Las Vegas Weekly

Story archive for August 2008

Three-hour Carnival of Cuisine brings out Vegas’ best

Melissa Arseniuk | Sun, Aug 31, 2008 (9:59 p.m.)

It can be difficult to decide where to eat in a town like Vegas, with scores of famous chefs’ restaurants and a daunting list of options. The decision is rarely easy, especially for aspiring foodies such as myself. That’s why events like the Carnival of Cuisine are great: They allow discerning diners and gourmet-loving gluttons to get their fill in one fell swoop. (Sure, the gluttons already have an array of all-you-can-eat buffets to choose from, but those with both an astute palate and an insatiable appetite can have a hard time.) The first annual Carnival of Cuisine at the Palazzo featured food from both it and its sister property, the Venetian’s, most popular restaurants. More than 30 eateries and eight James Beard Award-winning chefs, including all the big names -- Puck, Trotter, Keller, Legasse, Batali, Woo -- were represented. And over three tasty hours on both Saturday and Sunday, ...

Katy Perry Rocks Rok Vegas

Allison Duck | Sun, Aug 31, 2008 (9:44 p.m.)

When I hear Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl,” I think of the clichéd hot chick, make-out party that is apparently on men’s minds 23 out of 24 hours a day. The scene on the red carpet at the opening of Rok Vegas Saturday night was a tad bit different, as Katy planted one on the lips of her main girl –- her grandmother, Ann Hudson.

Breaking campaign news from Miss America Organization

John Katsilometes | Sat, Aug 30, 2008 (2:58 a.m.)

ObamaQuest '08 has ended and I am currently up far too late than to be considered healthy, in a hotel room in Cheyenne, Wyoming, en route to some time off with my family in Idaho. Losing a battle with insomnia, I am checking my email from the complimentary WiFi in my room at LaQuinta (Note to DoubleTree execs: See how La Quinta has mastered this free Internet deal and mimic that process) and just happened upon a startling news release from the Miss America Organization. I'm on this list because I have covered the pageant in Vegas. Usually Miss America is promoting an appearance by the current titleholder, in this case Kirsten Haglund, on the Today show or with Rachel Ray. But this is something different -- what could be considered an endorsement of onetime pageant contestant Sarah Palin, accomplished markswoman, governor of Alaska and for the past 19 hours ...

Egos, Lies and Videotape: Obama reaches out to Latino voters

Tovin Lapan | Sat, Aug 30, 2008 (12:46 a.m.)

Last time we looked at John McCain’s foray into Spanish-language advertising, where the free-trade fanatic touted deals with Colombia and Central America as ways to create jobs in South America and at home. Here is a Spanish-language TV spot by Barack Obama that, like his English ads, leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy: “Hope” -- by Obama for America Ad Transcript: Spanish-speaking narrator: Do you remember the notion that brought your parents here to this country? Obama - in English with Spanish subtitles: “Hope is what led me here today. With a father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas and a story that can only happen in the United States of America.” Spanish-speaking narrator: This is already your country. Don’t let anything or anyone take that away. Obama - in English with Spanish subtitles: We are truth and hope over fear. Spanish-speaking narrator: You are not alone – ...

It’s almost showtime

John Katsilometes | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (6:36 p.m.)

It's about Showtime, and Joe Biden just received a roar from mentioning the name of Floyd Little, the Denver Broncos running back from the '70s. Feet are stomping, flags waving. The place is about filled, with a few pockets of empty seats. Flashes are going off in every direction. I don't know what this guy is going to come with tonight, but it's safe to say everyone here feels a part of history. Cheers!

Dan Rather pressed for time

John Katsilometes | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (6:34 p.m.)

Another random sighting, this one outside the men's room. I walked out and there was a cluster of camera-wielding Democrats waiting for ... something. I turned around and -- Dan Rather! He stopped to answer one question from a kiddie video reporting crew -- can't turn down the kids -- but when I asked him to compare the political climate today to 1968, he said, "Sorry, but my political climate is that I need to get back in the stadium or I will lose my place." So my new goal is to someday be asked by Dan Rather for an interview, and to be too busy to bother with him.

Tonight’s best line

John Katsilometes | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (6:13 p.m.)

Inevitably, the crowd has started The Wave. God bless the political process ... Oh. Michael McDonald has resumed decorum with, "America, The Beautiful." By my wholly subjective analysis, Al Gore's line about McCain continuing the Bush-Cheney legacy, "I'm all for recycling, but this is ridiculous," was the night's best. So far.

Bill Richardson means break time

John Katsilometes | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (6:11 p.m.)

There are points in rock concerts when the artists will play "beer songs." That's what I call them, anyway. It's the moment a band like Journey plays something off its new album. Usually, something acoustic. Beer time! New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was himself a "beer song" a bit ago. That's because Stevie Wonder was to follow. So when Richardson took the stage, much of the crowd took a concession or loo break. But the moment Richardson finished, the place filled again for Stevie. Signed, sealed, delivered ... The party is on.

A Bernie Yuman sighting

John Katsilometes | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (4:57 p.m.)

John Legend is onstage, singing the song, "Yes We Can," but the real news was down at the elevator a few minutes ago: a Bernie Yuman sighting. I deduce that Yuman, the longtime manager of Siegfried & Roy, is here with his client Muhammad Ali, who is reportedly on hand, somewhere, at the moment. I caught Bernie, dressed in is usual jet-black suit, as I was departing and he was boarding an elevator here at INVESCO. It went like this: Bernie: "Mr. Kats!" Mr. Kats: "Bernie!" (Doors close.)

Finally, we’re in

John Katsilometes | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (4:55 p.m.)

Security at INVESCO is about as stringent as the TSA setup at McCarran International Airport. Shoes on, though. And we're in, and our time on line was about two hours. A couple of noteworthy comments: -- From a kid selling Obama Change buttons, "I've had it with the past eight years! That's half my life!" -- And from a cop monitoring the line, "Stay in line! No strife! This is a peaceful line!" I talked to one of the many street entrepreneurs selling Obama T-shirts, bumper stickers, watches and whatnot. His name's Vince and he was wearing a Jason Kidd-New Jersey Nets jersey. Vince is a real estate investor from L.A. with a lot of time on his hands right now, who also has a T-shirt store and has been tailing Obama for the past five months. He's been all over the country: Mississippi, Oregon, Pennsylvania, taking in about 100 ...

Long, long lines

John Katsilometes | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (4:40 p.m.)

It's hard to tell how long the line is when you're in it. We expect this one is maybe four miles long. Long enough that people are looking at street maps of Denver to figure out just where INVESCO Field is located. A few minutes ago dozens of people were nearly caught on the RTC tracks as the city's public transportation train rumbled through. Long enough that a member of the Obama campaign is playing "Long and Winding Road" on a sound system equipped to entertain people on this long, winding road ...

Heavenly bodies

Jennifer Grafiada | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (4:22 p.m.)

Baby-faced Michito Sanchez gives it to them good and long, just how they like it. The Cuban bandleader of the 11-piece salsa orchestra has a way with the Thursday-night crowds at the South Point, especially the women.

The Tao of Cheadle

Josh Bell | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (3 p.m.)

Las Vegas Weekly Managing Editor Ken Miller joins Josh to discuss new theatrical releases Traitor, Elegy and America the Beautiful, plus a trio of movies not screened for critics.

‘Gimme an O, Gimme a B …’

John Katsilometes | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (2:04 p.m.)

As they say, "Mission Accomplished." On the way back to the stadium from downtown, I just passed a group of Second City aspirants dressed in purple gowns as part of the Temple of Obama. The Pat Robertson of the group, wearing a Clemson Tigers ballcap, is yelling, "Gimme an O! Gimme a B! ..." I know where this is going. Walk on.

Avalon the phenomenon

Jennifer Grafiada | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (1:49 p.m.)

"Who that dude sleeping with your girlfriend? Getting nude and rude in your bed? Same dude that your sister like. Mickey Avalon, call me Mr. Right." Who is Mickey Avalon? He has been, at various times of his life, a drug-using kid with drug-addicted parents, a young husband and father, a prostitute in Portland trying to fund his heroin habit and a hot hip-hop star living the Hollywood highlife.

Worming through Denver

John Katsilometes | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (1:35 p.m.)

Thousands of Democrats are streaming into INVESCO Field, but ToddKats is moving against the tide. At the moment we're even less than commoners, no tickets or credentials for tonight's speech. But I do have a line into one pass to the show, and that pass is at Willie G's in downtown Denver. So we have parked at a surface lot near the stadium, worming our way into that lot by claiming - accurately - that we are with the media. The line of people heading into the stadium seems not to end and is teeming with all cultures. We nearly had a dust-up when dozens of convention delegates cut into the line and were practically shouted down by those who have been in line for about an hour now. And, moments ago, two women on mountain bikes carrying "Repent or Die" signs got into a ride-by yell-off with line dwellers ...

Radio Woes

T.R. Witcher | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (11:48 a.m.)

