Downtown ZEN Aug 2014 by Downtown ZEN Magazine

AUG/SEPT 2014

Mark M. Mellon Fine Art Connects Bunkhouse 2.0 What You’ll Hear

Inside the Mind of a Blue Man

Planting the Seed of Bud & Vine

In Memoriam:

Descriptive Morns Buddy Lamkin

•Vegas Valley Theatre Awards •Combatant Gentlemen

Editor-in-Chief Loren Becker

Managing Editors

Michael Boley, Mandy Crispin

Contributing Writers

Brian Paco Alvarez, Erik Amblad, Michael Boley, Temple Brathwaite, Mandy Crispin, Karina Giraldo, Peter Gaunt, Richard Grewar, Rockne Henriques, Consy Malasoma, Amy Maier, Joanna Mueller, Fernando Reyes, Shawn Zahnow

Calendar & Events Mikela Lee-Manaois

Photography

Matt Wong, Ivan Quiroz, Peter Gaunt, Brian Jones, Combatant Gentlemen, Peter Harasty, Anthony Mair, Downtown ZEN Team

Art Director

Ryan Brekke (BullFish Media)

Web Design

Michael Boley Cover:

Concept

Mandy Crispin

The Human

Mark M. Mellon

Artwork and Design Mark M. Mellon

Photography Ivan Quiroz

Typography Layout Ryan Brekke

Logo Design

Fernando Cabestany

Printer

Jackpot Printing 702.873.1902 | www.jackpotprintinglv.com

Email: DowntownZEN@zappos.com Like: facebook.com/ ZapposDowntownHappenings Instagram: #dtZEN

Letter From the Editors

Humanity: the art of living and living art. What is primal creativity? That we cannot, as humans, avoid the product of our instinctual imaginations. Ingenuity seeps through any crack there may be in our sometimes all-business, busy exteriors. Because in every endeavor our calling to create must be satiated. This month is brimming over with art of one sort or another and humanism strikes through every piece. Fine artist Mark M. Mellon sheds light on his brilliant and haunting characters while new columnist Fernando Reyes brings himself out of the darkness by pounding the pavement around downtown Las Vegas. Have you ever wondered what goes on inside the mind of a Blue Man? Blue Man Group actor Matthew Banks accommodates our existential musings in his strong and articulate responses. If you want to know why they’re blue, you’ll have to journey on over to dtzen.com to watch a video interview with Jack Kenn, vice president senior resident general manager for Blue Man Group Las Vegas. The art of flower arrangements is also revealed along with insights about the newly opened Bud & Vine shop inside the John E. Carson building, and the newly renovated Bunkhouse will reopen to deliver us our soul food in the art of unisonance. While the also-new murals at Zappos.com headquarters will be the topic of Fabulous Downtown, Descriptive paints a picture of a veteran man, now passed away, so that we may imagine telescoping ourselves a glimpse into the homes of average yet extraordinary downtown dwellers who leave this place better than it was when they came into the world. Similarly, we go behind the lens to take in a new view of downtown neighborhoods in the photographic essay. We are behind the scenes at The Lady Silvia as well, revealing the purpose of the artful use of phrase on its own murals including, “put a sweater on” and “poor darling.” It will warm your hearts as much as it will to see how “Combatant Gentleman” came to be: a boy who followed his passions into adulthood and who argues that America’s forte is no longer manufacturing — it is creativity. Fashion this month will be a splendid and delicious piece of candy for the brain. We hope this month’s issue has been crafted well. We hope it inspires, informs and enriches our fellow beings. Please enjoy it. This is our art for you. - Downtown ZEN team

table of

CONTENTS

Features

03 | Bud & Vine 07 | Blue Man Group 11 | Artist Mark M. Mellon 24 | National Night Out

11 49 07

53 About the Cover Fine artist Mark M. Mellon brings us to one plane of his mind as his characters dance across the landscape on this month’s cover. The three characters shown are from his series VIA, translated as “journey.” The fourth figure is Mellon himself, contemplative, as he most often appears in real life. To find out what thoughts brew behind the face, go to page 11. To view more Mellon fine art, go to mellonfineart.com or email markmmellon@gmail.com.

Captivating

Creations

Traditional yet modern, this versatile bouquet features blushing bride protea, belles of Ireland, China mum, kangaroo paw, jasmine and daisies.

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

Whether your style is radiant or rustic, earthy or exotic, there’s an arrangement that’s perfect for you. By Michael Boley Photography by Matt Wong

ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

Planting a Seed Downtown 124 S. Sixth Street, Suite 170 Las Vegas, NV 89101 702.527.5151

“We have the best quality flowers that you can get,” says co-owner and florist Christina Cicatello. “I care for my flowers when they come in and do everything to ensure they’re going to last as long as possible — I cut them, nurture them, and baby them in all the ways I’m supposed to.”

For those special occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries, I love yous and just becauses, or to mend the fence with your lover over a previous night’s quarrel, nowhere within a mile radius of Fremont Street could you find a floral shop that specializes in custom bouquets for delivery or a quick pick-up-and-go from office to home. Sure, you could drive out of your way to the local grocer for a premade, wilted arrangement or dole out dollars on overpriced greens and too few florets online, but the overall process is nonsensical, inconvenient and unjust not only to you, but also the gift’s recipient. Add now Bud & Vine to the list of rapidly emerging boutique businesses on the downtown scene. The shop, located within the shared office space of the famed John E. Carson Hotel, offers custom or prepared arrangements and flowers by the stem. Furthermore, the showroom doubles as an apothecary and curated gift shop with scented candles and botanicals, adding a certain degree of finesse and sophistication to the up-and-coming neighborhood.

The same can be said about her flowers. Whether in a decorated vase, bowl or farm box, Bud & Vine offers a spectacular collection of prepared arrangements as well as custom creations, including the basics like daisies, tulips, garden roses and orchids. However, what differentiates Bud & Vine from its competitors, says Cicatello, is their varied on-hand selection of seasonal floras. “By having very interesting flowers, we’ll always have peonies when they’re in season, we will always have dahlias, China mums — these are flowers you don’t normally see at your typically florist, and also things you can’t just go and pick up at Trader Joe’s.”

Bud & Vine is co-owned and operated by Las Vegas residents and longtime friends John Bunch and Christina Cicatello. The two met five years ago through a mutual acquaintance, and, at the time, Bunch was a forward-thinking developer at Zappos and Cicatello had been working her craft as a florist at various shops across the valley. But it wasn’t until about last year when Bunch and Cicatello were determined to pair up and plant the seed of their very own business.

Additionally, unmatched is Bud & Vine’s consistency and quality control. When placing an order online with services like 1-800-Flowers or FTD, the problem is twofold, says Bunch. First, orders that get submitted via wire services get fulfilled by any number of local florists, so overall consistency diminishes, and second, wire services get paid first, thus leaving lesser money for the actual florist and you receiving a lesser quality arrangement.

According to Bunch, Bud & Vine was initially slated to open its doors just up the road inside Downtown Container Park, with the entire store to be transformed as an encased walk-in cooler. However, spatial feasibility quickly became a factor, and those plans were scrapped for the more open and accommodating space within John E. Carson, allowing for an all-encompassing, rustic aesthetic with modern appeal.

Bud & Vine also offers its satisfied clientele the option of subscribing to its Installations or Bespoke Box offerings. Within the Installations package, subscribers will receive weekly, monthly or occasional flower arrangements, either in vase or wrapped, which can be delivered to any valley location. The Bespoke Box focuses on the shop’s gifting section, where each month, subscribers will receive unique goods curated by the Bud & Vine staff from the brands they love, like Herbivore Botanicals and The Bower Studio.

Walking a few steps inside Bud & Vine, guests are greeted by a culmination of nursery and agrarian-themed décor, from terra cotta clay pots and chevron hanging baskets to an array of desktop planters made from teak, walnut, fir and birch trees. To the left and right of the store are wall-lined countertops and shelves adorned with uniquely crafted creations and vintage goods, from hand-poured candles, beard tonic, and artisan body and shave soaps to letterpress stationary, porcelain place card holders and quilted jelly jars. Asked why she incorporated an apothecary within a flower shop, Cicatello explained simply, “It’s really just about having a good gift section that I believe in,” continuing, “I think for a lot of florists, their retail section of the store is 05

kind of an afterthought, and also it’s not curated, necessarily, for their clientele. If I’m going to be downtown and I know my walk-in clientele, I would like to have things that get them in the door and that make them feel catered to in some capacity.”

Downtown ZEN

And if that’s not enough for service, Bud & Vine is working on a text-to-order concept as well as a monthly event titled “Flower to the People,” where guests are invited to come in and learn hands-on floral techniques, such as building their own bouquets, arrangements or terrariums. “I hope that we fill a niche within that broader community of locally owned and operated businesses that is not currently filled. Right now there is nowhere to go, in this specific area within a few miles, for flowers and for unique gifts like this,” said Bunch. “Our whole goal is to provide really amazing quality at competitive prices.” dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

Easy 1, 2, 3 Bouquet Making

Build A Foundation B

To create a mesmerizing flower arrangement, begin by cutting your stems at an angle with a sharp blade. Deter from using scissors as it will pinch the stems, affecting the lifespan of your flowers. Next, remove all excess leaves from the stem with your fingers up to the vaseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s predetermined waterline. Build your arrangement by taking your two largest flowers and crisscrossing the stems at the bottom of the base.

PICTURED

Crisscross largest stems for structure.

A | Dahlia B | Asiatic Lily

Add In Greens

To create that full look, add greens to fill in the gaps using the same crossing method as in Step 1, continuously building upon the base. Greens are great for pairing with more delicate or less impactful blooms, providing a distinct, eye-appealing contrast. Tip: Minimize costs by foraging your greens from the backyard, using small branches and leaves that will add color and structure.

PICTURED

A | Ruscus B | Bells of Ireland

Nestle delicate blooms amongst greens.

Create A Statement

Finish your bouquet by muscling in smaller flowers throughout, creating additional visual interest to draw the eye. Although these less-impactful stems may seem nonessential, they do help create that defining statement. Remember to provide your floras with fresh water daily, sprinkling in flower food to ensure a long and healthy lifespan.

PICTURED

Smaller blooms add pop color flair.

A | Dendrobium Orchids B | Blushing Bride Protea

ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

Bald, Blue Men Everywhere: Blue Man Group and Zappos Art Installation Reveal By Mandy Crispin

n May 14, 2014 Zappos.com brought out the blue downtown. In its 10th iteration, the annual Bald and Blue fundraiser benefited Project WE this year and lent itself well to the appearance of Blue Man Group who would reveal the interactive ShoeZaphone located in the Zappos headquarters lobby. This permanent art installation is a marker of the developing partnership between Zappos and Blue Man Group, and what better opportunity to unveil it than when half the company is “getting bald and blue?” The installation stood glowing behind an opaque curtain as people milled around excitedly and began to populate the outer balconies surrounding the plaza, a circular, outdoor, central ground where many Zappos events are held. A sudden, otherworldly sound echoed giving preview to the

Downtown ZEN

installation’s promise: “Bawk! Bawk! Bawk!!” Is that a … chicken? With slow, deliberate gestures three Blue Men entered the plaza exhibiting their gentle yet pronounced, ever-curious gait, wheeling Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh through the crowd in a road case. Hsieh emerged from the case, and as part of the fundraiser, the Blue Men took to shaving his head and hand printing the top of another employee’s alreadybald head before stalking away and disappearing into the building. Activities continued in the plaza, but many were waiting to see what was going to happen next in the lobby. When the sheet came down, the previously blank wall was alight. Made of video screens, PVC pipe and an internal

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

sound bank, ShoeZaphone takes up about 7 feet by 10 feet of space. One Blue Man proceeded to teach the other two how to play the glowing art wall, which makes a variety of different sounds when the PVC pipes are struck, and then the group of three taught Hsieh. They also marked him with blue paint from each of their own faces, welcoming him into the magical world of Blue Man Group. Employee Tyler Williams, Fungineer, who was a leader in executing this project, commented that “Zappos is super excited to see where our partnership with Blue Man Group takes us! The ‘ShoeZaphone’ they installed in our lobby is one of the coolest interactive art pieces we’ve ever seen, and proven to be a really popular attraction for our tour guests.”

Q and A with Blue Man Matthew Banks 1. What is the Blue Man philosophy From an acting standpoint, we always say three as one. The Blue Men are three bodies but we think of them as one whole organism, wherein the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Blue Man Group as a company thinks that way too, in that the interdependence of multiple departments collaborating make the best “art” or “experiences of connectedness for ourselves and our audiences.”

2. Political Scientist Benedict Anderson introduced a theory he called unisonance to describe the feeling of connectedness that people feel when they share a meaningful and interactive experience with each other, usually around music. (An experience of simultaneity.) Can you comment on this? Every night in our show, we forge a pathway to this very thing Anderson calls “unisonance.” The most visceral physical and mental feeling of present-connectedness comes from the Blue Men finding out about the audience through their various “tests.” The show (and each piece) is an arch of exploration/development/exaltation with the audience.

3. How will this installation play a part in the extension of the Blue Man Group’s mission to give people this kind of experience? The installation is the perpetual-ized invitation to become an “insider.” The Blue Men arrive as “outsiders” in the show but become insiders by the end through what seems to be unorthodox methods/experiments. The installation provides the grounds for guests of Zappos to do this on a smaller, but not necessarily, more intimate scale, sharing an experience in the small world of the ShoeZaphone.

4. The Blue Man Group theatrical experience is planned and rehearsed, but the comment of the show seems to lean towards freedom from the norm and an inspirational kind of spontaneity by provoking the audience to almost improv during interactions and be ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

actively engaged. Can you comment on this? Though the show is rehearsed, the thing the Blue Men practice most is saying “yes” to something that is actually happening that night. Being totally present and taking what's tangibly there and celebrating it. The Blue Men’s innocence, curiosity and wonderment set the tone, like a permission slip, to rediscover one's own (perhaps) hidden childlike qualities.

5. How does this installation play a part in the extension of that part of the Blue Man philosophy, and why install it here at Zappos versus somewhere else? With similar core values of encouraging creativity, fun and adventure, Blue Man Group and Zappos have collaborated to bring wonder and the unknown into everyday life through the “ShoeZaphone.” In addition, Blue Man Group, like Zappos, works on becoming a part of the local cultural landscape in imaginative ways.

6. The theatrical performance plays on some uncomfortable, existential themes of human existence like isolation, self-consciousness, and information overload contrasted with the amazement and awe of science, technology, innocence, and humor. Can you comment on this? The biggest irony is that the Blue Men theoretically only show up where there is a collective need for them to. That need is the seed that grows into our theatrical experience, which allows for collective self-reflection without spoon feeding or preaching the need for common experiences in the real reality as opposed to virtuality. It takes a village to raise a child, but let's not forget, it takes a village to be a village too.

