The 80’s hit machine previews his upcoming Flamingo residency for the media…
There’s something about the music of the eighties that makes it timeless. Despite being a very identifiable product of the era, that sound is still fresh and alive three decades later. The same can be said for Richard Marx, who shared some of his songs from that period last night at Cleopatra’s Barge.
The lounge venue inside Caesars Palace was the location for a special preview of Richard’s upcoming SATISFIED: Only The Hits at nearby Flamingo. Members of the media and Marx’s fan club filled the venue for a taste of what was in store for Vegas audiences next month.
Fit, handsome as ever and truly ageless, the Grammy winner settled in with a string quartet and guitar for acoustic versions of his hits. The superstar, who’s sold over 30 million records throughout his career, belted out those tunes with a voice that hasn’t changed a bit since his debut album in 1987.
The appreciative crowd was invited to join in for “Should Have Known Better” after being mesmerized by favorites like “Endless Summer Nights” and “Don’t Mean Nothing”. Along the way, Richard joked about his infamous mullet and those of-the-decade outfits.
While discussing Flamingo’s upcoming residency, the 53-year-old described his enjoyment in performing those iconic songs in a scaled-down fashion. “I don’t know why I waited so long to do this…I’ve been playing with myself my whole life”, he joked.
The short teaser came to a close with Marx at the piano for “Right Here Waiting”. The private performance was designed to get his fans and members of the media excited about the upcoming series of shows. It definitely left us “Satisfied”…and wanting more.
“See you guys in a couple weeks! Thank you so much”.
RICHARD MARX SATISFIED: Only The Hits begins August 15th at the Donny and Marie Showroom inside Flamingo Hotel Casino. Tickets start at $59 (plus taxes/fees). Click here for more information and show dates.Â
Photos and video: [Sammasseur]
VEGAS UNFILTERED BLOG by Sam Novak 
I’m always amazed at how artists with a limited resume find their way to a stage, with an audience, all these years later. Dick Marx didn’t do a lot for me, but he had a nice run of hits, without question, so I suspect he’ll do OK in Vegas. I wouldn’t turn down a free ticket, but I wouldn’t pay $59 to hear his catalog. It surprises me not that some people would. If I had that free ticket, I’m sure I’d walk out of the concert being impressed by his performance. Some of his songs are a bit painful to my ears, but overall I think his music has a relatively timeless quality that will hold up for decades to come, and that’s not true for many hits of the ‘809s.
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In all fairness, Marx has anything but a limited resume. He’s best remembered for his vocal hits from the late 80’s, but he’s never slowed down both in front of and behind the microphone. Here are some stats via Wikipedia:
Marx placed himself in the record books by being the first solo artist to have his first seven singles hit the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart (3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 4). His record sales worldwide exceed 30 million. Aside from songs that he has written, composed, and recorded for himself, he has written and/or composed, collaborated on the writing and/or the compositions of, and produced such successful selections for other artists as “This I Promise You” by NSYNC and “Dance With My Father” by Luther Vandross. The latter song won several Grammy Awards. His 14th and latest chart topper, “Long Hot Summer,” performed by Keith Urban, gave Marx the distinction of having a song he wrote or co-wrote top the charts in four different decades.
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The opening comment isn’t intended to suggest Marx has a limited resume, but it reads that way.
My point was that artists who had but one or two hits seem to be able to find an audience many years later. I can point to a few “hair bands” that have some sort of presence on the club scene nationally, and play short sets early in the day at rock festivals, all these years later, and they are basically remembered for one hit.
Spin Doctors had two hits, by my count, and still have some sort of fan base to draw upon more than two decades after they hit it big. (In case anyone thinks I’m confused: not a hair band.)
So given that there’s an audience for those bands, all these years later, it doesn’t surprise me that Dick Marx can draw a crowd in Vegas. I wouldn’t willingly listen to more than one of his songs, but I can name a few off the top of my head, and I remember his hit-making days spanned several years, not one album, so I knew he had to have at least a handful of hits. I never knew he nailed the top 5 on his first seven singles.
I’m not surprised he has kept busy outside of performing his own material, although I’d never have been able to name any of those credits. Right or wrong, the only other thing I know about him from the past decade-plus, besides the fact he performed in Minneapolis at some point, is that he married Daisy Fuentes.
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