Monthly Archives: April 2010

April 30, 2010 · 12:28 PM

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Vs. Shane Mosely Las Vegas Slugfest

Floyd Mayweather Jr. , on left, is undefeated, a six-time world champion and perhaps the biggest draw in boxing. 

Shane Mosley is a great champion who’s past his prime and probably couldn’t carry a pay-per-view card by himself. 

However, it’s Mayweather who has the most to prove from Saturday night’s welterweight bout in Las Vegas (HBO Pay-Per-View). He’s arguably the most-skilled boxer in the world. 

Instead of that distinction drawing him praise, Mayweather is reviled for his defense-first style, as well as his big mouth. 

He prides himself on being the greatest ever (in large part to his 40-0 record) and at the same time he’s in a slugfest to be considered the best boxer today. 

Manny Pacquiao ostensibly holds that crown as much for his recent accomplishments as his penchant to be a warrior in the ring. Courage is what separates Mayweather and Pacquiao in many people’s perceptions — with Pacquiao being a gusty fighter while Mayweather hits and runs. 

Only time will tell who will emerge victorious.

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April 30, 2010 · 9:25 AM

Michael Jackson had a Gay Lover?

Since his death last year, every nutjob has come forward claiming to be Michael Jackson’s kid/wife/sperm donor/spiritual vessel.  So it’s surprising it has taken this long for anyone to put their hand up and say they were his gay lover. 

Jason Pfeiffer, a heavyset man in his mid-30s, was the former assistant to MJ’s dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein and now has come forward claiming he was the Pop King’s boyfriend.  

Dr. Klein claims he saw the couple together while Jackson was shirtless, adding, “When you see two people looking at each other you know what’s happening. I was just very happy for both of them.”

Klein, a lontigme confidant of Jackson’s, was rumored to be the biological father of the singer’s two older children, Prince and Paris. 

Pfeiffer, now a CEO of a medical company, says he began a “passionate and sexual” relationship with Jackson shortly after they met in 2008 in Klein’s office and continued up until Jackson’s death last June. 

“We were very close,” Pfeiffer reveals in an exclusive interview last night with “Extra” entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs. “I know we loved each other. I know he told me that all the time. I told him that all the time. I believe that he was probably my soul mate,” said Pfeiffer. 

The two reportedly bonded while talking about their childhoods. 

“We were just sitting there and we both started to cry and I got up and went over to him and said it’s going to be okay Michael… We hugged,” Pfeiffer adds. “And it was kind of then that the hug was a little bit more. It wasn’t until a few months later that it was obvious that Michael had feelings for me as well.” 

As to Michael’s denials that he was gay, Pfeiffer says, “I just assumed that he was probably bisexual.” 

Pfeiffer believes Michael would approve of him setting the record straight.

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April 30, 2010 · 9:17 AM

Criss Angel Wins “Magician of the Century” Award

Las Vegas magician and illusionist and Luxor headliner Criss Angel has won the “Magician of the Century” award, which was presented to him after Angel’s second “Believe” show this Tuesday by Tony Hassini, founder of the International Magicians Society. 

Hassini was at the center of a controversy last year when questions arose after his society reportedly honored three different female magicians as the top female magicians of the year for 2008, including former Las Vegas headliner “Scarlett — Princess of Magic.”

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April 28, 2010 · 3:32 PM

‘Stripper-Mobile’ Putt-Putts Back to Las Vegas

The creator of the “stripper-mobile” plans to bring it back to Las Vegas but officials say they’ll try to enact a permanent ban on the traveling nudie show. 

Larry Beard, the creator of the innovative truck featuring strippers dancing in the back in a lighted Plexiglas box to advertise local strip clubs, said he wants to bring it back after their national “tour” to participate in Las Vegas’ April 30 Pride Parade. 

The truck debuted in November 2009 with dancers from the Deja Vu and Little Darlings strip clubs, but when Clark County commissioners complained, Beard took it off the streets. 

Since then, the truck has gone to New Orleans for the National Football Conference championship game, then to Miami for the Super Bowl. It also spent some time in Tampa Bay and St. Louis. 

“I’d like to run it up and down the road {in Las Vegas} a couple times,” Beard said. “If I get half a chance, you know, I will.” 

Clark County Commission members say they want to rewrite an existing law to keep the “stripper-mobile” off the Sin City streets for good.

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April 28, 2010 · 3:32 PM

Harrah’s Entertainment Expands Rewards Program to Nongamblers

Each day in Las Vegas tens of thousands people spend oodles of money on nongaming activities.   Knowing this, Harrah’s Entertainment has recently come up with a new revenue enhancing idea- expanding their rewards programs to nongamblers. 

Customers signed up on the programs can now earn a reward point for every dollar spent in stores and restaurants at Harrah’s casinos.  Although the largest chunk of overall casino revenue is generated by gambling, that amount is falling as other segments, including rooms and drinks, is growing at warp speed.

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April 28, 2010 · 3:28 PM

Las Vegas Gay Pride Parade and Festival on April 30

Las Vegas Gay Pride is built around two key events: the Las Vegas Pride Parade, held on Friday, April 30, at 8 pm; and the Las Vegas Pride Festival, which takes place the following day, Saturday, May 1, from noon until 10 pm. Keep in mind, though, that there are a number of smaller gatherings and parties leading up to the big weekend – here’s a full calendar. 

Las Vegas’ first Gay Pride took place in 1983 – there’s a nice synopsis of the event’s history on the Pride Las Vegas website.

More than 10,000 people attended in 2009. 

Las Vegas performer Frank Marino acts will be the Grand Marshal on Friday during the Gay Pride Parade in downtown Las Vegas.    

The Pride Parade takes place in downtown Las Vegas at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 30. The parade route is along 4th Street from Charleston Blvd. to Ogden Avenue.

In 2009, organizers added a Parade Pre-Party, which takes place on Friday at 5:30 pm in the pedestrianized Fremont Experience section of downtown’s historic Fremont Street. 

The Las Vegas Pride Festival is set at the Clark County Government Center Amphitheater at 500 S. Grand Parkway on Sat., May 1 from noon until 10. This action-packed, all-day event always features a slew of notable entertainers. 

Of course, additionally, numerous gay bars as well as gay-popular restaurants, hotels, and shops have special events and parties throughout Pride Week. Please check local gay papers and websites, such as Q Vegas and GayLasVegas.com, for details.

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April 27, 2010 · 2:28 PM

Spinning Out of Control in Las Vegas

If you’ve driven through any major intersection in Las Vegas (or even along roads around the country) you’ve likely encountered one of them. They’re pumped up, rhythmic, sweating and holding (or spinning, or jumping over) some kind of sign while trying to make eye contact. In the industry they’re known as “human directionals,” and they take many forms—ranging from a man in an Astro Boy costume with a “COLONICS!” sign at Green Valley Parkway and Interstate 215 to Pelvis Cleansly, the colonics-crooner dressed like Elvis who works for A Gentle Cleanse on Wigwam Parkway and Pecos Road.

While we’re a bit, uh, murky on why human directionals point toward colonics so frequently, we do know this: Sign spinners are about more than clean colons. They’re used by all kinds of businesses. And in Las Vegas, they’re perennial.

A variety of companies offer the services of human directionals, a.k.a. sign twirlers or sign wavers. EyeShot, for example, lays claim to being the “original human directional company,” having been in the directional business for more than 26 years. EyeShot works with local businesses to pair them with its attentiongetting sign spinners.

The four or five times a year Cricket Communications uses human directionals from EyeShot, the business has a noticeable increase in traffic, says Traci Holman, office manager for Cricket in Las Vegas. “It drives business,” she says.

Sign spinners who work for Aarrow Advertising, which is based in San Diego but operates in Las Vegas and 26 other cities, puts its spinners through a boot camp. By the time they’ve hit the street corners they’ve learned up to 500 tricks out of Aarrow’s “tricktionary,” with names such as the Bruce Lee, the Helicopter and Jump Rope.

But it’s not just about the tricks, according to Joe Ambert, director of business operations for Aarrow. A large amount of training is devoted to the presentation of the sign—how to freeze it and give each of the thousands of passing cars time to read it. That personal touch, he says, is key.

“Traditional forms of advertising are becoming obsolete almost—radio, TV, print,” Ambert says. “Nowadays you have to have something new, you have to stay on top of it. Having street-level advertising that’s targeting the people one by one, or hitting each single target it really causes them to remember the message.” For five years, sign spinner and Aarrow director of training Johnny Aarrow (who legally had his name changed because, he says, he loves being a sign spinner) has worked to share many messages.

But to hear him talk, he’s received at least as much as he’s given.

“On a good day it gets to the level you would see at a concert when someone’s performing onstage,” he says. “There’s 10, 20 people leaning out of their cars screaming, ‘Yeah! That’s awesome!’ And we get tips and, I don’t know how appropriate this is, but I’ve definitely had a couple of people flash me on the corner. It’s full-scale performance. I put everything I have into it and I think people recognize that.”

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April 27, 2010 · 2:17 PM

Indians End Blood Feud

The University of Arizona has agreed to pay $700,000 to 41 Havasupai tribal citizens to settle claims that the university misused DNA samples given by tribe members over a decade ago. 

In 1989, some members of the small Grand Canyon-based Havasupai Indian tribe gave their blood to university researchers in order to participate in diabetes study. Tribal members later learned that samples of their DNA, without their knowledge or approval, had been analysed further, and played a key role in research conducted on schizophrenia, inbreeding, and one study even supported the Bering Strait Land Bridge theory. 

In addition to monetary compensation and returning blood samples, both ASU and ABOR formally apologized to the Havasupai tribe for the alleged wrong doing. 

Other important provisions of the agreement included a promise to collaborate with the Indians on various issues including health, education, economic development and engineering planning.

Also, a third party funding for a health clinic and high school is in the offing. 

Among the immediate gains will be tele-medicine services for Havasupai citizens, and scholarships for tribal members at ASU, the University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University. 

The tribe had originally asked for $50 million in its pre-litigation claim, and individuals who filed the other separate lawsuit sought $10 million. 

Carletta Tilousi, the lead plaintiff in the case and a tribal council woman, said she hopes the settlement will make a statement on behalf of all indigenous people that their cultures should be respected, not analysed by scientists.

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April 26, 2010 · 11:09 AM

Cirque du Soleil’s New Michael Jackson Show in Las Vegas

Cirque du Soleil has confirmed months of rumors and announced plans to unveil a Michael Jackson-based show in 2011 in Las Vegas. Shows, actually—there will be two of them.

The first, a touring arena show, will debut next fall and get “an extended run” in Las Vegas before the permanent Jackson show opens in late 2012.

Assuming none of the existing shows—KÀ, The Beatles Love, O, Mystère, Zumanity, Believe or Viva Elvis—don’t close between now and then, the incoming MJ spectacle will make the eighth resident Cirque show in Las Vegas.

Cirque is keeping tight-lipped about where the show will be housed, among other facts, but its promised “special lifestyle projects, including a nightclub.”  Rumors say the show will be at Mandalay Bay.

The new show announcement comes less than a year after Jackson’s death on June 25, 2009. 

Michael Jackson’s estate will receive royalties from the projects—but it will also share in half the costs of “creating, developing, building and producing” the shows, too.

The size and scope of the Cirque show will be unprecedented, including larger than life 3-D technology and most likely the largest budget for any Las Vegas show.

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April 26, 2010 · 11:03 AM

“The Hills” Returns to MTV as Heidi Montag Reveals New Body

“The Hills” will be returning for one last season when it premieres Monday, April 27 on MTV. The final 12 episodes of the long-running series will deal with rumors about Kristin Cavallari, the brief return of Lauren Conrad and the ongoing drama that is Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt. The trailer for the final season hints at both marriage trouble and the controversy surrounding Montag’s series of plastic surgeries, which have severely altered her appearance. 

Montag, whose album Superficial has stalled despite early buzz, unveiled her new body – which has not stalled – in Las Vegas on April 10 when she donned a bikini to sit poolside at the Liquid Pool at Aria at CityCenter.

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April 25, 2010 · 4:45 AM

Entertainment & Exercise Collide in AIDS Walk in Las Vegas on April 25

Entertainment and exercise collide for a good cause at the 20th annual AIDS Walk Las Vegas on April 25.

