Bad Bunny taps into Las Vegas Strip headliners in Super Bowl performance

The Kats! Bureau at this writing is the Super Bowl of Super Bowl house parties, the annual shindig at the Henderson home of Jeff Molitz, who is Carrot Top’s longtime personal assistant.

There is a lot of emotion, and deep-fried food, on the scene.

More from here, there and everywhere:

Great play call

Bad Bunny produced a stunner with Lady Gaga’s unbilled appearance. Great way to throw a firewall up for those who were not familiar with his career, or even hostile about his participation. Ricky Martin, who, like Gaga, is a recurring Dolby Live at Park MGM headliner, also shook the scene.

The highly hyped halftime show was otherwise met with excitement for the kids in this party, and some mixed response from the grown-up pros. Other than Gaga, the biggest response was the artist’s collapse of the condo house, and his clamber atop the old Ford pickup.

Great to include strings, the international flags, multi-ethnic dance fest. Also appreciated: Bunny’s cradling of the football, like a halfback in the open field.

Not sure if the wedding ceremony depicted was legal. But this headliner broke a lot of tackles and rumbled to paydirt. Spike it.

Bruno takes seconds

The Pinky Ring was slammed at its two year anniversary party on Saturday night. The Hooligans were the booked and announced band. Bruno Mars was once more the unbilled headliner.

The “I Just Might” superstar took the stage at 1:30 a.m., wearing a red Raiders sweatshirt as the backing band wore mismatching NFL jerseys, among Raiders (Tim Brown and Ashton Jeanty), Falcons (two from Deion Sanders) and a Dolphin (Dan Marino).

Mars ran through a 20-minute rock set, tearing into Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” Much of the same blow-the-roof-of-the-club setlist from New Year’s Eve.

UFC President Dana White dropped into the club about two hours before Mars’ performance.

The anniversary reportedly did top-five business in the venue’s two-year run. The Pinky Ring and MGM Resorts International are the sponsors of all North American dates on Mars’ upcoming “Romantic Tour,” including the April 10-11 dates at Allegiant Stadium. He has no other Vegas shows booked, and the earliest he’d likely return is New Year’s Eve, back at Dolby Live. The Pinky Ring and Allegiant Stadium are it for him in Vegas this year.

Eagles in April

The “CBS Sunday Morning” segment on Don Henley and the Eagles might have teased to an extension of the band’s Sphere residency. Correspondent Tracy Smith said the band has extended “through April.” The run is currently scheduled to end March 27-28. But we’re not yet saying the show is over.

The Sunday segment was interesting, informative (Henley saying 2026 is probably it for the band) and a solid national media pop for Sphere, which (cough) can use the pub.

Wynn’s roster

Calvin Harris, The Chainsmokers, Diplo, Kaskade, Mau P, Hugel, Deadmau5, Odesza (DJ set), Loud Luxury, Sofi Tukker and Subtronics are among Wynn Nightlife’s incoming 2026 headliners. Those high-demand club headliners will alternate XS Nightclub, Encore Beach Club and Encore Beach Club at Night.

Solid headlining acts also include Acraze, Bob Moses (club set), Charly Jordan, Deux Twins, Dillon Francis, Dustin Lynch, Gryffin, Hugel, It’s Murph, Kim Lee, Marshmello, Odd Mob, Sullivan King, Two Friends and VAVO.

Newcomers include Alec Monopoly, Alex Wann, AYYBO, BUNT., Calvin Harris, HNTR, Loud Luxury and Valentino Khan.

“Each performer offers something unique to the Wynn Nightlife roster,” says Ryan Jones, vice president of Wynn Nightlife. “We’re excited for the diversity of talent this year and for guests to experience the incredible moments that these artists inside of our venues will bring.”

Righteous comment

Bill Medley says of his partnership with Bucky Heard, “It was the best decision I ever made.” That was a decade ago, and as a result, the Righteous Brothers live on. The guys are back at South Point Showroom from Tuesday through Thursday, and again March 24-26, and “until the wheels come off,” as the 85-year-old Medley says.

Around this scene …

At MolitzFest ‘26, we have a bonafide pop star from the late-’80s and early ’90s, Debbie Gibson; original influence Perez Hilton, former Strip hypnotist Anthony Cools, onetime Lucky the Leprechaun at O’Shea’s Brian Thomas, current drummer for Kiss, Eric Singer; “The Mentalist” Gerry McCambridge and his understudy, John Rotellini; “Fantasy” star Lorena Peril and her hug-worthy, singer-songwriting husband, Thiago Gusi; the popular singers Kelly Vohnn, Sujana Chand and Elisa Furr; blazing Soul Juice Band and Electric Church showman David Tatlock; rowdy hard-rock drummer Jeff Tortora of Blue Man Group and Tinnitus; and “Dino After Dark” tribute artist Tony Felicetta.

The beauty of this party, aside from the ribeye on the backyard grill, is there is always a headliner buried somewhere in the mix.

Cool Hang Alert

Talented stage pro Chadwick Johnson is back at Myron’s at The Smith Center at 7 p.m. Wednesday, celebrating his latest single, “No Stranger to Love.” Johnson is otherwise sampling Sam Cook, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers and other soulful superstars. He’s got that flawless voice. To thesmithcenter.com for intel.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.