Jack Houston

Story Archive

Photos: Scott Weiland is unhinged and a hot mess at Pearl at the Palms

Sunday, June 2, 2013

The former Stone Temple Pilots frontman’s performance at Pearl at the Palms was, at best, gloriously ragged. At worst, it was a giant eff you to the ...

Photos: Intimate Zac Brown Band deviates and surprises at The Cosmopolitan's Chelsea Ballroom

Sunday, April 28, 2013

With the opening notes of “Enter Sandman” ringing out, the singer stepped to the mic. Only it wasn’t Metallica’s James Hetfield. Nor was it Zac Brown, ...

Photos: Coachella-bound Vampire Weekend stops at The Cosmopolitan's Boulevard Pool

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Vampire Weekend’s Friday night show at Boulevard Pool in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas was the venue’s third concert by a Coachella-bound act in ...

Review: ‘Anything Goes’ navigates love’s stormy seas at The Smith Center

Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013

Actress Rachel York has her work cut out for her in “Anything Goes” -- and not just because the vocally and physically demanding role ...

2012 NYE photos: Red Hot Chili Peppers turn up the heat at Cosmopolitan

Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013

On a chilly New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas, two of the night’s most anticipated performers chose to go shirtless -- and it was hardly a surprise. ...

Photos: Furthur calls to mind ghosts of Grateful Dead concerts past

Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012

So what are Deadheads to do when it’s 2012 and the band they once worshiped has ceased to exist for the past 17 years? Go Furthur. On Thursday night, ...

Photos: Blink-182 -- and the Travis Barker Show -- at the Cosmopolitan

Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012

Tom DeLonge can’t play anything on his instrument that compares with Travis Barker’s drum fills. That might seem like a harsh criticism of ...

At last, Rita's Water Ice shows up

Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012

In Henderson, it's called Rita's Ice Custard Happiness.

Photos: Fun, frontman Nate Ruess are more fun pop than indie at Boulevard Pool

Friday, Aug. 17, 2012

Nate Ruess stood center stage and glanced up at the live video feed of himself on the marquee. Plenty of frontmen would kill to have themselves ...

Photos: Moves like Jagger? Moves like Foster the People at Cosmopolitan

Sunday, July 8, 2012

If given the choice, Foster the People would probably return to the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas every four months for the rest of their career. ...

Photos: The Shins at Cosmopolitan’s Boulevard Pool, come rain or shine

Monday, April 16, 2012

Neither rain nor unseasonably cool temperatures were enough to rattle fans of the Shins on Friday night. Those who braved the elements during the ...

Rok Vegas bartender GianCarlo Magnone puts his designs on Sin City

Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010

As fickle as the nightlife industry can be, it's rare that you find someone with the loyalty and dedication to stick it out in one job for several months, let alone several years.

Reality star Adrienne Maloof-Nassif talks Las Vegas

Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010

Part of an entrepreneurial family, Adrienne Maloof-Nassif has stepped into the national spotlight as a reality-TV star, but she's not just a housewife.

Clearing the air with Rathna Singh, Casa Fuente's cigar ambassador

Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010

What looks at first glance to be a rather unassuming café at the base of an escalator inside The Forum Shops at Caesars is actually one of Las Vegas' most unique treasures.

Burger Bar general manager Lisa Burney rises to the occasion

Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010

Other than founding chef Hubert Keller, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who cares more about Burger Bar than general manager Lisa Burney.

Strip headliner Frank Marino dresses up his Vegas favorites

Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010

The irrepressible Frank Marino doesn't need Halloween as an excuse to dress up - he's got his own show for that!

Max Brenner general manager Ryan Sterling indulges our sweet tooth

Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010

As Max Brenner general manager Ryan Sterling says, he's a bald man, but he's not the bald man...

For Sugar Factory gifting specialist Karen Silva, life always is sweet

Sunday, Sept. 26, 2010

When Oprah Winfrey or Kim Kardashian needs a gift basket full of candy treats, they call on Karen Silva.

