The Killers, the popular rock band from Las Vegas, will return to Saturday Night Live this weekend as musical guests for the third time. They will be performing two songs, including "Human" from their new album "Day & Age," which comes out this week.

"We're not sure about the second song just yet," said their manager Robert Reynolds. The group has just finished shooting the video for "Human" in Goblin Valley, Utah, a state park known for its strange rock formations. ...

FYI: The band came together when vocalist/keyboardist Brandon Flowers answered an ad in the Las Vegas Sun newspaper placed by guitarist/vocalist Dave Keuning.
Ahh, the power of the classified ad...

While Elvis Presley finally got a star on a piece of Strip sidewalk outside of the Riviera last week and auditions for an Elvis-themed Cirque du Soleil at the under-construction CityCenter are all wrapped up, the proposed Elvis-themed hotel has been bit by the latest debacle in the financial markets.

The developer, FX Real Estate and Entertainment, has gone so far as to file a notice with the Securities and Exchange Commission stating that the hotel-casino is now "unlikely" due to the "dislocation and turbulence in the capital markets". The $3.1 billion project was supposed to include 18 acres of Strip-front property stretching from Harmon Ave. (gobbling up the Harley Davidson Cafe, Travel Lodge and Hawaiian Village) all the way south to (but not including, thankfully) Smith & Wollensky restaurant.

FX is partially owned by a group that owns licensing rights to Elvis, Muhammad Ali and American Idol so maybe instead of building the big resort they will scale back plans and we'll see a Muhammad Ali Village and an American Idol Motel, instead.

Some non-Robin Leach reviews (Robin was glowing about the show--see earlier Know It ALL post) on Criss Angel's "Believe":
--unsalvageable "waste of time"
--"It was absolutely awful. You can 'Believe' how bad it is -- because it's terrible!"
--On a scale of 1 to 10, he declared "Believe" a zero.
--"There's no magic in it"
--"David Copperfield is better, and he's a boring old" guy"
--"It's embarrassing to put the Cirque name on it," Saum said. "He walks around the whole time and doesn't do anything."

Yikes! Maybe these are just hard core Angel fans who were expecting "Mindfreak". Maybe. Can't remember any reviews like this for a major Strip show opening ("major" as in a reported $85 million in production costs) much less a Cirque production.

Well, it's a preview so maybe the rough spots will get worked out, perhaps?
--"We understand there are kinks to work out. But this is about more than kinks..."

Should be fun to see how this progresses...

According to celeb gossip guy Robin Leach who--lucky for us--lives in Las Vegas, Criss Angel's new Cirque du Soleil show "Believe" has sold a "mind-boggling" $5 million worth of tickets right out of the gate and that Angel's obsessive fans are going crazy over the Luxor show that is currently in preview mode.

While Robin promised not to give away too many details about the new show, he does fill in a few blanks about what you can expect. While tickets sales have been off-the-hook, from the sound of the feedback of the Angel faithful (above) we would bet you can find a few tix on Craig's List at a cheapo price...

~sigh~ It's a always a sad time of year, the point in the season where Las Vegas loses lots and lots of its killer cleavage and 6-pack ab factor. Spring Break is over and so is the seemingly Endless Summer. Yes, this is the weekend the wildly popular Rehab at the Hard Rock pool closes down for the season. ~sniff, snif~

Now in its 5th year, Rehab generates an obscene amount of money--estimated at $40,000 per hour!--for 23 Sundays during the summer. Even if you don't actually make it to the pool, the entire casino is in a party mode with babes in bikinis scattered throughout.

The line to get into Rehab starts at the crack of dawn and when the pool area reaches its 2,000 capacity, will snake far into the casino, becoming a great place to chat with fellow partiers in an environment that's actually far more casual than the posing and preening atmosphere of the pool itself.

See ya next year, Rehab!

This article about Rehhab includes a slide show that gives a glimpse of the revelry.

It took several years and lots of small donations from his fans but Elvis Presley finally got a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars website. Without help or even acknowledgement from Priscilla or Lisa Marie, the Viva Las Vegas Fan Club raised the $15,000 needed to buy a star on the Strip which has just been placed in the sidewalk outside the Riviera Casino, the closest location on Las Vegas Boulevard to the Hilton where Elvis played night after night in the then-International Hotel.

See that Elvis fan club graphic? Look in the lower right hand corner where it says "Let's have a swingin' time!" -- Looks like Elvis was a swinger, baby! Viva Las Vegas has a whole new meaning...

A further look at the "Walk of Stars" from a previous Know It A.L.L. post

Barring any last minute delays (and ya never know with this oft-stalled production), previews for "Criss Angel Believe" will commence this weekend. It's not every day a new Cirque production opens and this particular production has had more of a spotlight on it than usual as it's the first to have a pop culture performer--and a gossip column darling at that--headline one of their shows.

In theory, as with any theatrical preview, the show could have some bumps and mess-ups and could even have the director running out on stage yelling "no, no, no, you idiot--not like THAT!!" but that's why previews are fun--what you see now is the raw version and the final version may be quite a bit different.

