Warm up for the 4th at Sammy Hagar's All-American Beach Party Wednesday, July 2, at SOUNDWAVES on the Hard Rock's Paradise Beach, brought to you by Beach Bar Rum. Doors open at 8 p.m.; Sammy and the Wabos will be taking the stage at 9 to rock through the summertime hits. The Hard Rock says this is an "All Ages" show, so what the hey; party by the stage or enjoy the show from a poolside cabana, just because you can.
Tuesdays beginning at 8 p.m., The Linq Bloq Party is offering up a slew of discounts for locals, including half-price or two-for-one deals at Brooklyn Bowl, TAG, Squeeze, O'Shea's, Purple Zebra, Starbucks, Chayo Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar, and even rides on the High Roller. Your Nevada ID also gets you free admission to the Polaroid Fotobar and lots of shopping discounts. Oh, and the Fukuburger food truck will put in an appearance. Check here for a comprehensive list of locals deals.
Still haven't settled on your plans for the 4th? Hot local entertainers Zowie Bowie will perform at the Stratosphere's 4th of July pool party, featuring fireworks, and Pool Cafe food and drink specials. Admission is $10 per person, or you high rollers can shell out $28 to view the pyrotechnics from atop the Strat tower.
If your idea of a hot time is watching women gorge themselves on poultry, then you're in luck: Diablo's Cantina, Stripside in front of the Monte Carlo, is hosting its 4th annual "Hot Chicks vs. Hot Wings" wing-eating contest Tuesday, July 1. Watch 40 beautiful women eat their way to glory! Doors open at 9 p.m., with $5 pitchers and $3 well drinks as a bonus.
Get out your raincoats! Comedy icon and renowned mallet-wielder Gallagher, last seen here in a residency at the Tropicana, is bringing his act back to town for a limited engagement at the Golden Nugget, from July 8 through 19. Tickets start at $19.99, so get ready to get your fruit fix.
Find your spot early at the Fremont Street Experience and celebrate July 4 (or UFC Fight Week, take your pick) with a triple bill of Papa Roach, P.O.D. and Lit. The hits continue with Seether on Friday, August 9, and the quadruple threat of Fuel, Filter, Royal Bliss and Local H on Saturday, August 30. Not to mention the summer shows we've already announced here. Get prepared to start your bangin', or moshin', or whatever it is the kids are doing these days.
The Railroad Pass first won me over when I discovered a flyer in town for a $25 room night. Located just this side of Boulder City and surrounded by stark but scenic mountain views, it's always an affordable stop for a last night on your trip to Vegas, especially if you'd like to get a slight head start on your trip back South or East. Inside, the casino has plenty of slots, $5 blackjack, and even a $1 minimum craps table. Heck, I couldn't resist stopping in and racking up a $4 win rolling the bones. Speaking of bargains, they also have a $1 hot dog special on the marquee.
Aside from its virtues as a casino hotel, the Railroad Pass also offers a small museum, the Heritage Room, with photos and memorabilia from the casino's history, as well as artifacts from the area's mining days and the construction of nearby Hoover Dam. Originally opened in 1931, it claims to the nation's oldest continuously-operated casino; photos along the walls document its original construction and several incarnations after subsequent renovations. The Vegas history buff in me can't resist.
It may be the only state park in the United States that is actually within someone's city limits: The Old Mormon Fort State Park at the intersection of North Las Vegas and East Washington. It includes remnants of the original adobe structure built by Mormon missionaries in 1855 during their short-lived tenure in the valley. Hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and admission is only $1, with kids 12 and under getting in free.
Yes, there's an IHOP right here on the Strip, but you don't need to be a Vegas regular to benefit from this tip. Here's another reason why it pays to sign up for some of these e-mail lists: IHOP not only gave me a free Rooty Tooty, Fresh & Fruity Breakfast for my birthday, they recently e-mailed me another for my anniversary as a My IHOP member. So get out there and sign up today!
