The best live party band ever!

I first saw the Scissor Sisters on September 21, 2004 at Liquid Joe's right here in Salt Lake City.  Jake Shears bought his outfit at the thrift store across the street.  I can't imagine that there were more than a hundred or so people there.  We danced and sang along to those amazing Scissor Sister songs.  We took Polaroids. Even Paddy Boom was there. And afterwards Baby Daddy took the time to chat and let us even take a Polaroid with him and Felix.

I can confidently say, that was the best live concert I've ever experienced. And it's the reason I've gone out of my way to experience the Scissor Sisters every chance I get.  I saw them at Sundance. I traveled to Denver to see them. We hung out afterwards and took a couple of Polaroids with the always gracious Jake Shears.

 And I saw them when they opened for Lady Gaga (they're better without Gaga!). None the less, they never disappoint.

Most recently, I traveled with Felix to Las Vegas for the first US performance of their latest tour.  And Jake, Ana, Baby Daddy, and Del Marquee reminded me once again that the Scissor Sisters are unquestionably the best live party band ever. So let's have a kiki! Why say anything more than that?  Here are a few pictures from the show.

Dance like no one's watching (or you're at CES).

I'm not cool enough to get the invites needed to experience true Vegas nightlife, particularly when the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is in town.  So it's a good thing I know Sara Bresee.  She knows all the right people.  That's how, without an invite, we were whisked into the HP/Intel party. Not only that, Sara managed to get us into a VIP area so I had a perfect place to enjoy the show at XS, the nightclub at the Wynn Encore.

I'll start with the weirdest part of the evening: Pole Dancers.  Yes, I went to an HP/Intel party where they had some serious pole dancing.  I'm still trying to figure out who thought that was "on brand."  Although there were a lot of old men in the VIP section getting surprisingly friendly with young women who may or may not have been paid for the evening's entertainment. I'm not exactly sure which brands may or may not have been paying for the services. I guess even managing your brand takes a vacation in Vegas.

The party ratcheted up the fun when global music master Tiësto took the stage.  The music was fantastic and the super-chic LED screen technology was mind blowing.  Talking about it is useless.  So I'll just show some pictures.

The way to stay in Vegas.

With a last-minute invite to attend the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas, I was nearly thwarted by the high-priced last-minute room costs. Fortunately our San Francisco office had reserved a block of rooms at the Cosmopolitan and just happened to have an extra. I'm glad they did, because the Cosmopolitan turned out to be one of the best Vegas stays I've ever enjoyed.

Here are a few of the reasons why. The check-in staff was exceptional with their super-friendly approach that made me feel immediately at home. There were other check-in details that made the experience extra fun from the iPads imbedded in the counters to the card keys that were printed with my name. As someone who likes to keep card keys as hotel souvenirs, that's a cool detail. The fact that my room was upgraded to a larger suite with an incredible view didn't hurt either.

I also liked that this mega hotel and casino was still able to maintain the feel of a boutique hotel. The night I checked in, someone softly slipped a sealed envelope under my door. When I opened it, I found a hand-written note from Ichabod, the charming man who had checked me in earlier that evening. Among other things, the note gave me a personal invite to call the front desk if I needed anything. I marveled at the idea that a hotel so large could generate kind notes to each guest. Well, at least until the next day when I mentioned it to colleagues who were also staying at the Cosmopolitan but hadn't received such welcoming correspondences. I don't think I've ever felt so welcome at a hotel. Here's a photo of Ichabod's delightful note.

The other thing that makes the Cosmopolitan so much fun are the design details. The bars are opulent with their dizzying chandeliers, mirrored finishes, and astounding light fixtures. The rooms also feature amazing lighting that seems intent on making guests look their best. I also liked the design details in the rooms that hint at vintage Vegas like this brocade-like wallpaper in the bathroom created from sexy silhouettes.

The Cosmopolitan features plenty of trendy restaurants including Comme Ça where we had a delightful dinner with some favorite clients. The roasted beet salad was ridiculously delicious. And while my blog title may belie the fact, I don't like lobster. But others ordered the lobster thermidor which arrived with dramatic flair.

My favorite design element of the hotel are the massive video pillars that greet you at registration. With their constantly changing imagery, they offer a never-ending source of fascination.

Thanks Cosmopolitan for an amazing Vegas stay. I hope to be back soon.

A Polaroid imposter.

Sadly, my recent plea to Lady Gaga for the opportunity to take a Polaroid went unanswered.  But that didn't mean the return of the FlirtCam wasn't a huge hit in Vegas. That's right, I was making new friends right and left starting at the Lady Gaga performance. There was Gideon to our right who drove in from Los Angeles with his friend. He ultimately suggested we should meet him after the concert at Krave (either because he loved the Polaroid or because his friend looked really grumpy and we looked like we might be more fun).

There was the older gay couple from Las Vegas on our left who were a little curmudgeony about the photograph until after I gave it to them and then they loosened up and started chatting.

Then, there were the French boys.  At first I thought they were brothers but as the show progressed, I couldn't be sure if they were related or if it was young love.  Felix said they were just "being French." But if that's the case, French brothers sure like to get cozy sitting on each other's laps. Whatever they were, they were positively charming and funny.  And they loved it when I gave them a Polaroid. While I didn't take a second photo of Gideon and the other couple, I did get one of the French boys.  So here it is along with a Polaroid of Felix and me at the concert.

