Vegas: Summer nights and nostalgia part 3

Without any doubt, summer is the season that Las Vegas really springs into life! Kids get out of school and teachers are set free for a few months of unabashed adulthood, while parents suddenly have more freedom to haul their younglings off for a vacation getaway without having to write prodigious pamphlets excusing their absence. Whatever it is, there's just something in the air stirs a little extra energy into everyone. Maybe it's the longer days and/or the warmer temperatures, at least here in the northern hemisphere, but despite being extremely hot and arid (hey there, welcome to the desert, folks) the streets of Vegas flood with teeming hordes of excited tourists and locals ready to pound the pavement, and maybe some drinks, too. There's a constant buzz of excitement pulsing through people with an edge of uncertainty and potential danger, as the ever-present ambulances hovering at the periphery of most any casino properties would hint. When you're actively pumping booze and adrenaline into people to fuel their gambling or adventure, there are invariably going to be some people who can't hang.  

“No sympathy for the devil; keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride...and if it occasionally gets a little heavier than what you had in mind, well...maybe chalk it up to forced consciousness expansion: Tune in, freak out, get beaten.” 
― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Intentional sensory overload, a brash and unapologetic tackiness and, often times, desperation, clings to the veneer of everything in the city, the way condensation gathers on a glass on a hot day. The Las Vegas strip is awash in any and all forms of sin, titillating and tantalizing any taste buds with a smorgasbord of nearly unimaginable variety and the temptation of delights. Whether you're looking to splash your cares away in a VIP cabana (for the right price, of course, as they don't come cheap) or have a wild girl's night out with the ladies hooting and raving at Thunder from Down Under (or Magic Mike, or any of the other shows out there), take in a show (or five) or do some serious plastic-melting shopping at any of the different shopping centers (be it more middle and high end at Fashion Show or one of the two outlets)... there is something for everyone. And the city pulses with that liveliness of thirsty visitors looking for excitement, entertainment, or enticement just around the bend. It's hard not to get a rush from the palpable energy, when the street is a teeming mass of sweat and shorts and awkward heels stumbling around.  It's a real trip, man. One you should take at least once in your life. Once you scrape past that greasy sheen that covers the majority of Vegas, there's some genuine beauty hidden under the warpaint, too. 

All photos in this post were graciously taken by Antho Jay. 💗

Vegas: Summer Nights and nostalgia part 2

 Black and white photos always tend to have a nostalgic sort of feel to them,don't they? Given our technological advancements and high-def camera phones occupying most of our pockets, it's good to remember that we've come quite a long way in the field of photography. Now we have fancy high-definition cameras capable of recreating nostalgic, old-timey portraits through filters and various back-end settings and enhancements! Back in the early days, your ONLY option was to stand in one place grimacing and hoping that you didn't blink and ruin your grainy capture. Given that these months mark the final few we intend to reside here in Las Vegas, Antho's choice to shoot in black and white seems especially fitting given its nostalgic connations. As much as I opine and lament the heat and consumption that rule this city, it will always hold some special sort of place in my heart because it was my home for so much of my life. I was even born here, in this city, one hot fetid night riding the coat-tails at the end of summer. Over the years I've watched the city grow and evolve, and I'm ready to close the book on it. 

Of course, one of the best things about books is that you can always revisit them, and if you're the author or someone who's opinion holds some sort of merit pertinent to the material, you can always add an epilogue, too. I've absolutely no doubts we'll be visiting this place again in the future when the city has evolved further in its endless quest for relevancy and temptation and surprises us with all new growths and developments. One out of the multitudes of reasons why I look to leave this city is this endless pursuit of growth- it's like an amoeba, expanding its feverish flagella into the expanse of desert surrounding it, consuming remorselessly from the fleeting resources nearby. Nevada and surrounding desert communities are already growing perilously close to the edge of our water-reserves, which could lead to pronounced difficulties going forward as the city keeps growing, and growing, and growing. Cost of living is going to soar as more people move from California to support their team (we're getting the Raiders, in case you haven't heard) and the population booms in directly inverse proportions to the resources available...this seems an inherently bad idea, to me. 

But, I digress. I'm no city planner, and as the city grows and expands, so too perhaps will its financial resources and the ability to spread it's tendrils farther to secure its future resources. I don't particularly care to stay and ride out the storm, though, as I expect it won't be easy. Like countless generations before my own, I'm striving out in search of the American dream, opportunity, and better weather.

So, this nostalgia seems fitting. I'm grateful for Antho's foresight to utilise the black and white setting on my camera to capture these, and I hope you enjoy.

Cheers.