As usual, the Las Vegas Strip will be shut down for New Year's Eve. This means you won't be able to cross the Strip between Russell Road and Sahara and all of the I-15 exit ramps to Las Vegas Boulevard will closed starting at around 5:00 p.m. Traffic on the Strip itself won't be allowed starting around 6.

The alternate routes--Paradise Rd. (and Koval Lane) to the east and Industrial Rd. to the west of the Strip will be open but will have heavy traffic (especially Paradise/Koval).

The Strip usually re-opens around 3:00 a.m. or later so if you are leaving a Strip property earlier than that and using those side streets, expect very slow-going. One year, we left a party at Planet Hollywood/Aladdin around 2 a.m. and it took us nearly two hours to get to Sahara Avenue. What a buzz kill!

Unfortunately for locals, the traditional Strip fireworks show will be different this year and much of it won't be viewable if you are too far from the Strip. See map of prime viewing locations and a look at this year's fireworks decision. If you are intending to hit a swing club, the Hush parking lot and the Power Exchange back patio will have the best views.

NOTE: It will be around 39 degrees at midnight so dress--or undress--accordingly!

Motorcyle Jump Info (more)

...oh, and Queen, too.

At first glance--and at first listen--it would appear that the Fremont Street folks spent a ton on money to entice the superstars of classic rock to play for their New Year's event. And, if you close your eyes you just might buy into that notion. However, knowing that the eclectic rock band Queen never tried to get back together after the death of Freddy Mercury, ya know it's simply a very good facsimile. But still, it's kinda cool having all these rock superstars playing during one big party, even if they are all tribute bands.

That's the theory behind "TributePalooza", a mass-gathering of party bands to help you count down your New Year's Eve on Fremont Street. (And it's free for locals!)

Check out the Fremont Street Experience 2009 Countdown and over 100 other Las Vegas NYE parties.

After 6 years and about 2,300 performances if you haven't seen Mamma Mia over at the Mandalay Bay you probably aren't intending to. However, if, by chance, it was on your list of things to do, you still have a few days left to catch it as the final performance is Sunday.

More than a million people have viewed the show although that's not a million different people as many have seen the show multiple times with one family seeing the show over 60 times.

Las Vegas is a party town and there's no other time when there are so many party options than around New Year's Eve. We've compiled the most complete list of Vegas NYE celebrations you'll find anywhere--and we've checked, believe me--to make sure LowLifes know about ALL the options.

Our New Year's Eve Party Listing lists over 100 places to go (over 100!) including the huge party on the Strip and the Fremont Street party and, of course, all the sexy lifestyle parties.

Party on, LowLifes! Have yourself a horny holiday!

'Tis the season for Top 10 lists...

Las Vegas Review-Journal show critic Mike Weatherford lists
his Top 10 Las Vegas Shows for 2008. Look here for details on each show.
1. "Jersy Boys"
2. Tony Bennett
3. Bette Midler "The Showgirl Must Go On"
4. George Carlin
5. "O"
6. Tom Jones
7. The Second City
8. Blue Man Group
9. Donny and Marie Osmond
10. Cher

Weatherford has a special award, too:
"Criss Angel Believe" still deserves a special honor for providing the year's most dramatic narrative arc: an $80 million-plus train wreck that snapped Cirque du Soleil's five-show Vegas winning streak and may still prove to be beyond fixing."

While Steve Wynn is doing well despite the economy, his arch rival, LV Sands Owner Sheldon Adelson, is sucking big time. Adelson started 2008 as Forbe's Magazine's 3rd-richest American and is ending the year nearly off the Top 400 list, losing $24 billion in net worth, including a billion in cash he dumped into his gaming empire to keep it afloat.

Besides his darkening financial situation, he also lost key court battles and backed a bunch of the losers in the past elections. Add to that some serious issues in Macau (layoffs, constructions suspensions and visitor visa restrictions) and we're pretty sure ol' Sheldon can't wait for 2008 to be over with.

Steve is King. Long live the King!

Steve Wynn seems to make all the right moves. While the other major Las Vegas casino developers are mired in debt, struggling to complete projects, shelving projects indefinitely, selling off assets or contemplating bankruptcy, Wynn has just opened--on time--a lavish resort using less borrowed money than most with IOU's that won't come due for years. And Wynn has the cash--and the cash-flow--to weather the current economic storm.

Investors have taken notice. While the Sands and MGM Mirage stock have lost 80% of their value, Wynn Resorts shares are trading at more than $40--higher than any other casino operator.

Ah, yes, it's good to be king...

If you want to read more on Steve Wynn's current financial situation and some interesting video interviews with Wynn on subjects such as gaming industry changes, the Las Vegas nightclub industry and financing new development, check out this article.

