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06 LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 06.09.16
14
THROUGH 19
10
NATASHA LEGGERO & MOSHE KASHER AT BEAUTY BAR
CABARET AT SMITH CENTER A bohemian cabaret singer falls in love with an American writer, their world of delusion peeled back in Roundabout Theater Company’s touring production of Cabaret. The Sam Mendes revival takes audiences to 1931 Germany at the end of the Weimar Republic, when an emcee at the salacious, run-down Kit Kat Club urges everyone to leave their troubles outside—a suggestion proving impossible in the looming rise of the Third Reich and Germany’s economic depression. John Kander and Fred Ebb’s original music and lyrics set the tone for the changing times. June 14-19, 7:30 p.m.; June 18 & 19, 2 p.m.; $29-$129. –Kristen Peterson
FRI., 8 P.M.
Maybe you’re not familiar with Leggero, but at it’s a safe bet you’d recognize the Illinois-born comedian/actress/ talking head making her bones on different TV shows, like Comedy Central’s Another Period, a turn-of-the-century send-up of Kardashian-level fame. Leggero brings her new husband, the equally accomplished funnyman Moshe Kasher, to Beauty Bar, undoubtedly to tackle issues personal and not. Laughs and love. $20. –Jason Harris
10
THROUGH 19
LASVEGAS WEEKLY.COM
Go online for expanded music, arts and other event listings.
VEGAS FRINGE FESTIVAL AT LAS VEGAS LITTLE THEATRE The Fringe rewards good guessers. Its eclectic menu offers odd and unusual fare—some funny, some serious. But it can also be a brutal mistress. Some of the productions, whether due to the new-ness of the material and/or the cast, or simply bad luck, are awful train wrecks. But these, frankly, can also be their own reward. As long as you can keep a good sense of humor and remember that each show lasts only an hour, you can walk away with a story memorable in its own right. My picks—as always with the Fringe—focus on original material. Erica Griffin and Ernie Curcio both have new pieces this year. Griffin’s Juju Goes to Pahrump follows the trials and tribulations of Juju as she heads over the hump—after getting dumped by an ET. Curcio’s All Day It’s Tomorrow has a similar absurdist bent, as a couch-born loser places some bets on advice from a higher being in an attempt to prove himself to his ex-girlfriend. John Bremmer’s The Proposal has a more realistic setting: a New York City subway station, where two pickup artists tangle with the wrong woman. Mouthy Bitch, from Reel Good Girl Productions, tackles sexual relationships with an aggressive, uncensored take. Poor Richard’s Players brings a death-row inmate’s one-man show to life with So, I Killed a Few People…, and Happy Hour Improv delivers the dark to children’s TV with Peppy Piper’s Playpen (I can only imagine why a show about friendship needs a mature-content warning). You’ve been warned. Now ignore it and take your chances at the Fringe. $12 per show, $130 for all 13; showtimes at lvlt.org. –Jacob Coakley
JUNE 9 THROUGH 11
DEATH FEST AT LVCS & BRASS LOUNGE Now in its eighth entrails-spackled year, the Las Vegas Death Fest is Downtown’s most stomach-churning attraction this side of the Heart Attack Grill menu. Since it’s all about death, naturally, let’s count down the band names that represent the three worst ways to die. 3. Odiusembowel. No doubt, getting disemboweled is a total day-ruiner— one might even say it’s rather odious, which these New Zealand nutjobs helpfully point out. 2. Cranial Engorgement. Imagine your head swelling with blood until it explodes, Scanners-style. Hey, that’s arguably a better fate than being “Sodomized and Left to Die,” which is but one of these Californians’ queasy crowd-pleasers. 1. Coathanger Abortion. These Tennessee deathgrinders hail from the Bible belt, fitting because belts are good for strangling. Doors at 3 p.m. June 9 & noon June 10 & 11, $10-$80. –Jason Bracelin
07 LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 06.09.16
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FRI., 10 P.M.
PUNKSEXY ALBUM RELEASE PARTY AT DOUBLE DOWN There might be no better measure of Prince’s influence than PunkSexy, the mohawked tribute record featuring covers by Las Vegas bands. It officially came out five days before the Purple One’s sudden death on April 21, so expect a balance of poignancy and punked-up funk/R&B from participants The Negative Nancys, The Quitters, The People’s Whiskey, New Cold War and Franks & Deans. Free.
Trust Us E V E R Y T H I N G Y O U A B S O L U T E LY, P O S I T I V E LY MUST GET OUT AND DO THIS WEEK
–Mike Prevatt
(Illustration by Jon Estrada/Staff)
”THERE’S SO MANY BROS IN VEGAS. THESE GUYS WILL BRAG ABOUT ANYTHING. THIS GUY WAS LIKE, ‘YO, HAD SEX WITH A PROSTITUTE LAST NIGHT, BRO.’ OKAY, BRAGGING THAT YOU HAD SEX WITH A PROSTITUTE IS LIKE BRAGGING THAT YOU GOT CHIPS FROM A VENDING MACHINE.” - STAND-UP COMIC NATASHA LEGGERO
FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 7 A.M.
SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 9 P.M.
EGGSLUT AT COSMOPOLITAN
ISLANDS AT BUNKHOUSE
The meal that has eluded Cosmo’s generally dynamic dining offerings arrives, with flair and flavor. Egg-loving Alvin Cailan brings the innovative breakfast sandwiches that have captivated LA eaters for five years to the Strip. Are these things as good as the hype? Head to lasvegasweekly.com for our first taste. Monday, Wednesday-Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; Tuesday, Saturday & Sunday, midnight-7 p.m.
Nick Thorburn’s 11-year-old, Canadianborn indie outfit went Use Your Illusion last month, releasing its sixth and seventh albums on May 13. Judging from setlists, expect a heap of that material plus some oldies when the band tops a strong bill that also features Man Man leader Honus Honus and locals Dark Black and Hidden Levels, plus DJ Midnight Affair. $10-$12.
–Brock Radke
–Spencer Patterson
08 las vegas weekly 06.09.16
Icons within reach
the inter w h e r e
i d e a s
Yousuf Karsh’s Bellagio photo exhibit offers immediate intimacy
M
By Kristen Peterson
uhammad Ali, a man who spoke his truth with a realness captured in photographic images over the decades, wears a pinstriped suit against a black backdrop. His elbows extend out from his body, his fists resting at his sides as he looks directly at the camera. From the other side of Yousuf Karsh’s lens we see a bold, determined and powerful man, a fighter in his late 20s challenging a wrong. The 1970 photograph has viewers looking into, rather than at, Ali. It’s one of the first photographs visitors see in Icons of the 20th Century, on exhibit through September 5 at Bellagio. Karsh, a photographer who Yousuf grew up in Canada, made his mark Karsh: in 1941 with a photo of Winston Churchill that landed on the cover Icons of Life magazine. His lengthy career of the Twentieth led him into the lives of the rich and powerful—political figures, leaders, Century movie stars, writers, artists and sciThrough September entists. The rapport he established 5, Bellagio through his work built a chronology Gallery of of life in the 20th century. Fine Art, 702-693The usually smiling Mother 7871. Teresa in 1988 appears tired and agenda-driven. Whatever was in her mind at the moment, Karsh caught it. A serious portrait of the Marx Brothers, each with a devious smile, reveals a collective wit; they’re in on a joke and we’re not. Poet Robert Frost sits in a chair, tie askew and pants high, petting his dog and talking to someone, an image that feels so close you wonder if his suit is wool or cotton. Hollywood celebrities remain beautifully and predictably dedicated to their glamour shots, Brigitte Bardot, Clark Gable and Joan Crawford among them, but Lauren Bacall ... wow. For an artist described as the “photographer of choice for the elite,” Karsh also managed to capture the many layers of humanity.
