VEGAS INSIDER REVIEW
by Chuck Rounds
AUGUST 2015
AUGUST 2015
LAS VEGAS ENTERTAINMENT
NEWS & REVIEWS
Spin Doctors
The Spin Doctors started out as four 20-something-year-old guys in New York. Band members include Chris Barron (vocals). Eric Schenkman (guitar) and Mark White (bass). In 1992 they released Pocket Full of Kyptonite that produced the two monster hits, “Little Miss Can't Be Wrong” and “Two Princes.” The Spin Doctors became an overnight sensation, selling millions of albums around the world. Their second album, 1994's Turn It Upside Down, featured the single, “You Let Your Heart Go Too Fast.” The band released another album before disbanding in 1999. The band reunited for a series of shows in 2001 and 2002, and they used that momentum to head back into the studio, where they recorded Nice Talking to Me which was released in 2005. Over the next few years, the Spin Doctors toured semi-regularly, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Pocket Full of Kryptonite in 2011 with a deluxe edition and a supporting tour. The Spin Doctors regrouped in 2013 for their first album in eight years, the all-blues If the River Was Whiskey.
Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
Cherry Poppin’ Daddies became a popular act during the swing revival of the late 1990s although the eight-piece band had formed one decade prior in Eugene, Oregon. The current line-include original members Steve Perry (performing under the mad scientist stage persona of "MC Large Drink") on lead vocals, bassist Dan Schmid and trumpeter Dana Heitman. The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies broke into the musical mainstream with their 1997 swing compilation Zoot Suit Riot: The Swingin’ Hits of the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. Released at the onset of the late 1990s swing revival, the album went on to sell over two million copies in the United States while its eponymous single became a radio hit. The Daddies have been debuting songs on tour from an upcoming (late 2015) album that will be called The Boop-A-Doo. Cherry Poppin’ Daddies has always prided itself on its craft and musicianship that have allowed them to excel in whatever format they choose to tackle.
Chippendales® knows it’s so nice to be naughty and because sometimes, when once is just not enough, it’s only right to do it again. That’s why after breaking box office records during his engagement earlier this spring, Chippendales® has announced the return of international supermodel, fashion icon and actor, Tyson Beckford, as a special guest host in its flagship show at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas for an encore engagement. Beckford’s penetrating gaze and iconic abs make for a perfect pairing with legendary Chippendales, where he will perform once again for five weeks from August 27 through September 27, 2015.
July
31st marked 34 fabulous years at Bally's Las Vegas for Donn Arden's
Jubilee! It is now the longest-running production show in Las Vegas.
Jubilee! features beautiful rhinestone-clad showgirls, lavish costumes,
elaborate sets, world-renowned specialty acts, dynamic music
, and graceful pageantry.
The MAGIC convention comes to town August 17th. This monster show kicks off the start of the fall convention season. The fall show of MAGIC will bring in over 80,000 people. The men's garment convention is always a popular and well-attended event. From its humble beginnings, it is now a huge convention that is in town, twice a year.
, and graceful pageantry.The MAGIC convention comes to town August 17th. This monster show kicks off the start of the fall convention season. The fall show of MAGIC will bring in over 80,000 people. The men's garment convention is always a popular and well-attended event. From its humble beginnings, it is now a huge convention that is in town, twice a year.
Sidewalks also will be closed
intermittently on the west side of Las Vegas Boulevard and pedestrians
rerouted to the east side of the street during a project, which will run
Monday through Thursday. As Bellagio contractors are building a
165-foot stage on the 8 ½-acre lake in front of the property for five
live 30-minute Kabuki Spectacle performances with the Bellagio fountains
as a backdrop. Presentations of the Kabuki show "Koi Tsukami (Fight
with a Carp)" are scheduled Aug. 14 at 9:15 p.m. and Aug. 15-16 at 9:15
and 11:30 p.m. Japanese actor Ichikawa Somegoro will clash with a giant
carp in a show that blends animation and water choreography with live
action.
With a thrilling array of spectacular
illusions featuring majestic cats, Westgate Resorts announces a new show
with master magician Dirk Arthur. Dirk Arthur Wild Magic, scheduled to
debut at the International Westgate Theater inside Westgate Las Vegas
Resort & Casino on Monday, August 24, is a fast-paced show that
interweaves comedy with breathtaking big cat magic, beautiful dancers
and large-scale illusions. Arthur has long been a leading advocate for
the preservation of endangered species and for the humane and proper
care of all animals. During the show, audiences will experience Arthur’s
love for his animals as they are treated with the utmost respect and
gentleness. Arthur uses his platform to raise funds for various animal
care and conservation programs. In fact, a portion of merchandise sales
are donated to organizations that promote awareness and education
regarding the importance of wildlife preservation.
