360 Vegas

E-479: Let Me Save You

Random Vegas
The office of Sam “Ace” Rothstein and the Tangiers sports book in Martin Scorsese’s Casino was filmed on the site of an unopened casino at the Jockey Club (Vintagelasvegas.com)
Vegas Pic of the week
This is a photo I didn’t even know existed and it blew my mind when I found it, like I’m sure it’s going to blow yours.  It’s a picture of the Dunes, mid-evolution from a motel to a high rise.  I found it at vintagelasvegas.com.  Here we still see all the original façade with the Diamond of the Dunes behind it under construction.  It wouldn’t be much longer before the sultan was relocated to the golf course, just off the freeway.  That is until he caught fire due to an electrical short or something, I can’t remember.  I’m just psyched that this picture exits and I can share it with all of you.  Also, it’s not lost on me that this picture isn’t breathtaking it’s just a moment in time I’m grateful we have.
News
Downtown Beer Festival
A’s partnering with Neon Museum
Hollywood 2.0
Flat Rate Cabs
Bally’s Corp Privatization

PCP - Vintage Benny Binion

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Benny Binion is a Vegas legend.  Many of the policies and procedures he put in place to run his casinos are standard operating procedure today.  Making everyone feel like they were someone was the key to establishing loyalty and more importantly, return business.  At Binion’s, you knew you were getting a good gamble with a fair shake.
 
For more information about Benny Binion, check out the following
lvstriphistory.com 
The Players: The Men Who Made Las Vegas 
The First 100 
Sharks in the Desert 
I Do My Own Damn Killin' 
Blood Aces 
Pinterest 
BattleBorn Pins 
Vintage Vegas Shirts 

E-478: Microscope Scrotum Analysis

Random Vegas
Many of YESCO’s contracts for the signs it manufactured were lease agreements that included service contracts for the life of the lease.  When the lessee eventually removed the sign, the contract stipulated that it be returned to YESCO which either recycled the signs parts or retired the sign to a designated boneyard lot at the outskirts of Las Vegas (Spectacular – A History of Las Vegas Neon)
Vegas Pic of the week
This week’s winner from VintageLasVegas.com is another snapshot in time of Vegas under development.  Specifically, the Mint and Lucky Casino.  The date is April 18th, 1963 and the Mint tower has broken ground behind the casino at the bottom of the picture.  Right across the street, in between the Golden Nugget and Nevada Club, Lucky Casino is installing their record-breaking marquee frontage that will reach 160 feet tall once complete.  It would only have the crown of tallest sign in the city for a year before the Dune’s 180-foot Super Pylon was built on the strip.
News
Tropicana Stadium
FSE Free Concert Series
360 Vegas Discord
ABC store Sign
 

E-477: Incestious

Random Vegas
In the late 1940s, the state of Nevada’s slogan was “If you can’t do it at home, come to Nevada”. (Spectacular – A History of Las Vegas Neon)
Twitpic of the week
Icons, paired together in a beautiful union.  The Sands cylindrical hotel tower, the classic, original, Sands egg crate marquee with the name Frank Sinatra on it as the headliner in the Copa Room.  For a time, it didn’t get any more iconic than these brands together.  @Summacorp shared a lovely photo of this moment in time, specifically Nov of 1966, just after Caesars Palace opened
News
Smoke and Mirrors
New Vegas

E-476: Personal Notes

Random Vegas
In 2003, Las Vegas tried to buy a commercial slot during the Super Bowl to promote tourism to the city.  The NFL stepped in, citing a contract that allowed it to reject any ad related to sports betting, even though the spot didn’t include any overt references to gambling (Forbes)
Twitpic of the week
It’s amazing to think that today, this is all Circa.  The Las Vegas Club, Golden Goose, Glitter Gulch and Sassy Sally, shared by @_GrandPaD, gone.  Granted Sassy Sally was Mermaid’s at the time of her demise but that’s beside the point.  The point is look how much things change in Vegas, all the time.  On a side note, this is the best picture I’ve seen showing that Vegas Vickie and Sassy Sally are not the same thing.  The typical POV shot of Sally’s and this area makes it almost look like Vickie is sitting on top of the Sassy Sally sign, hence the misconception that Vickie used to be Sally.
News
Super Bowl Success
Tropicana Stadium
F1 2024 Improvements
 
 
 

PCP - 360 Vintage LOST Vegas E-1: Moon Hotel and Casino

This is one of those projects that I would have loved to see make it to the strip; and who knows, we may still get it one day.  Yes a space theme has failed before in Las Vegas but come on, it was Bob Stupak behind it.  Just like Luxor before it, I wonder how long those themed attractions will last.  Another problem with a space themed resort is how quickly things can look dated. $5 billion dollars is a crazy price tag for a concept that is clearly targeting the middle class. Only time will tell if this concept comes to market but considering its Vegas, I wouldn’t bet on it.

