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NEVADA LEGISLATORS SPRINT TO MEET BILL DEADLINE CARSON CITY — In a burst of activity on March 22, Nevada lawmakers introduced 91 bills in one of the busiest days of this legislative session, after leaders extended the initial March 15 deadline to give staff additional time to draft bills for lawmakers. The new legislation included: Safe injection sites: Assembly Bill 345 would create safe injection sites where adults can take intravenous drugs bought elsewhere. Evidence has shown that safe injection sites can help lower mortality and overdose rates. Sanctuary state: This proposal would limit local law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with federal immigration officers. The bill mirrors “sanctuary state” policies in place in California, Colorado, Illinois and New York. It would prohibit police officers from collecting information concerning a person’s birthplace, immigration or citizenship status, and make it illegal to detain someone for the purpose of determining their immigration status. Animal abuser registry: Assembly Bill 350 would create a registry of animal abusers similar to the existing sex offender registry. Any person on the registry would be barred from owning, working with or living in the same home as an animal. Assisted suicide: Assembly Bill 351 would allow patients with a terminal illness to selfadminister drugs that would result in death. Under the bill’s provisions, the patient must be at least 18, cannot be coerced into taking the medication and must make two verbal and one written request for the medication. –John Sadler
RED CANARY SONG OFFERS SUPPORT AFTER ATLANTA SHOOTINGS
HE SAID IT
Clark County School District Superintendent Jesus Jara, left, greets students on March 22, the first day back to in-person learning under a hybrid instructional model at K.O. Knudson Academy of Arts middle school. (Yasmina Chavez)
FAMOUS FOODS STREET EATS COULD REVOLUTIONIZE CASINO CUISINE
■ “I think he’s going to be Lon Kruger Part 2. … There have been times last year and this year [when] … Kevin would say something or his mannerisms would remind me of [his dad]. He’s very meticulous in his preparation, like Lon. … He’s always on his toes and ready to adapt and adjust. Kevin can be very fiery and passionate, and I know there’s nothing Kevin is more passionate about than getting UNLV basketball back to where it’s supposed to be.”
–Curtis Terry, on the hiring In late 2020, Resorts World Las Vegas and Zouk Group of Kevin Kruger to coach unveiled a partnership that will bring Zouk Nightclub, AYU UNLV's men’s basketball Dayclub, RedTail social gaming bar and FUHU restaurant to team. Terry played with Kevin the $4.3 billion megaresort when it opens on the north end Kruger on the 2006-2007 of the Strip this summer. team, coached by Lon Kruger, That partnership expanded March 22 to include an Asian which won the Mountain West hawker-inspired food hall concept, with 16 different stalls Conference and advanced spread across an interactive, 24,000-square-foot space. to the Sweet 16 in the Famous Foods Street Eats claims it will have the most NCAA Tournament Michelin Plate- and Bib Gourmand-awarded culinary concepts under one roof, including top chefs and restaurateurs coming to the United States from Southeast Asia for the first time, along with celebrated domestic outlets. Located just off the Resorts World casino floor and built around a 16-seat center bar and hidden speakeasy, the food hall is inspired by the vibrant food culture of those hawker centers, and Zouk also recruited from them, cultivating authenticity and a diverse slate of dishes and culinary styles. Among the eastern vendors: Ah Chun Shandong Dumpling, specializing in wrapped pork and fish dumplings and hand-pulled noodles; FUHU offshoot FUKU Shack, known for Peking duck burritos; Boon Tong Kee from Singapore’s Chinatown, serving traditional Hainanese chicken rice; Googgle Man’s Char Kuey Teow, which serves smoky noodles fried over charcoal-fired stoves with fresh seafood, vegetables and more; Pepita’s Kitchen from the “Lechon Diva” Dedet de la Fuenta; Geylang Claypot Rice, a Singapore favorite for decades; Ten Suns Braised Beef from Bangkok; Springleaf Prata Place from Singapore, serving South Indian cuisine including roti canai, chicken curry and hot milk tea; and Tawainese bubble tea shop Tiger Sugar. –Brock Radke
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1 THINGS THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK
In the wake of a mass shooting spree that resulted in the deaths of eight people—six of them Asian women—in Atlanta massage parlors, activist coalition Red Canary Song is working with other Georgia organizations to support the families affected. Formed in 2018 after a New York City police raid ended in the death of massage parlor worker Yang Song, Red Canary Song advocates for Asian, Asian American and Asian Pacific Islander American sex workers and massage parlor workers, and fights for the decriminalization of such labor. “The women who were killed faced specific racialized gendered violence for being Asian women and massage workers,” a statement from Red Canary Song reads. “We are asking that the community stand in solidarity with us and all immigrant and migrant massage workers and sex workers.” For more information and to donate directly, visit redcanarysong.net. –Leslie Ventura
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OPIOID SETTLEMENT
PARLER LAWSUIT
Nevada struck a $45 million settlement deal March 22 with McKinsey & Company for the firm’s role in advising opioid makers how to sell more prescription painkillers amid a national overdose crisis. In February it settled for $573 million with 47 states, Washington, D.C., and five U.S. territories.
John Matze, a founder of social media site Parler, is suing the company for wrongful termination after being dismissed from his role as CEO this year. In a lawsuit filed March 22, Matze seeks “millions in compensatory” damages for an “orchestrated theft” of his 40% stake in the Henderson company.
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IN THIS ISSUE
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Cover story: Virgin Hotels Las Vegas swings open its doors The Strip: What would a May EDC mean for the Valley? Scene: Cineloggia brings memorable movie props to town Art: Muralist Pretty Done's work is spreading, fast Food & Drink: Sushi tips, spicy chicken and home-baked treats
WEEK IN REVIEW WEEK AHEAD N EWS YO U S H O U L D K N OW A B O U T
Sports: Betting Major League Baseball beyond the Dodgers Vegas Inc: Cure 4 The Kids pushes through the pandemic
BACK IN BLACK Raiders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota agreed to restructure his contract and return to the team on a oneyear, $4.5 million deal, down from the more $15 million-plus he would have counted against the league salary cap had he not restructured. If Mariota is pressed into service in relief of starter Derek Carr for an extended period, he'll have an opportunity to earn up to $8 million next season.
3 ALL BRACKETS BUSTED According to NCAA.com, which counted about 20 million online tournament brackets this year, none made it more than 28 games before losing a prediction. The odds for a perfect bracket through all 63 tournament games are 1 in 9.2 quintillion.
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RECORD SALE
MASS SHOOTING
“Game Changer,” a Banksy painting honoring Britain’s health workers in the pandemic, has sold for a record $23.2 million, auction house Christie’s said March 23. Proceeds from the sale will be used to fund health organizations and charities across the U.K., it said.
A shooting at a Colorado supermarket killed 10 people March 22, including a police officer who was the first to respond to the scene, authorities said. The attack was the seventh mass killing this year in the U.S., following the March 16 shooting that left eight people dead at three Atlanta-area massage businesses.
Keegan Kolesar, second from right, celebrates with Vegas Golden Knights teammates after scoring the first goal of his NHL career, March 22 against the St. Louis Blues. (Christopher DeVargas)
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A QUIET YEAR UNLV prof Natalie Pennington on lessons learned from pandemic isolation
(Shutterstock/Photo Illustrations)
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LV W H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
BY C. MOON REED
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t’s been a jarring year of social isolation. And though there’s hope the world will continue to open as COVID-19 cases trend downward and vaccinations roll out, it’s worth reflecting on what the pandemic has shown us about the ways we communicate with one another. Thanks to new research by UNLV communication studies professor and social media expert Natalie Pennington, we have insights into how we deal with isolation. Pennington and co-authors Jeff Hall and Amanda Holmstrom surveyed nearly 2,000 adults across the United States, and their study, “Connecting Through Technology During COVID-19,” has been published in the journal Human Communication & Technology. In their findings are lessons we can take with us as we build our post-pandemic life, including: ■ Older adults are faring better than younger adults in dealing with isolation. “Young adults were probably socializing in person quite a bit more than older adults pre-pandemic,” Pennington says. “So that drop was quite a bit harder for them.” ■ Older adults benefited from a communication tool in their proverbial toolbox: email. The technology helped decrease the loneliness of middle-aged and older adults, while it made younger adults feel worse. “That doesn’t surprise me too much,” Pennington says. “In the early days of technology, people used email for social reasons, and today that’s not quite as common.” ■ One might assume video chats would be better than phone calls for helping people feel connected because it’s a richer medium, but Pennington’s research found the opposite to be true. “Based on the results of this study, the No. 1 recommendation is to pick up the phone and call someone,” Pennington says. “Across the board, phone calls decreased loneliness [and] decreased stress. Outside of face-to-face communication, it was the best form of technology somebody could use.” ■ That Zoom fatigue you’ve been feeling isn’t just in your imagination. “We found that video chat can actually increase stress and increase feelings of loneliness,” Pennington says. Though video chat adds visual cues and context to a conversation, Pennington found that “it
BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY, THE NO. 1 RECOMMENDATION IS TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL SOMEONE. ACROSS THE BOARD, PHONE CALLS DECREASED LONELINESS [AND] DECREASED STRESS. OUTSIDE OF FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION, IT WAS THE BEST FORM OF TECHNOLOGY SOMEBODY COULD USE.” -Natalie Pennington, UNLV communications studies professor
wasn’t quite right” for a lot of people. “You don’t know how to balance [who talks in] big groups; it’s not as natural as face-to-face; you’re also staring at yourself,” Pennington says. She calls it the “uncanny valley” of communication. “There’s just something off about it, like I saw you but I didn’t feel connected and now I feel worse.” One caveat is that if you already feel comfortable with a person and enjoy video chatting with them, it can provide a meaningful connection. Moral of the story: Don’t feel obligated to use a trending technology just because it’s there. ■ That doesn’t mean, however, that you should be afraid of experimenting with new technologies. Our options are evolving fast, and you might land upon something that works for you. “It was really cool to hear people talk about the creative ways they were making use of video chat, like doing virtual dance parties with friends because they couldn’t go to the club,” Pennington says. If you’re going to video chat, having an activity or purpose can make it more fun and natural than engaging in random chitchat. “My sister’s doing a gender-reveal party for her baby next weekend,” Pennington said. “I’m going via video chat, and I’m really excited about being able to participate.” ■ Video game playing related to greater stress and loneliness. “With video games, we’re not necessarily connecting or communicating with others,” Pennington says. “Like, I got out of pandemic mode for a couple of hours playing this game, but now I’m back and I haven’t actually dealt with any of that stress, or talked to anybody to decrease my loneliness.” Note that the research did not parse out the type of video games played, so it’s possible collaborative games are more fulfilling than solo games. ■ Ultimately, the research showed, nothing truly compares to in-person interaction. “Face-to-face communication was the only thing where someone felt like they got their social needs met,” Pennington says. “I think that’s a good reminder that technology can supplement, but it can’t replicate face-to-face interactions.”
