Vegas File

Smashburger is coming to Las Vegas

2010-03-22T22:00:00-07:00

Having eaten at a Smashburger in Minneapolis, I am very excited for the upcoming opening of a Smashburger as the intersection of W Lake Mead Blvd and N Buffalo Dr. It’s a short distance from the tourist areas, but worth the drive if you have a car and want a great fast food burger and fries (or salad or Häagen-Dazs shake).

Year of the Tiger Display at Bellagio: How Long?

2010-02-24T08:25:00-08:00

The Las Vegas Advisor answers this question of the day:

I see the Year of the Tiger display at the Bellagio runs through March 6. We will be in Vegas in mid-March, will the next display be ready for viewing? How long does it take to do a changeover?

Brasserie Puck at CityCenter: A Review

2010-02-23T14:06:00-08:00

The Eating Las Vegas blog has a brief review of Brasserie Puck in the Crystal shopping mall at City Center. It looks like an interesting variety of dishes in very attractive surroundings.

Living in Las Vegas Podcast #74

2010-02-22T14:43:00-08:00

This time, Scott and Melissa check out the new CityCenter, including recording over 20 videos. Show contents:

VIDEO!
Weather (clear and cool) / LiLV Pool (clear and c-c-coooold)
LiLV Stuff
- Listener Line: 206.312.0105
- Sign up of Email Alerts (form found on right side of our website)
Holiday Drama (watch out Whole Foods)
Next in-person LiLV Meetup
Speeding Tickets (x2)
New LiLV Logo (thanks David)
New Friends of the LiLV Podcast
Listener Audio: They like us, they really do
Listener Email: Newport Loft revisited
CityCenter: ARIA Hotel and Casino + Crystals Shopping Mall Thing (what is it supposed to be called?!?)

Vegas Gang Podcast #43

2010-02-22T14:29:00-08:00

This time on the show:

Fontainebleau + Ichan
Resort Fees
Harrah’s + Planet Hollywood
Harrah’s iPhone App
Vegas Gang Trivia Episode #1

Vegas Rex Rides the Bus

2010-02-22T14:27:00-08:00

The every-inciteful and entertaining Vegas Rex takes a (slow) ride on a public bus, what could go wrong? Everything.

Garth Brooks at Wynn: 20 More Dates

2010-02-22T13:17:00-08:00

Wynn just announced the next 20 performance dates for Garth Brooks. Tickets go on sale this Saturday. The last 20 shows sold out in just a few hours, so if you want to go, don’t wait to get your tickets.

Think You Could Play Video Poker for a Living? Maybe Not...

2010-02-22T13:12:00-08:00

Video poker is one of the few casino games that (depending on paytables and skill) return greater than 100% of the gambler’s money. This gives many people the idea that they could easily play video poker for a living…and that it would be fun.

Take some advice from Bob Dancer.

LVA: Question of the Day

2010-02-22T12:46:00-08:00

Where can I go on line to find out a schedule and dates of all the pool parties opening for the year? I know Rehab starts at the Hard Rock April 17th, but I would like to go online and get a list of all the pool parties every where for the year.

Nero's Steakhouse

2009-02-20T06:42:28-08:00

Once called the Spanish Steps, a steakhouse has been located on this corner of the sprawling Caesars casino as long as ELV can remember. For some reason (mainly having to do with his abhorrence of mediocrity), he had always avoided eating here.

But then he started hearing (first from uber-pr guy Ken Langdon, then from others), that this in-house operation was actually dry-aging its beef on the premises. “Really?” he thought to himself. “Actually hanging sides of beef and steaks in a refrigerated locker for weeks to allow natural evaporation and enzymes to work their magic on the meat, turning it from flabby steer muscle, into funky fabulousness?”

When these questions were confirmed in the affirmative, and all doubts quelled, he was in faster than you can say postmortem myofibrils proteolysis.

Cirque spectacular ‘Ka’ reaches 2,000 milestone

2009-02-19T06:40:00-08:00

The first time you watch Cirque du Soleil’s $200 million spectacular “Ka” at MGM Grand, you marvel in stunned silence at the gravity-defying production and simply think, “That’s unbelievable!” The truth, though, is that the impossible has become possible, and the 80 cast members have performed the miraculous for the past four years. In fact, at tonight’s second show, they celebrate their milestone 2,000th performance.

We’re going to join them for celebration champagne and cake after the finale of the late show in the lobby of their MGM theater as they meet special guests. Some 38 of the cast and 81 of the behind-the-scene technicians have been with Ka since the opening-night performance Feb. 4, 2005.

Ask the Wizard! (No. 222)

2009-02-19T06:36:11-08:00

The Victor Chandler casino has a game called “Challenge Poker,” which plays like MultiStrike video poker, with two differences:

No “Free Ride” cards.
The base game is different at each level, all of them over 100%.

What is the return of this game?

More…

VegasEats : Sinatra at Encore Las Vegas

2009-02-19T06:34:37-08:00

Sinatra. Singer, heartthrob, movie star, legend, icon and now restaurant. But it wasn’t always this way. Sinatra - the restaurant - was originally Theo’s, named after chef Theo Schoenegger. However, a social visit between Steve Wynn and members of the “Sinatra Family” during the final months of Encore’s construction resulted in an agreement to rename Theo’s’ Sinatra.

Making designs on Vegas

2009-02-19T06:33:04-08:00

Four of Sin City’s leading architects and urbanists join the Weekly for a spirited discussion about building a better city

We tend not to see the built environment, though it’s all around us, and of all the arts forms, architecture is the one that tends to have the most tangible impacts. Books and movies and music will come and go—we cherish those we love, and we ignore those we don’t—but we’re stuck with buildings, good or bad, for a generation, or a lifetime. Buildings are the physical manifestation of who we are and what we value—and this is no more true than here in Las Vegas.

With an economic downturn that has brought construction to a near halt, now is the time to celebrate the city we’ve built over the last 100 years and consider the direction we want to go from here. To that end, over the next seven pages we’ll sit down with several of Sin City’s best architects and urban thinkers for a stimulating roundtable about how the city can improve its architecture, urban planning and efforts to be more sustainable; we’ll introduce you to several of the unheralded buildings around the Valley that prove that between mammoth casinos and endless tract homes quality design abounds; and we’ll profile an architect from Washington, D.C. who dreams of radically rethinking Las Vegas’ most famous street. Las Vegas will grow again, but its long-term prosperity depends on thinking more seriously about how to make a more vibrant, resource-efficient community. So sit back, relax and enjoy and remember—none of these buildings bite.

On Fuego

2009-02-19T06:32:05-08:00

ND’s upscale Latin swoops in to class this joint up a bit!

