October 11th, 2005

It looks like the problem we were having with Google Groups is fixed and hopefully you will get an email whenever something new is posted at the website. I think by now everyone should know there is at least one newsletter posted weekly so if this situation arises again, just go to the website to read the newsletter.

I also want to mention how popular the Forum group has become. We have almost 4,000 members. Please check it out at http://www.everythinglv.com/forums

‘American Storm’ at Riv can’t strike right tone.
By Jerry Fink

Male strip revues are breeding like rabbits in Las Vegas.

Someone needs to shoot the hare before our showrooms are overrun with hunks flexing their pecs and baring their abs for screaming women, who are proving they can be as disgusting as men under the right circumstances.

There’s the granddaddy of male strip acts, “Chippendales, The Show” at the Rio.

And “Men, The Show” in the Playgirl Lounge at Sapphire’s Gentleman’s Club.

Also, “Krave Men of Vegas” at Krave (a gay-friendly nightclub adjacent to the Aladdin).

The “Men of Russia,” eager to attract females, recently left Krave and now is at the Suncoast.

And at Excalibur is “Thunder From Down Under.”

The most recent addition to the family of torsos is “American Storm,” which premiered in the Crazy Girls Theatre at the Riviera in July.

More Here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/do/2005/oct/07/519476625.html
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Now Appearing
By Jerry Fink

A behind-the-scenes feud has taken center stage at the Riviera.

Norbert Aleman, producer and creator of “An Evening at La Cage,” describes the conflict as a family squabble between him and “La Cage” star Frank Marino.

“There is no animosity, no tension,” Aleman said. “We have a great relationship.

“I love Frank, but he is like my kid. Sometimes he has to be spanked.”

The spanking took the form of a letter Aleman recently sent to media reminding everyone that the outspoken Marino was merely an employee.

More Here:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/do/2005/oct/10/519487566.html
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Win Gans’ ‘Vette

Impressionist Danny Gans has raised over $50,000 for victims of Hurricane Katrina, selling chances on his customized 2001 Z-06 Corvette (2,600 miles).

There are three weeks left to purchase a raffle ticket.

Gans will draw the winning number during a performance at 7 p.m. on Oct. 30, the day before he will close his show for three months to recover from shoulder surgery. His show will resume Feb. 6.

Tickets, $20 apiece or six for $100, may be bought at the Mirage box office or by calling 792-7600.

You need to be present to win.

Money raised will go to the American Red Cross and the MGM Mirage Voice Foundation Katrina Recovery Fund.

Gans says his goal is to raise $100,000.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/
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Buck Wild! a hootin’ good time
By Thom Wise

Buck Wild!
Where: Sahara
When: 9 p.m. Mon.-Sat.
Cost: $54.95, $61.95, $65.95, $72.95
Info: (702) 992-7970 or (866) 80-SHOWS

Vegas has lots of shows, and lots of shows have topless women. But only one show has topless women…in cowboy hats…riding a mechanical bull. Hello, Buck Wild!

Producer David Saxe, the clever soul that he is, saw a gap in the entertainment offerings in town and moved to fill it. Originally, the show was called Giddy Up, but the thought process remained the same: a country-western variety show, with a judicious amount of humor, plenty of spunk and a dollop of sexy gals and dudes. Before you could say “Yee haw,” Buck Wild! was off and running.

Finding the talent to fill them boots doesn’t appear to have been a problem for Saxe. He has created a show with a cross-section of craftsmen that rivals any other in town, albeit with a twang.

While no one gets traditional star billing in this show, the one who should is a 12-year-old-going-on-40 wunderkind by the name of L.D. Miller. Remember that name. In fact, go see the show just so you can sometime tell your grandkids, “Yeah, I saw that guy in Vegas before he could grow a beard.” This harmonica-playin’ master-blaster exhibits more talent, stage presence and confidence than a person three times his age. (In case you were wondering what a 12-year-old kid is doing in a topless show, L.D.’s mom, Tammy, watches over him like a hawk and keeps him safely ensconced in his dressing room, playing with his iPod and new puppy, Buddy, until show time.)

To underscore Miller’s talent, at his “ripe old age” he can already rattle off a long list of those he’s played or jammed with, including Buddy Guy, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys and Ringo Starr. The talent is there, it just remains to be seen how far his star will rise.

