Review Review: Geek Chic Critique

11/11/2022

Jazz singer Jonathan Karrant confidently steps into November with the release of his first Christmas album, "Christmas Wish".

Trailed last week by the release of his duet "Grown Up Christmas List" with jazz living legend Diane Schuur, a warmly, optimistic take on the modern classic made popular by Amy Grant, the new album finds Karrant sounding relaxed and in full control.

Karrant swings his way through "Winter Wonderland" , giving it a gentle twist of his own whilst losing none of the familiarity, and he saunters through "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" like a man who knows exactly what he is doing. His confidence with the material is charming.

The pairing of "I Wonder As I Wander" with "We Three Kings" includes a beautiful trumpet solo that is warm and rich as it wraps around Karrant's suave vocals.

Covers of more contemporary songs sometimes start to falter but Karrant brings his own take to all of them and puts them in a different light. He declines to take the easy option at most every turn and the album is all the better for it. His choice of featured musicians is impeccable, of course - Houston Person (sax), Kenny Rampton (trumpet), Joe Alterman (piano) and more embrace the holiday spirit alongside Jonathan Karrant.

Karrant emphasises the blue in Elvis' "Blue Christmas" for a memorable pairing with "Santa Bring Him Back To Me". The three thematic song couplings, of which this is one, are a highlight of the record.

Gliding through "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" allows Karrant to remind us how smooth he can be, especially on his well timed and liberated choruses.

If you are ready to put the political minefields of the past week behind you, "Christmas Wish" is a wonderful way of transitioning into a holiday mood. Relax in Karrant's musical arms - everything is going to be okay, he seems to be saying.

"Christmas Wish" by Jonathan Karrant is available on all major platforms on Friday, November 10th.

Concert dates to be announced soon.

06/05/2022

Elektra Heavenly became the first Transwoman to headline a ticketed show in Las Vegas on April 30th when she performed at The Vegas Room following guest performances as The Tuscany and Kelly Clinton's "Sit In".

At first it's shocking to realise this milestone had not already been achieved but take a step back and ask yourself how many Transgender singers you can name.

Elektra took to the stage in a stunning, shimmering gown and Shania Twain's "From This Moment On", completed with a bespoke Whitney Houston coda. Aside from a few nervous notes it was a confident start to an impressive show.

Interspersed with conversations about her upbringing and musical inspiration and ably supported by jazz singer Toscha Comeaux, Elektra swept through a simple, elegant arrangement of"The Way We Were", a sweet, light and bilingual version of The Carpenters' "Superstar" full of beautiful sustains on the emotional payload notes and careful use of her delectable vibrato and a slow and tender inrerpretation of "Let's Stay Together" that transitioned into a funky party take that had the audience cheering.

Whirling through Bonnie Raitt and Better Midler, Elektra paused for a duet with Toscha Comeaux on "All Of Me" that included a S**t Off that was one highlight of Elektra's stunning debut as a headliner before the intermission.

On this basis, it won't be long before Elektra Heavenly is headlining her own Las Vegas residency and that is a show you won't want to miss.

The Vegas Room and adjoining Nevada Room at 953 E Sahara remains one of Las Vegas' most exciting new venues. Check out vegasnevadarooms.com for their full schedule of forthcoming shows, including Michael
Grimm, Kelly Clinton, Fifth Avenue and more.

02/05/2022

Trattoria del Lupo, a Wolfgang Puck restaurant inside the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, continues to excel at upscale Italian food, and serves arguably the finest steaks in the city.

Our meal opened with a Meat and Cheese Board that is a lesson in charcuterie. A first class quality selection of four cheeses, including a beautifully creamy camembert, and four cured meats including prosciutto di Parma plus a wedge of honeycomb, pickled peppers, nuts and olives that results in a vividly flavourful plate.

The Cesar Salad includes Foccacia Rosemary Croutons and a house-made dressing for added freshness and flavour.

The lamb and fennel sausage with orchetta, topped with pea shoots provided an impeccably balanced yet robust flavour test. The sparing use of sauce ensures both the lamb and fennel retain their prominence while the freshness and sweetness of the peashoots subtly temper the strength of the bolder flavours for a bite I will savour for a long time to come.

