Trombone Shorty & Wayne Newton deliver New Orleans, Las Vegas fun to Pittsburgh area fans

Allegheny County concertgoers enjoyed a zesty taste of New Orleans and Las Vegas in two separate shows this weekend.

Trombone Shorty and Wayne Newton both demonstrated why they've earned acclaim and diehard followings.

Our reviews:

Trombone Shorty, March 1, Roxian Theatre, McKees Rocks.

They strutted onto the stage to the grandiose theme from "2001 Space Odyssey," foreshadowing a night where every sound would be big and bold.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue then ripped into a rousing performance that was both out-of-this-world funky, and very rooted in New Orleans jazz.

It was boisterous and breathtaking. Fans on the general admission floor danced; those seated in the balcony bopped along to the beats, savoring Trombone Shorty's blazing trombone- and trumpet-playing backed by a band equally skilled and hungry to entertain.

Trombone Shorty (born Troy Andrews 38 years ago) made sure to give space and praise to band members, notably Pittsburgh-bred tenor saxophonist Dan Oestreicher who netted richly deserved hometown applause.

The concert started with high energy that leaped a few notches higher three songs in, with an electrifying romp through Prince's "Let's Go Crazy." Next came a Mardi Gras-worthy "On Your Way Down," the Allen Toussaint-penned, Little Feat popularized jam where Trombone Shorty and Oestreicher exchanged fiery licks.

Trombone Shorty set aside his trademark instrument for a trumpet on a solo where he mustered Dizzy Gillespie-like puffed cheeks. He repeatedly played a four-note riff in a hypnotic fashion, before hitting high gear again on the original tune "Fire and Brimstone."

There was a brief, funked-up stomp through the New Orleans classic "When The Saints Go Marching In."

Guitar wiz Pete Murano and Trombone Shorty, back on trombone, thrillingly engaged in dueling solos before opening act The Soul Rebels, a New Orleans jazz-funk-hip-hop group, were welcomed back on stage to further amplify the elation. With the stage packed by musicians, including a sousaphone player, the two bands cut loose on a jam that brought Miami-ish sounds. Trombone Shorty and Soul Rebels' Corey Peyton made a mid-air X" out of their brass instruments as they stood side-by-side and wailed.

With the show hitting the homestretch, Trombone Shorty climbed off the stage but kept playing his trombone, as he marched through the mixed-aged crowd that did a parting of the seas so he could pass.

Trombone Shorty's big smiles, infectious enthusiasm and gumbo of sounds made for a wonderful, crowd-pleasing evening.

It was the loudest show I've witnessed at the Roxian, and the handful of fans I saw wearing earplugs probably woke up the next morning not regretting that decision.

Wayne Newton, March 2, Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall, Munhall

Wayne Newton treated fans to "When The Saints Go Marching In," too, at his Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall concert, though the vibe was much less Bourbon Street and straight-up Vegas Strip.

Newton hit the stage at 8 p.m. sharp and finished at five minutes to 10 − god bless those old-school pros − delivering non-stop entertainment loaded with laughs, mixed-media archive clips and impressive musicianship.

Sporting a black tuxedo with muted racing stripes, bedazzled buttons and a bright red pocket square, the 81-year-old icon launched with "C.C. Rider Blues" and "Viva Las Vegas." The vocal sound was too soft initially, though soundboard adjustments were made, and the show picked up steam as the seated crowd sang along with and swayed to Newton on "Can't Help Falling in Love." Some fans snapped photos despite the signs in the lobby advising that was off-limits.

Newton took his first flashy solo on pedal steel guitar, an instrument he mastered in his early teens. Minutes later, the Virginia native shined on some acoustic guitar picking, explaining how he knew he needed to learn that instrument once his future friend Elvis Presley arrived on the scene.

Backed by a well-seasoned, five-man lounge band, Newton said he realized this tour needed a prettier presence as he welcomed on stage the night's moderator in a sparkly black ballgown that she joked was chosen by Newton, and thus two sizes too small. Newton and the moderator, an Ohio native, bantered amusingly as she read aloud questions submitted by audience members.

That gave Newton the opportunity to explain how he earned titles like "Mr. Las Vegas" and "The Midnight Idol" performing six 40-minute shows a day at age 15. At one point he toiled the 6 a.m. to noon lounge shift at a Reno casino, joking he got to entertain two types of drunks − those ready to pass out after a long night and those just getting started.

At the midway point of his Munhall show, Newton sailed through a medley of his biggest hits, "Red Roses For a Blue Lady," "Summer Wind," "Danke Schoen" and "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast."

His vocals have thinned, but he dug deep and nailed the big sweeping crescendos of those songs and others, including "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You," turning into a "duet" with Sammy Davis Jr. shown on the video screen from a half-century old clip of the two friends.

Fluent on 13 instruments, Newton showed off sizzling fiddle playing live on stage and from an early 1960s video from one of his youthful appearances on TV's "The Jack Benny Show."

Newton praised Benny, Bobby Darin and Frank Sinatra for the steadfast support they gave his career.

With the Munhall concert winding down, Newton revealed a surprise, finally introducing by name his show's moderator. Turned out she's his wife of 30 years, Kathleen McCrone. No wonder they displayed so much chemistry.

One of the last living greats of his era, Newton said it doesn't matter how he meets his ultimate end, he just plans to keep on striving to touch hearts and souls. He thanked fans for their heartfelt support before finishing the show strongly with Sinatra's "My Way," changing the chorus to a more universal "We did it our way." Newton hit and held the final sweeping chorus with utter gusto.

Yes, he still deserves the title "Mr. Entertainment."

More: Q&A with K.K. Downing, the heavy metal guitar god bringing his band KK's Priest our way

Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Trombone Shorty & Wayne Newton deliver fun to Pittsburgh area fans