Las Vegas Weekly

December 10, 2008 · 12:04 PM

Strip Scribbles: Newly single Benji Madden is making the Strip nightclub rounds

By Robin Leach

Joel and Benji Madden.

Photo: Denise Truscello

Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden certainly hasn’t gone into hiding after the much-publicized breakup with yearlong gal pal Paris Hilton. In fact, he’s been very visible here hitting all of our hot spots -- and spywitnesses say he’s “all smiles once again.” Camped out in a Fantasy Tower suite at George Maloof’s Palms, Benji turned up at Prive in Planet Hollywood as a guest DJ along with brother Joel Madden and best pal Carey Hart of Wasted Space, where he is an investor-partner. In between twisting the wheels of steel, Benji stuck to sugar-free Red Bulls, grabbed the mic to shout out birthday wishes to his friend 90210 star Ryan Eggold, who was celebrating his birthday at Prive. Black Eyed Peas members will.i.am and Taboo showed up at 3 a.m. to join the party. Benji also hung out at Wasted Space at the Hard Rock Hotel during his visit.

*Two interesting fun facts in connection with our coverage yesterday -- click HERE for that video spectacular! -- of the new $25 million Mirage volcano. It was exactly 19 years ago that Steve Wynn presented his first Mirage boxing promotion when he ran the casino back then: the December 1989 fight between Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard in a palm-tree-hidden arena, which went on to become the Danny Gans theater and is now the new Terry Fator theater. Monday’s VIP launch of the volcano eruption was only the second time in the hotel’s history that a floating stage had been set up in the lagoon’s waters. Box office hero Will Smith, back in his record career days in the 1990s as a rap master, filmed his hit video “Getting Jiggy With It” on a stage set up in the lagoon with the “old” volcano as a backdrop. You can see it HERE. Watch carefully and you also can catch other Vegas landmarks -- the Luxor pyramid and New York-New York’s Statue of Liberty!

*Congratulations to princely poker pro Antonio Esfandiari on his 30th birthday, which he celebrated at Blush in the Wynn. He was presented with a key to a personal liquor locker filled with tequila and vodka for whenever he returns! He also was surrounded by the sexy servers for a cake presentation!

*I couldn’t begin to tell you who is who, but let me assure you that our photos of Wu Tang Clan performing at the House of Blues do include Raekwon, Masta Killa, Ghostface, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, U-God, GZA and RZA. Yes, those are their names! Our contributing photographer Scott Harrison got up close for the powerful performance photos.

*More than 225,000 cranberries donated by Ocean Spray were poured into the Atrium Pond at the Palazzo to complete its holiday decor. Large white Aspen trees have been placed throughout the Palazzo’s interior gardens and are festooned with snow, candy and peppermint ornaments. The waterfall wall has been transformed into a holiday theme with white pine, red and silver ornaments and pinecones. Another set of 3-feet-tall pinecones decorated with white poinsettias, white azaleas, amaryllis and sugar cones, are throughout the lobby, check-in desks and the shopping walkways. The decorations will remain up through New Year’s Day.

*The only Las Vegas-themed Viva McDonald’s anywhere in the world is all set to open tomorrow after last night’s successful VIP opening. Head honchos from McDonald’s are here for Mayor Oscar Goodman’s red ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. tomorrow featuring the entire cast of McDonald’s characters including Birdie, Grimace and the Hamburglar coming out of a five-year retirement -- and Ronald McDonald himself! Click HERE for our sneak preview coverage from last week!

Our Harrah’s comedy magician headliner Mac King will go behind the counter for an hour to sell Big Macs with all the proceeds going to the local Ronald McDonald House charity. I was fascinated by McTV, a new program channel that’s featured on a giant circle of screens suspended from the new two-story building directly on the Strip opposite the Riviera. Three-minute shorts for all the family from Discovery are fed each night to run as 24-hours-a-day programming. It’s hacker proof and controlled by the same company that handles all the FAA’s computers! McDonald’s executives proudly showed me all the hardware, which is the first in the world and said eventually it could be used for special one-night, closed-circuit concerts by superstars sponsored by the company. More Viva McDonalds will eventually be rolled out in tandem with the McCaffe line of drinks that would make a coffee barista proud.

Tonight’s tip

Here’s a perfect holiday shopping tip: Stop by the Tod’s style store in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace this evening when our CineVegas queen Robin Greenspun hosts a cocktail shopping benefit to raise funds for our Nevada Cancer Institute. You pick up your holiday gifts and help a great cause at the same time. … Anthony Hamilton is in concert at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay. … The $10,000 “girl-on-girl kissing contest” concludes at Rok Vegas in New York-New York with two lip-locked lasses winding up the winner of the Merry Kissmas challenge.

Tomorrow’s tease

We’ll meet the miracle man who keeps all the Hollywood stars hopping with their off-screen gigs at the Vegas nightclubs and learn the $ecret $um$ they earn for those midnight appearances, plus a kitchen conversation with culinary king Alain Ducasse on one of his whirlwind Vegas visits. Our camera colleagues are all over the Strip for the ultimate star parties wrap-up!

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