If you haven't been out to Town Square, the open-air shopping and dining center south of Mandalay Bay, they'll make it easy for you. Town Square is now offering a free shuttle service, picking up and dropping off at the valet entrances of Fashion Show Mall, Planet Hollywood, Tropicana, Silverton, South Point and WorldMark. Earliest pick-up is 10:30 a.m. at the Fashion Show, with the last drop at WorldMark at 8:55 p.m. Even better, they'll throw in a complimentary Town Square Rewards coupon book with over $1,000 in savings. For more information, call the Town Square Concierge at 702-269-5001, or visit their website,
If you prefer your novels to be of the graphic variety, you might want to head to South Point this weekend for the Amazing Las Vegas Comic Convention. More than 200 writers and artists will be on hand, everyone from Wolverine creators Len Wein and Herb Trimpe to My Little Pony artist Tony Fleecs. Oh, and a Doctor: Sylvester McCoy is scheduled to appear. Tickets are $35 for Saturday, $25 for Friday or Saturday, or $60 for the whole weekend.
Moe Dalitz may be best remembered for bringing Vegas the Desert Inn...with, um, some help...and although the Inn may be long gone, his legacy lives on in another of his projects, the Boulevard Mall on Maryland Parkway. A palm-lined drive lures you in to explore its elegant interiors. Opened in 1968, it was the happening place for generations of young Las Vegans for many years, and the largest mall in Southern Nevada until it was eclipsed by the Fashion Show Mall in the early 21st century. Today it is hanging on while seemingly every casino on the Strip wants to add a pedestrian shopping mall to its property; its utlimate fate may be tied to those of the big-name stores that anchor it, the Sears, Macy's and JC Penneys of the world.
The El Cortez paid tribute to longtime owner Jackie Gaughan this week by opening a new exhibit, "Jackie Gaughan's Downtown As Seen Through Gaming Memorabilia." Featuring artifacts from the nine casinos Gaughan owned or had a stake in, it's the first mobile display of the Museum of Gaming History, a project of the Casino Chip & Gaming Token Collector's Club. The much-beloved Gaughan at one point owned a chunk of Downtown's gaming action, although the El Cortez was always his crown jewel.
So, the SLS began running these gorilla images on their new vertical electronic billboard. Not sure what the point is: that the SLS is the new 900-pound gorilla on the block? In any case, the SLS announced today (that's right, we bring you breaking news on My Vegas Tip Sheet) that they'll be opening on August 23, one week ahead of their originally scheduled Labor Day weekend premiere. In any case, when the SLS does debut on the site of our dear departed Sahara, it will probably be the last new major casino to open its doors in Vegas until the Resorts International people build something across the street, so I would definitely check it out were I you. Now, will it revitalize that whole northern end of the Strip, past the Riviera and Circus Circus? Will people start talking about the Strip extending all the way north to the Stratosphere, as my last teacher insisted it does not? Will it even draw some of the crowds away from the recently revitalized downtown, as at least one local fears? Time will tell.
As we've mentioned before, the Monorail is a swell way to get around the Las Vegas Strip if you're not up for that four-mile walk each way, but for locals it's an even better deal: You can get your one-way ticket for $1 as long as the Customer Service booth is open, which it is between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. You out-of-towners, don't despair; you can still find discount coupons in many of the little magazines touting the Vegas attractions, including the special Monorail edition often available right there at the booth. Now, if they do someday end up extending the monorail to the airport, or across the street to the other convention centers, this will be an even better deal, won't it? But it'll do for now, it'll do.
The Home Plate Bar and Grill at Blue Diamond & Decatur has updated their hours for their Industry Night Pizza Buffet: It's now from 4 a.m to 7 a.m., and is free with $10 of play.
Sherman, set the wayback machine for The Day: the Legends of Hip Hop swoop into the Joint at the Hard Rock on August 2, featuring DMX, EPMD, Big Daddy Kane, Naughty By Nature, Biz Markie, Slick Rick, Black Sheep and Rob Base. For once a tour that lives up to its name; if that line-up doesn't have you ready to hip hop and not stop, you just weren't old-schooled in the same decade I was.
