Vote for my favorite KJ - Rockin' Rick!

I just got this email from my favorite karaoke jockey in the area, Rockin' Rick. Please read it and take a second to vote for him for Suburban Nitelife Magazine's Best of the 'Burbs Contest. If you've never been to his karaoke at Ernie McCann's in North Aurora, make it a point to stop by sometime. Now go on with your votin' selves! We've only got until tomorrow to vote. Thanks, guys! (See the email with voting link below.)

YOU DID IT!!! Once again we are voted into the finals for Suburban Nitelife
Magazine's best of the Burbs!

Now, we need you even more than ever! The finals voting takes place now
through March 15th. WE NEED YOUR VOTES!!! Log on to: www.nitelife.org.

Remember, vote everyday, you may use more than one e mail account to vote several times in one day, but be sure to leave at least half an hour between voting
sessions!

You will find us under the following catagories:

Rick, with Rockin With Rick Karaoke...Best male KJ
Rockin' With Rick Karaoke...Best Karaoke company
Ernie McCann's...Best karaoke club
Mike Lowy...Best Musician
Rockin with Rick Music videos @ The Muddy Duck...Best Promotional

PLEASE GET YOUR FRIENDS, LOVERS, AND OTHERS TO CONSIDER VOTING FOR US AS WELL!
We have been to the top before, it would be so cool to do it again!

Thanks for your support, winners will be announced on March 31st!

Keep Rockin'..........Rick

My first press recognition!

I've had one of my articles reposted by a band that I reviewed - that's my first recognition as a credible press source!

Happy, happy, happy am I.

Wanna see it? It's at www.myspace.com/katvictoriamusic (as their latest blog entry).


P.S. Milwaukee reviews are nearly done! I'll have them posted ASAP.

Silvie's Lounge, Chicago, IL (10/12/07) & XO Underground, Morris, IL (10/13/07)

My friend Daniel's band, The day after..., paid a visit to the Chicagoland area a couple weeks ago. I got the chance to check them out at two venues I've never been to before, including Silvie's Lounge in Chicago and XO Underground in Morris, IL. You can find reviews of both below...



Silvie's Lounge
1902 W. Irving Park Rd.
Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 871-6239
http://www.silvieslounge.com/ (which they apparently don't update very frequently...)

Silvie's had a very nice atmosphere - it was clean, dark, and larger than many Chicago venues I've experienced. It was divided in half, with one side being the bar and the other side housing the stage. The cover was only $5, but I assume it varies depending on which bands are playing. I don't have too much to say about Silvie's, except that I liked it. There was nothing spectacular or awful about it, and the drink prices were of average pricing for a big city bar.

The stand-out part of my evening at Silvie's was the singer (and her amazing band) that went on after The day after..., named Kat Victoria. Their soulful, funky melodies and harmonies blew me away. Their stylings didn't match with the rest of the bands on the bill, but for once this was a blessing. I picked up a CD, and will definitely be listening to the singer's buttery voice often. They are local to Chicago, and will be playing another show in November. I urge you all to check it out - their tunes made me shake my thang, which I am not easily prone to do. You can find them here on the web.


XO Underground
425 E. Rt. 6 (located in Evergreen Plaza)
Morris, IL
(815) 416-1050
http://www.xounderground.com/

XO Underground is an all ages venue. Normally, this is a big turn-off for me (as a 25 year old), but they had so much going for them that it didn't matter. Just look at their website, and you'll see that they are truly jacks (or jills) of all trades there. They are a store (akin to Hot Topic), a hookah lounge, a music venue, and much more. They have a "cereal bar" (see photo below), which was pretty cool, and they also serve pizza. Between the high ceilings, the chain link fences, and the comfy couches, they've got the atmosphere nailed, too. Did I mention that they also had a great sound man and accoustics?

Best of all, it is truly a passionately run small business. The owner was there collecting money at the door (the cover charged ranged from $7-$10, depending on what time you arrived for the show) and helping to set up the bands. I got to talk to her for quite some time and her heart is truly with the XO Underground.

NOTE: Since this is an all ages venue, they do not serve alcohol. It is, however, B.Y.O.B.! My advice? If a band you like is playing there, don't skip their show just because it's an all ages place - you'll miss out.

What an awesome weekend!

