Atlantic City Weekly Atlantic City Weekly

Behind the Scenes Video of Beyoncé Revel Show

By Jeff Schwachter — Fri, 25 May 2012 13:11:38 PDT

Beyonce gets "Back to Business" with first shows since giving birth in early January.

ATLANTIC CITY — Revel has released a behind-the-scenes video on the making of Beyonce's "Back to Business" show, which will be the singer's first performance since giving birth in early January.

The video includes interviews with the singing star and wife of Jay-Z, as well as footage of the rehearsals for her big comeback show, which debuts Friday, May 24, and runs — four shows total — through Memorial Day weekend.

"It's like going back to my old job," Beyonce says in the video, the first of two webisodes that will be released by Revel.

According to Revel officials, Beyonce has been working on her show — flying in and out of Atlantic Ciy — for several weeks, rehearsing at Revel. Jay-Z is expected to attend one of the shows this weekend, and will be at Revel for a private party following one of his wife's concerts.

Watch the video below:

Upcoming Casino Concerts in Atlantic City

By Lori Hoffman — Fri, 25 May 2012 09:59:58 PDT

Bands, singers, comedians, sporting events and revues appearing in Atlantic City through 2012.

ATLANTIC CITY CONCERTS, CASINOS

Click here for the latest and greatest Atlantic City Casino Promotions and deals.

Click here for Atlantic City Weekly's always updated Casino Lounge Entertainment Listings with nightlife picks, DJs, headliners, live music and more.

Questions? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

For ticket information and more details on individual shows, click on the name of the performer. Also, watch videos for some of the concert acts coming to Atlantic City below.

May

May 25
• Steve Winwood, Borgata
• Pitbull, Borgata
• Garbage, House of Blues
May 25-28
• Beyonce, Revel
May 25, May 27
• Kevin Hart, Trump Taj Mahal
May 26
• Paul Anka, Harrah’s Resort
• Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Tropicana
• ZZ Top, Gretchen Wilson, 3 Doors Down, Trump Taj
• Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby Rydell, Golden Nugget
• Afrojack, Borgata
May 27
• Collective Soul, Harrah’s Resort
• Montgomery Gentry, Tropicana
• New Edition, Boardwalk Hall
• Alien Ant Farm (free concert), House of Blues

June

June 1

• Weezer, Borgata
• Boxing: Super Summer Brawl, Tropicana

• Miguel, House of Blues
June 2
• Bill Maher, Caesars
• Kid Rock, Revel
June 8
• Boogie Wonder Band, Tropicana
• Charlie Murphy's Acid Trip w/Kid Capri, House of Blues

June 8-9
• Frankie Valli, Borgata
June 9
• Sting, Borgata

• Atlantic City Ballet, Resorts
• Ultimate Elvis Contest, Bally’s
June 13

• Korn, Sluggo, J Devil, House of Blues
June 15
• Lou Neglia’s Ring of Combat 41, Tropicana
• Sugarland, Revel

June 15-16
• Wanda Sykes, Borgata

June 15-17

• Phish, Bader Field

June 16
• Ron White, Harrah’s Resort
• Asylum Fight League, Golden Nugget
• The Smithereens, Golden Nugget
• DJ Avicii, Revel
June 20

• Louis Prima, Jr., Trump Taj Mahal
June 21
• Atmosphere, House of Blues

June 22
• The Romantics, Tropicana
• Josh Wolf & Jen Kirkman, Borgata
• MMA: UFC on FX, Revel

• Salt N Pepa, Naughty By Nature, Rob Base, Slick Rick, DJ Kool, Bad Boys, Kurtis Blow, Trump Taj Mahal
• The Gaslight Anthem, Cage the Elephant, House of Blues
June 23
• Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, Caesars
• Jim Gaffigan, Borgata
• Beck, Borgata
• 35th Anniversary of Saturday Night Fever w/Heatwave, Melba Moore, Australian Bee Gee, Trump Taj Mahal
• Debbie Reynolds, Resorts

• Mario Cantone, Atlantic Club
• 112, Faith Evans, House of Blues
June 23-24
• Metallica Orion Music Festival w/Arctic Monkeys, Bader Field
June 27-30
• Celtic Thunder, Harrah’s Resort
• Gordie Brown, Golden Nugget
June 29

• The Jacksons, Borgata
• John Oates Band, Borgata

June 29-30
• Mary J. Blige, Caesars

June 30
• Crosby, Stills & Nash, Borgata
• Dom Irrera, Tropicana
• Tracy Morgan, Borgata
• Cage Fury Fighting Championships, Resorts

July

July 1
• Styx, Reo Speedwagon, Ted Nugent, Borgata
July 1, July 4-8
• Celtic Thunder, Harrah’s Resort
• Gordie Brown, Golden Nugget
July 3-4
• Mary J. Blige, Caesars
July 5-6
• Jamie Foxx’ Foxxhole Comedy Jam, Caesars

July 6
• Bob Saget, Borgata
July 6-7
• James Taylor, Borgata

July 7
• Billy Gardell, Music Box
• Sarah Silverman, Caesars
• Commodores, Trump Taj Mahal
• Papa Roach, House of Blues
• Cedric the Entertainer & Friends, Tropicana
July 8
• Sarah McLachlan, Borgata

July 13
• B-52s, Squeeze, Borgata
• Aziz Ansari, Borgata
• Yes, Procol Harum, Tropicana
• Nickelback, Bush, Revel
• Darryl Worley, David Lee Murphy & Bo Bice, Trump Taj Mahal
July 13-20
• Blue Man Group, Caesars
July 14
• Jerry Seinfeld, Borgata
• Def Leppard, Poison, Lita Ford, Revel
• Stevie Nicks, Borgata

July 20

• Seal, Macy Gray, Revel
• Kenny Loggins, Borgata
July 20-21
• Santana, Borgata

July 21
• Howie Mandel, Borgata
• Boston, Trump Taj Mahal
• Air Supply, Resorts
• Matisyahu, House of Blues
July 27
• Meat Loaf, House of Blues

July 29

• Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias, Wisin & Yandel, Boardwalk Hall

July 31
• Donny & Marie, Caesars

August
Aug. 3

• Psychic Jennifer Rogers, Tropicana
• Gipsy Kings, Revel
• Evanescence, Chevelle, House of Blues
Aug. 1-5

• Donny & Marie, Caesars

Aug. 3-4
• Frank Caliendo, Borgata

Aug. 4
• Jimmy Buffett & Coral Reefer Band, Boardwalk Hall
• Chicago, Doobie Brothers, Borgata
Aug. 5
• Dukes of September, Borgata
Aug. 10
• Il Divo, Borgata
• Mike Birbiglia, Borgata
Aug. 11

• Jay Leno, Borgata
• Carlos Mencia, Tropicana
• Tony Danza, Resorts
Aug. 12
• Daughtry, Borgata

Aug. 17
• Marc Anthony, Marco Antonio Solis and Chayanne, Boardwalk Hall
Aug. 18
• Roger Hodgson, Borgata

Aug. 24
• k.d. lang, Borgata

Aug. 25
• Keith Urban, Borgata
• Artie Lange, Borgata
• Al Green, Trump Taj Mahal
Aug. 26
• Kathy Griffin, Borgata
Aug. 29-31
• Cirque du Soleil: Dralion, Boardwalk Hall

Aug. 31
• Gabriel Iglesias, Borgata
• Charlie Daniels Band, Trump Taj Mahal

September
Sept. 1
• Train, Borgata
• Louis C.K., Trump Taj Mahal
• Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, Tropicana
Sept. 1-2
• Cirque du Soleil: Dralion, Boardwalk Hall
• Il Volo, Borgata

Sept. 2

• Chris Tucker, Borgata

Sept. 7
• American Idol Live, Boardwalk Hall
Sept. 8

• Barry Manilow, Revel

Sept. 15
• Madonna, Boardwalk Hall
Sept. 21
• Bret Michaels, Tropicana
Sept. 21-22
• Ray Manzarek & Robby Krieger Of The Doors, Borgata
Sept. 22
• Earth, Wind & Fire, Borgata

Sept. 29

• Adam Carolla, Tropicana
• Tony Bennett, Borgata

October
Oct. 5
• Craig Ferguson, Tropicana

Oct. 6
• Ian Anderson, Caesars
Oct. 13
• Marinella And Natasha Theodoridou, Trump Taj Mahal
Oct. 20

• Don Rickles, Trump Taj Mahal
• Sinbad, Tropicana
Oct. 27
• Giorgos Mazonakis, Resorts

November

Nov. 9

• Carrie Underwood, Hunter Hayes, Boardwalk Hall
Nov. 30, Dec. 1
• John Pinette, Borgata

Revues

Ongoing Casino Shows
• Kozak the Magician, (above) Comedy Stop at Trop (See video here and interview here.)
• Believe. Divas in a Man’s World, Resorts
• Legends in Concert, Bally’s
Now-June 22
• Stephen Sorrentino —Voices in My Head, Tropicana
Now-July 12
• T-Fox: The House Party, Resorts
May 26-Sept. 3
Franklin Institute: The Identity Exhibit, Trump Plaza
June 30-Sept. 2
• Beatlemania, Trump Plaza
Aug. 7-Sept. 2
• Jabbawockeez, Harrah’s Resort
Aug. 14-Sept. 2
• Rock of Ages, Caesars

What's the Deal? Click here for the latest and greatest Atlantic City Casino Promotions and deals.

