The Crystal Method holds a special place in the hearts of many Las Vegans. Scott Kirkland and Ken Jordan are both native sons, and the title of their groundbreaking electronic album, 1997’s Vegas, tipped its hat to the musicians’ original stomping grounds. We caught up with Kirkland to talk about the 20th anniversary of that record as The Crystal Method returns to town for a set at Beauty Bar …with one significant alteration.
“Ken retired [to Costa Rica] about 20 months ago,” says Kirkland, who has been working on a new Crystal Method album—solo—while celebrating his clean bill of health after undergoing brain surgery to remove a cyst in 2013. “This year I said, ‘I want to go out and just play. I don’t need a big tour, man.’ It’s been a great year of touring, lots of great shows and interesting venues, opening for Tool and [playing] arenas. I’m super-psyched about the new album, and super-psyched about the opportunity to go back out and do things on my own.”
Between shows on the road, Kirkland also created the score for the award-winning documentary Hired Gun, and wrote the theme for a new Guillermo del Toro animated series for Netflix. He adds that he hopes to have a new Crystal Method album out by the summer. “Hopefully at the end of 2018 I’ll have a sort of Vegas reimagined, score-like take on it with orchestral stuff—kind of a fun expansion of Vegas.”
For Kirkland’s holiday homecoming, he’ll preview cuts from his forthcoming album, and plans to throw in some fan favorites and surprises. “I play a lot of TCM, but I also do a ‘through the years’ sort of thing. I play a lot of stuff that was out in the late ’90s and early 2000s. I’ve done a bunch of crazy bootlegs of AC/DC and Black Sabbath and different things. I just tend to have a lot of fun, play things that I want to play and try to make people smile.” He adds, “I’m just grateful and appreciative that Ken and I were able to create Vegas and that it found its way into people’s lives and has continued to allow us to do so many different things.”
The Crystal Method December 23, 9 p.m., $20. Beauty Bar, 702-598-3757.
