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SATURDAY, AUGUST 6 • 11AM – 5PM • $15 COVER
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Group Publisher GORDON PROUTY (gordon.prouty@gmgvegas.com) Associate Publisher MARK DE POOTER (mark.depooter@gmgvegas.com)
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ON THE COVER Vashti Cunningham Photo by Mikayla Whitmore
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2 THOUSANDS OF NEW JOBS & REVENUE: THOUSANDS OF NEW REVENUE: Regulating and taxing marijuana will JOBS create over & 6,000 new jobs in our state and will pump one billion dollars intoover the local annually. Regulating and over taxing marijuana will create 6,000economy new jobs in our state and will pump over one billion dollars into the local economy annually.
Removing Drug Cartels and the Criminal Market: Marijuana be Cartels produced and to adults by Removingwill Drug and thesold Criminal Market: legal marijuana out Marijuana will beestablishments, produced and taking sold tosales adults bythe hands of Mexican drug cartels and violent gangs. legal marijuana establishments, taking sales out the The licensed, taxpaying Nevadaand businesses will be hands of Mexican drug cartels violent gangs. required to comply withNevada stringent regulations. The licensed, taxpaying businesses will be
More Effective Law Enforcement: Forcing police to direct their attention to marijuana More Effective Law Enforcement: Forcing is not making ourtheir communities By making police to direct attentionsafer. to marijuana is the limited possession of marijuana legal for not making our communities safer. By making adults in Nevada, we will law enforcement the limited possession of allow marijuana legal for to focus on more serious and violent crimes. adults in Nevada, we will allow law enforcement
required to comply with stringent regulations.
to focus on more serious and violent crimes.
FOR JOBS, FOR SAFETY, FOR US. FOR JOBS, FOR SAFETY, FOR US. YES ON QUESTION 2: REGULATE MARIJUANA LIKE ALCOHOL YES ON QUESTION 2: REGULATE MARIJUANA LIKE ALCOHOL TO LEARN MORE: WWW.REGULATEMARIJUANAINNEVADA.ORG INFO@REGULATENEVADA.ORG TO LEARN MORE: WWW.REGULATEMARIJUANAINNEVADA.ORG INFO@REGULATENEVADA.ORG Paid for by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. Paid for by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol.
06 las vegas weekly 08.04.16
04 & August 6
CAROL QUEEN AT Toyboxx LV & EROTIC HERITAGE MUSEUM As an author, sexpositive activist and staff sexologist at the women-owned San Francisco adult toy store Good Vibrations, Carol Queen has been ramping up bedroom play with her books and educational lectures for decades. Since founding an organization for gay and lesbian youth in 1975, Queen has gone on to write for Playboy and Good Vibrations magazines, starred in Good Vibes’ educational video series Bend Over Boyfriend and continues to organize her own educational events through her Center for Sex and Culture nonprofit. Queen, who also serves as curator of Good Vibrations’ antique vibrator museum, touches down in Vegas to grace us with her sexpertise for two days, beginning Thursday, August 4 with a workshop on sex, pleasure, technique and orgasm at Toyboxx LV (6 p.m.), followed by a discussion on the history of vibrators on Saturday, August 6 at Erotic Heritage Museum (7 p.m.). Come prepared. Thursday free; Saturday $10. –Leslie Ventura
Trust Us e v eryt h in g you a b solutely, positi v ely must g et out and do t h is w ee k
04
Thursday, 6 p.m.
MODERN TIMES CAN CASTLE PARTY AT ATOMIC LIQUORS If making a castle from beer cans doesn’t sound like a fun and quirky Thursday night at Atomic Liquors—and duh, it should—the promise of drinking the building materials should be enough to get you to the Modern Times Can Castle Party. The Downtown watering hole will offer $4 16 oz. cans of the San Diego-based brewery’s bounty—and if you’ve tried an MT beer since it began local distribution last year, you know its so-called Island of Doctor Moreau-style hybrid brews rarely disappoint. Take the Fortunate Islands wheat/IPA mashup, which blends citrusy hops with bready malt for easy-drinking perfection. If you seek something more bold, consider its robust coffee stout made with MT’s own roasted beans. You’d be remiss not to order something on draft this time, though. Modern Times employees will be on-site to tap rare suds, like a barrel-aged version of its June special release, the fruity Universal Friend saison. And while the brewery began releasing its new Fruitlands line of goses this spring, MT’s peach and raspberry variety will be tapped exclusively at Atomic Thursday night. There should be something for everyone, including your designated driver. Did we mention MT’s coffee will also be on draft and nitro? Free. –Mark Adams
05 Friday, 5 p.m.
PUNKS IN VEGAS’ 5TH ANNIVERSARY BASH AT 11TH STREET RECORDS A beloved Vegas site celebrates with live sets from local rockers Last Call, Illicitor and Bee Master—and all proceeds go to Girls Rock Vegas, empowering young women through music. $5 donation; all ages. –Spencer Patterson
05 Friday, 8 p.m.
09 Tuesday, 2 p.m.
RAP IS FUN ANNIVERSARY AT HARD HAT LOUNGE
VANS WARPED TOUR AT HARD ROCK HOTEL
Headed by Vegas MC Phil A, this local project aims to give rap “a good name” by booking gigs, tours and promoting albums. Celebrate its first birthday with performances by Reallionaire Jream, Slump Lords, Hassan, Astro Blunt and more. $5. –Leslie Ventura
More than 60 acts—some you surely know by name (New Found Glory, Yellowcard, Waka Flocka Flame) and many you likely don’t (SYKES, Mother Feather)—assemble behind the Hard Rock for the teen-focused summer fest’s return to town. $29$45; all-ages. –Spencer Patterson
07 las vegas weekly 08.04.16
10
Thru August 27
BRING IT ON: THE MUSICAL AT SUPER SUMMER THEATRE
(Photo Illustration by Jon Estrada/Staff)
Of all the movies turned into stage musicals over the past decade or so, Bring It On is one of the least likely. Neither a massive hit nor a singular artistic statement, the cheerleading comedy starring Kirsten Dunst and Eliza Dushku has nevertheless become a cult classic and spawned multiple straight-to-video sequels thanks to its exuberant style, likable and surprisingly complex characters and upbeat, inclusive attitude. That kind of infectious positivity makes it a great candidate to become a stage musical. Loosely adapted from the movie (with different characters and a different storyline), the show features music co-written by Hamilton sensation Lin-Manuel Miranda and premiered on Broadway in 2012 (it was nominated for two Tonys the following year). Super Summer Theatre brings the show to Vegas as part of its 2016 outdoor theater season. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m., $13-$20, Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. –Josh Bell
08 LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 08.04.16
MEETING NEEDS
the inter W H E R E
I D E A S
Downtown’s Urban Lounge aims to fill a black LGBTQ nightlife void BY MARK ADAMS
I
n February, the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada hosted a panel discussion addressing the state of the black LGBTQ community—its history and progress and its hopes and needs for the future. At the center of the discussion: how to build togetherness, and the factors that have delayed widespread unity. Panel participants and audience members mentioned a shortage of black-oriented LGBTQ groups, their inability to get the word out and general apathy, but another key issue seemed to be a lack of gathering space. Promotions geared toward black community members at mainstream gay nightlife venues haven’t lasted long. One panelist recalled Wednesday nights at Angles, which closed in 2002. Most would argue one night a week is underserving the black LGBTQ demographic. The Center’s February event marketed its new Black LGBTQ meeting group, which certainly helps, but what might be even more promising is the upcoming addition of Urban Lounge. While a handful of gay nightspots with the usual go-go boys, drag queen revues and well-drink specials have launched in recent months—and will continue to into October—the new lounge, which aims to open Downtown sometime this fall in Main Street’s Corner Building, seeks to fill a void by catering directly to the black LGBTQ community. Along with a fullservice bar with a menu of family-style dishes and adjacent event space, Urban Lounge’s operators say they want to create a true gathering space. “This market has yet to really be reached,” project manager Nakia Matthews says. “We anticipate the lounge becoming a meeting spot, not just for our target demographic but to the population of Downtown in general.”
GROCERY SHOPPING GETS A NATURAL EXPANSION Las Vegas is getting a new grocery store. Colorado-based Natural Grocers celebrates its openings in Henderson and North Las Vegas on August 9. With Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Sprouts as the major stakeholders in Vegas’ naturals market, Natural Grocers breaks the mold by staffing many of its locations with nutritional health coaches. At these stores, which include Henderson and North Las Vegas, customers can ask questions related
to food labels or healthy eating and attend a variety of free wellness events including classes and cooking demonstrations. According to its website, Natural Grocers doesn’t sell products with artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, bleached flours, GMO seafood, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, parabens, phthalates and more. We could never part with Trader Joe’s Three Buck Chuck, Whole Foods’ beer and cheese offerings and Sprouts’ affordable produce, but Natural Grocers’ model brings something new to the table. –Leslie Ventura
rsection A ND L IF E M E ET
Could Fremont East benefit from being closed off to vehicular traffic? (Spencer Burton/Special to Weekly)
SUMMERTIME NOISE Bzzzzzz ... Yep, cicada season is here. The insects known for their signature humming sound generally show up each and every July, according to UNLV professor Allen Gibbs, though sometimes they arrive early in June or late in August. “They seem to just like hot weather. … They’re a little bit better about dealing with it than other insects.” If you’re a native or longtime local, you might have recently said to yourself: They have to be louder this year. That’s not the case, according to Gibbs. If nature’s alarm clock is irritating you more than usual, you’re probably just closer to them, or there might just be more of them around you. –Mark Adams (Photograph by Mikayla Whitmore/Staff)
09 LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 08.04.16
ROCK THE BLOCK What would Fremont East feel like as a pedestrian thoroughfare? BY BROCK RADKE
+
Like a lot of locals, Maria Horta takes her Vegas-visiting friends and family to Fremont East to have fun and show off all the cool bars and restaurants. Horta is the general manager at one of those hot spots, Therapy. “I’ve noticed there’s a large concentration of our guests that enjoy walking Fremont Street but get disappointed when they reach ‘the end,’” Horta says of the corner of Fremont and Sixth. “And I experience that myself when I bring friends down. Everybody says they love it, but they always say, ‘Is that it?’” Of course, there’s so much more to see and do beyond that first block of Fremont East. Converting that space to a pedestrian thoroughfare could enable the rest of the Downtown drag to continue to grow. Although portions of Fremont have been closed off for special events and street festivals, there hasn’t been an effort to make a permanent move, Ward 5 City Councilman Ricki Barlow says. It would have to be beneficial for the businesses in the immediate area, he explains, adding, “We want to make sure our Downtown is one of the most attractive in the nation and having walkable streetscapes is part of that aesthetic.” This weekend, when First Friday revelers stampede Downtown, how walkable will Fremont East be, especially when more bars and restaurants have installed patio spaces that reduce sidewalk space to just eight feet? Without cars, people would ostensibly roam freely between the newest patio, attached to Flippin’ Good Burgers and Shakes, and one of the older, superpopular outdoor spaces, at Vanguard Lounge. When asked about such a change, Vanguard owner Jennifer Metzger says it would be bad for business, her opinion based on troubled experiments with closing Fremont for First Fridays and other events that failed to draw significant traffic. “I’d be all for it if it was done right and we could prevent those same problems,” she says. “We don’t want to turn into the Fremont Street Experience. That’s a nightmare.” The tourist-oriented FSE on the other side of Las Vegas Boulevard certainly has issues of its own, but it also has a ton of people every night ... and generally enjoying the fact that they’re walking around outside, on the street. What Fremont East—and all of Downtown—needs most is more people. Locals need cars to get Downtown. Tourists don’t.