Rounding out the variety showcase, Buck Wild! includes a stable of savvy performers. Host and singer T.J. Weaver brings his best Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks to the party, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better, or faster, fiddler than the indomitable Russ Hendricks, who also adds his latest cornball jokes during the fast set changes. Comic relief comes in the form of Nathan Burton, the redneck magician who disappears into a gigantic six-pack of Budweiser and re-appears later in the “microwave of death,” as well as Wally Eastwood, the funniest, most self-deprecating Mexican juggler you’ve ever seen. (Just try shooting rubber balls 30 feet in the air, and see how far you’d make it!)

Mama, you might not want to let your babies grow up to be cowboys, but you’ll definitely not want to miss Buck Wild!, the show that entertains while teaching us the wisdom of the West. Just remember: Save a horse … ride a cowboy.
http://www.lvshowbiz.com/feature5.html
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A playground for the imagination By Grace Bascos

Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce
Where: Mandalay Bay
When: 10 p.m. until dawn, Thursday - Monday.
Cost: General admission, $20
Info: (702) 992-7970 or (866) 80-SHOWS

Don’t let the size fool you.

Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce is what we would call “intimate” in polite terms, but the entertainment and energy in this joint are larger than life. Reserve a table in the tiered VIP section to get a good view of the action. And even when the show’s not going on, there’s still plenty of action to see. The stage behind the bar, dominated by the American flag, beckons dancers as the DJ spins the best of all funk tunes, and women are more than welcome to come up and shake their stuff like the best of ‘em. But when that rotating bandstand opens up, the Forty Deuce Trio (drums, upright bass and sax) lets the audience know that the real show is about to begin.

Dancers such as Dakota and Melissa take the stage around midnight, and they’re worth the wait. Who knew the act of slowly removing one satin, elbow-length glove could be so sexy? The dance is a seduction, beginning slowly and building up to a frenetic pace matched only by the musical skills of the trio. See that beaded curtain covering the back wall? The girls use it during their numbers. And those pipes hanging from the ceiling? They’re part of the act, too. How they get used … well, the sexiest part, in true burlesque form, is leaving the rest up to the imagination.
http://www.lvshowbiz.com/feature2.html
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REALLY BIG SHOW

That’s some kickoff being planned for The Comedy Festival on Nov. 17 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The lineup for the “Earth to America” extravaganza will include Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Will Ferrell, Steve Martin, Ray Romano, Martin Short, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Cedric The Entertainer, Al Franken, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kevin Nealon, Wanda Sykes, Robin Williams, the cast of Avenue Q, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Ticket information for the three-day festival: www. thecomedyfestival.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Individual prices: $54.55 to $113.64.
http://www.reviewjournal.com
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POKER TOUR RETURNS

This column seems to be turning out of more interest to the guys, as this next item takes a look at poker. The World Poker Tour (WPT) returns to our town for the two-week Festa al Lago III poker tournament at Bellagio Oct. 7-21. The tournament wraps up Oct. 18-21 with the WPT’s Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship.

We’re talking big money here, so the entry fees for the no limit hold ‘em tournaments, Oct. 8-16, range from $1,000-$3,000. The entry fee for the super-satellite tournament, scheduled Monday, Oct. 17, is $1,000. The Championship begins Tuesday, Oct. 18, at noon with an entry fee of $10,000.

The champion receives the first place prize money as well as an entry into the April 2006 WPT World Championship at Bellagio. You can register at Bellagio’s poker room. Last year’s Championship attracted 312 players for a total prize pool of $3,026,400. Not so shabby, so if you think you’re a pretty good player and have a grand or two lying around, give it a shot.
reviewjournal.com — Lenny’s Las Vegas
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RIO BIKINIS

Okay, let me lighten up a bit by telling you about a year-round beach party where gorgeous cocktail servers, bartenders, dancers and lifeguards do their thing while wearing bikinis. It all happens at the Bikinis Beach and Dance Club at the Rio. The bar is open daily at 10 a.m. and the nightclub opens Thursday through Sunday at 10 p.m. Every Thursday night, Bikini Nation holds a sexy swimwear competition and weekly winners will be entered to win $5,000 and a South Beach Vacation. Lotsa fun and lotsa cash up for grabs. And let’s not forget the eye candy.
reviewjournal.com — Lenny’s Las Vegas
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WORLD HORSE EVENT

Here’s an event you won’t want to miss if you’re a horse lover. The Las Vegas World Invitational (LVWI) will be Oct. 14-15 at the Thomas & Mack Center. The world’s 25 best show jumping riders will compete for $1 million in prize money, the largest purse for a Grand Prix competition, in four events over two days that will combine extreme Olympic-caliber sports with world-class entertainment.