7. Do you think this installation embodies those themes? How so? The contrasts in the installation's sound sample library provide the potential for comically ebbing and flowing in and out of “belonging.” There are some really cool ambient pad patches that are hilariously juxtaposed with chicken and monkey screeches. Ironically, the shared humor between two or more people playing with this brings them together while their respective sounds seem so outlandishly separate.

8. Culture here at Zappos is a requirement for becoming part of the community. What does it take to become a Blue Man culture-wise? One of the first acculturation items for new employees at Blue Man Group is to learn more about the Blue Man character. They learn that Blue Man has no ego, he is innocent, curious and a collaborator on a mission to harvest connectedness. Whether you are an usher or a stage manager or playing the role of the Blue Man, these themes are brought into play.

Downtown ZEN

©Ivan Quiroz

9. Blue Men are curious. They even stand as if “ready-to-pounce” on any environmental stimulation. They are unfamiliar with how to unwrap a Twinkie and seem to have little social training on how to have a dinner party. If they are not aliens, what is the historical context you give yourselves as actors to place yourselves in the mindset to play them? That answer changes all the time. My favorite, and the one that resonates most with me, is that they are the manifest of the congregating group's collective need for them; without that they would cease to exist. This “need” for them is vital and the result of a critical mass level of sustaining the ever increasing societal disconnect. Thereby a dangerous volatile landscape for the Blue Men to navigate through and thus the “ready-to-pounce” stance. They are on a running-outof-time mission where anything could go very wrong at any moment so they're very careful yet moving forward is priority. One of our founders, Phil Stanton, recently suggested that the Blue Man is intelligent yet from another time, so nothing is familiar.

10. Is a Blue Man’s curiosity accidental engagement with inherent nativity/innocence or a constant and deliberate pursuit to escape boredom? The Blue Men have never seen anything in our world before. Everything is baffling and potentially dangerous. If a given item becomes useful, it is celebrated.

11. What is the hope of curiosity? Here is a contextual quote from Soren Kierkegaard: “When the God-forsaken worldliness of earthly life shuts itself in complacency, the confined air develops poison, the moment gets stuck and stands still, the prospect is lost, a need is felt for a refreshing, enlivening breeze to cleanse the air and dispel the poisonous vapors lest we suffocate in worldliness. ... Lovingly to hope all things is the opposite 09

Downtown ZEN

of despairingly to hope nothing at all. Love hopes all things — yet is never put to shame. To relate oneself expectantly to the possibility of the good is to hope. To relate oneself expectantly to the possibility of evil is to fear. By the decision to choose hope one decides infinitely more than it seems, because it is an eternal decision.” The wonderment and curious tone set by the Blue Men paves the way for people to do the same in their everyday lives. Because the Blue Men don't speak, people end up writing their own dialogue in their heads throughout the show. They think they are getting to know and celebrate the Blue Men while they're actually getting to know and celebrating themselves too.

12. What is the integrity of the Blue Man character you play? What is his intent? The Blue Men don't have a final vision of where they'd like to take the group in front of them. They only feel the need to get them moving/thinking/feeling forward to an elevated, fresh place. They have no idea how, and so they fumble serendipitously until they reach a point where they feel the group can take it from there. “Stay with that,” the Blue Men finally exude.

For tickets to Blue Man Group go to: http://www.blueman.com/las-vegas/buy-tickets. To play the ShoeZaphone, stop by the lobby at: Zappos.com headquarters at 400 Stewart Avenue.

To find out why the Blue Men are blue and more about the relationship between Zappos and Blue Man Group, see the taped interview with Jack Kenn, vice president senior resident general manager for Blue Man Group Las Vegas, at dtzen.com. dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

VISIONARY ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

In Living Color By Mandy Crispin

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

ark M. Mellon is an introspective and prolific fine artist with the ability to bring uncanny characters into our world and into our view. It takes a great deal of skill to make tangible the essence of humanity. His skill is no distraction from the work though. It melts away leaving only the subjects to speak for themselves; they beam from the page, silently and patiently, waiting to be acknowledged. There is a catharsis in the way they connect to the viewer that is also almost unnerving, as though looking into a mirror and recognizing one’s own self in an unfamiliar body. In this way they are forceful and provocative. Mellon Fine Art is described as “primitive surrealistic abstraction,” and although these elements apart from one another may seem to imply the unattainable, and mysterious, and sometimes vague world of fantastical imagination, the style of these combined together with Mellon’s stewardship bring forth visceral reality.

Q&A with Mark M. Mellon When I am writing I can be myself. Is that how you feel when you do your art? Absolutely. But not just doing my work ... it is the environment in which I work, my studio, that really sets the tone and allows me to simply be me. I can’t just work wherever or pop into some random place and pick up someone else's tools and begin working. It’s foreign and alien to me. It’s not comfortable, and the end result of the work would not be the same. I’m very particular on where and how I work. Why surrealism? Well, it was never really a conscious decision that I said, “OK, I’m going to do surrealism.” While I was learning art history and about other artists back in the day, there were a few surrealists I liked and admired ... but also, a lot that I did not like. From about 2005-2007 I heavily influenced my work on dreams or visions. It was a “darker” period I suppose, but it was also a self-reflective period. That was my most surrealist time, in my opinion. I think, now, for me, surrealism is a way to connect fantasy, to fictionalize nonfiction ... Life is nothing without a good story to back it up. What appeals to you/lets you express your thoughts via primalism? For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by “primitive” cultures and their art. But it took me a long time for it to just click in my mind exactly how much the work just makes sense. It is simple and minimal, yet detailed and complex all at the same time. The greatest challenge over the last few years has been to blend my own style with that of the past. There is something about the work that just shouts honesty, truth, and most importantly: humanity.

ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

What about abstraction adds some latitude to what you are trying to say/how you see things? Abstraction, for me, is a freedom that takes a lot of courage on the artist’s part. Plus a lot of skill. Abstract work, in my opinion, should not just be jumped into ... It should be approached after you have knowledge and skill in painting and composition ... I love abstract, and like primitive work, I feel it is the most complex. Over the last two years I began to blend figurative pieces into more abstract pieces. I am really liking this aspect of it. For example my ANIMUS Collection, “animus,” which translates as “The Mind, Heart, Spirits,” these are a series of paintings that focus on portraits being created very abstractly ... using brush strokes or scratch marks to guide the future of the piece. For these, I think abstraction plays a huge role of the story of the actual work, giving life and expression to spirits of our past and our future, or other aspects of who we think we are. This is an ongoing collection I began about a year ago. Whenever I am feeling down or just stuck, I start making these guys ... They usually bring new insight. Abstraction is also, I think, the perfect analogy to the universe and our lives in it —Randomness with bits already planned out, with an occasional, unexpected screw up that turns out to complete the work. Tell me about your characters personalities. What are they doing? Do they have a mindset? How do they experience the world you put them in? I hope that my work portrays curiosity and human emotion. I love to hear the narratives my collectors or fans of my work say the images are to them.

Downtown ZEN

Sometimes they think the same as me, sometimes they help me see new things about them. For me, while I work on them, sometimes they are the opposite of the feelings I have or feel overwhelmed with at the time, or sometimes they are simply a reflection of a state of mind I am in, while other times, I try to imagine the state of minds of others and portray that ... I want them all to be in a world of curiosity examining our lives in front of us. Some happy, some sad, some extremely pissed off and some, some just don’t give a damn. I feel like with each one, I allow a piece of myself to go into the work ... which can be draining sometimes, but for me, this completes the work and makes it real. If there is no soul to it I wouldn’t even dream of calling it art. Where is this landscape? For the most part, just the imagination ... a world their own, that out of focus, fuzzy place when you close your eyes and other times they exist in that place between life and death. Do you feel like you channel your characters? Absolutely. Sometimes with a piece, I see it in its entirety and know exactly how to begin and end the piece ... as though the character is right there in my mind, and I have been transported to their world and see it in front of me. In those times I have to work on them and finish them right away, or they will leave, and the work will never be the same. There are moments it feels like perhaps they are memories of past lives or lives of the future, who knows really. Where do your characters get their shape from? What are they supposed to convey? How do you get them to do it? The characters in my work are simply living their lives. It’s a chance for us to peek into their lives. Their triumphs, their tragedies, their happiness, their love and their sadness. Maybe it will spark a story of your own or help recall a memory from your past that the viewer can connect with. They simply are humanity and are a small imprint of the large ripples we individually can make in the waves of time. Tell me about your use of color.... I studied color the most out of anything over the years. Some years ago, while I was training, when I decided to copy those old masters’ work to learn their techniques ... I did not sell the paintings or try to show them. I just did them to learn. One of the artists I would emulate was Seurat. His use of color 13

Downtown ZEN

is so extraordinary; I fell in love with it. I always plan my colors as I work, sort of reactionary I suppose. The color can really set the mood for a piece and tell the story itself. I made a small collection of paintings a few months ago, COLOS (color), where each piece is painted in a single color. Red, blue, yellow, etc. It was a challenge to make something like this interesting and have contrast, especially wanting to keep it just one color. These have been one of my favorite little series I've done. The most interesting thing with color is that not everyone sees the same thing; some people can take a sense of happiness and peace for a work while another finds sadness or distress in the same piece. It is very interesting and honestly one of the things I love the most out of what I do: the variety of emotional response from my work. Why is death always blue and black and grey? Funny you see that in those pieces ... It really is not intentional at all. Or even my interpretation probably wouldn't be that they are about death. Death is a subject that I am not scared of but would like to avoid. I want to emphasize life and living. I do not believe death truly exists ... at the moment though, I would not like to meet him ... I still have work to do. But I guess you can say death is void of color? Why are happy colors happy? Because they are happy? You say death is a common symbol for rebirth: In the series Grego, the characters look terrified. In the series Examinus (Dead) the color schemes are familiar to those in Grego, and although the faces are not terrified and perhaps not dead, only resting, how does this color scheme manifest in these darker themes? Death is a major theme in my work ... But not in a macabre or sad, depressing way. I think it is more representing change and the idea to revolt against the notion that when we are dead we cease to be ... the universe is a constant ... I believe the energy or whatever it is that fuels our consciousness just continues to move on. Birth and rebirth. Etc. Exanimus was, I suppose, a more literal translation of that. With literal mummies on crosses. The real idea on them was to use the cross symbol for it ... for thousands of years before Christianity adopted it the cross was used as symbol for everlasting life. I love the idea of symbology. It is so interesting to see how dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

symbols have changed meaning and how they are perceived now. Grego (herd, crowd) was more a commentary on our interactions with each other as a people. People arguing. Not getting along. A great debate. I pictured them in some grand hall, all discussing some event in their time that had a dire consequence for them ... Each of them has his own opinion on how to move forward. For me, each series is a separate story — Its own chapter in an overall network of stories I am creating. What materials do you choose and why? My current "go to's" are stone, plaster, ink and acrylic paintings on paper and canvas or hardboard panel. There is something about the textures and the look of these that connect perfectly with the voice of my ideas and translate visually the story I have. I began sculpting stone this year and absolutely fell in love with it ... there is something about carving a part of the Earth itself into a moment of your story that is very satisfying. Also the work involved is the exact challenge I was searching for. Plaster, because I love the history of it and its application in other genres and periods in art. Especially the idea it was the go-to building source in the Roman era ... just something neat about using it for that reason ... also, the texture it brings to the work is awesome. My choice to use acrylic over oil began originally because I did not have the patience for the oil to dry. Now, I have found I am actually allergic to oil paints. SO ... I have to use acrylic. But also, I love its versatility and the textures I can achieve with acrylic. I have been painting in this medium for over 14 years ... I’ve found some tricks and developed my own along the way. The choice over paper or canvas now depends on what story I am working on. Paper has a certain look to my work that I love. But it is very specific. Very rustic. If I want a cleaner, more precise, slightly more textured look I move to canvas ... If I want rough, heavy texture, I choose hardboard panel. What is best is the story sometimes starts itself; I will just choose “eenie, meeny, miny, moe” which surface I work on that week, and it starts. Or sometimes I add to current older collections if I feel the story can grow. Each of my collections have a specific narrative, their own chapter, if you will, in this grander story of life and humanity I am creating ...

ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

What about size? How is the size of the piece dictated, and what size do you prefer?

You adhere the philosophy called possibilian what does this mean, and how does that influence you?

Big, small, it makes no difference to me. I like to create smaller works to be more affordable for everyone, so everyone has a chance to enjoy my work. I also, at times, do love to work large. With commissions I get the luxury of painting large also, which is nice. It’s much more freeing when it comes to the actual process of painting.

When things really began to click, all of a sudden everything in my life began to click. Things began to make sense. Then I read this book by a man who claimed he was a Possibilian. After reading what he meant by this, this too clicked. All of a sudden, my confusion on my stance in life made sense by giving myself this label.

What are your inspirations when you're out of gas?

I have never been able to fully accept that “this” or “that” is concrete or that a select few of humanity have found absolute truths that we all must simply accept and nothing else will change those truths because of impossibility. I have always believed that all things are possible. It is just your willingness to believe them to be. Perhaps we won't see an idea or thing be true right now, but there is always a possibility that in the future, with greater science and technology, or with further study, it will be true.

For the past three years, I have not truly ran “out of gas” with my work. I always challenge myself to keep moving forward. If I am stuck with an idea I would like to see become a reality, I move forward and draw or paint other things, smaller things ... even if they are not that good to me … who's to say someone else may not connect and love them, but not only that ... when I am working on smaller things, ideas for larger works, or bigger ideas come. It is always a race for me to get the ideas out before they are gone. Perhaps when I am out of gas that is when I can be done.

Downtown ZEN

There are always possibilities. Nothing is permanent. Nothing is really true. For me, personally, it was a sigh of relief to come to this.

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

Art and science are the same thing to me. It takes a creative mind to bring new thoughts into the world. Can you comment on this in some way? I believe they are as well. In the Golden Age of artists, “scientist” and “artist” were one in the same. A different sort of respect was granted to the artist. Flash forward to today, and science has become 100 times more complex and art 100 times more simplistic and vague. I love to read science journals and imagine the world of the future. These things make sense to me on certain level, but the math is foreign ... For a small amount of time I made electronic vehicles for a start-up company in town … I ran the electrical lines and problem solved new ways to improve it. It was a fun albeit stressful job. I think we live in the perfect age to witness the very beginning of humanity evolving with new technology and science ... and I can only wonder in awe and envy of what our children and future generations will be lucky enough to witness. Artists go through phases, being influenced by theory, philosophy, everyday life, each other, the fabric of the world, etc. What stages have you identified in your career? What have been some of the most prominent influences on your work so far? From the time I graduated high school and took a small, brief trip around Europe, I spent time recreating old masters’ works to learn their techniques, brushstrokes, ideas ... then I went through phases where I thought I knew my work, and what I was doing, and then to utter dread of what I created and what I had shown. Dread because it was not really my true voice on the canvas, or at times, the work was too real, too connected to my personal life that reflecting on the work had too many memories attached. All my work pre-2006 I destroyed. And for a period of time I created nothing, getting rid of all my paints and things because I just wanted nothing to do with it.

