…unless one wears bell bottoms or hip waders.
We spotted these at this sock specialty store in Mandalay Bay (The Sock Market). Fortunately, the rest of their selection is more tasteful.
After the Cheap Trick concert concluded, Geoff Emerick graciously met with audience members who wanted autographs and/or pictures. As soon as he was introduced, my mind was racing because his name was sooooooooo familiar and why he was critical to the performance. Let’s hear it for allmusic.com, the iPhone and Las Vegas having a solid 3G network!
All Beatles diehards know him but just to cover all the bases for everybody, Geoff was the recording engineer at Abbey Road Studios starting with Revolver in 1966 and obviously he is familiar with all the technical ins and outs of Sgt. Pepper which made his involvement mandatory for Cheap Trick. Beyond his Beatles’ involvement, Geoff has either engineered or produced albums for Badfinger, America, McCartney & Wings (Band on the Run!), Nazareth, Gino Vanelli and Elvis Costello. Oddly, his name kept sticking in my craw for reasons other than those acts and how annoyed I felt that I didn’t remember it earlier to thank him for producing Dizrhythmia by Split Enz!
I may be losing at the tables and machines in Las Vegas but when it comes to music and its history, I consider myself incredibly lucky because I got to meet another person who is a huge factor in shaping popular culture
Robin and Tom kicking off with the opening tune everyone knows.
I will get to the rest of the Vegas fun ASAP but first, I want to get the more timely matter covered and what became the show element of this vacation. We totally lucked out on seeing this with fantastic seats too (fourth row!). When I planned the trip 100-plus days earlier, there was nothing booked or touring through then so I figured we’d see a Cirque thing. Shortly after we arrived, I saw the ads plugging this concert. Since I own the album of the 2007 performance and I enjoyed the hell out of it last year, I convinced Somara to make this a birthday present (I treated myself, she already gave me something I’ll cover much later).
Rick jamming lead with his Beatles guitar (they're painted on it).
Personally, this was my first Cheap Trick concert. I never had any opportunity to see them when they were popular (late Seventies, early Eighties) and by the time of their comeback, I had lost interest (I think “The Flame” is their worst song ever). Through other bands they’ve influenced (Posies, Smashing Pumpkins, Dwight Yoakam) and Coverville framing them more properly as a Power Pop act instead of an Arena Rock band (how AOR radio pigeonholed them), I had a reconciliation with their back catalog. I also learned through Coverville about Cheap Trick’s fanaticism for the Beatles so the show is a no brainer to attend; it isn’t a crass attempt to make money. Even it were, there will be no more performances after September and I’ll get to another factor limiting any mercenary motivations.
The theater in Paris was a perfect venue. Not too large (maybe a 1000 people) to grant people in the cheap seats a solid view, fantastic sound and a two-story stage to accommodate the 32-piece orchestra, six-member male chorus, six-member Indian instrumental ensemble and two additional band members (Magic Cristian on keyboards and Bill Lloyd on rhythm guitar). I hope to see something else in there during Las Vegas 2011, if the opportunity presents itself.
Robin in costume number two. All are a hybrid of the Sgt. Pepper look mixed with the Dream Police.
To get the crowd warmed up, the orchestra and chorus performed “I Am The Walrus.” Then the curtain went back down to a montage of interviews with Rick, Tom and Robin about why they wanted for perform this live. Mixed in between the band’s comments were all the pop culture references Cheap Trick has received over the decades: The Simpsons (the only thing Homer listens to); Fast Times at Ridgemont High; Bob Dole stating At Budokan is his favorite album “for the record.” There was a quote from John Lennon saying he felt Sgt. Pepper could never be done live. I thought Robin’s rebuttal was awesome, “If you’re doing something you love, it’s easy.” Afterwards, Cheap Trick appeared with their thunderous take on the opening number.
Thankfully Somara remembered to bring a program because I can never remember the order of the album, which they followed. For the psychedelic “Within You Without You,” the Indian ensemble was rolled out on a flatbed cart to accompany just Tom (Robin and Rick left to change outfits) singing and playing the guitar.
Tom strumming along to "Surrender"
Then they wrapped up the remainder of Sgt. Pepper and finished with their unique touch to the ending of “A Day In The Life.” As the extended piano notes brought the song/album to its fading conclusion, Robin sang the opening lyrics to “Stop This Game,” and the orchestra took off playing about the first verse until they shifted over to “The Flame.” Meanwhile Cheap Trick was changing outfits for the third time and returned to do their own stuff! First it was “Dream Police,” followed by “I Want You To Want Me.” They did “Smile” from their latest, The Latest and returned to the back catalog; “Surrender” and “World’s Greatest Lover.”
Rick on the bridge to "Dream Police," accompanied by two Vegas dancers.
