Joe Brown

Reporter/ General Assignment

Contact Joe via e-mail

Call Joe at 702-259-8801.

« Older
Newer »

Story Archive

Clothes make the king, queen: Renaissance festival royals get their period stuff online, at local ‘superstore’; Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008; There’s a lot of talk about Las Vegas as a city of the future, a place that has forgotten or simply paved over history.
Six questions for John Beane: Director of the alternative Onyx Theatre in Las Vegas; Monday, Oct. 6, 2008; John Beane is director of the alternative Onyx Theatre in Las Vegas and artistic director of the Insurgo Theater Movement, a “wild west avant-garde acting ensemble,” which presented its first season of plays at Onyx this year.
Manilow show gets update, and this time it's 'ultimate': What's still the same: energy and hits, hits, hits; Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008; The latest edition of Barry Manilow’s show at the Las Vegas Hilton is called “Ultimate Manilow: The Hits.” And true to its title, it’s crammed, stuffed, bulging with hits.
Donny and Marie put on the charm: Monday, Sept. 29, 2008; Is it too late to nominate Donny and Marie for President?
Rehab's spring break-like party calls it quits for season: After 23 Sundays, the party phenomenon is coming to a close at the Hard Rock pool; Friday, Sept. 26, 2008; We saw you -- and we saw almost all of you -- sunning, strutting and shaking it every Sunday at Las Vegas' biggest, barest pool party, the afternoon fleshfest known as Rehab.
Big top fun with human touch: Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008; A spinoff of a famous century-old Mexico City circus, Circo Atayde USA has been setting up its big tent in parking lots across Las Vegas this summer.
Las Vegas’ two faces: Yale architecture students meet the city marketed around the world; Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008; Ten Yale University architecture students were in town last week to study the Strip’s shopping and entertainment centers.
The closest thing to Buffalo: Bars like Johnny Mac’s help exiles feel right at home in the desert; Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008; It’s easy to see why cities like Paris, Venice and New York receive Las Vegas-style imitation-homages.
Competition celebrates music, showmanship Liberace loved: Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008; Here they are, Las Vegas, your finalists in the 2008 Liberace Piano Competition. It may be a stretch to call the 15-year-old contest the “American Idol” for pianists, but there’s no doubt it’s been closely watched around town.
A play based on Buffalo put-downs doesn’t play well in Vegas: Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008; As it begins its 33rd season, the Las Vegas Little Theatre is more than up to the challenge of the formulaic farce “Moon Over Buffalo.”
Henderson Symphony should relax, build on strings’ strength: Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008; Sporting shades, dressed in black ties and black dresses, the Henderson Symphony Orchestra looked cool. Their 90-minute program offered several graceful moments, but just as many strained and sprained sounds.
No. 1 celebration: Latin stars converge on Vegas for event bigger than Cinco de Mayo; Friday, Sept. 12, 2008; If ever there were a time to shout “Viva Las Vegas!” this would be the weekend for it. Here in Las Vegas, Mexican Independence Day is mas grande than Cinco de Mayo. Mexicans celebrate their 1810 independence from Spain — Grito de Dolores — every Sept. 16
This time, history may not be kind: Design study group may take critical view of cityscape lauded in ‘dangerous’ book; Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008; “Less is a bore,” proclaimed the little book about Las Vegas architecture.
Suspense adds to experience as philharmonic, soloist shine: Monday, Sept. 8, 2008; Something was missing at the Las Vegas Philharmonic’s season-greeting 10th anniversary concert Saturday night at UNLV’s Artemus Ham Hall. The musicians were onstage, beginning Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero.” But where was the conductor?
Reporting’s just not that alluring: A list that only Vegas could do justice to: ‘The 12 Sexiest Jobs’ in town; Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008; The other night, while waiting for the guiltiest pleasure, called “The Hills,” I chanced upon a TV show called “The 12 Sexiest Jobs in Las Vegas.”
Sweetening deals: Gourmet cupcakes becoming a new way to grease a Vegas palm, enhance a hot party; Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008; There’s always been an underground economy in Las Vegas. Since the town began, businesspeople with varying degrees of legitimacy have gifted and bribed one another with women, booze, money and fancy casino digs.
