Las Vegas Weekly

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Turns out you won’t have to wait until fall to start experiencing Life Is Beautiful. The upcoming Downtown music, art and food festival has revealed plans for a monthly local music showcase, beginning in February.

The first Downtown Las Vegas Music Showcase is set for Wednesday, February 6 at Artifice and will feature headiner Rusty Maples, along with five other Vegas bands: American Cream, Same Sex Mary, Coastwest Unrest, Play for Keeps and The Perks. The free, 21-and-over event is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.

And for whom, exactly, will the bands be showcasing? You, for one, but also the festival itself, which is in the process of selecting Vegas bands for the local component of its lineup. “It’s a platform for us to show off the talent that’s in Las Vegas and to discover new talent that might fit into the lineup for the festival,” says Craig Nyman, head of music and live performances for Life Is Beautiful.

Don’t look for an applause meter or a judging table. Acts will get 30-minute time slots and come to the stage in rapid succession, but this is no battle of the bands. “It’s strictly a showcase,” Nyman says. “They’re not vying for a title or an award ... other than to try to earn a spot at the festival.”

Interested Vegas bands are invited to apply for future showcases through lifeisbeautifulfestival.com, and Nyman says upcoming editions will be programmed by genre—jazz/soul, country/alt-country, mainstream rock, indie/experimental—though “there are no limitations for submissions.” He adds that an emphasis will be placed on original material.