Below is what reporter Mark Meredith and photographer Joshua Montoya profiled in their 24 hour attempt to showcase all that Vegas had to offer.

Ever feel like you need to let off some stress? How about let off some stress with the same guns Stallone and Schwarzenegger made famous in action movies.
In Vegas, not only can you experience a shooting range, you can experience a shooting range that let’s you try out at AK-47 and the same guns James Bond use.

With packages starting in the $30 range, visitors will get expert guidance on shooting techniques, safety, and abilities of over two dozen guns. The experience is not aimed only at gun-lovers, but those who have never fired a weapon are encouraged to check it out.

The 12-lane indoor shooting range called Guns & Ammo Garage is open 7 days a week.

For more information or reservations, you can visit their website or call: 702-440-GUNS

Those who are into Yoga need to see how Vegas takes yoga to a whole new level.

In a program only being offered at the Mirage Hotel, guests and the public can experience a yoga class with the famous Vegas dolphins. The one hour session is open to both beginners and experts and is easily one of the most unique experiences you can find in Vegas.

The program is currently offered on weekends. Click here for more information. Classes are limited and reservations are suggested.

Anyone who has been to Vegas or has seen Soderbergh’s “Oceans Eleven” knows no trip to Vegas would be complete without a trip to the famous fountain show.

Now a new bar/club experience is giving guests the chance to see the fountains the way they were meant to be seen. Inside “Hyde,” the sibling of an LA nightclub, guests are treated with great views and unique cocktails. Their signature “nitrogen infused” cocktail is becoming a staple of happy hour in Vegas.

For more information including hours and operation, call: 702.693.8700

The strip offers more and more things to do with every waking hour. However, for a truly unique flying experience, zip-lining across downtown Las Vegas easily becomes something the whole family can enjoy.

For roughly $20, guests between 60-250 pounds can fly over hundreds of people all from the comfort of a safety harness. The attraction has become a hit for downtown and the lines are beginning to show just how popular the experience is.

There are some liability waivers required before each flight, but after soaring several hundred feet in the air at high speeds…somethings can be worth the risk.

To make reservations or to get more information you can call: 702.410.7999

Denver knows cold better than most cities, but Vegas certainly takes the “ice” experience to a whole new level.

Inside “Minus 5″ bar in the Monte Carlo, a typical drink is far from a typical night out. Before even going inside, guests will put on fur coats, gloves, even hats.

Colorado knows what ice is like but it’s rare to find a bar in the state that will serve drinks into cups made of ice itself.

The costs can vary depending on the experience each visitor wants to go for. If you’re interested in chilling out, Minus 5 is the best way to get that Denver feeling right in the desert. It’s open 7 days a week but you’ll want to hear more about It before you go.
Call 702-643-7800 for hours and how you can customize your experience.

With such a deadly season so far, how do these experts predict just how dangerous it is?

It has been a deadly winter across the mountain west, with 17 people killed in avalanches nationwide.

“It’s creating a very unstable snowpack,” said John Snook, an avalanche forecaster at the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

There have been six fatalities in Colorado and the avalanche risk is the highest it has been in three decades.

“It’s a scary year to be in the back country,” said Matthew Wilber, a Colorado Ski Patrol Accident Investigator. “The danger is elevated right now.”

In fact, there have been more than 30 avalanches in Colorado in less than a week, including the one that closed Loveland Pass.

Snowfall in October and November, followed by a dry December, left an unstable snow base.

“Because of that base layer being weak the avalanches are much deeper, so the danger becomes increased,” said Wilber.

That’s why avalanche forecaster John Snook goes deep into the Colorado backcountry to literally measure and predict the danger.

“There’s kind of a false sense of security that you can stay on top,” Snook said. “But if you find one of those weak spots then the whole thing can go.”

He peels open snow banks looking for clues.

“We can test some things on this slope that are representative of much larger slopes up higher,” Snook said.

