Henderson Pavilion has its own legends in concert with ‘Nevada Wild Fest’

By John Katsilometes

Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2010 | 7:25 a.m.

From Henderson to downtown Las Vegas, here are the notes:

• The Henderson Pavilion lifted off in September 2002, when Lee Greenwood performed a concert for a crowd of about 5,500. That the show was free helped ensure the crowd would be both happy and robust.

Easily the most significant event at the Pavilion since that night is a music festival stretched across three nights in October. Dubbed "Nevada Wild Fest," the event is set for Oct. 15, 16 and 17 at the 5,500-seat Pavilion, which rightfully bills itself as the largest permanent outdoor concert venue in the state.

The event is split thrice: Classic Country is the first night, featuring country stars Kenny Rogers, Glen Campbell and John Ford Coley. Crossover Country is the Saturday theme, with Jason Michael Carroll, Love and Theft, and a third to-be-announced act of some national significance. Oct. 17 is Country Rock, starring Montgomery Gentry, the Eli Young Band and Lee Brice.

Tickets include admission to the event's Wild West Fair, a carnival of rides, games, food and exhibitions. (Tickets are $25, $45 and $65 per day; go to the event's official website,nevadawildfest.com, for info.)

The event is a benefit for the Lili Claire Foundation, which is attempting to raise money for a new facility planned for 5.5 acres of land adjacent to Nevada State College in Henderson. Lili Claire will need to raise $100 million over five years to fund the center, which is to be the first of its kind for the Foundation in the country.

• Set for Wednesday morning is the official groundbreaking of the USO Lounge at McCarran International Airport. The men who helped make the USO Lounge a reality, Sen. Harry Reid and Wayne Newton, who organizes tours of military bases for the USO, will be on hand for a commemorative busting-of-the-walls event at McCarran.

The USO Lounge will overtake a space that was a US Airways executive suite on the second-floor mezzanine level of McCarran's main terminal. Also on hand will be Reps. Dina Titus and (tentatively) Shelley Berkley, and Col. Kevin Fox, 99th Mission Support Group commander of Nellis Air Force Base.

The 2,000-square-foot space will be renovated into an R&R station for military personnel while traveling. The project should run between $1-1.5 million. Reid and USO officials announced the project in January.

• A surprise guest at Clint Holmes' Friars Club tribute night was ... Liza Minnelli.

Not bad.

"I guess I'm officially a Broadway baby," said Holmes, who was honored at the famed club in New York City on Aug. 9. "I had no idea she would show up." Minnelli and Holmes are casual acquaintances, but have many common friends in show business. And, she happened to be in the neighborhood, so....

Also honored was Holmes wife, Kelly Clinton, who received the 9th annual Bella Award as "Las Vegas Female Star & Entertainer." She is all that, and has been for many years. Accepting the award on her behalf were her close friend Lena Prima and mother, Ellie Clinton Issa. Holmes still is trying to get his eponymous play to Broadway and says the next likely venue is a "major theater on the West Coast." More to come, we can expect.

• This concept of a radio show at the Tropicana has itself become something of a stand-up routine. To update: Brad Garrett reiterated over the weekend that his planned (and announced) Monday night radio show on KXNT 840-AM and 100.5-FM is "dead, not delayed" and had nothing to do with his schedule. There's been some confusion about what happened with that radio project, which is what can happen when someone not named Brad Garrett starts talking about Brad Garrett's schedule.

Whatever, the show was to air live after each Monday night performance at the Brad Garrett Comedy Club, and unless something changes in the next four minutes or so, it's off. But Spence from KLUC 98.5-FM is still scheduled to host on Tuesdays.

Meantime, Garrett is parachuting in for shows tonight and Wednesday. He's still fighting the good fight at the Trop, give him that.

• The new CBS crime/courtroom/comedy/drama "The Defenders" is based on the Las Vegas law firm of Cristalli & Saggese. The firm is named Kaczmarek & Morelli for the show, which debuts this fall. Jim Belushi's character, Pete Kaczmarek, is modeled for partner Michael V. Cristalli. Jerry O'Connell's portrayal of the fictitious Nick Morelli is based on Marc Saggese.

Earlier this month, Saggese visited the show's set in Studio City, Calif. There, he found a design effect that gave him confidence the show would be a hit: A plaque commemorating the decadelong run of "Seinfeld," which was taped on that very set.

"We've got a lot of history on our side," Saggese said, chuckling. About 30 percent of the show will be shot in Las Vegas, and the partners spend at least part of each day consulting on the script.

• Through a circuitous route (he knew a guy who knew a guy) Brody Dolyniuk of Yellow Brick Road made it to the Promised Land of Prog Rock on Saturday afternoon: The sound check for Rush's concert at MGM Grand Garden Arena. A big Rush fan, the severely talented Dolyniuk was among about 15 people treated to what amounted to a 15-minute concert.

As Rod Stewart once said, "Some guys have all the luck."

Dolyniuk, who again is in a working relationship with Danny Gans' former manager, Chip Lightman, is returning his "Brody's World" one-man shot to Ovation at Green Valley Ranch on Aug. 30. He's done some tightening since the show's first pass in June.

• Elle magazine has released its list of Top 100 salons in the United States. Two from Las Vegas cracked the list, and as it happens neither conducts business out of a Strip resort.

Honored were Globe Salon, located in the Arts District at 900 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Suite No. 130; and Moxie Hair Studios on 10247 W. Charleston Blvd. in Summerlin.

Those two businesses were the only two statewide to be named for an honor that is to the salon industry what the James Beard Award is to restaurateurs. The issue is out now.

• In an interview from his City Hall office scheduled to air at 6 p.m. today on "Our Metropolis" (KUNV 91.5-FM), Mayor Oscar Goodman recalled defending reputed mobster Frank Cullotta. Cullotta did not know how to tie a necktie for his court appearance, so Goodman showed him how to fashion a proper knot. Since, Cullotta has said it was the most expensive lesson in tying a necktie, ever. Goodman got in his own shot by saying, "I should have just continued tightening the knot around his neck."

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at twitter.com/JohnnyKats.