The Casino File
By Chuck Darrow
There are some eight billion folks in the world for whom I feel sorry. That’s because they weren’t at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City last Saturday night to see Smokey Robinson at Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena.
The 85-year-old pop-music immortal—whom no less an authority than Bob Dylan once described as “America’s greatest living poet”–thrilled and delighted the virtually sold-out crowd with a program of songs that covered his legendary 60-plus-year career.
For starters, he looked fabulous in a glittering silver suit, and he moved about the stage in a manner that belied his age (at one point, he schmoozed a woman in the front row while squatting for about two minutes—something I couldn’t have done at 25!).
How good did he look? Well, a woman sitting behind me said to her companion, “He’s still sexy,” to which the other woman responded with a simple-but-emphatic “yup.”
But most importantly, he delivered his material—which ranged from many of the signature hits he either recorded with his group The Miracles or wrote for others, to several tracks from his most recent album, 2023’s “Gasms”—in the smooth-as-melted-caramel, high-tenor voice that’s been a crucial part of the soundtrack to countless millions of lives since the 1960s. Thus, it was truly special to hear the likes of “I Second That Emotion,” “You Really Got A Hold on Me,” “Ooh Baby Baby” and “The Tears Of A Clown” performed with fealty to the original versions. However, there were two numbers whose arrangements were altered with mixed results.
“The Tracks of My Tears,” the pre-encore finale, was a “goosebumps” moment as Robinson delivered it as a gospel-framed hymn (to be honest, it probably should have been the encore), creating the evening’s greatest moment in a set filled with standouts.
However, his rendition of The Temptations’ “My Girl” (to these ears, his finest creation of all) suffered from a sped-up arrangement that drained a significant amount of the song’s emotional heft; it was the only real misstep of the concert.
But Saturday’s turn wasn’t just about wallowing in baby-boomer nostalgia. As noted above, Robinson included tunes from “Gasms,” a collection of songs featuring lyrics of, shall we say, a decidedly adult nature. The especially effective and satisfying title track, with its smoldering, slow-burn groove and at-least-R-rated sentiments, wouldn’t have been out of place on a Teddy Pendergrass LP; certainly, its arrangement owed more to Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff’s Philly International sound than that of the Motown label at which he built his legacy. And a sweet bonus was a take on “Fly Me to the Moon,” which swung in a manner that would have had Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett popping their fingers in ecstasy.
All of this was accomplished with the help of an impressive—and impressively versatile–10-piece band that included “Smoke’s Angels,” an all-female string quartet that added a pleasing degree of lushness to the unit’s sound.
Because Robinson’s career was molded in a different show-business era, Saturday’s show wasn’t merely a recital. Instead, it was a throwback to the days when many singers were “entertainers” whose non-musical shtick was an important element of their presentations. On this score, he proved to be as facile with an anecdote (including a funny one about Stevie Wonder) as he was goofing around between songs with his drummer.
Which only served to make the evening that much more enjoyable and memorable.
Casinos gird for ‘Madness’
Atlantic City’s gaming halls are all set for the 2025 NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments—a.k.a. “March Madness” that begin a week from today with the first round of the men’s competition.
Here’s a look at some of what the casinos have planned:
Bally’s Atlantic City
The Bally Bet Sportsbook will be screening games on its 25-foot-wide LED video wall. Munchies like hot dogs and wings will be for sale and they can be washed down with $3 beers.
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
March 20-22, the Central Conference Center will be open to the public for game-viewing. Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis. There will be food-and-beverage service as well as a dedicated betting window.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
The action will be in the Backstage Café, which boasts 23 high-definition screens. In addition, guests who dine at Hard Rock Cafe during the tourney will receive a punch card with five available slots worth $5 each. Cards will be stamped during each round of the playoffs and can be accumulated and redeemed during the championship game on April 7.
Ocean Casino Resort
The “Madness Zone Hotel Package” offers an overnight stay in a Contemporary King room and a $50 food and beverage credit for The Gallery or Balcony Bar.
Resorts Casino-Hotel
In addition to showing every game in the DraftKings Sportsbook and Bar, Resorts is staging a series of special events scheduled for this Sunday:
Guests can take part in an arcade-style basketball shooting challenge from noon to 10 p.m. for a chance to win a DraftKings T-shirt. There will also be a Half-Court Shot competition with a $50,000 grand prize.
Also, the Harlem Wizards basketball team will put on an exhibition of their skills at 3, 3:30 and 4 p.m., while NBA Hall of Famer Walt Frazier will be on hand for a meet-and-greet from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Chuck Darrow has spent more than 40 years writing about Atlantic City casinos.
