Rio, Palms docking yacht-rock residencies
Time to polish off the Guy Who Just Bought A Boat routine.
That’s a nod to the character created by Alex Moffat, who portrayed the smarmy yacht captain on “SNL,” and announced last week he’s leaving the series.
Somewhat related, and beginning this week, boating is the theme at the Rio and the Palms.
Both off-Strip resorts are setting sail (we are awash in puns) with yacht rock headliners. The Rio launches a residency this week. The Palms is going onsale this week for a leading yacht-rock production in November.
The Docksiders rock the dock at the The Duomo at the Rio, in Vegas’s first ticketed yacht-rock residency. The series opens Thursday and runs 6 p.m. daily (dark Fridays and Saturdays) in an open-ended run. The buoyant act toggles times with Raiding the Rock Vault in the new 300-capacity venue (ticket and schedule info is at thedocksiders.com).
The extensive commitment is an easy call for club operators.
“Live music is being under-served, in my opinion, in Las Vegas,” says Pompey Entertainment founder Damian Costa, who along with Vegas attorney and sometime musician Tony Sgro operates The Duomo. “What we are doing, and what the Palms has been doing, is filling a void in the market. This music is a sing-along experience, it’s fun and it’s an escape from the news of the day.”
Kevin Sucher, with his three Grammy nominations, pilots The Docksiders into Vegas. He says, “We take our fans on a voyage back in time, creating a nostalgic experience with their favorite jams from the 70s and 80s.”
Sucher is a veteran producer, artist and tour manager whose resume is dotted with such stars as Stevie Wonder and Gwen Stefani. Expect the Docksiders to sample what is now a classic yacht-rock set list of Olivia Newton-John, Toto, Kenny Loggins, Steely Dan, Michael McDonald, Hall & Oates, Christopher Cross and Ambrosia.
The Docksiders both follow and precede the long-established yacht rock band Yächtley Crëw to Las Vegas. The band returns to Kaos at the Palms for six dates, running Nov. 18-19, Dec. 29-30 and Feb. 24-25. The aquatically inspired act joins Frankie Moreno as Kaos’s recurring residency performers (Moreno returns Sept. 23-24, and is expected back in early 2023). Tickets to Yächtley Crëw are available at Ticketmaster on Tuesday.
Yächtley Crëw delivered palpable excitement to Kaos on July 2. In the run-up to that show, band founder Philip Daniel, who plays Philly Ocean onstage, said, “We want everyone who comes to our shows to feel like they are in the party with us. And I think that’s why we have had such an amazing response to what we do.”
All this, and Chi-Lites, too
The hit-making soul/R&B vocal group The Chi-Lites with Marshall Thompson headline a brunch series at The Duomo at 2 p.m. Oct. 16, 23 and Nov. 6. The Chi-Lites issued the 1971 hit single “Have You Seen Her.” Ticket-holders get a complimentary glass of champagne, and can also order express express service of coffee and Italian noshes from the adjacent Cupola Cafe.
Thompson, the group’s founder, predicts, “The drinks will be cold, and the music smoking hot.” Hopefully we will finally find “her,” the subject of that 1971 hit.
Celebration Dai
Popular Vegas rocker Dai Richards has a new gig. He’s the host at the “Magic Mike Live” male revue at the Sahara beginning Sept. 15. Richards arrived in Vegas in the Tenors Of Rock production, and has persevered since that act halted during COVID-19. Richards also fronts the busy classic-rock band Original Chaos, which will continue its schedule of lounge and club performances around town.
Richards has consulted Mark Shunock, who originally held the host role in the show, dating to its opening at the then-Hard Rock Hotel. The role is neither a stripping nor dancing position.
“Sadly, no, my clothes won’t be coming off,” Richards says.
Richards and his wife, Olivia Richards, are expecting their first child, a daughter, on Sept. 27. No name to be reported, yet. but that’s less than two weeks after Richards’ debut.
“We will be busy,” Richards says. “But this is such a great opportunity. The show is fantastic, the theater is very special and I’m excited to start.”
‘Bat’ takes flight
We met Troy Burgess in the early days of “Rock of Ages” at The Venetian, and were immediately taken with his great stage skills and unbridled congeniality (which should be the title of something in VegasVille). Since his portrayal of Bourbon Room operator Dennis Dupree.
Burgess has gone on to portray King Arthur and Merlin the Wizard in the “Tournament of Kings” show at Excalibur. He has also started a family with his wife, the amazing “Fantasy” dancer Yesi Burgess.
Last week we learned Burgess has been named resident director at “Bat Out Of Hell — The Musical” at Paris Theater. Burgess took the job last week, a terrific addition to a cast already laden with top Vegas talent. “Simply grateful,” Burgess said on Instagram. “Daddy been busy.”
Ten years of ‘Visions’
The 10th anniversary of “Night Visions,” which Imagine Dragons calls “the album that changed our lives,” was Saturday. More than 10 years ago, in September 2009 in fact, I caught the band at Hard Rock Live on the Strip. Saturday they play Allegiant Stadium.
You can use that a measure of their immense fame. Or, you can know that The Ohio State University Athletic Band played “Believer,” from 2017’s “Evolve” at halftime of the Buckeyes’ game against Oregon State. From rock clubs to stadia, the Kats Bureau has it covered …
Cool Hang Alert
The Naomi Mauro Quartet is headlining from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Sunday at Bootlegger Bistro. Mauro is backed by Dave Stambaugh on sax, Cocho Arbe on keys, Ken Seiffert on bass and Boris Shapiro on drums. All are favorites on the local music scene. The show is the latest presentation of Las Vegas Jazz Society, its motto, “Keeping Jazz Alive Since ‘75.” Tickets are $25 (a mere pittance), $20 for LVJS members. Tickets at the door or at LVJS.org.
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.
