I've seen so many great bands up close in Vegas. That's another one of my favorite things about that city. And they ALL roll through there, you'll get to see whoever you want eventually.
I'm outrageously excited for our trip! I'm just at this point, talking myself into the fact that there's no way I can see or do everything, so I'll just have to trust Russ to show me the best time possible
You could try a carb-free diet like Atkins, and mix in some exercise. It'll cause you to instantly lose alot of water weight which might drop you 10-15 pds in a couple of weeks.
I think a low-fat/low-calorie diet (probably no more than 46g fat a day and/or 1800 cal. a day), plus exercise - you should be able to shed 15 pds easily by Sept.