What really started to inspire me was metaphysical ideas, creation, life, love ... It was the matter of finding a true way to voice these things visually for me that was and still is something I strive for ... Currently I think I am close to this, but there is always room to evolve in your work to keep it fresh and new ... my current inspirations are still what I’ve found to be the most inspiring a few years back, like I said, creation, life, love, our humanity ... happiness. Are you native to Las Vegas, and can you comment on the art community here? I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We moved from there when I was 14, first to Florida, then here. I suppose it was the move at that age that made me very private and keep to myself. When I was first starting out and seeking to learn back in ‘98, there was not much of an art community around ... I participated in what I could, but also, because I like to keep to myself, I knew I had to find my own ways to show my work and reach my audience. I found great and interesting people here that gave me insights into life and helped shape my own understandings of things. The mountains and the idea of living life in the desert is fitting to me in some sense. But I do not think art or the product of an artist’s work should be defined on where he is from or where he creates it. I’ve lived in Summerlin, I’ve lived in downtown, I’ve lived in Green Valley. It’s all the same to me. It’s all Las Vegas. In this day and age, we have the opportunity to connect with a GLOBAL art community. This, to me, is much more appealing, much more interesting and much more rewarding.

Mark M. Mellon Mellon Fine Art Studio www.mellonfineart.com markmmellon@gmail.com twitter.com/mellonart facebook.com/ primitivesurrealisticabstraction

I would say my career as an artist really began around 2007/2008: where I really began to find myself and what my voice really was as an artist. It was also when I started to find collectors of my work online ... which was a good feeling and let me know I was on a good path.

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

SUPER SUMMER SPECIALS

There’s Something NEW to Savor Every Day this Summer!

FISH & CHIPS MONDAYS ALL YOU CAN EAT $ 9.99 PER PERSON (11AM – CLOSE)

BUFFALO WING WEDNESDAYS ALL YOU CAN EAT $ 9.99 PER PERSON (11AM – 11PM)

Zappos Employees Receive 10% Off All Our Restaurants.

OPEN DAILY

STREET TACOS EVERY DAY!

(2PM – 10PM)

HAPPYH O U R

.99 EACH (11AM – 3PM)

5PM – 7PM FOLLOW US ONLINE:

Downtown Grand Las Vegas

@DowntownGrandLV

DOWNTOWNGRAND.COM | 702.719.5100 IN Downtown3rd ONE BLOCK SOUTHWEST OF ZAPPOS 23

Management reserves all rights. Not valid for holidays. Cannot be combined with any other discounts or coupons. Must Present Zappos Employee ID for discounts. Limited Downtown ZENtime offer.

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

National Night Out: Fighting Crime w/Community

By Michael Boley

rom St. Pete to Portland and Irvine to Vegas, neighborhoods large and small across the country are gearing up for the 31st annual “America’s Night Out Against Crime,” also known as National Night Out.

Now in its 24th year locally, on Tuesday, August 5, valley residences will have the opportunity to attend private and public events and meet metro officers and elected officials for a fun-filled, safe night out.

National Night Out, which is an extension of the National Association of Town Watch (NATW), a nonprofit organization founded in 1981, is an evening-long social gathering between neighborhood watch groups, law enforcement agencies, civic groups and individuals devoted to promoting crime prevention.

In downtown Las Vegas, Ward 3 Councilman Bob Coffin will attend the Desert Pines Townhomes celebration (for residents only) at 3750 E. Bonanza Rd. as well as the Crossroads Homeowners Association celebration (for residents only) at 401 N. Lamb Blvd. near the pool area between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Attendees will be treated to a hot dog barbecue and ice cream social, provided by the Crossroads HOA, where they can talk with and have their questions answered by City of Las Vegas Detention & Enforcement officers. Additionally, Councilman Coffin will make an appearance at the Spectrum Apartments celebration (for residents only) at 60 N. Pecos Rd. between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Coinciding with the organization’s “lights on” vigil campaign, where residents turn on their porch lights as a sign of solidarity, registered communities are putting on a bevy of wide ranging activities, from block parties, barbecue cookouts and youth events to exhibits, rallies and marches, in an effort to ward off criminals letting them know area neighborhoods are united, organized and are fighting back. The inaugural event first took place in 1984, when 2.5 million Americans took part across 400 communities in 23 states. In recent years, that number has risen dramatically, involving over 37.8 million people and 16,124 communities from all 50 states and U.S. territories. Even far-reaching participation has been achieved in Canadian metropolises and throughout military bases globally. Here in Las Vegas, it’s especially important for communities to promote National Night Out as violent crime and property crime rates have continued to climb since 2000. More recently in 2012, according to Las Vegas city data, the city’s violent crime rate was nearly 150 points higher than the national average, up 15 points from the previous year. ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Simultaneously not far away, LVMPD Downtown Area Command and community partners, including Downtown 360, will be putting on a shindig of their own throughout the Fremont East district between Seventh Street and Ninth Street from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The dry event, which is open to the public, will be providing free food and fun for the entire family with face painting, a petting zoo, a balloon artist and raffle prizes. On NATW’s website, National Night Out founder Matt Peskin summed up the evening best, saying “This is a night for America to stand together and promote awareness, safety and neighborhood unity. National Night Out showcases the vital importance of police-community partnerships and citizen involvement in our fight for a safer nation. On National Night Out, we invite neighborhoods nationwide to join us and ‘give crime a going away party.’” Downtown ZEN

Combatant

Gentlemen

Vowing to Make Men Look Their Best By Temple Brathwaite

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

oincidentally watching Bride Wars, starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway, as my mind drifted off daydreaming about my own upcoming nuptials, I was reminded that the presence of wedding season is in full effect. Flowers, cake, a venue and the awe-inspired wedding dress are just a few of the details required to make the big day the absolute best. Even with so many pieces to the puzzle, oftentimes “the day of” seems centered around one person: the bride, hence the ever popular term “bridezilla.” However, with changing times and amazing progression in fashion and wedding themes, grooms are once again sharing center stage with their counterparts, and Combatant Gentlemen is leading the way.

Last year at a Downtown Speaker Series event, Combatant Gentlemen was presented as a leader in integritybased fashion for men. The company, one of the first fashion tech investments made by VegasTech Fund, is run by CEO Vishaal Melwani, a Vegas native whose passion for the clothing industry was sparked by working at his parents' Gianni Versace boutique inside the famed Caesars Palace Hotel & Casino. As his love for fine garment construction ensued, Melwani honed in on his passion of becoming a young designer. Melwani’s studies as an international business and management student at the University of California, Irvine soon paved his way into the fashion industry where he later served as vice president of denim exports for a Japanese trading company, launched his own trading firm to help younger designers navigate the complex world of global manufacturing and supply chain management, and of course, now, he’s building the Combatant Gentlemen brand while simultaneously providing fine quality, budget-conscious menswear for dapper dudes everywhere. Albeit still a little unfamiliar with the brand, I decided to browse the company website and one thing was clear: Combatant Gentlemen is streamlined and tailored. There are no added frills or theatrics, just a dynamic site that highlighted one thing — well-tailored clothing for men, and even better, at a respectable price. So all of you grooms-to-be: on a day so special, why not treat yourself to something that exquisitely signifies a sense of prestige, and simply put, is made just for you? Worried about breaking the bank? Problem solved. Seeing the process through from beginning to end, the geniuses at Combatant Gentlemen are able to keep costs down and put extra care and ownership into each and every suit they touch. In-house designers stay abreast on trends to keep that fashion-forward male right on track and husbands-in-training spectacularly stunning as they wait at the altar. With so much to offer, why would you want to spend the most special day of your life dressed in someone else’s tuxedo? Your friends at Combatant Gentlemen have asked themselves just that, and have made it their motto to be a resource for something better. With suits and tuxes starting at $160, Combatant Gentlemen walks you through an easy fit guide to select a size that is right for you, based on height and weight. In addition to already low prices, they offer deals like “buy five groomsmen suits and get the groom’s suit for free!” Showing transparency into their production with sourcing data and accurate accountability of fabric, Combatant Gentlemen is serious about their commitment to you. And if marriage isn’t your thing, Combatant Gentlemen is still a place for you, offering looks for the boardroom to the boardwalk. Originally upstarted and based in downtown Las Vegas, Combatant Gentlemen has since spread their wings to the neighboring state of California. With a need for more space, it found its new home in Orange County but have still remained grounded in Vegas, supporting the local downtown community. Below you can read my in-depth interview with Melwani and how “Combat Gent” came to be.

Pictured: Founder, CEO Vishaal Melwani ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

What was the inspiration for opening your business? When I was in college a lot of my friends were doing internships in finance and other white collar jobs, and I was just dumbfounded by their morning routines. These guys would buy a set of dress shirts and ties and share them amongst themselves, because none of them had a complete professional wardrobe of their own. I asked them why they didn't just buy more shirts and ties so they don't have to have an impromptu swap meet every morning, and they told me that quality professional attire was hard to find on a budget. Given how many young guys need to wear suits and ties to work, I thought that was incredibly bizarre, and it seemed like a market that was ripe for disruption.

How long does your average suit take to make? From the raw material to the pattern making to the cut & sew and final assembly, a suit takes about seven hours to produce. Except for the laser cutting of the raw materials (which is necessitated by our scale of production), every aspect of our suits are hand tailored, which adds to the production time.

Does Combatant Gentlemen do custom work? We do not currently offer custom-made clothing, though this is an area that we're actively exploring.

Is the company a “Made in the U.S.A.” company? Some of our products, such as our selvedge denim, are made in the U.S.A. However, we are firm believers in the virtues of global sourcing and the leveraging of every country's unique strengths. America's strength is no longer in industrial production — it's in post-industrial knowledge work and services such as design, research and development. That's why all of our garments are designed in the United States, and all of our patterns are made right here in our offices in Orange County. At the same time, we want to offer the best prices for our customers, and this means utilizing the economies of scale offered overseas. Take our suits for instance — the pattern is made in California, the wool is sourced from Italy (from our own sheep), and the final production is done in China, where many other high-end designers have also migrated their production. Every locale has its own strength, and we believe that an intelligent and efficient production process recognizes and leverages each of those strengths appropriately.

Up until the Speaker Series, I had never heard of Combatant Gentlemen. What advertising methods do you guys use, if any? Word of mouth has been a powerful growth driver for us, which we believe is a reflection of the value and service we provide. Our marketing team has also done a great job building our presence across social media channels (we just crossed 100,000 Facebook fans a few weeks ago), so that provides another avenue for us to tell our story and connect with potential customers. On the paid front, Facebook advertising has worked well for us (partially as a function of our sizable following and organic reach), and we're also looking to do more around display advertising and innovative partnerships (co-created content, sponsored videos, giveaways, etc.).

ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

Where do you see the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth in the next 5-10 years? We want Combatant Gentlemen to become to the goto brand for men looking for high quality essentials at affordable prices. While we started off as a suit and tie company, we have expanded our catalog substantially since our founding, and now we offer both professional attire and casual clothing to become a 24/7 brand that guys trust. We want to be the company men turn to when they have a job interview, a wedding, a big date, and everything in between. We also want to bolster our content offerings so that we're not just a retailer, but also a trusted advisor that men can turn to when they need fashion advice. Ultimately, we want to change the way guys think about shopping for clothes, and hopefully turn a chore into something that men can enjoy and look forward to. At the same time, we have a lot of ideas we're pursuing with regards to expanding beyond clothing to other men's essentials, and thinking of exciting new ways to build a physical presence that goes beyond a simplistic "guide shop." So there's a lot of stuff in the works at the moment, and we're all incredibly excited about what the future holds.

What resources do you use to stay current on trends? Personally, I love to be immersed in the latest news and trends. You might say I'm a bit of an info junkie. I use Feedly to stay on top of all of my favorite fashion blogs, I'm on YouTube more than anybody I know, and I use Twitter and Instagram to follow individual influencers and style gurus whom I find inspirational. I read trade 29

Downtown ZEN

publications like Women's Wear Daily and Business of Fashion to stay current with what's going on in the broader industry, and I also closely watch what's happening on the runways because today's avantgarde often becomes tomorrow's standard practices, so it's prudent to stay ahead of the curve.

How are you involved in the Orange County community? While Orange County is not typically thought of as a startup hub, the region has made tremendous strides in recent years to encourage innovation and establish itself as the next Silicon "Blank." (Silicon Orange Grove? Silicon Suburb? I don't know, they'll have to work that one out themselves.) While we have only been in Orange County for a relatively brief time, we are looking to spearhead the movement here and build closer ties to the municipalities, universities and businesses that are essential in creating a fertile ground for startup growth.

How do you continue to support the DTLV community? I'm a Las Vegas native, and the DTLV community has been very good to us, so we try and do as much as we can to stay connected and support the businesses there. Whether it's throwing parties and scotch tasting events, participating in the Speaker Series, or rolling up our sleeves and getting involved in the Fashion Tech hackathon, we want to stay true to our roots and help the businesses there thrive so DTLV can become the world-renowned startup and innovation powerhouse that it has the potential to be. dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

Look out in any given direction. Las Vegas has so many different faces. There, of course, is the always-new and flashy visage of what the city looks like to all the tourists who come into our fair city. Another is the suburban sprawl of homes surrounding downtown, and the like. Sometimes, though, you get a chance to see that same desert city we call home with a new point of view. This particular face of the city’s Strip was taken downtown, which not only shows a panoramic display of skyscrapers to the southwest but also the vast expanse of greenery sometimes overlooked in the neighborhoods between here and there. In Vegas there’s always something fresh to see; you just have to know where to look. –Peter Gaunt

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

Zappos Mural Extravaganza & Other Artsy Endeavors By Brian Paco Alvarez

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

s Zappos continues to settle into its new home in fabulous downtown Las Vegas, the campus is being transformed into a living art museum. Art is slowly permeating many areas of the headquarters, where murals are being painted, break room bubbles are being decorated, artistic activations are being curated and performances are happening. As the company continues moving forward Zappafying the campus, more and more artistic endeavors will take place to create the most art-centric company in Las Vegas! Artists from around the city have also contributed to the beautification of the property. At the beginning of the year Zappos partnered with 13 local artists as well as 10 employee volunteers to paint murals along the western perimeter wall abutting Fourth Street. Currently 19 murals have been painted with seven more to be completed. Future paintings will be added to the Zing Zong room, the bistro, metro 2, merchandising and the lobby. In addition to all the murals, there will be an artist showcase that will celebrate the art of all the muralists who have participated in the project. The showcase will take place within the Zappos lobby and will include paintings and sculptures. Aside of the current artistic activations, there are many more planned in the near future. Partnerships with museums, local galleries, schools, artists and performers are in the works. So stay tuned for even more fabulous art!