Already rather full by this point, my wife and I opted to shared a hefty, thick cut 16oz New York steak, perfectly cooked to Medium Rare over an open fire to give a natural char and a tender, juicy dark pink core for maximum flavour. This outstanding steak may be impossible to beat in Las Vegas.

The dessert options include a magnificent, baked Spanish strawberry cheesecake. The huge wedge has a slightly blackened top that was cooked enough to caramelize it without creating a crispy, burned top layer. Below that, the body of the cheesecake had just enough firmness to stand and to roll across the tongue without collapsing without feeling dense. The strawberries burst with flavour thanks to a naturally flavoured, light strawberry sauce that is minimally applied. The awareness of the quantity of each constituent part of a meal is one of Lupa's many strengths - enough to be present, not enough to distract from the star of the plate.

While certainly not cheap, the bill was favourably competitive with a meal at any of the other fine dining restaurants in the city. Lupa is the undisputed Las Vegas heavyweight champion of fine dining, within its price range. .

Colton was our server. He was friendly, responsive and attentive. When we go back, we will definitely ask to be seated in his section. I'm sure every server here is good - the teamwork on display was fantastic - but Colton was exceptional.

Five outstanding courses. Attentive service despite the restaurant being nearly full within an hour of opening. A two minute walk from the Mandalay Bay car park, where locals with a Nevada ID can park for free for up to three hours. What's not to love?

17/04/2022

Save the date:

The refreshing Mira Dasu is back on May 20th with the second single from her forthcoming album.

"Drifting Friends" is a knowing slice of indie pop that takes the listener from seductive and flirty through to growling disappointment with shades of Nina Persson, Munya, Natalie Imbruglia and Hye Jin Park colouring Mira's insanely gorgeous vocals.

Building on the success of the dreamy, shimmering pop smash "Tryna" in 2021, Mira Dasu brings the sounds of summer to us yet again with this guitar driven pleasure that makes me yearn to sip expensive drinks by the pool, spill the T with the crew and make a phone call I probably shouldn't.

Sign up at Distrokid to get a reminder to check out "Drifting Friends" on May 20th!

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/miradasu/drifting-friends

Stream and Pre-save Drifting Friends - Distributed by DistroKid

04/03/2022

The amazing Miss Behave, star of the Miss Behave Gameshow, is back on stage with a brand new show in a new theatre!

Gameshow brought the chaos and anarchy of classic British humour to the Las Vegas strip with echoes of Comic Strip Presents, Tommy Cooper, The Young Ones, Les Dawson, French & Saunders, Lily Savage, Shooting Stars and more with an inimitable sprinkling of glamour, sequins and a ta**ry weekend affair in Blackpool.

We expect nothing less than side-splitting comedic brilliance from this new variety show, which promises comedy, burlesque, clowns and more.

Tickets are a steal at $25 from cheapshotdtlv.com

09/02/2022

The stupendously talented and gorgeous Danika Vega opens a new KJ gig at Aloha Kitchen & Bar on S Decatur, 8pm - 2am every Friday and Saturday night!

The venue has long been known for drag queen hosted karaoke nights as well as affordable, quality food and an inclusive environment.

This will be quite the night - no doubt the staff at GCC will see you there soon.

04/02/2022

The excellent North Dakota band Wildly Appropriate debuted their first TV special yesterday.

Six songs with short interviews woven in.

Describing themselves as "groovy guitar rock", the band fuse elements of funk, country, punk, roots and blues into a cohesive alt-everything sound. A little Bob Dylan, a splash of Wilco, a hint of Maria McKee and a whole lot of passion.

The best waste of 26 mins you could have today. If you have time to guess a five letter word, you have time to check this out.

https://youtu.be/JgeKkcNqIgU

03/02/2022

Fresh from the announcement of 2022 North America tour dates comes this NPR "Tiny Desk" concert by Tori Amos, the singer-songwriter whose chart career now spans over thirty years from her groundbreaking debut solo album "Little Earthquakes" to last year's impressive "Ocean To Ocean".

