2015-12-10 - Las Vegas Weekly by Greenspun Media Group

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Contents 7 mail Miley with Murray?

43 noise Country’s big weekend

8 as we see it Fake Facebook

(Nikki Lane! Blackberry Smoke! Little Big Town!), and Dusty’s big news.

events, lawsuits over herpes and the return of ... Neon Reverb!

46 the strip A decade of the

12 Q&A Chef Robert Teddy is a TV darling with a magic beard.

14 Feature | the force

smart shenanigans of Carrot Top.

47 culture The fight to save Reed Whipple Cultural Center.

(finally) awakens Time for Episode VII, and our tribute to the enduring Star Wars phenomenon.

48 stage It’s 40 candles for the

20 Feature | darth scorcho

boss at Jessie Rae’s BBQ. The Rice Shop’s small menu of huge flavors.

Star Wars and hot sauce changed Mike Coffey’s art—and life.

24 nights Bar Exam travels to

Rainbow Company Youth Theatre.

50 food & drink The sauce is

54 calendar SYTYCD in Vegas.

jessie rae’s bbq by steve marcus

PKWY Tavern. Fuku plants roots.

39 A&E The voice of Puscifer. 40 pop culture 2015 wins that shouldn’t have been.

41 screen A Moby Dick thriller and two new shows on Syfy.

Cover illustration By Chris Malbon

LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM DEVELOP ED

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> SAVE A PRAYER Duran Duran tickets go on sale Saturday.

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GET YOUR TIX! The Killers might have stolen the “we’re playing Vegas” spotlight this week with their Las Vegas Arena announcement (see Page 11), but a number of other big-name acts also announced upcoming shows this week. From a jam band to a country icon to an English New Wave act, get all the on-sales details at lasvegasweekly.com.

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BOWLING FOR HEADLINERS Punk Rock Bowling faves Descendents, Cock Sparrer, Flogging Molly and Flag were announced for the Memorial Day Weekend rawkfest’s 18th edition. More participants can be found at lasvegasweekly.com.

BOOZE NEWS A Valentine’s Day cocktail weekender returns. Henderson is named a “Best Beers in the Best Cities” city. A candy-cane local brew? Get all the details at lasvegasweekly. com in the latest installment of Booze News & Notes.

LET’S BE FRIENDS!

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MOST READ STORIES lasvegasweekly.com 1. Tony Bennett, Steve Wynn and other famous friends toast Frank Sinatra for his 100th birthday 2. With resorts under construction and Strip sites for sale, the Vegas engine is running again

4. John Mayer sparks the Grateful Dead’s latest live lineup 5. The Golden Steer celebrates Sinatra’s birthday as one of his favorite spots

FLAG LAS VEGAS SUN FILE

3. The Bocuse d’Or is coming to Vegas, and this is no quick-fire culinary challenge

Mail

> SITE SEEING Wanna build on the Boulevard?

STRIP FOR SALE Two big Las Vegas Boulevard sites are for sale, and two big new casino-resorts are on the way. Is Vegas on the rise once again?

Vegas is growing by leaps and bounds. Just more of Vegas to love. –Teresa Lucille Costello Vegas didn’t learn its lesson and will implode upon itself again. –Tom Haney As someone who has worked construction in Vegas for 29 years, we are not back by any stretch. It was turning around pretty good at the beginning of the year but it has died off again since last summer. These home builders turned over more dirt than the market can absorb (again) and it has led to a glut of new houses that are not selling as fast as they hoped. –Marc Douglas

YOUTH MOVEMENT The Strip nightlife scene will soon include Encore Player’s Club, a gaming-oriented venue targeting Millennials. Can Wynn make the model work?

photograph by steve marcus

Great idea. No need to segment gaming vs. sports books vs. bars. Pull them all into one. –John Kustra Not sure how they are ushering in anything new as Lavo already has a casino club that has been open since September. –Zachary Dorsey

Targeting a generation that lives fewer years and makes far less money than their parents? Good idea? Maybe if they bring daddy’s black AmEx. –Fleur Couture If you want to target Millennials, make the $5 table the high-roller and have napping stations where these poor underachievers can take a little snooze midday [with] Red Bull and vodka mac and cheese. –Testigo Tortuga Millennials are bringing down Vegas. They do not gamble, don’t visit the sports book, don’t visit the fine restaurants, no high-end shopping because they lack disposable income. Why does Vegas bend over backward for this demographic? The overwhelming majority are just there to go clubbing. –Chris Laney

SO GOOD THAT SANTA IS STAYING

FOR BREAKFAST

NOT SO MURRAY CHRISTMAS Everybody loves Bill Murray, but few can find a way to appreciate his new Netflix holiday special.

So boring, so not funny. There is a special room in hell for whomever introduced Bill Murray to Sofia Coppola. –Aron Kozin Why Miley? Please make it stop. –Tricia Briones Total snoozefest ... don’t even bother. –Harold Mountain Didn’t pass the first-five-minutes test. –Denise Bolaños

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

KIDS EAT FREE TUESDAYS

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Ask your server for details about additional Kids Eat Free Nights. Restrictions may apply. © 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. *See server for details.

AsWeSeeIt N e w s + C u lt u r e + S t y l e + M o r e

further reverb ∑ It happens here too often: A favorite restaurant, shop

or venue closes, or a cherished event goes dark, and the folks behind it console us with, “We’ll be back in a few months/in a new location/with a new name.” And that’s the last we ever hear of it. Not so for Neon Reverb. Downtown Las Vegas’ revered grassroots music festival, which went on hiatus after its spring 2013 edition, will return—for real—in March, its organizers informed the Weekly after nailing down key details. Among them: the dates (Thursday, March 10 through Sunday, March 13, with the bulk of musical action on Friday and Saturday); the venues (Bunkhouse, Backstage Bar & Billiards, Beauty Bar, 11th Street Records, Inspire Theater and possibly Fremont Country Club); pricing ($50 for an all-fest wristband or varying door covers); and the foursome at its core—longtime Reverb overseers James Woodbridge and Jason Aragon, Downtown Project music buyer Mike Henry and 11th Street Records owner Ronald Corso. Along with the new names attached, the most significant change involves Downtown Project, which will come onboard as a sponsor. “A lot of it has to do with Ronald being in various peoples’ ears for a number of years about it,” Woodbridge explains. Adds Corso: “Once [DTP Ventures CEO] Mark Rowland heard about it, he was like, ‘What can we do to make it happen?’ … [Now] he wears his Neon Reverb shirt pretty frequently.” Set for the weekend before South by Southwest in an attempt to catch acts en route to that massive Austin gathering, Neon Reverb’s 11th installment promises its traditional musical blend—indie rock, folk, hip-hop and more—from Vegas-based and rising touring bands, along with a few “headliner-type tentpoles,” Corso says. “EDC, Punk Rock Bowling, Life Is Beautiful—it’s great that they’re all here, but you could hold those anywhere,” Woodbridge says. “Neon Reverb has always been about our bands and our venues, and there’s something special about a truly Vegas festival.” Previously a twice-annual fest, Neon Reverb will forgo its fall edition to focus on the spring, though organizers say they plan to maintain a “presence” throughout the year. The spring festival will likely include comedy acts, and could feature variety-show elements, burlesque and more. “The goal is to have it be like the height of the Neon Reverb festival in fall 2010,” Corso says, referring to the Reverb edition headlined by The Walkmen, Jeff the Brotherhood, Crocodiles, The Soft Pack and others. “That was a series of, ‘Wow, this town doesn’t suck’ moments, and it’s something we’ve missed a lot.” –Spencer Patterson

Fake life rules The rise of faux events on Facebook

∑ It began with the San Francisco Sloth Festival, a supposed celebration of everyone’s favorite jungle slowpoke that drew interest from tens of thousands, but didn’t happen. Then it was the World Championship Taco and Salsa Festival, a dreamy Vegas event that caught the attention of 4,000-plus people, but no. Now it’s “Crying and Eating Bread by

8 LasVegasWeekly.com December 10-16, 2015

Yourself on the Floor,” a joke-y New Year’s Eve event for loners that’s committed 38,000 international attendees on Facebook. For party people, there’s also “Dropping out of school to become a potato.” Once a tool for actually organizing people, Facebook events pages have transformed into a vehicle for laughs, a trend that confirms

we do have too much time on our hands. “Crying” creator Sam Foran, a Canadian college student, told the Daily Beast he didn’t invite anyone; people were just attracted to its ridiculousness, which is admittedly hard to resist. Because why get dressed and go to a real, potentially boring party when you can just pretend to on the Internet? –Kristy Totten

AS WE SEE IT…

GOOD FAKE Could shrimp and shark made of algae save the Vegas food chain?

> BAD HAND A local man is suing a California woman he met on an app, alleging she lied about having genital herpes and knowingly infected him.

LEGAL BODY Can you sue a hookup for passing on more than a cell number? BY MARK ADAMS Sometimes the aftereffects of an encounter arranged on a hookup app last longer than the walk of shame. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported December 1 that a local man is suing a California woman he met on Tinder, alleging he contracted genital herpes as a result of their relations and accusing her of “fraudulent misrepresentation, battery, constructive fraud, willful misconduct, gross negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.” Court papers filed by the man and cited in the R-J allege the woman lied about not having the disease when he addressed the possible risk of STDs if they didn’t use protection. We asked Matthew Minucci, an attorney at the Cottle Firm in Las Vegas, whether the man’s argument holds up in court.

“Generally speaking, her lying to him and misrepresenting to him … I think that definitely gives rise to some kind of liability,” Minucci says, adding he believes the man could be partially at fault for not taking every precaution, and that he would need to prove he was disease-free before the liaison and that the woman’s non-disclosure led to his contraction of genital herpes. Minucci says a suit like this likely wouldn’t be pursued due to legal expenses, but the woman’s job as a Hollywood producer changes the situation. “Lawsuits aren’t cheap,” he says. “It’s likely that there are some assets there that would lead to a significant recovery for this man.” As legal precedent, he points to an Oregon case that concluded earlier this year, in which a man was ordered to pay a woman $900,000 for passing on the same disease—even though the jury found the woman 25 percent at fault. Minucci sees such non-disclosure as a moral issue that can become a legal one (like not disclosing HIV-positive status, which is a felony in Nevada), but advises: “Always be truthful, always be honest. If it’s going to cost you something short-term … it wasn’t meant to be.”

IN THE HYPERLOOP A dream of high-speed travel takes root in North Las Vegas A new Elon Musk brainchild is coming to Nevada: Hyperloop. The Tesla CEO calls it the “fifth mode” of transportation—after aircraft, automobiles, boats and trains—and has described it as a “cross between a Concorde and a railgun and an air-hockey table.” ¶ Musk’s conceptual design

is for high-speed, solar-powered travel in aluminium pods through an almost frictionless tube, and LA-based Hyperloop Technologies Inc. is one of two startups racing to realize his vision. A year after Tesla chose Northern Nevada for the site of its $5 billion gigafactory, Hyperloop Technologies plans to build an open-air test track on 50 acres of North Las Vegas’ Apex Industrial Park. Tests could begin as early as the first quarter of 2016, in hopes of readying the system for commercial use by 2020. ¶ Though Musk initially imagined Hyperloop providing high-speed travel between San Francisco and LA, Hyperloop Technologies envisions a route between Las Vegas and LA, focusing first on freight and then human transportation. With Hyperloop technology (which will test at a speed of about 335 mph), the trip would take only 20 minutes. –Megan Messerly

Sometimes business is the best way to make a difference. That’s the lesson Las Vegan Dominique Barnes learned after graduating from the University of California, San Diego, with a master’s in marine biodiversity and conservation. “I was so stoked to be near the ocean and make this huge change,” says Barnes, who once worked at the Mirage and Golden Nugget aquariums, “but I realized that government and academia move slow while ocean changes happen fast. … Business and entrepreneurship are a way to make an impact quickly.” So she started New Wave Foods, a sustainable seafood startup that’s developing shrimp and shark-fin alternatives. “Our products are made from algae,” Barnes says, “so it’s almost like taking out the middleman—the middleman being shrimp.” Barnes and her co-founder Michelle Wolf initially set out to create a replacement for China’s controversial shark-fin soup, but switched the focus to shrimp, because it’s America’s mosteaten seafood and is found in cuisines across the globe. With an investment from startup incubator IndieBio, New Wave is refining the shrimp’s texture and adding nutrition to the products so they’re not only good for the environment, but also good for consumers. Will New Wave’s goods ever meet a Vegas shrimp cocktail? Barnes says at least one local chef has expressed interest. “Our goal is to make a truly healthy, accessible, sustainable seafood.” –Kristy Totten

For more of the story, visit lasvegassun.com.

10 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 10-16, 2015

CARDS AND SHRIMP SHUTTERSTOCK; HYPERLOOP AP PHOTO

AS WE SEE IT… PYRAMID OF BISCUITS

IN BRIEF

BLESSINGS AND RANDOMNESS Maybe God doesn’t want you to win the lottery BY STACY J. WILLIS It was by chance that I wandered into a discussion of religion and the lottery at UNLV’s Lied Library the other day. Or perhaps it was by divine guidance—I seldom know. In a side room of the jam-packed-for-finals library, University of Virginia Ph.D. candidate Jonathan Cohen spoke not only about the popularity of the lottery in the 44 states where it’s legal— Americans spent $70.1 billion on it in 2014—but also about the religious overtones of playing. That is, players pray about it, and if they win, they’re inclined to thank God, and also to imagine that they were somehow chosen over others to have the money, as in, “God answered my prayers; God wanted me to be rich.” The lecture came a couple of days after the shooting in San Bernardino. I was already filled with a dread of the randomness of life and death, of the danger of religious certainty, of the absurd task of trying to contain heavily armed assailants who choose arbitrary places to shoot innocent people. I was thinking about the security at Lied when I went in, and decided that after taking reasonable precautions, our safety is more or less one big gamble, and what can you do, short of wearing Kevlar and helmets, except hope—or pray—and get on with it? But prayer had recently taken a hit, as many Americans were finally fed up with policymakers’ standard intangible response to mass shootings: “My thoughts and prayers are with the victims.” Prayer was not enough, critics said; we need laws, plans, action. The New York Daily News said it loudest with a full-page cover line: “God Isn’t Fixing This.” The criticism itself was then criticized as “prayer-shaming,” and on we went with a shrill debate that’s as surreal as our predicament. Cohen’s speech, then, randomly put the charm back in the human condition for me, if only for the hour. He noted that in the 1980s, a quarter of a million people subscribed to Lottery Players Magazine, which contained little more than pictures of winners holding their checks and thanking God. The odds of winning the lottery are miniscule, something like 1 in 175 million, far

worse than casino gaming, but the dream is as dramatically and irrationally enormous. As one player Cohen mentioned saw it: The odds are actually 50-50—either God wants me to have it or He doesn’t. * * * * * Writer Shirley Jackson’s famous story “The Lottery” first ran in The New Yorker in 1948, on the heels of race- and religion-based atrocities of World War II, and plenty of readers hated it. In the story, everyone in a familiar-feeling village draws pieces of paper in an annual lottery, and at the end, the person with the black-marked paper is stoned to death by the other villagers. “It isn’t fair,” says the innocent, unlucky character Tessie Hutchinson, as the villagers mundanely pick up their stones. When Jackson’s story appeared, she received a pile of letters from confused and/or upset readers. “I read it while soaking in the tub … and was tempted to put my head underwater and end it all,” wrote a woman in Minnesota. Ruth Franklin, Jackson’s biographer, wrote in The New Yorker in 2013, “‘The Lottery’ takes the classic theme of man’s inhumanity to man and gives it an additional twist: the randomness inherent in brutality.” I was feeling that after San Bernardino; I’ve been feeling it more with every mass shooting. In addition to commentary on our random brutality, a religious undertone creeps up in “The Lottery”—one that speaks to the potential danger and hypocrisy of religious conviction and conformity. The character Mrs. Delacroix, a villager who in some interpretations represents Christianity (de la croix, of the cross) or religion generally, proves to be exceptionally cruel. As literary essayist Helen Nebeker wrote in 1973, “Horribly, at the end of the story, it will be Mrs. Delacroix, warm and friendly in her natural state,

who will select a stone ‘so large she had to pick it up with both hands’ and will encourage her friends to follow suit.” If I was overwhelmed with the randomness of human brutality after the latest shooting; I was more overwhelmed by the increasing rhetoric of a religious and race-based war. * * * * * Standing in the university library in Las Vegas, a city built with cash from those with quite a bit of faith in gambling, the historian Cohen said of hoping to get rich playing the lottery: “It’s not irrational in a society that says you can get ahead without providing an opportunity to advance.” Now we were considering America’s decreasing social mobility, another societal malignancy, and he seemed to be asking, “If the world is irrational, isn’t the appropriate response irrationality?” While it wouldn’t be unheard of for a politician to tell the poor to pray harder—religion is the opiate of the masses, after all, and sometimes the crazy-making bath salts—“Have faith” ought not fly as an American economic policy, nor should religion be the basis of any public-safety policy, or immigration policy, or war; see the First Amendment—which we keep losing sight of in light of the Second. That much seems clear. But the efficacy of our dwindling logic in the face of random atrocities leaves me shaken. That night, while waiting for a friend at a casino, I contemplated why this particular room full of people stayed civilized and safe—was it randomness, or God, or was it due to the order of law and the strategic application of the ideological opiates? I don’t know. So I did what any rational person would do. I put $10 in a video-poker machine. Either God wants me to have a windfall or He doesn’t, right? I was out $10 in less than 90 seconds. But I made it home safe.

ALOHA ALL OVER Turns out this year’s tasty newbie California Noodle House was only the beginning. Boyd Gaming announced a complete face-lift is underway at its seminal Downtown hotel-casino the California, with almost every public area including the valet and porte cochère, guest registration and casino floor getting refreshed in modern Hawaiian colonial style. Those renovations will be wrapped up in early 2016, to be quickly followed by a complete redesign and upgrade of almost all of the Cal’s 500 hotel rooms and suites. More new food and beverage options are on the way as well. –Brock Radke AIR BEER Distribution of local craft beer expands to the skies January 1, when Allegiant Air will begin offering cans of Tenaya Creek Brewery’s Bonanza Brown Ale on flights out of Las Vegas; LA; Oakland; Honolulu; Mesa, Arizona; and Bellingham, Washington. That means a good chunk of tourists will get their introduction to the city’s flourishing craft-beer scene before their planes even land, and better yet, Las Vegans can enjoy a quality local brew at 30,000 feet. But does it pair well with peanuts? –Mark Adams ARENA ROCK The Las Vegas Arena will celebrate the city’s musical history on opening night, with acts from three generations teaming up for an April 6 kickoff. Headlining will be The Killers, joined by “Mr. Las Vegas” Wayne Newton and 21-year-old North Las Vegas breakout artist Shamir. Tickets cost $35 to $90, on sale December 12 at 10 a.m. through axs.com. The arena has also announced dates for George Strait (April 22-23, September 9-10, December 2-3, February 17-18, 2017), Janet Jackson (May 14), the Dixie Chicks (July 16) and Garth Brooks (June 24-25, July 2-4). –LVW

DECEMBER 10–16, 2015 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM

Weekly Q&A

Robert Teddy loves the spectrum of sweets, and the

pastry chef is taking the Food Network by storm hen I call he’s shopping for GoPros, so his team can capture the frenzy for a time-lapse video. Not of kayaking vicious waterfalls or careening around racetracks—building an enchanting holiday scene for Neiman Marcus with more than 300

pounds of chocolate, 275 pounds of sugar, 50 pounds of cake and plenty of icing. ¶ Dessert is Robert Teddy’s extreme sport, and the local pastry chef has been proving himself on national TV, with back-to-back battles on Food Network’s Halloween Wars and Cake Wars: Christmas. Teddy’s team won the former in October, and looking toward the latter’s final episode on December 14, he says his team is “bringing it.” ¶ We talked to Teddy about giant chocolate cacti, nihilism and baking with booze.

