Posts tagged ‘fremont east entertainment district’

Lisick and Jepsen bring Bay Area sketch comedy to Sin City

December 11th, 2008
We don't know what to think, either.

We don't know what to think, either.

San Francisco writers Beth Lisick and Tara Jepsen have been performing together on and off since both appearing on the 1999 Sister Spit tour. This weekend, they’re unveiling their comedic alter egos in Las Vegas once again with a sketch-comedy show called “Getting on the Ground Floor and Staying There” at Beauty Bar (517 Fremont St.) tomorrow night, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. In case you’ve been living under a culture-less rock and aren’t aware of these two incredible authors, here’s the righteous skinny:

Lisick has penned two critically acclaimed popular alt-memoirs — Everyone into the Pool: True Tales and Helping Me Help Myself: One Skeptic, Ten Self-help Gurus, and a Year on the Brink of the Comfort Zone. She also spent eight years writing a nightlife column called “Buzz Town” for the San Francisco Chronicle and co-founded the Porchlight Storytelling Series (which has featured Las Vegas’ own spoken-word maestro and NPR commentator Dayvid Figler).

Jepsen, on the other hand, orchestrates the queer slam-poetry night, “K’vetch,” and helped create one of the more notorious rock bands in S.F. called Lesbians. Her work has been published in landmark anthologies such as Pills, Thrills, Chills and Heartache and It’s So You.

VEGASinsight had a chance to speak with Lisick recently, to get the lowdown on what we can expect from her and Jepsen’s Las Vegas appearance.

VEGASinsight: So what’s “Getting on the Ground Floor and Staying There” all about anyway?

Beth Lisick: The show is a tribute that Tara [Jepsen] and I are throwing for ourselves after working together for 10 years. Carole and Mitzi are lady comediennes who never quite get around to telling their jokes, because they’re easily sidetracked about topics such as what defines one as a lesbian, and how much their tub of pancake mix is going to cost them, and how dirty the steam room at the gay men’s bath house was the other night. They are the janitors there on the night shift, you see.

VI: Wow.

BL: Oh, we’ll also present Cricket and Jinx, two ladies well past 40 who are obsessed with being “rock ’n’ roll” and “edgy.” And also Don and Phil, a couple of gay silver foxes who have been together for more than 30 years and like to kindly educate their audience about art and architecture.

VI: Isn’t there a movie component? We heard there was a film of Tara’s and yours to be screened.

BL: Yes, we will also show our short film Diving for Pearls, which played gay film fests internationally. [Note: Lisick doesn’t like to brag. The film won the “Most Innovative Short” award at the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival in 2005 and was selected for the “Best of Newfest” screening at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.]

VI: You’ve been a comedian for 10 years! What does comedy mean to you?

BL: Well, I don’t consider myself a true comedian, though my character Carole Murphy is certainly one.

VI: So I guess you could say you only play a comedian onstage. Does comedy scratch a different itch for you than the one you scratch with the Porchlight series?

BL: Porchlight is a storytelling series that I curate, but don’t perform at. I just emcee the event with my partner Arline Klatte.

VI: You’ve done everything in Vegas — poetry readings, book festival appearances, dressed up like a banana for promotions, performed music — except for one thing: You’ve never worked in a casino. When can we expect that to happen?

BL: We will work in a casino this weekend if anyone wants to hire us!

Neon Outlook: Searchlight, Henri & Odette, Blood Orgy

October 21st, 2008

Big Friendly Corporation
Big Friendly Corporation plays at Beauty Bar Oct. 25.

This week’s just about halfway over, but there are some dope events we kinda figured you shouldn’t miss, so without further adieu, here’s what’s what in Las Vegas this week:

“Bottom For Queen,” a new exhibition by UNLV graduate Daniel Samaniego, debuts this Friday, Oct. 24 at Henri & Odette (124 S. Sixth St.). A reception for the artist will be held from 6 to 8 p.m., and the show will be ony display at the gallery through Dec. 6.

IndieKrush.com and Pulsar Presents brings another edition of Say What?! to Beauty Bar (517 Fremont St.) this Saturday, Oct. 25, joining forces with Los Angeles’ Bring the Ruckus to present “Blood Orgy.” Outside, live bands The Frail, Dream Sequence, Pic Vicious, Big Friendly Corporation and Neon Facade will rock the stage along with fire mistress Jenn-o-Cide and DJ Know Well, while inside, Bul!m!atron, Dskotek, Roccanova, Grimehaus, MDY and Remy the Restless will spin dirty electro, nu-rave and indie tunes all night long. Look for free candy, a photo booth, beer pong and much more. The madness gets underway at 9 p.m., and entry is free for the bar, and only $5 for the live music.

Just around the corner at Jillian’s (450 Fremont St.) that same night, the Second Annual Searchlight and Friends Halloween show kicks off at 6 p.m. This all-ages show features Lydia Vance, Almost Normal, Hang ‘Em High and Damnear Divine along with headliner Searchlight, all for $10. Plus, a $1 raffle will be held, with all proceeds going to the local chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Rock out for a good cause before you shake ya ass over at Beauty Bar!

