2015-08-06 Las Vegas Weekly by Greenspun Media Group

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ALL YOU CAN EAT

spaghetti & meatballs 14

Contents 7 mail Everyone hates that Lay’s

42 noise Spins of new Big Talk,

gyro chip ...

and Health, and good news about the Bunkhouse’s lost shows.

andiron by mikayla whitmore; recognizing real by steve marcus

8 as we see it Where buskers (can) stand. Ghostbusters care! A guide to safe selling on Craigslist.

44 the strip Why the Quartet

12 Q&A What’s brewing for

48 stage Stockbroker booty

CraftHaus’ Steph Cope.

shake, courtesy of Asylum Theatre.

14 Feature | resonant

49 print Dysfunction, tragedy

culture From the skate shop to the stage to the studio, this is Recognizing Real.

and snacking in The Long Fire.

50 food & drink Exploring

16 Feature | bow to the

Vegas coffee. Annie’s Italian and fried bird from Blue Ribbon.

steakness Premium beef is a Vegas signature, and we’ve got the list of true steakhouse bar-setters.

is still worth a million.

54 calendar L.A. Witch.

EVERY DAY FROM 4 PM – 9 PM

24 nights A chat with Henrix; recapping Marquee’s silent disco.

39 A&E Trekkies, it’s go time. 40 screen Woody’s latest,

Brooklyn Spaghetti & Meatballs

Cover photograph By christopher devargas

the scares of The Gift, and a jam session with Meryl Streep. © 2015 DFO, LLC. At participating restaurants for a limited time only. Offer not valid for the Las Vegas Strip locations. Selection and prices may vary.

LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE AT

CANNERYCASINO.COM Some ticket prices do not include taxes and applicable fees.

THE HIGHWAYMEN LIVE Musical Tribute to Willie, Waylon and Johnny Cash

AUG 15 • 8PM

• $15 AT THE DOOR

DETROIT ALL-STARS Featuring Mike Saunders & Michael Brock

AUG 21 & 22 • 8PM

• $10 AT THE DOOR

HOT AUGUST NIGHT Rob Garrett’s Tribute to Neil Diamond

AUG 29 • 8PM

• $10 AT THE DOOR

PUPPY LOVE Want to help out our local animal shelters? Both the Animal Foundation and the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have two new fundraising initiatives worth your while. Find more information at lasvegasweekly.com. PUFF, PUFF, PASS? Marketed as an alternative for coffee drinkers on the go, caffeine is now just another substance you can put in your pipe. Yeah, really—and yeah, we really smoked it. Check out the results at lasvegasweekly.com.

THE GUESS WHO SEPT 5 • 8PM

• START AT $22.95

PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE AT

EASTSIDECANNERY.COM Some ticket prices do not include taxes and applicable fees.

CELEBRATION OF THE KING’S LIFE Featuring Johnny Fortuno, The Stamps Quartet and friends of Elvis!

AUG 7 & 8 • 7PM

• $15 AT THE DOOR

MAIDEN VOYAGE In his first solo show, Urban Vintage Collection, Alex Huerta builds detailed cityscapes by collaging old blueprints and blackand-white photographs. Learn more about the artist’s inspiration, only online.

LET’S BE FRIENDS!

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MOST READ STORIES lasvegasweekly.com

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ENTERTAINMENT Done Right

1. Rush’s (possible) final Vegas show can’t quite match its greatest 2. Party in the suburbs! It’s time to bring nightlife back to the neighborhood 3. Breaking Baz: A musical in a nightclub aims to shake up the Vegas entertainment scene 4. Checking in with the Mikes who ran the Bunkhouse, following the venue’s sudden end 5. A tourist’s smartphone snapshot of Cosmo’s pool fire goes viral—and informs the masses

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HALF OFF ALL THAT BAZ Just how game-changing is the new show playing in the earlyevening hours at Light nightclub?

I loved how different it was from anything else I’ve seen on the Strip. And the women vocalists were powerhouses. I was shocked by what they would belt out, in the best way of course. –Nicole Mantu Someone needs to shake up the nightclub industry here. Would like to see someone come in and make a difference, almost like EDC but on a much, much smaller stage. –Nost Ferrigno

LOCAL NIGHTLIFE Wouldn’t it be great if Station Casinos reactivated its former nightclub spaces?

Because the nightclub scene isn’t saturated enough. #Comeonbro. –Chris Shaddox Whiskey Sky was the best! I remember George Clooney and Rande Gerber hanging out in VIP! –Bri Steck If the greater Las Vegas area could have more places that just let you hang out, that would be nice, even if [they’re] vaguely like the Gold Spike. –Chad Cintron How about some good live music venues instead of clubs? Free ones. Jazz, rock, local bands, etc. It would be great to have more of that for locals! –Joshua D. Arnold

photograph by By Denise Truscello

HUNTRIDGE MEMORIES Twenty years ago, the roof collapsed at the historic Downtown theater.

I had tickets for the Circle Jerks

that night. It was a bummer! –Troy Manke It’s a crumbling eyesore. This is Las Vegas, tear it down already! –Michael Haberland ... And still waiting for it to reopen. –Charity Morgan

FINAL RUSH? The Canadian trio returned to MGM Grand, hopefully not for the last time.

I saw the same tour in SLC and while the set 1 opener and subsequent run through their newer material didn’t match the energy that the ’70s-era stuff brings out, it was still awesome and the crowd was very into it. I admire the choice of opening that way. It’s bold. –JoMommyHappy2 I have seen many Rush shows starting with Moving Pictures in ’81. The MGM show was the second time I saw this current tour. I have to say this review is fair and pretty much spot-on. We all know we are approaching the end of an era that may never be matched in music. If this is the last time I see the Holy Triumvirate, I will close the book satisfied. –Jerry Seyler

TASTE THE RAINBOW Lay’s dropped its latest Do Us a Flavor contest potato chip styles, so we tasted them. And so did you.

The Gyro is gross! The Truffle Fries taste like normal chips. Afraid to try the others. The selection to try last time was way better! –Anna Prado-Frias

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Policing fun on Fremont ∑ Benjamin Franklin was a busker. Yep. As a young man, America’s

trillest Founding Father was known to bust rhymes and sling political writings on the cobblestone streets of Boston. “He did poetry and things like that,” balloon artist and magician Billy Williams says, twisting a red balloon into a flower. “Robin Williams was a street performer. So was Rod Stewart. You’ve got a lot of famous people who did it.” Williams is one of several dozen buskers under the Fremont Street Experience canopy who could be affected by a proposed City of Las Vegas ordinance that aims to curb crowding, nudity, noise, turf wars among buskers and aggressiveness toward visitors. Proposed August 5, the updated policy could be enacted as early as September 2, and would require street entertainers to register with the city to occupy 6-foot performance zones. The law, likely to be enforced by deputy marshals, would also require entertainers to move to different spots every two hours, meanwhile standing 100 feet from Fremont Street Experience concerts, 40 feet from other buskers and, as established by past measures, 20 feet from building entrances and 10 feet from ATMs and kiosks. Puppeteer Clifford “Buddy” Big Mountain likes the idea of separating performers but says moving every two hours is prohibitive for those with larger, less-mobile setups. Williams agrees with registration and buffer zones, but worries that the law, which is modeled after Santa Monica’s street performance ordinance, is underdeveloped. “They’ve done the research on how to do it, but they haven’t done the research on the problems it causes,” he says. Once first-come, first-served, the Santa Monica Pier switched to a lottery system in 2010 to deter physical confrontations, and now doles out 24 spots for three-hour periods. In 2013, a Santa Monica magician told the Los Angeles Times that while he once performed regularly on weekends, he later felt lucky to secure two morning shifts. If the Las Vegas ordinance passes as is, allowing performances from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis, Williams worries performers might fight over spots, or camp out to save prime locations. “You might go to work five days but only work one day,” says the performer of five years. Chartreuse-thonged entertainer Jason Sanders, who makes about $50 or $60 for four hours of work each night, doesn’t see a need for change. “Most tourists tell us 99 percent of the reason they come out here is because of us,” he says, adjusting dollar bills in his waistband. “They have fun taking pics with new characters and old characters.” He says he’s working on a costume of Link from The Legend of Zelda, and with that, turns to the crowd and smiles for their cameras. –Kristy Totten

Lot sale Craigslistrelated crime inspires strategies for safer transactions

∑ Looking to offer that old stereo system to the Craigslist and Backpage piranha pools but are afraid of strangers coming to your house? You should be. As the popularity of digital garage sales on community posting boards has increased, so has crime among its users. So how does one conduct business without the threat of being ripped off—or worse? Earlier this year, the North Las Vegas police stations on

8 LasVegasWeekly.com August 6-12, 2015

Las Vegas Boulevard and Washburn Road began actively encouraging online buyers and sellers to use their parking lots to ensure safer commerce. It follows the trend of national police departments officially establishing and promoting safe zones inside and outside their offices, potentially thwarting criminals trying to avoid law enforcement. Las Vegas and Henderson police departments have yet

to go that far, though both do recommend any of their parking lots for online transactions. Safetradestations.com outlines additional precautions, especially for residents unable to cart their Dynasty-era couches to the neighborhood station. And Metro public information officer Jesse Roybal generally suggests daytime deal-making at any public space that feels safe. Might we suggest Dunkin’ Donuts? –Mike Prevatt

fremont street by steve marcus

AS WE SEE IT...

Who ya gonna call?

Better to have loved

The Ghostbusters of Las Vegas are more about community than paranormal activity

Losing talented artists to Vegas’ revolving door By Kristen Peterson

> visual imprint (Clockwise from here) Works by Sanchez, Stellmon and Ostrowski.

Reacting to the disappearance of 43 students in Mexico last September, Las Vegas artist Javier Sanchez created a multimedia installation confronting the ongoing brutality of the Mexican drug wars. The haunting experience in the Barrick Museum reverberated much more intensely than ephemeral headlines on social media and transcended the usual impersonal data tied to tragedy. It was among many sophisticated and penetrating works produced by artists here that mirror our lives and the world around us, offering myriad perspectives while critiquing, challenging or celebrating norms—a counter to Las Vegas’ uncultured stereotype. Artists come and go, as so many people do here. But the consecutive departures of Sanchez and four other prominent local artists, following the closures of two noteworthy galleries whose owners have also moved away, has some discussing the bruising of the scene. We’ve lamented the cyclical departures, closures and “guttings” so many times already, only to learn that art here is a force, that even if there were no galleries showing contemporary works by career artists, discourse and engagement would happen through visual art somewhere in this sprawling Valley. It will always be better and worse, and constantly evolving. The Barrick Museum’s current Recent Acquisitions exhibit is a testament to that, and the show is only a sliver of what is here and has

been here. Despite not having a major art institution and dealing with the ripple effects of a university arts program constantly in turmoil, the visual arts in Las Vegas and the artists who come and go have, in many cases, blown us away. Now, after the departure of gallerists Marty Walsh and Dana Satterwhite and artist Zak Ostrowski, we say goodbye to artists Erin Stellmon, David Sanchez Burr and Danielle Kelly. Kelly also was the executive director of the Neon Museum for seven years. Sanchez Burr’s many exhibits exploring decay and destruction considered urban transformations as well as those in the more remote desert landscape. Stellmon, who worked at the Neon Museum and served as the Contemporary Arts Center’s vice president, addressed changing Las Vegas through color, form and pattern in mixed-media works. At the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway, Ostrowski’s sculptural benches are reflective of the landscape, as does his handmade circular tile mural referencing the rings of a tree on the ground of the outdoor amphitheater. With gallery shows, public works, installations and exhibits in municipal spaces and behind-thescenes efforts, they’ve left a lasting imprint. As will the many Las Vegas artists who are, at this moment, keeping the conversation going.

BETTER LIVING THROUGH GOOGLE

Anyone who spotted four men in Ghostbusters gear at Container Park on July 23 couldn’t be blamed for wondering if some costumed characters from the Fremont Street Experience wandered over. No, the spooksnatching crew wasn’t there on pics-for-tips duty—they showed up to “patrol” the Downtown shopping complex’s Family Movie Night, which just happened to be featuring a certain 1984 supernatural comedy. “People mistake us for typical Strip or Downtown street performers, and we work very hard to separate from them,” says Jeff Miller, being careful not to denigrate the buskers, either. “We refuse tips and we’ve never charged a cent to appear.” What began as leisurely prop-making and costume-contest competing for two lifelong friends, Halloween enthusiasts and diehard fans of all things Ghostbusters, turned into Miller and Mike Garth co-founding the first Vegas-based franchise of the proton-pack-wielding heroes. But the Ghostbusters of Las Vegas didn’t want to limit their participation to fandom. They were inspired by “those in other cities that grew their [Ghostbusters cosplay] teams out for positive community service,” Miller says. As such, the group—now rounded out by four other members—seeks to help charitable organizations, whether raising over $1,000 for a National MS Society 5K, luring followers on social media networks to Opportunity Village’s HallOVeen Magical Forest as a featured attraction, or assisting the Salvation Army with its holiday red-kettle fundraising efforts. Naturally, their shtick appeals to families and kids, from posing for free pictures at Container Park to cheering up patients at the Children’s Hospital at University Medical Center. Miller says the local Ghostbusters’ activities not only aim higher than mere cosplay, but are more gratifying. “We’re regular, professional, white-collar guys that have families and are everyday schmoes. But when we put on [the costumes], people smile, laugh and want to talk to us. It’s especially rewarding seeing the kids light up when they see what the [protonpack] switches do and give you high-fives. It gives you a euphoric feeling.” –Mike Prevatt

If you’re not a fan of waiting in lines—and who is?—here’s a tip: Never venture anywhere at 6 p.m. At that time, the desk-chained masses break free from their cubicle farms, spilling onto the streets like a scourge. Gym at 6 p.m.? No. Grocery store? No. That cozy new neighborhood restaurant? Most definitely not. Google’s latest upgrade reveals popular business’ peak hours, so that you, dear recluse, can avoid them. To find popular times, search a shop name on a mobile web browser and click “more” to see bar charts showing busiest times for every day of the week. The tech giant determines commercial rush hours in the same way it learns of traffic jams: by collecting anonymous GPS info from Google Maps users. Popular times won’t be available for all businesses, but a few quick searches reveal completely non-scientific generalizations about our behaviors. We eat at noon and 6, we shop all hours of the weekend, and it turns out there’s one place that’s consistently crowdless at 6 p.m.—the gym on a Saturday. –Kristy Totten

zak ostrowski and javier sanchez by mikayla whitmore; ghostbusters by bill hughes

August 6–12, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com 9

AS WE SEE IT... > DIG IN You never know what you might find … out about yourself.

CASH FOR CULTURE How to crowdfund Las Vegas’ glittering history

PYRAMID OF BISCUITS

TALKING TRASH

Digging through the enduring evidence of our impermanence BY STACY J. WILLIS Once, I drove around in the dark, casing people’s trash cans. I wore dark clothing and gloves, and stealthily got out to take whole bags of trash and put them in the trunk of my black sedan—an act I knew to be legal per many episodes of Law & Order. I even persuaded a friend to go along. We are no longer friends for some reason. Maybe this reason: When I got home I took the bags into the garage, closed the door, and dumped them on the ground. I spread the crumpled papers and empty plastic bottles and nasty paper towels and crushed cell-phone bits and half-eaten pizzas all around, and ... I took notes. I was trying to figure this out: What does our trash say about us? Freak. It says I’m a freak. It also says a lot about how much we value the valueless; how we love the disposable. It begs us to wonder what, as a community, we’re attached to, and what we’re fine leaving on the curb to be disappeared, physically and metaphorically. It does. Really. I took notes. I also took notes when three of the Valley’s recycling plants caught fire this summer. The cause is not yet known; but I saw the smoke billowing from one fire in North Las Vegas and stopped to take a few pics, because that’s how we respond to possible tragedies now. As I cropped and saved and littered on Twitter, I thought about the layers of irony, of waste and pollution, of poetry. The materials we had planned to sort, save, clean, repackage, sell, ship to some manufacturing plant far away by truck and freighter, and ostensibly reuse, were presumably incinerated. I recalled how people sometimes refer to forest fires as Mother Nature’s Maid, cleaning out tangled underbrush to provide a fresh start for the ecological cycle. And because I tend to recycle imperfect metaphors, I was again dwelling on the recycling center fires when I read that it’s time to implode the Riviera. I heard the familiar punditry about devaluing history; how we live in a city where value is shamelessly tied to disposability—echoes of our garbology. In fact I read a book called An Ontology of Trash, in which philosopher Greg Kennedy hopped from Buddhism to Heidegger to assert that the way disposability informs our lives devalues our humanity, as our inability to maintain objects translates to our inability to care for people. At least that’s what I took from it. I scrapped the rest. Here in Las Vegas we sell disposability: instant gratification that disappears; Snapchat values; What happens

10 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM AUGUST 6-12, 2015

here ... (although the longevity of that slogan itself merits sustainability points). We erase and reinvent repeatedly (and we erase and restate that sentiment repeatedly), perpetuating ephemeral value. We also stand next to one of the nation’s biggest landfills, Apex, some 2,200-acres of rolling desert hills northeast of the Valley reserved for hiding trash. It’s only about 320-acres full, at about 300 feet deep. So, very conscientiously, we’ve saved a lot of space for disappearing our future disposables. We’re prepared for our recklessness. We plan to produce more stuff and pack it in the Earth. Still, when I see people furtively Dumpster diving, I ruminate on Apex. Whether I see Freegans—members of a movement that mixes a concern for sustainability with a disdain for stuff-creating capitalism—or the hungry—members of our society who are hungry—I recall that landfill where the trash they’re scavenging would otherwise end up. I took a tour of Apex once, bumping along hills of garbage in a pickup truck, the stench of waste nearly killing me, and I watched bulldozers shove ton after ton of one-time commodities into carefully lined pits to be forgotten. In waste management terms, it seems efficient. But deep in my disposable heart, it doesn’t feel right. A couple of years ago, I flanked the scene of a hoarder’s condemned house with other media. The man who’d lived in the Summerlin home had accumulated more than 20 tons of stuff—so much that he could no longer walk through the heaps of furniture and appliances and roaches, stereo speakers and pet feces and stacks of magazines. He had to crawl atop them, and he slept on the back porch. His neighbors were appalled, and the city had to haul most of what was now trash to the landfill. As I walked around the neighborhood, I met a woman who was spontaneously hosting a garage sale. She had very few items: a table and chairs, some blouses on hangers, an elliptical machine, a few pots and pans. “I’m not a hoarder,” she assured me, and laughed. “But that scares me. It took over his life, you know. What if that happened [to me]?” She seemed to imbue the stuff with the power, rather than the man. It was as if the stuff itself, like some maniacal, animated blob, consumed him, and threatened to consume her. I took some blouses off of her hands, knowing I wouldn’t wear them. I slept unwell that night, dreaming that I was sleeping on Apex’s back porch.

While prepping to showcase the most stunning signage from Las Vegas’ visual past, the fledgling Neon Museum found itself in an extraordinary predicament: The myriad implosions and razing of casinos meant that the museum’s careful and strategic steps forward were abruptly interrupted by the need to find money to rescue another sign—efforts that ran into six figures. If only there’d been crowdfunding back then, the chance for the community to very conveniently chip in, adding to the high-dollar donations the museum was scrambling to get, speeding up the process, maybe even saving the day. Not only has crowdfunding brought in additional funds for projects ranging from building rescues to some kid’s potato salad ($55,492!), museums traditionally so reliant on patron and corporate donors have also hit a jackpot of sorts. The Let’s Build a Goddamn Tesla Museum campaign on Indiegogo raised more than $1.3 million in one month, with 33,253 people helping it surpass its goal. The Smithsonian Institute raised $130,000 for an exhibit on yogic art in 2013 and recently launched a Reboot the Suit Kickstarter to conserve Neil Armstrong’s space suit, drawing $600,000 in 15 days for its $500,000 goal. So when the Neon Museum launched an Indiegogo campaign two weeks ago for partial restoration of its Desert Rose Motel sign, it fell right in line with the new tradition of having fans contribute directly to their interests in sums large and small. The museum (established in 1996 and opened to the public in 2012) says it needs $50,000 to resurface and repaint the sign—one of the largest in the museum—a project that will stabilize it and protect it from further harm. The eye-catching, polemounted sign stood outside the former motel on Las Vegas Boulevard South until the 1990s. Its bold colors included a once royal blue cabinet and richly red roses topping green stems—a deliciously simple but gorgeous design. It’s no potato salad, but certainly we can pony up a few bucks to conserve this stunning piece of the Las Vegas narrative. –Kristen Peterson

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Weekly Q&A Do you remember your first beer?