Click here for Atlantic City Weekly's always updated Casino Lounge Entertainment Listings with nightlife picks, DJs, headliners, live music and more.

Questions? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

Memorial Day Weekend Party Guide 2012

By Ray Schweibert — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:25:30 PDT

It’s party-time galore  at the Jersey shore over  the holiday weekend,  summer's unofficial start. 

Atlantic City’s animated Memorial Day weekend scene is back, so after your annual backyard barbecue, check out some of the festive findings we’ve tallied below.  

Friday, May 25, marks the official end of Revel’s preview and the start of its premiere, as the mega-resort will be going full bore into summer with a property-wide slate of events, most of which are happening on The Revelry or main entertainment level. Ivan Kane’s Royal Jelly will feature DJs and dancing starting 11pm Friday through Sunday (May 27), and a classic jazz show starting around 11:30pm. A live rock band will take over at 2am. Revel’s Amada restaurant will have Flamenco dancers from 9pm-1am, and the Ivory Lounge (between Azure and American Cut restaurants) will make an ideal after-hours spot following the Beyonce concert with live piano music and late-night-bite specials all weekend. The DigiPit will offer a stage show called Hallucination every half hour Friday through Sunday from 7pm-2am each night, combining music, digital art and “extreme body movement that seduces the viewer into virtual worlds of abstract energy and emotion.” (See p. 8 for more.) 

The other new kid on the A.C. block, Golden Nugget, will feature the live music of the Rockets (7pm) on Friday, Karma (2pm) and Seven Stone (7pm) on Saturday, the Exceptions (2pm) and Don’t Call Me Francis (6pm) on Sunday, and Slamm (2pm) on Monday outside on The Deck, and inside at the Live Bar will be Spoiled Rotten on Friday, Second Majesty on Saturday and Scream on Sunday, all starting 10pm. There will also be live music at Golden Nugget all weekend at Rush Lounge starting 6pm each night.  

On Sunday, The Pool After Dark at Harrah’s will have socialite Kim Kardashian back as its special guest, with Victor Calderon, Christian Arango, Nicky Romero, DJ Camilo, Alex Sensation and others providing the music all day from 3pm-4am. Tickets are $45. Call 441-5585 for more.  

The Tropicana has plenty on tap, too. On Friday night, Boogie Nights salutes our military with “Top Gun and Top Shelf” starting 9pm, where all active military personnel enter free and get half-priced top-shelf cocktails. Later, following their headline performance, Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes will be inducted into the Boogie Nights Hall of Fame, and Saturday at Boogie Nights in the Cougars and Cubs Ball, where all women over 40 enter free and all men 21-29 enter free. The Que Rico! show takes place at Cuba Libre at the Trop on Saturday, May 26, with special guests DJ Mantekilla, the Latin Connection Family, and DJ Decybals spinning Latin usion, salsa, merengue and bachata in tandem with Cuba Libre’s famed Late Night Latin Floor Show. There will be a special “Jet-Away Get-Away” trip giveaway to the Bahamas that night too, and DJ Rom will be spinning party tracks next door at the Missile Bar. Drink specials from 11pm-1am will include a $5 Mojito Mash-up menu, $5 Three Olives drinks, half priced Miller Lites and $150 select bottle service all night.  

The Party Pit at House of Blues will present a free show by Alien Ant Farm, a Southern California quartet known for quirky humor and music videos. They’ll be performing hits from four albums starting 11pm.  

At the Borgata, DJ Ross One will host the party at mur.mur nightclub Friday following the Pitbull concert. Gain complimentary admission to mur.mur by showing your concert ticket stub until midnight. The following night at mur.mur, DJs Jesse Marco and Doug Grayson host the show starting 10pm, and on Sunday at MIXX, percussionist/DJ Ravi Drums and DJ Echo appear at 10pm.  

The Casbah at the Taj Mahal, will feature DJ Dnial and DJ K Styles on Friday night, DJ Eddie Edge and DJ B Lee on Saturday, and DJ Ed Smooth on Sunday. At the Taj’s Ego Lounge, the Almost Angles perform from 10:30pm-2:30am with DJ Joey Catz on Friday, DJ Ernesto on Saturday, and DJ Bizz on Sunday. Also at the Taj, and down the Boardwalk a few blocks at Trump Plaza, the National Bikini Showcase will be taking place at both properties, featuring 52 girls and the music of rapper Mike Stud. They’ll be at Ego and the Casbah from 10pm-2am Friday, Trump Plaza Beach Bar 10pm-2am Saturday, and again at the beach bar 2-6pm Sunday. The Plaza Beach Bar will be going strong from 4pm Friday and Saturday, from 2pm Sunday and 1pm Monday. It's all part of the second College Mansion Paradise Weekend that returns to Trump Properties for the second straight year.

"This is our second consecutive year hosting Paradise Weekend at Trump Entertainment Resorts," says David Luber, CEO of College Mansion. "The hospitality and the accommodations that Trump has provided our clients and sponsors during Paradise Weekend 2011 are laudable. We value their relationship and admire their recognition of college entertainment."

Next door to the Taj at Resorts, the Top-40 cover band Route 9 will get the crowd out on the dance floor starting 9pm on Friday at Night Fever Dance Club.  

The Diving Horse Cabaret & Steakhouse will debut its newest addition the Lucky Dog Tavern on Friday (formerly the Brass Rail) with the Who Dat Band starting 5pm. There will be entertainment and drink specials there the whole weekend, and on Sunday at the Diving Horse there will be a party on the Deck with a barbecue, bands and DJs going until 6am. See divinghorseclub.com.  

Dusk nightclub at Caesars will feature DJ Catalyst from Los Angeles on Saturday night. Anthem at the Trop will have entertainment by DJ B Easy and alcohol-infused treats by Bella Dolce from 8-10pm Friday, entertainment by DJ Luap on Saturday, and select bottle service and beer service package specials on Sunday with entertainment by DJ B Easy.  

Atlantic City’s other two beach bars will join Trump Plaza in opening this weekend. The Atlantic Club Beach Bar will have live music with Dr. Cheeko on Friday (5-9pm), Sensamotion (1-5pm) and Slamm (5-9pm) on Saturday, the Rubber Souls (1-5pm) and Brian & the Coconutz (5-9pm) on Sunday, and Slim Chance & the Gamblers (1-5pm) on Monday. Sammy’s Beach Bar at Bally’s will present a special-guest appearance by The Wailers on Friday starting 8pm. Saturday at Sammy’s is Daddy Pop (2-6pm), DJ Xtina (3-8pm) and the band Shake Shake Shake (8pm-midnight), and Sunday will have John Eddie (2-6pm), DJ Licious (3-8pm) and special guest DJs from 8pm-midnight. 

The Chelsea hotel will be hosting Memorial Day events all day Saturday and Sunday at Teplitzky’s, Chelsea Prime and C-5 nightclub. See thechelsea-ac.com for details.  

Memories in Margate is opening for its 40th season on Memorial Day weekend and will be going strong all weekend long. Starting 8pm Friday the Geator will be doing a live radio feed on KOOL 98.3, and on Sunday night the fabulous Trammps will give a live performance.  

Atlantic City’s biggest street festival and pizza-eating contest — Tony Boloney’s Slaughterfest — is Saturday, May 26, from 11am-9pm on Oriental Avenue (near Revel). It includes a beer garden, live music (inlcuding local fave Malcom Tent), hundreds of vendors, a skate demo, live radio feeds and more.  

Further south in Cape May County, the Taste of Wildwoods Food & Music Festival will happen Saturday, May 26, at the Fox Park Amphitheatre (Ocean and Burke avenues, across from the Wildwoods Convention Center) from noon-9pm, and on Sunday, May 27, from 11am-3pm. There will be food and merchandise vendors, military displays, live music performances, live radio station broadcasts, and a “Dangerous Wines” attraction featuring southern New Jersey-made wine samplings. Russ Newberry from the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch will appear at the Dangerous booth area each day to sign autographs and share stories. Proceeds from Dangerous Wines sales go to help wounded troops. 

See our online events calendar here for more Memorial Day weekend events.

 Celebration of Heroes Festival in Wildwood

In Cape May County, Memorial Day weekend is highlighted by the Celebration of Heroes Festival in Wildwood. The three-day festival focuses on the holiday’s true meaning by paying tribute to veterans, active military and first responders all weekend long. Family members of military personnel overseas can get in touch with their loved ones at the Xfinity Interactive Center via satellite through Skype and text-message centers, or send postcards through a mass mail-call courtesy of The National Constitution Center.  

