Stories by John Katsilometes - Las Vegas Weekly

Danny Gans at the Encore Theater, March 2009.

Danny Gans among new inductees in UNLV Entertainer/Artist Hall of Fame

Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011

Danny Gans performed in Las Vegas from 1996 until his death in 2009 and will be honored in February by UNLV. ...

CES appeals to the Gadget Guy in us all

Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011

Guy and Gadget Guy walk the preview event at CES and find a different application of the term "tablet." ...

Brody Dolyniuk, frontman of Yellow Brick Road, performs during the opening night of his one-man show Brody’s World on Tuesday, June 29, 2010, at Ovation at Green Valley Ranch.

Brody Dolyniuk's big wheel keeps on turning with new dates at Ovation

Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011

Dolyniuk has had scant chances to perform Brody's World for a live audience, or any audience, for that matter. That changes next month. ...

Criss Angel at the Boys & Girls Club of Las Vegas on Dec. 21, 2010.

'Believe' it: Criss Angel's work has markedly improved Luxor show

Monday, Jan. 3, 2011

Criss Angel ditched many of the plot effects — which were pretty pointless anyway — to focus on the magic in the new and improved Believe.

Sinatra: Dance With Me opening night at Encore Theater in the Wynn and the after-party on Dec. 11, 2010. Andrea Hissom and Steve Wynn are pictured here.

From Wynn to Lewis to Agassi, 2010 was rife with great commentary

Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011

The world comes to Las Vegas, and not coincidentally, those who are in Las Vegas often have amazing comments to impart. ...

Quick and dirty from UFC 125, live color from The Octagon

Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011

At the UFC 125 fight card, Randy Couture took a break from the real violence to speak of some staged violence.

Who to watch in 2011 includes the mayor (no surprise) and Brody (something of a surprise)

Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010

Oscar Goodman ends his term on a hot streak, with Zappos moving to City Hall and business bubbling in downtown Las Vegas. ...

Uncle James Katsilometes opens the patient and gazes inward with the help of an old lamp.

A holiday reunion with the 1967 Mercury Cougar Dan Gurney Special

Saturday, Dec. 25, 2010

I once slept in the Cougar during an overnight trip to South Lake Tahoe. Forgot to check the fuel gauge. ...

Jim Murren, left, and Larry Ruvo in an impromptu confab.

Jim Murren says the neighborhood (which his company owns) is boosted by Cosmopolitan

Friday, Dec. 17, 2010

MGM Resorts' CEO led the parade of praise Wednesday as The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas opened to the public.

Brandon Flowers has made it big. I mean, just look at him.

More Cosmopolitan: Some straight shots of a cool opening party

Friday, Dec. 17, 2010

The Strip gleamed like a new bauble from the 2,200 terraces at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas during the resort's opening on Wednesday night.

The three level Chandelier bar welcomes guests from the Strip entrance.

Cosmopolitan a new jewel on The Strip — especially that chandelier

Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010

An uncommon vertical feel and some lovely design effects help put Cosmopolitan Las Vegas in its own class of Vegas resort.

Professional bullfighter Darrell Diefenbach on Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010, describes an incident from January in which he was seriously injured by a bull.

Kats Goes Cowboy: A last tip of the hat, as the NFR bucks out of town

Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010

The contestants, bullfighters and officials who put on the National Finals Rodeo showed during their two-week Vegas run that they work hard and play hard.

Rick Foster, director of the Justin Sports Medicine program, tapes up the leg of saddle bronc rider Dustin Flundra before the start of Round 6 of the National Finals Rodeo on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010, at the Thomas & Mack.

Kats Goes Cowboy: A lesson in risk-taking and medical care

Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010

Ryan Gray's potentially life-threatening injury during his second go-round bareback ride underscored the importance of the medical staff at this year's NFR.

Approached to pose with and without his hat, one of the would-be cowboy models said, “You first.” OK, fair enough. Here’s the result. One thing to be said of wearing a cowboy hat: Once you put it on, except when saluting the flag or a female, it stays on.

Kats Goes Cowboy: We can't Resistol shooting the cowboys and their hat heads

Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010

Cowboys look a lot different when they remove their hats, and we offer a few examples in photos taken Friday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Roper Tuf Cooper throws up his hands after tying his calf during the first go round of the National Finals Rodeo on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010, at the Thomas & Mack.

Kats Goes Cowboy: A celebration of great names as the NFR bucks to a close

Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010

The sport that gave us Ote Berry does not disappoint with some distinctive names from this year's NFR.

Kats Goes Cowboy: We're prepped to toast Ricky and the Redstreaks

Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010

Ricky and the Redstreaks have been a favorite of cowboys and rodeo fans since being discovered performing at a club in Cheyenne, Wyo., in the mid-1970s.

Surprise guest Bill Engvall takes the stage to sing a few favorites with Austin Law at Gilley’s Saloon & Dance Hall at Treasure Island on Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010.

