Calamity Jayne

Named after a bad magic mushroom experience onstage at an outdoor concert in Del Mar, California in the 70’s, she later became the endeared Calamity to locals in Las Vegas and to national recording artists that performed their first gig in Las Vegas at her world famous establishment, Calamity’s Concert House on Boulder Highway.
Calamity is a devoted fan of the old roots music of America, which includes blues, rock, country, jazz, reggae, mariachi and folk. Her style reflects these influences and also includes philosophical and social economical commentary…from Shel Silverstein to MWGarrity.
As a performer and songstress… Calamity Jayne performed with her outrageous band of ex’s called the Cowpunksto packed crowds at every major casino resort hotel in Las Vegas, Tahoe and Reno during the 80’s.
When offered a record deal in Nashville she declined as it was too stifling during the early country pop days. Instead, she opened her own venue by refurbishing and renovating an old landmark in Las Vegas. The abandoned building was once called the Nashville Nevada Opera House. (Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Wynn Stewart, Merle Haggard were just a few of the regulars that frequented the place in its early days.)
Jayne wanted to expose the community to more extremes in music than what was offered on the strip. She transformed the building into a state of the art concert music house with the décor of a turn of the century brothel. It later became known as the infamous Calamity’s Concert House, written about in Rolling Stone Magazine. Here she had free reigns to perform with the Cowpunksand also expose the town to her favorite artists and performers who deserved recognition in the Nntertainment Capital of the World..
Her marquee was filled with the likes of such acts as, The Blasters, Nirvana, The Black Crowes, The Byrds, Kris Kristofferson, Concrete Blonde, Sonic Youth, The Beat Farmers, Warron Zevon, The Wailers, Ian Hunter, Iggy Pop, Carl Perkins, the Smithereens, Buddy Guy, Marshall Tucker Band, Tower of Power, and Richard Elliot to name a few.
Calamity became a living legend of Las Vegas, not only because of her adventures with her notorious band, her TV Show called Calamity’s Asylum Theater and radio show, …but also for her contribution to the music scene in the community. She was quoted in Rolling Stone Magazine as the woman who changed the face of the music scene in Las Vegas in the late 80’s early 90's.She brought upcoming and cutting edge, national recording acts to Las Vegas no matter what the cost. This tenacity and determination got her a brief stint in the United States Federal Penitentiary.
She did time behind the wall in a medium- maximum security prison for 2 years in Dublin, California. It was an intense experience but eventually she found the pony in the shit as in all her calamitous experiences.
ON FRIDAY JUNE 20th…CALAMITY JAYNE and the COWPUNKS ARE RETURNING TO FINISH WHAT THEY STARTED!! (Stay Tuned!)
“Calamities shake people out of old thought patterns and help bring in new light"… Ramtha
“A rose is a rose is a rose… No matter what name you call her, she answers with thorns and all!”...Bill Graham,"Grateful Dead Show ‘93"
“Calamity is a basket case…Can’t figure her out heads or tales like an enigma but boy does she charm"… Warren Zevon
“Calamity Jayne is not just a flower child locked in a time warp…not a high paid mistress of the 80’s, not the underground queen of Las Vegas camp but a kaleidoscope of intrigue and fun"... Dave Olsen ( "City attorney of Boulder City")
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