CO-HOST | Make Money By Reserving Your Seat (And Your Sanity)

Summary

Travis Makes Money – “Make Money By Reserving Your Seat (And Your Sanity)”

Host: Travis Chappell
Co-host: Eric (Producer)
Date: May 15, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this lively, conversational episode, Travis Chappell is joined in the studio by his producer, Eric, for a co-hosted deep-dive into a topic that blends the practical with the philosophical: the value—and necessity—of reservations in our modern lives, particularly in a bustling city like Las Vegas. Using a viral "Subway Takes" internet debate as a jumping-off point, Travis and Eric riff on the absurdity of shunning reservations in favor of chaos, share Vegas nightlife and dining hacks, and reflect on how “curating your experience” isn’t about cutting out spontaneity, but about protecting your sanity—and your wallet.

The episode is filled with practical tips, relatable humor, and observations from two locals determined to help listeners make the most of their money and their time, especially in an experience-saturated city. Along the way, they touch on Vegas tourist traps, must-see shows, overrated nightlife, and how a seemingly simple decision (like booking a table) can improve your quality of life (and bank balance).

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Great Reservation Debate: “No More Reserved Seats”

[02:19 – 04:42]

• Travis and Eric listen to and dissect a viral “Subway Takes” clip arguing against reserved seating, in favor of “the chaos of actually, like, living life.”
• Eric’s stance: Strongly disagrees, declaring reservations essential for sanity and family life.
• Travis: “Like life doesn't have enough chaos.” [03:03]
• Memorable moment: Both joke that only someone with “nothing going on” could see waiting for a table as a source of ‘excitement.’

Eric [02:25]: “I'm not going to a movie, I'm not going to a show, I'm not going to a concert. I'm not going to anything unless I'm reserving my seat. No.”

Travis [03:03]: “Like. Like life doesn't have enough chaos.”

Eric [04:06]: “Especially with kids.”

• They roast the idea that wandering around for 45 minutes waiting for a table is “living”—especially when you just want a meal and have kids in tow.

The Reality of Reservations—and When They Fail

[07:11 – 07:43]

• Travis recounts horror stories of restaurants not honoring reservation times, particularly with young children in tow.
• Calls out how some places use reservations as window dressing rather than honoring them (“What's the reservation for? And then it doesn't reserve the table.” [07:21])

Seinfeld Interlude: Comedy About Reservations

[07:41 – 10:19]

• Eric and Travis reference the classic Seinfeld rental car reservation bit as emblematic of “knowing how to take, but not hold, the reservation.”
• Jerry Seinfeld, quoted: “So you know how to take the reservation, you just don't know how to hold. And that's really the most important part of the reservation, the holding. Anybody can just take them.” [09:16]

Vegas Hacks: Touristy Do’s and Don’ts

[10:27 – 15:43]

• Most Overrated Vegas Experiences:

  • Travis: “Any club... it's just an eternal pit of money where you can't hear anything.” [12:39]
  • Dining on the Strip is often overpriced for the hype; better food and value can be found off the Strip, especially at chef-driven local spots.
  • Valet rather than self-park is often worth it—parking prices are steep either way.

• Hidden Vegas Food Gems:

  • Off-Strip, chef-owned spots like Black Sheep offer quality without the inflated Strip prices and hype.

Travis [14:58]: “There’s this place down the street from here called Black Sheep... She was on the Strip before and then opened up this restaurant, Black Sheep. And it's fantastic food. She's always in there... really, really good food. So there's no shortage of good food. I just think that some. Some of the places that get all of the hype are probably places that are not worth it in terms of the amount of money that you're going to spend.”

Vegas: What’s Worth Planning For

[15:35 – 18:42]

• Travis’ non-negotiable for a Vegas night out: Always check if the place takes reservations—especially with big groups or kids.

• Must-see Shows:

  • Cirque du Soleil’s “Mad Apple”—modern, with comedy, acrobatics, dance.
  • “Mystère”—family-friendly and awe-inspiring, especially if you know someone in the cast.
  • “Absinthe”—top of Travis’s list for jaw-dropping acrobatics and raunchy comedy (adults only).

• Insider Tip: Not enough people come to Vegas specifically for the high-caliber shows, but they’re some of the city’s best offerings.