The Beatles’ material returned with the same Abbey Road medley their live album concludes with: “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” and “The End.” However, Cheap Trick gave us one more number for the evening, “All You Need Is Love” accompanied by the showgirls and the Indian ensemble while heart-shaped confetti rained on the audience (pieces of it could be found all over Paris afterwards, especially toward the parking garage).
The big finish, "All You Need Is Love" with the audience singing along.
Now even the casual fan will probably wonder, “Where was Bun E. Carlos?” (their drummer). Although he’s on the original recording, the explanation from a Rockford, IL blog/site says Carlos remains a member, he just doesn’t tour. Filling in was Rick’s son Daxx who did a great job.
Lastly, the icing on this musical cake was the man operating the sound board: Geoff Emerick who all Beatles fanatics should recognize. Cheap Trick introduced him personally because to them, he was a critical factor in making these performances possible in their opinion. It may explain why this will be a limited run, he’s over 60 and remains in demand for his album production/engineering expertise.
Should you make it to Las Vegas before mid-August or mid-September and you’re a fan of either or both, I highly recommend you see this. They tour with Blondie for the last half of August and return to their regular schedule after the final performance on September 18, 2010. I know some people roll their eyes about such concerts. It’s cheesey. It’s selling out to the LCD (lowest-common denominator). It shows so and so is out of ideas. Blah blah blah. I think the Vegas scheme is genius because it gave birth to the more well-known destination festivals: Coachella, Lolapalooza and ACL Fest. Vegas just has better food and service.
I know I’m late posting other, more exciting stories but I tried to get this up via the WP iPhone App yet version 3.0 (I haven’t upgraded to 3.0.1) keeps failing to set the permissions correctly with a new month’s spot for uploads.
This is the cool, socially acceptable souvenir you get from the Las Vegas Gun Store. I would say the results were accurate since the zombies were stationary, paper targets thus making my victory about as meaningful as the Blackhawks’ 1962 Stanley Cup (in English, it bordered on being fixed).
Today we went to the Las Vegas Gun Store (hold your political comments for another day) and I saw this. Now I have spotted Braille in the oddest of spots: ATMs that don’t have any audio assistance and maintenance closest signs readily come to mind. This was a tad disturbing and puzzling. Right up there with Braille on a steering wheel.
Somara explained it’s so the gun owner(s) can open the vault in the dark. Sure. Feh! Flesh-eating/Rage-infected zombies can see in the dark and/or are attracted to strong smells, namely panic sweat. Might as well turn on the light, unlock the thing and get to eradicating the undead.
An exclusive SmartCar you can win at the Mirage if you play the slot machines underneath it. It was tempting but I don’t think it would fit in my luggage!
Weak, I know. I just couldn’t come up with any good clown-car joke though.
AppleCare is the official name for Apple’s technical support and on this day, I reported to training to get started as a PowerBook agent. Why PowerBook? I chalk it up to good luck but I think owning a PowerBook 140 had something to do with it.
For the next two weeks I was in a class with about a dozen other people learning the ropes: how to troubleshoot, how to use Apple’s tools for the job, and whatever. I remember being so nervous because it took me four interviews to finally achieve this position. My past failures pointed out to me that despite all the compliments I used to receive at DG and GDW, I didn’t know squat compared to the seasoned vets taking calls.
Two people from my class remain with Apple. One guy is really nice and I communicate with him occasionally over matters involving on-site repairs. The other is relatively famous for his contributions in User Interface (UI) designs; so well-known that when he quit Palm to rejoin Apple, it made the trade papers.
Things worked out in the long run thanks to my excitement and perseverance.
Between MGM and Planet Hollywood, there are some remnants of the pre-corporate Strip that hasn’t been eliminated by the big two. Sometimes it’s kitsch. Other times an eyesore. Yet it’s always amusing but we couldn’t resist checking out and buying this shirt from a kiosk. I couldn’t pass up the original Apple logo thumping to the beats, despite the leaf facing the wrong direction. It would explain why the guy who sold it to me had a thick Eastern European accent. I wish he told me it required four AAA batteries to function, that was a side trek to Target on my birthday.
Below is a movie of it in action. The microphone in the battery pack tends to react best with music anchored with a solid downbeat, hence “Lights & Music” by Cut///Copy.
Cue up “Kate” by Ben Folds. Thunderous piano chords to the chorus the name Kate. Actually, should she ever call me, its’ what my iPhone plays (or used to).
I have to heap on the praise to my fellow Leo, especially the jealousy I experience with her having the same birthday as Kate Bush. However, I think the Kate I know has been more productive with her life in the last 10 years, especially if you’ve sat through Aerial a couple times.
Not sure what’s the plan for her being that I’m all self-absorbed in Vegas, the suburb of LA, aka the Land of the Self-Absorbed or is that Vat of Acid City?
