Steve - picture
Steve - picture
about this site
blog
resume
resume
interesting clips
archive
archive
the china chronicles
nlgja
childrens story
gallery
guestbook
contact me
 
     
Join us for CHAT/LIVE SHOW @ LVRocks.com @ 7 pm PT on Tues 7/7
VEGASHAPPENSHERE.COM BLOG * 206/424-4737 * READ TOURIST TIPS * TWITTER * THESTRIPPODCAST[@]AOL.COM

PupuPlayer FREE

Give $35 for a Sands Bethlehem shotglass, $75 for a Sig&Roy Reunion tiger table centerpiece (seen here) or $25 for anything else on the prize list below.

How do I listen?

Free Play Casino Bonuses

Before you are ready to play at an online casino, you will want to hunt around the internet in search of the best available casino bonus you can find. Casino bonuses vary in size, and type so visiting a dedicated site like CasinoBonus.net will help you.

Cheap Las Vegas Tickets at TicketNetwork.com

This Week, On The Strip...
CLICK ON DATES BELOW TO HEAR SHOW
OR RIGHT-CLICK TO SAVE TO A COMPUTER

SEE SHOWS BEFORE 2007 HERE

July 2: Rolling With Dice

Hide the kiddies, brace yourself and, if you’re easily offended, you may want to skip at least the second half of this week’s show. Andrew Dice Clay is coming to Vegas in July for another set of shows on the Strip that may portend a headliner residency, so the controversial and foul-mouthed comic is our guest tonight. Is he, as he likes to say, the Elvis of comedy, or is he, as Steve put it in their conversation much to Dice’s annoyance, an overgrown Fonzie? Judge for yourself this hour as they go at it about the 51-year-old’s overactive sex life, about ejecting hecklers and about why he canceled some recent shows in Utah. Plus, hear his version of what happened when Saturday Night Live player Nora Dunn quit the show because he was hosting.

In Banter: The Twin River racino, Michael Jackson’s death, Patti LuPone’s outburst, the Danny Gans 911 call, the tricky Brotastic ad, the survey about Vegas tourist walking habits and Lance Burton looks forward to six more years and (then?) the Monte Carlo’s implosion.

Links to stuff discussed:

Cash Back Coupon!

 

EXCLUSIVE ENCORE TOUR WITH STEVE WYNN

  • Download the audio by right-clicking here
  • Find the map here
  • Follow along with an annotated written guide here

 

no one deals like we do!

This week's Trivia Question:

In a Vegas context, who is Curtis Flowers?

Know? E-mail us call 206/424-4737 by 7/6

If we pick your correct answer, you pick from: A free subscription to VegasMate for iPhone,a tie-dyed Fremont Street T-shirt, Ka program, Ka DVD, Ka CD, "The Lion King" making-of book, an autographed copy of Steve's books, Knopf MapGuide "Las Vegas" or "Gay Vegas," an MGM Mirage planner w/calculator,Cirque du Soleil playing cards, CDs from LeAnn Rimes, Ne-Yo, Jon Secada or Olivia Newton John, the DVD "How To Play Poker," the books "Quicksilver: the Ted Binion Murder Case" by John L. Smith, "August of 77" by Jamesel G. Lighten, "Some Las Vegas Strip Clubs" by Julie Cook, "Madam: Inside a Nevada Brothel" by Lora Shaner,"Kill Everyone" by Lee Nelson et al, "Skin City" by Jack Sheehan, "The First 100" edited by A.D. Hopkins and K.J. Evans, "Cult Vegas" by Mike Weatherford, "Whale Hunt in the Desert" by Deke Castleman, "Burning the Tables in Las Vegas" by Ian Andersen, "Casino-o-logy" by Bill Zender, "Telling Lies and Getting Paid: More Gambling Stories" by Michael Konik, "The Man With the $100,000 Breasts" by Michael Konik, "The Best of John L. Smith's On The Boulevard," "No Limit: The Rise and Fall of Bob Stupak" by John L. Smith, "Blackjack Autumn: A True Tale of Life, Death and Splitting Tens in Winnemucca" by Barry Meadow, "Tax Help For Gamblers" by Jean Scott and Marissa Chien, "Golf Las Vegas" by Ken Van Vechten, "The Killing of Tupac Shakur" by Cathy Scott, "Fish Without a Doubt" by Rick Moonen, "Mesa Mexicana" by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, "The Art of Richard MacDonald," "Confessions of a Stripper" by Lacey Lane or "Bally: The World's Game Maker."

