Ok, so there’s this big thing opening soon in Vegas that rhymes with DittyDenter but if you’re Steve Wynnwhat are you really focusing on these days? Tearing down the front of your less-than-a-year-old hotel, Encore, and building an $80 million beach club.

The Encore Beach Club is set to open this summer and VegasCabbie snapped a pic of the construction that’s currently going on from the outside. Meanwhile, Two Way Hard Three has a pic of the inside. The tentative name of the club will be the Switch Beach Club because of its proximity to the Switch restaurant. But since Switch is a name that alludes to the culinary dinner theater that happens inside the restaurant, we don’t think that name will stick.

It’s also hard for us to even think about summer with the holidays on the horizon but if Wynn is building it, then we will come. If we don’t, there’s always CityCenter. (Burn.)  Via:  Julianna – VegasChatter

SocialiteTravel.com – VIP Nightlife & Travel

Barry Manilow fans have just a few chances left to see their idol perform at the Las Vegas Hilton. Barry Manilow announced that he is ending his five-year stint at the resort on December 30. 

The show, “Ultimate Manilow: The Hits,” can still be seen Nov. 27-29 and Dec. 28-30. Ticket information can be found on the Las Vegas Hilton Web site. 

The 66-year-old singer arrived in Las Vegas in February 2005 with a show titled “Manilow: Music and Passion.”

Since then, the Hilton said he has performed more than 300 shows to nearly 450,000 people. 

Earlier this year, Manilow appeared on “American Idol” as a guest instructor during the show’s “Hollywood Week.”

Barry Manilow fans have just a few chances left to see their idol perform at the Las Vegas Hilton. Barry Manilow announced last Wednesday that he is ending his five-year stint at the resort on December 30. 

The show, “Ultimate Manilow: The Hits,” can still be seen Oct. 8-10, Nov. 27-29 and Dec. 28-30. Ticket information can be found on the Las Vegas Hilton Web site. 

The 66-year-old singer arrived in Las Vegas in February 2005 with a show titled “Manilow: Music and Passion.” Since then, the Hilton said he has performed more than 300 shows to nearly 450,000 people. 

Earlier this year, Manilow appeared on “American Idol” as a guest instructor during the show’s “Hollywood Week.”

Britney Spears

According to Click2Vegas.com the Saturday night show was a sellout and Sunday is expected to be the same, though some tickets still available at Click2Vegas.com.  Also Sunday night is Creed at The Joint – Hard Rock Hotel and Gino Vannelli at the Las Vegas Hilton on Paradise.

Cheap Trick performing the Beatles??? Has the world gone mad? Well, only a little. One must realize that Cheap Trick, formed in 1974, built quite a fan base through its own brand of using power-rock chords that emoted a hard-edge but retained enough melodic themes that attracted those on the outer currents of pop rock and punk rock. Their music does combines the tune- worthy formulaic modes of The Beatles but with an energy that speeds up without bowling over into pure ranting and screaming of those in the punk rock genre of that time. The Los Angeles Times has remarked that “Cheap Trick gained fame by twisting the Beatlesque into something shinier, harder, more American.” Your next question is: What were their biggest hits? A few include the songs “Surrender”, “I Want You to Want Me”, and “Dream Police.”

So it was with ardent curiosity when the available ticket brought me to the Hilton Theater, my favorite venue to see them perform Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band. Having seen Paul McCartney in sold-out arenas four times and never hearing anything as elaborate as a 21 piece orchestra, 6 backup vocalists, a children’s choir, mixed with an old rock bank that I’d thought had hit the old folks home by now, I couldn’t imagine how this escapade could be pulled off credibly. Featured guest artists included Grammy-Award winning vocalist Joan Osborne, Rob Laufer, Bill Lloyd, and Ian Ball all of whom performed in the beginning of the show before Cheap Trick entered the stage through a very clever revolving set that housed the entire orchestra 16 feet up in the air and provided three circular stages underneath them to facilitate the quick turnover to the Sgt. Pepper’s portion. As the curtain rose that set was exposed.

The orchestra opened with an absolutely beautiful symphonic medley of “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You,” “Love Me Do,” and “Please, Please Me.” Ms. Osborne then took the stage and deftly sang “Can’t Buy Me Love,” and the timeless “Long and Winding Road.” The orchestra then took over and performed the classic “Eleanor Rigby.” Let me stop here a moment to comment that in the nineties I lived in Puerto Rico and had the chance to see the Puerto Rican Symphony Orchestra perform Holst’s incredible symphony “The Planets.” That alone was a rare treat unto itself. The most marvelous thing of this show was to watch these players moving and thrusting their bodies into such soulful unpretentious mesmerizations of being one with the vibrations that they perfectly emitted from their instruments, that they naturally drew you into their magical mojo as an unintentional byproduct of their emotionalism and love of their craft exactly as those moments I experienced many years ago.

The engineer’s use of effects to recreate Lennon’s experiment of running his voice through a Leslie speaker for “Across the Universe” with the Las Vegas Children’s Choir was as ethereal as the original. It was truly like “a wind inside a letter box.”

And then the transition occurred and here was Cheap Trick with Rick Nielsen and his baseball cap and striped suit prancing, dancing, and irreverently swinging his guitar to the beginning of that classic album. The album that the Beach Boy’s leader Brian Wilson called the “perfect album,” the same one that he tried to compose first and gave up his quest after hearing what he perceived as the Beatles’- no the world’s – ultimate recording.

I then realized that when I read Geoff Emerick’s name on the roster as Sound Direction and Co-Producer that it all made sense. Those orchestra parts were exactly as George Martin, “the fifth Beatle” had written them in 1967. Every nuance, speck, part and parcel of each tiny inflection of this live sound mimicked that album without exception. And by the way, Mr. Emerick was the engineer for Sgt. Pepper’s back in 1967 so there was the connection to the “how” of this event.

The bonus tracks of “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” “The End” and the show “encore,” “All You Need is Love,” brings the Beatles’ genius and the energy and vivaciousness of the current band playing their hearts out into focus after experiencing the beginnings of their musical careers at the top of the show. It was a wise choice than to end with just the Sgt. Pepper’s songs, as the orchestra was already there for that monumental epic, why not go out with a huge bang from their later material? Good call on the producer’s part although I wish someone had sung “Something” that perfect ode to George’s wife Patti Boyd, instead of Bill Lloyd playing lead guitar on the melody, but that is a minor complaint.