If you know my friend Kate, drop her a line through FaceBook or other means. When I do get back, we have tentative plans to attend the Austin showing of Mortified. Leos have a thing for reflecting and love to tell anecdotes, explains this site’s History section.
Do you think selling them in white was such a good idea?
Laugh all you want but this cape weighs at least 20 pounds. Libby had some as much as 200 so he was a strong guy and he was only 5' 9".
Our first full-day in Las Vegas and it was an eventful whopper too! So much, the major pieces will be broken down into separate entries when I return to Austin because these attractions were awesome. I also don’t want to lose any momentum.
After our obligatory morning of exercise, hitting the hot tub and cheap breakfast in the timeshare’s full kitchen (we found a stackable washer/dryer in a closet too), we hit destination number one: The Liberace Museum. I had stumbled upon it in 1997 one evening while looking for a laundromat yet I kept failing to check it out until this trip. It’s not quite Graceland which is a blessing and curse. However, Liberace did meet Elvis very early in the King’s career, where else did Elvis get the idea to wear outlandish getups after dressing like Memphis pimp ran its course? Moving along, paying my respects to Mr. Showmanship was overdue because he was from Milwaukee, his name is Italian (his mother was Polish too), he sponsored at least one scholarship to Marquette in the theater department (my alma mater has no music degree program) and my grandmother thought he was a great pianist. Therefore, this pilgrimage was for Grandma as well as me. It’s worth the $20. You get to see his cars, his costumes, try on a cape (sadly it’s a replica, not one he ever wore), learn the official story of Walter Liberace (this bigger post will really impress some due to his place in US History, I guarantee it), an incredible collection of pianos, the world’s biggest rhinestone (over 55 pounds/25 kilograms) and a show with a talented duet. As you can see in the picture above, I also tried to do my best imitation of Bugs Bunny imitating Liberace (you’ll see it after three minutes into the cartoon link).
One of many pianos Liberace owned and played.
Lastly, I endorse this attraction due to its charity status. His museum is a non-profit operation not as a tax dodge (it began in 1979 while he was alive) but to aid his causes, namely supporting other talented musicians/singers hone their skills through universities around the world. Liberace grew up poor in West Allis (‘burb of Milwaukee) and received a scholarship as a child to attend a prestigious conservatory during the Depression. So he never forgot his roots nor was stingy with his wealth (he managed it pretty well too).
The memories of this machine. How many hours I wasted at Metropolis Comics playing it while ignoring deadlines at GDW.
Next came the Pinball Hall of Fame. We usually keep our agenda to one thing per day. However, this place was only a couple blocks from the museum and we figured if it was cool, we’d come back again on this vacation. PHF will receive a larger treatment too. The short version…it’s a must see for anybody who grew up in the early Nineties or earlier. I love video games yet there will always be a place in my heart for pinball. Younger kids probably don’t see the appeal since skill can be trumped by Physics. Back in the Seventies, my father got Brian and me hooked on it to kill time while Mom was shopping. The majority of pinball machines did function plus there was a good selection covering the decades. PHF even has the latest which are just some licensed property slapped on it these days: seriously, CSI and Austin Powers? Oh yeah, they did have South Park with the profanity enabled! We had a good conversation with a couple volunteers about the place. Sadly, the founder is ill. I did finally send them the link from Marketplace interviewing an Economics professor claiming that Black Knight started the demise of pinball. PHF like Libby’s museum is a non-profit, I put them on my wishlist of charities to support. Can’t wait to return with my fistful of quarters.
Nice view but I hope the Arab prince who backed this kept the receipt.
Being this close to the Strip, we pressed on for dinner at New York, New York and I tormented Somara by hoofing it on to the new CityCenter. Not exactly the smartest move by the MGM casino corporation with the current economy. It’s mostly a “me too” high-end mall trying to compete with Caesar’s Palace’s and Wynn’s. Actually, I would call it a photocopy since the same overpriced fashion stores are present: Prada, Dior, Versace, etc. Maybe the ladies can answer this riddle. Who the hell is buying this? Obviously the 400 wealthiest families in America aren’t. It can’t be a bargain for all these rich foreigners visiting neither. I’m guessing the fashion houses make money by other means (they secretly own Target, K-Mart, Old Navy) while taking a loss in Vegas just plant their flags here. Ladies, clue give me the scoop.
We wrapped it up at with a visit to Planet Hollywood (formerly the Aladdin) which appears to be under the Harrah’s umbrella (there’s only two major casino corporations, MGM and Harrah’s) from all the plugs we saw on their big screen display. We placed a couple roulette bets there and concluded the night at MGM where Somara took the lead in our ongoing poker duel. There were a pair of funny encounters along the way, one is a separate Funny T-Shirt entry, the other is below. Sleep came quickly for us both and we needed it, the next day is my birthday!