Tour dates can be found in the comments section.

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/02/1070150705/tori-amos-tiny-desk-home-concert

From her state-of-the-art home studio, the beloved singer-songwriter plays selections from her 2021 album, Ocean to Ocean, as well as a fan favorite.

03/11/2021

Newsflash:

Martina Brookshire, the drag alter ego of Mark Melton Jr, steps in as the host of Faaabulous: The Show at Notoriety on Fremont Street for the whole of November.

Faaabulous: The Show is an all live, no lipsynch event starring 5 wonderful queens singing their hearts out. 8pm showtime (Friday, tickets $39.99.

https://www.notorietylive.com/event/faaabulous-the-show/2021-11-05/

10/10/2021

GeekChicCritique congratulates:

U.S. National Champion Renee Turcotte
Silver Medal winners Paul Mayer
Bronze Medal Winners Coreen Beckman

These three gifted singers will represent the U.S. at the Karaoke World Championship in November.

12/09/2021

The remarkable Maria Mendiola has died, age 69.

She was performing as a flamenco dancer on Fuenteventura when she was talent spotted and signed to UK record label RCA.

As one half of Baccarat, with Mayte Mateos, she sold 18 million copies (worldwide) of their biggest hit, "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" as the song went to #1 in ten countries in 1977. At the time it was the biggest selling single ever by a girl group. The breathy disco classic has since been covered by Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Goldfrapp and was resurgent this summer as the unofficial anthem of the Scottish football team at Euro 2020.

The follow-up single, "Sorry, I'm A Lady", went Top 10 in the U.K. and #1 in five countries.

Future singles brought diminishing returns but "Darling" was a Top 10 hit in five countries and their third consecutive #1 hit in Norway and when, inn 1978 they came 7th representing Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest singing "Parlez-Vous Francis", it provided them with a Top 30 hit in five countries.

Their final major hit, "The Devil Sent You To Lorado", made the Top 10 in three countries and the Top 20 in five in 1978.

Mendiola continued to perform long after splitting with Mateos and enjoyed a minor hit in 1987 with "Call Me Up", which hit the Top 5 in Spain and the Top 40 in Germany. Neither Mendiola not Mateos were able to recapture the heady success on their 1977-1978 run of hits but both remained in consistent demand on television and in clubs, contrary to Baccara's reputation as one hit wonders.

Mendiola leaves a musical legacy that most aspiring singers can only dream of matching. May she boogie, boogie woogie, all night long.

https://youtu.be/VNFFSqZ8KBg

Baccara's hit 'Yes Sir, I Can Boogie' from 1977 is a hit again this year 2021. The Scottish Soccer Team, playing in the Euro 2020 tournament, have adopted th...

10/09/2021

A triumphant return to the stage for Kelly Clinton at The Nevada Room for the first night of her new residency, "Kelly Clinton's Sit In".

Clinton's residency is a coup for the Las Vegas' hottest new venue, which offers live entertainment six nights a week (Mondays dark).

The packed audience included composer and "Piano Party" host Keith Thompson, comedian Barbara Brighton, jazz singer Toscha Corneaux, Louis Armstrong impersonator Anthony Brady, KJ Shiela Wright, writer Rebecca Michaelsen Murphy and her husband, Ian Murphy, Head Judge for U.S. Nationals, KWCUSA, along with a host of Broadway producers, entertainers and more.

Clinton took to the stage with a confident and lively performance of Fergie's "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)", a Las Vegas favourite since its inclusion in the much-missed "Baz!" at The Palazzo, and the early Lionel Richie hit, "You Are", before introducing the first in a long series of guest performers.

Elisa Fiorillo, the 80s pop star who worked with Prince for over 25 years and was a member of New Power Generation, blew the roof off with her Chaka Khan and received a boisterous response from the audience for her cover of Peggy Lee's "I Am Woman", a duet with Kelly Clinton herself and a reminder of their many shows performing together.

Phillip Officer sang "Skylark" to a hushed room. Has the penultimate track from his classic 2001 album, "Hoagy On My Mind", ever sounded finer? Unlikely.

