By Chuck Darrow
It’s both logical and long-established that casinos throttle back on entertainment during the winter. Thanks to the uncertainties of weather in the Northeast—and their impact on the public—Atlantic City’s gaming-hall performance venues tend to be relatively quiet the first three months of the year. But this winter’s schedule goes right past “relatively quiet” and lands in the outskirts of comatose.
How devoid of real star-power is it? So much that there are only four headliners who qualify as bona fide super-duperstars in their respective genres on the books until the vernal equinox in late March: Rappers Pitbull and Ludacris, pop-rock goddess Stevie Nicks and the blues-rocking Tedeschi-Trucks Band.
Once upon a time, four A-list acts constituted an average month at Borgata.
Not that there aren’t other noteworthy bookings. It’s just that there aren’t as many as AyCee would be expected to host, given its ostensible status as an entertainment mecca.
Before we get started, it probably should be noted that, at this point, the show-biz field has pretty much been narrowed down to only two properties, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City and Ocean Casino Resort. The former clearly reigns as Our Town’s current entertainment headquarters, while the latter, though not matching Hard Rock in quantity, has certainly been holding its own in terms of quality the past couple years.
Tickets to all of the shows listed below are available at www.ticketmaster.com except where noted.
Pitbull; Dec. 30 and 31; Hard Rock.
The Miami-born rapper-entrepreneur, whose real name is Armando Christian Pérez, will be showing 2023 out the door/welcoming 2024 with what will likely be his patented mix of high-energy sonics and visual extravaganza with a heaping helping of live-your-best-life entreaties.
Ludacris /Juvenile; Jan. 12; Hard Rock
It will be a major night of hip-hop as the top-selling rapper and actor (the “Fast and Furious” series; he’s also currently starring in Allstate insurance TV spots) is joined by fellow hit-maker Juvenile.
Bad Friends Podcast; Jan 20; Hard Rock.
This program will feature comedians Bobby Lee and Andrew Santino, the hosts of the wildly popular “Bad Friends” podcast. The definitely-for-adults-only show is billed as a “hilarious glimpse into their world.”
Ice-T & Coco; Feb. 3; Ocean.
The original-gangsta-rapper-turned—longtime-TV-star (he plays “Fin” Tutuola on “Law & Order”) and his model wife, Coco Austin, bring their “The Art of Rap” tour to Ovation Hall. They’ll be joined by hip-hoppers Kool Keith and Mick Benzo and DJ Kevie Kev Rockwell.
Stevie Nicks (Feb. 10; Hard Rock).
What is arguably the biggest show of the season will find Nicks performing songs from both her solo career and those most identified with her from the Fleetwood Mac catalog.
Tedeschi/Trucks Band/Little Feat; Feb. 16 and 17; Hard Rock.
Singer-guitarist Susan Tedeschi and her guitar-slinging husband, Derek Trucks (nephew of the late drummer Butch Trucks of Allman Brothers fame) are at the forefront of a new generation of blues-rockers. The two-night stand is enhanced exponentially by the opening act Little Feat, the five-decades-plus-old “jam band” whose blues-based music is infused with groove-intensive funk.
Napoleon Dynamite Live; March 9; Ocean.
The real wild card in the winter-headliner deck is this presentation celebrating the 20th anniversary of the 2004 Millennial cult film. Title star Jon Heder will be joined by co-stars Jon Gries (Uncle Rico) and Efren Ramirez (Pedro) for a screening followed by a panel discussion and audience Q-and-A session.
While actual headliners are in short supply, a number of tribute acts will take up the slack. Among them:
Dean Z: The Ultimate Elvis (Jan. 5, Resorts Casino-Hotel,); Forever Donna (Summer, Jan. 20, Hard Rock); The Ultimate Elvis Experience Starring Shawn Klush & Ryan Pelton (Jan. 27 and 28, Hard Rock); Tusk (Fleetwood Mac, Feb. 3; Harrah’s); Scott Keo (Michael Buble, Feb. 17, Resorts); The Fab Four (Beatles, Feb. 23, Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City); Voyage (Journey, March 15, Hard Rock); One Vision of Queen featuring Marc Martel (March 8, Ocean).
UFC champ at Resorts
Mixed Martial Arts star Frankie Edgar is doing the meet-and-greet thing for fans of all ages Saturday. The event takes place in the Boardwalk entrance lobby.
Edgar, who reigned as the king of the Ultimate Fighting Championship Lightweight division from 2010-2012, will be hanging with the public from 8 to 9 p.m. There is no admission fee for the hour session. Fans can purchase tickets to the UFC 296 VIP Watch Party at the DraftKings Sportsbook, which begins after the public appearance.