Wynn Bonus Material--A Handwriting Analysis of the King (more)

Country music clubs are making a comeback in Las Vegas. Last year Stoney's Rockin' Country opened on the south edge of town (near South Point Casino). At 20,000 sq. feet it's the largest single level club in the state.

Last month, the Las Vegas Country Saloon opened up downtown on Fremont Street. above Henessey's Tavern.

Now, come New Year's Eve, there will be yet another country music dance hall--this one on the far north side of town--called Stoney's North Forty. Stoney Gray, owner of the original Stoney's is opening a new club inside Sante Fe Station, replacing the Salt Lick restaurant.

At 10,000 square feet, North Forty is half the size of the Texas-sized Rockin’ Country club near the South Point hotel-casino. Still, North Forty will have full-service bars, an elevated VIP area, dance floor, pool tables, video games and the club’s signature attraction — the mechanical bull. A look at Stoney's North Forty.

Last year, when Gilley's--inside the new-demolished New Frontier--closed, we were sad because we thought there wouldn't be any more bikini bull riding. Oh, how wrong we were!. Within a little more than a year Las Vegas now has three more mechanical bulls so we can rest in peace, knowing bikini bull riding is alive and well in Sin City...

The Fertitta empire started in 1976 with the opening of the Bingo Palace--now the Palace Station--and has eventually grown to include quite a few "locals" casinos such as Red Rock Station, Green Valley Ranch and the recently-opened Aliante. Along the way, Station Casinos has accumulated massive debt and now, due to the economy and interest payments on loans, have a piss-pour cash-flow which, in all likelihood, will trigger a bankruptcy filing. Even the Fertitta-owned UFC could be dramatically affected.

Station has cut the cost of comps for gamblers, trimmed staff, reduced restaurant hours and closed company-owned restaurants that have been replaced by tenants. The way things are going, it doesn't look like it's going to be a very good 2009 for Station Casinos.

A look at the Fertitta Brothers/Station Casinos: (more)

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light
From now on,
our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on,
our troubles will be miles away.

Have a good one, LowLifes!

There was speculation as to whether the normally exorbitant room rates for New Year's in Las Vegas would hold or not this time around. Some resorts said they wouldn't discount much, even with the economic slump we're experiencing.

Looks like those resorts may have to eat their words or, if not, eat a lot of empty rooms as the wave of discounting is in full swing. And there's lot's of canceling and re-booking of cheaper, better rooms going on, too. One guy started out at the Excalibur and has now moved up to the Encore for at least part of his stay. Ya think there's much difference between the two?

A Look at the Trend

XS, the new nightclub at the new Encore Hotel, is living up to its name by featuring a drink that runs for $10,000, supposedly the world's most expensive cocktail. It's called the Black Pearl and you'll actually receive two glasses so you can share it. XS opens on New Year's Eve.

From "Celebrity Watch":
XS' new signature cocktail will actually be known simply as The One, and the cocktail recipe is of rare vintage Dom Perignon Enotheque champagne and a shot of prized Louis XIII Remy Martin Black Pearl cognac. You can’t get more expensive champagne or cognac if you tried. As a keepsake of experiencing the world’s best, you will be presented with either a ladies 18k gold chain and black pearl pendant or a set of men’s sterling silver cufflinks with black pearl insignias.

A Look at The XS Pool (more)

Who says playing "fantasy" sports is a waste of time? Well, besides bosses and wives, that is. But even the most skeptical wife would probably forgive her husband for spending so much time with fantasy drafts, pouring over injury reports and checking the internet for scoring updates if it meant taking home $1 million dollars at the end of the season.

That's exactly what happened to the winner of the richest fantasy football payout--Fantasy Football Open Championship--where the 15 finalists were flown to Las Vegas for the money round at the Bellagio, with the top 1-3 places winning a cool mil, $100,000 and $50,000 respectively (15th place pocketed $3,500). Not bad for a fantasy...

An article about the contest.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go
Let it Blow, Let it Blow! Let it Blow!

The newly redesigned Mirage volcano is blowing fireballs every hour and boy, can you feel the heat!

If you haven't made the trek to see the new attraction, here's a YouTube vid the Mirage posted showing the 4 1/2 minute fire and music (co-composer: Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart) show.

From ReportonVegas:
"Rumors have been flying that 'Believe' starring illusionists Cris Angel is going dark. The Cirque Du Soliel PR department has said that these rumors are untrue. The rumors have evolved into the show is closing anywhere from 1 month to three months in order to “tweak” it. Our sources are claiming that they are even hearing things from the production crew. We have heard from other local media and rockstars that have seen the show that trap doors and body doubles are too easily spotted during the illusions. Maybe Angel should appear on Fox TV’s "Secrets of Magic Revealed". One friend of Angel said that she hears him rant about the co-writer director Serge Denoncourt and blames him for the shows faults."

