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Today's News
Compiled by LVA Research
• May 8, 2008 Final Frontier for 'Trek' at Hilton New Year's Eve will probably be curtains for "Star Trek: The Attraction" at the Las Vegas Hilton, after 10 years of going where no casino has gone before, says TrekMovie.com. Don't blame the LVH: The owner of the "Trek" franchise, CBS/Paramount, isn't renewing its contract with the operators of the attraction, apparently due to declining attendance at the home of Quark's Bar and its space-themed casino.
Attendees to Creation Entertainment's annual "Star Trek" convention can rest easy, though: The company says it intends to keep the fan gathering in Las Vegas. (A proposal to move the Burbank "Stargate SG-1" convention to Las Vegas was voted down in an online poll, though. This was a grave disappointment to our managing editor, who lives, eats and breathes "Stargate.")
• May 8, 2008 Las Vegas This Weekend You don’t have to be a mom to have a good time in Sin City this weekend, although there are plenty of options if you are (see our "Spotlight" feature). Diversity’s our middle name, from the soulful sounds of Alicia Keys to the complex yet classic styles of Burt Bacharach to the hard driving power chords of Rush, there’s something to please virtually every musical palate. Miss Hawaiian Tropic International hopefuls will tour the town this weekend and if you keep your eyes to the skies you may even catch a free air show courtesy of Nellis Air Force Base as they hold their annual Red Flag exercise in and around Las Vegas air space. And, of course, Cher completes the first week of her multi-media, multi-decade, multi-costume spectaculars at the Colosseum on Saturday night
- Music: Legendary power trio Rush brings its "Slings and Arrows" tour to the Mandalay Bay Events Center (5/10); Alicia Keys graces the stage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena (5/9); Burt Bacharach entertains at the Las Vegas Hilton (5/11); Duran Duran plays at The Joint (5/9-5/10); the South Point Showroom presents The Australian Bee Gees Show (5/9-5/10) and Venezuelan performer Oscar D’Leon (5/11); Etta James sings in the Orleans Showroom (5/9-5/11); Tower of Power will blow their horns at the Suncoast (5/9-5/11); The Club at the Cannery offers "A Romantic Evening of Popera" (5/10); Texas Station’s tribute series continues with Keith Martin’s Tribute to Luther Vandross (5/10); the Free Jazz in the Park Series continues at the Clark County Amphitheater with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band (5/10); free concerts at MonteLago Village feature Concrete Hillbilly (5/9) and Boy Katindig (5/10); Danny Edwards presents a Temptations Review in the Showroom at Whiskey Pete’s (5/9-5/10); Lifehouse headlines at Club Madrid inside Sunset Station (5/10); Emerson Drive is onstage at Green Valley Ranch’s Ovation Lounge (5/9); The District at Green Valley’s free concert series welcomes Scotty Alexander (5/9), Glen Williams Band (5/10) and Bella Rumore (5/11); the Las Vegas Philharmonic performs Masterworks V at Artemus Ham Hall
- Comedy: Funny man Brad Garrett performs at Mirage (5/9-5/10); Playboy Comedy’s in the Palms Lounge presenting Jim Florentine from Comedy Central’s "Crank Yankers" (5/10); and Daniel Tosh takes the mic at House of Blues (5/10)
- Poolside Events: The Friday Night Live Series continues at Hard Rock Beach Club with Eek A Mouse (5/9); Bare Pool Lounge will host their 2nd Annual Bikini A Go-Go (5/11); The Tank at Golden Nugget’s the place to catch the Miss Hawaiian Tropic International preliminary swimsuit contest (5/9); there will be a Playboy Playmate announcement party and Baker’s Babes model search during this week’s Ditch Fridays pool party at the Palms (5/9); Vegas Uncork’d will hold their Poolside, Uncork’d and On the Rocks! Midnight Poker (5/8) and Midnight Blackjack (5/9) tournaments at Hard Rock Beach Club, and of course it’s Rehab time at the Hard Rock on Sunday