Community Artists To Date:

Zappos Employee Artists To Date:

Gina Quaranto David Veliz Dray Derek Douglas Jeannette Hall Joseph Watson Tanya Watler

Kellie Aguilar - zCLT Jason Grote - 6PM Kennia Garay-Henriquez - zCLT Porsha Pressler - zCLT Toshie McSwain - 6PM Eileen Pineda - zCLT Stephani Twidwell - zCLT

ISSUE 29

Rick Metzler Leslieanne Farrell Juan Muniz Ali Fathollahi Nanda Sharifpour Miguel Rodriguez AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

Josh Schlekewy - Merch/Ride Shop April Texeira – Photo Studio Marco Brizuela – Fashion Content Ryan Brunty - Merch/Couture Miguel Hernandez - zCLT Sean Gilchrist – zCLT Elizabeth “Lizzy” Gonzalez - zCLT 34

By Shawn Zahnow

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

ver since I was a young girl I’ve always had a fascination with antiques. My mom has her mother’s Cherry Blossom Depression Glass and we would always be on the lookout for a piece to add to our collection. When we moved to Las Vegas we often went antiquing at The Red Rooster. It was my favorite place to go. It was a rickety old building that was comprised of many small areas that vendors sold their antiques out of. I still remember moving from room to room where none of the floors were level. Sometimes they would be brick, others wood and concrete. It felt like a maze that was so fun to walk through because my mom and I would often get separated, and I would hide to see if she could find me. It had so many antiques ranging from your garage sale and flea market finds to your very valuable pieces. I would lose track of time going through this maze because there were so many interesting items that I wanted to learn about. I’m sure the employees were either annoyed or excited that I had so many questions to ask. Some things were just so intricate and well designed, and yet I couldn’t tell if it was an apple peeler, a cherry pitter or and antique eyelash curler, LOL. I just loved to see how things worked. I loved the lights, they came in so many colors, shapes and sizes; I guess that’s why we called our shop Swag Antiques because I can never pass up a great light. The Red Rooster opened its doors in 1987 and expanded in 1992 when the old 7-UP bottling factory was for sale. Buddy was a longtime engineer in the casinos until he decided to retire that profession and become part of The Red Rooster. Buddy became a vendor as well as managed the Antique Mall. His wife Anna was a huge part of it. The Red Rooster was purchased later, and the name was changed to Charleston Antique Mall; however, most still referred to it as The Red Rooster. Buddy continued his position working there until his wife was ill, and he chose to stay and take care of her. I was lucky to have gotten to know Buddy the last few years. It seemed like any time I mentioned lighting everyone in the antique community, everyone, said to go see Buddy. I needed wires replaced on a couple ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

of swag lights, so I gave him a call and without question he said, “Bring them over.” I was in awe the first time RJ (my other half) and I went over because he literally had thousands of lighting parts. I knew I was in the right place, but it still amazes me that a person who knew nothing about us was inviting perfect strangers over to his house. So much so that RJ went with me because he wanted to make sure I was safe meeting this stranger. I don’t even think Buddy asked whom I got his number from or anything about me. Buddy was a very trusting man, although I will say he was a little quiet and rough around the edges when we were first getting to know him. After going over a few times, I asked Buddy if he wouldn’t mind showing me how to fix the lights myself. He agreed but said, “Don’t bring that guy with you, I only like working with cute girls.” That was the first of many times I got to see his goofy side. I asked if the older single ladies would try and date him. He laughed and said, “The only thing I needed to say was the word sex, and they would literally run from the house.” Of course he wasn’t offering. He just found their reactions so funny … just from the word SEX! It still makes me laugh because he was serious yet made funny sex jokes that I thought I would never hear from him! Oftentimes I would go to his house, and as we were working, hours would pass without saying a word to one another, but it always felt warm. There was nothing that needed to be said. It always fascinated me that even if he couldn’t get something to work after 10 times of trying he was always so calm, or he would just say, “This little bugger isn’t being easy on me.” Then there were times when I asked a million questions about everything from lighting to his trips across country picking and his family. He would speak about his wife being the best furniture restorer and tell me how he enjoyed fixing clocks and lighting. One day I asked him to tell me more about his wife, and their life together. I asked him how he was able to keep going after she had passed, and he told me “You know, you just have to get up every day and keep yourself busy.” I knew he was madly in love with her when I asked if he would ever consider meeting someone else, and he replied and laughed, “No, she IS my wife.” It dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

seems to me that if the love of my life passed I would become just a shell of a person. Buddy was one of the most generous people I have ever met. He opened his house to anyone who needed help and expected little to nothing in return. On Friday, May 9 when I saw his number come up on my phone I knew right away that there was something seriously wrong and was instantly sick to my stomach. Stella, his daughter, told me that Buddy was not doing well. I rushed over to his house a few minutes later already in tears. When I arrived I saw my friend lying there in his bed, so frail. I sat next to him on the floor and gently rubbed his head. “Buddy it’s me, Shawn … Buddy can you hear me?” As I sat by his side, holding his hand for hours, I listened to him breathe. Listening to his suffering. I wanted so badly for him to just wake up for just a second so I could tell him how much he meant to me and that I loved him. I wanted him to know the difference he made in life. I’m so selfish. He was in so much pain, and I just wanted him to know that I was there and cared for him and that I hadn’t forgotten about him and never would. I kissed his soft forehead and told him to hold on, I would be back in the morning. He passed hours after I left his home. I have to believe that somehow he knew I was there. Knowing Buddy and speaking to friends, family and the antique community, I was deeply saddened to get to the service to find very few people showed up to pay their last respects. It actually was the most upsetting thing I could have imagined, and I was utterly appalled. I only knew him such a short time, and I would have thought that the chapel would have been completely full. To me, it was a sign of disrespect. He offered so much and asked nothing in return, and ironically, that is what he received! And so I will, as Buddy did after losing his wife, get up each day and keep myself busy although there is nothing in the world that will ever fill that hole of sadness left from losing my friend. Buddy, I love you! You will always be missed! You will never be forgotten, and I will honor your memory by telling my small world what a great man I was destined to meet. 36

HOUSING GUIDE

BY KARINA GIRALDO

Las Vegas Country Club Estates

n the heart of Las Vegas, and home to the city’s first luxury country club community, you will find the Las Vegas Country Club Estates. Although not in downtown, the property is centrally located just east of the Strip and is less than three miles from downtown’s core. The community offers many housing options with a variety of different styles. Boasting an 18-hole golf course, a private country club, guard-gated communities and lush landscaping, these homes will make you forget you're in the middle of a desert. This private club is the oldest and most prestigious country club in Nevada, and has hosted countless celebrities and politicians, including former presidents. The community has long been home to the city's rich and famous. These estates were built on the site of an old horse racing track and eventually purchased in 1970 by Irwin Molasky, Merv Adelson, Moe Dalitz and Allard Roen. At the club's high point, the who's who of Hollywood and the “mob world” fraternize at the club with other local elites. It was the place to be and to be seen. Many of the biggest decisions in the city's history were made at the club.

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

Karina Giraldo Residential Specialist

karina@theagencyre.com T: 702.566.7222 M: 702.480.9131 F: 702.853.4470

Upon entering one of the three guard-gated entrances, you are welcomed with mature landscaping and a wide variety of homes that grace the lush green fairways. Las Vegas Country Club Estates has plenty to offer when it comes to housing options. Townhomes, high-rises, condominiums, semi-custom homes and custom estates can all be found here. You can start off with an $80,000 one-bedroom condo and work your way up to a private-custom multimilliondollar home sitting on the golf course. Most homes line the well-kept, mature fairways of the private championship course that has been home to several PGA tournaments. With a clubhouse membership you have access to their premiere restaurant, bar, exercise room, barber shop and more. Regency Towers, Las Vegas' first high-rise, is located within these gates. Built in 1978, with more than 215 units ranging from cozy 584 square foot studios to the prestigious 6,000 square foot penthouse with amazing, unobstructed Strip views and stunning sights of the Sunrise Mountains. Regency Towers’ amenities include concierge, 24-hour security, gym, pool, spa, sauna, valet parking, two tennis courts, guest rooms for visitors and outdoor barbecue grills. Currently, you can get your hands on a studio highrise for as little as $130,000 and rent a similar unit for $1,200 per month. If you are looking for a more affordable option, the Monterey Condos are your pick. Monterey is a collection of condominiums and townhomes located on the north side of the community. Tucked amidst the club's rolling greens and large trees, Monterey prides itself on being affordable in a dream location. Such amenities include five swimming pools (two of which are heated all year round), outdoor barbecue grills, a fitness center and 24-hour security. You can easily own a one-bedroom apartment for $80,000 or lease one for as little as $900 per month. If you are looking for a more traditional home, Las Vegas Country Club Estates offers a variety of custom and semi-custom homes, with some starting at 1,2003,000 square feet and going as large as 7,000 square feet. These are priced as low as $140,000 and go up to $1.7 million. Whether you're looking for a charming studio or a lavish mansion, the Las Vegas Country Club Estates has it, and everything in between. With lush, landscaped grounds featuring 55-year-old trees and sprawling paths that rise up to greet you, it’s hard to believe you’re surrounded by all the excitement and conveniences of Las Vegas. And with the redevelopment of downtown, keep a lookout for Las Vegas Country Club Estates to again start taking center stage in popularity and demand. ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

SPECIALIZING IN PIECES MADE IN AMERICA

Store hours are Mon-Sun 10 - 5 and private viewing by appointment

We buy and sell Retro, Vintage, Antique and anything old and funky! 630 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89101 (702) 464-3299 Show your Zappos ID or Local ID and receive a discount 39

SwagAntique.com facebook.com/SwagAntiques Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

Living Zen By Consy Malasoma

ome has many definitions, primary among them is the idea of shelter as sanctuary. But home can also be seen as H a metaphor for the body, mind and emotions, and finding sanctuary within, as well as without, can be a painful journey for many of us. Our purpose in life is to grow, psychologically and spiritually. A healing environment has to give people emotional support on the deepest level so they can find courage and grace. It’s not enough to slap some pretty pastels on the wall. You need to convey that you are valuable and your life is treasured and honored.

Sometimes an environment is like a labyrinth. There are certain pivotal points in the journey: at the entrances and exits, and in hallways and transitional spaces. Here are several suggestions on creating a haven in your home from “A Light in the Mist, A Journal of Hope” • Start with intention. What are you seeking to accomplish? Do you hope to express your innermost self, honor a significant relationship, accommodate children or comfort one who is suffering? • Eliminate clutter. To create a sense of tranquility, limit the sensory input to a comfortable level. • Surround yourself with things you love, including things with age, cultural artifacts, objects crafted by hand and heart, and symbols of significance. • Honor your past. Sift through old letters and photographs to document your life. Frame a love letter. Surround a missing loved one’s photo with flowers. • Revere your dreams. Consider creating an “altar” on which to place a symbolic representation of what you wish in your life. Use photos and add crystals. • Create a ritual. Frame your day. Monks in monasteries bless each time of day with prayer. Ritual can be used to transcend both time and distance. • Strive for transcendence. With whatever means possible, try to imbue your home with a physical representation of a higher or deeper level of reality. • Include music. Find the music that best speaks to you and make it the background of your life. Include spiritual music on your iPod along with favorites so when you travel by air you can “chill out.” • Incorporate nature. Whether it’s the serenity of a beautiful orchid, the joy of a canary’s song, the lush growth of a fern or the purring of a cat: nature, plants or animals soothe us by placing us in the larger context of the natural world. • Make your art healing art. Select art that speaks to you and affirms your deepest longings. • Bless your home. Bless yourself. Your life is sacred and deserves to be framed lovingly and with intention. You deserve a healing environment, a healing home and a haven. Live in gratitude. Keep a gratitude journal. ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

Consy is a Feng Shui practitioner and home stager. She uses an organic and energy approach to her home staging business and works in households and offices to unblock negativity and help to remove stressors in her client’s lives. Another helpful tool for her consulting business is to look at her clients’ astro charts to determine what planet transits are having effects. Her background as a real estate broker in Washington has been a great asset, also, when staging a property. This column will provide articles on Feng Shui, a healthy lifestyle and relationship tips, along with design ideas. Her mission is to bring information to improve lives, and help others navigate the challenges of life through one’s environment. Consy is available for consultations and gives talks on these subjects. Her talks have been given at Barnes and Noble in Summerlin, East West Bookstore in Seattle and the Psychic Eye on West Charleston Avenue. She can be notified through her website at www.consymalasoma.com.

hot streaks.

hotter steaks.

Sometimes you just need a classic Vegas dinner. A meal that Frank or Dean would have sat down to. That’s when you need The Flame Steakhouse at El Cortez. Fantastic steaks and seafood, an extensive wine program, and prices that won’t break your bankroll.

complimentary bottle of

mondavi woodbridge wine

with your dinner for two

JUST SHOW YOUR ZAPPOS EMPLOYEE CARD or present this coupon to your server. Valid with purchase of 2 dinner entrees.

Limit one coupon per 2 persons. Must be 21 or older. Not valid with any other offer or comp. Single diners will receive 2 glasses of wine with coupon. Available while supplies last. Management reserves all rights. Expires 7/4/14.

FOR MORE INFO, CHECK OUT ELCORTEZHOTELCASINO.COM/ZAPPOS 41

600 E. Fremont St. Las Vegas, NV 89101 | 800.634.6703 | 702.385.5200 Downtown ZEN dtZEN.com AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

D O W N T O W N

Arts&Ents R E V I E W

Not with a Bang, but a Whimper Las Vegas Shakespeare Closes Up Shop: What Next for Downtown Theater?

