As soon as we got to Las Vegas, we settled into our hotel and only had time for a quick bite at Nathan's Famous (for their hot dogs). Matt was shocked that I had never heard of Nathan's ("but they're famous at Coney Island!"). 1. I've never been to Coney Island and 2. I didn't grow up in New York.
Later on I listened to a Stuff You Should Know podcast and learned that they're also famous for their hot dog eating contests. Okay, maybe I should have known that. Anyways, I could see why he liked them so much. The hot dog produced a nice snap as I bit into it and the Crinkle Cut fries were addictive.
Local Natives
As we entered the Hard Rock Hotel, I was inundated by douchiness (although I did like seeing the music memorabilia). I thought the floor plan for The Joint would be similar to House of Blues, but it was much bigger. I actually liked it a lot. It had 3 balconies for VIP and several raised levels on the ground floor, so you could get a good view in various spots.
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| That is a mighty mustache. |
Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately because people missed out on a great band), not many people there knew who Local Natives were, so we got really close to the stage.
Now, whenever I listen to Local Natives, I always imagine them playing acoustically around a campfire. I know they sound great with strings (definitely check out their KCRW performance) and they sound good live (listen to Brainstormer I - Riverhouse Barn), but I still thought of them as a pretty mellow band. I never thought they would be moshable, but they changed my mind after they got everyone throwing their hands up and jumping around for Sun Hands.
I haven't sung that loud, or jumped around that much, at a show in awhile.
More Video:
Wide Eyes
Arcade Fire
I have to agree with @grimyGoods' tweet
They were definitely done sound checking before the hour it took for them to come out. I hate when bands keep you waiting for no reason.
I couldn't be mad for long because they played a high energy set.
I loved hearing Haiti, The Suburbs, Rococo (my favorite song off The Suburbs), and the epic Wake Up, but I was disappointed they didn't play My Body is a Cage.
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| Loved how Win joked about how corny he used to think Hard Rock Cafe was |
* Local Natives and Arcade Fire photos courtesy of Renee Barrera
Oyster Bar in Palace Station
I was apprehensive as soon as I stepped foot into Palace Station because honestly, it looked like the Walmart of Vegas hotels. And I know midnight probably isn't the ideal time to eat seafood, but I'm glad we went because there was hardly a wait (it was still full, so we did have to wait for a couple to leave) and the most experienced chef was working that night.
We ate:
- Seafood Combination - there was cause for concern after reading about this starter in Gas-tron-o-my, but we were so hungry! The oysters and clams were surprisingly good (although I did have 1 bad clam) and the huge shrimp were unfortunately overcooked
- Pan Roast - I had heard so many good things about this and they were all true. I wish I had some right now
- Manhattan Clam Chowder - this is how Manhattan Clam Chowder should be, not like the sad tomato juice version I had at Sam's Chowder House
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| Top: Manhattan clam chowder. Bottom: Pan Roast |
Coincidentally, we ran into a Long Beach, food-loving couple who had also come here to eat right after the same concert. Small world.
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