Country storytelling, rock influences and a Saturday night dance party spanning generations are on tap this weekend as two popular Sacramento-area acts return to the Stage Bar at Red Hawk Resort + Casino.
The Billy Williams Band opens the weekend Friday, Sept. 4, performing from 8 p.m. to midnight with a blend of modern and traditional country, original music and familiar favorites. Saturday, Sept. 5, shifts into party mode when Power Play takes over from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., bringing its genre-hopping collection of Top 40, rock, pop, country and dance favorites.
The two-night lineup offers plenty of contrast. Friday puts country music and songwriting at center stage, while Saturday is built around a packed dance floor and songs spanning decades and musical styles.
Billy Williams brings country storytelling Friday
Friday night belongs to the Billy Williams Band, a familiar name throughout the Sacramento region and Northern California country music scene.
Led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Billy Williams, the band combines contemporary country energy with the storytelling traditions that have long defined the genre. Williams’ performances mix original material with recognizable country and Southern rock favorites, creating shows that can move from heartfelt songs to upbeat material built for a lively Friday night crowd.
Williams’ musical roots reach back to childhood. He first picked up a guitar at age 12, beginning a musical journey that eventually led him through years of performing with bands while developing his own voice as a singer, guitarist and songwriter.
Over time, that experience developed into a style centered heavily on storytelling and connecting with audiences rather than simply running through a collection of cover songs. His original music draws from personal experiences and familiar themes of life, relationships and the ups and downs that have long provided country music with its emotional foundation.
That songwriting side is paired with a live show that isn’t afraid to turn up the energy. The Billy Williams Band has become a regular presence at venues, festivals and community events throughout the region, performing a mixture of modern and traditional country along with Southern rock influences.
Folsom-area audiences may already be familiar with Williams from appearances at Powerhouse Pub in Historic Folsom, where he has been featured as part of the venue’s Country Thursdays lineup. The band also headlined the Saturday entertainment lineup at Orangevale’s Summer Palooza earlier this year.
Williams has also become a returning act at Red Hawk. The band’s previous appearances have brought a mixture of country, blues and classic rock influences to the Stage Bar, pairing Williams’ guitar work and vocals with a performance style that balances original storytelling with songs audiences recognize.
This Friday’s performance begins at 8 p.m. and continues until midnight, giving country fans four hours to start the weekend.
Power Play turns Saturday into a dance party
Saturday night brings an entirely different atmosphere when Sacramento-based Power Play returns to the Stage Bar.
If Friday is about country storytelling, Saturday is about variety and movement.
Power Play has established itself as one of the Sacramento region’s most versatile dance and party bands by refusing to stay inside the boundaries of any single genre or era. The band’s catalog stretches across more than seven decades of popular music, creating a show in which the next song can be dramatically different from the one that came before it.
A Power Play set can jump from Lady Gaga to Johnny Cash, move into Eminem and then shift again into classic rock, funk, modern country or another Top 40 favorite. That unpredictability has become one of the group’s defining characteristics.
Rather than presenting a traditional tribute to one genre or decade, Power Play builds its performances around songs that get audiences moving. Rock, pop, rap, country, funk and dance music can all find their way into the same evening.
The Sacramento-based group describes itself as a high-energy dance party band covering popular dance songs from nearly every genre. Four lead vocalists help give the band the range needed to tackle such a diverse catalog, with each bringing a different vocal style to the performance while combining for layered harmonies.
Behind the vocals, guitar-driven arrangements and a strong rhythm section keep the music moving and give the band the flexibility to transition between dramatically different styles without losing the energy of the show.
That versatility has taken Power Play well beyond the nightclub circuit. The group performs weddings, corporate events, casinos and public celebrations throughout Sacramento, the Bay Area, Lake Tahoe and beyond, while remaining a regular presence on local stages.
Earlier this summer, Power Play was among the performers in Folsom’s Summer of Music series at City Lions Park. The band also appeared at the 2026 California State Fair, where it was featured on the Promenade Stage in July.
Red Hawk audiences have become especially familiar with the group. Power Play has returned to the Stage Bar repeatedly, where its four-hour performances are designed around keeping the dance floor active from the beginning of the night until closing.
The band’s ability to move through generations of music also gives Saturday’s show broad appeal. A familiar classic may be followed by a current dance favorite, a country anthem or something entirely unexpected, allowing different generations in the audience to find their own moments during the night.
Power Play takes the stage Saturday at 10 p.m. and keeps the music going until 2 a.m.
Together, the two performances give Red Hawk a weekend lineup with distinctly different personalities. Billy Williams Band brings the guitars, country influences and storytelling Friday, while Power Play follows Saturday with four hours built around variety, recognizable songs and dancing.
More than music on tap for the weekend
The Stage Bar performances are only part of what visitors can find at Red Hawk Resort + Casino, where the combination of gaming, dining, overnight accommodations and The Apex provides plenty of options for turning a night of live music into a longer weekend outing.
The Apex is Red Hawk’s approximately 85,000-square-foot, all-ages entertainment complex. Its centerpiece attractions include a three-level indoor electric go-kart track, 18 lanes of interactive bowling, four golf simulators and arcade and virtual-reality entertainment. The non-smoking complex also includes the Apex Grill and Apex Sports Bar, with the latter featuring numerous televisions and a massive 28-foot screen for featured sporting events.
Families have additional options elsewhere on the property. Cyber Quest offers a professionally supervised, family-friendly arcade centered on nonviolent games, while Kids Quest provides supervised child care and activities for younger guests.
For adults, the casino itself encompasses an 88,000-square-foot gaming floor with more than 2,100 slot machines and more than 70 table games. Red Hawk also offers a separate non-smoking gaming level with more than 240 slot machines.
Rewards Club members can also find a number of promotions currently underway at the resort. Red Hawk’s Gift & Go program allows qualifying members to earn points on designated promotional days and select gifts from an online catalog that are shipped directly to their homes. Members swipe their Rewards Card at a kiosk on the promotional date to access available selections.
The resort is also continuing its weekday Free Slot Tournament, offered Monday through Friday from noon to 8 p.m. The promotion includes 10 Free Play winners each day and a $500 Free Play top prize.
Club 55 offers additional dining and gaming promotions seven days a week for Rewards Club members age 55 and older, while Red Hawk is also running a $100,000 Blackjack Free Roll Tournament Series on Tuesdays through Sept. 8. Rewards Club members are eligible for one free tournament entry.
The property’s September promotions continue later in the month with the $100,000 Lucky Harvest Drawings on Sunday, Sept. 27, featuring Free Play and cash prizes for qualifying Rewards Club members.
Between Billy Williams Band on Friday, Power Play on Saturday, the attractions at The Apex, casino gaming, dining and the resort’s current promotions, visitors have plenty of options to build an entire evening — or weekend — around the Stage Bar performances.
Red Hawk Resort + Casino is located at 1 Red Hawk Parkway off Highway 50 in El Dorado County. In addition to the Stage Bar, casino and The Apex, the property includes multiple restaurants and bars and a 156-room hotel.
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