2020-09-24 - Las Vegas Weekly by Greenspun Media Group

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LV W S E C T I O N T E X T

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BARS REOPEN AFTER WEEKS OF BEING SHUT DOWN BY PANDEMIC Patrons showed up at bars throughout the Las Vegas Valley to celebrate their reopening September 20 after weeks of a coronavirus-driven shutdown. Customers arrived just before midnight, eager to sit at a favorite bar, including establishments inside restaurants and casinos. But most bars saw light foot traffic, as they must follow social distancing guidelines and limited capacity rules. The Nevada COVID-19 Mitigation and Management Task Force agreed the previous week to relax the last of the bar closure orders Gov. Steve Sisolak reimposed on July 10. The order limited social gatherings where alcohol is served in coronavirus pandemic hot spots throughout the state. Taverns, bars, breweries, distilleries and wineries in the Reno-Sparks area were allowed to reopen a week earlier, following a previous task force decision. Nightclubs and other entertainment venues remain closed, although Sisolak has said he would review coronavirus directives. Those include a 50-person cap on public gatherings and a 50% capacity limit at businesses, including casinos. State health officials on September 20 reported 385 new positive COVID-19 cases in Nevada along with three additional deaths. That increased the statewide totals to 75,804 cases and 1,531 deaths since the pandemic began. –Associated Press

STATE PARKS’ FEES WAIVED FOR PUBLIC LANDS DAY REROUTED MAUI INVITATIONAL, FEATURING UNLV, TO BE PLAYED IN NORTH CAROLINA

Eugene Levy, left, and Daniel Levy accept the award for outstanding comedy series for Schitt’s Creek during the 72nd Emmy Awards broadcast, shown in a September 20 video capture. The series won the top seven awards for comedy during the awards show, which was staged virtually. The trophies were delivered to recipients’ homes during the broadcast. (The Television Academy and ABC Entertainment via AP)

RED ROCK CANYON LAUNCHES RESERVATION SYSTEM

On September 17, the NCAA announced that the 2020-21 college basketball season will begin November 25, and one day later the Maui Invitational announced it would move its event to Asheville, North Carolina, to make the accommodations safer and more convenient for the eight participating teams. The Maui/Asheville organizers included UNLV as part of the expected field, and coach T.J. Otzelberger confirmed his team would compete. The Invitational will be held in a “bubble environment,” according to the event’s organizers, with the games set to take place at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center from November 30 through December 2. In addition to UNLV, the field is still expected to include Alabama, Indiana, North Carolina, Providence, Texas, Stanford and Davidson. –Mike Grimala

Over the past decade, Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area has exploded in popularity. On fair-weather days, the park often reaches capacity, and cars line Nevada State Route 159 waiting to get in. To solve the excess of demand, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on November 3 will institute an online timed entry reservation system for the Scenic Drive. Timed entry reservations can be made at recreation.gov up to 30 days in advance, beginning on October 6. Each reservation costs $2 in addition to regular park entry fees. (Day use fees range from $5 for a bicycle or pedestrian to $15 for a private vehicle. An annual pass for Red Rock is $30. An annual National Parks pass, which includes Red Rock, is $80.) Reservations require a time of entry, but once inside the park, visitors can stay as long as they like. Reservations will not be required during the less-popular summer months (June-September) or outside the peak hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m. “I’m excited we will be able to offer this online system, which will streamline entry, improve safety and help us effectively protect resources,” Red Rock Field Manager Catrina Williams said in a press statement. –C. Moon Reed

THINGS THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK

Nevada residents and visitors can celebrate Nevada Public Lands Day on September 26 with a “fee-free” day at state parks. Park fees, including entrance, camping and boating, where applicable, will be waived at state parks throughout Nevada. Visitors are reminded to follow these guidelines: ■ Recreate locally and close to home. ■ Separate yourself and honor the social distance of others. ■ Avoid crowded parks and trailheads. ■ Wear a face covering or mask inside all visitor centers, museums, gift shops, park offices or while outdoors when social distancing is not possible. ■ Avoid gathering in groups of more than 10. ■ Limit interactions to members of your household. ■ Stay home when you’re sick. ■ Keep parks and facilities clean. ■ Know and follow all current fire restrictions. For more information, visit parks. nv.gov and follow @NVStateParks on Facebook.

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL 2021

RECORD DRY SPELL

After taking 2020 off due to the coronavirus pandemic, Downtown music, food and art festival Life Is Beautiful will next take place September 17-19, 2021. Passes, starting at $404, are on sale at lifeisbeautiful. com. The lineup has yet to be announced.

The National Weather Service says Las Vegas broke a record September 18 when went 151 consecutive days without measurable rain, passing a mark set in 1959. The official regional monitoring station at McCarran International Airport had last registered 5 millimeters of rain April 20.

IN THIS ISSUE

08 10 20 22 28 32 36

Election: Everything you need to prepare for voting season Cover story: Despite the pandemic, Downtown marches forward Home: Tips for organizing your living space Binge This Week: Our staff’s latest batch of suggestions Art: London Biennale marks its 10th Vegas anniversary—online

WEEK IN REVIEW WEEK AHEAD EV E N TS T O F O L L OW A N D N EWS YO U M I SS E D

Food & Drink: Italian, burgers and, yes, a Vegas buffet! Sports: What are the Golden Knights’ next moves?

HISTORIC WIN The Raiders’ first game in Las Vegas came with enough glitz and glamour to live up to the city’s reputation, but aside from a jet flyover, The Killers’ halftime show and the bright lights of Monday Night Football, there was still a game to be played. And between the lines, the underdog Raiders were better than advertised, as they took apart the New Orleans Saints, 3424, to move to 2-0 on the year. Quarterback Derek Carr led a methodical offense to a 12-minute, 36-second advantage in time of possession, completing 28 of his 38 pass attempts for 282 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.

OCTOBER 1 SHOOTING CLAIMS ANOTHER LIFE

CORONAVIRUS TESTING GUIDANCE

Samanta Arjune’s May 26 death was ruled a homicide stemming from the severe leg wound she received in the October 1, 2017 massacre, the Clark County coroner said September 17. Metro said the death toll for the mass shooting would remain at 58, however.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on September 18 dropped a controversial piece of coronavirus guidance and said anyone who has been within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes should get tested.

5 NO TIME WASTED President Donald Trump said September 21 that he expects to announce his pick for the Supreme Court on September 25 or 26, after funeral services for Ruth Bader Ginsburg and just days before the first presidential election debate. Ginsburg died September 18 at age 87.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (28) finds a hole in New Orleans’ defense during the second half of the Raiders’ first game at Allegiant Stadium on September 21. Jacobs rushed 27 times for 88 yards. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

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ELECTION FAQ

CAN I VOTE ONLINE?

WHEN IS ELECTION DAY? November 3, 2020

(AP Photo/Photo Illustration)

How to ensure you’re ready and able to vote in the 2020 election BY REBECCA CLIFFORD-CRUZ AND JOHN SADLER

he pandemic has changed the most important act in our democratic process—voting. While absentee and mail-in ballots have been available in the past, this election will likely see those options used more than ever before. For voters, this can raise new questions. While in-person voting locations will be up and running on Election Day, most voters will receive a ballot in the mail, and the politicization of mail-in voting has cast a sort of fog over the process. Here’s what voters should know going into Election Day.

■ WHO CAN REGISTER TO VOTE? Nevada law provides that you must be 18 or over, a U.S. citizen and a resident of Nevada for 30 days preceding any election. If you will be 18 years old or will have met the residency requirement at the time of the election, you are also eligible to register to vote. Any person who has been declared by a court to be mentally incompetent is not eligible to register or vote. Per the 2019 Legislature, voting rights are now restored immediately for those convicted of felonies upon their release from prison.

■ WHAT ARE THE REGISTRATION DEADLINES TO VOTE IN THIS ELECTION? By mail: Postmarked by October 6. In person: October 6. Online: October 29. ■ CAN I REGISTER TO VOTE ON ELECTION DAY? Nevada voters can register to vote—or update existing voter registration information—in person at a polling location during early voting or on Election Day. Same-day registrants are required to present a Nevada driver’s license to register.

■ WHERE ONLINE CAN I REGISTER TO VOTE? At the Nevada Secretary of State website, nvsos. gov/sosvoterservices/ Registration/Step0.aspx. A valid Nevada driver’s license or Nevada ID is required to register online. ■ WHEN DOES EARLY VOTING TAKE PLACE? From October 17 through October 30, at 35 locations across Clark County. More than 100 voter centers will be open across the Valley on Election Day.

■ IF I’M UNABLE TO GO TO THE POLLS EARLY OR ON ELECTION DAY, HOW ELSE CAN I VOTE? Due to the pandemic, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak has directed election officials to automatically send mail-in ballots to all active registered voters for the general election. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day. A prepaid postage envelope will be provided with the ballot. Alternatively, you may handdeliver your ballot to a drop-off location at any early voting or Election Day poll site.

