America – From the Ventura Highway to Sin City!

America played The Theater at Virgin on Friday, September 26, 2025.

It’s been over 50 years since America took the stage and made pop-rock history. Initially founded as a trio in England by the sons of American military personnel stationed overseas, Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek took the charts by storm with hits like “A Horse With No Name,” “Ventura Highway,” “ Don’t Cross the River,” “Sandman,” “Sister Golden Hair,” “Tin Man,” “Lonely People,” “Daisy Jane,” “I Need You,” “You Can Do Magic,” and “The Border” (the latter two of which have writing credits from former Argent member Russ Ballard), and even performed the soundtrack to the early 1980s animated fantasy film THE LAST UNICORN. Many efforts from the band were even produced by George Martin, best known for his efforts producing nearly every Beatles album. Songs from America have been used in countless films, television shows, and commercials, and remain pop and rock radio staples even half a century later.

Founding member Dan Peek left the band in 1977 and passed away in 2011. In more recent years, fellow founding member Gerry Beckley has retired from touring (though remains a contributor to studio records), leaving Dewey Bunnell as the one member of the original trio still going out on the road. The current version of America is a quintet consisting of Bunnell, Richard Campbell, Ryland Steen, Andy Barr, and Steve Fekete.

This concert took place at The Theater at Virgin, being the former Joint venue from the Hard Rock Hotel, which is a good-sized room that accommodates many events in Las Vegas. At around 8:00 PM, the lights went dark, and audiences were treated to a “sizzle real” of sorts, showing archival footage of the band, stats on their record sales, and even a look at their various hits being used in movies and TV shows, as well as them being sampled and covered. This was a great way to begin the concert. But would the quintet on stage be able to live up to those 50+ years of music?

This rock and roll fan was pleased to say that the answer to that question was YES. It’s clear the musicians who currently comprise the touring version of America are more than capable and have a great chemistry with one another. Bunnell’s voice is one of the most distinctive of all time; over half a century later, I’m pleased to say that unique voice is no less recognizable, bringing the expected life to so many of the band’s classic hits. Second guitarist/vocalist Andy Barr sang the parts original sang by classic member Gerry Beckley, with his voice well suited to this material; he was the unexpected VIP of the evening, and seeing him and Mr. Bunnell swap vocal duties for which songs required them was certainly a highlight of the evening. The other members all handled their tasks exceedingly well, occasionally taking on vocal duties and performing solos (America is the last band I’d expect to see a bass solo from, but it was one of the true surprises of the evening for me).

The setlist was also well put together, consisting of nearly every major hit the band had, from folksy anthems from their first several albums to their Russ Ballard-penned comeback hits in the early-mid 80s. They even managed to fit in some minor hits and deep cuts including fare like “Hollywood,” “Green Monkey,” and “Everyone I Meet is From California.” Covers were thrown in as well for artists like Neil Young and The Mamas and The Papas, who were among the groups the band members mentioned seeing in their early years and being influenced by. Throughout the evening, a large video screen showed appropriate footage for the music being performed, as well as archival footage of the original band. Probably the only major hit not performed was “Muskrat Love,” even though the band members joked about it before breaking into the encore which was their first and biggest hit, “A Horse With No Name.” If I have one minor complaint with the setlist, it’s that I wish they’d played at least one song from THE LAST UNICORN soundtrack, but I was glad to at least see it mentioned in the video that opened the evening.

America is still going strong with Dewey Bunnell having surrounded himself with an excellent group of players. The over five decades of hits certainly impressed the crowd at Virgin on this evening, with no one left disappointed. If you can catch the band live, you’ll be pleased to know their still deliver. Don’t pass up an opportunity to see these guys live in their element!

PHOTO CREDIT: Live photos by Taylor T. Carlson for ZRockR Magazine – (c) 2025 – All Rights Reserved.