"Believe" won't be Criss Angel standing on stage doing magic acts. The "mystifyer" (as the Cirque website calls him) will be popping in and out of the show as he "hovers between the land of the living and a surreal world uniquely woven together by the distinctive imaginations of Criss Angel and Cirque du Soleil."

The costumes look like something out of the Twilight Zone (click on "more" below for a sneak peek) and it looks much darker than other Cirques. The actual opening is Halloween night which sounds like the perfect time for it.

Read an interesting history of Criss Angel and how he got to Las Vegas for a Cirque du Soleil production.

Photos of "Believe" Costumes (more)

Ok, so it's 110 degrees in Las Vegas and you've been out by the pool for awhile but the heat is beating you up--where do you go to rejuvenate? If you really want to cool down and the 70 degrees of the casino aren't quite enough how about heading to a sub-freezing 27 degrees for a drink or two of nearly-frozen vodka?

Sound cool, er, ah, sound appealing? Yeah, we're not sure either but that's the concept the folks behind the new bar opening up this week at Mandalay Place called "Minus 5" (-5 Celsius = 27 degrees Fahrenheit).

It's not just a meat locker or a walk-in freezer. Oh, no, it's much more elaborate than that. As you read this (assuming you read this on the day it was posted here on ALL) they have hauled in 18 tons of ice and are carving up all the furniture you sit on and the decor you look at. The bar, the glasses you drink from and even the candlestick holders are all made of ice.

For 30 bucks you get your first drink and 30 minutes of chill-out time. And even though there might be hard nips a-plenty you'll never know it as you'll be wearing a parka, a hat and the mukluks Minus 5 provides. This is one place they won't have to post a "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service" sign. Once your 30 minutes is over, you can head to the adjoining Minus 5 Lodge next door and warm up in the ski lodge atmosphere.

More on Minus 5 (more)

Let's see, we rocked it at House of Blues, watched the manic burlesque at Forty Deuce, checked out the dance vibes and the fantastic view at Mix Lounge (even from the rest rooms), had several shots of vodka at Red Square, kicked it at Rum Jungle, saw the bouncin' boobies at Moorea pool so what should we do now at Mandalay? I got it, let's go see "The Lion King" musical! Woo hoo!

Hmmm... Something's just not right about the sound of that but that's exactly the word going around town: after "Mamma Mia!" clears out of Mandalay on January 4th, Disney's Broadway hit "The Lion King" will replace it.

Yikes! Donny & Marie? Terry Fator and his puppets? And now The Lion King? We'll soon be known as Branson West!

~sigh~ Maybe Simba's main squeeze, Nala, will go topless or something....

If you are in town on a Sunday (or Monday night or maybe a Thursday or possibly a Saturday) and want to watch your home team play some football with a bunch of other hard core, team-friendly fans, check out this listing of NFL Team Bars.

While the Bears have the most bars (9) and the Broncos second (7), several teams, like the hapless Raiders, the Panthers and even the Packers don't have a place where their fans can congregate (or hide, in the case of the Raiders). Guess you'll have to stick to Las Vegas Sports Books, instead.

As is our custom every year, American LowLife compiles one of the most complete listings of Las Vegas Halloween events you'll find anywhere.

So, under the Parties/Events listings, you will now find the beginnings of the '08 Vegas Halloween Party List. Some of the venues are slow in announcing their party plans but we'll list 'em when we get 'em. We usually have around 50 events when all is said and done spread out over several days (which could mean several different costumes for the hard core ghoul).

If you are looking for help with a sexy, fetish, goofy, trannie or make-your-own costume, check out our extensive "Halloween: Where to Buy" listing.

A little less than an hour away from Las Vegas is the town of Pahrump, Nevada. Pahrump is primarily known for its legal brothels (like Sherry's Ranch) and, more recently, for JJ Western Swing, a lifestyle club that posts their events here on American LowLife. Oh, yeah, and that's where the former "Hollywood Madam", Heidi Fleiss, owns a laundromat and is trying to rustle up the funds to build a whorehouse featuring male prostitutes.

Well, now there's another reason to make the drive and that's to...drive. As in drive fast. Very fast. Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch has opened up and they'll let you whip around their race course in either your car or their 500 horsepower Vettes.

The 193-acre facility features a private 3.5-mile road/course with 20 challenging turns to test your skills. In addition to race cars and driving school, club members can partake in rides, flight lessons or licensing in a two-seat Remo G-30 Light Sport aircraft. And in fair weather, access a fleet of high-performance Karts able to reach speeds of up to 80 miles per hour. Custom-made just down the street from the Ferrari headquarters in Italy, this is a little different than a typical go-kart track.

Looking for something other than a night of wild sex to get your blood pumping? Drive "over the hump" (as they say) to Pahrump!

