GREGRIO March 27-1st

Posted by gregrio on 04-03-2005

This was a great trip...everything went perfectly.
I checked into the RIO Sunday morning, got my favorite corner room for the week, good shows, weather was warm-sunny and breezy, took my normal
$1,500. bankroll down and brought $3,000. home.

RIO's room re-decorating continues...
Power outage notices between 3AM-6AM, one day a week, are still going on.

For those who remember the overhead, vine covered, grape trellis thingie in
Masquerade Village...just in front of the bank/cage.................it's gone.
Years ago, that area used to be The Pit and the vine trellis hid the surveillance cameras. The Pit is long gone and all last week, crews were
dismantleing the huge steel I-Beam framing. That area of the Village was roped off/closed from 6AM to 5PM...I could only play 9.6 Double Bonus and a few other games there day side...did lots of my slot play at the PALMS.
All's back to normal now...the area really opens up without the trellis work but I miss the cozy atmosphere it created in that area...

Midweek, all the properties were scrambling (to do something Tech. wise) to
prevent some counterfeit Ten Dollar Bills going round from locking up the computers in the machines.
They'd close off groups of machines for and hour or so as they worked on them.
Fortunately, it didn't stop me from gettin' real lucky on Texas Tea,
Cleopatra, and a $5.00 WOF just before dinner on Wed. evening.

Room service coffee in the mornings, Tilted Kilt Pub munchies "to go"
late in the evengs, my corner room with two walls of floor to celing windows, and I was a happy camper!

I saw lots of shows as usual...FAB FOUR, WE WILL ROCK YOU, DAVID BRENNER, FOREVER PLAID, ELTON JOHN, EROCKTICA, FROBIDDEN VEGAS.
Here's some views on the NEW ones I saw:

FOREVER PLAID: Gold Coast (dinner/show)
First table, center front...the boys picked on me!
Their harmonies are better than the first time I saw the show, years ago,
at the Flamingo.
There's a new look to the small stage, real good sound and pianoman along
with a stand-up string bass player.

February 9, 1964...Enroute to pick up their custom made plaid tuxedoes,
they were slammed broad-side by a schoolbus filled with eager Catholic
teens. The teens were on their way to witness the BEATLES make their U.S.
television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show and miraculously escaped
uninjured.
The members of FOREVER PLAID were killed instantly.
It is at that molment, when their careers and lives ended...........
and the story of FOREVER PLAID begins.

Through the Power of Harmony and the Expanding Holes in the Ozone Layer
in congjunction with the positions of the planets and all that
astro-technical stuff, they are allowed to come back to perform the show
they never got to do in life.

FOREVER PLAID is a GREAT little show!!!
The only disapointment was the Gold Coast's Cortez Room doesn't offer their
Prime Rib dinner as one of your dinner/show choices any more.
Steak, Fish, Chicken dishes are now available.

DAVID BRENNER: Las Vegas Hilton
What a relaxing, entertaining, funny, evening!
It was like having your fun nextdoor neighbor over for a drink,
yackin' up a storm, but you can't get a word in edge wise.

Small, sharp looking little showroom with a short video intro...then David comes out from behind the curtain and starts tellin' stories, not jokes,
stories.
He's topical, currant, with lots of Tonight Show and Vegas stories from
past years...I'll see him again.

EROCKTICA: RIO
For those who don't know, Greg Thompson produces shows in Las Vegas.
SkinTight is his, the 'canceled' Showgirls at RIO was his and now he's
trying again with Erocktica. It's and adult, topless show with a live
Rock'n'Roll band that shares the Scinta's showroom...late night.

It was everything I expected........pretty poor.
The live band...U.S.U.K. is half U.S./ half British members...hence the name and are good at playing copy tunes...lots of great Classic Rock'n'Roll but the
vignettes, costumes, choreography are pretty bad...

First come, first serve seating and you can either sit by the band and can't see the stage very well...or...sit where you can see the stage, but the back of the band...
I had to see it, won't see it again and can't recommend it.
(not that most of this board see's shows like that) or any shows for that matter....lol, YOU GAMBLING CRAZED VEGASJUNKIES!

FORBIDDEN VEGAS: The Westin
This show (I thought...) was right up my alley. It pokes fun at many of the shows, properties, celebs, and owners in town.
Simple little show, four members, pianoman....kind of a Saturday Night Live gang..........
Quick-change costume/vignettes, comfy theatre seats, but you (I) couldn't catch all the words.

The 'gags' are in the lyrics of their songs and it's hard to hear them clearly.
When you're doing a character...using their voice/accent...it's hard to
enunciate clearly...I missed alot.
The show was OK, but I felt I only heard half of it.

.....................THAT'S IT! Next trip early June.

Posted by Grant

As always Greg, you cover a lot of ground!

And congrats on the big win!

That Forbidden Vegas sounds pretty funny, how much were the tickets for that?

Posted by misales

I hope you left me some money G. And.....I don't want no counterfeit 10's. I don't think I have the guts for the $5 WOF's. That must be nice when you get a spin on the $5 machines, guaranteed $150 I think if my math is correct.

I've played a few $5 machines but never had enough $$ or cahunas to follow through with it.

What was your big hit? you must have had something exciting to bring in a $1500 plus profit.

Posted by Bluejeans

Greg as always you do a great show review. Love your thoughts on each show. I promise the next time I will do a show.
You didn't comment on Elton???? Was it good?
Thanks for sharing the moment with us and congratulations on bringing home the moola!!!

