13 minute read
SPOTLIGHT
Tropicana, ticketmaster.com
Nothing Compares to Him
Are you a Prince fan? No? I don’t believe you. Really? Well, attend just one performance of Purple Reign: The Prince Tribute Show, and you’re sure to be among the converted. Tribute artist Jason Tenner, a pair of dancers and an incredible band give an inspired show, with Tenner ably evoking Prince’s inimitable, larger-than-life persona .
You’ll hear Prince’s biggest hits, of course, like “Raspberry Beret” and “Purple Rain,” but you’ll be surprised to learn there are some more obscure songs like risqué “Darling Nikki,” which is somehow as hot here as the artist himself intended it.
A Morris Day and the Time tribute act adds some comedic respite, so you’ll have a moment to catch your breath before the music takes it away again. –Nina King
Black Eyed Peas Avril Lavigne
Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo
Immerse Yourself
Music’s greats congregate for massive festival
The iHeartRadio Music Festival has not only proven to be one of Las Vegas’ most enduring annual multiday concerts but perhaps its most eclectic. Last year’s event mixed the chemistry of Cheap Trick, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish (and her brother Finneas), Florida Georgia Line, Journey, Khalid, Lil Baby, Nelly, Sam Hunt, Olivia Rodrigo and Weezer. This year The Black Keys, Halsey, Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj, Lionel Richie, Sam Smith and Morgan Wallen are set to perform at T-Mobile Arena, while Avril Lavigne headlines the o -Strip AREA15 stage.
Pat Benatar and husband/creative partner Neil Giraldo, long overdue for a round of appreciation from the music industry, are this year’s featured rock royalty. Something special is bound to happen during the segment of the festival that recognizes the contributions of the duo behind “Promises in the Dark,” “Precious Time” and the Benatarized cover of The Young Rascals’ “You Better Run.”
Wallen, one of country music’s biggest stars as of this moment, was recently honored with the American Country Music Awards’ Milestone Award for outstanding achievement in country music. Wallen will likely perform Top 10 hits “Wasted on You” and “7 Summers” from his last release Dangerous: The Double Album, which spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Universally beloved music legend Richie has proven to be a highlight at any festival he appears at. Richie is known for the ebullient energy he creates with his band, getting everyone moving during “All Night Long,” singing along to “Endless Love” and “Say You, Say Me,” and going absolutely nuts during Commodores songs.
Entertainers such as LL Cool J and Black Eyed Peas round out the legacy aspect of the festival, and highlights can be expected from Halsey, Megan Thee Stallion and Minaj. Plan on spending time at the AREA15 stage for a more o beat experience with interesting immersive experiences to check out between sets by 5 Seconds of Summer, Big Time Rush and Carly Pearce, among many others. –Matt Kelemen
T-Mobile Arena, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23-24, prices vary; Daytime Stage at AREA15, 11 a.m. Sept. 24, $75. axs.com
Tropicana, ticketmaster.com
Do a Double Take
There are many excellent tribute shows on the Las Vegas Strip, but the longest-running one, Legends in Concert, manages to remain fresh and vital 39 years into its run. It’s an ever-revolving showcase for the best celebrity impersonators on the planet, not to mention another Las Vegas legend, drag queen extraordinaire and host Frank Marino, pictured, who has performed on the Strip for more than three decades. Combined, Legends and Marino have performed 45,000 shows.
The current show is a celebration of some of the most influential female superstars of the last five decades. The lineup includes Elisa Furr, who recently competed in the reality competition Clash of the Cover Bands, performing as Celine Dion; Lisa McClowry, belting out decades of hits, from “Believe” to “If I Could Turn Back Time” as Cher; Tierney Allen, embodying the all-in-one-package Lady Gaga and performing hits like “Shallow” and “Poker Face”; and Janae Longo performing as Adele. For those who can’t wait to see the music superstar’s upcoming residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, this is the next best thing. –Ken Miller
Guac and Talk
If there’s one cuisine we could eat every day, it’s Mexican food. And if you find yourself in Henderson during your visit, make sure to satisfy your South-of-the-border cravings at Borracha Mexican Cantina. Start your experience here with the chips and salsa and guacamole, made even poppier with cotija cheese. Now down to business! Whether you want street tacos, burritos or some slow-roasted pork carnitas, you’ll be savoring every bite here. And vegans will find plenty to enjoy, too, from roasted tomato and corn soup to veggie rice bowls (with brown rice, natch). –Ken Miller
Green Valley Ranch, 702.617.7075
A Royal Experience
Princess Diana: A Tribute Exhibition is a deep dive into one of history’s most elusive, fascinating and tragic figures. The Princess of Wales’ life story is told through photos, displays of everything from furniture to dresses, books, letters and souvenirs.
