2014-12-18 Las Vegas Weekly by Greenspun Media Group

DEC. 18 BEAU HODGES

DEC. 22 WATER LANDING

DEC. 18 LA/DTLV MUSIC INDUSTRY MIXER (EARLY)

DEC. 23 CRITICAL WAYS DEC. 24 GEEKS WHO DRINK DEC. 26 THE BEATLES TRIBUTE SHOW DEC. 28 GLOOM BLOOM

WITH JEFF MIX AND THE SONGHEARTS AND DYLAN JAKOBSON

WITH PHRECKLE$ AND HONOR AMONGST THIEVES

DEC. 19 RUSTY MAPLES XMAS SHOW WITH MERCY MUSIC, THE CORE, AND TRAVIS HAYES

DEC. 20 CHICKEN SHACK(LATE) DEC. 20 JOEY PERO FAREWELL SHOW(EARLY) DEC. 21 LEAVING SPRINGFIELD WITH HABERASHERS, GEEZUS CRYST AND FREE BEER, AND THE ROYAL HOUNDS

WITH THE ALL-TOGETHERS AND JINXY BEAR AND DIRTY FOXX

WITH THE ASTAIRES, NO TIDES, AND THE NIGHT TIMES

DEC. 31 CRAZY CHIEF

WITH RUSTY MAPLES, SAME SEX MARY, AND MERCY MUSIC

JAN. 17 THE KYLE GAS BAND JAN. 24 MINI MANSIONS

JUST ANNOUNCED: 1/27 HELMS ALEE, 1/31 TODD SNIDER, 2/7 ZOLA JESUS, 2/13 THE GROWLERS, 2/22 THE PARLOR MOB

GROUP PUBLISHER TRAVIS KEYS (travis.keys@gmgvegas.com) ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER MARK DE POOTER (mark.depooter@gmgvegas.com)

EDITORIAL EDITOR SPENCER PATTERSON (spencer.patterson@gmgvegas.com) MANAGING EDITOR ERIN RYAN (erin.ryan@gmgvegas.com) ASSOCIATE EDITOR KEN MILLER (ken.miller@gmgvegas.com) FOOD EDITOR BROCK RADKE (brock.radke@gmgvegas.com) NIGHTLIFE EDITOR MIKE PREVATT (mike.prevatt@gmgvegas.com) WEB EDITOR MARK ADAMS (mark.adams@gmgvegas.com) FILM EDITOR JOSH BELL

✁

STAFF WRITER KRISTEN PETERSON (kristen.peterson@gmgvegas.com) CALENDAR EDITOR LESLIE VENTURA (leslie.ventura@gmgvegas.com) CONTRIBUTING EDITOR DON CHAREUNSY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DAWN-MICHELLE BAUDE, JIM BEGLEY, CHRIS BITONTI, JACOB COAKLEY, MIKE D’ANGELO, SARAH FELDBERG, STEVE FRIESS, JASON HARRIS, JOHN KATSILOMETES, TOVIN LAPAN, MOLLY O’DONNELL, MAX PLENKE, DEANNA RILLING, STACY J. WILLIS, ANNIE ZALESKI LIBRARY SERVICES SPECIALIST/PERMISSIONS REBECCA CLIFFORD-CRUZ OFFICE COORDINATOR NADINE GUY

ART ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR LIZ BROWN (liz.brown@gmgvegas.com) SENIOR DESIGNER MARVIN LUCAS (marvin.lucas@gmgvegas.com) DESIGNER CORLENE BYRD (corlene.byrd@gmgvegas.com) STAFF PHOTO & VIDEO JOURNALISTS L.E. BASKOW, CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS, STEVE MARCUS PHOTO COORDINATOR MIKAYLA WHITMORE CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS SPENCER BURTON, BILL HUGHES, ADAM SHANE

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CIRCULATION DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION RON GANNON ROUTE MANAGER RANDY CARLSON CIRCULATION SPECIALIST CHAD HARWOOD

MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & EVENTS MICHAEL URIARTE

NewYear’s Eve Bash! $85(TaxInclusive & Gratuity)

food buffet & open bar on the patio 9pm - 11pm (business as usual inside)

trip” S e h t ’ O e m a “The Sh el Casino

Hot Excalibur gas Blvd South Ve 3850 Las 2-597-7991 0 7 www.DicksLastResort.com

EAT DRINK LAUGH

EVENT MANAGER KRISTIN WILSON DIGITAL MARKETING ASSOCIATE JORDAN NEWSOM

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ADVERTISING DEADLINE EVERY THURSDAY AT 5 PM

Contents 7 mail Mourning Tacos El Gordo

43 screen The Hobbit’s battle

and exalting John Prine.

porn, an Annie remake and yet another Night at the Museum.

Pastries by adam shane; imagine dragons by erik kabik

8 as we see it Hakkasan’s takeover, F Street’s rebirth and Rebel football’s bold move.

46 noise Imagine Dragons on

12 weekly Q&A Dirk Arthur,

48 fine art Two decades of

magician and cat baby-er.

design excellence at Barrick.

14 Feature | scars into

49 print The books that helped

stars Created by an ex-con, Pigeonly is helping inmates stay connected to the outside world.

win WWII. What’s The Midas Flesh?

50 food Hearthstone’s truffled

16 Feature | one last bite

honey transcends. Asian delights at Gyu-Kaku and Buddha Belly.

Before she leaves Las Vegas, the foodiest of foodies tucks into all the meals she (and you) missed.

home turf. Charli XCX’s latest.

56 calendar Trekkie sleepover!

26 nights Nathan Clement’s progressive-underground sound. Shooting cognac at Evening Call.

41 A&E It’s holiday hoops-mania! 42 pop culture Wham! gives us the realest carol ever.

Cover Photograph By adam shane

NEED HEALTH INSURANCE?

LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM > SWEET AND SAVORY Hash House A Go Go’s chicken and waffles is a dish for all seasons.

MERRY NOSHING If it feels like Christmas came early this year, you aren’t alone. While you finish up your holiday shopping list, the Weekly elves have dinner covered. Head to lasvegasweekly.com for our roundup of the best holiday dining spots, with selections that will make every budget feel merry.

YOU GOT THIS Health Plan of Nevada is here to help. Find out what Health Plan of Nevada options you have for you and your family. Let us help you learn more about your options so you can focus on what matters most — owning every moment.

Open enrollment ends Feb.15. Visit yougotthisnevada.com

EXTREME BUMMER The annual all-ages music and sports festival Extreme Thing isn’t happening in 2015, and that’s not cool. Find out why—and if there’s a chance the fest might be resurrected—at lasvegasweekly.com.

MOST READ STORIES lasvegasweekly.com 1. Folk singer John Prine makes his Vegas return a memorable one 2. Exploring our city’s brilliant if lesser-known Thai food 3. Weekly Taste Test: How does Coke Life stack up? 4. Concert on-sales: Jack White, Fleetwood Mac, Widespread Panic and more 5. The Cosmo’s giant fortune-telling cat wishes you well

HASH HOUSE A GO GO BY PETER HARASTY; EXTREME THING BY FRED MORLEDGE/PHOTOFM

If you still don’t have health insurance, don’t worry.

DRAMATIC ENDING? This past summer we chose Onyx Theatre for Best Calendar honors as part of our annual Best of Vegas awards, but now the space appears to be on the verge of closing its doors for good. Visit lasvegasweekly. com to read about how it got to this state, and what losing such a mainstay might mean for a city already tight on performing spaces.

NOW

Mail

YOU GET THIS UNSWEETENED Our Weekly taste test of Coke Life provoked a strong reaction—not the review, but soda in general.

What? That’s crazy! They looked like they made a bunch of money! –Amy Hernandez This is a travesty! –Mark Hizon

Coke anything is all poison! Run far away from it. –David McReynolds Still crap. Drink water, organic juice or tea. –Karri Carter

You should try Taqueria El Buen Pastor, it’s on Vegas Boulevard and Bonanza. The best tacos in Vegas and 24/7. –Gloria Santillan

I’m done with sodas and I feel great! –Jay Jones

I had to shed a tear. –Miranda Stephanie

Tried it, thought it tasted pretty good; didn’t have a diet soda taste. But still, I rarely have soda. –Michelle Bustamante

Sad. I miss Desnudo Tacos, as well. –Erik Nielsen

This better not be like clear Pepsi. –Ed Lattanzio

THAI LEFTOVERS Eat the Globe’s Thai roundup had readers rallying to let us know which tasty spots we missed.

Thai Food to Go on East Desert Inn. –Geoff Seifert Kinnaree Thai & Vegetarian on the west side is amazing. I ordered something called an herbal salad and it was the best thing I have ever eaten. EVER. –Rosary Fitzgerald I’m with Geoff Seifert ... Thai Food to Go is really good, and the folks that run it are so sweet! –Renee Hoffsetz Krung Siam, or sometimes Thai Style Noodle House. –Marissa Humayun Komol is missing and gets overlooked because of its close location to Lotus of Siam. –Sara Kiper

ADIOS, EL GORDO The universally beloved Tacos El Gordo closed its Strip location. We’re all still trying to recover.

This is so crazy! No more tacos for us! –San Aguirre

Everything cool is closing in L.V. Everything opening is sh*t. Go figure ... –David Biron It’s okay, people! They still have one on the east side of town. Charleston and Bruce ... 24 hours! –Claudia Belen Rincon

SUCK-UP PUDDING? Josh Bell wrote that Netflix’s Marco Polo wasn’t worth your time. James W. Stanfield wrote ... something else.

I disagree. This series is quite “watchable”! Get your whiny head out of the suck-up pudding! –James W. Stanfield

PRINE TIME Folk singer John Prine’s December 6 concert at the Pearl left a lasting impression.

One of the greatest storytellers of all time. He opens his mouth and life’s truths flow out to the sweetest of melodies, fingerpicked on a flattop guitar. Love him. –Mcstraycat I first heard him in Texas in 1977 and I haven’t stopped listening since! –Hipcowboy420 It was a great night. I’ve seen John many times in my life, but this Vegas show was really special. John Prine is a true American songwriter and performer. –Edwin Doetschman

LVWeekly@GMGVegas.com Letters may be edited for length and/or clarity. All submissions become the property of Las Vegas Weekly.

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AsWeSeeIt OPINION + POLITICS + HUMOR + STYLE

HAKKASAN STEPS INTO THE LIGHT

> CONQUERING THE NIGHT Eclipse at Daylight Beach Club is just one of the many events now under control of Hakkasan Group.

∑ So many venues involved in Hakkasan Group’s $36 million

(Brock Radke contributed to this story.)

BANG FOR YOUR BOOZE Buy Jackpot Vodka, get resort credit at the Palms

∑ Getting bonus shot glasses or a nifty cocktail shaker with alcohol purchases is pretty standard, but how about some three-chili chicken from Lao Sze Chuan to complement your next bottle buy? That’s a reality now, thanks to a partnership between the Palms and Jackpot Spirits. Each bottle of

8 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 18–24, 2014

Jackpot Vodka comes with a $25 minimum resort credit at the off-Strip property. Buyers simply register a unique five-character code (found on the bottle cap) at jackpotvodka. com to reveal their $25+ offer, and from there they can use the credit at Palms food and beverage outlets, the

hotel spa and on room expenses at checkout. The promotion began November 17, and a Palms representative says a handful of credits have already been redeemed. That Chopin bottle is looking mighty pricey now, ain’t it, vodka snobs? –Mark Adams

DAYLIGHT PHOTOGRAPH BY FRED MORLEDGE/PHOTO FM

buyout of nightclub/dining consortium Light Group, so many questions to ask. The former’s announcement was transparent but predictably lean on details—or at least the most interesting ones—leaving us pondering how the big move might (or might not) affect local nightlife. Here are some initial thoughts: It’s hardly a surprise. When rumors of the transaction trickled out on December 12, eyes widened at the boldness of such a young nightlife company taking over and establishing a Strip dominance akin to fellow MGM Resorts entertainment partner Cirque du Soleil. But at Hakkasan’s April 2013 opening, CEO Neil Moffitt promised quick expansion, and as his mammoth new venture outgrossed all but two competitors in town, Hakkasan Group soon gobbled up collaborator Angel Management Group, followed by the official grab of Light Group’s 19 entities on December 16 (though LG will continue to operate its three Mandalay Bay restaurants). Consider the elephant in the room: two sexual harassment lawsuits against the Light Group (since settled) that could have caused its exclusive casino partner, MGM Resorts, to reconsider the partnership. MGM may have publicly tipped its hat to its former partner on Tuesday, but it also may have dodged a bullet by having Hakkasan take over its nightlife and dining offerings. Among the restaurants Hakkasan now controls are highly profitable standard-bearers Yellowtail and Fix at Bellagio, and the brand new Hearthstone at Red Rock Resort (reviewed on Page 50), Light Group’s first off-Strip eatery. Considering the proven global success of Hakkasan’s restaurant operations, things could get very interesting should the new operators decide to reconcept any of these dining destinations. Hakkasan’s bulging roster boasts some venues similar to one another, but overall it’s dynamic enough to accommodate all sorts of demographics, tastes and economic backgrounds. Just looking at its four dayclubs, the EDM overlap between Daylight and Wet Republic shrank with the former’s embrace of trap; Liquid’s modest entertainment budget allows for cheaper covers and more casual partiers; and Bare’s adult hideaway attracts a specific, more musically indifferent clientele. And Pure replacement club Omnia will undoubtedly counterprogram against high-energy Hakkasan and the more fantastical Light. It’s too soon to tell if Hakkasan’s new portfolio of hot spots will cause a nightlife tsunami. Will there be the usual post-merger layoffs? With smaller hangs like Revolution and Gold Lounge now in its repertoire, might Hakkasan escape potential homogenization by experimenting with non-big-room programming such as deep house? Will it be hired to dream up a new concept for the now-shuttered Haze—and give Aria a proper nightclub—or MGM’s Park development, for that matter? Will it leverage its influence with MGM to take over SBE’s Hyde at Bellagio, or the electronic stage at Rock in Rio in May? Questions abound with a move as big as this one. –Mike Prevatt

As We See It…

Reaching out Want to see your favorite bands at Life Is Beautiful? Speak up

> Huddle up Tony Sanchez’s record is no joke, but can he breathe life into the Rebels?

Talk of the town

UNLV’s gutsy coaching choice brings a much-needed energy infusion December 3, 1998. That was the last time UNLV’s football program made a move this bold, when it tapped former USC and LA Rams man John Robinson to coach the team. Not to say Bishop Gorman’s Tony Sanchez, whose only coaching experience above the high school level came as a New Mexico State undergraduate assistant 18 years ago, is in anywhere near the same league as Robinson, who won four Rose Bowls and 79 NFL games before arriving in Las Vegas. But in terms of pure energy, the Rebels’ hire has locals talking, in a way they haven’t since J.R. left town 10 years ago. Will Sanchez succeed? He inherits a team that went 2-11 this season, and lost those 11 games by a combined score of 461-242. To make matters worse, UNLV’s 2015 nonconference foes include UCLA and Michigan, brutal non-league tests for a squad that won just one game within its own Mountain West Conference this year. But anyone looking for quick results is missing the point of Sanchez’s hire. He’s onboard to create some muchneeded buzz for a program that’s had almost none for the past decade. Yes, a big chunk of the story so far has focused on

Tony sanchez by l.e. baskow; life is beautiful by fred morledge

possible contributions from rich Gorman boosters who wanted their man for the job. But whether or not those donations come through and improve the Rebels’ facilities, to the point where next-level recruits consider spending their college years in Vegas, the school has already succeeded in galvanizing the Valley in a way Mike Sanford and Bobby Hauck never could. Everyone wants to see if the guy who went 85-5 and won six straight state titles at Gorman can rub that same magic on UNLV. Odds are he can’t. Jumping from high school to Division I—and straight to head coach, no less—is no easy move, anyone will tell you. But what do the Rebels really have to lose? Worst case, they lose every game next year—would that really be a tragedy after a 10-year span that’s seen them average less than three wins? If nothing else, Sanchez is almost certain to pull more players from Gorman, a school deep with college-level talent. And the fact that we’re even talking about this, that UNLV football has captured the Vegas dialogue for more than the despondency of its results, says everything about its choice, whether or not it translates to measurable success between the lines. –Spencer Patterson

“Let’s talk 2015 lineup. Who is on your wish list?” read a Life Is Beautiful Facebook post last week. At press time, the unofficial survey had raked in 579 likes and 887 comments, including multiple (predictable) votes for repeat-acts The Killers and Imagine Dragons, plus countless requests for poprock heavy hitters like Coldplay and Red Hot Chili Peppers. But fans threw out some lessobvious bands as well. It’s early in the game, but we’ve got a good idea of what Vegas wants—and LIB thinks it does, too. “We’re always looking to connect with attendees and see what they would love,” says Craig Nyman, the Downtown festival’s head of music and live performances. He adds that the “heavy booking” is already underway, but says surveying helps to “see if the direction we’re headed is in alignment with [fans].” Between the gourmet food and immersive art, LIB’s two October runs have been memorable, near-seamless experiences, but vocal Vegas music heads have expressed frustration with the lineup. The fest also has Electric Daisy Carnival, iHeartRadio, and now, Rock in Rio to contend with. So where does that leave LIB’s bookers, strategy-wise? “We bounce over to a lot of different genres but try to appease everyone,” Nyman says. And if the Facebook replies are any indication, LIB fans are tough to pigeonhole. For every Brandon Flowers or Muse request, there’s one for artists like The National, FKA Twigs, Björk and The Cure. For LIB to succeed at the box office, it needs big-name headliners, but to draw the skeptics, it also needs way more left-ofcenter stuff. So if you didn’t dig the 2013 or 14 lineups, now’s the time to speak up. “[We’re] taking into account recommendations and suggestions,” Nyman says. And though he’s quick to add there’s no guarantee you’ll get your pick, it’s somewhat unusual for a festival this big to even ask the public for its opinion. That kind of engagement, we hope, will have a positive effect this fall. –Leslie Ventura

December 18–24 2014 LasVegasWeekly.com

As We See It…

tea and dreamers Sharing a table with the hopeful future at I Have a Dream’s holiday gathering

> place in history One of 12 murals that are part of the new F Street underpass.

Righting a wrong The new F Street underpass recognizes—and reintroduces—a historic black neighborhood By Kristen Peterson In a moment of pride and contrition, the City of Las Vegas celebrated the reversal of what had been seen as a glaring post-segregation-era slap in the face. With city officials and community leaders ceremoniously championing the newly completed F Street underpass on Friday, the sense of righting a wrong permeated. Mayor Carolyn Goodman: “The F Street reopening brings us back to where we should be.” Councilman Ricki Barlow: “You are all to be commended for standing up against city hall.” But in the $13.6 million controversial undoing of the controversial walling off (six years ago) of a historic black neighborhood came something unexpected: a public nod to Las Vegas history like none other in this town. When entering the underpass from either direction and beneath the stylized font of “Historic Westside,” there’s no mistaking that something big took place here. It’s not just the two 50-foot towers modeled after the Moulin Rouge, Las Vegas’

first hotel-casino to be racially integrated. Here, Lubertha Johnson is larger than life on the walls under the freeway, portrayed through the decades in a photomontage that captures four times over her smile and reassuring eyes. She and the late civil rights attorney Charles Kellar share one of 12 murals. Others feature performers Nat King Cole and Louis Armstrong, Las Vegas movers and shakers such as Bob Bailey and Woodrow Wilson, and Westside establishments that made history. Without Johnson, who worked at Henderson’s Carver Park housing project (home to black workers from the Basic Magnesium plant) before becoming one of the first two black nurses in Southern Nevada and president of the local chapter of the NAACP, the story of Las Vegas wouldn’t be complete. But it’s the presentation to the public through images and architecture, the outdoor museum of sorts, that stands as a monument to the more recent battle of F Street.

By the numbers: Nevada’s gaming industry

425,000 Number of jobs the gaming industry supported in 2013.

$53 billion

Amount Nevada gaming contributed to the state’s economy in 2013.

$7.9 billion Taxes paid by the gaming industry in 2013.