He uses a variety of simple tools to map out specific traits in each of the distinctive layers of snow.

“We’re testing to see if any of these layers are gonna shear off in this direction,” he said, pointing down slope.

“This is that really weak layer,” he said, gripping onto a crumbling snowball. “You can’t put it together in a snowball. It’s not very cohesive.”

From that lowest crumbling layer, water seeps upward from the ground, freezing as it leaches toward the colder surface.

“And that’s what makes Colorado one of the most dangerous snow packs in the world,” Snook said. “As we put more weight on that very weak layer it can fail by collapsing.”

Snook uses this information to map these areas and to make daily predictions for public safety.

“When you’re in the backcountry you need to take your own responsibility,” Snook pointed out.

And with normal snow continuing to fall on that bottom weaker base, it’s a formula for disaster.

“Even though it’s low probability, if I get caught in one there’s a pretty good chance I’m gonna die,” Snook said.

An independent panel of doctors and other experts voted in favor of approving Qnexa Wednesday.

Qnexa is a combination of two other drugs already on the market, phentermine and topiramate.

“The study looked at 2,500 people over a two year period of time,” explained Dr. Jeffry Gerber.  “And what they found with this new drug was that there was a 9 percent weight loss compared to placebo.”

The FDA denied approval for Qnexa in 2010 citing concerns related to the topiramate, which is a commonly used anti-convulsant often sold under the name Topamax.

“For pregnant women taking Topamax, there was an increased incidence of birth defects and cleft palate,” Gerber said.

The drug’s creators propose a strict system for prescribing Qnexa, specifically advising monthly pregnancy testing for women.  There have also been questions about phentermine, which is famously associated with the diet drug Fen-Phen which was shown to cause heart valve problems.

“I associate that with all those horrible stories from the 90s about people who died,” said Rebecca Ensley.

But Gerber said it was the other “fen,” fenfluramine, which was the problem.

“This drug doesn’t seem to have any problems related to that,” he said.  “I don’t think the heart issues with the phentermine are particularly concerning.”

But even with FDA approval, horror stories like Fen-Phen have many unsure about using diet pills at all.

“Having taken diet pills in the past, I know what side effects they can have on you,” Ensley said.

“If something in it already has a warning, I think that would probably be a big sign to deter me from taking it,” said Alix Peterson.

And unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a miracle drug.

“People hear about these drugs and they look at it as a silver bullet, they look at it as the solution,” Gerber said.  “But eventually their effect wears off, no matter how long you use it.”

The FDA has until April to make a decision on approving Qnexa.

“It was exhausting,” Jared said.

The couple was losing sleep, and it was taking a toll.  So they went to see a pediatric sleep specialist at National Jewish Health.

Dr Lisa Meltzer helped them come up with a plan.  She had the couple start with bedtime, weaning Emma off the bottle by putting less and less in it each night.

“Most parents who come to see me don’t want to let their child cry it out, so I take a more gradual approach,” Dr. Meltzer said.

Dr Meltzer has five tips to help kids sleep better.

Tip 1-  Dr Meltzer says the number one thing you should do is establish a consistent bed time and bed-time routine, putting your child to bed when they are sleepy and allowing them to fall asleep on their own.  “It’s really important for children to learn to sleep independently if you want them to return to sleep independently in the night,” she said.

Tip 2- Dr. Meltzer says to stop kids from coming into your bed in the middle of the night,  parents must consistently walk the kids back to their own bed, and remember if you are with your child as they fall asleep at bedtime, they will want you when they wake up in the night.

Tip 3 is for the older kids.  Take technology out of the bedroom.  Keep the phones, iPads, iPods, computers and televisions out.

Tip 4- Kids should stop using technology 30 to 60 minutes before bed time.  “Our brains need time to wind down.  So if you are using electronics its very stimulating,” Dr. Meltzer said.

Tip 5- Don’t let the kids go to bed hungry.  That makes it harder to fall asleep.

