VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Joint isn’t jumping after New Year’s

Friday, Dec. 13, 2002 | 9:37 a.m.

Is The Joint about to be snuffed out?

Probably not, but a dearth of announced upcoming concerts has fueled speculation about the future of big-ticket bands at the Hard Rock Hotel's premier concert venue -- make that Las Vegas' premier concert venue, if not the best concert hall west of the Mississippi.

As of today The Joint has no announced scheduled shows after the Red Hot Chili Peppers play on New Year's Eve.

Tori Amos is at The Joint Saturday night and Hoobastank, Taproot and a Las Vegas band on the cusp of fame, Clockwise, are scheduled for Dec. 20.

Usually, shows at The Joint are planned and announced weeks and months in advance to allow for adequate time for promotion and ticket sales.

For The Joint not to have announced any shows past Dec. 31 is, uh, somewhat out of joint, to say the least.

Other venues have scheduled some major acts: The Doors are at Rain in the Desert on Jan. 19, the House of Blues has the Wallflowers and the Pretenders on its early 2003 schedule and Allman Brothers legend Dickie Betts plays the Blue Note next month.

Unlike other Las Vegas properties, which offer amenities such as buffets as "loss leaders" to get bodies through their doors to gamble, the Hard Rock has offered top-shelf acts -- including many of the most popular and worshipped names in modern music -- to bring patrons in.

But it costs a lot, often into the high six figures or more, to book rock royalty such as The Who, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and Robert Plant -- all of whom have played The Joint in the last four months.

Despite the schedule gap, Hard Rock management said nothing is out of the ordinary.

"You are all wrong about this," Hard Rock president Don Marrandino told VegasBeat. "Whoever told you that The Joint was in trouble doesn't know what they are talking about. What is happening is simply that we are taking a breather after one of the most spectacular years anyone has ever had. In January, not a lot of the big acts are touring so we have booked The Joint for some private parties and some tribute bands.

"Starting in February we are going have a series of shows that will blow your mind. If anyone thought last year was spectacular, next year will be even better."

If that is the case, then we're looking forward to it.

Purple reign

Pssst ... tickets were to go on sale at noon today for a special, unannounced -- until now -- Prince after-concert concert at Studio 54 at MGM Grand.

After his Aladdin gig Sunday night, His Purpleness will take about 100 fans he'll hand-pick from that audience into his little red Corvette -- or a series of hotel minivans -- to the MGM Grand.

They will be joined by a limited number of ticket holders; ducats for the 12:30 a.m. Monday show will be on sale for $100 at MGM MIRAGE property box offices.

"I like Studio 54. That is why this will be the fifth time I have done this," Prince told VegasBeat through a spokeswoman. "It reminds me of playing at Paisley Park at home in Minneapolis."

On the beat

Barbara Walters' "20/20" co-anchor John Miller recently blew through Las Vegas on his way from the Big Apple to L.A.

Miller, the only American newsman to interview Osama bin Laden (he spoke to the terrorist leader in 1998) is a police buff, and served a stint starting in 1994 as chief spokesman for Bill Bratton when Bratton was Rudy Giuliani's police commissioner in New York.

Miller is on the verge of following Bratton to Los Angeles, to serve as an adviser on homeland security. Miller told ABC network brass of his possible move earlier this week.

Bratton was sworn in as L.A.'s top cop at the end of October.

His way

Local entertainer Gary Anthony will appear as Frank Sinatra for an NBA commercial scheduled to air on Christmas day.

Anthony is a Sinatra impressionist whose Rat Pack tribute show "Our Way" recently closed at Tropicana -- and reopens at Westward Ho on Jan. 22.

Listen up

This afternoon on KNUU 970-AM (K-News), VegasBeat makes its regular radio appearance.

We're on after some folks from Psychic Eye bookstore, who will edify listeners about the significance, meaning and history of why Friday the 13th -- today! -- has such a weird aura.

Mark star

OK, readers, time to play which one doesn't belong: a) Dennis Quaid, b) Sela Ward, c) Jake Gyllenhaal, d) Mark Pfister.

Turns out, they all belong. Pfister, the popular KLAS Channel 8 weatherman, was just in Los Angeles to film some scenes for "Day After Tomorrow," a thriller that opens nationally next summer, with the other three actors in our quiz.

Pfister plays ... a weather forecaster.

"It was not that much of a stretch for me," Pfister told VegasBeat. "Basically they paid me to sit around for a few days and watch them make a movie."

No bull

Hall of Fame hurler Nolan Ryan, a Texan, was watching the National Finals Rodeo at Thomas & Mack Center from a front-row seat several nights this week.

These days he has more than a sporting interest in bovine matters, according to Sun sportswriter Rob Miech.

Ryan, baseball's career strikeout leader, now owns the famous 16,000-acre Ray Ranch and has his own brand of tender, all-natural beef that comes with an unconditional guarantee.

Ryan's brand is the first U.S. product to have its tenderness and aging process certified by the Agriculture Department.

Check out ...

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill making football picks in a private booth Sunday at Mandalay Bay Race and Sports Book ... Rapper Ja Rule partying Tuesday at rumjungle and later at Utopia, where he performed a brief set onstage ... Fred Durst lunching Tuesday at Olive's at Bellagio and then dining late night Wednesday with Puddle of Mudd at Little Buddha at the Palms ... Cher, being patient and friendly with the security folks at the executive terminal at McCarran International Airport; she whizzed in and out on a private jet for her Billboard appearance Monday and said, "See you on Friday" when she left. She plays MGM Grand Garden Arena tonight and Saturday ... Cantor Daniel Friedman doing a sound check Thursday at UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall. The Temple Beth Sholom figure will sing with the Las Vegas Philharmonic for its "Yuletide Celebration" performances this weekend. Friedman used to be on Broadway ("Cats," "Les Miserables," "Forever P! laid") before he answered a higher calling ... Harry Wayne Casey -- better known as KC from KC and the Sunshine Band hosting a private party for TIBCO, the software heavyweight, at Studio 54 at MGM Grand Thursday night. His new book celebrates the band's 25th anniversary. "That's The Way I Like It" was just published.