The LowLife listing for Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch

If you play football parlay cards, this article tells you which sports books give you the best value and which ones to avoid. It also takes a look at the "false (advertising) claims" of The Boyd/Coast Casinos (owners of Gold Coast, Orleans, Suncoast, California, Sam's Town, etc.) and their parlay cards.

Parlay cards are the keno bets of the sports book industry where you can bet 3, 4, 5 teams--usually up to 10 teams, sometimes more---and win big money should ALL of the teams win (sometimes ties win, too). For example, grab one of those colored cards sitting on a sports book counter, say, at the Golden Nugget. Pick ten football teams you think will win (against the printed-on-the-card point spread) plop down $10 and, if you are a lucky mo-fo, take home nearly $8,500 (at the Wynn you would take home about $7,000)! Woo hoo!

Parlay cards are big business in Nevada somewhat for the amount gamblers risked ($68.7 mil.) but more so because of the win percentage of the "house" (nearly 30%!) which rivals that of keno.

FYI: The house win percentage in blackjack is 2-5%, depending on the rules of the game (payouts, double downs, etc.) If you play with "basic strategy" that figure goes down to 0.5%. In craps, if you stick to the Pass/Don't Pass line the casino's win percentage is about 1.4%.

According to a survey by FitBuff.com, here are the muscles that women notice and love the most:

Top 10 Muscles Women Love
--Six-pack abs (damn, the hardest to get/keep--go figure)
--Powerful forearms (#2?! ya think that's true?)
--A nice butt (women don't check our men's asses, do they? Nah...)
--A broad back
--Sculpted shoulders ("sculpted"? Uh oh)
--Rock-hard calves
--The money line (a.k.a. "inguinal crease" i.e. that diagonal line that defines where your legs hit your torso. It starts below the waist and angles down to your crotch. We're explaining it 'cause we had never heard of "money line" until now although you may be a bit more knowledgeable than us. Now that we mention it, we can clearly see it in the photo although that must be a wax figure, right? Has to be...)
--A big chest
--Large biceps (the "guns" are all the way down here on the list!)
--Strong hamstrings
(Time to rearrange the workout priorities...)

Ladies: Does this survey coincide with your preferences?

At one pont Sheldon Adelson, owner of the Sands (Palazzo, Venetian) was the second richest man in the United States and publicly stated he would soon overtake Bill Gates for number 1. Then he slipped to #3. Now, after the Sands stocks have taken a beating he has fallen all the way down to number 15 on the Forbes' 400 Richest Americans list. Poor fellow, he's only got $15 billion left--whatever will he do?

Steve Wynn also dropped quite a bit--from 86th all the way down to 118 (he's only got $3.4 bil to play with). So, obviously, he feels our pain...

Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, the brother team behind the Station Casinos and Ultimate Fighting Championship, tied on the list at No. 377, each with a net worth of $1.3 billion. The Fertittas were the only casino owners to make a jump on the list (ranked No. 380 in 2007).

FYI: To make it on the list--at least this year-- you have to be worth at least $1.3 billion.

The co-founder of Cirque du Soleil, Gilles Ste-Croix (a former stilt-walker) says not to worry about Criss Angel's "Believe", the Cirque show that's in rehearsal at the Luxor.

"We are in much better shape than 'Ka,' much better shape than 'Zumanity' also," says Ste-Croix. And Criss isn't the problem. Angel, he says, may have "previously made his reputation about him being spoiled brat. ... But in our case working with him, he's such a gentleman, such a smooth guy. He's always positive."

So get ready for a Halloween night opening!

(A look at Gilles Ste-Croix who became a hippie, a nomad and was living in a commune when, while picking apples, attached a ladder to his legs and from that developed a stilt-walking act which eventually led to the creation of Cirque du Soleil.

Another in the semi-continuing series of introducing you to the girls who work the Playboy Club at the Palms. We do it because we care...

Bunny "Danny" is a blackjack dealer at "The Club" (whose hands are so large she can hold an entire 8-deck shoe--so be warned: if you are lucky enough to take her home she will make your penis look really small).

We provide her in-depth interview so you will stop looking upon Danny as just a piece of meat: (more)

Our "Vegas Flash" photo feature on the Home page is for LowLife members to submit photos of themselves posing in front of some Las Vegas (or sometimes Southern Nevada) recognizable landmark, hopefully flashing some skin (although not necessarily). While shots with the Strip in the background from a hotel room, the Rio deck or the view from the Foundation Room are quite popular, no Las Vegas photo is more iconic than one taken in front of the semi-cheesy, less-than-expected-but-still-cool "Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas" sign on the south end of the Strip. It's sooo Vegas, baby.

They (you know, they) were thinking of replacing it with something bigger, grander, more over-the-top but we (the outraged locals) wouldn't hear of getting rid of the nearly 50 year old sign.

One problem though, people almost die (literally) to get their picture taken there. On any given weekend night, you might see a limo or two along with scads of cars (however many a scad is) or maybe a bus either pulled up in the space between the median with the sign and the median just south of the sign or parked on top of one of those medians. People often park on one side of the boulevard or the other and make a mad dash to the center of the divided street.

