360 Vegas

E-422: The Good Stuff

Random Vegas
A 1990 smoking ban in gambling clubs in New Zealand reduced the county’s poker machine revenue by 28%
Twitpic of the week
Towering over the rest of the Fremont Casinos, Circa is a new landmark one can use to orient themselves in Las Vegas.  It’s not quite the same the Strat but still, it lords over its competition both figuratively and literally.  As usual, @maverickheli brings a unique and stunning perspective to the city that we love.
News
Garth Brooks Residency
Caesars Expansion
Serial Robber

E-421: Neeeeeerow

Random Vegas
Caesars Entertainment's loyalty program uses 90 different demographic segments for its customers. "Player value" is most associated with frequency of play, type of game played and number of coins/credits per spin or hand. (via Vital Vegas, via "Addiction by Design" by Natasha Dow Schull)
Twitpic of the week
I never had the chance to check out Lady Luck.  The first time I came to Vegas was 2004 and the property was already closed at the time.  I’m told, at least in the end, she was a dump.  But there is something about neon that romanticizes the past, regardless of its shitholery. That’s what Lady Luck’s Neon exterior does.  It’s a shame that we lost such an iconic name as well but again, having never experienced the place for myself, its easy for me to say.  My vision of the property will always be influenced by the feelings it stirs up when I look a pictures like the one shared by @summacorp.
News
Sick New World Vegas
The Grandstands of Bellagio