The National Sleep Foundation says kids ages 5 to 12 need 10 to 11 hours of sleep every night.

Dr Meltzer says sleep is very important.  If kids don’t get enough sleep it can affect their growth, learning concentration and mood.  Some experts say if parents let their child “cry it out,” it will take about three nights to get them sleeping, but many parents don’t want to do that.

For a longer list of tips check out the following websites.

National Jewish Hospital Sleep Center

Sleep Foundation

We even busted a repairman breaking our water heater, apparently on purpose just so he could charge us $1,753.

But then we discovered we had been deceived by Plumbline services, the company we trusted to help us set up our test.

They disconnected a hose on our water heater so we could see which other companies would charge us a fair price to plug it back in.

After our story aired, we received several news tips accusing Plumbline of tipping off Applewood Plumbing, the company we thought “passed our test with flying colors,” because their technician was the only one who re-connected the hose for free.

At first we found the allegation hard to believe, after all why would Plumbline tip off their competitor, Applewood? But then we confirmed the two companies belong to the same marketing and training group, “NexStar,” and as part of their membership they share information.

We when we confronted Plumbline, the owner, Jeff Belk, came clean.

“In no way, shape or form were we trying to do anything malicious or hurtful to you or anybody,” he said.

But Applewood initially denied any prior knowledge of our test.

The company later sent us a statement saying it “had heard from a number of sources that a sting story was in the works.”

Still, an Applewood representative insists even if they did know about the test, (the technician) “would not have handled that call any differently with prior knowledge or not.”

Rick Nierman disagrees.

Nierman told us Applewood tried to charge him more than $700 for a part her later bought at a hardware store for just over $45.

He is just one of dozens of viewers who emailed or called us following our first story, claiming they had been overcharged by Applewood.

Jeff Metz, owner of Done plumbing, was shocked that Plumbline let Applewood in on our investigation.

“That`s not fair at all,” he said.

Done is one of only four companies that legitimately passed our test. The other companies are: ARS, Heating Tech and Whipple.

We tried to test AAA Services plumbing, but when we called the company we were told they didn’t have a technician available until mid-March.

We called back with a different number and address and a dispatcher said they could come out “right away.”

We have since learned AAA Service is also a NexStar member and had been tipped off to our test.

Here are the Colorado Plumbing and heating companies that belong to NexStar:

• Golden West Plumbing: did not return our call inquiring if their technicians make commission.
• AAA Service Plumbing: refused to tell us if their technicians make commission.
• Dunlap Plumbing: technicians make a salary, plus “incentives.”
• Applewood: technicians make commission.
• Plumbline: technicians make commission.
• Precision Plumbing, heating and Electric: technicians make an hourly salary plus “bonuses.”
• Patriot Enterprises: did not return our call inquiring if their technicians make commission.
• Grand Lake Plumbing: technicians do not make commission.
• Wieronski Plumbing and Heating: did not return our call inquiring if their technicians make commission.

Mike Hauser, 68, of Monument died Tuesday, months after eating cantaloupe from Jensen Farms in southeast Colorado.

So far, 34 people have died after eating cantaloupe from the farm.

Hauser’s wife, Penny, says her husband had battled recent health issues and was doing much better, when he had some of the cantaloupe last fall. She says he was in a coma for weeks and in and out of surgeries and intensive care units for months. But she says he was recently able to come home and seemed to be on the road to recovery, when he suffered a relapse this week.

The family’s attorney, Bill Marler, also represents other families of Listeria victims and says the federal and state governments have to do more to make sure people are protected.

The FDA tied the outbreak to sanitation problems at Jensen Farms. The agency is asking for a budget increase to help address problems in the food production and handling system.

Police responded to a domestic violence incident that turned into a barricade situation near E. Mississippi Ave. and S. Peoria St. Wednesday.

