Las Vegas Weekly

August 24, 2009 · 7 AM

Daughtry at Pure in Caesars Palace is a concert for the all-ages

By Don Chareunsy

Lead guitarist Josh Steely and frontman Chris Daughtry of Daughtry perform at Pure in Caesars Palace.

Photo: Ron Koch/Pure Management Group

By Don Chareunsy, Vegas DeLuxe editor

On a night that rock group Daughtry performed on a makeshift stage in a space normally occupied by VIP tables and cabanas -- and the sexy Pussycat Dolls Lounge was filled with music equipment -- the band’s performance shared the spotlight with other news: Daughtry’s performance was the first all-ages show at Pure in Caesars Palace.

Originally scheduled for the terrace, Daughtry was moved inside reportedly due to high ticket demand, and what started as a 21-and-over concert, as Pure is first and foremost a nightclub, was expanded to all ages, meaning Saturday night’s audience included parents with their children and men in shorts and flip-flops (horrors!), along with the regular well-heeled and dressed-to-the-nightclub-nines clientele.

Photo: Ron Koch/Pure Management Group

Daughtry frontman Chris Daughtry with opening act David Hodges at Pure in Caesars Palace.

Saturday night was the final show of Daughtry’s intimate Leave This Town club tour, named after the band’s sophomore album. The band’s self-titled debut in 2006 and Leave This Town, released July 14, both reached No. 1 on Billboard, making Chris Daughtry the first American Idol contestant to have two consecutive No. 1 albums.

Daughtry hit the stage about 8:45 p.m., with frontman Chris in a beanie, his signature tight jeans and a black muscle T showing off tattoos on both guns. The show was, not surprisingly, heavy on songs from Leave This Town, including the lead-off single “No Surprise” and current song “You Don’t Belong.” The crowd sang along to familiar hits “It’s Not Over,” “Over You” and “Feels Like Tonight.” After leaving the stage for a mere few minutes shortly before 10 p.m., Daughtry returned and performed “Home.”

Photo: Ron Koch/Pure Management Group

Daughtry frontman Chris Daughtry performs at Pure in Caesars Palace.

Daughtry formed three years ago after Chris’ Idol run, and I saw them at The Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, Calif., with Karla Peterson, The San Diego Union-Tribune’s fabulous TV critic. Daughtry also was solid and sold out that night, and they’re now even more polished and still rockin’ hard, with intense, sexy and gravelly voiced Chris in the spotlight but happily sharing the stage with his boys.

Pure would be a better concert space if the room temperature were cooler. The large room was packed to the gills, and it felt like a sauna early on. The smoking didn’t help. Still, it was a strong first time out for the Pure Management Group team.

Daughtry’s opening act was David Hodges, an Arkansas singer and keyboardist who previously worked with Evanescence, Trading Yesterday and The Age of Information before going solo. Chris appeared onstage and sang with David for one song before Daughtry took the stage.

Photo: Ron Koch/Pure Management Group

Daughtry frontman Chris Daughtry performs at Pure in Caesars Palace.

Other notes

*For non-American Idol fans, Chris was the controversial fourth-place finisher in Season 5 of American Idol behind Elliott Yamin, Katharine McPhee and winner Taylor Hicks, as Chris was a judges’ favorite to win the show.

*Oddest job during the concert: the dude holding the glass of wine (or soda?) onstage for drummer Joey Barnes while Joey performed.

*Clothing change: When Chris made the surprise appearance with David, he was wearing a white T-shirt. When he reappeared with the band about 30 minutes later, he was wearing the previously mentioned outfit. As the night progressed and the room and band got hotter, the beanie was removed.

*After the show ended, Pure was reportedly emptied, and stamped and appropriately aged and dressed audience members were allowed back inside along with non-concert-goers close to midnight.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter HERE.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter HERE.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter HERE.

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