The D dealing tickets; ‘Mayor of the Strip’ amasses followers
The Kats! Bureau at this writing is the second-floor Vue Bar at the D Las Vegas, named such because there is a high-up view of the Fremont Street Experience from the deck outside.
Below, we see many buskers, such as little Mr. T., two guys dressed as Chippendales dancers and three women in kitty attire. They are cavorting in Circle No. 19, certainly on the fast track to fame.
Hotel owner Derek Stevens and the vice-president of Stevens’ collection of downtown hotels, Jeff Victor, just stopped by the bureau to say hey. Stevens has a wager at Golden Nugget on the Oregon Ducks to knock off North Carolina, taking the 4.5 points and also betting the “over” on the 153.5 total.
Victor, who handles entertainment bookings for Stevens, says his department is moving more than 114,000 tickets to various shows and events. That includes the hard-rocking Las Rageous music festival April 21-22, which is taking over two blocks downtown at Third Street and Carson Avenue.
The event features Avenged Sevenfold, Coheed & Cambria, Breaking Benjamin, Eagles of Death Metal and Mastadon. Quite the rage, collectively, a heavy counterpart to the Life is Beautiful event downtown in September.
Victor is optimistic this could be the rare first-year festival that actually breaks even. Usually, even financially viable festivals (Bonnaroo and Coachella among them) need three years to turn a profit. There seems money in death metal, and maybe the Ducks, in downtown LV.
More from the scene:
MAYORAL TWITTER STANDOFF
Who has more Twitter followers: Mayor of Las Vegas Carolyn Goodman or “Mayor of the Strip” and Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak. A post from Clark County Director of Public Relations Erik Pappa on Friday night asked, “Pretty sure the Mayor of the Strip is going to reach 10,000 followers in the next 24 hours.”
Pappa had re-tweeted a post by Sisolak from Friday’s core sapling of the proposed site of the Raiders stadium at Russel Road west of Interstate 15.
Invoking “Mayor of the Strip” for Sisolak comes a day after Goodman, who is actually a mayor, jokingly suggested moving the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign to the Las Vegas city limits. The County Commission, especially Sisolak and Pappa, have been reminding citizens and tourists of the city/county boundary lines for public ceremonies. At this writing, Sisolak has just passed 10,000 Twitter followers. Goodman is at around 8,600.
INFLATABLE-DOLL ACTION
Jimmy Slonina’s inspired human balancing act, which he performs in a cherry-red onesie with an inflatable doll partner, might make it to network TV. Slonina, who swings for Brian Dewhurst as the clown/usher in “Mystere” and was a cast member in “Vegas Nocturne” at the Cosmopolitan, has auditioned the act for judges for the upcoming season of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.”
Slonina debuted the routine a couple of years ago in Melody Sweets’ “Circus Burlesque” show at the Spiegeltent at Caesars Palace. More will be revealed in May, but I am optimistic TV history will be made with this act.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section, and Fridays in Neon. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
