Vegas Trip

Hey-Lo Tammy and I just returned from Las Vegas and we had a blast. The entire trip was picture perfect.

The highest temperature was 80 and the coolest was 65.

It does not matter if you drive a rental car, ride the bus, take a cab, or even ride the monorail...the one thing you will do a lot of is walk. This was actually a good thing, I don't think I did that much cardio in one year as I did this week. Even Carrot Top made fun of this in his show. Speaking of shows... When you are in Vegas, be sure to see Carrot Top...OK I know that he is my friend and I am biased about him...but his show really is funny and you will not be disappointed. He is also the coolest celebrity that you will ever meet. If you know of another star that is as down to earth as Carrot Top...please let me know I would love to meet them too. I first met him in 1995 and he is as down to earth now as he was then...even after 20 years of success in the entertainment business it has not gone to his head. Congratulations bud.

Well...as luck would have it I got to meet another celebrity that was equally as cool...Criss Angel

On Tuesday we were walking out of the hotel and I saw a production crew setting up lights, cameras, monitors, and other misc production equipment. We were wondering what they were filming and then it was very apparent what was about to happen. Being that I am a huge fan of the show I recognized JD from Mindfreak talking on his cell phone and I knew that I was about to see a taping of Criss Angel Mindfreak. Criss has always been one of my favorite performers hands down. In fact my cousin, R.T. and his wife Jeanne was his lighting production team along time ago when Criss had a show in New York. More about them later... So needless to say I was very excited about this.

So about 20 minutes later the production crew has everyone lined up to where they needed everyone and was giving last minute instructions such as no cameras, when you see Criss start yelling etc. So then the moment finally comes and Criss pulls up in a customized Rolls Royce. This car was fantastic. The shot that they filmed was for the new Season 4. Long story short, he brings out this luggage cart from the hotel...you know the ones that are brass and have a spot to hang your clothes on top and are carpeted on the bottom. Plus they are impossible to move the way you need them to. Anyway...he puts a sheet over the entire rack and it is now completely covered. He lifts the sheet again and still the cart is empty. He no sooner drops the sheet again...yells NOW...and yanks the sheet off to reveal a lady under the sheet. OK...I was about 5 feet from him and I cannot figure out how in the world he did this. It was very cool to see a magician of this level perform a trick of that skill level right in front of your eyes.

On Thursday I ran into Costa, Criss's brother walking through the hotel making our way to the production office for Mindfreak. This is the place to go if you want to catch a glimpse of Criss and the crew buzzing about making their TV show. Right across form the office is the Mindfreak Store, where you can get Mindfreak goods. While there, I saw Costa and his mom just hanging out so I decided to go hang out with him instead of the crowd over by the office. During my conversation with Costa I asked if he remembered my cousin R.T. Larson? R.T. is a play on words from his real name...Carl Arthur - Artie - finally R.T....get it? Anyway a long time ago my cousin R.T. owned and operated one of the best lighting companies in the USA called Lightcraft. Some of his clients were Whitney Houston, Guns N Roses, TF Hunter, and Criss Angel/Angel Dust.

Well I asked Costa if he remembered R.T.? As soon as I mentioned his name, Costa's eyes lit up almost like a child who just saw Santa Claus. For the next few minutes Costa took me down memory lane and the beginnings of Criss's professional career. Then it came time for him to get back to work into the production office...which has a huge glass front so you can see right in. I could see Costa inside talking to Criss and pointing my way. I knew that I was going to get my chance to meet him... Then shortly after the doors opened and Criss came out and everyone that was waiting outside rushed in like a lions on a fallen antelope. And there my chance to meet him faded away much like a balloon that lost it's air and is now flying around the room. I saw Costa and he said he was sorry about the crowd and he tried. I told him no problem and that I was honored that he even tried because that was above and beyond. So I watch Criss and his entourage walk briskly towards their shoot when suddenly Criss stopped the "parade" because he wanted to quickly say hello to me. He introduced himself asked how R.T. and Jeanne was and signed a deck of his playing cards. I was a little numb to be honest. I had never been singled out by a celebrity, that I did not know on a first name basis before, who remembered while have a bazillion other things on his mind that I wanted to meet him. There was so much that happened on this trip that was awesome too.

Tammy and I shot a wedding outside of the Venetian Hotel. Fantastic setting right in front of where the Gondolas board with the water and hotel as the back drop.

Overall we walked...no joke...over 10 miles a day walking from through each hotel, parking lots, etc... I cannot even feel the tops of my legs. On our first night there, we ate at the Top Of The World at the Stratosphere. This is the place to bring a date. The view was fantastic and the food was out of this world. There are so many places to eat while in Vegas I cannot wait to go back and just to visit them all. The other cool thing about Vegas is the hospitality. I have yet to see service in a restaurant here in South Carolina as we did in Vegas. Many places could learn from them out there. Enough said about that. Next time I will give you the places to avoid...until then,

Peace,
Mike