L.E. Baskow Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014 | 5:56 p.m. Phish on Halloween at MGM Grand Launch slideshow » It’s Halloween night, and Phish is playing Las Vegas for the first time in a decade. What could possibly go wrong? However you answer that question depends on what type of expectations you set for the musical acts in your life. If you’re good at managing expectations, you looked at Phish’s Halloween performance in 2013 as an indication of what was in store this year. Last year, the band performed an entire album of new material — then called “Wingsuit,” eventually released as “Fuego” — as the second of three sets at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. The performance was a departure from the band’s previous Halloween shows, where they would don a “musical costume,” performing a classic album like The Who’s “Quadrophenia” or Talking Heads’ “Remain in Light” in its entirety. A calculating fan would’ve figured that, given Phish’s outside-the-box move a year ago, this year’s costume would be just as unexpected.

But why be calculating when you can imagine the boys busting out “Thriller” or “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway,” right? Even the craftiest Las Vegas oddsmaker couldn’t have predicted Friday night’s costume: a musical interpretation of “Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House,” an obscure album of Halloween sound effects released by Disneyland Records in 1964. The concept was nothing if not ambitious: a set of 10 instrumentals performed from inside a haunted house, whose sides eventually collapsed to reveal the band members suspended on a platform in white-on-white suits and face paint, playing to one another in a circle while zombie dancers roamed the stage and audience. In between songs, a narrator named Esther emerged from a crypt to thread a loosely tied story of cats, dogs, a shipwreck and martians. Did Phish succeed in capturing the spirit of Halloween? Did they succeed in gauging the audience’s mood? Yes and no. Two pieces, “Your Pet Cat” and “The Birds,” were particularly well-received, balancing tension-and-release dynamics with effective vocal samples cued up by keyboardist Page McConnell.

But too often, the music tended toward a Halloween version of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra — great background music for a Halloween party but not something you’d want as your main focus for an hour. carpet cleaner perth waPhish fans will likely be split on “The Haunted House.” carpet cleaning colorado springsThe MGM Grand crowd was the first (and perhaps only) audience to experience this music, and if these pieces do not become a regular part of the repertoire, it will go down as one of the most essential Phish shows of all time. best way to clean grout on a tile floorBut from a purely musical perspective, is there any desire to return to this music on a day other than Oct. 31? best product clean dog urine

Has this music been boxed in by its timeliness and therefore aced itself out of Phish’s everyday sets? carpet cleaner uk rentPerhaps these are all questions to be answered at a later date. what is the best in ground robotic pool cleanerWhat cannot be denied, however, is the jolt the new material gave to the band. As the third set began, Phish seemed freer than ever, trotting out one crowd-pleaser after another, delving deeper into jams and pulling out new musical ideas. Aside from a few questionable transitions — guitarist Trey Anastasio cut short a high-upside jam coming out of “Golden Age” to go into “Tweezer,” and drummer Jon Fishman seemed way too eager to segue a smoking jam out of “Tweezer” into “Heavy Things” — this was prime Phish. The highlight of the set (and maybe the five-hour show) was an extended take on “Sand” that found Anastasio deep in the zone, mouth agape, shredding licks while McConnell got funky on the clavinet.

The transition out of “Sand” into “Tweezer Reprise,” too, was sheer ecstasy. Bassist Mike Gordon dropped one bomb after another. Phish was back in Las Vegas. And what did they send us home with a full 70 minutes into All Saints Day? Another instrumental, of course. Edgar Winter Group’s “Frankenstein,” with McConnell out front on keytar, was proof positive that we had awoken a monster. Beware, for Phish is fearless, and therefore powerful. Friday night’s first set: “Buried Alive,” “Ghost,” “Scent of a Mule,” “Sample in a Jar,” “Reba,” “46 Days,” “Big Black Furry Creature From Mars,” “Lawn Boy,” “Saw It Again,” “Tube” and “Wolfman’s Brother.” Friday night’s second set: “The Haunted House,” “The Very Long Fuse,” “The Dogs,” “Timber,” “Your Pet Cat,” “Shipwreck,” “The Unsafe Bridge,” “The Chinese Water Torture,” “The Birds” and “Martian Monster.” Friday night’s third set: “Punch You in the Eye,” “Golden Age” (TV on the Radio cover), “Tweezer,” “Heavy Things,” “Guyute,” “Sand” and “Tweezer Reprise.”

Encore: “Is This What You Wanted” (Leonard Cohen cover) and “Frankenstein” (Edgar Winter Group cover). Jack Houston is the editor of Las Vegas Magazine, a sister publication of the Las Vegas Sun.Las Vegas’ only rooftop pool party, Drai’s Beach Club, returns to The Cromwell in Las Vegas on March 6. In addition to the 360 degree […] Drai’s Beach Club: Las Vegas’ only rooftop pool party 19 February 2015 PARTY Las Vegas’ only rooftop pool party, Drai’s Beach Club, returns to The Cromwell in Las Vegas on March 6. Las Vegas Harley-Davidson Now Open on the Las Vegas Strip 14 October 2014 MUST-SEE Las Vegas Harley-Davidson® has opened on the famed Las Vegas Strip, steps away from the Welcome to Las Vegas sign. The new store will commemorate […]Just as the summer tempratures begin to scorch and locals begin to crave a cool poolside respite, Gay Days Arizona blazes into town with its second annual event June 19-21 at The Saguaro hotel in Old Town Scottsdale.

