VEGASinsight Archives

Art by Timothy Anderson, debuting at The Fallout this Friday.

If you didn’t get enough art at last week’s First Friday event downtown – and maybe you did, but you just don’t remember through your wine-induced haze – then you may want to swing by The Fallout (1551 S. Commerce St.) this Friday, April 11. New works in graphite and ink on paper by Timothy Anderson are being unveiled at the opening reception for this exhibit from 6 to 9 p.m. Anderson’s surreal drawings will be on display at The Fallout through May 16.

Of course, maybe looking at art isn’t your style. Maybe you need some pointy-haired, emo-tastic rock ‘n’ roll. If that’s the case, then $10 gets you Verbatym, Love It Or Leave It, Away We Go!, Hitting On Hannah and This Romantic Tragedy at Jillian’s Las Vegas (450 Fremont St.) that night at 6 p.m. as well.

If there seems to be a mysterious increase in the number of hot rods, beehives and pomade use next weekend in Las Vegas, that must mean it’s time for yet another edition of Viva Las Vegas, the big rockabilly weekender that essentially takes over the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino from April 10 to 13. It’s year 11 for this annual fete, which features a car show, burlesque competition, art show and dozens of rockabilly, R&B and roots rock bands from across the globe performing live at the property’s showrooms and lounges.

As with any convention, sometimes the peripheral events are just as – if not more – interesting as the main show. Such is the case with the second Cocktails & Cheesecake Party being thrown by Java’s Bachelor Pad at the newly-whitewashed Art Bar (1511 S. Main St.). Happening on Friday, April 11 at 7 p.m., the Cocktails & Cheesecake Party will feature burlesque performers including Kalani Kokonuts, Ava Garter, Betsey Bosen, Bunny Bravo and Ravenna Black, music spun by DJ GooGoo Muck, and all sorts of other swinging action.

Cover for the event is only $5 and hosts include Gigi Valiant, Kay O’Hara and Java himself. If you miss this, you are one cat with low hep quotient. Check out the 2006 event photos and more by clicking here.

(Courtesy SteveAoki.com)

You have to respect DJ Steve “Kid Millionaire” Aoki: Not only is he a bomb-dropping wizard behind the wheels of steel, but he’s also the head of an independent record label, Dim Mak, which has some of today’s hottest indie bands on its roster: Bloc Party, The Icarus Line, The Kills among them. OK, so Dim Mak has also expanded into apparel, but it’s some funky, colorful hipster wear, with the Artist Series designs redefining the concept of “band T-shirt.”

So the thought of this Los Angeles-based beat-rocker doing a DJ set at Pure nightclub inside Caesars Palace is slightly unsettling. I mean, I’ve seen Aoki in a Vegas club setting before, but at Pure it seems his expert mixing of well-selected tunes will be wasted on a crowd drunken on $15 cocktails, more interested in who’s in the VIP booth than who’s in the DJ booth.

But if you’re willing to brave the meatheads and Barbie dolls at Pure on Tuesday, April 1, it will almost be worth it to hear what Aoki throws down. Just be sure to ask for a receipt when that doorman tries to charge you an extra Grant to get in the club. It might help both of you out in the long run.

Sorry, Eyes Like Diamonds — This Romantic Tragedy (left) wins the”Prettiest Hair” challenge, by a landslide.

In the event that the lure of heavy-rocking bands — such as Pennywise, Chiodos, Escape the Fate, Nonpoint, Streetlight Manifesto, Alesana or In This Moment — BMX riding or pro wrestling is not enough to get you out to Desert Breeze Park for this year’s Extreme Thing Sports and Music Festival this Saturday, March 29, then maybe supporting local bands will.

Seven local groups — whose average age appears to be 17 — were selected to play the XPOZ stage after what was surely intense MySpace campaigning for fans to vote online, following more than a month of preliminary competitions at Jillian’s in downtown Las Vegas. The final XPOZ stage lineup includes This Romantic Tragedy, Val-halla, Think, The Seventh Plague, The Countdown, Ministry of Love and Eyes Like Diamonds.

“This will be the most epic performance from us yet,” promises This Romantic Tragedy on its MySpace blog. We’re going to hold these kids to that “epic” thing. There had better be dragons and perilous journeys involved.

You’d think after having a Top 100 single, Soulja Boy wouldn’t have to make his own clothes anymore.

Soulja Boy Tell’Em, the 17-year-old Southern Rap wunderkind behind the hit single “Crank That (Soulja Boy), won’t be coming to Las Vegas anytime soon. His “21 and Under Tour,” which was also set to feature Lil Mama, V.I.C. and Tiffany Evans, has been canceled — and that included a May 4 date at the House of Blues. No one seems to have an explanation for the cancellation — sorry, postponement:

“It’s been postponed. That’s all I know,” says an Interscope Records representative.

Maybe it’s because, despite having a U.S. Hot 100 topper with “Crank That,” the MySpace-spawned Soulja Boy’s actual fan base is as nonexistent as his future in music. Of course, we could be wrong. But we rarely are. Either way, if you actually bought tickets to this show or know someone who has, a House of Blues representative says that refunds will be available at point of purchase.

It is never OK for a rock band member to wear a pastel-striped polo shirt. NEVER.

Say what you will about North Carolina-spawned pop-rock band Daughtry’s music – OK, we’ll say it for you: bland, uninspired, maudlin – you can’t deny that the ONE Campaign is a worthy cause, combating global crises such as AIDS and poverty. So we’ll give Daughtry a little bit of credit for its upcoming acoustic performance at The Beatles Revolution Lounge inside the Mirage on Sunday, April 13, because all ticket proceeds will benefit the ONE Campaign.

