Justin M. Bowen

A display inside the Thomas & Mack Center shows off memorabilia from Garth Brooks, including a signed cowboy hat from his record-setting, four night concert series in 1998.

By John Katsilometes

Published Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 | 5:21 p.m.

Updated Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009 | 5:59 p.m.

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Garth Brooks, left, presents George Strait with the Artist of the Decade Award at the ACM Artist of the Decade All-Star Concert on April 6, 2009, in Las Vegas.

We are going to jump on the Garth-Brooks-to-Encore stagecoach, expecting via educated analysis and at least three phone calls that Brooks will be headlining at Encore Theater. This is to be announced tomorrow during a 1 p.m. news conference at the Encore Theater, which since opening in 2005 has served as the site for “Avenue Q,” “Monty Python’s Spamalot” and Danny Gans.

Brooks and Encore might seem an odd pairing, like dumping a shot of Wild Turkey into a glass of Dom Perignon, but it will be a happy partnership Brooks can tap into the nostalgia of his 1990s heyday. You might recall, or not, that Brooks was one of the fastest-selling tickets ever in Vegas, for his 1998 shows at the Thomas & Mack Center. Four shows, 72,076 tickets, sold out in less than an hour. Yes, that was more than a decade ago, when Trisha Yearwood was merely Brooks’ opening act, but at least one country music expert in Las Vegas says Brooks will have no problem regularly filling the 2,000 seats at Encore.

“He is probably going to sell out every show. I can’t believe he’s coming out of retirement for this -- it’s going to be like when Elvis returned, honestly,” said Tom “Cadillac Jack” Kapsalis, afternoon DJ, assistant program director and music director of “The Coyote” 102.7-FM. “It’ll be great for the economy. I’m wondering what ticket prices will be -- I think that’s the last thing they were haggling about. But I see him buying a house here, bringing (Yearwood) out here and becoming a real Las Vegas resident.”

Low ticket prices for those shows in ’98 were inexpensive -- just $18 apiece, which was a significant reason for the fast sellouts. If tickets are affordable, and Brooks still has friends in low price ranges, look out.

Message from Miss America

Just because Rush Limbaugh is a judge for next year’s Miss America Pageant doesn’t necessarily mean he supports the organization’s programs or initiatives. Nor does it mean that the organization buys into Limbaugh’s hotly expressed opinions. This is the message from a Miss America Organization spokeswoman, seeking to clarify a recent blog post saying Limbaugh would be supporting the Miss America “Go Green” initiative to be launched at January’s pageant at the Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts. In an e-mail, the rep said, “Miss America 2010 will serve as the goodwill ambassador for the Children's Miracle Network, as well as introduce the first Go Green platform for MAO. Also, just for the record, we are, and have always been, a nonpartisan organization. Any associations that our staff or board members are affiliated with does not represent our organization’s opinions and values.”

Boost for Keep Memory Alive

Proceeds from every ticket for tonight’s “America’s Got Talent Live” performance at Planet Hollywood will benefit Keep Memory Alive, the support organization for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. This morning, former Mexico President Vicente Fox toured the facility with founder Larry Ruvo.

Shots in the dark

Frank Caliendo has lost 30 to 35 pounds since June, working out on a treadmill while reading, researching, watching TV, all that. His wife, Michele, says people have asked her if Frank has had plastic surgery because of his new appearance. … Angelica Bridges went topless for the first time (in a production show, at least) in last night’s 10th anniversary performance of “Fantasy.” … Even as his own polling numbers show he’d be a formidable contender, I still say Oscar Goodman is not running for governor. … Fright Dome founder Jason Egan says the biggest celeb visit ever for his haunted palace at Circus Circus was Michael Jackson and his kids in 2004. “I’m normally not star-struck, but that was incredible.” Jackson was at once joyous and scared.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at twitter.com/JohnnyKats.