I ran across this little artifact recently, which had me thinking back to the glory days of the Westward Ho, the casino that used to sit between Circus Circus and the Stardust on the Strip. Recognizable by the big lighted umbrellas along its facade, I knew it from the coupons in Southwest Airlines' flight magazine trumpeting its $1 foot-long hot dog. Opened in 1971, it closed in 2005. The owners briefly opened another casino on Industrial Road called, simply, The Ho. There is so much wrong with that sentence I don't even know where to begin.
In the mood for some Celtic music? Brendan's Irish Pub at The Orleans features live entertainment Friday and Saturday nights. Upcoming acts include Killian's Angels on the 13th, Wild Celts on the 20th, and Finnegan's Wake on the 27th. Shows start at 9:00 p.m. and there's never a cover.
The Opera House has been attempting to lure me in for months now with its offer to come in for their 99-cent breakfast, so I finally broke down and did. (It's one biscuit and gravy.) Located on North Las Vegas Blvd. between its sister casino the Silver Nugget and the Poker Palace, by my estimate it's the smallest of the trio of My Card casinos. But in between the slots it still manages to fit in a bar and lounge area, the aforementioned diner (also advertising $5.99 ribs), and a bingo hall. And live entertainment! Saturday is Latin Night.
Here's a great meal deal for you Las Vegans: Boyd's Gaming is offering a $7.77 dinner buffet Sunday-Thursday for locals (to be precise, if your ID shows your zip code begins with either 890 or 891). Just swipe your B-Connected player's card at the kiosk at the Gold Coast, Orleans, Sam's Town or Suncoast. No word on when this promotion might expire so eat hearty while you can.
Pop quiz, hot shot: Let's say you won an Oscar for Best Actor, and you won it for singing what also went on to win the Oscar for Best Song. What do you name your band? Jeff Bridges and The Abiders, of course! The Crazy Heart star will show off those R.I.P.D. musical chops at Rocks Lounge at Red Rock resort, Friday June 20 and Saturday June 21. Get 'em while they're hot.
The Stratosphere is giving away $100 in free slot play to 50 winners each Saturday in June. AcePlay card members get one free entry, then earn another entry for each 100 base points earned that Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Ten winners are selected in each drawing at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m., and 10 p.m. Good luck!
The Fremont Street Experience has unveiled the acts who will be playing its free summer concert series on the heels of Three Doors Down's visit on June 14th, and they're some doozies. July 18, the Summerland Tour stop features Everclear, Soul Asylum, Eve 6 and Spacehog. Holey moley, time to dust off my copy of Whatever: The 90's Box Set. On August 15, rock legends Deep Purple will usher out the season.
Lucie's Lounge at E. Charleston and the 215 is celebrating its third anniversary today with a Customer Appreciation party, and you're invited! Festivities kick off at 2 p.m. and keep going all night long, with a free Italian buffet featuring Mike's Pizza, sausage and peppers, baked ziti, and cannoli (Mom's recipe), plus "massive" drink specials and dancing with a live DJ. Sign up for their player's card while you're there and try to score some bonus play, and keep coming back on Wednesdays for the free late-night comedy show.
Vegas and its record for keeping historic landmarks around being what it is, there may not be that many structures still standing that were built 70 years ago (even though the oldest surviving structure built by Americans of European ancestry is still here), but off East Charleston and Maryland Parkway you can find the historic Huntridge Theater. And since the Las Vegas Centennial Commission recently awarded a cool million to a group hoping to buy and preserve it, its prospects look better than they have since the state filed a suit against the current owners.
In fact, we're full of happy news on the historic preservation front today. According to the Las Vegas Weekly, it looks like the beloved neon sign at Davy's Locker, farther down Maryland Parkway, may see the light of night again. And the Erotic Heritage Museum is set to re-open this very weekend, June 7, with new management and new exhibits! Again, the Las Vegas Weekly has all the details. Things are looking up for this town.