Justin Young stormed the stage with a high voltage performance of his new single, "Forever Yours". In a purple sequinned jacket and black shirt he dazzled as he used every square inch available to add not only vibrant sax but also some dynamite moves to an already explosive evening. His firecracker performance worked up an audience that should be eagerly awaiting his November 27th show, from his "Holiday Classics Tour", at Summerlin Library Theatre.

Mak King - now headlining at the Excalibur aftee 20 years of comedy magic at Harrah's - had the audience roaring with laughter at his smooth verdion of a "cut the rope" and card trick that was expertly executed.

The legendary Bill Fayne gave a low key, absorbing interpretation of "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Boulevard. Bill hosts his inaugural Broadway Brunch at The Nevada Room at 2pm on Sunday, September 12th "Broadway Spotlight: Music of Andrew Lloyd-Webber", with a dozen singers joining him to celebrate the career of the British composer. As quick with a joke as a tune, Bill never disappoints.

Tony Arias, a regular "Piano Party" fixture, shared a medley from his recent show, "Big Beautiful Broadway". His "Ol' Man River" reverberated across the room and was no doubt felt across fhe city. Tony will be at The Nevada Room performing "Tony's Vegas Nights" on October 9th-11th. One of the funniest performers in town with a quick lune in self-deprecating wit and a huge, lion voice, Tony's shows are always a Las Vegas highlight.

Christine Shebeck's take on Whitney's "Saving All My Love For You" had the audience gasping in admiration. Eric Sean's "Tennessee Whiskey" was every bit as smooth as bourbon.

And so the show continued, with star after star joining Kelly Clinton's show, interspersed with impersonations and laughs galore.

Kelly's husband, the British-born Clint Holmes, took to the stage in the third hour and shared an impeccably smooth version of Bill Withers' "Lovely Day" and a Melissa Manchester song he generously dedicated to Demi Lovato, Naomi Osaka and all those who relate to their struggles.

Kelly Clinton, looking fabulous in black with head to toe sequins, closed out a memorable night. She'll be back at The Nevada Room every Thursday with a variety of guest performers.

"Kelly Clinton's Sit In" is a free show (reservations are a must) but entertainment costs and quality entertainment costs more so please enjoy the food and drink menu and be generous when tipping. GeekChicCritique recommends the Blue Cheese stuffed Burger, the rich and densely flavoured Tomato, Garlic and Basil Soup (vegan), a luxurious Creme Brulee L'Orange and the cooling True Watermelon Ice, served with fresh mint.

Check out vegasnevadarooms.com for showtimes.

10/09/2021

Do you need a final dose of aural sunshine before the season ends?

Look no further than the breakout new single "Tryna (Get To Your Love)" by Mira Dasu.

Pair it with bottomless mimosas for a perfect Sunday brunch and you will be dancing like you are still on vacation.

Vacation. Remember those? "Tryna" has that 'happy but whistful' quality of fondly remembering a great trip but simultaneously feeling very unsure when the next one will be.

Innocculate yourself against the pandemic blues with this upbeat, summery jazz dessert.

"Tryna (Get To Your Love" by Mira Dasu is available NOW wherever you buy or stream music.

https://youtu.be/pahorF7gqIk

Provided to YouTube by DistroKidTryna (get to your love) · Mira DasuTryna (get to your love)℗ bad roommateReleased on: 2021-09-10Auto-generated by YouTube.

09/09/2021

Fall entertainment is off to a fine start in Las Vegas and now to add this to our collective calendars:

Mak & The Cheese at The Space. Oct 20th.

Makenzie Fly - singer, actress, dancer and yoga instructor - and Colin Cahill - rock star, actor, Atomic Saloon legend - join forces for an evening of music and laughter for one night only.

If you find yourself thinking the world is a bit dreary and you need a lift (and you are fully vaccinated) then this is the show for you.

Tickets $25 at thespacelv.com

05/09/2021

GeekChicCritique congratulates the twelve 2021 National Finalists for KWCUSA and wishes all the best to every single one of them in tonight's show.

