Columnist Spencer Patterson: Owner of ibiza nightclub flips over 50 Cent booking

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Feb. 28, 2003 | 8:36 a.m.

Spencer Patterson covers music for the Sun. His music notes column appears Fridays. Reach him at spencer@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-2309.

Talk about a grand opening.

One week before its officially scheduled opening, new Las Vegas nightclub ibiza USA will present a special live performance by hip-hop phenom 50 Cent. The show is slated to begin Sunday at 2 a.m.

"This just kind of dropped in our lap," ibiza owner John Teichman said Wednesday evening. "We haven't even had our grand opening yet, so this should be a good shot in the arm for us."

Teichman said he received a call from 50 Cent's representatives on Wednesday inquiring whether the club -- formerly the site of the now-defunct Blue Note Las Vegas -- could host the rapper on short notice.

It was an offer Teichman could not refuse.

"You just don't say no to somebody who's the hottest ticket in town," Teichman said. "We're not going to do a lot of live entertainment here, but we're never going to turn down something like this. You take it when you can get it, and you don't get it that often."

50 Cent is scheduled to perform Saturday night at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Teichman said the rapper will then board his private plane and fly to Las Vegas for his 2 a.m. appearance at ibiza. 50 Cent is then scheduled to play in Phoenix on Sunday night.

Born Curtis Jackson, 50 Cent was best known for taking nine bullets in a near-fatal attempt on his life in 2000 before being signed by Eminem last year. His debut album, "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," has sold more than 2.3 million copies in just three weeks.

Teichman said 50 Cent will bring his own security team for the event, and that ibiza will provide additional security of its own. Tickets to the 21-and-over show are $50 to $100.

"A lot of people are calling it an after-fight party," Teichman said, referring to Saturday night's Roy Jones Jr. vs. John Ruiz boxing match at Caesar's Palace. "This is definitely going to kickstart the club."

Music notes

Revisiting the Grammys: After ripping the Grammy Awards (or should I say, the Norah Awards) in last week's Feedback, I guess it's only fair to point out that this year's program actually provided a few memorable moments.

Chief among them was the tribute to former Clash frontman Joe Strummer. Instead of the tossed-off Clash medley I expected, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Dave Grohl and others roared through an intense version of "London Calling," an appropriate capper to the 3 1/2-hour telecast.

Three of the night's pairings were also strong: James Taylor with Yo-Yo Ma, Coldplay with the New York Philharmonic and Eminem with the Roots. Another, Nelly with Kelly Rowland, was a disaster, as the music segued awkwardly back and forth between Nelly's dance hit "Hot in Herre" and the pair's ballad, "Dilemma."

Likewise, Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock bombed, as the rapper/rocker overpowered Crow with his off-key vocals. Nelly's use of pyrotechnics also came off as horribly insensitive following last week's Rhode Island club fire.

I'll also grudgingly credit 'Nsync for its a capella Bee Gees medley, not because it was musically brilliant, but because the group at least attempted to present the material in a new way.

The same could not be said for most of the night's performances. The Dixie Chicks, Springsteen, Faith Hill, John Mayer and Avril Lavigne all essentially played their songs note-for-note identically to their album counterparts.

The decision to go without a host was not wise, as the show's many presenters failed to provide any sense of continuity. Lifetime achievement awards came off as afterthoughts, and several presenters used their airtime to voice out-of-place opinions about a possible war with Iraq.

As for the awards themselves, anyone familiar with the Grammys' staid voting history shouldn't have been surprised when Norah Jones' sweet but unspectacular debut was hailed as a masterwork.

Festival check: It looks as if two of the summer's major touring rock music festivals have decided to skip Las Vegas. Neither Ozzfest nor Lollapalooza lists the city on its 2003 itinerary.

Las Vegas will get a visit from this year's Civic Tour, however. Punk-pop bands Good Charlotte and New Found Glory headline the event, which stops by the Cox Pavilion on May 30.

Calling local musicians: Starting next week Addison's Lounge at the Resort at Summerlin will host "The KKLZ Garage Sessions," an open microphone night each Thursday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Hosted by local musician Shawn Eiferman, the weekly event will provide local musicians with an opportunity to perform in group and solo settings, or with Eiferman. Instruments will be provided for those in need.

Prizes will be awarded to the top performers, with portions of the shows to be broadcast on 96.3 KKLZ-FM.

Quick hits

A look at a few of the shows scheduled to hit Southern Nevada in the next week:

Honky-tonker Dwight Yoakam performs a sold-out acoustic set at the Railhead at Boulder Station tonight at 8. The 46-year-old country star released a four-disc retrospective last year and is said to be working on a mammoth boxed set of 10 or more discs featuring every track in his 17-year career.

Contemporary soul/R&B diva Macy Gray kicks off a monthlong U.S. tour Saturday night at 7 at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. Gray's third album, "The Trouble With Being Myself," is slated for a May release. Tickets are $17-$22.

Texas trio King's X, recently featured among VH1's "100 Greatest Artists in Hard Rock," arrives in town for a Saturday show at the Huntridge Theatre at 7 p.m. Zug Izland opens. Tickets are $17.

Comedic rocker Adam Goren brings his eccentric one-man act, Atom and His Package, to the Huntridge Wednesday night at 7. The show will take place in the venue's lobby area. Tickets are $8.

On sale

Tickets for the Dixie Chicks' July 26 and 27 concerts at the MGM Grand Garden Arena go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. Tickets are $55, $75 and $100 and will be available at the MGM box office, at TicketMaster outlets, by phone at 474-4000 or online at mgmgrand.com and ticket- master.com.

Industrial rock veterans Ministry play the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay on March 30. Tickets are $20 and $25 and are one sale at the House of Blues box office, through TicketMaster, by phone at 632-7600 or online at hob.com.

Reggae-infused Led Zeppelin cover band Dread Zeppelin returns to town for a March 14 House of Blues appearance with opening Dada. Tickets are $15 and are on sale through the House of Blues box office and TicketMaster.

Five local bands will celebrate the release of Localmusicscene.com's "Volume IV" compilation CD with a March 21 show at the House of Blues. Clockwise, Slow to Surface, Ill Figures, One More Weekend and September Star are slated to perform. Tickets are $5 and available through the House of Blues box office and TicketMaster.

College rockers O.A.R. play the House of Blues on April 24. Frankie Perez opens. Tickets are $12 and go on sale Monday at noon through the House of Blues box office and TicketMaster.