{"id":4677,"date":"2023-04-24T08:03:20","date_gmt":"2023-04-24T15:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/?p=4677"},"modified":"2026-08-30T21:20:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T04:20:53","slug":"vics-las-vegas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/vics-las-vegas\/","title":{"rendered":"At Last... The Love of Jazz has Come Along at Vic's Las Vegas"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Chic<\/span><\/div>
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This article was printed in<\/em>
\nChic Compass Magazine - Issue 14<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

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\"Vic's<\/span><\/div><\/div>

Vic's Las Vegas<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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At Last... The Love of Jazz has Come Along at Vic's Las Vegas<\/h1>\n

BY STACEY GUALANDI<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Who knew the cowboy hat and boots-wearing Vegas Vic was really a jazz lover at heart?<\/p>\n

Standing high atop Vic\u2019s Las Vegas, the newly opened downtown jazz club and Italian eatery, the namesake neon icon\u2014albeit a smaller 20-foot version\u2014proudly welcomes back live jazz music to the masses.<\/p>\n

Inside the 8,560-square-foot space, you feel like you\u2019ve passed through a portal to the golden era of cool cats and jazz aficionados.<\/p>\n

With warm walnut wood tones, comfortable half-moon banquettes, time-honored touches (one-arm bandit slots!), and the purr of all that jazz permeating throughout, the wait is finally over, thanks to Las Vegas legends the Lowden family.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not new,\u201d says owner Paul Lowden. \u201cIt\u2019s really a throwback.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul is the world-famous jazz keyboardist and the one-time owner of the Hacienda, Sahara, Santa Fe, and Pioneer casinos; Sue is the former Nevada state senator and popular Channel 8 anchorwoman.<\/p>\n

Together, they\u2019ve opened over 40 dining venues and produced numerous jazz festivals. Back in the day, they were famous for filling lounges with big names like Monk Montgomery, Jimmy Smith, Kenny Burrell, and Jack Jones.<\/p>\n

(The Lowden\u2019s recently produced a soon-to-be-released album with Jones \u2014the man responsible for The Love Boat theme\u2014and the late great jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco, which could mean a future Jack Jones appearance if we\u2019re lucky!)<\/p>\n

\u201cLounges were so popular,\u201d says Paul. \u201cYou could go in and hear music, but today, there is too much distraction. That\u2019s not what Vic\u2019s is about. This is about music. This isn\u2019t cabaret; no one has to entertain. You come to hear the music, and that\u2019s the big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since turning in his casino ownership chips, the Lowden\u2019s admit they missed the vintage vibe of the Vegas jazz scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re going to be in the business, you\u2019ve got to build a mega-resort, and the cost of entry is unreal today,\u201d laments Paul. \u201cIt\u2019s crazy, but we\u2019re involved in music\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026and we know what we like,\u201d says Sue.<\/p>\n

Cue Vic\u2019s.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Vic's<\/span><\/div><\/div>

Vic's Las Vegas<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Nestled in the middle of a growing \u201ccultural epicenter,\u201d Vic\u2019s sits adjacent to the Smith Center in Symphony Park downtown.<\/p>\n

You can take five for an intimate drink at the gaming bar, enjoy dinner and a show, or come back 'round midnight for a nightcap in the lounge lined with Las Vegas memorabilia.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe wonderful part is that you park, have dinner, and see a show\u2026and you don\u2019t have to move your car,\u201d says Sue. \u201cEver.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two huge headliners have already hit the stage since Vic\u2019s opened in February: Jeff Hamilton (\u201cthe greatest jazz drummer ever!\u201d per Paul) and vibraphonist Chuck Redd.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve contacted pretty much everybody,\u201d says Paul of his musician wishlist. \u201cWe see Randy Brecker here. We see Tom Scott here. Christian Jacob. Tamir Handleman. Diana Krall might come here\u2026for dinner. HA!\u201d<\/p>\n

