Posts Tagged ‘Six Degrees’

It makes sense that my two stories in this month’s issue of Six Degrees Las Vegas are published back to back in the magazine (pages 44 and 46). The Killers opening the new Joint concert hall at the Hard Rock Hotel ties in directly to the Vegas-spawned quartet’s headlining of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, as both events take place the same weekend, and not by coincidence.

One great side effect of Coachella’s relative proximity to Vegas is the visits by a number of bands and artists scheduled to play that three-day festival in Indio, Calif. right here in Sin City the same weekend. This year, all three headliners are performing pricey (and mostly sold-out) shows: The Cure on Friday, April 17 at the Pearl inside the Palms resort, Paul McCartney on Sunday, April 19 at the Joint, and the aforementioned Killers show opening the new-and-improved Joint, also on Friday.

Of course, I’ll be going to none of the above shows. I’ve seen the Killers enough times to last me a few years, Cure tickets were mind-numbingly expensive and Sir Paul … those tickets went in the blink of an eye. Really, there are a number of concerts I’d love to hit that are coming to Vegas soon, including Depeche Mode and the once-in-a-lifetime (since Lollapalooza) combo of a fully reunited Jane’s Addiction and Nine Inch Nails. But ticket prices for these shows (both at the Pearl) have been so exhorbitant ($95 at the low end for JA/NIN and $200 on the high for DM) that no reasonable person, especially not in this economy, can afford them. But given that they’ve been selling briskly, there are apparently a lot of unreasonable people out there.

I just received an invitation to the March issue launch party at Blush inside the Wynn for Six Degrees (Thursday at 11 p.m. for anyone interested), so I’m guessing that coming to a salon/bar/whatever near you this week is the tiny magazine with the cover to the right.

Inside — on page 128 to be exact — I take a look at Fado Irish Pub in Henderson, and preview the bar’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Fado’s probably my favorite Irish pub in Las Vegas. Sprawled out across two stories in the corner of a trendy shopping pavilion near Eastern Avenue and the 215, Fado can be anything you want: loud party destination, intimate hideaway, friendly dinner spot — oh, just pick up the magazine and read about it. Or visit the website and squint really hard.

The April issue of Six Degrees should have a few more stories from yours truly in there, including a preview of Coachella. Yes, I know, there’s very little point to previewing the music festival in 250 words two months after the lineup was announced. But, hey, I don’t make the assignments — I just take them.

Well, look at that: February went and started without me even noticing. That must mean the new issue of Six Degrees Las Vegas is out. Though I haven’t seen a physical copy yet, the online version of the issue hidden behind that Mel B-adorned cover is now available for your enthusiastic perusal.

I wrote a couple articles for this issue: One on my new favorite (OK, everyone’s new favorite) neighborhood bar, Frankie’s Tiki Room, and one on a long-standing Las Vegas drinking and dining (though mostly the former) institution, the Peppermill Restaurant & Fireside Lounge.  If you’re not hip to either, I recommend a) picking up Six Degrees and reading my quick reviews and then b) getting your drink on.

Also, eagle-eyed readers might catch a distinctively attractive, bearded fella with his dazzling lady in the photo gallery for the One Six Lounge VIP grand opening on page 125. Yes, we’re wearing puffy coats. There was an open balcony and it was COLD, yo.

I’m working on a couple of music-related stories for the April issue of that same mag, and I think there’s more alcohol-related nonsense in next month’s St. Patrick’s-flavored edition. Brace your livers.

Last night, as my girlfriend and I munched on veggie burgers at our tiny kitchen table, I told her about an idea for a story I wanted to pitch to one of the local alt-weeklies. It was a sound enough idea, well-thought out and though not time-sensitive, relevant in light of the current global and local economic situation.

She listened to and processed my pitch. We finished eating. A little bit later, while just chilling on the couch after dinner, she turned to me and asked, “Is there some reason you want to do that story now?” I re-delivered my reasoning from earlier. She listened, again, surprisingly patiently, and then clarified: “If the story isn’t time sensitive, why can’t you just pitch it later and focus on getting your comic book script done?”

Huh.

If anyone hasn’t figured it out yet, I have the attention span of a hummingbird. It’s nothing new, though the internet age has certainly not helped. For about the last 15 years or so, I have always juggled multiple projects in the air at once. At one point a few years ago, I was working full-time as a web content editor, going to school full-time for not one but two bachelor’s degrees, doing regular freelance writing for multiple publications and editing a twice-weekly newspaper. All at once.

I have a terrible habit of starting new projects in the middle of current ones, and sometimes leaving old ones unfinished in their wake. I have in my files at least three unfinished books and/or proposals, an in-progress screenplay or two and who knows how many broken pieces of potential articles, reviews or columns. While in the midst of a freelance deadline last week, I was also creating promotional materials and editing videos and music for my band while scheduling meetings to discuss taking on more projects … and formulating plans for that story pitch that started this whole conversation.

The girlfriend was right. I need to focus. There’s no immediate timeliness or financial burden requiring me to pitch this story right now. On the other hand, as she so kindly reminded me, San Francisco WonderCon is little more than a month away, and if there is any imaginary deadline for me to have my comic proposal together, that would absolutely be it.

In the 2005 film Les poupées russes (an adequate sequel to one of my favorite films, L’Auberge espagnole), the protagonist, Xavier, is a writer who does ghostwriting and pens pulpy romance books because these gigs pay well, but he is unsatisfied with the work, instead wishing to write earnest novels. Xavier’s grandfather tells him that if he keeps letting them, these good-paying but temporary distractions will consume his life, leaving what he truly wants out of reach. In the context of the film, it’s an allegory for the way Xavier’s led his romantic life. But the advice stands up on its own.

So while the occasional 200-word story for Six Degrees or contribution to little things such as Quips and Tips for Freelance Writers aren’t terrible time-suckers, I really need to hold steady and focus on finishing existing projects before starting new ones. Especially small ones. Before it’s too late.

The umpteenth annual Consumer Electronics Show is due to hit the Las Vegas Convention Center next week, from Jan. 8 to 11. Not coincidentally, I wrote up a preview of this year’s tech-geek mecca for the just-released January issue of Six Degrees Las Vegas. If you’re so inclined, bust out the magnifying glass and click over to page 47 of the online edition of the little lifestyle magazine for my 200-odd words of pulse-pounding prose proselytizing prosaically on terrific tech toys to tantalize your tastes! (Beat that, Stan Lee!)

As I wrote in the article, companies are keeping relatively quiet in advance of the show, but 2009 CES Innovations Honorees announced in November include WowWee’s Rovio – a roving, WiFi-enabled robotic webcam that can be remotely controlled from anywhere – Mitsubishi’s 3D-ready LaserVue TV – which allegedly blows away HDTV – and the HP TouchSmart series of computers, with an iPhone-like interface already gracing retail store shelves.

I followed CES for DailyFiasco.com last year, and will be attending again this year. So expect some blogging to that effect next week, and if I shoot video, maybe I’ll actually remember to edit it and post it, instead of leaving it sitting on my hard drive to rust for 12 months — which I apparently did last time around.

Look to next month’s Six Degrees for a couple more stories I penned, possibly about places in which alcohol are served, if I remember correctly. Hopefully the photography accompanying those is sexier than the image of Bill Gates gracing this month’s piece.