Contest: FREE Eagles of Death Metal show at Beauty Bar Las Vegas

October 20th, 2008

eagles of death metal

Did you know that Eagles of Death Metal is playing a totally free show at Beauty Bar Las Vegas (517 Fremont St.) on Nov. 4? No? Well, now you do. Josh Homme’s band that isn’t Queens of the Stone Age is headlining “Antics,” an Election Day after-party sponsored by Toyota Matrix. Did you know I drive a Matrix? No? Well, now you do.

As this is a party, not only will Eagles of Death Metal be rocking out, but there will also be DJs, T-shirt silk-screening and Rock Band playing inside customized Matrix models. And, of course, a bunch of anorexic boys and girls in skinny jeans drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon. Attendance is free, so long as you RSVP at the special Antics website. BUT …

Want to win some cool stuff as well? How about two VIP passes for the show? An Antics T-shirt? Um … how about we toss in a copy of Eagles of Death Metal’s new CD, Heart On? Sound good? Well, then, enter the VEGASinsight Eagles of Death Metal Contest now. It’s easy: Just drop an e-mail to eodmcontest@vegasinsight.net with your full name, mailing address and phone number, and we’ll pull a random winner from all e-mails received on Oct. 27. The rules are simple: You have to be over 21, and you have to submit your e-mail by 11:59 p.m. (PST) Oct. 26, 2008.

Good luck and remember: Early voting in Nevada started Oct. 18, so quit slacking and get voting!

Neon Outlook: Obama, Artexpo, F**K PARIS?!

September 16th, 2008

laco$te
Laco$te will get you naked. For real.

Yes, I know we’ve been absent here for a bit. But there has been movement on the back end of this site that you may not have noticed. We’re working to expand our Neighborhoods section to include venue guides, photo galleries and more, as well as hiring new talent to bring you even more news, interviews and reviews. Oh, but onto the matter at hand: Here’s some cool stuff coming up in the next few weeks you may want to check out should you be kicking it in Las Vegas. And of course, you should be.


Obamania returns to Las Vegas as Sen. Barack Obama comes to Cashman Field (650 Las Vegas Blvd. N.) at 5 p.m. tomorrow, Sept. 17. If you want to get more insight into this Presidential candidate’s campaign, click here to RSVP for the event, which is free to the public.

Artexpo Las Vegas returns to the Mandalay Bay Resort from Sept. 19 to 21. This three-day art industry tradeshow features more than 30 seminars, networking events, pavilions for photographers and emerging artists, and much more. Visit vegas.artexpos.com for more information or registration.

IndieKrush.com busts out another mind-blowing hipster soiree with “F**K PARIS?!” at Beauty Bar (517 Fremont St.) on Saturday, Sept. 27. Inside the bar, DJs Mr_Peaches, Dmndays, Grimehaus, DJess and VaJayJay rock the dirty electro, nu-rave and indie, while outside on the patio, A.I., Laco$te, The Day After…, Alta Revere, Close to Modern and Kobra Ghodsi perform live. Seriously, the $5 cover for the live music will be worth it just to see Laco$te. Trust us. The nonsense starts at 9 p.m.

Henri & Odette: Making Las Vegas more metropolitan

July 14th, 2008

One of the freshest new art outlets to open downtown last year was the Jennifer Marie Gallery, located upstairs in the Arts Factory across from Damned Ink Studios. Owned and curated by Jennifer Harrington, the tiny space brought new names and faces from both Las Vegas and across the country to the forefront of the Vegas art scene in a variety of media, from sculpture to photography. But a few months ago, Harrington’s gallery disappeared from the space, and we can only imagine a number of others were left to wonder, as we did, “What happened?”

Henri & Odette is what happened. Harrington is not only opening a new gallery in a larger location, but she is stepping it up a few notches, expanding the focus of the new space on Sixth Street near Carson Avenue (just south of the Fremont Entertainment District) to encompass “art, style, design and life.”

“I really want this space to be more of a conceptual location, more than just a gallery, a metropolitan meeting place,” Harrington wrote via e-mail. “It is my hope that artists, writers [and] creative curious people will come down to the gallery, have a look at an international magazine or paper, see a cool show and converge somewhere other than a manufactured town setting.”

Plans for the space include a water bar, a varied selection of international magazines and, of course, cutting-edge art from up-and-coming creators. The gallery will launch with a show by the incomparable Caesar Garcia, “Language,” opening on Aug. 1 at 6 p.m. Garcia says the show “is themed with a play on words and language and what we as people use to communicate visually.”

For more information, visit www.henri-odette.com or call 702-686-3164.

At Beauty Bar, U-N-I can get down

May 20th, 2008

U-N-I

Tuesday night seems as good a night as any to shake ya ass to soul, funk, hip-hop, lo-fi and house music, so we guess it’s a good thing DJs Slimm, Green and Frizzle will be spinning all that and more tonight at Beauty Bar Las Vegas (517 Fremont St.) for the second monthly installment of Hi-Fidelity, starting at 10 p.m.

