Music
Concerts
Pentatonix
The Hard Rock Café on the Strip, Dec. 15
December 20th, 2012
The self-proclaimed “choir nerds” and Season 3 winners of NBC’s The Sing-Off are an a cappella group of five vocalists who create their own beats, sounds and harmonies. Using nothing more than their voices, Pentatonix remix and re-create current hits and old favorites. Read more »
Concerts
Lamb of God
House of Blues, Dec. 12
December 20th, 2012
The hard-driving metal music steam-rolled the audience, proving why the band is a leader of the genre. From the first downbeat of the drum intro for the opening song, “Desolation,” the band cranked out their blend of high-energy blast beats and groove that had every kid in the mosh pits practically killing each other. Read more »
Concerts
Deana Martin’s Christmas Show
Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center, Dec. 14
December 20th, 2012
The audience was primarily septuagenarians with nostalgia on the brain. Introduced by a video of “Father Dean,” Deana Martin took the stage with a spirited version of “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” Supported by a quintet—including original Rat Pack musicians Vincent Falcone on piano and Joe Lano on guitar—Martin presented a jolly bag of holiday cheer mixed with plenty of yesteryear. Read more »
Music
CD Reviews
The Right Way EP, Warung Brazil 2012, Holidays
December 20th, 2012
Trent Cantrelle, The Right Way EP (Work Records/Spinnin); 16 Bit Lolitas, Warung Brazil 2012 (Bits & Pieces/Armada); William Close, Holidays (self-released) Read more »
Music
Heat and Serve
Spoon’s Britt Daniel hopes listeners will gorge on his hot new band, Divine Fits
December 20th, 2012
The genres of indie-rock and synth-pop often converge. But rarely do they meld as seamlessly as they do in Divine Fits. Spoon front man Britt Daniel, Wolf Parade/Handsome Furs front man Dan Boeckner and New Bomb Turks drummer Sam Brown comprise this band, which formed earlier this year. The group released a debut, the moody and melodic A Thing Called Divine Fits, on Merge Records in August to much acclaim. Read more »
Music
Drop the ‘Jingle Bells’ and Back Away Slowly
Vegas Seven’s resident Christmas fanatic offers this guide to the non-obnoxious sounds of the holiday
December 20th, 2012
“I hate Christmas music,” you say. “It’s all the same, it comes on before Thanksgiving and I’m tired of hearing Andy Williams 40 times a week,” you say. Read more »
Music
Mining Her Christmas Legacy
Deana Martin brings her holiday show, and memories of her Rat Pack dad, to The Smith Center
December 13th, 2012
For Deana Martin, Christmas hasn’t arrived until she hears her father, Dean, singing, “It’s a Marshmallow World.” “You can just hear him smiling while he sings it,” she says. Read more »
Soundscraper
Horror punks, blues cheats, lounge leaders
December 13th, 2012
Cool Vegas bands I rarely get to see live are emerging from their practice spaces this week. I look forward to having them rip my ears clean off. Read more »
Music
Tour Buzz
December 13th, 2012
I’m generally not a fan of any country music artist that Us Weekly has heard of. But even I have to cop to my appreciation of LeAnn Rimes, who plays the LVH Dec. 13-15 ($54-$77). Read more »
Concerts
Megadeth
House of Blues, Dec. 6
December 13th, 2012
Megadeth rocked. Period. They commemorated the release of their 1992 best-selling album, Countdown to Extinction, with a 20th anniversary tour bearing the same name. Megadeth performed Countdown in the exact track order sprinkled with a few of their classic hits such as “Hangar 18” and “Holy Wars … The Punishment Due.” Read more »
