Go: Where to Go, What to Do & Why

by James P. Reza

"Oi, mate. That rain las' noight 'ad me fishtailing all down the Strip." The buffed-up skinhead scooter mod was sporting a Fred Perry polo, pressed jeans and a pair of well-worn but nicely polished Doc Martens. He was standing next to his chosen mode of transport (rain or not), one of what eventually amounted to about 350 two-wheeled two-strokers--scooters, mostly vintage Italian, mostly Vespa, nearly as many Lambretta--sandwiched into a small parking lot at the back of the Westward Ho last Saturday afternoon.

His friend, equally accented, was sporting an "England: Love it or Leave It" T-shirt; surely these mates were more than accustomed to wet roadways. They, along with other attendees of the Las Vegas High Rollers Weekend, were gathered under a few hours of tenuous, patchy sunshine for a show and shine before heading off for a ride to Hoover Dam, a stop at Boulder City's Backstop Bar and, later, a ska dance party at the Sahara. Thankfully, your Go tour guide, contrary to previously voiced concerns, was indeed not the oldest guy at the scooter rally. In fact, the gathering of the scooter/mod tribe was one of the most age-diverse events enjoyed in years.

Las Vegas is not a rain city and, being a native, I'm not a rain person (you know rain people--those folks who exist in Southern Nevada but whine incessantly about how they "miss the rain" back home and cheer uncomfortably whenever the smallest dark cloud appears). That said, the rain didn't stop the scooter riders from rallying as planned, the persistently gray skies perhaps adding that final touch of Brit mystique to the Strip as hundreds of scooter enthusiasts made Vegas a little more like Europe than the Paris, Monte Carlo or Bellagio ever did. Mod is dead; long live the mods!

Still rock 'n' roll

Like mod, punk's not dead either, despite the continuing reign of pop and hip hop. Just ask Jeff Penalty, the second vocalist to head the Dead Kennedys since legendary leadman Jello Biafra departed in 2001. The band, perhaps punk's most important, is joined by Last Rites and the Loud Pipes at the House of Blues on Friday (Feb. 25; 632-7600), but without Jello, what's the point? Meanwhile, the uncharacterizable, adored-by-alt.critics, on-the-cusp indie sounds of Soda & His Million Piece Band return Friday to the Double Down Saloon for a 2 a.m. (early Saturday) show (Feb. 25; 791-5775). Stay up late and it will be worth your effort--trust us.

Moving more toward the mainstream, alt.rockers 3 Doors Down join Saliva at Rain on Thursday (Feb. 24; 942-7777), while hometown old men Slaughter come to the Silverton on Saturday (Feb. 26; 263-7777). The same night, skilled blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd rocks the House of Blues (Feb. 26.; 632-7600)

Thump thump thump

Ho, hum. We're getting bored with the club scene here at Go. New burlesque? Yawn. Mash-ups? We're getting sleepy. Bottle service? Oh, please. And all that just as Vegas clubs are starting to cater to locals again, instead of treating us like second-class citizens in our own home. Oh, well; like all struggling relationships, maybe it's just too little, too late. You're going to have to try a little harder than simply giving me a line pass so I can stand around with my pricey bourbon, guys. Like, perhaps, bringing in international house and downtempo talent like DJ Miguel Migs? That might do it for Tabú, the MGM lounge that's celebrating its second anniversary (amazingly enough, without a major remodel) on Tuesday (March 1; 891-7619). Opening for Migs is local DJ Frankie.

It's culture, dawg

Yeah, we know. This week's roster reads just a tad, uh, uninspiring. Leave it to the Las Vegas Valley's original cultural beacon, the UNLV campus, to come through with a slate of events suited for enthusiastic consumption. First, the Nevada Ballet Theatre stages West Side Story old-school style with Romeo and Juliet at the Judy Bayley Theatre (Feb. 25-27; 895-2787). Raising the curtain the same evening is Nevada Conservatory Theatre's presentation of Shakespeare's enduring comedy, Love's Labor's Lost at the campus Black Box Theatre (Feb. 25-Mar. 6; 895-2787). On Saturday, the Las Vegas Philharmonic stages the ambitious Music of the Spheres at the Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall (Feb. 26; 897-2787), featuring guest cellist Daniel Gaisford, and a closing performance of Gustav Holst's The Planets.

Also this week on campus, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels men's basketball team--fresh off a four-game winning streak on the road--returns to the Thomas & Mack with two critical conference games, Saturday against the Air Force and Monday against rivals New Mexico (Feb. 26 and 28; 739-3267). The team looks to be peaking at just the right time, and as its record until now has been dismal, excellent center court seats were still available at press time. And finally, "Loving Las Vegas," a panel discussion featuring three of the nation's foremost redevelopment experts, will be at the Artemus W. Ham Hall on Thursday (Feb. 24; 895-3031), part of the community's Las Vegas Centennial programs.

And, as if all that's not enough, downtown's vaunted public performing arts high school, the Las Vegas Academy, presents Beauty and the Beast through March 5 (799-7800). With construction on the Academy's new theater building progressing as quickly as Mother Nature permits, this season may be the last to enjoy performances in the school's historic original theater. You know, it really is too bad that we have no culture in Vegas.

Native Las Vegan James P. Reza has spent too many years defending the honor of Las Vegas. E-mail the author at jpreza@cox.net.