360 Vegas

Random Vegas About one in 3 U.S. Adults said they thought the tipping culture “has gotten out of control,” according to a survey conducted in May 2023 (Review Journal) Twitpic of the week The photo by @Las_when doesn’t date the picture but this is how the Stardust looked when I got the one and only chance to visit the property in 2006, just months before it closed its doors on Nov 1st. The lamentation of properties lost has a long tradition in Las Vegas. However this move has gone down in history as the worst move made by Boyd gaming’s well documented history of brilliance, hindsight being 20/20. News 360 Vegas AI F1 Impact 3D LED sign Ramsay’s Kitchen

Random Vegas Allegiant Stadium generated $2.29 billion in economic impact to the city of Las Vegas including $128 million in tax revenue (@mickakers) Twitpic of the week Following last week’s holiday theme, @_GrandpaD out did himself with a collection of various Vegas locations themed for the holidays. Everything from Stardust’s Aku Aku tiki statue with a giant Santa hat on to more views of Fremont St with decorations strewn across the street. Our favorite this week was the view of Stardust’s original marquee anchored with Christmas decorations, full sized which only further gives perspective to just how large the sign was in its day. As is common in Vegas signage, if you aren’t paying attention, you might miss the decorations, although not in this photo. News SuperBowl Accommodations Blackbook Addition BLVD Details Paris/Horseshoe Versailles tower Venetian Sala 118

Patreon Content Preview Patreon.com/360Vegas At times the Aladdin has been called “The Vegas Jinx”. History has documented a long line of potential suitors who, when they took their shot, missed. In a town where the house always wins, it’s not only an anomaly when one doesn’t, it’s also a cautionary tale. It isn’t as simple as build it and they will come. Theme, location, timing and in some cases luck is needed to be a successful Las Vegas resort. If your interested in learning more about the Aladdin, check out... lvstriphistory.com Gambling on a Dream: The Classic Las Vegas Strip 1956-1973 Dreaming the Skyline The Strip After-Hours Architecture Pinterest Battle Born Pins Vintage Vegas Shirts

Random Vegas Fontainebleau isn’t the first property to encounter financing problems causing the project to sit unfinished. That title goes to the Landmark who broke ground in 1961 but had to halt construction in 62 due to financing issues. So it sat, 80% done. During that time it was the tallest building in the state of Nevada. It sat dormant until 1969 when Howard Hughes bought it and finished building the property. The Landmark would eventually open July 1st, 1969 (Vintage Research) Twitpic of the week Festive isn’t exactly how you would describe Christmas in Las Vegas. Not that the city doesn’t try but the displays are usually in juxtaposition with existing signage and all easily overlooked if you aren’t paying attention. A perfect example of this is this week’s winner from @_GrandPaD showcasing Fremont St during the holidays, circa 1959. It isn’t easy to see upon initial inspection because Vegas signs are designed to draw your attention to them. However, if you look past the marquees you’ll seen garland strung across the street with some bells and whistles. Signage tangent, this picture shows Golden Nugget in a transitional period with the original signage still on display but with the addition of the steel framed roof sign, added in 1956. In just a few years, 1961, Kermit Wayne will add a giant bullnose shield on the corners with flanked animated signage on each side. This will come to be the properties most memorable incarnation of signage, aside from its current. News Fontainebleau History Fontainebleau Details Fontainebleau Players Club Resorts World Faux Awards Vegas Concert Venues F1 Improvements Luxor Dorito Flamingo Plumb Signage

On our first Vegas trip as a couple, I swung for the fences. Determined to have a great time and convince her that her previous terrible Vegas experience decades prior was not the only way to do Vegas, I made sure to fill our days with fun and our nights with great entertainment. On that trip, we saw Brilliant at the Neon Museum, Fantasy, the Beatles Love, and finished off our final evening at Absinthe. It was wildly successful. The problem is, where do you go there? You can have the top half. Out of all our Vegas show experiences, we loved Absinthe the most. It was - and remains - a perfect Vegas mix of sequins and trash, of sexy and vulgar, of talent and spectacle. So when I booked our second trip for early 2019, we opted to check out Spiegelworld's newest show, Opium. At that time, I can honestly say that I didn’t love it. Opium paled in comparison to its big sister Absinthe. Later that same year, I saw Atomic Saloon shortly after it opened. I felt that Atomic Saloon was a strong, close 2nd to Absinthe, while Opium was a distant third. We recently all went to see Opium together, and I was curious to see how the show evolved in the 4 ½ years since. First, a history lesson: OPM (the show was retitled in 2021, probably to get around advertising restrictions) is the second “permanent” show created by Spiegelworld for Las Vegas after the wildly successful Absinthe. It opened in March, 2018 at the Cosmopolitan where it has remained until its closure at the end of this year. Flingin' rings. OPM follows the variety show format that Spiegelworld developed with Absinthe. The various acts you see don’t necessarily have a common thread, they are just loosely linked together, sometimes simply by a few words for a host or emcee. This is less-so in Atomic Saloon, which does make an effort to tie the various acts into the story; but as with all Spiegelworld productions those who attend looking for a compelling narrative will be disappointed. Spiegelworld’s strength is curation: the assembly of the fantastic, the weird, and the incredibly talented into a show that will simultaneously amaze, arouse, and confuse you. The way Spiegelworld designs their shows, they are also nearly impervious to personnel issues. Performers can take a night off, get sick, or simply move on to another gig, and the show won’t suffer because some other great act can simply be plugged into the show and no one will ever know the difference. What this also means is that the show we saw is not necessarily the show you will see. I’ve seen Absinthe twice and OPM twice, and all four experiences were different. Whether you catch OPM before it closes or one of the other fantastic Spiegelworld shows, I’m pretty sure that you will still have a great time regardless. Andromeda is your hostess Before I dive too much into OPM, I’ll say this: over the last several years, the show has improved. The quality of the various acts has stepped up a notch, and the too-absurd-to-care-about story-line has been abandoned. Ever see a Cirque show or a magic show? If you’re like me, sometimes when you’re watching the show your mind is reeling from all the amazing things you’re seeing, but after a while it becomes noise. Spiegelworld shows work well with my short attention span by continually switching up what I’m seeing, so mentally the entertainment never ends. In OPM, we saw a girl climb into a giant latex balloon, and two men turn giant throwing rings into spectacle. There was a pair of tumblers who terrified us as they launched each other towards the relatively low ceiling. Not everything works, though. A girl in a straitjacket lip syncs psychotically to “No One” by Alicia Keys while writhing in an audience member’s lap, but the bit never seems to have a payoff. A highlight for me was the “bubble-blowing guy,” who had the audience in the palm of his hands while making intricate creations with bubbles. It seems like a parlor trick, but I suggest finding YouTube videos of this act if you never catch OPM live. All of this cements OPM as the most eclectic collection of talent in the Spiegelworld catalog. Bubbles is back in town and he wants your number OPM’s absence is Vegas’s loss, but fortunately you can catch the show before the end of the year. The show is dark on Mondays and Tuesdays, but is available twice a night at 7pm and 9pm every other night. Tickets currently start at $72. If you don’t get a chance to see OPM, rest easy knowing that the Spiegelworld magic is still available in other places on the strip in the form of Absinthe and the Atomic Saloon Show.

