The Casino File
In the first half of the 1980s, to describe something as “totally tubular” was especially high praise. As such, it’s an appropriate title for a tour featuring a gaggle of chart-toppers from that long-ago, MTV-propelled era.
The ”Totally Tubular” tour, which on Dec. 27 hits Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Resort features six acts, all of whom helped ignite the “think visual” period of pop music when, thanks to MTV’s global domination, how an artist looked was as crucial to their success as how they sounded.
Topping the bill is A Flock of Seagulls, who combined synthesizer-soaked hits including the soaring “I Ran (So Far Away),” “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)” and “Space Age Love Song” with its members’ ultra-cool looks (singer-songwriter-keyboardist Mike Score’s winged, asymmetrical haircut remains a totem of the period) to make the unit a particular favorite of the era’s music fans.
Also scheduled to perform are Men Without Hats (“The Safety Dance”); Thomas Dolby (the ultra-quirky “She Blinded Me with Science”); The Romantics (“That’s What I Like About You”); Bow Wow Wow (“I Want Candy”) and Tommy TuTone (“867-5309/Jenny”).
By the way, if you’ve ever wondered about Score’s unforgettable ’do, he offered an explanation to classicpopmag.com:
As the story goes, the band, which was formed in 1979 in Liverpool, England, was getting ready for a gig early in its career. At some point, bassist Frank Maudsley patted down Score’s hair. When he removed his hand from Score’s head, the latter’s hair was flattened in the manner that would one day become famous around the world.
“I was a little space cadet, and I wanted to look like an alien,” Score, who continues to lead the unit, told the website. “My mum used to say, ‘Don’t copy people. Try to be yourself, because that way people will remember you.’
“There was a bit of David Bowie and Alice Cooper in how the band looked, without copying them. Looking at photos of that first gig where Frank flattened my hair, I thought, ‘That looks pretty alien’, and I tried to bend it towards being more alien.”
For tickets, go to ticketmaster.com.
Holiday spirit at Ocean
Before we leave the Boardwalk’s easternmost pleasure dome, be advised that Ocean has gone all-in on the holiday season. Among the ways they’re celebrating there are:
- Holiday-Themed Rooms and Suites:
Thirty rooms and suites have been decked out with such seasonal items as a tree and hot chocolate kit (reservations at theoceanac.com)
- Ocean’s Holiday Village at The Shops at The Row:
The pop-up shopping area returns for a second year. The temporary market, whose final day of operation is Saturday, features gifts (edible and otherwise) from a variety of local businesses.
- Santa’s Hideaway Adventure:
In operation on The Shops at The Row through Christmas Eve,Santa’s Hideaway Adventure is billed as the only attraction of its kind in the tri-state as, according to the casino, it transports “visitors to the North Pole (via elevator) where they will meet, greet and take pictures with the man of the hour himself, Santa Claus.”
- Jingle Bell Bar: A Holiday Pop-up Experience:
Another “pop-up” attraction, the Jingle Bell Bar (normally the 1927 Lounge adjacent to the casino floor) features specialty cocktails and holiday-themed entertainment through Jan. 4.
The ‘fixe’ is in
’Tis the season for “prix fixe” meal deals at restaurants inside the three casinos — Caesars Atlantic City, Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City and Tropicana Atlantic City — owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment.
Here is a sampling of the “blue-plate specials” at the three gambling dens (prices are per person and exclude tax and tip). For details on all specials, go to the three casino’s websites (caesars.com/caesars-ac; caesars.com/harrahs-ac; caesars.com/tropicana.ac):
At Caesars, Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen is offering a three-course dinner Sunday through Thursday for $69.99. It starts with Caesar salad with parmesan frico, or mushroom soup with truffle and chives; entrees offered are brick-pressed chicken, braised short rib or crispy skin salmon; dessert is sticky toffee pudding with dulce de leche ice cream.
La Strada At the Shore inside Harrah’s offers the same price on the same schedule as Hell’s Kitchen. The deal includes Caesar salad or the soup of the day. Entrées are a creamy fusilli Vodka, chicken parmigiana with tagliatelle or branzino with olives with Yukon potatoes and sweet tomatoes in white wine sauce on the side. Dessert selections feature mini cannoli or lemon and strawberry sorbet.
And over at Tropicana, Ossu Asian Tavern is serving a four-course meal (for $38) Fridays and Sundays that begins with a choice of edamame, kani salad, chicken wings, chili garlic wontons, shrimp yakitori or miso soup. The sushi course includes California roll, spicy tuna roll or shrimp tempura roll. The next course is either Ossu fried rice (beef, chicken, shrimp, bean sprouts, green peas, edamame, or beef lo mein). The dessert course is the chef’s daily selection.
Chuck Darrow has spent more than 40 years writing about Atlantic City casinos.