Breaking a leg The performer’s journey to the Great White Way starts long before 42nd Street, and for a pair of young Nevadans, it began during May’s fourth-annual Nevada High School Musical Theater Awards at the Smith Center. Las Vegas Academy’s Deimoni Brewington and Calvary Chapel Christian School’s Mariah Martin took the regional
competition’s top prizes and will represent the Silver State June 27 at the national awards, where they’ll perform on Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre stage. The local students are being sent off to NYC with a massive vote of confidence—the judges who chose them included Rachel Tyler of Steve Wynn’s ShowStoppers (who performed in Miss Saigon on London’s West End) and Vegas! The Show’s Josh Strickland (who played Disney’s Tarzan on Broadway). –Mark Adams
rsection A ND L IF E M E ET
09 LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 06.09.16
POP-CULTURE PREPAREDNESS When does homage cross the intellectual property line? BY MIKE PREVATT
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Queen Elizabeth, Alfred Hitchcock and Brigitte Bardot are just a few of Karsh’s famous faces. (Yousuf Karsh , Princess Elizabeth, 1951; Brigitte Bardot No Date; Alfred Hitchcock, 1960, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Gift of Estrellita Karsh in memory of Yousuf Karsh, © Estate of Yousuf Karsh /Courtesy)
BIKING IN THE BUFF In our society, the human body is highly sexualized, and its public baring is usually deemed a criminal offense. So it might shock you that on June 11, a hoard of naked bicyclists will crowd Las Vegas’ streets. The Erotic Heritage Museum has organized Vegas’ inaugural World Naked Bike Ride, which already occurs annually in more than 75 cities in over 20 countries. This peaceful political protest celebrates our natural form in a non-sexual manner while calling attention to the world’s dependence on fossil fuels. Riding nude suggests a dichotomy, between being vulnerable yet empowered. ¶ The Vegas ride will organize at the museum (just west of the Strip) at 6 p.m. for a pre-party with free food, non-alcoholic drinks and music. The bike route will be announced 48 hours prior. Ride naked at your own risk, however—public nudity is illegal in Clark County. If you’re worried, consider a G-string and/or sparkly bra or some decorative tassels. –Rosalie Spear
To unsuspecting customers at Bad Owl Coffee in Henderson, the sign identifying Platform 9 6/8 must seem pretty random. But fans of a certain boy wizard—and perhaps regulars dating back to Bad Owl’s start—might give it a double-take, since it once read Platform 9 3/4, the hidden train stop accessible only to Harry Potter and his fellow Hogwarts School students. The marker’s glibly expanded fraction also suggests the coffeehouse might have crossed some intellectual property line. Though Bad Owl’s owners didn’t respond to our messages, a source tells the Weekly he was told during a visit that the legal team of Time Warner, which owns the copyright to the Potter films, contacted the business shortly after its February opening. A second sign that used to herald Hogwarts Express now reads Bad Owl Express, another tipoff. It isn’t the first instance of a local eatery, coffeehouse or bar alluding to someone else’s intellectual property. And part of the appeal of places like fellow Southeast coffeehouse Grouchy John’s and Downtown’s Millennium Fandom Bar (which actually boasts a Golden Snitch used in a Harry Potter film) is the atmosphere created by artwork and memorabilia related to fantasy/sci-fi franchises. According to W. West Allen, a partner at Howard & Howard law firm, the latter is safe under the first-sale doctrine, but establishments must exercise caution when it comes to the former. Artwork inspired by movies, TV and comics might be permissible, but context matters. Furthermore, courts have been known to permit minimal use. “It may come up when I use a word on my menu that could be interpreted as being from a book,” Allen says. “But if the entire restaurant is immersed in that book, there could be [grounds for legal action].” If lawyers did speak with Bad Owl management, it’s likely both sides agreed on the sort of adjustments and vague references now seen in the shop, as a small business inspired by Harry Potter—and there are at least a handful in the U.S. alone—might literally not be worth much to even a litigious copyright/trademark holder. “I always thought that someday, Disney would say, we need to talk,” Grouchy John’s co-owner J.J. Wylie says. “But I’d take that as a sign of success. And who wants to spend time and energy going after us?”
10 the intersection WEEKLY | 06.09.16
To the last drop Trying to make sense of our all-consuming water habit
I
’m on a walk in the midday sun in Las Vegas, and I didn’t bring any water. I could’ve gotten my thermos and filled it up with clean, filtered water from my home, water I pay a relatively low monthly fee to drink. But I forgot to bring that thermos, and as I stroll through the neighborhood, I’m starting to get cotton-mouthed. The farther I walk— baking, sweating, panting up long hills—the more my thoughts return to water, until about an hour in, I can think of little else. I need water. The solution for me—for many of us—is easy. There’s a park up ahead, and there will certainly be a water fountain there. I walk across well-irrigated grass Pyramid of to the park building and turn the handle, biscuits and H20 bursts by stacy J. Willis out—arcing from mouthpiece to basin, from the peaks of the Colorado Rockies to the plumbing at a suburban Las Vegas park. I feel it with my hand and wait as it turns from warm to slightly less warm, and I take a few rehydrating sips—enough to get me home. How lucky we are. * * * * * “By mid-century, 3 billion people will live in water-stressed countries. That’s one in three people on the planet,” the radio reporter says as I drive through the car wash. I’m in one of those automated, sit-in-yourvehicle washes with the mechanical brushes and rainbow-colored soap. It’s by pure coincidence that I’m listening to Thirsty Planet, a report by American RadioWorks on NPR, as gallons and gallons of jet-sprayed water pummel my car.
(Illustration by Jon Estrada/Staff)
The reporter is talking about women in India whose entire lives are spent carrying water in pots on their heads from the only available (yet tainted) sources back to their families, making several multi-mile trips a day. “Girls start carrying water for the family as young as 6 years old. Older girls drop out of school because they don’t have time for homework.” So much water is pounding my car, I have to turn up the radio to hear. “The burden of fetching water traps millions of Indian women in a kind of water servitude that keeps them from getting more education or bettering their lives.” Sheets of water—and guilt—cascade across my windows. Then the giant blow dryer chases every last drop off of my windshield onto the cement. I stop to clean out the car’s interior. Naturally, I find a half-full disposable water bottle that’s been rolling around on the floorboard for days, possibly weeks. But I’ve come this far in my adventures in First World waste, so for a split second I try to rationalize throwing it away—on the same planet where
those women face a daily life-defining struggle to get precious little drinking water. Yes, I know these four ounces of Aquafina backwash won’t make a difference now. But that doesn’t stop water activist Seth Siegel from jabbing my tardy conscience on the radio. “In Israel ... children are taught how to brush their teeth in the most water-efficient way. They are taught to bathe in the most water-efficient way. And over and over again they are given the phrase, ‘It is a pity to waste even a drop.’” A drop? I twist off the top of the Aquafina bottle and look for, at the very least, a thirsty plant, but there’s nothing but cement here. So, in a moment of karma-conscious contrition, I drink it. Warm, heat-altered, plastic-chemical-tasting, leftover bottled water. Irrational, yes. But does anything about the world’s inequities feel rational? * * * * * It’s all bikinis and board shorts at the community pool at the Trails Park in Summerlin. I sit in the shade, and amid
the smell of sunscreen and chlorine I notice that everybody’s got a thermos or a plastic bottle somewhere; no one in this fenced-in desert oasis lacks water. The history of humans is about finding and managing water. We’re aware of that in Las Vegas, with whitewalled Lake Mead in our backyard. We know the American West’s years-long drought caused irrigation restrictions and increased water prices, and we’ve heard about the consequences of waste and the benefits of conservation. But we defer to comfort and denial. We like the automatic car wash, the industrialized passing of worry to someone else. Accordingly, when the Republican presidential nominee visited California recently, he promised to swiftly solve its water problems. “We’re gonna get it done quick,” Donald Trump said. “Don’t even think about it.” But I’m going to think about it. Sure, it’s summer and I’ll no doubt enjoy the splendors of pools and the luxury of clean drinking water and food produced with ample irrigation. But it wouldn’t hurt to do it all a little more consciously, conservatively and gratefully.
Being a patient shouldn’t test your patience. At Dignity Health Medical Group’s Peccole Plaza clinic, our focus is on you. Every detail of our practice, big and small, is designed to create a better patient experience - from our comfortable waiting room to shorter wait times, same- or next-day appointments, and, of course, great doctors, nurses, and staff. By listening to and understanding your concerns and goals, our physicians focus on providing in-depth, quality care tailored to you. Our practice includes: Family medicine doctors who care for your whole family, diagnosing and treating a variety of health conditions. Internal medicine doctors who provide primary care for adults and help manage chronic conditions. A pediatrician who treats children and adolescents. We can’t wait to meet you. For appointments, call 702.616.5801 or learn more about our physicians at dhmgnv.org.
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LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 06.09.16
LASVEGAS WEEKLY.COM
Party planning? We’ve got a can’t-miss playlist from a DJ who knows what works. Plus, save your skin with some pro sunscreen tips.
SUPER SUMMER THEATRE Enjoy Red Rock Canyon during a night of outdoor theater. This season’s highlights include Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and Bring It On: The Musical. Through September 24, $13-$20, Spring Mountain Ranch State Park.
DIVE IN MOVIES AT COSMO’S BOULEVARD POOL The marquee transforms into a movie screen on Mondays, so sip cocktails poolside or take a dip while watching films like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Goonies. Through September 5, 7 p.m., $5.
VEGAS FRINGE FESTIVAL The Fringe Fest produces plays ranging from familyfriendly productions and musicals to improv shows and edgy debuts. June 10-19, $10-$12 per show, Las Vegas Little Theatre.
