Chris Martin keeps promise to Las Vegas dive bar owner

Chris Martin is a generous tipper. Four tickets to Coldplay for one glass of milk.

Martin and his anthemic rock band are back in town Friday and Saturday at Allegiant Stadium. We well remember his most recent VegasVille appearance. So does Kristen Bartolo, owner of Dino’s Lounge in downtown Las Vegas. She’s heading to Coldplay’s show Saturday night, a direct result of Martin’s drop-in last fall.

To rewind, Martin rolled into the club the night of Sept. 21, after his appearance at the iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena. This was a classic, unbilled, pop-up performance. Martin showed up about 10:45 p.m., dressed for comic effect in a loose-fitting suit, oversized specs, carrying a balloon for no apparent reason.

The unexpected interloper entered his name on the karaoke sign-up board. The rock star sat alone, ordered a glass of milk and waited for karaoke captain K.J. Boston to call his name. When summoned, Martin sang “All My Love,” from Coldplay’s latest album, “Moon Music.”

He was widely recognized by the time he took the mic. The place went nuts. Afterward, a band rep told Bartolo to email when Coldplay’s Allegiant dates were close. She did, and the rep sent back four tickets to Saturday’s show.

“It was the coolest thing ever,” says Bartolo, who runs a pretty cool bar, a Vegas institution since 1962.

Martin has said “All My Love” carries the message of unconditional love. Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke co-stars in the song’s video. Coldplay has performed the song on its current tour, including Sunday’s stop at Stanford Stadium.

Bartolo can enjoy the full treatment, and a lot of love, on Saturday night.

Righteous stuff

When they were kids, New Kids on the Block viewed Las Vegas as a destination. The ultimate destination, to be specific.

But now that NKOTB have grown up, the Strip is not the LHOTB (last house on the block). The ’90s heartthrobs have 24 shows set at Dolby Live at Park MGM from June 20 through Feb. 18. Dubbed “The Right Stuff,” the show is New Kids’ first Las Vegas residency in their 40-year history.

“It’s something we talked about when we were kids, ‘One day when we’re old and retired, we’ll go there,’” founding member Donnie Wahlberg said when the residency was announced in September. “Well, we ain’t old, and we ain’t retiring, and we’re here.”

The New Kids’ residency taps into nostalgia for 1990s-era boy bands, a trend set in motion when the Backstreet Boys ran 80 shows at Planet Hollywood from 2017 to 2019. Defying skepticism about the thirst for middle-aged men singing and dancing, BSB is selling out its “Millennium 2.0” residency at the Sphere.

That series runs 21 dates, July 11 through Aug. 24.

The NKOTB residency is further testing the demand for nostalgia. Scores of fans who surely grew up with New Kids shrieked when the band showed up on a double-decker bus for the announcement at Toshiba Plaza.

This generational loyalty is the band’s life blood. If anything, this production seems overdue. I keep going back to something Mark Wahlberg, Donnie’s younger brother (by two years, 55 to 53) said to me a couple of months after the residency was announced.

“They have one of the most amazing fan bases. They have amazing loyalty, even now,” he said. “I thought it was very cool. I was surprised they hadn’t done it before.”

Coldplay’s play

Early in the Sphere’s development, the band was rumored to be among the venue’s early resident headliners. This was about the time U2’s plans to play the Bulbous Wonder were leaked. But the reasoning was Martin wanted to take on a stadium tour instead, and here we are.

Live from Caesars?

Adele said from the stage at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in March 2024, “So I am coming back for a few weeks in June, and I’m going to film it, and I’m going to release it to make sure anyone who wants to see this show can see it …”

The “Skyfall” superstar finished her “Weekends With Adele” run in November. Reps have not responded to requests for clarity on this project, or if there is one. But the idea of a concert movie emanating from the Colosseum could work for other acts. The Killers have also recorded their residency show, with no announced plans for the material.

Celebrating Marley

Stephen Marley, son of reggae legend Bob Marley, plays Brooklyn Bowl at the Linq Promenade on Sunday night. The show is part of the ongoing celebration of Bob Marley’s 80th birthday (Feb. 6, 1945). Bowling on house left, and free self-parking for local ticket holders.

The younger Marley has won eight Grammys: three with the Melody Makers, three as a soloist and two producing his younger brother Damian.

The show precedes the June 25 opening of Bob Marley Hope Road, the walk-around entertainment attraction at Mandalay Bay. A landmark moment in Hope Road’s development: On May 11, staffers pushed a custom Volkswagen bus through the casino to the new attraction.

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