Absolutely, it was Cooper’s Pale Ale. It’s an easy-drinking, floral, fruity beer that’s yeastdriven. I was lucky. I was 18, but that’s the drinking age in Australia! (laughs) I started home-brewing shortly after. You once had a government job in trade and economic development. Does that skill set serve you as a brewer? There’s a lot

of science and managing the brewery, making it economical to brew beer. The good thing about beer is, historically, it’s been one of the most recession-proof commodities. That’s a good incentive to go into brewing! Are you a quick learner, considering you got hired by a prestigious brewery only a month into your brewing studies? I ask a lot of

a little slower than, say, California or wherever. Hopefully there will be more. Maybe it just takes one person and more people will consider it. There’s a stereotype that most women don’t drink beer, but do you find that far more do than assumed? Yeah, more and

more. That’s why Pink Boots is so important. Not only does it educate the people already [in the beer industry] but highlights that you’re not alone. (laughs) The more women that get together and drink together and share their experiences—that’s a very important network for us to have. And the Pink Boots [collaboration brews] get a lot of promotion. Some kid at UNLV studying bioscience might be like, oh, I really like beer, maybe that’s a career path for me.

questions and I was very annoying when I was learning. I had Do you tell skeptical women to learn not to second-guess there’s a beer for them? Yeah. myself. One of the There is a beer brewers that trained for everyone. And me used to hide, sometimes going CRAFTHAUS because he’d see I the route of a Tap Room had a question and he lighter beer is not 7350 Eastgate knew I could handle the best way. Give Road #110, it myself. So I’d just someone a Russian 702-462-5934. do it and it would be imperial stout and Wednesday & the right answer. In they’re just as likely Thursday, 5-10 brewing, you have to to like it, or for a p.m.; Friday, 2 trust yourself. lot of women, their p.m.-midnight; gateway beer is an Saturday, IPA. Everyone’s difBoth you and Steve noon-midnight; ferent. were successful in AusSunday, noon-

Brew coup Steph Cope is helping pave the way for both CraftHaus and female beer professionals Fortunately for Las Vegas beer drinkers, Aussies love to travel. For her fourth trip to the States, South Australian native Steph Cope and her boyfriend/fellow brewer Steve Brockman decided on a 13-month American beer tour … that ended with entrepreneurs Wyndee and Dave Forrest hiring the couple to dream up the signature suds for their Henderson brewery CraftHaus, which opened last September in the Booze District. This made Cope the first female head brewer in Nevada, a distinction that— despite her longtime participation in the Pink Boots Society, which works to educate and advance women in the beer industry—she’s modest about, mostly because she didn’t encounter any political barriers or glass ceilings. “I think women being in brewing suffered because for so long, every single beer advertisement was telling everyone that a brewer or a beer drinker should be a man,” she told the Weekly at the CraftHaus tap room, fresh from brewing up a new sour beer that will join CraftHaus’ saison, IPA and other varieties—now found in more than 50 local bars and stores.

tralia, so the U.S. beer scene must have been substantial to lure you.

8 p.m.

Absolutely. With a lot of the European and British breweries, they’re amazing, but they haven’t changed. They’re not as innovative. ... The [U.S.] is making the best beer in the world. We wanted to be a part of that. What was the most rewarding thing about your road trip? The

whole experience of the two of us living in the van. Steve and I learned to live with a lot less. It also allowed us to test our relationship. We made it through 13 months of living on top of one another. (laughs) When you realized you would be the first female head brewer in the state, did that mean anything to you? I shouldn’t have been!

But Nevada’s brewing scene is

Your creations are sold all over town, but is it a bigger score when you can get into casinos? Our focus was

the craft beer and local bars at the start, because we are foremost a locals’ brewery. When we get more capacity, then we’ll definitely make a push for the casinos, but as it stands, we didn’t want to run out of beer for Rebel Republic or Atomic Liquors or wherever. We wanted to satisfy beer places. Is there pressure for bars to have local brews? Yeah, and that’s a

testament to the locals. That’s what it takes, someone to walk into the bar and ask what’s local, and hopefully the bartender knows. –Mike Prevatt For more of our interview with Cope, visit lasvegasweekly.com.

“The U.S. is making the best beer in the world. We wanted to be a part of that.”

12 LasVegasWeekly.com August 6-12, 2015

photograph by steve marcus

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ustin Cogar was always an active kid. Skateboarding, snowboarding, rock climbing—he even planned to high jump for the University of Oregon. But in 2006, a car accident changed his life. During a drive from Montana to Washington, Cogar fell asleep at the wheel, hit a telephone pole and careened off a 120-foot cliff. When an electrician found the 17-year-old in the wreckage three hours later, Cogar was rushed to the hospital with injuries that could have killed him. He woke up a C-6 paraplegic, suffering from paralysis in all four limbs, though he maintains some function in his arms. An athlete to the core, Cogar was faced not only with rehabilitating his body, but reinventing his identity. * * * * * On a hot Sunday afternoon, the retail floor of Recognizing Real is almost empty—everything cleared out for the Coffee Shop Hip Hop show that happened over the weekend. Cogar and his crew are still talking about it—Syntax Vernac, Dialate, DJ LegendOne and LeRoy Chops all spitting fire under

14 LasVegasWeekly.com August 6-12, 2015

talks about where it led him. the roof of his North Las Vegas clothAfter a long recovery, he played ing store, skate shop and recording RECOGNIZING professional wheelchair rugby for two studio. In a few quick moves they’ve REAL Daily, Texas teams, bringing him to a Vegas got it back to normal: bucket hats noon-7 p.m. tournament where he met his founding and baseball caps lining dark wooden 845 W. Craig partner in Recognizing Real, Connor shelves; racks of T-shirts hanging Road #102, Morris. The kindred spirit was also from a sectional in the middle of the 702-666-3255. profoundly injured at 17, in a nearroom; IVI sunglasses stacked by the fatal swimming accident. When Cogar register near hand-carved wood jewmoved to Vegas three years ago, the elry from GoodWood and metal pieces duo’s vision for a community-oriented by Han Cholo. skate brand took shape. With his ashy-blond dreadlocks, Cogar looks Cogar’s dad found the space for Recognizing Real like the hippie ambassador of North Las Vegas. The across from Craig Ranch Regional Park, and built the 26-year-old accessorizes his black tank top and shop’s furniture and clothing racks. From its launch in pants with tattoos, a black and blue sleeve on his left January 2013, the mission has gone way beyond selling arm and “Mom” inside a big heart on his right bicep. skate decks and gear. Cogar and Morris are invested in “My parents are amazing,” he says. “My dad and providing a safe space for kids, and sometimes, a makemom are two of the coolest people in the world. shift venue for free all-ages hip-hop shows. The day I got hurt, my dad quit his job and slept in “We used to go to Centennial Skate Park and the cot from that day. I got hurt on July 30 and I do little skate comps—that’s how we really started got out of the hospital on October 4, and he slept in getting our name into the skate world,” Cogar says. that cot next to my bed that entire time.” “Connor is also in a wheelchair, so it was superHe’s thinking back to the accident, and though weird at first. Everybody would be totally standoffit’s a part of who he is, it hasn’t defined him. Cogar ish—two dudes in wheelchairs showing up trying never mentions how tough it was or is; he only

> possessed to skate (Clockwise from here) Mat Magana works on a skate deck; founders Austin Cogar (left) and Connor Morris; Trade Voorhees (center); a snap from the shop.

to give out shirts and they’re just like, ‘Uhhhh.’ After no time, things started being cool and [people] started expecting us to be there.” The shirts have that laid-back streetwear vibe, from brands like Tafoya, Breezy Excursion, Official and Rook to the shop’s own designs, but the space feels a little barren for a clothing store. When skate franchise Pharmacy opened across the street a few months ago, Recognizing Real scaled back on retail, turning the focus to the studio and live showcases of homegrown talent. Toward the back there’s a stage and a crisp, yellow and black Wu-Tang Clan mural, painted by local artist Elekktra G. It’s easy to imagine a hundred kids filling the place for a local MC on a summer night. “We’re trying to build a scene,” Cogar says. “Once you move here you’re like, oh sh*t, there’s 2 million people here. It’s a real city. Still, some of the people that live here are trying to live that out-of-towner lifestyle. Nobody is like, ‘Yo, what are we trying to do in Vegas with these 2 million people?’” Having lived in Austin and Seattle, Cogar hopes he can bring some of their urban vibrance to the displaced desert. “We can make a whole culture. Everywhere I’ve lived, you feel that culture. Here, there’s the eastside and westphotographs by steve marcus

side and Northtown and Henderson. I couldn’t tell you what anyone in Henderson is doing.” It’s clear he believes in the binding powers of hiphop, but even more so in a positive subculture that can help give younger folks a sense of belonging. “We based it loosely around something like Red Bull,” Cogar adds of Recognizing Real’s conceptual blend. Like Morris and Cogar themselves, the shop has had to find new ways of being, with constant reinvention keeping it afloat. “Once I got hurt, I ended up going to school for graphic design and fell into clothing. It was kind of my way of being back in the skate world. Connor’s the same way. He just loves this world that we’re in, music and hip-hop and skating.” * * * * * On a recent day, the store is closed but the control room is open. Inside, rapper and Recognizing Real head engineer Trade Voorhees is working on beats while a crew of kids kicks back, watching TV. In recent weeks, Voorhees has worked on everything from other people’s podcasts to his own tracks and producing for local MCs. In this neighborhood the multi-talent is treated like a god, with a following of kids that rap along to every word at

his packed-to-the-brim shows. “He’s the other half of Recognizing Real,” Cogar says. “Without Trade, we aren’t a studio. He’s amazing and impresses me every time he comes in here.” In the past five months, Voorhees has worked with 43 clients at the studio, from Vegas MC Hassan (who recorded EP Da Fat Mamba there) to Marion Write, Thelonious Gawd, LeRoy Chops and more. “I’m down to engineer anything, even if it’s wind,” Voorhees says. To him, recording isn’t just about making a buck—it’s about supporting the local scene. “A lot of the people we deal with, they’re our friends, our family. We throw shows and these people show up. In Vegas, people are like, ‘Oh, I have something so much better to do.’ They’ll see 2 Chainz instead of going to a local venue. We’re competing with celebrities 90 percent of the time. [But] you can come in here and feel like a celebrity. That’s the house that’s been built here.” Recognizing Real is all-ages, but the crew can throw one hell of a party. Just Google any of Recognizing Real’s YouTube videos of performances by North Las Vegas rappers—Trade, T. Rabb, Rob Falco—going hard inside the skate shop, putting on shows that rival many of Downtown’s for intensity. “We cater to all the young kids. We throw shows and have open mics to get the kids off the streets,” Morris says, and it’s an idea you hear a lot talking to the Recognizing Real crew. “Any side of town has its ups and its downs,” Voorhees says. “North Las Vegas has some [less] fortunate kids, who don’t have a parent they can talk to, so they come to the shop and hang out with us. Let’s say its raining at the park. A lot of the shops push them away. Austin opens the doors and lets them come in and kick it.” Beyond that, Morris says they try to get kids back in school or keep them there, giving them support or maybe a job to “keep them going in the right direction.” Take 18-year-old employee Mat Magana. The recent high school graduate almost dropped out, but with the help of the guys at the shop, he didn’t just finish—he’s enrolled for his first semester at CSN. One employee, Jesse Hudson, was given a laptop and gear so he could start a photography business. Now he’s the crew’s head photographer. “We have another kid that wasn’t going to finish high school, but we got him to go back and take courses and he’s getting ready to take his GED,” Morris says. “He’ll hopefully come back with his diploma at the end of August.” On top of helping local youth get back on their feet, Recognizing Real offers sponsorships for amateur skaters. They also help put on skate events throughout the year, like last year’s Skate or Pie pizza and skate contest. “We’re welcome to everybody and anybody— that’s been my thing from the beginning. The more we work together, the more we’ll build up,” Cogar says. “That’s the way to build anything. I was down at [local clothing brand] Urban Necessities, and they’ve got the same mentality. They’ve blown up tenfold in the past six months, and still they’re asking me to print shirts for them when they know way bigger people.” Maybe it’s Cogar’s Northwest attitude that makes Recognizing Real so inviting, though there’s something inherently Vegas about what these guys have going on. It’s a community of like-minded people making the best out of life despite the cards they’ve been dealt; the idea that a group of kids don’t have to promote the current culture— they can create it. The dream has been recognized, now Cogar and Morris are making it real. August 6–12, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com 15

STEAKS ALL AROUND US

Weekend partier. Business-minded conventioneer. International visitor. Doesn’t matter. The one meal they’re all thinking of when they come to Las Vegas is a great steak dinner, and we’ve got more than enough sensational restaurants ready to serve it up and blow minds in the process. The only question is: Where to make that reservation? That’s where we come in. Novice eaters assume all steakhouses are the same. The opposite is true. From vintage Vegas palaces to stylish beef depots fueled by famous chefs, each of our top steakhouses has its own vibe, character, specialties and side dishes. Don’t forget the side dishes. We’ve spent years eating our way through these restaurants so you can conveniently choose from the very best Las Vegas has to offer. This is the dinner you’ve been dreaming about.

16 LasVegasWeekly.com August 6-12, 2015

> PLATTERS OF PRIME Choose your own Spanish-style beef rib steak at the beautifully over-the-top Bazaar Meat.

> that’s italian Find the best of both worlds at Carnevino.

PERSONAL FAVORITES bazaar meat

Innovator José Andrés’ latest culinary wonderland fast became known as the steakhouse where you didn’t have to order a steak, thanks to its wild assortment of Spanish small plates and raw and cured meat dishes that satisfy as they dazzle. But saunter past that fire pit on your way in and it’s impossible to deny yourself the pure prehistoric bliss of sharing a beautifully charred rib steak, priced by the pound. Class it up with Chateaubriand with Perigord sauce and potato souffle, or go Japanese with a Kobe ribeye from Hyogo. The vegetable sides are peerless. SLS, 702-761-7610. BR

carnevino

By now you’re aware of Carnevino’s legendary riserva, the 240-day dry-aged beef that sets new standards for rich flavor. But that’s a super-special occasion steak, not for everyone’s tastes, and Carnevino doesn’t need it to qualify as one of the best steakhouses—and Italian restaurants—on the Strip. Just as memorably scrumptious: steak tartare alla Piemontese, dry-aged beef tortellini, the Florentine-style porterhouse and a shareable bone-in ribeye rubbed with sea salt, black pepper and fresh rosemary. Palazzo, 702-789-4141. BR

jean georges steakhouse

Dark and enchanting, Jean Georges is everything you could want in a modern steakhouse, perfect since the day it opened. Chef de cuisine Sean Griffin handles the open-fire grill masterfully, optimizing every cut of creatively sourced beef. Who knew it was possible to coax such luxurious, beefy flavor from a lean filet mignon? Chef Jeanphotograph by christopher devargas

Georges Vongerichten’s trademark Asian-inspired touches come into play with house-made sauces, and we highly recommend you go overboard and augment your steak with broiled bone marrow or black truffle mac and cheese. Aria, 877-230-2742. BR

Joe Vicari’s Andiamo Italian Steakhouse

Andiamo brings the best of Detroit to Downtown Las Vegas, with a cool, old-school vibe—the perfect ambiance for a steakhouse, and the reason this place turns into a hotbed for local celebs on the weekends. Every cut is butchered in-house, a rare circumstance anywhere in Vegas. What to order with your tomahawk? How about one of the best Caesar salads in the city, prepared tableside? Zesty complementary pasta options prove much more than the average side dish. Anyone who knocks Downtown dining clearly hasn’t been to Andiamo. The D, 702-388-2220. DC

old homestead

Give me a no-nonsense New York chophouse, you say. Give me the best beef, a chilled seafood tower that’ll wow the table, and a peppercorn sauce that’ll make me moan, you say. Go to Old Homestead, I’ll tell you, where the staff and kitchen magically know exactly what you like and how you like it. And get whatever you want, of course, but consider the Kitchen Sink salad, the classic Dover sole Meunière and the prime New York strip on the bone. Caesars Palace, 702-731-7558. BR

sw steakhouse

It’s no surprise the ever-superior Wynn resort is on our list, and the signature SW Steakhouse maintains its exceptional reputation, from the chili-rubbed meats to the stunning presentations. Plus, where else does a large frog in a man-made lake “sing” Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places”? Before you hop up to make a reservation: SW is closed for renovation through August August 6–12, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com 17

> PICK YOUR PLEASURE Charred, juicy bliss awaits at Gordon Ramsay Steak (here), the Steak House at Circus Circus (below), Stripsteak (right) and Echo & Rig (far right).

14 (we can’t wait to see the upgrade). Meanwhile, menu favorites are available across the floor at Lakeside, also run by executive chef David Walzog. Wynn, 702-770-3325. DC

the steak house at circus circus

If Andiamo is the new kid in town, this Circus Circus stalwart is old faithful. Why mess with a good thing, from the straightforward menu to the mesquitegrilled steaks to the red leather seats? The servers are charming and knowledgeable (and fully clothed), and they’re ready with some of the best prime rib in the city. And don’t let the north Strip location fool you—you’ll need a reservation, even on weeknights. Locals and frequent Vegas visitors can’t get enough. Circus Circus, 702-794-3767. DC

18 LasVegasWeekly.com August 6-12, 2015

modern masterpieces andiron steak & sea

The latest creation of restaurateur Elizabeth Blau might be this year’s most stunning new dining room, transporting you to a relaxing Hamptons weekend complete with fresh seafood and beefy brilliance. Share the tomahawk chop with red wine Bordelaise, and thank chef Joe Zanelli and GM Steve Jerome later. Downtown Summerlin, 702-685-8002. BR

cut

You never forget your first, and Wolfgang Puck’s elegant, modern take on the steakhouse was one of my inaugural dining experiences when I arrived in 2008. It was also the first time I was presented with different cuts of meat at the table for maximum beef exposure before ordering. This first will always remain a favorite. Palazzo, 702-607-6300. DC

the steak house at CIRCUS CIRCUS by Big French; stripsteak by peter harasty

> SETTING THE SCENE Andiron has a much different vibe from the standard steakhouse.

bardot brasserie

These steak frites come with your choice of flatiron, ribeye or filet, or you can go big with the dry-aged côte de bœuf for two ($56 per person) with Béarnaise, au poivre or horseradish crème fraîche. Aria, 877-230-2742.

echo & rig

A mix of “affordable fine dining” (as described by chef/owner Sam Marvin) and fresh steakhouse style with an eye-popping butcher shop on the first floor, this neighborhood newbie is a true off-Strip star. Sink your teeth into tri-tip with garlic and lemon or hanger steak with fresh herbs, or maybe the European bavette in a sauce of charred onion. All steaks are cooked over red oak, but if you fancy other proteins, the rainbow goes from butterfish to “vertical chicken.” Tivoli Village, 702-489-3525. DC

gordon ramsay steak

The feisty Scottish chef and TV star’s best Las Vegas restaurant is a two-level, boisterously British, modern showcase of style. The steaks, sides and desserts—don’t skip the sticky toffee pudding—are consistently wonderful, creating a luxury experience worth the price. Paris Las Vegas, 877-346-4642. DC

heritage steak

Woodfiring is the name of the game at

FOGO DE CHAO

Heritage, and that means you’re in for rustic flavors that set familiar dishes apart from the competition and spark notes of creativity in others. Try the soy-chili-glazed skirt steak skewers, a perfect fit for the tropical garden environs. Mirage, 866-339-4566. BR

stk

At first, I wasn’t sold on the idea of a restaurant that becomes a nightclub during dinner. But the food wins out regardless of how you feel about STK’s lively see-andbe-seen environment. Plus, a recent menu expansion (crispy lobster, glazed beef shortrib and more) is promising and done well. Cosmopolitan, 702-698-7990. DC

stripsteak

Superchef Michael Mina’s steakhouse has a futuristic design accented with glass and stone, a supreme whiskey collection and a creative star in the kitchen in Gerald Chin, who happily colors outside the traditional steakhouse lines—much to your benefit. Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7200. BR

andiron by mikayla whitmore; echo & Rig by steve marcus

This is the king of local churrascarias, Brazilianstyle beef houses, because of its all-youcan-eat selection of fire-roasted beef. Don’t miss the picanha, prime sirloin sliced thin. 360 E. Flamingo Road, 702-431-4500.

HERBS & RYE

One of the city’s greatest cocktail bars boasts one of its most phenomenal steak specials, too. House-butchered beauties like a bone-in “Kansas City” strip steak ($29) or a nine-ounce filet ($34) are half-off during happy hour. 3713 W. Sahara Ave., 702-982-8036.

Yusho

Imaginative takes on Asian dishes, not steak, is why people love Yusho ... unless you’ve had the umami-fied Wagyu ribeye ($39) with smoked salt, nori powder and mushroom ragout. Monte Carlo, 702-730-6888.

August 6–12, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com 19

> CLASSIC CUISINE The breathtaking setting at the Country Club (here) and the brilliant beef at Delmonico (below left) and Vic & Anthony’s (below right) equal hall-of-fame status.