- Other: Bon Appétit’s Vegas Uncork’d events are scheduled at Bellagio, Wynn, Caesars, and Hard Rock Beach Club (5/8-5/11) with tickets available at the door for the Culinary Pro-Am Rounds I & II at Caesars Palace (5/9-5/10) and the Grand Tasting, Sip & Stroll at The Roman Plaza at Caeasars – all other events are SOLD OUT (5/9); the spring edition of the San Gennaro Feast will be held at Grand Canyon Shopping Center (5/7-5-11); ArtFest takes place at the Henderson Events Plaza (5/10-5/11); The Las Vegas 51s take on Memphis (5/9) and Nashville (5/10-5/11); the South Point Equestrian Center will host the Intercollegiate West coast Regional Finals Rodeo (5/9-5/10); Enjoy Ballet Under the Stars with a performance by the Nevada Ballet Theatre at the Henderson Pavilion (5/9); The Nevada Conservatory Theatre performs Doubt at the Judy Bayley Theatre (through 5/11); V Bar at The Venetian will host the Sex and Sin City Girls Night Out Party (5/9); watch free movies on the Green at the District: High School Musical 2 (5/9) and Enchanted (5/10); The Cannery salutes local troops with the Red Flag Bikini Party in the Bikini Party Pit (5/9-5/10); Barley’s in Henderson is hosting Brewfest 2008 with $25 all-you-can-sample brew (5/10); America’s Got Talent will be taping a show at Planet Hollywood (5/11); and the 2008 BCA National 8-Ball Championships will be contested at the Riviera (5/7-5/16)
For more details about these and other events, plus full listings of all the permanent shows Las Vegas plays home to, click here to use our "Shows & Events" finder, under "Shows & Nightlife."
• May 8, 2008 Early Verdict on Cher at Caesars USA Today dispatched Steve Friess for a first-night look at Cher's Colosseum show, initially clocking in at two hours. Friess described the evening as "generous helpings of her multi-era hits in that distinctly nasally, low rumble of a belting voice," culminating in "a rousing, 30-chorus rendition of her over-you anthem Believe." Friess' inventory of the show: 17 songs and almost as many costume changes, leading him to characterize it as "a Cher-scored Bob Mackie fashion show" and "far more a straight-up concert than what her counterparts have done with the vast room."
Following up on his blog, Friess offers a few suggestions for possible improvements and reports that the show will be shortened to roughly 90 minutes.
• May 8, 2008 Gaughan Gone The legendery Jackie Gaughan has sold his stake in the El Cortez, the last of his once-lengthy list of casino holdings. At age 87, Gaughan finally decided it was time to pass the reins on to longtime partners Kenny Epstein, Mike Nolan, and Joe Woody, a group that figures to keep many of the best aspects of the EC intact. Gaughan's run in Vegas spanned 57 years, beginning from the time he moved from Omaha, Nebraska to get into the gambling business and ultimately become an integral part of the city's ascent.
• May 7, 2008 $1 Chip Bags $29,000 on eBay A Missouri woman scored big at the weekend when a $1 chip from the defunct Showboat Casino that she'd kept in a jewelry box for nearly 48 years went for a staggering $29,000 on eBay. It's only the third known surviving $1 chip from the casino, which operated in Las Vegas from 1954-2001 and seller Sandy Marbs recalled picking it up during a visit in 1960. She kept it because the boat on it reminded her of Missouri.
A spokesman for the Casino Chip & Gaming Token Collectors Club (ccgtcc.com) noted that this is the richest known price ever paid for a $1 chip. The current record for the most expensive recorded price belongs to a rare $100 denomination chip from the Sahara depicting a Sphinx, which sold for $100,000 cash in 2007.
For more information about high-priced rare chips, LVA members can check out the Question of the Day archives for 8/20/2007.
• May 7, 2008 Pool Poll Update Many thanks to all who are sending in their votes for the current Reader Poll on Vegas' best pool. Just one request: If you send in an email to the "Why I picked this pool" link (and please do!), either include in the email body which pool you're referring to, or put that in the subject line. Clicking that email link doesn't count as a vote, and we can't tell from this end which pool you voted for unless you tell us. Thank you!
