Amid split, Heart’s Ann Wilson hits Vegas
ARock and Roll Hall of Famer will play a free show at 9 p.m. Monday night at Fremont Street Experience’s 1st Street Stage.
Should be a great scene, but it’s an unfortunate series of events that has resulted in that headliner, Ann Wilson of Heart, to perform without her sister and Heart co-founder Nancy Wilson.
The Wilson sisters split after a backstage incident at a show at the White River Amphitheatre in the Seattle suburb of Auburn, Washington, last August.
Published reports, including an especially detailed account in Rolling Stone, explained that Nancy’s teenage twin sons asked to check out Ann’s new tour bus as the concert was wrapping with the sisters’ cover of “Stairway to Heaven.”
Ann’s husband, Dean Wetter, asked that the doors remain closed to keep dogs traveling on the bus inside. One of the twins instead left the door open upon departing, which angered Wetter, who slapped one of the teens on the back of the head, instigating a three-way scuffle involving the other twin brother. In court documents cited by Rolling Stone, the father also grabbed both boys by the throat.
In April, Wetter pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay restitution, serve probation, undergo counseling and have no contact with the teenagers.
The sisters’ tour concluded in October — they performed 20 more shows — which they described alternately as “excruciating’ and “a complete hell.”
Nonetheless, both sisters say Heart has not broken up. As Ann Wilson told Rolling Stone, “Nancy and I didn’t do this thing. We are each other’s friends and have been and will after this. Right now, we’re supporting each of our families. Nobody in this situation is evil. We have to be like trees that grow around the little imperfections.”
Top of the prop
Carrot Top (real name Scott Thompson) unveiled his latest bit Friday night, and this might be the top of the props: The President Trump Phone Case. This is an iphone locked inside a plexiglass box stamped with the presidential seal. As Carrot Top said after Friday’s show, “It killed.”
No man is an island
I have been faaaaaar behind the curve in appreciating Ellis Island on Koval Lane, just east of the Strip facing MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood, Paris and Bally’s. The family-owned resort operated by Gary Ellis is developing the Front Yard entertainment venue, breaking ground on the indoor-outdoor annex on Wednesday. The two-story hang will offer a brewpub, bar games, live entertainment and a view of the Strip when it opens .
Following a visit to the hotel last week, Ellis Island Director of Marketing Christine Ellis (daughter of Gary) noted the following fun facts about the business:
■ Ellis Island opened in 1968, as Village Pub
■ The Village Pub and BBQ serve a combined 1,700 meals each day
■ The sign, which looks like a replica of a grain silo, is actually a grain silo
■ The hotel serves more than 1 million draft beers every year (hic!)
■ To date, Village Pub has served more than 40,000 sirloin steak specials. Very good numbers for an item not listed on the menu.
Who Was Where
The Backstreet Boys waded into a couple of Cirque shows on the Strip over the past several days. Kevin Richardson and his family hit “Michael Jackson One” at Mandalay Bay last Monday. On Tuesday, Brian Littrell visited the show, also with his family. Littrell and A.J. then attended Thursday’s performance of “Love” at The Mirage. at 20… On Saturday, comic Louie Anderson was at Rob Schneider’s show at Tropicana Theater … Saturday, Brody Jenner was at Topgolf at MGM Grand to watch Steve Aoki’s set at adjacent Wet Republic.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@ reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter@ Johnnykats1 on Instagram.