Photos by Andy Argyrakis

During the golden age of standards that minted mega stars such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Nat King Cole and Bobby Darin, in addition to early rock and roller Elvis Presley, fellow legends of the future, Wayne Newton and Tony Orlando, were just getting started and learning firsthand from those heroes.

Newton, or “Mr. Las Vegas” as he’s been known forever, eventually surpassed them all with the longest-running residency streak, basically since the late 1950s as a mere child through today, while Orlando can count writing for others, working as a record label executive and co-starring in a television variety show throughout the 1970s on a consistently active list.

Though the veterans have known each other for a whopping 62 years, it’s not very often when they cross paths, making a Hard Rock Live Northern Indiana partnership for “An Unforgettable Evening Of Icons” an exclusive of epic proportions.

In his closing slot, the instrument-switching Newton was truly larger than life and quite agile for 81-years-old, interpreting others, along with his own iconic songbook, backed by a massive amount of musicians and a vintage vault’s worth of priceless footage, right up to starring in “National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation.”

Whether it was his pal Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas” and “Can’t Help Falling In Love” or “My Way” by “Ol’ Blue Eyes,” Newton lived up to his status as the ultimate living link to all the icons, further earning his own place among the most enduring thanks to the personally popularized “Red Roses For A Blue Lady,” “Danke Schoen” and “Daddy, Don’t You Walk So Fast.”

The 79-year-old Orlando started off the festivities with a seven-piece band for an overview of smashes he scored next to Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson in Dawn, alongside a lot of covers culled out of the surrounding era.

That meant everything from his own “Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree” and Neil Diamond’s “America,” both in honor of the Armed Forces past and present, plus “Candida,” “Knock Three Times,” “He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You)” and a mega medley of The Beatles, all with contagious optimism and an obvious appreciation for the Hard Rock regulars who’ve stuck by the co-headliners’ sides for literally a lifetime.

For additional information on Wayne Newton and Tony Orlando, visit WayneNewton.com, TonyOrlando.com

Upcoming concert highlights at Hard Rock Live Northern Indiana include Wayne Newton and Tony Orlando (May 13); Billy Currington (May 19); Andrew Schulz (May 20); Incognito (Jun. 3); Kevin Hart (Jun. 10); DC Young Fly (Jun. 16); Kevin James (Jun. 18); Halsey (Jun. 30); Cypress Hill (Jul. 2); Dream Theater (Jul. 7); Jimmie Allen (Jul. 8); Weezer (Jul. 9); Shinedown (Jul. 21); Deon Cole (Jul. 29); Volbeat (Jul. 30); Extreme (Aug. 17); W.A.S.P. (Aug. 20); Daryl Hall (Aug. 22); Gipsy Kings (Sept. 29); Styx (Oct. 13); Tom Segura (Oct. 14); Aaron Lewis (Oct. 27-28) and Grand Funk Railroad (Nov. 2). For additional details, visit HardRockCasinoNorthernIndiana.com.

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