Donate $25 and choose any of the above prizes!

* * *

US Online Casino Games

If you are a fan of the Strip in Las Vegas, you will love playing casino games online. There are thousands of quality, legal US online casinos that each offer games like Slots, Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat and Craps online.

Top Secret Tourist Tip of The Week

See ALL the tips here

July 2: Every Saturday morning from 7-10 a.m., hundreds of classic and exotic car owners and enthusiasts gather in parking lot of a shopping center at 9500 S. Eastern Ave., just south of the 215 for what’s called Coffee and Cars Las Vegas. Participants and spectators are more than welcome to bring their own cup of coffee, but there’s a Le Golosita café and Einstein Bros. Bagels in the strip mall. Check out Las Vegas Cars and Coffee.

Pick up your copy now of the bluntest, most honest, take-no-prisoners Vegas guide you'll ever find. Click HERE!

Theme Music by Strange Radio


Our new theme is "Las Vegas Remixed" by Strange Radio. Become the band's friend here or, better yet, buy their music there, too.

* * *

Top 10 Moments of 2007...as voted by you

[Right-click on the names here to save the show and drag it into your mp3 aggregator]

#10: Wayne Brady is cranky about Tigger.

#9: Steve Wynn discloses the future of his golf course.

#8: Mark Loizeaux of Controlled Demolition tells all in two chats, before the Stardust and Frontier implosions.

#7: Jamie Gold admits he broke WSOP rules

#6: Our first video episode, the Stardust implosion.

#5: Steve Wynn bemoans why he lost Bette.

#4: Jon Lovitz describes beating up Andy Dick.

#3: The Amazing Johnathan goes on an obscene rant.

#2: Miles is Neil Sedaka. Sort of.

#1: Jerry Lewis gives a $4 interview.

 



Miles Smith is a news producer for KVBC, the NBC affiliate in Las Vegas and has 15 years of experience in TV journalism and TV production. Miles, whose deep, rich voice gives The Strip its professional sound, is an avid reader of US Weekly, In Touch and other celebrity rags and has a particular fascination with black female performers like Toni Braxton and Gladys Knight, both of whom have been guests on the program. He's also a car nut and an avid foodie.

Steve Friess is a national Las Vegas-based freelance writer whose work appears regularly in USA Today, Wired, Conde Nast Traveler, Newsweek and dozens of others. The Long Island native moved to Vegas to freelance in 2002 after living and writing in China and quickly established himself as the go-to writer for the worldwide media on all things Vegas. Frequently, Steve airs on The Strip the unedited audio of interviews he conducts for his articles with the key players in America's favorite adult playground. Steve also co-hosts The Petcast podcast and reviews video podcasts for TheDailyReel.Com.

Gallery

Us with Jen Tilly
Steve + Miles shots
Steve's Family
Black + Jack
Steve's Travels

 
Also try Steve's other show, The Petcast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew Dice Clay’s website
Steve’s New York Times piece on the bankrupt Rhode Island racino
VegasHappensHere.Com photos of the Twin River casino in RI
Hear the Danny Gans 911 call
Norm Clarke on Lance Burton’s new deal
The billboard for Brotastic/Blue Man Group
Steve’s column on the Patti LuPone text-messaging incident
Hear KNPR on Michael Jackson’s death and his Vegas relevance
Steve’s column on rehabbing MJ’s image
The Las Vegas Sun on Boulder City Hotel’s money woes and the NYT travel on Boulder City
The Las Vegas Sun on the data related to walking tourists and Orbitz hotel bookings
Our episode with Whoopi Goldberg from Nov. 9, 2006
Wikipedia on the difference between a “video lottery terminal” and a slot machine
The L.A. Times’ tasteless blog headline on Billy Mays’ death


* * *

June 18: A Tony Winner and an Oscar

This week, on the Strip: We spoke to her nearly two years ago and she was hinting at a comeback she didn’t want to jinx. And, in fact, Broadway legend – and Steve’s gayest obsession – Patti Lupone did have a trick up her sleeve: A few months later, she returned to the Great White Way in the title role of “Gypsy” and walked off with her first Tony award since her 1981 triumph for “Evita.” Lupone is back in Vegas on June 20 and 21 for shows at the Orleans, so Steve got her back on the line to see how her life has changed. Among other things, Lupone went on a bit of a rant about poor Susan Boyle and the nature of celebrity. That’s coming up. Also, we check in with Mayor Oscar Goodman about Obama’s recent visit and gives an update on plans to resettle the Star Trek Experience in Las Vegas.