Travis [16:07]: “Cirque du Soleil has obviously several really good ones. But I would say the best Cirque show that I saw was Mad Apple... They had like a mixture of standup comedy and the cool acrobatics, but also good, like, dances and stuff like that.”

Travis [17:23]: “Absinthe is definitely up there. Really great mix comedy and it’s close up... not in like a big theater and stuff. So it’s more of like an intimate type of a setting.”

Stand-Up Bombs & Secondhand Embarrassment

[18:42 – 19:53]

• Eric prompts Travis to recall the worst comedian they jointly endured, a moment marked by severe “secondhand embarrassment” from the front row.
• Travis admits he tries to “laugh louder” to help comics through tough sets, rooted in empathy and maybe his church upbringing.

Travis [19:26]: “I'm a great person to have in your audience if you’re doing standup, because... I want to laugh for you so bad. So, like, even when that guy was up there, when I laugh, I try to make it louder to be, like, cut through the embarrassing silence.”

Vegas Nightclubs — Overrated, But If You Must...

[20:20 – 21:26]

• Travis says if you must do a Vegas nightclub, stick with the main ones on the Strip—many are similar, expensive, and designed for you to part with your money.
• Hakkasan (MGM), Zouk (Resorts World), and Tao are mentioned, but experiences are largely interchangeable according to Travis.
• Comedic riff: Eric has never actually been to a nightclub in his life.

Travis [21:24]: “It's just... a completely overrated experience designed to make you spend everything that you have on ridiculously overpriced drinks.”

• Tips for surviving a club night:
  • Don’t buy into the illusion that bottle service hosts “really love you”—it’s their job.
  • Know your limits, expectations, and plan for costs upfront.

Final Practical Takeaways

[21:27 – End]

• Travis encourages listeners:

  • “Have fun, be cautious.”
  • “Definitely check out some of the amazing food, and definitely book at least a show while you’re in town.”

• Shoutout to episode guest and Vegas recs account:

  • “Follow @vegastarfish because Jen’s always posting the best things to do in Vegas.”

• Signature Travis Reminder:

  • “Money only solves your money problems, but it’s easier to solve the rest of your problems with money in the bank. So let’s solve that one first...”

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• [02:25] Eric: “I’m not going to anything unless I’m reserving my seat. No.”
• [07:21] Travis: “What’s the reservation for? And then it doesn’t reserve the table.”
• [09:16] Seinfeld (quoted): “So you know how to take the reservation, you just don’t know how to hold. And that’s really the most important part of the reservation, the holding.”
• [12:39] Travis: “It’s just an eternal pit of money where you can’t hear anything.”
• [14:58] Travis: “Some of the places that get all of the hype are probably places that are not worth it in terms of the amount of money that you’re going to spend.”
• [16:07] Travis: “The best Cirque show that I saw was Mad Apple... really great show.”
• [19:26] Travis: “I want to laugh for you so bad... I try to make it louder to cut through the embarrassing silence.”
• [21:24] Travis: “It’s just... a completely overrated experience designed to make you spend everything that you have on ridiculously overpriced drinks.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• “No More Reserved Seats” Take & Rebuttal: [02:19 – 04:42]
• When Reservations Fail & Family Woes: [07:11 – 07:43]
• Seinfeld Reservations Bit: [07:41 – 10:19]
• Vegas Hacks & Tourist Pitfalls: [10:27 – 15:43]
• Shows Worth Booking: [16:05 – 18:42]
• Worst Stand-Up Experiences: [18:42 – 19:53]
• Nightclubs: Overrated Rundown: [20:20 – 21:26]
• Final Do’s & Don’ts (Summary): [21:27 – End]

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Tone & Style

Conversational, witty, and filled with the friendly ribbing of two friends who know their city—and respect their own time and energy. The discussion is peppered with pop culture references and honest advice, aimed at helping listeners maximize both their money and their enjoyment.

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Summary Takeaway

This episode compellingly argues that reservations—and by extension, thoughtful planning—aren’t about eliminating fun, but about securing your enjoyment and peace of mind in a world already filled with enough chaos. Blending practical Vegas tips with universally relatable lessons, Travis and Eric show that sometimes “making money” starts with making your time (and experiences) count.

