With so much activity in Las Vegas last week, which included among other things the National Association of Broadcasters convention featuring an appearance by Oprah Winfrey, parties of one sort or another and spring breakers from one end of the Strip to the other; for yours truly the week was a triumph of my own. Jim Dougherty, my host for the NABA convention, is also the man behind my YouTube videos. He has been instrumental in compiling these videos and presenting them.

Palace Station was the scene where Tom Biscardi and John Stuart’s show Rock N Roll 2 Soul enjoyed Media Night hosted by Monti Rock. It was standing room only! The media was there in abundance and I was in my glory as the white knight, pearl master of Las Vegas. Without the help of Bobbi Katz (I love you, girl) and standout local reporter John Katsilometes, the evening would not have been as successful. My thanks to all who shared their time to make this such a special evening. Thanks also to Palace Station for making Media Night such a great event.

Rock N Roll 2 Soul features the Coasters, Jonathan Von Brana, and Mary Williams’ tribute to the Supremes, Shirelles and Vandellas. Again, this is a well-oiled show, a must-see, and offers something not easily found in Las Vegas at 7 p.m; a family show complete with music and light-hearted comedy.

My film crew from San Diego was in town and caught some of the action at Palace Station, which will be shown on YouTube and MySpace. Timing is everything and having the film crew here for media night was a great addition.

Tickets & Tours is the newest and one of the best options for purchasing entertainment in Las Vegas. They were formerly known as Travelocity on Location and have 18 locations including Las Vegas McCarran Airport. Tickets & Tours guests personally choose real seats selected from the venue’s seating map and take the tickets with them. This service makes T & T unique from the other ticket outlets. The Hilton has got a great linejup of entertainers coming this spring, the great Julio Iglesias, Petula Clark and Tim Conway, to name a few. This, in addtion to the ongoing shows such as Voices, The King, and Steve Dacri help make The Hilton a place to go.

David Alan Grier is coming to Mandalay Bay for a one-night-only performance. David is probably best known for his work on TV’s In Living Color. He has appeared in film and theater, receiving a Tony nomination for his work in Dreamgirls. He was also recognized as one of Comedy Central’s 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.

Mary Wilson, one of the original Supremes, is making her debut appearance with The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies. She released her first solo album in 1977 and her autobiography in 1986. The book became one of the most successful rock ‘n’ roll autobiographys of all time. Mary then went on to stage appearances and recently went on tour starring in Duke Ellington’s Sophisicated Ladies. She has been a busy lady.

While fans say farewell to Lance Burton at the Monte Carlo, Zowie Bowie is still holding court and is doing quite well. In the meantime, rumors about the newest property for Lance continue to be just that – rumors.

American Idol, television’s phenomenon of the last decade, brought their top nine finalists to Las Vegas to see Viva Elvis at Aria. It also gave national TV coverage to the show at Aria. It’s hard to imagine, but these finalists weren’t even born when the King died in 1977, so they don’t have the connection to Elvis that others have. After their introduction to Elvis music, they headed back to L.A. to do their own renditions of Elvis songs for this week’s show. It was surprising to see last year’s runner up, Adam Lambert, mentoring this year’s finalists. I didn’t get it. But then again, I don’t get Adam Lambert – or his eyeliner. All the finalists have some level of talent, but my bet is on Crystal, the cutie little blonde with the sometimes gravelly voice.

Kitty Kelley, known for her unauthorized biographies, has done it again. This time Oprah is her target! Funny thing though, Kitty’s having a hard time getting appearances on TV talk shows to promote her book. Seems Oprah is just too powerful and no one wants to ruffle the queen’s feathers, especially since she’s getting ready to air her own network. That’s not show, that’s her own network! Supposedly this newest book has Oprah hooked up with John Tesh. Really?

United Way’s Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada is only a small part of the over-all celebration that will be taking place nationwide from April 18-24. Americans are known for their generosity and United Way has programs of help for both small and large efforts. Contact United Way direct or go online to www.VolunteerCenterSN.org.

Golf enthusiasts and curiosity seekers alike tuned in to catch Tiger Woods return at the Masters in Augusta Georgia. Apparently, there was keen interest because it was estimated that viewers increased by some 50 percent over previous years.

The More Buffet at Luxor is a favorite of mine. The More Buffet at Luxor is a favorite of mine. Manager Steve Katz continues to maintain outstanding dining standards. No one is ever disappointed and the service is top of the line. When it comes to buffet dining, the ambiance is just about the best in town and always has been. My sincere thanks to Steve and his staff for providing a wonderful evening for me and and my out-of-town friends. You can bet they will all remember The More Buffet at Luxor whenever they return to Vegas.

Larry King has just set a new record – at least a new record for himself. No, it’s not that he’s getting divorced for the eighth time. It’s that he was married for 13 years! He is accused for having an alleged affair with his sister-in-law. How does the 76-year-old talker do it?

Fortunately, the long, long, long-standing and somewhat tired Tropicana will soon start enjoying a $1 billion makeover. Of course, it will take some time to complete, but phase one should be finished by December 2011. A Tropicana upgrade will bring new life to the well-known destination and a welcome change for the Strip.

The planned end-result of the NEW Tropicana

Meanwhile, the Trop’s neighbor across the street, the MGM Grand, held the Academy of Country Music Awards last weekend. This awards show draws huge crowds of fans and stars. Carrie Underwood won Entertainer of The Year again and Brooks and Dunn, who are “retiring” as a duo, won for best duo to the year. Other winners include Brad Pasley, Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert. Country music is little by little becoming less traditional as it crosses over to a more polished pop-oriented theme.

Speaking of country music, LeAnn Rimes and her soon-to-be ex-husband are working out the details. If I knew she was worth $50 million…I would have married her! She was seen in Las Vegas making the rounds with her current beau, Eddie Cibrian.

One last shout out this week goes to Planet Hollywood, where I treated my friends to an evening of dinner, champagne, cake and one of the most entertaining shows Las Vegas has to offer, Tony & Tina’s Wedding. This fabulous production has a superb cast and dinner was divine. Thanks to the marketing staff for treating me and my guests to such a terrific night. It was first class!

The 2010 AFAN AIDS WALK takes place on April 25th at 9:30AM beginning at The World Market. AFAN, since 1984, has been working relentlessly to help improve the lives of those infected with HIV AIDS. For information as to how you can help, contact www.afanlv.org

As always, the Rev. Monti wishes you all a great week!