Steve Friess

Steve Friess is a freelance writer based in Las Vegas whose work appears regularly in the New York Times, USA Today, the Agence France-Presse, Vegas Magazine and many others. He's also the co-host of the weekly celebrity interview podcast "The Strip" and the twice-weekly animal-affairs podcast "The Petcast" and the author of the blog VegasHappensHere.com.

Friess moved to Las Vegas in 1996 to work for the Review-Journal. He is author of Gay Vegas, the first guidebook for GLBT travelers in Las Vegas. His website is SteveFriess.com and can be reached via email at steve@stevefriess.com or you can follow him on Twitter @thestrippodcast.

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Story Archive

Remembering Kenny Kerr—gay pioneer: Not just a great entertainer, Kerr's performances actually changed the world; Wednesday, May 1, 2013; Kenny Kerr’s performances actually changed the world.
The gay miseducation of Carolyn Goodman: Deconstructing the confusing puzzle of why the mayor is against same-sex marriage; Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012; Last month, mayors from more than 100 cities pledged support to marriage equality. Not Carolyn.
Steve Friess' final sentiment: Vegas, I love you: Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011; Longtime 'Weekly' wordsmith Steve Friess says goodbye to "the most honest place in the world."
A few more words before he goes: Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011; Departing Strip Sense columnist Steve Friess revisits highlights from his four years
What's the county got against Barney?: Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011; Steve Friess defends Barney.
Clark County could learn from Eureka’s fiscal responsibility: Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011; The Northern Nevada county knows how to manage its money. Find out how here.
Strip properties come and go, but The Jockey Club remains a constant: Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011; The adventure began, appropriately enough, with a broken elevator.
Renovation rundown: Reviewing the Plaza’s $35 million overhaul: Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2011; It is difficult to recall a hotel-casino redevelopment in modern Las Vegas history that has received as much hype as the $35 million job taking place at 1 South Main Street.
Weight Watchers magazine gets its first male cover model—and he’s from Las Vegas: Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2011; The actual news in there is that Weight Watchers is finally highlighting the importance of weight loss for men.
As he prepares to leave town, Steve Friess ticks down his Vegas bucket list: Wednesday, July 27, 2011; “The best is yet to come, and babe, won’t it be fine."
For MGM Resorts, bad luck isn’t only in the cards: Wednesday, July 20, 2011; The flames devoured the roof at such a dramatic pace that the Monte Carlo seemed doomed.
Janis Sartin has seen Vegas’ 'Phantom' 55 times ... and counting: Wednesday, July 13, 2011; Find out what keeps this super "phan" coming back time and time again!
Annie Duke's new poker league favors skill over fluke: Wednesday, July 6, 2011; Weekly columnist Steve Friess looks into WSOP's new rival: Epic Poker League.
When it comes to gay marriage, Nevada is a few states too late: Wednesday, June 29, 2011; Like most gay Americans not on the happy streets of Greenwich Village on Friday as the New York Senate deliberated whether to make my home state the largest and coolest state to recognize same-sex marriages, I sat with one eye glued to cable news coverage and the other avidly scanning the web.
An afternoon with the Starkey Hearing Foundation changed Steve Friess’ life: Wednesday, June 22, 2011; Steve Friess will soon embark on a new adventure with the Starkey Hearing Foundation.
Nevada’s Capitol ignores sin and our city, but we can change that: Wednesday, June 15, 2011; The Carson City building makes no mention of a few key state facts.
Why AB 456 is a huge middle finger to Nevada’s education system: Don’t know much about math? Science? Reading? Don't worry about it; Tuesday, May 31, 2011; Forget watering down the test; this bill waters down the whole diploma.
Terry Fator claims he was being controlled by his ex-wife; was he?: Tuesday, May 24, 2011; To hear the 45-year-old singing ventriloquist tell it, until quite recently he was a dummy.
A personal account from one victim of the city’s real estate collapse: Wednesday, May 18, 2011; I’m not sure why it took so long to figure out how interminably badly this had all gone.
Evan Glusman’s decision to hold out against Marriott turned out to be the right one: Wednesday, May 11, 2011; It would have been just so easy to take the ungodly fistfuls of money at first offer and run.
CSN instructor's 'Peeping with Tom' blog offers a nasty view: Moilanen may be going over the line with his insensitive, sometimes racial, comments; Wednesday, May 4, 2011; A CSN instructor may be going over the line with his insensitive, sometimes racial, comments.
Donald Trump’s political positions could hurt his Las Vegas business: Wednesday, April 27, 2011; Pity the poor souls trying to make that Trump International Hotel
Casinos need to show more responsibility when it comes to problem gamblers: Wednesday, April 20, 2011; Are gaming venues in the city really doing as much as they can to help gambling addiction?
