PUBLISHER MARK DE POOTER mark.depooter@gmgvegas.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER KATIE DIXON katie.dixon@gmgvegas.com EDITOR SPENCER PATTERSON spencer.patterson@gmgvegas.com
EDITORIAL Senior Editor GEOFF CARTER (geoff.carter@gmgvegas.com) Editor at Large BROCK RADKE (brock.radke@gmgvegas.com) Deputy Editor EVELYN MATEOS (evelyn.mateos@gmgvegas.com) Managing Editor/News DAVE MONDT (dave.mondt@gmgvegas.com) Staff Writers HILLARY DAVIS, JUSTIN EMERSON, MIKE GRIMALA, CASEY HARRISON, JESSICA HILL, BRYAN HORWATH, C. MOON REED, ARLEIGH RODGERS, AMBER SAMPSON, RICARDO TORRES-CORTEZ Contributing Editors RAY BREWER, JOHN FRITZ, CASE KEEFER, WADE MCAFERTY, KEN MILLER, JOHN TAYLOR Office Coordinator NADINE GUY
CREATIVE Art Director CORLENE BYRD (corlene.byrd@gmgvegas.com) Designer IAN RACOMA Multimedia Manager YASMINA CHAVEZ Photographers CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS, STEVE MARCUS, WADE VANDERVORT
DIGITAL Publisher of Digital Media KATIE HORTON Web Content Specialist CLAYT KEEFER Digital Marketing Intern EM JURBALA
ADVERTISING & MARKETING External Content Manager EMMA CAUTHORN Special Publications Manager JENNIFER INABA Market Research Manager CHAD HARWOOD Senior Advertising Manager SUE SRAN Account Executives BROOKE BROWN, LAUREN JOHNSON, MIKE MALL, ADAIR NOWACKI, ALEX TEEL, ANNA ZYMANEK Events Manager SAMANTHA PETSCH
PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION Vice President of Manufacturing MARIA BLONDEAUX Production Director PAUL HUNTSBERRY Production Manager BLUE UYEDA Marketing Art Director DANY HANIFF Production Artist MARISSA MAHERAS Publication Coordinator DENISE ARANCIBIA Traffic Administrator JIDAN SHADOWEN Fulfillment Manager DORIS HOLLIFIELD Route Administrator KATHY STRELAU
GREENSPUN MEDIA GROUP CEO, Publisher & Editor BRIAN GREENSPUN Chief Operating Officer ROBERT CAUTHORN Editorial Page Editor RIC ANDERSON
ON THE COVER
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner AP, Photo Illustration by Ian Racoma
LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 2275 Corporate Circle Suite 300 Henderson, NV 89074 702-990-2550 lasvegasweekly.com facebook.com/lasvegasweekly twitter.com/lasvegasweekly
All content is copyright Las Vegas Weekly LLC. Las Vegas Weekly is published Thursdays and distributed throughout Southern Nevada. Readers are permitted one free copy per issue. Additional copies are $2, available back issues $3. ADVERTISING DEADLINE EVERY THURSDAY AT 5 P.M.
WATCH KNIGHTS GAMES IN THE FRONT YARD FEATURING:
18 FT BIG SCREEN ALL YOU CAN DRINK PACKAGES MORE DETAILS AT ELLISISLANDCASINO.COM
@ELLISCASINOLV
6
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
1 0 . 7. 2 1
NEW DINOSAUR SPECIES DISCOVERED IN SOUTHERN NEVADA Tens of millions of years ago, dinosaurs roamed Southern Nevada, including a zippy plant-eater that resembled a massive, scaly green chicken. It was Nevadadromeus schmitti, the first dinosaur unique to Nevada, according to Las Vegas paleontologist Joshua Bonde. Bonde meticulously freed the fossilized bones of Nevadadromeus schmitti from the tan sandstone of Valley of Fire’s backcountry and vetted them more than 13 years before formally introducing the dinosaur to the scientific community last month. Bonde describes the discovery process like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, if some of the pieces were missing, there was no picture on a box to follow and the fragments were scattered in varying condition. New species of dinosaur are identified, somewhere in the world, once or twice a month, Bonde says. That’s not surprising, because among all lifeforms, more species are extinct than alive. “They’re just waiting in the rocks for those stories to be told,” he says. The remains weren’t complete—mainly femurs and pieces of a foot and vertebra. But the complete heads of both femurs—knobs that go into the hip sockets—make it easy to visualize an upright, breathing, running creature. An intact spiny protrusion that likely attached to a ligament, connecting the leg to the tail, set it apart as a new species, Bonde says. He named it for his mentor Jim Schmitt, a geology and paleontology professor at Montana State and UNLV who urged him to explore in Valley of Fire. –Hillary Davis
WEEK IN REVIEW WEEK AHEAD News you should know about
1 0 . 7. 2 1
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
7I
IN THIS ISSUE
10 16 28 36 40
News: How Casino and The Hangover got made here Cover story: The Golden Knights look ready to roll Nights: Justin Bieber’s Wynn Nightlife takeover Scene: Car enthusiasts get ready, it’s Mecum time Food & Drink: Unstripped hits Main St., plus kalua pig!
PIFZER VACCINE BOOSTERS NOW AVAILABLE Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots are now available from the Southern Nevada Health District. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently recommended boosters for people who are at higher risk for severe COVID, including those 65 and older; adults living in long-term care settings; those 50-64 with underlying medical condition; those 18-49 with underlying medical conditions, based on their individual benefits and risk; and those 18-64 who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting, based on their individual benefits and risks. Booster doses are only available to people who completed the two-shot Pfizer regimen at least six months ago. Recipients of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are not eligible for a booster dose. Health District clinics will accept walk-ins for booster shots. Clinic locations are available at snhd.info/covid-vaccine. –Hillary Davis
UNLV IMMIGRATION CLINIC TO EXPAND SERVICES
People attend a sunrise remembrance ceremony at the Clark County Government Center Amphitheater on the fourth anniversary of the October 1 shooting. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
At the UNLV Immigration Clinic, law students assist staff attorneys in local deportation cases involving unaccompanied children and those in detention. New funding from the Clark County Commission will boost these services further, strengthening a vital resource during a pandemic that has disproportionately impacted undocumented immigrants. The $500,000 granted to the clinic will be distributed over two years, matching a similar allocation from Nevada Assembly Bill 376 that was approved earlier in 2021. The funds allow the clinic to open new positions and create an off-campus Community Advocacy Office. “This additional funding will allow us to expand our delivery of free legal services in a location that is accessible to all members of our community,” said Sara Gordon, interim dean of the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law. –Arleigh Rodgers
Las Vegas Weekly was saddened to hear about the death of Rasar Amani, frontman for local band The Lique (pictured at center in the January 2016 cover image above). Amani was a force on and off the stage, and the scene will miss him tremendously.
GET USED TO ROADWORK ON LAS VEGAS BOULEVARD Las Vegas Boulevard has long needed upgrades beyond simple repaving. Sidewalks need to be widened; outdated traffic signals and 50+ year-old underground utilities need replacement. Both Clark County and the City of Las Vegas are carrying out those improvements right now on a roughly four-mile stretch of the Boulevard, from Spring Mountain Road to Stewart Avenue. The new Las Vegas Boulevard will be a much easier, more attractive drive—but we’ve got some time until we get there. The City is roughly halfway through a three-year upgrade of the Boulevard from Stewart to Sahara Avenue, explains construction project manager Cassandra Watson-Mihelcic. “The mainline utilities—storm drain, water and sewer—is probably about 98% complete,” Watson-Mihelcic says. The next phases of work include connecting those utilities to businesses, installing new streetlights and signals, landscaping and a full pavement replacement. The project is scheduled for full completion in April 2023, though some lanes of the Boulevard are already reopening. The Spring Mountain-to-Sahara roadwork should be completed by the end of November, Clark Head to lasvegasweekly.com to County spokesperson Dan Kulin read about the team’s Week 4 says. “Remaining work includes result and how Week 5’s the installation of fiber optic cables, matchup might fencing, landscaping, bollards and unfold. smart [lighting] poles.” It’s only the first of a seven-phase Strip improvement project, however, which will stretch as far south as the 215 Beltway, including water line replacement, upgrades to traffic signals, new pavement and more. In short: If you know anyone who’s planning to drive the length of the Strip for whatever reason, suggest that they hold off for a couple of years. –Geoff Carter
RAIDERS Report
MORE OFFERS
THURSDAY TECH D R AW I N G S
OCTOBER 7 • 7PM–10PM WE CAME AS ROMANS
oct
16
TO PLANT A SEED ANNIVERSARY TOUR W/ THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
17
30-31 nov
06 nov
20 nov
Prizes are given in Free Slot Play.
TWO LATE NIGHTS!
PINK TALKING FISH JMSN
HEALS ME TOUR PART 1
11X
Earn entries each Friday, 3:01am–11:55pm. 50 Slot Base Points or 1 Hour Table Play = 1 Entry
OCTOBER 9 | 8PM–12AM
W E D N E S D AY S
Winner called every 30 minutes! All unclaimed CASH prizes rollover into the next 30-minute’s drawing!
THE ACES
Earn entries each Saturday, 3:01am–11:55pm. 50 Slot Base Points or 1 Hour Table Play = 1 Entry
INTERVALS
26
THANK YOU SCIENTIST, CRYPTODIRA
DEC
GIVEON
17
Winner called every hour!
GRATEFUL SHRED
TWO LATE NIGHTS!
TIMELESS TOUR 2021
27 - ULTIMATE TRIBUTE SHOW
VISIT 27SHOW.COM FOR PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Apple Watch
OCTOBER 8 • 8PM–12AM
THE SAD FRUIT TOUR W/ TKAY MAIDZA
28-29 oct
Earn entries each Thursday from 3:01am to 9:55pm. 50 Slot Base Points or 1 Hour Table Play = 1 Entry
EMOTIONAL ORANGES
oct
oct
D R AW I N G S E V E R Y 30 MINUTES
POINTS
Swipe at the promotions kiosk 7am–7pm to activate.
VISIT TO ENJOY
Points are not available on some machines. Visit Player Services for details.
MONDAY OCTOBER 11 Swipe at the POINTS
promotions ALL DAY kiosk to activate.
Points are not available on some machines. Visit Player Services for details.
FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION VISIT VIRGINHOTELSLV.COM
@24OXFORDLV Must be 21 or older. See Player Services for full details and rules. 4100 Paradise Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89169
silversevenscasino.com
Home of the world famous Crabfries
®
Voted #1 Sports Bar on the East Coast by ESPN!
Open daily and Featuring
VIP gaming bays, 20+ beers on tap,
sports viewing,
and a fully-integrated
William Hill Sports Book
10
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
1 0 . 7. 2 1
VIVA LOCATION The Nevada Film Office works hard to keep Hollywood money flowing into Las Vegas
“L
BY GEOFF CARTER et’s say we’ve got a good export business,” Eric Preiss says. “We create a product, then export it to the world, driving money into our economy. Once we get that money, it’s done. Now take a look at a film, which is another good that’s created, then exported. You get all the people that pay to watch that movie, and all the attention that it derives. … That’s an export that will live on the internet for the rest of human history. It will never not exist. “You know, [Martin Scorcese’s] Casino is 25 years old, and people still talk about it,” he adds. “[Las Vegas] has a good that we’ve not only exported to the world, but we’ve exported it to the world in perpetuity.”
That, in a nutshell, is Preiss’ calling. As director of the Nevada Film Office, Preiss and his team help films like Casino, Ocean’s 11, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and The Hangover shoot in Nevada—and convince reluctant filmmakers and producers to shoot in our state if they’re thinking of pulling a Francis Ford Coppola and re-creating Fremont Street on a San Francisco soundstage. (This really happened: see 1982’s One From the Heart.) The NFO doesn’t issue filming permits—those are issued by Clark County, the City of Reno and the like—but they do keep track of what’s filming where, and Preiss estimates that some 1,000 film permits are issued in Nevada annually, most of them in the Las Vegas Valley. That’s a good amount of goods. And in terms of inspiring visitors to come to
Las Vegas, those films, television shows and music videos arguably work harder, and more guilelessly, than any advertising campaign ever could. Think about how some of the bigger Vegas movies—like, say, The Hangover, or Ocean’s 11—have permeated the popular culture to the point that visitor perception of the real Vegas has been reshaped. Back in the day, people came to Vegas to find the most carefree version of themselves; now, they can also imagine themselves as Hacks’ Deborah Vance, Honeymoon in Vegas’ Flying Elvises or even Paul Blart. Thanks to streaming services and YouTube, those characters—and whatever Vegas they call their own—will continue to draw new visitors, some dressed in Acapulco shirts and bucket hats, some seeking out Segway rentals. Not bad, for a process that usually begins with a
1 0 . 7. 2 1
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
NEWS
Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha and Bradley Cooper in The Hangover Part III (Warner Bros. Pictures)
simple bit of research. “Let’s say someone wants to create content in Nevada,” Preiss says. “They do some research and say, OK, Nevada has a film office, which most states and cities around the world do have; we’re part of the Association of Film Commissioners International, [which has] over 300 members.” From that point, the NFO (online at nevadafilm. com) acts as a sort of concierge service. It can’t pull permits, but it can direct productions to the appropriate offices; it can also connect them to police, companies that rent traffic barricades, to local crew resources and more. “When it comes to the content creation industry, we serve all the needs [they have] to help them produce that content,” Preiss says. Sometimes, a bit of persuasion is required. While
ERIC PREISS
Director, Nevada Film Office
Nevada offers a transferable tax credit to productions that shoot in our state—it begins at 15% and can go as high as 25% if productions shoot in rural locations and hire a crew that’s at least 50% local— lots of other states, particularly New Mexico or Georgia, offer incentives that are similar or better. So the NFO works to shine a light on some of Nevada’s other advantages. “A lot of our job is sales and marketing,” Preiss says. “We’re a business development agency, working with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development to grow this industry in Nevada. And in order to do that, we’re out there dealing with the studios and the content creation companies, showing them that Nevada is the place to do that.” That could mean pointing out that Nevada has thousands upon thousands of affordable, castand-crew-ready hotel rooms available year-round, or sweating the details when the makers of Jason Bourne ask to shut down the Strip for an epic car chase. (It’s easily the best part of the movie.) It can also mean being humble when a big production like Netflix’s Army of the Dead—the Zack Snyder film that drew in some 75 million viewers in its first month, according to the Hollywood Reporter—comes to town for a couple of weeks, takes high-resolution scans of the Strip’s casinos and then re-creates Vegas elsewhere via CGI. “In that one particular case, [the visual effects crew is] in town, they’re staying in rooms, they’re eating in restaurants, they’re spending money on rental cars, they’re spending money in sales tax,” Preiss says. “But then when it’s done, and it gets shown … you get to what people don’t talk a lot about, because previously it’s been harder to quantify, the return on content. … Whether it’s getting destroyed or vilified or honored, people see Vegas on the screen. “That’s what we’re trying to do,” Preiss says. “We’re trying to get attention to the destination, so that people come to Vegas. And the impact of that attention is valuable. There’s a reason why a commercial on the Super Bowl costs $5 million.”
11I
12
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
1 0 . 7. 2 1
NEWS
Taking Pride
A scene from 2017’s Pride Night Parade in Downtown Las Vegas (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)
Southern Nevada’s LGBT community gathers for the annual October celebrations
R
BY ARLEIGH RODGERS
ippling rainbow flags, famous floats and bold costumes meet brighter faces at the Las Vegas Pride parade, the evening kickoff of a weekend of LGBT events hosted and celebrated by local organizations and residents. This month, Pride returns to Las Vegas after a year of virtual programming due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cities like New York and LA held their Pride celebrations in June, but here, Pride’s official activities run October 8–11, this year at Craig Ranch Park, in conjunction with LGBT History Month and cooler weather in the Valley. October 11 is also National Coming Out Day, a day to support LGBT people owning their sexuality. Brady McGill, president of Las Vegas Pride, says that even with pandemic restrictions in place (masks are required for all attendees of the official festival), the events are tailored to feel like those of years past. “Though it may seem like there would be some changes or considerable differences, it really feels like it’s coming together like a normal year,” he says. “It really feels normal, all things considered.”
A bounty of performances, vendors and local organizations will be available to Pride attendees, including the kickoff nighttime parade October 8 at 7 p.m. on the streets of Downtown and transgender drag performer Jiggly Caliente October 9 at 5 p.m. Other official and unofficial events include: • Alyssa Edwards: Memoirs of a Traveling Queen, featuring stories from the drag performer and RuPaul’s Drag Race star, October 7 at the Westgate. • ClexaCon, an entertainment convention geared toward LGBT women, transgender and nonbinary fans and creators, October 7–10 at the Tropicana. • Women’s Pride Parade afterparty, focused on women but open to all genders, October 8 at 9 p.m. at the Urban Lounge (107 E. Charleston Blvd.). • He.She.They x Bodywork official pride afterparty, featuring performances by Kim Ann Foxman, Bored Lord, A.C. Esme, Brock G and others, October 8 at 10 p.m. at Downtown’s Discopussy nightclub (512 Fremont St.). Admission is free; to get on the guest list, visit bit.ly/3B7DqMg. • Pride closing party, a disco celebration featuring Neek Lopez & The Disco Divers, October 10 at 10 p.m.
at Park on Fremont (506 E. Fremont St.) • Also, Meow Wolf at Area15 will be selling limited Pride T-shirts for $25, with a portion of the proceeds going to Henderson Equality Center. Ticket prices and information for most events can be found at lasvegaspride.org/pride-festival. Celebrations like Pride allow LGBT individuals in Las Vegas to fully express themselves, says Stewart Black, sponsorship chair, marketing director and director at large on the Board of Directors at the Nevada Gay Rodeo Association, which celebrated its 45th anniversary earlier this month. Rodeo’s history in the Nevada LGBT community stretches to October 2, 1976, he says, when the first LGBT Rodeo was staged in Reno. After years of pushback and opposition to an LGBT-centered rodeo, the NGRA now hosts yearly benefit rodeos, the proceeds of which it donates in full. “Rodeo provided that comfort and that family,” Black says. “It started out as an event where they were trying to get together to be [their] authentic selves and to be able to be cowboys and cowgirls without the stigma.”
2 OFF
LAS VEGAS PAIUTE/SNOW MOUNTAIN SMOKE SHOP
$
15% OFF
LAS VEGAS PAIUTE CIGAR SHOPPE/SNOW MOUNTAIN SMOKE SHOP
PER CARTON* (CIGARETTES ONLY)
PREMIUM CIGARS & ACCESSORIES
*Must be 21 years of age or older. Excludes filtered cigars. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. Limit 1 discount given per customer per day. Must present this coupon for redemption. Cannot be redeemed for cash. No photocopies accepted. EXPIRES 10/31/2021. LVW
*Cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts. Must be 21 years of age or older. Excludes bundles & individual sticks from bundles, cigarettes, mass market and pipe tobacco. Must present this coupon for redemption. Cannot be redeemed for cash. No photocopies or digital copies accepted. EXPIRES 10/31/2021. LVW
N E V E R P A Y A D D I T I O N A L T A X ! - G O T O L V P A I U T E S M O K E S H O P. C O M F O R C O U P O N S
$37.59*
$46.99*
FINAL PRICE WITH $3 COUPON
FINAL PRICE WITH $3 COUPON
$4.19 PER PACK
$5.19 PER PACK
LAS VEGAS PAIUTE TRIBAL SMOKE SHOP & CIGAR SHOPPE NEW M-Sat 7AM-7PM • Sun 8AM-5:30PM STO HOURRE S! 1225 N. Main St. Las Vegas, 89101
SNOW MOUNTAIN SMOKE SHOP & GAS STATION M-Sun 6AM-7PM • Pay-At-The-Pump Open 24/7 US 95N @ Exit #99
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
1 0 . 7. 2 1
Robin Lehner (AP/Photo Illustration)
16
YEAR OF THE
PANDA
How will Robin Lehner fare replacing a legend and becoming a stand-alone starting goaltender?
