The neon buzz of Las Vegas doesn't just stay on the Strip. Like a smelly cat, it leaks into the corners of the city where the locals and the savvy travelers collide. This last trip, Wee found ourselves there, at Smelly Cat, a karaoke bar located outside the Horseshoe on the Strip, that proves Tuesday nights in Las Vegas can have more energy than a Saturday anywhere else.

The Pour: Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing

When you’re staring down a Tuesday night in Las Vegas, you need a beer that can go the distance. We opted for a full pitcher of Sierra Nevada Brewing’s Hazy Little Thing.

In the glass, it’s that classic, cloudy straw-gold we’ve come to expect from the giants in Chico. The aroma hits you with a punch of pineapple and heavy citrus zest; exactly what you want to accompany the heavy rhythms mixed with pop beats during a night of Karaoke. It’s an unfiltered IPA that doesn't try to be a juice box; it keeps a bit of that resinous hop bite on the finish to remind you it’s still a beer.

At 6.7% ABV, it’s a dangerous pitcher-filler, but the carbonation is crisp enough to scrub the palate between sets. It’s smooth, tropical, and remarkably consistent, which is a godsend when you're focusing more on your stage presence than your tasting notes.

The Tuesday Night Smelly Cat Fever

There is something visceral about singing with a live backup band. On Tuesday, the stage was backed by a group of musicians who seemed to have a telepathic connection to the history of rock and pop. You name it, they could play it; and play it with the kind of grit you only get from professional touring chops.

There is a specific kind of magic that happens when you have a pitcher of Hazy Little Thing on the table and a packed, enthusiastic crowd screaming along to every word. And singing with a live band behind you changes the game; you feel the bass in your chest, and the energy from the room was at a fever pitch. It wasn't just karaoke; it was a basement show where everyone knew the lyrics.

The atmosphere was electric, loud, and unapologetically fun.

The Wednesday Karaoke Shift

Returning on Wednesday offered a completely different flavor of Vegas. The "live band" energy shifted to the classic, polished rhythm of a dedicated karaoke host. The room was packed with a touristy conference crowd looking to blow off steam after a day of breakout sessions and networking.

While the vibe was different, the spirit remained the same. The "conference karaoke" crowd is uniquely supportive; there's a shared camaraderie in watching a group of strangers get over their stage fright and belt out classic Karaoke group songs with the correct key nowhere near the stage.

Why Smelly Cat Works

Whether it’s the raw power of a live band on a Tuesday or the classic hosting style of a Wednesday, the formula for a perfect night remains consistent:

- The Beer: A pitcher of Hazy Little Thing provides that perfect balance of citrus and tropical notes to keep the vocal cords primed. - The Crowd: An enthusiastic room that values effort over pitch-perfection. - The Venue: A place that feels authentic in a city built on illusions.

A final missing skier was also presumed dead, the authorities said. Six survivors were rescued. The avalanche is the deadliest in modern California history.

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Here’s the latest.

The bodies of eight skiers killed during an avalanche were found during a rescue effort late Tuesday in California near Lake Tahoe. Six skiers from their party survived and were evacuated, while one member of the group remains missing and presumed dead in what is already the deadliest avalanche in modern California history.

Several of those killed were members of the Sugar Bowl Academy community, according to school officials, who said they were not releasing names out of respect for the families affected. The academy is a private boarding school and ski club near Donner Summit.

The skiers, including four guides, had been finishing up a three-day backcountry expedition in a rugged but popular recreational area near Castle Peak. The six survivors were able to use a combination of emergency beacons and iPhone S.O.S. functions to contact rescuers, who braved treacherous conditions to reach them.

Two of the six survivors were taken to a hospital for treatment after being evacuated, Nevada County officials said in a news conference. One has since been released, and the other is still being treated with non-life-threatening injuries.

Searchers were unable to remove the bodies of the eight confirmed dead, officials said, and it was unclear on Wednesday when they might be able to return, with more significant snowfall in the forecast through the weekend.

The high death toll raised questions about why the group was on the mountain after forecasters had issued avalanche warnings for the northern Sierra Nevada, though longtime residents and officials emphasized that conditions in the backcountry can change swiftly.

“The backcountry, it’s beautiful,” said Sheriff Shannan Moon of Nevada County. “There’s not a lot of people out there, and that’s where a lot of people like to recreate — I myself like to recreate in that area.” But to Mother Nature, she added, “it doesn’t seem to matter.”

Here’s what to know:

The timeline: The group had been returning to a trailhead at the end of their trip late on Tuesday morning when one member of the group spotted the avalanche, according to officials. Search-and-rescue team members reached the survivors late on Tuesday night.

The location: The Frog Lake huts, where the group was staying, are tucked into the mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe and below Castle Peak, which towers at about 9,100 feet. It is one of the most popular skiing destinations in the region. Read more ›

The warnings: A backcountry avalanche warning had been issued for a broad stretch of the Sierra Nevada early Tuesday because of a combination of rapid snowfall and strong winds. Nearly three feet of snow had accumulated at Donner Peak, near Castle Peak, in the 48 hours before the avalanche.

The conditions: Forecasters warned that heavy snowfall would continue through Thursday across the northern Sierra Nevada, impeding search and recovery efforts.

The Sierra Nevada Mountains with dramatic lighting

Sierra Nevada con escaladores en un sendero escarpado

Les montagnes de la Sierra Nevada en hiver sous la neige