‘Vocal Soup’ marks a fine time in the ‘burbs

By John Katsilometes

Sunday, June 21, 2009 | 1 p.m.

A few weeks ago, I moved back out to the Northwest, on the cusp of Summerlin, a few cartwheels east of the Suncoast. Aside from a visit to the hotel with Mayor Goodman and his happy collection of marshals and family members on New Year’s Eve, I’d not spent much recreation time in the area or at the Suncoast. No movies. No NFL wagers. I can’t even recall the most recent show I’ve seen at the Suncoast Showroom; I wanted to catch Shecky Greene out there, but the extensive coverage Shecky received in advance of his return to Vegas (I’m partially to blame or credit for this, having written a column about Greene the week before he showed up) helped sell out the showroom over three straight nights.

I can now say that Shecky Greene performs in my neighborhood, at least, which is something of an unexpected life reality.

I did finally make it back to Suncoast last night for “Vocal Soup,” a Clint Holmes/Bill Fayne brainstorm that stars a mix-and-match group of artists that finds room for a former Miss California and a member of Foreigner. Holmes is joined by Susan Anton, who I think is 6-foot-7 and could easily post up Martin Nievera, who has bounced around Vegas for years (including an ill-advised spin at the Wyrick Theatre at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood on the Las Vegas Strip) and is wildly popular among his native Filipinos. Domenick Allen of Foreigner is the rocker of the group. I didn’t know what to expect from this odd lineup.

Over 90 minutes the “Soup” offered:

*Nievera blasting out “This Is the Moment,” putting his compact frame to the test.

*Former Frank Sinatra music director Vinnie Falcone at the piano, leading the foursome in a Sinatra medley. Falcone never seems to tire of the Sinatra songbook. He worked with Frank for about a decade and wrote the book “Frankly Just Between Us” about his time with Sinatra.

*Anton (who is in fact 5-11) shouting out James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s World.” Anton is 58 and still stunning. She doesn’t seem nearly as disheveled as did Brown during his rendition of this song.

*Video footage of Woodstock, with Allen taking over on guitar with the solo from Led Zep’s “Stairway to Heaven,” leading into a burst of Foreigner songs. Allen even played the soaring sax solo from “Urgent,” and for those of us who played Foreigner's “4” until the grooves wore down, it was a rush-the-stage moment. (The “grooves” reference is to vinyl records, kids.)

*A little Mr. Bojangles from Holmes, and his scat-like vocal interpretation of Sammy Davis Jr. tap dancing. Holmes doesn’t necessarily even need a microphone to entertain. Must be fun to be so gifted. He closed it with “What Kind of Fool Am I?” Fayne said the plan was to take the show on tour in some fashion, maybe on the cruise ship circuit, which has been a profitable outlet for many Vegas entertainers -- including Fayne and the Las Vegas Tenors.

Regardless, they were good times at the Suncoast, especially when you start with dinner at Salvatore’s Italian Steak House, with the old Fellini’s crew (as always, Bob Harry and Jimmy Girard were on hand, Phil Baker was on piano, and the place was satisfactorily busy).

It is good to be back in the ’hood.