Country music sensation Blake Shelton is set to make waves far from the rolling hills of Tennessee with the Ole Red Las Vegas, a new venue that promises to bring a slice of Nashville hospitality to the heart of Sin City. Located on the iconic Las Vegas Strip, Ole Red combines Shelton’s passion for great music, delectable Southern cuisine, and lively entertainment, creating a must-visit destination for both country music fans and Vegas goers alike. This latest installment in the Ole Red franchise is gearing up to offer an unparalleled experience, setting the stage for unforgettable nights in Las Vegas.
Ole Red’s Itching to Have a Little Vegas Fun
The grand opening celebrations were punctuated by not one but two concerts featuring Blake Shelton himself. The first night also welcomed a surprise performance by Shelton and his wife, Gwen Stefani. Night two switched things up a bit with an extended setlist and some impromptu shenanigans. “We’ve got country music freaks stacked to the ceiling!” Shelton commented as crowds went wild. “This is night two of the grand opening, and really, it’s the only one that matters.”
The second day was also welcomed with a press conference featuring Shelton, Ryman Hospitality Properties Executive Chairman Colin Reed, and WSM host Bill Cody. Shelton reminisced about the inception of Ole Red years ago and a special moment during Super Bowl Weekend when he visited the newest location on the Strip. “My buddy Clint Boyer—who’s a Nascar commentator—And we were here hanging out, and we were goofing around and being stupid,” Blake said of the first time he realized the magnitude of Ole Red’s stunning new location. “I was showing my friends the place, and he said, man, come out here. Just go outside. Shut up and come out here. And we went out on the deck, and he goes, Okay, I want you to stop because you never stop. Just stop. And look at this place, look where it is, you know, take this in for what it is. This doesn’t happen on the Strip in Las Vegas, you know, we’re talking fountains and you know, Super Bowls going on the next day, and it really was a good moment for me to just kind of take into this that this is here that this really happened it’s not just a conversation in Colin’s truck that we had, you know, years and years ago. It’s really going on now. That’s unbelievable.”
One of Shelton’s aims was to give up-and-coming artists the chance to have a home stage to build their audiences, much like his favorite spot when he first moved to Nashville. “It was a big deal for me because, in the grand scheme of things, it was just another bar that had a stage and a microphone, but for me, it was a place that had a stage and a microphone in Nashville, Tennessee. And it felt like home to me. And that’s how this feels for people; this is a way bigger deal, and let’s face it, you’re gonna be booked here months ahead of time, probably a month out. But it still should feel like home for those who come here, and it means something to them.”
The Las Vegas location of Ole Red feels like you’ve been transported to South Broadway in Nashville. “This feels a lot like the Nashville stage and location, with the proximity to the bar and the balcony,” Shelton said of the space. “Now, we don’t have the next floor in Nashville, but it just feels like being in Nashville. I’ve been saying it’s like this location is like a portal into Nashville and to Broadway, and Nashville, Tennessee, it truly does feel that way. And it sounds that way. When we come into the doors.”
