Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle and Robin Thicke hit the Las Vegas club scene
Kevin Hart found something to host after all.
After stepping down from helming the Academy Awards telecast, the superstar stand-up comic and actor appeared at Drai’s Nightclub at the Cromwell on Sunday for rapper Big Sean’s overnight set. The duo were joined by Dave Chappelle, in an unbilled appearance that reportedly sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Hart did not perform a stand-up set, but called out to the crowd, “Are you ready to leave 2018 in the past and move forward with 2019?” Hart, a frequent headliner at the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, stepped down from his scheduled Oscars hosting role after the unearthing of some of his homophobic tweets from about a decade ago.
After resident DJ Franzen warmed up the crowd, Big Sean took the stage a little after 2 a.m. to perform “Moves,” “Mercy” and “Clique.”
Thicke’s engagement
On Saturday night, Robin Thicke made his first public appearance since his Christmas Eve engagement to April Love Geary, performing five songs at Apex Social Club at the Palms. His set included the new single, “Testify,” along with “Lost Without You,” a cover of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” and his hit “Blurred Lines.”
Geary, who is pregnant, did not attend the performance (which started at about 1:30 a.m.) but was reportedly at the hotel in the couple’s VIP suite.
Ex-UFC champ Tito Ortiz, and Cirque Hospitality execs Ryan Labbe and Jason “JRoc” Craig were also in the mix at the 55th-floor nightclub. The company’s next venture at the hotel, Greene St. Kitchen, is set to open early in 2019 at the hotel as part of the continued $690 million renovation. Clique also operates Camden Cocktail Lounge.
Mr. Perfecto returns
The artist who helped launch the superstar resident DJ enterprise in Las Vegas, Paul Oakenfold, returned to the booth with a performance at Chateau at Paris Las Vegas on Sunday night. Oakenfold performed late into the night, after being given a hero’s welcome with a VIP table and a blast of confetti.
In 2008, Oakenfold was a trailblazer on the Vegas entertainment scene when opening Planet Perfecto at Rain at the Palms. The showcase, compared to EDM mashed with a Cirque show, ran for three years and helped pave the way for the current lineup of superstar DJs on the Strip.
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 Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.