THE

2020

ELECTION

■ WHEN WILL MY MAIL-IN BALLOT ARRIVE? The arrival date depends on the county. In Clark County, sample ballots will begin going out on September 25, while the official ballots will begin going out on October 7. Sample ballots went out early in some rural counties. By September 17, Churchill, Douglas, Esmeralda, Humboldt, Storey and Lincoln counties had already sent out sample ballots. ■ DO I NEED TO DO ANYTHING TO RECEIVE MY MAIL-IN BALLOT? Nothing besides register to vote. While the U.S. Postal Service has sent out a postcard detailing steps needed to receive a mailin ballot, active Nevada voters will receive mail-in ballots automatically. ■ HOW DO I MAKE SURE MY MAIL-IN BALLOT WILL COUNT? Closely follow all instructions to ensure your ballot is counted. Be sure to sign the declaration on the return envelope, then seal inner and outer envelopes. ■ WHAT CAN I EXPECT IF I WANT TO VOTE IN PERSON? If you decide to vote in person rather than by mail, you’ll need to do one of the following: If you have your mail-in ballot, surrender it to an election official at the voting site (preferably in the packet sent to you). OR If you do not have your mail-in ballot, you can sign an affirmation at the voting site, swearing that you have not already voted in the current election and that you understand no one may attempt to vote or actually vote more than once in the same election.

■ HOW DOES BALLOT COLLECTION WORK? The election bill that implemented automatic mail-in ballots also expanded options for turning in ballots on behalf of voters. While previously only family members could turn in ballots for another person, starting with the November election, ballots can be turned in by anyone, as long as they are turned in within three days of receipt by that person. At a September 17 town hall event, Clark County Registrar of Voters Joe Gloria urged voters to be smart about trusting others with their ballots: “To make it easier for folks to get that ballot back to us, if they choose not to themselves or cannot do it themselves, they want to make a wise decision on who they give that ballot to.” ■ WHAT IF I’M A NEVADA RESIDENT LIVING OUT OF STATE? You can request an absentee ballot until October 20. ■ CAN I VOTE AFTER ELECTION DAY? No. Though President Donald Trump has claimed that Nevada’s laws would allow voters to cast ballots after Election Day, that isn’t true. All mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Election Day to be counted. Mail a ballot in on November 4, and it won’t count. If a city or county clerk is unable to determine the postmark on the ballot, but the ballot arrived no later than 5 p.m. three days after the election, it can be counted. ■ WHEN CAN WE EXPECT RESULTS? Unofficial results will be released on the night of the election, but official results won’t be released until November 16, according to Gloria. ■ HOW CAN I FOLLOW THE RESULTS ON ELECTION NIGHT? The Secretary of State office will provide election night returns at silverstateelection.nv.gov.

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LV W C OV E R S T O R Y

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String lights over East Fremont (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

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Despite the pandemic and recession, the revitalization of Las Vegas’ city core pushes ahead

BY GEOFF CARTER here can I get a beer around here? The Las Vegas Valley now has another solid answer to that question: That would be the Arts District, the still-vital cloister of galleries that’s fast becoming more of a beer district by volume. Consider: Able Baker Brewing, Beer District Brewing, Hop Nuts Brewing, CraftHaus Brewery, Three Sheets Craft Beer Bar and the just-opened Nevada Brew Works are located within a half-mile of one another, and they’ll soon be joined by HUDL Brewing Company, beer bar Silver Stamp and bottle shop/taproom Servehzah. And that’s not even counting such neighborhood favorites as ReBar, 18bin and Cornish Pasty, all of which have resoundingly deep beer lists. In Downtown Vegas, the pathway to success is rapidly becoming a canal of suds. Under normal circumstances, that would be a story in itself. The wave of institutional knowledge flooding into Main Street is immense. Silver Stamp co-owner Rose Signor ran several wildly popular specialty beer events at Atomic Liquors. (“Beer history will be a big thing at Silver Stamp,” Signor promises.) The Nevada Brew Works crew trained at Chicago’s Siebel Institute of Technology, the oldest brewing school in the United States. And HUDL’s team boasts former Pizza Port assistant brewer Joe Couzzo as its brewmaster. When all these places are open and at full, post-coronavirus strength, somebody’ll need to wander the length of Main, pour all these wonderful beverages down their gullet and make real-time assessments. (So, y’know, watch this space.)

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But that’s not the only thing going on. Downtown Las Vegas is experiencing an across-the-board development boom. Fremont Street will soon welcome Circa, the first new-from-theground-up hotel-casino constructed Downtown since 1980. (Again, watch this space.) The Downtown Grand has added a new tower with 629 additional rooms. Over in the Fremont East corridor, Commonwealth/Park on Fremont operator Corner Bar is adding four new properties to the Entertainment District: the recently opened tequila cave Lucky Day, 6,500-square-foot dance club Discopussy, ice cream parlor and rooftop nightclub We All Scream and intimate variety showroom Cheapshot. Developer J Dapper is now rehabilitating several properties in three different parts of Downtown: the Arts District (the former Western Cab building), the Huntridge neighborhood (the Huntridge Shopping Center and, soon, the historic Huntridge Theatre) and near Fremont East (the post office building at 201 Las Vegas Blvd. South). New Arts District restaurants—among them sushi bar Yu-Or-Mi, “coastal Mediterranean fusion” spot Taverna Costera, Golden Fog coffee bar and the Tex-Mexflavored Braeswood Barbecue—are opening soon. And there are several spots so new we’ve barely had a chance to visit, among them flower-strewn wine bar Cork and Thorn, the “uniquely European” Berlin Bar—another Arts District place with a killer beer list!— and The Garden, an LGBTQ bar and kitchen located within Art Square’s charming enclosed courtyard. Yet all that good news is couched in uncertainty. COVID-19 has cut occupancies in half and put many thousands of locals out of work—the very people who usually pack Downtown’s bars and restaurants after a shift. Live entertainment, one of this town’s most durable support structures, now only happens on a small scale and at an impersonal distance. (Although, Majestic Repertory Theatre’s Troy Heard has discovered some ingenious ways to create entertainment within those limitations.) Tony Hsieh, the Zappos CEO who founded the Fremont-centric business development group Downtown Project, has retired from the online retailer and relocated to Utah, creating

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confusion on the ground about the fate of the properties within his portfolio. And there’s even more uneasiness about Vegas itself—anxiety over vanishing jobs and diminishing tourism dollars, and a sinking feeling that the virus has caused permanent damage to the city’s character. But while there’s no predicting what could happen in the near future, undeniably exciting things are happening Downtown right now. Derelict buildings and potholed streets are being restored, beleaguered small businesses are finding their way amidst hardship, and visionary locals are still betting big on Downtown,

readying new businesses to open. And residents, owners and staffers have positive things to say about their neighbors. “We are a resilient community,” says Cathy Brooks, proprietor of Fremont dog day care spot Hydrant Club. “We lift each other up.” WHY BUILD DOWNTOWN? “One of the things I love to do is just literally stand on Main Street and watch people parallel park,” Good Pie owner Vincent Rotolo says. “It brings me back, man, to when I was learning how to drive in New York City. My mom taught me how to parallel park.

Just looking at parallel parking on the street reminds me of her. She passed away several years ago, so it’s nice to have those little things that remind you of family and home.” Rotolo’s soon-to-open, 2,400-square-foot Good Pie location at 1212 South Main Street is already a beautiful space, tin-ceilinged and filled with hand-chosen New York flourishes: black-and-white “tenement” tile; a custom-cast manhole cover, emblazoned with the letters “NYC,” that will be embedded just outside the front door; a slice window with its own separate oven for reheating. The larger space will allow Rotolo

to add items to the menu he couldn’t offer at his Pawn Plaza spot, like fried calamari. And he’s even worked out a hands-free ordering system, which can be accessed through mobile devices. To fans of Good Pie’s existing Pawn Plaza location—whose function Rotolo intends to reassess once his Main Street version opens—that expanded kitchen represents mind-boggling flavor possibilities. To beer-happy Main Street, that slice window will represent a tasty bulwark against daylong hangovers. But to Rotolo himself, this new space is an expression of his love for his adopted

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(Photo Illustration)

neighborhood. “I grew up in a neighborhood where the neighborhood pizzeria was a special place for the community, and I want to provide something like that here,” Rotolo says. “When I was working on the Strip—I worked at Bellagio—I felt like I was able to have hospitality exchanges at a high level, but my life outside of work was unfulfilled. Here, my work life and my life outside of work have come together in the community. I live and work in this neighborhood, and my customers are my neighbors, my friends.” The feeling’s mutual down the street at Silver Stamp, which co-pro-

prietors Rose Signor and Andrew Smith are steadily building out at 222 E. Imperial Avenue, formerly occupied in part by Curtis Joe Walker’s studio Photo Bang Bang. (PBB, along with several other Arts District galleries and businesses, has relocated to New Orleans Square in midtown’s Commercial Center District—another indicator of the strong bonds that form among Downtown business owners.) Signor and Smith are outdoorsy types with lots of camping and backpacking hours under their belts, and they promise an environment that will feel less like a bar and more like a cozy, 1970s-vintage rec room,

inspired by the small-town Americana they’ve taken in during their walkabouts. “In the little desert towns,” Smith says, where they were inspired by community bars and restaurants that were, for all intents and purposes, “the only thing in town.” Silver Stamp will pay homage to those places with its vintage wood paneling; a general store-like bottle shop window; miniature bar rails set into pony walls, which should allow patrons to feel like they’re sitting at the main bar while maintaining distance (or, in a post-COVID world, to get a barlike seat when the main bar fills up); and

