2022-04-21-Las-Vegas-Weekly by Greenspun Media Group

APRIL 27 – MAY 7

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THREE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS

NORTH LAS VEGAS

SAHARA

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EDITORIAL Senior Editor GEOFF CARTER (geoff.carter@gmgvegas.com) Editor at Large BROCK RADKE (brock.radke@gmgvegas.com) Deputy Editor EVELYN MATEOS (evelyn.mateos@gmgvegas.com) Staff Writer SHANNON MILLER (shannon.miller@gmgvegas.com) Staff Writer AMBER SAMPSON (amber.sampson@gmgvegas.com) Contributing Writers HILLARY DAVIS, MIKE GRIMALA, CASEY HARRISON, JESSICA HILL, ARLEIGH RODGERS, DANNY WEBSTER Contributing Editors RAY BREWER, BRYAN HORWATH, CASE KEEFER, DAVE MONDT Office Coordinator NADINE GUY

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IN THIS ISSUE WANT MORE? Head to lasvegasweekly.com.

Proper Sandwich Company’s Beef & Cheddar (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

SUPERGUIDE

Your daily events guide, featuring Haim, John Legend, Jana Cruder, Deftones, Illuminarium’s grand opening and more.

NEWS The Valley’s Indigenous youth, for the benefit of the land and of future generations, are holding a Powwow for the Planet.

30 THE STRIP

WEEKLY Q&A

Criss Angel and Franco Dragone create a new kind of Vegas show with Amystika.

MGM Resorts’ art curator Tarissa Tiberti guides us through the company’s more diverse, ever-growing “walking museum.”

SPORTS

The Vegas Golden Knights are working against time and the odds to make the playoffs. It’s all right if they fall short.

COVER STORY Beer time! We talk to local brewers, visit North Las Vegas’ first brewery, try new suds and prepare for the Great Vegas Festival.

ON THE COVER

BREWING SUCCESS Photograph by Wade Vandervort/Staff

FOOD & DRINK Strip hospitality pros Eric Perlin and Phil Park bring years of experience to Proper Sandwich Company, and you can taste every minute of it. Plus, Honey Salt’s Elizabeth Blau and Kim Canteenwalla light up a new comfort food-inspired spot at Area15.

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

4.21.22

SUPERGUIDE MUSIC

PARTY

SPORTS

ILLUMINARIUM GRAND OPENING Late last year, the Weekly suggested checking out Illuminarium, a sensory experience that transports viewers to faraway lands. Area15’s latest attraction has finally opened, and our recommendation stands. Guests can take a trip across the galaxy, see the savanna’s sunrise and exotic animals or Georgia O’Keeffe’s beloved floral stills come to life. It can even be your new nightlife experience, as Illuminarium After Dark offers an adults-only immersive escape with cocktails and small plates. The thrills are achieved through 4K laser projection, 360-degree audio, in-floor vibrations and scent systems. Be one of the first to experience the latest Vegas getaway. Hours and prices vary, illuminarium.com/lasvegas. –Evelyn Mateos

THURSDAY 21 APR.

(Courtesy)

S U P E R G U I D E

ARTS

FOOD + DRINK

COMEDY

PURE ALOHA FESTIVAL Thru 4/24, hours vary, Craig Ranch Park, vizzun.com.

BRIAN NEWMAN AFTER DARK 11:30 p.m., Thru 4/24, NoMad Library, ticketmaster.com.

LADY GAGA 8 p.m., & 4/23-4/24, Dolby Live, ticketmaster.com.

BARRY MANILOW 7 p.m., Thru 4/23, Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com.

BUILT TO SPILL With Prism Bitch, Itchy Kitty, 8 p.m., Rockstar Bar, seetickets.us. WEATHERS With Moontower, The Orphan the Poet, 7:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketweb.com.

MISC

ARISE ROOTS With Kyle Smith, Steppadelics, Mojo Reggae, Driftone, 8 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, eventbrite.com. LATIN MUSIC AWARDS 5 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com.

