May 2022

 

May makes you feel alive.  It is another one of those perfect months in Las Vegas. The weather is great. Entertainment is plentiful. School is almost out. The summer season is almost upon us, and the pool party schedule is active until September.  May has always been an instrumental month for shows…especially new ones. Shows have to get established in May if they are going to survive in the summer.  If a show can survive the summer then they’ll usually do well in the busier fall season. 

The list of things I missed during this pandemic will soon be things of the past.  I will get together with friends.  I’ll go see shows…in theatres!  I’ll travel, and perhaps, I’ll even work!

 

Here are 6 Interesting facts about the month of May:

1. The month May was named for Maia, the Greek goddess of fertility.

2. In any given year, no month ever begins or ends on the same day of the week as May does.

3. May’s birthstone is the emerald which is emblematic of love and success.

4. May was once considered a bad luck month to get married. There is a poem that says “Marry in May and you’ll rue the day”.

5.  The United Kingdom celebrates May as the National Smile Month.

6. On May 1, 1931, the Empire State Building was officially opened.

 

May is a lot of things…it is Date Your Mate Month, National Barbecue Month, and National Blood Pressure Month.

 

May 1st is of course May Day (initially started as another pagan spring festival pre-dating Christianity.)  Dancing around a pole might sound like a Vegas tradition, but there really aren’t a lot of maypole dancers out there.  The one rhyme that is most closely associated with the May Pole dance is “Ring around the rosy…” –a quaint nod to the plague in medieval times.  In the late 19th Century, May Day was chosen as the date for International Workers' Day by the ‘Socialists and Communists of the Second International’ to commemorate the Haymarket affair in Chicago. In those countries that celebrate International Workers' Day, the day may also be referred to as "May Day" but it is a different celebration from the traditional May Day…just thought you should know. It is also Mother Goose Day.

 

The 2nd is Baby Day and Brothers and Sisters Day. The 3rd is Lumpy Rug Day. May the Fourth, obviously, Star Wars Day, and Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for May the 5th. The 6th is International Tuba Day, National Tourist Appreciation Day, National Nurses Day, No Diet Day, and Space Day. The 7th is National Tourism Day and World Naked Gardening Day (There will be a lot of hoes out.) The 8th is V-E Day, and No Socks Day…which is interesting because the 9th is Lost Sock Memorial Day. It is then followed on the 10th by Clean up Your Room Day. The 11th is Eat What You Want Day and Twilight Zone Day. And the 12th is Limerick Day (There once was…)

 

The 16th is Love a Tree Day, National Sea Monkey Day, and Wear Purple for Peace Day. The 18th is No Dirty Dishes Day and Visit Your Relatives Day. The 20th is Be a Millionaire Day. The 21st is Armed Forces Day. The 22nd is Buy a Musical, Instrument Day, and World Goth Day, The 23rd Lucky Penny Day; the 24th National Escargot Day, the 25th National Wine Day and Tap Dance Day, the 26th is Sally Ride Day, and the 27th is Sun Screen Day.

 

The 28th is Amnesty International Day, and International Jazz Day. The 29th is Learn About Composting Day. The 30th is Water a Flower Day. And finally, the 31st is Save Your Hearing Day.

 

Cinco de Mayo is the date observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.  In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is sometimes mistaken to be Mexico's Independence Day—the most important national holiday in Mexico—which is celebrated on September 16.

 

Remember that Mother's Day is on the 8th.  Remember your Mother!

 

Globally renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli announced new US tour dates for December 2022. Andrea Bocelli In Concert includes 11 new show dates in major cities across the nation, including San Francisco, Las Vegas, Boston, Miami, New York and Columbus with the support of the highly regarded Columbus Symphony Orchestra. Bocelli will perform at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022.

 

 The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas welcomes multi-talented, five-piece band Why Don’t We to The Chelsea on Friday, Aug. 19. The highly anticipated performance is a stop on the group’s “The Good Only Times” tour featuring special appearances by The Aces and JVKE.  Formed in 2016 by Jonah Marais, Corbyn Besson, Daniel Seavey, Jack Avery and Zach Herron, the American boy band Why Don’t We immediately took the world by storm. Following the debut their first, hit single “Taking You” in 2017, the group went on to successfully release two critically acclaimed studio albums and six extended plays.