By Erik Amblad

ack in 2012, the Las Vegas Shakespeare Company boldly announced that they would take over the Reed Whipple Cultural Center from the city and renovate it into an incredible center for the performing arts. Backed by a $54 million dollar capital campaign, they promised to change the face of theater not only downtown, but for all of Nevada. Merely two years later, Las Vegas Shakespeare has abandoned their experiment, giving the shell of the Reed Whipple back to the City of Las Vegas. While the city explores options for Reed Whipple’s future, there now is a seeming void in the downtown performing arts landscape. Signs downtown point in the direction of Las Vegas Shakespeare, only to find a glaring vacancy. Their only output over the last few years has been a few projects in the faraway climes of the Henderson Pavilion in suburban Green Valley. The course of their downtown experiment is actually a bit troubling. In 2012, the plan was to include a 499-seat theater and rehearsal space, a bar and lounge, an art gallery with Opportunity Village, a communal terrace and gardens, and the return of the popular Las Vegas eatery, Rosemary’s Café. Just 12 months later, the company shifted gears and tried to rebrand themselves as Nevada Repertory Theatre with a “brand new” plan for their capital campaign, which supposedly had already reached nearly half of its goal. Merely four months later, Las Vegas Shakespeare Company’s business license went into default with the State of Nevada, their website hasn’t been updated since the end of 2013, and when reached out to for an official comment, their phone had been disconnected. With as much pomp and circumstance as they had when they revealed their ambitions less than two years ago, according to sources close to and also within the organization, they have unceremoniously and quietly returned the unused and untouched facility back to the city in mid-July of this year.

Rainbow Company, one can only wonder what would've happened had they remained at their original home.” Indeed, perhaps the greatest tragedy in all this is the fate of The Rainbow Company Youth Theatre (www.rainbowcompany.org), not only one of the oldest theatre organizations in Nevada, but also one of the most renowned. Rainbow Company was once the city-backed steward of Reed Whipple until their untimely departure in 2010. In 2013, the socalled Nevada Repertory Theatre made promises to include Rainbow in their sparkling new cultural center. Now, Rainbow still has no permanent home and is in the middle of a modest capital campaign to simply secure a future for their program and the unique opportunities they provide to children around the valley for theater and arts education. The real future of Las Vegas theater lies in the hands of veteran organizations like Rainbow Company and the newer playhouses that have boldly emerged over the last decade. These companies — the ones actually making theater —deserve our attention rather than the empty promises of a group now trying to meekly exit the downtown scene. Hopefully, now that this chapter has closed, the city will find an organization with a viable plan to build a home for the arts in the Cultural Corridor.

When all of this started, most media outlets hailed the Las Vegas Shakespeare Company as the great hope for the future of Las Vegas theater. Of course, while we have heard nothing from the cultural corridor, the actual Las Vegas theater scene has been flourishing. I decided to check in with a few of these groups to see what impact they felt these latest developments might have on them. Of course, I started with Cockroach Theatre, the only company actively operating their own theater venue downtown. “I don't feel it has much effect at all,” said Managing Director Levi Fackrell. “My hope, though, is that it doesn't deter the city from innovative projects like this in the future.” “I'm not sure it does affect Las Vegas theater production-wise,” said Lysander Abadia, co-founder of Poor Richard’s Players. “How it does affect Las Vegas theater is the disappointment in losing a venue. There is already a glaring shortage of venues for the gypsy theater companies in town.” I asked Troy Heard of Table 8 Productions if the news would affect him and his company’s efforts downtown. “No, not at this juncture.” He continued, “As for the loss of the Reed Whipple: With the cuts facing the ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

©Brian Jones, Las Vegas News Bureau

Downtown ZEN

Las Vegas Valley Theatre Awards

Dawn of a New Era

By Erik Amblad

On July 14, 2014, there was a palpable shift in what it means to be a

part of Las Vegas theater. The very first Las Vegas Valley Theatre Awards honored the best of Las Vegas theater from the last year. It was a ceremony notable not only for the breadth of talent it recognized, but also for the energy in the room: For the first time in memory, the Las Vegas theater community felt like a united force. More than 110 people crowded into Art Square Theatre to cheer for each other and recognize the great 2013-2014 season of theater here in Las Vegas. Myron Martin from the Smith Center delivered the last award of the evening, Best Production, but not before recognizing the spirit of camaraderie and support on display in the room, something everyone there felt. “Red” by John Logan, produced by Poor Richard’s Players, won the Best Production Valley Award. A full list of winners is below. In between awards, attendees were treated to musical numbers from shows that played over the past year — and a couple that are going on now, or are just about to. Ayler Evan, Amanda Kaiser and Coree Davis performed “Who I’d Be” from “Shrek the Musical,” soon to take the stage at Super Summer Theatre. Bella Zoila Smith, Rosie in Las Vegas Little Theatre’s production of “Really Rosie” sang “Really Rosie” and Christine de Chavez sang “Magic” from “Xanadu,” last summer’s musical at LVLT. Amanda Kraft reprised her performance of “Ghost in My Heart” from “Song Poems Wanted!” “The Musical,” accompanied by Andy Vieluf on guitar. Jacquelyn Holland Wright made the night “All About Me” when she sang that number from “Sudoku: The Musical.” And Thom Chrastka and Ben Loewy finished the evening’s performances with their rendition of “Turn Back, O Man/God Save the People” from “Godspell.” The awards were spread across the community. Best Production winner Poor Richard’s Players took home a grand total of four awards. Table 8 Productions, winner of Best Ensemble for “Anton Chekhov’s Cherry Orchard of the Living Dead” by Troy Heard took home five awards. Indeed, though Heard, creative director of Table 8, did not take home an individual award, his fingerprints were all over the Valleys — he was also director of “Stones in his Pockets” winner of the Audience Choice Award presented to British National Theatre of America. Las Vegas Little Theatre and Off Strip Productions (resident theater company at the Onyx) also took home one award each. With 11 nominations and no wins, Cockroach Theatre may actually have been the biggest winner of the night, playing host to the awards at their downtown venue at Art Square. Not only was it a night that signified a new era of cooperation and collaboration among all members of the theater community, it also served as a launching pad for new endeavors and new possibilities sponsored by the Las Vegas Valley Theatre Awards. In an impassioned speech that inspired an uproarious response from the crowd, Executive Director Jacob Coakley summed up the momentum felt by all: “Tell me what you need to create great theater, and then let’s fucking do it!” Watch out, Las Vegas. Your theater community now has their battle cry.

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

Winners for the 2014 Valley Awards

Best Production “RED” - POOR RICHARD’S PLAYERS 2014 Audience Choice Award “STONES IN HIS POCKETS” - BRITISH NATIONAL THEATRE OF AMERICA Best Ensemble “ANTON CHEKHOV’S CHERRY ORCHARD OF THE LIVING DEAD“ - TABLE 8 PRODUCTIONS Direction BENJAMIN LOEWY, “RED” Actor in a Principal Role TAYLOR HANES, “RED” Actress in a Principal Role KELLIE WRIGHT, “ANTON CHEKHOV’S CHERRY ORCHARD OF THE LIVING DEAD” Actor in a Supporting Role BRANDON BURK, “ANTON CHEKHOV’S CHERRY ORCHARD OF THE LIVING DEAD” Actress in a Supporting Role TALIESIN MCENANEY, “ANTON CHEKHOV’S CHERRY ORCHARD OF THE LIVING DEAD” Costume Design ISAIAH URRABAZO, “ANTON CHEKHOV’S CHERRY ORCHARD OF THE LIVING DEAD” Lighting Design GINNY ADAMS, “PICNIC” Scenic Design DAVID SANKUER, “ANTON CHEKHOV’S CHERRY ORCHARD OF THE LIVING DEAD” Sound Design THOMAS CHRASTKA, “RED”

SMITH CENTER PRESIDENT AND CEO, MYRON MARTIN, PRESENTED THE EVENING’S TOP AWARD TO POOR RICHARD’S PLAYERS FOR THEIR PRODUCTION OF “RED” BY JOHN LOGAN. MANY IN ATTENDANCE TOOK MARTIN’S PRESENCE AS YET ANOTHER SYMBOL THAT NIGHT OF HOW LAS VEGAS’S THEATER COMMUNITY IS ELEVATING ITS GAME.

LOCAL ICON AND MENTOR TO MANY LAS VEGAS ACTORS, TAYLOR HANES, ACCEPTED THE AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR WITH A GRACIOUS SPEECH CAPPED BY A REMINDER TO AUDIENCE AND CREATORS ALIKE, “THIS IS ABOUT YOU.”

PROLIFIC DESIGNER GINNY ADAMS TOOK HOME THE AWARD FOR BEST LIGHTING DESIGN FOR HER WORK ON LVLT’S “PICNIC.”

STEVEN FEHR SET THE TONE FOR THE EVENING WITH AN EMOTIONAL SPEECH BURSTING WITH PRIDE AS HE ACCEPTED THE BEST COSTUME DESIGN AWARD ON BEHALF OF HIS HUSBAND ISAIAH URRABAZO, WINNING FOR HIS STUNNING DESIGNS FOR “ANTON CHEKHOV’S CHERRY ORCHARD OF THE LIVING DEAD.”

THE WINNERS (FROM L. TO R. THOMAS CHRASTKA, BENJAMIN LOEWY, TAYLOR HANES, STEVEN FEHR ACCEPTING FOR ISAIAH URRABAZO, GINNY ADAMS, ROB WINCH, KELLIE WRIGHT, STACIA ZINKEVICH, T. J. LARSEN, AND TALIESIN MCENANEY) (NOT PICTURED: BRANDON BURK, DAVID SANKUER, ISAIAH URRAZO WHO WERE ALL PREPARING FOR “CABARET” PRESENTED BY OFF STRIP PRODUCTIONS)

BELLA ZOILA SMITH REALLY WAS REALLY ROSIE IN HER SHOW-STOPPING NUMBER FROM LAS VEGAS LITTLE THEATRE’S SUMMER PRODUCTION OF “REALLY ROSIE.”

KELLIE WRIGHT PROVED ONCE AGAIN THAT SHE IS THE GRAND DAME OF LAS VEGAS THEATER AS SHE TOOK HOME THE AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS.

BENJAMIN LOEWY, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF POOR RICHARD’S PLAYERS AND DIRECTOR OF “RED” BY JOHN LOGAN, TOOK HOME BOTH THE DIRECTING AND BEST PRODUCTION AWARDS, WHICH HE ACCEPTED WITH HUMOR, GRACE AND A BIT OF BEWILDERMENT.

TALIESIN MCENANEY IMPRESSED IN HER LAS VEGAS DEBUT, WINNING BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS FOR HER HILARIOUS ROLE IN “ANTON CHEKHOV’S CHERRY ORCHARD OF THE LIVING DEAD.”

ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

D O W N T O W N

ART

D owntown A rtist

Portrait Of The Artist Living In Las Vegas By Fernando Reyes

These murals can be seen at Pepe's Tacos, 4814 Boulder Highway Las Vegas, NV 89121.

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

t was early 2013, around mid January, cold days. I was staying at a hotel on Las Vegas Boulevard, a run-down hotel where the shadiest of the shady stay: junkies, convicts, hookers, drug dealers, the insane and me. I kept to my own and went out of my way to have nothing to do with anybody living there. I was in trouble financially. This hotel is a weekly, I paid a $122 a week. I had only enough money to pay for another week and no food money. I needed work desperately. Potential clients kept giving me the runaround, some would say “not now, perhaps in a couple months,” many weren't returning my phone calls, my stomach would plead with a constant grumble. One day during these days I went to an art exhibition put on by elementary school kids at the Emergency Arts building just to eat the cupcakes; I think I ate seven and took two for the road. Thank you universe for providing. Anyways, I only

had a couple of days between myself and homelessness, and again another client had turned me down. Heading back to the roach motel I walked through the Fremont Experience where a man called out to me as I passed him by, "Do you have a quarter?" "No," I replied. "How about a dollar then?," aggression in his voice. I turned to look him in his eyes and told him in a sincere tone that I was struggling. "You don't look like your struggling with your little suit," anger in his voice. I wear a suit to look for work, advice my little brother gave me years ago, "Look like you're used to getting paid," and I guess I did. I thanked him for his unwitting compliment and kept walking. "Hey! You could be homeless one day!," hate in his voice. Damn, he doesn't know how right he is, I thought. I got to my gloomy room and put the finishing touches on some

drawings and went off to show them to another potential client whom I had spoken to a couple of days ago. She owned a restaurant. She had murals there that she was not happy with, they were indeed of very low quality. I had told her that I'd be back in a couple of days with some designs, and there I was with my suit. I was told she wasn't there, so I sat down and waited for her while I drank water and drew in my sketchbook. After about an hour I looked up from my drawing, and I see her as she's walking away towards the kitchen: I hurry after her. I greet her with a smile, and she tells me she's busy, that she's about to give her employees a meeting. I tell her that I'll wait for her, to which she asks if I'd like to eat something while I wait. I waited a moment before I accepted, I’d hide my hunger not to clamor over the offer. My stomach grumbled approvingly, but it was not heard over the din. I ate a delicious burrito and drew while I waited for almost three hours. Then she appeared and sat at my table. I showed her my drawings. After a couple minutes she said, "yes," delightful music to my ears. She asked when I could start, and I said, "tomorrow." For the next seven months I worked for her, painting murals in her restaurant. I will forever be grateful to her, I most likely would not be here penning these words if not for her. Thank you universe for providing.

