Former Mavericks Singer Raul Malo Hits the Stage at John Ascuaga’s Nugget

Sparks/Reno, Nev. – As the frontman for the Mavericks and a member of Los Super Seven, Raul Malo has applied his Roy Orbison-like delivery to an eclectic array of material. Malo brings his uniquely entertaining show to the Celebrity Showroom for a special Thursday night show, March 4, at John Ascuaga’s Nugget.
Malo’s expertise lies in wrapping his silky tenor vocal around a seamless, artistic foundation of bluesy country and Latin roots music. A tremendous and far-reaching effort, Malo’s first solo album Today (2001), and latest work Lucky One (2009) showcase not only what a genre-blending writer and powerful singer he is, but makes clear just how connected Malo is in his delivery and phrasing, both in Spanish and in English. It’s a body of work full of surprising stylistic quick turns and unexpected detours — from country to Tex-Mex rock ’n’ roll to joyously kitschy ’60s cocktail pop to strait-up, traditional Cuban and South American music — but always executed with a degree of craft and ultra-confidence suggesting an artist who, far from fumbling around in the creative dark, always seems to know exactly what he’s doing and where he wants to go.
Raul Malo performs one night only, Thursday, March 4 at 8 p.m. in the Celebrity Showroom. Tickets are just $22 and are available by calling (800) 648-1177 or (775) 356-3300 or by visiting janugget.com. Dinner and show packages are available. “Do the Nugget Tonight!”

Grammy-Winning Texican Rockers Los Lonely Boys ‘Acoustic Brotherhood Tour’ at John Ascuaga’s Nugget

Sparks/Reno, Nev. – Tex-Mex rockers Los Lonely Boys are a unique force in modern blues-rock music. Part Stevie Ray Vaughn, part Santana, the band has carved a niche in popular music. See them stripped down, as they say, like they used to do it in the backyard with friends, on the Acoustic Brotherhood Tour on February 20 at John Ascuaga’s Nugget.
The brothers have been on the road for nearly six straight years with few weeks off in between. They're switching the format up a bit and have embarked on their first-ever acoustic tour fitly named "The Acoustic Brotherhood Tour" with supporters Alejandro Escovedo and Carrie Rodriguez.
"This tour allows us to play the way we play in our backyards and really show the tradition of our Texican roots," said Ringo Garza, Jr.
The brothers met fellow Texan Alejandro Escovedo during a tribute project for him called Por Vida: A Tribute to the Songs of Alejandro Escovedo in 2004 and have been musical comrades every since. Rodriguez, who gained fame in the alt-country world, is the opener.
Los Lonely Boys hail from San Angelo, TX, and consist of three brothers - guitarist Henry Garza, bassist JoJo Garza, and drummer Ringo Garza, Jr. Their father, Ringo Garza, Sr., also was a member of a band made up of his brothers, the Falcones, who played “Conjunto” music around Texas in the '70s and '80s. After that group broke up, Garza went solo, backed by his three sons even before they reached their teens. The family relocated to Nashville in the 1990s, and gradually the sons emerged as a group separate from their father. They moved back to Texas, and in 2003, their debut album, Los Lonely Boys, was recorded at Willie Nelson's Pedernales recording studio in Austin with Nelson sitting in; the album was issued by Or Music, and earned national attention. The single, “Heaven,” went No. 1 and Epic Records picked the album up for major-label distribution in March 2004. The result was a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal the following year. The Boys released their eagerly awaited sophomore album, Sacred, in 2006. Forgiven followed in 2008, which also saw the release of a holiday album, Christmas Spirit. The highly anticipated independent debut from Los Lonely Boys, 1969, was released in late 2009.
Los Lonely Boys play one night, Saturday, Feb. 20, in the Celebrity Showroom at 8 p.m. Tickets are just $40 and are available by calling (800) 648-1177 or (775) 356-3300 or by visiting janugget.com. Dinner and show packages are available. “Do the Nugget Tonight!”

On Sale Now! Echo and the Bunnymen on Apirl 18 at the Nugget

On sale now! First time in Northern Nevada! Echo and the Bunnymen at John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort. See them in the 700-seat Celebrity Showroom on April 18! Click here for info! http://bit.ly/b68Dev

Valentine’s Day - Iconic Funnyman Dana Carvey Invades the Rose Ballroom at John Ascuaga’s Nugget

