Where Tie Dye Meets Neon

A Dead Head's Guide to Las Vegas

by A.R. Kettle

Well Grateful Dead fans, you heard correctly. It wasn't an aural hallucination. The Dead really are playing Las Vegas in May - the 14th, 15th and 16th, to be exact, at the Sam Boyd Silver Bowl.

So for those of you not bold enough to make the trip last year, I want to give you an idea of what lies ahead in the Land of Neon. At first glance, Vegas looks like a place where the bizarre and pointless are everywhere. But it can also be a real swingin' town if you give it just one fair shake of the dice.

Here are a few tips to help you avoid unnecessary surprises when you arrive.


The weather in Vegas is just a little different than what we Northwesterners are used to. Usually it's between 90¡ and 105¡ - with the chance of thunderstorms, flash floods and duststorms. Despite the presence of several campgrounds within dice-rolling distance of town, you might want to consider leaving your tent at home and staying in a cheap motel instead.


The Silver Bowl is a 7-to-10-mile hike from the strip through vast expanses of desert, punctuated at times with trailer courts, tacky shopping centers and country/western bars. No buses go to the stadium, and cab fare will run well over $20. If you don't have a ride to the show, you may be able to find one at the Dead Head "tent city"; last year it was in a vacant lot at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Convention Center Drive. To get to the Silver Bowl, head south on Paradise Road to Russell Road, take a left on Russell and follow the trail of tie dye.


Shade and water will be almost impossible to find at the show, so be sure to take along your hat and canteen.


There's only one grocery store in the whole town, so with more than 40,000 Dead Heads passing through you can bet that the produce rack will be picked clean. This problem can be easily remedied, however, by going to one of Vegas' many vegetarian-friendly buffets and salad bars, where you can have all you want for $3 or so. Don't forget to take your backpack.


After the show you'll want to find a good place to come down, and Vegas is chock full of landing areas. The top choice among Dead Heads last year was the Magic Motion Machine located on the lower level of the Excalibur. At first the Machine looks like a small movie theater. But once you're strapped in you realize that it's going to be something more. You find yourself with a front-seat view of a huge roller coaster, and your seat moves to conform with each climb, fall and turn that you see. It's a dynamic rush, and well worth the price of admission.

After your roller coaster ride you might want to check out Caeser's Palace, which is built on a pseudo-Roman model with huge arches, doormen in bronze armor and occasional bands of scantily dressed people who look like they are headed for the temple of Dionysus. There are moving sidewalks to take you inside, where you'll find talking Roman statues and a ceiling that changes from night to day.

If you can find an exit from Caeser's be sure to go next door to witness one of the strangest spectacles in town - the volcano at the Mirage, which erupts every half hour after dark until 1 am.

Then it's time to head down to one of my favorite spots - Bob's Vegas World. The interior of Bob's has a futuristic, Buck Rodgers-type theme with day-glow stars and planets on the ceiling and carpets and dark blue neon everywhere. Bob's boasts of having the world's largest wheel of fortune, which can be a real treat to watch in your post-Dead show state. It's also home to E.P. King's Memories of Elvis show, which plays nightly except Thursdays.

The adventurous Dead Head might want to visit the Liberace Museum and Shopping Center, where they'll be hosting their annual birthday gala in honor of Mr. Showmanship on May 15 and 16. Be sure to enjoy some of that free piano-shaped birthday cake as you watch the Liberace look-alike contest.

And, finally, what trip to Vegas would be complete without going to hear local entertainment icon Sam Butera. Mr. Butera has been thrilling audiences in Vegas lounges with his polyester-clad song stylings for nearly 40 years. He'll be performing two shows nightly at 8:30 and 10 in the Starlight Room at the Desert Inn through June 12.

Of course, Dead fans, this is only a sample of what Las Vegas has to offer. Even the modest explorer will be rewarded. So forget the real world and get into it. It could just be the strangest trip yet.

A.R. Kettle holds the distinction of being the only Jazz Grocer in Fremont.

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Contents on this page were published in the May, 1993 edition of the Washington Free Press.
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