Riders will compete in the $100,000 Welcome Stake, a speed event that features one round, plus a jump-off against the clock; the $50,000 Knockout, where riders will race against each other on identical courses; the $100,000 Ride and Drive, a unique event where riders first complete a jumping course on a horse, then finish an obstacle course in a car; and the $750,000 Grand Prix, a premier jumping event.

Tickets are $75, $175, $225 and $1,000 for two-day, VIP packages and are available at the Thomas & Mack Center box office, the Las Vegas Hilton, by calling 1-866-388-3267 or by clicking on www.unlvtickets.com.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lenny/2005/1005.html
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Upcoming Las Vegas Entertainment

Country singer George Strait sings at MGM Grand Garden arena on Feb. 4. Tickets are $52.50, $78.75 and $99.76. They go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. at the MGM box office and through Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com and 474-4000.

Country legend Merle Haggard returns to Boulder Station on Dec. 1 and 2. Tickets are $37, $48, $59 and $70. They are on sale at the hotel’s Boarding Pass Rewards Center, 4111 Boulder Highway, and at area malls. To charge by phone, call 547-5300.

Lisa Marie Presley rocks House of Blues on Nov. 13. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $30 for reserved seats and $35 for special reserved seating. They go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster and at the box office. Call 632-7600.

Tickets for downtown’s New Year’s Eve celebration featuring Cheap Trick, Gin Blossoms and Spin Doctors are $40 and can be purchased through www.VegasExperience.com.

Hair-metal rockers Def Leppard hit The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel Nov. 13. Tickets, $103, go on sale Saturday at noon. They are available at the box office, 4455 Paradise Road, and through Ticketmaster. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at 474-4000. Tickets can also be charged starting Sunday through the box office, 693-5066.
reviewjournal.com — Neon - TICKETS
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Blue Man Group adds new tricks and a new stage for debut at Venetian
By Mike Weatherford

There’s always enough new hardware to keep a Blue Man confused and curious.

Even five years make a difference. When “Blue Man Group: Live at Luxor” opened in February 2000, most people couldn’t look at the bald, blue guys on a cell phone screen or listen to their PVC-pipe drumming on iPods.

But the Blue Man Group has always been about the need to spit marshmallows in the face of ever-changing technology. Just because the wildly popular troupe scored itself the ultimate Vegas status symbol — a custom-designed theater — don’t expect the creators to get too carried away with it.

“We don’t want to be just throwing spectacle at people,” says Chris Wink, one of the three co-founders of the New York-based production. “What sets us apart is this character. We’re not trying to compete machine for machine with Cirque du Soleil.”

Sure, the new 1,760-seat theater at the Venetian — no longer recognizable as the C2K nightclub that opened the casino –comes with a few surprises. Blue Man Group has a policy of never calling a show “new,” in part because it clings to treasured segments from the off-Broadway show that got the whole thing rolling in 1991.

More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Oct-07-Fri-2005/weekly/3610819.html
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SHOW REVIEW: Delisco proves he’s the winner.
Singer turns ‘The Entertainer’ prize into worthy Hilton show.
By Mike Weatherford.

As executive producer of “The Entertainer,” Wayne Newton got a lot of things wrong — after all, no one much cared about the show — and a couple of things right:

1. As Newton often stated on the E! cable network reality series, the contest went to show that in today’s compartmentalized entertainment world, it’s not easy to introduce a multi-talented entertainer who doesn’t have a hit song or a gimmick.

2. In spite of all that, the right guy won.

You can see for yourself at Shimmer, the Las Vegas Hilton’s enclosed lounge, where Delisco (who goes by one name) has an open-ended gig to honor the casino’s commitment to put up the TV show’s grand prize.

You can question whether this gig — supposedly worth a million bucks, before marketing costs — is really a shortcut to fame. But you can’t doubt the guy’s million-dollar smile, part of a stage presence that puts you in his corner within minutes.

More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Oct-07-Fri-2005/weekly/3686976.html
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NORM: ‘The Producers’ rumors increase.
Local sightings of Mel Brooks along the Strip are adding heat to persistent rumblings that his Broadway hit, “The Producers,” has found a home here. The Oscar-winning screenwriter was spotted backstage on Thursday at the Paris Las Vegas hotel and casino’s Le Theatre Des Arts, current home of Queen’s “We Will Rock You.”

Brooks, 79, also was seen at Wynn Las Vegas, getting a tour from Steve Wynn, and dining at Prime, the Bellagio steakhouse.