10
THE INTERSECTION
LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 08.04.16
SIGNS OF DOOM Arguing on the brink of extinction giant ball of fire ascended into the sky near my Las Vegas home on a recent morning. I heard the fire trucks and police sirens; I saw thick, black smoke rising over rooftops a few streets away. Rather than stay inside and safely mind my own business, I walked over to check it out— was this The End? I’d been reading about doomsdayers predicting a giant meteorite strike this summer, possibly prompted by cosmic disappointment in U.S. election-year behavior. So if this was It, I wanted my selfie with the apocalypse. I wasn’t alone in this—a zombie-esque crowd walked toward the fiery scene from all directions, all holding up cell phones to record video as they marched. The ball of flames was still burning in the sky above a PYRAMID OF massive hole in the street. As we got BISCUITS closer, layers of extra BY STACY J. heat ratcheted up WILLIS the already insane summer temperature, confirming my suspicion that we’re hell-bound. Police roped us back with yellow crime-scene tape, telling us the gas-line breach would burn until the gas got turned off, but I was still thinking apocalyptic meteor shower. When I held my phone up high to get a better shot of the crater in the street, a guy behind me barked, “Hey, move it! You’re not the only one here, you know!” And there you have it: We stood on the brink of extinction and argued about our view.
A
(Illustration by Corlene Byrd/Staff)
Southwest Gas workers turned off the gas supply, the fire department put the fire out and we all lived another day. But I still had my suspicions. ***** According to a June political poll, 13 percent of American voters would prefer “a giant meteor hitting the earth” than the election of either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. “The Meteor is particularly appealing to independent voters,” explains the summary by North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling. Among independents, there’s “functionally a three way tie: 27 percent [for the meteor] to 35 percent for Clinton and 31 percent for Trump.” “This has given rise to the ‘Giant Meteor for President’ movement,” the summary notes. Indeed it has. I did deep research on this movement and learned that I can buy a red, white and blue bumper sticker reading, “Giant Meteor 2016/Just End It Already”
for $6.50. This seems like a thoughtful, entrepreneurial response to the incessant absurdity we’ve brought upon ourselves. Plus, it makes a handy epitaph for this 240-year experiment in freedom and self-governance. So I bought one. But I don’t plan to put it on my car—Commitment! Blah! Bumper stickers! Ack!—but I did follow the Sweet Meteor of Death campaign on Twitter, #SMOD16, along with more than 25,000 other people I don’t really feel comfortable joining. ***** A few nights after the gas leak/ meteor crash in my neighborhood, quite a few Las Vegans witnessed a mysterious streak of light in the dark sky, prompting news stories and astrological inquiries and still more doomsday talk. Was it the beginning of an apocalyptic meteor shower? A UFO? A missile attack? The official explanation? Fragments
of space junk. Apparently, an unmanned Chinese rocket had re-entered the atmosphere, and most of its 6-ton body was burning up in the sky, visible only in the Western U.S. I had my doubts. Then, across the continent, piles of poo started randomly exploding in flames. “Manure piles spontaneously combust in upstate New York,” read the headlines, which, inexplicably, did not get that much attention. You may have already known that micro-organisms in poo generate heat that can, in extreme environments, spontaneously combust. I did not. I had managed to rationalize fluky fireballs and the bumper-sticker campaign begging for extinction, and was even trying to accept flaming chunks of space trash. But randomly exploding manure leapt over the boundaries of my capacity for denial. Clearly the universe is trying to tell us something. I hope it’s not too late to listen.
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As good as our old pancakes were, we knew we could do better. So we did. We added fresh buttermilk, real eggs and a hint of vanilla—making them fluffier, tastier, better. In August, if you disagree, they’re free. That’s the Denny’s Love ‘Em or They’re Free Guarantee.
$5,000 Grand Bikini Contest with DJ Kyd Wicked
SATURDAYS
Rock out with Patrick Sieben and other special guests. See calendar.
SUNDAYS
Latin Night Swim
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O
laf Stanton puts a penny in the slot and gives it a push. Inside the booth, a miner named Pappy comes to life, an electric device opening and closing his jaw. “Howdy! I’m Pappy, and I love crushing me some pennies,” he screeches. “Hee hee hee!” We pick a design, and in seconds we’ve got our penny, squashed flat with a stamp of Texas. ¶ Headed for the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, “Pappy’s Pennies” is one of the many machines Stanton and his team create inside Boulder City factory Characters Unlimited. The lifelike characters vary, from tiny holiday elves and old cowboys to fuzzy polar bears and weathered sea captains. His most famous animatronic creation is the fortune teller Zoltar, its name inspired by the psychic arcade machine Zoltar Speaks, which morphed 12-year-old Josh Baskin into an adult played by Tom Hanks in the 1988 hit Big. But that movie Zoltar “was never meant to be an actual arcade game,” Stanton says. “[It] wasn’t even something that was manufactured. So no one bothered trademarking it. When I searched to see if I could call [my] fortune teller Zoltar [in 2006], the trademark wasn’t taken.” ¶ For the past decade, Zoltar has been Stanton’s Frankenstein of sorts, each uniquely made with an assortment of fortunes, trinkets and gems. Unsurprisingly, they’re his best sellers.
GOOD FORTUNES
BY LESLIE VENTURA
A BOULDER CITY FAMILY HAS TURNED CHARACTER BUILDING INTO BIG BUSINESS
13
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LAS VEGAS WEEKLY WEEKLY | 08.04.16
THAT’S PINK. YOU CAN’T PUT THAT ON A MINER.”
Deep within Characters Unlimited, the Statons bring their creations to life. (Mikayla Whitmore/Staff)
Inside Characters Unlimited, employee Tom Canterbury is gluing together elf parts for a Christmas display. “He builds bodies,” Stanton’s daughter Karina says matter-of-factly as we wind through shelves of heads, each pair of marbled eyes following our footsteps. Stanton’s mastery of mannequins dates back more than 30 years, to his teenage days in Idaho, and then Wisconsin, where he helped his stepfather build static figures. After graduating college, Stanton launched his own business building life-size figurines and selling them door-to-door. “We’d drive around in this big van with 20 characters, looking for places that could use them.” Traveling the country looking for trading posts and seafood restaurants wasn’t glamorous, but it was the first step in the journey. “If we didn’t have a place to stay we’d sleep in between the characters. We slowly graduated into doing trade shows and then people started asking us, ‘Can they move?’ ... It’s just been a real progression.” In 1986 Stanton moved from Wisconsin to Boulder City with two goals: start a business and raise a family. Since 1987, Characters Unlimited has remained a tight-knit operation, with his kids and their friends at the helm. Karina, a recent UNLV grad, works there part-time between marketing gigs. “The business has always been a part of our lives,” she says. “We’re always looking for places to place Zoltar machines and characters, or ways to contribute.” Her brother, Gunnar, also helps while attending UNLV, and their sister Cally worked there through high school and college. “Yesterday I had to pick up paint, go to the credit union and go to the seamstress to get an alien costume made,” Karina says as she sits with a severed mannequin head on the table. Perhaps he’ll end up as Zoltar. Or maybe a pirate or a mobster. Armed with a pair of scissors, she runs her fingers through the figure’s long black beard, making sure his ends are even. Snip. Karina’s next project will be putting the eyebrows on a custom Frida Kahlo fortune teller for Downtown Mexican restaurant Casa Don Juan. “I’m really nervous,” she says. “I have to get it right.” Even though Stanton has built his business into
a Boulder City-based empire, he still makes some mannequins himself. “I come up with some weird color combinations,” Stanton says, explaining that he’s actually color-blind. “The kids laugh at me.” “He’ll be like, ‘Is this green?’” Karina says. “And I’m like, ‘That’s pink. You can’t put that on a miner.’” Adding to the characters’ bizarre DIY charm, each set of Zoltar teeth is made from an actual dental mold of Stanton’s mouth. Weird? Yes. This family business is far from normal, but the Stantons wear their eccentricities with pride. * * * * * * We pass through the molding area where rows of white, plastered faces sit idly on shelves. The next room houses old, unwanted heads, and hands and feet dangle from the ceiling. Upstairs, a room has been turned into a thrift shop for the figures—a giant wardrobe for almost any fantastical character imaginable. It’s no surprise the factory is one of Boulder City’s most popular Halloween-costume hunting spots. Stanton’s models are all over the country, from amusement parks like Knott’s Berry Farm in Southern California and Ohio’s Cedar Point to Caesars’ Palace and the Fremont Street Experience here in Vegas. Those green extraterrestrials at the Alien Fresh Jerky store in Baker, California are his, too. Each perfectly painted photo-op has been made right here. As we wind back through the factory into Stanton’s office, I notice newspaper clippings taped to the side of a bookshelf dating to 1978. Olaf Stanton pours plaster into Indian head mold, reads one caption. Above it, a teenage Stanton helps his dad make a sculpture in a room that looks just like this one. Stanton says it was the fear of failure that made him a success, but as I pass one of his Zoltar machines, I remember that pivotal scene in Big—the fortune teller’s eyes glowing and full of magic. “Your small payment will reap great benefits,” Stanton’s machine bellows. Maybe this was his fortune all along.
