Trent Carlini Beats Getting Stoned In Vegas

          Sometimes you get lucky in Las Vegas, sometimes you don’t. The key is always staying within your budget.  You gotta remember you can’t always get what you want but if you try sometimes you get what you need.

         I wanted to see the Rolling Stones in Las Vegas on May 11^th. I certainly did not want to pay the $150 face value of the cheapest ticket.  I’ve seen the band many times – twice at the MGM Grand Garden Arena – and the last time was at the L.A. Forum in 2006 for $65.  It was a terrific show with my good friends next to me and a fun tailgate party beforehand.  If that’s the last time I see the Stones I can live with it.

This poster was as close to seeing The Stones as I would get!

         Yet I came into some unexpected money and decided to make the drive to Vegas anyway.  After an afternoon at the pool I trudged over to the MGM in the 100 degree heat with $100 cash in my shirt pocket.  Usually I have no problem scoring a single ticket to a sold-out show, especially at the casinos who hold back seats for the big-spenders.  This was not your typical show.  Maybe because the Stones were celebrating their 50^th anniversary and those who’d never seen them figured it was their last chance.  I’d never seen so many single people trying to buy a ticket who were older than me (and with more cash to spend.)  When the show started I realized it was time to go back to the hotel empty handed.

The "special guest" at the MGM Grand was Katy Perry, not one of my favorites!

         I chatted a bit with some guys who came out to have a smoke and they said the band sounded “good but not great.”  Then one of them offered me a ticket for $100.  Seemed like a lot of money since the Stones had already reeled off 4 to 5 songs.  Someone else said they’d buy it and I surprised myself by letting it go.  Half an hour later I was back in the pool sipping a Corona and wondering if I’d made the right decision.

         The next day was supposed to be my last in Vegas and it was a scorcher.  My car was running great but the air conditioning was on the fritz.  I knew I’d have to leave the next day around 8am to make the drive back to L.A. tolerable.  Since I had that extra $100 I went to the front desk and arranged to stay an extra day.  That took up half of the cash.

         The other $50 I ended up spending on a ticket to see Trent Carlini perform as “The King” at the LV Hotel.  One of my biggest regrets was never seeing Elvis Presley in the 70s when I went to at least a couple hundred concerts.  I’d never even seen an impersonator!   I’d heard Carlini was the guy to see in Las Vegas and the way to get there was the Monorail.

         What a treat that turned out to be.  Not only did the clean and cool monorail drop me off at the concert doorstep but it also provided spectacular views of the city skyline and The Strip.  Then Carlini put on a great show that exceeded my expectations.  He does not pretend to be Elvis although he wears all the right outfits and sounds just like him.  What makes his act unique is the dancing of Ashley Belle, a gorgeous woman who takes the stage alone during Carlini’s costume changes and joins him for innocent cavorting.  On “GI Blues” she wore a skimpy Army outfit and a grass skirt for “Blue Hawaii.”

Ashley and Trent put on a helluva show!

         Its Carlini’s show however and his love for Elvis and his music comes through in a big way.  Although he does plenty of hits there’s also some surprises.  My favorite had to be “Viva Las Vegas.”  It may not have been the real Elvis singing it but when he was done I really felt like I’d hit the jackpot. 

Trent Carlini 

       

Getting Lucky With The Who and Rod Stewart in Vegas

          I made a road trip to Las Vegas hoping to see an old friend named Rod Stewart.  Of course I don’t know him personally but I’ve seen him many times in concert.  In fact, it was his show in Santa Barbara in 1973 that helped me decide to go to college there.  I’ve listened to his music for over four decades since his days with the Jeff Beck Group and the Faces.  He is the ultimate showman but to me he seems like an old buddy.

         Rod is doing one of those residency shows at the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace, the best concert hall in the USA.  I’ve seen Sting and Elton John perform there and I know there’s not a bad seat in the house.  So I paid $75 at the box office to sit in the upper balcony without complaint.  I knew it would be a great show because I’ve never seen Rod play a bad concert.

         This one became even better when an usher came up to me and asked if I wanted to sit downstairs near the stage.  Suddenly my $75 seat became a $200 one at no extra charge.  I ended up in the 20^th row.  I’d been in Vegas for five hours and I’d already hit the jackpot!

         That’s why I prefer going to concerts in Las Vegas.  Not only

are the venues top-notch but tickets are always floating around since the casinos hold back some for their guests.  There’s really no such thing as a sold-out show in Las Vegas.

         Rod sang so many great songs that night including the obvious hits like “Tonight’s The Night,””Maggie May” and “Young Turks.”

