This time on Vegas Book Club, we're going ALLLLL the way back to Episode #25 of the podcast and my conversation with Steve Cyr, the subject of the book Whale Hunt In The Desert by Deke Castleman. Steve is a Casino Host in Las Vegas - but he's not just any host. Steve is one of the elite hosts who deal almost exclusively with "whales". What is a "whale", you ask? "Whales" are the extreme high-roller VIP's who come to Vegas and spend MASSIVE amounts of money; it's not uncommon for a "whale" to dro...
Jul 24, 2023•1 hr 12 min
On this instalment of Vegas Book Club, we're taking a trip back to and my chat with Dennis Blair, author of the book, Touring With Legends. A Las Vegas-based comedian & musician, Dennis's career has spanned almost 40 years and over that time, he's worked with some of the biggest names in comedy and music. He co-wrote a feature film, he's worked on numerous TV specials, and he's appeared on the Tonight Show several times. Dennis and I talked about what got him into comedy, his early days work...
Jul 17, 2023•57 min
This time around on Vegas Book Club, we're heading back to Episode #78 of the podcast and my conversation with David G. Schwartz, UNLV Professor, Las Vegas Historian, and author of the book At The Sands. December 15, 1952 saw the opening of one of the most iconic hotels in the history of Las Vegas - The Sands Hotel & Casino. During its heyday, it hosted some of the biggest names in entertainment, most notably the legendary Rat Pack featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. An...
Jul 10, 2023•40 min
For this episode of Vegas Book Club, we're taking a trip back to Episode #116 of the podcast and my chat with Eric Sherwood, aka "Annoyed Pit Boss" on Twitter, and author of the book Dealt: Stories From My Life On The Felt. Eric entered the gaming industry following what I like to call a "forced career change", first as a dealer and eventually moving up to the position of pit boss. As he got further into the crazy world of the casino business, he realized the stories from his day-to-day life wer...
Jul 03, 2023•32 min
This time around on Vegas Book Club, we're headed back to Episode #93 of the podcast and my conversation with Matthew O'Brien, author of the books Beneath The Neon and Dark Days, Bright Nights: Surviving The Las Vegas Storm Drains. Underneath the glitz & glamour of the Las Vegas Strip lies a massive network of tunnels which serve the practical purpose of protecting the big casinos & hotels from flash floods that often occur after summertime rainfalls. However, those tunnels have also bec...
Jun 26, 2023•33 min
For this instalment of Vegas Book Club, we're heading back to Episode #42 of the podcast and my conversation with Richard Zoglin, the author of Elvis In Vegas: How The King Reinvented The Las Vegas Show. July 31, 1969 was a day that changed Las Vegas forever; on that date, the King of Rock N' Roll stepped on stage at the newly-opened International Hotel to kick off what would eventually turn into one of the biggest Las Vegas residencies of all time.. Richard and I took a deep dive into Elvis's f...
Jun 19, 2023•26 min
So, you may have noticed this episode of the podcast is titled NOT The May Trip Report...and there's a very good reason it's called that. Quite simply, there wasn't all that much to report from my most recent trip to Las Vegas. As you may be aware, I had a trip planned to head to Vegas from May 29th to June 1st. I had a lot of big ideas of what I wanted to do while I was down in Vegas this time around but, as the old saying goes, "The best laid plans of mice & men often go awry"...and that's...
Jun 12, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 156
When you think "music" and "Las Vegas" there's likely a few names that come to mind almost instantly like Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Liberace or Wayne Newton. But I'm willing to bet that "Punk Rock" isn't even on your radar. However, a new attraction, sandwiched between the growing Arts District and the World-Famous Las Vegas Strip is hoping to change that. The recently-opened Punk Rock Museum houses the world's largest collection of Punk Rock artifacts & memorabilia including posters, in...
Jun 05, 2023•37 min•Season 5Ep. 155
It's been a busy couple of months around JDV-land and, as we head into the summer, things are shaping up to get even busier! I thought it would be a good idea to jump on and give you a few updates on what's been happening in case you've missed out on some of the latest episodes, what I've got planned for my upcoming Vegas trip - happening as this episode is released, and share some of the cool stuff I've got planned for upcoming episodes of the podcast! __________________________________________...
May 29, 2023•1 hr 13 min
The history of Las Vegas is jammed full of so many great stories about the mob and their involvement in the city but for this episode of the podcast, we're going in-depth on one that you might be be very familiar with. Originally hailing from a small town in Texas that doesn't even exist anymore, Benny Binion rose to become a kingpin of the Las Vegas casino scene, creating a legacy that's lasted well beyond his death in the late 1980's. Joining me to share Binion's story is Geoff Schumacher, Vic...
