Singular Sounds
Portland-based indie rock act Modest Mouse visits Las Vegas this week with a tour stop at Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq Promenade on Dec. 11. The group may still be most readily identified from its breakthrough 2004 album Good News For People Who Love Bad News and its quirky hit singles “Float On” and “Ocean Breathes Salty,” and although this unique band hasn’t released an album since 2015, a collection of new music is expected soon.
Mouse has dropped three singles this year already, including the most recent track “Ice Cream Party.” The somewhat spooky and dark new tune appears to be named after frontman Isaac Brock’s studio space, built into an old printing factory. That odd inspiration sounds about right for this uncompromising group.
Must-See: ‘The Beatles LOVE’
It doesn’t contain any direct references to Christmas or the holiday season, but there’s something about The Beatles LOVE at The Mirage that makes it ideal viewing during the most wonderful time of the year. Perhaps it’s the colorful, sometimes cartoonish cast of characters parading around the stage during the more rollicking songs from the Fab Four’s catalog. Or maybe it’s the profound and organic emotional connection formed by the combination of this legendary music and Cirque du Soleil’s breathtaking theatrical creation. LOVE is a roller coaster of feeling with moments that are melancholy, poignant and joyful. In that way, it’s similar to the holiday season … only the soundtrack is much better.
Around the Strip
The rooftop ice rink at The Cosmopolitan made its debut recently with a tree-lighting ceremony hosted by Vegas Golden Knights Marc-Andre Fleury and Max Pacioretty and the in-arena entertainers from Knights games at T-Mobile Arena, Mark Shunock and Big D. Before they flipped the switch on a stunning 36-foot tree, The Cosmopolitan’s chief people officer Daniel Espino presented the Folded Flag Foundation with a $15,000 donation. Attendees enjoyed s’mores, festive cocktails and snacks while strapping on skates and hitting the ice on the 4,200-square-foot rink built on top of the resort pool.
Mariah Carey also got the season started with the return of her All I Want For Christmas Is You residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Near the end of her second show, the superstar singer got a Christmas surprise of her own. Guinness Book of World Records adjudicator Michael Empric announced that “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has become the highest charting holiday song by a solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100, a new Guinness World Records title.
Comedian, juggler and all-around entertainer Jeff Civillico recently announced he’s stepping away from his decade-long headlining gig on the Las Vegas Strip to focus on the continued development of his nonprofit organization Win-Win Entertainment, which organizes entertainment performances for youth in need at children’s hospitals and foster homes across the country. His last performance at Paris Las Vegas is set for Dec. 18.