My favorites were “Rhythm Of My Heart” and the surprising “Reason To Believe.”  On the rowdy “Sweet Little Rock n’ Roller” Rod roamed through the crowd slapping hands and posing for pictures.  Talk about a gracious performer.  His band was top notch, including some of the prettiest female musicians (not just back-up singers) that I’d ever seen on one stage.

         To finish things off, Rod sang the encore “Hot Legs’ while booting autographed soccer balls into the crowd!  Sticking to the rules he never used his hands and showed remarkable agility for a 68 year-old, holding the mike while fielding balls rolled and tossed to him from backstage.  He even did a few headers and some of his kicks reached the upper balcony!  That’s what I call showmanship.

         Two days later I decided to press my luck and walked over to the Hard Rock Casino on a freezing Friday night.  The Who were performing Quadrophenia there and I knew it would be a tough ticket at such a small venue.  The Joint at the Hard Rock is another great place to see a show and I’ve seen a few there: Ringo Starr, Santana and the Scottish band Travis.  This one was a $125 minimum face value ticket and I set my limit by bringing $100 cash with me.

         Arriving early I resisted the temptation to buy the first ticket offered for $80.  I knew from experience sellers get nervous right before show time.  So I made a little money playing video poker while keeping an eye on those milling about the entrance.  When I was ready to buy I found no takers.  I was about to give up when a guy came out of nowhere and offered me a balcony seat for $50.  I was so excited I almost spilled my beer on him!

As usual The Who put on a terrific show and it was great to hear all of Quadrophenia performed live.  Even better was knowing that I’d made the gamble to show up without a ticket and ended up finding one for less than half-price.  Talk about getting lucky!

Save The Santa Monica Civic!

            Did you make your New Year’s resolution? I made mine: to save the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium!
            The Santa Monica City Council announced plans to close the Civic by July 2013.  One of the few buildings that’s lasted over 50 years around here has now become just another financial burden facing the city.  Even though it played host to many Academy Awards shows and other events.  Unfortunately not much happens there anymore.  I’ve heard its too expensive to rent for concerts.  I’ve heard its out dated.  Bruce Springsteen just played the Sports Arena.  Nothing is more out dated than the Sports Arena.
            I saw Springsteen at the Civic in September 1976, driving down from UCSB with my girlfriend Patty.  It was a drive I made 18 times in five years and I remember every one of them.  Back then the Civic was big enough to draw the big names, but small enough to provide the intimacy that’s been lost in barns like the Staples Center.   
             I hope you’ve seen the recent DVD release of the legendary “T.A.M.I. Show” concert video.  Filmed in 1964 it has the innocence of Leslie Gore and Jan & Dean clashing with the brash Rolling Stones, rocking Chuck Berry and burning hot James Brown. Though the lineup was racially diverse, the audience was white kids wearing nerdy glasses.  They go crazy for everyone on the stage of an auditorium with a unique design.  That’s the Santa Monica Civic, one of the greatest concert halls in pop music history.  Its featured in the “T.A.M.I. Show” video and now its in trouble.
             It shouldn’t be. The Civic must be preserved even if they never have another show there. When I went in the 70s the vibe was loose in a smoky haze of dubious legality with crowds that looked a lot different than those at the “T.A.M.I. Show."  The Civic was where I saw The Kinks and David Bowie for the first time. Along with The Eagles, Loggins & Messina and a very young Peter Frampton opening for E.L.O.
            Back then bands would often play 7:00pm and 11:30pm shows on the same night. Such was the case when my buddy Alan and I decided to go see Traffic and Steve Winwood, riding high on the success of their popular “Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys” album.
            We checked the ticket booth to see if there were any last minute sales.  No luck.  We asked every single person standing outside but no one had a ticket to spare. We decided to stick around for the 11:30 show.  We went to the coffee shop at the hotel across the street and bided our time.
            Once again we couldn't find a single ticket for sale.  It was almost midnight when we decided to give up and go home.  On our way to the car a solitary figure marched toward us, shoulders hunched and long hair in his face. He told us he'd just split up with his girlfriend and was going to the show alone.  We offered him a total of $15.00 for the two tickets and he finally relented.  We found our seats in time to catch opening act Free with Paul Rodgers belting out their biggest hit "All Right Now.”  When Traffic came on stage I realized it was worth the wait. They were simply terrific.
            We had another reason to celebrate on that cold January night in 1973.  An agreement had been signed that day in Paris to end the Vietnam War. I had grown up in the shadow of the conflict and was almost old enough to register for the dreaded draft.  It truly was a memorable evening.

Emerson, Lake and Palmer at The Civic

The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium

            The Civic must be saved. With the right management I know it can provide many more memorable nights.  I’m hoping the City Council makes the same resolution.