Religion can rock, too: Las Vegas provides avenues for young band to demonstrate its talent; Friday, Aug. 29, 2008; Meet the band: Summit Grove, a young — median age 19 — Las Vegas group to watch.
‘Sgt. Pepper’s’ performed live, 40 years after release: Quintet reprises songs of the album the Beatles never played in concert; Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008; The Beatles never performed “Sgt. Pepper” in concert, but Friday at Texas Station we’ll get the closest thing. Las Vegas is the last stop on a 10-city tour for a unique tribute event.
Cynical, funny play takes pokes at Hollywood’s deceptions: Monday, Aug. 25, 2008; A recent hit off- and on Broadway, Douglas Carter Beane’s cynical comedy “The Little Dog Laughed” is being staged in what may be the most dramatic venue in Las Vegas.
Meet Richard Cheese: He’ll grate on you, make you laugh and sing along: Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008; Make room in the Rat Pack pantheon, fellas. Move over Frank, Sammy and Dean ... here’s Dick.
Diamond songs sung true: Impersonator may even top the real thing for Vegas crowds; Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008; You come to Las Vegas and you want things your way, right? This is your time, and you’re spending money, and you’re gonna have it just how you want it.
'Aida' shines under the stars: Production, setting make for a wonderful evening of entertainment; Monday, Aug. 18, 2008; The show begins in your car.
Serious music, now with fun: Piano legend would approve of event’s new category; Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008; Given your choice of two pianos — an austerely elegant jet-black Steinway grand or Liberace’s own rhinestone-encrusted Baldwin, sparkling with rainbow colors in the spotlights — which would you pick? Sparkly proved irresistible to most of the junior pianists at the Competitors Showcase for the 2008 Liberace Piano Competition on Sunday afternoon, including 8-year-old Natalie Rule of Las Vegas.
Beg, borrow, steal a ticket: Steely Dan brings perfectionist blend of jazz, pop to Pearl; Friday, Aug. 8, 2008; Las Vegas, along with New York and Los Angeles, has been a continuing motif, metaphor and milieu for the songs of Steely Dan, offering a glamorous/seamy setting for a cast of morally ambiguous characters.
Unplugged tunes in a neon city: Weekly showcase features local acoustic music; Thursday, Aug. 7, 2008; One of the most plugged-in cities in the world, Las Vegas seems to have every kind of entertainment you could wish for.
The stupidity antidote: Joel McHale’s nascent stand-up routine borrows from his show’s skewering of bad TV; Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008; Joel McHale — who hosts "The Soup," a weekly recap of the best of the worst on TV — watches the bad so you don’t have to, earning him a following that considers him the antidote to the nation’s stupidity epidemic.
Metal-urgent mayhem: Steel Panther revives the screams, big hair and outsized glam of ’80s hard-rock era; Friday, Aug. 1, 2008; Booked for an indefinite Friday night stand at Green Valley Ranch Station Casino, a four-man band called Steel Panther is what would happen if someone took every band from those VH1 “Most Metal Moments” reruns, stuffed them in a giant blender — added a big dollop of Spinal Tap — and hit liquefy.
The Time of their lives: After 18 years apart, ensemble band members pick Vegas to kick off reunion; Thursday, July 31, 2008; The Time is now. The place is Las Vegas.
The Strip has been the location and motivation for all kinds of showbiz resurrections, revivals and replicas.
Weekend to hold lots of laughs: Seven comedians, including two stars of late-night television, will be dropping in on Vegas; Friday, July 25, 2008; Seven comedians fly in to Las Vegas ... Sounds like the setup to a joke, but it’s happening right now.
Just go with the Izzard flow: British comedian, actor to bring his constantly evolving routine to Vegas; Wednesday, July 23, 2008; Talking with comedian/actor Eddie Izzard — or rather listening to him — is like catching a working sketch for his comedy act.
Local cast likes 'Mamma Mia' film: Friday, July 18, 2008; After five years at Mandalay Bay, “Mamma Mia!” is scheduled to wave goodbye in early January. But if the movie version of the ABBA musical is a hit when it opens today, the Vegas outpost of the stage show may just get its sixth wind.
Second Invasion looms: Revived British pop bands head for Vegas as gallery showcases photos of iconic groups; Thursday, July 17, 2008; Nobody really planned it this way — nobody really planned the first one — but Las Vegas is on the verge of a micromini British Invasion this weekend, with a slight but significant return of U.K. pop groups.
Watch out, Kathy’s coming!: Griffin might even surprise you and say something nice; Wednesday, July 16, 2008; No celebrity is safe from the fast-talking tattle-taling comedian Kathy Griffin. Until now. Now, in her most shocking interview ever, Griffin, who is known for her star-scorching shtick, says nice things about Las Vegas luminaries.