Carlson says it began at about 2:45 a.m. at the Fountain Village apartment complex in the 11900 block of E. Kansas Dr. As a precaution, some nearby residents were ordered to leave their units and move to the clubhouse. They were allowed to go back to their homes once the standoff ended.

The alleged female victim was able to run out of her apartment to safety, but the woman’s 2-year-old daughter remained inside with the woman’s ex-boyfriend.

The woman ran upstairs to a neighbor’s unit to get help.

“She told us he hit her … she was crying,” says neighbor Maria Lay, who called 911.

The suspect, 25-year-old Herbert Johnson, surrendered after three hours and police say it is possible the girl slept through the incident.

According to a Colorado Bureau of Investigation check, Johnson has a lengthy criminal history, including four outstanding warrants. He was also charged with assault and battery with a $2,500 bond.

Residents were told to evacuate to Lyons High School, according to Commander Rick Brough.

Strong winds were blamed for fanning the fire into 10 to 15 foot flames and the fire scorched about 20 acres.

Video of the Lyons wildfire courtesy of Jenny Begin/Longmont Times-Call

Indiana State Representative Bob Morris believes the group has a pro-homosexuality and pro-abortion agenda, and operates as an arm of Planned Parenthood.

“That’s the research I found online. The Girl Scouts of America don’t stand for anything. They let those girls do what they want for their troop meetings,” Morris says.

Representative Morris sent this letter to fellow lawmakers voicing his concerns:

“Many parents are abandoning the Girl Scouts because they promote homosexual lifestyles. Abundant evidence proves the agenda of Planned Parenthood includes sexualizing young girls through the Girl Scouts, which is quickly becoming a tactical arm of Planned Parenthood.”

A representative of Girl Scouts of Colorado says Morris’ claims are unfounded.

“It`s just factually not true and has never been true. Girls Scouts does not have a relationship with Planned Parenthood,” says Rachelle Trujillo of Girl Scouts of Colorado.  “There are a lot of people who are out to promote a personal agenda and gain attention for their causes, and latching on to an icon like the Girl Scouts as a way they think they can do that.”

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts and the Colorado chapter doesn’t want Representative Morris’ comments to take away from their milestone.

“We are not going to get dragged down by that. We are focusing on the leadership experience that we provide Girl Scouts,” she says.

Ironically, Girls Scouts of Colorado is hosting an event about the negative effects media have on women and self esteem. See below for more information.

Miss Representation Film Screening

Join us for a screening of the film Miss Representation and an exploration of how media images misrepresent women and girls and inhibit leadership aspirations.

Click here for more information.

• When: February 23 from 6 to 9 p.m.
• Where: Aurora Community College
• Tickets are $7.

Wind gusts in excess of 80 miles an hour were reported along the Highway 93 corridor spanning the distance between Golden and Boulder. (official wind reports)

Numerous vehicles were toppled by the strong winds, including a tractor trailer and SUV.

Several accidents were also reported on Interstate 70. However, it was difficult to determine what role, if any, wind played.

Damaged power poles in north Boulder. Feb. 22, 2012

In the area of 19th & Norwood in north Boulder, strong winds snapped several Xcel Energy power poles, knocking out electricity to an unknown number of customers. Xcel said repairs might not be completed until Thursday morning.

On University Hill, a large tree was toppled by the wind, damaging a sedan that was parked underneath.

A HIGH WIND WARNING remains in effect for Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Douglas, Jefferson and Larimer counties until 5:00 a.m. Thursday morning.

A WINTER STORM WARNING is in effect for the northern mountains through 11:00 a.m. Thursday with 12-18″ of snow possible, according to Pinpoint Weather meteorologist Jennifer Broome.

“A fast-moving cold front will move through Denver shortly after midnight,” said Broome. “A rain/snow combo will  change over to all snow as temperatures fall.”

Broome says snow showers will be possible through the morning commute but most of the snow will be over by 8:00 a.m. Thursday.

Another chance of snow will move into the Metro Sunday night into Monday morning.

