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LV ENTERTAINER FRANKIE MORENO SETS RECORD WITH 61 NO. 1 HITS Once he got going, he couldn’t stop. And now he doesn’t want to. On October 14, Frankie Moreno’s latest track, Can’t Go Back, hit the No. 1 spot in digital sales, giving the Las Vegas-based singer and songwriter an unbelievable 61 No. 1 hits over the past two years. It’s a new record for any artist; the legendary “King of Country” George Strait has tallied 60 No. 1 songs over his remarkable career. This is not the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the music industry standard record chart for songs in the U.S., with rankings based on physical and digital sales, radio play and online streaming. That chart has been most recently ruled by mega-famous pop stars like Justin Bieber, Drake, Lil Nas X and Olivia Rodrigo. Strait’s record was a combination of Billboard hits and No. 1s on Mediabase charts. Moreno’s record is on the iTunes U.S. Top 40 Charts, based only on digital sales. His songs have hit No. 1 nationally and internationally in various musical genres, from blues and country to pop and reggae. The record-breaking run started when the pandemic shuttered live concerts and Moreno retreated to his home studio to begin a creative marathon of writing and recording 67 singles. “This was not the goal,” Moreno said. “I was doing Facebook Live shows, playing a few [outdoor] concerts at Craig Ranch Park and doing a few other things, and we had no idea how long this [shutdown] would be. Most of the No. 1s were co-written by his writing partner Gianna Adams, and others were co-written with his brother and bandmate Tony Moreno and Frankie’s girlfriend, Lacey Schwimmer, a dancer known for her turns as a finalist on So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With the Stars. –Brock Radke
WEEK IN REVIEW WEEK AHEAD News you should know about
10.21.21
IN THIS ISSUE
16 32 34 40 45
Cover story: EDC returns for year 10 in Las Vegas Stage: Rated Red brings neo-burlesque to Area15 Scene: Get ready to get reading—a book fest guide Food & Drink: Fergusons’ new hot spot Vegas Inc: The 2021 Contractor of the Year Awards
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STORIES FROM LAST WEEK COUNTY SAYS CASH IS KING FOR VACCINE INCENTIVES More people got vaccinated against COVID-19 in one weekend at a clinic where cash incentives were offered than at nearly 20 similar Southern Nevada Health District-run clinics combined. Clark County says 892 people got vaccinated at a pop-up clinic September 18-19, when each shot was worth $100, given as a preloaded gift card. At SNHD pop-ups between May and mid-September, with no cash giveaways, the district gave out 782 doses combined, according to SNHD records.
VGK INJURIES The Vegas Golden Knights were dealt two big blows when Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone suffered injuries during a loss to the LA Kings on October 14. Pacioretty has a lower-body fracture, and is considered week-to-week. Stone’s injury might be less severe, with his status was described as “day to day” at press time.
BOBBY’S EXPANSION
Las Vegas defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) chases Denver quarterback Teddy Bridgewater during the Raiders’ 34-24 win October 17 in Denver. Turn to Page 42 for more on the Raiders. (Jack Dempsey/AP Photo)
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
Bobby’s Burgers, the fast-casual hamburger restaurant from Bobby Flay, is expanding in Las Vegas to Caesars Entertainment properties Paris and Harrah’s. It will debut in December at Harrah’s inside the Fulton Street Food Hall and in March at Paris at the Le Boulevard area.
COLIN POWELL DIES Colin Powell, who served Democratic and Republican presidents in war and peace but whose sterling reputation was forever stained when he went before the U.N. and made faulty claims to justify the U.S. war in Iraq, died October 18 of COVID-19 complications. He was 84. A veteran of the Vietnam War, Powell rose to the rank of four-star general and in 1989 became the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He oversaw the U.S. invasion of Panama and later the U.S. invasion of Kuwait to oust the Iraqi army in 1991.
The Gaziliionaire, left, a character from the Spiegelworld show Absinthe, joins by Ross Mollison, center, founder of Spiegelworld, and Anthony Carano, president and chief operating officer of Caesars Entertainment, for an October 14 announcement at Caesars Palace. (Steve Marcus/Staff)
SPIEGELWORLD ANNOUNCES NEW SHOWS IN VEGAS AND BEYOND Caesars Entertainment and Spiegelworld announced on October 14 a monumental next step in the companies’ successful Las Vegas entertainment partnership, which began with the opening of Absinthe at Caesars Palace more than 10 years ago. A collaborative expansion will aim to create three new production shows in the coming years at the Linq Hotel in 2022, Caesars Atlantic City in 2023 and Caesars New Orleans in 2024. The project represents an investment of nearly $75 million by Caesars to add the new Spiegelworld entertainment, food and beverage experiences to the three resorts. Caesars Atlantic City originally opened in 1979, and the company’s $170 million renovation of the property was unveiled this summer. Spiegelworld plans to resurrect the historic Warner Theatre there to create a new theater space for an original production. In New Orleans, the Harrah’s casino resort is being rebranded as Caesars New Orleans as part of a $325 million project to be completed in 2024. The shows in Atlantic City and New Orleans will be new concepts that haven’t yet been in development. The new Las Vegas show will be DiscoShow, the long-gestating music-based show formerly known as We Are Here. Disco icon Nile Rodgers was part of the musical creative team for DiscoShow, which showcased in New York City before the pandemic. -Brock Radke
PARK THEATER RENAMED, WILL FEATURE DOLBY ATMOS SOUND Park Theater at Las Vegas’ Park MGM, home to residency shows from Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, has been renamed Dolby Live, marking a partnership between MGM Resorts and the audio technology company. Sound inside the venue has also been significantly upgraded, according to a press release. “The space now features a fully integrated Dolby Atmos playback system, which was designed, calibrated and tuned by Dolby engineers to match the size and unique characteristics of the 5,200-seat theater,” the release reads, touting the room as the “first fully integrated performance venue of its kind to offer live concerts in Dolby Atmos.” “Collaborating with Dolby to revolutionize our live entertainment offerings takes the experience to entirely new levels,” Bill Hornbuckle, CEO and President of MGM Resorts International, said in the release. “Dolby Live will be the most advanced performance venue on the Strip.” In addition to Gaga’s nine upcoming Jazz & Piano dates through October 31, Dolby Live’s schedule includes Foo Fighters (December 2 and 4) and Jason Aldean (December 9-11). –Staff
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10.21.21
Enter the Inferno Las Vegas’ official esports team aims to win you over
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BY AMBER SAMPSON t’s Game Day Sunday, and there’s not a single Raiders jersey or Golden Knights flag in sight. People of all ages have flocked to the Luxor’s HyperX Esports Arena to watch and compete in a regional tournament for the iconic fighting game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Inside the 30,000-square-foot arena, commentators’ voices boom over the sound system as 50-foot LED screens capture every punch, kick and neardeath collision, as Smash fans track every move. Esports events like that get a gamer’s heart racing, and communities like this remind Jairo Urcuyo why he founded Las Vegas’ first official esports team in the first place. “We [needed] something to support Vegas. There were other teams here in the past, but there was never a sense of family or a sense of community outreach,” says Urcuyo, who launched the Las Vegas Inferno in January 2020. “[Past players cared
so much] about championships and being the next big thing in esports that they never gravitated toward an official home and supporting the local community.” Urcuyo, whose CV includes stints at esports organizations Strictly Business and Denial Esports, set out to change that even before Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman declared the Inferno official in June, or dubbed January 6 Las Vegas Inferno Day. The team competes in online tournaments in their games of choice, Rocket League, Fortnite and Halo, against opposing squads in the United States and beyond. Prize pools can run from $9,000 to $200,000 depending on the event, Urcuyo says. The Inferno’s commitment to the community has led it to work with local businesses, charities and national nonprofits such as Susan G. Komen, the American Cancer Society and the Make-a-Wish Foundation. The team has also been a proponent of empowering and educating young gamers.
Inside the Luxor’s HyperX Esports Arena during the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate competition (Staff)
10.21.21
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
NEWS
“WE’RE HERE, AND WE’RE HERE TO STAY, EVERYONE’S GONNA KNOW OUR NAME.” -Leo Martinez
Las Vegas Inferno members (left to right) Jairo Urcuyo, Victor Luu, Onesiphorus Hilton, Steven Jones, Matthew Sita, Leo Martinez, Michael Cox and Briana Mercado (Courtesy Las Vegas Inferno)
With the creation of the Ignition Initiative program, the Inferno aims to teach young adults about financial education and planning— and also how to navigate a successful esports career. Urcuyo says he hopes those endeavors will leave a lasting impression on the city. “We want to get as big as the Golden Knights, where we’re doing more things for the community, hosting events, giving back more,” he says. “I feel that we’re going in the right direction.” Since the Inferno launched in 2020, it has grown into a group of 54 people, but only a portion of them actually compete professionally. “I
don’t want to just be a competitive team,” Urcuyo says. “Esports has so many businesses built into one. You have content creation and streaming, merchandising, production, [and then] you have competitive teams.” Think of it as more of a “lifestyle brand,” he explains, “mixed with a sports brand, mixed with an esports brand.” Working off of that mindset, Urcuyo has also developed relationships with sponsors and brand ambassadors such as Los Angeles Angels pitcher Matt Ramsey and professional mixed martial artist Erick “The Ghost Pepper” Gonzalez. That’s the formula behind today’s
successful esports lifestyle brands. Multimillion-dollar collectives like 100 Thieves and FaZe Clan compete regularly but build loyalty through custom merchandise, partnerships, video game streams and well-produced YouTube videos. It might seem counterintuitive to develop a following online before real life, but it has brought leading esports organizations Vegas notoriety. FaZe Clan, for example, recently held a Summer Tip-Off gaming event at Resorts World, complete with a headlining show from Grammy-nominated rapper Jack Harlow. Briana Mercado and Victor Luu are two of many content creators representing the Las Vegas Inferno. Mercado started out streaming other activities, but followers quickly convinced her to get onto the gaming side. In her four years of streaming, she has gone from borrowing her brother’s equipment to building a custom PC, on which she plays the competitive first-person shooter Call of Duty.
“Streaming’s very therapeutic,” Mercado says. “There’s so many people who are having a bad day or have lost somebody, and they just want that smile. We bring that to them. If we’re having a bad day ourselves, we don’t bring that on stream. We let them have a positive experience, because there’s so much negativity in the world.” To Mercado, “streaming isn’t a job, it’s a lifestyle.” Luu adds, “I have all the support to continue doing it.” Esports is an evolving, billion-dollar business. Inferno general manager Leo Martinez has seen the changing tides throughout the years, from failed businesses to ambitious upstarts revving up the industry here. An official team provides more ownership—and more pride within the community. With that comes recognition, and, Martinez hopes, Vegas becoming the esports town for which it has been aiming for years. “We’re here, and we’re here to stay,” he says. “Everyone’s gonna know our name.”
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10.21.21
HOME
WOOD IT IS! CLASSES
WOOD WORKS
101
Learn before buying tools. Not all tools are created equal, and a lot of tools shown in catalogs and on TV shows are a waste of money, according to Yocono.
WOOD IT IS! 2267 W. Gowan Road #106, 702-631-1870, wooditis.com.
Un
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Waabtinchet c ise
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n high school, Jamie Yocono was barred from her dream elective. “Back then, girls weren’t allowed to take wood shop,” Yocono recalls. “I thought that was so ridiculous.” So she struck a deal: If Yocono took home economics— the required course for girls—she could also take wood shop. “From the moment I walked into the wood shop, I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” Yocono says. Today, Yocono runs two woodworking businesses in Las Vegas: a school and a custom cabinet studio. Both are called Wood It Is!. The local demand for woodworking knowledge is so high, Yocono says, her classes are sometimes booked out a year in advance. She’s also the only game in town, referring to herself as “the last woman standing.” Both UNLV and CSN’s woodworking classes go through her shop. In today’s disposable society, Yocono says the appeal of woodworking stems from its permanence. The projects that she and her students build become family heirlooms. They’re hand-crafted out of solid wood, and made to last. “It’s really rewarding to do it yourself,” Yocono says. Just be aware that DIY isn’t necessarily cheaper than storebought. “Some people mistakenly come to my school and they think they’re gonna save money doing it themselves. They’re not,” Yocono says. “It’s gonna cost you more, and your first few pieces may not be as good as you want them to be.” Yocono cycles through teaching about 30 different class projects, and some eager students try to take them all. “We do everything from tables to bookcases to outdoor furniture to rocking chairs,” Yocono says. “Why wouldn’t you jump at the opportunity to make your own desk or dining room table and chairs?” The only downside? Thanks to the pandemic-fueled boom in home construction, the price of wood is sky high.