1 0 . 7. 2 1
A
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
17I
BY JUSTIN EMERSON
fascinating journey for one of the NHL’s most interesting characters will reach a new destination when Robin Lehner skates into the crease as the Vegas Golden Knights’ unquestioned starting goalie on opening night. Lehner is the man here now, the heir to a net previously owned for four years by Marc-André Fleury, perhaps the most popular athlete in Las Vegas history. The franchise-shifting, and to some, infamous, offseason trade of Fleury to the Chicago Blackhawks paved the way for Lehner, now the 1A goalie without the 1B he’s had attached for so many years. This season will provide the chance for Golden Knights’ fans to get to know Lehner for more than being the other half of the Fleury goalie duo. “I think he knows he’s got some big shoes to fill,” Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer says. “At the same time, you don’t replace Marc-André Fleury, and I don’t think it’s fair to put that expectation on him. “I have no doubt though,” the coach continues, “this guy is committed to giving us excellent goaltending all year, and hopefully championship goaltending all year.” ■■■■■ Lehner has been a good goalie for nearly a decade, and a great one for the past few years. In the last three seasons, no goalies with as many games as Lehner can match his save percentage (.923) or Goals Saved Above Expectation (29.2, according to advanced stats provider Evolving Hockey). He has excelled in all different systems—the Islanders’ tight defensive structure, the Blackhawks’ wide-open style and with the Golden Knights for parts of the past two seasons. He has been part of a tandem in each of the past three years, splitting the net with Thomas Greiss in New York, Corey Crawford in Chicago and Fleury in Vegas. He hasn’t been a full-time starter since the 2017-2018 season with the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres were terrible during Lehner’s threeyear tenure with the team, but he still managed a .915 save percentage and 2.83 goals against average—strong numbers for a goalie on a good team and even more impressive for one on a bad club. Lehner has kept up a similar level of play since arriving in Vegas and playing nearly half of the regular-season games while he was healthy. With Fleury now gone, Vegas signed Laurent Brossoit to complete its goalkeeping unit. But it’s not going to be a timeshare. As long as Lehner’s healthy, he will start a vast majority of the games.
■■■■■
ROBIN LEHNER
“It’s no different,” Lehner said during training camp. “[Brossoit] is a really good goalie, and I expect nothing different over all the other years. We will battle and compete, and that’s my philosophy: Best goalie plays, doesn’t matter.” That’s been Lehner’s mantra since coming to Vegas. It can sound like lip service when most players share the “anything for the team” message, but Lehner has demonstrated that he means it. He played in only one playoff game in the first two rounds last year before coming in to help the Golden Knights secure what would be their final victory of the season—a 2-1 overtime win in Game 4 in Montreal. “Truly, in my heart, I don’t care if I’m on the bench or in the net,” Lehner said afterwards. “I’ll do my best for the team. I don’t care. [Fleury] has been absolutely outstanding. He’s the reason why we’re here, along with a lot of the other guys. When you get a chance to come in and help, it’s great. You just do what you can for the team, no matter what position you’re in.” Lehner has never been one to hold back, whether it’s about hockey or anything else. He’s been open in the past about his alcoholism and rehab and emerged as perhaps the NHL’s most vocal advocate on mental health. He finished a news conference last year with a 10-minute denunciation of the NHL’s vaccination policy, stating that the league didn’t live up to promises of reduced restrictions and that it told players “a blatant lie.” He also recently called out NHL team doctors—though, not the Golden Knights’—on Twitter, alleging medical malpractice; at press time, NHL officials were planning to speak with him about the charges directly.
In his season-opening news conference, Golden Knights captain Mark Stone told a wild story about Lehner’s off-ice personality. “The argument today was how big a snake was in a picture, he knows all that stuff,” Stone said. “He stirred up my backyard and I had five snakes in my pool because of him.” Wait, snakes? “Yeah, he was digging them up in my backyard, digging the snake holes. And then a week later I had five snakes in my pool.” It happened during a goodbye party at the end of last season. Lehner said he was trying to find snakes to mess with former teammate Ryan Reaves. Strange as those details were, they spoke of the rapport Lehner has developed with his teammates. Stone and other teammates speak highly of Lehner, explaining that they see him as more than Fleury’s replacement. “Obviously we all love Fleury,” defenseman Alec Martinez says, “but we all love Lehner.” And Lehner has already proven his ability with the Golden Knights, helping the team reach the league semifinals in each of the last two seasons. He has four years left on a contract that, if played to completion, will make him the longest-tenured goalie in franchise history. Yes, longer than youknow-who. Lehner has helped his teams win the Jennings Trophy—given to the goalie or goalies who give up the fewest goals in a season—twice in the last three years, in 2021 with the Golden Knights and in 2018-2019 with the Islanders. This season, he could challenge for it on his own. Based on his recent stats and an expected workload bump this year, he should also enter the season as a contender for the Vezina Trophy that Fleury won last season. Lehner dedicated his offseason to losing weight and getting faster, diving back into mixed martial arts training. He worked with perhaps Las Vegas’ top current MMA coach in Syndicate MMA’s John Wood. Add it to the list of Lehner’s many diverse passions. The Swedish native, NHL nomad is many things—UFC fan, mental-health advocate and part-time snake charmer. Most importantly, he’s the Golden Knights’ starting goaltender.
18
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
1 0 . 7. 2 1
THROW THE FIGHT Who’s the Golden Knights’ enforcer post-Ryan Reaves? Maybe no one George McPhee’s famous line when the Golden Knights acquired Ryan Reaves, and then extended his contract, was that the forward would help, “keep the flies off the honey.” The then-general manager and now-president of hockey operations wanted a physical presence, an enforcer, to keep the peace on the ice. That would seem to imply the flies can descend freely now, since Reaves was traded to the New York Rangers this past offseason. But Reaves didn’t fight as much as his reputation suggests. Reaves threw down just nine times in 209 games with the Golden Knights, according to the hockeyfights.com database. That’s about once every 23 games, a significant dropoff from his time with St. Louis, when he fought 56 times in 419 games—nearly once every seven games.
Ryan Reaves (left) (AP)
Reaves does depart as the Golden Knights’ all-time leader in fights, but Keegan Kolesar and even captain Mark Stone have dropped the gloves four times each. That speaks to a larger trend that shows the NHL is trending away from fighting. There were just 195 fights in last year’s pandemic-shortened season, a pace of about 286 fights during a full year. If that sounds like a lot, consider there were almost 100 more fights five years ago (372) and a whopping 803 fights in the 2001-2002 season. The threat of Reaves going after the opposition might have been more necessary when the Golden Knights’ best players were less-physical skaters like William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith. But in Stone and Max Pacioretty, the Golden Knights have acquired bigger stars, who are also more willing to duke it out. So, do the Golden Knights really need a fighter? The front office doesn’t seem to think so anymore. Without a traditional enforcer on the roster this year, the answer will come soon. –Justin Emerson
(AP)
1 0 . 7. 2 1
POWER REBOOT EVGENII DADONOV
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
Will the Golden Knights improve on the power play this season?
G
BY JUSTIN EMERSON
olden Knights forward Reilly Smith said it best regarding the team’s power play after a loss in Game 3 of last year’s Stanley Cup semifinals. “It’s costing us the series right now.” Three games later, Vegas was eliminated from the postseason, having gone 0-for-15 on the power play in the series. The Golden Knights are determined to make sure that sort of prolonged shutout doesn’t happen again. Scoring on the man advantage is a point of emphasis for Vegas this season and will be a major source of scrutiny all year. With a refreshed focus and a couple of new players, there are reasons to believe this year’s power play will be better. “The coaches are going to give us the structure,” forward Jonathan Marchessault says. “Everything is there, but we need, as players, to take pride and do the job. I don’t see how we cannot have a successful power play. I think we will.” During the preseason and with power-play mainstay Alex Tuch sidelined, offseason acquisitions Evgenii Dadonov and Nolan Patrick both worked on the top unit to insert fresh blood. Patrick has been solid throughout his career on the man advantage, while Dadonov has been lauded as a power-play dynamo in the past. In three years with Florida from 2017-2020, Dadonov racked up 25 goals and 47 points on the man advantage, including an 11-goal campaign two seasons ago. He has a lethal shot, arguably the best on the team when it’s on. Vegas is largely counting on him to flip its power-play fortunes. Optimism doesn’t end there. It wasn’t that long ago that Vegas’ power play ranked among the upper half of the league. Two seasons ago, the Golden Knights 22% power-play rate was ninth in the NHL. It looked like Vegas could have one of the best units in the league, with Shea Theodore emerging as a legitimate Norris Trophy contender and point quarterback in his first full season next to Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty. But the power play fell off last year, and there are just as many reasons to be pessimistic about the Golden Knights finding their form again. Those again might start with Dadonov, who mustered just one point and no goals on the power play with Ottawa last year. Patrick has 13 power-play points in his career, but eight of those came in his rookie season two years ago. The Golden Knights have had a top-10 power play just once in their four seasons, and they’ve been in the bottom 10 twice. In those four combined seasons, Vegas ranks 19th in the NHL. In other words, the history of the Golden Knights simply hasn’t been a story of stellar power-play results. There’s also the possibility that the power-play potential won’t be known until later in the season. Tuch should come back sometime in the second half, plus the Golden Knights have never failed to swing a deal at the trade deadline, scheduled for March 21 this season. If there’s an offensive player the front office covets, he could potentially change the look of the power play. The Golden Knights feel better about their power play, but no one should be shamed for staying skeptical. It’s hard to say whether the team will bounce back or keep struggling, but it’s surely something the Golden Knights and their fans will stay focused on all season.
19I
20
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
1 0 . 7. 2 1
GOLDEN ROAD
A rocky offseason should be just a blip with Vegas still set to contend for a championship
(AP)
1 0 . 7. 2 1
TOP
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
21I
BOARD
OF THE VE GAS IS IN R AREFIED AIR AT T HE SPORTSBOOK Preseason expectations have never been higher for the Golden Knights, according to the betting market. Here are three places where that’s most evident. ■ In future odds to win the Stanley Cup at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, the Golden Knights are co-favorites with the Avalanche at 5-to-1. That’s the lowest they’ve ever been coming into a season, as they were 9-to-1 in 2019 and 10-to-1 last year.
