R&B pioneers premiering at Strip venue
Boyz II Men co-founder Wanya Morris took a tour of the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan last week. He liked the room’s vibe. Or, more specifically, its vibrations.
“It’s a wonderful stage, it’s beautiful, and almost interactive to a certain degree,” Morris, a Las Vegas resident for nearly a decade, says during a phone chat. “There are some sort of hydraulics under the stage. When people dance, the stage actually moves and the floor moves. It’s crazy. I have never seen anything like that inside a theater.”
The Chelsea itself will help push-start the party when Boyz II Men play the venue Friday, Saturday and continuing Aug. 30-31.
Among the predominant R&B groups of the all time, the original roster of Morris, Shawn Stockman, Nate Morris and Michael McCary brought the “Motownphilly” sound to the fore. The term referred to the guys’ Philadelphia roots.
More than 30 years after scoring their first No. 1 single, Boyz II Men’s chart success remains impressive. Their 1992 hit, “End of the Road” was No. 1 for 13 seeks and was the top Billboard single for the entire year. “I’ll Make Love to You” was at the top for 14 weeks, and “One Sweet Day” (a collaboration with Mariah Carey) followed by spending 16 weeks atop the charts. “On Bended Knee” took the top spot from “I’ll Make Love to You,” as Boyz II Men was the third act ever to replace its own No. 1 Billboard hit.
In today’s Las Vegas, R&B “legacy” acts are burning up the stage and box office in Strip residencies. That wasn’t always the case.
“The beautiful thing is, we’re not only in the middle of this trend, we were actually in the beginning stages,” Morris says. There weren’t many R&B artists on the Strip when we announced in 2012. We had Celine, Britney, and some pop artists coming in. Then we came in and brought some soul to The Mirage.”
Morris says the band has now “melded with the whole R&B thing,” bringing their own showmanship and hit catalog to the party.
“We feel like it’s necessary,” Morris says. “The Strip needs unity and diversity, and we can bring that.”
A Killer drop-in
The Killers lit up a post-DNC party at Tao in Chicago on Tuesday night. The event was hosted by San Francisco Mayor London Breed, subsidized by cryptocurrency billionaire Chris Larsen. The band played a fast set and returned to their residency production at Caesars Palace on Wednesday.
The uber-exclusive, invite-only party was dubbed “San Francisco Speaks: A Night of Technology and Truth.” Encore Theater headliner Sebastian Maniscalco also performed. The San Francisco Chronicle reported the event was set up for the entertainers as “a crypto corporate gig instead of a San Francisco image rehab show.” The pub noted of Maniscalco, “… His jokes mocking Venmo would have gone over better” if the party’s purpose was specified.
The Rancho Raiders
Rancho High’s football team will be re-enacting some of the favorite plays in Raiders history during halftime of Friday’s preseason game against the 49ers at Allegiant Stadium. Willie Brown’s “Old Man Willie” pick-six against Fran Tarkenton and the Vikings in Super Bowl XI is a sample. The team held a fan vote among Raider Nation devotees to select the plays.
Gus Otto, a standout linebacker dating to the mid-60s, will light the Al Davis Memorial Torch. Otto, unrelated to Jim in the Raiders’ Otto-man empire, was drafted in 1965 and named to the AFL All-Rookie Team that season. Otto was among the “Eleven Angry Men” defensive unit that won the ‘67 AFL Championship and reached Super Bowl II, where they lost 33-14 to the Packers.
Otto appeared in 102 games with 95 starts. He was an AFL All-Star in 1969, and finished with six interceptions and four fumble recoveries in a career that covered seven seasons ending in 1972.
Vocal great Pia Toscano is singing the national anthem. Toscano was most recently a co-star in the “Harana: An East Meets West Live Experience” at the Theater at Virgin Hotel in June. She also joined David Foster and Katharine McPhee at the Raiders Foundation inaugural Silver & Black Gala at Wynn Las Vegas in April.
David Perrico and the Raiders House Band is back for its fourth season of throwing it down, from its stage at the base of the torch. The 19-piece band is packed with Vegas greats.
Kickoff is 7 p.m. Get there an hour early for the hype and revelry.
Tease this …
Powerhouse entertainment exec Scott Zeiger was in town this week pitching a significant new production show to all major Strip venue operators. More to come from the former BASE Entertainment official, who was on board when “Phantom,” “Jersey Boys” and “Absinthe” opened on the Strip.
Moore moves on
An exec who has made her mark on the entertainment scene over the past decade, Amanda Moore is leaving Live Nation Las Vegas for another Strip institution.
Moore is taking over as Cirque du Soleil’s Global Head of Marketing and Growth, Residency Shows Division, beginning Sept. 3.
Moore said in an e-mail announcing her new position, “In my wildest dreams, I couldn’t have imagined the experiences that have filled the last 3,434 days of my life, but it is time for me to embark on a new adventure filled with new experiences, challenges, and growth.”
During Moore’s tenure, such superstars as Usher, Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain, Jennifer Lopez, Kelly Clarkson, Backstreet Boys and Lionel Richie have played in residency on the Strip.
Moore also conceived the “Chelsea at the Chelsea,” Chelsea Handler’s residency in the theater that shares her first name at the Cosmopolitan. That show opens Sept. 1, among the many examples of Moore’s impact on the residency culture on the Strip.
What Works in Vegas
Particle Ink at Luxor. The immersive walk-through attraction has released tickets through the end of December. Both the performance-driven Particle Ink show and pick-your-path Wanderlust show are on sale at particleink.com/lv. The venue is up the escalators, next to the food court in the former Luxor wedding chapel space. If you hit the entrance to Atrium Showroom and the Carrot Top and “Fantasy” signs, you’ve gone too far.
Cool Hang Alert
The Violution’s next “Heroines and Heroes” show is set for 8 p.m. (performance), 7 p.m. (cocktail action) Tuesday at Notoriety Live. Vegas violin virtuoso Jennifer Lynn heads up the rocking ensemble, a partnership with drummer/producer Patrick Caccia. Cassie Stone is guest vocalist. It’s a wild, yet classically rooted, rock show. Go to NotorietyLive.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.