Boyz II Men co-founder Waniya Morris toured the Cosmopolitan of Chelsea last week, and he loved the atmosphere of the room — or, more specifically, the vibration.
“It’s an amazing production. It’s beautiful and it feels somewhat interactive,” Morris, who has lived in Las Vegas for nearly a decade, said by phone. “It has like hydraulics underneath the stage, so when people dance, the stage actually moves, the floor moves. It’s amazing. I’ve never seen anything like that in a theater.”
Boyz II Men will be keeping the party going when they play Chelsea on Friday and Saturday, August 30th and 31st.
Among the most influential R&B groups of all time, original members Morris, Shawn Stockman, Nate Morris and Michael McCary brought to the fore the “Motown-Philly” sound, a term referring to the members’ Philadelphia origins.
More than 30 years after Boyz II Men’s first No. 1 single, their chart success remains remarkable. Their 1992 hit “End of the Road” reached No. 1 13 times and was Billboard’s top single for the entire year. “I’ll Make Love to You” stayed at the top for 14 weeks, and “One Sweet Day” (with Mariah Carey) stayed at the top of the charts for another 16 weeks. “On Bended Knee” took the top spot from “I’ll Make Love to You,” making Boyz II Men just the third band to have a Billboard top hit song.
Today in Las Vegas, R&B “legends” dominate the stages and box offices with resident acts on the Strip. It wasn’t always that way.
“The great thing is, not only were we in the middle of this trend, we were actually at the beginning,” Morris says. “When we launched in 2012, there weren’t a lot of R&B artists on the Strip. There was Celine, Britney, and some pop artists. Then we came along and brought soul to the Mirage.”
Morris says the band has now “blended it all with R&B,” bringing its own unique showmanship and catalogue of hits to the party.
“We feel that’s what’s needed,” Morris said. “The Strip needs unity and diversity, and we can provide that.”
Killer Drop In
The Killers rocked the post-DNC party at Tao in Chicago on Tuesday night, an event hosted by San Francisco Mayor London Breed and funded by cryptocurrency billionaire Chris Larsen. The band played a fast set before returning to their permanent home at Caesars Palace on Wednesday.
The invitation-only, ultra-exclusive party was called “San Francisco Speaks: A Night of Technology and Truth” and also featured a performance from Encore Theatre headliner Sebastian Maniscalco. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the event was designed for entertainers as “a cryptocurrency company gig, not a San Francisco image rehabilitation show.” Pub said of Maniscalco, “His Venmo jokes would have gone down better if the purpose of the party had been clear.”
Rancho Raiders
The Rancho High School football team will re-enact some of the greatest plays in Raiders history during halftime of Friday’s preseason game against the 49ers at Allegiant Stadium, including Willie Brown’s “Old Man Willie” pick-six against Fran Tarkenton and the Vikings in Super Bowl XI. The team chose the plays through a fan vote by the die-hard fans of Raiders Nation.
Gus Otto, a standout linebacker from the mid-60s, will light the Al Davis Memorial Torch. Otto, no relation to Jim from the Raiders’ Ottoman Empire, was drafted in 1965 and selected to the AFL All-Rookie Team that season. Otto was part of the “Eleven Angry Men” defensive unit that won the ’67 AFL championship and advanced to Super Bowl LII, where they lost to the Packers, 33-14.
Otto played in 102 games, starting 95 of them, and was an AFL All-Star in 1969. He recorded six interceptions and four fumble recoveries during his seven season career, which ended in 1972.
The national anthem is sung by vocal great Pia Toscano, who recently performed at Halana: East Meets West Live Experience at the Theatre at the Virgin Hotel in June, and with David Foster and Katharine McPhee at the Raiders Foundation’s inaugural Silver & Black Gala at the Wynn Las Vegas in April.
David Perico and the Raiders House Band will perform for the fourth season from the Torch Base stage. The 19-piece band features some of the biggest names in Las Vegas music.
Kickoff is at 7pm, so arrive an hour early to enjoy the excitement and merriment.
Making fun of this…
Leading entertainment executive Scott Zeiger is in town this week to pitch a major new show to all the major venue operators on the Strip, and we’ll likely hear more from former BASE Entertainment executives who were involved when “Phantom,” “Jersey Boys” and “Absinthe” opened on the Strip.
Moore steps forward
Amanda Moore, a renowned entertainment executive over the past decade, is leaving Live Nation Las Vegas for another Strip attraction.
Moore will take on the role of global head of marketing and growth for Cirque du Soleil’s residency shows, beginning September 3rd.
“I never dreamed I’d have experienced the things I’ve experienced in the last 3,434 days of my life, but now it’s time to embark on a new adventure filled with new experiences, challenges and growth,” Moore said in an email announcing his new role.
During Moore’s tenure, superstars such as Usher, Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain, Jennifer Lopez, Kelly Clarkson, the Backstreet Boys and Lionel Richie have had residencies on the Strip.
Moore also created Chelsea Handler’s residency at the Cosmopolitan’s theater of the same name, Chelsea at the Chelsea, which opened on September 1 and is one of many examples of Moore’s influence on the Strip’s residency culture.
What works in Las Vegas
Particle Ink at Luxor. Tickets for this immersive, walk-through attraction are on sale until the end of December. Both the performance-oriented Particle Ink show and the free-flowing Wanderlust show are on sale at particlesink.com/lv. The venue is up an escalator, next to the food court at the former Luxor Wedding Chapel site. You’ve gone too far when you hit the Atrium Showroom entrance and the Carrot Top and “Fantasy” signs.
Cool Hang Alert
Violution’s next “Heroines and Heroes” show is Tuesday at Notoriety Live at 8pm (performance) and 7pm (cocktail party). Las Vegas violin virtuoso Jennifer Lynn teams up with drummer/producer Patrick Caccia to lead the rock ensemble. Cassie Stone is the guest vocalist. It’s a wild yet classically rooted rock show. For more information, visit NotorietyLive.com.
John Katsilometes’ column appears daily in Section A. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow us! Johnny Katz @JohnnyKats1 on X and @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.