Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2004 | 10:28 a.m.
All it needs is a more catchy moniker, and the downtown Arts District seems poised to take off.
Wandering around First Friday last week was like being in a nascent SoHo -- the world-famous Lower Manhattan arts district -- all over again.
Today, crowds can be spotted at the Dust gallery on the otherwise depressing Main Street, eyeing marvelous new works by Vegas natives Jerry Misko and Mark Brandvik.
Twenty-five or so years ago, it was crowds of swells at Leo Castelli's Andy Warhol show in the (then) soon-to-be-famous art world address of 420 W. Broadway.
Today, the buzz is about curator/dealer Michele C. Quinn opening Godt-Cleary Projects, a new Main Street gallery slated to debut with a Dennis Hopper photo show Oct. 1. Quinn is of the gallery of the same name at Mandalay Place.
Then, the buzz was about curator/dealers such as Barbara Gladstone moving her gallery from staid 57th Street to SoHo, where she helped introduce Jenny Holzer and Matthew Barney to the art world.
Today, political candidates such as congressional longshot Rick DeVoe are moving among the ready-made crowd, canvassing for support.
Then, political candidates, such as mayoral longshot Ed Koch, were moving among the ready-made crowd, canvassing for support.
Today, everyone heads to Dino's Lounge to hear Dirk Vermin -- artist, curator and proprietor of the PussyKat Tattoo Parlor -- and his punk band.
Then, everyone headed over to CBGB's to hear Joey Ramone's punk band.
In general the Arts District crowd -- observed Friday night -- is young, trendsetting and enthusiastic.
Sightings from the event: Fashion Show mall Director of Operations Sam Whitebread, playing a spirited game of pool at Dino's, and KNPR restaurant critic John Curtas removing his tie and dancing to the surf band Vista Four on a closed-off Colorado Avenue.
Queen fans
Roger Taylor and Brian May of Queen have invited many of their rock star friends and former collaborators to the opening this week of "We Will Rock You" at Paris Las Vegas.
We're especially looking forward to seeing one of the all-time comedy greats, Monty Python's Eric Idle, who we hear arrives in town today for the big event.
Idle is working on a new musical of his own, "SPAMALOT," based on the 1975 cult film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."
The stage show, which opens in Chicago at Christmastime and on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre next spring, stars David Hyde Pierce, Tim Curry and Hank Azaria, and is directed by another all-time great, Mike Nichols ("The Graduate").
Other expected guests at Wednesday's red-carpet opening include Robert De Niro, a co-producer of the show, and several members of the Bulsara family.
Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara in the British colony of Zanzibar, East Africa (now part of Tanzania). His family moved to England when he was a child, and he adapted his stage name when he started his performing career.
Others said to be in the red-carpet mix range from Elton John to George Michael to David Bowie.
Branding
We hear that the Bally's/Paris Las Vegas monorail stop is soon to be sponsored by Vegas.com.
The interesting part of the deal will be that the travel-themed Web site will have showgirls with wireless laptop computers at the station, so convention-goers and other monorail patrons can check e-mail while they wait for the train.
VegasBits
Right: Vice President Dick Cheney ordered room service from Charlie Palmer Steak (Four Seasons) on Friday night. He stayed at the hotel after a local campaign stop ...
Punch: Comic Drew Carey was at the Cory Spinks vs. Miguel Gonzalez welterweight fight card at Mandalay Bay on Saturday night ...
Mom: Shirley Jones -- actress, singer and mother of "Partridge Family" fame -- took in Danny Gans' production at The Mirage ...
Repeat: Siegfried Fischbacher attended the "Havana Nights" show (Stardust) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. He is a co-producer of the show ...
Fan: Musician Macy Gray took in the Usher show at Mandalay Bay on Sunday night. She stayed that evening at the luxurious Palazzo Suite at The Rio ...
Gather: A wide swath of young Vegas cognoscenti attended the housewarming party Sunday at Trevor Pratte and Hillary Hitton's new digs. The group included lawyer and Arts District gallery owner Naomi Arin, KNPR commentator Dayvid Figler, influential fashion publicist Yvette Masterson and KVBC Channel 3 anchor Jim Snyder with wife Adeana Shendal ...
Sight: Several celebrities will be on hand at the eyewear convention this week at the Sands Expo & Convention Center. The Revolution Eyewear booth, for example, is touting appearances by Hulk Hogan, Magic Johnson and Anna Nicole Smith ...
Odd couple: Florence Henderson ("The Brady Bunch") and former Howard Stern sidekick Jackie "The Jokeman" Martling were shooting scenes from an upcoming independent film "Venus & Vegas" at the Palms on Friday ...
Photo: "Zumanity" emcee Joey Arias is featured on the cover of the 20th anniversary issue of Paper magazine, the trendsetting New York-based style and fashion monthly.
From Sun wires
Jennings resumes streak: "Jeopardy!" master Ken Jennings has advanced his winning streak to 39, picking up another $10,001 and bringing his total money won to $1,331,661.
Jennings, 30, a software engineer from Salt Lake City, became an unlikely TV star this summer when he began mowing down opponents on the quiz show. He won 38 straight games before the show went on hiatus in late July. The new season began Monday.
Hurricane affects telethon: The Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon raised $59.4 million for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, but organizers said Monday that power outages and other disruptions from Hurricane Frances contributed to a decline over last year.
Donations totaled 1.8 percent less than last year's $60.5 million.
Television stations in the Florida cities of Jacksonville, Sarasota and Gainesville canceled broadcasts of the telethon completely. Other Florida stations showed only the national portions, preventing the broadcast of local segments during which most pledges are made.
Jerry Lewis, 78, was assisted during the 21 1/2-hour fund-raiser by Ed McMahon, and the broadcast featured performances by John, Oprah Winfrey, Ray Romano and Tony Orlando.
Carter credits Redford: Actor and filmmaker Robert Redford played videotapes of the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debate "over and over" to coach former President Jimmy Carter before his debates with former President Gerald Ford.
"I was probably president because of Bob Redford," said Carter, who confided that before the debate leading to his 1976 election he "didn't know what in the world I was going to do."
Redford told him what not to do. He arrived at Carter's house with a projector and films of the historic debate that made Richard Nixon look dour and John F. Kennedy charismatic.
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