Las Vegas Weekly

A Star is born?

The Star Theater inside the Greek Isles. Is this just what Vegas needs?

Photo: Bill Hughes

A third of the lineup had to cancel (Imagine Dragons, stricken with food poisoning, or something like it), and the turnout was far from thick, but last Friday's Verve Foundation party at the Greek Isles still seemed like a success on a couple of levels.

First, the venue. The Star Theater, one-time showroom home to Debbie Reynolds, might be exactly what the Vegas music scene needs — a mid-size venue (capacity: 540) capable of hosting acts too big for Beauty Bar and Bunkhouse but too small for the Strip. Sure, sitting in a circular, red-leather booth at the foot of the stage as A Crowd of Small Adventures rocked out felt odd, but the warm, clean sound inside the room cried out for future musical endeavors there. (Can you say Neon Reverb, fall edition?)

Second, the cause. The Verve Foundation, a local organization with a community focus, staged the event to get the word out about its food co-op — designed to cut food costs by at least 50 percent for participants — but that's just one of founder Robb Overholt's big ideas. A couple others: the Big Idea, a contest inviting proposals "for a better Vegas" (the winning entry receives $1,000 toward its community-based project), and a cell-phone money transferring service. Get more details at thevervefoundation.org and bigidea.giveo.com.