If there is such a thing a “proposal singer,” Kenny Chesney was one. At least once, in Las Vegas.
Chesney, who was announced last week as the next headliner at Sphere, was long ago on the marquee (likely sharing space with Feast Buffet) at Texas Station.
This was in November 1996, a year before he would perform at The Railhead at Boulder Station.
Pre-stardom, in other words.
But Chesney had a couple local fans for his show at Texas Station, Dane and Lisa Mattoon. The two were dating at the time. Dane masterfully planned to propose to Lisa (maiden name McElveen) the day of Chesney’s show at the since-razed resort.
Lisa was the North Las Vegas hotel-casino’s administrative assistant to the director of slot operations. Dane was a rookie on the Henderson Police Department force, and is today a retired Henderson PD captain. Lisa stepped away from full-time work in 2000 to raise the couple’s three kids.
Back in the Texas Station days, Dane arranged for Chesney to appear at an autograph signing the afternoon of his performance, which was Nov. 9, 1996. The couple’s co-workers were assembled for the event.
“When I walked up to get an autograph, he asked if I was Lisa and said he had heard a lot about me,” Lisa recalls. “The next thing I knew, Dane was tapping me on the shoulder, holding a dozen roses and got down on one and proposed.”
Chesney then pulled out ye olde six-string and played “Me and You.” Great call. That was Dane and Lisa’s wedding song.
“Lisa worked the concert later that night, and afterward she went backstage to thank him,” Dane says. “Kenny said congratulations and kissed her on the cheek.”
This being pre-social media, the only photos of the momentous occasion are a few Polaroids.
Dane and Lisa have become members of Chesney’s No Shoes Nation. Along with the Texas Station show, they have seen the country superstar in action at the Railhead, in Orange Beach, Ala. on their 20th anniversary and at SoFi Stadium in LA. on their 27th anniversary.
Dean and Lisa plan to see Chesney at the bulbous wonder. They still hope to reconnect with the country superstar.
“Unfortunately, we have never reunited with him,” Dane says. “He is too famous now.”
Advice from this corner: Don’t rule it out. On the day of the proposal, Chesney was interviewed on Las Vegas radio and mentioned the proposal. He said he was happy to have been a part of it, and loved to be able to help his fans. From all accounts, he’s still that kind of guy.
Chuckles
Howie Mandel and Arsenio Hall somewhat quietly opened the new-era Aces of Comedy series at David Copperfield Theater at MGM Grand on Friday and Saturday night. The two did not plug the show too aggressively leading to the dates in deference to the Los Angeles-area fires.
The Aces roster was a hit for more than a decade at Mirage Theater. Jay Leno, another Aces favorite, is up next Feb. 22. The comics are filling dates when Copperfield, who resumes his 15-show-per-week schedule Monday.
Palazzo Theatre is also presenting comedy headliners beginning with Morgan Jay on Saturday (Jan. 25). That is an added date as his original dates Feb. 21-22 are sold out. Heather McMahan (Feb. 15), Josh Johnson (Feb. 28) and Tom Papa (March 14-15) are up next in what is shaping up as a strong roster.
The Palazzo series is co-produced by Live Nation along with long-standing entertainment company Bill Blumenreich Presents. “America’s Got Talent” two-time champion magician Shin Lim is the room’s primary headliner.
He called it …
Ed Roland shouted out to an eclectic list of inspirations during Collective Soul’s opener of a two-show burst at The Venetian Theatre on Friday. Johnny Cash, The Cars and (yes) Liberace were in the list.
The band pulls from all styles, and unloaded “Livin’ On The Edge” by Aerosmith, for whom they opened in the mid-’90s, and a forceful take of AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.”
The setlist was otherwise filled with such hits as “Shine,” “Heavy” and “Run.” Roland is a wonderfully engaged frontman, the band is tight and fun and the crowd is into it. I expect Collective Soul to be back at the theater, this year and next. They get it.
Stonehenge!
On the topic of rock ’n’ roll, Las Vegas entertainment aficionados will recognize sax great Rob Stone in John Fogerty’s upcoming return to Encore Theater. The man Lon Bronson has dubbed “Stonehenge” can play anything, and Fogerty gives him a lot to do.
Your VegasVille Moment …
As I walked into the Collective Soul show, a guy in front of me approached an usher and said, “I’m here for Coldplay, where is the box office?”
The usher pointed him to the nearby ticket counter, and the guy hustled away. The usher and I then looked at each other.
“Did he say Coldplay?” she said.
“Yes, he did,” I said, “but I don’t want to tell him.”
Great Moments in Social Media
The great stand-up and comedy writer Patton Oswalt posted on his Bluesky account Thursday, “David Lynch, Bob Eucker and Cook E. Jarr meeting in the afterlife is the greatest David Lynch movie we’re never gonna get to see.” Great. And yes we added the second “R” to Jarr’s name from the original post.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