Often times there will be groups of partiers mulling around waiting to have their pictures taken and probably a drive-by photographer sticking his head out the car window holding a camera in one hand and the steering wheel in another . With the speeds the pre-Strip-congestion cars are traveling right there, it can be like playing a game of real-life (real-death?) Frogger for drivers and street crossers alike.

A "Fabulous" Solution (more)

If you just can't get enuf of that "LOVE" stuff, then Cirque du Soleil has something for you: The making of LOVE DVD. While there's a fairly extensive creative process behind every Cirque production, bringing LOVE to the Mirage had more than the usual personnel, staging and creative problems. LOVE, of course, had to go through the Beatles themselves (or their heirs) for permission to use the music and videos.

It was a big help that George Harrison and Cirque founder Guy Laliberte became good friends and that Harrison, in the last years of his life, was the one who applied pressure to Paul McCartney, Ringo, Yoko and record producer George Martin.

The result was a bunch of exclusive music and video contributed by the various principals seen or heard nowhere else. The DVD--"All Together Now"--will release October 20th and sold only at Best Buy and the LOVE Boutique at the Mirage.

View a trailer for "All Together Now" HERE

We hope this is the start of a trend as we'd love to see the making-of DVD of the trouble-plauged Criss Angel Crique show "Believe"...

Janet Jackson is in concert tonight at Mandalay, on her first visit in seven years. Her current "Rock Witchu Tour," reportedly performs 36 songs over the course of a two-hour, 20-minute show with many of the songs coming from her most recent release, "Disclipline", a hot-selling, get-up-and-dance album.

Of course, we always like any excuse to post a photo of the sexy beast and the fact she's back in town for a concert is the best excuse of all.

A chat with JJ

We post things in this space we find interesting. Generally (and we're talkin' very generally here), the posts have to do with Las Vegas entertainment, the latest and greatest in Sin City, lifestyle-related items and "other"--stuff that may only appeal to the wandering mind with symptoms of latent ADD. This post falls into the latter category...

Ya had to figure it wasn't going to last. With gasoline prices doing what they're doing we started wondering how much longer the Hummer dealership on West Sahara would last. The word was, they couldn't even give those big boys away and furthermore, General Motors themselves is trying to get rid of the SUV manufacturing unit. A friend of ours could often be heard lamenting about his 6 miles per gallon and a maxed-out Shell credit card (filling up a 32 gallon tank @ $4/gallon can do that).

Then, a short while back we started hearing the ads saying "everything must go" at Towbin Hummer and figured the end was near for that dealership. Oh, well, looks like we'll have another vacant lot on Sahara...

Just a Sorta Vacant Lot...At Least in the Beginning... (more)

Even though we're locals, we've stayed at quite a few of the Vegas resorts over the years either for quick romantic get-aways, renting a party suite or to have a headquarters in the same hotel as a convention or conference we were attending or exhibiting. For years, Las Vegas lagged behind in the amenities, especially high-tech amenities, that hotels nationwide generally came with. It was like they didn't want you to stay in your room or something--go figure.

It used to be really bad with all the rooms having hideous carpet and drapery, no automated wake-up call system (often not even voice mail!) and either no internet access or possibly a very slow baud dial-up through the room phone (hopefully, you remembered to bring phone jacks and lines). While much of the rest of the country's hotels were being upgraded to dedicated, relatively high baud rate dial-up (and, more recently, broad-band internet), we remained in the dark ages.

Wait! There's light (and bandwidth) at the end of the tunnel (more)

Gotta give Zumanity a lot of credit for pushing the envelope in using their bi/lez swimmers in a fun--and sexy--little promotion. Play the Zumanity Waterbowl Game and the more levels you complete, the more sensual the two female swimmers get with each other. During the game, the two girls frolic together under water in the background while you are supposed to be concentrating on the memory game in the foreground.
Don't let them distract you--you are on a mission!

If you're looking for an alternative to the typical lifestyle mixers, come on by our "Swing! On the Strip" party TONIGHT! It's a casual, laid-back environment in a complete club takeover playing some sweat-inducing, high energy dance music. We'll also whip up a batch of our signature "SwingShot" drinks and pass those puppies around.

The club is right on the Strip and it's very easy in & out (so to speak) so you don't have to hike through a casino to get there. Join your hosts the LowestLowLife, his HeadMistress and the PurfectLV Party Sluts for another rockin' good time!

The LowLife listing for Swing! On the Strip
(remember, tickets are cheaper if you buy online!)

Here we go again. While I-15 along the resort corridor has been relatively construction free for awhile (hope you enjoyed the rare, non-construction zone time we had), that is about to change. On Sunday, the Nevada Department of Transportation began a yearlong project to widen I-15 from four lanes to five lanes in both directions, between Sahara Avenue and Interstate 215. They are asking for your patience, of course.

The additional lane in each direction plus another lane will be isolated by those red plastic "candlesticks" so the outside lanes in both directions will become express lanes between Sahara and Russell with no entrances or exits once you enter them.