The event, starring Penn & Teller as grand marshals, gets under way at 8 a.m. at the World Market Center.

The illusionists once again challenge the 8,000 or so walkers to take their “Team Challenge,” vowing to match all donations. Last year, P&T raised more than $120,000, and the entire walk raised about $550,000.

Cher’s director and choreographer, Doriana Sanchez, will perform at this year’s event, as will Peepshow’s Josh Strickland, and DJ Axis.

The walk, AFAN’s largest fundraiser, helps support those infected with HIV and AIDS in Southern Nevada.

Although registration is free, a minimum donation of $35 per person is encouraged. It includes an official AIDS Walk Las Vegas T-shirt. Afanlv.org

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April 24, 2010 · 3:44 PM

First DJ ‘Throwdown’ in Las Vegas

DJs are firmly entrenched in nearly every entertainment nook and cranny in Las Vegas.  Now they get to show who has the best music blending talent of all in the first ever Las Vegas DJ Awards.

The event is Sunday, April 25 at The Bank nightclub in Las Vegas.  About 40 Djs will duke it out across 12 categories for the title of top turntablist in Sin City, including Best Local Following, Best Female and Sexiest DJ. While there are no cash prizes, winners get trophies and bragging rights for the next 365 or so days.  Doors open at 10:30 p.m., $30 cover, Las Vegas residents free. Vote for your favorites at www.jackcolton.com/lvdjawards

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April 24, 2010 · 3:35 PM

Shayne Lamas Ties Quick Knot with Nik Richie in Las Vegas

Shayne Lamas, daughter of actor Lorenzo Lamas and recent DUI recepient, is also known for getting picked by Matt Grant in Season 12 of The Bachelor in 2008.  Lamas was proposed to on the show by Grant (photo on right).  Now we learn she has apparently gotten married to someone else that she hasn’t even known for more than a week! 

Lamas, after a brief commitment cementing day or so with TheDirty.com’s Nik Richie, photo on left, the two lovebirds got hitched on April 18 at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas.

They opted for the Michael Jordan package and the wedding set the couple back more than $500, but it included 36 digital pictures (ready to post to MySpace) and a DVD of the ceremony (perfect for e-Bay, though a DVD of the wedding night would sell better).

Richie confirmed the nuptials on Twitter, saying, “Last night I got married to an amazing person and we are extremely excited to share our lives together.” 

The newlyweds after their wedding boogied down to the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas to celebrate their union as any respectable couple looking to get their new life together off to a good start would: posing for the paparazzi at Wyclef Jean’s afterparty at Vanity.

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April 23, 2010 · 3:00 PM

Michelle “Bombshell” McGee Bumps & Grinds in Las Vegas Tonight

Though Jesse James’ alleged mistress was just dropped from a recent Miami, Florida performance gig, and many other gigs as well because of public outrage over her planned appearances, Michelle “Bombshell” McGee has apparently found a much more “friendly” topless place to literally hang out– Las Vegas!  

On April 23 at midnight, she is set to make her first Las Vegas appearance, signing autographs, posing for photos, and dancing topless at Déjà vu Showgirls club in Las Vegas. 

According to the Déjà vu advertising and marketing director director Larry Beard, the club is taking advantage and riding on to her popularity right now. McGee will be paid $5,000 by the club, apart from the tips she will get.

There will also be a large group of tattoo enthusiasts attending.

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April 23, 2010 · 2:19 PM

Mr. Las Vegas’ Last Stand at the Tropicana

If you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing Wayne Newton, known as “Mr. Las Vegas,” then Saturday is your last chance to see him at the Tropicana. 

Wayne Newton’s show “Once Before I Go” at the Tropicana’s Tiffany Theater ends April 24.  The show is backed by full orchestra and celebrates the iconic performer’s 50-year career entertaining Strip-goers with jokes; banjo, fiddle and guitar skills; and tunes such as “Danke Schoen” and “Great Balls of Fire,” during which he’s been known to play the piano with his toes a la Jerry Lee Lewis. 

Classic photos and videos, as well as Newton’s signature “meet and greets” with the audience, add to the fun. Ticket prices range from $69.99–$168.99 VIP; the latter includes a “golden circle” seat, meet and greet with Wayne Newton plus photo taken with Wayne. 

The Tropicana plans to remodel the showroom after his exit, but comedian Paul Rodriguez will have a month’s engagement in the interim starting May 3, with a special Cinco de Mayo show in Spanish. 

Tropicana: 3801 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 800-634-4000.

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April 23, 2010 · 1:10 PM

Project Dinner Table Launches in Las Vegas

There is no shortage of delicious, multi-course meals or acclaimed chefs to prepare them in Las Vegas, yet now a new dinner series is bringing something different to the table.

Project Dinner Table debuts April 24 and aims to showcase Las Vegas produced ingredients in a unique setting.  The inaugural meal invites discerning, community-minded diners to take one of about 150 seats at the table—yes, the table; there is only one but it’s very long—and enjoy a six-course meal at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Orchard in North Las Vegas.

The menu is prepared by Sensi chef de cuisine Roy Ellamar and includes a salad using Overton-based Quail Hollow Farms greens, grass-fed beef (from Bar 10 in northern Arizona) served with vegetables grown at the Las Vegas Gilcrease Orchard.

Part of the proceeds from the $150-a-plate meal will support Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada, and the venue and chef will change with every monthly installment of the series.

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April 23, 2010 · 12:58 PM

Death of Marie Osmond’s Son Ruled a Suicide

Coroner’s officials say the death of Marie Osmond’s son, 18-year-old Michael Bryan, has been ruled a suicide and that drugs or alcohol didn’t play a role in the teen’s leap from an eight-story balcony in Los Angeles in February. 

Bryan left behind a suicide note, but the coroner’s office wanted toxicology results before ruling on his cause of death.  The findings were released on April 21. 

Bryan was one of five children that Osmond and her ex-husband adopted.  

Osmond and her brother, Donny, took a brief break from their Las Vegas show before returning with a tribute to Bryan in March.

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April 23, 2010 · 11:57 AM

Thousands of people expected at Laughlin, Nevada motorcycle rally

Thousands of bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts are arriving now in the Colorado River resort town of Laughlin, Nevada and will be there over the next few days for a weekend motorcycle rally. 

The 28th annual Laughlin River Run is one of the largest ride-in motorcycle rallies in the western U.S. 

Attendance last year was 33,600, but in past years crowds have topped 60,000. 

The weekend rally was marred by a fatal biker gang shootout in 2002 when three people were killed and more than a dozen were injured in a brawl between Hell’s Angels and the Monogols at Harrah’s Laughlin.

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April 22, 2010 · 12:16 PM

Dead Las Vegas Topless Club May Miraculously Get Resuscitated

Christopher Condotti, a trucking company owner from Chicago, has just been approved by the United States Department of Justice to purchase the long defunct Crazy Horse Too topless bar and nightclub in Las Vegas for $10.5 million. 

The extremely popular bar closed in July, 2007 and was once the haunt of porn star Jenna Jameson who used to strip there.   And the nightclub was frequented nightly by many celebrities and politicians.

The bar’s previous owner, ex-felon Rick Rizzolo, is still obligated to pay court ordered debts amounting to more than $17 million dollars including $10 million to beating victim Kirk Henry which must come totally from the sale of the bar. 

However, the pending sale to Condotti (listed under CC Holdings LLC, where Condotti is manager) for less than $17 million leaves Rizzolo responsible for making up the deficit from his personal assets most likely hidden in the Cook Islands, according to court records. 

Because of the club’s close proximity to other adult uses, it was grandfathered in and operated for many years on a Special Use Permit that expired in 2008 following the bar’sclosure by the City of Las Vegas based on it being a public nuisance. 

The current sale is dependent on the Las Vegas City Council granting Condotti a change of zoning and a permanent liquor license according to the ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT, released on April 21.  The sale is contigent upon the club being granted several licenses, including a special-use zoning permit, a liquor license, a tobacco license and a retail sales license.  The deadline for getting those is Nov. 30, 2010. 

Included in the Order of Forfeiture filed in 2008, and the following document filed in U.S. Federal Court on January 29, 2010, Rizzolo agreed to stand personally responsible to pay the difference in the event the Crazy Horse Too does not sell for an amount adequate to pay his court ordered debts. He did so in exchange for a feather light prison sentence.

Based on the current sale, it’s probable that Rick and Lisa Rizzolo’s hidden off shore assets will be seized to pay the deficit in the likely event Kirk Henry or the government prevails at a Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act (UFTA) jury trial tentatively scheduled for September 2010. 

The seizure is expected unless Rick Rizzolo’s attorneys can effectively convince the jury that their client is broke, and that he transferred half his assets to his ex-wife during a legitimate divorce that was finalized one month before he began plea negotiations, and following the filing of Mr. Henry’s personal injury lawsuit.  To see the full ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT, click here.

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April 22, 2010 · 11:32 AM

Cheap Beer Buzz Comes to Las Vegas

Nothing beats sweltering 110-degree days in Las Vegas and chugging down cold suds.  7-Eleven is banking on it.  The third largest beer retailer is rolling out their store-brand beer at a budget price- but, they say, with a premium taste. 

The Game Day beer launch, happening this month at 7-Eleven stores nationwide, takes advantage of the current economic downturn, hoping a long, cold one is the elixir for sagging beer sales. 

Game Day beer follows the introduction of the Yosemite Road private-label wines in 7-Elevens last year. 

Game Day comes in two varieties. Game Day Light is 3.9 percent alcohol by volume and 110 calories per 12 ounces. Game Day Ice is 5.5 percent alcohol and 155 calories. The price is between $6.99 and $8.99 for a 12-pack, depending on local taxes and distribution costs, and 24-ounce singles are available for between $1.49 and $1.89. 

The beer is being made by the 150-year-old City Brewery in La Crosse, Wis., one of the country’s largest contract brewers.

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April 22, 2010 · 11:12 AM

Parrothead Revival in Las Vegas

Parrotheads in Las Vegas can breathe a deep sigh of relief- paradise, at long last, is coming!  Jimmy Buffet and his Coral Reefer Band will be serving up a grand buffet with way more then cheeseburgers and margaritas when they take the stage at the MGM Grand Gardens Arena in Las Vegas on Sat., Oct. 23.  

The 63-year-old singer/songwriter is ageless.  On April 24 in Tampa, Florida, Buffet will kick off his “Under the Big Top” tour, which will find the veteran entertainer backing a new live double-album and trekking across over 16 U.S. cities in 2010. 

“Buffet Hotel” was his latest studio release and first since 2006’s “Take the Weather with You,” surfaced late last year.

Tickets for the Las Vegas performance will go on-sale Mon., April 26 through TicketMaster.com  A word to the wise:  Strive to be the first as tickets go quickly.  

Until then, you’ll have to be content to just nibble on sponge cake and watch the sun bake in good ol’ Sin City.

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April 21, 2010 · 1:27 PM

Marilyn Monroe’s Bust on Las Vegas Casino Auction Block

It may be one of the most famous busts in the world, and Las Vegas’ Planet Hollywood Casino & Hotel is offering fans a unique chance to snap up a picture of Marilyn Monroe’s chest as they’ve never seen it before.

A rare X-ray of the iconic film star’s torso will be going up for auction at the casino resort this summer. 

The radiograph was originally taken in November 1954 at the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Florida as the ‘Some Like it Hot’ star underwent surgery for a condition of the womb called endometriosis.  One entrepreneurial young doctor decided to keep the scan as a souvenir, later passing it on to his daughter who decided to put it up for sale at the vintage Hollywood-themed Vegas casino.  So much for patients’ rights…

Other memorabilia owned by the star, who passed away at the age of 36 in 1962, which will go up for auction at Planet Hollywood on June 26 include her therapy couch, a pair of skis bearing the initials “MM,” and a bottle of her Chanel No5 perfume.

Certainly, the film star’s cult following will ensure that there is no shortage of interest when the auction takes place later this summer, and Monroe fans from across the globe are expected to flock to Planet Hollywood to take home, if lucky, a little piece of sexy cinema history.