Random Vegas Similar to the myth of Bugsy Seigel and the Flamingo, a popular myth has been told many times over about Howard Hughes and the purchase of the Desert Inn. The legend says Hughes overstayed his welcome because ownership wanted the penthouse rooms for high rollers coming in for new years. Instead of leaving, Howard bought the place. The real story about the Desert Inn purchase is that Howard kept holding up the deal with seemingly petty details. The two parties would agree in principle to a deal only to have Hughes find something else he wanted to address. The situation became so heated that the deal almost fell through and his right-hand man Bob Maheu threatened to quit if Hughes changed one more thing. That was enough to get Hughes to finally close on the deal, paying $13 million for the Desert Inn. (Book - Howard Hughes: The Hidden Years) Twitpic of the week No one has done as much with so little than Cosmopolitan. That resort sits on 4.4 acres, has a premium location next to Bellagio’s fountains and offers something no other property offers, balconies in the majority of their rooms. The closest is Cromwell which resides on 1.4 acres. Thanks to @MaverickHeli and Claytonhaam for sharing another stunning view via helicopter of an icon. Here’s hoping that MGM won’t fuck up everything at the property. News LV Sands buys Mavericks

Random Vegas Surprising no one, the sportsbooks at multiple properties reported record breaking action on F1 betting Twitpic of the week I know it looks like this at every F1 track but damn it looked cool in Vegas. Whatever you think of F1 and/or its impact on the city you can’t argue they know how to illuminate a track. That was captured magnificently on ESPN via helicopter, then shared via screenshot by @MeltzVegas. Many records have been reported as a result of the often-trolled event but it was the spectacle promised; and as usual, the Sphere impressed. Here’s to hoping our Wishlist of things to improve actually get addressed. News F1 2023 Results Manhole Cover Accident Vegas Starfish Fraud Pedestrian Traffic

People will try to describe the experience you have at the Sphere but let’s start with saying it unlike anything you've experienced before. It doesn’t matter if you see the film or a live act, this will be different. Which is exactly what Madison Square Garden Company was going for with the Sphere. You’ll find a lot of comparisons to IMAX, Disney’s Soaring Attraction, 360 theaters but that’s only because how else do you describe something never done before. The Sphere is one of those rare attractions that lives up to the hype, not only breaking the technological ceiling set before it but creating a new form of entertainment. Let’s discuss some of the ways its unlike anything you’ve seen before. First, the Sphere is located behind the Venetian convention center. It’s the largest spherical building ever constructed at 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide. The exterior also features 580,000 square feet of LED displays, making it the largest LED display in history. It cost approx. $2.3 billion to build and took 4 years to bring to life. Construction started in 2018 with a planned opening in 2021 but had to put the project on hold in 2020 due to supply complications brought on by the COVID pandemic. When progress resumed, materials and technology costs had increased causing the originally projected $1.2 billion dollar price tag to almost double by the time it was completed. The Sphere is the most expensive music and entertainment venue in history. It seats 18,600 and with standing room accommodations that can handle up to 20,000. 10,000 of those seats have haptic technology incorporated into the seats. They work in conjunction with 4d features like scent and wind. At 160,000 square feet, the 16k resolution wraparound LED screen is the largest and highest-resolution LED screen in the world. The sound system comprises of 1,600 speakers installed behind the LED panels. The experience starts the moment you enter the venue. The atrium is large enough to fit the statue of liberty or the Saturn V rocket. Inside, you’ll find five humanoid robots throughout the venue introducing you to the Sphere as well as interacting with patrons. While the technology is impressive, personally, I would best describe them as borderline creepy. That said, they are powered by AI and have the ability to react to those that interact with them. The Sphere isn’t designed to host things like professional sporting events typically presented in the round. However, it would fit well with events like boxing, MMA, WWE, esports or even award ceremonies in addition to concerts and films. Today, we are going to discuss both the film and the concert experience. The Film Darren Aronofsky, probably best known for the films like Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan and The Whale, is the director of the first film ever captured in 18k. It’s called “Postcards from earth” and tells the story of a dystopian earth that humans have had to evacuate due to all the damage done to it. It follows 2 humans waking up from cryo-sleep after their journey to another planet that can sustain life. Darren uses this narrative to showcase what sort of film experience only the Sphere can offer. It can probably be best described as a love letter to the planet featuring some of the most breathtaking scenes ever captured on film. The film is 50 minutes long and ticket prices start at $89, increasing based on the better the seat location. The Show So a few of things to get out of the way: First, I know this is a divisive band. People seem to love them or hate them. I happen to be in the “love them” camp, and I don’t really care if you’re in the “hate them” camp. Music opinions are entirely subjective and no one is going to change anyone’s mind. With that in mind, I’d like to ask those that aren’t interested to simply move on instead of voicing your distaste. It’s not that you can’t have an opinion, it’s just that I don't like K-pop, but I don’t mention that I don’t like K-pop everytime the subject comes up. What I’m saying is don’t yuck someone else’s yum, okay? Also, if you think U2 is the worst ever for putting a free album on your iPhone several years ago, but you continue to buy all things Apple, your opinion has no weight here. Second, I recognize that this isn’t 360 Vegas Album reviews, and I’ll try to keep that in mind as I discuss this show, but the Achtung Baby album is the center of this show, and it’s the genesis of my love for this band, so forgive me if I spend too much time discussing the virtues and nuance of the album. And finally, I’m not going to have too much to say about the experience at the venue. Our seats were general admission, so we were standing room on the floor. They brought us in a separate entrance from everyone else who had seats, and we never saw the lobby or any of the concession areas. I wish I could comment more on the rest of the facility, but my experience doesn’t allow that. Allright, so back to point 1. “Achtung Baby” made me a U2 fan. I came out at a

Random Vegas The Westward Ho was advertised as “The World’s Largest Motel”. It had 777 rooms and closed in 2005. When demolished they had to take down 27 total buildings. (@las_when) Twitpic of the week What else can you say but wow? Here’s hoping Vegas properties will take notice that you can do so much more with LED signage than just running commercials. If the Sphere hadn’t already endeared itself in the hearts of the locals it did with this display showcased during F1 practice, shared by @kerrybilicki. Featuring elements of the Flamingo, classic Sahara, googie stars from Stardust’s glory days and a lot more all represented on this global display of Vegasy goodness. Salud to much more of this. News FUF1 Downtown Ban Encore marquee signage

Premium Content Preview - Patreon.com/360Vegas The Sahara used to be referred to as the start of the strip, when the strip began to develop. During that time, people talked about the strip like they do off strip properties today, too far from the action. Turns out what people really wanted was more options and the development of the strip over the years has been nothing short of remarkable. The question is, does the strip have a limit to the number of properties it can support, or do the struggles facing places like Sahara fall directly on the shoulders of the properties experiencing them. Give the people what they want and they will come. If you follow that sentiment then the question has to be asked, do people not want what Sahara has to offer? Is that why they are struggling? For more information regarding Del Webb and the Sahara, check out... lvstriphistory.com Del Webb: A Man A Company Gambling on a Dream: The Classic Las Vegas Strip 1930-1955 Viva Las Vegas: After-Hours Architecture The First 100: Portraits of the Men and Women Who Shaped Las Vegas Pinterest Battle Born Pins Vintage Vegas Shirts

Random Vegas The office of Sam “Ace” Rothstein and the Tangiers sports book in Martin Scorsese’s Casino was filmed on the site of an unopened casino at the Jockey Club (@summacorp) Twitpic of the week One of the reasons Vegas is like no other place on the planet is the wide array of architecture it has on display. It has a mixture of traditional, themed and many in a category of their own. Unfortunately, the creativity that brought us the likes of Caesars Palace, Paris and Excalibur, shared here by @las_when, seems to have been forgotten or at least abandon. The situation leaves those that appreciate them to desperately fear that the themes that make the city so unique are now the targets for redevelopment by those who thought an office park on the strip was something visitors wanted. The only constant in life is change so rather than lament the inevitable we should try to just enjoy what we have while we have it. News F1 Vegas Eve Venetian Grandstands Mirage Mountain Trespassing Jackpots Wizard of Oz Escape Room Naked Crimes Hooker Gone Wild Sphere Struggles The Continental Returns Palms billboard sign Cosmopolitan to Vdara Canteen Food Hall The Family Plan

Most of you probably don’t know who Kenny Epstein is, but you should. He’s the owner and CEO of El Cortez. Much more than that, he’s the guy that made the conscious decision to not remodel the property but to refresh it while retaining the vintage feel the property permeates. Kenny understands what El Cortez does so well and sees the value in continuing to service those customers. So instead he upgraded just about everything in the property, all without changing the esthetic. This year, the El Cortez, and Kenny, celebrate their 80th birthday. So we took the opportunity to talk history and the El Cortez with the man himself in the first ever 360 Vintage Vegas Interview.