14 014 Cover Story xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx WEEKLY | 08.04.16
The 6-foot-1 Cunningham subscribes to a special training regimen customized by her father, Randall. (Mikayla Whitmore/Staff)
Setting the bar Vegas high jumper Vashti Cunningham (and her famous father) head to Rio with gold in mind By Tovin Lapan
Confronted with the stern stare of Vashti Cunningham, many would buckle at the knees. Lucky for the bar, it doesn’t have knees. In Portland, Oregon, for the World Indoor Championships, that stare was preamble to a record performance. She charged the high-jump bar, legs like pistons, accelerating and lifting off as if not bound by the laws of physics, as if gravity fails to have the same pull on her. With fluid grace belying the difficulty, she dipped her head and shoulders over the bar before rolling the rest of her body clear. Cunningham, a Las Vegas native coached by her father, former UNLV and NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham, had placed first in the high jump at the U.S. Track and Field Indoor Championships a week prior, earning a special invitation to the World Indoor Championships in March. In Portland, she cleared the 6-foot-5 bar with room to spare to take the world indoor title. At 18 years 62 days old, she became the youngest world indoor gold medalist in history, and the day after her historic victory she announced she was turning pro, signing a contract with Nike and forgoing her college eligibility. She was still two months away from getting her diploma from Bishop Gorman High School. “I take different styles of past jumpers and mix them, so I don’t think I jump exactly like anyone else,” Cunningham says. “All the time people tell me I make it look easy, but I can tell you it’s definitely not easy.” Cunningham, who stands 6-foot-1, has long been a promising high jumper, but her rise to medal contender in Rio
would have been hard to predict a year ago. At the end of her junior season she no-heighted at the Nevada State Championships, failing to register a successful jump. “That just wasn’t my day,” she says now. “I was determined going into that meet, but I really don’t know what happened. I missed my first jump, and then missed the second attempt. By the third attempt I think I was frazzled.” But Cunningham kept charging forward, jumping her way to a historic season. And at the Olympic Trials in early July, she took second in the high jump, booking her ticket to Rio. Before terrorizing NFL defenses as a dual-threat quarterback, Randall Cunningham was also a high school high jumper. But injuries pushed him to focus on football, and when he went to UNLV there was no track team. He noticed track ability in Vashti when she was little, and she took to the sport quickly. “When she was playing flag football at 8 years old, she was running faster than the boys,” Randall said. “She was really good. They put her on offense, and she would run for four touchdowns in a game.” Combining techniques he learned playing football and through film study of history’s best high jumpers (and Vashti’s own jumps), Randall created a unique training regimen built to avoid injuries and burnout. “I take what I learned during my career and apply that in a way that takes care of her back and knees. There are no squats or power cleans. I’ve designed my own weight program for her, but I don’t want to give away all my secrets.” Randall is also adamant about re-creating meet conditions. Leading up to the Olympics, Vashti trains at 4 p.m., the hour of her event in Rio (accounting for the time
difference). When Vashti mentioned that applause distracted her, Randall enlisted friends and family to clap and cheer during practice so she would get accustomed to the noise. He also taught her that signature stare down for the most pressurepacked jumps, advising her to walk up to the bar for a direct face off. “Sometimes he mixes the coach and dad roles, and it can be annoying, like if I’m chillin’ on the couch at home and he starts bringing up high jump,” Vashti says. “But I’m used to it. It’s what he’s always done and it helps keep me focused.” Her mother, Felicity, was a professional ballerina in the Dance Theatre of Harlem, and while she granted Vashti her own share of über athletic genes, Felicity stays out of the coaching and serves as the parent who will discuss “normal things,” Vashti says. Those genes keep producing track prodigies too. Vashti’s older brother, Randall II, competes in high jump for USC, and her younger sister, Grace, participated in the Junior Olympics in July. Randall says another jumping Cunningham, Sofia, is on the way, but she’s just 4 years old. All of the Cunninghams will be in Rio to support Vashti, who has arrived at the top of the sport, a moment marked by Nike ads in which she stands shoulder to shoulder with established U.S. stars and fellow young phenoms like Allyson Felix, Colleen Quigley and Skylar Diggins. “I don’t ever get nervous before meets, but I always want to get my first jump over with,” Vashti says. It’s after that first jump, when the bar starts to reach and then surpass her own height, that the stare down appears. Don’t blink—her next jump might be the high point of a historic year.
2016 SUMMER OLYMPICS Through August 21. Opening ceremonies August 5, 7:30 p.m. Complete schedule & TV listings at nbc olympics. com.
16 COVER STORY
WEEKLY | 08.04.16
(Illustrations byJon Estrada/Staff)
VEGAS’ RIO CONNECTION
BASKETBALL
GOLF
CYCLING
SWIMMING
ATHLETES WITH LOCAL TIES SET TO MAKE NOISE DOWN SOUTH RUGBY
GOLF
MICHAEL UMEH
INBEE PARK
CONNOR FIELDS
CODY MILLER
TEAM USA
ALEX CEJKA
A starter on the last
A Bishop Gorman grad
After repping for Team
This 24-year-old Palo
The Sevens train in Chula
A longtime Las Vegas
UNLV squad to reach
ranked third in the
USA in BMX racing at the
Verde High alum will
Vista, California, but
resident ranked 125th
the NCAA Tournament’s
world, the 28-year-old
2012 London Games, this
try for a U.S. medal in
whenever they take the
in the world, Cejka has
Sweet Sixteen (2007),
Park, who has 25 pro
23-year-old Green Valley
the 100-meter breast-
field for full-on competi-
won 12 pro tournaments
Umeh, a 31-year-old
wins on her résumé, will
High grad and current
stroke—and could figure
tion, they do so here in
during his career. He’ll
swingman, will play for
compete for her native
UNLV student is back for
into Team USA’s relay
Vegas, which makes them
compete for his native
Team Nigeria in Rio.
South Korea.
a second Olympic tour.
plans—in Rio.
a de-facto home team.
Germany in Rio.
don’t have a river composed overwhelm-
gun ranges they could need to house
the case. And if we couldn’t? Spontane-
ingly of poop. Las Vegas 1, Rio 0.
shooting events. It could also make for
ously combusting flaming arrows in the
a great excuse to finally finish Fontaine-
archery events.
With the 31st Summer Olympiad kicking off in Rio de Janeiro amid crises of
bleau and convert it into the first luxury
crippling economic corruption, heavily
high-rise Olympic Village.
armed drug gangs, practically nonex-
The big knock, of course, is what to do
Besides, Rio is expected to set the record for condoms distributed in the Olympic Village—450,000 for 10,500
istent emergency services, Zika and,
with all the water sports. It might seem
athletes. We have the infrastructure, the
y’know, poop, Las Vegas couldn’t pos-
like a nonstarter. But how much more
human capital and the civic willpower to
sibly be any worse as an Olympic city.
impressive would a gold medal in canoeing
make that number a footnote in history.
be when you have to dodge the Bellagio
This fair city’s strip clubs, porn-slappers
unfeasible. Assuming the International
fountains to get it? How much more likely
and escort services can and will far
Olympic Committee could get past its
are you to watch sailing if there’s a chance
surpass every tall, tan, young and lovely
OLYMPIC DREAMING
constant demands for new facilities in
they might catch a bad gust and go over
girl from Ipanema hanging around the
Olympic sites, we’ve got five arenas plus
the Hoover Dam? Especially when you took
U.S. swim team’s dorm. For God’s sake,
COULD LAS VEGAS HOST THE GAMES SOMEDAY? NEVER SAY NEVER By Jason Scavone
Sam Boyd Stadium, and an equestrian
that prop in the sports book at 300-1.
Michael Phelps spent every weekend
And you know what? It’s not entirely
center at the South Point. Plus there are
There’s also the small matter of com-
here from 2005-2010. He can lead the next generation to the promised land.
the possibilities of a new stadium for
peting in the summer heat. But surely,
the Raiders, the All Net Arena opening
a city that once figured out how to put
At the very least, Metro would never
We might not have a river running
on the Strip and that soccer stadium
on an outdoor hockey game at Caesars
post up at the airport like the Rio cops with
through our city, but that means we also
Downtown, plus however many high-end
Palace in 95-degree weather could crack
“Welcome to Hell” banners. Vegas 2024.
Whoopi Goldberg August 5
9PM TRE ASURE ISL AND THE ATRE TICKETS 702 . 894 .7722
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about us
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, Sarah Feldberg, Rosalie Spear Associate Creative Director Liz Brown (liz.brown@gmgvegas.com) Designers Corlene Byrd, Jon Estrada 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
ON THE COVER
Tinashe Photo by Dennis Leupold
T O
A D V E R T I S E
Call 702-990-2550 or email advertising@gmgvegas.com. For customer service questions, call 702-990-8993.
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big this week
DI P LO
05 fri
Diplo has revealed that Major Lazer’s 2017 album will include Usher, Travis Scott and Sia. Catch the ringmaster at EBC Friday and XS Monday.
05 fri
C A LV I N HA R R IS
06 sat
HAKKASAN
The EDM phenom continues to expand his Strip footprint with a big-room gig at the MGM Grand megaclub.
