Played Out on the Strip: The Rise and Fall of Las Vegas Casino Bands

by Janis L. McKay

Overview

From 1940 to 1989, nearly every hotel on the Las Vegas Strip employed a full-time band or orchestra. After the late 1980s, when control of the casinos changed hands from independent owners to corporations, almost all of these musicians found themselves unemployed. Played Out on the Strip traces this major shift in the music industry through extensive interviews with former musicians. In 1989, these soon-to-be unemployed musicians went on strike. Janis McKay charts the factors behind this strike, which was precipitated by several corporate hotel owners moving to replace live musicians with synthesizers and taped music, a strategic decision made in order to save money. The results of this transitional period in Las Vegas history were both long-lasting and far-reaching for the entertainment industry. With its numerous oral history interviews and personal perspectives from the era, this book will appeal to readers interested in Las Vegas history, music history, and labor issues.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780874179996
Publisher:	University of Nevada Press
Publication date:	04/12/2016
Edition description:	1
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 18 Years

About the Author

Janis L. McKay is an associate professor of bassoon at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Principal Bassoon for the Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra. She also performs as Principal Bassoon for the Classical Music Festival in Austria, and as Contrabassoon for the Reno Philharmonic. McKay has performed with many noteworthy musicians, including Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, and many others.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction 1

1 1900-1950: From Sawdust Floors to Carpet Joints 7

2 1950-1960: The Roaring Fifties 23

3 1960-1970: Prosperous and Thriving 47

4 1970-1980: Gone with the Bosses of Old 85

5 1970-1980: "Must Be Good" 107

6 1980-1989: The Dog Days 139

7 The Strike of 1989 161

8 Old Las Vegas Is Gone Forever 193

Bibliography 213

Index 225

Editorial Reviews

Don’t be fooled by the numbered footnotes and scholarly imprint. McKay’s book is full of stories: Debbie Reynolds cleaning up a deposit left by an elephant onstage. The conductor who hooked his toupee on a baton and flipped it out into the audience. But Played Out on the Strip is also the serious book Las Vegas musicians deserve.” - Mike Weatherford, Las Vegas Review Journal
 

Las Vegas Review Journal - Mike Weatherford

The book is unique and it tells a story that is vital to the history of Las Vegas and entertainment.” —Michael S. Green, author of Nevada: A History of the Silver State

“Casino orchestras are a big piece of the Las Vegas story that has stayed hidden in the shadows of the stars—just as the band always did—until now. Lucky for us all, Played Out on the Strip brings into the spotlight the supporting players who gave a young city a rich new dimension and deep well of talent. Janis McKay has done them, and us, a real favor.” —Mike Weatherford, Las Vegas Review-Journal entertainment reporter and columnist

"Played Out on the Strip is crisply and vividly written and the anecdotes provide a personal and highly entertaining touch. It is a wonderful story of this heretofore unchronicled niche in the music industry and a good read for those with an interest in the entertainment industry." —Journal of Sigma Alpha Iota

"Played Out on the Strip is a memorable and well-written book . . . McKay uses primary research and oral histories to outline the bittersweet history of music entertainment in Las Vegas." —Nevada in the West Magazine

From the Publisher