Kats Goes Cowboy: If it's shots and beer and a mechanical bull, it must be Gilley's

Friday, Dec. 10, 2010

Bill Engvall sang and played with Austin Law as Gilley's at T.I. rejoiced in its own version of Cowboy Christmas, a party for rough-riding cowpokes.

Kats Goes Cowboy: Time-lapse photos capture a night at the NFR in 3 minutes

Friday, Dec. 10, 2010

The National Finals Rodeo is well-suited for Las Vegas, which likes its entertainment at a fast clip.

Miss Rodeo America McKenzie Haley exits the stage during the Montana Silversmiths Go-Round Buckle Presentations at the South Point Tuesday, December 7, 2010.

Kats Goes Cowboy: It's a numbers (and question) game with outgoing Miss Rodeo America

Friday, Dec. 10, 2010

Miss Rodeo America 2010 Kelli Jackson took an on-the-fly question about religion during the buckle presentation at South Point this week.

National Finals Rodeo General Manager Shawn Davis gets a birthday surprise from Marilyn Monroe impersonator Janet Valentine Tuesday, December 7, 2010.

Kats Goes Cowboy: Marilyn: 'Is it getting hot in here?' Davis: 'No!'

Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010

Shawn Davis isn't known to be much of a Marilyn Monroe fan, but really, what does it matter?

Professional bullfighter Dusty Tuckness dons face paint in preparation for the Bull Riding event at this year’s NFR on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010. Fans and contestants showed their support for the fight against breast cancer by wearing pink during “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” night.

Kats Goes Cowboy: An interloper takes in scenes from a rodeo

Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010

The greatest show on dirt -- or a mixture of such and something else -- is unfolding at the Thomas & Mack Center. It has been an eye-opening experience.

Bareback rider Bobby Mote heads out to the arena before the start of Round 6 of the National Finals Rodeo Tuesday, December 7, 2010 at the Thomas & Mack.

Kats Goes Cowboy: From the chutes, bareback contestants are pure rodeo

Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010

Bobby Mote and Wes Stevenson had dissimilar performances during Tuesday's sixth go-round of the bareback competition at the National Finals Rodeo.

National Finals Rodeo

Scenes from the rodeo

Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010

An outsider’s view from inside the greatest show on dirt

Karl Stressman, alleviating the fears of the NFR pulling out of Vegas.

Kats Goes Cowboy: PRCA chief says it's too early to worry about NFR leaving town

Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010

Asked if people in Las Vegas should be concerned about losing one of the city's great tourism draws, PRCA Commissioner Karl Stressman said his organization loves the city.

Rodeo announcers Boyd Polhamus and Randy Corley at the National Finals Rodeo in December 2010.

Kats Goes Cowboy: NFR announcers talk the talk ... and talk and talk

Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010

Boyd Polhamus, Randy Corley and Bob Tallman talk a good game -- and that's what counts in their roles as announcers for this year's NFR.

Garth Brooks performs at Encore Theater in the Wynn on Dec. 12, 2009.

Kats Goes Cowboy: Garth Brooks remains the king of the rodeo

Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010

Garth Brooks used humor, his terrific voice and a boundless repertoire to show why he's still thrilling audiences at Encore Theater.

Keri Michelle rides a mechanical bull at the Gold Coast’s Buck AoN Ball Sunday, December 5, 2010.

Kats Goes Cowboy: 'Urban Cowboy' meets 'An Officer and a Gentleman' at Gold Coast

Monday, Dec. 6, 2010

Quite a few cowboys, and even a couple of cowgirls-for-a-night, rode the mechanical bull at the raucous Buck 'n Ball.

High-level negotiations: Don Kish, far left, talks with Mike and Warren Enz.

Kats Goes Cowboy: South Point's bull market draws all ilk of buyer

Monday, Dec. 6, 2010

Don Kish is one of the top stock contractors in the world of rodeo. Warren Enz is not — yet — but the two worked a deal at South Point Arena and Equestrian Center.

The 2011 Miss Rodeo America Pageant at The Orleans on Dec. 4, 2010.

Kats Goes Cowboy: New Miss Rodeo America sweeps the competition

Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010

There were five remaining contestants, cloven from a field of 28, yet one of the lovely cowgirls stood tall above the rest.

Handcrafted saddles by the Dale Chavez Co., some more than $6,000, are displayed during the Cowboy Christmas Gift Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Dec. 3, 2010. The show, affiliated with the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, runs through Dec. 11.

Kats Goes Cowboy: We find the elusive $6,000 saddle

Friday, Dec. 3, 2010

From barbed wire to lavish horse trailer/recreational vehicles, Cowboy Christmas has it all. Put it down in ink, even, with a handcrafted ebony pen.

Bareback riders Wes Stevenson and Will Lowe sign autographs during the annual Downtown Hoedown at Fremont Street Experience on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010.

Kats Goes Cowboy: Bareback riders at home in frenzied Fremont Street scene

Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010

Will Lowe and Wes Stevenson travel the country together on the pro rodeo circuit, so when they say Vegas is different, believe it.

