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Las Vegas Weekly 10.19.17
Trust Us Everything you absolutely, positively must get out and do this week
fri., 8 p.m.
NOSAJ THING AT BEAUTY BAR Com Truise was scheduled to share this bill before dropping off, but that dude’s been here a bunch of times. Jason Thing, aka Nosaj Thing (pronounced “no such thing”), meanwhile, has only brought his soothing electronic dreamscapes to Southern Nevada once before—at 2015’s Further Future, which you probably didn’t attend. With Cleopold. $18. –Spencer Patterson
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sat., 7 p.m.
ODESZA AT DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS EVENTS CENTER The comforting electronic-pop by college buddies Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight has filled millennial bedrooms since 2012—and now, the rhythmic chill will fill the otherwise chaotic Downtown air, updated with material from new album A Moment Apart. With Sofi Tukker, Chet Porter. $37-$65 (proceeds benefit the Las Vegas Victims’ Fund). –Mike Prevatt
LOVE WINS 20
thru october 22
LAS VEGAS PRIDE Getting tens of thousands of people to come down and revel in the open air might now seem like a hard task. But October 1—as well as the dark cloud the Trump administration has cast over the gay community—only emphasizes the need for LGBTQ Las Vegans and tourists, as well as their straight allies, to overcome fear, defy those eager to intimidate others, come together and live life as openly and freely as possible. And you’ll have ample chances to do so during Las Vegas Pride. The signature event remains Friday night’s parade along Downtown’s Fourth Street, one of the few nighttime LGBTQ marches in America. (The pre-show begins at Fourth and Bridger at 6:30 p.m., with the parade scheduled for 7:30 p.m.) And the Pride festival returns to Sunset Park and remains a two-day affair, featuring an entertainment stage dominated by RuPaul’s Drag Race stars like Kimora Blac, Morgan McMichaels and Coco Montrese; family activities; food; and an expo of LGBTQ vendors and businesses. (Doors open at noon both days; tickets range from $5 to $15.) For more info and events, visit lasvegaspride.org. –Mike Prevatt
A flag bearer marches in the 2016 Pride Parade. (Mikayla Whitmore/Staff)
L o o k i n g f o r E ve n m o re ? F l i p t o o u r C a l e n d a r o n Pa g e 6 9 .
07 LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 10.19.17
R ARE TASTES AND HOT ROCKS 21
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SATURDAY, 4 P.M.
DOWNTOWN BREW FESTIVAL AT CLARK COUNTY AMPHITHEATER Motley Brews’ sixthannual “backyard beer bash” has added a silent auction, which will benefit the Las Vegas Victims’ Fund, to this year’s event. There also will be a VIP pavilion with exclusive and rare beers paired with food from the Goodwich; plenty of other grub from local restaurants and food trucks; live music from Naked Elephant, The Routine and Mike Xavier; and there’ll be some beer, too … nearly 200 varieties from more than 70 breweries. $40-$85. –Brock Radke
FRIDAY, 8 P.M.
RUN THE JEWELS AT BROOKLYN BOWL Hip-hop pair Killer Mike and El-P are a force on the scene, with strong themes of toppling oppression, confronting the 1 Percent and singling out injustices in our world. With fire rhymes and a poignant message, they’re raising awareness of inequality while holding others in both music and politics accountable. Run the Jewels channels the great civil rights activists over sick beats, with their music both a perfect soundtrack to the turmoil in our country and a motivator for positive change and equality. Where a fair share of modern hip-hop lyrics lack intensity and intricacy, Run the Jewels gets back to the roots of storytelling through a skilled flow that will have audiences not only bobbing their heads, but questioning the establishment. With Denzel Curry, Cuz Lightyear. $35-$55. –Deanna Rilling
Run the Jewels invades Brooklyn Bowl on Friday. (Barry Brecheisen/AP)
TONE MACHINE RECENT PIXIES SETS HAVE INCLUDED SUCH GOODIES AS “NIMROD’S SON,” “VELOURIA,” THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN’S “HEAD ON” AND NEIL YOUNG’S “WINTERLONG.” WHAT WILL THEY BRING TO VEGAS?
WAV E O F AV I AT I O N 19
THURSDAY, 7 P.M.
KMFDM AT FREMONT COUNTRY CLUB You don’t need to be a goth or rivet-head to appreciate German industrial outfit KMFDM. No, scratch that: You probably do need to be one of those things, but is it so bad, owning multiple pairs of steeltipped Doc Martens and enough black shirts to costume a remake of The Craft? And what’s wrong with grooving to the propulsive death-disco of “Money,” “Sex on the Flag” and “Juke Joint Jezebel”? Nothing, my little raven-and-cobalt-haired compañero. But if you’re new to the band, and the lifestyle, seek out the Nine Inch Nails remix of “Light” (the “Fat Back Dub”). It’ll convert you. With ohGr, EMDF. $28-$32. –Geoff Carter
20 THRU NOVEMBER 5
THE BIRDS AT LAS VEGAS LITTLE THEATRE Birds aren’t scary, right? Wrong. Sometimes they team up to attack humanity from above. When Daphne du Maurier originally wrote The Birds in 1952, she meant it as a metaphor for the aerial attacks of World War II. When Alfred Hitchcock turned the short story into a suspense film 11 years later, The Birds represented the cracks in perfect suburbia. Today, the story seems to be more relevant than ever, perhaps even tragically so. LVLT’s Kyle Jones directs this 2009 adaptation by Irish playwright Conor McPherson. Days & times vary, $21-$24. -C. Moon Reed
21
SATURDAY, 8 P.M.
PIXIES AT THE CHELSEA If you weren’t wild about Head Carrier— the Pixies’ first, proper studio album since 1991—don’t let that stop you from catching the alt-rock icons’ Vegas return. Frank Black, Joey Santiago, David Lovering and Paz Lenchantin (yeah, Kim Deal’s still gone) are making like The Cure in 2017, during which they’ve played 60 different songs and averaged more than 30 per night. Plus, fast-rising indie singersongwriter Mitski, whose 2016 album, Puberty 2, appeared high on a slew of year-end lists, will open the show. And if you dug Head Carrier? Sounds like an even more perfect night out. $25-$45. –Spencer Patterson
08 LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 10.19.17
OUR SECOND DOWNTOWN?
the inter W H E R E
I D E A S
A baseball ballpark boosts Summerlin’s urban bona fides BY BROCK RADKE
T
he opening of the gigantic outdoor mall known as Downtown Summerlin made some locals chuckle. Downtown? It’s a mall. Come on. Even as the community embraced the destination over the past three years, the name still didn’t make sense to some of us. That’s changing now. The opening of City National Arena, the practice facility and team headquarters for the Vegas Golden Knights, and last week’s announcement that the Howard Hughes Corporation will develop and build a new baseball stadium for the Las Vegas 51s, have already gone a long way in proving Downtown Summerlin was never just a mall. “Most people call the retail and dining and office building [section] Downtown Summerlin and think that’s it. They heard about the Las Vegas Ballpark and say, ‘Oh, it’s right next to Downtown Summerlin,’” says Tom Warden, a Summerlin senior vice president. “All that open land around the hockey facility and where the stadium is going to go is in fact the rest of Downtown Summerlin.” Las Vegas Ballpark will accommodate 10,000 fans and include VIP suites, game-time zones for kids (and grown-ups) looking to party and a swimming pool beyond the outfield wall. It will also host civic and charitable events and possibly some small concerts. Two shiny new sports facilities will help refine the idea of Downtown Summerlin as a community hub, but there’s more. The rest of the land between Charleston, Sahara, the Beltway and Town Center will be used mostly for higher-density residential development. “Not one will be a single-family, detached home,” Warden says, stressing that new urbanism is the theme. Think brownstone-style neighborhoods and mid-rise condo buildings, laced with pocket parks and suburban service businesses like grocery stores and cafés. “It will be like what we did already at Downtown Summerlin—one lane in each direction plus parallel parking and extra-wide pedestrian thoroughfares,” Warden says. “That’s how you create a very friendly, walkable urban environment.” Sounds pretty downtowny, doesn’t it?
KAPPA TOYS PLAYS A BIGGER GAME Happy third anniversary, Kappa Toys. Since 2014, the beloved Container Park toy shop has kept us stocked with yo-yos, Japanese figurines, classic board games and ballpoint pens that speak with George Takei’s voice (oh, my). Now Kappa has opened a second location at the Linq Promenade, and co-founder Lizzy Jane Newsome Yopp says that might only mark the start of a fun revolution. “When we [Yopp and her
husband, Trevor Reeves Yopp] came up with this concept, the idea was always to have a positive effect on the toy industry,” she says. “There’s a rather stark disconnect between what adult and kid customers want to see in toys, and how manufacturers respond. We want to grow to the point that we’re able to make toys based on what customers are looking for and can’t find.” We’ll happily play along. –Geoff Carter
rsection A ND L IF E M E ET
09 LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 10.19.17
THE WAY BACK TO MANDALAY A return to the Strip aids the healing process BY C. MOON REED
+
1 BIG PHOTO
Robots, dinosaurs and more at Kappa Toys. (Mikayla Whitmore/Staff)
VEGAS’ READING CULTURE GROWS WITH JANCO BOOKS “I want this to be a community hub—a place that’s warm and welcoming,” says Christina Benton, a forensic anthropologist-turned-crime author … and now bookstore owner. Last week, Benton opened Janco Books at 2202 W. Charleston Boulevard. The store offers a curated selection of new and used books with emphases on crime thrillers, local and black authors and home-schooling. “We know that books are supposedly obsolete, but we know that Vegas has a reading culture,” says Benton, who plans to boost that culture with book signings, readings and community events. There’s also a consignment program for self-published authors. Coffee, popcorn, board games and free wifi complete the welcoming feel. For more info, visit jancobookstore.com. –C. Moon Reed
One of my favorite things about Las Vegas is that no matter where you are, you can pretty much always see the Strip. It feels like magic to spot casino rooftops peeking over suburbia, or to view the spire of the Stratosphere from a Downtown backyard. The Strip is everywhere. And it’s always a joyous sight. The tragic shooting on October 1 threatened to change my feelings about our city’s landmarks. For a week afterward, I’d physically shudder anytime a casino came into view. But if “Vegas Strong” meant anything at all, it meant that I couldn’t hide. So when some foodie friends organized a gathering at Mandalay Bay, I faced my fears and went. Re-visiting Mandalay Bay felt like being at two places at once. There was the place of my imagined memory: a place of terror and flight. And then there was the place that I saw with my eyes. This was a Mandalay Bay that looked as golden and glitzy as it always had. The biggest difference: Digital signs cycled through #VegasStrong messages instead of advertisements. That seemed refreshing, in a way. The usual stream of conventioneers— with badges and light-up novelty glasses—might have been slightly more somber than usual, but their enjoyment was still evident. That’s another great thing about Vegas: Every week brings a fresh start. Today’s tourists resemble yesterday’s, but they’re a whole new batch of arrivals, complete with unbridled optimism. Whenever we’re feeling low, we can tap into their excitement and remember why we live in the Entertainment Capital of the World—because it’s fun! I enjoyed delicious short-rib tacos and cocktails at Stripsteak, and by the time I’d eaten eight flavors of ice cream at Rx Boiler Room, any remaining reservations had melted away. While I’ll never forget the events of October 1, I refuse to look at the Strip with fear. A little of the old joy has returned, and day by day, that feeling will grow as the dark memories recede. For those who haven’t been back yet, being there could help, too—to start the process of healing by supporting our neighbors in the resort industry, who haven’t stopped going to work there each day.