A few days ago, as we were surfing the web on the interstates of Nevada and Utah, John and I were congratulating ourselves on the telecom miracle of the early 21st century. But several hundred miles of spotty service and a busted video camera have humbled us, and yesterday we played a frustrating round of hide and seek with radio reception through much of the Colorado high country. We left Aspen along Highway 82, a beautiful drive through the aspen groves to Independence Pass, 12,000 feet or so above sea level. We were hoping to catch the Democratic Convention speeches. For awhile Harry Reid beguiled us with the role oil has played in everything from the invasion of Pearl Harbor to the Nazi invasion of Russia. Then we lost him. The view atop the windy pass was astounding; the colors slightly desaturated but sharp. On the downside of the pass, ...

The Bubble

Apparently if you run into Aspen residents outside of Aspen, they’re not likely to tell you where they live. “The Roaring Fork Valley” might be the best you get out of them—this modesty is, one imagines, the equivalent of Harvard alums vaguely telling people they went to school in Boston. Some places just carry too much expectation. Founded in the 19th century as a mining town, Aspen’s history as a ski resort began in the mid Forties. In the Fifties and Sixties the old money came in; in the late Sixties and early Seventies it was the hippies. Hunter S. Thompson ran for sheriff of Pitkin County in 1970. He lost but inspired those hippies to take control of the town and the county. The quantity and quality of development has been tightly controlled since. In Aspen you won’t see billboards or neon signs; the result is a town that ...

Delicious charity

Grace Bascos | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

These days, it can be expensive to eat out. But often we forget that there are those who don't even have that option. There are hundreds of thousands in our Valley who starve in their homes. Now you have the opportunity to do your part.

Selling platters

Aaron Thompson | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

Bobby Franks is a self-professed vinyl dork. With a collection numbering in the hundreds, he knows a cool-looking platter can mean the difference between a record selling at a show and ending up in a dollar bin—a major factor behind the 28-year-old Las Vegan’s recent decision to found Running in Place Records, a vinyl-only label.

Dream Zone

Lauri Quinn Lowenberg | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

Lauri interprets what your dreams are trying to tell you.

The constancy of Motorhead

Josh Bell | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

We were going to write a review of Motorhead’s latest album (it’s their 20th), Motorizer, to preview their upcoming concert, but then we realized there’s really no need. Motorhead have been an unchanging juggernaut for 30 years, and their loud-and-fast mix of metal and punk is pretty much immovable.

Anarchy on TV

Josh Bell | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

In the new FX drama Sons of Anarchy, a group of tough, macho guys work and hang out together, doing their intense, sometimes violent jobs while dressed in similar outfits declaring their affiliations. The women mostly watch from the sidelines.

Blues Traveler

Julie Seabaugh | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

Does the hook bring you back?

Saturdays, Perfecto’d

Deanna Rilling | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

The scenery changes, but the soundtrack remains the same—until now. Vegas can build shiny new venues with impressive aesthetics, but the music only varies slightly at the mega-clubs on any given weekend.

Air apparent

Greg Beato | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

This month in Beijing, the planet’s greatest athletes sprinted, backstroked and pirouetted their way to glory and endorsement deals, thrilling billions around the world. In Oulu, Finland, the planet’s greatest air guitarists sprinted, backstroked and pirouetted their way to sore necks and sweaty semi-acclaim, momentarily amusing the hundreds of Finns who were on hand.

What happens in Beijing…

Steve Friess | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

Back when I lived in and covered Beijing earlier this decade, I used to have this odd little game I played with my friends...

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

Julie Seabaugh | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

Following the oral biography "Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson" by Rolling Stone honcho Jann Wenner comes yet another project that exists precisely because the infamous journalist no longer does, having silenced his inner demons with a handgun at age 67.

Four questions with local comedy luminary Tanyalee Davis

Julie Seabaugh | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

There’s definitely material from this experience. I don’t have any set jokes yet; it’s basically one of those thing where I’m just going to get up, talk about what happens and see what flows out of my mouth, how the nurses acted and how not being able to wash your hair for 15 days straight is really disgusting.

A partner in time

John Katsilometes | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

This is an excerpt from the radio show Our Metropolis, a half-hour issues and affairs program that airs Tuesdays at 6 p.m. on KUNV 91.5-FM and is hosted by Greenspun Media Group’s John Katsilometes. Tune in next week to hear the rest of this interview with Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth is Executive Director Matt Hirsch, who is taking over for organization Kathleen Boutin, along with a young man named Hakim who has received assistance from NPHY. For information about the organization, go to nevadahomelessyouth.org.

A “Sin”-tillating ride

Ken Miller | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

The Cosa Nostra. A long-hidden terrorist sect. Pirates. Bloated casino moguls. Archaeologists. Bob Sapp. They all make appearances in Jon Land’s The Seven Sins: The Tyrant Ascending, the latest guilty-pleasure hodgepodge to crowd up the shelves at Borders.

Mr. Lewis and the Funeral 5

Aaron Thompson | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

This Austin, Texas, quintet’s morose, minor-key vaudevillian tunes aren’t the best we’ve ever heard, but its occasionally catchy, morbid riffs—not to mention Mr. Lewis’ unique, if somewhat irritating vocals—are interesting enough. If you’re looking to bury a corpse in the dead of night somewhere near Laughlin, there are far worse soundtracks.

The Help Desk

Las Vegas Weekly Staff | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

$360 million in improvements trimmed from McCarran Airport plan.: With all that neon on the Strip, who needs runway lights?
Las Vegas TV reporter fired for soliciting sex online.: Hey, in a city with so few sex options, what’s a guy to do?
Oscar Goodman wants to build pro football stadium for the Super Bowl and Monday Night Football.: The rest of the year, the venue would be used for Sweet 16 parties and as a neato hideout for the homeless.

America the Beautiful

Ken Miller | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

It’s inspired some of the world’s greatest poems and books. Men have gone to war over it. Our economy likely could not exist without it. So it’s doubtful that America the Beautiful, Roberts’ look at America’s obsession with beauty, is going to change things.

Elegy

Josh Bell | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

For a movie about an alleged hedonist and libertine, and one that stars one of the most beautiful women in the world, Elegy is remarkably dour and unsexy.

Peggy Plots Your Planets

Peggy Allison | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

Find out how the end of August will end for you here with Peggy's foretelling talent.

The Dandy Warhols

Spencer Patterson | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

As music fans, we’re auto-conditioned to side with bands over labels whenever the two butt heads.

Transsiberian

Jeffrey M. Anderson | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

The famous title train in Brad Anderson’s Transsiberian runs from Beijing to Moscow and crosses through some pretty remote, snowy terrain; it’s a great place for something devious and sinister to happen. Finishing up with a church mission in Beijing, simple, happy train nut Roy (Harrelson) and his wife, photographer and reformed "bad girl" Jessie (Mortimer) hop the Transsiberian Express.

Beats, rhymes & life

Damon Hodge | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

Damon Hodge reviews 3 CDs from local hip hop artists.

The (next) final frontier

Stacy J. Willis | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

I am not a Trekkie or a Star Wars buff, and this is an important disclaimer, because I don’t totally get it. But I love the memorabilia—it speaks to the consumer in anybody, the toy-lover.

Terrorism lite

Josh Bell | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

After a 2007 filled with serious, weighty dramas about the war on terror, all of which ended up more or less tanking at the box office, this year has been relatively quiet on the terrorism-movie front. Enter Traitor, a slick political thriller from screenwriter and director Jeffrey Nachmanoff, which uses the fight against terrorists as the backdrop for a twisty suspense story that manages to wholly sidestep the war in Iraq.

Juliana Hatfield

Annie Zaleski | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

Juliana Hatfield’s inherent melancholy is oddly comforting—mostly because her misery-chick persona never devolves into caricature or insincerity. I

Uh Huh Her

Kristyn Pomranz | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

Naming a band after a PJ Harvey album begs certain expectations, but having said band feature Camila Grey (from brilliant lo-fi outfit Mellowdrone) and Leisha Hailey (from beloved twee menaces The Murmurs) flat-out demands delivery.

Three and a half questions with Scooter of Scooter & LaVelle

Team Hangover | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

That’s some “bangin’ progressive turntablism” ya got there. Or perhaps it’s just Scooter and LaVelle on the decks.

To Wiki or not, that is the question

Aaron Thompson | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

State Senator Bob Beers loves Wikipedia. The conservative politician and former computer consultant—like pretty much everyone else—uses the user-edited and maintained encyclopedia to do everything from look up TV shows to analyze Nevada history.

Lap stance

Xania Woodman | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

Why no one else has tried to set a record for the most simultaneous lap dances is beyond me. It’s beyond Scores Las Vegas as well, which is why tonight Scores has set the stage to videotape a Guinness World Records attempt to do just that.

Slipknot

Josh Bell | Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (midnight)

The mere existence of a new Slipknot album is something of a miracle; getting all members of the Iowa nonet onboard is a notoriously difficult prospect, and every one of the band’s albums seems poised to be its last.

Your guide to Labor Day weekend

Allison Duck | Wed, Aug 27, 2008 (4:30 p.m.)

