Franky Perez Launches Forty Deuce Residency at Mandalay Bay

Vegas Native Brings Funk and Soul Back to the Strip

Franky Perez isn‘t just another Vegas headliner looking to cash in on nostalgia – he’s a homegrown artist with a genuine mission to reconnect locals with the Strip experience. Starting February 18, the singer-songwriter launches a weekly residency at Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce inside Mandalay Bay, and his approach feels refreshingly authentic in a town overrun with corporate entertainment packages.

The All Nighters, Perez‘s dynamic band, brings serious musical chops to what he describes as “a sexy, genre-blending, high-energy live music experience combining deep funk, soul, rock ’n roll, and Latin rhythms.” With guitarist Christian Brady, blistering horns, Cuban percussion, backup singers, and Vegas showgirls, this 75-minute spectacle promises substance behind the flash. The Wild Turkey Bourbon-sponsored shows run every Wednesday and Thursday at 8pm, with doors opening at 7pm.

Making Vegas Affordable Again

Here's where Perez demonstrates real understanding of what Vegas has lost – the relationship between locals and the Strip. While most acts price out residents with premium tickets, locals get free admission with Nevada ID for these shows. Add in free three-hour parking for Nevada residents and drink specials like “The Wild Turkey All Nighter,” and you‘ve got an entertainer who actually wants his neighbors in the audience.

“Vegas was never cheap but it was affordable and it can be again,” Perez explained. This isn’t just marketing speak – tickets are priced at $30 general admission and $45 VIP, making it accessible without feeling cheap. The goal, he says, is creating that first-name-basis relationship where people say “I'm gonna go to Mandalay Bay, have a nice meal, a couple drinks and see my friend Franky.”

Cultural Fusion That Actually Works

Perez's new single “Leche for the Bebé” features hip-hop legend Sen Dog of Cypress Hill and showcases the bilingual direction of his forthcoming spring 2026 album DÁMELO. The track demonstrates what happens when cultural fusion comes from genuine artistic vision rather than market research – deep funk meets Latin soul with rock swagger that doesn't pander to any particular demographic.

Sen Dog apparently wrote his verse on the spot during recording, and the resulting collaboration captures the kind of organic creativity that made Vegas entertainment legendary in the first place. The accompanying black-and-white video featuring visual artist Nico Roussin and B-boy Rampage reflects the high-energy aesthetic Perez and The All Nighters bring to their live performances.

A Welcome Return to Substance

In a Strip landscape dominated by jukebox musicals and celebrity DJ sets, Forty Deuce's reopening with Perez‘s residency signals something more substantial. This isn’t about recreating the Rat Pack era – it‘s about recapturing that spirit of genuine entertainment where showmanship serves the music, not the other way around. With celebrity guests promised throughout the residency and Perez’s track record for authentic performances, this could be exactly what Vegas needs right now.