Before you were Chef Teddy, you were the teenage apprentice of master pastry chef John Espelund. But you didn’t go to culinary school ... I only went a

year in college, and I actually majored in music and minored in art, and I was working at a local bakery then. After that year I realized, okay, art is it. So that’s when I went to the Art Institute in Seattle and got my Associate’s. … I wanted to stretch creatively, and at that time, in the ’80s, I didn’t see a lot of stretching in the pastry world, beyond dough (laughs). After working as a commercial illustrator and designer through the ’90s, you found your way back to food. What pushed you? I started watching the

Food Network and they were having these cake challenges, and I was like, I could do that! I tell

12 LasVegasWeekly.com December 10-16, 2015

SUGAR & SPICE & EVERYTHING NICE Unveiling/raffle (benefitting Three Square) December 12, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with chefs Robert Teddy & Travis Martinez available 1-2 p.m. Neiman Marcus inside Fashion Show Mall.

people, look, I’m an artist first and then a chef. ... It’s so important when you’re a pastry chef to also be an artist, if you want to be out of the box.

You work so well together that your partner in this Neiman Marcus holiday display is your team’s sugar artist Travis Martinez, senior pastry chef tournant at Caesars Palace. It’ll be Jack and Jewel [Frost]

Your work on the Food Network, from a candy-cane dragon to a full-blown Toyland, has been way out of the box. Has the exposure impacted your career? It

levitating over Travis’ sugar and chocolate work, with sugar-snowflake butterflies all over, emanating this frosty magic.

hasn’t brought me a lot more financial security, but it’s given me more recognition and affirmation, which has been wonderful. You’re the cake artist on your team, We Three Kings. What can you say about how you perform in the final episode of Cake Wars? Like a lot of parents have

done in terms of fudging about Santa, I’ve committed to an NDA (laughs). … One of the judges says we are the team to beat.

These are 4-foot figures made entirely of sweets— so many hours to create this edible marvel that no one actually eats! Even when your creations do get eaten, why make art that’s so ephemeral? Pastry

chefs, there’s something in us that we want to create art that’s temporary. Is it nihilistic? I don’t know. I love creating these gorgeous things, and I get a happy thrill knowing people are going to see this, be wowed and then eat it.

“

… We love to push ourselves and show off our levels of artistry in our medium. I’m a sculptor, a painter, a designer, an artist. This is my chosen medium, and so I want to show you exactly what I can do with it. You had your own patisserie at the Venetian, La Sugarie; now run your own custom outfit, M. Antoinette; once did an exhibition of sugar art at Trifecta Gallery; and teach young chefs at Le Cordon Bleu how to make the finest dessert. Ever go slumming with Hostess? Most pastry chefs have their guilty

pleasures, and mine is Oreos. I mean, Oreos just hit it. They bring it. They brought it over a hundred years ago, they still are, and it’s amazing. It’s so simple, but we cannot escape the fabulous combination of that chocolate wafer and that

photograph by christopher devargas

shortened filling; you can’t run from it. You came up in the era of buttercream roses. Is your creativity being stretched beyond the dough these days? There’s been a continual evolution

and complexity level and raising of the bar in cake land. It’s wonderful. I’m seeing a lot of very abstract, forward artwork. That’s the antithesis of fruitcake. Where do you stand on the Christmas brick? Don’t be afraid of it anymore!

Enough chefs have been playing and experimenting with it that now you can find some marvelous fruitcakes. … The cake is actually more cake-like, a spice cake with fresh fruit and nuts, and perhaps a little rum in there or brandy. … Alcohol brings that lovely warmth of the holidays.

What else do you suggest for holiday cheer? Rachel [Smith] of the [FOX5] More show asked me on-air what should be the one suggestion for a holiday party, and my answer is glitter. A ton of glitter. Because we’re in Vegas, but also “holiday” is about magic and enchantment and lights. And occasionally a 6-foot chocolate cactus for Ethel M.

I only had a weekend, and I just threw it together. Yet another example of me being insane. I don’t think you’re insane. I think your beard gives you special powers. It does whisper to me at night

(laughs). –Erin Ryan For more of our interview with Teddy, visit lasvegasweekly.com.

December 10–16, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com

14 LasVegasWeekly.com December 10-16, 2015

∑ The attraction of new Star Wars

movies is mostly this: A generation of Americans (specifically Gen Xers, but hey, you’re all welcome aboard) gathers together to celebrate one of the cornerstones of global popular culture. I think we can be that bold about the impact of Star Wars as franchise, as brand, as entertainment, as state of mind. And in our sharing we affirm the everlasting validity of both pop culture itself and our own childhoods, while enjoying one last unified cultural experience. The run-up to what is likely the decade’s most anticipated film has been deliberately low-key. We haven’t been broadsided with trailers and teasers; rather we’ve been teased, so as best to approach the film in a state of spoiler-free wonder. The best tease of all has been the fact that Jedi hero Luke Skywalker has been a virtual noshow in the trailers and behind-thescenes snippets. Where is he? I don’t care to know the answer

prior to December 17, but I’m enjoying the theatrics. They give me faith that director and co-writer J.J. Abrams understands that the best asset to have in this new movie, and therefore the one deserving the least amount of overexposure, is Mark Hamill’s return to the role of Luke Skywalker. As movies for a new generation, the sequel trilogy will succeed or fail on the strengths of its new, largely unheralded cast. But the return of the old gang—Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie—will serve up many crowdcheering moments. It’ll be fun to see Carrie Fisher on the big screen again, smart, sharp of tongue and maybe a Jedi now herself. And though we’ve seen quite enough of Harrison Ford— the one true star of the original cast—over the years, we’ll all be rooting for him to have at least one wily “Han Shoots First” moment. But the heart of Star Wars, for me, is Luke, and it’s his fate I’m most intrigued by. Will he have a major role > GUESS WHO’S BACK Luke’s presence in Episode VII could pack some real surprise.

photo illustration by marvin lucas

or be only a supporting player? Will he, as some have suggested, somehow turn to the dark side? This would be a mistake, of course: Empire and Jedi charted Luke’s various temptations toward the dark side. The culmination of his character arc, his destiny if you will, was not defeating Darth Vader but rather throwing his lightsaber away when facing the Emperor and refusing to turn. To have him succumb or be tempted washes that away. Maybe he’ll embody the warm-ifweary humanity of his old mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi. We may get to see him as a veteran Jedi Master, dispensing a villain in a cantina somewhere, or sagely guiding a new generation of Jedi, urging them not to be as reckless as he was. Best of all would be spending time with this beloved character in quiet, reflective moments as he looks back on the events of the old movies and the intervening decades. I mean, if we’re in for nostalgia, let’s do it right. But as much as I want to see the character, I really want to see the actor. After 1983, Mark Hamill flatout disappeared. He starred in the three biggest movies ever but never became a star. He vanished into a long and honorable but obscure career of voiceover animation work. (He never even showed up on guest-star factories like The Equalizer or Murder, She Wrote.) I don’t even know what he looks like. Who is he now? What kind of actor is he? What unexpected weight can he bring to the role, having spent 30 years on the dark side of pop culture’s biggest sun? It matters, I think, because he’s actually quite good in the original movies. When you’re a kid, Han Solo is cool—a rogue, the badass older brother you want to have—and Luke is you. Kind of a dork. But you grow up and you realize that, dramatically, Luke is the far richer character. He’s the emotional center of the original movies, and Hamill makes you believe in Luke at all stages of his journey: mopey teen desperate for adventure, hotshot rebel pilot, game but overmatched Jedi-to-be and mature son trying to save his father’s soul. I don’t want to oversell Hamill’s talent. He’s not Harrison Ford. But his absence from the movies makes his return to this one so special. New fans will delight at new characters and amazing special effects and John Williams’ legendary score. Older fans will, too, but we know (or should know) that there’s no returning to the innocence of 1977. The original movie came out of nowhere. No chance of that here. No matter how well-kept the new movie’s secrets are, the hype itself has already shaped our expectations. But Mark Hamill remains a mystery, and thus the one presence capable of real surprise. December 10–16, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com

> BUILDING CHARACTER Harrison Ford has hailed the performances of John Boyega and Daisy Ridley.

Meaningful parts for classic stars. Sure, it’s awesome that Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher are returning to their iconic roles of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and CE Princess Leia, respectively, FO R T H E A K E N S rs but just showing up isn’t AW n theate er going to be enough. The mb es i r Force Awakens could easily ar iv ay, Dece k for d o s coast on nostalgia, but it will Thur 7 p.m. Lo next n t i a w 7 be a better movie if it brings 1 evie e. our r ek’s issu these beloved characters fore w ward in a significant way. A truly menacing villain. Darth Vader is one of the greatest villains in the history of cinema, and George Lucas’ prequels completely failed to match him. Previews for The Force Awakens only hint at the movie’s bad guys, but they’re going to need to seriously outshine forgettable characters like Count Dooku and General Grievous in order to bring real stakes to the story. A rediscovered sense of wonder. No jaded fan can re-create the experience of seeing Star Wars for the first time, but director J.J. Abrams’ goal should be to bring back some of that sense of awe and discovery. Star Wars might be a multibillion-dollar industry for a huge corporate behemoth, but that doesn’t mean it can’t also be a genuine work of art and feat of storytelling that makes fans gasp and cheer.

Special effects that blend technology with substance. Lucas was so enamored of CGI effects that his Star Wars prequels often felt like they were taking place in a sterile vacuum. Obviously no modern blockbuster will eschew CGI entirely, but Abrams

has promised a return to more tactile effects, and the movie’s world will be more immersive if he sticks to that. A complete story. These days, everything is a cinematic universe with an ongoing story: superhero movies, adap-

tations of book series, even remakes of classics. Disney is committed to a slew of Star Wars movies, but each one will be more enjoyable if it tells a full story on its own, leaving audiences satisfied rather than frustrated, while still eager for what comes next. –Josh Bell

∑ As if you needed an excuse to make

Theater’s special effects. Across the plaza, the Launch Bay allows visitors to study and snap film memorabilia, play Xbox and tablet games, peep a tease from the upcoming Rogue One film, and interact one-on-one with a hammy Darth Vader, a huggy Chewbacca and an imposing—but infrequently/randomly appearing—Boba Fett. Outside, prepare for surprise Stormtrooper raids, or build your own souvenir lightsaber inside Star Traders gift shop. And your kids will beg to be picked for the 23-minute Jedi Training Academy at the Galactic Grill, which now offers Star Wars-themed fare and souvenir cups. However, the centerpiece attraction is Hyperspace Mountain, which

dresses up everyone’s favorite roller coaster in Star Wars drag. The overlay is expertly choreographed to launch riders into a climactic battle with Imperial fighters, from whizzing spaceship projections and oncoming laser firepower to the hyperspace simulations, with John Williams’ famous score playing from start to finish. Never would I have imagined that my greatest Space Mountain ride would happen long after adolescence, or that the timeless coaster could even be improved, but Disneyland and Lucasfilm have managed a miracle. Let’s hope they wield the Force to similarly inspired effect when they build the forthcoming Star Wars Land. –Mike Prevatt

the five-hour trek to Disneyland, the new Season of the Force has temporarily taken over half of Tomorrowland to essentially give Southern California a (superior) version of Walt Disney World’s annual Star Wars Weekends—and, of course, whet the appetite for The Force Awakens. If you can think of a better promotion in cinema history, well, you’re wrong and here’s why. The long-standing Star Tours motion simulator has been refreshed with characters and a scene from The Force Awakens. Nearby, the 10-minute Path of the Jedi features a fantastic Skywalker edit of the 1977-2005 movies, enhanced by the Tomorrowland

16 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 10-16, 2015

∑ We’ve all said we’re Luke’s father, called our siblings scruffy nerf herders and pushed ourselves at work because Jedi must do or do not. Certain quotes have wrapped themselves around our lives like that gross tentacle in the Death Star’s garbage compactor. But what about the other hours of dialogue that didn’t end up on legions of T-shirts or inked to the inner thighs of super-fans? Even if you know these lines (and the exact scenes and timestamps), you might be surprised how useful they are for life on this planet. –Erin Ryan

∑ Up until a few weeks ago, I had never

seen Star Wars. None of them. I’d caught glimpses of Ewoks cute-ifying the forest and Jabba jabba-ing in his hut, but I had never actually sat down to watch the original trilogy. I didn’t think much of this apparent character flaw, but through endless chiding from every living person on the face of the entire planet, I’ve learned that it’s an abomination akin to bashing The Beatles or decrying the pope. And we can’t have that, so my co-workers arranged a watch party, and made me host it so I wouldn’t skip. Dressed in a fox onesie (is that Star Wars-y?), I buckled down to see seven hours of the space opera that saved America or whatever. Even as a traitor to humanity, it’s impossible to exist for 30 years and not learn the cast of characters, but now I know generally what they’re about: Luke’s a geek, Leia’s a tart, Jabba likes to party and Vader’s just a dad having a midlife crisis in space, which sucks ’cause there are no Corvettes. Also: Yoda is my dream dog. Hosting the party was a flawed concept, however, and I spent much of A New Hope greeting friends and missed the scene where the old guy lays it all out for Luke. Luckily I was familiar enough with the force, the father, blah, blah, so I was still able to follow, but it wasn’t really my jam. I know the special effects were groundbreaking in 1977, but we have Avatar now, and the story was too somber to win a place in my heart. The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, though, I get. They’re surprisingly more modern for being made only a few years later. Empire made me wish for an alien bar on the Strip, and Jedi was fastpaced and fun, the kind of lighthearted action I can get behind. Mind you, I’m a person who enjoys Maid in Manhattan; I do not purport to have good taste in movies. I can let you in on the raddest restaurant in Chinatown or recommend a good book, but ask me about movies and you’ll get Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit … on VHS. That said, I’m glad to finally join the club, glad to get the jokes, glad the hazing is over, and glad that the melted Darth Vader mask in The Force Awakens trailer finally makes sense. Seeing these movies didn’t suddenly transform me into a cinephile, but I am glad to have finally watched the video version of the Bible, because it was cute and nice and fine, and now all you Star Wars extremists can leave me alone. DECEMBER 10–16, 2015 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM

> THREE’S A CROWD? Admit it, you liked Darth Maul’s double-lightsaber.

∑ You don’t really hate the Star Wars

prequels. You hate that you grew up. I’ve never quite understood the vehemence directed against George Lucas’ second trilogy in the Star Wars saga. Or perhaps I understand it all too well. The very thing that won me over from frame one of The Phantom Menace is what prequel detractors abhor: the way these films act as time machines, transporting us to our earlier, less-cynical moviegoing years. Sent back to the Star Wars universe, only without the haze of nostalgia to protect us, many who grew up on the originals were horrified by what they saw. Let’s be honest with ourselves:

18 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 10-16, 2015

A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi are far from perfect films, for reasons I’ll get to. Yet they’re still great ones. They did certain things so well—conjured a fully imagined universe, echoed millennia-proven myths of hope and redemption, set standards for incorporating live action and special effects, gave us lightsabers—we looked past the deficiencies and gave in to their unique, retro-futuristic pull. Yet when The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith arrived with some of the same flaws as the originals, Star Wars fans reacted as if a terrible, repressed memory had suddenly emerged. The uncomfortable truth is that just about everything bad in the prequels was also bad in the originals. Hayden Christensen is no worse than Mark Hamill, with his whining about Tosche Station and power converters. Jar Jar Binks is no more annoying than C-3PO, who tagged along after R2-D2 like an unwanted dance chaperone. “It’s coarse and rough and irritating—and it gets everywhere,” was terrible dialogue. And don’t forget Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back: “How you get so

big eating food of this kind?” There’s one crucial difference between the prequels and their predecessors: the age at which many moviegoers experienced them. To become apoplectic over the prequels while still adoring the originals has always struck me as a strange sort of dissonance. Call it nostalgia gone sour, petulantly whining, “You ruined my childhood!” when in actuality the Star Wars prequels’ remarkably preserved it—warts and all. This curdled nostalgia has, unfortunately, caused many to overlook the good qualities of the prequels, including—and here’s their true beauty—how they function in artful conjunction with the first three films. Phantom Menace’s pod race—a masterfully choreographed action sequence that relies, like so much of the series, on inspired sound design—is an echo of the speeder-bike chase through Jedi’s forests of Endor. Jango Fett’s death scene in Attack of the Clones, in which boy Boba holds his father’s decapitated head, infuses the bounty hunter of The Empire Strikes Back with a new relentlessness. And in Revenge of the Sith, tragedy and redemption meet

like strands of DNA, with the birth of the very villain who will be saved three films later/earlier. What’s more, as a terrific recent compilation-video makes clear, the prequels’ mise en scène is almost entirely constructed of visual echoes of the earlier films. These instances are not a matter of recycling or cribbing, but of poetically mirroring, so that all episodes have an aesthetic connectivity that would earn other filmmakers the label of auteur. My guess is that with December’s The Force Awakens, J.J. Abrams will do a fine job righting the prequels’ “wrongs.” If his Star Trek work is any indication, he’ll polish the dialogue and modulate the performances so that we’ll all—myself included—be entertained, comfortably swaddled in nostalgia-down blankets. I’m just glad to know that when I miss the peculiar, majestic and, yes, dorky Star Wars sensibility that first captured the imagination of a generation, I can always return to C-3P0 and the gang. Jar Jar included. Josh Larsen is the co-host of Filmspotting. You can read his work at LarsenOnFilm.com and follow him on Twitter @larsenonfilm.

∑ “Star Wars showerheads let you bathe in Vader’s tears,” read the Gizmodo headline that stoked a new merchandise frenzy. Get in on it with these delightful totems.

1. BB-8 rolling luggage So, Disney went a little nuts with the merchandising … (though Lando’s “Galactic Swagger” tee is pretty sweet). There are treasures to be had, including this gliding hard-shell roller shaped like the droid du jour—BB-8. Just don’t count on it being easy to pick out on the carousel in the near future. $59.95, disneystore.com. 2. Chop Sabers Glowing blue (yay!) or red (boo!), these light-up sticks infuse your sushi experience with the power of the Force. And the product page promises: “It is a known fact that eating sushi with chop sabers vastly strengthens your ability to ingest horseradish.” So get at that wasabi, and the Empire. $14.99, thinkgeek.com. 3. Chewbacca koozie With rubber insulation and “Wookiee pelt” adornment, this might be the best outfit your beer has ever worn. Brew stays cold, hands stay toasty, and the more you hit the can the better your Chewie impression. $12.99, thinkgeek.com. 4. Frylo Ren We’re all eager to see if the new villain can stand up to the awesome scariness of Vader, but if Hasbro’s take on Kylo Ren is an indication, we’re hopeful. When you can make Mr. Potato Head look menacing, that’s something. $19.99, hasbro.com. DECEMBER 10–16, 2015 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM

> packet in Mike Coffey in his garage studio.

Zoom in, it’s a pile of Del Taco hot-sauce packets. Zoom out, it’s a collaged portrait of Darth Vader. This isn’t a hallucination, or some strange subliminal message; it’s the pop art of Mike Coffey, a Las Vegas signmaker who collages in his spare time. And what began as a symbolic outlet for hardships in his life has become a significant part of his identity. “A number of years ago I hit a creative rut,” Coffey, 38, says. “I became increasingly more frustrated and decided to shelve the paints and take a long break until I could clear my head and refocus my energy in a new direction.” When Coffey’s artwork stagnated during the recession, he gave it up altogether. But then, in 2010, Clerks and Mallrats director Kevin Smith got kicked off a Southwest flight for being “too fat to fly,” and the artist had an epiphany. “At the time I was going through a ton of personal issues, and found myself being able to relate size-wise,” Coffey says. “I was eating poorly, and I had accumulated tons of mild sauce packets around the house. Being a fan of Smith and feeling bad for him, I got this ridiculous idea to make a portrait of Darth Vader.” But it wasn’t ridiculous; it was resonant, a fusion of two iconic aspects of modern life. He had no problem giving away “Darth Scorcho” and started on other characters in the series: Leia made of Taco Bell packets called “Think Outside the Buns,” a Yoda named “Relish the Force,” Boba Fett, or “Dog with Mustard the Bounty Hunter,” and others of Obi-Wan, R2-D2, C-3PO and a stormtrooper. “I’m all for bad puns,” Coffey says of the titles. But laughs aside, the art had an unintended effect: it turned his life around.

