Awkward: that would seem to sum up Gnarls Barkley’s show in Las Vegas last week.

Even with a major hit under its belt, Gnarls Barkley was too experimental, too nuanced and maybe too ironic to succeed on a Vegas stage.

I don’t think that’s entirely true – I just think that an upscale casino in the most “master planned” and conservative neighborhood in Las Vegas isn’t exactly Gnarls Barkley territory. There are a few alternatives that are more enmeshed in the local music scene. (Although admittedly, not many.)