You were hoping for the all Machina/The Machines of God set, weren’t you? (Photos by Scott Harrison | Retna)

Why was he wearing a skirt Sunday night during the Smashing Pumpkins concert at The Pearl inside the Palms? Because Billy Corgan, that’s why. But, if you needed a dose of alterna-rock, that was the only place to be seeing as how the Screaming Trees weren’t in town.

If you did miss the show, let’s give it an educated guess as to what you might’ve missed: “Tonight, Tonight,” “Zero,” “1979,” “Cherub Rock” and a good 40 minutes of Corgan being smug.

By Jason Scavone

Gather around, kids, it’s time for a little lesson in ancient Chinese history. Diaoyutai, an ancient name for “fishing terrace,” is a self-reflecting destination in Beijing that dates back almost 800 years, when Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin Dynasty fished at the location. Over the years, this tranquil environment has been a retreat for Chinese royalty, but more recently, has opened its doors to house big shot dignitaries from across the world. Full of ornate gardens and pavilions, Diaoyutai State Guesthouse puts a back corner room in the White House to shame.

What the hell does this have to do with Vegas you ask?

Well, MGM Grand Hotel and Casino recently received the superior accolade of playing host to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse Culinary Festival at its fine-dining Chinese restaurant, Pearl, Feb. 6 through Feb. 12. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jessica Acuña

Retro-rocker and fashion plate Lenny Kravitz might have bowed out of his scheduled San Francisco concert date Saturday night due to illness, but maybe it’s because he figured a surefire cure would be a weekend in Las Vegas. Instead of playing for the flower-power set in the City by the Bay, the former Mr. Lisa Bonet checked into the Hard Rock Hotel’s Penthouse Suite Saturday, presumably to rest up for his planned Sunday night concert at the Pearl inside the Palms.

Kravitz’s Pearl concert went off without a hitch, and after rocking the masses despite his ongoing flu battle (we feel ya, Lenny!), the genre-recycling rocker even made time to hop over to The Beatles Revolution Lounge inside the Mirage to talk with ABC about his forthcoming album, It is Time For A Love Revolution, which drops Feb. 5.

By Pj Perez

This should come as no surprise, given that his 40/40 Club is opening at the Palazzo about the same time: Jay-Z will perform inside the Pearl at the Palms on Saturday, Dec. 29 at 8 p.m.

Do we really need to tell you more about the Roc-A-Fella Records CEO and Grammy-award winning jigga?

Didn’t think so. Tickets for the Pearl show are $128.00, $178.00 and $228.00 and go on sale Saturday, Dec. 15. The lesson: You’ll have to skip your car payment this month if you want to bounce to Jay-Z to kick off the New Year’s weekend.

By Pj Perez