Brooks’ stage adaptation of “The Producers,” starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, won a record 12 Tony Awards and became the toughest ticket on Broadway in the spring of 2001.

The musical is based on Brooks’ 1968 film which won him an Oscar for best screenplay in his directorial debut. The storyline features two theatrical impresarios who try to bilk backers out of their investments by overselling a flop.
reviewjournal.com — News - NORM: ‘The Producers’ rumors increase
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MIKE WEATHERFORD: Ticket prices steadily climbing

On Monday, the Blue Man Group plans to throw a party to mark its official opening at The Venetian. It also joins a fraternity of Las Vegas shows that’s getting less exclusive: The Hundred Dollar Club.

By this I mean the top tier of shows with an average ticket price breaking the $100 mark. Show producers are happy to belong to the club, even if they don’t play it up in press releases for obvious reasons. These are the shows so popular that people will pay hard dollars for the full advertised price.

More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Oct-09-Sun-2005/living/3694552.html
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VEGASRESOURCE.COM NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING LAS VEGAS EVENTS
by billhere, Publisher

NOVEMBER, 2005
==================
1= Bucking Bull Classic - Orleans Arena.
2= Job Fair - Palace Station. Information:
www.lasvegasjobs.com
3-5= B.B.King - Stardust.
3-6= Engelbert Humperdinck - Orleans.
4= First Friday-huge arts night 6-9 p.m. -
Downtown Arts District:
http://www.firstfriday-lasvegas.org
4-5= Blues Brothers Tribute - Cannery.
4-5= U2 - MGM Grand.
4-5= Hall & Oates - Mirage.
4-6= Las Vegas Craft Show - Cashman Ctr.
4-6= Vicki Lawrence - Suncoast.
4-20= London Suite by Neil Simon -
Las Vegas Little Theatre.
6= Craft Show - Cashman Center.
9-12= Harvey Korman/Tim Conway - Stardust.
10= Kelly Clarkson - Aladdin.
10-16= Carrot Top - MGM Grand.
11= Remembrance Day.
11= David Allan Coe - Boulder Station.
11= Paula Poundstone - Sunset Station.
11-12= Dana Carvey - The Mirage.
11-13= Roy Clark - Suncoast.
12= LDS Music Festival - Cashman Center.
12= Guess Who - Fremont Street Experience.
12= Boxing. Vitali Klitschko vs.Hasim Rahman -
Thomas & Mack Center.
12= Johnny Rivers - Texas Station.
12-13= Nellis Air Force Base Air Show:
http://www.nellisairshow.com
16= Bureau of Land Management Public Land
Auction - Cashman Center.
16= Toxic Audio Show closes - Luxor.
17= Celebrity Impersonators Convention - Imperial
Palace.
17= Westward Ho closes to make way for
high-rise residences. Information:
www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/sun/2005/sep/15/519361092.html?westward%20ho
17-19= The HBO Comedy Festival - Caesars Palace
and Flamingo.
17-20= Debbie Reynolds - The Orleans.
17-30= George Carlin - Stardust.
18= Rolling Stones-MGM Grand Garden Arena.
18-19= The Moody Blues - The Mirage.
18-20= Al Jarreau - Suncoast.
19= Ultimate Fighting Championship-MGM Grand.
19= Maxxis EuroCross - Orleans Arena.
http://www.orleansarena.com/press/05-endurocross.html
19-20= Gun & Knife Show - Cashman Center.
19-20= Toy Expo - Also at Cashman Center.
20= Pink Floyd - Aladdin.
22-27= Neil Sedaka - The Orleans.
23= Comedian Carrot Top opens a 3-year run-Luxor.
24= Thanksgiving Day.
24-25= Wayne Brady - The Mirage.
25-26= Paul McCartney - MGM Grand.
25-26= Three Dog Night - Silverton.
25-27= Craft Jamboree - Cashman Ctr.
25-27= International Auto Show -
Las Vegas Convention Center:
http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/lasvegas/
26= Depeche Mode - Hard Rock.
26= Foreigner - Texas Station.
25-27= Bill Acosta - Suncoast.
27-Dec.3= Miss Rodeo America - Orleans:
http://www.lasvegasevents.com/events/event-11272005-missrodeo.php

TO HAVE FAMILY OR FRIENDS SUBSCRIBE:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ask them to go on the internet to:
http://www.VegasResource.com
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Love The Nightlife: Vegas Club Crawl
By RicK Garmen

I actually hate the nightlife to be honest. I’m not young enough, I’m not pretty enough, and I don’t wear my shirts un-tucked because it’s fashionable. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy going out with friends to a casual club or bar, spending a few bucks for a bottle of beer, and sitting around in a pair of $30 jeans from The Gap. But going out to a high-energy, super-trendy nightclub, spending $7 for the same bottle of beer (after paying a $20 or higher cover), and being looked at as if I qualify for public assistance because of those Gap jeans makes me crazy. However, being the super-diligent Las Vegas know-it-all that I am, I recently went on a three-night nightclub tour of Las Vegas, hitting the new and the recently new, all on the list of places getting “buzz” as being the place to see and be seen.