We'll keep you posted...

We used to have a bunch of these and maybe we got spoiled. A year ago, with all the cranes working feverishly on the Strip, we thought we'd have one lavish grand opening party after another. But, with dried-up financing and so many Las Vegas construction projects scuttled, we'll have to put on hold many of the celebrations--and citywide pride--that comes with the unveiling of each of those new multi-billion dollar casinos along our resort corridor.

Steve Wynn to the Rescue! (more)

For some reason, at least in this case, I don't think XS stands for "x-tra small'. Pretty sure it's one of those kinda clever plays on a complete word, like XTC. (XTC isn't a venue in Las Vegas like XS is, though, although it can be found in most Vegas nightclubs). Now, I thought O-PM was a clever name for a club but I was slightly disappointed not to find lots of small, dark rooms full of oblivious ivory pipe smokers serviced by a staff of Chinamen. I was sooo ready to chase that dragon. While I didn't see any of that nefarious activity going on at O-PM, I do suspect the guys who named N9ne Steakhouse of smoking some of that "opm" stuff when they were brainstorming on what to name their restaurant in the Palms. Personally, I think "8ight" works better for an eatery than N9ne (i.e. "I ate at 8ight") but that's just me...

"XS" -- The Next Thing in Nightclubs? (more)

While it's tough all over these days, Nevada has hit a 25-year high in unemployment rate with the jobless rate at 8%. Even with the 5,000 new jobs at the Encore, the casino industry has shed 5,100 jobs from last year and there are 16,000 less construction jobs than there were 12 months ago.

The opening of a new In and Out won't have much impact on the unemployment figures although over 1,000 people showed up to apply for 40 ten-buck-an-hour jobs. Something that will have an impact will be the new CityCenter which will begin filling more than 12,000 jobs starting the first week of January. The MGM expects to receive more than 100,000 applications for positions in food and beverage, hotel operations, casino operations, retail management, entertainment, finance, human resources, facilities and security.

Well, not sure if there will be actual horizontal boppin' in "Wet! Las Vegas" tonight but ya never know with a room full of very sexy clothes, a group of LowLife swingas, 7-time AVN-nominated adult star (and just now-nominated LowLife Star) Morgan Ray , and some adult beverages. I mean, the glass front door will be discreetly covered...in case you were wondering...

Anyway, if you are looking for a sexy dress for a New Year's Eve or porn convention party or maybe want something to wear at Hedonism or Desire, c'mon down to Wet! Las Vegas (in the Sin City Fashion District) tonight between 5 and 8. We've got some snacks and adult beverages (and 30-50% off) so we'll have some fun with sexy clothes and impromptu fashion shows. It's mostly for couples and single females but single males actually looking for a holiday gift can stop by, too.

Unless they cancel the show--which would be a first for Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas--we'll be celebrating at least ten of these things (i.e. a 10-year contract). It's gives us all something to look forward to, helping us through these trying times. Today, December 19th, is Luxor headliner Criss Angel's birthday. The 41 year old escapologist and star of the Cirque show "Believe" was born Christopher Sarantakos in East Meadow, NY but was such a perfect child and obviously heaven sent that he was re-christened by the Greek Orthodox Church as an "angel from heaven" and has been known by the new name ever since (or, at least, that's how the story goes that we heard or possibly made up).

And, as long as they stay together (which appears to be forever), there will be a double celebration in Las Vegas as Angel's new li'l angel is Holly Madison, the former fluffer for Hugh Hefner, will be 27 years old on December 23rd. Holly was born in Astoria, Oregon and was a roller-skating waitress at Hooters in Santa Monica, CA, before spending eight years in the Playboy Mansion with the 82-year old founder. Holly eventually became Hef's #1 gal and moved into his bedroom in '02. While the couple broke up in October of this year, Hef's loss is Las Vegas' gain, as The Girl Next Door now, in fact, lives with Criss pretty much next door to all of us, in the Luxor Presidential Suite. Contrary to what you might think, they are living a normal life, visiting Disney Land and entertaining family for the holidays.

If you would like to share in their birthday joy, come on down to LAX tonight for a big double party (no gifts over $20, please).

A Gratuitous Photo of Holly (more)

If you don't go to the Strip on New Year's Eve you probably won't be able to see the massive fireworks display nearly as well as in years past. Because of the welding mishap on the roof of the Monte Carlo earlier this past January when construction foam caught fire and flames quickly spread to the upper stories, Clark County instituted some new fire safety regulations. Basically, a fire safety engineering firm would have to be hired to inspect the rooftop before fireworks could be launched from that location.

