Get ready to get Wired with Jeff Timmons

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Written by  Carla J. Zvosec

American boy band 98 Degrees founding member brings high-energy nightclub experience to Green Valley Ranch Resort in Henderson

Long past his days of performing as a member of a successful American boy band that went platinum with every album it released, 39-year-old Jeff Timmons, founder of the Grammy-nominated 98 Degrees, is now set to kickoff his very own show, Wired, in Henderson.

Beginning June 29, on Friday and Saturday nights, Timmons will entertain crowds at the Ovation Lounge inside Green Valley Ranch Resort, where he will perform with a live band and host some surprise musical celebrity guests.

When asked whether he anticipates his guests will join in the Wired performances, Timmons responded, "Some artists just want to go and relax when they're not working, and then some can't resist the temptation to get up and do a song or two.

"So I think we'll have a mixed bag, in regards to that."

The show will present an energetic blend of dance, hip-hop, top 40 and, of course, some 98 Degrees music. It also will feature rotating musical acts yet to be named.

"We're thrilled and honored to welcome Jeff Timmons to the Station Casinos family," said Judy Alberti, vice president of entertainment. "Jeff is one of the music industry's most gifted artists, and Wired will be unlike any other live interactive nightclub experience in Las Vegas."

According to Timmons, the show is a little different than what people in Las Vegas traditionally have seen from him.

Last spring, Timmons appeared in a monthlong guest run with The Chippendales at the Rio hotel-casino, which he described as being more of a hosting, emceeing kind of thing, and when he performed, it was to track. He also did a couple of club shows and appearances in Vegas, which also were to track.

"The whole premise behind Wired is it's a high-energy show ... with a hot band—and all of the band members now reside in Las Vegas, so it's a collection of local talent—(playing) all kinds of music: current music, music from the past, some of my new music.

"We're trying to kind of dub it as 'the party before you go to the party.' People can come, enjoy the music from 11 to 1 at night, then go to the clubs after that."

And although unable to reveal any of the special guest musical artists who may be on hand during any given performance of Wired, because keeping it a secret is part of the show, Timmons said, "They're all esteemed and well-known artists, and we're excited to have that surprise element to it."

"It reminds me of a show in New York when 98 Degrees first got signed," recalled Timmons. "There was a local hot band that used to play in a small club theater, and everybody and anybody would go to see this band, because they were so good and had such great music.

"That's kind of what we're trying to start here."

But it's not just established talent that Timmons hopes to draw to the show. According to the pop rocker, the show has a variety of new up-an-coming artists, who've not been discovered yet, lined up to perform, too.

"It'll be the first time they'll actually get up in front of this kind of crowd and get that attention and exposure," said Timmons. "We hope that adds sort of a different twist to the show."

Timmons said the show is taking auditions all the time, and that he wants to give everybody a fair shot at the opportunity.

"People are welcome to email me on my website," he added. "There's some information there where they can submit audition videos and MP3s and things like that. We're leaving it wide open; we want it just to be cool and fair ... and be something different."

Wired is scheduled to run for six weeks at the Ovation Lounge but could be extended if all goes well with the show.

"We're going to see how it goes for the first six weekends, until Aug. 4, and who knows what will happen after that?" said Timmons.

"Of course, we want people to come from all over, but we really want the local support," explained Timmons. "I know a lot of the locals don't like to go to the Strip and be a part of all the touristy stuff; they want to have some entertainment for themselves, and we want to provide (that)."

As for the room he'll be performing in for the next six weeks, Timmons described Ovation as a beautiful theater, and he fell in love with it the first time he went there.

"I just love the way it sounded in there ... and the lighting. It looks like a really well-put-together, expensive theater, and it's a classy place," he said.

"It's such a beautiful venue; I might just stay there, you never know!"

Wired performs at 11 p.m. and is open to adults 21 years of age and older. The show is free of charge, and entry is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about the show, visit greenvalleyranchresort.com.