Tom Jones, now in his 80s, can still rock Las Vegas | Cats | Entertainment

Tom Jones entered the stage cautiously at the age of 84.

Then he sang about how he feels at this age.

“Well, my friends are gone and my hair is gray. “I hurt in the places I used to play,” Jones shouted to the sold-out Encore Theater on Saturday night. “I said to Hank Williams, ‘How lonely does it get?’ “Hank Williams hasn’t responded yet.”

A cheer went up as Jones declared: “I was born this way, I had no choice. I was born with the gift of a golden voice.”

You know it.

The song is Leonard Cohen’s “Tower of Song”, recorded in 1948 and covered by Jones in 2014. The song and its message live on throughout Jones’ two-day stand on the Strip.

The lyrics about Jones’ bushy, white mane are true. The line about him is equally painful. The “What’s new, Pussycat?” The singer had sat in the same place during his shows two years ago.

Viewers wondered what version we would see if there was still a vertebra in the hips. Both have been replaced in the last seven years.

But Jones stood for much of Saturday’s show. His feet were on the ground and the headliner remained like a redwood tree with centuries-old roots swaying in the wind.

Jones sang what he wanted, how he wanted, with his incredibly sonorous voice. He was backed by a five-piece rock band led by his longtime drummer and music director, Gary Wallis.

The Scottish superstar sold out strip joints for decades, starting with the Flamingo in 1968 and later at the MGM Grand, before breaking through from 2011 to 2022. But his time here predates even his first booking.

“It’s great to be back…In.” Las VegasJones shouted. “I came here in 1965 – to see it!” This look lasted several generations, a stack of sky-high hits and a mountain of underwear.

Jones played most, but not all, of his biggest hits.

He boldly reimagines “It’s Not Unusual” and “Delilah,” a fresh R&B-style take that deviates from the brass originals. “Sexbomb” began as a slow ballad before Jones prepared to heat up the audience. He revived his cover of “Kiss,” calling it “a tribute to the genius of Prince.”

Jones also produced his crisp rap on “If I Only Knew,” which took aim at ’90s hip-hop act Rise Robots Rise, another age-defying moment of verbal gymnastics.

Absent was “She’s A Lady”, his previous best-selling single in the US at No. 5 in 1971. But the crowd couldn’t have objected.

Women still threw unmentionables onto the stage, three times by my count. Even at 84, Jones can’t seem to get through an appearance without a Victoria’s Secret cameo.

At the start of the show, the man next to me, the venerable hotel manager and former Muhammad Ali manager Gene Kilroy, leaned over to me and said, “Can you believe he’s not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?”

I hadn’t thought of it until then, but Elvis from Great Britain is a rock star who belongs in this hall.

Jones concluded with a vintage Vegas story from the lounge scene of a bygone era. Elvis had asked him to come to the Hilton after Jones finished at the Flamingo.

“One night Elvis said to me – heh, heh, heh – ‘You know, Chuck Berry is in the lounge, do you want to see him?'” Jones recalled. “I said ‘Yes!’ So we went to Chuck Berry. We’re listening and watching him and Elvis turns to me and says, “You know something? The real King of Rock ‘n’ Roll is up there right now.”

With all of his own hits available and even an Elvis classic on the table, Jones closed the evening with Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.” It was a loud performance, inspired by two kings and a gift from Sir Tom Jones.

Entertainment evening at The Space

“An Evening with the Entertainment Community Fund” will take place at The Space on Monday at 7 p.m. (reception) and 8 p.m. (presentation). Led by the founder of The Space Mark Shunockthis is a music and keynote speaker event from the nonprofit Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund) to learn more about the resources available to all entertainment professionals. There will be live music and valuable information exchange. Admission is free; RSVP to [email protected].

Cool hang alarm

On the subject of “Classic”: Clint Holmes’ “Icons Reimagined” plays Myron’s at the Smith Center on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Holmes will perform Tony Bennett’s classics, Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick and Lionel Richieamong other legends. Holmes knew all of these people. Should be another dandy; For more information, visit thesmithcenter.com.

John Katsilometes’ column appears daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” The podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.