Tickets are being auctioned on eBay now through Monday, March 31, at www.ebay.com/daughtry. If there are actually fans of the band out there reading this (heaven help you), you might be interested to know that parts of the performance will be made available at www.rhapsody.com/daughtry should you not nab one of the 200 tickets, do not live in Las Vegas or are not 21 years or older.

Lead singer and ego-tripping band namesake Chris Daughtry had something deep and insightful to say about the benefit. Oh – no he didn’t. Just something his record company told him to say: “We are really excited about this acoustic show at the Revolution Lounge. It is a chance to share a special evening with our fans and raise money for a great cause, ONE.org.”

Two hot chicks. One awesome band.

We can’t keep up with these hip kids. They come up with new party ideas every week, it seems, and they’re all designed to maximize the obfuscation as to their true purposes. Well, Los Angeles’ largest weekly indie and electro party, The Heist, is smashing headfirst into Las Vegas’ own Say What?! this Saturday, March 29 at the Beauty Bar (517 Fremont St.) at 10 p.m.

Austin, Tex.’s The Black Angels will headline the band lineup on the outdoor stage, which also includes Los Angeles’ The Start, Atlanta’s City Sleeps and our own Hello Astro. DJ VaJayJay will fill in the space between bands outside, while inside the bar, DJs Hyphy Crunk and Score from The Heist will join Say What?! residents Grimehaus, ABOM and Noel.

Expect other madness such as performance art, live painting, body painting, a screening of the movie Blade, and some sort of Buffalo Exchange-sponsored Stunna Shade contest. Cover is free for the bar, $5 if you want the bands in the back (and why wouldn’t you?) and well drinks are only $3 from 10 p.m. to midnight. Sounds like a Saturday night plan to us.

Loving you was like loving the dead.

The dates for the 2008 Jagermeister Music Tour were announced recently, most notable for you Vegas metal-heads is May 31, when Hatebreed, Type O Negative and 3 Inches of Blood hit the House of Blues inside the Mandalay Bay at … 5 p.m.? That’s kinda early for a rock show. Maybe they need extra time to clean up the three inches of blood left by the opening band. Get it? Ha ha ha … OK, wasn’t funny.

We were actually quite surprised to hear that Type O Negative was on the tour, because, um, we thought they broke up years ago. Good to see Peter Steele and company are still making the world safe for goth-metal and awesome facial hair. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, March 29 at 10 a.m., or online at HOB.com Tuesday, March 25 at 10 a.m.

Feelin’ Irie: The Wailers are coming to Green Valley Ranch.

Let’s face it, kids — you’re not going to see Bob Marley anytime soon. I mean, he’s been gone from this realm for nearly three decades now. But as close as you’re going to get to the man’s music — not counting, say, his kids Ziggy or Damian — is by seeing The Wailers, the band best known for backing up the legendary reggae singer.

Well, after selling 250 million records and playing to an estimated 24 million people worldwide, The Wailers have proven their own legacy did not die when cancer claimed the elder Marley’s life. And you can check them out with new singer Elan on Friday, March 21 or Saturday, March 22 at Green Valley Ranch Resort’s Ovation Lounge.

Elan was first discovered in Los Angeles by Wailers guitarist Al Anderson, and first performed with the band in 1997. After a brief leave of absence, Elan rejoined the band. Apparently the ganja was that good.

In between constant touring, The Wailers are working on their first studio album in 15 years, featuring, of course, guest performances from across the musical universe. Get a glimpse of what’s to come at Green Valley Ranch next month. Click here to get tickets, times and leads on other Ovation shows, such as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Taylor Dayne. Taylor Dayne? Yikes.

It’s almost March, and that means another month of live music at downtown Las Vegas’ Jillian’s (450 Fremont St.) is about to start. The cream of the crop of March’s bands has to be New York Dolls on Saturday, March 8 at 8 p.m. This 21-over show features the reunited pioneers of New York punk reminding you why, even after 30 years, the Dolls are still unparalleled in rock ‘n’ roll history. We Are the Fury and The Skooners open the show.

Also on tap at Jillian’s in March (all shows are all-ages unless otherwise noted):

The AP Tour, presented by Rockstar, featuring All Time Low, The Rocket Summer, Sonny and Forever the Sickest Kids on Thursday, March 20 at 6 p.m. Every paid ticket receives a free one-year subscription to AP.

Hey Mister, Water Street, Summit Grove, Are The Arsenal, Away We Go! and Anarbor on Saturday, March 1 at 10 p.m.

XPOZ’s Battle Of The Fans with Entro Sickened, As Faith Brings Blood, This Romantic Tragedy, Think and Take Me To Montauk on Wednesday, March 5 at 6 p.m.

Vannacutt, Solid Substance, Avalon Dies and Dantes Inferno on Friday, March 7 at 6 p.m.

XPOZ’s Battle Of The Fans continues with Burning Season, South For The Summer, Hitting On Hannah, Within A moment, Hallow, Emu Lovefest and As He Defeats on Wednesday, March 12 at 6 p.m.

Twiztid, Boondox, Project Born, DJ Clay and Age Ov Reason rock on Friday, March 14 at 6 p.m.

Get happy feet with Guilty By Association, Happy Campers, GFI, Battle Born and Infernal Racket on Saturday, March 15 at 6 p.m.

And on Wednesday, March 19, it’s another installment of XPOZ’s Battle Of The Fans at 6 p.m., featuring Amarionette, Love It or Leave It, Away We Go!, Fist of Troy, Second Chariot, Valhalla and Sixteen Hours Remain.

Call 702-898-5500 or visit Ticketmaster to purchase tickets.