Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Celebs have Palms parlor under their skin

It was a perfect opportunity to say something clever, but for once, we froze.

We were at the bar at N9NE (Palms) with Robin Leach and Melissa Rivers Wednesday night when Rivers took off her white, vinyl pointy-toed boot to show us a tattoo on her ankle.

Elsewhere in the casino, the Hart & Huntington Tattoo Co. was holding its grand opening, where notables such as Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, 'N Sync members Lance Bass and Joey Fatone and actress Melissa Joan Hart ("Sabrina the Teenage Witch") were getting tattoos (but generally temporary henna tattoos).

As Rivers bent down again to show off her ankle decoration, all we could think to say was that she looked a lot better in person than on television, which she did. (She had on a frayed, denim miniskirt, a tie-dyed top and a dark jacket.)

But before we could say anything, George Maloof walked by with former "Partridge Family" smart aleck Danny Bonaduce and New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey.

"This thing hurts," Maloof told us, as he raised his arm and displayed his new tattoo -- a permanent one: a Sacramento Kings crown logo.

The tattoo may have hurt, but it is likely that nothing else was bothering Maloof. National television show cameras surrounded proprietors Carey Hart (of motocross fame) and John Huntington as they greeted customers.

Inside Rain Nightclub, Good Charlotte, one of the world's hottest punk bands, delivered a blistering 45-minute set, and actress Jaime Pressly presented a surprisingly well-choreographed fashion show that featured stripper poles on stage, but no traditional runway.

And this being the Palms, the casino was swarming with the famous -- including Joe Maloof; N9NE group boss Michael Morton; skateboard deity Tony Hawk; 'N Sync-er Chris Kirkpatrick (in a natty "Bikers for Kerry" T-shirt); Britney Spears' manager, Larry Rudolph; and financier and MGM boss Kirk Kerkorian.

Rocker Vince Neil was there with his companion Leah -- and both his and her parents were along for the evening's activities.

Even the competition was in the house -- Hard Rock Hotel scion Harry Morton and Hard Rock marketing veep Phil Shalala were taking it all in.

Special visit

Former President Bill Clinton visited the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy on West Lake Mead Boulevard on Tuesday afternoon.

Clinton toured the school, visited a sixth grade class when the students were discussing a civil rights project and conducted an informal question-and-answer session with the students in the auditorium.

"It was an honor for us to host President Clinton," Principal Kimberly Allen told us in a prepared statement. "Our students have achieved so many great things since the school opened in 2001. Being able to showcase Agassi Prep in front of President Clinton certainly made this a memorable day for our students and faculty."

Uh huh, uh huh

Charles Anzalone, a baggage handler for USAir at McCarran International Airport, was recently interviewed for the VH1 special "When Disco Ruled the World," which will have its first showing at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and will run intermitently for the next month (Cox cable channel 39).

In the 1970s his name was Charlie "Captain Disco" Anzalone, and he was one of the kings of the New York disco scene before the craze faded and he moved to Las Vegas for regular work.

The Captain was a regular on the turntables at some of the hottest clubs of that era. His sidekick was "Doctor" John Bisci -- who is the assistant P.R. director at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Material tour

On Jan. 14 we broke the news to the world that Madonna will kick off the 32-city U.S. leg of her world tour June 1 in San Francisco.

Now, there are numerous media reports that Clear Channel is about to announce specifics about her "Whore of Babylon" tour.

Our same on-the-money sources tell us to expect Madonna to hit Vegas over the Memorial Day weekend. No venue has been set.

Want to be part of the tour? Madonna is looking for dancers in an audition posting on the website answers4dancers.com.

Also, as we reported Wednesday, Prince will be the headline act at "Tiger Jam VII," Tiger Woods' annual charity fund-raiser, at Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 29.

Now, associates of His Purpleness tell us that he'll play another Mandalay Bay show the next night, the evening before Memorial Day.

Old, new

Golden Nugget co-owners Tim Poster and Tom Breitling are tossing themselves a weekendlong party to celebrate taking over the famed downtown property.

They are bringing in Jewel and Tony Bennett to sing -- together -- on March 5, 6 and 7, and after the latter event are having a reception with Andre Agassi, who is a minority partner in the new ownership group.

Only 400 people will be invited to pony up $1,250 for the March 7 concert and party.

Proceeds from the evening will benefit Advantage Kids!, the funding arm for the Agassi Prep Academy.

VegasBits

Perk: Residents looking for a casual -- and alcohol-free -- setting to meet and chat with Goodman can do so during a "Coffee With the Mayor" on Friday. Hizzoner will be at the Starbucks at the Las Vegas Premium Outlets on South Grand Central Parkway from 7:30 to 9 a.m. ...

More 'Divas': Flamingo Las Vegas headliner Gladys Knight and British teen soul sensation Joss Stone are likely additions to the "VH1 Divas" show at the MGM Grand on April 18. Producers are also talking to Janet Jackson, Spears, Alicia Keys, Cyndi Lauper and Norah Jones about participating ...

From Sun wires

Carey in Beirut: Mariah Carey made her debut in the Arab world with a concert before thousands of cheering fans in Beirut, Lebanon, performing her hits "Butterfly," "Hero" and "Dreamlover."

The Grammy-winning singer was met with loud cheers and warm applause Tuesday night when she appeared on stage in a two-piece, silver outfit at an exhibition and leisure center on the Mediterranean seafront in downtown Beirut.

Eye of the tiger: Tippi Hedren was focused on the eye of the tiger.

The 74-year-old actress, who starred in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds," went to the Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Lawndale, Calif., on Tuesday with a 150-pound tiger named Zoe from her Shambala Animal Preserve in Acton, Calif. The tiger needed eye surgery.

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