***** Coffey pokes fun at himself when he talks about his artistic process. “I’m a crazy person,” he says of his

habit of spotting unique colors and textures among mail and magazines, sauce packets and foil. It’s a scavenger hunt of sorts, finding materials in credit card offers and Doritos bags. “I look for inspiration in everyday life, everything from getting the mail to picking up dinner at the grocery store. I’ve always been attracted to art and design and packaging, so even when I’m in the grocery store grabbing criss-cut fries from the frozen section, I think, ‘I could use this bag.’” His studio is a small, well-organized portion of his garage, where he files his repurposed finds and works under the gaze of his earlier pieces. And by the way, “It’s hard to make a female character out of trash,” he adds. As for the Star Wars theme, it just made sense. The first movie came out when he was born, and the trilogy was an integral part of his childhood and adolescence. Coffey first took an interest in art as an 11-year-old, and got serious in high school, painting a mural on his bedroom wall, then expanding to canvas and later sculpture. “I used a lot of bright and complementary colors, bold lines and a lot of movement,” says Coffey, who was inspired then by Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and psychedelic art of the 1960s. “A lot of chaos, a lot of ADD.” Today he’s inspired by a similarly vivid aesthetic, following artists like Southern California illustrator Josh “Shag” Agle, Juxtapoz magazine founder Robert Williams, hot rod artist Coop, and Tara McPherson, who paints styl-

20 LasVegasWeekly.com December 10-16, 2015

photographs by steve marcus

ized, candy-colored portraits of women. He admires outsider and lowbrow art, two genres that describe his own work.

***** The sauce-packet odyssey isn’t about money or recognition. Coffey works at home and doesn’t seek attention for his creations (a friend of mine found him on Instagram). He’s shown once at a Fullerton, California, art museum, and isn’t opposed to another show, but is mostly concerned with making art for himself. Having “saved the best for last,” Coffey intends to finish his Star Wars series with portraits of Chewbacca, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker before moving on to new subjects, including Judy Garland made of an encyclopedia and an old Sears catalog, and a “human interest series” collaging compelling people he meets. The first will be a friend of his uncle’s, a weathered, white-haired roofer with a stone gaze and a scraggly beard. But it will always be those experimental early portraits that gave him new purpose, helping him to gain confidence, lose weight and thrive once again. “It sounds kind of funny,” he says, evaluating his life today. “But I finally feel grown up.” And he’s not done growing. “My art is a time capsule of what I was going through in my life,” Coffey says. “It’s a diary in some sense. Whether I sell another piece or give it all away for free, I would never stop. I scratch the itch because I have to.”

December 10–16, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com

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DJ MOS AT 1 OAK From rock to soul to hip-hop to disco, Mos delivers, with style: He’s also one of the best-dressed DJs in the biz, according to Vanity Fair. December 11, 10:30 p.m., $30+ men, $20+ women. POST-FIGHT PARTY WITH PAIGE VANZANT AT TAO Catch up with

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ducer John Graham finally returned to Vegas this summer after years away, and fortunately for deep/prog/tech heads, he’s back at DCR again Friday night. December 11, 10 p.m., no cover.

PAJAMA JAM AT GHOSTBAR DAYCLUB

Mark Stylz and Exodus soundtrack this straightoutta-bed day party, where you can wear your jammies and get in free. Bonus: a free Champagne bar for ladies from 1-2 p.m. December 12, 1 p.m., $20+ men, $10+ women.

TIKIYAKI 5-0 AT GOLDEN TIKI Live lounge, surf, spy,

exotica and more lands on Spring Mountain when the four-piece combo version of the Tikiyaki Orchestra makes its Vegas debut. December 12, 9 p.m., no cover. ZEDD AT XS The popEDM dynamo and T-Mobile pitchman is back at XS after a long absence for his successful True Colors tour. December 12, 10:30 p.m., $30+ men, $20+ women. NIGHTMARE BEFORE XIV-MAS AT HYDE The

XIV Vegas Sessions parties remain virtually unmissable. This week, the Champagne showers and confetti converge with Jack Skellington and a holiday Halloween Town vibe. December 13, 6 p.m., $38+ men, $26+ women. DMX AT FOXTAIL You’ve heard DMX do “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” on YouTube. Think he’ll growl out “Jingle Bells” for his DMX-Mas industry holiday party at Foxtail? December 13, 10:30 p.m., $30+ men, $20+ women. SEAN PERRY AT HEART OF OMNIA Christmas

means no Omnia for more than a week. Catch the last show before the break when New Yorker Sean Perry Hearts you up. December 15, 10:30 p.m., $30+ men, $20+ women.

SCENES FROM A CHINATOWN CELEBRATION It’s grand-opening night at a burger joint. DJ Island Rok is blasting beats out back, taking turns with taiko drummers and lion dancers. At around 9 p.m. on this brisk Thursday evening, one of the lions makes his way through the jam-packed restaurant, fulfilling some version of a good-luck choi ching ceremony, complete with flying cabbage. All of this might not seem quintessentially Vegas, but it is. Even the burger guy’s dad was there, saying hi to everybody. The celebration of the new Fukuburger, on Jones just north of Spring Mountain, was a full-circle experience, as founder Colin Fukunaga—proud father in tow—started this thing almost six years ago with a food truck frequently planted in Chinatown. Late-night Fuku runs to Spring Mountain Road—pretty convenient if you just finished up at a Wynn/Encore nightclub—helped evolve Chinatown into a hip afterhours destination. Now, the brick-and-mortar Fukuburger joins many nearby eating and drinking (and karaoke) spots old and new, from Pho Kim Long and Ichiza and Zizzy to Chada Thai and Golden Tiki and District One, in the ongoing enhancement of Chinatown as a local nightlife phenomenon. From the Strip to Rainbow Boulevard, it’s all here. Full circle. –Brock Radke

24 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 10-16, 2015

PAIGE VANZANT BY JOHN LOCHER/AP PHOTO/FUKUBURGER BY BROCK RADKE

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NEIGHBORHOOD BAR EVOLUTION PKWY Tavern maintains an easy local vibe, just with more beer BY BROCK RADKE There’s only one Roadrunner Saloon left in Las Vegas, different brews available any given night, and you can join and it’s a cowboy-themed, Denver Broncos-cheering the PKWY TEAM (Taphouse Exclusive Active Member) gaming bar on Buffalo Drive just off Summerlin Parkway. loyalty program to earn rewards for every beer you drink. It’s a really fun place, actually, but it’s the last evidence of It’s also a bar for sports, with mini bowling lanes and pub games and the Mark L. Fine Red Room where UNLV a once-dominant local tavern chain. There were at least two other larger, super-successful games are always playing, named for the owner’s father, Roadrunners back in my prime Vegas bar-hopping days. who just happens to be a pioneering developer of the Las The southeastern location, on Eastern Avenue near the Vegas Valley. Not every neighborhood bar has local history behind it. Beltway, was the beer-and-shot-soaked heart of It’s just after happy hour in the middle of all suburban social activity in the early aughts— the week, I’m drinking a Magic Hat No. 9 and at least, that’s the way I remember it. You’d hit PKWY snacking on fried pickles and chicken-andthat ’runner for food and fuel first if you were TAVERN 9820 waffle sliders, Blue Öyster Cult is blasting and going out for real—to a club or to the Strip—and W. Flamingo I’m thinking this place doesn’t look like the half the time, you’d never make it out. Once Road, 702-243Roadrunner but it sure has the same feeling. your posse converged on one of those never-big- 5329. 24/7. The big backyard (or is it the front yard?) patio enough booths on the patio and a shared pack of cigarettes, your night needed nothing else. One of my best space is lovely, but since it’s cold, it’s the only area withfriends met his wife at that bar, now a PT’s Tavern, where out a lot of people. There’s no Rebel game tonight, but other people are probably meeting their future mates. I there are folks in the Red Room, hanging out under a was there that night. We had a lot of drinks. I ran interfer- giant Tony Sanchez face. Every little nook of the place is busy yet incredibly calm. I spot at least one longtime local ence with her friend. Wonder what happened to her. The other Roadrunner was on way-west Flamingo casino executive drinking alone, waiting for his group to Road, also near the Beltway, and now that bar is PKWY arrive, and soon, they do. There are groups everywhere ... Tavern. There are slight echoes of the cowboy theme, like we’re the only two-top in here. Maybe PKWY is the beerthe sunset-behind-the-mountains backdrop still situated soaked heart of activity along the western perimeter of high above the main bar, but PKWY is not necessarily for the Valley. There’s no reason for it not to be. But there’s a cowboys. It’s for beer drinkers. There are 150 taps and 250 lot of maple syrup on these waffle sliders.

26 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 10-16, 2015

Beer trip! First we decided on California. Then Maine and Montana before a quick detour back to the Golden State. We were pretty buzzed by the time we got to Utah. I’m not describing my latest vacation; I’m recalling the brews a friend and I drank during our first trip to AmeriCAN, a new bar at the Linq Promenade focused on canned beer and aiming to offer customers at least one variety from each state of the nation. The latest AMERICAN venue from Fine Linq Entertainment Promenade, (which also oper702-243-5329. ates PKWY Tavern Mondayin Summerlin) offers Thursday, a menu of 70-plus noon-midbeers that covers night; Friday, a lot of ground: Big noon-2 a.m.; Sky’s Moose Drool Saturday, 9 represents Montana, a.m.-2 a.m.; Uinta and Wasatch Sunday, 9 a.m.hold down the fort midnight. for Utah, California brews include Ballast Point and Golden Road, and the Silver State lineup features suds from Joseph James and Tenaya Creek. But why is Missouri’s Michelob Ultra listed next to New Hampshire? A representative says the bar currently offers varieties from 27 states and is working with distributors to feature a comprehensive roster by its grand opening in mid-2016. In the meantime, beers have been assigned to states without representation to ensure a better user experience for those with AmeriCAN’s mobile app (and its special offers for cheaper beers), allowing customers to check off states to score merch and other prizes. The indoor/outdoor bar, which took over the space formerly occupied by Blvd Cocktail Company, boasts a brewpub-style vibe, an engaging and knowledgeable staff of beer geeks, games like cornhole and giant versions of Jenga and Connect Four, and friendly patrons quick to share conversation—and sometimes even samples of their selections. Should we coin the term “can-share” now? –Mark Adams

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Tools of the trade Catching up with Puscifer leader Maynard James Keenan When did the songs on October album Money Shot start coming together?

[Puscifer co-songwriter/co-producer Mat Mitchell and I] have been kicking around a lot of the ideas for a while. There’s been pieces that have been in the Dropbox folders just kind of marinating, but we really turned the heat up about two years ago. Carina Round has a more prominent place on the album, especially vocally. Why?

Just a different flavor, you know. She was on the last one and the last couple of the EPs as well. But I would write a lot of the vocals and I would sing them, and then I would have her kind of come in as a backup layer. On this one I actually had her sing it, so it added that different dimension.

> toy story NBT’s The Nutcracker.

Trust Us

Stuff you’ll want to know about see the nutcracker Nevada Ballet Theatre’s production of the Christmastime favorite features dazzling costumes and set pieces, captivating choreography and Tchaikovsky’s brilliant suite (performed by Las Vegas Philharmonic musicians). December 12, 18 & 19, 7:30 p.m.; December 13 & 20, 1 & 5:30 p.m.; December 19, 2 p.m.; $29-$179; Smith Center’s Reynolds Hall. dvda Avant-garde performance-art group TSTMRKT is aiming for the impossible in Part 1 of its new audiovisual spectacular via “segmented soundscapes,” “multi-source film loops” and other unexplainable feats. December 11, 8 p.m., $10-$15, the Attic, 1010 N. Main St. LIVE FORENSIC SKETCH EXHIBIT

AESTHETIC EVIDENCE Using the Southwest as his laboratory, photographer and UNLV professor Julian Kilker explores visual information, place and context in the age of visual manipulation and data analysis. Through January 28, 1-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, Nevada Humanities Program Gallery, 1017 S. First St. #190.

GO CHRISTMAPUS Written and illustrated by locals Paul

Mattingly and F. Andrew Taylor, this comical “tentacled yuletide tale” will get readers in a merry mood, especially when read by RJ Owens (Mystère’s Bebe François) during the release party. December 10, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 567 N. Stephanie St.

HeaR chicano batman The LA quartet stirs everything from psych to surf to soul into its sonic brew. Get an up-close taste Friday, when Beauty Bar sends up the Bat-Signal. With Slipping Into Darkness. December 11, 8 p.m, $12-$15.

Ever wonder how forensic artists draw up missing persons? Learn during Jane Billingham’s afternoon-long demonstration/ discussion at the Mob Museum, which delves into the art of sketching the unidentified and the disappeared. December 12, noon-6 p.m., free with $10-$22 admission (and for members).

the nutcracker by Virginia Trudeau; chicano batman by Josue Rivas

You have Paul Barker, who’s known for his work with Ministry, on this tour. What’s he bringing to the music? Well, he’s

PUSCIFER December 12, 8 p.m., $39-$95. The Pearl, 702944-3200.

Paul Barker, so he’s shredding on the bass. And it’s nice to have a professional bunch of people. And I’m sure he’s super-stoked to be on the road with us, being the mellow, art-driven project that we are. Puscifer has played Vegas a lot over the years. Do you have any particular memories? When they had [drummer]

Tim Alexander backing the truck up a double set of ramps to get the Airstream from the parking lot onto the stage, that was nail-biting. “How the hell is this going to go, are we gonna die?” That was one of those moments you go, “We probably shouldn’t have done that.” (laughs) –Annie Zaleski For more of our interview with Keenan, visit lasvegasweekly.com.

Holiday havoc The annual KXTE 107.5-FM roundup goes for stylistic havoc with artrockers The Moth & the Flame, irreverent punkers Fidlar, ethereal fuzzboxers Silversun Pickups and alt-pop faves Bastille. December 15, 7 p.m., $41-$101, the Joint.

December 10–16, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com

A&E | pop culture c u lt u r a l at tac h m e n t

Goodbye, ‘Hello’

> rumor has it ... Adele cries to her music, too.

Call me the Grinch, but I’m not wowed by … By Smith Galtney What follows is a highly subjective list of people and things I don’t like as much as other people do. Its opinions are based more on juvenile grudges than fair and balanced criticism. You’ve been warned.

Adele “Why don’t you like Adele”? growls my sister, the mailman, the dogsitter, my therapist. They all think I don’t like her just because they like her. Which is not completely untrue. As a music collector, I prefer doing my own digging, finding my own treasure, as opposed to hugging whatever sound floats through the window. Like my friend Andrew says, “There’s lots to like. She has a lovely voice. She’s beautiful. She’s vegetarian. But her music is so painfully humorless and dreary.” You know it’s bad when even a New York Times headline reads, “Adele Cries to Her Music, Too.” Humans of New York While on a job years ago, I had to see Mamma Mia! on Broadway not once but three times in just a few months. During every encore, the audience of dads and granddads and wives and nanas were up on their feet, rejoicing to “Dancing Queen.” They all looked so happy, I had to wonder, “Why don’t I like this show? Am I a horrible, rotten person?” I feel a similar sense of worry when considering this hugely popular blog. It features cute pictures of nice, ordinary people. It tells heartwarming stories about love and loss and life. But it’s all so sweet, it gives me a really bad tummy ache. Björk Björk came out with another album earlier this year. Once again, my friends all went, “Wheeee! Yippeeee! I love Björk!” And once again, there was a noticeable lack of follow-up: no posted clips of songs they love, no Spotify screenshots captioned with “my new jam” and “DYING.” Perhaps they got so swept up in another magical Björk experience they forgot about social media entirely. Or maybe

they did what I did, and didn’t listen at all. Downton Abbey The problem here’s timing. I tried to start this immediately after bingeing the first season of Homeland—a jarring and unfair transition, to say the least. Now the final season’s about to air, and I’ve got five others to catch up on, and that ain’t gonna happen when I still haven’t watched Friday Night Lights or The Wire. Besides, my sister is a major Downton fan, so, you know, it’s gotta suck. Patti Smith There’s the Patti Smith you read about in her books, and there’s the Patti Smith you read about in other people’s books. The former Patti (as featured in Just Kids and the recently released M Train) is the world’s No. 1 superfan, a starry-eyed worshipper of music and poetry, an eternal dreamer whose passion for art and creation is contagious. The latter Patti

(who stalked Please Kill Me and Love Goes to Buildings on Fire) is an annoying, opportunistic brat who hustled and elbowed her way to cult stardom. Surely the real Patti lies somewhere between the two. But that won’t stop me from thinking Horses is overrated. Twitter Just now, I logged on in the hopes that maybe I would see something, anything to make me finally warm up to this … this …. whatever it is. First thing I saw? Perez Hilton’s face. Back to Facebook, I go! George Takei Here’s the part where I tread lightly, because the last time I expressed a less-thanglorifying thought on the man, the general consensus was, “Blasphemy!” But honestly, I couldn’t finish To Be Takei. It bored me. Those JPEGs are really cute, though.