WET REPUBLIC
It’s funny that Tom Hiddleston won’t be allowed to replace Calvin as the face of Armani because of the whole T. Swift thing. Too funny.
SW IZZ B E ATZ
06
sat
JAU Z
JEWEL
What do you do after your superstar wifey kills it at the Democratic National Convention? Go back to Jewel for a fiery hip-hop set, of course.
JAUZ BY JOE JANET; CALVIN HARRIS BY AARON GARCIA; SWIZZ BEATZ BY TONY TRAN; KASKADE BY KARL LARSON; BORGEOUS BY POWERS IMAGERY
ENCORE BEACH CLUB
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big this week
06 05 fri
B O RG E O U S
XS
Wynn’s other king of summer vibes (besides Diplo) is back this weekend, too. Did you catch Kaskade’s “Jorts FTW” video with Too Many Zooz?
06
J O E MAZ
omnia
daylight
E R I C DLUX foxtail
T Y DO L L A $ I GN
CH U CK IE hakkasan
FE RG IE DJ
drai’s
encore beach club
T REY SONGZ
KASKADE
hakkasan
ABOVE & BEYOND omnia
xs
T H E C HAI NSMOKER S
DILLO N FRANCIS
wet republic
Flawless Mondays keeps ’em coming with Borgeous, who just dropped another melodic house track “Lost & Found.” His album comes out August 12.
T INAS H E
L IL JO N
C ALV IN H A R RIS
JEWEL
intrigue
jewel
intrigue
07
08
sat
foundation room
K I E SZA
sun
mon
sat
KASKADE
08 mon
bare
DJ IKO N
09 tue
omnia
B UR NS
10 wed
hyde
DJ D-MI LES
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s oxuxnxdx sxcxaxp e
W I L D R I D E T I N A S H E
B R I N G S
D I V E R S E S O U N D S
T O
W
ith brand-new single “Superlove” ready to smash the charts, and highly anticipated sophomore R&B album Joyride due any day now, Kentuckyborn and LA-raised singer Tinashe returns to Las Vegas this week to perform at Intrigue. “I’m excited about this one, because I’ll be doing a bigger set this time and I’m bringing my dancers and we’re gonna have a lot of fun,” she says. “We’re gonna turn up.” You just dropped “Superlove,” a really sexy, uptempo track, very different from your other new music. As an artist and a person I don’t like to be in one box; I like having the ability to do whatever I’m feeling at the time. With this one, I wanted to do something fun and positive and high-energy, something to dance to. When you’re writing, how much do you think about songs you can dance to? I’m definitely always thinking a lot about what I’m gonna do in the live show, because it’s such
N E W
I N T R I G U E
an important part of who I am as an artist and what I bring to the table. Have you been teasing a lot of Joyride tracks during shows? Yes. It’s so hard, because it’s like wanting to give someone a gift but also wanting them to be surprised. You’ve become one of those artists people watch closely on red carpets. How does style play into your music? Fashion for me has really always been fun, another way to express myself, and the visual aspect of what I do is so important. Playing with different styles and looks and feelings is similar to different styles of songs on the album. The underlying theme is really just to be me. Tinashe at Intrigue at Wynn, August 6. –Brock Radke For more of our interview with Tinashe, visit lasvegasweekly.com/ industry.
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in the moment
O MN I A JAU Z
Photographs by Aaron Garcia
july 26
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INDUSTRY THURSDAYS
PARSON JAMES
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4
KIESZA
FRIDAY, AUGUST 5
N I G H T C L U B
E B C AT N I G H T
FLOSSTRADAMUS
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4
R E S E R V A T I O N S
TINASHE
A T
E N C O R E
E B C AT N I G H T
YELLOW CLAW
FRIDAY, AUGUST 5
7 0 2 . 7 7 0 . 7 3 0 0
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6
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RL GRIME
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6
W Y N N L A S V E G A S . C O M
DIPLO
KASKADE
FRIDAY, AUGUST 5
DILLON FRANCIS FRIDAY, AUGUST 5
F O R
T I C K E T S
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6
KASKADE
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6
A N D
DILLON FRANCIS
M O R E
SUNDAY, AUGUST 7
NIGHTSWIM
AUDIEN
SUNDAY, AUGUST 7
I N F O R M A T I O N
V I S I T
DIPLO
MONDAY, AUGUST 8
evolution
L i g h t
h a s
q u i c k l y m a s t e r e d t h e
t h e m e d
p a r t y
S w e e p i s u c c e ss
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evolution
W
hen you experience the Stafford Brothers’ “Welcome to Las-Stralia” residency at Light, you’re not just partying in a nightclub. You’ve entered a different world, a wild and woolly Aussie jungle.
N G
“We realized early on that if we were going to compete with the massive companies around town and all the really talented people working on events and marketing, one way to differentiate ourselves and our events is to take the theme and narrative we put into every thing we build and add another dimension,” Comer says. “When you look at why guests are coming to Vegas in the first place, they’re already coming to a nightclub, because they want a bit of escape from the everyday. We’re already offering them a world-class nightclub experience, and then we’re adding another transformative angle, from theme to decor to costumes.” Light’s initial successes in this realm occurred with Wild Life, the roving dance party anchored by Disclosure, and Studio B, the genre-bending musical carnival built around Baauer. Then came Las-Stralia, where the Light crew really changed the entire club. “It’s already a pretty malleable space, with all those screens and projection mapping a ridiculous amount of content, but that really took over,” Comer says. The thematic efforts continued with last fall’s Halloween Forbidden Ball, and more recently with Laidback Luke’s Super
You & Me superhero-based party—where you didn’t even need to wear a costume, because you could get your picture taken at several setups around the club—and Claude VonStroke’s Birdhouse residency. Several events cross over to Daylight, also at Mandalay Bay. “The key is getting the artists themselves to really get behind doing something like this,” Pettei says. “Their enthusiasm really sparks a lot of back and forth with our staff.” Whether it’s something as simple as costuming for servers or more complex ideas carried out behind the scenes by the marketing team, getting the entire team involved in the theme creates a cohesive and comprehensive experience. “The marketing team definitely carries the ball across the goal line, but input from the entire staff plays into it,” Comer says. The Light/Daylight team is working on a new local party that might not kick off until next year; Comer, Pettei and company want to make sure they get it right. We know for sure it will be fresh, fun, and tell some sort of story. “It’s never just one element. It’s a bunch of things working together in harmony and making the sum much bigger than individual elements,” Comer says. –Brock Radke
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY
The tech is outrageous—carefully curated, all-custom digital content flashing and moving across 720 screens and 150 horizontal feet. But it’s the planning of these themed parties that’s most impressive, the way the club brings together every piece of the landscape and every ounce of talent and creativity to make real memories on any given night. This intense and thoughtful strategy has become the signature of Play Management and its partners Colin Comer and John Pettei.
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in the moment
EN CORE BEAC H C LUB KAS KADE
july 30 Photographs by Tony Tran
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ADVANCED REFERRAL PROGRAM Earn FREE FLIGHTS and up to 5% COMMISSION when your clients fly privately with us. Restrictions apply. Call for details.
Book your flight by calling (702) 660.6546 or for more information visit www.cirrusav.com
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on the rise
S T E P P I N G U P H I S
G A M E C H A N G I N G
B R I T N E Y ’ S
S O U N D A N O T H E R
I S
B I G F O R
T
hirty-year-old producer Matthew James Burns might be best known for starting to create his own tracks at age 15; or how quickly he climbed the DJ ranks to grab opening set gigs for Deadmau5 and Calvin Harris; or for his massive remixes of beloved songs like Empire of the Sun’s “We Are the People” and Harris and John Newman’s smash “Blame”; or for his own electronic hits “About U” and “Make It Clap.” But Burns is continuously creating something new to distinguish himself. As Vegas club regulars have noticed, his opening sets have given way to headlining gigs at Omnia and, in September, Jewel. The Stafford, England, native’s next single—the aptly named “Wave,” stocked with undulating rhythms—arrives on August 12. The new Britney Spears surprise “Make Me,” featuring so-hotright-now rapper G-Eazy, could
J U S T M O V E B U R N S
help Burns break even bigger. He co-wrote and produced the track, a slinky little thing with a twinkling echo of a chorus and loads of buttery Britney vocals. It takes the iconic pop star in new sonic directions, a hint of dubstep teasing that more reinvigorated music might be coming from Spears’ next project. For Burns, fresh from his rousing set at Lollapalooza, “Make Me” might be a game-changer ... until he does something else. Burns at Omnia at Caesars Palace, August 9. –Brock Radke
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L I N E U P
I
t’s never too early to make your plans for a big holiday weekend in Las Vegas, and Labor Day Weekend (September 1-5) is right around the corner. LDW is a special time of year, because even though we all know summer in Vegas lasts a little longer, it’s still the last big party weekend for the Strip’s stupendous dayclubs. Encore Beach Club’s lineup is laced with star DJs, including Zedd, Alesso, Kaskade and David Guetta, plus night sets from RL Grime, Flosstradamus and Marshmello. Elsewhere at Wynn and Encore that weekend, Surrender
brings Major Lazer; Intrigue offers AlunaGeorge and Kiesza; and XS explodes with Guetta, Zedd, Diplo and DJ Snake. At MGM Grand, Hakkasan goes big with Tiësto, Steve Aoki, Hardwell and Calvin Harris; the property’s sparkling Wet Republic pool club will see Tiësto and Aoki plus Afrojack and Martin Garrix. Down the Strip at Mandalay Bay, Light features the Stafford Brothers, Metro Boomin and DJ Mustard; sister club Daylight doubles down on Mustard and the Staffords while adding Laidback Luke and J. Cole to the mix.
