BRETT’S VEGAS VIEW
Date: Sept. 10, 2017
BY: Jackie Brett
‘FEAR THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL’ HELD GRAND OPENING
The Fremont Street Experience’s new multi-sensory, zombie-themed attraction, “Fear the Walking Dead Survival” celebrated its grand opening with dignitaries and local celebs gathered around the bloody red carpet with cast members from AMC’s hit TV series, “Fear the Walking Dead,” including Kim Dickens, Colman Domingo, Michael Greyeyes and host of “Talking Dead” Chris Hardwick.
Hours are Sunday–Thursday 1 p.m.–1 a.m. and Friday–Saturday 1 p.m.–2 a.m. Tickets start at $30.
DATE CHANGE-NEW EXPERIENCES PLANNED FOR EDC 2018
Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), North America’s largest dance music festival, will move from June to cooler dates in 2018, Friday-Sunday, May 18-20 and introduce an array of new experiential elements. Returning to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for its 22nd edition, the three-day dusk till dawn mega-event will offer camping options for the first time, extended festival hours with early-entry opening ceremonies, multiple ticketing tiers, and brand new experiences. Ticket sales begin Thursday, Sept. 28.
PALAZZO HOSTS ROLLING STONES EXHIBIT
“Exhibitionism,” the Rolling Stones’ first ever major exhibition, will have a limited exclusive U.S. West Coast engagement at The Palazzo Lower Lobby, Sept. 23-Jan. 31, 2018. General admission is $36.50.
This is the first time the band has unlocked its vast private archive. Large scale “Exhibitionism” includes 500 rare artifacts and memorabilia spanning the band’s 54-year career and is more like an event. The Las Vegas-engagement follows premieres in London, New York City and Chicago.
TOM ARNOLD HEADLINES SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT AT LAUGH FACTORY
Comedian, writer, producer and actor Tom Arnold will be a special guest headliner making his Las Vegas Laugh Factory debut at the Tropicana Friday-Sunday, Sept. 15-17. Arnold with host Dave Mencarelli and comedian Patrick DeGuire will perform at 8:30 each night. Tickets are $44.95 to VIP Booth $69.95.
Arnold has rocked the comedy world for more than 30 years and recently returned to his stand-up roots. Never scripted, Arnold has plenty of material poking fun at his Midwest Iowa past as the oldest of seven siblings, marital follies starting with Roseanne Barr to his current fourth marriage and being father of two toddlers, and Hollywood stories having starred in many films and TV shows.
In a phone interview, Arnold said at 58 he needs to work financially. This summer he worked on two movies, has a special in November and is writing a movie he’s been hired to do. Luckily he can do stand-up forever like his idols have done…Bob Hope, Don Rickles, etc.
HOT ENTERTAINMENT TIPS
Multi-GRAMMY Award-winning superstar Bruno Mars has added six performance dates for his Park Theater at Monte Carlo residency, Dec. 30-31 and Feb. 14, 16, 17 and 19, 2018.
Cindy Williams of TV series “Laverne & Shirley” fame will extend her run again through Dec. 16 as a guest star in “Menopause The Musical®” at Harrah’s. She was originally scheduled to perform through Labor Day weekend. In addition, Williams has released her critically-acclaimed book, “Shirley, I Jest!: A Storied Life,” in paperback, and also recently filmed an episode of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.”
Lindsey Stirling – Warmer in the Winter Christmas Tour has been added to the entertainment lineup at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan on Friday, Dec. 22. American violinist, dancer, performing artist and composer Stirling is best known for her YouTube videos and competing on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” in 2010. Last May, she was awarded Top Dance/Electronic Album for “Brave Enough” at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards. Tickets are $29.50; reserved seats start at $39.50.
ABBA The Concert - A Tribute to ABBA - Direct From Sweden will bring its iconic ABBA tribute performance to the Tropicana on Oct. 7 at 9 p.m. Ticket range is $29.95 to $44.95.
