Rap superstar, Las Vegas orchestra headlining on Strip again
The rap artistry of Nas, the violin virtuosity of De Ann Letourneau, and the infectious showmanship of conductor Stuart Chafetz are returning to the Strip.
“Nas with the Las Vegas Philharmonic” is due back at Encore Theater, by popular demand. We’ve popularly demanded it, since seeing the performance on Sept. 1. The next set of performances are Feb. 5, 7 and 8 (tickets on sale 10 a.m. Friday Pacific at Ticketmaster.com).
The production is a triple-header of music styles and classic chops.
The Philharmonic opens with a medley of contemporary radio hits (among them “September,” and “Smooth Criminal” with Letourneau playing the vocal stretch on violin). Nas then uncoils “Illmatic,” backed by the orchestra, on the album’s 30th anniversary. The rapper closes with his band in a rap-jam in front of the closed curtain. Eddie Cole from “Mad Apple,” also Nat King Cole’s great-grand nephew, was featured in the September shows.
“Illmatic” is a noble release, widely regarded as a groundbreaking moment in hip-hop’s history. Billboard ranked the album as the No. 1-rap album, ever.
Nas telegraphed a return of the show in his Aug. 31 opener, telling the crowd, “I could get used to doing this Vegas thing. I might extend it.” Drawing from the album being celebrated, it ain’t hard to tell he made the right call.
Endless summer at Cosmo
Marquee Dayclub Dome at the Cosmopolitan will again extend the pool season on the Strip. The 23,000-square-foot bubble opens Oct. 12. The orb rises 50 feet above the pool deck and keeps the temperature at 90 degrees.
The Dome’s relaunch is headlined by Deorro, hosted by Happy Dad Seltzer and The Nelk Boys pranking YouTube channel.
The Dome experience is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays and Sundays, with locals offered complimentary entry and specials Mondays through Fridays. The Under the Dome nighttime swim party starts at 10:30 p.m. Sundays.
The Dome premiered at Marquee Dayclub in 2014. For additional intel, dive into the deep end taogroup.com/venues/marquee-las-vegas-2.
Area15 expands, genre-wise
Area15 is hosting its first hip-hop and punk-rock festivals, with Breakin’ Hearts and Zombie Rumble scheduled this weekend. The off-Strip interactive-attraction fortress is expanding the Massives, its multi-venue themed experiences.
Area15 is embracing the hip-hop and punk cultures along with electropop and emo.
Area15 Head of Entertainment Noah Kessler, says, “We’re ready to transcend the ordinary and ignite the imaginations of our visitors with these original, large-scale events.”
Saturday, the hip-hop event Breakin Hearts will feature breakdance battles (and the art itself is a battle, if you caught the Paris Olympics), a workshop and a performance starring Brother Ali. The event has been popular in breakdance culture for some 20 years, debuting at Area15 this weekend.
Sunday, Zombie Rumble showcases more than 100 classic cars and punk-rock performances from such acts as Face To Face, The Bronx and Tsunami Bomb.
The show is presented by Dragstrip Zombies Carclub, and the name says it all.
Great Moments in Social Media
Catch GMSM (Great Moments in Social Media) Hall of Famer Flavor Flav on Instagram. The Vegas resident and hip-hop pioneer sent this gavel airborne during the ceremonial closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday. He lost control of the prop in an appearance with U.S. Women’s Water Polo Team goalie Ashleigh Johnson.
“They said it was good luck if I hit it hard,” the Public Enemy co-founder comments in his Instagram post. Whatever, it definitely wasn’t hammer time.
Your VegasVille Moment
A few years before she married Jerry Lewis, Sam Lewis was a trained ballet dancer. She appeared on the syndicated TV show “Dance Fever,” hosted by Deney Terrio, later by Las Vegan Adrian Zmed.
Then known as SanDee Pitnick, Lewis claimed second place in her episode, wearing hair that “was teased into an Afro,” as she recalls. Sam’s next frontier, naturally, is Spiegelworld’s “DiscoShow.”
Cool Hang Alert
Dan Fester’s “One Man Rock Band” showcase makes it to Carnaval Court in September and October. The roster at the outdoor court is the Droids and Whip-its, with Fester bridging those acts, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. All are worth catching at this classic no-cover hang.
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.