It appears the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority and others involved in the NYE pyrotechnics didn't want to go through that hassle and decided, instead, to launch fireworks from various Las Vegas Boulevard parking lots and garages. So, the best views--and the best sounds of the musical soundtrack that will accompany the blasts--will be from various Strip locations listed below.

Instead of several rooftop synchronized launch sites that work in harmony up and down the Strip, it sounds as if there will be eight distinct, separate and more intimate celebrations happening at the same time. I guess we'll find out if that works or if they hire a fire safety firm next year...

Las Vegas New Year's Eve Details and Viewing Map (more)

George Knapp is a local newscaster and a columnist for CityLife Mag, a weekly LV rag. His recent observation (below) about Las Vegas being a place where all sorts of people co-exist--no matter their race, background, size or shape--is something we've marveled at for years. Well, there's one exception as Knapp says: "everyone is welcome so long as they aren't broke."

Vegas is neutral turf. There's an unwritten rule here--people set aside their differences, lay down their guns (for the most part) and remove their "gang" colors (unless it's during the NBA All-Star game weekend and then all bets are off). It's a place to have fun so let's leave it at that.

Here's Mr. Knapp's observation: (more)

(Thursday a.m. update)
Flights are allowed to leave and take off at McCarran International Airport, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. "Conditions appear to be normal," he said.

Interstate 15 southbound is closed at St. Rose Parkway due to a tractor trailer accident near Sloan, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation and the Nevada Highway Patrol. Northbound lanes are not affected.

Interstate 15 remains closed between Primm and Baker, Calif., this morning, but is expected to open by noon today, the Nevada Department of Transportation said.

A weather-related tractor-trailer accident has northbound U.S. 95 closed between Searchlight and Railroad Pass. State Routes 161, 164, 165 and 169 remain closed. State Route 160 to Pahrump has reopened.

Chains, snow tires or four wheel drive vehicles are required for State Route 156 to Mount Charleston. State Route 157 to Mount Charleston is open to residents only.

U.S. 93 to Boulder city northbound is open, but is closed southbound at Wagon Wheel.

Wasn't it just 110 degrees a few months ago? And now there's snow and sleet and rain and flooding (depending on which side of town you are on) and a shut-down McCarran Airport and a bunch of highway closures. The only way out of town is the mag-lev train. Oh, that's right, we never did build that thing, did we? I guess there's no way out of Sin City right now...

So, you LowLifes that were leaving town this evening had better find yourself a room and then take advantage of the forced vacation extension and post a HookUp!

Don't get mad--get laid!

A Sight You Don't See Everyday (more)

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas will close its legendary concert venue, The Joint, on February 7, 2009 to make way for a brand new expanded and state-of-the-art Joint. As part of their "Saints of Los Angeles" Tour, Mötley Crüe will help close The Joint doors in true rock 'n' roll fashion with two closing weekend performances scheduled for February 6 and 7.

Scheduled to open April 2009, the new Joint will be twice the size, feature an innovative sound and lighting system, and offer seven premiere VIP hospitality suites.

More on The New Joint (more)

With business down across the city, the Hard Rock Hotel has come up with a pretty straight-forward way to entice people to visit their casino: Free Alcohol!

There is, perhaps, nary a stronger phrase of inducement than that of "open bar"! We have attended many functions we might not otherwise have shown up at--such as a wedding or company holiday party--if it weren't for the fact that the drinks were flowing freely, both in volume and in price.

The Hard Rock understands this concept--although we would almost always much rather hit the Hard Rock and pay for drinks than the wedding of some distant relative or friend-of-a-friend--and so the gaming hipsters are having a property-wide Open Bar tonight (Wednesday, 12/17) from 7-9pm!

In an effort to get people to take a look at some of their new and newly remodeled areas--and just to get ya into the place, period--the bars at the Center Bar, Wasted Space, Poker Lounge, AGO and Pink Taco will be wide open with gratis Lotus Vodka, Sagatiba Rum, Bud Light, Stella Artois, Jose Cuervo, Patron Xo, Banfi Centine, Dipi Pinot Grigio, Red Bull & Rehab Recovery Supplement.

Hmmm...can I possibly get away with hitting HRH instead of the honey's company party? Very tempting, indeed...

Living in Las Vegas, with all its distractions and decent weather sometimes makes one forget about winter activities such as skiing and snowboarding. Ski enthusiasts might keep an ear open for the first snow at Tahoe, a major dump in Utah, California or Colorado and we're likely to perk up if we hear that Brian Head (in So. Utah--the closest "real" ski resort) has most of its lifts open. But it just doesn't sink in that it really is ski season until Lee Canyon (a.k.a. Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort) is ready to rock 'n' roll.

Like now.

