Celebrate 4th of July weekend as Fremont Street Experience premieres 'Don
McLean's American Pie' Viva Vision, July 3-5
LAS VEGAS, June 26 -- Fremont Street Experience premieres
"Don McLean's American Pie" Viva Vision light and sound show with a
weekend-long 4th of July celebration free to the public, 4 p.m.-midnight
July 3-5 in downtown Las Vegas.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071109/LAF028LOGO-c)
The world premiere showing of "Don McLean's American Pie" Viva Vision
show will open to the public on Thursday, July 3 at 9 p.m., including an
opening ceremony hosted by Nellis Air Force Base's Honor Guard and a live
performance of the National Anthem.
The rock ballad "American Pie", released by Don McLean in 1971, became
the anthem for a generation and is still one of the most well-known songs
in American musical history. McLean's most famous composition, "American
Pie" is a sprawling, impressionistic ballad inspired partly by the deaths
of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) in a
plane crash in 1959. The song would popularize the expression "The Day the
Music Died" in reference to this event. McLean has stated that the lyrics
are also somewhat autobiographical and present an abstract story of his
life from the mid-1950s until the time he wrote the song in the late 1960s.
"American Pie" reached number one on the US Billboard magazine charts
for four weeks in 1971, and remains McLean's most successful single
release. It is also the longest song to reach #1 with a running time of
8:36. McLean worked with Fremont Street Experience, providing footage and
images for the Viva Vision show.
The Viva Vision schedule for all three nights include shows "American
Freedom" at 8:30 and 12 midnight, "Don McLean's American Pie" at 9:00 and
11:00 p.m. and "A Tribute to Queen" at 10:00 p.m. "A Tribute to Queen" is
also a new Viva Vision light and sound show that premiered in April.
Additionally, visual fireworks and patriotic images -- set to some of
America's favorite songs -- will be shown overhead on Viva Vision
throughout the evening, Thursday-Saturday.
Live bands will also be a part of the three-day entertainment line-up
performing on both the 1st and 3rd Street stages, July 3-5:
1st Street Stage
-- 5-8 p.m. - Tony Marques Band, featuring country jams
-- 9-12 p.m. - NiteKings, featuring 50's, 60's and 70's favorites
3rd Street Stage
-- 4-7 p.m. - Keel 2, featuring classic rock
-- 8-11 p.m. - Wonderboogie, featuring 70's disco fever
Downtown Las Vegas hotel-casinos Binion's, Fitzgeralds, Four Queens,
Fremont, Golden Gate, Golden Nugget and Vegas Club will be selling 4th of
July barbeque favorites from hamburgers and hotdogs to potato salad from 4
p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday at several outdoor food cafes on Fremont
Street Experience. Each food station will also be accompanied by a bar
offering a variety of sodas, beers, cocktails and specialty drinks.
"Don McLean's American Pie" and three nights of entertainment and food
on Fremont Street Experience will be the perfect place for everyone to come
celebrate our nation's birthday.
The Fremont Street Experience is a five-block entertainment complex
located in historical downtown Las Vegas. In 1995, Fremont Street was
closed to vehicular traffic and a giant screen was suspended 90-feet over
the street to display spectacular light and sound shows on its 1,500 foot
surface. The 12.5 million lights of the Viva Vision screen dazzle 365
nights a year and make the Fremont Street Experience a one-of-a-kind venue.
With direct pedestrian access to 10 casinos, more than 60 restaurants,
specialty retail and free nightly entertainment, the Fremont Street
Experience attracts millions of annual visitors. The Fremont Street
Experience can be found online at http://www.vegasexperience.com.
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