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its collection of vintage beer cans, signs and memorabilia. (“You know that beer arcade game ‘Tapper’?” Signor asks. “We’re trying to get our hands on that.”) Signor and Smith have sunk a hefty chunk of their life savings into Silver Stamp, but to hear them talk, it all will prove worthwhile if they can build the kind of beer-loving community they knew at Atomic. (On a related note, the building they’re in belongs to Atomic owner Lance Johns, who’s opening a smaller “Atomic Tavern” just around the corner.) “Already we’ve had people come in, see our [collection of vintage] cans and say, ‘Oh my God, I haven’t seen Billy Beer forever; I haven’t seen Schell’s,’” Smith says. Fittingly, another Atomic veteran—chef Justin Kingsley Hall, who created the opening-day menu at the Kitchen at Atomic and once ran stellar pop-up dining spot SLO-Boy—is finding a new way to express himself in the Arts District. He’ll run the kitchen of Main Street Provisions, an all-new restaurant venture by former Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse executive Kim Owens. “I had been hearing about what Justin was doing at the Kitchen at Atomic, and his level of comfort food was just on point with what I was looking for,” Owens says. “I jokingly tell people that I stalked him for a year, but I did! I went to every event he did; I went to his restaurant when he was there, and when he wasn’t there. … What I really wanted to

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Good Pie’s new location (Steve Marcus/Staff)

find was a person who was not only a great chef and a great leader, but who cared about family and making things better for the people that worked for him. Justin fit the bill on all those fronts.” Owens is building a space—directly next door to Good Pie—that should prove worthy of Hall’s prodigious talent. Like Rotolo, Owens is mixing old-school design elements (the ceiling support beams are artfully lit, a nice touch) with a high-tech bar and kitchen. And there’s a piece of equipment you’re unlikely to find elsewhere in the Valley: a charcoal-fired Fogarty oven, imported from the U.K., which the chef will undoubtedly put to good use. But as is the case with her neighbors, Owens didn’t select this space

for its utility or aesthetics. She chose it because her neighbors will be Esther’s Kitchen, ReBar, Garagiste Wine Room, Casa Don Juan, Velveteen Rabbit and, yes, Good Pie. “The Arts District spoke to me,” she says. “So many great owner operators have chosen this area to develop their dreams and develop their concepts, and they work together as a unit. … Competition is competition. But what I love about this community is we all know that we succeed together and we fail together. Being successful together is the thing that will push everyone forward.” It’s a sentiment that small business operators in every neighborhood could embrace, especially now, when there’s a real danger of local businesses being wiped out for good. (Keep your fingers crossed for Vick-

“I live and work [Downtown]. My customers are my neighbors, my friends.” –Good Pie owner Vincent Rotolo

ie’s Diner, formerly Tiffany’s Café, recently pushed out of its longtime home in the White Cross building.) Who knows if it’s born of personal chemistry, good luck or even parallel parking? Whatever it is, it’s keeping Downtown alive and vital. HANGING ON Back in April, the Weekly spoke to various Downtown business owners about their long-term prospects under the cloud of COVID-19. Thus far, none of the businesses mentioned in that piece—ReBar, Velveteen Rabbit and Priscilla Fowler Fine Art—have been forced to shut down. But it remains a frightening possibility. “I have a loan against my business, now,” ReBar’s Derek Stonebarger says. “The future is definitely uncertain, whereas before, we had every-

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thing paid off; we were in the black for potentially the rest of our life. Now we have half the occupancy.” Nevertheless, ReBar has recently reopened, serving a limited food menu like its neighbor Velveteen Rabbit. And in keeping with the times, ReBar will also feature a “wear your mask” warning sign listing various local and OSHA fines ReBar could incur if social distancing rules aren’t maintained. It’s tongue-in-cheek, but it still pains Stonebarger to deploy it. “This is really hard,” he says. “We’re a customer service business. … [and] we have to change our customer service base. Where previously we worked for tips and would do anything a customer wanted, now we have to basically yell at them and police them. It’s a terrible time to be a business owner.” The prospects for local bars that don’t serve food are even bleaker. Though Valley bars have received permission to reopen, their owners are clawing their way out of deep holes. They’ve lost months of income, taken on huge debt and shed valuable staffers, and they’re reopening at half-strength without much promise of state or federal aid. The plight of live entertainment venues, which largely remain shuttered with no end date in sight, is even more distressing. The fate of Downtown music hub the Bunkhouse Saloon was already shadowed by the prospect of a lingering shutdown when its owner, Tony Hsieh, retired from Zappos and reportedly pulled stakes for Park City, Utah, taking a number of friends and staffers with him. (Hsieh did not respond to our request for comments.) Reps for Downtown Project, the Downtown Las Vegas redevelopment firm Hsieh founded, says very little will change in the wake of his departure. “Tony has always held the ‘visionary’ role … but a few years after inception, he employed many other decision-makers to dutifully run DTP companies, so there will be no significant impact resulting from his retirement from Zappos,” says DTP representative Megan Fazio.

But locals have been left wondering what changes might arise from not having Hsieh’s boots on the ground. Still, “the Downtown community is bigger than any one person,” Hydrant Club owner Cathy Brooks insists. “This may set us back, but I don’t know anyone Downtown who’s a quitter.” Ronald Corso, owner of 11th Street Records and its adjoining National Southwestern Recording studio, agrees that the Downtown community itself may be best empowered to choose its next few steps. “From my perspective, Tony Hsieh has had—on this corner, at least—the final say on who gets the opportunities,” Corso says. “Maybe this will make more room for locals who were already making the best of this town on their own to start

doing that again. That’s my hope.” Stonebarger says Hsieh “did great things by getting things started with a lot of buzz, a lot of press and some of his money,” but “this might’ve been perfect time for him to take off, you know? Only time will tell.” In the meantime, the Bunkhouse, like so many other Downtown bars and venues, is on pause due to COVID-19. “As soon as the governor authorizes bars to reopen and when business levels get back to normal across the city, Downtown Project’s plans will resume based on demand,” Fazio says. “Demand.” It’s a big ask, between the dual threat of a relentless virus and the economic ruin it has created. But where the Strip’s casinos have billionaires and banks to keep their

The Garden in the Arts District (Steve Marcus/Staff)

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lights on, many of Downtown’s small businesses are being driven to choose between bad and worse options to stay alive. The least Las Vegans can do is find out how we can support them—by frequenting their business, buying gift certificates and spreading the word. Just take it from Vincent Rotolo, who so naturally understands and explains what makes Downtown worthwhile, he could have been the guy who invented it. “There are very few walkable streets in Las Vegas where you can park your car, have lunch, do some shopping, see some art and get a great beer,” he says. “And I think that whatever neighborhood or area you live in, we can all agree that quality is quality. And that’s what I’m drawn to here.”

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THE WHOLE ENCHILADA INSIDE THE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP PUTTING A SHINE BACK ON DOWNTOWN

(Wade Vandervort/Staff)

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BY GEOFF CARTER ears ago, when the rehabilitation of Las Vegas’ city core began in earnest, even the most optimistic of civic boosters would tell you that a lot of hands, both public and private, needed to join together to make Downtown happen. That sentiment holds true now more than ever: For every success like Main Street, where years of City-sponsored infrastructure work and small business investment are nicely coalescing, there are other areas of Downtown in need of compounded improvements: new infrastructure upgrades, private investment, improved streetscapes, green space, protections for historic buildings and more. Enter Project Enchilada, and Brad Jerbic. Project Enchilada is an initiative by the City of Las Vegas and a number of private stakeholders—most notably Downtown Project, which owns a number of shuttered Fremont Street motels—to revitalize Downtown’s challenged areas. And Jerbic, the former, longtime City Attorney for Las Vegas, is Project Enchilada’s coordinator, a position for which he receives no pay. His compensation is personal: His family moved to town in 1962, when he was 4 years old. “I spent my first two nights in Las Vegas at a motel on Sixth Street,” Jerbic says. “I grew up seeing a vibrant, thriving Downtown. To think of that coming back is enormously pleasing.” Jerbic jumped into the project as a way to process the tragedy of the October 1 shootings, in which he lost a good friend. “I thought it would be fun to get involved in a project that looked at everything—not just a piece or an individual development, like a Neonopolis, but something that would actually be the whole enchilada.” A giant swath of Downtown was marked for improvement—east from I-15 to Eastern Avenue and north from Charleston Boulevard to US 95, plus the Arts District and the Huntridge neighborhood. “We’re not going to have a healthy and vibrant Downtown unless we start putting a lot of pieces together,” Jerbic says. The first phase of the project is well underway. It includes the rescue and rehabilitation of the historic Huntridge Theater; developer J Dapper, who recently revitalized the adjacent Huntridge Shopping Center, should close escrow on the 77-year-old property on December 28, Jerbic says. (Meanwhile, Dapper continues to work on Huntridge Center, which is getting a new grocery store, and he’s refining plans to transform nearby Huntridge Circle Park into a sculpture garden and kids’ play area.) The other aspect of Phase 1 is a refresh of Fremont Street from Las Vegas Boulevard to 14th Street, which includes a blanket of deciduous shade trees and the surprising return of a design element plucked from Downtown’s past. “When we started, we brought in some people from out of state to advise us,” Jerbic says. One of them was a Philadelphia-based architecture firm called Civic

(Wade Vandervort/Staff)

