Tag: singer

Gordie Brown At Venetian

I’ve seen ads for Gordie Brown for a while here in Las Vegas. It wasn’t until I saw him on Letterman that I decided maybe he’d be fun to see. Tonight was our night.

We caught the monorail (after I spent ten minutes looking for our ten trip pass) and headed to the Harrah’s/Imperial Palace station. It’s still quite a walk to the Venetian.

Why wasn’t the monorail run right down the center of Las Vegas Boulevard, where it would be an instant hit and remove a great deal of the vehicular traffic and congestion? It was poorly placed.

The big act at the Venetian is Blue Man Group. Gordie Brown is almost an afterthought. It’s an excellent show, performed tonight in a room 2/3 empty! That’s embarrassing for a Friday night.

Gordie is a singer/impressionist. Here in Las Vegas, the obvious comparison is Danny Gans. Gordie Brown compares favorably.

It’s obvious this show isn’t getting the same kind of support bigger shows get. There were four piecees in the band, plus Gordie who plays guitar. The staging is stark and modern in a hotel that’s mainly Italian and somewhat over-the-top.

The theater itself is very nice. I would guess around 7-800 seats. We were front row center.

Considering the audience was anywhere from 21 years old to death, Gordie took a lot of chances. Did they know Alanis Morisette? How about Eminem?

When the impressions weren’t 100% on the mark, the material was funny enough to cover. Among his best, Kenny Rogers, Sammy Davis and Michael Jackson.

It was 90 minutes of fun. I’m glad we went.

You Wouldn’t Believe Where I’ve Been

Quick entry with more photos than text. Helaine and I had a fast dinner at the MGM’s coffee shop, then took the monorail to the Hilton to see Barry Manilow.

Yes, we were the youngest people there! Yes, the show was amazing.

I have seen Manilow many times before (a friend used to work for him) and though his voice wasn’t as young and sprightly, he hit all the notes. With a ten piece band and four singer/dancers, he and they were very tight. There was less schmoozing than I remember, which I missed.

He told a particularly poignant story about his grandfather… and I thought about my grandfather and how proud he’d have been had he the opportunity to see me on TV. That was a nice moment.

Manilow is one of Vegas’ more expensive tickets, but well worth it to us. We enjoyed every minute.

From las vegas 3-2007
From las vegas 3-2007
From las vegas 3-2007
From las vegas 3-2007
From las vegas 3-2007
From las vegas 3-2007
From las vegas 3-2007
From las vegas 3-2007

The Fox Family Enters Politics

Yesterday was a joyous day in the Fox family. Down in Florida, where the sun shines and the snow never falls, my mom was elected to the board of directors for her condo’s social club. This is her first try at elected office. There were three members chosen from a slate of six.

This is no small task. The social club is near the center of condo activities. The condo complex itself is some sort of ‘Club Med’ for seniors. The stop signs don’t say “STOP,” but instead say “NO EXIT.” It’s an ironic reminder of the social bargain residents make when they buy in.

I can’t tell you how many times my parents have told me about a “show in the clubhouse,” featuring a singer, dancer, comedian or multitasking entertainer who could do all three. My father would review the show and then explain it cost $3 (or $5 – whatever it was, it was small) and that “it included coffee&#185 and cake.”

Last night I asked my mom how they did it? How could they afford to run show-after-show-after-show and charge less than it obviously cost? She didn’t know. She will soon, I’m sure. I’m guessing a small portion of the common charges each of the 600+ condo owners pays goes to subsidize the entertainment.

In the meantime, can “Betty Fox for Senate” posters be far away?

&#185 – There is a clause in the Florida constitution which prohibits anything but decaf (aka – warm brown water) from being served to condo residents.

John Mayer

This is weird!

We bought 4 John Mayer tickets, but they were in a terrible location. So, since the show’s a sellout, we’re selling them on eBay and using the proceeds to buy 2 better tickets. So far, so good.

Except, tonight one of my co-workers bid on them!

If they weren’t already on eBay, they’d be hers… but I’m sort of locked into the auction.

Here’s an article from the Waterbury Republican American about John Mayer… and me (a little)

What does the singer John Mayer remember most about his childhood in Connecticut?

“Geoff Fox,” he says, referring to the longtime WTNH-TV weatherman.

“I remember waking up on winter mornings, looking out my window and seeing eight inches of snow. Then Geoff would instill hope that the next day of school would be canceled.”