David Perrico – Pop Evolution

First I want to say thank you for holding down the stage last night at the toys for tots event at the Orleans. Second you guys were great and I really enjoyed the show. I had never visited the Orleans but I’m glad I did. Again thank you and so look forward to seeing all of you again !!

Summary: It is at The Smith now, performing out of the quaint Jazz Cabaret room. And it is still fuckin’ kicking dicks. Bring hearing protection.
Last night was their three-​year anniversary. They are merely toddlers. Watch as they continue to grow …
As toddlers, they have been as far south as Southpoint, where they were born. Apparently they had a run at The Palms, and another at Stratosphere in the room that Pin Up occupies today and Frankie Moreno has in the past, where they successfully blew some patrons’ eardrums out.
Currently, they are at The Smith, and the man himself David Perrico can be heard performing live at Rock In Rio 2015 during Pop weekend at 5 p.m. at Rock Street UK (as a member of Stones the Beetles).
Back to the meaning of life: kicking dicks!
This ain’t no guy standing behind an Apple® pressing a key. Hence, they will struggle to garner patronage in this town. The tourists aren’t going to buy tickets and attend. It is up to us Las Vegans to support these projects.
In this project, there are talented musicians from the legendary Vinnie Falcone’s orchestra, Terry Fator, et al. David Perrico himself is a product of UNLV. 702 Respect.
They play Britney Spears (does she even play herself live anymore), Madonna, Van Halen, the theme to The Green Hornet, originals … you name it. They are clearly not fucking around. And neither am I in this review.
Rating: Five-​stars, «Woohoo! As good as it gets!»

This group is one of the best compilations of musicians that I’ve seen in a long time. These guys are for the true music lovers, some of the best players in the city. Make sure to see them if you get a chance.

The best group of musicians I’ve found in Vegas over the last 4 years. You won’t find a better jazz/​rock singer and the charts are ridiculous. Some might say «it’s too loud» but what do you expect from a 20 person big band? What you SHOULD expect is a funky wall of sound coming atcha… «This is not your grandparent’s big band.» Fantastic rock/​jazz experience.

I would give this show five stars if the volume was not so extremely loud.
That said the arrangements were outstanding. The arrangements showcase the group as a whole and the individual performers. Almost every instrument had an terrific solo with the exception of the bass guitar. The female singer has a great set of pipes. She is at her best when singing rock n roll. Her rendition of ‘Barracuda’ displayed her range and passion. I’m surprised she isn’t the lead singer for a rock band.
I believe their next show is May 6^th 2014. A show well worth the admission price however, please tone down the overall volume.

