What’s next for The Who: A 6-show run at the Colosseum
March 13, 2017 - 7:12 pm
Landing The Who for a half-dozen shows on the Strip might not be as difficult as it seems.
“They had such a good time at the Colosseum last year, the idea of them returning kind of sold itself,” AEG Live Senior Vice President John Nelson said Monday. “We are thrilled, obviously, to have them.”
The Who played the Colosseum on May 29, capping its 50th anniversary tour. Co-presenters AEG Live and Caesars Entertainment released a statement Monday announcing that the legendary band, led by original members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend, will perform six shows: July 29, Aug. 1, 4, 7, 9 and 11. Tickets are $76, $100.50, $151, $226, $351, $501 (fees included) and available at thecolosseum.com or axs.com, or by calling 866-320-9763.
The Who is one of the biggest rock bands in history, part of the original British Invasion of English bands to hit the U.S. It’s also the first rock band to headline in residency at the Colosseum. “It’s always easier to do deals with single-name headliners, because there are fewer people to check with,” Nelson said. “It becomes more complicated with each member.”
Nelson said the original six shows are the first set of an extended engagement. “We have the six shows and we’ll go from there.”
STRAIT TALK
Maybe if Criss Angel had eaten more than a bagel on Friday, or swapped a couple of bottles of fizzy water for his favorite Coke Zero, he would have made it through his show Friday night.
As it was, the Luxor headliner passed out while attempting his aerial straitjacket routine, canceling that night’s performance and spending a few hours at Spring Valley Hospital. On Monday morning he called the incident “a perfect storm,” a combination of a lack of sleep, an illness after a recent vacation, not enough food and not enough water. Angel says he spent much of the day playing outside with his son, Johnny Crisstopher, eating a single bagel before his show.
“I attribute it to those things and not, say, a tumor in my brain or anything like that,” said Angel, who asked to be released from the hospital late Friday night even though doctors wanted to perform more tests and advised him to cancel his two Saturday shows. “I just didn’t want to be there … I feel pretty confident that I was just run down, exhausted, dehydrated.”
Angel said he can recall being lifted while buckled into his straitjacket, then blacking out to find a team of paramedics and members of his own production surrounding him onstage. “I had intravenous tubes in me, pumping fluid into me, wires on my chest, and honestly I didn’t know what happened. They did not want me moving my neck … there was a specific protocol for what was going on.”
Angel returned Saturday, performing the straitjacket act in both shows with no incident. Even with the explanation of Friday’s events, social media posts openly questioned whether Angel, with his legions of fans known as “Loyals,” executed a publicity stunt. “Excuse my French, but that’s just (expletive) ridiculous. I had my son and my 82-year-old mother (Dimitra) in the audience. She was in tears, distraught. I would never put my family through that.”
He is now off to visit his girlfriend, Latina pop star Belinda Peregrin, whom he calls “the love of my life,” in her home about an hour outside Mexico City. He returns to the stage Wednesday night. “I just need to take better care of myself, try to get more than three hours of sleep a night, and drink enough water,” he says. “I take chances in my show, and I need to remember to be prepared for that.”
SIEGFRIED HONORED
Siegfried Fischbacher of Siegfried & Roy will be honored at the annual Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health Power of Love gala April 27 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Fischbacher is the first recipient of The Caregiver Award, for his support of his partner Roy Horn in the years after Horn was dragged offstage by the big cat Mantecore at the Mirage in Oct. 3, 2002. Siegfried’s dedication to his life partner is very real; over the years I have seen Siegfried working diligently with Roy at Las Vegas Athletic Club. His dedication since that incident has been unwavering.
‘ROCK’ OUT
Seven weeks after opening, and just one week after hosting its formal media night, “Rock Fantasy” at Hooters is closing. The final show was to be Monday night. The tribute to such rockers as Axl Rose, Robert Plant, Elton John and Mick Jagger, the show is bugging out for a relaunch in Branson on May 1.
WHO WAS WHERE
Reigning Daytona 500 champion and Durango High grad Kurt Busch at Bruno Mars’ show Sunday at The Park at Monte Carlo. Busch placed seventh in Sunday’s NASCAR Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; it was his brother, Kyle Busch, who scrapped with Joey Logano after the race … Dr. J himself, Julius Erving, Saturday night at Topgolf Las Vegas.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section, and Fridays in Neon. He also hosts “Kats! On The Radio” Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on KUNV 91.5-FM and appears Wednesdays at 11 a.m. with Dayna Roselli on KTNV Channel 13. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.