The Talk About Las Vegas Podcast | a podcast by Ira Sternberg

This week, Ira spoke with ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro, performing at the Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas September 30. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Shimabukuro talks about learning to play the ukulele at age four; the appeal of the ukulele (hint: it makes you feel like a kid); how YouTube ignited his touring career; why he loves touring; his connection with John Wayne; the influence of Hawaii on his musical perspective and approach to audiences; and the top three songs audiences always want to hear, plus his favorite.

This week, Ira spoke with Nick Di Paolo, headlining in The Comedy Works at The Plaza September 27 and 28. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Di Paolo talks about his role as a comic, which is to point out the truth; whether the pendulum is swinging back to free speech and away from political correctness; his first time performing in Las Vegas; why he doesn’t watch other comics; why he considers Colin Quinn the closest thing to a mentor; and why he never has optimism in his life, but still makes people laugh.

This week, Ira spoke with La La Brooks, original lead singer of the Crystals, who will be performing at The Suncoast Showroom, September 21. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Brooks talks about how Sam Cooke influenced the Crystals; what Phil Spector gave her; what is was like starting with the Crystals at age 13; why the group looked at the Shirelles as big sisters; and why gratitude and service to others keep her grounded.

This week, Ira spoke with award-winning journalist Howard Stutz, executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports, a leading gaming industry news resource. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Stutz talks about why gaming competition from other cities became marketing tools for Las Vegas instead of a threat; how corporate casino ownership brought capital into Las Vegas; why Las Vegas isn’t about gambling anymore, but about experiences; what was the smartest thing Las Vegas did; the impact of millennials and cracking the code for reaching them; who he considers the top gaming figures; and the impact of sports betting.

This week, Ira spoke with Grammy Award nominee Ottmar Liebert, performing in Club Madrid at Sunset Station, September 7. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Liebert talks about starting out playing the guitar at age 11 (and beginning to meditate at age 15); how trumpet players influenced him as a teenager; creating music that is

not easily definable (he views it as hybrid); why he turned down a banking scholarship; when he decided to move to Santa Fe and remain there; and why Las Vegas is unique.

This week, Ira spoke with Martin Harris, author of  “Poker & Pop Culture, Telling the Story of America’s Favorite Card Game,”. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Harris talks about about the enduring influence of this American-created game on pop culture; how Vegas was slow to feature the game as a prominent part of the casino environment; the proliferation of poker terms in everyday use; and its future in the world online gaming.

Harris is a writer, teacher, and poker reporter who has covered the game for the last dozen years. He earned a Ph.D. in English from Indiana University at Bloomington and has taught full- and part-time at the university level for two decades. He currently teaches in the American Studies program at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, where his courses include “Poker in American Film and Culture” and “Tricky Dick: Richard Nixon, Poker, and Politics.”

https://www.dandbpoker.com/book/poker-and-pop-culture

Twitter: https://bit.ly/2TF4cqB

This week, Ira spoke with Richard Zoglin, author of ELVIS IN VEGAS: How the King Reinvented the Las Vegas Show. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Zoglin talks about about the history of Las Vegas entertainment and how it evolved over the decades; the decision of Elvis to perform live in Las Vegas, which was his first time back on a live stage in more than eight years; the trend-setting impact of his show and why he saved Las Vegas entertainment, if not himself; and his legacy of Elvis in the entertainment capital.

This week, Ira spoke with Julie Henson, the 2019 National Artist in Residence at the Neon Museum. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Henson talks about about her unique vantage point, working from the Neon Museum’s NE10 studios; her approach to creating art materials reflecting the history and culture of neon in Las Vegas; re-interpreting art in the desert; and what she hopes to learn in her residency; and an open studio event August 16.

This week, Ira spoke with Cary Fisher, president and co-owner of Fisher Space Pen Company, the iconic American family business based in Boulder City, Nevada, which was founded by his father, Paul C. Fisher (inventor of the original AG7 Anti-Gravity pen first used by American astronauts on Apollo 7 in 1968). In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Fisher talks about his father’s legacy; the company’s long association with the United States space program; the enduring popularity of the space pen; the company’s recent recognition at the White House; and why, despite the digital age, there’s always a place for a pen! https://talkaboutlasvegas.com/talking-with-cary-fisher-august-5-2019/

This week, Ira spoke with comedian Jackie Fabulous, headlining in the Comedy Cellar at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino through August 4. In this 30-minute episode of Talk About Las Vegas, Fabulous talks about about becoming a lawyer, but then deciding to become a comedian (and not planning for it); structuring her comedy to be relatable; why Eddie Murphy was her number one role model; and her decision to expand her career into motivational speaking.