Courtesy Longmont Times-Call

BOULDER, Colo. – Approximately 1,300 residents along the Diagonal Highway northeast of Boulder were urged to evacuate their homes Wednesday afternoon as a wind-fueled grass fire burned near the IBM facility.

The fire was first reported at about 10 acres shortly before 4:00 p.m., according to City of Boulder spokeswoman Kim Kobel.  The Diagonal Highway was closed at 63^rd Street as firefighters moved quickly to extinguish the flames.

The fire was declared “100% contained” as of 5:22 p.m., according to the Boulder Office of Emergency Management.

Initial reports suggest the fire was sparked by a downed power line.

1st Base:              Todd Helton.

Future Hall of Famer. But let’s not forget that he was preceded by Andres Galarraga, who was more than just a pretty darn good ball player. El Gato helped establish the club’s identity and credibility.

2nd base:            Eric Young Sr.

Solid numbers…although some games were played as an outfielder. Honorable mention to Clint Barmes who has exactly the kind of grit that GM Dan O’Dowd is looking for.

3rd base:             Vinny Castillo.  Next…

Short Stop:         Troy Tulowitzki.

Potential Hall of Famer.  Honorable mention to Walt Weiss who provided veteran leadership both on and off the field.

Outfield:              Since so many of the Rockies outfielders have been shifted around, we’ll go with the three best.

Larry Walker.     A no-brainer.

Matt Holiday.   Still would look good in Rockies uniform

Dante Bichette.   Original Blake Street Bomber.

Honorable mention to Ellis Burks who was a terrific player for the Rockies, and Carlos Gonzalez who has unlimited potential.

Catcher:               A problematic position for the Rockies since Day One, so I’m going with Yorvit Torrealba whose clutch play during the 2007 season was essential ingredient to team’s success.  Honorable mention to Joe Girardi who provided leadership during inaugural and subsequent seasons.

Pitchers:              Okay, here we go…

Could just take names out of a hat but will select five starters and one reliever so start the stone throwing now.

Aaron Cook.         Leader in wins, innings.

Jason Jennings.  Strong numbers, Rookie of the Year.

Ubaldo Jimenez.  Numbers don’t lie, best season ever for pitcher.

Jeff Francis.          Good but didn’t realize full potential.

Pedro Astacio.     Solid numbers.

Honorable mention to Jose de la Rosa and Kevin Ritz.

Relief pitcher/closer:      Brian Fuentes was “nails” for a time. Honorable mention to Jose Jimenez and Houston Street.

Secretary of State Scott Gessler is currently facing litigation from several county clerks, including Denver’s for his directive that they mail ballots only to ‘active’ registered voters.

Voters can be labelled ‘inactive’ if they don’t vote in an election and then fail to respond to a postcard from their county clerk to verify their active voter status.

“I think the current system in Colorado strikes a pretty good balance,” Gessler told FOX 31 Denver Wednesday.

“If someone has been inactive, what Colorado asks them to do is ask for a mail ballot or show up and vote. It’s only about three percent of inactive voters who actually vote, and when they do, the signatures often don’t match, so that’s a real red flag.”

Gessler said maintaining the ‘inactive’ voter category protects against voter fraud and saves counties money at a time when budgets remain tight.

“No one knows how expensive this is on a statewide basis, but it has to be millions of dollars in ballots that are being mailed and processed and going out there that no one knows what’s happening to them.”

For this stance, Gessler has been vilified — and even nicknamed the “Honey Badger” — by Colorado Democrats who have accused him of trying to disenfranchise voters, predominantly minorities and the elderly who might have a harder time voting in every election.

“Voting is not a fundamental right. Voting is the fundamental right,” said Sen. Mike Johnston, D-Denver, the sponsor of Senate Bill 109.

Republicans pressed Johnston on why it’s an “undue burden” to ask voters who have failed to vote to verify their status.