Random Vegas The music video for U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, filmed in downtown Las Vegas in 1987, was done in one take, shot in less than 3 hours with a skeleton crew and an unsuspecting cast of extras. All the stuff in the video really happened. The music video is credited with introducing, or in some cases re-introducing, Fremont St to the masses and creating a demand for the area that it hadn’t had in a long time. This would go on to spark the need to renovate the area with an attraction that would draw people to it. Today, we know it as the Fremont St Experience. (RJ.com) Twitpic of the week The rebranding of a property must be an inexpensive process. Consider how quickly Caesars Entertainment rebranded Imperial Palace into the Quad, shared by @MeltzVegas, only to rebrand the property less than two years later into the Linq. Naming aside, we’ve been a fan of the properties transformation from what was considered by most to be one of the worst properties on the strip when it was Imperial Palace into what we have today. I can’t emphasize enough that Keren wouldn’t step foot in Imperial Palace and since the transformation, we’ve not only spent a considerable amount of time at the property but we’ve spent the night at more than once. The Linq is proof concept that you can make a discount version of Cosmopolitan. News Valid Form of ID Sphere Impact Golden Tee Championships Arte Museum Street Performance Art Fertitta Strip Resort Particle Ink Vegas Advantage Craps Games

Random Vegas Roughly 26 international destinations are reachable from Las Vegas (@lasvegasweekly) Twitpic of the week In Las Vegas, perspective is everything. While some may look at gambling losses as a negative, those that love the city understand its part of the dance that leads to a win. This week, @luckytraveling shared a POV that reminds one that even when passed out on a casino floor one can still find beautiful imagery. Captured is a view of the Cromwell hallway from the floor up to the chandeliers and while it doesn’t feature anyone on the floor, its easy to make that leap in a monologue. News Street Vendor Ban G2E 2023 Voltaire Residencies High End B&E Palms sign Refurbishment Las Vegas Monorail Deals F1 pop-up experiences and exclusive culinary events

Random Vegas Advertising at the Sphere costs approx. $450k for a one-day campaign, $650k for a week. For comparison, traditional billboards cost $20k a month, Mekka Walgreen’s is $65k a month and a 30 second spot during the 2024 SuperBowl will run you $7.5 million. Pricing for the Sphere does include production development of the ad. (VitalVegas & News3lv.com) Twitpic of the week Barbary Coast, in all her chasing lights glory, shown here by @las_when as she was originally introduced to the market, with a white exterior. Even better, this picture was taken before the pedestrian walkway was installed. This was Fremont quality exterior lighting, not found on the strip in too many places these days. While we prefer the property it is today, Cromwell, we will always prefer this signage. News Tupac Arrest Room Fraud Rio Renovations Rio Players Club Rouge Roulette Area15 Expansion Sphere Parking Westgate Halloween Suite Killer's "Your Side of Town" Music Video

Random Vegas Because they used the shell of the Marina Hotel, the entire MGM Grand project was considered a remodel rather than new construction. Therefore, property taxes were set at the value when the Marina was built. (@AStotland) Twitpic of the week While it may be hard to wrap your head around, motels used to dominate the Vegas strip and beyond. They must have seen the writing on the wall when hotel towers became the future of hospitality but that didn’t stop properties like the La Concha from continuing to try and compete in the market. In 2001, the property was approved to build a 520 foot tall hotel tower, a 645 square foot condo tower and a shopping mall. In 2004 the La Concha was closed and demolished to make room for the new project. The iconic concrete shell lobby was carefully dismantled and donated to the Neon Museum who reassembled it and use it as the attractions lobby. The signage, shown here by @Las_when, is on display in the neon boneyard to this day. The project was ultimately canceled for reasons unknown and the property has been sold multiple times. It is currently owned by the Siegel Group and trust me, you don’t want these people opening a hotel/casino. Think Circus Circus, Imperial Palace and Excalibur at their worst but strip out the themes. News 360VV14 More Vegas F1 Casualties Venetian Loves Locals Strike Vegas WebCams Casino Hopping Palms Sign Restoration Westin Signage U2 Atomic City Netflix - Obliterated

Who farted? Do you have that one piece of media that you would like to check out, but never seem to get around to it? Like, you’re scrolling through Netflix, and there’s that one movie that you’re interested in checking out, but not this time. Or the next time, or the time after that. It’s always there, and you’re interested, but not interested enough to dive in at the moment. That, my friends, is how Blue Man Group was for me until recently. I’ve known who the Blue Man Group was for over 20 years now. I remember there was an Intel Pentium TV commercial that they starred in, and a little Googling tells me that was in the year 2000. Sometime after that, I borrowed their album - yes, they have albums - from a friend, because I really liked the unique sound they had. And when I took my very first grownup trip to Vegas in 2002, I stayed at the Luxor, where BMG has had their Las Vegas home off and on since the year 2000. Men beat their 'bone, live on stage! I’ve never been one to mince words in my reviews, so I’ll say up front that I liked Blue Man Group. But I’m having a hard time describing Blue Man Group. I left the theater thinking, “I don’t know what the fuck I just saw, but I’m pretty sure I liked it.” Kind of like a donkey show in Tijuana, but a little more family friendly. So the Blue Man Group itself goes all the way back to 1987. Created as a sort of performance art by three friends in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the group started with street performances which gradually grew to full on stage productions. People in New York like weird artsy shit. Gradually it became a phenomenon, with worldwide tours, 3 albums, and more blue latex than any person should have access to. The Blue Man Group brand was sold to Cirque du Soliel in 2017, another Vegas mainstay. So what the hell is it? The show is kind of a techo-surreal experience. Three Blue Men guide the audience through various experiences, like making music, art, and marshmallow tossing. Without spoken words, the show manages to explore themes of science and technology, information overload, and cultural norms. The characters have a sort of naive curiosity in their behavior. It can come across as mime-like in its execution, but there’s more to it than that. The characters seem like visitors from another world, and their experiments and explorations address our assumptions about the world around us. Chest-hole. Imagine colored paint leaking out of a member’s chest hole onto an under-lit drum that flashes brightly when struck, showing colored drops of paint splattering through the air. If you are thinking that this seems weird as fuck, you’re right, but there’s a sort of mystical coolness about this when BMG does it on stage. Watch as they play wild instruments custom made from PVC pipe and create songs that are absolute bangers.They play songs that the group has created themselves, along with well-known classics like Beethoven’s Fur Elise, pop songs like Bad Romance, and even tease a little Freebird. Audience Fuckery Factor: Minimal, but they do go out in the audience looking for volunteers. They look for people raising hands, so don’t raise your hand if you don’t want to go onstage. And just like a trip to Sea World, avoid the first several rows if you don’t want to get splashed. I think they hand out plastic rain ponchos, because I saw several people with them. The show plays with light (you may be blinded by the lights during the show) and sound (I highly recommend ear plugs). This could be you! The theater is nice. It has a capacity of 830 people. There is a low slope on the house floor, so you may have people blocking your view. I recommend row AA if you don’t want anyone directly in front of you, but you also don’t want to be splashed or singled out. Shows are 2 - 3 times /day everyday of the week. Tickets start at $49. This is a great value show. I also think it works well as a family show, or show to take the in-laws to when they decide they want to join in Vegas because you’re always going there.