REGGAE IN THE DESERT Israel Vibration, Fortunate Youth, New Kingston, Don Carlos and more will play Vegas’ 15th annual Rastafarian festival full of cultural eats and good vibes. June 11, noon-11 p.m., $40-$120, Clark County Government Center.
AMAZING LAS VEGAS COMIC CON Geeks, unite and meet your favorite comic book authors, including Rob Liefeld and Kevin Eastman, plus get your comics signed by their creators. June 17-19, $25-$200, Las Vegas Convention Center.
ELECTRIC DAISY CARNIVAL Three days, eight stages, 250 DJs. Catch huge names like Kaskade, Axwell & Ingrosso and Hardwell, plus discover new sounds (and sights) during one of the summer’s wildest weekends. June 17-19, $355-$699, Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
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LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 06.09.16
BY MIKE PREVATT At first I thought it was the copious consumption of booze and sunlight. There we were, one hot afternoon last summer, on a boat in the middle of Lake Mead, watching someone levitate above the water on a board tethered to a Jet Ski, two substantial streams of water blasting from underneath the rider’s feet. Iron Man? No, just some dude trying to keep his balance. Flyboarding is one of the new hydroflight products that are the newest rage in water sports. What we saw last year was an individual’s private equipment, but at the man-made freshwater lake at Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club in Pahrump, Jetpack America runs a commercial operation that allows people to learn and use not only a flyboard (or jetblade), but also a jetpack—which, of course, I had to try. Upon our arrival in Pahrump, I signed a waiver, watched a 10-minute video and practiced flight-enabling movements on a stationery pack. Easy-peasy, I
thought—I’ll be flying like George Jetson soon enough. I then donned a fertility-endangering wetsuit because, as another staffer told this desert rat rather unempathetically, “The lake is 50 degrees—it went down 10 degrees in just three days!” Once outside, I tested a walkie-talkie helmet and put on a life jacket and the heavy-ish jetpack harness itself. Once I had mastered steadying the submerged jetpack, we cruised around the lake with me hydroplaning on my belly like Superman cooling off in the summer, which I could have done all day. Then the Jet Ski operator cranked up my throttle and ordered me to gently raise my control arms, and suddenly I was upright, completely out of the water and who-knows-how high. I wish I could have reveled in the moment, but just as I had got my David Blaine on, I inadvertently jerked one of my arms and fell sideways into the water. That happens to everyone at least once, so back up I went ... and then back down, and then up again, and
down, slo-mo dunking myself in the lake like a cookie. I never stayed suspended in the air for more than 10 seconds, something I felt I would have nailed had I tried again, but my 20-minute allotment was up—enough time to fully experience and appreciate something I’ll never forget doing. Plus, I was exhausted. Prepare for a full-body workout once you go jetpacking. And prepare to shell out. An introductory, 20-minute flight on the jetpack or jetblade runs $180, and doing both (40 minutes) costs $330. JetPack America’s website is currently offering 15 percent off (with code SPRING15), however, and once you break your hydrojet cherry, you can buy more flight time for less than half the cost. An even better deal: Attend this weekend’s free Hydro-Fest Competition & Expo, which features competitions with hydroflight athletes and tons of other activities. JetPack America will have all six hydroflight products available to try—for free. It’s basically an open house by the awesomest toymaker ever.
JETPACK AMERICA FLIGHT CENTER Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club, 3601 S. Highway 160, Pahrump; 888-553-6471, jetpackamerica.com. Daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Hydro-Fest Competition & Expo, June 10-12, free, hydro-fest.com.
Andi Bishop demonstrates the Jetpack. (Mikayla Whitmore/Staff)
DJANGOVEGAS! This eclectic annual festival features gypsy jazz bands performing in tribute to the work of famed Romani jazz and bebop artist Django Reinhardt. June 18, 6 p.m., $15-$20, Historic Fifth Street School.
BIG DOG’S SUMMER BEER FEST Big Dog’s Brewing Co. will feature more than 45 brews that pair perfectly with summer, live reggae and barbecue platters. July 9, 5 p.m., free, Big Dog’s Draft House, 4543 N. Rancho Drive.
UFC 200 Daniel “DC” Cormier and Jon “Bones” Jones face off again, in a fight fueled by intense rivalry. July 9, 3:30 p.m., $205-$1,255, T-Mobile Arena.
THE ART OF RAP Kick it old-school with Public Enemy, EPMD, Sugar Hill Gang, Kurtis Blow and more. July 23, 7 p.m., $28-$88, Downtown Las Vegas Events Center.
VANS WARPED TOUR Paint on eyeliner and don a studded belt for this year’s lineup, which includes New Found Glory and Every Time I Die. But don’t doubt the musical diversity— Waka Flocka Flame has a spot. August 9, 2 p.m., $29-$45, Hard Rock Hotel.
51S FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT The home team gives back to its fans while honoring the King. The first 2,500 through Cashman’s gates receive a free Elvisthemed 51s jersey. August 27, 7 p.m., $11-$16, Cashman Field. –Rosalie Spear
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Zuma ZOOMa at Cowabunga Bay. Christopher Devargas/Staff)
LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 06.09.16
If you’re looking to liven up the family picnic this summer, any of these strange items—all with multiple recipes and preparations you can easily Google— might do the trick. Full disclosure: I didn’t actually try any of these, mostly because I’m too lazy to clean my grill. BANANAS Backyard bananas Foster sounds good. So do all the other intriguing preparations to rework dessert. AVOCADOS Where has grilled guacamole been all your life? If you’re leery of that, just pit and halve one, briefly grill and fill the crater with salsa.
Hot pink, searing turquoise, kelly green, sunrise orange. The foam eye candy of flip-flops is so visually delicious that digesting the reality of owning a pair, for $5.99 or less, leads to a flickering sense of freedom. The gateway is open and scented with a hint of coconut oil. But that thong strap is wicked in the way it attempts to divide the foot in half, choking the tissue between the big toe and second phalange and pressing into the layers of flesh that stand between it and the fork in the common plantar digital nerves. The pressure hurts. Metatarsal bones ache, and blisters form. Foot doctors warn of the sandals’ arch problem, the curling toes and the safety hazards of wearing them, but they don’t tell us about the flip-flop duality, between the promise of summer and the physical pain. –Kristen Peterson
OYSTERS AND CLAMS Once the shells pop, they’re done. LEMONS AND LIMES Squeeze into oysters and cocktails, or over fish and salads. TOFU A smoky flavor profile does it good. Use the firm kind. SWEET POTATOES Someone I knew once wedged and grilled them for delicious alt-fries. FRUIT KABOBS Watermelons, pineapples and firm peaches are preferred. Due to their size, grapes and berries are not. ROMAINE LETTUCE Lightly charred salad FTW.
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THE TANK WATERSLIDE AT GOLDEN NUGGET Riders jettison through the hotel pool’s 50-by30-foot tank filled with … 11 sharks! Plus, the aforementioned 30-foot drop only takes eight seconds to complete. No wonder Travel Channel ranks the Tank as one of the most extreme pools in the world.
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CANCUN RESORT’S PYRAMID SLIDES Scale a Mayan pyramid to slide into crystal-clear H20. Just north of the South Point, Cancun Resort has four chutes on its ancient- ruin replica. And if you don’t have a time-share membership, don’t fret—treat yourself and book a hotel room.
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WATERSLIDES AT FLAMINGO BEACH CLUB POOL Looking for something tamer? Take in views of surrounding Strip hotels at Flamingo’s 15-acre tropical oasis, all before sliding through a cascading waterfall and plunging into the pool.
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ZUMA ZOOMA AT COWABUNGA BAY Like the Bomb Bay attraction at the former Wet ‘N Wild, Cowabunga’s ZOOMa features a trap door, dropping riders from 73 feet up into its high-speed, horizontal, 360-degree loop tube. Not for the faint of heart. –Mark Adams
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HOOVER HALF PIPE AT WET ’N’ WILD “All the fun of whitewater rafting” without the worries of super-strong currents, holes or jagged rocks, this attraction drops riders 57 feet before their two-person raft shoots vertically up a wall— only to fall back again for that stomach-turning feel.
LASVEGAS WEEKLY.COM
Four perfect—and perfectly local— summertime beer picks.
OCTOPUS This Mediterranean fave results in a less rubbery squid, though remember to tenderize, dry it out and marinate beforehand. –Mike Prevatt
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LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 06.09.16
LASVEGAS WEEKLY.COM
MAYBE WE SHOULD EAT
Find a fancy new happy hour at Wynn’s Lakeside.
