The Las Vegas Strip as Memory Lane? Oh, YES!

You may remember that Ron and I went to Vegas in August for our anniversary. That trip was a bit of a spur of the moment impulse. We didn't plan ahead on that one too much - we just went! We were fortunate to be able to see family but to also see a show. It was fun and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed myself...Ron, too.

So while we were there, Ron saw an ad that Garth Brooks was performing at the Wynn Hotel. Garth has been one of our favorites for a very long time. When we got home, he started investigating tickets and hotels. Before I knew it, Ron had made a hotel reservation, booked flights and purchased tickets to see Garth! When I was able to take a couple days off from work to make it a 4 day weekend - he once again sprang into action...I had been wishing out loud for a very long time to see Donny and Marie Osmond. Done! When we got to Vegas, Ron went to the Half Price ticket place and got tickets to see Jersey Boys - the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and finally, Barry Manilow!

When I was 11 years old, I saw The Osmond Brothers at the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis. I fell in love with Donny that day and never really got over it. So when we flew to Las Vegas last Friday, we went to the Flamingo Hotel our first night there and saw Donny & Marie! The show was great with plenty of nostalgia - he sang "Go Away Little Girl" and "Puppy Love" and oh yes, I did swoon! He was wonderful!! Marie was good, too and we were impressed with their show. The only thing that disappointed me was that Marie has had plastic surgery on her face...

Our next show was Saturday at 6 pm - Jersey Boys. We both love the music of Frank Valli and the Four Seasons. I remember this music playing on the radio when I was a little girl.

 Big Girls Don't Cry!

Great Show!!

 

 Garth's show was TERRIFIC! AMAZING! FANTASTIC! I wasn't sure what to expect. This is a photo of the young Garth.The Garth we saw only vaguely resembles the photo. A recorded message from Steve Wynn introduced Garth Brooks and then this chubby man in baggy jeans, an untucked denim shirt and a black baseball cap came out on the stage. A stage hand? Nope, it was Garth himself! He picked up his guitar and began playing and singing and talking to the VERY ENTHUSIASTIC crowd. He voice is in great condition and the show was unlike any country show we have seen. It was Garth and a guitar on the stage telling stories about how different types of music had influenced him through the decades. He was funny and charming - a great storyteller, songwriter, singer and musician. I am a bigger fan now than I was before! Just a wonderful show!

Finally, to end our stroll down memory lane, we went to see Barry Manilow at the Paris Hotel. What a production! Barry had ten #1 singles from 1974 - 1979 - this was my adolescence. I loved his music when I was a teenager. He is/was a great balladeer and I was surprised to find that I still remembered all the words to those old love songs. He is 68 years old now and is still looking pretty good. He has a very devoted bunch of fans. Of course, he sang "Mandy" and "Copacabana" - good stuff!


It was a fun trip and we were able to escape from reality. Leave it to a bunch of musicians out of our past to make us forget the stresses of the present for a bit! Thanks, Guys! We needed that.