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14w
19w
30w
Contents 7W as we see it Dave Rice’s
24W noise Reviews of Muse
run is over. Sweet tech from this year’s CES, and techy amenities we’d like to see at Strip hotels.
and John Fogerty onstage, and a nice little chat with Panic!
10W Q&A An exit interview with Blackbird Studios’ Gina Quaranto.
12W Feature | inside the sin city shootout Competition, camaraderie and the party circuit of the largest annual LGBT sporting event in the world.
cac and fish N bowl by Christopher DeVargas
14W Feature | the era of j.lo What Jennifer Lopez’s new residency says about the growth of the Strip’s favorite star vehicle.
27W the strip Brian Henson’s salty puppets are Venetian-bound.
28W stage What we can’t hear, and what we long to feel.
29W print Year of the Goose. 30W food & drink Brunch arrives at STK, and brilliant poke tacos at Fish N Bowl. 33W calendar Listings to make your life better!
19W A&E The CAC christens its new space with Taste.
20W pop culture Bowie goes out with a glorious bang. 22W screen Michael Bay tries on true-life in 13 Hours. Plus: movies about music and girl power.
Cover photograph courtesy
AsWeSeeIt N e w s + C u lt u r e + S t y l e + M o r e
The Rebel in the mirror
> game over Rice left the Rebels January 10.
∑ Ice down those scorching-hot takes
on whether Dave Rice should have been fired now or at all before they burn us like summer seat belts. Stash that opinion right next to the one on the perfect guy to become the next Runnin’ Rebels Basketball Coach Who Is Not Jerry Tarkanian (totally an official title). Right now, UNLV fan, demand this answer from the Rebel in the mirror: What exactly do you expect from your basketball program? If the reflection replies with any combination of “1990,” “glory days” or “Tark,” smash your mirror. Yesteryear ain’t yesterday. Tarkanian’s championship deserves to be celebrated as the pinnacle of sporting achievement in Nevada. Cherish it because of how difficult it was to win. The Rebels made their first Final Four in 1977. They missed March Madness the next six years and needed seven more to claim their only crown. Today’s Rebels need the sun to set on outdated expectations so their shadow doesn’t smother what success could look like now. Don’t evaluate Rice’s tenure until you define concrete expectations of UNLV basketball that honor 1990’s success while working in 2016’s reality. The facts: Rice carried the 1990 pedigree, recruited well against legacy schools, operated a program free of controversy, won 64 percent of his games and failed to match the postseason success of Tark or Lon Kruger. How you evaluate these facts will set your framework. Even if you lower your standard to Top 25 rankings or NCAA Tournament victories, start gathering quarters from the couch, because winning costs cash currently not in UNLV’s budget. Starting the night Duke became a four-letter word in
dave rice by l.e. baskow
Tech this out Our dreams for hotel amenities to come
Las Vegas, Power 5 schools—the richest and most dominant—won 19 of the next 25 national championships. Rice regularly recruited against these behemoths and often won, building four classes ranked in the national top 15. USA Today reported in April that the average salary for Power 5 coaches qualifying for the NCAA Tournament sat near $2.9 million. The capital ‘P’ in Power comes from football. UNLV’s gridiron rebuild crawls through its infancy for now, as does any potential ability to generate revenue to under-
∑ What happens in Vegas … usually starts with a long-ass wait in a hotel-registration line. But Caesars Entertainment has launched kiosks at the Linq, Flamingo and Caesars Palace that verify IDs, take payment info and either dispense room keys or set up alerts to return to the kiosk when your room is ready. The hospitality innovation got us
write basketball. Rice’s total compensation of $700,000 would rank 42nd among the 64 universities in last year’s March Madness. That barely keeps pace with inflation from Tark’s self-reported $400,000 package in the early 1990s, let alone today’s gassedup paychecks. In 2014, UNLV administrators supported Rice’s contract extension to Nevada’s Board of Regents in part with this written statement: “Coach David W. Rice has completed several very successful seasons during his tenure
thinking about other high-tech novelties we’d love to see:
der the kiosk thing obsolete, but we like the idea.
Personalized mini-bars To be designed on property websites before check-in. We’ll take Pringles, Junior Mints and Bulleit bourbon, please.
Pool chairs with F&B ordering touch-screens built into the armrests So you don’t have to flag down a cocktail waitress for your next round.
QR-code entry Scan your phone at the door to open your hotel room. It might ren-
In-room Jetsons hair machine Your ’do will be instantaneous, and so on fleek.
at UNLV … [his] 71 wins over his first three years ranks second all-time at UNLV, only to Hall of Fame Coach Jerry Tarkanian’s 73 wins.” Invoking the Tarkanian name after Rice’s third year and ushering him out with a nearly $1 million buyout following a string of disheartening losses halfway through his fifth spotlights the unpredictable nature of the coaching business. It also leads to the vital question UNLV’s next coach undoubtedly will ask in his interview: What do you expect? –Adam Candee
January 14–20, 2016 LasVegasWeekly.com
7W
AS WE SEE IT…
AMAZEBALLS
SHOP AND ADOPT
Five things I really, really wanted at CES BY KRISTY TOTTEN If Vegas is adult Disneyland, CES is a candy shop within it—a sparkling display of the latest and greatest in consumer electronics, from practical home products to extravagant toys and OMG gadgets (see: China’s Ehang passenger drone, an app-controlled aerial vehicle that can transport one person for up to 23 minutes, or roughly 10 miles). Drones were a centerpiece again this year, along with virtual-reality headsets and jaw-droppingly high-def TVs. I scoped out the show Friday and am coveting ...
Parrot MiniDrone French company Parrot has crafted slick-looking hobbyist drones since the early days, and now offers aerial, semiaquatic and land-roving mini models, starting at $99.
Victrola record player Innovative Technology has revived the 110-year-old label with a new line of tabletop, suitcase and free-standing stereos for records, CDs and radio, with plug-ins for mp3 play. IT’s products run from $60 for a Bluetooth speaker to $299 for a primo tabletop model.
The City of Las Vegas recently passed an ordinance banning pet shops from selling animals that come from breeders and puppy mills. However, questions flew about zoning, definitions and other specifics. What is the law? Pet stores may not supply their businesses with dogs and cats (and pot-bellied pigs) from breeders or so-called puppy mills. They can only “display, sell, deliver, offer for sale, barter, auction, give away, broker or otherwise transfer or dispose of” animals from a shelter, rescue or nonprofit humane society, and have two years to transition into that business model, or stop selling dogs and cats entirely. More than 110 American cities have passed a similar law. Who is affected? Only businesses within the city limits of Las Vegas—specifically, the Puppy Boutique (4343 N. Rancho Drive) and Petland (8800 W. Charleston Blvd.). Unincorporated Clark County, Henderson and North Las Vegas have no laws limiting the sale of animals acquired from breeders and puppy mills.
Casio WFD-F10 smart watch It tracks cycling, trekking and fishing activities; gauges pressure, altitude and compass direction; and graphs sunrises, sunsets and tidal activity. Only downside: no GPS. But it does tell time! LG OLED 4K Smart TV A clip of moon footage on the LG screen made me feel like I was there. It blew away the competition in a side-by-side comparison with a newish but not nearly as awesome rival, because basically it’s magic.
Panasonic Real Pro Ultra 3D Massage Chair Judge if you must, but when I win the Powerball I’m buying this $9,000 chair, which scans its master (that would be me) for a personalized rubdown that makes other massage chairs seem like busted old bean bags.
8W LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM JANUARY 14-20, 2016
Clearing up Las Vegas’ new pet-store law
What are puppy mills? They’re large, commercial animal-breeding operations that have been criticized for decades—increasingly so in recent years—due to allegations that their animals are mistreated and/or subjected to poor living conditions. What if I want to buy a certifiable pure-bred dog or cat and circumvent the pet stores? Everyone in the Valley is allowed to buy animals from private/individual breeders with permits, most of whom advertise on the Internet (Craigslist, Backpage, etc.). Pet experts strongly recommend researching and/or visiting breeders before buying from them. So where do those dogs and cats often displayed at Petco and Petsmart come from? They are foster or shelter pets, and can only be adopted. This is the model Las Vegas pet stores must follow if they are to continue making dogs and cats available. –Mike Prevatt
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Weekly Q&A
that there’s going to be no place now like this here, but I feel like I can go to bed at night knowing I did the best I could. Has it been worth it? Absolutely. We opened up in the recession, knowing it wasn’t going to be a money-maker. We just needed a place where we could see artists you wouldn’t see at the Arts Factory or at Brett Wesley. These shows were mostly shows of brand new, emerging artists. A lot of the shows weren’t sellable because they were installations, but they needed to be seen. And we introduced a lot of artists, including Su Limbert [and] Juan Muniz.
> Exit Interview Quaranto is closing Blackbird on January 15.
Blackbird singing After five years of showcasing ‘a gazillion artists,’ Gina Quaranto is moving on from her gallery known as 18b, is closing Blackbird—ending its five-year run on January 15, with the final reception for the themed group show she’s wanted to do for four years. Why Wes Anderson? He’s an artist. He’s always inspired me, and I feel like I’ve been like a secret Wes Anderson character all my life. You know, life uniforms. I identify with that. ... Also, each scene is a painting. When I saw Life Aquatic and saw he actually stylized underneath the sea, I was like, I get this guy. How does it feel to be closing? It’s bittersweet,
because I’ve been looking forward to it. I feel bad that people are so sad, but I feel like I’ve done everything I could. I’m ready to move on, to not have that stress on my back. I feel
Is he happy about it? No. He’s
sad. He never saw it as a hindrance. Gabe loves the people here. I felt the gallery was good for him. It opened him up to all different types of people. What were your biggest struggles? The city doesn’t make
it easy. They put the craziest stipulations on these places, and they’re not doing what they say they’re going to do. Favorite shows? All the group They’re okay with keeping shows were my favorite— things dilapidated Pee Wee Herman, and owned by outWes Anderson, The of-towners and Goonies, Dr. Seuss. BYE BYE letting them stay And Su Limbert’s big BLACKBIRD vacant and then putshow. January 15, 7 ting fancy benches p.m. Blackbird on the other side of Thoughts on Las Studios, 1551 S. Charleston where Vegas’ current gallery Commerce St., nobody even goes. scene? It’s changed 702-782-0319. And we talked to so much in the past them about that, in two years. About a and out of meetings, and they year ago I pulled out of the still don’t listen. politics; I pulled out of everything. ... It was on my mind constantly. This wasn’t just Do you miss living Downtown? a gallery. This was my neighI do, but I’ve really accliborhood. My art scene. mated to Green Valley. I like being home and having structure and not worrying about What happened? It was the a gazillion things that I have whole First Friday thing. no control over. It’s so differIt changed significantly ent. In the last two years this down here when [ownerblock has gotten so bad with ship changed]. First Friday the homeless people. They’re was our thing. We spent 10 migrating, and the first thing years getting that going. It I’d have to do was pick up was all about art. It was literhuman fecal matter. ally taken away from us. It took away the whole idea of galleries and made it into a Is it still an arts district? I party. You go out on the street don’t know. We have so little and there are products, Made power. There are so many in China products. entities. What’s next for you? I’m going to work on my own artwork. I want to explore more sculpture and installation. Most importantly I’m going to be home with my son. I’m not going to drag him to Downtown Alliance meetings or to City Hall or different meet-
Closing thoughts? I love this gallery, and I love 18b and everybody in it. It’s so new that we all grew up in it. We created it together. And maybe it’s harder for us because we had to build everything up, but it’s been rewarding. –Kristen Peterson
“A lot of the shows weren’t sellable because they were installations, but they needed to be seen.” 10W LasVegasWeekly.com january 14-20, 2016
photograph by bill hughes
Wes Anderson has taken over Blackbird Studios. The hot-pink walls lined with faux-wood paneling are covered in paintings celebrating his films. There’s a themed and peculiarly homey feeling in the Commerce Street space, where Gina Quaranto sits under a painting of Bill Murray’s Mr. Bishop (from Moonrise Kingdom) reading a newspaper. Beautiful brushwork. Nice composition on the flocked green background. The artist, David Veliz, had walked into the gallery years earlier as a teenager, then worked odd jobs in the space and now is a featured artist. Typical at Blackbird, a place that has given so many new artists a chance. Now Quaranto, one of the more outspoken advocates of the Downtown Arts District
ings everyday. We’re going to come home from school like normal people and I’m going to cook dinner. I’m going to help him with his homework. He’s 12 now. I think he should have some routine in his life. My focus was this for so long, and I was a mother to a gazillion artists.