We’re a couple of finger sandwiches into high tea at the Hughes Center Park Towers when Blanca Machuca takes the podium. With emotion she talks about the tutoring and community service projects that opened her mind in ways that she couldn’t have imagined, about the program that allowed her to leave the 10-block radius of the public housing she lived in with her immediate and extended family. And how at age 5 she was already struggling in school. Now 23, Machuca is one of the “dreamers” who was scooped up by the Las Vegas branch of the I Have a Dream Foundation, part of an effort to reverse the dropout rate in a specific demographic. Her 17-year journey with the charitable trust includes one lapse, created when her “overprotective” father pulled her out of the program, only allowing her to return after IHAD’s Lindsay Harper promised to pick Machuca up at the doorstep, stay with her the entire time and drive her home afterward. That’s IHAD’s mission: follow-through. The thrust of the mentoring, tutoring and enrichment programs is to see students through to graduation. “It provided me with resources I did not have in every way,” says Machuca, who is now assistant project coordinator for IHAD Southern Nevada. Looking around the holiday tea party, which auctioned off items and introduced dreamers to potential donors, she told the audience that the dreamers sitting at the table will someday be helping other dreamers. Considering the future, she added, “You could be sitting at a table next to a CEO, an artist, a doctor, lawyer or president.” –Kristen Peterson

Source: An Oxford Economics study of the gaming industry on behalf of the American Gaming Association.

10 LasVegasWeekly.com December 18–24, 2014

f street by steve marcus

Weekly Q&A We’re sitting in seats covered in zebra stripes, like an African-safari motif, which seems appropriate. I super-like

it, yeah (laughs). It’s perfect for my show. This has been in place for years, but I’ll take credit for it when people say, “That’s pretty cool how you designed the room with that wild-animal theme.” But it was put in for La Cage to kind of hip up the room. How has the show changed since we last saw it? We’re

> niche magic Dirk Arthur’s show is billed as “the only magic show in Las Vegas with rare exotic cats.”

Animal instinct Amid PETA protests and backlash from peers, magician Dirk Arthur brings big cats back to the Strip Productions featuring exotic animals were once renowned and plentiful in Las Vegas, due largely to the popularity of Siegfried & Roy’s long-running stage show at the Mirage. But in the spring of 2012, the white tigers and snow leopards vanished as both Dirk Arthur and Rick Thomas closed their productions a month apart at O’Sheas and V Theater at Miracle Mile Shops, respectively. ¶ After headlining at Harrah’s in Laughlin and Reno, Arthur just returned those creatures to the Strip at the Riviera, where his Wild Illusions debuted at Starlite Theater at the start of December. Seven exotic cats take the stage as Arthur blends classic magic, giant illusions and comedy. ¶ The show has drawn criticism and protest from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and some of Arthur’s fellow entertainers (such as tribute-artist Stephen Sorrentino) for its exhibition of animals. In December 2013 and February of this year, Arthur was cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for safety infractions related to their care. He has addressed those concerns, centered on using declawed animals and the size and conditions of their cages. He is in compliance with safety agencies, and clear to perform at the Riv. ¶ On December 4, Arthur took a seat in the Starlite Theater and talked about his return to the Strip.

the cats. There are a few people who think animals shouldn’t be in entertainment, but those people are the same ones who think we should not eat hamburgers, or eat chicken or have eggs. Do you think all of the complaints about your show are completely unfounded? Aren’t there some genuinely reasonable concerns about the care and handling of these animals? It’s ridiculous.

I don’t want to comment keeping a certain amount too much, because there of the classic illusions that have been a lot of untruths repeat customers love to spoken about me recently, see, the helicopter and the about the cats. People are big stuff with the cats. What a little confused, but we I’ve been doing over the treat our animals unbelievpast two and a half years ably awesome. They are at the venues in Reno and like our children. They are Laughlin is sort of perfect- spoiled. Everything we do ing the show for when I got is in accordance with every single law and regback on the Strip. ulation. The perWe didn’t know formance is very what kind of venue WILD gentle. We are not we were going to ILLUSIONS forcing them to use, whether it was Saturdaydo anything. We going to be big with Thursday, 7 large sets and scen- p.m., $40-$80. have an incredible endangered ery and eight danc- Riviera, 702species-breeding ers, or this type of 794-9433. program, which theater, which is is very successful. more of a mediumsize venue similar to what We do great educational we were using in Reno and work with the cats. We do some great stuff. Laughlin. The show is fun, it’s enterBut it’s still a major produc- tainment, it’s illusion, it’s tion, right? This is a very for profit. I think it’s just large, spectacular magic kind of silly. I think anyshow, even though this body who complains about is a 535-seat showroom. the show has never seen We’ll have one of the big- the show. gest magic shows in Vegas, easily. We have a levitating You are the only entertainer car that floats 12 feet above to perform this particular the stage and disappears. type of show. Does that make A 26-foot-long helicopter you a single target? Here’s appears. I’m escaping from the thing, every place that a 12-foot-tall drill of death has animals, some people and reappearing on the will complain. All the major other side of the theater. zoos, breeding programs In my career, I’ve become and educational facilities. A very adept at staging big lot of people don’t like dog illusions in small theaters. shows. A lot of people don’t like rodeos. If people have Are you always going to use concerns, they can come see the cats in your show? Yeah, I the show and see what we love working with the cats. do. As a matter of fact, we I love training them and were rehearsing in front of working with them. People the cats today, and the crew don’t understand that they was kidding me because of are very affectionate. We how much I baby the cats. form lifelong bonds with –John Katsilometes

“There are a few people who think animals shouldn’t be in entertainment, but those are the same ones who think we should not eat hamburgers, or eat chicken or have eggs.” 12 LasVegasWeekly.com December 18–24, 2014

Photograph by nick coletsos

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Tickets can be purchased at any Station Casino Boarding Pass Rewards Center, the Fiestas, by logging on to SCLV.com/concerts or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Digital photography/video is strictly prohibited at all venues. Management reserves all rights. © 2014 STATION CASINOS, LLC.

By Tov i n L a pa n

It was Frederick Hutson’s first ride on “Con Air.” He boarded in Las Vegas while pondering what awaited him at trial in Florida, where he had been shipping hundreds of pounds of marijuana for the past four years. It was October 2007, and Hutson had just been indicted along with 10 comrades after a year-long federal investigation. He shuffled onto the plane shackled at his hands and feet, chained to other prisoners. An older inmate asked Hutson about his case, and shared one piece of advice: “Make sure to ask your lawyer to do the safety valve.” So when his public defender advised him to take a plea deal for 10 years of prison time or face 30 years if he lost at trial, Hutson asked about it. ¶ “He had never mentioned it the whole time,” Hutson says, “He looks at me crazy, and he says, ‘Yeah, you do qualify for the safety valve.’” The safety valve allows federal judges to break from mandatory sentences if it’s a nonviolent crime, the offender cooperates with authorities and has no previous criminal history. Hutson took the deal, and the judge cut the sentence to 51 months.

14 LasVegasWeekly.com December 18–24, 2014

“This is partly why our business works so well,” Hutson says, sitting in his Downtown Las Vegas office. “Because there is no information on the prison system until you are actually in it. There’s no way for people outside to understand how it works.” That business is Pigeonly, a growing set of services that helps prisoners and their friends and family keep in touch with photos and phone calls. Without the safety valve, Hutson would still be in prison, and the Silicon Valley venture capitalists who have backed Pigeonly with $3 million would be investing their money elsewhere. ***** Hutson, 30, has always been a problem solver. At 13, after his parents divorced and his mother moved him from Brooklyn to St. Petersburg, Florida, he started making money knocking on doors in their 15-story high rise to see if neighbors needed small repairs. He was an average student, bored by textbooks, but he loved getting his hands on things to figure out how they worked. “I was always tinkering with things and taking stuff apart trying to put it back together and make something new,” he says. After graduating from high school, Hutson joined the Air Force at 19. He was sent to Nellis Air Force Base, where he was an electrician on the F-16s. But Hutson wanted his own business, so he bought a window-tinting shop, working days at the store and nights on base. By then his high schools friends in Florida were involved in running marijuana coming in from Mexico across the United States. Some stayed with Hutson while in Las Vegas, and mentioned driving huge shipments crosscountry. Hutson’s problem-solving nature kicked in, and he couldn’t resist trying to make the network better. He started shipping the marijuana through services like UPS, first by having partners sit on unaffiliated houses and grab the packages when they were dropped off. Later, he directly paid off the truck drivers. Hutson says he was never pressured to join in. He saw a logistics problem and wanted to fix it, and then there was money to be made. He naively thought he would only get a “slap on the wrist.” “I think the same thing that makes me a good entrepreneur now is the same thing that had my judgment clouded then,” he says. “Basically, in order to be a good entrepreneur you are constantly being optimistic and positive and almost lying to yourself. You have to be able to get up every day and go to work and try to build something where everything in nature and the world around you is going to resist, especially if you are trying to build something disruptive.” In 2006, when the Air Force was downsizing, Hutson volunteered for

> work experience Instead of burying his past, Frederick Hutson created a business that built on his knowledge of the prison system.

honorable discharge and placement on inactive duty. The trafficking business was rolling, and he was routinely flying with stacks of cash in his backpack. He even used it to buy an A-OK Mail Center on East Charleston, making it that much easier to package, send and track shipments. The authorities caught wind of the operation when one of the drivers got busted in Arizona. On February 4, 2007, on Hutson’s way back to Las Vegas, federal agents stopped him at the Tampa International Airport, confiscating $39,450 before releasing him. “At that point I knew something was coming, but the bottom had already blew up,” he says. “So, I was just waiting to see how much damage it would be at that point.” Seven months later, ICE and the DEA raided his mail center. * * * * * Hutson was arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy to distribute more than 1,000 kg (about 1 ton) of marijuana. The other members of the drug ring were listed in the indictment, with Hollywood-worthy nicknames like “Trigger,” “Dolla” and “Dread.” Next to Hutson’s name, the indictment read: “aka Fred.” “Fred” is what everyone at Pigeonly calls him. There are 16 employees, most working out of a two-story apartment Downtown. It has a distinct startup feel, with brainstorming sessions chronicled on the white walls in scrawls of dry-erase marker and a “crash pad” for visiting investors.

“The whole time I’m in prison I’m thinking about what I’m going to do when I’m released,” Hutson says. “I wasn’t going to leave it to someone offering me a job. I knew I’d be competing with people who would have college degrees and don’t have criminal records.” He created five or six business plans, including one drawing directly on his experience in prison. “When I wrote the business plan for Fotopigeon, it was frustrating to me how hard it was for people on the outside to send me photos,” he says of the service that became the foundation of Pigeonly. “It was frustrating to me how hard it was and expensive it was for me to keep in touch. It was excruciatingly difficult.” Some of the difficulty stemmed from the fact that Hutson served time in four different prisons during his sentence. And thanks to a federal policy that places inmates within 500 miles of their previous address (considered a kindness), he was incarcerated in California and Arizona instead of near his family in Florida. When he was released to a Florida halfway house he contacted an Air Force buddy, Alfonzo Brooks, who had sent letters to Hutson in jail only to see them returned because he could never track down the right address. Brooks, now Pigeonly’s chief operating officer, agreed to hire Hutson so he could work on the business. Its core service is a database they built that allows customers to find federal prisoners in penitentiaries

across the country. Then, through their smartphones or computers, they can send printed photos to the prisoner through Fotopigeon, or use Telepigeon, a cheap long-distance call service—something that can be exorbitantly expensive in prison, to the point where some inmates might forego connecting with loved ones. There are 2.3 million prisoners in the U.S., and even more friends and family who want to stay in touch. Besides the potential of the untapped market, Hutson sees an opportunity to cut down on repeat offenders. Research consistently shows that communication with the outside world helps prisoners stay out of trouble when they are released. * * * * * Hutson moved Pigeonly to Las Vegas after participating in a program for out-of-the-box tech entrepreneurs in San Francisco called NewME. “Frederick is very analytical, and that comes in handy when he needs to be honest and critical of himself and his own business,” says Angela Benton, founder of NewME, which has a 4 percent stake in Pigeonly. “He is a very hard worker. He is someone who is extremely focused and does what he needs to do to be successful.” Benton advised Hutson to embrace his past, positioning him as an expert. Still, some investors cringed at the notion of backing an ex-con. Of the first 60 he pitched, six wrote checks. One of those was Mitch Kapor, whose investment firm targets businesses with a social mission. “Frederick had one of the strongest initial presentations I’ve seen,” says Kapor, whose company invested $350,000 in Pigeonly. “And his experience is what gave credibility to the idea. This is an underserved market and an opportunity to find a fresh approach inspired by e-commerce.” Hutson and Pigeonly exemplify the need for Silicon Valley to look outside traditional areas for entrepreneurial talent, Kapor says. “This is an instance where looking more broadly helps you see that there are needs and therefore opportunities all over the place. Founders come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and entrepreneurs with different lived experiences will see different problems and create solutions to those problems.” Hutson is sharing the opportunity. Several members of his team have felony records. “When you check the box ‘have you ever been convicted of a crime,’ it’s a plus here ... your file goes to the top of the pile,” Hutson says. “Most people when they get out of prison, they want to turn their life around. Most people don’t think they have things available to them so they don’t even bother knocking on the door. If you give someone an opportunity, and they feel like it’s something they can do, they go for it.” December 18–24 2014 LasVegasWeekly.com

The last suppers

What’s a girl to do when she knows her Las Vegas days are coming to an end? Eat up By Sarah Feldberg There comes a time during most great meals when you realize you’re full. Fork in hand, conversation flowing just above the plates, you look down at whatever you’ve been devouring and make a decision: Do the smart thing and quit feeling satiated but unstuffed, or say to hell with it and dive back in. Me? I dive. Over the past nearly seven years, I’ve had the pleasure of overeating all over Las Vegas, treating the city like a veritable buffet line packed with stunningly good steaks; charred, chewy

16 LasVegasWeekly.com December 18–24, 2014

pizzas; lovely plump dumplings and all manner of scrape-the-plate sweets. I’ve had more than enough to put my napkin on the table and call it a night, and yet, there are still restaurants on my phone’s never-ending toeat list—scene staples, lovable dives, culinary destinations that I’ve somehow missed. And suddenly there’s a deadline. With my Las Vegas exit date looming at the end of January, I set out to tackle six Valley eateries I’ve always wanted to try. I only wish I’d gotten to them sooner.

From France with calories ∑ Choosing is the hard part at Patisserie Manon. Buttery and flaky? Smooth and creamy? Light and fruity? Yes. From the rainbow of macarons (on our cover) to the rustic baguettes, I want it all, so my order sounds like a grocery list: a mini almond croissant and a chocolate one, too. An adorable French Oreo and a loaf of the campagne bread. A raspberry tartelette with its elegant berry dome, one of those doughnut things dusted in sugar and—I think I see the girl behind the counter raise an eyebrow—a hefty slice of the strawberry Fraisier cake. The tart is a perfect balance of bright and rich, the pastry layers so light and crackling I pick up the crumbs on my fingertips. But it’s that single piece of classic French cake I can’t stop thinking about, strawberries and cream sandwiched between spongey layers moistened with syrup. Next time, I think I’ll buy the whole pan. Willpower is grossly overrated. 8751 W. Charleston Blvd. #110, 702-586-2666. Tuesday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Photograph by adam shane

December 18â&#x20AC;&#x201C;24, 2014 LasVegasWeekly.com

Brunch, hold the attitude ∑ It’s 1 p.m. on a Sunday and the wait for brunch is an hour and a half. Sigh. This is why I’ve never been to DW Bistro. Today, however, we’re sticking it out, killing time with pedicures and waiting for the call, which inevitably comes early. Co-owner Bryce Krausman doesn’t seem to mind. He greets our wet-nail waddle with a smile and assures us he’s saved a table. I’m not sure why, but I’m surprised by his genuine friendliness, by the bistro’s hip-yet-unpretentious atmosphere, by the waiter who tops off my mimosa even though I haven’t ordered bottomless. No one told me it would be like this. This is my kind of place. And the food only confirms it: warm chocolate croissants and stunning blueberry and white chocolate scones, slow-cooked pork in deepheat chile sauce, and upgraded chilaquiles layered with pulled chicken, pico de gallo, avocado-tomatillo sauce, queso fresco and two eggs—over medium, thank you. Per Bryce’s recommendation, I add crumbles of jalapeño bacon, a salty, spicy slap of pig that takes my breakfast from damn tasty to next-level. The kind of meal worth waiting an hour and a half for. 6115 S. Fort Apache Road #112, 702527-5200. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (Closed December 22-31.)

> fresh bites From uni to ahi, the fish at Kabuto is sublime.

Front-row sushi ∑ The door is still locked when we arrive at Chinatown’s Kabuto for a 6 p.m. reservation. This is a meal I’ve been waiting for—since the tiny sushi temple first started serving pristine fish flown in from Japan and elsewhere in 2012, since it earned a 50 Best New Restaurants nod from Bon Appétit, since everyone began looking at me aghast when I uttered the words, “I haven’t been to Kabuto yet.” So here we are, pacing back and forth waiting for showtime. “I want counter seats,” I tell my fiancé.

18 LasVegasWeekly.com December 18–24, 2014

And we get them, watching rapt as the chefs braid silvery fish for sushi, paint slices of tuna with soy, cut circles of giant octopus and press rice into small flowers to be topped with ikura or some other oceanic treat. Each fish has its own flavor and texture—some bright and firm, some melting luxuriously, some smacking of salt and the sea. We eat each one in a single bite, partaking in a meal that feels like a ritual, delivered and received with the utmost respect. 5040 W. Spring Mountain Road #4, 702-676-1044. Monday-Saturday, 6-10:30 p.m.

> genuine warmth The brunch wait is worth DW’s upgraded chilaquiles and scones with white chocolate and blueberries.

> adventure cheese Idiazábal is a tasty introduction to Vintner’s serious cheese arsenal.

Golden Gorgonzola ∑ When people talk about Vintner Grill, they talk about cheese. The cheese list is the west-side restaurant’s hallmark, spilling onto two pages and broken up into categories according to firmness, blueness or cheddarness. Most of the names are meaningless to me, so I do what any normal person would: I pick the cheeses with the funniest names. Idiazábal, a hard sheep’smilk pick from Spanish Basque Country. Quadrello di Bufala, an Italian import made with water buffalo milk. Shaft Gorgonzola, a California blue aged for two years in a gold mine shaft. Paired with a couple of cured meats, dried fruit, tasty spreads and a bit of bread, they’re a lovely start to an evening of bouillabaisse and halibut, wine and conversation. Date night in suburban Las Vegas, where there’s romance in the office parks. 10100 W. Charleston Blvd. #150, 702-214-5590. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.10 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 4-10:30 p.m.; Sunday, 4-10 p.m. December 18–24, 2014 LasVegasWeekly.com

> Pop’s knows best The Pride of Philly, in a bun from the motherland.

Cheesesteaks with Santa ∑ I used to run by the corner of Decatur and Alta, soaking up the smell of meat and grease wafting out of the A-frame hut that houses Pop’s Cheesesteaks. It’s a frustrating scent in the middle of a workout. Perhaps that’s why I never actually stopped to eat at the sandwich joint whose name is an acronym for Pride of Philly Steaks. Under the gaze of some half-hearted Christmas decorations, we place our order with the “grillmaster” through a metal screen: provolone, with peppers,

and sure, onions too. An animatronic Santa Claus waves in slow motion as we perch on stools, serenaded by the sounds of “Silver Bells” and traffic. “Order up.” Cradled in red-and-white checked paper and steaming, the cheesesteak looks like a promise: tender strips of paper-thin sirloin, gooey cheese, sautéed rectangles of onion and pepper, all nestled in a straight-from-the-source Amoroso bun that soaks up the good stuff without getting soggy. It’s warm, filling and somehow lighter than I’d expected. Then I look down, and it’s gone. 501 S. Decatur Blvd., 702-8786444. 24/7.

20 LasVegasWeekly.com December 18–24, 2014

Mariscos playa escondida by steve marcus

> neighborhood find Behold, Mariscos Playa Escondida’s theatrical seafood.

The place next door ∑ When I first moved Downtown three years ago, I remember driving past the taco shops and restaurants on East Charleston Boulevard, imagining all the unsung goodness that must be inside. I planned to eat my way down the street, searching out the best of the best, then becoming an evangelist for the tastiest al pastor or empanadas. I failed rather spectacularly. In fact, until this month, I’d only tried one of the neighborhood mom-and-pop shops, a disappointing Filipino joint that promptly went out of business. There has to be something better, so I find myself at Mariscos Playa Escondida, the only lit storefront in this strip mall and a cozy Mexican seafood spot that practically defines hole in the wall. An elaborately coiffed man croons love songs in Spanish while we dig into spicy house salsa and freshfrom-the-fryer empanadas filled with shrimp, onions, tomatoes and plenty of garlic. Red snapper is cloaked in chile-spiked cream and topped with onions, peppers and avocado, while langoustines Playa Escondida-style arrive in a smoky hot sauce that would be good on just about anything. The rest of the menu is full of Mexican seafood staples, from aguachile and ceviche to shrimp a la diabla and massive parrillada samplers that let you try a bit of everything. I know I’ll be back to taste more at this tiny neighborhood gem, a fitting reminder that even when you think you’ve eaten it all, there’s somewhere new and delicious right around the corner. 1203 E. Charleston Blvd., 702-906-1124. Sunday-Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. December 18–24, 2014 LasVegasWeekly.com

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31 DOORS AT 10PM • FOR TABLE RESERVATIONS, CALL 702.797.7517 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, VISIT SCLV.COM/REDROCK MUST BE 21 OR OLDER TO ENTER WITH VALID ID. PROPER ATTIRE REQUIRED. MANAGEMENT RESERVES ALL RIGHTS.