And now for the last photo of the night.  If you can't get Lady Gaga to pose, why not get the next best thing: The Lady Gaga-inspired drag queen at Pirahna's after party.  Here then is Miss CoCo St. James performing as Lady Gaga.  I'm so happy to have the Polaroid back.

Going Gaga.

If you like your arena shows over-the-top with plenty of real pop talent, then get thee to a Gaga show.  I recently saw the Monster Ball Tour starring Lady Gaga at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.  And what a show it was. Flaming piano: check. Massive sets: check. Bleeding religious-inspired statue: check. Instant costume changes with crazy Lady Gaga outfits including a spark-shooting brassiere: check, check, and more checks.  Yes, this show pretty much has it all including a mythic story line that has Lady Gaga facing all kinds of tests including the Fame Monster to successfully make it to the Monster ball.


And the spectacle may not be the best part.  Because Lady Gaga has the musical chops to ensure that her talent isn't overshadowed by the flash. Her vocal performances are near perfect even when she's dancing, writhing, and be hoisted on the shoulders of her dancers her voice never wavers.  She's at her best during the most vulnerable moments in the show; when it's just Lady Gaga and her piano performing and brilliant song like Speechless.


It also seems to me, you can read this show on a deeper level.  Because in her stage performance, like in her music, Lady Gaga seems to take pop/literary references from the past 60 - 80 years and bring them together into something new and inspiring.  Sure that sounds like a lot of credit to give someone who may be just another pop fad.  But consider a few of the concert's themes.  There's the Tinkerbellian idea (yes I just intellectualized Tinkerbell) that you can make another's life better with a simple act of belief.  Or the Wizard-of-Oz-like suggestion that you can only find personal truths after you've gone through the struggle of losing yourself.  There are also bigger mythic literary themes, like the idea of confronting your fears in order to achieve a new level of enlightenment. I could even make comparisons to performance artists like Paul McCarthy or Matthew Barney.


I'm sure a lot of people who saw the show are reading this now and rolling their eyes. But I think Lady Gaga is trying to be bigger than just another top-of-the-charts starlet. Take the messages she delivers during the show, many of which concern gay rights.  I'm surprised that Lady Gaga can pull in such a main stream audience even while confronting controversial issues like gay marriage. It should concern conservatives worried about a shift in public attitudes towards homosexuality.  Because it's not liberal voters who will shift current attitudes.  It's not activist judges.  It's not even the gays and the lesbians themselves.  It's people like Lady Gaga and her fans who will eventually make it so uncool to oppose gay marriage, that few will continue the opposition. That's the kind of music-fueled, social change I haven't seen in a long time.


Enough of my academic thoughts on Lady Gaga. Let's get back to the pure, wild, fun-filled spectacle that is the Monster Ball.  Here are some pictures from the concert.

First, a couple of photos from before the concert as we wait for the mayhem to begin featuring Felix, James, Justin, and me.

You'll have to see the show in person to experience the dramatic opening; my camera just can't capture it.  But these photos give you an idea of what the early part of the performance was like.

From one of my all-time favorite Lady Gaga songs, Boys, Boys, Boys.

The transformation of Lady Gaga.

And a few random shots from the latter part of the show.

Negativity squared.

Prepare to be bored with another land art adventure.

In my never ending quest to visit the West’s best claim to art-world fame, on my first day in Vegas we rented a car and headed to another remote land art destination. This time it was Michael Heizer’s Double Negative located a couple hours outside of Las Vegas in the wilds of Nevada.

Created in 1969 and 1970, this is the work that put Heizer on the fine-art map. Land art was all the rage at that moment in history, with Robert Smithson’s iconic Spiral Jetty completed in 1970 and Nancy Holt’s Sun Tunnels created in 1976.

Double Negative asks many of the questions for which Heizer is famous. Mainly, what happens if art isn’t about building something, but instead about taking something away? Double Negative creates a rectangular void that spans a large ravine. As Heizer himself said, “There is nothing there, and yet it is still a sculpture.” God love the crazy artist.

This work is massive and challenging. It doesn’t offer the intrigue and charm of Spiral Jetty. But it is engaging. I wanted to see it because rumor has it that Michael Heizer’s City (another massive land art project that’s been under construction since 1972) is going to be open to the public in 2010 and I wanted to see this work before I experience City.

Double Negative is hard to find, largely because the work is fading into the landscape—and the artist doesn’t mind. The work is owned by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (although I’m not sure what it means to own this.) And the artist has given very explicit instructions that Double Negative is not to be restored or conserved. Rather, nature should be left to tend to the sculpture.

And nature is doing its job. Double Negative is cut into very soft strata. The once sharp edges have now softened, to the point that it almost feels like a natural phenomenon. And yet, it still inspires.

I’m sad there are no land artists today. Because trekking to the middle of nowhere, driving through the remotest areas of rural America, meeting new people, experiencing works of art on the most massive of scales, and discovering new landscapes so remote you’d never be there without the art is intensely rewarding.

Here are pictures from the North side of Double Negative:

Here are pictures from the South side of Double Negative.