Bugsy’s is the new gold standard

Friday, May 11, 2007 | 7:28 a.m.

Looking for a place to hang out? Great food? Good entertainment? Dancing? Old Las Vegas feel?

Bugsy's Supper Club could be the answer. New owners Kenneth Paladino and Steve Richards have already made changes at 6145 W. Sahara Ave. - an Italian-American menu, a full lineup of entertainment, remodeling, new floors and a 4,000-square-foot banquet facility.

On Fridays and Saturdays, it's a supper club with performers such as Darcus, a popular jazz vocalist in Las Vegas for more than 25 years.

The bar has a lounge area and dance floor, which will feature veteran entertainers such as pianist and vocalist Howie Gold.

With drummer Paul Stubbelfield, Gold hosts an open mike on Tuesdays, plays for dancers on Wednesdays and backs up special guests on Thursdays. Various groups, such as Goodfellas, play on Friday and Saturday nights.

"Entertainment wise, we didn't have any specific plans when we took over," Paladino said. "We just knew the place had a Bugsy theme and Bugsy was here in the '40s. So we wanted to stay with some of the older type music, standards of the '30s, '40s , Sinatra stuff.

"We're providing old Vegas service with some new ideas. We want to blend in some things that will appeal to the younger folks, as well."

Most of the action, and there seems to be a lot of it, takes place after 9 p.m. Before then the place is popular with gamblers and diners and neighborhood folks dropping by for a drink and friendly conversation.

Another new club

Green Valley Ranch opens a 500-seat theater, Ovation, on Friday, and brings in its first national act, Big Bad Voo Doo Daddy, on May 18.

Upcoming acts include country artists Emerson Drive (May 19); grunge rock icon Collective Soul (May 25 and 26); "The Sax Pak" featuring Jeff Kashiwa, Kim Waters and Steve Cole (June 3); Rick Springfield (June 8 and 9) and Grand Funk Railroad (June 16).

But Green Valley also is ripping a page from old Las Vegas with its own house band, Rich & Famous, which will perform late-night sessions Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The eight members of the group were picked by Bob Finch, vice president and general manager of Green Valley Ranch, and Joe Santiago, vice president of entertainment for Station Casinos, at auditions in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Rich & Famous is Andrea Adams and Brandon Nix (lead singers), Jamie Hosmer (keyboards), Elvis Lederer (guitar), Craig Martini (bass), Jason Mackenroth (drums), Marcy Fox and Crystal Eden (vocals/dancers).

An old favorite

For those who like jazz, Pogo's has been the place to be from 8 p.m. to midnight Fridays for decades.

Music director Dick Fazio says the popular jazz jam has been expanded to include Wednesdays.

Same hours.

So if you want to hear some of the best music in town, check out Pogo's Tavern, 2103 N. Decatur Blvd.