360 Vegas

E-504: Litigious Cunts

Random Vegas
Clark County paid $4k for the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign in 1959.  In 2008 they paid $400k to build the first 12 parking spaces. (@Vegas_Visual)
TwitPic of the week
It may not be as glorious as the original, but Fremont St is still stunning as shown by @FSELV.  Even the Fremont St Experience canopy stretching 4 city blocks is beautiful in its own way.  Arial views of Vegas give us a change to appreciate the collection of awesome we get to experience as humans.  I’m so grateful for the ordinance that requires neon to be preserved downtown.
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Review Journalism
Caramella
Celebrity Gambling

E-503: Collection of Who

Random Vegas
Over $40,000 per year is collected and donated to charity from coins tossed into the Venetian canals and fountains (VitalVegas)
TwitPic of the week
This week’s winner by @Bluestorm2000 perfectly sums up the appeal of Vegas, sometimes things just line up and despite the odds and the house edge, sometimes you just win.  That’s why we gamble, for those moments.  Here we have a picture of Bellagio with the sun acting as a solar crown to the peak of the building.  What else can you say about this building that hasn’t already been said.  Nothing I can think of this week.
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Top Rated Hotel Casinos

E-5 Mail Bag

360 Vegas Reviews - Piff the Magic Dragon

Surly dragon, sexy showgirl, and cute puppies.
If I told you the best magic show in Vegas right now is starring a short, unkempt, surly Englishman in a poorly-fitting sequined dragon costume, you would probably question my opinion.  But Piff the Magic Dragon is hands-down the most entertaining magic show I’ve seen in Vegas, and that includes all the celeb-magicians.Caesars Entertainment snatched up a contract with Piff in 2015 after he appeared on America’s Got Talent. He was no stranger to Vegas, having worked in the Cosmopolitan’s Rose.Rabbit.Lie and Spiegelworlds’s Vegas Nocturne in 2014. He also toured as a supporting act for Mumford & Sons during their 2012 tour and is on their album cover for “Babel.”I first saw Piff in 2020, shortly after he was moved from the tiny Bugsy’s Cabaret (the same place you can currently see Wayne Newton and X-Burlesque) to the 700 seat Flamingo Showroom due to social distancing requirements. Mrs. Jaydubs describes Piff as “that surly uncle who comes to the party, and you don’t want your kids around him because you don’t know what he’s going to say. But he tells the best stories.” This is pretty accurate. I brought the whole family to see him during spring break and tried not to mentally cringe as he dropped S-bombs during the show, but 1) they’re already hearing it at school and 2) they were so captivated by Piff’s bombastic magnetism that much of it flew past them without registering. Plus: Mr. Piffles. Piff’s chihuahua in a little dragon costume is definitely a gimmick, but Mr. Piffles is so adorable that the gimmick is forgiven. When we last saw Piff, Mr. Piffles was so tired that he fell asleep onstage during his bit. I fear the tiny pup is not long for this world.Piff’s greatest strength is his mis-direction. His biggest trick starts at the beginning of the show, but he doesn’t bring it home until the end. He slowly revisits the trick, building on it and adding layers of complexity. You start to wonder where he’s going with all this seemingly random stuff until it all comes together at the end in a very impressive way.
If you've ever wanted to see a dog in a dragon costume driving a car,have I got a show for you...
Part of Piff’s schtick is his surly, rude demeanor. And it’s mostly schtick, as he is a super nice guy. He heads out into the Flamingo gaming floor after the show to take pictures with any and all audience members. If you want to get a taste of his act, check out his full special “Reptile Dysfunction” which is free on YouTube. But don’t watch it all until you’ve seen him live so you don’t spoil any of his tricks. Then come back and watch the whole thing after you’ve seen him live and watch the whole thing, because it’s fucking hilarious.Piff is my answer for the best magic show in Las Vegas right now. He may not have the best tricks - I don’t really know enough about magic to say what the best tricks are - but he is by far the most entertained I’ve ever been at a magic show in Vegas, and he’s the only magician I’ve gone back to see more than once.
Piff works well in the Flamingo Showroom
Audience fuckery factor: So there’s definitely some audience participation in this show. Frankly, I haven’t seen a magic show that didn’t have volunteers or some type of audience involvement. There’s several instances in which Piff asks for volunteers for the audience, but none that I can recall in which people were chosen at random.The showroom itself is gorgeous and reminds me of old Vegas. Seating is comfortable and available at a variety of price points. Seat styles range from “chairs in a row” to table and booth seating. There is drink service during the show, but Mrs. Jaydubs got terribly sick from one of their specialty cocktails, so maybe best to stick with bottles and cans.Shows are currently nightly at 7, dark on Fridays. Tickets start at around $50.
 
