4321 W Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89103
702.942.7777
ENTERTAINMENT MARCH – JUNE
MICHAEL GRIMM WINNER OF “AMERICA’S GOT TALENT” RED ROCK ★ MARCH 3
MARK OTOOLE A NIGHT AT THE COPACABANA GREEN VALLEY ★ MARCH 11
RICHARD CHEESE & LOUNGE AGAINST THE MACHINE RED ROCK ★ APRIL 1
ON SALE NOW
CLINT BLACK RED ROCK ★ APRIL 22
TODRICK HALL PRESENTS STRAIGHT OUTTA OZ RED ROCK ★ MAY 6
ON SALE MARCH 10
ON SALE NOW
ROBIN TROWER BOULDER ★ MAY 13
LOVERBOY & STARSHIP FEATURING MICKEY THOMAS SUNSET ★ MAY 28
PAUL TAYLOR RED ROCK ★ APRIL 15
MIX 94.1 SPRING FLING RED ROCK ★ MARCH 17
MARION MEADOWS SANTA FE ★ MAY 6
SOLD OUT
GEORGE THOROGOOD & THE DESTROYERS
PALMS ★ MARCH 11
PAT BENATAR & NEIL GIRALDO
A VERY INTIMATE ACOUSTIC EVENING
GOLDEN STATE LONE STAR BOULDER ★ MARCH 16
PALMS ★ MARCH 24
CHRIS STAPLETON & MAREN MORRIS PALMS ★ MARCH 30
ERIC SARDINAS BOULDER ★ APRIL 20
PURCHASE STATION CASINO TICKETS AT WWW.STATIONCASINOSEVENTS.COM PURCHASE PALMS TICKETS AT PALMS.COM Tickets can be purchased at any Station Casino Boarding Pass Rewards Center, the Fiestas, by logging on to SCLV.com/concerts or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Digital photography/video is strictly prohibited at all venues. Management reserves all rights. © 2017 STATION CASINOS, LLC.
ACM PARTY FOR A CAUSE SONGWRITER SHOWCASE PALMS ★ MARCH 31
JOHN NÉMETH BOULDER ★ JUNE 15
✁
Group Publisher GORDON PROUTY (gordon.prouty@gmgvegas.com) Publisher MARK DE POOTER (mark.depooter@gmgvegas.com)
BIG SAVINGS!
EDITORIAL Editor SPENCER PATTERSON (spencer.patterson@gmgvegas.com) Managing Editor BROCK RADKE (brock.radke@gmgvegas.com) Associate Editor MIKE PREVATT (mike.prevatt@gmgvegas.com) Senior Editor GEOFF CARTER (geoff.carter@gmgvegas.com) Staff Writer C. MOON REED (cindi.reed@gmgvegas.com) Staff Writer LESLIE VENTURA (leslie.ventura@gmgvegas.com) Calendar Editor ROSALIE SPEAR (rosalie.spear@gmgvegas.com) Film Editor JOSH BELL Contributing Editors RAY BREWER, CASE KEEFER, KEN MILLER, ERIN RYAN Contributing Writers DAWN-MICHELLE BAUDE, JIM BEGLEY, IAN CARAMANZANA, JACOB COAKLEY, MIKE D’ANGELO, SARAH FELDBERG, SMITH GALTNEY, JASON HARRIS, JASON SCAVONE, ANDY WANG, STACY J. WILLIS, ANNIE ZALESKI Library Services Specialist/Permissions REBECCA CLIFFORD-CRUZ Office Coordinator NADINE GUY
CREATIVE Associate Creative Director LIZ BROWN (liz.brown@gmgvegas.com) Designers CORLENE BYRD, IAN RACOMA Photographers L.E. BASKOW, CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS, STEVE MARCUS, MIKAYLA WHITMORE Photo Coordinator YASMINA CHAVEZ
DIGITAL Associate Publisher for Interactive KATIE HORTON Digital Marketing Manager JACKIE APOYAN Web Content Specialist CLAYT KEEFER Digital Marketing Associate CRISTINA VARGAS
ADVERTISING Group Director of Sales Operations STEPHANIE REVIEA Publication Coordinator DENISE ARANCIBIA External Content Manager EMMA CAUTHORN Market Research Manager CHAD HARWOOD Account Managers KATIE HARRISON, DAWN MANGUM, SUE SRAN Senior Advertising Manager JEFF JACOBS Advertising Managers KELLY DECKER, BRIANNA ECK, KELLY GAJEWSKI, CHELSEA SMITH, DANIELLE STONE, ALEX TEEL Business Development Specialist SANDRA SEGREST
PRODUCTION Vice President of Manufacturing MARIA BLONDEAUX Production Director PAUL HUNTSBERRY Production Manager BLUE UYEDA Art Director of Advertising & Marketing SEAN RADEMACHER Production Artists MARISSA MAHERAS, DARA RICCI Traffic Supervisor ESTEE WRIGHT Graphic Designers MICHELE HAMRICK, DANY HANIFF Traffic Coordinators MEAGAN HODSON, KIM SMITH
CIRCULATION Director of Circulation RON GANNON Route Manager RANDY CARLSON
MARKETING & PROMOTIONS Director of Events KRISTIN WILSON Events Manager ALYSSA CRAME
GREENSPUN MEDIA GROUP CEO, Publisher & Editor BRIAN GREENSPUN Chief Operating Officer ROBERT CAUTHORN Managing Editor RIC ANDERSON Creative Director ERIK STEIN
LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 2275 Corporate Circle Suite 300 Henderson, NV 89074 (702) 990-2550 www.lasvegasweekly.com www.facebook.com/lasvegasweekly www.twitter.com/lasvegasweekly
ON THE COVER Illustration by Sam Falconer
All content is copyright Las Vegas Weekly LLC. Las Vegas Weekly is published Thursdays and distributed throughout Southern Nevada. Readers are permitted one free copy per issue. Additional copies are $2, available back issues $3. ADVERTISING DEADLINE EVERY THURSDAY AT 5 P.M.
06
05 sun., 7 P.M.
ekoh at vinyl
Las Vegas Weekly 03.02.17
Trust Us Everything you absolutely, positively must get out and do this week
It’s not just us. Huffington Post contributor and Fresh Is the Word podcast host Kelly Frazier has also been hooked on the playful new video for Ekoh’s latest single, “Let Me Down Easy.” Check the short— featuring cameos from Carrot Top and BMX rider T.J. Lavin—before catching the Vegas MC’s show this weekend. With Donnie Menace, Luck Factor Zero, Austin Cain, $8-$20 –Leslie Ventura
07 tue., 6:30 P.M.
OTHER MAMA GUEST CHEF DINNER AT HONEY SALT Two favorite west-side neighborhood restaurants converge when Other Mama chef Dan Krohmer pops up at Honey Salt Tuesday night. Along with his sublime salmon tartare with waffle fries, Krohmer will serve up new stuff like chicken-fried Kobe beef in truffle-mushroom gravy and a spicy seafood stew. $54. –Brock Radke
c u lt t r i b u t e 03
FRIDAY, 6 P.M.
nightmare before christmas GROUP ART SHOW AT BUBBLEGUM GALLERY Consider the strange case of Tim Burton and Henry Selick’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. When Disney first released the stop-motion animated film in 1993, it didn’t actually call it a Disney film, instead releasing the film under its Touchstone Pictures imprint. The film performed tepidly; it didn’t even place in that year’s domestic top 20. (It was #27, underneath such enduring classics as Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.) It wasn’t an auspicious beginning for the cultural icon that would someday give Hot Topic a reason to exist. But time has written Nightmare’s story from minor performer to towering inspiration, and this week, an entire Halloween Town’s worth of Vegas artists— including Roselle Carmina Joie Tuzon, John Patterson, Rachel D’Onofrio and more—fill Bubblegum Gallery with their heartfelt tributes to a movie that made less money on first release than the live-action Dennis the Menace. Anyway, head to the show, check out cool artistic representations of Jack Skellington and imagine a parallel universe that went crazy for Sister Act 2 instead. 1800 S. Industrial Rd. #207D, free. –Geoff Carter
A LeslieAnn Farrell painting from The Nightmare Before Christmas group show.
L o o k i n g f o r m o r e ? T u r n t o pa g e 7 0 f o r o u r e x pa n d e d l i s t i n g S
07 LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 03.02.17
JUMP TO HYPERSPACE 04
02 THURSDAY, 4 P.M.
& MARCH 5
THE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS: STAR WARS AND BEYOND AT REYNOLDS HALL
WONDERLAND GALLERY NO. 2 OPENING
We won’t spoil the exact setlist for you (ahem, Smith Center website!). Just know that when the Las Vegas Philharmonic and Las Vegas Master Singers team up for two shows, Williams’ most cherished cinematic works will be well-represented, including E.T., Jaws, Harry Potter, Saving Private Ryan and yes, the big S-W. No booing when (er, if!) they play something from the prequels. Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.; $30-$109. –Spencer Patterson
Suite 160 near the north entrance of the Arts Factory has an interesting history. It’s the space that formerly housed Trifecta, Jenny Valdez Gallery and Twisted Artist Galley, and it was the original home of Jana’s RedRoom. Now, Wonderland Gallery has annexed #160 as its second location, in which it plans to showcase more local art. The first exhibiting artists will be owners Lynne Adamson Adrian and Kat Tatz, photographer Karen DiSorbo and mixed-media artist Debora Tsakalos. The original Wonderland (#110) has chosen Gear Duran (Gearboxxx) and Heather Hermann (the Duchess of Deco) as March’s featured duo, with both exhibiting never-beforeshown work. Their show, Raw and Uncut in Virtual Hyperspace, consists of visually stimulating art from a Cyberpunk world, based on Chinese and Japanese painting techniques, in multiple mediums ranging from digital imagery to spray paint. Through March 29, free. –Rosalie Spear
Ekoh (Courtesy)
“IN SOME CIRCLES, THE MINT 400 IS A FAR, FAR BETTER THING THAN THE SUPER BOWL, THE KENTUCKY DERBY AND THE LOWER OAKLAND ROLLER DERBY FINALS ALL ROLLED INTO ONE.“ – HUNTER S. THOMPSON
M O V I N G F O R WA R D … A N D B A C K WA R D 10-
02
THRU MARCH 5
THE MINT 400 March is filled with big sporting events in Las Vegas, and it’s fitting that the one kicking it off is one of our most historic. Established in 1967, “the Great American Off-Road Race” is a grueling, 400-mile Nevada desert marathon, sort of the Super Bowl of its sport, even if you know it best as the event that inspired a certain writer’s certain savage journey to the heart of the American dream. This year’s extracurriculars are again based Downtown, including a documentary film presentation, elevated food and drink offerings for spectators and VIPs and a Saturday champions’ party at Hogs & Heifers. themint400.com. –Brock Radke
03 FRIDAY, 6 P.M.
03
& MARCH 4
IMMIGRATION RIGHTS LECTURE AT UNLV
UNLV DANCE PRESENTS MOVEMENT & TIDES
These are dark days for anybody whose immigration status is in question. Ever since Trump took office, fear, uncertainty and misinformation have prevailed. UNLV Law Professor Michael Kagan will attempt to deliver clarity, via a lecture entitled “President Trump’s Legal Threats to Immigrant Rights, and Legal Avenues of Resistance.” The director of UNLV’s Boyd School of Law Immigration Clinic, Kagan has spent years working around the world for immigrants’ human rights. Who knew he’d be so needed at home? John S. Wright Hall (Room 151, Building C), free. –C. Moon Reed
Professor of Dance Victoria BaltimoreDale is a master of jazz. Her many credits include performing as the Green Lady in the film The Wiz, teaching master classes in China and working as a professional dancer and choreographer for various companies around the country. This weekend, the choreography of BaltimoreDale and four other UNLV dance faculty/ artists-in-residence will be on display in an original dance performance, which should be as varied as the professors participating. Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2:30 & 7:30 p.m.; $10-$18; Judy Bayley Theatre. –C. Moon Reed
08 LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 03.02.17
DIGGING INTO DTP
the inter W H E R E
I D E A S
How one journalist fared after embedding herself inside Downtown Project
J
ournalist Aimee Groth begins her new book, The Kingdom of Happiness: Inside Tony Hsieh’s Zapponian Utopia, as an enthusiast of Downtown Project, but she turns critical once problems arise with the $350-million endeavor. Here are some of our takeways from her February 23 Q&A at Velveteen Rabbit with KNPR’s Joe Schoenmann: Gone gonzo. “I wasn’t a fly on the wall, I was engaged,” Groth said, detailing how she become “part of the tribe” in order to gain journalistic access. Furthermore, Groth described being “seduced” by Downtown Project. It was enough to invite questions of a romantic relationship between her and Tony Hsieh, which, after coyly mentioning “rumors,” she denied. A romance would certainly fit the fairy-tale storyline of late-stage capitalism. Either way, perhaps Groth should have written a memoir? –C. Moon Reed Delivering (un)happiness. Even though he wrote best-seller Delivering Happiness, Groth claims Hsieh wasn’t all that happy in real life, giving him a 7 on a 1-10 happiness scale—the same score she gave him on her cult-indicator scale. –CMR Parachute journalism. From reducing DTP’s entrepreneurial and real estate developments to “a cosmetic upgrade,” to then brazenly declaring that, “We can’t even argue [that Downtown isn’t] better off,” Groth sounded not only at odds with herself, but with her total lack of local perspective. –Mike Prevatt Blinded by the bubble. Much like DTP’s Container Park, her view was pointed inward, fuzzing out not only local context, but the bigger picture—and the Downtown that extends beyond DTP’s “llama” property footprint. When attendee and writer Joshua Ellis spoke of low-income residents displaced by Hsieh’s real estate purchases, she agreed it was a sad outcome. But it also seemed like a detail she hadn’t much considered. –CMR Managerial crisis. Tony Hsieh might have lured hundreds to Las Vegas and DTP, but Groth depicts him as a terrible leader who offered little guidance, support and empathy to DTP entrepreneurs struggling to stay afloat. Say what you will about Groth or her book, but at least someone is holding him accountable. –MP
DOES EATING LOCAL HONEY PREVENT SPRING ALLERGIES? Spring begins soon, which means the air is about to explode with pollen. And if you’ve heard that eating local honey will prevent the inevitable allergy attacks, we have some bad news: “There’s no validity to that,” says local allergist Dr. Joel Katz. “Flower pollen does not cause allergies; tree, grass and weed pollen
causes allergies, and bees have no role in pollinating them.” Katz suggests the usual remedies—antihistamines, nasal steroids—but says that if you really want the honey, that’s okay. “It’s not going to do any harm,” he says. “But there’s no convincing evidence that it’s going to do any good, either.” –Geoff Carter
09
rsection
LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 03.02.17
A ND L IF E M E ET
STATUTE OF LIBERTY Trump might not uphold trans students’ rights, but Nevada does BY LESLIE VENTURA
+
(Photo Illustration by Ian Racoma/Staff)
GET YOUR ACTIVISM ON AT AN UPCOMING DEMONSTRATION Those energized by recent political developments have no shortage of opportunities to publicly express their concerns, if the growing amount of marches and demonstrations on the local calendar are any indication. On March 3, a peace rally will be held at the Masjid Ibrahim in support of the greater Muslim community, which has faced a travel ban and increasing threats and violence (for info, visit bit.ly/2m6DGIe). On April 22, folks can celebrate Earth Day—and facts—at the March for Science, happening alongside marches across the country and slated to begin at the Smith Center (info: bit.ly/2ljncb4). Another countrywide demonstration, the LGBTQ-focused National Pride March Rally, takes place locally June 11, location TBA (info: bit.ly/2ljrWgT). For those wanting to be kept abreast of general activism happenings, visit the Facebook group page for Action Together Nevada. –Mike Prevatt
Last week the Trump administration revoked protections for transgender students that granted access to public bathrooms according to gender identity. The mandate, rolled out by former President Barack Obama, was considered a huge step in the legal fight for trans, gender-nonconforming and other sex- or genderdiverse persons. The letter from the current administration said that the ruling had overstepped states’ rights “in establishing educational policy.” One local advocacy group, Gender Justice Nevada, responded to the administration’s motion in a Facebook post on Wednesday, stating that current protections for Nevada transgender students would not change. “Statutes here provide support for Nevada students accessing bathrooms [that] correspond to their sex/gender identity,” it said. The statement references statute NRS651— which deals with public accommodations, amended in 2011 to include protections for gender identity or expression—and goes on to say, “These discussions resulted in a clear understanding that a person’s ‘sincerely held belief’ regarding their sex/gender identity or expression is protected under Nevada law.” In a follow-up interview, GJN director Jane Heenan says Nevada schools don’t always follow these policies, but GJN works on behalf of students and families to make sure their rights are upheld. “Schools have a primary role in supporting young people, [but] schools are not generally supportive of sex and gender diversity,” Heenan says. “Just last week we were at Chaparral, and initially the principal said [they] were not going to grant [bathroom] access [for sex- and gender-diverse students]. We followed up in this instance, and a couple days later the student was granted access to the bathrooms.” While transgender and gender-diverse communities have experienced increased fear and uncertainty following President Trump’s election, Heenan says GJN will continue to work on their behalf. “We have been successful in getting people the rights that they deserve,” Heenan says. “If we can’t access public spaces, then we really cannot exist in public—and that’s a profound struggle.”
