 Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Spotlight Showroom
Spotlight 29 Casino
Coachella, California
Story by Melissa Schoos
Photos by Cathy Jardine
To see more Cathy Jardine photos of the Thunder From Down Under, click here.
Life is good. And now I want to live in Australia. Or at least visit frequently. Why? Obviously you have not seen the men of “Thunder From Down Under” because if you had, you would not have asked that question. I reckon (I actually stood this close to one of them when he used that word. As in: “I reckon you can let go of my leg now, babe,” or was it “mate?” He may or may not have been talking to me) I should share my wealth of knowledge regarding the Thunder Boys, but whom am I kidding? You just want to see the photographs.
The first thing I should tell you is that the Spotlight Showroom at Spotlight 29 Casino is a very cool venue. It is spacious and comfortable and a great place to have fun. It is important to know that Spotlight does a tremendous job of crowd control. They are dealing with, well, you can imagine.
The security and organization of this place is really impressive. I just kept thinking that it would be an even better evening if the audience (yes, you) had a little bit more education or information on appropriate versus not-appropriate behavior, dress and accessories (as in cameras, videos, etc.) at a performance like this one.
 The Showroom was arranged in the traditional dinner show-style, so it was easy to roam around, looking for audience members with whom to chat. I introduced myself to some young ladies who were smart and cute and close to my age (okay, not REALLY that close). Demetria Robertson, Kimberlie LaPlante and Mandy Blake were thrilled to be there and with good reason. There were a few broken hearts, and there is nothing like Thunder to mend (or at least distract) a broken heart.
 I noticed three charming men at a large table. Art Quinones, Mike Genovan and Joe Ellenich, all of Palm Springs, were sitting together enjoying the evening’s people-watching aspect. It was about that time when the movie screens in the Showroom caught my eye. We all agreed that these beautiful Australian men deserved to be appreciated and admired just for their beauty that they selflessly share with women seven nights a week in Las Vegas. It must be a very hard job.
The people involved in putting the Thunder From Down Under show together really know what they are doing. They know exactly what words and gestures are needed to elicit the loudest response from the screaming fans. They seem to have it down to a science, including, I am certain, the decision to only begin the show when the decibel level reaches ear-bleeding level.
 The show began with a fairly simple dance routine performed by six men who were fully clothed. Occasionally they would throw a little “grabbing gesture” or &3147;pelvic thrust” into the mix, and that would really get the audience screaming.
The men took turns doing their thing solo. When this was the case, they would go into the den of wolves (also known as the intoxicated and excited audience) and pick someone to go on stage. This gal was then treated to a lap dance and more — Lucky Ann Benson! Her son treated her to the show for her birthday and she was picked out of the audience and brought on stage to “preview the merchandise” for the rest of us. She did a fine job and I am sure she will enjoy those Thunder moments for years to come.
As I look back on that evening now, I realize that it was very, very fun. I laughed the entire time. I did not feel degraded or degrading. It was seriously innocent, rated “R” at most. If there are any boyfriends or husbands who may have a problem, don’t worry about it.
To see more Cathy Jardine photos of the Thunder From Down Under, click here.
To learn more about Thunder From Down Under, click here.
For more about Spotlight 29 Casino, click here.
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