TWO NEW BEER-CENTRIC HOT SPOTS SERVE UP QUALITY FARE BY BROCK RADKE hether you prefer light lagers, dark porters or bold, hoppy pale ales, we can all agree that beer requires food. It’s why taprooms book food trucks, and why run-of-the-mill wings and sliders are still pretty tasty. But certainly we can also agree that beer food can and should be spectacular even before we’ve had a few too many pints. Fortunately, two of the city’s newest destinations crafted for craft consumption subscribe to this belief. Beerhaus, the MGM Resorts-operated suds hall at the Park, keeps things simple and satisfying. To match an ample selection of drafts, bottles and cans from all over—including plenty of local brews, BEERHAUS which is always nice to see on the Strip— The Park, there are sumptuous sausages, rotisserie 702-692meats in sandwich form or served with 2337. Mondaysalad and potatoes, and happy snacks like Thursday, pretzels with beer cheese ($6) and fried Sunday, 11 pickle spears ($7). The best bites are the a.m.-1 a.m.; Friday & shaved beef sandwich with horseradish Saturday, 11 slaw ($15) and the plump, snappy brat a.m.-2 a.m. ($8) with smoked bacon onion jam. Keeping ultra-casual, you choose your food at a counter, even if you’re sitting PT’S at a big table with your friends playing BREWING board games and ordering beers from COMPANY your server. 3101 N. PT’s Brewing Company, from the Tenaya Way, 702-333eponymous group that operates 50 bars 7151. 24/7. around the Valley, takes a vastly different approach with a bold menu upgrade. Located in the former Tenaya Creek brew space in northwest Vegas, this is where the signature beers now available at all those bars are made, and PT’s went all out to create cuisine worthy of the enterprise. Their pretzel ($10.99) is a giant Bavarian one. This brewery does ramen with seared pork belly ($9.99), a deli-style sandwich with house-made pastrami, roast beef and corned beef ($16.99), a chicken pot pie and paella laced with shrimp and calamari ($18.99). And even though it’s over 100 degrees out and a dish called pork ’n’ beans ($17.99) sounds silly, it’s one of the best beer foods ever, an island of ideal braised pork shoulder over a sublime country bean stew. This is delicious cold-sober, so imagine how great it will be after a pint or three.
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PT’s Brewing Company’s New Yorker piles up the meats. (Jon Estrada/Staff)
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FOOD & DRINK
LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 06.09.16
Chef Daniel Humm’s NoMad is headed to town. (Courtesy)
CUCUMBER CLOUD
INGREDIENTS 2 oz. Ty Ku Cucumber Sake /4 oz. Aviation Gin
3
1 oz. Nagomi Yuzu Syrup /4 oz. lemon juice
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2 dashes cucumber bitters by Bitter Truth Fresh Origins Cucumber Blossom for garnish
FOOD IS THE FUTURE MGM’S MONTE CARLO REBOOT BRINGS THE ACCLAIMED NOMAD AND EATALY BY BROCK RADKE
+
Last Friday’s announcement detailing MGM Resorts’ reimagining of the Monte Carlo resort was an eye-opener—not because the company will somehow divide the hotel into two, but because the anchor of those new hotels will be food. Eataly, the acclaimed mega-marketplace of all things delicious and Italian, has long been rumored for Las Vegas, at one point believed to be moving in near Hakkasan at MGM Grand. So it’s no surprise that the first Eataly in the southwestern states will arrive inside the Park MGM hotel, expected to debut in 2018. Inside the other hotel, the Vegas version of the Sydell Group’s NoMad, chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur
Will Guidara—who also operate the three-Michelin star Eleven Madison Park, ranked fifth in the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants last year—will bring a NoMad restaurant to Las Vegas, exactly the kind of posh, ultra-cool eatery that has eluded the Strip, until now. David Chang’s Momofuku is coming to the Cosmopolitan, and then we’ll have NoMad. Not that we don’t already have fancy restaurants serving salmon rillettes in Mason jars, suckling pig and gourmet fried chicken. It’s just that the world’s food critics can’t seem to find their way to be impressed with food prepared in Las Vegas, and these new additions could help change that. Perhaps our share of James Beard awards will follow, or at least a little more national media respect for the Strip’s increasingly dynamic, utterly unique foodscape.
METHOD Combine ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a cucumber blossom.
Light, dreamy, nearly ethereal—this cocktail has absolutely earned its celestial name. The cucumber flavor of the sake balances the rich botanicals of the gin, and the yuzu, a tart Japanese citrus fruit, adds further depth to this subtly complex and refreshing drink.
Cocktail created by J.R. Starkus, Master Mixologist at Southern Wine & Spirits.
MAIN ROOM TUE
JUN 14
TERRACE TUE JUN 14
TUE JUN 14
AFROJACK
GRYFFIN
DJ CROOKED
WED JUN 15
WED JUN 15
WED JUN 15
KREWELLA
AUTOGRAF
IKON
THU JUN 16
THU JUN 16
THU JUN 16
NICKY ROMERO
SNBRN
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MARTIN GARRIX
FERGIE DJ
MON JUN 20
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C A LV I N H A R R I S
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BEEFOWL S AT J U N 1 8
DEVIN LUCIEN MON JUN 20
OB-ONE
T IC K E TS
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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, Rosalie Spear Associate Creative Director Liz Brown (liz.brown@gmgvegas.com) Designers Corlene Byrd, Jon Estrada, Marvin Lucas Circulation Director Ron Gannon Art Director of Advertising and Marketing Services Sean Rademacher CEO, Publisher & Editor Brian Greenspun Chief Operating Officer Robert Cauthorn Group Publisher Gordon Prouty Managing Editor Ric Anderson Las Vegas Weekly Editor Spencer Patterson 2275 Corporate Circle, Suite 300 Henderson, NV 89074 lasvegasweekly.com/industry lasvegasweekly.com /lasvegasweekly /lasvegasweekly /lasvegasweekly
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Sujit Kundu at the Library at Marquee Nightclub Photo by Jon Estrada
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PALMS POOL
“I know what I do is grimy, but partying isn’t supposed to be classy,” ’grams the infamously instigating photog, who celebrates his birthday at Ditch Fridays this week.
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Kaskade’s only gig this month outside of Wynn Resorts is headlining day two of Spring Awakening in Chicago.
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WET REPUBLIC
If you make the mistake of missing Tiësto at MGM Grand’s dayclub bash on Saturday, catch him that night at Hakkasan.
k i r i l l W A S H E R E B Y A L P O W E R S / P O W E R S I M A G E R Y ; K A S K A D E B Y K A RL L A R S O N ; T I Ë S T O B Y A A R O N G A R C I A ; M A R S H M E LL O B Y D A N N Y M A H O N E Y
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S K RILLE X & MARS H ME LLO
DAYLIGHT
T-Pain is the guest star at this Sunday’s edition of Baauer’s Studio Beach, guaranteed to wrap your weekend right.
encore beach club
A-TRAK
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LIL JO N
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AFRO JACK
SURRENDER
This EDM Jedi team-up (master and padawan?) sounds like the ideal lead-in to EDC weekend in Las Vegas. Don’t miss this Surrender set.
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ujit Kundu never thought his career would be built on music. “My dad was an engineer and my mom worked at a bank, and their goal was for me to be a doctor or a lawyer,” he says. “I didn’t play an instrument. I didn’t come from a musical family. I was going to be an accountant or something.”
For the past two years, Kundu has also worked under the legendary L.A. Reid at Epic Records; he now serves as senior vice president of promotions. “I already have three No. 1 records in my tenure, Jidenna’s ‘Classic Man,’ Travis Scott’s ‘Antidote’ and Fifth Harmony’s ‘Work From Home’ and I think my next one is Kent Jones’ ‘Don’t Mind’,” he says.
That didn’t happen. Kundu took a different path, one that began when he threw a high school warehouse party—as part of a bet—in Fullerton, California. He enrolled at the University of California, Santa Barbara to follow the plan, and found it was “so wide open” that he had to go back to throwing parties.
He might have never imagined working with iconic artists like Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez and Puff Daddy, but his access to this musical universe drives the steady growth and evolution of SKAM. “The more information you have, the better decisions you can make,” Kundu says. “I can hear from one of the greatest in the game, L.A. Reid, on the label side, and I’m dealing with the biggest guys in radio. SKAM is a very diverse agency; we don’t specialize in one kind of music. I see music through a lot of different angles.”
From those origins, SKAM Artists evolved. Booking DJs, artists and celebrities at nightclubs across the country and around the world, SKAM is a dominant force—especially in Las Vegas, where it seems you can pick any night or any club and find one of Kundu’s DJs controlling the music and the party. SKAM is everywhere.