Lo u
BY C. MOON REED
Tools
Instead of buying a bunch of tools, Yocono suggests newbies rent time in a fully stocked wood shop. She rents out studio time to those who have completed her basic woodworking course. “[Former students] come back on the weekends and they’re building beds, dining room tables, little rocking chairs for their grandchildren.”
sy
Talking shop with local studio owner and instructor Jamie Yocono
New students should begin with the beginners woodworking class (tuition $279, materials $120). After that, students may take a variety of classes, such as bookcase making (tuition $279, materials $65). If you just want to make a quick, fun project, the Pen Turning Class (Tuition + materials $95) could be for you. The threehour class requires no prior training, and can be fun for family, friends or date nights. At the end, you’ll emerge with your own hand-made wooden pen. Classes fill up fast, so check woodworkingclassesinlasvegas. blogspot.com for Yocono in her shop new openings. (Courtesy Louise Ungerman)
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Furniture created by Jamie Yocono
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EXPERT TIPS Practice. Before you set out to build that masterpiece bedroom suite, Yocono says, you’ll first need to hone your woodworking skills. For example, start by practicing cutting plywood with a table saw “until you have little shards of wood” to improve your accuracy. And obviously, be careful!
When you’re ready to buy, splurge on a table saw. You can skimp on other tools, but Yocono says you should construct your wood shop around your table saw. You’ll want something with a lot of capacity and high horsepower. “If you buy a crappy little $200 or $300 table saw, you’re just going to fight it for the rest of your life,” Yocono says. She suggests devoting a third to a half of your total tool budget on a table saw.
Helmet case
Choose a quality set of hand tools. Yocono advises buying a nice pair of chisels. Then learn how to sharpen them.
You can never have too many clamps. “You’re always clamping something [when you’re woodworking],” Yocono says. “Every time you see clamps, if they’re good ones, buy them.”
Start simple. Don’t try to make a project that’s outsizes your skill level, Yocono advises. Make what you need. If you’re struggling to pick a project, Yocono advises looking around your house to see what’s missing. “Coffee tables and end tables are two of the easiest things to build,” she says. She also recommends a wall mirror, a key holder or a desk hutch. Get handy. Those woodworking skills might also prove useful around the house. “Once you start using the tools to build furniture, you realize that you can fix your kitchen cabinets or you can work on a fence in your yard,” Yocono says. Personalize it. Once you’ve learned wood cutting and simple joinery, Yocono recommends making your own plans for woodworking projects. “Don’t rely on somebody else to help to tell you the sizes to cut your pieces; personalize it, and make it your own.”
(Courtesy Jeniffer LaRocca)
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10.21.21
Electric Daisy Carnival returns to celebrate 25 years—and 10 in Las Vegas BY BROCK RADKE The first Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas took place June 24-26, 2011. It attracted an estimated 230,000 people to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, about 15 miles northeast of the Strip, for three epic nights of dance music-powered revelry. All the biggest DJs of the day performed, mainstream stars like David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, Steve Aoki, Calvin Harris and Paul Oakenfold, and more underground acts like Roger Sanchez, Richie Hawtin, Donald Glaude and Green Velvet. There festivities also included live acts like Empire of the Sun and Plastikman and celebrities like Paris Hilton and Flavor Flav. EDC was the first large-scale Las Vegas music festival to find consistent success. Today it’s recognized as one of the destination’s huge annual events and a massive weekend for general tourism and entertainment—not to mention the biggest electronic dance music festival in North America—but 10 years ago, nothing was guaranteed. “I’ll never forget the first year coming to Vegas, because it was a big unknown, how successful it was going to be,” says Pasquale Rotella, founder of the festival’s parent company, Insomniac. “It was the type of event that people misunderstood or didn’t know anything about, and it was a huge milestone, making that move. And there just had not been successful festivals [in Vegas] that came back and lasted more than a couple years.” Rotella relocated EDC from LA after 15 years of parties that started with a 6,000-person event at the Shrine Expo Hall in 1997. Although the festival had already expanded with new events around the country a decade before its flagship landed in Las Vegas, Insomniac’s primary mission in 2011 was maintaining the big one—which is why it
(Inset) Pasquale Rotella (Courtesy Insomniac)
landed in Las Vegas. “EDC would not be what it is today without the support of Las Vegas,” Rotella says. “The infrastructure … and the city’s experiences lend itself to be able to host these mass gatherings, and all the support we get from everyone in the city, there’s just nothing like it. We produce festivals all over the world, and none of them are like EDC Las Vegas.” With the festival’s grand return October 22-24 at the Speedway, Insomniac will celebrate 25 years of Electric Daisy Carnival and 10 in Las Vegas, unique anniversaries made all the more momentous by the challenges and circumstances presented over the past 20 months. In late February 2020, the lineup of artists was announced for last year’s event, which was then postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Originally slated for May 15-17 2020, it was first pushed to October 2020, and then to May 2021. And then on April 20, with the event just a month away, Insomniac announced that the changing restrictions on event capacities and safety rules would require another move to the fall. Through all the upheaval and uncertainty, many of the festival’s fans—long referred to by Insomniac as “headliners,” signifying that the party people are the stars of the show—maintained their connection to the event that means so much to so many. It’s not just a massive rave in the desert with all the flashing lights and bass-pumping music one can imagine. It’s a ritualistic gathering, a way to connect with friends and strangers. Rotella says he was reminded of the festival’s social significance over and over throughout the pandemic. “I’ve always known these events mean a lot to people, and it gives them energy and strength in their everyday lives. “The amount of personal messages I received in the last two years, people going through stuff and needing these events, really strengthened what I already knew,” he continues. “This community brings a lot of value and happiness to people’s lives, and that impact is why I kept pushing and fighting to open up as soon as possible. It gave me a sense of purpose, and I’m grateful for that.” Looking ahead to this comeback festival, it’s safe to say there will be two years’ worth of surprises in store for the returning headliners. The physical footprint has been expanded, after Insomniac received the green light to replace permanent RV hookups—long an
EDC 2021
E D C ELECTRIC DAISY CARNIVAL October 22-24, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, lasvegas. electric daisy carnival.com.
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obstacle for the fest inside the Speedway— with equipment that can be reinstalled, creating the largest EDC ever. There will be two new wedding chapels with technology and nature themes, for those who want to take those festival connections to the next level. There will be new art and new artists, and the awe-inspiring visuals and stage production setups will be brighter than ever before, since EDC has never before been held in the darkness of October. Looking back at the past decade, during which Electric Daisy Carnival joined forces with Las Vegas to become the world-renowned event it is today, Rotella says he has many standout memories. Among his favorites are the addition of Camp EDC in 2018, “which was important, because a lot of people said their least favorite part of the experience was going back and forth,” he says. “To be able to live onsite for four days and what that turned into, with 30,000 people out there [camping] and pool parties and really transforming the lot, that was a big moment.” Adding roads within the temporary town that is the festival grounds was another significant and convenient development, and there’s extra affection attached to the Rainbow Road and Pixel Forest areas for Rotella, since those are named after his children, now 8 and 5 years old. It’s difficult to overstate the impact EDC and Vegas have had upon one another. After five annual festivals at the Speedway— and after EDC 2015 attracted more than 400,000 attendees to make it the biggest weekender in the country—the event was estimated to have generated $1.3 billion for the local economy. Insomniac’s global expansion for various events and new endeavors in the music industry and other branches of entertainment reached an alltime high during EDC’s Vegas run. “We’ve been doing our best to entertain people through everything that’s been going on when things were on pause, some drive-thru and online events, and we’re still working on new things to entertain people in different ways,” Rotella says. “But EDC is the largest event in the Insomniac portfolio, and it’s all been leading up to this. We refer to it as our New Year’s or our Mardi Gras. We can feel the energy and excitement going up as we get closer. We’ve been out there setting up, and we’re just ready to go.”
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Tiësto (Courtesy Insomniac)
Talking with Tiësto about his ongoing EDC Las Vegas performing streak BY BROCK RADKE
EDC 2021
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Has any DJ done what Tiësto has done in Las Vegas? The Dutch dance music icon has been a Strip staple for more than 15 years, headlining clubs and parties at Wynn, the Hard Rock Hotel and MGM Grand and growing into one of the all-time biggest draws in the city’s nightlife scene. There’s even a show at the Fountains of Bellagio choreographed to his music. “It was always my dream to play Las Vegas as a kid. I was always attracted to the lights of Las Vegas, and it was just a special place to me,” the 52-year-old DJ and producer tells the Weekly. “When I started playing here, I said to my promoters that my goal was to have a residency in Las Vegas and have my name on the building like David Copperfield. They said, ‘Yeah, that’s never gonna happen.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, you’re right, never gonna happen.’” But it did happen. Tiësto’s name
and picture were pasted on MGM Grand for years—on the other side of the hotel tower that displayed Copperfield’s show—while he was spinning at Hakkasan. This year, he made the jump to the Strip’s newest megaresort, Resorts World, and participated in a huge commercial campaign with the property’s other stars, including Celine Dion and Katy Perry. He has remained one of the biggest names in the clubs as they’ve reopened this year, and now Tiësto is back to spin at EDC’s comeback festival (Saturday night at midnight on the Kinetic Field stage) as the only DJ who has performed at all 10 Las Vegas editions. “It’s been a really great journey, and now Vegas is definitely a big part of my life,” he says. “It’s like my second home. I can’t imagine life without Las Vegas anymore.” You’ve played so many important club venues in Las Vegas,
10 for 10 and this year you helped open Resorts World and ushered in Ayu Dayclub and Zouk Nightclub. Where does that rank on your list of Vegas experiences? It has been really cool. As much as I loved it at Hakkasan and MGM for so many years, it felt like it was time for a new challenge, and this was a really good opportunity. I’ve known the guys at the Zouk Group for years and played at the club in Singapore many times. They showed me all the plans [for Vegas], and I knew I wanted to be part of this.
big, high ceilings and amazing production. I’m very happy.
What was it like becoming the first artist ever to perform Zouk Nightclub last month? It was incredible, but my opening nights at both clubs were incredible. And it’s been really busy, too. It seems like Vegas has been packed despite the pandemic; it was a great summer for all of us. And Zouk, I just love it there. It’s a really comfortable club and has those
Do any specific past EDC sets stand out in your mind? I just can’t believe this is the 25th one already. Back when we celebrated the 20th year, I played all these tracks from the past and made a musical journey out of it. I loved the Avicii dedication we did back in 2018. I played five or six of his songs and made this whole section for him, and it was incredible
And now you get to perform at EDC Las Vegas for the 10th time. I’ve done all of them, and it’s been incredible. I really love EDC—it’s definitely one of my favorite festivals in the world, with the whole setup in the desert. There’s something about it that’s really special. I love playing the main stage, and the crowd is always so energetic. I’m just happy they keep asking me back.
to see the crowd’s reaction to it. Normally everybody would be going off, but there were these waves of emotions going through the crowd and some people were crying. I’ve never experienced anything like that. I couldn’t keep dry either, I had to step out of the booth for a minute and started crying, because it was such an emotional moment. It seems like this year’s fest could be very emotional, too, since people have been so looking forward to getting back there after the missed year. I’ve already seen it this year with some of the first festivals opening up again. People are so happy and excited, and it just feels like you can go back to your life again, to meet other people and hug other people and just have a good time together. It’s going to be very special. That’s a huge part of why EDC calls the crowd the headliners. I always consider it a team play between me and the crowd, and they are there for that social experience with each other as much as the music. They’re not there to see me. What does 2022 look like for you? Things are looking good. I have some European dates in December, and next year is going to be a big touring year. I think we’ve already booked the whole year with festivals lined up everywhere. I’m very lucky I live here in America, so I could do a lot of shows in Vegas [this year]. Vegas has been great to me and I’m very thankful for that, because I know a lot of my European colleagues are just starting up again as of September [due to travel restrictions], and I’ve been going at it since April. And I’m excited to be at Resorts World, because it’s been a great experience in this first year and they have a lot of plans to open another hotel there and it just keeps growing. Next year when Europe is fully open again and everybody can fly to Vegas, it’s going to be a really incredible summer.
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EDC 2021
EDC 2021 Driving, parking, packing and other tips BY EVELYN MATEOS
How to get there? You can drive to the Speedway along Las Vegas Blvd or Interstate 15 (Exit 54). Look for electronic message signs on the freeway with the latest information and traffic updates. Whether you’re driving yourself or taking the (sold-out) shuttle service, head out early to give yourself enough time to get into the festival—especially if you want to catch the opening ceremonies, which begin daily at 4 p.m. Past festivalgoers recommend allowing about an hour and a half to two hours to get into EDC. Where to park? Free parking will be available in the Brown and Green lots, located on the Speedway’s west and south sides, respectively, and accessible via Las Vegas Boulevard. Premier parking is available for $130 in the Yellow lot, and ADA parking will be accessible via Entry 8 off Las Vegas Boulevard. Remember to keep track of your spot!
