Video: Travel Back in Time to 1969 as Fremont Street Experience Presents 'Summer of '69: Vegas or Bust'

Video: Travel Back in Time to 1969 as Fremont Street Experience Presents 'Summer of '69: Vegas or Bust'

LAS VEGAS, May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Fremont Street Experience takes Las Vegas back 40 years this summer with the "Summer of '69: Vegas or Bust" festival and concert series beginning Memorial Day weekend.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/fremontstreetexperience/38551/

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090526/NY22672 )

The celebration offers tourists and residents a summer full of free concerts by major iconic bands from 1969, including The Guess Who, Blood Sweat & Tears, Rare Earth, Janis Joplin's Original Band Big Brother & The Holding Company, The Grass Roots, Jefferson Starship, The 5th Dimension, Canned Heat and Three Dog Night.

Fremont Street Experience will transform itself for the 40th anniversary of 1969 by taking visitors back to the legendary year. The "Summer of '69: Vegas or Bust" event series kicks off Memorial Day weekend and continues 108 days through Labor Day weekend. All summer long, themed nightly entertainment will also include cover bands and tribute artists, theatrical performances with costumed entertainers, new Viva Vision shows paying tribute to the year 1969 and special guest appearances. All concerts and entertainment are free to the public.

As part of the "Summer of '69: Vegas or Bust" festivities, Fremont Street Experience has named multidiscipline artist-designer John Van Hamersveld as the "Official Artist of Summer of '69." Van Hamersveld is most known for his prominent 1960s iconic image of the Pinnacle Indian, The Beatles cover for the "Magical Mystery Tour" album and poster for the 1966 surf-genre movie, Endless Summer. His participation will include the creation of a debut Viva Vision show titled, "Signs of Life," a custom-painted vintage school bus to be used during the summer-long event series and working alongside Fremont Street Experience in design aspects for Summer of '69. Van Hamersveld will also open "Hippie Nation(TM) Gallery & Records."

"We invite everyone to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the iconic and influential year 1969," said Fremont Street Experience President Jeff Victor. "Fremont Street Experience is presenting an impressive line-up of major music artists from 1969 to the public at no cost. It will be a groovy summer of music, entertainment and lots of fun. With downtown Las Vegas consistently offering great deals on rooms, dining and entertainment, there is no better vacation spot to have a great time at a great value."

"Memorial Day Weekend: Celebrate & Remember" brings a military tribute to Fremont Street Experience and kicks off the "Summer of '69: Vegas or Bust" event series. The event begins Saturday, May 23 and goes through Monday, May 25 and will honor past and current members of the military who have served the United States. Special guest performers include The Guess Who on Saturday, May 23 and Blood, Sweat & Tears on Sunday, May 24.

"Vegas Groovy Cruise" drives into Fremont Street Experience Friday, June 5 until Sunday, June 7 and features classic cars plus muscle cars from 1969 on display. Rare Earth and Bill Haley's Comets will both perform concerts on Saturday, June 6.

"American Pie 4th of July" commemorates Independence Day weekend from Friday, July 3 through Sunday, July 5 and highlights Fremont Street Experience's Viva Vision show, "Don McLean's American Pie." Headline concerts will feature Janis Joplin's Original Band Big Brother & The Holding Company on Friday, July 3 and The Grass Roots on Saturday, July 4. The evening of the 4th of July will also showcase a brilliant virtual fireworks show on the Viva Vision canopy.

"One Giant Leap: 40th Anniversary of Moon Landing" will mark the historic event of mankind, commemorating the launch of Apollo 11 on Thursday, July 16, the landing on the moon on Monday, July 20, then splashdown back on Earth. Special "moon landing" concerts will feature Jefferson Starship on Saturday, July 18 and The 5th Dimension on Saturday, July 25.

"Woodstock TributePalooza: 40th Anniversary of Woodstock" will relive that historic music festival from August 1969. Fremont Street Experience will bring the best tribute artists from around the country to Las Vegas to pay homage to Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who, Joe Cocker, The Grateful Dead and others from Friday, August 14 through Sunday, August 16. They will take the crowd back to the heyday of true feel-good music.

"Labor Day Weekend: End of Summer, What a Bummer Bash" will close the summer concert series the weekend of Friday, September 4 through Monday, September 7. Highlighting the weekend will be concerts by Canned Heat on Saturday, Sept. 5, and Three Dog Night on Sunday, Sept. 6.

All 10 Fremont Street Experience properties (Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel, The California, Fitz Casino and Hotel, Four Queens Hotel & Casino, Fremont Hotel & Casino, Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, Golden Nugget, Main Street Station Casino, Brewery & Hotel, Plaza Hotel & Casino and Vegas Club Hotel & Casino) will take part in the "Summer of '69: Vegas or Bust" with specially themed promotions and outdoor food and drink specials. Retail shops and kiosks will also feature custom "Summer of '69" merchandise.

All events are free and open to the public. For complete information, go to www.vegasexperience.com.

Summer of '69: Vegas or Bust
Dates & Headliners
-- "Memorial Day Weekend: Celebrate & Remember" -- May 23-25 -- featuring
The Guess Who on May 23 and Blood, Sweat & Tears on May 24
-- "Vegas Groovy Cruise" -- June 5-7 -- featuring Rare Earth and Bill
Haley's Comets on June 6
-- "American Pie 4th of July" -- July 3-5 -- featuring Janis Joplin's
Original Band Big Brother & The Holding Company on July 3 and The
Grass Roots on July 4
-- "One Giant Leap: 40th Anniversary of Moon Landing" -- July 16-26 --
featuring Jefferson Starship on July 18 and The 5th Dimension on July
25
-- "Woodstock TributePalooza: 40th Anniversary of Woodstock" -- Aug.
14-16.

-- "Labor Day Weekend: End of Summer, What a Bummer Bash" -- Sept. 4-7 -
featuring Canned Heat on Sept. 5 and Three Dog Night on Sept. 6

Fremont Street Experience is a five-block entertainment complex located in historic downtown Las Vegas. Fremont Street Experience features Viva Vision, the world's largest video screen which is 1,500 feet long, 90 feet wide and suspended 90 feet above the urban pedestrian mall. Viva Vision features nightly spectacular light and sounds shows with 12.5 million LED lights and a 550,000-watt sound system. Fremont Street Experience is a one-of-a-kind venue which includes free nightly concerts and entertainment on two stages. With direct pedestrian access to 10 casinos, more than 60 restaurants and specialty retail kiosks, Fremont Street Experience attracts over 17 million annual visitors. Fremont Street Experience can be found online at www.vegasexperience.com.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090526/NY22672
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.comVideo: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/fremontstreetexperience/38551
Source: Fremont Street Experience

CONTACT: Stephanie Capellas, stephanie@preferredpublicrelations.com; or
Michelle Tsang, mtsang@preferredpublicrelations.com, both of Preferred Public
Relations, +1-702-254-5704

Web Site: http://www.vegasexperience.com/

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