LAS VEGAS BLACK FILM FESTIVAL Thru 4/24, times vary, Suncoast, lasvegasblackfilmfestival.com. UNLV DANCE: 5 6 7 8 7:30 p.m., Thru 4/23, & 2:30 p.m. 4/23, Alta Ham Fine Arts, unlv.edu. MAOR LEVI 10 p.m., Commonwealth, elationlv.com. GALANTIS 10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com. LOUD LUXURY 10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

PHOTOGRAPHY RECEPTION: JANA CRUDER HerStory, a fine art photographic series by LA-based mixed-medium artist Jana Cruder, is two things on its face: a return to Las Vegas by Cruder, who formerly had an Arts District gallery space, and a splendid feast for the eyes. Once you’re past that, however, the plot thickens. According to the show catalog, this series of “candy colored” 1970s-style tableaus are “a look into the complexities of feminism, the tiresome and callow demands of the patriarchy and the aftershock of relentless cultural programming”—a series that nods, in passing, to the storytelling photography of Cindy Sherman, Nan Goldin and to Cruder’s own Barbie-inspired show from 2012, Great Expectations. Characters in the photos stuff money into mattresses, coolly leaf through protest manifestos and wield picket signs that say “Respect existence or expect resistance.” Artist reception 5-9 p.m. April 21; show runs through May 6, free. SoHo Lofts Pop-Up Gallery, janacruderfineart.com. –Geoff Carter

4.21.22

FRIDAY 22 APR.

CEREMONY With The Umbrellas, 7 p.m., Eagle Aerie Hall, eventbrite.com. DAVID FOSTER 8 p.m., & 4/23, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com. GREAT VEGAS FESTIVAL & 4/23, times vary, Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, greatvegasbeer. com. IGNITE FESTIVAL Thru 4/24, times vary, Sandy Valley Ranch, ignitenv. com.

DEFTONES With Gojira, 8 p.m., the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com. (Courtesy/Tamar Levine)

THE NEXT MOVEMENT 50TH ANNIVERSARY 8 p.m., & 4/23, Nevada Room, vegasnevadarooms. com.

THE ROCKING CHAIR 6 p.m., & 4/23, 7 p.m., West Las Vegas Library, heartsproductionslv.com.

UNLV BASEBALL VS. NEW MEXICO Thru 2/24, times vary, Earl E. Wilson Stadium, unlvtickets.com.

KRISTINA KUZMIC 7 p.m., & 4/23, Wiseguys, vegas. wiseguyscomedy. com.

UNLV SOFTBALL VS. UTAH STATE Thru 2/24, times vary, Eller Media Stadium, unlvtickets.com. DAVID SPADE & RAY ROMANO 10 p.m., & 4/23, Mirage Theatre, mirage.mgmresorts. com.

COLLIE BUDDZ With Artikal Sound System, 8 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketweb.com. RUSSELL DICKERSON 8 p.m., Sunset Station Amphitheater, ticketmaster.com.

STEVE AOKI 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, events.taogroup. com. GUAYNAA With Play N Skills, 10:30 p.m., Light Nightclub, thelightvegas.com. JUICY J 10 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com. AWE MUSIC EXPERIENCE 7 p.m., Thru 4/23, Las Vegas Golf Center, awe.vegas.

JOHN LEGEND For all the Grammys he’s won and the EGOT status he currently holds, John Legend bloomed in the shadows of some of music’s greatest talents. Lauryn Hill’s “Everything Is Everything” off The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill would star the singer-songwriter on piano. And Alicia Keys’ breakout single “You Don’t Know My Name,” followed by Jay Z’s “Encore” both featured Legend’s lush vocals. The R&B crooner with the impeccable taste in suits loves to share these fun facts at his shows. It’s a gentle reminder that passion sustains you, even if you haven’t truly made it yet. Legend, who grew up singing in his Springfield, Ohio, church choir, went on to release the Billboard 200 chart-topper Get Lifted in 2004, and the rest, as they say, is legendary. Now as the star brings his Love in Las Vegas residency to Planet Hollywood, he’ll have seven studio albums and nearly 20 years of music from which to pluck. What’s not to love? April 22-23 & 27, 8 p.m., $75-$400, Zappos Theater, ticketmaster.com. –Amber Sampson

F O R M O R E U P C O M I N G E V E N T S , V I S I T L A S V E G A S W E E K LY. C O M .

