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Familiar faces
seen in Vegas

Las Vegas Observations: No matter where I went during my vacation to Sin City last week, I kept running into folks with Hawaii ties. From a dealer at New York New York to the woman who took my order in the Stardust's coffee shop -- they were everywhere! I even saw an "entertainer" in one particular adult establishment whom I recognized from her work back home (hey, the whole purpose of my trip was to take part in a friend's bachelor party) ... It's not uncommon to spot celebrities in Honolulu, but even I got a little star-struck. Tiger Woods walked right by me while I had dinner at the MGM Grand, and I saw former "Magnum P.I." star Larry Minetti pass by a few minutes later as I was leaving the casino. Over at the Palms, I watched Luke Walton gamble before sharing an elevator with Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine ... And I never realized how painless it was to travel with a tour company. My Vacations Hawaii package included everything from a plane ticket and hotel room to three meals a day, baggage transfers and shuttle service to and from the airport. Very impressive ...

AS I wrote a few weeks ago, don't think that vinyl has gone the way of the Betamax VCR just yet. Following the recent opening of Detroit Soul Connection in Waikiki, former Star-Bulletin staffer Speedy Lopes has launched his own venture near UH-Manoa.

Saturday was the grand opening for his new record store, named Stylus Honolulu (bonus points if you remember the short-lived "Live Stylus Radio" that Lopes produced with Quadmag's Jeela Ongley on a local AM station last year). Besides new and used LPs, you can also pick up used equipment and clothing for pennies on the dollar.

Besides the free Dirt McGirt and Master P potato chips served to customers, the grand opening festivities also included guest sets by DJs Toki, Monkey and Ms. Angel. Check out www.stylushonolulu.com for more about the shop ...

AND DON'T sleep on the return of Matty Liu's "Chemistry Lounge" at the Sheraton Waikiki's Esprit Nightclub. Co-hosted by Doug Silva and the Main Ingredient, opening night for this one featured a slightly more mature crowd than I remember at some of Liu's other parties. While "Feng Shui" is still the best indoor/outdoor party, now there's a reason to visit Waikiki on a Friday ...