John Katsilometes

Story Archive

With Sabina Kelley, ‘Pin Up’ exhibits some Vegas ink
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Sabina Kelley and Claire Sinclair are close friends, one of the many reasons Kelley is subbing for Sinclair in "Pin Up." Kelley is no doubt a major figure in the inked-up, rockabilly world of burlesque and a highly popular pinup model who serves as a judge on the Oxygen show “Best Ink.” ...
South Point probably won’t wrangle hockey
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Equestrian events and ice hockey are an odd mix, and that’s precisely why the suddenly vagabond Las Vegas Wranglers won’t ...
MGM Resorts says fans to be ushered to ‘underutilized’ exits at Grand Garden Arena
Saturday, May 24, 2014
MGM Resorts International officials have reviewed safety measures at MGM Grand Garden Arena after the crush of spectators led to a scene of panic following the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Marcos Maidana fight May 3. ...
Saga of a lost ring, panic and a stroke of luck
Saturday, May 24, 2014
A ring with incalculable sentimental value went down the chute ... but it is back home now. On Christmas Eve of 2005, I was seated next to my grandfather at dinner. Without a word, he nudged me with an elbow and placed a little gold object into my hand. ...

Appetite for Comparison: GNR and ‘Mamma Mia!’ still rock the house
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Guns N’ Roses and “Mamma Mia!” have again touched down in town. These two “entertainment experiences,” as the suits call them, seem unalike, but that isn’t so. Both lean on familiarity in their respective performances. ...
DJ Ashba watchin’ for the boom-booms as GNR sets up again at the Joint
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
DJ Ashba has been a member of the latest version of GNR for a half decade. Thus, he is tight with his fellow bandmates. “We have been around,” said Ashba, who swaps leads with Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal and Richard Fortus on guitar.
Wranglers ice plans to play in 2014; taking a shot at return in 2015
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
In professional hockey, as in life, sometimes you just need to stop the clock. That is the case for the Las Vegas Wranglers, whose odyssey to secure a home venue for the 2014-’15 season has led to a “voluntary suspension” of operations for the upcoming ECHL season. ...
Frank Marino toasts 25,000th show on the Strip; Frankie Moreno’s show to air on PBS
Monday, May 19, 2014
Frank Marino is celebrating his 25,000th show on the Strip on May 31. He is the longest-running continual headliner on the Strip, ever, and has had a street named for him and two stars on the Las Vegas Walk of Fame placed in his honor.
Live from the Billboard Music Awards: Michael Jackson hologram blows minds
Sunday, May 18, 2014
At the 2014 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena, the Michael Jackson song "Slave to the Rhythm," replete with 104 dancers and a hologram M.J., rose to the hype from the past week leading up to the awards hosted by Ludacris. ...
Linq not yet made between rival executives
Sunday, May 18, 2014
The Linq’s Jon Gray weighs in on comments made by the Park’s Jim Murren that the two projects are not comparable, plus an update on the Stirling Club and so much to love about Andres Garcia ...
Life is good and ‘Love Is Strange’ for HRC honoree John Lithgow
Friday, May 16, 2014
Golden Globe- and Emmy Award-winning actor John Lithgow is back in Las Vegas to accept the Human Rights Campaign's Equality Award. Before we talk of his new movie and the honor he is to receive at the ...
Standup meets makeup as Venetian launches all-female ‘Lipshtick’ comedy series
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Joy Behar, Rita Rudner and Lisa Lampanelli are among the comediennes appearing in the “Lipshtick: The Perfect Shade of Stand Up” lineup announced today by Whitney Cummings, co-creator of the CBS sitcom “2 Broke Girls,” at the Venetian.
It’s still a nutty, and busy, world for Jerry Lewis; ‘Tempest’ spins magic in Cambridge; Frankie (Scinta) goes to headliner
Thursday, May 15, 2014
The Jerry Lewis film series tied to his photo exhibit “Painted Pictures” opens tonight at UNLV and runs through the summer. Lewis is a busy man, at age 88, as he reinforced during a phone chat Monday by saying, “I’m a busy man.”
Matt Goss is shaken onstage at Caesars; Anthony Cools stacks the deck at Paris
Monday, May 12, 2014
The mother of Caesars Palace headliner Matt Goss has been battling cancer, and the night before Mother’s Day, the British singer wavered before closing his show with an Otis Redding classic.
Event center: ‘A reason to come to Laughlin’
Sunday, May 11, 2014
The star entertainer hits the outdoor stage just as the sun is setting. Behind him and on either side is a grandiose stage standing several feet tall, with video screens on either side beaming his image to thousands of fans. The whole scene is framed in shiny steel; in the distance you see a cluster of resorts that have funneled guests to this performance. Sounds like a great night in Vegas. But it isn’t. This is...