• May 7, 2008 Buffalo Wild Euchre Tonight Yup, the Vegas Euchre folks will be gathering for a round-robin tournament at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Buffalo Wild Wings located on Las Vegas Blvd. Sth. It's a non-ranked event that's open to everyone -- you don't have to be a member. As usual for these events, the entry fee's $15 and 100% will be paid out, along with gift certificates (and a free drink for all contestants) added by the venue. Next week they'll be back at the regular MVP's location.
For more information on this tournament, check out our Las Vegas Tournament Schedule (where we also list poker, blackjack, slots, video poker, backgammon etc. etc.) You can find out more about vegaseuchre.com on their Web site.
• May 7, 2008 The Cher Will Go On! Only one night into her new engagement at Caesars Palace and already new dates have been announced for Cher's show. They are:
September 2, 3, 6, 7, 9,10, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, 24, 27, 28, and 30
October 1, 4, and 5
• May 7, 2008 MGM 's Dubai Bet Looking Good A new Globalysis report takes a gander at the Dubai tourist economy and "estimates that international visitor arrivals into Dubai will grow at approximately 8% in 2008 driven by robust airline connectivity and favorable marketing efforts of the destination." The report does caution that a high rate of inflation in Dubai, a vast abundance of tourism-targeted projects and "regional geopolitical risks" need be taken into account. Still, says Jason Pereira of Globalysis, "the combination of increased airline service to Dubai and high-quality tourism offerings is attracting the globally minded leisure tourist and sophisticated business traveler."
MGM Mirage is not only a business partner with Dubai World, it has also committed to building hotel projects in Dubai (as well as in Mainland China).
• May 7, 2008 Illinois Smoking Ban Takes Toll New Year's Day 2008 ushered in a ban on smoking in all Illinois casinos. Revenue growth, it appears, has been snuffed out like so many Marlboros. In April, Illinois casinos reported revenue declines of 20% in the northern half of the state and 15% toward the southern end of the Land of Lincoln. With multiple casinos in the market, Harrah's Entertainment ad Penn National got the worst of it. For a detailed breakout, see Stiffs & Georges, which also has more Tropicana updates, including a possible new round of bidding on the Atlantic City Tropicana.
• May 7, 2008 Bargain-mania in Real Estate Since Nevada leads the nation in the rate of home foreclosures, it's inevitable that Las Vegas would be the top destination of people looking to buy foreclosed houses. So says this week's House Advantage.
• May 7, 2008 Scratch Two Bargains If you're looking forward to a $16 breakfast at Payard Patisserie, you'd better pack a little extra $$: The price has gone up. Also, the free VP player's menu at Al's Garage may have been a chimera. Gambling in Space has the skinny.
• May 7, 2008 Big Media Gambling Coverage Today's USA Today, in the cover story in the "Money" section, asks whether Americans will trade casino visits for gas money. Yesterday's New York Times looks at the "New Titans of Las Vegas." Anthony Curtis is quoted.
• May 7, 2008 Not a Free Pull Nope. While the Megabucks jackpot did hit at the Palms, we've confirmed that it happened at 9:50 am, 10 minutes before today's free pulls commenced.
• May 7, 2008 Palms Pops We've just heard that Megabucks was hit for $21 million today at the Palms. This isn't confirmed, but if it did, it's likely the result of a massive Megabucks free-play promotion the Palms has been running for its club members. If it is, it would be the biggest club benefit, by far, ever awarded. No doubt.
• May 7, 2008 Braxton Out Till June The official word from the Flamingo box office is that Toni Braxton's show will now remain dark until June 6, following her hospitalization with chest pains in early April. Tickets are on sale again from that date onwards -- we'll keep you posted of any further scheduling changes.
• May 6, 2008 Downtown: Bye, Bye Barden? According to Standard & Poor's, Detroit tycoon Don Barden needs $35 million to increase his equity stake in a $790 million Pittsburgh casino project. (Barden was chosen over Isle of Capri Casinos and a Harrah's-backed group of local investors.) Solution? Sell the downtown Fitzgeralds casino. Barden also purchased a downtown office building as part of an expansion into the Las Vegas market. Since then, Vegas has taken a back seat to Pittsburgh in Barden's plans.
