Follow Us

Copyright 2019 Schneider Rondan Organization All Rights Reserved

Fearless and Vulnerable Taylor Tomlinson Shines at the Wynn Hotel’s Encore Theatre

It’s definitely Taylor Tomlinson’s moment, and the packed audience at the Wynn’s Encore Theater in Las Vegas this past Saturday night showered the 28-year-old southern California comedian with non-stop love.

The star of two Netflix stand-up specials and intelligentsia coverage in the New York Times and Vulture has already been through life’s ringer, losing her mom to cancer when she was eight and riding the mental health roller coaster with depression, night terrors and panic attacks. Tomlinson’s shows offer insight and comfort, especially to folks who’ve been dealing with these issues. Taylor’s advice to herself and her audience is right there in the name of her current theater tour:  “Deal With It.”

She also resonates with her young audience who face the humiliation of being single in a cruel dating app world. Funny, too, to hear her lampoon the boredom that can creep into longtime marriages.

Tomlinson is smart, funny and commanding, hitting all her targets with rapid-fire precision. No guerrilla-style humor or political commentary here.  She’s an artist who aims to please, having sharpened her craft on the church comedy circuit (as part of her conservative Christian upbringing) before ascending to the national arena and “going dirty.”

Tomlinson is also fearless and vulnerable. From the moment she walks on stage, she masterfully gets you on her side. She is clearly pissed off, and you want to cheer her on as she works through her own issues. Because of her tight professionalism, you don’t get the sense that this sky’s-the-limit star is going to unravel in front of her audience. There’s this show to finish of course, and another one to do in another city.

YouTube screen grab from her current Netflix special, “Look At You”


Shannon & The Clams Deliver Crazy Musical Hybrid at Fremont Country Club in Downtown Vegas

Big thanks to Ava Berman + Carlos Adley for inviting me this past Saturday night to see Shannon & The Clams at their sprawling + massively cool Fremont Country Club in downtown Vegas. The vocal harmony-rich Oakland, CA quartet packed out the venue + lit it up with their crazy + playful hybrid of garage, surf, garage, girl group, psych and doo-wop. You definitely can’t pull the reins in on the band, whose latest album “Year of the Spider” marks their sixth, and the crowd was absolutely ravenous. For those who haven’t been, the venue (across from the El Cortez Hotel in a giant brick building that once was the home of Metro Police) has been key to the redevelopment of the East Fremont Street area. Hats off to Ava and “Big Daddy” Carlos, who are not only visionaries but really nice people. Long may they run and keep Vegas vital.


Sizzling Fundraiser for The Burlesque Hall of Fame at The Space

How cool is it that Las Vegas is home to The Burlesque Hall of Fame, the world’s only museum dedicated to the history + art of burlesque?

And like many nonprofit museums, it depends on contributions from folks who believe in the art of the “Tease.” 

That’s the name of the burlesque revue that raised money for the museum this past Saturday night at the packed The Space—a performance/event venue located in a warehouse area in the shadow of The Strip. 

And what a sensual, electrifying + ultimately life-affirming event it was, with one beautiful, colorful + sexy performer after another throughout the never-dull two-hour show.  And as the 76-year-old iconic burlesque performer Lovey Goldmine (a ‘70s headliner in Paris and L.A.) noted from the stage—during what was a lively history lesson “interview” conducted by the lovably bawdy emcee + burlesque performer Blanche DeBris (wink)—the neo-burlesque movement triumphantly differs from the past in its celebration of body diversity. 

So let’s raise our collective glasses to women of all shapes + sizes who proudly celebrate themselves in the face of societal pressure of how women should look. This is a revolution whose time has come, with a singer like Lizzo breaking down boundaries, removing some of the power from those who hold the reins in the advertising world + ultimately making the world a much better place.

Head over to The Burlesque Hall of Fame in the Arts District, whose neon sign outside is as sizzling as the museum’s “several thousand pieces including costumes, stage props, photos, sheet music, magazines, manuscripts, and personal effects from performers at every level of fame.”