Mix Las Vegas is perched high atop the new as of 2003 THEhotel tower at Mandalay Bay. Entry is via a dramatic (and head-spinning for the height-phobic) glass-elevator ride up more than forty floors where you are deposited into the virtually all black lounge side of the establishment, while the adjacent restaurant portion is virtually all white.

The all-black color(less) scheme has both positives and negatives. Yes, it’s good to deemphasize the interior with black floors, ceiling, walls, and furnishings when you’ve got such amazing views from the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking The Strip, but even with those enormous windows it results in a distinctly cave-like feeling, enclosed and a bit claustrophobic (especially when you throw in dozens of people also dressed mostly in black). I found myself continually going to the outdoor balcony not only for the fresh air and dramatic vistas but just to feel a little less confined.

A steady stream of music comes from a live DJ - mostly hip-hop when I was there but they play all types of club-appropriate tunes I’m told. There is no formal dance floor but people are encouraged to shake their groove thing wherever there’s room.

Drink prices are totally outrageous if you have any sense of perspective but not out of line with what you’ll pay at most other clubs on and around The Strip. $6-8 for beer, $8 and up for well drinks, $12 and up for call. Oh, and don’t order a bottle of water thinking you can get away cheap – it’s going to run you $8. Yep – and $8 bottle of water. It comes in a pretty glass container though.

One cool touch – even the bathrooms take advantage of the unimpeded views by putting the urinals in the men’s room and toilets in the ladies’ facing giant windows. Just do me a favor and pay attention to what you’re doing, especially if you’re standing next to me.

Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce is the latest in a wave of burlesque clubs opening around Vegas, this particular example at Mandalay Bay just as you enter the Mandalay Place shopping mall near the House of Blues.

What is burlesque, you may be asking? Isn’t that just a fancy word for a strip club? Well, at a respectable business with gaming and liquor licenses to defend, no it’s not a strip club even though there is, technically, a woman stripping. But with burlesque the woman doesn’t actually show anything that couldn’t be seen in a PG-13 rated movie, starting out fully dressed and ending in skimpy shorts and a flesh-colored bra with pasties. And instead of dancing to some mindless canned music, they dance to a live-jazz trio playing Rat Pack era favorites including “Fever” and “The Pink Panther Theme.”

There are no lap dances, no dollar bills in g-strings, no nudity, and no touching the dancers (at least that part is the same). This is not the kind of place for single men in long black coats, an unfortunate fashion choice I came to regret after enduring several suspicious glances from staff members. In fact, the evening I attended there were more women in the audience than men, all mostly in their early to mid-twenties although there were a few of us “older” folk in attendance.

The performances are presented as shows (several times a night, call ahead) with a single lady strutting her stuff followed by some live music from the jazz trio. In between comes pounding music (hip-hop during my visit), loud and bass-pumping enough to rattle the glasses on the bar and send vibrations through the chairs. A great groove at first but it got tiresome after awhile, especially without a dance floor to express oneself upon.

The club is small, or at least appears that way with lots of dark reds and wood tones on the surfaces and furnishings giving it an intimate feeling. Get there early to get a coveted seat at the bar so you can be up close to the girls.

And what about those girls? Strictly my opinion, but classier than what you’ll find in the strip clubs and pretty talented for the genre. The word limber came to mind often.

Risque at Paris Las Vegas has been open for awhile but it still pops up on the “cool” radar often, which makes it worth noting. Located at the top of a sweeping staircase off the main casino, this is one of those trendy “ultra-lounges,” which is a moniker ascribed mostly to places that don’t have formal dance floors but still have live DJs pumping the tunes.

Of course not having a dance floor never stopped people from dancing and as with many of the lounges people grab a spot and start grooving – corners, walkways, table tops – it’s all good.

