TR Part 1 - Cher concert

Wed May 20th 2009
4 of us flew via USair - arrived 10:30 AM - meeting a friend that moved
there last year.
Want to see Natalie Cole and Cher shows. Got a deal on Cher tix online in
advance - Natalie Cole we'll check when we get there.

Headed to Mirage for check-in. Other couple tried to upgrade to suite - best
they could get was $400/night for the weekend nights, so they stuck with
their "3 nights comped and they pay for the 3 weekend nights ( I think it
was $300, $200 and $99 for Fri/Sat/Sun respectively). Got rooms on 14th
floor and 23rd floor - we didn't care. Breakfast buffet - $15 each - don't
do it. Eggs benny = hard boiled. Home fries - look like they were grilled
for an hour, etc
Visited the pool / drinks. Later grabbed some lunch at the Caribe Cafe -
nice. We had burgers, a tuna melt ( expecting one pile of tuna between 2
slices of bread, GOT - a pile of tuna /cheese on EACH slice of bread): a lot
of tuna! I got Chicken stir fry - very good: too much - I couldn't finish
it.

Walked to Caesars about 6:30pm for Cher show. The 'escalaltor belt' from the
strip was not working/turned on. I think it's dumb, BUT if you're gonna have
it - turn it on/fix it. Got seated about 7pm for the 7:30 show. There were
5 of us and ( as I mentioned last week) 4 wanted floor seats. I've had floor
seats for concerts before, so I elected to get a seat in balcony ( excuse me
'first mezzanine'). Dead center - second row - perfect. I'm alone but I'll
get over it. Nice folks on each side. The floor seats were: middle section
( 4) row HH - on the aisle next to section 5 . GREAT seats on paper - and
prior to the show.

Showtime 7:30pm. At 7:25pm get the " Show starting momentarily ... no flash
photography /cameras allowed . ." message.
7:30 , 7:40 , 7:45 comes and goes - nothing happening... some chanting/
complaining from the audience.
7:50 - nothing . TELL US WHAT'S GOING ON ! At about 7:55, they play a
YMCA-like sing along song . Some sing-along, but most are aggravated and
didn't come here for that.
FINALLY at 8pm the room goes dark and Cher is descending from a " 4 post
cage " ( suspended by heavy wires) - from the upper right rear corner of
the room to the stage - singing ... a U2 song ... I forget now what it was.
She then got unhooked from this cage ( so she couldn't fall out) and
proceeds to explain WHY she's late and a story about union workers. She told
us that to become a union worker you have to pass a test. The test is to
grab your crotch and lift UP ( like THIS). She went on with this for ~10
minutes. Some of her groupies ( there were ~150 or so up front) thought it
was a riot - the rest of us were looking at our watches. The audience sang
"Happy Birthday "( She was 63). At about 8:20 she sang a Pat Benetar song
and then went dark. They ran a film about her ... movie clips ... Sonny and
Cher show clips etc for 10 minutes - while she changed. This was the pattern
for the whole show - sing a song or two and then video while she changed.
At 8:40 she actually sang a popular song. I forget the titles now ( 4 days
later), but do remember that the show was supposed to start at 7:30 and ( I
checked my watch) it was 8:45 before she sang anything that I cared for. A
costume change - a video clip, costume change - a video clip. I know - it's
a tedious report. The concert was the same way. Then they wheeled out a big
box ( 25x25' ) that looked like a wrapped present. She then sang a few hit
songs/changed in the box / sang another song/ changed in the box a few times
( much quicker than going off/onstage.) During that set she DID sing
"popular Cher hits".
Then box offstage - back to one song/change. show over at 9:30pm

If you know anyone that LIVES in Vegas , ask them to buy the tickets online.
Buyer needs to buy online- enter code - LVCHER , fill out name/address etc
and pick up at the box office and show license ( to confirm that you're a
local).
Rather than $129+ tax+fees ,
the balcony ( for locals) ticket was
$86.36 for locals + 12.90 in fees/$8.64 tax = $112.90
Front orchestra section full price = $250 per ticket + fees/tax
Front orchestra section for locals = $178 with taxes/fees was $194.10
each

Bottom line for the concert : half of it was slow/waste of time. The good
half was 'good' - not AWESOME.
If you DO go, get a balcony seat. Friends that insisted on getting floor
seats were upset that - most of the time - the people in front of them were
standing/waving /cheering ( having a good time) while my friends couldn't
see the stage at all if they remained seated.
My balcony seat was fine. If you WANT to see her 'up-close' sit in balcony
and bring binoculars.
'nuf said.


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