And lest I forget a huge part of this ensemble was Magic Christian, the keyboardist who provided all of McCartney’s piano parts and used his synthesizers perfectly to authenticate each track. Todd Youth on bass enthusiastically played every Mac line note-for-note and the conductor affectionately introduced as “Billy Shears” did an outstanding job putting the orchestra though it’s amazing paces this fine evening.

The most amazing part of the show came when George Harrison’s “Within You, Without You” was performed. An authentic Indian ensemble appeared with Gingger Shankar (Her mother was a classical singer, and her father, L. Subramaniam, is a world renowned violinist) playing the double violin, with two sitar players, and bass and treble Tampura instruments exactly capturing this spiritual encompassment of Mr. Harrison’s experience with the music and religious aura of that nation.

The vocals of Rob Laufer were magically suited to every note of the past and this was more than just a band rehashing an old classic. The entire experience, as exacting as it was, evoked new emotional thrills by the live performances of both a rock band and orchestra blending into a dimension of past time that never was. This was a “what if” had the Beatles kept touring and attempted such an endeavor to achieve such lushness of a tracked album by being backed by a full orchestra and vocalists. It was the concert that never was performed by the seemingly most unlikely band using the most unlikely Beatles album. It worked magnificently!

I ran into people who had seen it more than once and honestly I would have gone back for seconds and thirds myself. I mean when the song Sgt. Pepper’s Reprise kicks in that rooster crowing for that split second, the madness of the orchestra of “Day in the Life” swells and then crescendos to its ultimate conclusion, and then that infamous orchestral down stroke to the tonic note, what more does one want out of a concert? It is real and it is hair-raising. I could go on and on about every small detail and the attentiveness paid to each and every one of them, but my suggestion is if you can go see it-GO! This tour will not last forever, like the original band, like any ephemeral burst of pure creativity, the moment passes quickly. Take the time and listen to what could have been, but was only preserved on tape and disc until now. It’s no cheap trick believe me.

The world’s largest annual trade show for consumer technology, International CES (Consumer Electronics Show), will take place in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas Hilton and Sands Expo & Convention Center/The Venetian from January 7 to January 10, 2010.

The International CES features more than 2,700 exhibitors and draws more than 113,000 attendees annually from 140 countries such as retailers, manufacturers, broadband developers, content providers and creators, wireless carriers, cable and satellite TV providers, installers, government leaders, corporate buyers, financial analysts and the media. The 2010 International CES will feature the hottest product debuts covering more than 30 product areas, including the latest in content, wireless, digital imaging, mobile electronics, home theater and audio. Approximately 200 conferences will take place during the 2010 International CES, which is sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).

Zhou Houjian, chairman of Hisense, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the 2010 International CES as part of the third-annual Technology and Emerging Countries Program, which focuses on technology’s role in advancing economic development.

The first CES trade show took place in the summer of 1967 with a total of 200 exhibitors and approximately 17,500 attendees. Products that have made their debut at CES over the years include videocassette recorder (1970), laserdisc player (1974), camcorder (1981), compact disc player (1981), digital satellite system (1994), digital versatile disk (1996), high definition television (1998) and plasma TV (2001).

Looking for great deals on comfortable accommodations during your Las Vegas visit for 2010 International CES? Look no farther than Westgate Flamingo Bay Resort. For more information about Westgate Flamingo Bay Resort, visit www.wgflamingobay.com.

The Las Vegas Hilton held the first off property tweetup in Honolulu, Hawaii on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (GMT-1000) at Apartm3nt in Century Center.

HOSTED BY:
PETER ARCEO @PerterArceo – LAS VEGAS HILTON @LasVegasHilton
FLASH @flasee – APARTMENT 3 @Apartm3nt
CHRISTINE HITT @ChristineHitt – THE HITT LIST (HONOLULU MAGAZINE) @HonoluluMag

This was my first ever tweetup that I attended. I was with my wife, son, and my son’s friend. I’m the only tweep in my group. Well it’s a Vegas tweetup a chance to meet other tweeps who love Vegas our 9th Island. By the way Andy Bumatai @AndyBumatai also attended the function.

Attending a tweetup is a good chance to network and socialize in person with those tweeps you see on a computer monitor or your cell phone so no tweeting needed but you still can’t control yourself and still tweet for those tweeps not attending. I highly recommend attending a tweetup it’s fun. Oh and if your not on twitter yet why not? Get with the program and dive in at http://twitter.com

The Las Vegas Hilton @LasVegasHilton did a great job setting up the event with Honolulu Magazine @HonoluluMag at Apartm3nt @Apartm3nt in Century Center. Apartm3nt ambiance promotes a very cool place to hangout and have cocktails with delicious pupus while listening to music or playing darts or a game of pool.

Benefits of a tweetup are prizes: Las Vegas Hilton Hotel accommodations, rounds of Golf, Honolulu Magazine subscriptions and the Grand Prize a round trip to Vegas for two from Hawaii’s own Hawaiian Airlines @FlyHawaiian now that is a bunch of heavy duty prizes you don’t win every day.

In summary don’t attend just to win prizes the real prizes are the nice people you meet at the tweetup.

Big Mahalo to:

Las Vegas Hilton the Off-Strip hidden gem hotel.
Hawaiian Airlines
Honolulu Magazine
Apartm3nt

Keep on tweeting…

Drake
aka @iTheDrake on Twitter

Six of China’s most popular Muay Thai boxers are in Las Vegas in advance of this Sunday’s USA vs. China Championship Fights at the Las Vegas Hilton. 

The fight card is an historic event that marks the first co-promotion between America and China on American soil since the widespread professionalization of sports in China. 

China’s team captain Wang Hong Xiang promises that he and his countrymen will deliver a display of martial arts skills rarely seen by American audiences. 

“I have a different style of fighting than Americans fighters,” Xiang said through translator and Chinese promoter Tony Chang. “It’s a style Americans never get to see.” 