More on Skiing in Las Vegas (more)

So, let's see... Phil Ruffin comes into town in 1998 from Wichita, Kansas, owning some dog tracks, convenience stores and several hotels, buys the Frontier Hotel & Casino and its large property for $167 million and then, at what turns out to be excellent timing, sells most of it in 2007 for more than $1.24 billion to a group that was going to build a $6 billion replica of the Plaza Hotel in NYC. So far, the deal is the largest price-per-acre in the history of the Strip and, due to current economic conditions, sits vacant.

Additionally, Ruffin kept 7 acres of the Frontier land and cut a deal with Donald Trump so is, in fact, a co-owner of the recently opened Trump International Hotel & Tower. Ruffin likes to keep things on the down low so he lets Trump be the face of the place.

Before we get into the latest Strip-shaking news, we'll throw in that the 72-year old billionaire with bad hair recently married a 27-year old Ukrainian model and actress (who competed in the 2004 Miss Universe contest--see photos below) named Oleksandra Nikolayenko. Sorry, but we just wanted to rub it in a little more...

Treasure Island Hotel Sold! (plus Oleksandra pics!) (more)

It's tough all over, I tell ya. There's an ugly scenario of more and more people in the unemployment pool and fewer and fewer jobs available. Those that are actually hiring can have their pick of the litter, grab people who are way over-qualified for the position and pay them less than they normally would. Such a deal! A hirer's market, a buyers market.

Now, apply that same economic formula to the Las Vegas sex trade industry. On the "employee" side: There are less people visiting so the hiring market is smaller and those that are coming into town have less money to spend. On the labor side: More and more women are desperate for a paycheck, any kind of paycheck, so they are flooding the prostitution labor market. Supply is way up, demand is down and less funding is available in the capital markets.

Pity The Poor Prostitute; Deals to Be Had (more)

Steve Wynn, while he is going blind with a degenerative eye disease, has always had an, well, an eye for style, class and visual appeal. He has long been concerned about how something will look to the viewer, whether it be his hotel's structure, the view from a restaurant window, an outside attraction or the look of a showroom. He's had his hands in everything from show costumes to carpet style.

You know that huge flying saucer-type disc in front of the Fashion Show Mall? Wynn always hated that so he built the tree-lined, mini-mountain-with-waterfall to block the view for people pulling up to his Wynn Hotel lobby.

Steve Pretties-Up The Neighborhood (more)

Tiki bars. You know, thatched roofs, palm tree furniture, carved wooden heads, kick-ass fruity drinks--that sort of thing. They were retro back then so, any that may exist now are double dawg retro. There used to be quite a few of them around the country but there aren't many left. There are beloved relics like San Francisco's Tonga Room, Los Angeles' Tiki Ti and Tucson's Kon Tiki.

Las Vegas has given it a try now and then. The now-imploded Stardust had a pretty cool one back in the day. The Venetian gave it a yeoman's effort for a short-but-expensive time with their Venus cocktail lounge, the one that made way for the Vivid Video porn star lounge which lasted an even shorter length of time. If you head over to Trader Vic's at Planet Hollywood you'll see a single tiki head in it but it can't be called an official "tiki bar" with just one wooden sculpture. It gets you in the mood but doesn't satisfy those tiki cravings.

Fear Not, LowLifes, the Tiki Bar is Back in Vegas, Baby! (more)

Tonight will be the best night of the year to do whatever ya do when you are affected by a full moon. If that means gettin' a little kinkier than usual, running around naked outdoors (don't let the "hard nip" weather deter you!) or simply howling at the werewolf's favorite natural satellite, Friday night is the night to do just that (although Saturday won't be too shabby, either).

According to the brainy folks at NASA (who, since they don't do moon launches any more simply stare at the sucker and long for the good ol' days), the moon will be at its closest point to earth for the entire year and will be 14% bigger in the sky and 30% brighter than some other full moons during the year.

So, if you inexplicably feel yourself being drawn towards getting very nasty this weekend--don't question it. Just go with the urge and let a very cool-looking celestial body (and a few LowLife bodies) have their way with yours...

All together now:
Well, its a marvelous night for a moondance
With the stars up above in your eyes
A fantabulous night to make romance
'neath the cover of October December skies...

Infamous 50's pinup model Betty Page died this week, never recovering from a heart attack she suffered last week. She was 85. As her agent said "she captured the imagination of a generation of men and women with her free spirit and unabashed sensuality" and her controversial photo shoots--particularly the S & M-themed sessions--and subsequent congressional investigation helped set the stage for the sexual revolution of the 60's.

While she wasn't actually into BDSM or even swinging for that matter, we salute Betty's sensually care-free and counter-vanilla behavior and thank her for helping to shift--even if unwittingly--some very stuffy societal attitudes. While she, herself, went through a long period of hardship after the indecency hearings, which included years of mentally instability, her counter-culture sexual persona grew more popular as time went by and she experienced a resurgence of fame in the 1990's, growing even more in the new century as her story became more widely known with the release of the 2005 movie "The Notorious Bettie Page".