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April 21, 2010 · 11:16 AM

Men’s Journal Names Las Vegas on “Best Places to Live” List

Las Vegas now has a spot in Men’s Journal’s “Best Places to Live 2010” list, but, sadly, there’s a pock mark on the distinction:  The honor is largely attributed to the foreclosure crisis that has cost thousands of people their homes. 

“Buy Someone Else’s Dream House,” the headline proclaims before giving a brief description of the city’s housing woes. 

 “The good news?” the magazine reads, “You can get a recently built house in a great area with mountain biking, climbing and a bit of nightlife nearby, for $100 per square foot.” 

It’s true, record foreclosures — Nevada led the nation in March and was high on the foreclosure list for many months — have created a small housing boom, as thousands are taking advantage of low prices and the soon-to-expire federal tax credit.

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April 21, 2010 · 10:05 AM

Las Vegas Tapped for World Travel and Tourism Summit

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has selected Las Vegas as the host city for its 2011 Global Travel & Tourism Summit, following an endorsement from local tourism organizations. Earlier the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) had voted to invest $1.5 million in the event, which is scheduled for May, 2011.

With heads of industry and government from around the world expected, the Aria Resort & Casino has been selected to host the prestigious event.

WTTC chief executive Jean-Claude Baumgarten told the Associated Press recently the group had selected Las Vegas in part because the city is symbolic of tourism in the United States.

“We cannot choose a better place than Las Vegas,” Mr Baumgarten explained. “The whole economy, all of what we are seeing, all the impacts of travel and tourism on the economy, on jobs, on the future and investment make Las Vegas a better choice.”

Approximately 244,000 people are employed in the leisure and hospitality industry in Las Vegas – more than 30 per cent of Las Vegas’ total work force – according to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

The so-called Sin City is famous for gambling as much as tourism.

This year’s WTTC summit is scheduled to begin in Beijing, China on May 25th.

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April 20, 2010 · 11:11 AM

Las Vegas Golf Courses Thirst for Players– Offer FREE BEER!

There’s nothing better when you’re in Las Vegas and playing golf on a sweltering summer day on a terrific golf course and popping open a cold, free beer. That’s right….free beer. That’s the latest attraction when you tee it up at OB Sports’ Angel Park Golf Club or The Legacy Golf Club in Las Vegas. 

It’s easy. Just bring in your group of 24 players or more to either Angel Park course—the Mountain or the Palm— or The Legacy between June 11 and Sept. 3 and the beer is on the house.  The cost is as low as $55 per player and includes green fee, cart, practice balls, tournament coordination and—of course—the beer. Click here for details or to sign up. 

The thirst-quenching deal runs Monday through Thursday (Friday, Saturday and Sunday play is available at special pricing) and could be just the ticket for your group or employee outing, charity event or a client outing. 

“We’re putting a big push on for this summer to give our golfers added value,” said David Bogue, General Manager at Angel Park. “We’ll be working with our beer vendors and our partners to come up with specials and to make sure we’re giving the players not only a great place to play golf, but also a great value. It will be anywhere from a couple of beers for each player in a group of 24 to maybe a keg for groups of 40. We just want to make sure the players know we’re here to take care of them.”

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April 20, 2010 · 10:18 AM

Halfway to Halloween Parties in Las Vegas

Look down the Strip and many will swear Halloween is everyday in Sin City.  Now, though, Las Vegas is hosting a couple of  “Halfway to Halloween Parties,” where people are being encouraged (?) to morph into naughty nurses, sexy vampires, or whatever purient interest happens to suit their demanted fantasy.

And it’s not just for fun and games- the winner of the most seductive costume pockets $5,000.  (That can pay for a whole lot of psychological counseling!)  Besides, the winner is not selected using some fancy schmantzy algorithm, but rather merely  from the most oohs and aahs of onlookers.  So, bring all your rowdy friends and maybe you can pull off the ultimate economy-busting coup.

The event is at Blush nightlcub in Wynn tonight, Tues., April 20, at 9 p.m.; $30 for dudes, free for dudettes.

But if you can’t make it to that event, you’re welcome to join former “Girls Next Door” star Bridget Marquardt -Hugh Hefner’s old fling; now her boyfriend is Nicolas Carpenter – as she hosts “Halfway to Halloween” at Eva Longoria Parker’s luxurious nightclub, Eve, this Sat., April 24.  

 Known for her love of playing dress up, Marquardt will host a sexy and scary costume party for those who don’t want to wait another six months to strut their stuff in costume. 

For those ready to go all out in the springtime spirit of Halloween, Eve will reward the top three costumes with $3,000 in cash prizes.  For VIP bottle service and table reservations please contact reservations@evethenightclub.com or call 702-277-3838. Doors open at 10:30 p.m. 

Sponsored by Nevada’s largest costume retailer, HalloweenMart (HalloweenMart.com), guests will enjoy 10% off their costumes when they use the promotional code “Eve” at the store (on South Decatur Blvd. just south of Russell Road), or on the website. 

Parker’s opulent nightclub Eve is located directly above her celebrated steakhouse, Beso, in Crystals at CityCenter. Eve is open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10:30 p.m. to close. Eve is located at 3720 Las Vegas Boulevard South, at the entrance at The Park across from ARIA. For more information about Eve, visit the website at www.evethenightclub.com or call 702-227-3838.

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April 19, 2010 · 4:49 PM

Nevada Outlaws Get Free Newspaper Fame- for Weeks!

Who says journalism is dead?  Pshaw! It’s merely focused now on the seedier aspects of life and living, displaying alleged outlaws for all to see! 

Mugshot photo galleries are increasingly popular features on newspaper websites, which are on blitzing crusades for ever more page views and the advertising revenue that accompanies additional eyeballs. 

Big newspaper dailies still hanging around, like New York’s Newsday and the Chicago Tribune, have also quickly caught on to the trend.  Mugshot mania is especially prevalent in Florida, where liberal public-records laws make it easier to obtain these photos. 

 “It’s a huge traffic driver for us,” says Roger Simmons, digital-news manager for the Orlando Sentinel, where mug shots garner about 2.5 million page views a month, 6% of the site’s total. The Palm Beach Post estimates its online police blotter, which streams its own ads, drew half of the site’s 45 million page views. 

And Las Vegas has long been the home of local weekly tabloid magazines that display page after page of photographs taken of partygoers in the nightclubs and casinos, partying themselves into oblivion.  It’s worked like magic for them, drawing in readers and advertisers, so why not a theme on a variation? 

That’s the thought of the new kid on the Nevada block, Max Cannon, another publisher of the bleary-eyed and stupefied mugshots.  He’s the founder of Florida-based SafeCITY Publishing, which for $1 offers readers a non-traditional newspaper, Local Mugshots, a brazen photo compendium of people arrested in Nevada for all sorts of nefarious and not so dastardly alleged crimes, including drugs, gang activity, DUIs, sexual crimes- or maybe just an expired driver’s license, much to the chagrin of many. 

After being published in 25 cities across the U.S. – boasting 208 fugitive apprehensions nationwide since 2007 – Cannon has now focused his crosshairs on Nevada, creating the first West Coast version of the publication that has been around for about eight months.  About 15,000 to 20,000 copies are distributed to 80 locations throughout Clark and Washoe counties in Nevada every two to three weeks.  In Las Vegas, it is available at most 7-Eleven, AM/PM and Fills locations, and the distributor is working on increasing its presence to about 20 more locations. 

Canon,  who started the publication about nine years ago in Tennessee, can’t say for certain why it’s been so popular, but conjectures that it’s the possibility of recognizing someone. “There’s a good likelihood that at some point in time, they’re going to see someone that they’re going to see someone they went to school with or with, as opposed to watching something on America’s Most Wanted,” he says. 

Stephen Bates, a UNLV journalism professor who teaches media law, begs to differ, feeling it is doing more harm than good.  “It seems a little irresponsible to feature people who have been arrested and not been charged with any crime. It’s tarnishing people’s reputations.”

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April 19, 2010 · 3:58 PM

Las Vegas Open Casting Call for “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” TV Show

Mark McGrath is hosting auditions this Saturday in Las Vegas, seeking seeking contestants to appear on a hit game show. 

On Sat., April 24th an open casting call will be held for the all-new syndicated version of “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” Set to premiere in the Fall, 2010, “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” is a musical game show that tests contestants’ knowledge of song lyrics from different genres, decades and artists.

Mark McGrath, a member of the multi-platinum group, Sugar Ray, will host “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” where he brings ordinary people center stage for a chance to win a fortune – just by knowing the words to the biggest hit songs ever recorded. 

The auditions will be held on Sat., April 24th from 11a.m. to 4 p.m. at Bonkerz Comedy Club, 2411 West Sahara Ave., in Las Vegas.

A photo ID is required as contestants and their guests must be 21 years or older to audition. Casting is seeking contestants that are fun, outgoing and very knowledgeable of popular song lyrics. Also contestants must be willing to sing the songs on the game show. 

Whether your cup of tea is Motown or Country, or anything in between, they’re looking for all types of music fans as the songs are hits, from the 50s to present day Top 40. 

“Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” originally premiered on July 11, 2007, on FOX television and became one of the most popular shows in America, as well as an international phenomenon. 

For an application and further details please log on to http://www.dftl.tv.

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April 18, 2010 · 8:21 AM

Tony Curtis in Las Vegas Today

Award-winning film icon Tony Curtis,  a Henderson, Nevada resident, returns to the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road in Las Vegas at 2 p.m. this Sunday.  Program events include a special screening of “Some Like It Hot,” the 1959 classic he co-starred in with Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe; a reading; a chat with his wife, Jill; and a Q&A session.

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April 17, 2010 · 12:20 PM

Kim Kardashian Bares All- Naturally!

Kim Kardashian just loves showing up for red carpets and partying in Las Vegas, especially Jet nightclub in The Mirage– that is unless she’s got a better offer to take it all off! 

If you’ve ever wanted to see Kim Kardashian au natural, you’re in for a treat.  She stripped down totally nude for a photo shoot that is in the May 2010 issue of women’s magazine Harper’s Bazaar. 

The photo is untouched, i.e., there’s no airbrushing involved. It seems this is becoming a Hollywood trend. Jessica Simpson recently did it for Marie Claire and Brittney Spears released both an airbrushed and untouched photo of herself for a Candies ad.  But Kardashian trumps them because she was totally nude.  Who knew celebs wanted us to feel better about ourselves and let us know it’s ok to be au natural? 

The jet-setting Kardashian likes taking it off in other ways, too.  Last week the former Playboy model, 29, was spotted making out with Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, 25, in a top restaurant after she watched him play for Spanish team Real Madrid. Then, after dining, she quickly followed Ronaldo to his mansion and discretely disappeared for a few hours. 

But that was last week. Yesterday, shortly after her long and luxurious Beverly Hills mani/pedi, Kardashian headed to LAX and is en route to Australia- as she excitedly tweeted earlier today: “Australia here we come!!!!”  Who knows what new mischief she’ll be getting into…?

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April 17, 2010 · 12:09 PM

Lady Antebellum & Miranda Lambert Weekend in Las Vegas

In the fickle music biz, careers many times breeze in and out like the capricious winds. 

Last year the Nashville trio Lady Antebellum, right, – “Lady A” to their fans – didn’t win the one category they were nominated in last year (for Top Vocal Group), but this year it’s a whole new story. They’re the favored front-runner, with seven nominations for Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. 

Lady Antebellum’s free performance drew a huge crowd to Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas last night.  Some said the show drew upwards to 20,000 people. If so, that would make it the largest non-New Year’s Eve gathering ever on Glitter Gulch and the biggest in the four-year tradition of ACM-related concerts. 

Nominated for seven awards, the group attended last Wednesday’s “American Idol” show and did a post-show taping of their hit “Need You Now.” Their performance will be part of the “Idol Gives Back” show next week. 

Lady Antebellum announced on Friday that their latest, “American Honey,” was the band’s third consecutive No. 1.  Lady Antebellum’s current single, “Need You Now,” is No. 4 on Billboard’s overall Hot 100 song chart, sandwiched between Train and Lady Gaga. 

