Tattoo convention to make its mark at Mandalay Bay

The biggest freebie in town is the world's biggest tattoo convention at Mandalay Bay this weekend. Well, it's free for locals. Out-of-towners pay $45.

More than 1,000 tattoo and piercing artists work in 750 booths, so you can finally get that ink of David Hasselhoff on one thigh and Paula Abdul on the other.

Mario Barth, the star tattoo artist behind the convention, says if you get inked there, figure out what tattoo you want in advance, rather than leaving it up to tattoo artists, who are "great persuaders."

And decide where you want the thing. Brian Setzer once said his dad advised him to never get inked anywhere a judge can see it, like the neck and hands.

Bucking that tradition: A trend kicked in two years ago when some kids started getting their very first tattoos "on their hands and necks -- and nowhere else," Barth says.

"It's the biggest no-no in the industry," he says. "You should get your whole body tattooed first, and THEN if you really want to, you go to your hands and neck."

There's more on Barth and his tattoo convention in today's Neon section.

CARPETEERS

Brandi Cibrian is scheduled to walk a red carpet in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Who is she?

She left actor Eddie Cibrian this summer after news of his affair with singer LeAnn Rimes broke publicly, leading Brandi to righteously announce, "Eddie and LeAnn deserve each other."

So welcome to Vegas, Brandi. You've come to the right place.

See her, plus Stephen Dorff and Beth (Mrs. Howard Stern) Ostrosky, at Tao Asian Bistro and nightclub to mark its fourth anniversary.

Their 9 p.m. red carpet unrolls on The Venetian's casino level floor by the Tao elevators. Among other carpeteers: former local Amanda ("The Mentalist") Righetti; Carson ("Queer Eye for the Straight Guy") Kressley; Eva Amurri (daughter of Susan Sarandon); Jason Kennedy from "E!"; and Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks. To get in: $30 for men, $20 for women, but local women get in free.

WEEKEND PLANNER

In today's Neon section, check out:

Kylie Minogue on Saturday at the Palms; Randy Travis tonight at Texas Station; Journey on Saturday at M Resort; Trivium on Saturday at House of Blues; the Guess Who on Saturday at the Cannery; Howie Mandel today-Oct. 14 at MGM's Hollywood Theatre; Tony Orlando tonight-Sunday at South Point; Shakespeare in the Park's "Taming of the Shrew" tonight-Saturday at Henderson Events Plaza; and New Disney Live tonight-Sunday at Orleans Arena.

If you don't know: AC/DC postponed its Saturday show at MGM. Singer Brian Johnson says online he's doing doctor-ordered rest because "(my) insides were giving me lots of trouble, ulcers and such." Gross.

Doug Elfman's column appears Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. E-mail him at delfman@review journal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.