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on the same
team
Sin City Shootout, the largest annual LGBT sports gathering, fosters mad camaraderie By mike prevatt
S
it in his hometown, he looked north. occer players grooming themForty teams participated in the 2008 selves on the sidelines. Softball launch, held on Martin Luther King Jr. players fake-boffing in the Weekend at parks throughout the Valley, dugout. Various exchanges of with off-Strip Tuscany Suites serving as “Gurrrrl.” All things most peothe host hotel and Piranha one of the ple wouldn’t be surprised to see at a gay designated nighttime hangouts. Errors sporting event. And all scenes—infrewere not limited to the outfield. quent as they were—from a recent Sin “I made lots of mistakes,” Ryan says City Shootout, which brings its ninth of that first year. “I didn’t even think of tournament to Las Vegas January 14. concessions and bathrooms.” Regardless, Despite some attendees carrying themhe saw enthusiastic reactions from playselves with the irreverence they enjoy at ers, who praised the tournament and their favorite bar, they ultimately travel the host city. “I spoke to managers and from all over the country to revel in the asked, ‘What do you think?’ They said, brotherhood and celebrate competition ‘We loved it; here’s some feedback.’ The in a city built for celebration. draw was Las Vegas.” Touted as the largest annual LGBT Among them was Kevin Riddle, a sporting event anywhere, the Shootout player and coach in the Metro Nashville has evolved into a five-day tournament Softball Association. “I and gathering for more than wouldn’t have visited Vegas 8,500 athletes, though it’s not otherwise, and I’m glad I did,” a quadrennial, Olympics-style SIN CITY says Riddle, who has particievent à la the Gay Games or SHOOTOUT pated in every Shootout and OutGames. The schedule is January 14-18; travels farther for it than any of heavy on softball—which sole- full schedule at ly comprised the inaugural sincityshootout. the 10 or so gay softball tournaments he attends every year. 2008 edition—but has grown com. The event stirred up to include 23 other sports and hometown players, too. After games, from hockey and rock meeting Ryan, members of the local climbing to dodgeball, darts and bridge. LGBT community put the wheels in Yes, bridge. “It’s a type of mental motion for what later became the Las sport,” tournament director Eric Ryan Vegas Gay Softball League. It joined says. And its inclusion highlights the the 43-league North American Gay Shootout’s emphasis on participation Amateur Athletic Alliance in January over qualification, welcoming players 2010, allowing Vegas-based teams into of all skill levels and almost any game the Shootout. if someone is willing to organize it. Among those early local participants The Shootout is rooted in Ryan’s 20 and LVGSL members was Neil Popish years of visiting Las Vegas and 14 years of the Las Vegas Grease Monkeys, of playing in gay softball leagues, a counC Division winners of the 2014 Gay trywide network that includes tens of Softball World Series. His continued thousands of players and dates back to Shootout participation can be chalked the late ’70s, when it was vital for LGBT up to pride—not only is it a major toursports fans to find a safe environment nament, it’s also in his backyard—and, for competition. After playing in several despite the lack of Vegas-based admintournaments, Ryan created his own benistration, its local feel. Plus, it’s popuefitting the Greater Los Angeles Softball lated by some very talented athletes. Association. But instead of establishing
12W LasVegasWeekly.com january 14-20, 2016
FLEX LOUNGE lightning by tracy coleman
> GAME ON (Clockwise from here) Vegas team the Flex Lounge Lightning after winning the D Division championship at the 2015 Sin City Shootout; a snap from a Shootout closing party; Neil Popish of the Las Vegas Grease Monkeys during the 2014 Gay Softball World Series.
“It’s pretty competitive,” Popish says. “I got two of my best friends who are straight to join my team. When both came to the Shootout on separate occasions, they were blown away by the competition. They said, ‘I didn’t expect the players to be this good.’”
T
*****
he Shootout evolved slowly and naturally. The 2009 edition saw more teams (and actual concessions), and as more signed up over the years the event’s footprint spread to every park system in the Valley—meaning locals could watch games for free. The nightlife program got more ambitious, building on designated nights at LGBT favorites like Piranha, Charlie’s and Share to opening and closing festivities at bigger party spots (this year’s tourney capper will be at Rain at the Palms). And growth enabled Ryan to upgrade to the Rio and then Planet Hollywood before he was taken in by the boutique allure of the Tropicana, now Shootout HQ. He even landed a sponsorship from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Crucially, Ryan expanded the Shootout’s offerings beyond softball. “I have friends who play in other sporting leagues, and they always talked about the camaraderie the gay softball leagues enjoyed and they wanted that. I asked them, ‘Why don’t you have your tournaments alongside the Sin City Shootout? People will get cheaper hotel rates, and there will be better buying power with all of us together.’” A few years in, soccer and basketball joined the fray. Tennis followed in 2013 after it was pitched to Jim Lash, co-owner of the Las Vegas Gay Tennis Club (who met his husband at a San Diego tennis tournament 15 years ago). Lash was excited to use his experience as a local and as a travel agent to help those traveling for the Shootout, and to connect with non-racqueted players. “It’s nice to meet athletes in other sports.” That same year, Ryan asked Chris Lorefice, chair of the international Wrestlers WithOut Borders, to head up a wrestling/grappling component. Lorefice signed on, particularly enticed by how the Shootout allowed anyone to take part. “We don’t run it like it’s a qualifying event for the Olympics,” he says. “We pair people by weight, age and skill level so it’s safe.” Safety concerns are deeply rooted in the Shootout and LGBT sports organizations in general. Despite increasing social acceptance, gay athletes claim rude remarks and other forms of harassment still surface around mainstream leagues. “If a player has a stereotypical gay lisp or appearance, they might get mocked or teased playing in a non-LGBT league,” Ryan says. “In our league, they’re accepted. They’re part of the community.” Being a gay event, the Shootout does attract some attendees who treat its evening festivities like a sports-themed circuit party; Ryan says not only have teams and players occasionally failed to show up to morning games due to partying too hard, but he’s also heard stories about gay hookup app Grindr “overloading” at Tropicana the past few years. (He balances one libertine aspect of the Shootout with social responsibility, as proceeds from sales of $10 tournament mugs go to local charities.) Yet fun, especially in the name of sportsmanship, is the Shootout’s main selling point. The deeper reward, Lorefice says, is the bond. The commonalities and fraternization between players that make this competition actually serve to unite them. JANUARY 14–20, 2016 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM
13W
Jenny on our block By Sarah Feldberg
A
J.Lo’s arrival on the Strip has the Vegas residency moving to a fresh new beat
14W LasVegasWeekly.com january 14-20, 2016
blasted from the speakers six minutes later, Lopez had conquered the Microsoft Theater so completely, she might as well have stabbed a flag through the floor. While fake bills flew from the ceiling and the crowd cheered, Lopez posed above her new subjects as their diva queen, dominator of industries, unstoppable entertainment force. Though she’s seen her share of flops and failures over a 25-year career, Lopez is seemingly still at the top of her game, which isn’t so much ruling any one particular segment as staying strong across many. She’s worked her way through show business piece by piece, from dancing as a Fly Girl on In Living Color, to starring as Selena in the film by the same name, to releasing her first album, On the 6, which landed Lopez atop the Billboard charts in 1999 with “If You Had My Love.” When J.Lo debuted a few years later, it hit No. 1 the same week goofy rom-com The Wedding Planner won big at the box office, making Lopez the first person to have the top-grossing film and the No. 1 album in the same week. But the Bronx native hasn’t exactly stayed in her lane(s).
Today, at 46, the mother of twins is the embodiment of the modern celebrity mogul: She’s branched into fashion and fragrance. She’s released a Spanish-language album. She owns a production company, has a new TV show and is currently judging her fifth season of American Idol. Diversified is understatement; Lopez is a Swiss army knife. With so much on her proverbial plate, conventional wisdom would dictate that she’s still at least a decade shy of succumbing to a resident show on the Las Vegas Strip. But Lopez, whose All I Have residency debuts at Planet Hollywood on January 20, isn’t an anomaly. She’s the foaming edge of a tsunami wave that’s been cresting in Vegas for the past few years and has swept up artists like Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Pitbull and Bruno Mars. For more performers and more relevant ones, Las Vegas isn’t an inevitable stop on the downward slope of the fame parabola, but a place to make money and reach fans from around the world right now.
***** To understand the transformation of the artist residency in
Las Vegas, you have to start with Celine Dion—Quebecois royalty, singer of the Titanic theme, Strip über headliner. “I give a lot of credit to Celine for really changing that mind-set,” says Jason Gastwirth, senior vice president of marketing and entertainment for Caesars Entertainment. “She had her Colosseum start not having reached the height of her career yet.” That happened back in 2003, when Celine/Franco Dragone collaboration A New Day… opened at the freshly built 4,000-seat venue. In its first year, the show grossed $80.5 million, according to Pollstar, more than every North American tour except Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. In 2004 A New Day… did it again, ranking second with $80.4 million, behind Prince. By the time the show closed in 2007, it had raked in more than $385 million without ever leaving the Strip. Celine proved that a Vegas headlining gig could be big, bold and, most importantly, profitable. Since then, other megastars and artists closer to—if not fully astride—their prime have followed: Garth Brooks came out of
photograph by Abdeljalil Bounhar/AP
t the American Music Awards in LA this past November, the curtain opened to host Jennifer Lopez posed among a clan of backup dancers. In a glittering, tribalprint bodysuit and hulking fur coat, Lopez raised a mic and plunged into a dramatic rendition of “Waiting for Tonight.” As she leaned into the notes, her voice clear and confident, it felt like Lopez was trying to tell us something beyond how long she had been waiting for this very evening. Don’t forget, she seemed to croon. I can sing. Then she stopped. “Wait, don’t clap,” she told the celeb-saturated audience. “Tonight’s not about me. Tonight’s about the music. … And this year’s music made me want to dance.” With that, Lopez launched into a furious dance medley set to 2015’s biggest hits. She salsa-ed to Skrillex and Justin Bieber. She body-rolled to Nicki Minaj. She marched to Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” and staged a micro-orgy to The Weeknd’s “I Can’t Feel My Face.” She did Drake’s “Hotline Bling” leg wobble better than Drake. By the time Rihanna’s voice
> cranking the heat J.Lo is in her prime, and she’s bringing her star power to the heart of Vegas entertainment.
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retirement in 2009 to play acoustic tunes at the Wynn. Shania Twain arrived at Caesars Palace with a 40-horse escort in 2012. Faith Hill and Tim McGraw put on a cozy country show at the Venetian, and Bruno Mars took a break from his nearly sold-out Moonshine Jungle tour for a run at the Cosmopolitan. Meanwhile the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has evolved the residency concept, subbing out the sequined star soloist for bands like Guns N’ Rose, Kiss and Mötley Crüe. “A few years ago you talked about residencies and no one knew what you were talking about,” Gastwirth says. “Now, it’s a part of the vernacular.” And the roster goes on: Mariah Carey at Caesars Palace, Pitbull at Planet Hollywood. In October, Britney Spears announced that her Vegas show, Piece of Me, would run for two more years inside PH’s Axis Theater, and 2016 is bringing not only Jennifer Lopez, but also Billy Idol, Lionel Richie and John Fogerty to Strip stages. For artists, Gastwirth says, resident shows have obvious appeal. Instead of schlepping around the country, they stay put and the audience comes to them. There’s no packing the sets onto trucks, no staging surprises, no “I can’t hear you, Cleveland!” Shows can be custom-built for the venue, which might be smaller than what they typically play on the road. Looking forward, Gastwirth thinks we’ll see more genre diversity among headliners. “I think we’ll see artists who are pursuing residencies earlier in their careers.”
After Broadway ambitions and Cirque du Soleil’s Strip coup, Vegas has entered the age of the headliner. “Vegas is all about giving our guests experiences they can’t get anywhere else,” Gastwirth says, “and the resident model is that right now.”
***** “It’s like an entertainer’s dream.” That’s how J.Lo described her upcoming Planet Hollywood
Jennifer Lopez is the foaming edge of a tsunami wave that’s been cresting in Vegas. 16W LasVegasWeekly.com january 14-20, 2016
gig on Ellen back in May. “When I was setting out to do my world tour in 2012, I had all these crazy ideas for the stage,” Lopez tells the Weekly, “and I was told logistically you can’t do that, ’cause we have to tear down the show and rebuild it again the next night in a new city. That isn’t the case this time around. I can let my mind go wild and be as creative as I want, since we have the luxury of being in the same place every night.” But she can’t go wild alone. To bring her fantasy production into reality, Lopez has enlisted a few of her regular collaborators, show directors and choreographers Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo and stylists Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn. “It’s been a really fast push,” says Napoleon over the phone from LA during a break in rehearsals. “Normally we get about six months to put up a show, and we’re doing this thing in less than 12 weeks.” That doesn’t mean they’ve scaled back on costumes, choreography for the 16 backup dancers or arrangements for the live band. While Lopez could probably get away with throwing on a rhinestone jumpsuit and belting out her hits, taking the obvious route has never been her thing. “Over the years I have seen a
lot of shows in Vegas,” she says. “I am excited to do my take on Vegas, my own spin on it.” Napoleon describes All I Have as “theater meets pop show,” a seven-act spectacular with each section devoted to showcasing Lopez through a different genre. That means Broadway and hiphop, funk and burlesque, ballads and Latin, for which they brought in special salsa instructors from Colombia. Lest you feel like you’ve missed out on Ms. Lopez’s classic club-ready style, the show will end with a set of on-your-feet EDM, J.Lo turning Axis into her own private dance party before the lights come up. “We’re doing a seven-act show and we’re changing the sets seven times, which is unheard of,” Napoleon says. And since Lopez has long been a fashion icon, each act comes with its own distinctive outfit, custom-designed by the likes of photograph by Matt Sayles/ap
> made for vegas Given her charisma onstage and massive, enduring appeal, Lopez belongs on the Strip.
Versace and Zuhair Murad. “If she already loves sparkle and everything over-the-top and glamorous, Vegas is the perfect spot to do that,” stylist Haenn says. “You almost have to go really big or go home, because if you’re not going to go really big there, where do you?” Napoleon and Tabitha know something about designing a show for the Strip. The duo met while attending UNLV, and though they’re widely recognized for their “lyrical hip-hop” choreography on So You Think You Can Dance, they’ve also directed the Jabbawockeez’s Vegas show, choreographed for Cirque and worked with artists like Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin and, of course, Lopez. They describe her as the “best in the biz—one of the hardestworking artists out there.” When you talk about Lopez with her inner circle, that’s a comphotograph by al powers/ap
mon refrain: the crazy schedule, the intense work ethic, the sense that though she’s juggling a dozen projects, she’s pouring herself into all of them. Even those close to her, who talk to Lopez every day, seem a little in awe. Which is understandable. Jenny from the block didn’t just shake her empirically incredible bidibidibombom and—poof!— transform into an icon. She spent the past 25 years working, building her career from backup dancer to what it is today, a multiindustry phenomenon that can’t be reduced to titles like “singer” or “actress.” “You know, I just really like to work,” she says. “I guess maybe a bit too much with everything going on, but I love what I do.” What Lopez hasn’t done much over those 25 years is tour. Other than a short run of dates in 2007 with then-husband Marc Anthony, she’s only toured once: the Dance
Again World Tour in 2012. “A lot of fans complain about that to me,” she told Degeneres in May. “So, I’ll be in Vegas. You can come see me.” In some ways, then, this residency is the logical next step for a woman who has checked nearly every box in the entertainment space. Missing from her long list of accomplishments: Put on a legendary tour. All I Have could be that tour, the one people talk about. The one they remember. For now, though, it’s still rehearsals and fittings, putting on the final touches in that last frantic sprint to opening night. Stylist Haenn says that sometimes in the day-to-day hustle of advanced planning and immediate deadlines, she can lose sight of the bigger picture, of what she and Zangardi and Napoleon and Tabitha and Lopez are all creating together. “When you do get to stand back
and see her onstage, it’s sort of like, ‘Oh my God, holy sh*t.’” Haenn says. The stress, the long hours, the inevitable hurdles and last-minute changes, seeing Lopez under the lights puts it all in perspective. “She is the one who has to go up there and perform and look amazing and sound amazing and remember every step and every word to every song. That’s a tremendous amount of pressure. It’s just like, ‘Wow. She is just amazing.’” Celine proved that a Vegas residency could be profitable. Now, more than 10 years later, maybe it’s Lopez, the ageless beauty whose star never seems to fade, who will take the residency to its next evolutionary step.
