THE JETS
GREAT MUSIC RETURNS TO PLANET HOLLYWOOD
By Sam Novak
Throughout the decades, family groups have been at the heart of popular music. From the Jacksons, Osmonds and Bee Gees to The Jonas Brothers and Sin City’s own The Bronx Wanderers, siblings who play together tend to stay together. Yet very few of them have as unique a background as The Jets.
Comprised of the Wolfgramm family, The Jets have been performing together since 1977. Parents Mike and Vaké came to the United States from the island nation of Tonga. They settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where they raised seventeen remarkable children. The eight eldest formed a musical group which they called “Quasar”, later renamed “The Jets” after the beloved Elton John song.
The Jets positively exploded on the scene in 1985, thanks in large part to their videos on MTV. Being hip, attractive and trendy in the era of Duran Duran and Madonna didn’t hurt. In the ensuing years The Jets produced five top-ten hits, several world tours, nine studio albums and a Grammy nomination. The line-up has changed from time to time, with relatives and friends joining in to continue the family tradition.
From “You’ve Got It All” and “Make It Real” to “Sendin’ All My Love” and “Cross My Broken Heart”, songs from The Jets continue to be discovered by new generations. And longtime fans are glad to have them back at Planet Hollywood’s V THEATER.
THE JETS – The 80’s & 90’s Experience is a fast-paced jukebox of hits you know and love. Original members LeRoy, Haini and Rudy are joined onstage by sister Etivise Haunga, cousin Vannessa Naeata, LeRoy’s son Evan and keyboardist Mychael Pollard. The group played to enthusiastic Vegas audiences for only a few months before COVID-19 required them to shut down. As weeks turned into months, The Jets vowed to stick it out. Now they’ve triumphantly returned to the same stage.
Lead singer/bass player Haini described to CHIC Compass the challenges faced by the close-knit family during the closure:
“We were ever so hopeful that Las Vegas would open up safely and that we would be able to resume. Well, after almost a year and a half, we finally kicked off on Aug. 4th. To say it was a miracle would be an understatement.”
“There were so many logistical and production issues that needed to be resolved because everything on and off stage had been stored in a huge warehouse. Like “Where’s the wardrobe?” and “Where did my bass amp end up?”. Needless to say, we couldn’t wait to get back on stage.”
Keyboardist Mychael Pollard echoed those sentiments:
“Throughout the pandemic, we planned our return to the Strip. It took days, nights and months of prayer, being health conscious & productive. Some days were pretty difficult and really took a toll on our outlook. We weren’t able to perform anymore and did not know when we’d be able to return.”
Faith, and patience have paid off, as The Jets are back to doing what they love. Their production at V THEATER is a nostalgic treasure trove of The Jets singles and favorites from artists like TLC, Boys II Men, Arrested Development, Will Smith and Lauren Hill. It’s a nonstop party that will have you on your feet and dancing in the aisles.
As Haini sees it, “The time off gave us a renewed sense of gratitude to be able to do what we love, and especially to be back with our fans and friends. We’ve added a few new things to our show and it went from sixty minutes to about seventy-five. We’re so pumped up and excited every night to be onstage, giving it our all. And we invite you to The Jets 80’s & 90’s Experience!”