The Festival kicks off Friday morning with the Coast Guard Graduation Ceremony at 11am at the Wildwoods Convention Center, and continues Friday evening at 7pm with a caravan of veterans motorcycle clubs who will conduct a flag-planting ceremony and memorial sunset ceremony at Burk Avenue and the Boardwalk. More than 100 Coast Guardsmen will commemorate the service with a firing party, a color guard and a bugler.  

Friday’s events will culminate with a 10pm free fireworks show, and there will be many family-friendly events all day long Saturday.  

The Celebration of Heroes’ Military Procession & Remembrance Ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 27, at 1pm. A procession of military service heroes, veterans, celebrities and the Coast Guard Recruit Marching Band will form a procession that ends at the Wildwoods Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall (Columbus Park across from the Wildwoods Convention Center), where the Heroes Remembrance Ceremony and Air Force and Coast Guard fly-overs will take place. — RS 

The First Bartender Awards Winners

By AC Weekly Staff — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:19:39 PDT

Here are the winners from AC Weekly's First Bartender Awards, with photos from the ceremony, held at the Diving Horse in Atlantic City May 17.

The First Bartender Awards ceremony, presented by  AC Weekly and hosted by the Diving Horse in Atlantic City, honored the best of the region’s bartenders as voted by AC Weekly readers on Thursday, May 17. Awards were handed out in a variety of categories. The winners are below.  (Note: A winner was selected from an Atlantic City casino, as well as a regional venue.) 

Most Personable: Marley Pfeffer (Pro Bar, Resorts),  Lauren Feldeisen (Fred and Ethel’s, Smithville)

Best Mixoligist: Liz Barassaban (Gypsy Bar, Borgata),  John Finger (Ducktown, Atlantic City)

Sexiest Female Bartender: Marley Pfeffer, Laura Michelle (Diving Horse, Atlantic City)

Sexiest Male Bartender: Mike Doelp (Grotto, Golden Nugget), Andrew Salerno (Smithville Inn, Smithville)

Best Bar Back: Nelson Pacheco (Gypsy Bar), Dan Russo (Fred and Ethel’s)

Best Bar Team:  Pro Bar,  Smithville Hospitality

Click here for a list of the final nominees as selected by our readers.

Ocean City: Unlocking the Ocean 

By Josh Kinney — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:06:27 PDT

Ocean City and region prepares for big Memorial Day weekend 

It’s Memorial Day weekend  in Ocean City and that can only mean one thing: The ocean that has been chilled all winter long is about to be warmed up and set free, unlocked for a new summer season.  

Don’t be surprised if you happen to see a whole bunch of well-dressed people in business suits wading in the ocean this weekend in Ocean City.  

Marching straight into the sea, holding briefcases and decked out in their most professional business attire, the “Unlocking of the Ocean & Business Persons Plunge” is set for Friday, May 25.  

Welcoming in the unofficial start of the new “summer” season to the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance,” the beach at Moorlyn Terrace always makes for an unusual spectacle that you might not want to miss.  

Participants will be dressed in formal business attire — from waiters and waitresses to real estate agents, hotel owners and store clerks. The attendees will push forward against the Atlantic waves and tout American and “Open-for-Business” flags.  

Last year, Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian, Councilman Keith Hartzell, Ocean City Beach Patrol Director of Operations Tom Mullineaux and former Ocean City Beach Patrol Lieutenant Fred Miller turned a ceremonial wooden key into the sand marking the opening of the ocean and marking the official start of the new season in Ocean City.  

(For details on other Ocean City events over the holiday weekend, see sidebar.)  

The holiday weekend also ushers in a sky filled with flurry and movement.  

The 27th annual Wildwood International Kite Festival kicks off the summer season on the doo-wop island drawing hundreds of kite enthusiasts from all over the world. 

The events begin on Friday night, May 25, with an illuminated “night kite fly.” Saturday and Sunday, May 26 and 27, the East Coast Stunt Kite Championships take place on the beach as well as workshops and kite exhibits.  

Kite flying clubs will set up tents while food trucks parked along the sand next to the Wildwood Boardwalk offer food and beverages. The skies above the beach just south of the Wildwood Convention Center and the “Wildwoods” Hollywood sign will be swarming with kites of various shapes, sizes and colors — from giant whales, wind socks, space aliens, parafoils, box and single-line delta kites, and fleets of massive fish that spin, turn and flip with guided precision from their flight directors standing on Wildwood’s massive elongated shore.  

Many of the kites are hand made by the pros and some are capable of reaching heights of 500 feet, the equivalent of a 50-story building. Each year the popularity of the festival has continued to grow — between kite enthusiasts as well as general spectators who have come to watch the weekend event.  

Though for many participants, this annual three-day event is more than just a show, it’s a competition that’s been trained and worked for — the ultimate chance to show off their kites and kite-flying skills. 

Memorial Day weekend offers up some awesome kick-off events up and down the Jersey shore. (See p. 63 for other ideas.)  

In both Ocean City and Wildwood, the aforementioned events are free to spectators. 

According to Mike Dallmer, the president of the South Jersey Kite Flyers group, “The beach is an excellent place to fly a kite and this is the biggest [kite] festival on the East Coast.”

OCEAN CITY EVENT CALENDAR:

Friday, May 25 

Unlocking of the Ocean & Business Persons Plunge 
Beach at the Music Pier, Moorlyn Terrace. Free. Noon. 525-9300. 

Saturday, May 26 

Tony Mart Presents - Rockin’ The Ocean City Music Pier. 
Music Pier, Moorlyn Terrace and Boardwalk. A tribute to the horn band of the 70’s – Chicago, featuring a 9 piece SOS Show Band. $20. 653-6069. 

Sunday, May 27 

Barks on the Boards 
Registered dogs can walk on the boardwalk from noon–2pm. At 1pm there will be a canine contest held in front of the Music Pier, Moorlyn Terrace and Boardwalk. Free. 398-9500. hsocnj.org. 

OCFPL - The Icons of Jazz - Lecture Series 
Ocean City Library , 1735 Simpson Ave., Ocean City. Louis Armstrong; Duke Ellington; Dizzy Gillespie; Charlie Parker; Thelonious Monk; McCoy Tyner; Sonny Rollins; John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley, plus more. Located in the Lecture Room, 110. This series, presented by the Somers Point Jazz Society, will document and explore why these musicians are so important to the overall history and development of Jazz. There will be lecture, discussion, music, and film. Free. 2-3:30pm.  

Monday, May 28 

Memorial Day Service 
Veterans Memorial Park, 5th& Wesley Ave. Free. 11am. 525-9300.  

Friday, June 1 to June 3 

Ocean City Flower Show  

Music Pier, Moorlyn Terrace and Boardwalk. Commerical and amateur displays. Show times are Friday 2-9pm, Saturday 10am-9pm and Sunday, 10am-4pm. 525-9300. 

Sunday, June 3 

Mitchell McAllister OC Walk 
6th St. practice field. The Walk is in memory of teen Mitchell McAllister and raises funds to support the Emmanuel Cancer Foundations Direct Service Programs. Proceeds will support families in South Jersey who are faced with the challenges of caring for a child with cancer. Registration 8:30am. 856-853-4803. emmanuelcancer.org. 

Nor’easters vs Jersey Express 
Carey Stadium, 6th St. and Atlantic Ave. Soccer. Half time events include a Lil Kickz demonstration and an introduction to our Ocean City FC youth teams. Free entry to any youth soccer player on Ocean City FC summer teams. $8 Adults. $4 children. 7pm. 525-9999. OceanCityFC.com 

Wednesday, June 6 

Farmer’s Market 
O.C. Tabernacle, Wesley Avenue. Farmer’s Market every Wednesday. 8am-1pm. 525-9300. 

Thursday, June 7 

Wonder’s Brithday Bash at Gillian’s Wonderland Pier 
Wonderland Pier, 6th St. and Boardwalk. All rides will be only 1 Ticket and at 9pm see a birthday bash fireworks show. Rides open at 6pm and Wonder Bear will be available all night for photos. Celebrating 82 years on the Ocean City Boardwalk. 399-7082. 

Friday, June 8 

Nor’easters vs Reading United 
Carey Stadium, 6th Street & Atlantic Avenue. Soccer. ‘School’s Day’ invites kids from all our local schools to enjoy a game of top quality soccer. Free entry to any youth soccer player on Ocean City FC summer teams. $8 Adults $4 Kids. 7pm. 525-9999. OceanCityFC.com 

Saturday, June 9 

HSOC Family Golf Tournament 
Ocean City Golf Course, 25th & Bay Ave. Family golf outing to benefit Humane Shelter residents. 8:30am. Registration is $30 per person or $100 a foursome and includes lunch. 398-9500. hsocnj.org. 

