For the Folks
It’s one thing to write a song that resonates with the masses and perhaps rises to the top of the charts. It’s quite another thing to pen an eight-and-a-half-minute opus that has received more than 5 million airplays (as certified by Broadcast Music, Inc., or BMI) … that ranked No. 5 in a poll of the 365 Songs of the 20th Century (as compiled by the Recording Industry Association) … and whose original working manuscript sold at auction for more than $1.2 million. That opus? “American Pie.”
Composed and performed by singer-songwriter Don McLean, “American Pie” was released in 1971 as an ode to a time gone by—namely, the 1950s. It has since become a treasured piece of Americana, a lyrical masterpiece that’s at once among the most popular song choices at karaoke bars yet one the vast majority of professional singers have dared not touch. One exception was Madonna, although her version (released in 2000) contained only parts of three of the epic song’s six verses.
Thankfully, the man who authored those verses still performs each and every one of them at concerts across the country, the latest being in downtown Las Vegas—a mere two days after his 74th birthday. –Matt Jacob
Golden Nugget, 8 p.m. Oct. 4, starting at $39 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster
Classic Italian
With Andiamo Steakhouse, one of the city’s top destinations for prime beef and Italian favorites, each return visit reveals a new detail or a different dish, which is why Andiamo is one of the most memorable dining rooms in Vegas.
The grande meatball, tender and rich with a deeply flavorful tomato sauce and fluffy ricotta, remains the most popular appetizer. Pasta courses are also a must here. Try the agnolotti, handmade pasta filled with ground veal and coated with rich spinach mascarpone crème, black truffle and wild mushrooms, or the tortellaci Guiseppe, handmade ricotta-filled pasta tossed together with Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, spinach, roasted tomato and a creamy marsala sauce.
Andiamo also serves up braised veal osso buco, Alaskan red king crab legs and marinated Colorado double-bone lamb chops. But once you set your eyes on that perfectly charred tomahawk steak that just touched down at the next table over, it's hard to focus on anything else. –Las Vegas Magazine Staff
Great Night Out
Troy Liquor Bar brings entertainment, style and a sexy, laid-back vibe to the Downtown nightlife circuit. Troy features diverse DJs, bottle service and a dance floor—plus a second-story patio where revelers can view the Viva Vision light show overhead and enjoy all the people-watching action along the Fremont Street Experience. –Las Vegas Magazine Staff
Golden Nugget, opens at 9 p.m. Thurs.-Sun. 702.386.8382