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A&E | screen > showdown at sea Hemsworth steels himself to face the giant whale (below).

f i l m | VO D

Photo essay Life explores the creation of an iconic James Dean image

film

Man vs. whale In the Heart of the Sea tells the true story behind Moby Dick By Josh Bell which he was not present. The main character is not Author Herman Melville claims in Ron Howard’s young Nickerson, but rather Essex first mate Owen Chase In the Heart of the Sea that he’s not a particularly good (Chris Hemsworth), an upstanding veteran seaman writer, but he obviously knew something about how to forced to serve under arrogant, inexperienced Captain effectively tell the story of the doomed whaling ship George Pollard (Benjamin Walker), given comEssex. Melville’s novel Moby Dick, inspired in mand thanks to his family connections. part by the Essex disaster, remains an American aabcc The clash between Chase and Pollard plays classic 165 years after it was published, while In IN THE out predictably, as does much of the high-seas the Heart of the Sea will probably vanish from HEART drama, and the other sailors end up mostly the popular consciousness by next week, when OF THE indistinguishable. The true story of the Essex it gets obliterated at the box office by the new SEA Chris is not quite as eventful as Melville’s narrative Star Wars movie. That’s not to say Sea is a terHemsworth, for Moby Dick, and Howard’s movie is more rible movie; like many of Howard’s films, it’s a Benjamin about grim survival at sea following a shipworkmanlike, middle-of-the-road crowd-pleasWalker, wreck than devastating whale attacks. There er with some solid performances and a couple Brendan are a couple of thrilling set pieces featuring of rousing moments. Stacked up against one of Gleeson. giant CGI whales (along with some jumbled the most celebrated novels of all time, though, it Directed by editing and camera work), but most of the story looks pretty paltry. Ron Howard. is dull and plodding, with minimal character Howard and screenwriter Charles Leavitt Rated PG-13. development. (working from Nathaniel Philbrick’s book) frame Opens Friday. The survivors’ ordeal is more cheesy than the story with Melville (Ben Whishaw) talking harrowing, and the movie wraps up with overly to Thomas Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson), the neat resolutions for both Melville and Nickerson as only living survivor of the Essex, some 30 years after they go their separate ways. Melville went on to create the ship was sunk by an attacking sperm whale in 1820. acclaimed fiction from traumatic true events, but Howard Melville’s presence serves mainly as a source of familiar struggles to make those same true events anywhere near references, and Nickerson’s role as narrator makes little as compelling as Melville’s fiction. sense, since the flashbacks include numerous events at

Earlier this year, The End of the Tour examined the life of author David Foster Wallace through the lens of several days he spent with Rolling Stone writer David Lipsky, as one artist on the verge of massive success sparred with another who was hungry for that same kind of success. Anton Corbijn’s Life takes a similar approach to the relationship between actor James Dean (Dane DeHaan) and photographer Dennis Stock (Robert Pattinson), who in 1955 took a series of pictures of Dean for Life magazine, including the iconic image of Dean in a rainy Times Square, jacket collar upturned, cigarette dangling from his lips. Corbijn, who has spent aaabc decades as a rock LIFE Robert photographer, Pattinson, clearly underDane DeHaan, stands the giveJoel Edgerton. and-take between Directed photographer and by Anton subject, especially Corbijn. Rated when that subject R. Available is a temperamenon Video on tal artist. The Demand. movie is as much about Stock as it is about Dean, and each struggles with his ambitions in his own way. Dean is on the cusp of a level of fame that makes him uncomfortable, while Stock yearns for the kind of recognition that seems to come effortlessly to the young actor. Although it’s about the creation of indelible images, Life is Corbijn’s most straightforward film visually, and the script by Luke Davies is sometimes a little clumsy in the way it lays out its themes. But Pattinson and DeHaan are both strong, portraying real people with a mix of imitation and individuality. Like a good photographer, they capture the subject’s essence while adding their own perspectives. –Josh Bell

December 10–16, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com

A&E | screen

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> Science Experiment Childhood’s End and (below) The Expanse are set to debut on SyFy. tv

Syfy gets serious Childhood’s End and The Expanse return the network to its sci-fi roots By Josh Bell

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as a noir-style Belter detective to When the Sci Fi Channel Shohreh Aghdashloo as a pragrebranded itself as Syfy in 2009, matic Earthbound politician. The it moved away from scripted various storylines seem a little disscience-fiction series like the connected at first, but they come acclaimed Battlestar Galactica and together effectively as the series into reality shows, game shows progresses, and each small detail, and professional wrestling, to the whether in dialogue or in set outcry of many sci-fi fans. Now six design, contributes to the overall years later, the network’s programimmersion of the show’s world. ming is shifting back toward sciThe world of Childhood’s End, ence fiction, with an emphasis on on the other hand, feels adapting well-regarded disappointingly limited, source material. even though it encomTwo of the biggest aaccc passes all of humanity. launches in that new CHILDHOOD’S Clarke’s story of seeminitiative debut this END December ingly benevolent alien week: the miniseries 14-16, 8 p.m., invaders dubbed the Childhood’s End, based Syfy. Overlords is more about on the classic 1953 novel philosophical ideas by sci-fi legend Arthur aaabc than specific characC. Clarke, and the ongoTHE EXPANSE ter interactions, and ing series The Expanse, Tuesdays, 10 screenwriter Matthew based on the popular p.m. (premieres Graham has a tough novels by James S.A. December 14, 10 time building engaging Corey. Both exhibit the p.m.), Syfy. arcs for the miniseries’ scope and ambition the characters (some of network has been misswhom have been created or siging in recent years, although only nificantly reimagined for the TV The Expanse manages to make good version). In particular, the second on those ambitions. It’s not entireof the three two-hour episodes is ly consistent, but over the course of a tedious drag, with detours that its first four episodes, The Expanse ultimately have little relevance to builds a convincingly lived-in the story’s outcome. future world and populates it with Even in its special effects, an impressively diverse range of Childhood’s End looks chintzy and characters (including what must unimaginative, while The Expanse be TV’s very first space Mormons), manages to take familiar sci-fi elewhile weaving together several ments and synthesize them into intricate storylines. something that looks and feels disThe show’s political landscape tinctive. While both shows aim for includes friction among residents thought-provoking, serious storyof Earth, colonists on Mars and telling, The Expanse is the one that downtrodden workers in the represents a true promise for the asteroid belt, and the ensemble future of Syfy. cast ranges from Thomas Jane

A&E | noise

> stage presence Little Big Town embraces spectacle; Nikki Lane sings her heart out (inset).

c o n c e rt s

Country cavalcade

Ashley Monroe, Nikki Lane and other NFR week highlights By Josh Bell Every year during the National Finals Rodeo, the city turns into a sort of piecemeal countrymusic festival, with concerts ranging from bigname stars to underground singer-songwriters to hardworking cover bands taking place all over town. Some acts come to town every December, while others just conveniently route their tours to Vegas during NFR. It’s the one time of year when even under-the-radar country artists can usually count on reaching an audience. Of course, that isn’t always the case: Even NFR couldn’t overcome Vegas’ typical alt-country apathy, and I was among a crowd of maybe 50 at Beauty Bar Thursday night to see Nashville singer-songwriter Nikki Lane. For those who braved the cold at the venue’s outdoor stage, Lane and her band delivered a lively, diverse hourlong set that combined oldschool country chops with a loose, ragged, rockand-roll style. Lane brought along psychedelic rockers Clear Plastic Masks as her openers (and invited them onstage for a closing rendition of Bob Dylan’s “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”) and expressed annoyance with an audience member who kept yelling for her to play “country music,” but she also brought a deep Southern world-weariness to her singing, and delivered a traditionalist cover of Waylon Jennings’

“Waymore’s Blues”—as soon as the obnoxious country-music snob left. The next night I headed to the Joint for a packed show headlined by pop-country quartet Little Big Town, although I was more excited to see opener Ashley Monroe, another singer-songwriter toiling away in Nashville without getting her proper due. Although Monroe has gotten more mainstream attention than Nikki Lane (thanks mostly to her membership in trio Pistol Annies alongside Miranda Lambert), her classic, twangy sound doesn’t fit on country radio. She took the stage to Loretta Lynn’s “You’re Lookin’ at Country” and spent the next 40 minutes proving worthy of it, with a set full of aching ballads (“Like a Rose,” “Has Anybody Ever Told You”) and honky-tonk attitude (the cheeky “Weed Instead of Roses,” barn-burning set closer “Winning Streak,” which showcased Monroe’s ace backing band). Little Big Town brought out video screens and wind machines befitting its belated ascension to chart success (16 years and six albums into the band’s career), and its set was heavy on songs from last year’s Pain Killer. Although LBT’s lush four-part harmonies are what make its music unique, they’ve been de-emphasized as the group has released more

little big town by wayne posner/erik kabik photography; nikki lane by spencer burton

successful, pop-oriented singles, and singer Karen Fairchild has become the dominant voice. Live, however, she shared the spotlight with her bandmates, bringing their voices back to songs that have pushed them to the background. Still, the group sounded best on older tunes like “Bones” and “Bring It on Home,” as well as a lovely a cappella version of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.” On Sunday night I ventured into the Gold Buckle Zone, a gussied-up ballroom in the MGM Grand conference center, for an NFR afterparty headlined by country-rockers Blackberry Smoke. The crowd was a mix of die-hard Blackberry fans who sang along to every song and indifferent cowboys and cowgirls who might have wandered in after checking out some boots in the retail area. Although equipped with six different bars, the Gold Buckle Zone clearly wasn’t meant to be a concert venue, and the sound was so muddy singer Charlie Starr’s vocals were often drowned out. It did improve a bit over the course of the band’s performance, and those hardcore fans were treated to a full 100-minute set of Blackberry’s heavily Lynyrd Skynyrd-influenced Southern rock. The band was set to return to do it all again two days later, another gift to country-music fans courtesy of the NFR.

December 10–16, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com

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A&E | noise

> TRAVELING PREACHER Frequent Vegas visitor the Reverend Horton Heat.

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Five thoughts: Reverend Horton Heat

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“Psychobilly Freakout,” the Rev’s best known song, appeared early in the set and is perhaps the best intro to the three-piece band if you’ve never heard it before. Psychobilly is an amalgam of many genres—mash up some country, a little surf-rock and a helping of swing, blend them at the highest speed possible and you have a good idea what this show was like. To play at such speed requires technical precision, which all three members of RHH have in spades. The Rev, Jim Heath, is a quick-picking assassin, nailing the guitar on both speed and accuracy. Upright bassist “Nature Boy” Jimbo Wallace plucks that thing with such aplomb, he just might be the Ric Flair of the instrument. And drummer Scott Churilla pounds hard and keeps the back line sturdy.

Heath, a fan of puns, toes the line between humor and reality with his banter. He mentioned that earlier in the week he was in an emergency room in Albuquerque for seven and a half hours. It was believable until he disclosed the cause of the incident: an overdose on Tums. Heath said, “Our albums have slow songs, but when we play live we don’t play slow songs …” The crowd roared. And Heath continued, “...until right now.” RHH then launched into an early ballad from its catalog, “It’s a Dark Day.” Three swell covers helped fill out the set. “The School of Rock and Roll” by Gene Summers and His Rebels, “Run Rudolph Run” by Chuck Berry (which saw The Rev and Jimbo swapping instruments) and Johnny Cash’s “Big River” all got a pyschobilly makeover. –Jason Harris

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Locals. Las Vegans struck out despite Shamir’s highly lauded breakthrough, Brandon Flowers’ well-received sophomore release and Imagine Dragons’ first No. 1 album. Kamasi Washington. His critically heralded album, The Epic, crossed genres and generations, but the LA-based tenor saxophonist was criminally shut out of the jazz categories. Sufjan Stevens. Another mega-praised album, Carrie & Lowell, seemed destined for a Best Alternative Music Album nod. Alas, no dice for the singer-songwriter. Foo Fighters. Their late-2014 album Sonic Highways even came with its own HBO series, but the six-time Best Rock Album nominees couldn’t hit lucky number seven. Calvin Harris. The world’s most popular DJ scored four massive hits from collaborator-heavy Motion (“Summer,” “Blame,” “Outside,” and “Under Control”), but was rebuffed for the Best Dance/Electronic Album. –Mike Prevatt

reverend horton heat by wayne posner/erik kabik photography

DEC 12

The most egregious absences from Monday’s announcement

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

LOUD!

Local Music News & Notes

dusty sunshine by steve marcus

By leslie ventura SUNSET, SUNRISE More than a year after the band’s breakup in September 2014, local folk sextet Dusty Sunshine is back in commission and gearing up for a show at the Bunkhouse on February 12. What kindled the reunion? “We were at the reopening of the Bunkhouse and [bassist] Aly [Prudence] was just really excited. … She was like, ‘I’m going to talk to [Bunkhouse booker] Ryan Pardey [about playing a show],’” vocalist/guitarist Summer Soll says. All six musicians are already practicing for February’s gig, which will include support acts Blair and Ian Dewane and Jackson Wilcox. “I just feel like we all love the music so much and we love what we did,” vocalist/guitarist Heidi Guinn says. “It just needed some time and space to heal.” Sitting inside Atomic Liquors on a Sunday night the members of Dusty Sunshine say they’ve come a long way from the group’s early days—and from the rift that got between them. “At this point, we’re family,” Guinn says. “We’ve bonded, we’ve had so many experiences together—it’s more than the band.” Whether or not the Bunkhouse set will lead to more shows or another recording Guinn says is “unspecified.” The goal right now is to get everything ready for February 12. “We just started playing the songs and it was so good,” drummer Courtney Carroll says. “I was so surprised. We could play a show tomorrow.”

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PUNK ROCK SANTA Kiel Smith, the frontman for local punk outfit Hard Pipe Hitters, is spreading holiday cheer again this year with his second annual No Gods, Just Santa Claus punk showcase and fundraiser on December 12. “The idea was kind of borrowed from the Pyrate Punx in LA, a network of underground punk rockers … who help out touring bands with shows.” After witnessing an autism research benefit thrown by the San Bernardino chapter, Smith held his first NGJSC last year, raising $900 in cash-donations and around $400 in toys for Safe Nest, he says. This year, Smith will partner with host HellPop! Comics for the holiday bash, with all proceeds and donations going to Big Brothers & Big Sisters. With Delta Bombers, Be Like Max, Firewater

LOSING GROUND After a short run at the Hard Hat Lounge, First Friday showcase Common Ground—originally launched in 2007 at the Bunkhouse—is calling it quits again. “It’s a hard sell, location-wise,” Hard Hat booker Tamarisk Wood says. “We’re so close to Dino’s and Velveteen [Rabbit] … and we also have to compete with Fremont.” Still, Wood says she’ll continue to stage bands at Hard Hat. She recently launched the Sunday Chill acoustic night, which will feature Without Wolves on December 13.

> reunited The members of Dusty Sunshine.

* * * * * ALSO Punksinvegas.com has added Lydia Vance, the defunct local punk band which featured

Brendan Scholz and Jared Cooper (now both in Mercy Music), to its online Vegas archive. Included is a never-released album, plus commentary from band members, local musicians and more. Punks in Vegas will also release a free, digital compilation featuring local tracks from 2014 and 2015, in addition to its winter series Holiday Sessions, this month. … ’80s hardcore punk group FSP has rallied its original lineup for a show on December 11 at Dive Bar. According to the band’s Facebook page, the gig is also bassist Johnny Bangs’ first gig post-heart surgery. With Lethal Injection, System Rejex, New Cold War, Bitter Sea, 9 p.m., $5. … New local hip-hop/soul act The Evergreen Collective has released a debut LP: a holiday record titled Love Is the Reason, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission. The group features Halsey Harkins, Bronson Garza, Renaldo Elliott, Jay R. Beatbox, Cameron Calloway, Barry Black and others.

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A&E | the strip T H E K AT S R E P O RT

Orange appeal

> THE CONTENDER Carrot Top signs up for another five rounds at Luxor.

With 10 years at Luxor and a new five-year contract, Carrot Top keeps his grip on the Strip By John Katsilometes

46 LasVegasWeekly.com December 10-16, 2015

other answer as to why that is.” That wasn’t always the case. Thompson often took on the personality of the tormented clown. Years ago, he often brooded after shows when the audience was tight, even if he was the only one to detect that problem. Occasionally he would cut short his backstage meet-and-greets with friends so he could decompress after what he deemed poor performances. “Back in the day, to be honest with you—especially in the MGM Grand days—I didn’t have the confidence I have now, or whatever it is,” Thompson says. “Every little thing would bother me. I remember one night after a show, running back to my dressing room, literally, in my Mick Jagger tights [which he still wears in his rocking finale], back to my room, down the hallway from the back elevator. The employees were like, ‘What the hell is happening?’ Still in my costume, in my stupid glitter socks, because I had a bad show.” He laughs and says, “I couldn’t figure out why I needed to kill every night, but that’s how I was. One day, finally, it dawned on me that you can’t be Elvis every night. To have those off nights kind of makes you stronger, and I’ve learned a lot about working a crowd now, which I never appreciated before.” This night’s show was a nostalgic trek, as Thompson pulled a trunk full of props from his very first performances. In the mix was the first prop he ever used onstage, a Neighborhood Watch sign. “Where did I get this? I stole it!” is the 30-yearold joke. “You’d better laugh! It took me three hours to unbolt this thing!” “I didn’t even remember all these props from ’86, and when I’m pulling them out I’m trying to remember the jokes,” Thompson said. “I didn’t remember all of them, but they still work.” So, too, does Carrot Top, who manages to defy time and classification. Like the comic, the laughs never get old.

photograph by christopher devargas

The post-show party is in full flourish. The music of Queen booms over the sound system in Carrot Top’s dressing room, appropriately, as he’s friends with that band’s great drummer, Roger Taylor. In this fête we find another drumming legend, Pantera founder Vinnie Paul, picking over the cheese tray with one hand and clutching a 48-ounce cocktail with the other. A very real rock star, Paul has seen C.T.’s show more than 300 times. Count him among the indoctrinated. The place is otherwise slammed, as friends nudge toward the forever orange-maned comic with the given name Scott Thompson. Everyone wants a shot with Carrot Top, who is conferring closely with his mother, Dona, and his brother, Garrett, a commercial pilot sometimes referred to as Garrett Top. They come from all walks of life, these fans of wearing a full hockey uniform and is penalized for Carrot Top. Over his career, Thompson has amassed “bad acting” before falling to the ice). a wide assortment of supporters, among them Our first meeting at the MGM Grand was before NASCAR drivers, country-music superstars (espehis show at Hollywood Theater, and I was relieved cially Toby Keith) hard rockers (especially performto learn how smart and schooled he was in his craft. ers from Raiding the Rock Vault), hip-hop icons He talked of the great storytelling of George Carlin (especially Flavor Flav, who showed up at a show a and how Steve Martin intelligently blended props few weeks ago and sparked bedlam through the audiwith written material in his stand-up act. In a quote ence), casino executives and many fellow comics. I’ve always remembered, “You won’t see me hold up “Where are Louie and Ron?” Carrot Top asks. a shoe and a horn and say, ‘It’s a shoehorn! Get it?’” “Did they make it here?” That reference is to comic In the first five minutes of his show that colleagues Anderson and White. A few feet night, I was hooked. The frenetic pace away, under one of C.T.’s barstools, rests a of the props pulled from a dozen trunks large, brown carry-on bag that looks made CARROT spread across the stage took the audience’s from a onetime eel and seems like it belongs TOP Monday breath away. This same early segment in the comic’s stage show. I call over, “Hey, & Wednesdaysets the stage in Carrot Top’s show at the is this a prop? It looks like it could hold an Sunday, 8 p.m., Luxor, but he’s a far more refined comic entire body!” And the person who belongs $55-$65. Luxor, than he was 15 or 20 years ago. to that bag is … Nicolas Cage, who offers, “I 702-262-4400. “I’m able to deal with the show when wouldn’t have missed this. Scott is one of my it’s not working, that’s the biggest differbest friends.” ence,” he says, his voice rising above the din of the So there you have the scene after the scene. dozens filing into his dressing room. “I’m using sar“This,” as Cage notes, is the night of Carrot Top’s casm a lot more and am more comfortable with it,” 10th anniversary performance at the Luxor’s Atrium Thompson says “When a joke doesn’t work, I’ll just Showroom, where simultaneously we’ve learned say, ‘I’m not too impressed with you f*cking people, that his contract has been extended five years either,’ and it gets a big laugh.” through December 2020. But this is far from the What remains is Carrot Top’s image, which is 10th anniversary of the 50-year-old Topper’s debut futile to define. In a separate interview, years ago, as a standup, as he is fast to remind, which was actuhe offered, “I’m funny and goofy, and yet in shape. ally 1986. And C.T. also readily recalls the period of I’ve got the long hair and kind of androgynous look. time in Vegas before the Luxor, when he headlined It’s love-hate; it’s sexy, but not sexy. So it’s either at MGM Grand’s Hollywood Theater (now David you get it or you don’t. It’s old-young. Child-adult. Copperfield Theater) beginning in the mid-1990s. Stupid-smart. Corny-hip.” I met him in 2002, having been reluctant to see Through all of that meticulous image managehis show because all I knew about Carrot Top durment, maturing has benefitted Thompson. He says ing this period were his 1-800-CALL-ATT commerthat turning 50 has led him to become more introcials. If ever there were a series of ads that did more spective. “I’m finally able to appreciate the fact that harm than good to the featured subject, it was that I have this great job and I love what I do. I’m hapone (in one spot, Carrot Top is shown pecking at the pier now than I’ve ever been, and I don’t have any buttons on a pay phone with a hockey stick while

A&E | culture

Handing off Wasteland

> audio/visual Music and art at Wasteland Gallery.

