Go: Where to Go, What to Do & Why

By James P. Reza

Summer's here and the time is right for, well, sunbaking. And that's exactly what your Go tour guide is doing this week. I don't mean to brag, but it's about 75 degrees in the midafternoon sun and there's a nice breeze blowing off the water. By the time you see me again, I'll be tanned, rested and ready--for something. It may not be all that healthy for my skin, but it's damned healthy for my mind. Shall I order another gin Slurpee, or just lie here and stare at the blue sky? At this moment, neither, because thanks to the intrusion of modern technology, I'm never far from a Wi-Fi hotspot. So, without further self congratulatory delay...

Stage left, right and in between

The last time we saw Bill Maher live, he was still host of "Politically Incorrect" just before it jumped the shark. The Desert Inn was hosting a live taping of the show, and Maher and crew set up on the same expanse of hardwood that saw Frank Sinatra's last Vegas performance. It was surreal, if nothing else. In the time since, Maher became of victim of his own mouth and fled network television for the cozy, protective confines of cable. Today, Maher is back on the stand-up circuit, falling somewhere between Lewis Black and Dennis Miller in terms of his comedic style; he's a social and political commentator who swings from liberal to conservative depending on the issue. See Maher in one of the increasing comedy bookings at the House of Blues on Saturday (June 26; 632-7600).

If you prefer your stage antics a little less challenging, you can enjoy the final week of this year's first Super Summer Theatre production, Annie Get Your Gun. For the uninitiated, SST produces family-friendly musical hits at the beautiful outdoor environment at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park (essentially in Red Rock Canyon). While the plays are not earthshaking, they are decently done and much of the fun is found in the experience. They run Wednesday through Saturday evenings at dusk, and weekends often sell out in advance; call 594-7529 for info, and remember to pack a picnic and a sweater, even in July.

Also in town this week, the Broadway smash Cats comes to Vegas at the Aladdin Theater for the Performing Arts (June 23-27; 785-5555). Not exactly De La Guarda, but very popular nonetheless.

Bump and grind

No matter how much money they spend, casinos have a history of mucking up concepts that may have worked great...in L.A...10 years ago. We can only hope that does not happen with Tangerine (894-7111), the new lounge/burlesque joint inside Treasure Island. Though the club is scheduled to open Independence Day weekend with Carmen Elektra (of L.A.'s Pussycat Dolls, a burlesque troupe that resurrected the slinky tease at the Viper Room...11 years ago), you can be almost certain that it will soft open sometime the week before, if not sooner. Treasure Island is doing everything it can to shift its image from pirates to booty, and Tangerine can either be a butt-shaking boom, or just another velvet-roped pretension center. Considering that during the day, Tangerine will slush daiquiris to sweaty fannypackers, we are a little concerned, but we'll reserve judgment until we've visited a few times.

One place we have visited a few times, and sadly, we're not (yet) impressed, is Body English, the Hard Rock's bordello-meets-'60s-rocker-pad subterranean nightclub replacing Baby's. The interior, replete with velvet and chandeliers, is slinky and nicely opened up from Baby's somewhat claustrophobic, spy-like quarters.

But the fun stopped there on three different occasions. The music "mix" (a patron was overheard grumbling it sounded like someone kept slapping the "random" button halfway through each song) was predictable hip hop, broken up by what seems like the exact same '80s rock mix you hear at every other club. (Please, someone, take "Sweet Home Alabama" behind the woodshed and put a bullet in it).

The dance floor feels coated with non-slip to the point of being dangerous. It might be intended to keep people from falling, but dancing means moving and twisting, and it won't be long before someone pulls a Brit-knee. Yes, the club is new and still finding its way, but the threat looms that history will see it as the last gasp of a once vibrant scene. Can Body English pull it off? That's hard to say, as the club was designed with VIPs in mind.

Vegas clubs all exist thanks to the success of the long-gone Club Utopia, which brought the sound and style of raves to a nightclub setting. Unlike the rave scene, which was mostly about the groove, today's nightclubbing scene is all about the venue: who designed it, how much money they spent, the technology employed, how many VIP booths there are. Thanks to this hollow approach, the music has degenerated into a pastiche of nostalgic background to the selling of bottles, and clubs cater increasingly to those who buy them.

The bottom line, however, is this: If a venue cannot provide a sexy and pleasant environment for the majority, it loses the most vital part of its atmosphere--the people. You may think the reverse, but the sexy young'uns who can barely afford the cover are the ones the VIPs go to see. Vegas is ripe for a nightlife revolution, one sporting a little less pretense and a lot more fun.

Rock on

Whew. Now that's over, let's move on to something else. Like live music. Huh? What's that? We've run out of space? Alrighty then. Sunday's No Doubt show at the Palms (June 27; 942-7777) is sold out, so ring your favorite ticket scalper...Alt.poppers Counting Crows continue the Mandalay Bay Beach concert series on Friday (June 25; 632-7777). May we suggest a visit to the resort's intimate outdoor club Moorea afterwards?...And fusion jazz captain Jean Luc-Ponty rides the wave of '70s nostalgia on his electrified violin at the Suncoast, Saturday though Monday (June 25-27; 636-7111). Stay cool, drink lots of water, and stop waiting in lines.

Native Las Vegan James P. Reza sometimes sounds like that one old guy in the club. E-mail him at jpreza@cox.net.