Labor Day and Memorial Day weekends are almost on par with New Year's Eve as some of the best party weekends in Las Vegas. Celebrate this Labor Day in style at one of the many parties and club events on and off the Strip. There are several comedians in town to get your mind off of work, amazing musical performances and celebrities a-plenty at the clubs. Where else can you see Bob Dylan, Chris Rock, DJ AM and the Sugarhill Gang all in one weekend? If you need some suggestions on what to see and where to be seen, check out these events to jumpstart your holiday weekend plans. Thursday August 28th: John Huntington's One Night Stand with Mickey Avalon @ VooDoo Lounge: John Huntington's One Night Stand will feature glam hip-hop artist Mickey Avalon. Avalon is known for blending dark and humorous lyrics with heavy beats. His hit "Jane ...

Almost Underway

T.R. Witcher | Tue, Aug 26, 2008 (7:49 a.m.)

Good morning. A quiet morning in Las Vegas, sun already blasting in the pre-work-day skies. Joe Biden is Barack Obama’s vice presidential nominee. Denver Police are already breaking out the pepper spray to subdue the protesters. And now, as the general election campaign actually, finally, mercifully, begins, the tenor of the rhetoric begins to move toward its inevitable climax. To wit, Michelle Obama spoke last night at the Democratic National Convention about the “improbable journey” of the Obama campaign to date, about her love of family, about change. It is, what would we call it? Articulate bluecollarness? Eloquent Populism? The American desire to appeal to the masses and establish your intellectual bonafides. We like our rhetoric soaring and practical, boundless and modest. Politicians are always walking one tight rope or other when they speak; Michelle’s was to establish her “I love my country” bonafides (for those who doubt them), without ...

It is dark and early, so it must be time to leave

John Katsilometes | Tue, Aug 26, 2008 (5:59 a.m.)

It is about 6 a.m., and I can tell you in full confidence that me and LV Weekly associate editor Todd Witcher are about to head off to Denver for Barack Obama’s speech at INVESCO Field at Mile High. We will be rumbling through such towns along I-15 and I-70 as St. George, Beaver, Monroe, Green River, Good Springs and Grand Junction. To paraphrase someone far wiser than I, we’re armed with video and audio equipment, three cords … and the truth! We’ve scheduled interviews with small-business owners, a mayor, retirees and fellow journalists. We’ll also be corralling any common folk with a somewhat well-conceived opinion to tell us about the culture in their nape of the woods as this historic speech approaches. We don’t have tickets to the Obama speech and I can’t guarantee either of us will actually be in the stadium when this event unfolds. No matter. ...

Your guide to MAGIC parties

Allison Duck | Mon, Aug 25, 2008 (10:34 a.m.)

If you don’t have your credentials for the MAGIC tradeshow -- no worries, you can still party it up at all of the fashionable soirees going on in the evenings during the event. If you’re like many people you may have been confused by the name of the MAGIC event as you have seen it on billboards around town. No, David Copperfield hasn’t created a new method to lure in the ladies. It’s the biannual fashion tradeshow that descends upon Las Vegas with all of the hottest designer duds. If you aren’t in the industry but are looking to enjoy the afterparties, consider these: MAGIC Web site Monday, August 25: Jet: Hit up the Famous Stars and Straps Magic nline:Afterparty at Jet where you can dance to three different sounds in the various rooms of the club. Enjoy performances by The Cool Kids and DJ Spyder. VooDoo Lounge: Lucky 13 ...

Egos, Lies and Videotape: McCain goes Latino

Tovin Lapan | Sun, Aug 24, 2008 (6:42 p.m.)

Unless American soap operas aren’t cheesy enough for you, you’re addicted to El Gordo y La Flaca, or Spanish happens to be your first language, chances are you don’t take in too much Spanish-language programming. Obama and McCain haven’t forgotten about Spanish speakers in the U.S., though, at least the ones who vote. A fast growing sector of the population, we first started to really pay attention to the Hispanic-vote with George W. Bush’s first election. Dubya did well among the Hispanic population then, but has since fallen out of favor. Latinos make up about 15 percent of the United States population and 9 percent of eligible voters, which in a close race could mean the difference between moving into the White House and being relegated to fringe status as “that monotone guy who tells inconvenient truths.” Currently, Latino registered voters prefer Obama over McCain by 66 percent to 23 ...

Take my breath away, Charlene Darling

John Katsilometes | Sun, Aug 24, 2008 (6:03 p.m.)

I am often asked, “Who lives like you?” And I say, “I don’t know that I would call it ‘living.’ ” But Saturday night was one of those only-in-Vegas evenings, and I’ll share it with you now. Berlin fan siteMaggie Mancuso Wikipedia entry First I went with my friend Beth Lano to the Berlin show at Ovation at Green Valley Ranch. Beth is the city’s foremost French horn-playing radio personality, and is also friends with Terri Nunn, the longtime lead singer of Berlin. These two met a few years ago when Nunn was a guest on the old Mike & Beth in the Morning Show on Star 102.7-FM (back when 102.7-FM had a spine, ha ha). “After three minutes, she was interviewing me,” Beth says. So we were given the backstage treatment, and I got to meet Nunn, dressed in this open-fronted, silver-snapped-fasted, black superhero costume she wore during the ...

Nunn, Berlin wheel into Ovation

John Katsilometes | Sat, Aug 23, 2008 (10:26 a.m.)

Berlin at Ovation The rock band Berlin, Dave Navarro, Olivia Newton-John and roller-skates would seem to have nothing in common. That is true most days – maybe every day – but not today. Terri Nunn, the band’s lead vocalist since 1979 and sang on the monster hits “Take My Breath Away,” and “The Metro,” has teamed with Navarro for a video of the Newton-John hit “Magic,” from the 1980 ode to roller skating Xanadu. Nunn and Navarro contributed the cover version of the song and accompanying video to the Newton-John tribute scheduled tonight for the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. Nunn cannot attend the gala, as Berlin is scheduled to perform tonight at Ovation at Green Valley Ranch Station Casino. Tickets are just $20, and you can’t even get a decent pair of skates for that price. Unless it is 1980.

Crowing at Planet Hollywood

Josh Bell | Sat, Aug 23, 2008 (1:19 a.m.)

Why don't they stage more concerts at the Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts? There are only a handful of upcoming events listed on the hotel's website, most of which are stand-up comedy. It's been years since I was last at the Theatre (back when the hotel was still the Aladdin, and I was seeing, uh, "Weird Al" Yankovic), but tonight's concert by Sheryl Crow reminded me of what a great music venue this is, with clear, strong sound, a smart layout and a decent size somewhere between the intimacy of a place like The Joint and the enormity of the arenas at MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay. Photo gallery of the show Whether it was the fact that Crow isn't quite the star she once was or just poor marketing on the part of a hotel that clearly doesn't know what to do with its concert venue, the ...

Ready to strap it on … for Burning Man

“How’s yer costume going?” asks my stripper friend in a text message. I wonder why she thinks I planned to wear a costume. I know she is referring to Burning Man 2008 and it is only days away but I never told anyone I was committed to wearing a costume. I haven’t planned one out yet. I figured I’d go naked. You get better gas mileage driving to Reno when you pack light. I suppose I should plan something. It gets cold at night in the desert. I may as well look weird while staying warm. I’ve never worn an elaborate costume to Burning Man. I’ll try and throw something together. I am going with my friend from work and it is her first time. She is getting into the spirit of debauchery and trying hard to get creative. I should be more supportive. This year’s theme is “American Dream.” ...

Happy Hootie fans can catch the band in Primm

Allison Duck | Fri, Aug 22, 2008 (7:11 p.m.)

I am a Hootie and the Blowfish fan. There, I said it. There should be some sort of support group for people like us: Uber Catchy ‘90s Sing-A-Long-Song Lovers Anonymous. Growing up in South Carolina, I had little choice but to jump on the Hootie bandwagon. My aunt sang with them in the choir at the University of South Carolina and my uncle plays golf with them, though I’m pretty sure I would have been a fan even without the family connections. Who doesn’t sing along when “Hold My Hand” comes on the radio? Their songs were the soundtrack of my adolescence and I’m looking forward to reliving that when I make the trek to Primm this weekend to see them live at the Star of the Desert Arena. Hootie in Primm My most recent Hootie experience happened here in Vegas when they came to the Silverton last year. My ...

Sexy deities and exploding heads

Josh Bell | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (3:17 p.m.)

Roger Erik Tinch, art and online director for the CineVegas Film Festival, joins Josh to assess the relative deficiencies of new theatrical releases Hamlet 2, Death Race, The Rocker and The House Bunny, plus What Happens in Vegas and Redbelt on DVD.

Sweet hypocrisy

Josh Bell | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

An important part of watching MTV’s reality sensation My Super Sweet 16 is wishing horrible, unpleasant things on the bratty, pampered teenagers who whine and throw fits about petty, insignificant things and demand royal treatment from their family members and anyone around them.

