Katy Perry gets family heirloom from Las Vegas historian
It was “Lido de Katy” last weekend at Resorts World Theater.
Katy Perry has finally met the man who saved the Lido de Paris sign, an iconic image not just for Vegas, but the Perry family. The sign is currently on display at Neon Boneyard.
Todd VonBastiaans and his three-man entourage (including yours truly) took in Perry’s “Play” at Resorts World Theater on Friday night. The event celebrated TVB’s 51st birthday. Yes, he’s groovy enough for such an acronym.
VonBastianaans was excited to meet the “Waking Up in Vegas” star, and also bearing gifts himself. The Vegas historian and art collector had several Lido de Paris refrigerator magnets made, one of which was meant for Perry.
You’re instructed not to give the star gifts at the meet-and-greet. But as VonBastiaans excitedly explained who he was to Perry, he slipped her a Lido magnet. This led to a back-and-forth about the show, the Stardust and Lido signs, and a hug.
A trailblazing, Vegas topless revue and variety show, “Lido” played the Stardust from 1958-1991. The hit production coincided with Lefty Rosenthal’s reign over the hotel-casino, which featured Siegfried & Roy as a specialty act. The classic Vegas spectacle entertained more than 19 million guests over 22,000 performances.
Perry mentions the Stardust in every performance, and mentions her aunt was a dancer and her grandmother, Ann Pearl Hudson, worked as a seamstress. Perry headlines Resorts World Theatre, about where “Lido” was staged.
VonBastiaans, who happens to be a big Perry fan, told the “American Idol” judge it was the ninth time he and his fiancé Bryan McCarthy, had seen the show. “Get a life, guys!” Perry laughed. Later, the couple re-counted the number of “Play” performances they had seen. Other than these guys, nobody’s counting.
Sammy’s Island
Sammy Hagar is visiting Las Vegas this week. The Red Rocker has hit multiple hotel-casinos, on and off the Strip. He has ideas. He has a vision. He also has a guitar. But he’s not playing it, at least in a scheduled performance, this week.
Rather, the 75-year-old “I Can’t Drive 55” rock star is toasting his various liquor brands to future business opportunities in VegasVille. His still-evolving Sammy’s Island concept would be a party enclave inside a resort-casino, with a beach-front view. Or, he might make his own Cabo Wabo Resort with an existing Vegas property.
There is opportunity out there for inventive investment. Hagar has headlined a lot of tours over the years. This one, this week, is a biggie.
Five on the floor
Lennon Roach, Michael Richter, Pure Sport, Steppadelic and Viaje Nahual are the finalists in the Life is Beautiful Rising Stars series. Those five perform again at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.) Friday at The Space. Those five have survived the audition and tournament competition that ran Aug. 4-5 and Aug. 11-12 at The Space.
The winner is awarded a spot on stage at Life is Beautiful, in beautiful downtown Las Vegas, Sept. 22-24. Info about the acts is below.
Jazz at The Copa
National jazz acts are coming to The Copa at Bootlegger Bistro. Hahn and Saku Pruitt’s AE Group of Las Vegas is now booking acts in the venue, owned by Dennis Bono and Lorraine Hunt-Bono and operated by Bono’s son, the rocking Ronnie Mancuso.
The partnership goes into effect in September with weekly performances. Contemporary jazz sax man Tom Braxton is Sept. 16, trumpet great Lin Rountree is Sept. 22, and flutist, sax player and vocalist Paula Atherton is Sept. 28. Yacht Soul, starring our own Steph Payne, moves into a monthly Wednesday series on Sept. 2o. All shows are 9 p.m., doors at 7:30 p.m., with food service in the plans.
Rest assured (which is the best way to rest) Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns will continue to anchor live music at 7:30 p.m. Mondays. The terrific yacht-rock band The Windjammers, who formerly held down Wednesdays at the venue, have moved to Treasure Island, scheduled at 7 p.m. Aug. 24 and Aug. 31.
AE Group had been booking Gambit Henderson’s Gatsby’s Supper Club. That venue is turning over to Humo Barbecue in September, ending the live-entertainment scene after New York guitarist JJ Sansaverino’s show Aug. 26. Gatsby’s had a great, albeit brief, run as a music haunt, especially for jazz.