The Scintas have announced their fall show schedule at the Plaza. They will perform every Friday and Saturday night in October and November and have added two new performance dates this month, Sept. 15-16 and 29-30. General tickets are $49. They will also headline Dec. 29, 30 and New Year’s Eve.
Vegas magician Tommy Wind’s show closed at the Boulevard Theater after headlining there since summer of 2012. He plans to move to a new venue in October.
The ghoulish “Evil Dead The Musical” cult production will reopen at the Windows Showroom at Bally’s at 10 p.m. on Sept. 14.
GOLDEN GATE CELEBRATES EXPANSION
The Golden Gate unveiled its new casino expansion, which includes: a completely reimagined facade on Fremont Street; a new 5,000-square-foot casino floor; a rewards center for the loyalty program Club 1906; and a 20-foot extension to the outdoor bar, One Bar at One Fremont Street. Their new dramatic entrance is vintage glamorous with 500-pound golden velvet drapes and a marble-floor rotunda. The eye-catching focal point is a 24-foot tower of televisions.
CEDAR CITY’S UTAH SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL IS GRAND ESCAPE
Even Las Vegas residents like to get away and an ideal trip is just two-and-a-half hours away by car in Cedar City, Utah. There’s still time to visit since the 2017 Utah Shakespeare Festival season runs through Oct. 21. In addition to Shakespearean plays, there are other productions like the musical “Guys and Dolls” and serious like the world premiere of original play “How to Fight Loneliness.” Especially fun are pre-show free outdoor Greenshows, which allow students attending Southern Utah University to perform on the campus where the annual festival is now in its 55th year.
The festival’s tremendous success has grown to the point where this season marks the opening of the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts, which includes the Southern Utah Museum of Art and three new theatres: Randall L. Jones Theatre; Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre; and Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre.
Other festival highlights include seminars with artists and scholars, orientations, talkbacks, etc. There are plenty of places to stay and restaurants to enjoy. Put a trip on you “to do” list.
GOLDEN NUGGET’S BEER FEST RETURNS
The Golden Nugget’s eight annual two-day Beer Fest will take place Sept. 16-17. Pre-sale tickets to The Grand Tasting start at $64 and at the door for $69. For $10, guests can upgrade and receive a $20 food and beverage credit for The Beer Fest Pool Party; call 866-946-5336. Five dollars from each full-price ticket sold will benefit The Animal Foundation.
The Grand Tasting, Saturday, Sept. 16 from 7-10 p.m. inside The Grand Event Center, kicks off the event with guests sampling award-winning beers paired with beer-inspired food and live entertainment.
Sunday, Sept. 17 from 1-5 p.m. is The Beer Fest Pool Party at The Tank, where beer lovers can enjoy 90 different beers, food and music, with the pool as a backdrop. Admission is complimentary with food and beverages available for purchase.
YOUTUBE STAR MARKIPLIER WILL VISIT HARD ROCK’S THE JOINT
YouTube personality Markiplier, whose channel has more than 18 million subscribers and 6 billion video views, will bring his “Markiplier’s You’re Welcome Tour” to The Joint at Hard Rock on Sunday, Jan. 7 at 7:30 p.m. The show is an irreverent evening of improv, sketches and audience participation with YouTubers LordMinion777, Muyskerm, Tyler Scheid and CrankGameplays rounding out the show. Tickets start at $36.50.
Mark Edward Fischbach, known online as Markiplier, is an American YouTube personality specializing in Let’s Play gameplay commentary videos. “Variety” rated him the sixth most influential celebrity among teenagers in the United States. His videos also include animation, sketch comedy, and vlogs which collectively rake in more than 200 million views every month.
AZEALIA BANKS VISITS BROOKLYN BOWL
Azealia Banks, Harlem-born singer-songwriter, rapper, actress and “212” singer, will perform at Brooklyn Bowl at The LINQ Promenade on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 8 p.m. Banks, who doesn’t commit to one genre or even one language, caught her big break in 2011 with House Music-influenced Hip Hop record, “212,” paying homage to her Harlem zip code. She’s known more recently for her hits “The Big Big Beat” and “Esta Noche.” Tickets start at $25.