I had my dear friend's Vegas band, The day after..., in for a visit over the weekend. They are currently on an east coast tour, so I got to see two of their shows at two venues I've never visited before. I'll be adding some new reviews in the next couple days.

In the meantime, check out their MySpace here.

Also, I am hitting up Milwaukee, WI with my friend this upcoming Saturday. I'm looking forward to that, for sure. I'll keep all you awesome readers posted.

Jazz & Wine @ Walter Payton's Roundhouse, Aurora, IL (10/10/07)

Aurora, IL - Jazz & Wine @ Walter Payton's Roundhouse

My friend Missy won tickets to Jazz & Wine night at Walter Payton's Roundhouse in Aurora. It was my very first wine tasting and it was a blast! Read all about it below.

Date(s): 10/10/07
Airfare/Gas: It's right down the street from me...
Spending: $0 (Since my friend won the tickets, they were free. Normal admission is just $10!)
Lodging: N/A
TOTAL COST: $0
REVIEWS:

Jazz & Wine
Walter Payton's Roundhouse
205 N., Broadway
Aurora, IL 60505
(630)892-0034
http://www.walterpaytonsroundhouse.com/

Admission: $10 (tickets in advance or at door)

It was by chance that I stumbled across such a fun and inexpensive activity to fill an otherwise mundane Wednesday night...

First of all, let me tell you a little about Walter Payton's Roundhouse. It is a restaurant, bar, micro-brewery and entertainment venue in downtown Aurora, IL, right next to the train station. (Too young to know who Walter Payton is? Read a little about him here.) It has a very nice atmosphere, but the drink prices tend to be a little out of my price range so I usually only go there for special events or to attend their comedy club, ComedyComedy.

Anywho, on the last occasion that my friend Missy went to their comedy club, she won tickets to a monthly event held there called Jazz & Wine. Being the lovely friend that she is, she invited me along. Jazz & Wine night includes, you guessed it, jazz and wine! A wine tasting is held from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m., then a jazz concert begins in the room next door.

Until last night, I had never been to a wine tasting. On the way there, I commented to Missy that I just hoped they didn't make us spit it into a bucket like I'd seen on T.V. (Hey, a little wine buzz never hurt anyone...) I was a little nervous, but relaxed once I got there, seeing some people dressed to the nines and others in jeans, all scuttling about from table to table. There were six different wineries featured, and we tasted a bit from each. We spoke to all of the hosts and hostesses and they were great about answering all of our wine-related queries. After a half an hour or so, we were toasty warm and mingling like pros (No limit on the number of samples you were allowed. Uh-oh!). We both found a few wines and a champagne that we enjoyed a lot, and Missy walked out with two purchases - the wines ranged in price from $8.95 (one of our favorites, White Cin from the Fox Valley Winery) to $23.99 (from Planeta Winery, which we both found to be the most knowledgeable and extremely friendly to boot.) The most unique flavors we found were at the table for the Napa Ridge Winery, where we found a spicy picante wine from Chile and an almond champagne.

After the tasting, we moved to the adjoining bar to watch the Nick Besisi Groove Project, which was pretty standard easy jazz. They were all great musicians, but nothing new or exciting to brag about.

All in all, it was an extremely fun, inexpensive and relaxing evening.

NOTES: I spoke with the manager, Nick, who informed me that Jazz & Wine takes place the 2nd Wednesday of every month, excluding December through March. During the summers, it is held outside in the courtyard area. See the website for more info.

R.I.P. MJ's Bar & Grill

I just heard that MJ's Bar & Grill (Las Vegas, NV), which I recently reviewed, has closed down.

Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence in Las Vegas, as well as in many cities around the globe - local hang-outs being shut down because they can't compare to more well-known, common tourist attractions and venues.

Please support local independent businesses, both in your town and others. Through your patronage, you can help to give them a chance when they go up to bat against their corporate rivals.

theALTERNAtraveler bows her head over the passing of another great local spot...

Las Vegas, NV (8/15/07 - 8/20/07)

Chicago, IL (O’Hare) to Las Vegas, NV (McCarran International)
Dates: 8/15 – 8/20-07
Airfare: $398 (United Airlines through http://www.travelocity.com/)
Spending: Approx. $300
Lodging: FREE – Thanks to my wonderful friend, Melissa!