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Best advice for any traveler (or anyone, anywhere): Protect your seat, protect your sanity, and don’t let “manufactured chaos” rob you of either.

Transcript

[Starbucks Frappuccino Announcer]

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[Travis]

You're listening to the Travis Makes Money podcast, presented by GoHighLevel.com for a free 30 day trial of the best all in one digital marketing software tool on the planet. Just go to gohighlevel.com travis or. What's going on, everybody? Welcome back to the Travis Makes Money podcast. On this episode, my producer Eric is in studio. What's up, Eric?

[Eric]

Man, it is another day of heat here in Vegas.

[Travis]

I would say it's like the first day of heat.

[Eric]

I was. I felt like I was in a video game where they give you selections of what prompts you can say. And I was like, trying to think of a way to come into the episode without just saying hey. I was like, man, it's okay. Weather.

[Travis]

Yeah.

[Eric]

So the weather's hot.

[Travis]

It is. But I would say it's been mild up until the last couple of days, though.

[Eric]

Yeah, that's true. The last couple days it has not been mild.

[Travis]

That's true.

[Eric]

It's been painful and bloody and just miserable.

[Travis]

And it's just the beginning.

[Eric]

Okay, I gotta show you something really quick. I'm gonna pull it up. If you can just keep people entertained for a second.

[Travis]

Keep people entertained for a second.

[Eric]

Yeah, just do something. Just do something really quick.

[Travis]

All right.

[Eric]

I'm just kidding. I do have here. I don't know if this is going to fit into a larger episode, but it's something I just needed you to see because I really love the show Subway Takes. I don't know if you've heard of it. Just kidding. Everybody has. Biggest show on the Internet.

[Travis]

Is it?

[Eric]

I don't know. It's big. It's got a lot of viewership.

[Travis]

It's one of the bigger ones.

[Eric]

But I saw the worst subway take I've ever seen in my entire life. And the reason I thought about this, honestly just now is I did not come into this room thinking about it, but you were talking about a burger place here in Vegas called With Love Always. With Love Always. Which is how I sign off all my texts to you. And you were saying how they have like a line outside the restaurant and they kind of engineer the line with the way that they set up the queue so that way it looks like there's always people waiting to get into the restaurant. And it reminded me of the subway take and it's one of the most terrible takes I've ever heard in my entire life. And I want you to hear it. Here we go.

[Travis]

It's your take.

[Subway Takes Host]

No more reserved seats. Our social lives have gotten too convenient.

[Travis]

100% disagree.

[Eric]

I'm not going to a movie, I'm not going to a show, I'm not going to a concert. I'm not going to anything unless I'm reserving my seat. No.

[Subway Takes Host]

Okay, but listen, what you're doing is you're existing inside of your own bubble, right? You go to the movies, you're sitting at K12, right? You go to dinner, you know the seat, you know the table.

[Travis]

Lovely.

[Subway Takes Host]

Sure, that can seem lovely, but what you're doing is you're cutting yourself off from the experience and the chaos of actually, like, living life. Right? Like, we're promoting social anxiety.

[Eric]

This is somebody that has nothing going on.

[Travis]

Boo.

[Eric]

This is someone that has no. I don't know this person. And I'm sure they're lovely. They have nothing going on for them. And they need the excitement of, oh, I can't get a table. Yeah, yeah, I'll talk to this.

[Travis]

Like. Like life doesn't have enough chaos.

[Eric]

Yeah. Like, I. That's when I. When I go to eat is when I'm like, life's been chaotic.

[Travis]

Right.

[Eric]

I want to go to my table.

[Travis]

Yeah, exactly.

[Subway Takes Host]

I overly curating our experiences.

[Eric]

Here's my problem with it. I don't want to sit in the

[Subway Takes Host]

front row, then get there early, then show up, then put in the work.

[Travis]

Okay.

[Subway Takes Host]

If you want something, like, if you want to be part of something, you have to put in the work to do it.

[Eric]

Right.

[Travis]

Okay, Let him cook. Let him cook.

[Subway Takes Host]

I'm cooking. I'm cooking also.

[Eric]

Yeah. And I have food poisoning.

[Travis]

Yeah, no, not good.

[Eric]

I have food poisoning from your cooking.