JENNIFER LOPEZ: ALL I HAVE January 20-June 12; dates vary, 9 p.m., $79-$239. Axis Theater at Planet Hollywood, 866-919-7472.
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Free kids entrée from kids menu with purchase of adult entrée. 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.
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Few EDM producers have been able to collaborate with so many musical heavy hitters, distinguish themselves as early and rise through the DJ ranks as quickly as John Borger, aka Borgeous. Becoming a fulltime Sin City resident was probably a good idea.
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Whether or not he’s dating a Swedish model or living up to his rep as the most partying dad, drama seems to follow Scott Disick everywhere. When he hosts at 1 OAK, as was the case when he set the pace at the Mirage club for New Year’s Eve, the drama equates to a supercharged crowd and a big, loud, good time.
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Happy birthday to you, Tijs Michiel Verwest, happy 47th birthday to you, happy big birthday party at Hakkasan to Tiësto ... happy continued Vegas-dominating DJ residency to you!
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The Mau5 returns. After years as one of the most successful and influential producers of the EDM-boom era, after ditching dominant dance label Ultra and going indie, after feuding with other superstar DJs and rebooting his outspoken Twitter feed, Deadmau5 comes back to XS. Of course, the excitement and anticipation surrounding his Vegas gigs never left.
s c o t t d i s i c k b y d av i d b e c k e r ; d e a d m a u 5 b y d a n n y m a h o n e y ; t i ë s t o b y a l p o w e r s
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E r ic D-Lux And you think you’ve mastered the Vegas four-day weekend? Psh. Veteran Vegas resident DJ (and LA native and Power 106 mainstay) Eric D-Lux makes the rounds like no other. He plays Drai’s at the Cromwell on Thursday, Marquee at the Cosmopolitan on Friday, Tao at Venetian on Saturday and XS at Encore on Sunday. It’s the DJ equivalent of hitting for the cycle.
g r e e n s p u n m e d i a g r o u p Associate Publisher Mark De Pooter (mark.depooter@gmgvegas.com) Industry Weekly Editor Brock Radke (brock.radke@gmgvegas.com) Industry Weekly Writer Leslie Ventura (leslie.ventura@gmgvegas.com) Contributors Mark Adams, Don Chareunsy, Sarah Feldberg, Erin Ryan, Kristy Totten
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Designers Corlene Byrd, Marvin Lucas
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Circulation Director Ron Gannon CEO, Publisher & Editor Brian Greenspun
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Chief Operating Officer Robert Cauthorn
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Group Publisher Gordon Prouty
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Managing Editor Ric Anderson Las Vegas Weekly Editor Spencer Patterson
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marquee dayclub
2275 Corporate Circle, Suite 300 Henderson, NV 89074
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For customer service questions, call 702-990-8993 marquee
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To advertise, call 702-990-2550 or email advertising@gmgvegas.com.
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hings have a way of coming together at Chateau. The music’s just right, the crowd’s always happy and the Paris Las Vegas nightclub’s Strip views from the roof allow you to observe a greater party while celebrating in private.
pHOTOgrApH By CHrisTOpHEr dEvArgAs
It’s all very similar to the way the pieces fit together for Element Hospitality, the company that’s been operating Chateau for the past two years. Co-owners Steve Kennedy (a veteran of the Light Group and Tao Group) and Jon Spadafora (who has worked in nightlife at the Borgata in Atlantic City and at LAX at Luxor) met in 2007 and found their paths continually crossing. “We became good friends and realized we had complementary styles,” Spadafora says. “Steve is great to bounce ideas off of. He has a different way of looking at things.”
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Element’s approach to advancing Chateau has been doubling down on its warm, welcoming service— “taking the intimidation out of nightlife,” Kennedy says—and maximizing its greatest asset: a centerStrip, smack-on-the-Boulevard location. To that end, there’s the Beer Park by Budweiser, a 10,000-squarefoot rooftop deck opening January 15 (with a grand opening on the 30th) featuring outdoor grills, food served from roaming carts, picnic tables, 36 taps and more than 100 beer selections. “Think of it as an engaging, interactive, tailgate-style experience with unique dining, plus DJs with more of a party scene at night,” Kennedy says. “It’s something that has been missing from this part of the Strip.” And it’s only the next step of Chateau’s evolution, with even more fresh, perfectly placed entertainment on the way. Stay tuned. –Brock Radke
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inter in Las Vegas. If there’s one spot driving innovation during the pool-party offseason, it’s Marquee Dayclub, with its climatecontrolled, 22,000-square-foot dome simulating summer during the chilliest time of year. There on the
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Hing Yip Yim, Tao Group’s director of nightclub and pool operations, credits that to some 70 permanent and portable heaters constantly working to make it feel like Vegas on a warm summer day. The most challenging part, Yim says, is making sure every inch of the 50-foot-tall dayclub dome is sealed off from the outside elements. The party-orb structure—which peaks 200 feet above the Strip—gets inspected daily by a maintenance crew, making sure the 95,000-pound covering stays
in perfect condition. And the water is heated to a soothing 90 degrees, allowing for optimum pool play. This year, the futuristic bubble has even more daytime parties scheduled, including its first playoff viewing party with DJ Vice on January 17, the annual Q Bowl party on Super Bowl Sunday and the Halfway to EDC celebration on Valentine’s Day weekend. Consider it an excuse to add to your swimsuit collection. –Leslie Ventura
VANILLA ICE
JAN 21 DOORS AT 10:30PM
TAKIN’ IT BACK TO THE OLD SCHOOL FOR RESERVATIONS CALL 702.262.4529 OR VISIT LUXOR.COM/NIGHTLIFE Must be 21+ with valid ID. Subject to capacity. Dress code strictly enforced. Management reserves all rights.
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tro might still be best known for his 2012 debut single “Harlem Shake,” a dance track that went viral in a way few songs have—becoming an unavoidable meme and cultural flashpoint in 2013, it truly took on a life of its own.
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f you’ve been one to criticize Las Vegas nightclubs for not being as musically diverse as their counterparts in other cities, we would humbly direct you to Light this week for the next installment of Baauer’s Studio B. The Philly-born producer known to dabble in trap, bass, hip-hop and elec-
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But Baauer has moved beyond. His most recent output: co-producing the stark, icy, intense track “Sunshine” on Pusha T’s new album. His ability and agility to bounce between serious, somber sounds like these and more upbeat environments, as on “GoGo!” and “Promises” (with Fetty Wap), are
making him one of the most soughtafter producers in hip-hop and dance. Lucky Light audiences have been witness to his continued aural experiments, which always include guest performers. Last month’s Studio B session featured up-and-coming R&B singer Kehlani and Canadian rapper/ producer/designer Tory Lanez. If you like a little edge on your party, you won’t want to miss Baauer’s next Vegas appearance. Baauer’s Studio B: January 20, Light at Mandalay Bay. –Brock Radke
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here’s a lot of personality at Hyde. Earlier, it’s an ultraswanky lounge affording peerless 50-yard-line views of the iconic Bellagio fountains. Later, it’s a pioneering party spot, an intimate nightclub where stars converge and, on the right night, things can get pretty wild.
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In the middle of the week, the place where everyone wants to be is at its most welcoming. The absence of a cover charge helps, but it’s far from the only element that creates a powder-keg dynamic at Infamous Wednesdays. There’s the only-in-Vegas mix of locals, industry folk and business-minded travelers ready to unwind and let loose
... all the way. DJ D-Miles is a natural crowd-pleaser, refusing to allow energy levels to dip. But most of all, it’s the glamorous staff that sculpts the Infamous atmosphere, seemingly having more fun than anyone else. Indeed, Wednesday night at Hyde Bellagio is the point where sophistication and service gets amped and electrified, and everyone is invited.
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very time I’ve eaten at Kumi— every time!—there’s been a world-famous DJ in the next booth over, finding sublime nourishment before headlining at a nearby nightclub; or a celebrity superstar with entourage in tow, hitting one of the hippest restaurants to start their quest to conquer Vegas in one night. Why do the hottest of the hot keep finding their way to chef Akira Back’s Mandalay Bay sushi stronghold? For the coolest food, naturally.
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The dish not to miss right now is the chef’s signature AB Tuna Tartare, a study in simplicity. The pristine fish is skillfully sliced into creamy, textural bliss, smooth and richly indulgent. It’s augmented with Korean sesame oil, micro greens and crunchy corn crisps, creating the ideal starting plate. But you can earn bonus pleasure points by eating it in another form: The AB Tuna Hand Roll was born when Kumi’s chef crew started eating the tartare as this quick snack, fun and portable and completely addictive. We wonder if those DJs take a bunch of these to go. Kumi at Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7200. Sunday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 5-11 p.m. –Brock Radke
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DRiNKS iN tHE big city V i s T a ’ s a r e
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he Las Vegas Strip is known for its many, varied transportive experiences—Egyptian pyramids, Venetian canals, NYC skylines, so on and so forth—and that’s definitely the vibe at the shimmering Vista Cocktail Lounge. It’s the big-city bar you’ll find in every big city, and the cycling LED “views” of international hubs might get you feeling, well, worldly. The cocktail list has similar international appeal, but instead of rotating your drink to match the scenery, settle in and savor the carefully crafted El Laberinto. It’s Spanish for “maze,” but once you find your way into this beautifully balanced sweet and sour concoction, built on unbelievably smooth Avión Silver kissed with orange, lime, peach bitters and amaretto, you’ll have no desire to escape. Doesn’t everything look great from here? Vista Cocktail Lounge at Caesars Palace, 702-731-7852. Monday & Wednesday, 5 p.m.-3 a.m.; Tuesday & ThursdaySunday, 5 p.m.-4 a.m.
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RED ROCK & GREEN VALLEY RANCH
2016 POOL SEASON CASTING CALL RED ROCK
JANUARY 15, 22 & 29 2PM - 5PM AUDITIONS WILL BE HELD INSIDE CRIMSON
GREEN VALLEY RANCH
JAN. 19, 26 & FEB. 2 10AM - 2PM AUDITIONS WILL BE HELD INSIDE LOBBY BAR
HIRING FOR ALL POSITIONS
VIP ATTENDANTS VIP BARTENDERS VIP SPRINTERS CABANA HOSTS FOOD SERVERS BAR PORTERS SPRINTERS LIFEGUARDS POOL AMBASSADORS For expedited entry please apply online at sclv.com and bring resume. Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, or protected veteran. © 2016 Station Casinos LLC, Las Vegas NV.
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We’re not claiming that launching Industry Weekly with him on the cover gave Steve Aoki a little extra energy heading into his CES Week set at Omnia, or that giving Aoki a sneak peek at the very first issue right before he took the stage hyped him up even more than usual. But we did that. And Omnia exploded when Aoki took the decks. Just sayin’. Share your most Vegas moments. Bring us behind your scenes. Capture the night with #IndustryWeekly.
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#industry weekly
Arts&Entertainment M o v i e s + M u s i c + A r t + F oo d
> House Party Martin Lawrence performs at the Joint on Saturday.
Excellent Taste
Trust Us
Stuff you’ll want to know about
martin lawrence by Chris Pizzello/AP; CAC by christopher devargas
Laugh
royal philharmonic orchestra Pinchas Zukerman batons through a program featuring Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. January 17, 7:30 p.m., $39-$119, Smith Center’s Reynolds Hall.
martin lawrence Before he starred as Miles Logan in Blue Streak, Marcus Burnett in Bad Boys and, um, Big Momma in Big Momma’s House, Lawrence was an A-list stand-up comic, starring in HBO specials and hosting Def Comedy Jam. See him return to his roots. January 16, 7 p.m., $40-$200, the Joint.
see
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tin toy cars Featuring three cast members from
night at the museum It’s the grown-ups’ turn to rule the jungle gym and crush a round of dress-up at this Discovery Children’s Museum/Junior League fundraiser, complete with booze (duh), snacks and a silent disco. We triple-dog-dare you to wear pigtails. January 15, 7-10 p.m., $50-$60, jllv.org.
Cirque du Soleil, the group channels artistic dynamism into folk-driven Americana. Hear firsthand during this Falling, Rust & Bones album release party. January 15, 9 p.m., $8, Bunkhouse. LUCIE ARNAZ The title of her show, Latin Roots, tips you off that it’s all about Desi. The vocalist will pay tribute to her bandleader/TV star father by singing English and Spanish standards (Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Agustin Lara, among others) and telling family anecdotes. January 15-16, 7 p.m., $39-$55, Smith Center’s Cabaret Jazz.
STARS AND STARDUST Start the night with the Boneyard’s dazzling artificial light show, then watch it dim for a view of real stars through the telescopes of the Las Vegas Astronomical Society. January 16; 6-7, 7-8 & 8-9 p.m.; free (tickets required); Neon Museum.
RESERVOIR DOLLS If diamonds are a girl’s best friend, perhaps this all-female cast of jewelry thieves (and one police informant) can pull off a heist better than the dudecrew of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. Through January 31; Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 5 p.m.; $20; Onyx Theatre.
