Pahrump isn't known as the entertainment capital of the world. That moniker is reserved for its neighbor over the hump.

There has nevertheless been a bevy of oldies entertainers scheduling appearances in town recently.

The Pahrump Nugget played host to The Diamonds and later The Marvelettes earlier this year.

Herbst Gaming, owners of Terrible's Town and Terrible's Lakeside Casino, is now rolling out a concert series from now until November.

Country pop star Juice Newton set the stage with a free concert at Terrible's Lakeside amphitheater before the fireworks show June 30.

The other concerts will also be free, and will all be held at the amphitheater.

B.J. Thomas, who sang 1960s hits like "I'm So Lonely I Could Cry" and "Hooked On A Feeling," will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 28.

Davy Jones, an English performer with the popular 1960s band The Monkees, is scheduled for 8 p.m. Aug. 11. Their long list of Monkees hits includes "Daydream Believer," "Last Train to Clarksville," and "Pleasant Valley Sunday."

Little River Band performs at 8 p.m., Sept. 1. This group is a relative newcomer, the band was formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1975. They performed a few hits in that era like "Lady," "Reminiscing" and "Take It Easy On Me."

The final act booked so far is Chubby Checker, a popular 1960s performer, known for introducing everyone to the Twist (although Hank Ballard and the Midnighters did the original version a year before). He takes the stage with his band at 8 p.m., Sept. 21.

Dave Krause, vice-president of marketing for Herbst Gaming, said he's trying to line up more acts for October. But he noted the weather turns a little cool by November, when the concert series will probably end until spring 2008.

Krause said he realized the potential of the Terrible's Lakeside amphitheater as a venue when he saw the Juice Newton show, with the sun setting over the lake and the award-winning recreational vehicle park behind it. The amphitheater attracted about 1,100 people for that show, he said, but the company is looking at doing some additional seating.

"It's not going to compare to MGM, we're not going to try to compare it to that. It's a great little venue," Krause said. "Our goal is to have a quality show and offer a quality experience for everybody in Pahrump."

It's helped that Herbst Gaming recently acquired casinos in Primm, affording the possibility of approaching performers there to play gigs at other company locations in the area. Krause said that's how they got Chubby Checker to come to Pahrump.

"I think entertainment personally is a tool that can drive loyalty to your property, as well as it's a great venue for people to experience it," Krause said. When it comes to types of performers, he said, "We just felt we wanted to find the best fit for what Pahrump is."

Krause said the Herbst family, which built Terrible's Town in 1996 and opened Terrible's Lakeside a couple years later, were receptive to the idea of free concerts in Pahrump.

"You guys have been loyal to us, we want to be loyal to you," Krause said. "The Herbst family is very loyal to Pahrump. They're the first casino that came in (to town)."

"We're not trying to make a dime or a killing off it," he said. "It's a way of bringing more quality acts to Pahrump that already have performed here in Primm. We're really looking at all aspects of marketing in Pahrump. I call it the Home Grown Series."