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NIGHTS

HOT SPOTS SKAM TAKEOVER AT LIFE Normally you should avoid any nightlife event billed as a takeover, the possible exception being when you’re actually part of said takeover. However, DJ collective SKAM Artist has some of its best electronic beatmeisters booked Friday night, including our own Chris Garcia, Chicagoans and familiar faces Nathan Scott and Tony Arzadon, and LA’s Caroline D’Amore and Sgt. Slick. December 19, doors at 10:30 p.m., $30+ men, $20+ women. SONIDERO: POSADA AT BEAUTY BAR It’s time for another edition of Latin-alternative outfit Sonidero’s Posada party, named after the festive Mexican tradition that simulates Joseph and Mary’s search for shelter just before Jesus’ birth. LA’s Mexican Dubwiser and our own Petra Ice perform live—the latter celebrating the release of latest album Mediodia—along with DJs La Muy Muy from Southern California and Bad Beat and St. JP from Las Vegas. December 19, doors at 10 p.m., free. BAD BOY BILL AT DRAI’S The veteran turntablist has been at the forefront of the electronic music industry since the late ’80s, initially spinning as a high schooler during the early days of the Chicago house music scene and eventually co-founding beatport.com,, which has more or less become the iTunes of dance music. Find his house-heavy jams at the rooftop Cromwell club Friday night. Inches Andrew Christian December 19, doors at 10 p.m., $30+ claims its Shock Jock men, $20+ women. underwear can add to

> HOT AND COLD Winter may be quickly approaching, but model Pablo Hernandez should heat things up at Liaison.

may be a moot point, as Andrew Christian underwear model Pablo Hernandez is also attending, and I’ll wager my Christmas bonus a wearer’s anatomy. that he’ll be the sexiest anything on GBDC: UGLY SWEATER PARTY AT Saturday night. So good luck, wouldGHOSTBAR Grandma didn’t knit that be Santas. December 20, doors at 10 p.m., gaudy pullover last Christmas for it to occupy $20, free for locals. a gift box all year, did she? Well, Grams likely didn’t envision you wearing it while chugging forties from RVLTN & PLUR WARRIORS’ TOY DRIVE AT a brown paper bag or getting smashed with a shotsCLOUD9 HOOKAH LOUNGE Here’s a perfectly ki, so be sure to snap a selfie before riding the elevagood excuse to have some afternoon fun and help tor to this holiday-themed (and Weekly-sponsored) those in need. Stop by Cloud9 Hookah Lounge edition of Palms’ top-of-the-tower debauch-fest. with your toy and clothing (coats are especially December 20, doors at 1 p.m., $10, ladies free. welcome) donations so someone less fortunate scores something unexpected this holiday season—and so you might win a prize in the raffle UNDRESSED AT LIAISON Many nightlife venues you’re entered into upon donating—grab some are staging their equivalent of a Sexy Santa congrub and groove to some tunes played by local DJs. test this week, and Bally’s gay club Liaison is December 20, 12-6 p.m., free entry. getting in on the fun, too. However, competing

CLUB HOPPING Nightlife News & Notes

26 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 18–24, 2014

XS and Tryst once again got into the true holiday spirit of giving—and we’re not talking about comping VIPs’ bottles of Dom, either. Some 300 employees bought more than 12,500 toys and bikes and donated them to the toy drive headed up by 98.5 KLUC-FM’s morning crew. The service-industry Santas broke their own record by spending $195,468 from their personal cash stashes. According to Forbes, Calvin Harris was not only the highest-grossing DJ between June

2013 and June 2014, but the ninth overall highest-grossing musician during that period. The dance-pop juggernaut made a reported $66 million, a large chunk coming from, of course, his Hakkasan and Wet Republic residencies. In other news: Surrender goes dark December 20 but reopens on Christmas Eve ... Body English will remain dark through December ... Grammy nominated producer/ DJ Audien has announced an exclusive residency at Marquee for 2015 ... Guy

REVO SUNDAYS: NAUGHTY OR NICE? AT REVOLUTION The sweater vest with a holiday bow

tie, or that black mesh top with studded leather cuffs? Revelers should dress for either of Santa’s lists Sunday night for this yuletide edition of the Mirage club’s weekly LGBT bash, with an open bar from 10 to 11 p.m. (for those on the guest list). Don’t try to fool Santa—he’s checking his list, checking it twice ... December 21, doors at 10 p.m., $20, locals free before midnight; free with guest-list placement (gay.vegas/revosundays). BAD MILO AT SURRENDER ’Twas the night before Christmas, and everyone was stirring—at least at Surrender. The Encore danceteria’s industry night falls on Christmas Eve this year, and just like the Man in Red, resident DJ Mighty Mi will be on the job until the wee hours of Christmas morning. Just don’t forget to leave the cookies and milk by the fireplace before you leave home. December 24, doors at 10:30 p.m., $35+ men, $25+ women.

Gerber is no longer playing Life on December 21 (it’s now Jayceeoh, who last played at Drai’s), but Sebastian Ingrosso is now scheduled to play the SLS club on December 30. Reps couldn’t confirm at press time whether he has officially bailed on Light, the nightclub that has been programmed by his management company ATM Artists ... Speaking of Light, it begins Thursday operation with a new promotion called the Beat on January 8 with headliner Will.I.Am. A live set by Macklemore & Ryan

Lewis and the residency debut of DJ Mustard follow ... Former Liaison manager Eduardo Cordova returns to gay nightlife to co-produce the threeday Evolve Vegas NYE event, climaxing with Evolution on December 31 at Tropicana’s Havana Nightclub ... Hakkasan Group has handed over the managerial reins of LAX to host property Luxor. The 7-year-old nightclub is closed through December 26 for a “refresh,” the details of which will be forthcoming, a spokesperson says. –Mike Prevatt

KLUC TOY DRIVE PHOTOGRAPH BY DANNY MAHONEY

TIMES SQUARE DROPS THE BALL. NEW YORK-NEW YORK DROPS THE BEAT. NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION 2015 9:00 P.M. – 1:00 A.M. Open to the public featuring DJ, dancing, drinks, fireworks and all of the legendary excitement of New Year’s Eve on the Las Vegas Strip.

SPONSORED BY: new amsterdam

Listings are accurate as of press time. For more info, contact venues directly.

VENUE

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Panorama Saturdays

Scenic Sundays

11 pm; doors at 4 pm

DJ Shy

Sky High Mondays

LEVEL 107

DJ Dezie

11 pm; doors at 4 pm

DJ Dezie; $5 Absolut drinks, 1-4 am; 11 pm; 15% off bottles; doors at 4 pm

Fantasy Fridays: Xmas Edition

Liaison Undressed

LIAISON

Lambda Lambda Nu: Ugly Sweater Contest

DJ Ayler; doors at 10 pm; $20+, locals free

DJs Laszlo, Majesty; doors at 10 pm; $20+, locals free

SKAM Artist Takeover

Pablo Hernandez hosts; sexy Santa contest; DJs Mash-Up King, Ayler; doors at 10 pm; $20+, locals free

EDX

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

DJ Dezie

Woman Crush Wednesday

DJ Girl 6; 2-4-1 drinks for locals, $5 Skyy drinks, 1-4 am; 11 pm; doors at 4 pm

11 pm; doors at 4 pm

DJ Dezie; 2-4-1 drinks for women; 11 pm; doors at 4 pm

Closed

DJ Dijital; doors at 10:30 pm; $25+

Closed

Live jazz

Doors at 5 pm

DJ Kittie; 11 pm; doors at 4 pm

Glam of Drag

Desarae hosts; DJ Murat; Allie McQueen live; Mrs. Clause contest; doors at 10 pm; $20+; locals free

Jayceeoh

LIFE

Closed

DJ Chris Garcia, others; doors at 10:30 pm; $30+ men, $20+ women

LIGHT

Closed

Doors at 10 pm; $40+ men, $30+ women

MANDARIN BAR

Doors at 5 pm

9 pm; free; doors at 4:30 pm

MARQUEE

Closed

Doors at 10 pm; $40+ men, $20+ women

DJ Investo; doors at 10 pm, $40+ men, $20+ women

Closed

Doors at 10 pm; $30+ men, $20+ women, locals free

Closed

MOB BAR

Closed

Ladies Night

2-for-1 beer pong, $22, 11 am-9 pm; 100 oz. beer tower, $35; doors at 8 am

#Social Sundays

Monday Night Football Jersey Giveaway

PBR ROCK BAR

$1 vodka for women, 9 pm, $5; 2-for-1 beer pong, $22, 11 am-9 pm; doors at 8 am

Bare

PIRANHA

REVOLUTION LOUNGE

Des’ree St. James hosts; $8 drinks w/text (“GAY” to 83361); doors at 10 pm; free

RARE Thursdays

January Jane live; DJ G-Minor; doors at 10 pm; $20 men, ladies free

Stellar

Live music

Ashley Wallbridge

F*ck it Fridays

Doors at 10:30 pm; $30+ men, $20+ women

Henrix

Doors at 10 pm; $40+ men, $30+ women

Live music

9 pm; free; doors at 4:30 pm

Cedric Gervais

Selfie Saturday

India Ferrah, Desree St. James hosts; DJs Vago, Virus; $25 liquor bust; doors at 10 pm; free

Goddess show w/India Ferrah, 12 am; happy hour, 10 pm-midnight; doors at 9 pm; free

DJ Alpha Q

Ugly Sweater Party

DJ Sincere; doors at 10 pm; $20 men, ladies free

DJ G-Minor; doors at 10 pm; $20 men, ladies free

6 pm; free; doors at 5 pm

$20 open bar 9 pm-1 am w/ social media follow; doors at 8 am

El Deseo

DJs Virus, Vago; $5 mystery drinks; doors at 10 pm; free

Revo Sundays: Naughty or Nice

DJ FX Fabian; doors at 10 pm; $20, locals free before midnight

Vice

5:30 pm; beer pong, 9 pm; doors at 8 am

Hot Mess

Karaoke Night

10 pm; 2-for-1 beer pong, $22, 11 am-9 pm; doors at 8 am

La Noche

Stellar

Doors at 10 pm; $45+

2-for-1 beer pong, $22, 11 am-9 pm; doors at 8 am

Boylesque

Hosted by Des’ree D St. James; 2-for-1 well drinks w/text until 1 am; doors at 10 pm; free

DJs Vago, Majesty; $2 well drinks w/text until 1 am; doors at 10 pm; free

India Ferrah hosts; 2-for-1 drinks w/text until 1 am; doors at 10 pm; free

Closed

NIGHTS | club grid

VENUE

Listings are accurate as of press time. For more info, contact venues directly.

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

REVOLVER

Closed

Drink specials; line dancing 101, 8-9:15 pm; doors at 8 pm; $5 after 10 pm

ROCKHOUSE

Happy hour, 2-6 pm; $50 open bar; 100 oz. beer tower, $35; doors at 11 am

$50 open bar; 100 oz. beer tower, $35; doors at 11 am

$50 open bar; 100 oz. beer tower, $35; doors at 8:30 am

ROSE. RABBIT. LIE.

Doors at 5:30 pm

Blacklight Friday

SAYERS CLUB

Battle: DJ vs. Drummer

10:30 pm, free; doors at 7 pm

Thirsty Thursdays

Sessions

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Silver Saturdays

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY Ladies Night

SIN Sunday

Drink specials; doors at 8 pm; $5, free for industry and before 10 pm

Closed

Confession Sundays

Ladies Night

Closed

$1 drink specials for ladies; line dancing 101, 8-9:15 pm; doors at 8 pm; $5 after 10 pm

Taco Tuesdays

$50 open bar; NFL open bar, $100; doors at 8:30 am

9 pm; MNF jersey giveaway, 5:30 pm; happy hour, 2-6 pm; $50 open bar; doors at 11 am

$1.50+, $5 tequila shots, $7 margaritas; beer pong, 9 pm, $25; happy hour, 2-6 pm; doors at 11 am

Happy hour, 2-6 pm; $50 open bar; 100 oz. beer tower, $35; doors at 11 am

Doors at 5:30 pm

Closed

Doors at 5:30 pm

Sessions

Builds and Peaks

Live music, 10:30 pm, free; doors at 7 pm

Stripper Circus

DJ Pornstar; Ducati Models host; half-off cocktails, 10 pm-midnight; doors at 10 pm; free

Josie Cavallar hosts; DJ Flow; half-off cocktails, 10 pm-midnight; doors at 10 pm; free

Closed

Pornstars in Vegas

10:30 pm, free; doors at 7 pm

Lounge

Doors at 7 pm, free

Closed

DJ Mighty Mi; doors at 10:30 pm; $35+ men, $25+ women

Caliente

DJ Diesel; $10 liquor bust; doors at 10 pm; free

Doors at 10 pm; drink specials; free

SURRENDER

Closed

DJ set; doors at 10:30 pm; $40+ men, $30+ women

TAO

Doors at 10 pm; $20+ men, $10+ women

Doors at 10 pm; $20+ men, $20+ women

Doors at 10 pm; $30+ men, $20+ women

Closed

TRYST

Closed

Kenny Davidsen

Corro/Van Such Band

Nik at Night

Laura Shaffer Vintage Cocktail Party

Piazza Lounge, 8:30 pm; free

Moonshiners

Corro/Van Such Band

Doors at 5 pm

Closed

TUSCANY

Velveteen Rabbit

DJ Five

Danny Lozada Latin Band

DJ Randy Vargas hosts; T-Spot Lounge; 10 pm; free

Peter Fand

10 pm; free; doors at 5 pm

Closed

Lil Jon

DJ Kennedy Jones

and guests; T-Spot Lounge; 10 pm; free

DJ Aurajin

DJ 8-Bits; 10 pm; free; doors at 5 pm

Manufactured Superstars

Doors at 10 pm; $30+ men, $20+ women

Bad Milo

Vice

Piazza Lounge; 8:30 pm; $10

Piazza Lounge; 7 pm; free

Piazza Lounge; 6:30 pm

Piazza Lounge; 8:30 pm; $10

Astrogold

DJs Low Sodium, Nameless; 10 pm; free; doors at 5 pm

Kaskade

Doors at 5 pm

Dave Fogg

Doors at 10 pm; $100+ men, $30+ women

Doors at 10 pm; $30+ men, $20+ women, local women & industry free

DJ Crooked

Doors at 10 pm; $30+ men, $20+ women, local women & industry free

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Arts&Entertainment MOVIES + MUSIC + ART + FOOD

> STEPHEN’S SWAN SONG As he prepares to retire his character and take up Letterman’s mantle, the quesiton is: Will we ever see “Stephen Colbert” again?

HOLIDAY HARDWOOD Three hoops tournaments worth considering TARKANIAN CLASSIC The thirdannual high school showcase tipped off Wednesday and continues through Saturday at four gyms across the Valley. Games are played at Bishop Gorman High, Durango High, Faith Lutheran High and the Orleans Arena, where the event wraps. It has become a must-attend for national media who cover recruiting, because the field is loaded. Eight of the top-50 ranked teams from the preseason will play in the high school platinum division, including Bishop Gorman, while Findlay Prep anchors a stellar prep division. Through December 20, times & prices vary, tarkanianclassic.com.

TRUST US

Stuff you’ll want to know about SEE THE COLBERT REPORT FINALE With Stephen Colbert set to take over The Late Show from David Letterman, his “Stephen Colbert” conservative pundit character takes a final bow in the last episode of his longrunning political satire. Rumor has it he may meet (or just interview) the Grim Reaper. December 18, 11:30 p.m., Comedy Central.

UTAH BY DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/AP PHOTO

HEAR JOEY PERO FAREWELL SHOW Bid adieu to the Vegas-bred trumpeter, Smith Center regular and Jersey Boys musician Joey Pero before he heads to New York for his latest role in the cast of the new Broadway musical, Bandstand. December 20, 8 p.m., $10, Bunkhouse.

GO ROYAL PURPLE LAS VEGAS BOWL No. 22 Utah takes on former conference rival Colorado State in this year’s game. It’ll be aired on ABC, but it’s always better in person. December 20, 12:30 p.m., $35-$120, Sam Boyd Stadium.

MGM GRAND SHOWCASE For one night only you can catch UNLV’s current and previous coaches back-toback for what looks like an excellent Saturday doubleheader at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. First, former Rebel coach Lon Kruger leads No. 15 Oklahoma against No. 16 Washington, which is led by four-year Findlay Prep point guard Nigel Williams-Goss. After that it’s coach Dave Rice leading UNLV in its first-ever game on the Strip, against No. 14 Utah. December 20, 7 p.m., $30-$300.

SEE HOUSE OF PAPER BIRDS Fashion, female forms, birds

and the desert landscape take over the Cosmopolitan’s P3Studio for JK Russ’ residency. Guests can co-create collages with the artist known for her sexy and exotic Vegas-inspired works. Through January 4, WednesdaySunday, 6-11 p.m. LIGHT WORKS Working in neon and argon,

Pasha Rafat explores light properties in minimalist sculptural works. Through January 31; Wednesday-Friday, noon-6 p.m.; Saturday, 1-4 p.m.; Brett Wesley Gallery.

PLAY

LAS VEGAS CLASSIC The field isn’t great, but if you’re basketball starved next week or want to do some advance scouting on a couple UNLV opponents, the Orleans Arena has you covered. Boise State, Texas Tech, Houston and Loyola Chicago fill out the primary two-game tournament. There’s also an undercard four-team tournament. Of note: Southern Utah is one of those teams, coming to Las Vegas for this and then returning on December 27 to play UNLV. December 22 & 23, times vary, $47-$107 for two-day passes. –Taylor Bern

STICK HERO This app couldn’t

be simpler: Create bridges for Stick Hero to walk across wide or narrow gaps. But it’s infuriatingly challenging and as addictive as those holiday popcorn bins. If you get to 20 points, we’ll be seriously impressed. Available for iPhone & Droid, free.

DECEMBER 18–24, 2014 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM

A&E | pop culture

> past present Who doesn’t need a little Wham! around the holidays?

C U LT U R A L Attac h m e n t

Tracks in the snow Guiding your sleigh through the Christmas-music malaise, to some lesser-known gems By Smith Galtney You’re stuck at work, scrambling to finish all the crap that needs to get done before the end of the year. You’re late for your fifth holiday party this week, which wouldn’t be a big deal if it wasn’t the only one filled with people you actually want to see. Those three sneezes you’ve just sneezed are undoubtedly becoming a full-blown cold. The news is depressing the hell out of you, making that last-minute shopping spree overflow with extraheavy spiritual bankruptcy. That’s when you hear it, often while breaking for an emergency pee in some Target urinal: the voice of Andy Williams, singing “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” It feels alien—a strange, dark, taunting force. Fortunately, the world is full of songs, albeit way less-popular ones, that capture a more representative holiday spirit, the sort experienced by anyone over the age of 10. When “Winter Wonderland” and “Jingle Bells” and “Sleigh Ride” start sounding like holly-jolly hokum, reach for Loudon Wainwright III’s “Suddenly It’s Christmas,” about the ever-expanding shopping season. (“Christmas comes but once a year and goes on for two months!”) If that’s too perky for you, try “Christmas Morning,” which works in homelessness and AIDS. Need a suicidal tear-jerker to take the edge off those upbeat Rudolph and Frosty yarns? The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York,” the world’s greatest most-pathetic holiday anthem, is about two skid-row drunks ripping each other to shreds as they reminisce over meeting on Christmas

Eve. Freedy Johnston’s “Moving on a Holiday” finds its main character packing up, once again, at the end of the year. (“Here comes the first good snow, only to decorate a vacant yard.”) And if those Rankin-Bass cartoons backfire, watch Judy Garland sing “After the Holidays,” on the Tonight Show in 1968. She pleads with a lover to pretend everything’s okay until after New Year’s, “then I can let you go.” Garland died the following June. She’d never see another Christmas. Current headlines make some songs even tougher on the ears. The whole UVA/Rolling Stone and Bill Cosby rape fracas make the campy come-ons of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” (“say what’s in this drink?”) feel anything but flirtatious. Thanks to the Michael Brown/Eric Garner headlines, “White Christmas” sounds more unsettling than ever. Better to break out The Emotions’ “Black Christmas,” which celebrates “a black way of living, soul way of giving” before gleefully declaring “the time is right for a black Christmas!” Since it’s also the season for drunken inter-office trysts, there’s no realer carol than Wham!’s “Last Christmas.” The premise: George goes to a holiday gathering, avoids the person he hooked up with last year—the one who dumped him in the morning—and promises to give his heart to “someone special” this year. But naturally after too much eggnog, his qualifications for “special” get broader and broader, until he wakes up the next morning, hungover and jilted again. That the song has reappeared for the last 30 years adds a profound layer of despair.

