From Nylon magazine August 2005
"It's hard to find anything cultural in Vegas," says Mark Stoermer, bassist for the Las Vegas-based band the Killers. (You've heard of them; their irresistible, '80s-influenced pop debut Hot Fuss sold a whopping 2 million copies, talk about hitting the jackpot!) "When you have to compete with video poker and the Strip, the local scene suffers," Stoermer continues, "There's just so much money to be made through gambling that it's easier to make the quick buck than invest in quality entertainment. So, things come and go. It's hard for the cool places to survive. They end up not being able to compete."
Fortunately for potential Vegas visitors with more on our mind than booty and buffet, Stoermer sat down with Nylon  to tell us about sin city's lesser-known attractions.

Champagne's Cafe
"It's just a little room, a dive bar, a place to go late night, but it's a real taste of old Vegas! You know: red leather seats, dark fuzzy wallpaper. Some gangster movie was filmed there; it's very Casino-esque. And they have cheap drinks."
3557 Maryland Pkway, 702.737.1699

Beauty Bar
"This is a relatively new club in downtown Vegas, slightly off the strip. It's part of a chain (There are Beauty Bars in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles). It's set up with vintage hairdressing paraphernalia, the seats have hairdryers and other '60s stuff. I went there a couple of times 'cause our friend Ryan Perry, a DJ in town, used to have a club night. It's giving us a little hope, now that there's a local club to go to that doesn't only play techno club music."
517 Fremont St, 702.598.1965

Big B's CDs & Records
"Big B's is an indie record store with a good selection of used CDs and an exchange program. They also have a decent selection of vinyl and specialize in indie artists you don't find in other places. They can order whatever you want, so I like to support them"
4761 S Maryland Pkwy, 702.732.4433

Los Tacos
One good thing about Vegas is that there's alot of good Mexican food. One really good place I discovered is Los Tacos. It's so authentic, it's completely run by Spanish-speaking Mexicans. It reminds me of the taquerias in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
1710 E Charleston Blvd., 702.471.7447