360 Vegas Reviews - Miss Behave’s Mavericks

Imagine your favorite local bar gathered its funniest, sexiest, strangest, and most talented patrons and friends, and brought them together to put on a wild variety show and you’ve got a reasonable idea of what you’d experience when you see Miss Behave's Mavericks.
So back in spring, there was some buzz starting to grow about a new show downtown, Miss Behave’s Mavericks. Vital Vegas had reported on it. (I have to say here that I often appreciate Vital Vegas’s perspective and info - and I know he’s a friend of the podcast - but he seems to have a love of all things downtown that I don’t necessarily share.) But the buzz kept growing, and it really piqued my curiosity. I knew about the previous Miss Behave show - which was at Bally’s - but only by name.
I also am not afraid to admit that I’m kind of a value shopper when it comes to Vegas. I’m always looking for the deals and the bang-for-your-buck. So when I found out that’s tickets were $25 each, I was sold. By the way, they’ve since gone up to $39 per person, but this is still a hell of a deal. You’d be hard-pressed to find another show in town at that price. A little more on cost later.
Cheapshot in Fremont East is a whole mood.
Miss Behave’s Mavericks is playing at Cheapshot, which is in the first block of Fremont East, in the space formerly occupied by Beauty Bar. We saw this show in July, and of course it was super hot outside. Seating is first come first serve, so we wanted to get there early to get good seats. Now this was probably our least enjoyable part of the experience. It’s Vegas. It’s July. It’s hot outside. We arrived at 6 for a 7:00 curtain time. The website said the doors opened at 6, so we’re thinking this shouldn’t be a problem. But there’s a fence and a closed gate in front of the doors, and they aren’t letting anyone in. I was thinking that maybe they were doing this to make the show seem better, because whatever was inside was better than standing out on the street and melting. The show could have just been watching aardvark’s shitting and it would have been great as long as there was air conditioning.
Honestly, the venue staff did their best to try to make up for it. Miss Behave herself (the stage name of performer and host Amy Saunders) came out and apologized and handed out cold water bottles. She explained that the doors didn’t actually open until 6:30, and she had requested several times for the info online to be changed, but it hadn’t been changed yet. Keep in mind that when we arrived, there were 2 groups of people in front of us, and before they finally let us in quite the line had developed behind us. Since seating is first come, first serve, I recommend you still arrive about an hour before showtime, even if the doors open only 30 minutes prior. Just have a cold drink in hand, and maybe choose your show time carefully. I’m just grateful that the venue is on the south side of the street, so we had some shade.
Look, I'll be honest: I have no idea what's happening here.A few words about seating… As I’ve already mentioned, the venue is first come, first serve. When it was our turn to be seated, they asked if we wanted to be more towards the front or more towards the back. I said “more towards the front” and they put us right smack in the front row. I wasn’t expecting this, but was fine with it. If I didn’t want to be so close, like some people might, I’m sure they would have moved us if I requested it. The chairs were small cane-back chairs that had no cushions, so it was a little uncomfortable. Lacking a better option, I ended up setting my drink on the stage. Speaking of the stage, like the venue, it’s very cozy. There’s only room for maybe a dozen people in the front row. Everyone is in the same style of seating, and our chairs are on the floor in the bar - there’s no slope like theater seating has - so it might get more difficult to see the further back you are. Thankfully, it's such a small venue that I don’t think this is an issue.
One other point about the venue, my wife wants me to point out that the restrooms were nice and big and very clean.
Drink service at the venue is excellent. They have a decent-sized menu (available online) of standard cocktails (old fashioned, sex on the beach, margarita), beers, and wines. Drink prices are reasonable for Vegas.
Here’s where another cost comes in. You should bring cash to the show - about $20 or so per person - in order to show your support for the performers. See, Miss Behave’s Mavericks likes the audience to support performers “strip club style” by throwing bills on the stage. It’s a fun gimmick that is very Vegas-appropriate. Even if you’ve just got a crisp $20 bill in hand, they’ll make change for you before the show.
Okay, so let's talk about the show itself. Miss Behave’s Mavericks is a variety show. It’s a very eclectic variety show. It’s sometimes thrilling, sometimes soulful, sometimes sexy, somewhat confusing and very hilarious. I like to think of it as “Absinthe Lite.” This means that the show I saw is not the show you’re going to see, but let's face it: that’s not the worst gamble you’ve taken in this town. We saw a gender-bending strip act that brought the “confusing boner” phrase back to mind. We saw a little person on roller skates do a deliberately terrible dance number to “Total Eclipse of the Heart” that had me in tears from laughing so hard. You might see hula-hooping chicken. Who the fuck knows?
Miss Behave herself is the emcee, and she’s excellent. She’s quick to explain the money throwing thing, that pictures are okay and social media is encouraged, and she’s very clear that everyone is there to have a great time. I’m not sure that I can articulate this without sounding hokey, but for what it's worth, we truly felt that they wanted to be gracious hosts and as welcoming as possible. Oh and she also swallows swords. That was nuts to see from the front row.
Trice B Phantom brings the soul Singer Trice B Phantom is a frequent performer, and he sang an amazing rendition of “What’s Going On,” that I felt unworthy to witness. The icing on the cake for us was burlesque performer “Banbury Cross” who closed out the show with the best burlesque striptease I have ever seen, and I consider myself a bit of a connoisseur. Unfortunately for all of you, she was only there for a limited two week run. This is how Miss Behave’s Mavericks operates. Some performers are regulars, some are in town for limited shows, and some, such as Tape Face, might even be from other local shows and just popping in for a show or two. Like Forrest Gump and his box of chocolates, you never know… From a risk/reward standpoint, even if you don’t like the version of the show you end up seeing, you’re out the cost of a low-priced ticket, maybe an in-expensive drink or two, and you’re a half block from FSE.
For us, when the show was over we wanted to stay. Cheapshot converts into either a club or a piano bar after the show depending on the night, and we really just wanted to stay, drink, and party with the performers. Unfortunately, we had reservations back on the strip. We’ve already talked about seeing Miss Behave’s Mavericks again, and making sure that we don’t plan anything after the show.
Something I’ll be including in reviews is what I call the “A.F.F.” or Audience Fuckery Factor. Some people hate to be singled out or involved in the slightest, and it’s important to point out when you might accidentally be drawn into the show… There was one person a few seats from me who helped the little person with this “Total Eclipse of the Heart” number, but I think this can be expected when you’re in the front row. There’s a few performances that started away from the stage near the front door, and they worked their way through the crowd towards the stage. Miss Behave herself does some of her emcee work by standing on the bar, probably in an attempt to draw eyes away from the stage while they switch out equipment or set pieces. Anyway, if I haven’t made it clear, this show is an ever-changing thing. Even if no one in my audience was messed with, it doesn’t mean no one in your audience will be messed with. I think you’ll have a blast either way.
Better start figuring out how to sell the wife on this now The wife and I thoroughly enjoyed Miss Behave’s Mavericks. It is easily in my top 3 Vegas entertainment experiences, and number 1 in terms of value. Something that is important to note: I learned as I was finishing up this review that the show is going into hiatus after Thanksgiving. If you know anything about entertainment in Vegas, you know that “hiatus” can often be code for “closing at this venue, but we won’t say ‘closing’ to give the show a chance to find another space.” I sincerely hope that is not the case here, because this show is an absolute gem and deserves all the life it can get. If you’re going to be in Vegas between now and Thanksgiving I encourage you to check the show out, so there’s no question that Miss Behave’s Mavericks returns in spring, which is when they say we can see it again after the holidays.
Tickets are available directly at the venue’s website which is at cheapshotdtlv.com. At the time of this review, shows are Thursdays at 7, Fridays at 8, and two shows on Saturdays at 8 and 10:30.
You can find Josh on twitter @vegasjaydubs