“The voter’s obligation is to vote, there’s no question,” Johnston responded. “But the fundamental question before us is: should one be punished for deciding not to vote? Should there be any added burden one has to go through, whatever it is, for making that choice?

“I think voting is not like a gym membership where it expires after 30 days if you don’t go back and sign up,” Johnston said.

25 of the best, and almost best, chefs in the west got a chance to try out for the cooking competition show ‘Top Chef” Wednesday at Lingers restaurant in Denver’s Highland’s neighborhood.

Contestants travelled from as far away as Texas and Oklahoma to impress the show’s producers as part of the two-month audition process.

Joshua Valentine from Oklahoma City says he feels confident.

“I’m pretty witty and charismatic, I’ll just be myself and I figure I’ll do well.”

Jeff Toback, a former chef and Denver teacher, says he wants to get back into the kitchen and open his own restaurant.

“I’m always pushing my students to do their best so they help be more accountable,” Toback told us, adding that he loves teaching and wants to share any success he may gain by being a great role model for his students.

Ray Clinton, a professional chef who sports a bald head and long beard, says his unique appearance and top culinary skills will bring him big success.

“I have a pretty unique look and I’m a pretty unique person hopefully that’ll sway them a little bit towards me,” Ray said.

None of the contestants are allowed to comment on their sessions with the producers. It could be several weeks before an announcement about who made it to the next round is made.

The show airs this fall on Bravo.

Rachel Crow from Longmont, Colorado has not only landed a talent deal with Nickelodeon that will see her star in her own musical comedy pilot, but she’s also snagged a recording contract with Columbia Records, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Finally able to share the news on Wednesday, the young star tweeted to her fans, “Were u all excited to hear about Nickelodeon and Columbia records? Cause I sure was.”

She added, “I just want to say that u all inspire me so much to do my best. I never forget for 1 second that w/out all of u this would not be happening.”

THR reports that Crow, who attended middle school in Mead, Colo., will also appear on the Nick comedy “Fred: The Show” in a recurring role.

Crow will portray Starr, a unique talent will dreams of becoming an entertainer, in at least five episodes this spring.

For Nickelodeon exec Paula Kaplan, the teen is an “original.”

“She’s funny, genuine, and has raw talent and a passion for performing,” Kaplan tells THR. “We’re delighted to be home to her first acting project and think she is poised to join the ranks of our next generation of Nick stars.”

Crow moved from Colorado to Los Angeles two years ago to pursue her dream.

Her aunt still lives in Longmont.

User-submitted photos of Walmart shoppers from around the world. Courtesy peopleofwalmart.com

Watch the video to learn more about some of the pets that are available Feb. 22, 2012.

In an Internal Affairs report released Wednesday, Officer Brian Klaus said that Bradford, R-Collbran, initially said she’d only had one glass of wine, but later admitted to having had three glasses after Klaus informed her what he believed her BAC to be.

Bradford, who was temporarily relieved as her position as chairwoman of a House committee and then threatened to switch her party affiliation in response, was never given a breathalizer test when she was stopped near the Capitol on the night of Jan. 25.

Had she been given a test, and blown anything over the legal limit of 0.08, she’d have been arrested.

She had been drinking at the Prohibition bar on Colfax and Pennsylvania, where a source told FOX 31 Denver she’d been since before 7 p.m., more than three hours before she was pulled over for erratic driving just after 10 p.m.

Initially, Denver Police alleged that Bradford had invoked “legislative immunity” and gotten out of a possible DUI — she was instead sent home in a taxi — because of an antiquated statute that prevents police from arresting lawmakers during the legislative session.

A week after the incident, DPD held a press conference to admit that Bradford had not asked for special treatment.

Sgt. Benita Packard, also quoted in the report, writes that Bradford said she had to be back at the Capitol for work in the morning.

Klaus, who also told Bradford she could have been arrested for having a loaded gun in the car when she was pulled over, confirms in his statement that Bradford didn’t ask for special treatment.