10 COVER STORY WEEKLY | 10.19.17
Photographs BY JON ESTRADA | ILLUSTRATIONS BY IAN RACOMA
11 COVER STORY WEEKLY | 10.19.17
At last count, there are 52 Roberto’s Taco Shops across the Las Vegas Valley, which means I don’t really need to type these words. You already know Roberto’s. It wasn’t founded in Las Vegas, but it’s a true Vegas institution—the place you end up eating after a night of hard partying and drinking. From mountains of fries piled with carne asada and guacamole to tree trunk-sized breakfast burritos, this is the spot for late-night or early-morning eats, whether you’re fighting a hangover or preventing one. And that’s the way it is because Roberto’s is delicious, and because you’re going to see at least one Roberto’s on the way home, no matter which way you’re going. Roberto’s is the single most prevalent source of Mexican food in Las Vegas, even if family restaurants like Lindo Michoacan, Macayo’s, Ricardo’s and Casa Don Juan (see Page 16) have been around longer. Founder Roberto Robledo, who came to California from central Mexico in 1957 with his wife and seven children, is one of the most influential figures in the business of Mexican food in the region, if not the country. He started with a tortilla factory in 1964, opened his first restaurant in 1968 and launched his first Roberto’s Taco Shop in 1971, eventually expanding to Vegas in 1990. (And yes, all those other San Diego-based taco shops that use the ’berto’s suffix are spinoffs.) Robledo died in Las Vegas in 1999, and today his son Reynaldo—second youngest among 13 kids—runs all the local shops with his brothers and sisters. Roberto’s is known for different things, but it really ought to be for its tremendous tacos—slow-cooked beef or chicken shredded into meaty chunks and stuffed into corn tortillas, then fried and stuffed again with cool lettuce and finely shredded cheese. You can get them in a rice-and-beans combo plate, but there’s no need, because the complimentary spicy red and green salsas and escabeche-style hot pickled carrots are all the extra you’ll need. The crunchy, slightly greasy tacos pretty much explode when you bite them, just like the rolled tacos (classic tacos dorados), cylindrical delights piled in a pyramid shape and decorated with fistfuls of guac and cheese. They’re simple, cheap and really good, no matter the time of day, or whether you know the history of hard work behind the food. Multiple locations, robertostacoshop.com. –Brock Radke
Because it’s headquartered on East Charleston—one street, all the amazing tacos you could ever handle—perhaps Los Tacos doesn’t get the attention it should. Or maybe it’s been around long enough (around 20 years) to be forgotten, even as more authentic “street tacos” have come into culinary fashion. Maybe the name is just too simple. All I know is the tacos at Los Tacos are perfect, occupying the middle ground between the big crunchy stuff and the smaller, double-corn tortilla stuff. Hit the original at Charleston and Spencer (yes, Tacos El Gordo is right there) or check the newer spot on West Sahara (opened in 2010), but come hungry. One $3 taco could be a meal for the lightweight. Warm tortillas are layered with seemingly too many tasty ingredients, starting with cheese that begins to melt once it hits the tortilla, then whole pinto beans, slow-simmered and savory. Choose your meat next, from tender carne asada and carnitas to spicy chorizo to funky lengua. Fresh pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole top things off. The warmy sauciness of the beans adds a hearty, burritolike element to these tacos, a perfect match for chicken, beef or pork but just as satisfying if you go the vegetarian route; that’s an option that just doesn’t work at a lot of local taco shops. I can’t go to Los Tacos without getting a ceviche tostada, too, and possibly washing it all down with pineapple or mango aguas frescas. But then I can’t eat as many tacos. It’s a tough choice. 1710 E. Charleston Blvd., 702-471-7447; 4001 W. Sahara Ave., 702-252-0100. –Brock Radke
12 COVER STORY WEEKLY | 10.19.17
13 COVER STORY WEEKLY | 10.19.17
Tacos El Gordo translates literally to “tacos the fat one.” That might not make a lot of sense en inglés, but it couldn’t be more apt considering the kind of heavyweight it has become since breaking onto the Vegas taco scene. Originating in Tijuana in 1972, Tacos El Gordo first opened stateside in the late ’90s in San Diego. It didn’t arrive in Nevada until 2010, but by my calculations, seven-plus years in the Valley qualifies El Gordo as a local. I can’t even begin to count the number of meals I’ve eaten here. In my defense, my memory’s somewhat hazy—the original Vegas spot is open until 4 a.m. on weekends, after all. But I can easily recall the moment I first heard of this taco heaven. In the world’s greatest game of telephone, my hairstylist Angela told me how her boyfriend Chris—then sous chef at Robuchon and now her husband and chef de cuisine at Sage— was working with a team of line cooks, all raving about a ridiculously good but somewhat divey taco joint on East Charleston. She thought I’d dig it. She knows me well. I immediately fell for the chaotic fervor of the ordering lines, which are less “lines” than “friendly gatherings”— adobada on a spit to the right, carne asada and chorizo atop the grill to the left and every other animal part in the massive cauldron in the center. I don’t have a clue about the arrangement, but it’s obviously intentional, because each of the three current El Gordos is laid out exactly the same way. It can be kind of intimidating for the unfamiliar, but mostly it’s just fun. Always start with the life-altering, stunningly red adobada—tender pork awash in a red chile and cinnamonbased marinade carved directly off the spit. And always ask for piña. Always. Shift to the left to save some savory suadero (similar to flank steak) from the witch’s brew before finishing your meal with either char-grilled asada or slightly spicy, not too fatty chorizo. Everything gets piled into a duo of fresh, hot, griddled tortillas—textural bliss in every bite. Enough tacos and you’ll be El Gordo yourself. We all need goals. 1724 E. Charleston Blvd., 702-251-8226; 3049 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-982-5420; 3260 Losee Road, 702-641-8228. –Jim Begley
The second location has been a staple of the Las Vegas Weekly newsroom since it opened three years ago, and despite being situated in a strip mall on busy Eastern Avenue, Taco y Taco is far from the basic suburban fare you’ll find at fast-casual chains. Sisters Faviola and Gabriela Trujillo, daughters of Los Compadres market owner Flaviano Trujillo, opened the original TYT at Tropicana and Pecos in 2013 before expanding to Henderson in 2014, offering a much larger, two-level space where folks can get their taco game on. Both offer the same traditional Mexican eats, a point of pride that clearly runs in the family. As at Tacos El Gordo, there are a few rules here you should know upon ordering. Want a burrito or bowl? Step to the side; that queue’s on the left. But if you want tacos—and that’s why you’re reading this, right?—you’ve got three lines from which to choose and a bevy of options. The chicharrón, juicy carnitas topped with pork rinds, is a must-try, as is the beef cabeza. Yes, that translates to cow head, but no, you won’t be eating brains—that’s cesos, if you’re feeling adventurous. Cabeza comes from the cheek and other parts of the animal’s head, delivering some of the most tender and flavorful tacos around. Whatever you do, don’t feel overwhelmed; trying out new fillings is half the fun. Experiment until you find the one that’s right for you—whether that’s buche or tripas (pork and beef stomach, respectively), lengua (beef tongue) or, another personal favorite, the slow-roasted, marinated pork called pibil. 3430 E. Tropicana Ave., 702-331-3015; 9470 S. Eastern Ave., 702-749-7091. – Leslie Ventura
When it comes to tacos, I definitely fall on the side of the traditionalist. But that hasn’t stopped me from devouring some deliciously outside-the-box options, and the best in that spectrum is KoMex Fusion. Mexican food was always part of the family business for Lynda and Sonny Yi, but the idea for their fusion restaurant was something of an accident. It all started when a customer saw the owners pairing Mexican salsas and condiments with their home-packed Korean lunches, which led to off-menu items that became so popular, real fusion came next. The Yis opened KoMex in 2011, and they’ve been serving their brand of Korean and Mexican cuisine to hungry Las Vegans and curious tourists ever since. KoMex has been featured on the Cooking Channel’s Taco Trip and written about on Buzzfeed. At $2.25 per taco, it’s easy to get your fill here. Fusion tacos come with your choice of beef, chicken, pork, pork belly or tofu (calamari, fish and shrimp cost 75 cents extra) and are topped with slaw and pico de gallo. There are plenty of other enticing options on the menu, from sliders to a bulgogi torta. I might be a traditionalist, but that won’t stop me from eating fried rice and tacos together at KoMex. 633 N. Decatur Blvd., 702-646-1612; 4155 S. Buffalo Drive, 702-778-5566. –Leslie Ventura
You can typically separate favorite foods into two categories: stuff we love to make at home and stuff we’d rather order in restaurants. The taco is one of the rare dishes that fits into both categories, because a) it’s consistently delicious, b) it provides infinite variety and can be “upscaled” by creative chefs and c) it’s simple to make and hard to mess up. Crispy shells straight out of the box, ground beef seasoned beyond recognition, iceberg lettuce and shredded yellow cheese—this meal is prepared at millions of homes across the country every night, as you-know-what as apple pie and symbolic of the dominant influence of Mexican food and Latin culture on our society. If you’re crafting gringo tacos in your kitchen, make them the best they can be. Sub in ground chicken or turkey, because it’s healthier and you’re going to overseason it anyway. Skip that packet of Lawry’s taco dust and try a Frontera Skillet Sauce instead—I like the red chile and cumin option—because, hey, chef Rick Bayless is the classic white guy making Mexican food. And before you start load-in, spread a thin layer of sour cream inside half the shell, a simple trick my half-Mexican wife taught me that ensures creamy gringo pleasure in every bite instead of just a few dollops on top. Of course, you could go a little bit more authentic with your home taco-making. How? Hit your local Cardenas Market (cardenasmarkets.com), where corn and flour tortillas are made fresh daily, delicious carnitas, birria-style beef and grilled chicken await in the deli area and fresh salsas and condiments are pre-packaged for convenience. It’s a one-stop taco party, crunchy shells not required. –Brock Radke
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If big, fancy casinos on the Las Vegas Strip are all about fine dining and have no room for simple street food, nobody told José Andrés. The Spanish superchef clearly couldn’t decide if he wanted to create a killer dumpling and noodle spot or the big Vegas version of a taco truck—and that’s how Cosmo got China Poblano. Once you enter and see the in-house tortilla-making operation, you know you’re in for a holy-sh*t-this-is-great taco experience. There are some wild combinations (duck tongue with lychee, crispy beef tendon with oyster), and the prices are higher than at your neighborhood taco shop, but all the flavors and textures are on point—so much so that an argument could be made that our best tacos come from a Spanish chef in a half-Chinese restaurant. Don’t miss the fried fish with cabbage, pickled onions, ancho chiles and lime mayo; the nopales y queso with cactus, seared queso fresco and salsa molcajete; and the sublime cochinita pibil, the best $5.50 pork taco you’ll ever bite. The Cosmopolitan, 702-698-7900. –Brock Radke
It might seem impossible to avoid the roll call of overhyped restaurants on social media— Rainbow This, Unicorn That, you know the deal. But there’s a new taqueria in town, and its name is far from hyperbole. Robert Solano, the former chef at Mundo, Mingo and Olivia’s Latin Cuisine, opened Bomb Tacos earlier this year, and the food lives up to its name. Each taco on the menu looks just as colorful as the taqueria’s festive décor, almost making it too pretty to eat … almost. Adding to the warm and bright atmosphere is Bomb’s exceptional service, which makes eating there feel cozier than in your average shop. If you’re a first-timer, start with the fried shrimp taco. Topped with a creamy cilantro chile sauce, cabbage, pico de gallo and cheese, it’s bursting with juicy, garlicky goodness. The al pastor, a regional favorite with roasted pork and pineapple, is a smoky, spicy, sweet vessel of deliciousness that will win the hearts of every meat lover. Bomb Tacos also features interesting vegetarian options, like the robust mushroom tacos, bursting with spices, and the crunchy potato taco, filled with mashed papas and soyrizo and topped with lettuce, pico, guacamole and cotija cheese. Round out your meal with a large serving of piping-hot rice and beans and some churros with vanilla ice cream for dessert. Everything on the menu is worth trying, but the tacos are truly the bomb. 3655 S. Durango Drive #27, 702-262-0141. –Leslie Ventura
The first rule of taco trucks is: You see one, you eat some tacos. Actually, that’s the only rule. But it goes double in Las Vegas, where food truck appearances are mostly limited to street festivals and special events, and it goes more than double if you see Tacos La Carreta parked somewhere along Spring Mountain Road, because it’s not out there as often as it used to be. But worry not; La Carreta has opened a tiny taco shop next door to a gas station on West Flamingo. It feels like stealing to sit down there and eat $1.50 carne asada, al pastor, chorizo or pollo treasures, and lengua and brilliantly flavored barbacoa tacos cost just 50 cents more. Deep-fried potato tacos are also $1.50, and there are tortas, burritos, tostadas, enchiladas, hot dogs and fries on the menu, too. But that chicken is so juicy, and that pork is so tasty ... this feels like an eight-taco joint to me. What, too many? 9010 W. Flamingo Road, 702-8890702. –Brock Radke