E-420: Clap Worthy

Random Vegas
The NeonMuseum’s current campus on Las Vegas Blvd, north of Fremont St, opened to the public in 2012.  On Oct 28th, it celebrated its 10th anniversary (@lasvegasweekly)
Twitpic of the week
Lettering longer than a football field and taller than a house is what travelers got to experience upon a person’s arrival at the original incarnation of the Stardust.  Part of the magic of Vegas is the often larger than life displays, whether it be the signage or experiences, available every time you visit.  Its also one of the reasons why the Neon Museum exists and is so popular.  Having the opportunity to roam amongst the titans of old gives you a perspective unique to the city and its magic.  Thanks to @_GrandPaD for sharing this flash back in time
News
The Fan District
Venetian Reinvestment
Reaper Evel Pie
F1 For Sale
The Fremont Progress Report

E-419: Ben Long

Random Vegas
Mandalay Bay was originally going to be named “Project Paradise”. (Sincitytalk.com)
Twitpic of the week
Reflection.  It’s how we review our life experiences and learn from them.  It’s also how our own bias distorts our perception.  Nowhere on planet earth does this metaphor better lend itself than pictures of Vegas after it rains.  This week’s winner by @thecalcasino captures both the actual corner marquee as well as its the distorted reflection in a puddle, once again drawing comparisons to Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass.  No matter your opinion of the property, one can’t argue that this is a lovely photo.
News
S Bar @Mandalay Bay
Vegas Reverse Retro
All Net Resort
$1 million dollar bar tab
Power Slap League
Enchant on the Strip

E-418: Puppy Power

Random Vegas
Las Vegas has a dog park on Fremont Street, down by the Western Casino that is home to the worlds largest functioning fire hydrant at 15 feet tall (@vitalvegas)
Twitpic of the week
It’s all about the signage on this one for me, shared by @summacorp.  Formerly the Thunderbird, the property was rebranded Silverbird after Major Riddle purchased the property in the mid 1970s.  The marquee was built in 1978 but only existed till Dec 81 when the property closed.  It was later purchased and again, rebranded.  Its final incarnation was as the El Rancho, an attempt to revive the brand that started the strip. It didn’t work and eventually the property closed, was demolished and in its place now is the Fontainebleau.
News
When We Were Young 2023

E-417: Sobertober

Random Vegas
In its first week of operation, the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace served about 15,000 people. The venue was built at a cost of $17 million. (@vitalvegas via Bacchanal's Executive Chef at the time, Scott Green)
Twitpic of the week
It’s past, present, and future all in one photo.  Brought to our attention by @StefanVanDeCook, this picture from @summacorp features the Mirage, with the sands Marquee in the foreground, For a time, the Sands was the property on the strip.  Until the Mirage came along supplanting the Sands as the market leader.  Eventually accepting they couldn’t continue to compete, they imploded the property and in its place opened Venetian. Fast forward to today and we are on the brink of losing another icon, the Mirage. True it won’t be imploded but we are losing the volcano.   it won’t be the same and eventually we will lose the name Mirage but what we will never lose are the memories.
News
Mirage dolphins
El Cortez renovations
Franco Dragone Dies
Light closes
Fertitta building on the Strip

E-416: Recreational Crack Smoker

Random Vegas
Moulin Rouge would not be the first property to attempt to cater to blacks.  The original was in 1942 when Shamrock Hotel on Fremont St attempted to cater to both blacks and whites.  It was a colossal failure as whites vehemently protested.  In response, city officials denied Shamrock an operating permit sighting Jim Crow policies in place at the time (The Moulin Rouge and black rights in Las Vegas)
Twitpic of the week
While not being as tall as the real Eiffel Tower in Paris, her replica in Vegas is still larger than life.  Especially with the angle shared by @NickyFurmage, with a background sky that can best be described as apocalyptic.  We don’t get much rain in the desert but when we do, it comes with vengeance.  Thankfully we have photography to capture the magic when it happens.  Thanks for sharing, Nicky.
News
360 Vegas WINTER Vacation
Vegas Holiday Attractions
New Signage @Neon Museum
Proper Eats