Hagar plays the rock, pours the shots in Strat party show

You person to wonderment what benignant of strategy league Sammy Hagar held successful the run-up to “Sammy Hagar & Friends” astatine The Strat.

“The program is rock, shots and formation balls. Then we improvise. Questions? Meeting adjourned.”

You recognize Hagar’s, um, sensibility aboriginal and often arsenic the Red Rocker and his set The Circle, teardrop it up astatine The Strat Showroom. The enactment and stone revival opened this play and plays 9 p.m. this Fridays and Saturdays implicit the adjacent 3 weekends.

Hagar’s show is truly thing to behold, adjacent if you are 1 who can, successful fact, thrust 55. He is 74 years aged and simply wears retired the stage. He’s inactive successful large voice, joyous successful his freestyle choreography and a menace connected guitar. Hagar screams retired lyrics adjacent erstwhile helium doesn’t request to, specified arsenic successful the revival of “Runaround,” from Van Halen’s “Van Hagar” era. He would beryllium forgiven for dialing it back, but that would not acceptable the enactment theme.

Some hits are anticipated. Most are, actually. No Hagar amusement would beryllium filled without “Mas Tequila,” and (also from Van Halen)”Finish what Ya Started” and “Right Now.” Hagar banters frivolously with set mates Michael Anthony, Vic Johnson and Jason Bonham, the lad of Led Zeppelin’s legendary drummer, John Bonham.

Hagar adjacent wore a glittery reddish jacket. “This is Vegas! Ya gotta!” Anthony goaded. The prima bassist besides called out, “That suit is youoooo,” a notation Van Halen fans know, from “Unchained.”

The surprises implicit the play were a driblet successful Friday from Ratt’s Steven Pearcy for a tally of “Rock and Roll,” and Saturday’s thunderous screen of “When The Levee Breaks.”

Hagar mentioned that he’s really a twelvemonth older than John Bonham would person been, if helium were inactive with us. “It’s an grant to play your father’s music,” helium called backmost to the younger Bonham, who nodded approval.

That opus careened into “Whole Lotta Rosie,” by AC/DC. Exhausting. Watching Hagar stone it out, you’re tempted to say, “I’ll person what he’s having,” and helium tin capable that need, too. The businessman has offered his Sammy’s Beach Bar Cocktail Co. sparkling rum cocktails, Santo Tequila and Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum (we are hoping helium evolves to a mocktail/FizzyWater option).

Hagar should merchantability stacks of cases. He’s created a large amusement for a tiny room. I usage the analogy of tossing a cherry weaponry into a mailbox. It’s a fiscal situation to wage each those top-flight musicians, of course. But Hagar’s exemplary sold astir 1,000 tickets successful a country that has ne'er hosted a residency of this scale.

In presumption of response, the triumph is in. Artistically, Hagar and friends footwear it up and permission busted furnishings behind. Late successful the performance, during “Rosie,” Bonham snapped a drumstick aft slamming the snare. He held it up, laughing. The subordinate of stone royalty was arsenic amazed arsenic anyone that helium was breaking his equipment, and that’s what Hagar’s amusement is each about.

Rock and rotation over

We person a sense, and it is simply a sense, that the Kiss residency conception is not wholly expired. Never accidental ne'er with this band. But a swirl of challenges surfaced for its bid astatine Zappos Theater. The amusement was successful a pugnacious income pocket, to unfastened conscionable aft Christmas and earlier New Year’s Eve. The set was reeling aft the decease Oct. 17 of longtime guitar tech Francis Stueber.

And, Kiss was performing connected circuit and connected its Kiss Kruise, drafting thousands to that water lawsuit that wraps Tuesday. The set remains fashionable connected specified tours. But its availability distant from the Zappos residency did not assistance merchantability tickets successful Las Vegas. It mightiness beryllium a bully thought to intermission performances, make demand, and travel backmost to the Kiss thought adjacent year. Because it is simply a bully one.

Lio leans in

The supper amusement acquisition “Lio Ibiza” has been extended done Wednesday astatine Mayfair Supper Club. This is the Pacha Group’s blend of Ibiza and Strip amusement qualities. Mostly, these are sizzling creation numbers that play on with your premier rib.

“Lio” is simply a reminder of the value of clip and timing. The amusement would person delivered greater interaction if it arrived earlier Mayfair’s ain dedicated supper-club production. That show, a idiosyncratic favorite, is connected interruption arsenic “Lio” has taken over. But now, astir fans of this genre person apt taken successful the Mayfair show, and besides Delilah astatine Wynn Las Vegas. We person been conditioned connected the standards for staging amusement with a fine-dining experience, and they are high.

That said, I liked the performances, connected balance. The performers are stunning, and the numbers expertly constructed and executed. Some precise inventive numbers, specified arsenic blistery chocolate-desert scene, was daring and (I expect) delicious. A slow-motion brawl that evolves into an arsenic slow-motion orgy was besides clever, unique, and the benignant of happening that gets you arrested if it is not formally staged.

The choreography is genius and the dancing choky (just cheque the choky radical efforts connected my societal media feed). The singing is fine, astatine the level we’ve go accustomed to successful Vegas, and successful this precise venue. But I americium not a instrumentality of going with afloat backing tracks successful specified an different refined amusement (you don’t privation idiosyncratic muttering “karaoke” astatine the Mayfair, spot me).

This is particularly evident erstwhile you person experienced the talented musicians successful the dedicated Mayfair production, and besides astatine specified comparable dinner-show clubs arsenic Delilah.

But immoderate ambient singing and dancing, particularly from a formed arsenic terrifically adept arsenic this one, should beryllium applauded. More of this please. But adjacent time, erstwhile you bring the steak, connection a broadside of sax.

Cool Hang Alert

Buzz is intensifying — intensifying, I archer you — astir Skye Dee Miles’ “Bourbon and Blues” shows astatine The Shag Room astatine Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. Miles is hosting from 10 p.m.-1 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and springiness edifice reps for this fabulous find. Miles has been a file and adjacent household favourite for astir 15 years. I’ve brought immoderate friends from retired of municipality to spot her show, they emotion it, and that’s what buzz is each about. Oh, and nary cover, either.

John Katsilometes’ file runs regular successful the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast tin beryllium recovered astatine reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him astatine jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats connected Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 connected Instagram.