10
THE INTERSECTION
LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 03.02.17
(Photo Illustration by Ian Racoma/Staff)
THE PRICE OF VICE Greed’s to blame for the likely development near Red Rock nd so it’s coming to this: death by bulldozer. It’s not how I thought I would go. I’m more of a choked-on-a-pizza-crust kind of girl. But after another whack-a-mole round of negotiations between developers and the Clark County Commission, I’m starting to have visions of myself in a construction standoff on Blue Diamond Hill, sitting, or perhaps sprawling on the dirt with a farewell adult beverage in hand, in front of a countysanctioned bulldozer. I’ll be screaming in futility that Red Rock is sacred, I’ll be thinking about the nuanced differences between me and the Bundy clan and the Sioux Tribe, I’ll be loyally remembering the thousands of spiritual moments Red Rock Canyon has given me. But ultimately, greed will demand PYRAMID OF that I be squished, BISCUITS along with the exBY STACY J. WILLIS pendable lizards and Joshua Trees. There’s only one reason that hill would ever be developed: greed. And aren’t we a city built unabashedly on it? So isn’t it reasonable to expect that a community based on gambling, made possible by damming the mighty Colorado River, would eventually destroy Red Rock National Conservation Area, too? Las Vegans, more overtly than most, enjoy a precarious relationship with vice and virtue, with irony and apathy. I love this city. But there are days
A
I wish the earth would shift—as it did over the course of millions of years to create Red Rock—and devour us. ***** The Seven Deadly Sins—greed, pride, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth— are thought to have been first identified as such by the Desert Fathers, a group of 3rd Century A.D. ascetics who gave all their possessions to the poor and went into the Egyptian desert seeking spiritual solitude. It was the desert that allowed them to reflect on human nature in a manner that guided Western spiritual thought for centuries thereafter. But greed is identified as a human frailty in most faiths and philosophies; it’s one of the three poisons in the Buddhist Wheel of Life, one of six negative thoughts of the Hindu Arishadvarga, and one of the many horrible values actor Michael Douglas’ slick corporate character touted in the 1987 movie Wall Street.
I was thinking about the Seven Deadly Sins the other day when I visited artist Ugo Rondinone’s “Seven Magic Mountains” in the desert south of Las Vegas. When I first visited the installation of brightly painted, stacked boulders last summer, I felt giddy about his outsized, clever commentary on Las Vegas’s unnaturally absurd presence in the middle of the desert. This time, though—a colder, windier, more sullen day with fewer tourists—I experienced the massive stacks of boulders as indictments of our hubris, and I thought Rondinone all the more insightful. I stood under the stack I dubbed “Greed” and asked it to calm down a tad. It seemed to chuckle. It glowed. It looked right past me, westward, toward Red Rock. ***** Astronomers discovered seven Earth-like planets orbiting a star 235 trillion miles away from us last month.
The news came at a serendipitous time for those of us weary of what we’ve done on our little plot of dirt lately. Right after I read about Trump’s plan to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency, I read that at least three of those seven planets are believed to be habitable. After adding SpaceX to speed dial, I realized my foolishness: not that I can’t catch a ride to another planet, but that my greed, along with my pride, lust, gluttony, sloth, wrath and envy, would go right along with me. It’s hard not to want to explore the realms of our existence, to develop our civilization. I want to know what’s out there—way out there—too. But it’s our predicament that we struggle so much more with what’s right here on the inside. May we make the nobler decisions sometimes. And may one of those times be on Blue Diamond Hill.
12
LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 03.02.17
USA SEVENS RUGBY March 3-5, $43-$216, Sam Boyd Stadium, usasevens.com.
The United States’ largest annual rugby event returns to Las Vegas, bigger than ever
13
las vegas weekly 03.02.17
By Tovin Lapan
ith the NHL on its way and the NFL playing footsie with Las Vegas, it’s important not to overlook the great sporting traditions already underway in our Valley. The USA Sevens International Rugby Tournament, introduced in LA in 2004 , first came to Sam Boyd Stadium in 2010 and drew 24,000 people over three days. Last year the tournament, the largest annual rugby event in the United States, hosted 80,000 fans. Each year the competition, fanbase and ancillary events—which include a golf tournament, a parade of nations, educational programs and a medical symposium—have expanded. ¶ Rugby sevens features only seven players per side, as opposed to the 15 in Rugby union, and each game consists of seven-minute halves. It makes for a free-flowing, faster-paced game, and it also means fans get to see several matchups in one sitting. Each country’s supporters have their own traditions, including songs and chants, but rather than insular, the atmosphere feels joyous and welcoming. Costumes are de rigueur. Newcomers to the game are embraced, especially if they’re willing to adopt their neighbor’s country of choice. We spoke with Rob Cornelius, vice president of business development for USA Sevens, to get the scoop on what’s new and exciting in 2017. Welcome the ladies. For the first time in Las Vegas, the event will be home to a women’s sevens tournament along with its usual men’s competition, offering even more opportunities to catch the action. The USA women took second at a recent sevens tournament in Sydney. “We’re very excited to have the women here, and women’s rugby is really booming,” Cornelius says. “It gives the little girls who are interested something more to relate to, and it’s a new and special event for the fans.” Culinary delights abound. When fans aren’t cheering on their country, they’re most likely sampling the fare at the extremely diverse beer, wine and food festival at Sam Boyd. There are food stalls representing many of the countries, offering dishes that are hard to come by elsewhere. “It really is a global cultural event more than anything else,” Cornelius says. “At the food stalls, you can’t miss the meat pies from New Zealand and sausages from South Africa.” Think of the children. This year, 26 different Clark County schools will “adopt a country,” learning about its chosen land’s culture and history, and will then get to meet rugby players from that nation. “It’s one of the coolest things we do, and one of the special times of the year for me,” Cor-
nelius says. “The kids are so excited, and they immediately make these athletes loosen up, and the players become kids again. It’s very special.” The world comes to you. The tournament is truly international, with players and fans present from all over the world. The atmosphere feels more like a raucous party than a sporting contest. “This year we are expecting more than 90,000 people,” Cornelius says. “Las Vegas is a perfect destination. The other events in the series are in Hong Kong, Dubai, Sydney and London. Vegas is easier for the world to get to, and cost-wise for fans it’s cheaper than Dubai or Hong Kong.” The bandwagon’s coming. Rugby is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S., and the college and high school ranks are expanding. Rugby sevens was added to the Olympics last year in Rio. The U.S. Olympic team didn’t make it out of the first round, but the ruggers from the states are showing steady improvement. “Rugby continues to grow domestically,” Cornelius says “I think we’re seeing a difference in the popularity of the sport. With another Olympic cycle to help build the sport, I think it will only continue to grow. Of course if the U.S. team has some success, that would be a boost.”
Wales’ Owen Jenkins (5) gets tackled by the U.S. team during last year’s tournament at Sam Boyd Stadium. (Mikayla Whitmore/Staff)
Rugby dates back to the 1820s, and like any sport with a significant history, it has its own nomenclature. We could give you the most crucial, important vocabulary, but it’s more fun to share the wackiest words from the rugby lexicon.
A last ditch tackle when a ball carrier appears to be breaking away, but the defender manages to dive, hit the opponent’s leg and make the tackle.
Rugby players, once substituted out, cannot return to the game—with one exception. A player who is bleeding can be temporarily replaced while he receives first aid.
The cheekiest of all rugby position names, which also include wingers, flankers and props. The hooker plays the center of the front row of the scrum, and uses his feet to hook the ball back toward a teammate.
A pass thrown to a teammate a split second before he is obliterated by an opposing tackler, after which he’s likely to need medical treatment.
Losing, dropping or knocking the ball forward from a player’s hand, which results in the ball being awarded to the other team in a scrum.
Used to restart play after an illegal pass. The forwards from each side bind together, and the two packs come together. The ball is then fed into the tunnel formed by the two sides.
The original touchdown. A team scores five points when it crosses the opposing team’s goal line and touches the ball to the ground. Unlike in American football, if the player doesn’t maintain possession and put the ball on the ground over the line, there’s no score. –Tovin Lapan
14 COVER STORY WEEKLY | 03.02.17
The gates of McCarran are always busy. (MIkayla Whitmore/Staff)
15 COVER STORY WEEKLY | 03.02.17
The T3 Uber/Lyft pickup, located on the valet level of the garage, is significantly less crowded than its T1 counterpart.
n September 11, 2001, terrorists seized control of several domestic airline fights and crashed them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in southern Pennsylvania. The consequences of that horrible day are well known and, sadly, ongoing. But one relatively minor, short-term local consequence of the attacks might be forgotten over time: As a result of a federal order that shut down America’s civilian airspace, McCarran International Airport was closed for three days. At the time of the attacks I was working as a film critic for the Las Vegas Sun. That morning, I attended a critic’s screening of Ghost World— whose insistently cynical tone cheered me up not at all—and after that I drove to the office by way of the airport bypass road, because I wanted to know what McCarran’s off-switch looked like. It was, predictably, an eerie sight. Dozens of planes were parked around the D Gates, lined up in mute rows. The access roads were clear of taxis, buses and limousines; even the runway tunnel was largely empty of private cars. And all day after that, I looked out the windows of the
Sun’s Henderson office at those empty skies, a sad thought cycling through my head over and over: This town’s doomed without tourists. That bad day was one of the factors that compelled me to move to Seattle eight months later. And though I don’t regret that decision, I do feel a little foolish now that I’m chatting with Christine Crews, McCarran’s public affairs administrator, on an information-packed walking tour of the airport. One of the first things she tells me is that McCarran was the first airport in America to reopen in the wake of 9/11. “You can probably imagine, given the number of people we have at any time in this city, how many people wanted to get home,” she says. I don’t say anything, don’t mention the sort-of premonition that drove me out of Vegas, because I realize I actually hadn’t thought about that in 2001—about all the people sitting in their hotel rooms anxiously waiting to leave. I was too busy reeling from the sudden, astonishing realization that our city has a window than can be shut.
