3/2/22

As one of rock’s most in-demand vocalists (Apocalyptica, Deadland Ritual + Scars on Broadway, in addition to his own solo recordings) Las Vegas native Franky Perez brings the magic with his impressively throaty + evocative pipes.

With the Franky Perez Band, the singer-songwriter-guitarist-percussionist has been gigging at venues around town, including the Chrome showroom at the Santa Fe Station Hotel and Casino. His current show combines a soul + blues-rock revue of cover tunes with his own rock presentation of self-written songs. Perez will be back there twice this month (March 11 + 18).

Performing two sets at the Chrome this past Saturday + over the course of two hours, Perez mixed soul firepower + singer-songwriter introspection. His tight four-piece band with standout lead guitarist Christian Brady was pumped up with three horn players and, for the revue part, two sexy female dancers to further light up the stage.

Perez, looking Rat Pack-esque in a shiny dress shirt for the first part of the show, opened with blues standard “Baby, Please Don’t Go,” which he recorded for the “Sons of Anarchy” soundtrack (his version currently has over 4 million Spotify streams). You could immediately feel Perez’ power + charisma as he dug his heels in deep, as he also did on smart choices like “Hard To Handle,” “Mr. Pitiful,” “The Letter” + show-stopper “I Know I’m Losing You.”

Perez also shined on his own material, particularly the hard-hitting bluesy “Run Down Nasty” (from his 2020 album) and his 2021 single “The Great Divide,” a moving + timely acoustic-driven love song with lines like “Love like we’ve never loved before/Kiss like we’re going off to war.”

Perez ended the night with a perfect one-two punch: a high-energy cover of his favorite song, Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds,” which also served to underline Perez’ Vegas roots, and a fierce cover of the Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post.” Meanwhile, look for Perez to release a new solo album later in 2022.

2/28/2022 

Pop stars are eternal, always playing on endless loops in our minds. And tribute concerts to the dearly departed—not to mention holograms of them—can be fun, if they’re done well. Like the newly rejuvenated MJ Live Show which I saw this past Thursday night at the @troplv having moved from its previous home at The Strat. The show feels more powerful + commanding in the Tropicana showroom. 

Of course, MJ‘s body of work is stellar, and the hits (you know them all) kept coming in this vibrant + quick-paced show, with an excellent MJ impersonator who does not disappoint, a three-piece backing band and eight dancers. The choreography is killer, right down to MJ’s moonwalking style which still startles. 

The show intentionally has no fancy visual frills like film footage; the focus is on the performance itself—after all, it’s billed as the “Michael Jackson Tribute Concert.” Show stoppers include the self-reflective “Man In The Mirror,” the celebratory “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5, complete with ‘70s period costumes + wigs, and the Jacksons’ funk-fest finale “Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground).”

Looking at MJ during the show’s most intimate moments, you could see his eyes closed, under the spotlight—seemingly at peace, as if frozen in time—free of tabloid madness, lawsuits + mounting bills. 

2/25/2022

There was a whole lotta love + respect in the room earlier this week for Al Mancini who has launched Neon Feast. It’s a free + essential Las Vegas dining app—curated by chefs, critics + pros like Al himself—that plugs you right into the Vegas food scene on + off The Strip. The event at SoulBelly BBQ in the Arts District was jammed—not surprising since Al has done so much to shine a light on what makes eating out in Vegas truly special. His reviews at the Las Vegas Review Journal, where he had a long run, played a part in luring me to move here.

2/22/22

The new Harlo in downtown Summerlin can be added to the list of Vegas’ outstanding five-star restaurants. A spacious, dream-like dining room awaits inside where everyone can look 10 years younger. We never go to steakhouses, but friends invited us and we were impressed. The fancy “potato purée with Normandy butter and cream” is the stuff that dreams are made of.

2/18/22

Had a fun time checking in on (former clients) Chicago this past Wednesday at The Venetian for opening night of their latest residency. As the band noted from the stage, it was exactly 55 years + a day since they first formed (2/15/67).

For two hours, the packed crowd was with them the whole way. The 10-piece band with three original members—vocalist/keyboardist/acoustic guitarist Robert Lamm and horn players James Pankow and Lee Loughnane—played a seamless set that merged their progressive rock beginnings (“I’m A Man”) + early lyrical idealism (“Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is”) with their melodic pop leanings (“Colour My World,” ‘80s hit “Hard Habit To Break”).

Lamm’s deep rich voice can still light up “Saturday In The Park”; horn players Pankow and  Loughnane, both in their ‘70s, breathed fire into their instruments; and new tenor vocalist Neil Donell (who joined in 2018) impressively hit the high notes in the songs with former member Peter Cetera’s vocal stamp.

It was a night about sheer musicality, joyous harmonies + high-energy—really well done. Their Venetian engagement runs through February 26.

2/15/21

Fun times last night on Valentines Day at the always bustling Shanghai Plaza in Chinatown. Never had Malaysian food before, so we tried the Banana Leaf Cafe. With his “blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and European recipes,” Chef Lee brought the magic on all levels, with a vibrant + deeply satisfying mix of flavors + textures. Thumbs up on those Curry Puffs, the Chilean Seabass,  Banana Leaf Curry Chicken, Hokkien Noodles + the “Three Treasures” mix of eggplant, okra + string beans (plenty of leftovers for tonight!). It wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without dessert, so we brought home some excellent cream-filled buns from the 85C Bakery Cafe at the plaza.

There was no shortage of breezy melodies, smooth high harmonies + tight musicianship last night when The Wind Jammers docked at the Santa Fe Station Hotel. They’re a popular Vegas attraction—musicians with credits specializing in covers of ‘70s AM pop hits including songs that would become branded as “yacht rock.” The showroom was packed, the masks were off (the mandate ended yesterday), and the music of the Little River Band, Pablo Cruise, Kenny Loggins, Gino Vannelli + more (Steely Dan, Boz Scaggs, Hall and Oates) was duly celebrated—like punk, alt rock, nu metal, etc. never happened. It was a fun escape from a complicated world, anchored by sheer musicality spotlighting six alternating lead vocalists. The Wind Jammers set sail again February 24 at the Santa Fe Station Hotel.