Jorge Novoa/N9NE Group
Published Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010 | 5:43 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010 | 5:43 p.m.
Audio Clips
Ah, Beans, how we’ve missed your high-impact head-bobbing.
December 1 at Ghostbar, the whiplash-waiting-to-happen also known as Vincent Campillo teamed with Mikey Francis and Drew Marcogliese for the first Afghan Raiders show in Las Vegas since July. Campillo, a longtime local, now lives in San Francisco, with Marcogliese.
Once fixtures on the Downtown scene, the Raiders moved on up to the top of the Palms for this gig, taking over the weekly Snitch Wednesday-night party—and recording material for a planned live video and live EP in the process. “The whole idea was, let’s do everything ourselves,” Francis says. “Let’s do photos, video, EP, everything. Then go to a label for distribution, rather than go to the label and say, ‘Hey can we get money for this and go into the studio?’”
The trio performed two sets of the material—“If Only,” followed by “Tunnel Vision,” “Teenage Fantasy,” “Midnight Lovers” and “Calls from the Universe”—in an effort to achieve audio and video excellence. “It was definitely different than a typical show for us,” Francis says. “What we were concerned about was everyone having a good time—which we think they did.”
Friends and fans were expectedly energetic at the foot of the stage, but even the crew from ZF Films—whose previous video clients include the Deftones and Squarepusher—sounded enthusiastic. “[They] came up to us after and said this was the best video footage they’ve ever gotten in their entire lives,” Francis says.
As for whether Francis will follow his bandmates to the Bay Area, “I definitely want to,” he says. “It makes sense to get up there. I’ve just been taking my time. But eventually I’m definitely going to be up there. Hopefully before the summer.”
Keep an eye on afghanraiders.com, for all things Afghan. And if you’re itching for tastes of the new EP and video, Francis says the group plans to release at least one song and some footage in the near future.
Palms Casino Resort has come a long way since its "Real World" debut in 2002. The boutique property features three distinct towers and a diverse mix of bars and restaurants across a 95,000-square-foot casino.
Palms, which features more than 1,200 rooms and fantasy suites, is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar transformation that will encompass an Ivory Tower room and suite redesign, new culinary additions, re-imagined gaming spaces and new, distinctive nightlife experiences.
In addition to newly designed rooms, during the first phase of the renovation, Palms will welcome Heraea, a high-energy American restaurant and lounge, and XISHI, a pan-Asian restaurant and lounge.
Fantasy Suites include the Hardwood Suite, the only hotel room in the world with its own basketball court.
Other amenities include the all-new Cantor Gaming® race and sports book, one of the few sports books in Las Vegas to include a poker room; SOCIAL; Scarlet; Chocolat Bistro; tonic bar; ghostbar; Pearl Concert Theater; Moon Nightclub; N9NE Steakhouse; Nove Italiano; Simon Restaurant & Lounge; Palms Pool & Bungalows; Kim Vō Salon; Drift Spa & Hammam; Brenden Theatres, a 14-theatre cineplex and more than 60,000 square-feet of meeting space.
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