Country music star Chris Young’s career has taken him to the top of festival lineups and sold out arenas, but he got his start in bars, clubs and playing casino gigs.
The “Famous Friends” singer’s next California tour stop will be at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio on Friday, Sept. 23.
“I’ll be playing a mix of my older hits, some of the newer stuff, and maybe throw in a surprise or two,” Young said during a recent phone interview. “I want to get everyone there to have a good time. I’ve been lucky enough to have a long career so far, and it doesn’t seem like things are slowing down anytime soon.”
We caught up with Young ahead of his performance in Indio to talk about his favorite casino games and ask what he’d do with his winnings if he landed the jackpot. The following conversation was edited for space and clarity.
Q: When did you first visit a casino and what was that like?
Young: It was most likely on the first tour that I was on. I think we ended up at a casino in Las Vegas. It was my first time really being 21 in Vegas at a casino to sit down and play. I had about a hundred dollars in my pocket to sit down and go gamble with, so I was definitely tracking down five dollar tables.
Q: Do you have a favorite casino game?
Young: I have really weird luck on slot machines and roulette. It’s all about feeling it out and it has pretty much nothing to do with skills. For whatever reason I am really good at that. Also, if you have a table of craps going with a bunch of people it’s a lot of fun.
Q: Do you have any rituals you do when trying to boost your luck during a game? Like lucky socks, etc.?
Young: No, not really anything strange. Normally, if i’m walking into a casino I’ll take twenty or fifty bucks and put it in a machine and see what happens the minute I get there.
Q: What would you do if you won a big jackpot at Fantasy Springs?
Young: You know what, probably be really boring and put it in an investment somewhere.
Q: You’ve played some pretty big festivals recently, how you think casino shows compare to festivals?
Young: It really just depends on the set up. If it’s an outdoor show at a casino you’ll likely have more of a festival vibe to it and if it’s indoors it’s a little different. People sometimes come in and hang out at a casino so maybe they just get a ticket to that night’s show since they’re already there. Which is nice, because you can surprise them with your show and maybe make a new fan out of someone.
Where: Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio
When: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23
Tickets: $49-$99; All-ages.
Information: fantasyspringsresort.com.