I
BY CASE KEEFER f the Golden Knights’ front office had an approval rating, it would have taken a nosedive this past summer and still be firmly submerged heading into the upcoming season. Fan support of President of Hockey Operations George McPhee and General Manager Kelly McCrimmon appeared to plummet in July, when the duo traded face-of-the-franchise goalie Marc-André Fleury to the Chicago Blackhawks for nothing beyond cleared cap space. It seemed to sink even further when it became apparent the Golden Knights wouldn’t add a splashy big name, instead focusing on incremental changes. Timing also played into the local response. Emotions remained raw just a month after Vegas had bowed out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at the hands of the seemingly beatable Montreal Canadiens in the semifinals. It also didn’t help that Fleury had just been awarded his first career Vezina Trophy as the league’s most valuable goalie. But even now, some time after the initial uproar, wounds remain raw. Some fans say they don’t feel the same passion for the team, threatening to stay away from T-Mobile Arena this season. We’ll see. Fans—or former ones—will feel how
they feel about what’s gone down with Las Vegas’ most beloved sports franchise. But the smart money is on all the defectors and discontents getting over it and coming back before long. That’s largely because the 2021-2022 Vegas Golden Knights are going to be too good to ignore or disown. The “Fortress” will be rocking, the highlights flowing and the wins piling up—quite possibly more than ever before. Even minus Fleury and without significant additions, Vegas is poised to challenge for the President’s Trophy, awarded to the league’s top point-producing team, and, ultimately, the Stanley Cup. It might not seem like Vegas came all that close to the latter last season, considering Montreal won the semifinal series in six games, but it was undoubtedly close to the former. The Golden Knights and Avalanche technically tied for the league’s top mark, but Colorado held the tiebreaker by way of victory in the penultimate game of the regular season. That was the infamous contest in which Vegas became the first team in a decade to suit up only 15 skaters, largely because of salary-cap restraints borne out of keeping a pair of high-priced goalies in Fleury and Robin Lehner. With Fleury gone, there are fewer roster holes this season. In fact, at press time, it looks like the Golden Knights might have more NHL-ready forwards than they can even accommodate. Captain Mark Stone said he’s never played with a better group of forwards in his career. Assistant captain Max Pa-
■ Similarly, lines are up for most teams’ first games, and there are only two spots where the favorite is priced higher than -200 (risking $2 to win $1). The Golden Knights are one of them, installed as a -240 favorite over the Seattle Kraken on October 12. ■ William Hill’s award futures list two Golden Knights among the top 20 in odds to win the Hart Trophy for league MVP (Mark Stone at 30-to-1; Max Pacioretty at 50-to-1) and two Golden Knights among the top 15 in odds to win the Norris Trophy for top defenseman (Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo, both at 25-to-1). –Case Keefer
cioretty deemed the group the deepest Vegas has ever assembled. It’s difficult to argue otherwise, especially considering McPhee and McCrimmon made a long-overdue philosophy shift with their fourth line by prioritizing scoring over hitting. That meant making another controversial move by trading fan favorite Ryan Reaves to the New York Rangers, but the team’s efficiency should improve because of it. Nicolas Roy and Keegan Kolesar, each of whom played a lot on the third line last year, should slide down and skate alongside underrated mainstay William Carrier in this year’s final group. On the third line, new acquisitions Nolan Patrick and Evgenni Dadonov— both of whom have shown scoring ability in the NHL despite subpar seasons last year—could provide an offensive punch alongside Mattias Janmark, who produced a memorable Game 7 hat trick against the Wild in last year’s playoffs. The top two lines are unchanged, as they should be. Few teams in the NHL, and none in Vegas’ Pacific Division, boast a better top six. After a season in the rugged, pandemic-realigned West Division, the Golden Knights also have a soft Pacific Division going for them. Gone are the Avalanche, a historically dominant team, analytically speaking, last season, and the Wild, which presented consistent problems for Vegas, replaced by flawed
teams. At Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, 13 teams in the league are listed at lower than 30-to-1 odds to win the Stanley Cup, and the Golden Knights (5to-1) are the Pacific’s only representative in the group. The Golden Knights’ defensemen further separate the team from its Pacific Division rivals. Alex Pietrangelo was Vegas’ best player last postseason, flashing the ability that led McPhee and McCrimmon to lock him up with a seven-year contract two free-agency periods ago. Shea Theodore might be the team’s most valuable player overall, and he’s just now entering his prime after turning 26 years old in August. And resigned veteran Alex Martinez revitalized his career over the past two seasons with Vegas. If either Dadonov or Patrick can follow Martinez’s trajectory, the Golden Knights should be able to endure without Alex Tuch, out indefinitely to start the season while recovering from shoulder surgery. The announcement of Tuch’s absence came the same week as the Fleury and Reaves trades, adding to fan negativity. But it’s long past time to re-litigate the way McPhee and McCrimmon handled the offseason. Healing should be the focus now, and the best remedy is winning—something the Golden Knights should do plenty of this season.
22
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
1 0 . 7. 2 1
SCOUTING THE SCHEDULE Five games to circle on your calendar
January 8 VGK vs. Chicago Blackhawks Marc-André Fleury returns. The Golden Knights’ four-year starting goaltender hits T-Mobile Arena as a visitor for the first time.
November 6 VGK at Montreal Canadiens A sure-to-be-intense showdown with the team that eliminated the Golden Knights from the playoffs comes as part of an early fourgame road trip.
February 5 NHL All-Star Game The Golden Knights welcome the rest of the league to T-Mobile Arena for All-Star Weekend, with the skills competition on February 4 and the game the following night. It will be quite the star-studded weekend for Las Vegas, which also hosts the NFL’s Pro Bowl on February 6.
COM-RAIDER-Y
December 17 VGK at New York Rangers The Golden Knights will see not only original coach Gerard Gallant but also favorite ex-teammate Ryan Reaves. The Rangers make their return trip to Las Vegas on January 6.
April 16 VGK at Edmonton Oilers The final of four meetings with perhaps the biggest threat to Vegas’ Pacific Division title hopes, not to mention a chance to watch Connor McDavid do his thing. –Justin Emerson
Two of Las Vegas’ pro sports teams are building a bond
T
BY CASE KEEFER he Golden Knights got a whole new contingent of celebrity fans during last year’s playoff run—the Las Vegas Raiders’ roster. With all the Raiders in town for team activities and minicamp as T-Mobile Arena got to full capacity in time for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, several players maintained a similar schedule during Golden Knights’ game days. They’d practice in the mornings, attend team meetings and workouts in the afternoon and then rush from their headquarters in Henderson to the Strip in time for puck drop. A Raider representative performed the ceremonial cranking of the rally siren in virtually every postseason game; the list of players who took a turn included quarterback Derek Carr, defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, defensive end Maxx Crosby, safety Johnathan Abram and wide receiver Bryan Edwards. “It’s just fun to watch other people play at a high level and just to feel the city’s energy. The support for the team has been really cool,” Carr said at the time. “I’ve gotten to know some of
the players and just want to continue to support those guys.” Carr, the longtime Raiders’ captain, wasn’t shy about namedropping one of the players with whom he has become closest—Golden Knights captain Mark Stone. After catching the decisive Game 6 when the Golden Knights upset the Avalanche in the quarterfinals, Carr reached out to his new friend with quite the message. “I told Mark Stone, ‘You guys are inspiring us. This is awesome,’” Carr said. “I didn’t know anything about Vegas before we got here and just thought it was the Strip and that was it, but what I’ve learned is, it’s a small community of people that really know each other and care about each other.” The Raiders are off to a hot start with visions of hosting a playoff game at Allegiant Stadium, which has been just as boisterous as T-Mobile Arena in two regular-season games since fans were allowed to attend. The Golden Knights would know, as a handful of them—including Stone, defenseman Shea Theodore, center Chandler Stephenson and defenseman Brayden McNabb—were in attendance for the Raiders’ Monday Night Football opener against the Baltimore Ravens.
1 0 . 7. 2 1
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
Release the
Derek Carr sounds the siren before a Golden Knights playoff game versus Colorado. (Courtesy Vegas Golden Knights)
“It was awesome,” McNabb said. “I’ve been to a few football games, and that was definitely by far my favorite game and experience. I’ve been to the Super Bowl, and I had way more fun [at Monday Night Football].” The building erupted in cheers when McNabb and his teammates were shown on screens inside the venue. “When we went on the Jumbotron, it kind of shocked us,” McNabb said. “We froze a little bit; [it] wasn’t our best performance on the big screen.” Las Vegas, which went without representation among the “big four” of major U.S. professional sports for a long time, suddenly has a pair of teams with a developing rapport, and local fans are along for the ride. During the Raiders’ second home game versus Miami, the crowd’s cheer of “Knights!” during the national anthem was deafening, enough to startle the singer, Broadway performer Brian Flores—and energize the team. “I was like, ‘Oh buddy, I want to learn how to skate. I want to play hockey,’” Carr said. “That got me excited.”
KRAKEN The Golden Knights are no longer the newest team in the NHL, or even the Pacific Division. The expansion Seattle Kraken begin play this season as divisional foes of the Golden Knights. Here’s the early rundown. Arena: Climate Pledge Arena (17,100 capacity) Head coach: Dave Hakstol (formerly of the Flyers) Key players: Forward Yanni Gourde (formerly of the Lightning), defenseman Mark Giordano (formerly of the Flames), goalie Philipp Grubauer (formerly of the Avalanche) Games vs. Golden Knights: October 12 and November 9 in Las Vegas; March 30 and April 1 in Seattle. What’s a Kraken anyway?: A mythical, giant squid. The team’s “S” logo stands for Seattle, but it also nods to the former logo of the early-1900s Seattle Metropolitans of the PCHA. A Kraken’s tentacle climbs up the letter with its red eye tucked under the top curve. –Justin Emerson
23I
Your Halloween Costume Headquarters
S e x y W o m e n ’s a n d M e n ’s C o s t u m e s Wigs | Stockings | Shoes | Accessories LAS VEGAS’ PREMIERE ADULT RETAIL STORE
LOS E P O U N DS A N D INCHES WITH THIS
23 DAY HCG DIET INCLUDES: ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶
LARGEST SELECTION OF
FESTIVAL AND
RAVEWEAR
Initial Medical Consultation Full Body Composition Analysis 6 Weekly Follow-up Visits 6 Weekly B12 Injections 23 Days Pharmaceutical Grade HCG Medicine
IN LAS VEGAS
SPECIAL OFFER $
NOVELTIES DANCEWEAR FETISH LINGERIE MASSAGE OILS SMOKE SHOP
www.iuventusmedcenter.com (702) 919-1099
4335 W Tropicana Avenue,Las Vegas | 702-367-8009 LoveBoutique.com
475
2
CONVENIENT LOCATIONS
3365 E FLAMINGO ROAD STE 2, LAS VEGAS, NV 89121 4966 S RAINBOW BLVD STE 100, LAS VEGAS, NV 89118
OPEn MIC NIGHT AT the shag room
HOSTED BY Shawn Eiferman
Wednesdays AT 8pm Performances judged weekly. winner receives a Virgin Hotels Las Vegas 1-Night Stay.