Renee Turcotte
Chris Hoffman
Parnell Lester
Veronica Mum
Camille Gomez
Coreen Beckman
Paul Mayer
Samantha Payne
Grant Cullum
Beth Brennan
Rebecca Washburn
Jeremy Chappa

U.S. National Finals Round 1 results show airs tonight at 5pm PST and everyone at GeekChicCritique will be glued to their screens watching.

14/07/2021

GeekChicCritique congratulates Jacob Carpenter on his Gold placement win in the Country genre round of U.S. Nationals for the Karaoke World Championship (KWC).

Jacob’s consistent, coppery tone wraps around a country melody like raw silk around Bombyx mori, cocooning and sustaining it. His clean, unfussy videos focus on his vocal strengths, such as his precision.

Jacob is the penultimate singer to join the Gold Divisional Round on July 26th, joining Paul Mayer, Parnell Lester, Carlisa Riviera, Kristen Hernandez, Jeremy Chapa, Dawn Hayes and Renee Turncotte as they compete to reach the finals of U.S. Nationals.

https://youtu.be/UceHZ5VcCe8
*Disclosure: this writer also serves on the Board of Directors of KWCUSA.

14/07/2021

GeekChicCritique is excited for the return of the long-running Menopause: The Musical to Harrah's Showroom.

Prior to the interruption caused by COVID-19, Menopause was the longest-running musical in the history of the Las Vegas Strip. It picks up in the same theatre where is left off and is sure to be packing seats again as soon as curtains go up on July 22nd.

Menopause is an hilarious, uplifting musical sure to inspire a riot in your heart. It's positive, egregious spirit makes it fun for men and women of all ages and while have you humming, chortling and doing a little fancy footwork as you leave the theatre.

Las Vegas' theatre scene shines a little brighter already with news of Menopause's return.

Menopause: The Musical runs at 8pm every night (Mondays dark) with a 4pm matinee on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

14/07/2021

GeekChicCritique congratulates Paul Mayer on his Gold placement win in Open Round 5 of U.S. Nationals for the Karaoke World Championship (KWC).

Paul impressed us with a deep, powerful and expressive voice and detailed performances that demonstrate he is as much an actor as he is a singer. He has power both in his lower range and his head voice and can add musicality even to lines are almost spoken rather than sung. His use of make up and staging was terrific for the theme of his chosen songs but we are looking forward to being able to see him more clearly when he performs again as theatrically dark shadows can hide flaws that need to be assessed by judges. Whether emphasizing the devilish pleasure of “Fresh Blood” from the musical Dracula or the fervent, desperate prayer of “Bring Him Home” from Les Mis, Paul understands how to balance the lyrical narrative with the drama of the music.

Paul Mayer is an exciting new talent who joins what is set to be an extremely competitive Gold Divisional Round on July 26th, joining Parnell Lester, Carlisa Riviera, Kristen Hernandez, Jeremy Chapa, Dawn Hayes and Renee Turncotte as they compete to reach the finals of U.S. Nationals.

https://youtu.be/1kC38i0IMBM

*Disclosure: this writer also serves on the Board of Directors of KWCUSA.

19/06/2021

Mark Saturday, August 12th on your calendars!

The magnificent, multi-talented maestro - the New King of Las Vegas, Tony Arias - debuts a brand new show at the theatre in Clark County Library on Flamingo Road.

In collaboration with Composer, Arranger and Musical Director Keith Thompson and legendary pianist Phillip "Hands of Liberace" Fortenberry this new show, "Big, Beautiful Broadway" revisits classic songs from musicals and coats them in a healthy dollop of Las Vegas - Tony Arias style.

If you've seen any of Tony's shows you'll know that means big notes, a bold delivery, seat-shaking projection, rhinestones, plenty of self-effacing humour and a good time for all. Tony is consistently one of the finest and funniest singers in Las Vegas so this show should be a treat.

This is one show that is sure to sell out.

$35 tickets are on sale now at ShowTix4u.com.

18/06/2021

One of Broadway's finest ... for one night only ...

