Hey, who you calling seedy? That’s what the imaginary Davy of Davy’s Locker would say if he were a real human capable of reading blogs instead of a mythical pirate. In Las Vegas (as opposed to under the sea), Davy’s Locker refers to a spirited little dive bar. As an example of this spirit, note the halloween tree in the corner.
Read all about it in the latest edition of my bar column for the Las Vegas Weekly.
Posted in Food & Drink, Las Vegas
Tagged bar exam, bars, davy's locker, Las Vegas, las vegas weekly
Journalist Aaron Thompson helping me research the Red Hawk nachos.
For those of you who don’t yet know, I write a bar column for the Las Vegas Weekly. The premise is simple. Every other week, I seek out the new, the weird, the unusual and the forgotten. And alternately, the popular, the ritzy and the well-trodden. I try to mix it up, going intermittently on and off the beaten path.
Here’s the best part, the editors give me a very long rope with which to hang myself. They encourage creativity, and I, in turn, thank them by testing the limits of their leniency. For example, I think my editor nearly killed me when I turned in a recent column in the form of a movie script. Read it for yourself HERE and decide if the results are worth all the grief I put my editors through.
Or you can read this week’s Bar Exam HERE. After the craziness of writing a script, my editor kindly suggested and I graciously agreed to do something a little more normal. I wrote about a nice little bar in Henderson called Red Hawk.
What do these two articles have in common? The assistance of my friend and journalist Aaron Thompson. Sadly, he’s leaving the country in a few days. Emily, my first “research assistant” moved to Texas. Now Aaron’s leaving, too. Why does Vegas have to be so dang transient? Anybody want to help me research bars in Vegas?
Posted in Las Vegas, My Latest Publication
Tagged bar exam, henderson, las vegas weekly, red hawk tavern, the nice place bar
Steel Panther the way I know them best: with girls on the stage
My latest article for the Las Vegas Weekly was months in the making. Way back in February (Friday the 13th to be exact. Thank you Google calendar), my friend Brandy took me to see Steel Panther for the first time. As soon as they finished their first set, I had a fully formed article in my head. Perhaps it’s dangerous to have a solidified idea that quickly. Or perhaps I was right on track. The world may never know. Each time the article got pushed back, I decided the article couldn’t do without the inclusion of more research. In the business world, this phenomena is known as “scope creep” and is to be avoided at all costs. The same seems to be true for the writing world. While my hours upon hours upon hours upon hours of research turned up some fascinating results, I ended up with enough vital information to write a book, which I then had to cram in a cover story. My original concept could no longer work with the vast amount of info and had to be dumped in a last-minute rewrite. Three bands I researched didn’t even make the cut because I ran out of room. And even worse, in the crossfire, I mixed up the guitarist with the bass player for one of the bands I mentioned (Sin City Sinners). For the record, Brent Muscat plays the guitar and Mike Szuter plays the bass. They are both really awesome guys and I throughougly enjoyed getting to know them. And I’m very sorry for the mistake. Oh yes, and Rob Cournoyer (formerly of Raging Slab) plays the drums.
So there ya go. If you would like to read this article, you can read it here.
Posted in My Latest Publication
Tagged cover story, las vegas weekly, scope creep, steel panther
A couple weeks ago, I happened to appear in the background of two photos in Las Vegas Weekly online articles.
Photo by Chris Weeks/WireImage
In the first photo, I serve as an illustration of the awful craziness that is the celeb-media shark fest (which is only a little funny because everybody looks so happy). I suggest reading the fascinating article by Greg Beato yourself because I am too tired to give an accurate account of it. (Sorry Greg, if I didn’t do your awesome article justice.)
"Weeky reporter C. Moon Reed gets an unexpected lick from Monotonix. Never wash that cheek again." by Aaron Thompson
In the second photo, my good friend and photographer Aaron Thompson captured me when he was shooting the Monotonix show. It was quite the exciting suprise to find the photo published online the next morning. My editor Spencer Patterson even mentioned me in his writeup of the show. Spencer wrote an awesome review, which you really must read. On behalf of him, I’ll also mention that the Monotonix are the best live band ever.
I’m here today to advertise the newest installment of my bar column. Except it’s not so new, because the story came out about two weeks ago. As I said, I’ve been busy.
In a fit of high school photo class nostalgia, I took this picture on the exterior wall of my story’s subject.
Is the symbolism too heavy?
Meh, who cares? It’s Vegas, you can get away with all sins, even those of bad writing.
Speaking of bad writing, read this wonderful example of good writing right here: Bar Exam: Bill’s Gambling Hall
This is what powers my column
Yes, folks, it’s that time again. I can’t really give you any top secret, behind-the-scenes stories from the making of this Bar Exam, because I put all the juice in the article. Nothing to see here, move along. Go directly to my story and read it.
Wait a second, there is one interesting tidbit for ya. I took the photo for the background of my Twitter page in the lobby of the Downtown LV Howard Johnson hotel on my first trip to the Florida Cafe.
my Twitter background/Downtown LV HoJo
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged bar exam, downtown, florida cafe, hojo, howard johnson, Las Vegas, las vegas weekly
Since Kat Von D is dating the famously not-younger Nikki Sixx, these articles are only related by their author. Oh and they’re both in the same publication (the venerable Las Vegas Weekly).
Read my interview with Kat Von D
When I was sitting on the airplane, waiting to fly home to Vegas from my childhood home in Texas, I got an email from my editor. My job, if I chose to accept it, was to attend the opening of Frankie’s Tiki Room from midnight to 1am and write about it.
Get paid to have fun? Yes! Now this is what I signed up for when I chose to be a writer.
I dragged one of my friends to the opening, and we drank crazy tropical drinks, enjoyed the hipster scenery and had a general good time. This is what it looked like:
A few days later, I sat at the kitchen table and typed out my experiences (after 30 minutes of procrastination on Perezhilton.com. Embarrassing, I know). Often, writing is a struggle for me, this time it wasn’t. I’m not sure the difference, but I think my looming noon haircut appointment allowed me to abandon my typical neuroses and get the job done. If only I could go to the salon every time an article is due.
The piece was part of a neat 24 hours in Vegas concept. Here’s how it turned out in the end:
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2008/dec/18/24-hours-las-vegas/
This post is either the definition of infinity or a sign that I need to turn off my computer and re-find a life. But look at this! Neil Gaiman linked to my article about him on his website, and I’m linking to his website to show the link back to my article. Don’t try to imagine it in your head, just click here:
http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2008/11/mister-fuchs-and-his-flower.html
PS. If you’re curious as to what it’s like to be a full-time rich and famous writer, then you should check out his blog while you’re in the neighborhood.
Posted in Blogosphere, writing community, Writing Process
Tagged blogging, las vegas weekly, neil gaiman, rich and famous, writer, writing
Those two things aren’t related. Well, I’m the only connection between the two: I just arrived home from the first one and I interviewed the second one last week. I have so much to say on both counts but am too tired to say any of it. Instead, I offer you the link to my latest article for the Las Vegas Weekly. It’s about said author:
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2008/nov/13/presence-author/
(PS. I didn’t take the photo, Derrick Taylor of Comic Oasis did. And it’s a drawing of “Death” from the Sandman, not a picture of the girl in the picture)
Posted in My Latest Publication, This Writer's Life
Tagged death, interview, las vegas weekly, Los Angeles, neil gaiman, road trip, the sandman