Miranda Lambert, right, a six-time nominee for Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards show, though, will prove tough competition.  She heads an ACM-filled lineup of free concerts tonight at the Fremont Street Experience. Lambert performs from 10:45 to midnight on the Third Street stage. Kicking off the evening from 7-7:30 p.m. at the First Street stage will be Joey + Rory, the Top Vocal Duo nominee. Gloriana, the Top New Vocal Group nominee, plays from 7:45-8:25 p.m., also at the First Street stage. The Randy Rogers Band, nominated for Top Vocal Group, performs from 8:40-9:25 p.m. on the Third Street stage. Luke Bryan, winner of the Top New Solo vocalist award, precedes Lambert, from 9:40-10:30 p.m., performing on the First Street stage. 

If you’re lucky enough to catch Lambert and others tonigt performing live in Las Vegas, it’s a good deal.  The ceremonies at the MGM Grand Garden are a pricey ticket if you don’t have friends at a record label, topping out at $450 for something you can watch free at home. (The 5 p.m. festivities air on CBS, live on the East Coast and tape-delayed on Las Vegas KLAS-TV, Channel 8, at 8 p.m.) 

Most of the ACM stars will stick around Monday in Las Vegas for “Brooks & Dunn — The Last Rodeo,” an all-star tribute concert that will be taped at the MGM for a separate CBS show airing next month. Tickets are $108 to $208 for the 7:30 p.m. show in which the likes of Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney and George Strait will salute the venerable duo of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn before they hang it up. 

The ACM Awards ride country music’s ever-growing popularity; what once was a niche genre is getting harder to distinguish from any remaining notions of a separate pop world. 

Last year’s ACM broadcast drew 14.8 million total viewers, a 26 percent gain from the year before. “It’s a happy problem,” says Barry Adelman, a producer and writer for the broadcast. “We’re not trying to fix something that’s dipping, we’re trying to keep something that’s going up, going up even higher.” 

And lest we forget…Garth Brooks isn’t performing at Wynn Las Vegas this weekend. But Steve Wynn did buy him that private jet and the pilot surely knows the route by now. And who would want to leave that guy out of a weekend like this one?

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April 16, 2010 · 11:55 AM

Pamela Anderson’s Terrible Plight

What’s that saying about all that glitters?   Pamela Anderson (her photo serving food to the needy is on our Las Vegas Backstage Access masthead), who was once a regular celebrity fixture at Las Vegas nightspots and ex-girlfriend to Tommy Lee, has largely vacated the  nightclub scene. Now we may know why… 

News of Pamela Anderson’s ever-worsening financial situation is upstaging news of a possible “Dancing with the Stars” comeback, as details about her tax bill have come to light.   

In one of the most alarming reports yet for the blond bombshell (and that’s saying something), the state of California announced this week that Anderson owes a whopping $493,000 in delinquent income taxes.  

Rumors about Anderson’s financial woes are nothing new. About six months ago, reports surfaced claiming that Anderson owed over $1 million to contractors she’d hired to renovate her Malibu, California home.   

Anderson countered by saying her lawyers were “reviewing the work done” to investigate the possibility of unfair bills, and that while she was indeed the subject of tax liens to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars, she was still ”financially secure.” She even waxed rhapsodic about her temporary digs, a double-wide trailer at the beach.  

Reports have called Anderson’s chipper claims into question, as have a number of unglamorous appearances she’s been making as of late. A few months ago, she made a promotional appearance at a Pennsylvania Rite-Aid to hawk her new fragrance, Malibu. In February, she pitched her products to shoppers at a Southern California Sears. Last week, she attended the “launch” of a milkshake.  

But, for now, she still has “Dancing” to keep her busy. Anderson recently took to her Facebook page to rave about how transformative her stint on the ABC show has been.  

“I feel like I’ve gone from ‘Baywatch’ to this,” she gushed. “The last 15 years have just disappeared (in some respects).”

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April 16, 2010 · 10:39 AM

Las Vegans Relish Vegan Restuarants

It’s not easy finding really good vegan food hotspots in Las Vegas.  So, here’s seven good ones for your discerning vegan palate:

Rainbow’s End  This market and café is full of natural foods and has a wonderful vegetarian/vegan café. The most popular dish—for more than 30 years—is the Green Goddess pita sandwich ($7.49), which features avocado, cucumber, tomato, grated carrots and beets, onions, Vegenaise and cheese. There are some wickedly tasty desserts, too, including a sinful organic peanut-butter chocolate pie. Café open for breakfast and lunch 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and noon to 5 p.m. Sat.; market open 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Fri, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat. and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun.; 1100 E. Sahara Ave., 702-737-1338.

Go Raw Café  Considered by many the only truly vegan kitchen in Las Vegas,  this restaurant lives up to its name by serving cuisine made of raw ingredients, such as the Gimme the Beet “Cheese” Burger ($10.88, with fries), which consists of beets, carrots, sunflower seeds and parsley served on living bread with handmade ketchup, mustard, mayo, onion, tomato, lettuce, sprouts, avocado and almond cheese. 2910 Lake East Dr., 9 a.m-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun., 702-254-5382, and 2381 E. Windmill Lane, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun., 702-450-9007.

Red Velvet Café  This Las Vegas vegan hot spot is known for its amazing food, stylish décor and friendly atmosphere. The extensive menu, featuring dishes such as spaghetti and meatballs vegan-style ($10.99), will satisfy the pickiest eater. 7875 W. Sahara Ave., 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 702-360-1972.

Samosa Factory Indian Cuisine  Samosa claims to serve the best vegan and vegetarian food in Las Vegas, and it certainly offers affordable food with great taste. See for yourself, with dishes such the Baigan Bharta, charbroiled eggplant with onions and tomato, or the Veggie Kofta Curry, which includes opo squash, chickpea flour and garlic. All of these dishes are served with basmati rice and cost $11. Lunch 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Fri., dinner 5-9 p.m. Mon.-Thurs. and 5-10 p.m. Fri., noon-10 p.m. Sat.; 4604 W. Sahara Ave., 702-804-0293.

Paymon’s Mediterranean Café & Lounge  This is a vegan-friendly place, but you might call ahead to make arrangements for your meal. Try the lentil soup ($2.95 cup, $6.25 bowl) and the rich hummus for lunch. 4147 S. Maryland Parkway, 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. (lounge open to 1 a.m.), 702-731-6030; and 8380 W. Sahara Ave., 11 a.m. 1 a.m., 702-731-6030.

Panevino Ristorante & Gourmet Deli  This alluring restaurant is very vegan-friendly. They make a delicious wholewheat penne with vegan sauce ($22), and it even has homemade vegan desserts.  The catch? You will need to call at least 24 hours ahead of time to make arrangements for a vegan meal. That may be a pain, but the great part is being able to dine your way while enjoying the company of your non-vegan friends. 5-10 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 246 Via Antonio Ave., 702-222-2400. 

Whole Foods Market.  Yes, it’s a supermarket chain, but true vegans know the value of its offerings and convenience. Whole Foods not only offers a vast array of organic produce, but its deli has great variety for vegan meals, including a salad bar—making this an ideal place to get a quick bite and pick up the groceries. Four locations: www.wholefoodsmarket.com

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April 15, 2010 · 12:35 PM

Tax Day Food Freebies

Restaurants step up to offer deals to make your day less taxing:

McDonald’s: Buy a quarter pounder or Big Mac, and get a second for 1 cent

Subway: Free cookie

Starbucks:  Free coffee with own mug

Taco Del Mar: Free taco with coupon www.tacodelmar.com

Dunkin’ Donuts:  Free donut with java

Jamba Juice:  Buy a drink, get one free Coupon for deal can be found here.

Boston Market:  Buy a meal, get one free

Cinnabon:  Two free cupcakes between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

PF Changs:  All orders 15 percent off

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April 15, 2010 · 9:02 AM

Sin City Sindy Busts Out All Over

She’s big. She’s busty. She’s Sin City Sindy, and you can now see her at the Stripper Bar opens inside the Miracle Mile Shops in Las Vegas.  The fiberglass and sculpted-foam statue—over 25 feet tall from her ginger locks down to her over-the-knee red platform boots—will preside over the entrance to the bar that has historically served as a meeting spot for the adjacent V Theater’s Stripper 101 classes. 

Now as enhanced as its sexy, towering sentry, the tiny corner Stripper Bar will continue to dole out liquid courage to ladies attending the increasingly popular stripper class, though Sindy’s crotch-cam (which will literally catch you peeking up Sindy’s pleated skirt as you pass between her legs to reach the bar) might very well steal the show. 

About the size of a Manhattan studio apartment, Stripper Bar was nearly leased out to a tenant to attract attention to the otherwise forgettable walk-up frozen-blended cocktail bar. 

“I thought, I’ve got to do something crazy,” David Saxe, the show producer says, “but I never really thought about a bar.” He credits his wife with the idea for Sindy; Saxe crafted Sindy’s undercarriage himself in a warehouse off Boulder Highway. 

Under Stripper Bar’s painted-tin roof, Miracle Mile’s vast crowds can relax on stools and at modern patio tables with stripper-themed cocktails, enjoy food from neighboring La Salsa, watch sporting events on the TV screens, play drinking games (Battleship!), and applaud as the hostesses and bartenders—also Stripper 101’s instructors—take turns on a central stripper pole platform.

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April 14, 2010 · 1:41 PM

New Entertainment Venue Planned for Las Vegas

The Saxe Theater will be the new name for the 435-seat Las Vegas performance theater venue in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood.  The theater was formerly operated by magician Steve Wyrick, who surrendered it to the mall in a December foreclosure. 

Producer David Saxe will manage this new venue and his current V Theater, also located in the Miracle Mile Shops area.  The V runs as many as 17 performances of 10 titles per day. 

The new Saxe Theater is planned to be up and running by June 1.  

Though the production theme is being worked out,  one of the ideas proposed is a show that that documents the history of Las Vegas entertainment industry.

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April 14, 2010 · 11:20 AM

$67 Million Memorial Day Weekend Party in Las Vegas

Lavish spending and, hopefully, getting a great return on the investment, is the whole idea behind the replacement of the porte cochere at Wynn’s Encore with Encore Beach Resort and Surrender nightclub in Las Vegas, including new outdoor seating for Switch restaurant as well. 

The changes, funded by Wynn Resorts Ltd., all kickoff starting on Memorial Day weekend.

The beach club features a 60,000-square-foot pool with 40-foot tall palm trees and three tiered pools.  Bungalows and cabanas are part of the chic design experience, along with a restaurant and poolside gaming tables.

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April 14, 2010 · 10:15 AM

Keith Emerson and Greg Lake to Perform in Las Vegas?

Maybe yes, maybe no.  The duo from the classic rock group Emerson, Lake and Palmer has planned their “Unplugged Tour” for the Las Vegas Hilton for April 24.  But, hold on… to date, the group has had a very rocky start and have cancelled their prior U.S. shows due, as they say, to “musical and technical reasons.”  Keep your fingers crossed- and toes!

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April 13, 2010 · 11:52 AM

Virgin Atlantic Plans to Increase Flight Service between U.K. and Las Vegas

British air carrier Virgin Atlantic has announced on April 7 it will increase its service between Las Vegas and the United Kingdom next year, launching twice-weekly flights from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas and Manchester in England. 

The additional flights, which will start in April 2011 and are planned to operate on Thursdays and Sundays, will give Virgin Atlantic nine direct flights a week between Las Vegas and England.  

Virgin Atlantic has been flying between London’s Gatwick Airport and Las Vegas since June 200 and has carried almost 2 million passengers on the route.

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April 13, 2010 · 11:46 AM

Cosmopolitan Hotel-Casino Plans December Opening in Las Vegas

The new $3.9 billion Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas hotel-casino will open mid-December with about one-third of its 2,995 total rooms delaying opening until July 2011. 

It’s likely to be the last major new hotel-casino to open on the struggling Las Vegas Strip for at least a few years. 

Cosmopolitan’s CEO John Unwin said the hotel’s amenities include 13 restaurants, a spa, nightclub, 150,000 square feet of meeting and convention space and retail stores.

