Earth, Wind & Fire are due to return to the Las Vegas Strip the month after September.
The powerhouse R&B/funk/disco unit play the Venetian Theatre for nine dates Oct. 16-31 (go to Ticketmaster.com for intel).
Still led by vocalist Philip Bailey, bassist Verdine White and vocalist-percussionist Ralph Johnson, the band most recently appeared at The Venetian this past October.
That was also a nine-show set. They led into the series by playing halftime of the Raiders-Bears game at Allegiant Stadium in (yes) September.
Expect that tireless classic, along with “Fantasy,” “Boogie Wonderland” and “After the Love Is Gone” in the band’s return. The Venetian has been Earth, Wind & Fire’s Strip home since debuting their recurring residency in May 2019.
EWF leads a spate of Monday show announcements. Small and midlevel residency shows continue to struggle to sell tickets in VegasVille. But touring shows are showing no signs of abating. Read on (intel at Ticketmaster.com unless otherwise noted):
— TLC and Salt N Pepa at the Fontainebleau’s BleauLive Theater, Oct. 9. Salt (Cheryl James) and Pepa (Sandra Denton) once played the Strip in “I Love the ’90s” at the Paris Theater, in rotation with En Vogue — supporting act on this tour — DJ Spinderella, Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray, All-4-One, Rob Base and Kid-N-Play. The show ran from October 2019-January 2020.
— Third Eye Blind at The Pearl at the Palms, Jan. 6 (tickets at AXS.com). The band played the Raiders-Chiefs halftime show on Jan. 4 and performed at BleauLive Theater in June 2024.
— Wu Tang Clan at T-Mobile Arena, Oct. 3. The Clan most recently played The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in February and September 2024. We caught this party during a Yahoo corporate gig at Voltaire at The Venetian during CES in January 2024. “Yahoo!” was the call-out of the night.
— Ca7riel and Paco Amorosa at BleauLive Theater, July 18. This is the Strip premiere for the Argentine tandem, also known as Catriel and Ulises Guerriero. Hip-hop, EDM and experimental trap (Southern hip-hop) are their musical underpinnings.
— Kesha at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, May 29 (tickets at AXS.com). The rocker/popper headlined The Pearl at the Palms in November 2023, and jumped into Sammy Hagar’s residency production at Dolby Live in May.
— Los Tucanes at PH Live, Sept. 13. The first regional Mexican band to play Coachella, in 2019, the Pacific norteño heroes make their premiere at Planet Hollywood during Mexican Independence Day weekend.
— Kathy Griffin at Criss Angel Theater at Planet Hollywood, Sept. 19. Griffin’s “New Face, New Tour” is the magic on this night. This is Griffin’s return to the venue she played in November. The room was home to “Stomp” and “Peepshow,” among other productions.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.