Headlining the card is the long anticipated rematch between native Las Vegan Kevin Ross and WBC Muay Thai super lightweight international champion Kang En.  En won China its first WBC international Muay Thai championship during his and Ross’ clash Jan. 19 in Beijing.  However, the fight ended controversially as a miscommunication between Ross and the fight’s non-English speaking referee proved to be a crucial factor in En’s unanimous decision victory. 

The card also features 2006 King’s cup champion and Xtreme Couture trainer Shawn Yarborough. Yarborough will take on WBC Chinese national light heavyweight champion Xu Hou for the IKKC light heavyweight championship. 

Las Vegas’ Christine Toledo, ranked No. 1 by the Women’s International Kickboxing Association, will also see action against China’s Wu Lin Feng women’s champion Zheng Yenan. 

While the event will not be broadcast live in the U.S., Chinese broadcast company Henan TV expects the event will be seen by a whopping three million viewers in China.

Haha! I’m being serious though! I cant believe its been 2 months since my last blog. Things have been seriously nutzo since my last update. I was sick with bronchitis for a good 2 weeks, and then once i began to feel better, its like: hey Nikita, NO MORE FREE TIME!  So… I did WORK!

I’ve been designing for Loomis-ISC (follow them here on twitter) for the past two months. They are a small integrated communications agency that specializes in brand-building, and they needed an extra hand in the art dept. so i came to the rescue! Have done soooooo many ads, for companies like: Mokulele Airlines, Avis, Budget, Chaminade University, Aloha Harvest, Volunteer Legal Services HI, ETCETCETC!!!!!! It has been a great experience.

Side note: Loomis is actually where my sister Serena dazzles clients w/ her intelligence and wit lol (Client Services Dept). Check out their site, you’ll see her bright, white smile and big brown hair haha.

Ad i created for Chaminade University

Still managed to get some designing in for the ING DIRECT Café also! Not sure where i found the time…

Flyer & Keiki Deposit Slip for ING DIRECT Café

Alas, there were few moments of play. Got to see my girl Anu play at the Shack Waikiki a couple times. You can follow her here. She is awesome and BLOWING UP. I’ve known this girl/watched her grow as an artist over the past year, and trust me: She is someone you wanna follow. She’s beautiful, talented, humble, and a very upbeat/fun chick to be around. i love ‘er.

Anuhea

Me & Serena during an Anu performance!

another Anu performance

Had a BLAST at Birthday Bash w/ Serena.

BIRTHDAY BASH!

Serena and Me

My family has also been in town! We saw Ziggy @ The Shell! Was awesome.

ZIGGYYYY

My fam

Lots of good music! super stoked, live music is so inspiring. Ziggy opened w “Redemption Song” and it brought a tear to my eye! was beautiful. BEP was in town the same nite as Zig, but i opted for the marley blood… BEP will come again…

I also made a new friend at Pele’s Chair…

irresistable puppy bubba

AHHHH SOOO ADORABLE. I asked the puppy’s owner to hold him, and guy was like “sure,” hands me pup, and jumps in the water. was awesome, i totally played babysitter and loved every minute of it.

Watched a chick jump spitting caves on her bday! that es atech eye tee is like 60 feet yo.

she had a pinktutu! that's me in the orange

Spitting Caves...

Also went the Las Vegas-Hawai‘i Hilton “tweetup” at Apartm3nt (couple of pics to come). So awesome, MORE live music for me to enjoy was a jazzy sexy band, soooo chill listening. Apartm3nt is probably the only lounge i’ve been to in HI that has SWAGGER, yes, Swagger. They also have a pretty sick happy hour and free parking. I highly recommend. Saw/met cool peeps/fellow bloggers like Christine Hitt of Honolulu Magazine/The Hitt List, Peter Arceo (and beautiful wife Milena) of Las Vegas Hilton. Both super nice people, always a pleasure. Only wish i won one of the awesome giveaways lol..

I have more to share, but once again, its about that time… DW! Time to go to work! Won’t be long before my next blog though

Until next time<3

Ever wondered what the inside of the men’s room at the Hilton, Las Vegas looks like?  

 Large fun graphics cover the wall above the men’s urinals – very unique interior decorating for the bathroom!  Looks like the girls are sizing up the situation with magnifying glasses, rulers, etc!

It would have been a fantastic concert, I’m glad they filmed it all (how convenient of them) and are making it into a movie!

Maybe this was what Michael meant by it being his FINAL performance! (time for him to retire!)

Neverland Ranch Sold! Michael Jackson New Vegas Act??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7GZo3g6IqU&feature=channel

Quote from youtube IndependentFeatures

“The deeds have officially been transferred from Michael Jackson to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC. This is very interesting because Sycamore is a joint venture between Michael Jackson and a division of a company called Colony Capital. Colony Capital owns the Las Vegas Hilton, the Red Rock Country Club, and other Las Vegas properties”

Interesting concept but I think Michael Jackson just wanted to retire, get rid of his debts, he probably had a big life insurance policy that would make him worth more dead than alive?

Who knows with all the stories flying about?

When it’s time for his concert and things happen then maybe I’ll believe these people!

Michael Jackson’s Lost Movies

It would have been a fantastic concert, I’m glad they filmed it all (how convenient of them) and are making it into a movie!

Maybe this was what Michael meant by it being his FINAL performance! (time for him to retire!)

Neverland Ranch Sold! Michael Jackson New Vegas Act??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7GZo3g6IqU&feature=channel

Quote from youtube IndependentFeatures

“The deeds have officially been transferred from Michael Jackson to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC. This is very interesting because Sycamore is a joint venture between Michael Jackson and a division of a company called Colony Capital. Colony Capital owns the Las Vegas Hilton, the Red Rock Country Club, and other Las Vegas properties”

Interesting concept but I think Michael Jackson just wanted to retire, get rid of his debts, he probably had a big life insurance policy that would make him worth more dead than alive?

Who knows with all the stories flying about?

When it’s time for his concert and things happen then maybe I’ll believe these people!

“ULTIMATE MANILOW: The Hits”
July 31 – Barry Manilow
August 1, 6-8 & 27-29
September 4-6 & 24-26

Sgt. Pepper Live
Featuring Cheap Trick 
September 13-15, 17-19 & 21-23
8 p.m.