In Banter: Cinevegas, Sheer Madness, a listeners' Wynn visit, how Steve saved $400 on his Connecticut rental car, All-In: The Poker Movie, Charo, Larry King, MGM Grand Egypt and more.

Links to stuff discussed:

Tickets for Patti LuPone’s June 20-21 shows at the Orleans
Patti LuPone’s website
Guest host Amy’s show, GritstoGlitz.Com
All about the odd Summer of ’69 thing at Fremont Street
Sheer Madness at Town Square
The Las Vegas Sun on All-In: The Poker Movie, the Cinevegas documentary champ
VegasHappensHere.Com on Jon Voight’s Roy-tiger tale
More on the Lookin’ To Get Out film is here
The R-J’s Mike Weatherford of the R-J on Charo’s coming to Vegas
The Sun on Cheap Trick’s Beatles show
The latest on Sen. John Ensign’s sex scandal
The R-J on MGM Grand’s Egypt plans
The AP on on Oscar Goodman’s electoral plans
The Sun on Carolyn and Oscar Goodman’s political ambitions

* * *

SPECIAL VIDEO EP: JON VOIGHT REVEALS 1981 ROY-TIGER INCIDENT

* * *

June 11: Engelbert Humperdinck

In our quest to cover all the classic old-timers of Vegas lore, one fixture we hadn’t yet caught up with was Englebert Humperdinck, the British chart-topper who was first brought to the Strip in 1968 by none other than Dean Martin. Humperdinck, now 73, talks about everything from Liberace to Lambert, recalls Howard Stern's playing with his hair, explains why James Blunt fits in the canon with Clapton and McCartney and discusses the fact that his rival, Tom Jones, has received a knighthood while he has not. Humperdinck performs in Vegas at the Orleans on June 11-14 playing his hits as well as the contemporary pop songs he covered in his 2007 album, “The Winding Road.”

In Banter: Danny Gans’ cause of death, the Cinevegas passes contest winner, the future of the TI, Steve’s show spree, changes at Peepshow, Robuchon’s odd discount and the Chippendales do Paris.

Links To Stuff Discussed:

Engelbert Humperdinck’s website
Tickets for Engelbert Humperdinck’s shows June 11-14 at the Orleans
The shirtless Engelbert Humperdinck “Release Me” video
VegasHappensHere.Com photos and links regarding the Treasure Island changes
Pictures of the Wynn Sky Casino
Joel Robuchon’s “discount” menus
VegasHappensHere.Com on the Peepshow changes
The YouTube version of the special video edition of The Strip from Bethlehem, Pa.
Hear the Gans death press conference

* * *

June 4 : Jon Voight

Actor Jon Voight's roles in Midnight Cowboy, Deliverance and Coming Home made him one of the most iconic movie stars of the 1970s. He’s also the father of one of the most iconic movie stars of this era, Angelina Jolie. Voight is being honored with the Marquee Award at Cinevegas at a June 14 ceremony where an overhauled version of his 1982 Vegas-set comedy “Lookin’ To Get Out” will be screened. The film also stars Ann-Margret and was Angelina Jolie’s first film role. In this conversation, Steve and Jon Voight discuss his experiences with everything from Midnight Cowboy to Coming Home to Seinfeld. Then Voight explains how he turned from being an anti-Vietnam War activist to a fan of George W. Bush and Sarah Palin. He also has some harsh words for President Barack Obama.