Club Rio, which opened in 1995 and closed in 2006, has been something of an eyesore the past few years. I can say this because I used to manage that big, round, purple behemoth. Apart from a short stint between October ’06 and March ’07—when the then-closed showroom/club was reopened and renamed 3121 by the man formerly known as [Symbol]—the club formerly known as Club Rio has been summarily benched until tonight’s soft reopening as ND’s Fuego, an upscale Latin nightclub.

Dealt Quads in Quick Quads

2009-02-19T06:30:44-08:00

I’ve played a lot of Quick Quads. It quickly becomes obvious that you get a lot more dealt quads in this game than you do in regular video poker. I decided to figure out how frequently this happens, and to use this as an excuse to review the math of how to figure these things out. Most video poker math is fairly simple once it’s explained, but many players have no idea of how to attack the problem.

Strip Walk - February 2009

2009-02-19T06:24:54-08:00

Mike’s back with another Strip Walk column. He’s got some photo links in his post but if you want to see the entire gallery, click here:

http://photo.ratevegas.com/gallery/7348756_YyrfG

Continue after the jump to get your Vegas fix.

Chicken Ranch: Inside a legal brothel

2009-02-19T06:24:20-08:00

Today I am heading to the Chicken Ranch brothel to report to you from the front line of the debate on legalized prostitution. The Chicken Ranch is the closest legal brothel to Las Vegas, existing just outside Clark County. I will be staying in a room that would normally be used by a working girl and provide you with regular items starting this afternoon and over the next few days on the lives, people and culture there.

Palazzo Plans Tony Stewart Meet-and-Greet Feb. 28

2009-02-19T06:22:37-08:00

Saturday, February 28, the day before the Shelby 427 Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Tony Stewart will host a public meet-and-greet at the Sportsbook Bar & Grill at the Palazzo. Stewart is the well known two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion driving Stewart-Haas Racing’s #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet.

Local’s Only: The Meca of Deals for Las Vegas Locals!

2009-02-17T06:21:58-08:00

MGM MIRAGE just launched a new website specifically for locals. The site, mgmmirage.com/locals, features deals from all their properties spanning from Hotel, Dining, Entertainment, Spa and Others.

LVA: Question of the Day February 17, 2009

2009-02-17T06:19:09-08:00

Have you run into blackjack dealers who want to play your hand for you? I’m no expert but I have a pretty good grasp of basic strategy. Can you suggest a tactful way to tell the dealers that you want to make the decisions?

Feb. 15: The Impressionist Era Of Vegas...with Terry Fator and Gordie Brown

2009-02-17T06:14:45-08:00

Call it the impressionist period of Las Vegas. This month, three major impersonator acts open – or reopen. Danny Gans relocated to Encore, Terry Fator took Gans’ space at the Mirage and Gordie Brown, late of the Venetian, has returned to his old Golden Nugget haunts. Fator and Brown both join us this hour. Find out what Fator’s new Mirage-appropriate puppet will be and hear all about Brown’s early years as a celebrity stalker. Plus, Steve grills Brown on parts of his act he didn’t like.

In Banter: Behind the scenes at Cirque dance auditions, Oscar v Obama, Curtas v Encore, bye-bye La Cage and Heidi Fleiss, the Excalibur’s new deal.

Vegas Gang #26 - February 12th, 2009

2009-02-16T06:40:14-08:00

Vegas Gang #26 is online. It should show in iTunes or you can play it here below.

In this episode:

Atlantic City
Las Vegas Economic Woes
Tropicana Re-Brands as Value Property (!)
City Center’s Harmon is Stunted

Also, be sure to check out the new podcast from the UNLV Center for Gaming Research.

LiLV 65: Living the Loft Lifestyle in Las Vegas

2009-02-16T06:39:24-08:00

With the real estate environment in Las Vegas struggling, we wondered what was available in the loft market. I’ve always thought there was something inherently groovy about lofts…seems like they’d be the place where Las Vegas hipsters might hang out. So for this episode of the Living in Las Vegas Podcast, we visit three brand-new(ish) Las Vegas lofts available for your living enjoyment.

PHOTOS!
Weather (sun people, where’s the sun?) / LiLV Pool (40s does not help me!)
LiLV Stuff
1. Listener Line: 206.312.0105
2. Sign up for Email Alerts (form found on our website)
CBS-8 Station Tour with Dave Courvoisier
It’s all about adding Friends
Melissa is quite the artist
Also beautiful, Melissa’s colon (wait until you see the video)
Wallstreet Wealth Management recommendation on Local’s Choice Radio
Listener Email: Caesar Salad and plantlife
Living the Loft Lifestyle in Las Vegas
1. Newport Lofts
2. Metreon
3. C2 Lofts
Hot or Horrible: MRKT Sea & Land

Flamingo serves it up spicy with X Burlesque

2009-02-16T06:32:43-08:00

Variety is the spice of life at the Flamingo, and what a spicy life it is for X Burlesque. The routines in the adult production, which celebrated its second anniversary last week, are as varied as the showgirls it showcases.

The 90-minute set has something for everyone: blondes, brunettes; perky A-cups, curvaceous C-cups; thick thighs, thin thighs, real boobs, fake boobs. If you like women and like to see them shake what their mothers (or surgeons) gave them, you will like this show.

LVA: Question of the Day February 16, 2009

2009-02-16T06:29:28-08:00

My friends and I are flying out to Sin City in a month and need you to settle a small bet we have: I say it is against the law to have open alcohol containers in the vehicle and in public places such as on the Strip and downtown; my friends all say you can have open containers anywhere within city limits, even inside of a moving vehicle! Can you please tell us how the REAL law(s) read, and settle this bet once and for all?

The Stratosphere … I’m Taking It Back

2009-02-16T06:27:46-08:00

Today marks the first day of my campaign to return the Stratosphere to its former glory.

Fine, it’s never had glory … but that’s the problem.

It should have.

It’s the most visible object in Las Vegas, yet it gets scant mention unless it’s in the negative.

I’m taking up the Stratosphere as a personal cause because it’s just too f*cking easy to champion the Wynn and Bellagio. Yeah, those places are nice, but there are five-star hotel rooms in Chicago that are just as opulent.

Venetian improv artist Brady is blurb-tastic

2009-02-13T06:27:25-08:00

I don’t write show reviews, per se, but … “Wayne Brady gets five stars from The Kats Report!” And I don’t write specifically to be blurbed on promotional posters, but … “I regret that I have but two thumbs to turn up for Wayne Brady! – John Katsilometes, The Kats Report”

That reminds me of the time I was blurbed on a Blue Man Group promotional poster and print ads. I’d written a story about the blues brothers after they started at the Luxor, and I was quoted as crowing: “Blue Man Group: Love it!” Somewhere in the story I wrote “love,” and somewhere else, “it,” along with the requisite reference to “Blue Man Group” and, thus, a blurb assembling all of those words was used to promote the show. I was going to demand an explanation as to how that happened, but gosh, Mom was so proud.