Gino Vannelli
September 27
7 p.m.

George Lopez
October 16-17
$65-$119
8 p.m.

Brooks and Dunn
December 4-6

Las Vegas Hilton Theater, Las Vegas, NV

Lisa Williams, internationally acclaimed medium and clairvoyant, will appear at the Las Vegas Hilton August 2 at 7 p.m. in the Hilton Theater in Las Vegas.

Tickets for Lisa Williams, August 2 at 7 p.m., are priced at $65, $85 and $125. Tickets can be purchased at the Las Vegas Hilton box office or by logging onto www.lvhilton.com

Lisa was discovered by Merv Griffin and has her own hit show, “Lisa Williams, Life Among the Dead,” on Lifetime Television.

Lisa Williams, internationally acclaimed medium and clairvoyant, will appear at the Las Vegas Hilton August 2 at 7 p.m. in the legendary Hilton Theater.

Lisa Williams

Lisa was discovered by Merv Griffin and has her own hit show, “Lisa Williams, Life Among the Dead,” on Lifetime Television.  As well as appearing on “Good Morning America,” “Oprah” and “The Jimmy Kimmel Show,” Lisa has just completed her first book. In addition to her readings in front of large audiences, she does personal readings and is a trained Reiki and Crystal Healer.

Tickets for Lisa Williams, August 2 at 7 p.m., are priced at $65, $85 and $125. Tickets can be purchased at the Las Vegas Hilton box office or by logging onto www.lvhilton.com

A while back, I went to my favorite concert venue, The Las Vegas Hilton, to see the “new” lineup of Starship, AKA Jefferson Starship, and the third generation of Jefferson Airplane.  The Hilton showroom is a wonderful place to see a show as there isn’t a bad seat in the house and the big comfy chairs are a far cry from the seats that barely hold one cheek of your derriere in any other venue, and allow plenty of leg room as well. 

The old Jefferson Airplane in this day and age would probably have been locked up in this Patriot Act paranoia of today.  ‘Got to Revolution’ just wouldn’t go over like the old days…….for shame as the internet and keyboards have taken over from in-body protests and are far less effective……..but I digress.  The addition of Las Vegas’ own Stephanie Calvert (http://stephcalvert.com/) allows the introduction of the more tame Airplane treasure trove of White Rabbit, Somebody to Love, and others that haven’t been heard by myself since I saw them in Santa Cruz at Lorenzi Park in 1994 with Jack Cassady, Craig Chaquico, and other original band members and a young woman that looked a lot like Grace Slick, but wasn’t.  That was also the last time I heard “Hearts” a song that I didn’t hear at the Hilton, perhaps because of copyright reasons, as it is such a beautiful song, one of the Starship’s best written and sung so incredibly well by alumni Marty Balin and the Fender Rhodes repeating an ascending scale that raised your armhairs.

Mickey Thomas’ voice was on pitch considering the high ranges he vaults to and from, but could take a tip from Boz Scaggs and get a steam humidifier tube on his mike stand, as he cracked from time to time due to “Vegas Throat” a malady that affects every singer that comes into town…..but don’t misunderstand me; he performed with full heart and soul and brought you back to yesteryear and the days of ballads mixed with energized rock and roll.

Stephanie Calvert was a delight to hear and see and she’s quite sexy in dress, delivery, and dramatics as she belts out Grace’s legacy without the slightest hesitation. Her latex-laced legs and forceful features grabbed you and forced you to become engaged with her siren-like serenade and the audience loved her.

The band consists of:

Mickey Thomas *Lead Vocals, Guitar – Stephanie Calvert *Vocals – Mark Abrahamian *Lead Guitar, Vocals -Jeff Adams *Bass, Vocals – Phil Bennett *Keyboards, Vocals – Darrell “Pelican” Verdusco *Drums, Vocals

In case you’ve forgotten their hits here are some they performed: “Jane” “No Way Out” “We Built This City” “Sarah” “Nothing Gonna Stop Us Now” “Find Your Way Back” “Stranger” “Laying It On The Line” “It’s Not Over Till It’s Over” and the Elvin Bishop Group’s, “I Fooled Around and Fell in Love,” a song Mr. Thomas carries with him from his time as the lead singer for Elvin Bishop-a trivia fact not well known.

It was a fun 90 minute romp of rock and roll the old fashioned way……with real musicians with everyone’s ‘hearts’ in every song….now if I can just get Mickey Thomas to sing that song……..Hearts Will Be That Way.

Menurut kepercayaan, arwah orang yang meninggal bisa kembali ke dunia karena masih ada urusan yang belum tuntas. Percaya atau tidak, ada enam artis dunia yang gentayangan setelah wafat.

Michael Jackson
Yang paling anyar tentu saja Michael Jackson yang meninggal pada 25 Juni 2009. Arwah King of Pop itu menampakkan diri di koridor rumahnya yang dulu, di Neverland. Penampakan Jacko tertangkap kamera stasiun berita CNN yang tengah melakukan reportase langsung (live) di Neverland, bertajuk ‘Inside Neverland’.

Sosok bayangan tersebut bukan hanya diam di tembok, tapi juga berjalan di sepanjang koridor ruangan. Pergerakan bayangan tersebut sangat cepat, dari kiri ke kanan, sebelum akhirnya menghilang begitu saja.

Elvis Presley
Michael Jackson boleh saja menyandang predikat King of Pop. Tapi gelar King of Rock ‘n Roll tetap dipegang oleh Elvis Presley. Kematian Elvis pada Agustus 1977, tak kalah mengharukan dibandingkan Jacko.

Musisi yang wafat dalam usia 42 tahun itu masih kerap kelayapan setiap tahun di rumahnya di Memphis, Graceland. Para pengunjung yang pernah menyaksikan mengatakan, Elvis gentayangan di seluruh bagian rumah.

Yang semakin membuat bulu kuduk merinding adalah pengakuan segelintir orang yang melihat arwah Elvis menikahi Marilyn Monroe di kapel Graceland. Bukan cuma itu, arwah penembang Blue Christmas itu juga pernah eksis di sebuah resepsi yang dihelat di Heartbreak Hotel, masih di kawasan Memphis. Penampakan Elvis juga sesekali muncul di Las Vegas Hilton.