Quarterly Grand Prize paid performance at the shag room plus A 2-Night stay at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
Must be 21 or older to participate. Weekly prizes and value may vary. All judges decisions are final. Management reserves all rights. Rules available at virginhotelslv.com
26
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
1 0 . 7. 2 1
BIG THIS WEEK
TOOL’S ÆNIMA Some metal doesn’t rust. Tool’s second album, released this week in 1996, crunches as hard and precisely as it did a quarter-century ago. Not for nothing have both Kerrang! and Rolling Stone named Ænima one of the best albums of its kind.
RESIDENCY CONCERT
MARIACHI LOS CAMPEROS AT WATER STREET PLAZA AMPHITHEATER Since 1961, LA-based Mariachi los Camperos have been bringing the beloved Mexican musical genre north of the border. Though the members have changed over the years, the music continues to delight audiences, even earning the band three Grammy awards. Jesus “Chuy” Guzman now leads the ensemble, which will descend upon Henderson for a night of vibrant and melodic entertainment. October 8, 7:30 p.m. $10, cityofhenderson.com. –C. Moon Reed
JOHN FOGERTY AT ENCORE THEATER It’s Fogerty’s turn to return to his run at Wynn, but this time the rock legend has something different planned. “Last time I was doing my ’50 Year Trip,’ which had a lot of references and recollections of other music and symbolically represented Woodstock,” the 76-year-old singer, songwriter and guitarist tells the Weekly. “For the near future, I’m refocusing on my own recordings throughout my life, and with my kids actually playing in the band, it’s a lot of fun for me to play my songs. It’s a new energy for me and the band.” October 9, 10 & 13, 8 p.m., $75-$250, Wynn, 702-770-9966. –Brock Radke
PARTY
KASKADE AT HAKKASAN The megaclub and restaurant at MGM Grand will be supercharged during the big fight weekend, and one of its biggest resident DJs will be there to take advantage. Kaskade has kept busy bouncing between Vegas gigs and shows at larger venues and festivals around the country, so expect him to hit the right frequency to help launch a massive event weekend on the Strip. October 8, 10:30 p.m., $30-$50+, MGM Grand, 702-891-3838. –Brock Radke
1 0 . 7. 2 1
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
27I
PARKWAY OF BROKEN DREAMS In the 1990s, the UNLV-adjacent stretch of Maryland Parkway was a vibrant cultural scene. See Pj Perez’s documentary homage to this lost era in its world debut, October 13 at Galaxy Theatres Boulevard Mall. Parkwayofbroken dreams.com
)
Be
tha
ny
Brown
in Charm
ed
(C
rt ou
es
y
C
W
John Fogerty (AP)
GATHERING
OUR PICKS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
FESTIVAL
REGGAE RISE UP LAS VEGAS AT DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS EVENTS CENTER Can you feel the vibes? This inaugural two-day Las Vegas music fest—originally scheduled for April 2020, before the pandemic hit—has finally arrived. Headliners include Slightly Stoopid and Dirty Heads, with SOJA, Common Kings, Matisyahu and others set to hit the stage, too. The event also includes plenty of food and craft vendors to enjoy. Who’s jammin’ their way Downtown? October 9-10, $85+, reggaeriseupvegas. com. –Evelyn Mateos
CLEXACON AT THE TROPICANA The battle for healthy LGBT representation in TV, film, comics and literature isn’t over, but the largest multifandom convention in the world has returned to remind us why we’re still fighting. ClexaCon will bring thousands of women, trans and non-binary pop culture fans, content creators and allies together for three days of panels, pool parties, workshops, celebrity meet-and-greets and more. Notable guests include everyone from CW star Bethany Brown (The 100, Charmed) to Person of Interest’s Amy Acker. Authors, artists, directors and producers will also drive panels on various topics of media. The goal is to celebrate the community and the unique talent it has to offer. October 7-10, $60+. Tropicana, clexacon.com. –Amber Sampson
28
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
1 0 . 7. 2 1
NIGHTS The maturing pop star takes over Wynn for the weekend BY BROCK RADKE
J
BIEBER’S BACK JUSTIN BIEBER & FRIENDS
October 7 & 9, 10:30 p.m., XS; October 8, 11 a.m., Encore Beach Club. Tables available, wynnnightlife.com.
Justin Bieber, performing in Atlanta in April 2021 (AP)
ustin Bieber can’t get enough of Las Vegas. Before the 27-year-old Canadian pop star joined the roster for Shaquille O’Neal’s fundraising gala at MGM Grand on October 2, he took over Wynn for a weekend of music and partying in July, with performances at Encore Theater, Delilah and XS. Now he’s back for another series of Vegas events, thanks to the folks at Pollen, the upstart travel experience and entertainment company behind the recent J Balvin Neón Experience at Resorts World (which will be back in action in Cancun in January) and this month’s Emo Nite Vegas Vacation featuring Avril Lavigne, Travis Barker and many more at various Vegas venues (October 14-17). The “Justin Bieber and Friends” weekend packages have been sold out for weeks, combining hotel stays at the Linq, Treasure Island, Wynn/Encore or Resorts World with parties at XS and Encore Beach Club and a pop-up skate park experience at Area15. But table reservations for the club events are still available. The lineup of guest artists joining Bieber includes “Stay” collaborator The Kid Laroi, R&B and hip-hop fave Kehlani, rapper and actor Jaden Smith, British DJ TroyBoi and Puerto Rican singer Lunay. With its flexible payment plans and varied experiences—from EDM pool parties to ski trips— the youth-oriented Pollen brand is on the rise and becoming increasingly active in Las Vegas. Since guests can easily book the same trip and itinerary as their friends through the platform, it appears to be a great fit for college-age Vegas visitors and for the Bieber demographic. Although his summer appearance at Wynn was a one-off designed to build buzz around the opening of the lavish Delilah supper club—and a fullfledged Las Vegas Strip residency seems unlikely, given Bieber’s rescheduled Justice world tour kicking off in February—it wouldn’t be surprising to see him sign on for recurring duty at Wynn’s clubs, similar to Drake’s pre-pandemic residency arrangement at XS. With Bieber’s renewed chart success and recent collaborations with other superstars, it’s clear he has found a way to move on from teenage pop star status and whatever came after that. As long as you’re making hits, you have a home in Las Vegas.
30
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
1 0 . 7. 2 1
THE STRIP
TEAM VEGAS Pro sports have enhanced—not eclipsed—entertainment here BY BROCK RADKE
W
hen Oscar Goodman was mayor of Las Vegas, he spoke frequently about helping it evolve into a “major league city.” Among the more prominent components of this effort were opening the Smith Center for the Performing Arts—which will hit the 10-year mark this spring—and bringing professional sports to the Valley to compete in one of the four major leagues. As a longtime resident who had never lived in a city with a big league team, I never thought Las Vegas needed sports. That was something you’d find in other, more normal, cities. Vegas already had so many things those cities didn’t. Well, maybe our city didn’t need NHL and NFL teams—or the NBA and MLB teams that are surely coming next—but there’s no doubt the addition of the Golden Knights and Raiders and the magnificent venues in which they play has elevated the stature of THE Las Vegas. This week, for the first INCIDENTAL time, we’ll have NFL and NHL TOURIST regular-season contests occurring BY BROCK RADKE here congruently, with those venues packed with fans. Sports is entertainment. That’s why I always felt pro team sports was unnecessary in Las Vegas. Plus, we’ve always had boxing, UFC, rodeo and other big annual sporting events. But I was wrong to think major league sports might diminish the city’s flashy and fun reputation. That has been enhanced. During the weekend of September 24-26, one could attend home games for the Golden Knights (preseason), the Raiders, the Aviators and the Lights FC, while huge UFC and NASCAR events were in town as well. You also could have experienced a Michael Bublé concert at T-Mobile Arena,
Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin at MGM Grand Garden Arena or the Punk Rock Bowling music festival at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, not to mention a slew of ongoing Strip shows and a handful of grand reopenings like Opium at the Cosmopolitan and Magic Mike Live at Sahara. These new sports events might not be everyone’s cup of tea—especially considering the major league traffic that can ensnarl the Strip on game days— but they do fit nicely into the bigger Vegas picture. And if you think casino folks and show producers are concerned about competing, think again. “We are thrilled to be immediate neighbors to that incredible place [Allegiant Stadium] … and thrilled about the activity that is going to happen
there almost every weekend,” MGM Resorts Chief Hospitality Officer Ari Kastrati said in July after just a couple of events had taken place at the stadium. “It’s a fascinating [development] for the community, and this community is going to be more prepared than any other to have those events.” Just like every other evolving aspect of Las Vegas entertainment, football and hockey games are drawing people to town who might not otherwise visit. “Vegas is a sports town, and sports fans across the country are typically Vegas fans, too,” Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority president and CEO Steve Hill said in August on the Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast. “From
1 0 . 7. 2 1
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
31I
ENJOY THE STRIP’S ONLY 24/7
1
$
BLACK JACK
10$10 wings Las Vegas’ Alec Ingold celebrates with fans after scoring against Miami at Allegiant Stadium on September 26. (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)
a tourist standpoint, visiting fans coming to Las Vegas, compared to any place else, are going to say, ‘I want to see my team in Vegas.’ We see that happening with the Knights and Raiders.” If Chicago Bears fans went to any other city this season instead of coming to Vegas for the October 10 showdown with the Raiders at Allegiant, they’d probably be in and out of town once it was over. Traveling fans are committing to at least a weekend of partying when they hit the Strip for a single sports event. “On July 10, we had Garth Brooks at Allegiant and a UFC event at T-Mobile, and we had people walking across Toshiba Plaza to see Bruno Mars at the Park [Theater] after the fight at the arena,” Hill told Bloomberg. “You just don’t get that opportunity any
place else.” It’s also important to remember that both venues were built for different kinds of big events, not just ordinary NFL and NHL games but the biggest concert tours in the world, the Super Bowl, the Final Four and more. Perhaps even more crucially, bringing pro sports to Las Vegas means bringing locals to the Strip in record numbers, creating a new form of Vegas entertainment that really resonates with those of us who live and work here. As the Knights start up another season and we remember what was happening in our community when the hockey team first arrived in Las Vegas, it’s easy to identify just how important— and necessary—sports can be.