Random Vegas While already in use at multiple other businesses in the valley, the Las Vegas Club installed the 1st neon sign on a hotel gambling establishment in 1931 (Vintage Research) Twitpic of the week While there are many reasons to not like Caesars Palace, the architecture isn’t one of them. The move from the Sarno block exterior to an aesthetic that more appropriately reflects the time and place its representing was masterfully applied. Even though we know these are all recreations it still projects a sense of authentic grandeur. I mean, whose eyes aren’t drawn to statues of topless females and concrete penises. Thanks to @las_when for sharing a great representation of what we are talking about. News Happy Hour Deals Kitchen Nightmares Fontainebleau Details MGM Cyber Attacks Zero Bond Red Rock Point Theft Planet Hollywood Fire Alarms Rio Refurbishment

Patreon.com/360Vegas Something for everyone, that’s what Vegas has that makes it a magical destination. It took decades for the market to get that way but it seems every time change is needed, the city finds a way to adapt and evolve. At the end, the Hacienda looked miniature next to its new neighbors Luxor and Excalibur. Like many properties before it and since, the Hacienda evolved as much as it could but ultimately had to be imploded to make room for the future of the strip. Thankfully part of that evolution includes other properties adapting to cater to the audience that once frequented the Hacienda. For more on Hacienda, check out the following resources lvstriphistory.com Gambling on a Dream Volume 2 The Strip: Las Vegas and the Architecture of the American Dream Pinterest Vintage Vegas Shirts Battle Born Pins

Random Vegas By 1980, the states five dominate gaming entities were publicly traded companies. They were Harrah’s, MGM, Del Webb, Caesars World and Hilton (Neon Metropolis) Twitpic of the week The concept was unique and interesting to begin with. City Center, a city within a city. So big it has its own fire department onsite. Unfortunately, what we got was essentially a very expensive office park on the strip. While not pictured, Aria is a sexy bitch, but it was designed to usurp Bellagio as the premier property in the portfolio and to date, it has done no such thing. While Veer towers have always captured our imagination the remaining resorts on property, include Vdara and Waldorf Astoria, don’t have casinos in them so there is no reason to even visit either of these properties, in our opinion. It is amusing that the most popular resort in the City Center portfolio is arguably Cosmopolitan, a property they had to acquire and fold into the complex. Thanks to @TheCrybabyvegas for sharing the view from his room during VV12. News Cyber Attacks free credit monitor and identity theft protection services Zorkfest 2023 Pawn Stars DUI Big Rig Jig Caesars fountains Darren Aronofsky film

Random Vegas There are over 130 unique employee uniform styles at the Aria. Each uniform is equipped with a radio frequency ID chip (sincitytalk.com) Twitpic of the week Welcome to the new strip landscape, one populated by a mesmerizing giant cylindrical object proving that even LED can be done in an interesting way and not just as a giant rectangular TV. It will come as no surprise that @maverickhelishared this new view. Here we see the entire strip showcased with the Strat in the foreground all the way down to Mandalay Bay. The Sphere, of course, stands out because of its uniqueness, not just to the market but in the world as the largest spherical object. As with everything, someone will probably build one larger, probably in the middle east, unless it’s a huge flop but I don’t think Venetian owners will allow that to happen. What the hell else are you gonna use that thing for if not its intended purpose. Is the Sphere too big to fail or will it fail because its too big. Time will tell. We are hoping it doesn’t fail either way and instead became as iconic as the Fountians of Bellagio or the Mirage volcano. News Comps for Debts Twitpic of the Week The Paddock Building Like An Onion: The Vegas Skim Stray Pirate Tiki Bar Video Poker Tournament Money Laundering for Dummies Severed Negotiations Tesla’s Cybertruck

Random Vegas The myth is that casino carpet is busy to keep guests looking at the slots. The fact is its to conceal stains as well as wear. (@VitalVegas) Twitpic of the week A breathtaking photo of @Caesars Palace from @maverickHeli. An arial view of the property showing just how diverse and sprawling the property is. This photo has it all, well, almost all. It has the 6 different hotel towers, the Roman, Centurion, Fantasy (known today as the Nobu tower), Palace, Augustus, and Octavius towers. It has the porte cochere and the famous fountains capped off by the Absinthe circus tent. While I’ve been assured this tent is a permanent structure, I can’t help but wonder why Caesars didn’t build them something more on brand. Perhaps the juxtaposition better suits the show’s theme. Whatever the reason it’s a marvelous photo and one I’m happy to add to the Twitpic of the week collection. News Adele Disruption Fan Girl Opportunity Ticket in-Bonus Out in Testing 360 Vegas Vacation Naming SkyVue Removal Zoo Station: A U2/UV Experience Durango Wax Rabbit

Random Vegas Silver Sevens deals live roulette again. That makes 67 casinos in the Las Vegas market that offer the game. There are 71 with table games. Of the four that don't deal roulette, three are small locals that only have blackjack. The other is Main Street Station. (@John_Mehaffey) Twitpic of the week Whenever we start talking about “locations” for 360 Vegas Vacations, think of this picture from @JustWonOne when we refer to center strip. From the Horseshoe to Aria. Just disregard that MGM marquee as it doesn’t serve our narrative and as we all know, it’s all about the narrative. Or maybe you don’t know that but just go with it. For the record, we consider South Strip to be Mandalay to Park MGM and north is Cromwell to Palazzo. We expanded it beyond Mirage thanks to Flight Club Social Darts Experience, as I’m calling it. All seriousness, this is a great photo of center strip. News 360 Vegas #1 Best Vegas History podcast Top Las Vegas podcasts 360 Vegas Vacation 2024 More F1 Details road closures 360 Vegas Vacation and the Pinball Hall of Fame Bats in Gotham Delano Forgery Lab Stripwalking.com Wynn Resorts Future Bellagio’s exterior lighting off

Random Vegas Casino staff often use police code as shorthand when dealing with guests. For example, a “408” means a drunk guest (@vitalvegas) Twitpic of the week It’s a hell of a view of west Fremont St, although not the view it used to be. But that’s okay. Business is business and the only constant is change. Especially in this town. So we’ll enjoy what we have and be grateful for it. Or so help me I will turn this car around right now. Anyway, thank you @cinamongirl for sharing your view from Oscar’s. At least this view has been classed up by the giant LED showing the various former views down Fremont St. Or was that a final shot at Plaza, showing them what they used to have, now reduced to a tv on the back of a concert stage. News Durango Las Vegas Crocodile Dumbass The Sphere Hard Rock Guitar Hotel Fontainebleau Restaurant Details Paris Cherry Bombing More Paid Parking Flight Club Survey Legacy Club @Circa Special Events New Exterior Illumination at Mandalay Bay Vegas Eyecandy in Usher’s new music video Vegas history art Interlock Social Craps

