BRETT’S VEGAS VIEW
Date: Feb. 17, 2019
DEF LEPPARD SIGNS FOR PLANET HOLLYWOOD RESIDENCY
Legendary British rock ‘n’ roll band Def Leppard will start a Strip residency at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood on Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 8 p.m. Tickets for their “Def Leppard Hits Vegas: The Sin City Residency” start at $69. Scheduled so far are eight shows in August followed by four in September.
Def Leppard has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and will be inducted this year into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® on March 29. Def Leppard’s influential career includes numerous hit singles and ground-breaking multi-platinum albums, including two all-time best-selling albums, “Pyromania” and “Hysteria.”
‘THE GREATEST PIANO MEN’ HAS LIMITED ENGAGEMENT AT FLAMINGO
“The Greatest Piano Men,” celebrating the world’s greatest pianists and showmen from Beethoven to Liberace including Elton John, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, will headline March 26-April 21 at the Flamingo.
The show with 25 hit songs will feature four remarkable pianists/singers along with a seven-piece backing band, video and storytelling. Note, it’s not a tribute show. Tickets start at $49.
FRANKIE’S UPTOWN WILL OPEN IN DOWNTOWN SUMMERLIN
Frankie’s Uptown - A Neighborhood Bar opening in late March will the newest addition to Downtown Summerlin taking over space previously occupied by Casa Del Matador. This project is the creation of Las Vegas entrepreneur and experienced restaurant operator Frank Lee and designed to be the local hangout for watching sports, group gatherings, and daily happy hour. The grand opening will coincide with the opening of the new Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the Las Vegas Aviators.
The establishment will feature a full menu including its exclusive creation, The STRoLL. The Vegas-born creation is a hybrid of Stromboli and a Calzone and can be customized with different ingredients.
The exterior will be sleek and modern with interior recreating an old school atmosphere with brick wall accents, rich wood finishes and comfortable furniture. Hours are Monday–Thursday 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Friday–Sunday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
LINQ PROMENADE DEBUTS FIRST POP-UP EXPERIENCE
Tattoo’d America Pop Museum (TAPM) will be the first exhibition at the brand-new, cultural and entertainment Pop Vegas venue at The LINQ Promenade. TAPM is a first-ever immersive pop-up experience developed specifically for the new Las Vegas venue. Following its three-month stay in Las Vegas, it will launch a multi-city tour around the United States. Tickets priced at $27 go on sale online Tuesday, Feb. 19. TAPM opens to the public March 12. TAPM selected Las Vegas as the premiere exhibition location for its tour because according to “Inked Magazine,” the city ranks second in “Top Tattooed Cities in America.”
TAPM is part “funhouse,” with tattoo-themed rooms showcasing visual displays and interactive activities and part “exploration,” where global fascination with tattoo as an art form and lifestyle is examined and celebrated. TAPM will showcase 500 works of art by 100 of the world’s best tattoo artists. There will be a live tattoo demonstration studio, and visitors will also have the option to receive tattoos, body painting, henna tattoos, hand marbling and temporary ink tattoos onsite.
MOTLEY BREWS HOSTS NINTH GREAT VEGAS FESTIVAL OF BEER
The Great Vegas Festival of Beer will return to Downtown Las Vegas for two days Friday-Saturday, April 5 and 6 at a new venue the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (DLVEC). Established in 2011, the festival produced by Motley Brews is expected to be the state’s largest craft beer festival for the ninth time, with more than 500 beers and 10,000 attendees anticipated throughout the weekend.
The festival will be kicked off with the Mad Craft Experience on Friday, April 5 from 7-10 p.m. with local brewers, mixologists, chefs and restaurateurs partaking in an epic craft beer and culinary competition. The Grand Tasting will take place Saturday, April 6 from 3 to 7 p.m., with early entry at 2 p.m.
All-inclusive tickets start at $55; Grand Tasting at $40; early admission at $50; and Limited VIP Grand Tasting are $85. All tickets are plus fees, visit greatvegasbeer.com. A portion of the proceeds will benefit nonprofits, the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation and the Nevada Craft Brewers Association.
KEVIN JAMES WILL HEADLINE AT THE MIRAGE
Actor Kevin James will return to The Mirage Saturday, April 27 at 10 p.m. as part of the Aces of Comedy Series held in the Terry Fator Theatre. Tickets start at $49.99.
The Emmy-nominated comedian began his stand-up career in Long Island before signing a network development deal in 1996 to create his own sitcom. In 2005, he earned an Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series” as the executive producer and star of the CBS sitcom “The King of Queens.” His second comedy special, “Never Don’t Give Up” is streaming on Netflix.
James made his movie debut in Columbia Pictures’ 2005 feature film “Hitch,” starring opposite Will Smith. He starred alongside Adam Sandler in “Pixels,” “Grown Ups” 1 and 2, and “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.” For the comedies “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” 1 and 2, “Zookeeper” and “Here Comes The Boom,” he was the producer, co-writer and star. James’ voice has been featured in the animated films “Barnyard for Nick Movies,” “Monster House” and the “Hotel Transylvania” franchise for Sony Pictures Animation.
