Kid Rock eyes role in Hard Rock Hotel club
Kid Rock has been working on a deal that would turn under-performing Body English nightclub at the Hard Rock Hotel into his Las Vegas “home” club, it was learned Tuesday.
The five-time Grammy Award nominee would be the face of the club, mostly hosting while occasionally performing.
It’s an attempt, I’m told, to revive the club at a time when the megaclubs and the DJ-driven electronic dance music rage is dominating the club scene.
The question, a source said, will be whether Kid Rock is relevant enough to the 20-somethings who are packing the megaclubs.
The cozy underground space was originally known as Baby’s when the Hard Rock opened in 1995. Owner Peter Morton changed the name to Body English in 2004, when cavernous clubs started taking over. Body English closed for a while when Vanity opened on Dec. 31, 2009, only to falter.
There also are rumblings that former Guns ‘N Roses guitarist Slash will take a high-visibility role in the Hard Rock casino.
In other local headliner news, TMZ.com reported the country husband-wife team of Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert turned down $1 million to perform for three weekend shows at Caesars Palace. Talks fell apart in February when the couple countered with $1.25 million, which was rejected by venue operator AEG Live.
With Celine Dion recently putting her music career on hold, until at least March, Caesars Palace and AEG Live are scrambling to book the 4,300-seat Colosseum. She made the announcement in late July, amid her own health issues and concerns about her husband’s battle with throat cancer.
TMZ recently reported that comedian Robin Williams was offered $600,000 to do two shows at the Colosseum two years ago, but turned it down.
REID RECRUITS HEAVY HITTERS
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., went to bat for the Mountain Ridge All-Stars after their tough loss in the U.S. finals of the Little League World Series.
Reid, who says he’s “a huge baseball fan,” said he “just wanted these boys to know how much they were appreciated.”
So he leaned on some baseball heavy hitters with Nevada ties.
He arranged that every member of the Mountain Ridge club received a signed baseball and autographed photo from Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux and a ball signed by Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper and manager Matt Williams and their autographed photos.
Williams, who attended UNLV after growing up in Carson City, hit more than 30 homers six times during his 17-year major league career.
Henderson’s Harper was the National League’s rookie of the year in 2012.
In the U.S. title game, Mountain Ridge lost to a Chicago team they had beaten earlier.
“I’m sorry that left-hander (Austin Kryszczuk) got hurt,” Reid said by telephone on Tuesday, “but they made Nevada proud.”
HOLMES PULLING FOR RIVERS
Entertainer Clint Holmes got to know Joan Rivers well while touring with her and being at her side while she hosted her late-night show on Fox.
“She’s tough,” Holmes said Tuesday. “If anyone can come through this, it’s her.”
Rivers, 81, has been on life support in New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital since suffering respiratory and cardiac arrest last week at a medical clinic.
“She was so great to me. She’s an amazingly funny woman,” a saddened Holmes said. What people don’t know is that while Rivers is “so acerbic and does all that put-down stuff,” she never forgot her fans.
“We would come off a long flight, and she would stop and sign autographs,” he said. “She would have the limo driver stop so she could sign something for a fan who recognized her.”
Rivers gave Holmes one of his biggest breaks when she hired him to be her announcer when Fox gave her “The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers” in 1986.
“I was her Ed McMahon, but she let me sing, too,” said Holmes, who is back on the Strip starting Sept. 18 at The Venetian to star in a Ray Charles tribute.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
XS nightclub at Wynn Las Vegas announced on Tuesday that a record crowd of 11,500 attended the club’s Night Swim party Sunday featuring DJ Zedd. Avicii set the previous record of 11,000 during Memorial Day weekend.
SIGHTINGS
Britney Spears, playfully whipping celebrity blogger Perez Hilton during her Sunday show at Planet Hollywood. Hilton was pulled on stage and strapped into leather and chains. She made mention of her breakup from David Lucado. “Well, by now everyone knows my boyfriend cheated on me. But the best part of breaking up is going on first dates.” She told the crowd, “I need a hot man. Where are the hot guys here tonight?”
THE PUNCH LINE
“I’m telling you, Hollywood hasn’t been rocked like this since the great kale shortage.” — Craig Ferguson, on the leak of hundreds of nude celebrity photographs
Norm Clarke’s column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He can be reached at 702-383-0244 or email him at norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke. “Norm Clarke’s Vegas,” airs Thursdays on the “Morning Blend” on KTNV-TV, Channel 13.
