Mixed Luck In Vegas

Saturday afternoon I left Oceanic Arts and made my way East towards Las Vegas. It was a little sad for me. Up until that point I had been heading away from home. San Diego and Los Angeles were the farthest points on the journey and now I was officially making my way back to NYC. The reality that my beloved severance was ending and the job search beginning made me blue.

There's nothing like a double cheeseburger and fries in the Mojave Desert to cure one's ills. After a few hours in the car I was feeling a bit peckish. It was Bob's Big Boy to the rescue. This particular restaurant, in Baker, CA, also laid claim to having the "world's tallest thermometer". Not that such an ostentatious display of temperature was necessary to remind me it was 107 degrees that afternoon. However, this was a classic Roadside America attraction that took less time to photograph then it did to write about.



I arrived in Las Vegas to discover I didn't much care for the traffic, crowds, noise, or $10.95/day for internet access (which I avoided until my last night). I did my best to shake free of the bad vibe I was experiencing and hit the strip. It was much as I remembered (this was my second or third visit). Lots of drunk people hootin' and hollerin', and tons of neon. After a while it all began to look the same. My buddy D-Ridge lives in Las Vegas and recommended the Double down Saloon. Here was a place where one might encounter punks, rockabillies, bikers, or on this particular night, a roller derby wedding! I walked in and the place was teeming with derby girls. I had arrived in town at the tail end of Rollercon... a four day women's roller derby extravaganza.
I missed the wedding ceremony but the place was still abuzz with derby fever. There was also a bunch of bands playing that night. One in particular, The Pin-Up's (from Southern California) caught my ear. Their sound had a Social Distortion meets power pop feel. They played originals and some very interesting covers. One in particular was Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl". When it was first on the radio and MTV the song, while undeniably a terrific pop confection, was decidedly uncool. Seemingly the years have changed that perception. At least in the eyes of youngsters who weren't around when it was a hit. People knew the song responded strongly to The Pin-Up's hard edged rocking version.



On Sunday I hooked up with D-Ridge and his lady friend Jeanette. D-Ridge and I worked together at Court TV but it had been quite a few years since we'd seen one another. We met for brunch at one of those famous Las Vegas all you can eat buffets. Wow, did I ever put on a show! It was great to see him again. D-Ridge was the latest in a growing list of longtime friends I'd reconnected with during the road trip. He's one of those dudes whose friendship and loyalty remains strong despite long gaps without any contact.

It was the last day of Rollercon and my plan was to hang with D-Ridge and Jeanette in the afternoon and early evening then coax them into attending a roller derby scrimmage that night. Well, we never did make it to the scrimmage. The three of us found a reasonably priced happy hour. Then it was off to an Irish pub with a live band. I hadn't planned on another theme song but trust me, it could not be more appropriate. Take a quick listen to The Blazers' "Glorious Beer"...



Understandably, I got off to a rather late start on Monday. I grabbed a bite to eat then went in search of the Elvis-A-Rama Museum. It showcased the $5million plus collection of Elvis vehicles, jumpsuits, guitars, and other memorabilia. Plus it had the all important gift shop. It sure would have been great had they not shut their doors for good. As I drove past the boarded up building I could see where the sign used to be... crap! After that debacle I hit the Red Rooster Antique Mall. On previous visits to Las Vegas I'd scored some cool stuff there. It too had shut it's doors for good! At this point I was pretty frustrated and was ready for a bit of good fortune. The good fortune I sought was at Frankie's Tiki Room. Frankie's Tiki Room is an exceptional modern tiki bar. The decor incorporated classic elements... tons of bamboo and palm thatching... with paintings and carvings from modern day artists. Because they had a gaming license Frankie's was required to stay open 24 hours a day. I could never live in a city where I had access to Mai Tai's twenty four hours a day. It would be a foolhardy notion to consider it. Upon entering I was greeted by the bartender Melo (sp). After a couple of his Mai Tai's the day's woes were whisked into the night like a mirage. I spent a ton of cash on tiki mugs and mai tai's (plus whatever else Melo forced down my throat) and met some interesting locals. It was a great night. I stayed well into the early morning hours... partly to sober up (I was driving after all) but also because I was having fun and... being the master of my domain... chose to stay.



On Tuesday, my last day in town, I went to Fremont St. in search of the Burlesque Hall Of Fame (and gift shop). While it had not shut it's doors for good it had shut it's doors for the day. It would not re-open until long after my departure from Las Vegas. Rats!!!

That evening I had dinner with D-Ridge and Jeanette. We said our goodbyes and I headed
back to The Strip and turned in a bit early. On this, my fourth and final day in Las vegas I broke down and paid (or overpaid) for wi-fi. I was able to check my email but by the evening service was down... and so was my mood. Las Vegas was a mixed bag for me. There were some terrific moments but I really never shook the feeling that the town wasn't for me. As soon as I checked out of the hotel, got in the car, and started to leave town, it was as if some sort of burden had been lifted from my shoulders.