Visions, whose principals, a married couple—“she’s an architect, he’s a cultural historian,” Jerbic notes— specialize in mid-century modern architecture. They showed Jerbic photos of ornate iron streetlights, installed along Fremont Street in 1929 and taken down in the mid-1940s. “I had never seen a picture of them before, knew nothing about them, but suddenly it became almost an obsession to try and re-create them,” Jerbic says. “We actually found one of the original poles in West Las Vegas, and the original headpiece in Hancock Park in LA. So we were able to send the dimensions—in fact, we sent the headpiece itself—to [a fabricator in] Pennsylvania.” The first batch of re-created streetlights, lit with LED bulbs, was recently installed on Fremont Street, from Las Vegas Boulevard to Eighth Street. And while they might take a little getting used to—they’re built to be noticed, which most contemporary streetlights are not—they bring warmth and personality to the streetscape. Eventually, these streetlights and shade trees will cover 12 square blocks of Downtown, enhancing its walkability and filling in what Jerbic calls the area’s “missing teeth.” “You’ll walk one block and there’s something, then you walk a little bit farther and there’s nothing. That’s a missing tooth,” Jerbic says. Empty lots, boarded-up motels and dead neon signs are anathema to Jerbic, unwanted vacancies in Downtown’s tentative smile. He likes the businesses of outer Fremont, particularly Downtown Project’s Ferguson Motel revival, but they look lonely to him. “How do you fill in the gap between Sixth Street and 11th Street?,” he asks. “And then what do you do when you get past that?” The answer to that question has produced some of the most striking elements of Downtown’s rebirth. Project Enchilada is restoring Fremont Street’s dilapidated neon motel signs to their original condition, using a $750,000 grant from the Las Vegas Centennial Commission. (It’s not taxpayer money; the funds

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come from a fee attached to the yearly registration of a limited-edition license plate.) The Star View Motel, Las Vegas Motel, Fremont Motel and Lucky Motel signs have all been repainted and re-lit, and they look like a million bucks. The Gables, Valley and Sky Ranch Motel signs will soon follow. And in a victory for neighborhood integrity, those signs will stay exactly where they are, even if their host properties become something else. “All those colors that you see on those buildings … we would literally get out there in the middle of summer with a knife and razor blade and scrape the buildings, scrape the signs to get down to their original colors,” Jerbic says. “And once you get the original color, Dunn-Edwards makes a paint that is very long-lasting in our desert climate. … These are like the colors of cars that were coming out of Detroit in the 1950s. There’s a real connection here between what these buildings look like, what these signs look like and what was going on in America at that time. It’s just funky as all hell.” Other cooks are tending to other ingredients of the Enchilada. The City of Las Vegas is taking care of updating the sidewalks, roads and utilities (see Page 18), while Downtown Project has been tasked with fixing up the exteriors of the boarded-up motels that it owns—new paint, landscaping, resurfaced parking lots and more. The eventual use of those properties remains a question mark. “There isn’t a decided-upon plan for what the interiors will be,” Jerbic says. “But we have looked around the country at old motels that have actually reopened and they’re on fire; they’re very, very popular. But they could also do a rehab like the Fergusons: remove some walls and turn it into retail and restaurants.” And there’s another possibility: “We’ve had developers approach us that are interested in working with Downtown Project to develop multifamily housing.” Jerbic has other dream projects in mind: the Mayfair neighborhood, the tiny pink building at the corner of corner of Fremont and Eighth Streets (“it’s the oldest surviving gas station in Nevada”), those motel signs that have already been taken down (if there’s no property to match them to, they may go in the median of Las Vegas Boulevard, or in front of the so-called Llama Lot) and the possibility of a UNLV satellite campus in the neighborhood. And Jerbic will continue to see it through, even if it means filling an indeterminate number of his post-retirement days with pro bono urban planning work. “I’ve got a new business card: One side says ‘Project Enchilada’ and the other ‘Brad Jerbic, Volunteer,” he says, laughing. “As far as the amount of hours I’m putting into this, pick the day and I’ll tell you how much. Sometimes I’ll be up all night long on the internet, finding some detail that I missed … and some days I’ll just be kicking back, scratching my belly, watching TV. But this is just a wildly cool time to be Downtown.”

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STREET LIFE Downtown is experiencing transformation from the roads up

BY GEOFF CARTER

ike Janssen is director of Public Works for the City of Las Vegas. That’s his job. But recently, in the course of one of the City’s current works projects—a three-year, $109 million refresh of Las Vegas Boulevard between Sahara and Stewart avenues, which includes remakes of several nearby streets, including Casino Center and Imperial—he donned an unexpected hat. When an excavation crew working Charleston Boulevard and Gass Avenue made a strange discovery, Janssen became an archaeologist. “When we do a project, the Water District and [Southwest Gas] say, ‘Hey, here’s an opportunity for us to put in new lines, and the city will take care of the paving.’ It’s a win-win for all of us,” Janssen says. The Gass and Charleston crew found a line that wasn’t on their map of existing utilities, which doesn’t surprise Janssen: “Downtown has some really old streets, where we don’t have good records.” The crew gingerly dug out the unknown utility by hand. It was an abandoned water line made from—of all things—California redwood. “We got into the Water District archives: This water line was installed all over Downtown in 1908. It was abandoned in 1956, after they put in cast-iron water mains. And here we are now, removing all the cast-iron and replacing it with a sort of polyethylene plastic line.” While that 112-year-old water line is the oldest thing Janssen has found buried beneath Downtown’s streets so far, it’s not the only antique. The water lines along Downtown’s stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard are 65 years old. Its traffic signals were installed beginning in 1965; the most recent was added in 1990. And the sewer, a piece of infrastructure you really don’t want to outlast its usefulness, was built in 1942. “We’re completely replacing it, upsizing it,” Janssen says. “I can’t imagine that my predecessor, way back in the 1940s, ever thought we’d become the

25th-largest city in the country.” All of that, plus smart traffic signals that can communicate with vehicles, dedicated right-turn lanes and a welcome full pavement replacement, will equip Las Vegas Boulevard to deal with Downtown’s increasing traffic. But the good news isn’t exclusive to drivers. “We’re also adding lot of what we call ‘complete street’ elements,” Janssen says. “In the old days we would do a roadwork project, and it was just for the cars. We took care of the vehicles, but in the last couple of years, we’ve taken on the perspective of all the road users.” Accordingly, the plans for Las Vegas Boulevard and many of its intersecting streets call for new streetlights, dedicated bike lanes and sidewalks 10 to 15 feet wide, lined with shade trees. “We’re getting large trees, 48-inch, 60-inch box trees; when you plant them, they immediately provide that street canopy,” Janssen says. “Nobody has time to wait for shade.” If you want to get an idea of what that will feel like, just head down to the Fremont East district, where work continues, or to the recently completed stretch of Third Street that runs from Charleston to Garces. Newly planted trees provide a solid blanket of shade. (The trade-off is that they partially obscure some scenic façades, in particular that of the El Cortez; hopefully that won’t be an issue after a few years of growth.) And the sidewalks are enormous, ready for street-side drinking and dining. The revamped Third Street even twists and turns a bit, adding much-needed variety to Downtown walks and bike rides. The streets simply feel better, both on foot and from behind the wheel.

Sidewalk improvements on Third Street between Charleston and Garces. (Steve Marcus/ Staff)

The placemaking aspect of this roadwork— giving Downtown a markedly different look than the South Strip or Water Street—perhaps has no more visible expression than the two projects being constructed at Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara. The first, an 80-foot, roadway straddling Downtown gateway arch located adjacent to the Strat, is nearly complete; you can drive under it now. It’s an impressive structure, one with a deep old-Vegas connection: It bears more than a passing resemblance to the LAX Theme Building, which was designed in part by architect Paul Revere Williams—designer of the shell-like lobby of the former La Concha Motel, now functioning as the visitor’s center for the Neon Museum. But the other project, which is several years out, will be the true Downtown border for northbound Strip drivers: an oval-shaped pedestrian bridge connecting all four corners of Sahara and Las Vegas Boulevard in one elegant loop. At least two different support concepts for the bridge—a four-pillar suspension model, and another tall arch— are being considered, but the consistent idea is to make the bridge eye-catching and efficient. That’s the throughline of all of the City’s current Downtown road projects. “It wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the voters,” Janssen says, in reference to Las Vegas’ overwhelming support of a fuel tax index that supports Valley road project like these. “I have to thank our voters who have said, ‘We want good roads. We don’t want roads with potholes. We want roads with good lighting, roads with traffic signals where they’re needed.’ We’re able to do all that, because our community has embraced investing in transportation.”

There is no turning back now. Enter Curious. Leave Diierent. It Begins 2020

AREA15.COM

3215 S. Rancho Drive

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CLEAN LIVING

BRING THE OUTDOORS IN “Most plants can help to lower the impact of electromagnetic frequencies, and many plants are known to be helpful in cleaning indoor air,” Wallers says. “Plants are always my go-to,” interior designer Jennie Marsh says. “They’re inexpensive, and they’re the best way to make a home feel more in touch with nature. Getting the good oxygen is a plus, and it fills in the space without having to buy bulky furniture.”

Tips for rethinking and reorganizing your space BY LESLIE VENTURA

Being at home more often during the pandemic means that your living space probably gets messier faster. You probably know what you should be doing—things like washing your plate right after you eat, vacuuming weekly and making your bed every morning. But keeping your living environment comfortable and organized is much more than that. Two local interior design pros talked to us about making a home so effortlessly livable, tidying up and decluttering are a breeze, not a chore.

FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU “The pandemic is affecting everyone in different ways,” says Rochiel Wallers, a certified feng shui consultant. “Holistic interior design, therefore, can never be a one-approach-fits-all. It’s important to find out what an individual needs from their space and make changes to their environment appropriate for the individual.” While feng shui and decluttering are vastly different practices (who hasn’t heard of Marie Kondo by now?), people can reap the benefits of combining both methods when improving their home.

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A CLEAN, BRIGHT ENVIRONMENT CAN MOTIVATE “Bring in the light,” Wallers says. “Clean those windows, and open up window shades and curtains during the day.” She also suggests full-spectrum light bulbs for increased brightness in darker areas of the home in order to feel more awake. “Brighter homes feel more energizing to occupants than very dark homes.”

REALLOCATE YOUR SPACE “Consider redecorating an unused room into a dedicated room just for you to relax in,” Wallers says. “This may mean altering a guest bedroom that’s rarely used into a much-needed meditation or exercise room, depending on how that individual likes to best release their daily stress.” Because we’re home more often right now, if a room isn’t used 350 days out of the year, adjusting that space to fit your lifestyle can make a huge impact. “I would rather see my clients use their homes to full capacity most the year to better serve their needs,” Wallers continues. “If the room needs to be a guest bedroom twice a year, just install a space-efficient Murphy bed or a small day bed that won’t interfere with the full function of the home.” Having a dedicated space to unwind can also help with keeping the rest of the house organized, and you may notice coffee cups, papers and other items piling up less around the home.

AMAZON BOXES PILING UP? USE THEM Then donate your old goods. “Place a large empty box or trash can in your garage that is solely for filling with items you are purging throughout your week,” Wallers says. Then drop it off at your favorite charity at the end of the week. “This 15- to 30-minute daily habit can help make you feel empowered, as most people can find at least 15 to 30 minutes a day to commit to decluttering.”

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START A DECLUTTERING PROJECT If you aren’t working as much during the pandemic, right now can be the time to tackle crammed closets and overstuffed garages, Wallers says. Because these types of tasks can often be daunting, start out small. “Don’t overwhelm yourself with a huge decluttering task, as you may be less likely to tackle your clutter,” she says. “Instead, start with just 15 or 30 minutes every day.” Whether that’s first thing in the morning or after work, set aside a block of time you can truly commit to, she says. “If you keep your calendar electronically, enter clutter control as a recurring appointment.” Create a checklist so you can visualize each project, and cross it off once you’ve finished. And don’t forget to reward yourself afterward. MAKE CLEANING A GAME If you have kids, gathering pillows and toys can be turned into playtime, says Marsh. “When you don’t make it feel like it’s a normal task, that makes it fun,” Marsh says. She recommends buying pillows with letters or numbers, so children can spell or count while they’re tidying.

(Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)

LET IT GO “You don’t have to worry about people coming over,” Marsh says. “That’s something our parents grew up with, having that presented space,” but younger generations don’t use dining rooms and formal living rooms as often anymore. “It’s all about comfort,” she says. So before you start cleaning those baseboards, ask yourself— is it really worth it? If you wouldn’t notice it in a friend’s home, chances are, they won’t notice it in yours, either.

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BINGE THIS WEEK TV

BECOMING Nearly everybody who’s ever done anything that they’re proud of has started with nothing. This Disney+ documentary series asks several successful people—among them comic Nick Kroll and dancer Julianne Hough—to retrace their steps. Disney+.

PODCAST

COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS

INCREDIBLE FEATS

WOKE

Carl Sagan knew. Back in 1995, the brilliant astophysicist predicted an American moment in which “no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues,” and people are “unable to distinguish between what feels good and what’s true.” The third season of Cosmos, the groundbreaking documentary series the late Dr. Sagan created with Ann Druyan and Steven Soter in 1980, debuted on Fox on September 22, hosted by Sagan-inspired astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Discover what kind of world we might be living in 25 years hence. Tuesdays, 8 p.m., Fox. –Geoff Carter

A teenager survives a plane crash only to find herself lost in the rainforest, then manages to escape to safety. An adventurer climbs one of the most dangerous mountains in the world … and skis down it successfully. A regular man lifts a car to save a life. Comedian Dan Cummins tells stories of Incredible Feats of strength, courage and tenacity. There’s a new podcast out every weekday, and each is just seven minutes long. Think of them like 100-calorie snack packs of inspiration. Parcast.com/incrediblefeats. –C. Moon Reed

Written and created by cartoonist Keith Knight (The K Chronicles) based on his own life, Woke tells the story of Keef, a Black, relatively apolitical illustrator wrongfully stopped by police. Following the traumatic incident, Keef’s worldview changes. As his “light and funny” cartoons begin taking on activist themes, the cartoonist becomes ostracized, losing the white fanbase he once had. Starring Lamorne Morris (The New Girl) in his first leading role, Woke weaves levity and depth into a series that feels fittingly relevant for today’s world. Hulu. –Leslie Ventura

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Wok e

(Hulu

/Cou r

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SYLVAN ESSO, “FERRIS WHEEL” (ANIMAL CROSSING VERSION) Fans of the smash Nintendo Switch game Animal Crossing: New Horizons and the electro-pop duo behind the terrific summer banger “Ferris Wheel” are getting the video team-up they previously only dreamed about. bit.ly/32Qskwz

CONCERT

OUR PICKS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

BOOK

LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC

THE LYING LIFE OF ADULTS

The Phil launches a series of six monthly livestream performances from the Space this week with “Spotlight on New Beginnings,” featuring Christina Castellanos on flute and Lisa Maresch on piano, September 24 at 6 p.m. Castellanos conceptualized the concert with works including Ian Clarke’s “Deep Blue” and “Orange Dawn” and Mike Mower’s “Sonata Latino.” Tickets cost $30, and these performances also include onstage discussions with music director Donato Cabrera. “We’ve been busier in the last few months trying to find other pathways to stay engaged with people, talking about new ideas and creating things,” Cabrera said. “And now with these concerts being produced and coming to fruition, it’s wonderful to see everyone’s gears going into motion again.” Thespacelv.com. –Brock Radke

To read Elena Ferrante’s novels is to savor the sweetness and confusion of adolescence, that period in our lives that gives contour to the people we eventually become. The author, whose true identity remains the best-kept secret in the literary world, ascended stratospheric levels of fame in 2012 with My Brilliant Friend, the first of a quartet of books that would become known as the Neapolitan series (and would later be adapted for HBO). It’s been five years since Ferrante has published new fiction, and her latest, The Lying Life of Adults, doesn’t disappoint. Ferrante’s masterful understanding of the adolescent psyche is once again in full force here, as we witness 12-year-old Giovanna grow up and discover the hard truths of adulthood. Read this one slowly; life goes too fast as it is. –Genevie Durano

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Las Vegas’ annual Life Is Sh*t books a 24-hour web fest

ROYAL FLUSH

BY LESLIE VENTURA

Peachole playing Life Is Sh*t 2019 (Mycul Davis/Courtesy)

e all know the saying underground Japanese indie rock “When life gives you for non-Japanese audiences. lemons, make lemonade,” Originally created as an alterbut what about when life native festival to Downtown’s Life gives you, well, sh*t? You take it to Is Beautiful, Life Is Sh*t 2020 will the internet, of course. feature out-of-town headliners After the COVID-19 pandemic like Joe Jack Talcum of The Dead halted nearly all live events for Milkmen, Kim Salmon of The 2020, Bad Moon Booking, creator Scientists and New York anti-folk of annual indie festival Life Is Sh*t, veteran Hamell on Trial, plus has decided to go digital with a 24a slew of Nevada-based artists hour Virtual Sh*t-A-Thon, set for including The Dirty Hooks, Indigo Friday, September 26. Kidd, Beverly Chillz, Hard Pipe Continuing the tradition of Hitters and Laabradoor. previous years, the live music event Despite not being able to hold doubles as a charity drive for Girls the festival in an actual venue, Rock Vegas!, with all donations Tstefanova and Adams hope the going to that nonprofit rock ’n’ roll event brings people together summer camp for girls ages 9 to 17. during such an uncertain time. The event will feature more “Life isn’t always bad,” Adams says, than 100 bands from all over “but to ignore the fact that life the world, plus segments from can be sh*tty, I think, is wrong. It former Las Vegans like creates this false sense Jacob Smigel, Ronn that you need to always LIFE IS SH*T September 26, noonBenway, Ian Dewane feel happy.” September 27, noon. (Fevergirl), Jack Evan That philosophy Donations benefit Johnson (Dude City) has always driven Life Girls Rock Vegas! Lifeisshitfestival.com. and Chandelle. The Is Sh*t, but this year, 24-hour livestream will the organizers are also mark the debut of feeling it more than new Vegas outfits Gold Star Girls, ever. “Sometimes a family member Strange Unknown, Lords of Death gets sick, you lose your job or you and Los Ghoulees. can’t pay rent,” Adams continues. “None of us have done anything “These are things out of your conlike this,” says co-organizer James trol, and they make life sh*t. This Adams. “At first we thought we isn’t just us being tongue-in-cheek. weren’t going to have enough If there’s any year that’s ever been a content, but now we’ve got over sh*tty year, it’s 2020.” 100 bands. It’s a hodgepodge of Though Life Is Sh*t could be different stuff.” viewed as a nihilistic middle finger Adds co-organizer Tsvetelina to polite society, Adams says the Stefanova, “We were inspired by event’s mission goes far beyond the ’70s telethon. We’re trying that. From raising funds for Girls to figure out how to fit it all in 24 Rock Vegas! to creating a platform hours.” for local and traveling artists, Life Over the past month, musicians Is Sh*t has evolved into far more from all over the country and than a funny name. world have sent in live recordings, “If you’re not willing to admit most of them never seen before, and acknowledge the problems for the telethon. Stefanova and that exist in our society that have Adams will also be conducting led to this moment we’re all in, interviews with artists, including then you’re kind of complicit in the Japan’s Loolowningen & The Far problem,” Adams says. “If we can’t East Idiots, the band behind the acknowledge the sh*t, how are we Mitoho project, an online guide to supposed to fix it?”