Staind

Josh Bell | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

Believe it or not, Staind was at one time one of the most promising metal bands in the country. Their 1999 sophomore album, Dysfunction, integrated the pummeling, heavy sound of bands like Pantera with nu-metal’s focus on laying bare emotional pain (courtesy of singer Aaron Lewis).

Erin go blah

Max Jacobson | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

The food at McFadden’s, a self-styled Irish pub that originated in New York City before expanding into a national chain, is quite good, although only marginally Irish.

Definitely not to be

Josh Bell | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

The play-within-the-movie that gives Hamlet 2 its title comes off like a bizarre, twisted, campy mash-up of Shakespeare and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, complete with big, silly musical numbers, a giant time machine and Jesus in blue jeans and a wife-beater.

Bottle Shock

Matthew Scott Hunter | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

There are few narrative formulas as crowd-pleasing and oft-used as the underdog story. Audiences have a timeless desire to see the snobby nobleman fall face-first in the mud while the salt-of-the-earth everyman soars to unlikely victory.

Preservation at a price

Spencer Patterson | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

The next time you’re standing in the historic Huntridge Theatre, you might be picking up a pair of flip-flops. Not at a band’s merchandise table; the 44-year-old building at the corner of Charleston and Maryland isn’t coming back as a concert venue. Last Wednesday at a neighborhood meeting, owner Eli Mizrachi unveiled plans to turn the structure and its adjacent property into a 38,000-square-foot retail and office complex, which he hopes to open sometime in 2009.

Three questions with Hamlet 2 star Steve Coogan

Jeffrey M. Anderson | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

Jeffrey M. Anderson takes a moment with Hamlet 2's star Steve Coogan.

UNLV students try to fix what pols haven’t

Stacy J. Willis | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

The speed at which traffic buzzes by these three acres of grass and shade is mesmerizing. Huntridge Circle Park is an island between north- and southbound traffic on Maryland Parkway, just south of Charleston—a problem spot lingering in the middle of the city’s rapid growth. Reports of area break-ins are up, and nearby shop-owners complain that homeless people have been routinely defecating on their properties.

Chill Out!

Deanna Rilling | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

The temperature is 23 degrees Fahrenheit, and you’re surrounded by ice. The bar, walls, seating—everything is carved from blocks of Canadian ice. And it’s all in the middle of a casino in the Las Vegas desert.

Gza

Ben Westhoff | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

If GZA were Bruce Springsteen, he would be firmly in the post-Human Touch period of his career. Though like the Boss he is no longer much of a commercial force, he doesn’t spend his time brooding about it, and instead sticks to his passions and his principles.

Hawnay Troof

Aaron Thompson | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

The newest album from Oakland-based psycho-popster Vice Cooler (better known as the frontman of XBXRX) is a blitzkrieg of groovy rhythms, clumsy-yet-cool rhymes and total synth-slamming abuse.

Vegas calling

Aaron Thompson | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

It's close to dusk, and the roar of an Air Force F-15 screams through the air. East Side Joe covers his ears slightly. His place, which everyone calls East Side Joe’s, looks like the sort of place that might be the last spot you’re seen alive. Two decrepit houses sit on the eight-acre property; rotted-out refrigerators, shattered concrete foundations and destroyed air-conditioning units litter the ground. Signs warning that “Trespassers will be Shot” discourage the homeless and meth-using squatters from coming too close.

The help desk

Las Vegas Weekly Staff | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

Two-day conference on creating clean energy technology held at UNLV.: First order of business: Reduce all the air pollution caused by everyone who attended.
This year’s “Vegas to Reno” race doesn’t go through Vegas or Reno.: If you think that’s bad, get this: That’s not the real Eiffel Tower, or Empire State Building, or ...
Las Vegas version of New York’s Plaza Hotel postponed.: Wait—it’s not the real Plaza Hotel? Man, this just keeps getting worse and worse.

A journey of forgiveness

T.R. Witcher | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

While the Atomic Testing Museum is thin on details about the human costs of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan, the center does have the good sense to feature an exhibit of collage art from Takashi Tanemori, a Hiroshima survivor who came to the U.S. vowing revenge on the country that had wiped out his family and his town in one instant.

The young and the restless

T.R. Witcher | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

Dust Gallery, on the ground floor of Downtown’s Soho Lofts, is used to being on the edge of the next big thing. Next week, the gallery is trying something new, launching a series of exhibitions called Downtown Dust. The series is designed to create a dialogue between the youth culture in Las Vegas and the up-and-coming young artists on the international contemporary-art scene.

The Rocker

Josh Bell | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

Is it possible for a movie to actually kill rock n’ roll? Probably not, but The Rocker certainly comes close.

Homeless shelter?

Tovin Lapan | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

In January, John Batiste arrived in Las Vegas on a bus from Oakland. He was hoping to find work in the decidedly more active labor market here. Every day he would pack up his stuff at the Salvation Army shelter, where he was staying for $8 a day, and roam the streets, bags in tow, trying to find work. After a month of searching in the dead of winter, Batiste contracted walking pneumonia.

Roman de Gare

T.R. Witcher | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

At a gas station one night, Pierre (Pinon), the slaving ghost writer to a famous trash novelist, watches Huguette (Dana) get stranded after her fiancé dumps her and drives off. Pierre offers to give her a lift, and before long Huguette pleads with the man to impersonate her fiancé as she takes him to meet the parents. Oh, did I mention that a serial killer’s on the loose—who may be the man who’s just picked her up?

Dream Zone

Lauri Quinn Lowenberg | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

Lauri interprets what your dreams are trying to tell you.

Peggy Plots Your Planets

Peggy Allison | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

What does this week hold in store for you?

Stereolab

Spencer Patterson | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

Convenient as it might be to trace Stereolab’s continued stretch of relative mediocrity back to the loss of longtime member Mary Hansen, in truth the slippage dates well beyond the 2002 bicycle accident that claimed Hansen’s life.

Parting words

Spencer Patterson | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

They stood 6-5, with the afros 6-9, hated Tommy Lasorda and charged steak sandwiches to the Underhills’ tab. Okay, they didn’t really, but like the Chevy Chase flick with which they shared a name, popular local band Fletch are a thing of the past.

Death Race

Benjamin Spacek | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

Anderson showed a satirical edge in his 1994 debut, Shopping, but brings his video-game sensibilities to this belated remake of Death Race 2000.

Here and there

Susanne Forestieri | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

Contemporary Arts Collective Director Beate Kirmse, in her first curatorial effort, has chosen two painters whose work could not be more different: Erik Gecas, favoring earth tones and using Old and New Testament stories. . . Ayako Ono paints Tokyo train stations peopled with armless and faceless travelers, rendering them exclusively in eerie shades of blue.

Extreme

Annie Zaleski | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

Singer Gary Cherone sounds way more like Sammy Hagar than he used to—an influence from his time fronting Van Halen, perhaps?—but otherwise it’s business as usual for hard rockers Extreme on Saudades de Rock.

Tasmanian Rain

Xania Woodman | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

Anyone who says that water is water is water is lying to himself and is sadly missing out on a great beverage pleasure. The velvety soft, pleasant mouth-feel of Tasmanian Rain makes it a good nighttime bedside sipper, as opposed to the naturally sparkling, highly mineral (smacks of baking soda) Vichy Catalan, which pairs well with any meal.

Ron’s report

Aaron Thompson | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

For nearly 25 years, Ron Futrell was the face of KTNV Channel 13. His laid-back, friendly demeanor, coupled with solid sports reporting and an instantly recognizable voice, made the 51-year-old father of four welcome into thousands of homes each night. But it’s been a rough summer for Futrell. After finding out his contract with the station would expire in December, and after a late-night car accident and his subsequent arrest July 25, which ended with his firing from the station for “serious misconduct,” Futrell’s nice-guy image has taken a shellacking.

Mic me

Matthew Scott Hunter | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

I’ve tagged along on karaoke nights before, but none quite like this. Sure, there’s the usual database of 70,000 songs (including a large Korean selection), and there’s the requisite private room with dual microphones, but between the couch and the screen that will inevitably broadcast the lyrics of Elvis Presley and The Righteous Brothers, there’s an elevated stage with a stripper pole.

Three questions with Deer Tick’s John McCauley

Spencer Patterson | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

I’ve played in an ice-cream parlor. I’ve played in the back of a frame shop. I played a fashion show at a VFW post the other day. I’ll never forget the magic-shop show—I think it was the most bizarre venue I’ve ever played. I could do with forgetting the ice-cream parlor show. But nowadays Deer Tick’s mostly playing clubs.

Minority report

Dave Berns | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

The e-mail sat in my in-box, an angry bullet fired by a frustrated white man. Minutes before, he’d heard San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Ruben Navarette refer to white Americans as “lazy.”

Funky good time

Jeremy Adams | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

The first time I walked into the house that hosts the Funky Jah Punkys’ weekly barbecue concert, SpongeBob SquarePants was playing on the TV. The next time, it was Scooby Doo. Seemingly odd associations for a band with songs titled “Fight the World” and “Third World War.”