VEGAS INSTITUTIONS charlie palmer steak

This secluded steakhouse isn’t hip and doesn’t aim to be—it actually reminds me of a restaurant in Miami à la The Golden Girls. But like those reruns, it has stood the test of time. Consistently great food in a serene setting helps. Four Seasons, 702-632-5120. DC

THE country club

Many don’t think of the popular lunch, brunch and dinner spot overlooking the 18th hole of Wynn’s golf course as a steakhouse, but that’s its core. Feast on chef Carlos Guia’s Creole-spiced bison ribeye with a side of goat cheese grits and you won’t care what kind of restaurant you thought it was. Wynn, 702-770-3315. BR

craftsteak

Perhaps a bit overlooked since food icon Tom Colicchio opened the newer Heritage Steak farther up the Strip, Craftsteak remains a simple, pure homage to this favorite American restaurant model with a dedicated focus on fresh-from-the-farm goodness. It’s a true classic that never goes out of style. MGM Grand, 702-891-7318. BR

delmonico steakhouse

Bam! One of Emeril Lagasse’s quintessential offerings in Las Vegas, Delmoni-

20 LasVegasWeekly.com August 6-12, 2015

co is exactly what you’d expect from the celebrated chef: slightly Southern, sassy and satisfying. Chef de cuisine Ronnie Rainwater skillfully handles all aspects of this top-notch operation, including the in-house dry-aging. Venetian, 702-414-3737. DC

golden steer

Another pure Vegas classic, this venerable establishment barely off the Strip is an old-school steakhouse to a T, steeped in local lore. Guess who was eating in the Mario Andretti booth when I dined there? Mario Andretti. 308 W. Sahara Ave., 702-384-4470. DC

n9ne steakhouse

Chef Barry Dakake and this always lively spot are industry institutions; few restaurants have been loved so much for so long. The recently renovated, sexy and chic atmosphere matches up with the flavorful menu, as perfect a pairing as its lobster Thermidor with a juicy, charred steak. Palms, 702-933-9900. DC

prime

Bellagio changed the Vegas restaurant game when it arrived 17 years ago, and Prime did the same for the steakhouse, reinterpreting the old standard with

unprecedented luxury and service. With perfect fountain views and precisely prepared, beautifully presented food, it remains one of the best examples of how eating Las Vegas can be so sublime. Bellagio, 702-693-7223. BR

VIC & ANTHONY’S

I finally visited Vic & Anthony’s recently and discovered exactly what I’ve been missing. Everything is exceptional, from steaks and salads to appetizers and desserts to wine and cocktails to truly charming ambiance. This stands as one of my top five meals in seven years in this town. Golden Nugget, 702-386-8399. DC Vic & Anthony’s by Peter Harasty

quiet greatness blt steak

Most associate the former Bally’s Steakhouse with the ultra-lux Sterling Brunch, but you’re missing out on huge flavors (how about a lobster cobb salad and a porterhouse for two?) in a refreshed room if you don’t do dinner at BLT. Bally’s, 702-967-7528. BR

charcoal room

This was one of the best, least-celebrated neighborhood restaurants in town at Santa Fe Station. Now that there’s a fresh second location at Palace Station, that goes double. Order the signature marinated, pan-seared ribeye, a juicy masterpiece. Santa Fe Station, 702-515-4370; Palace Station, 702-221-6678. BR

HANK’S FINE STEAKS

This elegant Henderson steakhouse named for Hank Greenspun is a gem that could compete with any Strip venue, and not just because of the stunning chandeliers. Steak and lobster? Yes, please. Green Valley Ranch Resort, 702-617-7075. DC

> SECRET STEAKS? Dig deeper to find beefy greatness at BLT Steak (here) and Hank’s (below).

mccall’s heartland grill

The Stratosphere is better known for its Top of the World restaurant, but don’t discount what’s under the radar. McCall’s is solid through and through, high-quality cuisine with creative flavors at affordable prices. Plus, it’s away from the hustle and bustle at the end of the Strip. Stratosphere, 702-380-7777. DC

strip house

It’s a provocative name with even more provocative decor (you’ll have to see for yourself), not to mention a great option before and after shows at Planet Hollywood’s theater. One of the best hidden gems on the Strip. Planet Hollywood, 702-737-5200. DC

t-bones CHOPHOUSE

You’ll forget you’re in the ’burbs and not some fancy Strip casino restaurant in this cool room. After jumbo lump crab cakes, a shrimp-avocado Caesar and a 28-day aged Niman Ranch filet, you might not want to go to the Strip. Red Rock Resort, 702-797-7576. BR

tender

Luxor’s steakhouse is after this Montana boy’s heart with its adventurous arsenal of game meats like elk, venison and boar—yes to all three. Tender has one of the city’s most diverse steakhouse menus and handles each dish with care. Luxor, 702-262-4852. DC

Morton’s. Fleming’s. Capital Grille. Del Frisco’s. The Palm. Mastro’s. Smith & Wollensky. Big-name chain steakhouses that have a strong presence in Las Vegas. Restaurants you might not consider for a special cow-centric night out, but definitely should. Why? Consistency. It’s a hallmark of successful franchises and quality steakhouses. You want the same precisely delicious food each time you go, and that’s what these restaurants deliver. ¶ The best example of this hitting-the-right-spot-ness is Ruth’s Chris Steak House, (Harrah’s, 702-693-6000) one of the first big chains/fine dining spots to come to Las Vegas when it opened on Paradise Road in 1989. Today the only local Ruth’s Chris is on the Strip, and it’s a humongous, handsome restaurant that seems to stretch as long as Las Vegas Boulevard. The food and service are impeccable. The big red wines and bigger chunks of beef—served on sizzling plates doused in butter—are the stars of this show, almost eclipsed by appetizers like crab-stuffed mushrooms ($15) and lightly fried lobster in spicy cream sauce ($18). One grand meal at this magnificent machine and you’ll wonder why every casino doesn’t have a Ruth’s Chris inside.

Ruth’s chris by christopher devargas

August 6–12, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com 21

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MARQUEE

Rising trance star Andrew Rayel’s latest, “Daylight,” is an anthemic thumper that makes us wonder why Daylight the pool club hasn’t snatched him up and made the song its official theme. August 7, 10 p.m., $40+ men, $20+ women. HAUTE MESS WITH NERVO AT FOXTAIL POOL CLUB Already

established songwriters, Olivia and Miriam Nervo just grabbed a threeand-a-half-star Rolling Stone review for debut album Collateral. Next big step: launching their residency at Foxtail. August 8, 10:30 a.m., $30+ men, $20+ women. INGROSSO AT DAYLIGHT All three former members of Swedish House Mafia are/were in town this week: Steve Angello and Axwell take their turns at Omnia and Sebastian Takes before Capital Cities Ingrosso takes his other stuff going on, worked the trumpet line progressive sound into “Safe and Sound.” including the return outside at Daylight. of resident performers August 8, 11 a.m., $30+ Capital Cities and their men, $20+ women. indie-pop clatter. August 8, 10:30 p.m., $30+ men, $20+ women. CAPITAL CITIES AT DRAI’S The “D” in Drai’s is for diversity. Despite the TIËSTO AT WET REPUBLIC Not to be recent surge in hip-hop acts playa bummer, but how many big dayclub ing live at Drai’s, there’s a lot of Sundays are left? Maybe eight? Let’s

> SERMONIZE! Catch future-house man Tchami at Omnia.

take advantage of them all, including one of the last Republic of Tiësto Sundays this summer at MGM Grand. August 9, 11 a.m., $30+ men, $20 women.

Omnia Tuesday, plus DJ Shift at Heart of Omnia. August 11, 10:30 p.m., $30+ men, $20+ women.

TCHAMI AT OMNIA Parisian future-

Electro/trap duo KoKo & Bayati are all about having fun. So is Chateau, which is free for locals on Industry Wednesdays. Let’s party. August 12, 10:30 p.m., $30+ men, $20+ women.

KOKO & BAYATI

house producer Martin Bresso is known for wearing a clerical collar when he DJs. Seek his spiritual guidance during his main-room debut at

CLUB HOPPING Nightlife News & Notes Does Downtown need a new nightlife venue? It’s getting one. Next up for the spot on Ogden Avenue and Sixth Street formerly home to Scullery is Oddfellows, a Vegas version of Barbarella, which has locations in Austin and Houston. Expect a vibrant atmosphere and diverse dance music sometime soon. The list of live music residents

24 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM AUGUST 6-12, 2015

CHATEAU

at Drai’s keeps growing. Big Sean, who has performed one-off dates at the rooftop club this year, joins the ranks of The Weeknd, Chris Brown and others when he kicks of his own residency August 14. Here’s a pool you didn’t expect to host a concert: Girl group Little Mix takes the stage at Wet‘n’Wild’s Red Rock Bay wave pool on August 8 at 5 p.m. Encore Beach Club debuted its latest plaything during DJ Snake’s Saturday set. The Ferris wheel: Because circular Champagne showers are so much more well-rounded. –Brock Radke

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Nights > major razor Henrix gets ready to show off his cuts at Light.

Three things about Marquee’s silent disco

More than one sound Henrix reps Miami while reaching for new creative ground Born in Brazil and raised in Miami, DJ Pedro Henriques began calling himself Henrix after Tiësto mispronounced his name while playing one of his tracks on Tiësto’s Club Life radio. That only partially explains why Henrix seems to have come out of nowhere. He’s a passionate performer who has most recently been banging out tracks on Kaskade’s Arkade and Steve Angello’s Size labels, while hitting the Strip for his residency at Light and Daylight.

You just did a contest with the release of “Acid, Rave, Sex” in which fans won a trip to come to Vegas and party with you. How important is it to interact with your audience?

It’s a big thing, and a lot of artists don’t really interact. This industry is full of egos. I try to respond to everybody on Twitter, but sometimes I miss a few. These are the people that make you. You can work all you want; if you don’t get their support, you’re not going to go anywhere.

You’re from Miami and you’re a huge basketball guy, so I have to ask: Was there any joy for you in LeBron’s Finals failure this year? Good question. I’m a Heat fan HENRIX first, so I go for my team before anybody. I was AT LIGHT disappointed he left, but I know what he was tryAugust 8, ing to do, to bring back Cleveland in a bigger way. 10 p.m., I get that part. But I don’t hate on the guy. We $30+ men, had four title runs and two championships. And it $20+ women. hurt a little to see him put in that performance [for

Cleveland against Golden State] and go down. As a basketball fan, it was tough to watch. You represent Miami in your music. What are the characteristics of the Miami sound? It’s not just one thing. Obviously

we have the Latin community here, but we really have everything, so it’s more a variation of a bunch of different genres. I used to be focused on one type of sound, but I love music as a whole. Classic rock is my favorite genre, but I grew up with Latin and hip-hop and Brazilian drum music. One sound bores me, to make the same thing over and over like some of these guys do. If you look at my last six or so releases, none sound similar, other than maybe they’re 128 beats per minute.

26 LasVegasWeekly.com August 6-12, 2015

You toured a lot last year and spent more time in the studio recently. Where does Vegas rank among the cities you’ve been playing? It’s up

there. The crowd is very open. Vegas gave me the opportunity to try different things and see what people like. You’re not going to drop some old-school hip-hop in Ibiza, or in an underground club in Miami. But I love that.

Every silent disco I’ve ever attended has been a bust: bad music, lethargic crowd, poor execution. If you’re unfamiliar, attendees use headphones instead of hearing the music out loud, giving the appearance that everyone is dancing in silence. It’s like having a DJ in your head. It sounds cool on paper, but in my experience it never worked—until this week. Monday night’s silent disco inside the Library at Marquee was a total hit. And if you missed it, the nightclub’s lounge hosts a new disco on the first Monday of each month. It succeeded because of the DJ lineup and the option to switch through three different channels on your headphones, which lit up with a different color to let others know your jam. Inside the Library, Lisa Pittman (green) was spinning R&B, rap and oldschool hip-hop. Somewhere inside a secret location (red), a mystery DJ was spinning everything from indie to R&B to classic rock. The last channel (blue) synced listeners to the main floor inside Marquee, where Carnage was in control. Not a dancer? That’s okay; there’s enough entertainment jammed inside this little room for everyone. Knowing what folks are listening to and watching them dance will keep you occupied for a while, plus there are go-go dancers. For less shy participants, the color-coded headphones are a fun icebreaker for making a new friend (or fling). And while “Dancing With Myself” never came on (too easy?) I can’t complain about hearing “Gangsta’s Paradise” and “Pony” followed by Men at Work’s “Land Down Under” and a remix of “Forever Young,” all in the span of 30 minutes. My partner put it best: “You can choose your own experience and don’t have to be tied to one genre or DJ.” Could this be the future of clubbing? –Leslie Ventura

Where is your music going next? I just did a collaboration with Laidback Luke, and we’re putting the finishing touches on that, and then there are some secret side projects, playing with a whole new genre, that kind of thing. You have to explain. It’s something that you’re not even

going to know is me. I can’t talk much about it. We’ll see how the reaction goes online, then after that announce what it is. It’s really fun and it’s something I’ve been trying to do for a while now, bringing back an oldschool sound, kind of old rock from the hippie era with a new twist to it. It’s very trippy stuff. –Brock Radke

henrix by al powers/powers imagery

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LAS VEGAS WEEKLY CLUB GRID

VENUE

THURSDAY

1 OAK

Closed

ARTISAN

Lounge open 24 hours

DJ Kid Conrad

THE BANK

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

CHATEAU

Closed

DRAI’S AFTERHOURS

Afterhours

FRIDAY DJ E-Man

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

SATURDAY DJ E-Rock

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

Artisan Afterhours Artisan Afterhours Midnight; $10, no cover for women, locals

DJ Que

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

DJ ShadowRed

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

Afterhours

Midnight; $10, no cover for women, locals

DJ Five

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

Dre Dae

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

Afterhours

Doors at 1 am; $30 men, $20 women, industry locals w/ID free

Doors at midnight; $30+men, $20+ women

3LAU

Dannic

Capital Cities

DRAI’S NIGHTCLUB

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

FOUNDATION ROOM

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

FOXTAIL

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

Seany Mac

Closed

Benny Black

GHOSTBAR

Doors at 8 pm; $20 men, $10 women, locals free before midnight

HAKKASAN

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

DVBBS

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

Taboo

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

DJ Crooked

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

Luke Bond

Ditch Fridays

With DJ Jerzy; doors at 9 am; free before noon; $20+ men, $10+ women

Javier Alba

SATURDAY DJ Sourmilk

Doors at 11 am; $20+ men, $10+ women

Ingrosso

Doors at 11 am; $30+ men, $20+ women

Dannic

Doors at 10 am; $75+ men, $40+ women

Nervo

Doors at 10:30 am, $30+ men, $20+ women

Scooter & Lavelle

Doors at 11 am; $40+ men, $20+ women

Politik

SUNDAY Doors at 11 am; $20+ men, $10+ women

Sundown with Rodriguez Jr.

With Brett Rubin, Miguel Ortiz, more; doors at noon; $30+ men, $20+ women

Quintino

With Matthew Koma; doors at 11 am; $40+ men, $30+ women

Made Sundays with Eric Bellinger Live; doors at 10:30 am, $33+ men, $22+ women

Doors at 11 am; $20+ men, $10+ women

With Luke Bond; doors at 11 am; $20+ men, $10+ women

Doors at 9 am; $10+, local women free

Doors at 9 am; $10+, industry and local women free

DJ Five

Doors at 11 am; $20+ men, $10+ women

Doors at 11 am; $30+ men, $20+ women

WET REPUBLIC

Doors at 11 am

Doors at 11 am; $30+ men, $20+ women

Doors at 11 am; $40+ men, $30+ women

Afrojack

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Doors at 11 am; $20+ men, $10+ women; locals free

Doors at 11 am

Closed

DJ Flow

Drai’s Beach

Drai’s Paradise

Drai’s Beach

Doors at 11 am; $30+ men, $20+ women; locals free

Closed

Doors at 11 am; $20+ men, $10+ women

Closed

Doors at 9 am; $10+, industry and local women free

Doors at 11 am

Closed

Wet at Night with the Chainsmokers

Firebeatz

With Lema; doors at 11 am; $30+ men, $20+ women

TAO BEACH

MONDAY

Angie Vee

Doors at 11 am; $20+ men, $10+ women

Tiësto

With Zaxx; doors at 11 am; $30+ men, $20+ women

Cabanas for a Cause

With DJ Presto One; doors at 9 am; $10+, industry and local women free

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

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Arts&Entertainment MOVIES + MUSIC + ART + FOOD

MOVIE MADNESS Ones to watch at the Las Vegas Film Fest This year’s Las Vegas Film Festival expands to six days and features a lineup that includes favorites from other festivals, short films, local productions and a partnership with the much-missed CineVegas, plus plenty of parties and mixers. Semicolon; The Adventures of Ostomy Girl CineVegas President Robin Greenspun makes her directorial debut with this documentary about Dana Marshall-Bernstein, daughter of local attorney and media personality Ed Bernstein, and her struggle with Crohn’s disease. August 11, 5 p.m. Beats4Tanner Local filmmaker and DJ LAS VEGAS Landon Dyksterhouse FILM (aka the Mash-Up King) directs this documentary FESTIVAL August about Tanner Seebaum, 11-16, $12 per an EDM-loving teenager screening, with terminal brain canpasses $70cer who in 2013 got to $250. Inspire fulfill his wish of DJing at Theatre, Rehab at the Hard Rock. lvff.com. August 14, 5 p.m. > THE DAILY, DONE Stewart hosts his last on August 6.

TRUST US

like Shayna Rain and Jesse Pino are getting together to raise money so the group can replace its missing gear. August 7, 6 p.m., donations encouraged, Wasteland Gallery, 1800 Industrial Road.

SEE

SUPER FREESTYLE EXPLOSION ’80S FLASHBACK The nostalgia-inducing Freestyle Explosion returns with its best lineup ever, adding popster Taylor Dayne and rap trio J.J. Fad to a comprehensive collection of freestyle stars like Stevie B, Expose, Lisa Lisa, Debbie Deb and Nu Shooz. August 7, 8 p.m., $32-$80, Orleans Arena.

Stuff you’ll want to know about

THE DAILY SHOW We won’t know the guest(s) until

showtime, but the real reason to tune in will be the fearlessness of Jon Stewart’s final hosting performance. If America’s reigning satirist had few f*cks to give during his iconic, 15-year-plus run, he’ll certainly have none to give as he says sayonara. August 6, 8 p.m., Comedy Central. HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH/FULL HOUSE: THE VERY SPECIAL EPISODES A Tony-winning musical

about a transgender rock star and a parody of a beloved, family-friendly sitcom (complete with horny beaver puppets) sounds like a double feature we want to see. Both run all month long, but catch ’em together Friday night. August 7; Hedwig: 8 p.m., $25; Full House: 11 p.m., $15; Onyx Theatre.

HEAR BOBBY MEADER BENEFIT SHOW

Vegas punk band Bobby Meader Music recently had its van broken into and belongings stolen while on tour. The group’s still on the road, but local artists

BOBBY MEADER PHOTOGRAPH BY SHAYNA RAIN MERCER

GO STAR TREK CONVENTION Trekkers far and near descend on the Rio for the 14th annual Star Trek Convention, complete with vendors, photofriendly sets and props, parties and appearances by former cast members William Shatner, George Takei and Sir Patrick Stewart, among others. August 6-9, times & prices vary, creationent.com.

Tangerine Shot entirely on an iPhone 5s, this LA-set dramedy about two transgender prostitutes tracking down the cheating boyfriend of one of them premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and has had an acclaimed run at various festivals since then. August 15, 9 p.m. CineVegas Presents The onetime centerpiece local film festival, which ran from 1999-2009, returns to sponsor four screenings: Giuseppe Makes a Movie (August 13, 9 p.m.), a documentary about experimental filmmaker Giuseppe Andrews; Call Me Lucky (August 15, 4 p.m.), Bobcat Goldthwait’s documentary about his friend, comedian and activist Barry Crimmins; Jauja (August 16, 8 p.m.), a Danish drama starring Viggo Mortensen as a father searching for his daughter; and the Johnny Knoxville-produced Evel Knievel documentary Being Evel (August 15, 6:30 p.m.). There will also be a CineVegas reunion party at El Cortez on August 13 at 9:30 p.m. –Josh Bell

ROUND UP REGATTA How does floating down the Colorado while knocking back some cold ones sound? Join 30,000 river rats for “the world’s largest river float”—or just cheer them on. Pro tip: Bring an extra float for your cooler (and a boombox!). August 8; 7 a.m.-5 p.m., $45, bullheadregatta.com.

AUGUST 6–12, 2015 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM 39

A&E | screen L I ST

> master debaters Stone and Phoenix contemplate philosophical questions.

Superhero successes The rebooted Fantastic Four opens this week (see our review at lasvegasweekly.com). Here are four superhero reboots that succeeded in their way. Batman Begins (2005) After director Joel Schumacher’s disastrous efforts to camp up the Caped Crusader with 1995’s Batman Forever and 1997’s Batman & Robin, Christopher Nolan cast Christian Bale as a darker, more serious Dark Knight, creating a new Batman series that succeeded both critically and commercially. The Incredible Hulk (2008) Audiences didn’t go for Ang Lee’s arty, challenging 2003 Hulk starring Eric Bana, so Marvel rebooted the character in a more action-friendly movie starring Edward Norton. Although Norton was replaced by Mark Ruffalo in future Marvel movies, Incredible was still the first step in bringing the Hulk to the Marvel cinematic universe. Punisher: War Zone (2008) The third take on Marvel’s Punisher character (starring Ray Stevenson) was a financial failure and led to Lionsgate relinquishing the movie rights, but it’s since become a cult favorite, with director Lexi Alexander’s name coming up whenever a new superhero franchise is announced.

FILM

Pop philosophy

Woody Allen brings a light touch to weighty matters in Irrational Man By Mike D’Angelo about a corrupt judge, Abe abruptly decides that the Woody Allen does himself no favors by continuing to man needs to be killed, and begins plotting the perfect make movies that feature romantic relationships between murder. He confides in no one, but when the deed is middle-aged men and much younger women. Last year’s done, his renewed enthusiasm for living—along with the Magic in the Moonlight, about a magician attempting resurgence of his sex drive—makes first Rita and then Jill to expose an alleged clairvoyant, fell apart when Allen deeply suspicious. Of course, once you’ve rationalized insisted on pairing up the two main characters, played one murder, rationalizing a second is easy. by 54-year-old Colin Firth and 26-year-old Emma Stone. Because it’s set in academia, Irrational Man is one Now Stone is back in Allen’s Irrational Man, again batting of those slightly exasperating Allen pictures in her huge eyes at someone (Joaquin Phoenix) which the dialogue amounts to endless variawho could technically be her dad. This time, tions on “I’m well aware of what Kierkegaard however, the trajectory is reversed, as the film aaacc feints at being a May-December romance before IRRATIONAL said.” (It’s also one of those Allen pictures in which contemporary young women coo things taking an unexpected swerve into one of Allen’s MAN Joaquin other pet themes (previously explored in films Phoenix, Emma like “I love making love with you.”) Once the plot finally kicks in, however (following about like Crimes and Misdemeanors and Match Point): Stone, Parker murder, moral relativism and the vagaries of fate. Posey. Directed 45 minutes of laborious setup), the film is a lot of fun, as Abe struggles to conceal evidence Set on the campus of a fictional East Coast by Woody of his crime while simultaneously feeling suduniversity, Irrational Man stars Phoenix (sport- Allen. Rated R. denly invincible. Allen’s dialogue has lost much ing an impressive beer belly) as Abe Lucas, a Opens Friday. of its zing as he’s gotten older, but his skill at philosophy professor as renowned for his skirtcasually planting elements that will pay off later hasn’t chasing tendencies as for his academic achievements. diminished in the slightest; the climactic, ironic twist Newly arrived at the college, Abe is pursued both by here is arguably even better than the one that concludes Stone’s Jill, one of his students, and by a fellow teachMatch Point, with an extra element of droll randomer, Rita (Parker Posey), who’s actually age-appropriate. ness. It makes for lightly diverting, turn-off-your-brain Problem is, Abe’s mounting conviction that life is funlate-summer fare, all the Kant and Heidegger references damentally meaningless has rendered him impotent. notwithstanding. When he and Jill accidentally overhear a conversation

40 LasVegasWeekly.com August 6-12, 2015

Man of Steel (2013) Fans and critics were divided on Zack Snyder’s darker take on Superman (played by Henry Cavill), but after the failure of 2006’s Superman Returns, Man of Steel brought the iconic DC hero back to box-office success and helped kickstart the coming wave of DC-universe movies. –Josh Bell

A&E | screen FILM

> stage presence Streep and Rick Springfield rock out unremarkably.