In any event, I caught Wayne Brady’s show at The Venetian last night and this guy is dangerous. He’s the most under-appreciated performer on the Strip, and I include the little guy who dresses up as a leprechaun at O’Shea’s in that statement.

Vegas Bound - Take a Break

2009-02-13T06:26:38-08:00

It’s time for a well-deserved break — and Vegas can make it happen.

Extra hours at work. Caravanning the kids to soccer practice. Your mother-in-law calling—again. If life is piling up, and you need a release from your daily routine, it’s time for you to take a break and head Vegas Bound. Live the great life like our friends from the small town of Cranfills Gap, Texas, who took a break in Vegas.

Big League, Big Games, and Big Trucks

2009-02-13T06:26:04-08:00

Hit a home run with your buddies and plan your Vegas sports weekend.

Sports fans rejoice. Football season is over, but the games are just beginning in Las Vegas. From hockey to basketball, big league baseball to NASCAR speed, Las Vegas is home to some of the year’s most popular sports championships – and it’s time for you to get Vegas Bound and experience Overtime Guaranteed.

St. Patty's Day Celebrations

2009-02-13T06:25:35-08:00

Go Green - Irish Green on St. Patrick’s Day in Vegas

It’s all about the party, and the beer. In Vegas, there’s no better way to celebrate the luck of the Irish than at one of our fabulous green-label bars! That’s right, Go Green this year with authentic Irish pubs and take advantage of great special offers in Las Vegas.

LVA: Question of the Day February 13, 2009

2009-02-13T06:20:53-08:00

I was recently reading a trip report about Treasure Island and saw a picture of the hotel signage. It said “Curfew Laws Strictly Enforced.” What type of curfew is this and to whom does it apply?

Elton John's 'Red Piano' nears last stand

2009-02-13T06:14:32-08:00

Yes, he belongs on a pedestal.

Wednesday night I went to see Elton John’s “The Red Piano” probably for the final time. After this run John will be back for dates in April and then “The Red Piano” will be finished.

Even in this economy and without discounting, John offered tourists the most expensive ticket in town and managed to fill the room for every show. He did no promotional interviews for “The Red Piano” and was not one to walk the local red carpets or partake of the Vegas club scene. In fact, beyond his wildly successful show, John has put few roots down in Vegas, and Wednesday night it was clear from his comments that he was ready to move on. What a pity for Vegas.

“The Red Piano” remains as wonderful now as when it opened. John is not quite as boisterous, allowing the videos on the big screen and the props to tell the story. But his singing and playing remain entirely focused. As the DVD of “The Red Piano” has already been released, you can see the show for yourself. But nothing will ever beat the experience of going to see the show at Caesars Palace.

Free or Cheap Things to Do in Las Vegas

2009-02-12T06:53:49-08:00

Time was, people wouldn’t blink at spending tons of cash in Las Vegas. Thinking about cheap things to do in Vegas seemed almost laughable. Developers built more and bigger casinos, housing was booming, and tourists spent their vacation dollars at poker tables and extravagant live entertainment. We’re not even talking that long ago - that time was just last year. Well. Since then, development and new housing have seriously stalled, the economy made most of us nervously hold onto our wallets, and Las Vegas has to regroup.

Not that it’s a complete bust in Vegas, of course; conventions and business travel are still going strong, and Cirque du Soleil isn’t exactly packing up and going home. Nevertheless, many of us are more carefully watching where we spend our travel budget this year. It’s good to know that there are some cheap activities in Las Vegas - we can round out a trip there with some nontraditional, cheap things to do.

Mirage puts newest leopard cub on display [pics]

2009-02-12T06:52:26-08:00

The Mirage on Wednesday introduced Java, the new leopard cub at Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. Java was born Nov. 19, 2008. The Secret Garden now has six leopards, one snow leopard and one black panther, all of which are endangered species.

Bun and games

2009-02-12T06:49:13-08:00

You’ll find fewer creative burger joints than BLT Burger

You may not recognize the name Laurent Tourondel, but he was once, and is again, a star chef here in Vegas. He cooked at Caesars Palace in the ’90s before going off on his own to launch a restaurant empire in New York City, opening places like BLT Steak, BLT Fish and other Manhattan eateries.

Last year, he decided to get on the upscale-burger-joint bandwagon, launching his new concept BLT Burger at the Mirage. Yes, some of what you eat here is derivative, but no one doing this has gotten more creative. Laurent, my chapeau is off to you.

How Danny got his groove back

2009-02-12T06:48:32-08:00

This column was supposed to be an examination of the three major impressionist acts opening here within a fortnight of one another. I expected to praise Wannabe Danny Gans Gordie Brown for his vigor and Replacement Danny Gans Terry Fator for his efforts to remain fresh and relevant, and that arc would lead me back to my long-standing complaint about the Real Danny Gans, which is that he had lost his vigor and his material had gone offensively stale.

And so, for my research, I ran out to catch Brown’s opening night at the Golden Nugget last Thursday, I got Fator, moving into Gans’ former space at the Mirage this month, on the phone for an interview on Friday, and then on Friday night I spent $95 a seat to sit in the balcony for Gans’ reemergence at Wynn Las Vegas.

LVA: Question of the Day February 12, 2009

2009-02-12T06:38:33-08:00

Whenever I visit Vegas, I rent a car but it still ends up taking me a long time to get from point A to point B. And my feet hurt at the end of the trip from all the walking I do. Any tips?

A Class on Quick Quads

2009-02-12T06:36:56-08:00

For the first time ever, on Tuesday February 24 I’m teaching a class on Double Double Bonus Quick Quads at the South Point Casino in Las Vegas, beginning at 1:00 in the afternoon. The reason I’m promoting this class two weeks before the class date is that you need to have some basic familiarity with Double Double Bonus Poker going in, and that class will be taught one week earlier at the same time and place. So if you’re not familiar with Double Double Bonus strategy and you’re interested in the Quick Quad clas, you’ll be wise to make the February 17 class as well.

I’m actually excited about teaching this class. I’ve been playing, writing about, and teaching video poker for almost 15 years now, but this game brings a new level of excitement that I haven’t experienced before. In the past three months I’ve personally played the game more than 100 hours —- sometimes at casinos where a slightly higher-paying but less interesting game was available. I like this game.

The Colton Report: Body English Dunzo

2009-02-12T06:31:24-08:00

After nearly six years as one of Las Vegas’ top nightclubs, Body English is set to shutter its doors for good immediately following their final New Year’s Eve bash at the end of 2009.

