Exclusive Inside Scoop
Our “Inside Scoop” reporter has seen Tom frequently — in Vegas, in Ponty and, even, Australia and points in between — and will file occasional reports just for you at tomjonesinternational.com
Tom at Resorts, Atlantic City, February 19, 2006
Monday, February 20th, 2006Seems like the only thing right at Resorts this past weekend was the fact that Tom Jones was there. Otherwise this hotel remains inept and understaffed as usual (This writer’s opinion of course). Waiting in line to check in was like a trip to the the DMV. Simple staff courtesy has gone the way of the Miss America Pageant… out of Atlantic City! Seeing our man Tom Jones would indeed be the hot spot in this otherwise frigid place.
I relied on feedback from my many TJ friends who also frequent Tom’s appearances to fill me in on his first two nights at Resorts. All indications are that tonight, Sunday, was clearly the best of the three nights. Tonight’s audience was custom-built for Mr. Jones. He was gleefully returning the abundant energy and enthusiasm he was getting from his veteran fans. Atlantic City regularly brings out the most loyal of Tom’s east coast followers.
Elvis’s All Shook Up made its way into the setlist tonight. This happens only when the audience has made it clear that they want all that Tom has to give, and then some! Mr. Jones was clearly in a giving mood. Not only did he do the Elvis tune to the hilt, but he talked about it for a while after finishing. The enthralled audience ate up his every word. Tom was relaxed and in control. He clearly sensed that tonight was a splendid combination of all the best circumstances coming together at precisely the right time. A good “knight” indeed!
Like an Olympic skier securely and confidently crossing the finish line at the end of a record-breaking run, Tom Jones easily worked his musical magic all over the stage. Perhaps the extreme cold outside (and behind the front desk) helped to fuel the inferno that erupted inside the Superstar Theater tonight.
Thus, another successful Tom Jones Resorts engagement has come to a satisfying conclusion.
Inside Atlantic City’s casinos, one senses the presence of power and opulence that the gaming industry creates. Meanwhile just outside of the casinos one can’t help but wonder what happened to the rest of Atlantic City. The economic dichotomy that continues to exist here is at the very least appalling. This disparity is very slow to change. I remain optimistic for the sake of those who call Atlantic City home.
Scoop… out!
February 20th, 2006 at 8:27 am
Even though I wasn’t there, I bet Scoop had it right — Tom Jones is great wherever hs is but Atlantic City is a sad, sad place. Think of it today, bedraggled and rundown and, then, think of it in it’s heyday as a playground for the rich; as the city whose streets are immortalized in Monopoly.
In addition, when you venture inside Resorts it is not a nurturing environment. People have a great time at the shows (and, hopefully, there will be stories posted here of some amazing memories of last weekend in AC) but you must add the not-inconsiderate cost of schmearing the maitre’d to the cost of tickets and quality-of-life amenities are in short supply. There is nothing to do there but walk on the boardwalk or gamble. But, as you may have seen in our “Venue Review” section, if AC is the only place where you can see Mr. Jones, then you’ll still love him and manage to ignore the ambiance.
Ellen
February 20th, 2006 at 12:46 pm
This place sounds sad. My former husband, (New Jersey born and raised), used to tell me about all the wonderful times he had in Atlantic City. He saw Judy Garland in one of those covered push cart things on the boardwalk, and his mother saw a young Tom Jones perform there 35 or so years ago. It’s a shame some things change badly with time. Isn’t is wonderful that Tom has done just the opposite.
February 20th, 2006 at 2:00 pm
Scoop, as usual, loved the review! When I read, “fuel the inferno that erupted inside” - I had to turn the heat down in my own house! I’ve never been fortunate (or unfortunate enough) to go to Atlantic City so I can’t comment on the venue but the performance described on Sunday night was reminiscent of my last two TJ concerts in Vegas! Thanks for the review and thanks for stoking the fire, so to speak!
February 23rd, 2006 at 6:03 am
I, too, was at the Atlantic City show on Sunday night. We had front row seats. Yes, we tipped the usher, but isn’t Tom worth it? It was a great show. The audience was warm and receptive. One of the thngs I love about going to his casino shows are the people who are there ready to share their loveof Tom with you along with their Tom stories.
A little while back, another writer implied that some of Tom’s shows have a little “naughty” flair to it. This would be the type of show I’m sure she meant. Tom allowed several female fans to rub his legs and take pictures. He then commented “This is a tough job, but someone has to do it. Thank God it’s me” We all laughed along with him. He was great.
People were yelling for him to take off his jacket. After a little while, he replied that we would have to wait for him to take his jacket off. He, himself, compared this to foreplay. A “little bit at a time.” These were Tom’s words, not mine. This could be considered “Naughty.”
Now about Atlantic City. This is not the garbage city of the East Coast. Yes it has its poverty. What large city doesn’t? When you are here in the winter, there really is not much to do but walk the boardwalk and gamble. (We do not have the wonderful climate of Las Vegas.) Come in the summer when our beautiful beaches are alive and our ocean is sparkling. If you sit for a little while, you may see dolphins playing in the water, along with families having a great time. At night the boardwalk is lit up — a sight to see. Everywhere along the beach, there are bands playing. Even horeseback riding at certain sections on the beach. So, please don’t knock it until you have tried it. I have seen Tom many times on the boardwalk. He is right out there walking just like us. He seems to like it!