Ocean City Police Chase 5k 
Boardwalk, regstration O.C.H.S., 501 Atlantic Ave.. 5K Footrace, 2 Mile Fitness Walk. Proceeds will benefit the Ocean City Police Benevolent Association who support Scholarships for High School seniors, Christmas toy drive, and distribution of free bike helmets with the funds they raise throughout the year. 525-9108. ocpba.com. 

Sunday, June 10 

Nor’easters vs Baltimore Bohemians 
Carey Stadium, 6th Street & Atlantic Avenue. Soccer. Half-time events include the 3rd annual soccer game between the Ocean City Fire Dept. and Ocean City Police Dept. as part of a long running rivalry to raise money for each’s Benevolent Fund. Free entry to any youth soccer player on Ocean City FC summer teams. $8 Adults $4 Kids. 7pm. 525-9999. OceanCityFC.com n

Bueno Brunch!  Cuba Libre Now Offers Daily Brunch

By Frank Gabriel — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:57:34 PDT

The Trop’s Cuba Libre has added a seasonally inspired  brunch menu overseen by Chef Guillermo Pernot.

Brunch, in our opinion, is  easily the most sophisticated meal of the day. 

Think about it, this late morning/early afternoon hybrid offers all the benefits of a hearty fast-break, coupled with the variety and diversity of midday or evening repasts. 

As a result, we were seriously excited to hear that one of our favorite A.C. restaurants, Cuba Libre, was adding a seasonally inspired brunch service to their existing offerings. 

Do keep in mind, this isn’t some tired, old reworking of standard stuff. Much of the menu has been personally fashioned by James Beard award-winning chef/partner Guillermo Pernot. 

Pernot, who again visited the once-forbidden island nation this past April — leading a small group on a cultural tour — apparently returned full of ideas. And while other outposts of Cuba Libre, notably Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., have been serving brunch for some time, Atlantic City’s service incorporates both existing items as well as promising additions. 

We began with their stellar, Caribbean-style guacamole Cubano. A tight dome, packed with cubed avocado and golden pineapple, accompanied by long, thin plantain crisps. 

Formed by expertly cut cubes — a brunoise, in French chef terms — of green and yellow, this bright, light version offers both the inherent creaminess of avocado and the incandescent sweetness of pineapple. 

Next up, another item from their piqueos (small tasting plates) albondigas camaguey, four perfect little mini-meatballs doused with a shiny, Asian-inspired glaze. Pleasantly salty, with just a whisper of heat, the beef/pork/pine nut combos were perched atop a scintillating warm salad of hot and sour mushrooms sourced from the epicenter of that industry, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. 

Having started with savory, we now wanted to explore the sweet. Soufflé de panqueque, an oven-baked pancake soufflé, served in a cool, individual size cast iron pan, fit that bill. Topped with a fresh berry salad, whipped cream and sided by molasses infused with five-year-old Cuba Libre aged rum, this was no ordinary pancake. Its texture was thick and custardy with a yellow color. The result was a highly refined dish, more along the lines of what we would expect from a fine French bistro. 

Empanadas brought a pair of steamy half-moon shaped pies, filled with melted leeks, bacon and a whole, poached egg. These were paired with a crisp, slightly bitter salad of wonderful watercress, liberally tossed with another chef’s specialty, a spicy Bloody Mary vinaigrette. 

The soft, yolky ovum created a spontaneous sauce once a fork tore open the pastry, always a keen little culinary tactic. 

Another dish featuring eggs, churrasco benedict, arrived as two thick squares of chimichurri-marinated skirt steak over a buttery brioche and topped by two over easies and tomato-hollandaise (otherwise known as “choron”) sauce. The meat itself was sweet, without any hint of the stringiness, which can often plague this cut. And we adored the amber-hued sauce, a bit of smoky coupled with the natural acidity of tomato. 

Our final sample from the regular menu, Cobbano salad, was a Latino take on the traditional Cobb. It was highlighted by smoky roasted pulled pork in a sweet plantain salpicon. A bed of fresh greens, including more of that leafy cress, tossed with hearts of palm, organic grape tomato halves, bacon, plenty of Cabrales bleu cheese — Spain’s answer to Roquefort — plus chopped hardboiled egg and scallions with a light mustard vinaigrette made for a hearty plating. 

From the dessert menu, we split a torta de chocolatey dulce de leche. This fallen chocolate soufflé was layered with caramel and finished with a spoon of dolce de leche ice cream, chocolate orange sauce and a tart, complimentary blueberry compote. 

Beverages are another crucial element of the Cuba Libre experience, and we’d suggest the coffee con xocolati for brunchers. Cuban coffee fused with traditional Mexican chocolate and whipped cream topping, luscious, bittersweet and potent. 

Finally, Cuba Libre also serves a proprietary line of “agua frescas” exotic tropical fruit juice drinks. From a list of five, we were particularly taken with mamey, pale white with a delicate melon essence and guarapincoco, guarapo, pineapple, lime and coconut milk. All deliver energizing, healthful refreshment for the long summer days that lay ahead.

Cuba Libre 

Address: The Quarter at Tropicana, Atlantic City 

Hours: Brunch served daily from 11am. 

On the Web: cubalibrerestaurant.com 

Atlantic City Beach Guide 2012

By AC Weekly Staff — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:54:21 PDT

Click on the PDf link for information on Atlantic County and Cape May County beaches, including beach tag fees, where you can fish, surf, bring your dog, go kayaking, play volleyball and more.

10 Summer Movies  

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:49:39 PDT

Intriguing titles coming to theaters in July and August , including 'Savages' and new Spider-man and Batman flicks.

After discussing 10 movies I was looking forward to seeing in May and June in the May 2 issue (see the story here), it is time to look at the summer movie schedule in July and August. The Avengers got us off to terrific superhero start. Only four films from my list are in July since most movie executives didn’t want their releases anywhere near the new Batman and Spider-man flicks.  

July 

The Amazing Spider-Man (July 6) A reboot really revived the Batman series, so now director Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer), with a screenplay by Alvin Sargeant, Steve Kloves and James Vanderbilt, will try to do the same with Spidy. Andrew Garfield takes over for Tobey Maguire and Emma Stone will play the new love interest, Gwen Stacy. Rhys Ifans is The Lizard and the interesting supporting cast includes Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Denis Leary and Campbell Scott.  

Savages (July 6) Oliver Stone directs Taylor Kitsch (John Carter, Battleship) and Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) in this drama about weed dealers whose product attracts the unwanted attention of a drug cartel run by Selma Hayek. With Blake Lively, John Travolta, Uma Thurman and Benicio Del Toro. 

The Dark Knight Rises (July 20) Christopher Nolan, the man who brought an edgy, independent film cred to the superhero genre, presents the final film in his Batman trilogy. Joining trio regulars Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman are Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, Tom Hardy as the bad guy Bane plus Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard.  

Killer Joe (July 27) Matthew McConaughey is having an interesting movie summer. First he plays a male exotic dancer in Magic Mike, then he plays the title role in William Friedkin’s killer dark comedy. Killer Joe is about a paid assassin who is hired by a desperate man (Emile Hirsch) to kill his mother (Gina Gershon) so he can collect on her insurance policy. 

August 

Bourne Legacy (Aug. 4) So, how do you explain away no Matt Damon in the latest Bourne movie? With a simple, clever catch phrase: “There was never just one.” Jeremy Renner, who is pushing the action envelope towards major stardom after appearing in The Avengers, is the new super spy with Bourne screenwriter Tony Gilroy also directing.  

Total Recall (Aug. 4) Colin Farrell takes over for The Arnold in this remake of the Paul Vehoven sci-fi classic based on a short story by Philip K. Dick. He is joined by Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel, directed by Len Wiseman (Live Free or Die Hard). 

Hope Springs (Aug. 10) This movie gets on my list thanks to the casting. Meryl Streep teams up with Tommy Lee Jones as a troubled married couple that signs up for a week of tough love marriage counseling from Steve Carell.  

The Expendables 2 (Aug. 10) I confess; this is a totally guilty pleasure, and yes, I did enjoy seeing the old geezer action stars in the original. This time we see a bit more of Schwarzenegger and Willis, plus a villain played by Jean-Claude Van Damme. They will join the cast headed by Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren and franchise newcomers Yu Nan and Liam Hemsworth as Billy the Kid.  

Sparkle (Aug. 17) Whitney Houston’s final movie is a remake of the 1976 musical drama Sparkle, which she had been trying to get made for a decade. She died just three months after the production wrapped. Houston plays the mother of the rising star played by American Idol winner Jordin Sparks.  

Premium Rush (Aug. 24) I’m a true believer when it comes to the talent of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. In this action drama he plays a NYC bike messenger who picks up an envelope at Columbia University and is soon biking away from a dirty cop (played by Michael Shannon) who wants that envelope. Written and directed by David Koepp.

Which summer movies are you looking forward to seeing?