Cool Bus!

Stacy J. Willis | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

We’ve innocently come to revel in our hatred of the U.S. president, and the Vegas sun is trying to kill us. The 28-ton blue bus with an enormous George Bush face on the side is parked off of Sunset Road, but the doors to its promising insides—“exhibits on how disastrous Bush/Conservative policies are”—aren’t open yet.

Judge Elizabeth Halverson

The formal disciplinary hearing of Judge Elizabeth Halverson concluded last week with testimony from witnesses for Halverson. However, the completion of the hearing came on the heels of Halverson’s loss in the primary election August 12—she came in a distant third to Stephanie Miley and Jason Landess, who will compete in the general election.

David Byrne & Brian Eno

Julie Seabaugh | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

The ’70s and ’80s saw Talking Heads perennially atop both critical and commercial lists, flying the new-wave flag with jittery, globally conscious pop that captured the heady times like few others.

Blame it on Rio

Xania Woodman | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

In this, Sugarcane’s opening night, the Sushisamba bartenders are beyond bustling—they’re downright flustered. Though they’ve had a month to softly open inside the Shoppes at the Palazzo, tonight is, well, kind of a big deal.

Old Man Syndrome

Aaron Thompson | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

Despite what the band’s name might suggest, this four-song EP actually sounds kinda fresh.

Digital Vegas

Steve Friess | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

Even for me, even with all that I say and write and do to evangelize the cause of digital media in this city, it was a stunning, perplexing, delightful moment. My husband and The Strip Podcast co-host Miles Smith was similarly surprised. He arrived a little late, and, looking around the room, he asked me, “Are all these people here for this? Are you sure they’re not just hanging out here because they saw the lights were on?”

Exactly 20 minutes with ND of ND’s Space

Team Hangover | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

Douchebags are soooo hot right now. Well, at least in their own minds. Douchebaggery is running rampant and has garnered—as many rampant things do—its very own parody song.

The Verve

Annie Zaleski | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

Bands can go one of two routes when they reunite after prolonged time apart: re-emerge as a touring-only nostalgia act that reaps financial dividends, or attempt to rekindle the creative flame and become a relevant sonic force once again.

Tiny little rant

Las Vegas Weekly Staff | Thu, Aug 21, 2008 (midnight)

When exactly did companies around town (you know who you are) decide to start leaving those annoying fliers on our garage-door handles? For most Las Vegans, our garage door is our front door. (In this Vegas heat, can you blame us for not wanting to grab that doorknob?)

Mortgage reapers protest McCain campaign with funeral

Cydney Cappello | Wed, Aug 20, 2008 (2:55 p.m.)

Shrouded in black capes, wielding plastic sickles and concealed by Sen. John McCain masks, the McCain Mortgage Reapers paced back and forth to a funeral march.

Brown takes harmonic approach to hip-hop innovation

Sarah Feldberg | Tue, Aug 19, 2008 (3:53 p.m.)

It’s not an instrument you usually picture in a hip-hop entourage. There are the rappers, the DJ, the extra guys who grab the mic for an occasional “yea,” the back-up dancers, and the still other guys who stand onstage gripping a bottle of high-priced liquor, but nowhere, nowhere is there a harmonica. Except when there is. When Bad News Brown holds the cold metal box to his lips, hip-hop and harmonica suddenly don’t sound incongruous at all. From the Calendar Bad News Brown at Blush, Aug. 19 Beyond the Weekly Bad News Brown official site Bad News Brown on MySpace Born Paul Frappier in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Brown was adopted by a family in Montreal, Canada, where he found a connection to hip-hop and a talent on the harmonica. Pairing his musical skills with a straight-from-the-streets look and attitude, Brown has made the harmonica relevant again; cool, even. On his MySpace ...

Under Krause, Star of the Desert in close competition

John Katsilometes | Mon, Aug 18, 2008 (11:04 p.m.)

Some might call this a practice in word association. Others would deem it a trite writing gimmick. No matter. I’ll toss out the name of a venue and you say the name of the artist that immediately leaps to mind. Ready, Freddy? Terrible's Star of the Desert Arena in Primm. (Pause) Glen Campbell, right? Or George Jones. Let’s try this (and I’ve now already provided a hint): What do Snoop Dogg and Reba McEntire have in common. No, it isn’t “reefer.” They have both performed at the Star of the Desert Arena. Different nights, though. Primm Valley Resorts Web site It was not so long ago that Star of the Desert was known as a big barn that hosted large-scale, country-fied hoedowns. The reputation was half-deserved. The venue has long been a popular haven for country artists. Alan Jackson sold the arena out, filling more than 6,100 seats, no problem. ...

CatHouse goes to the carnies

Jennifer Grafiada | Mon, Aug 18, 2008 (12:03 p.m.)

Everyone loves a carnival – the bright lights, the clang of laughter and shrill music, the smell of gummy sweetness rising from roasting nuts, frying mounds of dough and Hudson Valley foie gras mousse on duck confit with a cardamom apple glaze. Um, what?

Zuiker: Fishburne to join CSI cast after Peterson departs

John Katsilometes | Sun, Aug 17, 2008 (11:02 a.m.)

On the eve of his 40th birthday, Anthony Zuiker was talking weight. Not his own, but the weight – as in gravity and credibility – of his CSI television franchise. And on that point, he let loose that Laurence Fishburne, an inarguably weighty actor, is all but certain to replace William Peterson on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, the original Zuiker-produced drama set in Las Vegas. CSI Web siteAnthony Zuiker on IMDB Laurence Fishburne on IMDB Peterson, who signed a new contract in March, announced that he will be leaving the show after this season, his 10th as a full-time regular. Fishburne is expected to step in after Peterson departs. Zuiker, a Vegas native who still lives in town, was enjoying a low-profile semi-private 40th birthday celebration at last night’s Midsummer Night’s Party at the Palms Pool when he disclosed Fishburne’s imminent arrival. “I believe that we’re officially closed on Laurence ...

Midsummer is (this week’s) greatest party ever

John Katsilometes | Sun, Aug 17, 2008 (10:10 a.m.)

This is the greatest party ever. That’s not me, speaking in platitudes. Those are the words of Gavin Maloof. “This is the greatest party ever,” Maloof, an older brother of Palms owner George and member of the magnate-ized Maloof clan, says after he’s coerced from a cabana at the Palms Pool during the Midsummer Night’s Dream costume fete. The show is in full flourish, and Maloof, who has extracted himself from a group of lovelies and buddies to play temporary spokesman, is reminded that he said the same thing three years ago at his own birthday party at Rain Nightclub at the same hotel. Palms Web siteN9NE Group Web site Playboy Web site “Oh. That was was a great party,” Maloof recalls. “We had a party at my house the other night, too, that was pretty great. But this one is so over the top, so much ‘wow’ factor. There ...

Hall & Oates? Yes can do!

Spencer Patterson | Sat, Aug 16, 2008 (6:56 p.m.)

And to think, all this time I thought Hall sang the “I can’t go for that”s and Oates took the “No can do”s!

It’s satire, stupid

Josh Bell | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (6:31 p.m.)

Las Vegas Weekly Associate Editor T.R. Witcher joins Josh to discuss theatrical releases Tropic Thunder, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Man on Wire, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and American Teen. This week's recommended DVDs are Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and Gossip Girl Season 1.

A rose by any other name … still gets the job done

“So what’s your real name?” It’s a question I get asked at least five times a night, every night, since I started stripping. My first stage name, Justice, is obviously not my real name but we are not trying to represent real life. By giving customers a fake name, we intend to protect our privacy and create a persona. We are in character and the stage name is a part of it. The customer and the worker both know the truth, that the name is fake, and it’s proper etiquette to leave the issue alone. Lately, however, there are more people in my life who call me my fake name and I wonder if the persona is actually who I’ve become. People prodding for my real name are generally, in my experience, not good customers anyway. Great customers are there to play the game, spend the money and suspend rationality ...

News at Playgirl sends a chill

John Katsilometes | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (2:39 p.m.)

I love that this blog is about Playgirl magazine going under and the blog category is called, “Debriefing.” Snort! And I also like that I can write, “Playgirl is going under,” and not feel too terribly juvenile. But yes, Playgirl is going under and will be no longer after the first quarter of 2009. You might be asking, John, what is Playgirl? And why do you know so much about it? Playgirl is the for-women (and for-gay men, assumedly) counter to Playboy. It was announced earlier this month by Nicole Caldwell, Playgirl’s editor-in-chief and foremost authority on the display of nekkid males, that the print operation would cease with the January/February 2009 issue. Playgirl will instead be going all-Web – digitized and circumcised. This, as reported by MediaBistro.com’s Daily Fishbowl report (and thanks to good friend and adroit Web scanner Jodi Gersh for tracking All Things Playgirl), “Details of the ...

Jean Grae

Ben Westhoff | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

The story of rapper Jean Grae’s fourth CD Jeanius is fraught with peril. It leaked four years ago, and since then Grae has threatened to quit in frustration with the industry and sparred publicly with her label over the album’s videos.

