LV’S own Gibson joins 1980s nostalgia tour
IT’S time to wax nostalgic with Debbie Gibson about ’80s pop and the art of filling Maxell tape. “The meaning of making a mixtape was profound,” says Gibson, referring to the long-lost practice of recording a customized cassette for a friend or loved one. “It took time to pick the right songs and sequence the songs in the right order for the girl or guy you liked. The nostalgia factor is great when you think about what that meant.”
Gibson’s music featured prominently in the mixtape era, celebrated with “The Mixtape Tour,” starring the full lineup of New Kids on the Block along with Gibson, Salt-n-pepa, Tiffany and Naughty by Nature. The 53city tour stops at Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 25. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. Salt-n-pepa is also opening “I Love the 90s —
The Vegas Show” on Friday at Paris Las Vegas.
The tour was announced Monday on the “Today” show. A new single, “80s Baby,” featuring all the touring performers, was also released.
Gibson, a Las Vegas resident, says that at age 48 she is eager to reminisce with her touring contemporaries.
“The nostalgia factor is great,” she says. “As a teenager, I was in a unique position as a music fan and also a teen star, so now I’m on the same tour with New Kids and I’m going, ‘Oh, my God! I get to meet them!’ I have total fan-girl energy for all these artists.”
Far removed from her highhair-and-shredded-jeans heyday, Gibson is especially close to Tiffany. The two broke big at about the same moment, in 1987, Gibson with “Only in My Dreams” and Tiffany with her cover of Tommy James and the Shondells’ “I Think We’re Alone Now.”
They have since become friends, especially after co-starring in the campy
2011 sci-fi horror film “Mega Python vs. Gatoroid.”
The two toured together that summer and have occasionally co-headlined music festivals, most recently Sept. 8 in Singapore.
“I loved ‘I Think We’re
Alone Now,’ and I always listened to it when I was flying. It was the perfect song to play when you were taxiing on down the runway on takeoff,” Gibson says, laughing. “My younger sister and I listened to it on my Walkman, with the split headphones. We were reading the teen magazines like everyone else, and Tiffany was in them, too. She was my peer.”
Today, Gibson says, “we’re super-close and there’s a lot of love and respect. We’re totally different ; I’m the girly girl and she’s a rocker chick. But we’re very supportive of each other, and we’re showing young girls there is a power in sisterhood. … It’s a great lineup, and I’m super-excited to be part of it.”
Cher dances on
The “Dancing Queen” is ready to groove anew at the Park Theater in 2019.
Cher has tacked on nine shows from March 13 to March 30 to her residency at Park MGM. Tickets for the new dates go on sale at noon Friday.
The announcement Monday from concert promoter AEG Live follows the release of Cher’s new album, “Dancing Queen,” which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
The title borrows from Cher’s role in the Abba-inspired musical sequel “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.”
“Dancing Queen” is already a landmark release for the 72-year-old entertainment legend: Cher’s highest-debuting solo album. Expect her to perform several songs from that release during her new dates at the Park Theater.
Perrico pops for two
The Lord of the Barge, David Perrico, marks his second anniversary with Pop Strings at Caesars Palace on Saturday. The formal anniversary performance runs from 10 p.m. to midnight.
The no-cover performances have proved a healthy draw for locals as well as celebrities. Martin Short, Jim Gaffigan, Paul Shaffer (who returns Thursday with the Shaf-shifters), Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Hugh Mcdonald of Bon Jovi and “Raiding the Rock Vault,” Danny Seraphine of Chicago and Robbie Steinhardt of Kansas have all either appeared onstage or taken in the show.
With the ongoing support of the Caesars Entertainment crew, Perrico has succeeded in re-creating the vintage Vegas lounge scene.
“It’s evolved into a high-energy, nonstop show in the tradition of Louis Prima,” Perrico says, describing the act’s appeal. “We’re playing what people want to hear, in different arrangements, unique instrumentation with the strings. Everyone is highlighted throughout the show.”
Cool Hang Alert
The New Waves are back at the Golden Tiki at 8 p.m. Friday. The L.A. surf band covers myriad ’80s faves, including Devo, A Flock of Seagulls and The Cure. Golden Tiki lights up the live music every night. I caught The Hypnotiques’ stylish presentation for about 18 minutes Sunday night and recommend Shanda and the Howlers (9 p.m. Tuesday) and Dino and the Sharps (every Thursday). There is never a cover; spend your ducats on fizzy water or find the tip jar.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@ reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @ Johnnykats1 on Instagram. As of 9 p.m. Monday:
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