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SPRING PLANTING
Mulching is your friend. Doyle uses a silver mulch, which goes on top of the soil. It increases the light to the plants and also protects the soil from invaders, like germs. (Yes, germs are a problem for plants, just as they are for humans.) Embrace the sun. Some desert gardeners fear the sun, because they think it will burn their plants. So they shade the plants, which keeps them from thriving. Doyle says if you give plants enough water, they can take the full sun. “Water goes through the vascular system of the plants and cools it.”
Seasonal growing tips from Las Vegas expert the Tomato Lady
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BY C. MOON REED
he days are getting longer, the weather is becoming lovely and garden stores are sending out fliers for baby plants. It’s time to stick out that green thumb again. The Weekly reached out to test gardener and agricultural consultant Leslie Doyle—aka the Tomato Lady—for spring planting pointers. Doyle has been gardening in Las Vegas for more than 30 years, and she lives in a veritable oasis of fruit trees, flowers and vegetables of all kinds. Here are a few of her tips:
Follow the (right) directions. “[People] bring their habits with them from a friendly climate, and they don’t apply here,” Doyle says. “So we had to rewrite the rules.” Whatever you’re growing, make sure that you are following desert-specific directions and/or directions for our growing zones, which is 9a in the USDA Hardiness Zone map, according to garden.org. (Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)
Water often, but water right. Doyle waters as often as nine times a day using drip irrigation. She says that some people want to get the plants wet to “cool them off” during the heat of the summer. But it’s better to keep the plant dry and just water at the soil level. Soil matters. On its most basic level, soil is what keeps a plant from falling over. But soil also contains nutrients that feed plants. If you use a high-quality soil (Doyle recommends her proprietary Tomato Lady soil), your plants should be healthier and more prolific. Go organic. Organic soils, fertilizers and insect control are better for the environment and healthier for you. Also, synthetic fertilizers and chemicals will kill your soil, Doyle warns.
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HOME
Don’t cage your plants. It’s a common belief that tomatoes, peppers and the like should be planted in cages, but that’s actually a regional practice best employed elsewhere. Doyle says caging plants here makes them more susceptible to damage from our high desert winds. And keeping them naturally low to the ground will actually keep them cooler.
Visit sweettomatotest garden.com or call 702-490-5217 to schedule gardening classes or a garden tour.
WARM-SEASON PRODUCE IN LAS VEGAS These grow well in our climate and should be planted in the spring, according to Doyle’s book Slam Dunk Easy Desert Gardening. ■ Beans ■ Sweet corn ■ Cucumbers ■ Eggplants ■ Melons ■ Okra
■ Peanuts ■ Peppers ■ Sweet potatoes ■ Pumpkins ■ Squash ■ Tomatoes
Wait to plant those summer veggies. “One of the first things that happens when it gets warm in February and March is that people run up to the nurseries and buy plants to feed the hatching bugs,” Doyle says. “We wait for those bugs to starve to death.” Doyle recommends doing your spring planting in midApril after the seasonal bugs, when winds and cold have died down. Do “intense planting.” For warm-season veggies, Doyle recommends following this spacing practice. By planting the plants near one another, you create a micro-environment that lowers the temperature of the plants, creates a larger yield and looks lush and gorgeous. Plant with raised beds. The Las Vegas ground is famously hard, often filled with a layer of rocklike caliche. “Raised beds solve the desert gardening problem; they can contain nutritious soil, and because they are raised they will drain well,” Doyle writes in her book Slam Dunk Easy Desert Gardening. She says they don’t have to be high: 4-6 inches deep is enough if you’re using quality soil.
Doyle’s books, Slam Dunk Easy Desert Gardening and Growing the Tomato in Las Vegas in Terrible Dirt and Desert Heat, are available for purchase at sweettomatotestgarden.
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(Left) ELEVATOR ART
VIRGIN HOTELS LAS VEGAS ARRIVES WITH A SMOOTH STYLE OF ITS OWN
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BY BROCK RADKE PHOTOGRAPHS BY WADE VANDERVORT
as Vegas casino openings over the past decade have predominantly been renovation projects, turning old into new, ideally something different. Downtown, Fitzgeralds became the D in 2012, and the Lady Luck turned into Downtown Grand in 2013. At the heart of the Strip, the Barbary Coast changed its name to Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and then renovated into the Cromwell in 2014, the same year the Quad changed its name to the Linq after a huge makeover from the Imperial Palace a couple years earlier. Then came the big three remakes. The Sahara transformed into SLS in 2014, and then into a different version of the Sahara in 2019, a wild ride that’s still not over as the north Strip property continues to renovate. The Monte Carlo evolved into Park MGM without fully closing, a complex project that more or less wrapped in 2018. And the Palms completed its full face-lift and refurbishment in 2019 without a brand name change. All of these projects were attempts to generate fresh Vegas excitement without the old Vegas process of imploding a huge building and spending millions or billions creating a brandnew one. Some were clearly more successful than others, and for the big
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three, it will take more time to assess whether a new identity has truly been constructed. Virgin Hotels Las Vegas officially opens its doors March 25 at 6 p.m., launching a new era at a property visitors and locals remember as the Hard Rock Hotel, which debuted on March 10, 1995. The old place arguably had one of the strongest personalities of any Las Vegas resort, but the new ownership group and its partners have already demonstrated a unique approach and an impressive arsenal of resources in the quest for that elusive sense of newness. They have the powerful Virgin Hotels lifestyle brand, connected to the multinational conglomerate founded by mogul Richard Branson, encompassing hospitality, travel, retail, media and more. The 1,500-room hotel is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, and the 60,000-square-foot casino is operated by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, marking the first tribal gaming operation in Nevada. Perhaps most importantly, they’re not trying to make anyone forget about the old place. They’re hoping to harness its power and nostalgia and show you a more refined, easy-flowing vision of what a cool Las Vegas resort can be today. And they’ve continued to work toward that goal during a globe-altering pandemic. “There is so much that went into every aspect of this conversion,” says Richard “Boz” Bosworth, president and CEO of the property’s ownership company, JC Hospitality. “The most important thing to us is getting people back to work and opening as soon as possible in a very safe environment. We are very appreciative we were able to keep going with construction, so we could build this beautiful resort. Everywhere you go here, you’ll see a bit of a story.” Continued on Page 15
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Continued from Page 13
As you move through Virgin’s different spaces, you might sense some gentle pulses of familiarity, echoes of parties past in its storied structure. But there’s no doubt, the majority of this remade resort is as different as any of those other renovation projects, especially evident upon arriving at the casino’s main entrance and the vast backyard pool and event complex. The overall design is bright and warm, and some areas are excitingly unrecognizable. “It’s very colorful from where it was previously. When it was the Hard Rock, it was a lot darker, a lot more rock ’n’ roll,” says Gary Scott, JC Hospitality’s chief operating officer. “We really wanted to reidentify the property and make sure we gave Virgin Hotels Las Vegas its own history moving forward. “We’ve redone food and beverage with a fresh new take, added a lot of stellar restaurants and operators from around the country,” Scott continues. “We’ve got a considerable investment going into the backyard, so the pools are being completely reimagined. We have the brandnew event lawn outside, and all suites and rooms have the same kind of design inspiration—a new perspective from what’s been done in Las Vegas. There’s a tremendous amount of color, meant to [feel] like that road trip coming into Vegas.” If you recall, the bustling main entrance of the Hard Rock emptied straight into the casino, with the fondly remembered Center Bar acting as a magnetic force. By dramatic contrast, the Virgin porte cochere is open and airy, leading into a grand entrance and lobby area, where the sunset hues of the casino welcome visitors. Registration is to the left, and the cozy Bar at Commons Club and hidden, swanky Shag Room lounge are to the right. New venues—the Kitchen at Commons Club, Kassi Beach House, Afters Ice Cream and 24 Oxford (the live entertainment space formerly known as Vinyl)—join holdovers Nobu and Pizza Forte, along with some retail shops, in encircling this wing of the casino. Stretching down the hall where Vinyl
and the Pink Taco restaurant once stood are new eateries Casa Calavera and Olives, along with the Manor, a flexible meeting and event space with a terrace that leads to the event lawn. Bosworth has described that versatile, 1,500-capacity space as a possible home to outdoor, sit-down concerts and private events like weddings and corporate gatherings. “Everything at the hotel is a full departure from the other hotel,” says David Werly, the resort’s executive chef and Vegas fine dining veteran. In his new role, he’ll support Virgin’s restaurant partners, run the Kitchen at Commons Club and supervise in-room dining, banquet, dayclub and resort pool food and beverage. “The pool will be something very unique and completely different from what it was, and I’m really looking forward to that, and the huge event lawn where we can do big banquets and other exciting stuff.” Werly sounds equally excited about the
(Far left) SHAG ROOM (Inset) HOTEL ROOM INTERIOR (Below) THE KITCHEN AT COMMONS CLUB
Virgin customer experience. “I’ve been in this industry and traveling for quite some time, and sometimes I get upset when I go to a hotel and pay a $40 resort fee or at the minibar … it’s double or triple the price for a pack of M&Ms. Those are some of the things Virgin is addressing.” The resort made headlines recently by announcing it would open with no resort fees and free self-parking and Wi-Fi. Virgin Hotels’ “no nickel and diming” policy also includes “street priced” minibars. Those might seem like small details, but establishing such standards from the start, when many Strip resorts have been criticized for resort and parking fees in recent years, could strike a chord with visitors excited to return to Las Vegas post-pandemic. “You can work from your bed; you can book a room just for the day to do business; and you can do self check-in for arrival and departure,” Werly says. “Convenience is the definition of new luxury, in a way. That’s my luxury, and that’s what got me excited about Virgin in many ways.” Continued on Page 16
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(Above) CASA CALAVERA
(Right) HOTEL POOL (Rendering/ Courtesy)
The beloved, 4,500-capacity venue formerly known as the Joint will be known, for now at least, as the Theater, though it could have a new name and sponsorship attached when it hosts its first event. It will continue to be programmed by AEG, one of the major producers of live entertainment in Las Vegas, and the company has reinvested to renovate the room by adding new flooring, facades and a main-floor VIP space, updating the second-floor suites and upgrading the bars on the second and third floors. “It’s always had great bones, but it needed some love, and we addressed those things,” says Bobby Reynolds, AEG Las Vegas’ senior vice president.
