Vegas Buzz: This Is IT on Monday Nights!

Make no mistake about it, Kelly Clinton’s Open Mic Cabaret is 'no ordinary open mic.’ The Monday night 'show of shows' in Vegas is a Cabaret with fantastic entertainment like no other. 
As the fans have said,  “Why would we ever go anywhere else on Monday nights? This is IT!!”

Kelly Clinton and friends kicked off another remarkable Monday night Cabaret show with a hilarious take on the legendary Marx Brothers. Starring in the comedy cast of the Marx Sisters was the one and only Kelly Clinton (Groucho), with Lena Prima (Chico), Mark O’Toole (Harpo) and Kaci Machacyk as Mrs. Rittenhouse (Animal Crackers). Mike Clark was on the keys and Tommy Vinci played the drums. The witty comical bit had the packed-house crowd roaring with laughter.

How does Kelly Clinton come up with this stuff? For starters, Kelly gets an idea in her head, then there’s no stopping her until the lines are down, the casting is complete, (when it’s not just a Kelly solo act) the costumes are gathered and the music is ready to go. In the latest production, Kelly credits Mike Clark for suggesting the Marx Sisters. Kelly put all her ideas together ---lines, cast, etc. Then the talented people in the sketch threw in their ideas that helped shape the final plan. It’s amazing how everything is put together in less than a day before the show goes on! In addition to her very original characters, for over a year now Kelly has come up with dozens and dozens of satirical Monday night openings starring a cast of characters based on famous icons from the stage, screen and the recording world….Truly amazing and so very entertaining!!!

After stripping off the Groucho wig, eyebrows, etc., Kelly was ready to introduce the first of many talented entertainers waiting in the wings to perform.

First up was the lovely Kaci Machacyk with a beautiful rendition of "Until There Was You."

This performance by Kaci Machacyk was a sampling of the selections from her show, The Soprano, that was scheduled for Wednesday night, July 21, at the Liberace Museum.

The evening was filled with so many fabulous entertainers. We want to mention them all and of course post a photo of each one as they performed at the latest Monday night show. So here we go. Next on stage was the awesome singer Lannie Counts who had the crowd screaming for more!! .....

Geena Mattox, former star of Phantom of the Opera, was back this week with a terrific performance of "Get Here."

Next we saw a whole new side of the fantastic singer Tim Wells who surprised us with an amazing theatrical performance of "Phantom of the Opera."  The crowd loved it and wanted more from Tim so he made a song-style switch with the tune, "You Make Me Feel Brand New." That’s when the phenomenal Clint Holmes jumped in to join Tim Wells on a fabulous scat duo that knocked out the crowd!!!

Up next the dynamic duo, Lisa Gay and Tony Drake took to the stage with a extraordinary performance of "The Nearness of You" followed by a moving and grooving rendition of "Feel Like Making Love."

Then Lisa was joined by Clint Holmes and Chris Phillips (Zowie Bowie) to sing Happy Birthday to a very special friend and faithful fan of this show, Mel Myers……

That moment was followed by an introduction from Clint Holmes of a very special appearance by Kelly Clinton as Janis Joplin for one more tribute to birthday boy and car dealer Mel.

The unbelievable Kelly Clinton as Janis sang an original satirical version of  "Mercedes Benz" with lyrics by Clint Holmes entitled "Oh, Mel Won’t You Buy Me a Mercedes Benz."
The crowd and Mel were hysterical with laughter as Kelly pulled off one more great spoof in costume and song. Wow!!!!

Then Clint was back on stage joined by his musical director, Jeff Neiman to perform “something real nice for Mel and his wife Sheri” who were also celebrating their 29th wedding anniversary. Clint Holmes sent out the beautiful tune "Here’s to Life."
What followed that was another performance by Clint Holmes who first sent out kudos to the fantastic  band led by Mike Clark on keys with Billy Adams on the drums and Tony Drake sitting in on guitar. Yes!!! These great musicians played all night long!! Then, with Jeff Neiman on piano, Clint gave us a terrific presentation of that great tune, "Birth of the Blues"…..The crowd went wild!!!!

Up next at the mic was the delightful performer with a big personality -----16 year-old
Alex Christopher who sang that popular old favorite, "Green, Green Grass of Home." Great job Alex!!.......