Harrah's offers free airfare vouchers with room purchase

2009-02-11T06:20:22-08:00

Nothing is better than a free trip to Las Vegas, which is why Harrah’s Entertainment is offering the “Get Your Wings” Getaway promotion at several Las Vegas properties.

For a limited time, guests who book a two-night stay at Caesars Palace, Bally’s Las Vegas, Paris Las Vegas, Rio All-Suites Hotel, Flamingo Las Vegas, Harrah’s Las Vegas or Imperial Palace will receive a $200 airfare voucher for a return trip to Vegas.

Guests who book a three night stay will receive a $300 voucher for a return flight to Vegas.

First Look: Hard Rock Las Vegas South Tower Room

2009-02-11T06:18:19-08:00

Thanks to the Hard Rock Hotel, we have a series of photos to show you simply entitled South Tower 2010. I’m guessing 2010 stands for the room number, as the new expansion is supposed to be open to the public sometime this year.

Chubby Checker brings his classic show to the Silverton

2009-02-10T06:42:46-08:00

It’s not that Chubby Checker is over confident.

He’s just secure in his position as a rock icon who will never fade. He cites one of his singles that entered the hot dance Billboard sales chart in late 2007. And he’s working on another album, to be released in March.

His ebullient voice does falter a bit, however, when he talks about one thing: radio play and the lack of love that station managers have for the man who popularized “The Twist.”

No joke, no jive: Gold Spike now spiffy, not a dive

2009-02-10T06:38:29-08:00

It’s tough to believe I’m writing this sentence: I just got back from a restaurant at the Gold Spike downtown and would advise anyone reading this to go check it out.

While most of us spent the last year trying to dodge toxic fallout from the recession, the Spike’s owners poured time and money into a nearly forgotten downtown casino.

The result: Stephen Siegel and Michael Crandall turned a smoky, seedy dive into a modern, spiffy joint — at least as far as the interior of the first floor is concerned. The duo, who operate as the Siegel Group, took over the property in January 2008 in a $21 million deal and pledged to spend several million more on improvements.

The Plaza In A Pinch For A Pinch

2009-02-10T06:35:18-08:00

The fried Twinkie from Mermaids was ticking time bomb the moment its greasy goodness nestled into my frail stomach lining. I thought I had learned my lesson years prior at a state fair when a fried Milky Way made an unpleasant exit, but a few one (five) hits in the Binion’s parking garage can make you forget some of the unfortunate past. I figured I had 15 minutes - 20 tops - before that sucker stared doing the backstroke down my alimentary canal. I was going to need some alone time, and a public stall in downtown Vegas would not offer the privacy or decorum I’m accustomed to.

Necessity may be the mother of invention, but it’s also the stepbrother of adventure. Not always a cool stepbrother, though. Many times it’s the stoner kid with long, greasy hair and a seemingly endless supply of black heavy metal t-shirts, pot, and way too much porn. He’s got a three foot Graphix bong in his closet next to a stack X-rated DVDs from Europe where Russian women take on a farm. While he’s cool about sharing his weed with you, you’re creeped out every time you sit down in his room for fear of sitting in something sticky. Well my friends, welcome to The Plaza.

LVA: Question of the Day February 10, 2009

2009-02-10T06:33:27-08:00

I’m not in the casino business, but I understand a little about blackjack and decided to take a flyer on your book Casino-ology (I went with the e-book at the lower price). Good stuff! But I have a question. In chapter 25, “Marked Card Play in 21,” Bill Zender writes: “I possess some video footage of cheaters denting the 10-value cards [on a 21 game] with the intentions of busting the dealer once all the 10 cards were marked. Recently, I was talking to a gaming acquaintance who mentioned a similar scam that happened many years ago. He told me that a group of cheaters marked all the 10-value cards on several games at a casino that utilized a curtain-type shield over the front of its dealing shoes. Because of the shields, the casino wrongly assumed the shoes were safe from all types of marked cards. Over the course of the day, the cheaters dented the bottom edge along the length of all 10 cards. Later that same day, the cheaters used that information and the damaged curtains to beat the casino out of a good deal of money. Once the cards were marked, the cheaters used both a top-card bettor and a third-base “anchor” to beat the 21 games that had the defective curtains.” I understand that it would take the amount of time you cite —- “the course of a day” -— for the cheat to get all (or even most) of the 10s. But the money player could start playing immediately, with some advantage, from the first shuffle after at least a couple of cards were marked, right? So why would they waste all the opportunity on the way up by waiting till all the 10s were marked?

Five Hundy by Midnight 200: A Magical Trainwreck

2009-02-09T06:36:37-08:00

Las Vegas podcast #200 includes:

Root of All Evil opener
Distractions, technical screw-ups, unnecessary anger and all of the other things regular listeners have come to know and love over the past four years
Evolution of the Five Hundy intro
Platinum Masters’ Monster Circus at Las Vegas Hilton
Steel Panther at Green Valley Ranch and Aliante Station
Zowie Bowie moves to Palms
The Killers and Paul McCartney scheduled to open The Joint 2.0
The Lion King ticket details announced
Excalibur offers all-day buffet pass
More casino cost-cutting
Quark’s Bar drink recipes
Listener calls
Freaky Five Hundy by Joe Sedita
Call us at (702) 866-9494

Las vegas deals

2009-02-09T06:35:50-08:00

A hand we’ll show: Our guide to stretching your dollars as far as possible in lodging, food and more

What happens in Vegas doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg.

In a city that boasts $10,000-a-night suites, let’s face it, the view is just as grand from a $129-a-night room in the same resort. Even in these tough economic times, there are fabulous finds in town. I’ve spent years discovering and enjoying these little gems, even in the best of times. With some planning, determination and willingness to occasionally step outside the “comfort zone” of the Strip, there are plenty of money-saving deals to be had when it comes to lodging, dining, entertainment and shopping.

To help you get more for your vacation dollar, here are a few of my fabulous finds.

It’s Joint time for McCartney

2009-02-09T06:29:29-08:00

It’s refreshing to see Paul McCartney’s name rolled into a story about a joint and not have it center on herbal jazz cigarettes. More than a year ago it was reported that Sir Paul was the world’s most famous stoned knight after he sparked up at the Led Zeppelin reunion show in December 2007. But “McCartney” and “Joint” share space in Vegas because it was announced yesterday that McCartney, or “Macca” to indoctrinated Sir Paul devotees, will help open the New Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on April 19.

LVA: Question of the Day February 9, 2009

2009-02-09T06:27:52-08:00

How bad is it to play less than max coins on a video poker game? Sometimes I don’t want to play $1.25 a hand (maybe because I don’t want to lose too much that day). Is it really a sin to play $1 or 75¢ or even just a quarter per play?

Danny Gans premieres at Encore tomorrow

2009-02-09T06:13:44-08:00

The new Danny Gans show at Encore premieres tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. (continuing every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday).

