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 Views,
Reviews, and Interviews
by Dianne R. Davis
diannerd@aol.com
Photos by Dianne or Burt Davis
Willie
Nelson is The Man
Singer performed at The Joint, September 29th
Some time ago I asked my husband Burt what
show he would most like to see in Las Vegas. I actually knew what his
answer would be -- Willie Nelson. Real life being what it is, when
Willie was next in town, we weren’t.
This time around, when I found out Willie would be at the Joint at the
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino I immediately set about arranging to take Burt
to Willie’s show. I have to admit, the Hard Rock is not at the top of
the list of casinos that we usually visit. Not because there is anything
lacking in the facilities there, but because we are old enough to have
parented most of the patrons. But it was clear that the “kids” there
were enjoying themselves, and for them, it is a place to see and to be
seen.
Let’s start with the bottom line: Willie is great. I loved the show.
This 74 year old giant of the music industry has recently cancelled a
few concerts because he wasn’t feeling well, but there was no indication
of that on September 28th. This is a show where you get entirely what
you came for:
Willie Nelson comes out.
Willie Nelson sings.
The audience loves Willie Nelson.
There’s no patter with the audience. The songs speak for themselves.
There are no laser lights flashing, no overloud music to assault our
ears. There is just what we came for - Willie Nelson.
His distinctive voice is clear and strong. His songs are classics of the
American musical scene. “Good Hearted Woman.” “Funny How Time Slips
Away”, “Help Me Make It Through The Night,” “ Take The Ribbons From Her
Hair,” “Georgia” . The crowd roared Through “Momma, Don’t Let Your
Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys. They were on their feet when Willie was,
“On The Road Again.”
Members of Willie’s group were given an opportunity to showcase their
individual talents. They include Mickey Raphael who has been Nelson’s
harmonica player for close to three decades and Jody Payne an
accomplished banjo player who backs Willie on the guitar.
Willie is an icon of this country’s musical heritage. His music is
sometimes pure country/western, and other times it is soft dance tunes
with universal appeal. His songs tell us stories. His weathered face
shows the ravages of his hard driving life style, but his music is a
gift to be enjoyed and cherished by all generations.
The Joint at the Hard Rock has seating for 1400 people, but there were
at least an additional 200 people, including us, with standing room
tickets. We lined the side walls and the space between the bar and the
seats.
It was a Willie Nelson audience, all ages and types. We stood between a
PhD candidate and locals residents. We saw plenty of people wearing
orange shirts with Texas slogans on them. We chatted with a couple from
Sweden who had driven down from Salt Lake City just to see Willie
Nelson. They said it was worth the trip.
Toward the end of his two hour performance, Willie Nelson sang “I Ain’t
Superman.” Yes you are, Willie. You are a superman of the American music
scene. I’m glad Burt wanted to see you.
Body
Builders Gather for "Meet and Greet"
at the Orleans
I had a few preconceived ideas of what I would find when I headed over
to the Orleans to cover the Meet The Olympians at the Mr. Olympia
international bodybuilding competition held annually by the
International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) and American Media Inc.
(AMI). Winning is considered to be the highest accolade in the
professional bodybuilding field. There is a parallel contest, the Ms.
Olympia, for female bodybuilders. In addition, the Fitness Olympia and
Figure Olympia are held for fitness and figure competitors,
respectively.
I went up the escalator to head toward the Mardi Gras Ballroom at the
Orleans. The line stretched down the hall and had to be
traffic-controlled. Once my husband Burt and I got into the room itself,
all we saw were lines heading in all directions. Long tables lined the
perimeter of the room and bodybuilders were seated at the tables. The
lines of people were waiting to meet the bodybuilders and purchase
autographed photos, DVDs, and other memorabilia of the contestants.
Clearly, the popularity of the contestants could be determined by
viewing the length of the individual lines.
Ronnie Coleman spent a few hours signing and greeting
fans. He has held the title of Mr. Olympia eight times.
Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman had tables on opposite sides of the room
and had the majority of people waiting to meet them. Cutler, a Las Vegas
resident, was the defending champ and Ronnie Coleman was there to
reclaim the title which he has won in the past.
It may have been difficult to manage to speak to Jay
Cutler, but these members of “Team Cutler” were a delight to talk to.
(L-R) Aaron Smith, Sean Sassenrath, and Josh Ward all agreed that
working for jay Cutler is “amazing” and said that he is “real nice.” I
asked them for some inside info and they told me that Jay loves burnt
pizza
I had a chance to speak with Dr. Lisa Aukland. Yes, the Dr. designation
is real. She has a PHD in pharmacy and has been a professional body
builder for the past five years. Lisa told me that she began
bodybuilding in order to keep fit. Then she discovered that, “I love
feeling healthy and I love feeling strong.”
Sarah Dunlap told me that she was a gymnast before moving
on to becoming a body builder
She began lifting weights and enjoyed it. Her goal is to, “keep
improving my physic.” Lisa feels that the beauty of the sport is that if
you put in your time and effort and you will get results. Lisa does two
to three shows a year. She was anxious to do the show in Las Vegas
because the Olympia in Las Vegas has the top winners of all shows. She
This year she placed fourth.
The Buff Babes
The Buff Babes were mingling with the crowd and selling their 2008
calendar entitles “Muscle Women with Mustangs. The 13 month calendar
which, as the title indicates, includes muscle women with Mustangs (the
car) came about because the women wanted to promote women’s
bodybuilding. They told me that the proceeds from the sale will help
support their ability to compete again next year and promote the sport
as a whole. The calendar is available at their website
www.buffcalendargirls.com
.
Ruth Lucchesi, pictured with my husband Burt, said she
has been training for 24 years. It’s hard to believe she is 44 years
old. She works as a personal trainer.
Fans of this body building event ranged across the spectrum of society.
They were obviously dedicated as evidenced by their willingness to wait
in long lines to see their heroes.
Final results of the competitions can be found at:
http://contest.bodybuilding.com/results/1883
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