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Redneck Tenors Have Dates At The Luxor

The 3 Redneck Tenors, who made a strong appearance on last year’s America’s Got Talent  show in their tee-shirts, jeans and tuxedo tails with long hair have booking dates when Carrot Top is dark at the Luxor’s Atrium Showroom: Jan. 3-7, Feb. 6-12, March 19-24 and April 23-28.  Tickets are $30, $40 a d $50.

The show 3 Redneck Tenors - A New Musical Adventure!  follows three singing cousins, Billy Bob, Billy Joe, and Billy Billee, from their modest beginnings in Paris, Texas, where they discover that belting out a high C causes pigs to move faster and bar brawlers to scatter, all the way to their triumphant debut at New York’s famed Carnegie Hall.  It's basically a comedy-musical redneck romp, with the tunes of Elvis to Puccini, country to opera and much more.  The musical comedy featuring classically trained veteran artists from Broadway and world opera stages is like Greater Tuna meets Das Barbecu – with down-home laughs and big-city music.

Golden Nugget Completes $60 Million Expansion 

The Golden Nugget downtown unveiled its $60 million expansion in time for the New Year’s Eve festivities.  The addition, just west of the current property location, offers a large multi-purpose events center called The Grand, expanded gaming floor, new Red Sushi Japanese restaurant, and Gold Diggers, a nightlife venue that opens onto an incredible 180-degree, oversized balcony with grand views of the Fremont Street Experience.  Gold Diggers opens nightly at 4 p.m.

This addition brings the total in renovations and expansions at the Golden Nugget to more than $170 million since the property was purchased by Landry’s Restaurants in 2005.  Previous renovations and additions to the world-renowned AAA Four Diamond Award-winning property include The Tank, a $30 million pool with live shark aquarium complete with its own pass-through, three-story waterslide; restaurants Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse, Grotto Italian Ristorante, Lillie’s Noodle House and The Buffet; a Race and Sports Book, Poker Room and redesigned casino floor; RUSH Lounge, an ultra-lounge experience in the center of the casino floor; The Showroom, an intimate, 600-seat theater hosting headline entertainment; renovated luxury spa, salon and fitness center; and ultra-modern Gold Club rooms located on the 16th and 17th floors of the hotel’s North Tower.

RUB BBQ Debuts At First West Coast Location In The Rio

New York City’s highly-acclaimed RUB BBQ has opened with a new location inside the Rio.  This is the restaurant’s second location and only venue outside of the New York.  The 9,000-square-foot RUB BBQ features championship-level barbecue created by Paul Kirk, aka The Kansas City Baron of Barbecue and The Ambassador of Barbecue, who will make   frequent appearances.  The eatery also features a stage for local as well as well-known artists to perform on the weekends. 

The 230-seat restaurant, which includes a 30-seat bar area, is a modern take on the industrial loft look allowing guests to enjoy their barbecue favorites in an open, high-energy atmosphere.   Wall accents of deep, fiery reds contrast with the weathered metals that are set near aged brick and warm rustic wood floors and ceiling beams. 

RUB BBQ is located on the second level of the Rio’s Masquerade Village.  It is open for dinner from 4 p.m. – 11 p.m., Monday and Tuesday, and open for lunch and dinner beginning at 11 a.m., Wednesday – Sunday.

        2008 World Series Of Poker Set In May

Last year’s main event for the World Series of Poker drew 6,358 entrants who competed for a prize pool of $59.8 million.  The world champion collected $8.25 million.  This year’s event will start on May 30 with the $10,000 buy-in world championship of pot-limit hold 'em.

The traditional finale, which is the $10,000 no-limit Texas Hold 'em world championship event, will happen from July 3-16.

The 55-event schedule will take place at the Rio and attract both low-limit amateur players and high-limit professional standouts.  Last year over the whole tournament, a record 54,288 entries participated for a record total prize pool of $159.8 million, which was funded by player entry fees.

