So I didn’t win any jackpots last night. None of us did. But we did watch some dude win three grand on a goddamn penny slot. That dude had a good night. Who am I kidding though? So did we. The House of Blues in Vegas was the biggest venue we’ve played on this tour so far and we had the pleasure of playing in front of our friend and radio bad ass, Billy Burrs, once again.
The last time I was in Vegas was probably fifteen years ago and I was way too young to appreciate it. Let’s face it, Vegas sucks if you aren’t old enough to drink or gamble (responsibly of course, hi mom!). We spent the first half of our evening in Mandala Bay, which was rad because evidently as soon as you walk out of the House of Blues, you are in the middle of a casino. We played some slots together. Jordan beelined for his personal favorites, the Michael Jackson and the Sex and the City penny slots. I like to stick to the classic slots that are super bright and make a shitload of noise. For some reason I’m convinced that the louder and brighter a slot is, the better your chances are of winning big. It’s flawed logic, I know, but since when does logic apply in casinos?
We went up to the Foundation Room for a bit, a club on the top floor of Mandala Bay where Marianas Trench were having a VIP party. We hung with MT and their crew for a bit and Corey drank a glass of scotch worth more than I had lost in the casino so far before heading back to Circus Circus, where our hotel rooms were.
Circus Circus is my personal favorite hotel and casino in Vegas because of how weird it is. It’s kind of trashy, but kind of not, and everyone is having fun, and it feels like you’re stuck in a weird carnival that never really ends. We played some slots on this spinning carousel thing that slowly rotates in the middle of the room. It reminded me of the ether scene in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, where Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro lose total control of their motor functions and are trying to drag themselves through the casino. I also discovered that the spinning carousel thing makes you feel way drunker than you actual are as soon as you step off of it.
We had such a fun night that I didn’t realize it was getting late until I checked my phone. I decided to spend another hour or so throwing money at a penny slot before I wizened up and left for bed.
-AJP
Photographs by Anna Lee
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