Sometimes you just sense when an encore is coming. At a Scorpions show, if the band is saying goodnight and has not played “Blackout,” or “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” and a gigantic scorpion looms behind the stage … Probably an encore.
The tour-de-force rock band from Germany set that spectacular scene Thursday at PH Live. The Scorpions are celebrating their 60th anniversary with a five-show burst at Planet Hollywood, continuing tonight, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
The band still sells remarkably well. The venue’s balcony was opened for sale, a rare move that was a hallmark of the Backstreet Boys residency. That boosts the capacity from about 4,500 to about 6,500.
Vocalist Klaus Meine (still deceptively huge in voice), guitarists Matthias Jabs and Rudolph Schenker remain from the band’s peak commercial era of 1978-‘92. Mikkey Dee, occupying the place behind the drums made famous by Herman Rarebell, and bassist Paweł Mąciwoda have added a thunderous heartbeat to the show.
Most of the iconic songs were there. “Big City Nights,” “Bad Boys Running Wild” and “The Zoo” — which seemed befitting for this wild crowd — were among the night’s favorites. “Winds of Change,” timed for the end of the Soviet Union some 25 years ago, sparked the requisite crowd singalong. A biopic titled “Wind of Change” is in the offing, this year’s release date to be announced.
Adhering to local color, Jabs alternated custom-designed guitars with Vegas images, including one themed for an old slot machine. He had three “BELL FRUIT” black bars lined up, on max play for sure. A jackpot, boys, and let it ride.
Its so Sublime
This weekend’s “Fear, Loathing and Sublime” property takeover at Park MGM is the first of an annual event. At least, that’s what resort officials are setting up.
The veteran ska-punk band is rejuvenated behind Jakob Nowell, son of the band’s late front man, Bradley Nowell, debuted as front man at Coachella 2024. He and his uncles Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson have returned Sublime’s fire, leading to this weekend’s Strip excursion.
Word is the Sublime team has been great to work with, and this could make a uniquely popular long-term match. Pennywise, The Vandals, The Ataris, Long Beach Dub Allstars and SVNBVRNT Records artists Jesse James and Pariah & Zayno were recruited to play alongside Sublime at Dolby Live in the inaugural event.
They dive in
Kristen Bartolo has experienced two unbilled appearances this year at her Dino’s Lounge.
One was a memory for all time. The other she’d like to forget.
Bartolo’s famous dive bar in downtown Las Vegas was famously rammed by a Jeep Cherokee in the early morning hours of Aug. 4. The bar reopened noon Thursday, remarkably just 10 days after the incident.
You might remember, or not, this is the same downtown tavern where Chris Martin of Coldplay arrived this past September, after performing at iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena. Carrying a red balloon and wearing a bulky tan suit and oversized glasses, Martin signed up to sing karaoke with host K.J. Boston. Martin waited at a table, alone, sipping a glass of milk until being called up to sing “All My Love,” from Coldplay’s latest album, “Moon Music.”
This was a collision of a different color, with the crowd going nuts.
Coldplay returned in June for two shows at Allegiant Stadium. Martin told Bartolo to email when those shows approached. She did, and the band sent four tickets. In the June 7 performance, Martin called out to Bartolo’s team, “We’re sending love to Dino’s karaoke bar,” before playing the song live.
Bartolo referred to it as, “A once-in-a-lifetime moment.”
This is enough news for one year for Bartolo, who has run Dino’s for a quarter-century. The third-generation owner of the historic tavern established in 1962 is ready to get back to the bar biz.
“I want more than anything to move past all this crash devastation and all the craziness, stress, heartache that it has brought to all of our lives for the last two weeks,” the owner said Saturday. “Reopening Dino’s in 10 days was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. The outpouring of love for my family and our bar was beyond what even I imagined.”
Cool Hang Alert
The supremely talented pianist Philip Fortenberry and similarly supremely talented singer Elisa Fiorillo perform “Classics with Class” at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Myron’s at The Smith Center. Fortenberry was the hands of Liberace (or, Michael Douglas) in the HBO biopic “Behind the Candelabra.” Fiorillo backed Prince in The New Power Generation from 2009-2016. Expect selections from Barbra Streisand, Eydie Gorme, Judy Garland, Julie Andrews and other classics. Class it up by hitting TheSmithCenter.com for intel.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.