• May 6, 2008 Kristofer's Says Thanks to Locals In celebration of the its 20th anniversary and the serving of nearly 1.5 million guests, Kristofer's Steakhouse at the Riviera is saying "thank you" by offering Las Vegas locals a complimentary cocktail or non-alcoholic beverage with the purchase of every entrée now through the end of May. The restaurant's open daily from 5:30-10:30 p.m. Must show valid ID.
• May 6, 2008 New Casino Proposed One of today's agenda items for the Clark County Planning Commission is "Lifestyle," a condo/hotel/casino project that would encompass 2,650 hotel rooms (in three towers), 98 condos (ditto) and 75K apiece of casino and meeting space. It would sit on 9.4 acres bordered by Highland Drive on the west, the Desert Inn arterial to the north and the Union Pacific train tracks to the east, land currently occupied by warehouses. For more details, see Stiffs & Georges. The Clark County Commission has Lifestyle on its June docket.
• May 6, 2008 New Poll Tomorrow The current poll on gambling products and what you think of them closes at midnight tonight, so get your vote(s) in, if you haven't already. It's had a great response and the more data you can give us, the better we can cater to your desires. A new one goes live tomorrow on the subject of... Well, you'll just have to tune in find out.
• May 6, 2008 Tropicana Saga Unfolds Actually, it's more like a sprint, as Stiffs & Georges attempts to keep pace with the implications of Tropicana Entertainment's Chapter 11 filing, which affects the Las Vegas Tropicana, Laughlin's Tropicana Express, two Lake Tahoe casinos -- but not the Westin Casuarina. Updates can be found here, here, here and here. Uff da!
In related news, the landlords of Tropicana Entertainment's Horizon Lake Tahoe have revealed that they intend to convert the hotel-casino to non-gaming uses in 2011, when Tropicana's lease expires.
• May 6, 2008 Cher Premieres Tonight Following on the heels of a 3-year "farewell" tour, then a period of rumored reclusedom, and then what seemed like years of speculation, Cher is officially here. Her new show, which completes the trio of divas currently in rotation at Caesars Colosseum (the other two being Bette and Sir Elton), opens tonight for an initial month-long run. Then she'll be back again in August.
Tickets are $112.65/$159.95/$197.75/$276.45, plus fees (the lady's not called "Cher" for nothing!) and show times are Tues., Wed., and Sun. at 7:30 p.m. They're sold out for this week -- surprise, surprise -- but more tickets are available from the 13th onwards. They're selling like hot cakes, however, so buy soon to avoid disappointment.
• May 6, 2008 Vegas Magicians on Letterman Popular long-time Vegas comedy magician Mac King will be appearing on the "Late Show with David Letterman" tonight as part of its "Magic Week." A different magic act will be featured on the show each night this week. Tune in tomorrow to catch Dirk Arthur, with Steve Wyrick appearing on Thursday, and Penn & Teller on Friday.
The "Late Show" airs nightly on CBS at 11:30 EST/PST. For the unique weekly schedule of all shows Vegas or gambling-related compiled by the LVA research dept., don't forget to check out Vegas TV in the "Features" section on our home page.
• May 6, 2008 MGM Mirage to Split? Corporate profits at the casino giant were down 30% last quarter, due in no small part to the fire at the Monte Carlo hotel-casino, which was subsequently closed for nearly a month. Analysts expected 43 cents per share and MGM delivered 40 cents/share (down from 57 cents a year ago). However, MGM Mirage stock enjoyed a 7% bounce, possibly because CEO J. Terrence Lanni floated the idea of bisecting MGM Mirage into discrete hotel and casino companies. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Lanni said "he has been frustrated by the favorable multiples pure hotel companies enjoy compared with gaming companies."
• May 5, 2008 Accolades for Silverton Citysearch online lifestyle guide has awarded the Silverton the "Best free attraction 2008" award for its aquarium, and we don't blame them.
The 117,000-gallon artificial reef is home to over 4,000 tropical fish from all over the world, six species of shark, and four species of stingray, which are particular favorites of ours. Watch them glide about (their undersides look like smiley teddybears!) as you sip a cocktail in the Mermaids Restaurant and Lounge (which is also home to two cool 500-gallon LED-lit jellyfish tanks). Much better than TV.
The hotel-casino also received the "Best budget hotel" award.
