The Casino File
The classic rock is coming in waves this summer at Ocean Casino as two acts have settled in for separate summer-long, once-a-week residencies.
Most Thursday evenings (this week it’s Friday), Magical Mystery Doors bring their neat twist on some of the most beloved music of the 1960s and ‘70s, while Sunday afternoons belong to the more straightforward Super Trans
AM.
Below is a look at what you can expect if you decide to make it to Ovation Hall between now and the end of August (all tickets available at ticketmaster.com):
Magical Mystery Doors
Back in 2022, Magical Mystery Doors was voted the Best Casino Act by readers of USA Today, thanks to their weekly Ocean gigs. And while the various Cirque du Soleil folks out in the Nevada desert might disagree, it’s not difficult to understand why the five-piece band based in the Reading, Pa. area so impressed the voters.
For starters, the unit is not just another “tribute” band painstakingly rendering the songs of one or more artists. The five band members — most of whom play multiple instruments — have no interest in cloning sounds. But because — both individually and collectively — they are such superb musicians, they nonetheless stick pretty close to the original versions, especially on the instrumental side of things. And their versatility allows them to master everything from The Beatles’ rather basic “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” to Led Zeppelin’s insanely complex “Kashmir” (albeit in a truncated version).
But what pushes the MMD needle into the red zone is the aforementioned “twist,” which sets them apart from the cover-band pack.
While this singular gimmick may be considered blasphemous by the purists among us, it is what makes MMD a special attraction.
A few times in the set, the band performs two songs simultaneously. That is, while the music being played is that of one familiar tune, the lyrics are from an entirely different song. This offers audience members the rare experience of hearing the words to Led Zeppelin’s revered “Stairway to Heaven” warbled over the sounds of the Fab Four’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and The Doors’ “Hello, I Love You” sung to the arrangement of Zep’s “Misty Mountain Hop.”
But because MMD only employs these formats a few times per set, it keeps the troupe from being a mere novelty act. Instead, these nifty pieces of business elevate the group to heights most bands of this nature will never achieve.
Super Trans AM
Back at The O on Sunday afternoons for a second consecutive summer, Super Trans AM — the show is officially billed as “Super ’70s Rock Show featuring Super Trans AM” — is a far more typical “cover” band performing songs from a variety of artists. The hook here is that virtually every one of the presentation’s 19 songs is by a different act. And each is one that was firmly lodged at or near the top of the Billboard magazine singles chart at one point or another in the 1970s (hence the “AM” part of the group’s moniker).
Thus, STA delivers a wide range (within the context of ‘70s pop-rock) of beloved songs, from The Bay City Rollers’ “Saturday Night” and Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” to “Still the One” by Orleans and Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out.” An especially fun segment showcases three “one-hit wonders:” “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)” by Looking Glass, “Hot Child In the City” by Nick Gilder and “My Sharona” by The Knack.
While the quintet doesn’t quite have the collective musical chops of MMD, there is plenty of talent on stage; all of the musicians acquit themselves with flash and dash. Especially noteworthy is the sense of ’70s rock-star swagger the group’s members bring to the party.
But their renditions, while faithful, are purposely unimaginative in terms of arrangements, and ultimately not unlike those that can be heard in countless bars across America on any given weekend.
As with Magical Mystery Doors’ program, Super Trans AM’s is enhanced by elaborate video presentations — projected on a huge, stage-wide screen — that accompany the songs. These graphics provide guests something to look at while they bob their heads, tap their toes and/or keep time on their thighs. Especially clever was the use of film clips of Fred Astaire, “Bye, Bye Birdie” and “The Honeymooners” during Van Halen’s “Dance the Night Away.”
As a result, Sunday matinees with Super Trans AM are a nice dive into Baby Boomer nostalgia and a great way to introduce younger folks to the glories of 1970s music.
Cuba Libre celebrates Mojito Day
Now that we’ve gotten the minor holiday that is Independence Day out of the way, we can concentrate on a truly significant observance:
Friday is National Mojito Day. To mark this auspicious occasion, Cuba Libre inside Tropicana Atlantic City is offering one of the tropical cocktails, whose main ingredient is white rum, for $1.
You can avail yourself of the deal from noon to 6 p.m. and again from 9 to 11 p.m. Those of legal drinking age will be given a ticket that can be redeemed for the special price upon entry to the popular Cuban-focused eatery.
Chuck Darrow has spent more than 40 years writing about Atlantic City casinos.