North America’s Largest Restaurant & Saloon
Cannot be combined with any other offers. One coupon per person, per visit. Management reserves all rights. Expiration: 12/31/21 VALID AT HOOTERS inside OYO HOTEL & CASINO ONLY. Must be 21 or older to gamble. OYO Hotel and Casino encourages you to gamble responsibly. For problem gambling information and assistance, call the 24-hour confidential hotline at 1-800-522-4700, or visit wwww.whenthefunstops.org
OFFER CODE: 20111
Is Back! OCT. 22-24 & 29-31 • 5-9 PM
$9 admission • Free for ages 2 and under • Member discounts available Tickets sold in advance ONLINE ONLY for specific dates at springspreserve.org
— LIMITED ATTENDANCE — Experience A Family-Friendly Atmosphere And Spooktacular Traditions!
Trick-or-Treating • Food Vendors • Craft Activities • Live Entertainment
Events at the Springs Preserve are supported by the generous contributions of our sponsors:
© 2021 DFO, LLC. At participating restaurants for a limited time only. Selection and prices may vary. While supplies last.
© 2021 DFO, LLC. Printed in the U.S.A. At participating restaurants for a limited time only. Selection and prices may vary. While supplies last.
FC21383 - Sept21 Las Vegas Weekly Print_eighth ad_pumpkinpecanpancakes_R2R.indd 1
now slicing
9/9/21 5:30 PM
extraordinary order at capriottis.com for pick-up or delivery
34
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
1 0 . 7. 2 1
STAGE
MOONSTRUCK
Ring Round the Moon signals a return to live theater for Nevada Conservatory Theatre BY C. MOON REED
A
fter the seeming eternity of the pandemic lockdown, UNLV’s Nevada Conservatory Theatre returns to live performances with a celebratory season that includes Little Shop of Horrors and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. But first, viewers will enjoy a feel-good farce, Ring Round the Moon. “It’s the perfect show to remind people about the joy of live theater,” says play director and UNLV acting professor Kymberly Mellen. “Three hundred people laughing together is very different than bingeing Netflix at home on your tiny screen.” Ring Round the Moon is a Downton Abbey-esque story of love and mistaken identity. Set in a pre-war Paris château’s “winter garden,” the plot revolves around the love lives of twin brothers Frederic and Hugo (both played by graduate student Luke Halferty). One brother is sweet, the other cynical. The complicating characters include a rich matriarch, an heiress and a ballet dancer disguised as an heiress. As with A Midsummer Night’s Dream, it’s no spoiler to say that the characters end up finding their perfect matches. The fun’s in how they get there. “It’s everything that your typical theatergoer wants
From left: Frannie Maas, Greg Prusiewicz, Luke Halferty and Carmen Maher (Courtesy Richard Brusky)
to see in live theater,” Mellen says. “It’s a gorgeous set ses, how we move through change, but it’s done in a [with] beautiful costumes. It’s funny. It’s a rom-com. way that audiences can relate to.” There’s stage combat. There’s waltzes and two steps One of the joys of Nevada Conservatory Theatre and a little vaudeville act. There’s lush orchestration. is its connection to UNLV. Shows are multidisciThere’s kinetic Three Stooges bits and really outlandplinary endeavors, with professors, students and ish, intense characters. [It’s] very, very fast paced.” visiting experts coming together to put on profesWhile not quite as old as Shakespeare’s plays, Ring sional productions. UNLV Dance professor Cathy Round the Moon dates back to 1947, Allen is choreographing Ring Round when it was written by French playthe Moon. UNLV acting professor RING ROUND wright Jean Anouilh. Christopher Fry Sean Boyd is guiding the show’s stage THE MOON adapted the play to English in 1950. combat. And, of course, Mellen brings Through October 17; Friday-Saturday, Perhaps due to its era, Ring Round talent and know-how to her role as 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.; the Moon has the feel of a family clasdirector. $25. UNLV’s Judy sic. Mellen compares it to a “good Dis“First of all, she’s a terrific actress, Bayley Theatre, 702-895-2787. ney movie” that will appeal to every and she has years of experience workgeneration—but for different reasons. ing at places like the Utah Shakespeare “You all will just laugh, laugh, laugh Festival that are renowned for their and want to fall in love again. And then go out for work with period plays,” Saldivar says. “And she has ice cream afterwards,” Mellen says. “It’s a really a great sense of the style and genre of the piece.” fun show.” As for Mellen, she asks readers to “just come Just don’t call the play escapist. “Escapism see the show! I think we’re desperate to have an sounds too intellectual,” says Norma Saldivar, NCT’s audience, as I hope that the audience is desperate to executive director. “This is about celebration. It’s join in supporting the actors onstage,” Mellen says. about looking at the foibles of individuals, looking “I’ve missed that full-bodied vicarious experience at our idiosyncrasies. It’s about how we handle criso much as an audience member.”
36
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
1 0 . 7. 2 1
SCENE
SHORTS STORY Pahrump auto enthusiast Roger Baggett prepares for this week’s Mecum auction BY RIC ANDERSON
I
n 2011, Roger Baggett retired from his 37-year career working in the oilfields of Northern Alaska with a couple of goals in mind. One was to explore his longtime interest in collecting and restoring cars, a hobby for which the icy Alaskan climate was anything but conducive. He also wanted to make a major lifestyle change after decades of performing industrial electrical maintenance in the oil production facilities at Prudhoe Bay, where temperatures could dip to 40-below zero. “One of my goals in retirement was to never wear long pants again, and I’m doing a darn fine job of it,” Baggett says. Baggett’s twin objectives led him to an extreme environment of a different type, but one that fit his needs perfectly—the Southern Nevada desert, where he has spent the past 10 years as a shorts-wearing car hobbyist in Pahrump. There, in a 1,050-square-foot shop equipped with a vehicle lift, he spends hours doing mechanical work on the small fleet of classic and vintage cars he’s collected. The desert heat doesn’t faze him, he says. “Weather’s weather. I worked in the cold, and I can work in the shop when it’s 110 degrees. It sounds ridiculous, but I just figure, ‘Yep, it’s hot.’ I just suck it up and do what I want.” His vehicles include a 1950s Willys Jeepster, a sort of mashup between a Jeep and a convertible sedan, and a 1929 Ford Model A delivery panel
van. Both cars are modified with modern engines, automatic transmissions and special touches like electric bucket seats in the Jeepster. Baggett’s approach to collecting is to resurrect cars he can drive anytime he feels like it, not to create museum pieces. “My cars are in the $20,000 range,” he says. “I don’t have $100,000 cars that I’d be afraid to drive.” When Baggett isn’t wrenching in the shop, he’s often traveling with his wife, Jennifer, to car auctions. The two are planning to attend the Mecum Las Vegas auction October 7-9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, where Baggett is selling three vehicles—a 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air coupe, a 1964 Ford Thunderbird and a 1991 Mercedes-Benz 350SDL sedan that was Jennifer’s daily ride until she recently got a GMC Yukon SUV with a custom interior and exterior panels that make it resemble a classic woodie-style wagon. “She’d had the Mercedes since 2015 but didn’t like it anymore since it didn’t have good cupholders,” Baggett says, laughing. The couple are partial to Mecum events—Baggett says the company provides exceptionally cordial and professional customer service to bidders and sellers. He also likes Mecum’s approach of offering vehicles at a broad range of prices, as opposed to catering exclusively to the high-end collector market. Then there’s the social aspect of being around other car enthusiasts. “I have friends in Erie, Pennsylvania,
who go mostly to [Mecum’s] East Coast auctions. We have friends down in Texas who we see all the time, people in Canada, friends in Australia,” he says. “You start chit-chatting and you strike up a friendship.” At the Las Vegas auction, Baggett will set up in his normal seat, near the front by the stage, where he’ll be wearing his standard outfit of a tiedyed shirt and Birkenstock sandals. And shorts, of course. Always shorts.
1 0 . 7. 2 1
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
37I
MECUM LAS VEGAS About 1,000 vehicles, including muscle cars, customs and exotics, will go on the block during Mecum’s fifth-annual Las Vegas auction, scheduled for October 7-9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Gates open daily at 8 a.m., with auctioning starting at 10 a.m. The general public is invited, and bidding isn’t required. Tickets cost $20 in advance and $30 at the gate once auctioning begins. For more information, visit mecum.com.
Car collector Roger Baggett has three cars scheduled to be auctioned at the Mecum event at the Las Vegas Convention Center: (left to right) a 1991 Mercedes-Benz 350 SDL turbo diesel, a 1964 Ford Thunderbird and a 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air coupe. (Steve Marcus/Staff)
T H E U LT I M AT E
WEIGHT
LOSS PROGRAM
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY. C O M / F I X SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE to the Weekly Fix, the digital edition of Las Vegas Weekly! Stay up to date with the latest on Las Vegas concerts, shows, restaurants, bars and more, sent directly to your inbox!
▶ Initial Medical Consultation ▶ Full Body Composition Analysis ▶ EKG (if required) ▶ RX for (3) month Appetite Suppressants ▶ (12) Weekly B12 Injections ▶ Bi-Weekly Body Composition Analysis ▶ Medication for (3) month treatment
395
$ $
NEW PATIENTS ONLY, CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH OTHER OFFERS.