The grassroots Downtown Spaces gallery prepares for its 2016 transition By leslie ventura It’s a busy Friday-night scene at Downtown Spaces. At the back, people shuffle through the building’s new dispensary, and a number of galleries have their doors open, welcoming visitors in from the cold. In the middle of the storefront, musician and artist Brian Gibson (Wax Pig Melting) and a group of friends are performing a noise-rock set as Ultra-Witch inside Wasteland Gallery. Gibson sits cross-legged in front of his own paintings, ravaging his guitar strings as the chaotic sounds grow louder and heavier. That noise—dark, energetic and fleeting— couldn’t be more apt tonight. Up the street, Blackbird Studios is having its last show before it shutters, and here at Wasteland, we’re witnessing the gallery’s final exhibit (Gibson’s Right, You Are) before it changes hands heading into January. The unpredictable sound emanating from the gallery ebbs and flows like it’s echoing the art scene itself. As if it’s asking us, “So, what now? After two years in Downtown Spaces and a number of music and art shows, current

Endangered history

Wasteland owner Scott Wood says he’s only made rent on art sales three times, at most. “Anybody that runs a gallery will tell you, you don’t make money,” he says. “You do it because you want to support the artists, you want to support the scene, which is completely where I was—and still am. The best way I can put it is, it takes up a lot of mental real estate.”

Becky Douglas will take over the space—which will retain the same name—in January, and Wood says he’ll continue to help when the gallery needs it. “I can’t not be around this place … A lot of the people that have shown here, it was their first gallery show. That’s the stuff I’m most proud of. It gave a little bit of a boost to some of the artists, [and] I really enjoyed that.”

> uncertain future Reed Whipple in the Cultural Corridor.

A pulse-checking effort aims to save Reed Whipple Cultural Center Last summer the Nevada Preservation Foundation mounted an impressive exhibit by the World Monuments Fund, highlighting modern buildings in peril and efforts to save them by contemporary designers and community advocates. The almost how-to for preserving endangered architecture came with large-scale photographs and case-study narratives on ways designers successfully approached projects using current technology and materials on buildings no longer up to code. So when the Reed Whipple Cultural Center, located in the Cultural Corridor on Las Vegas Boulevard (and long unused, despite recent efforts), came under threat with the proposal of a light-rail project that would cut through its south wing and possibly lead to the building being razed, advocates popped up. The Las Vegas Historic Preservation Commission reportedly offered a vote of no confidence, and

Nevada Preservation Foundation launched an online petition to save the center—addressed to the Las Vegas City Council and Mayor Carolyn Goodman and designed to garner support for a December 9 Historic Preservation Commission meeting. Though some say its cultural and historical significance is debatable, Reed Whipple could easily be among the WMF’s other case studies. Designed and built in the International Style in the early 1960s as a Mormon

wasteland gallery by karin miller; reed whipple cultural center by steve marcus

Stake center, it was sold to the city for $1 million in 1970 and eventually used as a cultural center with a gallery, classrooms, offices, an art studio and a theater hosting the Rainbow Company Youth Theatre—a place entrenched in the community that elicits memories from respondents to the online petition about everything from moving plays to first dance classes. Heidi Swank, executive director of the Nevada Preservation Foundation, sees Reed Whipple as a potential site

for an artist co-op, and suggests that the south wing be used as a light-rail station feeding into the building and surrounding area. The foundation, which began two years ago under the Metro Arts Council, is working with the council on a plan. Rehabilitation of older structures, Swank says, tends to be cheaper than new construction, and costs, including labor, are kept in the community. There are also options for Federal Historic Tax Credits, she says. “So often our sense of place is tied to its past. That’s something people struggle with here. Boston, Chicago, LA didn’t get to look the way they do because they tore down buildings.” Eric Strain, principal of assemblageSTUDIO, recently toured the building and says rehabilitation is possible, but that Reed Whipple’s future depends on what happens in the Cultural Corridor. “This discussion needs to be larger than just saving one building,” he says. “The discussion around Reed Whipple must include how you connect this area with the Natural History Museum, the Neon Museum and Mormon Fort. The area needs a focused master plan of development, a plan that addresses landscape, pedestrian circulation and connection to neighborhoods.” –Kristen Peterson

December 10–16, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com

A&E | STage

Four decades onstage

> young and restless Cast members of Rainbow Company’s Frog and Toad.

Rainbow Company celebrates its long legacy of training young artists By Jacob Coakley As long as it’s been around (40 years) and as many people have seen its shows (more than 25,000 students each year), it’s still a mystery to many what the Rainbow Company Youth Theatre is. “People say we’re the best-kept secret in Las Vegas,” jokes program specialist Kristopher Shepherd. But with a new grant from Cirque du Soleil and a yearlong celebration of its 40th anniversary at hand, it might just be Rainbow Company’s time to finally get the recognition it deserves. Rainbow Company was founded in 1976 on the (still) radical idea of treating kids like adults. The company decided against putting adults in fluffy bunny costumes and having them perform for kids, instead teaching the kids how to do every aspect of theater production and letting them put on the show. “It was the idea that if you held kids to a high standard, they would achieve that standard,” Shepherd says. “And that would teach them all the basics you need in life in order to be a good person: how to work together in an ensemble, how to play nicely with other children—those things that we as adults need to have. It’s a philosophy that works brilliantly, and it has for the last 40 years.” That philosophy is meant to work for everyone. Tickets to shows are only $5. Classes are available for kids ages 4 to 18, and they’re all affordable, with financial assistance available to further defray costs. “Theater is becoming such an exclusive art form,” says Karen McKenney, the company’s artistic director. “It costs so much money to go to see a show. We’ll never build a new audience if we can’t introduce everyone to live theater and classes. That’s

been my personal commitment forever.” It’s a commitment that Cirque du Soleil can get behind. Cirque recently donated $10,000 to Rainbow Company for its next (W)Rites of Passage production. Two teaching artists will visit schools and work with students to create stories, poems and other writings about what it means to grow up in Las Vegas. Rainbow Company will then turn the writings into a show. “Cirque has been such a wonderful supporter,” McKenney says. “I can’t believe their generosity toward the community in general and arts specifically. They are very interested in supporting emerging artists, which is perfect for Rainbow, because we’re dealing with emerging artists every day.” And a lot of those emerging artists have grown up. As Rainbow Company celebrates 40 years with

a yearlong series of events, the groundswell of community support from people who have been affected by it is reaching critical mass. “It never fails to amaze me, in dealing with arts or business; there is always somebody who comes up to me and says, ‘I was involved, my kids, my best friend,’” Shepherd says. “We’re at the point where we have kids whose parents and grandparents were in the company.” McKenney adds, “Forty years in this community is a lifetime. I think it would be a milestone in any community, but in Las Vegas it’s even more important. I think that the longevity of this program also has to do with the quality of students that come out of it. They come out of here with a sense of responsibility. We don’t just train theater artists—we train citizens.”

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A&E | print book

Lennon’s quest

Beatlebone is a flawed but satisfying tale of the fictionalized musician searching for self By Heather Scott Partington As a quest story, Beatlebone works; the striking “He sets out … as though on some fated migracontrast between Cornelius and John makes their tion. There is nothing rational about it nor even conversations interesting even when mundane. The entirely sane ...” Thus begins (a fictionalized) John two are waylaid by myriad complications. Barry capLennon’s journey in Kevin Barry’s novel Beatlebone. tures the ethereal (sometimes nonsensical) shifts in Barry imagines Lennon visiting the west coast of Lennon’s sentence structure, and eventually the Ireland in 1978, nine years after he has purchased author inserts himself (or a character portraying the remote island of Dorinish. Lennon wants to visit the author, in first person) into the narrative. He his island—little more than rock and soil—so he can tells his readers how he inhabited the voice and the be alone and scream. He’s feeling himself unravel, world of Lennon: He is quite nasal and and the island becomes a magical obsesoften defensive. There is a haughtiness sion in this existential quest tale. aaacc that can be almost princely, but his moods Lennon is joined by his guide, Cornelius, BEATLEBONE are capricious—sometimes he’s charming who acts as both foil and driving force to By Kevin Barry, and funny and light; other times darkness keep Lennon moving. Cornelius realizes $25. is evident, and impatience that can bleed the futility of their journey, yet he’s happy almost into bitterness. to join Lennon, and provides some levThough the backstory is interesting, ity to balance the singer’s dark moments. Barry loses the momentum he’s built with the jour“It’s been nine f*cking years … How the hell are we ney at the point where he inserts his own characgoing to find my island, Cornelius?” Lennon asks. ter. In terms of shifting genres, tone and structure, His guide replies: “With enormous difficulty, John.” Barry’s skilled hand as a writer shows. But once Beatlebone finds its groove in these back-and-forth he intervenes, the story isn’t the same. He visits conversations, an attempt to fill the time while the the places that Lennon surely traveled, telling his two men try to reach enlightenment that is, perhaps, reader, “What I mean to say is that I wanted to unreachable. Lennon wants to right himself, to tap scream.” From then on, the story loses a bit of its into feelings mystically linked to the island. But first, power. Barry’s Lennon is a little more himself, a he has to remember where he left it.

little less the reader’s. “The examined life turns out to be a pain in the stones,” Lennon says near the end of Beatlebone. But Barry’s keenly worded quest is worth the trip.

comic

Alluring horror

Violenzia finds Richard Sala at his very best

Richard Sala excels at drawing two things: beautiful, rosy-cheeked young women and hideous, scary monster-men. His latest book gives him ample opportunity to do both. The title story is that of a mysterious woman hell-bent on gunning down a list of sinister operations all run by an equally mysterious villain in a Rasputin mask. Like much of Sala’s recent work, it’s full of vague, David Lynch-ian weirdness, but the mode is more pulpy and action-packed than his usual spooky-toned mystery-horror. ¶ And The Other Deadly Amusements of the title? There’s a black-and-white horror story that reads like illustrated prose; there’s a second, shorter Violenzia story; and there’s a rather astounding abecedarian section. This features 26 fullpage illustrations, each corresponding to a different letter of the alphabet—some silly (“An Afternoon of Apalling Apparitions”) and some sounding like B-movie titles (“Labyrinth of Lunatics”). Think Edward Gorey’s Gashlycrumb Tinies meets classic Roger Corman on a Golden Age Hollywood backlot. ¶ Featuring page after page of a visual compromise between flat, angular cartooning and rich, vibrant painting, Violenzia not only represents Sala’s incredible range, but also Sala at his very best, which is pretty incredible. –J. Caleb Mozzocco

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VEGAS-STYLE BARBECUE?

> PIG OUT Choose your fave sides to go with Jessie Rae’s signature pulled-pork sandwich.

Jessie Rae’s is smoking and serving some intriguing meat BY BROCK RADKE Even if you manage to make it to Jessie In the grand tradition of every great Rae’s before they run out of anything, the barbecue shack you’ve ever discovstar of this meat show is the brisket, fatty, ered, Jessie Rae’s is open from 10 smoky beef with layers of savory richness a.m. until it runs out of meat. The reason and a fantastic charred bark around the every great barbecue shack does this is simedges. It’s best by itself with a bit of the ple—it takes a long time to turn meat into house God Sauce, but you can get it on a memorable ’cue, so unless the crew plans on sandwich ($12), as a combo plate ($11-$18) smoking around the clock, today’s batch will or as part of the house specialty, the Belt be all there is, and that’s the way it should be. Buckle ($12 small, $16 large). That’d be This method also tends to create a perception your choice of waffle fries, mac and cheese of demand: Get it before it’s gone. Is Jessie or mashed potatoes—Ross likes the Rae’s that good, that you should rush mash—topped with meat, melted to its middle-of-industrial-VegasJESSIE RAE’S cheese and various sauces and dry nowhere location? It’s definitely BBQ seasonings. It’s a messy, magnificent worth a try, and then you can decide 5611 S. Valley feast that seems to go on forever. if it’s your favorite. View Blvd., That God Sauce is as close to brilSeveral new barbecue restaurants 702-541-5546. liance as barbecue sauce gets. More have popped up around the Valley Monday-Friday, fruity than sweet, it gets deep and in recent months, an encouraging 10 a.m.-4 p.m. robust fast. Pig Sweat, a Carolinadevelopment as we’re short on qualstyle vinegar-based sauce, turns the ity and quantity. Mike Ross is the solid pulled pork ($11 as a sandwich) stellar. man behind Jessie Rae’s, named for his wife, And the Fallen Angel sauce is not to be trifled open since September and also serving it up with. Made with the Carolina Reaper pepper, through catering gigs and at local farmers’ it starts candy-sweet but gets dangerous in a markets. Instead of specializing in a specific hurry. Be careful. regional style, Jessie Rae’s, which has already If you don’t have the appetite for the Belt won prizes at several small competitions, Buckle, consider the Household of Three claims to serve Las Vegas-style barbecue. Is ($13), a sandwich with pork, brisket, sauthat a thing? Probably not yet. sage and slaw, and maybe a side of mac and But if it was, and this is the place for it, cheese ($2). Las Vegas-style barbecue is eclectic, aggresIt’s clear this little barbecue shack is sively flavored if subtly smoky, a bit on the intended as phase one. If things get going, dry side but spiked with sensational sauces. Jessie Rae’s will likely find a new location Things are done a little differently here, and soon, and maybe even expand on those senthat’s generally a good thing. For example, sible hours. Judging from its food so far, I’d different woods are used at different times, like to see that happen. which is unusual.

> MOCHIKO MANNA The Rice Shop does the JapaneseHawaiian treat right.

RICE-BOWL REDUX

A Strip chef finds a strip-mall home and serves up the goods Chef Anthony Zappola has only been in town for a couple of years, since he came to Vegas to THE RICE run Tom Colicchio’s Heritage Steak at the Mirage, SHOP 3655 S. but already he’s struck out on his own with a small Durango Drive neighborhood restaurant. Freshness, simplicity and #9, 702-889satisfaction are the hallmarks of the brand new Rice 0468. MondayShop, located in the suddenly thriving Durango strip Saturday, mall home to Other Mama and Zaytoon. ¶ The mini- 11 a.m.-6 p.m. menu matches the small space, but these flavors are huge. The mochiko chicken ($9) is worth the trip alone, crunchy, sticky bliss coating big hunks of luscious dark meat. Simply put, this food shames the quickie teriyaki bowls we’ve been eating all these years. Good luck finding one with perfect pork belly ($9) plus honey-mustard kale and sour cream laced with sambal. And the Rice Shop’s shrimp bowl ($10) is actually gumbo, a beautiful broth with black beans and celery plus sharp, briny, pickled chilies and Thaistyle aromatic shrimp. Here’s to talented chefs and their new culinary endeavors. –Brock Radke

50 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 10-16, 2015

JESSIE RAE’S AND THE RICE SHOP BY STEVE MARCUS

SMOKED PLEASURE

INGREDIENTS 1 oz. El Silencio Mezcal Espadín /2 oz. Grand Marnier

1 oz. Om Organic Mixology Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Liqueur /2 oz. Blandy’s Madeira 5 Year Old

Float of Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout Orange peel, cinnamon stick, star anise (garnish)

METHOD

SMALL BITES Dining News & Notes

Mundo, the trendy World Market Center Mexican restaurant that opened in 2010 and somehow hung on for two years before the Smith Center opened and delivered a steady stream of pre-show Downtown diners, closed on December 4. According to its Twitter account, there are plans for a new location. ¶ Red Rock Resort’s Mercadito will be rebranded by Clique Hospitality as Mexican restaurant Libre in early 2016. Clique, which also operates Hearthstone and Salute at Red Rock, is doubling down on its partnership with Station Casinos by opening new Mexican and Italian restaurants at Green Valley Ranch Resort in the spring, too. ¶ MGM Resorts’ newest hotel, MGM National Harbor, set to open next year in Maryland, will have restaurants from celebrity chefs new to the MGM family—José Andrés, Marcus Samuelsson and Bryan and Michael Voltaggio. Could these stars be expanding with Vegas restaurants at MGM properties? Perhaps. ¶ Ron’s Steakhouse at Arizona Charlie’s—call it the other local steakhouse named after a former Las Vegas mayor, hotel-casino general manager Ron Lurie—is celebrating its fifth anniversary with $5 specials available through December 24. Ron’s is serving up deal-icious steamed clams in white wine and garlic, escargot with puff pastry, stuffed mushrooms with spicy sausage and mozzarella and more. ¶ The Suncoast has transformed its oyster bar operation into Brigg’s Oyster Co., a bistro with an exhibition kitchen and a menu of favorites like pan roasts, steaks, sushi and crab-corn chowder. –Brock Radke

Combine first four ingredients with ice, then top off with beer and stir. Strain into a specialty stemmed glass with ice. Garnish with orange peel, cinnamon stick and star anise.

While it may look festive, don’t let the ribbons fool you; beneath the adornment this cocktail is masterfully rich, dark and smoky. It’s certainly not your grandmother’s eggnog, but what better way to spice up a holiday party than to buck tradition?

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

DECEMBER 10–16, 2015 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM

A&E | Short Takes Special screenings

> dino wonders The beautiful animation of The Good Dinosaur.

Boruto: Naruto the Movie 12/13, feature film based on the anime series, 12:55 pm, $13-$15. Theaters: COL, ORL, SF, SP, ST, VS. 12/14, encore showing, 7 pm, $15. Theaters: COL, VS. Info: fathomevents.com. Cinemark Classic Series Sun, 2 pm; Wed, 2 & 7 pm, $7-$10. 12/13, 12/16, It’s a Wonderful Life. Theaters: ORL, ST, SF, SP, SC Lincoln Center at the Movies 12/10, New York City Ballet performance of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Sat 12:55 pm, Thu 7 pm, $16-$18. Theaters: COL, ORL, SF, SP, ST, VS. Info: fathomevents.com. The Metropolitan Opera HD Live 12/12, 12/16, Mozart’s The Magic Flute encore, Sat 12:55 pm, Wed 6:30 pm, $16$23. Theaters: COL, ORL, SF, SP, ST, VS. Info: fathomevents.com. Midnight Brewvies Mon, movie plus popcorn, midnight, free. Elixir, 2920 N. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson, 702-272-0000. RiffTrax Live 12/15, Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny with comedic commentary, 7:30 pm, $10.50-$12.50. Theaters: COL, ORL, SF, SP, ST, VS. Info: fathomevents.com. Saturday Movie Matinee 12/12, Jurassic World, 2 pm, free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, 702-507-3400. Sci Fi Center Mon, Cinemondays, 8 pm, free. 12/12, Willow, 5 pm, $1. 12/12, A Christmas Story, The Rocky Horror Picture Show with live shadow cast, 8 pm, $9. 12/17, Metropolis with live musical accompaniment, 8 pm, $10. 5077 Arville St., 855501-4335, thescificenter.com. Tuesday Afternoon at the Bijou Tue, 1 pm, free. 12/15, Bundle of Joy (1956). Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, 702-507-3400.

