The Weeknd’s sold-out Vegas show follows July 4 cancellation
The Weeknd’s booking back-to-back shows at Allegiant Stadium was impressive. That one of those dates was July 4 was surprising. Less so was the cancellation of that show.
Planning a concert production inside a stadium in Las Vegas on Independence Day is a risk. There is heavy competition among pyro-produced events in Vegas, for starters. There is also heavy competition along with the usual saturation of resident headliners, already performing on a given weekend. And, there is heavy competition from The Couch Theater, what we call the option of staying comfortably at home during the fireworks bonanza.
Reading the fireworks in the shape of tea leaves, I feel soft ticket demand took down The Weeknd’s July 4 show. I saw some conversation in the Social Media Saloon that operational issues led to the cancellation. Don’t believe it.
Saturday’s show went off as scheduled, and was reportedly close to a full sellout even before Friday’s show was spiked. Some numbers tossed around the marketplace were The Weeknd had sold less than half the stadium for July 4.
Tickets for all forms of live entertainment are uncommonly soft entering the summer. A Las Vegas producer told me this weekend sales for resident production shows are off 30 percent, outpacing even the declining year-over visitation numbers. That trend seems to be hitting the superstar headliners, too.
An example seems to be Kelly Clarkson’s late callout of the premiere of “Studio Sessions,” her first residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Clarkson’s announcement was made public at 6:30 p.m. Friday — about the time ticket-holders would grab dinner at Caesars Palace or the Forum Shops before a performance.
Clarkson reportedly informed the cast and crew, those who were, of course, prepping the show, at 5:30 p.m., also uncommonly late. The “Since U Been Gone” hitmaker had posted black-and-white shots on Instagram at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time Friday with the announcement ‘TONIGHT!!” A day earlier, she posted, “Tomorrow!!”
The self-propelled hype made the announcement all the more surprising. Clarkson cited an overworked voice — through her demanding rehearsals and vocal preparation — as the reason she dropped Friday and Saturday’s shows. But she is an experienced Strip residency headliner, having starred in “Chemistry” for 10 shows in July-August 2023. The climate is brutal for singers, and Clarkson is an all-time belter. It seems a call could have been made earlier than night-of to reset this residency.
I’m sure that fans were struck with cancellation PTSD from the Adele late postponement of her “Weekends With Adele” series at the Colosseum. That emotionally delivered announcement was a day before the residency was begin, with the superstar famously saying, “I’m gutted.” In her announcement, Clarkson said, “I am devastated.”
The “Studio Sessions” are now due to open Friday and Saturday. Hundreds of seats are available for both nights. It will take a late rush to sell out either show, as the headliner has generated suspense at Caesars Palace.
Gaz is on it
Less than an hour after Clarkson canceled, “Absinthe” took to social with an offer of a free drink for any “Absinthe” ticket-holder Friday night, and a $20 seat upgrade. Plot twist: You’re coming to see us instead …
Who is Where
Lady Gaga is rehearsing for her upcoming T-Mobile Arena shows at MGM Grand Garden. Find video on the @MayhemBallTour X account. The “Mayhem Ball” shows are July 16 and 18-19, Gaga’s first performances in Las Vegas since she closed “Jazz + Piano” at Dolby Live almost exactly a year to the date, July 6, 2024.
Karaoke over Raiders band
Ellis Island is undergoing major renovations, property-wide, including a Rooftop Bar at The Front yard with a 175-patio capacity. Great for buyouts, fireworks viewings and — yes — F1 viewing.
The casino’s famed karaoke lounge is being overhauled (with autotune, maybe?), as the amateur singing party moves into The Front Yard. Look for late-summer for the relaunch of the undeniably popular karaoke events.
This all means that David Perrico and the Raiders House Band is not coming back after its boffo first and only season at Ellis Island. The band has not been asked back for the 2025 Raiders season.
As Ellis family member and property GM Christina Ellis-Stalker says, “We loved the shows last year and it was great having Davis and his team on property weekly, but with the renovations in full swing, and moving karaoke into The Front Yard, it didn’t make sense for us this year.”
What does make sense, financially, for Perrico is to turn to corporate gigs for more than 90 percent of his business. That’s where the money is VegasVille’s entertainment culture these days. The Raiders House Band will be back at Allegiant Stadium this season, and at Reynolds Hall on Aug. 2. Catch us there.
Cool Hang Alert
Returning to the topic of Lady Gaga, or those peripherally related., Sunday marked the 250th performance of the Gemstones at The Pinky Ring. Bruno Mars has enlisted Gaga’s bandleader and trumpet great Brian Newman, and bass master Daniel Foose in filling that roster. And a word of advice to anyone who wants to practice karaoke in this club: Don’t.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.