By now, it’s common knowledge that four white boys from Australia can make it singing Motown on the Las Vegas Strip. Human Nature (“Sweet Harmony”) is an institution by Las Vegas standards, having reigned inside their Imperial Palace showroom for more than three years. But why exactly does their show work? Well, for starters, all four Nature boys are likable, and hard-working, too. It’s one thing to sing; it’s quite another to dance while doing it, and spend that breath-catching time making friends with the audience through feel-good banter. There’s also the matter of the music, which is as relevant today as it was 40 years ago. “ABC” will never win any awards for lyrical content, but it’s catchy, insistent and fun. On the other hand, “What’s Going On” is a musical-lyrical juggernaut, easily one of the greatest songs ever recorded, a testament to the ability of Motown to transcend race and nationality, time and space.
Ghostbar Dayclub (“The Return of Saturdays”) is more “ABC” than “What’s Going On,” but that’s exactly what a weekend morning calls for. Billed as the city’s first dayclub, GBDC bridges the gap between after-hours partying and another night out. Thanks to GBDC, you could, in theory, go from nightclub to after-hours to dayclub to happy hour to nightclub without stopping—although we certainly cannot in good faith recommend that. What we can recommend, however, is clubbing while the sun’s out, dressing up in your finest Day Glo and bathing in confetti. Then perhaps a disco nap before another round of partying. But, hey, to each his own.
If you’ve been watching TV lately, you’ll notice an influx of Las Vegas-related acts making their way to primetime. There was Stratosphere headliner Frankie Moreno’s appearance on Dancing With the Stars, and now Chippendales’ Jaymes Vaughan (Q&A) and James Davis’ run on The Amazing Race. We don’t know whether the boys will win it all, but either way, their participation is a big win for Vegas.