Patreon Exclusive Content The Flamingo may be the most iconic property in all of Las Vegas. Credited with bringing the luxury theme to the strip, its opulence was considered off putting to some, particularly locals, especially when they were initially informed they weren't allowed to wear their cowboy hats inside. If your interested in learning more about the Flamingo, check out... lvstriphistory.com When the Mob Ran Vegas After-Hours Architecture Gambling on a Dream: The Classic Las Vegas Strip 1930-1955 the Strip: Las Vegas and the Architecture of the American Dream Pinterest BattleBorn Pins Vintage Vegas Shirts

Random Vegas The MSG Sphere uses 150 Tera watt-hours of electricity every year. Also known as a 150 trillion watts. (@KTNV) Twitpic of the week She’s the newest and one of the sexiest neon signs in the history of Fremont St. Carousel Bar Ginger @Plazalasvegas’s outdoor Porte cashre bar is a lovely addition to the history of neon sex downtown. Vicki is the original neon beauty and thanks to the Steven’s group and Circa, we still have her in almost all her glory. That kicking leg has turned out to be a money pit pain in the ass, I don’t blame them for cutting the preverbal cord. Lady Luck and Sassy Sally all gave us imaginary additions to the conversation. Now another physical representation is here and deserves her place in the zeitgeist of neon women in Las Vegas. Congratulations to friend of the show @cinamongirl as she was the first person to suggest the name Ginger, inspired, in part, by the character Ginger from the movie Casino, a character who had a scene in the famous old Plaza Porte cashre.

Random Vegas Drummer for the Killers Ronnie Vannucci worked at the Little Chapel as a photographer while the band recorded their first album Hot Fuss (@tmobilearena) Twitpic of the week Some call her the dirty castle but I call her part of the unique landscape that is the strip. Excalibur is an example of an “only in vegas” experience you can have if theming remains. I’m not saying you have to have people dressed up in character but you need to keep the castle…and the wall decorations to help sell the theme. Leave it to @maverickhelifor capturing a picture of her all lit up and looking pretty. Say what you will about her, she’s got a hell of an ass on her. News · Waldorf Astoria changes

On the next "Chicks you don't want to break up with:" I think there’s been more talk about this show since it opened than any other Vegas show in memory. Good or bad, people are talking about Awakening. We saw the show in late February 2023, when we were in town for the Half Marathon and 360 Vegas Winter Vacation. Before we get to the review, let’s talk about how Wynn got here. When the resort opened in 2005, it opened with the production show La Reve. Like Awakening, La Reve had its share of problems. Developed by Franco Dragone from Cirque, who Steve Wynn poached from Cirque. Dragone was instrumental in developing Mystere and “O” for Wynn at Treasure Island and Bellagio. The sort-of Steve Wynn biography “Winner Takes All” talks about the mixed reactions to La Reve in the beginning, including bewildering acts like pregnant women falling from the ceiling during the show. We almost saw Le Reve in July of 2020, but shows weren’t cleared to reopen, and our front row seats were refunded to us. Permanent closure of La Reve was announced Aug 14, 2020. Complete with giant mythical forest creatures! Wynn announced Awakening in October, 2022. The show was developed by Bernie Yuman, Baz Halpin, and puppeteer Michael Curry. Theater aficionados might recognize Michael Curry’s puppet work from The Lion King Broadway production. Awakening opened November 7, 2022 but closed briefly for a few weeks for rehearsals/changes in January. The show closed again April 17, ‘22, and at the time of this writing is scheduled to reopen Friday, June 23. So you want my opinion? I think this is a really good show. It has a unique story and great visuals, which include fantastic costumes, innovative puppets, and a state of the art stage. The story is like nothing I’ve seen on a Vegas stage. It has its own mythology, and the groundwork for the story set up in the prologue. (I believe the prologue was added after the January hiatus, and the addition of this prologue has cleared up a lot of confusion around the story that surrounded the show’s brief first run.) Essentially, the story goes: Light and Dark are lovers, and together create Magic. Light leaves, Dark freaks out, and Dark imprisons Magic. Custody battles suck. Heroine “IO” sneaks into Black and White ball that Dark is holding in a sort of heist. IO finds Magic, and ends up on a quest to unite Dark and Light, and free Magic. Together with her companions, she travels through multiple “realms,” like Water, Earth, Air, and Fire. The Awakening theater is gorgeous. It is a theater in the round, so there are really no bad seats. At the time I saw the show, Wynn charged the most for seats in the back, presumably because you can see it all better? (A look at ticket prices for the June reopening indicates that this is not the case in the future.) There are individual surround sound speakers at each seat, so every seat has great audio. Seats are also quite comfortable. Have you heard the word? The stage itself is a technological marvel. It is constantly changing levels in sections to create different environments. The stage floor is translucent, and underlit, for additional effects. Michael Curry’s puppets - the word “puppet” seems way too insignificant for his creations - are incredible. Personal favorites include a giant whale that seems to swim above you, and a rock creature that comes alive on the stage. Of particular note is the creepy blank-face dark creature that serves as Dark’s chief henchman. The show makes full use of the theater space, so the story feels like it plays out everywhere, not only are you looking side to side, but up and down as well. Audience Fuckery Factor: Zero. No one's messing with you, so sit back and just enjoy the show. Not sure if drinks were allowed in the theater. No drink service during show, but there was a bar in the theater lobby. When the show resumes on June 23, showtimes are set for 7 and 9:30 pm. Shows are Tuesdays through Saturdays, dark Sundays and Mondays. Tickets start at $99 on Vegas.com.

Random Vegas Caesars Palace legendary casino dome has a crystal chandelier that weighs approx 3,200 pounds and is comprised of 12,000 individual crystals (@VegasTravelNews) Twitpic of the week I may not like the city center complex on the strip but that isn’t saying they are sexy as hell buildings. Especially Aria. It’s a Vegas conundrum. I never have any luck playing at the property and yet I still enjoy visiting it. Did they crack the code on this one? Is that the ultimate goal is to make it clear to people you are going to lose but you’re going to enjoy your stay. @maverickheli really provides a fun perspective of the property that anchors an office park. Thanks Murren. News 360VV12 Clarifications Caesars Meth Party More Fontainebleau Details Ole Red Pedestrian Bridge Barbie Stadium Swim new rooms at Rio

Random Vegas The pool complex at Fontainebleau is six acres and will have seven pool experiences as well as gaming. The casino floor is 150k square feet with a sportsbook a little larger than 13k square feet. (@Meltzvegas) Twitpic of the week Look Familiar? For most of you, it does not. At least not in this incarnation. This week @_GrandPaD shared a photo of the Sundance under construction circa 1979-80. This was the last property Moe Dalitz opened in Las Vegas and before Circa was built, it was the newest property on Fremont St, opening in 1980. Still stumped? For a while it was known as Fitzgerald’s. Today it’s known as the D Las Vegas News 360VV12 NBA In-Season Tournament Gaming Revenue Down The Sphere Dets Vegas Arena and Entertainment District Hostage Situation