Remembering ‘Memorial Day’ 

By AC Weekly Staff — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:42:43 PDT

Plus Revel debuts with official opening over Memorial Day weekend and Drew Toonz.

Remembering ‘Memorial Day’ 

Like others rooted in reverence or religion, Memorial Day is a holiday that has become a bit detached from its intended purpose over the decades, and in the eyes of some has taken on an commercial element that could overshadow its true meaning. The federal holiday dates back to the Civil War, when “Decoration Day” was created on May 30, 1869, by a Union general to remember northern-forces soldiers killed in the war. Later a different day in May was established to recognize those from the Confederate or southern states who perished. It evolved to include all American Armed Forces members who died in any war the United States was ever involved in. Renamed “Memorial Day,” it is always recognized on the last Monday of the month of May. Two local organizations — the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 10 of Atlantic City, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart #115 of Cape-Atlantic Counties — and their affiliated chapters continue to hold a tribute to the holiday every May 30 (11am at O’Donnell Memorial Park, Albany and Pacific avenues in Atlantic City), regardless of what day of the week that may fall. It’s been that way since World War II ended (1945) says 86-year-old John Palmentieri, a lifelong Atlantic City resident and the youngest of four brothers to serve in WW II. The others are now deceased.  

“It was changed to the last Monday to give people a three-day weekend, but we stick to May 30th because that’s the day Memorial Day was created to remember those who died at war,” says Palmentieri, who was drafted out of high school at age 18 and was the second brother to fight in Europe. The first was Pompeii (named after the famed Italian city), who fought in Gen. Patton’s army in Sicily. His eldest brother, Gus, was in Pearl Harbor the day it was bombed by the Japanese on Dec. 7, 1941, and spent the next four years in the Pacific theater. The fourth brother, Ralph, was a gunnery instructor in Florida and was never shipped overseas. All four brothers survived WW II and returned to Atlantic City. “My mother’s hair was black when Gus got drafted,” says John Palmentieri, who served from 1943-’45. “It was gray by the time I went in.” John Palmentieri came the closest to dying in WW II when he was shot in the leg by a sniper in Germany, weeks after he and his 79th Infantry Division landed in Normandy and marched up to the border of Germany. For that he received one of the highest military honors bestowed on a soldier — the Purple Heart. His wife, Louise Palmentieri, was the first woman ever to serve on the City Council of Atlantic City, and spearheaded the drive to have a WW II monument placed at O’Donnell Park.  

Each year John Palmentieri and members of his veterans groups give talks to schoolchildren, like the one the gave Saturday, May 19, at Belhaven Middle School in Linwood, to remind them of the sacrifices that were made, and continue to be made, to preserve America’s freedom. — Ray Schweibert 

Revel’s Round-the-Clock Revelry 

Sure, Beyoncé’s been the talk of the town regarding Revel’s Memorial Day weekend grand-opening festivities, but they hardly begin and end with the mere superstar, who has been rehearsing at the resort over the past week or so for her special four-night stand in A.C. The mega-resort is set for round-the-clock, property-wide partying from May 25-28. But since we’re on the subject, a “Beyoncé & Revel VIP Premiere Pass” is being offered that includes one mid-orchestra level ticket to Beyoncé’s Ovation Hall concert, access to VIP events at The Social and Ivan Kane’s Royal Jelly Burlesque nightclubs, access to the Resort Level including a cocktail reception, live entertainment and gratis cocktails from 5-6pm, free parking and a personalized commemorative credential. The package is $750 and available for any of Beyonce’s first three (of four) shows (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) by visiting any Ticketmaster location or going to ticketmaster.com. Additional highlights of Revel’s Premiere Weekend include “Hallucination” in the DigiPit, where each night (7pm-2am) a stage show combines music and digital art with live dancing every half hour; late-night gaiety at both The Social and Ivan Kane's Royal Jelly with surprise performances from 11pm-4am; the Revel Food Walk with small-plate tastings prepared by Revel chefs at The Row ($20, Friday 6pm-1am, Saturday and Sunday 11:30am-1am); and signature fitness programs by Bask spa, including Core Fusion, yoga-mind-body and SurfSET classes held throughout the resort. A commemorative T-shirt of Premiere Weekend will also be presented to qualified Revel Card members. For a full list of scheduled events, visit revelresorts.com/premiere. Read more about Revel here. — RS

Drew Toonz

Garbage Back ... for Now  

By Ed Condran — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:35:00 PDT

Shirley Manson and company return with big new album, first-ever tour stop in Atlantic City.  Interview with the band's Duke Erikson.

Nearly a decade has passed since Duke Erikson and his band Garbage toured. So forgive the guitarist-bassist-producer for having some trouble getting used to the rigors of the road. 

“It feels kind of weird right now,” Erikson says while calling from Manhattan.  

“We just flew in from Paris and I’ve forgotten how draining travel can be. The simple act of packing can take something out of you. I’m tired. I don’t know how much people realize that this is such a grind. It’s a rewarding grind but it’s a grind.” 

The wear and tear of touring is one of the reasons Garbage took a seven-year hiatus from the road and the studio. While supporting its 2005 album, Bleed Like Me, which peaked at a career high number four on the Billboard album chart, the band embarked on a tour that it abbreviated before taking a break. 

“We were totally exhausted,” Erikson says. “We were on the road for 10 years and that takes its toll. There were other issues as well. We had some business problems in that we felt that our record company didn’t give us enough attention. We needed to part ways from the company and go our own way. All I can say is that it’s amazing how quickly time goes by. I can account for all that I’ve done and so can [my bandmates] but the calendar just keeps on turning.” 

Garbage left Geffen Records. Each of the members of the band worked on solo projects or produced albums for other recording artists.  

“We took the time we needed and it helped us get back,” Erikson says. “It was just a hiatus, not a breakup.” 

Garbage, which crafts quirky, atmospheric pop-rock, is back with Not Your Kind of People, which dropped a week ago courtesy of the band’s own label, Stunvolume Records. Much like the band’s earlier work, the album is comprised of deep, dark and catchy cuts. Will the new songs chart like old hits “Stupid Girl,” and “I’m Only Happy When It Rains?” 

“It’ll be interesting to see what happens,” Erikson says. “I think we have a lot of hooks in these songs. I think it’s possible we could have some [chart] success. The feedback we’ve gotten is very good. We’ve gotten some airplay already. It’s a great start for this album. We’ll see how far we go with it but I’m pretty optimistic.” 

Erikson believes anything is possible for Garbage since it features vocalist Shirley Manson. The Scottish singer is a throwback. She’s a charismatic, eccentric singer, who engages the audience while Erikson and geeky bandmates, guitarist Steve Marker and drummer/uber-producer Butch Vig, who was behind the board for Nirvana’s Nevermind and a slew of alt-rock classics, can just focus on sonic side since Manson is one of the most entertaining characters in rock on and off stage.  

The sexy Manson is funny, provocative and intelligent, a rare package in contemporary rock. 

“There is no one like Shirley Manson,” Erikson says. “We go up there and play and she just captivates the crowd. She performs in the tradition of the great female rock performers. She’s one of a kind, but I also think we’re one of a kind. There is no other group that is like Garbage. Part of the reason I think we’ll be fine now is because no one sounds like us. One of the great things you can do in a band is come up with your own sound and we’ve accomplished that. I’m very proud of every stage this band has gone through.” 

Expect the hits and a few new tunes when Garbage takes the stage Friday, May 25, at the House of Blues in Atlantic City. “We’ll do about three or four songs from the new album and everything a fan would want to hear. We also will play some obscure songs. The diehard fans like that and so do we. It’s a nice changeup.” 

The band is getting along well, but the future for Garbage is uncertain. 

“I don’t know what we’ll do next,” Erikson says. “We don’t know if we have another album in us. Maybe we do. We’ll find out after this tour ends. But I’m living in the moment. I’m not worried about what I’ll do after we finish up [the tour].” 

The band is making its Atlantic City debut.  

“You think we would have played there after all the touring we’ve done,” Erikson says. “But I guess if you play around long enough you play everywhere. It’ll be fun, particularly that weekend. It’s different there than your average town. It’ll be a good time, but it’s been a really good time no matter where we’ve played. We really have enjoyed being back together. It was so good that we took that break. We needed it. Our batteries are re-charged. We’re having as much fun as we’ve ever had and that’s pretty good since we’ve had some great times together.”

Garbage  (See event listing)

Where: House of Blues at Showboat, A.C. 

When: Friday, May 25, 8pm 

How Much: $29.50 and $39.50 

Photo: Autumn de Wilde

5 Questions With ... Southside Johnny  

By Ray Schweibert — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:19:46 PDT

The longtime frontman for the Asbury Jukes,  who helped hone what would be called the Jersey Shore Sound, is at the Trop this Saturday night.

Bands with cross-generational appeal that perform into their third, fourth or even fifth decade are not uncommon in these days of Internet sharing and digital technology. Why they opt to rather than just sit back, relax and savor the memories is a personal decision that can vary.  