N-DOT says that most of the 250,000 drivers who traverse I-15 don't use the three exits between Russell and Sahara and this will make the commute much smoother, eliminating what they call the major culprit for traffic slowness: weaving vehicles.

A lot of the work will be done at night so watch out when you leave a Strip nightclub in the wee hours and head home. Don't be surprised to find parts of the interstate reduced to two lanes.

Impressionist Gordie Brown has signed a two-year deal that will put him in the Golden Nugget's new 680-seat showroom. It's a return to the Nugget for Brown, who was billed as "Downtown" Gordie Brown when he headlined there in 2004 and 2005.

Brown is currently opening for Celine Dion on her North American tour. Brown will open at the Nugget on Feb. 3, just days after Dion's tour ends Jan. 30.

The Nugget opted not to renew its contract for the one-man comic play "Defending the Caveman."

Delays, delays, delays. Criss Angel's new $100 million Cirque du Soleil show is being delayed once again. "Believe" was supposed to publicly open on September 12, then October 10 and now, after more than 400 Cirque employees and artists watched a preview, it was decided to move the opening to a somehow fitting date of October 31st.

Sounds like the show isn't going so well. Hopefully, we'll hear from some of the Cirque employees on how much they believe in "Believe"...

Wins in general haven't happened very often for the UNLV football team the past several years but a win over a ranked team? Yeah, right.

Well, miracles do happen as UNLV proved on Saturday when, as a 23 point underdog, the visiting Rebels beat 15th-ranked Arizona State made possible by an incredible touchdown catch (pictured) with 18 seconds remaining by Phillip Payne, a local kid who decided to stay at home and attend UNLV.

The TD catch and extra point tied the game, sending it into overtime where the mighty Rebels blocked a must-make ASU field goal to take home a three point win.

I know, I know, this isn't the kind of stuff we usually post here but we don't get a chance to brag about our football team very often so we'll go ahead and crow a little. (Of course, we could bring up the UNLV win over 14th-ranked Wisconsin exactly 5 years ago to the day but Badger fans are still hurting over that one so we won't).

The Mirage's Dolphin Habitat has a new addition: a 20+ pound baby girl. There's no name for the new dolphin--Mirage employees will name her in a contest soon--but you can see the baby swimming around with her mother Huff n Puff and the rest of the family at the--here's the official name--Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat.
(If you get there early in the morning you can also see Siegfried and Roy splashing around naked but be warned, it's kind of a buzzkill after a night of partying at Jet...)

To the unsuspecting tourist who happened to have wandered into town this weekend you might be wondering if, after all these years, Mexico has actually taken back Southern Nevada to be part of their territory again.

Much like we become a cowboy town during the National Finals Rodeo in early December every year, we turn into one big Latin festival during the period around Mexican Independence Day (September 16th) with top Latin performers everywhere you turn, including international megastar singers, mariachi events, Latin comedians, a top boxing bout involving Mexican fighters and, our favorite, a "tequila fest".

While Cinco de Mayo events are somewhat contrived celebrations here in the US (it's primarily a regional holiday in Mexico), Independence Day is the big one although it wasn't always celebrated as such in Las Vegas.

Now, though, it's Hispanic heaven with huge stars such as Luis Miguel, Enrique Iglesias, Marco Antonio Solis, Alejandro Fernandez and Jaguares filling showrooms from Caesars Colosseum (for 4 nights--giving Cher a break), the Mandalay Events Center, The Pearl at the Palms, and on down to the House of Blues.

What can we say but "Viva Las Vegas!" and, of course, "mas tequila!"?!

In what feels like a reverse Armageddon, Las Vegas is losing a whole lot of its sin quotient with the opening of the... ~gulp~ (this is hard for me to say) ...with the opening of...um...the Donny & Marie Osmond Show at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino. There, I said it, but it doesn't make me feel any better. Trading places with the sexy and sultry Toni Braxton in the Flamingo Showroom (and coincidentally enough, Toni, in turn, traded places with Marie on ABC's Dancing With The Stars), the Osmonds bring their brand of Branson wholesomeness to town 5 nights a week (two shows on Saturday) with the showroom dark on Sunday (of course) and Monday.

On his days off, Donny will fly back home to Provo, Utah but Marie has moved seven of her eight children here. What’s more, there's a Marie Osmond talk show in the works and word is it will be shot in Las Vegas. Is Vegas returning to those family-style days of the late 90's? What used to be "What happens here, stays here" is now "Live, from Las Vegas, it's the Osmonds!" Yikes!

"Taxi! Take me to some good ol' fashioned Vegas Sin and hurry! There! What are those butts?! Crazy Girls! Perfect, stop the cab--I need a sin fix..."

Imagine if you were applying for a job only to be told that if you make it through the interview process and are accepted for the position, you don't start for another year!