Last Christmas is This Christmas is Next Christmas. Georgie, caught in an endless loop, doomed to repeat the same mistake over and over, never learns his lesson. And a final note: Do us all a favor and stay the hell away from “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” If you

want novelty and irreverence, mix it up with De La Soul’s “Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa” or Sherwin Linton’s “Santa Got a DWI” or, my personal favorite, “I Farted on Santa’s Lap (Now Christmas Is Gonna Stink for Me)” by The Little Stinkers. Blessings and glad tidings to all!

The world is a sick place. PROTECT YOURSELF – GET THE FLU VACCINE.

Together, we can help keep Nevada healthy this flu season. Everyone six months of age and older should get a flu vaccine every year. It’s fast, easy and usually free through your health insurance. The flu benefit is also a covered service for Medicare and for children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.

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with the purchase of $25 or more in Capriotti’s Gift Cards capriottis.com/holiday Visit Any of Our 33 Las Vegas Locations

A&E | SCREEN > QUEST BUDDIES Hobbit Bilbo (Freeman) and, below, wizard Gandalf (McKellen) complete their onscreen journey.

L I ST

RING TONES You could hold a Peter Jackson/ Tolkien marathon this holiday season (six films: 19 hours, 54 minutes). Or you could use that time to … Fly from Las Vegas to Auckland, New Zealand (16 hours, 30 minutes), then drive two hours to Matamata, home to the series’ Shire and Hobbiton movie set.

FILM

THE END OF THE ROAD

Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy finishes on an unexceptional note BY JOSH BELL Well, at least that’s over. It’s hard to muster up any greater enthusiasm for the conclusion of Peter Jackson’s three-film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy novel The Hobbit, and The Battle of the Five Armies is not going to win over viewers who were skeptical of Jackson’s decision to make one 300-page novel into a trilogy nearly eight hours long. If anything, Five Armies dashes the mild hopes built up by last year’s improved second installment, The Desolation of Smaug Smaug, doing away with that movie’s main threat within the first 10 minutes (before the title credit even appears) and then shifting gears to focus on an ill-defined battle that seems designed solely to recapture the magic of the battles Jackson staged in his Tolkien-based Lord of the Rings movies a decade ago. The movie’s title character, hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), ends up only the third or fourth most important character in his own movie, with little to do other than watch from the sidelines as massive armies of dwarves, elves, orcs and humans fight to the death over the treasure previously lorded over by evil dragon Smaug. The human warrior Bard (Luke Evans), who showed up toward the end of the previous movie, takes center stage for much of the early action, while dwarf leader Thorin (Richard Armitage) gets the movie’s most substantial arc as

Smaug’s treasure begins to corrupt his soul. Meanwhile, Bilbo wrings his hands and looks worried, while wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) once again spends much of the movie in an ultimately irrelevant subplot that connects to the events of the Lord of the Rings movies, with blatant fan-service cameos from popular Rings characters. The grafted-on romantic subplot featuring female elf Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) is actually the movie’s most effective emotional anchor, although that’s not really saying much. Thorin’s inner torment is hurriedly resolved in one of the movie’s weakest scenes, and neither Bilbo nor Gandalf gets anything in the way of character development. The battle itself takes up a good third of the movie, but it never makes any real impact. There’s little at stake for the series’ central characters, and the CGI hordes aren’t imposing or awe-inspiring. What once was amazing is now rote, and Jackson can’t recapture the sense of wonder of his Rings movies just by repeating some of the same techniques. Although the lopsided structure is derived in part from the way Tolkien constructed his novel, the division of the story into three separate movies only emphasizes the anticlimactic conclusion. What could have been the denouement to a single, smaller-scale film ends up bearing the burden of carrying an entire movie on its own, and no additions to the story can make the battle worthy of that much effort and attention. Jackson can still evoke mythical grandeur in his world-building, and there’s a satisfying familiarity in visiting with these characters one more time. But familiarity can only account for so much, and Armies finds the cinematic world of Middle-earth ending in disappointment rather than triumph.

aabcc THE HOBBIT: THE

Listen to Led Zeppelin’s “Ramble On”— which references Gollum, Mordor and the Evil One (Sauron)—261 times in a row. Write a piece of inappropriate LOTR fan fiction about Merry and Pippin.

Listen to the audiobook version of The Fellowship of the Ring (19 hours, 11 minutes), with time left over for a few “pipeweed” breaks.

Knit a small dog a sweater that looks like Bilbo’s mithril, if you have skills.

BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES Martin Freeman, Luke Evans, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen. Directed by Peter Jackson. Rated PG-13. Now playing.

DECEMBER 18–24, 2014 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM

A&E | SCREEN > PUT ME IN, COACH Carell (left) and Tatum talk wrestling.

FILM

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE Reese Witherspoon takes a lovely journey in Wild

FILM

DULLER THAN FICTION Foxcatcher fails to make its true story compelling BY MIKE D’ANGELO more unstable as the years went on—quite a few more People love to say that a real-life story is “stranger years than are depicted here—and tragedy befell the trio, than fiction,” but an incredible yarn doesn’t necessarleaving one man dead and another serving a prison senily make for a terrific movie. Much of the time, the tence for the rest of his life. events depicted simply don’t coalesce into a thematiHad an extremely rich (though not exactly famous) cally coherent whole, the way first-rate fiction does. man not been at the center of this nightmare, it’s unlikely One can also go too far in the other direction, though, that anyone would remember it, especially since the huffing and puffing to freight a fairly banal case history cause-and-effect relationship screenwriters with Meaning. That’s what Bennett Miller Dan Futterman and E. Max Frye concoct (Capote) does in Foxcatcher, which struggles between the Olympics and the murder is to turn the sorry saga of John E. du Pont into aabcc wholly invented. Foxcatcher (titled after a requiem for America. FOXCATCHER du Pont’s name for the wrestling team, Because Miller plays a bit fast and loose Channing Tatum, taken from his family’s horse-racing with the timeline of what actually happened, Steve Carell, Mark interests), on the other hand, wants to it’s hard to pin down dates, or even years. Ruffalo. Directed make it stand for … well, who knows Sometime in the mid-1980s, however, a chamby Bennett Miller. what? How American ambition inevitapion wrestler named Mark Schultz (Channing Rated R. Opens bly leads to a violent abuse of power? Tatum) was contacted by eccentric millionFriday. Carell has gotten a lot of attention aire du Pont (Steve Carell), who’d become for his performance, but that’s priobsessed with the sport—particularly as it marily a combination of the prosthetic nose related, in his mind, to the country’s self-image—and he wears (see also: Nicole Kidman’s Oscar wanted to help train a team that could win the gold at win for The Hours)) and the fact that he’s a the 1988 Olympic games. Schultz took up residence on comedian playing an entirely dramatic role. du Pont’s estate, training under his benefactor’s rather He never makes du Pont’s actions comprecreepy supervision, and was eventually persuaded to hensible, and Foxcatcher,, well-made though coax his brother, Dave (Mark Ruffalo), also a wrestling it is, never quite makes them meaningful. champ, to join him there. Alas, du Pont became more and

44 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 18–24, 2014

Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 memoir Wild is the kind of book Hollywood could easily turn into a trite inspirational story, with blatant awardsbaiting for a movie star looking to be aaaac taken seriously. But WILD Reese producer/star Reese Witherspoon, Witherspoon (who Laura Dern, optioned the movie Thomas rights before the book Sadoski. was even published) Directed by and director JeanJean-Marc Marc Vallée (Dallas Vallée. Rated Buyers Club) clearly R. Opens have great respect for Friday. Strayed and the story of her attempt to leave behind a troubled past while hiking more than a thousand miles along the Pacific Crest Trail from California to Oregon. They approach the story with grace and subtlety, downplaying big revelations and instead focusing on the small steps that Cheryl (Witherspoon) took, both on the trail and in coming to terms with her inner turmoil. The film slips back and forth between present and past thanks to masterful editing, as the inexperienced Cheryl embarks on this massive undertaking while haunted by the death of her mother (Laura Dern) from cancer, her divorce from her well-intentioned husband (The Newsroom’s Thomas Sadoski) and her struggles with drug addiction and risky sex. The flashbacks intertwine beautifully with the presentday scenes, and Witherspoon’s performance is full of vulnerability and regret. Cheryl has made bad choices and hurt the people she loves, but the movie neither pities nor celebrates her. She’s a flawed human being working to forgive herself and move forward, through an endeavor both foolish and intensely cathartic. And just when her reflections and reinventions seem in danger of becoming repetitive, the movie ends, leaving Cheryl and its audience in a place of satisfying uncertainty. –Josh Bell

A&E | screen film

Hardknock life

> a girl and her dog Wallis and Foxx adopt a cute pooch.

aaccc ANNIE Quvenzhané Wallis, Jamie Foxx, Rose Byrne, Cameron Diaz. Directed by Will Gluck. Rated PG. Opens Friday.

Back to the museum Made from the “kids-won’t-care-how-badly-we-slappedthis-thing-together” school of filmmaking, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is the third in a series of moneymakers based on funny actors and lots of visual effects. The plots are secondary, like this one: The magic tablet that aaccc brings exhibits to life in New York’s Mu- NIGHT AT THE seum of Natural History begins to lose MUSEUM: its power, so security guard Larry (Ben SECRET OF THE Stiller), his son (Skyler Gisondo) and a TOMB Ben Stiller, bunch of the exhibits go to London to Robin Williams, Dan Stevens. consult Merenkahre (Ben Kingsley). There, Sir Lancelot (Dan Stevens) gives Directed by Shawn them plenty of trouble. Director Shawn Levy. Rated PG. Opens Friday. Levy and his army of writers bring

A new Annie offers no improvement over the irritating original film The good news about remaking Annie is that it would be tough to do worse than John Huston’s grating, bloated 1982 film, and director Will Gluck at least makes his new Annie nine minutes shorter than Huston’s, cutting several musical numbers. Of course, he then adds several cloying new songs, along with crass product placement and dated pop-culture jokes, but the result is pretty much a wash. Annie was a chore to watch in 1982, and it’s not much better now. Both movies were based on the 1977 Broadway musical about an adorable orphan girl who melts the heart of a high-powered industrialist, although this new version uses fewer than half of the songs from the original production. The songs that remain get updated lyrics and overstuffed, percussion-heavy modern production that doesn’t do them any favors. It also

film

doesn’t help that none of the main performers is a particularly good singer; Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) is cute as Annie, but cuteness is pretty much all she has going for her, and the rest of the stars range from passable (Jamie Foxx as the Daddy Warbucks character, tech mogul Will Stacks) to awful (Cameron Diaz, overacting as Annie’s reprehensible foster mother). Starting with insipid material once again yields insipid results. –Josh Bell

up ideas, and let them drop. Clumsy cutting ruins many of the jokes, and the action sequences are lifeless. Owen Wilson’s lackadaisical line readings are worth a giggle or two, though. And the final goodbye as Teddy Roosevelt (the late Robin Williams) returns to wax is bittersweet, but not because of anything the movie has done. –Jeffrey M. Anderson

A&E | noise c o n c e rt

> at arm’s length Corgan likes to keep his fans guessing. His Brooklyn Bowl show was no exception.

Five thoughts: Imagine Dragons (December 11, the Joint)

Against the Machine’s Brad Wilk on drums and Jeff Schroeder on guitar). “You know Mark already; you’ve seen him in the bars,” Corgan said when introducing Stoermer, whose playing was solid and whose presence was unobtrusive (and who helped Corgan specify the correct Zia Record Exchange location for a surprise post-show meet-and-greet). In general, Corgan seemed to be in a good mood, The Smashing Pumpkins adroitly blend chatting amiably and delivering some blistering old and new at Brooklyn Bowl guitar solos. Corgan’s love for guitar noodling can sometimes feel self-indulgent, and versions of “Glass By Josh Bell and the Ghost Children” and “Silverf*ck” that pushed the 10-minute mark were a bit Seeing The Smashing Pumpkins live patience-testing. But the five songs from since the band’s 2007 “reunion” (of the aaabc new album Monuments to an Elegy soundoriginal members, only frontman Billy THE ed stronger and more substantial live, with Corgan now remains) has been a hitSMASHING Corgan and Schroeder adding extra guitar or-miss affair. The mercurial Corgan is PUMPKINS textures. They also delivered a heavy and just as likely to fill setlists with obscure December 13, surprisingly fresh version of David Bowie’s B-sides and lengthy versions of newer Brooklyn Bowl. oft-covered “Fame,” right after the show’s album tracks as he is to perform the hits triple-header of Pumpkins hits (“Disarm,” that made the Pumpkins one of the big“Zero,” “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”). gest alt-rock bands of the ’90s. The band’s show at Perhaps afraid of pleasing the crowd too much, Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday night might have been Corgan kept the encore to a single song from frustrating at times, but it was mostly satisfying, upcoming album Day for Night, and left the stage with a solid balance of familiar classics and appealwith several hits still unplayed. For an artist who ing new songs. often seems to delight in denying audiences what There was an added Vegas bonus in Killers bassist they want, though, he was remarkably accomMark Stoermer, who’s the latest addition to Corgan’s modating. rotating cast of backing musicians (alongside Rage c o n c e rt

More hit than miss

All I wanted for Christmas were some new Imagine Dragons tracks, which didn’t seem unreasonable since sophomore album Smoke + Mirrors is wrapped and ready for a February 17 release. Maybe I was on the naughty list, because the only new track they played was the previously released “I Bet My Life.” It seemed strange that they chose not to debut more, especially given the warm embrace of the hometown crowd. During that song, singer Dan Reynolds looked out over the crowd like he was king of his domain. His pause to take it all in underscored the emotional significance of the new song, which he has said is about his relationship with his parents. Though we didn’t get any previously unreleased tracks, Imagine Dragons did improv their way through some holiday songs. They randomly launched into “O Christmas Tree” between songs, then transitioned into “Jingle Bell Rock” and eventually “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Later, during the encore, they did a touch of “Carol of the Bells” (reinvented as a rock song by TransSiberian Orchestra). Why not? ’Tis the season. Reynolds took every chance he could to thank fans and express his love for his hometown. He let the crowd know he had bought his first home in Vegas, where the band recorded its upcoming new album, and made it clear Imagine Dragons wouldn’t forget the city that supported them as they rose to international prominence. “We hope to continue to be a part of this city till the day we die … We hope to record there for the rest of our lives!” Overall, the show wasn’t quite on the level of the band’s previous Joint performance, which was a homecoming of sorts, one of their first big local gigs since their debut album, Night Visions, took off. There were no rope-swinging escapades over the crowd, and I don’t think they even touched the giant drum hiding in the corner, usually used during “Radioactive.” Though there were several intense group-drumming sessions, nothing can compare to the energy of that previous show. –Allison Duck

In 2014, future-pop purveyor Charli XCX finally broke through into the mainstream, between her hook on Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” and the success of the electro-froth hit “Boom Clap.” The Brit’s second album, Sucker, should bolster her ascent even more; the LP splits the Charli XCX Sucker aaabc difference between impeccable radio earworms and transgressive pop music. Working with collaborators like Ariel Pink, Greg Kurstin and Benny Blanco, Charli touches on attitude-laden electro-punk (the title track, “Break the Rules”), girl-group doo-wop (“Need Ur Luv”), Technicolor Brit-pop (“Breaking Up”) and pogo-worthy new wave (the cheeky, fame-admiring “London Queen,” No Doubt-punky “Famous”). The ’90s-rock throwback “Hanging Around” even has a loopy, Weezer-esque vibe, perhaps thanks to Rivers Cuomo’s co-writing credit. While Sucker peters out near the end—blame the pedestrian-sounding midtempo pop cuts “Die Tonight” and “Caught In the Middle”—overall the record serves as a sterling display of Charli XCX’s knack for twisting the retro and contemporary into something fresh. –Annie Zaleski a l b u m | pop

Still pushing forward

46 LasVegasWeekly.com December 18–24, 2014

the smashing pumpkins by chase stevens/erik kabik photography; imagine dragons by erik kabik

A&E | noise lo c a l s c e n e

LOUD!

Local music news and notes By Leslie Ventura BOULDER BREWS It’s 2 p.m. on Sunday at a

Boulder City banquet hall next to a police station. It’s an odd locale for small-town singer-songwriter Justin Mather’s album release, but when I get inside Forge Social House, it’s packed, and I’m once again surprised by the camaraderie this tightknit scene has here in the southeast. The sound is crisp and pristine, more so than most Downtown venues, and Mather’s calm twang resonates throughout the building. His five-piece live band, featuring Joel Ferguson (slide guitar), Rob Whited (drums), Steve Bonacci (bass), Carlos Guerrero (guitar) and Tom Denk (guitar), deliciously blends alt-country and sweet, soft folk. And that slide guitar is the cherry on top. “I know a lot of you guys from the Brew Pub,” Mather says to the crowd, which today skews a bit older than usual. Until recently, Mather worked at the Boulder Dam Brewing Co., (referred to colloquially as the Brew Pub), where he acquired most of his fanbase. The show is almost sold out. Mather performs his new LP, Old Records, in its entirety—sounding like a mixture of Wilco, The Eagles and Ben Kweller. He’s an everyman’s man with an addictive, foot-tapping flow. And though it took Mather a few years, collectively, to record the album at Vegas’ Tone Factory, the final product feels timeless. Mather says his next task is sending his album out to anyone who will bite, and hopefully booking a tour in the near future. BROTHERLY LOVE New-wavey Vegas band

Love Vendetta, led by brothers Charles (vocals) and Ahmad Earland (formerly of Lips Like Morphine), celebrated new EP Wilderness Friday night at the Bunkhouse. The six-song EP, released digitally in September, fits snugly alongside anthemic synth-pop stars like The Killers and Panic! At the Disco, and includes cuts “We Roam the Night” and “Alexa Starr,” which the singer (aka Charlie Danger) dedicated to all fathers at the show. Wilderness is available at iTunes and cdbaby.com. END OF AN ERA Longtime local punk staples The Objex have broken up, the scene learned via a Facebook post from singer Melanie Troxler, aka Felony Melony. “I love and appreciate you all from the bottom of my heart,” Troxler wrote on December 8. “The Objex would not have been The Objex without all of you. So it pains me to say The Objex will no longer be having shows or new albums.” Troxler declined to comment on the news when the Weekly reached out last week. SQUID TIME AGAIN Local label SquidHat Records has announced its annual two-night showcase and search for its next Vegas signing, set for January 23 and 24 at the Double Down Saloon. The lineup includes current SquidHat artists Sounds of Threat, Surrounded by Thieves, Guilty by Association, Attack Ships on Fire and six Vegas bands performing and competing for a distribution deal. Those bands include The New Waves, Eliza Battle, The CGs, Franks & Deans, False Cause and War Called Home. The chosen band—or bands—will be announced on February 1.

> boulder blues Justin Mather at the Forge Social House; (below right) The Objex.

ALSO Topshelf Records, home to post-hard-

core favorites Caravels, will co-release a split with Bridge Nine Records’ band Octaves on January 20. The four-song split will be available on vinyl and digitally, soon after the two bands kick off their European tour on January 14 in Germany. … Garagerock five-piece Same Sex Mary has tweaked its lineup, now featuring Cirque du Soleil percussionist Aaron Guidry on drums and scene veteran Brian Cantrell (Junior Anti-Sex League, Red Light School District, Bee Movie the Band) on guitar. The group is currently mastering its second full-length record, The Second Coming, and will kick off a two-week tour January 15 at Bunkhouse. … Retro rockers American Cream recorded six new songs in two New York studios—the Bunker and the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU—last week for a record due out this spring. … Alt-rockers Avalon Landing have filmed a music video for an acoustic version of “The Cure,” a single off 2013’s Reside, available on YouTube. … Electro-rock duo Payola Presley will premiere a new music video and perform an acoustic set December 19 at Inspire Theatre.

justin mather by spencer burton; the objex by Maryanne Bilham

December 18–24 2014 LasVegasWeekly.com

A&E | FINE ART > CHANGING IT UP David Ryan’s first Las Vegas solo show is a bit of a deviation from his normal style, featuring works on paper with expanded PVC.

