Las Vegas Weekly

April 17, 2009 · 12:31 PM

Strip Scribbles: A big weekend of celebs and shows in Sin City

By Robin Leach

From left, Neal Tiemann, Andy Skib, Joey Clement, David Cook and Kyle Peek.

Photo: Ana Dobrijevic

Star surveillance

David Cook, last season’s American Idol winner, took four of his band musicians to see Cirque du Soleil’s The Beatles Love at The Mirage last night. The group, in Las Vegas to perform at a private event for one of the sponsors of their current tour, snacked on popcorn and soda during the performance. … Professional poker player Phil Ivey and three pals made it a blowout feast in a private dining room in N9NE Steakhouse at the Palms, starting with rock shrimp and mushrooms, followed by lobster to the N9NE’s and a double bone-in rib eye with sides of corn, steak fries, mushrooms and lobster mashed potatoes. … Former Miss USA 2008 Pageant contestants Courtney Carroll (Miss Alaska), Brittany Mason (Miss Indiana) and Kim Tantlinger (Miss Vermont) enjoyed the Men of X at Hooters Casino Resort. Kim, who was celebrating her birthday, was taken up on stage for one of the sexy numbers. … Miss USA 1995 Shanna Moakler enjoyed a third consecutive evening at Planet Hollywood dining back-to-back nights at Strip House. Begs the question if she might be thinking of taking part in the changing guest roles in the neighboring Peepshow?

*Wind and weather permitting, the building wrap workers at The Mirage should complete today a giant celebratory 20th anniversary banner on the north and south sides of the resort. The actual anniversary isn’t until Nov. 22, but in Las Vegas, it’s never too early to start celebrating a milestone with yearlong activities. Everybody acknowledges that The Mirage was the first all-in true destination Sin City resort that spurred a multi-billion building boom along the Strip, even though it was long before such attractions as Love, Jet, Bare and the volcano. Back in 1989, it did feature the lushly planted atrium and well-stocked front desk aquariums.

We’re always celebrating at Vegas DeLuxe, and we’ve wrapped up a huge weekend of superstar attractions into a little banner we affectionately refer to around here as the ROYAL ROBIN RUNDOWN:

Friday, April 17

*Hometown heroes The Killers play the first night of the new Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel as part of their promotional tour for their third album Day & Age, which has already gone platinum. Fans should raise the roof of the just-completed construction with their latest hit “Human”!

*Songwriter-guitarist Robert Smith has stayed with The Cure since the British rock band was formed in 1976. Over the years, the lineup changed as the group grew darker and more tormented with its gothic rock. Call them punk, new wave, alternative or gothic rockers, The Cure performing at The Pearl in the Palms still to this day takes your blues away! … Over at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay, there’s a triple lineup in addition to the One Ton Project with guests Pig Named Jodi, Plan B and Age of Reason.

*TV comedy actors Ray Romano and Kevin James team up for two more late nights of stand-up fun at the Terry Fator Theatre in The Mirage.

*For the sounds of yesteryear, visit the “Chapel of Love” when the 1960s girl group Dixie Cups sing their old-time hits for two consecutive nights at the Cannery. … Foreigner proves they are right at home with their string of chart busters at the Texas Station. … Bill Medley joins with Paul Revere & the Raiders for three nights of shows at the South Point. … For more than 35 years, K.C. & the Sunshine Band have urged fans to “Shake Your Booty,” and they are still getting down tonight. The three-time Grammy winners have a three-night run at The Orleans, and ‘”That’s the Way I Like It.” … The family fun of The Scintas with brothers Joey and Frankie and sisters Chrissie and Irish, plus Pete O’Donnell, comes to the Suncoast for three nights of comedy, music and impersonations.

*Don’t forget the UNLVino 35th Annual wine tasting weekend with the “Auss-Some” wines south of the equator out at The District in Green Valley Ranch. You’ll find the best of the bunch and the greatest of the grapes from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Chile. … Also lend support to the 3rd Annual Jennifer Harman charity poker tournament at The Venetian poker room. A host of poker pros have promised to play, with a first prize of a $10,000 seat at the WSOP main event this summer.

Party patrol

Scott Weiland, frontman for Stone Temple Pilots, performs an intimate show as he hosts at LAX in the Luxor. … King of Krunk Lil’ Jon brings his hip-hop music skills to the turntables as guest DJ at Prive at a party for and hosted by former Miss USA Pageant contestants. … Esquire’s “Best Dressed Real Man Contest” gets underway at the Bank in the Bellagio. … Porn star Mary Carey, Celebrity Rehab participant and former California gubernatorial candidate, hosts at Jet in the Mirage.

*Sports have not been forgotten this wild weekend of jam-packed superstar events. Showtime presents Boxing at the Border at the Star of the Desert Arena at the Primm Valley casinos with Yuriorkis Gamboa vs. Jose Rojas as the main event.