That's exactly what Cirque du Soleil is telling the performers who are currently auditioning for a part in the Elvis-themed Cirque show that will debut at CityCenter when it opens in 2010: "Yes, you've got the job so come back in September of 2009 and we'll start rehearsing!"

Hopefully, their current employers don't find out about the job-hunting expedition and fire their asses. There would certainly be mixed emotions: "Yea! I got the Cirque job! Now, what am I gonna do for the next 12 months?"

When the Mirage volcano first erupted in 1989--and for several years thereafter--it was literally a traffic-stopper, with crowds of people gathering 'round every hour or so for the two minute show. Scores of drivers clogged up the Strip as they parked their cars smack dab in the middle of the street to gawk at the spectacle. Locals would take their out-of-town visitors to see not only the volcano but the Las Vegas-changing Mirage resort.

After awhile, the shooting flames, the simulated lava flow and the rumbling noise of the attraction eventually became rather passé with the cheap thrill factor being replaced by the pirate show at the TI and then the fountains at the Bellagio.

A Fountain of Flames! (more)

Back in the days before Fremont Street used to be covered with an LED awning, when you could get a 99 cent shrimp cocktail at the Golden Goose (newsflash: they are now $1.99) and when Ted Binion owned the Horseshoe (before he was knocked off, er, ah, before he overdosed--yeah, that's right) you could stand in front a million dollars in extremely rare $10,000 dollar bills and get your picture taken by the casino for free at the 'Shoe.

The $10,000 dollar bills are gone (one sold on e-Bay recently for $160,000), the Horseshoe name is gone (well, not gone gone but Harrah's owns it and the downtown joint is now called Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel) and, of course, Ted Binion is still gone (although the murder case may not be).

But you can still get your picture taken in front of a million dollars as Binion recently rolled out an acrylic-encased pyramid of money ($270,000 in $100 bills, $688,000 in $20 bills and $42,000 in $1 bills). The only catch is, to get a photo with the money, a customer needs to sign up for the slot club and plunk down $20 for the souvenir and $25 in slot or table play.

Hmmm... I think I'll head across the street for that $1.99 shrimp cocktail...

If you want a bitch-slappin' good time with yet another aging punk rocker (we're not complaining, though), head over to the Hard Rock Casino this weekend for some vintage Billy Idol.

Idol, whose stage name was originally inspired by a teacher who called him "Billy Idle" due to his lack of drive in school, was one of the original punk/new wave musicians and despite some lulls in his career (and a motorcycle crash or two) is still alive and crankin'. The sneerin' blonde rocker will be doing a "greatest hits" tour (yes, White Wedding and Dancing WIth Myself) with a stop at The Joint on Friday.

A Pre-Concert Interview with Idol

Our beloved Mayor, Oscar Goodman, can't be accused of not thinking big. He doesn't always get results with his big ideas but at least he dreams.

For example, he has been trying to get an NBA franchise here for awhile but we can't get an arena built. Now he wants to have the NFL play all the Monday night football games here along with the Super Bowls. Problem is, the NFL hates Las Vegas. Oh, and we don't have a NFL-worthy stadium.

Has there been any progress on the Mayor's latest pipedream? You mean besides that brand new stadium which is being built downtown near the under-construction NBA arena and the NFL not only agreeing to play those special games here but giving us the thumb's up to bet on them? Yeah, right.

Just kidding on the progress. There's no arena, no stadium and Oscar hasn't even talked to the NFL yet. Time for the next dream... More on that story.

In what would normally be a simple armed robbery case that would most likely be over in a week if it didn't involve a big time celebrity, the O.J. Simpson craziness will begin in earnest today at the Regional Justice Center downtown and may well take more than a month to wrap up (the jury selection alone will probably take a week).

O.J.'s preliminary Las Vegas court appearances last year drew a couple of dozen news vans and trucks outside the courthouse but that may be surpassed for the actual trial as the court has issued more than 470 press badges for representatives from about 50 media outlets, including news stalwarts such as the New York Times and Time magazine and celebrity shows such as Entertainment Tonight and Inside Edition.

This could well be the trial where O.J. gets his comeuppance as the four co-defendants have pleaded guilty to reduced charges in exchange for their testimony. If convicted of all charges, Simpson could be spending the rest of his life in a Nevada prison.

Update: Circus less than anticipated

The R-J's Guide to the Big Players in the Las Vegas O.J. Simpson Trial (more)

Undercover gaming agents went into The Topless Girls of Glitter Gulch a couple of times to investigate the property to see if it was suitable for adding slot machines. On their first visit, they were solicited for prostitution. The second time, the agents were asked whether they wanted to purchase illegal narcotics.

As a result, the Fremont Street strip club was denied a gaming license despite the fact that the Glitter Gulch owner operates a couple of small casinos next door--Mermaids and La Bayou (you know 'em, don't you?). It's fairly well-known that the City of Las Vegas would like to get rid of the strip joint--it's bad for its family image of Fremont Street, don't ya know--but surely that wouldn't have anything to do with the decision, would it?

