The Jeff Does Vegas Podcast

There's no doubt that Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world.  Anywhere you go in the city - whether on The Strip or off - you're going to find some of the most insanely talented people on the planet working as headliners in showrooms, busting their rear-ends in various casino lounges and everywhere in between.

I've been lucky enough to have several of them appear as guests on the podcast and even more fortunate to be able to call many of them my friends.

As we wrap up 2020, I thought it might be fun to go back and re-share some of the conversations I had with these amazing people.

And if you want to hear more from any of these fine folks, check out the complete episodes:

EP#58: My Special Guest - Murray The Magician

EP#63: My Special Guests - The Black Donnelly's

EP#65: My Special Guest - Sarah Hester Ross

EP#66: My Special Guest - Christina Shaw

EP#77: The Show Goes On with Vin A.

One of the things I've enjoyed the most about doing this podcast has been helping people plan their own trips to Las Vegas, and I've been able to do that in couple of different ways.

Firstly, with my "trip report" episodes; I've loved being able to share my Vegas experiences and provide reviews of hotels, restaurants, shows, attractions and anything else I've gotten up to during my time in the city.

Secondly, through the various conversations I've had with Vegas-related experts who I've recruited to help answer questions on a variety of topics.  Over the last couple of years, we've covered tipping etiquette, where to find the best late night eats, how to plan an "epic girls trip" and even what not to do on a Vegas trip.

As you start making plans for potential trips in the coming year, I thought it might be a good idea to re-share some of these tips & tricks.

And if you'd like to listen to the complete episodes, here you go:

EP#16: Classic Vegas Mistakes

EP#53: Girls Gone Vegas

EP#56: Mid-Night Munchies

EP#59: The Tipping Point

One of the most popular topics I cover on the podcast is Las Vegas history.  People love hearing about the colorful & interesting past of their favourite city as well as the cast of "characters" who helped to shape it. 

I've had the pleasure of speaking with authors, other podcasters and historians on a huge variety of subjects, covering everything from the mob's role in creating Las Vegas to deep dives into the history of some of the most iconic Vegas hotels & casinos and so much more!

I thought it might be fun to hop into my own personal time machine and re-share some of those awesome conversations with you!

Enjoy!

And here's the complete episodes featured in this bonus episode:

EP#46: The Full Reveal - The Burlesque Hall Of Fame Museum

EP#62: Howard Hughes - Aviator, Innovator and Las Vegas Legend

EP#71: "Made" In Vegas

EP#78: A Place In The Sun

Over the course of the last year or so, I've had the opportunity to talk gambling and gaming with some very cool guests and cover what I thought were some fun and interesting topics.  We talked about everything from how to bet on sports, to apps that help you keep track of table game limits, to when "skill" becomes "cheating" and even superstition as it relates to Las Vegas.

As such, for this bonus "Best Of" episode, I thought it might be fun to take a trip back and listen to some of the highlights of those conversations!

And if you want to check out the full episodes, here they are:

EP#36: Sports Betting For Dummies

EP#51: Cheating The Odds

EP#52: Superstitious Feeling

EP#54: Know The Limits

It's a little-known fact that just over 60 miles away from the glitz & glamour of the Las Vegas Strip, the United States Government used to test atomic weapons.

Just as the Cold War with Russia was beginning to heat up, the US Department of Energy began testing nuclear bombs in the Nevada desert.  The blasts lit up the sky and the mushroom clouds could be seen for miles around - including from the rooftops of the hotels in downtown Vegas.

But how did the nuclear age find its way to Las Vegas?  And what effect did it have on the city & its culture?

If you want to learn more about nuclear testing in the United States, the Nevada Test Site and atomic culture & tourism, visit the official Sin City Stories website featuring photos, videos, in-depth stories and more!

If you've ever been to Las Vegas, you're well aware of the unique scents of the various casinos & hotels up and down The Strip.  In fact, if you ask people what one of their favorite parts of Vegas is, they'll tell you "it's the smell inside the casinos".  And it seems that everyone has their own preferred scent - so much so, that there are thousands of posts online from people asking how to either purchase or duplicate their favorite casino scent.

But what's the big deal about smell?  Why is the scent of a casino so important that the companies that own them spend MILLIONS of dollars on creating these so-called "signature scents"?

To get the answer, I decided to talk to an expert...

My guest for this episode is Dr. Rachel Herz, a world-renowned expert on the psychological science of smell.  Dr. Herz is a cognitive neuroscientist, a TED-X speaker and a published author of both numerous research publications and several books on the topic of the science of smell.