Niki Scalera

"Broadway & Beyond" at the Italian American Club, Sunday, August 8th.

03/06/2021

GeekChicCritique congratulates Parnell Lester on his Gold placement win in the Hip Hop or R&B genre round of U.S. Nationals for the Karaoke World Championship (KWC).

Parnell's expressive and agile soul vocals demonstrated weariness, optimism and an insistence on being heard on the notoriously tricky "Change Is Gonna Come", a simple sounding classic that requires discipline and passion in the ex*****on. Switching gears to the contemporary R&B sound of H.E.R., Parnell's voice lubricated the notes as it slid through them, sounding as easy and relaxed as the balsamic glaze very deliberately drizzled over a freshly picked arugula and creamy goats cheese salad. A little sweet, sharp in all the right ways and very, very smooth.

Everyone at GeekChicCritique looks forward to hearing Parnell sing again in the Gold Divisional in July, joining Carlisa Riviera, Kristen Hernandez, Jeremy Chapa, Dawn Hayes and Renee Turncotte in the round. The top three singers from the round will qualify to compete at U.S. Nationals for the right to represent the U.S, at Worlds in November.

https://youtu.be/Kt4-6ZlSzf4

*Disclosure: this writer also serves on the Board of Directors of KWCUSA.

KWC

14/05/2021

While Las Vegas continues to gradually re-open from the COVID-19 pandemic,, the city has big plans for the medium and long-term to ensure a major bounce back.

Resorts World, a massive new 3,500 room hotel/casino complex on the former site of the Stardust, opens on June 24th but is waiting until November to bring in its first concert headliner to its ambitious 3,500 seat theatre, which promises to be the largest and tallest in the city with no seat more than 150' away from the stage.

Opening the theatre is Las Vegas resident Celine Dion, who will perform 10 shows from November 5th - 20th. Carrie Underwood has 6 shows from December 1st - 10th, Katy Perry has 8 shows from December 29th - January 15th including New Years Eve, which is likely to be one of the hottest tickets of the night. Luke Bryant completes the announced headliners with 6 shows from February 12th - 20th.

The promise is out there of return dates for all four artists so assuming ticket sales are healthy, expect more engagements at Resort Worlds for each of them next year.

11/05/2021

GeekChicCritique congratulates Carlisa Riviera on her Gold placement win in Open Round 3 of the U.S. Nationals for the Karaoke World Championship (KWC).

Carlisa's smooth, confident vocals on Rihanna's "Unfaithful" and Cee Lo Green's "Forget You" impressed judges and wowed this audience. Her head voice is sweet like evaporated milk - you want it poured over almost any musical dessert. Her runs are fluid and expressive and her tone is thick, consistent and warming.

The conventional wisdom for competitive karaoke is that you don't perform sat down, you do perform in front of a greenscreen prop background, you do get glammed up, Carlisa turns all this conventional wisdom on its head with a fine example of how to create an immersive setting in your home with ambient lighting, props and a casual outfit that complements the song. Rihanna's "Unfaithful" describes a woman getting ready to go out for the night, dressed to kill ("I feel it in the air/as I'm doing my hair") so Carlisa's performance in a white dressing gown, with the camera doubling as her make up mirror, fits exactly into the musical narrative and adds to the conviction she delivers the lyrics with. For once such settings add to the performance rather than distract. Its's a clever move that makes Carlisa's performance more believable because it is so well executed.

None of this would matter if Carlisa didn't have a great voice. Her tone and timbre are sweet and consistent, her use of dynamics is accomplished and her vibrato is exquisitely under-stated. She has a terrific package of vocal talent and tricks and they are very well deployed on her two songs in this round.

Here at GeekChicCritique we can't wait to hear Carlisa Riviera sing again. She joins Kristen Hernandez, Jeremy Chapa, Dawn Hayes and Renee Turncotte in the Gold Divisional round in July,, from which the top three singers will qualify to compete at U.S. Nationals for the right to represent the U.S, at Worlds in November.

*Disclosure: this writer also serves on the Board of Directors of KWCUSA.

