Archive for the ‘Las Vegas’ Category

Elvis Flies the Lisa Marie to Las Vegas

Posted on July 12th, 2010 • Filed under Las Vegas, Musical Legends • 1 Comment

So the story goes… Elvis bought a Convair 880 Jet, taken out of service by Delta Airlines, for $250,000 and laid down another $350,000 to slick it out and named her the Lisa Marie – modern function and Graceland style. He was jazzed that his design team previously customized the President’s plane Air Force One.

November 27th, 1975 Elvis takes his first flight to Vegas on the Lisa Marie.

Plush sleeping quarters
Custom penthouse bedroom with custom queen size bed
Executive bathroom with gold faucets and gold washbasin
Video tape system linked to 4 TVs
Stereo system linked to 52 speakers
Conference room finished in teak
Custom exterior paint job with the ‘TCB’ logo on the tail
Required crew of 4
Seating capacity of 28
Tower call name – 880 Echo Pappa
Nickname – Hound Dog One
Horsepower – 44,800 lbs. thrust
Weight – 87,000 lbs.
Cruising speed – 615 mph
Maximum altitude – 41,000 ft.
Fuel consumption – 1,700 gallons per hour — take off, 2,200 gallons

 

History of the Beginning of the Vegas Lounge Scene

Posted on May 21st, 2010 • Filed under Entertainment Industry, Las Vegas, Musical Legends • No Comments

Everyone likes a good story.  Well, here’s one for you straight from the golden age of Las Vegas lore. The first group to play all night casino lounges was the Marry Kaye Trio.  Marry Kaye was a direct descendent of Queen Lili’uokalani, the last in a long line of Hawaiian Royalty. Mary observed that the gambling floor cleared out after hours even though the casino was open all night.  She persuaded the boys in charge to build a stage in the corner of the room and let her trio perform during the late night hours.  And so a gambling oasis climbed in bed with music entertainment and the Vegas lounge scene was born.

 

Jack Satin’s Top 10 Celebrity Vegas Quotes

Posted on February 19th, 2010 • Filed under Entertainment Industry, Las Vegas, Musical Legends • 2 Comments

I hadn’t been in Vegas 20 minutes when I got word that the bookmakers were offering three to one that Frank wouldn’t show for my wedding.  – Sammy Davis Jr.

I think that people who have Vegas throat are people who sing from their throats only. – Robert Goulet

I’d love to do a show in Vegas with drag queens, the tackier the better. – Catherine Zeta-Jones

I’m probably one of the worst people with numbers you’ve ever met. My brothers always kid that they think I’m counting cards in Vegas, but I’m just trying to add things up. – Luke Wilson

Las Vegas without Wayne Newton is like Disneyland without Mickey Mouse. – Merv Griffin

Man, I really like Vegas. – Elvis Presley

Vegas means comedy, tragedy, happiness and sadness all at the same time. – Artie Lange

Vegas is everything that’s right with America. You can do whatever you want, 24 hours a day. They’ve effectively legalized everything there. – Drew Carey

For a loser, Vegas is the meanest town on earth.
- Hunter S. Thompson

Las Vegas is sort of like how God would do it if he had money.
- Steve Wynn

Hunter S. Thompson – Vegas – 1971

 

Brian Setzer’s Cinematic Sound & The Las Vegas Story

Posted on November 25th, 2009 • Filed under Las Vegas, Musical Legends • No Comments

Former frontman for the Stray Cats and three-time Grammy winner, Brian Setzer, has a new album called “Songs From Lonely Avenue.”   For this one he took inspiration from classic noir films of the 50’s – stories about drifters, hustlers and double-crossing femme fatales.

Setzer hopes Hollywood’s ears are open because he thinks there is a movie in this album.  “I’d love Quentin Tarantino to take a crack at it,” Setzer told Billboard.com. 
To give “Songs From Lonely Avenue” its authentic cinematic style, Setzer brought legendary arranger Frank Comstock into the fold.  The 87-year-old arranger worked with Judy Garland, Stan Kenton, Benny Carter and the list goes on… Comstock said Setzer’s only instruction when he lured Comstock out of semiretirement was, “I just want you to write that way you did in 1950.”