ORLEANS ARENA HOSTS JOE WEIDER’S BODYBUILDING COMPETITION
The 12th annual premier bodybuilding and fitness event, Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend, will bring the International Federation of Bodybuilders Professional League (IFBB Pro League) fitness and bodybuilding superstars to the Orleans Arena Sept. 14-16. Athletes will compete in eight divisions.
On Thursday, fans can interact with the champs at the Meet the Olympians event on the Concourse Level. VIP ticket holders and Platinum Members will be granted early entry at 7 p.m. The event is open to the public free of charge at 8 p.m.
Friday at 7 p.m. will be the Fitness, Figure and Classic Physique Finals; 212 and Mr. Olympia Judging. Reserved seating is $75 to $275. Saturday at 7 p.m. is – Bikini, 212 and Mr. Olympia Finals with reserved seating $92 to $330.
EXHIBIT ‘HELLO FROM JAPAN!’ OPENS AT DISCOVERY CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
DISCOVERY Children’s Museum downtown will unveil its newest touring exhibit, Hello from Japan!, on Saturday, Sept. 16. The exhibit will educate and entertain museum guests on how modern attitudes and traditional Japanese cultural values coexist. Children and families will learn about modern life in Japan in a playfully immersive environment including everything from a kawaii streetscape to a peaceful Shinto shrine park. The exhibit runs through Jan. 31, 2018.
HEADLINING FORECAST
Creedence Clearwater Revisited will headline in The Club at the Cannery on Saturday, Sept.16. Bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford of the original Creedence Clearwater Revival formed Creedence Clearwater Revisited in 1995 after CCR was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Tickets start at $34.95.
Engelbert Humperdinck will bring his 50th Anniversary Tour to The Orleans Showroom Sept. 23-24. Humperdinck has recorded 64 Gold albums and 35 Platinum albums. Tickets start at $59.95.
Comedian Aries Spears will visit the Access Showroom at Aliante Sept. 15-16. Spears has also enjoyed major success as an actor with his roles in the movies “Home of Angels” and “Jerry Maguire.” Tickets start at $20.
Jay White will bring a Neil Diamond tribute performance to Suncoast Showroom on Saturday, Sept. 23. White portrayed Diamond in the Academy Award-nominated film “Frost/Nixon” and starred in the documentary “Diamond Mountain” released in 2015. Tickets start at $19.95.
SOUTH POINT FEATURES SINGERS JACOB YOUNG AND VANESSA LEGRAND
Singer and Emmy winning actor Jacob Young and singer Vanessa LeGrand will headline together at the South Point Showroom on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. for the “Jacob Young Birthday Bash.” Tickets start at $5.
Young is known worldwide as Rick Forrester on “The Bold and The Beautiful,” and for roles on “All My Children” and “General Hospital.” Following his successful Las Vegas-debut in March, Young will be sharing the stage with LeGrand, who currently has three residencies at South Point’s Grandview Lounge, Stoney’s Rockin’ Country, and the Fremont Street Experience. Together they will be a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll performing with a country band.
HARD ROCK CAFÉ GUITAR SIGN RETIRES TO NEON MUSEUM
Hard Rock Cafe’s 80-foot-tall neon Gibson guitar sign displayed at the corner of Paradise and Harmon for 27 years is moving to the Neon Museum and will be displayed in January with other historic decommissioned landmarks. The café closed last New Year’s Eve.
DINING NEWS
Hamptons restaurant at Tivoli Village is now open featuring two levels of industrial-chic interior design and modern American cuisine with a twist.
During the Life Is Beautiful festival Sept. 22-24, Therapy restaurant downtown will offer food and drink specials including French dip slider and 16-ounce Dos Equis for $10 and the drink alone for $5.
Rick Moonen’s Rx Boiler Room at Mandalay Bay will host a special CraftHaus Beer Dinner on Thursday, Oct. 5 from 6-8 p.m. The dinner will feature yuzu, a citrus fruit cultivated in Japan and Korea. Cost is $75, make reservations on Eventbrite.