New this week In the Heart of the Sea aabcc Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Brendan Gleeson. Directed by Ron Howard. 121 minutes. Rated PG-13. See review Page 41. Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, DI, FH, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS

Now playing The 33 aabcc Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro, Juliette Binoche. Directed by Patricia Riggen. 120 minutes. Rated PG-13. A movie about the 2010 incident that saw 33 Chilean miners trapped underground was inevitable, but there was no need for it to be so patently phony. Apart from a hammy Banderas, most of the characters amount to a grimy, bearded look of concern and a single tossed-off trait. –MD Theaters: GVR, ST, TX, 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: TC Bridge of Spies aaabc Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan. Directed by Steven Spielberg. 135 minutes. Rated PG-13. In his fourth film for Spielberg, Hanks plays a lawyer who’s strong-armed into defending an accused Soviet spy (Rylance). Based on actual events, the film unfolds with superb old-school efficiency, and achieves something very difficult: It makes rooting for integrity fun. –MD Theaters: GVR, SC Brooklyn aaabc Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson. Directed by John Crowley. 111 minutes. Rated PG-13. This 1950s-set drama, based on Colm Tóibín’s awardwinning novel, is old-fashioned in its optimism about life for Irish immigrant Eilis Lacey (Ronan) as she starts over in New York City. Ronan brings Eilis to life in every small gesture and interaction. –JB Theaters: AL, BS, COL, DTS, ORL, SC, SF, SP, TS Burnt aabcc Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Daniel Brühl. Directed by John Wells. 100 minutes. Rated R. Adam Jones (Cooper) is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict starting over as the executive chef of an upscale London restaurant, but the movie never conveys any kind of anguish over addiction or recovery. Instead it breezes through a predictable plot about a self-absorbed jerk becoming slightly less self-absorbed. –JB Theaters: VS By the Sea aaccc Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Pitt, Mélanie Laurent. Directed by Angelina Jolie Pitt. 132 minutes. Rated R. Jolie and Pitt play an unhappily married couple on vacation in a seaside French town. Although both are beautiful people with impeccable fashion sense, their life is full of ennui. This languid drama influenced by European art movies of the 1960s and ’70s is a deeply felt personal statement with very little to say. –JB Theaters: SC

52 LasVegasWeekly.com December 10-16, 2015

Chi-Raq aaccc Teyonah Parris, Nick Cannon, Angela Bassett. Directed by Spike Lee. 127 minutes. Rated R. Lee has never had much use for subtlety, and his movie about gang violence in Chicago, based loosely on the ancient Greek play Lysistrata, handles the topic about as gracefully as a screaming op-ed. Chi-Raq is a jumble of ideas and approaches that clash and fall flat more often than they connect. –JB Theaters: TS Creed aaabc Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson. Directed by Ryan Coogler. 132 minutes. Rated PG-13. Retired boxer Rocky Balboa (Stallone) reluctantly agrees to train Adonis Creed (Jordan), illegitimate son of his late friend/rival Apollo Creed. Not only is Creed a solid, rousing boxing drama, but it’s also an unexpectedly affecting look at Rocky in his twilight years, with Stallone’s best performance in a long time. –JB Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, COL, DI, DTS, FH, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TS, TX Crimson Peak aaacc Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain. Directed by Guillermo del Toro. 119 minutes. Rated R. Shy American socialite Edith Cushing (Wasikowska) marries an English baronet (Hiddleston) and moves to his creepy, ghost-filled family estate. Del Toro is great at establishing the spooky setting, but his screenplay is less compelling, doing little to update or subvert its old-fashioned ghost-story elements. –JB Theaters: TC Everest aaacc Jason Clarke, Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur. 121 minutes. Rated PG-13. This big-budget drama about the day in 1996 when eight climbers died on Mount Everest is not as informative as any of the several books on the subject, but it is viscerally exciting, with awe-inspiring visuals. The characters don’t make much of an impression, but the mountain and the storm do. –JB Theaters: ST The Good Dinosaur aaacc

Voices of Raymond Ochoa, Jack Bright, Frances McDormand. Directed by Peter Sohn. 100 minutes. Rated PG. Pixar’s long-in-the-works animated movie is gorgeous to look at, and it’s solid, pleasurable entertainment for kids. But it’s only slightly more sophisticated than the similarly themed Ice Age movies, with a straightforward story about a young dinosaur conquering his fears while on a quest through the wilderness. –JB Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, COL, DI, FH, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS Goosebumps aabcc Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush. Directed by Rob Letterman. 103 minutes. Rated PG. Black is fun as teen horror author R.L. Stine, but the bigscreen Goosebumps movie is more focused on fast, loud action, dorky humor and special effects than it is on being spooky. Monster lovers may get something out of it, but it’s all rather graceless. –JMA Theaters: BS, CH, DI The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 aaacc Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth. Directed by Francis Lawrence. 137 minutes. Rated PG-13. The second part of Mockingjay wraps up the entire four-movie Hunger Games series (based on Suzanne Collins’ dystopian sci-fi novels) in a mostly satisfying way. Although it’s overlong and sometimes oppressively bleak, the movie features some creative action set pieces and surprisingly complex themes about the costs of warfare. –JB Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, DI, FH, GVL, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TS, TX The Intern aaccc Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo. Directed by Nancy Meyers. 121 minutes. Rated PG-13. For a movie that’s supposedly about life experience, The Intern shows very little. De Niro (as a “senior intern”) and Hathaway (as his boss) give everything they can to keep this company afloat, but filmmaker Nancy Meyers polishes and bleaches every scene, drizzling them in tinkly, twittery music; it’s scrubbed

of life. –JMA Theaters: TC Krampus (Not reviewed) Allison Tolman, Adam Scott, Toni Collette. Directed by Michael Dougherty. 98 minutes. Rated PG-13. A young boy accidentally summons a Christmas demon. Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, COL, DI, FH, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TS, TX The Last Witch Hunter aaccc Vin Diesel, Rose Leslie, Elijah Wood. Directed by Breck Eisner. 106 minutes. Rated PG-13. This noisy, cluttered movie with cheap, globby-looking digital effects features a paltry battle between one-dimensional bad guys and a one-dimensional hero. Diesel plays his character cool, but is no fun to be around, and his co-stars suffer for it. A cursed affair from director Breck Eisner (Sahara). –JMA Theaters: BS, TC, TX The Letters abccc Juliet Stevenson, Max von Sydow, Rutger Hauer. Directed by William Riead. 114 minutes. Rated PG. This biopic about renowned Catholic nun and missionary Mother Teresa (Stevenson) functions literally as an argument for her sainthood, featuring as much liveliness and dramatic tension as a Bible study class. Writer-director Riead doesn’t have to include the various criticisms of Teresa’s work, but he could at least make her an interesting character. –JB Theaters: AL, GVR, RR, SF, ST, TS, VS Love the Coopers (Not reviewed) John Goodman, Diane Keaton, Ed Helms, Olivia Wilde. Directed by Jessie Nelson. 106 minutes. Rated PG-13. Four generations of the Cooper family face unexpected events when they get together for Christmas. Theaters: AL, CH, COL, FH, ORL, RR, SP, SS, ST, TS, VS The Martian aaaac Matt Damon, Jeff Daniels, Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor. Directed by Ridley Scott. 141 minutes. Rated PG-13. Astronaut Mark Watney (Damon) is left behind on Mars when the rest of his team believes him dead. Damon carries

A&E | Short Takes Theaters

the film with an excellent performance that conveys Mark’s mix of ingenuity and loneliness, and the story makes furious calculations and engineering simulations into gripping, can’t-lookaway drama. –JB Theaters: AL, GVR, ST, VS

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

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials aaccc Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster. Directed by Wes Ball. 131 minutes. Rated PG-13. There are no mazes in this sequel to The Maze Runner, but there sure is plenty of running. The second movie in the dystopian sci-fi series based on the popular YA novels just throws together a bunch of overused post-apocalyptic elements and careens haphazardly from one to the next. –JB Theaters: TC

(PAL) Brenden Theatres at the Palms 4321 W. Flamingo Road, 702-5074849 (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

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 welcome. It’s just a series of silly set pieces barely held together by a halfformed plot. –JB Theaters: TC

(DI) Las Vegas Drive-In 4150 W. Carey Ave., North Las Vegas, 702-646-3565 (DTS) Regal Downtown Summerlin 2070 Park Center Drive, 702-221-2283 > punch brothers Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan in Creed.

The Night Before aabcc Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anthony Mackie. Directed by Jonathan Levine. 101 minutes. Rated R. This Naughty Christmas Comedy lacks the surprise of the very similar A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, and is too limited by its simplistic character arcs. But the actors complement one another well, and their bond gives the movie a dose of good cheer. –JMA Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, COL, DI, FH, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TS, TX

Room aaacc Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen. Directed by Lenny Abrahamson. 118 minutes. Rated R. Emma Donoghue’s acclaimed 2010 novel, about a woman (Larson) and her young son (Tremblay) who’ve spent years held prisoner in a small garden shed, needed a singular directorial vision to work as a film, and it didn’t get it. Still, Larson is terrific, and the scenario’s inherent pathos is off the charts. –MD Theaters: SC

Pan aaccc Levi Miller, Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund. Directed by Joe Wright. 111 minutes. Rated PG. This Peter Pan prequel gives the character a cluttered and unnecessary origin story, retrofitting him with a clichéd Hollywood “chosen one” narrative. It’s a rush of special effects that signify nothing, telling a story that pretends to add to a beloved mythology while instead mostly just cheapening it. –JB Theaters: TC

A Royal Night Out aabcc Sarah Gadon, Bel Powley, Jack Reynor. Directed by Julian Jarrold. 97 minutes. Rated PG-13. Set in London after Germany’s WWII surrender, this is a heavily fictionalized story about teenage princesses Elizabeth (Gadon) and Margaret (Powley) cavorting around the city on the night of V-E Day. The silly fun and the rudimentary personal reflection come off as equally superficial, and end up equally forgettable. –JB Theaters: VS

The Peanuts Movie aaacc Voices of Noah Schnapp, Hadley Belle Miller, Alexander Garfin. Directed by Steve Martino. 86 minutes. Rated G. This big-screen computer-animated version of Charles Schulz’s beloved comic-strip characters is faithful almost to a fault. The central plot is about hapless kid Charlie Brown trying to win the affections of the mysterious Little Red-Haired Girl, but it makes room for plenty of diversions that incorporate almost every well-known Peanuts moment. –JB Theaters: AL, BS, CH, COL, DI, FH, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SP, SS, TS, TX

A Second Chance (Not reviewed) John Lloyd Cruz, Bea Alonzo, Billy Crawford. Directed by Cathy GarciaMolina. Not rated. In Filipino with English subtitles. A young couple experiences troubles after getting married. Theaters: ORL, VS

The Perfect Guy aaccc Sanaa Lathan, Michael Ealy, Morris Chestnut. Directed by David M. Rosenthal. 100 minutes. Rated PG-13. A successful lobbyist (Lathan) becomes a stalking target for her unhinged ex (Ealy) in this overwrought, Lifetimestyle thriller. It’s too ridiculous to work as serious drama, but it takes itself too seriously to succeed as camp. Instead, it strands three talented actors in a story that devolves quickly from grounded to histrionic. –JB Theaters: ST

Secret in Their Eyes aabcc Chiwetel Ejiofor, Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman. Directed by Billy Ray. 111 minutes. Rated PG-13. An FBI agent (Ejiofor) and a prosecutor (Kidman) investigate the murder of their colleague’s daughter in this unremarkable thriller, a remake of the 2009 Oscar-winning Argentine film. Kidman and Roberts (as a traumatized, vengeful mother) are miscast, and both the central unrequited romance and the plot’s political connections are poorly realized. –JB Theaters: AL, BS, CH, COL, FH, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TS, TX Sicario aaaab Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin. Directed by Denis Villeneuve. 121 minutes. Rated R. Blunt plays an FBI agent who gets in over her head when she agrees to join a special interagency task force intended to take

down a Mexican drug kingpin. Brolin and Del Toro co-star as operatives with questionable tactics and loyalties; the tension throughout is palpable. –MD Theaters: ST, TC, TX Spectre aaacc Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux. Directed by Sam Mendes. 148 minutes. Rated PG-13. Craig’s possible final outing as secret agent James Bond focuses a bit too much on wrapping up his story and bringing back familiar elements of the Bond franchise. Spectre succeeds mainly as a series of dazzling set pieces connected by a thin plot. –JB Theaters: AL, CAN, DI, FH, GVL, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS Spotlight aaaac Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams. Directed by Tom McCarthy. 128 minutes. Rated R. Director and co-writer McCarthy’s drama about the Boston Globe reporting on the Catholic Church molestation scandal applies the same meticulous attention to detail as the Globe writers did in their reporting. The stars manage to turn sitting and listening into riveting drama, and the acting is powerful in how subdued it is. –JB Theaters: COL, DTS, SF, SP, ST, TS, VS Steve Jobs aaacc Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen. Directed by Danny Boyle. 122 minutes. Rated R. Director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s lively but somewhat empty biopic reduces the Apple co-founder and CEO’s life to three moments in time. Sorkin’s dialogue crackles when it focuses on professionals trying to solve complex problems, but the script falters when it tries to understand Jobs as a person. –JB Theaters: TC Suffragette aabcc Carey Mulligan, Anne-Marie Duff, Helena Bonham Carter. Directed by Sarah Gavron. 106 minutes. Rated PG-13. Mulligan plays an ordinary wife and mother in early 20th-century London who joins the fight to secure women the vote and gradually turns into an outright militant. That ought to

be exciting and thought-provoking, but instead it’s mostly dully worthy—history as self-congratulation. –MD Theaters: VS Tamasha (Not reviewed) Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Javed Sheikh. Directed by Imtiaz Ali. 155 minutes. Not rated. In Hindi with English subtitles. A free-spirited young man drifts through life. Theaters: VS Trumbo aaacc Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Michael Stuhlbarg. Directed by Jay Roach. 124 minutes. Rated R. Dalton Trumbo was a brilliant writer who sacrificed his career and his family life to stand up for what he believed in, but the movie about him features neither brilliant writing nor daring social commentary. Trumbo is, however, a fitfully entertaining biopic, featuring a cast of recognizable faces playing other recognizable faces. –JB Theaters: COL, ORL, RR, ST, TS, VS Victor Frankenstein aabcc James McAvoy, Daniel Radcliffe, Jessica Brown Findlay. Directed by Paul McGuigan. 109 minutes. Rated PG-13. McAvoy is brightly manic as Victor Frankenstein, and Radcliffe is compassionate and soulful as Igor, and a good movie might have been made focusing more vividly on their fascinating, amusing friendship. But the movie goes too far off track with rambling subplots, distracted directing and lazy action scenes. –JMA Theaters: ST, TS, TX, VS The Visit aaabc Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Deanna Dunagan. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. 94 minutes. Rated PG-13. Teenage siblings Becca (DeJonge) and Tyler (Oxenbould) start noticing strange things while visiting the grandparents they’ve never met before. Shyamalan brings impressive skill to the disreputable found-footage genre, effectively mixing comedy and scares and adding cinematic flair to the genre’s typically artless style. –JB Theaters: TC JMA Jeffrey M. Anderson; JB Josh Bell; MD Mike D’Angelo

(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, 702-442-0244 (ORL) Century Orleans 4500 W. Tropicana Ave., 702-8891220 (RP) AMC Rainbow Promenade 2321 N. Rainbow Blvd., 888-262-4386 (RR) Regal Red Rock 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., 702-2212283 (ST) Century Sam’s Town 5111 Boulder Highway, 702-547-1732 (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 (TX) Regal Texas Station 2101 Texas Star Lane, North Las Vegas, 702-221-2283 (TS) AMC Town Square 6587 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-362-7283 (TC) Regency Tropicana Cinemas 3330 E. Tropicana Ave., 702-438-3456 (VS) Regal Village Square 9400 W. Sahara Ave., 702-221-2283

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

December 10–16, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com

Calendar LISTINGS YOU CAN PLAN YOUR LIFE BY!

> COMMANDING THE STAGE Diaz performing with Virgil Gadson.

WE THINK SHE CAN DANCE

Checking in with SYTYCD Season 12 champ Gaby Diaz How has being on tour differed from being on So You Think You Can Dance? It’s less men-

tally exhausting than the show, because we’re not learning new routines every week. But it’s definitely very physically demanding, because we’re doing a lot of the routines we learned on the show in a two-hour [period].

it look like your specialty. I tried not to get worried about whether I thought I was going home that week. What do you miss most about the show? Working with the

residency. When do you start working on that show? I’m actu-

ally not sure. We haven’t talked about those details, because I will still be on tour when the show starts. I’m still in the So You Think You Can Dance bubble. –Leslie Ventura

What was your mentality heading into the TV show challenges each night? I was just thinking,

choreographers every week. It goes by so quickly, you don’t realize while you’re doing it how incredible it really is that you’re getting to work one on one with these incredible choreographers. I definitely miss that.

one week at a time, one routine at a time—whatever routine you have that week, make

As the winner, you landed a spot as a dancer in J-Lo’s Vegas

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE LIVE December 11, 8 p.m., $30-$76. The Pearl, 702-944-3200.

Metric, Joywave 2/29, 8 pm, $26. Galactic, Son Little 3/1, 9 pm, $22-$25. Vance Joy, Elle King, Jamie Lawson 3/5, 8:30 pm, $40. Gary Clark Jr. 3/12, 9 pm, $30-$50. Underoath 3/26, 7:30 pm, $25. Coheed and Cambria, Glassjaw, I the Mighty, Silver Snakes 3/25, 8 pm, $27. Underoath 3/26, 7:30 pm, $25. The Used 5/24-5/25, 8 pm, Linq, 702-862-2695. The Colosseum Celine Dion 12/3012/31, 1/2, 1/6, 1/9-1/10, 1/12-1/13, 1/161/17, 2/23-2/24, 2/26-2/27, 3/1-3/2, 3/43/5, 3/8-3/9, 3/11-3/12, 5/17-5/18, 5/205/21, 5/24, 5/27-5/28, 5/31, 6/1, 6/3-6/4, 7:30 pm, $55-$500. Reba, Brooks & Dunn 5/3, 5/6-5/7, 5/10, 5/13-5/14, $60$205. Elton John 1/20, 1/22-1/23, 1/261/27, 1/29-1/31, 4/16, 4/17, 4/19-4/20, 4/22-4/23, 4/26-4/27, 4/29-4/30, 6:30 pm, $55-$500. Mariah Carey 2/2, 2/52/6, 2/10, 2/13-2/14, 2/17, 2/19-2/20. 8 pm, $55-$250. Tsai Chin 2/12, 9 pm, $58-$188. Steve Martin, Martin Short 3/6, 6:30 pm, $50-$180. Rod Stewart 3/19-3/20, 3/23, 3/25-3/26, 3/29, 4/1-

4/2, 4/5, 7:30 pm, $49-$250. The Who 5/29, 7:30 pm, $96-$501. Caesars Palace, 702-731-7333. The Cosmopolitan (Chelsea) Bruno Mars 12/31, 9 pm, $150. The Cure 5/19, 8 pm, $50-$100. Bryan Adams 7/2, 7 pm, $32-$57. Willie Nelson & Family 1/8, 8 pm, $20-$45. The Band Perry 4/29, 7 pm, $35-$75. (Rose. Rabbit. Lie.) Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox 12/30-1/2, 9 pm, $50. 702-698-7000. Double Barrel Roadhouse DB Live! Sat, 9 pm, free. Monte Carlo, 702222-7735. Double Down The New Waves 12/10, 9 pm. Yosemite Slam, Nathan Payne & The Wild Bores, Super Zeroes 12/11. F.S.P. Lethal Injection 12/12. Thee Swank Bastards, Thee Ooo Wops 12/18. Vatican Assassins, Three Rounds, Thoughtcrime, Devil McCoy, Broken Cuffs 12/19. The Blooze Bros. 12/20. The Psyatics, The All-Togethers, Water Landing, Jinky Bear 12/26. Jello Biafra’s

LIVE MUSIC T H E ST R I P & N E A R BY Brooklyn Bowl The Dirty River Boys, Midnight River Choir, Red Shahan 12/10, 10:30 pm, free. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead 12/11, 9:30 pm, $30. John Brown’s Body, Pure Roots, ST1 12/14, 8 pm, $15-$18. Maoli, Through the Roots, Bad Neighborz 12/15, 8 pm, $15. Pretty Lights 12/31-1/1, 10 pm, $60-$80. Alice: A Steampunk Concert Fantasy 1/12, 2/24, 3/23, 10 p.m., $15-$30. Warren G 1/17, 9 pm, $25. Stick Figure, Fortunate Youth 1/23, 8:30 pm, $15. Madeon, Skylar Spence 1/25, 8 pm, $25. The Motet 1/29, 9 pm, $17. Iration, Anuhea 1/31, 8:30 pm, $30-$105. Lamb of God, Anthrax, Deafheaven, Powertrip 2/11, 7 pm, $35. Hoodie Allen, Super Duper Kyle, Blackbear 2/12, 9 pm, $30. Nahko and Medicine for the People 2/13, 8:30 pm, $20-$24.

For more of our interview with Diaz, visit lasvegasweekly.com.