SUPERGUIDE

ORVILLE PECK 8 p.m., House of Blues, livenation. com.

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

P L A N Y O U R W E E K A H E A D

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

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SUPERGUIDE MUSIC

PARTY

SPORTS

ARTS

FOOD + DRINK

COMEDY COMEDY

MISC

SATURDAY 23 APR.

S U P E R G U I D E

BOOK SIGNING: A GANGSTER’S PARADISE Our mob history is extensive. One could easily spend a day or two inside the Mob Museum learning about organized crime in Las Vegas. But did you know that Saratoga Springs, New York was considered a “gangster’s paradise” in the first half of the 20th century? Retired Saratoga Springs Police Chief Greg Veitch talks about the gunmen and gamblers that had the run of the town at a time when police and public officials looked the other way in his book A Gangster’s Paradise—Saratoga Springs from Prohibition to Kefauver. Have the author sign your copy this weekend in the museum’s Rise of the Cartels exhibit. 1 p.m., free admission, the Mob Museum, themobmuseum.org. –Evelyn Mateos

(Kaylie Foster/Courtesy)

B. ROSE As spring blooms around the Valley, what better way to enjoy it than with a sunny walk in the park and a show? The Historic Westside Legacy Park continues its spring concert series this weekend with a performance by local soul sister and R&B singer B. Rose. The Las Vegas Academy grad who studied at Boston’s Berklee College of Music and performed at 2016’s Life Is Beautiful festival has been a fixture of the local music scene for around eight years, and recently released her new EP Closer To Me. Soak it in as you’re soaking up some rays on this chill afternoon. April 23, 2 p.m., free, 1600 Mount Mariah Dr. –Amber Sampson OPERA LAS VEGAS: STRAWBERRY FIELDS & TROUBLE IN TAHITI 7:30 p.m., & 4/24, 3 p.m., Nicholas J. Horn Theatre, eventbrite.com. J BALVIN 8 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com. CODE ORANGE With Loathe, Vended, Dying Wish, 7 p.m., 24 Oxford, etix.com.

ROGER CLYNE & THE PEACEMAKERS 7 p.m., Veil Pavilion Silverton, silvertoncasino. com.

EMO NIGHT FEATURING RYAN KEY OF YELLOWCARD 9 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketweb. com.

PARMALEE 9:15 p.m., Fremont Street Experience, vegasexperience. com.

YOUTH POWWOW FOR THE PLANET Noon, UNLV, unlv.edu.

WALKER HAYES 9 p.m., Mandalay Bay Beach, ticketmaster.com.

HASAN MINHAJ 8 p.m., the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com.

ALESSO 11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, events. taogroup.com.

RICARDO ARJONA 8 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

LAS VEGAS LIGHTS FC VS. LA GALAXY II 7 p.m., Cashman Field, lasvegaslightsfc.com.

DAVID GUETTA 11 a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.

JOHN 5 With The Haxans, 7:30 p.m., Count’s Vamp’d, eventbrite.com. DAN ANDRIANO & THE BYGONES With Emily Wolfe, Mercy Music, 8 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, eventbrite.com.

TIËSTO 11 a.m., Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com. SAMA ABDULHADI 9 p.m., Area15 Portal, area15.com. MARSHMELLO 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com. ZEDD With Jonah, Zouk Nightclub, 10 p.m., zoukgrouplv.com.

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

4.21.22

SUNDAY 24 APR.