Fernando Reyes

was born in Santa Monica, California in 1980 to a loving family and grew up in Inglewood, California. He gravitated toward drawing in his early childhood. At age five, he would look forward to watching Looney Tunes after school, and around this time he happened to catch a glimpse of an animator drawing Bugs Bunny. He was so intrigued that he decided to become an animator. Soon he was drawing his favorite cartoons from memory. As the years went by, his artistic interest delved into comics, and by the age of 13 he could imitate his favorite comic artist's styles and was creating his own characters. At age 17, his graphic arts teacher introduced him to the Renaissance painters. He was particularly influenced by Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, and he decided to become a painter. Up to that point in his life he never concerned himself with color. He only drew. He taught himself to paint the hard way, through trial and error. He paints it all: murals, signs, portraits, landscapes, abstract, original compositions, etc. He's done it in Los Angeles, Mexico and for the past three years, in Las Vegas. He currently has an art exhibition inside the Arts Factory in the lobby space that leads upstairs and has work in Jana's Red Room. You can see his work on his website, www.kingsquality.com. ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

D O W N T O W N

restaurant R E V I E W

Carson Kitchen By Joanna Mueller thousand years ago (OK it was really 14, but still) I worked A at the Harley Davidson Café on the Strip. It was a super fun place to work, and during my tenure there I made a handful of

really good friends who are still around today. I can’t even properly reflect on the amount of time that I’ve known these people, because like whoa … I was just 21 like yesterday ;-) … I digress. During my time at HDC we had a really great manager, Cory Harwell. Restaurant managers can be a little tough, but this one was great. He was funny, he cut the floor when he needed to, he was fair and he was just an all-around rad person. Over the years he has opened and managed a few restaurants in Las Vegas, including HDC, Honey Salt, Simon’s in the Palms and a few others, but his most recent endeavor is Kerry Simon’s Carson Kitchen. My husband and I set out on an adventure on a perfect Saturday night. We started at the reggae festival, Reggae in the Desert, which was freakin’ awesome!!! There’s nothing like dancing to live music outside when the weather is perfect and the wind isn’t blowing. After we had our fill of reggae music we set our sights on dinner. I had been super stoked on Carson Kitchen opening, and I’ve been following its progress since they snagged the location. It was a busy Saturday night, so we parked a block away. The restaurant setup is unique in the sense that the seating is all open. It’s not that you go in and seat yourselves, there are fantastic hostesses for that, but it is that there are a few tables out on the floor and two counters. One counter faces the open kitchen, and the other faces the bar. The hostess sat us at the counter that faces the open kitchen. Before coming to my present company, I was a hostess, server, bartender, food runner and table busser for close to 14 years. I love kitchen lingo: “I need two all day!” “I got tacos walkin’ in!” I dig it. I dig the hustle and bustle. So, I’m a fan of the open floor plan, it makes for wonderful collisions. The hubs and I decided to split a bunch of things, and we started with tempura green beans. The green beans came out with a sweet red pepper sauce. I loved it, and I’m not at all ashamed to admit that I ate most of the dish. Next up was the supersecret mac and cheese. The menu even says that it’s a secret. I asked out server what kind of cheese was used, and he didn’t know either … They keep it from the wait staff!!! Whatever kind of cheese is used, it was awesome. Following our mac ‘n’ cheese was the butter burger. This puppy was huge. I’m glad we decided to split things; I would have had to have been rolled home if we didn’t. The burger was cooked 47

Downtown ZEN

©Peter Harasty

to perfection and came with a side of spicy tater tots. A huge thank you to whoever decided on tots as a side. I love tots. The menu is smallish, but it’s expertly curated, and with so much going on within the dishes, it’s better because it’s straightforward where it could otherwise be overwhelming. The manicured range is wide and unique in itself but even more unique for it’s ingredients. Notables are the “Fried Green Tomato” sandwich containing lump crab ravigote and baby greens ($10), a grilled cheese with green apples and caramelized onion (also $10), swordfish with lemon, mint and basil ($14), something called “Bacon Jam” ($12), calamari with smoked aioli ($10), “Devil’s” eggs listed with crispy pancetta and caviar ($8), and even SPAM croquettes served with “jalapeno creamy mustard” ($8). There are even veal meatballs and gyros. It’s dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

Baked Mac & Cheese

Devil's Eggs

Kerry Simon’s Carson Kitchen Everyday 11 a.m.-11 p.m. 124 S. Sixth St. Las Vegas, NV 89101 702.473.9523 www.carsonkitchen.com

Short Rib Sliders

a layman-adventurer’s paradise. There are “safe” items, but there are also twists and turns that make the risks well-spent experiences. You won’t go away hungry, and you’ll probably go away with a new fave crazy flave. Our bill was less than $40 for the two of us without alcohol and before the tip. This was a pleasant surprise. I had no idea what to expect when we checked this place out. I knew that if my friend had his name attached to it, that it was gonna be great, and it was. I will be going back for a few reasons: one, the food was beyond fantastic, two, it’s a great place to run into friends both old and new, and three — it’s right in the heart of DTLV which is always full of so much wonderful hustle and bustle. Veal Meatballs ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

D O W N T O W N

bar

R E V I E W

DT's Libation Station By Rockne Henriques

well-rounded bar blog requires a lot of attention to the location, staff and of course, the libations. Furthermore, what really sets a good review apart from a great review is its awareness on the pub’s mission, their focus on passion and its beginnings. My visit at Park on Fremont was one of those experiences unlike any other. When I first chose this place as the next “DT’s Libation Station,” I was given the opportunity to meet with two powerhouse individuals representing this eclectic joint. Michelle Millen is Park’s public relations coordinator from partner Wicked Creative, bringing her marketing and social media efforts to the bar, and Chase Cook served as the pub’s manager, also managing Commonwealth across the street and Boulevard Brewing Company at the Linq. Meeting with Michelle and Chase gave me some great insight and a full background on Park. For those not in the know, Park is a corner bar located on Fremont East, a popular spot for locals and tourists alike. When you approach this joint, you’ll notice a couple of outside patios for seating, one in the front and a bigger garden area in the back. As Chase explains,

Downtown ZEN

“the back garden really seems to embody the essence of Park.” What many don’t know is Park works with a third party company called Florapop who serves as the joint’s gardener. This outside area is packed with live plants, a focal tree, carriages and a hodgepodge of art. Ryan Doherty who founded Park, is a “big fan of art,” as Michelle and Chase explain. Park’s eclectic smorgasbord of art really seems to clash just as much as it conveys the intended cohesive message. From the china plates mounted outside, to the taxidermy pheasants and wallpaper inside, Park seems to really bring that new vibe to the downtown scene, a purposeful intent from Doherty himself. Through the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to try some amazing menu items. Park offers signature cocktails, sangria, seasonal mixed drinks and of course, beer. According to Park’s bar manager Cory, Park offers as many as 75 bottled and canned beers along with 14 beers on draft. One of my favorite menu items would be the “Choose Your Own Adventure” beer and shot combo for $12. You have the option to choose a beer and a shot from a list of eight. On top of that, Chase and Michelle both agree that a visit to Park requires you to try

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

their two most popular signature cocktails, The Unicorn and Pillow Talk. I knew I had to do it, so here’s what I thought: The Unicorn: Ketel One Citroen vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, mint, ginger beer and a lemon wedge. This drink is Park’s take on a Moscow Mule. Such an awesome drink! The ginger beer brings a light spice to the overall taste, and the chopped mint really offers a refreshing zing to the drink. Pillow Talk: Hanger One Spices Pear vodka, strawberries, cucumber, lemon, orange mint, simple syrup, Sprite and a cucumber slice. I LOVE the cucumber-strawberry combination. Talk about a truly refreshing drink! The hint of strawberry flavor gives a light, sweet flavor. Once again, I really enjoyed the zing of the chopped mint. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this drink! I would really consider these drinks their best deal. At only $8 a drink, you’ll get a well-thought-out mixed drink, full of character and packed with flavor. Something to also keep in mind, Park offers a few best kept secrets. For one, the bar offers light bites, pickings and

full meals. Chase mentioned the joint offering a tuna ahi salad that is absolutely delicious. Also, their brunch menu is not to be overlooked. Filled with skillets, chilachiles, being a manager favorite, burgers and other delicious libations, Park really does a great job a representing a flavor packed menu. The best part: $20 bottles of champagne and $21 pitchers of white or red sangria. “At the end of the day, we want you to walk away with a memorable experience in an original place, homegrown in Las Vegas,” as put best by Chase and Michelle. My particular visit ended with a picture displayed between the front door and inside bar. This picture represented Fremont East in the olden and golden days of Las Vegas. Depicted in this photo were dirt roads and bountiful amounts of foliage. That’s when it hit me. Park’s goal was to mesh the olden days of Fremont with the present-day attraction. It’s all about taking what used to be and ultimately enhancing what could be. If you’re ever in this area, Park is definitely a place you must try. See for yourself, the awesome character this place offers. Trust me, you will not be disappointed!

Derby Breakfast Club Kumquat Ye Faithful

Peach Fuzz Smash

Texas Tuxedo ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

The Lady Silvia:

A stylish lounge, inspired by a European library, serving up handcrafted libations By Amy Maier

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

estled on the first floor of the Soho Lofts, a 16-story condominium in downtown Las Vegas aptly named for its stylish design aesthetic as well as its word play on its location, just south of Hoover Avenue, is The Lady Silvia — one of the areas more unique watering holes. The Lady Silvia evokes a speakeasy vibe as guests walk through a dark hallway into this lounge that has become a hidden treasure for its unique ambiance and distinctive cocktail menu. Designed to reflect the 19th-century inspiration of the famed Strahov Monastery Library in Prague, The Lady Silvia melds European library with downtown style. Its Victorian furniture, which was all either purchased or refurbished in the Arts District, sits atop a sleek black and white checkerboard floor creating a highly stylized, incredibly intimate getaway from the outside world. Staying true to its library inspiration, the black matte walls of The Lady Silvia are full of books from floor to ceiling — a total collection of approximately 5,000 volumes. “In fact,” said owner Sam Cherry, “we have had guests take down books and read them over cocktails. Others have left behind a book or two of their own. It’s cool that people want to leave something of themselves behind — like their own imprint on the collection.” And while the bar’s inspiration may have come from a 19th-century European library, the artwork that adorns the ceiling is much more modern and personal.

ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

Named after Cherry’s son’s grandmother, The Lady Silvia’s ceiling murals pay homage to her favorite things, including her favorite song, her beloved dog Tarzan, and her affinity for plastic flowers. Some of her often-used phrases are also scrolled on the murals, including “put a sweater on” and “poor darling.” And just above the bar are headlines from her favorite newspaper, The National Enquirer. Complementing the artistic design of The Lady Silvia is the adjacent Amanda Harris Gallery of Contemporary Art, which showcases the works of local and internationally renowned artists. Together, the venues provide the ultimate locale for unlimited artistic, social and epicurean special events. Both the gallery and The Lady Silvia regularly host various events, ranging from art receptions to private dinners and birthday parties. And for larger events, The Lady Silvia offers an outdoor patio space just for special occasions. Guests appreciate The Lady Silvia for its sleek yet comfortable style and enjoy its handcrafted signature cocktails, such as The Surrealist made with BarSol Pisco, green Chartreuse, fresh lemon and grapefruit juice with dash of Angostura bitters served straight up in chilled cocktail glass. The drink menu also offers seasonal cocktails developed by the bartending staff through internal competitions. Four times a year, the bartenders create new drinks and taste test them — the winners are added to the bar’s seasonal cocktail menu.

dtZEN.com

For beer connoisseurs, The Lady Silvia also offers has five craft beers on tap, nearly two dozen in bottles and three unique beer cocktails, like the The Dapper Don, a combination of Hendricks Gin, Chambord, St. Germaine, fresh grapefruit juice, topped off with Ballast Point IPA and served over ice. Rounding out the bar menu is a diverse selection of wines by the glass and bottle. A limited food menu offers various paninis from neighboring Resnicks Grocery. And soon, Cherry plans to reintroduce pintxos, a small snack typically served in bars in the Basque region of Spain. A perfect location to enjoy cocktails with friends, The Lady Silvia offers a popular happy hour with $3 beers, $4 well drinks, $5 wine, and $6 specialty cocktails from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily. And it offers a robust entertainment lineup. Local bands perform on Friday nights while music emanates from the DJ booth on Saturday evenings. Ultimately, The Lady Silvia achieved Cherry’s goal of creating a lounge in downtown Las Vegas that had its own unique artistic style with equally unique cocktails. “The goal was to create a place that was cool and stylish, but not too swanky or over the top,” Cherry concluded. “The Lady Silvia is a place where people feel comfortable to come as they are — dressed up or dressed down. It’s a unique lounge experience that offers great drinks in an inviting atmosphere, and as a result, our guests can relax and enjoy themselves.”

Downtown ZEN

D O W N T O W N

Music

S C E N E / H E A R D

Scene / Heard By Richard Grewar

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

unkhouse 2.0 – “To me it’s very obvious what Bunkhouse needs to be. It dictates what we do more than we dictate what it does.”

Whilst I live here, I’m a local, I’m not from here. Nor am I able to relive any bygone era through weighty and sometimes gruff conversational points about whether these eras were nourishing to the city or detrimental. Change, whether we choose to accept it or not, is inevitable, and furthermore, downtown Las Vegas: you are as subject to change as much as the next guy. Enter Bunkhouse. A once thriving and divey downtown musical flagship way down there on 11th, sold then closed in 2013 and now caught up in the urban redevelopment that we are as locals, by now, all familiar with. For those uneducated on the topic, a quick Google search uncovers both negative and positive sentiment regarding the venue’s reopening penned for August 25. Octavius Caesar laments over a June 27 Las Vegas Review-Journal article,“‘The ‘Bunkhouse’ is dead and long gone. This is another Zapponista creation.” Compare this to Warren Schwisow’s comment of simply, “We need it,” on a June 10 picture posted on the BunkhouseLV Facebook page. The varying local sentiment has been well and truly written about already, will continue to be written about and, in part, I’m being my own hypocrite by writing about it. Forget the “who owns what now” and the “never be the same” of it. Forget it. Whatever the outcry, whatever the opinion; whether you create music, you consume music or you’re painting the new walls in the building, all we want is for Bunkhouse 2.0 to be … well … unmatched.

©Ivan Quiroz

ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

Remembering this thing is not trying to compete with the likes of Brooklyn Bowl and the Cosmopolitan’s Boulevard Pool. What makes a great mid-level music venue? The food? Sure, that’ll help. Cheap beer options? Yep, I’ll come back for that. There’s nothing worse than paying more for a beer than a ticket. On-point customer service? OK I guess, but I’m not looking for a new buddy in my bartender. I can walk up the road a few blocks for that. All these things do help, but what really is going to make this puppy pop is the music. It’s a live music venue hoping and dreaming to be one of the premiere 250 cappers in the country; remaining in the forethought of every booking agent’s mind across the USA and beyond. Program the pants off of it and watch bums fill seats. Make me want to spend my hard earned at the door.

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

Mike Henry, a veteran of 23 years in arguably the most potent and competitive live music spaces globally — Austin, Texas — is charged with the overall talent buying and dayto-day booking. His partner in crime: Michael Stratton, Bunkhouse general manager and local musician, successful in his own right. Both first-rate gents and ready for the challenge.

people. These are music fans. This doesn’t happen by accident. Running a venue is a hard thing. From The Troubadour, The 9:30 Club, The 40 Watt to Mohawk. These are people that have loved music their whole lives and work their asses off to build it and make it happen. The bookings come out of what’s important to them and what they think their audience needs; what they think their scene needs.”

Within minutes of sitting down with both of these guys it’s evident there’s a shared musical admiration, and interesting potential for a stand-up comedy partnership. As I awkwardly mess around with my iPhone recording app, drowning in the silence of the room, Stratton drops a “Good chat,” whilst Henry, reclining in an office lounger, quips, “OK I think we got it.” In that moment, half the answer to my first question of “What makes Bunkhouse programming unique?” is answered. These two blokes, clearly. The other half of the answer comes from Henry himself.

Echoing Henry’s statement, Stratton contributes, “The programming side of things has been real easy. When Mike and I started chatting a long time ago we talked about bands that not only we like, but bands that people like and get bummed out when they never come to Vegas. There were some easy choices to make. To me it’s very obvious what Bunkhouse needs to be. It dictates what we do more than we dictate what it does.”