• May 5, 2008 Sahara's Sweet Suite Promo In honor of National Tourism Week (May 10-18), the Sahara's offering guests the chance to win an instant upgrade to either the "Beatles Suite," where the Fab Four stayed in 1964, or the Presidential Suite, which hosted Elvis Presley and Ann Margret while they were filming Viva Las Vegas.
Once each month from May through August, a lucky winner will be selected at random and informed of their instant upgrade upon check-in. As the VP of Hotel Ops put it, "Just think, you show up for your $40 room and you end up with a room that goes for up to $1,500 per night."
• May 5, 2008 Casino Ban Causes Identity Crisis A problem gambler, identified only as "S.D.", attempted unsuccessfully to have his "no-gambling" status reversed by the New Jersey courts. Now publisher Sam DiGirolamo wants to know who "S.D." is. Why? According to PR Newswire, "people have been calling him insisting that he must be the S.D. mentioned in the news." Even DiGirolamo's friends think so, due to certain, unspecified "striking similarities." To clear his name, DiGirolamo has retained one of his own authors, Ken Isaacson. Ironically, Isaacson's Silent Counsel centers upon a lawyer seeking to keep his client's identity confidential.
• May 5, 2008 Pink Poker at Silverton The Silverton continues to host its series of ladies-only "Pink Poker Nights" this month, in conjunction with Fresh 102.7 FM. The final live-play night takes place this Wednesday, May 7, with a $20 registration fee that includes a free poker lesson prior to the warm-up round and live play action. Registration begins at 6 p.m. but you must sign-up online in advance and seats are limited.
On May 14, there will be a special Pink Poker Tournament with a $30 buy-in and those who've played in all three live-play events (sorry, we didn't hear about this until two of them had already taken place) will qualify to win a diamond tennis bracelet.
The events are hosted around special pink felt tables and feature complimentary cocktails provided by PINK vodka, plus a goodie bag. For more information and to register, visit 1027fresh.fm
• May 5, 2008 MGM Mirage Sweats VP Play According to David Matthews, MGM Mirage has tightened its point awards for video poker, thereby reducing free play by one third. For all the details, see Gambling in Space. Elsewhere, Jean Scott gets wind of an alleged 20% cutback on food purchases by casino F&B departments.
• May 5, 2008 'Trailer Station' Rides Again -- and Again Good news for fans of "Trailer Station" -- the casino-in-a-trailer that operated for eight hours earlier this year on the former Showboat/Castaways site: Since Station Casinos is putting its Viva project in front of all others (including Durango Station and its oft-postponed Palace Station redevelopment), and because Viva may not get rolling for as many as four years, that could mean at least two more reappearances of "Trailer Station." The company has to operate slots on the property for one day every two years, lest the gaming entitlement on the proper lapse, reverting to plain old commercial real estate. For more, see Stiffs & Georges.
• May 5, 2008 LV Trop Headed to Chapter 11
Citing "two people familiar with the matter," the Wall Street Journal reports that Tropicana Entertainment -- parent company of the Las Vegas Tropicana and the Tropicana Express in Laughlin -- missed an interest payment on $1.32 billion in debt last Friday and isn't expected to make it up. Having missed that payment, Tropicana Entertainment is planning to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to both the WSJ and Tropicana itself. The paper calls this "the largest corporate filing of the year, a startling reversal of fortune for the new owner of one of the most historic casinos in Las Vegas." Additional coverage can be found in Stiffs & Georges.
• May 5, 2008 Cinco Points Orleans and South Point are both awarding 5X points today for Cinco de Mayo. Both are part of larger celebrations casino-wide. Other casinos will also be running specials; several are listed in "Las Vegas This Weekend" further down in "Today's News."
• May 4, 2008 More Wynn Steve Wynn is one of the featured contributors in today's USA Weekend Sunday newspaper supplement cover story about Frank Sinatra. Wynn tells of the singer explaining how he approached the recording of new songs -- one of many conversations the two had on flights to Atlantic City, where Sinatra would perform at the Golden Nugget.