TOTAL COST: Approx. $700

REVIEWS:

M J's Bar & Grill
3417 S Jones Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89146
(702) 364-1102

UPDATE 9/21/07: This venue has closed down.

I visited this bar/venue twice on my trip – once to see the band of a friend of a friend (Jesus or a Gun) and once to see my former drummer’s new band (The day after…). I had never been here in the past and, of course, I was excited to check out a new place. It reminded me a lot of the Cheyenne Saloon, which is also in Vegas, but this place was cleaner. I heard from local friends that MJ’s is the new “butt-rocker” home of Vegas. It was pretty big, with a nice bar and a decently sized stage. They also serve food, so there is no smoking allowed inside (Nevada law!). I didn’t eat there, but I did see quite a few people pouncing on the individual slices of pizza, which could mean one of two things – either the pizza is awesome or the patrons were just really drunk. I’m proposing that the latter is correct, having tasted many a crappy pizza while living out west. I liked this bar/venue and I’d definitely go back there.

Bonus! Check out the awesome all female punk band that opened up for The day after… - The Dirty Panties. They rocked.

Champagnes Cafe
3557 S Maryland Pkwy
Las Vegas, NV 89169
(702) 737-1699
http://champagnescafe.blogspot.com

Champagne’s is the definition of old school Vegas cool. I’m pretty sure that the door into this place is actually a wormhole, transporting you back in time 50 years. The walls are covered in red and gold velvety wallpaper and the long, narrow bar glows red from the overhead lighting. There are booths on the side and a tiny little stage in back, where Champagne’s hosts karaoke (with classy K.J. Bobby Shawn) on Friday and Saturday nights (which is the reason I popped in for a visit). The crowd here is a motley mix of young and old, hipster and hip-replaced, and the atmosphere is quiet and laid back. And the music! You’ll hear the likes of Frank Sinatra and classic lounge acts most frequently. Beers run about $3 and mixed drinks are about $4.

I’ve met more interesting characters at this bar than any other I’ve ever visited, and almost all of them have been local to the Vegas area, which is a major rarity. If you stop in for a visit, make sure to talk to as many people as possible - you’ll definitely walk away with a story or two to tell your friends back home.

Dino's Lounge
1516 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89104
(702) 382-3894
http://www.dinoslv.com/

I could go on and on about Dino’s, so I’ll try to hold back.

Dino’s was one of my favorite spots when I lived in Las Vegas. I went to karaoke there on many a Friday night with friends of mine who are in a local burlesque troop called Babes in Sin. Karaoke’s hosted by Danny G., who, incidentally, looks like an older, more bearded version of one of my ex-boyfriends… not that I should be bragging about this. Either way, Danny G. has a giant karaoke book with just about every song you could every wish to drunkenly bellow to your friends. I usually go for a little AC/DC and Alanis Morissette. The kids love it.

They have a house shot called a “blumpkin” – and if you don’t know the meaning of that word, Google it, but not at work.

The crowd is a mix of locals and tourists, many of the rockabilly persuasion, all happily co-existing in the little world known as Dino’s Lounge. The bar touts itself as “the last neighborhood bar in Las Vegas” and I think they’ve nearly hit the nail on the head. Every time I’ve been there, I’ve run into at least one professional Frank Sinatra impersonator, which is about as “neighborhood” as Vegas gets.

Note: Sometimes Dino’s hosts local bands, in which case karaoke doesn’t get under way until 12:30 – 1:00 a.m. If this bugs you, you might want to call ahead. Karaoke days are Thursday through Saturday.


Bonanza Gifts Shop
2460 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89104
(702) 385-7359
worldslargestgiftshop.com

I stopped into “the world’s largest gift shop” on my last night in town to pick up some last minute souvenirs before heading home. It’s big. So big, in fact, that I was too overwhelmed with cheap-o gifts to force myself to look through the entire bounty.

I walked away with a statuette of a showgirl for my roomie, Ashley, a coin purse and a key chain (featuring a naked dancing boy) for my other roomie, Stacy, and a shot glass and a transparent green visor for myself. I should have taken a photo with one of their decorated security guards, but I did not (hindsight is 20-20).

If you’re looking for a gift that says “Las Vegas” on it, this is the place. If you asked, I’m pretty sure they’d stamp your poo with those words and sell it back to you for $7.99. Although not an upscale joint, it did the trick and it did it well.