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April 13, 2010 · 10:38 AM

Las Vegas Pool Groupies Wanted for YouTube Stardom & Bucks

While Las Vegans and tourists alike are warmly welcomed to celebrate (and brave!) the return of the scorching sun’s rays and sweltering heat, some enterprising people are also taking the opportunity to cash in on the many pool festivities occuring at the thirteen or so casino and resort pools in Las Vegas. 

A new web series on YouTube, “Vegas Summer Crew,”  is inviting everyone to the pool parties.  Poolside festivities will be delivered nationwide online, encouraging everyone not to miss out on one drop of sweat next season. 

The series also is opening doors for some lucky buxom and buff  pool denizens, offering them the chance to become one of the faces of the “Vegas Summer Crew.” The chosen few will act as the series’ hosts, showing up to a total of nine events, consisting of major casinos’ poolside concerts and parties, as well as some red carpet events. Hosts will be interviewing attendees and checking in on the party, all while being filmed and fed back to the web. 

Auditions will be held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 13 at Cashman Theater (850 Las Vegas Blvd North). The show is seeking people 21 and up who consider themselves fun, outgoing and energetic. It also helps, of course, if you look great scantily clad — hopefuls are asked to show-up in their best bikini or board shorts. 

“What we’re looking for is people with fun, outgoing personalities that feel comfortable going out into a crowd and getting interaction. No on-camera experience [is necessary]; they just have to be fun,” says Tony Marin, a rep for the “Vegas Summer Crew.” 

There also will be an ongoing contest throughout the pool season allowing people all over the country to submit a video of themselves in a swimsuit explaining why they too would make a great face for the “Vegas Summer Crew.”  Eight contestants will be chosen, winning themselves a trip to Las Vegas and a potential guest host spot. 

There’s an added bonus to getting your face out on the World Wide Web: “There will be compensation for whoever we hire,” says Marin. 

Sounds like this summer job sure beats selling lemonade on the corner.

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April 12, 2010 · 1:35 PM

Paris Hilton Dumps Beau, Parties Crazy in Las Vegas

Paris Hilton usually always goes crazy when she’s in Las Vegas.  Even the recent dumping of her boyfriend, Doug Reinhardt – again – didn’t dampen her spirit one iota.  She danced on tables all night long Saturday and until Sunday morning in Las Vegas. 

Hilton got her party on first at the Wet Republic pool at the MGM Grand during the day on Saturday and then for her grand coup de grace proceeded to Tao at The Venetian, hanging out with her sister Nicky and her sister’s long-term boyfriend, David Katzenberg, and equally controversial tablemates NFL star Reggie Bush and Oscar winner Jamie Foxx. 

As previously reported by Las Vegas Backstage Access, Paris Hilton has had no takers for her proposed new reality television show.

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April 12, 2010 · 1:20 PM

Brits Sacrifice 800,000 Body Parts due to . . . Computer Glitches!

Some in the U.K. may be OK with donating with their livers, but are rolling over in their graves over the unauthorized donation of their prized hearts! 

The British National Health Service Blood and Transport organization is currently investigating errors in its 14 million-strong donor list that may have led to organs being removed from donors without permission, it said Saturday. 

Going back a decade, computer programming glitches are the suspected culprits.  This means that since 1999, for example, people who wished to donate their lungs or skin may have been incorrectly identified as wanting to donate their corneas or heart. 

The Sunday Telegraph said the glitch affected about 800,000 people, 45 of whom have since died and donated organs. Just under half are thought to have made donations based on the faulty data, the paper said. 

The revelation comes at a very awkward time for the British government, which has been pushing to increase their rate of organ donation, one of the lowest rates in Europe.  To make organ donation easier, U.K officials have gone so far as to float the idea of automatically designating every person as an organ donor unless they or their survivors opt out. 

The computer glitch comes atop a series of gross information technology mishaps in the U.K., raising questions over the government’s ability to properly handle its citizens’ data.  Officials have also misplaced data on 3 million driving test candidates, 600,000 army applicants, and 5,000 prison officers over the past few years.

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April 12, 2010 · 10:39 AM

Star Wars Beam Down on Las Vegas Sinners

The unique multi-media event featuring live orchestral music of all six of John Williams’ epic Star Wars scores will play two performances at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on May 29 at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.. 

The production features a full symphony orchestra and choir, accompanied by specially edited footage from the films displayed on a three-story-tall, HD LED super-screen – one of the largest ever put on tour.  The live music and film elements are synchronized, creating a full multimedia, one-of-kind Star Wars experience. 

“We’ve taken the key themes from the music and cut together all the images that fit with each theme, so you can really get a sense of how the music played into the images,” said George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars Saga. 

Accompanying the concert is an exclusive exhibit of Star Wars costumes, props, artifacts, production artwork and specially created behind-the-scenes videos from the Lucasfilm Archives. Many of these pieces are leaving Skywalker Ranch for the first time ever. The exhibit features many classic fan favorite artifacts, as well as several new and never-before-seen items, including full costumes for Jedi Masters Kit Fisto and Plo Koon will be on display. 

And, for the first time ever, pages from John Williams’ original hand-written sheet music for Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace will be exhibited for the public. 

Also on display will be various never-before-seen props from the films, including blasters and helmets from Coruscant, Tatooine and other iconic Star Wars locations. 

The Las Vegas performances are part of the return of Star Wars ™: in Concert to North America, a fifty-city leg of the worldwide tour that starts May 13 in Ft. Myers, Florida, and will include dates in the United States and Canada. More than 350,000 Americans attended Star Wars™: In Concert during its three-month inaugural 47-city North American tour last year, which Pollstar rated as the 9th biggest tour of 2009. 

Tickets are priced at $25, $35, $55, $85 and $125, inclusive of tax and fees. Tickets will be available at the Orleans Arena Box Office by calling 702-284-7777 or by visiting www.orleansarena.com.

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April 12, 2010 · 10:18 AM

Booze & Boobs Las Vegas Recap

With many businesses in the Las Vegas economy having to rapidly reinvent and transform themselves just to stay afloat, Las Vegas Backstage Access thought you’d enjoy a quick staffing operations recap on booze and boob joints in Sin City. 

For Las Vegas adult strip clubs the general rule is that for 18-and-over clubs you can see the barely-legal dancers completely in the buff, but – always a catch – they can’t serve you alcohol. 

Now, if you want to drink alcoholic beverages, you’ll have to hit up a 21-and-over Las Vegas club for a lap dance and a cocktail; the dancers there are of legal drinking age as well. (The rare exception to the rule is the Palomino where—through a supposed deal Frank Sinatra made back in the Mob day—the club has 18-and-over fully nude dancers and serves alcohol.) 

On the other paw, Déjà Vu Showgirls, has just made the switch from completely nekked and dry to 21-and-over, topless, and offering a full bar. And, to celebrate the change in these tough times, Déjà Vu marketing and promotions director Larry Beard says, “We will have free draught beer for a short time to promote the change to alcohol.” 

While there was no official reason for the switch, according to Beard, if you still really want to see dancers completely in the buff, you can still do so at their sister property, Little Darlings.

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April 11, 2010 · 12:15 PM

It happened: American Idol contestants invaded Las Vegas!

What Las Vegas Backstage Access reported yesterday, came true:  Season 9 “American Idol” finalists were spirited quietly away on an overnight trip to Las Vegas.  

On Friday the finalists arrived and took in Cirque du Soleil’s “Viva Elvis” show and then they took over the stage on Saturday for a critique and mentoring by Adam Lambert, Season 8 “Idol” runner-up. 

Lambert flew in from Vancouver to meet the contestants, who rehearsed Elvis hits such as “Viva Las Vegas.” Lambert told them not to be afraid to jump out of character. 

Season 9 finalist Crystal Bowersox was standoffish at the Friday meetup, eating by herself at the Aria buffet as other fellow contestants ate together. 

No photos were released of the “Viva Elvis” event and security personnel went so far as to temporarily confiscate cell phones for most of their three-hour stay in the Elvis theater at Aria. 

The “Idol” contingent left about 6 p.m. on Saturday. 

Meanwhile, across town at Sam Boyd Stadium, Season 8 winner Kris Allen tweaked Lambert during Pet-a-Palooza, which drew an estimated 28,000 happy four-legged beast owners {also reported by Las Vegas Backstage Access yesterday}.

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April 11, 2010 · 11:57 AM

American Idol Heading to Las Vegas?

The top nine of “American Idol” just may be going to Las Vegas for Elvis Week! 

At least that’s what the latest rumors say. According to The Wrap, gay glam-rocker Adam Lambert and the season 9 crew may convene at the Aria Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip for Lambert to mentor Idol hopefuls.  Aria happens to house Cirque du Soleil’s new “Viva Elvis” show.

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April 11, 2010 · 11:48 AM

Atomic Bomb Airman Dies in Las Vegas

Morris R. Jeppson, a weapons specialist who armed the atomic bomb aboard the Enola Gay as it headed for Hiroshima, died at the age of 87. 

Family members said Jeppson died March 30 at a hospital in Las Vegas after being hospitalized for back pain and a severe headache, The Washington Post reported. 

Jeppson, known as “Dick,” was a 23-year-old Army Air Forces second lieutenant when he flew his first and only combat mission aboard the Enola Gay, which dropped the bomb Aug. 6, 1945 on Hiroshima, resulting in 100,000 deaths and injuries and the Japanese surrender and the end of World War II. 

The bomb had to be armed in flight to prevent accidental detonation during the plane’s takeoff. Jeppson, the weapons test officer, armed the bomb’s electrical system, pulling out safety plugs and replacing them with firing plugs. His boss, Navy Capt. William S. Parsons, installed the charge that would be fired into the weapon’s uranium core. 

Jeppson would later recall the flash as the bomb exploded. “No joy at that point,” he told Time magazine in 2005. “But it was a job that was done.” 

After receiving the Silver Star, Jeppson worked as a civilian in electronics and applied radiation. 

Jeppson was born in Logan, Utah, June 23, 1922, and joined the Army Air Forces, hoping to become a pilot. But after he failed the vision test, the military sent him to electronics and radar training programs at Yale, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Jeppson received a bachelor’s degree in physics at the University of California, Berkeley, and worked for the university’s radiation laboratory and at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He then founded two companies — one that built linear accelerators and another that made industrial microwave ovens. 

He had lived in California before moving to Las Vegas about 20 years ago.

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April 11, 2010 · 10:31 AM

Academy of Country Music Awards Brings Oodles of Celebs to Las Vegas

Brooks & Dunn, Lady Antebellum, Randy Houser, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire and Montgomery Gentry are just some of the many country music stars planning to participate in the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards In Las Vegas starting on April 18. 

Honoring country music’s top talent and the industry’s hottest emerging talent, to be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 18 at 8:00 PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network. In addition, the Academy will tape an all-star concert special, ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn – The Last Rodeo at the same location on Monday, April 19, to air at a later date on the CBS Television Network. Both shows are produced for television by Dick Clark Productions.

The list of events includes the ACM Concerts at Fremont Street Experience, the ACM Chairman’s Ride, a special USO performance, All-Star Jam and more. 

Some details are as follows, with timing information to be released later: 

Friday & Saturday, April 16 & 17

ACM Concerts at Fremont Street Experience – For the 4th year in a row, the Academy of Country Music presents concerts at Fremont Street Experience! Featuring headlining performances by Lady Antebellum on Friday and Miranda Lambert on Saturday, these free and open-to-the-public concerts start at 6:30pm on two stages in downtown Las Vegas.  For the 2nd year in a row, winners in each of the newcomer categories Top New Solo Vocalist, Top New Vocal Group and Top New Vocal Duo will have the chance to perform at Fremont Street Experience during these concerts. 

Saturday, April 17 

ACM Chairman’s Ride – This event has grown from its inception and for the second year will be an invitation-only event for artists and industry VIPs to experience a scenic ride through the gorgeous Nevada landscape. ACM/The Home Depot Humanitarian Award honorees of 2010, Montgomery Gentry, will host the ride for the 6th time this year. The event benefits ACM Lifting Lives. Event details and timing will be made available only to invited, registered participants.

USO Concert in Partnership with ACM Lifting Lives™ – For the first time ever, ACM Lifting Lives (the Academy’s charitable arm) is partnering with the USO to bring a free, private concert to the service men and women of Nellis Air Force Base just outside of Las Vegas, NV. USO tour veterans Montgomery Gentry and Randy Houser are scheduled to perform for the crowd. The event will be open to all military ID holders and media credentialed specifically for this event. 

