Tribute to Ozzy trick or not so tasty treat?

If you're planning on tuning in to the "VH1 Rock Honors," I hope it's not giving too much away to talk about future Las Vegas headliner Criss Angel's most unusual tribute to Ozzy Osbourne.

Helping introduce the rock legend with Jada Pinkett Smith, Angel departed from squint-to-read-the-cue-cards tradition by holding up a little white mouse -- "my little friend Zeke" -- then proceeded to bite its head off. (It was, of course, a tribute to Ozzy's famous 1982 encounter with a live bat.)

In the hallway later, Angel was asked if that trick was sponsored by PETA. He chuckled, then was quick to add: "It wasn't a trick though. A lot of what I do is real, and a lot of it's illusion. It's up to you to determine what is what."

So, um, he'd rather have people think he bit the head off a mouse than own up to the fact that it's a trick?

"For me as an artist I don't want to distinguish what I do, whether it's hanging from fish hooks or biting Zeke's head off. I'll let people judge it for what it is."

Later that night, Angel and another presenter, Cameron Diaz, were spotted all over town and sightings of the duo continue. So at least one thing is clear: Chicks dig guys who bite off mouse heads. ...

Memorial Day weekend in the center of the Strip: Probably as close to a sure thing as any entertainer can ask for. But for Gino Vannelli, the holiday weekend at the Flamingo Las Vegas reverses the performing scenario he's used to.

The Flamingo signed Vannelli for at least three engagements, in part because of the intense response to a recent stint at the Suncoast. But the singer best known for disco-era hits such as "I Just Wanna Stop" has become more of a cult attraction in the past 20 years. "I have distilled my audience to understand my approach to music and life," he explained this week.

The fans who still follow his less-commercial musical path may be fewer in number, but they travel to see him perform. The Suncoast shows in March were booked months in advance, giving fans time to plan a pilgrimage.

But Vannelli's Flamingo debut was put on sale long after the hotel was booked for the holiday weekend, so it's "a little bit of a mystery on how it's going to turn out," he says.

"The people who walk up, will they remember the songs? How will they take to me?" he ponders. "I don't mind being honest and humble about it. I don't know." ...

Memorial Day will be bursting at the seams with concert acts, so it's doubtful anyone will care that a new showroom at the South Point won't be part of the action. The room that was tentatively planned to be unveiled by Bill Medley this weekend now is shooting for a June 15 opening with country singer Collin Raye.

But the delays do force the cancellation of the June 3 jazz tribute to Joe Williams, an annual concert that raises money for music scholarships. Organizers scrambled to find a different venue but couldn't get one lined up in time. ...

Singer Martin Nievera plans to continue at Steve Wyrick's theater in the Miracle Mile Shops (formerly the Desert Passage mall) at least through June. He had been on hiatus since May 10, but now plans to reopen June 2 with support from a TV campaign in the Philippines, where he once ruled as a pop star.

In the adjacent Planet Hollywood, "The Beauty of Magic" with Pam Anderson and Dutch magician Hans Klock will have two preview performances, with $38 tickets on May 31 and June 1, before a VIP opening (no tickets sold) on June 2. After that, the show will run on the compressed schedule of four shows in three nights, Thursdays through Saturdays. ...

Jazz fans who often settle for the limited night life of public libraries will be cheered to find a new commercial venue dedicated to their cause. Just Jazz, at 1000 E. Sahara Ave., has its grand opening this weekend with the Marty Mahoney Band and Paris Red. ...

Say hello to a deal: The price of Marty Allen's "Hello Dere" at the Gold Coast has been cut nearly in half, to $16.50, for Nevada residents.

Mike Weatherford's entertainment column appears Thursdays and Sundays. Contact him at 383-0288 or e-mail him at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com.