Think of it this way: while I don’t dislike Britney Spears, I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to see her shows…but, if I were in Vegas and the price was right, I’d be comfortable going to one of her shows, since I’d know quite a few of her hits (Baby…One More Time, Toxic, Womanizer, Stronger, Ooops, I Did It Again, Boys, Work B***h, Gimme More, If You Seek Amy.) With that bench of hits, I’m sure to get through half of her show humming along with familiarity.
With Christina, I think there are many less ‘casual hits’ in her roster (Genie in a Bottle, Dirrty, Beautiful, Ain’t No Other Man, Moves Like Jagger,) and so more of the show will be populated with songs that perhaps I don’t know or remember.
Now, Christina might use the Vegas Residency to electrify her career (lightning doesn’t strike unless you stand in the rain and all of that,) but she’s probably going to have to win over folks who only know like three of her songs via that electrifying performance, yes?
]]>The definition needs to be rewritten. What if it’s only spread over four weeks? Then it’s not?
It’s marketing hype 101.
]]>“The Xperience is going to be my most ambitious show yet,” the singer said in a press release. “Getting to perform in this adult playground we call Las Vegas is inspiring me to bring forth all of my talents in a mind-blowing theatrical experience — song, dance, visuals and uninterrupted high energy.”
Assuming all of that is true, of course they are going to call it a big [expletive] production. Simply because that’s what it is.
And whether you agree as to the definition or not, multiple performances of the same show spread out over months (with the possibility of an extension) is the very definition of an artist in residency at a performing venue.
]]>Xtina has kept her name out there in recent years, without a lot of hit music making, thanks to her seemingly former stint on The Voice. She’s regarded as a legit singer, it seems, so she has those things going for her. Many of her songs, what I know of her catalog, aren’t particularly timeless classics. They’re forgettable pop fluff. But that didn’t seem to hurt Brittney, who made a nice chunk of change at PHo.
I’m not sure Xtina has the same staying power as a strip performer as Brittney… not that that’s a bad thing. But she’s big enough to put asses in the theater seats 16 times, no doubt, so you go girl!
I get that performers young (Cardi B, whatever that is) and old (Garth Brooks) realize that Vegas is a place where you can book multiple dates and fill a room multiple times, based upon the high volume of tourist traffic 363 days per year. But every time a performer cashes in by playing more than one night in Vegas, do we really have to make a big fucking production out of it and call it a residency? I wouldn’t be surprised if Xtina fills in dates between her 16 gigs, but she has them spread out over three months as it stands. It’s not a residency at this point, it’s a cash grab.
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