McCarran is my favorite national airport, hands down. To my mind it doesn’t even have close competition, despite a recent J.D. Power study that ranked it third, below Portland International and Tampa International, in overall customer satisfaction (28 other airports scored below ours). I like bits of other airports—the concessions at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, the Eero Saarinen-designed TWA Flight Center at New York’s Kennedy and, sure, the iconic carpeting at Portland International, an inexplicable social media darling—but none of them can stand up to McCarran, for one reason above all: I don’t have to think about being there, because I’m never there for long. McCarran is located more or less in the center of town. It’s been in the same place since 1948, when that South Strip location was considered remote—indeed, many years before we even coined the phrase South Strip. One of the questions Crews frequently gets asked by newcomers is, “What idiot decided to put an airport in the middle of town?”—as if a major international airport would choose to squeeze itself into an already-packed resort corridor, where its expansion possibilities are limited. On speaking engagements, she usually shows a slide of the airport’s look in the 1950s—located several miles away from the closest hotel, just runways cut into open desert. But McCarran’s strange location is also its greatest asset. The reason McCarran doesn’t have a ton of amenities in its terminals—it
doesn’t have Atlanta’s endless variety of restaurants, for example, or an on-site hotel, like you’ll find in Orlando—is because Las Vegas itself is the terminal. You can finish a meal at the Cosmopolitan and be at a TSA checkpoint 15 minutes later. Conversely, you can land at McCarran and start gambling within 15 minutes—or less, since Nevada is the only state that allows gaming in its airports, at least for now. (Reportedly, Illinois is considering it for Chicago’s airports.) To locals, that central location means something else entirely. If you text me at wheels down, I can drive to McCarran in just about the time it takes you to disembark, get your luggage and walk to passenger pickup. (By comparison: Seattle-Tacoma International is a good halfhour drive from downtown Seattle in favorable traffic, and LAX is 17 miles from downtown LA on largely impassable streets.) It also means we can fly out of our airport and land at another one in less time than travelers in other cities spend waiting for snowplows to clear a runway. Crews puts it best. “One of the beautiful things about living here is the connectivity we have to the world,” she says. “We serve about 150 different destinations, more than 20 of them international, with 30 different airlines— and because Las Vegas is a leading destination, the airlines usually post low-cost fares for it. We benefit from that, because it’s a low-cost ticket to anywhere we might want to go.” I know a number of people who have taken full advantage of that: friends who use McCarran as a conduit to a quality of medical treatment they feel they can’t get here; friends who have worked jobs in Vegas but have maintained residences in San Francisco and New York City, treating McCarran as one would a small-town commuter airport. One of the latter sort, a circus performer, worked it backwards: He bought a house here and commutes to Manhattan, applying that
If planes are flying over your house, check the weather. In winter, McCarran typically routes traffic to its northsouth runways, working with prevailing winds. In summer, they go east-west. McCarran’s longest runway has a downward grade, which helps planes speed up and get lift in triple-digit heat.
16 COVER STORY WEEKLY | 03.02.17
Southwest Airlines takes up all the C gates and half the B gates, transporting more than 1 million passengers monthly— roughly 40 percent of the air traffic in and out of Vegas.
city’s higher wages to Las Vegas’ more reasonable cost of living. “I’m trying to talk more of my friends into doing it,” he says, “because your airport is so easy.” McCarran’s central location has one other benefit, though I might be one of very few who fully appreciates it: No matter where I am in this Valley and no matter the time of day, I can go outside, look up and receive conclusive evidence that Vegas is still working. As long as I see planes in the sky, money is being flown into our economy and left here.
The 1980s expansion projects that created Terminal 1’s baggage claim and the C Gates brought with it a color scheme McCarran employees “affectionately and not-so-affectionately refer to as ‘McCarran mauve,’” Crews jokes. It’s still on the walls of Terminal 1, both inside and out. But it’s beginning to be replaced—an in-progress remodel of baggage claim and ticketing, which is removing the tile-and-carpet floors in favor of glittering terrazzo, is slowly stripping away the McCarran mauve of our forebears. “There’s an effort to phase it out, but it won’t completely disappear,” she says, acknowledging that people have grown fond of it (as they have of the mirrored “disco ceiling”). Part of Crews’ job is to watch for mentions of the airport on social media, and more than once during our walk through the terminals, she references passenger reaction to various aspects of McCarran—they love this, they didn’t like that, something confused them at first. It’s wholly understandable that the airport would want to keep tabs on how visitors regard McCarran—it is, after all, the first and last impression most tourists have of Vegas. But the passion for McCarran mauve hews closer to home. It comes
McCarran has a VIP airport lounge, the Club at LAS, that’s open to all. A $40 day pass gets you snacks and (adult!) beverages, shower facilities and a quiet place to relax or do work.
from a place similar to New York’s love of Saarinen’s TWA terminal, or Portland’s hipster-bred love of its damn terminal carpeting. It says locals are becoming fond of McCarran, and want it to hold on to its character, even as it grows steadily larger, busier and more modern. The evidence of that modernization effort is visible everywhere we turn. The ticketing windows look cleaner—they’re now lined with sand-colored stone—and they’re being reconfigured to be more like those in Terminal 3, which feature “dynamic signage” and flexible-use counters. That means the windows
used by British Airways in the morning can be run by Hainan Airlines in the afternoon. McCarran has technological capacities that are in some cases more advanced than those of the airlines themselves. Crews likens the process of updating to “changing the wheels on a car that’s going 100 miles per hour,” which many airlines aren’t keen to do. “We often take an ‘If we build it, we’ll wait for them to come along’ approach,” she says. There might be no better example of this—or a more optimistic indicator that we’ve successfully weathered a recession—than the way McCarran is,
Brian Eno recorded his 1978 ambient record Music for Airports with the intent of “brightening” the anxiety and tedium of flying. It does that, but it’s also a somber, thoughtful listen that doesn’t quite capture the excitement and romance of traveling somewhere. Here are some songs that do. BY GEOFF CARTER AND MIKE PREVATT
Yoshinori Sunahara, “Theme From TakeOff (Magic Sunset)” Not just 1970s-style lounge music—it’s 1970s-style airport lounge music, ideal for having a smoke with the flight crew.
The Avalanches, “Flight Tonight”
The Fireman, “Sing the Changes”
Thomas Dolby, “Flying North”
“I need to book a flight tonight,” a voice repeats over an insistent breakbeat, with a hint of funky reggae. Yeah, ya do.
Paul McCartney pretends he’s U2—and he’s good at it. This dreamy anthem continues ascending even as it ends.
The lyrics paint flying as a wearying slog—are we listening to the pilot, perhaps?—but the music is giddy, eager to take off.
17 COVER STORY WEEKLY | 03.02.17
If you’re traveling without checked bags, you can use any TSA checkpoint. All the gates are connected, either by skybridge or tram. Some prefer to use Terminal 3’s speedy checkpoint to access Terminal 1’s D Gates.
Call us just before you hit baggage claim, and we’ll meet you at passenger pickup. (MIkayla Whitmore/Staff)
in its way, already outgrowing Terminal 3, which opened just five years ago with seven international gates. Seven more are being added by converting a wing of the D Gates. “The capacity constraints of an airport are always going to be airways, roadways, terminals,” Crews says. “With the addition of Terminal 3, we expanded that capacity [by] being able to switch out and maximize what we have.” The new international D Gates will have sterile corridors and a tunnel leading directly to the customs and border control facilities in Terminal 3. McCarran will equip one of those new gates with a dual jetbridge to accommodate an Airbus A380—the largest passenger airline in the world. No airline has yet landed one in Vegas, but McCarran will be ready when one does. “Gotta have it before they want it,” Crews says. And even though McCarran moved 47.4 million
passengers last year, Crews doesn’t sound worried about bumping against the airport’s estimated maximum capacity of 55 million. “Growth isn’t a straight line,” she says. “And there’s a federal program called NextGen [currently in development] that will take air traffic controls from being radar-based to GPS-based. That would increase our capacity as far as airspace goes.” The future sorted away, Crews and I happily talk about McCarran of the present. (You might have guessed by now that I’m an unapologetic transit infrastructure geek.) As we wander, she provides me with a raft of facts and figures. I learn that taxi queues at both terminals are 10 lanes across, and on busy days, they’re completely full. And that $2 surcharge cabs, Uber and Lyft add to fares? It’s necessary to maintain the facilities those services use.
M83 ft. Zola Jesus, “Intro”
A Flock of Seagulls, “Space Age Love Song”
Marvin Gaye, “Flyin’ High (in the Friendly Sky)”
Hit play just as the plane begins to roll down the runway, and marvel at the meeting of aeronautics and science fiction.
Struggling to relax through sudden turbulence? Let the greatest soul singer in history be your copilot.
If you lack the nerve to board, this synthdriven affirmation of your inner courage will get you onto the jetway. Carry on!
“McCarran is an enterprise fund facility,” Crews says. “The airport operates on money that is spent here, fees that are charged here. We don’t take any property taxes or anything like that. … It all has to be paid for somehow. The parking structure—it has to be lit, has to be maintained, has to be staffed. If we didn’t do a direct user charge, it would have to go into the overall operating budget of the airport, which would then be reflected in the cost of your plane tickets.” She shows me some of the Easter eggs the airport has hidden in plain sight: a display of vintage airline advertising materials in the C Gates; the Hacienda Hotel-sponsored Cessna 172—suspended from the ceiling over baggage claim—that spent a continuous 64 days, 22 hours and 19 minutes aloft in the winter of ’58 (a record that still stands); the photomosaic murals in the D Gates, created from hand-drawn art by 30,000 Clark County schoolkids; the markers for the Fly Fit in-terminal walking trails, intended for passengers with edema concerns; and even the tiny, shadowy silhouette of Howard Hughes hidden in a terrazzo floor mural of the Vegas skyline, recently created by artist Randy Heil for Terminal 1’s baggage claim (look in the windows of the Desert Inn). But one of the things she points out is visible to all: the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign in the D Gates, which debuted with the 1998 addition. Crews beams as she addresses it. “I think there are things that we locals take for granted, or think we’re too cool for,” she says, “but this is one of the most-photographed locations in all of Las Vegas.” “It’s our Portland carpet,” I suggest. And just then, I remember something: When I returned to Las Vegas from Seattle in 2012, I arrived at the D Gates. I walked briskly through the terminal, eager to get to baggage claim, but I stopped briefly at that sign and snapped a picture of it with my phone, even though there are probably a thousand similar photos online. I posted it to my Facebook page, with the simple caption “I’m back.” Ten years after McCarran saw me change my Vegas story, it enabled me to pick it right back up. The window swung open, like nothing had happened at all.
Sasha, “Magnetic North”
Hüsker Dü, “Private Plane”
Pretty City, “Melt”
Halfway between ambient and breakbeat, this propulsive instrumental sounds like it’s echoing off the clouds below.
How do you get to the farthest star? Why, you take a private plane, fueled by roaring post-punk. Everyone knows this.
This psychedelic rocker is half-airborne, half-landlocked. Cue it up when they tell you to put your tray table up for landing.
DOWNTOWN’S
MARCHING ORDERS THUR. MAR. 2 I 5:30pm
USA SEVENS RUGBY
PARADE OF NATIONS RALLY
SAT. MAR. 11 I 8pm
RACE JAM Free concerT FeaTUring
NIGHT RANGER & SURVIVOR
MAR. 9 - APR. 3 DOWNTOWN HOOPSTOWN
GAME VIEWING • LIVE ENTERTAINMENT INTERACTIVE CONTESTS & MORE
MAR. 16 - 19 4 DAYS • 3 STAGES • 23 BANDS 53 HOURS OF FREE LIVE MUSIC
Vegas e xperience .com BINION’S
CALIFORNIA
THE D
FOUR QUEENS
FREMONT
GOLDEN GATE
GOLDEN NUGGET
MAIN STREET STATION
I
N
T
R
O
D
U
C
I
N
G
O
U
R
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
DOORS AT 11AM March 11 & 12
March 17
Opening Party
St. Patrick’s Day Rehab
March 18
March 19
March 25
March 26
April 8
Presents
Heroes & Villains 21st Birthday Bash
TICKETS & RESERVATIONS: REHAB@HRHVEGAS.COM 702.693.5505 | HARDROCKHOTEL.COM | REHABLV.COM /REHABLV #REHABLV
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
about us
g r e e n s p u n m e d i a
g r o u p
Publisher Mark De Pooter (mark.depooter@gmgvegas.com) Editor Brock Radke (brock.radke@gmgvegas.com) Staff Writer Leslie Ventura (leslie.ventura@gmgvegas.com) Associate Creative Director Liz Brown (liz.brown@gmgvegas.com) Designers Corlene Byrd, Ian Racoma Contributors Jim Begley, Sarah Feldberg, Deanna Rilling 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
Dee Jay Silver Photo courtesy
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.
POWERING INNOVATION IN NIGHTLIFE
PASSES START AT
129
$
REGISTER NOW AT ADVANCE RATES!
GO TO NCBSHOW.COM SAMPLE OF PAST SPONSORS.
MARCH 27-29, 2017 | EXPO HALL: MARCH 28-29 LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER NCBSHOW.COM
W E E K L Y
I N D U S T R Y
|
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
03 03
ENCORE BEACH CLUB
Canadian turntablist Alain Macklovitch, aka A-Trak and one half of Duck Sauce, has the esteemed honor of breaking in EBC for the season. Let’s get the summer party started.
fri
drai’s
xs
marquee
04 omnia
light
05 sun
S T E V E AO K I
drai’s beachclub
DJ F R A N ZE N
encore beach club
OOKAY
I SAI AH R ASHAD
omnia
DJ MU S T ARD
sat
vinyl
FAE D
CE DRIC G E RVAIS
THE C H A I NS MO K E R S
ST E V IE J
jewel
intrigue
T . I.
surrender
AFRO JACK
drai’s
S LA NDER
encore beach club
NE LLY
MAK J
surrender
STAFFOR D BR OTHER S
tao beach
YE LLO W CLAW
06
intrigue
hakkasan
ti ë sto
ANG IE VE E
mon
marquee
G ALANT IS
07 tue
hyde
DJ I KON
xs
LO S T K ING S
fri
A - T R AK
e n c o r e b e a c h c l u b a n d d av i d g u e t t a c o u r t e s y w y n n n i g h t l i f e ; B a c k s t r e e t b o y s b y C a s e y C u r r y / a p ; r u c k u s b y J O e j a n e t
big this week
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
|
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
big this week
D AV I D G UE T T A
AXIS
The boys debuted their Larger Than Life residency March 1 at Planet Hollywood. After their Saturday show, you can catch them next door at Chateau.
04
XS
The super-producer, who’s wrapping up his seventh studio album, should bring new energy to his Wynn Nightlife residency return this weekend.
RU CK U S
sun
03
sat
fri
BACKSTREET BO YS
05
MARQUEE
The Dayclub Dome amps up new Sundaynight pool party Drenched After Dark with booming beats from Ruckus.
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
|
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
soundscape
A
p a i r
o f
c o u n t r y s ta r s i n
f o r
St r i p
p o p b i g s h o w s
T
wo of the biggest names in country music visit Las Vegas this weekend—Dierks Bentley and Blake Shelton— bringing enough party hits and firepower to own the Strip.