Based on his version of events, Klaus was overruled by Packard, who decided to put Bradford in a cab rather than arrest her.

According to Klaus, Packard also told him not to mention Bradford’s loaded gun in his official report.

“After the taxi left, Sgt. Packard then told me to keep the handgun part of the stop quiet and only we would know,” Klaus writes.

Lt. Matt Murray, a spokesman for the department, told FOX 31 Denver Wednesday that the discrepancies between the statements from Klaus and Packard are “troubling” and “worthy of further review.

“That’s exactly why we started looking into this,” Murray said. “We had been hearing one story from one person, and then we started hearing a second story from another. This investigation is not completed, and we still don’t know whose statement is right.”

Bradford is back at the Capitol but had already left for the day when FOX 31 Denver asked the House Republican press office if she were available for comment.

Speaker Frank McNulty issued a short statement on the matter.

“The bipartisan House Ethics Panel did due diligence, and unanimously found that Rep. Bradford did not break House ethics rules,” said McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch. “As a result of the Ethics Committee’s findings, Rep. Bradford has been reinstated as chair of House Local Government Committee.”

Santana the band has sold more than 90 million records and Carlos was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. LIVE AT MONTREUX 2011 is an over three hour career-spanning celebration of Santana’s incredible musical legacy. Just check out the set rundown for this amazing concert:

1. Spark of the Divine
2. SOCC
3. Back in Black
4. Singing Winds, Crying Beasts
5. Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen
6. Oye Como Va
7. Maria, Maria
8. Foo Foo
9. Corazon Espinado/Guajira
10. Benny and Cindy Solo
11. Jingo
12. Carlos Speaks/Novus
13. Europa (Earth’s Cry, Heaven’s Smile)/I Want You
14. Batuka/No One to Depend On
15. Duende/Open Invitation
16. Make Somebody Happy/Right On Be Free
17. Evil Ways/A Love Supreme
18. Sunshine of Your Love
19. Smooth/Dame tu Amor
20. Soul Sacrifice/Dennis Drum Solo
21. Samba Pa Ti
22. Into the Night
23. Love, Peace and Happiness/Freedom

Carlos’ band for this spectacle includes his wife, Cindy Blackman Santana, and Dennis Chambers on drums, Raul Rekow and Karl Perazzo on percussion and vocals, Benny Rietveld on bass, Derek Trucks on guitar, Tommy Anthony and Susan Tedeschi on guitar and vocals, Bill Ortiz on trumpet, Jeff Cressman on trombone, David K. Mathews on keyboards and Andy Vargas on vocals.

This is truly THE Santana concert. The man is delivering his best loved hits to perfection. A must have for Santana fans, LIVE AT MONTREUX will certainly go down as one of the finest concerts on Blu-ray you will see this year.

THE DISC:
The hi-def anamorphic 1.78 transfer looks as sharp as or better than watching the screens at the show itself. Colors explode off the screen and close-ups offer absolutely stunning detail and clarity. Nothing at all to complain about here.

As is to be expected, the sound mix is superb. Offered in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, LPCM 2.0 or Dolby Digital 5.1 any of these mixes will give you an amazingly spacious, sonically stunning experience. The percussion section will blast through your spine and Santana’s guitar is spectacularly clear. Put his on your demo shelf to blow you neighbors away. 

THE EXTRAS:
The trio of supplements is nice but ultimately like more than fluff.

“Carlos Santana Interview” and “Cindy Blackman Santana Interview” has the couple individually speaking about the philosophy of music all in front of the waters of Montreux.

The “Behind The Scenes” featurette is little more than a music video of the band setting and playing around. Fun but fluffy.

MY SAY:
Dare I say this is the definitive Santana concert experience? I’m going to have to say yes. This is absolute Latin music perfection. Recommended!

Eagle Rock Entertainment / 2011 / 204 mins / NR