Say Goodbye to the Jammys

Last weekend marked the final edition of the jamband awards known as the Jammys. Its seventh and final installment featured a reunion of sorts for Phish. All four members took the stage and accepted their lifetime achievement award, but only Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell went on to perform.

 

According to a recent Contra Costa Times article, the folks behind the Jammys are looking to take the festival to a wider audience. “We’ve kind of accomplished what we set out to do. In a good jam, you kind of have to take chances and go in a new direction, said Jammys co-founder Peter Shapiro.

 

The Jammys awarding Phish its lifetime achievement award was possibly its biggest feat and it was only appropriate that it happened in the final installment. “I always wanted to somehow have a moment when I could convey to some degree what all of this meant to mean and I know to the other guys too,” said Anastasio.

 

Even other artists attending the awards show agreed that it was a special night. “They (Phish) helped establish a model for a lot of jam bands that came after them. They are one of the forerunners of this movement and it’s great for them to be here,” said Allman Brother and uber “sit-in” specialist, Warren Haynes.

 

Despite plenty of cheering, Phish did not announce a reunion tour.

 

CineVegas Rules

Although I have spent most of my professional career as a journalist, I originally got my college degree in television and film. I have a deep love for the cinema and fortunately for me, I live in Las Vegas and we have one of the nation’s leading movie festivals called CineVegas.

 

Featuring independent and major releases, CineVegas has grown steadily over the last couple of years and it has blossomed into a full-on production. One sign of CineVegas’ growth is its roster of guest speakers  (who are also receiving various awards) this year. Leading the way is one of my favorites, Don “The Man” Cheadle, who will be speaking on Friday, June 20. One of the industry’s most versatile performers, Cheadle is considered “an actors’ actor.” Also speaking is The Lord of the Rings’ Viggo Mortenson and Las Vegas poster-boy James Caan.

 

CineVegas’ strong line-up of guest speakers continues Saturday, June 21, with renowned actress Anjelica Huston, who is there to accept the Marquee award. Joining Huston at the podium are starlet Rosario Dawson and the always-entertaining Sam Rockwell, who happens to be another of my favorite actors. Unfortunately, I’ll be on the East Coast working or I would definitely check these speakers out.

 

In addition to the guest speakers, CineVegas has a strong line-up of films this year. From the Las Vegas-based The Great Buck Howard to the special charity screening of Get Smart, CineVegas has little something for everybody. One film to keep an eye out for is Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. Narrated by Johnny Depp, this documentary highlights the life of the gonzo journalist Thompson.

 

CineVegas runs from June 12-21, 2008.

 

To learn more about CineVegas click here.

World Series of Poker Quickie: 6/9/08

The Only Road is the Poker Road

Barry Greenstein and his son Joe Sebok have done what many thought was impossible and done it in a short amount of time. They created a phenomenal poker website that fuses radio, video, and web (print) media called Poker Road. Having succeeded where other websites failed, Poker Road mixes humor and poker reality in a way that is the envy of the leading media companies.

 

Featuring pro player blogs, well-produced video segments, and the long-running PokerRoad Radio show (the show has had different sponsors in the past) with hosts Gavin Smith, Ali Nejad, and Sebok, Poker Road has something of interest for players of all bank rolls and skill types. Created by industry members and professional players, Poker Road provides an insider’s look at the crazy happenings of the poker community.

 

Make sure to keep an eye out for the site’s latest content addition called “The Life of Ivey” featuring noted Full Tilt pro and possible alien, Phil Ivey.

 

Vinh Returns to Action

I’m glad to report that 2007’s number one player gone MIA has returned to the World Series and he is looking good. Last year’s WSOP featured countless Vinnie Vinh rumors as he vanished from several tournaments and skipped others despite having been staked in several events. Much to the chagrin of his backers and poker fans, Vinh’s disappearance was well documented by numerous blogger posts and news reports that focused on his absence, and more specifically, on his chair as his chair made the money a couple of times (without Vinnie in it).

 

Vinh seems to have turned things around since last year, making the final table in Event #12 ($1,500 Limit Hold’em). If Vinh wins, this could be the story of the 2008 WSOP.

 

WSOP 2008 P.O.Y. Race

This year’s WSOP has two early contenders for player of the year. Young standout Theo Tran has been in contention for several bracelets and making two final tables and collecting two fourth-place finishes. High stakes cash game pro Eli Elezra has also made a push to win a bracelet, finishing 19^th in the $10,000 Pot Limit Hold’em tournament and fifth in the $10,000 Mixed Hold’em event. *Editor’s note: When I posted this post, Tran was third in chip counts in the $2,500 No Limit Hold’em Event #13.

 

Tran has had a monstrous 2008 (he also finished 8^th at the WPT’s L.A. Poker Classic) and he’s been on fire early in this WSOP. Although Tran looks very tough to beat, I’m still leaning toward picking Erick “E-Dog” Lindgren as the 2008 WSOP player-of-the-year. Lindgren just missed making another final table, finishing 10^th in the $1,500 Limit Event #12.  

Welcome Back People

Greetings party people. I’m back to give you another week’s worth of smiles and entertainment. Things are going to get interesting this week as I take off for a work assignment at Borgata in Atlantic City. While my poker coverage will shift from the WSOP to Borgata’s Summer Poker Open, everything else will stay the same.

Make sure to check back daily for new stories.