* * *

May 28: Carlos Santana

It may be one heckuva a recession, but the Hard Rock Hotel has pulled out all the stops on its new version of The Joint, spending $60 million on the posh new concert venue and signing modern Las Vegas’ first resident rock ‘n roll act in Carlos Santana. The 61-year-old guitar legend granted Steve one of only a few interviews in advance of his first set of shows, which begin Wednesday night. Santana talks to Steve about playing the old Joint on the millennial New Year’s Eve, about his views about Vegas and about which athlete he thinks is more impressive than Tiger Woods. That’s coming up. Also, hear an excerpt of Steve’s explosive chat last week with Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson in which explains his company’s freefall and bats back against Steve Wynn’s criticism of their strategy in Macau.

In Banter: More on Bethlehem and Adelson, Danny Gans memorial and curse, Wolfgang Puck, Obama: The Las Vegas Spectacular, Adam Lambert, Jeff Beacher and Pansy Ho.

Links to stuff discussed:

Carlos Santana’s website
Tickets for Santana at the Joint
Guest host Murphy’s show, Spankwagon
All VegasHappensHere.Com coverage of Bethlehem and Sands
Steve on KNPR discussing "Obama: The Las Vegas Spectacular" at Caesars
The Review-Journal’s Molly Ball on "Obama: The Las Vegas Spectacular"
The Strip Sense column on Adam Lambert’s Vegas potential
Norm Clarke’s reports about the Mirage-Jeff Beacher alliance and the messy Whoopi show
Hot Club of Las Vegas with singer Carol Linnea Johnson
The Utah Shakespearean Festival schedule
The Bootlegger Bistro where Hot Club plays on June 5

* * *

Special Video Ep: May 22 opening of the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem

* * *

May 21: It's Cranky Miller Time

Comic and political commentator Dennis Miller has a reputation for being cantankerous and on this week’s show, he lives up to that image to the fullest. More than three years after he came on this show and complimented us as erudite and astute, he’s back in a tense conversation that he ends abruptly because it’s, well, “too deep.”

In Banter: No news on Danny Gans yet, is Lion King a wise Vegas move, British Airways opens daily nonstops, the pasties are gone from and Holly Madison is coming to Peepshow and Menopause finds a new home at the recently hipped-up Luxor.

Due to travel, links for this episode will be listed on VegasHappensHere.Com after the show is posted.

* * *

SPECIAL 5/1 EDITION: REMEMBERING DANNY GANS
see full Danny Gans coverage here

May 7: Danny Gans' Muse

Las Vegas is in stunned mourning this week following the shocking death Friday of impressionist Danny Gans. We’ll talk about that at the top of the show, but it’s also fitting that our guest this week is comic Jeff Foxworthy because Gans spent at least 10 minutes in every show doing Foxworthy and his trademark redneck jokes. Foxworthy talks about Gans, about performing for presidents Clinton and Bush and about hosting dimwit adults on the hit TV game show Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?

In banter: Danny Gans’ death, Jim Murren’s defense, China’s wacky swine flu response, Peepshow’s surprisingly great, Peppermill’s surprisingly classy and Vegas stocks are inexplicably way up.

Links to topics discussed:

Jeff Foxworthy’s website
Tickets to Jeff Foxworthy’s May 16 tickets at The Orleans
LasVegasSun.Com’s piece following Dave Navarro in Vegas via Twitter
VegasHappensHere.Com coverage of the death of Danny Gans
The press release for Beyonce ticket prices at Encore
MGM’s earnings as covered by Howard Stutz of the Review-Journal
VegasHappensHere.Com on swine flu in Macau
The YouTube clip of Carrie Prejean and Pat Robertson
The YouTube clip of Kelly Pickler and Jeff Foxworthy
The Peppermill Coffee Shop’s website
Ex-Milwaukeean chef Paul Bartolotta’s hometown blog on his 2nd James Beard Award
Carol Cling’s “Shooting Stars” column on Top Chef gossip
The Twitter feed for Miles’ station, KVBC
The Reno News & Review on gay-rights legislation pending in Nevada

* * *

April 30: Top Chef's Top Chef

Some chefs are TV stars first, then Vegas restaurateurs. Tom Colicchio did it the other way around. The five-time James Beard Award winner already owned Craftsteak and ‘wichcraft at the MGM Grand when he was tapped to become the chief judge for the hit Bravo reality competition Top Chef. The show began filming its sixth season in Las Vegas this week, although this interview took place a day before that was confirmed. Still, Steve spoke to Colicchio at length about everything from his criticism of the show’s finale format to the late Natasha Richardson’s stint as a guest judge last season. Colicchio also retells how he saved the life of a famous food writer at an Obama inauguration party in January. Plus, as always, we asked him about his fast food preferences, if any.

