On Sunday, July 27, Jackson Browne, Steve Earle & The Dukes along with Keb' Mo' will perform at the Aladdin Theatre. Tickets are $35, $45 and $60, call Ticketmaster 702-474-4000.

Browne is touring in support of his thirteenth and latest album, "The Naked Ride Home," released last September. Roots rocker Earle recently released his sixth album in six years. "Jerusalem" is mainly a rock record full of punkish grind. Keb' Mo', who writes much of his own material, draws heavily on the old-fashioned country blues style of Robert Johnson, but keeps his sound contemporary with touches of soul and folksy storytelling.

On Sunday, Aug. 10, The Crusaders featuring Joe Sample, Wilton Felder, Ray Parker Jr., Freddie Washington, Stephen Baxter and Kendrick Scott and the David Sanborn Band will perform live in concert at the Skin Pool Lounge at The Palms and feature special guest vocalist Randy Crawford at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35, call Ticketmaster at 702-474-4000.

Earlier this year, The Crusaders released "Rural Renewal" on Verve Records, their first new album in over 20 years. Sanborn recently released "timeagain" on Verve Records with his distinctive, instantly recognizable alto sound to a variety of time-tested classics ranging from Earl Hagen's "Harlem Nocturne" (a major hit for the Johnny Otis Orchestra in 1945) to the Champs' 1958 hit "Tequila." The album of classics also provides three original pieces and an interpretation of Joni Mitchell's "Man from Mars."

The celebrated Kirov Ballet from Russia will grace the 7,000-seat Aladdin Theatre on Sept. 6 and 7, with an exclusive United States engagement and history-making performance. The production will feature the ballet's most famous vignettes with its celebrated principal dancers. Tickets are $50, $75 and $150, call 702-785-5000.

The Blue Russian Festival will commemorate the 300th Anniversary of St. Petersburg in a celebration of art, culture, and tradition on Sept. 5 and 6, at the Aladdin Conference Center in the Diamond Ballrooms. The $10 admission fee allows guests to experience Russian culinary delights and contemporary and folk art.

On Sept. 6, a special VIP Black Tie Dinner in partnership with Tiffany & Co., will be held in the Grand Ballroom at the Aladdin. Guests will be treated to an extravagant display of the world's finest vodkas and caviar and receive a special Tiffany & Co. remembrance gift. Tickets are $250 and $350 for VIP, call 702-732-9012.

Sam Barris was one of the founding fathers of the custom car industry and famous for well-known custom cars like the "Batmobile," "The Munsters Koach" and the "Beverly Hillbillies Jalopy."

"The Rose" car was the first chopped Mercury that his son John completed and it appeared on the cover of the December 1951 issue of "MotorTrend Magazine."

The newest Barris movie car to be seen will be the "Starksy and Hutch" Ford Torino in the soon-to-be-released Warner Brothers film starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson.

On June 1, "The Rose" was auctioned off and all profits from the sale were donated to benefit children's charities in Nevada. The car was then promptly put on display and up for sale at The Auto Collections at Imperial Palace.

Other famous TV / movie cars among the more than 300 classic cars on display at the Auto Collections from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. include the 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT custom vehicle Nicolas Cage drove in Touchtone Pictures film, "Gone In 60 Seconds," and the 1959 Cadillac Fleetwood that Marilyn Monroe drove in "Seven Year Itch." Admission is $6.95 for adults, $3 for seniors and children 12 and under, and free for children under three.

Recording superstar Melissa Etheridge will perform at Buffalo Bill's Star of the Desert Arena on Friday, July 18. Tickets are $45 and $65, call Ticketmaster outlets at 702-474-4000. Primm is located 35 minutes south of Las Vegas off I-15 at the Southern Nevada / California state line.

Over the course of her career that took off with her self-titled debut album in 1988, Etheridge has received two Grammy Awards and was honored with the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Award in 1996. Her last album, "Skin," was released in 2001, as well as her New York Times best-selling autobiography, "The Truth Is My Life and Times," which is now available in paperback.

In November 2002, Etheridge released a two-disc concert film DVD of her 2001 Live and Alone tour. The DVD features two new recordings, "Alive" and "The Weakness In Me."

Musician and activist Etheridge was born in Leavenworth, Kansas, and began playing piano and guitar as a teenager. After relocating to Los Angeles, her talents were discovered when Island Records founder Chris Blackwell caught a performance and signed Etheridge to the label in 1986.

In true Four Queens-style, an intimate reception was held to introduce the Las Vegas resort's new Executive Chef Michael Goodman and his culinary talents, which are extraordinary. Also present was the pastry chef, who we were told makes incredible doggie biscuits for the canine who check-in at the hotel with their owners. The Four Seasons is pet friendly.

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Impersonator Robbie Howard took the stage this weekend with the debut of his newest production, "Jump, Jive an' Wail," in the Fremont's intimate Aloha Cabaret. Billed as the biggest little show in Las Vegas, Howard is backed by a trio of musicians, as he performs right-on impersonations of stars including Tom Jones, Wayne Newton, Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison. He excels at pop icons like Joe Cocker, Barry Manilow, Jimmy Buffett, and even the Eagles and starts the namesake show with Louis Prima's classic, "Jump, Jive an' Wail."