Labor Day Weekend also brings The Chainsmokers and Jamie Foxx to Jewel at Aria, and Harris, Armin van Buuren and Jauz to Omnia at Caesars Palace. If all this seems like too much to handle, don’t worry, there’ll be a lot more. Plan to start September—and wrap up your summer—accordingly. –Brock Radke
PHOTOGRAPH BY TONY TRAN
the forecast
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hot plate
T I M E - T E S T E D
T R E A S U R E R I V E A ’ S L O B S T E R
R I S O T T O
R E Q U I R E S
P A T I E N T
P R E P A R A T I O N
R
isotto is a fine-dining signature that deserves to be celebrated. The Northern Italian rice dish is notoriously difficult to execute perfectly, so when it’s done right, it demonstrates a chef’s attention to detail, a mastery of time and flavor.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JON ESTRADA
Celebrated chef Alain Ducasse brings together the tastes of French and Italian cuisine inside Rivea, and both are reflected beautifully in the lobster risotto. A creamy, indulgent delight, it blends the painstaking Italian staple with the essence of French food—light yet rich, each savory morsel buttery and tender. Executive chef Bruno Riou attributes the deliciousness to Rivea’s scratch-made lobster stock. “We cannot cheat,” he says. “It takes 20 minutes to cook a risotto, but it takes hours to make a great lobster stock.” The finishing touches—onions, white wine, butter and Parmesan—make this risotto an instant classic that becomes more memorable with every bite.
“It’s a dish that every chef wants to master,” Riou says. “Every single big restaurant, Italian or not, there’s always a risotto. … It’s a simple dish, but it’s really hard to make. It’s always a challenge.” While other shareable options like the marinated sea bass crudo and charcuterie plate with culatello, San Daniele prosciutto and bresaola shouldn’t be overlooked, Rivea’s lobster risotto is so decadent you’ll have a hard time giving up a single spoonful. You can always order more. Rivea at Delano Las Vegas, 702-632-9500; Monday-Thursday & Sunday 6-10 p.m., Friday & Saturday 6-10:30 p.m. -Leslie Ventura
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first sip
E X O T I C E N T I C E M E N T D O N ’ T M I S S H A K K A S A N ’ S E V O L U T I O N O F L I N G
L I N G
C O C K T A I L F L I G H T
F
rom Mumbai and Abu Dhabi to Doha and Shanghai, the Hakkasan Group’s decadent and stylish hospitality is known worldwide. At MGM Grand, Hakkasan Las Vegas’ latest cocktail flight celebrates the Evolution of Ling Ling, the company’s refined izakaya experience. Adding to its location in Mykonos, Ling Ling will open in Marrakech, Morocco this fall, and next year in Oslo, Norway. The flight, which consists of three Tanqueray No. 10 cocktails and three dim sum bites, is a perfect way to sample this eclectic beverage program while sampling Hakkasan’s famously mouth-
watering cuisine. Crafted by mixologist Tim Weigel and director of beverage Constantin Alexander, the Ling Ling flight begins with the Bitter Fortune. Featuring gin, Aperol, rhubarb liqueur, pink grapefruit and peach bitters, it’s bright and tangy, a perfect contrast to the delicate, savory venison puff. The sweeter Golden Mare blends the Bitter Fortune ingredients with Pernod, rosemary, basil and pineapple, bringing out the crispy duck roll’s inherent richness. To round out the flight, the spicy and indulgent Chili Coupette branches out with chilies, cardamom, peppermint and passion fruit. With so many
ingredients, this cocktail could easily be overwhelming, but the end game is a balanced, citrus-spiced infusion that pairs magnificently with Hakkasan’s tender sesame prawn toast. Thanks to the Evolution of Ling Ling flight, you can sample fresh flavors from all over the globe without ever leaving your seat in Vegas. Available through August 31 at Hakkasan at MGM Grand, 702-891-7888. –Leslie Ventura
DJ SHIFT SAT / AUG / 06
L I Q U I D P O O L LV . C O M / 7 0 2 5 9 0 9 9 7 9 / # L I Q U I D LV
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W ET REP UBL I C C ALV IN H A R R I S
Photographs by Joe Janet
july 30
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i am industry
H O M E T O W N
PHOTOGRAPH BY JON ESTRADA
G I R L
J U L I E R O B B I N S B R I N G S R E A L V E G A S V I B E S B A R E
T O P O O L
L O U N G E
I
t was once a rare, possibly endangered species, but today it’s thriving. We’re talking about the native Las Vegan.
“People are surprised when I tell them I’m actually from here,” says Julie Robbins, cocktail server at the tropical hideaway dayclub Bare at the Mirage. “It happens almost every day. ... I think I’m the first person they’ve ever met who’s from Las Vegas.” In all seriousness, the Bishop Gorman High School grad—and hospitality veteran who’s worked at Strip restau-
rants Stack and Fix, Bellagio cocktail lounge Lily and Mandalay Bay’s Light Nightclub—encounters a wild and diverse crowd at Bare, people from all over the world who have discovered the intimate, luxurious space. “You’re not allowed to take pictures and videos here, so you don’t see a whole lot on social media, since it’s so private and it’s ‘toptional,’” Robbins says. “But you have to come out on Monday. It’s so different. Friday and Saturday, it’s a bigger mixed crowd, but Mondays you definitely see a lot of industry people and a younger crowd.”
What other insider tips can she offer? Robbins happens to be a steakand-red-wine kind of girl, so ask her advice when you’re choosing between Vegas’ top chophouses. “Stack and Fix are easy go-to places, and Oscar’s [Downtown] is pretty good, too. I went to Craftsteak at MGM Grand recently, and that’s really good.” Remember, natives know best. –Brock Radke
30TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY SATURDAY - AUGUST 20TH - 2016
/afanlv
#afanbw @afanlv
ARIA PINYON BALLROOM
@afanlv
friday black & White 3 vip after official lgbt wine dinner party at aria parties after party carbone at aria
7pm
purchase tickets at afanlv.org
proceeds to benefit afan, hrc lv & the center lv
$50 GA / $125 VIP visit www.afanlv.org for tickets
Sunday brunch
vip reception 7pm jewel-1oak-hakkasan piranha nightclub herringbone at aria 12am 12am 11am purchase tickets at afanlv.org ga tickets 8pm
proceeds to benefit afan, hrc lv & the center lv
PRESENTING sponsors
luxor pool 1pm-7pm
pLATINUM sponsors
GOLD sponsors
SILVER sponsors
sunday pool party
BRONZE sponsors
COPPER sponsors
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the resource
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8/5 Amber Rose. 8/6 DJ Gusto. 8/10 DJ Turbulence. 8/12 Scott Disick. 8/13 DJ Gusto. 8/17 DJ Crooked. 8/19 Kent Jones. 8/20 DJ Gusto. Mirage, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-693-8300.
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8/4 The Chainsmokers. 8/5 Jauz. 8/6 Above & Beyond. 8/7 Fergie. 8/11 Steve Aoki. 8/12 Lil Jon. 8/13 Tiësto. 8/14 The Chainsmokers. 8/18 Calvin Harris. 8/19 Hardwell. 8/20 Tiësto. 8/21 Borgeous. MGM Grand, Wed-Sun, 702891-3838.
BANK HYDE
8/4 Kid Conrad. 8/5 DJ Que. 8/6 DJ Dilemma. 8/7 DJ Karma. 8/11 Kid Conrad. 8/12 DJ Que. 8/14 DJ Karma. Bellagio, Thu-Sun, 702-6938300.
8/5 DJ Ikon. 8/6 DJ Karma. 8/9 DJ Crooked. 8/10 DJ D-Miles. 8/12 DJ Five. 8/13 Anthony Pisano. 8/17 DJ Direct. 8/19 Joe Maz. 8/20 Konflikt. Bellagio, nightly, 702-693-8700.
CH ATEAU IN T RIGUE 8/5 Yo Yolie. Paris, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-7767770.
F OX TAIL 8/5 DJ Wellman. 8/6 Ty Dolla $ign. 8/12 Borgore. 8/13 DJ Hollywood. 8/19 Borgore. 8/20 DJ Hollywood. SLS, Fri-Sat, 702-7617621.
F O U NDATIO N
RO O M
8/5 Joe Maz. 8/6 DJ Kittie. 8/12 Jerzy. 8/13 DJ Graham Funke. Mandalay Bay, nightly, 702632-7631.
G H OSTBAR Thu Benny Black. Fri-Sat DJs Mark Stylz & Exodus. Sun DJ Shred. Mon-Tue DJ Seany Mac. Wed DJ Presto One. Palms, nightly, 702942-6832.
8/4 Parson James. 8/5 Kiesza. 8/6 Tinashe. 8/11 Kiiara. 8/12 Daya. 8/13 Nick Jonas. 8/18 Marshmello. 8/19 Jesse Marco. 8/20 Eric DLux. Wynn, Thu-Sat, 702-770-7300.
JEW EL 8/5 Lil Jon. 8/6 Swizz Beatz. 8/8 Borgeous. 8/12 Jamie Foxx. 8/13 Steve Aoki. 8/15 Jauz. 8/19 GTA. 8/20 Lil Jon. Aria, Mon, Thu-Sat, 702-590-8000.
L AX 8/4 DJ Quik. 8/5 Cyberkid & Eric Forbes. 8/6 Aybsent Mynded & Scooter. 8/11 DJ R.O.B. 8/12 DJs Cass & J-Nice. 8/13 Cyberkid & DJ Kid-J. 8/18 Juvenile. 8/19 Cyberkid & DJ Wellman. 8/20 Aybsent Mynded. Luxor, ThuSat, 702-262-4529.
LIGHT 8/5 Party Favor. 8/6 DJ Sinatra. 8/10 DJ Five. 8/12 Eric DLux. 8/13 DJ E-Rock. 8/17 DJ
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Mustard. 81/9 Bassjackers. 8/20 DJ E-Rock. Mandalay Bay, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-632-4700.
M AR QU EE 8/5 Cash Cash. 8/6 Porter Robinson. 8/8 Vice. 8/12 Tritonal. 8/13 Porter Robinson. 8/15 DJ Daddy Kat. 8/19 Cash Cash. 8/20 Dash Berlin. Mon, Fri-Sat, Cosmopolitan, 702-333-9000.