Incredibly Strange Dance Party ft. Bargain DJ Collective 12/31, 9 pm. Bargain DJ Collective Mon. Unique Massive Tue, midnight. The Juju Man Wed, midnight. Shows 10 pm, free unless noted. 640 Paradise Road, 702-791-5775. Flamingo Olivia Newton-John 12/1512/19, 1/1-1/2, 7:30 pm, $69-$139. 702733-3333. Gilley’s Easy 8’s 12/26, 10 pm. Scotty Alexander Band 12/31, 1/1-1/2, 10 pm. Chad Freeman and Redline 12/3, 10 pm. Chancey Williams and the Younger Brothers Band 12/4-12/6, 10 pm. Locash, Rainey Qualley 12/712/12, 11 pm. Shows $10-$20 after 10 pm unless noted. Treasure Island, 702-894-7722. Hard Rock Live Queensrÿche 1/9, 8:30 pm, $25-$35. Europe, War of Kings 1/23, 8 pm, $30. Hard Rock Cafe (Strip), 702-733-7625. House of Blues Eli Young Band 12/10, 8 pm, $21-$30. Sexxy the Show ft. Jennifer Romas 12/11, 7 pm, $20$25. Ramon Ayala, Ramon Ayala Jr. 12/12, 8 pm, $35-$60. Falling in Reverse, Atreyu, From Ashes to New, Assuming We Survive 12/19, 5 pm, $23-$26. Noisia 1/1, 10 pm, $15-$20. Elvis Monroe, 1/2, 8 pm, $10. Steel Panther 1/8, 1/15, 1/22 8 pm, $22. Dave Matthews Tribute Band 1/9, 8 pm, $12. Marianas Trench, Secret Someones 1/16, 6 pm, $22-$25. Carlos Santana 1/27, 1/29-1/31, 2/3-2/6, 5/18, 5/20-5/22, 5/25, 5/27-5/29, $90-$350, 8 pm. Charles Kelley, Maren Morris 1/28, 7 pm, $25-$28. Cradle of Filth, Butcher Babies, Ne Obliviscaris 2/16, 8 pm, $25. At the Gates, The Haunted & Decapitated 2/18, 5:30 pm, $23-$25. Billy Idol 3/16, 3/18-3/19, 3/26, 5/4, 5/6-5/7, 5/11, 5/13-5/14, $80$150. Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime 4/23, 8:30 pm, $24. (Crossroads) Looped Sun, Thu, 9-11 pm, free. Nothing but the Blues Mon-Wed, 8-11 pm, free. Rockstar Karaoke Fri, 9 pmmidnight, free. Get Up and Dance Sat, 9 pm-midnight, free. Gospel Brunch Sun, 10 am, 1 pm, $60. Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7600. The Joint Gary Allan, Clare Dunn, Tara Thompson 12/11-12/12, 9:30 pm, $40-$125. Bastille, Silversun Pickups, Fidlar, The Moth & The Flame 12/15, 8 pm, $40-$150. Morrissey 1/2, 8:30 pm, $45. Bullet for My Valentine, Asking Alexandria, While She Sleeps 2/6, 7:30 pm, $32. Rascal Flatts, Rhythm & Roots 2/17, 2/19-2/20, 2/2, 2/26-2/27, 3/2, 3/4-3/5, 8 pm, $40. Slayer, Testament, Carcass 3/26, 8 pm, $40-$125. Twenty One Pilots 7/15, 7 pm, $43. Hard Rock Hotel, 702693-5222. Las Vegas Arena The Killers, Wayne Newton, Shamir 4/6, 8 pm, $35-$90. George Strait 4/22-4/23, 9/9-9/10, 12/2-12/3, 8 pm, $75+. Janet Jackson 5/14, 8 pm, $58, $198. Garth Brooks 6/24-6/25, 7/2, 7 pm; 7/3, 7 & 10 pm; 7/4, 5 pm; $85. Dixie Chicks 7/16, 7 pm, $54-$154. 3780 Las Vegas Blvd. S. Mandalay Bay (Events Center) Maroon 5 12/30-12/31, 8 pm, $100$225. Muse, Phantogram 1/9, 7:30 pm, $37-$69. Black Sabbath, Rival Sons 2/13, 7:30 pm, $45-$164. Iron Maiden, The Raven Age 2/23, $62$103. Ellie Goulding 4/9, 7:30 pm, $36-$55. Rihanna, Travis Scott 4/29, 7:30 pm, $36-$160. Selena Gomez 5/6, 7:30 pm, $43-$116. Duran Duran, Chic 7/29, 8 pm, $46-$124. Journey, Doobie Brothers, Dave Mason 8/27, 7

CHECK OUT OUR COMPLETE CALENDAR LISTINGS AT LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM/EVENTS 54 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 10-16, 2015

pm, $45-$183. 702-632-7777. MGM Grand (Garden Arena) Mötley Crüe, Alice Cooper 12/27, 7 pm, $25-$150. Michael Bublé 1/1, 8 pm, $60-$183. Justin Bieber 3/25, 8 pm, $46-$116. Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas 8/13, 7 pm, $28-$92. Black Sabbath, Rival Sons 9/17, 7:30 pm, $45-$164. 702-891-7777. Orleans (Arena) Midnight Star, The Emotions, Heatwave, Debra & Ronnie Laws, Jody Watley, Malo, GQ, The Jets, Evelyn King 2/13, 7:30 pm, $30-$79. Stellar Gospel Music Awards 2/20, 6 pm, $45-$200. (Bourbon Street Cabaret) Rowdy McCarran 12/10-12/12, 2 pm, free. Scotty Alexander 12/10-12/12, 9:30 pm, free. free. Jukebox Heroes 12/1712/19, 9 pm, free. Chyna 12/25-12/26, 9 pm, free. Machine Gun Kellys 12/26, 9 pm, free. Volume 1 12/31, 9 pm, free. (Showroom) Josh Turner 12/4-12/5, 8 pm, $55. Charlie Daniels Band 12/11-12/12, 7 pm, $30-$55. Ronnie Spector’s Christmas Party 12/1912/20, 8 pm, $33-$55. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy 12/29-12/30, 8 pm, $22-$44. One Night With the King 1/9-1/10, 8 pm, $22-$44. Burton Cummings 1/14, 1/16-1/17, 9 pm, $44-$65. 702365-7075. Palace Station (Jack’s Irish Pub) Forget to Remember Fri & Sat, 9 pm, free. 702-547-5300. Palms (Lounge) Chris Heers Band 12/11, 10 pm, free. Smashing Alice 12/12, 10 pm, free. Sin City Sinners 12/18, 10 pm, free. Franky Perez 12/26, 10:30 pm, free. WolfCreek 12/31, 10:30 pm, free. David Perrico Pop Strings Orchestra 12/19, 11 pm, free. 4321 Flamingo Rd., 942-7777. The Pearl Puscifer 12/12, 8 pm, $43$103. Styx 1/16, 8 pm, $40-$86. Megadeth, Suicidal Tendencies, Children of Bodom, Havok 2/26, 7 pm, $50-$86. Joe Satriani 3/4, 8 pm, $40-$95. Il Volo 3/25, 8 pm, $40$95. Il Divo 11/18/16, 8 pm, $68-$150. Palms, 702-942-7777. Planet Hollywood Britney Spears 12/27-12/28, 12/30-12/31, 2/13-2/14, 2/17, 2/19-2/20, 2/24, 2/26-2/27, 4/6, 4/8-4/9, 4/13, 4/15-4/16, 4/20, 4/22, 9 pm, $57-$180. Jennifer Lopez 1/20, 1/22-1/23,1/27, 1/29-1/30, 2/3, 2/5-2/6, 2/9, 5/22, 5/25,/ 5/28-5/29, 6/1, 6/3-6/4, 6/8, 6/11-6/12, 9 pm, $95-$219. Lionel Richie 4/27, 4/30-5/1, 5/4, 5/7-5/8, 5/11, 5/14-5/15, 5/18, 9/21, 9/24-9/25m 9/28, 10/1-10/2, 10/5, 10/8-10/9, 10/12, 8 pm, $57-$190. 702-777-2782. The Sayers Club Plain White T’s 12/31, midnight, $50. Buckin Fridays Fri, 10 pm, $10. SLS, 702-761-7618. Stoney’s Rockin’ Country The Swon Brothers 12/11, $20. Kaleb King 12/12, $5-$10. Brodie Stewart 12/18, $5-$10. Kane Brown 12/31, 10:30 pm. Shows 10 pm, free unless noted. Town Square, 702-435-2855. Tuscany Nik at Nite Sun. Laura Shaffer & The Noir Nightingale Trio Mon. The Mixx w/ Enrique Corro & Co. Tue. Nieve Malandra Soul Cabaret Wed. Naomi Mauro Thu. Kenny Davidsen Celebrity Piano Bar Fri, 8:30 pm, Tommy Ward Sat. All shows 7:30 pm, free unless noted. 255 E. Flamingo Road, 702-893-8933. Venetian R5 12/29, 1/1, 8 pm; 12/31, 7:30 pm, $55-$150. Carly Rae Jepsen 12/30, 8 pm; 12/31, 10 pm; 1/2, 8 pm; $56-$75. John Fogerty 1/8-1/9, 1/13, 1/15-1/16, 1/20, 1/22-1/23, 8 pm, $60$350. 702-414-9000. Vinyl Thrillbilly Deluxe 12/10, 10 pm,

Calendar free. American Icon: Johnny Cash Tribute 12/12, 10 pm, free. Ekoh, Almost Normal, Avalon Landing, Gregory Michael Davis 12/16, 7:30, $5. Party Thieves, Bombmakers, Sloves, Andrew Stolle 12/17, 9 pm, $10-$15. Jake Miller, Los 5 12/20, 6:30 pm, $20-$50. Otherwise 12/26, 9 pm, $15. The Fighter & The Kid, Brendan Schaub, Bryan Callen 1/10, 7:30 pm, $28. Anti-Flag, Leftover Crack, War on Women, Homeless Gospel Choir, Blackbird Raum 2/28, 7 pm, $18. Nonpoint 3/18, 9 pm, $20-$35. Hard Rock Hotel, 702-693-5000. Wynn (Eastside Lounge) Michael Monge Wed, Thu, Sun, 9 pm; Fri, Sat, 10 pm; $10. 702-770-7000.

D ow n tow n Artifice Vegas Jazz Tue, 7 pm, $15. Thursday Request Live First Thu, 10 pm, free. 1025 S. 1st St., Ste. 100., 702-489-6339. Backstage Bar & Billiards Finch, Souvenirs, Casey Bolles 12/13, 8 pm, $18-$22. Kottonmouth Kings, Marion Asher, Chucky Chuck, C4mula 12/19, 9 pm, $11-$12. The Soft Moon, Close to Modern, DJ Fish, Dark Black 1/27, 8 pm, $10-$12. Mustard Plug, Dan Potthast, The Retrolites, Light Em Up, Dj Jr. Ska Boss 1/29, 8 pm, $11-$13. 601 E. Fremont St., 702382-2227. Beauty Bar King Daniel 12/10, 8 pm, $10. Chicano Batman 12/11, 9 pm, $12-$15. Agnostic Front, Brick Top, Bro Loaf 12/15, 8 pm, $12-$15. Sudden Passion 12/16, 9 pm, free. Avenues, Mercy Music, War Called Home 12/19, 9 pm, free. The Generators, The Civilians, The Astaires 1/16, 9 pm, $5. The Love Cop 12/28, 9 pm, free. Metalachi 2/11, 9 pm, $12-$15. 517 Fremont St., 702598-3757. Fremont Street Experience 29th Annual Downtown Hoedown: Tracy Lawrence 4:30 pm. Jackson Michelson 5:40 pm. Chase Bryant 6:35 pm. JT Jodges 7:30 pm. Chris Janson 8:40 pm. Montgomery Gentry 9:50 pm. All shows through 12/13. Shows free unless noted. Downtown Las Vegas, vegasexperience.com. Golden Nugget Edgar Winter 12/18, 8 pm, $32-$65. (NFR) Alabama 12/10-12/11, $163$252. Shows at 10 p.m. 129 E. Fremont St., 866-946-5336. Griffin Live music Wed, 10 pm, free. 511 Fremont St., 702-382-0577. Hard Hat Lounge Jessica Manalo, Maxwell Fresh 12/10, 9 pm, free. The Funk Jam Wed, 10:30 pm, free. Florescent Flames Second Sat, 9 pm, free. Foundation Factory Fourth Sat, 8 pm, free. 1675 Industrial Road, 702384-8987. LVCS Rittz, Donnie Menace, King QP, Bom Green 12/11, 9 pm, $15-$17. Nik Turner’s Hawkind, Hedersleben, The Pysatics, Grim Reefer 12/12, 8 pm, $8-$10. Mushroomhead, 9Electric, Unsaid Fate, Ne Last Words, Bag of Humans, EMDF 12/13, 8 pm, $15$18. DJ Ma-T, LKA 12/16, 9 pm, $22. Obie Trice, Chemis, King Qp, Anglo Sax, Donnie Menace, Slykat & Spyder, The Poke Masters, Vessel 12/18, 9 pm, $15-$20. Flotsam and Jetsam, The Thrill Killers, Spun in Darkness, My Own Nation 12/20, 8 pm, $10-$12. 425 Fremont St., 702-382-3531. Mickie Finnz Country Fried Garage Boys 12/10-12/11, 8 pm. 4 Wheel High 12/12, 10 pm. JV Allstars 12/13-12/14, 8 pm. The Leeryoy Jenkins Incident 12/15, 8 pm. SexyTime 12/16, 8 pm. Live music Daily, 4-7 pm. Shows free unless noted. 425 Fremont St., 702-3824204. Punk Rock Bowling ft. Flogging Molly, Descendents, Cock Sparrer, Flag, Exploited, Dagnasty, Subhumans, Dillinger Four, Anti-Nowhere League, Youth Brigade, The Dwarves 5/26-5/30. Downtown Las Vegas, punkrockbowling.com. The Smith Center (Reynolds Hall) Erich Bergen, Norm Lewis, Capathia Jenkins, Clint Holmes, Patina Miller 12/31, 7 pm, $39-$125. The Tenors 2/20, 7:30 pm, $24-$95. (Cabaret Jazz) Bronson, Brody & Beatles 1/20, 8 pm, $15-$35.Laura Osnes 12/11-12/12, 7 pm, $39-$59. Kristen Hertzenberg & Philip Fortenberry 12/19, 2:30 & 7 pm, $26-$36. Susan Anton 1/8-1/9, 7 pm, $35-$59. Lucie Arnaz 1/15-1/16, 7 pm, $39-$55. Christine Ebersole 1/22-1/23, 7 pm,

$39-$59. Keola Beamer, Henry Kapono, Moanalani Beamer 1/29-1/30, 7 pm, $37$59. Lisa Fischer 2/19, 7 pm; 2/20, 6 & 9 pm, $37-$65. The Tenors 2/20, 7:30 pm, $24$95. Esteban, Teresa Joy 2/21, 3 & 7 pm, $45-$55. Lucy Woodward 2/26-2/27, 7 pm, $39-$49. The Ronnie Foster Organ Trio 3/6, 2 pm, $19-$35. Cheyenne Jackson 3/11, 7 pm; 3/12, 6 & 9 pm, $39-$65. Engelbert Humperdinck 3/19, 7:30 pm, $29-$85. Lon Bronson Band 3/19, 8 pm, $15-$35. Yanni 3/21, 7:30 pm, $29-$99. Kristin Chenoweth 3/25, 7:30 pm, $29-$115. 361 Symphony Park Ave., 702-749-2000.

The ’Burbs Cannery Cannery Brett Rigby Thru 12/19, Wed-Thu, 8:30 pm, free. Brett Rigby, Toto Zara Thru 12/19, Fri-Sat, 7 pm, free. Luggnutt 12/23-1/2, Wed-Thu, 8:30 pm, free. Luggnutt, Clifton James 12/23-1/2, Fri-Sat, 7 pm, free. 2121 E. Craig Road, 702-507-5700. Elixir Music from 8-11 pm, free unless noted. 2920 N. Green Valley Parkway, elixirlounge. net. Green Valley Ranch (Grand Events Center) Ronnie Milsap 2/20, 8 pm, $20-$50. (Hanks) Dave Ritz Tue, Thu, 6 pm; Sat, 7 pm. Rick Duarte Wed, 6 pm. Nick Mattera Fri, 6 pm; Sat, 7 pm. Shows free unless noted. 702367-2470. M Resort (M Pavillion) Martin Nievera 12/12, 7 pm, $32-$46. Shows free/drink minimum. M Resort, 800-745-3000. Rampart Casino (Addison’s Lounge) Wes Winters Tue, 6 pm. Mark O’Toole Wed, 6 pm. 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. (Onyx) Jared Berry Fri & 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 Drive, 702-658-4900. Sienna Italian Authentic Trattoria Vegas Good Fellas Thu, 7:30 pm. Red Velvet Fri & Sat, 8:30 pm. 9500 Sahara Ave., 702-3603358. South Point Tony Orlando Christmas Show 12/17-12/20, 7:30 pm, $45. Frankie Avalon 1/15-1/17, 7:30 pm, $45. The McCartney Years 1/29-1/31, 7:30 pm, $25. Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns Mon, 10:30 pm, $5-$10. Dennis Bono Show Thu, 2 pm, free. Wes Winters Fri & Sat, 6 pm, free. Spazmatics Sat, 10:30 pm, $5. 702-797-8005. Suncoast The Texas Tenors 12/11-12/13, 7:30 pm, $33-$55. Merry Christmas Darling: Carpenter’s Christmas 12/19-12/20, 7:30 pm, $33-$44. The Fab Four 12/26-12/27, 7:30 pm, $33-$55. 9090 Alta Drive, 702636-7075. Sunset Station (Club Madrid) Yellow Brick Road 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) 1301 W. Sunset Road, 702-547-7777. Texas Station (A-Bar) Darrin Michaels Fri & Sat, 7 pm. (South Padre) VooDoo Band Fri, 9 pm. Yellow Brick Road Sat, 9 pm. 702-6311000.

E v e ry w h e r e E l s e Arizona Charlie’s Boulder (Palace Grand Lounge) Live music Fri & Sat, 9 pm, free. 4575 Boulder Highway, 888-236-9066. Arizona Charlie’s (Naughty Ladies Saloon) Jerry Tiffe Fri, 4 pm. 740 S. Decatur Blvd., 702-258-5200. Boomers Live music Wed, 10 pm, $5-$10. 3200 Sirius Ave., 702-368-1863. Boulder Dam Brewing Thu, 7 pm; Fri & Sat, 8 pm. Shows free unless noted. 453 Nevada Way, Boulder City, 702-243-2739. Boulder Station (Kixx Bar) Reflection Fri & Sat, 8 pm. 702-432-7777. Count’s Vamp’d Adelita’s Way, Bravo Delta, Stoked 12/11, 8:30 pm, $12-$17. Gary Hoey 12/20, 8:30 pm, $18-$22. Y&T 2/5, 8:30 pm, $20-$25. Geoff Tate’s Operation Mindcrime 2/6, 9 pm, $20-$25. Glenn

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Calendar Hughes, Joanne Shaw Taylor & Jared James Nichols 3/5, 7:30 pm, $20-$25. 6750 W. Sahara, 702-220-8849. Dispensary Lounge Uli Geissendoerfer Trio Fri & Sat, 10 pm. 2451 E. Tropicana, 702-4586343. Dive Bar Arkaik, Wrvth, FIsh Leg, Spritual Shepherd 12/10, 8 pm, $10. F.S.P., Lethal Injection, System Rejex, Bitter Sea, New Cold War 12/11, 9 pm, $5. Christmas Pizza Party ft. Alan Six, The Pluralses, Stand Up and Fight, Jerk! 12/12, 10 pm, $5. Holy Grail, Night Demon, Hated Silence Unleashed 12/13, 8 pm, $10. Nashville Pussy, The Dive, Crackerman, Beau Hodges Band 12/19, 9 pm, $8-$10. The Mentors 12/26, 10 pm. The Toasters 2/19, 9 pm, $10-$12. 4110 S. Maryland Parkway., 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. 702-507-5700. Fiesta Henderson (Coco Lounge) All shows 7:30 pm. 702-558-7000. Fiesta Rancho (Club Tequila) Sherry Gordy: Take the Stage Thu, 7 pm, $5-$10. (Cabo Lounge) Shows free unless noted. 702-6317000. German American Social Club Vintage Classic Jazz Night Tue, 7 pm, $4. 1110 E. Lake Mead Blvd., 702-649-8503. Milo’s Cellar Live Music Thu, 8 pm, free. 538 Nevada Hwy., 702-293-9540. Pioneer Saloon Krazy Karaoke 12/4, 12/11, 12/18, 5 pm. Jeffrey Michaels 12/5, 11 am. Ernie 12/5, 5 pm. Bill Tracy 12/6, noon. Charles Foster 12/6, 5 pm. Big Willies 12/9, 12/16, 6 pm. Michael DeGreve & Kris 12/10, 12/17, 7 pm. Jason Edwards 12/12, 11 a.m. Girl Haggard 12/13, noon. Bud MIckie 12/13, 12/19, 5 pm. Seth Turner 12/19, 11 a.m. Chris Heers 12/20, noon. Shows free unless noted. 310 W. Spring St., Goosprings, NV, 702-874-9362. Sam’s Town Los NiteKings Sun, 7 pm, free. Shows free unless noted. 5111 Boulder Hwy., 702-284-7777.

