On April Fools' Day, George Wallace had the best "gotcha" of all.
"April Fools! Sly Stone showed up!" Wallace said with a loud laugh on Sunday, which was not just April Fools' Day but a day after Wallace beat the odds by booking the latest version of Sly and The Family Stone for a performance at the Flamingo Las Vegas Showroom. The one-out performance followed Wallace's usual 10 p.m. (or in this case, 10:30 p.m.) stand-up act at before a packed house of about 500.
Amid widespread skepticism that the performance would not transpire, Stone did show up as promised, sauntering onstage after his band played a four-song medley and moving like a bedazzled praying mantis. Stone, still mischievous at age 64, dressed for the occasion, donning a black sequined suit with black platform shoes and red heels, a red sequined shirt, a black belt with a giant rectangular plate reading "Sly," a black stocking cap, a neck brace and big, white Dolce & Gabbana shades.
Stone stayed for about half an hour, poking at the synthesizer and running through many of the band's funk anthems, including "Stand," "Family Affair," "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" "If You Want Me To Stay" and "Higher." His voice was strong and he seemed charged up at the experience, even moving to the edge of the stage to greet his amped-up fans.
It was Stone's first Vegas show since a 1972 appearance at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Wallace doggedly pursued the artist, primarily through Stone's sister Vet, to perform in the same capacity as have Jerry Seinfeld, Cedric the Entertainer, Chris Tucker and Earl Turner, among others, as part of Wallace's showcase.