Then came the hot blues singer Wendy Flemings who belted out a killer version of "Summertime." This lady can sing the blues!!!! Mike Clark was hot on the keys for Wendy’s number and he did a beautiful job on the next singer’s presentation too.

That would be the fantastic crooner, Mark O’Toole (Harpo) who gave us a excellent performance of the love song, “You Don’t Know Me.” (L).........
Newcomer to the open mic Christopher Todd gave a terrific rendition of “Orange Colored Sky.” Later in the show Christopher Todd (R) was back with the band to croon the tune, "It Had to Be You." Nice, very nice. We are sure to see more of this singer soon.

Singer,/songwriter George Dare stepped up next with a outstanding performance of the big crowd-pleasing tune, "Walking in Memphis." By the way, this night had the kind of audience every performer dreams of! The crowd was just marvelous and totally fixed on the show……. The beautiful powerhouse singer Denita Asberry was on stage next with her performance of the Whitney Houston tune, "I Will Always Love You." She slayed the crowd. Wow!... Then came a big welcome back to showman Bobby Brooks Hamilton. The awesome performer and tribute artist has been traveling the world circuit for many months. It was great to see Bobby back at the open mic giving us his terrific performance of "Higher and Higher."

Another newcomer to the open mic was Trace Taylor (L). The redhead was raised in England and there’s no mistaking her accent. Trace gave a swinging interpretation of "Bye, Bye Black Bird." She’ll be back..........

Soprano, Jacqueline Armitage (R) returned to the open mic Monday night after a couple of months of R & R. Jacqueline presented her beautiful rendition of "If I Loved You."

Trina Johnson, one of the fabulous stars of Vegas the Show, stopped in to give us a really hot performance of “I’m Your Baby Tonight.” The critics are raving about the new show at Planet Hollywood that pays tribute to ‘Old Vegas’ entertainment from the 1940’s through the 1980’s….......

........Another fantastic performer and a first timer at the Cabaret, Michael Love took us away with his energetic, heartfelt performance of  "One in a Million."
Wow, what a powerful show closing performance!!!!


Thanks to everyone who took part in the making of one more night of unrivaled entertainment! Special thanks to Mike Clark, Billy Adams, Tony Drake and DJ/Jake Klein for bringing on the music....and especially to Kelly Clinton for making it all happen!!

As always, this was another great show at Kelly Clinton’s Open Mic Cabaret!!!
Please join us next Monday Night at the Bootlegger Bistro,
7700 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Showtime:  9 PM
Dining room reservations:  702-736-4939

Come on Down!!  Perform, Promote Your Gig,
Dine In, Chill Out!........It's Always a Blast!!!!

The Buzz: Another Incredible Evening of Entertainment

The sensational singer, Mark O’Toole was guest M.C. at Kelly Clinton’s Open Mic Cabaret Monday night, May 17. What a great job Mark did in presenting the long line-up of fabulous entertainers. Mark is Mr. Personality Plus and a really terrific performer. He opened the show with All I Do is Dream of You, by Michael Buble`. Then he quickly moved on to begin the presentation of an amazing evening of open mic entertainment.

Kelly Clinton invited longtime friend and popular Las Vegas entertainer Mark O’Toole to guest host her Open Mic Cabaret because she knew he would make an outstanding M.C. ---and that he did!!

Kelly and her husband, Clint Holmes were in New York this week. Clint Holmes performed at a very special event at the famed Friar’s Club where he had the opportunity to sing his original tribute song to his longtime idol Harry Belafonte who was at the dinner along with many other famous celebrities.  It was an exciting and very memorable evening for Kelly and Clint.    

First up at the open mic was singer/pianist, Michael Shane, who kicked off his act by rockin’ out the tune, Brown Eyed Girl, by Van Morrison. When the crowd called for “more” the popular Las Vegas musician, Michael Shane, changed the pace to one of his favorite tunes by his favorite artist, Your Song, by Elton John. Great opening for a another fabulous evening of Cabaret entertainers!!!!

The very striking redhead and multi-talented young woman, Kaci Machacyk was up next with her remarkable performance of the pop-rock number, Speechless, by Lady Gaga. Kaci the singer is also the host of Vegas 5W, a popular Las Vegas-based web cast featuring people and places around town.