Rhodes to success

Julie Seabaugh | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Tom Rhodes never attended college, yet he’s a better-read and more independent thinker than any of the political blowhards polluting television with their “expertise.”

Casino Royale

Xania Woodman | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Perhaps even better in liquid form than the 2006 James Bond flick of the same name, the Casino Royale, property master mixologist John Dupont’s menu leader, is a broad adaptation on the Kir Royale—blackcurrant liquor topped with champagne—and is conveniently packed with antioxidants.

Sex sells

Sarah Feldberg | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Amidst four nights ostensibly devoted to supporting developing musicians and propping up the local music scene, crowds ultimately flocked to something truly timeless: sex.

Three and a half Questions with DJ Martijn ten Velden

Team Hangover | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Hey club-goers! Just because DJ/producer Martijn “10 out of 10” ten Velden is sporting a shaved head does not mean you get to rub it for good luck—or pinch his butt, for that matter.

Darker My Love

Annie Zaleski | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

The world really doesn’t need another band that’s fond of fuzzed-out guitars, drowsy vocal harmonies and My Bloody Valentine’s back catalog. But when a group writes songs as intoxicating and exciting as those constituting Darker My Love’s second album, 2, room can certainly be cleared on the iPod.

Hoop Dreams

John Katsilometes | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

This is an excerpt from the radio show Our Metropolis, a half-hour issues and affairs program that airs Tuesdays at 6 p.m. on KUNV 91.5-FM and is hosted by Greenspun Media Group’s John Katsilometes. Tune in next week to hear the rest of this interview with Alexis Levi, general manager, CEO and owner of the Las Vegas Stars of the International Basketball League. For information about the team, go to www.iblhoopsonline.com.

The next big thing

Max Jacobson | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Some have been touting the cooking of Peru as “the next big thing.” I don’t know if this is true, but I can say that Mi Peru, a South American grill housed in the Henderson space once home to Barbecue Masters, serves the best Peruvian food I’ve yet eaten in Vegas

Randy Newman

Julie Seabaugh | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Instantly familiar to anyone who’s ever watched a major motion picture in the last 35 years, Randy Newman’s mellow Southern California croon has long called to mind dependable friendships and lazy summer afternoons. But his point of view is currently far from comforted.

Making space for ND

Xania Woodman | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

So what the heck is going on with the third floor of the Shoppes, just above Barney’s?! It’s the future, kids. And it’s bright.

The trials of Elizabeth Halverson

Stacy J. Willis | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Judge Halverson, 50, is back for this fifth day of a judicial disciplinary hearing meant to determine whether she is fit to keep her judgeship, from which she was suspended more than a year ago after accusations from court insiders that she fell asleep on the bench, that she made her bailiff rub her feet, that she spoke to the jury against court rules.

A cuckold, a fiddler and a long nose

Jacob Coakley | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Molière’s farce about a dandy determined not to be cuckolded by his presumptive bride-to-be (even if she doesn’t know it yet) is given a very traditional, but nuanced, interpretation under Robert Cohen’s direction.

What we heard at the Hillary Clinton speech

Las Vegas Weekly Staff | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Hillary Clinton returned to Nevada last week to speak to a crowd gathered at Green Valley High School. These are words were overheard during the speech.

Before and After: Eric Henderson as Forest Person in KA

Las Vegas Weekly Staff | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Henderson is used to the ups and downs of multiple costume changes, but no challenge is greater, he says, than “hanging from a wire thinner then my pinkie 100 feet above the ground!”

If Paris can do it…

Greg Beato | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

In 2006, Paris Hilton was hot. By 2008, the former infotainment diversion had grown so tepid that clunky designer knockoff Perez Hilton was probably wishing he’d chosen a namesake with more staying power, like Taylor Hicks or Lonelygirl15. Then, in an attempt to undermine Barack Obama’s status as the “biggest celebrity in the world,” John McCain spiked his latest attack ad with random images of Hilton and fellow blond cupcake Britney Spears.

Teenage wasteland

Mike D'Angelo | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Whatever barely discernible line may yet remain between the traditional documentary and “reality programming,” American Teen clearly has no use for it.

The Walkmen

Spencer Patterson | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

A lot of folks who thought they liked The Walkmen smelled a rat when they heard 2006’s A Hundred Miles Off, or more accurately put, they didn’t hear one. Nothing on that disc sounded remotely like “The Rat”—the hard-driving track that had garnered so much attention from Pitchfork, the A.V. Club and the like two years earlier—and that cost the New York quintet both audience and acclaim.

Welcome Back, WB

Josh Bell | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Ratings are down and speculation runs rampant that The CW may not even survive one more season. Meanwhile, Warner Brothers has quietly begun resurrecting the WB brand with a new website at TheWB.com that is currently in its beta phase (it launches officially August 27).

(S)Miley face

Aaron Thompson | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Candidates vying for office will try anything to get attention—sleazy campaign ads, political fliers slamming other candidates, ubiquitous roadway signs. But odds are many voters will remember District Court Department 23 candidate Stephanie Miley more as the victim of “Batmania.”

Banding together

Spencer Patterson | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

More than 100 bands and artists performed Downtown over a three-day span last week, and odds are you’ve never heard of any of them.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

T.R. Witcher | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

With Star Wars, it appears more obvious than ever that you can’t go back again. The glory days of 1977-1980 are from a galaxy far, far away. But George Lucas can’t stop trying.

Peggy Plots Your Planets

Peggy Allison | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Find out what this week has in store for you.

Calamity’s Most Notorious

Spencer Patterson | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Pissed off Kurt Cobain, contracts on cocktail napkins and Iggy Pop. A selection of the weird and wonderful moments from four years of rock shows at Calamity's.

Truth-telling

Las Vegas Weekly Staff | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Opening your heart is tough, especially when you’re laying it bare for the world to scrutinize. Below are Las Vegas Weekly’s favorite confessional works of art.

Jonas Brothers

Josh Bell | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Teen heartthrobs the Jonas Brothers are a lot closer to Hanson than they are to fellow Disney-groomed stars like Miley Cyrus and Hilary Duff, and thus their third album, A Little Bit Longer, sounds more like the work of an organically formed group of musicians than the product of a prefab pop factory.

Calamity Jayne, take two

Spencer Patterson | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

A quest for buried Japanese treasure. Low-flying aircraft loaded with cocaine. Three million dollars in the trunk of a Jaguar. FBI agents eavesdropping on phone sex. A cellmate with cannibalistic tendencies. Savory ingredients for a zany Hollywood movie, packaged with a built-in soundtrack from Iggy Pop, Nine Inch Nails and Nirvana. Someday, perhaps, but for now the storyline replays mostly in the memories of the woman best known as Calamity Jayne, a curious case of life imitating art if ever there was one.

Henry Poole Is Here

Jeffrey M. Anderson | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Hollywood doesn’t often deal directly with issues of faith and spirituality, mainly because it wants to appeal to as many people as humanly possible. So it’s too bad that when a movie like Henry Poole Is Here finally steps up to the pulpit, it’s too uninspired to be inspirational.

What’s in a name?

Aaron Thompson | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Narayan: Name suggests: Skinhead oi! punk (playing off the word “Aryan,” of course). Actual sound: Maroon 5-y soul-pop, fronted by an Asian singer. That must hurt: The lead singer sat on his guitar stand during the last two songs of the set—on purpose.

Woody Allen’s European Vacation

Josh Bell | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

The fourth (and apparently final) film in what might be called Woody Allen’s European period, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is the closest to what fans of his classic relationship comedies keep hoping the writer-director will produce again.

Bathe in luxury

Deanna Rilling | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Scantily clad lady in a bathtub? Check. Restaurant/lounge/nightclub combo? Check. DJs Five, Reach and Vice behind the decks? Triple check. But we’re not talking about Tao, and that’s where major similarities end.

Solemn journey

Damon Hodge | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Debbie Zarder takes a deep breath. Lips trembling, she stifles tears and begins walking down the narrow hallway in her modest Henderson home, past the game room where her son, Robert David Jojola, spent many evenings playing games on his PS2 system, toward the scrum of barking dogs, some of which he helped deliver, and to the door leading to his room. Everything looks much as it did on May 23, the day he died.

The descent of man

Steve Friedman | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Before it delivers the inevitable jolt of redemption, The Night of The Gun is a maddening book, dangerous in large doses to anyone who has ever romanticized the outlaw appeal of the addict, frequently absurd and offensive to those drunks and dope fiends who have somehow managed to ask for help and get on with their lives.

Dream Zone

Lauri Quinn Lowenberg | Thu, Aug 14, 2008 (midnight)

Lauri interprets what your dreams are trying to tell you.

Weirdest grudge match ever: ACLU v NERC

Steve Friess | Tue, Aug 12, 2008 (7:46 p.m.)

Gary Peck is a little bit ticked off with me. Earlier today on the New York Times Web site, I broke the story that the Nevada Equal Rights Commission had declared gender-based prices violate Nevada law. The five-page ruling has some wacky stuff in it and has the potential to fundamentally change how many Las Vegas Strip resorts do business, both of which I’ll get to shortly.