360 Vegas Reviews - Fantasy @Luxor

 
We recently released the 360 Vegas show review for X-Country, and Mrs Jaydubs complained that we spent half the review talking about Fantasy.  I can’t help it, though. Fantasy is the litmus test by which all other Vegas topless revues will be judged for a long time. Note: I have in the past referred to Fantasy as the Gold Standard of Vegas topless revues, and thought I was very clever for coming up with that. Then I saw the same words on a Fantasy poster on the way into Luxor and realized I was just subconsciously plagiarizing something I’ve seen before.  To quote my father, “When someone steals your idea, it’s plagiarism. When you steal someone else’s idea, it’s inspiration.”  I’ll run with that.
 
    If you aren’t aware, Fantasy is a nightly topless revue show at the Luxor.  The production dates back to 1999, and is the oldest running topless show in Vegas.  It was originally titled “Midnight Fantasy,” and it had a 12 am showtime to match.  In 2001, Luxor dropped the midnight showtime in exchange for an earlier time slot, but didn’t drop the “Midnight” from the title until 2006.  Over its nearly 25 year history, Fantasy has gone through several revisions. I myself have seen it 3 or 4 times, and it is always a solid choice.
 
    The structure is simple: beautiful women take off their clothes for the audience.  There are a variety of acts, and the show switched them out regularly. The content of the show can vary by season  - or even nightly - due to the various performers taking time off.  Your favorite dancer isn’t going to perform in the show 7 days a week, she needs a break! There are numbers that feature single performers, as well as duo and ensemble pieces.  To mix things up, the show also features a couple of acrobatic numbers with an aerialist on the silk web.  Driving the show forward is a female MC who sings a few songs while performers dance. 
 
    The performers themselves are absolutely lovely, and I would describe them as ______________.  I should say that Fantasy has a specific aesthetic for its performers, which some may not appreciate.  Probably the best way to describe this would be the classic Playboy look, the cast favors lean blondes, and even the darker-skinned girls are light-skinned, if that makes sense. None of the performers are conventionally unattractive, but if you prefer your eye-candy thick and curvy, you won’t find it here. I had no complaints.
    An important note: every topless show I’ve seen in Vegas makes an effort to be welcoming of the ladies and the women in the audience, but probably none do it better than Fantasy.  Any women reluctant to attend with their SO or girlfriends should put that fear aside. You will not be the only woman there and no one will make you feel strange for being there. This is probably one of Fantasy’s biggest selling points for Mrs. Jaydubs and myself.
    Fantasy runs nightly at the Atrium theater at the Luxor.  The show shares the venue with Carrot Top, and I can’t help but think that this must lead to some fascinating backstage moments.  The venue is a traditional theater with a very sloped house. What this means is there are no bad seats, and you have a bigger risk of accidentally kicking the person in front of you in the head than not being able to see around them.  The seats themselves are very comfortable, and the theater can accommodate about 350 people.
    In terms of the Audience Fuckery Factor, you should avoid the first 5 rows if you don’t want to be singled out for questions or attention, and the first 2 rows if you don’t want to be called on stage.
    Fantasy runs every night at 10:30 pm. There is also sometimes an early show at 8:00 pm. Tickets start at $52 on Vegas.com.

E-475: Boo Cancer

Random Vegas
Built in 1982, the 2-story building that was the Oasis Casino @Dunes was supposed to be comprised of two components, a casino on the 1st floor and a restaurant on the 2nd floor.  The restaurant never opened and the space remained unused until its destruction in 1993 (vintagelasvegas.com)
Twitpic of the week
Here is another @summacorp picture that mesmerizes me with all the history going on.  For example, we know that this is 1968 because they are working on the fountains in front of the new Circus Circus casino. You’ll notice that fountain 5 is being deconstructed.  That’s because they are moving the carousel marquee from the left of the fountains to that location on the right; all so they can make room to build Slots-A-Fun. Next door to that is Westward Ho still 3 years away from adding a casino in 1971.  And next to that is the mammoth Stardust 1,000 motel units all lined up neatly like an OCD dream come true.  If you look to the top left you’ll see both the Stardust casino and the 12-story expansion tower from 1964.  And across the street from it all we have the Riviera with her classic marquee. It’s truly remarkable to think about how much land they needed back in the 50s through to the 70s and even 80s in some cases.  Its no wonder why they all sold for the right price.
News
Sphere Demonstration
360VV14
Strip Frontage Advertising
Caesars, Strat and Luxor