[Travis]

This is a bad take reservation.

[Eric]

I think he thinks it's a dumb take too, but he's trying to be generous as an interviewer.

[Travis]

Oh, yeah, Kareem.

[Eric]

He's like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, go ahead. You keep trying that one.

[Subway Takes Host]

Restaurants, right? Like, no, no more that.

[Eric]

You got to walk in.

[Subway Takes Host]

You walk in, you got a group of friends, you got six. It's a 45 minute wait. And in that 45 minute wait that you have, the world is yours. You explore the neighborhood you're in, you get to know the people, you get to know the culture. Let them cook where you are. You literally let them cook.

[Eric]

Yeah, I love. I love going to a restaurant, putting my name in, and then they Say we'll call your name out. I'm like, okay, I'm going to walk outside where I can't hear you.

[Travis]

No.

[Eric]

And wander around town.

[Travis]

Especially. Especially with kids.

[Eric]

Yeah. And also, dude, it's not even, like, exclusive. Like, this is a bad take for, like, exclusive restaurants. But, like, have you ever been a Cheesecake Factory and it's not an hour wait if you didn't call ahead? And that's Cheesecake Factory.

[Travis]

Right. Anyway, overall, terrible.

[Subway Takes Host]

I'm getting you a table, and then you sit down. And it's not just like one sort of easy, clean cut night. That's like existing in the echoes of your memory. It's something like new and chaotic.

[Eric]

You know what?

[Subway Takes Host]

Yeah.

[Eric]

I'm with him. 100% agreement.

[Subway Takes Host]

Hell yeah.

[Travis]

Let's go.

[Subway Takes Host]

Let's go.

[Travis]

Opinions change.

[Subway Takes Host]

Let's go.

[Travis]

Stop curating. I live life. Let's do it.

[Eric]

Also, not everybody lives in New York.

[Travis]

Yeah.

[Eric]

It's probably cool, but even if you do. You know what? I hate this take.

[Subway Takes Host]

Because even.

[Eric]

You know what? Because Vegas is a popping place. Right. I don't want to go expl. Like, I live here, Right. And I. I've.

[Travis]

I just want to go to dinner.

[Eric]

If I want to explore, then I'll go like, hey, let's go walk the Strip.

[Travis]

I just want to get some food,

[Eric]

which I don't recommend.

[Travis]

Objectively.

[Eric]

I don't recommend walking the Strip.

[Travis]

I think it's a good time.

[Eric]

No, it's fun. Sometimes it's great.

[Travis]

People walking.

[Eric]

You don't want to walk from the beginning of the Strip to the end of the Strip. You want to walk from, like, the middle ish section to the other middle ish section.

[Travis]

Yeah. Which takes the same amount of time.

[Eric]

If you reach Circus Circus, you've gone too far. If you're at the Taco Bell Cantina, you've gone too far. That was the nastiest thing that I've ever done in Vegas was the Taco Bell Cantina. Because this is the very end of the Strip, and it's just not. It was so sticky and just, like, goopy.

[Travis]

Where is it?

[Eric]

And gross. It's on the Strip, as I said,

[Travis]

like, by Circus Circus.

[Eric]

No, it's not. It's the other side. Taco Bell Cantina.

[Travis]

Yeah, it's somewhere, like, by New York.

[Eric]

New York on the Strip. Yeah. It's just yucky.

[Travis]

Yeah. But Taco Bell Cantina in general is great.

[Eric]

I mean, I haven't had a good experience.

[Travis]

We'll go right now, get an alcoholic Baja Blast.

[Eric]

It Was very. It was just very. It looks cleaner in all these pictures, but it was very gross. And it was also like a lot of teenagers that were like, oh, broth.

[Travis]

Yeah. The only thing I can say on this take is that if you do accept reservations, can you just stick to the reservation time, bro, you can watch this shit. Drives me crazy.

[Eric]

Have you been watching Seinfeld?

[Travis]

No, but I know what episode you're talking about because I've seen that one

[Eric]

where he says, fine, let's do it. Yeah, because your dad's pregnant.

[Travis]

But I have a reservation. What's the reservation for? Yeah, because like we. We went to. We went to this place with some friends. I was going to say the other day, it was probably a year or two ago. And we set reservations because all of us have kids. So there's like five or six kids all.