But what makes this jazz joint so joyous? The juveniles. That is, the high school students from the Las Vegas Academy\u2019s jazz studies program who play nightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis place is like a jazz lab!\u201d says a proud Paul. \u201cHow wonderful it is with the kids. If they want to play music, they need to get their feet wet, find a place to play, and make a few bucks. What do we call it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA paid internship,\u201d jokes Sue.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not only a special showcase for this next generation of jazz artists but also a touching tribute to the Lowden\u2019s late son Will, who was a student at the Academy and the bass player for the award-winning Las Vegas Academy Jazz Band. A painting of Will hangs in the 14-seat private dining room.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe students are really in shock,\u201d says Sue. \u201cWe invited the parents of the kids, and some are professional musicians themselves. They were just blown away. It\u2019s an unbelievable thing for the kids to have an opportunity like this\u2026and to play the Great American Song Book.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"From<\/span><\/div><\/div>

From Left: Stacey Gualandi, Paul Lowden, Sue Lowden, Paul Lowden IV<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

Vic\u2019s is truly a family affair. Their sons, Chris (of Stoney\u2019s Rockin\u2019 Country fame) and Paul IV, run Porchlight Hospitality. They had a vision for this latest venture, and Sue says they \u201cfigured it all out and put it all together!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole time that we were building this, we were told there was such a void of places to eat and things to do,\u201d says Paul IV. \u201cI think there was a promise of more stuff coming down the road, so I guess that\u2019s us. We\u2019re the first ones to make good on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, the neighborhood can\u2019t get enough of this hot new hang, and they\u2019re quickly learning what jazz appreciation is all about.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are respectful,\u201d says Paul. \u201cNot that it has to be like church, but it\u2019s very cool. There is professional respect there.\u201d<\/p>\n

This made me wonder, is there an unwritten rule in a jazz club?
\n\u201cOh yeah, don\u2019t talk,\u201d says Paul, only half-joking.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf somebody\u2019s there to party and not listen\u2026that\u2019s why we have the lounge [separate from the main room],\u201d adds Sue. \u201cWe have the bar area, too, because you can\u2019t hear anything from the bar; everything is double sealed with a glass wall.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re thinking Italian food and jazz don\u2019t mix, think again. Chef Miguel Magana\u2019s menu has the perfect pitch. I had the Shrimp Fra Diavolo; my husband had the Mahi Mahi. The coda to my meal? Chef Miguel\u2019s own invention: ratatouille! I can\u2019t say enough about the ratatouille.
\nSue says they hope to add a Prime Rib night, a gospel brunch, and clam chowder on Fridays.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really want guests to enjoy their dining experience, and we\u2019re trying to get that down first,\u201d admits Sue. \u201cWe want it to be like Ronnie Scott\u2019s; people ask, \u2018Where do you go for jazz in London? Go to Ronnie Scott\u2019s.\u2019 Everybody knows that. We want it to be that kind of place.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Vic's<\/span><\/div><\/div>

Vic's Las Vegas<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

While it hasn\u2019t been an easy trip back to the future, Vic\u2019s is definitely on its way to being a Las Vegas live music destination\u2026if these self-described workaholics have anything to say about it. The Lowden\u2019s 40-year partnership is certainly a love supreme.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just got really lucky,\u201d says Sue. \u201cIt\u2019s a sense of accomplishment. It feels good to look back and think, \u2018Yeah, we did that.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Adds Paul, \u201cWe have the same interests. The same outlook on life. We agree on everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

So whether you drive, ride-share, or take the A Train, we can all agree it\u2019s time to bebop downtown to Vic\u2019s. If you play your cards right, you may even see Paul Lowden himself strike up the band!<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I definitely think so,\u201d says Sue.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe could empty the room. Ha!\u201d quips Paul.<\/p>\n

Vic\u2019s Las Vegas<\/strong>
\n355 Promenade Pl.
\nLas Vegas, NV 89106<\/p>\n

vicslasvegas.com<\/a>
\n(725) 755-5299<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Who knew the cowboy hat and boots-wearing Vegas Vic was really a jazz lover at heart? Standing high atop Vic\u2019s Las Vegas, the newly opened downtown jazz club and Italian eatery, the namesake neon icon\u2014albeit a smaller 20-foot version\u2014proudly welcomes back live jazz music to the masses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4678,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4519,3936],"tags":[1792,267,3566,3009,3128],"class_list":["post-4677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dining","category-issue-14","tag-dining","tag-las-vegas","tag-live-music","tag-music","tag-stacey-gualandi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4677"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4677\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10910,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4677\/revisions\/10910"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4678"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}