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DYSTOPIAN Las Vegas mentalist Santiago Michel lands a TV deal BY BROCK RADKE

erformers in Las Vegas and all around the world are coming up with innovative ideas in order to stay creative and productive during the coronavirus-caused shutdown of live entertainment. Mentalist Santiago Michel already had a special project in the works before everything changed.

The Mexico City native and UNLV student built buzz with the debut of Ilusión Mental at the Planet Hollywood Resort in 2017, the only Spanish-language show on the Las Vegas Strip. It played for 13 months before moving to another Caesars Entertainment property, Paris Las Vegas, for six months for nearly 300 shows before closing. Michel performed in LA, toured briefly in Mexico, staged some private and corporate gigs and was finalizing plans for a 2020 tour including dates in Miami, Mexico and Europe when COVID-19 struck. Just before the virus took over, Michel met with Endemol Shine Boomdog, the North American division of international production powerhouse Endemol Shine Group—the entity behind TV hits Big Brother, MasterChef, Deal or No Deal, Black Mirror, Peaky Blinders, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Wall, Broadchurch and more— to discuss a concept he’d been developing for years. “The idea of the show roughly came to my mind in 2018 with all the craziness and real-life dystopia going on in our world,” says Michel, who has temporarily returned to Mexico. “I started to formally work on it in 2019 and shot a pilot episode which I self-produced in Las Vegas, [then] started knocking on some doors and looking for a production company to work with.” His Black Mirror-esque concepts about future fears becoming reality

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and how people will deal with such scary situations couldn’t have been better timed. The company recently signed him to a TV deal even with the pandemic wreaking havoc on production plans everywhere. “In my mind, they are the perfect partner to work with [on] this kind of unscripted, real-life docuseries,” Michel says. “They are truly the leaders when it comes to creating and developing original, breathtaking content. Some of the shows they have done … speak for themselves in terms of the quality of content they produce.” It will take a while for actual production to begin on the show, he says, because the concept calls for unscripted scenes with real-life, non-actor participants filming in outdoor environments. It’s unlikely any filming will start until 2021. But that uncertainty doesn’t reduce Michel’s excitement for the project. In his relatively short time headlining a show he created in Las Vegas, Michel has already proven himself a unique performer with a pioneering spirit and cutting-edge ideas. “It’s incredibly exciting and yet scary to do a show like this one. But when you are scared, that’s when you know you are on the right path,” he says. “This TV series … can be seen as somewhat risky, in part because we are doing some things that have never been done before. It looks to provide a holistic experience to the viewers and transcend the screen, get them to really have a dystopian experience on and off the show.”

DEVELOPMENT

(Courtesy Santiago Michel/Photo Illustration)

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EXPLORING THE ‘MIRAGE’ London Biennale Las Vegas marks 10 years with a virtual festival of art based on our current masked moment

BY C. MOON REED

n unseen musician plucks a cello in a halting, haunting melody as a seemingly drunken cameraperson flits between images of the Mojave desert at sunrise and artist Brent Holmes dressed as a pantsless cowboy. He stands alone, among the brush and distant mountains, smokes a cigar, eats a peach and dances. In time with the music, handwritten phrases appear on the screen, such as “A gluttony unfulfilled” and “a denless coyote.” Watching Holmes’ video performance piece “Abraxes” is like watching a poem come to life.

“Abraxes” is just one of the many works on display in the virtual version of the London Biennale Las Vegas performance art festival— marking the 10th anniversary of the event’s Las Vegas debut. It’s coordinated by artists Jevijoe Vitug, JK Russ, Matthew Couper and Laurence Myers Reese. The London Biennale was created in 1998 by Filipinio artist David Medalla, with the goal of creating a more inclusive art event. When the London location was determined to be in and of itself exclusive, the event invited artists to participate in satellite cities.

Previous local iterations, in 2010, 2012 and 2014, were enthusiastic community affairs, gathering places for Las Vegas artists and fans. Due to COVID-19 precautions, the 2020 Las Vegas event is completely different. Instead of going somewhere physical to experience live art, viewers visit a website—londonbiennale2020.couperruss.com—to consume videos, GIFs and photos by the participating artists. Organizers decided upon the event’s theme a year ago, yet it speaks directly to the current world: Masks, Mirages & the Morphic Mirror. The concept of the mask—those literal

HOW TO SEE THE ART The website is divided by alumni and debut artists. Guests click on one of the two categories and then on an artist’s name to view the art and read a description of the piece, along with the artist’s bio. Organizers hope to host a live, in-person event at a later date, when it’s safe to do so. Londonbiennale2020. couperruss.com.

and metaphorical—appears in many of the pieces, which include: ■ Nanda Sharif-pour’s “DIY,” a representation of our pandemic anxieties. Like a voyeur, the camera observes her from multiple angles as she stands at her bathroom mirror, places a sheer mask over her face and then feels the mask with pieces of plants. ■ “Over, Over, Over, Over, Over & Over,” a video piece in which artist and Biennale organizer Matthew

Main: Brent Holmes, “Abraxas,” video still. Above: Jung Min, “The Beauty of Emptiness” 2020, mixed media. Left: Cara Seymour, “Lipstick II” 2020, digital photography. (All photos courtesy respective artists and London Biennale Las Vegas 2020)

9 . 2 4 . 2 0 LV W C U LT U R E

Couper slowly makes art while dressed as a Nosferatu-like character. ■ “Wounder Woman Studies: Lasso of Truth,” by artist and educator Wendy Kveck, depicts a woman, dressed vaguely like the lasso-wielding superhero, brandishing knives and smoking a cigarette while her face oozes frosting. ■ The video “Venado Oro,” by Mexican-born Las Vegas artist Javier Sanchez, recasts Hollywood stereotypes of indigenous culture by re-creating the “Deer Dance ritual.” ■ An untitled digital animation by Italian-born artist Giorgio Guidi is based on “the theme of worldwide migration.” Viewers can navigate through a virtual gallery he created to see his intricate layered drawings. ■ Cara Seymour’s digital photo, titled “Lipstick II,” features a red lipstick kiss adorning an abandoned surgical mask. ■ In “Arts and Leisure (Crying)” by UNLV MFA student Emily Sarten, a woman poses on a digital beach while sad emojis float over her face. ■ Video piece “Lost Oasis,” JK Russ’ meditation on our sense of collective loss during the pandemic, shows a masked woman descending into a lit pool. While the social aspect of viewing the art is undoubtedly missing, there are some unexpected advantages to viewing it online. Instead of feeling trapped by time and place—either missing the event altogether due to a schedule conflict or feeling obligated to watch a certain piece to the bitter end—viewers can flit about the website at their leisure. Watch a video, skip to the middle, jump to the next one, return to the first one. Free from social expectations or obligation, the viewer can simply digest and enjoy the art. In some ways, it’s a more pure experience. “Even though it’s in the virtual world,” Russ says, “it still feels like it’s creating a presence and bringing people together.”

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17892-PIPC-EN-LasVegas_LVWeekly-4.5x11-F.pdf

9/22/20

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Providing access to the entire community is important to us. We accept Aetna and Humana Medicare Advantage plans, and are also finalizing participation with many other plans. Visit us on Facebook for activities and events Partners in Primary Care does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex. ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-877-320-2188 (TTY: 711). 注意：如果使用繁體中文，可以免費獲得語言援助服務。請致電 1-877-320-2188 (TTY: 711). GCHKS5DEN

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LV W F O O D & D R I N K

9.24.20

OSTERIA FIORELLA Red Rock Resort, 702-797-7777. Wednesday-Sunday, 4:30-9:30 p.m.