05/05/2021

The phenomenal "Atomic Saloon" returns tonight from it's pandemic-enforced hiatus with reduced seating and mandatory masks for the audience.

Outrageously funny, crude and packed with some of the best acrobats and performers in town, "Atomic Saloon" is a riot from start to finish and we are thrilled to see it return, starring Petra Massey, Colin Cahill and all your other favourites from the first run.

"Atomic Saloon" is a genuine, "must see" delight.

A small number of tickets for tonight and future shows are still available. Plays Wednesday through Sunday at the Venetian.

https://spiegelworld.com/atomic-adland/?gclid=CjwKCAjwhMmEBhBwEiwAXwFoEdv6WYObrI-iCnJhUoVBzVnm_ItI1tc4nA1Qr-B3KHPjOa6-AnU0xBoCcj4QAvD_BwE

Spiegelworld is a live entertainment production company known for its shows which combine adult comedy, acrobatics and music, with a contemporary twist on the traditions of vaudeville, burlesque and speakeasy bar culture.

28/04/2021

GeekChicCritique congratulates Kristen Hernandez, the Gold placed winner of Blues Rock Genre Round of the U.S. Nationals for the Karaoke World Championship (KWC*)..

Kristen's boisterous rendition of The Beatles "Oh Darling" is full of confidence is her strong, consistent voice. Little wonder - she has the power, range and control needed to give a gutsy performance that leaves no doubt about how she feels. Her delivery is full-blooded, intense and heavy with a drama that reflects the insecurity of the lyrics. The rootsy, raw edge Kristen adds to her voice reminds the listener what week it is: she is here to rock.

Kristen is a powerhouse vocalist and brings a burst of electrified energy to the Gold Division, where she will compete for a place at Nationals against previous qualifiers Renee Turncotte, Dawn Hayes and Jeremy Chapa and the Gold qualifiers from the remaining 5 rounds. The top three singers from that round will compete at U.S. Nationals for the chance to represent the U.S. at Worlds.

https://youtu.be/31IGCvSFmK4

*Disclosure: this writer also serves on the Board of Directors of KWCUSA.

26/04/2021

GeekChicCritique spent Saturday evening in the company of two remarkable singers as reigning KWC U.S. National Champion Tameca Devant joined us for jazz singer Rita Lim's set at Prosecco.

Lim's versatile repertoire included covers of Minnie Riperton, James Taylor, Donna Summer, Chic, Luther Vandross, Sade, Randy Crawford and Stevie Wonder as well as tracks from her album "The Secret Of Life". We post a link to one of her songs ("What'll I Do") from this enchanting album in the comments.

Her head voice is delightfully light and easy on the ear as she leaps from note to note. Her chest voice has a suave and sophisticated tone that is most agreeable.

Lim's vocals really took life on her impressively smooth cover of Luther Vandross' "Never Too Much" and a sumptuous and robustly fauthful cover of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love", a song requiring so many high notes that must be fully hit, plump and sensual that few singers dare attempt it. I don't recall the last time I heard a singer take on this daunting classic and emerge with grace and aplomb.

Lim ends her show with a Japanese-infused "A Taste of Honey" that fully embodies the memory of one we love when far apart. The sense of longing lingers in the air, conjoined with the optimism that we will be together again - a fitting coda for our gradual re-emergence from the COVID-19 era. Rita Lim is a singer worth leaving the house for.

Lim has built up a reputation here in Nevada but her name may be less familiar to visitors. Don't make the mistake of passing over the chance to hear this songstress perform while you are here in the Las Vegas valley. Catch her now and you will hear her soft, warm voice follow you through the hot, summer nights ahead.

Rita Lim keeps her performance schedule current on her page, including pop up shows, so be sure to follow her there. Her schedule currently includes:

Mondays, 18:00 - 21:00 at Prosecco (Henderson)

Wednesdays, 17:30 - 19:30 at My Mother's House (Summerlin)

Thursdays, 20:30 - 23:30 at La Casa Vegas, Tivoli Village (Summerlin)

Sundays, 19:00 - 22:30 at Tuscany Suites (Flamingo Road)