D O U B L E
T R O U B L E
Singer, songwriter, star of NBC’s The Voice and Gwen Stefani boyfriend Shelton brings his Doing It to Country Songs tour to MGM Grand Saturday night. The tour follows last year’s release of Shelton’s 10th studio album, If I’m Honest, and the show follows this week’s debut of season 12 of The Voice. The TV gig has only enhanced the seven-time Grammy nominee’s already massive audience. Bentley, who grew up in Arizona and moved to Nashville at age 19, put himself on the map with “What Was I Thinkin’?” from his eponymous 2003 debut album and hasn’t let up over the past decade, notching 15 No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Last year’s eighth studio album, Black, includes the certified gold smash “Different for Girls” featuring Elle King, the singer with whom he walked the Grammy red carpet this year. Bentley’s Cosmo shows are something of a Vegas warm-up for the veteran performer, who will return to the Strip in April to co-host the annual ACM Awards (with Luke Bryan), taking place for the first time at T-Mobile Arena. Dierks Bentley (with Cole Swindell) at the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan, March 3 and 4. Blake Shelton (with RaeLynn) at MGM Grand Garden Arena, March 4. –Brock Radke
MARCH 16 – 19
YOUR ULTIMATE GUIDE TO
BASKETBALL MAYHEM! • SEE ALL GAMES LIVE IN THE SUPERBOOK ON THE WORLDS LARGEST INDOOR 4K HD SCREEN • ROOMS STARTING AT $65 A NIGHT
• FOOD & BEVERAGE SPECIALS • SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY THURL BAILEY ON MARCH 16
DOORS OPEN 8:00 AM
MUST BE 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER TO ATTEND THE VIEWING PARTY. RESERVED SEATING AVAILABLE AT THE BOX OFFICE.
FRE VIE E W PAR ING INTINSID TY! ERN E TH ! THE ATIO E ATE NAL R
#KINGOFSCREENS
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
|
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
architect
N E W
E R A D E E
J A Y
S I L V E R B E N E F I T S F R O M
T H E
C O U N T R Y B O O M
I
t used to be that a couple times every year, Vegas would go country. The ACM Awards or PBR World Finals would roll into town, and the music would follow. That’s when Dee Jay Silver would take over. The first and only DJ to be signed to a major Nashville record label, Silver almost moved to Vegas before a label deal and regular touring gig with charttopper Jason Aldean kept him in place. “Twice a month I still try to talk my wife into moving out there,” he jokes. But these days, country music is always present in Las Vegas, with the genre’s top stars making the Strip a regular stop and Silver doing the same. As far as the DJ is concerned, country is part of the resurgence of open format.
“It’s funny how it moves in cycles, hiphop to EDM to pop to rock, and it seems country is on the forefront,” he says. “But country’s not what it was 10 years ago. It’s younger, more friendly, with a more diverse audience. And it’s a betterlooking crowd from all walks of life. It’s not just lonely women and ugly dogs.” Still, Silver strategizes his sets in a way few DJs do. Who else could drop Dierks Bentley, Tiësto and DJ Snake into the same mix? “My theory is, there are no boundaries. If you don’t like that song, go get a drink, because there’s another one coming in two minutes. I try to leave the crowd saying, ‘Holy sh*t, I can’t believe he played that.’” Silver returns to his residencies at the Foundation Room and Rehab this
month, playing eight shows leading up to the ACM party on April 2 before hitting the road with Aldean, Kane Brown and Chris Young. He’s also prepping his own new music for upcoming release. “This is really something different,” he says of his recent work. “The goal was to make every song different, and I’m just in love with it; I can’t turn it off. We’re just trying to take our game up a notch and give people a different way to listen.” Dee Jay Silver at the Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay, March 4. –Brock Radke
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
in the moment
intrigue alan w alk e r
feb 24 Photographs by Wynn Nightlife
|
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
|
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
the forecast
E A T I N G PHOTOGRAPH BY ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES
E V E R Y T H I N G
T H E
S T R I P
R E M A I N S T H E A T
S T A R V E G A S
U N C O R K ’ D
I
t’s probably the most celebrity chef-stuffed culinary event in the entire universe, but the best part about Vegas Uncork’d by Bon Apétit is that it shines the spotlight on a truly unique restaurant landscape: the few dazzling miles that make up the Las Vegas Strip. Those big chef names—this year’s lineup includes Alain Ducasse, Bobby Flay, Buddy Valastro, Giada De Laurentiis, Gordon Ramsay, Guy Savoy, JeanGeorges Vongerichten, José Andrés, Michael Mina, Nobu Matsuhisa, Scott Conant and Wolfgang Puck—are just
role players, really. The Strip is the star, the only place in the world where all these unbelievable meals and restaurant experiences can coexist. The Grand Tasting at Caesars Palace’s Garden of the Gods pool oasis is always the foundation of Uncork’d, set for April 27-30, but there are plenty of other events you’ll want to check out (with tickets remaining): Thursday’s Master Series Dinner at the Caesars version of iconic eatery Mr Chow; Friday’s Lunch Like a Spaniard with Andrés at the Cosmopolitan’s Jaleo;
Saturday’s ultimate teppan experience dinner with the man himself, Nobu; and the infamous Uncork’d closer, brunch at Rao’s with Frank Pellegrino Jr. and the family. It doesn’t get any more Vegas than that. Vegasuncorked.com. –Brock Radke
ALSO ON SALE
MAY 6 Monster Energy Supercross Finals
•
MAY 20 Badass Dash Obstacle Course Challenge
(702) 739-FANS
•
JUNE 20 Kidz Bop Kids Best Time Ever Tour
Mobile Phone via unlvtickets.com Thomas & Mack Center Ticket Office
•
Town Square Concierge La Bonita Supermarkets
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
|
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
industry beyond
m o r e
T H A N
P H I L L Y ’ S F I N E S T T h e
1 0 t h
R o o t s P i c n i c s e r v e s u p
a
t e m pt i n g l i n e u p
T
he Legendary Roots Crew just announced the lineup for the 10th-annual edition of beloved summertime fest the Roots Picnic, set for June 3 at Philadelphia’s Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing. Joining Questlove, Black Thought and Co. will be an all-star cavalcade of boundary-pushing artists both new and established, including Pharrell Williams, Lil Wayne, Solange, 21 Savage, Kimbra, Pete Rock, Thundercat and Virgil Abloh. Black Thought will team with
J. Period, Fat Joe, Mobb Deep and onetime Roots player Scott Storch for a “live mixtape” freestyle. Other participants include breakthrough British soul singer Michael Kiwanuka, Bronx producer A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Irish singer/songwriter James Vincent McMorrow and Chicago poet and hip-hop artist Noname. If you can’t commit to summer in Philly, there are still tickets available to the second day of the Roots Picnic in New York City. The Roots/
D’Angelo/John Mayer-anchored first day has been sold out for a while, but October 2 tickets remain, offering another stellar lineup: the Wu-Tang Clan, David Byrne and Nile Rodgers backed by The Roots; plus Swizz Beatz, Deerhoof, EPMD, Lil Uzi Vert, DJ Jazzy Jeff and many more. Make plans. Rootspicnic.com. –Brock Radke
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
in the moment
Drai ’s mi go s
feb 21
Photographs by Mike Kirschbaum/ Tony Tran Photography
|
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
Jo Koy March 3
9PM TRE ASU RE ISL AND THE ATRE TICKETS 702 . 894 .7722
outf itted
S P O R T
C H A N
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
outf itted
D S Q U A R E D 2 A R R I V E S
I N G
V E G A S
S H O P S
A T
A T
T H E
C R Y S T A L S
B
orn in Canada, Living in London, Made in Italy.” Perhaps the slogan explaining the stylish rise of Toronto brothers Dean and Dan Caten and their Dsquared2 dynasty can now be expanded to include Las Vegas. On February 11, the refined-yetplayful brand opened its first Vegas store on the Strip at the ultra-lux Shops at Crystals.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JON ESTRADA
C E
L A S
I N
The brothers left Canada for New York City to attend Parsons School of Design in 1984, then relocated to Italy and began building their brand. The first Dsquared2 men’s collection arrived in 1995, known for its blend of sport and luxury. Celebrities soon connected, like Lenny Kravitz, Justin Timberlake and Ricky Martin—the new resident performer at nearby Park Theater (he’s expected at the Crystals store for a grandopening event in early April). Madonna also famously commissioned the Catens to design outfits for her “Don’t Tell Me” video and Drowned World Tour in 2001.
Dsquared2 has been an equally powerful sports sensation, creating uniforms and branding for soccer clubs; it partnered with Manchester City FC of the English Premier League last fall on an official club suit. But as evidenced by the Vegas store selection, denim and classic sportswear with subtle touches of Italian flair and sophistication remain at the core. Whether its sharp suiting or a sexy leather jacket, Dsquared2 finds the edge between casual and cool, masculine and feminine, laid-back and extravagant. Dsquared2 at the Shops at Crystals, 702-790-2448; Sunday-Thursday 10 a.m.-11 p.m., Friday & Saturday 10 a.m.midnight. –Brock Radke
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
|
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
night bites
E A S T E R N
D I S C O V E R y A n
e c l e c t i c m e n u a t
E P h o t o g rap h b y J o n E s t ra d a
verybody knows Benihana. In Las Vegas, a new outlet of the familiar teppanyaki franchise has opened smack on the Strip at the Fashion Show mall, but the more established version of Benihana Vegas is at the Westgate. Hidden within the whimsical village surrounding that dining destination is quiet gem Silk Road Asian Bistro, where diverse and beloved noodle dishes—Japanese ramen, Chinese rice noodles and Vietnamese pho—are the signature dishes. This Asian bistro does it all well without muddling flavors through fusion, as evidenced by appetizer options of crispy vegetable spring rolls or soft, rice paper-wrapped shrimp and pork summer rolls, stuffed with fresh herbs and aromatics. There are four flavors each of ramen and pho, and if thin rice noodles aren’t your favorite match for Szechuan beef or roasted duck, you can sub more
A s i a n a w a i t s
S i l k
R o a d
substantial ho fun or wonton-style egg noodles into those flavorful Chinese dishes. Other entrée options include honey and miso-glazed sea bass, a fried-wings spin on classic General Tso’s chicken and Mongolian beef served with rich, well-marbled Wagyu. At Silk Road, what seems like a casino noodle bar offers so much more. Silk Road at Westgate Las Vegas, 702-732-5111; daily 5-10 p.m.
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
|
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
first sip
O e n o p h i l e ’ s
p a r a d i s e
W i n e S p e c t a t o r b r i n g s i t s
t o p
b o t t l e s t o
A u r e o l e
C
harlie Palmer’s Aureole at Mandalay Bay has always been one of the greatest places for wine in Las Vegas, famous for its breathtaking, four-story wine tower in the center of the dining room. Although the restaurant has recently undergone some refreshing changes, the tower and the wine remain. As if to fortify the destination’s reputation, Wine Spectator brings a celebration to Aureole this weekend. More than 40 of the wine bible’s top 100 bottles of 2016 will be served and sipped on Friday night, March 3—an experience guided by Palmer
himself, Mandalay Bay Director of Wine Harley Carbery and a number of the winemakers. The wines’ rankings have been determined by the publication’s editors, who aim to find the most exciting and diverse bottles, from emerging vineyards and regions to traditional estates exploring new directions. Among the top picks that will be featured at Aureole: Domaine Serene Chardonnay Dundee Hills Evenstad Reserve, 2014; Orin Swift Machete California, 2014; and Ridge Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains, 2012. The event should be a stellar opportunity to re-engage with this
Strip dining icon, its inviting new décor and an updated menu that encourages sharing and social interaction. New dishes will be served as passed hors d’oeuvres, including lion fish ceviche tacos and whole roasted sturgeon Wellington. If you haven’t revisited Aureole, the time has come. Wine Spectator Tasting at Aureole at Mandalay Bay, March 3.
NEON REVERB MUSIC FESTIVAL 2017
MARCH 9TH -12TH DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS TICKETS ON SALE AT NEONREVERB.COM
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
|
in the moment
XS dillo n fr anc i s
feb 25
Photographs by Danny Mahoney
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
WATCH ALL THE TOURNAMENT GAMES
March 16 March 19 D A I LY 8 A M - 1 0 P M
BUY MORNING, EVENING OR ALL DAY TICKETS $$30 per Session $50 All Day
A L L YO U CA N DRI NK EI BEER, T- S H I RT, G A ME DAY BUF F ET & G I V EAWAYS Tickets on sale now!
ELLISISLANDCASINO.COM/PROMOTIONS ELLISISLANDCASINO.COM | @ELLISCASINOLV
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
|
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
recovery
F A S T
F I T
A N D
H E A L T H T A K E S
M E A L
B I N G E P R E P
S E R I O U S L Y
PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKAYLA WHITMORE
When you’re trying to live a healthier lifestyle, microwaveable meals just don’t make the cut … unless they’re prepared by a trained chef inside a local kitchen. Created by former NFL athlete Gerome Sapp, Health Binge is a grab-and-go prepared-food service offering pre-packaged, portion-controlled and nutrientrich entrées and snacks that make healthy living easy. With access to breakfast, lunch and dinner choices like lemon and vanilla blackberry pancakes, ancho chili bison enchiladas and blackened shrimp and grits, anyone with a busy lifestyle can get proper nutrition without sacrificing time or taste. Sapp initially developed the concept for his teammates as the football captain at Notre Dame, but it wasn’t until he graduated from Harvard Business School that he streamlined the idea. Having just announced a new partnership with EOS Fitness, Health Binge is set to operate from 14 locations across Nevada and Arizona this month.
“I took a very methodical approach to it,” Sapp says. “The model is perfect for the gym.” The flagship location, located near Jones and the 215, opened in December and has already garnered a loyal fanbase. There’s even a weekly program called the “Binge 7” that includes free delivery, and curious patrons are also encouraged to visit Health Binge every Saturday to talk to the in-house nutritionist, free of charge. “It should start with your goals,” Sapp says. “Eating healthy and changing the way [people] approach life in terms of nutrition and wellness—that’s what our meals help with.” Health Binge, 6040 W. Badura Ave. #140, 702629-6111; daily 7 a.m.-8 p.m. –Leslie Ventura
NOW POURING PT’S CRAFT BEERS AT OVER 50 LOCATIONS HORIZON LIGHT | BOULDER STOUT GOLDEN HEFEWEIZEN SEAN PATRICK’S RED| HUALAPAI IPA
Tickets Starting At $29 Purchase tickets at the Silverton Box Office, by calling 702.263.7777 or online at silvertoncasino.com All ages show. Guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult 21+. Ticket price subject to Live Entertainment Tax “L.E.T.” and fees where applicable. Entertainment subject to change without prior notice. Management reserves rights.