Random Vegas The 2023 WSOP main event at Horseshoe Vegas is officially the largest of all time with 8,846 total entries (CardPlayer.com) Twitpic of the week So often people share pictures with us that we have to encourage them to share the photo via Twitter so it can be a candidate for Twitpic of the week. This week’s winner by @TheCrybabyVegas is an example of that situation. Here we get to see the view from his room at NYNY during his most recent trip and it’s a beauty dominated primarily by the property's roller coaster with a nice shot of MGM and Tropicana in the background. Much like arial photographs, pictures of things like the behind the scenes needed to make the magic real of Las Vegas happen will always catch my attention. The trick is to collect both something we’ve all seen with something most people don’t in the same photo. You now have your mission. Go out and impress us. News Death Defying Cirque VegasNearMe

Random Vegas While preparing the Landmark for implosion, two men were accused and convicted in April 1998 of violating the Clean Air Act by improperly removing asbestos from the hotel before its 1995 demolition. The jury found a third defendant innocent. In March of 2001, he 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco reversed the convictions. (Vintage Research) Twitpic of the week In a city where you are mathematically certain to lose, perspective is critical. It’s beating the odds that still attracts people to the tables over and over again. That sort of perspective is prevalent in this week’s winner. Despite nightly baths, Fremont St is largely considered dirty. Maybe its because of all the buskers, maybe its because it’s a pedestrian mall. Whatever the reason, this week @LuckyTraveling shows us that perspective can also showcase just how beautiful Fremont is, showcasing some of the oldest properties on the famed road with the Viva Vision screen shading all. We typically lament the loss of a canopy less skyline downtown but this picture shows just how well they complement each other News Sky Dipshittery Rio Renovations Oceans 14

Random Vegas The million dollar display at Binion’s has returned. The display case holds $42,000 in $1 dollar bills, $688,000 in $20 dollar bills and $270,000 in $100 dollar bills. (Vital Vegas) Twitpic of the week Yup, this is a picture of Caesars Palace in the 1970s, after their first expansion tower, the Centurion tower, was built. The place looks almost unrecognizable except for the famous fountains. While they have been Re themed to look more like Roman architecture, both of these hotel towers are still in use to this day. This picture, shared by @las_when, makes one wonder if people bitched about parking back in the day. You’ll have to see this picture to understand what I’m talking about. You should see a link in the show notes of your podcast player. News Pinky Ring Plaza Carousel bar Lupo Bye Bye

Random Vegas There is enough concrete in the CityCenter complex to build a 4 foot sidewalk from Las Vegas to New York and back (sincitytalk.com) Twitpic of the week Say what you will about Stratosphere but its undeniably a landmark in the Vegas skyline, captured in stunning fashion by @MaverickHeli. Even just as a silhouette its instantly recognizable. Anytime I lose my bearings I just look to the Stratosphere to reorient myself. Some say the property broke Bob Stupak but Bob would tell you it was his dream to build it and that goal was accomplished, even if it did cost him his stake in the company. While its debated if Stratosphere is located on or off strip what isn’t challenged is its status as an icon. News Las Vegas studios Special Session

Random Vegas All the rooms at the Golden Nugget are now non-smoking. It’s believed the practice was put into place after the last room fire they had on the 11th floor of the Gold Tower in 2021. That fire damaged about 200 rooms, mostly water damage from the sprinklers. (Vital Vegas and Vintage Research) Twitpic of the week Seems no one remembers that Stardust was a run down, low-roller joint at the time of its closure. Similar to my love for Dunes, when we lose something we only had limited or no exposure to we romanticize it. Like this week’s winner from @Summacorp. It is not disputed that the Stardust marquee is one of the most iconic in Vegas history. Fortunately that sign was donated to the Neon Museum. The bad news is the sign is so large odds are it will never be refurbished and relit at the Neon Boneyard but one can hope. News Downtown Shooting Slide to win A’s Update Todd English exodus part 2

Random Vegas The original MGM Grand, now Bally’s, had the first movie theaters ever built into a hotel (@vitalvegas) Twitpic of the week One of the challenges new residents of Vegas that love the city like we do have to learn how to drive, is paying attention while you’re driving and not gawkin. This week’s pic by @_GrandPaD illustrates that better than any I’ve seen before. It’s just fuckin miles of eye candy and I have to try and ignore all of it. While I am a giant fan of the FSE and Turing all that space into a pedestrian mall, at night, it must have been impossible to drive down Fremont St.

Random Vegas The lead singer of Devo did the cool/creepy art in the men’s room at Park on Fremont restaurant. (@VitalVegas) Twitpic of the week In what can be agreed is the sexiest Golden Nugget exterior signage ever looked as in the late 60s. A time when Gold didn’t look like yellow. The glow of the signage somehow embodies the phrase “feel all warm and fuzzy inside.” But Golden Nugget’s story is longer than that and even the signage couldn’t keep up with the demand caused its evolution into the property it is today. Thanks to @las_when for sharing it News El Cortez expansion New Sphere, Same Problems The Match @Wynn

Random Vegas 40% of MGM Resorts guests decline daily housekeeping (VitalVegas) Twitpic of the week Simply Elegant and somehow sexy, like the leg lamp in a Christmas Story. Milton Prell’s Aladdin’s original marquee was a looker, shared this week by @summacorp. It’s not a marquee often featured in the great marquees of Las Vegas but it should be. I can’t describe it without doing a huge disservice. It’s like a neon ice cream cone but with an ad for Nudes On Ice on it. News Tropicana Stadium Play Playground Las Vegas BLVD complex

To summarize, although there were multiple service issues, it didn’t spoil our enjoyment. This place should do very well, having good beers, burgers and pizza right off the bat. The draw is going to be that roof terrace, the drawback is going to be the location. Price wise it’s in line with the rest of the strip with $11 beers and food at resort level pricing. Overall in our opinion, it’s worth a visit. It will be interesting to hear what other people think.

Random Vegas Caesars hotels in Vegas had 95% occupancy in Q1. 21% of those rooms were occupied by groups/conventions (@MeltzVegas) Twitpic of the week No doubt this week’s winner by @summacorp is a screenshot of a scene in a film but then again, film is just thousands of pictures capturing seconds of action. Call it what you want, I call it beautiful. I love the Fremont St experience canopy but I will always find pictures without it breathtaking. Something about a pitch black sky illuminated by miles of neon tubing that does it for me. If you feel the same way your gonna love this week’s winner News Horseshoe Fire Parisian Expansion Aheren > Lucky Dragon?

Random Vegas Vegas is a trending topic on twitter almost 365 days a year. (@vegasClub) Twitpic of the week It’s a sign o’ the times. The only thing that never changes is change. However seldom does a brand from the past resurrected in Las Vegas. This week’s winner by @jamesInLasVegas captures the conversion from Bally’s to Horseshoe, well, at least the signage. So far the conversion has been little more than an updating of signage but that doesn’t matter. What matters is the Horseshoe has returned to the market. Make sure you enjoy it while you can because again, the only constraint in life is change this to will pass. News Bent Inn FSE 2023 concert lineup Illuminating Vic Sphere Tour w/U2