What’s the COVID policy? To get into EDC this year, you must either be fully vaccinated (final dose no later than October 8) or provide a negative test result taken no sooner than 72 hours prior to entry. You can show a copy of your CDC vaccination card, digital vaccine record or negative test result, or a photo of one of those documents on your phone. Are masks required? No, but local and state officials strongly recommend that you wear one. Are tickets still available? At press time, a limited number of GA, GA+ and VIP passes were for sale at lasvegas.electricdaisycarnival.com/ tickets. How does camping work? To enter Camp EDC, you must be 18+, be wearing a festival wristband and have a camping pass in hand. Check-in begins October 21 at 9 a.m., then times vary for the remainder of the festival. An RV or vehicle cannot be moved once parked. All campers must vacate the campground by 3 p.m. on Monday, October 25.
What to wear? Considering EDC is taking place in the fall this year, you might want to pack a jacket for the chilly night and early morning hours— especially if you’re going to be waiting in line for shuttle rides. If you’re planning on rocking a costume—in honor of Halloween or just for fun—keep in mind that outfits resembling public safety uniforms (police, SWAT, fire, security or medical) are not permitted. What to bring? Empty, reusable water bottles and hydration packs are permissible. Small bags, purses and fanny packs are fine, too, as are glowsticks, inflatables, flags/banners, handmade signs, pool noodles and totems that are no taller than 10 ft and made from lightweight material. You can’t bring in items like drones, balls, frisbees, tents, large umbrellas, chairs and blankets. For a full list, visit lasvegas.electric daisycarnival.com/ guide/hours-and-info. Permissible items differ for the camping area; for that list head to lasvegas. electricdaisycarnival. com/camp-edc/ guidelines.
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RAVE NEW NIGHT 3 WORLD
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NIGHT 1 MOORE KISMET (7 p.m., Cosmic Meadows) They might be new to EDC, but this nonbinary EDM virtuoso is already making history. At 16, Kismet will become the youngest artist ever to perform at the festival, having already spun at Lollapalooza earlier this year. Breakout single “Rumor” showcases Kismet’s melodic bass and glitch-infused style so well, it’s hard to believe the DJ started working on it at age 14. TCHAMI (11:30 p.m., Circuit Grounds) Some partygoers equate listening to EDM to a religious experience, in which case, Parisian producer Tchami is spreading the gospel of future house music. Dressed in all black with a clerical collar, the internationally recognized DJ assumes a priest persona onstage, blessing listeners with a sound so soulful and distinctly Tchami, you’ll confess your devotion on the spot. SAID THE SKY (10:45 p.m., Cosmic Meadow; B2B Slander: Sunday, 4:17 a.m., Kinetic Field) What Trevor Christensen produces isn’t so much EDM as it is an emotional experience meant to be shared by many. Said the Sky’s music melodically builds for takeoff, soaring at just the right moment and leaving you exhausted but exhilarated. Christensen’s style favors that of fellow EDC juggernaut Illenium (the two even toured together), so if you like him, you should love Said the Sky. NOIZU (1 a.m., Stereobloom) Kudos from the likes of Diplo, Oliver Heldens and A-Trak don’t come easy, but Noizu has garnered those accolades and more. The LA-based DJ has been a staple of the house scene since 2017, when he debuted on Skrillex and Chris Lake’s DJ compilation HOWSLA. Noizu has since remixed DJ Snake and Lauv’s smash hit “A Different Way”—which has been streamed more than 8 million times on Spotify—curated the label Techne Records and taken house heads back in time with latest release “Summer 91 (Looking Back),” a piano-driven dance track paying homage to the grooves of the ’90s.
10 EDC acts to catch (beyond the biggest names) at this year’s festival BY AMBER SAMPSON It wouldn’t be EDC without festival heavy hitters like Alesso, Martin Garrix, Diplo and DJ Snake. But there’s plenty of other performers worth catching on this year’s loaded bill. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
NIGHT 2 SIDEPIECE (5 p.m., Cosmic Meadow) We wish we could say Sidepiece is EDM’s best-kept secret, but the dynamic DJ duo blew its cover with “On My Mind,” a collab with Diplo that samples 702’s classic “Steelo’’ throughout. Nearly 150 million streams later, the song’s a delightful call back to ’90s R&B— and an example of Sidepiece’s range as a tech house force. ELEPHANTE (7:49 p.m., Kinetic Field) Tim Wu started producing under his DJ moniker to address an elephant in the room. After studying economics at Harvard University and graduating, Wu worked a quaint corporate job. Meanwhile, “all I wanted to do was quit and make music,” he told EDMTunes in a 2014 interview. Wu, a self-taught guitarist and classically trained pianist, eventually took a chance, pursuing a melodic mixture of progressive house, synth-pop and whatever other styles he’s feeling. DUSTYCLOUD (2:45 a.m., Stereobloom) France’s Dustycloud is one to watch. The burgeoning bass house producer has garnered the attention of French EDM stalwarts like DJ Snake, Mercer and the aforementioned Tchami, while releasing music on the latter’s Confession label. Deep, gritty bass lines define Dustycloud’s signature sound, and the dancefloor is better because of it.
VNSSA (8 p.m., Cosmic Meadow) Before VNSSA ever got behind the decks, she rocked the sticks, playing drums for indie bands in the Newport Beach area. After discovering Justin Martin’s Ghettos & Gardens record, the DJ quickly fell in love with house music. A musician from a young age, VNSSA incorporates everything from house, techno and the occasional disco into her sets, making each performance pleasantly unpredictable. HABSTRAKT (8:56 p.m., Kinetic Field) Like many other artists on this list, Habstrakt began as a live musician, playing guitar and keys, before EDM beckoned him to bass. He and Tchami recently combined their French power to create “Eternity,” an airy house track featuring soaring chords and melodies by Lena Leon. Habstrakt’s other collaborations need little introduction. His 2017 team-up with Skrillex on “Chicken Soup” is iconic and Habstrakt’s remix of Must Die’s “LOL OK” demonstrates why many regard this multifaceted DJ as the bass house king. PURPLE DISCO MACHINE (10:02 p.m., Kinetic Field) Tino Piontek, the German producer and remixer behind Purple Disco Machine, stands as one of the most influential disco house DJs of our time. For more than a decade, this music maestro has slung hit after groovy hit, from the funky synths of “Hypnotized” to top-tier remixes for Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa and Elton John.
Moore Kismet (Brandon Densley/Courtesy); Sidepiece (John William Chiaravalle III/Courtesy); All other photos (Courtesy Insomniac)
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THE HAIR OUT THERE
How to take your EDC locks to the next level BY AMBER SAMPSON EDC festivalgoers pride themselves on dressing to impress. But behind every great outfit is a stylish ’do holding the whole look together. Amber Harlan, owner and lead hair salon artist of Downtown Las Vegas salon the Noise Project, styled several clients’ hair for Life Is Beautiful and plans to do the same for EDC attendees. Here are her tips for enhancing your festival locks.
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ACCESSORIZE, ACCESSORIZE, ACCESSORIZE.
KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL. EDC is best enjoyed while dancing, but the last thing you want is a face full of hair in your way. Braids have always been a festival favorite. They’re easy to manage, attractive and go with just about anything. There are various kinds, but Harlan recommends fish tails, rope braids or in and out braids for a neat style that keeps hair in place. If you’re not into braids, or don’t have the length, a close fade or space buns (thank you, style icon Princess Leia) work just the same.
LOCK DOWN YOUR LOOK. Before Harlan broaches the topic of hair, she asks her clients a key question: What are you wearing? “That always helps kind of build the palette,” she says. A planned outfit establishes a theme that can be expanded upon with cleverly styled hair. So in the interest of time, lock down your look, and the rest of the vision will follow.
A client at the Noise Project (Courtesy)
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Now that you’ve got your hairstyle down, it’s time for the fun part. “Do all the glitters,” Harlan says. Sparkles, tinsel, beads, butterfly clamps the stylist suggests using it all to create “a little bit more dimension” in the hair. And guys, this advice goes for facial hair, too. Don’t be afraid to bedazzle those beards. One glittery suggestion from Harlan: adding it to the crown of the head, down the center. For Life Is Beautiful, she and her team worked off a client’s theme of gold. “That one was really one of my favorites,” she says. “We took this gold flake material that collapses to almost look like a sheet of gold, and we just built it all on the head shape.” The finished product resembled a literal Midas touch.
THERE ARE NO WRONG CHOICES. In terms of what not to do, “I don’t think I could advise against anything for EDC,” Harlan says. “You get to create whoever you want. And I think that’s the beautiful thing about festivals. People get to truly transform into who they want to be for that day.” The most important style tip of all is to feel good in what you’re in, whether it’s pasties, bantu knots or a neon-colored braid you can lasso someone with. Have fun with it.
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50+ CRAFT BEERS DELICIOUS DOGTOBERFEST PLATTERS LIVE MUSIC HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTESTS FOR HUMANS AND DOGS INTRODUCING “BOO BREW” HAZY IPA
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30TH 5-10 PM @ BIG DOG’S BREWING COMPANY 4543 N. RANCHO DRIVE IN LAS VEGAS, NV BIGDOGSBREWS.COM
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AARON MAHNKE’S 13 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN Lore host Mahnke presents a second season of immersive audio drama, unfolding over 13 nights. Follow Kathy Najimy (Hocus Pocus) and Bethany Anne Lind (Ozark) to a foreboding place called Direbrook. grimandmild.com/ 13days
BIG THIS WEEK CONCERT
CONCERT
WILCO AT BROOKLYN BOWL
ERYKAH BADU AT CRAIG RANCH PARK
Over the years they’ve been called an “alternative-country” act, an “American Radiohead” and, unfairly, a “dad-rock” outfit. But Wilco has only ever been one thing: a rousing rock ’n’ roll band built on thoughtful songwriting, Jeff Tweedy’s love of sonic experimentation and a virtuoso gang of players. Stealing a look at previous setlists from the band’s Ode to Joy tour, Vegas might be in for a career-spanning dip into Wilco’s peerless catalog. October 22, 6:30 p.m., $60-$80, ticketweb.com. –Geoff Carter
The Amp at Craig Ranch Regional Park in North Las Vegas was just getting started with concerts and community events when the pandemic paused its development. The outdoor venue takes a big leap forward when soul visionary Erykah Badu—still one of the genre’s strongest voices despite not having released an album in more than 10 years—brings her Live From Badubotron tour to town. Washington state R&B singer Allen Stone opens. October 24, 7 p.m., $65-$150, etix.com. –Brock Radke
PARTY
ZHU AT AYU MOONBEAM If you want a head start on EDC weekend, Ayu Moonbeam has you covered. Grammy-nominated electronic music producer Zhu brings the rave to the club with new release Dreamland 2021, an experimental quarantine album rife with Zhu’s particular brand of gritty techno and smoothly polished house. It’s a recipe for dance, so get to memorizing the steps. October 21, 5 p.m., $30-50, zoukgrouplv.com. –Amber Sampson
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Erykah Badu (Amy Harris/AP Photo)
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OUR PICKS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
(Rob Grabowski/AP Photo)
THE MOVIES THAT MADE US: HALLOWEEN The third season of Netflix’s goofy making-of series dropped last week with a treat on top: a 42-minute dive into John Carpenter’s 1978 horror classic Halloween, featuring new interviews with its cast and crew.
DANCE
CONTEMPORARY WEST DANCE THEATRE’S FALL CONCERT SERIES The nearly 15-year-old Contemporary West Dance Theatre is one of Charleston Heights Art Center’s’ first artists-in-residence, and the celebrated ballet company will be using that home-field advantage to the fullest by staging a concert of not one, but four performed works: “Liaison,” by CWDT artistic director Bernard H. Gaddis; “Our Time,” choreographed by the company’s ballet master Don Bellamy; “Shards” by Donald Byrd; and Alvin Ailey’s “Night Creature.” October 22-23, 7:30 p.m., $10-25, Charleston Heights Art Center, 702-229-6383. –Geoff Carter
CONCERT
MARC ANTHONY AT MICHELOB ULTRA ARENA Latin superstar Marc Anthony brings his Pa’lla Voy Tour—named after his popular 2021 single— to town for a night. The song is an adaptation of Senegalese band Africando’s “Yay Boy” by Anthony, who has spent his career dazzling fans across the globe with his upbeat salsa material and the party-like atmosphere he creates at his live performances. Join the fiesta. October 23, 8 p.m., $82+, axs.com. –Evelyn Mateos
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Above & Beyond’s first stateside comeback show lands at Virgin BY BROCK RADKE
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he Hard Rock Hotel hosted some of Above & Beyond’s first gigs in Las Vegas, an appropriate fit considering the trio’s diverse musical leanings and international appeal. “There are two parts to the old Hard Rock I remember best,” Tony McGuinness tells the Weekly, reminiscing on a Zoom from Miami. “I was a smoker for so many years, and the [hotel rooms] had all these balconies. And there was a [room] there that had a display with Dave Navarro’s leather coat and leather boots, and I used to stand there and covet these boots, thinking, my God, I wish I could find where these are sold and get some myself. They were an extraordinary pair of boots.” Like so many Vegas visitors and locals, McGuinness and his mates Jono Grant and Paavo Siljamäki will be looking to make more memories at the new Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, born from the Hard Rock site in March.