Back in the day, the Contemporary Arts Center, then known as the Contemporary Arts Collective, would mount an annual exhibit highlighting “premier” artists in Las Vegas, the best of the best working in contemporary art— literally, La Crème. Now that the CAC has moved into its new permanent home in Soho Lofts—returning to brickand-mortar after more than a year and a half of nomadic exhibits and events—its first show is a nod to its younger self and tradition, a contemporary throwback to La Crème. The exhibit, Taste, samples some of the most celebrated work coming out of Las Vegas. Many have had P3Studio residencies or TASTE solo shows in Through town; some are February 12; part of permanent Thursdaycollections Sunday, noonbelonging to the 6 p.m.; openBarrick Museum ing reception or Las Vegas Art January 15, Museum; and 5:30-8 p.m. seven are among Contemporary the 17 artists Arts Center, from Las Vegas Soho Lofts, being featured in 900 Las Vegas Contemporary Boulevard S. Nevada: State of #150. the State at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno in October. The names should sound familiar: Justin Favela, Sean Russell, Adam Morey, Danielle Habegger, Wendy Kveck, Chris Bauder, Mikayla Whitmore, Linda Alterwitz, David Ryan, Shawn Hummel, Brent Sommerhauser, Alisha Kerlin, Mark Brandvik, Sierra Slentz and Elizabeth Blau. Their works, including some previously shown, were selected for being influenced by the local landscape, industry and culture. –Kristen Peterson
January 14–20, 2016 LasVegasWeekly.com
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A&E | pop culture
> TURN TO THE RIGHT David Bowie, in subtler fashion.
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Station to Station Traveling alongside the brilliant life of David Bowie By Smith Galtney to? I don’t just listen to Bowie music. I soak in Bowie periods. I watch Bowie films. I read Bowie books. I once spent a whole weekend inside the Museum of Television and Radio watching nothing but Bowie clips. He’s the ultimate rock ’n’ roll text. I must have been 3 or 4 when my oldest sister, the one who got in car crashes, brought home Aladdin Sane. Forget the slash across his face, what the hell was that translucent, lubelike blob on his shoulder? (A Google search says it’s a teardrop. Boring!) At 11 or 12, my other sister, the one who got good grades, bought a cassette of Changesonebowie. “Golden Years” and “Space Oddity” are sung by the same person? It didn’t make sense. My first concert was the Glass Spider tour, at the Superdome in ’87. It pretty much sucked. And yet, when setting up online accounts, for a long time I chose “What’s your first concert?” as my security question, and proudly typed “David Bowie” as the answer. In 1999, I actually had a conversation with Bowie. He was doing press
for the Hours… album, and we spoke on the phone for 30 minutes. He was totally cool, and I was a complete idiot, and before hanging up, he said, “I can’t tell you what a pleasure it was talking with you, Smith.” The more that rang in my ears, the bigger my head felt. Years later, I heard him say the exact same thing to a TV reporter, and realized the remark could be read two ways. This week, I’m lucky enough to be in New York City. I’ve made two trips to Bowie’s apartment building in SoHo. Along with all the flower and candles, there were two copies of David Live (one scrawled over so it reads “David Live Forever”) and a message from a boy named Herbie (“My mom told me that she will put on her red shoes and dance the blues because she is sad and she will miss you.”). There were folks with long gray hair, young space cadets in face paint and nuclear boots. Someone held out an iPhone as it played “Lazarus,” the last Bowie single. “Look up here, I’m in heaven.” A phenomenal life, neatly tied up.
photograph by Kirmer/ap
The last photo of David Bowie doesn’t look anything like a man who’ll die of cancer in two days. He’s dressed to the nines in a black fedora and Thom Browne suit. He’s wearing black shoes and no socks. He’s smiling and laughing and putting one foot forward. When I saw it last Friday, the day new album Blackstar came out, I saw a guy saying, “I made a really good album, and you’re gonna like it.” Now all I see is a man dancing a jig and telling everyone, “That’s all folks!” We spent Friday listening to Blackstar. We listened to more Bowie over the weekend, because who listens to just one Bowie album. (I revisited The Next Day and Earthling.) And by Monday, he was dead. “It’s like a great magic trick,” my editor said. “Except that he’s actually gone.” I never told people Bowie was my favorite artist. I always said it was Roxy Music. When someone asks a question like, “What’s your favorite city?” you want to be specific. You don’t just say, “Earth.” But what musician have I devoted more time
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A&E | screen FILM
> fallout John Krasinski, post-Michael Bay explosion.
A symphony in pictures Youth presents a sumptuous but tiring vision
FILM
Action not words
Michael Bay’s 13 Hours boils Benghazi down to a series of loud noises By Josh Bell lomatic compound and then a covert CIA annex from Director Michael Bay has been adamant that 13 waves of attacks by insurgents. Whatever the political Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, his film about the actions that led to these circumstances, Bay knows how 2012 attacks on U.S. government facilities in Benghazi, to leave them behind and focus on heavily armed dudes Libya, is not a political movie, and in the sense that it shooting at each other. never specifically references Barack Obama or Hillary Nearly two and a half hours of that action Clinton or any other American politician, it gets a bit monotonous, though, and when Bay isn’t. But like other recent true-story-inspired and screenwriter Chuck Hogan try to develop military action movies (American Sniper, Lone aabcc those dudes beyond “manly men with large Survivor, Act of Valor), 13 Hours has a tone of 13 HOURS: guns,” the movie falters, relying on sappy flashsuch extreme hero worship that it distorts the THE SECRET backs and familial heartstring-tugging (one reality it’s meant to portray. By narrowing its SOLDIERS OF character conveniently learns of his wife’s focus solely to the military personnel on the BENGHAZI pregnancy just before all hell breaks loose). ground and turning those people into super- John Krasinski, In eschewing any political commentary, Bay human beacons of perfect morality, it creates James Badge and Hogan omit any motivation or reasoning a skewed view not only of the motivations for Dale, David behind the attacks, and not a single insurgent warfare and terrorism, but also of the flawed Costabile. gets so much as a name or more than a single human beings at its center. Directed by line. If the movie has a villain, it’s the unnamed Being a Michael Bay movie, though, 13 Michael Bay. officious local CIA director (David Costabile) Hours is mainly interested in blowing stuff Rated R. Opens who hesitates in allowing the soldiers to spring up. The director of Armageddon and the Friday. into action. Bay makes the movie into a story Transformers movies is a master of cinematic of Real American Men versus Bureaucratic explosions, and he fills 13 Hours with many Pussies, using all of his bombastic filmmaking tools (at of them, along with gun battles, car chases and other one point he trains his trademark low-angle hero shot action-movie staples. There are tense moments as six on a paper shredder) to flatten out a complex geopolitiprivate paramilitary contractors (all former members cal situation—and the people caught up in it. of elite U.S. military units) attempt to protect a U.S. dip-
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The main character of Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth is a composer and conductor, a fitting occupation for a movie that’s constructed more like a symphony than a narrative. Italian writer-director Sorrentino is more interested in rhythm and meter than he is in telling a story, and like his previous film, 2013’s Oscar-winning The Great Beauty, Youth ebbs and flows rather than heading in any particular direction. There are a number of pleasures to be gained from this purely cinematic approach, but the cumulative effect of Youth is more enervating than illuminating. Many of the individual frames of Youth—with their meticulous, often symmetrical composition—would be suitable for museum display, but it’s often hard to see how one connects aabcc to the next. The YOUTH Michael performances Caine, Harvey offer a bit more Keitel, Rachel cohesiveness, led Weisz. Directed by Michael Caine by Paolo as Fred Ballinger, Sorrentino. an aging icon of Rated R. Opens English classical Friday. music vacationing at a resort in the Swiss Alps, along with his longtime friend, filmmaker Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel), and his daughter Lena (Rachel Weisz). Caine and Keitel bring a relaxed chemistry to their roles as old friends with mixed feelings about being in their twilight years, and both Paul Dano and Jane Fonda give memorable (if sometimes baffling) supporting performances. Sorrentino makes some oblique commentary about aging and living with regret, but the narrative themes are offset by scenes that feel like non sequiturs (at one point the movie literally stops for several minutes to show a Paloma Faith music video). Sorrentino’s symphony of imagery eventually builds to so many crescendos that it leaves the audience as worn out as the melancholy protagonist. –Josh Bell
A&E | screen FILM
> covert meeting Giamatti and Siff conspire over groceries.
Sister act Mustang shows the power of sibling bonds
TV
house psychologist at Axe’s company. While her husband builds a case against her boss, Wendy ends up caught in the middle, and Siff gives the most interesting performance in a show that is mostly about the bluster of incredibly rich, incredibly self-centered men. That bluster quickly grows tiresome, since neither Rhoades nor Axe is especially compelling. The BDSM Billions turns financial drama into a cheesy component of the Rhoades’ marriage is actually hansoap opera By Josh Bell dled with a degree of sensitivity, and Axe too is married to a strong, vibrant woman (Malin Akerman) with her Showtime’s Billions, a drama ostensibly about the own goals and desires. But the wives’ storylines, along high-powered battle between billionaire hedge-fund with those of other supporting characters, are subordimanager Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Damian Lewis) and nate to the high-stakes chess game between Rhoades New York-based U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul and Axe, which never achieves the level of importance Giamatti), announces its inherent sleaziness in its to which it aspires. first episode’s opening scene, which isn’t about finanCo-created by screenwriters Brian Koppelman cial impropriety or government corruption, but and David Levien (Rounders, Ocean’s Thirteen) and about the kinky sexual exploits (bound, gagged, urinated on) of one of its main characters. For aaccc financial journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin (Too Big all its superficial connections to current events, BILLIONS to Fail), Billions is full of financial and legal jargon that’s meant to make it sound authentic, but mostly Billions is at heart a self-consciously titillating Sundays, makes it sound tedious and convoluted. Not that soap opera, another example of a Showtime 10 p.m., series making all the wrong efforts to appear Showtime. the rest of the dialogue is any better; when it’s not bogged down in industry minutiae, it’s cheesy and serious and daring. overheated (“My cholesterol’s high enough—don’t butter Gratuitous sex scenes aside (although there are plenmy ass,” Axe tells one of his underlings). Any meaningful ty), Billions relies on overwrought contrivances to build resonance with issues of financial inequality and govup the rivalry between its two main characters, who ernment collusion loses out to bitchy backstabbing and are equally despicable. That starts with Rhoades’ wife awkward celebrity cameos. Wendy (Maggie Siff ), who also happens to be the in-
Money for nothing
FILM
Life under an oppressive regime might have its share of misery, but it’s still life. Too often movies about people living in repressive conditions focus on that misery above all other emotions, which is part of what makes Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang such a wonderfully refreshing experience. The main characters in Ergüven’s film are subject to cruel and unfair constraints on their lives, denied basic freedoms and dismissed as unable to make their own decisions, but they still find moments of grace, beauty and humor, and they never lose their determination and individuality. At first, the five teen and tween sisters, who live with their grandmother and uncle in a rural area in Turkey following the death of their parents, almost come across as a single aaaac entity, with their MUSTANG similar looks and Günes Sensoy, their closeness Doga Zeynep in age. Gradually, Doguslu, Elit they become more Iscan. Directed distinct, in part beby Deniz Gamze cause their family Ergüven. Rated elders force them PG-13. Opens into rigid gender Friday. roles as they come of age. But as sad as much of the movie can be, Ergüven makes room for simple joys, and the sun-dappled visual style reflects the young women’s inner light. In the end, sisterly solidarity nearly wins out over patriarchal tyranny—and it never entirely concedes. –Josh Bell
The trick to Ride Along 2 is that rookie cop Ben (Kevin Hart) must try not to be annoying all the time, and police detective James (Ice Cube) can’t look annoyed all the time. And, indeed, there are times when Hart projects some kind of humanity and Cube looks like he actually wants to be there. But they are not miracle workers. Truth be told, the funniest bits in this sequel are when Hart takes a beating, or suffers some kind of ridicule, which is probably not healthy for anyone. The plot has the future brothers-in-law heading to Miami and teaming with a detective played by Olivia Munn to catch a wealthy crime lord (Benjamin Bratt). Ken Jeong is a computer nerd who gets some funny lines, and Munn and Bratt tango at a party. But the entire production, under Tim Story’s direction, looks choppy and uneven, and the dance—along with any kind of action, or even movement—is a lazy, sloppy mess. –Jeffrey M. Anderson
A bumpy ride
aaccc RIDE ALONG 2 Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Olivia Munn. Directed by Tim Story. Rated PG-13. Opens Friday.
January 14–20, 2016 LasVegasWeekly.com
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A&E | noise
> dancing with himself Panic! At the Disco’s fifth album is essentially a solo project for Urie.
Proudly Panic!
Brendon Urie reflects back as he keeps pushing forward By Annie Zaleski
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he continues. “No one could tell me what to do. I didn’t want people to tell me what to do. I love being able to use it as this catalyst for carte blanche, for whatever I want. There’s no rules at all, and that’s mostly the reason I kept it.” On Bachelor, that anything-goes strategy includes sampling two intriguing tunes: The B-52s’ “Rock Lobster” and “Questions 67 and 68” by Chicago—a group he’s been a fan of since his dad played him “25 or 6 to 4” during a father-son camping trip. “Chicago, B-52s, they’re all bands I was raised on,” Urie says. “I mean, that was just going to creep in there whether it was a sample or whether I tipped my hat to a lyric. I like using nostalgia to get a modern, more contemporary point across.” His family still lives in Vegas, and Urie sees them when his schedule permits. While visiting, he keeps things low-key and nostalgic; go-to joints include Hash House A Go Go and Port of Subs. Urie still sounds fond of his hometown, describing his earliest musical encounters with affection. “The first hardcore show I went to, I snuck out of my house and went out with friends for this band called Curl Up and Die. I just thought that was the coolest thing ever. I was like, ‘Oh, I’m such a badass,’” he laughs. Urie has never really lost that outsider-peeking-in mentality, which emerges when he attempts to define what the spirit of Panic! At the Disco means to him now, a decade-plus after the band’s breakthrough. “I wanted this thing to be able to travel the world, to meet people that share the same passion that I have, and that’s what it’s done,” he says. “It’s gotten me there and even further. It’s crazy to even be talking to you right now about this. The fact that we’re talking about something I created blows my mind. It makes me [feel] a little weird, I’m not going to lie.”
