Recap Of Adele’s Triumphant Las Vegas Premiere (GALLERY)
Note, there could be spoilers here so if you intend on going, maybe skip it.
“I’m shitting myself!”
And we are off. Adele has made it to the stage at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The drama, the last minute cancellation for God knows why… it’s all behind us now. It’s clear from the start… this is different than a Celine show.
The stage is set simply. A piano at center stage.
Her first song was “Hello”. How apropos. She could barely make it through the song, becoming taken over by emotion. Her eyes glossy, her voice shaky, and at times leaning on the audience to carry her through.
From there it was straight into “Easy On Me”. Certainly a nod to the trials and tribulations that led up to this moment. Asking for patience and forgiveness for the troubles… and it surely was.
“Thank you so much for coming back to me,” she exclaimed at the end of the song. For the audience, many of whom made the trip to Las Vegas once before only to have the trip spoiled, it was a distant memory. The entire audience erupted, rose to their feet and gave her a rousing standing ovation.
This is where Adele is Adele. This polished diva with a powerhouse voice becomes a foul-mouthed Brit in a North London pub. And the audience eats it up.
“I don’t get to get off stage for 50 minutes so I’m going to have shitty streaming makeup,” Adele exclaimed to thunderous laughter. “What was I thinking putting piano ballads at the top?”
The audience was treated to a mini comedy show along with the music. Her candor, vulnerability and playful ego was certainly disarming for an audience that may have been out thousands for this delayed party.
“I feel like Celine Dion that’s the only reason I wanted to sing in here,” she said, referencing the historic run of the French Canadian star who graced The Colosseum for years.
“I’ve been obsessed with The Walking Dead for over a decade and it’s coming to an end this weekend!” She continued on, talking more and more and then she admitted
“I’m talking so much because I’m nervous I’m shitting myself.” No one seemed to mind.
Into song 3, a track she admits she is weighing out to determine if it’s worthy of the performance. “Turning Tables”. The audience ate it up. “Did you have a little cry? That song just makes me really fucking angry,” said Adele with a sly grin. “It’s fucking freezing! Any fun plans after this? Oh you’re just here for me. Took my 9 months to get over here sorry.”
Adele began talking about her second album 21 which was the first album she toured the states on. She then sang “Take It All” off of that album. Followed by “I Drink Wine” during which the stage transforms and opens up to welcome her live band. A chandelier transforms and morphs above her.
Song 6 got the entire audience on their feet. “Water Under The Bridge”. After which she calls out one member of the audience for being her choreographer (not really but she was cutting a rug) for the performance to reminder how the dance should go.
Then, an admission. We were close to tonight not happening either.
“Last week I was sick as a fucking dog. Oh fuck shit,” she said emulating the nerves of potentially cancelling another set of shows. She explained how she was able to make the production rehearsals from section 400 (the nosebleeds which I had a view of tonight) to stay away from everybody but get an eye for the show they were planning.
There are two seats that she says are the worst in the house. “There is literally a wall next to your face,” she said with disgust about the two upper deck seats across the venue from one another. She picks whoever is seated in Section 406 row K seat 620. They and a friend are sent to the front row. Not too shabby! They turn out to be visiting from Canada and Adele introduces them by the time they get to the best seats in the house.
“Send My Love To Your New Lover” and “Oh My God” are next.
What follows? A ballad? A serious talk about the production of the next song? No. She flashes her tube socks, and heads for a t-shirt cannon.
Yeah. A t-shirt cannon in The Colosseum. Told you, this isn’t Celine. She brags that she was able to hit the upper decks in rehearsals. Adele aims. She fires. It’s a flub. “Oh Fuck A Duck!” She admits the shirt is signed, there’s $50 in it too. She takes a second shot. It, too, falls apart mid flight. “Shit!”
She goes to the other side and tries to redeem herself. It too goes terribly. “I really built you up to tear you down there I’m sorry!” The audience doesn’t care a bit… they are just entertained to bits.
“Don’t You Remember” followed by “Rumour Has It”… And the band has kicked it up considerably. A wall of sound coming from the best in class sound system in the venue.