It’s the bartender who greets you with a smile and should be on a tourism commercial for Las Vegas, then hugs you and welcomes you back. It’s the soft light and the stained glass, the hand-painted Mexican tiles and the tangy soup on a chilly night. It’s the service from a staff that’s so disciplined, capable and nimble in tight spaces, it’s like a culinary SEAL team. I don’t know how many hundreds of tacos I’ve had at the original Lindo Michoacán—generally beef, sometimes chicken, always off the a la carte menu—but every time I’ve felt like I’m eating with people who care about me in a place where there’s no such thing as an outsider. –Ric Anderson Four-and-a-half years ago, on the first day of the LA trip when I started believing I was going to leave New York and move for the West Coast, my BFF David Landsel drove me to a taco truck in Boyle Heights. We had already eaten lunch and dessert at two different spots. David was taking me out of the way from my next scheduled destination. It was the middle of the afternoon. I wasn’t hungry. I didn’t understand the point of this detour. But then I ate Marisco Jalisco’s fried shrimp taco. Crunchy exterior, pillowy interior, slices of fresh avocado, all drenched in a perfect tomato-and-cabbage salsa. It was the best meal of my trip. Six months later, I was an LA resident. –Andy Wang Is Mike Minor the taco Icarus? Did he fly too close to the sun and burn his delicious tortilla wings out? Is that what it takes to make a perfect taco? Minor, now back as chef at Border Grill in Mandalay Bay, formerly operated his own Truck U Barbeque truck specializing in CalifornianMexican barbecue mashups. The burnt-ends burrito is the stuff of legends, but the fried chicken tacos were equally crave-worthy. The buttermilkfried chicken, coated in cornflakes and cooked in duck fat, was finished with chipotle bbq sauce, jalracha sauce (I still have no idea what this is) and creamy coleslaw. They might be gone for now, but their story lives on. –Jason Harris The taco that changed my life isn’t really a taco at all—but I didn’t know that when I ate it. How could I confuse a taco with something that isn’t? Because I was eating a baleada, a traditional Honduran dish very similar to the Mexican staple. I had a baleada for the first time a few years ago at my dad’s house in Chicago. I woke up in the morn-
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ing to find my stepmom cooking chorizo and scrambled eggs, which I unknowingly assembled into a baleada—a warm tortilla followed by rich layers of beans, eggs, sausage, avocado and fresh cheese straight from Honduras. No breakfast taco can compare. –Leslie Ventura Four months after graduating from college, I was in my Toyota Corolla, mom sitting shotgun, heading south from Boston towards Naples, Florida. In that sun-bleached, Gulf-side retirement community I found my first job in journalism, my husband and Taqueria San Julian. You could argue that the first two had a more profound impact on my life, but that would be selling San Julian criminally short. That low-ceilinged restaurant with bright yellow walls introduced me to simple joy: tiny corn tortillas piled with succulent meats, a sprinkle of raw onion and cilantro and a squeeze of lime. I could get two and a bottle of Coke for under $5. It was the perfect lunch. Things have changed in the 10 years since I left Florida. Recessions have come and gone. We elected our first black president. The Cubs won the World Series. But Taqueria San Julian has largely stayed the same. And the same is delicious. –Sarah Feldberg The marlin tacos at Mariscos Playa Escondida are magnificent. Tender, smoky and flavorful, they’re the proverbial vacation-in-the-mouth. And I would never have known that the restaurant that serves them even existed if I hadn’t joined Justin Favela and Ras One for one of their “try every taco on East Charleston” iron-stomach excursions. I discovered a lot of hidden gems that day—the handmade tortillas at La Pupusa Loka, the inexpensive but loaded tacos at Cemitas Poblanas Mi Chula Puebla’s outdoor cart in front of La Flor De Michoacan—but it’s those fish tacos at Mariscos Playa Escondida that stand out in my mind, because to me they represent Vegas’ many great unsung taco heroes. Seriously, I live around the corner from that restaurant and had no idea it was there. –Geoff Carter
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a taco lover's slow evolution BY MIKE PREVATT
BY LESLIE VENTURA It was more than 20 years ago when Raul and Maria Gil opened the original Casa Don Juan on Main Street, and it hardly resembled the Frida Kahlo-adorned restaurant locals know and love today. But before they moved to Las Vegas for a fresh start, the Gils owned a catering truck in California. Their son, Billy Gil (now manager of Casa Don Juan), describes the restaurant’s Vegas beginnings as a humble hole in the wall. The Downtown location was half the size it is today. A second restaurant near Summerlin has been going strong since 2015, and the Gil family just opened a third Casa Don Juan in Henderson in August. But the real change has yet to happen, Billy Gil says. Downtown’s Casa Don Juan is about to undergo a heavy remodel, adding more than 10,000 square feet and a second story to the already large building. “It’s one of the biggest projects we’ve got planned right now,” he says. Construction is set to begin in late 2017
or early 2018, but the restaurant will remain open throughout—so you can still get your carnitas or shrimp taco fix. The expansion is all part of Maria’s dream, the one she first had more than two decades ago. “My mom told my dad she wanted a Mexican restaurant, and my dad was like, ‘Okay, I can make that happen,’” Billy says. “And then afterward she was like, ‘I don’t want just one Mexican restaurant. I want a chain of restaurants.’” The recipes, like the mojarra al mojo de ajo or tilapia in garlic sauce, evolved over time as Raul and his original chefs—some of whom are still there—experimented with different ingredients. But it’s Maria who can take credit for the Frida theme, which is almost as iconic as the food. “She’s just astonished by [Kahlo’s] accomplishments and how she carried herself as a person, how she expressed herself and the culture of Mexico,” Billy says. “She just adores her.”
Ground beef crumbles. Stiff shredded cheddar. Barely durable corn shells. If your skin is as pasty white as mine, this was likely your introduction to the taco. Maybe your mom used actual salsa. Mine used tomato sauce, as if she confused tacos with Sloppy Joes. At least my elementary school’s ground beef tacos, to which I was introduced shortly afterward, were seasoned. My evolution as a taco eater was slow, pathetic and perhaps predictable for someone whose parents wouldn’t take their kids to ethnic restaurants. Which meant I was limited to Taco Bell for most of my teen years and zest-free fish tacos—also shelled—from Rubio’s and Wahoo’s in college, a time that might otherwise suggest dietary freedom and culinary progression. But from the age of 19 to 24, I endured numerous stomach ailments that kept me away from greasy and spicy foods—which meant no (real) tacos. Some time after my gallbladder was removed and my menu expanded, I ventured into my first authentic Mexican restaurant. What I saw looked strange—teeny corn tortillas covered only with bits of steak, onions and green salsa—but tasted wondrous. That revelation was followed by an even more exciting one: carnitas, the first shredded pork dish I didn’t smother with barbecue sauce. And finally, true taco nirvana came during a post-clubbing gorging at then-new-to-Vegas Tacos El Gordo, where I made selections featuring nearly every part of the cow, and particularly delighted in the discovery of the mighty adobada, as magical to watch sliced from the spit as it was to eat. I’ve since eaten at nearly every major taqueria in Las Vegas, but it was that night I became a fully evolved taco eater.
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It’s the last unleashing for this particular “Rebel Yell,” as the ’80s new wave/punk icon wraps up his House of Blues Las Vegas residency with Friday and Saturday shows.
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Which Diplo do you prefer—the hilarious James Van Der Beek Viceland version or the Wynn Nightlife resident that rocks the party again at XS on Friday?
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Fresh off his We Want Smoke collaboration with fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug, Tip returns to the Strip for a Saturday night set.
B i l l y I d o l / S u n F i l e ; D i p l o a n d J a m e s V a n d e r b e e k c o u r t e s y W y n n N i g h t l i f e ; TI b y C h a r l e s S y k e s / AP ; F l o ss t r a d a m u s c o u r t e s y W y n n N i g h t l i f e ; A z e a l i a B a n k s b y R i c h F u r y / AP
big this week
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ENCORE BEACH CLUB
His Hi-Def tour continues on to Orlando, Chicago and D.C., but first Curt Cameruci brings the trap back to EBC Saturday night.
brooklyn bowl
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Hit the Bowl midweek for a show from the controversial rapper, who makes her acting debut in the upcoming Love Beats Rhymes directed by Wu-Tang’s RZA.
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uke Dumont might have named his label and an album Blasé Boys Club, but there’s nothing unimpressive about his music. The Grammynominated U.K. native, born Adam George Dyment, brings his infectious house sounds back to Las Vegas for a double dose of groovy beats at Encore Beach Club and XS this weekend. We caught up with the DJ to talk about his latest work. You recently released a remix of “The Man,” by Las Vegas band The Killers. How did that project come about? I really liked the song originally. It’s always great to remix a song you already
M A N like, and they’re a legendary band and they have a history of commissioning great remixes. They just reached out to us asking to do a remix, and I very, very rarely agree to do remixes now because I don’t have enough time. I’m so busy touring and busy making my own music, so it was nice to do a remix again. You upload lots of live sets for your fans. What’s been one of you favorites to release this year, and why? I did a [five-hour set] in Los Angeles, and that’s one of my favorites because there’s real dynamics. It’s not just one kind of beat for hours; it’s just not one monotonous five-hour set. There’s highs and there’s lows. Plus, we
recorded the crowd ambience as well. You can hear the crowd’s reactions to the tracks and things like that, and it just really adds to the atmosphere. Are you working on a new album? Yeah, going into 2018 I’m just in the studio in Los Angeles recording and recording and recording, which is what I absolutely love doing. There’s that side and a full tour on the schedule throughout the entire year. Duke Dumont at Encore Beach Club, October 20; at XS at Encore, October 22. –Deanna Rilling
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he music-loving public has been fascinated with all things Prince since the iconic artist passed away last year, but at least one related act has been rocking steady since forming in Minneapolis in 1981.
ing our thing since day one, and people realize that. We’ve added a couple little things to give tribute to Prince without oversaturating our show with it. The people that want to come to see us know we’re still one of the baddest bands on the planet.”
Morris Day, the charismatic frontman of legendary Prince-formed funk outfit The Time, says increased interest is “double-edged.” The one-time Las Vegas resident—he now lives with his family in Florida—was one of Prince’s closest collaborators in the Purple Rain days, and the two of them recorded The Time’s debut album before the band was even put together. “Things have picked up considerably, and it is for that reason that we are one of the closest things to his legacy musically,” Day says. “But we’ve been do-
They proved it when they took to the Grammy stage this year for a tribute with Bruno Mars, whose recent hits sound a whole lot like The Time. “He’s a real cool cat,” Day says of Mars. “He was real easy to work with, and I thought it was pretty cool. He’s a talented guy, and I like the fact that he’s taking the essence of what we did and bringing it back to the table. That made [the tribute] very appropriate in my opinion. We wouldn’t want to do it with just anyone.”
JIM MONE/AP
S T I L L C O O L The Time still frequents Vegas and will headline this weekend’s Old School Party Jam at the Orleans Arena, but back in 2008 the original members—including legendary producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis—reunited for a limited engagement at the Flamingo. Could a new Vegas residency be in the works? “I wouldn’t be opposed to doing it, but that’s the only way I would want to do Vegas,” Day says. “If I try to sit in one place for a year or two, it feels too much like a job.” Old School Party Jam with Morris Day & The Time, Club Nouveau, Midnight Star, The Sugarhill Gang & more at Orleans Arena, October 21. –Brock Radke
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ince he’s known for flipping tracks in unexpected ways, it’s no surprise that Jerzy’s current sonic weapon of choice comes from the genre-bending Major Lazer. “I just like that direction. It could be taken as festival music, but it also could be played in a hip-hop club,” says the Chicago DJ with Vegas residencies at Tao and Light. “There are a lot of artists and producers that would be considered one-dimensional, [making] music that can be played in the big room and that’s it. Major Lazer, you can play it wherever and people will dance to it. They do a
s o u n d s
great job of keeping that balance, and that’s why the music has crossed over and is international.” In particular, Jerzy is digging the Wale collaboration “My Love,” featuring WizKid and Dua Lipa, a summer track with extra energy. “I just like the feel of that song,” he says. Also known for the mascot that makes regular appearances at his club shows—“It’s about being open to cool stuff and building things around a party”—Jerzy has managed to put together a powerful collection of new music between gigs in Vegas, Chicago, Arizona, San Francisco,
Atlantic City and Miami. “I just put out a little compilation to showcase some stuff I’ve been working on,” he explains. “It’s very open-format. There are a lot of old ’50s samples, James Brown and ‘La Bamba’ and all kinds of stuff layered with hip-hop beats underneath. It’s fun for the club, and then after the first of the year I’ll be in the studio working on original songs that I’m hoping to get some new and upcoming singers on.” Jerzy at Tao at Venetian, October 21. –Brock Radke
D i f f e d i r e
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he Rio’s VooDoo Rooftop Nightclub & Lounge has hit the 20-year mark and is celebrating accordingly this weekend. Known for amazing views of the Strip and unpretentious vibes, VooDoo is throwing it back ’90s-style with a night of hip-hop, pop, dance and R&B from that era plus a special performance by Tone Loc. The bar will also be serving ... wait for it ... ice cold Zima. “We wanted to inspire grown-ups to play, and what better way than a theme party to throwback to the ’90s with the ‘Wild Thing’ himself,” said Eric Fox, the Rio’s director of food & beverage.