SKAM is a tight-knit group, a family that includes superstars such as Lil Jon, Nick Cannon and Swizz Beatz, legends like Bad Boy Bill, Richard
Vission and Fatman Scoop, and celeb names like Amber Rose and Blac Chyna. Kundu often refers to his artists as blue-collar DJs and his company as a mom-and-pop, which makes sense considering the founder’s work ethic and DIY principles. SKAM’s overwhelming success has been built upon giving everyone what they want and need. “It’s because we treat the clubs and talent buyers the same way we do all our clients and DJs,” Kundu says. “We put the right DJs in the right rooms, pair up the right clubs with the right guys, and we put a great deal of resources and social media effort into promoting our DJs. We want to make sure the clubs have the highest percentage chance of making the greatest night possible.” –Brock Radke
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or the past two years, the crowds that flock to Las Vegas for the Electric Daisy Carnival at Las Vegas Motor Speedway have made EDC the most-attended one-weekend music festival in North America.
PH O T O GRAPHS B Y AAR O N GARCIA
c l u b s
As EDC sets up for its 20th festival and sixth in its perfect home in Sin City, another stellar lineup suggests records will continue to break. And while electronic dance music remains a prominent force on the Las Vegas Strip, it becomes the dominant sound and experience during EDC Week. Hakkasan at MGM Grand brings one of the biggest DJ lineups imaginable from Wednesday (June 15) through Sunday (June 19): Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Hardwell, Axwell & Ingrosso, Calvin Harris and The Chainsmokers. It’s practi-
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cally a five-day festival unto itself, especially if you throw in sets from Above & Beyond, Afrojack, Tiësto, Martin Garrix and Steve Aoki at the megaresort’s Wet Republic dayclub. Afrojack also kicks off EDC Week at Omnia with a June 14 performance, and the awe-inspiring Caesars Palace club follows with Krewella, Nicky Romero, Armin van Buuren and Garrix. Omnia’s intimate new sister-club Jewel at Aria offers sets from Oliver Heldens, Aoki and Dada Life. The luxurious nightclubs at Wynn and Encore consistently offer some of the biggest names in the EDM game, and EDC Week will be a nonstop party at Surrender, XS, Encore Beach Club (day and night) and the gorgeous new Intrigue. Skrillex and Marshmello team up
on June 15 at Surrender to kick things off, and the Wynn/Encore circuit is jammed from there with powerhouse sets from the likes of Major Lazer, Flosstradamus, Zedd, Nghtmre, Alesso, Kaskade, Yellow Claw, DJ Excel, DJ Snake and Diplo. A few more EDC-influenced parties to consider: Laidback Luke, Claude VonStroke and Morgan Page play Light; Disclosure DJs Daylight; Knife Party and Flux Pavilion hit Rehab; and Liquid Pool Lounge goes big with 3LAU, GTA, Heldens and The New Order team of SNBRN, Shaun Frank and Dr. Fresch.
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Photograph by Tom Donoghue
evolution
C O M E T O G E T H E R E D M b i z e x p a n d s i t s
r e a c h
a n d ed u c a t i o n E F F ORTS
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n retrospect, it seems like a miracle: When Pasquale Rotella first came up with the idea to create a business conference covering the exploding dance music industry, he asked his Insomniac team to put it together in just three months. Somehow, they pulled it off. And next week’s fifth annual EDMbiz conference might be the biggest and most diverse event yet. “In the beginning, it was very much a pure business-to-business conference, and the entire dance music ecosystem was there. The whole community signed up and everybody came to Vegas early before EDC,” says John Boyle, Insomniac’s chief growth of-
ficer and interim CFO. “It was very rushed that first year, but it was also ideal timing for what the industry needed, and over the years it has really broadened its reach and taken on a different focus of education.” EDMbiz is now all about inspiring and assisting aspirationals, people who want to get into the business as a DJ, promoter, producer, manager or anything else. “As this business continues to mature and commercialize, the way it stays true and maintains its soul is by having talented, passionate people coming into it for the right reasons,” Boyle says. Highlights of this year’s conference
include a keynote discussion with Rotella and childhood friend, John Amato, CEO for Billboard; keynotes from iconic dance-music artists Moby and Armin van Buuren; the panel discussion “After the Drop: Where Do We Go From Here? The State of Dance Music” and a “Beyond the Boys’ Club” panel focused on the role and future of women in dance music. EDMbiz Conference & Expo at Caesars Palace, June 14-16, EDMbiz.com. –Brock Radke
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I ntr i g u e Int r i g ue me i ndu st ry nig h t Photograph by Karl Larson
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very time Calvin Harris drops a new track, the same thing happens. You give it a listen. It’s instantly recognizable, but it doesn’t blow you away. That’s because expectations of a world-beating smash are always there, echoes of “Feel So Close,” “Sweet Nothing” and “Summer.” You listen again, and find something new and catchy you didn’t pick up the first time. But you don’t think you’ll add it to your personal rotation, and you’re sure this won’t be one of those tracks that’ll have you and your
Y O U
F O R
friends bouncing up and down inside Hakkasan anytime soon. But then you hear it again, and again. It pops up on a playlist or you catch it on the radio and its groove seeps into your brain. In the case of Harris’ latest—the gently pulsating “This Is What You Came For,” layered with some of Rihanna’s sweetest vocals yet—it could easily become summer’s anthem, perfectly positioned for that crazy club session or pristine poolside relaxation. Like his more recent tracks “Blame” and “How Deep Is Your Love,” this one gets warmer
with each listen, and before you know it, you might have a new favorite. It sneaks up on you and makes you smile, dance and sing along. Calvin Harris at Hakkasan at MGM Grand, June 9, 18 & 30; at Omnia at Caesars Palace, June 10, 20 & 24. –Brock Radke
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ontrolling some of the biggest parties in Las Vegas can be a high pressure situation, but it’s no problem for DJ E-Rock. When he’s not making us move during his Saturday-night residency at Light Nightclub, E-Rock might be playing to 60,000 firedup football fans at Levi’s Stadium as the DJ for his hometown San Francisco 49ers. “It’s an intense experience, because football is one of the most prideful games in the world,” he says. “Those fans are ready to be the 12th man if you give them the chance, and it’s make or break. If you play the wrong record and the team ends up losing, you might get some fingers pointed at you.” The Bay Area open-format champion and radio stalwart—his longtime show now known as The Bassment is nationally syndicated and features appearances by some of the biggest names in the game—has been playing Vegas
B a y i s a t
A r e a
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clubs for nearly a decade and couldn’t be happier with his current Strip home, not to mention the recent resurgence of his multi-genre style. “It’s probably the best situation I’ve ever had in Las Vegas,” E-Rock says of his residencies at Light and Daylight, where he began in the fall. “Culture is everything there, and I really look forward to coming to work and coming to rock. I think it’s awesome that the open-format guy is able to be the rock star again. We haven’t had that since the days of DJ AM.” E-Rock (with T-Pain) at Light at Mandalay Bay, June 11. –Brock Radke
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here was a time not so long ago when your Vegas party began at Fix, the slick food cave embedded into the northern edge of Bellagio’s casino. Whether it was dinner before Cirque’s O or pregaming a wild night in the original Light Nightclub (now the Bank), Fix deftly and happily provided just that—the perfect fix. Funny thing: Go there tonight, and the feeling hasn’t changed. The environment is the same, casual
but buzzy, and the food is as fun as ever—maybe even more so. The iconic dishes remain: the chilled seafood extravaganza, the Bobby Baldwin mini-burgers, the addictive chicken wings and the wood-grilled prime steaks. But other plates have emerged to challenge the favorites, from potato chip-crusted crab cake poppers and baked mozzarella in crisp phyllo to sea bass risotto with lobster broth and truffled penne with prosciutto, parmesan and peas.
Somehow, Fix feels like right now, not one of those classic restaurants frozen in its original era ... and it doesn’t hurt that it’s so delicious. Fix at Bellagio, 702-693-8400; Sunday-Thursday 5-11 p.m., Friday & Saturday 5 p.m.midnight.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY HAKKASAN GROUP
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nyone involved in nightlife venue operations is used to bouncing between tasks at a hectic pace, managing artists, staff and audience in an efficient way. But not just anyone can handle the expanded universe of tasks that comes from multiple venues. That’s Brian Kline’s job. As director of venue ops for House of Blues Las Vegas, he oversees everything at the concert hall at Mandalay Bay, its Crossroads restaurant, the retail space and the resort’s Foundation Room club on the hotel’s 63rd floor. “Most managers are looking at [the
I T
I N
space they cover], but mine is a bit bigger,” says Kline, who started with HOB in Hollywood and has been in Vegas for a little over a year. “I kind of fell in love with this building, which makes sense because it’s kind of the flagship venue for House of Blues. It’s very different here, a lot of residencies, and the restaurant, and the Foundation Room as a nightlife piece is completely different, kind of a beast of a venue. I always like a challenge.” He’s only been here for a short time but Kline recognizes that constant change refreshes these longtime venues for the user. And he’s dedicated to keeping things just as interesting for
his team, too. “There’s a lot of fun stuff we get to do that we sometimes forget how these are once-in-a-lifetime experiences for our guests. I like focusing on that. I’ve probably seen Santana 40 times, but when you get up close with legends like these—Billy Idol is another one—for soundchecks and events, you remember that we’re very lucky to do what we do.” –Brock Radke
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6/10 Scott Disick & Nick Ferrer. 6/11 DJ Gusto. 6/15 DJ Turbulence. 6/17 DJ Shift. 6/18 DJ Gusto. Mirage, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-6938300.