HOUSE OF BLUES CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF MUSIC
The House of Blues Las Vegas is marking its 20th Anniversary with a nostalgia concert featuring U2 tribute act L.A. Vation on Saturday, March 2. Bob Dylan and Bono from U2 were the first performers to grace the House of Blues stage in 1999. Since opening, more than 2,700 concerts have been held there over the last 20 years. Tickets start at $10.
HARD ROCK CAFÉ GUITAR SIGN WILL LIGHT UP AT NEON MUSEUM
The newly restored, re-electrified Hard Rock Café guitar sign will be illuminated at its new home at the Neon Museum. The first time will be during a private event for museum donors and VIPs on Monday, March 4.
The sign, which had been located in front of the Hard Rock Café for 27 years, was divided into six pieces in order to move it from Young Electric Sign Company (YESCO) where it was restored to the Neon Museum Boneyard. The restoration took approximately 1,650-man hours to rebuild and install. There are approximately 4,110 feet of neon tubing on the sign, equating to more than three-quarters of a mile and more than 700 individual neon units.
NASCAR TIME
The annual high-speed weekend March 1-3 will mark the 22nd anniversary of Las Vegas’ Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
The festivities lead off with the Hauler Parade on Thursday, Feb. 28 from 6 to 7 p.m. featuring about 40 fancy 18-wheeler trucks starting at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign moving together down the Strip through downtown via 4th Street over Fremont Street to then taking Interstate 15 to the speedway.
Cabo Wabo Cantina, inside Miracle Mile Shops, will have patio views of the Hauler Parade, and drink specials. The featured cocktail will be Can’t Drive 55 made with tequila, rum, vodka, gin and lime, mixed with pineapple and cranberry juices for $15. Over the weekend, the cantina will show the races on high-def TVs.
The six-block Fremont Street Experience entertainment district located in historic will celebrate NASCAR Weekend with free, non-stop live entertainment and a high-energy performance by five-time CMA Award-winning country music group Diamond Rio on Saturday, March 2 at 9 p.m.
Being a race sponsor, Boyd Gaming properties are all about the races. The Boyd Gaming 300 Official After-Party will be at the Cannery in North Las Vegas located less than 10 miles from the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 2. The party will include a live 8 p.m. performance by The Highwaymen Live, giveaways, autographed prizes and beer and drink specials.
At the Suncoast Showroom, there will be a Suncoast Sock Hop on Friday, March 1 at 6 p.m. and Super Saturday Dance Party on March 2 at 8 p.m. Both events are free.
The Orleans Showroom will feature “Southbound and Co: A Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd on March 1 at 8 p.m. Chuck Negron Formerly of Three Dog Night will headline March 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets for both shows are from $19.95.
Interesting timing, author Randall Cannon will present his new book, “Stardust International Raceway: Motorsports Meets the Mob in Vegas, 1965-1971” at the Mob Museum on Friday, March 1 at 2 p.m. in the historic courtroom. The author traces the Stardust’s colorful history through auto racing monthlies, national newspapers, extensive interviews and FBI files. Event is free for members or with museum admission.
MANZO IS OPEN AT EATALY AT PARK MGM
Manzo, an intimate Italian butcher’s restaurant with a wood-burning grill, is now open and nestled quietly inside the bustling marketplace Eataly at Park MGM. Manzo in Italian means “beef,” thus the new outlet focuses on prime cuts from sustainable butcher farms cooked over live coals. The restaurant’s central point is the custom-built, three-tier wood-burning grill, where a careful selection of white oak, apple wood and coals are used.
Manzo’s signature dish is the 40-ounce “Ribeye Appesa,” suspended over the grill, slow-roasted and reverse-seared to perfection. Guests can sit at the bar or directly in front of the grill to get a closer look at the preparation. The menu also includes dishes featuring fresh pastas made in-house by Eataly’s own pasta makers.
Manzo is open 5 to 11 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday and has an intimate private dining room for up to 10 guests.
THE STOVE STARTS BOOZY-BRUNCH CONCEPT, THE MIMOSA GARDEN
Celebrated chefs Antonio Nunez and Scott Commings have introduced a new boozy-brunch concept at their restaurant The Stove Las Vegas in Henderson at 11261 Eastern Avenue. The two chefs wanted to introduce a patio-style social setting in The Mimosa Garden to encourage conversation between nibbling light bite offerings and sipping impressive champagne. The social-oriented brunch is held every Thursday-Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Guests can partake of unlimited house bubbles, French champagne upon request, and even a champagne-meets-bong challenge. The coveted Chambong experience is priced at $10 each or $17 for two. Bottomless champagne is $17 per person, or $7 per glass with house-made flavors including blackberry, orange, pineapple, peach, hibiscus or cranberry.
MORE DINING NEWS
MB Steak at Hard Rock will put a steakhouse spin on a game day favorite with the introduction of a gourmet grilled wagyu hot dog topped with shaved black truffles, pinot noir mustard and house-made pickles on a fresh brioche bun for $29 during March Mayhem games Tuesday, March 19 through Monday, April 8.
