No Swift, but Raiders’ entertainment closes on a high note
The Raiders ended the season with a big kick. So did its entertainment team.
This squad led by behind-the-scenes masterminds Justin Casserly and Brad Phinney crushed it, producing a landmark year at the stage in front of the Al Davis Memorial Torch. Third Eye Blind played Sunday’s tilt as the final halftime performers. The Power of 3, Earth, Wind & Fire; John Fogerty; George Thorogood; Aloe Blacc and The Family Stone were among the home-game headliners.
Many of those artists collaborated with David Perrico and the Raiders House Band. Perrico’s team will return in ’26, its sixth season. They took a bronze award in this year’s Clio Awards, honoring creative excellence in advertising and promotions worldwide. The award is best described as an international Emmy Award for creative integration of multiple mediums. In this instance, it is live music performance paired with the NFL.
Entering the finale, the Raiders installed a pair of big screens behind the bandstand and facing the torch to create a multimedia scene in the staging area. The Raiders’ strategy is long-term, a proven winner. A team that wins, generally, or is at least ahead at halftime, can only help.
No Swift scene
There was no Taylor Swift sighting at Allegiant Stadium, an indication of her fame that is newsworthy when she doesn’t show up somewhere.
There was a thought (through not from Swift) the superstar would be at the stadium she sold out in twice in March 2023. This would be just to see Travis Kelce play the final game of his career.
More will be revealed about the star tight end’s end game. And, on the topic, other Vegas venues Swift is not visiting include Sphere, or any other arena or theater in which she would certainly sell out a lengthy residency.
Tix 4 Cheap
I talked to two fans who snared a pair for Sunday’s game for $56 apiece. Upstairs, but a great deal. Cheap seats are an upshot to a bad season.
Lewis bows out
Leona Lewis finished off her first Vegas residency, “A Starry Night” at Voltaire at The Venetian, on Saturday night. This was more than just Lewis’ first series of live shows in the U.S. It was also the longest-running, Christmas-themed show I’ve ever seen, the preview opening Oct. 3.
But I’d love to see her back with a recurring residency at Voltaire. It was a beautiful production, ideally suited for the glamorous venue. Lewis treated her team, 17 members total, to a visit to John Wick Experience at Area15 Saturday afternoon, just prior to her finale.
He’s a rolling Stone
Vegas sax great Rob Stone puts on a whopper of a jam session in John Fogerty’s recent live shows, including Forgerty’s three-show swing through PH Live that closed Saturday night.
Stone took solo after solo, long stretches, including superlative playing on “Rock and Roll Girls” and on Fogerty’s cover of Rockin’ Sidney’s Grammy-winning zydeco hit “My Toot Toot.”
Fogerty, forever jovial and hard-rocking, continued to defy time at age 80. He’s returning in March, flanked as always by sons Shane and Tyler. See this one, for a musical and history lesson.
The biggest winner
Bigg Vinny of “The Biggest Loser” competition show is being stunt-cast in “Rouge” at The Strat Showroom. Vinny is hosting through Jan. 14. He steps in for show’s dedicated — and we mean dedicated — host Zion Martyn. The male half of the married comedy tandem Zion & Poppy Martyn had logged 1,788 straight shows without missing a single performance before being sidelined as the show renews the couple’s visas.
The show says the couple is taking a “rare and well-deserved vacation.” Yes. Forced by the visa thing.
In their absence, Big Vinny brings his resonant voice and compelling story to the Strip (or, almost Strip, depending on who is drawing the map). Big Vinny was a hit as a finalist on the NBC weight-loss show, and has since constructed a successful recording career. He now brings his national fame, and magnetic personality, to the madcap adult revue.
The man born Vencent Henderson specializes in country, rap and motivational speaking. His band, “Trailer Choir,” has issued the self-aware single, “Rockin’ The Beer Gut” and “off the Hillbilly Hook.”
“Rouge” creator Hanoch Rosénn says of Bigg Vinny, “He’s a gifted performer with incredible presence, a huge heart and undeniable charisma — and he’s the perfect talent to step in while honoring everything that makes this show so special.”
Cool Hang Alert
Sax master MoSax plays Foreign Exchange Lounge from 8 to 10 p.m. Saturdays. Jazz. Neo soul. No cover. A very cool scene, in a place billed as “The Chillest Lounge in the World.” Find this, and more chill entertainment, at 200 Hoover Ave., No. 150.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