• May 4, 2008 Wynn Discloses Plans Steve Wynn has made an announcement regarding the next stage of his resort build-out. The land behind Wynn Las Vegas and Encore (the former DI golf course) will be used for a giant convention center and two more hotels. Timetable details were not divulged.
• May 3, 2008 Gambling Focal in Derby Coverage The ESPN coverage of the Kentucky Derby is full of gambling coverage and not just the usual updating of the pari-mutuel. Much of the discussion with the celebrities is about which entry they'll be betting and there's ongoing coverage of betting-expert Hank Goldberg's picks (at this posting, his $500 bankroll is down to $110).
• May 3, 2008 Derby Day The Kentucky Derby will bring a party atmosphere to the sports books all over town today. Parties are advertised at Gold Coast, Sam's Town, Orleans, Terrible's, Cannery, Rampart, Jerry's Nugget, El Cortez, and South Point. The morning-line favorite in what's being called a wide-open race is Big Brown at 3-1.
• May 3, 2008 May Day Lei Day Festival Downtown The California celebrates May Day this weekend with its 11th annual Lei Day festival. It's a free two-day all-day event staged in the parking lot of the California and featuring Hawaiian arts, crafts, food, and music, with a performance by Tony Conjugacion at 7 p.m. tonight (tickets $20 from the California Hotel's Players Gold) and an "Island Fever Block Party" commencing at 3 p.m. tomorrow (free admission).
• May 2, 2008 Shadow Creek to Close -- But Only Temporarily The legendary Tom Fazio-designed golf course that was originally exclusive to high rolling guests of the Mirage will close temporarily May 19 for "course enhancements." Tee boxes and greens will be rebuilt and reseeded, the course's irrigation system's to be upgraded, and a world-class short-game area will be added.
The work's due to take about seven months to complete, with the course scheduled to reopen in December 2008.
• May 2, 2008 Stars on the Carpet What on earth could bring Joe Pesci, Willie Garson, La Toya Jackson, Frankie Valli, Siegfried & Roy, John Cleese, Billy Crystal, Michael Urie, Wayne Brady, and Rita Rudna together on one carpet? Well, Frankie Valli was the big hint: The carpet's a red one and it's for the Vegas premiere of Jersey Boys, which opens at Palazzo tonight. You might even catch a glimpse of Anthony Curtis, too...
• May 2, 2008 Derby Day Parties & More We previewed the Jerry's Nugget Kentucky Derby Day promos in this column earlier in the week, culminating in a viewing party in the race and sports book tomorrow.
There will be plenty of other festivities around town, with those we've come across so far including a viewing party at the Gold Coast from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Arizona Ballroom, featuring big screen TVs, betting windows, and giveaways, plus a similar deal in South Point's Grand Ballroom from 8 a.m.-3 p.m., including live betting stations and coupon packages* with a $20 wager, which will be good for a South Point cap, one food item, and one cocktail. (*Limited to one per person, while supplies last.)
The El Cortez has a Kentucky Derby special, with players receiving an official Kentucky Derby glass for every $20 bet at the race book tomorrow (limit two per person). And Dick's Last Resort at Excalibur will be hosting a party, with patrons able to catch the race on 46 flat screens while sipping Mint Julep Mojitos.
For ideas about other venues to catch the race in, check out our Sports Bar section in Shows & Nightlife (you'll find all bars, clubs, ultralounges etc. listed in the "Nightlife" sub-section).
• May 2, 2008 Double Shot in USA Today Las Vegas gets two stories in today's edition (both in "Living"). The first is a brief look at the Convention and Visitors Authority's attempts to draw tourists with a roadshow and the theme "Vegas Right Now." The second is a look at the state of residential high-rise developments on the Strip, with some interesting information about those planned for CityCenter.
• May 2, 2008 Matthews on Mesa Grill, More Our David Matthews has been keeping out of mischief and filling the cyber-pages of Gambling in Space instead. He checks out the "extreme flavor" (in a very good way) of Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, clues us in to a good bargain play at The Lodge at Hualapai, and explores the pros and cons of tipping during tournament play. The floor is open for debate.
• May 2, 2008 Buffet Crawl David McKee has been spending a lot of quality time in buffets lately and shares some impressions (he's got a soft spot for the ones at Station properties) in today's Stiffs & Georges. He also reports on the Flamingo's "Go" rooms and the fate of the Gold Coast's shoeshine stand.
