Ray J is doing just fine without college. (Photo by Tony Tran | SpyOnVegas.com)

Before he hit the stage for the final selection day of the SpyOnVegas.com Hot 100 at MGM Grand’s Wet Republic, Asher Roth said it doesn’t need to be summertime for him to do his music, but it helps. Good thing the clouds and a sprinkle of rain didn’t stop it from being a hot, lazy summer day at the pool.

“It makes it more enjoyable for me. That summertime vibe, that warm, enlightening kind of vibe is what it’s all about for me,” Roth said.

It worked for the crowd, too. It was the biggest, loudest crowd of Hot 100 Fridays at Wet Republic — a crowd that included Ray J as one of the judges. It’s an easy gig for the Poetry co-owner to take, who said since For the Love of Ray J ended he’s been taking it easy, collecting money for hanging out and drinking at different spots. Proving it’s good to be the king, one of the contestants was making an early bid for his vote with a lap dance. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

Noted Scandanavian black metal enthusiast Mark McGrath performing tonight. (Photos by Scott Harrison | Retna)

Sugar Ray is tonight’s Friday Night Live offering at the Hard Rock Hotel, just in case you didn’t get enough poolside action from the Hot 100 at Wet Republic today. You can snag your ticket here while you ponder the mysteries and joy of free booze at the SpyOnVegas.com Open Bar before the show. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

There is nothing about Flav that is not awesome. You hear us? NOTHING.

Flavor Flav brought his girl to Nove Italiano at the Palms last night for dinner. We assume the chica is babymama Liz, but who knows with Flav. It wouldn’t have surprised us if it was New York, Deelishis, Hoopz, Thing 2 or Terminator X.

After dinner Flav signed Chef Geno Bernardo’s door and kitchen clock. The hype man and his date went up to the Playboy Club for a little blackjack, then hit Moon. Also at Playboy Club was Jamie Sharper, former Baltimore and Houston linebacker, with his girlfriend. The two of them played roulette.

By Jason Scavone

(Photo by Al Powers | SpyOnVegas.com)

You really do never know when a showing of Jaws 3 is going to break out.

By Jason Scavone

Pear and lime should be the new apples and oranges.

Sometimes it doesn’t take much to add a really interesting wrinkle to a drink that would otherwise be fairly standard. The Asian Pear Drop at Chinois inside the Forum Shops hinges on half an ounce of Ty Ku Sake that brings depth and complexity, not unlike the time you name-dropped Proust at that one party when everyone else was talking about David Eggers and you thought they’d all look down on you if you tried to change the subject to Charm School, so you had to do something to show them you weren’t simple and shallow. Not, uh … Not that we’ve ever done that.

An ounce and a half of Absolute Pear is shaken with a quarter ounce of lime juice, half an ounce of simple syrup and the sake, shaken and strained into a cocktail glass and garnished with a lime. It hits with a pretty big dose of sweetness — we’d like to try a build that left out the syrup — but has a light fruitiness and touch of spice percolating up from underneath, and a nice, clean finish.

To us, this would be a great dessert drink after a light meal, with the way the initial sweetness washes away. It’s an easy enough drink to put down that you can sip without breaking your concentration. That way you can focus on more important stuff. Like Charm School.

By Jason Scavone

She doesn’t look like a jewel thief … which would make her an AWESOME jewel thief. (Photo by Erik Kabik | Retna)

The JCK show is in town this weekend, where those in the jewelry industry gather to compare who’s the blingiest of them all. So you know what that means. This will also be the high-water mark for cat burglers, high-society thieves and Reservoir Dogs-style heist men. It’ll certainly explain all those dudes in tuxes and eye-masks running around.

Christina Aguilera, who we’ll assume for now isn’t a jewel thief, hosts the launch of the Stephen Webster 2009 colllection at Tao inside The Venetian tonight. Although if she is a jewel thief, and her entire career has led up to this one inside job, we’d be way more impressed than if she’s just a pop star who likes jewelry.

Tomorrow, the Palazzo is doing Spring Bling to benefit the Lili Claire foundation, with Sara Bareilles, Colby O’Donis, Kris Jenner, Khloe Kardashian, Shari Belefonte, Vanessa Minnillo, Brittny Gastineau, Ryan Cabrera, All-4-One and others starting at 5 p.m., with musical performances and a David Alexander fashion show at 8 p.m. Kardashian hosts a benefit afterparty at Dos Caminos at 11 p.m.

By Jason Scavone

The soundtrack at Lavo tonight: Nothin’ but “Zero” on loop. (Photos by Scott Harrison | Retna)

Here’s how you know Steven Soderbergh is a genius: He can do all the celebrated, challenging and arty flicks he wants like Kafka, The Limey, sex, lies and videotape and Traffic, but he still finds a reason to make a movie with a porn star. One that’ll come out in regular theaters, no less.

His The Girlfriend Experience debuts at the Brenden Theatres as part of CineVegas today, and to celebrate the premiere, breakout star and 21-year-old porn starlet Sasha Grey hosts a release party at Lavo inside The Palazzo tonight.

In the film, Grey plays a classy hooker who goes on actual dates with her clients, offering them the full, um, girlfriend experience. So it’s at least more accurately titled than Soderbergh’s Che, which had nothing to do with the Mets’ old stadium.

By Jason Scavone

Xtreme Anglz!

The House of Blues at Mandalay Bay is doing the Thursday Night Punk Fest tonight. As opposed to the Thursday Night Punk Fest tomorrow night. It’s a scientific fact that Thursday is the punkiest night of them all. Monday is more of a new wave night, and Tuesday is clearly a bebop evening. But Thursday? Sid Vicious was born on a Thursday. DeeDee Ramone had his first near-overdose on a Thursday. Hell, Punky Brewster used to air on Thursdays. (We have no idea if that’s actually true.) Lydia Vance, The Scoundrels, All Dead, Battle Born, The Vermin and Guilty by Association hit the stage at 9 p.m. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone

Not having played a game this year, the one-time feared slugger is only one homer behind Big Papi.

Former White Sox slugger Frank Thomas celebrated his birthday at N9NE Steakhouse inside the Palms las night along with his wife, Megan, and family members. Later he was spotted doing Patron Platinum shots at Blush inside Wynn Las Vegas. We’re waiting on confirmation that the now-41-year-old Thomas will be changing his nickname from the Big Hurt to the Big Ow, My Back Hurts.

By Jason Scavone

Hey! It’s a red plastic cup! Just like they have in college.

Asher Roth is at MGM Grand’s Wet Republic tomorrow for the final preliminary round of the SpyOnVegas Hot 100. He’ll be going on around 3 p.m. and, at some point, will explain to you just how he feels about higher learning. (HINT: He’s a fan.) We were going to record a song about how much we loved college when we were in college, but we were too busy throwing up Natural Ice to bother with any of that fancy putting-thoughts-into-word-backed-by-music nonsense.

By Jason Scavone