Sparks/Reno, Nev. – Chocolate hearts and belly laughs will go hand-in-hand this Valentine’s Day 2010. Legendary comedian Dana Carvey hits the Rose Ballroom stage for one hilarious night of “Love and Laughs,” Sunday, February 14, at John Ascuaga’s Nugget.
A cast member of Saturday Night Live for a number of years, Carvey is best known for his characters and impersonations of famous figures. He grew up in California and attended San Francisco State University. After college, he started performing stand-up comedy.
Moving to Hollywood, Carvey's first television efforts failed to capitalize on his comedic talents. In the 1982 sitcom One of the Boys, he starred as a college student who invites his grandfather to leave his retirement home to live with him and his roommate. Carvey ended up as the straight man to Mickey Rooney who played his grandfather. The cast also included Meg Ryan as his girlfriend and Nathan Lane as his roommate. Despite the show's talented performers, it was canceled after nearly eight months on air.
Carvey tried his hand at action with the television adaptation of the hit film, Blue Thunder, in 1984. He played a young electronics expert in this short-lived police drama. Taking a break from television, Carvey returned to doing stand-up comedy. It was at a show that he was discovered by Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels. He joined the cast of the late-night comedy series in 1986.
For seven years, Carvey delighted audiences with such characters as the Church Lady and bodybuilder extraordinaire Hans, part of the Hans and Franz duo. He also excelled at impersonation - taking on such personalities as President George Bush, Ross Perot, and more. In fact, President George Bush liked Carvey's version of him so much that he invited Carvey to perform at the White House.
One of Carvey's characters, Garth, made the leap to the big screen in Wayne's World (1992). Garth was the shaggy heavy-metal sidekick to his friend Wayne played by Mike Myers, and the two appeared together on Wayne's cable access show. The comedy proved to be a box office hit and led to a sequel Wayne's World 2 the following year.
In 1993, Carvey left Saturday Night Live, and finally won an Emmy Award for his work on the show after four previous nominations. He kept himself busy with a number of film projects. He appeared in Clean Slate (1994), The Road to Wellville (1994), and Trapped in Paradise (1994). He returned to television in 1996 with The Dana Carvey Show.
Returning to acting, Carvey appeared in the 2000 Adam Sandler comedy, Little Nicky. He also starred in the 2002’s The Master of Disguise and a recent Home Box Office stand-up special, “Squatting Monkey’s Tell No Lies.”
Dana Carvey performs Sunday, February 14, in the Rose Ballroom at 8 p.m. Tickets are just $49 and $55 and are available by calling (800) 648-1177 or (775) 356-3300 or by visiting janugget.com. Dinner and show packages are available. “Do The Nugget Tonight!”

Consummate Singer-Songwriter Rickie Lee Jones Plays at John Ascuaga’s Nugget

Sparks/Reno, Nev. – Celebrating her 30th anniversary making music, Rickie Lee Jones is truly a rare breed – a writer of albums, not just songs. See her on Saturday, February 13, in the Celebrity Showroom at John Ascuaga’s Nugget.
From the moment she first appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1979, Rickie Lee Jones has challenged her listeners and the establishment with an absorbing musical vision that defies border and classification. She rocked the culture of singer-song writerdom with her refusal to conform to the stayed and careful eloquence of the folk rock generation that came before her. Neither punk nor pop, she tottered on a thread of her own devise, jazz - the old musical kind, and R&B - the Motown thread that permeates her work. Her sense of humor, musical dexterity and song craft is all evident on her exquisite new album Balm in Gilead.
Rickie Lee Jones, released by Warner Bros. in March 1979, had an immediate and profound impact in the music world and the culture at large ultimately becoming a multi-million selling hit. Following her now infamous debut television appearance on SNL, a successful world tour and the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, Jones secured five Grammy Award nominations (Record of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female, Song of the Year ("Chuck E.'s in Love"), and Best New Artist, which she won at the January 1980 ceremony.
Rickie Lee Jones performs Saturday, February 13, in the Celebrity Showroom at 8 p.m. Tickets are just $32 and are available by calling (800) 648-1177 or (775) 356-3300 or by visiting janugget.com. Dinner and show packages are available. “Do The Nugget Tonight!”

Family Stone Plays a Generation Worth of Hits at John Ascuaga’s Nugget

Sparks/Reno, Nev. – The Family Stone harnessed all of the disparate musical and social trends of the late 1960s, creating a wild, brilliant fusion of soul, rock, R&B and funk that broke boundaries down without a second thought. See the Family Stone on Saturday, February 6, in the Celebrity Showroom at John Ascuaga’s Nugget.
Led by Sly Stone, the Family Stone was comprised of men and women, and blacks and whites, making the band the first fully integrated group in rock's history. That integration shone through the music, as well as the group's message. Before Stone, very few soul and R&B groups delved into political and social commentary; after him, it became a tradition in soul, funk, and hip-hop. And, along with James Brown, Stone brought hard funk into the mainstream. The Family Stone's arrangements are to this day considered ingenious, filled with unexpected group vocals, syncopated rhythms, punchy horns, and pop melodies. And it’s through those traits that they cranked out mega-hits such as, “Everyday People,” “Dance to the Music,” and “Hot Fun in the Summer Time,” among others.
The Family Stone performs Saturday, February 6, in the Celebrity Showroom at 8 p.m. Tickets are just $32 and are available by calling (800) 648-1177 or (775) 356-3300 or by visiting janugget.com. Dinner and show packages are available. “Do The Nugget Tonight!”