• May 2, 2008 $50,000 Drawings at Red Rock Red Rock Resort will be giving away a $1,000 gift card each to 25 winners both today and tomorrow. Activate your entries from 3 p.m.-8 p.m. each day and drawings will be held at 8 p.m. Contact the players club for more details.
• May 1, 2008 Las Vegas This Weekend Of course, there's never a dull moment in Las Vegas but this weekend’s positively out of control as Cinco de Mayo meets poolside concerts, festivals, and much, much more. The District at Green Valley Ranch presents the Spring Festival of the Arts where they'll unveil their newest attraction – Las Vegas' first and only outdoor carousel. Scheduled entertainment includes live music in The Courtyard, jugglers, magicians, outdoor movies on The Green, and carousel rides. Best of all, it's all free! Throw in Lei Day, May Day, Derby Day, and First Fri-Day and you can’t help but find something to celebrate.
- Music: Puddle of Mudd kicks off the '08 Friday Night Live Series at Hard Rock Beach (5/2); Bill Medley and Paul Revere & the Raiders ride again at the South Point Showroom (5/1-5/4); Sean Hannity hosts the Freedom Concert at the Orleans Arena featuring Lee Greenwood (5/3); Belanova stops by The Joint (5/3); Dierks Bentley plays poolside at Red Rock Resort (5/2); the House of Blues welcomes The Breeders (5/2), Asia (5/3, early show), and Lyrics Born (5/3, late show); Juanes is in concert the Mandalay Bay Events Center (5/2); the annual Bobby Darin Memorial Concert takes place at Alexis Park Resort (5/4); MonteLago Village kicks off the (free) Friday Night Music series with Heartache Tonight (5/2) and the (also free) Saturday Jazz series with Brothers Ali (5/3); War takes to the stage at the Cannery’s The Club (5/3); Tribute shows around town include Viva’s tribute to Santana at the Club at the Cannery (5/2) and Yellow Brick Road does Pink Floyd at Boulder Station’s Railhead (5/2); George Jones is on stage at Buffalo Bill’s Star of the Desert Arena (5/3); the Sing City Gospel Fest takes place at the Henderson Pavilion (5/4); Matrix (5/2), Fahrenheit (5/3, afternoon), Jump, Jive and Wail (5/3, evening), and dueling Guitars perform free concerts in the Courtyard at the District; Kenny Rogers croons at the Orleans Showroom (5/2-5/4); Manheim Steamroller is in concert at the Henderson Pavilion (5/2); Boney James gets jazzy on the saxophone at the Railhead inside Boulder Station (5/3); and the Zukerman Chamber Players play UNLV’s Artemus Ham Hall (5/2)
- Comedy: Billy Crystal headlines at the MGM Grand Garden Arena (5/3) and Steve Solomon jokes around at the Suncoast Showroom (5/2-5/4)
- Sports Events: The Maxxis MiniMoto SX takes over the Orleans Arena (5/2); Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosts the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series (5/3); the Supercross Series Finals take place at Sam Boyd Stadium (5/3)
- Cinco de Mayo Events: Fiesta Henderson and Fiesta Rancho will hold parties at their respective locations (5/3); the Royal Street Theater at Jerry’s Nugget will have Latin music by Volume 1 (5/2) and Claudine Castro (5/3), drink specials and prize giveaways; 944 Magazine presents Cinco de Mayo Weekend at Bare Pool Lounge (5/4-5/5); Diablo’s Cantina at Monte Carlo is giving away a 3-day cruise to Cabo San Lucas (5/5); Dos Caminos at the Palazzo will hold a Bostich and Fussible CD release party (5/5); McFadden’s at the Rio makes a weekend of it with the Tres of Mayo party (5/3) and then a Cinco de Mayo party (5/5); Sonrisa Grill at MonteLago Village celebrates its grand opening with live music and drink and food specials (5/4-5/4); Tuscany Golf Course hosts the Cino-Tee-Mayo Golf Tournament and Fundraiser (5/2); and Risqué Nightclub at Paris celebrates with live mariachi (5/3)