Don Marrandino might get his chance to shake things up at Hard Rock Hotel
Saturday, May 10, 2014
We can expect former Caesars Entertainment executive Don Marrandino to transition back to a top-level position at the Hard Rock Hotel soon. Marrandino lived and worked in Las Vegas for 20 years before heading back to Atlantic City in 2009.
Burton Cohen and the Howard Hughes ‘Ice Cream Saga’; Brooklyn Bowl reps are really digging Las Vegas
Friday, May 9, 2014
Burton Cohen was president of the Desert Inn when Howard Hughes set up at the hotel on Thanksgiving of 1966. That doesn't mean the two ever met, though.
Veronic lends her voice, and a guest star lends her hands, in fundraising campaign
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Bally’s headliner Veronic DiCaire has launched her "Lend Your Voice" philanthropic campaign, and the vocal impressionist is inviting a new friend to join her onstage in her show in Jubilee Theater.
No hockey at the Plaza; Wranglers seek another venue
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
The ice-in-the-sky concept to turn the pool deck at the Plaza into a hockey facility for the Las Vegas Wranglers has proven too costly to complete. The Plaza announced in a news release today that the Wranglers will not move their home games to the downtown hotel-casino. It cited ...
Kirk Kerkorian: Recently married and ‘continues to move forward’
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Trailblazing resort mogul Kirk Kerkorian, 96, considered by many to be the Father of Las Vegas, has been romantically linked to his new wife Una Davis before, and the couple reportedly lived together years ago.
Bob Anderson plays among the stars at the Venetian, but what’s next for his Sinatra show?
Monday, May 5, 2014
Evoking the image of Frank Sinatra, Bob Anderson donned the makeup and the tux and sang with chilling perfection Sunday night at the Venetian. Now he awaits Las Vegas suitors for his ambitious production. ...
Dozens of injuries reported in stampede after Mayweather-Maidana bout
Sunday, May 4, 2014
The post-bout action Saturday night at MGM Grand Garden Arena did not end with Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s majority decision over challenger Marcos Maidana. A stampede of fans...
For when you need to get away from the Strip, without actually having to leave it
Sunday, May 4, 2014
The next Great Escape from the Strip is to be a vast, 8-acre park titled, conveniently, the Park. It will be a big walk-around experience for visitors and locals alike, replete with man-made pools and fountains, tall trees and towering sculptures built for art and shade. In the Park, you’ll be invited to...
Maidana vs. Mayweather color blog: Bieber, Lil Wayne again in Mayweather’s camp
Saturday, May 3, 2014
The Marcos Maidana-Floyd Mayweather Jr. bout has drawn a capacity crowd to MGM Grand Garden Arena and certainly many celebs are in the building.
Bob Anderson takes a shot (of Jack) with Frank Sinatra at the Venetian
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Bob Anderson is reviving the music and image of Frank Sinatra at the Venetian for a show he hopes to stage permanently on the Strip.
EDM collaborations? Penn Jillette says, ‘Crank it’
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Penn Jillette never rules out any possible artistic collaboration (as long as it doesn't involve a George Burns impression), and that includes working with electronic dance music artists.
It’s the Suncoast — but not the sunset — for Las Vegas great Earl Turner
Friday, May 2, 2014
Earl Turner, appearing Saturday and Sunday at Suncoast, opened a pair of famous Strip hotels in the 1990s and has long been a fan favorite.
MGM Resorts arena will be a rockin’ venue in every which way
Thursday, May 1, 2014
At the groundbreaking of the new MGM Resorts arena on the Strip near New York-New York and Monte Carlo, speculation abounded about who would open the venue two years from now — and how. ...
Success of ‘The Tempest’ was no illusion, but is it built for Broadway?
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Rio magician headliner Teller has seen a lot of Broadway productions. So how does he see his original play from William Shakespeare's "The Tempest" measuring up on the Great White Way?
From KMA Power Tables: Estefans set date for ‘On Your Feet’; Steve Schirripa has no plans to visit ‘the old neighborhood’
Monday, April 28, 2014
Steve Schirripa has not walked into the Riviera since he was the hotel's entertainment director and remembers the days of multimillion-dollar lounge budgets. ...
How I grew to love the monorail
Sunday, April 20, 2014
John Katsilometes discovered a great deal for locals, who might have good reason to start riding the rail ...
Guy Fieri opens Strip restaurant in hair-raising fashion
Friday, April 18, 2014
Guy Fieri is playing the Strip, and this is all too appropriate. The UNLV graduate (he has a degree in hospitality management) is a spicy figure, to put it mildly. Adorned with a lot of good ink up and down his arms, his ...
O’Sheas’ booze sales are intoxicating; Sebastian De-Bachery at Mandalay Bay
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Former Planet Hollywood headliner Holly Madison is opening her burlesque-themed speakeasy 1923 Bourbon & Burlesque on Thursday evening at Mandalay Place, but she’s still holding the remote for a TV project ...
