No more ‘bad gigs’ for Grammys performer Nathaniel Rateliff

Asking Nathaniel Rateliff for a “bad gig” story is like asking an astrologer to select a single star from the darkened sky.

“We’ve played so many bad ones, it’s hard to pick a particular one,” says Rateliff, set to headline the “Grammy’s Museum Grammy In The Schools Salute to Music Education” event Thursday night at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay (tickets start at $25 and are at universe.com). “I don’t know if any of them stand out, actually. I mean, there’s been plenty of them. I wish one of the other guys were here (laughs), they’d come up with some stories.”

The guys are The Night Sweats, Ratliff’s cracking blues-soul band. The front man’s reference to those shows are from a bygone era. Rateliff and The Night Sweats are today a headlining tour band who appeared on “SNL” in March 2021.

That was as good gig, through Ratliff says he was uncommonly (and understandably) nervous.

“I don’t really get nervous. But it was sort of a situation where we wanted to be invited back,” the 43-year-old Rateliff says during a phone recent chat. “So we’re trying to be on our best behavior.”

Rateliff performed the penetrating “Redemption,” from the film “Palmer,” starring Justin Timberlake. Later in the episode, he and The Night Sweats played “A Little Honey,” from the 2018 album “Tearing at the Seams.”

Rateliff says the person he sought out that night was “SNL’s” creator.

“I wanted to meet Lorne Michaels. He came up to me after the show, and we chatted for a minute, and I just told him how much I appreciated being on the show,” Ratelliff says. “Lorne has an amazing legacy and it was great that I got to be on a show that I grew up watching.”

Ukraine show adds acts

Veteran Vegas showman Wally Eastwood of “V The Ultimate Variety Show” as been added as host of the “Ukrainian Benefit Show” set for 9 p.m. Thursday at Saxe Theater at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. The show was conceived originally by producer David Saxe and the extreme skating tandem Victor and Jenny Arata. Jenny is from Kyiv, and her sister and family have made it out of Ukraine and into Poland as Russia’s attack on the country continues.

The Ukrainian performers in the show are juggler Vladik Miagastupov; his 10-year-old daughter, Valeria Miagastupov; cylinder balancer Vladimir Dovgan; aerial strap artist Roman Makrenko; aerial rope artist Svitlana Rohozhina; and hand balancer Yulia Mihailova. Joining Eastwood in the non-Ukrainian contingent are magician Jason Byrne and comic Russ Merlin.

“We have everyone giving a short video interview before their act,” Victor Arata says. Mihailova is presenting video of the bus her family coming was taking out of the country coming under fire. “To think, me and Jen were talking to David Saxe a little less than two weeks ago and said, ‘Let’s do this.’ It’s because those brave Ukrainians give us the strength.”

‘Reign’ forecast

“Queen of Versailles Reigns Again” has premiered on Discovery+. The series picks up Jackie Siegel’s ongoing efforts to build the 90,000-square foot home in Orlando, owned by she and her husband, Westgate Resorts founder David Siegel. The series is a follow-up to the 2012 documentary “Queen of Versailles,” which originally chronicled the couple’s odyssey in attempting to build one of the largest private residences in the world. The estate sits just outside Orlando, Fla.

The chief difference it the two projects is David Siegel is not in the Discovery+ series. He has told me he had no interest in being involved in a follow-up to the original doc. He was also recovering from back surgery as the series was being filmed. But Jackie Siegel is at the center of the project, during which she investigates the idea of creating a Benihana-style restaurant inside the mansion. Sadly, the lack of proper ventilation makes this this an ill-advised idea, as the estate would smell of cooked steak.

The Siegels hosted a watch party in at the hotel on Monday. In a promo clip, Jackie Siegel says she plans on replicating the ornate hall mirrors and columns from the original Palace of Versailles, the inspiration for the design and scale of the property. “I’m trying to copy as much of it as I could … It’s a French architecture.” Asked what she wished she’d known before starting construction, Siegel said, “I wish I’d known how hard it was, or how hard it is, and what a headache it is.” But you do get some good reality TV out of it.

Time to Gogh

“Immersive Van Gogh” at Crystals at Aria has been extended through Labor Day Weekend. The announcement arrived Wednesday, the artist’s birthday, and was paired with the release of the video for the song, “Vincent,” by Don McLean (“American Pie”). The exhibit opened in October.

Hold on loosely

The classic rock band 38 Special is pulling into Westgate’s International Theater on June 25. This is a single show titled as if it is a residency, “Rocking Into The Night,” with tickets onsale 10 a.m. Friday. Prices are right, starting at $29 (not including fees), with such hits as “Hold On Loosely,” “Rockin’ Into the Night,” “Caught Up in You,” “Fantasy Girl,” “If I’d Been the One,” “Back Where You Belong,” “Chain Lightnin’,” “Second Chance.”

The International Theater’s star residency headliner, Barry Manilow, returns April 7-9 and plays most Thursdays through Saturdays through Saturdays through June 11. And also at International, the hotel is planning it’s ’90s revival “Boombox” from May 11-15 and May 18-22. CeeLo Green, Treach of Naughty By Nature, Kid ‘N Play, J.J. Fad and Thea Austin of Snap are set to appear in the show.

What else … Ah, “Frank Marino’s Red Carpet Brunch” opens April 24 at the new Frank Marino Cabaret, running two shows Saturdays and Sundays. The Queen of Las Vegas fills out the hotel’s “queens” roster.

Cool Hang Alert

A double-dip into Grandview Lounge at South Point, with “The Dirty at 12:30” comedy showcase at 11:59 p.m. Fridays; and piano showman Wes Winters at 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. No cover, no tickets required.

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.