Ego, Lies and Videotape: Obama answers McCain on energy

Tovin Lapan | Mon, Aug 11, 2008 (5:21 p.m.)

With political pundits dubbing the Nevada a "battleground" in the presidential race, those of us in the Silver State can expect to see lots of campaign ads from both Barack Obama and John McCain leading up to the November general election. In order to help you sift through the cheesy music, majestic images, and less than subtle innuendo the LV Weekly will break down various campaign ads from both candidates. Today we look at Barack Obama’s response to John McCain’s ad, which accused Obama of supporting policies that have led to high gas prices: "Pocket" –- by Obama for America In the wake of McCain's "Pump" ad, claiming Obama is responsible for high gas prices, the Obama campaign released this ad associating McCain with big oil-buddy Bush, and of being in the pocket of oil companies. AD Transcript: “Announcer: Every time you fill your tank, the oil companies fill their ...

When did we get this stupid?

Sarah Feldberg | Fri, Aug 8, 2008 (7:31 p.m.)

Last night I arrived home around 2 a.m. from a thrilling night at Amplify!! with a hunger for something salty, melty and microwaveable in 45 seconds or less. I knew what I had to do: layer one miniature corn tortilla with a slice of Swiss cheese, a few slices of Boar’s Head maple turkey breast and nuke ‘til it had evolved into a bubbly glob of goodness.

Every pineapple has its spikes

Josh Bell | Fri, Aug 8, 2008 (6:46 p.m.)

Freed from the confines of radio, Weekly film critic Josh Bell chats with a different guest each week about new releases in theaters and on DVD. This week, comedian/filmmaker Jason Harris of the Frat Boys of Comedy joins Josh to discuss Pineapple Express, Encounters at the End of the World and more.

Even vanquished, Hillary looks like top-of-the-ticket material

John Katsilometes | Fri, Aug 8, 2008 (5:30 p.m.)

The role of subordinate so doesn’t fit Hillary Clinton. She’s not built for “vice” or “assistant” or “associate,” anything. That’s what I came away with today after watching her play good soldier (dressed in dark navy blue) during a rally for Barack Obama at Green Valley High School. Clinton dutifully praised Obama, her junior by 13 years and immeasurable life experience, as “having lived the American dream,” and said, “those who voted for me have a lot more in common with Barack Obama than with John McCain.” True, but it was nothing more than a firm reiteration of the obvious. There was obligatory applause and cheering from the assembled crowd of about 1,100, many of them die-hard Clinton supporters who caucused for her during her primary victory over Obama in January but found themselves holding aloft “Obama: Change We Can Believe In” signs at today’s event. But Clinton seemed to ...

The “Rock God’s” Chariot?

Aaron Thompson | Fri, Aug 8, 2008 (11:55 a.m.)

If anything good came out of Amplify, the three-day music conference and festival wreaking havoc on downtown, clearly the environmentally conscious local rock scene got some time to shine. This black Prius sitting in front of the Icehouse Thursday night with the license plate "ROCKGOD" clearly shows us that this person not only know about the altruistic side of the normally dangerous and evil nature of Rock 'n' Roll, but also how to cut down his gas consumption and carbon footprint. Clearly us rockers who still drive beat-up 10-year-old cars could learn something from the "Rock God." Extra points for the orange parking violation stickers placed on the bumper.

“Bridging the gap between fine art and smut”

Jennifer Grafiada | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (4:38 p.m.)

Dorian looks like a dominatrix, but she’s an artist - the only local artist to have her work on display at the recently opened Erotic Heritage Museum, which is located at Desert Inn and Industrial, next to the train tracks and Déjà Vu Showgirls strip club, kitty-corner to Nordstrom’s and walking distance to Trump’s golden tower. Dorian, who doesn’t use a last name, is rightfully proud and, acting as my personal tour guide, she shows me her two oil paintings first. The first is simply a white-skinned, truncated female torso. It’s a tribute to Bettie Page, the famous 1950’s pinup, but there is no playful smile framed by buoyant black hair, no do-me stilettos. Dorian explains that she wanted to focus more on Bettie as a woman, not as a constructed icon. The other, “Natalya,” is a rendition of a photo Dorian took of “a medical scene.” Her friend, a ...

The Faint

Spencer Patterson | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

Say this for The Faint: They don’t sweat the trends. The Nebraskans went retro-new wave in the late ’90s, way before anyone was gushing over Hot Hot Heat, Fischerspooner or Infadels.

Hawthorne Heights

Julie Seabaugh | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

Used to be protracted legal battles were the domain of more established artists bickering over back-catalog royalties or accounting malfeasance. Similarly, most bands don’t experience the untimely death of a member and/or a vicious feud until they’re well past their prime.

The Help Desk

Las Vegas Weekly Staff | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

Celtics’ Paul Pierce handcuffed during traffic stop on the Strip.: And the list of reasons why we’ll never get an NBA franchise just keeps on growing.
Jerry Lewis stopped at McCarran with unloaded gun.: But don’t worry—he still thinks female comedians aren’t funny, so it’s not like he’s lost it or anything.
Erotic Heritage Museum opens in Las Vegas.: About time. We were just wondering how Las Vegas could add a little more sex to its image.

In Living Black & White

John Katsilometes | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

This is an excerpt from the radio show Our Metropolis, a half-hour issues and affairs program that airs Tuesdays at 6 p.m. on KUNV 91.5-FM and is hosted by Greenspun Media Group’s John Katsilometes. Tune in next week to hear the rest of this interview with Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN) Executive Director Jennifer Morss. The 22nd annual AFAN Black & White Party is set for Aug. 23 at the Palms Pool. Go to the AFAN Web site for information:

Peggy Plots Your Planets

Peggy Allison | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

Find out what the beginning of August holds in store for you with Peggy's horoscopes.

Close call

Aaron Thompson | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

It’s been a quiet week over at Rejavanate. Following a large brawl during a July 26 show featuring LA punk band Naked Aggression, the indie coffee haunt was rumored to have stopped booking concerts altogether. Fortunately for the Vegas all-ages scene, the music plays on … at least for now. “We didn’t want to take a risk,” Rejavanate co-owner Hercules Cummings says. “So we had to stop doing shows for the week.”

Be like Bobby

Whether Robert Kennedy would have made a good president is unknowable. All that is certain is that during his campaign he convinced millions of Americans that he was a good man, perhaps a great man.

Dream Zone

Lauri Quinn Lowenberg | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

Lauri interprets what your dreams are trying to tell you.

Douchebag follow-up

Team Hangover | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

This just proves once more that when Los Angelenos come to poo all over Vegas, they shouldn’t depart thinking the mayor is busy shining up their key to the city.

Movement or fan club?

Damon Hodge | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

A line forms behind a circle of people flanking a table where ex-Black Panther Dhoruba Bin Wahad waxes pseudo-philosophic on the inherent evil of the U.S. political system. “President Bush should’ve been stopped a long time ago, but no one’s been willing to incur the wrath of the empire,” Wahad says of this unseen, Bush-empowering cabal.

Jabba the shirt: Wear him today

Aaron Thompson | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

They called him Jabba the Huntridge, the foul-mouthed, ill-tempered and morbidly obese security guard at the historic Huntridge Theatre who patted down thousands of kids on their way into the former concert venue. Though it’s rumored the man passed away some years ago, his legacy lives on … in the form of a T-shirt.

Paging Mr. D … Mr. Chuck D

Damon Hodge | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

Nas is bumping on the public-address system as T.J. Crawford readies the remaining National Hip-Hop Political Convention attendees for a closing session on the fall elections. “Can I have everyone’s attention?” Crawford says to nearly 60 people in UNLV’s Classroom Building Complex auditorium on Sunday afternoon. Deep-voiced, stocky and built like an NFL fullback, Crawford is a commanding presence, which helps him rein everyone in. After three days of meeting, intellectual jousting—and, yes, some partying—people are antsy to go home.

An express to nowhere

Mike D'Angelo | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

Stoner comedies, as became all too apparent during the brief heyday of Cheech and Chong, tend to suffer from an inherent liability: Their protagonists are too blissfully baked to budge from the couch, much less play an active role in some convoluted three-act narrative.

Leave Boyd alone!

Steve Friess | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

Within hours of last week’s not-terribly-shocking news that Boyd Gaming was halting construction on its $4.8 billion Echelon project, message boards and blog comment sections across the web filled with a reaction that surprised me.

The Love Me Nots

Aaron Thompson | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

A sexy drenching of groovy bass licks and retro Farfisa organ whines combined with smoky girl-on-girl vocals and perfectly grindy surf-rock guitars.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

Jeffrey M. Anderson | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

The pants don’t make much of a showing in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, but no matter. They’re nothing more than a gimmick to draw us into the lives of our four well-drawn characters, and despite my misgivings I was gleefully, guiltily glad to see them all again.

