BattleBots extend Vegas bash to Labor Day
The bash just east of the Strip will continue.
“BattleBots — Destruct-A-Thon” is building momentum while rebuilding robots at BattleBots Arena just east of Horseshoe Las Vegas.
Executive Producer Tom Gutteridge told us after Thursday’s show the demolition production is now selling through Labor Day. An explosive development, robot-wise, on the Vegas entertainment scene.
This exercise in demolition is hosted by humans Bil Dwyer and Steve Judkins, starring such robot icons as Witch Doctor, Kraken, Mammoth, Hypershock and Whiplash.
The show is also adding a 2 p.m. Saturday matinee and increasing its Platinum Lounge seating capacity by 20 percent. A table of four goes for $770 (table service and comped snacks offered, along with the robotic violence). Standard seats start at $59, VIP tickets $125.
These are popular seats. As Gutteridge explains, “You are in the front two rows, right in front of the carnage.”
New port for this crew
The Docksiders yacht rock band is moving to its second Las Vegas stage, Notoriety Live at Neonopolis. Helmed by Kevin Sucher, the act took on a series at The Duomo from September to November last year.
The show is set to run 7 p.m. Thursdays at Robin Leach Showroom, one of a cluster of Notoriety Live venues. Tickets are on sale through the end of the year, starting at $25 general admission, $45 VIP (not including fees) at NotorietyLive.com.
“It is an honor to headline in Las Vegas, and The Docksiders are ready to set sail downtown with a yacht rock experience,” Sucher says. “The Docksiders are known for bringing people out of their seats, getting them dancing and singing as they’re transported back with soft rock hits that have been timeless for decades — expect that and more, with our new show.”
Sucher is a longtime producer, artist and tour manager who has worked with such industry heavyweights as Stevie Wonder and Gwen Stefani. With Sucher’s wife, Erin, the band’s terrific co-vocalist, the band samples Olivia Newton-John, Toto, Kenny Loggins, Steely Dan, Michael McDonald, Hall & Oates, Christopher Cross and Ambrosia.
He’s our Idol
Days after we wondered about the booking strategy at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Billy Idol was announced as the venue’s headliner from Oct. 20 to 28. Idol played his hyper-exclusive acoustic VIP show at Hoover Dam on Saturday. No word on how his effort to spread word about the drought — his reason for that show — will move forward.
Vinny? G!
Vinny Guadagnino is back for his fifth stint as guest host of “Chippendales” at the Rio, running Aug. 31 to Oct. 8. The “Jersey Shore” mainstay is a hit with fans, the cast and (in this case) the media. He’s a great ambassador for the show, and for Vegas.
Big healing action
TV and recording superstar Tony Orlando and drumming legend Steve Gadd turned up at the Santa Fe & the Fat City Horns show on Monday night. Gadd is currently touring with James Taylor and has performed on Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” and “Late in the Evening,” Rickie Lee Jones’ “Chuck E.’s in Love” and is on “The Hustle.” He’s toured with Eric Clapton and Chick Corea. Huge figure in the drum culture.
Cool Hang Alert
We have a bona fide star of stage and TV in CHA today. John O’Hurley is one of our all-time favorites on the Vegas stage, from his days as King Arthur in “Monty Python’s Spamalot” at the Encore Theater. O’Hurley is best known for his recurring role as the fictionalized version of apparel company founder J. Peterman on “Seinfeld.”
The multifaceted entertainer plays a classic Vegas venue, the Italian American Club Showroom, on Thursday night, in “A Man With Standards.” Doors at 6 p.m., dinner at 6:30, show at 8. O’Hurley is mixing musings with selections from the Great American Songbook. Cool booking, very cool.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.