One of the great things about a Vegas trip is all the opportunity for surprises. Not bad surprises, like the bell desk lost your luggage or you just checked in and there’s a used prophylactic in your sheets.Good surprises, like a jackpot, or a delicious new drink, or finding out that random restaurant you decided to try has the best food ever. On my most recent trip to Vegas, I got to experience one of those good surprises when we decided to check out SIX: The Musical during its limited residency at the Venetian. (An aside: I think that I’m a little more tapped into the theater scene than the average straight American male. This is due to a rather diverse resume that includes a non-zero amount of time working backstage in professional theater. So I still hear stuff from friends in the entertainment industry. But this show was not on my radar at all.) Werk. Part of the reason for this is that SIX: The Musical is a relatively new show. Conceived in 2017 for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, SIX quickly made its way stateside, where it had an unfortunately-timed Broadway debut in March of 2020. Once it was able to actually open, it was a smash hit. In the 21/22 Broadway season, it received multiple awards, including the Tony Award for Best Original Score.The “SIX: Live on Opening Night” album also debuted at #1 on the Billboard cast album charts. While the show plays on Broadway, there are also two touring productions traveling the US right now. But didn’t know any of this when we sat down to see the show. The premise is a sort of time-bending pop concert, where the six wives of Henry VIII are having a competition to see who was the most wronged by him, and who, therefore, should lead the “band.” The band is an all-woman four-piece rock/pop band who back up the six all-female cast members. Each queen gets a chance to say and sing her piece, arguing why each “she” was hurt the most by her marriage to Henry VIII. To keep things interesting, the show creators gave each queen a “Queenspiration,” or a real pop star or two that their historical character and song style is modeled after. For instance, Catherine of Aragon is styled after Beyonce and Shakira, while Jane Seymour is styled after Adele and Sia. All of the music is modern styled, like Hamilton. You won’t find any lyres or harpsichords here. Unlike Hamilton, the costumes are also modern, but still manage to evoke Renaissance era England. Damn, Jane! I want to see more! The result is a unique and entertaining show that moves along on at a decent clip. The Broadway production is only 80 minutes long, so the Venetian production didn’t have to remove anything to accommodate Vegas audiences (or more accurately, casino bosses who would prefer show patrons be out of the theater and gambling.) I found SIX: The Musical to be immensely entertaining. The performers are all extremely talented, and have gorgeous voices that compliment their “Queenspirations” and ensure that each of the songs have their own distinct sound. There were enough great tunes that we found ourselves streaming the soundtrack in the car next day. It’s also a funny show; especially Anne Boleyn repeatedly asking all the other wives how they could have possibly had it as bad as her when they have their necks intact. During the remainder of its Vegas run, SIX: The Musical will be at the Palazzo Theater. It’s a large, well kept theater. There is no drink service during the show, but there is a bar in the theater lobby. Note that the exit for most patrons forces you through a single staircase, so it’s a little slow getting back out. Things might get a little funky... The Audience Fuckery Factor for SIX: The Musical is virtually zero. There’s some calls out to the audience for cheers or to get on your feet like you’re at an actual concert. No one in the audience is getting picked on or called onstage. Performances are Tuesday through Sunday, up until May 7, 2023. Tickets start at $78.

Random Vegas 39 Las Vegas poker rooms closed since 2012. 10 of those closed for the pandemic and never reopened. None have closed in since Sept of 2021. Currently there are 19 poker rooms in Las Vegas. (@john_mehaffey) Don’t ask me where they are because that information wasn’t in the tweet. Twitpic of the week Possibly the best picture of how the strip has evolved to today taken by @maverickheli. True, it shows a still in progress Resorts World but that doesn’t take away from the picture. It’s still an excellent capturing of Mandalay to Strat. To top it all off, something that most visitors overlook all the time are the mountains. Locals are surrounded by picturesque mountains because the strip and downtown are in a valley. Next time you get a chance, allow our eyes to venture beyond the builds and appreciate just how beautiful southern Nevada is. News Mirage/Hard Rock Local Offers Las Vegas Athletics Golden Nugget Sports Betting App Mekka Walgreens Little Brother

Random Vegas Sin City Sindy, formerly identified as the world’s biggest stripper at 31 feet tall, used to stand outside of the stripper bar located at the back of the Miracle Mile shops, by the V Theater and Blonde’s sports bar. While Sindy is still there today, the name of the bar has been changed to the more politically correct “showgirl bar”. While her stripper pole still remains her breasts, formerly said “Stripper Bar” now only says Bar. (VitalVegas) Twitpic of the week Proof that photoshop isn’t always a bad thing, or that you can create a pretty cool version of the strip with a light bright. This week’s winner, shared by @Begas_Vaby, shows photoshop’s ability to enhance the view into something more like we see in our dreams. Awash with various colored lights the strip is unrivaled in their use of exterior illumination, even if those have been dimmed to save money. News 360VV12 GA Harlem Nights Hotel & Casino Strat Still doesn’t Get It Strip Tiki Bar Returns Absinthe Expansion White Sands Motel Tilman Fertitta's Plan Tony Hsieh emaciated Hard Rock x Mystery Island FountainBleau Marquee Hawaiian market Rubble

My heart just got all achey-breaky. This next review is one that I’ve been hanging on to for some time. Listeners with excellent memories might recall that back in spring of 2022, when I submitted my first review to be read on the show, we figured out that my wife and I were at a show the previous week that Mark was also at. I’m kind of in awe at how much has changed since then. I started as a regular contributor, then I attended my first Vegas Vacation, then we all started hanging out together on the many trips I’ve taken to Vegas since, and then Keren got tired of reading my reviews on the show, and so now here we are recording together. So today, let’s talk about the first time Mark and I hung out in the same room, even though we didn’t know it at the time. Let’s talk about X-Country. Okay, so let’s get this out of the way. I like women. If women choose to be naked in front of me, I like that, too. As I type these words out onto the screen, it occurs to me that I probably cannot review this show without coming across like a dirty old man. But in the words of Popeye the Sailor, “I yam what I yam.” So if you share or even merely tolerate my indulgences, then keep listening. I'm rooting for your team, miss. I’ve said before that for me, going to see shows in Vegas is more for my wife than me. However, since I’m the one who plans the trips, I’m often the one who chooses the shows. As a result we occasionally see a topless revue because I want to, damn it. My wife does not object to this. There’s some tradition here. Vegas is where we let our freak flags fly. Going back a few years to our first trip to Vegas as a couple, the first show we saw was “Fantasy” at the Luxor. (Note: It technically was “Brilliant!” at the Neon Museum earlier the same evening, but that kind of depends on how you define “show.”) So yeah, as a red-blooded straight male who loves Las Vegas, I’m kind of a connoisseur of these shows, or at least I’d love to be. Since then, we’ve seen Fantasy three times, X Burlesque, BurlesQ (you have to pronounce the letter “Q” in their name because who the fuck knows?), Rouge, and now X Country. Some words here about the change, the nature of Vegas, and regret: Like Mark, I consider myself a Vegas history buff. I never got to see any of the classic “showgirl” type shows; Mrs. Jaydubs and I kind of discovered Vegas as a couple just a little too late and Jubilee, the last true showgirl style show, had already closed. Now Crazy Girls is gone (they say it will return with a new home, but that’s a song we’ve all heard before) along with X Rocks and Sexxy at Westgate. This has created a sense of urgency in me that has me treating topless shows like Pokemon: “Gotta See Em All!” So if you’re still listening, and have never seen a topless show in Vegas and would like to, let me share more about the overall experience. First, just do it. I think most are reluctant to see a topless show because they’re worried about how they will be perceived. The audience is full of all kinds of people. Men, women, couples. Young people. Older people. There’s more women and more couples in the audience than one might think at first, and the women cheer louder. It’s a hell of a lot of fun. Fantasy at the Luxor is probably my favorite. It has the nicest venue, the largest number of performers, and the most advanced choreography (which isn’t really that advanced, but hey, boobs!) I think it’s the longest running topless revue currently playing. We’ve seen it three times, and you can expect a review for Fantasy soon. If it seems like I’m providing a lot of context and haven’t yet really reviewed X Country, you’re absolutely right. Because how much can you say about a show whose entire premise is young women dancing in nothing but boots and g-strings? And that is basically what you get with X-Country. It’s a fun, sexy show that got the Mrs and I warmed up for the evening. It served its purpose. We laughed, we cried, we got turned on, and we all learned a little something about ourselves along the way. Just in case you’re starting to think I’m incapable of actually providing a critical review of this show: There was a time that I thought there could be no such thing as a bad topless show, because hey boobs! Check out episode 409, “Jennifer Grey Nose Job” formy review of BurlesQ (Why the FUCK do you pronounce the “Q” in their stupid ass name?!) to find out why that’s not necessarily true. The good: I have to admit, I’m not a fan of country music. I know the lyrics to “Friends in Low Places” and I know that the Chattahoochie is a river in the south and not a nickname for my ex, but that’s about as far as my interest and knowledge of the country music scene goes. So I was a little worried that this show would be country-trashy, in a straw-chewing, cousin-fucking kind of way, rather than just Vegas-trashy in a paying-to-see-tits kind of way. There are A LOT of different numbers in this show, and they quickly switch between the sub-genres o