“We have some newly imagined VIP spaces and some brand-new VIP spaces … but we didn’t lose any [general admission] capacity. The vast majority of customers will still pay that lower ticket price.” The Joint, which previously existed as a smaller but similarly designed room at the Hard Rock, has been a Las Vegas favorite since the ’90s, and Reynolds says concertgoers should expect more of the same in terms of programming. “We had one of the more diverse and eclectic lineups,” he says. “We did classic rock, comedy, metal, hip-hop, alt-rock … we were all over the map. We had a good mix of touring artists coming in for a night or two and residencies, and I see that being similar. “This venue services the local mar-
ket and the tourist market, and I think it’s wise for us to keep both of those business models present here.” Over in the casino’s west wing, where the Hard Rock expanded in 2010 with a third hotel tower, the new Betfred sportsbook leads to high-limit slots and table areas, the revamped One Steakhouse and LA restaurant transplant Night + Market. “The first thing Boz and his team said to us was that they wanted to create a hotel with a vibe,” says Kris Yenbamroong, chef and founder of Night + Market. “We think along the same lines. We’re not just serving food; we want to create this awesome experience.” Stroll farther down that path to wrap back around the pool complex and you’ll discover hybrid sportsbook,
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tional Airport in South Korea. The tribal company’s approach to the industry differs from that of other gaming operators, and seems to align well with Virgin’s overall philosophy. Creating a new experience that resonates with visitors and locals is a natural extension of hospitality. “The tribe recognized when they first came into contact with other people that cooperation was a better root for sustainability and their future than was conflict,” Hasson says. “It permeates their thinking today. “The concepts of welcoming people, of mutual respect, of taking a long view toward relationships—when I heard that … I heard hospitality,” Hasson continues. “It’s taking a long view toward success through cooperation, a welcoming spirit and development of relationships that last longer than a short burst of time.”
bar and nightlife spot Money, Baby! That two-level venue is one of five restaurants with expansive outdoor space—a feature surprisingly rare at Strip resorts. The still-in-the-works 5-acre backyard will include landscaped pathways weaving around those patios, the resort pool and the event lawn, along with a separate, multilevel dayclub expected to debut over Memorial Day weekend. “The event lawn is where the old Rehab space was,” Bosworth says, referring to the infamous Hard Rock pool party. “We literally buried Rehab. We didn’t have a ceremony, but we buried it and built this unique area near our conference facility, because in Las Vegas, we all know how important Sunday-through-Thursday business is.”
* * * * * As an off-Strip option, Virgin will strive to host meetings and events, but with its strong entertainment component and portfolio of restaurants, the property’s draw should be diverse. “When I think of off-Strip [gaming], this business really needs convention trade and travel to thrive in a hotel environment,” says casino general manager Joe Hasson, a gaming industry veteran. “But at the same time, we have what also made this casino in its past life appeal to locals.” The prominence of the Mohegan Sun brand should also play a significant role, Hasson, says. Mohegan Sun operates casinos and properties on the East Coast, in Louisiana and Washington State and is now developing the $5 billion resort Inspire at Incheon Interna-
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“THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO CREATE A HOTEL WITH A VIBE. WE THINK ALONG THE SAME LINES. WE’RE NOT JUST SERVING FOOD; WE WANT TO CREATE THIS AWESOME EXPERIENCE.” Kris Yenbamroong Chef and founder of Night + Market
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CULINARY ROOTS Nobu and One Steakhouse enhance and advance as the casino around them changes
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nly a few parts of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas resemble their former selves from the property’s Hard Rock Hotel days. Two of them are restaurants that were essential pieces of that past, and both have been upgraded and renovated. It’s rare that a complete casino rebranding sustains a restaurant brand—Bazaar Meat at the Sahara comes to mind as the best example—but the original Nobu in Las Vegas has certainly earned the right to survive the Virgin transition. It opened in 1999, became one of the hottest tables in the city during the Hard Rock’s heyday and remained consistently popular, especially with local diners, even after Caesars Palace opened one of the largest Nobu restaurants in the world (and a Nobu-branded hotel tower) in 2013. General manager Bryan Shinohara, who started with the company as a busser at the Hard Rock restaurant in 2001, says bringing the Nobu experience back under the Virgin banner is “so meaningful, I can’t put it into words.” Though the updated restaurant space wasn’t available during the Weekly’s preview tour of Virgin, the décor has reportedly been refreshed to add new energy and heighten the
cozy feeling that has kept regulars returning. “It wouldn’t be Nobu Las Vegas if it didn’t have that vibe where you can come to the bar or the sushi bar and have chefs communicate and tailor an experience, or having the bartender make a handcrafted cocktail that’s not on the list,” Shinohara says. “Because this location is more intimate, you get to have a more custom experience. It’s not so fastpaced.” On the other end of the property, One Steakhouse houses a striking new lounge that welcomes in guests, enveloping them with light from a 3,000-piece floral glass chandelier that changes colors and covers almost the entire ceiling. The addition of the bar and lounge space marks the biggest change to what was MB Steak, opened by brothers Michael and David Morton in 2017. Working in tandem with the Magic Mike Live show at the former Body English nightclub space, the restaurant injected exciting new energy at the Hard Rock before it closed for the changeover. The Mortons are the sons of hospitality legend Arnie Morton, founder of Morton’s Steakhouse. Their older brother, Peter Morton, founded the Hard Rock Cafe and created the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas,
and Michael Morton created the N9NE Group, operator of wildly successful clubs and restaurants in the early days of the Palms. The family’s connections to this property and Las Vegas run deep. “For Michael and David, the No. 1 thing is service is, because they’re Mortons and that’s what’s in their blood,” says Jenna Morton, Michael’s wife. “The idea here now is you come in, and it’s an escape from reality. Everything about it is an experience, from the bite of steak to the sound of the music, and the art lends itself to that little bit of an escape, too.” One Steakhouse also retains the services of executive chef Patrick Munster, who’ll bring additional tableside preparations to the experience, in order to “breathe a little more fun into classic steakhouse food,” he says. Like the Hard Rock, the steakhouse built a reputation as a casino restaurant Las Vegas residents could call home. The new version will look to build off that. “People know us, they know the product and the service and I also think people have nostalgia for this property, even as it changes,” Jenna Morton says. “I think Virgin has a leg up with the locals, because we know so many people feel that way.”
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UNLV student Cierra Bliss on how she became comfortable in her skin
BLISS DANCE Cierra Bliss (Samuel Blot/Courtesy)
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THE WEEKLY Q&A
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
BY LESLIE VENTURA
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ierra Bliss Wachtel, who goes by Cierra Bliss, began dancing at Boulder City studio Dance Etc. before she’d even turned 5. Now 22, she’s a dance major at UNLV, who recently unveiled an original choreographed piece titled “Skin Shed” and is preparing another, “Spineless,” for an April 22 premiere on the UNLV Dance Department YouTube show, Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. The Weekly caught up with Bliss to chat about her inspiration, her modeling experience and more. Why did you decide to study dance in college? I thought dance would just be a hobby, [but] I went into college as a business major and hated it. I looked within myself to remind myself what I love, and that was dance. I added dance as a minor, and I fell in love [with it], so I changed my major to dance. I also added a creative writing major, in case things go awry. Performing arts isn’t a very consistent career choice (laughs). What style of dance is your focus? I train in all styles. When I was dancing at Dance Etc., I thought jazz was my thing, but we started to integrate more contemporary, and I started to fall in love with that, the dramatic emotion of it. But I still felt like I didn’t have something that was my own. When I went to UNLV, I was introduced to modern dance, and I completely fell in love with myself as a dancer. How has the pandemic affected your experience at UNLV? When we first went into lockdown, no one knew how we were going to perform or what we were going to do for classes, and it was my time to start choreographing. We were all informed we had to do a virtual show, and it was incredibly intimidating. But the piece I choreographed was perfect for a virtual medium, and it reinspired me as a dancer. It’s a modern piece called “Skin Shed,” and it takes a very raw look at becoming who you were always meant
to become. It’s definitely nothing I ever thought I could create, but I had an amazing videographer and the best dancers in the department, and it was well-received. Where did the idea for “Skin Shed” come from? Funny story … we wear tights and leotards, and sometimes I would hike my tights up and put my hands in my tights, and it would make everybody laugh. My friend Katie said it looked like I’m a snake, and she was like, ‘You should do a piece about a snake coming into its skin.’ It became a way to come to terms with who I was inside. I’m a gay woman who does a million different things, and there’s a lot that I do that I feel like I can’t say I do because I don’t feel professional enough or allowed. Coming to terms [with that] is not an easy process. It’s a beautiful thing to know who you are and become that. It’s not a beautiful process—the process is very raw—but the outcome is very beautiful, and there’s beauty in that struggle. That’s what “Skin Shed” shows.