FLYING SOLO

Three questions with David Ryan, exhibiting now at MCQ

completely devoid of recognizable subject matter. Artist David Ryan is known for his playful mulI chose this refinement of form, color and line to tilayered wall constructions comprising robust color describe my engagement with the world by physicombinations and lyrical lines. Whistle-clean and cally layering forms atop one another. This allowed methodically fabricated, the abstract sculptural me to conceal as much as I revealed. My clumsy paintings are clever interactions of line, shape and approach to utilizing technology embedded the artcolor, whether made using Coraform, MDF or felt. ist’s mark within an otherwise polished object. But in his first Las Vegas solo show, the Texasborn artist—who came to UNLV to study with Dave Hickey and received his MFA in 2003—presents And the works at MCQ? The works at MCQ evolved something slightly different: works on similarly. They start with physically paper with expanded PVC. By installing spreading paint across paper in a somehis own milling machine in his studio, what random approach. These marks DAVID RYAN he’s been able to fabricate in-house, are photographed and responded Through January 29, allowing him the flexibility to respond to digitally at 1:1 scale on the comMonday-Friday, 9 immediately to the mark making. puter. Mouse-aided hand-drawn lines a.m.-5 p.m. Michele We talked with the Las Vegas artist, interact with the initial mark but also C. Quinn Fine Art who is represented by Culver City’s define edges of thinly layered sheets of Advisory, 620 S. Mark Moore Gallery. Locally, his work expanded PVC. Each layer is painted Seventh Street, 702has been shown in collections at the separately and glued together into a 366-9339. Smith Center and the Barrick Museum. singular object. An object which simulOne of his recent works was featured taneously documents the initial gesture in a group exhibit at the Contemporary Arts Center, and the subsequent response to it. curated by Matthew Couper. His self-titled show is at Michele C. Quinn Fine Art Advisory through What about your approach to color? My approach to January 29. color is simply utilizing interesting relationships I find in the world and marrying them to form. I often push my colors to the cusp of recognition so they feel How did you come into your style of work? It was a as if they’re mutating into another color. It’s a way to progression from my early interests in painting and balance the discrete shapes with an analog sensibilin the layering of visual information. What began as ity. –Kristen Peterson representational abstractions evolved into paintings

48 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 18–24, 2014

MODEL CITY The award-winning designs in Barrick’s new exhibit show architecture’s inner workings The new exhibit at UNLV’s Barrick Museum features two decades of awardwinning architectural design in Nevada, highlighting works built and unbuilt. But more than that, it offers a glimpse into REFLECTING the creative process and AND decision-making that led to PROJECTING: familiar landmarks dotting 20 YEARS the landscape. OF DESIGN From residential properEXCELLENCE ties and corporate offices to Through cultural centers and James February Turrell’s art installation at 28; MondayCity Center’s Louis Vuitton Wednesday & store, Reflecting and ProFriday, 9 a.m.-5 jecting: 20 Years of Design p.m.; Thursday, Excellence showcases diver- 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; sity of endeavor, style and Saturday, 9 a.m.statement. Images depict 5 p.m. (closed Penn Jillette’s residence; December “The Slammer” designed by 25-January 4). Carpenter Sellers Del Gatto Barrick Museum, Architects (AIA Las Vegas 702-895-3381. award in 1996); as well as 2013 winners, including McCarran International Airport Terminal Three designed by PGAL (Merit Award in Architecture) and Turrell’s “AKHOB,” a two-chamber light-based experience that received the Merit Award in Collaborative Achievement. Also included is the evolution of architectural workstations, told in three vignettes: a ’90s-era scenario with renderings on paper piled on a desk with scale-model building materials and a year 2030 workspace with a digital computer that reads and maps visitors’ bodies. There are also fantastic scale models, ranging from a control tower at McCarran to the Springs Preserve Visitor Center and the Mesquite Fine Arts Center. Presented by the Las Vegas Chapter of AIA in collaboration with the UNLV School of Architecture, Reflecting and Projecting is as much about the process as it is about the end result, making for an intriguing backdrop to AIA Nevada’s Excellence in Design Award-winning projects from 1994-2014. –Kristen Peterson

DAVID RYAN BY MIKAYLA WHITMORE; REFLECTING AND PROJECTING BY STEVE MARCUS

EXHIBIT

DESIGN

A&E | print

Power of the paperback Books are the champions of Manning’s new war story By Chuck Twardy uplifted them—such as Betty Smith’s A Forget about Katyusha rockets, the Tree Grows in Brooklyn—but not as ideoSherman tank and the Atomic Bomb. A logical weapons. “From books, soldiers Tree Grows in Brooklyn won World War extracted courage, hope, determination, a II. You might conclude that after readsense of selfhood, and other qualities to fill ing Molly Guptill Manning’s When Books voids created by the war,” Manning writes. Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us The U.S. numbered 130 million people Win World War II. Manning’s account at the time, and books took up a greater of the American Library Association’s share of national leisure than they do Victory Book Campaign, which gathered today. Also, at the beginning of the war, 18 million donated books, and the milwhen the ALA launched a campaign for itary’s Armed Services Editions, which donated books to fill shelves at printed and distributed 123 miltraining-camp libraries, the hardlion paperbacks to service memback reigned. But soldiers valbers, stresses that books relieved aaabc ued traveling light, and it quickly both boredom and stress for milWHEN became clear they needed smalllions of American troops. BOOKS er, lightweight books. The miliManning also highlights the WENT TO tary’s solution, Armed Services contrast between Nazi censorWAR By Editions, could fit in a pocket and ship and American freedom of Molly Guptill be read anywhere. They made thought—even opening the book Manning, paperbacks a staple of the book with an account of the infa$25. industry. They also made The mous 1933 Nazi book-burning in Great Gatsby a classic. Manning Berlin’s Bebelplatz. This distincnotes that the 1925 Fitzgerald novel had tion was a crucial lesson for a nation been a flop until it became a popular ASE that resolutely opposed going to war until title 20 years later. December 7, 1941, and mostly approved it Manning’s tale is heartening for any after that date to punish Japan for attackbook lover, but sometimes she labors to ing Pearl Harbor. make books seem central to the fight. A Lofty arguments were lost on the averlong account of primitive conditions at age soldier, though. It was hard to chamtraining camps, for instance, ends with pion freedom when you’d had yours taken books being one of many things needed. from you, replaced by a muddy foxhole and Nonetheless, it’s clear that books made a looming death. Manning cites instances of difference, at home and at the front. soldiers praising authors whose books had

Sci-fi with a smile

The myth of King Midas is obviously something Ryan North has been thinking about for a while. A 2008 installment of his webcomic Dinosaur Comics featured T-Rex and Utahraptor analyzing the story, their telling ended with the destruction of Earth in an instantaneous golden apocalypse. North has since extrapolated an honest-to-goodness comedic-sci-fi-adventure comic-book series from that line of thinking, and he even kept a dinosaur in it. ¶ In The Midas Flesh, a group of three spacefarers—two human women and a talking raptor from a dinosaur planet—journey to the mysterious golden planet seeking the still-active weapon that destroyed it. In the process, North recounts his own version of the myth via flashback. As with all the dialogue in the book, he does so in the same relaxed, witty style of Dinosaur Comics and his Adventure Time comics. There’s more comedy and probably more fantasy to the proceedings than hard science, but, like all the best sci-fi, The Midas Flesh turns upon riffs on an idea. Plus cool drawings of spaceships and talking dinosaurs. –J. Caleb Mozzocco

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FOOD

Memorable meat ... and s’mores?

> BIG-TIME BITES Standout dishes at Hearthstone include pasta with Hawaiian shrimp and Calabrian chile and a carbonara flatbread.

Gyu-Kaku’s Japanese barbecue sticks with you

Kind of a big deal

Summerlin’s new Hearthstone wants to be your everything By Brock Radke side of roasted squash ($7) with burrata is a bit too sweet, Hearthstone is one of the busiest restaurants I’ve thanks to sprinklings of brown butter granola. ever encountered. I don’t mean that to describe how it’s Those non-pizzas are beautifully charred to a smoky, constantly packed by an impressively varied crowd of bubbly-crust finish. Stick to the slightly spicy D.O.C. ($18) diners, though it is. What I mean is: There’s a lot going with just mozzarella, tomato, chile and basil; the wild on. Almost too much. mushroom and gouda combo ($16); or the re-interpretIt’s a huge new restaurant, sort of a corridor of assorted carbonara ($16). Other standout shareables include ed tables that widens at the back, opening into a couchroasted artichokes ($13) from those big ovens laden lounge and dramatic patio. Or is that with lemon and black-garlic yogurt, and a the front? There’s an oyster station and a bright, shiny tuna carpaccio ($14). charcuterie station and two wood-burning Hearthstone This is a social eating place, so you may be ovens where an Italian cook who came to Kitchen & tempted to skip Hearthstone’s entrées, which Summerlin with his family cranks out the Cellar Red are predictable but well-executed—chicken, same authentic flatbreads he’s been making Rock Resort, 702salmon, short rib, pasta, burger. My favorfor years. (Not pizzas. Flatbreads.) 797-7344. Sundayites are the pasta—fresh, thick egg noodles All this stuff somehow fits together in Thursday, 5-10 p.m.; with Hawaiian shrimp and a confident dose a strangely familiar urban-rustic setting. Friday & Saturday, of Calabrian chile ($23)—and a salt-roasted There’s also beer, cocktails, beer cocktails 5-11 p.m. branzino ($46) with an herbaceous vinaiand a monstrous wine list. It’s a lot to absorb grette. I don’t know who’s going to splurge before you even lay eyes on the dinner for the mandatory pre-order “whole beast feast” of suckmenu, which is not small. And you must order carefully ling pig ($250), but I’d love to be there for that party. at Hearthstone, because any place that takes this many Hearthstone is the first off-Strip restaurant in Las shots is going to launch a few bricks. So let’s get to it. Vegas from the Light Group, which is anchored in the The roasted jalapeño hummus with sesame-coatdining department by the talented and methodical chef ed lavash ($6) is tasty but lacks the kick you might Brian Massie. With this week’s news that the Hakkasan expect. Baked ricotta ($16), meanwhile, is toasty, cheesy Group is taking over, change could be coming to some of bliss, made even more decadent by truffled honey Light’s eight Vegas restaurants. that you should slather on everything you eat forever. Hearthstone, however, is a lock in Summerlin, clearly Hearthstone’s beet salad ($14), heirloom golden and red designed to be the big, bright neighborhood restaurant varieties with pistachios, goat cheese and lemon-thyme everyone’s talking about. dressing, pops more than other versions, while a veggie

50 LasVegasWeekly.com December 18–24, 2014

We made s’mores. We took the marshmallows they gave us, put them on the sticks, roasted them over our built-into-the-table hibachi and had a full-on campfire dessert. At a Japanese barbecue joint. Gyu-Kaku, which translates to “horn of the bull,” specializes in yakiniku, which roughly equates to grilled meat. You cook most of the food tableside, some delightful dishes and Gyu-Kaku some a little underJapanese whelming, but those s’mores are symbolic BBQ 3550 S. Decatur Blvd., of why you should 702-816eat here—it’s so 5988. Daily, much fun. The best bang for 5 p.m.-2 a.m. your buck are the “course menu” options, which feed two and feature an assortment of meats, appetizers and sides for one price. The Gyu-Kaku course is priced fairly at $66 and is a steal at happy hour, when it’s 20 percent off. Among seven starters, deep-fried tofu nuggets stand out, better than the usual chicken counterparts at most places. Sukiyaki bibimbap, the Korean dish of rice, vegetables and sauce in a hot stone bowl, is missing the traditional egg that ties it all together, but it breaks up the rest of the courses nicely. The best meats are kalbi (Korean-style short ribs in a sweet tare sauce) harami skirt steak marinated in miso and juicy garlic shrimp. Chicken-cheese fondue sounds intriguing but falls short due to a bland basil sauce and Velveeta-ish base. But for every fondue, there’s a s’mores. The dishes you’ll remember at Gyu-Kaku will keep you coming back. –Jason Harris

Hearthstone by mikayla whitmore; gyu-kaku by steve marcus

FOOD E AT T H E M E N U

Embrace the fusion Buddha Belly Deli brings Asian excitement to sandwiches and more BY JASON HARRIS I told one of the best chefs I know about the Asian-fusion menu at Buddha Belly Deli and his eyes lit up; something just clicked for him. He looked at me and said, “That’s like stoner food to the next level.” I have to agree. Buddha Belly is one of the most creative and exciting new restaurants in the city, serving some of the most interesting and delectable food around. Here are some of the must-try items that might click for you. Sloppy Joe Tender braised short ribs redolent of delightful red curry are topped with kimchee pickles and crisp slaw on a house-made Hawaiian sweet roll. The roll perfectly complements the meat, with the pickles providing a necessary burst of acid. Even the simple slaw is a textural winner, making sure this sandwich is properly moist. ($9)

BUDDHA BELLY DELI 50 N. Valle Verde Drive #110, 702-545-0840. Daily, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MONA SHIELD PAYNE

Thai Clam Chowder The best parts of Thai tom yum soup combine with a classic New England clam chowder— ginger, garlic and coconut milk mix with clams, bacon and potato—to create deep, soothing flavors. The heat found in every bite takes this dish from very good to downright great. It’s not overbearingly spicy but you notice it, and that comes from the smart addition of red curry. ($3.50)

Asian BBQ Flatbread This house-made dough has that sought-after combo of a nice, crunchy bottom and a chewy top. Dots of Chinese sausage and strips of char sui pork share the edible canvas with jalapeños, cilantro and lots of mozzarella. More layers of flavor come from a sweet hoisin barbecue sauce. You’ll think you’re done, then you’ll keep going back for more. ($10)

Szechuan Shrimp Po-Boy Shrimp is not my favorite ingredient, but this is my favorite sandwich on the menu. Crispy and coated with Chinese five spice and a New Orleans-style spice blend, they’re fried and then covered with a tangy Szechaun sauce and dropped on a baguette layered with the same sauce mixed with mayo. Shredded lettuce and pickled peppers round out this example of fusion food at its best. ($9)

Dragon Breath Fries Thin, firm French fries are blanketed in Thai chili, garlic oil and cilantro. The dipping sauce is a lovely kimchee ketchup, another example of sweet-meets-heat done well. Who wouldn’t want to kiss you after you’ve eaten a plate of these? ($4)

DECEMBER 18–24 2014 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM

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A&E | Short Takes Special screenings

> smooth operators J.B. Smoove (left) and Chris Rock in Top Five.

Bolshoi Ballet 12/21, The Nutcracker, 12:55 pm, $16-$18. Theaters: COL, SF, SP, ST, VS. Info: fathomevents.com. Cinemark Classic Series Sun, 2 pm; Wed, 2 & 7 pm, $7-$10. 12/21, 12/24, It’s a Wonderful Life. Theaters: ORL, ST, SF, SP, SC Erotic Movie Night Fri, 7 pm, free. Erotic Heritage Museum, 3275 Industrial Road, 702-794-4000. Midnight Brewvies Mon, movie plus popcorn, midnight, free. Elixir, 2920 N. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson, 702-272-0000. Sci Fi Center Mon, Cinemondays, 8 pm, free. 12/19, Star Trek slumber party featuring episode screenings, costumes, games, more, 8 pm-2 am. 12/20, Blade Runner, 8 pm, free. 12/20, Let the Right One In, 10 pm, free. 12/25, Doctor Who Christmas Special, 6 pm, free. 5077 Arville St., 702-792-4335, thescificenter. com. Tween Movie Party 12/19, Rise of the Guardians, 3 pm, free. Summerlin Library, 1771 Inner Circle Dr., 702-507-3863.

New this week Annie aaccc Quvenzhané Wallis, Jamie Foxx, Rose Byrne, Cameron Diaz. Directed by Will Gluck. 118 minutes. Rated PG. See review Page 45. Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, COL, DI, FH, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TS, TX Foxcatcher aabcc Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo. Directed by Bennett Miller. 134 minutes. Rated R. See review Page 44. Theaters: DTS, SC, TS The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies aabcc Martin Freeman, Luke Evans, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen. Directed by Peter Jackson. 144 minutes. Rated PG-13. See review Page 43. Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, DI, FH, GVL, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TS, TX Night at the Musem: Secret of the Tomb aaccc Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Dan Stevens. Directed by Shawn Levy. 98 minutes. Rated PG. See review Page 45. Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, COL, DI, FH, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TS, TX PK (Not reviewed) Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sushant Singh Rajput. Directed by Rajkumar Hirani. 153 minutes. Not rated. In Hindi with English subtitles. A childlike stranger visits the big city and causes chaos. Theaters: ST, VS Wild aaaac Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Thomas Sadoski. Directed by JeanMarc Vallée. 115 minutes. Rated R. See review Page 44. Theaters: AL, BS, COL, DTS, ORL, PAL, SC, SP, TS, TX

Now playing Action Jackson (Not reviewed) Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha, Yami

Gautam. Directed by Prabhudeva. 144 minutes. Not rated. In Hindi with English subtitles. A small-time criminal gets involved with a mysterious woman. Theaters: VS Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day aabcc Ed Oxenbould, Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner. Directed by Miguel Arteta. 81 minutes. Rated PG. In order to turn Judith Viorst’s 1972 children’s book into a live-action feature, producers have abandoned almost everything about it except the concept of a bad day, which now extends to young Alexander’s entire family. Viorst’s book is a beloved classic; the movie is destined for afternoon filler on the Disney Channel. –JB Theaters: TC, VS Big Hero 6 aabcc Voices of Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, T.J. Miller. Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams. 108 minutes. Rated PG. Based loosely on an obscure Marvel comic book, this Disney animated adventure features a bright, friendly world and some exciting action sequences, plus a very entertaining character in cuddly robot Baymax. But its superhero-team origin story is bland and familiar, with Scooby-Doo-level plotting and underdeveloped characters. –JB Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, COL, DI, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SP, TS, TX Birdman aaabc Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts. Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu. 119 minutes. Rated R. Keaton gets a much-needed

54 LasVegasWeekly.com December 18–24, 2014

comeback vehicle in Iñárritu’s entertaining chamber piece, playing a washed-up actor—famous for playing a Batman-like superhero called Birdman—who’s now directing and starring in a chaotic Broadway play. Seemingly composed of a single continous shot, the film also boasts Norton, Watts and Andrea Riseborough as fellow actors. –MD Theaters: GVR, ORL, ST, VS

Rated R. Poitras’ documentary chronicles the first meetings between journalists and NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, which gives it an appealing you-are-there quality, but it quickly turns into a tiresome behind-thescenes rehash of old news, with tedious scenes of Snowden fussing around his hotel room, and nothing new to say about the NSA scandal. –JB Theaters: VS

Antoine Fuqua. 131 minutes. Rated R. Washington is convincingly worldweary and taciturn as a former government operative, living a quiet life until he decides to take on the men who beat up a local prostitute (Moretz). Washington’s wry presence enlivens what can be a drab, dreary film, an overlong adaptation of the 1980s TV series. –JB Theaters: BS, DI, VS

The Book of Life aaccc Voices of Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum. Directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez. 95 minutes. Rated PG. This animated movie tells a bland story about a love triangle connected to the Mexican Day of the Dead. With corny jokes, flat dialogue, a thin plot, blocky animation and a soundtrack full of lazily mariachi-fied versions of pop songs, it’s a weak representation of a rich cultural tradition. –JB Theaters: TC

Dracula Untold abccc Luke Evans, Sarah Gadon, Dominic Cooper. Directed by Gary Shore. 92 minutes. Rated PG-13. Focused on the title character before he was worth making a movie about, Untold takes place in the 15th century, with Vlad the Impaler (Evans) going to unspeakable lengths to defend his homeland of Transylvania. Untold is a generic medieval action epic, filled with garish CGI clutter and ironically bloodless violence. –JB Theaters: ST

Exodus: Gods and Kings aaccc Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley. Directed by Ridley Scott. 150 minutes. Rated PG-13. Exodus lacks the boldness and personality of Darren Aronofsky’s recent biblical film Noah, instead plodding dutifully through the story of Moses’ liberation of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt. Not that the movie doesn’t deviate from and embellish the biblical narrative, but it does so only in service of typical blockbuster bombast. –JB Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, COL, DI, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS

The Boxtrolls aaabc Voices of Isaac Hempstead Wright, Ben Kingsley, Elle Fanning. Directed by Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi. 97 minutes. Rated PG. The title characters, trolls who wear cardboard boxes like turtle shells, are actually quite friendly and cute, but a diabolical exterminator wants to eradicate them. The third film from stop-motion animation studio Laika, The Boxtrolls isn’t quite as affecting or idiosyncratic as the studio’s first two, but it’s still entertaining and inventive. –JB Theaters: TC Citizenfour aaccc Directed by Laura Poitras. 114 minutes.

