Snow White In Vegas

Merry "whatever you celebrate" and Happy New Year to everyone who has helped out and participated in the "Lost Vegas Art Project" since it started in May !!!

2008 has been the best of times and the worst of times for sure. Last week I received an email from Chris James in Las Vegas (who also wrote the song "Las Vegas -I'm Going Back" ) with a new song he had written that he thought may work well for the project. I loved it and thought that with Las Vegas getting it's biggest snow storm in history a couple of weeks ago it made sense also.
Thanks again Chris...Chris?.....Christmas !!!

Who knows what 2009 has in store for us all? I believe that great changes are on their way.

Here are the lyrics to "Snow White in Vegas" @ Chris James

Snow white so up tight
Seems your prince is gone.
Left you all alone.
Took your from your home.
Stripped down, kicked around
And made you cry...

So while the nights still young
Come girl lets have some fun
Summer days in the sun
Looking out for number one.
I know a place... ya
We both can find.

Mmm Hmm...Tell me
Have you ever seen the sunrise over Vegas?

Well the way the stars shine so bright,
On a Maryland Moon lit night.
Oh ya...
Princes should never live at all
Till his towers fall tonight.

Money don’t mean a thing.
Neither do diamond rings.
Just strip it down tonight.
You can’t buy your happiness
And you never will be blessed
Till you break those chains tonight.

Have you ever seen the sunrise over Vegas?
Oh the way the stars shine so bright.
On a Maryland Moon lit night.
Oh oh...
Princes should never live at all
Till his towers fall tonight.

And when the Prince fades away.
You gotta live with the choice you made.
And find a better day !

Money don’t mean a thing
Neither do diamond rings
Just strip it down tonight
We all wear our mask
Pursuit-O-Happiness
Is gonna drive you home tonight.

My Princess never lived at all.

SIN CITY

"Sin City" the song playing under the Lost Vegas images this week is by a German punk rock band called "The Radioactives", and the "Lost Vegas Art Project" has now gone International.
I get a real kick out of trying to find the appropriate "quotes" to match the sense of the song that the viewer is hearing well as matching the sense of the images? After I had chosen the quotes that I wanted to use for this song I googled to try and find the lyrics to the song. Here they are:

Sin City:

"A run down man once showed me this place
That l’ll now show to you.
You gotta have some action, you gotta feel the power.
And never regret the fun!
You ought to booze, right now you ought to f***.
Just play with the chicks.
The cuties don’t know who I am.
Satanic Blood runs down my veins.

Chorus:
Committing sins won’t be in vain. I’ll surely get what I deserve.
But before I’ll die, I’ll share everything. I’m alive! – In Sin City.

As long as I’m here, I can feel the pulse pounding.
I can feel the heat of the night.
The heroes have died mistaken, anyway.
And the bad ones have won.
The city is awake, no doubt, it’s so moving.
The good guys to the bad.
Can you blame me? Am I guilty?
Listen! “Life was built on a sin!”
by The Radiactives

Great song ! Unnerving really?

Now look and listen to it again...

Got Dem LOST VEGAS BLUES...

Thanks to Dave "The Rave" and his band "Flight of Ideas" for the great blues song that plays under the images this week. Dave lives in California by way of New York (where he wrote and recorded the song). Dave says he is a huge fan of Las Vegas...


"I was just there a week ago. Being out here means I'm a lot closer to the action.
I checked out your site and the design is terrific and I just love the pictures and quotes. Vegas is at once a city of inspiration and desperation . . I like to call it Disneyland for adults. When I'm there I forget about the real world for a couple of days . . ."lost" in a maze of dice tables and the next drink. Batteries recharged, I'm ready for a couple more months slugging it out in the
9 to 5.


I'm tickled that you like the song . . . I had thought for a while that Vegas could use a blues number about it . . once I got the words out the rest was easy."