Must be 21. Beers may vary per location. Management reserves all rights.
I-15 & BLUE DIAMOND • 702.263.7777 • SILVERTONCASINO.COM
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
|
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
the resource
c c
1
a
OAK
3/3 Malika Haqq. 3/4 DJ Gusto. 3/8 Lil Jon. 3/10 O.T. Genasis. 3/11 DJ Crooked. 3/15 2 Chainz. Mirage, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-693-8300. TH E
BANK
Bellagio, Thu-Sun, 702-693-8300. CH ATEAU 3/3 DJ Dre Dae. 3/4 Backstreet Boys Afterparty. 3/8 DJ Darkerdaze. 3/10-3/11 Backstreet Boys Afterparty. 3/15 DJ Koko. 3/17-3/18 Backstreet Boys Afterparty. Paris, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-776-7770. DRAI’ S 3/3 T.I. 3/4 Nelly. 3/5 DJ Franzen. 3/9 DJ Esco. 3/10 Big Sean. 3/12 Fabolous. 3/16 DJ Esco. 3/19 6LACK. Cromwell, Tue, Thu-Sun, 702-777-3800. EM BASSY 3/3 Baby Rasta & Gringo. 3/10 El Chacal. 3355 Procyon St, Thu-Sun, 702-609-6666. F O U NDATIO N
e
n
d
a
r
HAK KASAN
M AR QU E E
3/2 GTA. 3/3 BRKLYN. 3/4 Tiësto. 3/5 Fergie DJ. 3/9 Jauz. 3/10 Hardwell. 3/11 GTA. 3/12 Nghtmre. 3/16 Calvin Harris. 3/17 Zedd. 3/18 Tiësto. 3/19 Steve Aoki. MGM Grand, Thu-Sun, 702-891-3838.
3/3 DJ Mustard. 3/4 Galantis. 3/5 Ruckus. 3/6 Galantis. 3/10 DJ Mustard. 3/11 Galantis. 3/12 Ghastly. 3/13 Vice. 3/17 DJ Khaled. 3/18 Dash Berlin. 3/19 Deorro. Cosmopolitan, Mon, FriSat, 702-333-9000.
HYDE
OM N I A
3/3 DJ Crooked. 3/4 J. Espinosa. 3/7 DJ Ikon. 3/10 DJ C-L.A. 3/11 DJ Karma. 3/14 DJ Hollywood. 3/17 Joe Maz. 3/18 DJ D-Miles. Bellagio, nightly, 702-693-8700. IN T RIGUE 3/2 Robin Schulz. 3/3 Cedric Gervais. 3/4 Stafford Brothers. 3/9 RL Grime. 3/10 Sultan & Shepard. 3/11 Dillon Francis. 3/16 Flosstradamus. 3/17 Yellow Claw. 3/18 Chuckie. Wynn, Thu-Sat, 702-770-7300. JEW EL 3/3 FAED. 3/4 WeAreTreo. 3/6 Justin Credible. 3/10 LA Leakers. 3/11 Cash Cash. 3/13 FAED. 3/18 Steve Aoki. Aria, Mon, ThuSat, 702-590-8000.
3/3 Afrojack. 3/4 Steve Aoki. 3/7 Burns. 3/10 Calvin Harris. 3/11 Kaskade. 3/14 Zedd. 3/17 Calvin Harris. 3/18 Afrojack. Caesars Palace, Tue, Thu-Sun, 702-785-6200. S U R R EN D ER 3/3 Slander. 3/4 Yellow Claw. 3/8 Dillon Francis. 3/10 Ookay. 3/11 Flosstradamus. 3/15 Alison Wonderland. 3/17 RL Grime. 3/18 Flosstradamus. Encore, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702770-7300. TAO 3/2 DJ Five. 3/3 Politik. 3/4 Ruckus. 3/9 Justin Credible. 3/10 M!KEATTACK. 3/11 Eric DLux. 3/16 Ty Dolla $ign. 3/17 Ruckus. 3/18 Vice. Venetian, Thu-Sat, 702-388-8588.
L AX
XS
3/2 Wreckx-N-Effect. 3/3 Eric Forbes. 3/4 DJ Kid J. 3/9 Arrested Development. 3/10 Eric Forbes. 3/11 Exodus. 3/16 Das EFX. 3/17 Eric Forbes. 3/18 Aybsent Mynded. Luxor, Thu-Sat, 702-262-4529.
3/3 The Chainsmokers. 3/4 David Guetta. 3/6 Lost Kings. 3/10 The Chainsmokers. 3/11 David Guetta. 3/13 Ookay. 3/17 David Guetta. 3/18 Alesso. 3/19 DJ Snake. 3/20 Marshmello. Encore, Fri-Mon, 702-770-0097.
RO O M
3/3 Graham Funke. 3/4 Dee Jay Silver. 3/10 DJ Crooked. 3/11 DJ Excel. 3/17 Konflikt. 3/18 DJ Baby Yu. Mandalay Bay, nightly, 702-632-7631. FOX TAIL SLS, Fri-Sat, 702-761-7621. G H OSTBAR Palms, nightly, 702-942-6832.
l
LIGHT 3/3 DJ Cobra. 3/4 Stevie J. 3/8 DJ Crooked. 3/10 Southside. 3/11 Metro Boomin. 3/15 Metro Boomin. 3/16 March Mayhem with Tropic Beauty. 3/17 Tropic Beauty. 3/18 Ludacris. Mandalay Bay, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702632-4700.
2 0 1 7
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
|
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
the resource
L c
a
e
n
d
DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS EVENTS CENTER
AX IS 3/3-3/18 Backstreet Boys. 3/22-4/8 Britney Spears. 4/12-4/28 Backstreet Boys. 5/3-5/20 Britney Spears. 5/24-6/11 Jennifer Lopez. 6/14-7/1 Backstreet Boys. 7/21-8/5 Pitbull. Planet Hollywood, 702-777-6737. B O U L E VA R D
l
P O O L
3/9 Battle Born Boxing. 3/10 Tuff-N-Uff Downtown Showdown. 4/21-4/22 Las Rageous. 5/26-5/29 Punk Rock Bowling. 7/8 Deftones & Rise Against. 200 S. Third St., 800-745-3000. T HE
a
r
MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA 3/4 Blake Shelton. 3/10 Charlie Wilson. 3/25 Game of Thrones Live Experience. 4/1 Jimmy Buffett. 4/7 Green Day. 5/12 Train. 5/20 Chris Brown. 5/27 Dead & Company. 6/17 Def Leppard. 7/8 J. Cole. MGM Grand, 702-5213826.
FOUN DRY PAR K
3/16 Flogging Molly. Cosmopolitan, 702-6986797. B R O O K LY N
BOWL
3/17-3/18 Jon Lovitz & Dana Carvey. 3/31-4/1 Jon Lovitz & Dana Carvey. 4/8 Phil Vassar. 5/5-5/6 Jon Lovitz & Dana Carvey. 6/2 Bush. SLS, 702-761-7617. HOUSE
3/2 Adelita’s Way. 3/4 Gov’t Mule. 3/5 William Singe. 3/9 Tchami. 3/11 Portugal. The Man. 3/12 Tribal Seeds. 3/17 Umphrey’s McGee. 3/23 Donavon Frankenreiter. 3/28 Robert Randolph and the Family Band. 3/30 Battle Tapes. 3/31-4/1 STS9. 4/6 Katchafire. 4/8 Sammy J. 4/9 Rebel Souljahz. 4/11 The Head and the Heart. 4/12 Oh Wonder. 4/15 Toots & Maytals. 4/20 Kehlani. 5/20 Testament. 5/27 Pink Talking Fish. 6/24 The Black Seeds. 6/25 Streetlight Manifesto. Linq Promenade, 702-862-2695. TH E
CH ELSEA
3/3-3/4 Dierks Bentley. 3/17 Death Cab for Cutie. 3/24 Maluma. 4/14 Bastille. 4/15 Empire of the Sun. 4/29 Severina. 5/26 Band of Horses. 8/12 Deep Purple & Alice Cooper. Cosmopolitan, 702-698-6797. TH E
CO LOSSEU M
3/3-3/4 Reba, Brooks & Dunn. 3/8 Jeff Dunham. 3/15-4/1 Rod Stewart. 4/4-4/22 Celine Dion. 4/9 Steve Martin & Martin Short. 4/25-5/5 Elton John. 5/6-5/7 Jim Gaffigan. 5/9-6/3 Celine Dion. 6/16 Jeff Dunham. 6/176/18 Jerry Seinfeld. Caesars Palace, 866-2275938.
OF
BLUES
3/3-3/4 Social Distortion. 3/8-3/25 Billy Idol. 3/16 Jason Isbell. 3/19 UFO & Saxon. 3/23 Worship Tour. 3/30 Ozomatli & Squirrel Nut Zippers. 3/31 Locash. 4/6 Mockstrocity Tour. 4/7 Badfish. 4/9 The Damned. 4/14 NF. 4/15 Tiger Army. 4/21 Jimmy Eat World. 4/22 Biz Markie. 4/23 New Found Glory. 5/3-5/13 Billy Idol. 5/7 Leela James & Daley. 5/17-5/28 Santana. 5/25 Marsha Ambrosius & Eric Benét. Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7600.
T HE
JOIN T
3/25 Martin Nievera. 4/8 Bring Me the Horizon. 4/13 Bon Iver. 5/3-5/20 Journey. 7/22 Third Eye Blind & Silversun Pickups. Hard Rock Hotel, 702-693-5000. M A N D A L AY B AY EVENTS CENTER 3/24 Panic! At the Disco. 5/5 Ramon Ayala & Paquita la del Barrio. Mandalay Bay, 702-6327777.
T H EAT E R
3/11-3/12 Bruno Mars. 3/25 Il Volo. 4/5-4/15 Ricky Martin. 4/21 Hans Zimmer. 4/28 Brett Eldredge. 5/3-5/20 Cher. 6/9 Chicago & The Doobie Brothers. 6/23-7/2 Ricky Martin. Monte Carlo, 844-600-7275. T H E
PEAR L
3/11 George Thorogood & The Destroyers. 3/24 Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo. 3/30 Chris Stapleton. 4/6-4/8 A Perfect Circle. 5/5 Carlos Vives. 7/8 Blondie & Garbage. 8/18 Young the Giant. Palms, 702-944-3200. T- M OBI L E
AR E N A
3/4 UFC 209. 3/8-3/11 Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament. 4/7-4/8 George Strait. 4/2 ACM Awards. 4/22 John Mayer. 5/28 New Kids on the Block. 6/16 Roger Waters. 6/30 Future. 7/3 Iron Maiden. 7/13 Tim McGraw & Faith Hill. 7/15 Bruno Mars. 8/11 Lady Gaga. 3780 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702692-1600. VI N Y L 3/2 Sin City Sinners. 3/3 Isaiah Rashad. 3/5 Ekoh. 3/7 The Tuesday Blend. 3/10 Master of Puppets. 3/11 Raiding the Rock Vault. 3/16 Emo Night Las Vegas. 3/21 We the Kings. 3/23 Otep. 3/24 Biffy Clyro. 3/31 Mayday Parade. 4/1 Fortunate Youth. 4/2 Old 97’s. 4/24 Bayside & Say Anything. 4/25 State Champs. 5/5 The Growlers. 7/14 Shooter Jennings. Hard Rock Hotel, 702-693-5000.
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
|
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
the resource
d calendar
BARE 3/10 DJ D-Miles. 3/11 DJ Sincere. 3/12 Zsuzsanna. 3/13 Joseph Gettright. Mirage, Thu-Mon, 702-693-8300.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY PALMS POOL
DAY L I G H T 3/10 Kid Funk. 3/11 DJ E-Rock. 3/12 DJ Neva. 3/16 Tropic Beauty. 3/17 DJ Cobra. 3/18 Tropic Beauty. 3/19 DJs Neva & Crooked. Mandalay Bay, Thu-Sun, 702-632-4700. DRA I ’ S
BEACH CLUB
3/3 Deaux. 3/4 Luke Shay. 3/5 DJ Franzen. 3/10 Jonas Blue. 3/11 Travis Barker. 3/12 Waka Flocka Flame. 3/18 Audien. 3/19 Rae Sremmurd. Cromwell, Fri-Sun, 702-777-3800. E NCO RE
BEACH
CLUB
3/3 A-Trak. 3/4 MAKJ. 3/5 Ookay. 3/10 Stafford Brothers. 3/11 RL Grime. 3/12 Dillon Francis. 3/17 Nicky Romero. 3/18 David Guetta. 3/19 Skrillex. Encore, Thu-Sun, 702770-7300. G O
P O O L
Flamingo, daily, 702-697-2888. T H E
P O O L
AT
TH E
L IN Q
Linq, daily, 702-835-5713. LIQ U ID
MARQUEE
DAYC L U B
3/3 Lema. 3/4 Vinai. 3/5 Lema. 3/5 Drenched After Dark with Ruckus. 3/10 Lema. 3/11 Timmy Trumpet. 3/12 M!KEATTACK. 3/12 Drenched After Dark with Ghastly. 3/17 Tritonal. 3/18 R3hab. 3/19 Thomas Jack. 3/19 Drenched After Dark with Deorro. Cosmopolitan, daily, 702-333-9000. PALMS
POOL
&
DAYC L U B
S KY
BE ACH
Opens in March. Tropicana, Fri-Sun, 702-7392588. TAO
BEACH
3/3 Mark Rodriguez. 3/4 Angie Vee. 3/5 DJ C-L.A. 3/9 DJ C-L.A. 3/10 Javier Alba. 3/11 Angie Vee. 3/12 DJ Wellman. 3/16 DJ Karma. 3/17 DJ Baby Yu. 3/18 DJ Mustard. 3/19 Angie Vee. Venetian, Thu-Sun, 702-388-8588.
Palms, daily, 702-942-6832. WE T
3/10 DJ Que. 3/11 Kid Conrad. 3/12 DJ Lezlee. Aria, Wed-Sun, 702-693-8300.
CLU B
R E PU BL I C
REHAB Opens March 10. Hard Rock Hotel, Fri-Sun, 702-693-5505.