Sunday, April 18 

45th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS – Hosted by Reba McEntire for a record 12th time and featuring the hottest performances by today’s superstars of country, the Awards will once again take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. 

ACM All-Star Jam – This raucous, no-holds-barred jam features impromptu performances from the artists who participate in the Awards. Past performers have included Big & Rich, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Kelly Clarkson, Sara Evans, Jack Ingram, Jewel, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Montgomery Gentry, James Otto, Brad Paisley, Kellie Pickler, Taylor Swift, Sugarland, Carrie Underwood, Gretchen Wilson, Dwight Yoakam and more. 

Monday, April 19

ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn – The Last Rodeo – Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn, the best-selling duo in the history of country music, will receive the Academy’s Milestone Award in recognition of their 20-year, record-breaking career during this tribute concert special. They will be honored for holding the record for the most wins of any artist in the Academy’s history with 26 awards in total, including three Entertainer of the Year awards. They will also be honored for holding the record for most Top Vocal Duo wins, with 15 awards, eight of which are consecutive from 2000-2007. Artists already scheduled to perform at the taping include superstars Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban. Details on special elements of the show and more performers that will be added will be announced at a later date. Tickets are still available for this show, which benefits ACM Lifting Lives and will air at a later date on CBS Television Network from the MGM Grand Garden Arena. For information on tickets visit www.Ticketmaster.com

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April 10, 2010 · 2:36 PM

Decrepit Boxers Holyfield & Botha Prance in Las Vegas Ring Tonight

The “reveal” update:  Last night the 47-year-old Holyfield (43-10-2, 28 KOs) knocked out 41-year-old Frans Botha with 2:05 left in the eighth round Saturday night. Holyfield (43-10-2) knocked the defending champion down 31 seconds earlier with a right to the old guy’s chin.

—————

Some professional boxers just refuse to give up- or, perhaps, they can’t afford to.  

American heavyweight boxer Evander Holyfield, left in photo, 47, squares off tonight with almost equally aged foe Francois “White Buffalo” Botha, 41, of South Africa at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.  At stake is the WBF heavyweight championship belt- and best, if you want to watch the fight, to pull out the No-Doz.

Holyfield, the former four-time heavyweight champion, apparently, wants to who wants to prove he stills has the skills to be a world champion, even though he last held a belt nearly 10 years ago and has lost two fights in a row. 

Holyfield has a professional boxing record of 47 wins with four losses, two draws and 27 KOs. 

Botha (47-4-3, 28 KOs), has had a relatively distinguished career as a heavyweight boxer with top contenders, but has fought several world heavyweight champions including Mike Tyson, Shannon Briggs, Axel Schulz, Michael Moorer, Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko. 

Even so, Botha is named the current World Boxing Foundation World Heavyweight Champion. (Although he won the International Boxing Federation World Heavyweight title in the ring the fight was declared a no contest and he was never officially recognized as champion.) 

Probably feeling that long-term boxing is not good for the brain cells, Botha had some smarts and turned entrepreneur for a short time, corning the market on some magical champagne glasses. All you had to do was twist the stem and, voila!, the fluted glass supposedly lit up like Grand Central Station at rush hour. 

Promoters are literally begging the fight sales light up.  By Friday afternoon, only 2,000 tickets had been sold, leaving promoter Crown Boxing, which is paying Holyfield $150,000 plus a pay-per-view percentage, to hope for a large walk-up crowd. Even $25 lower-bowl seats are going unsold. 

Holyfield currently has the odds of minus-360, Botha plus-280

If you’re into comedy and want to save gas money, turn on the fight at 8 p.m. (PT) on pay per view (Cable 502, DirecTV, Dish Network) and shell out $29.95.

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April 10, 2010 · 11:41 AM

Prive Nightclub in Las Vegas on Life Support, Death Imminent

The Prive and Living Room nightclubs at Planet Hollywood resort in Las Vegas are losing their lease with Planet Hollywood and many are saying the nightclubs will close this weekend. 

The adjacent and jointly operated clubs, which filed for bankruptcy protection in Miami in November, filed a motion on Wednesday to dismiss the bankruptcy case because of the lease issue.

{Las Vegas Backstage Access has written in the past on Prive nightclub and their many woes.}

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April 10, 2010 · 11:12 AM

Company Kitchen & Pub Morphs into Las Vegas Lounge

Pure Management Group has announced its intention to convert Company Kitchen & Pub House at the Luxor in Las Vegas into Company Lounge, “a casual nightlife venue.” 

This is the second such change for the 11,000 square-foot venue, which opened in November 2007 as Company American Bistro. Originally helmed by Chef Adam Sobel (formerly of Restaurant Guy Savoy, currently executive chef of RM Seafood), the über-chic, ski lodge-inspired venue’s opening celebrity investor lineup included such Hollywood luminaries as Nick Lachey, Nicky Hilton and Wilmer Valderrama. Following Chef Sobel’s March 2008 departure—as well as that of Top Chef’s foam-of-famer Marcel Vigneron—Company briefly shut down to transform into the more approachable, American tapas iteration. 

A PMG representative reports that the Company Lounge schedule has cut back from the resto’s Wednesday through Sunday, 5 p.m.-late, to just “Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings.”

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April 10, 2010 · 10:11 AM

Las Vegas Event Honors Four-Legged Beasts

Today, April 10, grab your favorite four-legged friend and head down to the largest animal event Nevada has to offer.  In its 11th year, Petapalooza takes over Star Nursery Field at Sam Boyd Stadium.  

The daylong pet-friendly concert funds more than 40 animal rescue groups and features acoustic performances by the Barenaked Ladies and Five for Fighting, among others. 

Last year, more than 20,000 attendees and 4,000 leashed dogs—along with a few parrots, potbellied pigs and snakes—took in the event. 

Admission is $7 or $5 with a can of dog food.  Event is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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April 10, 2010 · 9:28 AM

New Red Rock Canyon Visitors Center Opens in Las Vegas Today

A year in the making, the Red Rock Canyon Visitors Center grand opening will be today, April 10.  

Located 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip on Charleston Boulevard/State Route 159, the new exhibits provide a glimpse of surrounding geology from the death of the supercontinent 250 million to 160 million years ago and of human history going back 10,000 years, including the Old Spanish Trail of the 1800s and Las Vegas today. 

A new amphitheater with seating for 290 gives lecturers a place to talk, actors a stage to perform and provides a place outside to hold weddings. 

Visitors will experience outdoor exhibits that bring replicas of some of the park’s most fragile features to the foreground: things such as American Indian rock art panels, desert tortoises in their natural habitat, and a life-size cougar that lurks atop one of the shade walls. 

It’s all designed so people can touch, feel, see and understand the national conservation area from the perspective of earth, water, fire and air. 

Park volunteers, Bureau of Land Management personnel and elected officials will hold a grand opening for the new visitors center and exhibit area at 11 a.m. before public access to the displays begins at 2 p.m. Among the attendees will be Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., who championed the effort behind the $23 million visitors center expansion project and the bill that paid for it through the sale of public lands in Southern Nevada. 

Look-alike Teddy Roosevelt actor Joe Wiegand will be at the grand opening today and again Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The admission fee to the park includes access to the visitors center and its outdoor exhibit area. 

Visited by more than one million people each year, the 195,819 acre Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area adjacent to the visitors center stands in mark contrast to Las Vegas, a city primarily geared to entertainment and gaming.  Red Rock Canyon includes a 13-mile scenic drive, more than 30 miles of hiking trails, rock climbing, horseback riding, mountain biking, road biking, picnic areas- and now, a new visitors center.

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April 9, 2010 · 6:51 PM

Star Trek Memorabilia for Sale in Las Vegas Auction April 10

Fans of “Star Trek,” in its numerous incarnations, who also truly loved “Star Trek: The Experience” at the Las Vegas Hilton,” will surely feel they’ve died and been beamed up this Saturday in Las Vegas.

Popworx, the auction house that specializes in sales of television and movie assets, is holding the Star Trek auction at their warehouse (66 Spectrum Boulevard in Las Vegas) including various props and settings from the former Las Vegas resort hotel attraction. It was built during the era when Las Vegas thought it was going to be a family-friendly destination (what many call “The Bad Years”).

The sale focuses on the larger items from ‘ST:TE,’ including wall panels, furniture from Quark’s Bar, Starfleet costumes, and seats from the Klingon Encounter ride. Also on sale will be transporter room and hallway pieces from the Enterprise D replica that was part of the attraction.

The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Everything is cash and carry (so, rent that huge moving van now), and no credit cards will be accepted.

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April 9, 2010 · 6:46 PM

Alicia Keys Rescues Unemployed

Alicia Keys is tackling the unemployment epidemic, one fan at a time.  On April 6 the neo-soul singer-songwriter-philanthropist proudly announced she is partnering with the jobs Web site www.Monster.com to launch her Web site IAAS.com (I Am a Super Woman) and have it fully operational with all the bells and whistles in July. 

Keys is specifically looking for a full-time “head blogger,” and she’s taking applications through May 1. 

So, if you’re in Las Vegas this Saturday, April 9, don’t forget to stop by Keys’ Freedom Tour at Mandalay Bay Event Center, with plenty of resumes in hand– she just may snatch yours blowing in the stiff unemployment wind as she’s singing her message-laden songs. 

Failing this, you need to wait until Keyes is in Portugal to start the European leg of her tour.

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April 9, 2010 · 10:04 AM

Recipe Bandido Steals Away in Las Vegas

Rodd Wilbur isn’t your ordinary chef.  In fact, he’s not a chef at all.  But what he “relishes” – he prefers “cloning” – the secret recipes for popular dishes made by restuarant chains like McDonald’s, Applebee’s and KFC.  Then, to make some scratch, he writes books to show how you too can make the yummy stuff. 

Wilbur started with the Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookie theft, coming up with a recipe that was a variation on the Nestlé Tollhouse classic and tasted remarkably close to Debbie Fields’ moneymaker. Then he moved on to more savory exploits. For his second recipe, he reverse-engineered the Big Mac. That special sauce? It’s basically Thousand Island dressing! 

A former TV news reporter, Wilbur, a Summerlin, Nevada resident, now works full-time cloning recipes for his cookbooks, which are for sale on QVC and have been featured on Oprah and Live with Regis and Kelly. He’s really not a chef or an innovator; he’s a casual-dining cloner, and success means tasting just like the real thing. 

“I want it to be exact,” Wilbur says as he gets to work on recreating a batch of cous cous salad from the Houston’s chain of restaurants. “I don’t want to make it better; I don’t want to make it worse. I don’t want to make it less fat. I don’t want to do anything to it except exactly duplicate it.” 

So far, Wilbur has exactly duplicated enough recipes for nine cookbooks. His 10th, 17 recipes shy of completion, should be out in September. The book will be called Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 3. “Alternate title: The Greatest Cookbook Ever Written,” Wilbur jokes. 

Since publishing his first cookbook in 1993, Wilbur has sold close to 5 million copies of his cookbooks, all of which tackle well-known recipes from fast food or casual dining chains and break them down for cooks to re-create at home. 

His 1,000th recipe — the one most requested by visitors to his website — was Olive Garden’s chicken and gnocchi soup, or as Wilbur describes it, “really good shit.” 

Flipping through the pages of his books is like looking at a greatest-hits menu from chain restaurants: Buffalo Wild Wings’ Caribbean jerk sauce, the Cheesecake Factory’s Bang-Bang Chicken and Shrimp, Chili’s lettuce wraps, KFC’s biscuits. 

And Wilbur has all kinds of tricks for figuring out what goes into the dishes that people crave. Sometimes he asks for a seat at the bar or near the kitchen, so he can watch how desserts or dishes are assembled. Other times he claims to be a strict vegetarian or vegan, so he can find out if a dish contains chicken broth or animal fat. When Oprah Winfrey challenged him to create the Jack Daniel’s grill glaze from TGIFriday’s before appearing on her show, Wilbur faked an allergy so the restaurant would give him a list of the ingredients. 

