360 Vegas

So before I get into this review, a few disclaimers:  If you told me a few years ago that I would actually make an effort and spend my own money to see Wayne Newton perform, I would have laughed at you. A lot. If you told me even a few months ago that I would not only see Wayne Newton perform, but also (spoiler alert!) enjoy it enough that I would recommend that others go see it, I would wonder what you were on.       Now, to be fair, I like crooners. But when I say that, I mean that I like the Rat Pack. To me, a pleasant evening is cooking dinner with Sinatra and Martin on the stereo and a glass of bourbon within reach. If I could see any concert ever in history, it would be Sinatra and the rest of the Rat Pack performing one of the Summit shows in the Copa Room at the Sands while they filmed the original Ocean's 11. But I have never considered myself a Wayne Newton fan. What brought me to see Wayne Newton recently was what the kids call the FOMO, the Fear Of Missing Out. Like it or not, Vegas is synonymous

Random Vegas A 1990 smoking ban in gambling clubs in New Zealand reduced the county’s poker machine revenue by 28% Twitpic of the week Towering over the rest of the Fremont Casinos, Circa is a new landmark one can use to orient themselves in Las Vegas.  It’s not quite the same the Strat but still, it lords over its competition both figuratively and literally.  As usual, @maverickheli brings a unique and stunning perspective to the city that we love. News Garth Brooks Residency Caesars Expansion Serial Robber

Random Vegas Caesars Entertainment's loyalty program uses 90 different demographic segments for its customers. "Player value" is most associated with frequency of play, type of game played and number of coins/credits per spin or hand. (via Vital Vegas, via "Addiction by Design" by Natasha Dow Schull) Twitpic of the week I never had the chance to check out Lady Luck.  The first time I came to Vegas was 2004 and the property was already closed at the time.  I’m told, at least in the end, she was a dump.  But there is something about neon that romanticizes the past, regardless of its shitholery. That’s what Lady Luck’s Neon exterior does.  It’s a shame that we lost such an iconic name as well but again, having never experienced the place for myself, its easy for me to say.  My vision of the property will always be influenced by the feelings it stirs up when I look a pictures like the one shared by @summacorp. News Sick New World Vegas The Grandstands of Bellagio

Imagine your favorite local bar gathered its funniest, sexiest, strangest, and most talented patrons and friends, and brought them together to put on a wild variety show and you’ve got a reasonable idea of what you’d experience when you see Miss Behave's Mavericks. So back in spring, there was some buzz starting to grow about a new show downtown, Miss Behave’s Mavericks. Vital Vegas had reported on it. (I have to say here that I often appreciate Vital Vegas’s perspective and info - and I know he’s a friend of the podcast - but he seems to have a love of all things downtown that I don’t necessarily share.) But the buzz kept growing, and it really piqued my curiosity. I knew about the previous Miss Behave show - which was at Bally’s - but only by name. I also am not afraid to admit that I’m kind of a value shopper when it comes to Vegas. I’m always looking for the deals and the bang-for-your-buck. So when I found out that’s tickets were $25 each, I was sold. By the way, they’ve since gone up to $39 per person,

Random Vegas The NeonMuseum’s current campus on Las Vegas Blvd, north of Fremont St, opened to the public in 2012.  On Oct 28th, it celebrated its 10th anniversary (@lasvegasweekly) Twitpic of the week Lettering longer than a football field and taller than a house is what travelers got to experience upon a person’s arrival at the original incarnation of the Stardust.  Part of the magic of Vegas is the often larger than life displays, whether it be the signage or experiences, available every time you visit.  Its also one of the reasons why the Neon Museum exists and is so popular.  Having the opportunity to roam amongst the titans of old gives you a perspective unique to the city and its magic.  Thanks to @_GrandPaD for sharing this flash back in time News The Fan District Venetian Reinvestment Reaper Evel Pie F1 For Sale The Fremont Progress Report

Random Vegas Mandalay Bay was originally going to be named “Project Paradise”. (Sincitytalk.com) Twitpic of the week Reflection.  It’s how we review our life experiences and learn from them.  It’s also how our own bias distorts our perception.  Nowhere on planet earth does this metaphor better lend itself than pictures of Vegas after it rains.  This week’s winner by @thecalcasino captures both the actual corner marquee as well as its the distorted reflection in a puddle, once again drawing comparisons to Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass.  No matter your opinion of the property, one can’t argue that this is a lovely photo. News S Bar @Mandalay Bay Vegas Reverse Retro All Net Resort $1 million dollar bar tab Power Slap League Enchant on the Strip

