Atlantic City Entertainment | Atlantic City | AtlanticCityInsiders.com: Where visitors experience Atlantic City like insiders

“Saturday Night Live” alumnus Dana Carvey will be “Live from Atlantic City” for the first time in more than two decades.

These days, Motley Crue’s image as one of the more notorious metal hair bands requires a bit of smoke and mirrors.

It was mutual admiration –– not just savvy marketing –– that led rapper-songwriter-producer Pitbull to team up with another popular one-name performer, Ke$ha, for his summer tour.

WHO IS SHE: Mary J. Blige has won three Grammy Awards and sold nearly 25 million albums since she burst onto the scene in 1992. Her debut album, “What’s the 411?,” sold 3 million copies and featured the singles, “You Remind Me” and “Real Love.” Her sophomore album, “My Life,” was Blige’s first attempt at songwriting and was co-produced by Sean “Puffy” Combs. The album sold another 3 million copies. In summer 1995, Blige scored a hit with “I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need to Get By,” a duet with Method Man. Later that same year, she recorded the Babyface song, “Not Gon’ Cry,” for the soundtrack to “Waiting to Exhale.” The single reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in early 1996. Blige’s third album, “Share My World,” debuted on top of the albums chart in April 1997. Her first No. 1 single came with 2001’s “Family Affair.”

WHO IS HE: Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is a Pakistani musician who sings Qawwali music. Khan began performing at 10 years old and hasn’t looked back, becoming a popular star in India due to his songs being featured in Bollywood films. In 1995, Khan’s music appeared on the soundtrack to the film “Dead Man Walking.” His vocals also were featured on the soundtrack to “Apocalypto.” In 2010, he won “Best International Act” at the U.K. Asian Music Awards.

WHO ARE THEY: Emerging from the legendary Asbury Park rock ’n’ roll scene of the 1970s, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes gained national attention in the wake of the success of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” album. Led by producer/songwriter/guitarist “Miami” Steve Van Zandt and featuring a full horn section, the Jukes released its debut album “I Don’t Wanna Go Home” in 1976. It featured the classic title track along with the Springsteen standout “The Fever” and a duet with Ronnie Spector on “You Mean So Much To Me.” A year later, the band released the more-muscular “This Time It’s For Real” and in 1978 the masterpiece “Hearts of Stone.” After a rough patch in the 1980s, Southside returned to form with the stellar “Better Days” in 1991. Although they never reached the commercial heights attained by Springsteen, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes have continued to release albums and tour consistently throughout the U.S. and Europe to a legion of dedicated fans.

WHO IS HE: Russell Peters is a Canadian-born comedian who has performed all around the world and has been nominated for four Gemini Awards. He has been featured at Montreal’s Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, The Winnipeg Comedy Festival and the Edinburgh Festival. In August 2006, Peters’ comedy special “Russell Peters: Outsourced” aired on Comedy Central.

WHO IS HE: With its intricate vocal harmonies and doo-wop approach, The Four Seasons became one of the most successful groups of the 1960s. Lead singer Frankie Valli’s signature falsetto became the trademark of the group, which recorded hits such as “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Dawn,” “Rag Doll” and “Let’s Hang On.” While many American groups presenting a clean-cut, somewhat corny image fell prey to the more hip British Invasion, The Four Seasons managed to survive. In fact, when The Beatles dominated the charts in 1964, The Four Seasons scored three major hit singles. Valli launched a solo career in the late 1960s, scoring a No. 2 single with “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.” Later Valli hits included “My Eyes Adored You,” “Swearin’ To God,” “Our Day Will Come” and “Grease.”

WHO ARE THEY: Believe it or not, the soft rock group Chicago is statistically the second most successful American band of all time. Only the Beach Boys have sold more albums and singles. Chicago was formed in the late 1960s in the city that bears the same name. The goal of the musicians was to blend classical, jazz, R&B, pop and rock, and they managed to do so incredibly successfully. The group’s first album, “Chicago Transit Authority,” was released in April 1969 and went on to sell more than two million copies. The band never looked back, recording hits throughout every decade since.

