GREGRIO...In 'n Out, Aug. 7,8

Did ya know the PALMS has a new theatre called 'Pearl'?
Its going to be 'THE' intamet music venue in town...VERY FINE, VERY FINE!
I'd been waiting for an act that I liked and Friday, STEELY DAN was in town.
I used one of my free SOUTHWEST flight, the RIO was next-to-free, I could get
the 2 days off work so...no brainer, I booked it and flew in for a couple days.

Coming into town and not wanting to go through withdrawls UHH!...by only
seeing ONE Show, I surfed around and found my ol' buddy GEORGE CARLIN
working the Orleans on Thursday...PERFECT quicky trip!
I've usually seen George each year, but for the last few, our schedules just
haven't jived until now...AND as you're all well aware now...George ended up sadly...
canceling and working another venue so...
(I'd booked this whole thing before George died)

I replaced George with LOVE and LE REVE. This all happened last minute so I was
real happy to find good seats for both Shows.
LOVE: SECTION 209, ROW R, SEAT 25...$141.00
LE REVE: SECTION A, ROW K, SEAT 24...$108.90

LOVE was just as good my 7th time around as it was my first. Not that you'd notice,
but about half the cast is new and 'Blackbird' still seems to be the ever changing
scene in constant change...The 'house' was full, the Show WONDERFUL, and I'm looking
forward to my 8th visit!

LE REVE on the other hand, just doesn't float my boat. It's been re-worked so many times
since Steve Wynn's wife came to tears of disappointment during it's opening night years ago,
yet it still hasn't been able to overcome it's monotomy...(for me at least).

It's not the Artists fault, it's the limited space they have to work in. LE REVE thetre is
in-around, medium size, with the water stage in the center. Even though the stage (like 'O')
morphs from water to solid and back again, it doesn't allow for much variation in the scenes.
You can go UP...you can go DOWN (splash)

Lots of aerial routines and lots of falling, dropping, diving into the water.
They've had a new lighting system for a while now...BIG improvement over what was
ex-CIRQUE director Franko Dragone's 'dream' but...still not enough to keep me entertained and
I don't need to see it again.

I was unable to score on one of my 'end of the hallway' IPANIMA rooms.
Coming in on a Thursday and with 2 conventions at the RIO, most rooms were already full.
The 'Firefighters' convention was the largest group and GOOD THING, lol...
Harrah's still has many of the RIO rooms closed due to the illeagal renovations they made...got
caught at...have lost and are still loosing money with due to FIRE CODE violations they got 'burned' with
by fast 'n cheap...NO PERMIT, suite re-modeling (and it aint over yet...) theres still on going issues
with their other Las Vegas properties. Thanks for always putting customers first Harrah's.

In any event, I did get an IPANIMA room on the 7th floor, pool view around noon.
No sooner had I pulled back the window curtains and turned on the TV...programing was interupted
with a...'BREAKING NEWS' flash.
A huge weather cell was coming in fast, had just shut down McCarran, and was moving quickly
towards the Las Vegas Strip.

Looking out the windows it was bright, sunny, the pool below full of people...
Then...tick,ding.............dinG, ticK...DINGTICK, TICKDING, DINGTICKDINGTICKDINGTICK...the hail started.
Then the loudspeakers down at the pool announced, EVERYONE OUT OF THE WATER NOW! PROCEED
INDOORS, LIGHTNING STRIKE ALERT, LIGHTNING STRIKE ALERT. Even the fire alarm in my room went off
for a few blasts, lol.

From my viewpoint, the sky on the backside of Masquerade Tower was black. Hail turned to rain
and the wind bent over the palm trees.
As the sky got darker and darker, large multiple bursts of lightning followed by booming thunder
filled the sky in front of me...WOW (very cool, lol)
"this is great" I thought as I pulled up a chair in front of the wall to wall, floor to ceiling windows...
NO SHOW WITHDRAWLS THIS TRIP!
It moved through pretty quick...only lasted 10-15min. then the sun came back out. That night on
the news there were lots of flooding pics from the south eastern side...

Went over to Mirage early so I could try the new 'BLT' burger joint that has taken their place
in SIEGFRIED and ROY's indoor white tiger pool area.
It's pretty good...not great, but tasty.
Many different varieties of burgers along with shakes (which were just great), fries, onion rings,
and the usual assorted drinks...including alcoholic beverages (even a 'spiked' milkshake)
I chose the basic BLT w/cheese, fries, and a killer coffee shake...total $26.94.