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[Travis]

the age of four. We set a reservation. No joke. It was almost a full hour until we actually got seated. And I was like, this doesn't make any sense.

[Eric]

That's evil.

[Travis]

Evil. What's the reservation for? And then it doesn't reserve the table.

[Eric]

Daddy, when's our. What are we going to eat?

[Travis]

Oh, yeah. Yeah. That was a nightmare. And there's nothing to explore. We're just sitting outside the restaurant. Well, you're in like in an outlet mall parking lot. You know what I mean? There's nothing to do.

[Eric]

No, not. Not fun. Here's a classic Seinfeld.

[Starbucks Frappuccino Announcer]

Go, go.

[Eric]

She go.

[Starbucks Frappuccino Announcer]

Can I help you? Name please?

[Jerry Seinfeld]

Seinfeld. You made a reservation for a mid size and she's a small.

[Eric]

This is why I am the way that I am. I just realized that watching years assembled rotted my brain because that's something I would have said. What did I say yesterday? I said something to the bartender yesterday when we were at the comedy club. They thought I was a comedian. They thought I was or unless he was joking.

[Travis]

He said, are you one of the comedians? And you said, what do you think? And he said no.

[Eric]

Okay, well, let's say It. The way I said it. No, we were at the bar, the comedy show. Do you remember what I said?

[Travis]

No.

[Eric]

He said, it's half price drinks. And I said, as long as they're not half filled. And he said, are you one of the comedians for tonight? And I said, what do you think? And then he said no.

[Travis]

You said obviously not.

[Eric]

No, he didn't say obviously not.

[Jerry Seinfeld]

Getting around a push.

[Starbucks Frappuccino Announcer]

Okay, let's see here.

[Jerry Seinfeld]

66 years old.

[Starbucks Frappuccino Announcer]

Yeah, well, he's in perfect health. He works out, he's vibrant. You'd really like him.

[Jerry Seinfeld]

Why do people always say that? I hate everybody.

[Eric]

Why would I like him?

[Starbucks Frappuccino Announcer]

So what do you think? Could you go out with a 66 year old woman?

[Jerry Seinfeld]

Well, I'll tell you, she would have to be really vibrant. So vibrant she'd be spinning.

[Eric]

Far be it from Jerry Seinfeld to look down on an age gap relationship. That's a good joke if you know what I'm talking about. You know what? That's not. Yeah, sorry.

[Starbucks Frappuccino Announcer]

Mid size available at the moment.

[Jerry Seinfeld]

I don't understand. I made a reservation. Do you have my reservation?

[Starbucks Frappuccino Announcer]

Yes, we do. Unfortunately, we ran out of cars.

[Jerry Seinfeld]

But the reservation keeps the car here. That's why you have the reservations.

[Starbucks Frappuccino Announcer]

I know why we have reservations.

[Jerry Seinfeld]

I don't think you do. If you did, I'd have a car. So you know how to take the reservation, you just don't know how to hold. And that's really the most important part of the reservation, the holding. Anybody can just take them.

[Starbucks Frappuccino Announcer]

Let me speak with my supervisor.

[Jerry Seinfeld]

Here we go.

[Travis]

Here we go.

[Jerry Seinfeld]

The supervisor. You know what she's saying over there?

[Travis]

What?

[Jerry Seinfeld]

Hey, Marge, see those two people over there? They think I'm talking to you, so you pretend like you're talking to me. Okay, now you start talking.

[Starbucks Frappuccino Announcer]

Oh, you mean like this? So it looks like I'm saying something, but I'm not really saying anything at all.

[Jerry Seinfeld]

Okay, now you say something else. And they won't yell at me because they thought I was checking with you.

[Starbucks Frappuccino Announcer]

Oh, great. I think that's enough.

[Eric]

See you later.

[Starbucks Frappuccino Announcer]

I'm sorry. My supervisor says there's nothing we can do.

[Jerry Seinfeld]

Yeah, it looked like you were in a real conversation over here.

[Starbucks Frappuccino Announcer]

But we do have a compact if you would like that.

[Travis]

Fine.

[Starbucks Frappuccino Announcer]

All right. Well, we have a blue Ford escort for you, Mr. Seinfeld. Would you like insurance?