Wilbur just loves his role of playing recipe investigator, hunting for clues and then putting the recipe pieces together until he’s completed a culinary puzzle that tastes fresh off the line.

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April 9, 2010 · 9:19 AM

Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas Announces New Restaurants, Celebrity Chefs

If Las Vegas isn’t already home to the finest restaurants and chefs in the world, now there’s more of ‘em! 

The restaurant lineup at the sleek new $3.9 billon Cosmopolitan hotel-casino of Las Vegas has been announced.  Four of the five have strong New York ties; the other will be operated by acclaimed Los Angeles chef David Myers of the restaurant Comme Ca. The others: Bruce and Eric Bromberg’s Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill,  Costas Spiliadis’ Estiatorio Milos, Scott Conant’s Scarpetta (Conant was previously attached to Fountainbleau), and Steakhouse STK.

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April 8, 2010 · 10:25 AM

Legal Pot Substitute Sells Like Hotcakes in Las Vegas!

Think what you smell is purely incense?  Think again.  Now, incense has a growing new use– a legal substitute for pot in Las Vegas and elsewhere around the country.

Smoke Depot in Las Vegas currently sells a legal greenish-brown substance called Black Mamba which, for many, creates a highly euphoric feeling similar to marijuana. Collectively known as “Spice,” sister brands include K2, Cloud Nine and Green Buddha. 

All are herbs that, many times, are laced with a variant of THC, the psychoactive substance found in marijuana. Though the canister’s gold-and black wrapper warns: “Not for human consumption,” consumers across the country are smoking Spice like pot and experiencing similar effects. But since it doesn’t contain actual THC, Spice isn’t detectable in drug tests.

Black Mamba has been the preferred brand throughout Las Vegas over the last few months, according to numerous shop owners. They’re so popular that stores like Smoke Dept can’t keep them stocked!  And the skyrocketing sales are primarily attributed to word of mouth advertising due to the nature of the product. 

The products are not cheap. A gram of Black Mamba costs $20 at Smoke Depot and they’ve been selling about 200 grams a week for the past three months.

A number of shops in Las Vegas say they’ve been selling to anyone, including teenagers.

But just because it’s legal doesn’t mean Spice is safe.

In the last two months, a Missouri toxicologist says that he’s seen more than 30 cases of teens with hallucinations, elevated heart rates, vomiting and seizures after using K2.

Las Vegas storeowners say customers are starting to request K2. Spice is still so new that the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services says it hasn’t seen many reports. “It’s on our radar, but there’s not a lot known about it,” spokesman Ben Kieckhefer says.

Users in Las Vegas are experimenting with Black Mamba, K2 and Spice Gold more than any other brands, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police narcotics detective Bruce Gentner, and the results haven’t been pretty. “We just had a case where two young men got really sick,” he says. “They bought it at a local smoke shop here, and within minutes of smoking it, they were transported to the hospital with hallucinations, vomiting and panic attacks.” 

Black Mamba comes from a plant called Damiana, grown regionally. In its natural form, it’s used in tea and liquor and is a known sleeping aid and aphrodisiac.

Although Black Mamba is typically Damiana treated with a THC variant called JWH-018, users can’t be sure what they’re getting, says Gary Boggs, executive assistant of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s office of diversion control.

Though prohibited in most of Europe, the main ingredients in most Spice are not regulated in the United States.

The DEA is going through preliminary steps to determine whether the substances in Spice should be federally controlled. Then it will collaborate with the Department of Health and Human Services, a process that could take years.

Kansas recently became the first state to ban the compounds, and two counties in Missouri also have barred the substance. The Missouri Senate will take a second vote to send a bill to the House that would ban it statewide and make possession of Spice a felony. Weber School District in Utah recently banned Spice from school grounds.

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April 8, 2010 · 10:23 AM

Mum’s the Word for Disappearing Las Vegas Magician Lance Burton

As previously reported by Las Vegas Backstage Access, the Monte Carlo magician has indeed called it quits after headlining and performing about 15,000 Las Vegas shows for the last 14 years.   Lance Burton will close his Monte Carlo run in Las Vegas on Sept. 4. 

Burton reports that the decision to leave was his, though he remains guarded and vague when it comes to providing specific reasons for his departure.  

“About three ago I had a moment of clarity when it just all became clear to me that I’m not on the same page as the hotel,” Burton said, adding, he doesn’t plan to badmouth the hotel where he spent at least a third of his career and has a deep emotional connection. 

Some say that Burton and MGM Mirage officials were at odds over budgeting and cost-cutting issues, but, Burton says, that’s not the primary reason he gave notice.

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April 8, 2010 · 10:12 AM

Las Vegans Toss Energy Drinks for Blissful Sipping

Do you find it hard to be clearly focused when hyped up on energy and caffeine drinks, all the while our zany world is spinning at Mach 1?  The uncontrollable jitters make it hard to accurately text on your cell phone while clubbing.   And, if nothing else, it’s just plain hard on your ol’ ticker. 

Rejoice!  Ex Drinks has come to the rescue.  Headquartered in Henderson, Nevada, the company now has a relaxing natural fruit drink called Chill. 

“The relaxer drink category is the latest and newest growing category,” says Deborah Behr, managing director of Ex Drinks. “We do have America’s first relaxer beverage. We were the first ones to bring it in the United States. The concept in it is exactly that: to have something to kick back and unwind; put your feet up.” 

Containing chamomile, valerian, lemon balm and vitamins, Chill comes without the artificial flavors, colors and other additives often found in energy drinks. 

You can pick up a can of the refreshing liquid relaxation at Albertson’s in the Las Vegas Valley or visit their Web site at www.exdrinks.com for more information.

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April 7, 2010 · 10:34 AM

New Daytime Partying Comes to Las Vegas

To many, partying into the wee hours of the morning in Las Vegas is just part of the seductive intrigue.  But, why not opt for a change to your modus operandi and try an opulent brand of new daytime partying? 

The 9 Group, renowned for superb dining, nightlife and lifestyle experiences, presents a provocative and innovative new dayclub affair known as High Society at Nove Italiano in the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, premiering 1 p.m. Sunday, April 11.   

Creating a posh atmosphere filled with life’s little luxuries in the middle of the afternoon, High Society offers partygoers a place to mix and mingle among Las Vegas’ nobility while indulging in high-end libations, decadent brunch and vivacious entertainment.   

Upon entering, Nove Italiano will envelope guests in a complete sensory experience – from sophisticated interior decor, to aromatic food and thirst-quenching beverages, to the incomparable energy created by resident DJs Zen Freeman and Mark Stylz spinning on the turntables.  Atop the Palm’s sky-scraping 51st floor, Nove Italiano’s guests will indulge in some of the city’s most spectacular views, and enjoy ever-changing exuberant entertainment, including roaming live musicians and a live painter offering complimentary tableside guest portraits. 

The brunch menu at High Society combines rich tastes and traditional favorites at various stations including the salad, fresh fruits and fish stations, as well as a build your own frittatas station. Fare also includes warm items on the griddle or hot plate such as Italian sausage and pepper hash, crispy pancetta and chicken apple sausage, a variety of poached eggs served with crab cake, spinach and bearnaise sauce, pancetta, ciabatta, drizzled with a Hollandaise sauce or long cooked greens mixed with a fontina cheese and fonduta. Other warm items include a variety of pizzas and Panini sandwiches. Guests can pair brunch with $99 bottles of champagne and half bottles of spirits. 

High Society will start at 1 p.m. every Sunday at Nove Italiano. The buffet brunch is $30 per person. Guests must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Admission is free and table reservations are strongly recommended. For more information, VIP tables and bottle reservations, visit www.novelasvegas.com  or call 702-942-6800. 

Nove Italiano is open for dinner Monday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 5:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.  For additional information, please visit www.novelasvegas.com or call 702-942-6800.

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April 7, 2010 · 10:24 AM

Jennifer Harman Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament in Las Vegas on April 13

The fourth-annual Jennifer Harman Charity Poker Tournament, benefiting the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) no-kill animal shelter, will take place on April 13 at the Venetian poker room in Las Vegas. The tournament will start at 5 p.m., and the event kicks off at 4 p.m. with a red carpet and silent auction. 

The $330 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament will also feature $100 rebuys for the first three 20-minute levels, and a one-time $100 add-on for double your starting stack. Matt Savage will be the tournament director. 

The grand prize of the tournament is a $10,000 World Series of Poker main-event seat, and a Curtis & Co. watch. The top-10 finishers will be awarded prizes that have a combined total value of $30,000. 

Celebrities who have been confirmed attendance for the event include Cheryl Hines from “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Dennis Haskins from “Saved by the Bell,” actor Lou Diamond Phillips, modern artist Michael Godard, and ESPN commentator Lon McEachern. 

Professional poker players in attendance will include Marco Traniello, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Eli Elezra, Hoyt Corkins, Andy Bloch, Chau Gian, David Chesnoff, Lacey Jones, Jeff Madsen, Todd Brunson, Erica Schoenberg, David Greay, David Singer and Lee Watkinson. 

The three previous champions of this event: David “HEYIMDRO” Rowan (2009), Seth Dupree (2008), and Kirk Morrison (2007).

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April 6, 2010 · 1:00 PM

Three-Day (!) Wine-O Festival Kicks Off in Las Vegas

The 36th annual UNLVino wine tasting extravaganza in Las Vegas  is back, starting on April 8, for an incredible three days of non-stop Champagne, sake and wine tasting action, and also to drum up some much appreciated funds for UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration’s Food and Beverage Management Department. 

To kick it off, UNLVino presents Bubble-Licious, a celebration of all things sparkling at Caesars’ brand new Garden of the Gods pool complex. 

Here are the three locations and times: 

Bubble-Licious: Thurs., April 8, The Garden of the Gods, Caesars Palace, 7-10 p.m. 

Sake Fever: Friday, April 9, Palms Pool & Bungalows, The Palms, 7-10 p.m. 

UNLVino Grand Tasting: Saturday, April 10, Bally’s Ballroom, 2-6 p.m. 

Tickets are available here.

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April 6, 2010 · 10:12 AM

$100,000 “Battle of the Beauties” Contest Starts in Las Vegas

If the wind and rain stops, the temperature in Las Vegas will soar, which primarily means two major can’t-miss thangs: It’s time to hit the pool and it’s time for SpyOn Vegas’ Hot 100 Contest—which also takes place at a pool.

The annual hotties competition seeks out the most beautiful women Las Vegas has to offer and rewards them for their god- (or surgeon-) given good looks with cold, hard cash. It’s the third year for the Hot 100 and, like the chests of many of the competitors, it is bigger and better than ever.

The so-called “Battle of the Beauties” is set to give out a whopping $100,000 in prizes this year—despite Las Vegas’ choking economy – that’s double the amount that was doled out last year—to the top 20 finalists. First place is awarded $35,000, second gets $20,000 and third fetches $10,000, while finalists four through 20 collect between $6,000 and $1,000.

Registration is open on: www.SpyOnVegas.com The competition gets under way April 30 at Wet Republic. Twelve weeks of events, Friday afternoon pool parties and online voting will follow, culminating with the crowning of “hottest female in Las Vegas” on July 23.

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April 5, 2010 · 11:36 AM

Hugh Hefner Hangs On (Trys!) for 84th Birthday in Las Vegas

Hugh Hefner, aka The Hef, will turn 84 this week, and now has one helluva 23-year-old “keeper” girlfriend to help celebrate his birthday in Las Vegas at the Playboy towers in the Palms Casino Resort.   

“I am in a very good relationship with a young lady named Crystal Harris,” Hefner said, beaming. “She’s a keeper.”

Crystal Harris looks like many of  the other women that Hefner has dated over the years.  Harris appeared in the December 2009 issue of Playboy.  To see Harris’ website, click here. 

Hefner will celebrate his birthday on April 9, emphatically says, “I will defintitely not be celibate– I’ll be celebrating.”    

Hefner found the nudie rich Playboy magazine in 1953 and has a reputation for dating several women at a time; though, when he was married for eight years, he emphasized monogamy. 

“I’ve never thought in terms of quantity, but more in terms of quality.” 

The Playboy King recently made news when he formally invited the President to the Playboy Mansion.  No word if the Prez is considering.