Marilyn Monroe
Aktris cantik ini abadi menjadi ikon seksi di abad 20. Marilyn tewas akibat overdosis obat di rumahnya di Brentwood, California, pada 5 Agustus 1962.

Setelah kematiannya, penampakan Marilyn muncul di dua lokasi berbeda, yakni di lokasi pemakaman di Westwood Memorial Cemetery, Los Angeles, serta di Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Menurut tamu hotel, arwah Marilyn muncul di cermin kamar. Kebetulan kamar tersebut dahulu sempat ditempati Marilyn saat masih hidup. Kabarnya, cermin tempat aktris berambut pirang itu menampakkan diri kini digantung di lobi hotel, dekat lift.

Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison meninggal di Paris pada 1971. Namun, legenda rock itu kembali ke rumahnya di Amerika Serikat dan muncul di klub malam Viper Room di Los Angeles.

Hal tersebut dituturkan musisi Otep Shamaya. “Aku sedang berada di Viper Room. Di klub itu biasanya Jim dan band-nya, Doors, tampil. Tiba-tiba, lampu panggung padam dan Jim muncul! Kami menduga itu kerjaan usil penata cahaya. Tapi mereka membantah,” jelas Shamaya.

Saat itu, Shamaya dan pengunjung klub menertawakan penampakan Jim karena dipikirnya itu bohongan saja. Namun, petugas penata cahaya meyakinkan bahwa itu benar-benar hantu.

“Bersamaan dengan itu, terdengar suara laki-laki dekat panggung. Kemudian terdengar lagu Roadhouse Blues milik Doors. Lagu itu diputar sebentar, lalu mati. Diputar lagi, mati lagi. Bisa dipastikan saat itu tak ada orang yang memutar lagu. Kemudian terdengar suara, ‘Kamu kenal Jim Morrison’,” urai Shamaya.

Setelah mendengar suara tersebut, Shamaya yakin itu benar-benar Jim Morrison.

“Itu memang hantunya. Dia menghantui kami di sana,” kata Shamaya.

James Dean
James Dean meninggal di usia yang masih sangat muda, 24 tahun. Aktor berbakat ini tewas dalam kecelakaan lalu lintas ketika mengendarai Porsche, pada 30 September 1955.

Setelah meninggal, Dean betah ‘menetap’ di lokasi dia menemui ajal yakni di rute sepanjang jalan California. Salah satu saksi yang menjadi korban hantu Dean adalah ahli supranatural Monica Pearson. Wanita asal Bridgend, Inggris, itu dihantui selama 40 tahun. Dean akhirnya pergi meninggalkan Monica pada 2004, setelah Monica mengusirnya. Monica mengusir Dean karena suami Monica sering sakit-sakitan.

Walau hantu Dean kerap muncul, penampakannya tak pernah menakutkan. Kemunculan Dean dianggap Monica layaknya kunjungan untuk menemui keluarga.

Monica yang kini berusia 65 tahun mengaku kali pertama melihat hantu Dean ketika berusia 12 tahun. Saat itu, Monica kecil sedang membaca buku di kamar tidur.

“Aku melihat ke arah jendela dan terbelalak melihat pria itu (Dean) menembus jendela. Rambutnya pirang, bermata biru dan tersenyum lebar. Tangannya dimasukkan ke dalam saku celana. Dia berjalan melalui tempat tidurku dan perlahan menembus dinding,” ujar Monica.

Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger meninggal pada Januari 2008 karena overdosis obat. Orang yang sering dikunjungi arwah pemeran Joker itu adalah mantan tunangannya, Michelle Williams.

Michelle mengatakan, hampir mati karena kaget ketika kali pertama melihat hantu Ledger datang.

Saat itu, Michelle sedang tidur di malam hari dan terbangun oleh suara aneh. Dia menyaksikan beberapa perabot bergerak sendiri. Aktris berambut pirang itu juga melihat sosok bayangan yang diyakininya adalah Legder.

Pada kunjungan Ledger yang kedua, Michelle sudah tak begitu kaget. Dia mendengar suara Ledger berkata, “Maaf, aku tidak bisa menemanimu merawat Matilda”.

Sebelum Ledger meninggal, dia dan Michelle telah memiliki satu anak perempuan bernama Matilda.

• June 12, 2009 – The Outdoor Picture Show, located at the Green Valley Ranch in Green Valley, this week’s movie is “Horton Hears a Who” starts at 8 pm.
• June 13, 2009 – Jazz on the Lake – Marque Mundy, located on the laws of Monte Lago Village in Lake Las Vegas. Free Admission for all.
• June 13, 2009 – World’s Collide – Mixed Martial Arts Event, located at Star of the Desert Arena in Primm. Call 702.679.5488 or visit the Primm Valley Casino Resorts website for more details. 
• June 14, 2009 – Las Vegas Youth Camerata Concert, located at the Winchester Cultural Center. For more information on this event call 702.455.7340 or visit the Winchester Cultural Center website.
• June 14, 2009 – David Copperfield, located at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, for more information  and tickets click here.
• June 17, 2009 – Blood Drive (donor will receive 51S baseball tickets) the blood drive will be held at SoutwestUSA Bank, for more information on this important event please call 702.853.7439
• June 18, 2009 – Third Thursday ARTSWALK, located at Water Street District in Henderson, come out and view great art, food and fun for the entire family. Call 702.267.2171 for more details on this event.
• June 18, 2009 – 2009 NHL Awards, held at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, you do not want to miss out on this event if you are a hockey fan, some of the best players will be in attendance. Call 702.942.7001 or visit the Palms Casino Resort website for more details.
• June 19-22, 2009 – Book Sale at Paseo Verde Valley Library in Henderson
• June 21, 2009 – Stars Among the Angels, celebrity variety show at the Santa Fe Hotel in Casino, features all of the local Las Vegas celebrities.  Fun for the entire family, admission is free.
• June 28, 2009 – Ribbon of Life, hundreds of artists come out for this great fundraiser that benefits HIV/AIDS, located at the Las Vegas Hilton, for more information visit the Golden Rainbow and Achievable Dream website.