Not many Vegas nightlife venues have lasted 20 years, and even fewer have done it the way VooDoo has—without making wholesale changes. “With our unbeatable views, great service and fun atmosphere, we honestly haven’t had to change much to that equation over the years,” Fox says. “Being one of the first nightclubs with such an iconic view and a 20-year history in the city, we have a huge loyal following. It also doesn’t hurt that we have Chippendales right downstairs, and after the show the girls love to come to the lounge and keep the party atmosphere going.” That’s not to say VooDoo hasn’t evolved at all. The restaurant has transitioned
into VooDoo Steak, something of a hideaway with excellent cuisine. In addition to the club’s party, the restaurant will offer a special anniversary tasting menu on Saturday, highlighted by throwback dishes like coq au vin, lobster thermidor and strawberry trifle. It all comes together for what should be a night as memorable as those Vegas views. 20th Anniversary at VooDoo Steak & Rooftop Nightclub with Tone Loc, October 21. –Brock Radke
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in the moment
INTRIGUE Ye LLOW Claw
oct 13 Photographs courtesy Wynn Nightlife
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hicken albondigas, shrimp elote, Buffalo chicken pizza and turkey Bolognese. All of these dishes have one thing in common—okay, make that two. They’re delicious, and they’re good for you, too.
F o o d i e F i t ’ s m e a l - p r e p r e c i p e p u t s l i f e s t y l e f i r s t
Foodie Fit co-founder Alex Lee knew he wanted to switch things up when he entered the meal prep business. The industry is plagued with companies offering boring and tasteless meals that sacrifice flavor in turn for health. Foodie Fit has been different from the beginning. “I wanted to create a lifestyle brand,” Lee says, who went into business with co-founders Andrew Kowal and chef Bo Vu almost a year ago.
Vu spent the past seven years working as a chef in the restaurant industry before coming together with Lee and Kowal to found Foodie Fit. That expertise helps the company stand out from other meal delivery services in town. For starters, there isn’t just one cuisine on Foodie Fit’s menu. The chef takes inspiration from all over the world, incorporating flavors from the Mediterranean as well as Latin, Korean, Vietnamese and American cuisines. And while the meal prep business caters to athletes, it’s also a perfect fit for people on the go, like Las Vegans in the service industry or stay-at-home parents. The menu reflects Foodie Fit’s diverse demographics.
“We wanted to do something that was a convenient and healthy option,” Lee says. He also wanted to help people. That much was evident over the last two weeks, when Lee and his team made and donated hundreds of meals to Route 91 victims, families and first responders. Foodie Fit has since returned to business as usual, but it hasn’t stopped making an impact in the community. Whether it’s for one meal or an entire week’s worth, “people are doing their shopping here with us,” Lee says. Eating healthy in Vegas has never been easier, or more satisfying. Foodie Fit, 2185 E. Windmill Lane, 702-881-4311, foodiefitmeals.com. –Leslie Ventura
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WED THU DANIEL CAESAR THE2LANY TOUR: PART 2 WITH SPECIAL GUESTS DAGNY NOV 1 NOV
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THIS WEEKEND BRITNEY SPEARS THE AXIS @ PLANET HOLLYWOOD
NOW - DECEMBER 31 TEGAN AND SARA THE PEARL AT THE PALMS
SAT, OCTOBER 21 ARCADE FIRE MANDALAY BAY EVENTS CENTER
SUN, OCTOBER 22
ON SALE NOW JAY-Z T-MOBILE ARENA
SAT, OCTOBER 28 GUNS N’ ROSES T-MOBILE ARENA
FRI, NOVEMBER 17 LIONEL RICHIE THE AXIS @ PLANET HOLLYWOOD
NOV 29 - DEC 16 & MAR 7 - 20 MAROON 5 MANDALAY BAY EVENTS CENTER
DECEMBER 30 & 31 B U Y T I C K E T S A T L I V E N A T I O N .C O M Download Sizzle from the app store for an exclusive PT’s Entertainment Group experience >
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et’s make it official, right here and now: Michael Mina’s Stripsteak is one of the alltime greats. The modern chophouse at Mandalay Bay just passed the 11-year mark, an incredible accomplishment for any restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip. But to swim with the sharks in the competitive seas of the Vegas steakhouse market and emerge as one of the best? That’s deserving of rare accolades. Balance is what sets this restaurant apart. Of course, it offers a sleek and sophisticated design—a truly memorable atmosphere in which you’ll feast on the best beef available,
including Mishima Reserve Wagyu and prime steaks from Creekstone Farms. But before you even think about your main dish, you have to get past an extensive selection of creative appetizers that makes ordering seem impossible. Yellowtail sashimi is dressed with coconut yuzu and yamamomo berries. Hudson Valley foie gras on French toast is served with apple compote and maple syrup blended with WhistlePig rye whiskey. A beyond-savory plate called Instant Bacon is comprised of five-spice pork belly and tempura oysters, and soyglazed grilled beef satay is matched with green papaya salad and toasted cashews. See? Impossible.
The opening dishes will set the tone for the rest of the meal at Stripsteak, but there’s no pressure, because you can’t make a bad choice. Stripsteak at Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7200; daily 4-10 p.m. –Brock Radke
courtesy
f a s t
Halloween Costume
Contest OCTOBER 28
$5000 IN CASH PRIZES
OCTOBER 29
$2500 IN CASH PRIZES
$12 Bacardi Cocktails $14 Bacardi & Red Bull Yellow Edition $8 Corona or Modelo ◊ COSTUME CONTEST FOR SCARIEST, MOST ORIGINAL & SEXIEST COSTUMES ◊ EARLY REGISTRATION (SIGN-UPS) ENCOURAGED - DIAL 702.523.4977 ◊ FOR EVENT INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:
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◊ LOCATED AT HEART BAR INSIDE PLANET HOLLYWOOD ©2017 MarkeTeam Inc
Download Sizzle from the app store for an exclusive Brooklyn Bowl experience >
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t seems like Melody Sweets has been one of Las Vegas’ most recognizable entertainers since she arrived from New York City in 2011 to perform in the acclaimed Absinthe at Caesars Palace. That’s probably because the petite burlesque star with the big, soulful voice pops up all over town to support her fellow performers and participate in charitable events, something she says has been easy to do. “The artist community here welcomed me with open arms,” Sweets says. “When you first come, you are led by what you already believe about [Las Vegas], the ‘what happens here.’ It took me a minute to see this is a really amazing place and that the community wanted to show that, and it made me fall in love with Las Vegas.” She’s bringing a seasonal edition of her Sweets’ Spot show back to the Smith Center’s Cabaret Jazz this month, a Halloween-flavored spectacular with a 10-piece band, big burlesque names like Kalani Kokonuts and LouLou D’vil and, for the first time in this venue, boy-lesque performers.
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“This is my fourth show, and it’s an honor to be able to play there,” Sweets says. “I did the first burlesque the Smith Center ever had. The room is just stunning, and it’s the perfect place to bring that sense of old Vegas meets new Vegas.” If vintage performance like the kind in which Sweets specializes sounds like something different for the Downtown performing arts center, she agrees. “For the first show I was a bit nervous about bringing burlesque there, because I wanted to make sure it’s classy and still edgy, beautiful but still naughty. Trying to tread that line was a bit nerve-wracking. But the audience loved it and they asked me back, so I figured they loved it, too.” The Sweets’ Spot at Myron’s Cabaret Jazz at the Smith Center, October 24. –Brock Radke photo by wade vandervort
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DRAI’S RAE S RE MMU RD
oct 14 Photographs by Tony Tran Photography
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THE MANHATTANS & HAROLD MELVIN’S BLUENOTES OLD FASHIONED BEER & BRAT PARTY
10.28.17 HALLOWEEN WEEKEND! PRESENTED BY BIG DOG’S BREWS BEER FEST: 3-9 PM AFTER PARTY: 9 PM - ? 45+ CRAFT BREWS! TAPPING GOSE BUSTERS! WISCONSIN BRATS! BAVARIAN PRETZELS! LIVE MUSIC! 3 BANDS! TOKEN & GLASS PACKAGES ARE AVAILABLE NOW! PRE-BUY TO SAVE
Saturday, Oct 21 • 8:00pm tickets start at $3495
use code LVWEEKLY to receive 10% off
QUEEN NATION TRIBUTE TO QUEEN
Friday & Saturday Oct 27 & 28 • 8:00pm tickets $995 GA
MR. & MRS. A
Friday, Nov 3 • 7:30pm
VIP Meet & Greet tickets $125 tickets $98, $78, $58
THE FAB
IN ITS ENTIRETY - TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES 1 ALBUM Saturday, Nov 4 • 8:00pm tickets $995 GA
AT BIG DOG’S DRAFT HOUSE RANCHO/CRAIG LAS VEGAS,NV HELP SUPPORT THE ANIMAL FOUNDATION CHARITY PARTNER
THE WHISPERS
Saturday, Oct 28 • 8:00pm tickets start at $2295
animalfoundation.com
www.BIGDOGSBREWS.com
ENTERTAINMENT Done Right Ticket prices do not include taxes and applicable fees. Management reserves all rights. ©2017 Boyd Gaming ® Corporation, LLC. All rights reserved.
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CH ATEAU 10/19 DJs Bayati & Casanova. 10/20 DJ Brees. 10/21 DJ Bayati. 10/25 DJ ShadowRed. 10/26 DJs Bayati & Casanova. 10/27 DJ Bayati. 10/28 DJ P-Jay. 11/1 DJ Dre Dae. 11/2 DJs Bayati & Casanova. 11/3 DJ J-Nice. 11/4 DJ ShadowRed. Paris, Wed-Sat, 702-776-7770. DRAI’ S 10/19 DJ Shift. 10/20 DJ Esco. 10/21 TI. 10/22 DJ Franzen. 10/26 DJ Crooked. 10/27 Trey Songz. 10/28 Future. 10/29 Lil Wayne. 10/31 Rae Sremmurd. 11/1 Migos. 11/3 DJ Esco. 11/5 DJ Franzen. Cromwell, Tue, Thu-Sun, 702-777-3800.
XS Courtesy Wynn Nightlife
EM BASSY 3355 Procyon St., Thu-Sat, 702-609-6666. FO U NDATIO N
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10/20 DJ Graham Funke. 10/21 DJ Baby Yu. 10/27 DJ Konflikt. 10/28 DJ Sam I Am. 11/3 DJ Excel. 11/4 Dee Jay Silver. Mandalay Bay, nightly, 702632-7631. . F OX TAIL SLS, Fri-Sat, 702-761-7621. MARQUEE
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H Y DE 10/20 DJ Konflikt. 10/21 DJ D-Miles. 10/24 DJ Konflikt. 10/25 DJ D-Miles. 10/27 DJ Ikon. 10/28 DJ Karma. 10/31 DJ D-Miles. Bellagio, nightly, 702-693-8700.
10/20 Tritonal. 10/21 Vice. 10/23 Ruckus. 10/27 Ruckus. 10/28 Galantis. 11/3 Ruckus. 11/4 Vice. Cosmopolitan, Mon, Fri-Sat, 702-333-9000.
SURREN DER XS
INTRIG U E 10/19 RL Grime. 10/20 Cedric Gervais. 10/21 Lost Kings. 10/26 Laidback Luke. 10/27 Diplo. 10/28 Ruby Rose. 11/2 Flosstradamus. 11/3 Slander. 11/4 Sultan & Shepard. Wynn, Thu-Sat, 702-770-7300.