Olivia Newton-John’s round at Flamingo is par (or birdie) for the course
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Olivia Newton-John, on Friday evening at the grand opening of her Flamingo show “Summer Nights,” rolled out her hits and a couple of nifty covers and closed not with a rousing number but with something delicate ...
Cowboys’ stadium is big, but it’s not Vegas
Sunday, April 13, 2014
The Academy of Country Music Awards couldn’t resist the lure of Jerry Jones’ giant TV screen for one year, but they’ll be back.
UNLVino boosted by all that jazz; Vegas violinists prepping for a disco-rama
Saturday, April 12, 2014
The UNLVino is in full swing at the moment at Caesars Palace. Often this event is a true blowout – the winds have been a problem. But what blew me away ...
It’s good times for Brad Garrett as his Comedy Club turns 2 at MGM Grand
Thursday, April 10, 2014
When he was a kid, Brad Garrett once performed an impression of a television star. The results were mixed, to put it mildly. This was in 1974, Garrett was age 14 at the time, and the hot sitcom of the moment was ...
Now starring on the Strip: Manny Pacquiao?! Plus, Holly Madison, Melody Sweets
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
This is one of those subjects bound to spark skepticism among boxing devotees, but we’re going there anyway: Would immensely popular Manny Pacquiao be a credible headliner in a Las Vegas stage show? ...
After the fall, George Wallace to close standup show — and hints at TV project
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Longtime comedian George Wallace opened at the Flamingo Las Vegas 10 years ago, but, after winning $1.3 in damages from Bellagio on Tuesday afternoon, the Strip headliner has decided to shutter his live show April 26. ...
In UNLV jacket unveiling, Brandon Flowers is a Runnin’ Rebel with a cause
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
A big fan of the UNLV squad who won the 1989-90 national championship, Brandon Flowers of The Killers wore Rebel red during a recent performance at Reunion Park at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. ...
Inside Strait: Country icon takes top prize at 2014 ACM Awards at MGM Grand
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Former Wynn resident headliner Garth Brooks, himself a legend, introduced Merle Haggard for a special Academy of Country Music Award at MGM Grand Garden Arena tonight and led the crowd in a special song ...
The unconventional percussion of Kenny Wollesen; boxer becomes a ‘sox’ symbol
Saturday, April 5, 2014
The instruments being used in “The Tempest” at Symphony Park are a mix of traditional music-making devices and such household items as coffee cans, hand cranks, shoes, wooden boxes, aged dress shoes and vacuum hoses ...
Olivia Newton-John gets a fast start on summer lovin’ in Las Vegas
Friday, April 4, 2014
Olivia Newton-John was welcomed to Las Vegas officially on Wednesday afternoon, cruising up the Linq corridor between Flamingo and the Quad in the black, flame-painted ’49 Mercury convertible that was dusted by Greased Lightning in “Grease.” ...
Behind the scenes, Rappaport was a star on the Strip
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Most wouldn't know it, but Felix Rappaport is responsible for a host of changes at resorts that enhanced tourists' stay in town.
Left fleeced and unconscious, John Popper’s traveling blues could have been far worse
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Blues Traveler frontman John Popper says he was lucky that he wasn't "cut up and served as a cannibal meal" the night last week he walked into Mandalay Bay ...
Magic set is larger as Teller’s passion, ‘The Tempest,’ prepares to open at Smith Center
Friday, March 28, 2014
Headliner magician Teller’s fascination with changing reality has not ebbed over the years, and William Shakespeare’s "The Tempest" is a heartfelt project that built steam years ago at the Rio.
Blues Traveler’s John Popper at the center of roofie-Rolex incident; how Minus 5 added up for Holly Madison
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Blues Traveler frontman John Popper, in town, in part, to attend “One Night for One Drop,” checked into Mandalay Bay on Thursday evening and grabbed a drink. Hours later, his life was detectably different ...
Holly Madison’s speakeasy 1923 Bourbon & Burlesque sets April 11 opening at Mandalay Bay
Monday, March 24, 2014
The 1923 venue is offering custom whiskeys and cigars and a tucked-away VIP room, and Holly Madison herself is planning to sing when the adult venue opens next month next to RM Seafood. ...
The heart of Hakkasan beats in Las Vegas
Sunday, March 23, 2014
“If Las Vegas can be the headquarters of an international hospitality company, which will be offering daylife, nightlife, restaurants and hotels, that is a great thing for the city.”
Decades ago, Las Vegas was a Circus (Maximus) for Bill Maher
Saturday, March 22, 2014
A longtime Strip performer — for more than 30 years — Bill Maher opened for Diana Ross in 1982 at Caesars Palace and calls himself "the alternative" to such comics as Carrot Top, George Wallace and even somebody like ...