Random Vegas Las Vegas has a dog park on Fremont Street, down by the Western Casino that is home to the worlds largest functioning fire hydrant at 15 feet tall (@vitalvegas) Twitpic of the week It’s all about the signage on this one for me, shared by @summacorp.  Formerly the Thunderbird, the property was rebranded Silverbird after Major Riddle purchased the property in the mid 1970s.  The marquee was built in 1978 but only existed till Dec 81 when the property closed.  It was later purchased and again, rebranded.  Its final incarnation was as the El Rancho, an attempt to revive the brand that started the strip. It didn’t work and eventually the property closed, was demolished and in its place now is the Fontainebleau. News When We Were Young 2023

Random Vegas In its first week of operation, the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace served about 15,000 people. The venue was built at a cost of $17 million. (@vitalvegas via Bacchanal's Executive Chef at the time, Scott Green) Twitpic of the week It’s past, present, and future all in one photo.  Brought to our attention by @StefanVanDeCook, this picture from @summacorp features the Mirage, with the sands Marquee in the foreground, For a time, the Sands was the property on the strip.  Until the Mirage came along supplanting the Sands as the market leader.  Eventually accepting they couldn’t continue to compete, they imploded the property and in its place opened Venetian. Fast forward to today and we are on the brink of losing another icon, the Mirage. True it won’t be imploded but we are losing the volcano.   it won’t be the same and eventually we will lose the name Mirage but what we will never lose are the memories. News Mirage dolphins El Cortez renovations Franco Dragone Dies Light closes Fertitta buildi

Random Vegas Moulin Rouge would not be the first property to attempt to cater to blacks.  The original was in 1942 when Shamrock Hotel on Fremont St attempted to cater to both blacks and whites.  It was a colossal failure as whites vehemently protested.  In response, city officials denied Shamrock an operating permit sighting Jim Crow policies in place at the time (The Moulin Rouge and black rights in Las Vegas) Twitpic of the week While not being as tall as the real Eiffel Tower in Paris, her replica in Vegas is still larger than life.  Especially with the angle shared by @NickyFurmage, with a background sky that can best be described as apocalyptic.  We don’t get much rain in the desert but when we do, it comes with vengeance.  Thankfully we have photography to capture the magic when it happens.  Thanks for sharing, Nicky. News 360 Vegas WINTER Vacation Vegas Holiday Attractions New Signage @Neon Museum Proper Eats

Random Vegas A running gag on the 70's TV series "Vega$" - "Paging Mr. Cohen, Mr. Burt Cohen" is heard over the Desert Inn's intercom constantly throughout the series. Cohen ran the DI. The man himself finally shows up at the end of season 2 in "Siege of the Desert Inn". (@_GrandpaD)   Twitpic of the week  It just screams Las Vegas and an era fondly recalled by many. It’s actually the sign that unintentionally showcased the evolution from gangster city to corporate America.  Here @_grandpad shares the massive Stardust marquee with the original Electra Jag font.  After Boyd came in and took over the place they did what they do, tried to make the property appealing to everyone.  That included changing the font to helvetica or something easily readable but lacking in character News ACLU Sues Fremont St Experience Wild Wild West Closes

Random Vegas This week it was announced that Coke will be the cola in the guns at Fontainebleau, going against the norm of Pepsi who is the brand of choice at MGM and Caesars properties, equating to about 70% of the market share (@vitalvegas) Twitpic of the week Dream like, or at least that state in between sleep and awake.  That’s what this picture from @briantonyavegas makes me feel.  It’s sunrise featuring the High Roller, Bally’s and Paris.  The color in this is incredible.  I can almost smell the crisp morning air and hear the street sweepers.  It’s a great time to be awake. News 360 Vegas WINTER Vacation  Sun Feb 26th - Monday Feb 27th

Random Vegas A Vegas Bartender friend of Vital Vegas said her tips increase 20% just by curling her hair. (@vitalvegas) Twitpic of the week @TastyOldMan shared a picture of the view from his room at Plaza.  It features a sunrise backing the most creative project built in Vegas since Cosmopolitan, Circa.  Circa did what a new property in Vegas is supposed to do, change the game, or at least move the needle.  Circa is truly a must see.  Stadium Swim and Circa Sports are absolute game changers. Derek Stevens is officially the new Steve Wynn, without all the rapey parts.  News Ocean Prime Coming Progress at Fontainebleau NYNY Renovated Rooms 

Premium Content Preview www.patreon.com/360Vegas   The Frontier is a property that, despite its multiple incarnations, has ever appealed to me.  By the time I came to the city for the first time she was already a rundown, grind joint on the strip.  But Vegas history is Vegas history.  So it was inevitable that at some point this property would capture my attention long enough to learn all I could about it.  Turns out I don’t have to love a property to find them interesting and worthy of a 360 Vintage Vegas segment.

