Patty Fantasia 10-08-09

The MGM Mirage wanted to do more than get by with a little help from their friends to celebrate their 20th anniversary, so they invited former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash and his friends to perform at Bare on Friday night October 2nd.  The pool was covered to accommodate the estimated 600+ audience in the tropical setting, creating an intimate venue for the event. Above the stage the desert sky, sporting a full moon, back lit the stage providing a perfect backdrop for the artists coming there to play good old fashioned, electrically charged rock and roll.  You could feel the excitement building from the moment you took out your ticket and I.D. while waiting in line to enter the magical musical kingdom. Then the energy level continued rising as final sound and instrument checks were done. You could feel your pulse race.  If you were there, you were ready to party.

Major highlights on stage during the show: Chris Daughtry jumping in for “Livin On the Edge”, Joe Perry returning to the stage for “Toys In The Attic”, Matt Sorum and Duff McKagen uniting with Slash for “It’s So Easy”, Cypress Hill’s Sen Dog teaming up with Perez for an unforgettable “Walk This Way” and Rick Nielsen’s contribution to the group effort of Cheap Trick’s “Surrennder”.

Slash’s lady friends were not to be outdone, either.  Nicole Scherzinger proved she’s as talented as she is beautiful with her powerful rendition of Led Zepplin’s “Whole Lotta Love”. An exotic looking brunette, clad in black boots and fishnets, Nicole showed she’s definitely capable of holding her own when performing with artists like Slash.  In fact, Courtney Love, who followed Scherzinger on stage, remarked “I just got my ass handed to me.  I gotta follow that?”  Still sexy with her unique diamond in the rough persona, Miss Love almost appeared vulnerable as she produced a lyric sheet before singing “20th Century Boy”.  The two plus hour concert ended after 1 a.m. with everyone “all in” for the last song “Paradise City”. By then, although the crowd was musically satiated, they were still craving more.

Shortly after the event ended at Bare, the night continued on at JET where, following a Red Carpet welcome, Slash, accompanied by his wife, Perla hosted an after party joined by Hagen, Sen Dog, Tommy Lee, and Franky Perez   On Saturday night JET was the venue for another anniversary party and actors Benicio del Toro and Lukas Haas were seen walking on the Red Carpet as they came to help the Mirage celebrate.  It just goes to prove you may not be able to beat the house in Las Vegas, but with the right friends you sure can rock it.