Hard Rock Hotel
& Casino Las Vegas is teaming up with Yahoo Sports to host the
Ultimate Fantasy Football National Draft Day Party on Saturday, Aug. 29.
The festivities will kick off at noon inside The Joint with advice from
Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football experts, meet and greets with football
legends, fun games and much more. Pigskin lovers can also take advantage
of additional specials on property by booking Hard Rock Hotel’s
unbeatable Party Package.
& Casino Las Vegas is teaming up with Yahoo Sports to host the
Ultimate Fantasy Football National Draft Day Party on Saturday, Aug. 29.
The festivities will kick off at noon inside The Joint with advice from
Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football experts, meet and greets with football
legends, fun games and much more. Pigskin lovers can also take advantage
of additional specials on property by booking Hard Rock Hotel’s
unbeatable Party Package.
AXS TV is proud to premiere the third
annual One Night for ONE DROP spectacular, an exclusive event presented
by world-renowned entertainment company Cirque du Soleil, on Wednesday,
August 19, at 8PE. This unique and exclusive performance in honor of ONE
DROP, a non-profit organization established by Cirque du Soleil founder
Guy Laliberté, is presented for one night only in Las Vegas, crafts an
incredible visual experience that captivates the imagination, while
raising awareness and funds for global water issues. All proceeds
benefit ONE DROP’s global initiatives that address the ongoing crisis of
safe water necessary for people around the world. The special event was
a resounding success for ONE DROP, raising over six million dollars
during an unforgettable night that also saw the organization honored
with the United Nations’ ‘Water For Life’ Best Practices Award.
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino will welcome
comedian, podcaster and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
commentator Joe Rogan when he takes the KÀ Theatre stage Friday, Sept. 4
at 9 p.m. With more than 20 years of stand-up experience, Rogan has
sold out shows worldwide and recently released his fourth hour long
comedy special “Joe Rogan: Rocky Mountain High” which premiered on
Comedy Central in November 2014. Since 2002, Rogan has provided
commentary for the UFC which airs on Pay-Per-View outlets and FOX. He
currently hosts “The Joe Rogan Experience,” a podcast featuring an array
of guests from the pursuits of comedy, science, social activism and
Mixed Martial Arts.
Fremont Street Experience’s Rock of Vegas
summer concert series continues as the Spin Doctors and Cherry Poppin’
Daddies are set to perform a free concert on the 1st Street Stage on
Saturday, August 1 at 9 p.m. Every May through September, Fremont Street
Experience transforms Downtown Las Vegas into the hottest place to be
with the annual Rock of Vegas summer concert series; one of the most
popular summertime events in Las Vegas featuring rockin’ nightly
entertainment, free headliner concerts and Viva Vision show.
Spin Doctors
The Spin Doctors started out as four 20-something-year-old guys in New York. Band members include Chris Barron (vocals). Eric Schenkman (guitar) and Mark White (bass). In 1992 they released Pocket Full of Kyptonite that produced the two monster hits, “Little Miss Can't Be Wrong” and “Two Princes.” The Spin Doctors became an overnight sensation, selling millions of albums around the world. Their second album, 1994's Turn It Upside Down, featured the single, “You Let Your Heart Go Too Fast.” The band released another album before disbanding in 1999. The band reunited for a series of shows in 2001 and 2002, and they used that momentum to head back into the studio, where they recorded Nice Talking to Me which was released in 2005. Over the next few years, the Spin Doctors toured semi-regularly, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Pocket Full of Kryptonite in 2011 with a deluxe edition and a supporting tour. The Spin Doctors regrouped in 2013 for their first album in eight years, the all-blues If the River Was Whiskey.
Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
Cherry Poppin’ Daddies became a popular act during the swing revival of the late 1990s although the eight-piece band had formed one decade prior in Eugene, Oregon. The current line-include original members Steve Perry (performing under the mad scientist stage persona of "MC Large Drink") on lead vocals, bassist Dan Schmid and trumpeter Dana Heitman. The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies broke into the musical mainstream with their 1997 swing compilation Zoot Suit Riot: The Swingin’ Hits of the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. Released at the onset of the late 1990s swing revival, the album went on to sell over two million copies in the United States while its eponymous single became a radio hit. The Daddies have been debuting songs on tour from an upcoming (late 2015) album that will be called The Boop-A-Doo. Cherry Poppin’ Daddies has always prided itself on its craft and musicianship that have allowed them to excel in whatever format they choose to tackle.
Chippendales® knows it’s so nice to be naughty and because sometimes, when once is just not enough, it’s only right to do it again. That’s why after breaking box office records during his engagement earlier this spring, Chippendales® has announced the return of international supermodel, fashion icon and actor, Tyson Beckford, as a special guest host in its flagship show at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas for an encore engagement. Beckford’s penetrating gaze and iconic abs make for a perfect pairing with legendary Chippendales, where he will perform once again for five weeks from August 27 through September 27, 2015.
