Question of the Day - 28 May 2023

We turned up more than 50 Las Vegas-themed podcasts, so we’ll try to do justice to as many of them as possible.

The one we're most familiar with, of course, is the LVA YouTube Weekly Update. Anthony Curtis and Andrew Hunt have been producing this vlog every week for more than two years and they cover a lot of ground in terms of what's going on in the city that's of interest to locals and Vegasphiles from around the country and world. Here's the link to the latest one, where you can subscribe to be notified when the new ones are live; you can also keep an eye on our Vegas News feature, where we post the video itself a day or less after it's available for viewing.

Another one we really like is Talk About Las Vegas with Ira (talkaboutvegas.com), hosted by our long-time friend and Vegas PR connection Ira Sternberg. Every time we see Ira in person, he fondly reminisces about the time he, Anthony, and Deke bumped into one another at the media opening of the original MGM amusement park in 1993 and Anthony and Deke convinced him to take the Sky Screamer ride with them (their second time). Up to three riders were strapped into harnesses and hoisted 250 feet in the air, where one rider pulled the rip cord, launching them into a 100-foot freefall, then going for a long cosmic swing at up to 70 mph. Anthony and Deke put Ira, seriously afraid of heights, in the middle, where he nearly squeezed the life out of his fly partners, but everyone survived and created a lifelong memory. Ira invests his vast store of Sin City lore into a series of weekly half-hour interviews that venture well off the beaten path. Unlike many podcasters, he's more interested in his guests than himself and he gets right to it, querying the likes of classical pianist Emanuel Ax, architect Windom Kinsey, and rocker Jack Russell. Expect the unexpected.

Next up is Mobbed Up: The Fight for Las Vegas (Google/Apple/Spotify). Now in its second 11-episode season, Mobbed Up deals with Las Vegas’ most infamous denizens. Guests include Mob Museum curator Geoff Schumacher and former hit man Frank Cullotta (R.I.P.) and episodes run from 20 to 55 minutes. They have catchy titles like “Aladdin’s Curse” and provide a great deal of history in return for your time investment. 

Then there's Five Hundy by Midnight (direct download). The title is a line from the 1996 movie Swingers: "We're gonna be up five hundy by midnight." This one claims to be the oldest Vegas podcast in existence and, at 873 episodes and counting, who’s to quibble? Topics range from casino renovations to concert reviews and much much more. Not produced locally, it’s a smooth-sounding product that's supported by listener subscriptions on Patreon. Expect no-holds-barred discussions of all things Sin City. F-bombs abound.

For Vital Vegas (downloadable from the website), we need to address the elephant in the room. Host Scott Roeben is a lightning rod, both for his opinions and his reportage, which he admits includes “reckless speculation.” Episodes can run in excess of 75 minutes, so pack a lunch. He’s got access to some of the corridors of power; recent guests include El Cortez co-owner Kenny Epstein and Plaza Hotel CEO Jonathan Jossel. Updated when Scott gets around to it.

The Jeff Does Vegas Podcast (jeffdoesvegas.com) is hosted by Jeff Walker and is primarily showbiz-focused. There’s an optional $5 subscription, but you can stream it for free. New episodes are uploaded monthly. If you want to spend an hour a week with a chef or an illusionist, this is the ticket. The only arguable drawback is the boxy sound of the interview segments, clearly not conducted in the studio. Content trumps production values.

City Cast Las Vegas (Apple/Google/Stitcher) is one the questioner is familiar with. It has 246 episodes to date and is hosted by Dayvid Figler and the charming Vogue Robinson. This daily podcast is undemanding of your time (20-25 minutes per episode), state of the art, and venturesome. It might involve talking to Rep. Dina Titus one day and discussing natural wines in Las Vegas the next. It’s an excellent supplement to your everyday news consumption. Extra points for the funkadelic music backdrop.

If you're obsessed with the Las Vegas Raiders, Vegas Nation (Apple) is the podcast for you. It’s for Silver & Black addicts, sometimes updated multiple times a day. Produced by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, it whispers sweet nothings in the ear of Raiders owner Mark Davis, as topics are relentlessly upbeat. Don’t expect episodes like “Raiders miss the playoffs … again.” Do expect a sweaty locker-room atmosphere with content well suited to fantasy football nerds.

Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion in tomorrow's QoD.