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April 5, 2010 · 6:00 AM

Tiger Woods Adds Another Porn Star; Mistress Moves to Las Vegas

With this week marking Tiger Woods return to professional golf, more high-profile names with Las Vegas nightclub connections have surfaced in his ongoing infidelity scandal. 

Los Angeles nightlife impresario and Peter Morton’s right hand man supplying celebrities to the now defunct Body English nightclub at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel, Brent Bolthouse is mentioned in the May issue of Vanity Fair, which features “The Temptation of Tiger Woods,” one of the most comprehensive accounts to date on the golf star’s double life. 

Porn star Holly Sampson, right, told Vanity Fair that Bolthouse got her involved in a May 2009 bachelor party Woods was throwing for an associate. 

Meanwhile, Rachel Uchitel, the former Las Vegas Tao VIP host who has been referred to as Tiger’s Mistress No. 1, recently told FoxNews.com that she has moved to Las Vegas to be with her dogs and family, adding she gets less media scrutiny in Las Vegas than she did while living in New York City.

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April 4, 2010 · 12:49 PM

Las Vegas Magician Lance Burton Prepares to Disappear

Monte Carlo headliner magician Lance Burton will be mysteriously and suddenly packing his magical Las Vegas suitcases and announcing his departure this week.  

Lance Burton is ending his current six-year contract at the Monte Carlo at the end of this summer — five years earlier than planned. 

Burton had headlined at the Monte Carlo casino resort for 13 years before renewing the deal last year that would have taken him to 2015.

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April 4, 2010 · 10:45 AM

$5,000-a-spin Slot Machines in Las Vegas

High rollers are not just hanging around at the card tables in Las Vegas anymore. 

Aria in the new CityCenter complex in Las Vegas boasts $5,000 denomination slot machines with a max bet of 1 credit per spin. 

Dig deep and just maybe you too can have a thrill!

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April 3, 2010 · 10:30 AM

NAB Show Comes to Las Vegas

The NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) Show, the world’s largest electronic media show, conference and expo for film professionals who create, manage and distribute entertainment across all platforms, takes place April 10 – 15, 2010 in Las Vegas (exhibits open April 12). 

This week it was announced that Stan Lee, the iconic co-creator of Spider-Man, X-Men and The Incredible Hulk, will appear at this year’s event.  

“A key theme of this year’s NAB Show is transmedia: developing, integrating and monetizing content for multiplatform distribution,” said Chris Brown, executive vice president, conventions & business operations for NAB Show. “Stan Lee has epitomized the concept of transmedia with his amazing creations, which have been turned into smash hit feature films, television series and innovative digital content.” 

Stan Lee is the Founder of POW! Entertainment and has served as its Chairman and Chief Creative Officer since inception. But he is best known as the man whose super heroes propelled Marvel to its preeminent position in the comic book industry. 

Lee’s co-creations include Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Daredevil, Silver Surfer and Dr. Strange. Now the Chairman Emeritus of Marvel Media, Lee creates new intellectual property for POW!, which has been in operation since 2001.

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April 3, 2010 · 10:22 AM

Wayne Newton Lands New Reality TV Show

Long dubbed “Mr. Las Vegas,” veteran entertainer Wayne Newton has landed his first reality TV show, which will focus on the women who run his life, both on and off stage. 

The iconic singer who has performed for over 40 years and in over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas will front the new show on American cable channel WeTV.   Release timing is being worked out.

Tentatively titled, “Wayne’s World,” the show will feature his wife and attorney Kathleen McCrone, her sister Trisha McCrone and Newton’s publicist and his 7-year-old daughter, Lauren.  Even his mother-in-law, Marilyn, will make an appearance – she runs the star’s merchandise empire. 

The announcement of the show comes after a super bad start to 2010 for Newton – his wife filed court papers in February in a bid to keep her assets separate from those of her financially-troubled husband, and his adopted daughter, Erin, suffered liver, kidney and respiratory failure and fell into a coma after giving birth to the star’s grandchild. 

The health crisis forced Newton to pull out of a series of lucrative engagements, so he could be close to his sick daughter, who is now on the road to recovery. 

Las Vegas police descended upon his Sin City ranch, while he was at his daughter’s bedside at the end of February, to try to collect court judgments relating to a bank loan Newton reportedly reneged on. 

Newton has blamed years of bad money management by his team of advisors for his financial troubles. 

He also has been accused of failing to pay storage fees to keep his private jet in a hanger at the Oakland County International Airport in Michigan.

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April 2, 2010 · 12:17 PM

Bernard Hopkins Expected to Trounce Roy Jones Jr. in Las Vegas on Saturday

Bernard Hopkins, 45, is a minus-500 betting favorite at MGM Mirage’s sports books going into Saturday’s fight with Roy Jones Jr., 41, who is going in at plus-350 odds at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. 

It’s a glorious boxing rematch 17 years in the making.  For Jones, 54-6, losing five of his past 10 fights dating to 2004, it’s more about proving to people he’s not washed up in the fight game.  

Jones beat Hopkins (50-5-1, 32 KOs) by unanimous decision in a 1993 middleweight bout. 

But for Hopkins, apparently, it’s just another day at work.  After the fight he plans to be sitting in the Mandalay Bay audience with his 10-year-old daughter to watch the “Lion King.” 

Today’s weigh-in is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at Mandalay Bay and is open to the public. 

Tickets for the fight are priced from $100 to $750.

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April 2, 2010 · 10:20 AM

Jay-Z, Beyonce, Champagne & Dining Mix to Revive Slumping Las Vegas

Las Vegas is definitely showing signs of perking up and bouncing back if popping champagne corks and dining on haute cuisine is any indication. 

What city needs Big Brother and trillion-dollar bailouts when you’re lucky enough just to have Jay-Z and wife, Beyonce, grace your presence?

Jay-Z and Beyonce battled preganancy rumors like true rock stars last weekend — by hitting up Las Vegas with gusto. After Jigga rocked out at the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms alongside Young Jeezy and Trey Songz, he joined B at the hotel’s Mint High Roller gaming lounge around 4 a.m. 

Music mogul Jay-Z was also celebrity host and a big part of the crowd draw at Tao nightclub last Saturday night with Beyoncé. 

A colossal 3.9-gallon bottle of Ace of Spades champagne is now for sale at the Tao nightclub in the Venetian for $100,000, thanks to the big price boost that comes with Jay-Z’s autograph on the bottle Saturday. 

The bottle, known as a Nebuchadnezzar in the bottle family – only two in the world -holds five times the amount of bubbly that comes in a double magnum, but is only half of the king of champagne bottles, the 30-liter Melchizedek. 

Jay-Z featured the champagne in his 2006 video “Show Me What You Got” after Cristal boss Frédéric Rouzaud made some disparaging remarks about the music mogul’s fondness for Cristal. Jay-Z led a boycott of Cristal and switched his allegiance. 

The mega-club Tao, which opened in September, 2005, announced it had a monster night that didn’t include champagne imbibing last Saturday– a record 1,400 dinner covers on the restaurant side and more than 7,000 people going through the nightclub, another record. 

Then, further down the Strip at CityCenter, the Light Group nightclub Haze at Aria was the scene of an epic champagne-buying spree last Saturday night. A photo of the high roller’s receipt for $182,000-plus turned up on an Aria casino host’s Twitter site. 

According to the casino host, the big spender ordered super-sized bottles: one each of Cristal, Moet Chandon, Dom Perignon and an unidentified brand of vodka. 

He left a $30,000 tip on top of the automatic 20 percent gratuity. 

The man made the purchase after asking for an entire section of the nightclub. Told he would have to “buy big” for that to happen, he ordered the four bottles, which appear much larger than magnums.  A magnum holds two bottles, a Jeroboam four bottles and a Methuselah eight bottles.

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April 2, 2010 · 10:07 AM

Huge Pin-Up Girl Contest in Las Vegas Today

www.PinUpGirlClothing.com is having a pin-up contest with $2500 in cash and prizes at Blush Boutique Nightclub this evening.  The event will run from 10 p.m. to midnight, hosted by Vegas pin-up babe Ms. Redd.

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April 2, 2010 · 8:10 AM

Need a Hot Single Lady in Las Vegas Tonight?

Dudes, if you need a very hot single Sin City lady, tonight’s bachelorette auction may just be your cup of tea. 

The Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY) on Friday, April 2 will be having their 3rd Annual Smokin’ Hot Bachelorette Auction at the Ghostbar at the Palms, 4321 West Flamingo Road, 55th floor, in Las Vegas.

The event is hosted by none other than the special smoking hot Holly Madison, star of hit reality show Holly’s World on E! and star of Planet Hollywood’s Peepshow.  Among the beauties up on the auction block: Playboy Playmate Laura Croft, Miss Nevada Christina Keegan, Collette Wieland from KVBC-TV, Channel 3, Stephanie Jay from KVVU-TV, Channel 5, and Ashlee DeMartino from KTNV-TV, Channel 13. 

April 3 UPDATE:  The winner was Collette Wieland from KVBC-TV, Channel 3, raking in the highest bid- $2,000!

Event runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  The $50 cover charge includes tequila shots, wine and appetizers. For more information, please contact Angela Harlan at 702-372-7907 or aharlan@nphy.org

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April 1, 2010 · 2:06 PM

Donald Trump is Hiring in Las Vegas Today

Good news, Los Wages, Donald Trump is hiring today!  (And, no, it’s not an April Fools’ joke, although you may later be labeled a butt- or worse!) 

You may be hired, and then in a blink of the eye, you may be fired equally swiftly on national television.  But so what?  A job is a job, even if it’s temporary, right? 

The Donald’s staff is having an open casting call today in Las Vegas, auditioning potential contestants for the next season of The Apprentice. 

Producers are particularly seeking candidates who have been affected by the recession, like business professionals recently laid off, college grads who cannot find a job or people working a job they are overqualified for because it is the only option for survival. 

If this sounds like it has you written all over it and you think you can handle The Donald’s demands (or if you do not have anything better to do because, well, you’re unemployed), head over to the Trump International Hotel today, where wristbands will be distributed at 8 a.m. and interviews begin at 9 a.m. 

If you cannot make it down to Trump’s tower Thursday, you can apply by e-mailing ginacasting@yahoo.com .  Please include a recent photo, an updated resume and a personal and professional biography detailing how the recession has affected your life.

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April 1, 2010 · 10:30 AM

Sinners: Worship & Swim in God’s New Garden in Las Vegas

God has a new garden in Sin City?   Yep.  Scantily clad – or wearing nothing at all – Las Vegas sun gods and goddesses have a a whole new worship retreat at Caesars Palace. 

Caesars Palace has just opened its newly refurbished pool area.   Coined “The Garden of the Gods,” the complex has been completely and extravagantly redesigned by Allard & Conversano into three levels of aquatic wonder featuring eight unique and lavish pools inspired by the Roman Gods that encircle a five-acre pool complex. 

The area includes a swim-up blackjack pool, a European style pool, a family friendly pool, and even a guests-only, butler-served pool area. 

Each pool is named for a god or goddess and has its own special bells and whistles. The Fortuna pool, for example, features an 18-foot waterfall and a swim-up blackjack table. The twin Bacchus pools have butler-staffed cabanas which are, alas, for invited VIPs only. For maximum sun exposure, get over to Apollo — it’s strategically positioned to get your tan on.  And, unlike many of the other adult-oriented pools, Garden of the Gods also caters families with its Temple pool designated for young swimmers. 

At one of the pools, chocolate will be available not just as a snack or dessert but in the form of a 30-foot chocolate waterfall (good for dunking strawberries — sold by the bucket) that cascades into a 3-acre pool filled with the stuff only Willy Wonka could dream of. 

The Sokolati pool (greek for “chocolate”) is new to the Las Vegas scene and is the first swimming pool comprised entirely of chocolate. Depending on the season, you may find Sokolati filled with dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or caramel.

There pools are nestled among 44 new luxury cabanas, each stocked with plush furniture, flat screen TVs and wireless Internet. 

Caesars Palace has also added a whirlpool retreat area and garden wedding venue to provide a total pool experience. 

The pool complex is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.. 

Check it out- you may just feel like you died and got a heavenly reprieve.

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