We discussed what piqued her interest in the psychology of scent, the connection between scent and emotion & memory and how businesses use scent to affect customer behavior.

To learn more about the science and psychology of scent, visit Dr. Herz's website or follow her on Twitter.  You can also pick up one of her books:

• "The Scent Of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense Of Smell"
• "Why You Eat What You Eat: The Science Behind Our Relationship With Food"
• That's Disgusting: Unraveling The Mysteries Of Repulsion"

And if you want your home to smell exactly like your favorite Vegas casino, visit Aroma Retail's website and check out their "Resort Collection" which includes scents from the Bellagio, Aria, the Cosmopolitan, Luxor, the Flamingo, Mandalay Bay, Wynn and many others!

December 15, 1952 saw the opening of one of the most iconic hotels in the history of Las Vegas:

The Sands Hotel & Casino

During its heyday, it played host to some of the biggest names in entertainment of the day, most notably the legendary "Rat Pack" featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin & Sammy Davis Jr.  And although that might be what the Sands is best known for, there's way more to the story than that - and that's where my guest for this episode steps in.

David Schwartz is the author of "At The Sands", a new book that takes readers on a deep dive into the history of The Sands.  Dave and I talked about inspired him to write a book about The Sands, how "mobbed up" the Sands was compared to other Vegas hotels, Frank Sinatra's involvement in the project, Howard Hughes' purchase of the famed resort & his plans for the future, and what led to the eventual downfall of the Sands (both figuratively and literally).

"At The Sands" by David Schwartz is available in both Kindle and Paperback formats on Amazon.

There's no question that the COVID-19 outbreak, lockdown and the subsequent limitations on re-openings have been extremely tough on everyone in Las Vegas.  But one of the hardest hit segments are the people involved in the entertainment industry.

After 7 long months, shows are finally starting to re-open along The Strip and my guest for this episode is one of those people who's found himself trying to sort out performing during a pandemic.

Vin A. from The Bronx Wanderers is back to chat with me once again.  Since the last time we talked, A LOT has changed.  Early in 2020, the band made the move from the Linq to Harrah's and then shortly after that, the world closed down and they were forced to figure out what came next.

Vin & I discussed the various projects he's had the chance to work on during the shutdown as well as how he - and other Vegas performers - adapted to stay busy & stay in front of their audiences.  Vin also shared his thoughts on what the future may hold for entertainment in Las Vegas from the business side, the performer side and the audience side.

You can stream Vin A's latest original tracks, "Know Where (To Begin)" and "Mantra" on Apple Music & Spotify and be sure to check out all the videos from his VINDemic sessions on his YouTube Channel - including the incredible video for "Know Where (To Begin)".

When you're headed to Las Vegas, it's important make sure your smartphone is loaded up with all the essential apps - including your casino loyalty apps, rideshare apps and your photo sharing & social media apps to make your friends jealous about your Vegas trip.

There's a brand new app available for use in Vegas that could save you time, the aggravation of waiting in lines and - most importantly during these weird COVID-19 times - help maintain social distancing.

NowCrowd is the first app that provides visitors and locals with up-to-date information on crowd levels & wait times at spots around Las Vegas thanks to real-time user-sourced reports.

My guests for this episode are Tyler Robertson & Jessica Marshall, the founders of NowCrowd.  We talked about the inspiration behind the the app, the development process, how the app works and what the future may hold for the app.

Be sure to follow NowCrowd on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and download the app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

As important as it was for me to get the "tourist point of view" on what's been happening in Las Vegas as of late, I felt it was equally as important to get the local's point of view as well.

So, my guest for for this episode is Jake Gallen, the host of a podcast called The Guest List which focuses on the stories of Las Vegas locals.  Jake is one of those rare "unicorns" who was both born & raised in Vegas.  He's lived in the city his whole life and he's been lucky enough to work at pools & clubs on the Strip as well as be involved in other business ventures.

Jake & I talked about his background & growing up in Las Vegas, the insanity of working at one of the most famous nightclubs in the world and the inspiration behind launching The Guest List. 

But my main reason for getting Jake on the podcast was to get his take on what's been happening in Vegas over the past few months; I wanted to know how the locals were handling recent events and if the reported uptick in crime (including shootings, stabbings, fights, etc) was reality or if it was just another case of Social Media "exaggerating" things.

Follow Jake Gallen & The Guest List on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and make sure you subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  You can also watch & subscribe to The Guest List on YouTube.