Bob Baldwin Penn & Teller

Thursday, January 02, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

Go: Where to Go, What to Do and Why

By James P. Reza

During the unsettling nightlife void between Christmas and New Year's Eve, even the great party city of Las Vegas experiences perhaps its quietest nightlife of the year, fulfilling the hackneyed cliché of the calm before the storm. Daytime activity takes precedence, shopping centers packed with those seeking to snag that which Santa forgot, while many nightcrawlers, recovering from holiday parties, spend time out during the day, breathing in refreshingly brisk air and squinting at sunshine for a change. Even the Vegas pantheon of hip, the Hard Rock Hotel, and its sexy new eatery Simon was a dead zone last weekend. Of course, that didn't stop Double Down Saloon honcho Moss from snatching a seat at Simon's suave bar alongside local punk legend Louie the Letch.

For those haven't had quite enough time to recover from any New Year's celebrations you stumbled through, rest easy. Nightlife remains in recovery mode; several interesting headliners are booked for the coming weeks, but for now, enjoy the freedom of too much to do, and not enough time to do it. Wait...scratch that. Reverse it.

Jazzy, bluesy,

R&B

Whether you consider him a jazzy funkster or a funky jazz man, keyboardist Bob Baldwin is certainly more pop-oriented than he is oriented toward the obscurity-loving jazz hounds typically associated with the Blue Note Jazz Club. Still, Baldwin whose music has been compared to similarly pop-centric Dave Koz, has recorded nine albums of varying success, including 2002's Standing Tall. See Baldwin at the Blue Note through Saturday (through Jan. 4, 8 & 10:30 p.m.; 862-8307). Jazz fans seeking a sound a bit more traditional will thoroughly enjoy 2003's first performance of the Nevada Jazz Orchestra. Enjoy the Barry Ross 18-piece big band as they swing through a set spotlighting some of Southern Nevada's best soloists during one of the band's traditional post-brunch, Sunday afternoon gigs at the Winchester Center Theatre (Jan. 5, 2 p.m.; 455-7340).

On the bigger stages, it's barely the new year and already local resident and humble King of the Blues B.B. King is back again for a single show at the House of Blues (Jan. 3, 8 p.m.; 632-7600). King, recognized the world over as the the father of the blues, started his career in his teens as a Mississippi streetside gospel performer busking for pocket change. On a recent NPR radio interview, King said that he shifted to singing the blues when he realized that those who stopped to hear him sing gospel always left with words of praise, but those who stopped to hear him sing the blues always left money in his hat. Since then, King--who says he throughly enjoys performing--has produced dozens of albums of original music, including three releases in 2002.

A similarly humble singing star, Smokey Robinson, returns this week as well, performing Friday and Saturday at the Paris Le Theatre des Arts (Jan. 3-4, 9 p.m.; 946-4567). Just as B.B. King is considered the king of the blues, Robinson could be considered the king of popular American soul. Starting in the late 1950s, Robinson first found mega-success with the Miracles in the 1960s as one of Motown's early hitmakers. Not just a balladeer, Robinson penned numerous uptempo hits, such as "Going to A Go Go," that made him a favorite of the upstart mod movement in England (Robinson's "Tears of a Clown" was ultimately remade by mod revivalists the English Beat in the early 1980s, and he was recently tapped to host a British television special filmed in Las Vegas about 1960s soul). Robinson continues to slowly release new material, stoking the enthusiasm of his fans.

Culturati, come out to play

In conjunction with the latest installment of the downtown arts district's recurring First Friday--that district-wide open house/gallery opening/entertainment festival that goes down Friday, Jan. 3, 6-10 p.m.--local artist (and arts activist) Joseph Cartino presents "Insight & Interplay" at the The Funk House. If you have been following along the past several months, you know the Funk House is one of the epicenters of First Friday (as is the nearby Arts Factory), owned as it is by a First Friday cornerstone, Cindy Funkhouser. For more information, call 678-6278.

Is it at all possible, you wonder, if the hotel most recently responsible for Bikinis--a quasi-naughty nightclub where hardbodied staff of both genders dress as if it's always Saturday night at a Jamaican swingers' club--can also be responsible for an exhibition of the more artistic type? It is, as the launch of the three-month showing of "Rock X-Posed: The Kodak Rock Photography Collection" attests. Featuring more than 500 of the greatest rock photos, the show includes views of Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, David Bowie, Blondie, U2, Madonna, No Doubt and others. The exhibition is open daily from 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; call 777-7777.

Circus freaks

Starved for something to do and none of the above sparks an interest? There are two perennial stage shows that may hold you over until nightlife picks up again. Love him or hate him, prop comic Carrot Top is a regular at the MGM Grand, now returning with his box o' schtick tonight through Wednesday (Jan. 2-8, various times; 992-7970). If you get more than enough of your FDA recommended daily requirement of Carrot Top while watching long-distance commercials, we suggest taking in a show by refreshingly honest performers (and Las Vegas residents) Penn & Teller. Some fools call them magicians, some call them comedians, but we call them Libertarian Deconstructionists, circus performers for the 21st century who resolutely turn hucksterism on its head. And, if you ask us, that is the perfect way to start 2003. Call 992-7970.

James P. Reza is the editor of the Best Places-Las Vegas guidebook. E-mail nightlife, cultural event & dining tips to jpreza@lvcm.com. Deadline is the Saturday before publishing.