An emoticon guide to Las Vegas’ top headlines
Guess who’s back?!
Pull Out the Prop Trunk, It’s All Coming Back
???? ???? ???? At last, the Entertainment Capital of the World can start living up to its name again. With Nevada easing statewide COVID-19 restrictions, several Las Vegas stage productions can justify reopening doors to paying audiences.
Among those coming back this Friday, Feb. 19: Carrot Top and “Fantasy,” both in the same theater at Luxor Las Vegas. With nearly a year in between performances, we’re hoping the “Fantasy” dancers will return with some new moves; and for Carrot Top, maybe some new props and (at last) a screenplay for the “Chairman of the Board” sequel we deserved back in the 1990s.
Meanwhile, Hakkasan Group made the sun come out Tuesday announcing that Wet Republic at MGM Grand and the terrace at Omnia Nightclub will reopen March 5, with Liquid Pool at Aria to follow on March 12. The Vegas Golden Knights also submitted plans to allow 3,500 fans (20% capacity) back into T-Mobile Arena.
Las Vegas is healing.
Parler Gets a Lifeline Because of Course
???? ???? ???? Not all comebacks are celebrated or welcome. Henderson-based social media hot messapp Parler has announced it’s coming back online following its post-insurrection banishment. The app, which bills itself as a bastion of “free speech” but also served as a meeting hub for many of the traitors that stormed the U.S. Capitol in January, was kicked off the Amazon web-hosting service in January.
The Parler board tossed CEO and founder John Matze and appointed Tea Party Patriots co-founder Mark Meckler as interim CEO, and now it’s got a new home with cloud services company SkySilk. Don’t bet on Parler learning its lesson, as leadership still wants to attract a right-wing audience consumed by grievance and at war with “cancel culture.” Whatever.
Harry Reid Flying High
✈️ ???? ???? That was easy. By unanimous vote, the Clark County Commission voted on Tuesday to rename Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport for retired Sen. Harry Reid.
note from FAA on the @LASairport name change: “The FAA doesn’t approve airport name changes. However, we must complete some administrative tasks before we officially recognize any name change.” (1/2)
— kristen desilva (@kristendesilva) February 16, 2021
The airport has been named for Sen. Pat McCarran since 1948, and McCarran’s been dead since 1954. Advocates for the name change point to McCarran’s racism and Red Scare past as prime reasons to give it a new moniker. Plus, The Killers were all for it.
Congratulations to our friend Senator Reid. Harry is the gold standard of The Silver State. This is well deserved! https://t.co/BAhKWh0XNY
— The Killers (@thekillers) February 16, 2021
Sahara Serves Up Yummylicious Cocktails
???? ???? ???? We promised ourselves a drink when all of this is over, and the slow drag to the finish line is getting more difficult every day. Now, Sahara Las Vegas’ Casbar Lounge has unveiled a new cocktail collection that’s going to make it even harder. There’s a dozen or so alcoholic and non-alcoholic spirits for imbibing with names like the Aromatic AV8, Brazilian Mula, Blueberry Lemonade Mai Tai (nice!) and Mediterranean Martini.
We’re leaning toward the Spicy Espresso Martini (Remy 1738, Vanilla Spice and Ancho Reyes with Espresso) and Electric Feels (Grey Goose, White Cranberry, Vanilla Spice, Lemon Juice and Sparkling Wine rimmed with Electricdust). Drink it all in because you deserve it.
