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Snoop Dogg was astatine centerstage, but adjacent helium had to cede the spotlight to the world’s largest rapper.
Shaquille O’Neal led a accelerated interruption to adjacent “The Event” astatine MGM Grand Garden. As the 2 buddies had game-planned, Shaq and Snoop collabed connected ‘Nuthin But a G Thang’ to extremity a terrifically entertaining evening of philanthropy Saturday.
Jimmy Kimmel was the unannounced emcee. Imagine Dragons, Andra Day, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Bieber and Snoop were the headlining lineup.
“The Event” supported The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation successful Las Vegas and Atlanta, O’Neal’s dual location towns. O’Neal announced “The Event” raised $2.7 million, funds to beryllium delivered to the Boys & Girls Clubs and Communities successful Schools.
Shaq’s quality and, shall we say, forceful duet with a shade-donning, dreadlocked Snoop was an suitable send-off for the inaugural event. The amusement was billed arsenic a gala, but this was a party. Enlivened aft the agelong intermission betwixt specified large-scale foundation events (the astir caller astatine MGM Grand was the Keep Memory Alive Power of Love lawsuit successful March 2020), this assemblage was acceptable to groove.
From the infinitesimal Imagine Dragons were announced, dozens of the attendees astatine the black-tie matter determination to the beforehand of the stage. We telephone this improvement a Posh Pit.
How we adjacent it … @SnoopDogg @SHAQ. #ShaqEvent was fun, crisp, ran connected schedule, raised wealth and brought the prima power. @MGMGrand #RjNow @reviewjournal pic.twitter.com/W5RwuEvg62
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) October 3, 2021
Backstage earlier the show, the Dragons said they were anxious to yet instrumentality to the stage. They were besides grateful to instrumentality the foundation motion to Shaq, who boosted the band’s ain chosen foundation lawsuit for the Tyler Robinson Foundation astatine Wynn Las Vegas successful September 2019.
“He came retired to TRF 2 years agone and I deliberation helium astir apt spent much than anybody, and helium spent it connected things that cipher other was bidding on,” Dragons beforehand antheral Dan Reynolds said. “We instantly could spot his quality and however overmuch helium cared astir the cause. He’s conscionable specified a charitable person, a bully idiosyncratic who wants to springiness backmost and truly believes successful this cause.
How we adjacent it … @SnoopDogg @SHAQ. #ShaqEvent was fun, crisp, ran connected schedule, raised wealth and brought the prima power. @MGMGrand #RjNow @reviewjournal pic.twitter.com/W5RwuEvg62
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) October 3, 2021
“With Shaq, what you spot is what you get.”
We person #groovers! @SHAQ rushes the signifier w/ @kellyclarkson #ShaqEvent @MGMGrand #RJNow @reviewjournal @parkmgm pic.twitter.com/HCrGfjwWnn
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) October 3, 2021
We got immoderate signifier clip with Shaq, and not lone his rap-quest with Snoop. He besides arrived to sing with Kelly Clarkson on, “Since You’ve Been Gone,” with Clarkson ascending to precocious notes arsenic if trying to scope the 7-feet-1 inch erstwhile NBA superstar. Shaq pulled retired immoderate creation moves that were kinda, vintage 1980s, giving the opus his ain vocal interpretation.
At the end, helium shouted, “That (expletive) is my jam!” Clarkson had earlier said she identified with Shaq’s upbringing, erstwhile his parents couldn’t spend daycare and helium coiled up hanging astatine the Boys & Girls Clubs successful Atlanta
.
We person #groovers! @SHAQ rushes the signifier w/ @kellyclarkson #ShaqEvent @MGMGrand #RJNow @reviewjournal @parkmgm pic.twitter.com/HCrGfjwWnn
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) October 3, 2021
“I emotion doing events similar this, and I emotion proceeding from artists,” Clarkson said. “Everyone sees wherever we’re at. They don’t spot wherever we came from, and everybody request a helping hand, everybody needs opportunity. I was 1 of those kids that grew up connected hand-me-downs.”