A pleasant surprise The Gift is not your average thriller

FILM

Falling rock star

Meryl Streep plays a mediocre musician in the mediocre Ricki and the Flash By Josh Bell children, all of whom live back in Indiana, close to their In 2008, director Jonathan Demme made a musicresponsible, well-to-do father (Kevin Kline) and stepinfused drama about a dysfunctional family coming mother (Audra McDonald). together around a wedding. That movie, Rachel Getting The first half of the awkwardly paced movie focuses Married, was a messy, exuberant and beautifully acted on Ricki’s efforts to console her daughter Julie tribute to family in all its messed-up glory, made (Mamie Gummer, Streep’s real-life daughter) after all the more effective by its loose, chaotic style. a devastating divorce; later, she returns for the Demme’s new film Ricki and the Flash, only his aabcc wedding of her son Joshua (Sebastian Stan), with second narrative feature since 2008, is anoth- RICKI AND her bandmate/boyfriend Greg (Rick Springfield) er music-infused drama about a dysfunctional THE FLASH in tow. In both cases, Ricki causes trouble and family coming together around a wedding (and Meryl Streep, makes amends equally unconvincingly, and Cody’s also a divorce), but it’s as inauthentic and unin- Kevin Kline, spired as Rachel Getting Married was genuine Mamie Gummer. script introduces potential sources of conflict only to leave them hanging (Ricki’s surprisingly conand heart-wrenching. Directed by servative political views are clumsily highlighted There’s a lot of talent behind this mediocrity, Jonathan a few times but never amount to anything). For including Oscar winners Demme, screenwriter Demme. Rated his part, Demme seems more interested in filming Diablo Cody and star Meryl Streep, none of PG-13. Opens full performances of clichéd rock covers by Ricki’s them doing even close to their best work. Streep Friday. believably mediocre band than in moving the seems to be having fun playing against type as story forward or spending time on character development. the title character, a onetime Midwestern suburban wife The typically sharp Cody writes weak comedy and weaker and mother who ditched her family to follow her rock drama, and Demme stages it like he’d rather be shooting ’n’ roll dreams in LA. Decades later, she’s playing in a another one of his concert movies. At least Streep, like her bar band for handfuls of people, working the day shift character, gets to live out a rock ’n’ roll fantasy. as a grocery clerk and estranged from her three grown

Before becoming a rising Hollywood star, Joel Edgerton worked with his brother Nash in their native Australia on the delightfully nasty 2008 thriller The Square, which Joel wrote and produced and starred in (Nash directed). Now thanks to his growing Hollywood clout, Edgerton has recruited Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall to star in his own directorial debut, The Gift, another suspenseful thriller with a black heart. It starts out along the lines of a Lifetime movie, albeit one with style and grace, as married couple Simon (Bateman) and Robyn (Hall) run into Gordo (Edgerton), a creepy loner who went to high school with Simon and appears way too eager to befriend the couple. But Gordo doesn’t turn out to be a typiaaacc cal stalker, and he THE GIFT actually disappears Jason Bateman, for much of the Rebecca Hall, movie’s second half, Joel Edgerton. allowing the tension Directed by he engendered to Joel Edgerton. slowly tear apart the Rated R. Opens couple’s seemingly Friday. happy relationship. Edgerton effectively explores the ways that casually manipulative men like Simon can demean and dismiss women under the guise of protecting them, and he subverts expectations of who exactly is the villain in this story. Unfortunately, he then succumbs to a cheap, sensationalistic twist ending, but while that undermines some of the thematic effectiveness, it doesn’t ruin the elegance of the story leading up to it. –Josh Bell

FILM

Thanks to the success of Gone Girl, writer Gillian Flynn has become a hot commodity, but the film adaptation of her earlier novel Dark Places doesn’t have the spark of David Fincher’s thriller. French filmmaker Gilles Paquet-Brenner writes and directs the story of Libby Day (Charlize Theron), who witnessed the murders of her mother and two sisters when she was seven years old. Thirty years later, her brother Ben (played by Tye Sheridan as a teenager and Corey Stoll as an adult) is in prison for the crimes, but an amateur sleuthing club recruits a reluctant Libby aabcc DARK PLACES to help prove his innocence. ¶ Dark Places is a much more straightforward murder mystery Charlize Theron, Nicholas than Gone Girl, with an intriguing but less complex female protagonist. Its twists come off Hoult, Tye Sheridan. Directed as more absurd than shocking, and while Paquet-Brenner builds some effective atmosphere by Gilles Paquet-Brenner. around rural poverty and cult paranoia, the themes are secondary to the mystery, and both are Rated R. Opens Friday; also ultimately unsatisfying. –Josh Bell available on VOD.

Diminished thrills

August 6–12, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com 41

A&E | noise

California dreaming

> New Home The Sayers Club, which has hosted the likes of Capital Cities (pictured here) and Lenny Kravitz, has the Melvins (below) and many more en route.

Checking in with Dawes drummer Griffin Goldsmith Your songs can be very different live— more jammy and sometimes a little heavier. We’ve always made a concerted effort to extend certain sections and give songs another element live. Is that why you recorded the most recent record (June’s All Your Favorite Bands) almost entirely live? Yeah, it has always been a

Save the dates

The Bunkhouse Series revives that venue’s calendar at the Sayers Club By Spencer Patterson

When Downtown’s Bunkhouse Saloon closed without warning on July 20, the loss of a key offStrip music space brought with it a more immediate concern: What would become of the venue’s slate of upcoming shows? Vegas music fans now have their answer. The majority of them will go on, the result of a new partnership between promoters Rehan Choudhry (the Cosmopolitan’s original entertainment director and the founder of Las Vegas’ Life Is Beautiful Festival) and Downtown Project’s Mike Henry (the Bunkhouse’s former talent buyer), along with concertindustry titan Live Nation, the sponsoring Greenspun Media Group (the Weekly’s parent company) and the shows’ new home: the Sayers Club inside SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. Beginning with LA folk-rock quartet Dawes on August 8 (see sidebar), the 250-capacity Sayers Club will open its doors to more than 15 acts—indie-pop band The Drums (August 18), the post-punky Savages (August 21), heavy-rock stalwarts the Melvins (August 29), Danish alterna-rock outfit Mew (September 19), spoken-word ace Saul Williams (September 21), experimentalists Deerhoof (November 5) and more—a development Choudhry hopes can shift perceptions about Las Vegas’ ability to support interesting live acts outside the mainstream. “The Bunkhouse closing felt tragic, because from a local music fan’s perspective, it’s an indicator for the future of music in Vegas. Seeing that shut down doesn’t feel like a good thing for what’s next,” Choudhry says.

42 LasVegasWeekly.com August 6-12, 2015

“For Mike and I, saving these shows was as much a way to prove to the market that if you have the right strategy in place, you can do really well on these kind of acts—the fans can get music, the venues can do well—and more of this stuff can happen.” Choudhry says he and Henry began strategizing about relocating the shows as a reaction to chatter surrounding the decision to shutter the Bunkhouse— owned by Downtown Project and operated since January 1 by Corner Bar Management—less than a year after it reopened following a massive renovation. “People were saying, live music just isn’t gonna work, or you can’t sell a ticket in Las Vegas, or it’s too competitive, or small venues don’t work, or Downtown’s not big enough. As soon as that word starts spreading and people start believing it, there’s an entire category of music you’re not gonna see here anymore.” Tickets for all Bunkhouse Series concerts, including previously unannounced shows from the Legendary Shack Shakers (a late show on September 21), The Lemonheads (September 23) and Doomtree with Astronautalis (October 18)—all booked just prior to the Bunkhouse’s closure—are on sale now through slsvegas.com and ticketmaster.com. Prices range from $10 to $25. “This doesn’t bring the Bunkhouse back from the dead, and we’re not pretending it does,” Henry says. “But Sayers is not completely dissimilar to Bunkhouse—it’s a great room with great production, and you’ll still be up close and personal with the bands.”

struggle for us to put on the record what we do live. The mentality was, let’s go make it sound as live as we can and capture that energy in the studio. We were all facing DAWES each other, and we tried August 8, creating the vibe that you 9 p.m., $20get onstage. And it seemed $25. Sayers to work out. Club, 702You also road-tested 761-7618. the songs. How did getting to see audience reactions affect the final outcome? There were certain sections that just weren’t hitting live, so we would structure them differently, like the bridge would come after the second chorus as opposed to after the solo, something like that. That kind of experience is invaluable. Even with countless hours of rehearsal, you can’t get what you get playing the song in front of an audience in one show. Is there a particular song you think really benefitted from that? “Right on Time” definitely came together in that particular way. It became more driving. Dawes’ lyrics remind me of signature LA artists like Jackson Browne, The Eagles and Tom Petty. Is that the music you and [brother/bandmate] Taylor were raised on growing up in Southern California? We were more raised on soul and Steely Dan, and Bob Dylan to a certain extent. We didn’t really start getting into that stuff until people started making the comparisons. Maybe it has something to do with being raised in LA and the commonality that we all experience as Angelenos. For any artist, where you come from influences your tastes and forms your decisions and aesthetic values. LA is a giant city, yet there’s a certain closeness, and it definitely cultivates a certain type of lifestyle. –Chris Bitonti For more of our interview with Goldsmith, visit lasvegasweekly.com.

capital cities by al powers/powers imagery

A&E | noise C o n c e rt

Middle-aged metal An aging Glenn Danzig proves he can still rock

> straight in with citrus Big Talk, the side project of The Killers’ Ronnie Vannucci (fourth from left).

Music | rock

Holding the line Big Talk’s second record follows the successful musical path of the first guitar heroics (“The Void”) to Scary Monsters-era When The Killers’ Ronnie Vannucci unveiled David Bowie (keyboard-swirled standout “Hold solo side project Big Talk in 2011, it arrived with That Line”). Better still is the catchy, new wavesome high-profile names attached. The band’s flavored “Cocktail Party,” which features a surgself-titled debut was produced by Strokes/My ing chorus stacked with harmonies and Morning Jacket collaborator Joe Vannucci’s rough-hewn lead vocals. Chiccarelli and featured mixing Yet the album’s low-key origins, from the legendary Alan Moulder. along with the presence of new memIn contrast, Big Talk’s self-released, ber Brooks Wackerman (who’s also Bad PledgeMusic-supported sophomore Religion’s drummer), do have a marked effort, Straight in No Kissin’, was influence. The record feels looser and more casual: Vannucci started writmore energetic, and is more inclined ing it while on tour in 2013, gathBig Talk to experimentation—as evidenced ered the band to work on it last year Straight in by punky power-pop song “Another while The Killers were on hiatus, and No Kissin’ Satellite,” and the equally brisk albumrecorded it in a basement studio he aaaac closer “Neon’s Not Enough Light,” built for the occasion. whose falsetto-laden, glammy chorus The resulting music sounds nearly is an obvious Queen homage. The end result is the same, at least stylistically: Straight in No Kissin’ that Straight in No Kissin’ is yet another enjoyis largely a no-frills, irony-free homage to ’70s and able rock ’n’ roll record with no pretense. If ’80s AOR, from blippy synth-pop à la the Cars The Killers ever decide to call it a day, Vannucci (“What Happened to Delisa”) and power-pop should be just fine on his own. –Annie Zaleski with fellow Las Vegan Taylor Milne’s squealing

M u s i c | Da n c e- r o c k

Health Death Magic aaccc Congruence of experimentalism and melody is rare and tricky. But when the two find harmony, it’s like hitting indie pay dirt—think Sonic Youth or TV on the Radio. LA’s Health attained its beautiful-noise ideal with 2009’s Get Color, but six years later, it’s largely channeling melancholy Depeche Mode and getting the balance wrong. Jacob Duzsik’s vocals are much further out from—and, frankly, undermine—the band’s mostly tided, buffed-out arrangements, heard on songs like “Stonefist” and “Men Today” (the latter one of the few spots where drummer/percussionist BJ Miller isn’t under-utilized). More interesting is instrumental “Salvia,” which could re-score Apocalypse Now with its alternating napalm mornings and Kurtzian horror, and “Courtship II,” possessing the sort of methodical anarchy at which the band excels. Which makes its synth-by-numbers attempts at finessed songwriting sound as misapplied as they do uneven. –Mike Prevatt

big talk by catherine asanov; pennywise by Stardust Fallout/KabikPhotoGroup.com

Glenn Danzig may not be as menacing as he once was, thanks to various online memes (“I hate the f*cking Internet,” he said at his band’s concert this past Friday) and the simple ravages of time, but when he took the Brooklyn Bowl stage with his eponymous band, he could still captivate an eager crowd and inspire moshpits and crowd surfing. And despite his reputation for being a bit short-tempered, he kept his cool through technical difficulties, with loud microphone feedback drowning out most of his vocals on opener “SkinCarver” and then continuing intermittently for the rest of the show. With the kinks mostly worked out, Danzig and his latest bandmates, especially guitarist Tommy Victor, aaacc sounded solid on a range of classic-era DANZIG metal songs, including “Am I Demon,” WITH “Her Black Wings,” “Twist of Cain” and PENNYWISE main-set closer “Mother.” A couple of July 31, times during the set, Danzig asked the Brooklyn audience to choose which album they Bowl. wanted to hear a song from, and the only options were the band’s first four albums. The set did include a handful of more recent songs, although the four-song stretch of songs from a forthcoming covers album kind of killed the momentum. No matter how often Danzig’s voice gets compared to Elvis Presley’s, hearing him barrel through a metal version of Presley’s “Let Yourself Go” was not flattering. SoCal punk rockers Pennywise might at first have seemed like an odd choice to open a Danzig tour, but their sound is just as heavy in its own way (they inspired more intense moshpits), and singer Jim Lindberg told the audience that when the band was starting out in the early ’90s, there were only two contemporary popular albums they found worth listening to, one by Bad Religion and one by Danzig. Even if Danzig is no longer particularly intimidating, he’s still inspiring. –Josh Bell > PenNywise Because Danzig, of course, disdains photography.

Music | hip-hop

Migos Yung Rich Nation aaccc Atlanta rap trio Migos first caught fire with its infectious 2013 club single “Versace,” which inspired a Drake remix, followed by 2014’s smash “Fight Night,” an even bigger success. Yung Rich Nation is Migos’ debut album, which doesn’t yet have an anthem to tentpole it, presenting a set of 15 disposable, derivative tracks. “Cocaina” with Young Thug is scarily similar to O.T. Genasis’ “CoCo,” while “Dab Daddy” finds Migos struggling through verses. “Migos Origin” is probably the most interesting moment, with the group attempting to demystify the roots of its signature “Versace” delivery, which everyone and their mother copied in 2013. “Just for Tonight” with Chris Brown is the likely candidate for a future club-banger, but unfortunately, we’ve heard songs like “Spray the Champagne,” “Playa Playa,” “Gangsta Rap,” and “Trap Funk” too many times for this to be at all interesting. –Mike Pizzo August 6–12, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com 43

A&E | The STrip ships until he was discovered on the open seas by former Elektra Records executive Aaron Levy, who then contacted agent Edie Robb of Station Three Management. She was alerted to the casting call for MDQ in New York City, and told Kaye he should make a run at the Lewis role. Kaye did that, and added some customary flair, picking up a hairpiece that looked like “a bunch of rat tails” and sticking it on his forehead just before his audition. “Everyone flew on the floor, laughing,” he recalls. “I played and it was falling all over the place. I don’t know if it won me the role, but it helped.” Kaye still needed to summon the proper acting technique to play Lewis, whose often dark personal story is brushed over with comedic writing (“I married mah second wife before ah could git rid of mah first one,” he calls out, explaining his legendary matrimonial issues). Often, in Kaye’s early portrayals— including his performances at the Smith Center— Kaye nearly reduced “The Killer” to a court jester. “Three years on, I definitely feel like my portrayal of him has evolved,” Kaye says. “When I first started, I was very cartoon-ey.” He sought advice from those around him, who said to tone down some of the goofier moments in his depiction of Lewis. “The advice I was being given was try to be more human, more real,” Kaye says. “I took that to heart, and now, believe it or not, it’s a lot more understated of a performance than it used to be—although I think a lot of people would be surprised to hear that if they see the show now. It’s still crazy, but it’s not as crazy as it was.” Away from the show, Kaye keeps his feet movT H E K AT S R E P O RT ing, metaphorically and in fact. He’s been embraced wholly by his fellow performers, something he didn’t expect when he moved to Las Vegas three years ago. “This is a tight entertainment community, really close, and that has surprised me,” Kaye says. Martin Kaye to juggle longtime MDQ role with a new solo show “You have these preconceived ideas about a place, By John Katsilometes like New York can be a little cut-throat, LA can be a bit fake, but I did not know what to expect from Las if to flip off the rockabilly star. It’s in these moments, Vegas. What I have found is an incredible amount of Martin Kaye’s career is a (mis)match made in or when he slams the piano during “Real Wild support within the entertainment community.” heaven. A guy from Manchester, England, shedding Child” and lets his feet fly, that Kaye and Lewis are Evidence of such support is Kaye’s reguhis haughty British accent to portray rock ’n’ roll one and the same. lar appearances at the Composers Showcase, the legend Jerry Lee Lewis of Ferriday, Louisiana. “This is why I feel like I was born to play this role: monthly songwriters gathering at Cabaret Jazz. In But Kaye is accustomed to such ill-fitting pairings. It’s so out there,” Kaye says backstage just his second appearance at the Smith Check out his feet sometime. The socks, they don’t during an interview before show No. 998, Center, Kaye asked that event’s co-foundalways match, either. Occasionally, one’s adorned which also happens to mark the final MILLION er, host and producer, Keith Thompson with stars and stripes, the other boasting the Union performance for Kristen Hertzenberg in DOLLAR (music director of Jersey Boys at Paris Las Jack. But Kaye’s feet are always rocking, bouncing the role of Dyanne. “I am basically being QUARTET Vegas) if he could simply create a piece on to the beat, whether he’s thundering through “Great myself, but with a different accent and Monday & the fly. A live composition, in other words. Balls of Fire” in Million Dollar Quartet at Harrah’s or different leg movements and different Thursday, Such a piece and performance had never summoning one of his original tunes in a solo stage ways of being. But really, it’s just me being 5:30 & 8 p.m.; been attempted in the Showcase’s eightshow he calls, fittingly enough, Odd Socks. my normal, crazy, energetic self.” Tuesday, Friday year history, but Thompson told Kaye, Kaye is one of two original cast members in Kaye embarked on a steep and swift & Sunday, 7 p.m.; “Sure, just keep it to five minutes.” the Vegas version of MDQ, which celebrated its learning curve to become acclimated with Wednesday, Martin played away, a spirited piece 1,000th performance on the Strip on August 4. the role of Lewis. The music of his youth 6:30 p.m.; $64that drew healthy applause—and was lost Sharing the distinction of lasting through the promanaged to evade the 1950s altogether; $87. Harrah’s, to time. “Nobody recorded it, sad to say,” duction’s full Vegas run is Rob Lyons, who plays his parents favored Elton John and Billy 702-777-2782. Kaye says. “But I was honored to be Carl Perkins and was a member of the show’s Joel and similarly styled contemporary allowed to do it.” very first cast back in 2006. But Kaye has the most rock stars; his grandparents rolled out Kaye’s autobiographical stage show, a extensive résumé in the city, as he also performed the classics of the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s. As he learned mix of storytelling and contemporary rock hits, will in the touring version of the show that played at to master the piano from age 3, he knew nothing of itself be showcased on August 29 at Downtown’s the Smith Center in June 2012. MDQ opened at Jerry Lee Lewis. By the time he was approached to Art Square Theatre. Backing him will be MDQ castHarrah’s the following February. audition for the U.S. tour of MDQ, he knew only that mates Mark Ferratt on drums and Josh Jones on Kaye’s consistent presence has helped steady the Lewis sang and played “Great Balls of Fire.” bass, with the uber-versatile John Wedemeyer on show among the requisite cast changes over the past “I knew nothing else,” Kaye says, shaking his guitar. The Odd Socks title requires that Kaye kick two-plus years. But “steadying force” does not begin head. “I didn’t even know if he was black or white. I off his shoes and kick up the volume. to describe his impact on the production. As the knew that one song.” And why the mismatched stockings? Kaye’s firebrand Jerry Lee, Kaye carries the show comiBut Kaye understood how to play that song by explanation, “It’s my way of being rebellious withcally and is the story’s chief antagonist. In one move the time he auditioned for the role in 2011. He out hurting anyone.” He might not sound like “The that consistently draws laughs, Kaye-as-Lewis turns had been performing as a singing pianist on cruise Killer,” but the guy from Manchester is that, too. over a maraca handed to him by Lyons-as-Perkins as > Ball of Fire Brit Martin Kaye portrays Yank Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet.

whole lotta shakin’

44 LasVegasWeekly.com August 6-12, 2015

photograph by erik kabik/retna

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A&E | fine art

> PERFORMANCE ART A bulletmaimed clay block becomes commentary-laced sculpture in the hands of artist Sean Russell.

