The Jeff Does Vegas Podcast

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My Special Guest - Christina Shaw Jun 15, 2020

Show notes

One of my favourite things about Las Vegas is the vast array of entertainment options available. One of the most popular types of shows are the "celebrity impersonator" or "tribute shows" - and my special guest for this episode of the podcast is one of the best in the city!

Christina Shaw has been a professional celebrity impersonator for close to 20 years. As Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga and a host of other celebs, she's had the opportunity to travel all over the US, Asia and the Caribbean. Christina has been performing in Las Vegas since 2010 and has had the opportunity to headline on The Strip numerous times, including as a part of the iconic Legends In Concert show.

During our conversation, Christina & I talked about growing up with a very entertainment-centered family, how she got started in the world of celebrity impersonation, some of her early gigs in Las Vegas and the process she follows when working on a new impersonation.

If you want to know more about Christina Shaw you can follow her on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. Christina is also available for special greetings as Taylor Swift or Elsa & Anna from Frozen via her Cameo pages!

My Special Guest - Sarah Hester Ross Jun 08, 2020

Show notes

My guest for this episode of the podcast is someone I've been trying to connect with for awhile, but up until now our schedules just never clicked. I'm a HUGE fan of hers and anytime I have a chance to see her perform, I know I'm going to have an awesome time!

Sarah Hester Ross is an incredibly talented musical comedian & singer-songwriter. And if you've spent time in any of the duelling piano bars on the Vegas strip, there's a good chance you've seen her play.

Sarah & I talked about her musical background & how she made it to Vegas, some of the shows she's been involved with in her time in the city and how she's been building her online presence with the amazing material she's been posting on her various social media channels.

If you want to see what Sarah is working on make sure to follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Tik-Tok. Also, go subscribe to her YouTube channel and check out her website!

NOTE: I've been made aware of a claim against Sarah Hester Ross surrounding her recording, releasing & monetizing a musical work to which she allegedly did not receive permission or licensing to do so. The interview for this episode of the podcast was recorded approximately 2 weeks prior to release of this episode and any reference to the allegedly infringed upon musical work has been removed from this episode of the podcast.

Sin City Stories - Volume 1: Big Gambles & Epic Fails Jun 01, 2020

Show notes

Las Vegas is a city all about gambling & taking risks...but it's not just the tourists who go there to gamble.

Tens of BILLIONS of dollars have been shelled out over the last 30 years on the construction of mega-resorts, massive hotels and giant attractions all intended to keep the Vegas economy moving forward - and of course to make a tidy profit for the investors behind the scenes.

But in Las Vegas - as in life - not every gamble pays off.

That's what the debut episode of Sin City Stories is all about. I'm taking a deep dive into some Las Vegas history and exploring the stories behind the failures of The St. Regis Residences at the Venetian/Palazzo, the SkyVue Las Vegas Super Wheel, the Harmon Hotel at City Center and the Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

If you want to learn more about everything I've covered in this special episode of the podcast, visit the official Sin City Stories website! I've got photos & videos about all of these failed Las Vegas projects as well as extra info about their development & construction!

John Di Domenco - The Second Term May 25, 2020

Show notes

It was a little over a year ago that Vegas entertainer & actor, John Di Domenico - who's regarded as the world's best Donald Trump impersonator - invited me to his home to have a conversation for the podcast (check out that interview in Episode #18). During the course of our chat, John dropped into the conversation that at one time Donald Trump actually thought John had died. Apparently, I'm not the journalist I thought I was...because I just moved past that and didn't ask any follow-up questions.

Better late than never, I decided to ask John to come back on the show so I could find out the when, how and why the future President of the United States thought John had passed away.

We also got caught up on what John has been up to over the last year including the voiceover work he's been doing as Trump, his opportunity to meet Alec Baldwin, his dive into the world of Cameo and how he's been keeping busy during the COVID-19 shutdown in Las Vegas.

If you want to keep up with what John has going on, follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And if you'd like one of John's many characters - including Donald Trump, Dr. Evil, Guy Fieri, Dr. Phil and many MANY others - to send a special message to a co-worker, friend or family member be sure to book him on Cameo!

My Special Guests - The Black Donnellys May 18, 2020

Show notes

I made my first visit to Ri Ra Irish Pub in the Shoppes At Mandalay Bay back in June 2019 and reviewed the experience on Episode #24 of the podcast. As I described it at the time, everything about Ri Ra was "authentically Irish". Sitting in this pub in a mall in Las Vegas felt exactly like sitting in the pub in Dublin - and a lot of things helped contribute to that...from the food, to the drinks, to the staff, to the music.

And that's where the people joining me for this episode of the podcast come into play.

My special guests are Dave Rooney and Dave Browne of The Black Donnellys. They're the resident house band at Ri Ra in Mandalay Bay.

I talked to the guys about growing up in Dublin & the band's origins in Ireland, how and why they made the move to Las Vegas, their various Guinness World Records and their brand new documentary film An Irish Story: This Is My Home.

Of course we also talked about the COVID-19 pandemic and how they've been keeping busy through the Vegas shut-down.

If you want to learn more about Dave & Dave and the Black Donnellys, visit their official website - which includes info on where you can watch An Irish Story: This Is My Home. Also make sure to follow the band on Instagram and Facebook - where they've been performing live shows.

And if you want to learn more about the tragic real-life story of The "Black" Donnellys - from which the band took their name - check out the website, Heaven & Hell on Earth - The Massacre of The "Black" Donnellys. On the site, you can read all about the family, the murders and the aftermath - including the TWO trials that followed - as well as look through archival evidence from the events.

Howard Hughes - Aviator, Innovator & Las Vegas Legend May 11, 2020

Show notes

In spite of its short history, the city of Las Vegas has some incredibly colourful characters in its past...and for this episode, I want to talk about one of those characters.

