Fabulous Las Vegas Weekly Dead Head Roundup, Week 10, August 8-12

Grateful Dead Fabulous Meet Up Location / Pre-Game:   (Tears streaming down my cheeks...) It's the Final Dead Forever GD Fab Vegas Meetup  and we are excited (bittersweet) to party with you one last time this summer.  Let's pre-game and celebrate this final weekend run right before the show in the Venetian Hotel Casino at the Bellini Bar on August 8 at 5:00 pm - 5:45 pm.  We’ll be toasting to what an EPIC summer this was, your Fabulousity, and your FAB outfit!!!  Come stop by on your way to the show for a cocktail and hug! 

The Last GD Fab Meet Up of the Summer, The Bellini Bar, Venetian Casino, Property Map: Location 122, August 8, 2024, 5 pm

Meg Fab Appearance/ Fab in a Flash Same Day Deliveries:  I am super excited to announce that I will personally be making all of the Vegas same day deliveries every Friday and Saturday through August 10.  I am giving away the most INSANE swag bags choc full of over $150 dollars worth of Fab!!  I'm looking forward to giving you a hug and personally hand delivering your order.  All of the new styles are in stock and ready to ship!!  I'm looking forward to meeting you and we can even do a try-on / styling sesh in the lobby!!  The link for same day Vegas delivery is HERE: Order Personal Delivery from Meghan!!!

Meg Fab HEADCOUNT Appearance / Collab:   HEADCOUNT

It's the MOST important election of our lifetime, and HEADCOUNT is a very incredible organization that is near and dear to my Dead Head heart.  Come by, say HI, and rock the VOTE with me!  I will be doing my last HEADCOUNT appearance on Thursday, August 8th,  so come by (EXTENDED HOURS!!) from 12 pm - 5 pm at the Dead Forever Experience upstairs on Participation Row, before the show for a big hug and get registered to vote!  I have a limited edition collaboration HEADCOUNT FABULOUS rhinestone t-shirt that I created, and you can order it on the spot!  It's spectacular and VERY limited edition.....just like you! 

Just so you know how FABULOUS the impact of HeadCount is by the Numbers:

-HeadCount is at over 1500 events a year and has more than 60,000 volunteers nationwide

-HeadCount has registered over 1.25 million voters over the last 20+ years

-HeadCount reaches young voters (18-29), who in the 2024 election:

---will be the most diverse voting block in history

---represent 1 in 5 voters

---16 million are voting for their first presidential election

Steve's Weekly Restaurant Recommendation: Paradise Place Jamaican Restaurant

By now you have gotten the vibe that Meghan and I love to find joints that are off the beaten path, and that have killer food and drink.   We stumbled across Paradise Place Jamaican Restaurant a few days ago out of accident.   There was a place near our AirBnB that was called, "Tasty and Delicious Jamaican Food" (pardon me if I butcher the name), that we would drive by multiple times a day on our way to our Dead related events.   Meghan loves Jamaica and Jamaican Food, so I knew that it would be on our lunch list one of these days.

As I was driving to drop Meghan off at her HEADCOUNT appearance, I heard her on her phone grumbling on her phone searching on Yelp for the reviews on Tasty and Delicious Jamaican Food.  "Oh NO!!, only 2.5 stars!!!"  Meghan screamed!!  I would agree that TADJF would be a hard pass with only 2.5 stars.  "How could they name themselves that, with that horrible of a track record," Meghan asked?  

Not sure and agreed a hard NO on TADJF, but now both Meghan and I both were CRAVING Jamaican Food.  A quick re-search on Yelp and Las Vegas showed 1 other option, Paradise Place Jamaican Restaurant with 4 stars.  OK, game on!!   

Just a few blocks away from TADJF and very close to our Westside AirBNB, we rolled into the parking lot in the strip mall that Paradise Place Jamaican Restaurant lived.  It was low-key, and we were surprised to find ourselves the only guests in the place at 8 pm.  Quickly greeted and seated by the owner with a thick Jamaican accent, we knew we were in for a real treat!  (Meghan loves when I say "in for a real treat!).  Rum Punch, YES Please!!  It was the most delicious Rum Punch I had ever tasted.  Sweet, with a hint of tang, I knew that I could start pounding these down if it was a different night, and there was a steel drum banging.
   

I ordered the Oxtail and Meghan ordered the Curry Chicken.  Both came with a side of Rice and Beans, and Meghan also ordered a side of Festival.  Wow- did the Oxtail "steal my face right off my head!"  It was delicious.  Savory, fragrant, the meat fell right off the bone.  The Festival was the best I have ever had northwest of Florida!   Meghan really enjoyed her Curry Chicken- it was on the spicier side, but the flavors were intense and bold, just like she loves it.  

   

Generous portions... so much that there was enough food for us both to take half of it home for lunch the next day.  And let me tell you- the food tastes just as amazing the next day! 

The owner told us that we came in on an off night.  Every other night they have live music and dancing, and the place is jumping.  It's probably better that we came in on a quiet night- we would have been pounding Rum Punches and dancing until close, expending all of our Sphere Show energy! 

You've heard me say it every week, and I'll say it again:  Get off the Strip and go explore!  Make sure to put Paradise Place Jamaican Restaurant on your checklist!  

Meg's Two Cents:  It's really the BEST rum punch I have ever had, and I've been to Jamaica 4 times!  The Festival was super insane too.  We came on a quiet night, but apparently it gets super lively during the weekends with live music, dancing and karaoke.  

