Las Vegas Weekly

July 10, 2009 · 1:26 PM

Strip Scribbles: Resident DJ Paul Oakenfold renews Rain contract

By Robin Leach

Paul Oakenfold at Rain for Perfecto.

Photo: Richard Brian

Congratulations to British DJ Paul Oakenfold, one of the world’s best deejays, on renewing his contract at the Palms to be the resident wheels of steel star at Rain through 2010. His Perfecto Las Vegas shows have been drawing record crowds.

“Perfecto serves as the ultimate nightlife destination for partygoers seeking an extraordinary sensory experience that is unmatched anywhere in America and rivals any party around the globe,” Paul said.

Perfecto is every Saturday in the 25,000-square-foot nightclub, and Paul will star and perform at least 26 times next year. His new album Perfecto Vegas debuted Tuesday.

*Nelly, Lou Diamond Phillips, Marlon Wayans, Orel Hershiser and Jason Alexander walked the red carpet at Rain for the Team PokerStars.Net Pro celebration last night. Last year’s $9.15 million winner Peter Eastgate of Denmark also was there celebrating with Daniel Negreanu, Vanessa Rousso and Joe Hachem. Los Angeles Lakers star Jordan Farmar put on his bling to outshine the other sports stars!

Wondering who’s still in and who’s been aced out of the 2009 World Series of Poker tournament now beginning to get serious at The Rio? Brad Garrett, Ray Romano, Marlon, Shannon Elizabeth, Jennifer Tilly, Sully Erna, Orel Hershiser and Torrie Wilson were axed this week. Continuing on are Lou, Jason Alexander and Jordan.

Grammy Award-winning rapper Nelly, dressed in a white polo shirt and jeans, arrived with an entourage of 15. Shortly after midnight, he hit Rain’s stage for a 40-minute performance in front of a packed house. In addition to singing hits “Hot in Herrre,” “Dilemma” and “Country Grammar,” he also treated the crowd with two songs from his new album slated for a fall release.

Regular Vegas DeLuxe reader Richard Corey had a busy night. First it was Carmen Electra's red carpet at MGM Grand, and then over to Rain. Here are his poker red carpet videos:

We’ll continue to monitor the play at WSOP through the weekend as we get closer to a final table of 9 finalists who will then reconvene in November for the one big $10 million winner in the richest game in sports.

*When Stone Temple Pilots played The Rogue Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel, our contributing photographer Scott Harrison was there to watch lead singer Scott Weiland in action, and he certainly didn’t disappoint the fans who packed the venue.

Star surveillance

Montel Williams was spotted enjoying breakfast with a friend this morning at Mr. Lucky’s inside the Hard Rock Hotel. … Wrestler Torrie Wilson from NBC’s I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Outta Here did a photo shoot over at the Palms Place pool Thursday, while Lou Diamond Phillips, who won the highly rated NBC celebrity challenge show in the South American jungle, relaxed poolside, conveying I’m a Celebrity, I Wanna Stay Here.

Be you a celebrity, a VIP or a regular Las Vegas visitor, we know that feeing of wanting to stay here and never leaving. After all, we call this home, and it’s because of being the world’s entertainment capital, we have the best shows and the biggest stars every weekend. We package it up into a four-star extravaganza each week at Vegas DeLuxe we affectionately refer to around here as the ROYAL ROBIN RUNDOWN:

Friday, July 10

*One of Britain’s biggest ever groups Duran Duran is at The Pearl Theater in the Palms, and they are as hot today with “Red Carpet Massacre” as they were back in the 1980s with “Hungry Like the Wolf.” They’re still so good that other groups are fans!

*Kenny G is a superstar saxophone soloist, yet those sweet sounds go back to when he played in Barry White’s Love Unlimited Orchestra and Jeff Lorber’s Fusion. Kenny plays his “Songbird” for three nights through Sunday at The Orleans showroom.

*Four-time Grammy winner and rock pioneer Pat Benatar teams with her musical husband Neil Giraldo at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay. Hard to believe her “Heartbreaker” from her debut album Heat of the Night dates back to the 1970s!

