The Academy of Country Music Awards are back in Las Vegas this year.  The show takes place at the MGM Grand’s Garden Arena on Sunday, April 5th.   It airs on KLAS-TV Channel 8 (CBS) at 8 p.m.

There are events all around the valley this weekend.  Many of them are free for you to attend.  For a list of concerts on Fremont Street, click here. 

 “Bringing Santana to The Joint at Hard Rock elevates the entertainment options in Las Vegas,” said John Meglen, president & co-CEO of AEG Live/ Concerts West. “AEG Live set the standard for major residency shows in Vegas with Celine, Elton, Cher and Bette over at The Colosseum, and now we are setting the standard for rock and roll residencies with this new deal.”

Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits will feature career-spanning classics inspired by a mix of practical spirituality, a rebel-from-the-street vibe and passionate, virtuoso guitar playing. The set list will include a nostalgic collection of touchstone tracks reaching back as far as the first charting single “Jingo” (1969) and first Top 10 hit “Evil Ways” (1970), up through the latest hit, “Into The Night.” Naturally, Carlos Santana will be accompanied by his band members Chester Thompson (keyboards), Karl Perazzo (timbales), Benny Rietveld (bass), Dennis Chambers (drums), Raul Rekow (congas), Andy Vargas (vocals), Tony Lindsay (vocals), Tommy Anthony (rhythm guitar), Jeff Cressman (trombone) and Bill Ortiz (trumpet). The stage design and production will be created by Frank The Plumber, which recently designed Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet tour set.

“The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is thrilled to be the first to house a true rock resident show at our brand-new, state-of-the-art venue The Joint,” said Randy Kwasniewski, president and COO of Morgans Hotel Group Las Vegas and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. “We look forward to launching the new facility with quality concerts and Santana at the helm of our entertainment offerings.”

“It is a great honor for Santana to be the first resident performer at the new Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.  Because I still live the principles of the 1960s, and because I’m a hippie at heart, “A Trip Through The Hits” is designed to bring everyone in the audience together as one,” said Carlos Santana.  “I invite you to join our experience—we’ll mix up a little practical spirituality with a rebel-from-the-street vibe, and with lots of incredible music.  My wish is for it to be a night that will move you to dance, to cry, to laugh and to feel the totality and fullness of being alive.”

Paris Hilton arrived in Las Vegas this weekend (March 6, 2009) to celebrate her 28th birthday.  She turned 28 in February, but March 7th she celebrated it at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s Body English Nightclub.   She came with boyfriend, Doug Reinhardt, and 15 of her friends.  They dined at Nobu on Saturday night before making their way to her party.  Paris posed on the pink carpet as fans yelled, “Happy Birthday!” 

Inside Body English, she was presented a cake and her friends sang Happy Birthday to her.  She stayed close to Reinhardt the entire night.

The Flamingo showroom has been dark most of this month when Toni Braxton was hospitalized with chest pain. The singer will start performing again on May 6. Her act “Toni Braxton: Revealed” is set to wrap up in August.

The movie was shot here in Las Vegas at various locations like the Hard Rock, Ghostbar and at Planet Hollywood.

“Every time I get the chance to perform in the movies I love it,” said Joe Armeno, Planet Hollywood dealer. He’s a dealer by day and actor at heart. Sounds like a perfect marriage for this movie.

 If you see it — tell us what you think of it.