Fired Up on Fremont

Independence Day Rocks: It's the July 4th weekend and one of the things happening in our town that I want to tell you about happens downtown at the Fremont Street Experience. From 4 p.m. to midnight, July 3-5, you can enjoy Don McLean's "American Pie" Viva Vision light and sound show and it's all free.

McLean's rock ballad "American Pie," inspired partly by the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson) in a plane crash in 1959, was released in 1971 and became the anthem for a generation and is still one of the most well-known songs in American musical history. The Viva Vision schedule for all three nights include shows "American Freedom" at 8:30 p.m. and midnight, "American Pie" at 9 and 11 p.m. and "A Tribute to Queen" at 10 p.m.

Additionally, visual fireworks and patriotic images -- set to some of America's favorite songs -- will be shown overhead on Viva Vision throughout the evening, Thursday thru Saturday. Live bands will be a part of the three-day entertainment line-up performing on the 1st and 3rd Street stages. Here's the sked:

1st Street Stage: 5-8 p.m., Tony Marques Band, country jams; 9 p.m.-midnight, NiteKings, '50s, '60s and '70s favorites.

3rd Street Stage: 4-7 p.m., Keel 2, classic rock; 8-11 p.m., Wonderboogie, '70s disco fever.

Should be a fun time and the price is right.

Sweet Sounds Of Voices Only: The six-man a capella group Mosaic will host and perform two exclusive, 75-minute performances at Harrah's July 13-14. Mosaic is an instrument-free, all-vocals group that blends elements of funk, jazz, hip-hop and opera. The group performs regularly with comedian George Wallace at the Flamingo. Proceeds from both events will benefit the Public Education Foundation of the Clark County School District.

Mosaic will perform in the main showroom at Harrah's on July 13 at 1:30 p.m. and July 14 at 7:30 p.m. The group's performance includes renditions from Sly and the Family Stone's "Thank You" to Zapp & Roger's "More Bounce" to TV tunes. As a special presentation, high school dancers will perform alongside professional Las Vegas dancers from Stratosphere's show "Bite" and the Rio's Show in the Sky. Tickets are $45 (plus tax and fees) and are available at Harrah's box office, online at www.harrahs.com or by calling (702) 369-5111.

Rockin' At Poolside: Get ready to rock at Red Rock Resort this Saturday (July 5) as Slash and his Blues Ball Band take the stage as the resort premieres its new weekly poolside concert series called Bottle Rock It.

Joining Slash on stage for the launch will be Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Jason Bonham who performs with Led Zeppelin, as well as appearances by Royston Langdon, formerly of Spacehog, and other surprise guest artists. Tickets are $30 and available at the door. For an additional $15, you can enjoy an organic wine-tasting section with all proceeds from the wine-tasting event benefiting the Las Vegas Springs Preserve.

On July 12, rocker and vocalist Perry Farrell from Jane's Addiction will take the stage. Admission to the event will be $20 and tickets will be available at the door. As with all Bottle Rock It events, the wine-tasting benefiting the Springs Preserve will be available for an additional $15. Bottle Rock It will take place every Saturday night through Sept. 27. Doors open at 7 p.m., concerts begin at 9 p.m.

Hoops In The Heat: Great news for NBA fans. The 53-game schedule for the 2008 Summer League Games will feature 21 NBA teams competing July 11-20 at the Thomas & Mack Center and the Cox Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The Showdown in the Desert will tip off on Friday, July 11, with four games scheduled at Cox Pavilion. Teams slated for action on opening day include the Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers.

This year's action will include nine of the top 14 draft picks from the 2008 NBA Draft, including the Minnesota Timberwolves' and the Grizzlies' selections -- the third and fifth picks, respectively.

NBA TV will broadcast 23 games from Las Vegas as well as provide reports on the Summer League teams, featuring interviews with players, coaches and team executives. In addition to features, game recaps and statistics, NBA.com will provide live webcasts of all games.

Joining the above-mentioned teams scheduled to appear in Vegas are the Charlotte Bobcats, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors and the Washington Wizards. Tickets for the 2008 NBA Summer League are on sale and can be purchased by calling 702-739-FANS, through UNLVtickets.com or by visiting the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office and UNLV Ticket Outlets. All general admission tickets are $20 for the day, courtside tickets are $100 for the day and children 3 years and younger are admitted free.

Good luck and I'll see you on the Strip. And don't forget to check out www.valleyblogs.com. If you have a question or a Las Vegas experience you would like to share with my readers, please e-mail me at lennylasvegas@gmail.com Please include your full name and the city or town where you live.