Last Friday, Gans performed a special sneak preview at a benefit show, assisting The Greater Las Vegas After-School All-Stars and Communities In Schools of Southern Nevada. Both charities support local youth programs and services.

Beijing Noodle #9

2009-02-09T06:12:07-08:00

Next to watching movies of this gal in her prime, nothing gets ELV’s heart racing faster than a bowl of fresh-made Chinese noodles and some soup dumplings.

So when two uber-foodies and hotel execs (President Gary Selesner and General Manager John Unwin)….invited us to Caesars to sample their newest restaurant, ELV was in faster than you could say: “Boxer Rebellion.”

Now before you say it, we know that we’re not getting anything close to regular treatment when we sit down with two corporate bigwigs at one of their restaurants. But it was a hoot watching them put the staff through their paces and openly critique the food and the service in front of us.

The Strip or Downtown in Vegas

2009-02-06T06:24:30-08:00

I went to Las Vegas just last week. I went with the goal to find out for my readers which was the best value, the strip or downtown. I stayed 2 nights at each and took part in activities on both. I easily decided that down town Las Vegas is a much better value than the strip. It is cheaper, has more history, pays better to gamblers and you can still easily make a trip to the strip.

Number of Kickoffs in Super Bowl 43

2009-02-06T06:19:49-08:00

In Super Bowl 43 many sports books had props on the total number of kickoffs. This was done in various ways: total number of kickoffs, which team would have more kickoffs, total kickoffs by the Steelers, and total kickoffs by the Cardinals. Some sports books had the same kind of props on kickoff returns, which is different because some kickoffs are not returned for a variety of reasons.

The following image was taken from the graded list of props at the Golden Nugget, on the total number of Steeler kickoffs. It shows there were exactly six, so the bet resulted in a push on both sides.

The next image was taken from the prop sheet from the Plaza, which has a franchise of Lucky’s sports books. It shows they counted the total number of kickoffs as 9, resulting in a win for under 9.5 kickoffs. The Pinnacle off-shore sports book also says, after reversing themselves twice, that there were 9 kickoffs. I don’t have images to prove it, but Stations, the Hilton, and Wynn all are grading kickoff props as if there were 10.

LVA: Question of the Day February 6, 2009

2009-02-06T06:16:41-08:00

What’s the deal with the government tracking cashout amounts at casino cages when above a certain amount?

All day buffet access at Excalibur for $25

2009-02-06T06:12:26-08:00

How’s this for a novel concept?

For $25, eat at the Excalibur buffet for the entire day (breakfast, lunch, dinner), and get line passes to the front of the line!

We’re no stranger to the Las Vegas food offer, but this is the first time we’ve heard of grazing all day long for one price. And from the casino point of view, you’re kept in the casino between meals.

A decade of ‘Thunder’ claps

2009-02-05T06:45:46-08:00

One of show’s biggest fans has seen $10,000 worth of performances — so far

By day Franny Kring is a planning analyst for the City of Henderson, but by night the 71-year-old grandmother looks for a little thunder and lightning in her life.

Especially “thunder.”

In the past 10 years, Kring has attended more than 400 performances of “Thunder From Down Under,” usually sitting down front where she can get a good look at the ripped bodies of the male strippers from Australia who titillate hundreds of adoring female fans nightly at the Excalibur.

“I clap and I sing out loud, which probably irritates people around me, but the dancers want to get the audience involved,” says Kring, who’s spent more than $10,000 on tickets to “Thunder.”

After 13 years, the first Joint era comes to a close

2009-02-05T06:40:24-08:00

Not many venues in the world with a standing-room capacity of 2,000 can boast having had The Rolling Stones, The Eagles, Guns N’ Roses and Metallica on their stage. The only one in Southern Nevada with those credentials closes its doors for good this weekend.

The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel concludes its 13-year-run on February 7, after two performances by glam-metal vets Mötley Crüe. The iconic, rectangular room is destined to become casino space. “It feels like sending your kid off to college,” says Yale Rowe, the Hard Rock’s senior VP and GM of operations.

LVA: Question of the Day February 5, 2009

2009-02-05T06:38:47-08:00

While checking out the video poker schedules at one of the bars at the Encore, I asked the bartender what the play was to get comped for a drink. He said they don’t comp drinks at the bars. I can get a comp drink when I play video poker on the floor, why not at the bar? Wynn allowed it at his other properties, what’s the deal with the Wynn/Encore?

Life Is Not Fair

2009-02-05T06:37:40-08:00

Let’s start with a hypothetical example based on a true event that happened recently at a local Las Vegas casino. I’m not being more specific because the primary person it happened to wanted to keep his privacy. So I’m changing it enough to do that while still being able to talk about the general principle involved.

“David” and “Sally” (husband and wife) both play on one card at a casino, although the card is in her name. He has his own card, but the accounts are officially linked into what they call a “joint account.” Anyway, there was a must-be-there-to-win drawing and Sally’s name was called. As it happened, Sally wasn’t there but David was.

Encore Las Vegas - January 2008

2009-02-05T06:33:12-08:00

Unless the building catches on fire, this will be my last Encore Las Vegas post for awhile.

As many readers know, I was in attendance for Encore Media Week - an expenses paid opportunity to check out all the resort has to offer. I had already sampled Encore on my own dime, along with countless experiences at Wynn Las Vegas - I’m well aware of the ‘Wynn Tax’, as diminished as it may be these days.

If I was going to sum it up, I’d say that for me, Encore is the only place I want to stay on The Strip if cost was not a concern. Of course, that last bit is hardly ever true but all things being equal, it’s where I’d want to be. I’m actually very curious to see how things play out when the pool is in full swing - it could really be something to be seen.

In this post, I wanted to talk a little bit about a couple of restaurants (Botero, Switch and Society), the Encore Spa and a little bit of perspective, having now spent more time on the Encore side of the compound.

Palms studio: Casino’s cradle of sound

2009-02-04T06:33:09-08:00

It may be the most exclusive room in Las Vegas.

And it doesn’t matter if you’re a high roller, or if you’re holding, or even if you’re blindingly hot and hard-bodied.

Usher is in this club. So is Mary J Blige, the Killers and the cast of “Jersey Boys.”

Only one thing is going to admit you to this all-but-secret hot spot, and it’s not a black American Express card.

A Facebook-ian look at Random Vegas

2009-02-04T06:27:23-08:00

John has mentioned Las Vegas in his note 25 Random Things About Las Vegas:

The House always wins, unless it has been foreclosed on.
Motley Crue frontman and Las Vegas resident Vince Neil, who owns Vince Neil Ink at O’Shea’s, has sound advice for anyone getting a tattoo for the first time: “Know that it’s going to hurt, a LOT!

and 23 more…

LVA: Question of the Day February 4, 2009

2009-02-04T06:26:01-08:00

Just returned from a successful (won a little and used LVA coupons) trip to Vegas and was driving on Paradise between Flamingo and Tropicana and saw the Thomas and Mack center. Who are (were) Thomas and Mack? Hope I got the two names right.

