Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Las Vegas Turnaround 2013 - Part 2!

OK...where'd we leave off??  Oh that's right...our lousy 80's party!  HA!  Fear not!  Our next day was truly one for the record books!  We started off with a delicious breakfast at Mr. Lucky's 24/7.  For what they are (a Rock n' Roll Denny's according to one waiter), the food was quite good!  Jimmy opted for a Bacon Waffle...wish I had thought to take a snap of it....the thing actually had chips of crunchy bacon IN IT!  IMO, you can't go wrong with bacon....EVER!  


Jim and Phil at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop.

Off we went to our bus!  This lovely bus would be taking us on our History Channel Tour of Gold & Silver Pawn Shop (Pawn Stars), Toy Shack (Pawn Stars), Ultimate Sports Cards & Memorabilia (Pawn Stars), Rick's Restorations (American Restoration), and Count's Kustoms (Counting Cars).  


We had an incredible day meeting all of these History Channel stars and getting to see where all the action takes place.  It was really a once-in-a-lifetime experience!  Special thanks to Phil Nichols and Susan Perrin of Right Track Booking Agency for organizing the event.



The D-Man.  Courtesy Vicky Sullivan.
And now...on to the show!  I always get this nervous butterflies-in-my-tummy feeling before every single Daryl & John concert.  I don't know if it's the excitement of being with all my friends or knowing that my idol is going to be singing my favorite songs only feet from me...after all the gigs I've seen, I still can't explain it.  It's an experience that just takes over every cell and seeps through every pore.  True elation!  


The set list was standard and to be expected for a casino show.  Daryl was dashing in his black western style shirt with white trim.  John looked fab in his button down shirt and jeans.  The band was at top form!  They sailed through hit after hit with ease!  This Las Vegas crowd ate it up!  They loved it, and the more love the crowd showed the more the band threw that love right back out there!  Amazing!  


As always, we were treated to two encores and then the party was over...but, was it?!?!  Oh no, the night was young.  We still had to DASH over to Vinyl Las Vegas (also in the Hard Rock Hotel) to see the one and only Eliot Lewis perform at 11:30 PM.  Seats secured, Jimmy ran up to our room to get our cameras which were not allowed into the Hall & Oates show.  

Eliot Lewis and John Oates performing "Save Me".
The place was packed at showtime!  Eliot took the stage and treated the crowd to his own tunes as well as covers of songs from some of the greatest musicians that have influenced his musical journey throughout the years.  Special guest appearances were made by John Oates, Klyde Jones and Porter Carroll Jr.  

Eliot Lewis performing at Vinyl - Las Vegas.

Lewis and Oates treated us to a new track,from John's latest solo venture (Good Road To Follow), called Save Me.  This was truly one of the best songs John has ever written!  Klyde Jones joined Eliot and they shared with us a song that both artists have sung lead vocals on in past incarnations of the Average White Band...Walk on By.  And later in the show Porter Carroll Jr. took us all to church with a super-soulful rendition of Sara Smile.  Dare I say I may have enjoyed this experience more than the Hall & Oates concert?!?!  Hmmm....almost!

Next up!  Night 2!!!