 
 

E-502: Right to be Wrong

Random Vegas
If you’re dealt a winning hand in video poker and accidentally fail to hold some or all of the cards before hitting “deal/draw”, some casinos, upon request, can review the last hand played and pay you what you would have one. (@VitalVegas)
TwitPic of the week
It’s the best view I’ve ever seen of the mistake in the desert, shared by @VitalVegas.  The giant MGM lion entrance formerly on the corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Tropicana.  It still seems like a silly superstition that designers should have known about.  Apparently, Asians consider it bad luck to walk under the mouth of a lion or some variation on that theme.  So, they avoided entering the property via this entrance.  In response, MGM decided to tear it down just 3 years after opening.  It’s one of the largest architectural missteps in Vegas history.
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Hughes/Silver Slipper Myth
Riviera Plans
U2 UV
Las Vegas Ad

E-501: Rhythm Nation

Random Vegas
Another reason the Strip began to outpace Fremont St was theming.  By the 50s the western motif was outdated and abandon by new properties opening on the strip.  This is why a more sophisticated client was attracted to the area. While on Fremont, the western motif was alive, well and expanding.  (Spectacular – A History of Las Vegas Neon)
TwitPic of the week
History in the making, literally.  This week’s winner goes to @FSELV for a picture of the Fremont St Experience canopy under construction.  We lament on this show the loss of the black sky to frame Fremont Neon but respect what the Fremont St Experience did to draw people back downtown.  It is in that spirit that we celebrate this photo.
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360 Vegas Live
Boring Co Update

E-500

Random Vegas
The Sphere has been averaging over $1 million in ticket sales per day.  It generated nearly half a billion dollars in revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30th. (LasVegasLocally)
TwitPic of the week
Talk about things changing but staying the same.  This perspective shows us the strip south of the curve in Las Vegas Blvd. Featured prominently is the Mirage marquee.  Then, because it’s 1994 and Caesars Palace is set back from the strip, and the Dunes site is being prepared for Bellagio construction, we get to see all the way down to Excalibur and the brand-new Luxor.  Across the street we see Harrah’s while it’s still a riverboat called Holiday Casino, then we see LINQ still themed as Imperial Palace.  Hilton still owns Flamingo, Bally’s still uses MGM Grand’s original marquee, and the original Aladdin still exists.  Speaking of MGM Grand, in the distance we can see the new MGM Grand and the recently deceased Tropicana.  Thanks as always to @Summacorp for sharing this pic.
News
Paris Celebrates 25
Vegas Heat
7 Classic Vegas Experiences Lost
Michelin Guide Vegas
Top 5 Lists
Shows - Josh
·       Best Topless show: Fantasy
·       Best Comedy Show: Carrot Top
·       Best Magic Show: Piff the Magic Dragon
·       Best Cirque-esque production show: "O"
·       Best All-Around Show: Absinthe
Books - Mark
·       Grandissimo – David G Swartz
·       At the Sands – David G Swartz
·       Winner Take All – Christina Binkley
·       Like an Onion: The Vegas Skim – Wayne Clingman & Roger Gallizzi
·       The Gambler: Kirk Kerkorian – William C Rempel
Restaurants - Keren
·       Bazaar Meat @Sahara
·       Oscar’s Steakhouse @Plaza
·       EDO
·       Lotus of Siam
·       Peppermill
Cocktails - Tony
·       The Sinatra Smash - Off menu at Overlook Bar at Wynn Las Vegas
·       The Rum Old Fashioned at Carbone at Aria
·       The Desert Sunset - Off menu at Legacy Club at Circa Las Vegas
·       Serpico at Giada's at The Cromwell
·       The Verbena Cocktail at Chandelier Bar at The Cosmopolitan.

E-499: Making It Awkward

Random Vegas 
Super successful restaurants make $20-25 million a year.  STK at Cosmopolitan makes almost $50 million a year and Hell’s Kitchen at Caesars Palace generates more than $60 million a year. (Vital Vegas) 
TwitPic of the week 
Dunes, Caesars Palace, Flamingo and Aladdin.  Those that still remain look radically different from how they looked in 1980.  This photo shared by @summacorp shows just how cluttered things used to be on the strip before the Mirage boom started buying up all available land to make super casinos.  Today, this same perspective would show off Mekka Walgreens, Planet Hollywood, Paris, Horseshoe and Flamingo as well as Caesars and Bellagio. 
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E-500
Swingers
F1