Above & Beyond will play its first live stateside gig in nearly two years on October 23. The group’s AnjunaFamily Reunion Tour stop at Elia Beach Club sets up as one of the biggest events on a loaded EDC Week agenda. The Grammy-nominated British outfit has played a role in some of the most memorable sets in EDC history, so it’s safe to say the guys are excited to make their return to Las Vegas during the festival.
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end-of-summer gig,” he says. “It was like starting your first big dinner in a long time with coffee. It felt wrong.” Returning to the road was a bit of an awkward process, too—“like getting out of bed on camera”—until, McGuinness says, the group found its rhythm during its Group Therapy 450 shows in September in London. “We had these two days that were really great, 10,000 people each day,” he says. “We played all these tracks and some brand new songs, our new single ‘Almost Home’ with Justine [Suissa], and it just felt like, here we are, back again. “It’s still a little strange. And the Vegas show is going to be unusual, because it’s a place we haven’t been in so long,” he continues. “But everybody from our crew to the promoters have kind of remembered now what it is we do and how much fun it is, and that’s why we do it.”
Above & Beyond performing in London (Courtesy Luke Deakin)
ABOVE & BEYOND With Fatum, Gardenstate, Pretty Pink, Tomas Heredia. October 23, 11 a.m., $60. Elia Beach Club, 702-693-5570.
“That week in Vegas is the only time I feel famous,” McGuinness laughs. “It’s everywhere you go. There are so many people there going to the shows, it makes up a good chunk of the population. So you come out of a bar and there’s a good chance someone might recognize you.” Each member of A&B spent last year’s shutdown exploring individual musical and creative pursuits, McGuinness says, staying in touch but not convening to work together until plans for the tour began coming together. “The first big thing we did was [U.K. festival] Creamfields in August, which was a weird thing because in normal life, that’s our
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LIVE FROM
LAS VEGAS
Adam Lambert is back and broadcasting from Venetian BY BROCK RADKE
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ven before live entertainment with limited audience sizes began returning to the Las Vegas Strip last year, we at Las Vegas Weekly were among those speculating about the potential for livestreaming shows from Vegas during the pandemic. We wrote about it. But for a variety of reasons— mostly related to money—it didn’t happen in a big way. Adam Lambert, always known for doing things in a big way, is going to give it a shot. The powerhouse vocalist known for a breakthrough run on American Idol and as the current singer of Queen continues his headlining engagement at Venetian this week, and he’ll broadcast his October 29 concert live via Looped. Tickets for the stream are available at adamlambert.net. It’s the first time an artist has offered a ticketed livestream for concertgoers at any venue at Venetian or Palazzo, and it’s likely one of the first such endeavors on the Las Vegas Strip. “I feel very lucky to have fans who travel internationally and like to come to my shows, and Vegas is an amazing place to be performing from in that regard,” Lambert, who played a series of shows with Queen at Park MGM in 2018, tells the Weekly. “A lot of them can’t get into the country right now, and a lot of others just don’t feel comfortable traveling in our country. It just seemed like a great thing to do to give more fans some of this experience.”
The pandemic postponed the Vegas dates Lambert had on the books last year, which were to be part of some big tour plans behind fourth studio album Velvet, released in March 2020. The timing was disappointing, because “I put so much energy into it and I’m so proud of that album and I really wanted to share it,” he says. “But after that feeling wore off, it was, OK, let’s get back on the horse and figure out a way to stay creative.” That positivity sparked a lot of writing and collaborating—and eventually the creation of a musical Lambert is keeping under wraps but which is expected to evolve into a concept album. Even without more info, we wouldn’t mind seeing a stage version come to Vegas. “I don’t know where it’s going to go yet,” he says. “I love performing and I love writing, and artists shouldn’t limit ourselves to one type of thing. I love exploring new avenues and journeys, and for me, this one is very exciting. It’s something I’ve always thought about.” Lambert also isn’t finished singing with Queen. This version of the iconic British band was set for a residency at London’s O2 Arena to kick off a European tour last year, plans that have been pushed to 2022. He’s in touch with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor and says, “We’re all itching to get back on the road together. [Queen] is like a battery, a life force when we’re doing it, and I miss it.”
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ADAM LAMBERT October 22-23, 27, 2930, 8 p.m., $71-$172. Venetian Theatre, 702-414-9000.
Adam Lambert (Scott Gries/AP)
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STAGE
RATED: RED Fridays, 9 & 11 p.m.; $75-$300. The Portal at Area15, 702-846-1900, area15.com/events/ rated-red.
Rated Red at Area15 (Courtesy Area15/Jenn Lucero)
ONE STEP
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Inclusion and invention drives Area15’s sexy neo-burlesque show BY GEOFF CARTER
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he Portal at Area15 is a big room, nearly 6,660 square feet, with projection-mapped video walls that ripple with texture and color. Up to this point it’s mainly been used for Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience and other special events, functions where those walls have been allowed to be the center of attention. But in Rated: Red, the new, 21-and-over “burlesque-esque” show that takes over the Portal on Friday nights, the room achieves its best use: It becomes a warehouse-like performance space for some of the sexiest, most fluid and muscular dancing seen on a Vegas stage. “We always wanted to do a burlesque show [at Area15], but we wanted to do something very different from everything else out there,” says Kimberly Beneville, Area15’s director of experiences. “We found our amazing choreographer, Jawkeen Howard, and we just started brainstorming. He was very much on the same page as us.” Working with Beneville and Area15, Howard and assistant choreographer Starley Ann Carrington created a fast-paced production that admittedly owes less to burlesque than it does to voguing, the Pussycat Dolls, Bob Fosse and RuPaul’s Drag Race. Yes, there’s a chair dance, a pole dance and a singer belting out “Seven Nation Army” while performing a classic striptease, but these burly staples are transformed by the athleticism and brio of Rated: Red’s 16 performers— no two of which look alike. “Right from the beginning, we talked about inclusivity; we talked about diversity,” Beneville says. “We said to each other, ‘Look, we don’t care about what race or sexual identity or size or shape our dancers are, but they all have to possess their own fire and be able to express that fire in many different ways.’ That was the most important thing to us.” The “fire” is evident from beginning
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to end. Aside from a few brief, table-setting spoken word interludes, Rated: Red is all go. Choreographer Howard, who has worked with Britney Spears, Kanye West, The Killers and many others, changes up the action from one set piece to the next—sometimes going close and intimate, sometimes going brash and big. Small groups of male and female dancers get provocative spotlight moments; a trio of dancers perform a wild BDSM-inspired routine to Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy.” (Much of the music used during the routines is recorded, through a four-piece live band warms up the crowd and occasionally takes over during the show. It’s a great touch.) There’s no host or story, but Rated: Red doesn’t need either. The dancing is powerful enough to carry the hour. And those video walls function essentially as a supporting cast; they alternate between virtual sets and pure abstraction, directly on the stage action or modestly behind it, depending on what the choreography demands. Beneville says that the Portal’s visual capabilities were fully considered while the show was in development. “We have a team of brilliant graphic designers working on this, who really watched each dance,” she says. “They really understood the passion and the intent behind each number, and then they created beautiful artwork to express and complement them. We get to express the emotion of each dance with all of the art on our walls as well.” The projection walls do look terrific, but Rated: Red’s performers absolutely command the Portal. What was a flexible multipurpose space now has a singular purpose—and a really good one. And Area15, which up to this point has been mostly about outdoor concerts and permanent interactive installations, has taken a big step into the live performance space Strip properties have long dominated. Judging from Rated: Red’s bold debut, it won’t be the last. “Our cast is so excited to be a part of something different,” Beneville says. “And they’re eager to create even more.”
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TURNING THE PAGE Las Vegas Book Festival celebrates 20 years with a compelling mix of in-person and online events BY C. MOON REED
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or its 20th anniversary, the Las Vegas Book Festival returns to full strength. After a fully virtual event in 2020 due to COVID, this iteration will embrace the best of both worlds, with a main event at the Fifth Street School and a variety of online offerings. “We were proud of what we were able to put together last year,” says Festival Director Ally Haynes-Hamblen, the director of Las Vegas’ Office of Cultural Affairs. “But I think we’re all really excited to get back to the energy of being in person this year.” Over its two decades, the book festival has undergone many changes, sometimes having focused on children’s offerings and other times spotlighting the literary, Haynes-Hamblen says. The fest has found a balance by offering something for everybody: a kid’s area with song, dance and children’s authors, a robust lineup of programming for adults and even YA offerings. “Now that we’re at 20 years, I feel like it’s really hitting its stride and
Top/Bottom: Photos from 2019’s Las Vegas Book Festival
coming into its own as a book festival that can really stand up to other book festivals that happen around the country,” Haynes-Hamblen says. Looking forward to the next 20 years, Haynes-Hamblen hopes to continue growing the festival so that it becomes a tourist attraction in its own right. She envisions the in-person panels, books sales and vendor exhibitions lasting a full week. For now, the festival is making the most of what it has. The October 23 main event is packed with so many goodies, it might be difficult to decide which to attend. With at least nine separate areas going at once, it will truly be a buffet of bookish fun. The Fifth Street School’s auditorium will host the biggest names, such as author and commentator Fran
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Justin Favela’s “Fruits of Our Labor”
LAS VEGAS BOOK FESTIVAL Virtual events begin October 18; main event October 23, 9 a.m.5 p.m., free. Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. 4th Street, lasvegasbookfestival.com.
(Courtesy Cybele Malinowski)
GUEST SPEAKERS
Fran Lebowitz
Dr. Oriel María Siu
(All Photos Courtesy Las Vegas Book Festival)
Lebowitz (4 p.m.) and children’s keynote Dr. Oriel María Siu (9 a.m.). The Discovery Tent hosts music, spoken word, dancing and storytelling. The Poetry Pavilion will host the Spark! Youth Poetry Competition (1 p.m.) and much more. The Empowered Tent is where you’ll find the more focused literary panels, such as “New Ways to Write About Vegas” (9:30 a.m.), “Musings on the Mojave” (12:15 p.m.), “The Art of Contemporary Bookmaking” (3:15 p.m.) and a discussion about art critic Dave Hickey (10:45 a.m.) Another fun feature: the wine garden, which debuted two years ago. “That was hugely successful, because parents can sit in a wine garden and have an unobstructed view of the kids’ area,” Haynes-Hamblen says. Organizers have added a “juice box bar” for younger attendees, “so parents and kids alike can have a moment to sit down and enjoy the book festival.” Additional culinary flavors include food trucks and cooking demonstrations at the Engaged Tent. “We really pay attention to the fact that chefs who write recipes are also participants in the written word,” Haynes-Hamblen says. “Cookbooks are a huge segment of any bookstore.” The visual arts have long played a supporting role at the Book Festival, and 2021 will be no exception. Graphic artist Geovany Uranda designed this year’s poster. Justin Favela’s art will be displayed on-site in the Mayor’s Gallery. And, in continued festival programming, Nevada Humanities’ “P.S. I Love You Postcard Project” will offer postcard kits at the main event and then later host an exhibition discussion via Zoom on November 4 at 6 p.m. So how to choose? Haynes-Hamblen suggests looking at the schedule (lasvegasbookfestival.com), blocking out a few priority sessions and then leaving time for exploration and discovery. “Maybe spend some time just lingering among our vendors, in the book sales area or even in the wine garden,” Haynes-Hamblen says. “There should be plenty of opportunity to just hang out and enjoy the beautiful weather, as well as a lot of really great browsing and window shopping.”
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LET THE MUSIC PLAY The Las Vegas Philharmonic returns at last with Fanfare! BY BROCK RADKE
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he Las Vegas Philharmonic took a bold approach That’s the core of this week’s Fanfare!, the Phil’s in designing its 2021-2022 campaign, emerging comeback performance at Reynolds Hall that will from the pandemic to celebrate Beethoven’s also feature Aaron Copland’s beloved concert opener 250th birthday by performing all nine of his cele“Fanfare for the Common Man” and Joan Tower’s counbrated symphonies in a single season. terpoint composition, “Fanfare for the Uncommon Music Director Donato Cabrera tells the Weekly he Woman.” was a little leery of the plans at first, wondering, “Is it “It’s sort of really digging into the music we’ve all too much of a good thing? But everyone really been missing so much,” Cabrera says. The FANFARE! got excited about it.” October 23, 7:30 new season continues—and the Beethoven The response was so enthusiastic—and extravaganza kicks off—on November 20 with p.m., $29-$121. Smith Center’s the symphony’s faithful followers so eager to his Triple Concerto and his First Symphony. Reynolds Hall, return to live performances at the Smith CenLike all arts organizations, the Philhar702-749-2000. ter—that Cabrera and company felt compelled monic put a lot of effort into staying connectto create something special, a bonus perfored to its audience and supporters throughmance to kick off the season. out the pandemic with some livestreams “We put our thinking caps on and said, what can we featuring smaller groups of musicians and other online do to welcome back everyone and not take away from presentations. The 23-year-old organization also had Beethoven but still be a celebration,” Cabrera says. “We a significant recent management change, as Anne came up with the idea of introducing our new resident Berquist was named the new executive director in May. artist, Joshua Roman, with the most famous cello conTwo new trustees joined the board in late 2020 as well. certo by Dvořák and pairing it with Tchaikovsky’s fifth “We became so versatile [through the shutdown] symphony, which might be his most-performed piece.” that by the time we did have the change in leadership,
The Las Vegas Philharmonic (Courtesy Las Vegas Philharmonic)
it was yet one more curveball we were used to taking,” Cabrera says. “In that sense it didn’t seem out of the ordinary, but on the other hand, it’s always a wonderful moment for an organization, and a new perspective can add insight to what we have been doing and what we will be doing in the immediate and long-term future. Having her join when she did has been insightful and exciting.” After relaunching shows at the cabaret room Myron’s in September, the Smith Center successfully restarted its Broadway Series with Cats this month. But bringing back the venue’s two resident companies in the Philharmonic and, in December, Nevada Ballet Theatre, is as meaningful as it gets for the Downtown cultural hub. “It’s a big deal to us to welcome back our resident companies, just on the base level to think about those musicians and artists and dancers are going back to work,” Smith Center President and CEO Myron Martin said last month. “We should be reminded these people are very talented, but this is their job, and the idea that they’re able to go back to work after all this time means an awful lot to all of us.”