Next up is the “The Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend” at the Orleans Hotel June 2-5. It’s billed as “four days of incredible fun, learning and performance, and a fundraiser for The Burlesque Hall of Fame.” 

And long live The “Tease,” which returns to The Space July 16.


Roy Choi’s Dazzling Korean Fusion Menu at Best Friend Eatery at The Park MGM

To celebrate our two-year anniversary of living in Vegas, I wanted to pick a restaurant that connected our adopted city to our former L.A. home. So happy we chose Best Friend at the Park MGM. It’s the out-of-this-world Korean fusion restaurant from L.A. chef Roy Choi whose Kogi food trucks put him on the map. The eatery’s signage—a fun salute to those tacky yellow strip mall signs—instantly brought a smile, and after walking through the separate bar + merch area, we were led into a spacious dining room filled with dazzling iconic L.A. images + waiters funnily dressed-down in L.A. casual wear. We decided to go all in for the pricey-but-worth-it Chef Menu. The complimentary buttered Hawaiian Rolls segued perfectly into the Banchan Sampler, the signature Kogi Tacos, the spicy Slippery Shrimp, Kimchi Fried Rice, and the like-butter Garlic Chicken + Kalbi platter. And then…the one-two dessert punch: the Medjool Date Cake, served with toffee + caramel ice cream, and the Mango Cheesecake with sorbet, and guava whip, both of which were seductive + captivating. Afterwards, it was real nice to walk through the hotel’s commendably smoke-free casino, with the taste of a terrific meal lingering in our mouths + minds.



Saffron, the Vegetarian Eatery in the Totally Happening Chinatown

There are many vegetarian + vegan choices here in Vegas, and Saffron, the Vegetarian Eatery in the totally happening Chinatown, goes to the top of this list.

Expect innovative + deeply satisfying fine cuisine in a gorgeously stylish + massive dining room which completely envelops its patrons. I’m ready to move in!  The restaurant’s location—in a non-descript strip mall—belies the magical elegance you’ll experience once you walk through the door, and that’s part of the fun.

Our waitress knowledgeably helped us curate our dinner when we asked her to make sure that none of the dishes we wanted were too similar. How could we not start with the Cha Lai Money Bags which she suggested? The eatery is donating all proceeds from this cinematic-looking appetizer to @chailaiorchid and @daughtersrisingthailand to “save the elephants + end trafficking and exploitation in Thailand.”

Next, we moved on to the dreamy Floating Gyoza Dumplings with pan-seared sweet potato, shiitake mushrooms + more.  Our two entrees—the Singapore Noodles with tofu, vegan fish sauce + curry spice,  plus the Saffron Red Curry with eggplant, chickpeas + more—were both home runs. Saffron puts so much care into the food they prepare; this relatively new Vegas gem did not disappoint in any way.

*Note: We arrived late to eat, so the ambience photos are from closing time.*


Imaginative + Soulful Dishes At Locale Italian Kitchen

3/7/2021

Coming up on nearly two years of living in Vegas, we’ve started to explore restaurants in the southwestern part of town. Like Locale Italian Kitchen on Blue Diamond Road in the Mountain’s Edge area. It’s a stylish + moderately priced Italian eatery where the food is imaginative + soulful.  We started with their Poached Pear Salad (with candied pecans + goat cheese) and moved on to the Pan Seared Salmon (with roasted tomato purée, fried leeks + crispy brussells sprouts) + Red Snapper Putanesca (with sautéed spinach, capers, olives + tomatoes) + a side of smashed fried potatoes. Both entrees were distinctively flavored, with the Putanesca the most striking. Why stop there? The creamy pudding with a salted caramel topping was as sublime as it sounds + we floated home on the 215 to Summerlin North, knowing that we’ll definitely return.


Franky Perez Band: Soul Firepower + Introspection At The Santa Fe Station Hotel

3/2/22

As one of rock’s most in-demand vocalists (Apocalyptica, Deadland Ritual + Scars on Broadway, in addition to his own solo recordings) Las Vegas native Franky Perez brings the magic with his impressively throaty + evocative pipes.