This got me thinking about inspiration from the past.  I look around this town and sometimes I don’t recognize her, the change is so fast.  Sometimes it’s nice to be reminded where you come from – especially in a song.  The old neon signs and vintage buildings of Vegas’ past are almost all long gone.  But the beauty of a song is — it lives on forever.

Always swingin’ good times at The Brian Setzer Orchestra Christmas Rocks!  Extravaganza – holiday classics with his signature big band sound.  Yes, the holidays are here.  I’ll see you there.

 

The Joint at the Hard Rock – Santana’s Las Vegas Home

Posted on November 18th, 2009 • Filed under Entertainment Industry, Las Vegas, Musical Legends • No Comments

The son of a Tijuana mariachi now resides supremely in Vegas.  Yes, music legend Carlos Santana is back for more shows.  What a combo, the new Joint and Santana.  Sure to win a knockout with live music fans.

Over the last few years, from intimate downtown lounges, to DJs spinning at pool parties, to the latest venue to serve up an unforgettable live music experience – The Joint – I’ve noticed a resurgence of music in Vegas.  It’s back, baby.  Hard Rock’s concert hall has had many talented performers grace the stage over the years including The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Coldplay, The Killers, Duran Duran, David Bowie and now the man who gave us Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va, Smooth… is bringing the heat with his signature sound.

Santana, a guitar virtuoso, rips riffs with the same passion, skill and showmanship that defined his Woodstock gig almost 40 years ago.  Since many of us, including me, weren’t even conceived at the time, we will have to be content watching Santana’s 11min. version of Soul Sacrifice from the documentary film Woodstock.

In speaking to the press about headlining Vegas, Santana said-

“To me where I am playing is no different: a parking lot or Istanbul or Woodstock.  Las Vegas to me is where I am offering my heart.  And, hopefully, the music will resonate with them and change them.  I utilize music the same way Bob Marley or Coltrane used music, to give people a different dimension about their lives.”

On partaking in all that Vegas has to offer, Santana said-

“I got my fill of strippers from when I was 9 to 14 in Tijuana.  So, I know what that is about.  I never got the bug for gambling.  I’ve already taken the ride.  I am here to just touch people’s hearts.  I am not distracted.  I am not tempted…In my own vision, I feel like we’re bringing the Trojan horse to Las Vegas.””

Well, the horse is here.  So, Jack Satin saddled it up and rode all night.  In his blazing set Santana prowls the stage like a jungle panther, the percussion heavy band was cookin’ — Santana delivers.  Think it’s time I dust-off Black Magic Woman.

 

Light My Fire

Posted on November 13th, 2009 • Filed under Las Vegas, Musical Legends, Personal • 1 Comment

There are those songs that tap into something deeper and Light My Fire is certainly one of them.  That is why it remains a staple on my set list.  It’s a timeless classic that audiences young and old request night after night.  — And I love to give it to them.

The song was originally preformed by The Doors and released in 1967.  It spent three weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100.  Robby Krieger was the primary writer of the song (the chord progression based on John Coltrane’s version of My Favorite Things).

Legend goes, when performing Light My Fire on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1967, Jim Morrison was asked by the show’s producer to change the line “Girl, we couldn’t get much higher,” due to its reference to drug use.  Morrison agreed to make the change, but then in the live performance, on national TV, Morrison sang the original lyric.  Ed Sullivan refused to shake Morrison’s hand as he left the stage.

So, what is it about this song that scares people?  Is it the lyrics, the notes, Morrison’s stage presence?  From my own experience performing Light My Fire, I find the song to be both liberating and empowering – and at its core it’s a primal song.  Without fire, man would not exist.  Great artists, like Morrison, tap into this sense of survival and allow the song to overtake them – and the audience feels it.  It’s always exciting when you don’t know what’s coming next.