TASTE THE TRADITION Marc Vetriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Osteria Fiorella brings iconic Italian food to Red Rock Resort

Fiorella rigatoni (Steve Legato/Courtesy)

9 . 2 4 . 2 0 LV W F O O D & D R I N K

BY GENEVIE DURANO

Ricotta gnocchi (Steve Legato/Courtesy)

hen the Palms unveiled its makeover in late 2018, the crown jewel of its culinary offerings sat 56 floors up, in an intimate space that relegated the bright lights of the Strip to the background. The food took center stage, created by a chef with accolades to spare. James Beard Award winner and cookbook author Marc Vetri, a legend in his native Philadelphia, was an exciting addition to the Las Vegas scene. The Palms has yet to reopen amid the pandemic, but Vetri has found a new spot for his rustic Italian cooking at another Station Casinos property. After helming a successful July pop-up dinner series in the former Terra Rosa location at Red Rock Resort, Vetri has now taken permanent residence with Osteria Fiorella. It’s a bright spot on a dining scene battered by COVID-19. The restaurant’s concept is an extension of a pasta bar Vetri opened in Philadelphia’s Italian Market in February. The name Fiorella dates back to a butcher shop founded by Luigi Fiorella in the 1890s, which was then passed down through the family for more than a century before it recently went up for sale. Vetri saw a chance to carry forth its legacy by keeping not just the name but also

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its famous fennel sausage recipe, along with many of the shop’s design features, including a cash register that’s more than a hundred years old. The Philly Fiorella turned out to be so popular, Stations brought the concept to Vegas. “When Red Rock announced they’re were reopening, we got a

Classic margherita pizza (Gaby J Photography/Courtesy)

phone call, like, ‘We’ve been watching your Instagram over at Fiorella, and we love the vibe of it. We would love to be able to re-create a version of that here,’” Vetri says. He reassembled his team from Vetri and created a new menu—and in a few short weeks, Osteria Fiorella opened its doors. Though the space will be familiar to locals as an anchor for Italian cuisine—past tenants include Salute Trattoria Italiana, Scott Conant’s Masso Osteria and most recently Terra Rosa—Vetri brings his unmistakable style, one rooted in simplicity and authenticity. “I don’t like to mess it up with too many ingredients,” he says. “You know, just have a couple flavors on a plate and let them be the star of the show.” Consider starting with the assaggi board ($22), a plate with Manchego, pecorino and gorgonzola dolce paired with prosciutto, black pepper salumi and ’nduja, and accompanied with sott’olio to perk up the palate. While it’s still in season, take advantage of the heirloom tomato salad ($16), served with buffalo mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil, or the pan-

zanella ($14), with grilled summer corn, peaches, crispy sourdough. It’s summer abundance on a plate. The homemade pastas are Vetri’s calling card. Rigatoni ($22), with Fiorella sausage ragu and Parmigiano, is the kind of meal that sticks to your ribs, but pace yourself, because you’re only halfway through the menu. There’s pizza on the board— Vetri recommends the meatball ($18), but you can’t go wrong with the classic margherita ($14). There are many standouts among meats and fishes, including a deboned whole branzino ($35) prepared with fennel, arugula and olive oil and cooked on the wood-fired Josper grill, which you can see from the main dining room. The massive veal chop parm ($58), smothered in San Marzano tomato sauce, isn’t for the faint of heart; it begs to be shared, or taken home for several meals later. If you somehow save room for dessert, don’t skip the peach and blueberry tart ($10) paired with honey gelato. It’ll help you hold on to the taste of summer just a little bit longer.

LV W F O O D & D R I N K

9.24.20

START YOUR ENGINES Sickies Garage serves up 50 burgers and lots more

BY GENEVIE DURANO

here’s a lot to take in a Sickies Garage at Town Square, from the car hanging from the ceiling to the menu boasting 50 burgers and 50 brews, along with appetizers galore and chicken wings that come in more than two dozen sauces. Sickies’ origin story is as freewheeling as its food. It started as an informal gathering of friends at a garage in the Midwest, where they tinkered on cars and motorcycles. Grilling burgers got thrown into the mix, and it became a creative outlet for the DIYers, with each coming up with their signature toppings. Soon, the garage became a place to play hooky, and they would call in “sick” so they could work on their projects and make burgers. By 2012, the friends opened their first Sickies Garage Burgers & Brews in Fargo, North Dakota. Since then, they’ve expanded to South Dakota and Nebraska, with plans to open in Florida next. The best way to approach the menu at the Vegas version—fittingly outfitted like a sleek DIY garage—is simply to dive in, starting with apps. With choices ranging from pretzel bites to fried pickles to nachos, you could simply idle there. But rev up your appetite, because the chicken wing section goes way past Buffalo. Hell’s Fury, loaded with ghost peppers, could very well be your final stop, if you can get there. As for the burgers, it’ll take some time to read all the descriptions, but pay special attention to the only-in-Vegas creations. The High Roller ($20) is as ballin’ as they come—one pound of Angus beef stacked with pepper jack cheese, fried jalapeños, fried pickles and peppered bacon, on three layers of Texas toast. There are also specialty sandwiches, salads and baskets (fish and chips, chicken strips, shrimp and rib tip). And when you get to the end of the menu, you’ll find shakes, malts and root beer floats. Best to pace yourself for a long ride.

SICKIES GARAGE 6629 Las Vegas Blvd. S. #120, 725-735-5400. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-midnight; Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-midnight.

Sickies’ Honky Tonk Burger (Courtesy)

9 . 2 4 . 2 0 LV W F O O D & D R I N K

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CARRYING THE TORCH

The Cosmo’s retooled Wicked Spoon helps the Vegas buffet fight off extinction

(Courtesy)

BY GENEVIE DURANO

he restaurant industry as a Spoon at the Cosmopolitan has whole is hurting from the revamped the concept a bit for its pandemic, but there’s someBottomless Brunch. Now, attendants thing especially poignant about serve individually plated items to the disappearance of the buffet, guests from behind a velvet rope, and that most iconic Las Vegas culinary diners take the plates back to the tainstitution. It’s as much a part of this ble to eat to their hearts’ content—or city’s identity as blackjack tables or at least within a two-hour time limit. production shows, a symbol of the The global food stations remain, city’s abundance and, yes, excess. including south-of-the-border favorBuffets exist elsewhere, of course, ites like ceviche and tacos; an Asian but Vegas made them famous. station featuring Korean short ribs, The appeal of the buffet lies in its noodles, salt and pepper shrimp, and unbridled celebration of food and bone marrow with kimchi glaze; a flavors from all corners of the world, carving station with prime rib and laid out in all-you-can-take pork shoulder; and breakarrays. But these days, fast stations with fresh WICKED SPOON The Cosmopolitan, that has been its undoing. pancakes, eggs, bacon and 877-893-2001. Caesars Palace’s beloved potatoes. There are salad Thursday-Sunday, Bacchanal Buffet, which and juice bars for those 8 a.m.-3 p.m. served hundreds of dishes seeking healthier fare, but from its nine kitchens, good luck trying to resist remains shuttered. Wynn Buffet the dozens of artful desserts laid opened briefly with a retooled orderout in the middle aisle. From small from-the-table format before closing tarts to single-serve bourbon bread down again. pudding and pies, they’re all wickedYet the Vegas buffet hasn’t been ly good. extinguished completely. Wicked The Cosmopolitan has put a lot

of thought into making its new-look buffet run smoothly, with the brunt of the work falling to servers clearing plates double time and all the folks behind the scenes, plating and cooking

Single-serving desserts (Courtesy)

the food. For our part as diners, let’s remember to keep six feet apart and to tip extra-generously. Those are small sacrifices to keep this Las Vegas tradition alive.

LV W S P O R T S

9.24.20

OFFSEASON AGENDA

Three questions facing the Golden Knights before hockey resumes again BY JUSTIN EMERSON

he Vegas Golden Knights’ front office won’t have much of a chance to dwell on the team’s disappointing loss to Dallas in the Western Conference Finals. They have too many roster decisions to make ahead of the 2020-21 season, which will likely start sometime in November or December. The big one is in goal, but even once Vegas figures out who’ll be playing in the crease, there are other areas that need to be addressed. Here’s a rundown of the three biggest questions the Golden Knights must answer.

WHO’S THE GOALIE? This will define the offseason and quite possibly the franchise moving forward. Outward indications point to the Golden Knights keeping Robin Lehner and moving on from Marc-André Fleury. Some reports even suggest the Golden Knights and Lehner have already agreed to a five-year, $5 millionper-year contract, though both sides have denied that any deal exists. If it ends up happening, however, the Golden Knights have their starting goalie and little room for Fleury. It’s hard to justify committing $12 million of salary cap space on two goalies, when only one can start per night. That could mean trading Fleury, which appears complicated. The veteran has a 10-team no-trade clause in his contract, so he can block deals to a third of potential suitors. If Vegas finds a taker among the remaining pool of 20 teams, it’s all about the return.

Does Fleury have positive value that could net Vegas a prospect or draft pick in return? Or would the Golden Knights need to toss in a sweetener in the form of a draft pick or prospect of their own to get another team to take on the $14 million owed to the 35-year-old Fleury the next two years? The latter might be more likely, considering Fleury is coming off one of his worst seasons and was benched in the playoffs. There’s also the buyout option. The Golden Knights could cut Fleury and save about a third of the money owed to him over the next two seasons in exchange for a cap penalty. That would make Fleury an unrestricted free agent. For now, Fleury remains a Golden Knight, and Lehner is set to be a free agent on October 9, but odds are on the latter starting on opening night and the former playing somewhere else.

9.24.20

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RCAN DR RY LEU É F

RO BIN LEH NER

(AP/Photo Illustration)

LV W S P O R T S

WHO’S NOT COMING BACK? The Golden Knights have 18 players signed to contracts for next season: the main crew minus four unrestricted free agents—Lehner, Tomas Nosek, Jon Merrill and Deryk Engelland—and a pair of restricted free agents in Chandler Stephenson and Nick Cousins. Nosek, Merrill and Engelland appear less likely to return than Lehner. Nosek played eight playoff games before getting injured and saw his role reduced once Nicolas Roy became a regular and Cousins was acquired via trade. There does not appear to be a roster spot for him next season. Merrill played just once in the postseason, and with six defensemen already under contract, he might seek an opportunity elsewhere. Engelland is as good as gone. He didn’t play in the postseason and made only one appearance over the Golden Knights’ final 18 games after Zach Whitecloud’s emergence pushed him out of the lineup. Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon said he talked with Engelland and offered to trade him before the deadline so he could find playing time somewhere else, but the veteran declined. He wanted to stay. The 38-year-old Engelland’s career is nearing its end, though he’ll always be beloved in Las Vegas for his emotional speech before the team’s inaugural home game and for the primary role he played that season. Stephenson and Cousins should return, since Vegas has team control over both. They each made about $1 million last season, and while Stephenson might be due for a modest raise, neither is expected to command much of a cap hit. Vegas also has a rich prospect pipeline. Center Cody Glass is expected to be ready for training camp after making the opening-night roster last year, and defenseman Nicolas Hague is hoping to cement himself in the lineup, too. Winger Jack Dugan, center Jake Leschyshyn and defenseman Dylan Coghlan are among others closing in on their NHL debuts.