 

Saddle up for a hot summer with country singer and songwriter Travis Tritt and special guest Randy Houser, scheduled to perform as part of the Concerts on the Beach Series at Mandalay Bay Beach at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022. Doors will open at 8 p.m. and the show is scheduled to start at 9 p.m.  Three decades after Travis Tritt launched his music career, the Southern rock-influenced artist continues to sell out shows and stay true and relevant to country music fans across the globe.  When Tritt was just a young Marietta, Georgia native, he incorporated his lifelong influences of Southern rock, blues and gospel into his country music during a honky-tonk apprenticeship that led him to Warner Bros. in 1989.

 

 The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is thrilled to welcome GRAMMY® and Academy Award-nominated rock band Counting Crows to The Chelsea on Saturday, July 23. The highly anticipated announcement follows the band’s immense success over the last two decades selling more than 20 million records worldwide and releasing seven studio albums.  Exploding onto the music scene in 1993, the Counting Crows have enchanted listeners worldwide with their intensely soulful and intricate take on timeless rock & roll.

 

Human Nature, one of the world’s greatest pop vocal groups and a true Las Vegas success story announce their highly anticipated return to Las Vegas for 14 hit packed nights from August – November at the acclaimed Showroom at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa. For a limited engagement, they return to their soulful roots with their acclaimed interpretations of the Motown songbook. “Back to the Sound of Motown” will celebrate all the things the guys and their audiences love most, the greatest songs of all time with three of the greatest vocal harmony singers in the world.  Human Nature was first introduced to the United States by none other than the King of Motown himself, Smokey Robinson. The group’s Las Vegas Show run has become stuff of legend as this talented bunch of Aussies reimagine the classic groups and hit songs of Motown for a whole new generation and have played the famed Las Vegas Strip for over 11 years.

 

The 2022 Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association (UNAA) World Series Final Championships will return to the Orleans Arena, bringing top ninja athletes and challenging obstacle course events – including the World Ninja Athlete Games and Ultimate Obstacle Course Racing 3K Championships – on Thursday, July 21 through Saturday, July 23.  UNAA promotes and organizes an international series of ninja obstacle course gyms and competitions across the world. The UNAA World Series is composed of judged competitions based on performance and time, allowing athletes of all abilities to compete in Ninja or Obstacle Course Racing events.  More than 7,000 athletes competed for a chance to participate in the UNAA World Finals, but only 1,500 athletes have qualified and will compete at the Orleans Arena on July 21-23.

 

 This is the one where everyone's favorite musical sitcom spoof pivots to "The Venue" inside The Orleans Hotel & Casino for an all-new residency! Beginning April 28, 2022, FRIENDS! The Unauthorized Musical Parody will perform Thursdays through Sundays at 7:30 p.m.   FRIENDS! The Unauthorized Musical Parody lovingly lampoons all ten seasons of the classic sitcom that ran from 1994-2004. Boasting hysterically funny musical numbers with titles like "Central Perk Tango," "Will We Or Won't We," "How Ya Doin'?" and "Pivot," the musical parody pokes fun at the TV show's seemingly endless romantic tension, its characters' idiosyncratic catch phrases, and even takes a shot at the unusually spacious New York City apartment that the struggling twenty-somethings uncannily appear to afford.

 

Criss Angel and Franco Dragone opened AMYSTIKA, premiering in front of a jam-packed house on April 2, 2022. AMYSTIKA – THE MINDFREAK PREQUEL unleashes a visual feast of hope and triumph -- proving that anything is possible when you believe in your dreams. This euphoric, enigmatic world pushes the boundaries of reality like never before as a real firestorm ignites and engulfs a human body, a tornado rages through the theater and a blizzard of snow falls so heavy it challenges the audience to see their own hands.