Posted by grannyvegas

Sounds like you had another great trip.
Was wondering if you had gotten your ticket for Forever Plaid before hand.
We have a coupon from the American Casino Guide book for buy one get one free. Hoping to use it for that show. I would assume you cant order the tickets ahead of time when using the coupon.
T to April 24th.

Posted by gregrio
I got my ticket for FORBIDDEN VEGAS via the Westin's boxoffice.
Here's a new option...The Westin is currently offering $40. in free slot play when you purchase a $40. ticket to FORBIDDEN VEGAS. The free play is
worth approx. face value, so it's like getting your ticket for free.

The two 1/2 price outlets offer 'em too: Tix4Tonight or Tickets2Nite
The night I went, there was a $10. free slot play with sign-up to their
Players Club Card on the back of your prograhm...............I lost it on VP!

'misales'...I don't normally play the $5.Slots...I'm not the 'TexasRanger'!
I was playing nickel Texas Tea (15 line) and Cleopatra (20 line)
FULL COIN on each...got lucky and kept hitting great bonus rounds
which brought me to $2,700. in about a half hour...then I got STUPID
I cashed out and headed to the HIGH LIMIT ROOM. I put $200. into
WOF, hit some spins, got up to $300. and walked away.
That was all profit and it's in the Cridit Union now for my next trips.
I continuned to play the rest of the vacation on the origional money
I took down.

Jean, I wrote some stuff on ELTON a couple trips back...
It's a GREAT, too expensive, show...this was my second time and that
better hold me for a while.

He's got a great band, giant inflatables, lots of cool stuff on the giant screen behind him...I'm glad I went again, but must find cheaper shows in
the future.
YOU let me know, well in advance, if you need some show suggestions.
THIS GOES FOR EVERYBODY. I've got the 1.800 numbers to call...just ask.
Seating, this show/that show, if I can help, ask here, private email here
or always feel free to catch me at home> riogreg@sbcglobal.net
The trick is to book in advance 1,2 months.

Granny...There was a guy in line in front of me when I was picking up my tickets (I booked 'em w/ the Gold Coast Boxoffice a month ago)

He was having a hard time finding a seat he wanted. Most of the seats are good in their little showroom, but side tables were all that was left...just walking up that night and trying to get a ticket.

Call the Gold Coast and check on your coupon and how/when you
should book: 1.800.331.5334
I've booked shows over the phone with a coupon....they just make the booking and say to redeem your coupon when you pick up your tickets...
...Harrah's, LV Hilton, RIO.

Posted by misales

Well thats a heck of a ride on the Nickel machine! You should be proud of that Win! and....paying for more trips, can't beat that.

My last two trips to vegas have been in the win column, I can't say that for many previous trips. My work on the $1 blazing seven progressives at the hilton and at circus circus have been good to me. Although I am somewhat scared of them too, you can loose a $100 just like that. They also suck you in pretty easy after you win to give some back.

Thats a good tip on the show at the Westin. I'm stag this weekend and the 2 fers aren't going to help me. I think trading a ticket for $40 in slot play is a good deal. I usually gamble a little bit at the casinos I travel to for an event or purpose whatever it might be.

Posted by Sara

Well, it sounds like you had a good time. Very detailed about the shows. I don't know what we are going to see when we are out there. Is it realistic to think we can just decide when we get there? I am so excited! 4 1/2 days and counting! Thanks for the report I enjoyed it

Posted by gregrio

Sara, you won't see any of the "A" shows...CIRQUE, CELINE, ELTON, etc.
If you're just going to play it by ear for shows, I'd suggest the 1/2 ticket outlets.

Most tickets are half-price, pluss 10% (taxes), pluss a $4.00 per ticket service charge, so you end up saving around 35% off the face value on each ticket.

Tix4Tonight seem to have the largest selection. They're next to the
Harley Davidson Cafe,or across from the Stardust, and their newest location in the Fashion Show Mall in between Starbucks and Nieman Marcus under
'the cloud' outside on the strip.

They sell tickets for that night. They post their offerings around 11:30AM on their board, doors open at 12noon until aprox 9PM. You get a voucher that you redeem at the property your show is at, 2hrs. before showtime...first come/first serve on the best seats in the section you bought.
They offer around 24 shows...I can't type them all out, but there are many good ones...
General questions call 1.877.849.4868

Here's ANOTHER 1/2 ticket place...you need to sign-up on their site...
it's free, and start looking for your shows.

I don't know much about them other than folks from other boards have used them alot and are very pleased: www.goldstarevents.com

I remember something about you must enter the Las Vegas zip code where it says to, to see LV tickets.
These sound like you can book from home, then pick the voucher up at their locations, then to the showroom boxoffice 2hrs. early and get a good seat.

Misales: The Westin is an interesting little place. Not your normal casino look...lots of young buisness types, small casion with quite a few slots and VP machines with 9.6 pay schedules and others.
It's slick, clean, and real good cocktail service.Valet parking out front on Flamingo.

Posted by gregrio

'granny'...I saw this in my 'everythinglasvegas' email yesterday...
FOREVER PLAID has added a 3PM Sunday matinee, which includes the option of Sunday brunch in the Port O' Call Buffet.
Tickets are $29.95 for the show and $34.95 for the brunch or dinner and show package.