The Godfather has always loved to attend shows at the House of Blues Las Vegas, one of the city's best venues for concerts. If you have the courage, you can crowd up against the stage on the lower level. The lower level is surrounded by bars - three to be exact. You are never more than 50 feet from a soft drink or adult beverage.
If you seek more comfort, there are reserved seats on the second level with a fantastic view of both the stage AND the craziness that goes on down below. There are bars on either end of the second floor, and the atmosphere is more laid back and comfortable.
There is a third level at HOB, however most people are unaware of its existence. This is the Spanda, a private club reserved for members of the House of Blues Foundation Room. There is a single bar, VIP booths at each end of the floor, and approximately 50 seats. The décor is decidedly Foundation Room, with large sofas, overstuffed chairs, and the appropriate "mood lighting". Rumor is that half of the seats will be pulled out to make room for two high tech VIP booths. Guests can press a button to swing the booth forward to watch the show, or swing the booth backward to watch the activities in the Spanda lounge.
If Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is in the house, you can bet the Godfather has 100 of his closest friends up in the Spanda. On this particular evening, the guest list was 123, and we were treated to an amazing retro swing show by BBVD. The boys played a combination of old favorites ("You and me and the bottle make three") and new tracks from their new CD "Save my Soul" (to be released May 20, 2003).
The band consists of Karl and Andy on the saxophone, Glen on the trumpet, Scotty on lead vocals, Kurt on the drums, Dirk on the bass, and Josh on the piano. For those that have never seen BBVD live, it is a unique performance. The band dresses in retro swing suits and attire, puts on a highly dynamic stage show, and never fails to get the audience up on their feet and dancing.
After the show, the band was kind enough to join the Godfather for a celebratory round of drinks in the Spanda, then off to the Foundation Room for more late night celebration. Much appreciation to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy for stopping by to see the old Godfather, and for lighting up the House of Blues stage with an incredible show!