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM),
one of the world’s leading presenters of live entertainment, today
announced plans for an approximately 5,000-seat theater at Monte Carlo
Resort and Casino. The new concert venue will amplify the vibrant
entertainment district taking shape on the west side of the Las Vegas
Strip with a robust calendar featuring special engagements by many of
the music industry’s most-celebrated performers. Adjacent to The Park
and 20,000-seat arena currently under construction on Las Vegas Blvd.
between Monte Carlo and New York-New York, the theater will anchor the
dynamic new entertainment district currently taking shape. While The
Park and Arena are expected to open in April 2016, the Monte Carlo
theater is projected to welcome its first act at the end of 2016. Unique
to the market, the theater will offer dynamic seating that allows for
easy transformation into multiple configurations, reflecting the
flexibility of the space. The development of this new theater at Monte
Carlo creates opportunities for two beloved shows within the MGM Resorts
family to get back to their roots, returning to the properties where
they first wowed Las Vegas audiences:
Resort and Casino. The new concert venue will amplify the vibrant
entertainment district taking shape on the west side of the Las Vegas
Strip with a robust calendar featuring special engagements by many of
the music industry’s most-celebrated performers. Adjacent to The Park
and 20,000-seat arena currently under construction on Las Vegas Blvd.
between Monte Carlo and New York-New York, the theater will anchor the
dynamic new entertainment district currently taking shape. While The
Park and Arena are expected to open in April 2016, the Monte Carlo
theater is projected to welcome its first act at the end of 2016. Unique
to the market, the theater will offer dynamic seating that allows for
easy transformation into multiple configurations, reflecting the
flexibility of the space. The development of this new theater at Monte
Carlo creates opportunities for two beloved shows within the MGM Resorts
family to get back to their roots, returning to the properties where
they first wowed Las Vegas audiences:
Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group will move to Luxor this fall, returning to the property where they initially took Las Vegas by storm. The new venue, currently home to
Blue Man Group will move to Luxor this fall, returning to the property where they initially took Las Vegas by storm. The new venue, currently home to
Jabbawockeez, will allow Blue Man Group the ability to transform
its production into a custom entertainment experience built for maximum
impact, with the action and spectacle closer than ever before.
Jabbawockeez will take its dynamic mix of
jaw-dropping choreography, music and special effects to MGM Grand, the
city’s nightlife and entertainment leader. They will perform in the
newly renovated theater currently occupied by Beacher's Madhouse, where
legendary Vegas showman Jeff Beacher will continue to bring his
outrageous and over the top Beacher's Madhouse shows every Saturday
night.
Las Vegas welcomes the latest
strip-entertainment show, Aussie Hunks at the D Las Vegas. The erotic
hip-hop strip show will feature eight of Australia’s hottest,
classically trained male dancers as they take the stage to tantalize
American audiences for the first time. Aussie Hunks will perform a
75-minute male revue show seven nights a week at 10:10 p.m., in the
Showroom at the D Las Vegas. As seen on Australia’s Got Talent and So
You Think You Can Dance Australia, Aussie Hunks is the next generation
of male revue. Having collectively performed in Australia for more than
eight years as “Hunk Mania Australia,” this new wave of seductive
entertainment is highly explosive, complete with professionally trained
world-class dancers and stage performers specializing in break dance,
street dance, hip-hop, locking, popping and even illuminated-tron
routines to fulfill every women’s fantasy.
On Saturday, Aug. 8, “The World’s
Ultimate Elvis” Justin Shandor will return to M Resort Spa Casino for a
spectacular performance. Shandor will take the stage inside the
2,300-seat M Pavilion to perform “Elvis, The Vegas Tour Tribute,” a
commemoration of the King’s legendary sold-out Las Vegas appearances
from 1969 to 1975. The highly anticipated performance will showcase
Shandor and his talented 12-piece band as they perform a selection of
favorite hits from the ‘60s and ‘70s. After winning Graceland’s Ultimate
Elvis Contest in Memphis, Tenn. in 2010, Shandor assembled the World's
Ultimate Elvis Band and began touring his Ultimate Elvis Concert to
sold-out crowds around the country. The talented mix of gospel singers,
horns, strings and rhythm musicians helped to recreate the legendary
music of Elvis' celebrated ‘70s show, earning much recognition and rave
reviews. A true talent, Shandor was cast as Elvis in the Las Vegas Strip
production show Million Dollar Quartet, performed on the “Late Show
with David Letterman” and was featured on the front page of USA Today.