Dumb and Dumber To abccc Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Rob Riggle. Directed by Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly. 109 minutes. Rated PG-13. Dim-witted friends Harry (Daniels) and Lloyd (Carrey) return to search for Harry’s long-lost daughter. Directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly do their best to recapture the first movie’s appeal 20 years later, but the effort comes across as desperate and sad, with meager laughs and sloppy storytelling. –JB Theaters: CH, COL, DI, ORL, SF, ST, TX, VS The Equalizer aabcc Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz. Directed by

Fury aaacc Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman. Directed by David Ayer. 135 minutes. Rated R. Five American soldiers take on what seems like the entire SS in this ultraviolent World War II epic, written and directed by David Ayer (End of Watch). At once refreshingly old-fashioned and disturbingly modern, Fury is perched midway between grave and grotesque, and constantly threatens to topple over. –MD Theaters: ORL, SF, ST, VS Gone Girl aaabc

A&E | Short Takes Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Kim Dickens. Directed by David Fincher. 145 minutes. Rated R. Fincher turns Gillian Flynn’s nasty pulp novel about a missing Missouri housewife (Pike) and her suspicious husband (Affleck) into a meticulous, often riveting thriller, which streamlines some of the novel’s most excessive elements. It’s a solid, sometimes seriously unsettling movie, with a number of very good performances, but it’s still second-tier Fincher. –JB Theaters: COL, SC, ST, TC

religious meaning of Christmas. Theaters: VS

> warrior jew Christian Bale as Moses in Exodus: Gods and Kings.

St. Vincent aabcc Bill Murray, Jaeden Lieberher, Melissa McCarthy. Directed by Theodore Melfi. 103 minutes. Rated PG-13. Murray plays a rare leading role in this formulaic buddy movie about a cranky gambler who bonds with the precocious son (newcomer Lieberher) of his new nextdoor neighbor (McCarthy). He’s fun to watch, as ever, but it’s dispiriting to see him wasting his energy on forgettable fluff. –MD Theaters: GVR

Guardians of the Galaxy aaabc Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace. Directed by James Gunn. 121 minutes. Rated PG-13. Sarcastic space outlaw Peter Quill (Pratt) finds himself at the center of an intergalactic battle, and enlists a team of reluctant allies. Guardians is a much looser, funnier Marvel superhero movie, although it still falls back on the CGI-cluttered, large-scale destruction of a city for the somewhat disappointing climax. –JB Theaters: TC The Homesman aaacc Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, Grace Gummer. Directed by Tommy Lee Jones. 122 minutes. Rated R. Jones’ latest Western teams drifter George (Jones) with hardy frontier woman Mary Bee (Swank) to transport three mentally unstable women from Nebraska to Iowa. The dynamic between the dedicated Mary Bee and the opportunistic George is the stuff of a thousand buddy movies, but Jones treats it with enough delicacy to feel genuine. –JB Theaters: COL, ORL, SP, VS Horrible Bosses 2 abccc Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day. Directed by Sean Anders. 108 minutes. Rated R. After not actually killing their bosses, friends Nick (Bateman), Kurt (Sudeikis) and Dale (Day) go into business for themselves, but when they get screwed over by an investor, they conspire to kidnap his son. The lazy, tasteless jokes are matched by the haphazard plotting, which recycles several elements from the first movie. –JB Theaters: AL, CH, DI, DTS, GVR, ORL, PAL, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 aaacc Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth. Directed by Francis Lawrence. 123 minutes. Rated PG-13. After enduring the titular tournament of death twice now, headstrong teenager Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) has moved on to fighting directly against her totalitarian government. Mockingjay may lack the action and excitement of the previous two movies, but it makes up for it in greater emotional and thematic resonance. –JB Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, DI, GVL, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS Interstellar aaacc Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain. Directed by Christopher Nolan. 169 minutes. Rated PG-13. Nolan’s three-hour, effects-heavy sci-fi epic (about the search for a new planet for humanity to inhabit) turns out to be a soft-hearted plea for the power of love, ultimately relying on sentimental platitudes. At the same time, Nolan creates overwhelming, often breathtaking suspense in a number of astonishing set pieces. –JB Theaters: AL, CH, GVL, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX John Wick aaabc Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen. Directed by Chad Stahelski. 96 minutes. Rated R. Retired assassin

The Theory of Everything aaccc Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, David Thewlis. Directed by James Marsh. 123 minutes. Rated PG-13. Redmayne gives an impressive physical performance as famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, conveying a vivid sense of a lively mind trapped inside an unresponsive body. Alas, the movie, which gives science short shrift, is primarily about Hawking’s bland relationship with his first wife (Jones). –MD Theaters: BS, COL, DTS, SC, SP, TS

John Wick (Reeves) takes on the entire Russian mob in this silly but stylish revenge thriller. Director Stahelski (a veteran stunt coordinator) stages a number of fluid action sequences, mixing brutality with clarity and just enough wit. –JB Theaters: COL, ST, TC Lingaa (Not reviewed) Rajinikanth, Anushka Shetty, Sonakshi Sinha. Directed by K. S. Ravikumar. 174 minutes. Not rated. In Tamil with English subtitles. Romantic adventure spanning several decades. Theaters: ST The Maze Runner aaccc Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster. Directed by Wes Ball. 113 minutes. Rated PG-13. Based on yet another young adult sci-fi book series, The Maze Runner is set in a mysterious world where teenage boys with no memories try to escape a deadly maze. The plot never gets out of second gear, and the eventual answers are meager and unfulfilling. –JB Theaters: COL, TC Nightcrawler aaaac Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed. Directed by Dan Gilroy. 117 minutes. Rated R. Gyllenhaal gives what may be the best performance of his career as Louis Bloom, a freelance videographer who sells footage of gruesome violence to the local TV news. Nightcrawler is a dark, funny and often brilliant character study about a truly reprehensible character. –JB Theaters: ST, VS Ouija ABCCC Olivia Cooke, Ana Coto, Daren Kagasoff. Directed by Stiles White. 90 minutes. Rated PG-13. Cheap jump scares are the hallmark of this toothless horror movie that doubles as a toy commercial, about a group of teens who accidentally awaken an evil spirit with their Ouija board. The characters are one-dimensional, the plot is rushed, and the scares are tame and perfunctory. –JB Theaters: TX

Past Tense (Not reviewed) Kim Chiu, Ai-Ai Delas Alas, Xian Lim. Directed by Mae Czarina Cruz. 115 minutes. Not rated. In Filipino with English subtitles. A young woman’s life turns upside down when her future self shows up. Theaters: VS Penguins of Madagascar aabcc Voices of Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights. Directed by Eric Darnell and Simon J. Smith. 92 minutes. Rated PG. The no-nonsense penguins who stole scenes in the Madagascar animated movies get their own feature, proving again that characters who are funny in small doses aren’t necessarily suited to carrying entire movies. The penguins’ madcap adventures fighting

an evil octopus are occasionally cute and occasionally clever, but mostly just end up exhausting. –JB Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, COL, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS The Pyramid (Not reviewed) Ashley Hinshaw, Denis O’Hare, James Buckley. Directed by Grégory Levasseur. 89 minutes. Rated R. A team of archaeologists exploring an ancient pyramid are confronted by an evil entity. Theaters: COL, SHO, ST Saving Christmas (Not reviewed) Kirk Cameron, Darren Doane, Bridgette Ridenour. Directed by Darren Doane. 80 minutes. Rated PG. A Christian man reminds his brother-in-law of the true

Top Five aaacc Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, Gabrielle Union. Directed by Chris Rock. 101 minutes. Rated R. Rock gives his best performance as a struggling movie star. At best, Top Five is like a cross between Funny People and Before Sunrise, with smart observations about settling, in both career and romance. At worst, it’s a lame romantic comedy with a contrived third-act twist, gimmicky celebrity cameos and ill-advised subplots. –JB Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, DI, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SP, SS, TS, TX Whiplash aaabc Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser. Directed by Damien Chazelle. 107 minutes. Rated R. Teller plays an aspiring jazz drummer who has either the good or bad fortune to fall under the tutelage of a sadistic teacher-conductor (Simmons). There’s not much to the film apart from their weird sort of S&M relationship, but with two lead actors this formidable, that’s enough. –MD Theaters: COL, VS JMA Jeffrey M. Anderson; JB Josh Bell; MD Mike D’Angelo

Theaters

Summerlin 2070 Park Center Drive, 702-221-2283

(SF) Century Santa Fe Station 4949 N. Rancho Drive, 702-655-8178

(AL) Regal Aliante 7300 Aliante Parkway, North Las Vegas, 702-221-2283

(FH) Regal Fiesta Henderson 777 W. Lake Mead Parkway, Henderson, 702-221-2283

(SHO) United Artists Showcase 3769 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-221-2283

(BS) Regal Boulder Station 4111 Boulder Highway, 702-221-2283

(GVR) Regal Green Valley Ranch 2300 Paseo Verde Parkway, Henderson, 702-221-2283

(PAL) Brenden Theatres at the Palms 4321 W. Flamingo Road, 702-507-4849 (CAN) Galaxy Cannery 2121 E. Craig Road, North Las Vegas, 702-639-9779 (CH) Cinedome Henderson 851 S. Boulder Highway, Henderson, 702-566-1570 (COL) Regal Colonnade 8880 S. Eastern Ave., 702-221-2283 (DI) Las Vegas Drive-In 4150 W. Carey Ave., North Las Vegas, 702-646-3565 (DTS) Regal Downtown

(SP) Century South Point 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-260-4061 (SC) Century Suncoast 9090 Alta Drive, 702-869-1880

(GVL) Galaxy Green Valley Luxury+ 4500 E. Sunset Road, Henderson, 702442-0244

(SS) Regal Sunset Station 1301-A W. Sunset Road, Henderson, 702-221-2283

(ORL) Century Orleans 4500 W. Tropicana Ave., 702-889-1220

(TX) Regal Texas Station 2101 Texas Star Lane, North Las Vegas, 702-221-2283

(RP) AMC Rainbow Promenade 2321 N. Rainbow Blvd., 888-262-4386

(TS) AMC Town Square 6587 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-362-7283

(RR) Regal Red Rock 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., 702-221-2283

(TC) Regency Tropicana Cinemas 3330 E. Tropicana Ave., 702-438-3456

(ST) Century Sam’s Town 5111 Boulder Highway, 702-547-1732

(VS) Regal Village Square 9400 W. Sahara Ave., 702-221-2283

For complete movie times, visit lasvegasweekly.com/movies/listings.

December 18–24 2014 LasVegasWeekly.com

Calendar LISTINGS YOU CAN PLAN YOUR LIFE BY!

TREKKIES IN JAMMIES Is there anything else to say after Star Trek Slumber Party? Because, to this girl, the thought of rocking my squirrel-monkey slippers (they’re a thing) with a crisp Starfleet uniform among others who own Captain Picard dolls is just too good. Las Vegas’ nerd-out capital, the Sci Fi Center, has done it again with a sleepover that highly encourages costumes and includes trivia, prizes and viewings of favorite episodes across the franchise (“even the animated series is fair game”). So if you haven’t seen every episode of Star Trek enough times to parrot for a crowd, this is your chance to bone up. The event is projected to end at midnight, but Sci Fi Center big cheese William Powell promSTAR TREK SLUMBER PARTY ises to “keep it going a long as I have stuff to show and people there December 19, 8 p.m., free. who want to see it.” –Erin Ryan Sci Fi Center, 702-792-4335.

LIVE MUSIC T H E ST R I P & N E A R BY Brooklyn Bowl Who’s Bad 12/18, 8 pm, $22. WAR 12/19, 9 pm, $28-$33. French Montana, Jeremih 12/20, 9 pm, $28-$33. The Mighty Diamonds, New Age Tribe 12/22, 8 pm, free. DIzzy Wright, Phora, Euroz, SeDrew Price 12/27, 9 pm, $$22-$25. Bro Safari, Snails, Kayzo 12/28, 7:30 pm, $35-$40. YG, Eric Bellinger, Younge Suave 12/29, 9 pm, $64-$99. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue 12/30, 9 pm, $28-$33. The Roots 12/31, 9 pm, $83; 1/2-1/3, 9 pm, $44+. Spare Time 1/2, midnight, free. Cody Canada and the Departed 1/19, 8:30 pm, $17+. March Fourth Marching Band 1/25, 9 pm, free. Keller Williams & The Motet 1/31, 9 pm, $11-$17. The Wailers 2/2-2/3, 9 pm, $22-$28. Jack White 2/4, 9 pm, $65. Hellyeah 2/6, 8 pm, $28-$33. Tribal Seeds 2/7, 9 pm, $22+. Iration 2/16, 8 pm, $26-$28. Railroad Earth 3/22, 8 pm, $22-$28. The String Cheese Incident 2/13-2/15,

8 pm, $55+. Lotus 2/14-2/15, midnight, $17. Milky Chance 4/9, 9 pm, $18-$22. Clean Bandit 4/10, 9 pm, $22-$25. Zappa Plays Zappa 4/25, 9 pm, $39$72. OK GO 4/28, 9 pm, $22-$28. The Funk Jam, Wed, 10 pm, free. The Linq, 702-862-2695. The Colosseum Elton John 1/161/20, 1/23-1/24, 3/20-3/21, 3/23-3/24, 3/27-3/28, 3/30-3/31, 4/3-4/4, 4/6-4/7, 4/10-4/11, 4/13-4/14, 6:30 pm, $55$500. Rod Stewart 1/27, 1/30-1/31, 2/3, 2/6-2/7, 2/10, 2/14-2/15, 7:30 pm, $49-$250. Reba, Brooks & Dunn 6/24, 6/26-6/27, 7/1, 7/3, 7/4, 12/2, 12/4, 12/6, 12/9, $60-$205. The Who 9/19, 10:30 pm, $96-$501. Caesars Palace, 702731-7333. The Cosmopolitan (Chelsea) Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga 12/30, 7 pm; 12/31, 9 pm, $125+. Eric Church, Halestorm 1/16-1/17, 7 pm, $65+. Billy Idol, Broncho 2/21, 8 pm, $50+. Pentatonix 2/28, 8 pm, $20-$30. Hozier 4/9, 9 pm, $30+. 702-6987000. Dive Bar The Casualties, Rule of Thumb, IDFI, Brutal Resistance 12/31, 8 pm, $25-$30. Barbwire Dolls,

The Vermin 1/3, 9 pm, $10-$12. The Toasters, Mustard Plug 2/6, 9 pm, $10-$12. 4110 S. Maryland Pkwy., 702586-3483. Double Down Girl Fry, Stagnetti’s Cock, Agent 86 12/19, 10 pm.. The Swamp Gospel, Peninsula, The Gentlemen of Four Outs, Sleeping Ghost 12/20, 10 pm. Agent 86, Kreepmyme 12/26, 10 pm. The Negative Nancys 12/27, 10 pm. Uberschall 12/28, midnight. The Boss Martians, Thee Swank Bastards, Professor Rex Dart 12/31, 10 pm. SquidHat Records Showcase ft. Sounds of Threat, Surrounded By Thieves, Guilty By Association, Attack Ships on Fire, The New Waves, Eliza Battle, The CGs, Franks & Deans, War Called Home, False Cause 1/23-1/24, 10:30 pm, free. Bargain DJ Collective Mon. Unique Massive Tue, midnight. The Juju Man Wed, midnight. Punk Rock Bingo first Wed of the month. Blooze Brothers Third Sun of the month. Shows 10 pm, free unless noted. 640 Paradise Rd., 702-791-5775. Flamingo Olivia Newton-John 12/30-

12/31, 1/1-1/3, 3/3-3/7, 3/10-3/14, 3/173/21, 5/26-5/30, 6/2-6/6, 6/9-6/13, 7/7-7/11, 7/14-7/18, 7/21-7/25, 8/4-8/8, 8/11-8/15, 8/18-8/22, 9/1-9/5, 9/8-9/12, 7:30 pm, $69-$139. 702-733-3333. Gilley’s Stephanie Eason Band 12/1912/20, 10 pm; 12/18, 9 pm. Scotty Alexander 12/26-12/27, 10 pm. Sam Riddle Thu, 9 pm. Shows $10-$20 after 10 pm.Treasure Island, 702-8947722. Hard Rock Live Partynextdoor 12/30, 9 pm, $29-$65. Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, Authority Zero 2.14, 6:30 pm, $23-$25. Hard Rock Cafe (Strip), 3771 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-733-7625. House of Blues HIM, Motionless in White, Wounds 12/19, 7 pm, $32-$42. Otherwise 12/27, 7:30 pm, $20-$23. Boogie Knights 12/29, 8 pm, $20. R. Kelly 12/30, 7:30 pm, $80-$140. Graceland Ninjaz & Roxy Gunn Project 12/31, 7 pm, $15-$65. Willi Nelson & Family 1/9-1/10, 7:30 pm $55-$111. Carlos Santana 1/21, 1/231/25, 1/28-1/31, 5/20, 5/22-5/24, 5/27, 5/29-5/31, $90-$350, 8 pm. Guster 1/22, 7 pm, $27-$29. Wale 1/27, 7:30 pm, $55-$111. Ru Paul’s Drag Race 2/1, 7 pm, $30-$50. Silverstein 2/3, 5 pm, $18-$22. Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth 2/6, 5 pm, $28-$30. Badfish, Phil and the Blanx 12/7, 7 pm, $24-$26. Marilyn Manson 2/14, 7:30 pm, $60. Kalin & Myles 2/19, 6 pm, $18-$20. Dr. Dog 2/21, 8 pm, $25-$30. Taking Back Sunday 2/24, 5 pm, $28-$29. Cold War Kids 2/28, 6:30 pm, $20-$23. Nightwish 4/30, 7 pm, $43-$78. Rhyme N Rhythm Mon, 9 pm, free. Live swing music Tue, 9 pm, free. Blues Wed, 8 pm, free. Phil Stendek Thu, 8 pm, free. Singles Sat, 9 pm, free. Gospel Brunch Sun, 10 am & 1 pm, $27-$50. PJ Barth Trio Sun, 8 pm, free. Mandalay Bay, 702632-7600. The Joint Anisong 1/16, 7 p.m., $50+. Seether, Papa Roach, Kyng, Islander 2/7, 7 pm, $40+. Rascal Flatts 2/25, 2/27-2/28, 3/4, 3/6-3/7, 3/11, 3/13-3/14, 8 pm, $40+. WIdespread Panic w/ Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe 3/27 w/ Chris Robinson Brotherhood 3/28, 8 pm, $55+. Sixx: A.M., Apocalyptica 4/10, 8 pm, $35. Hard Rock Hotel, 702-693-5222. Mandalay Bay (Events Center) Googoosh & Ebi 12/27, 9 pm, $86$423. Maroon 5 12/30-31, 8 pm, $100-$225. Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull 1/31, 7:30 pm, $50-$200. Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Tyga 3/7, 8 pm, $50-$126. Nickelback 7/3, 8 pm, $25-$105. 5 Seconds of Summer 7/17, 7:30 pm, $50-$100. 702-632-7777. MGM (Grand Garden Arena) Joey Yung 12/27, 8 pm, $88-$168. Justin Timberlake 1/1/-1/2, 8 pm, $90-$280. Fleetwood Mac 4/11, 8 pm, $50-$200. Iggy Azalea, Nick Jonas, Tinashe, DJ Wizz Kidd 4/25, $40-$70. Bette Midler 5/22, 8 pm, $95-$310. (Crown Royal Gold Buckle Zone) Lucas Hoge 12/4-12/5. Clay Walker 12/6. Trick Pony 12/7-12/8. The Swon Brothers 12/9-12/10. The Randy Rogers Band 12/11-12/13. 702-891-7777. Mirage Terry Fator: A Country Christmas Thru 12/25, Mon-Thu, 7:30 pm, $60-$150. Boys II Men 12/2612/28, 7:30 pm, $39.99-$59.99. (Sports Book) 702-792-7777. Orleans Big Bad Voodoo Daddy 12/29-12/30, 8 pm, $20+. Disco Inferno 12/31, 10 pm, $75. Grand Funk Railroad 1/10-1/11, 8 pm, $44-$66. Rickey Smiley 1/17-1/18, 8 pm, $44-

CHECK OUT OUR COMPLETE CALENDAR LISTINGS AT LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM/EVENTS 56 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 18–24, 2014

$66. Helen Reddy 1/24-1/25, 8 pm, $44-$66. Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band 2/7-2/8, 8 pm, $30-$61. NiteKings Wed, 4 pm. Rick Duarte Fri, 9 pm. Acoustic Den Sat, 9 pm. Shows free unless noted. 4500 W. Tropicana Ave., 702-365-7075. Palace Station (Jack’s) Peter Love Trio Fri, 9 pm. Willplay Sat, 9 pm. Shows free unless noted. 702-547-5300. Palazzo (Laguna Champagne Bar) Jimmy Hopper Thu-Sun, 9:30 pm, free. 3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd., 702414-4300. Palms (The Lounge) Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns Mon, 10:30 pm, $10. 702-944-3200. The Pearl The Brian Setzer Orchestra 12/20, 8 pm, $43-$93. Styx 1/18, 8 pm, $33-$83. Ringo Starr 3/15, 7:30 pm, $73-$153. Joe Bonamassa 5/1-5/2, 8 pm, $89-$130. The Moody Blues 5/3, 8 pm, $63-$133. Palms, 702-942-7777. Piero’s Pia Zadora Thu-Sat, 9 pm, $30. 355 Convention Center Dr., 702-3692305. Planet Hollywood Britney Spears 12/27-12/28, 12/30-12/31, 1/28, 1/30-1/31, 2/4, 2/6-2/7, 2/11, 2/13-2/14, 2/17-2/18, 2/20-2/21, 2/25, 2/27-2/28, $60-$195. Ricardo Arjona 3/15, 8 pm, $59-$181. (855) 702-234-7469. Stratosphere David Perrico and Pop Evolution First & third Tue, 10:30 pm, $20. 800-998-6937. Tuscany Danny Lozada Sun & Thu 10 pm, free. Kenny Davidsen Celebrity Piano Bar Fri, 10 pm, free. Live music Sat, 10 pm., free. 255 E. Flamingo Rd., 702-893-8933. Vinyl Orianthi, The Bayonets 1/3, 9:30 pm, $22+. Steve Byrne 1/9, 9 pm, $45+. Machine Head 2/19, 9 pm, $23+. Tiger Box 2/20, 9 pm, $25+. Ed Kowalczyk 4/2, 9:30 pm, $40. Nekromantix 4/4, 9 pm, $20+. Hard Rock Hotel, 702-693-5000. Wynn (Eastside Lounge) Michael Monge Wed-Thu, 9 pm, $10. 3131 S Las Vegas Blvd.

