Kevin Harvey, a veteran sound engineer who became a familiar presence behind the console at Myron’s in downtown Las Vegas, will be honored this week at The Composers Showcase of Las Vegas. The gathering at the small, artist-focused venue is intended both as an immediate tribute and as a way to connect people for a larger celebration of his life later in the year.
Beloved technician known as “The Two Kevins”
Harvey, who died of heart failure on June 22 after having retired in 2023 because of illness, spent a lifetime on the road and in the booth. A native of Somerset in southwest England, he began his career as a touring sound engineer in the late 1970s and over the decades set sound for an extraordinary range of performers.
Locally, he was the master audio tech and congenial presence at Myron’s — and earlier at Cabaret Jazz — from Myron’s opening in March 2012. Inside the club he was often paired with fellow technician Kevin Ruschmann; together they were known as “The Two Kevins,” a partnership that regulars and performers came to rely on.
- Harvey died June 22; he’d been retired since 2023 following illness.
- He worked Myron’s (and before that Cabaret Jazz) from Myron’s March 2012 opening.
- Friends and colleagues will honor him at The Composers Showcase; organizers will collect contact info for a later celebration of life.
Career highlights and the Myron’s community
Colleagues and friends described Harvey as both an accomplished technician and a person who took pride in giving audiences a strong show, no matter the room’s size. Myron’s, though modest in footprint, cultivated a reputation for quality sound — a standard Harvey helped maintain for hundreds of performances.
His résumé reads like a who’s who of touring music: he worked with Ronnie James Dio for more than a decade, from 1996 to 2009, and set the sound for acts including Prince, Diana Ross, Paul Anka, The Police, Foreigner, Barry Manilow, Run DMC, Collective Soul, Chicago and Black Sabbath. He was also called in on occasion to substitute for other legendary acts in emergencies.
| Notable artists |
|---|
| Ronnie James Dio (1996–2009) |
| Prince; Diana Ross; Paul Anka; The Police; Foreigner; Barry Manilow |
| Run DMC; Collective Soul; Chicago; Black Sabbath |
At Myron’s his standard position was “at the back of the venue, behind the soundboard,” often with lighting tech Steven Mack and his partner on the console at stage right. In an interview about the venue’s values, Harvey once summed up the approach plainly: “Myron’s might be a small room, but we pride ourselves on the quality of it,” he said, adding, “We don’t want anyone to go home without having a great experience.”
“We’ll have photos out front and will collect signatures and information so we can invite people to Kevin’s celebration of life later this year.”
The quoted remark came from Katherine Sellers, who is coordinating remembrance efforts with friends and colleagues. Sellers also shared a personal detail about Harvey’s passing: she blasted Dio’s “Holy Diver” during his final moments because of his longtime attachment to the music. She has said that she will speak at the end of the showcase, and the program will include a performance of an original piece by Michelle Johnson in Harvey’s honor.
What it means for Las Vegas’ music community
The remembrance at The Composers Showcase reflects how much the city’s indie and small-venue communities rely on experienced, often-unsung technicians. In Las Vegas — where headline residencies and arena spectacles grab national headlines — places like Myron’s sustain local artists, singer-songwriters and touring acts who depend on reliable sound crews and steady hands in the booth.
Organizers plan to display photos and gather contact information so friends, former colleagues and fans can be notified about a formal celebration later in the year. For many who know the city’s nightlife from both sides of the curtain, that celebration will be a way to acknowledge the work done outside the spotlight and to remember the man who quietly kept the music sounding right.
Harvey’s death is a reminder that beyond the performers, Las Vegas’ entertainment industry depends on a network of technicians whose experience and craftsmanship shape live shows night after night. The tribute at Myron’s this week will be where that community gathers to begin the process of saying goodbye.