If you missed out on last month’s edition, which featured a performance by Trackademics, peep our photo gallery to work up your jealousy, and then burn it off tonight with a special performance by U-N-I. Kashluv.com will be on hand to take pictures, and there will be drink specials for the ladies from 10 – 11:30 p.m. Cover is free for those females, $5 for the dudes, and as always, there is no dress code.

Feeling Restless? So is Beauty Bar

May 6th, 2008

lismore
Actual photo of Lismore. I know the kids are skinny these days, but come on!

New York City electronic duo Lismore headlines “Restless!” at Beauty Bar Las Vegas (517 Fremont St.) this Friday, May 9, sharing the venue’s backyard stage with PartyShank, Mother McKenzie and Ex-Dinosaur. Meanwhile, inside the bar, DJs AC Slater, Joee Irwin, MDY, Remy the Restless and Grimehaus will get your booty shaking.

It all goes down at 10 p.m. There’s no cover to drink and dance inside the bar, but it’ll cost you $5 if you want to see the bands (gas ain’t free, kids!). As usual, the indie-electro madness is brought to you by Remy the Restless and Indiekrush.com, the latter of which just launched a new blog full of all sorts of hipster cultural artifacts, including videos, photos and music samples.

Hi-Fidelity brings some soul to Beauty Bar Las Vegas

April 14th, 2008

trakademics
Trackademics lives in an animated world, just like us.

There’s just not enough good hip-hop clubs in Las Vegas. No, really — we’re not talking about that Jay-Z-50 Cent-Ludacris stuff that the weak-ass DJs at the mainstream nightclubs play — we mean music that gets your ass shaking without inducing flashbacks of automatic weapons, women getting bitch-slapped or shiny gold grills.

Well, for one night a month, Beauty Bar (517 Fremont St.) is being transformed into an urban music oasis when Hi-Fidelity takes over the downtown hot spot. Hearkening back to those Hypercolored days of “House Party,” Hi-Fidelity is all about fly music and fresh looks. Featuring a different featured performer each month, the party also offers DJs Slimm, Green and Frizzle spinning soul, funk, hip-hop, lo-fi, house and other tasty styles of music, as well as drink specials, event photos and a “Your Royal Flyness” competition, with contestants competing for streetwear, featured placement on fliers and the web and, of course, respect.

The kick-off is tomorrow, Tuesday, April 15, at 10 p.m., with a performance by Trackademics and The Honor Roll. There’s no cover, and ladies showing up before 11:30 p.m. enjoy special prices on libations. The only dress code is to bring your personal style in spades.

Get high with Doug Benson at Beauty Bar on 4/20

April 10th, 2008

Super High Me
When you get high, all fonts display like it’s still the 1970s.

It’s no big surprise that there will be marijuana-themed events held on Sunday, April 20. It’s no surprise that one of the places holding such an event is Beauty Bar (517 Fremont St.), where we’re pretty sure its patrons are typically high on plenty of things other than, and including, pot. But we’re mildly surprised that the CineVegas Film Festival is showing it’s true color — green — by bringing a free screening of Super High Me to Beauty Bar’s backyard at 10 p.m. that night.

Yes, on 4/20, so long as you are 21 and over, you too can enjoy free popcorn and not free cocktails while you watch stand-up comedian Doug Benson getting super high for 30 days while on the road. Oh, and it has something to do with exploring marijuana legislation or something, man.

Check this out: If you want to “roll” your own screening of Super High Me, you can totally do it for free by visiting the movie’s website and following some simply instructions. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Funeral Party headlines next Say What?! at Beauty Bar Las Vegas

April 8th, 2008

Funeral Party hotness
Option 1: Picture of skinny white guys with shaggy hair. Option 2: Hot chick in band T-shirt. Yeah, that was a tough choice.

How popular are these “Say What?!” parties that Indiekrush.com and Mojorepublik.com put on? Well, let’s just say we’re really glad it appeared most attendees showered before crowding into Beauty Bar for the last installment a few weeks ago. The electro-rocking party series returns to ye olde Salon of Beauty at 517 Fremont St. on Saturday, April 19. On the outdoor stage behind the bar, check out Los Angeles disco-rockers Funeral Party, along with One Pin Short, Novelty Act and Slow Children, while inside, providing a soundtrack for your 10-minute bar wait, Nitecells, Grimehaus, ABOM, Noel and VaJayJay will rock the dirty electro, nu-rave and indie tunes.

As usual, expect live painting, both on canvas and on hot, naked bodies, a photo booth from DML photography and in a twist we fully support, a free keg on the dance floor. It all starts at 10 p.m., with $3 well drinks from 10 to 11 p.m. There’s no cover at the door, but it’ll cost you $5 to see the bands out back – unless there’s some last minute lineup change as there was with the Black Angels show, in which case, the price is subject to change.