Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Cher @ Caesars Colosseum


If I could turn back time.
I would not have gone to see Cher.

My job has afforded me the luxury of seeing many shows in Las Vegas and I would say a large majority of these are good to great. Cher, however, ranks just below Barry Manilow in the "Holy Shit!!! How Are These Performers So Popular?!?" category.

I tried to go with an open mind...I am not a Cher fan, but to get 14 songs in 90 minutes - 5 of which were covers (Love Is A Battlefield, a U2 song, Walking In Memphis, etc.) I'd have been pissed if I'd paid money to see it (tickets are $110 - $265). Waaaaaaaaaay too much filler (Really? Does some sort of Cirque-style acrobatics need to be in every Las Vegas show nowadays?) in between songs while she made 12 costume changes. And while I can appreciate her unique voice and decades in the entertainment industry, this was another overpriced, overrated Las Vegas show (yet the theater was probably 90% full).

I also think that the Colosseum is not the place to see a music performance. It's a kinda sterile environment, not necessarily conducive to enjoying music i.e. getting up and dancing. This is evidenced by the fact that I am sure there were a ton of Cher fans in the building, but it wasn't until the final song (If I Could Turn Back Time) before only a dozen people got up to dance. And then for some reason she got a standing ovation, and most people stayed on their feet for the encore (Believe), while ABH and I raced for the door.

As critical as I am, there were a couple of highlights. The duet with an old video of Bono was great and some of the career footage in the previously mentioned filler were nice to see, but otherwise...meh!

There are heaps of forms of entertainment in Vegas that are deserving of your hard earned cash. Cher is not one of them.

Cher Setlist The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV, USA 2009, Cher at the Colosseum


The Crap Facts:
This is my 276th concert.
This is my 3rd concert at Caesars Colosseum.
This is my 79th concert in Las Vegas.
This is my 79th concert in Nevada.
This is my 84th concert in the USA.
Cher is the 334th band I've seen.