His list of awards includes the Heart of the King Award, as well as
being named "Best Elvis Impersonator of the Year” and Elvis Presley
Enterprises “Top Elvis Tribute Artist.” Shandor recently recorded his
first album, which included original recordings along with a special
track, “I’m Leaving,” written by one of Elvis’ songwriters, Michael
Jarrett, more than 40 years ago.
One of the most popular and most recorded
singers of the past quarter-century, superstar Vince Gill has become
the measure of excellence in country music. His vocal performances are
spellbinding, his songwriting emotionally powerful and his
guitar-playing world-class. Gill, along with his top-notch band will be
performing at The Pearl inside Palms Casino Resort on Friday, August
28, 2015 at 8 p.m. Tickets
start at $50, plus any additional service fees and go on sale to the
public on Friday, May 1 at noon. Gill achieved his big breakthrough with
“When I Call Your Name,” which won the Country Music Association’s
Single of the Year award. Since then, he has won 17 more CMA honors,
including Song of the Year four times – making him the most-awarded
artist in that category in CMA history. The Academy of Country Music has
handed Gill eight awards, including the prestigious The Home Depot
Humanitarian Award and the Career Achievement Award. Since 1990, Gill
has received 20 GRAMMY Awards and has sold more than 26 million albums,
he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and he is
also a member of the Grand Ole Opry. In August 2012, Gill was honored
with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Gill is a member of the
four-time Grammy-nominated band The Time Jumpers which released its
first studio album in 2012 on Rounder Records. In 2014, Gill released
his first duet record with legendary pedal steel guitar player and
fellow Time Jumper Paul Franklin. Entitled Bakersfield, the record pays
homage to two of Gill and Franklin’s musical heroes: Buck Owens and
Merle Haggard.
start at $50, plus any additional service fees and go on sale to the
public on Friday, May 1 at noon. Gill achieved his big breakthrough with
“When I Call Your Name,” which won the Country Music Association’s
Single of the Year award. Since then, he has won 17 more CMA honors,
including Song of the Year four times – making him the most-awarded
artist in that category in CMA history. The Academy of Country Music has
handed Gill eight awards, including the prestigious The Home Depot
Humanitarian Award and the Career Achievement Award. Since 1990, Gill
has received 20 GRAMMY Awards and has sold more than 26 million albums,
he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and he is
also a member of the Grand Ole Opry. In August 2012, Gill was honored
with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Gill is a member of the
four-time Grammy-nominated band The Time Jumpers which released its
first studio album in 2012 on Rounder Records. In 2014, Gill released
his first duet record with legendary pedal steel guitar player and
fellow Time Jumper Paul Franklin. Entitled Bakersfield, the record pays
homage to two of Gill and Franklin’s musical heroes: Buck Owens and
Merle Haggard.
Academy Award and GRAMMY winning artist,
Melissa Etheridge, will take the stage to perform songs from her new
album, This is M.E., as well as some of her greatest hits like “Come to
My Window,” “I’m The Only One” and “I Want To Come Over” as the tour
heads to The Pearl inside Palms Casino Resort on Friday, August 7, 2015
at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $49, plus any additional service fees and go
on sale to the public on Friday, April 17 at noon. Known for her iconic
voice, profound lyrics and riveting stage presence; Etheridge will share
personal stories about her remarkable journey through life and the
inspiration behind some of her most beloved songs.
Aretha Franklin, the undisputed “Queen of
Soul” and one of the most influential and important voices in the
history of pop music, will be bringing her hits and the great diva
classics to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Friday, Aug. 14 at 8 p.m.
Tickets go on-sale beginning Friday, March 20 at 10 a.m. The one-night
engagement is presented jointly by AEG Live and Caesars Palace. She is
both a 20th and 21st century musical and cultural icon known the world
over simply by her first name: Aretha. The reigning and undisputed
“Queen Of Soul” has created an amazing legacy that spans an incredible
six decades, from her first recording as a teenage gospel star, to her
current RCA Records release, ARETHA FRANKLIN SINGS THE GREAT DIVA
CLASSICS. Aretha’s many countless classics include “(You Make Me Feel
Like) A Natural Woman,” “Chain Of Fools,” “I Never Loved A Man (The Way I
Love You)”; her own compositions “Think,” “Daydreaming” and “Call Me”;
her definitive versions of “Respect” and “I Say A Little Prayer”; and
global hits like “Freeway Of Love,” “Jump To It,” “I Knew You Were
Waiting (For Me),” her worldwide chart-topping duet with George Michael,
and “A Rose Is Still A Rose.”
Worried about tomorrow? You did that yesterday about today...
Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get...
Be true to your work, your word, and your friend...
All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today...
Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get...
Be true to your work, your word, and your friend...
All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today...