The Talk About Las Vegas Podcast | a podcast by Ira Sternberg

Ira David Sternberg
  • 4.3 (6)
  • Arts
  • Weekly

Welcome to The Talk About Las Vegas Podcast! Each week, the host Ira Sternberg, talks with the celebrities, entertainers, writers, and personalities who make Las Vegas the most exciting city in the world!

  1. 2d ago

    FROM LAS VEGAS TO THE OPEN ROAD: JUERGEN BARBUSCA’S UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE

    What happens when you realize your work-life balance is out of sync and decide it’s time for a change? For Juergen Barbusca, the answer was to give notice at work, buy a van, and embark on a 32,000-mile adventure across the United States and Canada. On this episode of “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira,” I talk with Juergen about his book, "No Overnight Parking: A Year of Vanlife, Discovery, and the Open Road," and the year that took him far beyond his comfort zone. From Niagara Falls and an unexpected en-counter with a buffalo to a tour of one of America’s last video stores, Juergen discovered that life on the road could be as challenging as it was rewarding. We explore the realities of vanlife, including the search for places to park overnight, encounters with fascinating strangers, unexpected loneliness, and the feeling of being an outsider even while meeting people along the way. Juergen also shares how keeping a journal helped him capture the experience, even before he knew it would become a book. The journey became more than a road trip. It offered an opportunity for self-reflection, a chance to reconnect with his authentic self, and reminder that the most meaningful discov-eries aren't always found on a map. And even thousands of miles from home, Las Vegas remained part of the story. From conversations with people who had visited, knew about, or planned to visit the city to an unexpected connection involving the Little Church of the West in Winnipeg, Juergen found that his hometown had a way of following him down the road. Join me for a conversation about adventure, independence, loneliness, self-discovery, and what happens when you leave the familiar behind to see where the open road takes you. (Also Watch Full Podcast Video)

  2. Oct 26

    JUGGLING, COMEDY AND METALLICA? IVAN PECEL DOES IT ALL IN VEGAS

    What happens when you combine world-class juggling, sharp comedy, a fitted bed sheet and Metallica? You get comedian and entertainer Ivan Pecel! This week on “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira,” I sit down with Ivan, performing at the Laugh Factory at Horseshoe Las Vegas October 26–November 1. Ivan shares how he got his start juggling “out of spite,” landed a performance at Six Flags Magic Mountain at just 13, and discovered the act that would change his life after seeing juggler Mark Nizer at age 15. Despite going to college, Ivan followed his passion, hit the road after graduation and eventually spent nearly a decade performing in Las Vegas. Today, his show blends juggling with comedy—and apparently, everything he needs fits into one case. His unconventional routines even include folding a fitted bed sheet choreographed to Metallica! We also talk about his parents’ support, how comedy has evolved, his love of performing, and why Steve Martin and Johnny Cash rank among his favorite entertainers. It's an entertaining conversation about taking an unconventional path, finding your own style and turning an unexpected talent into a career. Listen to “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira” for the stories behind the performers who make Las Vegas one of a kind. Catch Ivan Pecel at the Laugh Factory, Horseshoe Las Vegas, October 26–November 1. (Also Watch Full Podcast Video)

  3. Oct 19

    55 YEARS TOGETHER, A LIFETIME OF 'WOW!' — SILVIA & VICTOR TAKE CENTER STAGE IN LAS VEGAS

    What does it take to keep audiences saying “WOW!” after a lifetime in show business? On this episode of “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira,” I sit down with Silvia and Victor of “WOW — The Vegas Spectacular" at the Rio Las Vegas, celebrating nine years at the property with more than 3,500 performances! Silvia is a fifth-generation circus performer and Las Vegas’s only crossbow artist, while Victor is a fourth-generation juggler from Argentina. Their extraordinary journey began at a circus in South America, led to marriage at a young age, and has now spanned an in-credible 55 years together. We talk about their remarkable careers, the discipline and preparation behind their perfor-mances, Silvia’s pre-show prayers, Victor’s journey into juggling, and how they balance life and work together 24 hours a day. Plus, discover how Silvia got her distinctive stage name and why, after all these years, they still love what they do. From generations of circus tradition to the excitement of the Las Vegas stage, Silvia and Victor prove that the magic of live entertainment never gets old. (Also Watch Full Podcast Video)