RIP "notorious" one! We'll miss you but the "Betty Page attitude" will live on long into the future...

Yeah, we're plugging the Onyx Theatre again. Hey, we have a soft spot in our hearts for the theater. Maybe it's 'cause we just like to see crazy artistic types pour their hearts out on stage. Maybe it's because the concept of a bondage store (The Rack) building a sweet production venue in the back of their shop is just sooo cool somehow. Or, more likely, it's simply because we got laid so much in theater class at college (hot, insecure chicks who want attention + lots of gay guys increased our odds dramatically!).

In any case, the Onyx has a play running for awhile longer (through Dec, 20) that's supposed to be pretty good. It's Shakespeare's 'Henry V' so it might be too highfalutin for some of you mopes but if you wanna see some alternative theater in a nifty little venue maybe you should check this one out...

LowLife Event Listing for Henry V

A year ago October Las Vegas was singing "The Days of Wine and Roses". Well, that's figuratively, of course, as most people don't actually know the words to the Academy award-winning theme song of the 60's movie by the same name unless they live in Sun City Summerlin. But the wine was flowing--the top shelf vintages--and everyone could afford to hand out roses (whether they remembered their anniversary or not was a different story) as the city had hit all-time highs in gambling revenue and tourists.

But, just like in the "Wine and Roses" movie (which is a pleasant little flick about drinking to excess and succumbing to alcoholism--often shown in alcohol recovery classes--not that we'd know first-hand, of course), the good times didn't last (although we had a damn good run, didn't we?) and now, a year later, we've hit an all-time low in monthly gaming revenues (Oct. '08 vs. Oct. '07) and experienced the biggest drop in number of tourists since 9/11.

The Rosey Side of Things (more)

When the Feds shut down the Crazy Horse Too gentleman's club in September of '07 due to the conviction of the owner on tax evasion charges, they thought they could sell the place and get a decent return for it, paying for the millions in government fines and a $7 million judgment won by a CH Too patron who was taken out back, had the shit beaten out of him and is now paralyzed. Several months ago the total debt was about $29 mil. and the Feds thought they could get about $30 mil. in a sale.

Unfortunately, even though the club's liquor license was extended once by the Las Vegas City Council while the government searched for a buyer--the club is much more valuable with a liquor license, of course--no qualified buyers were found so the license eventually expired. And with the Las Vegas real estate market tanking as it has been, the club might be worth $7 million at best. Add to that the fact that a California bank wants to foreclose on the property to collect on an unpaid $5 million loan to the former owner and you've got a real mess.

So, the U.S. Marshals Service says it now wants to apply for an exotic dance permit and liquor license from the city to operate the Crazy Horse Too! In fact, it has hired one of the valley's most politically connected law firms to help them get the permits so they can open the club back up, make it valuable again and sell the joint. Gotta love it!

Whore House Precedence; So Many Questions (more)

By all accounts, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority hit a home run when it launched its "What Happens Here...Stays Here" (which mutated into "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas") marketing campaign in 2003. Nationwide television ads showed hip and happenin' singles and couples getting in touch with their inner LowLife. It became a cultural phenomenon. One columnist thinks the day the slogan "jumped the shark", i.e. became irrelevant, was when it was uttered by O.J. Simpson when he first got arrested in Las Vegas.

The next LVCVA marketing effort involved "Your Vegas Is Showing" which drew mixed reviews and seems to have faded away. Since it was aimed at luring people to the new expensive gourmet restaurants, high fashion boutiques, and high-rise condos popping up everywhere, it's understandable that we don't hear it much these days.

"Vegas Bound": The Search for Middle America (more)

Back in September we reported that Clark County had finally decided that rather than discourage people from stopping and taking their picture in front of the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign, they would build a nice parking lot near the sign to actually make it easier for them to do so.

Well, the 1/2 million dollar upgrade has been completed and, with the dedication ceremony over, now is a great time for a provocative picture in front of the iconic Las Vegas landmark.

Remember, these pics are perfect for our home page "Flash" feature!

Note: Remember, there are actually three such signs in town although the other two don't have the nifty parking and landscaping. Besides the famous one on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip (near the Mandalay), there's also one on the south end of Boulder Highway and a similar one on Las Vegas Boulevard, north of Stratosphere that welcomes you to the downtown Fremont district. Who will be the first LowLife to submit a trifecta? (A grand slam would include the "Drive Carefully Come Back Soon" message on the back of the Strip sign, I suppose).