Kaci Machacyk will premiere her show, A Night with Kaci Machacyk, in Kelly Clinton’s Celebrity Spotlight at the Bootlegger Bistro on Sunday, May 23, at 8:30 pm. Join her for a night of opera, standards pop and rock tunes with special guests David Marinelli, Patty Powers and Tommy Vinci. Call for reservations at 702-736-4939.

The awesome singer with an extraordinary vocal range, Lannie Counts was back this week to perform the popular Stevie Wonder song, I Just Called to Say I Love You. The crowd went wild, screaming for more!!! Mike Clark and Billy Adams did an amazing job playing for Lannie as he went on to show his truly extraordinary vocal range during his performance of Ooh Baby Baby, by Smokey Robinson.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, boy can Lannie Counts sing!!!

Mark O’Toole pointed out earlier that celebrity Frankie Scinta of the headliner show group The Scintas was in the house. Now it was time for Frankie Scinta to step into the spotlight where he gave us his terrific rendition of Fly Me to the Moon with the band. Frankie mentioned that this open mic night was “how Vegas was” in the early days and “Thank God the Bootlegger is still here” to keep this kind of entertainment alive. Then Frankie invited Mark up to do a number together and the duo gave us a great show with a few of their impressions injected into an impromptu rendition of Summer Wind. Oh what fun!!!!

The lovely and talented Laurie Cook was back this week singing her latest selection , the Shania Twain version of The Woman in Me. Laurie Cook was born in the U.S.A. and raised in Canada. She’s been taking her act on tour for the past ten years. Her style is a soulful mix of country and R&B that well suits her full-bottom voice and appealing raspy vocal sound.

The very popular pianist Luis Sebastian was back to perform following a few weeks hiatus. The Open Mic fans love “Sebastian” for his vibrant style, wide selection of music and always impeccable performances. Welcome back Luis Sebastian!

Luis Sebastian plays at special events, weddings and parties at Mandalay Bay. He is also available for private parties.

Keep your eye on this next young performer from New York, 18 year-old Lauren Diaz.  Lauren took to the grand piano for her powerful, soulful version of Dock of the Bay. Mark described her as ‘a little girl with a big voice’ when Lauren closed her “oh yeah!  --wow” performance.

I tell you this was such a fun night with so many new performers showing up from different parts of the country. The next fellow who bills himself T-Bone hails from Chicago and he seemed elated to have the opportunity to show his talent in Las Vegas. Obviously a big Elvis fan, the clean cut singer wore shades during his really terrific performance of Presley’s Devil in Disguise.

The variety of talent that shows up every week for Kelly Clinton’s Open Mic Cabaret is truly amazing!
Our next performer, Fritz, who bills his act as One Man Band, sings and plays the harmonica and guitar. Fritz started his show with a beautiful instrumental version of the Italian song Arrivederci Roma .  Then Fritz sent out his second number to his wife as he began singing and playing Love Me Tender.

Fritz was born in Haiti and has been in the U.S.A. since the 1980’s. He performs his One Man Band show all over the country.

We always enjoy hearing from a singer/songwriter who brings an original tune to perform ---and promote it---  at the Monday night Cabaret. This week the artist, producer and arranger, Joe Ann Davis performed her latest work, a fabulous Blues number Bring Me Some Flowers. There wasn’t a woman in the audience that couldn’t relate to the message in the lyrics The tune is awesome and the singer, Joe Ann Davis gave a wonderful presentation of her marvelous piece.

Mark had no idea of who a performer named “Sexy Manuel” was until after he asked another young man if he was the guy! That made for a good laugh when “Sexy” ---as most of us know ---turned out to be our own DJ/special effects guy and singer, Kevin Cordova. Kevin gave a terrific performance of I’m Already There, a powerful and moving country song with a message from a man on the road to his family. Kevin sent it out to his own kids.
Love that Kevin!!

The next act is one Kelly Clinton would have loved to see!!! Joe Ann Davis, who we met earlier in the show,  brought along her 13 year-old grandson Kwiesi Davis to perform another original tune called Grandma Song. The genre, as I can best describe it, is very positive soft rap. The lyrics Kwiesi sang in praise of his Grandma’s teachings should be broadcast on television for young people and on the radio for all to hear. The absolutely charming performer, Kwiesi Davis beamed with love for his Grandma Joe Ann Davis who sang back-up on stage with him during his terrific performance. Gotta love talented kids and talented grandmas!