Sgt. Pepper Live

Cheap Trick interpretará a The Beatles durante el mes de septiembre  (13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22 y 23) en su presentación en Las Vegas Hilton.

El nombre del show es “Sgt Pepper Live”, interpretando al álbum Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, además de contar con invitados especiales.

Si vives cerca o piensas viajar, los boletos estarán a la venta a partir del próximo 13 de junio de 2009, el costo de los boletos es de $65, $80 y $95 Dlls. y puedes comprarlos en www.lvhilton.com y www.ticketmaster.com.

It’s never a dull moment in Steve Wynn’s life.   Looking to replace Mirage headliner Danny Gans, who tragically died, supposedly Wynn has been talking to semi-retired country music sensation Garth Brooks to take the reins.  The Brooks camp is playing down the supposed rumblings, even denying the offer exists. 

But there have been rumblings as well that Wynn has had conversations with Las Vegas Hilton headliner Barry Manilow, whose contract expires at the end of this year. 

But one thing is for certain:  Sightings of Steve Wynn’s British girlfriend Andrea Hissom have ramped up this month at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore, amid rumors that she’s in the process of moving to Las Vegas after an amicable agreement was reached between Steve and Elaine Wynn, who are divorcing.

Las Vegas Strip ( Photo by Tasithoughts)

I cannot believe it was just a week ago that the three amigos, Jeff, Chris and I were in Las Vegas. We had been planning that trip for a while and it turned out to be a very fun three days for us for many reasons.

Cher's Outfits ( photo by Tasithoughts)

When we flew in on Friday, we were energized by the sound of slot machines reverberating throughout the airport.  After picking up Chris’s scarlet red (how appropriate) duffel bag at baggage claim, we caught a cab to the Las Vegas Hilton where we were staying.  The first thing I noticed was how fast we caught a cab.  For a weekend, I can immediately see that the economic downturn has had an effect on Vegas. There were not as large crowds for a weekend. We will find out soon how easy it was going to be  to get around town and into venues.

The Star Trek Experience is no longer at the Hilton. That means more cool people stay there and you do not see as many nerds. However, this week we saw more families since it was also Mother’s Day weekend.

We each got our own Queen Suites (I know… how appropriate). Our rooms were located on different floors one on top of each other. Chris was on the 13^th, Jeff on the 14^th and I was on the 15^th.

Chris on the Strip ( Photo by Tasithoughts)

After getting ready and grabbing a quick meal, we then headed out to the gay district affectionately known as the fruit loop. It is located on Paradise Road off the strip. This area has special significance to me since this was where I went to my first gay bar when I came out years ago and here’s where I had a lot of firsts.   However, that is another story.

Jeff enjoying the sights ( photo by tasithoughts)

We went to Gypsy’s but nothing was happening there. We decided to go to Piranhna (the old Angles bar). Now, there was a lot more activity and we had some drinks. It was a good crowd with a lot of eye candy.  It was a good first night in Vegas.

Jeff and Chris wanted to leave to go back to the hotel. I decided to stay longer and quickly ran across the street (they would describe it differently) to another bar called Buffalo.  I walked into couples land.  There were all these gay couples in there. It was such a sweet scene, so that means that I lasted about five minutes there.

The Strip ( photo by Tasithoughts)

By the time I return to Piranhna, Jeff and Chris had already grabbed a Taxi home. Both had texted me on my iPhone to make sure I was alright. More people came into the bar and I met some nice guys and had a great time. There was this really nice guy named Nate from San Diego who was up from college who talked to me. Great conversation.  I finally went back to the hotel and hit the sack.

Angel Dancer at Krave ( photo by tasithoughts)

On Saturday morning, Chris and I got some breakfast at the buffet. We ate some scrambled eggs there.  They tasted like you wanted to heave them up immediately so we had omelets made for us. No more of that awful buffet for us!

We hung around for most of the day at the hotel and by the pool. Now you would think the pool would be sexier but it was like hanging around a  Disney Family Cruise.  Mother’s Day weekend…you gotta love it!

Another thing we  had to adjust to, well especially for Chris, was that we were not in the gay Mecca of San Francisco anymore.  The gay to straight ratio is flipped. So if you cruise here you may get a bruise here.

Chris said it was kind of a chore trying to figure out who was gay or not. There were a couple of them in the casino.  One young guy totally did a total turnabout with Chris but they were not able to speak to each other.  One early morning, around 3:00 a.m. we got back and were getting a snack and Chris called out to a cute guy “Get Over Here!” flirtatiously.  Now the guy looked over and we did not know if the look was one of bemused acknowledgment or the kind that said “What the hell did you say?” We had to remember that we were in “Kansas” and not in “Emerald City”.

Jeff and his shades ( photo by tasithoughts)

Chris did some gambling and won and won and won.  He had a good winning streak the whole time we were there in Vegas. It was fun to watch. Nada for me. I put money in and nothing came back.

We decided to go to the Forum shops at Caesar’s where we eventually  ate at Spagos. That was nice. We then walked the strip. We watched the fountain show at the Bellagio. The crowds were there but it was not too bad. Jeff decided that he did not want to go clubbing so he went back to the hotel.

Chris and I went to Krave, the gay nightclub right on the strip next to the Planet Hollywood Hotel.  They had a theme, Angels and Demons.  I guess after the movie that will be released this month. This turned out to be my favorite club.  Soon after we arrived, Chris decided to go back to the hotel as he was tired. So here I was alone again and not tired at all.  I was in Vegas and determined to enjoy every minute of it.

A Living Statue at the Venetian ( photo by tasithoughts)

I met a bunch of guys from San Francisco who rented one of the booths there. They were nice and they had travel to Vegas to celebrate their friend’s birthday. I had seen a couple of them at club called Trigger in San Francisco.

Soon after while I was standing there, this guy named Michael said Hi to me.  He was so funny and very outgoing. He was from Vegas and he was there with a bunch of friends who were celebrating one of their own receiving his master’s degree.  Michael seemed like he knew everybody in the club and introduced me to them. He even knew the dancers. Before we knew it, I was dancing with this group of people on the floor. The music in Krave was great and it was fun just getting lost in it.