FLOSSTRADAMUS 11 a.m., Elia Beach Club, eliabeachlv. com. THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES 7 p.m., The Space, thespacelv.com. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. SAN JOSE SHARKS 7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

DESOLATED With These Streets, Mugshot, Fox Lake, 6 p.m., Eagle Aerie Hall, eventbrite. com. BLIPPI THE MUSICAL 2 p.m., Orleans Arena, ticketmaster.com. FRANK MARINO’S RED CARPET BRUNCH 1 p.m., Westgate, ticketmaster.com.

N W

Y E

O E

PLANT-BASED SUNDAYS 10 a.m., Starbase, eventbrite.com.

NERVO Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

LAS VEGAS SINFONIETTA: UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL 3 p.m., Clark County Library, eventbrite.com.

TYGA 11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, events. taogroup.com.

JONATHAN RHODES 5 p.m., Lee and Thomas Beam Music Center, unlv. edu.

U K

R A

MONDAY 25 APR.

HAIM Haim kicks off its North American tour in Las Vegas with a lot to unpack. It’s the sisters’ first tour since the pandemic, during which they released their third studio album Women in Music Pt. III. Five of the album’s singles were made into music videos by director Paul Thomas Anderson, whose Oscar-nominated film Licorice Pizza recently thrust Alana Haim into the Hollywood limelight for her starring role. In March, the band released the single “Lost Track,” turning heads with yet another Anderson-directed video. In it, a twinkling music box and chimes play over a debutante ball scene with a disillusioned Danielle Haim stomping and singing in the outskirts. Coming off all the cinematic glitter, fans can get up close at the band’s first ticketed live show since Licorice Pizza and the new single were released. 8 p.m., $40-500, The Chelsea, cosmopolitanlasvegas.com. –Shannon Miller

THE RUMRUNNERS 10 p.m., Sand Dollar Lounge, thesanddollarlv. com.

KEON POLEE Thru 5/1, 8 p.m., LA Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy.com. PHNM 9 p.m., Emporium, emporiumlv.com.

(Courtesy)

QUINN DAHLE With Leonart Ouzts, Traci Skene, Michael Yo, 7 & 9:30 p.m., Thru 4/30, Comedy Cellar, ticketmaster.com.

SUPERGUIDE

UNLV SPRING JAZZ FESTIVAL The spring jazz festival at UNLV promises three nights of standards, contemporary and student arrangements. On Monday, Lara Vivian Smith will direct two vocal ensembles, followed by Jake Langley directing the university’s guitar ensemble playing compositions by jazz legends Chick Corea and Clifford Brown. On Tuesday, Julian Tanaka will direct the contemporary ensemble playing student arrangements, which received numerous student music awards; followed by Uli Geissendoerfer directing the Latin ensemble. Grammy-nominated keyboardist and singer-songwriter Rachel Eckroth will join as a special guest on Tuesday and Wednesday, with Jazz Ensembles I and II playing new-age big band compositions for the festival finale. April 25-27, 7:30 p.m., $10, Alta Ham Fine Arts, unlv.edu. –Shannon Miller

DISCLOSURE With Zen Freeman, 10 p.m., Moonbeam at Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

F O R M O R E U P C O M I N G E V E N T S , V I S I T L A S V E G A S W E E K LY. C O M .

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SUPERGUIDE TUESDAY 26 APR.

MUSIC

YOLA 7:30 p.m., House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com. PARTY

BRUCE HARPER BIG BAND With Naomi Mauro, 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.

LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC SPOTLIGHT SERIES: STRING QUARTET 7:30 p.m., Troesh Studio Theater, thesmithcenter.com. NGHTMRE 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

WEDNESDAY 27 APR.

ARTS

S U P E R G U I D E

FOOD + DRINK

COMEDY

MISC

MICHAEL JOHNSON: THE DENIM BRIGADE 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com.

MICHAEL BUBLÉ 8 p.m., Resorts World Theatre, axs.com (Courtesy).

DILLON FRANCIS 10:30 p.m., EBC at Night, wynnsocial.com. DJ ZO Midnight, On the Record, ontherecordlv.com.

F O R M O R E U P C O M I N G E V E N T S , V I S I T L A S V E G A S W E E K LY. C O M .