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Boomers Side Splitting Sundays Sun, 9 pm, free. 3200 Sirius Ave., 702-368-1863. Caesars Palace (The Colosseum) 702-7317333. Craig Ranch Regional Park Amphitheater 628 W. Craid Rd., 702-633-2418. Dive Bar Preston Lacy of Jackass, Tom Garland 12/18, 8 pm, $12-$15. 4110 S. Maryland Pkwy., 702-586-3483. The D Laughternoon Starring Adam London Daily, 4 pm, $20-$25. 702-388-2111.. Hard Rock Hotel (The Joint) Cedric the Entertainer 12/30, 9 pm, $50. Martin Lawrence 1/16, 7 pm, $40. Bo Burnham 1/30, 8 pm, $50. 702-693-5000. Harrah’s (Main Showrom) Mac King TueSat, 1 & 3 pm, $33. (The Improv) Charles Fleischer, Chase Durousseau 12/8-12/13. John Henton, Jodi Borrello, Jessica Michelle Singleton 12/15-12/20. Tommy Savitt, Paula Bel, Chris Crofton 12/22-12/27. Steve White, Paula Bel, Chris Crofton 12/29-1/3. Don McMillan, Brian McKim, Traci Skene 1/5-1/10. Tue-Sun, 8:30 pm; Fri & Sat, 10 pm; $30-$45. 702-369-5000. Luxor Carrot Top Wed-Mon, 8 pm, $50-$60. 702-262-4900. MGM Grand (Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club) Brad Garrett, Cowboy Bill Martin, QUinn Paterson thru 12/13. Jay Black, Mitchell Walters, Jodi Miller 12/14-12/20. Drew Thomas, KT Katara, Matt Markman 12/2112/27. Butch Bradley, Mike Merryfield, Shayma Tash 12/28-1/3. Kivi Rogers, Collin Moulton, Dave Williamson 1/4-1/10. Danny Bevins, Vargus Mason, Heath Harmison 1/111/17. Brad Garrett, Paul Ogata, Dave Landau 1/18-1/24. Quinn Dahle, Rick Overton, Greg Vaccariello 1/25-1/31. Richard Vos, Zoltan Kaszas, Derek Richards 2/1-2/7. Brad Garrett, Debi Gutierrez, Andrew Norelli 2/8-2/14. Darrell Joyce, Mark Eddie, Randy Kagan 2/15-2/21. Scott Henry, Frances Dilorinzo, Drew Thomas 2/22-2/28. Brad Garrett, Michael Sommerville, Landry 2/293/5, 3/7. Dark Christmas Day. Nightly, 8 pm, $43-$87. 702-891-7777. Mirage Ray Romano 12/11-12/12, 10 pm, $60.

702-792-7777. Planet Hollywood (Las Vegas Live Comedy Club) Edwin San Juan Nightly, 9 pm, $56-$67, V Theater. (PH Showroom) Jeff Dunham Wed-Sun, 7 pm; Sat-Sun, 4 pm, $72.. (Sin City Theatre) Failure is an Option Nightly, dark Tue-Wed, 5:30 pm, $60. 702234-7469. Sin City Comedy & Burlesque Show Nightly, 8:30 pm, $38-$49. 702-7772782. Quad Jeff Civilico Sat-Mon, Wed-Thu, 4 pm, $39-$50. 888-777-7664. Rampart Casino (Bonkerz Comedy Club) Thu, 7 pm, free., 702-507-5900. Red Rock (Rocks Lounge) Hal Sparks 1/23, 8 pm, $25-$35. Justin Willman 2/20, 8 pm, $25-$35. 702-797-7777. Rio Eddie Griffin Mon-Thu, 7 pm, $73-$136. 702-777-2782. The Sayers Club (Bonkerz Comedy Club) Thu-Sat 8 pm, $10. SLS, 702-761-7000. South Point Dat Phan 12/26, 7:30 pm, $15. Charlie Murphy 1/8-1/10, 7:30 pm, $30. Louie Anderson 1/22-1/23, 7:30 pm, $15. Jon Lovitz 2/5-2/6, 7:30 pm, $25. 702-797-8005. Tropicana (The Laugh Factory) Nightly, 8:30 & 10:30 pm, $35-$55. 702-739-2222. Treasure Island Ralphie May 1/2, 9 m, $40$65. David Alan Grier, Tommy Davidson 2/12, 9 pm, $44-$71. Jo Koy 3/18, 9 pm, $44$76. Wanda Sykes 4/15, 9 pm, $60-$80.702894-7111. Venetian Lisa Lampanelli 12/26, 8 pm, $50$118. Whitney Cummings 1/2, 8 pm, $50$118. 702-414-9000.

Performing Arts Christ Church Episcopal Adam J. Brakel 1/8, 7:30 pm, $15. Hans Uwe Hielscher 2/5, 7:30 pm, $15. David Dorway 4/29, 7:30 pm, $15. 2000 S. Maryland Parkway, sncago.org. Italian American Club 2333 E. Sahara Ave., 702-457-3866. Las Vegas Philharmonic Cabrera Conducts Rachmaninoff 1/9, 7:30 pm, 1/10, 2 pm, $26$96. Pink Martini 2/6, 7:30 pm, $100-$250. Spotlight Series 2/16, 4/26, 5/3, 7:30 pm, $168. Smith Center, 702-749-2000. Mondays Dark With Mark Shunock TwoYear Anniversary Show 12/14, 8 pm, $20$50, the Joint. 1/25, 8:30 pm, $20-$50, Vinyl. Nevada Ballet Theatre 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 & 5:30 pm, $29-$179. Smith Center’s Reynolds Hall, 702-749-2000. Onyx Theatre Elf U: A Crash Course in Christmas thru 12/19, Sat, 11 am & 1 pm, $10. The Eight: Reindeer Monologues thru 12/19, Fri & Sat, 10 pm, $15. The Blanche DeBris Emergency Xmas Broadcast 12/10-12/12, 12/17-12/19, 8 pm; 12/13, 5 pm, $20. 953 E. Sahara Ave., 702-732-7225. Smith Center (Reynolds Hall) New Year’s Eve at the Smith Center 12/31, 7 pm, $39-$125. The Cat in the Hat 1/13, 6:30 pm, $15-$23. Riverdance 1/26-1/21, $29-$129. Panties in a Twist 2/2-2/6, $35-$43. The Symphonic Rockshow Presents: The Best of British Rock 2/5, 7:30 pm, $29-$59. Cinderella 2/13, 7:30 pm, 2/14, 2 pm, $29-$139. Elephant & Piggies We Are in A Play 2/17, 6:30 pm, $15-$23. The Bridges of Madison County 2/23-2/28, $29-$129. A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder 3/8-3/13, $29-$139. One Night For One Drop 3/18, 7 pm, $104-$329. (Troesh Studio Theater) Driving Miss Daisy 1/15-1/17, 8 pm; 1/16-1/17, 3 pm; $34. Shen Yun: A Gift From Heaven 1/21, 7:30 pm; 1/22, 8 pm; 1/23, 3 pm & 7:30 pm, 1/24, 1 pm. Bad Jews 3/33/5, 8 pm; 3/6, 2 pm, $35-$45. (Cabaret Jazz) Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill 2/12-2/14, 8 pm; 2/13-2/14, 3 pm, $34. 702-749-2000. UNLV (Rando-Grillot Recital Hall) Amernet Quartet ft. Rachel Calloway 1/28, 7:30 pm, $27-$30. Andrew York 2/20, 8 pm, $41-$45. Chelsea Chen 2/26, 7:30 pm, free. Jens Korndorfer 4/8, 7:30 pm, free. Duo Deloro 4/13, 8 pm, $41-$45. Dorothy Young Riess 5/20, 7:30 pm, free. (Artemus W. Ham Hall) Rockapella’s Holiday Concert 12/5, 8 pm, $20-$70. Sarah Chang and Julio Elizalde 2/6, 8 pm, $25-$75. Polish Baltic Philharmonic 3/17, 8 pm, $25-$75. Orlowsky Trio 4/2, 8 pm, $20-$70. (Judy Bayley Theatre) Nevada Conservatory Theatre:

Calendar The Magic of Seth Grabel 10/17, 7 pm, $30. 702-895-3332. Winchester Cultural Center Mark Deramo 12/12, 2 pm, $10-$12. The Slam Poets 12/12, noon, free. James and the Giant Peach 12/18, 7 pm; 12/19, noon & 6 pm, $5-$7. Naomi Emmerson plays Edith Piaf 3/4, 7 pm; 3/5, 1:30 pm, $25-$30. 3130 S. McLeod Drive, 702-455-7340.

Special Events A Winter Festival 12/18, 5:30 pm. Walnut Recreation Center, 3075 N. Walnut Rd., 702455-8402. An Evening with Sophia Loren 3/26, 8 pm, $70 and up. The Venetian, 702-414-9000. Bluegrass Festival 4/9, 10:30 am, free. Durango Hills Park, 3501 N. Durango Drive, 702-229-4653. Disney on Ice presents Frozen 1/6-1/11, times vary, $38-$83. Thomas & Mack Center, unlvtickets.com. Downtown Podcast Thu, 9 pm, free. Inspire Theater, 107 Las Vegas Blvd. S., downtownpodcast.tv. Ethel M Chocolates Holiday Cactus Garden 5 pm to 10 pm, free. Ethel M Chocolate Factory and Cactus Garden, 2 Cactus Garden Dr., ethelm.com. For the Love of Cocktails Meet the Masters of Cocktails 2/10, 6 pm, Hotel Bound Bar at Cromwell; Meet the Masters of Wine 2/10, 7:30 pm, Giada at Cromwell, $175. Downtown Bar Crawl 2/11, 5 pm, locations vary. USBG Food Truck Wars 2/11, 10 pm, $25, Gold Spike. Micro-Experiences & Seminars 2/12, noon-5 pm, Mandalay Bay & Delano; The Grand Gala 2/12, 7 pm, $100, Mandalay Bay & Delano. ftloc.vegas. Gary Leffew’s Legendary Buck’n Ball thru 12/12, 2 pm & 9:30 pm, free. Buck’N Ball Saloon, Orleans, orleanscasino.com. Human Love Experience: Poetry Music and Song ft. Lee Mallory, Philena Carter and Mizz Absurd 2/8, 7 pm, free. Hop Nuts Brewery, 1120 S. Main St., 702-816-5371. Hypnosis Unleashed Tue-Sun, 8:30 pm, $30-$40. Binion’s, 128 E. Fremont St., 702382-1600. Julia Lee Signing and Reading 1/22, 7 pm, free. The Writer’s Block, 1020 Fremont St., thewritersblock.org. Kim Macquarrie Signing and Reading 12/10, 7 pm, free. The Writer’s Block, 1020 Fremont St., thewritersblock.org. Motley Brew’s Great Vegas Festival of Beer 4/9, 3 pm, $30-$80. Fremont East, greatvegasbeer.com. New Year’s Spectacular ft. Frankie Beverly, Maze, Mike Epps 1/2, 8 pm, $34-$150. Orleans, 702-284-7777. Piff the Magic Dragon Mon thru Wed, 8 pm, $50-$70. Bugsy’s Cabaret at Flamingo, 702733-3333. Poet Laureate Open Poetry Readings 12/12, 2 pm, free. Winchester Cultural Center, 702-455-7340. Sevens Live Music, comedy & spoken arts. Tue, 7 pm, one-drink minimum. Silver Sevens, 4100 Paradise, 702-733-7000. Sierra Nevada Beer Dinner 12/15, 6:30 pm, $49. Made L.V., Tivoli Village, 450 S. Rampart Blvd. Ste 120, made-lv.com. Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage 4/4, 7:30 pm, $50. Orleans Arena, orleansarena.com. Super Toy Con 8/5, 4 pm; 8/6-8/7, 10 am, $12. Orleans Arena, orleansarena.com. Switch: Trans* Clothing Swap Thu, 5 pm, free. Gay & Lesbian Community Center, 702733-9800. Toys for Tots ft. David Perrico 12/18, 7 pm, $20. Orleans, orleanscasino.com. Windmill Music Club Highway 61 Revisited 12/20, 4 pm, free. Windmill Library, 7060 W Windmill Lane, 702-507-6030. WinterFest Henderson Symphony Orchestra 12/10, 7 pm. Tree Lighting with Mayor Hafen 12/11, 6 pm. Evening Light Parade 12/12, 5 pm. All events free. Henderson Events Plaza, 200 Water St.

Sports Amsoil Arenacross 5/6, 8 pm; 5/8, noon, $29. Orleans, orleansarena.com. Cinch Boyd Gaming Chute-Out 12/10-12/12, 2

pm, $50-$110. Orleans, 702-284-7777. 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. Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl 12/19, 12:30 pm, $24-$110. Sam Boyd Stadium, unlvtickets. com. UFC: Fight Night ft. Paige VanZant vs. Joanne Calderwood 12/10, $75-$225. Ultimate Fighter Finale 22 12/11, 3:30 pm, $75-$350. Cosmopolitan, cosmopolitanlasvegas.com. UFC 194 12/12, 3:30 pm, $603-$1,253. UFC 195 1/2, 3:30 pm, $104-$804, MGM Grand Garden Arena, ticketmaster.com Ultimate Fighter: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber Finale ft. Frankie Edgar vs. Chad Mendes 12/11, $150-$350. WFG Continental Cup of Curling 1/14-1/17, $22. Orleans Arena, orleansarena.com. World Series of Fighting 26 12/18, 6 pm, $30. Cosmopolitan, cosmopolitanlasvegas.com. World Series of Team Roping 12/5-12/8, 9:30 am, price TBA. Orleans, 702-284-7777.

Galleries Amanda Harris Gallery of Contemporary Art By appointment. 900 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-769-6036. Arts Factory 107 E. Charleston Blvd, 702-3833133. 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 Picasso: Creatures and Creativity Thru 1/10. Daily, 10 am-8 pm, $11-$16. 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-693-7871. Blackbird Studios By appointment. 1551 S. Commerce St., 702-782-0319. Brett Wesley Gallery Thu-Fri, 12-6 pm, Sat, 12-4 pm. 1025 S. First St. #150, 702-4334433. Clark County Government Center Rotunda 500 Grand Central Parkway, 702-455-7030. Clay Arts Vegas Mon-Sat, 9 am-9 pm; Sun, 11:30 am-6:30 pm. 1511 S. Main St., 702-3754147. Downtown Spaces 1800 Industrial Road, dtspaces.com. Galleries include: Candy Wolves Studio 702-600-3011. Skin City Body Painting 702-431-7546. Solsis Gallery 702-557-2225. Spectral Gallery Sat, noon-10 pm & by appointment. Urizen Gallery First Fri, 6-10 pm. Wasteland Gallery Mon-Fri, 10 am-2 pm. 702-475-9161. Emergency Arts 520 Fremont St. Galleries include: Satellite Contemporary 973-964-3050. Rhizome Gallery 702-907-7526. Gainsburg Studio & Gallery Mon-Sat, 10am5pm. 1533 West Oakey Blvd, 702-249-3200. Las Vegas City Hall Chamber Gallery In Focus: Downtown Architecture by Ryan Reason & Jennifer Burkart Mon-Fri, 7 am-5:30 pm, 495 S. Main St., 702-229-1012. Left of Center Tue-Fri, noon-5 pm; Sat, 10 am-3 pm. 2207 W. Gowan Road, 702-6477378. Michelle C. Quinn Fine Art By appointment. 620 S. 7th St., 702-366-9339. P3Studio Wed-Thu, 5-10 pm; Fri-Sun, 6-11 pm. Cosmopolitan. UNLV Barrick Museum Mon-Fri, 9 am–5 pm; Thu, 9 am-8 pm; Sat, noon-5 pm. 4505 S Maryland Parkway., 702-895-3381 Donna Beam Fine Art Mon-Fri, 9 am-5 pm; Sat, 10 am-2 pm. 702-895-3893. Lied Library The French Connection Thru 10/31. Mon-Thu, 7:30 am-midnight; Fri, 7:30 am-7 pm; Sat, 9 am-6 pm; Sun, 11 am-midnight. West Las Vegas Arts Center Wed-Sat, 9 am-7 pm. 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd., 702-229-4800. Winchester Cultural Center Art Gallery Tue-Fri, 10 am-8 pm; Sat, 9 am-6 pm. 3130 S. McLeod Drive, 702-455-7340.

OWN THE DIGITAL HD 12/15 Own the Blu-ray™ 12/22

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www.smartandfinal.com THIS FILM HAS NOT YET BEEN RATED. Passes received do not guarantee you a seat at the theatre. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, except for members of the reviewing press. Theatre is overbooked to ensure a full house. No admittance once screening has begun. All federal, state and local regulations apply. A recipient of tickets assumes any and all risks related to use of ticket, and accepts any restrictions required by ticket provider. Paramount Pictures, Las Vegas Weekly and their affiliates accept no responsibility or liability in connection with any loss or accident incurred in connection with use of a ticket. Tickets cannot be exchanged, transferred or redeemed for cash, in whole or in part. We are not responsible if, for any reason, guest is unable to use his/ her ticket in whole or in part. Not responsible for lost, delayed or misdirected entries. All federal and local taxes are the responsibility of the guest. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. Participating sponsors, their employees & family members and their agencies are not eligible. No phone calls!

IN THEATRES DECEMBER 25 DaddysHomeMovie.com #DaddysHome

The BackStory

photographs by aaron mayes

ONE-MAN STUDENT DEMONSTRATION | UNLV CAMPUS | DECEMBER 1, 2015 I was scrolling through my Facebook News Feed Thursday morning when a shared status update with multiple photos caught my eye. It was written by someone I didn’t know, UNLV student Naweed Yusufzai, who had blindfolded himself near a busy campus walkway. On the heels of a similar demonstration in Paris, he stood with a sign that let readers know a little bit about him (I practice yoga, I pray/I love coffee and run Tough Mudders/I travel to teach kids English) and his thoughts on humanity (I smile at strangers to show them I care/I know we all struggle every single day/So know that I am here for you/I love you). In the end, it read: I am a Muslim/People call me a terrorist/I trust you/Do you trust me?/If yes … HUG ME. ¶ With all the misguided vitriol being spewed toward the Muslim community, clicking through those Facebook photos felt inspiring. Embrace after embrace, Yusufzai’s peaceful demonstration promoting love, trust and acceptance was met with generous support from his fellow UNLV classmates. –Mark Adams

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