Drag Queen at Gypsys ( Photo by tasithoughts)

The Angel and Demon dancers (both men and women) did some Cirque de Soleil kind of choreography. It was really cool.  We got one of them to crack up laughing by making faces at him.

Michael and crew had to leave.  Then I got asked to dance by this guy named Gregory. He was some sort of paranormal psychic. Whatever. He could dance and I had fun. I finally made it back to the hotel and caught some zzzz.

Angel dancer at Krave ( photo by Tasithoughts)

On Sunday, we laid out by the pool and lazed around during the day. Then we went to dinner at this great Mexican restaurant called Lindo Michoacan.  However, the cab ride there was a doozy. Our cab driver was like Mr.Magoo.  He drove like he was inches of running into something. He did not know where he was going. He kept asking us how to get to the restaurant!  I even looked up the address on my GPS on my iPhone. The damn thing  had a glitch because it put us on a parallel road and not on the right one.  Jeff, Chris, and I thought we were in some sort of reality show that was being taped.This man was like Miss Daisy, but he was driving!

We finally made it to the restaurant.

We were served immediately and had the BEST food of the entire time we were there. We recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Vegas.  Since it was Mother’s Day it was packed with families, but it was such a pleasant dining experience.  The Latino element also brought the good looking factor up a few notches. I had to laugh because the wait staff thought I was Latino, and they kept deferring to me as if I were hosting my two white guests at the table.  That was a great meal.

Chris about to kill me for taking his picture ( Photo by tasithoughts)

Later on the evening, we headed back to the fruit loop and ventured to a little dive karaoke bar called the Free Zone. Let’s say it did not look like that place was renovated since the early seventies.  There were some women in there that looked like they were just released from prison and wanted you to be their bitches.

Jeff and I were asked by this young guy named Aidan and his friend to play pool.  Pool?!?  My Gary would laugh.  I don’t really enjoy pool. However, Aidan was interested in Jeff so I can play anchor for that purpose.  Okay between both teams we were all sorry ass players when it comes to playing pool. Chris came in to play for a few rounds to fill in for Jeff at times.

Then Chris and I left to go to Gypsy’s so Jeff could get to know his new admirer better.  Gypsy’s had a drag show that night and it was packed. Jeff soon joined us and we found out that he was not interested in Aidan that way.  However, Aidan and his friend followed him to Gypsy’s. The show at Gypsy’s was great.  It was one of the best drag shows I have ever seen. I remember years ago Madonna making a surprise visit to that stage.

Gypsy’s turned out to be a great night for meeting some nice people for all of us.  It was a great way to end our last evening in Las Vegas.

Beautiful ( photo by tasithoughts)

Monday morning came rolling around and then at noon we checked out. We had our bags stored in the hotel while we did one more round of the strip before we headed out to the airport. We went to the Venetian where we caught lunch and sat on a street side café in one of their interior city lots next to an internal canal as gondolas passed by with lovers enjoying  romantic moments.  Jesters and Opera singers put on a show.  We took in this last essence of Vegas.

Boarding the plane that afternoon, I thought the most important part of this trip is that I got to know more about my friends Chris and Jeff. Chris is literally my best friend and I was able to talk to him more about stuff we normally do not get to chat about in our regular life here. He really is a cool guy and I found out we travel well together.  Jeff is one of the sweetest guys I know. He is well traveled, intelligent and cultured. He also has that right amount of mischievousness in him.

I cannot wait for the next trip.

Is there more to this Vegas trip? Probably.  Is it because of what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?  Perhaps.  However, I think it is more what you cannot remember from Vegas that stays in Vegas.  Damn those Long Island Teas!

Elvis Presley (1935-1977) in August 1969, the beginning of his Las Vegas concert years

From 1969 to 1977 were Elvis’ concert years. When performing in  Las Vegas, he stayed at the International (now Hilton) Hotel, occupying the penthouse suite, room 3000. The suite was located on the 30th floor and stretched across the entire top floor.

Elvis was not alone in this sprawling suite. From the beginning of his stardom, Elvis had been accompanied by a core group of hangers-on that came to be known as the “Memphis Mafia.” By the seventies, Elvis was spending day and night with his party animal buddies, cousins from Memphis and Army buddies whose common bond was service to “the King” and who hung around him for the money, clothes, cars, and leftover girls. What began in the fifties as a group of a few guys following in Elvis’ wake had swelled into a greedy crowd.

As Elvis’ fame spread and his addiction to prescription drugs deepened, Elvis became ever more sealed off from the real world and exceedingly dependent upon the Memphis Mafia. According to Patrick Humphries, these men ”acted as Elvis’ bodyguards, babysitters, drug procurers, girl-getters, mates and carbuyers.” Elvis was emotionally unstable and dangerous to himself and others, especially when there were guns lying around.

Elvis after a Las Vegas Concert, with Linda Thompson, March 21, 1976. He would then die of an apparent drug overdose in August, 1977.

Actress, songwriter, and former Miss Tennessee USA Linda Thompson dated Elvis during those days. In an interview with Andrew Hearn, she recounts a frightening incident when Elvis got a little trigger happy:

I’d just happened to have come out of the shower at the Las Vegas Hilton, the presidential suite, and he [Elvis] was lying on the sofa. In those days, they had these huge bull’s eye advertisements. Vegas came alive when Elvis was there and they had these billboards, posters, and placards. So he had one of these enormous bull’s eye things in the suite and he decided that he would just shoot for the target. It was a kind of cardboard cut-out of his name with this bull’s eye…like hit the mark, come see Elvis…whatever. So, Elvis pulled out his gun and shot at the bull’s eye and the bullet went through the wall, which was adjacent to my bathroom. It went through the wall, then through the toilet paper holder, which was metal, out through a mirrored door and shattererd it. I was standing at the sink and I heard ting, ting, and the sound of glass breaking. I felt the air behind my leg. When I looked down, there was a bullet hole in the door behind me. I opened that door and there was another shattered glass door and a bullet lying there.

