Bandleader David Perrico takes his group to new heights with the Las Vegas Raiders

By Brock Radke (get hold of)

Monday, Sept. 13, 2021 | 2 a.m.

The David Perrico Pop Strings Orchestra managed a preferred weekend residency at Cleopatra’s Barge at Caesars Palace for many years, bringing interesting live tunes strength to a single of the Strip’s most beloved lounge spaces. Now a even bigger, bolder model of the group has moved to a new location for a marginally unique residency gig.

“We went from the Barge with 250 individuals to 65,000 people in the viewers,” claimed the trumpeter and bandleader. “It’s quite awesome.”

Perrico’s expanded band, now numbering 18 with the addition of a full horn segment, scored the coveted gig as the residence amusement for Las Vegas Raiders game titles at Allegiant Stadium. The all-star lineup of Las Vegas musicians will complete a 30-minute pre-exhibit ahead of tonight’s Monday Night time Football common year opener versus Baltimore and perform shorter snippets of tunes for the duration of the game, set up on a stage in the vicinity of the Al Davis Memorial Torch on the Coors Light Landing area of the stadium concourse.

The Raiders have maintained a extensive legacy of stay enjoyment at football game titles, specifically massive bands specializing in jazz, funk, rock and soul, all through the team’s vibrant background playing in Oakland and Los Angeles. Perrico, a indigenous of Ohio who has toured the country for years with unique bands and executed and organized tunes with distinctive exhibits and special situations all throughout Las Vegas, was relatively acquainted with the soccer team’s musical heritage.

“I understood of some of the trumpet gamers that performed at the L.A. Coliseum, but heading again a minor extra, in the 1960s Al Davis carried out the Del Courtney big band at games in Oakland,” he explained. “Mark Davis is carrying on this custom that he often cherished as a kid, growing up and looking at the band taking part in at video games. It was his choice to hire us and it’s a fantastic prospect.”

The band bought its initially style of taking part in at the stadium all through the preseason game from Seattle on August 14. Whilst Perrico described it as a surreal working experience, a lot of associates of his workforce of expert musicians are acquainted with doing in venues of this dimension.

“Most of them have performed it, backing up acts like Rod Stewart, Beyoncé, Shania Twain, Aerosmith,” he reported. “The distinction as the Pop Strings team evolves into the Raider home band is in addition to the four singers and the all-female string area, we have additional the 4 horns plus myself on trumpet to get that Tower of Electrical power, Earth, Wind and Fire, Chicago seem, all individuals good horn bands.”

The vocalists are Lily Arce, Perrico’s spouse and a former singer in Cirque du Soleil’s “O” and “Fantasy” at Luxor Las Vegas Academy grad Serena Henry, who has toured with Smokey Robinson and Gladys Knight Cuban-born Noybel Gorgoy, who has starred in touring manufacturing exhibits and with Paul Shaffer and Clint Holmes in Las Vegas and Fletch Walcott, a indigenous of Boston who appeared on “American Idol” and has entertained at several lounges up and down the Strip.

Rounding out the band: Jose “Pepe” Jimenez on drums, a veteran of Carlos Santana’s bands bass participant Keith Nelson, who has recorded with Donna Summer season, Natalie Cole and Shania Twain Steven Lee on guitar, who also played in Donny and Marie Osmond’s extensive residency clearly show at the Flamingo Otto Ehling on keyboards sax terrific Rocco Barbato, who also performs in Donny Osmond’s new residency at Harrah’s violin gamers Adrianna Thurber, Chandra Meibalane, Monique Olivas and Christina Rose, all of whom have intensive working experience backing massive stars like Andrea Bocelli, Tony Bennett, Celine Dion, Stevie Ponder, Gloria Estefan and Shakira viola participant Crystal Yuan and cellists Sarah Chaffee and Zuzana Engererova tenor, soprano and baritone sax players Andrew Friedlander, Charles McNeal and Mathew Schumer and trombonist Steve Meyer, who currently performs with the Righteous Brothers and orchestrates their show.

“The great thing about this band is it is my fantasy football crew,” Perrico joked. “It’s always been that way. Men and women check with me, how do you get these wonderful players? Talented folks want to get the job done with gifted folks.”

Perrico said he is thrilled to be “drafted” by the Raiders, in particular following the extended layoff of reside enjoyment in Las Vegas, and is on the lookout forward to the unique opportunity to connect with area football and audio enthusiasts at games.

“I’m flattered and honored. I just want to deliver every game, strike every cue and execute.”