Though there is a structure to Light My Fire, there’s plenty of room for improvisation.  It is in this space and freedom that each performer has the liberty to put their stamp on the song and make it their own.  Enjoy.

 

Jack Satin’s Calculations of the Bill from The Hangover

Posted on October 27th, 2009 • Filed under Entertainment Industry, Las Vegas • 3 Comments

When it comes to Vegas comedies, they don’t get much better than The Hangover, which follows the adventure of four friends who are desperately trying to piece together their wild night in Sin City. By the look of their Caesars Palace suite the next morning, this was a party I would have enjoyed. From stealing Mike Tyson’s tiger to marrying a stripper at a classic Vegas wedding chapel, the film certainly captures an all too familiar side of the Vegas experience.

Facing studio pressure for bigger name talent in the cast, director Todd Phillips stuck by his guns and remained true to his vision. He did this despite having his initial pay cut in exchange for a larger percentage of the back-end profits – a big gamble. Since the film is now the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all time, it looks as if Todd’s rolling the dice has more than paid off, proving once again that if you’re going to gamble you should always bet on yourself.

What’s great about the movie is that any man can relate to the situation these characters find themselves in. I have had many a friend walk down that exact wedding chapel isle only to regret it the next day — and annulments don’t come cheap.

That got me thinking, if four guys were to attack Vegas as hard as the characters from The Hangover did, what would it have cost? Then, bang! It hit me. I should use this hilarious movie as a road map and see just how much coin they had to throw down. I all too often get asked, “How much does a bachelor party in Vegas cost?” Besides, it was a great excuse to visit old partners in crime. I won’t name names but you know who you are.

Below you find the actual cost of The Hangover, which I calculated with approximations. Enjoy, and use the comment section to let me know if I forgot anything.

 

25 Years of Growth in Vegas

Posted on October 9th, 2009 • Filed under Entertainment Industry, Las Vegas, Personal • 1 Comment

More than a few things have changed in Las Vegas in the past 25 years. The people, the music, and of course, the landscape, have all underdone dramatic transformations. The images below, very much an “outside looking in” perspective on Vegas, are courtesy of NASA’s Earth Observatory. For an “inside looking out” perspective, come to any one of my shows.

 

Britney Spears’ Real Voice

Posted on October 3rd, 2009 • Filed under Entertainment Industry, Las Vegas • 2 Comments

I was one of fortunate many who saw Britney perform when she came to Las Vegas in 2001. I say “fortunate” because the girl, love her or hate her, is a cultural phenomenon, and I believe it’s extremely important to understand one’s culture. That said, the girl’s voice isn’t exactly something I’d listen to in the shower, and to be honest, I don’t even think I’d want her opening for me at any of my own shows.

The clip below captures her voice without any technical manipulation. Completely naked and unrefined.

I didn’t post this video to hate on Britney Spears. I posted it simply to illustrate the difference between a performer with true musical talents and a performer who sustains himself/herself only through the act of performance. When Jack Satin performs, it’s like a tiger jumping down your throats and touching every inch of your soul.

 

The Las Vegas Strip in 1954

Posted on October 1st, 2009 • Filed under Las Vegas • 4 Comments

Las Vegas has a long and storied history.

When most people think of Vegas today, they think about bright lights and glitzy entertainment. But it wasn’t always that way. No, it was once a much simpler place. In the early 1900s, the completion of a railway which linked Southern California to Salt Lake City established Vegas as a railroad town. And the availability of water made it an ideal refueling point and rest stop. In the late 1950s Nevada established the Nevada Gaming Commission, and then in the 1960s, Howard Hughes led an entrepreneurial boom that brought gaming to a new level.

In honor of the days of old, and to kick of this blog, check out this terrific picture (below) I found of the Vegas strip in 1954. Do I love the Vegas of today? Absolutely. But it’s always important to remember your roots.

Click the image to enlarge it.