WHO ARE THEY: As one of the final doo wop groups to make a name for themselves in the early 1960s, The Duprees scored a string of hits with its big band arrangements of pop standards. The height of the group’s career came in 1962 and 1963 when it had hits with “You Belong to Me,” “My Own True Love,” “Have you Heard” and “Why Don’t You Believe Me.” When the British Invasion hit, the Duprees were relegated to the oldies circuit.

WHO ARE THEY: Blues Traveler released three albums — “Blues Traveler,” “Travelers & Thieves” and “Save His Soul” — before achieving superstardom in 1995 with its hit single “Run-Around” off of 1994’s album “Four.” The album reached quintuple platinum status and the single spent nearly a year on the charts. “Straight on Till Morning” followed in 1997. The Princeton natives, who were led by the distinctive vocals and amazing harmonica playing of John Popper, had developed a large cult following and continued to make albums throughout the 2000s.

WHO ARE THEY: Third Eye Blind released its self-titled debut album in 1997, during the height of the post-grunge melodic pop/rock era. The San Francisco-based band scored hits with “Semi-Charmed Life,” “How’s it Going to Be” and “Jumper.” In 1999, Third Eye Blind released “Blue,” which sold 150,000 copies in its first month of release, but didn’t receive the same sort of critical acclaim or commercial success of its predecessor. The group waited four years before releasing its next album, “Out of the Vein,” in 2003.

WHO IS HE: Allen Edwards, the man known as “The Voice of Branson,” began singing in public at age 6 at church, and by the time he was in college at Purdue University, he was performing regularly in clubs and restaurants throughout northwest Indiana. After graduating, Edwards maintained dual careers as a singer and policeman, eventually moving to Houston where he scored local hits with the songs “Walk Out Backward” and “Houston Just Ain’t Big Enough.” The success of the song “Could We Please Stay in Love for a While” led to an engagement in Branson, Mo. where Edwards wound up being a hit. He was able to open at the Roy Clark Celebrity Theater and a year later was opening his own breakfast show at a local hotel. Sixteen years later, Edwards headlines his own breakfast, lunch and dinner shows at the Allen Edwards Dining Showroom.  

Depeche Mode: Electronic music has its share of detractors. Critics have routinely thrown around adjectives such as “cold” and “soulless” to describe it and, in some cases, these words ring true. However, one of the most glaring and obvious exceptions to this rule is England’s own synth pioneers, Depeche Mode. Few singers have poured more passion and soul into their performance than Dave Gahan does every night, and just about nobody writes musical hooks with a better sense of melody than Martin Gore. And they have been doing it for years. While most electronic acts swirl around the outskirts of relative obscurity, Depeche Mode has topped the charts around the world, spitting out classic darkwave hits such as “Enjoy the Silence” and “Shake the Disease” with an ease and grace that leaves other keyboard-based acts scratching their heads. Simply put, Depeche Mode is the best electronic band of all time. Nobody else even comes close. Depeche Mode, Revel, Ovation Hall, 9 p.m. August 30. TBD.

WHO ARE THEY: Legends in Concert began in Las Vegas in the 1980s and has been running strong ever since as the world’s most successful tribute show. The show has been so successful that Bally’s renovated the Palace Theater and renamed it Legends in Concert Theater in order to host the show on an ongoing basis. It features new seats, more booths and cocktail tables and walls of memorabilia. The show will present five different lineups of entertainers throughout the year.

WHO IS HE: Joe Holiday is a magician who takes a family-friendly approach to magic and entertainment. The Atlantic City native has performed around the world on cruise ships, at amusement parks and corporate events and has even performed for the U.S. military in China, South Korea and Japan.

It’s Atlantic City’s newest sanctuary for savvy club-goers.

The Chelsea Hotel is kicking off summer with a revamped food, beverage and nightclub program thanks to a new partnership with Bezzone Hospitality, a Morristown-based company that will transform the entire boutique hotel’s 5th floor experience.

People sometimes have a hard time finding the Lucky Dog Tavern in Atlantic City, but once they do, they always come back.

The DJ duo Manufactured Superstars has been playing in Atlantic City so frequently over the past year they consider it a second home.