You’re debuting a new piece, “Spineless,” on April 22. Is it a continuation of “Skin Shed?” I’m creating a literal body of work, where each piece analyzes and abstracts a part of the body, mentally or physically. “Spineless” and “Skin Shed” both live within that. With “Skin Shed,” I used a literal skin-like costume element, and with “Spineless,” I’m utilizing rope as a costume and prop to symbolize bones. With “Spineless,” I wanted to take the idea of having no backbone, having nothing to stand on or for, and turn it into a romantically dramatic piece that details feelings of yearning, having nothing and wanting to be something. The metaphor of being spineless is what carries the piece. You’re also a model. What has that process been like? It has done wonders for my self-confidence and the way I view myself. I started teaching myself how to do makeup when I was in middle school, [and] I would do makeup for the people I was
“Skin Shed,” choreographed by Cierra Bliss (Louis Kavouras/Courtesy)
connected with through dance. One day, a friend asked me to do a shoot; she needed another model. So after years of watching America’s Next Top Model, I finally had my moment (laughs). I think everybody needs to model. Modeling speaks to me, because it’s another version of performance art. That first shoot was two and a half years ago, and since then I’ve done so many amazing shoots. I’ve gained a pretty decent organic following on Instagram, and people seem to enjoy the content. I’m definitely no stranger to taking a risqué photo (laughs). People might be nervous to go for it, because of their body, their skin, their height or their weight, but ironically, modeling made me accept what I had and how I look. That’s very important to me, I don’t look like the average Instagram model that sells fit tea. I would love to work with companies that support the same thing.
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BIG THIS WEEK BOOK
KLARA AND THE SUN BY KAZUO ISHIGURO Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro is a master of wrenching existential excavations, both human (The Remains of the Day) and artificial (Never Let Me Go). His eighth novel is set in a dystopian near future, when AI has become a striking simulacrum of humanity. Klara, the book’s narrator, is an AF, or artificial friend, to Josie, a teenager with a mysterious illness. Ishiguro imbues Klara with all the hallmarks of sentience—the ability to love and feel loss and loneliness—in the process creating a character so real she’ll break your heart and stay in your consciousness for a long, long time. –Genevie Durano
BIZARRE ALBUMS WITH TONY THAXTON The Simpsons Sing the Blues. Johnny Cash’s Children’s Album. Records by Paris Hilton, Bruce Willis, Leonard Nimoy … There are a lot of frankly odd albums out there, and this podcast considers them in depth. bizarrealbums.com
DISPLAY
BELLAGIO CONSERVATORY’S SPRINGTIME CELEBRATIONS You don’t need to leave Las Vegas to see a world full of flowers. View homages to England’s Chelsea Flower Show, Holland’s Keukenhof Festival, Washington D.C.’s Cherry Blossom Festival and Thailand’s Songkran Water Festival by visiting the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens’ new seasonal display, “Springtime Celebrations Around the World.” It features a large windmill, Thai regal umbrellas, a butterfly greenhouse and 30,000 flowers and plants, including 12 cherry blossom trees. Through May 22, free, social distancing in place. –C. Moon Reed
SHOW
SAVANNAH SMITH AT THE VEGAS ROOM You might recognize the striking Savannah Smith and her versatile voice from her role fronting The Moonshiners, who brings vintage swing vibes to modern pop hits. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg for the musical chameleon and UNLV grad. Smith will dabble in soul, rock, jazz, country and folk during her three-night run of dinner shows at the Vegas Room, the intimate venue that has quickly become an ideal showcase for local artists like this one whose name you need to know. March 25-27, 6:30 p.m., $85, thevegasroom.com. –Brock Radke
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MEMENTO Has director Christopher Nolan told you about his condition? He makes stylish, puzzle box-style thrillers like Tenet, Inception and Memento, which turns 20 years old this month. Walk down memory lane with a character who can’t remember anything. Amazon Prime.
Bellagio Conservatory’s “Springtime Celebrations Around the World” (KellyCreative/Courtesy)
(AP)
MUSIC
OUR PICKS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
FILM
BARB AND STAR GO TO VISTA DEL MAR Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, the Academy Award-nominated writers of Bridesmaids, take a committed swing at slapstick comedy with Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. Wiig and Mumolo play a pair of sincere, lovable goofballs who go on an impulsive Florida Keys vacation only to be ensnared in a James Bond-like world-domination plot hatched by one Sharon Gordon Fisherman (also Wiig). Sweet, irreverent and frankly bizarre, Barb and Star is likely to become a cult favorite. Rentable through Amazon, Google & iTunes. –Geoff Carter
NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE: WAY DOWN IN THE RUST BUCKET Only those lucky enough to have witnessed Neil Young with this Crazy Horse lineup—drummer Ralph Molina, guitarist “Poncho” Sampedro and bassist Billy Talbot—can truly comprehend the waves of fuzzed-out sound the four musicians sent out from the stage. This unearthed, two-and-a-half-hour recording—a November 1990 concert at the 800-cap Catalyst in Santa Cruz, California, as the band prepared for its legendary Ragged Glory tour—won’t blow back your hair in quite the same way, but the soaring versions of “Love to Burn,” “Like a Hurricane,” “Cortez the Killer” and many more (plus some Las Vegas banter) are the next best thing to building a time machine. –Spencer Patterson
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SHALL WE DANCE? EDC could be a comeback catalyst in just two months
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f it’s possible to identify the most important Las Vegas event in the near future, it has to be World of Concrete. The annual international construction industry event was confirmed last week for June 8-10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and although there’s no estimation for in-person attendance yet, it traditionally draws about 50,000 people to Las Vegas. Not only will World of Concrete be the first large-scale convention in Las Vegas in more than a year, it will be the first event to use the 1.4 millionsquare-foot expansion of the convention center and the new Loop underground tunnel transportation system. Though the Strip is gradually reopening and visitation is on the rise, the crucial meetings and convention business that anchors Southern Nevada’s tourism-based economy has remained almost completely shut down. But concrete probably doesn’t come to mind when you think of big Vegas events. More small- and medium-sized production shows and live entertainment events are slowly returning to theaters that are now allowed to welcome 50% capacity, and more fans are attending Vegas Golden Knights games at T-Mobile THE Arena. But the next huge Vegas INCIDENTAL event on the horizon won’t be held TOURIST on the Strip. BY BROCK RADKE At press time, Electric Daisy Carnival was still scheduled for May 21-23 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, just two short months away, and it’s sold out. One of the largest dance music events in the world, Insomniac Events’ flagship festival has been held in Las Vegas since 2011, after originating in Southern California in 1999. The pandemic caused EDC to push from its
2020 spring dates to October, and then in August it postponed again until 2021. Last week, founder Pasquale Rotella provided an update on social media: “As of now, nothing has changed. If we can have a safe show in May, then we’re going to make it happen. … If we’re not able to do the show in May, then we have backup dates ready and refunds if you can’t make our new dates.” If his plans come together, EDC would mark the first major music festival in Las Vegas since December 2019, when Intersect hit the Strip. EDC could pave the way for Psycho Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay in
August and Life Is Beautiful and Punk Rock Bowling Downtown in September. It’s understandably difficult to assess the likelihood of the festival occurring in May at the Speedway, and it’s also tough to predict what that version of EDC might look like. The Speedway hosted approximately 12,500 fans each day during the NASCAR event on March 5-7, roughly 15% of the venue’s capacity of 80,000. But that was before Gov. Steve Sisolak further loosened restrictions on March 12, and streamlined the approval process for large gatherings.
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THE STRIP
Fireworks explode over the festival grounds at Electric Daisy Carnival 2019. (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)
Large venues with tens of thousands of fixed seats can now apply to host events at 50% capacity, but there are no venues like the Speedway, especially when it comes to EDC. The festival reported attendance of 155,000 per day during its last three-day edition in 2019, with the Speedway making use of its full acreage. Like LIB, it’s a full-on festival, with lots of walking to different distant parts of the party. The crystal ball clouds even more when you consider that on May 1, official control over big events—and pandemic restrictions and protocols in
general—are set to be transferred from the State of Nevada to local county governments. Expectations are high that event capacities will be increased again at that time. The EDC lineup that never performed in 2020 was another massive roster of legendary DJs and rising stars, including well-known-in-Vegas names like David Guetta, Tiësto, Diplo, Afrojack, Alesso, The Chainsmokers, Zedd, DJ Snake and Galantis. (The 2021 lineup is expected to be announced soon.) Last year’s fest would also have introduced a ninth stage dedicated to house music, and it would
have been the third year for Camp EDC, which allows festivalgoers to sleep on site in ShiftPod structures and RVs. (ShiftPod units are sold out for 2021.) Though EDC happens far from the Strip, its impact there is indelible. The sounds and stars of the fest take over nightclubs and dayclubs for at least a week, and no annual event brings a larger group of young music fans to Las Vegas to party. Only Insomniac knows what percentage of attendees will make a May festival worth the effort, and right now, no one knows what percentage might be allowed.
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HOOKED TO THE
SILVER SCREEN
CINELOGGIA Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m. $15 (first responders $10; children 5-10 $5). 900 Karen Ave. #D214, 702-707-2484.
Cineloggia brings movie nostalgia to Las Vegas’ museum landscape
BY GEOFF CARTER | PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPER DEVARGAS
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amnation Alley is a postapocalyptic sci-fi movie starring George Peppard and the coolest recreational vehicle ever. A promotional photo from the 1977 film, featuring that 12-wheeled, sleek silver “Landmaster,” hangs behind the front desk at Cineloggia, a movie and memorabilia museum located at Commercial Center’s New Orleans Square complex. And seeing that photo does to me what a good piece of Hollywood memorabilia should: It makes my heart swell with geek pride. Specifically, I’m proud that I can tell Nick Benson—a seasoned special effects artist who has worked on a score of horror films (check out his IMDb page) and one of the dedicated folk who made Cineloggia a reality, along with hardcore prop collector James Azrael and Benson’s wife, Marla, and son Dean—that I recognize the vehicle in the photo and the movie it appeared in. And I’m really proud that my personality was formed by watching the sort of movies in which a ravaged Las Vegas is overrun by killer cockroaches. When it comes to connecting with your formative geek, Cineloggia just gets it. “There’s something here for everyone,” Marla Benson says. “There’s stuff here for people that really aren’t even into movies as much as they thought they were, or [didn’t] realize that they were until they walked in and said, ‘Ooh, look at that.’”