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Random Vegas The stage at “Ka” uses vegetable oil in its hydraulic cylinders, rather than hydraulic fluid, for environment reasons (@VitalVegas)   Twitpic of the week   Diversity.  That’s what this week’s winner brings to mind.  @Misnomer shared a photo of south strip from the perspective of Aria…or one of the buildings in City Center.  It showcases some of the most diverse options available in the market.  Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur and NYNY all offer unique experiences within a mile of one another.   Capped off by Monte Carlo, known today as Park MGM, and here you see a good example of the great blanding of the strip. Here’s to hoping Hard Rock doesn’t fuck up Mirage   News Bellagio’s Garden Table Slot Ticket Theft Bent Cards Flanker Kitchen Wynn’s $10,000 Dinner    

Random Vegas Judges in Nevada have the power to ban someone for up to a year from the strip corridor.  It’s a punishment primarily used against convicted drug charges and prostituting Twitpic of the week Not a picture you would normally expect to see win Twitpic of the week but this photo from @pennys4vegasshows a view that is all to common to the Vegas frequenter, air conditioning units on roof tops.  In some cases we get glimpses of Vegas in the view but often you don’t.  But it still feels like Vegas, almost regardless of you room view.  Here we are treated to the warm neon glow of Walgreens, Hennessy’s tavern and slotzilla.  Now you tell me you don’t see those things and think, damn. How much longer to my next Vegas visit?     News Silverton Renovation The Pinky Ring @Bellagio Cross-Property room charging City of Las Vegas Showgirls Silverton Dice Dining Mirage Shooting

Random Vegas A study found gamblers who follow responsible gaming codes of conduct contribute just 4% of gambling revenues (@vital Vegas via “addiction by design” by Natasha Down Schul) Twitpic of the weeks   It’s really just the same view as last week, just tweeted at a different angle.  Kind of like a mirror image.  And yet, that was all that was needed to come up with this monologue. @maverickheli shares a view of what is coming to be considered mid-strip properties. These monstrously sized properties somehow magically reduced to miniatures will forever capture my imagination. Did anyone have, or currently have one of those huge train set that winds through a community.  I never did but the scale just enchants me.  If Vegas was an option to build I think I might dedicate a room in my home for it.  An idea almost certain to be vetoed by Mrs. 360 Vegas   News Rain Damage Stadium Craps 2.0 Bally’s new speakeasy & oddities

Random Vegas The Las Vegas Raiders generated the most net ticket revenue in the NFL in 2021 bringing in $119 million in 2021 (Sportico) Twitpic of the week Most likely an enhanced photo but we don’t hold that against pictures. Either way, great job, once again by @maverickheli of capturing just how beautiful the strip is featuring mid to south strip here. Seriously, we need to get off our asses and finally experience this view first hand.  I have a feeling its like the sports book at Circa, pictures just don’t do it justice. You have to see it for yourself to appreciate it.  When we do finally do this, I promise to take my own pictures and share them News More Fremont St Renovations Downtown Grand evolution Circa 2.0 Sigma Derby Celebration MGM Active Imagination

Premium Content Preview. In this installment, we discuss blocks 2 and 3, better known as Golden Gate and Circa

Random Vegas Mandalay Beach is 11 acres, has 2.700 tons of real sand and a 1.6 million gallon wave pool (@MandalayBay) Twitpic of the week Probably the best view of @mandalayBay I’ve ever seen.  It’s a shame this property is located so far south.  True, it has incredible views of north strip but it’s a hike to get any place else.  Here is where the Las Vegas monorail should have started.  Instead, we have retreated underground as plans for the Elon Musk, subterranean Vegas loop continues to progress.  Those plans include stops at the airport and virtually all properties on the strip.  It will even have a downtown station at Circa’s Garage Mahal. While it will help to elevate traffic concerns for the future, this progress will rob people of the experience of seeing the strip while in transit to your selected home away from home, if only for a weekend. News Dream Vegas dust devil