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I had a rare moment in Las Vegas. Walking along the Strip, where I’d been more times than I could remember, I saw a new building and in literally a second, I knew what it was, what inspired it, and that it was about to become my new favorite hangout: Ole Red.
If you’re a Blake Shelton fan you’ll instantly, as I did, recall the song about a prison yard hound named Ole Red who was “…itchin’ to have a little fun.” The fact that the hound dog’s name and picture was on the side of a four-story building outside the Horseshoe Hotel Casino told me this had to be a country nightclub in the spirit of the late, great Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill. In a minute I was inside and knew I was right.
There are few nightclubs that are as instantly impressive as Ole Red. When you walk in, you can see that the main stage can be viewed by patrons on the first, second and third floors. What you don’t see is that there is a second stage on the roof at which another band can play at the same time. Blake Shelton had created an iconic location. And there’s food, too.
Paige and the Overtones
Unlike many locations where live music starts in the evening, Ole Red features entertainment all day. That afternoon, I was lucky to discover on stage Paige and the Overtones.
Led by Paige Overton, called by some “The Angry Songbird,” the group brought to life a wide range of county music, but focused on the classics. Paige’s voice is amazing. She evokes memories of Patsy Cline and Kitty Wells but she can equally well bring new twists to songs from more contemporary voices like Reba and Dolly.
Equally impressive: her back-up band.
Ghost Riders on the Strip
I was blown away by an instrumental treatment of Ghost Riders in the Sky strummed by Jake Shepard. His extra-long exploration of this song was overwhelming. I have a reserved conservative personality and rarely physically react to music during concerts. But in this instance, I found myself enthusiastically pointing upward to the sky, just to give a hint to anyone in the audience not blessed with parents like mine who exposed little guy me to National Barn Dance and Town Hall Party.
I spoke with Paige during a break. She and her band, which calls Vegas home, will soon start performances across the western USA. You’ll be able to find them in California, Arizona, Utah, and other places in Nevada besides Vegas. Also, they anticipate some new recording sessions happening. For more info or to schedule Paige and the Overtones for your event or venue check their website.
Good Boy, Ol’ Red
I discovered in researching this review that to my surprise, Blake Shelton was not the first person to record Ol’ Red. During the decades of my life when I eschewed country music, George Jones recorded it first on his 1990 album, You Oughta Be Here With Me. Kenny Rogers followed up in 1993 on his album If Only My Heart Had a Voice.
Blake Shelton didn’t get around to recording the song about the talented tracking hound until 2002. Blake did open the bar, however, and besides Nevada, you can find more Ole Reds in Tennessee, Oklahoma and Florida. Visiting them is on my to-do list. For more info, check here.
