When Franky Perez was 8 years old, he and his family hung out at the Circus Circus Midway.
“I geeked out over it,” Perez says today.
“My mom would tell us we were going, and I’d feel that rush of excitement before we even got in the car. To me and my sister, it was pure magic,” Perez says. “The lights, the games, the energy… and especially the Midway stage. The acrobats, the specialty acts, the performers flying through the air like it was nothing. I’d sit there for 30 minutes at a time, waiting for the next act, watching each incredible performance over and over again like it was the first time.”
Perez is now inviting his fans to step right up, to use the circus vernacular. His band the All Nighters are playing the Midway at 8 p.m. April 17. The show is the launch event for his new album, Dámelo on TLG Virgin Music Group, spotlighting the new single, “Mad World.” That song inspired Perez’s idea play Circus Circus.
Expect surprises. Or, don’t. But there will be surprises.
The show is the runway to Perez’s appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on April 22. The All Nighters are set to play the stage in the parking lot behind El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.
Give Perez credit for his range in performance platforms. He’s a historically adaptable performer. The first time I saw him peform was as an opening act for Lynyrd Skynyrd, some time ago at Orleans Arena.
The show at Circus Circus is free. Families welcome. The performance marks the first time a full band has taken over the Midway stage in a headlining show. Circus Circus opened in 1968.
The event accelerates Perez’s momentum, generated over several months. He and the All Nighters play Wednesdays and Thursdays at Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce at Mandalay Bay, and headline a recurring run at Rocks Lounge at Red Rock Resort.
“I went back to the Midway and saw the setup and thought, ‘This would be perfect up here, to have a stage and bring a ton of people in here,” Perez says. “I have some long-lasting memories here and I’m all about it, full steam ahead, with our full band with showgirls and dancers. We’re coming to entertain and put on a bad-ass show.”
Davis’s uniformed take
You might, or might not, have caught renderings on social media of the Raiders’ all-black helmets as an option for the AFC West “Rivalries” uniforms. These are the special Nike-conceived uniforms teams wear in their rivalry games. The Seahawks’ day-glow, mint-green look is an example, and a regretful one.
I’ve seen examples of the all-black Raiders’ design before, once when an unofficial, black Raiders helmet was an auction item at a Las Vegas charity event.
Raiders owner Mark Davis hates this design.
“No!!!” he responded to a text of a fan account showing the black helmet and uniform. Davis says the team is going with the silver helmets, with a silver crest, white jerseys with silver numbers, and silver pants as their “Rivalries” look. Plan accordingly. The AFC West joins this campaign in 2027.
More J Lo residency action
Jennifer Lopez achieved a rarity on the Strip. Her show at the Colosseum has nearly sold out every performance, reportedly at 95-percent capacity. Yet she’s not announced an extension, and we’re not seeing it happening, at least at Caesars Palace. An extension likely would have been announced by now, her final scheduled weekend at the Colosseum.
This leaves open the option for J Lo to pursue a residency at a different Las Vegas venue. Lopez has also previously headlined at then-Zappos Theater (today’s PH Live) at Planet Hollywood. She is a proven box-office draw. Her Caesars show was terrific. Her future in Vegas is uncertain.
Destination known
Missing Persons is joining the “Totally 80s Pool Party” at The Strat on June 6. Prescott Niles’ The Knack, Bow Wow Wow and Naked Eyes are the previously announced roster for the show at the resorts’s Swim & Social Pool. Patrick Vitagliano’s Vegas ’80s cover band The Bones opens. The shindig starts at 4 p.m., and is reportedly going to be “rad.”
Tease this …
Celine Dion’s birthday, her 58th, is Monday. We hope she celebrates in splendid fashion …
Cool Hang Alert
Richiman and Groove Nice are back from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Saturday (April 4) at Echo Taste & Sound at 1301 South Main Street in the Arts District. The performance is part of the “Fried Chicken, Bourbon and Blues” series at chef Natalie Young and entrepreneur Tom McAllister’s hot spot.
This band out of Seoul, South Korea simply plays some fiery blues. The threesome finished in the top five of the International Blues Challenge in 2022 (the first Korean entry to ever crack the IBC finals). Go to echotastesound.com for intel.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.