Comedy Clubs

A welcome sign of spring in Atlantic City is the reopening of bars, clubs and pools for the season, all of which greatly expand the options for partying both day and night through the summer. From rooftop pool parties to beachfront bars to clubs with outdoor areas overlooking the ocean, there is no shortage of places where you can enjoy the sun or moonlight with drinks, music and large, like-minded crowds looking to have fun. Below are five things you need to know about some of the most popular, most unique and newest places in the city where going out really means partying outside and enjoying the warm weather while it’s here.

It’s a place for suds, sun and sights on Atlantic City’s world-famous walkway

It’s a destination for people who live nearby

The name speaks for itself

Revel will kick off summer with the first of its three planned fireworks displays 9 p.m. Friday, May 24. Grucci, America’s first family of fireworks, will produce the fireworks series for the second straight year directly above Revel Beach as the fireworks will reflect off the casino resort’s glass exterior.

The latest music-and-dance sensation is about to take over Boardwalk Hall this Memorial Day weekend — but don’t look on the arena stage.

Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski was back in town for his annual celebrity golf charity event at Atlantic City Country Club. Jawz was joined by LPGA great Michelle Wie, Baltimore Ravens quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco and many others.

KOOL 98.3-FM recently launched a search to find a local high school choir to perform live on stage with classic rock legends Foreigner when they perform to a sold-out crowd at the Golden Nugget on June 15.

An event that is becoming a family-friendly tradition in Atlantic City is returning to Boardwalk Hall Oct. 5 and 6.

WHO IS HE: Asylum Fight League is an amateur mixed martial arts league dedicated to nurturing, preparing and showcasing East Coast talent. Several Asylum fighters have gone on to successful professional careers. “The goal has always been that today’s Asylum stars are tomorrow’s UFC stars,” AFL promoter Carl Mascarenhas says. “That’s what the Asylum is all about.”

Perhaps you've seen multi-colored, circular magnets adorned with the words DO AC plastered all over Atlantic City and on cars who have recently made it to the area.

Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, most people thought, would have been in a new owner’s hands by summer. But with the sale of the casino off — or at least postponed — the Trump management team is making some big changes in hopes of the casino having a strong summer season.

The Pier Shops at Caesars is amping things up to get more crowds in there this spring.

On Friday, May 10, Revel will finally debut its players lounge that will be adjacent to a new high-limit playing area. Pearl High Limit Lounge will offer a high-end slot experience and is located next to Revel Card center.

ARTLANTIC: Wonder, a five-year, outdoor, public art project, is adding to its mystifying features on the Boardwalk.

The summer movie season seems to start earlier and earlier every year, and it officially starts this weekend with the opening of the projected blockbuster “Iron Man 3” with Robert Downey Jr.

When Landry’s Inc., owner of Golden Nugget Atlantic City and popular chain restaurants such as Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., the Rainforest Cafe and Morton’s Steakhouse, bought another popular chain, McCormick & Schmick’s last year, it had major work to do.

When The Melting Pot opened in Atlantic City in December 2007, Owner Charlie Haney was perfectly fine with opening an upscale restaurant with a dining experience that most people would go to for special occasions a few times a year.

Ono Chinese Bistro in Atlantic City’s Atlantic Club Casino Hotel will kick off its new Sunday Jazz Brunch Sunday, May 19, with live music, mimosas and endless food options.

Revel lost one of its best restaurant’s Sunday when Michel Richard’s Central permanently closed after its last brunch.

Lugo is moving. But it won’t be moving too far. The excellent Italian trattoria inside Revel will move to the former One location in hopes to be open by June 15. And it will have a new name: Lugo Italian.

This weekend, Memorial Day will kick off the unofficial start to summer.  And with the dreadful winter that we’ve had, it’s probably a pretty safe bet to say that we’re officially ready for it.

Any golfer will tell you that a bad day on the golf course is better than a good day at the office. But bad or good, one should look stylish when swinging an iron. Thankfully, the days of loud printed pants and ridiculous knickers (on grown men, for crying out loud!) are long gone.  Because unless you’re John Daly, the average Joe really can’t – and shouldn’t - get away with such flamboyantly flashy apparel (see photos).

Now that spring has arrived (at last!) and plenty of sunny days are ahead, you’ll need sunglasses to protect your delicate eyes from the sun’s harmful UV rays.