10/19 DJ Five. 10/20 DJ Scene. 10/21 Jerzy. 10/26 DJ Five. 10/27 DJ Wellman. 10/28 Jermaine Dupri. 11/2 DJ Mustard. 11/3 Jerzy. 11/4 Eric DLux. Venetian, Thu-Sat, 702-3888588.
10/20 Duke Dumont. 10/21 Flosstradamus. 10/25 Marshmello. 10/27 Alison Wonderland. 10/28 Marshmello. 11/1 Yellow Claw. Encore, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-770-7300.
10/20 Diplo. 10/21 RL Grime. 10/22 Duke Dumont. 10/27 Alesso. 10/28 The Chainsmokers. 10/29 Diplo. 10/31 Jamie Jones. 11/3 Marshmello. 11/4 Alesso. 11/5 Marshmello. Encore, Fri-Mon, 702-770-0097.
GRAND PRIZE
GIVEAWAY! WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18 TO FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2017
GRAND PRIZE
WINNER & GUEST, 21 YEARS OR OLDER
VIP BOOTH & BOTTLE SERVICE FOR 2 To a NFR nightly viewing & afterparty at Silverton Casino
2 PLAZA TICKETS
To the NFR for one performance for Friday, December 15
DINNER FOR 2
To Twin Creeks Steakhouse
1-NIGHT STAY
During NFR at Silverton Casino Resort Room
NEW GUESTS RECEIVE 10% OFF* *Must mention LVW. Some restrictions apply.
VISIT NFRexperience.com TO ENTER TO WIN! Free transportation to/from NFR on Friday, Dec. 15. *Winner must be a Las Vegas resident. Proof of residency required. Contest rules and regulations can be found on nfrexperience.com.
CLOTHING BY HOTMESS BOUTIQUE
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10/21 Oleta Adams. 11/4 Darryl Worley. 11/18 The Clairvoyants. Aliante Casino, 702-692-7777.
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DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS EVENTS CENTER 10/21 Odesza. 11/4 Billy Kenny. 12/29-12/30 Boys Noize & Gorgon City. 200 S. Third St., 800-7453000.
AX IS 10/20-11/4 Britney Spears. 11/8-11/18 Backstreet Boys. 12/6-12/16 Lionel Richie. 12/19-12/31 Britney Spears. Planet Hollywood, 702-7776737. B R O O K LY N
BOWL
10/20 Run the Jewels. 10/21 In This Moment. 10/23 A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie. 10/25 Azealia Banks. 10/26 Flying Lotus. 10/27-10/28 Trey Anastasio Band. 11/1 Capturing Pablo. 11/3 Action Bronson. 11/4 The Pharcyde. 11/5 I Prevail. 11/10 Common Kings. 11/11 The Front Bottoms. 11/12 Matisyahu. 11/22 Periphery & Animals as Leaders. 11/27 Flobots. 11/30 Wax Tailor. 12/1 Jack & Jack. 12/3 Shaggy. 12/6 Anuhea. 12/7 Chris Robinson Brotherhood. 12/9 Corey Smith. 12/14 The Drums. 12/16 Descendents. 12/21 Lil Pump. 12/29 Dizzy Wright. 12/31 Ja Rule & Ashanti. Linq Promenade, 702-862-2695.
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CH ELSEA
10/21 Pixies. 11/10 Adam Sandler. 11/17 Adam Sandler. 11/25 Wakin Chau. 12/8 Cole Swindell. 12/10 Dustin Lynch. 12/13 Dwight Yoakam. 12/1512/16 Dierks Bentley. Cosmopolitan, 702-6986797.
TH E
CO LOSSEU M
10/20-10/28 Elton John. 10/22 Joe Bonamassa. 10/29 Steve Martin & Martin Short. 11/1-11/4 Elton John. 11/7-11/25 Celine Dion. 11/29-12/10 Reba, Brooks & Dunn. 12/6 Jeff Dunham. 12/1412/22 Mariah Carey. 12/15 Bill O’Reilly & Dennis Miller. Caesars Palace, 866-227-5938.
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T HEAT ER
10/20-10/28 Diana Ross. 11/1-11/11 Tony Bennett. 11/17-11/18 Harry Connick Jr. 12/1-12/2 Harry Connick Jr. 12/13-12/16 Alabama. Wynn, 702770-9966. T HE
FOUN DRY
10/27-10/28 Jon Lovitz & Dana Carvey. 11/3-11/4 Jon Lovitz & Dana Carvey. 11/18 Boney James. 12/15-12/16 Dave Koz. 12/10 Parmalee. SLS, 702761-7617. GOLDEN N UGGET SHOW ROOM 10/20 Dennis DeYoung. 10/27 Johnny Rivers. 11/3 Jay & The Americans. 11/10 The Buckinghams. 11/17 Herman’s Hermits. 11/24 Eric Burdon & The Animals. 12/1 The Grass Roots. 12/7 John Michael Montgomery. 12/8 Brenda Lee. 12/9 Pam Tillis & Lorrie Morgan. 12/10 Charlie Daniels Band. 12/11 Ronnie Milsap. 12/12 Tanya Tucker. 12/13 Lonestar. 12/14 Clint Black. 12/15 Jamey Johnson. 12/29 Loverboy. Golden Nugget, 866-946-5336. GRAN D
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10/20-10/21 Billy Idol. 10/22 Issues. 10/24 Breaking Benjamin. 10/25 Hanson. 11/1-11/12 Santana. 11/7 Blues Traveler. 11/16-11/19 Joe Walsh. 11/17 Steel Panther. 11/20 Belanova & Moenia. 11/22 Molotov. 11/24 The Used. 11/25 Steel Panther. 12/1 Steel Panther. 12/15 Steel Panther. 12/31 Pennywise. Mandalay Bay, 702632-7600. T H E
J OI N T
10/20 Nine Inch Nails. 10/29 John Carpenter. 11/3 Bret Michaels. 11/26 Snails. 12/2 Patton Oswalt. 12/6 Holiday Havoc with Rise Against, Portugal. The Man, Royal Bood and more. 12/8-12/9 Gary Allan. 12/18 Mondays Dark 4th Anniversary Show. Hard Rock Hotel, 702-693-5000. M A N D A L AY B AY EVENTS CENTER
10/22 Arcade Fire. 12/30-12/31 Maroon 5. Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7777. MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA 11/16 Latin Grammy Awards. 12/5 UNLV vs. Oral Roberts. 12/9 UNLV vs. Illinois. 12/28 The Original Misfits. MGM Grand, 702-521-3826.
C EN T ER OR L EAN S
10/21 Billy Gardell. 10/28 Rob Caudill. 11/3 The Tenors. 11/18 Imomsohard. Green Valley Ranch Resort, 702-617-7777. HARD
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10/27-10/28 Big Buck World Championship. Hard Rock Cafe, 3771 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702733-7625.
AR EN A
10/20 Andre Rieu. 10/21 Old School Party Jam. 10/27 Harlem Globetrotters. 11/23-11/24 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational. 11/25 PJ Masks Live. Orleans, 702-365-7469.
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10/14-10/15 Marshall Tucker Band. 10/28-10/29 The Temptations. 11/24 Timothy B. Schmit. Orleans, 702-365-7111.
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10/19 Steepwater Band. 11/2 Selwyn Birchwood. 11/11 Foghat. 11/16 Roy Rogers. 11/18 The Edgar Winter Bad. 12/16 Keiko Matsui & Euge Groove. 12/22 Christmas with the Celts. Boulder Station, 702-432-7777.
TH EATER ROC KS
10/27-10/29 Widespread Panic. 11/8-11/25 Cher. 12/30-12/31 Bruno Mars. Monte Carlo, 844-600-7275.
TH E
11/3-11/4 Rita Rudner. 11/9-11/11 Andrew Dice Clay. 11/17 Richard Cheese. Red Rock Resort, 702-797-7777.
P EARL T ERRY
10/21 Tegan and Sara. 10/27 Hollywood Undead. 11/17 So You Think You Can Dance. 11/18 Bebe Rexha & Marc E. Bassy. 11/25 Ana Gabriel. 12/11 Holiday Havoc with The Killers & more. Palms, 702-944-3200. P H
LOUN GE
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10/20-10/28 Ringo Starr & His All Star Band. 11/2-11/5 America’s Got Talent Live. Planet Hollywood, 702-777-2782.
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10/20-10/21 Ron White. 10/20-10/29 Boyz II Men. 10/27-10/28 Bill Maher. 11/3-11/4 Tim Allen. 11/10-11/11 Daniel Tosh. 11/10-11/25 Boyz II Men. 11/17-11/18 Ray Romano & David Spade. 11/24-11/25 Howie Mandel & Puddles Pity Party. 12/1-12/2 Ray Romano & David Spade. 12/8-12/16 Ron White. 12/22-12/24 Boyz II Men. 12/29 Joe Rogan. 12/30 Jay Leno. Mirage, 702-792-7777.
T-MOBILE
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10/28 Jay-Z. 11/1-11/5 PBR World Finals. 11/17
Guns N’ Roses. 11/20-11/22 MGM Resorts Main Event Basketball Tournament. 12/8-12/9 George Strait. 12/16 Lady Gaga. 3780 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-692-1600.
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10/28 Restless Heart & Shenandoah. 11/11 Peter Cetera. 11/18 Great White & Slaughter. Tropicana, 800-829-9034. VE I L
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11/11 Christopher Cross. Silverton, 702-2637777. VE N E T I AN
T H E AT R E
10/20-10/21 Rascal Flatts. Venetian, 702-4149000.
VI N Y L 10/20 Nothing More. 10/26 Passafire. 10/28 Brooklyn & Bailey. 11/1 LANY. 11/2 Daniel Caesar. 11/3 Bayside. 11/10 Justin Jay’s Fantastic Voyage. 11/15 Bad Suns. 11/16 Propaghandi. 12/1 Syd. 12/5 Dance Gavin Dance. Hard Rock Hotel, 702-693-5000.
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5. USA SEVENS RUGBY Since moving into Sam Boyd Stadium in 2010, this yearly spring gathering has become a true celebration—of scrums and grubber kicks, along with beer, food and flags from participating nations. –Spencer Patterson (Las Vegas News Bureau/ Photo Illustration)
ANNUAL SPORTING CLASSICS
THE WEEKLY 5
1. BIG LEAGUE WEEKEND
2. NASCAR WEEKEND(S)
Every March, the Chicago Cubs pack Cashman Stadium for two exhibition games against MLB opponents—and these days, that means locals are assured an up-close look at one of the best teams in baseball.
The springtime Speedway tradition, which draws tens of thousands of fans to the track for multiple races, has been so successful, the stock-car circuit awarded Vegas a second stop, beginning next September.
3. LAS VEGAS SUMMER LEAGUE
4. WRANGLER NATIONAL FINALS RODEO
Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard and tons of other NBA stars have participated in this preseason camp, which features more than 20 rosters loaded with rising talent.
The “Super Bowl of Rodeo” sets up shop at the Thomas & Mack every December, bringing cowboy hats, bold belt buckles and big-name country music stars to town by the truckload.
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NOISE
ARCADE FIRE
October 22, 8 p.m., $26-$85. Mandalay Bay Events Center, 702-632-7777.