Glitter Gulch still has a chance for the license in the future as long as they clean up their act. So, for the next year or so, it's probably a good bet that Glitter Gulch won't be the place to go if you are looking for hookers or some party favor connections...

The Las Vegas Sands is still bullish on Las Vegas. The parent corporation of the Venetian & Palazzo is teaming with Starwood Hotels & Resorts to develop a 632-foot tower which will have nearly 400 residences. It will be called the quite-a-mouthful name of The St. Regis Residences at the Venetian Palazzo, Las Vegas.

The tower will be built with Starwood's upscale "St. Regis" branding and will be jammed into Strip-front property between the Venetian and Palazzo. Residences will be between 1,700 square feet to more than 10,000 square feet for a duplex villa with private pool and will command, in theory, some of the highest prices of any luxury residential offerings on the Strip, anywhere from $1,500 to $2,000 per square foot.

(David Cooper is in the news once again and on TV this time around. He's on a rampage against the other lifestyle entities. Check out the vid clips in the article link near the end of this column.)

David Cooper, a well-known--and not altogether positive--name in the Las Vegas swing world, recently had his sex club closed down by Clark County because investigators say the business was not a restaurant as was stipulated in the original license application. Cooper claims he bought the existing sex club business and associated licenses to continue operations as had been going on in that location since at least 1996. The space used to be the Green Door's original location, then the Red Rooster Too, Red Rooster III and finally Rendezvous. Cooper moved in and called his club "Show and Tell" (although the application said it was called "Sextasy").

Cooper claims the County, because they want to purchase the entire Commercial Center to get rid of all the adult-orientated businesses which reside there, has decided arbitrarily not to renew his license, claiming--and perhaps rightfully so--they are essentially shutting him down because it would be cheaper for the County to buy the shopping center if they didn't have to pay business relocation fees.

Oh So Much More on The Cooper Situation (more)

While we'd rather see sexy Las Vegas golfer Natalie Gulbis in one of those sexy dance costumes on Dancing With The Stars, we'll settle for seeing her business side on the upcoming season of The Apprentice.

Gulbis had her best LPGA season in 2007 with 5 Top 10 finishes. She is currently ranked 53rd with $266,237 in winnings.

We wish her luck in dealing with Apprentice meanie Donald Trump and thank her for another opportunity to post her photo...

LowLife Exclusive: Star Trek Beams Downtown

We're not on the front line like "Norm" and some of the other gossip dudes in town but every once in awhile our extensive network of Vegas pervs comes up with some info where we beat the rest of the Las Vegas media.

"Know It ALL" hears that Star Trek: The Experience, which recently closed at the Hilton after years of transporting people through space and getting attacked by Klingons, will survive in Las Vegas after all. Seems the owner of Neonopolis is buying the rights to the attraction and moving it into his (ample) space on Fremont Street.

No word if Quark's Bar is part of the deal but we would certainly think so...

The Orleans just can't get enough of that freaky stuff. Last weekend was the Lifestyles Convention along with the Strippers and Hustlers Ball (which isn't getting the best reviews) and now the Orleans Arena hosts shock rocker Alice Cooper for three concerts this weekend.

Cooper (no relation to swinger David Cooper that we are aware of), is a frequent visitor to Las Vegas and always fits in several rounds of golf. Unfortunately, he broke a couple of ribs in a concert rehearsal recently so won't be doing that.

Cooper's vision of Las Vegas: I keep saying Vegas is going to be rock ’n’ roll’s Branson. You don’t see the Rat Pack there anymore. You see Moody Blues and Crosby, Stills and Nash and Blue Oyster Cult and the Allman Brothers. I’m going, “This is rock ’n’ roll’s Branson.”

Read the entire Alice Cooper Interview
The LowLife Event Listing

A McCarran spy told Norm, the RJ gossip dude, that they saw gold medal man Michael Phelps at the Las Vegas airport getting into one of those lime-green Palms Escalade limos.

Another spy over at the Palms (damn! spies everywhere) reported that Phelps was moving into the huge, 10,000 sq. foot Hardwood Suite, the only guest suite in the world with an indoor basketball court.

Ya suppose he paid for that? Ya think Phelps will give one of his gold medals to George Maloof the way NBA star Jason Kidd said he would for Elaine Wynn? We'll keep you posted...

More on the Hardwood Suite at the Palms (more)

Las Vegas resident and boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. was on MTV's Cribs last year showing off one of his Vegas homes--he owns several in town--flaunting millions in jewelry and tossing a stack of $100 bills in the air.

Looks like a couple of viewers watched the show very intently as that very same Summerlin home was broken into last month and robbed of--get this--$7 million worth of jewelry! Word is there are no leads in the heist except the surveillance photo of Mr. Hoodie (right).

Originally, a $2,000 reward was being offered by Crime Stoppers (wow, $2,000 on $7 mil.--such a deal!) but now Mayweather has upped the ante to $100,000 for information leading to the return of his bling.