Heidi Hinkle puts a twist on the classics

Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010

When MGM Resorts unveiled CityCenter in December, it tapped one of its own, Heidi Hinkle, then Bellagio's director of beverage, to take over that position at Aria.

Las Vegas native Laurie Wolff brightens Charlie Palmer Steak

Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010

Have you ever met one of those people who's so bubbly they could out-carbonate a soda? That's Las Vegas' own Laurie Wolff.

Success of Judith Perez, Siegel Group is more than just Rumor

Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010

The Siegel Group owns and operates some of the most unique properties in Las Vegas, including the Artisan, Gold Spike and The Resort on Mount Charleston, but to hear executive vice president Judith Perez tell it, the company's success comes from the care it puts into renovations.

Todd English P.U.B. partner Kelley Jones hits bull's-eye

Monday, Aug. 30, 2010

It all started for Kelley Jones at a diner in his hometown of Madison, N.J.

Flair bartender Danilo Oribe shakes up Rock & Rita's

Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010

It was only a few months ago that Danilo Oribe was cheering on his native Uruguay to a fourth-place finish in the World Cup.

Rhumbar cocktail server Mallory Phelps melts our caipirinhas

Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010

Mallory Phelps is a growler. As in, she likes to roar at people. For no apparent reason.

Lolita's owner Eric DeBlasi gets excited about new Mexican concept

Monday, Aug. 9, 2010

It almost seems like a tall tale the way Eric DeBlasi is explaining the concept behind Lolita's Cantina and Tequila Bar, the latest tenant inside Town Square Las Vegas.

Master sake sommelier Yuji Matsumoto brings talents to Kabuki

Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010

It's a beverage found on the menu of every Japanese restaurant, yet why are Americans so hesitant to order sake?

Billy O'Rourke gets into the tequila spirit with Ambhar

Monday, July 26, 2010

Before getting into the spirits business, Billy O'Rourke's experiences with tequila were not unlike those of your typical college student—which is to say, not the most memorable. But after moving to Cancún and meeting Don Julio Jr. (son of the Don Julio), the Minneapolis native's attitude changed, and he left the telecom industry behind to devote his efforts full-time to Ambhar tequila.

Wet Republic model server Natalie Gross turns up the heat

Sunday, July 11, 2010

On the list of job application processes on the Las Vegas Strip, model server at a pool club has to rank as one of the most nerve-wracking of them all.

Summer pools keep Alex Mendonsa on the go

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Growing up in Orange County, Alex Mendonsa was never too far from some of the top surfing beaches in the world.

James Madders brings European flair to Azure

Sunday, June 27, 2010

In his hometown of Brighton, England, James Madders was something of a teenage savant in the nightlife industry.

Craftsteak's assistant GM Jessica Aiken strives for excellence

Sunday, June 20, 2010

It was 13 years ago when Jessica Aiken first joined the MGM Grand family as a member of the hotel operations team. Now, as assistant general manager of Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak, she helps run one of the Strip's most respected steakhouses.

New Ghostbar director Mike Diamond heightens senses with Snitch

Sunday, June 13, 2010

For Australian-born Mike Diamond, the chance to revitalize one of the Palms' towering nightspots was less about furthering his own career and more about giving Las Vegas a unique party night.

Pure VIP manager Brandon Ring keeps every line open

Sunday, June 6, 2010

"It's my Monday," says Brandon Ring on a Friday afternoon, and that just about sums up the late-is-early, work-is-play world of a VIP services manager.

Hussong's Cantina owner Scott Frost is a true giant of the industry

Sunday, May 30, 2010

When Scott Frost started Titan Nightlife Group in 2006, his goal was to attach his company to brands that could transport themselves outside of Las Vegas. With Ensenada landmark Hussong's Cantina, he found a restaurant whose marketing potential could drive a global business model.

M Resort's new pool director Jeff Kenkel is a DayDream believer

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Summer is less than a month away, but the beach bodies are already out at the south end of Las Vegas Boulevard.

It's always game time for Marc Zakin, Lagasse's Stadium's GM

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Name a job in the food and beverage industry and Marc Zakin has done it.