2
www.iuventusmedcenter.com (702) 919-1099
CONVENIENT LOCATIONS
3365 E. Flamingo Road, Ste 2 Las Vegas, NV 89121 4966 S Rainbow Blvd STE 100 Las Vegas, NV 89118
RATED #1 ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN LAS VEGAS ON TRIPADVISOR
FOR RESERVATIONS CALL 702.732.5276 OR VISIT 3 0 0 0 PA R A D I S E ROA D, L A S V E G A S , N V 8 9 1 0 9 - 1 2 6 7 7 0 2 . 7 3 2 . 5 1 1 1 | W E S TG AT E L A S V E G A S .C O M
Mention I Love Las Vegas to your server when ordering. This offer may not be combined or used in conjunction with any other discounts, offers or specials. Valid only at Benihana at Westgate Las Vegas. Buy (1) one dinner entrée valued above $25 and receive (1) one Benihana Collectible Mug. Management reserves the right to change, cancel or amend this promotion at any time. Valid through 12/30/2020. Code# 57865
40
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
1 0 . 7. 2 1
1 0 . 7. 2 1
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
41I
FOOD & DRINK
AUTHENTIC FLAVORS
to raise awareness of off-Strip chefs and dining destinations. After taking a break during pandemic-plagued 2020, the event will be bigger than ever. “We really wanted to be on Main Street, because the Arts District still feels like the cultural heart of things in Vegas,” Gladstone says. “And what would they do for festivals in any other city? They’d shut BY BROCK RADKE down the street, because it’s important.” locally grown food festival founded Guests at the evening event pay one price to promote the city’s unsung culinary to sample all the food from all the chefs, talents is stepping things up signifiand beloved local bars like the Sand Dollar cantly this year. Lounge, Herbs & Rye, Jammyland, Golden Vegas Unstripped, held in 2018 and ’19 Tiki, Garagiste and the Silver Stamp will be on the patio at Downtown favorite Esther’s pouring drinks. Kitchen, is set to become a full-fledged All participating chefs will cook a dish outdoor fest on October 16, when the event or several dishes they’ve never presented expands to include 30 local chefs plus in their restaurants or at other events, a drinks and live entertainment. Main Street requirement that spikes creativity and will be shut down for it between Colorado inspires friendly competition. and Imperial Avenues. “We’re doing a porchetta di testa with a It feels appropriate for innovative chefs tonnato sauce, a completely amazing dish and restaurateurs—Oscar Amador from no one’s ever seen and they’ll never see it EDO Tapas, John Arena from Metro Pizza, again,” Trees says. “I couldn’t sell someJustin Kingsley Hall from Main St. Provithing like that at the restaurant. But this sions, Brian Howard from Sparrow + Wolf, is an event to see chefs really show off and Jimmy Li from Shanghai Taste, be surrounded by their friends Gina Marinelli from La Strega who are supportive.” VEGAS and many others—to showcase The lineup has changed a UNSTRIPPED their skills in the Downtown bit since its announcement on October 16, 8 p.m., $115-$145. Arts District, which has quickly September 1. The Black Sheep’s Downtown Las Vegas, Jamie Tran and Brezza’s Nicole become one of the hottest dining vegasunstripped.com. drags in Las Vegas. Brisson had to bow out due to “If we did this out on the conflicts, but new additions street in the first year, you could have just include Daniel Ontiveros from Resorts put up a few cones and you’d be done,” jokes World’s upcoming Carversteak, Jeffrey James Trees, proprietor of Esther’s Kitchen Weiss from Valencian Gold and Ismaele and one of the restaurateurs who has helped Romano from the new Via Focaccia at Ellis boost the buzz along Main Street. Island Casino. Other up-and-coming local Trees and Eric Gladstone, principal at chefs include Jackson Stamper from Ada’s, local hospitality PR and marketing agency Matt Meyer from Served and Keris Kuwana Feast of Friends, created Unstripped as a from Keris Sweets. Familiar favorites local-focused version of the long-running include Marc Marrone from Graffiti Bao, Vegas Uncork’d celebrity chef event, which Johnny Church from Johnny C’s Diner and staged its last weekend food bash in 2019. Gio Mauro from Pizzeria Monzu. Uncork’d attracted tourists and locals to “It’s also designed for chefs to see people the Strip for experiences at big casino will support you for taking a chance and gorestaurants; Unstripped has always taken a ing out on a limb,” says Gladstone. “This is by-the-city, for-the-city approach, aiming a festival that has a point, to show that this is a viable food city. And for people hopefully coming from other cities, we want them Participating 2021 Vegas Unstripped chefs and to feel like they really saw something. The restaurateurs include, from left: Matt Meyer, Ismaele Romano, James Trees, Valerie Stunning, feeling of being under those lights on Main Bruce Kalman, Johnny Church, Brian Howard, Gio Street, it’s going to make them say, ‘Wow, Mauro, Daniel Ontiveros, Floriana Pastore and this is not the Vegas I was promised.’” Justin Kingsley Hall. (Courtesy Sean Jorgensen)
Vegas Unstripped comes back big by shutting down Main Street
A
42
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
1 0 . 7. 2 1
MEMORABLE MEXICAN Viva at Resorts World goes beyond the familiar BY BROCK RADKE
W
hen LA-based chef Ray Garcia signed on to create something at Resorts World Las Vegas, he didn’t want to simply replicate his popular Broken Spanish, considered one of the United States’ best Mexican restaurants. “I like a good challenge, and this is one,” he says of Viva, which opened with the new Strip megaresort in June. “Vegas has plenty of replicas. I was looking to do something new and to balance what people expect from me, and really just trying to have fun and really connect with a new group of diners, maybe reinvent ourselves a little bit.” Broken Spanish is known for using artisanal and heirloom ingredients to create dishes that might expand diners’ perception of Mexican food. Viva uses the same approach—with modifications for the Vegas crowd. “There’s a shared culinary DNA,” Garcia says. “It’s just a matter of presenting it in a way that can be more familiar and approachable to take them on a further adventure.” A delicious example is the piña
VIVA Resorts World, 702-676-6020. Sunday-Thursday, 5-9:30 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 5-10:30 p.m.; Brunch: Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
1 0 . 7. 2 1
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
43I
FOOD & DRINK Viva’s chicharrones, Wagyu steak tacos, coctel mixto, piña asada and snapper Zarandeado (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
asada ($15), a fresh vegetarian option built around grilled pineapple with arugula, goat cheese and spiced pecans. Its blend of savory and sweet flavors feels entirely new, and Garcia likes how it “challenges people’s preconceived notions of what Mexican food is. When you go to a restaurant and get a side salad, it’s nothing substantial, where this is kind of exciting and unique on its own.” Other exciting opening dishes include heirloom corn tortilla chips and salsa tatemada ($5), chorizo taquitos ($16) and prime filet mignon steak tacos with chile poblano ($21). Viva also serves a selection of seafood crudos, albondigas-style duck meatballs ($16) and Tuscan kale and corn tamales ($15) among its smaller plates, along with a take on the wildly popular quesabirria tacos ($17). Standout larger plates include the bold snapper Zarandeado ($54)— mesquite-grilled fish with citrus adobo and chiles toreados. Its perfect to share with a side order of handpressed, house-made tortillas ($5) and tomato sofrito rice ($6), as is the rich barbacoa short-rib ($42) or the crackly pork belly chicharron ($47) with garlic mojo and pickled cabbage. Viva also does three cuts of steak carne asada-style, served with salsa molcajete, roasted tomatoes and crispy fingerling potatoes, and also offers a curated selection of tequila and mezcal, along with a concise and colorful cocktail menu. It’s all about standing out in the vast sea of Resorts World restaurant offerings and appealing to as many different guests as possible, including curious locals. “It’s an international market, but there’s that growing local population that we don’t want to overlook,” Garcia says. “We want to create a place they can come in, and not just when they have friends in town.”
Kono’s pig on grass plate and (below) Haliewa breakfast bomber (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
SOME PIG
Kono’s brings island favorites to town
Turns out, it’s really good, specifiOne of my all-time best days cally the kalua pig that serves as the was spent wandering the village foundation on the menu of breakfast of Hale’iwa on Oahu’s north shore, burritos (“bombers”), sandwiches, buying beach stuff at touristy shops, wraps, bowls and more. I’m a plate sampling all the flavors at the leglunch addict, and I love the endary Matsumoto Shave Ice Kono’s version ($13) with lots and lunching at Kono’s. KONO’S of that slow-roasted pork and When I found out the NORTHSHORE white rice, mesclun salad with pig-centric restaurant had bright papaya seed dressing opened a Las Vegas location 7591 W. and guava barbecue sauce for in the former Cinnamon’s Washington sweet-and-sour dipping. space just off Summerlin Ave., For a hearty morning meal, Parkway, I was excited to 702-331-1824. the Chuns bomber ($11) is relive that day in this new Daily, 7 a.m.a great choice, packed with desert version—but also con8 p.m. kalua pig and bacon, eggs, cerned. Was the simple food potatoes and cheese. Other really that good, or did I have burritos named for Hawaiian inflated memories from my locales add Portuguese sausage, bell Hawaiian vacation? peppers, tomatoes or chorizo, and you can get a bagel with avocado, cream cheese or lox if you’re going meat-free. I’ve gone overboard with the biscuit slider trio ($13), puffy biscuits filled with egg and cheese and different meats and covered in peppery sausage gravy. It was fun. That tasty pork can also be enjoyed in sliders ($12), tacos ($11), a lunchtime burrito with barbecue sauce, cheese and grilled onions ($12) and on a pile of messy, delicious nachos ($14) topped with onions, tomatoes, sour cream and cilantro. Milkshakes, smoothies and vanilla Macadamia nut coffee round out the island-style experience at Kono’s, which still feels like a vacation to me. –Brock Radke
09.30.21 PHOTOGRAPHY BY WADE VANDERVORT
46
VEGAS INC BUSINESS
1 0 . 7. 2 1
As businesses continue coping with pandemic, space has become a commodity
F
BY BRYAN HORWATH or Arend Jackson, a celebrity hairstylist who has worked with stars such as Usher and Jennifer Hudson, renting space at Body Spa Salons on West Charleston Boulevard to operate his business is an easy decision. “Body Spa’s brand is well-known, we have exposure here as contractors and we have a lot of camaraderie here amongst the contractors,” he said. Debbie Ritchey, a stylist-turned-businesswoman, brought the Body Spa concept to Southern Nevada in the 1990s. There are now six locations in the Las Vegas area, along with several in California and plans for more in Arizona. The West Charleston location features 48,000 square feet of space and is home to about 300 workers, who do everything from hair and makeup to nails, acupuncture and massage. They are independent contractors and rent the space from the salon, which the stylists say is a great asset during the pandemic, as some in the industry have stayed away or worked limited shifts during the health crisis. “When I moved to Las Vegas about 30 years ago, I saw the need for my model,” Ritchey said. “With small businesses, you can create your own environment, which is really important these days. We give people the flexibility and cross marketing they need to grow.” In many spas and salons, Ritchey said, customer stations are close together, often in confined spaces. When the COVID-19 pandemic came along, people became much more aware about their personal space. Ritchey said that’s less of a concern at a Body Spa location because of its open floor plans. At the West Charleston complex, one room leads to another, which might lead down a hallway to a completely different area. Private rooms can also be found for services such as massage or waxing.