Metro police say the theft was the largest amount by far for a home burglary in Las Vegas history. Floyd may be retired but he's still the champ!

Randy Couture was one of the most popular Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters and was UFC's heavyweight champion when he suddenly quit the league last October. Ever since, the Las Vegas resident has been fighting in the courtroom rather than in the octagon and it sounds like it eventually wore him down.

It also sounds like Couture finally figured out that he wasn't going to beat UFC president Dana White and that if he wanted the most consistent money, the best fighters and the most exposure (and, most importantly, the healthiest fight organization) he had better get his butt back in the UFC.

White, meanwhile, says he couldn't be happier that Couture is back and has already set up at least three fights for the fighter, the first being against Brock Lesnar on November 15 at the MGM. Since Randy left when he was champion, it means there are two current heavyweigh titleholders--Rodrigo Nogueira is the interim champ--and if they both win their next fights they would meet in a unification bout in early 2009.

It doesn't happen often but sometimes the biggest burger chain of them all will contract with a local ad agency to shoot a television commercial, with the idea that the local connection will give the ad an insider's feel that Las Vegans will appreciate (and crave a Big Mac in the process).

A new McDonalds commercial has begun airing on several local stations which features several downtown landmarks in both the Arts and Entertainment Districts. The retro-looking McDonalds on Sahara, just east of the Strip, is the main goal but included in the journey to the food are glimpses of the Arts Factory on Charleston, the nearby Funk House antique shop, along with a couple of cool bars in the East Fremont district, Beauty Bar and Downtown Cocktail Lounge.

While it won't give the venues nearly as much exposure as a national Visa ad for The Attic vintage clothing store on Main Street that ran a few years ago, hopefully it'll let locals know about some fun places away from the Strip.

The next Cirque du Soleil to open is becoming the most anticipated of all the Las Vegas Cirque shows and that's not entirely due to the throngs of Criss Angel fans who are anxious to see their man do his thing at the Luxor.

Many people are quite interested to see if Cirque will finally stub its toe and have a loser on their hands. While Zumanity has sometimes been a tough sell and Ka ticket sales aren't on par with those of O, Mystere and Love, we're told they still make money for the company.

But Mr. Angel has much narrower public appeal and many detractors so this isn't a slam dunk. Besides, the show itself seems to be having some difficulties getting out of the starting gate as it has been delayed again, this time for another two weeks due to the show's "enormous complexities and technical precision".

More On The Angel/Cirque Delays (more)

Nevada is going through some rough times right now with lots of housing foreclosures, a lack of visitors, halted construction projects and drops in gaming tax.

But all is not gloomy in the Silver State. Alcohol sales are up! Liquor tax collection in the past 12 months (July-June) was up nearly 3% from the year before. It seems that the liquor industry is what economists call "elastic", meaning that people drink to the good times and drown their sorrows in bad times.

So, what are we drinking? Beer sales are flat and hard liquor sales are up just a wee bit but the area with the most growth--up 10%--is in beverages of between 14 and 22 percent alcohol which includes wines on the higher end of alcohol content, but also fortified wine, liqueurs and “light liquor.”

Additionally, the "Stop DUI" lady says there are fewer deaths involving impaired drivers so, as the article states, "perhaps as casino companies report plummeting earnings and tavern business falls off, we’re sitting in our almost-foreclosed homes with a box of fortified wine, hoping that by the time we wake up, things will look a little better."

In any case, we want to thank you all for doing your part to help our econony...

There comes a moment in nearly every popular television show's history when, like a pandering politician, it will do anything just to get people to like it.

That's when the show surpasses the entertaining threshold and enters into the realm of ridiculousness, bringing in cute kids, fluffy animals, outrageous stunts, even aliens from outer space, all in an effort to retain its popularity. At that point, a show is said to have "jumped the shark." (The term refers to a 1970s episode of "Happy Days" in which the character Fonzie -- in leather jacket and water skis -- does just that.)

But what is it called when a city does the same thing? When it goes so far that it becomes a parody of itself, mixing a pastiche of attractions into a pot, hoping to cook up a popularity stew that everyone wants to taste?

That's called Las Vegas. And, according to trend watchers, Sin City is "jumping the shark" right now.
Plus a graphic showing What's Hot and What's Not in Las Vegas.

With attention focused on the three resorts that will open over the rest of this year – Eastside Cannery (opened Aug. 28), Encore, and Aliante Station – the first to open in 2009 is quietly moving toward a March debut. The $1 billion M Resort has topped off its 12-story, 390-room tower and is in the process of building out the casino, 14-screen movie theater, wine cellar and, eventually, a retail mall.

The resort's natural elevation provides scenic views of Las Vegas from north-facing rooms, as well as the restaurants and pool. M will be the first resort encountered on the drive into Las Vegas on Interstate 15; it's nine miles south of Tropicana Avenue.

If you see a blimp in the sky with a giant LED video screen, the M is using a large lightship to advertise the resort. The first sign you will see will be a "Help Wanted" plea in an effort to fill 2,000 positions.