Neighborhood steakhouse Andiron Steak & Sea in Downtown Summerlin will feature French Bistro Night with a special prix fixe menu featuring signature Parisian delicacies like brie en croute, coq au vin and apple tarte tatin, on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $59 with an optional $25 wine pairing.
Slater's 50/50, known for its bacon-beef burger, is launching its brand repositioning towards “rebel gastropub” expanding menu options to include health-conscious, protein-oriented offerings appealing to keto and paleo dieters. Now through March 31, the new offerings include the introduction of bun-less burger bowls: Power Bowl with a quinoa veggie patty; Turkey Harvest Bowl; and Cheeseburger Bowl; along with Sweet & Spicy Cauliflower. Price range for new items is $8.99 to $14.99. Vegas location is at 467 E. Silverado Ranch Blvd.
This month, Smoked Burgers & BBQ at The Forum Shops debuted “Smokin’ Sundays” - a night of acoustic jams from 7 to 11 p.m. “Smokin’ Sundays” will take place monthly with future dates to be announced.
Distill Summerlin at 10820 W. Charleston Road is celebrating its 5th anniversary with a luau-themed party on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. The event with no cover fee includes a dinner buffet of Hawaiian favorites, drink specials, live music by Exit 12 at 8 p.m., prize giveaways and costume contest.
OpenTable released the 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America for 2019 and Mesquite Gaming’s Katherine’s Steakhouse inside the Casablanca a 90-minute drive from Las Vegas made the list for the third straight year. The acclaimed steakhouse made the list along with Hugo’s Cellar at the Four Queens and Joe Vicari’s Andiamo Italian Steakhouse at The D Las Vegas.
CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS
You never know who you may see at shows in Las Vegas. Network television host Mario Lopez recently attended “Criss Angel MINDFREAK®” at Planet Hollywood and was blown away by his friend’s ground-breaking production incorporating cutting-edge technology. Lopez visited backstage afterwards and toasted the birth of Angel’s third child. Just happened this columnist was at the same performance.
On the same night, American MMA fighter Amanda Lucas and eldest daughter of George Lucas was spotted attending the hit show “Absinthe” at Caesars Palace and visited with The Gazillionaire afterwards.
ABOUT TOWN
Water park Wet’n’Wild will return for its seventh season Saturday, March 30 through Sunday, Sept. 29. For a limited time, there’s a $60 savings on a Season Pass: Silver $49.99; Good $69.99; and VIP $99.99. All three Season Pass options offer unlimited entry during operating hours and seect food, beverage and retail discounts.
Life Time Athletic is holding its annual Daddy Daughter Dance on Saturday, Feb. 23 from 6-8 p.m. The Green Valley location will highlight a “Big Top” theme, while the Summerlin venue will be transformed into a “Candyland” fantasy. The evening includes music, crafts, a buffet-style dinner, dancing and more. Tickets are $40 per couple for members and $60 per couple for non-members. Additional daughters may join for an extra $10 each.
Chateau Nightclub & Rooftop at Paris will celebrate the return of the USA Sevens Rugby team with an “Afrobeat Experience” after-party featuring a multicultural musical experience hosted by DJ Fully Focus from 4 to 10 p.m. on Sunday, March 3. Admission starts at $20. The USA Sevens Rugby team will take part in a three-day international tournament in an attempt to gain points in the Sevens World Series standings.
The annual Spring Garage Sale at the Mountain’s Edge Master Planned Community will be held on Saturday, March 2 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nearly 400 homeowners will participate along with 70 sellers at the Exploration Park parking lot near the community’s entrance.
The third annual Las Vegas Open Bocce Tournament will be held at the South Point Exhibit Hall D Friday-Sunday, March 1-3. Each team will be made up of three members and cash prizes will be offered in the winner’s bracket and in the “second chance bracket” based on 40 teams. To apply, visit globalbocce.com.
The United States Bowling Congress will return to the South Point Bowling Plaza with the 2019 USBC Open Championships starting Saturday, March 9 and ending Monday, July 8. The world’s largest amateur bowling event will host more than 10,000 teams from around the world competing in team, doubles and singles events.
A Las Vegas local won $1,559,521.68 this month playing Aristocrat’s Buffalo Grand™ slot game at the Suncoast.
JUHL HOLDS FOURTH ARTS IS RESIDENCE PROGRAM
Juhl, a 344–residence, loft-style community covering an entire city block downtown in partnership with the UNLV School of Architecture is holding the fourth installment of its Artist in Residence Program.
As part of the program, the UNLV School of Architecture is hosting a lecture series at Juhl called “Project Home” on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. Upcoming lectures with community luminaries and regional architectural experts include: Jack Hawkins, LEED certified architect and founder Hawkins and Associates Feb. 13; Jeff Roberts, sustainable design strategist Feb. 20; Thamarit Suchart, principal, Chen + Suchart Feb. 27; Christiana Moss, founder, Studio Ma March 6; Rob Paulus, architect, developer and musician and founder, Rob Paulus Architects March 13; Uri Vaknin, downtown visionary, developer and arts aficionado March 27; Chris Gonya, Las Vegas developer and architect April 3; and Rich Worthington, developer and President and CEO, The Molasky Group of Companies April 10.