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FOOD & DRINK
DESERT DINING Peyote brings New American flavors to the Downtown dining scene
BY AMBER SAMPSON
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orner Bar Management has built a portfolio of Las Vegas bars and lounges around a specific framework of head-turning art, stylistic finishes and sexy, vibrant energy. Everything about the company’s new restaurant, Peyote at Fergusons Downtown, reflects that aesthetic, including a lush cactus garden blooming outside and drawing visitors in with a Palm Springs vibe. The difference is the dining, and it’s a major departure. “[We’ve] traditionally done bars and nightlife and have stayed away from food for a very good reason. I’m scared to death of serving a plate of food to somebody,” Corner Bar founder Ryan Doherty says. “I have friends in the restaurant industry [and they] run impeccable restaurants, and it’s really hard to get that stuff right.” Doherty recruited a dream team of Downtown culinary stars to create Peyote, starting with hospitality entrepreneur Jolene Mannina, founder of Vegas Test Kitchen and Secret Burger. Her
extensive experience creating innovative food events was a natural fit. “I’m all hospitality. I love it,” she says. “I love taking care of people. That’s why I produce so many events. I like things to constantly be activated.” Her longtime collaborator Justin Kingsley Hall, chef and partner at Main St. Provisions, joined the Peyote team next—“obviously a perfect fit,” Mannina says. “[He’s] someone that would embrace it and add this lovely education and story with his food.”
Every story Kingsley Hall tells is based on the “history of where I’ve been,” he says. His formative years in California and visits to Baja and Tijuana inform the open-fire cooking at the heart of Peyote’s offerings. “You have this whole California-style barbecue that a lot of people don’t realize exists … this rich history of oak-wood fires, cuts of meat and other comforting dishes.” Peyote’s seasonal New American cuisine is also pleasantly full of gluten-free and plant-based options. The
restaurant serves breakfast, brunch and dinner, with standout dishes including the creamy, almond milkbased Carolina Gold rice risotto ($18), seasonal heirloom tomato tart ($14) and bourbon-tossed grilled heritage pork chop ($26). The Santa Maria tri-tip steak ($70) feeds two-to-six people and is cooked over an open fire as diners lounge on a vast and brilliantly lit patio. “Anytime you have a fire, you know it’s a situation where people want to
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Ohlala’s warm pistachio-crusted goat cheese, Royal Charcuterie board and roasted Cornish hen with fingerling potatoes (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
PEYOTE 1028 Fremont St., 725-210-0306. Wednesday-Thursday, 6 p.m.-midnight; Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-midnight.
FIVE YEARS OF FANTASTIC FRENCH Santa Maria tri-tip with fried fingerling potatoes, corn salad and more at Peyote (Courtesy Anthony Mair)
gather and hang out together,” Kingsley Hall says. “You have amazing cacti everywhere, you have the grill and the light show [artist Keegan Arthur Olton] has put together. It’s this whole backyard feel.” Peyote opened in September in the former La Monja space at Fergusons on Fremont Street and has already generated significant buzz. Some community members have voiced a desire to see the restaurant’s name change; Peyote is actually a spineless cactus native to
Mexico and Texas, and some indigenous tribes have been known to use it in sacred religious ceremonies. Doherty says he’s aware of a namechange petition and has consulted several tribes, including the Paiute tribe and Wisconsin’s Oneida tribe, on the matter. He says Peyote’s name will remain but invites people who feel strongly about it to visit him at the restaurant to express their opinions. “I’m happy to listen and have a conversation about it,” he says.
After running a handful of different kinds of restaurants in San Francisco, Richard Terzaghi came to Las Vegas and found a niche to fill. “I’ve always loved Las Vegas, from the early 1990s when I was here as a foreign exchange student,” says the chef and owner of Ohlala French Bistro near Summerlin, which celebrated its fifth anniversary last week. “When I chose to move here and started looking around, I realized there is no real traditional French bistro with affordable prices; everything was super expensive on the Strip.” Ohlala epitomizes Terzaghi’s mission to democratize French food for American eaters, “to show people in Vegas what the French eat on a regular basis.” His takes on classics like steak tartare ($13), the garlicky mussel dish moules marinieres ($13) and pan-seared sole in brown butter sauce ($28) have been among the most popular dishes since the very beginning. With the arrival of fall, no one should visit Ohlala without indulging in his French onion soup ($8) or sharing the indulgent appetizer of warm pistachio-crusted goat cheese ($11) with onion confit, honey and crostini. The next five years could include a second location for the Henderson residents currently driving across the Valley for Ohlala’s French fare, and Terzaghi says he has some other tricks up his sleeve he’s not quite ready to reveal. –Brock Radke
OHLALA FRENCH BISTRO 2120 N. Rampart Blvd. #150, 702-222-3522. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. & 4-9 p.m.
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A SIMPLE PLAN
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The Raiders dialed back the complexity under their new coach—and reaped immediate rewards BY CASE KEEFER
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enyan Drake sprinted out of the Raiders’ backfield, made a couple of cuts and hauled in a Derek Carr pass over his shoulder for a 31-yard touchdown reception. The successful wheel route was the type of play Raider fans expected to see from the high-priced free agent running back when he signed with the team in the offseason, but now-former coach Jon Gruden hadn’t utilized him much. In his first game calling plays, offensive coordinator Greg Olson gave Drake more playing time, which helped Las Vegas to a 34-24 Week 6 victory against the Denver Broncos. “Great setup by Oly,” Drake said, deflecting praise after the game. “I just had to do my part.” Concerns went beyond football when Gruden resigned prior to the game after the leak of hateful and offensive emails. But for fans, focus quickly shifted back to the field, where life without Gruden seemed hard to imagine after more than three years in which the coach was intimately Raiders running back Kenyan Drake scores involved in every the first of his two aspect of game plantouchdowns October 17 ning. in Denver. Drake had 73 yards on six touches. Interim coach/ (David Zalubowski/ special teams coordiAP Photo) nator Rich Bisaccia’s style is the direct opposite. He’s included in everything going on with the team, of course, but he’s taking a more handsoff approach, leading in an overseer-type role. That didn’t mean much change on defense, where Gruden had already granted first-year coordinator Gus Bradley near-autonomy. The big question was how the offense would operate, considering Gruden had previously been in complete control on that side of the ball. Olson served in an advisory role and hadn’t called plays since 2016 with the Jacksonville Jaguars, when, in an ironic twist, then-Jaguars head coach Bradley was forced to fire him before the end of the season. But in his debut at the helm of the Raiders’ offense, Olson showed no rust. In fact, Las Vegas’ offense was the best it’s been all season, snapping an 11-game streak—dating back to last season—in which it failed to score on its opening drive. And the Raiders never stopped producing after that, scoring in a variety of ways throughout the game: a deep bomb to receiver Hen-
ry Ruggs III, a long run by Drake and a power-run at the goal line by running back Josh Jacobs. “He just kind of made things simpler,” Drake said of Olson. “We didn’t come into the week with a lot of dropbacks, a lot of different things like that. We kind of reduced the amount of things we needed and just went out there and played ball.” Gruden’s offense was frequently characterized as “complex,” and the players seemed to respond to Olson whittling down the playbook. The passing game will always be dependent on Carr reading routes through his progressions, but Gruden often admitted to trying to manufacture looks for certain players. Carr said there will always be “the Waller factor,” with the Raiders trying to feature to star tight end Darren Waller, but the quarterback hinted that otherwise, Olson was more flexible in terms of who got the ball. “The way Oly goes is that, if someone needs a break, we are going to keep playing football,” Carr said. “I think [Drake] just capitalized when he was in there instead of, We need to get KD the ball. We don’t talk about that much in our room.” Bisaccia said he wants to stay fluid and potentially tinker from a strategic standpoint if necessary, but no such shift needs to be implemented yet. The Raiders performed perfectly from his preferred setup. The caveat to all this, as Bisaccia himself pointed out, is that Las Vegas won’t be able to maintain the element of surprise, which he said left Denver “trying to figure out what we were going to do.” Olson’s tendencies with the offense are now out there for opponents to scout, and by the sound of it, they might be a less-daunting study compared with Gruden’s overload of different looks. Some trickery and misdirection can throw opponents off slightly, but ultimately, as Ruggs repeatedly intimated, it’s going to come down to execution. Olson, with freedom granted by Bisaccia, looks capable of putting the Raiders in prime position to execute. “Everyone is different,” Ruggs said. “Coach Gruden calls his plays how he wants; Oly calls his plays how he wants. What we do is line up and run them. Derek has the green light to change any play if he doesn’t like it, so we’ll just trust each other and trust the coaches.”
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Las Vegas running back Josh Jacobs (28) celebrates his touchdown with quarterback Derek Carr October 17 in Denver. (David Zalubowski/AP Photo)
n Last Week: Raiders 34, Broncos 24 In its Week 6 trip to Denver, Las Vegas looked nothing like the team that had struggled offensively during a two-game losing streak. The Raiders’ offense had its best game of the season, racking up 426 yards—and an average of 8.2 yards per play—to move into a firstplace tie with the Chargers in the AFC West standings. Los Angeles holds the tiebreaker by virtue of its Week 4 victory against Las Vegas, but if the Raiders play like they did against the Broncos the rest of the year, they have a real chance at their first division title since 2002.
RAIDERS
Report
n This Week: Eagles (2-4) at Raiders (4-2) When: Sunday, October, 24, 1:05 p.m. Where: Allegiant Stadium TV: Fox (Channel 5) Radio: 920-AM, KOMP-92.3 Betting line: Raiders -3, over/under 48 Matchup: Based on preseason betting odds, this shaped up as the Raiders’ easiest game of the year. The line has trimmed since then, going from -4 to -3, since the Eagles have been better than expected, but this remains a spot where the Raiders can ill afford to slip up. It’s the final game before their bye week, and the schedule ramps up in terms of difficulty from here. The Raiders will need to limit the Eagles’ aggressive, pass-heavy offense, which is led by second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts. Philadelphia has also played well in the defensive backfield, ranking seventh in the NFL in giving up 6.4 yards per pass attempt. Raider to Watch: Cornerback Brandon Facyson With cornerbacks Trayvon Mullen and Damon Arnette injured, the physical 6-foot-2, 197-pound Facyson came out of nowhere to help shore up the Raiders’ secondary. Facyson relieved second-year cornerback Amik Robertson, who struggled, and made an immediate impact with an interception in Denver territory. Facyson continued to play well in coverage the rest of the game and will likely serve in a starting role next to the stellar duo of Casey Hayward and Nate Hobbs. The Raiders claimed the 27-year-old Facyson off the Chargers’ practice squad following Week 4 and might have found an unexpected keeper. –Case Keefer
new frontiers. your own backyard. And by “backyard,” of course, we mean the entire rest of this wild, beautiful state of ours. One packed with pristine parks, intriguing towns, and oddball attractionsa vast playground where endless stories abound. And the more you explore, the more Silver State surprises there always are to uncover. So what are you waiting for? Your home-state adventure and your new Nevada memories memories-are are calling. adventure-and
Because it's always time to Discover Your Nevada. DiscoverYourNevada.com/LVWeekly
MOUNT CHARLESTON, SPRING MOUNTAINS NATIONAL RECREATION AREA
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VEGAS INC BUSINESS
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NCA 2021
VEGAS INC BUSINESS
CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR FROM THE NEVADA CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION
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he Nevada Contractors Association is dedicated in working to ensure that the voices of our contractors are heard, and the future of our industry is protected. We are committed to providing unified industry leadership and superior advocacy on initiatives that reflect our industry and are beneficial to the nearly 500 general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and affiliated firms that we represent. Together, there is nothing we can’t do. The Contractor of the Year Awards are the industry’s highest and most coveted honors, showcasing general contractors, subcontractors and professionals, as well as the year’s most impressive and prestigious projects. The recipients have demonstrated the very best when it comes to building Southern Nevada and improving our quality of life. We’re proud to honor and celebrate those achievements of the construction industry’s finest. Ann Barnett
Chief Executive Officer
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LABORERS LOCAL 872
Congratulates all 2021 Contractor Of The Year Award Recipients
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NCA
2021 CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR
n McCarthy Building Companies has a well-earned reputation for getting things done and a demonstrated track record of success in doing so, even during the most challenging of times. With a history dating back more than 150 years, McCarthy is a general contractor that has deftly navigated industry changes and challenges and has helped define the Las Vegas skyline. During the last year, the company worked in partnership with more than 15,000 local construction professionals on three high-profile and high-impact projects— ultimately delivering Allegiant Stadium, Circa Resort & Casino and Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on time and on budget within nine months of each other. Over the last
VEGAS INC BUSINESS
General Contractor of the Year
MCCARTHY BUILDING COMPANIES
two years, revenue in the Southern Nevada office exceeded $1.2 billion. Throughout the course of its tenure in Southern Nevada, McCarthy’s desire for continuous improvement has been guided by its employee-owners who are representative of the communities it builds. With one of the most diverse portfolios in the state, McCarthy has excelled at leveraging lessons learned and knowledge gained to deliver an excellent customer experience for its clients. As a result of its client-centric approach and its continuous involvement throughout all phases of a project—from early integrated design phase services, through construction and after completion—McCarthy provides the highest level of service while still focus-
ing on quality and safety. As a true community-based builder, McCarthy is passionate about strengthening education, social welfare and environment in the communities where McCarthy employees live and work. In the past year, McCarthy has uplifted the Southern Nevada community in several ways, including creating and delivering kid-friendly community builder-themed workbooks to Sunrise Children’s Hospital, nonprofit CORE and the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation. In celebration and appreciation of health care workers during National Hospital Week, McCarthy distributed flowers and swag to the Dignity Health St. Rose Siena campus.