*Hip-hop heroes The Roots won a Grammy with their mix of eclectic jazzy sounds, and now they break away as the house band of Jimmy Fallon’s late-night TV show to play poolside at the Hard Rock Hotel.

*Three rap and rhyme headliners will fill the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm with more than a blue haze when they fuse punk, reggae and hip-hop. It’s Snoop Dogg with his “Gin & Juice,” Slightly Stoopid, who can still “Eat Breakfast,” and Stephen Marley, who keeps his father’s legacy still rolling along with “Mind Control.”

*One of my favorite yesteryear crooners who still has the winning edge is Jack Jones, and he’s at the South Point for two nights, while Society of Seven adds Island sounds with dancing and comedy sketches alongside American Idol Season 3 finalist Jasmine Trias at the Suncoast through Sunday.

Party patrol

Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden stands in for DJ AM at Rain. … MMA fighter Thiago Alves hosts a pre-fight party at Prive in Planet Hollywood the night before he steps into the Octagon to take on Georges St. Pierre. … MMA fighters Chuck Liddell, Ryan Bader and Jens Pulver host their pre-fight party at Tao Beach starting this afternoon and running until ??? … Rapper Jadakiss performs at LAX in the Luxor, while Mya makes the magic at Pure in Caesars Palace. … One of the favorite films from the 2009 CineVegas Film Festival was Moon starring Kevin Spacey and Sam Rockwell. The film about Sam’s character’s three-year-stint in space and his interaction with a computer voiced by Kevin has picked up all sorts of awards this year. Today, it gets five special screenings at the Brenden Theatres in the Palms.

Saturday, July 11

*The night technically belongs to UFC 100, but there are other options! The New Kids on the Block reunion tour continues onward and pulls into The Pearl in the Palms. Brothers Jordan and Johnathan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood and Joe McIntyre sing and dance as well as ever and are still “Hangin’ Tough.”

*Blues Traveler has fused blues, Southern rock and folk to arrive at their distinct and unique sound. “Run Around” to the Silverton Casino Lodge where singer and harmonica virtuoso John Popper is still leading the guys through those long live numbers that incredibly run from one into another.

*Making up this year’s 2009 Regeneration Tour are Wang Chung, Cutting Crew, Missing Persons and ABC all playing their hits from the 1980s at The M Resort.

*It’s the ultimate Disco Ball starring The Village People, Gloria Gaynor, Tavares and The Trammps at The Orleans Arena.

*Tickets go on sale at noon today at the Hard Rock Hotel box office for the

Australian Pink Floyd Show, which returns there Sept. 20.

*Incubus took its name from a male demon, and Brandon Boyd’s band has been happy raising hell and havoc since 1991 and selling 18 million albums in the process. The Monuments & Melodies Tour brings the boys to The Rogue Joint with special guest The Duke Spirit.

*The Essence of Music festival makes a stop at the House of Blues for recording artist Joe and special guest Chico DeBarge.

Party patrol

Win or lose, Las Vegas resident Frank Mir will host a party right after his UFC 100 rematch against Brock Lesnar at ROK Vegas in New York-New York. … UFC ring girl Arianny Celeste joins with Sinister Brand clothing to host the UFC 100 viewing event and after-party at Hawaiian Tropic Zone in Planet Hollywood.

Sunday, July 12

*Grammy Award winner Larry Hart wrote a 90-minute musical concert best described as a non-typical gospel experience titled Praise. Darcus Speed headlines with six sensational female singers dressed in designer costumes at the South Point showroom, and all 10 major religions are celebrated with the rural roots of gospel music.

*Comedienne Shayma Tash hosts fellow comics Poppy Champlin and Comedy Central’s Chris Porter at the Tickled Pink showcase in the Harmon Theater near Planet Hollywood.

Monday’s teases

We’ll have a full photo wrap-up of all the stars who came out to play, plus the after-fight parties of the UFC warriors. Later in the week, the charity effort backed by the stars to put an end to high-priced ticket scalping.

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.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter HERE.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter HERE.

Share This