District.
“When you take all the venues — you take Doberman out of that equation — but just on East Fremont Street, we click about 6,000 people a night,” Doherty says. “It can be anywhere from 5,000-7,000, depending on the season and the temperature. So we are drawing a lot of people to the area each Friday and Saturday.”
The night of Gryffin’s show, Wynn Vice President of Nightlife Ryan Jones said the event is a mere sampling of his company’s productions.
“This helps transition any aspirational customers that maybe don’t know about the Wynn, or don’t know about Wynn Nightlife,” Jones said. “This gives them a glimpse into what we do.”
The promotional partners of “The Block Party” have sought to create a residency-style experience.
“It’ll be closer to monthly than quarterly,” Doherty said. “I think we’re aiming for 10 events. It’s our way of giving back, in a way that is good for everybody.”
Doctor is in the house
Nurse John is giving The Palazzo Theatre the treatment (tickets start at $39.99, not including fees, on sale at ticketmaster.com). The TikTok sensation with an M.D. in daffy brings “The Short Staffed Tour” to the Strip on Nov. 15. Nurse John has more than 8 million followers just on TikTok. This is his first tour.
Nurse John (legal name of John Dela Cruz) is an actual, registered nurse. Hence, his adept use of rubber glove props in his videos. The RN started making videos during the pandemic, and the public responded enthusiastically. Let the healing begin, as they say.
Latest from LG
Lady Gaga has extended her “Mayhem Ball” tour through April. She’s added 21 shows from two dates in Phoenix (Feb. 14-15) through a pair in St. Paul, Minn. April 9-10. Nothing in Vegas, and it will be a spell before she returns to a Strip residency. Look for Q4 2026 at the earliest.
“Mavericks” epilogue
For Amy Saunders’ fab variety show “Mavericks” to be resurrected at Plaza Showroom, hotel CEO Jonathan Jossel says his place will need to own it outright. No more working with investors. Jossel says he’s done with multiple partners after “Mavericks” entered its ‘hiatus” on July 6. Single-hotel ownership means more control, more risk, but fewer headaches.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.