3/10 DJ Shift. 3/11 Fergie DJ. 3/12 Mark Eteson. 3/17 DJ Shift. 3/18 Party Favor. 3/19 Fergie DJ. MGM Grand, Thu-Mon, 702-8913563.
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
|
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
in the moment
lax my s t i k al
feb 23
Photographs by Powers Imagery
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
|
M A R C H
2 - 8 ,
2 0 1 7
PHOTOGRAPH by L.E. BAskow
notebook
Insomniac has revealed that Factory 93 will host the Neon Garden stage at EDC June 16-18 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The LA underground brand’s warehouse parties have featured the likes of Nicole Moudaber, Solomun, Hot Since 82, Jamie Jones, Richie Hawtin and Claude VonStroke. ... He was gone, but now he’s back. Chris Brown returns to Drai’s for a live performance March 18. It’s a warm-up for his The Party tour with 50 Cent, Fabolous, O.T. Genasis and Kap G, which begins March 31 and stops at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 20. ... The winners of the Nightclub & Bar Awards have been announced ahead of an awards ceremony at the annual Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, set for March 27-29. Among the selections are San Francisco’s Trick Dog as Cocktail Bar of the Year, Philadephia’s Fillmore as Live Music Venue of the Year and West Hollywood’s Catch LA as New Concept of the Year. ... Upstart Las Vegas promoter Club 27 is back at the Artisan on March 11 with the Full House Festival. Progressive/electro, Chicago house and local artists will be featured in three rooms at the off-Strip resort for the party, which starts at 11 p.m.
O’sHEAs St. Patrick’s Day
BLOQ Party
BRING OUT YOUR INNER IRISH AT THE LINQ! The largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Las Vegas is the O’Sheas Bloq Party. Festivities will include a leprechaun parade, live bands, drumlines, entertainment, great food and drink specials on March 17 at The LINQ!
Must be 21 or older to gamble. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700. ©2017, Caesars License Company, LLC.
Located at The LINQ Promenade.
Begin the shenanigans by visiting TheLINQ.com.
55 las vegas weekly 03.02.17
Dream House Metal darling Deafheaven sold out the Bunkhouse on a Sunday night, and the crowd didn’t just turn up—it actively participated. Frontman George Clarke seemed impressed by Vegas’ response, so much so that he surfed into the thick of it, atop the arms of his fans. Read more about the show, which also featured post-rock favorites This Will Destroy You, at lasvegasweekly.com. (Photograph by Spencer Burton/Special to Weekly)
Arts & entertainment Fun things to do between las vegas and primm 1. PIONEER SALOON
The Weekly 5
It’s more than a whiskey ’n’ barbecue getaway. This 104-year-old spot is also a live music venue— and a charming piece of Nevada history. 310 NV161, Goodsprings, 702-874-9362.
2. SEVEN MAGIC MOUNTAINS Unlike most selfie art spots, this vibrant series of Play Doh-like boulder towers off I-15 lends itself to contextual contemplation. seven magicmountains.com.
3. SIN CITY SKYDIVING
4. OFF-ROADING
5. DEVIL PEAK
You’ve delayed confronting that one phobia for long enough. Overcome it while experiencing true freedom at 13,000 feet. 23600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-300-8508.
If driving around Vegas isn’t adventurous enough, commandeer an allwheel-drive vehicle for a guided tour or take your own ATV buggy out to the Jean Roach Dry Lake Bed. zero1.vegas.
Join the other mile-high club—and take in the grandeur of the Mojave Desert—with a hike to this Jean-adjacent summit. summitpost.org/ devil-peak/155083. –Mike Prevatt
56 las vegas weekly 03.02.17
Goodbye, Wolverine Logan sends the X-Man out on a somber note By Josh Bell fter 17 years onscreen and close to 200 years of life, Wolverine is looking pretty tired. The character’s bone-deep weariness is the main subject of Logan, the third and allegedly final solo Wolverine movie for star Hugh Jackman. Jackman has played Wolverine in more movies than any other actor has played any other superhero, and Logan is the culmination of his deep connection with the role, a melancholy, downbeat character study that’s unlike any other major superhero movie ever released. While Marvel pursues a mostly homogeneous tone and style for the movies and TV series it makes based on its comic-book characters, 20th Century Fox has recently shown a willingness to take bolder artistic leaps with its licensed Marvel characters (all connected to the X-Men franchise), in projects like Deadpool and Legion. Logan focuses on just two familiar X-Men: The title character, the angsty mutant with the healing factor and the retractable claws, and his telepathic
A
friend and mentor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart). protects a vulnerable young woman is a common Set in 2029 (although, as always, the continuity of storyline for Westerns, and Logan directly connects the X-Men films is loose at best), Logan finds its itself to the genre with background clips from Oscarmain characters living in a world where mutants winning Western Shane. are all but extinct, for reasons that are never While the relationship among the aaacc central trio is strong, with impressive entirely clear. Director and co-writer James LOGAN Mangold (who also helmed 2013’s underrated performances from all three (newcomer Hugh Jackman, The Wolverine) isn’t interested in worldKeen holds her own with the two Patrick Stewart, building, instead focusing on how the two veterans), the lengthy plot heads off on Dafne Keen. Directed by aging former heroes adjust to life in a world too many detours, and the serious tone, James Mangold. that doesn’t need or want them anymore. while refreshing, gets a bit numbing over Rated R. Logan’s self-healing ability isn’t what it used time. That extends to the incredibly brutal Opens Friday citywide. to be, and Xavier’s mental state is breaking violence afforded by the movie’s R rating, down. They’re hiding away in a warehouse in which is bracing at first (considering how Mexico when they discover a young girl named bloodless and consequence-free most Laura (Dafne Keen), who possesses mutant powers violence in superhero movies can be) but almost remarkably similar to Logan’s. She’s on the run rote by the movie’s end. Mangold works so hard from some generic bad guys (the movie’s forgettable to reject superhero-movie conventions that he villains are a major weakness), so the three characters sometimes loses his way. Wolverine’s weariness eventually end up on the road together, searching extends to the entire film, making for a mournful, for a safe haven. The taciturn loner who reluctantly minor-key send-off.
57
SCREEN
LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 03.02.17
WEDDING CRASH
TABLE 19 STUMBLES THROUGH A SERIES OF STALE JOKES
+
Hugh Jackman stalks the forest as Wolverine. (20th Century Fox/Courtesy)
THE TRUE HERO HOW HUGH JACKMAN MADE WOLVERINE HIS OWN When Hugh Jackman was cast as Wolverine for 2000’s X-Men, it didn’t seem like an auspicious start: He was a last-minute replacement for Dougray Scott, and his main experience had been in musical theater and on Australian TV. Yet Jackman became the movie’s breakout star, and over the past 17 years he has made Wolverine his in a way no other actor of the modern superhero era has done with a role. His commitment to the character is personal as well as professional: He took a pay cut so that Logan could have the R rating filmmakers felt it needed to embrace the story’s violence and adult themes. He gamely showed up for tiny cameos in X-Men movies First Class and Apocalypse, in which Wolverine was not a main character. And he indulged Ryan Reynolds’
incessant prodding about appearing in a Deadpool movie. Even now, as he’s assuring anyone who’ll listen that he’s hanging up the claws, he’s said he’d be willing to play Wolverine again if the character could join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has earned his swan song, and part of why Logan works is the history Jackman brings to the character. He has played the confident ladies’ man, the tortured amnesiac, the self-deprecating hero and the inspirational mentor. He is Wolverine, and he will be missed. –Josh Bell
The premise of Table 19 sounds like the idea for a mediocre network sitcom—possibly because it was. The NBC sitcom The Singles Table, about the mismatched people exiled to a far-off table at a wedding, shot six episodes that never aired in 2007, and Table 19 could easily be similarly forgotten. Anna Kendrick leads an overqualified cast as Eloise, consigned to the table of misfits after getting dumped by the bride’s brother and relinquishing her position as maid of honor. She’s joined by a bickering married couple (Lisa Kudrow and Craig Robinson), an ex-con cousin (Stephen Merchant), a horny teenager (Tony Revolori) and the bride’s childhood nanny (June Squibb). Although Eloise is the movie’s main focus, all of her tablemates get their own subplots, which clutters up the poorly paced and choppily edited 87-minute movie, especially in its second half. The tone also clumsily veers from dopey slapstick (hmm, will someone accidentally knock over the wedding cake?) to heavy seriousness, without succeeding at either. Eloise’s truncated rom-com storyline feels rushed and unconvincing, and the feeble running jokes never land. It’s hard to believe that indie stalwarts Mark and Jay Duplass came up with the story, or that writerdirector Jeffrey Blitz gave Kendrick an early breakout role in 2007’s Rocket Science. All of them should be able to produce something better than a canceled sitcom. –Josh Bell
AACCC TABLE 19 Anna Kendrick, Lisa Kudrow, Craig Robinson. Directed by Jeffrey Blitz. Rated PG-13. Opens Friday in select theaters.
VEGAS’ MOST FUN CASINO
WANTS
YOU!
58 SCREEN
WEEKLY | 03.02.17
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
Applicants must audition in dance-wear, GoGo attire or swimwear.
Bette vs. Joan
Sarandon (left) and Lange strike their best diva poses as Davis and Crawford. (FX/Courtesy)
Feud explores a battle of Hollywood royalty Actress, which Murphy optioned and expanded into an he latest season-by-season anthology series from eight-episode series. The main focus is on 1962’s What absurdly prolific TV producer Ryan Murphy (Glee, Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, the only movie Crawford American Horror Story), Feud is set to cover a difand Davis ever made together, but the movie’s contenferent celebrity rivalry each season, starting with tious production takes up only two full episodes. eight episodes on Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. It’s Murphy throws in subplots for Baby Jane director less ambitious and less socially conscious than Robert Aldrich (Alfred Molina), among other aabcc supporting players, but the heart of the story Murphy’s similar true-story anthology American FEUD: Bette is the bitter rivalry between the two main characCrime Story, whose first season (about the O.J. and Joan Simpson murder trial) brought the normally ters, which is entertaining and a bit tragic, given Sundays, trashy TV auteur a surprising amount of critical the forces (including studio boss Jack Warner, 10 p.m., FX. acclaim. Feud finds Murphy back in familiarly played by Stanley Tucci, and gossip columnist Premieres March 5. campy territory, recruiting two acting divas to Hedda Hopper, played by Judy Davis) conspiring chew up the scenery as a pair of acting divas to pit them against each other. It might make known for chewing up the scenery. more of an impact if it were delivered more Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon are clearly having concisely, without the clumsy expository framing device a great time as Crawford and Davis, respectively, and the featuring Kathy Bates and Catherine Zeta-Jones as fellow cast is full of big-name actors acting their hearts out, old Hollywood stars Joan Blondell and Olivia de Havilland even in the small parts. There isn’t really enough story giving interviews for a fictional documentary. There’s a here, though: The source material is an unproduced juicy, entertaining and still-timely Hollywood story hidscreenplay by Jaffe Cohen and Michael Zam called Best den under the show’s typically Murphian excesses.
By Josh Bell
T
{
UP COMI NG EVENTS
}
ON SALE FRIDAY
BRYAN FERRY AUGUST 17 THE CHELSEA
THIS WEEK
DIERKS BENTLEY
S T . P A T R IC K’S D A Y C E L E B R A T IO N
WI T H CO L E S WI N D EL L
FLOGGING MOLLY
MARC H 3 & 4 TH E C HE L SEA
M A RCH 16 BOUL EVA RD P OOL
WEIGHT-LOSS PROGRAM
—APPETITE SUPPRESSANTS— PROGRAM INCLUDES: ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
BASTILLE
WI T H PU RE BA T H I N G CU L T U RE
W IT H M O N D O C O Z M O
MARC H 1 7 TH E CHE LSE A
A PRIL 14 THE CHELSEA
EMPIRE OF THE SUN
PIXIES
WI T H T H E A VA L A N CH ES A N D RIC K S T E E L E
W IT H M IT S KI
APR I L 1 5 TH E C H E L SE A
OCTOBER 21 THE CHEL SEA
Initial Medical Consultation Full Body Composition Analysis EKG (if required) RX for (3) month Appetite Suppressants (12) Weekly B12 Injections Bi-Weekly Body Composition Analysis Medication for (3) month treatment
395
$
New patients only, cannot be combined with other offers.
FA C E B O O K : T H E C O S M O P O L I TA N
Call or Visit 702-457-3888
I N S TA G R A M : @ C O S M O P O L I TA N _ LV
T W I T T E R : @ C O S M O P O L I TA N _ LV S N A P C H AT: C O S M O P O L I TA N LV
T I C K E T S O N - S A L E N O W AT C O S M O P O L I TA N L A S V E G A S .C O M ALL S HOWS AR E ALL AGES UNLESS OTHERWIS E INDICATED . MANAGEMENT R ES ERVES ALL R IGHTS . S UBJ ECT TO C HANGE WITHOUT NOTIC E. © 20 17 THE COS MOP OLITAN OF L AS VEGAS . ALL R IGHTS R ES ERVED.