“A couple of things. On one hand, at the heart it’s a place where you get to see shows you will never forget, in an intimate environment. You get to see bands up close, within spitting distance that you would never dream of seeing in a small venue like this. You’re seeing them in an unparalleled, amazing production environment. What’s most interesting about Bunkhouse is that there are places in the world you can go pay a bunch of money and see a great band. Austin has a ton of those, but there are very few places you can go where tickets will be affordable and the place will also be fun. You’re seeing Bob Mould from 15feet feet away. I love that about Bunkhouse. On the other hand, in terms of the content, I like to see places like this programmed where you do get to see those stellar once-in-a-lifetime touring shows, you get to see the core of the local music scene and you get the totally unexpected. You’ll see those things that’ll blow your mind. You’re getting Puddles Pity Party; you’re getting Matt Mahaffey and his one-man show. Unpredictable and surprising. I want people to go in shaking their head. At first they’ll say, ‘What the fuck is this?’ then quickly say, ‘Oh shit, this is fun.’ Where else will you see The Breeders and a giant 6 foot 8 miming clown on the same stage?” Confirming my initial suspicions that the venue programming is in safe hands, Mike adds: “One of the cool things about it from a band booking and programming side is our team, and the fact that operationally we see the end result the same. We come from the same background, like the same kind of music and we get to put stuff out there on stage that we’re going to love. Mike Doughty, Built To Spill, etc. Bunkhouse is not a flash in the pan; it’s a real music venue. Indie rock heroes mixed with new cutting-edge stuff. Big Data I’m super excited about, The Entrance Band I’m super excited about. Stuff that people won’t be as familiar with, but is equally as cool. Great mid-size live music venues are products of real 55

Downtown ZEN

Lauded through the ‘90s and early 2000s, indie rockers from Boise, Idaho — Built To Spill — have the honor of gracing the yet-to-be dirtied-up Bunkhouse stage for the first time. Was that a nostalgic nod to the past, or a strategic move on Bunkhouse’s part to set the stage (excuse the pun) for the future? Stratton reins me in. “Built To Spill was the perfect band to launch as part of the first official day of opening. It says everything that we want to say. It says everything we want the fans to say. It shows we’re in this for the long haul. It definitely seems like everything we’re putting in place is for the long term. It’s not a month-to-month plan. There’s really a lot of value in bands playing these smaller shows. One of the things I’m most excited about is the artist, who maybe it’s their first trip to Las Vegas, or that may not have had a great experience before, and Bunkhouse is the go-to for their Vegas stop. We want fans to walk away from shows and two years from now say, ‘Wow, I got to see Bob Mould in this kind of setting.’ It’s rare that bands like that, who are really used to playing bigger rooms, get a chance to relate to the fans like this.” So when the Bunkhouse saloon doors swing open again on August 25, what exactly can we expect? Well, from hanging out with the M&M’s for less than 30 minutes and soaking up their excitement and positivity, we are in for a top-notch ride. Henry hammers this home. “Exactly! This is going to be one of the best live music venues of its size in the country. Music has been put first, put right in the center of it. It’s a true live music venue with incredible food and incredible drinks.” Will Bunkhouse provide me with a tale to proudly stand atop my live concert resume in a couple of year’s time? One to rival that of my mum seeing the Rolling Stones at a tiny club in England? I hope so.

The Bunkhouse 124 S. 11th St. Reopening August 25, 2014

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

We would like to thank the following businesses for adding our racks to their stores. Amberjoy's Vintage Closet 1225 S. Main St. Las Vegas, NV 89101 702.825.2020 www.amberjoysvintagecloset.com

Medusa's

1300 S. Main St. Las Vegas, NV 89104 702.331.4660 www.medusaslv.com

Patina DĂŠcor

1211 S. Main St. Las Vegas, NV 89104 702.776.6222 www.patinadecorlv.com

Glam Factory Vintage

Main Street Galleria

211 E. Colorado St. Las Vegas, NV 89104 â&#x20AC;¨ 702.443.0131 www.facebook.com Search Glam Factory Vintage

1409 S. Main St. Las Vegas, NV 89104 702.588.8541 www.facebook.com/mainstreetgallerialv

Electric Lemonade Shop

1411 S. Main St. Las Vegas, NV 89104 702.772.1744 www.http://las-vegas-collectibles.com

220 E. Charleston Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89104 702.776.7766 www.electriclemonadeshop.com

Main Street America

Laura's Treasures

Lost Vegas Antiques

1400 S. Main St. Las Vegas, NV 89104 702.476.1400 www.collectibles-antique.com

625 S. Las Vegas Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89101 1.855.443.9418 www.lostvegas.vpweb.com

If you would like a rack or document holder in your business, contact us at DowntownZEN@zappos.com ISSUE 29

AUGUST 2014

dtZEN.com

Downtown ZEN

events calendar AUGUST 1 FRIDAY

Downtown3rd Farmers Market | 9am-2pm Creativ Week Creativ Week is produced and curated by CatalystCreativ, a small business funded by the Downtown Project the first week of every month. Creativ Week is a monthly celebration in downtown Vegas that showcases the most exciting arts, culture and entertainment. more info: CatalystCreativ.com

AUGUST 2 SATURDAY Creativ Week

AUGUST 3 SUNDAY

Sunday Reset Project It is time to reset yourself once a month! location: Turntable Health time: 8 a.m.-11 a.m

AUGUST 5 TUESDAY Downtown Project Lowdown Want the inside scoop on all of the good things happening with Downtown Project? Then you won’t want to miss the Downtown Lowdown, a monthly event that brings the community together with updates relating to DTLV. location: The Learning Village time: 5 p.m.-6 p.m. more info: DowntownProject.com

AUGUST 7 THURSDAY

Rachel’s Kitchen Jam Every Thursday, Rachel’s Kitchen will be hosting live acoustic music. location: Rachel’s Kitchen in the Ogden time: 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Tech Cocktail Week Tech Cocktail cordially invites you to join us for Sessions, a monthly speaker series part of Tech Cocktail Week. Sessions brings the experiences of successful entrepreneurs, investors and other industry experts directly to you. Hear their stories in their own words and ask them your questions in an intimate setting. location: The Learning Village time: 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Hot Havana Nights This sizzling event, set for 6 p.m.-10 p.m., will transform the Mob Museum into a tropical paradise. Hot Havana Nights is presented in collaboration with the Cuban Heritage Foundation and the Las Vegas Latin Chamber of Commerce. location: Mob Museum time:6 p.m.-10 p.m. more info: TheMobMuseum.org

AUGUST 9 SATURDAY

Family GAME Night Come play board games with us! location: The Learning Village time: 3 p.m.-6 p.m. more info: DowntownFamilySeries.com

AUGUST 12 TUESDAY

Downtown3rd Farmers Market | 9am-2pm Trivia at the Beat Come with a team or find one at The Beat. Every second Tuesday you can test your knowledge and flex your brain in a cerebral competition. There will be prizes and beer specials, and most likely a little more beer than brains. location: The Beat Coffeehouse time: 7 p.m. Gold Spike Cornhole Tournament Come play Cornhole at the Gold Spike. $20 per team. location: GOLD SPIKE time: 8 p.m. Amberjoy's Vintage Closet The Fox and the Vamp will be instructing a pin-up photographer's class. Learn how to pose and capture the perfect pin-ups. For the 90-minute class: $45 per student. time: 6:30 p.m.

Pinball Fun Night For a small fee, all of the pinball you can handle for up to four hours. location: Main Street Antique and Collectibles Mall time: 5 p.m.-10 p.m.

AUGUST 16 SATURDAY

Family LEGO Build Night Come build with us! location: The Learning Village time: 3 p.m.-6 p.m. more info: DowntownFamilySeries.com

AUGUST 17 SUNDAY

Amberjoy's Vintage Closet The Cherry DollFace, one of America's Top Pin-Up Models, will be instructing a Vintage Hair and MakeUp Class. Email thecherrydollface@hotmail.com to book your spot. Cost is $75 for the 2-hour class with pictures afterward. time: 2 p.m.-5p.m.

AUGUST 19 TUESDAY

Karaoke at the Kitchen Every third Tuesday, Rachel’s Kitchen will be holding a Karaoke contest. The winner will receive a prize and be entered to win a grand prize on September 16. location: Rachel’s Kitchen in the Ogden time: 5 p.m.-7 p.m.

AUGUST 20 WEDNESDAY

AUGUST 13 WEDNESDAY

Family GAME Night Come play board games with us! location: The Learning Village time: 3 p.m.-6 p.m. more info: DowntownFamilySeries.com Stitch Factory Fashion Speaker Series Stitch Factory, in partnership with Downtown Project, presents its monthly speaker series designed to bring together passionate individuals to share ideas, network and inspire. location: The Learning Village time: 5:30 p.m. more info: StitchFactory.com

Catalyst Week Catalyst Week is produced and curated by CatalystCreativ, a small business funded by the Downtown Project the first week of every month. Creativ Week is a monthly celebration in downtown Vegas that showcases the most exciting arts, culture and entertainment in downtown. more info: CatalystCreativ.com

AUGUST 21 THURSDAY Catalyst Week

Rachel’s Kitchen Jam

AUGUST 22 FRIDAY

AUGUST 14 THURSDAY

Rachel’s Kitchen Jam Every Thursday, Rachel’s Kitchen will be hosting live acoustic music. location: Rachel’s Kitchen in the Ogden time: 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Stitch Factory Fashion Speaker Series time: 5:30 p.m.

Catalyst Week

Downtown3rd Farmers Market | 9am-2pm

AUGUST 23 SATURDAY Catalyst Week

AUGUST 28 THURSDAY Rachel’s Kitchen Jam

AUGUST 15 FRIDAY

Downtown3rd Farmers Market | 9am-2pm

AUGUST 8 FRIDAY

AUGUST 29 FRIDAY

Downtown3rd Farmers Market | 9am-2pM

Downtown3rd Farmers Market | 9am-2pm

Downtown ZEN

dtZEN.com

AUGUST 2014

ISSUE 29

SEPTEMBER

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER 1 MONDAY

SEPTEMBER 6 FRIDAY

Labor Day

Creativ Week

SEPTEMBER 2 TUESDAY

Downtown Project Lowdown Want the inside scoop on all of the good things happening with Downtown Project? Then you won’t want to miss the Downtown Lowdown, a monthly event that brings the community together with updates relating to DTLV. location: The Learning Village time: 5 p.m.-6 p.m. more info: DowntownProject.com

SEPTEMBER 3 WEDNESDAY

Creativ Week Creativ Week is produced and curated by CatalystCreativ, a small business funded by the Downtown Project the first week of every month. Creativ Week is a monthly celebration in downtown Vegas that showcases the most exciting arts, culture and entertainment. more info: CatalystCreativ.com

Cyclocross Event Taking place in September each year, Cross Vegas is the biggest cyclocross race in America. location: Desert Breeze Soccer Complex time: 3:30 p.m.-11 p.m.

Visit Blue Man Group’s ShoeZaphone at the Zappos.com downtown campus and create your own soundtrack and light show. Then come to Monte Carlo and watch us create ours!

Shedonism “LURE” Kickoff Party Shedonism is the official women’s events of Las Vegas Pride. location: Inspire Rooftop Patio time: 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Beers and Bingo Come down to Banger Brewery for the first Beers and Bingo event. DJ Ultra will be spinning on the 1’s and 2’s. location: Banger Brewery time: 5 p.m.-7 p.m.

SEPTEMBER 4 THURSDAY Creativ Week

Rachel’s Kitchen Jam Every Thursday, Rachel’s Kitchen will be hosting live acoustic music. location: Rachel’s Kitchen in the Ogden time: 4 p.m.-7 p.m.

SEPTEMBER 5 FRIDAY Creativ Week

Downtown3rd Farmers Market | 9am-2pm Pride Parade Join us for the most glamorous, glittering spectacle ever created by the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community of Southern Nevada, the annual Las Vegas PRIDE Night Parade. location: Downtown Las Vegas time: 8 p.m.

NIGHTLY AT

TICKETS FROM $59* VIP & ONSTAGE EXPERIENCE PACKAGES AVAILABLE *SUBJECT TO TAXES AND FEES. SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY

Scan me for the digital copy

DOWNTOWN RESTAURANTS 100 The Beat Coﬀeehouse G5 520 Fremont St. 702.385.2328 101 Le Thai G5 523 Fremont St. 702.778.0888 102 Triple George Grill F4 201 N. Third St. 702.384.2761

103 Tacos El Gordo J8 1724 E. Charleston Blvd. 702.251.8226

104 Chicago Joe’s E7 820 S. Fourth St.

702.382.5637 www.chicagojoesrestaurant.com

105 Bar+Bistro D8 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite #155 702.202.6060

106 Mundo – A Culinary Haute Spot C5 495 S. Grand Central Pkwy. 702.270-4400 107 Courthouse Bar & Grill E5 330 S. Third St. 702.388-8222 108 City Centre Café F6 375 Lewis Ave. 702.383.4055

126 Denny’s F4 450 Fremont St. (Inside Neonopolis) 702.471.0056 www.dennys.com

127 Rachel’s Kitchen G5 150 N. Las Vegas Blvd.

(Inside Retail Space at Ogden) www.rachelskitchen.com

128 Radio City Pizza G5 508 Fremont St.

702.982.5055 www.radiocitypizza.com

129 Park on Fremont G5 506 Fremont St.

702.798.7000 www.parkonfremont.com

130 Anthony’s Pizza & Deli E5 321 S. Casino Center Blvd., Suite #125 702.896.0353

131 La Comida G5 100 Sixth St.

702.463.9900 www.facebook.com/LaComidaLV

132 Doña Maria's Tamales D8 910 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.382.6538

133 Mingo Kitchen and Lounge C8 1017 First St., Suite #180 702.685.0328

109 El Gaucho Luca’s Café & Deli F5 231 S. Third St., Suite #110 702.384.3115 www.elgaucholucascafe.com

134 City Center Quiznos F6 365 Lewis Ave.

110 Viva Las Arepas D10 1616 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Suite #120

135 Wild B9 150 N. Las Vegas Blvd. Suite 120

702.336.9696

111 Subway G5 600 Fremont St. 702.302.5020 113 Jason’s Deli D3 100 City Pkwy. 702.366.0130

114 The Verdicts Inn E7 801 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.837.3428

115 Luv It Frozen Custard D10 505 E. Oakey Blvd. 702.384.6452

116 Lola’s: B8 A Louisiana Kitchen

241 W. Charleston Blvd. #101 702.227.5652 117 Casa Don Juan Restaurant C8 1204 S. Main St. 702.384.8070 www.casadonjuanlv.com 118 eat. 707 Carson Ave. G5 702.534.1515 www.eatdowntownlv.com