In Banter: Top Chef a'coming, Angel v. Perez, Fontainebleau's problems, coinful slots, changes to WSOP and more.

Links to stuff discussed:

Craft Restaurants’ website
VegasHappensHere.Com on Top Chef Vegas
The UPI wire service on the Kelly Monaco burglary
TripAdvisor.Com on Golden Gate’s $19.06 special
Elvolution star Trent Carlini’s site
Las Vegas Sun’s Joe Brown raves about Elvolution
Norm Clarke’s call for Criss Angel to be fired
Hear the podcast of the vermin Perez Hilton’s panel to Vegas for a charity event
VegasHappensHere.Com’s post about the Fontainebleau problems
The Associated Press on the trend back toward coin-full slot machines
The New York Times on the possible Nevada lottery
VegasHappensHere.Com on the changes afoot for the 40th World Series of Poker
The site for that wacky plastic surgeons convention
the photo Mark from Chicago sent us on VegasHappensHere.Com

* * *

April 23: Shecky's Complaint

When Steve makes a joke that’s so awful it’s funny, Miles refers to him as Shecky Friess. That’s because long before Steve was hamming it up badly, comic Shecky Greene was one of the legendary comedians who made Las Vegas what it is today. Greene, now 83, is back in town for a three-show gig at the Suncoast next month, so Shecky Friess chatted him up about being tackled by Buddy Hackett in the middle of Paradise Road, about crashing his car in the Caesars Palace fountains and about which of the current crop of comics he loves and which he hates with, as Shecky put it, “a purple passion.” Take a listen and have a great week.

Links:
Shecky Greene's site
Tickets for Shecky's show at the Suncoast

* * *

April 16: Hard Rock's Sweetest Star

In retrospect, Dee Snider was born to play Vegas. And finally, thanks to Monster Circus at the Las Vegas Hilton, that time has come for the long-haired, gravel-throated, lingerie-wearing front man for the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. The former choir boy from Long Island speaks this hour to Steve about the show, about just how subversive all that hard-rocking crossdressing was back in the day and about Barry Manilow’s reaction to sharing his showroom with this bunch. Plus, is Gene Simmons of Kiss really is as big a jerk as he seems? Snider has some interesting thoughts on that, too.

In Banter: Le Reve's new ending, the Venetian's umbrella act, Wynn on TV, Hellmuth via chariot, bye-bye whore tax and a great new Vegas pay-per-view idea.

Links to stuff we discuss:

Dee Snider’s website
Monster Circus tickets
Snider’s radio shows Fangoria and House of Hair
A Monster Circus review by Joe Brown of the Las Vegas Sun
Shecky Greene’s website
The Washington Post on NPR’s record ratings in 2008
American Anonymous by Benoit Denizet-Lewis
Vanity Fair piece on Bernie Madoff
The “60 Minutes”, uh, loving portrait with Steve Wynn
Jon Ralston’s interviews with Steve Wynn, Day One and Day Two
Steve’s Las Vegas Weekly column about the death of the whore tax
VegasHappensHere.Com photos of The Joint
The logo of Loves Park, Illinois


* * *

April 9: Marie Osmond, Part II

In Banter: MGM goes up and down, Tony Curtis is weird, CityCenter may seem cluttered and legislators ponder a whore tax.

Last week she talked about genteel topics like Groucho Marx pinching her butt and brother Donny falling off tables. But this week, Marie Osmond gets controversial, particularly when she’s talking about what she knows about the behind-the-scenes world of Dancing With the Stars and American Idol.

Links to stuff we discuss:

Tickets for the Donny and Marie show
GritsToGlitz.Com, guest co-host Amy’s show
Jill Curtis’s horse rescue organization, Shiloh
VegasHappensHere’s photo of the F’bleau towering over the Riv
The Strip’s Tony Curtis episode
The A.P. on the whore tax hearings
RuPaul’s Drag Race TV show

* * *

April 2: Marie Osmond, Part I

She’s a little bit country and a little bit, well, you know the rest. But she’s also now a big bit of a Strip headliner. Marie Osmond, she of the gigantic gleaming smile stretched across the Flamingo, joins us this hour to talk about show business nepotism, performing with everyone from Groucho Marx to Snoop Dogg and the night she and Donny performed their Vegas show in the dark.