[Jerry Seinfeld]

Yeah, you better give me the insurance because I am going to beat the

[Eric]

hell out of this. That's good stuff. That's why that's the greatest sitcom of all time, right okay.

[Travis]

And all that to say, that was a terrible take.

[Eric]

Yeah. That's so stupid. Let me ask you this, because we're here in Vegas and everybody has hacks. They have. You interviewed Vegas Starfish. You interviewed Daniel Leo. Daniel Leo. You've talked to me, who's also, like, pretty much the same, and, like, give you insights on what to do. Okay. What's the most overrated, like, thing people tell tourists to do when they're in Vegas? And what's something that you would say, I never leave the house without planning this. If I'm going out for the night, like, I gotta make sure that I do.

[Travis]

Blah.

[Eric]

Besides get a picture with your friend.

[Travis]

Yeah, totally.

[Eric]

You know what's crazy about that is we took a picture together and I tagged you as a collaborator, and you didn't accept it.

[Travis]

Yeah, well, that's how it goes. Okay, so your first question.

[Eric]

Jackie accepts my collab post.

[Travis]

Does she?

[Eric]

She accepted it.

[Travis]

Yeah.

[Eric]

And I even messaged her before. I messaged her before and said, hey, by the way. By the way, you don't have to accept the collab post. I just always do that when I text my. And she did it before she even saw that message. You. I didn't think I needed to send a message because I knew you would accept it, though. I said accept it after you ignored it.

[Travis]

No, no, no.

[Eric]

But anyway. All right, what's something. Okay. Vegas.

[Travis]

That's why I didn't do it, because you texted me. Accept a collaboration.

[Eric]

Okay, let's give some Vegas here tips when you're out in the town.

[Travis]

Overrated. Any club. But that's just a personal opinion.

[Eric]

What about Brad Garrett's comedy club?

[Travis]

That's not a club. Don't do this. Don't get caught in the.

[Eric]

Let's look at the words.

[Travis]

Don't do this.

[Eric]

Brad Garrett's comedy club. This is you the other day when you're like, what is that Tequila bar. A cantina. Tequila. Yeah. But it's a bar. Yeah, I can see. No, no, no, go ahead.

[Travis]

Those are totally different.

[Eric]

Any club. Any club.

[Travis]

You know what I mean when I say club?

[Eric]

It's weird because I've been to, like, three clubs with you in the last month.

[Travis]

All comedy clubs. Those don't count. I'm talking about, like, clubs. Like, nightclubs.

[Eric]

Oh, like golfing. All right, anyway. Like, nightclubs. Any nightclub is over.

[Travis]

But that's a personal opinion on the experience.

[Blinds.com Advertiser]

Why do you.

[Travis]

Why are.

[Eric]

Why are Vegas nightclubs over? Or are nightclubs underrated everywhere?

[Travis]

I just think that they're in general, an overrated experience. Unless you're, like, really young and single. Like, it's just a eternal pit of money where you can't hear anything. It's just not. It's just not my thing.

[Eric]

I can tell you're fresh off that interview with the charity water guy. That's literally what he said.

[Travis]

Yeah, that's true. But also, he was a nightclub promoter in New York City for a really long time. So that was coming from personal experience.

[Eric]

What happened to the card slappers on the Strip? Did they. Did. What do you mean?

[Travis]

Card slappers?

[Eric]

The people that go, like, with their little strip club cards.

[Travis]

Oh, they're gone, are they?

[Eric]

Yeah, I guess. You have no more information than I do.

[Travis]

I honestly have not walked on the Strip.

[Eric]

I was like, did the city make them stop?

[Travis]

Anytime I go to the Strip now, it's like I go to the place I'm going, I valet the car, and then I go in the casino, and then I come back to the garage. I don't do much walking around, but they used to be all over valets. Surprising to me.

[Eric]

Valet is almost always worth it. Now I will say.

[Travis]

Well, because, like, self parking is only like 35 bucks. Yeah.

[Eric]

And then valet's 50, right, exactly.

[Travis]

It's not like it's free versus 50.

[Eric]

Anyway. Sorry. So what's the. What else is over there? Just clubs.

