*Despite reports to the contrary pop-princess Ashley Simpson and long-time boyfriend, Pete Wentz did not get engaged while they were here in Vegas last weekend.

However, Ashlee is now wearing a “promise ring” on her left hand fourth finger from him. Pete gave it to her while she was at the Pure and LAX nightclubs hosting parties to
celebrate her new April single release. She’s telling friends the ring celebrates a promise—and not an engagement because he hasn’t officially asked her manager dad, Joe for her “hand” yet!!!!

*They broke out the bubbly last night (THURS) at starchef Mario Batali’s B&B restaurant in the Venetian to celebrate the mother ship Babbo in Manhattan being named No. 1 in the USA.

Readers of the Zagat gourmet guide crowned Mario’s restaurant in the top-slot of the new America’s Top Italian Restaurants for 2008. The menu here at The Venetian outpost is more-or-less identical to Babbo in Greenwich Village.

*For the third time in a week NFL superstar Ben Roethlisberger was at the Playboy Club in the Palms resort-casino, arriving with five friends and a body guard. He walked straight to his reserved blackjack table where he stayed for two hours, playing $2000 up to $8,000 per hand, joking, flirting with the Bunnies, smoking cigars and sipping his Red Bull and Vodka while hitting 21. Earlier the group had dined on chef Barry Dakake’s calamari, rock shrimp, sashimi and oysters at the N9NE Steakhouse with Red Bull and Vodka the drink of choice.

*Legendary singer, Tony Bennett and his wife Susan were at Bette Midler’s new show The Showgirl Must Go On at Caesars Palace.

Britney Spears’ ex-hubby Kevin Federline, who has custody of their young children will take a parenting break to celebrate his 30th
birthday at Pure nightclub in Caesars Palace on March 21.

Bare pool lounge at The Mirage makes an early splash this year setting a March 13 opening date.

Cedric The Entertainer was so impressed with their show that he hung out with the cast of Stomp Out Loud after their performance at Planet Hollywood resort casino.

*Eccentric and edgy comic magician the Amazing Johnathan starts his new run of shows in a new Strip location as of tomorrow (SATURDAY)—taking over the space of the vacating Fashionistas, which ends its run there tonight (FRI). (Producer-porn director, John Stagliano has literally pulled the plug on his sexy-show preferring to invest his finances in his adult-movie company’s expansion on the Internet.)

The bizarre-humored illusionist has “vanished” from his Sahara home to “reappear” at the Harmon Theater in Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile.

That now makes a total of three magic-men under the same roof. However Nathan Burton will leave that lineup soon when he jumps to the Flamingo leaving just AJ and Steve Wyrick in the same building!. AJ toured worldwide for 25-years before settling on a permanent showroom in Vegas—and he’s become one of our most successful headliners, selling more than half-a-million tickets since 2001. He’s a two-time winner of
the International Magic Award for Best Comedy Magician. Johnathan performs 9 p.m. nightly except Wednesdays and Thursdays, and because of his adult themes and language you have to be over 18.

Now its time for us to pull a rabbit out of our hat with the highlights of this high-speed magical weekend in what we refer to affectionately around here as the ROYAL ROBIN RUNDOWN:

Friday, Feb. 29
*Yes its leap year so jump to join Grammy Award winner Pat Monahan of Train with his amazing acoustic show to accompany the Rock ‘n’ Roll Wine Amplified tasting in Studio 54 at MGM Grand.

Twenty wineries will serve up 50 different wines in the unique setting while Pat sings tracks from his new album Last of Seven.

*It’s a first as the gorgeous girls from MGM’s Crazy Horse Paris adult revue host the evening at the Pure nightclub. I’m praying that they will spontaneously grab eight chairs and do their amazing party-trick routine to prove just why daring dancers are so delicious and delectable.

*Comedy is king this race weekend and Bill Engvall performs his sidesplitting stand-up Blue Collar routine twice tonight in his debut at the Treasure Island resort.
Two of TV’s top comedy stars; good friends Ray Romano and Kevin James team up for two nights of laughs at The Mirage.

George Lopez is one heck of a funny man and his show is laced with
South of the Border humor—he entertains tonight and tomorrow at the Hilton.

Jim Labriola presents his Night of 1,000 Guidos up at the Suncoast through Sunday. Finally Dave Attel plays Captain Miserable in his wacky comedy outrage at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay.

*Country singer Kenny Wayne Shepherd has a huge NASCAR fan following so
after the races he’ll entertain nightly at The Orleans through Sunday evening. Down on Fremont Street the free Race Jam concerts brighten the scene tonight and tomorrow.

*For superior sounds of “ smooth jazz” Wayman Tisdale serves up a “quiet storm” at the Santa Fe Station.

Marcia Ball makes us smile at Boulder Station, handsome actor-singer Rick Springfield does two nights of back-to-back shows at Ovation in the Green Valley Ranch and the
Kingston Trio step back in time at the South Point for three nights of yesteryear concerts.

*A memorial jam to the late Crazy Girl’s transgender Riviera show host, Jahna Steele will be held at the EString Lounge with Lon Bronson’s all-star band providing the musical backup for all the former Crazy Girl showgirls song and dance tributes.

*Reality TV stars Brody Jenner and Frankie Delgado join forces to host a night of revelry at the LAX nightclub inside the Luxor.

Football champion Michael Strahan hosts the appropriately titled Football Champions party at Tao nightclub in The Venetian.

At the Indulge party in the Body English nightclub at the Hard Rock Lot 9 clothing boutique will give away more than $10,000 in merchandise Ladies entering the club before 12 a.m. also get to drink free champagne all night.

Saturday, March 1
*Tickets go on sale this morning for the Jay-Z and Mary J Blige Heart of the City 25-city tour pulling into MGM’s Grand Garden Arena on
April 19.

The couple has sold over 70-million combined albums with 12 Grammy wins together. It’s the first time in over 15-years that a male/female African American co-headliner concert tour has been promoted. You can bet Jay Z and Mary will be celebrating after the show at his 40/40 club in The Palazzo.

*Veteran Kenny Rankin headlines at Santa Fe Station, Atomic Punks rock out at the Boulder Station and Every time I Die and The Bled team for metal-music at the House of Blues inside Mandalay Bay.

*Its Night 2 for the boisterous boys of reality TV: Brody Jenner and Frankie Delgado host their party at Pure nightclub in Caesars Palace tonight.

*Downtown at the Fremont Street Experience, Blake Shelton joins the Race Jam while Bubbapalooza and Ned promise a totally unique and different kind of show with their antics in The Joint at the Hard Rock

Sunday, March 2
*There’s only one event worth noting today and its the NASCAR UAW-Dodge 400 race of 267 laps, which will start right on the stroke of 1:46 p.m.!

It’s preceded by a Red Bull Airplane stunt show for four minutes—right after the US Air Force Thunderbirds flyover and the Freightliner Race Truck that will carry the American Flag on a circle during the National Anthem. You should make the trek out to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for all the action and white-knuckle excitement—but if not
you can watch it all on the Fox TV network.

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