Recording star Gladys Knight is another reason Las Vegas is the "Entertainment Capital of the World." She took over a steady headlining spot at the Flamingo last year and has met with tremendous success.

The 58-year-old pop and R&B artist holds the audience in the palm of her hand from her first song to her last. She's a natural talent, which she proved at age 4 when she made her solo debut in a church in Atlanta. By age 8, she was singing professionally.

Knight joined with the Pips and became part of the famous Motown stable. In fact, the group's first showroom gig in Las Vegas was at the Flamingo 34 years ago. Together, Gladys Knight and the Pips won three Grammies. Two in 1973 were for "Midnight Train to Georgia" and "Neither One of Us (Wants to be the First to Say Good-bye)."

Knight went solo with her career in 1989 and won her first Grammy for the R&B album, "At Last." She has a love of all types of music and proves it in her show when she takes the country song "Please Help Me I'm Falling (in Love with You)," and makes it her own. Knight says one of her mentors, Sammy Davis Jr., taught her to make each song she sings her own, and she does.

Her show at the Flamingo is enhanced by a seven-piece band and four backup singers, who each get a chance to shine. One featured backup and the comedy foil for Knight is her engaging brother Bubba (Merald Knight), who was a founding member of the Pips. He does "Mr. Bojangles," "I Heard it Through the Grapevine," and leads the audience in "Who Let the Dogs Out."

Knight performs at 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays. Tickets are $63 and $74, call 702-992-7970.

Headliner Clint Holmes recently launched the latest version of his show at Harrah's Las Vegas. The new show is built around a song Holmes has written titled, "All About the Music."

Holmes said, "That is really the hallmark of the show overall. I want my audiences to truly escape... to get lost in the music."

While the show has undergone an evolution in the three years since it was launched in January 2000, it has maintained its promise to take audiences on a musical journey, celebrating many genres, styles and artists.

Holmes' new show presents a tuned up, jazzy version of "Stand By Me," his signature tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr., a fun and fantasy-filled island medley as well as his trademark songwriters' circle.

The present incarnation of Holmes stages him with a powerhouse 11-piece band, including new additions, keyboard / vocalist Ronnie Foster, a jazz and R&B legend since the '70s, and lead guitarist and vocalist Jerry Lopez, who rejoins the band after a two-year hiatus with Ricky Martin's band and the Las Vegas production show "Storm." His new female vocalist is Michelle Justice. Tickets are $59.95 plus tax, call 702-369-5111.

Holmes' career, which spans more than two decades, includes a television career as host of his own Emmy-award winning talk and variety show, as sidekick to host Joan Rivers on the "The Late Show," and as music and event correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight."

Tabu Ultra Lounge, a chic, cosmopolitan, innovative new age expression in nightlife entertainment, opened at the MGM Grand on Feb. 28.

Designed by architect Jeffrey Beers, Tabu's sophisticated design is a distinct combination of modern fashion and refined style with funky furniture, marble and wood floors, and luxurious textures.

Guests are transported to a euphoric world in which their senses are stimulated in a private environment with personalized service and new interactive technology with dynamic images bouncing from every surface to tables with reactive imagery. A comfortable level of European-influenced vocal house music allows guests to carry on conversations. The eclectic music encourages movement, mingling and dancing, although there is no dance floor.

The VIP area in Tabu is truly private, complete with a separate bar and private restroom. Tabu is open daily from 9 p.m. until dawn. Guests may make table reservations complete with fine bottle service or order individual cocktails from the bar.

Craftsteak at the MGM Grand has designed a club for those who love to celebrate the flavors of whiskey and for people who want to learn more about the spirit.

Craftwhiskey, the first club of its kind in Las Vegas, offers members a branded tasting journal, a complimentary bottle with the completion of each major region of whiskey, which includes Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the United States, and private bottle storage at Craftsteak.

Craftwhiskey will host a series of monthly dinners in Craftsteak's private dining room. Each dinner will consist of a five-course tasting menu with whiskey and wine pairings and will focus on a specific whiskey region. The menu is $55 for members and $95 for non-members.

The first Craftwhiskey dinner will be held March 10. That evening, the club will offer an exclusive tasting from different barrels of whiskey from the Old Rip Van Winkle distillery in Kentucky. Guests will have an opportunity to vote on which barrel they feel should carry the Craftwhiskey name. Once a decision is made, Craftwhiskey will be branded on a barrel at the Van Winkle distillery. The goal of the club is to have the Craftwhiskey name on barrels in every major whiskey region of the world.

Craftwhiskey will accept a maximum of 100 members. To join Craftwhiskey contact the club's director Alison Fisher at (702) 891-7318.

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New York-New York will hold its first "Celtic Feis," an authentic Irish festival, over St. Patrick's Day weekend, March 14 - 16. St. Patrick' Day is celebrated annually on March 17 in honor of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

New York-New York will kick off each day during the festival with a parade of costumed characters, bagpipes and entertainers in the tradition of New York's St. Patrick's Day Parade, which first took place in 1766. The weekend-long Ceili (pronounced kay-lee), which is Irish for party, will be highlighted by Irish bands, storytellers, Irish grog, roving performers and a historical gallery.

