Columnist Jerry Fink: These days the joke is on Palace Station

Friday, June 15, 2001 | 8:50 a.m.

Jerry Fink's lounge column appears on Fridays. Reach him at 259-4058 or jerry@ lasvegassun.com

No joke. Palace Station has converted its Sound Trax lounge into a comedy club called Laugh Trax.

As part-time emcee Carol Siskind quips, in italicized fashion:

"I love this town, but it's getting hot. It's getting very hot ... it was 104 today. Tonight's the night I start putting my pantyhose in the freezer. It makes me feel good. I'm like a little ice pop."

As Sound Trax, the club featured tribute classic-rock bands. Now Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., it features veteran comedians and some up-and-comers.

"We moved the (tribute) band concept to the Fiesta," Jonathan Swain, Palace Station's vice president and general manager, said. "For our demographics, it was a little bit too young."

After three weeks are executives with the locals-focused Station Casinos happy about the switch? They're laughing all the way to the bank.

"We're selling out every Friday and Saturday and we're 80-percent full on Wednesdays and Thursdays," Swain said. "We're exceeding our expectations, and 80 percent of our customers are locals."

"I'm a local. I live here now. I knew I was a local the day I found myself gambling in the supermarket. I'm playing video poker next to a woman who has a six-inch cigarette ash hanging over my grapes, and I'm losing. Do you know how demoralizing it is to lose in a supermarket, especially one that used to be called Lucky?

"You lose in a casino you can slink off into the crowd. You lose in a supermarket, you have to walk that basket down the aisle and put all the food back on the shelf."

Swain said Laugh Trax is the only comedy club not on the Strip, where there are four.

"Locals hate to go to the Strip," he said.

And when they do go, they hate paying the high prices.

"Here, you can see Strip-quality entertainers for $12.95 (plus tax)," Swain said. "Victoria Jackson (formerly of "Saturday Night Live") will be here in July."

"Today, everybody's armed. More and more women are getting guns, so you know the designers are going to be right on top of this. A Calvin Klein sports bra and holster? It's hard enough to get the right size. What do you say to the sales girl, 'I need a 36 and a .38?' "

Each week two touring stand-up comedians perform for four days at Laugh Trax, one a headliner and one a featured guest.

"Guns are not for everyone. If I ever got a gun, I would never stop shooting. I'd find those guys who call me at 6 o'clock and try to sell me (expletive) every night. Then I'd find John Barr, who evidently wants to sell me a car."

Local band Epstein's Mother warms up the crowds and introduces the comedians on Fridays and Saturdays. Wednesdays and Thursdays feature a third comic, who is the host. Siskind had the honors when the club debuted.

"I think (men) are much nicer than (women). You're sweeter, you're nicer. Of course you are. You're walking around in a testosterone fog and you don't know what the hell's really happening to you."

This week the headliner is scheduled to be Latino comedian Rudy Moreno, with LA Hardy the featured entertainment.

"(Men's) lives are less stressful. For one thing, what you're wearing tonight will be in style for the rest of your life. They don't try to sell you the Russian peasant look every four years.

"And you are better friends than we are. Think about it. Men have friendships that will last for years. You know why? You guys don't talk to each other. Us women talk so much our heads actually explode. We wear each other out. My best friend is the girl I met in the bathroom five minutes ago. She said, 'I like your lipstick,' and now she's my new best friend."

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