PATD’s fifth LP might be its most diverse—and best—yet Panic! At the Disco’s seemingly endless career momentum is a marvel. Over the past decade, the band—a Vegas-formed quartet famously discovered by Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz before playing a single show—has weathered lineup changes and stylistic metamorphoses, while maintaining its popularity. That’s largely due to principal songwriter Brendon Urie, the sole remaining founding member, who’s known for unleashing a faithful cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” making next-level Vine videos and generally being one of the most charismatic singers around. But this fan devotion also stems from Panic!’s commitment to crafting challenging music. The band is a chameleonic pop machine fond of mashing up eras, genres and sounds with devilish, defiant glee. Even the new Death of a Bachelor, the group’s most sonically cohesive record, is wildly ambitious: The title track pairs Urie’s Rat Pack croon with moody soul Panic! At The Disco horns and a snappy Death of a Bachelor R&B vibe, while aaaac “Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time” fuses a surf-spy noir sample of The B-52s’ “Rock Lobster” with slam-poet vocals and a glammy guitar solo. In another unexpected twist, “Hallelujah” begins with a piece of Chicago’s “Questions 67 and 68,” an appropriate intro to the gospel-tinged number. But Death of a Bachelor’s overarching inspiration is Sinatra. Urie is an avowed fan, and honors both the tender and celebratory musical side of the legend. The stunning, album-closing orchestral croon “Impossible Year” boasts wistful piano and brassy awards-show horns, while another standout, “Crazy=Genius,” is a highstepping swing-jazz treat. Death of Bachelor’s lyrical sentimentality also nods to Ol’ Blue Eyes. Cascading, Fall Out Boy-ish standout “LA Devotee” is a mash note to Urie’s adopted city and all its charms, while crashing power-pop gem “Golden Days” uses found photographs to illustrate wistfulness about days gone by—“Oh, don’t you wonder when the light begins to fade?/And the clock just makes the colors turn to gray?/Forever younger growing older just the same/All the memories that we make will never change”—even if there are no regrets, those good times are in the past. It’s strangely appropriate that Death of a Bachelor arrives the same week David Bowie passed away. The record feels like a victory for pop misfits and outsiders, a bold statement about not compromising one’s creative vision for the sake of commercial concessions. –Annie Zaleski
panic! at the disco by Robert Altman/AP
Thanks to the meteoric rise of his band, Panic! At the Disco, Brendon Urie left Las Vegas several years before he was legally allowed to be on the Strip. But growing up, the fantasy of the city loomed large in his life—in the form of stories about the Rat Pack, the movie Ocean’s Eleven, the live album Sinatra at the Sands, even the Luxor light, which he could see from his backyard. “I would dream of what’s out there,” Urie recalls. “I remember looking down, even on the Strip, and trying to figure out how that tied into me.” Panic! At the Disco’s 2013 record, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!, grappled with a lot of those Vegascentric thoughts and ideas. But on the band’s new fifth studio album, Death of a Bachelor, Urie aimed to tackle stories of the present day, as a happily married, LA-residing, successful headlining artist. “[With this] album, I’m talking about who I’ve become now, in terms of starting this new era of Panic! [with] me at the helm,” he says. “It was really me trying to discover who I was as a songwriter and producer.” Urie had help, of course, from co-producer Jake Sinclair, along with co-writers like Semisonic’s Dan Wilson and Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo. (“It was a huge honor to work with them,” Urie enthuses about the latter pair.) But with the 2015 departure of drummer Spencer Smith, and bassist Dallon Weekes transitioning back into a touring-member role, Panic! At the Disco is now essentially a Urie solo project. There had been talk of a potential solo album pre-Bachelor, but as it turns out, Urie’s quite attached to the Panic! name. “Honestly, [that’s] always symbolized for me what I’ve always wanted out of the band,” Urie says. “I’ve always loved the name. Coming up with that was the funniest thing to me at the time. “From the first album, I felt I never had any rules,”
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A&E | noise C O N C E RT
More drones than groans
> Man and Machine Muse brought nextlevel production elements to Mandalay Bay.
An impressive stage show almost redeems Muse from its paranoid bombast By Mike Prevatt If a Muse concert were a celebrity, it would be Gwyneth Paltrow—which is to say it can sound utterly ridiculous and be laughably pretentious, but hey, it sure as hell looks good. Saturday’s setup at Mandalay Bay Events Center—which drew a two-thirds-full crowd, no thanks to aaacc last December’s tech- Muse nological postpone- January 9, ment—rivalled those Mandalay from previous gigs at Bay Events the same venue with Center. an intimacy-maximizing, 360-degree stage (with two short catwalks that extended lengthwise to smaller, ancillary stages); a full complement of sheer projection curtains and hi-def screens, which displayed either the band or Asimovian/ Orwellian porn; and nine transparent, spherical drones that occasionally cruised the arena. It’s as if Muse’s bombastic, overly arpeggiated space operas were made just for such a stage production. Its Drones tour supports last year’s album of the same name, a stinker of an effort that has one nota-
ble strength: Muse’s tiresome themagainst-us narrative is actually specific enough to latch onto—humans will become the drones if we’re not careful—and the concert hardware and concept syncs up perfectly. A shame about its songs, though. They fail to meet the high melodic standards the band has established since 2003’s global breakthrough, Absolution, and the six on Saturday’s setlist meant six chances to grab a
beer or piss one out. There were still flashes of Muse doing what it does best: exacting, tuneful, stomping rockers that might just allow you to drown out whatever vague paranoia and apocalyptic fever dreams frontman Matt Bellamy is trilling out. All three band members (plus touring synth/guitar man Morgan Nicholls) effortlessly cranked out “Hysteria” and “Map of the Problematique,” both pummel-
ing prog-pop delights. “Madness” proved that a minimal and restrained Muse can still be effective and affecting. And even the Wagnerian sci-fi of “Knights of Cydonia” was welcome sensory overload with its galloping climb, venue-quaking climax and fog-enhanced lighting kamikaze—a sound-and-vision spectacle demonstrating that, for all its faults, Muse has earned its place in the arena-rock pantheon. –Mike Prevatt
C O N C E RT
John Fogerty, speaking with a perfect John Fogerty drawl, at one point tells the crowd, “Don’t let that man behind the curtain tell aaaac you to sit down when you want to stand up and rock ’n’ roll.” It was JOHN a statement representative of both the micro and macro of FortuFOGERTY nate Son, the Fogerty residence at the Venetian that’s scheduled January 15, John Fogerty’s residency through January 23 but should really never end. 16, 20, 22, At its best, Fortunate Son matches the magic of Vegas show23, 8 p.m., brings a rockin’ hit manship with the majesty of one of rock’s royal members. The $60-$200. parade to the Venetian video intro, playing on a large LED screen center stage, shows the Venetian mastermind behind Creedence Clearwater Revival talking about how strange it was to be so influenced by Theatre, 702Elvis Presley only to then see the King play “Proud Mary” in his Vegas show. With a nod to that, Fogerty as414-9000. cends from beneath the floor through one of the old Phantom of the Opera platform doors and goes right into that classic cut. “Who’ll Stop the Rain” features still pictures from Woodstock on the screen and paper flowers falling from the ceiling. Perhaps the glitz is unnecessary, but it’s so much fun for both Fogerty and the crowd. As with anything nice, fun can’t be had by all. Despite Fogerty’s encouragement, a portion of the audience yells every time those around them stand up to dance. Some grumps still act like “The Old Man Down the Road,” which, by the way, featured a nice guitar riff-off between Fogerty and son Shane. Perhaps a preshow announcement notifying everyone that dancing is not only permitted but welcomed would topple the resistance. In the end, rock ’n’ roll prevails. At 70, Fogerty is still too good. He bounds across the stage, forcing asses to get up and move, which forces other asses to do the same. A smoking “I Put a Spell on You,” a dirty “Keep on Chooglin’” and a fierce “Born on the Bayou” showcase not only the power of Fogerty’s voice but his vastly underrated guitar skills as well. Toward the finish, we get joyous renditions of “Down on the Corner,” “Centerfield” and “Traveling Band,” with the crowd singing every word. Fogerty closes with the titular “Fortunate Son,” an anti-Vietnam song that has taken on a new meaning, celebrating his history and work. See this show and you’ll count yourself among the fortunate ones, too. –Jason Harris
He’ll put a spell on you
muse by l.e. baskow; john fogerty by erik kabik
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A&E | The strip
> kindred spirits Puppet Up! is similar to but definitely not the same as other puppet shows in town.
T H E K AT S R E P O RT
A puppet pileup
Brian Henson’s improv-comedy show prepares to invade the Venetian
photograph by West Best Entertainment
By John Katsilometes I have seen the future of Las Vegas entertainment, and it’s somewhat fuzzy with a hand stuffed up its rear end. This is the new-to-Vegas stage show Puppet Up! Uncensored, due for a spring opening at Sands Showroom at the Venetian (plans are for a 9 p.m. start, six nights a week). The show was created by Brian Henson—son of the late master of Muppets Jim Henson— and directed by comic actor Patrick Bristow, the show’s host. It falls under the Henson Alternative division of the Jim Henson Company, and is co-produced by companies familiar with Strip stage shows: Base Entertainment and Adam Steck’s SPI Entertainment. The former produces Jersey Boys and Rock of Ages and coproduces Absinthe (with that show’s creator, Spiegelworld); the latter has Boyz II Men, Frank Marino’s Divas Las Vegas, Human Nature and Thunder From Down Under in its arsenal. You’ll notice the absence of puppets in those productions. That will change with the arrival of a few dozen puppet figures and a half-dozen comics-turned-puppeteers (except in the instance when the puppeteer becomes a comic, about half the time). The production was showcased earlier this month at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City, California, and about packed the 300-capacity venue. The Sands theater is about 740 seats. This is a large charge for a form of entertainment that has yet to succeed at this scope on the Strip. I’m reminded of the night I watched a similarly inventive show, Avenue Q at what is
now Encore Theater, and the pointedly satirical number “Everyone’s a Little Racist.” I busted up, and so did the other audience members—all 400 of them. Problem was, Encore Theater seats about four times that capacity. Weeks before Puppet Up! lands in Vegas, some lessons in puppetry: This is not Avenue Q. There is salty adult language. And Puppet Up! is loosely scripted in that some of the dialogue and activity has been rehearsed, but there is no “book” or story to what is being performed. The similarity is that the performers are “open” to the audience, fully visible even in black shirts and pants. But this is not a Broadway-style production in the true spirit of Q. This is not the Second City. Nor is it Whose Line Is It Anyway?, where a host filters audience suggestions and the comics just go to work. The puppets make the difference. Sixty of them, set on what looks like a set of bleachers at stage right. When suggestions are called from the audience, the performers typically turn to the puppets before they engage one another. This is not ventriloquism. No Terry Fator-styled action here, but the performers do sing. There are two video panels looming at each side of the stage to show a kind of TV version of the performance. Or you can watch the performer in the middle of the stage playing to the camera. Either way it’s fascinating, but lips are always moving.
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This is not Puppetry of the Penis. Ah, but there is a collection of puppets dubbed the Hot Dogs that are used in a segment of the show. Phallic by design, the Hot Dogs would work well in a cross-promotional campaign with Puppetry of the Penis at Erotic Heritage Museum (I suggested the Hot Dogs bum-rush it one night, just turn up and let the hijinks ensue).
Come prepared. The audience at Kirk Douglas Theatre was ready to shout at Bristow’s command. “A strange topic for a game show!” one man shouted. “Burglarizing a house!” came back in a series of fast responses, and the performers were quick to develop the theme. On the Strip, audiences are not always on the point of a show as intricately aligned as Puppet Up!
These are not Muppets. Key difference here. As Henson reminded, Disney is now the overlord of the Muppet fiefdom. Shortly before his death, Jim Henson had been working on a deal to sell the Muppet brand and licensing rights to Disney. That deal was finalized in 2004, long after Henson’s death. So you will not see Miss Piggy, Kermit, Fozzie Bear and the rest of the Muppet superstars in the stage show at the Venetian. To you and me, these puppets are relatively anonymous.
Human Nature and Lipshtick are still alive. The 9 p.m. slot planned for Puppet Up! won’t chase HN from the Sands Showroom. As for Lipshtick, it’s moving to Palazzo Theatre this spring.
These puppets do look like Muppets, however. There’s a character whose appearance slyly reminds of Sesame Street anchorman Guy Smiley, and many of the puppets used in Puppet Up! bear a similarity to those from generations earlier.
Be patient. This is another highquality production that’s inspired and organically crafted, similar to For the Record: Baz and Alice: A Steampunk Rock Concert Fantasy—basically, you need to see the show to appreciate what it is. It will require months of investment to fully realize its box-office potential, even as (I expect) those who see the show will find it smartly conceived and very funny. As a title, Puppet Up! rolls off the tongue and fits neatly on a billboard. But the description takes a while, and even requires the aid of a few dozen puppets.
Resolution: Eat Better.
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> table read Cast members of Las Vegas Little Theatre’s Tribes.