WILL THE KNIGHTS GO BIG-GAME HUNTING? Don’t discount the possibility. Vegas has never shied away from the biggest names on the market. The Golden Knights snagged Paul Stastny out of free agency two years ago and have traded for Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone and Lehner. Will this year bring another big name to Las Vegas? It’s a long shot, simply because the Golden Knights lack cap space, but they might be able to maneuver if they’re determined to do so. They’ve long been rumored to covet defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. The St. Louis Blues captain is an unrestricted free agent who could team with Shea Theodore to form one of the best blueline tandems in the league. Though the Golden Knights figure to be less interested in adding another winger, calling the Winnipeg Jets about Patrik Laine might be wise. The 22-yearold has enough upside that some expect him to lead the league in scoring someday. There are also cheaper options available, such as the Flyers’ Shayne Gostisbehere or the Canadiens’ Max Domi. Vegas is always out to make a splash, and that’s unlikely to change as it looks to capitalize on a championship window while its current core remains in its prime. Still, it’s more likely Vegas will make depth moves to fill out its roster. A net-front presence in the bottom-six could help out the third line and the power play, especially after coach Peter DeBoer said the team needed to learn how to score in the playoffs. The Coyotes’ Carl Söderberg, the Sabres’ Wayne Simmonds and the Lightning’s Patrick Maroon are all unrestricted free agents who might not break the bank. Even if Vegas isn’t active, that doesn’t mean it isn’t waiting for the right time to strike. Don’t forget, the Golden Knights were quiet last offseason, choosing to preserve cap space that they ultimately used to acquire Lehner and Alec Martinez at the trade deadline.

VEGAS INC BUSINESS

9.24.20

Amid pandemic, PropSwap sellers choose good karma over making a quick buck

BY BRYAN HORWATH an Epstein calls it the “good karma plan.” PropSwap, Epstein’s Las Vegas-based sports bet resale company, had grown over the past five years from a startup to being valued “in the eight-figure range,” he said. PropSwap allows owners of sports bet tickets to resell the wagers to third-party buyers, serving as the middle for a 10% commission. They deal in future bets, such as the Dallas Stars— who opened at 20-to-1 odds—to win the Stanley Cup. The Stars are one of two teams standing, meaning someone with a ticket could use PropSwap to flip the wager to a third party and receive a guaranteed, smaller profit. If it were only that easy in March. When the pandemic shuttered all sports in the spring, it also put a pause on the PropSwap business, including wagers on the heavily bet on NCAA Tournament. “I felt like we had a ton of momentum going into March Madness, and March is our biggest time of the year,” Epstein said. “The first four days of March Madness, that’s like four Super Bowls. It was a gut punch. We had the rug pulled out from under us.” It created a problem they could have never expected. All tickets were considered no-action, meaning the payout from the Nevada sports book was only the original amounted wagered. The third-party buyer was left with a mostly worthless ticket — PropSwap had its commission, and the original ticket holder enjoyed a small profit. Enter the “good karma plan.” PropSwap’s terms of service dictated that the buyers were out of luck, Epstein said. But he and business partner Luke Pergande had a different idea. “We said right away that we’d give back our commissions, that was a no-brainer,” Epstein said. “We wanted to also see if we could get sellers to give back

their profits, because it was a terrible situation that everyone was in; it wasn’t anybody’s fault. ” Eventually, Epstein said, most sellers—around 90%—agreed to give back at least some of their proceeds. Whatever difference needed to be made up, PropSwap took care of it in expense that cost the company hundreds of thousands of dollars, Epstein said. “It was incredible,” he said. “It really showed that we’re actually a real online community. A lot of those people had been with us and grown with us these past few years.” When the idea for the company was brought to Nevada’s Gaming Control Board several years ago, it was

decided that PropSwap’s model shouldn’t be considered sports betting, which gave Epstein and Pergande the green light to proceed without a gaming license. One of the most publicized PropSwap transactions was the purchase of a New Orleans Saints ticket at 20to-1 to win the Super Bowl in 2019. An $8,000 ticket originally purchased at South Point, the slip was sold to media personalities Clay Travis and Cousin Sal for $57,500 before the Saints played the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC championship game. Most sales on PropSwap aren’t nearly that large, and some sell tickets for face value or slightly above that. Of course, the Saints lost that game in January 2019, so the ticket didn’t cash, but the transaction netted PropSwap significant media attention, Epstein said. PropSwap had its biggest month of sales in August with three of the four major U.S. pro sports leagues in action, and the start of the NFL season around the corner. With sports betting becoming more popular by the year in the U.S.—and legal in more states—Epstein said he thinks the sky’s the limit for his company, which has a small staff scattered across the country. It has come a long way from back when a couple of college buddies from the University of Arizona tried to get the concept off the ground. “As sports betting grows, so do we,” Epstein said. “Tickets can sell on our site multiple times, and we make a profit each time. We have a great business model. I think that once a person becomes a sports bettor, they don’t stop betting. I’ll probably be in this industry my entire life.”

Ian Epstein, co-founder of PropSwap (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

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Partners in Primary Care does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex. ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-877-320-2188 (TTY: 711). 注意：如果使用繁體中文，可以免費獲得語言援助服務。請致電 1-877-320-2188 (TTY: 711). GCHKU3REN

VEGAS INC BUSINESS

9.24.20

VegasInc Notes UNR Extension welcomed Laura Perkins and Maureen Schafer to its advisory council. Perkins sits on the Board of Regents of Perkins the Nevada System of Higher Education representing District 1 (Clark County), and has held positions as a teaching assistant at Schafer the College of Southern Nevada and as a student liaison at the UNR School of Medicine. Schafer is president and CEO of the Schafer Company, providing specialized growth, strategic and operations advisory services to private, public and nonprofit institutions, and

is president and CEO of the Nevada Health & Bioscience Asset Corporation. KO Knudson Academy of the Arts was designated an Exemplary School in recognition of its commitment to excellence by the Arts Schools Network board of directors. ASN awards the designation to members that follow A Guide to Assessing Your Arts School in strategically evaluating their school’s purpose, operations and educational programs. The five-year designation is awarded for 2020-25. The Las Vegas Convention Center was awarded the Global Biorisk Advisory Council STAR facility accreditation by ISSA: The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, the world’s leading trade association for the cleaning industry. Considered the gold standard for safe facilities, the GBAC program was designed

to control the risks associated with infectious agents, including the virus responsible for COVID-19. The LVCC was the first facility in Nevada to receive the accreditation. Gaming Laboratories International promoted Karen Sierra-Hughes to vice president of Latin America and Caribbean. Sierra-Hughes Sierra-Hughes has been with GLI since 2004, driving its strategy for both regulatory and business development throughout Preston the Latin America and the Caribbean region. Prior to joining GLI, she practiced law in the Republic of Panama and was later appointed legal Clay director of

the Panama Gaming Control Board. GLI also named two new directors of client services. Justine Clay has been promoted to director of client services for North American suppliers and Blaine Preston has been promoted to director of client services for state government, lottery and tribal operations. Sierra-Hughes, Clay and Preston are all based in Las Vegas. Eight Bailey Kennedy lawyers were listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2021 edition. Managing Partner John R. Bailey was recognized in the areas of commercial litigation, health care law and litigation – health care. Partner Dennis L. Kennedy was recognized in the areas of appellate practice, bet-the-company litigation, commercial litigation, ethics and professional responsibility law, health care law, legal malpractice law – defendants and real estate law. Partner Joshua M. Dickey was recognized in the area of appellate practice. Partners Joseph A. Liebman and Sarah E. Harmon were both recognized in the area of commercial litigation. Associate Kelly B. Stout was recognized in

the area of health care law and associate Paul C. Williams was recognized in the area of commercial litigation. Attorney Mark H. Goldstein was recognized in the area of real estate law. In addition, associate Andrea M. Champion was recognized in the area of corporate law in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch. JC Hospitality, owner of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, added Chad Brown as vice Brown president of marketing to further expand its corporate leadership team. Brown began his hospitality career at Treasure Island in 2005, serving as the hotel’s marketing manager. Since then, Brown has held a variety of marketing executive positions within MGM Resorts International at Luxor, Mandalay Bay and Bellagio. Most recently, he oversaw new marketing and technology initiatives as the vice president of marketing operations for MGM Resorts International.

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2020-09-24 - Las Vegas Weekly

Articles inside

Sports: What are the Golden Knights’ next moves?

Art: London Biennale marks its 10th Vegas anniversary—online

Cover story: Despite the pandemic, Downtown marches forward

Food & Drink: Italian, burgers and, yes, a Vegas buffet

Home: Tips for organizing your living space