3365 E. Flamingo Road, Ste 2 | Las Vegas, NV 89121
VivacityClinics.com
COSMOPOLITAN CONCERT SERIES OFFICIAL PARTNERS: *Please enjoy Bud Light responsibly
60
Robert Randolph’s “rock 'n' roll church” will be in session on March 28. (Winslow Townson/Invision/AP)
NOISE
WEEKLY | 03.02.17
BLUES AND ROOTS The next month should sound good to Vegas-based fans of Americana By Annie Zaleski ov’t Mule with The Record Company (March 4, Brooklyn Bowl) Showcasing the fluid twang-blues of ex-Allman Brother Warren Haynes, the Mule really sprawls out live, with sets that find a grizzled groove while balancing jammy indulgences and well-chosen covers. Show up early: The LA-based opener is one of the most promising young blues-rock outfits around. Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band (March 10-11, Orleans Showroom) The titular guitarist—a blues prodigy who has aged into a nuanced instrumentalist—remains a joy to watch. And the rest of the band, which includes honeyed-soul lead singer Noah Hunt, and ex-Stevie Ray Vaughan drummer Chris Layton, crafts a boogie-rock backdrop that’s irresistible. Jason Isbell (March 16, House of Blues) The alt-country darling has been polishing up the successor to 2015’s Something More Than Free in Nashville. In the meantime, he and his trusty sidekicks, the almighty 400 Unit, are staying sharp on the road. Expect the usual display of
G
roaring, scuffed-up Americana—and a setlist that includes songs he recorded with his former band, Drive-By Truckers. Donovan Frankenreiter with Grant-Lee Phillips (March 23, Brooklyn Bowl) Frankenreiter, a surfer-turned-rocker who was once signed to Jack Johnson’s label, specializes in stoner-folk tranquility and mellow grooves. Phillips, meanwhile, is fresh off reprising his role on Gilmore Girls, and also released a fantastic LP in 2016, intimate Americana collection The Narrows. Lyle Lovett and Vince Gill (March 24, Smith Center) The Nashville icons team up for a rare night of stripped-down, collaborative and solo performances. Along with acoustic versions of beloved country hits, expect to hear plenty of Lovett’s wry humor and insights, along with Gill’s vivid stories. Nikki Lane (March 25, Beauty Bar) On her assertive new album, Highway Queen, this outlawcountry pistol Lane shows off her loose and lively, full-band sound—and her adventurous spirit. Exhibit A: Her Vegas-filmed video for pedal-steel barn burner “Jackpot,” featuring Lane hocking her guitar at Cowtown, hanging at the El Cortez
and getting married by Elvis. Robert Randolph and the Family Band (March 28, Brooklyn Bowl) The pedal-steel wizard and his troupe of ace musicians are fond of throwing a sweaty, old-fashioned shindig incorporating elements of soul, blues, gospel and classic rock. Expect some tunes from the group’s upbeat, fiery new album, Got Soul, which Randolph told Billboard he hoped would “feel like a rock ’n’ roll church.” Chris Stapleton with Maren Morris (March 30, the Pearl) The rugged, roots-soul insurgent— who’ll open for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at Wrigley Field in August—is preparing to release the follow-up to 2015’s breakout Traveller on May 5. Be sure to show up early for Morris, a country darling whose “My Church” nabbed the Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance. Old 97’s (April 2, Vinyl) Rhett Miller and his Dallas alt-country vets recently released a new album, Graveyard Whistling. Between the (literally) head-spinning “Drinkin’ Song” and the folkblues cautionary tale “Good With God” (featuring Brandi Carlile), the LP is a firecracker.
62 CULTURE
WEEKLY | 03.02.17
FIVE FOR FIVE MARKING THE SMITH CENTER’S ANNIVERSARY BY REFLECTING ON A FEW OF ITS TRIUMPHS BY C. MOON REED
T
he Smith Center’s architecture was designed to represent Southern Nevada without falling into casino kitsch. Echoing the Hoover Dam, the Art Deco style trumpeted its permanence. This cathedral of the arts was built to last, not implode. Five years after its opening, the building—and all it represents for the local community—is as timeless as ever. Here are five examples of what it has meant for Las Vegas. The grand debut. Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and featuring a buffet of stars, the March 10, 2102 opening gala was exhilarating. There was a feeling of being part of history—here was something built for the ages, and it still had the crisp new-paint smell. From Dust to Dreams: Opening Night at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts included a performance of “Natural Woman” by trio Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride and Carole King; a duet by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard; violin by Joshua Bell; trumpeting by Arturo Sandoval and more. The production was later broadcast as a PBS television special, which you can still buy on DVD. Wicked. The Smith Center’s Broadway Las Vegas series is like a starter drug for the performing arts. The shows are fun, accessible and often buzzworthy. The series started strong with the Broadway mega-hit Wicked, and the sold-out run in late-summer 2012 was so successful, the show returned in 2014. The tradition continues with the next hot ticket: Tony-winning
musical Hamilton, slated for a May-June 2018 run. Teller’s Tempest. When you imagine how Las Vegas is ideally supposed to work, this is what you get: a headlining magician using his free time to produce Shakespeare’s The Tempest in a circus tent outside the Smith Center. Teller, of Penn & Teller fame, bestowed real magic upon the characters, and he used his connections to secure a musical score of reimagined Tom Waits songs. (We’d give anything to get the soundtrack, but alas, due to licensing rights, it doesn’t exist.) This labor of love was delightful and authentic and served as a template for future productions that would be developed in Las Vegas, like 2016’s Idaho! The Comedy Musical. Local love. One of the best aspects of the world-class performing arts center is that it offers a prestigious venue for the most talented Las Vegans. Resident companies Nevada Ballet Theatre and Las Vegas Philharmonic soar in Reynolds Hall. And Cabaret Jazz—with its recurring Composers’ Showcase and regular performances by the likes of David Perrico, Clint Holmes, the Lon Bronson Band and Frankie Moreno—has become a de-facto clubhouse for local entertainers. Pipe Dream. Artist Tim Bavington created a new Vegas icon with his bright-hued, tubular sculpture, which crowns Symphony Park. A joyous physical interpretation of composer Aaron Copeland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” the piece represents the Smith Center’s mission to serve the community. Mission accomplished.
CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS OF HEART: FIFTH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT March 7, 7:30 p.m. $29-$129, Reynolds Hall, 702-749-2000.
N
1
Blackjack Collective
1860 Western Ave., 89102
(702) 545-0026
5
Euphoria Wellness
7780 S. Jones Blvd. #105, 89139
(702) 960-7200
2
Essence
2307 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 89104
(702) 978-7591
6
The Dispensary
5347 S. Decatur Blvd., 89118
(702) 476-0420
3
Essence
5765 W. Tropicana Ave., 89103
(702) 500-1714
7
The Dispensary
50 N. Gibson Road, 89014
(702) 476-0420
4
Essence
4300 E. Sunset Road #A3, 89014
(702) 978-7687
66
A man smokes marijuana from a vaporizer during the 24th-annual High Times Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam in 2011. (Peter Dejong/AP)
CAnnabis
WEEKLY | 03.02.17
LIGHTING UP THE VALLEY Southern Nevada takes its first hit of the Cannabis Cup By Deanna Rilling rab your lighters, because the crème de la crème of cannabis competitions is coming. On March 4 and 5, the legendary High Times Cannabis Cup will make its first appearance in Southern Nevada in recognition of the full legalization of recreational marijuana statewide. Whether you’re a long-time medical marijuana patient or a newbie to the world of cannabis hoping to learn more about the versatile plant, all adults ages 21 and up are welcome to attend. (That’s assuming the federal government doesn’t shut it down completely, which it began suggesting it might do around the time this story went to press.) The Cannabis Cup has become a staple in other states with legalized marijuana, with growers competing in various categories to be crowned the best in the business. Now, with advances in technology, the competition will include more than just cannabis flower, with concentrates and edibles also in the spotlight. But you don’t have to be a cannabis
G
expert to enjoy the festivities. more intense battles. Chefs will go head-to-head, High Times has long been at the forefront in preparing dishes infused with cannabis as the teaching cannabis lovers how to grow the plant, so clock ticks down. And we’re not just talking cooknaturally the Cannabis Cup features a variety of ies and brownies. They’ll have access to sponsor seminars and demonstrations for the novice. Grow MagicalButter’s infusions, plus vegetables, fresh experts Danny Danko and Nico Escondido protein, grains, sauces, spices and an array High Times of kitchen appliances. The hosts will ranwill be on hand to instruct attendees on the Cannabis best methods and practices for cultivation, domly select a regional cuisine—say, VietCup and to answer related questions. For those namese—and chefs will have 30 minutes to March 4-5, who have already mastered growing mariprepare six plates. The edibles village will $55-$420. juana, the event also offers insight into serve up samples, in addition to providing Across from Moapa Paiute concentrates like wax, shatter, oil, crumble cooking demonstrations and Q&A sessions Travel Plaza and more, by way of seminars and panels. with other cannabis chefs. (Valley of Fire In addition, rosin press demonstrations, And it wouldn’t be the Cannabis Cup Highway & I-15, Exit 75), can glass blowing and a dab rig exposition will without a concert to wrap up each night. nabiscup.com. expand your knowledge of the multitudes Expect the air to be dank and hazy when of medicating methods. Ludacris and J Boog headline Saturday and For those who prefer to eat their canSunday, respectively—attendees will be nabis, the Cannabis Cup is introducing a new permitted allowed to bring medicine and smoking competition in Vegas: the Cannabis Chef Compeaccessories to the venue. Just make sure you have tition. Eight chefs face off Saturday and Sunday a designated driver to get you home safely after in what promises to be one of the weekend’s partaking in your favorite ganja.
Free � 9 Sub after 10 visits
35 Valley Locations
68 LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 03.02.17
CRACKING THE CODE THE BURGER-CENTRIC MENU AT BAR CODE ADVANCES LOCAL PUB FOOD BY JIM BEGLEY f you’re not a UNLV student, you might have missed the transformation of a stereotypical gaming bar on East Flamingo into Bar Code. Its rather generic name provides little clue as to what lies within—a well-lit, contemporary space offering an updated spin on bar food. Bar Code’s menu focuses on burgers, a good thing since the flavorful patties—which blend shortrib, brisket and ground chuck—deliver just the right amount of fattiness. Start off with the Americana ($10), a burger so American it might as well be flown to your table in the talons of a bald eagle while Lee Greenwood plays in the background. If this combination of Kraft American cheese, onion crisps, dill pickles, Heinz ketchup and French’s yellow mustard can’t make America great again, nothing can. In a show of attention to detail, the buns are BAR CODE griddled inside and out, added 1590 E. Flafortitude that can stand up to mingo Road, 702-294-2633. the juicy burgers. 24/7. The NYC Burger ($11) also delivers, its surprisingly smoky pastrami striking a balance with spicy mustard and Swiss cheese on a pretzel bun. Even the smoked Boston butt on the BBQ Big Burger ($11) is better than it needs to be. If you want to veer farther away from the typical, the New Zealand-style lamb burger ($14) offers a gyro-esque experience, layered with cucumber, goat cheese and sharp harissa. Sides are also a hit. The fresh-cut fries ($5) are noteworthy, but be warned: Sriracha ketchup can be a bit off-putting if you’re not expecting hot-sauce undertones. The pickle chips ($6) are outrageously good, possibly the Valley’s best, with sriracha ranch serving as a perfect foil to the tart and crispy dill chips. One caveat: Bar Code is a real-life bar, where one must contend with real-life smoking, more so late in the day or early in the morning. Regardless, the burgers are worth the visit.
I
Breakfast or lunch? Bar Code’s Degenerate Hangover Burger covers both. (MIkayla Whitmore/Staff)
69
FOOD & DRINK
LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 03.02.17
Brightside’s colorful salmon platter. (MIkayla Whitmore/Staff)
TEXAS GRENADINE
INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 oz. Deep Eddy Peach Vodka 1/2 oz. Campari
LOOK ON THE BRIGHTSIDE
1 1/2 oz. pomegranate juice 1 oz. lemon juice Lemon peel and pomegranate seeds for garnish
THE PLAZA’S NEW EATERY PREPARES TO FILL A DOWNTOWN DINING VOID
+
More change is coming to the Plaza. A former lounge space along the east end of the Downtown casino is transforming into a flexible event space where March Mania viewing parties will take place this month. The Main Street-adjacent beer garden is getting touched up a bit, and perhaps most importantly, the long-empty, former sushi-restaurant space next to popular Hash House A Go Go is turning into something new. Brightside Breakfast & Burgers is set to open this weekend, and though it might sound like something similar to Hash House, it’s decidedly different— quicker and even more casual. If you need to get back to the action on Fremont Street, you can grab a pastry and gourmet coffee to go. If you settle in for an easy breakfast, lunch or dinner—the menu stays the same, all day—you’ll find a more affordable meal than typical casino-café fare, with most dishes around $10 or less. With a comfortable space recalling a classic deli vibe, Brightside strikes a nice note
that lands between other Downtown dining options. The food is pure satisfaction. During a recent preview tasting, Brightside’s breakfast-on-a-bun approach shined. A fluffy mound of soft-scrambled eggs, cheese and your choice of meats like bacon, sausage, chorizo and more are mounted on pillowy brioche, suggesting this place could become the Downtown version of Eggslut. It’s had to find a good bagel-and-lox combo in the area, but Brightside has you covered there, too. The upgraded salmon platter adds all the crisp veggies you can handle, plus three smoked and pastrami-spiced salmon varieties. Brightside’s barbecue bacon burger is another winner, though it’s tough to choose between that and the decadent, smothered Southern chicken sandwich—a crispy, juicy breast with a ladle of peppery country gravy plus scrambled eggs and bacon. It’s basically breakfast and lunch, on one plate and in every savory bite. –Brock Radke
METHOD Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a highball glass over ice, garnish and serve.
Everything’s bigger in Texas, and while this is just a small cocktail, it packs a big punch. Deep Eddy Peach Vodka, distilled in Dripping Springs, Texas, is sweet and juicy like a ripe peach. Campari adds rich, herbal flavors, and the pomegranate and lemon juice give the drink a sweet and sour kick.
Cocktail created by Francesco Lafranconi, Executive Director of Mixology and Spirits Education at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits.
70
calendar
las vegas weekly 03.02.17
Live Music
Brave a Shave St. Baldrick’s Foundation fundraiser 3/4, 2-5 pm, free. Rí Rá, Mandalay Bay, stbaldricks.org. Brews N ’Ques Festival 3/4, 2-6 pm, $30-$55; free under 21. Henderson Events Plaza, 200 S. Water St., Eventbrite.com. First Friday 3/3, 6-11 pm, free. Downtown Las Vegas, ffflv.org. Las Vegas Whiskey & Fine Spirits Festival 3/4, 6-9 pm, $50-$80. Topgolf, 702-933-8458. Mrs. Nevada-America Pageant 3/5, 6 pm, $48$71. Suncoast Showroom, 702-636-7111. One Night for One Drop 3/3, 5:30 pm, $225$1,500. New York-New York, Zumanity Theatre, onedrop.org/onenight. Petrus Four-Course Beer Dinner 3/3, 6 pm, $65. Rx Boiler Room at Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7200. Rover Run 5K 3/4, 9 am, $35-$40. Cornerstone Park, 1600 Wigwam Parkway, 702-267-5707. Royal Crawl 3/2, 7 pm, $20. Downtown Las Vegas, bit.ly/royalcrawl. UNLV College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame Awards 3/7, 5:30 pm, $100-$200. UNLV Student Union Ballroom, 702-895-2455. Writer’s Block World Book Club: The Seven Good Years 3/7, 6 pm. Joshua Wolf Shenk 3/9, 7 pm. Events free. 1020 Fremont St., 702-550-6399.