AAA Recognizes Las Vegas Resorts And Restaurants

The Automobile Association of America (AAA) has named the Golden Nugget downtown on Fremont Street as one of its coveted 2008 Four Diamond award winners for the 31st consecutive year, upholding the record for a lodging establishment in the state of Nevada.  Only 14 hotel establishments in the United States have earned the revered Four Diamond rating for 31 consecutive years or longer.

Nevada hotels claimed 21 AAA 2008 Four Diamond awards, a new state record, and 16 of the award-winners are located in Las Vegas and Henderson.  The AAA awarded 883 Four-Diamond awards throughout the United States for 2008.

AAA has also honored 23 MGM Mirage hotels and restaurants with its esteemed Four Diamond Award. 

The Signature at MGM Grand, a luxurious all-suite resort, is one of only two first-time hotel winners in Las Vegas for 2008.  Located in three distinct towers, The Signature offers the ultimate in personalized attention in a serene, non-gaming environment.  MGM Grand has received this distinction for the second year in a row. 

Additionally, the property is home to seven AAA Four Diamond restaurants – L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Fiamma Trattoria and Bar, Craftsteak, NOBHILL, SEABLUE, Shibuya and Pearl.  Combined with the 2008 AAA Five Diamond SKYLOFTS and Joël Robuchon, MGM Grand has the most AAA Diamond Award winners under one roof than any other hotel in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico.

Down the Strip, Mandalay Bay and THE hotel at Mandalay Bay also received elite Four Diamond status.  The hotels boast four Four Diamond restaurants – Aureole and Fleur de Lys as well as first-time winners Strip Steak and MIX.

At Bellagio, AAA again honored four restaurants with this prominent ranking – Sensi, Jasmine, Prime Steakhouse and Shintaro.  Four Diamond Awards also were bestowed on The Mirage, Treasure Island plus Monte Carlo and its famed French restaurant Andre’s.  

Quick Clips

“An Evening with Dean and Friends” starring Tom Stevens will open at the Riviera on Jan. 11 and play at 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 4 p.m. on Sunday.  Tickets are $35.

The Eastside Cannery currently under construction on Boulder Highway will have 307 rooms in a high-rise facility.  A restaurant / lounge with a view of the Strip is planned for the top of the high-rise.

Star Trek: The Experience celebrated its tenth anniversary at the Las Vegas Hilton on Jan. 4.  The original $70 million 65,000-square-foot complex featured the Klingon Encounter attraction and, along with the Deep Space Nine Promenade and Quark’s Bar and Restaurant, was an immediate hit.  New additions, the multi-million dollar Borg Invasion 4-D and the Secrets Unveiled Backstage Tour, have added this attraction.

Four years, 40 cities and six countries after its world premiere, Menopause The Musical® celebrated its international success with the debut of its Las Vegas cast production at the Las Vegas Hilton on Feb. 1, 2006.  It became an immediate hit and on Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. the show will celebrate its 1,000th performance at the resort.

The Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Invitational has established itself as one of the nation’s premier early season basketball events, and the 2008 field won’t disappoint as traditional powers Kentucky, Kansas State, Iowa and West Virginia will compete for a spot in the finals at the Orleans Arena.  The finals will be held Nov. 28 and 29.  For tickets, call 702-284-7777.

Year Will Start Off With Many Big Name Headliners

Anticipation is high for Bette Midler to take over Celine Dion’s spot at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Feb. 20; however, Jerry Seinfeld is booked there first on Feb. 1 and 2.

At the Las Vegas Hilton, there’s Boz Scaggs Feb. 8 and 9, Heart on Feb. 15 and 16, and George Lopez on Feb. 29. 

The huge MGM Garden Arena has the most anticipated “Hannah Montana” Miley Cyrus concert on Jan. 18 and19, followed by George Strait and Josh Turner on Feb. 2, and Bon Jovi and Daughtry on April 12.  The Hollywood Theatre’s lineup has Tom Jones booked, Jan. 17-30 and March 27-April 9, while Drew Carey and the Improv All-Stars will provide laughs, Jan. 31-Feb. 3.

