Friday, May 20, 2005 | 8:54 a.m.
Following is a list of some of the big concerts in Las Vegas this weekend:
House of Blues at Mandalay Bay
Mandalay Bay Events Center
Green Valley Ranch's Whiskey Beach
The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel
Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts
Celine and Barry have some serious competition in Southern Nevada this weekend.
For one, golfer Tiger Woods brings his annual "Tiger Jam" charity concert back to the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday night.
This year's headliner? Motown music legend Stevie Wonder, who rarely performs live these days.
Wonder will be the biggest name in town, but he won't be alone. Far from it, as this weekend's crowded concert calendar also features some of the top acts in rock, hip-hop and heavy metal.
Here is a look at some of the weekend's top draws:
"Tiger Jam VIII" at Mandalay Bay Events Center, Saturday: Matching the star power of last year's "Tiger Jam VII" headliner, Prince, wasn't easy, but Woods found a way to get it done.
Wonder, 55, hasn't toured since the mid-1990s, taking the stage sporadically over the past decade. With a new album, "A Time to Love," due out June 21, Wonder is rumored to be lining up more dates, but so far the Vegas show is the only one on his schedule.
Given the infrequency of his performances, it's hard to predict which numbers the vocalist/pianist might play. His best-known hits include "My Cherie Amour," "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours," "Higher Ground," "Superstition," "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," "Boogie on Reggae Woman," "Sir Duke" and "I Just Called to Say I Love You."
Rock band the Counting Crows open the concert.
At press time, tickets to "Tiger Jam VIII" remained available.
Lenny Kravitz at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel, Saturday: The popular rock singer, who hasn't performed in the United States since 2002, bring his "Electric Church Tour" to Las Vegas for stop three of a 27-night intimate club tour.
Best known for 1990s FM hits such as "Are You Gonna Go My Way" and "Fly Away," Kravitz released his latest album, "Baptism," in May 2004. Though the disc received its share of negative reviews, the New Yorker's loyal fans don't seem to mind, as evidenced by the quick sellout for Saturday's gig.
Pop-rock vocalist Nikki Costa opens.
Nelly at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts, Saturday: The Aladdin heats up with a rare hip-hop bill, bringing in St. Louis rapper Nelly.
Nelly has scored a string of No. 1 hits -- including 2002's memorable "Hot in Herre" -- since arriving on the scene in 2000. He has also reached No. 1 or No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with all four of his albums.
In September he followed in the footsteps of Bruce Springsteen and Guns N' Roses by releasing two full-length studio discs, titled "Sweat" and "Suit," on the same day.
As always, Nelly will be joined by his rap crew, the St. Lunatics. Rappers Fat Joe and T.I. are scheduled to open Saturday's show.
Anthrax at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Saturday: One of rock's original speed-metal bands is back, with its "classic" lineup together for the first time in 13 years.
That quintet -- vocalist Joey Belladonna, guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Spitz, bassist Frankie Bello and drummer Charlie Benante -- promised to dig out "songs we have not played in years" during an April press conference announcing the reunion.
Among casual observers, Anthrax made its biggest mark with a 1991 remake of Public Enemy's "Bring the Noise," recorded with the seminal hip-hop outfit. The two groups also toured together that year, a revolutionary genre-crossing bill at the time.
Seconds to Spare and 13 Miles open.
Queens of the Stone Age at House of Blues, tonight: The critically acclaimed hard-rock band pulls into town for a show that has been sold out for weeks.
Though Queens of the Stone Age's lineup has changed frequently in recent years, leader Josh Homme remains onboard, and you never know who might show up to join him onstage. Homme's many collaborators include the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, ex-Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan and indie singer-songwriter PJ Harvey. Comedian/actor Will Ferrell even stepped in to play cowbell with the band during an appearance on "Saturday Night Live" last weekend.
The ironically named Eagles of Death Metal -- a hard-rock outfit that does not play death-metal music -- opens tonight's show. Homme played drums on that band's latest CD.
Seal at Green Valley Ranch's Whiskey Beach, tonight: The British pop singer returns to Southern Nevada, promoting a best-of set released late last year.
Seal's hits include "Crazy" and "Kiss From a Rose." Three of his songs have hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Dance/Club chart over the past year.
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