Production-worn creature suits from Silent Hill
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SCENE Visitors probably say that a lot. For such a modestly sized space, Cineloggia is packed. Here you’ll find props from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Army of Darkness, Batman Returns, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, Rogue One, Silent Hill, Wonder Woman and many more, ranging from background props to special effects pieces to full costumes. Liam Neeson’s costume from Sam Raimi’s Darkman is here; one of Sally’s stop-motion animation faces from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas smiles crookedly from inside a glass case. Everywhere you turn, there’s a fond memory of a “wow” moment or a jolting fright. “People have mixtapes and songs that remind them of certain points in her life. The same thing happens with movies,” says Azrael, whose vast personal collection of props and memorabilia—4,000 pieces strong and growing—makes Cineloggia possible. Azrael runs the Horror & SciFi Prop Preservation Association (HSPPA), a nonprofit that travels to genre conventions around the country and presents props as they are—as portals into the parts of us that were shaped by the movies. “I don’t think a lot of people realize it until they’ve got the piece in their hand.” Every piece has a fascinating provenance, but in keeping with Cineloggia’s by-enthusiasts-for-enthusiasts approach, it’s rarely writ-
Wardrobe from Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey
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A newspaper prop from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
ten out on accompanying cards. “I like to follow people in and talk about the pieces,” Nick says. “I’ll tell them a little story about it, and then they’ll tell me a personal story. I like
doing that. It gives a little more personal touch, rather than just being go-on-your-own, browse-through museum.” For example: The Nightmare on Elm Street IV shoulder puppet that Benson operated on the film—the prop that instigated his friendship with Azrael, by the by—is in the museum, and as Marla Benson notes, “[Nick] ended up stabbing a guy with it.” Today, Nick can chuckle about that non-fatal accident: “I like to tell people I’m the only person who has stabbed Freddy [Krueger] and gotten away with it.” With the pandemic showing signs of subsiding, the Cineloggia folks hope to bring that personal experience out into the community. Production-made stop-motion puppet of Zero used in The Nightmare Before Christmas
They’re planning collaborations with the nearby Sci-Fi Center and Fremont Street’s recently opened 35 Cinema, and intend to change the museum’s contents often enough to lure repeat visitors. (Azrael confesses that he originally showed up to the museum “with more items than we could even display.”) But for now, they’ll be content if lockdown-weary locals and tourists seek out the museum and rekindle their passion for the movies. Nick tells a story about a father and daughter who approached Azrael at a convention in Silent Hill cosplay. Azrael handed the daughter the Great Knife from the 2006 film. “She broke into tears,” Benson says. “She couldn’t believe she was holding it.” Though Cineloggia discourages handling of its props, the families who visit Cineloggia often react the same way, Nick says. “One member of the family is raving about one section and kind of geeking out, and then they’ll move to another section where someone else will totally geek out. It’s pretty cool to see.”
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NOISE
Gambit Morgan, aka GMBT, at Artifice (Bright Light Digital Art/Courtesy)
NEW STATE OF MIND Las Vegas’ Soul State shifts its focus from live events to electronic releases
BY LESLIE VENTURA
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hen Gambit Morgan first formed Soul State in 2016, he intended it be an event company geared toward promoting his electronic events. For years, the DJ hosted Soul State-branded shows at Artifice, and brought a number of local electronic musicians into the fold. But since the pandemic, Soul State’s vision has evolved into something that can withstand a world without shows. Morgan has shifted his focus from event planning to recording and promoting artists under the Soul State name. “We have several artists in our collective, including myself, who not only DJ but make music,” says Morgan, also known as GMBT in the electronic music world. In January, Soul State debuted its first record, State of Mind, a five-track compilation featuring Soul State artists. The EP did exceedingly well on Beatport, an online music store and chart service for electronic musicians and DJs. After the first weekend, it sat at No. 1 on Beatport’s top 10 releases chart, ahead of new
music from label giants like Dirtybird and Drumcode. Describing that achievement as “unbelievable,” Morgan says Soul State is now gearing up for its second release, scheduled for springtime. It’s a drastic change from Soul State’s mindset from just over a year ago, when Morgan and the other artists were churning out live events. “It was so hectic before COVID,” Morgan says. “We had multiple events a week, and it was super time-consuming.” When the pandemic began, Morgan says, Soul State artists finally had time to hone their craft and concentrate on making new music. “We started doing livestream shows, broadcasting on Twitch, and it gave us some time to reflect and really push this next chapter.” Morgan, who has been making music for more than a decade, says he always wanted to form a record label, but COVID nudged the idea forward. “I never had the time to dive this deep into it and learn the behind-thescenes ropes to actually release a record,” he says.
For March’s First Friday, the collective—which includes artists Tyler Rouse, 530, Denso, FlashGang and others—held a socially distanced event outside Artifice, marking the group’s first live show in more than a year. A Saturday-night residency at Downtown’s Park on Fremont is set to launch May 1. Also in May, Soul State will partner with San Diego electronic collective Desert Hearts for a digital event. With more than 100,000 followers on Instagram, Desert Hearts will provide Soul State—which will stream from inside Las Vegas’ Area15—with its largest audience yet . “Here in town we have quite a good following of friends and avid supporters,” Morgan says. “It’s really a community effort, and thankfully it’s paid off.”
SOUL STATE Instagram.com/soulstateofficial Beatport.com/label/soul-state/89180
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LINE WORKS Pretty Done aims to cover Las Vegas’ walls with visual music BY C. MOON REED
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hese days, it seems like you can’t hit the town without seeing a mural by artist Pretty Done. The Las Vegan’s striking, freestyle line work graces walls at the Valley’s hippest spots, such as Area15 and Fergusons Downtown. Pretty Done’s real name is Adam Rellah, but you might know him by his other persona, Adam the DJ or DJ Adam. Music brought Rellah to Las Vegas, and he has performed at Strip venues including Encore Beach Club, Surrender, Tryst, Intrigue, Tao, SLS, Mama Rabbit and On the Record. During 14 years as a professional DJ, Rellah has also created visual art in his free time. “I’ve always loved characters and patterns, faces and logos … graphic design and photography,” Rellah says. “With art and drawing, it starts with doing it when no one cares—no one’s looking and no one’s paying you.” Music and art mingle and build upon each other in Rellah’s brain. “They are kind of one and the same to me sometimes,” he says. “Music is rhythm, tastes, beats, creating a journey sonically. Artwork is the same. I paint to a rhythm. I paint to a beat. Music is always an infinite inspiration for ideas.” In addition to murals, Rellah does graphic design and illustration, making pen & paper drawings, logos, fliers, sticker designs and even a poster for the Life Is Beautiful festival. The brand of Pretty Done has slowly grown in prominence over the past decade. But it took the enforced isolation of the pandemic, when Rellah could no longer work as a DJ, to shift his focus to visual art. “Last year, 2020, was my best year,” he says. “Every day it’s just growing and growing. It’s still a long way to go. There’s a whole world out
Group art show A spring-themed show at Golden Fog Coffee will include four 12-by-12-inch Pretty Done paintings. Up through April 14, free, 1300 S. Casino Center Blvd. #110.
Pretty Done inside Area15 (@mikekphotos/Courtesy)
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ART
Free art drops Keep an eye on the mural at 7th and Carson for “random art drops,” when Rellah leaves free art and products out for people. It happens about every two weeks.
SPOTTING
there that doesn’t know about Pretty Done.” And his goal is nothing short of global domination. “I want to paint the world,” Rellah says. “I want to have art in different countries—art shows, sculptures, animation. I want to paint a plane. I want to do an air balloon—big scale. Do festivals and music videos. There’s a whole list of things that I’m trying to accomplish on this mission.” Whenever Rellah faces a blank wall or canvas, he prefers an improvisational approach. He makes it up as he goes, starting on one corner and working his way until he has filled the whole wall with shapes, squiggles and designs. Some of his visual themes include smiley faces, dinosaurs and fun characters. “That’s the most exciting, most fun to me—it’s unpredictable,” Rellah says. “I love pressure. I love going up to a wall and just going off. It’s one of the most exhilarating feelings. It’s like a little roller coaster.” Rellah is a night owl, but on a recent evening, he’s preparing to wake up at noon—early for him—to paint a large mural at Marquee Dayclub at the Cosmopolitan. “This one’s gonna be really fun. It’s gonna be very colorful—flowers and love and party and drinks, disco and dancing and a lot of different elements in the design, which I’m going to freestyle and just make it up on the spot.” (Rellah has since completed the mural; you can watch it being made on Instagram @prettydone.) As Rellah/DJ Adam/Pretty Done works towards his future, you can count on one thing: evolution. “You can’t be the same person you were last year,” Rellah says. “You have to develop and keep growing and getting better.”
PRETTY DONE’S
WORK Exterior murals ■ 7th St. and Carson Ave. ■ Alley and back area at Fergusons Downtown, 1028 E. Fremont St. ■ Absinthe courtyard at Caesars Palace
(@endvrsmedia/Courtesy)
Interior murals ■ Area15 (including Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart, Rocket Fizz candy shop and Emack & Bolio’s ice cream shop), 3215 S. Rancho Drive ■ Bungalow Coffee, 201 E. Charleston Blvd. #180 ■ Discopussy nightclub, 512 E. Fremont St. ■ Majestic Repertory Theatre, 1217 S. Main St. ■ Makers & Finders, Downtown Summerlin & 1120 S. Main St. ■ Marquee Dayclub, the Cosmopolitan
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ACE THE
AYCE SUSHI ICHIBAN 520 Fremont St. #150, 702-478-5333. Monday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m.; FridaySunday, noon-10 p.m.