D OW N TOW N Backstage Bar & Billiards Scot Coogan’s All-Star Jam Band, Chris Goss, Chris Wyse 12/18, 8 pm, free. Chase Grijivala, Rob & Purejoy, Dig the Kid 12/20, free, 8 pm. Hunter Beard, Keddy Mac, Dub-Raw, JMZ Dean, Ekoh 1/31, 8 pm, $10-$15. The Blasters, The Yawpers 2/5, 8 pm, $12-$15. 601 E. Fremont St., 702-3822227. Bar & Bistro The All-Togethers 12/19, 7 pm, free. Monk and Da Po Boys 12/20, 8 pm, free. Lounge Orphans 12/27, 7 pm, free. Long Beach Rehab 12/31, 7 pm, $10. Out of the Desert Bluegrass Band Sun, noon, free. Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd., 702202-6060. Beauty Bar Ten Foot Pole, S.F.T. 12/20, 9 pm, $10. The Good Foot: Famous Night Out 12/27, 9 pm. King of the City 12/28, 9 pm. Under the Moon 1/2, 10 pm. Chain and the Gang, Mercy Music 1/3, 9 pm. Midnight Affair, Personal Touch 1/15, 9 pm. Violet 1/16, 9 pm. Beat Academy League 1/18, 9 pm. Payola Presley, Willa 1/25, 9 pm, free. Jackson Taylor & The Sinners, The All-Togethers, Whiskey Breath 1/31, 9 pm, $5. 517 Fremont St., 702-598-3757. The Bunkhouse Phreckle$, Honor Amongst Thieves 12/18, 7 pm, free. Beau Hodges, Jeff Mix and the Songhearts, Dylan Jakobsen

Calendar 12/18, 9:30 pm, $5. Rusty Maples, Mercy Music, The Core, Travis Hayes 12/19, 9:30, $5. Joey Pero 12/20, 8 pm, $10. Leaving Springfield, Haberdashers, Geezus Cryst & Free Beer, The Royal Hounds 12/21, 8:30 pm, $5. Water Landing, The All-Togethers, Jinxy Bear, Dirty Foxx 12/22, 9 pm, $5. Critical Ways 12/23, 9:30 pm, $5. Beatles Tribute Night 12/26, 8 pm, $5. Sweetest Morphine 12/27, 8 pm, $22-$25. Gloom Bloom, The Astaires, No Tides, The Night Times 12/28, 8:30 pm, $5. Cameron Calloway 12/30, 8 pm, $5. Crazy Chief, Rusty Maples, Same Sex Mary, Mercy Music 12/31, 9 pm, free. Newlywed 1/3, 9:30 pm, $5. Red Oblivion, Midnight Clover, Hope’s Edge, Honor Amongst Thieves 1/4, 8:30 pm, $5. Battle Born Poetry Slam 1/8, 7 pm, $5. RnR 1/10, 9 pm, $5. Ditch Diggers, Eliza Battle, Alan Six 1/11, 8:30 pm, $5. Same Sex Mary 1/15, 9 pm, $5. Kyle Gass Band 1/17, 8 pm, $10$15. Moonboots, The Astaires, Newsense, High Noon Narrative 1/18, 8:30 pm, $5. Mini Mansions 1/24, 9 pm, $15-$20. Mobile Death Camp, Eagle Claw, Hated Silence Unleashed 1/25, 9 pm, $5. Helms Alee, Marriages, The Fat Dukes of F*ck 1/27, 9 pm, $8-$10. King Tuff 1/30, 9 pm, $10-$12. Todd Snider, Reed Foehl 1/31, 9:30 pm, $25. Zola Jesus 2/7, 9 pm, $15-$20. The Growlers 2/13, $12-$15. Parlor Mob 2/22, 8 pm, $10-$15. Vegas on the Mic Second Tue of the month, 8 pm, free. 124 S. 11th St., bunkhousedowntown.com. Downtown Container Park Bernie Smithers Blues Bus 12/18, 6 pm. Daniel Park 12/19, 6 pm. ‘80s Station 12/19, 10 pm. Patty Ascher 12/20, 6 pm. Haleamano 12/21, 6 pm. Michael Joy 12/22, 7 pm. Sportello 12/23, 7 pm. Haleamano 12/28, 6 pm. Sportello 12/30, 7 pm. Patty Ascher 12/24, 7 pm. Shows free unless noted. 707 Fremont St, downtowncontainerpark.com. Fremont Country Club Jingle Bell Ball 12/20, 7 pm, free. 601 Fremont St., 702-3826601. Fremont Street Experience Downtown Countdown: Tributepalooza 12/30-1/3, 5 pm. Downtown Las Vegas, vegasexperience.com. Gold Spike The Bernie Smithers Blues Bus 12/12, 11 pm. All shows free. 217 Las Vegas Blvd. N., goldspike.com. Griffin Live music Wed, 10 pm, free. 511 Fremont St., 702-382-0577. Hard Hat Lounge Hip Hop for the Kids ft. Mr. Ebranes, DJ Edoc, Charlie Madness, Novn, Boost Wayne, Snap Murphy, MP the MC, Martin Salazar, XT Dream, Anglo Sax 12/13, $5, 9 pm. Wed., 9 pm. 1675 Industrial Rd., 702-384-8987. LVCS Potluck, Johnny RIchter, Liquid Assasin, Black P, P Win, Donnie Menace, Bobby Boulder, Ne Last Words, Ulysses 12/14, 8 pm, $10-$12. Lil Debbie, Caskey, Chemist, Charlie Madness, Ulysses, Jovi Job, The Tribe 12/20, 9 pm, $12-$15. The Dictators NYC, Moto 666, The Psyatics, The Lucky Cheats 1/10, 8 pm, $12-$15. Powerman 5000, Hed PE, Knee High Fox, Ne Last Words, Meade Avenue 1/14, 8 pm, $12-$15. 425 Fremont St., 702-382-3531. Mickie Finnz The Leeroy Jenkins Incident 12/11-12/12, 12/18, 12/20, 9 pm; 12/21, 4 pm, 6 pm & 8 pm. Garage Boys 12/13, 9 pm. SexyTime 12/14. JV Allstars 12/15-12/17, 9 pm, 12/22-12/23, 9 pm. Safety Orange 12/19, 9 pm. 425 Fremont St., 702-382-4204. Mob Bar The Jeremy Cornwell Project Thu, 8 pm. Shaun DeGraff Band Fri, 8 pm. Dueling Pianos Sat, 8 pm. Yvonne Silva Sun, 6 pm. All shows free. 201 N. 3rd St., 702-259-9700. Scullery Back Room Jazz: Vincent Herring 12/17. John Abraham-Steven Lee Project 1/6. Ronnie Fabre Trio 1/13. The Young Lions 1/20. The Hot Club of Jazz 1/28. All shows at 7:30 pm, $15. 150 Las Vegas Blvd., 702-910-2396. The Smith Center Kristen Hertzenberg and Philip Fortenberry 12/13, 2 pm & 7 pm, $26-$36. Michael Feinstein, Laura Osnes, Jessica Sanchez 12/31, 7:30 pm, $49-$199. Diane Schurr 1/8, 1/9, 7 pm, $35-$59. Tony Desare 1/23, 7 pm, $39+. Burt Bacharach 1/30, 7:30 pm, $29+. Jackie Evancho 1/31, 7:30 pm, $20-$125. Clint Holmes First Fri & Sat, 8:30 pm; first Sun, 2 pm; $35-$45. 361 Symphony Park Ave., 702-749-2000.

The ’Burbs Cannery DND Project, Fri-Sat, 7 pm, free, Tue-Thu, Sun, 8 pm. 2121 E Craig Rd., 702507-5700. Eagle Aerie Hall No Bragging Rights, Capsize, Trey the Ruler, Keepsake, A Fight at Daybreak, I Of Fire, For the Win 12/18, 5:30 pm, $13-$15. The Residence, Courvge, The Tree Roots, Our Name Our Story, Ambedo, Year One 12/20, 5:20 pm, $10-$13. Distinguisher, Words From Aztecs, On Letting Go, Amongnu, Secret Keeper, Twin Cities 12/27, 5:20 pm, $10-$13. Heartist, As Big As Whales, Characters, From Where We Came, Celestria, I Before Giants 1/10, 5:20 pm, $11-$14. Irie, Vocal Venom, Asa, Almost Awake, The Promise Hero, Honor Amongst Thieves, Our Name Our Story 1/16, 5:20 pm, $11-$13. The Last Ten Seconds of Life, Words From Aztecs, Distinguisher, The Devil Who Decieved Them, Bridge Burner 1/26, 5:20 pm, $12$15. Fish Leg, Aenimus, Apparitions, We Gave it Hell, Nocturnal Burial, 16 Hours Remain, Man Made God, Oscillation 2/7, 5 pm, $11-$14. I the Breather, I Before Giants, On Letting Go, IOF, Words From Aztecs 2/19, 5:20 pm, $13-$15. Within the Ruins, We Gave It Hell, Man Made God, 16 Hours REmian, Mephitic Origins, Amongu, Full Fledged 3/27, 5:10 pm, $13-$15. 310 W. Pacific Ave., 702-645-4139. Elixir Scott Starr 12/12. Stefanrock 12/13. Justin Mather 12/19. Nick Mattera 12/20. Stefanrock 12/26. Michael Anthony 12/27. All shows at 9 pm, free. 2920 N. Green Valley Pkwy., 702-272-0000. Fiesta Henderson (Cerveza Lounge) Josh LaCount Wed, 8 pm. (Coco Lounge) Shows 9 pm, free. 702-558-7000. Fiesta Rancho (Club Tequila) Take the Stage Thu, 7 pm. (Cabo Lounge) Shows free unless noted. 702-631-7000. Green Valley Ranch (Drop Bar) Jared Berry Thu, 7 pm. Rick Duarte Fri, 6 pm. Tony Venniro Sat, 6 pm. Ryan Whyte Maloney, Cali Tucker Sun, 9 pm. (Hanks) Dave Ritz Tue, Thu, 6 pm; Sat, 7 pm. Nick Mattera Fri, 6 pm. Jeremy James Sat, 7 pm. Rick Duarte Wed, 6 pm. (Lobby Bar) Shai Peri, Christina L Thu, 8 pm. Christina L Fri, 8 pm. Cayce Andrew Sat, 8 pm. Shows free unless noted. 702-367-2470. Rampart Casino (Grand Ballroom) (Addison’s Lounge) Wes Winters Tue, 6 pm. Mark O’Toole Wed, 6 pm. All shows free unless noted. (J.C.’s Irish Sports Pub) All shows free unless noted. (Round Bar) All shows free unless noted. JW Marriott. 221 N. Rampart Blvd., 702-507-5900. Red Rock (Rocks Lounge) Elvis Monroe 12/31, 10 pm, $20. Zowie Bowie Fri, 10 pm. The Dirty Sat, 11 pm, $10. David Perrico Pop Strings Orchestra Every Sat starting 1/10, 11 pm, free. (Onyx) Jared Berry 12/31, 9 pm. Willplay Fri, 8 pm. Tim Catching Sat, 9 pm. The Dirty Sat. 11 pm, $10. (T-Bones) Dave Ritz Wed, 6 pm; Fri, 7 pm. Rick Duarte Thu, 6 pm; Sat, 7 pm. Shows free unless noted. 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., 702-797-7777. Santa Fe Station (Chrome Showroom) Bee Gees Gold 12/31, 9 pm; Fri, 8 pm. Magic of Motown Sat, 10 pm. (Revolver) Bro Country Thu, 8 pm. 4949 N Rancho Dr., 702-658-4900. Sienna Italian Authentic Trattoria Vegas Good Fellas Thu, 7:30 pm. Red Velvet Fri-Sat, 8:30 pm. 9500 Sahara Ave., 702-360-3358. South Point Aaron Watson Tony Orlando 12/19-12/21, 7:30 pm, $45+. Dennis Bono Show Thu, 2 pm, free. Wes Winters Fri-Sat, 6 pm, free. Spazmatics Sat, 10:30 pm, $5. 702-797-8005. Suncoast Chadwick Johnson 12/30, 7:30 pm, $20+. Next Movement Fri, 8 pm, free. 9090 Alta Dr., 702-636-7075. Sunset Station (Club Madrid) Voices ft. Ryan Whyte Maloney, Cali Tucker, Jake Worthington, Kristen Merlin, Michael Austin 1/17, 7 pm, $23. Nashville Unplugged Fri, 8 pm. Barry Black Fri, 9:30 pm. Zowie Bowie Sat, 10 pm. (Gaudi Bar) Ryan Whyte Maloney, Cali Tucker 12/31, 10 pm; Sat, 7 pm. Willplay Sat, 7 pm. (Rosalita’s) Tony Venniro Fri, 7 pm. Peter Love Sat, 7 pm. Shows free unless noted. 1301 W. Sunset Rd., 702-547-7777. Texas Station (Dallas Events Center) Disco Dynamos 12/26, 8 pm, $15. Greased 12/31, 8 pm, $20. (A-Bar) Darrin Michaels Fri-Sat, 7

Online appointments @ www.CherryLashLounge.com

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E v e ry w h e r e E l s e Boomers Live music Wed, 10 pm, $5-$10. Hip Hop Roots Fri, 10 pm, $5. 3200 Sirius Ave., 702-368-1863. Boulder Dam Brewing DJ Hayden & Friends 12/19. Dr. Harpo Band 12/20. The AllTogethers 12/31. Full Throttle Blues Band 1/2. Bar Nation 1/3. Marty Feick 1/9. Out of the Desert 1/10. Bruskers 1/16. Holes and Hearts 1/17. Mike Wojniak 1/23. American Voodoo 1/24. The All-Togethers 1/30. Phil Friendly Trio 1/31. All shows free unless noted, Fri-Sat, 8 pm; Wed-Thu, 7 pm. 453 Nevada Way, Boulder City, 702-243-2739. Boulder Station (Railhead) Bee Gees Gold Fri, 10 pm, $5. El Moreno Carrillo Sun, 11 pm, $5-$10. (Kixx Bar) Joey Vitale Fri, 8 pm. Reflection Sat, 8 pm. 702-432-7777. Adrenaline Sports Bar and Grill Missing Persons, House Band Of the Titanic, Midnight Clover, Anna Duerden, Meade Ave 12/20, 9 pm, $12-$15. Open Mic Night Thu, 7 pm. 3103 N. Rancho Dr., 645-4139. Count’s Vamp’d Smashing Alice, Bloody Roots, Dirty Pairadice 12/19, 8 pm, free. Jizzy Pearl Band, Brazen 12/20, 9:30 pm, free. Burn Unit, Wicked Garden 12/26, 8:30 pm, free. Blue Collar Bastards, Junkhead 12/27, 9:30 pm, free. Count’s 77, Let it Rawk 12/31, 8 pm, $10. Sin City SInners 1/1, 10 pm, free. Outta the Black, The Bones 1/2 9:30 pm, free. The Moby Dicks 1/3, 10 pm, free. Burn Unit 1/8, 8 pm, free. Frank Hannon Power Trio, Tailgun, The Greg Golden Band 1/9, 8:30 pm, $10. John Zito Electric Jam Wed, 9 pm, free. 9:30 pm, free. 6750 W. Sahara, 702-220-8849. The Dillinger Thee Swank Bastards 12/19, 8:30 pm, free. Paige Overton 12/20, 8:30 pm, free. The McCraw Band 12/26, 8 pm, free. James Howard Adams 12/27, 8:30 pm, free. Marty Feick Thu, 7 pm. Stefnrock First & third Sat, 8:30 pm, free. 1224 Arizona St., 702-293-4001. Dispensary Lounge Uli Geissendoerfer Trio Fri-Sat, 10 pm. 2451 E. Tropicana, 702-4586343. Eastside Cannery (Marilyn’s Lounge) Claudine Castro Band Mon, 10 pm. Phoenix Wed, 9 pm. Spazmatics Sun, 9 pm. Shows free unless noted. 702-507-5700. M Resort (M Pavillion) Shows free with drink purchase. M Resort, 800-745-3000. Milo’s Cellar Live Music Thur, 8 pm, free. 538 Nevada Hwy., 702-293-9540. Ron DeCar’s Event Center Walt Boenig Big Band Christmas Show ft. Laura Taylor 12/20, 1 pm, $15. Fayne & Friends 12/20, 7 pm, $15-$30. Michael Grimm High Strung Cabaret 12/27, 8 pm, $21-$31. Jazz Conversations Big Band Series Sat, 1 pm, $15. Swingin’ Sundays Sun, 5 pm, $10. 1201 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-384-0771. Sam’s Town NiteKings Sun, 7 pm, free. Shows free unless noted. 5111 Boulder Hwy., 702284-7777. Star of the Desert Arena Bell Biv Devoe 12/27, 8 pm, $28-$450. Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino, 31900 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Primm, 800-386-7867. Winchester Cultural Center Winchester Headliners Holiday Show 12/19, 6 pm, $7. 3130 S. McLeod Dr., 702-455-7340.