Miss Rodeo New Mexico Kelly Horton, left, and Miss Rodeo Texas Celesta Harvey practice backstage as they rehearse for the Miss Rodeo America Pageant on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010.

Kats Goes Cowboy: Miss Rodeo America comfortable with strangers — human or equine

Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010

Horsemanship, appearance and personality are the traits contestants for Miss Rodeo America will be judged on Saturday at The Orleans.

WPRA barrel racing top rider Sherry Cervi takes the stage during the National Finals Rodeo welcome reception at South Point on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010.

Kats Goes Cowboy: Catching up with a millionaire barrel racer

Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010

Barrel racing star Sherry Cervi played basketball for a time, but what's the fun in that?

A&E

Welcome to Wayne Newton's world

Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010

Once I was parked outside Casa de Shenandoah and a peacock sprouted at the top of the gold leaf-patterned gate.

Larry Mahan chats up Las Vegas Events President Pat Christenson at the Wrangler Gold Buckle Gala on Monday night at South Point.

Kats Goes Cowboy: Rodeo maverick Larry Mahan is still along for the ride

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010

Mahan just wanted to collect a paycheck. On Monday, he collected one of his sport's most prestigious awards.

Something you don’t often see at the rodeo: Aerialists working the silks.

Kats Goes Cowboy: Plowing a gala brimming with hats and love

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010

John Growney and Ryan Growney share the same surname -- obviously -- but they are not related. As far as we know.

Kats Goes Cowboy: To Michael Gaughan, NFR is a can't-miss event

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010

South Point owner has missed a half-dozen NFR sessions, which is not bad considering the event started in Las Vegas in 1985.

John Katsilometes is seen before and after being outfitted for the National Finals Rodeo at the Boot Barn on Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010.

Kats Goes Cowboy: At the NFR, you have to look the part to run with these bulls

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010

To cover the National Finals Rodeo from the inside out, the outside should look as much like a real cowboy as possible.

Husband and wife Clinton Holmes and Kelly Clinton Holmes during “Las Vegas Celebrates the Music of Michael Jackson” at The Pearl in the Palms.

Clint Holmes does the holidays; Marie Osmond boosts Oprah; Brody Dolyniuk is back

Monday, Nov. 29, 2010

Clint Holmes' new holiday CD is titled "Hallelujah," and he'll be busy in December with a pair of dates at Suncoast.

Randy Couture at the premiere of The Expendables at Planet Hollywood on Aug. 11, 2010.

Randy Couture continues to show his reach as emcee of MMA Awards

Monday, Nov. 29, 2010

On Wednesday, he'll be wearing a tux and swapping banter with a comely co-host.

'Burlesque' is not burlesque, and it ain't Tempest Storm, either

Friday, Nov. 26, 2010

Tempest Storm has been eager to see the new film "Burlesque," which was thought to be a reflection of her life. Not quite.

Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr unveil a tribute to John Lennon and George Harrison in celebration of the first anniversary of The Beatles Love by Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage.

The Beatles on iTunes: Is this finally the end of 'new' music?

Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010

Does it make sense to have a list of nine versions of the same song on your iPod? It does if you are a Beatles fan.

Liane Hansen, far left, and Jennifer Cornthwaite, far right, in an impromptu confab at The Beat.

Downtown, not The Strip, wows Liane Hansen on her first Las Vegas visit

Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010

NPR's "Weekend Edition Sunday" host toured The Strip and watched "Jubilee!" -- but was most taken with the burgeoning Fremont East district in downtown Las Vegas.

Mayor Oscar Goodman, with the Time magazine issue showing Estes Kefauver on its cover from 1951.

Mob Museum could be a haven for non-Mob events

Monday, Nov. 15, 2010

Mayor Oscar Goodman is not ruling out officiating weddings at The Mob Museum once he leaves office.

Miss USA Kristen Dalton and Larry King at the Nevada Cancer Institute’s Rock for the Cure gala at The Mirage on Nov. 12, 2009.

Larry King live @NevadaCI: ‘I love newspapers’

Friday, Nov. 12, 2010

In discussing the impact social media has had on the news media, Larry King paused and asked, “How would Edward R. Murrow do today? Or Walter Cronkite?”

Michael Jackson at a press conference at O2 Arena in London on March 5, 2009.

Michael Jackson recorded new song 'Hold My Hand' at Palms, but had 'artistic differences' with Playboy suite

Friday, Nov. 12, 2010

It’s all fun and games -- until Michael Jackson starts covering nude portraits in the suite you arranged for him in the Las Vegas resort that you actually own. This is what George Maloof learned in November 2007. This was the period during which Jackson was living in Las Vegas while working on a new CD featuring a few songs for which he collaborated with some of his favorite vocalists.

USO Las Vegas opened its doors on Veterans Day with its 2,830-square-foot facility at McCarran International Airport on Nov. 11, 2010. The facility, which serves U.S. troops and their families, includes a snack bar, computers, a movie theater and a lounge area.

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