Lunch at The Las Vegas Country Club

2009-02-04T06:22:56-08:00

I’ve just come in from lunch here…

That’s the clubhouse of the storied Las Vegas Country Club, a legendary retreat for the city’s rich, powerful and notable right behind the Las Vegas Hilton. Remember the post I did on the Meadows School a while back? Well, the parents of those kids are members here. From Steve & Edie to Lefty Rosenthal to porn stars, this place has been a gossip factory for decades.

I’d never been, but I had a getting-to-know-you meal with Bill Boyd, Boyd gaming’s co-founder and executive chairman. There wasn’t a whole lot of news to come from the visit other than that they’re still considering their options for what to do with the stalled Echelon resort on the Strip and when to do it and he’s pleased for his downtown properties that Hawaiian Air is adding another Honolulu-Vegas flight starting in April, which I hadn’t heard and don’t see any reportage about online. So that could be some good economic news for a city that desperately needs some.

Elton John to perform final Las Vegas show

2009-02-04T06:20:51-08:00

It was just a matter of time, but as all good things must come to an end, Elton John’s last date as residence performer in Las Vegas is April 22.

John began February 2004, playing in his The Red Piano show (directed by photographer David LaChappelle) on Celine Dion’s dark nights at the Caesars Palace Coliseum, then swapping nights with Bette Midler and Cher.

The past few months (including this February), Harrah’s has been sending players free tickets to fill seats, which was the first sign of waning interest, but we always loved the show (pictured above is a snapshot when we sneaked in our camera) and felt it was one of the few shows on the Strip that was worth the price.

It wasn’t clear whether it was a decision by John or by Harrah’s, but no replacement has yet been set.

With the April 22 date, the Rocket Man will have performed 241 shows. Tickets for that show go on sale Thursday.

Outdoor events at M Resort get OK from planners

2009-02-03T06:18:42-08:00

The M Resort received unanimous approval from the Henderson Planning Commission on Thursday night to hold outdoor events and live entertainment.

The $1 billion resort, at St. Rose Parkway and Las Vegas Boulevard in Henderson, is scheduled to open in March.

The conditional use permit the resort received from the Planning Commission will allow it to hold events such as promotional activities, fireworks, concerts, sales, bazaars and festivals.

A Hard Rock Cafe double take coming this July

2009-02-03T06:17:24-08:00

Don’t blame the heat when you start seeing double this July; blame the Hard Rock Café. The grandfather of themed eateries will be opening a second Las Vegas location this summer to be parked right in the center of the action on the Strip. More hamburgers. More autographed instruments. More Godzilla-sized guitars.

LVA: Question of the Day February 3, 2009

2009-02-03T06:16:34-08:00

As a resident of Chicago and a regular at Majestic Star riverboat casinos in Gary, Indiana, I was particularly interested in your QoD about Don Barden. Since the Horseshoe casino’s grand reopening in neighboring Hammond, Indiana, speculation has swirled whether the two Majestic Star riverboat casinos would be similarly scrapped into one large barge casino or limp along as is or be sold. Chatter among employees and gamblers alike speculates all sorts of options for the future of Barden’s Majestic Star riverboat casinos. Got any information about its future?

New UNLV Gaming Research podcast is up

2009-02-03T06:13:56-08:00

I heartily encourage you to check out the new podcast over at the Center for Gaming Research site–Leslie Nino Fidance’s talk, The Mob Never Ran Vegas. Fidance dissects the claim that, in days of yore, the mob “ran” Las Vegas, and explores the anti-organized crime efforts of Nevada regulators along the way.

This is exactly the kind of stimulating academic research that the Center hopes to assist. Through the wonders of the Internet, we can make this and other talks available to a worldwide audience.

Five Hundy by Midnight 199: Ironic Cell Phone Rage

2009-02-02T05:44:31-08:00

Las Vegas podcast #199 includes:

Super Swank opener
Rio opens ND’s Fuego: The Evolution of Nightclub
Tony and Tina’s Wedding moves
Vince Neil opens second tattoo shop and off-Strip bar
East Fremont Street gets a piano bar
Paris offers Red Rooms
Best of Vegas’ upgrades for Elton John and the Red Piano
Listener calls about car rentals, Casino Royale, LOVE, Ellis Island’s steak special, Sexpresso, Wynn, Encore, Bally’s ’80s porn suites, Primm, Mirage volcano problems, Burger Bar, the Welcome to Las Vegas sign, Minus 5, Imperial Palace, karaoke and more Las Vegas fun
Show #200 streaming live show and chat details later this week
Call us at (702) 866-9494

Las Vegas Valentines Day Deals (Free Sex Toys At Luxor!)

2009-02-02T05:40:45-08:00

The Valentines Day Las Vegas package deals have started rolling in. Of the slew we’ve gotten, two stand out in our mind.

The first is a Southwest/MGMMirage package deal which includes two free tickets to any Cirque du Soleil show plus a $50 discount on the already low hotel room rates. The second…. well… we’ll save that till the end.

For those chomping at the bit to book a trip with their lover(s), here’s the latest…

Aria Grand Opening : December 16, 2009

2009-02-02T05:39:47-08:00

I just got email confirmation from MGM Mirage’s PR firm that Aria’s grand opening will be Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 in the evening, exact time tbd.

A report linked by reader of TWHT mentioned that reservations will be accepted for December 17th - not the actual opening date of the 16th - starting February 23, 2009.

VegasTodayAndTomorrow updates

2009-02-02T05:38:19-08:00

1/29/09 New construction photos of the Ruvo Brain Institute

1/27/09 New construction photos on Planet Hollywood Tower”s”

1/23/09 New construction photos of M Resort New construction photos of Fontainebleau

1/22/09 New construction photos of the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute

1/19/09 Updated the Construction Stats page Many new construction photos of CityCenter New construction photos of Cosmopolitan

Monorail: Once again, a viable alternative

2009-02-02T05:36:50-08:00

I’ve been on this Monorail kick lately, ever since I boarded the crazy trian for a ride during CES as couple of weeks ago. I noted then that the Monorail was not a bad way to move up and down Paradise to the Hilton and Las Vegas Convention Center and along the east side of the Strip.

I later found that locals are offered tickets at a reduced rate of $1 for one-way trips at the Sahara and MGM customer service booths.

Then, a Monorail spokeswoman sent a note stressing that the Monorail was a particularly convenient way to travel to and from the MGM for big events at the Grand Garden Arena.