Comedy

ON INdustry NIght

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Louie Anderson Wed-Sat, 7 pm, $60-$102. Plaza, 702-386-2110. Big Al’s Comedy Club Wed-Sun, 8 pm, $20. Gold Coast, 702-251-3574. Bonkerz Comedy Club Downtown Grand Fri-Sat, 8:30 pm, free (with two-drink purchase). 206 N. 3rd St., 702-719-5100. Bonkerz Comedy Club JW Marriott Shows 7 pm, $15. 221 N. Rampart Blvd., 702-5075900. Bonkerz Comedy Club Primm Fri, 8 pm & 10:15 pm; Sat, 10:15 pm; $10. Primm Valley Resort , 31900 S. Las Vegas Blvd., 800-3867867. Bonkerz Comedy Club Silver Sevens FriSat, 10:30 pm; $10. Silver Sevens Hotel & Casino, 4100 Paradise, 702-733-7000. Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club Mike Pace,

Landry, Shayma Tash 12/22-12/24. Quinn Dahle, Sam Fedele, Shayma Tash 12/2612/28. Tom Rhodes, Quinn Dahle, Sam Fedele 12/29-12/31. Tom Rhodes, Sam Fedele, John Bizarre 1/1-1/4. Carl Labove, Sarah Tiana 1/5-1/11. Happy Cole, Mike Merryfield, Bob Dibuono 1/12-1/18. Brad Garrett, Greg Morton, Collin Moulton 1/19-1/25. Ian Bagg, Dave Landau, Matt Markman 1/26-2/1. All shows at 8 pm (12/412/13 shows at 9 pm), $65-$87. MGM Grand, 891-7777. Wayne Brady 2/27, 4/17, 10 pm, $40+. Mirage, 702-792-7777. Mel Cabang 1/17, 8:30 pm, $30. The D Las Vegas, 301 Fremont St., thed.com. Carrot Top Wed-Mon, 8:30 pm, $50-$60. Luxor, 702-262-4900. Jeff Civilico Sat-Mon, Wed-Thu, 4 pm, $39$50. Quad, 888-777-7664. Andrew Dice Clay 12/18-12/21, 9 pm, $59. Vinyl, hardrockhotel.com. Comedy After Dark Wed-Sun, 10 pm, $40$60. LVH, 702-732-5755. Whitney Cummings 1/2-1/3, 10 pm, $74-$118. Venetian, 866-641-7469. Chris D’Elia 12/27, 10 pm, $40-$50. Mirage, 702-792-7777. Jeff Dunham Wed-Sun, 7 pm; Sat-Sun, 4 pm, $72. Planet Hollywood, 702-531-4320. Vinnie Favorito Nightly, 8 pm, $55-$100. Flamingo, 702-733-3333. Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy 12/1212/13, 9:30 pm, $55-$125. Planet Hollywood, 702-531-4320. Eddie Griffin Mon-Wed, 7 pm, $90-$182. Rio, 702-777-7776. Kathy Griffin 4/18, 10 pm, $60+. Mirage, 702792-7777. Joey Guila 1/15-1/16, 8:30 pm, $30. The D Las Vegas, 301 Fremont St., thed.com. HydroComics Unleashed Wed, 9 pm, free. Lucie’s Lounge, 3955 Charleston Blvd., 702776-6417. The Improv Bobby Slayton, Robert Duchaine, Cody Hustak thru 12/21. Henry Phillips, Steven Kravitz, Jodi Borello 12/2312/28. Bil Dwyer, Rick Delia, Andy Ostroff 12/30-1/4, Tue-Sun, 8:30 & 10 pm, $30-$45. Harrah’s, 702-369-5000. Gabriel Iglesias 4/3-4/4, 5/23-5/24, 10 pm, $60+. Mirage, 702-792-7777. The Joe Show Thu-Sat, 8 pm, $30. Tuscany, 255 E. Flamingo Rd., 702-629-0715. Jokes With Friends Thu, 10 pm, free. Nacho Daddy, 9925 S. Eastern Ave., 702-462-5000. L.A. Comedy Club Tue-Sun, 9:30 pm, $39$62. Ballys, 702-777-2782. Lisa Lampanelli 12/26-12/27, 10 pm, $74-$118. Venetian, 866-641-7469. The Laugh Factory Shows nightly, 8:30 & 10:30 pm. $29-$45. Tropicana, 702-739-2222. Laughternoon Adam London Daily, 4 pm, $20-$25. The D, 702-388-2111. Jay Leno 2/28, 5/15, 6/13, 7/4, 10 pm, $60-$80. Mirage, 702-792-7777. M Resort Comedy Night Fri, 9 pm, free with drink purchase. M Resort, 702-797-1000. The Mac King Comedy Magic Show TueSat, 1 & 3 pm, $33. Harrah’s, 702-369-5000. Kathleen Madigan 6/12, 10 pm, $30+. Mirage, 702-792-7777. Joel McHale 12/29-12/30, 10 pm, $50-$70. Mirage, 702-792-7777. Party Improv Comedy Thu-Sun, 7 pm, $25, 2 drink minimum. Planet Hollywood, 702531-4320. Ray Romano & David Spade 2/20-2/21, 4/104/11, 10 pm, $80+. Mirage, 702-792-7777. Red Skelton Tribute Sat-Tue, 2 pm; $35-$40. Westin Las Vegas, 160 E. Flamingo Rd., 702245-2393. Don Rickles 2/21-2/22, 8 pm, $80.Orleans, 702-365-7075. Riviera Comedy Club 40 is Not the New 20 ft. Matt Kazam Mon-Sat, 10 pm, $40. Don Barnhart, Michael Wheels Parise thru 12/21, 8:30 pm, $30. John Bizarre, Jimmie JJ Walker 12/22-12/29, 8:30 pm, $30. Mike Marino, Derek Richards 12/29-1/4, 8:30 pm, $30. Riviera, 855-468-6748. Joe Rogan 1/2, 1/30, 10 pm, $40+. Mirage, 702792-7777. Rita Rudner 12/27, 7:30 pm, $60-$100. Harrah’s, 702-369-5000. Sapphire Comedy Hour Fri-Sat, 8 pm, $20. Sapphire Gentlemen’s Club, 3025 Industrial Rd., 702-796-6000. Amy Schumer 4/24, 8 pm, $45. Cosmopolitan,

Calendar 702-698-7000. S.E.T. Improv Comedy Mon, 8 pm, $10. Onyx Theatre, 953 E. Sahara Ave., 702-732-7225. Jerry Seinfeld 12/26-12/27, 7:30 pm, $75-$150. The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, 702-7317333. Side Splitting Sundays Sun, 10 pm, free. Boomers, 3200 Sirius Ave., 702-368-1863. Sin City Comedy & Burlesque Show 8:30 pm, $38-$49. Planet Hollywood, 702-7777776. Sinbad 1/30-1/31, 8 pm, $50+. Orleans, orleanscasino.com. Rickey Smiley 1/17-1/18, 8 pm, $40+. Orleans, orleanscasino.com. Aries Spears 1/23-1/24, 7:30 pm, $16+. Suncoast, 702-636-7075. Daniel Tosh 1/23, 10 pm; 1/24, 7:30 pm, 3/27, 10 pm; 3/28, 7:30 pm, $60+. Mirage, 702792-7777. Trailer Park Boys 2/22, 8 pm, $40-$125. The Joint, 702-693-5222. Ron White 12/12-12/13, 10 pm, $60-$82. Mirage, 702-792-7777. Katt Williams 12/30, 9 pm, $40+. The Joint, 702-693-5222.

Performing Arts 50 Shades! The Parody Shows beginning 2/3, Tue, 7:30 pm & 9:30 pm, Wed-Sun, 7:30 pm, $69+. Bally’s, 50shadesvegas.com, 702777-2782. Christmas, Motown and More ft. Human Nature 12/19-12/23, 7 pm; 12/24, 1 pm, $50$140. Venetian, 866-641-7469. The Forgotten Carols 12/22, 7:30 pm, $14$32. Cashman Center, 850 N. Las Vegas Blvd., forgottencarols.com. Funny, Phat & Fabulous 12/25, 7:30 pm, $25. Ron DeCar’s Event Center, 1201 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-384-0771. Jeff McBride’s Wonderground Variety show. Third Thu of the month; 8, 9 & 10 pm; $10. Olive Mediterranean Restaurant Lounge, 3850 E. Sunset Rd., 702-451-8805 . Joni & Gina’s Wedding 12/26, 6:45 pm, $30$80. Ron DeCar’s Event Center, 1201 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-384-0771. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat 1/20-1/25, 7:30 pm; 1/24-1/25, 2 pm, $28+. Smith Center, 702-749-2000. Kodo One Earth Tour 2/12, 7:30 pm, $29+. Smith Center, 702-749-2000. Las Vegas Philharmonic Masterworks III: Rising Star 1/10, 7:30 pm, $26-$94. Smith Center, 702-749-2000. London Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas 3/30, 7:30 pm, $29. Smith Center, 702-749-2000. Meet Me in St. Louis 12/12-12/13, 7 pm; 12/7, 12/13-12/14, 2 pm, $5. Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St., artslasvegas.org. Momix Alchemia 3/10, 7:30 pm, $19+. Smith Center, 702-749-2000. The Nutcracker 12/19-12/20, 7:30 pm; 12/14, 12/21, 1 pm & 5 pm; 12/20, 2 pm, $29-$179. Smith Center, 702-749-2000. Re-Animator the Musical 1/6-1/18, times vary, $44+. Smith Center, 702-749-2000. Totally Awesome ‘80s thru 12/20, 8 pm, $10. Colabo Studio Theater, 900 E. Karen Ave, Ste. D-114, 702-742-6109. Trouble in Tahiti 2/20-2/21, 2/27-2/28, 8 pm; 2/22, 4 pm, $15. Onyx Theatre, 953 E. Sahara Ave., 702-732-7225. XXXmas: A Burlesque Christmas Spectacular ft. Melody Sweets 12/23, 10:30 pm, $20-$30. Caesars Palace, melodysweets. com.

Special Events AVN Awards Show 1/24, 8:30 pm, $175-$300. The Joint, 702-693-5222. Dam Short Film Festival 2/4-2/7, Historic Boulder Theatre, 1225 Arizona St., 702-2933171, damshortfilm.org. Ethel M Chocolates Holiday Cactus Lighting Through 1/1, free. Ethel M Chocolate Factory, 2 Cactus Dr., ethelm.com. First Friday Poets 1/2, 5 p m, free. Colorado Ave. (between Third St. and Casino Center), 702-733-7734. Ira Glass: Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio 1/17, 7:30 pm, $29+. Smith Center,

702-749-2000. Jingle Bell Run 12/20, 9 am, $12-$20. Pecos Legacy Park, 150 Pecos Rd., 702-267-4050. Motley Brew’s Great Vegas Festival of Beer 4/11, 3 pm, $30-$75. Fremont East, Downtown Las Vegas, greatvegasbeer.com. Pandora: Unforgettable Moments of Love on Ice 12/20, 7:30 pm, $30-$100. Mandalay Bay Events Center, 702-632-7777. Rock in Rio Festival Ft. Taylor Swift, Metallica, Linkin Park, No Doubt, The Deftones, John Legend 5/8-5/9, 5/15-5/16. Rockinrio.com. Shrine Circus 1/8-1/11, times vary, $20+. Orleans Arena, orleansarena.com. Stars and Stardust: Sidewalk Astronomy 1/24, 6 pm, free. Neon Museum, 770 Las Vegas Blvd. N., neonmuseum.org.

BOTOX STARTS AT $99 PER AREA

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ALL INJECTIONS ADMINISTERED BY MD

Dr. Richard Yen MD, PhD

(702) 367-3930 | Thurs-Sat 10-6 or by appointment Scandals Salon | 4235 S. Fort Apache Rd. #100 | Las Vegas N V 89147

First home. Next home.

Sports Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic 12/2212/23, 12 pm, $47-$107. Orleans Arena, orleansarena.com. Ellis Mania 10 2/21, 8 pm, $20+. The Joint, 702-693-5222. Harlem Globetrotters 2/5, times vary, $24+. Orleans Arena, orleansarena.com. MGM Grand Showcase: Huskies v. Sooners, Runin’ Rebels v. Utes 12/20, 6 pm, $31-$301. MGM Grand Garden Arena, 702-891-7777. World Series of Beer Pong 1/1-1/5, 8 am, free. Riviera, 2901 S Las Vegas Blvd., bpong.com. Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl 12/20, noon, $25-$110. Sam Boyd Stadium, unlvtickets. com. Tarkanian Classic 12/19, 8 am, $7. Orleans Arena, orleansarena.com. UFC 183 1/31, 3:30 pm, $128-$1,003. MGM Grand Garden Arena, 702-891-7777. WWE Live 1/17, 7:30 pm, $24-$128. Mandalay Bay Events Center, 702-632-7777.

Galleries Amanda Harris Gallery of Contemporary Art Thu-Fri, 5-8 pm, and by appointment. 900 S. Las Vegas Blvd., 702-769-6036. Artistic Armory 5087 S. Arville St., 702-5479005. Arts Factory 107 E. Charleston Blvd, 702383-3133. Galleries include: Joseph Watson Collection Wed-Fri, 1-6 pm; Sat, noon-3 pm; Sun, 11 am-2 pm. Suite 115, 858-733-2135. Sin City Gallery Wed-Sat, 1-7 pm; Sun, 11 am-2 pm. Suite 100, 702-608-2461. Trifecta Gallery Mon-Fri, 11 am-5 pm; Sat-Sun, 11 am-3 pm. Suite 135, 702-366-7001, trifectagallery. com. Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art Daily, 10 am-8 pm, $11-$16. 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702693-7871. Blackbird Studios Fri-Sun, noon-7 pm. 1551 S. Commerce St., 702-782-0319. Brett Wesley Gallery Wed-Sat, 1-7 pm. 1025 S. First St. #150, 702-433-4433. Clark County Government Center Rotunda Mon-Fri, 8 am-5 pm. 500 Grand Central Parkway, 702-455-7030. Clay Arts Vegas Mon-Sat, 9 am-9 pm; Sun, 11:30 am-6:30 pm. 1511 S. Main St., 702-3754147. Donna Beam Fine Art Gallery Mon-Fri, 9 am-5 pm; Sat, 10 am-2 pm. At UNLV, 702895-3893. Downtown Spaces 1800 Industrial Rd., dtspaces.com. Galleries include: Wasteland Gallery Thu, 6 pm-9pm; Fri & Sat, 6 pm11pm, Sun-Wed by appointment. Emergency Arts 520 Fremont St., 702-6863164. Gainsburg Studio & Gallery Mon-Sat, 10am5pm. 1533 West Oakey Blvd, 702-249-3200. Left of Center Gallery Tue-Fri, noon-5 pm; Sat, 10 am-3 pm. 2207 W. Gowan Rd., 702647-7378. Michelle C. Quinn Fine Art Advisory By appointment only. 620 S. 7th St., 702-3669339. P3Studio House of Paper Birds By JK Russ. Thru 1/4. Wed-Sun, 6-11 pm. Cosmopolitan. West Las Vegas Arts Center Wed-Sat, 9 am-7 pm. 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd., 702-2294800. Winchester Cultural Center Art Gallery Tue-Fri, 10 am-8 pm; Sat, 9 am-6 pm. 3130 S. McLeod Dr., 702-455-7340.

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HOROSCOPE

free will astrology

By Rob Brezsny

ARIES

LEO

SAGITTARIUS

March 21-April 19

July 23-Aug. 22

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

“Too much happiness can make you unhappy,” reported journalist Marta Zaraska in the Washington Post. Citing research by psychologists, she concluded that being super-extra cheerful can make you selfish, gullible, and more prone to stereotyped thinking. On the other hand, she said, maintaining merely moderate levels of happiness is pretty damn good for your mental and physical health. So here’s the takeaway, Aries: The astrological omens suggest you’re due for a surge of joy and pleasure. Just be careful it doesn’t spill over into rash, delirious excess. Here’s your watchword: well-grounded delight.

“There are two kinds of light,” said author James Thurber, “the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.” Lately you have been an abundant source of that first kind of light, Leo. The fire in your heart and the gleam in your eyes have not only brightened the mood wherever you’ve gone. They have also clarified confusing situations, warmed chilly attitudes and healed dispirited allies. Thank you! In the coming weeks, I’d love to see you continue on your hot streak. To help ensure that you do, keep your ego under control. Don’t let it pretend that it owns the light you’re emitting. With a little introspection, you will continue to generate illumination, not glare.

“A savage desire for strong emotions and sensations burns inside me: a rage against this soft-tinted, shallow, standardized and sterilized life.” So says Harry Haller, the protagonist of Herman Hesse’s novel Steppenwolf. His declaration could serve as an interesting point of reference for you in the coming months, Sagittarius—not as a mood for everyday use, but as a poetic inspiration that you periodically call on to invigorate your lust for life. My invitation has a caveat, however. I advise you *not* to adopt the rest of Harry Haller’s rant, in which he says that he also has “a mad craving to smash something up, a department store, or a cathedral, or myself.”

TAURUS

VIRGO

CAPRICORN

April 20-May 20

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

Many of the Grimm brothers stories are still popular, including “Cinderella,” “Snow White,” “Hansel and Gretel” and “Rapunzel.” Around the same time they did their work, a storyteller named Franz Xaver von Schönwerth assembled his own compendium of fantastic myths, fables, and folklore. Unlike the Grimm brothers’ book, his work faded into obscurity. But it was rediscovered in 2011, and 500 lost fairy tales are now finding their way into newly published books. I foresee a comparable phenomenon happening for you in 2015, Taurus. Forgotten stories will return. Raw material from the depths will resurface. Interesting news from the past will come flowing into the present.

Studies suggest that 57 percent of all people with access to the Internet have engaged in the practice known as ego-surfing. This modern art form consists of searching Google for mentions of one’s own name. This is a suspiciously low figure unless we factor in the data uncovered by my own research—which is that a disproportionately small amount of Virgos go ego-surfing: only 21 percent. If you are one of the 79 percent of your tribe who does not indulge, I invite you to remedy the situation. It’s an excellent time to risk exploring the potential benefits of increased self-interest and self-regard.

I have lived near an open space preserve for five years. Up until the last two months, it has been a peaceful, quite place. But then the coyotes moved in. Just after dusk every evening, a pack of them start yipping and yowling in the distance. At first I found the racket to be eerie and unsettling. It activated some primal unease in me. And yet the coyotes have never actually been a problem. They don’t roam into my neighborhood and try to bite people or prey on pets. So now I’ve come to relish the situation: The wild things are close and exciting, but not dangerous. I’m guessing this has a metaphorical resemblance to what your life will be like in the next six months, Capricorn.

GEMINI

LIBRA

AQUARIUS

May 21-June 20

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

Your first task is to ascertain the half-truth, the whole half-truth, and nothing but the whole half-truth. Only then will you be able to find the other half of the truth. I realize it may be frustrating to use this approach. You’d probably prefer to avoid wrangling with the deceptions and misdirections. But I think it’s the only way to jostle loose the hidden or missing information. For best results, be a cunning and unsentimental detective who’s eager to solve the mystery. Don’t focus on finding fault or assigning blame.

When I started writing horoscopes many years ago, I was a good astrologer but an unexceptional writer. Eventually, the practice of composing 12 packets of pithy prose every week allowed me to improve my authorial skills. The stuff I composed in the early years wasn’t bad, but I wouldn’t want to present it as my work any more. So should I feel guilty that I got paid and appreciated for those old efforts even though I was less than perfect? I don’t think so. I was doing the best I could at the time. And even my unpolished astrological musings were helpful to many people. Now, Libra, I invite you to apply these meditations to you own unfolding destiny.

Stanstead, Quebec, and Derby Line, Vermont, are really a single town that straddles the border between the U.S. and Canada. Many of the people who live there have dual citizenship, but they’re still supposed to carry their passports with them at all times. I suspect you may experience a metaphorical version of this split in the coming months, Aquarius. You will be in a situation that has a split down the middle or a seemingly unnatural division. Whether it turns out to be a problem or an opportunity will depend on your adaptability and flexibility.

CANCER

SCORPIO

PISCES

June 21-July 22

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

Feb. 19-March 20

One of the ingredients that makes yoga mats so soft and springy is the chemical azodicarbonamide. The same stuff is added to the soles of shoes. There’s a third place where it’s used, too: in the burger buns sold by McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and other fast food joints. I’m not suggesting that you order a big supply of azodicarbonamide and ingest it. But I do hope you will consider the metaphorical equivalent: doing whatever’s necessary to make yourself bouncy and fluffy and pliable and supple and resilient.

60 LasVegasWeekly.com December 18–24, 2014

You may already know what I’m about to tell you. It’s a core principle at the root of your Scorpio heritage. But I want to focus your attention on it. In the coming months, you’ll be wise to keep it at the forefront of your conscious awareness. Here it is, courtesy of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche: “You have it in your power to invest everything you have lived through—your experiments, false starts, errors, delusions, passions, your love and your hope—into your goal, with nothing left over.”

When a dead tree topples over in the woods, its withered branches may get entangled with the branches of a living tree that’s standing nearby. As years go by, the living tree must grow the best it can with the decaying wood trapped in its midst. Has something like that ever happened to you? Are you still carrying the rot that other people have burdened you with? If so, the coming months will be an excellent time to get disentangled. A tree isn’t capable of freeing itself from the dead weight of the past, but you are—especially in the first half of 2015.

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LAS VEGAS WEEKLY

The BackStory

Winter PARQ Show in the Linq Promenade | December 14, 2014 | 6:10 p.m. Generally Santa and his helper don’t do handstands while spreading holiday cheer, but when Santa and his helper are the KriStef Brothers, all bets are off. The Las Vegas friends and acrobats were contestants on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. Their free show is part of the seasonal festivities at the Linq Promenade, and you can catch the action daily on the hour from 5 to 9 p.m. until December 27. Even holding the entire weight of an elf, Santa can still hear your gift requests. –Steve Marcus