Nigiri at Sushi Ichiban (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
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FOOD & DRINK
Downtown’s Sushi Ichiban encourages all-you-can-eat experimentation BY GENEVIE DURANO
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ust like at a buffet, dining at an all-you-can-eat (AYCE) sushi spot takes a little strategizing. That’s a tall order at Sushi Ichiban, located in the Emergency Arts Building Downtown. Everything on the menu looks so appetizing, any semblance of discipline evaporates the moment you walk in to be greeted by a giant winking doll named Ichi Jjang. The vibe at Sushi Ichiban is modern industrial Asian chic. Traditional paper lanterns and rustic barnyard-style pendant lights illuminate the dark wood and red-accented 2,700-square-foot space, with plenty of tables for pod socializing. The sushi bar, too, has ample seats if you enjoy watching the chefs craft delectable rolls. The all-you-can-eat price ($24 for lunch; $28 for dinner) is the best bang for your buck, but you can also order any menu item a la carte. The menu is a double-sided, laminated page that seems overwhelming
Top right: Mango Style Roll Bottom: Carpaccio appetizer (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
at first, but if you’re doing AYCE, you have plenty of time (90 minutes is the limit) to pick and choose. Our first tip is to start with the vast selection of appetizers. The carpaccio— two pieces each of tuna, salmon and yellowtail sashimi—is beautifully garnished with thinly sliced onions and a light citrus dressing. It’s a great introduction to the quality of fish you’ll find at Sushi Ichiban. Next, try a few nigiri bites, as simple and pure as sushi can get. Later, you’ll eat rolls laden with various ingredients, but well-cut fish atop perfectly seasoned rice is reason enough to be here. Though that shouldn’t stop you from trying more apps: The shrimp tempura is battered and fried with the lightest touch, while the baked mussels’ richness might make you order another round immediately. Get a seaweed salad, too; it’s a great palate cleanser before you dive into the rolls on the other side of the menu. Which brings us to tip No. 2 in
doing AYCE sushi: If you’ve come with just a companion or two, pick a few rolls that appeal to your table and request just half a roll. It’ll come with four pieces, which gives you more room to experiment with other varieties before you fill up. Every sushi lover has their favorite rolls—classics like Philadelphia, Rainbow and Caterpillar. Sushi Ichiban has more than five dozen. On a recent visit, we tried several … for the sake of research, or course. We began with the innocuously named ones: The Spider Roll, with soft shell crab meat, avocado, cucumber, gobo (burdock root), kaiware (radish sprouts) and eel sauce; and the Mango Style Roll, with mango, crab meat and cucumber, topped with salmon, tuna, yellowtail, avocado and spicy garlic ponzu sauce. Both were terrific and made us wish we had ordered a full roll … until we remembered how many more there
are on the menu. Tip No. 3: Pay attention to the sauces—ponzu, eel, spicy yum, spicy mayo, etc.—that finish the rolls and vary them, so can better differentiate each one. Typical of a lot of sushi joints, there are some items on Sushi Ichiban’s menu that may elicit an embarrassed giggle. But go ahead and order that Sexy Bomb Roll or Sex on the Beach, followed by a Happy Ending. You know you want to, and no one will judge. And speaking of happy endings, don’t forget that dessert comes with the AYCE price. Our final tip is to always leave room for that scoop of green tea ice cream or that perfect, cool bite of mochi. That’s how you roll at AYCE sushi.
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WINNER, WINNER North Town Chicken one-ups the fast-food competition BY BROCK RADKE
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as anyone noticed that the fast-food chicken sandwich war looks like it will outlast the pandemic? And maybe that’s a good thing. Thankfully, stories over fights in the Popeye’s drive-thru have faded, but big brands like McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King and Wendy’s have introduced updated offerings in recent months, reigniting these crispy fried bird battles. If you’ve sampled such sandwiches and dealt with the accompanying disappointment, maybe it’s time to engage with a local alternative. North Town Chicken opened in November in a spot vacated by Panda Express on Craig Road near Martin Luther King Boulevard, focusing on tenders, sandwiches and sides. It’ll have a fight on its hands, with every fast-food outlet imaginable within a mile on Craig, including the arguable champion, Chick-fil-A, right across the street. But the NTC Better Than Chicken Sando ($8) is nothing to cluck at. It might cost almost double the price of a spicy sandwich from Chickfil-A, but it’s also almost certainly double the chicken, loaded with two juicy breast “tenders” that are bigger than any piece of poultry from a chain fast-food spot, plus pickles and coleslaw. Spice it up with the house-made Spenser’s Revenge mango-habanero sauce, and that long drive-thru line across the street simply makes no sense. A three-piece combo ($10) with tenders, one side and one sauce could easily feed two, especially if the side is a cup of rich hatch green chili with potatoes or decadent mac and cheese. And North Town Chicken has a secret weapon: the phenomenal Sell-Out Burger ($8), a meat-and-cheese masterpiece with two patties, pickles, onions and cheese, griddled to greatness. We’ve learned during the pandemic that fast food can be comforting, and also how important it is to support local small businesses. North Town Chicken checks both boxes.
NORTH TOWN CHICKEN 1735 W. Craig Road, 702-268-7527. Daily, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
The NTC Better Than Chicken Sando (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
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FOOD & DRINK Desert Bread’s Brett Boyer, left, and Brendon Wilharber (Steve Marcus/Staff)
DESERT BREAD 5530 McLeod Drive, desert breadlv.com. Wednesdays, 9-11 a.m.; Saturdays, 8-10 a.m.
HOME TEAM
Brett Boyer and Brendon Wilharber’s Desert Bread baked goods draw a crowd
BY LESLIE VENTURA
I
t was 2011 when Brett Boyer and Brendon Wilharber met on Grindr in Oakland. The Bay Area city was booming with restaurants and bars. Boyer worked for Greenpeace, and Wilharber worked in restaurant management— they connected over their love of food and community. “We kind of connected at the farmers market,” Wilharber recalls. At the time, Boyer was just getting into pastry, and with Wilharber’s encouragement, he found his way to Chez Panisse, Alice Waters’ legendary Berkeley restaurant widely credited with launching the farm-to-table movement. Boyer worked at a handful of other notable Bay Area patisseries before he and Wilharber decided to make the move to Las Vegas. “We would come and stay at the Bellagio and just lie by the pool for a few days,” Wilharber says. After years of visiting, the couple married and purchased a midcentury modern home, where they currently run the solar-powered Desert Bread with just an oven and a painstakingly cared-for backyard garden, to source their seasonal fruits and vegetables. Initially, Boyer sold his sourdough bread loaves and pastries at the Fresh52 farmers market. “I brought like 80 loaves of bread,” Boyer says of his first day there. “I was by myself, and I sold them out completely.” The pair eventually moved the operation out of their
home. But when the pandemic hit, Wilharber and Boyer were informed they couldn’t sell homemade goods online, so people began lining up outside their home. “It was insanely busy,” Boyer says. Today the pair sells a rotating, seasonal selection of croissants, cookies, bread loaves and more from their house on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. An assortment of pasties and cookies at Desert Bread (Steve Marcus/Staff)
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ODDS DODGING
Navigating around the presumed champs on MLB’s betting board BY CASE KEEFER
T
he LA Dodgers have ruined the usual futures-betting fun going into the 2021 Major League Baseball season. After winning the World Series in last year’s pandemic-shortened season, LA only got stronger by signing reigning Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer to a roster that already resembled that of an All-Star team. The Dodgers’ dominance both on the field and in free agency has their odds to win this year’s World Series sitting in rare territory. They’re a consensus 2-to-1 favorite to become back-to-back champions, the lowest futures price on a team coming into the season since the 2003 New York Yankees— who won 101 games but lost to the Florida Marlins in the World Series. The betting market expects the Dodgers to be even better than that Yankees squad, with an over/ under win total of 103.5 games. Given LA’s talent advantage over the rest of the league, it’s not an outrageous expectation. Not only do the Dodgers’ lineup and rotation appear to be without weakness, but unlike most past World Series favorites coming into the season, LA has the depth to endure injuries to star players. This season therefore doesn’t feel like a traditional one, when it’s wise to begin building a futures portfolio with teams at mid- to long-range odds. Just taking the Dodgers at the short price, however, is also neither fun nor advisable. There are better uses for a betting bankroll than locking up a large chunk of money for six months to turn a relatively small profit. Baseball produces more parity than is often advertised, especially in the playoffs, when short series lengths wreak havoc and increase luck. Just ask the aforementioned early-2000s Yankees, who were also preseason 2-to-1 favorites ahead of postseason losses in 2001 and 2002. This doesn’t mean it’s necessary to sit out of preseason baseball action altogether. Sportsbooks like the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook and Circa Sports open several seasonlong betting options beyond the World Series, making it easier to find value. Here are five bets worth making at one of those two shops to get your futures fill without having to fade the Dodgers or back them at excessive prices.
Cincinnati Reds to win the National League Central at +425 (Circa) The growing debate over which team should be favored to win the division—the St. Louis Cardinals or the Milwaukee Brewers—mistakenly leaves out a viable third candidate, the Reds. Cincinnati underperformed last season, specifically on offense, as free-agent additions Nick Castellanos and Mike Moustakas adapted to their first seasons in Cincinnati. But don’t forget, last season was only 62 games long. More was expected from the Reds’ offense, and they’ll have a better chance to hit their baseline within a full, 162-game schedule. As an added bonus, the Reds have emerged as one of the shrewdest, most analytically savvy franchises around, and they won’t hesitate to exploit any edges, in game or through the trade market.
Los Angeles Angels to win the American League West at 4-to-1 (Westgate) Most proven sets of standings projections—including FanGraphs’ ZiPS and Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA—have the Astros, Angels and Athletics grouped extremely close together atop the American League West. So why is the team with the best player in baseball, Mike Trout, a distant third choice according to Vegas odds? The Angels have perennially underachieved, but they’re in a better position this season. The Astros and A’s both look weakened. LA was one of the unluckiest teams during last year’s shortened campaign, losing two more games than its run differential implied, so the Angels should benefit from positive regression this season.
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(AP/Photo Illustrations)
(NHL via Getty Images)
3.25.21
PLAYER OF THE WEEKLY: SHEA THEODORE The defenseman had five points in four games, including a goal and two assists in a victory against San Jose. Theodore led Knights’ blue-liners with five goals, 18 assists and 23 points at press time.