It was my first time seeing Darrell Turner perform at the Open Mic. Darrell’s brother is the popular headliner Earl Turner. Apparently,  talent runs in the Turner family. Darrell Turner gave us a fabulous performance of Wonderful World using his most excellent Louis Armstrong vocal style. We hope to see more of Darrell Turner soon.
Darrell Turner will perform at Nellis Air Force Base on June 19th.

Another wonderful and very moving presentation was next with a duo performance by 17 year-old vocalist Cassie Finley-Jones and 19 year-old guitarist Andrew Lopez of  Las Vegas. The original song by Andrew Lopez was written as a tribute to their high school friend who had passed away. Cassie sang beautifully as Andrew played the heartfelt homage tune, Free.
Cassie and Andrew, thank you for sharing your talents and your hearts with all of us.

The lady in red, the very powerful singer Donna Whiteside was up next. Donna sang with plenty of soulful spirit during her fantastic Gladys Knight number, Neither One of Us.
We will have more about Donna Whiteside next time.

Now it was time for our headliner Mark O’Toole to take his place in the spotlight once more. Mark led into his song selection with a brief rundown of his encounter with stage-four cancer, a diagnosis that offered him a mere eight months to live. Mark wasn’t about to give into the prognosis and he spent two years in the hospital fighting for his life. He stood before us recovered and back on the stage to offer his very appropriate vocal suggestion for living, the Tim McGraw song, Live Like You Were Dying.
Thank you Mark. Thank you God.

Back to the open mic performers: Next up at the mic was young musician/singer Brandon Knaff who sings and plays Folk, Soul and Rock music. Brandon gave a terrific guitar/vocal presentation of the rock tune, Beverly.
Brandon Knaff plays at venues all around Las Vegas.

I may not have mentioned it earlier, but the band got plenty of workout Monday night just as they did with the next performer,  singer/songwriter and musician ‘Yukon’ Jack Lohman. Jack, a big guy with a deep, rich baritone voice chose to perform a song by the Man in Black, Johnny Cash. The familiar hit tune, Ring of Fire, was written by June Carter before she married Cash. Her co-writer was Merle Kilgore.
Yukon Jack Lohman gave a really great performance singing and playing guitar.

The very interesting entertainer Jacqueline Armitage, who often appears at the Cabaret as herself or sometimes as a character she has created, chose to perform as the fine vocalist she is this Monday night. Using her operatic voice range, Jacqueline gave a wonderful presentation of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.

The phenomenal Lisa Gay graced us with her moving performance of Somewhere in My Lifetime, by soul singer/songwriter, Phyllis Hyman. With her awesome vocal range, song stylist Lisa Gay can do it all from Jazz to R&B to Soul to Standards. It’s always an exciting experience to see and hear Lisa Gay perform.
Lisa Gay and her husband, famed guitarist Tony Drake, recently performed in the Hit Parade show at the Sun Coast Hotel Casino.

The last performer up at the mic, Don Hunley, a visitor to Las Vegas from Buffalo, NY did a one-day turnaround drive to L.A. and back to Vegas just so he could participate Monday night at Kelly Clinton’s Open Mic Cabaret. The crowd was so glad he did arrive in time to give us a really fabulous performance of a favorite Blues number, Stormy Monday. Don Hunley really rocked !!
What a great closing act for one more night of great Cabaret entertainment!!!

Special thanks to our guest host, Mark O’Toole for doing such a great job!!! And as always special thanks to Kelly Clinton’s A-team, musical director, Mike Clark, drummer, Billy Adams, Bootlegger host, J.T. Thompson and DJ/Special effects guy, Kevin Cordova.

Mark O'Toole is headlining in the Ravello Lounge at the fabulous "M" Resort in Henderson on Saturday evenings from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm.

Kelly Clinton will be back Monday night, May 24, to present another great Open Mic Cabaret at the Bootlegger Bistro!!!!! 
Looking forward to seeing you all there!!!

Come on down!
Perform,
Promote Your Gig,

Dine In, Chill Out

It's always a BLAST!!!!

Kelly Clinton's Open Mic Cabaret
Bootlegger Bistro
7700 Las Vegas Blvd. South

Dining Room Reservations:

702-736-4939                                                                                              That's a wrap guys!!!!!