For Johnny Lyon, gregarious frontman for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes since 1974, it’s obvious if you’ve ever seen him on stage. He loves it, and his huge legion of longtime fans love experiencing the Jukes live. When Lyon belts out two of the biggest hits from the Jukes’ repertoire of over 30 albums — “Havin’ a Party” and “I Don’t Want to Go Home” — you get the sense he really means what he’s singing. 

“We’ll play anywhere they’ll have us,” says the 63-year-old Lyon, who will bring the Jukes to the Tropicana’s Grand Exhibition Center on Saturday, May 26. “The more places, the better. After all these years it’s still something I desperately want to do. You want to keep having fun.” 

The Jukes, whose horn-driven sound is rooted in R&B, soul, funk, jazz and blues, recently played the annual 10-day Lilac Festival in Rochester, N.Y. 

“We’ve played there a couple times before and there was bad weather, and I thought ‘Uh oh, pretty soon they’re going to start blaming us for this,’” Lyon tells Atlantic City Weekly in a phone conversation from his Ocean Grove home. “But this time there was very good weather and they were happy.” 

Local guitar virtuoso Billy Walton will be performing with the Jukes and also opening for them with his Billy Walton Band. 

You have a new CD coming out. Can you talk a little about that? 

There’s a number of things I’m working on, but [the CD] is based on an album that Stevie Van Zandt [a founding member of the Jukes who would join Springsteen’s E Street Band, later finding acting success as Silvio Dante in The Sopranos] put out in the 1980s with [his solo band] Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. He put that out about 25 years ago and I had forgotten that we recorded a number of those songs as the Jukes, but then we scrapped them and did Hearts of Stone [the Jukes’ third album, which Rolling Stone magazine placed in the top-100 albums of the 1970s and ’80s] instead. Then I heard the record for the first time in years and thought, ‘God, this is great,’ so we did the whole thing live [at Asbury Park’s venerable Stone Pony last July] and we’re going to put out the record. Stevie came down and sang some songs, and kind of gave us his approval of the project. We had six horn players and it just sounded so good I thought ‘We might as well put it out.’ I don’t normally think that way because I’m never really that happy with what I do live. I always think it sounds frantic and crazy, but this really sounds good. It’s 10 songs from his record called Men Without Women — which comes from a compilation by Ernest Hemingway — and then there’s three that Steve and I do.  

Last Memorial Day weekend the Jukes were in Ocean City. Do you remember when you last played in Atlantic City? I ask because it seems it’s not often that you get down here.  

No, that’s the kind of thing I would ever remember. I’m not built that way, unfortunately. I’m always looking toward the future. I hate to say it, but there’s so much stuff going on, which I’m grateful for, but it’s an ongoing project just to keep everything floating. I don’t know why that is [that the Jukes rarely play in southern New Jersey]. There’s probably a law in the books somewhere that says I’m not supposed to go below Toms River.  

Did you come from a musical family or, if not, where did your inspiration to make music a way-of-life come from?  

My father played the upright bass and played in bands during the Depression era, but back then it was very hard to make a living at it, in fact almost impossible. My grandfather got him a job in the post office and if you got a job back then you didn’t turn it down, since so many people were out of work. I think he always regretted it. But he liked the jazz of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Count Basie, and so that’s what I grew up listening to. I thought everybody did. But I found out later I was wrong.  

Recently I watched a PBS special called On Canvas that profiled you and the Jukes. What was your impression of how that turned out? 

I didn’t see it. The last thing I want to see is me. I don’t think I really need to torture myself that way. If I watch it, it’ll probably make me even more self-conscious than I am, and I don’t need that.  

After your A.C. gig you’re going to be inducted into the Boogie Nights [retro nightclub] Hall of Fame at the Trop. You’re only the second band besides KC & the Sunshine Band to be inducted. What are your thoughts about that? 

I guess that’s a good thing. I’m not really sure what that is. What have they gotten me into now? I guess I’ll just ride with it.

Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes 

When: Saturday, May 26, 8pm  (opening act, the Billy Walton Band) 

Where: Tropicana, Atlantic City 

How Much: $25.25

Atlantic Club Adopts MMSC 

By Ray Schweibert — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:49:14 PDT

The smallest casino that could, Atlantic Club Casino Hotel, is helping the little center that would, Brigantine’s Marine Mammal Stranding Center.

ATLANTIC CITY — When the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel announced its new name and strategy in February, it indicated that community involvement would play a large part in the property’s future initiatives.

On Tuesday, May 22, it was announced that the “smallest casino that could” is helping the “little center that would,” as the Atlantic Club has “adopted” the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) in Brigantine, which has been responding to and assisting distressed marine mammals and sea turtles not just in New Jersey, but throughout much of the Eastern seaboard, for nearly 35 years. The Atlantic Club has committed to help generate awareness and funds to support the MMSC’s mission and efforts.  

“We are the only stranding center to serve New Jersey, and with the prospect of budget cuts looming this fall, our ability to maintain and operate the center effectively is alarming,” says Bob Schoelkopf, director and founder of the non-profit MMSC since 1978. “When The Atlantic Club Casino Hotel reached out to us to offer support, it could not have come at a better time.”  

The Atlantic Club has several immediate plans to support the center. First is the donation of a 73-inch flat-screen television, which will be used as a much-needed video monitor for staff observation of rehabilitating mammals in the center’s tanks.

This Memorial Day weekend, and throughout the summer, the Atlantic Club will donate $1 from every “Shake and Take” drink sold at the Dizzy Dolphin and Beach Bar to the MMSC.   In an effort to increase awareness, the Atlantic Club will also host several MMSC educational events during the summer. Future plans include an MMSC documentary video on the casino-hotel’s Web site with a “Donate Now” button to support the work of the organization.  

“Small organizations can do big things, and by working together, even bigger things happen” says Michael Frawley, chief operating officers of the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel.  

For more information, click here to visit the MMSC’s Web site.

Music Notes: Somers Point Beach Concerts, Jazz at Atlantic Club.

By Jeff Schwachter — Wed, 23 May 2012 07:21:08 PDT

Music fans will have more options than ever to catch a concert in Atlantic City this Memorial Day weekend, but that's not when the music stops. The entire southern Jersey shore region will popping with music of all kinds this summer — including rockabilly, jazz, classcial, rock, blues, R&B and reggae.

This year, the Atlantic City region has a full slate of top-tier concerts, from Beyoncé and Metallica to Phish, Yes, J Lo, and James Taylor.

With the June 1-3 Atlantic City Multi-Cultural Festival, the Atlantic City concert series at Gardner's Basin, the International Series at Kennedy Plaza (presented by the Atlantic City Free Public Library) and the Somers Point Beach Concerts series (celebrating its 20th year) music lovers will have many opportunities to chill out and listen to free concerts this summer.

The five-show series, co-sponsored by the City of Atlantic City and Atlantic City Free Public Library, kicks off on Saturday, June 2. Opening acts begin at 1pm and headliners start at 4pm and play until dusk. The concerts are free and open to the public.

The schedule for the series at Gardner's Basin is as follows:

• Saturday, June 2 – Third World, Evelyn “Champagne” King and Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes headline the show. Sensa Motion Band, Bob Sterling and Jackie Greggs open the show.

• Saturday, June 23 – Tavares, Con Funk Shun and Kool Moe Dee headline the show. Eddie Morgan Rek’d 4 Jazz, The Emperors and Essence Pittman open the show.

• Saturday, July 21 – War and the Chi-Lites headline the show. Rick Cason Express, Mark Big & Tasty Baxter, Jack and Judah Dorrington open the show.

• Saturday, Aug. 4 – 2012 Gospel Fest featuring Kurt Carr and The Kurt Carr Singers

• Saturday, Aug. 18 – Cameo and Enchantment headline the show. Coolist & Maceo Mobley, Special Occasion, and Angela Burton and Passion, open the show.

