Go live
Local 891 Live
Non-commercial radio station NV89 has been on the air in Nevada for nearly a year now. The station, which is affiliated with Las Vegas-based Nevada Public Radio, debuted on April 12, 2017, with an eclectic mix of music from emerging artists and a goal of giving airtime to local bands, too. But NV89’s staff wasn’t sure how well that last part would go.
“Honestly, when we started, I had trepidations that we wouldn’t find a solid 50,” said Willobee Carlan, the station’s operations manager and program director. “And here we are a year later, we’ve got 180.”
NV89 plays 22 to 23 hours of music selected by its DJs daily, and a local band is included in every hour of programming. Carlan explained that the 180 bands are from all across the state, not just Reno.
“Since we have a big footprint—covering the state of Nevada—we decided, ’Well, let’s play music from the whole state,’” he said.
With the station’s one-year anniversary nearing—and more than triple the number of local artists than were expected in the on-air rotation—the station’s staff decided it was time to try something new. They arrived at the idea for a weekly live music event featuring local bands.
“We partnered with the Brew Brothers at the Eldorado,” Carlan explained. “And they, too, want to support the local music scene. So it was sort of like kismet when we got together and started talking about this. … And it was just a logical match for us to work together.”
Carlan admitted that this “logical match” might not seem so to the average local, many of whom associate casinos with cover bands and expect to catch original acts at smaller venues around town. But, he said, there were several reasons the Eldorado made a good fit for the event. Chief among them is that the casino can afford to pay bands every week for mid-week performances, whereas smaller venues might have to rely on a door charge. And the weekday time slot, he explained, would keep the event from competing with live music at those smaller venues during the weekends.
“With the Local 891 Live working with Eldorado, the bands are getting paid, and there’s no admission—it’s free admission,” Carlan said.
The inaugural Local 891 Live show was held on March 21, featuring the bands Hopeless Jack and Dusty Miles and the Cryin’ Shame. Musicians Spike McGuire and Greg Gilmore helped select the lineup.
“I knew they were my go-to guys to help me reach all of the local musicians, to contact them and to book them,” he said.
But he was still nervous to see what turnout would be like. By showtime, however, the bar had become fairly busy—and many people there were, in fact, locals.
With his concerns for its success assuaged, Carlan said he’s looking forward to growing the event. Soon, he hopes to create a sort of exchange program wherein Las Vegas bands perform at the Eldorado every few weeks and Reno bands at an as-yet-undetermined venue in Vegas.
“And Eldorado is going to put the bands up in their hotel and take care of them,” Carlan said. “This is awesome.”
Carlan said he hopes—and believes—the event will have spur more interest from music fans, promoters and touring bands.
“The managers and booking agents will pay more attention to this as a viable market,” he said. “I think it’s all connected. It’s not just about the Local 891 Live. … We’re like one piece of the puzzle. Having a soapbox—a radio station—I think we take the responsibility … as part of our mission, that we’re here to help the community.”