In Banter: Freaks at O'Sheas, MGM drama, Follies bye- bye, Vegas impersonator jailed in Suriname.

Links to stuff mentioned:

Tickets for the Donny and Marie show
The 2009 results of the R-J’s Best of Las Vegas survey
The VegasHappensHere.Com post on the mayoral chips for Airmen
The website for SeaWorld’s Military Program
Sites for Minskoff and Mandalay theaters, both of which now house The Lion King
KNPR, the Las Vegas NPR member station
A Las Vegas Sun piece on Freaks, a gross new show at O’Sheas
VegasHappensHere.Com on MGM making their payment
MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren’s letter to employees
News on Hooters, Riviera and Bally’s closing its sportsbook until September
Mike Weatherford’s coverage of the closure of Folies Bergere at the Tropicana
Gaming Today’s Monti Rock III on Bobby Slayton’s Trop deal
Norm Clarke’s coverage of the Toni Braxton impersonator jailed in Suriname

* * *

March 26: Anthony Marnell III

His father built the Mirage, Bellagio, Wynn Las Vegas, Sam’s Town, the Rio, Caesars Forum Shops and countless other iconic structures. But now is 35-year-old Anthony Marnell III’s time, with the surprisingly successful opening of the $1 billion M Resort way, way, WAY south on Las Vegas Boulevard. Marnell the younger talks this hour about the future of his famous M Blimp, about growing up on Vegas construction sites and about why the new resort is in some ways a way for his father to receive the recognition he deserves. Plus, Steve confronts him about whether putting a pharmacy in a casino is, as Steve believes, predatory.

In Banter: MGM Mirage's woes, Phil Ruffin's financing issue, Luxor billboards, hard-to-believe Lion King ticket sales, getting in trouble taking pictures in casinos and thought on Terry Fator.

Links to stuff mentioned:

The M Resort’s site
The Strip Sense column on the Olds’ visit to the M
VegasHappensHere.Com coverage of the Reid-MGM controversy
The Review-Journal’s Howard Stutz reveals that Phil Ruffin can’t seem to finance $175 million
VegasHappensHere.Com on the Luxor billboards
Norm Clarke’s report on the Lion King’s ticket sales
VegasHappensHere.Com breaks news that Celine Dion has inked a Caesars deal
Reviews of Terry Fator from VegasHappensHere.Com, the Las Vegas Sun and the Review-Journal
The R-J’s Ben Spillman’s piece about a blogger who fought with Cannery security about photos
The Poker Grump blog
The Dinner In The Sky in Las Vegas website

* * *

SUPERSIZED EP!! March 10: Race To Trump Mountain

This week, on the Strip: He’s bold, he’s brash, he’s arrogant. And he’s on this show tonight. Donald Trump spoke to Steve last month for a New York Times piece on the Vegas real estate crash that appears in the Friday, March 6, issue. You get to hear that conversation in full this hour, including Mr. Trump’s conclusion that the American economy is in a depression and his mockery of the stalled condo development at the Venetian. Also, we hear from the director of the new Disney adventure “Race To Witch Mountain” as he explains how a Vegas cab can get from Planet Hollywood to Fremont Street in 10 seconds flat.

In banter:
Siegfried & Roy's return, Vegas economic ups and downs, Elaine Wynn's In N Out fetish and M Resort has opened.

Links:

Steve’s New York Times piece on the second-home market crash
The Race To Witch Mountain website
Film director Andy Fickman’s IMDB page
The VegasHappensHere.Com posts on the Siegfried & Roy’s return, 20/20 appearance and aborted third trick
Cleveland Clinic Ruvo Center for Brain Health’s site
The VegasHappensHere.Com post touting Hawaiian Air’s additional Vegas service
An Associated Press report on Allegiant Air’s good numbers
A Reuters piece on Terrible’s possible bankruptcy
An Associated Press piece on the Adelson-v- Weidner tussle
A Dow Jones piece on the Boyd-v-Station tussle
The Wikipedia history on the Moulin Rouge
The site for Jersey Boys Las Vegas
All you want to know about Frank Marino’s Vegas exit
The VegasHappensHere.Com post on Elaine Wynn
The site for RuPaul’s Drag Race
A Las Vegas Business Press report on the Trump class action suit

* * *

SPECIAL VIDEO EP: Cirque's Open Dance Auditions

On Feb. 10, I observed Cirque du Soleil's open audition process for dancers. Here's some of the footage of what went on and how it worked. Follow the link to my Las Vegas Weekly column to read more.