The immensely popular Mamma Mia! at the Mandalay Bay closes January 4th and the theatre will undergo some expensive changes to get ready for the sexy and seductive, um, I mean, the family-oriented Broadway show 'The Lion King' which is scheduled to open May 3rd.

And this won't be just a glorified road show version you might have seen in other cities or a cut-down-for-Vegas show like Phantom is (and many other Strip productions have been). No, you'll see the full two hour and 20 minute musical (including a 15 minute intermission) as elaborate (if not more so) than the top-selling, 11-year old Broadway show that has been seen by 50 million people.

So, once it opens, all LowLifes should get into their sexy, on-the-prowl outfits and check out The Lion King to really get into a hot-to-trot animalistic mood and then head up to Mix for a PurrfectLV party or to the Thehotel lounge for a Whispers mixer. You'll be sooo ready to mate! Rrrrooooaaaarrrr!

It looks like there might be two live, televised motorcycle jumps on the Strip during New Year's Eve festivities this year and maybe Britney will out there, too, singing a couple of songs from her new CD but will Vegas itself be jumpin' 'n' jammin' like it usually is?

Even though we have a bunch of parties listed on our LowLife NYE Events Listings, there's quite a bit of trepidation that maybe with the economy and all we're throwing a party and no one will come. Or will it'll be crazy like it normally is? Will there be room deals or if you wait will you be shut out? Inquiring minds wanna know...

Comedian Ron "Tater Salad" White, from the "Blue Collar Tour" is at the Terry Fator Theater at the Mirage this weekend (Terry Fator Theater?! That'll take awhile to get used to--sounds a lot gayer than the Danny Gans Theater, doesn't it? And I mean that in a good way, of course), just in time for the rodeo. And yes, he'll have his glass of Johnny Black and big, fat cigar on stage with him...

Here's a funny pre-show interview with Ron White.

Here's a not-so-funny article about White's recent arrest for a small amount of pot. Damn, police photos sure are different than publicity photos, aren't they?

The LowLife Listing for the Event

While many of us are sleeping in (or stumbling in, perhaps) Sunday morning, several hearty LowLifes will be up and stretching, getting ready for the wild and wacky Las Vegas Marathon which begins at 6:07 a.m. in front of Mandalay Bay. The LVM attracts world-class athletes for the event but there's always a good dose of Vegas thrown in along the way such as runners dressed as Elvis or Santa, a jog-thru wedding chappel, dancing girls and the Blue Man Group. See this slide show of last year's race for samples of the fun.

About 15,000 runners are expected to compete in the race (and a bunch more in the 1/2 marathon) and up to 200,000 spectators will line the course so, of course, you as a driver in your car (or a bus rider) may have a difficult time getting from Point A to Point B if the LVM path lies between. Check out the article on road closures for specifics and click on the map to the left for the actual route.

More:
--An earlier posting on the now-resolved financial difficulties of LVM organizers.
--The LowLife Listing of the Las Vegas Marathon

For the next 10 days or so, Las Vegas will seem much more like a cowboy town than usual as the National Finals Rodeo is back, this time to celebrate it's 50th anniversary. Las Vegas has hosted the NFR for the past 24 years, ever since we stole the event from Oklahoma City in 1985 where it had been held since 1965. Back in the "old days", December was an extremely slow time of the year for Las Vegas and casinos would lay off workers (or people took their vacation time) and then re-hire just before New Year's. The rodeo was seen as a way to fill rooms during a slow tourist time.

Here's an interesting article on how Las Vegas was able to wrest the NFR from Oklahoma City. Since the move to Las Vegas, prize money for the contestants has increased from under a million dollars to nearly $6 million this year and the Thomas & Mack has been sold out 22 straight years* (that's 170,000 tickets for the 10 nights).

While the Rodeo is under contract to Las Vegas through 2014, there's a bunch of talk about the city needing a new and larger arena to keep the cowboys here as the Thomas & Mack, while great for a university basketball arena, has lots of size limitations for world class events which the NFR and the NBA's most recent All-Star game make evident.

The LowLife Listing for the National Finals Rodeo

*While the event is sold out, there is a "Mad Dash" ticket sales feature where no-show seats are sold although ya hafta get out if the actual owners show up.

(Update: People who live near Thomas & Mack complain about the smell of the boarded animals.)

Encore, Steve Wynn's $2.3 billion encore for his Wynn Hotel & Casino, will open December 22 at 8 p.m. If you missed the grand opening of the Aliante in North Las Vegas last month this will be the next best thing...

By now, most of us have seen the new commercial for Encore where Steve Wynn appears to be sitting on top of the Encore, legs dangling out over the edge some 675 feet above the Las Vegas Strip. Pretty cool if it's real.