OM N I A 8/5 Calvin Harris. 8/6 The Chainsmokers. 8/9 Burns. 8/12 Calvin Harris. 8/13 Afrojack. 8/16 Afrojack. 8/19 Calvin Harris. 8/20 Nervo. Caesars Palace, Tue, Thu-Sun, 702-785-6200.
S U R R E N D ER 8/4 Flosstradamus. 8/5 Yellow Claw. 8/6 RL Grime. 8/10 Yellow Claw. 8/11 RL Grime. 8/12 Marshmello. 8/13 Flosstradamus. 8/17 A-Trak. 8/18 Getter. 8/19 Ookay. 8/21 Flosstradamus. Encore, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-770-7300.
TAO 8/4 Juicy J. 8/5 Jerzy. 8/6 DJ Five. 8/11 Jermaine Dupri. 8/12 Justin Credible. 8/13 Eric DLux. 8/18 Jerzy. 8/19 DJ Five. 8/20 Politik. Venetian, Thu-Sat, 702-388-8588.
XS 8/5 Dillon Francis. 8/6 Kaskade. 8/7 Audien. 8/8 Diplo. 8/12 Skrillex. 8/13 Alesso. 8/14 Diplo. 8/15 RL Grime & Virgil Abloh. 8/19 Skrillex. 8/20 DJ Snake. 8/22 Dillon Francis. Encore, Fri-Mon, 702-770-0097.
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8/4 Greg Lopez. 8/5 DJ Que. 8/6 Sean Perry. 8/7 Zsuzsanna. 8/8 DJ Ikon. 8/11 Greg Lopez. 8/12 DJ Que. 8/13 DJ Neva. 8/14 Zsuzsanna. 8/18 Greg Lopez 8/19 DJ Que. 8/21 Zsuzsanna. Mirage, Thu-Mon, 702-6938300.
DAY L I G H T
BEACH
8/4 We Are Treo. 8/5 DJ Karma. 8/6 DJ Shift. 8/7 Joseph Gettright. 8/10 Frank Rempe. 8/11 DJ Turbulence. 8/12 Ruckus. 8/13 EC Twins. 8/14 Frank Rempe. 8/18 DJ C-L.A. 8/19 BRKLYN. 8/20 Scooter & Lavelle. 8/21 Joseph Gettright. Aria, Wed-Sun, 702693-8300.
MARQUEE
8/5 Scooter & Lavelle. 8/6 Party Favor. 8/7 Eric DLux. 8/12 Scene. 8/13 Bassjackers. 8/14 Metro Boomin. 8/20 Morgan Page. 8/21 DJ E-Rock. Mandalay Bay, Thu-Sun, 702-632-4700.
E NCO R E
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CLU B
8/4 EBC at Night with Flosstradamus. 8/5 Diplo. 8/5 EBC at Night with Yellow Claw. 8/6 Kaskade. 8/6 EBC at Night with RL Grime. 8/7 Dillon Francis. 8/11 EBC at Night with RL Grime. 8/12 Diplo. 8/12 EBC at Night with Marshmello. 8/13 Skrillex. 8/14 Alesso. 8/18 EBC at Night with Getter. 8/19 Vice. 8/19 EBC at Night with Ookay. 8/20 Skrillex. 8/21 Dillon Francis. Encore, Thu-Sun, 702-770-7300.
DAYC L U B
8/5 M!KEATTACK. 8/6 Vice. 8/7 Porter Robinson. 8/12 Lema. 8/13 Vice. 8/14 Lema. 8/19 Lema. 8/20 Politik. 8/21 Thomas Jack. Cosmopolitan, daily, 702-333-9000.
PALMS
POOL
&
DAYC L U B
8/5 Mark Stylz. 8/6 Exodus. 8/12 Mark Stylz. 8/13 Exodus. 8/19 DJ D-Miles. 8/20 Exodus. Palms, daily, 702-942-6832.
REHAB 8/7 R3HAB. 8/14 Bingo Players. 8/21 DJ Pauly D. Hard Rock Hotel, Fri-Sun, 702-693-5505.
F OX TA IL
P O O L
CLU B
8/5 DJ Wellman. 8/6 DJ Ikon. 8/7 DJ Wellman. 8/12 DJ Wellman. 8/13 Borgore. 8/14 Kid Conrad. 8/19 Kid Conrad. 8/20 DJ Wellman. 8/21 DJ Ikon. SLS, daily, 702-761-7621. G O
P O O L
Thu DJ Jenna Palmer. Fri DJ JD Live. Sat DJ Eric Forbes. Sun DJ Kettle. Mon DJ Exodus. Tue DJ Liz Clark. Wed DJ Sev One. Flamingo, daily, 702-6972888.
T H E
P O O L
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L INQ
SKY
BEAC H
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8/5 DJ D-Money. 8/6 Soulja Boy. 8/7 DJ D-Money. 8/12 DJ Hope. 8/13 O.T. Genasis. 8/14 E-Stylez. 8/19 DJ Ease. 8/20 Rich Homie Quan. 8/21 DJ Ease. Tropicana, Fri-Sun, 702-739-2588.
W ET
REPUBLIC
8/5 DJ Shift. 8/6 Calvin Harris. 8/7 Chuckie. 8/12 DJ Shift. 8/13 Calvin Harris. 8/14 Afrojack. 8/19 DJ Shift. 8/20 Hardwell. 8/21 Tiësto. MGM Grand, Thu-Mon, 702-891-3563.
Linq, daily, 702-835-5713.
3 3 i
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
in the moment
XS ZE DD
Photographs by Karl Larson
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TRIPLE THREAT Anderson .Paak sang, rapped and yes, played some drums Friday night at House of Blues. He also stated his case as one of music’s true up-and-coming stars. For our complete review, head to lasvegasweekly.com. (L.E. Baskow/Staff)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 56
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DC’s Suicide Squad or documentary Life, Animated— guess which one delivered?
Moving Units delve deep into the Joy Division experience for a new album and an incoming tour.
Ghostbuster and SNL’er Leslie Jones brings the funny to the Mirage.
A $180 bargain at Costa di Mare, plus Great Grubbing makes gluten-free good.
Where and when to catch Andrew McMahon, Lord Huron, Kathleen Madigan and more.
SCREEN
NOISE
COMEDY
FOOD & DRINK
CALENDAR
ON THE WEB The Killers announce a return to Sam’s Town, and Phish plots out its latest Halloween-in-Vegas weekend (four nights this time!). Plus, a report from Mandalay Bay’s Duran Duran/Chic two-fer, and a review of VOD film The Little Prince, all at lasvegasweekly.com.
56 las vegas weekly 08.04.16
screen
Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn brings the bonkers to Suicide Squad. (Photograph Courtesy)
Learning through disney Life, Animated explores an autistic man’s cartoon salvation
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Injustice League Suicide Squad feels overly cramped with super-villains
ancient witch Enchantress (Cara Delevingne). The threat of the Enchantress lacks urgency, and writer-director David Ayer (Fury, End of Watch) by Josh Bell isn’t able to establish a strong enough connecn its efforts to catch up with the jugtion between her and the other characters for it gernaut that is the Marvel Cinematic to feel like a betrayal. Instead he wastes time on Universe, DC has been hurrying to put the much-hyped appearance of the Joker (Jared together its own interconnected Leto), whose presence in the movie is aabcc much smaller than the marketing would set of films featuring its popular SUICIDE SQUAD indicate, and adds nothing to the story. comic-book superheroes. Following Will Smith, March’s ungainly Batman v Superman: Will Smith (as infallible marksman Margot Robbie, Dawn of Justice, super-villain team-up Deadshot) and Margot Robbie (as charmJoel Kinnaman, Viola Davis. Suicide Squad features a slightly more ing, unhinged psychopath Harley Quinn) Directed by streamlined narrative. But it’s still overhave some snappy chemistry as the David Ayer. Rated stuffed, an ensemble piece with nearly team’s leading bad guys, and Davis exPG-13. Opens Friday citywide. a dozen main characters, telling origin udes menacing authority, but the sketchy stories for half of them, bringing them character arcs all feel incomplete. Ayer together into a new team and facing tries to compensate with a distractingly them off against two different antagonists. garish visual style and a proliferation of recognizIn response to the existence of superpowable music cues that set up scenes to be much ered beings like Superman, government official cooler than they actually are. When the characAmanda Waller (Viola Davis) puts together a team ters get a moment to breathe, sitting around and of criminals with special abilities, held in check bantering, they’re fun to watch. But cramming via blackmail and death threats, and their first them all together in a rushed story to beat the mission involves stopping one of their own, the competition doesn’t do any of them justice.
I
It’s pretty much impossible not to root for Owen Suskind, the star of heartwarming and hopeful documentary Life, Animated. Based on the book by Owen’s father, Animated shows how the autistic Owen learned to communicate with others via his obsession with Disney animated movies. It’s an affecting portrayal of human perseverance and the sometimes unexpected power of movies, and Owen himself is nearly as wholesome and likable as the cartoon heroes he hopes to emulate. Director Roger Ross Williams follows the 23-year-old as he graduates from an educational program and prepares to move out on his own, while also looking back on Owen’s childhood through home movies and interviews with Owen’s parents and brother. The movie’s outlook is generally optimistic, but it’s never saccharine, and Williams doesn’t shy away from the difficulties faced by Owen and his family. The bulk of the movie focuses on the Disney movies Owen watches over and over, which help him understand social interactions but might also limit that understanding (when his girlfriend breaks up with him, his simplistic view of romance makes it even tougher to deal with). Original animated segments depicting Owen as his own kind of Disney hero aren’t as powerful, but they contribute to the movie’s goal of teaching the audience how to relate to Owen just as Disney movies taught him how to relate to everyone else. –Josh Bell
aaabc LIFE, ANIMATED Directed by Roger Ross Williams. Rated PG. Opens Friday at Regal Village Square.
