Ricky Martin gave Las Vegas guitarist lesson in real rock stardom

Jerry Lopez well remembers taking the stage in front of 17,000 Ricky Martin devotees at Miami Arena on Oct. 20, 1999.

Lopez was ready for that night. He spent eight days learning the set list for the show he was about to perform on lead guitar. He was equipped with his trusty Fender Stratocaster and a pair of “in-ear” sound monitors so he would not miss a beat.

But as soon as the crowd heard the first notes of “Livin’ La Vida Loca” as Martin raced to the stage, Lopez’s preparation was obsolete.

The audience’s deafening screams made it impossible to hear, forcing him to play the famous hit by memory.

“This roar happened that drowned out everything,” said Lopez, the front man and founder of Palms headliners Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns, during a recent interview on my KUNV 91.5-FM radio show. “I heard nothing. It was so loud that I was playing by braille. It was a very scary moment in an exposed moment of the show. It was the weirdest, weirdest thing ever.”

Having said that, Lopez added, “Every musician should have a taste of that, a moment like that, when you’re a real rock star.”

Martin and Lopez’s lives will cross again next April when Martin begins an extended engagement at Park Theater at Monte Carlo. The 44-year-old international singing sensation will perform April 5, 7, 8, 11, 14 and 15. He’s back for two more stretches in June and September (tickets range from $59.50-$175, absent fees, and are on sale beginning at 10 a.m. Monday at ticketmaster.com/rickymartin).

Lopez spent a year on tour with Martin, playing for sold-out crowds at every stop. More than 54,000 filled Foro Sol stadium in Mexico City; 46,000 filed into the Sun Bowl in Tempe, Arizona. The traveling crew exceeded 100 members, with 13 buses and 17 semis descending on each venue.

In 2001 Lopez became the music director for “Storm” at Mandalay Bay, a theatrical show conceived by members of Martin’s creative team.

Today, Lopez just drives himself to his gigs at the Lounge at the Palms, where Santa Fe returned to a packed house of more than 240 last Monday night.

“But you know what? The crowd at the Palms is actually more intimidating than playing for 50,000 people,” Lopez said. “At the Palms, you can see the whites of the eyes of the people sitting right in front of me. I can gauge every reaction.” In that environment, Lopez can see — and more important, hear — everything.

‘BAND’ BREAKS

“Band of Magicians” is going dark after next Monday’s show at Tropicana Theater, less than four weeks after it opened. James Galea, Joel Ward, Brett Loudermilk and Stuart MacLeod were told last Monday that the production will be on “hiatus” through the rest of this year (the term “hiatus” has also been used by “53X,” about to close this weekend at Chateau at Paris Las Vegas).

Production officials explained that this break was planned because of seasonally low show attendance caused by the arrival of the National Finals Rodeo, set for Dec. 1-10. The magicians, a magnanimous lot, and executive producer Steve Sterling are reportedly planning some upgrades to the show for a January relaunch. Hey, if that happens, we’ll be back that night.

A PLAN FOR THE PLOT

Rock in Rio USA is not happening in Las Vegas in May of 2017, but that doesn’t mean the festival is finished forever. Chris Baldizan, MGM Resorts’ senior vice president of entertainment booking and development, said Wednesday that he still hopes the event will return in 2019. “The original schedule was for Rock in Rio to be held here 2015, 2017 and 2019,” he said. “It’s not working out next year, but we plan on keeping communication open for its return. We consider (Rock in Rio officials) our friends, and we want them to come back.”

KEEP (FRANK’S) MEMORY ALIVE

“Divas Las Vegas” frontman/woman Frank Marino never forgets a face – as long as Larry Edwards is at his side. Marino has been depending on Edwards to help identify fans and acquaintances during Marino’s post-show meet-and-greet events after his drag show at Linq Showroom.

It seems Marino, who turns 53 on Sunday, has detected he has increasing difficulty remembering names, dates and events. Edwards, who portrays Tina Turner and Beyonce in “Divas,” has been a friend of Marino’s throughout Marino’s 32-year career on the Strip (first in “Evening at La Cage” and for the past five years in “Divas” at the Linq). So when Marino draws a blank, Edwards is there to fill it.

“I whisper to him, ‘Now, who is this person? How do we know him?’ ” Marino said Tuesday during a visit to the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. “I feel that my short-term memory, things that happened over the past 6-to-18 months, is suffering. That’s why I am here.” Marino has volunteered to serve as a case study in the Cleveland Clinic’s Professional Fighters Brain Health Study as part of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month.

Though not a professional (or even amateur) fighter, Marino has been taking part in the study to test his cognitive mental and physical health, using the Cleveland Clinic’s C3 iPad test to monitor his movements and responses. The device is hooked to a harness and the results recorded by Cleveland Clinic research specialist Pamela Dino.

“I am a big proponent of research, and raising awareness,” said Marino, who plans on continuing the study indefinitely. “If there is something wrong, I’d rather know now than later.”

John Katsilometes’ column runs Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday in the A section, and Fridays in Neon. He also hosts “Kats! On The Radio” Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on KUNV 91.5-FM and appears Wednesdays at 11 a.m. with Dayna Roselli on KTNV Channel 13. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.