[Travis]

I just think clubs in general. I don't think there's probably a fair amount of dining that's overrated as well. But that's hard to say. Cause it's super subjective. And it is really good food. It's just that you're gonna pay a pretty penny for it. You could go off Strip and have great experience.

[Eric]

Even bad food in Vegas. And I would say even off Strip, like, even Henderson, Summerlin, you know, that's the only places we go to because I'm not going to North Vegas. But I'm saying, like, even the worst food that I've had here is genuinely pretty good. Except for. How am I gonna say the name?

[Travis]

Well, I will say I feel like national chains suffer here because they get. They don't have as much access to the talent pool as the specialty places. So even if you've, like, never heard of a spot, but it's like a unique place, it's probably gonna be pretty. Pretty damn good. Cause there's also some, like, off Strip places that have, like, sous chefs or head chefs that work on the Strip at, like, really nice restaurants that start their own restaurant concept, like, off the Strip somewhere. So you can find some really, really good, like, hidden gems.

[Eric]

Yeah.

[Travis]

There's this place down the street from here called Black Sheep.

[Eric]

Yeah.

[Travis]

And that was the store. Thank you for that. Now they know what I said. And I think. I think she's full time now over there. But she was on the Strip before and then opened up this restaurant, Black Sheep. And it's fantastic food. She's always in there. Like, she's. She's taking orders, she's working behind the bar. She's the head chef. She curates the men. If you go with, like, you know, every couple of months, the items on the menu change, but just really, really good food. So there's no shortage of good food. I just think that some. Some of the places that get all of the hype are probably places that are not worth it in terms of the amount of money that you're going to spend.

[Eric]

So what is, What's a non negotiable? Like, if I'm going out, I'm thinking about X. Do they take reservations?

[Travis]

Yeah, exactly. Probably the shows. And maybe it's just my anecdotal experience is that I don't see as many people come to Vegas for the shows. And like I said, I could be totally wrong on that, but when I'm talking to people, it's fairly rare that it's like, oh, we're gonna go see this show or that show. But some of the shows here are just fantastic.

[Eric]

What's the top three?

[Travis]

Cirque du Soleil has obviously several really good ones. But I would say the best Cirque show that I saw was Mad Apple because it felt the most modernized of all of them. They had like a mixture of standup comedy and the cool acrobatics, but also good, like, dances and stuff like that. It was a really great show. So Mad Apple, I think is at New York, New York. It was a really good show.

[Eric]

We went to go see Mystere by Cirque Soleil because it's like the kid friendly one that they do. And we went with my daughter's like, whole dance class because one of their teachers was in the show. And it was a very cool, like, it was like, oh, look, you could do this if you just do your practice and do this. Not just. No, no, no. But it was, it was a very cool, very cool experience. And it's also, like, crazy that, like, you're like watching them do stuff like, oh, you could die doing this at any point.

[Travis]

Yeah, right. Some of the. Yeah, some of the acrobatic stuff Absinthe is at the top of the list for me just because of that, like really crazy acrobatics, but also a bunch of comedy. It's very raunchy comedy. So don't go see that if you're like, if you have kids. I don't even think that'd be welcomed in that.

[Eric]

I think almost all the search shows are 18 plus, except for. Because I know one of them has more like nudity, I think, and then one of them's more like raunchy comedy.

[Travis]

And yeah, so absinthe is definitely up there. Really great mix comedy and it's close up. So it's like in a tent outside Caesar's palace. So it's not in like a big theater and stuff. So it's more of like an intimate type of a setting with. It's not like the merit of the acrobatics is only in the acrobatics itself, not in the production of the show, if that makes sense. So like, oh, I think is the one, the water one that Cirque does, which is fantastic, but it requires just an insane level of production to put it on. So absinthe I really like just because it's like a hardcore focus on just the amazing talent of the acrobats in the show. And then there's also the comedy aspect behind it.

[Eric]

There was one Cirque show that did nudity for a long time. And the reason I just thought about it is that it would be so embarrassing to fail an acrobatic act or injure yourself in front of a stadium. But then imagine doing that naked. Imagine you're just. Imagine you're just a dude and you go flying off a trapeze and then you just face plant on the floor unconscious, naked. Yeah, that's like the worst possible scenario.