Clay and bullets

South of Town is less about sculptural form than commentary on chance and destruction By Dawn-Michelle Baude Artists, we believe, specialize in “creation.” Often we leave out the other half of the equation: destruction. But destruction is inseparable from creativity, even if it’s simply painting over part of a composition. Or slashing the canvas with a knife, as did Lucio Fontana in the 1940s. Or burning the painting, à la Yves Klein in the 1960s. Later in the 20th century, performance artists like Chris Burden destroyed their own bodies to make art. In the famous piece “Shoot,” Burden was, in fact, shot in the arm by an assistant. In another well-known performance, a participant held a loaded revolver to the artist’s head. Sean Russell’s firearm art is, in fact, in good company. For his South of Town exhibition at the Government Center Rotunda Gallery, Russell aimed a CZ 97 B .45 caliber pistol, a Taurus Model 608 .357 Magnum revolver, and a custom-built AR-15 assault rifle at 25-pound blocks of clay. Then he pulled the trigger. Some blocks bear the marks of explosions; some have imploded; some have done both. Shooting with the same arm

46 LasVegasWeekly.com August 6-12, 2015

shooting range—are mounted to invoke targets. at a similar block of clay in similar conditions Located south of the M Resort and near I-15, produces remarkably different results because of the range is littered with shot-up stuff, a veriminute variables in temperature, trajectory, wind table sociological study of the exploded and position. remains of consumerism. Busted TVs, Pierced, riddled, strafed and blastblown-up mattresses, shattered glass, ed, 10 of the 20 blocks survived the aaacc blasted wood and unidentifiable junk shooting range and firing in the kiln. SOUTH OF lies scattered upon a multi-colored carPalladium glaze gives each ceramic TOWN Through pet of casings, cartridges and shells. piece a textured metallic finish—shiny September 11; The photos offer weird and intriguing and smooth, rough and matte by turns. Monday-Friday, commentary on recreational applicaThe grotesque “Common Home,” for 8 a.m.-5 p.m. tions of the Second Amendment. example, functions as a kind of torClark County Overall, South of Town is less a sculptured carcass, while the smooth and Government Center tural exhibition than it is documenpudgy “Savor That” chills. Although Rotunda Gallery, tation of a performance. As aesthetic the 10-by-8-by-8-inch sculptures are 702-455-7030. objects, the sculptures lack punch; but non-representational, the temptation as artifacts of chance-based proceto read them as humanoid runs high. dures, they’re compelling. The show “Random Panic,” for example, seems to brings home the fact that art emerges from psythrust an exhausted tongue from its comic face. chological, emotional and, in this case, literal Three 48-by-96-inch photos printed on corrucrucibles of violence and destruction. Art does gated plastic accompany the sculptures. The phonot always make nice. tos—landscapes portraying the “south of town”

A&E | Fine art

> hang it on your face Wear Thomas Willis’ art at P3.

If the painting fits Playing with consumerism as conceptual art By Kristen Peterson linen, laser-cut oak and brass tackIn Retrofit Painting of Las ing and a recurring motif—the traVegas, artist Thomas Willis has ditional frame for canvas paintings turned P3Studio into a high-end marked with the “RP” monogram retail boutique, borrowing elethe cherry on top. ments of the fashion industry from The “luxury paintings” stem branding to minimalist display to from his first Retrofit Painting at the advertising—posing himself as the 2013 deCordova Biennial in Lincoln, consummate sales clerk, dapper Massachusetts, in which he retrofit in a navy suit coat, oxford shirt, canvases into shoes, planters, furnidenims and suede shoes. ture and tools offering up the essen“Hello. Welcome,” he says to an tial commercial questions, “Are older woman studying an exquiyour paintings too flat? Too static? site hat on the wall. “Would you Too Visual? Taking up Space? An like to try anything on today?” Illusion? We can help.” She comments on the beauty of The designer objects at P3 furthe luxury products and browses ther move Willis from the “mono before moseying next door to dine, discipline” of painting into that of promising to return. designer, craftsman and With each customer, entrepreneur. Willis is unsure of when Developed specificalthe switch happens or RETROFIT ly for Las Vegas, the art if, for some, it ever does. PAINTING OF responds to the industry Given the reputation of LAS VEGAS of capitalism, rather than P3—a rotating residency Through August the church or other instiwhere artists interact 9; Thursday, tutions that have inspired with the public—many 5-10 p.m. (closartists through the centuvisitors wander in ing reception ries. Here, it’s corporate expecting art. Some ask 6-8 p.m.); Fridayvernacular and the idea if P3 closed, not realizSunday, 6-11 p.m. of reforming something ing that they’re in the Cosmopolitan’s that already exists and exhibit. It’s that good, an P3Studio, “selling it in a new way.” installation appropriating 702-698-7000. “The Luxor isn’t a 21st-century consumerEgypt in the way that ist reality while incorpothese paintings aren’t about paintrating art history and challenging ing at all,” Willis says, referring to preconceived notions of painting Vegas’ pyramid hotel. In fact, say and of flatness. Moreover, it makes it doesn’t fit and he’ll remind you the paintings mobile, functional and that it’s a painting. Retrofit gives sculptural and, as with commerce, everyone a chance to “be an ad.” the brand is imperative. Willis will accessorize you, have “They’re paintings that are you professionally photographed using today’s form of communicaand post your image online—creattion,” Willis says, referring to social ing an experience for the visitor media playing into the brand and its while launching the brand deeper line of products—sunglasses, hats, into perpetuity with paintings of the belts, ties, shoes and fashion bags, experience in cyberspace. each handcrafted by the artist using

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A&E | stage

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Conservative twerk Willie B. doesn’t take its jokes far enough By Jacob Coakley why he never actually takes picThe Bourgie Willie B., a worldtures so the art can be more tranpremiere comedy by SJ Hodges, is sitory; Willie B. rapidly switchan amusing, sometimes tiring story ing between fawning lust and a that never quite escapes its history. play-it-cool attitude with Nikki A modern adaptation of Moliere’s D.—more often than not, the bits Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, the fell flat. Too many sequences had show follows William B. (played the sitcom air of forced jocularity by Erik Amblad), a conservative, waiting for a laugh track, or just middle-aged and very, very white didn’t blossom. When Senecal’s stockbroker intent on becommaid dresses in drag as Willie ing the hippest hip-hop record B. to fool an admissions counproducer so he can successfully selor, the gag doesn’t go nearly seduce Nikki D. (Ashley Rapuano). far enough to warrant the laughs The talent search places his it thinks it deserves. It felt like daughter Lucy’s (April Needham) a great setup to a joke plans of opera school that never came. in danger, so his wife Nevertheless, there (Teresa Fullerton) aaacc are some genuinely and maid Margarita THE BOURGIE funny bits, usually (Natalie Senecal) set WILLIE B. involving Amblad or out to stop his largesse, August 6 & 8, 8 Senecal. Amblad, seemmuch to the consterp.m.; August 9, 2 ingly made of rubber, nation of all the artists p.m., $20-$25. Art shifts between cowardtaking advantage of his Square Theatre, ice, appetite, panic and open wallet. 1025 First St., lust in a heartbeat. His If that seems like a 702-818-3422. vainglorious attempts lot, don’t worry—it’s to fit in with the youthall spelled out a little ful artistic crowd lead to all mantoo clearly throughout the show, ner of humorous posturing, up to produced by Asylum Theatre at and including twerking to show Art Square Theatre. Moliere was his daughter what it takes to sucheavily influenced by Commedia ceed as an artist today. Senecal dell’Arte, and the stock characplays the sassy ethnic domestic ters and plots from that tradihelp for all it’s worth, and while tion are still with us today, most the trope may be tired, she gets notably in sitcoms and reality some of the play’s best lines and TV. The formula can work when goes all out for her character’s the characters are fresh enough, multiple transformations. the jokes sharp enough and the But the show isn’t transformaaction fast enough. But while tive enough to discard the dated director Sarah O’Connell frames feel that surrounds it. It can be some funny moments—a photogslick and funny, but never truly rapher working Willie B. through takes off. modeling poses while explaining

photograph by Gary J. Mors

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> KEEP YOUR DAY JOB Margarita, the maid, tries to wipe clean Willie B.’s musical aspirations.

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First-time novelist Meghan Tifft takes on a lot in The Long Fire BY HEATHER SCOTT PARTINGTON daughter at arm’s length. In the opening lines of Meghan Natalie’s heritage is connected Tifft’s The Long Fire, Natalie tells to fire, in life and in death. Fire is us provocatively that there’s only at once passion, temptation and a one choice she lives by: “spit or new beginning. Natalie’s mother swallow.” The truth is that Natalie felt a youthful affair “was like a suffers from pica, a psychologifire burning everything away, all cal disorder compelling her to put her connection to her family and inedible things in her mouth: hair her situation, until she was empty curlers, pencil shavings, dashboard of what she had done.” Natalie and hula dancers. As she tries to curb her mother are complex, interesther unhealthy addiction, Natalie ing characters. The fire is also learning about motif is carried throughher recently deceased out the book, resulting mother. A note found in aaacc in the sense that nothher father’s things leads THE LONG ing is too permanent. Natalie to search out inforFIRE By Paralleling the unmoored mation about her family Meghan lives of its gypsy charin the gypsy community. Tifft, $16. acters, The Long Fire is This debut novel is ambiabout living free of labels tious in how much it tries or traditional expectations within to accomplish; though it somea family. But Tifft makes it clear times loses focus, Natalie’s discovthis comes at a cost. eries guide the reader through a There’s so much happening in seedy, unfamiliar world. this book: a world of crime and Tifft’s work centers on ideas of insurance fraud, a disappearing family secrecy and inherited idenbrother, an unexplained corpse, tity. “I’ve heard all about what revelations of paternity and its spreads behind me,” Natalie says, protagonist’s bad relationships. “a long line of crazies and quacks, At times, Natalie’s pica feels gimpeople with circuits loose and chips micky or secondary to the story. on their shoulders, people living in The Long Fire works best the moral and mental gray, twisted when it stays close to the mysbut functional, not committable, tery surrounding Natalie’s mom delinquent, duplicitous, shameand allows its main character to less and shifty—my other family.” experience revelations about her While not a mystery in the tradiown character. It’s a solid debut tional sense, The Long Fire is driveffort that won’t leave a bad taste en by questions Natalie has about in your mouth. her mother, who always kept her

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FOOD & Drink

Spilling the Beans Top local coffee shops seek out sustainable flavor from around the world By kristy totten

> ALL ABOARD Mothership’s coffees look as good as they taste.

MOTHERSHIP COFFEE ROASTERS

PUBLICUS

Where the beans come from: Mothership carries seven to 10 coffees, and

Where the beans come from: Farm-specific beans come from Ethiopia,

beans sourced by importer Cafe Femenino come from female farmers in Rwanda, Guatemala and Peru. The organic, fair-trade Rwandan beans are grown by Hutu and Tutsi survivors of genocide. “99.9 percent—or probably more—of the coffee in the world is produced in absolute poverty,” owner Joshua Walter says. For that reason, and because coffee shops are about community, Walter asks, “Why wouldn’t you buy products that help other people?” Where they’re roasted: Walter began roasting in the back room of his first shop, Sunrise Coffee, three and a half years ago, and expanded to open Mothership Coffee Roasters, a café, bakery and wholesaler. Mothership sells its coffee to local businesses such as the Beat, Eat and the Juice Standard. Notable attributes: Most of Mothership’s coffees are single-origin, with the exception of some house espresso blends. Walter describes the Guatemalan as approachable, characteristic of comfort-style coffee, with a rich body and chocolatey flavor. The Rwandan, he says, “is a different animal”—light-bodied, refreshing, sweet with notes of red berry. “It’s juicy,” Walter says. Specialty drinks: Mothership serves a stripped-down, purist menu of espressos, macchiatos, cappuccinos and one flavored latte, a mocha made with local chocolate. “We’re trying to be a model,” Walter says. “We want to elevate coffee in Las Vegas.” 2708 N. Green Valley Parkway, 702-456-1869, mothershipcoffee.com.

Kenya, Ecuador, Rwanda, Burundi, Guatemala, Colombia and Bolivia, and the shop carries four to six at a time. “They’re smaller lots that are higher quality,” PublicUs’ champion barista Cole McBride says of the beans, which are sourced by Minneapolis-based Cafe Imports. Either McBride or a Cafe Imports rep visits farms before purchasing from a single farm, so beans aren’t mixed with others from the region. “We want our coffees to be traceable,” Cole says. Where they’re roasted: Velton’s Coffee Roasting Co. in Washington, a smallbatch wholesale roaster McBride worked with in Seattle. He says roasters typically choose the beans, but for PublicUs’ brews, the tables are turned. Notable attributes: This month, PublicUs began serving two Ethiopian coffees and three Kenyans. McBride says the crisp, bright Ethiopians are sweet and floral, with notes of jasmine, lavender and spring flowers. The Kenyans are “big and super-juicy,” with notes of sweet tomatoes and dark fruit, and a mouth feel of orange juice. Specialty drinks: McBride recommends pour-overs for serious coffee drinkers; the ice-shaken latte, a crowd pleaser made with house-made almond milk; or his creative takes on cocktails like the espresso Old Fashioned, with sliced orange and Rainier cherry, or the coffee mint julep, with locally grown mint and bourbon extract. 1126 Fremont St., 702-331-5500, publicuslv.com.

MAKERS & FINDERS

SAMBALATTE

Where the beans come from: 100-percent organic, fair-trade from Bolivia,

Where the beans come from: “I personally go to Brazil every year to meet the

Honduras, Peru and Colombia. Where they’re roasted: Big Bend Coffee Roasters in Marfa, Texas. Roaster Joe Williams is a “third-generation Texan cattle rancher-turned-roaster,” Makers co-owner Josh Molina says. Makers’ Valeria Varela says they chose Big Bend for flavor, but also because it’s a smaller operation that has good relationships with farms and donates 10 percent of profits to Texan and Mexican charities. Notable attributes: The Bolivian beans lend a silky, velvety chocolateflavor; the stronger, light-roasted Columbian showcases mild citrus notes; the Honduran is a bright, breakfast-style; and the dark-roasted Peruvian has a tarry, roasted flavor. Specialty drinks: Varela likes pour-over coffees, cold brew and the lavender latte, crafted with house-made lavender syrup. Molina touts two seasonal lattes: the coconut turmeric, which “looks like a yellow curry latte,” and the lemon bar latte, made with lemon zest, condensed milk, steamed whole milk, espresso and graham cracker crust. “We believe in fun coffee,” Molina says. 1120 S. Main St. #110, 702-586-8255, makersandfinderslv.com.

50 LasVegasWeekly.com August 6-12, 2015

producers and bring the best,” says owner Luiz Oliveira, who seeks out environmentally conscious operations with big flavor. Sambalatte also carries coffees from Colombia, Guatemala, Indonesia and Ethiopia. Where they’re roasted: At Sambalatte’s Monte Carlo location by master roaster Cedric Parlade. The beans are analyzed in a coffee lab, where Parlade determines how to roast them based on color, moisture and density. Notable attributes: “I try to highlight the flavor of the bean,” Parlade says. If it’s a chocolatey bean, he’ll take care to brown but not burn it. Parlade is a certified Q Grader, a Coffee Quality Institute certification akin to a sommelier. There are 422 Q Graders in the U.S. and only two in Nevada. Specialty drinks: Parlade recommends the 28-hour cold brew Samba Rock. “It’s brewed cold, kept cold and served cold,” he says. “It keeps the water pH low so it keeps the integrity of the flavor from the beginning to the end.” Keeping with Oliveira’s Brazilian roots, the bottled beverage debuted during Rock in Rio, tipping its hat to a subgenre of rock that laces Brazilian samba, bebop, jazz and soul. 750 S. Rampart Blvd. #9, 702-272-2333; Monte Carlo, 702-730-6789; 6555 S. Jones Blvd. #100, 702-434-2337; sambalatte.com.

THE BEAUTIFUL BOTANIST

> FRESH START The mozzarellastuffed roasted pepper at Annie’s.

VEAL MARSALA WITH YOUR POOCH ON THE PATIO The new version of Annie’s Gourmet Italian Bistro is even more comfortable changed. No one eats at Annie’s without startEvery neighborhood needs a cozy Italian ing with the stuffed mushrooms ($12.95) filled restaurant to call its own, and Green Valley has ANNIE’S with sweet sausage, spinach and Parmesan a handful of favorite haunts where the regulars GOURMET cheese. Classic shrimp scampi ($16.95) is anothare loyal and the food is hearty. Annie’s Gourmet ITALIAN BISTRO er wise selection, served with warm bread for Italian Bistro, which reopened earlier this year 75 S. Valle Verde sopping up every drop of its garlic butter-white after moving from its location of five years Drive #160, 702wine sauce. Payton, a graduate of Bonanza on Horizon Ridge Parkway to a higher-profile 254-3663. TuesdayHigh School and UNLV, says her favorite is her retail center just off the Beltway, is one of those Thursday, 4-9:30 mom’s recipe for eggplant parmigiana ($18.95). favorites. But cozy got a lot cozier at the new p.m.; Friday & But the most popular plate at Annie’s has to be restaurant, thanks to the addition of a fully Saturday, 4-10 p.m.; the tender, rich veal Marsala ($22.95), smothenclosed, pet-friendly patio—named for owner Sunday, 4-9 p.m. ered in mushrooms in slightly sweet wine sauce Annie Payton’s yellow lab Ookie—and the “Lost over a bed of angel hair. Annie’s imports its organic veal Weekend” bar, where specialty cocktails and draft beer from the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, so it comes a long change up the expected glass of red or white with dinner. way to end up as your favorite. –Brock Radke The place is warmer than ever, and the food hasn’t

JUST HOW GREAT IS BLUE RIBBON FRIED CHICKEN?

BLUE RIBBON FRIED CHICKEN Downtown Summerlin, 702-329-9300. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Las Vegans have been going to town on the Bromberg brothers’ fried chicken at a sushi joint (Blue Ribbon) and a concert hall (Brooklyn Bowl) for years. Now we can do it at a fried chicken joint, the super-convenient Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken at Downtown Summerlin. It’s fast and friendly. The soda fountain is all Boylan’s cane sugar sodas. There are milkshakes and draft beers and robo-trash receptacles. But you’re here for the chicken, and it’s pretty great. Order it by the piece (wings $1.50, tenders $3.75, thighs $3.75), in six- to 20-piece family dinners, in combos with shoestring fries and coleslaw, or in simple, delicious sandwiches such as Kerry’s Classic ($8.75) with caramelized pineapple and special sauce on a toasted bun. No matter how you take your bird, it’s fresh-fried just for you, coated in crispy bliss. The first juicy, crunchy bite of one of these boneless thighs slathered in chipotle honey is as good as it gets. Go to those other great venues as much as you want, but if you’re all about the chicken, BRFC is the quick-casual eatery of your dreams. –Brock Radke

ANNIE’S GOURMET ITALIAN BISTRO BY L.E. BASKOW; BLUE RIBBON FRIED CHICKEN BY STEVE MARCUS

INGREDIENTS 1 ½ oz. The Botanist Islay Dry Gin ½ oz. Mathilde Raspberry Liqueur Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic Water Sprig of lavender, lemon peel, raspberry (garnish)

METHOD Build drink over ice in a stemless wine glass, filling with tonic. Stir well. Garnish with lavender sprig, lemon peel and raspberry.

This drink may be beautiful, but don’t let the elderflower and lavender fool you—it packs a punch. The Botanist Gin has a complex flavor profile, layering 22 different botanicals within the traditional gin aromatics, lending an unexpected wildness to this refined cocktail.

Cocktail created by Francesco Lafranconi, Executive Director of Mixology and Spirits Education at Southern Wine & Spirits.

AUGUST 6–12, 2015 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM 51

A&E | Short Takes Special screenings

> clobberin’ time The Thing delivers a beatdown in Fantastic Four.

Big, Loud & Live 8/6, live broadcast of Drum Corps International championships, 3:30 pm, $16-$18. Theaters: COL, ORL, SF, SP, ST, VS. Info: fathomevents.com. Cinemark Classic Series Sun, 2 pm; Wed, 2 & 7 pm, $7-$10. 8/9, 8/12, Coming to America. Theaters: ORL, ST, SF, SP, SC

Jurassic World aabcc Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins. Directed by Colin Trevorrow. 124 minutes. Rated PG-13. The fourth movie in the series about genetically engineered dinosaurs returns to the theme-park setting, with a new deadly dino wreaking havoc on the fully operational park. Two decades after the groundbreaking original, this sequel arrives as just another overstuffed, CGI-filled blockbuster about people running and yelling. –JB Theaters: BS, COL, DI, ORL, RR, SC, SP, TX

Dive-In Movies Mon, 7 pm, $5, hotel guests free. 8/10, The Sandlot, Major League. Cosmopolitan Boulevard Pool, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-698-7000. Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection “F” 8/8, 8/11, feature film based on the anime series, Sat 2 pm, Tue 7 pm, $10.50-$12.50. Theaters: COL, ORL, SF, ST, VS. Info: fathomevents.com. Enchanted Kingdom 3D 8/10, 8/11, BBC nature documentary narrated by Idris Elba, 7 pm, $16-$18. Theaters: ORL. Info: fathomevents. com. Flashback Features Sun, 8 pm, free. 8/9, Pretty in Pink. The Pond at Green Valley Ranch, 2300 Paseo Verde Parkway, Henderson, 702617-7777. The International Dota 2 Championships 8/8, live broadcast of Dota 2 championship tournament, 2 pm, $18-$20. Theaters: COL, ORL, SF, SP, ST, VS. Info: fathomevents.com. Las Vegas Film Festival 8/11-8/16, feature films, shorts, parties, more, $12 per screening, passes $70$250. Inspire Theater, 107 Las Vegas Blvd. S., lvff.com. Midnight Brewvies Mon, movie plus popcorn, midnight, free. Elixir, 2920 N. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson, 702-272-0000. Outdoor Picture Show Sat, dusk, free. 8/8, The Boxtrolls. The District at Green Valley Ranch, 2225 Village Walk Drive, Henderson, 702564-8595. Saturday Movie Matinee 8/8, Kingsman: The Secret Service, 2 pm, free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, 702-507-3400. Sci Fi Center Mon, Cinemondays, 8 pm, free. 5077 Arville St., 855-501-4335, thescificenter. com. Tuesday Afternoon at the Bijou Tue, 1 pm, free. 8/11, Royal Wedding (1951). Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, 702-507-3400. Unity 8/12, documentary on human life featuring more than 100 celebrity narrators, 7pm, $10.50-$12.50. Theaters: ORL, SF, SP, ST, VS. Info: specticast.com.