The Dragons’ acceptable was thunderous, and we knew it would beryllium erstwhile we spotted the elephantine bass drum onstage upon entering the Grand Garden . The set was astatine precocious throttle done specified acquainted cuts as, “It’s Time,” “Believer” and “Radioactive.”
By the close, Reynolds had slammed the bass drum and besides a acceptable of snares, covered the afloat expanse of the signifier portion singing, strutting and spinning. He toppled the mic basal and finished the acceptable supine, having collapsed, and facing the arena ceiling.
It’s called giving. And determination was a batch of it for Shaq’s archetypal show.
We person #groovers! @SHAQ rushes the signifier w/ @kellyclarkson #ShaqEvent @MGMGrand #RJNow @reviewjournal @parkmgm pic.twitter.com/HCrGfjwWnn
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) October 3, 2021
The denim denizen
Bieber’s show was particularly anticipated, the assemblage lasting arsenic helium took the stage. He opened with “Somebody” and sampled from his upcoming medium “Justice.” He talked the signifier successful circular fashion, attired successful a denim Balenciaga overgarment (Bieber is the caller look of that company) low-riding jeans. He took his shades off, briefly, and said lone a quick, “How you doing?” Shaq played a clip of the 2 successful a dance-off erstwhile Bieber was a kid that was precise cute. Shaq insists, still, helium is simply a amended dancer than Biebs. Leave it to the judges.
Kimmel’s club
We yet had a accidental to inquire Kimmel astir the aboriginal of Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club astatine Linq Promenade. His nine has hosted the occasional backstage lawsuit and a vaccination lawsuit for Caesars Entertainment successful July. But it has not returned to its nine format during the pandemic. Kimmel emphasized determination volition beryllium unrecorded drama backmost successful the venue arsenic soon arsenic it sorts retired pandemic policies and its booking strategy.
Dragons backmost with TRF
Imagine Dragons’ Rise Up TRF Gala returns to its full-capacity format Oct. 22 astatine Wynn Las Vegas.
“It’s awesome to spot the satellite opening up and to beryllium capable to travel retired commencement playing euphony again, particularly for a bully origin and close earlier the TRF gala,” bassist Ben McKee said. “That was that’s the biggest deed that we took implicit the past mates of years, not being capable to beryllium astatine the TRF. To beryllium capable to travel backmost and really execute unrecorded successful a mates of weeks is going to beryllium great.”
Supported by specified luminaries arsenic Shaq, TRF has rapidly bloomed into 1 of the city’s pre-eminent charitable events by the clip the gala was held astatine the Wynn. The 2019 amusement raised $3.2 cardinal and drew astir 880 supporters.
The buy-in
A full of $1.3 cardinal was raised during the soundless auction. Among the items were modern creator Dustin Yellin’s “Moonshot” solid sculpture, a walk-on to an Adam Sandler movie and an L.A. Lakers bundle with 2 level seats for a crippled astatine Staples Center and a customized 2020 Lakers NBA title ring. The sculpture went for $150,000, the Sandler bundle for $90,000.
Around the room
We ran into erstwhile MGM Grand President and existent Resorts World Las Vegas President Scott Sibella astatine the Grand Garden Arena. It was Sibella’s archetypal sojourn to the spot since helium stepped down successful February 2019. His edifice hosts the adjacent KMA Power of Love event, honoring Genting Berhad CEO K.T. Lim, Smokey Robinson and Babyface, connected Oct. 16.
A sampling of whom we eyeballed elsewhere: MGM Resorts International CEO Bill Hornbuckle, Caesars Entertainment Regional President Sean McBurney, Shaquille O’Neal Foundation committee subordinate and Vegas edifice icon Elaine Wynn, hoops fable Spencer Haywood and signaling prima Paula Abdul.
John Katsilometes’ file runs regular successful the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast tin beryllium recovered astatine reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him astatine jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats connected Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 connected Instagram.
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