Valentine’s Day show to feature Wes Winters

“I’ll probably be playing anything that has the word ‘love’ in it,” Winters said with a laugh. “That, or anything that gets people to go home when it’s over and have a lovely Valentine’s Day.”

Winters is slated to return to Sam’s Town for a one-night performance Feb. 14. The event was booked in Sam’s Town Live, a much larger venue than the restaurant adjacent to Mystic Falls Park that Winters held court in for almost a year. He moved his act to the South Point when his two-night-a-week Wes Winters’ 88 Key Club supper club was closed to open a full-time restaurant at the location more than a year ago .

“We’ve been trying to find a way to get him back here ever since,” said Melanie Mabry, Sam’s Town’s marketing director. “We’ve had a lot of people asking to have him back.”

Winters first made his mark in the valley performing a Liberace tribute at the now-closed Liberace Museum, but before that, he spent decades as a pianist at intimate venues, playing a wide range of music and keeping the audience entertained with his banter. For the most part, that’s the role he’s returned to, although he can still bust out the Liberace when he feels the time is right.

“It’s in my blood,” Winters said. “But there’s so much more that I do.”

Sam’s Town plans to pull out all the stops for the buffet dinner portion of Winters’ Valentine’s Day event. The menu is set to include grilled shrimp on ice, oysters on the half shell, pecan encrusted salmon, carved roast prime rib of beef and strawberry and champagne soup shooters.

On top of his regular gigs from 6 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at the Grandview Lounge in South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. South, and entertaining from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mimosas and Music Sunday Brunch at Envy The Steakhouse, 400 Paradise Road, Winters takes time off for cruise ship performances. The next Sea Cruzin’ with Wes Winters event is scheduled to take Winters and his fans to Hawaii in October.

“Of course we’ll be doing more cruises,” Winters said. “People asked me about that when all this business was in the news, and I told them that we don’t have some crazy captain showing off for the shore.”

Mabry said Sam’s Town is always looking for ways to bring Winters back for special events, and they are working out details for a Fourth of July event, too.

“When the new year came around, I thought about how lucky we are,” Winters said. “I know there are so many people not working in my industry, so I’m thrilled to death that we have so many great opportunities.”

“Wes Winters Valentines Supper Club” is scheduled from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Feb. 14 at Sam’s Town Live in Sam’s Town, 5111 Boulder Highway. Tickets are $50. For information and reservations, visit samstownlv.com or call 284-7777.

Contact Sunrise/Whitney View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 380-4532.