New this week Assassination (Not reviewed) Gianna Jun, Lee Jung-jae, Ha Jungwoo. Directed by Choi Dong-Hoon. 140 minutes. Not rated. In Korean with English subtitles. Resistance fighters in Japanese-occupied 1933 Korea face a traitor among them. Theaters: TS Dark Places aabcc Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Tye

Inside Out aaabc Voices of Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind. Directed by Pete Docter. 94 minutes. Rated PG. Pixar’s latest animated feature takes place almost entirely inside the brain of an 11-yearold girl, focusing on the five core emotions—Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger—who control her behavior. It’s a funny movie with a remarkably wise message, but parents of pre-teen kids be warned: It will wreck you. –MD Theaters: AL, BS, CH, COL, ORL, PAL, RR, SC, TX

Sheridan. Directed by Gilles PaquetBrenner. 113 minutes. Rated R. See review Page 41. Theaters: TS Fantastic Four (Not reviewed) Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell. Directed by Josh Trank. 100 minutes. Rated PG-13. Four explorers gain extraordinary powers after an accident. Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, DI, FH, GVL, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS The Gift aaacc Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton. Directed by Joel Edgerton. 108 minutes. Rated R. See review Page 41. Theaters: AL, CH, COL, DI, FH, ORL, RP, RR, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TS, TX, VS Irrational Man aaacc Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Parker Posey. Directed by Woody Allen. 96 minutes. Rated R. See review Page 40. Theaters: AL, GVR, ORL, ST, TS Ricki and the Flash aabcc Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Mamie Gummer. Directed by Jonathan Demme. 101 minutes. Rated PG-13. See review Page 41. Theaters: AL, BS, COL, FH, ORL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SP, TS Shaun the Sheep Movie (Not reviewed) Voices of Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Omid Djalili. Directed by Mark Burton and Richard Starzak. 85 minutes. Rated PG. Shaun the sheep must find his way home to his farm from the big city. Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, COL, DI, FH, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX Srimanthudu (Not reviewed) Mahesh Babu, Shruti Haasan, Rajendra Prasad. Directed by Koratala Siva. Not rated. 156 minutes. In Telugu with English subtitles. A multi-millionaire attempts to bring change to the people of a small village. Theaters: ST

Now playing Amy aaabc Directed by Asif Kapadia. 128 minutes. Rated R. The triumphant but

52 LasVegasWeekly.com August 6-12, 2015

sadly abbreviated life of singer Amy Winehouse (“Rehab”) is told via copious archival footage in this expertly assembled documentary, directed by Asif Kapadia (Senna). The footage of her performances and songwriting craft, as showcased here, makes a strong case for her legacy. –MD Theaters: COL, VS Ant-Man aaabc Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly. Directed by Peyton Reed. 117 minutes. Rated PG-13. Semi-reformed thief Scott Lang (Rudd) is recruited by scientist Hank Pym (Douglas) to steal a version of a size-changing suit from a greedy technocrat. Ant-Man plays things relatively safe, but it’s still a different sort of Marvel superhero movie, a looser, funnier and lower-stakes story than Marvel’s typical world-ending spectacles. –JB Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, COL, DI, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TS, TX Avengers: Age of Ultron aaabc Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth. Directed by Joss Whedon. 141 minutes. Rated PG-13. The Marvel superheroes (including Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and more) team up for their latest adventure, taking on evil robot Ultron. Writer-director Whedon manages to include an impressive amount of character development and clever dialogue, although eventually the action set pieces and cluttered plot steamroll over the drama. –JB Theaters: ST, VS Bajrangi Bhaijaan (Not reviewed) Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Directed by Kabir Khan. 154 minutes. Not rated. In Hindi with English subtitles. An Indian man helps a mute girl from Pakistan return home to her family. Theaters: VS The Cokeville Miracle (Not reviewed) Jasen Wade, Nathan Stevens, Sarah Kent. Directed by T.C. Christensen. 94 minutes. Rated PG-13. In the aftermath of a tragedy, children describe the presence of celestial beings that helped them survive. Theaters: SC Drishyam (Not reviewed) Ajay Devgn, Shriya Saran, Tabu.

Directed by Nishikant Kamat. 163 minutes. Not rated. In Hindi with English subtitles. A humble family man finds himself the prime suspect in the disappearance of a teenage boy. Theaters: VS Furious 7 aaacc Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez. Directed by James Wan. 137 minutes. Rated PG-13. Replacement director Wan freshens the seventh film of this ridiculous series with a great villain (Statham) and several razzle-dazzle set pieces, and replaces the usual machismo with “family”-type bonding. But he also can’t stop the movie from raging too long and running out of gas early. –JMA Theaters: TC The Gallows abccc Reese Mishler, Pfeifer Brown, Ryan Shoos. Directed by Chris Lofing and Travis Cluff. 80 minutes. Rated R. There’s nothing exciting or original about this found-footage horror movie, which puts a group of unpleasant teens at the mercy of a vengeful spirit in their high-school auditorium. The acting is subpar and awkward, the dialogue is full of clumsy exposition, and the scares are minimal. –JB Theaters: ST, TX Home aabcc Voices of Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin. Directed by Tim Johnson. 94 minutes. Rated PG. After the cute, clueless alien Boov invade and take over Earth, human tween Tip (Rihanna) teams up with misfit alien Oh (Parsons) to save the planet. It’s a familiar mismatched-friends story, tolerable enough for children who like funnycolored aliens but forgettable enough that parents should be able to easily ignore it. –JB Theaters: TC I’ll See You in My Dreams aaacc Blythe Danner, Martin Starr, Sam Elliott. Directed by Brett Haley. 92 minutes. Rated PG-13. This dramedy about aimless retiree Carol (Danner) is a low-key amble through a brief period in her life, as she takes a few steps to shake up her settled but lonely routine. Danner is charming, and the talented supporting cast offers gentle laughs and a few moments of heartfelt emotion. –JB Theaters: VS

Love & Mercy aaabc John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks. Directed by Bill Pohlad. 120 minutes. Rated PG-13. This biopic focuses on two periods in troubled musician Brian Wilson’s life, with Dano as the young Beach Boy and Cusack as the middle-aged burnout. Dano and Cusack’s performances don’t necessarily line up, but each captures Wilson convincingly, and the filmmakers don’t try to fit his life into a particular movie formula. –JB Theaters: VS Mad Max: Fury Road aaabc Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult. Directed by George Miller. 120 minutes. Rated R. Taciturn drifter Max Rockatansky (Hardy, replacing Mel Gibson) returns for the first time in 30 years, on another post-apocalyptic adventure. The thin plot is an excuse for director Miller to stage bravura car chases and action sequences, which should be more than enough to satisfy fans. –JB Theaters: TC Magic Mike XXL acccc Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer. Directed by Gregory Jacobs. 115 minutes. Rated R. The sequel to the surprise-hit male-stripper drama is barely even a movie at all; the plot is a string of minimally connected set pieces that exist mainly to showcase the stars’ abs. It’s every bit the cheesy, brainless exercise in audience pandering that many expected from the first movie. –JB Theaters: SF Max abccc Josh Wiggins, Thomas Haden Church, Lauren Graham. Directed by Boaz Yakin. 111 minutes. Rated PG. This shamelessly manipulative family drama follows sullen teenager Justin (Wiggins) as he learns important life lessons while taking care of the military dog left behind by his late brother. The heavy-handed message is matched by the terrible dialogue, one-dimensional characters and sloppy third-act attempt at generating suspense. –JB Theaters: ST, VS Minions aabcc Voices of Pierre Coffin, Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm. Directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda. 91 minutes. Rated PG. In the two animated Despicable Me movies, the little yellow pill-shaped creatures were reliable sources of pratfalls, pranks and puns, but given the task of carrying their own 90-minute feature, they quickly wear out their

A&E | Short Takes welcome. It’s just a series of silly set pieces barely held together by a halfformed plot. –JB Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, COL, DI, GVL, ORL, PAL, RR, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS

and strangely preachy movie is more of a presentation about the concept of adventure stories than an actual exciting adventure story. –JB Theaters: TC Trainwreck aabcc Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson. Directed by Judd Apatow. 125 minutes. Rated R. Comedy Central star Schumer wrote the latest film directed by Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, This Is 40), and also plays the lead, a commitmentphobic journalist who falls for a surgeon (Hader) she’s profiling. It’s a perfectly ordinary rom-com that merely swaps the genre’s standard gender clichés. –MD Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, DTS, GVL, GVR, ORL, PAL, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TS, TX

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation aaabc Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie. 131 minutes. Rated PG-13. The fifth movie in the action series finds Cruise’s secret agent Ethan Hunt once again on the run after being disavowed by the very government he works for. While not the strongest in the remarkably consistent series, it’s still entertaining and exciting, an example of the best in blockbuster filmmaking. –JB Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, DI, GVL, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TS, TX

Twinsters aaabc Directed by Samantha Futerman and Ryan Miyamoto. 90 minutes. Not rated. Co-director Futerman, an adoptee from South Korea, documents her unexpected reunion with the twin sister she never knew she had. The personal story of these two bubbly, optimistic women is a genuinely life-affirming journey that illustrates the essential power of family, in whatever form it takes. –JB Theaters: VS

Mr. Holmes aaacc Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Milo Parker. Directed by Bill Condon. 104 minutes. Rated PG. McKellen plays the retired 93-year-old Sherlock Holmes, who tools around his rural estate tending to the bees in his apiary and fighting against his failing memory. The tone is more contemplative than suspenseful, and the resolutions to the various mysteries rely on sentiment over deductive reasoning. –JB Theaters: GVR, ORL, SC Paper Towns aabcc Nat Wolff, Cara Delevingne, Austin Abrams. Directed by Jake Schreier. 109 minutes. Rated PG-13. Shy, bland teenager Quentin (Wolff) has his life shaken up by textbook manic pixie dream girl Margo (Delevingne). He enlists his friends to help go after her when she leaves town, but that journey isn’t particularly interesting, and the supporting characters along for the ride are as onedimensional as Margo herself. –JB Theaters: BS, COL, ORL, PAL, RR, SC, TS, TX Pitch Perfect 2 aabcc Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow. Directed by Elizabeth Banks. 115 minutes. Rated PG-13. Everything in this sequel to the 2012 surprise hit college a cappella comedy is a little bigger, but none of it is better. The songs are still catchy, the stars are still charming, and some of the jokes are still funny, but the original’s freshness has been replaced by a dutiful retread. –JB Theaters: TC Pixels aaccc Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Josh Gad. Directed by Chris Columbus. 105 minutes. Rated PG-13. When aliens invade Earth with replicas of ’80s video-game characters, the president (James) calls on loser Sam (Sandler) and his fellow video-game nerds to save the day. Based on a 2010 short, Pixels is mostly genial and family-friendly, but also plodding and frequently boring, with listless performances and a moronic plot. –JB Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, COL, DI, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS Poltergeist aaccc Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kyle Catlett. Directed by Gil Kenan. 93 minutes. Rated PG-13. Poltergeist is considered a horror classic, so a remake ought to have a unique point of view, or at least deliver some solid scares. Kenan’s new version of the 1982 haunted-house story has neither, recycling most of the original’s major plot points with a few half-hearted modern updates. –JB Theaters: TC San Andreas aaccc Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino,

> manic menagerie The animals of Shaun the Sheep Movie. Alexandra Daddario. Directed by Brad Peyton. 114 minutes. Rated PG-13. Johnson plays a fire department rescue pilot who attempts to save his wife and daughter when a series of massive earthquakes strike California in this moronic, mushy, painfully predictable disaster movie. Its wholesale devastation of California is an impressive feat of special effects, but the destruction eventually becomes repetitive. –JB Theaters: BS, TC Self/less aaccc Ryan Reynolds, Matthew Goode, Natalie Martinez. Directed by Tarsem Singh. 117 minutes. Rated PG-13. This rote, forgettable thriller feels like a refugee from a 2005 straight-to-video bin, with a predictable and uninvolving plot (about a dying billionaire who’s offered the chance to inhabit a new, younger body) stitched together from elements of other sci-fi movies. –JB Theaters: TC Southpaw aabcc Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker, Oona Laurence. Directed by Antoine Fuqua. 123 minutes. Rated R. Former boxing champion Billy Hope (Gyllenhaal) attempts to mount a comeback in this contrived melodrama. The direction and the performances end up pounding the audience as hard as Billy in his early fights, and there isn’t much relief in his eventual drawn-out triumph. –JB Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, DTS, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS Spy aaacc Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne. Directed by Paul Feig. 115 minutes. Rated R. The plot is the least interesting element of this plot-heavy movie, in which McCarthy’s insecure CIA analyst is thrust into the field after the apparent death of her partner. That stuff is all just window dressing for the comedy, though, and McCarthy delivers, even when the overstuffed plot drags the movie down. –JB Theaters: ST, VS Ted 2 aaacc Mark Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried, voice of Seth MacFarlane. Directed by Seth MacFarlane. 115 minutes. Rated R. MacFarlane’s foul-mouthed teddy bear

is back, struggling to overturn a legal decision that he’s not a person, with the help of thunder buddy Wahlberg and a bong-toting civil-rights attorney (Seyfried). Like the original, it’s very hit-and-miss, joke-wise, but the relaxed chemistry between the actors gives the gags an appealing context. –MD Theaters: COL, ST, VS Terminator Genisys aabcc Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney. Directed by Alan Taylor. 126 minutes. Rated PG-13. The fifth movie in the series about the battle between humans and machines for control of the future rewrites events of the first, but fails when it comes to creating its own story. With a convoluted plot that’s full of holes, Genisys often feels like a glorified piece of fan fiction. –JB Theaters: COL, ORL, ST, TX, VS

Theaters (AL) Regal Aliante 7300 Aliante Parkway, North Las Vegas, 702-221-2283 (BS) Regal Boulder Station 4111 Boulder Highway, 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

Testament of Youth aabcc Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington, Taron Egerton. Directed by James Kent. 129 minutes. Rated PG-13. Adapted from a memoir by Vera Brittain (played by Ex Machina’s Vikander), Testament of Youth focuses on its heroine’s experiences during World War I, when she dropped out of Oxford in order to volunteer as a nurse. It’s sober and relentlessly tasteful in the blandest British tradition. –MD Theaters: VS Tomorrowland aabcc George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy. Directed by Brad Bird. 130 minutes. Rated PG. A teenage prodigy (Robertson) teams up with a grumpy ex-inventor (Clooney) to discover the hidden futuristic city of Tomorrowland and eventually save the world. This slow-paced, convoluted

(DTS) Regal Downtown Summerlin 2070 Park Center Drive, 702-221-2283 (FH) Regal Fiesta Henderson 777 W. Lake Mead Parkway, Henderson, 702-221-2283 (GVR) Regal Green Valley Ranch 2300 Paseo Verde Parkway, Henderson, 702-221-2283 (GVL) Galaxy Green Valley Luxury+ 4500 E. Sunset Road, Henderson, 702442-0244

Vacation aaccc Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Skyler Gisondo. Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein. 99 minutes. Rated R. This franchise sequel/reboot recycles the plot of the 1983 original, replacing previous patriarch Clark (Chevy Chase) with his son Rusty (Helms), taking his family on a cross-country road trip. Relying heavily on nasty gross-out humor, it’s a series of belabored, poorly executed jokes, a sad re-creation of a once-beloved comedy franchise. –JB Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, COL, DI, DTS, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS The Vatican Tapes (Not reviewed) Kathleen Robertson, Michael Peña, Djimon Hounsou. Directed by Mark Neveldine. 91 minutes. Rated PG-13. Exorcists from the Vatican attempt to save a young woman’s soul. Theaters: BS, TX JMA Jeffrey M. Anderson; JB Josh Bell; MD Mike D’Angelo

(SF) Century Santa Fe Station 4949 N. Rancho Drive, 702-655-8178 (SHO) United Artists Showcase 3769 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-221-2283 (SP) Century South Point 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-260-4061 (SC) Century Suncoast 9090 Alta Drive, 702-869-1880 (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. August 6–12, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com 53

Calendar LISTINGS YOU CAN PLAN YOUR LIFE BY!

THREE QUESTIONS WITH L.A. WITCH SINGER SADE SANCHEZ L.A. Witch has been playing Las Vegas a lot lately. What’s the band’s relationship to the city? Our first time there we got invited by our friends in the band Santoros. It was our first time playing outside of LA, and we had a really great experience. It’s a cool scene, and there’s a lot of kids who are into our music. You’ll see a lot of the same faces from the first shows we played there. It makes us feel very welcome. You played Austin Psych Fest in May. What was that like? It has always been a dream of

LIVE MUSIC T H E ST R I P & N E A R BY Brooklyn Bowl The Suffers 8/6, 9 pm, free. Maoli, PeniDean 8/7, 9 pm, $12. Everclear, Toadies, Fuel, American Hi-Fi 8/8, 8 pm, $40. Reckless Kelly, Micky & The Motorcars, Jason Eady 8/14, 9 pm, $17-$20. Motion Potion 8/14, midnight, free. Common Kings 8/15, 9 pm, $20-$22. The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Black Ryder 8/16, 8 pm, $30-$35. George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Yojimbo 8/18, 9 pm, $28-$33. Modest Mouse 8/20, 9 pm, $55. Coal Chamber, Fear Factory, Devil You Know, Saint Ridley, Madlife 8/21, 6:30 pm, $20$25. Lecrae 8/22, 9 pm, $25-$50. Jill Scott, BJ the Chicago Kid 8/27, 8 pm, $46-$100. Excision, Lookas,

all of ours. We didn’t think it would happen so soon, especially not even having released a full-length album. We were very happy to play it, and it was everything we thought it would be—one of the best times we’ve had playing a show.

of a learning experience … It’s always really hard to define your genre or what you’re going for. Every song has a different vibe to it, but at the same time it’s still somehow our sound. Some songs sound more punk, some sound more blues-y and some are more garage-y. We have a hard time sticking to a theme or a certain sound. –Leslie Ventura

Your website says the fulllength is due out this summer on Lolipop Records. Is there a definite drop date, and what can we expect to hear on it? We’re in the process of mixing. This is our first time really putting out an album, so it’s still kind

L.A. WITCH with Death Valley Girls, Candy Warpop. August 10, 9 p.m., free. Beauty Bar, 702-598-3757.

Etc!, Trollphace, Dirty Lazrs, Blurnt Squad 8/29, $35-$40, 8 pm. Black Uhuru 9/1, 8 pm. Jerry Day, Catfish John 9/1, 9 pm, free. Psychedelic Furs, The Church 9/8, 8 pm, $30$35. Banda El Recodo 9/12, 8 pm $55-$66. Turquoise Jeep 9/16, 8 pm, $15-$18. Lettuce 9/23, 9 pm, $20. Robert Randolph, Amy Helm, The Handsome Strangers 10/6, 8 pm, $20-$30. Dark Star Orchestra 10/8, 8 pm, $25-$28. My Morning Jacket, Strand of Oaks 10/9-10/10, 9 pm, $50. Blues Traveler 10/22, 8 pm, $28-$33. Deftones 10/27, 8 pm, $27-$42. Trey Anastasio Band 10/30-10/31, 9 pm, $43-$50. The Dandy Warhols 11/6, 9 pm, $20-$23. Peaches 11/11, 8 pm, $22-$27. J Boog 11/18, 9 pm, $18-$20. Yellowcard, New Found Glory, Tigers Jaw 11/21, 8 pm, $26-$30. Gary Clark Jr. 3/12, 9 pm, $30-$50. Linq, 702862-2695.