Pop Evolution at the Stratosphere review 1÷21÷14
A supergroup with the best of the best musicians anywhere. Band leader Dave Perrico, lead singer Naomi Mauro and company really blew the roof off the Stratosphere last night. It was truly a hypnotic display of pure musical power and virtuosity.
They open with the 20 piece band playing a Britney Spears song «Circus». Incredible power with soaring vocals by Naomi Mauro sound nothing like any Britney song you have ever heard before. The set list includes songs by Rush, Alanis Morrisette and Van Halen. The sound is more power rock than power pop.
I recently saw the band Heart here at Mandalay Bay. Lead singer Ann Wilson sang The Who’s anthem «Love, Reign o’er Me» proving her vocal strength. She showcased the same song at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Female vocalists rarely attempt such vocal acrobatics. Vocal goddess Naomi Mauro is the exception to that rule. She has the courage to sing the Ann Wilson song «Barracuda» with power and range when others would not want to suffer by comparison. I am constantly amazed at how Naomi seamlessly glides through so many different vocal styles during a Pop Evolution concert. Other singers tend to shrink when singing with such a powerful half-​orchestra but not Naomi. She shows real leadership but is confident enough to generously share the spotlight with the many other world class musicians: the perfect lead singer for this monster band. A stunning artist who really shines with this group. She puts every ounce of palpable energy she has into each song and really sells it without going over the top: a nuanced feat many try but few accomplish.
Many times you can hear eyes rolling when a group announces an original song they just wrote. But this is Perrico and Naomi. They introduced a new song, «Simpler Times» they wrote together and it is magical with unique instrument layering and arrangements. I predict it will remain as part of the set list.
I cannot imagine finding more talent in one group in one room anywhere on the planet. Vegas bandleader Lon Bronson quietly sitting in the back of the horn section. I have followed sublime, award winning UNLV doctoral student and keyboard prodigy Otto Ehling since he was a student with Dave Loeb 8 years ago. You must see him while he is still here in Las Vegas. Crystal Yuan performed an ethereal Led Zeppelin theremin solo with only her violin that was from another world. The crowd was hushed in awe. I wished she would have played her killer version of Chicago’s «25 or 6 to 4» but something has to give in order to add new gems like the theremin solo. The list of talent goes on…
This is not your father’s Big Band, but it may be the rock band The Who would use. Think less traditional jazz and more rock based.
I have seen Pop Evolution at least 10 times since early 2012 and always find new things to love about them. We in Las Vegas are so lucky to have this world class band appearing regularly in our showrooms. The trend today is toward downsizing so you had better see them with their full power while you can. Rather than spend hundreds of dollars to see tired geezer rockers, see what real inspired, bleeding edge music is about. Suchadeal for $ 20.
I worked in a recording studio in the analog days and consider myself an audiophile. I respectfully and mildly disagree with Kevin D. regarding the sound quality. Although this showroom is not up to the acoustic standard at the superb Smith Center (damn few are) it is still good and I am a very critical listener. I have sat all over this showroom and thought Naomi’s vocals were set up quite well in the mix and not overpowered by the band. It has not been too loud (above 100−105db) for my tastes.

I’ve been following Pop Evolution since their days at Southpoint and the ensemble is second to none in Las Vegas. The repertoire is very accessible for any music lover and challenging for the sophisticated. David Perrico’s arrangements are exciting and thoughtful — and they swing! From 15 horns to the «guitar army», electric viola that suggest Jimmy Page. And where else can you see a beautiful 6 foot French horn player? All remarkable musicians that hit their marks with grace.
Now the sound. I started my career at Dolby Labs, so I know something about sound production & recording. The mix at the Stratosphere needs improvement. Over recent months, it’s become too loud and difficult to hear the vocalist over this fabulous band. The sound is dry and irritating, but not to the point that I should leave. Iv’e walked around the room and sat in seats front, middle and back to evaluate the sound. I’ve mixed concerts, equalized theaters, so there will be «hot spots» from time to time. I’m hoping the house sound team can make adjustments so I can continue to enjoy Pop Evolution and be proud of my recommendations to visitors who visit the Stratosphere.
Keep on rocking’ David!

First let me get the one big negative out of the way. The music was way too loud! Not sure if it was where we were sitting which was to the right of the stage towards the back or the speakers just happen to be strategically placed towards us for maximum sound exposure. When they played only one instrument it was tolerable but for every instrument added, it multiplied the overall sound. I had to plug my ears with my fingers for every new song performed.
With that said, I think the concept of this show is very entertaining. Basically, its an orchestra ensemble that puts their own twists on different genres of songs. Some examples are «Hot For Teacher» by Van Halen, a song by Stevie Wonder which is slipping my mind right now, and some others. Yeah, I should of done this review sooner.
Props goes out to all the performers on stage. From the male and female vocalists to the horns, saxaphones, violas, guitars, and drums, everybody’s skills were only exceeded by their talents.
Last and most importantly, the mastermind of this creation, David Perrico. From start to finish it was obvious who the conductor and band leader was.
Overall I would not mind watching this again once things are right. For your info, I have seen Pin Up and Frank Moreno at this same venue and the sound both those times were at a tolerable level. I have also seen Rock of Ages at The Venetian and Raiding The Rock Vault at LVH. Now those shows had the sound going through the roof but for Pop Evolution it was way louder. So please fix the sound and get back to me so I can use my hands to clap instead of plugging my ears.