Killers frontman eats with Romney
Is Brandon Flowers of The Killers following the lead of U2's Bono as a champion of political causes?
Or was Tuesday's lunch with Mitt Romney more a case of Romney, a Republican presidential candidate in 2008, courting the youth vote?
Either way, Flowers and Romney had heads turning while breaking bread at The Palms steakhouse at the Forum Shops at Caesars.
Bono has for years leaned on world leaders and corporate giants to help the poor and starving.
They have been mutual fans for years, Bono and Flowers. Bono had The Killers open for the touring Irish rockers and in November 2005 had Flowers join him on stage during U2's 2005 Las Vegas visit, teaming up on "In a Little While."
Fellow Mormons, Romney attended BYU while Flowers, though born in Las Vegas, grew up in small Utah communities.
The Killers lent their support to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., last summer by performing at a campaign rally at Aria in CityCenter and visited Reid in his Capitol office.
'UNKNOWNS' ON NEIL'S MIND
Over the weekend, rocker Vince Neil re-ran a recent "Dateline" episode about life inside the Clark County Detention Center to get a feel for his temporary residence.
"It wasn't fun to watch," said Neil, who started a 15-day jail sentence on Tuesday with the goal of being a model prisoner.
Among the things he learned: "There are things I can do that will help me get additional time off. I will jump in and volunteer. You can ask the captain, 'What can I do to help to get some credit?' "
The Motley Crue frontman confessed to having some jitters about "the unknowns" on the eve of his incarceration for a June drunken driving charge.
He spent his last night of freedom on a Valentine's Day date at Simon at Palms Place with girlfriend Alicia Jacobs.
During a telephone interview, Neil said he was "hoping for" an early release. "There's always that chance."
Over the years he's been involved in charity work, and he continued it in the weeks before his jail term.
"Just because something happened to me and I have to go pay for it, doesn't' mean time stands still. I'm not going to hide from what I did. I'm just glad people want me to be part of the charities."
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Memorials for Rao's host Robert "Bubbles" Ubriaco and Las Vegas magician Steve Dacri have been announced. The tribute for Ubriaco is set for noon March 5 at St. Anne's, 1901 S. Maryland Parkway. He died Thursday. Dacri's service will be held Sunday at 5 p.m. at Davis Funeral Home & Memorial Park, 6200 S. Eastern Ave. He died Friday after a battle with cancer.
Harvard freshman Dakota Root has earned second team all-Ivy League fencing honors in the epee. Her dad, Wayne Allan Root, knows something about crossing swords: He's the local sports handicapper who was the 2008 Libertarian vice presidential nominee. Dakota's mom, Debra, home-schooled her.
SIGHTINGS
NFL analyst and former Notre Dame quarterback Joe Theisman, in for lunch at The Country Club steakhouse at Wynn Las Vegas on Tuesday. ... Reality show star Kim Kardashian, sipping Midori cocktails while hosting the Valentine's Day party at Marquee Nightclub (Cosmopolitan). After she left, her brother Rob arrived with Shaun Phillips of the San Diego Chargers. Also in the club: "Twilight" star Kellan Lutz, Rohan Marley (the late Bob Marley's son), and Dawn Richard from Diddy's new group Diddy Dirty Money.
THE PUNCH LINE
"The hilarious late night phone calls from Charlie Sheen." -- From David Letterman's Top Ten Good Things About Appearing in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition
Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.