READY TO START FIVE REASONS NOT TO MISS ARCADE FIRE AT MANDALAY BAY BY MIKE PREVATT
I
t’s at a property to which we need to return. For Arcade Fire’s third-ever Las Vegas performance and first local arena show, the Montreal sextet— which expands to a nine-piece in concert— finds itself playing Mandalay Bay, where a shooter on the 32nd floor killed 58 people and wounded many more at a nearby music festival on October 1. Since then, there have been earnest pushes to destigmatize the property and get people coming back. Music fans can support Mandalay Bay and its employees by heading over for dinner and/or drinks, then watching one of the most popular rock bands in the world perform. It aims to be a celebratory show. The Infinite Content tour is no bummer. The reliably rhythmic and inspiriting Arcade Fire is keeping things almost entirely upbeat, if (largely positive) reviews and setlists of previous shows are any indication. Expect the overwhelming majority of the numbers to move your hips, from boisterous rave-ups like “Here Comes the Night Time,” “Reflektor” and “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)” to the pulsing title track and “Put Your Money on Me” from this year’s Everything Now. Even a midtempo number like “The Suburbs” bounces with buoyancy, and torch song “My Body Is a Cage” ends with an uplifting crescendo. Prepare to sing along. You don’t get to book an arena tour without having amassed a formidable catalog of beloved songs—and several of Arcade Fire’s favorites are already part of the indie canon. The audience will
SCREEN
undoubtedly whoaaaa through anthems “Wake Up” and “No Cars Go,” la-la during four-on-the-floor rouser “Rebellion (Lies)” and attempt to match the upper-register notes of instrumentalist/singer Régine Chassagne during “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” Support indie rock shows. In a year where pop, hip-hop and country have outshined rock on Las Vegas stages, indie-leaning music has fared badly in terms of booking frequency and attendance, potentially sending a message to agents and entertainment directors that such shows aren’t worth the risk. Unless one finds the sounds of Chassagne and frontman Win Butler’s voices as shudder-inducing as stum-
bling through a spider web, fans of post-punk, art rock and/or synth pop have themselves a can’t-miss show—especially if they have yet to witness Arcade Fire perform in the flesh. Opening act Angel Olsen. Speaking of left-ofcenter acts, it’s hard to imagine a local venue that would have taken a chance on the singersongwriter on her own, so consider Olsen’s support slot as your one shot to see her. Not only is her artistry compelling and broad—she stylistically spanned the rock gamut on last year’s acclaimed My Woman—she’s a spitfire of a performer. For a representative sample of her pop smarts and dynamo delivery, stream single “Shut Up, Kiss Me”—and arrive early on Sunday for the real-life rendition.
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las vegas weekly 10.19.17
Con job
Tegan and Sara bring a classic album to life in concert By Leslie Ventura
+
Ten years ago, Tegan and Sara released breakout album The Con, changing their career path—and the lives of their dedicated fans—forever. The Weekly caught up with Sara Quin at her unofficial home base in LA weeks before the Con X anniversary tour kicked off in San Diego last Friday. How have you been gearing up for this tour? We’re sort of doing a complete reset of the production and our band and crew. Tegan and I have to dust off our old brains and remember all 14 songs on The Con, and because it’s going to be a stripped-down, acoustic tour, we’re learning brand new arrangements.
Arcade Fire plays Mandalay Bay Events Center on Sunday. (Guy Aroch/Courtesy)
Tegan and Sara. (Pamela Littky/Courtesy)
Has it been difficult relearning these songs since your sound has changed so much? Learning The Con has been easier than when we first made it, because I think a lot of what we were doing back then was instinct, it was intuition. It was kind of making music in the dark, you know? … Now I have more of a nerdy music brain, and learning the songs has been easier. … I hate the guitar, so I’m trying not to do any of it on the guitar, but I also want to honor those original versions, so I’m trying to figure out how to do something that is inspiring to me but also not totally unrecognizable to the fanbase. You’re releasing The Con X: Covers album. How did you go about selecting the artists for that? The goal was to really curate interesting versions of each individual track. It was like, okay, we don’t want someone to do a pop-acoustic version of “Back in Your Head,” because I already did that. Let’s pick someone who’s going to slash it up or do an electronic jam or whatever. We really were specific about trying to find people who would surprise the listener. And then also we really wanted to make sure whoever was on the album was either LGBTQ or was a good ally, someone who we would be able to vouch for and stand beside, and also because the project itself is about raising proceeds for our foundation which benefits LGBTQ people.
Tegan and Sara October 21, 9 p.m., $36-$189. The Pearl, 702-944-3200.
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WEEKLY | 10.19.17
ENJOY
all we have to offer
{ Always something going on. { SHOP SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 26 AND GET A $20 DINING GIFT CARD TO ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE GALLERIA RESTAURANTS! *Minimum purchase required. See Guest Services for details.
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Time to heal After the Route 91 shooting, Emerge pushes back its conference launch to spring 2018
JOE BONAMASSA “ W
TICKETS
AVAILABLE AT:
e experienced a horrific tragedy in Las Vegas a couple weeks ago, and in light of that we had to adjust course,” Rehan Choudhry says, explaining why his Emerge Impact + Music Conference has postponed its inaugural edition from this fall to spring 2018. “I have no doubt in my mind that this is the event that we need to be launching and Vegas is absolutely the city we need to do it in, but we’re refocusing our efforts on helping with the recovery locally and then launching when Las Vegas will be in the best position to receive it.” Emerge, which had planned to bring 100 rising music acts, 30 speakers and a roster of big-name curators like The Killers, Imagine Dragons and Kaskade to venues on and near the Strip from November 16-18, will instead debut next year. Choudhry says the host sites— Brooklyn Bowl, the Hard Rock Hotel and others—will remain the same, as will the curators, and that many of the original acts will participate
despite the revised dates. “The scope of the event has not changed at all,” he says. “A percentage of the artists will stay onboard, and then we’ll fill any gaps we have over the next couple of months.” Choudhry says all ticket holders will automatically be issued refunds and will then be given priority to buy passes for the new dates when they go on sale. Meanwhile, Choudhry says, during its original November weekend Emerge will host a concert benefitting victims of the Route 91 Harvest shooting. Details for that event—including the date, venue and participating artists—will be unveiled in the coming weeks. As for whether concerns over safety played a part in his decision to postpone, Choudhry says: “I have a tremendous faith that the city and county, Metro and all of our casino partners are doing everything they can to ensure the safety of guests. I believe than when Emerge launches it’ll be a safe and secure event.” –Spencer Patterson
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Britton (left) and Groff square off in Mindhunter. (Netflix/Courtesy)
pop culture WEEKLY | 10.19.17
Crime or punishment? Netflix’s Mindhunter will hook you if you let it t’s a wee-bit ironic that in this age of instant everything, one of our most popular modes of entertainment—the binge-watch—requires a considerable degree of patience. Again and again, I announce I’m about to jump ship on a series, after just two or three episodes, only to be told to “stick with it” because “it gets better.” In some cases, that means trudging through an entire first season, because “the second one is when it really comes together.” For stand-alone shows like Black Mirror, that’s not applicable—just dive in wherever you like. But for a narrative series like The Leftovers, that’s a lotta mediocrity Cultural attachment for us click-happy, ADD-addled robots to tolerate before getting to by smith the good stuff. galtney Mindhunter, a Netflix series that debuted last week, only takes one (maybe two) episodes to hook you like a crackhead junkie, but you need to let at least
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three of your guards down before it can work its hoodoo. Produced and directed by David Fincher, among others, it’s another serial-killer treatise a la Seven and Zodiac. Set in the late ’70s, it’s heavy on vintage cars and polyester trousers and fake moustaches and old pops songs (see also: The Deuce and American Made). It also stars Jonathan Groff as an FBI agent. He’s best known for his appearance in Glee and for playing King George III in Hamilton—and for being very “Jonathan Groff’ in any role he takes on. So if you see him here and wonder why that gay guy from Looking is trying to pick up a woman in a bar, it’s understandable. But pilots are never to be trusted. They’ve got too much groundwork to lay, too much tone to set, and once Mindhunter establishes its historical context, the show feels like anything but a retread. The odd casting of Groff quickly makes sense, since his Holden Ford is supposed to be sensitive and inexperienced and awkward. And the character’s mix of tender and tenacious makes him an interesting choice for an origin
story about the FBI method of grilling serial killers for psychological insight—which we’ve taken for granted since The Silence of the Lambs. God knows we’ve been seeing bad Hannibal Lecter impressions for decades (Jared Leto’s is the lone pockmark on Blade Runner 2049), but thankfully Mindhunter gives us something much better: Ed Kemper, the real-life killer who murdered his grandparents and several young women. Flawlessly played by Cameron Britton, Kemper feels like the most affable committer of heinous crimes in TV history. He almost wins your sympathy when talking of his mother and grandmother, both “controlling, aggressive, matriarchal women.” Until he describes beating mom to death with a claw hammer. As Kemper relates his crimes in horrific detail, Ford grows visibly nervous, and that’s when Kemper does something really weird: He touches Fords arm, softly, as if to say, “Don’t be scared, I won’t hurt you.” It’s enough to … well, maybe not win your sympathy, but at least keep you seated until you finish the whole damn season.
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SCREEN
The killing field Stephen King story 1922 explores murder in the heartland
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The flurry of recent Stephen King adaptations has included high-profile successes (It, Gerald’s Game) and failures (The Dark Tower, The Mist TV series), but the new Netflix original movie 1922 is unlikely to fall in either category. It’s a solid, straightforward thriller that gets the job done without much fuss, and it lands somewhere in the upper-middle of all King movie adaptations. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as King’s stories are almost always sturdy foundations on which to build, and writerdirector Zak Hilditch stays pretty close to King’s 2010 novella. In 1922 Nebraska, surly farmer Wilfred James (Thomas Jane) conspires to murder his wife Arlette (Molly Parker) with the help of his teenage son Henry (Dylan Schmid), to prevent Arlette from selling off their land and destroying their way of life. Father and son are both haunted by the murder, and their lives take increasingly tragic turns as time goes on. Although Hilditch pares down the psychological insights of King’s story, Jane’s performance, all mumbles and clenched teeth, conveys Wilfred’s guilt and anguish, and the jolts of horror are deployed at proper intervals. The methodical pacing falls apart a bit toward the end, but by then, Wilfred’s grim fate is already sealed. –Josh Bell
aaacc 1922 Thomas Jane, Dylan Schmid, Molly Parker. Directed by Zak Hilditch. Not rated. Available October 20 on Netflix.
The man behind Deep Throat Whistleblower Mark Felt gets a dull biopic
tarting with its cumbersome term paper-style FBI associate director Felt becomes increasingly title, Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down frustrated with the White House’s interference with the White House lays out its historical story as the investigation of the 1972 Watergate break-in and a dry, bullet-pointed lecture, less eventually decides to leak confidential aabcc a drama than a series of re-enactments. information to reporters, finally leading to MARK FELT: Despite an impressive cast led by Liam President Richard Nixon’s resignation. THE MAN WHO Neeson as the title character, the movie But Landesman, who made the similarly BROUGHT DOWN THE almost never achieves any emotional stilted real-life drama Concussion, is so WHITE HOUSE resonance, and its efforts to portray focused on facts that he has his characters Liam Neeson, Diane Felt’s personal life are as perfunctory as constantly delivering awkward exposition, Lane, Marton Csokas. its breakneck march through months repeating basic information to each Directed by Peter Landesman. of developments in the Watergate other for the benefit of the audience. Rated PG-13. Opens investigation. Most of Felt’s colleagues come off as Friday at Village Square. Known for decades only by the code interchangeable, and Diane Lane doesn’t name “Deep Throat,” Felt revealed fare much better as Felt’s long-suffering his identity publicly in 2005, and writer-director wife. The closing title cards convey just as much Peter Landesman uses Felt’s own memoir as part information—and are nearly as entertaining—as any of of his source material. The facts, then, are solid, as the preceding scenes. –Josh Bell
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CARDBOARD HEROES ONLY THE BRAVE FAILS TO TRANSLATE REAL-LIFE HEROISM INTO EFFECTIVE CINEMA BY JOSH BELL he plodding true-life drama Only the Brave is yet another reminder that real-life heroism doesn’t necessarily make for effective movie storytelling. As a tribute to the 19 firefighters who died in the 2013 Yarnell Hill wildfire, Brave is honorable and well-intentioned, but it’s about as narratively satisfying as reading a memorial plaque. For nearly two hours, the movie slowly trudges through boring, one-dimensional depictions of the personal lives of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a wildland firefighting unit based in Prescott, Arizona, before shifting in its last half-hour to the tragedy that took most of their lives. The main focus is the unit’s superintendent, Eric Marsh (Josh Brolin), along with young recruit Brendan McDonough (Miles Teller), a pothead screw-up trying to turn his life around. As the crew tediously works toward certification as hotshots, the term for elite crews on the frontlines of fighting wildfires, Eric bickers and commiserates with his horse-trainer wife (Jennifer Connelly), and Brendan struggles to become the kind of father he believes his newborn daughter deserves. Other than Taylor Kitsch’s womanizing Chris MacKenzie, who first hazes and then befriends Brendan, the rest of the crew is an indistinguishable mush of all-American bros, barely discernible from one another even during the requisite end-credits montage of photos of their real-life counterparts. Director Joseph Kosinski previously made two slick, somewhat cold sci-fi movies (Tron: Legacy and Oblivion), and here he emulates the hyper-masculine, ultra-patriotic style associated with directors like Peter Berg (Lone Survivor, Patriots Day) and Michael Bay, with mixed results. The disappointingly infrequent firefighting scenes are sometimes intense and awe-inspiring, but the moments of visual splendor are fleeting. The generic macho-dude dialogue in the screenplay by Ken Nolan and Eric Warren Singer is much less compelling, and the simplistic emotional arcs of the main characters are spread far too thin across the movie’s overlong running time. These guys were undoubtedly heroes, but the movie can’t even make them into interesting people.