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2021 CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR
Subcontractor of the Year
HELIX ELECTRIC
n Founded in 1985, Helix Electric has delivered high-profile projects in virtually every market, making it one of the largest, most experienced and successful electrical contracting companies in the nation. Specializing in design-build and highly complex electrical projects, Helix’s services encompass all facets of construction including mission critical, data center, medium voltage power distribution, renewable energy, education, commercial, industrial, mass transit and rail, and high-density residential. Helix envisions a team-oriented, employee empowered company— focusing on employee appreciation, fairness and opportunity—resulting in one of the lowest turnover rates in the industry. With over 500 electricians in Nevada, Helix is uniquely positioned to deliver exceptional results with honesty, trust and unwavering reliability. As the largest merit shop electrical contractor in the state of Nevada, Helix projects have helped shape the Silver State. One of its notable recent projects was Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart—a 52,000-squarefoot art exhibit located in the Area15 retail and entertainment complex. A portion of the project called The Factory included 1,750 lineal feet of LED color-changing rope light and the D-Lit Tunnel is a light enhanced optical illusion that included 330 lineal feet of pixel tape lighting. The Factory area also contained thousands of feet of 1/2" and 3/4" EMT, bent and twisted by hand by Helix Electric journeymen. This conduit was fastened to the walls throughout the space to create the illusion that The Factory is alive. Helix prioritizes philanthropic giving. In 2020, it sponsored the construction of a home for Habitat for Humanity, which was the fifth to be completed as a part of an organization initiative. Additionally, statewide contributions included generous donations to the American Cancer Society, the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows, the Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer Foundation, Toys for Tots and the Construction Career Society.
Supplier of the Year
FASTENERS, INC. n As a Nevada-based, employee-owned supplier, Fasteners, Inc. has been serving the needs of local contractors for over 28 years and has earned a reputation as a preeminent supplier in the community. In the last year, supply chain issues have caused severe backlogs throughout all industries. Fasteners stayed ahead of the curve with its team’s forecasting ability and strategic purchasing to ensure it had the products that its customers needed. By leveraging its immense in-stock inventory, Fasteners allowed its customers to obtain the necessary tools and supplies to complete a job on time. Additionally, Fasteners proudly retained its workforce throughout the pandemic and, in fact, increased its total employee count. Fasteners also implemented several innovative approaches to improve its customer service and level of performance, including a new software technology platform which allows its sales team to collaborate with in-house web developers to customize B2B websites for customers to streamline the ordering process and eliminate the inefficiencies of quoting, inventory level requests and paper purchase orders. Through its late founder and CEO, Keith Mantis, Fasteners has remained involved with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a charitable organization that builds and delivers beds to children in need. The Fasteners team has built more than 100 beds for children in our community.
SERVING NEVADA SINCE 1963
SLETTEN CONSTRUCTION OF NEVADA, INC.
CONGRATULATIONS Contractor of the Year Nominees.
Construction Manager at Risk Design-Build General Contractor (702) 739-8770 www.slettencompanies.com
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2021 CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR
Safest General Contractor of the Year
CORE CONSTRUCTION
Professional Service Firm of the Year
DOMINION ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS n Dominion Environmental Consultants has successfully completed more than 2,500 environmental consulting projects in the last two years—making it the national leader in environmental, industrial hygiene and safety consulting. With more than 30 years of extensive, hands-on experience in planning, managing and conducting all phases of site investigation, sampling, risk assessment, health and safety management, remediation design and project oversight for asbestos, lead and other environmental toxins, Dominion is always focused on client satisfaction, successful project completion, health and safety issues, risk control, regulatory compliance and budget control. And in doing so, Dominion has never been removed from a project or cited for any violation by regulators and has always completed clients’ projects in compliance with the project goals, project specifications and budget, within the regulatory guidelines. Dominion is also often involved in charitable events in the community. Most recently, it volunteered approximately 40 hours of time to represent the NCA in planning the Cure 4 The Kids Foundation donor wall project—working with several NCA members to donate time and materials towards the project.
n Every person at CORE Construction shares a common commitment: to embrace unwavering, comprehensive trust in one another and the overall team itself. Built upon this foundation, CORE empowers all staff members to think of themselves as the safety team and requires all field operations staff to use a mobile safety inspection application called Predictive Solutions. The data gathered is consolidated into one comprehensive and real-time project safety report which is reviewed by CORE’s Continual Improvement Committee. This constant review of job sites keeps safety at the forefront of everyone’s mind and reinforces CORE’s commitment to safety. “Nothing is more crucial than the safety of our employees, building partners and clients,” said CORE CEO Jim Jacobs. “The protection of people, property and environment is a core value of our business philosophy. Our daily goal each day is to send everyone home safely, and we plan and manage for that every day.” CORE’s dedication to safety starts with national leadership. Its approach to construction centers around Operational Excellence (OpEx), a trademarked program developed by Jacobs. OpEx includes six priorities: safety, quality, schedule, cost, trade partners and client. Safety is always the No. 1 priority, and a project cannot be considered a success if safety is not achieved first and foremost. In addition to Predictive Solutions, CORE mandates weekly All Hands safety meetings. All project site personnel undergo OSHA 30 training. And a site-specific safety orientation is required for all trade members, who are required to review and sign off on a detailed, project-specific safety plan at the commencement of construction. Since February 2018, CORE has logged nearly one million manhours on its projects in Southern Nevada—with zero recordable injuries or lost time accidents. CORE also received the NCA’s Safe Site Award for the month of December 2020 for its work on the Betty Engelstad School of Health Sciences, a 73,079-square-foot, four-story, higher education facility located on the College of Southern Nevada’s campus in Henderson.
Wells Cargo has been placing customers first since 1935. We provide grading, paving, and landfill services, as well as asphalt and aggregate material sales.
702-876-5090 10191 Park Run Drive | Las Vegas, NV 89145 www.wcilv.com
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2021 CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR
Safest Subcontractor of the Year
SOUTHLAND INDUSTRIES n For more than 70 years, Southland Industries has continuously improved its approach to safety, earning it a reputation as one of the safest MEP building systems firms in the business. Southland believes every injury is preventable, so it invests substantially in staffing, equipment and training to help make that a reality. It is this strong proactive safety culture that has enabled Southland to reach an incident rate of 0.46 in 2020, and the company is on track to have an even better year in 2021. Southland utilizes prevention through design to help reach its goal of zero injuries—using Building Information Modeling to eliminate risks before it occurs on the construction site. Using BIM gives safety professionals the opportunity to walk the job virtually and identify key risks and opportunities associated with a project before construction begins. Using prefabrication at its shops, Southland also fabricates material in a controlled environment to reduce risk and exposure for employees in the field while increasing overall production. Through its new web-based safety program, Southland facilitates safety participation for all employees, including new-hire orientations, weekly safety tailgates and lessons learned—all while reinforcing Southland’s safety culture and core values at the touch of a finger. Even in the face of numerous challenges during its work on the fast-paced Circa Resort & Casino project, the Southland team of over 120 accomplished a total of 200,000 hours with zero injuries.
College of Southern Nevada Betty Engelstad School of Health Sciences
Concept to Reality www.coreconstruction.com
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2021 CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR
Building Project of the Year (under $15 million)
Building Project of the Year ($15-30 million)
n The Mesa Ridge Clubhouse and Amenity Center, completed by Martin-Harris Construction, sits on more than 4.5 acres and is comprised of two buildings. Located in Mesa Village, in the master-planned community of Summerlin, the 1,600-square-foot clubhouse and social lounge and the 1,600-square-foot boutique fitness center serve a gated community of over 300 luxury homes. The buildings were constructed of steel beams, wood framing, exterior insulation finishing system, stone veneer and storefront glazing. Underground infrastructure connects the two buildings to the Mesa Ridge guard station. The interior of the clubhouse includes high-end millwork, lighting, lighting controls, sleek, exposed mechanical ductwork on the sloped ceiling, and interior stone veneer throughout. The Fitness Center has abundant open space for exercise equipment, exposed ductwork on the sloped ceiling and a state-of-the-art sound system. The goal of this project was to create a place where the residents of Mesa Ridge could enjoy indoor and outdoor activities with their families and neighbors without having to travel outside of their community—while also blending the modern architecture of their homes and beauty of the surrounding mountains. Mesa Ridge has elevated the idea of the standard community center and created a unique and large complex to accommodate the various activities of its residents. Throughout construction, the Martin-Harris team followed a Plan of Action that involved weekly, and sometimes daily, meetings to ensure all subcontractors and stakeholders were kept up-to-date on events that would impact the schedule—always meeting the rigorous requirements of local, state and federal health and safety program laws. Martin-Harris also utilized Procore, a construction management software, to help streamline the communication process. The team and subcontractors were able to upload design drawings, permits, submittals, RFIs, daily reports and pictures which were then easily distributed to the appropriate team members on a weekly basis—enabling milestone commitments such as substantial completion date, closeout, turnover and warranty to be honored.
n Burke Construction worked simultaneously with the Nevada State Public Works Division and Nevada State College to construct the new Glenn and Ande Christenson School of Education facility, the fourth building on the fast-growing campus. The two-story, 67,260-square-foot building cost approximately $44.8 million and includes classrooms, hands-on learning spaces, speech language pathology labs, faculty offices, collaboration spaces and an Early Childhood Development Center. The ECDC is a state-of-the-art preschool with an innovative educational environment built to train new preschool teachers and help alleviate a critical teacher shortage in Nevada. Along with design challenges, the site came with a variety of site-related obstacles including location, grading and the presence of neighboring job sites. But Burke’s team took these challenges and turned them into opportunities. The extension of Nevada State Drive as the main entry point to campus allowed a strategic placement of the building, with its unique front facing programs, adjacent to the relocated main entry drive. The design took advantage of the existing grades, creating a building that is carved out of the hillside. The project team also monitored safety protocols regarding COVID-19 and implemented every best practice, allowing the job site to report record numbers of zero lost time and zero OSHA violations. Despite facing many obstacles throughout construction, the project team delivered the education facility within budget and schedule. The project also meets the City of Henderson’s sustainability design standards—designed as a LEED silver-equivalent facility—and elevated industry standards through various construction technologies such as drones and 360° cameras. Every week, a drone pilot flew the entire site, taking video, photos and panoramic shots, and the project engineer walked through the building as it developed, capturing 360° images—giving the owners a bird’s eye view and a virtual reality experience of the building as it developed.
MESA RIDGE CLUBHOUSE AND AMENITY CENTER – MARTIN-HARRIS CONSTRUCTION
GLENN AND ANDE CHRISTENSON SCHOOL OF EDUCATION – NEVADA STATE COLLEGE – BURKE CONSTRUCTION
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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2021 CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2021 CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR NOMINEES!
