Thank you to everyone who helped make the first Mondo Lounge Atomic Frolic such a rousing success. Everyone was great to work with and it was fun meeting so many people from different places.
It looks like this will become an annual event.
To everyone who took the Neon Tour, I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! I will carry the memory of an opened top double decker bus going down Jackson Street with me for awhile. Especially all the bikers on the street who took the time to wave to us.
Special thanks to the folks at Atomic Liquors and the Peppermill for being so gracious to us.
We are already scoping out ideas for next year's tour!
Thank you to Mike Weatherford for stopping by and talking about Las Vegas on Film (those swag presents he gave the winners looked pretty swell).
Speaking of Las Vegas on Film, stayed tune to this blog because a list of films (and locations) shot in Southern Nevada is coming very soon.
Special thanks to the Junior League and the docents at the Morelli House for opening this wonderful mid-century modern house for the Architectural Tour. ( I also want to say thank you for the Diet Coke and the donuts. ). I hope everyone had the opportunity to tour this exquisite landmark.
Don't forget that author Alan Hess is coming to Las Vegas on April 9th to give a talk about the Morelli House. You won't want to miss the author of "Viva Las Vegas: Architecture After Dark" talking on one of his favorite subjects!
Speaking of the Architectural Tour, we are working with Mary-Margaret Stratton of the Atomic Age Alliance and will shortly have copies of the Driving Tour Booklet on sale here at Classic Las Vegas.
This is a must have keepsake. A Main Driving Tour with four additional smaller tours, the booklet includes all 164 stops with pictures and history. With the way Las Vegas is constantly changing, anyone that loves old Las Vegas, mid-century modern Las Vegas or just history in general should buy this book!
Best find of the weekend: The Martini Kings! These guys are great and if you ever get the chance to hear them live, you must. In the meantime, they have CDs of their albums for sale on their website: http://www.martinikings.net/index.html
You won't be disappointed. I promise!
Lastly, a special thanks to my partners in crime at Mondo Lounge Atomic Frolic: neon expert Eric Lynxwiler and photoman Allen Sandquist. You guys were great.
So, I guess we have to put those fezs away until next year but we are already working on ideas for that!
Thanks again!
Update:
The Neon Tour is going to be wonderful. Wednesday night, (with suggestions from Paco Alvarez and Allen Sandquist), Eric Lynxwiler and I mapped out the route for the Tour. From the Aruba to the West Side to Downtown and Motel Row to the Strip, this is a tour of Neon signage that is still working and off the beaten path. So, if you only know the Neon of Las Vegas from the way it used to be, this is the tour for you, because there is still some left, visible and lots of historical fun.
It is a three hour tour that includes two drink stops that you won't want to miss. The tour is one night only, Friday night, January 26th at 8:00 pm leaving from (and returning to) the Aruba Hotel on Las Vegas Blvd. South.
If you have any questions about this tour, please feel free to post them here.
For ticket information:
http://www.mondoatomic.com/gettickets.php
Don't be discouraged by the Sold Out for Advanced Tickets for Mondo Lounge Atomic Frolic. Tickets are still available not only for the Atomic Frolic but for the Neon Tour as well.
Hope to see on Friday night!
Over the weekend of January 26th, the Mondo Lounge Atomic Frolic will be going on at the Aruba Hotel.
This event is open to the public (but does require tickets) and features many different things to do. A Burlesque evening, a Neon Bus Tour, an Architectural Driving Tour, speakers, bands and more.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets toddle over to:
http://www.mondoatomic.com/
On Friday evening January 26th at 6:00 pm, Review Journal columnist and author Mike Weatherford will be talking about "Cult Vegas" and the Las Vegas Lounge Scene of yore. He will also be talking on Saturday evening, Jan. 27th at 7:00 pm.
Also, I will be giving a talk about "Places That Aren't There Anymore" directly following Mike's talk. Photographer Allen Sandquist is providing many of the photos for this talk. We will have the talk on Saturday evening as well.
Good friends and authors, Eric Lynxwiler and Natan Marask will talk about "The Wonderful World of Neon" on Friday evening at 7:30. This talk will also include slides and photos of wonderful neon signs. This talk will be repeated on Saturday evening as well.
Be sure to sign up for the Neon Bus Tour on Friday evening after the Neon Talk. Eric will be the host and take us all on a wonderful night time tour of Las Vegas where we will get to see beautiful neon signs from back in the day still shining bright. The tour price includes two drink stops as well. Eric is a great tour guide and this should be one of the highlights of the weekend. This tour is only held on Friday night.
On Saturday morning, get up and head over to the Morelli House (downtown kitty corner from the old High School/now Performing Arts School) where you can purchase the tour book for the Architectural Driving Tour. This tour book includes 164 stops along with side tours as well. This will be a wonderful tour and the booklet you will want to keep so that you can explore the stops in more depth. Tour Books will go on sale at the Morelli House from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm on Saturday, Jan. 27th. Allen Sandquist and I will be maining the tables and we hope to see you there.
We will have copies of our DVD "The Story of Classic Las Vegas: An Overview" as well as our classy "The Story of Classic Las Vegas" tee-shirts on sale at a special Show Price.
We look foward to a wonderful weekend filled with good music, some history and good times. Hope to see you there!
For more information please go to:
http://www.mondoatomic.com/