TR SNIPPET - KELLY CLINTON HOLMES AT ITALIAN SOCIAL CLUB

When I say that my trips to Vegas are long trips and this one was 24 nights, I often hear people ask,

“What do you do for 25 days?'

The question perplexes me because many, many days I have more on my list than I can possibly do, and I find the hardest part of going to Vegas is deciding which of the list to do.

One day was like that. Stupidity and serendipity decided for me.

I was supposed to be going to Eastside Cannery to play poker during the nighttime football game. I had two squares that might earn me money. One other year I had one square and came just after the first quarter to find they had called my name and since I was not there, I had lost $100.

So, I was determined to play football and just not go out to the Italian American Club to see Kelly Clinton Holmes do her show, “My Half Italian Roots are Showing”

2333 East Sahara near Eastern (702) 457-3866

Wild Bill and I both had trouble deciding which buffet to try, Palace Station for which I had two free buffets or Eastside Cannery for which I had a two for one.

We picked Palace Station, but did not note that the buffets were not good on Sunday. Nor did the Player's Club tell us before issuing a voucher. We first learned of it in line. But the nice woman there called her boss and they let us pay the difference of $6 to make up the Sunday price. So that stupidity was adjusted.

Wild Bill decided to head back to downtown and meet our other poker buddy Slink. I was still determined to head out to the Eastside Cannery. So I got on the Sahara Express and HEADED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. Ironic really since I am the guy with the bus blog helping others.

Not really did I go in the wrong direction, but I went for a long while, wondering how Decatur got to be on the route. I even took notes on the beauty of the SETTING sun which might have been a clue that I was heading West.

Finally, I asked the bus driver, left the bus, walked across the street and boarded the bus going East.

And that changed my destination. I just felt that in that mindset and as late as I was I did not want to play poker. I certainly did not want to arrive after the first quarter and find my name had been called and I'd lost $100.

I decided to try to find the Italian Social Club. I had complete directions in my room.

I asked the bus driver who was just the friendliest woman I have ever met.

She was unsure, but thought it was around Maryland.

But when I went to exit there, she held me back and told me to wait until Eastern because the intersection did not look right.

And at Eastern there it was, the Italian Social Club.

I thought I had remembered that the show started at 7, but it started at 8, so I had about 2 hours and decided to catch a bite to eat. I can't eat pasta so I skipped the temptation to eat that the Italian Social Club. I went toward the Pollo Loco bus saw a little El Salvadoran place and gave that a try.

It was not a good choice. One of the spices just did not appeal to me and it seemed to be in the chicken soup and in the pupusta ??

I liked some of it well enough, but the chicken that came for the soup was rather tough, overcooked and dry.

However, there was a cute little Latina serving me and great Spanish television.

I was very under dressed for the show at the Italian Social Club. Most of the audience wore coats and dress slacks. I had a double pocket hiking shirt and cargo pants. Oh, well.

I loved the spot and could see going there again and having some wine at the bar while listening to old music, canned or live. There was even a bit of dancing.

Kelly's show was in a large banquet hall with stage. In the audience were a number of people I recognized in the music circles of Las Vegas. Kelly's husband Clint was there. Bill Fae, the fellow who manages the Toast of the Town at Sam's Town was there. And in her band was the fellow who was head of the Classic Jazz band that played for years at the Gold Coast.

This was a one and a half hour show with no intermission and was absolutely great, one of the best shows I've seen. She told jokes, sang, and dressed in costume to create memorable characters. Much of the theme was Italian American culture. Kelly's mother was Italian and her father was Irish. Her parents loved Sinatra and she sang those sorts of songs, including Nancy Sinatra's “These Boots are Made for Walking.”

Others I remember were:

• Witchcraft
• Take it Easy
• My Eyes Adore You
• Mambo Italiana
• Come ona my House

It was ironic that I had been listening to both these songs that week on Radio Deluxe on the internet.

She talked about her loving Italian Grandma, her love of food, and the influence of Carol Burnett on her aspirations to perform.

She did the most amazing impression of Cher. It was very believable. Denis Blair did Bono.

She talked of being best friend with Louie Prima's daughter, Lena.

She impersonated here chain smoking Italian mother and then sang, “You're the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me” in tribute to her Mom.

Clint Holmes came up on stage and sang a duetwith her and then by himself he sang “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” He said it was the first time he had performed that song in public. As he sang, she changed into the most fantastic character, a NJ gangster type Jo Jo Spaghetti Morretti.

This was an amazing transformation.

I hope to see this show again sometime, to see Kelly again perhaps in her own show. Sometimes this material is worked into a show called My Half Freckles are Showing.