Continental
4100 Paradise Road
Another victim of corporate contrariness, our favorite love god from the Planet Turquoise saw his one-man kitsch circus canceled at the off-Strip Continental, where the "Jarr Man" held court, offering hear-it-to-believe-it covers of vintage Frank Sinatra, James Brown, Righteous Brothers and disco tunes. Fortunately, the funky Vegas hipster is still on the job, getting audiences to laugh and shake their booties in equal measure at his old neighborhood hangout, the Tap House on West Charleston Boulevard. As for the Cookster's competition, dance-club diva Kristine W finished a distant second.
Our Pick: KID CREOLE & THE COCONUTS
Desert Inn
3145 Las Vegas Blvd. South
The Desert Inn's remodeled Starlight Lounge is a class act all the way -- and so is this veteran outfit. Led by dapper, zoot-suited Kid Creole (alias August Darnell), these nutty Coconuts mix up more musical flavors than one of those umbrella-laden tropical drinks. Blending traditional Latin, punk-style ska, reggae and calypso rhythms with soul and rap influences, Kid Creole and company serve up a cocktail of intoxicating can't-sit-still rhythms guaranteed to get you moving to the groovin' sounds.