Report
Mookie Betts to win National League MVP at 7-to-1 (Circa) Don’t overthink this one. If the Dodgers wind up as far above the rest of the league in the standings as the odds indicate—and they should—the MVP trophy is likely to go to their best player: Mookie Betts. At 28 years old, he’s right in the middle of his prime and coming off a second-place MVP finish—to Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman—last year. Odds-wise, Betts is currently the fourth choice, below the Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr., the Nationals’ Juan Soto and the Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. That’s formidable competition, but Betts should stand alone as the favorite with the potential tiebreaker of playing for the best team.
Shohei Ohtani to win American League MVP at 25-to-1 (Westgate) If the Angels do indeed break out, it’s going to take more than Trout to do it. It could take baseball’s most unique player staying healthy and reaching the potential set for him when he left Japan three years ago. All signs are positive for Ohtani so far. He’s crushing the ball in spring training and appears recovered from arm issues that forced him off the mound last season. LA is going forward with plans to play Ohtani as both a pitcher and hitter, and if the 26-yearold succeeds at both, he could create a phenomenon and even steal votes from his own threetime MVP teammate. At odds this high, it’s worth a shot.
THIS WEEK’S VOTE 1. Shea Theodore 2. Alec Martinez/Mark Stone (tie) 4. Max Pacioretty 5. Tomas Nosek As voted by Las Vegas Weekly’s panel, based on games played March 15-21.
Bryce Harper to lead the league in home runs at 38-to-1 (Circa) A few years ago, no one could have expected Harper to be available at this high a price to win the home run title. After leading the National League with 42 homers in 2015, Las Vegas’ most famous baseball native plummeted to 24 the next year, but he has increased that number in every full season since. Harper is still just 28 years old, so his best seasons could be his next few. This is a chance to buy low on his power potential going into them.
SEASON STANDINGS 1. Mark Stone (27 points) 2. Max Pacioretty (20) 3. Marc-André Fleury (19) 4. Jonathan Marchessault/Alex Tuch (15, tie) 5 points for 1st place in a week, 4 for 2nd, 3 for 3rd, 2 for 4th, 1 for 5th. UPCOMING GAMES March 25 at Colorado Avalanche, 6 p.m. March 27 at Colorado Avalanche, noon March 29 vs. Los Angeles Kings, 7 p.m. March 31 vs. Los Angeles Kings, 7 p.m.* Games air on AT&T SportsNet and 98.9-FM/ 1340-AM unless noted. *Game airs on NBC Sports Network STANLEY CUP ODDS: 6-TO-1 at Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook PROSPECT WATCH: LOGAN THOMPSON The 24-year-old goalie continued his torrid season with the Silver Knights, posting a 38-save shutout March 21 against San Jose. Thompson led the AHL with a .953 save percentage and a 1.56 goals-against average through Henderson’s first 15 games.
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needs first and on my in-depth understanding of exactly what families face in situations like these.
Cure 4 The Kids founder couldn’t press pause just because of a pandemic
A
BY VEGAS INC STAFF nnette Logan-Parker grew the Cure 4 The Kids Foundation—a research-focused medical treatment center for children battling cancer and other life-threatening conditions—from an idea on the kitchen table into a multimillion-dollar operation The nonprofit organization operates as the only outpatient childhood cancer treatment center in Nevada and is accredited by The Joint Commission. Logan-Parker, a former nurse, is its founder, president and CEO. And the pandemic didn’t slow her down. Over the past year, Cure 4 The Kids launched the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education Learning Center, which provides a full-time teacher from the Clark County School District to ensure that children going through cancer treatment have the educational support required to keep them in school and learning. It also opened the Robert & Dorothy Keyser and Cashman Family Foundation Physical Medicine Center, bringing physical therapy and speech therapy to the children treated by the foundation. Tell us about the mission of Cure 4 the Kids Foundation, and why it’s so personal to you. Cure 4 The Kids Foundation is advancing cures and prevention of childhood diseases through clinical excellence, research and innovation. I have a saying: “If you want to change the way things are, you have to change the way things are being done.” My vision for starting Cure 4 The Kids Foundation began in 1999, when I was thrown into the fragmented and dysfunctional local pediatric health care system. One of my two sons was involved in a serious accident, resulting in a four-year journey through the exceptionally challenging and unfriendly system. As a nurse, I was not naive to the difficulties pa-
tients face when navigating the broken U.S. health care system. I witnessed this frustration firsthand for over two decades. As a mother, combating the same broken system to acquire the life-saving services my son needed provided me with a completely different understanding of just how distressing a patient’s journey is. My eyes were opened, my life was changed and my career path took on an entirely new meaning. I knew that if I was going to improve the health care experience for children with complex medical situations, I first must change how complex medical care was provided. I built C4K on the premise of putting patients’
Can you relay a specific success story about the foundation impacting someone’s life? There are endless stories of how C4K has impacted the lives of the families we serve. Because it’s inappropriate for me to share patient stories without their permission, I will share a story of how C4K has impacted the lives of our team members. When the pandemic came to Las Vegas, we surveyed our workforce to determine what was concerning the team based on the new reality that we were about to live and work through. We were surprised and humbled by what the survey told us. Most of our team was highly concerned about the anticipated shortage of personal protective equipment and the inability to obtain the groceries and supplies needed to run their households, so that they in turn could continue to come into the clinic every day to care for our patients. One thing we understood very clearly was that childhood cancer was not going to stop and give us a break because COVID-19 came to town. We needed to keep the machine going at all costs. So we rolled up our sleeves and implemented high-level COVID response strategies that included securing a massive amount of PPE. We needed it not only for our team, but to supply the patients and their families. We also created an in-house commissary offering free groceries, personal hygiene items and household
Annette Logan-Parker, CEO and founder of Cure 4 The Kids Foundation (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
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LOSE POUNDS AND INCHES WITH THIS essentials to the team. This allowed C4K to provide for the team that cares for the children so they did not have to risk exposure and cross contamination that could be transmitted to the patients by visiting restaurants, stores and other crowded places. The commissary has been an extra blessing, as many of our team members, their spouses and family members are in the entertainment industry and have been out of work. What’s the best business advice you have received? Several years ago, I was told by a consultant who I hired to help us with team-building and succession planning that “when your values are clear, your decisions are easy.” He went on to tell me that “those decisions may not be popular, but when you stay true to your values, you will sleep a lot better at night.” I live by this advice now. I let my values lead the way, and I do sleep better at night. If you could change one thing about Southern Nevada, what would it be? If I could change anything, it would be the pace at which “we”—the health care industry, the state, the local government—embrace innovation and change. I feel we are slow at responding to good ideas, and we lose out on a lot of opportunity. Describe your management style. My goal is to be an inspirational leader, and I work at it every day. I aspire to have my team support the C4K mission and vision because they are inspired to do so, not because it’s the job they hold. I want my team to be deeply committed to our patient experience, and that requires them to see me with same level of commitment, if not 10 times more. C4K’s culture is incredibly important to me. C4K isn’t for everyone. It’s demanding work in a thankless industry, and it’s often heartbreaking. This work isn’t for the faint of heart, and that requires an inspirational leader who is passionate and strong, who listens and provides feedback, who makes people feel important and appreciated while holding them accountable to outcomes.
If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be? Without a doubt it would be Luxembourg. I love this little European country surrounded by some of my favorite countries, Belgium, France and Germany. I lived in Europe from age 18 to 22, and loved it. I spent a lot of time in Luxembourg and fell in love with the environment, its old-world charm and its modern vibe. I love this little country, because it’s never in the news. It’s a small nation with low crime and an incredibly rich culture. For me, it’s the perfect place. Whom do you admire and why? I admire many people for many reasons, some in business, some in science, some in law. But the person who comes to mind at this very moment is Malala Yousafzai. In 2012, a gunman boarded her school bus in Pakistan and shot her in the head three times. She survived, and her shooting became an important part of history. As a teenage girl, she became a stateswoman for equal rights, was named by Time magazine as one the most “influential people in the world” [at age 17], and in 2014, she co-received the Nobel Peace Prize. She is impressive, to say the least. But what I admire most about her is her quote, “I don’t want to be remembered as the girl who was shot. I want to be remembered as the girl who stood up.” I admire her strength and the message she sends to young girls worldwide. What is your biggest pet peeve? My husband would say it’s a messy garage. Yet, I believe my biggest pet peeve is non-responsibility, when people assign cause or blame outside of themselves for the results they are generating. It makes me crazy when people blame others for their own lack of results. What is something people might not know about you? I’m pretty much an open book—what you see is what you get. Yet most people are often surprised to learn that I was once a roller-skating birthday clown. To this day, I think it may have been the best job I ever had—free food at the snack bar, I could roller-skate all day, hang out with kids on their birthdays and eat cake and ice cream. It really was a ton of fun.