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6/9 Kid Conrad. 6/10 DJ Que. 6/11 DJ G-Squared. 6/12 DJ Karma. 6/16 Kid Conrad. 6/17 DJ Que. 6/18 DJ Break. 6/19 DJ Karma. 6/23 Kid Conrad. 6/24 DJ Que. 6/25 DJ C-L.A. Bellagio, Thu-Sun, 702-693-8300.
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HYDE 6/10 DJ Karma. 6/11 DJ Crooked. 6/14-6/15 DJ D-Miles. 6/17 DJ Five. 6/18 Konflikt. 6/21 DJ Ikon. 6/22 DJ D-Miles. 6/24 Joe Maz. 6/25 Jay Sean. Bellagio, nightly, 702-693-8700.
6/10 Anthony Pisano. 6/11 Ruen. 6/17 Sam I Am. 6/18 Greg Lopez. Mandalay Bay, nightly, 702-6327631.
6/9 Eric DLux. 6/10 Konflikt. 6/11 Jesse Marco. 6/16 Marshmello. 6/17 Politik. 6/18 DJ Excel. 6/23 Aazar. 6/25 Konflikt. Wynn, ThuSat, 702-770-7300.
6/10 Lil Jon. 6/11 Steve Aoki. 6/13 GTA. 6/16 Oliver Heldens. 6/17 Steve Aoki. 6/18 Dada Life. 6/20 Lil Jon. 6/24 The Chainsmokers. Aria, Mon, Thu-Sat, 702-5908000. L AX
GHOST BAR Thu Benny Black. Fri-Sat DJs Exodus & Mark Stylz. Sun DJ Shredz. Mon-Tue DJ Seany Mac. Wed DJ Vibratto. Palms, nightly, 702-942-6832.
HAK KASAN 6/9 Calvin Harris. 6/10 Showtek. 6/11 Tiësto. 6/12 Steve Aoki. 6/15 Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. 6/16 Hardwell. 6/17 Axwell & Ingrosso. 6/18 Calvin Harris. 6/19 The Chainsmokers. 6/23 Tiësto. 6/24 Hardwell. 6/25 Tiësto. 6/26 Lil Jon. MGM Grand, Wed-Sun, 702891-3838.
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6/9 DJs Rob & Bozak. 6/10 DJs Cass & Eric Forbes. 6/11 DJs Trapment & Wellman. 6/16 DJs Rob & Bozak. 6/17 DJs Cyberkid & Eric Forbes. 6/18 DJs Cass & Scooter. 6/23 DJs Rob & Bozak. 6/24 Aybsent Mynded & Eric Forbes. 6/25 DJs Cyberkid and J-Nice. Luxor, Thu-Sat, 702-2624529. LIGHT 6/10 Stafford Brothers. 6/11 T-Pain and E-Rock. 6/15 Laidback Luke. 6/16 Claude VonStroke. 6/17 Morgan Page & Party Favor. 6/18 Laidback Luke’s Super You and Me. 6/22 DJ Mustard. 6/24 Eric DLux. 6/25 E-Rock. Mandalay Bay, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-632-4700.
OM N I A 6/10 Calvin Harris. 6/11 Nicky Romero. 6/14 Afrojack. 6/15 Krewella. 6/16 Nicky Romero. 6/17 Armin van Buuren. 6/18 Martin Garrix. 6/20 Calvin Harris. 6/21 Oliver Heldens. 6/24 Calvin Harris. 6/25 Martin Garrix. Caesars Palace, Tue, Thu-Sun, 702-7856200.
S U R R E N D ER 6/9 Skrillex. 6/10 Slander. 6/11 Flosstradamus. 6/15 Skrillex & Marshmello. 6/16 Major Lazer. 6/17 Nghtmre. 6/18 Yellow Claw. 6/22 Slander. 6/23 Audien. 6/24 Grandtheft. 6/25 RL Grime. Encore, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-7707300.
XS 6/10 Kaskade. 6/11 Zedd. 6/12 Dillon Francis. 6/13 RL Grime. 6/17 Zedd. 6/18 Kaskade. 6/19 Alesso. 6/20 Skrillex & Diplo. 6/25 Zedd. Encore, Fri-Mon, 702-770-0097.
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BA RE 6/11 DJ Nova. 6/13 DJ Flow. 6/18 OB-One. 6/20 DJ Gusto. 6/25 DJ Neva. Mirage, Thu-Mon, 702-6938300.
DAY L I G H T 6/10 Eric DLux. 6/11 Stafford Brothers. 6/12 Baauer’s Studio Beach. 6/16 Bassjackers. 6/17 Morgan Page. 6/18 Laidback Luke. 6/19 Disclosure. 6/24 Scooter & Lavelle. 6/25 Steve Powers. 6/26 E-Rock. Mandalay Bay, Thu-Sun, 702-632-4700.
DRA I’ S B E ACH CLU B 6/10 Ghastly. 6/11 MAKJ. 6/12 Deux. 6/14 F3R. 6/17 Bassjackers & Makj. 6/18 Zeds Dead & Adventure Club. 6/19 Quintino. 6/21 F3R. 6/24 Sidney Samson. 6/25 Bassjackers. 6/26 4B. Cromwell, Fri-Sun, 702-777-3800.
E NCO RE B E ACH CLU B 6/9 EBC at Night with Skrillex. 6/10 A-Trak. 6/10 EBC at Night with Slander. 6/11 Zedd. 6/12 Kaskade. 6/16 Flosstradamus. 6/16 EBC at Night with Major Lazer. 6/17 Alesso. 6/17 EBC at Night with Nghtmre. 6/18 Kaskade. 6/18 EBC at Night with Yellow Claw. 6/19 DJ Snake. 6/23 EBC at Night with Audien. 6/24 Flosstradamus. 6/24 EBC at Night with Grandtheft. 6/25 Alesso. 6/26 Zedd. Encore, Thu-Sun, 702-7707300.
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FOXTAIL P OOL C LUB 6/10 Kid Conrad. 6/11-6/12 DJ Ikon. 6/16-6/18 Borgore and friends. 6/19 Borgore. 6/24 DJ Wellman. 6/25 DJ Hollywood. SLS, daily, 702-761-7621.
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6/10 Kirill Was Here Birthday Celebration. 6/11 DJs Seany Mac & Exodus. 6/17 O.T. Genasis. 6/18 DJs Presto One & Exodus. 6/24 Mike Shay. Palms, daily, 702-942-6832.
REHAB 6/11 Bikini Invitational. 6/12 Bingo Players. 6/16 Bassrush Pool Party. 6/18 Knife Party. 6/19 Flux Pavilion. 6/26 R3HAB. Hard Rock Hotel, Fri-Sun, 702-693-5505.
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LIQUID 6/9 DJ Karma. 6/10 Scotty Boy. 6/11 We Are Treo. 6/12 DJ Lezlee. 6/16 3LAU. 6/17 GTA. 6/18 Oliver Heldens. 6/19 The New Order. Aria, Wed-Sun, 702-693-8300.
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Thu DJ Jenna Palmer & Mikey P. Fri DJ JD. Sat DJ Eric Forbes & Mikey P. Sun DJs Kittie & Britstar. Flamingo, daily, 702-697-2888.
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DAYC L U B
6/10 Lema. 6/11 Vice. 6/12 Lema. 6/15 Markus Schulz. 6/16 Jauz. 6/17 Cash Cash. 6/18 Dash Berlin. 6/19 Carnage. 6/20 Thomas Jack. 6/24 Cedric Gervais. 6/25 Tritonal. 6/26 Timmy Trumpet. Cosmopolitan, daily, 702-3339000.
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6/11 Eric DLux. 6/12 Javier Alba. 6/16 Thomas Jack. 6/17 Blasterjaxx. 6/18 Eric Prydz. 6/19 Duke Dumont. 6/24 DJ Ikon. 6/25 Eric DLux. 6/26 DJ Wellman. Venetian, Thu-Sun, 702-388-8588.
W ET
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6/10 DJ Shift. 6/11 Tiësto. 6/12 Oliver Heldens. 6/16 Above & Beyond. 6/17 Afrojack. 6/18 Tiësto. 6/19 Martin Garrix. 6/20 Steve Aoki. 6/24 DJ Shift. 6/25 Hardwell. 6/26 Tiësto. MGM Grand, Thu-Mon, 702-891-3563.