StripSteak bartender Amanda Gager is a cocktail connoisseur

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Amanda Gager was caramelizing raw sugar on the rim of a martini glass when the clouds parted, the light shone down and bartending became something more than what it had been previously - mainly watching regulars sign over their paychecks for a few free beers and the chance at video-poker fortune.

Tao's director of VIP services reaches nightlife nirvana

Sunday, May 2, 2010

If an unassuming bartender comes up to you, the owner of a failing club (now-shuttered), and promises he can bring in more people than the usual 60 on a Saturday night and asks for half the take at the door for his troubles, don't take him lightly.

Chris Moonen follows father into restaurant industry

Sunday, April 25, 2010

When Chris Moonen stepped off the plane last December, he couldn't have imagined what lay in store for him in Las Vegas. He had just spent the last year in South Korea, and prior to that, two years as a middle school teacher in Boston.

Stylist Sharleen Andrade helps brighten Color

Sunday, April 18, 2010

When Sharleen Andrade met her future boss Michael Boychuck for the first time, she didn't have an appointment, but she did have her resume.

B.B. King's assistant GM Pedro Torres keeps the blues alive

Monday, April 12, 2010

B.B. King probably has strings that have been on his guitar longer than Pedro Torres has been part of the team at B.B. King's Blues Club at The Mirage, but the Puerto Rican-born assistant general manager is making his presence felt.

Checking in on Matt Minichino, the Hard Rock Hotel's nightlife mogul

Monday, April 5, 2010

You may have seen the Hard Rock Hotel's director of nightlife operations before - just not perhaps in the most flattering light. New York native Matt Minichino was portrayed as the irascible pool manager in truTV's reality series "Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock Hotel."

Yuliya Kamenshchuk talks cocktailing in Eve

Monday, March 29, 2010

There are shafts of natural light shining through the windows of Eve nightclub on a gorgeous afternoon in the middle of March, and in a sense it's the perfect complement to cocktail server Yuliya Kamenshchuk, a native of Odessa, Ukraine, who moved stateside seven years ago.

Joel Robuchon's wine director spills the grapes

Sunday, March 21, 2010

When Harley Carbery took over the wine program at Joel Robuchon at MGM Grand more than year ago, one of his first moves was to change the pricing structure of the menu, bringing every single item down in price.

Going south of the border with Stephanie Peck

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Men of the world, look out. Stephanie Peck is one of those bartenders Las Vegas is famous for - attractive and outgoing, with that ace in the hole that has jaws dropping and tongues spilling out like Jim Carrey in The Mask. Peck digs sports.

Shane Monaco talks The Light Group's newest restaurant

Sunday, March 7, 2010

When The Light Group opened its sixth Las Vegas restaurant in December, it needed to look no further than its own ranks to find Shane Monaco, who became director of operations for the new Union Restaurant and Lounge at Aria.

Dani Della Valle sets tone for rocker's Vegas party

Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010

Sammy Hagar got the party started at Cabo Wabo Cantina, but Dani Della Valle keeps it going day and night as the Strip-side venue's bar and entertainment manager. A proud Jersey girl, Della Valle moved to Las Vegas to pursue dance at UNLV and got caught up in the city's nightlife scene. She made the jump to Cabo Wabo for its December opening.

Playboy Club's Rico Romano talks life among Bunnies

Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010

Before it closed in 1986, the Chicago Playboy Club was a focal point for kids like Rico Romano, who gazed up at the famous logo on the side of 1960 North Lincoln Park West knowing that, even if he were of age, he probably would never see the inside of the exclusive bunny den.

Pass the Mic: Elissa Sawaya spices up T and T's Mischieve Wednesdays

Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010

Growing up, she dreamed of being a circus clown, but anyone who's seen Elissa Sawaya in person knows that ringmaster would be a much more appropriate way to make a living.

Master planner

Cupid's arrows point to Andrea Eppolito

Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010

Andrea Eppolito knows firsthand how romantic Innovative Dining Group's Las Vegas restaurants can be: The New York native met her current boyfriend during a dinner at Boa Steakhouse five years ago.