The Casino File
Where are the women?
That’s the question posed by this summer’s headliner schedules in the local gaming halls. As of this past weekend, only two mainstream, female headlining acts — comedy titans Tina Fey & Amy Poehler (June 21) and R&B star Ashanti (Aug. 1) — have been booked between this weekend and the start of autumn three months hence. And both are coming to the same property, Ocean Casino Resort.
Male performers have always outnumbered the ladies in terms of bookings, but the disparity has never been so striking — at least in this observer’s memory.
Nonetheless, the lineup is not without its notable names. Below is a chronological look at some of the season’s highlights (all tickets available at ticketmaster.com):
Tina Fey & Amy Poehler (June 21; Ocean—2 shows)
The dynamic duo’s performance at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City two years ago was among the best our town has seen in this decade. Fey and Poehler displayed an impressive variety of comedy chops, generating nonstop laughs via sketches, improvisation and even standup turns, all wrapped up in their obvious affection for each other.
Jackson Browne (June 28; Hard Rock)
It’s been seven years since Browne, who stands among the most iconic of the generation of singer-songwriters spawned in the 1970s, last visited Absecon Island, so this gig definitely goes in the “long-awaited” bin. The Hard Rock gig is his only scheduled performance until he begins a four-night stand at New York’s Beacon Theater, and one of only 18 shows (in eight locations) planned for 2025. As such, it’s an especially cool gig.
Darius Rucker (July 12; Hard Rock)
Rucker conquered the rock world as lead singer of ’90s chart-toppers Hootie & The Blowfish. But rather than rest on those laurels, he has reinvented himself as a frontline country music attraction.
Jeff Dunham (July 13; Ocean)
Every generation has its superstar ventriloquist, and currently Dunham, who launched his career on “America’s Got Talent,” holds that title.
Frankie Valli (July 19; Hard Rock)
Either with the Four Seasons or solo-billed, the most famous “Jersey Boy” of all has been an AC headliner for more than 60 years (first at Steel Pier and then as a beloved attraction at various casinos). Now 91 years old, Valli swears this is the last time he’ll perform here (his current tour is billed as “Last Encores”), so this show stands as historic.
Daryl Hall With Special Guest Glenn Tilbrook (July 25; Ocean)
Hall’s acrimonious split with partner-for-decades John Oates has allowed him to go the solo route. But it’s probably not wrong to expect his set to include a heaping helping of Hall & Oates signatures. And if you go, make sure to get there in time to see opener Tilbrook, the former Squeeze co-leader (with Chris Difford) responsible for some of the catchiest tunes of the past 45 years or so.
Colin Jost (Aug. 2; Ocean)
The popular “Saturday Night Live” writer-performer steps out from behind the “Weekend Update” anchor desk to offer a full standup set.
Magic Rocks: Illusionist Leon Etienne (Aug. 2; Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City)
It’s ironic that what was once a lodestone of summertime show business has all but disappeared from the local casino scene. So, if you need a fix of prestidigitation, Etienne is the guy to see as he’s the only illusionist due in town this year.
David Lee Roth (Aug. 8; Hard Rock)
The former Van Halen front man hasn’t toured since COVID prematurely ended his 2020 road trip. Roth did a set at a May 3 show in California that was entirely comprised of Van Halen songs; he didn’t even include his two solo hits, “California Girls” and “Just A Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody,” so draw your own conclusions about this concert.
An Evening with Lil Mo’ Mozzarella (Aug. 16; Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City)
If you’re not hip to the guy born Mark Brucato, he is a Brooklyn-born, Queens-bred social-media personality whose 60-second takes on Gotham’s food culture are described on his website as having “a spirit akin to Adam Richman meets Guy Fieri’s ‘Diners Drive-ins & Dives’ mixed with a quick in-and-out Italian twist.”
Hank Azaria & the EZ Street Band (Aug. 23; Borgata)
There are plenty of tribute acts headed our way over the next few months, but only one has an honest-to-goodness celebrity fronting it. That would be Azaria, the veteran film and TV actor who is, perhaps, best-known for voicing multiple characters on “The Simpsons.” In case the billing doesn’t give it away, Azaria and his backing group will be paying homage to Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band.
Al Jardine & The Pet Sounds Band (Sept. 5; Borgata)
The recent passing of Brian Wilson gives this date by Beach Boys co-founder Jardine added significance, especially because the Pet Sounds Band is the same unit that had been backing Wilson’s solo efforts for years.
Sebastian Maniscalco (Sept. 18-21, 25-28; Ocean)
After a decade of precedent-setting runs at Borgata, Maniscalco is moving his wildly popular standup act to Ocean. Our spies tell us he liked the idea of playing the gaming hall’s luxe Ovation Hall, as opposed to Borgata’s utilitarian — and half-as-large — Event Center. In all, he’ll be doing eight shows at the O.
Chuck Darrow has spent more than 40 years writing about Atlantic City casinos.
