Green Day gives us Las Vegas surprise
THE band whose singer, Billie Joe Armstrong, once cried out, “Warning, live without warning” has provided just that.
Green Day’s fast-approaching warm-up show for When We Were Young is happening at 8 p.m. Thursday at Backstage Bar & Billiards and Fremont Country Club on Fremont East.
The iconic punk band from Berkeley, California, made it official Wednesday morning, posting on social media a surprise show at the 1,000-capacity club at 601 Fremont
St. Tickets are on sale 10 a.m. Thursday at seeticketsus. queue-it.net. The show is 21over. No prices were listed at this writing.
The emerging rock band Ultra Q, led by Armstrong’s youngest son, Jakob Armstrong, is the support act. Green Day is among the headliners Friday and Saturday at When We Were Young at Las Vegas Festival Grounds.
Grizzled punk bands Blink-182, The Offspring, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Good Charlotte, 5 Seconds of Summer, All Time Low and Rise Against are also on the festival roster. It’s the same lineup, both nights.
Green Day’s post on Wednesday morning confirmed they would beat the masses to Vegas: “SURPRISE VEGAS … warming up for When We Were Young with a not-so-top-secret show tomorrow night with @Ultramusic at Fremont Country Club.”
The band’s appearance is the biggest event downtown in about a month.
On Sept. 17, U2 played its own pop-up show. The band performed the video for “Atomic City” around Fremont Street Experience and landing at the Plaza’s Carousel Bar, and facing Circa and Golden Gate. The takeaway, especially from those who frequent that region, is downtown rocks.
Fright-eous
We now know what to call
KATS!
Universal’s horror fortress being developed next to Area15.
Universal Horror Unleashed is the name of the immersive experience, announced this week by Universal Destinations & Experiences. The company is a division of Comcast Nbcuniversal, and the creator of Halloween Horror Nights.
A variety of horror-centric experiences will surround eateries and bars. Unleashed is the company’s first permanent horror experience outside its theme parks. It will host Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights each fall.
The year-round concept is to be the anchor attraction in Area15’s ongoing 20-acre expansion. The opening date is still to be announced. The expansion was announced in January. Pop-up and outdoor experience are also in the plan, over 85,000 square feet of space. A decommissioned Boeing 747 aircraft will be repurposed for events.
Angelo to the House!
Italian American Social Club
President Angelo Cassaro was an guest (invited, even) at the White House Oct 12. Cassaro and his wife, Nancy, were invited by first lady Jill Biden to represent the Italian American Club of Southern Nevada. The event was to celebrate the first National Italian American Heritage Month.
Cassaro attended as a member of Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO), representing nearly 60 Italian-american organizations across the country. Jill Biden is of Sicilian descent, and the country’s first Italian American first lady.
Cassaro kept with the IAC’S nonpartisan position, as an organization, but he did say the Bidens were gracious hosts. He said, “I went representing Italian American Club of Southern Nevada and the 18 million Italian Americans in the country. This was not about politics.” And, the food was great.
NF time for us
We recall the first NF Hope Concert, hosted by then “Jersey Boys” cast member Jeff Leibow, at the Las Vegas Hilton in 2011. Over the years the venues have changed, but the need has not. The event is to combat neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder of the nervous system characterized by tumors that can grow on any nerve in the body without warning.
Jeff and Melody Leibows’ daughter, Emma, was diagnosed with NF in 2010 when she was just 9 months old. She’s 14 today, and a quite the dancer who attends Las Vegas Academy.
The next NF Hope Concert is 11:30 a.m. (lobby opening) and 1 p.m. (entertainment program) Sunday at Myron’s at The Smith Center. The show features such Vegas favorites as Skye Dee Miles, Jasmine Trias, Ben Stone, Gabie Lopez and the Las Vegas Academy Choir. The Leibows — all of the Leibows, including Emma — are also on the bill.
Jeff Leibow has fought tirelessly on behalf of this effort since launching the campaign in 2011. The founding member of the new vocal group The Fourmers has lobbied annually in Washington, D.C., to secure funding to battle NF.
But he says, “The real heroes in this fight are the NF families. They are the reason we have worked so hard for the last 13 years, and they are the reason why we will do everything we possibly can to make a difference.”
Tickets start at $49 and can be purchased at 702-749-2000 or at thesmithcenter.com/nfhope. As we say, get there.
Cool Hang Alert
Aaron Benward’s Nashville Unplugged live-music series returns at 8 p.m. Friday at Mandalay Bay’s Rhythm & Riffs. Benward is a seasoned pro, great artist and songwriter, and funny, too. A model for no-cover entertainment on the Strip. Ages 21-over. Support the bar and the tip jar.