Las Vegas Weekly

May 27, 2010 · 3:42 PM

Strip Scribbles: Memorial Day weekend parties begin early at Palms

By Robin Leach

Jason Derulo at Mario Barth's King Ink Tattoo Studio at The Mirage on April 15, 2010.

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

The Second Annual Love Festival that kicks off today as an early start to Memorial Day weekend at the Palms makes George Maloof’s resort casino a one-stop global music destination. It’s one of the largest and longest electronica festivals since it was staged elsewhere beginning in 1992. The extensive artist collaboration with attendees from all over the world is expected to break all records of the 18-year festival.

It begins tonight in Ghostbar and continues all day and night tomorrow at the Palms Pool & Bungalows and Rain with the Perfecto White party. Weekend highlights include a concert by Jason Derulo on Saturday and the Sunday lineup of Osunlade, Keith Evans, Miguel Miga, Armin Van Buuren, Danny Love, Scotty Boy, Markus Schulz and Rev Run, plus regular DJs Z-Trip, Paul Oakenfold and Pauly D of Jersey Shore.

To add glamour to the lineup, The Playboy Club is conducting its May model search for the beauty who’ll be the face of the club in June and appear in the 2011 calendar.

*With the beach clubs and pool parties ratcheting up the competition for attention, it’s no surprise that bikini contests will become the norm this season. Solely for your viewing pleasure, we asked contributing photographer Tom Donoghue to aim his lens on the Planet Hollywood pleasure pool and its new weekly bikini competition. Here’s what he captured as the bathing beauties battle for $500 each week and $5,000 at the end of the season.

Photo: Courtesy

Crazy Horse Paris.

*A new direct flight between Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and our McCarran International debuts today, and the gorgeous girls from MGM Grand’s Crazy Horse Paris will welcome the inaugural XL Airways flight. Passengers from the French capital, including journalists, tourism execs and two Crazy Horse dancers, are aboard the flight. They dancers will perform a number mid-air! XL Airways will fly directly between Las Vegas and Paris, operating twice weekly on Sundays and Thursdays with the 354-seat passenger plane.

*MGM Mirage tech experts have launched five free iPhone applications dedicated to our desert playground. Vegas Reality is the city’s first augmented reality app and merges real Las Vegas with virtual Las Vegas for a multi-dimensional experience of hotels and attractions. Users point their iPhones at resorts and watch as information appears as floating text on their screen using the phone’s camera and GPS. The company also is launching the first three of a series of apps for Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand and New York-New York available in five languages. Apps for MGM Mirage’s remaining properties and attractions are underway. The fifth app, Entertainment of Las Vegas, delivers access to video previews, show times, event calendars, directions and ticket purchasing.

*Fans turned out in force for the Styx and Foreigner concert at Mandalay Bay, and our contributing photographer Tom was front row center in the all-out rocking Events Center for this incredible up close and intimate photo gallery. He’s good friends with Tommy Shaw of Styx, and both use their Nikons for shooting, as you can see when Tommy played to Tom’s camera.

Photo: Sean Reichle

Dionne Warwick and Holly Madison at Sugar Factory in Planet Hollywood.

STAR SURVEILLANCE

MMA fighter Diego Sanchez dined at N9NE Steakhouse in the Palms last night in a party of seven. … Ben Bailey, host of The Discovery Channel’s Cash Cab, was upstairs at Moon in the Palms after filming segments with Mayor Oscar Goodman and comedian David Brenner for a Las Vegas special. … Boxer “Magic Man” Antonio Tarver gambled solo in the Hard Rock Hotel and happily posed for photos and signed autographs with fans. … Peepshow star Holly Madison met legendary singer Dionne Warwick during the blonde bombshell’s launch of her line of candy necklaces at Sugar Factory in Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile. Dionne, with son Mike, posed for photos with Holly and sampled Sugar Factory’s confections and then piled her bags with sweet treats. … Poker prince Scotty Nguyen was at Lavo in the Palazzo for the Label Junkie party last night, arriving with a group of 25. He stuck with water while enjoying the sounds of DJ Crooked and watching the Maude Swimwear show.

Photo: Images of LV

Don Johnson and Vinnie Favorito.

TONIGHT’S TIPS

Masterful magician David Copperfield starts another run of incredible illusions at Hollywood Theater in MGM Grand through June 16. … Congratulations to comedy king Vinnie Favorito as he celebrates his 3,000th show and fifth-anniversary party at the Flamingo. … The Crown Nightclub at The Rio opens its doors for the first time. … Cort McCown and Paul Hughes host Comedy Central star Steve Byrne for three nights as headliner of Playboy Comedy at the Palms. … Musical impressionist Greg London, who won Nevada’s Entertainer of the Year Award during his record-breaking three-year run in Reno, opens at Palace Station. … America’s Got Talent stars Mario & Jenny present their unique Sexy & Dangerous death-defying juggling, dance and acrobatics show at Embassy Theater in the downtown Las Vegas Rocks Cafe. … And the Down & Derby roller-skating party rolls into Rain.

Photo: Wynn/Encore

DJ Kaskade will hold down the Sunday pool party residency at Encore Beach Club.

TOMORROW’S TEASES

The long-awaited Encore Beach Club and Surrender nightclub from Steve Wynn opens with hometown hero Ne-Yo as the first guest star, and Fremont Street Experience starts its 102 days of summer with a 1970s festival kicking off with disco queen Gloria Gaynor. We’ve got the full rundown of all the Memorial Day weekend events, parties, openings and celebrations in a four-day packed edition of Vegas DeLuxe. We’ll also preview the big UFC showdown between bitter rivals Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans to see the two former light-heavyweight champions decide who reclaims the title in this bout a year in the making.

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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