Do it like Kinky: Thursday, July 10, 2008; Are you ready for a Kinky week in Las Vegas? Kinky Friedman — eminently quotable satirical sage, author, singer-songwriter, Texas gubernatorial candidate, animal rescuer and star of his own mystery series — has just published a new book, “What Would Kinky Do? How to Unscrew a Screwed Up World,” and he’ll be popping up (but mostly sitting down) around town for the next few days.
Idol worship, sans America: The voting long over, fans are treated to three-hour arena encore; Tuesday, July 8, 2008; In the interest of journalistic integrity, I must disclose at the outset of this review of “American Idols Live!” that I voted for David Archuleta.
A heart kick-started by rock: Band hound channels lifetime passion for her local music magazine; Thursday, July 3, 2008; In Las Vegas, you can declare yourself to be whatever you want to be, and the town will give you a chance to live up to it. Meet Sally Steele, a classic example of Vegas self-reinvention, who has proclaimed herself “the publishing queen of rock ’n’ roll.”
'American Idols Live': Wednesday, July 2, 2008; Start painting your homemade “I heart David” signs, Las Vegas. This year’s herd of freshly manufactured pop stars is on the move and headed our way.
Embracing commercialism: Donovan not ashamed that it’s one way he’s bringing his music to new generation; Monday, June 30, 2008; When you get a moment with a real rock legend, you want to connect.
No-strings stardom: Henderson woman prepares to air her inner rock star at musical mime competition; Friday, June 27, 2008; She who is about to rock, we salute her.
This ‘Room’ should have a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign: Thursday, June 26, 2008; Harrah’s headliner Rita Rudner and her husband, Martin Bergman, have written a play. And it’s having its world premiere at the nonprofessional Las Vegas Little Theatre. A wisp of a sitcom, “Room 776” is not nearly ready for prime time. Or Sunday matinees.
Name that musical: Wednesday, June 25, 2008; Inspired by Lord Lloyd Webber’s wistful wishes, the staff of the Sun came up with dozens of suggestions for Vegas-based musicals.
How do you stage Vegas?: Songwriter is confident he’s got the topic that will make a hit musical: Poker; Wednesday, June 25, 2008; Las Vegas has never really had a show to call its own. Tim Molyneux thinks he’s got it. It’s called “All In: The Poker Musical,” and he’s previewing it in a cast staging at the Rio during the World Series of Poker.
George Michael: Friday, June 20, 2008; World-famous — and infamous — scandalicious British pop star George Michael has announced that his current arena tour, his first in 17 years, is also his last.
Never too young to learn: Rainbow Company gets kids onstage, behind the scenes producing five plays a year; Friday, June 13, 2008; Can you feel it? That hopeful energy in the air signals the end of the school year.
Vegas film fest comes of age: Under Sundance veteran, CineVegas gets respect; Wednesday, June 11, 2008; For two weeks out of every year, people come to Las Vegas to go to the movies.
Starting tomorrow, the CineVegas film festival moves the action away from the noise and neon and into the dream-filled dark.
Mexican ﬁlm showcase becomes ﬁxture after positive reception: Wednesday, June 11, 2008; Last year, CineVegas introduced a new section of the festival to highlight the next wave of Mexican filmmakers and to introduce their films to American audiences.
Dreaming a drum and bugle corps on a Vegas scale: Tuesday, June 10, 2008; Randy Warner has always heard the beat of a different drummer. Now, after 27 years as a very vocal animal protection activist, Warner is a man with an all-new mission. And he wants Las Vegas to march along with him.
'Unbelievable' as fiction, but a true life story: Hank Greenspun documentary spans colorful career; Sunday, June 8, 2008; Hank Greenspun could have been a movie star. A charismatic tough guy, the Brooklyn kid who became a Las Vegas titan had the looks and the moxie and the derring-do, as they used to say. Years ago, Paul Newman talked about playing Greenspun on the big screen. Of today’s actors, perhaps only Alec Baldwin has the heft for the part.
Sex Pistols in the City: What better place than Vegas for the aging, avaricious rockers’ one shot this tour at a U.S. audience?; Friday, June 6, 2008; Vegas is the perfect, irony-drenched spot for the Sex Pistols to start their tour. They are, after all, an oldies act, the grandpas of punk, every bit the classic-rock dinosaurs they used to sneer and spit at.
Creepiest crime fighters: Forensic entomologist hopes his exhibit of insects shows icky bugs can be quite useful; Wednesday, May 28, 2008; Lee Goff, one of only a dozen certified insect investigators in the country, shows how insects are used to solve crimes, using actual case studies.