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2021 CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR
Building Project of the Year (over $30 million)
CIRCA RESORT & CASINO – MCCARTHY BUILDING COMPANIES
n Circa Resort & Casino was the first new resort to be built from the ground up in Downtown Las Vegas in 40 years. The new crown jewel of Downtown, the hotel and casino development consists of a six-story, multi-use casino; a 35-story hotel tower featuring the Legacy Club, a massive rooftop lounge; Circa Sports, the world’s largest sportsbook; Stadium Swim, a multi-level pool amphitheater with eight pools and spas; as well as numerous eclectic restaurants, bars and retail. As the tallest tower north of the Strip, Circa’s uniquely tapered 71-degree tower is visually stunning. The high-resolution and abundant pixels within the massive signage on the north side of the tower beckon travelers to the new Downtown
destination. In total, the project encompasses more than 1 million square feet of finished space, including a pedestrian bridge spanning Main Street leading to the high-tech and high-end Garage Mahal (also constructed by McCarthy Building Companies)—an award-winning eight-story, 1,000-plus-space cast-in-place parking structure that also houses the central utility plant for the entire development and was design-built to serve as a rideshare hub for Fremont Street. With McCarthy serving as general contractor, Circa was built in collaboration with several NCA partners, including Hayward Baker/Anderson Drilling, Insteel, TAB, Austin, JCORD, Envise, George M Raymond, Southland, Southwest Specialty,
Bergelectric, Master Craft, Standard Drywall, Midwest Pro Painting, QME Gunite, Stewart & Sundell, Giroux Glass, Tracy & Ryder Landscape, Reliable Steel, Southwest Steel, Union Erectors and WP&F Specialty Group. With 3.9 million hours expended, the team navigated through changes in safety protocol, staffing, labor and supply chain availability—with safety at the forefront of every decision. Throughout construction, Circa provided 4,000 industry-related jobs, and now provides more than 1,000 operational jobs. An adults-only property, the impressive new resort serves as a driver and motivator for visitation to the Downtown destination and provides guests with a Las Vegas experience like no other.
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2021 CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR
Member Company of the Year
THE PENTA BUILDING GROUP
Member of the Year
BEN BOJDA – DOMINION ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS n As an eight-year NCA member, Benjamin Bojda, vice president and Las Vegas branch manager of Dominion Environmental Consultants, was the leading NCA ambassador in 2020 for recruiting new members to join the association and is working hard to do the same in 2021. Bojda assists with retention of current members, as well as contacting new members to welcome them to the association. In addition, Bojda participates in Government Affairs Committee meetings, Safety Committee meetings and attends quarterly safety forums. Bojda is also involved in the Construction Leadership Council, where he has an active role as the Hands On Project Lead, that most recently served Cure 4 The Kids Foundation. His responsibilities included site walks and planning, project meetings and interviews. He has participated in the CLC national conference in Chicago and currently volunteers at CLC-supported events.
n The PENTA Building Group was born and raised in Las Vegas. Since opening its doors for business 21 years ago, the company has dedicated itself to the growth and evolution of the construction industry and greater Southern Nevada community. As an active member of the NCA since 2001, PENTA regularly encourages others to join the association and several key executives participate in NCA committees to contribute to construction best practices. PENTA’s work continues to shape Las Vegas’ ever-changing skyline and includes the construction of some of the largest and most logistically-challenging projects on and off the Strip. The company has built or renovated everything from casinos, hotel properties and multi-purpose arenas, to health care and education facilities, public works and parking structures. Notable projects include Caesars Forum, T-Mobile Arena, the Las Vegas Ballpark, the Wynn South Convention Center Expansion and The Expo at the World Market Center Las Vegas. PENTA takes care of its employees. It recently created the Dependent Care program, which provides $5,000 per year for childcare costs to employees who qualify. It also offers leadership and development programs to provide employees the opportunity to advance and further develop skill sets. As PENTA continues to grow—having recently been named as one of ENR’s Top 100—it hasn’t forgotten its roots. The firm maintains a genuine care and concern for people, which drives every aspect of the way it does business. The PENTA CARES Foundation, a nonprofit created to manage the company’s philanthropic endeavors, has donated more than $9 million since 2000 to more than 50 nonprofits. In 2020 alone, PENTA CARES donated nearly $450,000 and organized 123 volunteers who served 991 hours with more than 23 nonprofits.
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CONGRAT ULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!
Congratulations to the teams who continue to work together to represent the best of our industry.
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2021 CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR
Diverse Subcontractor of the Year
FENCING SPECIALISTS, INC. n Established in 1983, Fencing Specialists, Inc. is a family-run company servicing Southern Nevada with superior service and exceptional fencing products. It designs, fabricates, installs and repairs fencing, gates, gate operators, access controls, ornamental metal, bollards, turnstiles and railing systems. In 2016, the company merged family ownership to Tania Hurless and Tamra Gannon. Now, as an exclusively female run company, Fencing Specialists is certified DBE, MBE, WBE, WOSB and RISE. Fencing Specialists secures its business through the NCA’s Diversity and Inclusion Council. And when it subcontracts work, it reaches out to members of the council or utilizes the DBE database to engage with companies listed. Fencing Specialists employs Moapa Tribal members on all work conducted on the reservation. Crew members are also required to complete sensitivity and WEAP training while performing on tribal lands. By conducting monthly meetings with the entire team, Fencing Specialists encourages open dialogue. Whether it’s software upgrades or methods of bidding projects more accurately and competitively or supplying better PPE while on the job site, Fencing Specialists believes in listening to its crew to make their environment safer and happier—recognizing and celebrating their work along the way.
“Leading The Industry Through Innovation, Integrity and Ingenuity”
CONGRATULATIONS
2021 CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
WINNERS
PRECONSTRUCTION GENERAL CONTRACTING DESIGN-BUILD / VALUE ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGEMENT BuildersUnited.com | 702-706-2842
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2021 CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR
Diverse Supplier/ Professional Service Firm of the Year
LINDA Q PHOTOGRAPHY LLC n Raised in a construction-business family and passionate about photography, it was only natural for Linda Quackenboss to start Linda Q Photography, specializing in construction and architectural photography. General contractors make up 90% of her client base, and subcontractors, commercial real estate brokers and architects fill the rest. Quackenboss has 13 years of Las Vegas construction photography experience and added FAA-certified drone flying five years ago. With a variety of general contractor clients, she has developed ground-level still and video, and aerial stills and videography that perfectly display her clients’ hard work and production excellence. Quackenboss has also created still photos for websites and video sales presentations. “Our society is visual,” Quackenboss said. “We want to see what people are doing. Being able to create the photos and video that SBE/ WBE/DBE companies can use to grow their small businesses into large businesses is vital. Photos and videos of their large jobs shows their capabilities in a tangible way for clients to see their skills.” Quackenboss has been with the NCA since 2017, serving on the Ambassadors Team from the beginning and in the last two years added the Diversity and Inclusion Council. As a cancer survivor, Quackenboss supports several charities related to cancer awareness, prevention and treatment, including Komen for the Cure and American Cancer Society – Construction for the Cure.
J.A. Tiberti Spirit Award
GUY MARTIN, MARTIN-HARRIS CONSTRUCTION n Guy Martin has built a 39-year career at Martin-Harris Construction through an intense passion for the industry, its future workforce and our local community. After joining the family business in 1982, Martin worked his way up from laborer to superintendent, estimator to director of business development, and all the way to his current role as president. Now, Martin is responsible for the overall management and success of Martin-Harris’s operations throughout the southwest U.S. Martin is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of construction industry professionals. He currently sits on the board for Nevada Workforce Connections and has been involved with the AGC Las Vegas Chapter and National Committee as well as served on the Nevada Construction & Development Assembly for COVID-19 safety and best practices. As a mentor and leader, Martin helps build and expand companies throughout Las Vegas. He champions Martin-Harris’ participation in organizations such as the Urban Chamber, the Latin Chamber, the Western Minority Supplier Development Council, the National Association of Minority Contractors and the Women’s Business Enterprise Council. Martin also oversees Martin-Harris’ philanthropic efforts, including an annual blood drive and commitments to the USO Las Vegas, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada, the Michael T. Martin Memorial Scholarship Fund and Construction vs. Cancer. Last year, he was named “Pinkest Man of the Year,” raising more than $28,000 during the Las Vegas Real Men Wear Pink campaign benefiting the American Cancer Society.
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Infill housing gains steam in Southern Nevada real estate
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BY BRYAN HORWATH his new housing development in Las Vegas features energy-efficient homes with covered front porches and granite countertops. The homes range from around 1,500 square feet to about 2,500 square feet and can include up to five bedrooms. But unlike other developments that have sprouted up at record pace over the years as Southern Nevada expanded, Casa Bella is going up in the middle of the Valley, in the shadow of Boulder Station near Boulder Highway and U.S. Highway 95 on the east side. The 70-lot KB Home project sits on 8 acres that had been vacant until recently. Homes start in the $290,000 range, a relative bargain considering that the median price of an existing home in the Valley was $406,000 in September, according to the Las Vegas Realtors trade group. “We’re always trying to target affordability,” said Brian Kunec, president of KB’s Las Vegas division. “We’ve gotten feedback from buyers that shows that location doesn’t matter as much as it used to because some people can work from anywhere now.” Buying a new home near a neighborhood that features older homes, and just a short drive from a busy expressway, might not seem ideal for some, but Kunec said there’s a large market for what Casa Bella has to offer. About half of the Casa Bella homes—or planned homes—have been sold, Kunec said. “We’re doing better than we expected at this point with these homes,” Kunec said. “These are homes targeted toward people who have ordinary jobs, people who don’t make a ton of money. As the market has appreciated recently, some people have been priced out. We specifically targeted what we call the ‘east submarket’ because of the affordability. We were able to buy this land at a good price.” Small developments in places where land is relatively cheap could become more popular around the
Valley, though they are still rare. The process to identify where to invest can be tricky for homebuilders, said Nat Hodgson, CEO of the Southern Nevada Homebuilders Association. There’s only so much land available for residential projects, and water is at a premium in Southern Nevada. Then there’s the supply chain issues that have caused bottlenecks or soaring prices—or both—for many of the materials used to build homes. With no relief in sight on the housing demand side, Hodgson and others have long lobbied for the release of additional federal lands in Southern Nevada upon which new homes could be built. This year, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., introduced a federal lands bill that would, Hodgson said,
allow for an additional 20,000-plus acres of land that could be developed for residential projects. “We could see more projects [like Casa Bella], but infill can sometimes bring a whole new set of problems with unexpected costs,” Hodgson said. “How far down do you have to go to tie into existing utilities? What is surrounding you? Some design guidelines in places, like Henderson, look a lot like the requirements of a master-planned community. That said, you’re going to see more infill projects, but it might not always end up being cheaper.” Though it does focus on many different areas, Kunec said KB has its eye on a number of infill possibilities that fit that bill. “We have a couple that we’re looking at currently in this Boulder Highway corridor, but there’s nothing solid on those yet,” Kunec said. “A lot of the homebuilders, though not us, have started to target places like Pahrump and Mesquite, because you can drive a very affordable price point there. Land is hard to come by in the Valley right now.” Kunec said many Casa Bella buyers—and those who have expressed interest—are millennial first-time homebuyers. “There’s 80 million millennials out there and, oh, by the way, there’s 90 million Generation Z folks, too,” Kunec said. “There’s going to be a sustained demand for housing for years to come. The Spring Valley area is also popular for our first-time homebuyers, but Casa Bella is a convenient spot. You can hop right on Boulder Highway and be on the 515 in a couple of minutes.” For new detached homes, Kunec pointed out that anything on the market for less than $300,000 would seem to be a bargain in this housing market. “For new home pricing lately, you’re starting in the mid-$300,000s or higher most of the time,” Kunec said. “We have a huge interest list on these homes.”
Brian Kunec, KB Home regional general manager, inside a model home at the Casa Bella development. (Yasmina Chavez/Staff)
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GUEST COLUMN
Bright spots emerging from hot local housing market
I
BY ALDO MARTINEZ f there’s one thing hotter than the local housing market, it’s the constant conversation about what it’s doing and where it’s headed. It’s no wonder housing has become such a hot topic here in Southern Nevada. In the past two decades, we’ve been riding a real estate roller coaster. Local home prices boomed at a record rate in the early 2000s, rising to $315,000 in 2006—only to fall faster than perhaps any place in the country during the Great Recession. Prices bottomed out at the beginning of 2012 and have been rebounding ever since. It’s telling that it took us almost 14 years to break that home price record from June 2006. We finally passed that price in February 2020, a month before the pandemic hit our community and changed our lives forever. So far this year, we’ve set a new record for local home prices nearly every month. According to the latest statistics from Las Vegas Realtors, the median price of existing single-family homes sold in Southern Nevada through its Multiple Listing Service (MLS) during August was $405,000. That matches the all-time record set in July. Despite this one-month pause, the median home price is up 20.9%
from $335,000 one year ago. The story is similar for local condos and townhomes, which sold in August for a median price of $229,000. That’s also an all-time record and is up 23.8% from $185,000 in August 2020. It remains to be seen whether this pause is a brief respite from our recent run Aldo Martinez of record home prices or an indication of a slowdown, as some national experts have been predicting lately. In any case, it’s certainly true that local home prices have been rising much faster than incomes. And that’s not sustainable over the long term. Even with mortgage interest rates near all-time lows, it’s increasingly difficult for many prospective buyers and working-class families to afford a home here. This is prompting some buyers to consider alternatives to the traditional single-family detached home and start looking at more affordable options like condominiums, townhomes, and even renting. Probably the biggest challenge we’ve been dealing with is the lack of homes available for people to buy. The local housing supply has never been tighter.