 

After two years, the Palms Casino Resort officially reopened. Room and suite reservations are now being accepted at www.palms.com.

 

New Aces of Comedy headliner and online sensation Nurse Blake announced an additional performance at The Mirage Theatre and now is scheduled to perform two shows September 8 & 9 at The Mirage Hotel & Casino. Both shows are scheduled to begin at 10 p.m.

See the full list of the 2022 Aces of Comedy lineup:

MAY 2022

Friday, May 6:  Jess Hilarious

Saturday, May 7:  Wayne Brady

Saturday, May 14:  Tim Dillon

May 20 – 21:  Bill Maher

May 27 – 29:  Gabriel Iglesias

JUNE 2022

June 3 – 4: Ron White

Saturday, June 18:  Wayne Brady

Friday, June 24:  Kathleen Madigan

 JULY 2022

July 1 – 2:  Iliza Shlesinger

July 8 – 9:  Jimmy O. Yang

July 15 – 16:  Daniel Tosh

July 22 – 23:  Bill Maher

July 29 – 30:  Tom Segura

AUGUST 2022

Friday, Aug. 5:  Kathleen Madigan

Saturday, Aug. 6:  Chico Bean

August 12 – 13:  Jim Jefferies

August 19 – 20:  Ron White

SEPTEMBER 2022

September 2 – 3:  George Lopez

September 8 – 9:  Nurse Blake (second show added)

Saturday, Sept. 10:  Wayne Brady

September 15 – 17:  Gabriel Iglesias

September 23 – 24:  Tom Segura

September 30 – October 1:  Ray Romano & David Spade

 OCTOBER 2022

October 7 – 8:  Daniel Tosh

October 14 – 15:  Iliza Shlesinger

Saturday, Oct. 22:  Chelsea Handler

October 28 – 29:  Tom Segura

NOVEMBER 2022

November 4 – 5:  Tim Allen

November 11 – 12:  Daniel Tosh

November 18 – 19:  Jim Jefferies

November 25 – 26:  Bill Maher

DECEMBER 2022

December 2 – 3:  Ron White

December 9 – 10:  Ron White

December 16 – 17:  Ray Romano & David Spade

December 27 – 30:  Gabriel Iglesias

 

This. Is. MONSTER JAM™!  The most action-packed motorsports experience for families in the world today returns to Las Vegas after nearly three-year hiatus following the pandemic pause (following the Monster Jam All-Star Challenge in Oct. 2019) for an adrenaline-charged weekend with the first-ever Las Vegas arena competition event at the Thomas & Mack Center from July 22-24, 2022.  Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Monster Jam features world-class athletes locked in intense competitions of speed and skill. 

 

With remarkably successful stints on America’s Got Talent, Britain’s Got Talent and Australia’s Got Talent, LIOZ is primed to usher in a new era of comedy as the performer brings his racy magic parody show to the famed Las Vegas stage. Hailed as a “Comedy Genius” by Simon Cowell and “Hysterical” and “Brilliant” by Howie Mandel, LIOZ has amassed more than 500 million views on social media. His highly anticipated residency is at The Magic Attic inside Bally’s Las Vegas. The distinctive show is divided into several parts, which are deliberately diverse, in order to provide a dynamic, innovative and unique feel throughout the entire 70-minute spectacle. Featuring magic spoofs, music-based routines, audience participation acts, “mind illusions,” and more, LIOZ’s offbeat and highly irreverent take on stage magic provides constant surprises and unpredictable hilarity. Audiences will not be able to anticipate what will happen next, as the show offers a completely new and different experience every time LIOZ takes the stage. 

 

Downtown Summerlin® is excited to announce Lei Day, a new parade to celebrate and kick off Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and the rich heritage of the Hawaiian and Pacific Islands.  This fun, colorful and visual parade is set for Sunday, May 1 at 6 p.m. The parade, in partnership with BESTAgency, will feature local organizations including Nani ola Hawaiian dance company, Na hula o kaleiokapualani and Tevakanui Polynesian Dance Company.

