STRIP SCRIBBLES for July 27
… Comedian and singer Rodney Carrington hopes to give away $1-million today. Eight winners of a contest will face one mighty tough challenge. They have to roll five special dice that must all face-up properly to spell out his newly released CD, “Rodney Carrington King of the Mountains.” He, along with the gorgeous topless dancers from the Crazy Horse Paris revue, will be on hand to salute America’s newest millionaire - if there’s a winner! I have no idea of what the odds are of five dice coming up with the correct lettering, but at least the eight players get to do it twice! Plus, Rodney picks up their tab for the weekend in Vegas! He’s singing and joking there through Tuesday night, and you’ll be on the floor in hysterics with “Today’s the Day My Wife met my Girlfriend.”
… The Oily Girls, blonde-twins Holly and Molly who have been causing a slippery sensation on their new E! TV series Sunset Tan, will host tonight at the JET nightclub in the Mirage. 
… Neil Patrick Harris of CBS’s “How I Met Your Mother” thrilled to The Amazing Jonathan comedy magic show at the Sahara Hotel Casino.
… Tickets go on sale tomorrow for a classic concert by Chuck Negron, formerly of Three Dog Night and Blood, Sweat and Tears at the Cannery Casino & Hotel set for Saturday, August 25.
… A new exhibition opens today at the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum in the Venetian running through April next year. The Modern Masters from the Guggenheim Collection explores the beginnings of contemporary art through the early modernist works of such artists as Cézanne, Picasso, Monet and others. The 10th Masterpieces Exhibition features 37 treasures from the Guggenheim’s permanent collection.
… There’s five hours of a star-chef cooking extravaganza set for the Forum Shops of Caesars Palace starting tomorrow lunchtime led by popular TV chef Duff Goodman with my old Food Network pal Bill Boggs. Several local chefs will be giving cooking performances, demonstrations and competing in a round-robin cook-off to claim the Crystal Award. Come collect their autographs, sample food and beverages, and the best thing about it all – it’s FREE! Our local Chef heroes include Jose Aleman of BOA Prime Grill, Chef Kiko Ojeda of The Palm Las Vegas, Chef Dave Simmons of Stage Deli, Chef Kiichi Okabe of Sushi Roku, and Chef Matt Montoya of Trevi Italian Restaurant. The tour stop at The Forum Shops at Caesars is one of 25 at Simon shopping malls across the country through mid-August.
Now for all the other weekend highlights that we refer to affectionately around here as the ROYAL ROBIN RUNDOWN:
Friday July 27
* No need to cry or be frightened about this weekend’s headliners when Tears for Fears strut the stage at Mandalay Bay beach, while in the events center, country’s 15-year-veteran who’s sold more than 12 million albums, Martina McBride sings for her supper along with Little Big Town to make sure the next day you ‘Wake Up Laughing’
* Comedy king Jon Lovitz – That’s the Ticket! - currently making headlines for a bar-top fight with Andy Dick, presents three evenings of outrageous laughter at the Orleans, and Tonight Show host Jay Leno returns for two more nights of fine-tuned topical humor at the Mirage.
* From ‘Lucky Man’ to ‘Some People Never Change,’ it’s the country sounds of Montgomery Gentry at Whiskey Beach out at the Green Valley Resort.
* For smooth jazz and silky sounds, David Benoit cools and calms at the Santa Fe Station.
*For sounds that are uniquely gravelly, there’s no finer throat than that of Joe Walsh, down the 20-minute drive south on I-15 to Primm Valley.
* Grammy award winner Jonny Lang headlines with Dusty Rhodes and the River Band at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay.
* Don’t fall asleep at the wheel when you drive down to Silverton for the poolside concert by the group of the same name!
* The Lettermen are still going and going strong after all these years, but no longer wearing the blue college sweaters, up at the Suncoast through Sunday evening.
* Alternative rockers, the Violent Femmes play their hits from 1989 through 2006 in a nighttime poolside concert at the Hard Rock, so you won’t ‘Blister in the Sun’ while at the Joint nightclub. Classic Albums Live will perform note for note the entire epic Led Zeppelin II history-making album.
* Boxing champ Floyd Mayweather Jr., who appears to own the world’s largest diamond-studded watch, throws a two day bling-bling party at MGM Grand with a Studio 54 party tonight and then all-day at the pool tomorrow.
* Paul Williams entertains at the South Point, also through Sunday evening.
Saturday July 28
* Country-queen legend Tanya Tucker proves she’s still making the country-western hits sizzle down at Primm Valley. Tanya has been performing since her first country hit in 1972, when she was just 13 years old. Over the past three decades, she’s become a multi-media phenomenon with two current albums, a new book and “Welcome To Tuckerville,” a reality show she developed for The Learning Channel.
* Controversial comic Artie Lange takes a break from the Howard Stern daily satellite radio show to headline Beacher’s Madhouse concert at the Hard Rock. Jeff Beacher told me: “This will be our best show ever and it’s going to be a very funny night. Artie loves Vegas just a little too much, and Vegas loves him back.”
* Run don’t walk, race don’t crawl to see Rush in concert at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
* The British invasion treat wraps at the Cannery with Liverpool hit group, Gerry & The Pacemakers along with Terry Sylvestor of the Hollies, who played with The Beatles when he was just 16, along with Tony Sheridan, who played in the Hamburg club when the Beatles were just his backup band.
* The rocking sounds of the five men Tesla go real to reel with Matthew Genovese at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay.
* A host of stars and music industry bigwigs including Haylie Duff (Material Girls), Brody Jenner (Princes of Malibu), Shana Moakler (Dancing with the Stars), Shane West (ER), Roger Cross (24), January Jones (Mad men) and Scott Speedman (Underworld Evolution) with more to come will party as of 1 p.m. at the Tao Beach Club in the Venetian to celebrate Stuff Magazine’s Music Issue Weekend. At 11pm they all dance the night away at the TAO nightclub.
* Another raw wrestling extravaganza of grunts and body-banging is in store when the WWE hits the mat at Thomas & Mack Center. Randy Orton and John Cena are the high-flying choke-slamming headliners.
* Gorgeous Lisa McKay celebrates her birthday with a blowout bash at the Tangerine nightclub in TI.
Sunday July 29
After redefining the American steakhouse concept in Vegas, Fix will celebrate its three-year anniversary tonight with a two hour pre-midnight party. A who’s who of Vegas is expected for cocktails and FIX’ns, and then the party continues at Light nightclub.
MONDAY’S TEASE: Luxe Life will have the full photo reports from both Fergie and Jaime’s weekend fun. Plus, we’ll show you the good, the bad and the ugly from our bocce-bikini-bellinis battle. Later in the week we put Today show broadcaster Al Roker side by side with his wax dummy at Madame Tussauds in the Venetian and see if you can spot the difference. It’s almost uncanny!
When visiting Vegas, be sure to see Las Vegas Magazine in your hotel suite featuring a print edition of Vegas Luxe Life, and an incredible directory of attractions, shows and restaurants.
VEGAS—THE ONLY PLACE TO PLAY!