FOR A CHANCE TO RECEIVE AN ADMIT-TWO PASS, VISIT GOFOBO.COM AND ENTER THE CODE SURVIVE WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. THE 5TH WAVE HAS BEEN RATED PG-13 FOR VIOLENCE AND DESTRUCTION, SOME SCI-FI THEMATIC ELEMENTS, LANGUAGE AND BRIEF TEEN PARTYING. Passes received do not guarantee you a seat at the theater. 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. Columbia 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 THEATERS JANUARY 22 / 5 T HWAv E M o v I E | @ 5 T H WAv E M o v I E @ 5 T H WAv E M o v I E | # 5 T H WAv E M o v I E
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Communication issues
In moments both rich and hollow, Tribes explores the battlefield of family By Jacob Coakley Glenn Heath, Josh Sigal and What is essential for one perCharlene Moskal) wrings the most son to communicate with another? out of it, crafting a roaring, ragged And are there things too impordispute that pits them all against tant to be communicated in only each other. one medium? Tribes, playing in The rest of the show’s emotions Las Vegas Little Theatre’s Fischer are murky, half-heard. Gilliam’s Black Box, dissects the damaging Billy doesn’t quite convey why he and uplifting ways families comtakes the turns he takes. Under the municate, with the verve—and direction of T.J. Larsen and Jacob confusion—of a real family fight. Moore, the production seems conBilly (Ace Gilliam) is deaf. Newly tent to leave him as the reposigraduated from college, he returns tory for everyone else’s emotional home to live with his hyper-articprojection, not showing enough ulate, hyper-competitive family— of his own engine. On the other whose members make no conceshand, Sigal’s portrayal of Dan is a sions for his deafness, expecting little too sharp. His descent into him to keep up in arguments or inarticulateness is less be left out. Conversely, affecting, thanks to a his deafness makes him hangdog desperation a safe harbor for them, aaabc TRIBES as they imprint on him Through January 24; too evident from the start and some stage their own insecurities. Thursday-Saturday, pictures in scene tranBut when he learns sign 8 p.m.; Sunday, sitions that oversell his language from Sylvia 2 p.m., $10-$15. Las (Jasmine Kojouri), a Vegas Little Theatre, relationship with Billy. As for the rest of the full-fledged member of 702-362-7996. family, zippy one-linthe deaf community, he ers earn laughs, but there’s little begins to change. sense of shared affection, so the When Gilliam and Kojouri arguments come off simply cruel, share the stage, Tribes comes alive. not quirky. And while everyone There’s real chemistry between has a clear relationship with Billy, them, with sparks flying through their confused relationships with conversation, gestures and looks. each other, and the undercurrents Their scenes of flirting and fightthere, feel hollow. ing, dealing with their own comTechnically, the show was one munication issues, are funny, tenof the most accomplished I’ve seen der, even heartbreaking, as they in the Black Box, with subtle lightdiscover the boundaries of their ing from Kendra Harris and excelrelationship. This energy carries lent sound design from Arles Estes. over to scenes where Sylvia joins There’s some fuzziness in this Billy and his family, with one of play, but the emotions still come the most ingenious and blisterthrough, like an argument on the ing family argument scenes in the other side of the apartment wall. genre. The cast (Sarah Spraker,
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INVITE YOU AND A GUEST TO SEE For a free pass for 2 tickets to see Kung Fu Panda 3 please go to www.gofobo.com/redeem and type in the code: KFP3LVW **WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. SUPPLIES ARE VERY LIMITED. KUNG FU PANDA 3 HAS BEEN RATED PG FOR MARTIAL ARTS ACTION AND SOME MILD RUDE HUMOR. Passes received through this promotion do not guarantee admission - seating is first come, first served. 20th Century Fox, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. & its affiliates, Las Vegas Weekly, Allied Integrated Marketing 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, recipient is unable to use his/her ticket in whole or in part. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. NO PHONE CALLS!
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Brutal and insanely imaginative, Hallman’s Goose is expertly cooked BY HEATHER SCOTT PARTINGTON brutally flip with its characters; “Greatness resides outside the Hallman understands the tantabody,” Carly Hallman’s characters lizing power of a morbid joke. tell us in her raucous new novel, This novel of “unfathomable posYear of the Goose. “It does not sibilities actualized in sequence” belong to any man or woman. It is is gallows humor for China’s something we borrow, something tycoon culture. Hallman sees into that calls to be shared.” it enough to envision its end—or Hallman’s novel is pure fantasy, the ends the tycoon society will a mashup of disparate souls trying go to in order to perpetuate its to capture greatness for a moment. own existence. Goose floats from one tale to “We believe that wealth is another as we follow the ascent of both our greatest liberator and Kelly Hui, privileged daughter of our greatest oppressor,” a chara Chinese snack-food CEO; Kelly acter narrates toward the end is willing to trample anyone in of Goose. “That money is her path. Hallman uses her but a clever dictator and a signature wit to trace tales of greed and gluttony from a aaacc master propagandist, filling our hearts with hope and fat camp to a hair-extension YEAR our minds with fear.” Life farm, and includes a long OF THE in Hallman’s world is hard; section narrated by a turtle. GOOSE death comes more easThis zany novel of upward By Carly ily than fame or notoriety. mobility gets to the heart of Hallman, Even the goose—the snack obsessions with having and $16. company’s anthropomorconsuming. phic mascot—gets his opportuYear of the Goose opens at a fat nity to narrate, but doesn’t escape camp for children, and immedithe same dire consequences as ately takes a dark turn. Kids slip the human characters. This is and fall and die, they fall victim a world where you can die for to their insatiable hungers and being hungry, but to live is to condie, they die at the hands of their sume morbidly. Hallman’s work careless caregivers. Deaths of fat employs artful paradoxes stacked children in one area mean the atop each other like perfect snack government praises a lowering of cakes, and happens upon some the obesity rate. Kelly is unfazed touching realizations about how by death, and Hallman uses the children don’t choose their own hilariously macabre opening lives. In this insane romp through scene to explore the character’s the author’s imagination, nobody shady past, back to her teenage emerges unscathed. years in LA. Year of the Goose is
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FOOD & Drink > ONE OF EVERYTHING (Clockwise from here) FNB’s Tuna Flower Roll, spicy clam soba and bacon tempura.
icymi
Southern hospitality
Fish N Bowl is a true seafood gem hiding in the southwest ’burbs By Brock Radke
30W LasVegasWeekly.com january 14-20, 2016
rice, these rolls offer the full spectrum of texture, red and green onion, jalapeño, mango and eel sauce. exhibited best in the Warm Springs ($13.50) with its It’s the kind of fresh, delightful flavor combination softshell crab, spicy tuna and crab, shrimp tempura, you expect when you try something different. spicy yam, avocado and rice paper wrap. I love rice. A lot. I have to stop myself from The scary part: This is only a tiny bit of the ordering one of the almost 20 rice bowls here— menu, which also includes daily specials, that FNB Poke shows up on one ($11.95), lunch specials starting at around $7, salads, cooked meats like pork cutlet ($10.50) and wraps, vegetable and baked rolls, noodles, garlic-butter white fish ($11.50) appear on FISH N BOWL others—to go along with rice-filled rolls 7225 S. Durango four flavors of edamame and tempting appetizers like spicy bacon tempura ($5) layered with fish. Like many of us, I’m Drive, 702-739and “popcorn” oysters ($6.50). One bite of trying to cut down on my refined grain 3474. Daily, intake, and Fish N Bowl’s rice-less rolls 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. the spicy clam soba in savory broth covered in green onion, the sea urchin dumplings are a spectacular remedy. The Rock N Roll or the incredible salmon skin hand roll ($6.50), and ($12.50) is wrapped in cucumber, tangy ponzu sauce you’ll wonder how one little restaurant can do so complementing the tuna, salmon, fluke, crab and many things so well. And, if you’re like me, why you avocado within. The Cherry Blossom ($11.50) is didn’t discover this year-and-a-half-old restaurant pretty in pink, a creamy crab-shrimp combo piled much, much sooner. atop fatty salmon. The best part is that even without
photogpraphs by christopher devargas
There are worthwhile, fish-centric Japanese restaurants spread throughout the southwest Valley these days, so much so that if you end up at old favorites (like Sen of Japan) or new phenoms (like Other Mama), you’re going to miss something great. That’s why it took me so long to get to Fish N Bowl, which is planted along Durango Drive, like those other two, but farther south, past the Beltway, where former RM Seafood chef Howard Choi is serving up beautiful and delicious versions of every kind of sushi roll and rice bowl you’ve ever heard of. But it’s the other stuff, the dishes not readily available in your favorite neighborhood sushi bar, that firmly places Fish N Bowl in the must-eat rotation. Everyone does yellowtail sashimi with serrano and ponzu ($10.95), but here, opt for the clean taste of fluke with sweet, spicy Korean kochujang and yuzu juice ($10.95). Fluke, along with Hawaiian ono, also appears in the assorted sashimi sampler plates ($19.50-$35), with the usual suspects: tuna, salmon, albacore and yellowtail. Mini tacos filled with tuna is another common dish at this type of restaurant; Fish N Bowl has six different kinds of these addictive snacks built in crispy wonton shells, including shrimp poke ($10.50) and the FNB Poke ($11.50), which layers assorted raw fish with briny masago,
> GOOD MORNING, PIGGY The Sunday Brunch Club offers indulgent pork belly Benedict.
THE GIMLI
BRUNCH COMES TO COSMO STK’s new Sunday “club” is as much fun as it sounds
Don’t be afraid of the shrimp and grits, even though Hip steakhouse stalwart STK unveiled its first foray the menu description gives no indication of the eerily into brunch this month, probably a long time comgreen jalapeño cheese grits that await. More traditional ing considering how natural daydrinking comes to the is the generously portioned STK n’ L’Eggs, a 12-ounce club-ready crew that makes up the restaurant’s target ribeye accompanied by eggs your way. clientele. Judging from our first taste of this raucous new This is still brunch, so make good use of the bottommeal, it’s bound to be a fixture long into the future. less Bloody Mary bar. Garnish as you wish, Brunch begins with complementary monkey but I suggest a skewer of blue cheese-stuffed bread—whimsically named STKy Bread—delivered by pajama-clad servers. You can lose your- SUNDAY BRUNCH olives, cheddar cheese, bacon strips and a bit of Tajín and Worcestershire to finish. Enjoy your self in a couple plates of this treat, dusted with CLUB AT STK, drink while entertainment sets vary between brown and powdered sugar and accompanied Cosmopolitan, 702the sultry Christina Amato—belting out covby a sweet cream-cheese dipping sauce. As with 698-7990. Sunday, ers of Katy Perry, TLC and even Sisqó—and his dinner offerings, executive chef Stephen 11 a.m.-4 p.m. a house DJ. The room is festive, not made for Hopcraft has envisioned a brunch menu much intimate conversations; it might actually be easier to text better than it has to be. His smoked salmon is a deconstructyour dining companion. But you’re not here to discuss ed play on lox and bagels, layering the deli staple and cream the finer points of politics, right? –Jim Begley cheese on bagel chips atop diced eggs and capers.
THE MOBILE MOGUL When you think about food trucks in Las Vegas, you’re probably conjuring images of late-night bites after a Downtown bar crawl or eating your way around a multi-truck weekend food festival. But local mobile eateries’ bread is buttered best while catering to conventions, and nobody knows that better that Oliver Naidas. After launching his first food truck, Sausagefest, in 2011, and subsequently unleashing Tacofest, Burgerfest and Greekfest grubwagons on the Vegas Valley, Naidas will debut his fifth truck, Lobsterfest, at a home builders’ convention next week. “There are two other [trucks] already [in town] doing lobster rolls, but this one will be primarily used at the convention center and for special event catering,” he says. Trucking is still a grind. Naidas almost went out of business during his
INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 oz. Crown Royal Black /4 oz. Dry Sack Sherry
3
/4 oz. Marie Brizard Apry (apricot liqueur)
3
Dash of Australian Bitters Company Aromatic Bitters Slice of orange, sprig of rosemary (garnish)
METHOD Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice. Strain into a rocks glass with ice and garnish with a slice of orange and a sprig of rosemary.
The Gimli is made for the true cocktail aficionado, both active and aspiring. This drink is herbal and aromatic, oaky and dark, complex in flavor but easy to sip peacefully, glass after glass.
first year, a pretty common occurrence. His company has flourished thanks to contracts with the LVCVA and UNLV, and annual gigs for multiple trucks at mega-events like EDC. Now, his humble, tasty trucks have regulars from across the country. “This was our third year at CES, and
we have people coming back every year that expect to see us out there,” Naidas says. “When you get people coming from colder regions, they want to hang out outside for lunch, and now they’re hitting us up and asking if we’re going to be at the next convention.” –Brock Radke
Cocktail created by Francesco Lafranconi, Executive Director of Mixology and Spirits Education at Southern Wine & Spirits.
JANUARY 14–20, 2016 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM
31W
A&E | Short Takes Special screenings Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1/17, 1/20, film with introduction from Turner Classic Movies, 2 & 7 pm, $5-$12.50. Theaters: CAN, COL, ORL, SF, SP, ST, VS. Info: fathomevents.com. Israel Houghton & NewBreed 1/19, concert film plus behind-thescenes footage, 7 pm, $10.50-$12.50. Theaters: SF, VS. Info: fathomevents. com. Las Vegas Jewish Film Festival Through 1/24, feature films and documentaries related to Jewish history and culture, various times and days, $10 per screening. Adelson Educational Campus, 9700 W. Hillpointe Road, other locations, lvjff.org. The Metropolitan Opera HD Live 1/16, Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers live, 9:55 am, $17-$25. 1/20, Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers encore, 6:30 pm, $16-$23. Theaters: COL, ORL, SF, SP, ST, VS. Info: fathomevents.com. Mob Month Film Screening 1/16, Rob the Mob plus discussion with criminal justice experts, 2 pm, free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, 702-507-3400. RiffTrax Live 1/14, Starship Troopers with comedic commentary, 7:30 pm, $10.50-$12.50. Theaters: COL, ORL, SF, SP, ST, VS. Info: fathomevents.com. Sci Fi Center Mon, Cinemondays, 8 pm, free. 1/16, The Man Who Fell to Earth, 5 pm, free. 1/16, Young Frankenstein, 8 pm, $1. 5077 Arville St., 855-501-4335, thescificenter.com. Tuesday Afternoon at the Bijou Tue, 1 pm, free. 1/19, The Postman Always Rings Twice. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, 702507-3400.