The Colosseum Rod Stewart 8/8, 8/9, 8/12, 8/15, 7:30 pm. Aretha Franklin 8/14, 8 pm, $55-$160. Celine Dion 8/27, 8/28-8/30, 9/1, 9/4-9/5, 9/8-9/9, 9/11-9/12, 9/29-9/30, 10/2-10/3, 10/610/7, 10/9-10/10, 11/3-11/4, 11/7-11/8, 11/10-11/11, 11/13-11/14, 11/17-11/18, 11/2011/21, 12/20-12/31, 1/2, 1/6, 1/9-1/10, 1/12-1/13, 1/16-1/17, $55-$250, 7:30 pm. Enrique Iglesias 9/13-9/14, 9 pm, $40-$300. Plácido Domingo 9/15, 8 pm, $80-$500. The Who 9/19, 10:30 pm, $96-$501. Elton John 10/13-10/14, 10/16, 6:30 pm, $55-$500. Reba, Brooks & Dunn 12/2, 12/4, 12/6, 12/9, $60-$205. Caesars Palace, 702-7317333. The Cosmopolitan (Chelsea) D’Angelo & The Vanguard 8/21, 7 pm, $50. Lenny Kravitz 9/8, 8 pm, $40. (Boulevard Pool) Barenaked Ladies, Violent Femmes, Colin Hay 7/18, 8 pm, $50. Of Monsters and

Men 8/13, 9 pm, $35. Slightly Stoopid 8/14, 9 pm, $35. Drake 9/6, 9 pm, $65. Damian Jr. Gong Marley, Stephen Ragga Marley, Morgan Heritage, Tarrus Riley 9/24, 8 pm, $43. Counting Crows, Citizen Cope 10/3, 7:30 pm, $55. Charli XCX, Bleachers 10/9, 8 pm, $26. Garbage, Torres 10/10, 8 pm, $40. Father John Misty, Mikal Cronin 10/15, 8 pm, $23. The Neighborhood, Bad Suns, Hunny 10/30, 8 pm, $25. 702-698-7000. Double Down The Damn You’s, Analog Law, Bounty Hunter Brothers, Super Zeroes, Unit F, Ultra Witch 8/7. Funky Love ft. poet Lee Mallory 8/8, 7 pm. The Psyatics, Upinatem, Three Rounds, Death Whistle 8/8. War Called Home, Smokey Punch 8/9. TV Party Tonight: Suburbia ft. The Gashers, Fish, Atomic 8/13, 9 pm. 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., 702791-5775. Flamingo Olivia Newton-John 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 Kenny Allen Band 8/27, 9 pm; 8/28, 8/29, 10 pm. Austin Law 8/20, 9 pm; 8/21-8/22, 10 pm. 10 pm. Brian Lynn Jones Band 9/24, 9 pm; 9/259/26, 10 pm. Shows $10-$20 after 10 pm unless noted. Treasure Island, 702-894-7722. Hard Rock Hotel (Pool) The Wailers 8/7, 8 pm, $30-$32. Inner Circle, Fourtunate Youth 8/14, 9 pm, $20$25. Tribal Seeds, The Expanders 8/21, 9 pm, $25. Skid Row 9/4, 9 pm, $35-$40. Blue October 9/18, 9 pm, $30. Live 10/2, 9 pm, $35+. 702-6935000. Hard Rock Live Tremonti, Trivium 10/11, 6:30 pm, $25. Mayday Parade 11/15, 5:30 pm, $26. Hard Rock Cafe (Strip), 3771 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702733-7625. House of Blues Stephen Ragga Marley 8/4, 7:30 pm, $26-$31. Heart 8/13-8/15, 11/19-11/21, 8 pm, $55-$70. Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers 9/5, 8 pm, $29-$44. Hollywood Undead 9/12, 6 pm, $26-$30. Carlos Santana 9/16, 9/18-9/20, 9/23, 9/259/27, 11/4, 11/6-11/8, 11/11, 11/13-11/15, $90-$350, 8 pm. The Tragically Hip 10/3, 7:30 pm, $43-$55. Halestorm 10/17, $30. Seether 10/20, 6:30 pm, $33-$43. Ghost 10/31, $25. Collective Soul 11/12, 7 pm, $33-$36. Kamelot, DragonForce 12/7, 7 pm, $22-$25. 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, 702-632-7600. The Joint Peter Frampton, Cheap Trick 8/22, 8 pm, $50+. Primus and the Chocolate Factory, The Fungi Ensemble 9/4, 8 pm, $43+. Incubus 9/6, 8 pm, $70+. Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach 9/19, 6:15 pm, $50+. Scorpions, Queensrÿche 10/7, 8 pm, $60+. UB40, Ali Campbell, Astro, Mickey Virtue 10/16, $40-$55. J Balvin, Becky G 10/24, 8 pm, $60+. Little Big Town 12/4, 8 pm, $35+. Hard Rock Hotel, 702-693-5222. Mandalay Bay (Events Center) Fall Out Boy, Wiz Khalifa 8/7, 7 pm, $25$70. Kelly Clarkson, Pentatonix 8/15,

CHECK OUT OUR COMPLETE CALENDAR LISTINGS AT LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM/EVENTS 54 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM AUGUST 6-12, 2015

7:30 pm, $40-$125. Juan Gabriel 9/13, $69-$229. (Mandalay Beach) 311 7/3-7/4, $55-$95. Switchfoot, Drew Holdcomb & The Neighbors, Colony House 7/10, $34. Pepper, Iration 7/17, $35+. Sugar Ray, Uncle Kracker, Eve 6, Better Than Ezra 7/16, $35, 9 pm. Ziggy Marley 7/31, $43. Lost ‘80s Live ft. ABC, Wang Chung, Naked Eyes, A Flock of Seagulls and more. 9/26, $35. 702-632-7777. MGM (Grand Garden Arena) Madonna 10/24, 8 pm, $43-$383. Andrea Bocelli 12/5, 8 pm, $78-$403. Mötley Crüe 12/27, 7 pm, $25-$150. 702-891-7777. Orleans Super Freestyle Explosion ft. Stevie B, Exposé, Taylor Dayne, Lisa Lisa, The Cover Girls, Freestyle, Debbie Deb, Trinere, Nu Shooz, J.J. FAD 8/7, 8 pm, $32. CSNSongs 8/158/16, $20. Coyote Countryfest 8/29, 7 pm, $20. Brass Transit 8/29-8/30, $20. Air Supply 9/4-9/6, $40. The Temptations 9/19-9/20, 8 pm, $40. Frank Caliendo 9/25-9/26, 8 pm, $35. (Cabaret Lounge) Front Page 8/1, 8/20-8/22, 8 pm, free. NiteKings 8/5, 8/12, 8/19, 8/26, 9/2, 9/9, 9/16, 9/23, 9/30, 4 pm, free. WolfCreek 8/6-8/8, 9/10-9/12, 9 pm, free. In-AFect 8/13-8/15, 9 pm, free. Jukebox Heroes 8/27-8/29, 9/17-9/19. 9 pm, free. Chyna 9/24-9/26, 9 pm, free. (Brendan’s Irish Pub) Kenny Dee Band 8/1, 8/14-8/15, 9 pm, free. Killian’s Angels 8/7-8/8, 9 pm, free. Route 66 8/21-8/22, 9 pm, free. Dollface 8/28-8/29, 9 pm, free. ‘60s Sensation 9/4-9/5, 9 pm, free. 4500 W. Tropicana Ave., 702-365-7075. Palace Station (Jack’s) Forget to Remember Fri-Sat, 9 pm, free. Shows free unless noted. 702-547-5300. Palazzo (Palazzo Theatre) Frank: The Man. The Music. ft. Bob Anderson Tue-Thu, Sat, 8 pm; Fri 9 pm, $72. 3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd., 702-4144300. Palms (The Lounge) Northern American 8/31, 10 pm, free. Jeff Young & Sherri 8/7, 10 pm, free. Dollface 8/13, 10 pm, free. Walk Off Hits 8/21, 10 pm, free. WolfCreek 8/28, 10 pm, free. Franky Perez 9/6, 10:30 pm, free. Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns Mon, 10:30 pm, $10. 702944-3200. The Pearl Melissa Etheridge 8/7, 8 pm, $49+. Fifth Harmony 8/13, 7 pm, $33+. Jackson Browne 8/21, 8 pm, $63+. Alejandra Guzman 9/12, 8 pm, $33+. Oliver Dragojevic w/ UNLV Symphony Orchestra 9/26, 8 pm, $69+. Gregg Allman 10/9, 8 pm, $39. Judas Priest, Mastodon 10/17, 8 pm, $73+. Palms, 702-942-7777. Piero’s Pia Zadora Fri & Sat, 9 pm, two-drink minimum. 355 Convention Center Dr., 702-369-2305. Planet Hollywood Britney Spears 8/5, 8/7-8/8, 8/12, 8/14-8/15, 8/18-8/19, 8/21-8/22, 8/26, 8/28-8/29, 9/2, 9/49/5, 9/9. $60-$195. La Arrolladora 9/13, 9 pm, $59-$175. Ricky Martin 9/15, 8 pm, $50-$160. 702-234-7469. Rí Rá The Brayzen Heads 8/6, 8/9, 8:45 pm, free; 8/7-8/8, 9 pm. Cul an Ti 8/118/13, 8/16. 8:45 pm; 8/14-8/15, 9 pm. The Black Donnellys 8/18-8/20, 8/23, 8/25-8/27, 8/30, 8:45 pm; 8/21-8/22, 8/28-8/29, 9 pm, free. John Windsor 8/10, 8/17, 8/24, 8/31, 8:45 pm. Mandalay Place, 702-632-7771. Route 91 Harvest Festival ft. Florida Georgia Line, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw and more. 10/2-10/4, times vary, $199. MGM Resorts Village, rt91harvest.com.

Calendar Sayers Club Dawes, John Moreland 8/8, $20-$25. Happyness 8/11, $10-$12. The Drums, Froth 8/18, $15. Savages 8/21, $20$25. The Melvins, Big Business 8/29, $20. Mew, The Dodos 9/19, $12. Saul Williams 9/21, $20-$25. The Lemonheads 9/23, $20. Legendary Shack Shakers 9/21, $10-$12. The Mynabirds, Bad Bad Hats 10/7, $10$12. Doomtree, Astronautalis 10/18, $20. Deerhoof, Cy Dune, The Anti-Job 11/5, $12$15. In the Valley Below 11/13, $12-$14. The Polyphonic Spree 11/18, $25-$27. All shows 9 p.m. doors. 2535 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702761-7618. 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 Lights 8/18, 8 pm, $18-$35. Eliza Battle, Alex & His Meal Ticket, Lawn Mower Death Riders 8/19, 8 pm, $8-$15. Kehlani 8/22, 7 pm, $15-$35. Cody Canada & The Departed 8/26, 8 pm, $17-$32. Millencolin 9/1, 8 pm, $19-$22. Anuhea 9/4, 9 pm, $20-$45. Blue October 9/19, 9 pm, $30-$45. Misfits 11/11, 8 pm, $25-$45. Reverend Horton Heat, The BellRays, The Lords of Altamont 12/4, 9 pm, $25-$45. Hard Rock Hotel, 702-693-5000. Wynn (Eastside Lounge) Michael Monge WedThu, 9 pm, $10. 3131 S Las Vegas Blvd.

D ow n tow n Artifice Louise Le Hir, Headwinds, China, Chris Leland 7/31, 9 pm, free.Vegas Blues Dance Tue, 7 pm, free. Thursday Request Live Thu, 10 pm, free. 1025 S. 1st St., Ste. 100., 702-489-6339. Art Bar Ryan Whyte Maloney Thu, 6 pm. Live music Fri-Sat, 6 pm. Downtown Grand, 206 N. 3rd St., 702-719-5100. Backstage Bar & Billiards Big Daddy’s Hayride, James Intveld, Dave Damiani, Eddy Bear & The Cubs, The Clydesdales, DJ Lucky La Rue, Big Sany and His Fly Rite Boy 8/7, 8 pm, $15-$20. Sleep Signals, Arms for Elephants, Ambush Americana 8/8, 8 pm, $5. Black Sheep, DJ Lethal 8/12, 8 pm, $12-$15. Guttermouth, Death By Stero 8/13, 8 pm, $12-$15. Chelsea Wolfe 8/27, 8 pm, $10-$12. Murs, Red Pill, King Fantastic 10/1, 8 pm, $15-$18. Marty Friedman 10/2, 8 pm, $20-$25. My Life WIth the Thrill Kill Kult, Candy Warpop, EMDF, Midnight Feature 10/9, 8 pm, $15$20. 601 E. Fremont St., 702-382-2227. Beauty Bar The Lique 8/7, 9 pm, $5. Death Valley Girls, LA Witch, Candy Warpop 8/10, 9 pm, free. The Brocks 8/24, 9 pm. Pears, Illicitor, The Core 8/25, 9 pm, $10. True Violet, Holes and Hearts 9/18, 9 pm. Shannon & The Clams 9/27, 9 pm. Crizzly 9/29, 9 pm, $10. Joey Cape, Walt Hamburger, Laura Mardon 10/13, 9 pm, $10. 517 Fremont St., 702-598-3757. Downtown Container Park Josh Royse 8/8, 10:30 pm, free. Cameron Calloway 8/14, 7:30 pm. Beau Hodges Band 8/14, 9 pm. Philip Stendek 8/28, 7:30 pm. The Fab 8/28, 9 pm. 707 Fremont St, downtowncontainerpark.com. Downtown Grand Journey Unlimited 8/8, 8 pm, $5. Wanted 8/22, 8 pm, $5. Mick Adams and the Stones 9/5, 8 pm, $5. 206 N. 3rd St., 702-719-5100. Downtown Las Vegas Events Center All Time Low, Sleeping with Sirens, One OK Rock 10/24, 6 pm. Rise Against, Killswitch Engage, Letlive 11/21, 8 pm, $40-$80. 200 S. 3rd Street, dlvec.com. Fremont Street Experience Kansas, Blue Oyster Cult 9/6, 9 pm. Downtown Las Vegas, vegasexperience.com. Gold Spike Avalon Landing 8/6, 10 pm, free. The Retrolites 8/7, 10 pm, free. The Bernie Smithers Blues Bus 8/13, 10 pm, free. Josh Royse 8/14, 10 pm, free. Cobra Zebra 8/15, 10 pm, free. 217 Las Vegas Blvd. N., goldspike.com. Griffin Live music Wed, 10 pm, free. 511 Fremont St., 702-382-0577. Hard Hat Lounge The Funk Jam Wed, 10:30 pm, free. Florescent Flames Second Sat, 9 pm, free. Foundation Factory Fourth Sat, 8 pm, free. 1675 Industrial Rd., 702-384-8987. LVCS Klymaxx, Cheryl Cooley, The

Manhattans, Kristian De Lane, Freeman Brown 8/8, $25-$33. Kobra and the Lotus, Hatchet, A Fail to Break, Leona X, Jennasyde, The Watchers 8/9, 8 pm, $10$12. Sincerely Collins 8/14-8/15, 8 pm, $25. Moonshine Bandits, J Gamble, N.E. Last Words, Jelly Roll, Crucifix 8/21, 9 pm, $10. Insomnium, Ominium Gatherum, Stickman Shadow, Scicosis, Bad Pitt & Adam Crow 8/29, 9 pm, $12-$15. Krisiun, Origin Aeon, Alterbeast, Soreption, Ingested 9/17, 8 pm, $17-$20. Sadistik, Sapient, Ceschi, Early Adopted, Graves 10/4, 9 pm, $7-$10. 425 Fremont St., 702-382-3531. Mickie Finnz Happy hour music 4-7 pm daily. All shows free. 425 Fremont St., 702-3824204. The Smith Center Frankie Moreno 8/11, 8 pm, $25-$35. Reckless in Vegas 8/14, 8 pm, $35-$45. Spectrum 8/15, 7 pm; 8/16, 3 pm, $37-$40. Greg Bonham 8/22, 8 pm, $40+. Clint Holmes 9/11-9/12, 8:30 pm; 9/13, 2 pm, $37-$46. Paul Anka 9/18, 7:30 pm, $29$149. Pink Martini 2/6, 7:30 pm, $100-$250. The Tenors 2/20, 7:30 pm, $24-$95. 361 Symphony Park Ave., 702-749-2000.

The ’Burbs Cannery Gospel Brunch ft. The Stamps Quartet w/ Johnny Fortuno 8/9, 11 am, $10-$25. The Highwaymen 8/15, 8 pm, $15. Shaun South Wed & Thu, 8/19-8/29, 8:30 pm, free. 2121 E Craig Rd., 702-507-5700. Distill Summerlin All shows free & begin at 8 p.m. 10820 W. Charleston Blvd., distillbar. com, 702-534-1400. Eagle Aerie Hall Levitron, Desolation, The Holy Pariah, Cordycepts, Casket Raider, A Distant Calm, Singularity 8/7, 5:30 p.m., $11-$13. The Devil Who Decieved Them, Words From Aztecs, Invoker, Amongu, Mephitic Origins, Loose Ends 8/8, 5:20 pm, $11-$14. Autumn in Stiches, I am Vertical, Dale Phoenix, Call SIgn, Bowers, Courvge, Faded Prisms, The Plazas 8/26, 5 pm, $11$13. Knocked Loose, Orthodox, Another Mistake, Locust, Brooklyn Edge 9/1, 5:20 pm, $12-$15. 310 W. Pacific Ave., 702-6454139. Elixir Marty Feick, Tim Mendoza 8/7. Justin Mather 8/14. Stefnrock 8/15, 8/21. Thomas Rojas 8/22. Tim Mendoza 8/28. Kelly Down 8/29. All shows at 8 p.m., free. 2920 N. Green Valley Pkwy., 702-272-0000. Green Valley Ranch (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. Shows free unless noted. 702367-2470. M Resort (M Pavillion) Elvis, The Aloha Concert Tribute 8/8, 7flpm, $30-$42. Shows free with drink purchase. M Resort, 800-745-3000. Rampart Casino (Addison’s Lounge) Wes Winters Tue, 6 pm. Mark O’Toole Wed, 6 pm. All shows free unless noted. JW Marriott. 221 N. Rampart Blvd., 702-507-5900. Red Rock (Rocks Lounge) Zowie Bowie Fri, 10 pm. The Dirty Sat, 11 pm, $10. David Perrico Pop Strings Orchestra Sat, 11 pm, free. (Onyx) Jared Berry Thu, 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 (Revolver) Bro Country Thu, 8 pm. (4949 Lounge) Jared Berry Thu, 7 pm, free. 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. Silverton (Veil Pavilion) The Spirit of ‘45 8/16, 2:30 pm, $20. Rock Fantasy 9/12, 8 pm, $25. The Fabulous Thunderbirds ft. Kim Wilson 10/10, 8 pm, $29. 3333 Blue Diamond Rd., 702-263-7777. South Point Tony Orlando 8/7-8/9, 7:30 pm, $45+. James Darren 8/15-8/16, 7:30 pm, $25+. Sheena Easton 8/28-8/29, 7:30 pm, $20. Stayin’ Alive 9/11-9/13, 7:30 pm, $25+. Frankie Avalon 9/25-9/27, 7:30 pm, $45+. Winter Dance Party 10/2-10/4, 7:30 pm, $20+. Tower of Power 10/16-10/18, 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 Brandon Bennett’s Elvis My Way 8/15-8/16, 7:30 pm, $18-$44. Jack Jones

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CALENDAR 8/22-8/23, 7:30 pm, $33-$55. Arrival From Sweden: The Music of Abba 8/29-8/30, 7:30 pm, $22-$44. 9090 Alta Dr., 702-636-7075. Sunset Station (Club Madrid) Lon Bronson Band Fri, 9:30 pm. Zowie Bowie Sat, 10 pm. (Gaudi Bar) Ryan Whyte Maloney, Cali Tucker Fri, Sat, 7 pm. Willplay Sat, 7 pm. (Rosalita’s) Tony Venniro Fri, 7 pm. Peter Love Sat, 7 pm. (Sunset Amphitheater) George Thorogood & The Destroyers 9/19, 8 pm, $24-$60. 1301 W. Sunset Rd., 702-547-7777. Texas Station (A-Bar) Darrin Michaels Fri-Sat, 7 pm. (South Padre) Elemental Fri, 9 pm. Yellow Brick Road Sat, 9 pm. 702-631-1000.

E V E RY W H E R E E L S E Adrenaline Sports Bar and Grill TailGun 8/14, 9 pm. 3103 N. Rancho Dr., 645-4139. Arizona Charlie’s Boulder (Palace Grand Lounge) Live music Fri thru Sat, 9pm, free. 4575 Boulder Highway, 888-236-9066. Arizona Charlie’s Decatur (Naughty Ladies Saloon) The Good Fellas 6/26-6/27. Jerry Tiffe Fri, 4 pm. 740 S. Decatur Blvd., 702-258-5200. Boomers Live music Wed, 10 pm, $5-$10. 3200 Sirius Ave., 702-3681863. Boulder Dam Brewing Rick Berthod Band 8/7. American Voodoo 8/8. DJ Haydin Band 8/14. Out of the Desert 8/15. Justin Mather 8/20. The Deltaz 8/20. Cletus & The Mexican Sweat 8/22. Ashley Raines 8/27. The AllTogethers 8/28. Jimi Prima Band 8/29. Thu, 7 pm; Fri & Sat, 8 pm, all shows free unless noted, Fri-Sat, 8 pm; Wed-Thu, 7 pm. 453 Nevada Way, Boulder City, 702-243-2739. Boulder Station (Railhead) Jonny Lang 8/21, 8 pm, $30-$60. Yellow Brick Road Fri, 9 pm, $5. Bee Gees Gold Sat, 9 pm, free. El Moreno Carrillo Sun, 11 pm, $5-$10. (Kixx Bar) Joey Vitale Fri, 8 pm. Reflection Sat, 8 pm. 702-432-7777. Count’s Vamp’d Leaving Springfield, The Solid Suns, Kevin Kilfeather 8/6, 9 pm, free. Smashing Alice, Outta the Black 8/7, 9:30 pm, free. Texas Hippie Coalition, Red Sky Mary, 3Eighty3, Dellacoma 8/8, 8:30 pm, $10-$15. Tom Keifer 8/14, 8:30 pm, $20-$25. Orgy, First Class Trash, Crackerman 8/21, 9 pm, $10-$15. Black ‘N’ Blue 8/22, 9 pm, $10-$15. Femme Fatale 9/4, 9 pm, $10-$15. The Winery Dogs 11/7, 8:30 pm, $20-$25.John Zito Electric Jam Wed, 9 pm, free. 9:30 pm, free. 6750 W. Sahara, 702-220-8849. The Dillinger 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, 702-458-6343. Dive Bar The Freeze, Symbol Six, Unit F, IDFI, We Might Be Wasted 8/8, 9 pm, $6. Barb Wire Dolls 8/14, 9 pm, $6. The Goddamn Gallows, The Scoundrels, The Sawyer Family, Eliza Battle 10/17, 9 pm, $8-$10. D.R.I. 10/28, $20-$22. 4110 S. Maryland Pkwy., 702-586-3483. Eastside Cannery (Marilyn’s Lounge) Claudine Castro Band Mon, 10 pm. Phoenix Wed, 9 pm. Spazmatics Sun, 9 pm. Shows free unless noted. 702507-5700. German American Social Club Vintage Classic Jazz Night Tue, 7 pm, $4. 1110 E. Lake Mead Blvd., 702649-8503. Milo’s Cellar Live Music Thu, 8 pm, free. 538 Nevada Hwy., 702-293-9540. Ron DeCar’s Event Center Jimmy Wilkins 9/5, 1 pm. 1201 Las Vegas

TO SUBMIT LISTINGS: Email listings@gmgvegas.com. Submissions received after Friday will be published in the following week’s issue.