- Other: Jersey Boys opens at the Palazzo (5/3); get in on the Lei Day Polynesian festival outside the California Hotel and Casino (5/3-5/4); Clint Holmes will be honored with the 2008 Louis Prima Award I the Madrid Room at the Suncoast (5/4); Wine lovers can check out the Rock 'n Roll Wine Reggae Pool Party at Green Valley Ranch (5/2), the 2008 Wine Spectator Grand Tour at the Venetian (5/3), or the Wine Walk at The District at Green Valley Ranch (5/3); See Hal Holbrook in Mark Twain Tonight at UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall (5/3); the Nevada Conservatory Theatre presents Doubt; the annual Southern Nevada Association of Pride, Inc. will hold their annual Pride Night Parade downtown (5/2) with after party at Freezone; the Imperial Luau starts another season at Imperial Palace (Sat & Tues through the end of September); join the Komen Southern Nevada Race for the Cure at the Fremont Street Experience (5/3); Ditch Fridays 2008 season launch at the Palms Pool (5/3); and Beauty Bar celebrates its 3rd-year anniversary with free live music (5/4)
For more details about these and other events, plus full listings of all the permanent shows Las Vegas plays home to, click here to use our "Shows & Events" finder, under "Show & Nightlife."
• May 1, 2008 'Game Show' Gone, Celine Back? "$250,000 Game Show Spectacular" at the Las Vegas Hilton is a thing of the past. It shut down with so little fanfare that blogger Steve Friess only learned of it when trying to arrange an interview with Jamie Farr, one of the afternoon show's three rotating hosts. The LVH's Ira Sternberg told Friess that renting out the showroom had crimped the rehearsal schedules of Barry Manilow and others, so a replacement act is unlikely.
Friess also, by way of Robin Leach, reports that Celine Dion is in negotiations to return to the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in 2009-10, possibly as a successor to Elton John's "Red Piano" show. Hopefully, if Celine returns, she won't bring "Powder," Franco Dragone's creepily omnipresent whiteface-clown figure with her. Celine, oui! Dragone, non.
• May 1, 2008 Another Cosmo Exec Changes Teams Former Cosmopolitan Resort & Casino CFO Robert Kocienski has joined colleague Scott Butera in making the exodus to Tropicana Entertainment, parent company of the Las Vegas Tropicana and the Tropicana Express in Laughlin. Kociesnki, who was also CFO of the downtown Golden Nugget (1992-2000) and The Mirage (2000-03), will hold the same title at Tropicana Entertainment. He replaces Theodore Mitchel, who remains CFO of Tropicana's parent company Columbia Sussex. Butera, new president of Tropicana, has been on an aggressive campaign to turn around the company's image and shore up its financial position.
• May 1, 2008 Format Change for WSOP Confirmed As predicted in the May issue of the Las Vegas Advisor and David Matthews' Gambling in Space blog (April 15, 2008), it's been officially confirmed that The 2008 Main Event Final Table of the World Series of Poker will not take place until November 9-10, three months after the field has been whittled down to the final table of nine players. The climatic event will be screened in a two-hour special on ESPN, just hours after the winner has been crowned (which will probably be in the early hours of November 11). The slight time delay in the final broadcast will allow time for editing and guards against potential cheating possibilities.
• May 1, 2008 May Drink Promos at the Plaza/Vegas Club Drink $2 Coronas all day every day in May at the Plaza and Vegas Club and $2 Absolut martinis or $4 top shelf martinis from 4-7 p.m. every day all month.
• May 1, 2008 Government, Gambling Don't Mix In the Philippines, gambling is a government-owned business. And now the U.S. State Department has pointed a finger at the Philippines' 15 state-run casinos as possible hotbeds of cash smuggling and money laundering. The State Dept. notes that many Pagcor casinos are "are located near small provincial international airports that may have less rigid enforcement procedures and standards for cash smuggling. Pagcor is the sole franchisee in the country for all games of chance, including lotteries." Nor has has Pagcor complied with the Philippines' own currency transfer-reporting.
For the this and other news of the day, plus Managing Editor David McKee's review of Tom Breitling's Double or Nothing, see Stiffs & Georges.