THe Strip & Nearby Brooklyn Bowl Adelitas Way, Letters From the Fire, The Black Moods, Conflict of Interest 3/2, 6 pm, $15-$20. Nirvana Mania 3/3, 8:30 pm, free. Gov’t Mule, The Record Company 3/4, 8 pm, $33-$35. William Singe, Alex Aiono 3/5, 7:30 pm, $25-$125. Linq, 702-862-2695. Caesars Palace (Colosseum) Reba, Brooks & Dunn 3/3-3/4, 7:30 pm, $60-$205. (Cleopatra’s Barge) Blues Traveler 3/2, 3/8-3/9, 9:30 pm, $79-$199. 702-731-7333. Cosmopolitan (Chelsea) Dierks Bentley, Cole Swindell 3/3-3/4, 7 pm, $49-$109. 702-698-7000. Double Down Dark Water Rebellion, The Fabulous Miss Wendy, Anson Krekeler 3/3. The Bitters, Eric ‘Travis’ Wilson, Strange Mistress, Dirty City 3 3/4. Johnny Zig & The Highlighters 3/5, 9 pm; 3/8. Shows 10 pm, free unless noted. 640 Paradise Road, 702-791-5775. Hard Rock Hotel (Vinyl) St. Baldrick’s Fundraiser w/Sin City Sinners 3/2, 5 pm, free. Isaiah Rashad, Lance Skiiwalker, Jay IDK 3/3, 9 pm, $15-$39. Ekoh, Donnie Menace, Luck Factor Zero, Austin Cain 3/5, 8 pm, $8-$20. 702-693-5000. House of Blues Social Distortion 3/3-3/4, 8:30 pm, $37. Billy Idol 3/8, 8 pm, $80-$150. Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7600. MGM Grand (Garden Arena) Blake Shelton, RaeLynn, Sundance Head 3/4, 7:30 pm, $50-$90. 702-891-1111. Planet Hollywood (Axis) Backstreet Boys 3/33/4, 3/8, 9 pm, $59-$259. 702-777-2782. Stoney’s Rockin’ Country American Young 3/3, 9 pm, $5-$10. Town Square, 702-435-2855. Wynn (Encore Theater) John Fogerty 3/3-3/4, 3/8, 8 pm, $60-$250. 702-770-7000.
Downtown Backstage Bar & Billiards BiPolar, A Poison Alibi, First Class Trash, Words from Aztecs, Demon Scissors 3/3, 8 pm, free. Sapient, Snap Murphy, The Halve Two, Ulysses, Indica, MC Lyfe & Notiz Young, DJ Mixxwell 3/5, 9 pm, $10. Punky Meadows, Kimberly Barnhill, Gypsy Road 3/8, 8 pm, $20. 601 E. Fremont St., 702-382-2227. Beauty Bar Darkest Hour, Ringworm, Rotten Sound, Rivers of Nihil 3/2, 8 pm, $18-$20. Turkuaz, DJ DeLa-O 3/3, 8 pm, $10. 3/3, 8 pm, $10. Garrett Dale, No Red Alice, Paige Overton, Girls and Wolves 3/4, 8 pm, free. Survival Guide, Lungs & Limbs, Pet Tigers, Kat Kalling 3/5, 8 pm, free. Shades, Ivy Lab, Lion Eyes, Plain James, 2Buds 3/7, 9 pm, $12. 517 Fremont St., 702-598-3757. Bunkhouse Saloon Meatbodies, The Astaires, Headwinds, Omar the Kid 3/2, 9 pm, $10-$12. The Darts, Electric Children, Acid Sisters, The Van Der Rohe 3/3, 8 pm, $10. The Scorched, Dark Water Rebellion, Mr. Mystery, The Scoundrels 3/4, 9 pm, $5-$8. SG Lewis, The Rabbit Hole 3/9, 9 pm, $15. 124 S. 11th St., 702-854-1414. Golden Nugget (Gordie Brown Showroom) Frankie Moreno 3/2, 3/9, $28-$60. BJ Thomas 3/3, $21-$119. Shows 8 pm. 866-946-5336. Hard Hat Lounge VerBS, Hassan, Panamaniac, Gene Blackmen, Charlie Madness, Vic Smith, Syntax Vernac, Major Dynamic 3/3, 9 pm, $3. Par, Sunrise Manor 3/4, 9 pm, free. Air for Ants, The Catch Kids 3/5, 8 pm, $3. 1675 Industrial Road, 702-384-8987. Smith Center (Reynolds Hall) Cabrera Conducts the Music of John Williams: Star Wars and Beyond 3/4, 7:30 pm; 3/5, 2 pm, $30-$109. (Cabaret Jazz) Marilyn Maye 3/3-3/4, 7 pm, $39-$59. Frankie Moreno 3/6, 8 pm, $30-$42. 702-749-2000.
Sports
Chad Ubovich brings garage-rock project Meatbodies back to the Bunkhouse on March 2. (Courtesy)
Everywhere Else Aces & Ales Left Lane Charlie 3/4, 9 pm, free. 3740 Nellis Blvd., 702-436-7600. Boulder Dam Brewing John Duran 3/2. Darci Carlson 3/3. Air for Ants 3/4. Frank McClory 3/9. Shows 7 pm, free. 453 Nevada Way, 702-243-2739. Count’s Vamp’d Han Valen 3/2, 10:30 pm, free. Smashing Alice, Outta the Black 3/3, 9:30 pm. Sin City Kiss, Cyanide 3/4, 10 pm. Sin City Sinners All-Stars 3/9, 10 pm. Shows free. 6750 W. Sahara Ave., 702-220-8849. Dive Bar Cattle Decapitation, Goatwhore, Allegaeon, Asylum of Ashes 3/7, 8 pm, $17-$20. Vendetta F*cking Metal, PRO-FECIA, Lethal Injection, Pain Compliance, Cordyceps 3/8, 9 pm, $10. 4110 S. Maryland Parkway, 702-586-3483. Primm Valley Resort Foreigner 3/11, 8 pm, $35$65. 702-386-7867. Sand Dollar Lounge A Slight Return 3/2. The Moanin’ Blacksnakes 3/4. Shows 10 pm, free. 3355 Spring Mountain Road, 702-485-5401. Silverton (Veil Pavilion) Bobby Brown 3/3, 8 pm, $39-$54. 702-263-7777. South Point (Showroom) Tower of Power 3/3-3/5, 7:30 pm, $55-$65. 702-796-7111.
Comedy
Caesars Palace (Colosseum) Jeff Dunham 3/8, 7:30 pm, $50-$80. 702-731-7333. Hard Rock Hotel (Vinyl) Colin Kane 3/4, 7:30 & 10 pm, $20-$35. 702-693-5000. Harrah’s (Main Showroom) Ralphie May 3/2-3/4, 3/9-3/11, 10 pm, $35-$99. 702-369-5000. Mirage (Terry Fator Theatre) Jay Leno 3/3, 10 pm, $65-$87. Tim Allen 3/4, 10 pm, $65-$87. 702-792-7777. Orleans (Showroom) Gary Owen 3/3-3/4, 8 pm, $40-$60. 702-284-7777. Treasure Island Jo Koy 3/3, 9 pm, $44-$72. Bill Engvall 3/10, 9 pm, $52-$82. 702-894-7111.
Performing Arts
Art Square Theatre Spinning Into Butter 3/9-3/11, 8 pm, $16-$20. 1025 S. 1st St., #110, 702-818-3422. Las Vegas Little Theatre (Mainstage) It’s Only a Play 3/3-3/4, 3/9-3/10, 8 pm; 3/5, 2 pm, $21-$24. 3920 Schiff Drive, 702-362-7996. Majestic Repertory Keri the Fairy’s Very Own Show! 3/4, 10 am & noon, $15. 1217 S. Main St., 702-478-9636. A Public Fit Theatre Company The Beauty Queen of Leenane 3/2-3/3, 8 pm; 3/4, 2 & 8 pm; 3/5, 2 pm; $20-$25. 100 S. Maryland Parkway, 702-735-2114. Smith Center (Reynolds Hall) 5th Anniversary Concert 3/7, 7:30 pm, $29-$129. 702-749-2000. Summerlin Library Broadway Bound’s All Shook Up 3/2-3/3, 7 pm; 3/4, 1 & 7 pm; 3/5, 1 pm, $15. 1771 Inner Circle Drive, 702-507-3860. Theatre in the Valley Doubles 3/3-3/4, 8 pm; 3/5, 2 pm, $12-$15. 10 W. Pacific Ave., 702-558-7275. UNLV (Black Box Theatre) NCT’s Metamorphoses 3/2-3/4, 7:30 pm; 3/5, 2 pm, $28-$33. (Judy Bayley Theatre) UNLV Dance: Movement & Tides 3/3, 7:30 pm; 3/4, 2:30 & 7:30 pm, $10-$18. UNLV Music: Jazz Ensemble I & Latin Jazz Ensemble 3/5, 2 pm, $8-$10. 702-895-3332. Winchester Cultural Center Tango Passion! 3/3/-3/4, 7 pm; 3/5, 2 pm, $15. 3130 S. McLeod Drive, 702-455-7340.
Special Events
An Evening of Hope Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation dinner benefit 3/3, 6:30 pm, $75-$150. World Market Center, 702-737-1919. Artisan Craft Festival: Spring Fling 3/4-3/5, 9 am-4 pm, free. Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd., artisancraftfestival.com. Bark in the Park 3/4, 10 am-2 pm, free. Cornerstone Park, 1600 Wigwam Parkway, 702-267-5707. Beat Poetry Workshop Series w/Clark County Poet Laureate Bruce Isaacson 3/6, 6 pm, free. Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway, 702-492-7252.
Battle Born Boxing 3/9, 7 pm, $15. Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, 200 S. 3rd St., 800-745-3000. Lake Las Vegas Collegiate Invitational Rowing Regatta 3/4-3/5, times vary, free. Lake Las Vegas, llvrc.org. Links Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament 3/6, noon, $400-$1600. TPC Summerlin, 1700 Village Center Circle, lls.org/snv/. Mint 400 3/2-3/5, times vary, $25-$450. Locations vary, themint400.com. Mountain West Championships 3/6-3/11, times vary, $20-$180. Thomas & Mack Center, 702-895-3761. PAC-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament 3/8-3/9, noon & 6 pm; 3/10, 6 pm; 3/11, 8 pm, $225-$535. T-Mobile Arena, 702-692-1600. UFC 209 Woodley vs. Thompson 3/4, 3:30 pm, $80-$605. T-Mobile Arena, 702-692-1600. UNLV Women’s Basketball Fresno State 3/3, 6 pm, $5. Cox Pavilion, 702-739-3267. USA Sevens Rugby Tournament 3/3-3/4, 8 am; 3/5, 11 am, $16-$1,111. Sam Boyd Stadium, 702-739-3267. West Coast Conference Basketball Championships 3/2-3/7, times vary, $173-$223. Orleans Arena, 800-745-3000. Western Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament 3/8-3/11, times vary, $10-$250. Orleans Arena, 800-745-3000.
Galleries
Arts Factory 107 E. Charleston Blvd., 702-383-3133. The Corner Gallery What Lies Beneath March. #220, 702-501-9219. Obsidian Fine Art Steve Anthony, Mandy Joy w/live music by Kiara Brown 3/3, 6-10 pm, free. #240, 702-540-9331. Wonderland Gallery (Gallery 1) Gear Duran & Heather Hermann: Raw and Uncut in Virtual Hyperspace 3/2-3/29. (Gallery 2) Lynne Adamson Adrian, Kat Tatz, Karen Waiksnis DiSorbo, Debora Tsakalos 3/2-3/29. #110 & #160, 702-686-4010. Art Square 1025 S. First St., 702-300-4337. The Cube Kevin Chupik: Farewell Europe 3/2-4/1. Reception 3/2, 6 pm, free. #150, 702-483-8844. Downtown Spaces 1800 S. Industrial Road. Bubblegum Gallery Nightmare Before Christmas Art Show 3/3, 6 pm, free. #207D, 702-806-0930. Skin City Body Painting Chango Art 3/3, 6-10 pm. #130, 702-431-7546.
SOCIAL DISTORTION 7:30PM MAR 3 & 4 • 18+
PUNK ROCK KARAOKE 11:30PM MAR 3 & 4 • 18+ FT. STAN LEE, GREG HESTSON, & DARRIN PFEIFER
WORLD FAMOUS GOSPEL BRUNCH 10AM & 1 PM EVERY SUNDAY ALL AGES
BILLY IDOL FOREVER 7PM • 3.8 – 3.25* SELECT DATES 18+
ON SALE FRI 3/3
ON SALE NOW EMO NIGHT BROOKLYN OFFICIAL NEW FOUND GLORY AFTER PARTY IN HOUSE OF BLUES COURTYARD 10:00PM • APR 23 18+
MODERATTO XV 7:00PM • APR 3 18+
03.16
JASON ISBELL
04.06
MOCKSTROCITY TOUR FEAT. MAC SABBATH
04.19
TECH N9NE
03.19
UFO WITH SAXON
04.07
BADFISH – A TRIBUTE TO SUBLIME
04.21
JIMMY EAT WORLD
03.29
BEATLES VS. STONES – A MUSICAL SHOWDOWN
ULTIMATE GRUNGE FEST
04.08
04.22
BIZ MARKIE 80’S VS. 90’S PARTY
A TRIBUTE TO SMASHING PUMPKINS, PEARL JAM, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS & RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
04.23
NEW FOUND GLORY
05.07
LEELA JAMES & DALEY
03.30
OZOMATLI & SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS
03.31
LOCASH
04.09
THE DAMNED
ACM PARTY FOR A CAUSE
04.14
NF
BILLY CURRINGTON, DAN + SHAY, LAUREN ALAINA & SETH ENNIS
04.15
TIGER ARMY
04.01
05.17-05.28 05.25
AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH SANTANA: GREATEST HITS LIVE!
MARSHA AMBROSIUS & ERIC BENET