Erykah Badu

Thursday, January 16, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

Go: Where to Go, What to Do and Why

By James P. Reza

The little dive that could, the Double Down Saloon, has kept on keeping on, doing all that has made it famous over the past decade, even in the face of recognition from Playboy and Stuff magazines. Last week, for instance, writer/attorney Dayvid Figler celebrated his appointment to a Municipal Court judgeship by drinking with slumming suit-clad friends at the bar. Later, a local gal earned a crisp $100 bill from a random stranger by riding the mechanical pony. The week ended very early Sunday with a visit by comedian Dave Attell and a film crew shooting for Attell's up-all-night television show "Insomniac."

The evening was vintage Double Down, according to a self-proclaimed Attell groupie present for the visit. Punk band The Vermin--celebrating the opening of the "Tattoos and Trash 2" show at Gallery Au Go-Go--were still stomping through a set as Attell arrived, quickly ordered a round of Surfers On Acid, and enjoyed two frisky misses on the aforementioned mechanical pony. Attell also sucked a shot of Jagermeister from between the ample breasts of one of the Double Down's many Bettie Page punkstresses, all under watch of the Comedy Central cameras. You'll be visiting the Double Down soon now, huh?

We so horny

Fat, funky horn sections have informed everything from swing to salsa to ska. While computer chips overtook one end of the popular music spectrum in the '90s, brass dominated the other. And while the swing scene may have long ago died its pop death, horns remain vital to music, as the longevity of jazz-rock artists Chicago suggests. Launched in the pivotal year of 1969 with the Chicago Transit Authority release, Chicago is recognized as one of the bands that moved Top 40 beyond the prevalent psychedelia and hard rock and into a more mellow jazz rock style. Though it hasn't released an album of new material in years, Chicago remains popular among jazz, rock and pop fans of the baby boom generation. See them at the Stardust through Saturday (through Jan. 18, 8 p.m.; 992-7970).

A similar (but more focused) demographic will be at the Riviera's campy La Cage Theatre on Tuesday for two shows by Maynard Ferguson and his Big Bop Nouveau Band (Jan. 21, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.; 794-9433). One of the most accomplished trumpet players in jazz, Ferguson is an alumni of Stan Kenton and Jimmy Dorsey projects, while Las Vegan Don Menza was one of his notable sidemen. Recognized popularly for his atmospheric range and pop remakes of title tunes from Rocky and Star Wars, Ferguson's notability among jazz nuts was far greater. With Big Bop Noveau, Ferguson leads a talented troupe of 18 young players in excellent renditions of hard bop and swing.

Hungry for horns in a more traditional composition? Brass, strings and woodwinds combine to form the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, which performs at UNLV's Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall Friday (Jan. 17, 8 p.m.; 895-2787). Now in its ninth decade, the orchestra operates under the capable baton of Zoltan Kocsis.

Soul 2 Soul

Believe it or not, but the boy bands are not only back, they are big (at least this week). Forget NKOTB and N'Sync, girls: teeny-popping B2K is here. This singing, dancing, scream-inducing quartet offers a deceptively sophisticated performance over the hip-pop beats of its first single, "Uh Huh." If you want to know where your teenage daughter wants to be this weekend, look no further than the Cox Pavilion where B2K will perform Friday (Jan. 17, 7 p.m.; 895-3267).

If the kids will be wearing out their vocal cords Friday, the polished adult soul lovers will suavely sway at the House of Blues for the return of alt.soul songstress Erykah Badu on Saturday (Jan. 18, 8 p.m.; 632-7600). Badu has but two original albums to her credit--1997's debut Baduizm and 2000's Mama's Gun--but what albums they are, packed with soul and hip hop and groove that sounds fresh every time they're spun. Badu's music is honest to the core, and her concerts a stripped-raw baring of the soul itself (at her most recent Vegas appearance at the Hard Rock, Badu removed her trademark headgear to reveal a bald head, and then struggled to sing through sobs as she thanked her crew). The show--almost a guaranteed sellout--is certain to be a highlight of 2003.

On sellouts

Yeah, okay, we loved The Cult and The Police, but let's keep it real: As accomplished and hip as they are, sticking Ian Astbury at the mike and Stewart Copeland at the drum kit is like reuniting The Doors without Jim Morrison. Oh, you must be joking, right? Why, no, folks, it really is Ray Manzarek and Robby Kreiger, performing Sunday at Rain with Astbury and Copeland (Jan. 19, 8 p.m.; 942-7777) as The Doors. Certainly, Morrison and the Doors were a huge influence on Astbury and The Cult, but to call yourselves The Doors. Really. Maybe "Off The Hinges: Music of the Doors" or "Opening the Doors" but not The Doors. Maybe the crowd will get lucky and the band will bust out a rendition of "She Sells Sanctuary" followed by "Next to You." And then it's off to the Double Down for a topless pony ride. Yipee!

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 prior to publishing.