VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Las Vegas artist works in hose

Saturday, June 12, 2004 | 12:13 p.m.

VegasBeat appears Sunday through Friday in the Las Vegas Sun. Timothy McDarrah can be reached at tim@lasvegassun.com or at (702) 259-4096.

WEEKEND EDITION

June 12 - 13, 2004

Everyone has heard of a model/actress. Or a student/athlete.

But a fireman/artist?

"Yes, I guess it is a little different," said 26-year Las Vegas firefighter John Banks, who is also an artist.

Banks will be re-installing his "Fire Hose Art" public sculpture Monday morning outside his usual office, Fire Station No. 3, at 2645 West Washington Ave.

The public is invited. Some might be interested to know that several of Banks' hunky firefighter pals will be helping him lift the heavy pieces into place.

The sculpture consists of three large pieces of steel that spell A-R-T when viewed from one angle, but appear to be coils of yellow fire hose from another.

Banks said the piece had been taken down to refurbish and move it to accommodate a crosswalk signal.

It was a secret until now, but Pink has agreed to be the headline act at the Golden Rainbow HIV/AIDS fund-raiser next weekend at Bally's Las Vegas.

Congrats to Las Vegas Life scribe Joe Schoenmann.

He earned a silver medal in the Writer of the Year category at the 19th annual City and Regional Magazine Association Magazine Awards.

The prestigious national prizes were announced Thursday in Chicago.

Rocker and Arena Football League team owner Jon Bon Jovi is profiled in the July issue of Inc. magazine.

In the piece, the Jersey native speaks fondly about the Garden State's favorite son, and his role model, Ol' Blue Eyes.

"Frank Sinatra. He's the guy I aspire to be half as cool as for half as long," Bon Jovi said. "Frank did 60 movies, toured till he was 80, got a president elected. That's who I want to be."

The April issue of Wine Spectator magazine broke the news that Joel Robuchon -- the Chef of the Century according to the influential Gault-Millau guide -- had agreed to join the MGM Grand and open a restaurant in the Mansion, MGM's exclusive 29-cottage compound reserved for high-rollers and celebs.

Now we hear the deal has fallen through. No word on exactly why.

Frequent Las Vegas Hilton headliner George Lopez will return as host of the Latin Grammys.

The fifth annual awards show is set for Sept. 1 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, and is scheduled to air live on CBS. Nominations will be announced July 14.

Elaine Wynn has a broken toe.

"It is broken, but there is no good story for you," her office told us. "She just stubbed it."

Her injury was the talk of the invitation-only lunch Wednesday at Bellagio that celebrated restaurateur Sirio Maccione's new book, "Sirio: The Story of My Life and Le Cirque."

Among the guests who were checking with Wynn on her condition were Chantal Cloobeck, Heather Murren, Lovee Arum, Phyllis McGuire and Heather duBeof, Piero Selvaggio, Larry Ruvo and Robert Frey.

The delightfully weird show "Shock!" is back.

It opens June 26 at Greek Isles, where it will be performed every Saturday, Sunday and Monday at 11 p.m., co-producer Scott Lewis told us.

The show ended an 18-month run at Bourbon Street in April.

It features characters such as Zamora the Torture King, who impales himself with hot metal pokers, the sexy dominatrix Sadista and a hynotist who gets an audience member to stick his head into a terrarium full of rats.

Now that's entertainment!