Random Vegas In a casino cage, damaged currency (slot machines refuse to accept) is referred to as “mute money.” “Mute” is shorthand for “mutilated.” (Vital Vegas) Twitpic of the week The more I look at this picture the more I appreciate the evolution of the Riviera. Not just the hotel towers but the signage as well. While she wasn’t in the best of conditions at the end she was still a classy broad…or gawdy. The two tend to often blur in Vegas. This arial picture of the property in March of 96, shared by @summacorp, showcases a few things about the Riviera. It shows the rooftop pool that never came to fruition as well as just how much of the marquee signage tower was an employ shell in the inside. This property will always have a special place in my heart because of how much the Martin Scorsese movie Casino was filmed at the property. For more on that, you’ll have to check out our 360 Vegas POV series on the film, available exclusively to Patreon subscribers for $7 per month, less than a fancy cup of coffee circa 2023. News TITO Loophol Fan Girl 2.0

Random Vegas When Wynn was building Bellagio, to pull in the kind of numbers he needed to make the place profitable, he knew he needed a show that would put people in the seats 6 days a week. So he went to Cirque and requested a production centered around water. Originally, it was going to be called Eau, the French word for water. However, people inside the organization were concerned that Americans would mispronounce it as “Eww”, so instead they went with the way it was pronounced, O. Twitpic of the week Holy...fuckin...shit. This week’s winner, shared by @stratvegas is fucking epic. Come on, a desert icon like the Stratosphere in the foreground of an epic collection of snow covered mountains in the background is simply breath taking. Seriously, words are escaping me. Do yourself a favor and check this week’s winner out. Simply stunning News Nightmare Las Vegas Wahlburgers 2: Wahlburgery Six: The Musical

Random Vegas Treasure Island was originally planned to be an addition to the Mirage before eventually deciding it develop it into a separate property (sincitytalk.com) Twitpic of the week “Holy shit, that used to exist” is the first thing I exclaimed the first time I saw this picture of the Riviera’s porte cochere, circa 1969. With stunning curves and swooping elegance, it stood as a shining example of the art deco playbook at its pinnacle and proves that buildings can be sexy as well as functional. This is what the place looked like when Dino was part owner as well as headliner. I’d like to imagine that @_GrandpaD is a vindictive old man who enjoys showing things the rest of us can only be teased by. Thanks…dick. News 360 Vegas Vacation 12 Bottled Blonde

Long, long ago, in the Miracle Mile Shops far, far, away… All right, so if you and the listeners haven’t figured it out yet, I’m a big dork. In my youth, I enjoyed video games, Star Wars, and installing A/V equipment so much that it’s a wonder I ever got laid. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve shifted my dorky obsessions to things like bourbon and Vegas, but I’m still a dork. So when it was announced that the show “A Musical About Star Wars” was coming to the Miracle Mile Shops, I had to check it out. Over the holidays I grabbed a pair of tickets and we went to see it. Some background on the show: While I had never heard of the show before it was announced that it was coming to Vegas, it has been around for a few years. It premiered off-Broadway in New York back in 2019, and one of the stars of the Vegas version is a co-writer, and he was also part of the original cast. Let’s just get this out of the way: the comparisons to Potted Potter playing at the Horseshoe are inevitable. Both shows are in relatively small venues, with small casts, and cover similarly expansive series with obsessed fan cultures. In A Musical About Star Wars, the cast is small, with only three performers; Potted Potter has two. Unfortunately, one of these shows works better than the other. I think the biggest issue I had with A Musical About Star Wars is how accessible the humor is. In Potted Potter, you didn’t have to be a big fan of the material to get most of the jokes. Most of the humor in Potted Potter is in the execution, in the journey to try to tell all these stories in 80 minutes. In A Musical About Star Wars, the humor is in the source material. Most of the jokes are about the content of the films, and the result is that only big fans will find a lot of the jokes funny. For example, there’s this recurring bit where the two guys in the show speak to each other mimicking some of the alien languages spoken in the movies. They’re repeating actual dialogue from the movies, and it’s supposed to be funny, but comes across as so cringy. Watching it, I just end up feeling embarrassed for my fellow Star Wars nerds. Even the subtitle of the show is cringey. The full title of the show is “A Musical About Star Wars, or Why Star Wars Is The Greatest Thing To Ever Happen In The History Of The Galaxy And Is Much, Much, Better Than Star Trek.” If you’re going to make a show that you need to be a huge fan to enjoy, why would you make the characters who are fans in your show so stunningly awkward? They even get nervous about talking to the female character. It’s just riddled with simple, unfunny nerd cliches. The other issue I had with the show might have more to do with me than the show. So I am somewhat hard of hearing. I watch TV with the subtitles on. It’s not severe; I spend about half of my work day talking on the phone, and my hearing loss doesn’t really affect my ability to do my job. You’ve heard enough of my reviews to know I don’t really have any issues with this when it comes to Vegas entertainment. But I could not for the life of me hear about three quarters of the dialogue and singing in this show. I think this is probably due to a variety of factors, including my hearing trouble. I think their sound system sucked. You probably don’t get the best audio quality in the theater at the mall. Wait, actually, it’s the backup theater at the mall. Through most of the show, you got 2-3 people singing at the same time. They’re singing the same things, but they are going kind of fast and they aren’t perfectly in sync. Couple this with the bad sound system and my bad hearing, and I couldn’t really hear what they were saying. I don’t think this was just me; I didn’t hear a lot of people laughing at lines that I was missing. The premise of the show is also similar to Potted Potter. There’s kind of a show within a show, with the two male cast members trying to get their Star Wars play shown at Comic-con Las Vegas. They need a real, actual, girl for the female roles, and that's where the other cast member comes in. Except she doesn’t really want to be there, and thinks Star Wars is stupid and sexist. It’s not all terrible, there’s a few parts that work really well. When they cover the Star Wars prequels, they decide to tell the stories of episodes 1-3 “Hamilton style.” They parody the rap style from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical, which in itself is funny, but the spoken method also means more of the jokes can be heard. The show is in the V Theater, at the back of the Miracle Mile Shops, next to Flights. I haven’t seen any other shows here but I think this isn’t even the main “V” Theater, I think it’s their secondary theater. We had to wait in line on a flight of stairs to enter, while they tried to do that thing where every party has stop in front of a green screen to get their pictures taken. Super annoying. Oh, and when we exited and they were trying to sell everyone their finished pictures, they weren’t even related to the show. The green-screened bac