Howard Hughes was a billionaire, an inventor, an aviator, movie producer and philanthropist. He was also known to be a little "eccentric."

The stories about Howard Hughes are legendary - from the rumours of him urinating in mason jars & having foot-long fingernails to locking himself in a movie screening room for months on end & buying a Las Vegas hotel because he didn't want to leave. The stories have been around so long and spun in so many different directions, that it's sometimes hard to separate fact from fiction. And that's what my guest is here to do...

Geoff Schumacher is the Vice President of Exhibits and Programs at The Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas. Last time Geoff was here, we talked about Las Vegas's mob history...but another one of his favourite topics is Howard Hughes' time in spent in Vegas.

We talked about Hughes' aviation & filmmaking history, what prompted him to move to Nevada in the first place, the rumour that he bought the Silver Slipper Hotel & Casino because "the sign annoyed him", the bizarre reason behind his purchase of a Las Vegas TV station and much more.

Visit Amazon to purchase a copy of Geoff Schumacher's book "Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia and Palace Intrigue". Also be sure to visit The Mob Museum's website for Virtual Tours and follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

My Special Guests - Makenzie Fly & Colin Cahill aka "Mak and the Cheese" May 04, 2020

Show notes

My special guests for this episode are Las Vegas entertainers - and married couple - Makenzie Fly & Colin Cahill.

Before COVID-19 shut down Las Vegas, Makenzie was one of the leads in the show, Sex Tips For Straight Women From A Gay Man at the Paris and Colin was a member of the cast in Spiegelworld's newest show, Atomic Saloon at The Venetian.

When they were forced out of their respective gigs by Coronavirus, the pair wanted to keep performing - so they launched Mak and the Cheese.

Makenzie & Colin joined me via Zoom to chat about their life before the shutdown, predictions on what Vegas shows might look like when things re-open and whether or not Mak and the Cheese have a future beyond the pandemic!

Be sure to check out & subscribe to Mak and the Cheese's YouTube Channel and enjoy their music including:

- "You Can't Spell Virus Without Us"

- "Don't Cough on Betty White"

- "The Quarantine 15" (as performed for the Mondays Dark Livestream Telethon)

- And "Spare Me a Roll"

Also, follow Mak and the Cheese on Instagram and Facebook!

Quarantainment Apr 27, 2020

Show notes

To say the COVID-19 shutdown in Las Vegas caught people off guard would be a massive understatement. The complete closure of all non-essential businesses in the state of Nevada has been absolutely devastating to workers in Las Vegas.

One of the hardest-hit sectors is Vegas entertainers. This group saw their livelihood literally dry up to nothing. And in addition, a large portion of these workers are self-employed or working under contract, meaning that - until recently - they couldn't even collect unemployment.

Two Las Vegas showgirls saw the direction things were going and made the decision to jump into action.

Devon Alarid and Nina Kane launched The Socially Distant Show, an online show designed to give Vegas entertainers the opportunity to still perform for an audience, even if it meant a virtual one. They also added a charitable aspect to the show to allow viewers to make donations, which the ladies will distribute to performers who appear.

Devon & Nina joined me from their homes in Las Vegas (via Zoom) to chat about what they were doing before the shutdown, how they heard about the shutdown and what inspired them to launch this program.

To check out The Socially Distant Show, follow them on Instagram and Facebook and be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel!

The Tipping Point Apr 20, 2020

Show notes

One of the most divisive and controversial topics I've ever seen discussed online is the practice of tipping. If you want to see grown-ass adults lose their minds & resort to insults in just a few short posts, jump on a Vegas-related Facebook page and ask how much you should tip for a specific service.

I do understand the confusion though; Las Vegas gets 42 million visitors per year and not all of them come from countries where tipping is customary. And if you're not prepared for it & don't budget for it, tipping can drain your bankroll pretty quickly.

But the question still remains: Who should you be tipping and how much should you be tipping them?

My guest for this episode is international etiquette expert, Jacqueline Whitmore. Ms. Whitmore is considered one of the world's foremost experts on the subject of etiquette and has appeared on dozens of TV shows as well as in multiple newspapers & magazines.

Jacqueline and I took a deep dive into the world of tipping - including tipping at restaurants & hotels, limo/taxi/rideshare drivers and even a few Vegas-specific topics like casino dealers, slot attendants & cocktail servers.

NOTE: My conversation with Jacqueline was recorded before the COVID-19 shutdown in Las Vegas, so whether or not these bits of advice will still be applicable when Vegas re-opens remains to be seen.

If you want to learn more about Jacqueline or you're in need of etiquette advice, visit her official website or follow her on Twitter & Instagram.

My Special Guest - Murray The Magician Apr 13, 2020

Show notes

I've had a lot of entertainers as guests on the podcast, but this episode marks the first appearance by a magician on the show!

My special guest is Murray Sawchuck aka Murray The Magician.

Murray has been a long-time headliner in Las Vegas; he currently has a residency at The Laugh Factory at the Tropicana and he recently signed on to be a part of the entertainment with Fantasy at The Luxor.

Murray & I talked about his growing up in British Columbia, when he decided that magic was going to be "his thing", what it's like living and working in Las Vegas, his appearances on TV including "Pawn Stars" & "GLOW" and how he's managed to grow his YouTube channel to almost 2 MILLION subscribers.

Murray was also kind enough to perform a few quick magic tricks for us AND show off his very cool collection of vintage Vegas memorabilia. Head to the official Jeff Does Vegas YouTube Channel to check out those videos...and more!

If you want to learn more about Murray The Magician head over and check out his website; follow him on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook and be sure to subscribe to his YouTube Channel.

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