Majestic at the midpoint

Jacob Coakley | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

Half-way through the Utah Shakespearean Festival, Jacob Coakley reviews Othello, The Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Taming of the Shrew.

Sugarland

Josh Bell | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

After parting ways with guitarist and songwriter Kristen Hall following their 2004 debut Twice the Speed of Life, Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush went in a more slickly commercial direction on 2006’s Enjoy the Ride, enlisting veteran producer Byron Gallimore to help them reach the top of the country charts. It worked wonders.

Bringing it all together

Ken Miller | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

It seems so incredibly simple, you wonder why no one in Las Vegas has done it before. But if it succeeds, it’s sure to be a huge boost for the arts and culture scene, as well as an auspicious start for the newly formed Metro Arts Council. By next spring or early summer, the organization plans to launch a web portal that will group every arts agency in the Las Vegas Valley into one master calendar.

Encounters at the End of the World

Mike D'Angelo | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

At this point in his career—46 years as a filmmaker, 54 features and shorts—Werner Herzog has done time in so many inhospitable climes, and celebrated so many fellow loner-obsessives, that you can’t help but wonder whether more trenchant observations might emerge if he and his camera were thrust into, I dunno, some giant Midwestern shopping mall.

Rock Pockets

Xania Woodman | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

In a world routinely committing crimes against rock culture (Tuscan Orange Grapefruit Michelob Ultra?!), it’s gratifying to see little pockets of rebellion still clinging to the social calendar.

A new dynasty

Max Jacobson | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

Who would have imagined the Gold Coast casino would be a hotbed for authentic Chinese cooking? Now the recent opening of Noodle Exchange has thrust it into the forefront of Chinese dining in Vegas, and customers are slowly getting the message.

Before and After: Derrick Barry as Britney Spears

Las Vegas Weekly Staff | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

Barry was once spotted out of costume at the Forum Shops by a woman who told him, “I’d recognize that ass anywhere.”

Scars on Broadway

Annie Zaleski | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

These days, any rocker worth his (or her) salt has a side project. But with System of a Down on hiatus, Scars on Broadway—the new band co-founded by guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan—is the pair’s main creative outlet. Heartbroken SOAD fans should find much to like about the band’s self-titled debut, though.

Five freakiest things about this local punk CD we received

Spencer Patterson | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

Local music can be very scary. Check out this freaky punk CD we received.

Hell Ride

Josh Bell | Thu, Aug 7, 2008 (midnight)

After Pulp Fiction came out in 1994, theaters and video stores were flooded with legions of Quentin Tarantino knockoffs, second-rate crime dramas with self-consciously hip dialogue, flashy camera work and half-baked storytelling tricks.

McHale to serve more than The Soup at Mandalay Bay

John Katsilometes | Wed, Aug 6, 2008 (2:21 p.m.)

It is the moment when the shooter becomes the target, when the smart-ass social critic himself assumes the spotlight. But Joel McHale, a novice stand-up taking the stage in Vegas for the first time Friday night, hardly sounds concerned. “What am I expecting? Not sure,” McHale says during a phone interview last week. “Sweatiness, and hopefully free drinks. It’ll be just like gambling. Hopefully I’ll be constructing sentences people can understand.” After a pause, McHale allows, “To be very serious, I’m terrified.” McHale performs at Mandalay Bay Theatre at 9 p.m. Friday. Expect the same tenor McHale has used to dice and dump celebrities into The Soup on E! Entertainment. McHale has hosted the show for two years, and by the time he’d taken the pilot’s seat the show was famous for airing snippets of regretful celebrity moments, to be followed unfailingly by a swift skewering from the host. Or, ...

Motley Crue

Josh Bell | Wed, Aug 6, 2008 (midnight)

From the moment they hit the stage at the nearly full Mandalay Bay Events Center with “Kickstart My Heart,” Mötley Crüe sounded tired and sluggish.

Ego, Lies and Videotape — A look at the 2008 Presidential Campaign Ads

Tovin Lapan | Tue, Aug 5, 2008 (5:23 p.m.)

With political pundits dubbing Nevada a "battleground" in the presidential race, those of us in the Silver State can expect to see lots of campaign ads from both Barack Obama and John McCain leading up to the November general election. In order to help you sift through the cheesy music, majestic images, and less than subtle innuendo the Las Vegas Weekly will break down various campaign ads from both candidates. Today, we take a look at a McCain ad focusing on his plan to lower gas prices, and in the next installment of the series we examine Obama's response: "Pump" –- by John McCain 2008 While Obama was touring the Middle East and Europe, McCain released this ad blaming him for high gas prices: Poor timing since, as I'm sure anyone with a gas-powered vehicle has noticed, fuel prices in the area and across the country have been creeping downward ...

Crowd flips for Philippine All Stars — and vice versa

Sarah Feldberg | Tue, Aug 5, 2008 (3:13 p.m.)

In every Olympics there are defining moments – performances that make such a strong statement any competitor preceding them is immediately forgotten and any who follow are watched with unavoidable skepticism. Nothing compares. Game friggin’ over. On Sunday, Aug. 3 at the Theatre for the Performing Arts at Planet Hollywood, I watched as hip-hop crew the Philippine All Stars created just such a moment. Before a crowd of approximately 2,000, they rocked, jumped and flipped with unmatched intensity. The audience literally gasped as choreographer and crew leader Ken Jhons plucked a dancer from the ground and raised him above his head on a single arm, holding him aloft like a hunter with a prize kill, before discarding him back onto the stage. With silver-lined black vinyl trench coats flying around them, the All Stars looked like a comic book street gang, ready to throw down a dance battle at the ...

Maheu was a treasure trove of Vegas history

John Katsilometes | Tue, Aug 5, 2008 (10:47 a.m.)

It would be tempting to say Las Vegas lost a piece of its history when Bob Maheu died last night at age 91. Maheu was for years Howard Hughes’ right-hand man and alter-ego during the years Hughes was holed up on the top floor of the Desert Inn, which Hughes eventually purchased so he wouldn’t have to leave (and so he could shed some annoying tax problems). But what we lost was a historic figure; Maheu was always ready to share his vivid memories of Old Vegas and his years with Hughes. I interviewed him a few times, most recently for this story, which appeared months ago about the Mob in Vegas, which ran in Las Vegas Weekly. I also talked to him in April 2000 for a story in the Las Vegas Sun centering on the 50th anniversary of the Desert Inn. At the time, Steve Wynn was only ...

Me talk dirty one day

Dirty talk is a fine art that apparently incites great arousal -- and loosens wallets. At work, I’ve studied it and made attempts to use it properly but I certainly haven’t mastered this skill. I barely understand the appeal, but I am trying to figure out its proper usage. Through witnessing some conversations by dirty talk experts (experienced strippers) and through my own trial and error, I have discovered that there are a few basic ingredients to structure some dirty talk. Trials have resulted mostly in error but I’m learning the ropes, slowly but surely. So take notes. You might spice up your own social interactions with a few lessons I can share by my observations in the field. At this point in my college career, I’ve really taken too many anthropology classes for my own good. Dirty talk may or may not be structured in the form of a ...

Amplify!! 2008 showcase schedule

Las Vegas Weekly Staff | Mon, Aug 4, 2008 (4:43 p.m.)

Downtown Las Vegas will be rocking to an independent beat this week as Amplify!! Independent Music Conference sets up shop at seven local venues. The four-day conference filled with panels with industry pros during daylight hours and live music showcases at night, features locals bands like Lydia Vance, The Deadly Seven and Aurora Falls as well as national acts like Hawthorne Heights and yes, the man who kills your brain like a poisonous mushroom, Vanilla Ice. If that isn't reason enough to check out Amplify!!, the incredible variety of bands on the schedule below should do it. Tickets good for all nights and stages $15 in advance, $20 day of show. Tuesday, August 5 Kick Off concert @ Jillians 7:00 p.m. – 7:20 p.m. – TBA 7:35 p.m. – 7:55 p.m. – TBA 8:10 p.m. – 8:40 p.m. – Heavy Mojo 9:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. – Dirty Heads 9:45 ...

Grandma is a hip hopper

Sarah Feldberg | Sat, Aug 2, 2008 (5:40 p.m.)

About 12 hours into the World Hip Hop Championships preliminary round, after the 7-12 year-old juniors had competed, after the 12-18 year-old varsity division and right between a hard-stomping routine by reigning adult champs Eclectik of Tridnidad and Tobago and the finalists announcements, a middle-aged woman in white satin pants, sequined suspenders and a bowler hat took to the stage. From the archives VIDEO: Hip Hop Championships VIDEO: Flos Angeles rocks U.S. Hip Hip Dance Championships "Off the street, onto the stage World Hip Hop Dance Championships, Aug. 3 Beyond the Weekly Hip Hop International Looking more like a carnival emcee than a b-girl, she danced side to side for a few minutes, performing an indistinguishable genre best summarized by the confused faces of the audience. Then, jogging off stage, the woman was replaced by a group of Japanese women, these in baggy red pants and white graffiti-printed hoodies. Picture ...