SUPERGUIDE

SPORTS

LAS VEGAS AVIATORS VS. TACOMA RAINIERS While you were busy Twitter-feuding with Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf about whether Las Vegas is too gross to steal her city’s Major League Baseball team, the Aviators were splitting a season-opening series with the Reno Aces at the decidedly ungross Las Vegas Ballpark in Downtown Summerlin. Sure, we can probably accommodate the Athletics in a few years, but once you’ve spent some time at our existing baseball team’s facility, established in 2019, you might not see the need for the big leagues; it’s been voted as the AAA Best of the Ballparks favorite for two of its three years. Go see for yourself when the Aviators assume their Reyes de Plata identity for the special Copa de la Diversión game and open a six-game series against Tacoma. 7:05 p.m., $13-$50+, ticketmaster.com. –Brock Radke

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

4.21.22

THE BIG

P E O P L E

PICTURE

Tarissa Tiberti, executive director of arts and culture at MGM Resorts, in a VIP lounge at the Bellagio. At left is a painting by Cuban artist Tomás Esson. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

4.21.22

MGM Resorts art curator Tarissa Tiberti makes resort properties into “walking museums” BY AMBER SAMPSON

s MGM Resorts’ executive director of arts and culture, Tarissa Tiberti oversees a collection of more than 800 works of art across the company’s many properties and handles programming for the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. Now, MGM has expanded its portfolio to include more artists from under-represented communities, the Weekly spoke with Tiberti to learn more about MGM’s mission to amplify these voices, and how she approaches curation. Why is it important for MGM to diversify its art collection, and why now? We’re diversifying the collection to reflect the makeup of our guests, our employees and the communities in which we exist. It’s very important for us as a company to encompass all three of those areas. We’re committed to ensuring that our deeply held beliefs around diversity, equity and inclusion continue to be reflected in our operations, and that feeds into our art collecting mission. Art provides a visual way we can showcase that commitment.

How do you go about matching artworks with appropriate properties? Locations are carefully considered for each new artwork. The final choice must allow the context of the work to speak for itself and enhance the work without providing any unsolicited input. Obviously people are moving throughout our buildings all day long, in many different fashions... Some may go grab a coffee, some may walk into the conservatory, some may go into a restaurant and sit down and dine. So we’re giving them these opportunities to walk amongst these artworks as if it’s a walking museum. A walking museum. Can you give an example of how that works? The selection for Ghada Amer is two different artworks. They’re from the artist’ series The Women I Know Part II, and they each have a single female figure. They’re at the check-in desk at the [Bellagio] salon, behind the salon representatives who are checking you in... They’re just beautiful. They’re colorful to look at. There’s embroidery on there. There’s so much going on. You’re checking in, but you’re also looking at the artwork and the subject of the artwork is gazing back at you. There are works by Pablo Picasso hanging in the Bellagio’s Picasso restaurant. Some people may never have had the chance to see these otherwise. We’re very cautious and deliberate about how we do that ...

In your 14 years of working with MGM, can you pinpoint a piece or a series that you’re particularly proud of getting into the art collection? Jonathan Lyndon Chase. We actually bought [his work] last year. … It’s an exciting piece, and I love the location. It’s called “The Cook Out.” It focuses on the nuances of the queer Black life ... these vivid portraits showing the subjects in various aspects of domestic life. It’s hanging at Park MGM, near the pool. There’s a lot of life and energy in that building, and I think the piece is really dynamic and it fits the location without even trying.

(MGM Resorts International/Courtesy)

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Where did your passion for collecting come from? I got my master’s in sculpture, so I come at this from an art background. I have construction and interior design in my family. I think about the whole space; even when I was making art, I couldn’t stay on the paper, it was on the walls and everywhere else. When I’m curating at the gallery, it’s much more about how people are moving through a space and experiencing it, and remembering that people are coming from all different walks of life and different time points in their life. That’s so important to remember when you’re looking at artwork. You have to look at the artist, where they’re from, their age, and put yourself in that context, whether it’s Picasso making work in 1930 [or] an artist of the same age today. Looking at those works side by side, it may still be a portrait, but the artists come at them with such different backgrounds, and you can see that in the art.