The labyrinthine rooms each represent a different chapter of her saga—childhood drawings, homework assignments and letters, her engagement and wedding, her extended family, her sons, her estrangement from Prince Charles, her humanitarian efforts and, ultimately, her untimely death in a horrific car accident.
Stunning details abound throughout, including artist re-creations of both her engagement dress and wedding dress and a photo opportunity that inserts you into the image of Diana in the “revenge dress.” Get ready to impress your followers! –Ken Miller
The Shops at Crystals, dianalasvegas.com
Planet Hollywood Resort, 8 p.m. Sept. 23-24, 28 & 30, starting at $79 plus tax + fee. ticketmaster.com
Lassoing All the Hits Country singer settles into residency
Miranda Lambert rides into Las Vegas for her headline residency debut with the wind of having become one of a handful of country artists to have earned the ACM Triple Crown Award. That means Lambert, who kicks o the fi rst show of Velvet Rodeo this Friday , has won American Country Music Award honors for New Female/ Male Artist of the Year, Female/Male Artist of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year. At 38, she joins legends such as Barbara Mandrell, Carrie Underwood, Merle Haggard and Mickey Gilley.
Triple Crown winners Brooks & Dunn performed “Kerosene,” the hit that made her a household country music name, during the Aug. 24 ACM Honors ceremony at the Ryan Auditorium in Nashville. Morgan Wallen, Chris Stapleton and Shania Twain were present as winners of awards in their respective categories, but it was Lambert’s night as she related to the audience her beginnings as a teenager with a voice, a guitar, ambition and stubbornness.
Brooks & Dunn’s cover brought Lambert’s career full circle to her performance of “Kerosene” at the ACM Awards in 2006, for which she performed in front of a wall of fi re. There was an empty space in country at the time once fi lled by Dolly Parton and Wanda Jackson that Lambert easily stepped into with a voice that could be songbird-sweet or raspy for more driven songs such as set opener on her most recent tour, “Actin’ Up.”
The song encapsulates one aspect of Lambert’s musical persona: the hellion just beneath the surface that can’t be tamed and isn’t afraid to make mistakes. That’s the Lambert of “Fastest Girl in Town,” “Gunpowder & Lead,” “Tequila Does,” lead single from her latest album Palomino, “If I Was A Cowboy” and her No. 1 collaboration with Elle King, “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home).” Lambert may be a living legend now, but her fi re will burn bright as ever at Velvet Rodeo. –Matt Kelemen
Superb Sips
Elevated lounge S Bar is in the former Red Square area, but it has been entirely redone, specializing in craft cocktails. There Should Be Unicorns features hibiscus gin, nigori sake and strawberry cream soda, accented by cream, a strawberry and sprinkles. Other options are the Snow Globe, with mezcal, green tea citrus cordial, lime and grapefruit tonic and the Say Less, with blanco tequila, manzanilla sherry, Campari, roasted watermelon, Stiegl Radler and togarashi spice. –Nina King
Mandalay Bay, 702.632.7707
The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702.340.2600
Wholly Satisfying
We’ve all heard about the power of eating clean, and you don’t have to give up that ideal in Vegas. At True Food Kitchen in The Forum Shops at Caesars, you’ll find a range of healthy, enticing dishes that will satisfy.
While the menu does switch out regularly, bringing in fresh, seasonal ingredients, some things are on the menu year-round like edamame guacamole, mixed with avocado, and cilantro pesto. The pita chips are even made in-house. And no matter your dietary concern, you’ll find something here; for instance, the Tuscan kale salad is vegetarian, and the teriyaki quinoa bowl is gluten-free and vegan, while the popular Ancient Grains bowl, with its savory miso-sesame glazed sweet potato, is vegan.
Pizzas include a vegan spinach-mushroom pie with almond ricotta. For entrées, opt for a vegan double cheeseburger, or a grass-fed beef burger, turkey burgers and grilled chicken sandwiches.
You can indulge in dessert, too, with such items as flourless chocolate cake with caramel, almond, vanilla ice cream and cacao nib; and vegan chocolate chip cookies with vegan ice cream. –Nina King
All-Around Entertainer
Few performers embody the spirit and energy of Las Vegas more than Frankie Moreno. He’s performed at numerous venues up and down the Las Vegas Strip over the last few decades, and brings his latest show to Palms for a limited-time residency.
Moreno has everything audiences are looking for in an entertainer: Good looks, amazing vocals, dance moves, and a swagger that would make Elvis Presley proud. He also plays an instrument (or two or three), often in very unconventional ways; if you’ve never seen him play the piano, that alone is worth the price of admission.