  4. Oct 12

    DUSTIN MARKS — THE BLACKJACK CHEAT WHO BEAT THE CASINOS

    How do you beat Las Vegas casinos at their own game—and get away with it more than 500 times? On this episode of “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira,” I talk with Dustin Marks, author of "How I Did It and Got Away With It—Principles and Stories from Cheating at the Blackjack Table" and cohost of the podcast “Cheating at Blackjack.” Dustin reveals how he used sleight of hand, sophisticated computer technology and a carefully constructed strategy to cheat at blackjack as both a player and a dealer during the 1980s. He eventually walked away after four years, ending his gambling career in 1990. Today, he shares his unusual expertise as a casino consultant, public speaker and podcast host. He also performs magic, having b een introduced to that world at age seven, We discuss why cheating is harder today, how lessons from the casino floor can apply to the corporate world, his philosophy of “go for longevity,” and his unexpected partnership with a diamond thief. It's a fascinating look at casino deception, risk, and the fine line be-tween getting away with it and getting caught. (Also Watch Full Podcast Video)

  5. Oct 5

    ACOUSTIC ALCHEMY: THE MUSICAL ADVENTURE THAT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO LAST

    On this episode of “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira,” I talk with Greg Carmichael about the remarkable journey of Acoustic Alchemy, the band’s distinctive blend of steel-string and nylon-string guitars, and why he always wanted to be part of a band rather than perform as a solo artist.

  6. Sep 28

    CLINTON WRIGHT: CAPTURING THE HISTORIC WESTSIDE OF LAS VEGAS

    On this episode of “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira,” I sit down with photographer Clinton Wright, whose photographs documented Black life in Las Vegas’ Historic Westside and preserved a side of the city that many people never saw.

  7. Sep 21

    Las Vegas, Crime, Comedy and Three Guys Chasing the Big Score

    What happens when three guys who grew up together in Las Vegas decide they’re ready to get rich — and their plans go spectacularly wrong? That’s the world created by Torthell Robinson, a Las Vegas-area screenwriter, U.S. Air Force veteran and author of "Men Will Be Boys," a fast, funny and dangerous crime-comedy series set against the backdrop of Las Vegas. Torthell’s journey to becoming a writer is anything but conventional. After serving in the Air Force, he took a regular job before deciding he wanted to do something completely different. He enrolled in a Los Angeles film school, where a professor read his pilot script and recommended him for literary representation. After entering screenplay competitions, Torthell began thinking beyond the pilot and decided to build out the world and its charac-ters. Then he moved to Las Vegas — and discovered that the city itself seemed to fit perfectly with the stories he wanted to tell. Torthell explains why he chose to turn his original pilot concept into a three-book series, rather than adapt the books from novels into screenplays. We meet his three central char-acters: an Ivy League-educated man, a blue-collar local and a degenerate — three very dif-ferent personalities connected by a shared history and a common ambition to make it big. We also talk about Torthell’s childhood and the lessons he learned about respect and accountability, his writing process, why the first draft is so important, and the challenge of creating believable characters who can carry an entire series. And then there’s Las Vegas itself. For Torthell, Vegas isn't simply where the story takes place. The city becomes a character in its own right. Could "Men Will Be Boys" eventually make the jump from books to television? Torthell would certainly like to see it happen. It’s a conversation about writing, reinvention, friendship, ambition, trouble — and why Las Vegas can be the perfect setting when you want a story where almost anything can happen. (Also Watch Full Podcast Video)

  8. Sep 14

    FROM SPRINKLES TO CRICKETS: INSIDE LAS VEGAS’ MUSEUM OF ICE CREAM

    This week on “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira,” I’m talking with MacKenzie “Pineapple” Rollison, Director of Local Activations and Partnerships for Las Vegas at the Museum of Ice Cream, located at AREA15.

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Welcome to The Talk About Las Vegas Podcast! Each week, the host Ira Sternberg, talks with the celebrities, entertainers, writers, and personalities who make Las Vegas the most exciting city in the world!

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