Flavor Flav on meeting Springsteen: ‘I was starstruck’
Flavor Flav now knows how people feel when they meet Flavor Flav.
The animated moment unfolded Friday night, prior to Bruce Springsteen’s show at T-Mobile Arena.
“I had never, ever met Bruce Springsteen in my life,” Flav said in a phone chat Monday. “But let me tell you (pause) … It was one of the greatest, most rewarding experiences in my life. I was starstruck.”
Flav was led to Springsteen’s green room by guitar great Stevie Van Zandt, who is heard to say in Flav’s social-media post, “This is great. This is great.”
Flav concurred.
“Woooooooow! What’s up up, Bruce!” the hip-hop trailblazer called out while bowing to Springsteen, smiling with his hands on his hips. The two Rock and Roll Hall of Famers then embraced for several seconds.
“This is such an honor, Man! It’s such an honor, Bro!” Flav said. “Man, man! Many, many, many good blessings to you! Thank you for all the good music, and the leadership!”
“Thank you, thank you,” Springsteen said, still beaming. “Let’s get a picture.”
The collision of pop-culture iconography was set up the previous night. Flav had hung with Van Zandt at The Shag Room at Virgin Hotel on Thursday night. The invite-only event was “Hard Rock and Little Steven’s Underground Garage Present: The Wicked Cool Records Revue,” showcasing bands from Van Zandt’s record label.
Flav mentioned (convincingly) to Van Zandt he would love to find a moment to meet The Boss.
“He said, ‘I’m quite sure, I’m 90-percent sure, that I can get you to Bruce,’” Flav said. “When he said, ‘I am 90-percent sure,’ I’m like, ‘Aaah! I’m gonna meet Bruce!’”
The 65-year-old Las Vegas resident elaborated.
“The man is a legend, Bro,” Flav said. “I’ve always been a fan.”
Flav presented Springsteen and Van Zandt clocks. But not his famous necklace variety.
“I gifted him and Steven clocks, not the ones I wear but little desk clocks,” Flav said. “It was dope. They really appreciated it.”
During the show, the two met again, fleetingly, as Springsteen shook Flav’s hand as The Boss ventured into the audience for “Dancing In the Dark.”
“You know, what was really exciting to me was when he came off the stage and walked into the crowd,” Flav said. “On his way, coming down, he gave you a boy Flav a pound! Yo, come on, Man! He’s the Boss! And I was just honored to meet him.”
And also, Jodeci
Zigzagging the scene with characteristic zeal, Flav also toted his timepiece to Jodeci’s sold-out show Sunday night at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay.
DeVanté Swing, Mr. Dalvin and K-Ci held the show together as a trio as co-founder JoJo was out sick.
Flav took to the stage, to robust response. He has a long history with the R&B act, which dates to 1988.
“My boy DeVanté, the one with the deep voice, the most mysterious one of the group — I lived with him for five years before I ever started doing reality television,” Flav said. “He has a studio in Van Nuys, and when I first came out to L.A. in 2003, I started staying at the studio at DeVanté’s, and we would go in there and create and be ourselves and do our own thing.”
Jodeci packed House of Blues in its first series, and return for five performances from July 5-13.
“All of the guys are my boys, the whole Jodeci clan” Flav said. “I’m so proud of them, Man. They are family to me.”
Pinky Ring to the Max
It is not often you have the opportunity, in VegasVille or anywhere, to see a soon-to-be-73-year-old gent slam the drums for five hours over two nights.
But we tailed “Mighty” Max Weinberg of the E Street Band to The Pinky Ring at Bellagio on Saturday. This was two hours of rock ‘n’ roll, following Friday’s nearly three-hour show at T-Mobile Arena.
And the Max Weinberg Jukebox invitation-only performance was worth a whole bucket o’ quarters.
Adhering to format, Weinberg took requests, actually walking the room, asking guests what they wanted to hear. He was like Dick Clark, cheerily approaching guests with, “You look like a Ramones fan …”
Weinberg and his backing band of John Merjave, Chris Holt and Paul Averitt blasted through the Kinks’ “You’ve Really Got Me,” The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” Elvis Costello’s “Pump it Up,” Tommy James’ “Mony Mony,” The Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night,” AC/DC’s “You Shook Me (All Night Long)” and of course Springsteen’s “Glory Days.”
That last number was sung by Weinberg’s manager, Mark Stein, who also jumped behind the kit for a couple of songs so Weinberg could work the room. Seems everyone gets into the act in the Jukebox camp.
An idea whose time has come …
A viewing of “Showgirls,”at the Beverly Theater. Date TBD. We endorse a revival of the multiple-Razzie Award-winning, erotic drama centering on a wayward Vegas showgirl. We suggested on social media an event for the film as it turns 30 next year.
Beverly Theater program director and arbiter of all things groovy Kip Kelly says he plans to “blow it out this year, at some point.” Bring your own beads …
Cool Hang Alert
Michael Grimm, who reports he is recovering effectively from a health scare last summer, returns to Myron’s at the Smith Center at 7 p.m. Wednesday. “A Night of Southern Rock & Roll” is the theme, for the “America’s Got Talent” champ who aces that genre, every time. Go to thesmithcenter.com for intel.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