At the Danny Gans Theater at The Mirage, Jay Leno will take center stage Jan. 11-12 and March 7-8, while Ray Romano is scheduled Jan. 18-19, Feb. 15-16 and March 21-22.  Brad Garrett is set to appear with Romano in January.  Kevin James will take over Feb. 29-March 1.

Off-Strip at The Orleans there will be Tower of Power, Jan. 11-13; Frankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell, Jan. 17-20; Dana Carvey, Jan. 23-27; The Smothers Brothers, Feb. 8-10; and George Carlin, Feb. 14-17 and 21-24.

The South Point’s showroom will have a fun-filled show Jan. 11-13 with Bill Medley and Paul Revere & The Raiders.  Sha Na Na will follow Jan. 18-19.

The Pearl at the Palms has Lenny Kravitz on Jan. 20, James Blunt on Feb. 8, and Matchbox Twenty, Alanis, Morrissette, Mute Math on March 18.

Peter Berman Will Headline Riviera Comedy Club, Jan. 14-20

Peter Berman will headline the Riviera Comedy Club, Jan. 14-20, with fellow comedian Larry Brown and Kevin Hancock.  Tickets are $24.99 for the 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. shows; call   702-794-9433. 

Bowman’s first break came when Dr. Timothy Leary (the guru of hallucinogenic drugs) caught his act and invited him to play a gig at the Hollywood Improv.  After earning his communications degree, Bowman moved to Los Angeles and became a regular on the stand-up comedy scene.

Bowman was invited to perform at the 2004 Just for Laughs International Comedy Festival in Montreal, where he garnered rave reviews and much attention to his performances on the Masters and Best of the Fest shows.  Early on he wore acid-washed denim on stage and opened for top comics including Tim Allen and Paul Reiser.  He performs roughly 200 road dates a year as a headliner.

Berman was host and head writer of his own nationally syndicated morning show Morning Sickness.  He has also contributed material to the Howard Stern Radio Program. 

La Concha Lobby Is Being Restored

The La Concha, a 12,000-square-foot building that was a former motel lobby next to the Riviera on the Strip, is going to eventually be the lobby for the Neon Museum at the southeast corner of north Las Vega Boulevard and McWilliams Street.  The clamshell-shaped, glass-and concrete structure will be getting some modern upgrades including restrooms and ultraviolet windows.  Plans also call for doubling the building size.

The dramatic curvy La Concha structure was designed by Paul Revere Williams – a mid-century architect responsible for more than 3,000 buildings.  One of his most famous projects was the LAX International Airport space-age looking building.  He also designed several homes for celebrities including Frank Sinatra, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Anthony Quinn, Lon Chaney Sr. and Lucille Ball.  He became the first black member of the American Institute of Architects in 1923.

Places To Find Locals

Sometimes when you travel, you want to find locals especially in a place like Las Vegas where one of the most asked questions has been, “Do people really live here?”  Here are a couple of off-the-beaten-path places.

The Downtown Cocktail Room located at 111 Las Vegas Boulevard holds a LoPro mixer every Thursday starting at 5 p.m.  The event is intended to create an environment where people can mix and mingle without the added pressure of crating a working relationship.  The idea is to really get to know someone in a relaxed atmosphere.  The club has a Bohemian chic and elegantly intimate atmosphere.

Now the Double Down Saloon, located at 2620 Paradise Road near the Strip and the airport, has a real reputation and might best be referred to as a dump.  But it’s really a saloon with an anti-establishment attitude that attracts every type of person from business folks to punk rockers.  The 24-7 joint has been open for more than 15 years and has its busiest times between 10 p.m. and 10 a.m.  The controversial bar has live music four nights a week with bands that play anything from punk to psychobilly. 

A restaurant downtown that mostly locals know about is Chicago Joe’s at 820 S. Fourth Street.  The Italian restaurant, which was a former residence and still looks like a house, has been open since 1975.  The restaurant hours are from 11 am. to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 5 to 10 p.m. on Saturdays.  It’s closed on Sundays and Mondays.