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Backstory Backstory or inside tease Big Fannie Annie Blurb about photo that struts either her acts stuff as backstory or teases to something June 3 during in a&e the sdhfiuashdfiuahsdiufhasdiuffhliushd59th annual Burfasdfjkh asldkjhfalksjdfhlaiusdhfiuashdlesque Hall of Fame fiuahsldiufhalsiudhlfliuasdhfliusadhfWeekender liuasdhfliuahsdfliuhasdiufhasiudfhliaat the Orleans. suhfaisudfhliaushdfliuashdfliuashdfliu(Christopher hasdfliuhsaldiffilud asiuldisu DeVargas/Staff) fuas dfiu ahsdlfuhalsdiudfluhla siudhsdfsdfdfhhsk sdfasdfasdfdhfkh ksjhdfl kjhkj
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Just when you thought David Bowie’s son Thursday nights were When is a fake roadReflections of Three you were out of the makes a movie about made for jazz. And runner not a fake roadGay Men, brought to O.J. Simpson business, orcs. We’re not making pasta. And now you runner? When sculptor the stage by one man, ESPN pulls you back asdkfljhasldhin. this up. can have both at the Myranda Bair made it. actor Rick Pulos. asdkfljhasldhasdkfljhasldhasdkfljhasldhasdkfljhasldhasdkfljhasldhasdkfljhasldhtime. flakjsdhfiuashdflakjsdhfiuashdflakjsdhfiuashd- sameflakjsdhfiuashdflakjsdhfiuashdflakjsdhfiuashdflakjsdhfiuashdfiuahsdiufhasfiuahsdiufhasfiuahsdiufhasfiuahsdiufhasfiuahsdiufhasfiuahsdiufhasfiuahsdiufhasdiuffhliushdf diuffhliushdf diuffhliushdf diuffhliushdf diuffhliushdf diuffhliushdf diuffhliushdf on the web sfjgkljsdfg sfjgkljsdfg sfjgkljsdfg sfjgkljsdfg sfjgkljsdfg sfjgkljsdfg sfjgkljsdfg sdssdassssskjk sdssdassssskjk sdssdassssskjk sdssdassssskjk sdssdassssskjk sdssdassssskjk Head to lasvegasweekly.com for a slew of exclusive reviews, from films like horror sequel sdssdassssskjk The Conjuring 2 and Sundance-winning documentary Dark Horse to new albums from Garbage and Band of Horses. Plus, check your horoscope with the latest from the master, Rob Brezsny.
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56 pop culture
WEEKLY | 06.09.16
American horror story A new ESPN miniseries makes the O.J. Simpson tale worth reliving
I Applicants must audition in dance-wear, GoGo attire or swimwear.
t’s unfortunate that, because they debuted within months of each other, O.J.: Made in America will get confused with The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. The latter is an FX docudrama, another fluffed-up pile of nothing from the Ryan Murphy factory. The former is a five-part, nonfiction miniseries premiering on ABC on June 11 (subsequent episodes continue Cultural on ESPN). It’s attachment consummate by smith documentary galtney filmmaking—a tragic, infuriating, utterly riveting account of how the “trial of the century” outlined this country’s racial divide, its perverted judicial system and the toxic side effects of the American dream. No mere courtroom saga, Made in America dedicates more than a third of its epic runtime to the world before June 12, 1994, the night Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were murdered in Brentwood, California. It’s about O.J. the star running back, who ran through defenses like “foreign water through a tourist.” He broke many color barriers on the road to mainstream stardom, yet he never joined any civil-right cause. Over-
(Illustration by Jon Estrada/Staff)
hearing a woman say, “Look, there’s O.J. sitting with all those ni**ers,” Simpson responds, “She knew I wasn’t black. She saw me as O.J.” This is also the story of LA—the Watts riots and police entitlement, civil-rights violations and wrongful deaths, the Rodney King verdict and a city on fire. Simpson, who spent his whole life trying to be colorless, if not white, was suddenly presented as a civil-rights hero. His defense team, playing to a black jury, even redecorated Simpson’s home by replacing photos of white friends with those of black people. “If we had had a Latin jury,” says defense attorney Carl E. Douglas, “we’d have had a picture of him in a sombrero. There would have been a mariachi band out front.” Such candor makes Made in America feel revealing. Twenty years is time enough for people to let their guard down, and though defense players like F. Lee Bailey and Barry Scheck maintain their
poker faces, most interviewees (Marcia Clark, the jurors) earn your respect even when they piss you off. Even Mark Fuhrman comes off as … well, not sympathetic, but perhaps a tad admirable just for being present and accountable. After the trial, Simpson went on to snort coke with strippers and small-time thugs on the sets of bad rap videos, with a laughably botched deal over sports memorabilia leading to his current incarceration. The final section of Made in America plays like a sub-regional, dinner-theater performance of Goodfellas, and it’s absolutely heartbreaking. No one in this story does the right thing (even Ron Goldman’s parents lose face), and when anyone tries, those efforts are wasted on an undeserving egomaniac, a man who, in the words of one pastor, “did more to hurt young African-American men and boys by putting on this charade.” It’s a true American tragedy.
Thank You For 40 Extraordinary Years
! d o o G t a h T s It’
34 Valley Locations
58 las vegas weekly 06.09.16
screen
Abra-crapdabra Now You See Me 2 fails to create the illusion of quality
+
An honest failure Warcraft puts a lot of effort into being terrible
One of Warcraft’s many weird creatures prepares for battle. (Universal Pictures/ Courtesy)
is dying, and these monstrous beasts seek to invade Azeroth via a portal that can only be opened with arcane magic and sacrificed lives. By Mike D’Angelo Durotan (Toby Kebbell, in motion capture) t first glance, Warcraft looks like a cynical leads one orc army, while Lothar (Travis Fimcash grab—Hollywood’s latest adaptation mel) rallies humanity’s defense. Caught in the of some well-known property with a builtmiddle, with divided loyalties, is the half-orc, in audience. In this case, the established half-human Garona (Paula Patton). brand is the Warcraft franchise, Working with far and away the largest which consists of five role-playing video Abccc budget of his career to date, Jones delivgames involving battles between orcs and ers the expected computer-generated WARCRAFT humans, set in a mythical kingdom called set pieces, which at least show off some Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Azeroth. The movie is terrible, but watchnifty design work. But he’s also quixotiBen Foster. ing it is a different sort of painful experically intent on treating these characters Directed by ence from watching a blatant hack job like Duncan Jones. as seriously as if they’d been written by Rated PG-13. Mortal Kombat or Silent Hill. Warcraft’s J.R.R. Tolkien or George R.R. Martin, igOpens Friday gifted director and co-writer, Duncan noring their origin as bland video-game citywide. Jones (Moon, Source Code), has invested avatars that might as well have been so much earnest effort into this project created by Joe R.R. Schmoe. Warcraft is that the only possible response to all of the patent at once ponderous and extravagantly goofy—a silliness onscreen is sheer pity. He tried so hard. truly deadly combination previously seen in the Simply explaining what the movie is about, legendary disaster that was Battlefield Earth. for the benefit of those not already well versed Hopefully, Jones, who’s already having a bad in Warcraft mythology, is a challenge. Basically year (his father was David Bowie), can shrug off (and hugely simplified), the orcs’ home planet this well-intentioned failure and bounce back.
A
The 2013 thriller Now You See Me was not the kind of movie designed for a sequel— something increasingly rare among big Hollywood productions. The twisty and ultimately moronic thriller about a group of stage magicians called the Four Horsemen (played by Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco) who pull off daring heists with their powers of illusion built to a climactic revelation and then sent its characters on their way, having accomplished their goals. But any surprise hit must be followed up, so here is Now You See Me 2, bringing back Eisenberg, Harrelson and Franco (but not Fisher, who’s been replaced by Lizzy Caplan) and fellow original co-stars Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine. This time around the Four Horsemen are basically just a group of thieves, hired to steal a piece of ultra-powerful tech. The plot is just as convoluted and belabored as the first time, without the added panache of the Four Horsemen’s stage productions. Instead of showmanship, NYSM2 is driven by endless exposition, over-explaining tricks that aren’t very impressive to begin with. New director Jon M. Chu adds some extra flashy camera movements and CGI flourishes, but all of his visual sleight of hand can’t distract from the movie’s core stupidity. –Josh Bell
aaccc NOW YOU SEE ME 2 Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Lizzy Caplan. Directed by Jon M. Chu. Rated PG-13. Opens Friday citywide.
