It Wasn't Unusual

Vegas Recap #1: The Shows

The daily recaps kinda ran out of steam there towards the end of the trip, as there was uh... less and less free time for blogging.  So now I will take a look back on the week that was.  First up, let's revisit the shows.

Monday: The Beatles' Love - I've already gone on record as saying this is the greatest thing I've ever seen or heard on a stage.  My opinion has not changed.  My opinion probably will not change either.  I'm listening to the soundtrack again as I type this, and the next time I go to Vegas I'll definitely see this again.

Tuesday: Zumanity - This is the other Cirque du Soleil show we saw.  Now don't get me wrong when I say it was the least of the five shows we saw that week.  I liked it.  It was, well... interesting.  And topless.  But it wasn't "sexy" topless.  It was "arty, fruity circus" topless.  It wasn't like a strip club where you go to admire the boobies.  In this case it was just merely a coincidence that the dancers had boobies that you could see.  I found myself mostly watching this half-man/half-goat dude who seemed detached from just about everything else that was going on.  Bonus points for all the music in the show being performed live.

Wednesday: Blue Man Group - This was a last minute ticket purchase, as we changed our entire plans for the day that morning.  We managed to score better seats than had I purchased them months earlier, as we ended up sitting just about dead center in the fourth row.  I knew of Blue Man Group but hadn't seen anything they'd done before.  My bride however was adamant that we go see these guys.  And it turned out to be a great show.  Clever and inventive, and again, I give them credit for performing all the music live.  Recommended.

Thursday: Penn and Teller - I love these guys and have been a fan since their mid-80s days on Saturday Night Live and Late Night with David Letterman.  And while I'd seen a couple of their tricks before (and had one figured out instantly before the big reveal), it was great to finally see them live.  They seem like an odd fit at the Rio though.

Their stage show was appropriately low key.  There was no bombastic band or explosions going off... just two guys on stage doing magic and talking to the audience.  Worked for me.  The show ends with them running out into the lobby, where they remain to take pictures with the audience.  Class acts, these two.

Friday: Tom Jones - I wanted an old school Vegas show experience, and Tom Jones delivered.  For a dude pushing 70 years old, he's still got it.  His voice sounds great.  You worry that shows like this might feel sad if it's just some old guy up there desperately clinging to his former fame, but Tom Jones isn't that guy.  He's awesome.

There was a gaggle of drunken British twats next to us though who would not shut up.  They were just there for the 2 or 3 songs they recognized and then the rest of the time they were just shouting to each other about drunken nonsense.  I hate them.

All in all though, it was a great week of shows.  There wasn't a single dud in the bunch.