Saturday, April 18

*Time for you to get Fergalicious as the Duchess herself, sexy songstress Fergie, launches her new shoe line with a party at Prive inside Planet Hollywood and is promising to give away 50 pairs to the luckiest ladies.

*Scary Spice Mel B and co-star Kelly Monaco, General Hospital actress and Dancing With the Stars Season 1 winner, walk the red carpet at the premiere of their adult burlesque cabaret Peepshow at Planet Hollywood. Chris Noth, Charlie Sheen and wife Brooke Mueller, Perez Hilton, Bob Mackie and The Bachelor’s Bob Guiney and his All My Children actress wife Rebecca Budig are set to attend.

*Miss Universe 2008 Dayana Mendoza hosts more than 30 former Miss USA and Miss Universe winners and contestants at “Fashion Rocks the Universe” at Hawaiian Tropic Zone in Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile.

*Actress-singer Mandy Moore opens the new Tao Beach season at The Venetian, and Dancing With the Stars pro Karina Smirnoff and Krysten Ritter of the new Gossip Girls spinoff will be there, too.

*Lauren Conrad, who starts the final season of The Hills on Monday night, is the MTV celebutante to host the official grand opening afternoon soiree at the Wet Republic at MGM Grand.

*Carey Hart hosts the grand opening of his new Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company boutique at the Hard Rock Hotel, and Avenged Sevenfold with special guests Atreyu and Rev Theory keep the new Joint jumping with the second of three weekend headliner concerts.

*UB40 are inked for a Mandalay Bay beach concert, while The Kottonmouth Kings bring their 420 Freedom Fest tour with Sen Dog and OPM to the House of Blues at the Mandalay Bay. Meantime, Ronnie Milsap makes the music at the Silverton Casino Lodge.

*The 35th Anniversary UNLVino wine event’s three-day highpoint is the Grand Tasting all afternoon at the Paris with more than 1,100 wines being served so you can “Sip for a Scholarship” and support the hospitality industry students here.

*Psychic John Edward looks into the “way beyond over there” to communicate with past loved ones in a special presentation at the Flamingo.

*If fighting is your preference over rockers and sexy starlets, then the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts collide in a knockout event hosted by Fernando Vargas at the Star of the Desert Arena at Primm Valley.

Sunday, April 19

*Magicians Penn & Teller serve as the grand marshals of the 19th Annual AIDS Walk stepping off from the World Market Center downtown with the Fantasy Girls from the Luxor and the casts of Le Reve, Jubilee!, Jersey Boys and Phantom -- the Las Vegas Spectacular all with their own teams. Penn & Teller match every dollar their team raises for the event. Singer-songwriter Jake Walden entertains before the 10 a.m. start.

*Snoop Dogg is the first-day star guest to open the renowned Rehab pool at the Hard Rock, while superstar Paul McCartney winds up the three days of rock and roll concerts after The Killers and Avenged Sevenfold during The Joint’s debut weekend. Grammy winner Paul decreed an “old-fashioned standing-room-only rock concert” for the 4,000 fans who snapped up the tickets in less than 10 seconds!

*One gorgeous girl will be crowned Miss USA 2009 among the 51 beauties on parade at the Theatre for the Performing Arts in Planet Hollywood. Access Hollywood anchor Billy Bush co-hosts with My Name Is Earl firebrand Nadine Velazquez.

*Master magician Lance Burton hosts and Louie Anderson and I judge the “Las Vegas Dancing With the Stars” cancer charity fundraiser at Rain in the Palms, with Mayor Oscar Goodman, boxer Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Chris Phillips of Zowie Bowie and Phantom star Brent Barrett among the dancers. Also entertaining will be Phantom actress Tina Walsh, Mrs. Nevada Tiffany Comstock and Tony and Dana Delgado of Delgado Dance Studio in Summerlin!

*The third and final round in the fifth day of show jumping at the Rolex World Cup determines the ultimate champion in the equestrian events at the Thomas & Mack Center. Down the I-15 to the Star of the Desert arena at Primm Valley. you’ll find the great Mexican stars of Lucha Libre wrestling featuring Super Parka and Super Crazy.

*Playboy Playmate Crystal McCahill (May 2009) is the special guest host at a Moon and Playboy Club celebration party at the Palms with Felix Da Housecat on the wheels of steel.

Monday’s teases

All weekend long with a team of writers, photographers and editors in place, we will be posting coverage of The Joint concerts and other star-studded events throughout the Strip. We will blog live from the Miss USA 2009 Pageant on Sunday afternoon, post our Donald Trump exclusive video interview and have the first interview with the new winner right after her coronation. We’ll be back Monday with all the remaining photo galleries and a look at the National Association of Broadcaster’s powerhouse convention as TV’s top leaders and stars head in for four days of business and pleasure. Later in the week, our exclusive one-on-one with motorcross stuntman Carey Hart in his new Hard Rock Hotel tattoo parlor.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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