Luxe Life Blog

CSI, Mariah Carey, Vince Neil, Matt Goss and Zowie Bowie

Posted September 11, 2009 • 9:28 a.m.

Make like Grissom and solve crimes one hair follicle at a time at the MGM Grand's interactive exhibit, CSI: The Experience.

It’s a real blockbuster weekend for Las Vegas:

Marg Helgenberger leads her CSI cast to open CSI: The Experience at the MGM Grand.

Superstar singer Mariah Carey has the first two up-close and intimate shows of a four-set run at The Pearl Concert Theater in the Palms.

Motley Crue rocker Vince Neil, who calls Vegas home, opens his tattoo parlor at The Rio with a free concert in Masquerade Village and throws another party right after to celebrate the opening at his Dr. Feelgood’s Rock Bar & Grill on West Sahara.

Plus, there are the official premiere of Matt Goss in the new Gossy Lounge at the Palms and Zowie Bowie’s preview opening of Big Band Classics at the Monte Carlo.

CSI: The Experience

CSI: The Experience is based on the top-rated CBS series that was first set in Las Vegas before its spinoffs in other cities. It also is a top ratings phenomenon throughout the world.

Tomorrow, right here in the hometown of the original CSI, cast members George Eads, Jorja Fox, Robert David Hall, David Berman, Liz Vassey, Wallace Langham and Eric Szmanda join the stunning Marg Helgenberger to unveil the challenging and fun multi-sensory CSI: The Experience. Executive producers Anthony Zuiker, the creator of CSI, Carol Mendelsohn and Louis Milito also will be here from Hollywood headquarters.

You, the players, will be able to take on the role of crime scene investigator, and using brain power and forensic science, you’ll try to solve one of three true-to-life mysteries. The crime scenes spread out over 12,000 square feet of MGM space and feature thousands of handmade props as CSI comes to life in a multi-media environment of dazzling special effects, two state-of-the-art crime labs for hands-on science, and, of course, the crime re-creations themselves.

Click HERE for our previous coverage of the exhibit in July. An introductory video from Anthony and informative videos from the cast will guide recruits through the experience, but it will be up to players to determine whodunit. You’ll be able to do DNA identification, examine pathology and an autopsy, check firearms, analyze blood splatters, lift latent prints and check a drug test.

Located on MGM’s Studio Walk, CSI: The Experience will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and your crime scene investigation should last 60 to 90 minutes. The multimedia presentation is in English and Spanish.

You know me and my thirst for fun facts, so here’s what I scribbled in my notebook: It took 175 experts to put the exhibit together in more than 3,740 hours of construction time. Research alone took 1,180 hours, and the exhibit, which stretches the size of a football field, cost $5 million to build. The various props total 2,900 items, with 210 mini-spotlights used to highlight the scenes. More than 25,000 nails were used to secure everything, along with 55,000 gallons of glue!

As lead investigator Gil Grissom says: “The dead can’t speak for themselves, so you have to listen to what the evidence is saying.”

We’ll have the full photo report with Marg here on Monday, and check up on how we scored on the first night of the newest and most unique Strip attraction.

Mariah Carey @Palms

Also this weekend, choreographer and director Debbie Allen will mastermind the first two Mariah Carey concerts at the Palms. Mariah will return in October for two additional shows. It’s the first time that Mariah has played a small, intimate, up-close theater rather than her usual stadium concerts. I’m told that husband Nick Cannon will be there for both shows rooting her on!

Matt Goss @Palms

Also at the Palms, it’s the official red carpet premiere of Matt Goss Live From Las Vegas produced by Pussycat Dolls founder and creator Robin Antin. Click HERE for our coverage last weekend when they went through the preview opening. VIPs and celebrity guests will be attending, including a special onstage appearance by Pussycat Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger.

Vince Neil @The Rio

Then Motley Crue singer Vince Neil, who is a neighbor of mine here, opens the second of his Vince Neill Ink parlors. This one will be at The Rio. He will lead his own Vince Neil Band in a free concert at The Rio’s Masquerade Village before officially opening the tattoo salon. Afterward, he plans on taking VIP guests to his newly opened Dr. Feelgood’s Rock Bar & Grill for the second party of the night that will certainly run through to dawn.

Zowie Bowie @Monte Carlo

The weekend of starry parties and openings wraps Sunday night when Zowie Bowie debut their Big Band Classics show in the Lance Burton Theater at the Monte Carlo. The stunningly gorgeous Marley Taylor and the handsome and stylish Chris Phillips preview the 90 minutes of vintage Vegas songs from the Rat Pack days -- and don’t be surprised at who strolls onstage to sing along with them. I know Vince plans to be there to sing Sinatra’s classic “Fly Me to the Moon” as a dream come true for him, and singing ventriloquist and Mirage headliner Terry Fator will perform his “It’s a Wonderful World” with the voices of Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. Next weekend is Zowie Bowie’s official red carpet grand opening, so the star guest list might get even longer!

We’ll have our full party reports from Mariah, Vince, Matt and Zowie Bowie right here on Monday!

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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