Maher talks ‘Vice,’ Reid and Plan B

The Palms has stolen HBO star Bill Maher away from The Orleans, giving him more performances in a bigger theater for 2013.

"I always loved The Orleans," Maher tells me. "My only complaint is that it was three weekends a year. I think we got a little more now," with four weekends a year in the Palms' Pearl.

The star of "Real Time with Bill Maher" regularly sold out tickets in the Orleans Showroom, which holds 850 seats. The Pearl can do seating configurations of 1,100 or 2,500, and it offers two huge video screens.

When I ask Maher how this move came about, he says, "I don't know. I mean, that's for agents to think about."

Maher is wrapping up a vacation. On Jan. 18, he resumes "Real Time," in which he calls Republicans "the mental patient party."

"I just spent the holidays in Hawaii looking for Obama's birth certificate, and then I switched to Plan B - getting stoned. So I'm all refreshed and ready to hit 'em again," he says.

Maher is also executive-producing an upcoming HBO newsmagazine show called "Vice," modeled after the globe-traveling exploits of Vice magazine. It will follow "Real Time" on Fridays, he says.

"It's like if '60 Minutes' was a lot edgier and went to places that were a lot more nerve-racking. And it's looser and funner, but your heart is in your throats with these guys."

Maher plays The Pearl at 8 p.m. March 23-24, June 8-9, Sept. 6-7 and Nov. 2-3. Tickets, $45, go on sale at noon Friday for the March dates.

And he offers a personal Palms invitation to one Nevadan in particular.

"I'd love to have Harry Reid at my show. He'd flip his wig, but he'd agree with most of it," Maher says and jokes:

"During the campaign, the person who was meanest to Mitt Romney was Harry Reid. I think somebody has to stop this Mormon-on-Mormon crime."

CLUB CHANGES

The Wynn-Encore said Monday that it signed 42 DJ-producers to exclusive 2013 contracts to perform at clubs XS, Surrender and Tryst, plus dayclub Encore Beach Club.

Some top names on that list: Avicii, Afrojack, David Guetta, Diplo, Fedde Le Grand, Lil Jon, Martin Solveig, Skrillex, Porter Robinson, Redfoo, will.i.am, Steve Angello, Morgan Page, Hard Rock Sofa, Dirty South, Cedric Gervais, Rusko and Wolfgang Gartner.

Notably, Deadmau5 did not sign another contract with the Wynn. But the Wynn essentially took some DJs from The Cosmopolitan club Marquee: Solveig, Le Grand, Dirty South, Gervais and LMFAO's Redfoo.

Meanwhile, Pauly D just signed a deal at Aria's club Haze, after leaving, first, the Palms and then the Hard Rock Hotel.

MORE STRIPPERS

Sapphire strip club is getting back into the dayclub pool business. USA Today reports Sapphire will open a topless-optional Sapphire Pool & Day Club (700-person capacity, with lockers) next to Sapphire on Industrial Road, this spring.

In 2009, Sapphire staffed strippers at the Rio pool until cops made drug and hooker arrests. Hilariously, one of Sapphire's online deals is called "Jacks and Tens." Wink, wink, nod, nod.

In other stripper news, Motorhead and Vince Neil will perform sometime after 9 p.m. today at Neil's Girls Girls Girls strip club to promote headphones during CES.

SMELLS LIKE SNOOKI

Snooki walks a 4:45 p.m. red carpet Wednesday at Perfumania in the Las Vegas Premium Outlets-South to promote ... the way she smells?

Her fragrance is Snooki Couture. Her nail line is Snooki Nails.

I asked a focus group of one woman I know what Snooki should have called her perfume instead, and she said, "Hooch," "Cooch" or "Guida."

Doug Elfman's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Email him at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.