The Friday evening Somers Point Beach Concert (free, 7-9pm, Somers Point beach on Bay Avenue)) series 20th anniversary schedule includes:

• Friday, June 15 — Lionel Young Band (Multi Blues Award Winning Violinist)

• June 22 — Bonerama (Rockin’ Funky Trombone led Brass Band from New Orleans)

• June 29 — Commander Cody Band (Country Swing and Rockin’ Boogie Woogie Recording Stars)

• July 4 — Bob Campanell Band featuring Danny Eyer (Jersey Shore Rock ‘n Roll Icon with his favorite lead guitarist)

• July 6 — Jeremiah Hunter Band (Favorites from The Soul Survivors & Fullhouse)

• July 13 — Rick Estrin & The Nightcats (World Class Jump, Swing Blues Recording Artists)

• July 20 — The Persuasions, plus The Shakes (Legendary Doo-Wop Vocal Stars PLUS Motown Party Dance Songs)

• July 27 — Dr. Bobby Fingers, plus Hawkins Road (Popular Sing-a-long songs PLUS The Best Country Rock)

• Aug. 3 — Scott Kirby w/ Lew London (One of Margaritaville Radio’s most requested Artists)

• Aug. 10 — Billy Walton Band with Arthur Migliaza (Jersey Shore Rock ‘n Roll Hero with New Orleans Piano)

• Aug. 17 — Midori Brothers Band feat. Franny Smith (Swingin’ Tribute to Benny Goodman & New Orleans Favorites)

• Aug. 24 — Walter Trout (International Rockin’ Blues Guitar Headliner)

• Aug. 31 — Jill West and Blues Attack (Western Pennsylvania’s No. 1 Party Dance Band)

• Sept. 7 Reverend Raven & the Chain Smokin' Altra Boys (Rockabilly Swing & Roots Rock ‘n Roll)

Also, the Atlantic Club (formerly the Hilton) has announced it will be starting up a jazz series at the property's Ono restaurant. Kicking off the weekly series will be Michael Pedicin (June 10), who will be followed by John DiMartino (June 17), Elio Villifranca (June 24), John Collianni (July 1) and Alex Brown (July 8). The peformances are 6-9pm and there is no cover charge.

Finally, this holiday weekend, Peter Nero and the Philly POPS perform at the new Convention Hall in Cape May (Sat., May 26, 8pm, $150).

Trump Taj Mahal Promotions

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:35:40 PDT

10X Slot Dollars for New Members - Now through May 24 new members can visit Trump One Services located in the casino, sign up for a Trump One Card, and receive 10x Slot Dollars on their casino play for the trip that begins the day they sign up for their card. Players must earn a minimum of $10 Slot Dollars, with a maximum earning of $2,500. The non-cashable Slot Dollars will be available 48 hours after their trip closes. 1x Slot Dollars will be available for 90 days; 9x Slot Dollars will be available for 30 days.

$25 Bonus Slot Dollars & 1 Free Buffet for New Members - Beginning May 25 sign up for a Trump One Card, earn 40 Tier Points and you will receive $25 Bonus Slot Dollars and 1 free buffet. After earning your 40 Tier Points, just go to any Rewards Center Kiosk. You will receive 1 free buffet at Sultan’s Feast and your $25 Bonus Slot
Dollars will be loaded into your account.

Spin to Win Prize Wheel - Every Tuesday through May 29, 2pm - 6pm Main Concourse. Win $5 - $1,000 Bonus Slot Dollars at our Spin to Win Prize Wheel. Every spin is a guaranteed winner! Earn 20 Tier Points or more. Visit any Rewards Center Kiosk to print slip and present to spin the wheel.

Battle The Ship Guaranteed Sweepstakes — “The Taj version of your favorite Childhood Game.”
Fridays, May 25 6-10pm
Saturdays, May 26 2-6pm
Sunday, May 27 2-6pm
Monday, May 28 noon-4pm
One Cash Winner Every Hour. $250 if your name is called, $250 for each hit, $1,000 if you can sink the ship. Earn 20 Tier Points or more on the day of each drawing. Be sure to be playing with your Trump One Card inserted into any slot machine at the time of the drawing for your chance to win. Times of sweepstakes are Fridays 6-10pm, Saturdays 2-6pm, Sunday 2-6pm and Monday noon- 4pm.

Comp Dollar Multiplier Days - Wednesday, May 23. Trump One and Executive members will receive 5x extra comp dollars on their casino play each day. Chairman members will receive 7x extra comp dollars and Signature card holders will receive 10x extra comp dollars. To be eligible for their comp dollar multiplier, players must register at a Rewards Center Kiosk prior to their casino play. Players can use their comps at any Trump owned retail outlet, restaurant, or shopping at trumpexchange. Players can also convert their comp dollars for Bonus Slot Dollars at a 2 to 1 ratio on Thursday, May 30. (min $20 Comp Dollars for $10 Bonus Slot Dollars; max $1,000 Comp Dollars for $500 Bonus Slot Dollars).

$2,500 Slot Tournaments - Thursday, May 24. Trump One Card holders who earn 20 Tier Points can participate in these slot tournaments. Tournaments will be held 12pm-3pm and 5pm-8pm each day in the Slot Tournament area located in the casino at the Boardwalk entrance. $2,500 will be awarded each tournament.

Guaranteed Jeep Wrangler Giveaway - Friday, May 25 at 11pm in the Main Concourse. Earn entries May 1 through 10:45pm Friday, May 25 by playing Slots or Tables with your Trump One Card. To activate your entries, earn 20 Tier Points or more on May 25. Be sure to be playing with your Trump One Card inserted into any slot machine at the time of the drawing for your chance to win.

Guaranteed Harley Davidson Giveaway - Saturday, May 25 at 12 Midnight. Earn entries May 1 through 11:45pm Saturday, May 26 by playing Slots or Tables with your Trump One Card. To activate your entries, earn 20 Tier Points or more on May 26. Be sure to be playing with your Trump One Card inserted into any slot machine at the time of the drawing for your chance to win.

Showboat/House of Blues Promotions

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:34:28 PDT

Receive 20% off your stay when you book your room reservation at Showboat Atlantic City. Use promo code: 20OFF (Case Sensitive). Valid Sunday -Thursday, Now-June 14, 2012 only. Must be 21 or older to book hotel rooms. Not valid with any other offer. Subject to availability. Blackout dates and additional restrictions may apply. Online booking only.

Suite Vacation Sweepstakes

— Monday, May 28, noon – 5pm. Three lucky winners will be chosen every 30 minutes to receive $1,000 in Free Play. Four grand prize winners will win a suite for a week, at all four Caesars Entertainment properties: Bally’s, Caesars, Harrah’s Resort and Showboat/House of Blues. All Total Rewards® members receive one free entry. Earn one additional entry for every 25 Tier Credits earned between 6am and 4:30pm. Activate your entries by swiping your Total Rewards card at any designated Promotional Kiosk from 10am to 4:45pm. GRAND PRIZE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT 5:30pm!

Caesars Atlantic City Promotions

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:33:46 PDT

Suite Vacation Sweepstakes — Monday, May 28, noon – 5pm. Three lucky winners will be chosen every 30 minutes to receive $1,000 in Free Play. Four grand prize winners will win a suite for a week, at all four Caesars Entertainment properties: Bally’s, Caesars, Harrah’s Resort and Showboat/House of Blues. All Total Rewards® members receive one free entry. Earn one additional entry for every 25 Tier Credits earned between 6am and 4:30pm. Activate your entries by swiping your Total Rewards card at any designated Promotional Kiosk from 10am to 4:45pm. GRAND PRIZE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT 5:30pm!

At Caesars Entertainment Atlantic City players can win $1 million in just one hand while playing Three Card Poker 6 Card Bonus™. This opportunity will only be available to Caesars, Harrah’s Resort, Bally’s, and Showboat Atlantic City customers. The 6 Card Bonus™ side bet on Three Card Poker® gives players the chance to win $1 million with a total wager as small as $15 if they hit a Super Royal in Diamonds: 9, 10, J, Q, K, A. Additionally, $100,000 payouts will be available for the Super Royal in Hearts, Clubs or Spades. Players enjoy Three Card Poker because of its simplicity, low table minimums and relatively high payouts; the 6 Card Bonus side bet gives guests the opportunity to turn a bad hand into a winning hand, or a good hand into an even better one. With more than 1,550 tables worldwide, Three Card Poker, licensed by Shuffle Master, Inc., is the most popular specialty game of all time. It is a fast-paced game that players can quickly learn and enjoy. Caesars Entertainment holds the exclusive rights to the $1 million payout for Three Card Poker 6 Card Bonus. To be eligible to make the 6 Card Bonus $1 million wager a player must place an ante wager and a Pair Plus wager based on the posted table minimums. The 6 Card Bonus wager is offered at $5-$100 with odds paid on all hands of 3-of-a-kind or better, except for the $100,000 and $1 million Super Royal hands, which are fixed payouts.

Golden Nugget Promotions

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:32:36 PDT

$1,000,000 Real Gold Giveaway, May 1-31, 2012 Main Atrium
Drawings Every 30 Minutes 3:30-7:30pm
Grand Prize Slot Tournament at 8pm - 5 minute session
Deposit daily drawing entries between 12-7:25pm
Daily drawing winners will be posted on the winner’s board
EARN ENTRIES:
- Sign up for a NEW 24 Karat Club® Card
- Check into the hotel
- Minimum $10 cash purchase at any participating bar, food or retail outlet
- 1 ticket for every 40 slot tier points
- 1 ticket for every $100 table game buy-in
- Check into a Marina boat slip
Deposit your entries five (5) minutes before each half hour drawing from 3:30PM-7:30PM.