“Our stations are very spread apart,” Ritchey said. “I make sure that people have a lot of square feet, regardless of the virus. I think that’s how you need to run a business. A lot of salon owners still line up stations 4 feet apart, which used to be tolerable. That’s different now. I understand that space is expensive and people need to watch their profit margins, but I don’t work only around my profit margins.” Another thing that has changed over the years in the beauty industry, Ritchey said, is that customers usually aren’t of the walk-in variety. At Body Spa West, only one on-site person, a concierge, is employed by
Ritchey. Everything else is handled by the contractors. “People are going through social media or referrals,” Ritchey said. “We don’t want anything to do with a contractor’s database; we’re about taking care of our customer. Our customers, in turn, can take care of their customers.” By the end of the year, Ritchey plans to have a dozen Body Spa locations in the Southwest, including one in Newport Beach, California, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. “I’ve never advertised the entire time I’ve been in Nevada,” Ritchey said. “I’ve done everything by reputation. Nobody should be anybody’s leader or boss; people need to understand that we create our world at Body Spa. If they don’t fit into that world, they’ll probably leave anyway.” Like Jackson, Faye Fabio, a master barber who runs the Fade Factory Barbershop room at Body Spa West, said she was attracted to the hands-off concept for Ritchey is known. “She’s the best,” Fabio said. “I just have to worry about running my business, the rest is taken care of.” Jackson said a notable like Usher wouldn’t be expected to come into a salon like Body Spa. That level of celebrity would have a stylist come to them. Jackson said business—on the celebrity and non-celebrity sides—for his services has been crazy lately. “As soon as we opened back up after the shutdown in June [of 2020], I just started getting calls,” Jackson said. “People weren’t in a salon for a long time after the pandemic hit. The world has opened back up. The show doesn’t stop.” Pandemic or no pandemic, Ritchey said there’s one constant that doesn’t seem to change. “Everybody wants to look good and feel good,” Ritchey said. “That’s where we come in.”
Celebrity hair stylist Arend Jackson rents space at Body Spa West Salon. (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)
What if a conversation could keep our city alive? Our city is still at risk. Our jobs are in jeopardy. Our economy is still walking on the
thin wire of COVID-19. What if you could save us all with a simple act? It’s easy. Take a pledge to get one friend or loved one to get the vaccine. It’s approved, it’s safe, and it’s the key to keeping our city OPEN. It’s not too late. Take the pledge.
Find a vaccine clinic and take the pledge at NVCOVIDFighter.org.
48
VEGAS INC BUSINESS
1 0 . 7. 2 1
VegasInc Notes Jason Peterson joined Exit Realty Number One as its marketing coordinator. He has worked in publishing as an art director, graphic designer, researcher, writer and editor. He also worked Peterson as senior media designer at a medium-sized California casino for six years. Sarah Thomas, partner at Mead Law Group, was recognized in Super Lawyers Mountain States Rising Stars for construction litigation. The annual list compiles a comprehensive and diverse listing of Thomas the top 5% of outstanding attorneys in each state. Thomas also received the 2022 Best Lawyers award and One to Watch in Best Lawyers 2021. Gaming Laboratories International’s director of systems and audit, Joseph Marchetti, was named to the ELG 40 Under 40 Class of 2022 by Emerging Leaders of Gaming and Global Gaming Business Marchetti magazine. Marchetti has been with GLI for more than 15 years, previously serving as technical group manager. HopeLink of Southern Nevada announced its new members to the 2021-2022 board of directors in addition to a new chair. Enhancing the breadth of leadership and experience of the governing body, the new board members include Rosaelena Taranto, owner of Coffee for Compassion; Ray Edwards, CEO of Purtec Inc.; Chris-
tina Thomas, owner of Living Free Souls; and Kimberly MacClafferty, VP Business Banker for Bank of Nevada. Additionally, Scot Rutledge with Argentum Partners, will serve as the 2021 board chair. Eric Cramer accepted the role of associate at Sun Commercial Real Estate with the investment services group led by CEO Cathy Jones. Cramer previously served as an intern/agent, working Cramer with multiple teams within Sun’s portfolio of services. Judge Douglas Hedger retired from the Henderson Municipal Court bench after more than 18 years of service. He plans to stay active in the legal community, practicing law at Clear Counsel Hedger Law Group, serving as an instructor for the National Drug Court Institute and continuing as the American Bar Association’s judicial outreach liaison for Nevada, focusing on improving the safety of roads through proactive impaired-driving education. The Baller Dream Foundation, a nonprofit that supports children and young adults battling cancer, announced that celebrated politician, business leader and social activist Jan Jones Blackhurst has joined the foundation as its newest board member. The San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority announced that Cynthia Kiser Murphey joined the San Manuel team as general manager for the Palms. Since 2020, Kiser Murphey has served as CEO for a large benefits fund. In 2008, she was named pres-
ident and chief operating officer of New York-New York Hotel & Casino. Chef/owner Brian Howard named Travis Schultz executive chef of Sparrow + Wolf, the first time the restaurant has had a chef in that position. Schultz previously served as executive Schultz sous chef and will lead the team day-to-day. Howard will continue to play an active role in menu development and maintaining creativity and quality. Coreprime, a Nevada-based commercial insurance brokerage specializing in the design and management of employee benefit programs for companies, hired Lily Tran as an account executive. She will assist Tran in managing the day-to-day servicing and benefits strategy for Coreprime’s commercial clients across the region. Tran has nine years of luxury hospitality experience, most recently serving in high-level customer service and marketing positions at two of the largest luxury resorts on the Strip. Barry’s Downtown Prime, located at Circa resort, has been named the official steakhouse of the Vegas Golden Knights in a sponsorship deal that will run through 2024. Barry’s sponsorship of the Golden Knights includes a $1,000 chef’s table experience giveaway during 21 regular-season home games. Winners will receive an all-expenses paid dinner for up to 12 guests in a private dining area. Zumpano Patricios announced its expansion into Nevada with the appointment of litigator Amanda Brookhyser as partner-in-charge of the firm’s newly opened Las Vegas office. Brookhyser brings nearly 12 years of litigation experience to the role and is the first woman attorney to be named partnerin-charge of one of the firm’s offices.
TSK Architects announced the promotions of project architects Robert Hersh and Jeffrey Sarmiento to associates within the Henderson-based firm. Hersh has experience with K-12, Hersh higher education, retail, mixed-use, religious structures and large-scale hospitality projects. Sarmiento’s expertise includes K-12, higher education, federal government and hospitality facility projects. Sarmiento United Way of Southern Nevada appointed Dana Boldizsar as individual giving manager. With 25 years of experience in team development, Boldizsar will unite local women and bring together the passion, expertise and resources needed to help Southern Nevadans succeed. MountainView Hospital announced that Carl H. James joined the hospital as its new chief financial officer. He joins MountainView from HCA Healthcare’s Regional Medical Center, where he served as James CFO since 2019. The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce recognized Wells Fargo as its 2021 Corporation of the Year for its efforts to foster an inclusive economic recovery from the pandemic. Southwest Medical, part of Optum Care, welcomed Dr. Chihiro Hirai-Adachi to help meet the growing need for health services in the Las Vegas community. Hirai-Adachi joins Southwest Medical’s Nellis Healthcare Center and specializes in OB/GYN care. Dr. Lanette Rickborn joined Urology Specialists of Nevada at its 2010 Wellness Way, 3150 Tenaya Way #165 and 8410 W. Warm Springs Road #10 locations.
your MASTERPIECE in the MAKING A CANVAS FOR YOU TO DESIGN A LIFE YOU LOVE
Situated amidst the energy and excitement of The Arts District, Juhl presents a collection of distinct condominiums with an exceptional array of amenities and services that bring a new meaning to artful living. LOFT-STYLE FLATS, LIVE/WORK & TWO-STORY BROWNSTONES OFFERED FROM THE MID $200s $200 s — LOW $800s $800 s
JUHLLV.COM | 702.690.4944
LOW DOWN PAYMENT FINANCING | SCHEDULE A PRIVATE PRESENTATION TODAY SEE LENDER FOR DETAILS. FOR ELIGIBLE PRIMARY HOMEBUYERS. LOAN TERMS AND CONDITIONS MAY VARY. SUBJECT TO UNDERWRITING APPROVAL. PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. IMAGES MAY REPRESENT MODEL HOMES. SEE AGENT FOR DETAILS. A DK LAS VEGAS LLC COMMUNITY. NORTHCAP COMMERCIAL | LICENSE # B.0143037
INVITES YO U TO T HE M OST GL AM OROU S E V E NT O F TH E Y E A R
Celebrating the Glitz and Glam of Vintage Vegas 10.15.21 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
T HAN K YO U TO O U R S P ON SOR S PRESENTING SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSORS
l as vegas
www.ecflv.org for tickets and silent auction information.
roam means nevada. When's the last time you packed the family into the car and hit the highway on a home-state excursion? To gaze up at thousands of stars in Nevada's dark skies? To get away from it all in one of our stunning state parks, miles from all the crowds? If you're looking for a fun-filled road trip, you live in the right place. Because it's all right here. In your very own state. So, neighbor, what are you waiting for?
Maybe it's time to Discover Your Nevada. DiscoverYourNevada.com
STARGAZING AT GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK, BAKER BIKING AT WARD CHARCOAL OVENS STATE PARK, ELY
GAME DAY. GAME PLAN.
LIVE GAME SOUND 143-ft screen 3 LEVELS • 6 POOLS ALL SPORTS. ALL SEASONS. Cheer on your favorite football team all season long for the ultimate poolside tailgate.
scan to reserve the best seat in the stadium
circalasvegas.com | @circalasvegas 8 Fremont Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101 | 702-247-2258 Circa Las Vegas is a 21+ experience. We encourage you to gamble responsibly. For problem gambling, call the Problem Gamblers Helpline at 800.522.4700.