With the Franky Perez Band, the singer-songwriter-guitarist-percussionist has been gigging at venues around town, including the Chrome showroom at the Santa Fe Station Hotel and Casino. His current show combines a soul + blues-rock revue of cover tunes with his own rock presentation of self-written songs. Perez will be back there twice this month (March 11 + 18).

Performing two sets at the Chrome this past Saturday + over the course of two hours, Perez mixed soul firepower + singer-songwriter introspection. His tight four-piece band with standout lead guitarist Christian Brady was pumped up with three horn players and, for the revue part, two sexy female dancers to further light up the stage.

Perez, looking Rat Pack-esque in a shiny dress shirt for the first part of the show, opened with blues standard “Baby, Please Don’t Go,” which he recorded for the “Sons of Anarchy” soundtrack (his version currently has over 4 million Spotify streams). You could immediately feel Perez’ power + charisma as he dug his heels in deep, as he also did on smart choices like “Hard To Handle,” “Mr. Pitiful,” “The Letter” + show-stopper “I Know I’m Losing You.”

Perez also shined on his own material, particularly the hard-hitting bluesy “Run Down Nasty” (from his 2020 album) and his 2021 single “The Great Divide,” a moving + timely acoustic-driven love song with lines like “Love like we’ve never loved before/Kiss like we’re going off to war.”

Perez ended the night with a perfect one-two punch: a high-energy cover of his favorite song, Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds,” which also served to underline Perez’ Vegas roots, and a fierce cover of the Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post.” Meanwhile, look for Perez to release a new solo album later in 2022.


The Newly Rejuvenated “Michael Jackson Tribute Concert” at The Tropicana

2/28/2022 

Pop stars are eternal, always playing on endless loops in our minds. And tribute concerts to the dearly departed—not to mention holograms of them—can be fun, if they’re done well. Like the newly rejuvenated MJ Live Show which I saw this past Thursday night at the @troplv having moved from its previous home at The Strat. The show feels more powerful + commanding in the Tropicana showroom. 

Of course, MJ‘s body of work is stellar, and the hits (you know them all) kept coming in this vibrant + quick-paced show, with an excellent MJ impersonator who does not disappoint, a three-piece backing band and eight dancers. The choreography is killer, right down to MJ’s moonwalking style which still startles. 

The show intentionally has no fancy visual frills like film footage; the focus is on the performance itself—after all, it’s billed as the “Michael Jackson Tribute Concert.” Show stoppers include the self-reflective “Man In The Mirror,” the celebratory “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5, complete with ‘70s period costumes + wigs, and the Jacksons’ funk-fest finale “Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground).”

Looking at MJ during the show’s most intimate moments, you could see his eyes closed, under the spotlight—seemingly at peace, as if frozen in time—free of tabloid madness, lawsuits + mounting bills. 


Superbly Curated Food App “Neon Feast” Launches

2/25/2022

There was a whole lotta love + respect in the room earlier this week for Al Mancini who has launched Neon Feast. It’s a free + essential Las Vegas dining app—curated by chefs, critics + pros like Al himself—that plugs you right into the Vegas food scene on + off The Strip. The event at SoulBelly BBQ in the Arts District was jammed—not surprising since Al has done so much to shine a light on what makes eating out in Vegas truly special. His reviews at the Las Vegas Review Journal, where he had a long run, played a part in luring me to move here.

 


Harlo in Downtown Summerlin

2/22/22

The new Harlo in downtown Summerlin can be added to the list of Vegas’ outstanding five-star restaurants. A spacious, dream-like dining room awaits inside where everyone can look 10 years younger. We never go to steakhouses, but friends invited us and we were impressed. The fancy “potato purée with Normandy butter and cream” is the stuff that dreams are made of.



Privacy Settings
We use cookies to enhance your experience while using our website. If you are using our Services via a browser you can restrict, block or remove cookies through your web browser settings. We also use content and scripts from third parties that may use tracking technologies. You can selectively provide your consent below to allow such third party embeds. For complete information about the cookies we use, data we collect and how we process them, please check our Privacy Policy
Youtube
Consent to display content from - Youtube
Vimeo
Consent to display content from - Vimeo
Google Maps
Consent to display content from - Google