 

Meghan's Shopping Find:  Bonanza Gift & Souvenir Shop

I have spent a whole summer vintage, thrift & consignment shopping, and I am gearing up for next week to launch my Second Hand Shopping Extravaganza at you!!  Meanwhile, while I get that info all wrapped up in a shiny, sparkling, bow trimmed package- I wanted to let you in on a random gift shop... it's the WORLD'S LARGEST GIFT SHOP!!!  Seriously, every single type of bric-a-brac, magnet, tchotchke you can imagine- you will find it at Bonanza Gift & Souvenir Shops.  

   

I first discovered  Bonanza Gift & Souvenir Shops about 28 years ago when I would come to Vegas with a then older boyfriend.  We would cruise the Strip and wander into casinos... Man, I sure do miss old Vegas!  "The good ol' days!"  Anyway- we were cruising the Las Vegas Blvd late night, upon coming to the intersection at LV Blvd. and Sahara, we saw the bold, bright, obnoxious lights of Bonanza Gift Shop.  Of course I had to stumble in!  

When I say it's the world's largest gift shop, I am not kidding when I say it's the world's largest.  Spanning over 40,000 square feet of prime Las Vegas real estate, this gift shop is a landmark and institution on the Strip.

   

I've been thinking about Bonanza since we arrived for the summer, and been waiting for the right moment to stop by.  Although I have to say the selection is not what it used to be, it's still got great mementos, and random crap you don't need to take home.   Back in the day, they had different "sections"... a western area with a vast selection of Minnetonka fringe boots and rodeo gear, which has now transformed into the "stoner section" with alien ash trays, rasta man bongs, and pot leaves on everythang!  The old school Vegas section with Elvis outfits has now made way for the candy bar, chock full of over priced Twizlers and Red VInes (are you Team Red Vines or Team Twizlers??).  Times have surely changed!!  Still you can dive into the wall of fuzzy rear view mirror dice and boob/ ass mugs, so that made me unbelievably happy!!     

All in all, I think this is a no-brainer of a stop while you are in Vegas.  There is a convenient, dedicated parking lot with easy in and out (where does this even exist in Vegas anymore?), awesome selection of personalized products at reasonable prices, and tacky-knic-knac galore!!   I can't wait to see what you score while you are in Vegas at Bonanza!!  Happy hunting! 

David's Pick of the Week:   I've been fortunate to not have experienced a lot of loss in my life. More specifically of loved ones. A few grandparents, a few fringe friends - no one in my inner circle. 

But there is one person I share with all of you that left this earth WAY too soon and that's the big man - Jerry Garcia. 

As we both mourn and celebrate his life during these, the days between, here's my story of August 9, 1995 and the days after. I was working at a summer camp in Lake Tahoe where I had moved 8 months previous to blow off some post collegiate energy, ride my snowboard all while being a 3 hour drive from The Dead's home courts of San Francisco. I was fortunate enough to catch the last Shoreline and Oakland Coliseum runs as well as close to a dozen Jerry Band shows at The Warfield. 

The morning of the 9th I drive into camp like any other day and meet the parents and the kids for drop off. There was one little rascal we'll call Christopher who LOVED to give me the business. That morning, his first words to me were, "Your idol Jerry Garcia died" in a taunting tone. I obviously didn't believe him and reminded him that wasn't funny or appropriate. Minutes later I met up with my co-counselors and this bit of what I thought was ribbing, was reality. Pre cell phones so there was no way to call everyone I NEEDED to talk to. No TV cuz we were an outdoor camp - so the details didn't come my way until that evening. 

My team of counselors, some of whom were fans but not nearly as close to the music and GD world as I, were incredibly consoling as I couldn't do much to hold back the tears. So they surprised me after lunch with a balloon launch in which all the kids wrote notes to Jerry (Caveat - this was a time where we still did this).  It acted as a sweet little memorial and after holding back for 6+ hours, let the tears fly. 

I got home and immediately circled the TV with my roommates as it was the lead story on the local evening news. We quickly got into action and put together a celebration of life that evening in the woods behind our house in which everyone brought a physical memory of Jerry and we put it in a jar a la time capsule and buried it. To this day I haven't gone back to see if it's still there. 

Word quickly spread about a memorial at Golden Gate Park but which day remained elusive. So we packed into our cars and drove to the park and celebrated and mourned with several thousand of our closest friends. A few days later the memorial happened. The whole band spoke as did several other people close to Jer. There were drum circles, sing alongs and a very upbeat vibe as we celebrated what we had and didn't revel in what we were going to miss. 

The whole week and event was surreal and I couldn't be more Grateful to have been a part of it. Time has moved on but the days between will always be...

Cheap Bargains in Vegas:  Sin City may be notorious for the high price tags and taking all your hard earned money, so I've listed some cheap eats and bargains for the month of August below!! 

Free & Fabulous:  The Dead Forever Experience, The Palazzo at the Venetian Hotel & Casino

Want to learn more about the music, Dead & Company and what started it all: the Grateful Dead?  Check out the Dead Forever Experience- a two-story museum that is equal parts exhibit, gallery, gift shop, cinema and interactive experience for all things historical and fabulously Grateful Dead.  You won't want to miss Jay & Ricki Blakesbergs curated photos spanning 1965-1995!  Enjoy the full gallery of Mickey Hart's artwork, marvel in David Lemieux's massive tape collection and check out the 1:4 scale version of the Wall of Sound.  Be sure to stop by the upstairs bar for some Grateful Dead-themed cocktails!  On your way out make sure to take a selfie with the large scale Dancing Bears... and be super sure to stop by the HEADCOUNT booth on Participation Row and say HI, and snatch up one of my limited edition HEADCOUNT rhinestone t-shirts!!!!