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The Granite Mountain Hotshots fight fire with fire. (Sony Pictures/Courtesy)
aaccc ONLY THE BRAVE Felt spends a lot of time making phone calls. (Sony Pictures Classics/Courtesy)
Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Taylor Kitsch. Directed by Joseph Kosinski. Rated PG-13. Opens Friday citywide.
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“Monolith” by Adam Bateman, part of Preservation. (Mikayla Whitmore/Staff)
FINE ART
WEEKLY | 10.19.17
Mercy me, the ecology The Barrick Museum’s Preservation mounts a stunning visual defense against loss By Dawn-Michelle Baude on those 3D glasses, step behind the curtain, and immerse yourself in Moritz Fehr’s Colosseum, an 11-minute stereoscopic video and sound installation featuring the grotesque gullet of an open-pit mine near Las Vegas. While the soundtrack hums, throbs and crackles, the viewer gradually descends down a spiraling gash to the toxic dregs puddling at the bottom. Colosseum, named after the actual mine, has a latent horror-movie feel. The sound of electromagnetic fields emitted by the artist’s computer points to the insatiable demand for electronic goods: every time a digital signal is sent or received, it’s dependent on metallic ore grievously extracted from the earth. Colosseum, showing through October 26 inside Grant Hall, is part of Preservation, one of the most ambitious, successful exhibitions at UNLV’s Barrick Museum to date—which is saying a lot. Curated by Aurora Tang, an LA-based independent curator and researcher, Preservation fetes the Barrick’s 50th anniversary. The clean, vibrant show includes pho-
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tographs, sculptures, drawings, videos and slides. fied object in UCLA’s Fowler Museum, the straw The 12 featured artists approach the “preservation” sculpture conjures basket, balloon, net, and … theme in markedly dissimilar ways, but they share jellyfish? Any potential utilitarian function takes the combat against loss—of ecosystems, of bioforms, a back seat to the object’s enchanting delicacy. of culture, of self. With so many ecologies at stake, Porras-Kim’s preservation efforts include a the risk of moralizing runs high, and yet meticulous made-to-scale drawing that aaaab there’s nothing message-heavy in the exduplicates the replica, and the pedestal Preservation hibition. Each piece affably draws viewers that accompanied the actual object Through January into a world of insight and discovery. in the Fowler Museum. Together, the 20; Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Highlights include Adam Bateman’s replica, drawing and pedestal animate (Thursdays until “Monolith,” an 8-by-18-foot scale model the identity of the Fowler holding while 8 p.m.); Saturday, of Arizona’s Glen Canyon Dam. The imsimultaneously usurping its originality. noon-5 p.m.; suggested $5 posing concrete structure is weirdly Ocean Earth’s astonishing graphic donation. Barrick defamilarized—a giant sculpture that is works using waterways to reimagine naMuseum of Art, itself a miniature of the real thing. The tional boundaries, Cayetano Ferrer’s mar702-895-3381. warm materiality of the untreated conble/faux marble sculptures resonating as crete and the placid, curving form might modernist consoles and Ian James’ quirky give “Monolith” an almost comically protective feel, photographic study of pyramids and their questionwere it not for the allusion to the dam’s problematic able relationships to energy vortexes throughout the role in reshaping the Western landscape. Southwest are among other must-sees on display. All Gala Porras-Kim’s 43-inch hanging sculpture is in all, Preservation is an expertly curated and beautiethereal by comparison. A replica of an unidentifully hung exhibit that does Las Vegas proud.
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WEEKLY | 10.19.17
Monster smash
Christopher Brown, left, and Heidi Rider in Frankenstein. (Richard Brusky/Special to Weekly )
Cockroach brings Frankenstein to life for the Halloween season mouths. The play is nearly in the round—actors juxtaposed, lobbing lines across the stage. That means we lose he story of Frankenstein is familiar: A demented some sight lines and softly-spoken words, but it’s worth it doctor stitches together a creature from spare parts and brings it to life. But Nick Dear’s 2011 adaptation for the naturalistic feel of the show. Heidi Rider balances out the cast as a firm voice of of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel strips the work to its reason and feminine power, set against a husband who most essential elements, and Mindy Woodhead’s direcsees her, at best, as an annoyance. She shows the tion and her Cockroach Theatre cast guide us monster kindness, but that doesn’t go so well. Oliaaaac through the tale with feeling. ver Jones and Natascha Negro both stand out as Christopher Brown gives a mesmerizing Frankenstein Through Octomechanicals, rotating through varied parts while performance as the unnamed monster, writhber 29; Thursbringing snippets of humor to a grim landscape. ing with tortured physicality. His artificial day-Saturday, 8 Green lighting, fog, barren branches, and birth starts the show, and his childlike p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.; $15-25. Art white shrouds make for a striking set design. A struggles to fit in with society are riveting Square Theatre, white wall fitted with climbing anchors serves and heartbreaking—until he takes his bloody 725-222-9661. as a versatile set piece for both the actors and a revenge. He’s sympathetic even then, dependprojection surface for forest scenes, Antarctic ing on one’s views. wasteland and hallucinatory dreamscapes. The mad doctor is Ernie Curcio, glassy-eyed Our heartstrings ache for the pitiful creature and his with power and icy smiles. “I breathe the breath of God!” tortured maker, locked in a battle for dominance and he bellows, and we wonder if this could possibly end well. connection. I could watch Brown’s monster and Curcio’s Hint: It doesn’t. doctor for days and still be glued to the chair. Ripe with Prodding readers since 1818, the themes of the work monstrousness and fitted with touching humanity, it’s a endure today; questions of morality, parenthood, science, fine production for the Halloween season. the soul, birth, love, and religion jump from the actors’
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Daniel Handler will read at Inspire. (Photograph by Katy Winn/AP/Photo Illustration)
WEEKLY | 10.19.17
BOOK BUFFET Helping to plan your las Vegas Book Festival itinerary By C. Moon Reed
Las Vegas Writes Book Launch This pre-festival event introduces this year’s Las Vegas Writes anthology, whose theme is “Back to Where You Once Belonged: Las Vegas Writers Weigh the Power of the Past.” Published by Huntington Press, the book features essays by 10 Las Vegas-based writers. Participants include historian Michael Green, poets Noah Cicero and Heather Lang, novelist H. Lee Barnes and more. October 19, 7 p.m, Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. Let’s Get Political A number of panels that address today’s civic upheavals, like “Race & Justice in America” (noon, auditorium); “Writing in the Age of Trump” (1 p.m., room 125) and “Essays as Activism” (11 a.m., room 125). If you’re sick of hearing about “fake news,” check out “Journalism in the 21st Century” with
UNLV journalism lecturer Michael Easter and Washington Post law and justice reporter Wesley Lowery (2 p.m., room 140).
Locals Love Las Vegas authors make a strong showing this year. Witness “The Las Vegas Novel” (noon, room 140), “Las Vegas Myths & Mysteries” (3 p.m., room 125) or “Writing the Mojave Desert” (11 a.m., room 140). For insight into the Strip’s glitz and glamour, check out “Celebrity and a Starstruck Culture” (3 p.m., room 140). And if you’re into the quirky side of Nevada, try the “Atlas Obscura” discussion by creator Dylan Thuras (1 p.m., Room 140).
Nevada” (2 p.m.) bookend the day.
LAS VEGAS BOOK FESTIVAL All events October 21, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. at Historic Fifth Street School unless otherwise noted; free; vegas valleybook festival.org.
Poetry Fans of poetry have it easy. Simply find a good seat in the poetry tent and enjoy a day’s worth of words. “Las Vegas Battleborn Poetry” (11 a.m.) and “Clark: Poetry from Clark County,
Women’s Voices Don’t miss “Women of the Essay” (poetry tent, noon), “Triple Consciousness: To Be Young Gifted and Black Women Writing” (auditorium, 2 p.m.) or award-winning author and educator Sharon Draper’s reading (auditorium, 11 a.m.).
After Dark This new addition to the festival lineup launched last year, and it was an instant hit. The lights turn down low and the party moves to Inspire Theatre. Changing tone after his 3 p.m. keynote conversation, author Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket, author of kids’ favorite A Series of Unfortunate Events) will excerpt from his novel All the Dirty Parts. Authors Brit Bennett and Kevin Young will also read. 8 p.m., 107 Las Vegas Boulevard S.
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SECOND EDITION THE LATEST BLUE RIBBON MIGHT BE THE STRIP’S BEST NEW RESTAURANT BY BROCK RADKE
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fter eating the Bromberg brothers’ comforting cuisine for years in Las Vegas at Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill, Brooklyn Bowl and Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken, my familiarity with their food might have caused me to make a mistake: not prioritizing a visit to the updated Blue Ribbon at the Cosmopolitan. It opened in June, a conversion from the sizzling hot, sushi-laden nightspot that arrived with the resort in 2010 into a new take on the original Blue Ribbon Brasserie from SoHo. The transition appeared to be an assist for Zuma, the sushi-centric izakaya that also arrived this year, just steps away, as part of Cosmo’s restaurant refresh. I ate my way through Zuma—and Momofuku and Milk Bar and Beauty & Essex and Eggslut—the new restaurants at the cool casino, almost forgetting that this Blue Ribbon is also new. But the thing you’re looking for is always in the last place you look, and this is the Cosmo arrival I’ll come back to the most. Designed by Asfour Guzy Architects with contributions from longtime artistic partner Jen Ferguson, the space is shiny, dark, classy and sexy— the perfect brasserie. I’ll go back and forth between a seat at the handsome, well-serviced bar and one of the secluded, almost secret booths in the back. The sushi is gone, unless you count yellowtail and salmon ceviche ($20) and a subtle sashimi plate ($26). In its place are over-the-top raw bar offerings like the Imperial tower ($425) with its entire lobster, 50 grams of Baeri Royal Siberian sturgeon caviar and a whole lot more. That’s for those with expense accounts. I’m here for the soothing matzoh ball soup loaded with dill ($14); escargot and mushroom toast with bacon and apple ($19); and buttery, flaky red trout with crispy skin served over cheesy spatzle with almond brown butter ($29). The Blue Ribbon Burger ($28) will change, but for now it’s a blend of chuck and smoked brisket topped with half a twicebaked potato and served with foie gras fries. Of course, there’s fried chicken ($30), and they’ll bring out some wasabi honey if you want to reminisce. But there’s also a Pu Pu Platter ($19 per person) with wings, ribs, shrimp, fried oysters, chicken skewers and duck eggrolls. It’s so much fun, I’m rounding up a group. Want in?
BLUE RIBBON
The Cosmopolitan, 702-698-7880. Sunday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-1 a.m.; Friday & Saturday, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.