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VegasInc Giving Notes Justyn Boumah, the Traveling Toddler, raised $1,000 through his Around the World Read-A-Thon for Project 150 to help homeless teens in Southern Nevada. Cox Communications honored four Southern Nevadans during Black History Month. Honorees included Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno; 100 Black Men of America Las Vegas chapter founder and president Larry Mosley; director of the Oral History Research Center at UNLV Libraries Claytee White and Cox Media consultant and chair of Cox’s Southwest Region Diversity & Inclusion Council Keith Wingate. Cox donated $1,000 each to 100 Black Men of Las Vegas, CASA Foundation of Las Vegas, Three Square and the Sawubona Foundation through Nevada Community Foundation in recognition of these honorees, and ran PSAs featuring each on Cox channels throughout February. Vegas PBS received a $7,500 grant from the NV Energy Foundation to help support the station’s Ready To Learn initiative. The grant funds will be used to support Vegas PBS’ Ready To Learn Family & Community Learning workshops, which provide STEAM
instruction to children ages 3-8 and their families. Vegas PBS also received a $10,000 grant from Aetna Medicaid to support the station’s Bright by Text initiative to provide tips and information to parents and caregivers to assist in the development of children up to age 5. Five local charities—Communities in Schools of Nevada, Eyecare for Kids, Future Smiles, Opportunity Village and Three Square—each received a $15,000 donation from Latter-day Saint Charities as part of the #LightTheWorld Giving Machines at Downtown Summerlin. City National Bank contributed monetary and in-kind support of nearly $370,000 to 75 nonprofits, schools and community organizations in 2020. The bank also announced that its volunteer support reached more than 450 hours of service through virtual volunteerism. The Rape Crisis Center received a $10,000 grant from the NV Energy Foundation. The funds will be used to help RCC advocacy and counseling clients who have been economically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevada Public Radio received a $50,000 grant from the San Manuel
Band of Mission Indians. The funding will allow its journalists and research team to create a podcast series exploring the beginnings of Nevada’s history and focused on the state’s Indigenous people. Spirit Halloween’s Spirit of Children program presented UMC Children’s Hospital with a donation of $134,484. America First Credit Union, in collaboration with the Las Vegas Raiders and the Raiders Foundation, donated $20,000 to support SafeNest, Nevada’s largest nonprofit dedicated to ending the epidemic of domestic violence. The credit union and the Raiders are also giving small businesses in Nevada and Utah the chance to secure a single-season sponsorship agreement valued at approximately $100,000 as part of the Small Business Showcase. Learn more and enter by March 31 at americafirst. com/raiders. Over the past year, as the state administrator for the Ryan White HIV/ AIDS program, Liberty Dental Plan of Nevada provided dental services to 1,100 patients at minimal to no cost. The program provides services and offers grant funding to states, cities and community-based organizations to provide care and treatment services to more than half the people in the country who have been diagnosed with HIV to improve health and reduce transmission among hard-to-reach populations.
Cox Communications, along with City of Las Vegas officials, celebrated the new Cox Innovation Lab at the Strong Future Technology Training Center in West Las Vegas that was made possible by a $25,000 donation from Cox to the Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas Life. The lab is part of a larger planned training center on the campus of the Historic Westside School. NV Energy Foundation provided $550,000 to support scholarships, workforce readiness and student emergency fund for hundreds of College of Southern Nevada students over the next two years. Touro University Nevada was the recipient of the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Physician Assistant Students grant in Southern Nevada. Totaling $3.25 million over five years, the grant is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration and will provide scholarships to physician assistant studies students. Anti-Defamation League Nevada received a $100,000 donation from the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas to help support its education initiatives for K-12 students, including No Place for Hate, a signature bullying prevention framework implemented by more than 25 schools across the region reaching more than 30,000 students.
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“STUDY OF GENESIS” BY FRANK LONGO
HOROSCOPES
WEEK OF MARCH 25 BY ROB BREZSNY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the novel House of Leaves, the hero, Johnny Truant, describes what he wants: “I’m not even sure what to call it except I know it feels roomy and it’s drenched in sunlight and it’s weightless and I know it’s not cheap.” He’ll never get what he wants until he gets clearer about it. But his fantasy is a good start. Get inspired by his approximation to conjure up one of your own. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Some of our heroes and teachers disappoint us, and then it’s healthy to reevaluate our relationships with them. Or maybe our own maturation leads us to realize that once-nurturing influences are no longer nurturing. Take a personal inventory with these thoughts in mind. There may be new sources of inspiration headed your way. Get ready for them. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Self-help author Steve Maraboli has useful advice for you. Meditate on what he says and take decisive action. He writes, “Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.” Make a list of three things you have power over and three things you wish you did. CANCER (June 21-July 22): In a note to a friend before he died, Franz Kafka gave instructions to burn all the writing he would leave behind. Luckily, his friend disobeyed, and that’s why today we can read Kafka’s last three novels and a lot more of his stuff. Was his attitude caused by self-doubt? Was he excessively shy about sharing personal details from his life? Transcend any Kafka-like tendencies you have. Shine brightly and boldly as you summon your full powers of self-expression. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Author Cassiano Ricardo speaks of a longing “for all that is tall like pine trees, and all that is long like rivers, and all that is purple like dusk.” Yearnings like those will be healthy and wise for you to cultivate in the coming weeks. You need expansive influences that stretch your imagination and push you beyond your limitations. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Actor and director Jean-Louis Barrault (1910–1994) aspired to “wake up a virgin each morning.” He wanted “to feel hungry for life,” as if he had been reborn once again. In order to encourage that constant renewal, he regarded going to sleep every night as “a small death.” The cosmic rhythms will be conspiring to regularly renew your desires: to render them pure, clean, raw and strong. Cooperate with those cosmic rhythms.
2020 KING FEATURES SYNDICATE ACROSS 1 Downhiller’s headwear 8 Mexican beach resort 14 Island home of Odysseus 20 University of Wyoming’s city 21 Moon-landing program 22 Had to have 23 They appear before a film’s first scene 25 Viewed to be 26 Cakes of cornbread 27 Indy units 28 Bichon — (white dog) 30 Stitch’s cartoon friend 31 Bleating females 32 Speedy plane 33 It turns a computer on 35 Always, to bards 36 Vintage auto 38 Active Sicilian volcano 39 Holders of emergency supplies 43 Women with babies on the way 47 Puccini work 51 Gala after a presidential oath 54 Cutting noise 55 Quadrillionth: Prefix 56 — epic scale 57 Musical insensitivity 59 Sets for viewing 60 Perfume by Dana 61 Lured 63 “You Gotta Be” singer of 1994 65 Graduation address deliverer 71 Keyless, musically
72 Many a Netflix show 73 “— Dinka Doo” (Jimmy Durante tune) 75 Candy in collectible dispensers 76 “Mice” or “lice,” but not “rice” 81 Blowout, e.g. 82 Look for prey, as a lion 83 Cyber-addresses 85 Membership ceremony 88 Phony: Prefix 90 Camera item for a long or short view 91 Down Under dweller 92 “Me? Never!” 94 — Cruces 95 Says “yes” to 96 Celebratory event for a rollout 102 Swung tool 103 Green gem 107 Prefix with directional 108 Cosmetician Lauder 109 Saintly 111 Birds-and-bees class 112 Stick together 114 Bible’s first words (apt for this puzzle’s theme) 117 Actress McNichol or Swanson 118 Quarterback great Dan 119 Flow out 120 Smallish sofa 121 Slip away 122 City in Arizona or Mexico DOWN 1 Inclined land 2 “Bam!”
3 Singer Cara 4 Lion features 5 French buds 6 Moral failure 7 Bowler, informally 8 Koi, e.g. 9 Clumsy sorts 10 Signal “yes” 11 Actor Montgomery 12 Radical sort 13 GI’s “Uh-uh!” 14 Owing money 15 PGA peg 16 Shoe lifts 17 Grant entry to 18 Singer/rapper Green 19 Attach 24 Purring pet 29 Remington — 32 Bach’s “—, Joy of Man’s Desiring” 33 Mediocre 34 108-card game 35 Frozen waffle brand 36 Move in circles 37 “Lose Yourself” rapper 39 Natural ability 40 Many short plays 41 Hoodwink 42 One of the four seasons 43 Wildly excited 44 Blast stuff 45 Sapporo sash 46 Prohibit 48 Just between us 49 Stream in the title of 1957’s Best Picture 50 Church area 52 Horse color pattern 53 Fills with freight 58 Irish actor Stephen 61 Lawyer Melvin called “The King of Torts” 62 — Moines
64 Minis, midis and maxis 66 GPS display 67 Tetley competitor 68 Bridal gown features 69 Grain towers 70 Hammer’s striking end 71 Since Hector was — 74 Everybody, in Essen 77 Starts to remove a jacket, say 78 — de Janeiro 79 — -Z (total) 80 Fashion designer Phillip — 82 Name shared by 12 popes 84 Least cloudy 86 Join forces 87 Fall lawn tool 89 Rx writer 93 A flirtatious look 95 Element #8 96 Safe securers 97 Love, in Italy 98 Not stricken 99 — or two (on occasion) 100 Kidney-related 101 “Neon” fish 102 Schooner fill 103 One of the Bush twins 104 Around a line of symmetry 105 Al — (a bit firm) 106 Knife features 109 Birds sitting on clutches 110 Conical-bore woodwind 111 Hosiery flaw 113 GPS display: Abbr. 115 Trendy 116 “It seems to me,” online
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Is there anything more gratifying than being listened to, understood and seen for who you really are? Seek out that pleasure in abundance during the coming weeks. You need the nurturing jolt that will come from being received and appreciated with extra potency. Consider engaging the services of a psychotherapist, life coach or some other professional listener. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Blobs, spots, specks, smudges, cracks, defects, mistakes, accidents, exceptions and irregularities are the windows to other worlds,” writes author Bob Miller. All those things are also often windows to interesting parts of this seemingly ordinary world. Take full advantage of the opportunities they bring your way in the coming weeks. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Psychologist Carl Jung said our unconscious minds are “not only dark but also light; not only bestial, semi-human and demonic, but also superhuman, spiritual and, in the classical sense of the word, ‘divine.’ ” Get better acquainted with and more appreciative of your unconscious mind. Don’t judge it for being so paradoxical. Don’t be annoyed that it’s so unruly. Have fun with its fertility, playfulness and weirdness. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The Chinese government’s censorship of Game of Thrones deleted many scenes that featured nudity, violence and dragons, so viewers had trouble following some of the plot. Make sure you don’t miss any developments going on in your own personal drama. Some may be hidden. Others might be subtle or disguised. Make it your crusade to know about everything. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind,” wrote author Rudyard Kipling. They change minds, rouse passions, build identities, incite social change, inspire irrationality and create worlds. The ways you use language will be key to your health and success. Summon extra creativity and craftsmanship as you express yourself. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The Russian expression Dusha naraspashku means unbuttoned soul. Linguist Anna Wierzbicka says, “The implication is that it is good, indeed wonderful, if a person’s ‘soul,’ which is the seat of emotions, is flung open in a spontaneous, generous, expansive, impetuous gesture, expressing full trust in other people and an innocent readiness for communion with them.” Allocate more time than usual to keeping your soul unbuttoned.
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