Had this post been published on Friday, as originally planned, it would have been all about Circus Circus’ Frightdome, and how pathetic its “haunted houses” are, and how lackluster its entire approach is. But given today is Monday and so much more has traversed since then, you’re getting a break. Sort of.
After swearing off judging anything again (click here to see why), I acquiesced when the Babes in Sin burlesque troupe approached me to be one of the judges of their “Miss All Tease, No Sleaze” burlesque pageant at Beauty Bar Las Vegas. I figure as an appreciator of burlesque and hot chicks with tattoos, I’d be as qualified as anyone to do this. And I suppose they felt the same, me being editor of a magazine that has featured both of the above numerous times.
The “All Tease, No Sleaze” went pretty well, actually. It was very well-organized, on-time and smoothly-executed. Babes in Sin used a full stage with catwalk in the outdoor venue behind Beauty Bar, and set up a “backstage” area in a tent to the side of the stage for full professional effect. The venue was packed with colorful characters. My fellow judges were, admittedly, better-qualified than myself–Kalani Kokonuts, a busty burlesque diva, and Luke, who does something with the Burlesque Hall of Fame (sorry, dude, I didn’t take notes!!)–but as with the Babes in Sin, they were welcoming and accommodating.
As is typical, the girl I didn’t want to win, won (again, I did not take notes, so her name … escapes me). Which is not to say I didn’t contribute to that. Remaining objective, she received the highest scores on my sheet as well. But it seems she brought every person she knows to the event, and her crowd response was therefore overwhelming, even before she stepped on stage. Something about her made me not want to like her, but the fact remains, she had her moves together, she was spunky, and again, had ridiculous crowd support, so we could not deny her the Miss All Tease, No Sleaze title.
And lest anyone think Fremont East is losing its steam, all three existing bars down there were packed Saturday night. The same cannot be said for sidebar, the formerly hip cocktail lounge on Third Street. When it opened, it had so much promise, adjacent to Triple George Grill and offering a simple formula: classic cocktails in a low-key atmosphere. Somewhere along the path, sidebar lost its way: loud pop music; glaring flat screen TVs; the subtle natural color palette mauled by the addition of cushioned seating with pastel-colored adornments; and most recently, the loss of favorite bartender George, to Downtown Cocktail Room, where he now mans the bar as night manager.
Yes, Third Street in general is suffering after a promising debut a few years back: Celebrity could neither survive as a drag club nor a live music venue; Triple George has been in serious pain despite rave reviews and a midday government and lawyer customer base; the Lady Luck closed for an alleged remodel, detracting further from the area’s appeal. Only Hogs & Heifers continues to be a serious draw down there, and sorry to say, but outside of bikers and white trash, that’s only a detractor from the area. Hipsters aren’t going to throw back beers surrounded by old. burly men in leather singing along to “Freebird.”