Her next number, the title track of the James Bond film Skyfall brought even more power. The screen surrounding the stage “explodes in a fireball” that engulfs the stage. The screen towards the back of the stage becomes translucent to reveal a vast two story string section.
That string section carries us into the next number, “Hometown Glory” from her debut album 19. The song, not a radio single and unfamiliar to some in the audience had the audience hanging on every word. She could release this song again today and it’s shoot to the top 10.
*This is for my daydreamers, this one. And for those TikTokers out there.” It’s “Love In The Dark”, a song used on the social media platform to accompany over 40,000 videos to date. Sitting on the edge of the stage, the screens surrounding filled with stars.
The stage screens close… a piano plays… this could be the moment Adele needs to dab her eyes. “Cry Your Heart Out” plays with her backup singers singing the backing track.
Thunder starts rolling. A man in the crowd screams “Set Fire To The Rain!” He’d be correct. The screens open. Adele is there. It’s raining. The piano that was once center stage is back, and it’s on fire. In fact the entire stage is on fire. Every time she belts out the chorus, fireballs erupt. Welcome to Vegas.
The stage closes up leaving Adele back to the simplicity of just her. She immediately gets off the stage and starts talking to a group from California. She asked about their favorite memories of when they were young. They are baffled that they are talking to Adele. On to the next fans from San Antonio, same question. Next group from Phoenix. She’s deep within the crowd at this point.
Her crowd work is fantastic. Hilarious, warm and attentive to the answers her audience is giving. The next audience member Erin is in tears. She’s in from Seattle and her tears are driving Adele close to tears. Another member is 12 years old from Colorado. His earliest memory he says is “kinda right here, right now”. The crowd melts.
Adele then tells her story of her favorite childhood memory. Her mom driving to her grandparents house. Her mom, like clockwork, getting lost along the way. Leading her into “When We Were Young” from right there deep within the crowd. Childhood photos of Adele adorn the screen… the people on the lower section absolutely get their money’s worth… a slow stroll through the crowd…
Confetti slowly rains down on the audience as she makes her way back to the stage. Lights dim. Stage opens up again (you’ll be happy to hear the stage is no longer on fire) and paper lanterns now fill the sky above the stage. “Hold On”. The dim light of the room then fills with light. The entire Colosseum is filled with lanterns. It’s an awe inspiring moment when the lights flicker on. Phones out everywhere, gazing towards the sky.
The crowd applauds for a momentary moment of Adele off the stage. The screen enveloping the stage shows the audience, the piano plays a familiar melody… and Adele returns. “Someone Like You”… The audience sways back and forth, belting out every line of the song along with the songstress. It’s a choir in the thousands. “Will you sing it for now?” As if she had to ask.
The crowd stands on their feet and blesses Adele with a thunderous applause. “I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. It was the worst feeling I ever had but the best decision I ever made. I’m sorry for any inconvenience but we are here together tonight.”
She breaks down talking about her childhood, “Growing up in Tottenham and being in fucking Las Vegas!”
Adele addresses the rumors and puts them to rest. Showers Caesars with love for their support.
“Every day I have an out of body experience in my life,” said Adele. She speaks of wanting to play a small room. For Adele, The Colosseum is a small room. Hilarious!
She thanks her opening night audience, the walls open up again and it’s time for “Rolling In The Deep”. The audience stomps their feet to the beat. Adele leads the audience along the chorus as confetti once again explodes onto the crowd. Not a soul is sitting in their seat.
The Wall Of Strings™ is back for “Love Is A Game”. The stage fills with color as the screens display a fantasy scene with a wishing well, blossoming trees, freaking Saturn. It’s gorgeous. Enter confetti drop number 3 and it looks like Times Square on New Years Eve.
“I will remember this night for the rest of my fuckin’ life!” she exclaimed before ending with the final chorus. A massive dump of confetti on her and she falls through a trap door in the stage.
Two hours that “Men In Black” penned all the insanity that led up to this moment. The production is every bit deserving of the stage and the city. Adele now belongs to Las Vegas, and Las Vegas now belongs to Adele.
