Las Vegas Weekly

February 18, 2010 · 1:51 PM

Strip Scribbles: The Joint is named Best New Major Concert Venue

By Robin Leach

The Killers' lead singer Brandon Flowers.

Photo: Torey Mundowsky

Pollstar Magazine named The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel as the Best New Major Concert Venue at the Pollstar Awards in the Nokia Theater L.A. Live in L.A. last night. The $60 million Joint opened in April and featured The Killers and Paul McCartney its opening weekend.

“We are so pleased to see that all of the thought and effort we put into the design of the venue has come to fruition,” Hard Rock Hotel Vice President of Entertainment Paul Davis said in a press release. “We are grateful to have such amazing partners in AEG who have worked so hard to bring so many great shows into the new Joint.”

In another development as the Hard Rock finishes its $750 million expansion before its grand opening, the Hard Rock has reached a deal with headphone company Skullcandy. The deal grants Skullcandy official naming rights to three Hard Rock stages: The Joint, Wasted Space and Friday Night Live at the pool, as well as the DJ booth at Rehab.

Photo: Tom Donoghue /www.donoghuephotography.com

President Barack Obama.

*Our esteemed Senior Editor John Katsilometes and your humble Vegas DeLuxe columnist will split duties tomorrow for two major stories to be posted here. I’m getting a backstage tour with our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue at Cirque du Soleil’s Viva Elvis theater in MGM CityCenter’s Aria just six hours before curtain up on the world premiere. Meanwhile at the same time -- and even I can’t be in two places at once! -- President Obama will be making a speech to our city’s business leaders and hopefully making amends with his two recent slams against Las Vegas. Johnny Kats will be there to listen and check in with our Merry Mayor of Mirth Oscar Goodman and MGM chief Jim Murren. We’ll include the backstage photos in our Viva Elvis coverage that we’ll post this weekend after the premiere and after-party at Haze.

Photo: Courtesy

The Obama Slammer at First Food & Bar in the Palazzo.

*To coincide with Obama’s quick visit, First Food & Bar is hosting Sammy D’s First College Fund Happy Hour tomorrow from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Palazzo hotspot. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to a local culinary charity. Happy Hour will include specials on drinks including the Obama Slammer, a drink chef Sam DeMarco created tongue-in-cheek in response to the president’s comments about Las Vegas.

*If you want to have dinner with hotel tycoon Elaine Wynn, you’d better be prepared to start the bidding at $500, but I’m betting it will be more than $5,000 when it ends Feb. 27. The dinner is a new auction item on the Western States Public Radio Online Auction. Bidders have the opportunity to win a private dinner with Elaine and Flo Rogers in the private dining room of Sinatra at Encore on April 24. Bidding begins tomorrow.

*Melinda Fator, separated from Mirage headliner husband Terry Fator, flew here for a makeover with Michael Boychuck and his team at Amp Salon in the Palms. Melinda spent the day with Michael’s stylists and received head-to-toe beauty treatments: hair color, cut, manicure, pedicure, eyebrow waxing, Brazilian keratin hair straightening and hairstyling. Melinda noted that she was spending the day getting some-much needed TLC to “soothe the nasty effects of an ugly divorce.” She also was heard saying that until now, she’s been living in Dallas but will be spending more time here to work on entertainment projects.

Photo: Richard Faverty

Jeff McBride.

*Las Vegas magician Jeff McBride has returned from a series of European performances, including the Doges Masked Ball in Venice, Italy. Tonight, Jeff presents his monthly Wonderground at The Olive on East Sunset.

*Today at 6 p.m., the Stratosphere will dim its lights to pay tribute to racing legend and seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt. The Stratosphere will lower its lights for three minutes in honor of Dale’s legendary car No. 3. The tribute will occur simultaneously with a candlelight tribute at Dale Earnhardt Inc. in Mooresville, N.C.

*Studio 54 at MGM is pulling out all of the stops for a new DJ Skribble production on Saturdays that will include aerialists, sword swallowers, girls that lays on a bed of nails and a man with many piercings (a human pin cushion).

*The upcoming Disney films Toy Story 3 and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time will be screened for the first time here during ShoWest 2010 from March 15-18. Toy Story 3, featuring Buzz Lightyear, Woody and other favorites, hits theaters on June 18. Directed by Mike Newell, Prince of Persia stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina and will be in theaters on May 28. ShoWest is the largest annual convention for the motion picture industry, and the convention at Bally’s and Paris is expected to draw more than 5,000 conventioneers.

*More than 50 bronze sculptures, including 10 heroic-size works, by artist Richard MacDonald go on display today in his new 3,600-square-foot gallery opening in MGM CityCenter’s Crystals. Cirque du Soleil is presenting the grand opening because all the sculptures capture the athleticism and human spirit of its performers.

Photo: Courtesy

Frank Cullotta.

*Former Las Vegas mobster and hitman Frank Cullotta presents a one-time charity event tonight to benefit our beloved Opportunity Village when he relates his book Mob Chronicles at the Stratosphere. Frank spent eight years in prison and 20 years in the Witness Protection Program after he turned government witness about the Las Vegas underworld in the 1960s. He hosts a VIP dinner afterward in Fellini’s Ristorante.

Star surveillance

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl dined at N9NE Steakhouse in the Palms with seven friends in the private dining room. Afterward, he went to Rain for his band’s special performance for the AG Adriano Goldshmied MAGIC party. Travis Barker, Ryan Cabrera and his love mate Audrina Patridge were in the crowd. The couple wound up later at Moon to watch DJ Jazzy Jeff and Kid Capri, who performed a set together as Oakland Raiders star Javon Walker and songwriter and drummer John Dolmayan also watched the fun. … Model Angel McCord, sister of 90210 star AnnaLynne McCord, attended Sovage Jeans’ launch party at Blush in the Wynn. Angel, whose 8-month engagement to DJ Robert Rogoff recently ended, chatted with Sovage Jeans designer and rapper Won-G and enjoyed vodka cranberries until 2 a.m. … Rocker Ozzy Osbourne dined at one of his favorite local places, Society Cafe in the Encore. … The Platters lead singer Gene Van Buren was a surprise guest at Human Nature’s performance last night at Imperial Palace.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Nelly.

Tonight’s tips

Hip-hop superstar Nelly performs and hosts the weekly Worship Party at Tao in The Venetian. … Kelly Rowland is at Haze in MGM CityCenter’s Aria. … Electric violinist Caitlin Moe performs along with Mia Moretti at the Richie Rich party with Lydia Hearst at The Bank Nightclub in the Bellagio. … Hip-hop icon KRS One joins Mr. Freeze for a mini-concert at The Beatles Revolution Lounge in The Mirage. … And the party people at Tryst in the Wynn host a Fat Thursday masquerade ball.

Tomorrow’s teases

The stars are all at play here the moment President Obama flies out of town, and Paris Hilton leads the parade with her birthday celebration at Tao. Perez Hilton is tweeting up a storm at Lavo in the Palazzo, and Eva Longoria Parker picks up a Distinguished Business Leadership Award. We’ve got everything covered, especially the royal red carpet turnout for the Viva Elvis premiere.

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 at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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