* * *

Feb. 25: Dino's Boy


Before there was Shake-Your-Bon-Bon Ricky Martin, there was another singer by the same name, albeit spelled a little differently. Dean Martin's son Ricci joins Steve for a fun walk down memory lane, with some great anecdotes about Sinatra and Old Vegas and some thoughts on the children of celebrities.
This is an interview-only episode while we await the return of the LVRocks studio. And there will be a return! Stay tuned!

* * *

Feb. 15: The Impressionist Era Of Vegas...

with Terry Fator and Gordie Brown

Call it the impressionist period of Las Vegas. This month, three major impersonator acts open – or reopen. Danny Gans relocated to Encore, Terry Fator took Gans’ space at the Mirage and Gordie Brown, late of the Venetian, has returned to his old Golden Nugget haunts. Fator and Brown both join us this hour. Find out what Fator’s new Mirage-appropriate puppet will be and hear all about Brown’s early years as a celebrity stalker. Plus, Steve grills Brown on parts of his act he didn’t like.

In Banter: Behind the scenes at Cirque dance auditions, Oscar v Obama, Curtas v Encore, bye-bye La Cage and Heidi Fleiss, the Excalibur’s new deal.

Links:

Get tickets for Terry Fator at the Mirage here
Get tickets to Gordie Brown at the Golden Nugget here
Get tickets for Danny Gans at Wynn Las Vegas here
Terry Fator’s website is here
Gordie Brown’s website is here
Danny Gans’ website is here
Read Steve’s column on Danny Gans’ show here
Find out what happened to the LVRocks studio here
Read Steve’s posts on the Obama v Oscar row here and here
Hear the 2/12 Oscar Goodman press conference here
Read John Curtas’ blog review of Encore here
The Review-Journal’s report on the closure of La Cage is here
The Las Vegas Sun’s story on the rebranding of the Trop is here
If you care, Richard Abowitz discusses Heidi Fleiss’ no-go of a stud farm here
Read about the smoker to fell out of the Circus Circus window here
Our listeners’ new show Seattle Geekly, can be found here
Buy an Edirol that we use to record interviews here
See the list of companies likely to go under, with two Vegas-related entries, here

* * *

SPECIAL: MAYOR GOODMAN'S 2/12 PRESS CONFERENCE

* * *

Jan. 29: Poker's Hellian

He owns a record eleven World Series of Poker bracelets and has earned well over $8 million in his poker tournament career, but the reputed bad boy of Texas Hold ‘Em isn’t done yet. Phil Hellmuth, who has a forthcoming documentary and memoir, opens up this hour about his quest for bracelet number 12, about how why he stormed off the set of NBC’s Poker After Dark two years ago and about what the 2008 World Series of Poker final table contestants did wrong.

In Banter: Fishing in Las Vegas, a mea culpa and taxing the brothels.

Links:

Phil Hellmuth’s website is here
See Phil Hellmuth storm off the set of NBC's Poker After Dark here
See a list of Hellmuth's biggest blow-ups here
See the odd McCarran billboards that prompted a rant here
Steve’s NYT piece on the potential of a brothel tax is here
A site for the Jasmine Tea House where Steve and Miles had great Chinese in SF is here
The L.A. Times’ Richard Abowitz' brutal piece on Miss America is here

* * *

Jan. 22: A Diamond In The Ruffin

Others may be more creative, more ambitious and more flamboyant, but nobody nobody on the modern scene today is as brillian t – or as fortunate – at making deals as Phil Ruffin. The 72-year-old Kansas billionaire sold the New Frontier land in 2007 for a record $35 million an acre before the real estate crash, and now he’s used a mere $775 million of that profit to pick up the Treasure Island. For the first time this hour, Ruffin discloses some new plans for the property, explains why he’s unlikely to ever buy a Harrah’s property and reveals the reason he’ll never build anything in Vegas. Plus, he dishes about Wynn, Trump, his young wife and the billionaires’ poker game he wins year after year.