Blvd. S., 702-384-0771. Sam’s Town Los Van Van 8/16, 10 pm, $50. NiteKings Sun, 7 pm, free. Shows free unless noted. 5111 Boulder Hwy., 702-284-7777. Star of the Desert El Coyote Y su Banda Tierra Santa 8/15, 8 pm, $33. New Edition 8/22, 8 pm, $28-$77. Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino, 31900 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Primm, 800-3867867.

COMEDY 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., 702-507-5900. Bonkerz Comedy Club Primm Fri, 8 pm & 10:15 pm; Sat, 10:15 pm; $10. Primm Valley Resort , 31900 S. Las Vegas Blvd., 800-386-7867. Bonkerz Comedy Club Sayers Club Michael Parise 7/23-7/25. J.C. Currais 7/30-8/1. All shows 8 pm, $10-$20. SLS, 702-761-7000. Bonkerz Comedy Club Silver Sevens Fri-Sat, 10:30 pm; $10. Silver Sevens Hotel & Casino, 4100 Paradise, 702733-7000. Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club All shows at 8 pm, $65-$87. MGM Grand, 891-7777. Carrot Top Wed-Mon, 8 pm, $50-$60. Luxor, 702-262-4900. Margaret Cho 10/16, 9 pm, $44-$72. Treasure Island, 702-894-7111. Jeff Civilico Sat-Mon, Wed-Thu, 4 pm, $39-$50. Quad, 888-777-7664. Andrew Dice Clay All shows at 9 p.m., $59+. Vinyl, hardrockhotel.com. Comedy After Dark Wed-Sun, 10 pm, $40-$60. LVH, 702-732-5755. Jeff Dunham Wed-Sun, 7 pm; Sat-Sun, 4 pm, $72. Planet Hollywood, 702531-4320. Vinnie Favorito Nightly, 8 pm, $55$100. Flamingo, 702-733-3333. Eddie Griffin Mon-Wed, 7 pm, $90$182. Rio, 702-777-7776. Kevin Hart & Friends Comedy AllStars 9/5, 7 pm & 10:30 pm, $50. Cosmopolitan, cosmopolitanlasvegas. com. HydroComics Unleashed Wed, 9 pm, free. Lucie’s Lounge, 3955 Charleston Blvd., 702-776-6417. The Improv Kivi Rogers, Nika Williams, Sean Kent thru 8/9. Scott Record, Alex Hooper 8/11-8/16. Don McMillan, Robert Duchaine, Tracey MacDonald 8/18-8/23. Tue-Sun, 8:30 & 10 pm, $30-$45. Harrah’s, 702-3695000. Jim Jefferies 10/3, 8 pm, $45. The Joint, 702-693-5000. The Joe Show Thu-Sat, 8 pm, $30. Tuscany, 255 E. Flamingo Rd., 702629-0715. 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. The Laugh Factory Rich LIttle SatSun, Tue-Thu, thru 8/23, 7 pm, $40$60. Tropicana, 702-739-2222. Laughternoon Adam London Daily, 4 pm, $20-$25. The D, 702-388-2111. Jay Leno 9/18, 11/20-11/21, 10 pm; 9/19, 9 pm, $60-$80. Mirage, 702-792-7777. M Resort Comedy Night Fri, 9 pm, free with drink purchase. M Resort, 702-797-1000. Bill Maher 10/24, 8 pm, $49+. Pearl, 702-942-7777. The Mac King Comedy Magic Show Tue-Sat, 1 & 3 pm, $33. Harrah’s, 702369-5000.

Dennis Miller 8/7-8/8, 8 pm, $55+. Orleans, 702-284-7777.. Party Improv Comedy Thu-Sun, 7 pm, $25, 2 drink minimum. Planet Hollywood, 702-531-4320. Russell Peters 9/6, 8 pm, $49+. Pearl, 702-942-7777. Puppetry of the Penis 8 pm, $45-$49. Erotic Heritage Museum, 3275 S. Industrial Rd., eroticheritagemuseumlasvegas.com. Red Skelton Tribute Sat-Tue, 2 pm; $35-$40. Westin Las Vegas, 160 E. Flamingo Rd., 702-245-2393. Riviera Comedy 40 is Not the New 20 Mon-Sat, 10 pm, $40. Riviera, 855468-6748. Sapphire Comedy Hour Fri-Sat, 8 pm, $20. Sapphire Gentlemen’s Club, 3025 Industrial Rd., 702-796-6000. S.E.T. Improv Comedy Mon, 8 pm, $10. Onyx Theatre, 953 E. Sahara Ave., 702-732-7225. Side Splitting Sundays Sun, 10 pm, free. Boomers, 3200 Sirius Ave., 702368-1863. Sin City Comedy & Burlesque Show 8:30 pm, $38-$49. Planet Hollywood, 702-777-7776.

PERFORMING ARTS Art 9/4-9/20, 8 pm, $14-$15. Las Vegas Little Theatre, 3920 Schiff Dr., 702362-7996. Book of Mormon 9/22-9/27, 9/29-9/30, 10/1-10/4, 10/6-10/11, 10/13-10/18, 7:30 pm, 9/26-9/27, 10/3-10/4, 10/10-10/11, 10/17-10/18, 2 pm, $36-$160. Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com. A Balanchine Celebration: From Tchaikobsky to Rodgers & Hart to Gershwin 11/7, 7:30 pm., 11/8, 2 pm, $29-$139. Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com. Cabrera Celebrates Sibelius 11/21, 7:30 pm, $26-$96. Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com. A Choreographer’s Showcase 10/11, 10/18, 1 pm, $25-$45. Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com. Don’t Quit Your Day Job Sat thru 9/26, 10 pm, $10. Onyx Theatre, 953 E. Sahara Ave., 702-732-7225. Elf the Musical 11/24-11/29, $29-$129. Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com. For the Record: Baz Mon-Sun, 8 pm, Tue dark; $55+. Light Nightclub, Mandalay Bay, bazlasvegas.com. Full House: The Very Special Episodes beginning 8/7, Fri, 11 pm, $15. Onyx Theatre, 702-732-7225. The Get Fri. thru 9/25, 10 pm, $10. Onyx Theatre, 953 E. Sahara Ave., 702-7327225. Hedwig and the Angry Inch 8/6-8/8, 8/13-8/16, 8/20-8/22, 8/27-8/29, 8 pm. Onyx Theatre, 953 E. Sahara Ave., 702-732-7225. 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. Las Vegas Philharmonic: Beethoven & Brahms 9/12, 7:30 pm, $26-$96; opening night cocktail reception, 9:30 pm, $50. Passport to the World 10/24, 7:30 pm, $26-$96. The Snowman: A Holiday Tradition 12/5, 2 pm & 7:30 pm, 12/6, 2 pm, $46-$96. Spotlight Series 2/16, 4/26, 5/3, 7:30 pm, $168. Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com. The Nutcracker 12/12, 8:30 pm, 12/13, 1 & 5:30 pm, 12/18, 7:30 pm, 12/19, 2 pm $ 7:30 pm, 12/20, 1 pm & 5:30 pm, $29$179. Smith Center, thesmithcenter. com. Ragtime 10/27-11/1, $30-$130. Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com. Simply Ella 11/13, 7:30 pm, $35+. Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com.

SPECIAL EVENTS An Executive Chef’s Culinary Classroom With Executive Chef Edmond Wong. 8/27, 7 pm, $135. Bellagio, 866-406-7117. Beer for Breakfast 8/30, 9 pm, $50. Fleur at Mandalay Bay, lvbeerbarrelproject.com. CLIF Bar CrossVegas 9/16, $55. Desert Breeze Soccer Complex, W. Desert Inn Rd., crossvegas.com. Disney on Ice presents Frozen 1/61/11, times vary, $38-$83. Thomas & Mack Center, unlvtickets.com. Family Movie Night Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 8/6. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 8/13. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Skull 8/20. The Dark Knight Rises 8/27. Thu, 7 pm, free. Downtown Container Park, downtowncontainerpark.com. Harvest Festival 9/11-9/13, 10 a.m., $4-$9. Cashamn Center, 850 Las Vegas Blvd N., harvestfestival.com. Hot Havana Nights 8/6, 6 pm, $45. Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave, themobmuseum.org. Kumukahi Ukulele & Hula Festival 8/7-8/8, times vary, $22. Sam’s Town, 702-284-7777. Las Vegas Beer and Barrel Project: Seminars and Panel Discussions 8/29, 1 pm, $99. Mandalay Bay, lvbeerbarrelproject.com. Las Vegas Film Festival 8/11-8/16, times vary, $12-$250. Inspire Theatre, 107 Las Vegas Blvd., lvff. com. Mandalay Bay Beach Beer and Barrel Festival 8/29, 7:30 pm, $75. Mandalay Beach, lvbeerbarrelproject.com. M.E.N.U.S. presented by Epicurean Charitable Foundation 10/9, $500. The Beach at Mandalay Bay, 702932-5098. Monday’s Dark with Mark Shunock 8/17, 9/21, 10/19, 11/16, 9:30 pm, $20+. Vinyl, hardrockhotel.com. Movies in the Square Toy Story 8/6. Finding Nemo 8/13, 8/20. Films begin at sundown, free. Town Square, 6005 S. Las Vegas Blvd., 702-269-5001. Christopher Norment Book Signing 11/17, 7 pm, free. The Writer’s Block, 1020 Fremont St., 702-550-6399. Jessica Lee RIchardson Book Signing 10/24, 7 pm, free. The Writer’s Block, 1020 Fremont St., 702-550-6399. One Drunk Puppy Wine Tasting 8/15, 6 pm, $30-$40. Silverton, 702-2637777. Summer Movie Date NIght Ghost 8/7. The Wedding Singer 8/21. Films begin at sundown, free. Town Square, 6005 S. Las Vegas Blvd., 702-269-5001. Switch: Trans* Clothing Swap Thu, 5 pm, free. Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada, 401 S. Maryland Pkwy, 702-733-9800. Vegas Gone Yoga Festival 9/199/20, 8 am-4 pm, $89-$169. Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd., vegasgoneyoga.com. Vegas Valley Book Festival 10/1510/17, times vary, free. Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St., vegasvalleybookfestival.org.

SPORTS Global Force Wrestling Live 8/21, 8 pm, $25+. Orleans, 702-284-7777. Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend 9/17-9/19, 7 pm, $72+. Orleans, 702-284-7777.

CHECK OUT OUR COMPLETE CALENDAR LISTINGS AT LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM/EVENTS 56 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM AUGUST 6-12, 2015

Las Vegas 51’s vs. Iowa 8/15-8/22, 7:05 pm. El Paso 8/31-9/6, 7:05 pm; 9/7, 12:05 pm. $10-$25 unless otherwise noted. Cashman Field, 850 Las Vegas Blvd. N., milb.com. Las Vegas Outlaws vs. Spokane Shock 8/8. $18-$198. Thomas & Mack, unlvtickets.com. Monster Energy Cup 10/17, 6 pm, $56-$76. Sam Boyd Stadium, unlvtickets.com. Monster Energy Supercross Finals 5/7, 6:30 pm, $180. Sam Boyd Stadium, unlvtickets.com. Monster Jam World Finals 3/17, 5:30 pm; 3/18-3/19, 7 pm, $80-$180. Sam Boyd Stadium, unlvtickets.com. National Finals Rodeo 12/3-12/12, 6:45 pm, $58-$232. Thomas & Mack, unlvtickets.com. PBR World Finals 10/21-10/24, 6 pm; 10/25, 1 pm, $30-$170. Thomas & Mack Center, unlvtickets.com. Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl 12/19, 12:30 pm, $24-$110. Sam Boyd Stadium, unlvtickets.com. USA Basketball Showcase 8/13, times vary, $15+. Thomas & Mack, unlvtickets.com. World Wrestling Championships 9/7-9/12, 10 am, prices vary. Orleans Arena, 702-284-7777.

GALLERIES Amanda Harris Gallery of Contemporary Art Thu-Fri, 5-8 pm, and by appointment. 900 S. Las Vegas Blvd., 702-769-6036. Arts Factory 107 E. Charleston Blvd, 702-383-3133. 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. Suite 135, 702-366-7001, trifectagallery.com. Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art Daily, 10 am-8 pm, $11-$16. 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-693-7871. Blackbird Studios Fri-Sun, noon-7 pm. 1551 S. Commerce St., 702-7820319. Brett Wesley Gallery Wed-Sat, 1-7 pm. 1025 S. First St. #150, 702-433-4433. Clark County Government Center Rotunda Abraham Abebe Thru 7/10. 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., 702-375-4147. Downtown Spaces 1800 Industrial Rd., dtspaces.com. Galleries include: Wasteland Gallery Thu, 6 pm-9pm; Fri & Sat, 6 pm-11pm, Sun-Wed by appointment. Emergency Arts 520 Fremont St., 702-686-3164. Gainsburg Studio & Gallery Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm. 1533 West Oakey Blvd, 702-249-3200. Left of Center Gallery Tue-Fri, noon5 pm; Sat, 10 am-3 pm. 2207 W. Gowan Rd., 702-647-7378. Michelle C. Quinn Fine Art Advisory By appointment only. 620 S. 7th St., 702-366-9339. P3Studio Gabrielle St. Evensen Marry Your Self Thru 6/7. Wed-Sun, 6-11 pm. Cosmopolitan. UNLV Lied Library The French Connection Open thru Oct. Donna Beam Fine Art Gallery Mon-Fri, 9 am-5 pm; Sat, 10 am-2 pm. At UNLV, 702-895-3893. West Las Vegas Arts Center Wed-Sat, 9 am-7 pm. 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd., 702-229-4800. Winchester Cultural Center Art Gallery Kim Johnson Thru 7/17. Tue-Fri, 10 am-8 pm; Sat, 9 am-6 pm. 3130 S. McLeod Dr., 702-455-7340.

HOROSCOPE

free will astrology

By Rob Brezsny

ARIES

LEO

SAGITTARIUS

March 21-April 19

July 23-Aug. 22

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

Charles de Lint is a novelist whose stories are influenced by folklore, myths and science fiction. In his book Yarrow, a wizardly character named Toby is skilled at conjuring. He can make small objects appear and disappear, for example. But Toby yearns for more. “I want to be magic,” he says. “I want to be a friend of elves and live in a tree. I want to marry a moonbeam and hear the stars sing. I don’t want to pretend at magic anymore. I want to be magic.” If you have ever wished for a comparable upgrade, Aries, now is an unusually favorable time to work on it.

“What are the best things and the worst things in your life, and when are you going to get around to whispering or shouting them?” This question was posed by Leo author Ray Bradbury in his book Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity. Even if you’re not a writer yourself, you will benefit from responding to his exhortation. It’s one of the best things you could possibly do to activate your dormant creativity and intensify your lust for life. This is one of those times when working with your extremes is not only safe and healthy, but also fun and inspirational. So do it, Leo! Get excited and expressive about the best and worst things in your life.

If you’re not skirting the edges of the forbidden zone, you’re playing it too safe. If you’re not serving as a benevolent mischief-maker for someone you care about, you’re shirking your duty. Your allegiance should be with X-factors and wild cards. You will thrive to the degree that you cultivate alliances with mavericks and instigators. Are you shrewd enough to mess with time-tested formulas? Are you restless enough to rebel against habits that stifle your curiosity?

TAURUS

VIRGO

CAPRICORN

April 20-May 20

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

An imaginative Welsh man named Liam Bennett has developed a “dausage,” which is a blend of a doughnut and sausage. One of his most requested treats is pork meat stuffed with strawberry jelly. Even if this novel blend doesn’t appeal to your taste buds, it serves as a good prompt for my advice: The coming weeks will be a favorable time to expand your notion of what types of nourishment are fun and healthy for you. I mean that in the metaphorical as well as the literal sense. Experiment with new recipes, both with the food you provide your body and the sustenance you feed your soul.

It’s time to leave behind the golden oldies. You’d be wise to tiptoe away from tradition, and give the ghosts of the past one last kiss goodbye, and wean yourself from nostalgia for the good old days. Frankly, my dear, you’ve got numerous appointments with the future, and it would be a shame to miss them because you’re mucking around with memories. In the coming weeks—for that matter, in the coming months—you’re most likely to thrive if you become an agent of change. And the most important thing to change is your relationship to the person you used to be.

How to be a Capricorn, according to my Capricorn reader Sadie Kennedy: When you are younger, take yourself too seriously. Look and act older than you actually are as you serve what’s most practical. Sacrifice fun and frivolity, working doggedly to achieve the goals you yearn for, until you reach some level of accomplishment. Then realize, as if struck by a thunderbolt, that fun and frivolity have practical value. Begin to age backwards like Benjamin Button as you balance work with play and discipline with leisure. Enjoy the fruits of your intense efforts as everyone tells you how relaxed and supple and resilient you are becoming.

GEMINI

LIBRA

AQUARIUS

May 21-June 20

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

In the woods, living matter isn’t segregated from the decaying stuff. Rotting tree trunks are host to teeming colonies of moss. Withered stems of ferns mingle with cheerful saplings. Audacious mushrooms sprout up among scraps of fallen leaves. The birds and beetles and lizards and butterflies don’t act as if this mix is weird. They seem to be at peace with it. I suspect they thrive on it, even exult in it. That’s the spirit I suggest you adopt as you enjoy the paradoxical mélange of your life in the coming weeks, Gemini. Celebrate the mysterious magic that emerges as you simultaneously fade and flourish, decline and increase, wind down and rise up.

In Indonesia, the term gotong-royong is defined as the “joint bearing of burdens.” In practice it means that you and I and our allies get together voluntarily to help each other achieve a shared goal. It may also be an agreement to provide mutual aid: I help you do what you need to have done, and you help me with my task. Gotong-royong also implies that we enjoy working together. The emotional tone that we cultivate is affection and care. By sharing a burden, we lighten the load that each of us has to bear. I bring this to your attention, Libra, because it’s the gotongroyong season for you and yours. Be the ringleader who initiates and sustains it.

Cracking open the shell of a softboiled egg is a tricky task. You must be firm enough to break the shell, but sufficiently gentle to avoid making a mess. If you live in Germany, you have access to a metal instrument that provides just the right measure of soft force. It’s called an eierschalensollbruch-stellenverursacher, translated as “soft-boiled egg shell cracker.” Your assignment in the coming weeks is to cultivate a talent that is metaphorically similar to an eierschalensollbruch-stellenverursacher. I believe you will need that blend of sensitivity and power on numerous occasions.

CANCER

SCORPIO

PISCES

June 21-July 22

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

Feb. 19-March 20

Here are some tips on being the best Cancerian you can be: 1. Cultivate your sensitivity as a strength. Regard your emotional vulnerability as a superpower. 2. Nurture yourself at least as much as you nurture others. 3. Learn to know the difference between your golden hunches and the glimmering delusions that your demons stir up. 4. Be kind, but don’t be exorbitantly nice. 5. Remember that others’ unhappiness is rarely your fault or responsibility. 6. Keep reinventing the way you love yourself.

In one of his poems, Jack Gilbert mentions “the incurably sane,” who are “uncrippled by beauty” and “unbutchered by love.” When I read those lines, I felt a surge of protest. Is there a single person on the Earth who fits that description? No! I was miffed by such starry-eyed idealism. Later, though, as I studied the astrological omens for you Scorpios, my attitude softened. I realized that the coming weeks may be a time when many of you will at least temporarily be incurably sane, uncrippled by beauty and unbutchered by love. If you’re one of these lucky ones, please use your blessed grace to spread an abundance of blessed grace everywhere you go.

Americans often regard Cuba as impoverished and backwards. There is an element of truth in their prejudice, primarily because the U.S. has imposed a stifling embargo on the Caribbean nation for over 50 years. But I wonder how my fellow citizens would respond if they knew that in some ways Cuba’s healthcare system is better than America’s. Cuba is the first country to eradicate the transmission of syphilis and HIV from mothers to babies. Can you identify a metaphorically similar situation in your personal life, Pisces? Are there people you regard as inferior or undeveloped who could teach you an important lesson or motivate you to grow?

August 6–12, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com 57

The BackStory

ROOS-N-MORE | MOAPA | JULY 6, 2015 | 11:30 A.M. Working on the latest cover story for The Sunday, I found myself in the rare hug of desert humidity. In the distance, I started to see figures approaching through the waves of sizzling heat. A pack of unlikely characters—a llama, some goats and a camel, the leader of the pack—came into view. I couldn’t help but think of a rumble between the Jets and the Sharks in West Side Story. I waited for the goats to sashay while the llama high-kicked over them. I wanted a rhythmic dance battle to ensue (and was ready to go toe to toe with the camel), but the gang just wanted nuzzles, a little afternoon lovin’ from a stranger. –Mikayla Whitmore

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