I knew exactly what was happening. James Caughley came in and said, “Linda, are you okay?” and I said, Yeah, what the ____ was that?” and he said that it was just Elvis having a little target practice.” (1)

These shootings were common occurrences. Elvis had a stockpile of weapons and liked to shoot things. He once shot his car when it wouldn’t start. He shot up small appliances, and, on occasion, large ones. He shot at chandeliers and light switches. But what he became well-known for was shooting at the TV every time the singer Robert Goulet came on a program, as some claim.

Why did Elvis shoot out the TV set when Goulet appeared?  Did he hate Goulet as a person or a singer, or both?

It is believed that Elvis hated Robert Goulet, best known for his portrayal of the dashing Prince Lancelot in the Broadway musical production of “Camelot” in 1960. Some say Elvis despised Robert Goulet because he didn’t sing with feeling. Others blame the bad blood on a letter Elvis received when he was in the Army in Germany (1958-1960). His hometown girlfriend, Anita Wood (see previous post, “The Elvis Sandwich“) had written him a letter, telling her how she was doing. She was, at the time, performing with Buddy Hackett and Robert Goulet. She stupidly allowed Robert Goulet to write a postscript at the bottom of her letter to Elvis in which Goulet told Elvis not to worry about Anita as he was looking after her. Elvis became green with jealousy and was incensed with Goulet. (2)

Or was Elvis resentful of Goulet because Goulet was his rival on the music scene when Elvis returned home from Germany? After all, after Goulet’s triumph in “Camelot,” he was called the next great matinee idol. In 1961, the New York Daily News Magazine called Goulet “just the man to help stamp out rock ‘n’ roll.” Judy Garland described the suave Goulet as a living 8-by-10 glossy. He had blue bedroom eyes, and female fans would toss him their room keys during his concerts.

Robert Goulet as Lancelot and Julie Andrews as Queen Guenevere in the 1960 Broadway production of "Camelot"

Yet even another possibility exists for Elvis’ dislike of Goulet. On May 25, 1965, Goulet mangled the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Muhammed Ali-Sonny Liston heavyweight championship fight. He replaced the lyrics “dawn’s early light” with “dawn’s early night” and “gave proof through the night” with “gave proof through the fight.” Although Goulet had been born in Massachusetts, his parentage was French-Canadian, and people were outraged that he didn’t know the words of the United States National Anthem. His gaffe was widely reported and he never lived the incident down.

Robert Goulet (1933-2007) had heard about Elvis shooting out TVs whenever he saw him singing on a television program. Goulet insisted, though, that Elvis bore him no ill will and was actually his friend. He dismissed the assertion that Elvis shot out the TV only when he came on it to sing. He claimed that Elvis shot the TV when other singers like Mel Torme and Frank Sinatra came on. Goulet did not think he was the select target.

On August 14, 2004, right in the middle of Elvis week, Goulet was in Memphis, Tennessee, Elvis’ hometown and the site of Graceland, Elvis’ home, and sat down for an interview with Christopher Blank of the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper:

“The 70-year-old entertainer Robert Goulet is in Memphis to play King Arthur in “Camelot” at the Orpheum Theater through Sunday. Since it’s Elvis Week, we asked Goulet about his part in a well-known anecdote about Elvis: The king of rock and roll was known to aim a gun at his television when he saw something there that displeased him.

THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL: And now I’ve got to ask you what my colleagues say is going to be the hardest question.

GOULET: I’m not Jewish. I’m not gay.

CA: No, those are easy.

GOULET: (Laughs.)

CA: You know Memphis is an Elvis town and you factor into a local legend.

GOULET: When he shot the television set? He also shot 50 other people. They told me that he had about a hundred sets in the basement. And he’d shoot the ___ thing out – you know he was on pills and he didn’t know quite what he was doing and he’d BANG! and they’d look at each other and say, “Get another set!” They mention me all the time. I don’t know why. I remember once we sat together backstage for two hours. And he was a charming, delightful, delightful man. And at one point I said, “That’s a beautiful ring you have there.” He said “You like it?” I said, “It’s beautiful!”

He took it off his hand and put it on mine. He gave me his ring. And years later all the jewelry I had in my house – I trust everybody. I was brought up to believe that you cannot steal, cheat or lie and I’ve been stolen from, cheated or lied to all of my life. And so jewelry – who needs it? But this one was something special to me and it’s gone.

CA: Somebody took it?

GOULET: I hired a guy to take care of my house when I was gone. I’m so naive it’s ridiculous. ‘Cause, you know, when we hire people today we do a background check. I didn’t do that. . . . I was in Dallas doing something and I got a call from LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department). “We have a Stutz Blackhawk, silver, with gold trim with RGG license plate?” I said “You have it? How do you have it?” “Well, we saw this guy going through Watts driving this car with the window open throwing out hundred dollar bills.” He had taken all my jewelry and everything else I had of import and taken my car and driven it down to L.A. But all my good stuff is just gone, finished. It’s all part of dying.

CA: So tell me a little more about the Elvis connection. We write so much about Elvis here. What was your reaction when you heard he’d shot the TV?

GOULET: The point is I knew he was not himself so therefore it wasn’t anything to do with me. He shot out Mel Torme. He shot out Frank. But I get all the credit.”

(2) West, Sonny. Elvis: Still Taking Care of Business. Chicago: Triumph Books, 2007.

I’ve written a new teen mystery, THE CANDY RAVERS, which I’ve posted here on this blog in its entirety. Click here  to read THE CANDY RAVERS or use the tab at the top of the site.

Mary Tyler Moore will be among those honored at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Television Chairman’s Award dinner on April 20 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. 

The NAB advances the interests of more than 8,300 radio and television stations through legislative, regulatory and public affairs actions. 

At the 2009 event long-time entertainer Mary Tyler Moore will be honored with the NAB Distinguished Service Award which recognizes broadcasters who “have made significant and lasting contributions to the broadcasting industry”.  Past winners in this category have included President Reagan, Edward R. Murrow, Bob Hope, Walter Cronkite and Oprah Winfrey. 

NAB President and CEO David Rehr said of Moore “We are proud to honor her with our Distinguished Service Award for the tremendous impact she’s had on broadcasting and for her many years of public service.” 

The NAB Show will be April 18 through 23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Las Vegas Hilton.  Exhibits begin on April 20.  NAB Show information:  http://www.nabshow.com/2009/eventInfo/default.asp