The pandemic is certainly a factor in this ongoing housing crunch, but our available inventory was near historically low levels well before the pandemic took hold here in March of 2020. Even though they’re building more homes this year than last year, builders are not constructing nearly enough homes to meet demand. They’ve been underbuilding for years, and it will likely take them several years to catch up—assuming they’re even able to do so anytime soon. Homeowners are also staying in their homes longer and are slower to move than in past years. While there’s no denying these challenges, we’re starting to see some bright spots for buyers. Besides the pause in prices, we’re finally seeing signs of more homes hitting the market. For example, August marked the seventh consecutive month when there were more properties available for sale in Southern Nevada without offers on them than during the previous month. So, at least the housing shortage isn’t getting worse. The same thing is happening nationally. According to Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey, the housing market is showing some signs of calming down nationwide, making home buyers more optimistic. In August, 32% of consumers said it’s a good time to buy a home. That’s up from 28% in July, according to the survey of 1,000 U.S. adults. That marks the first sign of progress in home buyer sentiment since March. For many years, Las Vegas was an outlier among major metro areas, a city of extremes, with our population and home prices increasing faster than almost anywhere else in the country. But that hasn’t been as true in recent years—even during this pandemic. Since the pandemic started, the local market has been more in line with national trends, with a shortage of homes available for sale, strong demand and historically low mortgage interest rates leading to rising sales and record home prices. While our median home price is now slightly higher than the national average, our rate of growth is no longer near the top of the list. As strange as it may seem to longtime locals, Las Vegas is not as strange as it used to be. Still, my fellow Realtors and I understand it can be tough—and even discouraging—for first-time and entry-level buyers trying to find a home in today’s market. Rest assured, our more than 16,500 members of Las Vegas Realtors are doing all we can to help people realize their dream of homeownership. We spend a lot of time these days advising our clients to be patient and persistent. In the end, most people who work with a qualified local Realtor eventually find a home. Aldo Martinez is president of Las Vegas Realtors.
For many years, Las Vegas was an outlier among major metro areas, a city of extremes, with our population and home prices increasing faster than almost anywhere else in the country. But that hasn’t been as true in recent years—even during this pandemic.
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VEGAS INC BUSINESS
10.21.21
VegasInc Notes After a comprehensive nationwide search, United Way of Southern Nevada’s board of directors appointed Julian High as its president and CEO. Throughout his career, High has been a passionate advocate for equal opportunity for all through his work with the National Industries for the Blind and the Human Rights High Campaign. Most recently, High served as founder and president of J3H Platinum, an executive management consultancy that has helped C-Suite executives build cohesive teams and create effective communications, business and political strategies. Nevada Realtors announced its newly elected officers who will lead the statewide association in 2022, including Tom Blanchard, a former president of Las Vegas Realtors. He will serve as NVR’s president-elect for 2022 and then become the state association’s president in 2023.
the Nevada Gaming Commission—the Hon. Jennifer Togliatti and former state Sen. Ben Kieckhefer. Togliatti will serve as chair, and will be the first female to serve in the role.
administration of lands, facilities, resources, programs, safety and services. Coreprime, a Nevada-based commercial insurance brokerage specializing in the design and management of employee benefit programs for companies, hired Alexandra Stabile as financial controller. With more than a decade of accounting experience, Stabile will handle internal controls, processes and workflows Stabile to help the firm run smoothly. Before joining Coreprime, Stabile held several accounting and administration jobs across the Las Vegas Valley, ranging from retail to small businesses. Dr. Paul Krakovitz was named the first president for Intermountain Nevada. He began in the role as interim earlier this year. Krakovitz previously served as Intermountain’s vice president and chief medical officer for specialty-based care in Utah and Idaho.
The City of Henderson Parks and Blanchard Recreation Department earned reaccreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies and the National Recreation and Park Association. This mark of distinction indicates that the department has met rigorous standards related to the management and
Meghan Chayka, one of North America’s leading sports data scientists, joined the board of advisers for Las Vegas-based U.S. Integrity. Chayka is co-founder/co-CEO of Stathletes, based in Toronto, which provides industry leading hockey data, analytics and insights to 22 leagues worldwide and has scaled to the highest professional levels across North America and Europe. Gov. Steve Sisolak announced two appointments to
Las Vegas Realtors announced the results of the association’s annual election of officers and board members, with longtime local Brandon Roberts serving as Roberts Barrett its 2022 president and Lee Barrett serving as 2022 president-elect. Completing the officers is Yared Rivera, vice president and Stephanie Grant, treasurer. Directors include: Kimberly Rivera Grant Alexander, Chris Bishop, Joshua Campa, Elie Morris, Merri Perry and Geoffrey Zahler. Officers and directors not up for re-election who will continue to serve on the board: immediate past president Aldo Martinez, CEO Wendy DiVecchio, and directors Christina Chipman, Randy Hatada and Shane Nguyen. Junior Achievement and its skilled workforce partner CrossKnowledge were recognized for “Best Advance for Leading Under a Crisis” for pivoting to a “Digital First” model in response to COVID-19. They received a Bronze Award of Excellence by the Brandon Hall Group, an international research and analyst firm.
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10.21.21
“NATIONAL DATA” BY FRANK LONGO
HOROSCOPES
WEEK OF OCTOBER 21 BY ROB BREZSNY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Even the wisest among us are susceptible to being fascinated by our emotional pain. Our knotty problems make us interesting, even attractive. They shape our self-image. The good news is that in the coming weeks, you will have extra power to divest yourself of sadness and distress and anxiety that you no longer need. Choose a few outmoded sources of unhappiness and enact a ritual to purge them. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In Norway, you call your romantic partner kjaereste, which is gender neutral and is translated as “dearest.” In Sweden, you refer to your lover as älskling, meaning “my beloved one.” One term the Finns use is kulta, which means gold. Be inspired by these words to experiment with new nicknames and titles for the allies you care for. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The band Creedence Clearwater Revival achieved tremendous success with its rollicking sound and socially conscious lyrics. It sold 33 million records worldwide. And yet, the band endured for just over four years. Something that may not last forever will ultimately generate potent, long-term benefits. Meditate on the possibility. Be alert for its coming. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote, “I am unlike anyone I have ever met. I will even venture to say that I am like no one in the whole world. I may be no better, but at least I am different.” Make that your own affirmation. It’s time to boldly claim how utterly unique you are—to be proud that you have special qualities that no one in history has ever had. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Nigerian poet Ijeoma Umebinyuo writes, “I will always want myself. Always. Darling, I wrote myself a love poem two nights ago. I am a woman who grows flowers between her teeth. I dance myself out of pain. This wanting of myself gets stronger with age. I host myself to myself. I am whole.” Adopt Umebinyuo’s attitude as you upgrade your relationship with yourself. Pledge to give yourself everything you wish a lover would offer you. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): As author David Brooks reminds us, “Exposure to genius has the power to expand your consciousness. If you spend a lot of time with genius, your mind will end up bigger and broader.” Make this strategy the top of your priority list the next four weeks. You are also likely to be a rich source of inspiration and illumination yourself. People will recognize that being around you will make them smarter.
2020 KING FEATURES SYNDICATE ACROSS 1 Bumper-car carnival ride 7 TV title alien 10 Garden pond fish 13 Cause to blunder 19 Cook too long 20 Ned of NASCAR 22 Ned of The D.A. 23 Appear gradually, as a scene 24 “No, seriously!” 25 Surrounded by 26 Mountain laurel 29 Clumsy type 30 Stocking stuffer 31 It’s charged 32 Alternative to ChapStick 37 “Old Folks at Home” 44 Vital artery 45 Spellbound 47 1989-2007 senator Trent 48 Stein fillers 49 Blue spruce 53 Propose a date to 55 Author Ferber 56 Pro — (in proportion) 57 “— a customer” 59 Joe of GoodFellas 60 Clinton aide Myers 62 Susan of Goldengirl 64 Eurasian animal with antlers 66 “North to the Future” 70 Used up 74 118-Across was one 75 Printing goofs 80 Humdinger 81 Reformer Ralph 84 “OK” from Tom Sawyer to Aunt Polly 86 Workplace welfare
org. 87 Fuddy-duddies 89 Topaz 92 Relative of a lutz 93 Bullfight yells 95 Israeli airline 96 Right wrongs 97 Cactus wren 101 Went in 103 To the — power 104 Savings acct. accrual 105 Hail, basically 106 Some legislators (or the theme of this puzzle?) 117 Arrived by plane 118 Opera legend Pavarotti 119 Make a comment 120 Response to “You’d never do that!” 121 Ill-fated NASA mission of 1967 122 And others, to Ovid 123 Dwelt 124 Round bread of India 125 Subj. for some immigrants 126 Passable DOWN 1 Tip politely, as one’s hat 2 Human face’s shape 3 Whoop- — (extravagant fanfare) 4 Expanded 5 Sedgwick of Warhol films 6 Marilyn of Niagara 7 In — (pronto) 8 Desktop illuminator 9 No longer being detained 10 Sax celebrity
11 Soulful Redding 12 Really tiny 13 Saturday Night Fever star 14 Hard Italian cheese 15 “Sure, put me down” 16 Toenail treatment, informally 17 Astral bear 18 Coffee holder 21 Rambled 27 Mexican city due south of Dallas 28 Elevate 32 Waiting with — breath 33 2013 Grammy winner for “Royals” 34 Dunne of classic films 35 Lieu 36 Chinese ideal 37 California county whose seat is Fairfield 38 Sign word after “Ye” 39 Stocking stuffer 40 Worked on a leaf collection? 41 “You beat me” 42 Tennis tie 43 Up and about 46 Gained access to 50 Refrigeration fluid 51 Workers with shingles, maybe 52 Kofi, once of the U.N. 54 Caveman’s weapon 58 Scrub nurses’ sites, in brief 61 Be hammy 63 Tribal pole emblem 65 — Mountain (Vermont ski resort) 67 Two fives
68 — Marymount University 69 Stadium’s kin 70 Britcom of the ’90s 71 Pope before Paul V 72 Coors offering 73 Trade group 76 GPS calculation 77 1941 Oscar winner Mary 78 Scottish title 79 Emitted a contented sigh 82 Ending for golden or New 83 Arnaz of TV 85 Decide on 88 Toned down 90 Outside clearance event, of a sort 91 Quite chubby 94 Bert with lion lines 98 Not delayed 99 Diamond substitute 100 Baseball pioneer Buck 102 Came closer 105 One way to fry food 106 Chunky slice 107 Garr of films 108 Spellbound 109 Flair 110 Cocooned insect 111 Son of Seth 112 Head, in Haiti 113 Classroom Apple, often 114 Glen 115 Bard’s Ireland 116 Revue sketch 117 Pill-OK’ing agcy.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Self-help author James Clear speaks of “a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow, it will split in two.” Clear adds that “it was not that last blow that did it—but all that had gone before.” You’ll thrive by cultivating that same patience and determination. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Poet Odysseus Elytis said, “What I love is always being born. What I love is beginning always.” He knew an essential secret about how to ensure he could enjoy that intense rhythm: He had to be skilled in the art of metaphorical death. How else could he be born again and again? Ready to begin anew? To achieve maximum renaissance, get rid of a few more things. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “I haven’t had enough sleep for years,” author Franz Kafka (1883–1924) once confessed to a friend. It showed in his work, which was brilliant but gaunt and haunted. He wrote stories that would be written by a person who was not only sleep-deprived but dream-deprived. Make Kafka your anti-role model. Catch up on the sleep you’ve missed out on. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): On rare occasions, virtually everyone in your tribe is functioning at high levels of competency and confidence. Now is one of those times. So, take extraordinary measures to marshal your tribe’s creative, constructive efforts. Together you can collaborate to generate wonders and marvels that aren’t normally achievable. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Your plan for the rest of 2021 should borrow from the mini-manifesto that author Virginia Woolf formulated at age 51: “I will go on adventuring, changing, opening my mind and my eyes, refusing to be stamped and stereotyped. The thing is to free one’s self: to let it find its dimensions, not be impeded.” PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “Anyone who isn’t embarrassed of who they were last year probably isn’t learning enough,” writes author and philosopher Alain de Botton. That’s extreme, but if we are not constantly outgrowing who we are, we are not sufficiently alert and alive. You are now in a phase of rapid ripening. At least, you should be. The cosmos is conspiring to help you learn how to become a more vibrant and authentic version of yourself. Please cooperate! Seek all available updates.
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