Also a songwriter, Moreno covers everything from vintage to modern. “Performances are a rush,” Moreno told Las Vegas Magazine. Once you’ve seen his show, you’ll agree—and all other shows might appear to be moving in slow motion. –Ken Miller
The Finer Things
Carversteak has become one of Las Vegas’ must-visit restaurants, a buzzworthy spot that represents all the fi ner things in life—great setting, world-class spirit selection overseen by one of the city’s best mixologists in Francesco Lafranconi, and a menu with surprises everywhere.
Start with a summer cocktail like Summer Trail, featuring American Harvest organic vodka, Pomp & Whimsy liqueur, lemon verbena syrup, lemon juice and Fever Tree elderfl ower tonic. There’s also a great lineup of classics like the Mr. Lee Manhattan, made with Nikka Co ey grain whiskey, Lillet aperitif and orange bitters.
As you admire your surroundings—three patios, stunning artwork, a giant LCD screen over the bar displaying animated art—dig into appetizers like caviar poppers, made with gougeres and served with lemon-chive crème fraiche.
After selecting your carving knife of choice (a truly nice touch), enjoy a wide variety of cuts, from an 8-ounce fi let mignon from Allen Brothers in Chicago to a 16-ounce, 21day wet-aged striploin from Western Reserve. Or opt for the Taste of Japan, featuring A-5 wagyu served with black garlic-mirin mushrooms and shishito peppers. –Ken Miller
A Wanted Man
They sold more than 20 million albums. They fi lled arenas. They performed thousands of concerts over the course of the last few decades. And they appeared in a GEICO commercial. Ratt, a pioneer of the early ’80s Sunset Strip rock scene, can o cially say they’ve done it all, and founder, songwriter and lead singer Stephen Pearcy is just getting started.
Ratt jumped to instant fame with 1984 album Out of the Cellar, which also spawned the songs that defi ned both the band and Pearcy: “Wanted Man,” “Round and Round,” “Back for More” and “Lack of Communication.” Four of the band’s eight albums have gone platinum, and it’s a good bet that Pearcy will be drawing from the early hits while mixing in some of his solo material. But one thing is certain: It will absolutely rock. –Ken Miller
Resorts World Las Vegas, 702.550.2333
Hit Parade
Check out a di erent form of “ all the hits” this week as Plaza Hotel & Casino hosts the fi fth annual Las Vegas Pickleball Open. More than 400 players in the rapidly growing sport are competing for a combined $60,000 in prizes, with pro, amateur, men’s, women’s and other matches. This year, the Plaza resurfaced its tournament-level courts near the pool area, which ought to make the game even more appealing for players. Plus, all of the matches are free for spectators to view. –Nina King
Plaza, Sept. 21-25, lasvegaspickleballopen.com
Sealed With a Kiss
Hot o a VMA win, artist takes on Allegiant Stadium
The only drawback to Bad Bunny winning the MTV Video Music Award for Artist of the Year was his not being present at the ceremony. Instead, his performance of “Tití Me Preguntó” was broadcast live from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, where an ecstatic concert audience celebrated the evening of fi rsts for Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio. The singer, who takes over Allegiant Stadium this week, was the fi rst Latino to win the Artist of the Year accolade.
This by default makes him the fi rst Puerto Rican, as well as the fi rst Latin trap and reggaeton singer, to win the award. He’s received no shortage of major musical honors since arriving on the scene though, having won or been nominated for numerous American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards and iHeartRadio Awards since emerging as a new artist in 2017. His guest turn on Cardi B’s 2018 hit “I Like It” with J Balvin brought him major recognition on pop radio, and the track earned a slew of nominations and wins for best song in 2019.
His 2020 album YHLQMDLG (Spanish acronym that translates as “I do whatever I want”) set the stage for making him a crossover superstar and earned Bad Bunny his fi rst GRAMMY in 2021. It reached No. 2 on Billboard’s album chart and generated eight singles, several of which climbed into the Top 100 with “Vete” reaching No. 33. He’s had eight Top 10 hits since, including “Moscow Mule,” “Despues de La Playa” and “Me Porto Bonito.”
“Tití Me Preguntó” reached No. 5, with the album it’s featured on, Un Verano Sin Ti, debuting at No. 1 in May. Bad Bunny’s VMA performance of the song was the fi rst time a male artist was kissed by another man during the VMA broadcast. He was kissed by a woman immediately before, but the artist who earned his sobriquet due to a bunny suit he wore once is an LGBTQ rights advocate who doesn’t mind risking accusations of career calculation or criticisms of his masculinity . –Matt Kelemen