Theres a main floor and an upper level with a bar. All table seating and 70's style rock 'n roll on the
house system the day I was there.
Staff wares black T-Shirts with BLT related phrases...
TIP WAITERS NOT COWS, SHAKE IT BUT DON'T BREAK IT, SUPER JUICY, DOUBLE JUICY, IF YOU ARE
WHAT YOU EAT, I AM FAST, CHEAP AND EASY...
The place was busy, and I waited 25min. for my order.
From LOVE to LE REVE's 9:30 Show over at Wynn...then back to RIO for sleep...it had been a long day.

FRIDAY, 08/08/2008...(should I gamble a bit?)
YES! YES! YES!
(did I win a bit?)
NO! NO! NO!, lol

At aprox. 7:50am I sat down to RIO's only...(what else) MEGABUCKS machine.
I fed it a Franklin and waited and watched the progressive ticker do it's thang.

You all know how the right side of a progressive digit counter is in constant motion...
(this was a riot) Everyones time/watch is a bit different...As folks all over were deciding
when it was eight o'clock on 08/08/2008, the 'ticker' would double/tripple in speed.
It would speed up, then slow down...fast,slow,fast,slow until a 'universal' 8:00 seemed
to over take everyone, lol.

I started a little before the hour and played til the money was gone. It wasn't my time
to retire I guess, on almost 16 million.
I'll try it again when those lucky 8's come rollin' round again...in another HUNDRED or whatever
it is years, lol.
Guess no one hit it because it was still LARGE when I got out of STEELY DAN later that night.

The PALMS 'Pearl' theatre is just great and so were STEELY DAN.
Brand new state of the art sound system, small theatre with floor, upper sections and balcony that
suround the stage...it's a fantastic place for music.
I've looked several times for it, but never could figure out where they put it...thought it must be over
in Maloof's new PALMS PLACE but no...IT'S UNDERNEATH THE PALMS...the entrance is next to the buffet.

Folks keep asking about the SAPPHIRE POOL at RIO.
It's still there, not very crowed. There were a few couples, some single women, but most of the guests
were guys.......the Sapphire babes and these poor horney guys.
I hope the RIO gives the pool back to the guests who really deserve it next year.

George Lopez, P Diddy (i think), Pamala Anderson and others had a FREE afternoon Show going in
the old CLUB RIO. They were filming it for advertising spots on a new 'Roast' type show Lopez is
hosting later in the season...(didn't go)

Gaming was the shits. I took a 2k bankroll but quit playing after I was down a thousand...GOTTA SAVE
SOME MONEY FOR NEXT TRIP (i go back first of September)

*wuz dat, wuz dat....hmmmm (Sun.8/10) just had a little earthquake as I'm sittin' here typin'...
felt like a 3 or a 4. Awwww, ITS GOOD TO BE HOME! lol.

 

As always...a non-stop, show-filled time in Vegas for Greg! Mix in a little hail & lightening show and ya got a 48 hours high time to brag about on the board.
Thanks for sharing.

 

As usual great TR Greg! Thanks!

 

Looks like you had a great seat for the thunderstorm at the Rio. When you mentioned the flooding, I remember seeing signs in the IP gaage stating that it was a flood area. I didn't realize how fast and hard storms can hit LV.

 

Nice report Greg, I'm still looking forward to visiting the Pearl first chance I get when something I want to see is playing there and I'm in town.

 

Looks like you had a fun-filled time, Greg!

As you can imagine, I'm hanging on every word you speak about the RIO, since we hit the place for the first time in 38 days. MORE! MORE! )))))

Thanks for the report.....you were certainly full of energy on your visit. Must be the charge transferred from that storm!

 

Another enjoyable report, Greg.

I wonder if we can get tickets to the new "show in the sky" at Rio?
Mother Nature can be quite the producer/director.

I am trying to convince myself to put LOVE on the agenda for next week, and had talked myself out of it with the logic that we had seen it three times already. You blew it all to hell for me. Thanks, Greg.

Thanks for posting.

 

Sounds like you had fun as always Greg. I'm looking forward to trying the BLT burger shakes (alcoholic of course)

 

Adult Pool

When I was there in July I asked how much to get into the adult pool and was told $50, I asked the guy if for $50 I got a lap dance with that and he said straightfaced "NO". Needless to say I passed on it. I've heard from friends that the girls hang out by themselves a lot of the time.

You don't need tickets for the show in the sky unless you want to ride around in one of the floats.

 

lol, yeah... BOTH SHOWS in the sky were free that day and
I'd love another BLT shake about now!
Speaking of LOVE...it's ALL YOU NEED and can never have enough of it!
I don't think much of the Sapphire Pool. And yes, many of the women hang
with eachother on the lounge chairs or floatin' around on their air matteress
yappin' with each other...

 

Greg - thanks for your usual outstanding report. Realy enjoy your info about the shows you see. Sorry the gambling was so bad.

later, GVJ

 

Enjoyed the report. I have seen Love once...but I think I might have to see it again next week!
I love that show!