Brooklyn Bowl at the Linq made a big splash in its Vegas debut with acts like Soullive and Elvis Costello with The Roots, and continues to book some of the biggest-ticket acts in the music business. But on other nights, it gives a space for up-and-coming local bands to perform, and for you to catch them for free. A special case is this Friday, June 6, at 7 p.m., when the Las Vegas WEEKLY hosts its Music Issue Showcase, featuring an EP release party by A Crowd of Small Adventures, plus L.A.-based The Moth & The Flame, Sabriel, Mercy Music and Totescity. Sign up here to enjoy the show plus complimentary cocktails by Jimador.
Whether you're Tuff N Uff or you just want to enjoy the show, Tuff N Uff: The Future Stars of MMA is celebrating the amateur MMA promotion's 20th year with this free event at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center, Saturday, June 7. Just go to UNLVTickets.com to sign up. The sponsors are also teaming up with Three Square Food Bank to collect donations for the local food bank, so bring some canned goods and drop them in the donation boxes; don't save them to throw in the ring.
More free summer sounds for you when the Downtown Grand hosts a street concert this Friday, June 6, at 7 p.m., starring blues guitar royalty and formerly Fabulous Thunderbird Jimmie Vaughn and the Tilt-A-Whirl Band. Just the way to kick off a music fest of a weekend with jazz legend Randy Brecker blowing some sweet notes at the Clark County Ampitheater at 7 p.m. Saturday, the penultimate show in the free Jazz in the Park series.
It pays to be on e-mail lists sometimes; thank goodness for all those years I spent entering online sweepstakes. US Weekly sent me an invite to their "Hot Bodies" party at Drai's Beach Club, on top of the Cromwell, on May 31st. Special guest was Extra host Maria Menounos, signing copies of her book, The Everygirl's Guide to Diet and Fitness, or, how she lost 40 pounds and so can you. Maria is her book's own best advertisement, because she was smokin'. I apologized for being overdressed and explained I was stopping off at IHOP later. Oddly enough, she told me she loves IHOP's pancakes. It doesn't show.
Of course this was also the best pretext ever for checking out Drai's, the new hot spot in town: Two decks of poolside cabanas, spectacular Strip views, plenty of shallow pools for splashin' action, palm trees, sofas and chairs with pink upholstery (they match the drapes), waiters bringing by trays of Better Than Peanut Butter shots, attendants standing by at the entrance to dispense towels and sunscreen, an adjacent dance club, and the beats thundering out while the young and beautiful party on in their swim togs.
Every chance I get, I take a walk downtown, step into Binion's and get my picture taken with a million bucks. If I can't look like a million bucks, I can at least look like I'm standing near a million bucks. It takes half an hour for your photo to be processed, so in the meantime you canamble around Binion's or go wandering up and down Fremont Street checking out the sights (or, in my case, using coupons for a free beer or breakfast wrap). (Or scouring the streets for loose change.) When your picture's ready you can go pick it up by looking for it in the stacks of pictures waiting at the Player's Club desk. This is one of my favorite parts of the process, because you get to look at all the pictures everyone else took and see how they posed. One classic shot had three burly guys about to come to blows over the money while their diminutive friend frantically tried to play peacemaker in the middle.
I've been doing this for a while, and some old-timers might remember that Back In The Day, the million dollars was in the form of an uncut sheet of $10,000 bills that hung in a glass case along one wall. This was before those wacky Binion kids inherited the place and, I guess, ran it into the ground, because years later a vendor outside the World Series of Poker was selling what he claimed was one of the $10,000 bills from the famed "Binion's Sheet." Who sells an uncut sheet of $10,000 bills so someone can break it up? Those same wacky Binion kids who ended up having to sell the casino to someone who only wanted it for the rights to the WSOP, that's sho.