Every Day Win your share of over $35,000 in REAL GOLD and Free Play Prizes!
1st place..............10 oz. Gold (valued at $16,500)*
2nd place.............4 oz. Gold (valued at $6,600)*
3rd place..............2 oz. Gold (valued at $3,300)*
4th place............. $2,000 Free Play
5th place............. $1,500 Free Play
6th place............. $1,000 Free Play
7th place..............$750 Free Play
8th place..............$500 Free Play
9th place..............$250 Free Play
10th place............$100 Free Play
11th-36th place... $25 Free Play

Every 30 minutes, Four (4) Lucky winners will be selected from the drawing drum to win a Gold Pass into the nightly slot tournament finale. If all 36 contestants are not present by 7:45PM, a Wild Card Hot Seat will select the remaining spots unfilled. The nightly 36 Lucky contestants from the slot tournament finale will win their share of over $35,000 in REAL Gold and Free Play…Everyone’s a Winner.
*Based on the approximate price of gold per ounce as of 3/29/12.

Red, White Or Blue Camaro Convertible Giveaway
Thursday, May 24 - Saturday, May 26 9pm
Sunday, May 27, 8pm
Grand PRIZE Finale Sunday, May 27, 10pm
Main Atrium
Each day receive one (1) FREE entry into the nightly drawing.
Insert Entries into the Drawing Drum from noon-9pm. You may earn additional entries for every 25 Tier Points earned. Print entries at any kiosk. Simply, insert your voucher(s) into the drawing drum to be eligible to be one (1) of the 50 Lucky Winners that will be selected to participate in the Finale Drawing on May 27. Winners’ names will be displayed on the winners’ board in the Main Atrium. Head over to the 24 Karat Club to see if you are eligible.
Sunday, May 27 10 — Top 50 Winners from each nightly drawing must register in the Main Atrium from 8:30-9:55pm to be eligible for the Grand Finale. One (1) lucky winner will drive away with a Red, White Or Blue 2012 Camaro Convertible.
The total nightly winners do not have to be present for the May 3, 10, 17, 24-27 nightly drawings. Those nightly Winners must be present to be eligible to register between 8:30PM-9:55PM on May 27 in order to participate in the Grand Finale Drawing. Winner must be present to win for the Grand Finale. Limited to 5 daily entries per person on those select dates. Cash option available. Nontransferable.

$10,000 SLOT TOURNAMENT
Friday, May 25 • 5pm-10pm Atrium
Earn 20 tier points on the day of the event to play. Play a five (5) minute session any time during tournament hours.

    1st place- $3,000
    2nd place- $2,500
    3rd place- $1,500
    4th place- $700
    5th place- $500
    6th place- $400
    7th place- $300
    8th place- $200
    9th place- $100
    10th-25th place- $50 each

$20,000 Bingo Bonanza — Monday June 4 & 18
Must earn 20 Tier Points on the day of the event to enter. Eight Bingo games per session & $5,000 Cash awarded each session.

$10,000 Bring a Friend Slot Tournament — Saturday, June 2, 2PM-7PM, Main Atrium
Bring a friend and increase your chance to win your share of $10,000. The combined total of both scores will determine prize winners. Invited guests must earn 20 tier points to enter.

$35,000 2-Day Slot Tournament — Friday, June 8, 8-11pm; Saturday, June 9, 1-4pm & 6-9pm, Main Atrium.
Two days, three sessions, three chances to win. Your two highest scores will be combined for your final score. $100 cash buy-in or $100 comp dollar buy-in.

$25,000 2-Day Blackjack Tournament — Friday, June 15, 8-11pm; Saturday, June 16 1-4pm & 6-9pm, Casino Floor. Two days, three sessions, three chances to win. Your 2 highest scores will be combined for your final score. $100 cash buy-in or $100 comp dollar buy-in.

Get Grillin’ Hot Seat — Sunday, June 17, 12-6pm.
Win a George Forman Grill every 10 minutes. Just be actively playing with your 24 Karat Club Card for your chance to win.

$5,000 Bingo After Dark — Friday, June 29, 9pm
Must earn 20 Tier Points on the day of the event to enter OR Pay $5 at the Door. Eight Bingo games – $5,000 Cash awarded guaranteed.

Trump Plaza Promotions

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:31:22 PDT

New Members receive $100 to Eat, Drink & Play, plus Free Parking — New members can visit Trump One Services located in the casino, sign up for a Trump One Card, earn 20 Tier Points and Trump Plaza will reimburse them for parking in the self-park garage, plus they will receive $100 to play and eat. Players will receive $25 Bonus Slot Dollars and a Comp for $25 to be used on the day they sign up for their card. $25 Bonus Slot Dollars and a Comp for $25 will be loaded into their account 72 hours after their initial trip closes. On the next trip (within 30 days of the initial trip), the player must earn 20 Tier Points to redeem the offer.

Silver Star Sweeps — Fridays and Saturdays 5-9pm and Sundays and Memorial Day 2-6pm. One winner every hour guaranteed to win $250, $500, $750 or $1,000 Bonus Slot Dollars. Plus, every Friday night you could win a cruise. Memorial Day Bonus Round win $1,000, $2,500 and $5,000 cash the Gold Star Sweeps, Monday, May 28, 6:30pm. To enter, earn 20 Tier Points by playing Slots or Table games with your Trump One Card the day of the drawing. Be sure to be playing with your Trump One Card at the time of the drawing.

2012 Convertible Mini Cooper Sweepstakes — One Trump One Card holder will be selected to win a convertible Mini Cooper at Trump Plaza on June 2. Players will earn entries by playing with their Trump One Card May 1 through 9:30pm on Saturday, June 2. Drawing is at 10pm. Trump One Card holder must earn 20 Tier Points through casino play on June 2 for a chance to win.

Trump Plaza will award one lucky visitor to its web site, a fun-filled, week-long summer vacation in Atlantic City. Those interested in entering can enter their name and email address at Trump Plaza’s web site. Participants can enter one time per day, now through May 20. There is no fee to enter. Participants do not have to be a Trump One card holder, but they must be at least 21 years of age. The winner will be notified by email on Monday, May 21. For complete details, visit the Trump Plaza Web site.

This prize package includes:
• One week stay at Trump Plaza from July 15 through July 21
• Trump Plaza Spa Treatment Mini Massage for Two $125 per person
• Trump Plaza 24 Central Cafe Dinner for Two $200
• Trump Plaza Complimentary Bottle of Champagne
• Trump Plaza Beach Bar Lunch for Two - $100
• Absecon Lighthouse in Atlantic City Two Free Passes
• Tanger Outlets Two Free Coupon Booklets
• Atlantic City Aquarium Two Free Passes
• Atlantic City Cruises Two Complimentary Dolphin Watching Tickets
• Scales Grill & Deck Bar A $50 Gift Certificate
• Web Feet Water Sports Complimentary Boardwalk Biking for Four
• Gilchrist Restaurant $25 Gift Certificate
• Atlantic City Parasail Complimentary Parasail Ride for Two
• Atlantus Charter $200 Gift Certificate Towards a Tuna Fishing Trip or Charter Fees
• Hard Rock Cafe $100 Gift Certificate

Harrah's Resort Promotions

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:29:30 PDT

Suite Vacation Sweepstakes

Bally's Atlantic City Promotions

By Lori Hoffman — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:28:42 PDT

Receive 20% off your stay when you book two or more nights at Bally’s Atlantic City. Use promo code: 20OFF (Case Sensitive). Valid Sunday -Thursday, Now-June 14, 2012. Must be 21 or older to book hotel rooms. Not Valid with any other offer. Subject to availability. Blackout dates and additional restrictions may apply. Online Booking only.

$6,000 Legendary Friday Free Play Blackjack Tournament — Open to all total rewards members. Every Friday in the Claridge Tournament Area located past the Gateway Shops. Registration 4pm to 10pm at designated kiosks in the tournament area, with play from 5pm-10pm.

Atlantic City Weekly Atlantic City Weekly

Behind the Scenes Video of Beyoncé Revel Show

Upcoming Casino Concerts in Atlantic City

Memorial Day Weekend Party Guide 2012

The First Bartender Awards Winners

Ocean City: Unlocking the Ocean

Bueno Brunch! Cuba Libre Now Offers Daily Brunch

Atlantic City Beach Guide 2012

10 Summer Movies

Remembering ‘Memorial Day’

Garbage Back ... for Now

5 Questions With ... Southside Johnny

Atlantic Club Adopts MMSC

Music Notes: Somers Point Beach Concerts, Jazz at Atlantic Club.

Trump Taj Mahal Promotions

Showboat/House of Blues Promotions

Caesars Atlantic City Promotions

Golden Nugget Promotions

Trump Plaza Promotions

Harrah's Resort Promotions

Bally's Atlantic City Promotions

Ocean City: Unlocking the Ocean 

Bueno Brunch!  Cuba Libre Now Offers Daily Brunch

10 Summer Movies  

Remembering ‘Memorial Day’ 

Garbage Back ... for Now  

5 Questions With ... Southside Johnny  

Atlantic Club Adopts MMSC 