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by Megan Edwards, June 22, 2005 "Karaoke." Try suggesting it to your out-of-town visitors and see what kind of response you get. Among my friends, it ranges from "You've got to be joking!" to "Eeeew!" So then I have to say, "No! This is different! It really is!" And then they look at me sadly, knowing in their hearts that Las Vegas has stripped me of every last vestige of good taste. So I'll say it here. Monday night Karaoke at the Bootlegger Bistro is different! It really is! For starters, The Bootlegger itself is different from most Las Vegas hangouts. Even though it occupies a new building on south Las Vegas Boulevard several miles from its original location on Tropicana, the Bootlegger is over half a century old. In Vegas years, that puts it in the same league as the Parthenon. Adding to its prominence is its owner, former (and sometimes still active) lounge singer Lorraine Hunt, who is also Nevada's lieutenant governor. But the real ongoing source of the Bootlegger's luster is its clientele. Young hipsters like Leonardo and Britney may frequent the Palms, but the Bootlegger is where you've got a shot at spotting Gladys Knight or Hugh Hefner. The Bootlegger never closes, and it
offers entertainment every day of the week, but Monday night's "Karaoke with Kelly Clinton" is the show that keeps me coming back and willing to risk my reputation among friends. Held in a room next to (and visible from) the bar, the show gets rolling at ten. If you want a table, which is how you'll guarantee yourself a good view, you have to make a reservation, and you have to spend $10 a head on food. This isn't tough, because most of the Bootlegger's entrees -- a
long list of Italian dishes and pizza -- are in the $12 to $15 range. Steaks are more, of course, and if you want to imbibe, there's a full bar and a well-populated wine list. As with all karaoke shows, anybody who has the nerve can get up and sing. What sets this one apart is reputation -- just about everybody is well aware that the standard is high. This doesn't eliminate every single wailer, but on average, anybody who grabs the mike is likely to be worth listening to. Styles run the gamut from rock to pop, but the majority of performers fall into the "crooner" category -- think Frank Sinatra, and you won't be too far off base. If you're lucky -- and I have been two out of three times -- headliners from Strip shows will be among the performers. I've heard Clint Holmes and his music director Bill Fayne. I've seen singers from "Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding," some of Gladys Knight's "Pips," members of the cast of
"Mama Mia," and a rock star from the Philippines. Others who've been known to appear are Cook E. Jarr, Frankie Scinta, and Bill "Righteous Brother" Medley. Throughout the show, which lasts until 1:00 a.m., Kelly Clinton keeps everything moving with brisk banter and introduces anybody who's somebody in the audience -- newspaper columnists, other performers, politicians -- anybody with a shred of claim to celebrity. A birthday is enough. If my skeptical friends remain unconvinced that "Karaoke with Kelly Clinton" at the Bootlegger is a show worth catching, I figure it's their loss and extra space at the table for me. This is Las Vegas alive and evolving instead of canned and fossilized. It's real performers singing for each other and letting people like me listen in. I'll never get up and sing, but I sure do like to
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