LVA: Question of the Day February 2, 2009

2009-02-02T05:34:51-08:00

I see the term “corkage fee” on several of the restaurants info pages. What is this, and what does it apply to?

Adventures in strip club transportation

2009-02-02T05:29:02-08:00

In Thursday’s Los Angeles Times, Ashley Powers wrote about the latest round of complaints and litigation involving the kickbacks that nudie bars pay to taxi drivers for delivering passengers. Often this money is immediately recouped by the club thanks to the cover charge paid by the customers. Therefore, in addition to paying your taxi driver for the ride to the club, as a tourist, you are also indirectly paying the bounty for delivering you to the club to the taxi driver.

I have always found this practice despicable and have written frequently about it on the Buffet. My recommendation for tourists remains to ask to be delivered across the street from whatever nudie bar you want to go to unless the taxi driver waves the meter charge. Even a low-paying, $20-a-head club will pay the driver more than the meter in almost every case. And because the bounty is per-customer, if three people are in the cab that represents big money to the cab driver.

Gans shapes encore show for Wynn

2009-01-30T06:33:12-08:00

Danny Gans has been riding a wave of success since his Las Vegas debut at the Stratosphere when it opened in May 1996.

The resort wanted to create a King Kong ride that climbed the side of the 1,000-foot tower carrying passengers in its belly. King Kong never made it.

Instead, impressionist Gans became the 900-pound gorilla of Las Vegas, starring in one of the most popular shows on the Strip and producing another — Donny & Marie’s at the Flamingo.

He climbs the latest step next Friday, debuting at the 1,500-seat Encore Theatre at a benefit and starting a regular schedule of four shows a week Feb. 10.

Pooled Resources: Now hiring!

2009-01-30T06:30:12-08:00

How’s that resume looking? And your intro letter? What about your abs? Because that’s really what it’s gonna take to get hired at some of Vegas’ hottest pools, most of which will be opening in mid-March. Well, that and a tolerance for sun, heat, loud music, drunkenness, debauchery, nudity …

LVA: Question of the Day January 30, 2009

2009-01-30T06:28:24-08:00

I have a question for your office golf expert. For the first time in all of our trips to Vegas, we are looking at playing golf. We will be in town for the NASCAR race last of February. Can you recommend a nice golf course that is not too expensive, decent conditions this time of year, somewhat close to the Strip, and caters to the average golfer?

This Week, On The Strip... Jan. 29: Poker's Hellian

2009-01-30T06:24:53-08:00

He owns a record eleven World Series of Poker bracelets and has earned well over $8 million in his poker tournament career, but the reputed bad boy of Texas Hold ‘Em isn’t done yet. Phil Hellmuth, who has a forthcoming documentary and memoir, opens up this hour about his quest for bracelet number 12, about how why he stormed off the set of NBC’s Poker After Dark two years ago and about what the 2008 World Series of Poker final table contestants did wrong.

In Banter: Fishing in Vegas, a mea culpa and taxing the brothels.

Venetian and Palazzo Awarded 2009 Mobil 4 Star Rating

2009-01-30T06:22:46-08:00

Palazzo Las Vegas is the latest Las Vegas resort to join the prestigious Mobil Four-Star List. The Palazzo and sister property, The Venetian, are owned and operated by affiliates of Las Vegas Sands Corp (NYSE-LVS). This is the first year The Palazzo was rated. The Venetian has been on the 4-Star list for years and the 2009 Mobil award makes it four years in a row that the Venetian has topped the list of 137 North American hotels as the largest property.

Re-experiencing Fremont Street

2009-01-29T06:41:25-08:00

The Fremont Street Experience is crowded on a recent Saturday night. Not so crowded that you can’t get around, but packed enough that you feel like you are at an outdoor party and not just wandering a shopping mall.

This vibe has changed from even a year ago, when panhandlers and bargain-hunters and a terrible odor were the most obvious memories taken from visits to the Experience.

Unusual name, great food

2009-01-29T06:40:48-08:00

Pips does Italian right (and reasonably priced) at Aliante Station

Take one highly seasoned food and wine professional. Then add a brilliant young chef and a sleek modern design. The result is Pips at the Aliante Station Casino, so far one of this year’s big surprises.

The NFL’s secret lover

2009-01-29T06:39:54-08:00

Vegas plays a far greater role this Sunday than the league would ever admit

Las Vegas has a long and complicated history with the National Football League. In the realm of mutually beneficial yet often dysfunctional relationships of the last half-century, you have Bill and Hillary Clinton, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Batman and the Joker, Terrell Owens and his ego and Las Vegas and the NFL.

The suits at the NFL have long maintained that they’re shocked—shocked!—to discover that people are gambling on their pure-as-the-driven-slush product. Thanks in large part to the pious belligerence of the league’s commissioners—especially the tweedy attorney Paul Tagliabue and Roger “The Disciplinarian” Goodell—Las Vegas has been a curse word in NFL circles, the nation’s fastest-growing media market for a decade yet still without a chance in hell of ever having its own NFL franchise, Oscar Goodman’s fever dreams be damned.

LVA: Question of the Day January 29, 2009

2009-01-29T06:38:21-08:00

I asked Bob Dancer once if there was ANY “advantage” to playing the multi-line video poker machines and he said “No. The odds remain the same no matter how many games you play at one time.” Knowing Bob Dancer’s knowledge of the game, I am certain that his answer was spot-on correct, but it still makes no sense to me. Doesn’t the chance of getting a dealt royal flush change the overall odds?

Which Denomination Should I Play?

2009-01-29T06:35:34-08:00

Harrah’s sold its Tunica, Mississippi casino a few years ago, but in the spring of 2008 re-opened, under the Harrah’s name, a remodeled version what used to be called the Grand. To get players, they sent out offers to Harrah’s VIP customers from some sort of a national database —- including me.

I’ve not played at Harrah’s Tunica before, but they sent me an offer I couldn’t refuse. So I didn’t —- especially since I could make a stop at Harrah’s New Orleans on the same trip. Although the casinos are about 400 miles apart, I live 2000 miles away in Las Vegas, so New Orleans and Tunica feel like next-door neighbors to me.

Walking through the casino on the night before I planned to play, I located 9/6 Jacks or Better for $1, $2, $5, $10, and $25. These are the games I’m going to have to choose among. I’m doing the deciding in my hotel room rather than on the floor. I do this because have my laptop with both “Video Poker for Winners” on it, as well as a calculator. I’m going to need both to make the decision. Here are the factors I’m considering…

Pretense and Loathing in Las Vegas

2009-01-29T06:31:39-08:00

Due to my intense dislike of The District, I’ve been avoiding the new Town Square shopping mall like the plague.

Even though I pass by it all the time, I feel the same way about Town Square as I do about Rosie O’Donnel.