The place is small at least in comparison to other clubs of its ilk but the dramatic red lighting effects, cave like booths, and low-slung furnishings lend an air of drama to the proceedings. And although the staff was not exactly what I’d call friendly, the clientele on the night I visited was much less attitudinal than what you’ll find at most of these types of places.

Vivid is a brand new club at The Venetian – a partnership between Ark Restaurants, a group of trendy eateries in New York, DC, and Vegas, and Vivid Entertainment, one of the world’s largest adult film companies. With that kind of pedigree you’d expect the place to be over the top, wild fun. Well…

The first problem is that it’s not all that easy to find. Park in the Venetian garage and you’ll have to walk across the bridge to the entrance by the Canal Shoppes food court, down the escalator, across the casino, up the escalator to the front entrance of the Grand Canal Shoppes, outside, and down the walkway toward the bridge to Treasure Island. Not exactly high profile.

Once you get inside there are two sections to the club – a lounge type space with a huge bar with a bed as its centerpiece and a few kicky seating areas, then the main club with more of that trendy low-slung furnishings, another bar, and a moderately sized dance floor. It was hard to get a true feeling of the décor since the club was so dark I kept bumping into things, but you’re not really coming for the décor, are you? You’re coming because it’s a nightclub named after a porn company, right?

You’d probably never know it unless you knew it in advance. No Vivid videos playing on the monitors, no actresses hanging out signing autographs, no gift shop. Think of the fun they could’ve had with the gift shop. Anyway, it’s just another club, albeit a pretty lively one that seemed to be entertaining the hell out of the crowd that was there the night I visited.

Part II of my nightclub crawl with visits to Tabu at MGM Grand, Pure at Caesars Palace, Krave at the Aladdin, and Body English at the Hard Rock will be coming next week. And watch for full reviews of all these clubs on Vegas4Visitors.com.

Tabu at the MGM Grand

Continuing my epic and exhausting tour of some of the hottest and hippest nightclubs in town, I moseyed on over to the MGM Grand for a peek at Tabu, the ultra-lounge concept that leapt on the ghostbar (the similar and successful club at the Palms) bandwagon and rode it for all it was worth.

The fact that Tabu still packs them in a year after its opening speaks volumes, especially in this segment of the market where the cool crowds often move on to the newest cool thing quickly, leaving some clubs packed for a few months and then empty after that. But while other clubs shoot themselves in the foot by trying too hard, Tabu has succeeded by taking the minimalist approach, keeping things simple and focusing on the fun.

The space is smallish, certainly nowhere near as big as Studio 54, the other hot club in the MGM Grand. The design is spare with dark walls and fixtures fading into the background so you can focus your attention on the few colorful features in the place: a multi-colored glass tube wall behind the bar and the spotlighted seating areas at the center of the club. The latter is where you’ll find most people dancing up on the low tables or in the aisles since, as with most of these “ultra-lounges,” there is no formal dance floor.

Those tables draw a lot of attention owing to the constantly changing patterns projected onto them or through them – a couple actually respond to touch.

The DJ behind the megawatt sound system was spinning a good mix of danceable hip-hop and funky pop on the evening I attended, keeping the party vibe going and the customers entertained. My limited interaction with the rest of the staff was mostly a positive one – they seem a touch less intimidating here than at similar clubs around town. I guess that’s because their servers are referred to as “models,” with one night dedicated of them wearing the latest fashions in a showing of haute couture.

As usual, the crowd was young – at 38 I was easily the oldest person in the room by a solid ten years, although it was dark and botox does amazing things so there may have been more of us oldsters lurking in the corners.

Also as usual, the cover and drink prices verge on the heartbreaking, although certainly not any more expensive than any other club in this town. The entry price varies but on weekends if you can do the admission plus three drinks for less than $50 you’ve totally done something wrong.

Of all the ultra-lounges in this town (and there are a lot), Tabu is by far my favorite.

Pure at Caesars Palace

But if I’m going out, I prefer the more traditional nightclub – loud pounding house music and a big dance floor and you aren’t going to find louder and bigger in Las Vegas than at Pure at Caesars Palace.

Taking up the bulk of the space formerly occupied by the Caesars Magical Empire, Pure is a multi-level giant of a club, adding up to more than 36,000-square-feet – the largest in Las Vegas.

The décor is simple and effective – 99 and 44/100th percent of it is white (wall treatments, seating, light fixtures, etc.). It sounds stark – and it is – but effective use of negative spaces makes the design pop in a way that renders it less chilly than it really should be. Besides, this is not a sit around and sway kind of place, this is a get up and move kind of joint so warm, inviting, lounge is not what they were probably going for in the first place.