When I contacted him about including his song in the project his response was..."Please feel free to use my song in your project, I don't write music to make money - but if your project goes well and you want to mail me a cheque I would not complain"


May The Blues be with you !!!!

Las Vegas- I'm going back...

The song this week "Las Vegas, I'm going back" playing under the "Lost Vegas" portfolio is from Cris W. James, the only musician that will be featured on the compilation who actually lives and works in Las Vegas ! Chris also recorded a dance version of this song that is pretty cool also if youwant to hear it and other songs on the "Myspace" link .

My band worked on our Lost Vegas song "Lucky Lady" the other night till 1:00 am. It is coming along nicely and hope to record it in the next two weeks. I also got a call from my friend "Kidd Rasta" who is also interested in creating something for the project. Raggae music and Las Vegas are not really synonymous, but if there is anyone who could pull this off it is the Kidd.

Stay Tuned !

The Vegas Strip

Special thanks to all the gentlemen of the "Insurgentlemen" for the wicked song they created for the "Lost Vegas Project". I was talking to the boys last week about the idea of shooting a video for the "21 @ Glitter Gulch" song. I came up with a "concept" for it... Hint: There will be lots of naked strippers in it. That is all I will let out of the bag for now..

This evening my band "No Signal" will work towards our recording of a really cool song written by Andrew Sprachman called "Lady Luck". Lastly on the music front Stephen Stanley (Lowest of The Low) and Carla MacNeill (Too Many Sisters) are set to record the song they wrote for the project in the next week or so. . It is going to be a very unique mix of music and styles.

My friends Kevin and Todd Godin of "Godin Productions" , who printed the beautiful "Lost Vegas" posters for me, are using the Lost Vegas images for their 2009 Calendars. They always make me a few hundred "Blatant Exposure" calendars for me to distribute, so look for those coming soon...

Have MERCY...Las Vegas

The song playing under the portfolio this week is called "Have Mercy Las Vegas" by the Phil Nico Solo Project. It's a great song and very appropriate for the economic crisis we are facing now. I asked Phil what inspired him to write this song and this is what he said...
"Going to Vegas as a tourist and getting eaten up by the place. Chewed up and spit out!! Hung over, broke, used by women...etc"
Hey we all need a muse !!!
Last weekend some vandals in our neighborhood took out some of their frustrations on our house. I have been hanging the "Welcome to Fabulous Downtown Las Vegas" framed photograph on our front porch just behind our gold Elvis bust... a little outdoor art for our friends in the hood. On friday evening some kids (I assume) came and smashed the photograph and covered our porch our car and Elvis in white paint.
Oh well no one was hurt, which is the most important thing. I find that having someone deface my art similar to someone hurting one of my children. Both are my creations and living things.
It's was funny to see peoples reaction to this act of silly violence, as many of our neighbors came by offering their condolences for Elvis and the work. Luckily both can be replaced.
And will be...

Mercy !

"Have Mercy Las Vegas.
Have mercy - mercy on me.
I drove out to the desert.
Just to forget ya
But I can't forget ya.
No No. Shame on me.
Have Mercy Las Vegas.
Have mercy - mercy on me.
Lovers , lovers and sinners
Come meet the winners in the dusty breeze.

Bought another bottle because there were models.
I'm the life of the party any day of the week.
Sun comes in the morning, without a warning
Turn my black out shades and turn off my cell phone. Oh no.

Have Mercy Las Vegas.
Have mercy - mercy on me.
I drove out to the desert just to forget ya
but I can't forget ya. No No. Shame on me.

Whooooooo Whooooooo
Conventioneers, Conventioneers
Over here.
I walk into the lobby, like it's a hobby
But it ain't no hobby. No no...It's the DMZ.
I drove out to the desert just to forget ya.
But I can't forget ya. No No. Shame on me.
Lovers , lovers and sinners,
Come meet the winners in the dusty breeze.
Have mercy Las Vegas.
Have mercy on me."

The Joy of not being sold Anything...

Please enjoy....