What Works in Vegas
“Skankfest” comedy festival returns to Notoriety Live from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1. Such stars as Adam Carolla, Harland Williams, Dr. Drew and (as of this moment) Roseanne Barr in the series. Notoriety will play host to 3,000 or so comedy devotees, for whom the term, “It’s legal,” is meant. Three-day passes went in a snap; some day passes are still available at SkankFest.com.
Speaking of funny …
Something we’ve learned over the years in VegasVille is, if you pause a show and no one notices, shutting it down was a good idea.
On that point, Comedy Cabaret at Westgate Cabaret went dark in June, to a collective, “It did?” This move is typically to reset marketing/ticket-selling strategies. Maybe adjust the set pieces. But the showcase is returning with Sept. 13-14 with headliner Justine Marino. We enjoyed the opening night in January and were impressed by the technical quality and vibe in that room. See y’all next month.
Might We Recommend
Column fave Wassa Coulibaly’s Baobab Stage, any time, especially Saturday night for “Cabaret Variety.” Aerial acts, live music, dancing and a fashion show kick off at 8 p.m. Tickets are $29 for GA, $39 VIP. to baobabstage.com for intel.
Your VegasVille Moment
Ryan Gifford, manager of the Henderson All-Star team playing in the Little League World Series, is my periodontist.
Great Moments in Social Media
Rush fans, hear me now and thank me later. Newlyweds and wicket-talented artists Brody Dolyniuk and Nina DiGregorio have produced a cover of “Limelight” that is note-perfect. Nina on bass, Brody on guitar, drums and vocals. More than 400K views on Facebook, where you can catch the whole clip on Brody’s page or my own.
Ages ago, Dolyniuk left me a message in his Geddy Lee voice,singing “Tom Sawyer.” I saved that on my old Blackberry for years.
Cool Hang Alert
Metalachi, billed as, “The World’s First & Only Heavy Metal Mariachi Band,” is playing Silver Sevens Nickel Deuce Lounge at 9 p.m. (doors 8:30 p.m.) Saturday. Tickets are $37 (fees included!) at Silver Sevens gift shop.
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.
Life is Beautiful Rising Stars finalists
The five finalists in Life is Beautiful's Rising Stars competition, to honor a Vegas act with a spot on stage at the festival Sept. 22-24:
Lennon Roach: After being stationed at Nellis AFB in 2018, Las Vegas transformed this once full-time military Staff Sergeant into a full-blown Southern Rock frontman. Lennon Roach made his appearance into the Las Vegas music scene in early 2022 and is set to release his second single titled "Out West" this September! Listen to his debut single, "Honey Bee", anywhere you stream your music.
Michael Richter: Las Vegas alt-singer/songwriter Michael Richter's confessional storytelling and explosive live performances could be called anything but dishonest. Though he grew up in a musical family, it wasn't until his mother was murdered in 2014 that he turned to songwriting. "It was this weird thing where she instilled music into me, and she's gone, and I gotta do it now," Richter says. Since he began performing in 2018, Richter has built a large, supportive community of friends and fans.
Pure Sport: Pure Sport is a 3-piece punk rock band from Las Vegas, NV formed in early 2022. Known for their engaging and energetic live shows, their fast paced yet melodic music gets the crowd pushing, shoving, surfing and singing along to every word. Topped off with their tongue in cheek corporate business theme, Pure Sport gets everyone excited to join their company.
Steppadelic: Steppadelic is an original reggae band from Las Vegas that effortlessly blends the timeless essence of dub, reggae soundsystem culture, and roots reggae music. Drawing inspiration from the legends of reggae and the rich heritage of Jamaican music, Steppadelic has crafted a sonic experience that transports listeners to a world of positive energy and profound introspection.
Viaje Nahual: Viaje Nahual, formerly known as kurumpaw is a Las Vegas based Latin psychedelia band that was formed during the pandemic after members Cindy, Mikelo and Ricky decide to take on a journey to reach within and get in touch with their roots. After a name change, they were joined by guitarist Jonathan and Fernando on percussion, and a charge of electric and tropical sound was created. With sounds ranging from Latin to rock to psychedelia, the band is sure to make you move and bend your mind! Viaje Nahual has quickly established themselves in the local scene, recently releasing their debut LP "AHUICYAHUI" and currently embarking on a west coast summer tour.
