Blue Vegas

From Garage Band to Japan

Author and bar owner P Moss’ newest exploit takes him across the pond

By James P. Reza | November 25th, 2010

P Moss is not normally this giddy. Although he’s often had reason: He’s written screenplays, self-produced a local television show (TV/OD, in the 1990s) and is a published author (Blue Vegas, CityLife Books, 2010). The 58-year-old provocateur is also responsible for the world-infamous punk rock dive the Double Down Saloon (both in Las Vegas and in New York City), and his dream bar, Frankie’s Tiki Room.

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Photo by John Locher

All That Glitters

Odds are you’ve heard of, and maybe even read, one of the most famous literary depictions of Sin City around, “Gonzo” journalist Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (the inspiration for the 1998 film of the same name, starring Johnny Depp and Benecio del Toro). And while that semi-autobiographical tale of surreal, psychedelic events that unfold during a trip made by journalist Raoul Duke and his attorney is perhaps the most well-known work about the underbelly of the neon city of light, it certainly isn’t the only one worth checking out.

More from What’s On Magazine

Blue Vegas continues to make Vegas’ top lists. Check out who is reading  P Moss’ debut book this week.

The checklist: What are you consuming this week?

P Moss was a double winner in Las Vegas Weekly’s 2010 Vegas’ Best Awards. His first book Blue Vegas (published by CityLife Books) won best recent book about Vegas and his bar Double Down Saloon was the named the best dive joint.

Read more about Double Down’s award.

CityLife Book’s avant-garde title, Blue Vegas, inspired some Las Vegas Weekly staffers to brainstorm about other colorful books they’d like to see on the market …

by Deanna Rilling
Tuesday night is P Moss’ coming out party, the day he introduces Blue Vegas, his newly released book of Vegas-based short stories, to the world. If it’s anything like his Double Down Saloon, it’ll be filled with colorful characters, debauchery and the occasional exposure of naughty bits.

That got us to thinking: Who else would we like to see put pen to the paper? Here are a few of the noted Las Vegans we hope follow Moss’ lead and turn out literary works of their own.

1. Kid in a Candy Store: Living the Sweet Life in Las Vegas by Jean-Philippe Maury, Bellagio pastry chef and creator of Jean-Philippe Patisserie. Also, perhaps a security guard or cabana cocktail waitress at Rehab could write, I Saw What You Did Last Summer: Behind the Scenes at Rehab. — Joe Brown

2. When it was once suggested to South Point owner Michael Gaughan that he should write a book, he joked, “A lot of people would have to die.” The son of Las Vegas casino pioneer Jackie Gaughan, who operated El Cortez in downtown Las Vegas for decades, Gaughan’s business partners have included Steve Wynn and Bill Boyd. He not only knows were all the bodies are buried, but why. — John Katsilometes

3. Mayor Oscar Goodman’s Complete History of the Martini: An illustrated guide for the elementary school child. — Deanna Rilling

4. Harry Reid’s self-help book: Putting Machiavelli’s ‘The Prince’ into Practice. Volumes 1-5 — Patrick Coolican

5. With a shock of red hair and an equally shocking set of breasts, Tempest Storm is the perfect candidate to be published. The sharecropper’s daughter turned burlesque queen has already written one book, 1987’s autobiographical The Lady is a Vamp, but in the 20-plus years since Storm hasn’t exactly hung up her feather boa. Now in her 80s, Storm is the naughty grandmother I always wish I’d had, still sharp as a tack and with a wicked sense of humor. A book of short stories from Ms. Storm would be just the thing to put me to bed with visions of sequins and smoky clubs dancing in my head. — Sarah Feldberg

6. John Westcott, the guy who gives chair massages in front of Whole Foods, could write a book about where Las Vegas hurts. Where It Hurts: Feeling Las Vegas’ Pain. — Joe Brown

By AMANDA LLEWELLYN

VIEW STAFF WRITER

There may be no one more qualified to write about life in Las Vegas, fictionalized or otherwise, than iconic Double Down Saloon and Frankie’s Tiki Room owner P Moss.

Moss, a downtown-area resident for nearly 20 years, has made a career of learning about people: how they think, what gets them going and the trials of human experience.

“Anybody who has an ability to watch other human beings and learn how they tick, well, that’s how you learn to run a successful business,” he said. “It’s also great for writing.”

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By Stacey Fott

If you couldn’t make it to the debut of Blue Vegas at the Double Down Saloon, you missed out on one of the wildest book debuts ever. This was not your wine and cheese and wait in line for hours to get an autograph gig. Oh no, this was an event complete with daring acts by SwingShift SideShow and an author P Moss who mingled with friends and bar patrons.

To see what you missed

Check out the weekly e-newsletter from Thrillist featuring P Moss and Blue Vegas.

Read all about it…

Excerpt from Norm Clarke’s Vegas Confidential column, Feb. 5, 2010

Double Down Saloon owner P Moss is rolling out his short story collection titled “Blue Vegas” on March 2 with a carnival show that would make Jeff Beacher envious. Moss and CityLife Books are celebrating the release with an evening of entertainment that includes a reading by the author and book signing …

In the latest ‘Kats Report’, writer John Katsilometes, of the Las Vegas Sun, gave an advanced review of upcoming CityLife Books title, Blue Vegas, as well as some insight into the book’s enigmatic author, P Moss.

Read it here.