Question of the Day - 29 May 2023

Yesterday, we ran through podcasts based in or fixating upon Las Vegas that we like. Here are some of the best and worst of the rest.

Podkats! (Google/Apple/Spotify) is from Las Vegas Review-Journal entertainment columnist and man about town John Katsilometes, maximizing his endless Rolodex to cut a wide swath of interview subjects, from fresh faces to a few we desperately wish would go away. Episodes run from 35 to 72 minutes, so it’s best to take an a la carte approach, picking and choosing podcasts based on your interest level. Kats has an agreeably breezy manner, top-flight production values, and a broad spectrum of Vegas entertainment. 

Vegas Revealed (vegas-revealed.com) is a bit rough and ready, but definitely up-to-date on the news. Co-host Dayna Roselli asks good questions and Sean McAllister is equally with it. Most episodes have a heavy entertainment skew with some hard news in the mix -- for instance, a near-definitive encapsulation of the Oakland Athletics soap opera in eight crisp minutes. 

On the Corner of Main Street (Apple/Spotify) is hosted by Plaza CEO Jonathan Jossel and as you might imagine, it's like a feature-length advertisement for the downtown casino. The presence of frequent guests such as Oscar Goodman and the inescapable Scott Roeben makes for a closed-feedback loop, though other guests, such as our own Anthony Curtis, open it up a bit.

The Wayne Coy Show (Facebook/YouTube) Got 90 minutes for a podcast? If you’ve got the time, Wayne Coy has plenty of sports-facing content. Production values are low by current podcasting standards but it has most of the virtues of talk radio with relatively few of its vices.

Golden Edge (Apple), a Golden Knights-focused podcast, went belly up last Sept. 22, never to be heard again. What a shame, as the Knights’ exciting seasons merit ongoing coverage. But the R-J threw in the towel on this venture, albeit leaving the archives online for Knights historians. R.I.P.  

Sloppily written promotional copy gives one a bad feeling heading into Vegas Confessions Podcast (PodBean), as do verbal gaffes like “Stations [sic] Casino [sic].” The hosts are very pleased with themselves and don’t do their homework and their podcast is about as organized as a cattle stampede. This is another podcast underwritten via Patreon and averages an hour per installment.

LAN Parties (Apple) isn’t a podcast about Las Vegas, but one that happens to be recorded locally. The subject matter is video games and esports, delivered with an annoyingly "among us" tone. Lots of “dude!” Perfect for people 40 years younger than us.