May 22, 2023•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 154
I generally try to keep things pretty light on the podcast and stay away from topics that some might consider "serious" or "controversial", but if I spot an issue that I think my listeners need to know about, I go for it. So, heads up...this might not be the Jeff Does Vegas that you're used to. Human Trafficking is a massive problem around the world, and especially in Las Vegas; it might not come as much of a surprise to some people that Vegas has the 4th-highest rate of trafficking in the Unite...
May 15, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 5Ep. 153
I make no secret about the fact that I absolutely LOVE food. In fact, as anyone who listens to the podcast on a regular basis knows, when I put together my "Trip Report" episodes, I always mention that that being able to tell people about the meals I've enjoyed in Las Vegas is probably my favorite part of the trip. So, when I was presented with the opportunity to chat with a Las Vegas-based chef who took her passion for cooking and turned it into a career, I jumped at that chance. My guest for t...
May 08, 2023•56 min•Season 5Ep. 152
Las Vegas bills itself as "the Entertainment Capital of the World" and it's easy to see why with all the big names performing up & down the Strip on a nightly basis...and it's been that way for decades. But how did that all come to be...and what role did the world of organized crime play in making it happen? My guest for this episode of the podcast is here to help clear things up for us. Making her second appearance on the podcast is Claire White, the Director of Education for the Mob Museum...
May 01, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 5Ep. 151
After becoming the first ever magician to win America's Got Talent back in 2014, Mat Franco hit the Vegas strip with his show, Magic Reinvented Nightly at The Linq where he's been performing for almost 8 years. On my last trip to Las Vegas, I had a chance to sit down backstage with Mat for a conversation. We talked about what got him into magic & his family's support through his career, his AGT experience, the recent re-vamp of his Vegas show, and much more! For tickets & showtimes, you ...
Apr 24, 2023•27 min•Season 5Ep. 150
In years past, the Las Vegas Strip was jammed full of a combination of large-scale production shows and mid-level headliners with the odd big-time residency tossed into the mix. And of course, there were also the casino lounges, packed full of people while Vegas's finest singers & musicians performed live. But as you may have heard me talk about in past episodes - or even noticed on your own Vegas trips - the Strip has gone through a big shift when it comes to entertainment. The large-scale ...
Apr 17, 2023•47 min•Season 5Ep. 149
It's time for another World Famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report! This time around, we're re-capping my most recent trip to Vegas, from March 4-11, 2023. This was trip #2 of 2023 and was easily one of the busiest trips to Las Vegas that I've ever had! I combined work and play for this trip; my wife joined me for a mini-vacation for the first few days of the trip, then I attended the Podcast Movement Evolutions conference at the Westgate Las Vegas Hotel & Casino for the last half of the trip. T...
Apr 10, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 5Ep. 148
The very first ever WrestleMania was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 31st, 1985. The brainchild of WWF owner Vince McMahon, WrestleMania played host to roughly 19,000 people at the Garden and was seen across the United States by over 1 million people via closed-circuit television. At the time, it was the largest pay-per-view wrestling event ever. In the years following, Wrestlemania would become the most successful and longest-running pro wrestling event in history, even ...
Apr 03, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 5Ep. 147
One of the most serene spots along Las Vegas Boulevard also happens to be home to one of the biggest spectacles in the city's history: That would be the fountains at Caesars Palace - and the attempt to jump over those fountains on a motorcycle by the legendary Evel Knievel! During my last trip to Las Vegas, I caught up with Joe Friday from the Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, Kansas. Joe was attending the same conference I was, as he's prepping to release a brand-new podcast all about the incredib...
Mar 27, 2023•32 min•Season 5Ep. 146
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Spiegelworld's Atomic Saloon Show is easily one of the best shows - if not THE BEST show - currently running on the Vegas Strip...and I'm very happy to be joined for this episode of the podcast by one of the incredibly talented cast members. On my most recent trip to Las Vegas, I headed out to the super-secret Spiegelworld HQ for a chat with Petra Massey, better known as Boozy Skunkton, the proprietor of the Atomic Saloon & Brothel who also serves a...
Mar 20, 2023•43 min•Season 5Ep. 145
Hey Everyone! It's going to be a busy couple of weeks around the world of Jeff Does Vegas! I'm not going to be releasing any new episodes for a couple of weeks, but I didn't want to leave you hanging! So, I thought I'd put together a little update/bonus episode to tell you what's going to be happening over the next while including upcoming interviews & episodes I'm working to put together, plans for my current Vegas trip, as well as new content I'm working on for the podcast. _______________...