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Moving Units (inset) are playing the seminal songs of Joy Division. (Illustration by Jon Estrada/Staff)
las vegas weekly 08.04.16
NOW HIRING PARTY PIT DANCING DEALERS AND BARTENDERS Break into the hospitality industry in a young, dynamic work environment with FREE on-the-job training! AUDITIONS AT 5:30PM TUESDAY-SATURDAY GOLDEN GATE HOTEL & CASINO
SERIOUS INSIGHT Moving Units pay tribute to Joy Division, and learn about themselves in the process By Annie Zaleski odern dance-punks Moving Units are on tour paying homage to post-punk legends Joy Division—a trek that follows the release of July covers album Collision With Joy Division. Moving Units frontman Blake Miller detailed the ambitious project, and what he’s learned tackling the influential music. How did the idea for the Joy Division project come about? A talent buyer in Orange County approached our agent. At first, I was a little intimidated by the offer. I know Joy Division fans and those are some big shoes to try to fill. But ... I realized I’m getting to enjoy playing all these songs that I’ve loved and listened to all my life. It changed in my head from being intimidating to really celebratory. How did you choose which songs to play? We pride ourselves on channeling the spontaneous, contagious excitement of losing yourself in the crowd and in the moment, so I used that as my guide. I wanted to build a set that felt superessential and where the energy was undeniable. I decided to take a pretty faithful approach to reproducing the material, because all of their parts were so wellwritten. The basslines are super-catchy but really weird and angular, and the drums are so repetitive and machine-like. When we got deeper into the rehearsal process and production for our album, it was such an immersive experience. To strip it down and get into the seams, the fabric of those recordings, was so inspiring. As a fan it’s easy to take Joy Division for granted, because so many bands cite them as an influence. To dive
M
Applicants must audition in dance-wear, GoGo attire or swimwear.
into it on a granular level and rediscover their genius must be a fun exercise. It’s given me a chance, as a human being and a musician, to experience their music on a level I never would’ve had a reason to explore. There’s something austere and almost unnerving about some of their music and lyrical themes, but I feel like there’s also a sense of jubilance. There’s genuine joy in those tracks that really shines through. That’s an essence we wanted to bring to the surface. It’s a celebration of the work they did together in a band called Joy Division, and it’s also a celebration of being alive now and enjoying what music does to uplift us and make our lives more meaningful and beautiful. How do you think your Joy Division project might influence future music you’re going to make? When I boil it all down, it’s probably [mostly] a confidence thing. It was an amazing feeling, to go through Joy Division bootcamp, and I totally expect that to have a huge influence on the next album we write and produce. I’m always looking for new ways to bring a different perspective or new creative techniques into the process, and I feel supercharged after the time we’ve been spending working with this material. For more of our interview with Miller, visit lasvegasweekly.com.
MOVING UNITS PRESENTS THE SONGS OF JOY DIVISION with Viktor Fiction, DJ Hector Rawkerz. August 6, 9 p.m., $10-$12. Bunkhouse Saloon, 702-982-1764.
59 COMEDY
Who you GONNA GONNA CALL?
WEEKLY | 08.04.16
SNL star Leslie Jones makes the Mirage her personal playground BY JASON HARRIS ightning in a bottle. At their best, it’s what certain comedians can catch—those moments so hilarious, so personal and so in the moment their audiences will never forget them. Leslie Jones caught lightning in a bottle Friday night at the Mirage, but it took about 45 minutes for her to do so. The actress/comedian opened by addressing her newfound fame. Currently starring in the Ghostbusters reboot, she’s now a household name. “I’ve never had so many white folks love me. You all motherf*ckers trying to make me take pictures with your babies and sh*t. Stop that sh*t. I’m scared. The baby’s scared.” She then proceeded to lay out a road map for the rest of the evening. “It ain’t gonna be nothing like SNL, motherf*ckers. Ain’t no censors here, so if you want to leave, then leave. It’s gonna be a whole bunch of dick jokes.”
L
Jones waited too long to get to her best material on Friday. (Mikayla Whitmore/Staff)
Jones, who has both fanatics and The 47-year-old comic brings a detractors of her work on Saturday manic energy to the stage, bobbing Night Live, seemed to mostly kill on and weaving, changing her tones and this night, but it was often decibel levels to punctuate with those dick jokes, the aaacc certain points. She’s quite path of least resistance. LESLIE JONES effective at this type of perforJones’ best-written jokes mance, but where she really July 29, Mirage. revolved around subjects shined, where the lightning that required a little more truly struck, was with crowd thought. On the sad rescue work. Toward the end of the dog commercials that appear on TV show, she had the house lights raised late at night: “How the f*ck they as she walked through the audience, make those commercials anyway? picking off members one by one like a They got dog actors? So what the f*ck, verbal sniper. you out there filming some f*cked-up Set amid the rise of Roast Battlesh*t? Put the camera down and give style comedy, Jones’ spur of the mohim some water! Take the chain off ment gibes were far more entertainthe dog. You’re right there!” ing than anything Comedy Central
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put on this past weekend. Talking to a guy with a gold necklace and a silver ring: “If you want to show you got some money, just buy the drinks. Take this Katt Williams bullsh*t off. You’re not a pimp. You look like you coach a softball team.” And her brilliant closing, picking out the pretty white girl and making her face the crowd with Jones: “You walk in and you all see me and her standing at the bar. Who you gonna pick? Okay, so we in the parking lot now. There’s some Crips wanna whoop yo’ ass. Who you gonna pick now?!” That’s the type of magic worth the wait to get there.
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35 Valley Locations
60 LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 08.04.16
LVWEEKLY .COM/FIX
STILL THE ONE COSTA DI MARE REMAINS AN INSPIRED VEGAS EXPERIENCE BY BROCK RADKE here’s a history of Vegas food obsessives freaking out when big restaurant changes go down at Wynn. Some declared doomsday when fine-dining mecca Alex closed in 2011. Others threw up their hands when chef Paul Bartolotta left his namesake Italian seafood palace last year. But remember that any fear (or loathing) is predicated on the fact that Wynn (and Encore) restauICYMI rants have been so great. Worry not, for this casino’s F&B machine is loaded with talent and commitment. Mark LoRusso is one of the Strip’s all-time great chefs, and probably one of the most overlooked. Taking over at renamed Costa di Mare provides him a well-deserved spotlight. The format remains the same—exotic Italian cuisine including seafood pulled from the Mediterranean and Adriatic within the past 48 hours. Those luscious, live langoustines ($30-$45 each) are still char-grilled to perfection, and peerless pastas remain a favorite complement. LoRusso has added dishes to make the restaurant even more appealing, including rack of COSTA lamb in roasted garlic sauce ($58) and DI MARE a seared filet of beef draped in porcinis Wynn, and Sangiovese wine sauce ($56). 702-770Costa’s new Giro d’Italia (Taste of 3305. Italy) menu is the best way to revisit Daily, 5:30this restaurant, and though this might 10 p.m. sound crazy, it’s a deal at $180. Seppia nero alla Veneziana, tender cuttlefish over fragrant, smooth polenta with squid ink, pine nuts, raisins and sweet and sour onions, is the best thing I’ve eaten in 2016. Grilled octopus with rapini and crispy potatoes in a Romesco-esque sauce is another revelation, as are the wonderful mussels that fill out a dish of risotto topped with red mullet and funky bottarga. The tasting’s finishers are striped sea bream simply baked in parchment with garlic, tomatoes, white wine and lemon, and an utterly beautiful pistachio trio of warm cake, panna cotta and gelato. For more than a decade, this restaurant has been one of the best places to let the chef take you through an inspired experience. That hasn’t changed.
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Let LoRusso guide you through a tasting at Costa di Mare. (Photograph by Barbara Kraft/Courtesy)
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FOOD & DRINK
LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 08.04.16
LA NOBLE ROSA What’s for breakfast? Pizza, of course. (Mikayla Whitmore/Staff)
INGREDIENTS 2 oz. Casa Noble Crystal Tequila 1 1/2 oz. Owl’s Brew Pink & Black (darjeeling tea and hibiscus mix) 3 oz. Fever Tree Ginger Ale Dress the Drink dehydrated orange wheel for garnish
SERIOUS EATS
Dress the Drink crystalized ginger for garnish
HENDERSON’S GREAT GRUBBING GETS CREATIVE, AND YOU GET HEALTHY
+
From the tasty breakfast chipotle pizza to protein-packed cheesecakes and other bakery delights, it might be hard to believe that everything at Great Grubbing is gluten-free. Owner Kenny Knoll ensures that everything at his Henderson café is homemade, delicious and absolutely gluten-free, and that has attracted quite the diverse customer base. Many tourists travel from the Strip, and he even has a regular from Summerlin who buys about nine bags of muffins every week. “I love to see kids’ and people’s faces light up when they don’t have to worry,” Knoll says. “They can order anything they want.” Born in Hong Kong and raised in Southern California, Knoll came to Las Vegas a couple of years ago. The self-proclaimed foodie has traveled the world, enjoying the foods of Hungary, Japan, Kuwait and more. He’s also an actor and photographer who was worked with MMA fighters and rock bands. In 2013, he returned to the restaurant business after 20 years, working as a consultant to help create
gluten-free muffins and cheesecakes for an event for autistic children. After he saw how much they enjoyed eating the treats, he was inspired. Since then, he has worked with nutritionist and dietician Michelle Konstantarakis to create a healthy, organic, seriously delicious menu that works around gluten, dairy, soy and nut allergies and provides an abundance of vegetarian and vegan options. Although Great Grubbing currently only has one location, its panda-decorated food truck should be roaming the Valley by October. The café serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, including a vegan burger with Sriracha mayo on homemade bread with unlimited veggie toppings. Nothing tastes better than when you know it’s fresh. –Rosalie Spear
GREAT GRUBBING
2530 St. Rose Parkway #130, 702-982-8080. Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m..
METHOD Pour ingredients into a Collins glass over ice and stir. Garnish with dehydrated orange wheel and crystalized ginger. Serve.
La Noble Rosa is a blend of crisp, unique flavors that come together to create a cocktail that feels truly, well, noble. Casa Noble Crystal Tequila is a clean, smooth-sipping blanco tequila and the Pink & Black Owl’s Brew is a subtly sweet mixture of darjeeling black tea with a hint of hibiscus and lemon peel. When these two ingredients meet spicy ginger ale, the effect is nothing short of perfection.