New this week 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi aabcc John Krasinski, James Badge Dale, David Costabile. Directed by Michael Bay. 144 minutes. Rated R. See review Page 22. Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, DTS, FH, GVL, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TX, VS All You Need Is Pag-Ibig (Not reviewed) Kris Aquino, Bimby Aquino Yap, Derek Ramsay. Directed by Antoinette Jadaone. 115 minutes. Not rated. In Filipino with English subtitles. Intertwined stories featuring characters in various stages of romance. Theaters: ORL Dictator (Not reviewed) Nandamuri Balakrishna, Anjali, Sonal Chauhan. Directed by Sriwass. Not rated. In Telugu with English subtitles. A woman finds herself in debt to a criminal. Theaters: ST Lamb aabcc Ross Partridge, Oona Laurence, Jess Weixler. Directed by Ross Partridge. 96 minutes. Not rated. Partridge’s adaptation of Bonnie Nadzam’s novel handles extremely uncomfortable subject matter with mixed success. The intimate friendship between a middleaged man (Partridge) and a pre-teen girl (Laurence) is often tough to watch
(to little discernible purpose), although it is also occasionally moving, thanks primarily to Laurence’s fantastic performance. –JB Theaters: TS Moonwalkers abccc Rupert Grint, Ron Perlman, Robert Sheehan. Directed by Antoine BardouJacquet. 97 minutes. Rated R. This irritating, unfunny crime comedy springboards off the urban legend that Stanley Kubrick faked the moon landing, positing an unhinged CIA agent (Perlman) and a London hustler (Grint) as the team behind the fakery. The filmmakers aim for a mix of Guy Ritchie and the Coens, but end up way off the mark. –JB Theaters: TC Mustang aaaac Güneş Şensoy, Doğa Doğuşlu, Elit İşcan. Directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven. 97 minutes. Rated PG-13. In Turkish with English subtitles. See review Page 23. Theaters: VS Nannaku Prematho (Not reviewed) N. T. Rama Rao Jr., Rakul Preet Singh, Rajendra Prasad. Directed by Sukumar. 168 minutes. Not rated. In Telugu with English subtitles. A man attempts to find justice for his dying father. Theaters: VS Norm of the North (Not reviewed) Voices of Rob Schneider, Heather Graham, Bill Nighy. Directed by Trevor Wall. 86 minutes. Rated PG. A polar bear accidentally makes his way to New York City. Theaters: AL, CH, COL, DI, FH, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS Ride Along 2 aaccc Kevin Hart, Ice Cube, Olivia Munn. Directed by Tim Story. 100 minutes. Rated PG-13. See review Page 23. Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, COL, DI, FH, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TS, TX Youth aabcc Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz. Directed by Paolo Sorrentino. 124 minutes. Rated R. See review Page 22. Theaters: VS
Now playing Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (Not reviewed) Voices of Matthew Gray Gubler, Justin Long, Jesse McCartney. Directed by Walt Becker. 86 minutes. Rated PG. Theaters: AL, CAN, COL, DI, RP, ST, TX The Big Short aaacc Steve Carell, Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling. Directed by Adam McKay. 130 minutes. Rated R. Theaters: DTS, FH, GVR, ORL, SC, SHO, SP, ST Bridge of Spies aaabc Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan. Directed by Steven Spielberg. 135 minutes. Rated PG-13. Theaters: TC Brooklyn aaabc Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson. Directed by John Crowley. 111 minutes. Rated PG-13. Theaters: BS, CH, ORL, SC, SF Carol aaaac Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Kyle Chandler. Directed by Todd Haynes. 118 minutes. Rated R. Theaters: COL, FH, ST, VS Concussion aabcc Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Gugu MbathaRaw. Directed by Peter Landesman. 123 minutes. Rated PG-13. Theaters: BS, COL, RR, SC
32W LasVegasWeekly.com january 14-20, 2016
Creed aaabc Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson. Directed by Ryan Coogler. 132 minutes. Rated PG-13. Theaters: AL, BS, CH, COL, DTS, ORL, PAL, SC, SF, SP, TX Daddy’s Home aaccc Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini. Directed by Sean Anders. 96 minutes. Rated PG-13. This reunion between Ferrell and Wahlberg (The Other Guys) finds both stars on autopilot, with Ferrell as a milquetoast, eagerto-please stepdad who feels threatened when his wife’s bad-boy ex (Wahlberg) comes to town. Their subsequent feud is predictable and unfunny, combining painful slapstick with uncomfortable gross-out jokes. –JB Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, COL, DI, FH, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TX, VS The Danish Girl aaacc Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Matthias Schoenaerts. Directed by Tom Hooper. 120 minutes. Rated R. Theaters: COL, ST, VS The Forest aaccc Natalie Dormer, Taylor Kinney, Yukiyoshi Ozawa. Directed by Jason Zada. 93 minutes. Rated PG-13. Despite a setting (the Aokigahara forest in Japan, a notorious spot for suicides) with thematic potential, once concerned American Sara Price (Dormer) enters the woods in search of her missing twin sister, the movie turns into a generic haunted-forest story, with a series of banal jump scares and pale apparitions. –JB Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, COL, DI, FH, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TX, VS The Good Dinosaur aaacc Voices of Raymond Ochoa, Jack Bright, Frances McDormand. Directed by Peter Sohn. 100 minutes. Rated PG. Theaters: CH, COL, DI, SF, ST, VS Goosebumps aabcc Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush. Directed by Rob Letterman. 103 minutes. Rated PG. Theaters: TC The Hateful Eight aabcc Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh. Directed by Quentin Tarantino. 167 minutes. Rated R. Tarantino’s hyper-violent, hyper-talky Western takes place almost entirely inside a cabin during a blizzard on the Wyoming frontier. The increasingly bloody payoffs don’t quite make up for the sluggish first half, and Tarantino’s wordy dialogue has lost some of its charm, especially in its showy and often misguided use of the N-word. –JB Theaters: AL, COL, FH, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SP, SS, ST, TX, VS Hotel Transylvania 2 (Not reviewed) Voices of Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg. Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky. 89 minutes. Rated PG. Theaters: TC The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 aaacc Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth. Directed by Francis Lawrence. 137 minutes. Rated PG-13. Theaters: AL, BS, COL, SC, TX In the Heart of the Sea aabcc Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Brendan Gleeson. Directed by Ron Howard. 121 minutes. Rated PG-13. Theaters: ST, TC Joy aaabc Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Edgar Ramirez. Directed by David O. Russell. 124 minutes. Rated PG-13. Theaters: AL, GVR, ORL, RR, SF, SP, ST, VS
Krampus aaacc Adam Scott, Toni Collette, Allison Tolman. Directed by Michael Dougherty. 98 minutes. Rated PG-13. Theaters: BS The Martian aaaac Matt Damon, Jeff Daniels, Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor. Directed by Ridley Scott. 141 minutes. Rated PG-13. Theaters: TC, VS The Peanuts Movie aaacc Voices of Noah Schnapp, Hadley Belle Miller, Alexander Garfin. Directed by Steve Martino. 86 minutes. Rated G. Theaters: TC Point Break abccc Luke Bracey, Edgar Ramirez, Teresa Palmer. Directed by Ericson Core. 113 minutes. Rated PG-13. Theaters: AL, BS, ORL, PAL, RR, SC, SS The Revenant aaacc Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson. Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu. 156 minutes. Rated R. DiCaprio makes his bid for Oscar glory as Hugh Glass, a real-life fur trapper and frontier guide who trekked 200 miles across unforgiving terrain when he was left for dead after being mauled by a bear. As a survival tale, it’s gripping entertainment; as a revenge saga, it’s largely empty. –MD Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, FH, GVL, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TX Room aaacc Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen. Directed by Lenny Abrahamson. 118 minutes. Rated R. Theaters: SC Sisters aaacc Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Ike Barinholtz. Directed by Jason Moore. 118 minutes. Rated R. Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, COL, DI, FH, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SP, SS, ST, TX, VS Spectre aaacc Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux. Directed by Sam Mendes. 148 minutes. Rated PG-13. Theaters: ST, TC, VS Spotlight aaaac Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams. Directed by Tom McCarthy. 128 minutes. Rated R. Theaters: CH, ORL, SF, ST, VS Star Wars: The Force Awakens aaabc Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver. Directed by J.J. Abrams. 135 minutes. Rated PG-13. The longawaited seventh movie in the spaceopera series is a carefully crafted brand extension with a familiar story and some appealing new characters. Everything about it seems calculated to entertain the widest audience possible, and for the most part, it succeeds. –JB Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, DI, FH, GVL, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TX Wazir (Not reviewed) Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar, Aditi Rao Hydari. Directed by Bejoy Nambiar. 102 minutes. Not rated. In Hindi with English subtitles. Theaters: VS
Theaters (AL) Regal Aliante 7300 Aliante Parkway, North Las Vegas, 844-462-7342 ext. 4011 (BS) Regal Boulder Station 4111 Boulder Highway, 844-462-7342 ext. 269 (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., 844-462-7342 ext. 270 (DI) Las Vegas Drive-In 4150 W. Carey Ave., North Las Vegas, 702-646-3565 (DTS) Regal Downtown Summerlin 2070 Park Center Drive, 844-4627342 ext. 4063 (FH) Regal Fiesta Henderson 777 W. Lake Mead Parkway, Henderson, 844-462-7342 ext. 1772 (GVR) Regal Green Valley Ranch 2300 Paseo Verde Parkway, Henderson, 844-462-7342 ext. 267 (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., 844-4627342 ext. 1756 (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., 844-4627342 ext. 522 (SP) Century South Point 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-2604061 (SC) Century Suncoast 9090 Alta Drive, 702-869-1880 (SS) Regal Sunset Station 1301-A W. Sunset Road, Henderson, 844-462-7342 ext. 268 (TX) Regal Texas Station 2101 Texas Star Lane, North Las Vegas, 844-462-7342 ext. 271 (TS) AMC Town Square 6587 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-3627283
JB Josh Bell; MD Mike D’Angelo (TC) Regency Tropicana Cinemas 3330 E. Tropicana Ave., 702-438-3456
For complete movie times, visit lasvegasweekly.com/movies/ listings.
(VS) Regal Village Square 9400 W. Sahara Ave., 844-462-7342 ext. 272
Calendar LISTINGS YOU CAN PLAN YOUR LIFE BY!
LIVE MUSIC
> ON & ON Erykah Badu plays Brooklyn Bowl on January 15.
T H E ST R I P & N E A R BY Brooklyn Bowl Erykah Badu 1/15, 9:30 pm, $48-$50. Warren G 1/17, 9 pm, $25. Stick Figure, Fortunate Youth 1/23, 8:30 pm, $15. Reflection Eternal ft. Talib Kweli, DJ Hi-Tek 1/24, 8 pm, $28. 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. Linq, 702862-2695. The Colosseum Celine Dion 1/16-1/17, 7:30 pm, $55-$500. Elton John 1/20, 1/22-1/23, 1/26-1/27, 1/29-1/31, 6:30 pm, $55-$500. Mariah Carey 2/2, 2/5-2/6, 2/10, 2/13-2/14, 2/17, 2/19-2/20. 8 pm, $55-$250. Caesars Palace, 702-7317333. The Cosmopolitan (Chelsea) Miike Snow 4/16, 9 pm, $28. The 1975, The Japanese House 4/23, 8 pm, $25-$45. The Band Perry 4/29, 7 pm, $35-$75. The Cure 5/19, 8 pm, $50-$100. Bryan Adams 7/2, 7 pm, $32-$57. 702-6987000. Double Barrel Roadhouse Thrillbilly Deluxe 1/15, 8 pm, free. Jeremy James 1/20, 1/27, 8 pm, free. Rowdy McCarran 1/22, 8 pm, free. DB Live! Sat, 9 pm, free. Monte Carlo, 702222-7735. Double Down TV Party Tonight ft. Atomic Fish 1/14, 9 pm. Lambs to Lions, Vegas Threat, Time Crashers, Kapital Punishment, Paisley Nightmare 1/15, 10 pm. Bargain DJ Collective Mon, 10 pm. Unique Massive Tue, midnight. The Juju Man Wed, midnight. Shows free unless noted. 640 Paradise Road, 702-7915775. Flamingo Olivia Newton-John 1/191/22, 1/26-1/30, 7:30 pm, $70-$139. 702-733-3333. The Foundry X Ambassadors, Seinabo Sey, Savoir Adore 3/26, 6:30 pm, $25. SLS, foundrylv.com. Gilley’s Easy 8’s Band 1/28, 2/4, 2/25, 9 pm, free. Country Nation 1/8-1/9, 3/18-3/19, 10 pm; 3/17, 9 pm. Scotty Alexander Band 1/14, 2/18, 3/24, 9 pm; 1/15-1/16, 2/19-2/20, 3/25-3/26, 10 pm. Brian Lynn Jones Band 1/21, 3/3, 9 pm 1/22-1/23, 3/4-3/5, 10 pm. Kenny Allen Band 1/29-1/30, 10 pm. Rob Staley Band 2/5-2/6, 10 pm. Chancey Williams and the Younger Brothers Band 2/11, 3/10, 9 pm; 2/12-2/13, 3/113/12, 10 pm. Kaleb King 2/26-2/27, 10 pm. Shows $10-$20 after 10 pm unless noted. Treasure Island, 702894-7722. Hard Rock Live Europe, War of Kings 1/23, 8 pm, $30. Hard Rock Cafe (Strip), 702-733-7625. House of Blues Set List presents Jagged Little Pill 1/14, 7 pm, $15. Steel Panther 1/15, 1/22, 8 pm, $22. Marianas Trench, Secret Someones 1/16, 6 pm, $22-$25. Appetite 4 Destruction 1/23, 7 pm, $12. Carlos Santana 1/27, 1/29-1/31, 2/3-2/6, $90$350, 8 pm. Charles Kelley, Maren Morris 1/28, 7 pm, $25-$28. Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7600. The Joint 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. Hard Rock Hotel, 702-693-5222.
