Bunkhouse Saloon: Yes, Vegas is a western town. And this place delivers. Patios, cheap beers, and a pretty aggressive live entertainment schedule. Find out who we saw below.
Whoa, Nelly.
Then to Bunkhouse Saloon for a show called ‘Honky Tonk Women: Ladies’ Night,’ featuring $5 PBRs, Las Vegas local originals The Rhyolite Sound and the midwest import, Nellie Wilson, which I’m pretty sure is a play on ‘Willie Nelson,’ whose songs they covered quite a bit.
Nellie Wilson wore a red bandana and daisy dukes boots, and had a fun kind of sass between songs that’s rooted in that famous midwestern hospitality. She was definitely born and raised in a one-traffic-light kinda town.
In fact, both groups were about as real and pure and authentic as I’ve ever gotten to live classic country. These guys weren’t trying to be anything else. There was no fusion. No reinvention. No sugar-coating. They stuck to the good stuff, I might say if I had t’bacca under my lip. The stuff that doesn’t get a lot of radio play, and doesn’t win many Grammys. Stuff that’s just fun and doesn’t try to be much else. It just is. And I think that goes a little underappreciated these days.
And, you can never go wrong with an upright bassist.
Attempt #1
Signs #2 & #3
The Bunkhouse Saloon is freaking awesome. But first, can I say… WTF Bunkhouse Saloon signage(s)? The bar’s at Freemont and 11th. As you approach from Freemont, you see this big, black sign (pictured). “Entrance” and an arrow pointing to a long, white brick wall. Entrance where, Bunkhouse Saloon?
We finally find a chainlink fence, NOT under the arrow, where a security guard informs us that we have to go around the block and enter from 11th. Okay, fair enough.
Then you turn the corner, and you you two more signs (also pictured). The first one’s not even on their building, and it looks like it’s been there since Bugsy Siegel was alive. And the second one is all backlit and could have been a re-purposed Walgreens sign. Probably not. But could’ve been.
All I’m trying to say is this is clearly a place with a history of navigation issues.
Okay, then you walk up, and your second experience with Bunkhouse Saloon is this: The most awesome biker gang lineup ever. There was definitely a bicycle that didn’t make the frame of this picture that might have belonged to Pee Wee, circa Big Adventure. I looked for him inside the bar with no luck. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t him, dammit.
It’s not a pee-wee, it’s a chopper, baby.
Bunkhouse Saloon this awesome mashup of dudes that proudly wore the ZZ Top original long beard, pitted up against DTLV’s beer-snobbery, hipster art scene, maybe go-to-country-music-shows-ironically, DEFINITELY wear flannel ironically, new-beard-wearing dudes. So it’s a battle of the beards. We can only hope their beards have some kind of superpower like shooting dried hops or mad guitar riffs, in this winner-takes-all, Highlander-style bearded battle to the death.
Yep, that’s a FOURTH sign on their roof.
Then we turn around, and we see this place. (We’re almost inside!) I mean, how could you NOT want to go into this place and have some drinks, have some good conversation, watch some live music, and maybe go buy a mattress and a spare toothbrush and try to sleep in the back-of-house somewhere forever and ever. This place looks like home.
Bunkhouse Saloon also keeps an amazing lineup of events and live music. (Check it out here.) It’s as diverse as it is consistent. Play video games, sing karaoke, or maybe it’s a punk rock band or an EDM DJ. The bar is just the right size, and they’ve got a back yard with park tables. And you can’t beat $5 tall cans of PBR. (And psst.. just between us, I’ve heard they do some surprise pop-up shows late night, like The Killers.)
If you get a chance, or if you’re looking for an excuse to check out some unique live music, try Bunkhouse Saloon.
