As this year's "American Idol" heats up, one of its strongest also-rans appears at John Ascuaga's Nugget. Bo Bice finished second to Carrie Underwood in 2005, seemingly a lifetime ago in "Idol" years, but few have forgotten his a cappella version of "In a Dream."

Underwood has gone on to superstardom in country music, but Bice has hardly laid low. His first CD after "Idol" was "The Real Thing," and it went gold, along the way yielding the chart-topper "Inside Your Heaven." He turned to Nashville with "3" and wrote or co-wrote all the songs.

Bice was a perfect "Idol" contestant with an interesting back story. Born in Alabama, he moved to England with his family when he was 14. His stepfather was an executive with Coca-Cola. His mother was a gospel singer. In England, he started his first band, Spinning Jenny, when he was in high school.

When he returned to the United States, he played in a parade of bands, mostly on the Southern club circuit. He then went on "Idol" and proved to have the versatility to take on that show's challenges and array of musical demands.

Bice is part of what appears to be a rejuvenated schedule for the Celebrity Showroom at the Nugget. He'll be followed by the Blasters on April 16, then Keyser Soze April 23, Foghat April 30, the long-overdue return of Loretta Lynn on May 6, the B-52s on May 14, and Ricky Skaggs May 27.

Bice plays at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $20 and are available at 800-648-1177 or janugget.com.

Around the Silver Circle

• Devotees of PBS will recognize Max Raabe and his Palast Orchester, whose special has been showing up on fundraisers lately.

This is an ensemble of unique musicians who perform the music of Jewish composers who had to emigrate to the United States to escape the growing Nazi threat in the 1930s. The songs of Hans May, Walter Reisch and Fritz Rotter, for instance, are included. But that's hardly all as the cabaret scene is revived through jazz, ragtime and other styles of the era.

"It's nice to misbehave," says Raabe, "in a tuxedo." (8 p.m. April 10 at the Grand Sierra; $25, $35, $45; grandsierraresort.com or RenoIsArtown.com. Also 8 p.m. April 13 at the Mondavi Center; $25, $37, $40; students and children $12.50, $18.50 and $24.50; mondaviarts.org.)

• Sarah Silverman's mantra: "I don't set out to offend or shock, but I also don't do anything to avoid it." This year she has published a book "The Bedwetter; Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee" and she's in a new film called "Peep World." She has her MontBleu debut this Saturday (9 p.m.; $39.50 at Ticketmaster or 775-588-3515). Silverman also performs at 7 p.m. April 10 at Mondavi ($25, $40, $55, students $12.50, $20, $27.50 at mondaviarts.org).

• The Beatles get a fantasy tribute with The Reunion (Anthology) at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Silver Legacy. ($25, $30, $35; 800-687-8733 or silverlegacy.com)

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