The free Irish festival at New York-New York will be open from 4 p.m. until midnight on Friday, March 14, 11 a.m. until midnight on Saturday, March 15, and 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 16. The main stage for the festival will be located at New York-New York's replica of the Brooklyn Bridge. For more information, call 800-693-6763 or 702-740-6969.

The relatively new JW's Tavern at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino is currently closed for renovation and expansion. The restaurant will re-open within the next few weeks with a new name, theme and entertainment-based concept.

Music industry legend, Paul Anka, whose talent has transcended five decades, will headline at the MGM Grand's 740-seat Hollywood Theatre, March 20 -26. Tickets are $70 inclusive, call 800-929-1111 or 702-891-7777.

Anka's musical compositions are internationally known and have been recorded by the greatest names in the entertainment industry.

Beginning March 3, the World's Fare Buffet at the Riviera will introduce "The Great Late Night New York Steak Buffet" from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., daily except Friday.

The buffet is $8.50 plus tax and a limited "take out" menu will also be available during the late night hours.

The Fab Four - "The Ultimate Tribute to The Beatles" has brought the British invasion to the Las Vegas Hilton Theater stage through April 6. Tickets are $30 and $40 plus tax, call 1-800-222-5361 or 702-732-5755.

This group provides amazingly accurate renditions of some of the greatest hits performed by The Beatles. The Fab Four have performed more than 200 Beatles songs and all are done live. This foursome has traveled the world touring and appeared on every major U.S. television network.

Rock singer Greg Page will be joined by the legendary TCB ("Taking Care of Business") Band for a two-night engagement at the Stardust, March 9-10. Tickets are $29.95 plus tax.

The TCB Band earned notoriety as Presley's rhythm section in live concerts, and on TV specials and recordings during the latter stages of his career. The band has also backed a wide variety of rock, pop and country artists, including Neil Diamond, Rick Nelson, Emmylou Harris, the Monkees, Little Richard, John Denver, the Doors, Gram Parsons, Joni Mitchell, Elvis Costello and Roy Orbison.

Actor / comedian Paul Provenza, known to "Northern Exposure" fans as Dr. Philip Capra, Fleischman's replacement as Cicely's town doctor, headlines The Improv Comedy Club at Harrah's with feature comedian Elvira Kurt and host Daniel Kinno, March 11-16, at 8 and 10 p.m. Tickets are $24.95 plus tax.

After high school in New York, Provenza graduated with the first Theatre Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and then continued his studies in London with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Since then, he has done everything from Shakespeare to specials on Comedy Central.

Provenza is well known for his one-man show, "The Incredible Man-Boy" for Showtime, which he wrote, produced, and performed. One of his many projects for Comedy Central, "Comics Only," was nominated for two Cable Ace Awards.

In addition to standup work, he has made innumerable television appearances as a series regular on "Empty Nest," the star of his own show, "The Pursuit of Happiness," on "The Facts of Life" and "Under the Influence."

Original "Texas Outlaw" comic, Ron Shock is one of The Comedy Stop at the Tropicana's strongest draws. He is a storyteller who has often been compared to "a latter-day Will Rogers." "Penthouse Magazine" said "Ron Shock is the modern philosopher of laughter!"

Shock's life has been pretty wild. Early on he got addicted to the thrill of stealing cars and ended up in jail for 23 months. That straightened him out and then he tried many vocations from selling encyclopedias door-to-door, to introducing Mexican food to Australia.

Shock along with two fellow comedians will headline The Comedy Stop, March 10-16. Tickets are $17.50 with tax, gratuity and two drinks included, call 702-739-2714.

Last year E! Networks inaugural "Nearly Famous" show explored the lives of selected cast members in "Jubilee!" at Bally's. The Vegas-based show was such a solid hit that the cable TV fixture is back to focus on "Skintight" at Harrah's. Now through April 1, 12 crew members are following the "Skintight" staff through their daily lives. The crew will shoot about 1,000 hours of tape and edited it down to two one-hour episodes and eight 30-minute installments. 969-8342.

The Yellowjackets, one of the best-selling contemporary jazz bands in the United States and Europe, will perform on March 8 at the Henderson Pavilion, 200 S. Green Valley Parkway. Since the Yellowjackets formed in 1980, they have earned success on the Billboard jazz charts and a handful of Grammy nominations. Tickets range from $3 for lawn sating to $15, call 702-384-8427.

The First Church of Religious Science Las Vegas, just a half mile from The Strip at 1420 E. Harmon Ave., will host Los Angeles-based songwriter Daniel Nahmod on Sunday, March 16. Nahmod has written and performed in various styles, including jazz, rock, and pop / folk worldwide since 1999. His latest effort, "One Power" has been hailed by listeners as a brilliant successor to John Lennon's "Imagine."

Nahmod will do a children's show at 12:30 p.m. and another show at 6 p.m. For tickets, call 739-8200.

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