Checked into the “Blue Hotel” last night with Chris Isaak for the first of his two weekend shows at the Wynn’s Encore Theatre as part of his Holiday 2021 Tour. The “San Francisco Days” singer + songwriter remains suave + romantically tortured, not unlike Bryan Ferry, and can still reel you in with his rich, deep voice, and haunting “Wicked Game” and “Somebody’s Crying” falsetto. An adoring audience cheered Isaak’s gems + smart holiday-themed covers like Elvis’ “Blue Christmas” and Willie Nelson’s “Pretty Paper.” A masterful performer with his longtime dexterous band, Isaak kept the fun going with excellent covers of Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman” and James Brown’s “I’ll Go Crazy,” plus his priceless comedic stage patter. And couldn’t take my eyes off his sparkling + embroidered black suit that he designed.