Performances are every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights at 8 and 9:30 p.m. Tickets picked up at the Fremont's Main Casino Cage are free with the purchase of a drink for $5.95 plus taxes.

Laughmaker George Carlin will headline the MGM Grand's Hollywood Theater from July 24 to Aug. 6. Tickets are $60 inclusive, call 800-929-1111 or 702-891-7777.

Awarded "Comedian of the Year" at the 2002 Las Vegas Comedy Festival, Carlin is known as one of America's keenest social critics, using razor sharp humor to point out hypocrisy in people's actions and words. For more than four decades, Carlin has been on the cutting edge and regularly integrates taboo subjects into his performances.

Carlin is the author of two New York Times best selling books "Brain Dropping" and "Napalm & Silly Putty" and has released multiple Grammy Award-winning albums including "Jammin' in New York," "FM and AM," "Class Clown" and "Occupation: Full." He also starred in 12 critically acclaimed one-hour HBO specials.

Master magician Lance Burton celebrates his seventh anniversary on June 21, performing in his own custom built theatre at the Monte Carlo. Burton has six more years left on his 13-year contract. Tickets are $60.45 and $65.95 with tax and a program included; call 877-386-8224 or 702- 730-7160.

"Lance Burton: Guerrilla Marketing: Taking it to the Streets" will air on Animal Planet at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1. The one-hour special was filmed on the streets of Las Vegas and stars Ed Alonzo, Mac King, Dr. Larry Bloz, Dana Daniels, Andrew Goldenhearst, Penn & Teller, Kevin James, Maria August, Fielding West and Apollo. It's chockfull of animals and magic.

Burton goes up against ventriloquist Ronn Lucas, who headlines an afternoon show at the Rio, on "National Lampoon's Funny Money" at 10 p.m. on Sunday, June 29 on The Game Show Network. The winnings were donated to the entertainers' favorite charities.

"Cool Breezes: handheld fans in the 20th century" is a current exhibit running through Aug. 17 at the Clark County Museum located at 1830 So. Boulder Highway in Henderson. Before air conditioning, Americans fanned themselves when they got hot. Museum hours are daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $1.50 for adults and $1 or seniors and children. Call 702-455-7955 for information.

SCORE, the World's Foremost Desert Racing Series, is celebrating its 30th anniversary year and continuing with the 2nd SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250 race, July 9-12, in Southern Nevada. This is the world's richest desert race with nearly $500,000 in cash purse and contingency postings. The live drawing for starting positions, by class, will be held from 6-10 p.m. on Thursday, July 10 during the SCORE barbecue, featuring live music and a fireworks show, at the Terrible's Hotel / Casino in Las Vegas.

Nearly 150 vehicles, competing in 17 Pro and two Sportsman classes for cars and trucks, are expected to take the green flag in Boulder City, Nev., on Saturday, July 12. The 80.1-mile loop course (to be run as three laps), will start and finish on the northeast edge of the Eldorado Dry Lake bed, just off of Nevada State Highway 95, six miles south of the junction with Nevada State Highway 93 at Railroad Pass.

Pre-race festivities on Friday, July 11, for the SCORE Henderson's Terrible 250, include tech and contingency, the SCORE Manufacturer's Midway, the $7,000 IGT Pit Crew Challenge, the SCORE concert starring Tommy Rocker, and driver registration. These events will be held on Water Street in downtown Henderson.

SCORE race week activities will begin on Wednesday, July 9 with the SCORE Charity Showdown. The SCORE Charity Bowling Tournament will be held from 4-5:30 p.m. at Terrible's Casino and Bowl on Boulder Highway in Henderson, followed from 5:30 to 9 p.m. by the SCORE Charity Video-Poker Tournament and SCORE Charity Silent Auction at Casino Montelago at the new Ritz Carlton Resort in Lake Las Vegas. All proceeds will benefit multiple charity organizations in both Henderson and Boulder City.

For more information, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818-225-8402 or visit the official Web site: www.score-international.com.

Boxing is back at the Castaways on Boulder Highway on June 28, when Richard Steele Promotions presents Miguel Angel Gonzalez, former WBC Lightweight Champion from Mexico City, Mexico, fighting Rene Herrera, former WBC International Champion from El Paso, Texas. General seating is $20 and VIP Golden Circle seats are $40.

The Meadows mall, located off US 95 on the west side of town has announced a multi-million renovation beginning immediately. The exterior upgrade includes a new stone facade, fresh paint and new lighting for the entrances. Inside, the mall will receive three new escalators, a new elevator, improved restrooms, food court upgrades, new tile flooring and light fixtures, enhanced landscaping and a new color palate. The mall has also attracted new tenants Vitamin World and Rave Girl, and Limited Too is building a 3,832-square-foot store.

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