Longtime Vegas restaurant the Tillerman quietly disappears: Wednesday, April 13, 2011; The Tillerman recently closed its doors - and without much ado about it.
Finding the fun in Terry Fator's gay puppet: Wednesday, April 6, 2011; This was supposed to turn out differently.
With the Sahara closing, the Stratosphere faces an identity crisis: Wednesday, March 30, 2011; “Nobody likes to look out and see abandoned buildings and empty plots of land"
Tropicana's decision to headline Gladys Knight is a real head-scratcher: Wednesday, March 23, 2011; Until last week, the Tropicana’s new management had been firing on all cylinders.
'Believe' is a better show, but that doesn’t mean it’s any good: Wednesday, March 16, 2011; Criss Angel's show: a dramatic improvement?
‘Chip Monk’ cashes in chips for the church: Wednesday, March 9, 2011; “Do you want to see one?” Arthur Nelson asked with a raised eyebrow.
The New Mob Wars: Could Goodman's pet project get whacked?: Wednesday, March 2, 2011; Back when concrete plans were coming together for the construction of a $43 million mob museum in Downtown Las Vegas, I was a vocal media cheerleader.
The bankrupt Monorail isn’t doing much to help itself these days: Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011; Up until now, most of us assumed the folks operating the troubled, bankrupt Las Vegas Monorail were doing their best amid so many challenges.
Las Vegas’ biggest stage export is conquering London and Broadway: Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011; Sierra Boggess wouldn’t be where she is today without it.
Why Vegas can’t wait for Celine Dion to return: Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011; Where most have left the Colosseum with a shrug, Celine left with hugs
Las Vegas provides a haven for the D-lister: Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011; This city has always been known as the place where washed-up crooners go to die.
Appearing on TV didn’t make Shae Wilhite rich or famous, but it did give her one heckuva story: Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011; The day before Christmas, Shae Wilhite’s email box started filling up with some unusual messages.
Setting the record straight about Vegas' Twitter twerps: Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011; @24k and @VegasBill are a very familiar Vegas breed, the sort of freeloaders who make it more difficult for real media vanguards to be taken seriously by either publicists or the public.
Jean Bartel: 1943’s Miss America, former Strip performer: Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011; Jean Bartel was crowned before the pageant began being televised, before Miss America was a pop icon.
The good, the bad and the meh: The read on three new Vegas books: Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011; I hate reading books by local authors I know. If I dislike them, I want to say so and that gets awkward. So I try not to.
Broadway’s 'Spider-Man' is proof Vegas does shows right: Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011; After a month of awful accidents at the new Spider-Man show in New York, maybe Broadway should consider taking a few hints from the Boulevard.
Cosmo ... Harrumph!: The Olds do the newest Strip property; Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010; As we made our way past the tri-level chandelier that is the signature of Vegas’ newest playground, two grouches provided decidedly different reactions.
Cosmo’s been built, welcome to the Era of the Next Little Thing: Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010; The resort boom is over. What are Las Vegas construction tycoons to do now?
For Elaine Wynn, $5 million is just a start: Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010; Warren Buffett gets in Elaine Wynn’s ear every so often about this little project he and Bill Gates want her to consider.
Twyla Tharp hearts Vegas, but will Vegas heart Twyla?: Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010; This weekend begins an open-ended, six-nights-a-week production called Sinatra Dance With Me at Wynn Las Vegas, a modern dance revue set to recorded tunes by the original Rat Packer.
Cosmopolitan: a fitting bookend: Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010; Here we go, heading once again into yet another December casino-resort opening on the Strip.
Why 'Eating Las Vegas' fails to help anyone find anything: Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010; Now seating ego, party of three
Why the sudden changes at the Review-Journal may be a very, very bad thing: Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010; The more I think about it, the more I worry.
Cut the wrap, Aria! Ads seriously undercut design: Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010; MGM Resorts brass made many pre-opening claims about CityCenter that were, in retrospect, ridiculous.
Finding signs of poker’s demise in the cosmos: Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010; Now that those thrilling elections are behind us, who’s ready for some poker?
Truly and refreshingly, Rep. Shelley Berkley is an open book: Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010; She answers pretty much any question, however politically imprudent.
Las Vegas will soon lose one of its true unsung heroes to ALS: Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2010; Bob Forbuss is known for remaining cool and steady in virtually any situation.

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