The main club features a huge dance floor (packed to the brim with party people the night I attended), several bars, lots of VIP and/or bottle-service only seating areas, and plenty of space to stand around and watch everyone being watched. The vibe was definitely more upbeat than what you’ll find at the ultra-lounge concepts, a little less drunk and sleazy and a little more drunk and celebratory.

Upstairs from the main club is big patio overlooking The Strip, complete with its own DJ, bars, seating areas, and private cabanas. Actually to call it a patio doesn’t do it justice – this is more of a rooftop converted to a nightclub, bigger by itself than many of the other clubs in town. The view is great fun so you should definitely check it out.

A third portion of the club is opening soon. The famous (or infamous depending on your point of view) Pussycat Dolls are bringing their brand of burlesque to their own showroom at Pure beginning in February 2005.

The lines to get in the place were long, the prices were high, and the clientele was an interesting mixture between young party people and slightly older party people. I don’t think I was the oldest person in the place but I didn’t feel exactly comfortable either. Pure is not the kind of club you want to go to by yourself. Take a group of friends and dance the night away.

Krave at the Aladdin

Krave is a great concept executed well in an absolutely terrible location.

As the Strip’s only “alternative” club, Krave was initially marketed toward the gay and lesbian crowd, which made sense owing to its pedigree from Sia Amiri, the former owner of Los Angeles’ biggest gay club Rage, and circuit party impresario Jeffrey Sanker. I know those names mean nothing to most of you but they mean a lot in the gay club scene.

But the realities of and competition in the Vegas club scene have resulted in a slight shift of focus, with that “alternative” moniker being thrown around more liberally and words like “omni-sexual” sprinkled in for good measure. What that means is while the place definitely has a gay club vibe, the clientele is not exclusively of that persuasion.

The space is a definite stunner, with high ceilings, plush booths and lots of seating areas surrounding a big dance floor, a nicely designed and accessible bar, and plenty of dramatic pink and purple lighting effects spotlighting the vaguely gothic décor. If you are gay, lesbian, or open-minded about the whole thing, this would be a great place to party.

Notice the word “would” in that previous sentence.

Krave’s biggest problem is its location. Tacked onto the outside of the Aladdin on Harmon Avenue in the building that has already housed two failed nightclubs (The Blue Note and Ibiza), there is no direct access from just about anywhere. It’s only half a block from The Strip but it’s hard to notice and there is no entrance from the Desert Passage mall or the Aladdin itself. The only way in is from the street.

While there is valet parking at the door, self parking requires quite a hike from the Aladdin parking garage, all the way through the deserted Desert Passage, outside to the street and up half a block to the entrance. Not exactly what you’d call high profile.

Whether that was the cause of the sparse crowd on the Friday night I visited is probably up for debate but I couldn’t see any other reason for it other than perhaps The Strip (adjacent) is just not ready for this kind of club. Perhaps I just hit it on an off night.

Body English at the Hard Rock

My final club in the crawl was Body English at the Hard Rock, a place that defines the phrase “trendy Vegas nightclub” with all of its good and bad connotations.

The space, located down a flight of stairs (or elevator) in the room formerly occupied by its trendy Vegas nightclub predecessor Baby’s, Body English is a riot of energetic design and layout with crystal chandeliers, rich fabrics and woods, mirrors on the walls, and luxe furnishings adding up to a distinctly gothic feel. It’s the club Cher and Ann Rice dream about.

The layout is great, with a balcony overlooking the main dance floor and bar areas and intimate seating and VIP booths/rooms everywhere you turn. The energy was definitely infectious with great club music and a lively crowd adding up to a fun, party environment.

But of course there are downsides to this kind of hip success. The line to get in bordered on ludicrous in length and wait time so if you’re not important enough to get on the VIP list be prepared to make friends with strangers standing with you. And even though the club is not on The Strip, it definitely had those kind of prices, with a $20 cover fairly standard and drink prices in the $8 and up (way up) range.

Plus it is absolutely the kind of place where you better be dressed to impress and it can’t hurt if you’re young, thin, and gorgeous. Anyone else is going to feel out of place unless you’ve got enough money to throw around that no one will care.

After Body English I went back to my room and collapsed from the sheer enormity of visiting that many nightclubs in that short a time. The things I do for you people.

Please check out Rick’s awsome site at:www.vegas4visitors.com
—————–
New Year’s Eve fireworks cause concerns.