Mar 06, 2023•1 hr 16 min
I've had a few listeners reach out and ask me about doing an episode covering the topic of casino comps, tier statuses & loyalty programs, so I thought it was about time I actually got to it. And, even though I'm a member of several different Vegas casino loyalty programs, I really have no idea how they work. So, I'm turning to an expert to help me out! Shawn Coomer is the founder & editor-in-chief of Miles To Memories , a website dedicated to sharing the best tips & tricks when it c...
Feb 27, 2023•54 min•Season 5Ep. 144
I always LOVE having other Vegas fanatics on the podcast to chat about the latest happenings in "Sin City". Back in Spring of 2021, I was joined on the show by Adam Bauer aka "Travel Fanboy" to talk about some of the big changes coming to Las Vegas. We discussed the sale of the Cosmopolitan to MGM, the sale of the Mirage to Hard Rock, and the impending re-branding of Bally's to Horseshoe. A year has passed and all of those changes are either complete or well underway, so I decided to reconnect w...
Feb 20, 2023•57 min•Season 5Ep. 143
Roughly 85 miles northwest of the Las Vegas Strip, you'll find what might be the most famous classified military installation in the world: Area 51 If you believe what you see in pop culture, Area 51 - or "Homey Airport" as it's officially known - is the secret base where the U.S. Government stores dead alien beings & their spacecraft, and works on advanced technology like weather control, time travel, and teleportation. But what REALLY happens there? My guest for this episode is going to he...
Feb 13, 2023•36 min•Season 5Ep. 142
Here comes another World Famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report! This time around, it's a recap of my most recent trip to Vegas from January 23-26, 2023. I've got reviews of my stay at Planet Hollywood plus meals at Flight Club in the Venetian, Ramsay's Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay at Harrah's , and the famous Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge at the north end of the Strip . I'll also share thoughts on The Carroll Shelby Heritage Center and the Atomic Saloon Show at the Venetian. _______________...
Feb 06, 2023•23 min•Season 5Ep. 141
There's no question that Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world, and all through the city's history, it's played host to some of the most legendary acts of all time. Some names come to mind instantly, like The Rat Pack...Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin & Sammy Davis Jr. There's Mr. Las Vegas, Wayne Newton who's been headlining in Vegas since the mid-1960's. And of course, there's the King Of Rock N' Roll, Elvis Presley who sold out a record 636 shows at the International Hotel (later...
Jan 30, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 140
Did you know that approximately 2% of the world's population uses a wheelchair AND that nearly 20% of people have a disability that limits one or more activities of daily living? If you applied that math to Las Vegas, that means that roughly 840,000 wheelchair users and almost 8.5 million people with different levels of accessibility requirements travel to Vegas every single year. In the various Vegas-related Facebook groups I'm a part of, I often see questions from people who are apprehensive a...
Jan 23, 2023•36 min•Season 5Ep. 139
In mid-December 2022, I was offered the opportunity to talk with the one and only Chris Hansen, formerly of Dateline NBC and perhaps best known for the famous To Catch A Predator series of investigative reports. If you're not familiar with To Catch A Predator, allow me to explain: A group of decoys playing the part of underage teen boys & girls enter online chatrooms and wait for adults to engage them in sexually explicit conversations. A meeting is set up, the predator comes to a house to m...
Jan 16, 2023•33 min
Get ready for another World Famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report! This time, we're recapping mine & my wife's most recent trip to Vegas from December 11th-16th, 2022. This episode includes reviews of our stay at Paris Las Vegas as well as meals at Roy Choi's Best Friend in Park MGM , Yellowtail Restaurant & Lounge at the Bellagio , The Steakhouse at Circus Circus , and others. Plus, I share our experiences at Cirque Du Soleil's Mad Apple , Reckless In Vegas and Bat Out Of Hell - The Musica...
Jan 09, 2023•32 min•Season 5Ep. 138
The Las Vegas Strip attracts all types of people. Vacationers, gamblers, foodies, partiers...and daredevils. And there's one specific spot on the strip that's been particularly appealing to those who make their living defying death: The Fountains at Caesars Palace Since Caesars Palace opened back in 1966, the usually serene spot along Las Vegas Boulevard has played host to multiple brave - and possibly crazy - people who've attempted to jump their motorcycles over the famed fountains. Some have ...
Jan 02, 2023•23 min•Season 5Ep. 137
As 2022 comes to an end, I've decided to take you all on a little trip back in time to re-visit some of my favorite conversations from the last 12 months of the podcast. For the third & final instalment of 2022 In Review, I've decided to cover what is easily one of my favorite things to talk about - and based on your reactions to these episodes, I'm betting it's yours as well: Las Vegas History Over the past year, I've covered some pretty cool parts of Vegas history and been very fortunate t...
Dec 26, 2022•44 min