Cocktail created by Francesco Lafranconi, Executive Director at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits.
Go with the original.
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PURCHASE SECRET PRE GARDEN $37 OF ANY 1/2g OF ROLL FLOWER SHATTER
MUST BRING IN MAGAZINE/COUPON TO REDEEM CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH REWARD CHIPS OR ANY OTHER OFFER • LIMIT 1 PER PATIENT PER VISIT • EXPIRES AUG 21 2016
REFERRAL PROGRAM
MUST BRING IN MAGAZINE/COUPON TO REDEEM CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH REWARD CHIPS OR ANY OTHER OFFER • LIMIT 1 PER PATIENT PER VISIT • EXPIRES AUG 21 2016
MUST BRING IN MAGAZINE/COUPON TO REDEEM CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH REWARD CHIPS OR ANY OTHER OFFER • LIMIT 1 PER PATIENT PER VISIT • EXPIRES AUG 21 2016
ANY CURRENT PATIENT REFERRING A NEW PATIENT GETS A SECRET GARDEN 1/8TH FOR $5 WHEN THEIR REFERRAL SPENDS $45 OR MORE. (MUST BE PRESENT WITH REFERRAL IN ORDER TO REDEEM)
1860 Western Ave, (702) 545-0026 SUN-THU : 10AM-8PM FRI-SAT : 10AM-12AM Las Vegas NV, 89102 WE PROUDLY CARRY
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las vegas weekly 08.04.16
South Point (Showroom) Louie Anderson 8/5-8/6, 7:30 pm, $14-$23. 702-796-7111. Treasure Island Whoopi Goldberg 8/5, 9 pm, $57$98. 702-894-7111.
Performing Arts Smith Center (Reynolds Hall) The Sound of Music Thru 8/14, times vary, $29-$127. 702-749-2000. Super Summer Theatre Bring It On: The Musical 8/10-8/13, 8 pm, $16. Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, 702-594-7529. Velveteen Rabbit The Cat’s Meow 8/7, 7 pm, $25$30. 1218 S. Main St., 702-685-9645.
Special Events Beer Olympics 8/4, 8/6, 7 pm, $10. Silverton, 702263-7777. First Friday 8/5, 6-11 pm, free. Downtown, ffflv.org. Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness steps into Fremont Country Club on August 4. (Owen Sweeney/AP)
Free Burger Days 8/4, 8/6, 11:30 am-1:30 pm & 5-7 pm, free. The Habit Burger Grill, 543 N. Stephanie St., 702-547-4352. Hot Havana Nights 8/4, 6 pm, $49-$100. The Mob
Live Music
Museum, 300 Stewart Ave., 702-229-2734.
Downtown
Everywhere Else
11th Street Records Last Call, Illicitor, Bee Master,
Count’s Vamp’d Sin City Sinners All-Stars 8/4, 8/11,
The Strip & Nearby
Alan Six, Kat Kalling 8/5, 5 pm, $5 donation.
10 pm, free. Flotsam and Jetsam, Dinner Music
Brooklyn Bowl The Stone Foxes, Cameron
1023 Fremont St., 702-527-7990.
for the Gods, Abusement Park 8/5, 9 pm, free.
Calloway 8/4, 9 pm, free. Andre Nickatina 8/5, 8:30 pm, $20-$25. Catfish John, The Unwieldies 8/6, 8 pm, free. New Breed Brass Band 8/9, 7 pm, free. Linq, 702-862-2695. Caesars Palace (Colosseum) Rod Stewart 8/6-8/7, 8/10, 7:30 pm, $49-$250. 702-731-7333. The Cosmopolitan (Chelsea) Hunter Hayes, Cassadee Pope 8/6, 8 pm, $30-$70. 702-698-7000. Double Down Saloon Privatized Air 8/4. The Bitters, The Negative Nancys 8/5. Punchcard, Agent 86, The CG’s, Roman Watchdogs,
Artifice Lenixx 8/9, 8:30 pm, free. 1025 S. 1st St., #100, 702-489-6339. Backstage Bar & Billiards Franks & Deans,
High Voltage, Tailgun 8/6, 10 pm, free. 6750 W. Sahara Ave., 702-220-8849. Dive Bar Intronaut, Entheos, Moon Tooth 8/4, 8 The All-Togethers 8/5, 9 pm, $10. Jerk!, Joni’s
Book: Good Vibrations Guide to Great Sex for
Agenda, Three Rounds 8/6, 9 pm, $5. 4110 S.
Everyone 8/4, 6 pm, free. ToyBoxx LV, 1800 S.
8 pm, $15-$20. 601 E. Fremont St., 702-382-2227.
Maryland Parkway, 702-586-3483.
Industrial Road #206A, 702-596-8406.
Beauty Bar Anglo Sax, Charlie Maddness, LT, D-Grooves, Moon$tar 8/5, 9 pm, free. 517 Fremont St., 702-598-3757. Bunkhouse Saloon Greyhounds 8/4, 8 pm, $10-
Green Valley Ranch (Grand Events Center) The Music of Manilow 8/5, 8 pm, $19. 702-367-2470. M Resort Icons of Rock’N’Roll 8/6, 7 pm, $30-$42. 800-745-3000. OMD Theatre My Own Nation, Mynas, In the Flesh, Khemmis 8/6, 8 pm, $10. Goatsilk, LaRissa
noted. 640 Paradise Road, 702-791-5775.
Rawkerz 8/6, 9 pm, $10-$12. Taking Back
Vienna, The Strange 8/10, 8 pm, $10. 953 E.
Tuesday 8/9, 9 pm, $8-$10. 124 S. 11th St., 702-854-1414. Fremont Country Club Andrew McMahon in The
8/4, 9 pm, $15. BJ The Chicago Kid, Elhae, Tish
Wilderness, Grizfolk, Avalon Landing 8/4, 7 pm,
Hyman 8/5, 9 pm, $15-$35. 702-693-5000.
$26-$30. 601 E. Fremont St., 702-382-6601.
House of Blues Lord Huron 8/7, 7 pm, $25-$28. The
Fremont Street Experience (1st St. Stage) Vertical
Ataris, The Maxies 8/10, 7 pm, $12-$15. Mandalay
Horizon 8/6, 9 pm, free. Vegasexperience.com.
Planet Hollywood (Axis) Jennifer Lopez 8/5-8/6, 8/10, 9 pm, $95-$219. 702-777-2782. SLS (Sayers Club) Street Folk 8/5. Barry Black 8/6. Shows 10 pm, free. 702-761-7617. T-Mobile Arena Barbra Streisand 8/6, 8 pm, $100$505. 702-692-1600.
Orleans Arena, 702-284-7777. Workshop & Book Signing: The Sex & Pleasure
10 pm, free. The Jimmy Weeks Project ft. Siaosi 8/7,
plays Joy Division, Viktor Fiction, DJ Hektor
Bay, 702-632-7600.
$799. Rio, creationent.com. Super Toy Con 8/5, 4 pm; 8/6-8/7, 10 am, $12-$20.
Marauders 8/5, 8 pm, $5-$7. Recuerdoz 8/6,
$12. Glass Pools 8/5, 10 pm, $5. Moving Units
Flame & more 8/9, 2 pm, $29-$45. (Vinyl) TrollPhace
kirvindoak.com. Star Trek Convention Thru 8/7, times vary, $50-
pm, $12-$15. The Curly Wolf, The Rhyolite Sound,
Highlighters 8/7, 9 pm. Shows 10 pm, free unless
Falling in Reverse, New Found Glory, Waka Flocka
RSVP required. Rí Rá, Mandalay Bay, RiRa@
Bogtrotter’s Union, Melanie and the Midnite
Midnight Track 8/6. Johnny Zig & The
Hard Rock Hotel (Backyard) Vans Warped Tour ft.
International Beer Day Party 8/5, 6 pm, free;
Sahara Ave., 702-742-4171. Primm Valley Resort & Casino Ezequiel Peña 8/10, 8 pm, $25. 702-386-7867. Suncoast (Showroom) One Night with the King
8 pm, $10-$12. 425 Fremont St., 702-382-3531. 8 pm; 8/6, 6 pm & 9 pm, $39-$65. Frank LaSpina 8/7, 2 pm, $25. The Composer’s Showcase of Las Vegas 8/10, 10:30 pm, $20-$25. 361 Symphony Park Ave., 702-749-2000.
Championships 8/11-8/20, times vary, free. Westgate Resort, poolplayers.com. Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association Lakota Western US Championship Thru 8/6, times vary, free. South Point Arena, 702-796-7111. Las Vegas 51s Fresno 8/4, 5 pm; 8/5-8/6, 7 pm. $11$16. Cashman Field, 702-943-7200.
8/6-8/7, 8:30 pm, $18-$44. 702-636-7075. Sunset Station (Club Madrid) Nashville Unplugged ft. Lila McCann 8/5, 8 pm, $10. 702-547-7777.
LVCS Ghoul, Night Demon, Bipolar, Cirka:Sik 8/11, The Smith Center (Cabaret Jazz) Oleta Adams 8/5,
Sports American Poolplayers Association World Pool
Galleries Clay Arts Vegas Leilani Trinka Artist Workshop
Comedy Mirage Kathleen Madigan 8/5, 10 pm, $33-$54. Jay Leno 8/6, 10 pm, $66-$87. 702-792-7777. Primm Valley Resort & Casino Jeff Foxworthy 8/6, 8 pm, $30-$70. 702-386-7867.
8/6-8/7, 10 am, $170. 1511 S. Main St., 702-375-4147. Skye Art Gallery Nan Coffey: It’s a Rad, Rad, Rad, Rad World 8/6, 6 pm, free. Caesars Palace, 702-836-3538. Wonderland Gallery Diane Bush: Dishing It Out 2016 8/4-8/25. Arts Factory, #110, 702-686-4010.
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