 

Scottish alt-rock titans Biffy Clyro embark on their first US tour in five years, including a stop at House of Blues Las Vegas Wednesday, May 4, 2022.  The beloved post-hardcore band will have plenty of new material to perform. During the pandemic, Biffy Clyro released two widely acclaimed albums — 2020's A Celebration of Endings and 2021's tumultuous The Myth of the Happily Ever After, which produced the breakout smash "A Hunger in Your Haunt."

 

Actor, stand-up comedian and writer Jimmy O. Yang will make his Aces of Comedy debut at The Mirage Hotel & Casino July 8 – 9.  The shows will be performed at The Mirage Theatre. Jimmy O. Yang is best known for his starring role as Josh Lin in Netflix's "Love Hard" and his portrayal of 'Jian Yang' on HBO's Emmy-nominated series "Silicon Valley." He also played the memorable Berard Tai in the hit movie "Crazy Rich Asians." He is currently starring in the Netflix comedy "Space Force" opposite Steve Carell and John Malkovich. His first hour-long comedy special "Good Deal" is currently streaming on Amazon Prime and has since become some of the most viewed standup comedy clips on social media.

 

Due to overwhelming demand, Daddy Yankee will perform an additional show of his "La Ultima Vuelta" (The Last Round) tour at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Saturday, Aug. 6. The global music icon astonished the world when he announced the dates of his farewell tour and the recently released album Legendaddy, which will be his final album.   

 

GRAMMY Award-winning rapper and producer, Chance the Rapper will take the stage at Élia Beach Club at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, part of Curio Collection by Hilton, for an unforgettable performance this Memorial Day Weekend on Saturday, May 28.  Chance the Rapper is an award-winning artist born and raised in Chicago, Illinois – where he still lives. He began recording music when he was 10, and released his first song at 13. The Rapper built a successful music career as an independent artist and has hyper-focused his listeners’ experience on access, engagement and community.  Legendary punk bands Flogging Molly and The Interrupters will visit Mandalay Bay Beach Sunday, September 25 along with special guest Tiger Army.

 

Due to scheduling issues, the Aaron Lewis and the Stateliners performance originally scheduled for Sunday, June 19, 2022 has been rescheduled to Friday, June 17, 2022.  All tickets previously purchased for the June 19 performance will be honored for the new date. Those wishing to receive a refund should do so at original point of purchase.  Aaron Lewis grew up in Springfield, Vermont, listening to his grandparents' country 8-tracks. Those roots inspired the multi-platinum front man and founder of Staind to return to his origins and since has quietly made an impact on country music without flexing, to let everyone know what a big deal he is.

 

 Country star Cam is returning to Las Vegas for a special performance at Club Madrid inside Sunset Station on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022 at 8 p.m. Continuing the summer-long lineup of entertainment and special events honoring Sunset Station's 25th anniversary. Prolific and adored, Cam took the world of country music by storm with her critically acclaimed full-length debut, Untamed. The record not only bowed in the Top 15 of the Billboard Top 200 and registered at #2 on the Top Country Albums Chart, but it also yielded her triple-platinum GRAMMY®, CMA and ACM-nominated smash single, "Burning House," a song that defied industry norms and remains the best-selling country song by a female solo artist since its release in 2015. 

 

The Official and Original Jimmy Buffett Tribute Show is coming to M Resort Spa Casino this summer for a live performance inside the Pavilion on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Originally born in 1991, the band won a Jimmy Buffett Sound Alike Contest for Margaritaville Records in 1992, and that is when the ball started rolling. In 1995, Jeff Pike performed with Jimmy Buffett at Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

May 15th is the 117th Anniversary of the founding of the City of Las Vegas. No one really cares about this statistic. We had a great 100-year celebration, and we may have to wait for the 125 or 150-year mark to get the city to celebrate again.

 

Igoshows.com is, of course, the place to read the reviews of all of the shows that are in town so that you can be better informed as to what you should expect from a certain production. The reviews are updated as needed to give you the knowledge you need to spend your entertainment dollars better.