Friday, Sept. 7, 2007 | 7:30 a.m.
Harmik's Tom Jones tribute show at the Four Queens is a high energy production that any fan of the legendary Welsh singer can enjoy.
If You Go
Who: Harmik starring as Tom Jones
When: 7 p.m. various nights; dinner at 6 p.m.
Where: Four Queen's Canyon Club
Tickets: $24.95; 220-5426
Even if you aren't a fan, it's still fun and relatively cheap. What more can you ask for in an age of inflated prices?
Plus, you can get a decent meal on top of it, in the old Las Vegas tradition. Of course you have to travel to old Las Vegas to take advantage of it.
Harmik plays four nights a week at the Four Queens on Fremont Street. The canopied downtown is evolving from a kitschy tourist trap into a respectable place to seek out good entertainment - from street musicians and nightclubs to stage productions.
This year the 615-seat Canyon Club opened inside the Four Queens. It's the little brother of the 1,300-seat Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, Calif., which features some of the top blues and jazz artists in the country.
The local Canyon also offers blues and jazz on an irregular schedule. It has a small stage and a variety of seating - from lounge sofas to the long table and chair setup in front of the stage where you can dine and enjoy Harmik 's perform ance - arguably the best Jones act in the country.
Before taking his act off the road and settling in at the Canyon Club a few weeks back, he routinely sold out performances almost wherever he went.
There are no disappointments here. Harmik , 47, looks more like vintage Tom Jones than Jones, who is two decades older . (The original is booked Sept. 20-25 at the Hollywood Theater at the MGM Grand. Tickets are $75.) Harmik sounds so much like Jones that you can close your eyes and visualize panties being thrown onstage by adoring female fans.
Harmik does the must-do hits, such as "Delilah" and "What's New Pussycat," as well as some songs Jones is not as well known for, such as "My Way" (written by Paul Anka, made famous by Frank Sinatra).
Nor is he afraid to step out of the Jones library and do something different - such as Garth Brooks' "The Dance."
Harmik is not a caricature - no socks stuffed into his pants, no exaggeration of movements. He puts on a genuine tribute to one of the most popular entertainers of the past couple of generations, a 67-year-old whose voice has shown no sign of faltering.
Harmik has captured the essence of a Jones performance, appealing to the ladies, showing them affection throughout the show. He cuts up, grinds, jokes, dances with volunteers and works hard to make sure everyone is having a good time.
Backed by a fabulous seven-piece band, the former equities trader from New York puts on a memorable performance in an intimate downtown setting - but for Harmik, that's not unusual.
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