But, of course, this is Steve Wynn. Ya know it's gonna be real. Check out the "Encore TV Commercial--Behind The Scenes" video for yourself.

Wynn knows how to make a splash in his commercials (more)

Daredevil motorcycle jumper Robbie Knievel will be part of Las Vegas' New Year's Eve spectacle. As we mentioned in Know It A.L.L. previously, the Mirage has been working on upgrading the volcano attraction in front of their casino and is scheduled to have the $25 million redesign unveiled on Monday.

To make the opening of the spiffy new volcano even more spectacular, Knievel will jump the structure--shooting fireballs and all--on New Year's Eve as part of a Fox television special.

41 years ago on New Year's Eve, Robbie's father Evel Knievel, attemped to jump the Caesars Palace fountain. While Evel cleared the fountain, the botched landing resulted in a horrific crash that broke 40 bones and left the stuntman in a coma for a month. Of course, it also propelled him to tremendous popularity so perhaps the trade-off was worth it. Hey, it got Evel a statue in Las Vegas' Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.

In 1989 Robbie was successful where pops failed, soaring 170 feet to clear the Caesars fountain. Of course, he only had to deal with a bit of mist instead of 120 shooting fireballs, 60 foot flames and 100 foot blasts of water. The New Year's jump would be much more memorable if Knievel got hit with a fireball and landed inside the volcano's crater, finally getting shot out with a blast of water. Hey, they did it in Journey To The Center Of The Earth so why not here? Hard times call for drastic measures...

An Artist's Rendition of the Upgraded Volcano (more)

Just in time for the influx of cowboys for National Finals Rodeo (12/4-12/13), a new cowboy saloon has opened up--this one downtown on Fremont Street.

It's called, appropriately enough, Las Vegas Country Saloon and has all the necessary ingredients for a rootin' tootin' time including bikini bull riding, line dance lessons, live country music, an all-you-can-eat ribs night and plenty of that ol' trouble maker Jack Daniels.

The LowLife Listing for Las Vegas Country Saloon

People just can't seem to get enough of Britney Spears for some reason. For the fourth year in a row (and 7th total), Spears topped Yahoo.com's most popular search term. 2nd was WWE. (Hmmm...We wonder how many people searched for both Britney and WWE). At least Barack Obama beat out Miley Cyrus for third place (see top 10 below).

BTW: Britney's birthday is today (born 12/2/81) and has just announced that Las Vegas will be included in her upcoming concert tour (MGM, April 25th, tix on sale Saturday). There's also talk that Spears will be part of Las Vegas' big New Year's Eve celebration on the Strip with a live performance of a couple of songs from her just-released cd "Circus".

Speaking of Las Vegas (and we tend to do that in this feature), our fair city was the most-searched destination on Yahoo for 2008 beating out New York and Cancun (see top 10 below).

The complete Top 10 Rankings "Overall" and for "Destinations" (more)

If you want to check out that hot Strip waitress or bartender when they aren't working, sometimes you can run into them at one of the special nights many of the clubs have set up for those in the food & beverage business (and usually locals, too) called "Industry Night". These nights usually happen on an off night--generally Monday or Tuesday--and can sometimes be pretty happening. Visitors can generally sneak in, too, especially during these times. Say you just moved here and haven't gotten a new driver's license...

BlackBook has come up with yet another Best of Las Vegas list called "Top 5 Local & Industry Nights". Do you agree with their selections?

1. Jet (Mirage) - On Mondays, this massive, three-room club invites Vegas’ huge population of waitresses and bartenders to drink, dance to hip-hop and talk about you.
2. Studio 54 (MGM) - “Influence Tuesdays” is one of the city’s older industry parties, drawing all kinds of club backers and bottle flippers together under the giant disco ball.
3. Privé (Planet Hollywood) - “Money for Nothing” Mondays offer free admission for locals and industry folks with $5000 literally dropping from the ceiling. To try and make up for all those Europeans who don’t tip.
4. Cathouse (Luxor) - “Madame Mondays” draws a local crowd to the bordelloesque club with guest DJs, fashion shows and industry parties.
5. Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce (Mandalay Bay) - “Silicone Sundays.” Yup, strippers need a night to party off-duty too.

The LowLife Weekly Events Grid for more Industry Nights...

Cab drivers in Las Vegas receive a good cross section of Las Vegas visitors so they would seem like a good group to ask to get the pulse of Sin City.
Doug Elfman, a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal did just that as he interviewed a bunch of cab and limo drivers to find out what tourists are praising and/or bitching about regarding the citys' offerings.

A Quick Bottom line: O and Jersey Boys kick ass with Phantom, Cher and Bette Midler not far behind. Cris Angel sucks. The recent room prices are good. Restaurants and club drinks are too expensive. In-n-Out Burger is a must-visit.

The complete article