[Travis]

The worst fail.

[Eric]

What's the worst show you've ever been to in Vegas? I mean, if you want to throw people under the bus, hard working people. What's the worst comedian you've ever seen? And put their little tag their socials. I will say. Wait, can we say this? I won't say the name.

[Travis]

Okay.

[Eric]

But I think you and I probably saw the worst stand up act we've ever seen.

[Travis]

Yeah, that's true. Yeah.

[Eric]

What's his name? No, that was one of the hardest. Like, it was the worst secondhand embarrassment ever.

[Travis]

Watching a comedian bomb because we were

[Eric]

front row and then I was angled where I could see everyone and I could see everyone going like. And the guy's like, hey, you with me?

[Travis]

Yeah. Cause I'm a pretty good.

[Eric]

It annoyed me that you laughed. He laughed a few times.

[Travis]

I'm a great person to have in your audience if you're doing standup, because, like, I. I don't know if it's just, like, the heightened sense of empathy or something, but I just. I want to laugh for you so bad. So, like, even when that guy was up there, when I laugh, I try to make it louder to be, like, cut through the. The embarrassing silence. What's funny is offer some encouragement.

[Eric]

I did clock that you were doing it to help, like, later.

[Travis]

Yeah.

[Eric]

But the first few times you started laughing, I was like, travis thinks this is funny. We don't have as much in common sense of humor. But you know what? I will say maybe growing up in the church encouraged you to give really loud, positive affirmation to lackluster messages. Boom. Anyway, well, speaking of lackluster messages, let's wrap up this episode.

[Travis]

Yeah. Okay. Well, if you're coming to Vegas, you

[Eric]

know, make a reservation.

[Travis]

Don't, Don't. And if you have to do a nightclub, do a nightclub.

[Eric]

But what's the best nightclub you've been to if you have to go pick your poison? Brad Garrett. I mean, beside Brad Garrett's comedy club, the most notorious club in Vegas.

[Travis]

Once you. Once you go to, like, the main ones on the Strip, they. To me, they look. A lot of them feel very similar. So, like, Zuk, which is. I think the one in Resorts world, is a little bit better because a little bit smaller. But then you have the other ones, like, forget the one in Mandalay Bay, but that one's massive, which can be a good time in, like, different contexts. There's one Hakkasan. However you say it, Hakkasan.

[Eric]

You're not saying any throat.

[Travis]

There's. And MGM is a really good one.

[Eric]

Tao.

[Travis]

I've not been to Tao. Actually.

[Eric]

I've never been to a nightclub in my life.

[Travis]

Really? None?

[Eric]

Nope.

[Travis]

Interesting. I feel like when we've been to, like, events and stuff, you've never.

[Eric]

No.

[Travis]

Oh, okay.

[Eric]

So, hey, we'll walk.

[Travis]

Well, you should go to one. Let me. Let me. Let me backtrack from the very beginning of this conversation and say, we'll vlog it for you. We're gonna go if they allow cameras,

[Eric]

or we'll just go and tell you about it.

[Travis]

But, yeah, it's just. Yeah, to me, it's a just completely overrated experience designed to make you spend everything that you have on ridiculously overpriced drinks. But anyway, if you're going to do it. You can, you can still have a good time. Just make sure that you know what to expect coming into it. And don't get, don't buy into the thought that these bottle service girls just really love you and therefore you must buy the most expensive bottle of vodka. Because it's all a hustle and it's all designed to get all the money out of your bank. And when you start drinking, you're more likely to believe it and then you're more likely to just get another bottle and then all of a sudden you're five grand in on an evening that you can't even remember. So have fun, be cautious, definitely check out some of the amazing food, and definitely book at least a show while you're in town. So there's no shortage of basically whatever you want to see, whether it's comedy, music, acrobatic performances. Like, you can get so many awesome things here. So I've not been to the sphere yet, unfortunately. I've heard that's amazing. I'll check into that one too, and then follow vegastarfish because Jen's always posting the best things to do in Vegas. And that's it for this episode of the show. Remember, money only solves your money problems, but it's easier to solve the rest of your problems with money in the bank. So let's solve that one first here on the Travis Makes Money podcast. Thanks for tuning in. Catch you next time. Peace.