The Blue Ribbon Burger adorned with—yes—half a baked potato. (Mikayla Whitmore/Staff)
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las vegas weekly 10.19.17
Finding intercontinental influence at Dirty Fork
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Ohjah Noodle’s house ramen is more than a meal. (Mikayla Whitmore/Staff)
Elevating the ramen game
Ohjah Noodle House isn’t afraid to get meaty
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It makes sense for a successful chain of local with just the right chew to the melt-in-your-mouth Japanese teppan steakhouses to expand goodness of the pork and the beef. into the ramen market. That’s why there are Ohjah Noodle’s menu goes beyond ramen house two Ohjah Noodle Houses in the Valley, one east and standards in other ways. You can get just oxtail one west, to complement the five Ohjah or beef ramen or slurp your way down a OHJAH Steakhouses ... with more on the way. different path with tan tan men, a ground NOODLE HOUSE What doesn’t seem to make sense is pork and noodle dish with miso broth (all 7150 S. Durango floating a big, meaty oxtail bone in a hot $9.75). Salmon, chicken or pork katsu Drive #190, bowl of pork tonkotsu ramen, rich broth and grilled beef entrées ($8.75-$9.25) are 702-614-8888; 35 E. Horizon Ridge available for those opposed to noodle soup, already loaded with noodles, slices of Parkway #160, chashu pork belly, hard-boiled egg, bean and shrimp fried rice ($8.75) makes for a 702-564-8888. sprouts, scallion, seaweed and woodear solid side to share. Need something salty mushrooms. But that’s Ohjah’s house and fried to get things going? The appetizer ramen ($11.50), and once you dip your menu offers squid skewers ($3.25), fried chopsticks in, you’ll find another surprise—more oysters ($4.95), juicy and crunchy wings ($4.95) and beef. Strips of tender brisket are hiding, too, making crisp takoyaki ($3.95), which are essentially octopus the meatiest ramen yet. It might seem extravagant, hush puppies. That’s another dish that might not but every component is done well, from noodles make sense until you eat it. –Brock Radke
Taking a trip to Paris or Hawaii isn’t something most of us get to do all the time, but at Dirty Fork you can experience a hint of both right here in Las Vegas. Housed in a strip mall near Desert Breeze Park, this spacious and unassuming restaurant serves breakfast and lunch, offering a unique twist on traditional dishes. The bright turquoise walls and cutesy decor don’t scream Parisian chic, but the menu takes clear inspiration from the French. If you’re looking for some European flair, the Ms. Madame ($12.50)—a twist on a Croque Madame—is an instant classic. The traditional French breakfast sandwich comes with ham, a fried egg, Swiss cheese and organic greens. Feeling ocean vibes instead? The Ninth Island French toast ($11.50) marries Hawaiian sweet bread with guava cream cheese and coconut syrup. For lunch, the Dirty Fork Special ($13.25) is a fresh choice—toast with smoked salmon, two poached eggs, arugula, garlic truffle aioli, mushrooms, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pico de gallo and sage butter. And if you’re just looking for a snack, the afternoon tea set is perfect for those moments when you want both lunch and dessert. It features your choice of tea, a dainty tea-sized sandwich, a macaron and a deliciously light and creamy square of homemade tiramisu. The cake is so good, you’ll be tempted to order another for the road. –Leslie Ventura
Dirty Fork 3655 S. Durango Drive, #29, 702-982-2111. Daily, 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
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MUSIC ADRENALINE SPORTS BAR & GRILL Las Vegas Rising benefit 10/20, 2 pm, free. KTE, Lightcode T, ZelMade, Se’ J 10/22, 9:30 pm, $5. 3103 N. Rancho Drive, 702-645-4139. BACKSTAGE BAR & BILLIARDS Battalion of Saints, The Cryptics, Mersa, PSO, Sector 7G, Societies Infection 10/20, 7 pm, $12-$15. The Expanders, Iya Terra, For Peace Band 10/21, 8 pm, $12-$15. Authority Zero, Mouse Powell, Guilty by Association 10/23, 8 pm, $12-$14. 601 E. Fremont St., 702-382-2227. BEAUTY BAR Nosaj Thing, Cleopold 10/20, 8 pm, $18. The Body, Spiritual Shepherd, Plague Doctor 10/21, 8 pm, $8. Slowkiss, Vajra, Crimson Riot, Stereoglass 10/22, 8 pm, free. Onry Ozzborn, 2Mex, Carnage the Executioner, Early Adopted, Rule of Two 10/23, 9 pm, $7. Powerman 5000, Knee High Fox, Rachel Lorin, The Devil’s Warning 10/25, 7 pm, $15. 517 Fremont St., 702-598-3757. BUNKHOUSE SALOON Naked Elephant, Avalon Landing, The Orange Feathers 10/20, 8 pm, free. We Are Pancakes, Hassan, The Noir Movement, Luck Factor Zero, Olan 10/21, 7 pm, $10. Karaoke 10/23, 10 pm, free. The Steel Benders 10/25, 9 pm, free. 124 S. 11th St., 702-854-1414. COUNT’S VAMP’D Smashing Alice, For the Fight 10/20, 10 pm, free. Bravo Delta, Honor Amongst Thieves, Astoria, Rogue Agent 10/21, 9 pm, $5. John Zito Electric Jam 10/25, 9:30 pm, free. 750 W. Sahara Ave., 702-220-8849. THE DISPENSARY LOUNGE JoBelle Yonely 10/21, 10 pm. Michael Cain’s Sola 10/25, 9 pm. Shows free unless noted. 2451 E. Tropicana Ave., 702-458-6343. DIVE BAR Our Frankenstein, The Vile Augury, Lennon Midnight, Dark Altar 10/20, 9 pm, $10. Genitorturers, Demon Scissors, Chainsaw Fight 10/24, 8 pm, $15$18. Mishka Shubaly 10/25, 9 pm, $8. 4110 S. Maryland Parkway, 702586-3483.
Portland-based metal band The Body hits Beauty Bar on October 21. (Angela Owens/Courtesy) 9 pm; 10/20-10/21, 10 pm. Whiskey Maiden 10/25, 9 pm. Shows $10-$20. Treasure Island, 702-894-7722. THE GOLDEN TIKI Greg Hetson DJ set 10/21, 10 pm. 3939 Spring Mountain Road, 702222-3196.
THE RESOURCE For comprehensive casino venue listings, look inside Industry Weekly.
DOUBLE DOWN SALOON Hired Gun Trio 10/19. The Vibrators, The Psyatics, Thee Swank Bastards, Super Zeroes 10/20. Prelude to a Pistol, Tarah Who? 10/21. Abner 10/22. Prof. Rex Dart & The Bargain DJ Collective 10/23. Unique Massive 10/24, midnight. Thee Swank Bastards, Stagnetti’s Cock 10/25. Shows 10 pm, free unless noted. 640 Paradise Road, 702-791-5775. DOWNTOWN CONTAINER PARK Route 91 victims benefit ft. Teddi and the Northern Lights, School of Rock Las Vegas West, FSTR SPRNT 10/21, 2 pm. 707 Fremont St., 702-359-9982. EAGLE AERIE HALL The Last Ten Seconds of Life, A Perfect Being, Drown a Deity, Dream Girl, Silence Speaks, Dredge the Lake 10/23, 5 pm, $12. 310 W. Pacific Ave., 702-568-8927. EVEL PIE Ducking Punches, Spanish Love Songs, No Red Alice, Rayner 10/20, 9 pm, free. 508 Fremont St., 702-840-6460. FREMONT COUNTRY CLUB KMFDM, ohGr, EMDF 10/19, 7 pm, $28-$32. 601 E. Fremont St., 702-382-6601. GILLEY’S SALOON Arie Newman Band 10/19,
HARD HAT LOUNGE Image Club, Cecil Purihin 10/21, 9 pm, free. 1675 Industrial Road, 702-384-8987. HUNTRIDGE TAVERN The New Waves, Peculiar Pretzelmen, The Implosions 10/21, 10 pm, free. 1116 E. Charleston Blvd., 702-384-7377. REBAR Socktoberfest 10/21, 5 pm, free. 1225 S. Main St., 702-349-2283.
SAND DOLLAR LOUNGE Ryan Tharp, Jacob Furr 10/19. Laurie Morvan Band 10/20. The Rayford Bros. Bat Band 10/21. Dan Fester 10/22. Carlos Silva & The Scatterbrains 10/24. Billy Ray Charles 10/25. Shows 10 pm, free unless noted. 3355 Spring Mountain Road, 702-485-5401. STONEY’S ROCKIN’ COUNTRY Granger Smith 10/20, 9 pm, $15-$20. Town Square, 702-435-2855. VELVETEEN RABBIT Skelli Skel, Einstyles, Plain James, Lion Eyes, Beast Fremont 10/21, 10 pm, free. 1218 S. Main St., 702-685-9645.
PERFORMING ARTS & CULTURE
HISTORIC FIFTH STREET SCHOOL Las Vegas Book Festival 10/21, 10 am-5 pm, free. 401 S 4th St., vegasvalleybookfestival.org. LAS VEGAS CITY HALL Author Nicole DennisBenn 10/20, noon-2 pm free. 495 S. Main St., Room #3310-A, 702-229-1012. THE SMITH CENTER (Reynolds Hall) Doctors in Concert 10/20, 6:45 pm, $40-$125. Stephen Stills, Judy Collins 10/21, 7:30 pm, $35-$115. Illuminate 10/22, 7:30 pm, $24-$79. (Cabaret Jazz). Clint Holmes 10/19, 7 pm, $37-$59. Femmes of Rock ft. Bella Electric Strings 10/20-10/21, 8 pm, $30-$42. The Sweets’ Spot: Spooktacular 10/24, 9:30 pm, $25-$40. The King and I 10/25-10/29, times vary, $36-$127. (Troesh Studio) Las Vegas Philharmonic: A Night of Flute and Strings 10/19, 7:30 pm, $70. 702-749-2000. THE SPACE Golden Girls Live 10/19, 10/21, 10 pm, $40. Peter Mac: Judy Garland Live 10/20, 8 pm, $25. Danyel Arianna: The State of the Art 10/22, 6 pm, $25. Jose “Pepe” Jimenez 10/24, 9 pm, $10. 3460 Cavaretta Court, 702-903-1070. SUMMERLIN LIBRARY Signature Productions: Oliver! 10/24-11/18, days vary, 7:30 pm, $20-$30. 1771 Inner Circle Drive, 702-507-3860. TEMPLE SINAI Author Tod Goldberg 10/22, 11 amnoon, free. 9001 Hillpointe Road, 702-254-5110. UNLV (Ham Hall) UNLV Dance: In Orchestra 3 10/20-10/21, 7:30 pm; 10/21, 2:30 pm; $10-$18. UNLV Choral Ensembles: Evocations (Beam Music Center) Ricardo Cobo & Friends 10/20, 7:30 pm, $45. 702-895-2787. WEST LAS VEGAS LIBRARY Kybele Dance Theater: Sonsuz & Kina 10/21, 2 pm, free. 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd., 702-229-4800.
CLARK COUNTY LIBRARY UNLV Kybele Dance Theater: Sonsuz & Kina 10/22, 2 pm, free. The Las Vegas Writes Project 10/19, 7-9 pm, free. 1401 E. Flamingo Road, 702-507-3400.
WINCHESTER CULTURAL CENTER Southern Nevada Musical Arts Singers 10/22, 2 pm, $11-$13. 3130 S. McLeod Drive, 702-455-7340.
COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA Author Brit Bennett 10/20, 3 pm, free. 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave., Building C, Conference Room A, 702-651-5483.
THE WRITER’S BLOCK Scott Stabile 10/22, 4-5:30 pm. Caleb S. Cage 10/25, 7-8 pm. Events free unless noted. 1020 Fremont St., 702-550-6399.
LOCAL THEATER COCKROACH THEATRE Frankenstein Thru 10/29, days & times vary, $15-$25. Art Square Theatre, 1025 S. 1st St., #110, 725-222-9661. LAS VEGAS LITTLE THEATRE (Mainstage) The Birds 10/20-11/5, days & times vary, $21-$24. 3920 Schiff Drive, 702-362-7996. NEVADA CONSERVATORY THEATER Good Kids 10/20-10/21, 7:30 pm; 10/22, 2:30 pm; $15-$17. Judy Bayley Theatre, 702-895-2787. SUPER SUMMER THEATRE Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 10/20-10/22, Fri-Sat 7 pm; Sat-Sun 2 pm; $14-$15. Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, 702-594-7529.
GALLERIES & MUSEUMS CSN (Fine Arts Gallery) Antonio Gomez: Charro Thru 10/28. Mon-Fri, 9 am-6 pm; Sat, 10 am-4 pm. Mon-Fri, 8 am-10:30 pm; Sat 8 am5 pm. 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave., 702-651-4146. MICHELE C. QUINN FINE ART Raymond Pettibon Thru 11/3. By appointment. 620 S. 7th St., 702-366-9339. PRISCILLA FOWLER FINE ART Black and White Thru 10/28. Wed-Sat, noon-6 pm. 1025 S. 1st St. #155, 719-371-5640. SPRING VALLEY LIBRARY Cheng Yajie: A Las Vegas Symphony of Art Thru 10/31. Mon-Thu, 10 am-8 pm; Fri-Sun, 10 am-6 pm. 4280 S. Jones Blvd., 702-507-3820. WHITNEY LIBRARY Eric Vozzola: Low Res 10/24-1/16. Reception 10/24, 5 pm, free. MonThu, 10 am-8 pm; Fri-Sun, 10 am-6 pm. 5175 E. Tropicana Ave., 702-507-4010.
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