Las Vegas Arena The Killers, Wayne Newton, Shamir 4/6, 8 pm, $35-$90. 3780 Las Vegas Blvd. S. Mandalay Bay (Events Center) Black Sabbath, Rival Sons 2/13, 7:30 pm, $45-$164. Iron Maiden, The Raven Age 2/28, $62-$103. (Rí Rá ) All Folk’d Up Thru 1/14, 1/17, 8:45 pm; 1/8-1/9, 1/15-1/16, 9 pm. John Windsor 1/11, 1/18, 1/25, 8:45 pm. Drops of Green 1/19-1/21, 1/24, 8:45 pm; 1/22-1/23, 9 pm. Creel 1/26-1/28, 1/31, 8:45 pm; 1/29-1/30, 9 pm. 702-632-7777. MGM Grand (Garden Arena) AC/DC 2/5, $129. 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) Chyna 12/25-12/26, 9 pm, free. Machine Gun Kellys 12/26, 9 pm, free. Volume 1 12/31, 9 pm, free. (Showroom) Big Bad Voodoo Daddy 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. The Robert Cray Band 1/23-1/24, 8 pm, $33-$55. Dion 2/5-2/6, 8 pm, $55-$82. Love Affair 2/13, 7:30 pm, $30. Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. 2/13-2/14, $33-$55. Stellar Gospel Music Awards 2/20, 6 pm, $50. 702-365-7075. Palace Station (Jack’s Irish Pub) Forget to Remember Fri & Sat, 9 pm, free. 702-547-5300. Palms (Lounge) Gypsy Road 1/14, 1/28, 10 pm, free. David Perrico & Pop Strings Orchestra 1/16, 1/30, 11 pm, free. Brent Muscat & Friends 1/21, 10 pm, free. Misty Day 1/23, 10 pm, free. 4321 Flamingo Rd., 942-7777. The Pearl 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 (The Axis) Britney Spears 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. Pitbull 3/12, 3/16, 3/18-3/19, 3/23, 3/25-3/26, 9 pm, $39-$169. 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 Elvis Monroe 1/16, 10 pm, free. Buckin Fridays Fri, 10 pm, $10. SLS, 702-761-7618. Stoney’s Rockin’ Country Granger Smith 1/15. Chasin’ Crazy 1/16. Olivia Lane 1/22. Brodie Stewart 1/29. 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 John Fogerty 1/15-1/16, 1/20, 1/22-1/23, 8 pm, $60-$350. 702-4149000. Vinyl Anti-Flag, Leftover Crack, War on Women, Homeless Gospel Choir, Blackbird Raum 2/28, 7 pm, $18. Nonpoint 3/18, 9 pm, $20-$35. Bag Raiders, Plastic Plates 4/2, 8 pm, $15-$35. Hard Rock Hotel, 702-6935000. Wynn (Eastside Lounge) Michael Monge Wed, Thu, Sun, 9 pm; Fri, Sat, 10 pm; $10. 702-770-7000.
D OW N TOW N Artifice Felix, Red Yeti 1/15, free. Vegas Jazz Tue, 7 pm, $15. Karaoke Wed, 10 pm, free. Thursday Request
Live First Thu, 10 pm, free. 1025 S. 1st St., Ste. 100., 702-489-6339. Backstage Bar & Billiards T.S.O.L., Left Alone, The Civilians, Sheiks of Neptune 1/20, 8 pm, $12-$15. 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. Mike Zito & The Wheel, Katy Guillen & The Girls 2/12, 8 pm, $16-$21. Dance Yourself Clean 2/26, 8 pm, $11. Unwritten Law, Fenix TX, Guilty By Association, Rayner, Leatherbound Crooks 4/13, 8 pm, $13-$16. 601 E. Fremont St., 702-382-2227. Beauty Bar The Generators, The Civilians, The Astaires 1/16, 9 pm, $5. Love Cop 12/28, 9 pm, free. JD McPherson, HoneyHoney 1/22, 9 pm, $18-$22.Love Cop 1/28, 9 pm, free. Valley Queen, Boroughs 2/8, 9 pm, free. Metalachi 2/11, 9 pm, $12-$15. Hunter Valentine, Crash Kit 3/3, 9 pm, $8-$10. LA Witch, Dirty Ghosts, Candy Warpop 3/25, 9 pm, $5. 517 Fremont St., 702-598-3757. Bunkhouse Saloon Tin Toy Cars 1/15, 9 pm. The Dirty Hooks, Same Sex Mary, Pure Joy 1/16, $5. Moonboots, American Weather 1/21, 9 pm, $5. Gold Boot, Rabid Young 1/22, 9 pm, $5. Special-K, Mega Bog, Brother Mister 1/30, 9 pm, $5. Dusty Sunhine, Blair Dewane 2/12, 8 pm, $5. La Luz, Stonefield, No Tides 3/23, $10. Karaoke Mon, 10 pm, free. 124 S. 11th St., 702-854-1414. Downtown Container Park ‘80s Station 1/16, 9 pm. Stoked 1/22, 7 pm. The Moonshiners 1/29, 7 pm. 707 Fremont St, downtowncontainerpark.com. Fremont Country Club Hawthorne Heights, Mest, The Ataris 2/16, 7 pm, $20-$25. 601 E. Fremont St., 702-3826601. Fremont Street Experience (Main Street Stage) Ashley Red Thu., 10 pm. Metropolis Mon.-Tue., 10 pm. Alter Ego Wed., 10 pm. Spandex
Nation Fri.-Sun., 10 pm. ‘80s Station 10 pm. Empire Records 10 pm. (1st Street Stage) Spandex Nation Tue., 7 pm. Yellow Brick Road Thu., 7 pm. Las Vegas Bowl Pep Rally 6 pm. Alter Ego Fri.-Sat., 7 pm. Tyler James Elvis Tribute Sun., 8 pm; Mon., 7 pm. Haleamano Wed., 7 pm. (3rd Street Stage) ‘80s Station Fri.-Sat., 10 pm. RockIt 10 pm. Alter Ego Sun., 9 pm. Tony Marques Mon., 9 pm. Monroy Wed., 9 pm. Zowie Bowie Thu., 9 pm. Shows free unless noted. Downtown Las Vegas, vegasexperience.com. Griffin Live music Wed, 10 pm, free. 511 Fremont St., 702-382-0577. Hard Hat Lounge The Funk Jam Wed, 10:30 pm, free. Florescent Flames Second Sat, 9 pm, free. Foundation Factory Fourth Sat, 8 pm, free. 1675 Industrial Road, 702-384-8987. LVCS Christian Death, Maension, Phoenix Siren 1/28, 8 pm, $12. The Stoney Point Tour ft. Demrick, DJ Hoppa, Adlib, Ilam, Ekoh, The Jones 1/29, 9 pm, $12-$14. Orgy, Bobaflex, Death Valley High, Ne Last Words, Hyperion’s Horizon, EMDF 1/30, 8 pm, $15-$17. Fremont St., 702-3823531. 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) The Tenors 2/20, 7:30 pm, $24$95. (Cabaret Jazz) Lucie Arnaz 1/15-1/16, 7 pm, $39-$55. Bronson, Brody & Beatles 1/20, 8 pm, $15-$35. Christine Ebersole 1/22-1/23, 7 pm, $39-$59. 361 Symphony Park Ave., 702-749-2000.
THE ’BURBS Elixir Marty Feick 1/15, 1/29. Yvonne Silva 1/16. Nick Mattera 1/22. Shaun South 1/23. Tim Mendoza 1/30. 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) Elvis Tribute show ft. Justin Shandor 1/23, 7 pm, $30-$42. 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., 702-360-3358. Silverton (Veil Pavilion) 3333 Blue Diamond Road, 702-263-7777.
CHECK OUT OUR COMPLETE CALENDAR LISTINGS AT LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM/EVENTS JANUARY 14–20, 2016 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM
33W
Calendar South Point 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. 702-7978005. Suncoast Mary Wilson 1/16-1/17, 7:30 pm, $20. 9090 Alta Drive, 702-636-7075. 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
Dirty Grandpa - LV Weekly_Layout 1 1/5/16 11:25 AM Page 1
INVITE YOU AND A GUEST TO ATTEND A SPECIAL ADVANCE SCREENING
TUESDAY, JANUARY 19 7:00 PM AT BRENDEN THEATRES Log onto: www.LionsgateScreenings.com
and enter the code LVWeeklyDG for your chance to win a pair of tickets to the advance screening. DirtyGrandpa.Movie #DirtyGrandpa twitter.com/DirtyGrandpa instagram.com/DirtyGrandpa
Supplied code will give instructions on how to download two tickets to the advance screening on Tuesday, January 19. No purchase necessary. Rated R for crude sexual content throughout, graphic nudity, and for language and drug use. The screening will be overbooked to ensure a full house. Seating is limited and not guaranteed and is first-come, firstserved. Tickets cannot be exchanged, transferred or redeemed for cash in whole or in part. You must arrive early to ensure seating. No phone calls, please. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.
IN THEATERS JANUARY 22
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 Live Music Thu, 7 pm; Fri & Sat, 8 pm. Shows free unless noted. 453 Nevada Way, Boulder City, 702243-2739. Count’s Vamp’d Y&T 2/5, 8:30 pm, $20-$25. Geoff Tate’s Operation Mindcrime 2/6, 9 pm, $20-$25. Glenn Hughes, Joanne Shaw Taylor & Jared James Nichols 3/5, 7:30 pm, $20-$25. 6750 W. Sahara, 702-220-8849. Craig Ranch Regional Park Amphitheater 628 W. Craig Rd., 702-633-2418. Dispensary Lounge Uli Geissendoerfer Trio Fri & Sat, 10 pm. 2451 E. Tropicana, 702-4586343. Dive Bar Cruel Hand, Drug Church, Culture Abuse, Unfair Fight 1/15, 9 pm, $12. Lambs to Lions, Illicitor, Yosemite Slam, Jerk 1/22, 9 pm, $5. 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 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 Shows free unless noted. 310 W. Spring St., Goosprings, NV, 702-874-9362. Sam’s Town Morris Day and the Time 1/23, 8 pm, $25. Los NiteKings Sun, 7 pm, free. Shows free unless noted. 5111 Boulder Hwy., 702-284-7777.
Comedy Hard Rock Hotel (The Joint) Martin Lawrence 1/16, 7 pm, $40. Bo Burnham 1/30, 8 pm, $50. 702-693-5000. Harrah’s (Main Showrom) Mac King Tue-Sat, 1 & 3 pm, $33. (The Improv) Bob Zany, Jodi Borrello Thru 1/17. Darryl Lennox, Don McEnery, Tracey MacDonald 1/19-1/24. Dat Phan, Avi Liberman, Murray Valeriano 1/26-1/31. Tue-Sun, 8:30 pm; Fri & Sat, 10 pm; $30-$45. 702-369-5000. MGM Grand (Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club) Danny Bevins, Vargus Mason, Heath Harmison Thru 1/17. Brad Garrett, Paul Ogata, Dave Landau 1/18-1/24. Quinn Dahle, Rick Overton, Greg Vaccariello 1/25-1/31. 8 pm, $43-$87. 702-891-7777. Mirage Daniel Tosh 1/15, 2/5, 3/25, 4/8, 10 pm; 1/16, 7:30 pm, $65-$105. 702-792-7777. Orleans (Showroom) Norm Macdonald 1/15, 9 pm, $44-$65. 702-284-7777. 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. 702-
234-7469. Sin City Comedy & Burlesque Show Nightly, 8:30 pm, $38-$49. 702-7772782. 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. South Point Louie Anderson 1/22-1/23, 7:30 pm, $15. Jon Lovitz 2/5-2/6, 7:30 pm, $25. 702-797-8005. Treasure Island 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-$80.702-894-7111.
Performing Arts Cockroach Theatre Constellations 1/14-1/16, 1/21-1/23, 8 pm; 1/10, 1/17, 1/24, 2 pm $16-$20. The Nether 2/25-2/27, 3/3-3/5, 3/10-3/12, 8 pm; 2/28, 3/6, 3/13, 2 pm, $16-$20. Bright Side 5/12-5/14, 5/19-5/21, 5/26-5/28, 8 pm; 5/15, 5/22, 5/29, 2 pm, $16-$20. Art Square Theater, 1025 S. 1st St., Ste. 110, 702-8183422. Las Vegas Philharmonic Pink Martini 2/6, 7:30 pm, $100-$250. Spotlight Series 2/16, 4/26, 5/3, 7:30 pm, $168. Smith Center, 702749-2000. Mondays Dark With Mark Shunock 1/25, 8:30 pm, $20-$50, Vinyl, 702-693-5000. Onyx Theatre Reservoir Dolls 1/14-1/16, 1/211/23, 1/28-1/30, 8 pm; 1/24, 1/31, 5 pm. Geek! 2/11-2/13, 2/18-2/20, 2/25-2/27, 8 pm; 2/21, 5 pm, $15-$20. Del Shore’s Sordid Lives 3/10-3/12, 3/17-3/19, 3/24-3/26, 8 pm; 3/20, 5 pm, $20. Heathers the Musical 4/7-4/9, 4/14-4/16, 4/21-4/23, 4/28-4/30, 8 pm; 4/17, 5 pm. Titus Andronicus Jr. 5/12-5/14, 5/195/21, 5/26-5/28, 8 pm; 5/22, 5 pm, $20. 953 E. Sahara Ave., 702-732-7225. Smith Center (Reynolds Hall) Riverdance 1/26-1/21, $29-$129. (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. 702-749-2000. UNLV (Rando-Grillot Recital Hall) Amernet Quartet ft. Rachel Calloway 1/28, 7:30 pm, $27-$30. 702-895-3332. Winchester Cultural Center 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 All You Need Is Light: Jewish Film Festival Thru 1/24, $10 per film, times vary. Adelson Educational Campus Theater, 9700 W. Hillpoint Road, 702-239-2277. The Bourbon Book Club Dennis Johnson’s Jesus’ Son 1/21, 6 pm, free. The Writer’s Block, 1020 Fremont St., thewritersblock. org. Sally Denton Book Signing and Reading 2/18, 7 pm, free. The Writer’s Block, 1020 Fremont St., thewritersblock.org. 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. Las Vegas Ultimate Wine Run 1/29, 3:30 pm, $60-$90. Lake Las Vegas, 2030 Lake Las Vegas Pkwy., theultimatewinerun.com. Laura McBride & Walter Kirn Signing and Reading 1/20, 7 pm, free. The Writer’s Block, 1020 Fremont St., thewritersblock. org. Neon Lit 1/29, 2/26, 3/18, 4/29, 7 pm, free. The Writer’s Block, 1020 Fremont St., thewritersblock.org. Vegas Shoot National Field Archery 1/291/31, times vary, free. South Point, 702796-7111. WFG Continental Cup of Curling 1/14-1/17, $22. Orleans Arena, orleansarena.com. William Logan Hebner & Michael Plyer Signing and Reading 1/28, 7 pm, free. The Writer’s Block, 1020 Fremont St., thewritersblock.org. Windmill Library Music Club The Beatles’ Revolver 1/17, 4 pm, free.
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