No Sarcasm From Them? Well, Then, No Sarcasm From Us. We'll Just Smile, Nod Appreciatively and Offer—On Behalf of A Grateful Las Vegas and Cirque Du Soleil—A Humble Thank You
"Normally we'd be dripping sarcasm if we called a show 'a brilliant triumph of hydraulics'—but this time we mean it. ... Here, all the world's a totally awesome stage."
Are You Bleepin' Us? What Kind of Mother-Bleepin' Show Is This, Anyway?
You have to admire a theater company that doesn't politely apologize for its production's raunchy political incorrectness, but damn well celebrates it. At Community College of Southern Nevada's mounting (if you'll forgive the expression) of David Mamet's gleefully vulgar Sexual Perversity in Chicago (see Steve Bornfeld's review, page 50), theatergoers are warned that if the use of "f--k" and "c--t" offend you—not to mention that ultimate evil, smoking (the herbal kind, for you faint-of-nose sorts)—you can (and we paraphrase here) backtrack to the box office, get a refund and take a hike, you timid little (insert epithet of your choice). And the program—amusingly framed by reviews, news stories and movie ads from the '70s, when the play is set—helpfully adds: "If these (foul language, sexual references and smoking) appeal to you, enjoy the f*cking show!"
Keep Your Eye on the Dial
Last week members of jazz station KUNV 91.5-FM received a letter announcing that the station will soon be dedicating its weeknights to the AAA format. According to the letter sent by General Manager, David E. Reese, "AAA features a broader, more diverse play list which tends to appeal to adults as well as college-age audiences." AAA isn't exactly cutting-edge college rock, though. But it has in other markets been known to mix classic rock, blues, folk, world music and, of course, jazz. According to the letter, the station housed at UNLV is not abandoning either its weekday jazz format or its more eclectic, locally-generated weekend shows. Still, it looks like if you are up late enough, Las Vegas radio will be getting a bit more diverse.
Finally, a Reason to Visit Neonopolis! Oh, Damn.
Last weekend in the people-proof Downtown mall, a banner proclaimed a bold, fresh attraction sure to draw an entirely new crowd: The Bling Museum. Perfect! Visionary! Why hadn't we heard of this before? Well, because closer inspection revealed that one corner of the banner had fallen loose, covering the "Gam." As in, "Gambling." Oh, that old thing. Sigh. At least there were plenty of seats for War of the Worlds.
What Happens Here, Gets Sketched in the New Yorker
A recent New Yorker cartoon portrays a man walking out of church one fine Sunday morning, sent on his way by the priest with the following wisdom: "HE knows what you did in Vegas."
The legendarily thorough magazine, however, failed to identify the sheepish parishioner as Lance Malone.
Get Your Cheap Gas Here! (Even If It Means Driving Across The Valley?)
Everyone knows gas prices are up in Las Vegas: $2.44 on average in the city as of Tuesday, July 12. That's a 20 percent increase over the $2.07 average price this time last year. The current national average is $2.32. But an average is, obviously, just that. It's possible to find a better deal. A quick visit to Vegas-GasPrices.com shows that the current low price for regular gas in the Valley is $2.35. Nine stations across the city are selling gas at this price, including two stations at the intersection of Craig and Lamb. You can also get this "cheap" gas at two stations at the corner of Rancho and Decatur. The highest gas in Vegas? According to the website it's a Texaco at Las Vegas Boulevard and Four Seasons Drive (figures), where gas can be bought for the princely sum of $2.59 a gallon.