Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Weekend Rewind: Mel Brooks at Wynn, Pitbull at MGM Grand, Cardi B at Drai’s and more

Power of Love Gala

Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive

Pitbull poses with Larry and Camille Ruvo on the red carpet before the Keep Memory Alive Power of Love Gala at MGM Grand on April 28.

This past weekend was a reminder of why I write the Rewind on Monday—the concept of the Vegas weekend is malleable; it can begin and end whenever it wants. In this case, it seemed to start Wednesday when Intrigue Nightclub at Wynn Las Vegas opened its two-year anniversary celebration with a record-setting night anchored by pop-dance hitmakers The Chainsmokers.

There was no slowing down on Thursday when the first-ever Billboard Latin Music Week industry conference in Las Vegas culminated in the 20th annual Billboard Latin Music Awards at Mandalay Bay Events Center, where global superstars including Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Maluma racked up trophies and lit the stage on fire.

Friday night brought a return to the Encore Theater stage for the legendary Mel Brooks, who easily charmed a packed house with tales of his Brooklyn upbringing, his time in the Army, some behind-the-scenes stories of making comedy magic with Sid Caesar, Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel and repeat performances of the greatest cat-noise sound effect ever. The 91-year-old icon did a few dates here last year and was persuaded to come back for two more shows—“They offered me more money,” he riffed—and if Brooks finds time for another Wynn run, put it on your agenda.

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Cardi B at Drai's.

Saturday was one of the biggest nights of the year in Las Vegas and I’m not talking about game two of the Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup Playoff series against the San Jose Sharks. However, hockey was on the minds and streaming screens of many at the 22nd annual Keep Memory Alive Power of Love Gala at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, attended by stars including Marcia Gay Harden, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Carrot Top, Matt Goss and more. The voice of the Golden Knights Mark Shunock actually started his night hyping up the T-Mobile Arena crowd and cranking the pregame siren with ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons before bolting over to MGM to host the gala. There was some Power of Love-Latin Billboards crossover, too, as Zappos Theater resident Pitbull and globetrotting DJ Steve Aoki popped up at both events.

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Rich Little at the Golden Tiki.

Despite all this partying, I was outdone … by a pregnant lady. Social media hip-hop sensation Cardi B attended those Billboard Latin awards with fiancé Offset of Atlanta rap outfit Migos and performed with Puerto Rican reggaeton star Ozuna, then hit Drai’s Nightclub at the Cromwell Friday night to party and perform with Migos during the group’s Drai’s Live residency show. The club crowd—which included Denver Broncos star Von Miller—went wild when she grabbed a mic for her verse of “Motorsport,” the Migos hit that also features Nicki Minaj.

Chinatown’s tropical favorite The Golden Tiki has added to its collection of shrunken heads. The Man of a Thousand Voices Rich Little is the latest celebrity to be memorialized at the drinking destination and his head was sculpted by Smithsonian artist Terry Barr. Little cracked a few jokes onstage and chilled with fellow comedian Murray Sawchuck, who has also been shrunk at the GT.