American Storm Heads Downtown

If hot oily men are your thing then you might want to check out male dance revue ‘American Storm’ which has now set up shop downtown at the newly renovated “Plaza.” The show was previously at the V Theater and before that was at the “Riviera” the show is playing Thursday through Sundays at 10:30pm with tickets starting at $29.95. The show if you are interested is 70 minutes long and according to the “Plaza” is fully costumed but my guess is those don’t stay on for long.

Tickets:

By phone (702) 946-8934 or (800) 793-9332

Online link or at the “Plaza” box office

First Friday Afterparties

If you are sticking around downtown after the March 2^nd ‘First Friday’ art and cultural event the “Plaza” is holding a couple of after-parties to continue the fun. The first one is from 11pm to 2am under the “Plaza” and features an Art Car Extravaganza with the world’s most unique and artfully designed vehicles as well as the Dancetronauts with DJs Philthy Phil and EJ Tha. The second party is for the late night partiers and runs from 1am to 6am in the “Plaza’s” showroom where the entertainment will be provided by Project Alma which is a Burner camp from Los Angeles and features four top DJs and live theatrics. 

First Friday Event Heats Up

Every month in downtown Las Vegas on the first Friday of the month they have a arts and cultural festival that started off as a small event but has been getting steadily bigger. The March event on the 2^nd is called ‘First Vegas Burn! The Flames of Change’ and will feature the first ever public burn signifying a transition from the old to the new way of doing things, bringing a new energy and spirit to downtown. A shuttle for the event will be operating from the “Plaza” to all the festivities in the Arts District hub and along Fremont Street East. This event draws lots of locals as well of tourists and is worth checking out if you are in the area on March 2^nd.

Resort Jobs Not Coming Back Soon

Since the recession started few places were hit as bad as Las Vegas with the huge collapse in real estate there as well as the drop in visitor spending since the downturn. The hotel resorts have laid off thousands of employees and this started before the downturn as the casino’s used technology to get rid of positions such as people in change booths or change runners. The companies are also trying to use technology such as mini roulette which only uses one employee instead of several and slot point’s redemption machines which will cut down people in the slot club desks. I don’t see the casino companies slowing down on using technology to replace employees where possible these jobs won’t return. In recent week there has been a lot of press about the “Plaza” reopening with 800 new jobs and the Octavuis Tower opening at “Caesars Palace” but that won’t take up the slack for the thousands laid off before. The “Plaza” reopening is good for downtown and the city but you have to remember when it closed to remodel the employees were laid off as well as the employees in the “Lady Luck”,“Binion’s” hotel the “Sahara” and this week the loss of up to 90 jobs at the “Western.” Las Vegas will come back it always does but it could take longer that the rest of the country, time will tell on that note.

"Western" To Close After 41 Years

We recently reported that the "Western" downtown was cutting its casino hours now Vegas Inc is reporting that the property is to close down on January 16th. The property is owned by the Tamares Real Estate Group that also owns the newly remodeled "Plaza" hotel and the sister property "Las Vegas Club" on Fremont Street. The desicion to close this property isn't really a surprise with the economy as it is at the moment plus the "Western" is run down in iffy area too far away from the Fremont Street Experiance. The property in recent years has been known for cheap drinks, food and table games. It will be interesting to see what becomes of the block wide property my guess in the near term nothing and it wil just remain closed; In the long term i wonder if the property will be remodelled or knocked down and replaced with another hotel casino or even used as a non gaming use.

"Las Vegas Club" Bingo

We don't often talk about bingo on LV Inside Out but if you are in downtown Las Vegas and are looking to play bingo the "Las Vegas Club" has a bingo room. The property makes a big deal that it is the only bingo room in downtown and drawings are at 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm and 9pm daily. The bingo room is in the back of the property in the space that used to be things such as a showroom and sports bar. The bingo area is really just a section that has been sectioned off with playwood walls that doesn't go up to the ceiling; This seems a inexpensive way to put in a bingo parlor but with the current economy its most likely the best thing to do i also wonder if it will be moved to the "The Plaza" once it reopens. If the bingo urge gets you then walk all the way through the casino and past the restaurants to the bingo area.

"The Plaza" Casino Open Sort Of

Tonight being Friday night Fremont Street and the casino's downtown were all packed as usual well all except one. I decided to walk over to the "Plaza" to see if anywhere was open to get food as everywhere that sold food on Fremont Street had big lines. The Subway and Mc Donalds had signs moved down next to the casino entrance so it was a long shot but i was hoping one would be open and of course they weren't. As the main entrance is closed like the hotel for remodeling i walked in the smaller entrance which was two blacked out doors im sure a lot of people wouldn't even know its open. Once inside i saw a room with plastic sheeting covering half of the former casino some slot machines no table games and three bored bartenders at the small bar that had been set up. As for customers i saw one couple plus as i was about to leave a guy with a suitcase asked if there was any rooms available (heading to Las Vegas on a Friday night with no rooms isn't advisable). The bartender told him there wasnt i think the customer thought it mean't they were sold out not that the hotel is closed but its still the same outcome. The casino cannot be making any money my guess its just open still because the showroom is still open, hopefully soon the remodeled "Plaza" will open and look much better than it does now. 

Pickets Not New To Las Vegas

Today as i went by the "Plaza" downtown i saw a group of pickets from one of the unions in Las Vegas protesting against of the tile companies in town this case Superior Tile. Union membership has fell nationally for years but they are still strong in Las Vegas but picket lines seem to be less common than in the past. I remember many times in the 1980's when there were lots of picket lines this recent blow up concerns the fact according to the siganage concerns the fact that Superior Tile doesn't have a contract with the bricklayers and tilesetters union local #13 in Las Vegas. I don't know who is wrong or right in this issue but this follows a similar protest on March 31st at the new Cosmopolitan hotel i hope it gets solved soon because the last thing Las Vegas needs at this time is negative press.

Shuttered "Plaza" Hotel Tonight

This is a picture taken tonight of the main entrance of the shuttered "Plaza" Hotel in downtown Las Vegas at one end of the Fremont Street Experiance. The casino is still open with access from a side entrance but the hotel itself is undergoing a $20 million remodel on the rooms which are due to open this summer. The money being spent doesn't sound much for the 1,037 hotel rooms but the "Plaza" was able to pick up quality furnishings at auction that were due for other stalled hotel projets in town. The "Plaza" has been in decline for years and other than spending some money to brighten up the casino a few years ago the property was dated. I don't now if the updated "Plaza" will look as good as the "Tropicana" remodel but any owner looking to spend money to upgrade there product is a plus in a really tough market at the moment. 

Downtown Las Vegas In 1985

A photo i took in downtown Las Vegas in 1985 showing Fremont Street years before the street was covered for the Fremont Street Experiance. Sassy Sally's was renamed as Mermaids next to that you can see the Girls Of Glitter Gulch and at the end of the street is the Union Plaza Hotel & Casino which in those days had a Amtrack passenger train service platform. The Union Plaza has since been renamed The Plaza and at moment is mostly closed for a remodel.