I’ve never had the urge to enter it.

Unless they are parodies of themselves like Paris or NYNY, I detest West Coast faux-towns.

Either move to a city, or accept that you don’t live in one and get over it. I find these “Barbie’s SoHo Playhouses” for grown adults a little insulting.

I finally bit the bullet, though. I was right there, and there wasn’t much traffic … so what the hell. I made entry into the Twilight Zone.

How was it?

Strip ushers in year’s second New Year’s celebration

2009-01-28T06:23:55-08:00

The Strip has long been swept clean of confetti and empty bottles, and Las Vegas visitors have made their way home from the traditional New Year’s celebration.

Now, almost four weeks later, Strip resorts once again are in the midst of a celebration ushering in a new year.

The ancient tradition of Chinese New Year, which started Monday, will last until the beginning of February and will bring millions of dollars into the Las Vegas economy. The Chinese New Year ranks among the busiest times on the Strip.

Ask the Wizard! (No. 222)

2009-01-28T06:18:18-08:00

The Victor Chandler casino has a game called “Challenge Poker,” which plays like MultiStrike video poker, with two differences:

No “Free Ride” cards.
The base game is different at each level, all of them over 100%.

What is the return of this game?

You gotta have flair

2009-01-28T06:17:04-08:00

For whatever reason, I am a spectacularly bad bartender. I can whip up a mean stir-fry and I make decadent cheesecake, but ask me to mix a martini and you’ll end up choking down something between cough syrup and transmission fluid.

I leave the drink slinging to the pros, people who can make ginger pear martinis in their sleep and think of a mojito the way a poker player does Go Fish. Tonight, at Red Room Saloon, local behind the bar talent will showcase their mixing skills, and they’ll do it all with flair.

Vegas, Gambling... & Art

2009-01-28T06:13:41-08:00

While Steve Wynn’s experiment with a gallery at his eponymous resort was short-lived, and the Guggenheim/Hermitage venture at the Venetian suffered a similar fate, Las Vegas continues to have a bigger connection with art than you might think, not least because of Wynn’s enduring personal passion for collecting.

LVA: Question of the Day January 27, 2009

2009-01-27T06:11:52-08:00

I was wondering about the status of Hooters Casino & Hotel in Las Vegas. The last news I heard was they were being sold. I always liked staying there and was a little sad when I heard of the sale. Is it still in works to be sold?

Rio Opens New Latin Nightclub

2009-01-27T06:06:37-08:00

“ND’s Fuego - The Evolution of Nightlife” debuts a multi-faceted club experience beginning Feb.12 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Combining the elements of an interactive production with live performances, “ND’s Fuego” will introduce an exciting and unique evolution of nightlife to Las Vegas.

The Latin-themed nightclub provides a total sensory experience with state-of-the-art technology and integrated performances by talented dancers and singers backed by live music. Interludes with surreal characters, elaborate costumes, high-tech digital imaging and guest performances from world-renowned DJs make “ND’s Fuego” a premier nightlife destination.

Flipchip Photo Gallery 2009 Chinese New Year in Las Vegas

2009-01-27T06:04:05-08:00

Brilliant reds, exotic shapes, tangerine trees, Dragons, gold coins, God of Prosperity, and the Ox. Las Vegas and China cultures have a strong bond through the Macau, China resort twinning. It’s not surprising that both locales celebrate the Chinese New Year in grand fashion. All around Las Vegas the sights and sounds of the far east are never far away during the 15 days of traditional celebration for the Year of the Oxen. Early predictions say the 2009 Year of the Ox, Lunar Year 4707, will be a time of prosperity.

With the Venetian Macau and Venetian Las Vegas fused at the hip, would you expect anything less than an authentic Chinese New Year’s Dragon and Lion Dance? A dance performed live by a dedicated troupe of artist under the guidance of a Dragon Master set to traditional Chinese music of drums and cymbals. A dance so powerful it brought to life a friendly Dragon of Good Fortune plus a pride of authentically costumed dancing Lions that followed in the Dragon’s wake.

Flipchip’s Photo Gallery of 2009 Chinese New Year Las Vegas Photos is now available with the first installment, all shot on site at the Venetian/Palazzo during the presentation of the Chinese Dragon and Lion Dance celebrating the Chinese New Year of the Ox.

Blue Man Group: Blue, but not the blues

2009-01-26T06:25:49-08:00

In the new Vegas, “blue” is synonymous with a curious trio of wordless humanoid aliens, whose playfully ingenious long-running show is nearing four years at the Venetian.

Exuberantly messy and thunderously noisy, Blue Man Group is a rarity amid on-Strip entertainments, hitting the sweet spot for grown-ups and kids alike.

Bonkerz for comedy at new Palace Station club

2009-01-26T06:18:36-08:00

Sound Trax at Palace Station is no longer home to visiting musical acts or the magic of Jeff McBride. In the face of challenging economic times, Palace Station has decided that laughter really is the best medicine. The cabaret-style venue has been re-dubbed the Bonkerz Comedy Club, the first West coast location for the national comedy club chain.

Already a popular stop in cities like Milwaukee and Orlando, founder Joe Sanfelippo prides himself on drawing top-notch acts to the club. Comedians like Carrot Top and Larry the Cable Guy got their starts in Bonkerz clubs across the country, and comedy legends like Jerry Seinfeld and Sam Kinison have even made appearances in the past.

Help pick Las Vegas’ Top Model

2009-01-26T06:15:57-08:00

Vegas weekend weather promises to be fair, as does the sightseeing. The Miss America competition on Saturday at Planet Hollywood will satiate our appetite for ogling beautiful women for at least a week or two. Fifty-two leggy ladies in full coverage bikinis? Color us over-stimulated.

As if.

Vegas adores pretty faces and hot bods, and like most things in this town, the more the better.

LVA: Question of the Day January 26, 2009

2009-01-26T06:14:02-08:00

It’s been a few months since we heard about Star Trek: The Experience moving to downtown Vegas. Any new info for us Trekkies?

The “Jamie” Tunnel

2009-01-26T06:10:30-08:00

Today, for the first time ever … I took the “secret” tunnel.

The “secret” tunnel has been shrouded in mystery and mythology since I moved to Las Vegas. For years it sat boarded up where Desert Inn Road crossed under Las Vegas Boulevard.

If you blinked, you missed it, but it was an endless source of wonderment, curiosity, and speculation for locals.

Some rumors say that this tunnel was built as a secret escape route for Howard Hughes to get out of the Desert Inn Hotel. Other rumors say that it was a secret escape route for mobsters. I’ve also heard some other explanations for the tunnel that I can’t remember at the moment.

What I do remember is that all of the rumors have a common theme, which is that the tunnel was a “secret” escape route for somebody.

Are any of them true?