119 Du-Par’s F5 Restaurant & Bakery 1 Fremont St. (Inside Golden Gate) 702.385.1906

120 Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop E5 Regional Justice Center 200 Lewis Ave. 702.631.1112 www.capriottis.com

121 El Sombrero Café D7 807 S. Main St. 122 G5 123 G5

702.382.9234 Kabob Corner 507 Fremont St. 702.384.7722 Uncle Joe’s Pizza 505 Fremont St. 702.385.2162

124 Big Ern’s BBQ G5 707 Fremont St. (Container Park) 702.834.7845 www.bigernsbbq.com

125 Pop Up Pizza E4 1 Main St. (PLAZA HOTEL) 702.366.0049 www.popuppizzalv.com

125 Zaba’s Mexican Grill E4 1 Main St. (PLAZA HOTEL) 702.207.0777 www.zabas.com

702.380.0900 www.quiznos.com

702.527.7717 www.eatdrinkwild.com

136 Nacho Daddy C10 113 N. 4th St.

702.778.7800 www.nachodaddy.com

137 Pura Vida H7 1236 Western Ave.

702.722.0108 www.puravidavegas.com

138 Tiﬀany's Café G4 1700 S. Las Vegas Blvd

702.444.4459 www.tiﬀanyscafelv.com

139 Art of Flavors G5 1616 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.676.1027 www.Facebook.com Search "Art of Flavors"

140 MTO Café D5 500 S. Main St.

702.380.8229 www.mtocafe.com

141 O Face Doughnuts G5 124 S. Sixth St. Suite 140

702.476.3223 www.Facebook.com Search “O Face Doughnuts”

142 Rock ‘N’oodles C8 1108 S. Third St.

702.522.9953 www.rocknoodles.com

143 The Goodwich G5 1516 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Suite A 702.910.8681 www.the-goodwich.com

144 Carson Kitchen F5 124 S. Sixth St.

702.473.9523 www.carsonkitchen.com

BARS, LOUNGES & NIGHTCLUBS 200 Downtown Cocktail Room (DCR) G5 111 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.880.3696

201 Lady Silvia E8 900 S. Las Vegas Blvd.

www.theladysilvia.com

202 Artiﬁce D8 1025 S. First St. 702.489.6339

203 Beauty Bar G5 517 Fremont St., Suite #A

702.598.1965 www.thebeautybar.com/las_vegas

204 Dino’s Lounge D10 1516 S. Las Vegas Blvd.

410 Electric Lemonade D8 220 E. Charleston Blvd.

205 Banger Brewing F4 450 Fremont St. Suite 135

411 Freddie Ramon C10 1411 S. Main St.

702.382.3894

702.456.2739 www.bangerbrewing.com

206 The Griﬃn G5 511 Fremont St. 702.382.0577

207 Hogs & Heifers Saloon F4 201 N. 3rd St., Suite #130

702.676.1457 www.hogsandheifers.com

208 Insert Coin(s) G5 512 Fremont St.

702.447.2525 www.insertcoinslv.com

209 Vanguard Lounge G5 516 Fremont St.

702.868.7800 www.vanguardlv.com

210 Commonwealth G5 525 Fremont St.

702.798.7000 www.commonwealthlv.com

211 Backstage Bar & Billiards G5 601 Fremont St.

702.382.2223 www.backstagebarandbilliards.com

702.776.7766

702.468.3232

412 Gaia Flowers C8 6 E. Charleston Blvd. 702.997.0222

413 Happy Panda Toys C8 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite #105A

702.525.1053

415 Inside Style C8 1119 S. Main St.

702.399.1100 416 Nature’s Element D7 817 S. Main St. 702.521.0725

417 Photo Bang Bang C10 224 E. Imperial Ave.

702.518.7427 418 Skin City Body Painting C8 1209 S. Main St. 702.431.7546

419 Williams Costume Co. D9 1226 S. Third St.

421 Let Me Nail You F7 514 Bonneville Ave.

702.384.8444 www.goldspike.com

217 Aruba Lounge D9 1215 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.382.3987

218 Scullery F4 150 N. Las Vegas Blvd.

702.910.2396 www.facebook.com Search “Scullery” 220 Inspire Theater F4 501 Fremont St. 702.910.2388

RETAIL SHOPS, BOUTIQUES & SALONS 400 Coterie G5 515 Fremont St.

702.685.7741 www.facebook.com Search “Coterie Downtown”

401 Globe Salon E7 900 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Suite #130 702.938.4247 www.globesalon.com

404 Vexed By Design C8 1017 First St., Suite #185

702.600.4850 www.thetownbike.com

702.330.3945 www.roguetoys.com

423 Don Vicente Cigars Intl. E7 624 Las Vegas Blvd S. 702.526.3922

1216 S. Main St. 702.471.6236

407 Cowtown Guitars D7 C8 1009 S. Main St.

702.866.2600 www.cowtownguitars.com

409 Creative Space C10 1421 S. Commerce St. 702.439.3923

702.541.8282 www.Downtowntattoolasvegas.com 425 Reclaimed Art Suppliez & Creative Reuse D8 1114 S. Casino Center Blvd. Suite 1 702.678.6089 www.reclaimedart.org

FITNESS

1504

1505

1201 S. Commerce St. 702.331.3172 www.realresultsﬁtness.com

701 24hr Fitness E3

100 City Pkwy., Suite #160 702.824.9614

113

727 S. Main St. 702.685.5070 www.freestylecrossﬁt.com

HOTEL & CASINOS 800 El Cortez G5

600 Fremont St. 800.634.6703

804

301 Fremont St. 702.388.2400 www.thed.com

803 Golden Nugget F4

129 Fremont St. 702.385.7111 www.goldennugget.com 1 S. Main St. 800.634.6575 www.plazahotelcasino.com

805 Downtown Grand Las Vegas F4

206 N. Third St. 855.384.7263 www.downtowngrand.com

125

495 S. Main St. 702.229.6011 901 Veteran’s Village D5 1150 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.624.5792 www.vvlv.org

HIGH-RISE LIVING 1000 The Ogden G4 150 N. Las Vegas Blvd.

400

209 206

203 101

100 213

131

211

134 1100

422

1002

121

518 517

416 104 407

116

413

901 1300

508 402

137

1001

511

401 201

516

520

601

512

509 510

506

409

132

217

507

519

103

419

1209

504 502 505

000

142

412 133 404

515 700 521 501 503 418

1202

1402

403 411

204

514 417

1206

143

139

110 138 603

115

11 B

702.724.1436 www.9thbridgeschool.com

COMMUNITY SPACES 100 /usr/lib (Tech Library) G5

520 Fremont St. 702.385.2328

6th Street Workspace 317 S. Sixth St. 702.534.3804 www.workinprogress.lv

102 SYN SHOP G5

The Las Vegas HackerSpace 117 N. Fourth St. www.synshop.org

221 N. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.463.9029 www.fremonteaststudios.com

104 Stitch Factory G4

300 N. Las Vegas Blvd. Suite 120 702.476.5552 www.stitchfactory.com

ART STUDIOS 100 Emergency Arts

520 Fremont St. 702.385.328 1201 Arts Factory C7 107 E. Charleston Blvd. 702.383.3133 G5

1202 Amanda Harris Gallery 900 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Suite #150 E7

702.269.6036 Amanda.nelle@gmail.com

1203 Art Square C7 1025 S. First St.

Las Vegas, NV 89101 www.artsquarelv.com 1204 Gainsburg Studio, Inc. C7 1039 S. Main St. 702.249.3200 www.gainsburgstudio.com

1210 Contemporary Art Center (CAC) C8 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite #120

506 One Man’s Trash C9 1300 S. Main St., Suite #140 702.7778.7988

1211 Downtown Contemporary Gallery C8 at artSquare

1212 Pinup Pointe Art Gallery C8 4 E. Charleston Blvd.

507 JJC Clocks & Antiques C9 1310 S. Main St. 702.384.8463 508 The Funk House D9 1228 S. Casino Center Blvd. 702.678.6278

1213 RTZ Vegas C8 1017 S. First St., Suite #195

509 Glam Factory Vintage D9 211 E. Colorado Ave. 702.443.0131

702.382.3886

1025 First St., Suite #145 702.358.7022

702.302.7878

702.592.2164

1214 Ryan Williams Art Gallery C8 1025 S. First St.

321.258.9032

1215 Sin City Gallery C8 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite #100

702.608.2461

1216 Trifecta C8 135 E. Charleston Blvd.

702.366.7001

RECURRING EVENTS 1300 First Friday Main Hub C9 Casino Center Boulevard

Between Colorado Street & California Street

1301 Downtown3rd Farmers Market 300 Block of North Main Street F4

Directly Next To The Mob Museum

ENTERTAINMENT 1400 The Smith Center 361 Symphony Park Ave. C5

702.749.2000

1401 Art Square Theater 1025 S. First St. C8

702.308.8087 info@artsquarelv.com

1402 Theater 7 D9 1406 S. Third St.

702.568.9663 220 Inspire News Cafe 501 Fremont St. F4 702.910.2388

MUSEUMS & ATTRACTIONS 1501 The Mob Museum 300 Stewart Ave. F4

702.229.2732

1502 Old Las Vegas Fort H1 500 E. Washington Ave. 702.486.3511 1503 Discovery Children’s B7 Museum

360 Promenade Pl. 702.382.3445

1504 Natural History Museum H2 900 N. Las Vegas Blvd.

702.384.3466

1505 The Neon Museum H2 770 N. Las Vegas Blvd.

702.387.6366 www.neonmuseum.org

ANTIQUE ALLEY

1208 Brett Wesley Gallery C8 1112 S. Casino Center Blvd.

500 Retro Vegas C8 1131 S. Main St. 702.384.2700 501 Amberjoy's Vintage Closet C8 1225 S. Main Street 702.825.2020 www.amberjoysvintagecloset.com Patina Decor 502 C8 1300 S. Main St.. 702.776.6222 503 Armstrong’s Emporium C9 1228 S. Main St. 702.366.1995 504 Medusa’s Antiques C9 1300 S. Main St., Suite #110 702.331.4660

1209 City of the World C9 1229 S. Casino Center Blvd.

505 Desert Buddha C9 1300 S. Main St., Suite #120 702.383.1008

1205 Open Air Printers C7 1039 S. Main St., Suite #150

702.870.9946 www.goldwellmuseum.org

1206 Blackbird Studios C10 1551 S. Commerce St., Suite #A

11 A

800.585.3737

114

410

415 1208

117

112 425

500 1212 1216

408

1600

201

1204 1213 1205 1214 202 1211 1203 406 1210 414 12151401 1201105

1100 Las Vegas Academy G6 315 S. 7th St.

103 Fremont East Studios

1207

1001

1003

513

421

702.387.0093

SCHOOLS

212

420

702.754.6300 www.juhlst.com

101 Work In Progress -

423

702

602

1701

702.383.0979

1002 Juhl Lofts E7 353 E. Bonneville Ave.

1101 9th Bridge Early Development I5 310 S. Ninth St.

210

214

118

108 132 101

208 122

1001 Soho Lofts E7 900 S. Las Vegas Blvd.

1003 Newport Lofts D7 200 Hoover Ave.

500

107 120

424

104 104

216 102 126 803 205 127 135 136 802 119 218 1000 111 303 220 304 127 200 141 800 144 109 124

130

900

301 302 103

1400

140

804 Plaza Hotel & Casino E4

139 207 102 805

1503

802 The D Las Vegas F4

129 220 128 123

1501

106

701 1301

702 FreeStyle CrossFit D6

HUMAN SERVICES 900 Las Vegas City Hall

702.685.0300

700 Real Results Gym C9

LAS VEGAS, NV

J D5

424 Downtown Tattoo E7 1106 Fremont St.

702.431.8071 josephineskaught@yahoo.com

408 Better Than New

1502

702.998.9490

422 Rogue Toys E7 616 Las Vegas Blvd S.

702.275.7141 www.vexedlv.com

406 Josephine Skaught Hairdressing D8 1025 S. First St. Suite 165

702.384.1384

213 Don’t Tell Mama G5 517 Fremont St.

216 Gold Spike G5 217 N. Las Vegas Blvd.

414 Hillary Salon C8 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite #250

420 The Town Bike E6 353 East Bonneville Ave. Suite 179

702.207.0788 214 Atomic Liquors H5 917 Fremont St. 702.349.2283 www.atomiclasvegas.com 215 Velveteen Rabbit C9 1218 S. Main St. (702) 685-9645

702.516.3432

212 Bunkhouse H6 124 S. 11th St.

702.384.4536 www.bunkhouselv.com

702.782.0319 www.blackbirdstudioslv.com

702.433.4433

702.409.7549

510 Gypsy Den D9 213 E. Colorado Ave. 702.684.1628 511 Western Gypsy in the Kangaroo Court D9 1306 S. Third St. 702.868.3302 512 Gypsy Caravan D8 1214 S. Third St. 702.868.3302 513 Rick’s Restorations C8 1112 S. Commerce St. 702.366.7030 514 Sin City Pickers C10 10 W. Wyoming Ave. 702.366.9166 515 Vintage Vegas Antiques C9 1227 S. Main St. 702.539.0799 516 Alex Presley’s Unique Boutique D9 1304 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.300.2476 517 Lost Vegas Antiques F7 625 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.382-1882 518 Swag Antiques F7 630 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.464.3299 519 Not Just Antiques B9 1422 Western Ave. 702.384.4922 520 Main Street America C9 1400 S. Main St. 702.476.1400 www.main-street-america.com 521 Rockin’ Betty’s B9 1216 S. Main St. 702.384.4922

LEGAL SERVICES 1600 Craig P. Kenny & Associates G7 501 S. Eight St.

702.380.2800 www.cpklaw.com

HEALTH & WELLNESS 1700 Dr. Azimi DDS E8 820 S. Seventh St.

702.759.0005

1701 Turntable Health G5 701 Bridger Ave., Suite #150

702.479.1515 www.turntablehealth.com

COFFEE SPOTS 100 The Beat Coﬀeehouse 520 Fremont St. G5 702.385.2328 500 Starbucks F5

300 S. Fourth St. #7 702.759.3426

220 Inspire News Cafe F4

501 Fremont St. 702.910.2388

GROCERY 601 Resnick’s Grocery

900 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 702.982.2999 602 Cake World Bakery 220 N. Maryland Pkwy. I5 702.471.7111 603 White Cross Market C10 1700 S. Las Vegas Blvd. (702) 382.3382 E8