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(From left) Peterson, Friedlander and Gonzales, mid-workout. (Adam Shane/Special to Weekly)
las vegas weekly 06.09.16
CORK BOP Old-school jazz meets the late-night wine set at Ferraro’s
I
By Mike Prevatt
t’s halfway through the second set, and standing in front of a glass wall exposing an impressive display of wine—along with three other musicians—trumpeter Mike Gonzales and saxophonist Andrew Friedlander launch into a chord progression together, the longtime bandmates in sync but hardly mirroring one another. Drummer Eric Schauer and bassist Justin Peterson establish a rhythm much slower than the spry number that preceded it, and, when joined by pianist Matt Green, create a vampy, funkier mood that’s closer to R&B and soul than jazz. Contrast that to the spry bop of the next tune on the setlist: Thelonious Monk’s “Well, You Needn’t,” where Green naturally gets some shine time. The variety of styles nearly mirrors that of Ferraro’s wine. We’ve been here before—three years ago, in fact, when Ferraro’s first gave Jazz Workshop a slot to
play music that isn’t featured much in this town but should: instrumental jazz steeped in a midcentury tradition from which it occasionally ripples out. Back in 2012, the restaurant’s late-night manager, Brege Shinn, discovered Gonzales at a Double Down gig and quickly sensed he and his sound would be a perfect complement to the after-hours/reverse happy-hour program, and a weekly Jazz Workshop session was launched. But it ended not long after she left Nevada in 2013. Fast-forward to last November when Shinn returned to Las Vegas and Ferraro’s, and sought once again to strengthen the restaurant’s late-night programming and received encouragement to revive the weekly Jazz Workshop gig—especially from Gonzales. She wouldn’t consider anyone else. “When I was in my early 20s and living back East, I would frequent jazz clubs in New York City regularly. His sound reminds me of those spots. I knew
people would respond.” A May 26 relaunch was well-populated and wellreceived. Last Thursday’s edition saw the same room at least half-filled, with people coming in and out during the three sets. That performance also introduced Friedlander and Peterson to Jazz Workshop, which three years ago was just a quartet, sans piano. And that’s not the only way Gonzales is differentiating now from then. “This time around, we are focusing our energy into writing our own material, which is something I personally have been neglecting,” he says. “Ferraro’s has been great for us, and we are happy to be back.”
JAZZ WORKSHOP Thursdays, 11 p.m.-2 a.m., no cover. Ferraro’s, 702-364-5300.
61
noise
las vegas weekly 06.09.16
BOTTLES, CANS & DRAFTS
NOW AVAILABLE Rosenthal, far left, plays a hometown gig with Fortunate Youth Saturday. (Courtesy)
AT YOUR
FAVORITE
BARS &
Positive vibrations
RETAILERS.
Catching up with Las Vegan Jordan Rosenthal of Fortunate Youth
+
When did you get into the drums and why? My dad and his dad and his dad played the drums, so there was always a drum set around somewhere for me to have fun on. One of my favorite things about playing the drums, especially in reggae, is just the cosmic universal power that percussion [holds]. I love to do a lot of improvisation while I play. You never know what the show, venue, city [or] energy in the air might possibly create. Fortunate Youth is based in Hermosa Beach, California. How did you get involved? They had been a band for two years before I joined. I knew about them because I was playing in a local Hawaiian reggae band called HaleAmanO, and we would always play shows together … I was lucky to join their band five years ago, when they were about to embark on their
first full U.S. headlining tour. The band also has a compilation series that benefits charity. The charity album is called Music Unites: Reggae Around the World. We just released our sixth volume. We’re very lucky to have had some of the biggest and most up-and-coming reggae bands in the world be a part of this project. [It’s] all about helping ones in need while uniting the scene. All proceeds are donated to Music Unites, a nonprofit music organization that helps kids who have lost their music programs due to underfunding. What’s next for you after Saturday’s Reggae in the Desert gig? We have a big summer tour lined up with Slightly Stoopid and SOJA, and we’ll [be] recording a new album during the fall. –Leslie Ventura
FORTUNATE YOUTH at Reggae in the Desert. June 11, noon-11 p.m., $40-$120. Clark County Government Center Amphitheater, reggaeinthe desert.com.
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62 FINE ART
WEEKLY | 06.09.16
Look closer Myranda Bair’s sculptures hover between real andsurreal By Dawn-Michelle Baude
i
t’s tough out there. You can’t distinguish real from fake, true from false, authentic from artificial—even when it comes to wildlife. Myranda Bair knows this. An artist trained in science, an avid rock climber and dedicated environmentalist, Bair has turned the Rotunda Gallery into a science fair. Part cabinet of curiosities, part sculpture exhibit, part craft display, High Noon serves as both warning of environmental collapse and welcome spotlight on the weird, nonconforming beauty of the desert landscape in which we live. For High Noon, Bair arrayed 12 pedestals—one for each number on a clock— in a circle around a central cluster of beehives (after the show, the empty hives will be offered to local beekeepers). Each pedestal presents a specimen of Mojave flora and fauna enclosed in a glass globe or case. You have to lean in, look closely, the way you would in a museum of natural history. And this is where Bair’s sleight of hand takes place. It’s not a “real” roadrunner you’re looking at. It’s not even a fake roadrunner.
“Mojave Yucca,” left, and “Spring Fever (Tarantula on glass).” (Courtesy)
It’s a painting that looks exactly like a roadrunner, but is, in fact, watercolor on Fabriano paper—hyper-real and simulated at the same time. In works like “Horned Lizard on Cholla with Ants” and “Spring Fever (Tarantula on glass),” Bair’s skill as a scientific illustrator comes to the fore. She is a gifted draftsman. Her exactitude is in evidence everywhere, from the faithful representation of red speckled toads or yerba mansa flowers to the precision cutouts to the assembly of her subjects in habitat di-
oramas. Found cacti skeletons, quail eggs, bones, stones and dried vegetal matter mingle with the paintings in evocative scenes. The painted sculptures hover on the threshold between realism and surrealism in an interesting way. Bair’s stuffed-felt sculptures of cacti—Hedgehog, Beavertail and Yucca—while fetching, have fainter resonance. The bees dotting the pedestals provide a unifying motif, but perhaps seem slightly forced. At its best, High Noon delivers commentary on endangered habitats, their
critters and plant life. Some of the works, when viewed from behind, are blank— the Gila may be painted in painstaking detail on the front, but the back of the paper is empty, bereft of life. That “high noon” emptiness is foreboding. It’s as if the artworks, along with habitats, are disappearing right before your eyes.
aaabc High Noon Through July 8; MondayFriday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; free. Clark County Government Center Rotunda Gallery, 702-455-7030.
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Rick Pulos of Decades Apart. (Bill Hughes/Special to Weekly)
STAGE
WEEKLY | 06.09.16
man with a plan Rick Pulos’ solo show emphasizes cause over coordination zines at a doctor’s office are old!), on’t kill the messenger. It’s mixed metaphors abound (love is a plea to disassociate what’s a hurricane; no, it’s a flood; no, it’s being said from who’s actually like a drug), and everysaying it. In the case of Dething gets repeated ad nauseam. cades Apart: Reflections of Three Pulos imbues his characters with Gay Men from the Ryan Repertory a likable earnestness, but the roles Co., now playing at the Onyx, we are practically indistinguishable: need a new phrase, something that Remove a wig or a double-breasted can parse between what the messuit coat and each could be ansage is and how it’s being other. said. Because while the All of that’s a shame, beaabcc central theme behind Decause technically, the show Decades cades Apart—a cry against gets a lot right. The lighting Apart: the bigotry and intolerReflections design is crisp, and the ance imposed upon the set has a variety of playing of Three LGBTQ community—is areas. Director Barbara PaGay Men certainly worthy, this prorisi uses it all well, creating June 10-11, 8 duction is, unfortunately, separate spaces, and Pulos p.m.; June 12, 3 p.m.; $20. a milquetoast exploration hits his marks and finds his Onyx Theatre, of gay identity that never light. Projection interludes 702-732-7225. evokes the strong feelings are well-selected, too, but its creators clearly feel for they also go on too long; the cause. transitions between characters Written and performed by Rick shouldn’t require 30 seconds. Pulos, Decades Apart tracks the The show ends with a montage lives of three gay men in three of video clips involving gay issues very different eras: the swinging of the day: beatings that continue ’70s, the “Mo(u)rning in America” in NYC, opposition to and confir’80s, and the alt ’90s. Each of the mation of gay marriage, the North characters is meant to be an archeCarolina’s bathroom bill contypal gay figure of the times, but troversy—all presented without the writing blanches any specificexplanation. The cause remains ity from the roles until we’re left righteous, but Decades Apart felt only with bland clichés. They’re like a manipulation of sentiment, littered with tired jokes that serve rather than an actual exploration as simulacrums of humor (magaof character, setting or conflict.
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