According to Ian Joseph, executive producer of Gay Days, the Gay Days brand has grown to include events in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Las Vegas, in addition to the original party in Orlando, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary June 2-8. Following the the Phoenix debut of Gay Days last year, Joseph said he’s really upped the ante in all facets of the event. But don’t just take his word for it; we’ve got the top five reasons to attend the second annual Gay Days Arizona right here: This year, Gay Days Arizona has completely taken over The Saguaro hotel, unlike last year where the event shared a hotel with other guests. “We have a buy out of the entire property, including all the guest rooms and public spaces,” Joseph said. “Our guests will get a much more exclusive Gay Days Arizona experience.” There are also more ticket options this year, which Joseph expects to draw even more attendees to The Saguaro. “This year our guest rooms start at only $99 a night and that includes [the] weekend passes.

The lower price to attend and stay on property will make this year’s events more affordable,” Joseph said. “Those who don’t want to stay on property will have the option of buying tickets to each event a la carte.” What’s better than spending a weekend poolside? Spending a weekend poolside with the hottest bodies and hottest DJs, of course. And Gay Days Arizona boasts six pool parties throughout the three-day weekend. “Each event will have its own DJs from all over the US,” Joseph said, “and each has their own special theme for guests to participate in.” Not only will DJs will be spinning music according to the theme of the party, but the pools will also feature an underwater sound system. This year’s pool parties include: The Ignite pool party – 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Friday at the Picante Pool – which will feature Arizona’s own DJ Shpank spinning dance music. The first 50 people in line will get in free. The Girls Just Wanna Have Fun pool party – 4-8 p.m. Friday at the Calma Pool – is a sunset pool party just for the ladies featuring DJ Sinna-G.

, ladies are invited to “wear white and get soaked under the Calma pool’s waterfall.” The Splash Dance pool party –  9 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday at the Picante Pool – will be hosted by the Gay Days team and will feature an ‘80s dance off (with prizes) as DJ J. Diesel from Las Vegas spins ‘80s remixes. The Let’s Get Soakin’ Wet pool party pool party – 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at the Picante Pool –  warns that Gay Days staff and dancers will be “armed with water guns and ready to soak you.” This event will feature wet games and entertainment while DJ Joshua Atom mixes the hottest dance music. The What the F#ck pool party – 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday at the Picante Pool –  will feature DJ Citizen Jane and promises some wild sights, including contortionists, stilt walkers, circus acts and crazy costumes. The Summer Splash Bash – 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday at the Picante Pool –  will be hosted by ION Arizona and will feature poolside entertainment. After the sun goes down, attendees can grab a bite to eat each evening during Gay Days Arizona’s Diversity Dinners.

According to Joseph, a portion of each meal benefits the Phoenix Pride LGBT Center. Friday’s dinner will take place at RnR, just a few blocks from The Saguaro, and Saturday’s dinner will take place at Distrito, located on The Saguaro property. “Besides the pool parties, Gay Days Arizona also hosts nightly Diversity Dinners for our guests to dine together,” Joseph said. “We [will] also do daily happy hours with special guests. This year we are featuring our Big Gay Breakfast Buffet.” The breakfast buffet, 8 -11 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, will include the Mexican-inspired favorites that Distrito’s celebrity chef Jose Garces is known for, as well as Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s. Reservations are encouraged for parties of six or more. Happy hours will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Old Town Whiskey, on The Saguaro’s main floor, and will include drink specials and appetizers. Running concurrently with the weekend festivities is the Gay Days Arizona Community Expo, which will features vendors, local organizations and businesses, freebies, exclusive deals for Gay Days attendees and more.

The expo will also feature a LGBT wedding expo component, hosted by MRSter. Both expos will be open noon-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the lower level of the Saguaro lobby and are free to attend. Beyond hosting a successful event, enjoyed by all, Joseph said, one of the objectives of Gay Days Arizona to showcase the state, specifically the greater Phoenix area, as a viable and attractive LGBT travel destination. “When many [LGBT] people think about vacations, it’s easy to consider New York City or Los Angeles,” he said. “But the state of Arizona [has] come a long way and really is a great spot for the LGBT traveler.” In 2014, the first-ever event drew 1,500 attendees from acrosss the United States and Canada and Joesph expects this years to follow suit. “This year we anticipate that number to double,” he said, “[Especially] with our new exclusive location and value pricing.” 4000 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale Tickets: Single pool party admission, $15-$25