Las Vegas Weekly

October 27, 2009 · 12:54 PM

Photo Gallery: Justin Bieber at the Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip

By Robin Leach

Justin Bieber performs at the Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas Strip on Oct. 24, 2009.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Teen pop singer Justin Bieber isn’t a household name -- yet -- but the 15-year-old Canadian already has enough teenage girls flipping out for him that he brought traffic to a stop on the Las Vegas Strip when he performed at a private concert in the new Hard Rock Cafe.

Lines of fans stretched around the building and along the Strip sidewalks, bringing traffic to an eventual halt. Our contributing photographers Scott Harrison and Erik Kabik were at the sound check and the performance for our photo gallery.

Said Erik: “He’s so young and such a new, fast-rising star, I think he’s actually shy about all the sudden fame and cameras. But he will soon get used to the phenomenal buzz that’s begun surrounding him big time.”

Justin became an overnight sensation thanks to YouTube. Manager Scooter Braun flew Justin from Canada to meet with recording superstar Usher in Atlanta, and a record deal with Island Records followed shortly.

Now Justin is in the studio finishing his debut CD My World to be released Nov. 17. The single “My World” is receiving heavy airplay on U.S. radios, and “One Time” and “One Less Lonely Girl” also have become hits.

Justin recently appeared on Today and is scheduled to perform on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Nov. 3 and 17. He also is scheduled to appear on Live With Regis and Kelly.

“This is crazy!” Justin wrote on his Twitter. “You guys with your tweets and requests just got a small-town kid from Stratford on Ellen!?! My mom is in shock. Thank you. I have the greatest fans in the world!”

Photo: Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com

Justin Bieber performs at the Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas Strip on Oct. 24, 2009.

Are we watching the transfer of teen power from the Jonas Brothers over to Justin? I only ask because I don’t really follow these things. But when an unknown 15-year-old singer brings traffic to a stop on the Strip, I have to check it out.

Looks like we have a new phenomenon on our hands!

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.

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