‘We got a crowd!’ Blake Shelton calls his number at Vegas club
What’s cool about being a partner in a big country music club is you can pretty much take the stage whenever you want. Blake Shelton did so Saturday afternoon at Ole Red Las Vegas.
Shelton is the superstar partner in the Strip-facing honky-tonk at the Grand Bazaar Shops in front of the Horseshoe. He turned up unannounced about 1:30 p.m., toting his six-string for a 30-minute acoustic set.
A crowd amassed outside the club entrance, hearing Shelton’s music, and not from the house sound system. As he finished “God’s Country,” Shelton looked to his right at that organically assembled audience.
“We got a crowd out here! Look at this!” Shelton shouted. “Y’all should have been here in the first damn place!”
Shelton then said, “I gotta play this one.” And cracked open “Ol’ Red,” of course inspiration for the club’s name. Ol’ Red’s itchin’ to have a little fun, as the song says. So is his owner.
From earlier, @blakeshelton kicks it up @OleRed, pre-@AmericanMusicAw show
Monday @fblasvegas @neonlasvegas pic.twitter.com/R8td5gBnUZ— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) May 24, 2025
Away to AMA
Shelton was soon swept away to American Music Awards rehearsals at BleauLive Theater. He joins his superstar wife, Gwen Stefani; host Jennifer Lopez; Gloria Estefan; Benson Boone, Lainey Wilson and Reneé Rapp as performers in Monday’s show. Our best intel is Shelton and Stefani are not planning a duet. They haven’t rehearsed one at least.
Colosseum at Caesars Palace headliner Rod Stewart is being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Janet Jackson, who has extended her series at the Resorts World Theatre into September, is to receive the Icon Award.
The AMA telecast/stream on CBS and Paramount+ is scheduled for 5 p.m. Pacific time Monday. Look for cutaways to the veterans support organization Easy Day Foundation, founded by Frank Fertitta IV of the Station Casinos family and his friend Landon Gyulay. And check the set, which is the handiwork of Las Vegan and Emmy Award-winning designer Andy Walmsley.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