A proposed amendment to Clark County’s fire code could turn the Strip’s dazzling New Year’s Eve fireworks display into a dud, some pyrotechnicians said.

Concerned about the thousands of spectators who crowd Las Vegas Boulevard and the increasing number of hotel-casinos taking part in the celebration, fire officials want more stringent restrictions.

Deputy Fire Chief Kathy Zagorski said her department is pushing to require all fireworks shot from hotel rooftops to be fired straight up, rather than at an angle. The department is also asking for larger “fallout” areas to keep the public away from falling fireworks debris.

More Here:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Sep-07-Wed-2005/news/27166947.html
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The Best Afternoon Musical Show in Vegas
by Phil Arnold

I didn’t have any idea what the show put on by The Society of Seven featuring singer Lani Misalucha would be like. The first thing I noticed was the band, which is made up by members of The Society of Seven, is an excellent live band. The guitar player Wayne Wakai is solid, and in my opinion if the group ever decided to put in more Rock N Roll, he could easily handle some of the necessary guitar licks.

The group plays a variety of music and works comedy into the afternoon show at Ballys. Bert Sagum is the very funny comic lead having excellent facial expressions. Lani Misalucha is the lead singer. She has an excellent voice. In many ways this show can be compared with the Scintas over at the Rio. Lani has a comparable voice with Chrissi Scinta, probably not quite as sweet, but a little more powerful, fuller-ranged voice. The Ballys Jubilee Theater is probably a better theater, although for some reason I had an uncomfortable seat that is not the norm.

I started out enjoying the music. Add a little comedy, and The Society of Seven’s versatility, and you have the base for an enjoyable show. Then throw in Lisa belting out songs and the show gets better. One of the funnier bits was the group’s impressions of singers. Bert and Gary Bautista do an impression of the remaining Supremes in a single stretchy dress opposite Lani’s Diana Ross is very funny. Lani also does a really funny impression of Britney Spears’ mono-note rendition of Oops I Did It Again, well I was laughing and many of the people around me were laughing, but do you suppose we were laughing at Britney’s lack of musical depth?

While the show was funny and entertaining, they almost lost me. Lani came out as Donna Summers and did three disco songs, in which she had the audience up and standing and waving. Well, I needed to stand up but considering my feelings about disco music, I love rock n roll (I think that’s a song), I was happy to stand up and rest my nearly cramping legs. But I don’t wave my arms for disco, or anything else for that matter. It’s just not Rock N Roll!

And then the show followed up with a couple of Lion King songs, but because I don’t have kids I have no exposure to the movie (I’ve seen the cartoons though). But the show got me back with its show stopping Broadway show tunes. These songs included The Man of La Mancha’s The Impossible Dream, and Westside Story’s America, which are some of my favorites. By the time the show concluded with a series of patriotic songs, I was really enjoying the show.

I left the show singing. Now that doesn’t happen very often with me, so I thought I would go back and compliment the cast. This is a very audience friendly show with the cast signing autographs and CDs. I got to talk with Tony Ruivivar, the creative leader of the group, and told him I left the show singing my favorite Broadway showstopper, When You Walk Through a Storm. He immediately identified it from Carousel and said, ‘it’s a very good song,’ almost as if he was contemplating putting it into the show. I moved on down the line after telling the Bert Sagum he kind of looks like Bert Parks (he said I was the second person that day who had told him that), and complimented Lani. I told her the song I was singing after the show, and she started humming the tune while I spoke the lyrics. Then I talked to guitar player Wayne, who also plays the keyboards and other instruments, and told him he ought to grind out some rock n roll licks when he is doing Jesus Christ Superstar. He said, well I could do it once, but maybe never again. We exchanged a little Hawaiian vocabulary (I know three words), and some Japanese (I know about 25 words). It was fun meeting with the cast at their meet and greet after the show.

Honestly, I think this is the best afternoon musical show in Las Vegas, probably more of family type show than for somebody like me. But I enjoyed the show. I wish the show would work in a little more Rock N Roll for boomers like me. When they play Jesus Christ Superstar in the Broadway showstopper section, it would be a great opportunity to showcase the guitar and keyboards. I would rate this show as an 8.5, and note that there is some room for improvement in what is a good show.
————
Slot Reviews by Gayle Mitchell

Reviews are listed by Slot Name, Manufacturer, average hit frequency and payout range offered, (low to high) by the Slot Mfg. if information is available.

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Posted on October 11th, 2005 by MrVegas98
Filed under: Newsletter