In banter: Obama’s Vegas stage moment, Folies, Menopause and Scintas closing, Rita will go on and on, MGM Mirage’s reservation system woes, the F’Bleau will be finished, does anyone care about Joaquin Phoenix’s music career?

Links:

Phil Ruffin’s Wikipedia bio is here
See the LV Sun’s post about Rita Rudner extending at Harrah’s here
The R-J’s report that Folies Bergere is closing here
Steve’s blog post about the Obama inauguration at the Hilton is here
The Las Vegas Sun says F-Bleau will finish no matter what here
Steve’s NYT on the mob museum is here and the Daily Show appearance is here
Norm reports Scintas and Menopause here
Doug Elfman wonders if Joaquin Phoenix’s rap career is a hoax here
MGM Mirage’s online reservation outage was only reported here
Miles’ hearts the hateful, vile Ann Coulter and Michael Savage. Find them here and here
The weird George Wallace show that Desiree referred to is here

* * *

Jan. 15: Top 10 Moments of 2008!


Steve, Steve, Steve. Wynn, that is. We’ve tallied up the Top 10 moments of 2008 as voted on by you and, surprise surprise, Mr. Wynn is involved in some way in six of them. But, still, a few others made outrageously memorable remarks on this program during the year that was, and we take our annual look back at all of it tonight. For good measure, though, we’ve got some never-before-heard bits to keep it fresh. Plus, news from Vegas, a new trivia question and a poll. You’re on the Strip, brought to you by Priceline.Com and Hotels.Com, and we’re kicking off a new year with a new theme song!

In Banter: The mob museum, Octavius tower blues, our staycation at Trump and Encore and a very weird phone call.

Links:

Norm’s piece on Cheap Trick is here
Steve’s NYT piece and blog post on the mob museum is here
Steve’s coverage of the porn confab for Newsweek in 2003 is here
The AP story on the halt of the newest Caesars tower is here

* * *

Jan. 8: Mamma Mia! Exit Interviews

The skeptics – including Steve -- said it would never work. A two-act, full-length musical scored by decades-old pop songs telling a convoluted story about parenthood and spandex could never, possibly succeed in Las Vegas. But succeed “Mamma Mia!” did, emboldening another half-dozen or so musicals to believe they, too, were Strip-worthy, only to find out that what Mamma Mia did so effortlessly was actually quite a feat. But all good things must come to an end, and on Sunday, Mandalay Bay said goodbye to Donna, Sophie, her three possible dads and the rest of the cast. We, however, aren’t done yet. Tonight we have live in the studio Brad Grey and Tim Tucker, the only two actors who stayed with the show for its entire, record-breaking Las Vegas run.

In Banter: New Year's Eve fireworks sucked, CityCenter's hiring, Stratosphere's laying off, The Harmon's in limbo, Tamara's stalled and Paris' empty showroom is a blessing.

Links:

See Tim Tucker's website here
Hear Steve euologize Mamma Mia! on KNPR by clicking here
See more on CityCenter's Harmon stall here
See rants from Fox viewers about the lousy NYE fireworks here
See the last blog post about Tamara at Venetian, now stalled, here
See more about Stratosphere's restaurant woes here

* * *

Jan. 1: ...And A Wynning New Year

We’ve walked through Encore with him and chatted him up about everything from that damaged Picasso to the exact curvature of his resort towers. So what’s left to talk about with Steve Wynn? Well, it’s Steve Wynn, so there’s always more. We finish playing our pre-Encore interview tonight with discussion of Wynn’s athletic prowess, his concerns about the economy and a little Gandhi chit-chat, too.

In Banter: Switch at Encore, the view from Capital Grille, Criss Angel on Larry King, Danny Gans’ Encore poster and free coffee at Silverton.

Links:

Find the site for Bagelmania here
Heidi Knapp Rinella’s Top 10 restaurants reviewed in 2008 is here
See the Danny Gans poster at Encore