Legends in Concert: Springsteen leads wave of mega-stars headed for Vegas

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Aug. 16, 2002 | 9:13 a.m.

Imagine a trip through time to see rock 'n' roll's all-time biggest acts perform live before your very eyes.

Staying right here in 2002, the upcoming four months will present Las Vegas residents and tourists with that opportunity to enjoy a parade of rock 'n' roll royalty.

One by one, Bruce Springsteen, Robert Plant, The Who, Santana, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones will take their turn on local stages, all of them scheduled to appear between Sunday night and Dec. 1.

"Concert sales are down nationwide, but all the big acts are coming through Vegas and doing well," said Don Marrandino, president and chief operating officer for Hard Rock Hotel. "We're bucking the trend."

Gary Bongiovanni, editor-in-chief for Pollstar magazine, which tracks the nation's concert tours, said Las Vegas' upcoming wave of big-name rock acts is also indicative of a changing seasonal approach to touring.

"Normally, the concert business has been traditionally compressing itself between Memorial Day and Labor Day," Bongiovanni said. "This year, we're noticing a lot of major acts touring in the fall. The three biggest tours this year the Stones, McCartney and Springsteen are all working in that time frame.

"When you consider the economy is not in a real healthy state, it makes sense to tour at a different time of year other than summer. It allows more media attention and more focus on your visit."

Things kick off Sunday, with Springsteen's highly anticipated return to town with the E Street Band at the Thomas & Mack Center. Springsteen is riding high on the strength of his No. 1 album "The Rising," his first new material since 1995's"The Ghost of Tom Joad."

For fans who can't wait for Sunday to arrive, The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel will host "Vegas Uprising: Sounds of the Jersey Shore," a free Saturday-night concert featuring local musicians Joe Grushecky and John Eddie. Tickets for Springsteen's upcoming show will be given away at the promotional event.

A breakdown of the other major acts coming to town over the next several weeks:

Plant, the legendary former lead singer for Led Zeppelin, is touring behind his first new album in nine years, "Dreamland." The record is composed entirely of cover songs, ranging from Dylan's "One More Cup of Coffee" to such traditional favorites as "Hey Joe" and "I Believe I'm Fixin' to Die."

The Who will be back for a rescheduled show at The Joint, where bassist John Entwistle -- a founding member of the group -- was found dead in his hotel room June 27. The band was originally scheduled to begin its tour in Las Vegas the follwing night, but canceled the show before resuming concerts three days later, with veteran British session bassist Pino Palladino in tow.

Also on the bill

Rock and Roll Hall of Famers aside, plenty of other popular longtime rock acts will make their way through town this year, including Yes (Aug. 23 and Aug. 24, Las Vegas Hilton), Rush (Sept. 21, MGM) and Moody Blues (Oct. 31 through Nov. 3, Paris Las Vegas).

Southern Nevada's upcoming stacked concert slate is hardly limited to the classic rock genre. Big name artists to suit all tastes will make their way through town before year's end.

"Vegas has become a regular stop on all the tours, which is somewhat unusual when you consider its market size," Bongiovanni said. "If an artist is touring 30 to 40 cities, Vegas is inevitably on the list now."

This weekend alone, music lovers can choose between reggae pop singer Shaggy (tonight, Palms), singer/songwriter Chris Isaak (Saturday, House of Blues) and Saturday night's "Anger Management" tour stop at the Thomas & Mack -- headlined by controversial rapper Eminem and also featuring metal band Papa Roach, rapper Ludacris and others.

Rocker Lenny Kravitz (Aug. 31, Mandalay Bay Beach) and electronica maestro Moby (Wednesday, The Joint) highlight August's remaining schedule, which also includes John Mayer (Tuesday, The Joint), bluesman John Hammond (Aug. 24, County Government Center Amphitheater), Melissa Etheridge (Aug. 25, The Joint), Wyclef Jean (Aug. 26, The Joint), and Foreigner (Mandalay Bay Beach, Aug. 30).

September will feature the likes of Morrissey (Sept. 6 and Sept. 7, House of Blues or HOB), Coldplay (Sept. 7, The Joint), Sheryl Crow (Sept. 27, Caesars Palace) and a Bonnie Raitt and Lyle Lovett shared bill (Sept. 10, Mandalay Bay), along with Lionel Ritchie (Sept. 1, Aladdin), Live (Sept. 4, HOB), Dwight Yoakam (Sept. 8, HOB), the Goo Goo Dolls with Third Eye Blind (Sept. 10, Mandalay Bay), Luis Miguel (Sept. 13, MGM), Bela Fleck & The Flecktones (Sept. 22, HOB) and Herbie Hancock (Sept. 28, UNLV Performing Arts Center).

Ozzy Osbourne (Oct. 25, Palms), Creed (Oct. 4) and James Brown (Oct. 18, HOB) are sure to be among October's top draws. Also scheduled to appear are Graham Nash (Oct. 4, Green Valley Ranch) the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (Oct. 4, HOB), Olivia Newton John (Oct. 4 and Oct. 5, Paris Las Vegas), Tony Bennett (Oct. 11 and Oct. 12, Paris) and Enrique Iglesias (Oct. 19, MGM).

In November, Aerosmith will join forces with Kid Rock Nov. 9 at the MGM. Pat Metheny (Nov. 15, HOB), Kenny Rogers (Nov. 7 through Nov. 9, Las Vegas Hilton), Wynonna (Nov. 17 through Nov. 23, Las Vegas Hilton) and former Roxy Music leader Bryan Ferry (Nov. 25, The Joint) are among the diverse set of acts already on tap in November.