An honor to meet the Dark Knight. I didn't have the heart to tell him how I abused his good name on my 21st birthday.
Gambling Report:
Since I’m in Vegas, one of my favorite cities because it’s relaxing, awesome and a weird microcosm of the Western Empire, I will be a bit more incommunicado to celebrate why July 29 is all about me. Bear with me on this WP for the iPhone too. I hate typing through the tiny display.
We also had a rather eventful Wednesday with the Liberace Museum, The Pinball Hall of Fame (definitely making another visit), seeing the new CityCenter (another overpriced mall like Wynn’s and Caesar’s Palace’s) and discovering that Planet Hollywood is now a Harrah’s property, if Clear Channel’s dirty fingers were removed then I’m happy but I wish it were the Aladdin again.
Anyway, it’s going to be bit before anything substantial gets posted. There’s free WiFi at the nearby Dennys yet it forces a reauthorization every 10 minutes. Our timeshare finally has a solution but we still have pay for it and it’s Clear via a USB dongle.
Thanks for all the cards, e-mails and happy thoughts in advance. By the time this posts, we should be in queue for breakfast at Paris.
I better watch my weight or I will need a bro.
I disagree with the Cocteau Twins. This place is both. Now if the iPhone 4 could make me 20 pounds smaller, I’d buy it in a heartbeat since there are three Apple Stores within 10 miles of our vacation lair.
A great way to end our seventh anniversary, in front of the famous sign!
Las Vegas 2010 is off to a great start. It always begins in a rough manner because I can never sleep the night before a flight due to my fear of flying, but there’s no other way I want to get to a faraway destination. Somara claims I had a brief nap around 3 AM, I really didn’t get much rest due to the borderline illness I manage to shake off (hooray!). Maybe the lady pilot/co-pilot knew I was traveling with her yesterday, it was the smoothest airplane journey I can remember. How did I know there was a lady in the cockpit? When we exited I quickly poked my head in and said thanks for the smooth ride. Glad to see women flight crews making progress in the commercial airlines.
The funniest realization so far was the creation of city’s new car rental center. I don’t know when it was built nor completed because we haven’t rented a vehicle here since 2003 but it’s a great idea; deflect all the additional traffic away from an already crowded section. However, when we picked up the car, the clerk asked us if we needed immediate directions and we said, “Yeah, Tahiti Village.” He chuckled, pointed out the window and replied, “Right over there.” It was across the street, the rental-car shuttle practically drove us to TV. Had I known better, had no scruples and was a total cheapskate, I would’ve bailed on the rental and walked over in the 95 F/36 C heat.
Speaking of Tahiti Village, the higher-end room we scored rules. We plan to give a quick tour of it at a later time. Fear not, we have no intent to ensnare anyone into the timeshare stuff. Believe me, I hate companies that are always bugging me to be involved in their pseudo pyramid scheme, it was a major peeve of mine with Dish and organized religion. The view during the day is weak but it does look more impressive in the evening.
We also made a quick side trip to a grocery store for the cheap supplies to save money. Seems the people of Las Vegas remain saddled with Albertsons. How lucky we Austinites are to have HEB because we paid about $60 for what I know we could’ve scored for under $45 easily.
After a nap to recuperate from the packing, preparing and flying, we celebrated with an anniversary dinner at Bellagio’s buffet. I didn’t want to stuff myself yet Somara’s parents gave us a $50 Visa gift card and this buffet is packed with fancy stuff I enjoy: salmon, expensive cheeses, lobster-stuffed ravioli but no pate last night.
We also premiered the first round of our video poker contest at Caesar’s Palace. This time we ironed out the rules ahead of time and were in agreement. Somara was off to an early lead at $30, then I pulled through with a couple good hands which kept me alive until she went broke first, leaving me $10 and the winner! The initial roulette wager from one co-worker was a bust, sorry Ben. Our traditional number 27 didn’t fare better neither…31. I need to hit the other casinos’ sports books soon. I couldn’t believe CP didn’t have any futures stuff ready for the NHL or NBA yet they had the odds available on…brace yourself…Canadian Football.
Day 2 promises to be cooler. We will be going to the Liberace Museum and Pinball Hall of Fame (they’re very close together). Stay tuned, I hope to keep you interested and send your wagers in via e-mail or SMS if you missed the chance before we left.
Gambling Report:
The fine and funny folks at BustedTees either got the rights to publish this or Fox/Comedy Central have no idea. Doesn’t matter to me. Futurama is back with new episodes (personally I preferred the direct-to-DVD delivery because I don’t have cable) so I decided to get this shirt to celebrate. BTs’ fits better than the one I bought from Hot Topic (Bender with his catchphrase) because it is on American Apparel and AA’s XL doesn’t shrink like the Hanes crap most vendors sell.
