Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
freezonelv.com; 24 hr.; cash only)
is about as close as it gets to being predomi-
nately lesbian, though there is still a fair share of men—and the bartenders are
male and topless. Freezone is a little bit of everything: dance club (complete with
stripper pole), pool hall, foosball hot spot, a lesbian club (Tues) and a gay club
(Thurs). It's the Goldilocks of gay bars: not too fancy, not to divish, but just right.
It's also a popular dance spot for straight women who don't feel like fending off
the wandering palms of strange men. They have unbeatable $1 happy hour spe-
cials daily from 4 to 8pm, and an array of beer and liquor (or, “Lick Her,” as they
call it) busts throughout the week.
Filled with bristly, brawny men who immediately bring the bar's name to life,
The Buffalo
(4640 Paradise Rd.;
%
702/735
-
8355; 24 hr.; cash only)
is lined
with ads about contests concerning leather, chest hair, and bears (large, hairy gay
men). If you're a woman here, you're going to stick out, but you'll probably just
be ignored. Drinks are cheap and served in plastic cups, and pool tables give these
men ample opportunity to show off their stick-handling abilities.
FREE (OR CHEAP) MUSIC VENUES
Las Vegas practically created the lounge singer—nothing quite captures the old
Sin City image like a smoky bar, a dirty martini, and a crooner telling tales of
luck, summer winds, and
their
way. It began back in the '50s and proved a bril-
liant way to entertain the masses and, thus, keep them in the casinos longer. It
also meant contracts, money, and more fame for countless men and women who
grew to be icons of the Las Vegas Lounge: Frank Sinatra, Louis Prima, Dean
Martin, Bobby Darin, Sammy Davis Jr., Paul Anka, and the list goes on.
You can still feel their spirit at the
Casbar Theatre Lounge
55
(in the Sahara;
%
866/382
-
8884 or 702/737
-
2654; www.saharavegas.com; 1-drink minimum;
times and entertainment change weekly, call ahead).
This spot has been open
since 1952 and continues to bring in top lounge acts nightly, from Elvis imper-
sonators, to Motown, to blues.
Aside from the Casbar, lounges aren't what they used to be, and the term is
more likely to refer to an “ultra lounge” than a casino showroom piping out tal-
ent. Most of the casino lounges now offer generic acts: cover bands, adult contem-
porary rock, sub-par impersonators. But there are a few standout locations and
individuals. Because the bar and lounge scene can be fickle, it's difficult to predict
Talent to Look Up
The following bands and individuals make the local circuit but don't have set
schedules. Track them down if you can. They're crowd pleasers.
Dian Diaz
55
; www.diandiaz.com
Lon Bronson's All-Star Band
5
; www.lonbronson.com
Killian's Angels
5
; www.killiansangels.com
The Pete Contino Band
55
; www.petecontino.com
Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns;
www.santafeandthefatcityhorns.com