The next Oscar Dinner Series on Thursday, Sept. 14 at 6:30 p.m. will feature former Las Vegas Mayor and mob attorney Oscar Goodman discussing some of his more humorous tales such as when he pretended to be a gorilla during a trial. Cost is $150; call 702-386-7227.
MOB MUSEUM NEWS
The Mob Museum downtown is offering a spirited pick-me-up on Saturday afternoons in September from 2-5 p.m. with a “Sip + Savor” program sponsored by Johnson Brothers of Nevada. Blind tastings of four different distilled beverages during a 10-minute presentation let the taster determine if they can correctly identify whiskey, gin, rum and moonshine. Cost per tasting is $5 in addition to all admission prices.
The Mob Museum and High Roller, the world’s tallest observation wheel at The LINQ Promenade, are offering a new combination ticket. For a value price of $40, visitors can have a 34 percent savings off standard box office admission fees.
Next on the Wiseguy Speaker Series will be Larry McShane, author of new book “Last Don Standing” and “Chin,” presenting on Thursday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. and book signing on Friday, Sept. 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Presentation is free for members or with museum admission.
In “Last Don Standing,” the New York Daily News reporter chronicles the deadly reign of Ralph Natale, who was the last great Philadelphia mob boss and the first to turn state’s evidence. With Natale’s cooperation, it’s a tale covering more than half a century of mob lore. In his talk, McShane will cover such topics as how the mob fixed the Ali-Liston fight, the murder of Angelo Bruno, Natale’s relationship with Jimmy Hoffa and much more.
TIME FOR GREEK AND ITALIAN FOOD FESTIVALS AND CAR SHOW
The 38th annual San Gennaro Feast, music and Italian food festival will be held Sept. 13-17 on land at 215 and South Durango near IKEA. This bi-annual event features ethnic food vendors, arts and crafts, home exhibits, pony rides and petting zoo, face painters, live acts on a concert stage, amusement rides and games.
The 45th annual Greek Food Festival being held at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church Sept. 15-17, celebrates Greek culture, history and heritage with authentic cuisine, shopping, dancing to traditional live music, and a special kids’ zone. Again, there is a raffle for a 2018 Mercedes Series GLA, CLA Luxury Sedan or $25,000 in cash. Ten percent of auto raffle tickets will go to Hurricane Harvey victims. Adult admission is $7.
In conjunction with the Greek Food Festival, there will be the annual 26.2-mile Torch Relay Run to benefit Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and the Fisher House Foundation in Las Vegas. The Torch Relay Run starts at 2 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15 at Tivoli Village and ends at 7 p.m. at St. John the Baptist Greek Church Grounds, where the Lighting of the Torch ceremony will kick off of the festival.
In partnership with the Las Vegas Cruisin’ Association, the Super Run Classic Car Show will be a jam-packed weekend for car aficionados in Mesquite, Nev., Friday- Sunday, Sept. 22-24. The day-long event is free and open to the public and only an 80-minute drive from Las Vegas.
VARIOUS UPCOMING CHARITY EVENTS
Design Through Time, a live fashion design competition to benefit Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth’s life-saving services, will be held 6-9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3 at The Martin Lawrence Galleries inside The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. Contestants will select themed mystery boxes with the only materials they can use. Festivities will include live music, specialty cocktails, appetizers, photo booth, and music from Miss DJ Joy. Admission is $35 and designs will be auctioned off at the end.
Easterseals Nevada’s Seventh Annual fundraiser “Cheers to Chocolate,” a lavish evening full of decadent chocolate and a silent auction, will be held at The District at Green Valley Ranch from 7-10 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7, Pre-event tickets are $35 and $65 for couples.
XCYCLE high-end indoor cycling boutique in Boca Park is partnering with the nonprofit American Cancer Society to raise money on Saturday, Sept. 30. To participate in the Clip In For The Cure 45-minute charity ride, attendees are asked to donate $35 cash. Riders will receive complimentary food and drinks provided by Panacea after their ride.
