Rock fest adds to the allure of Halloween in Las Vegas

Forgive Rick Farman if he sounds like a guy with a sure bet. “I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t people in Los Angeles pretty much always looking for an excuse to go to Vegas? And if it’s Halloween weekend and there’s a great concert? It seems like a no-brainer.” Farman is co-promoter of Vegoose, yet another rock festival with a quirky name (Lollapalooza, Bumbershoot, Bonnaroo ... clearly, Dr. Seuss was big on the childhood bookshelf for an entire generation of concert promoters). This one launches its franchise this weekend at Sam Boyd Stadium and surrounding grounds in Sin City. The lineup: Beck, the Dave Matthews Band, the Flaming Lips, Phil Lesh & Friends, Jack Johnson, the Arcade Fire, Sleater-Kinney, Trey Anastasio of Phish, the Shins and 25 other acts.

The concert industry has seen plenty of deep-bill festivals spring up in recent years as younger fans have become harder to coax into arenas for pricey shows featuring single acts. The two-day Coachella Music & Arts Festival in Indio has been the alpha model of the European-style, single-site festival, but the creators of Vegoose have a success story of their own. Farman and company launched Bonnaroo, the rural Manchester, Tenn., show that began in 2002 and has pulled in crowds of 80,000-plus with its vibe as the ultimate jam-band campground.

Vegoose will be a far less earthy affair and doesn’t covet any “an island-apart” ethos. Farman said fans who put a higher premium on hotel rooms, martinis and blackjack tables will be willing to pay the higher ticket price ($129 for Friday and Saturday) and the travel costs for the creature comforts. The eye candy will be in keeping with the locale too. “It’s not just about the music,” Farman said, which turns the usual alt-rock mantra on its head. This festival will have a “worst Elvis impersonator” contest, some decadent burlesque performances and a faux wedding chapel. The festival website is vegoose.com.