Tour the art of MGM Resorts Rashid Johnson Cosmic Slop series, on Aria’s Promenade Level Sanford Biggers “Oracle at Aria,” near the resort’s self-parking entrance Ghada Amer pieces from The Women I Know Part II, at Bellagio’s Spa & Salon Jonathan Lyndon Chase “The Cook Out,” adajacent to lobby at Park MGM Tomás Esson “Quimera” and “Anestesia,” outside of the Bellagio Conservatory and in the resort’s VIP Lounge respectively Svenja Deininger “Untitled” at Aria’s Carbone restaurant Derrick Adams Floater series at Park MGM, near the resort’s pool entrance (commissioned and currently in construction)

THE WEEKLY Q&A

It must be nice for tourists to walk into one of your properties and see art from all over the country—or from overseas. Absolutely. The collection is international, as well as representational of the states. Our National Harbor [Maryland] collection is very much focused on the region. There’s an incredible amount of diverse artists in that region. We have Sam Gilliam, who’s a mid-career artist, and it’s fantastic to have his works. Then we have a local artist, Martha Jackson Jarvis, [who worked]

with materials that were literally from the ground that the property was built on.

There’s no [fine art] museum in Las Vegas, aside from the one at UNLV. To be able to have works of this caliber out in public for people from all over the world to see, and especially for Las Vegas residents [to] have these works here ... it’s a great opportunity MGM has to offer.

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

roger clyne & the peacemakers Saturday, April 23

metalachi

with special guests Diabolyk “Rock En Español”

Saturday, May 7

NEXT TO THE BEST PRESENTS

the next movement with Michelle Marshall The Ultimate Tribute to Tina Turner

kuh ledesma

featuring odette quesada & fe de los reyes

Saturday, May 21

Saturday, June 18

TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT S I LV E R T O N C A S I N O . C O M / E N T E R TA I N M E N T Ticket price subject to Live Entertainment Tax (LET) and fees where applicable. All sales are final. Entertainment is subject to change without prior notice. Management reserves all rights.

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4.21.22

Adam Metcalf

Brian Chapin

C O V E R

S T O R Y

Michael Shetler

Wyndee Forrest David Pascual

Catching up on the state of the scene with major players in local beer

The local beer and brewing scene continued to grow and evolve despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic. How did that happen? Adam Metcalf, director of operations at Aces and Ales: “It did, which is not very odd once you think about it. With people moving their whole lives into their homes, it really turned focus to their local lives. It opened up space and time to think and spend their time in the way they wanted. What it quickly turned to was people supporting their local community and businesses. It was incredible to see the public showing their support—something that all of the smaller breweries and businesses desperately needed. At Aces and Ales … it gave us the time to look inward and improve our facilities, our steps of service, and our back of house operations. Though the average guest might not notice all of these changes, they have certainly improved our overall experience delivery.” David Pascual, head brewer and director of operations at Big Dog’s: “Early in the pandemic, we were fortunate to be open for curbside pickup, as we are a food manufacturer not only in our pub, but in the brewery. As the pandemic continued, we had to have great relationships with our suppliers and our eyes and ears open to the current events that would affect our supply chains. Through all this, we still had to provide beer to the public, so while our production beers took a hit, it gave us some creative freedom to produce fun and specialty type beers to help entice our regulars and even new customers to want to come by and support us. I can’t understate the local support we received during all of this; it is something we will always remember.” Wyndee Forrest, president at Nevada Craft Brewer’s Association and owner at CraftHaus Brewery: “The craft beer industry is built around community. Our fans know our stories, they engage with us on a personal level, they want to hear the process behind the creation of beer, we celebrate the wins with them and mourn the losses together. People really looked at how they could support one another during the pandemic and how their purchases could have the most positive impact.” The return of the Great Vegas Festival is a great way to reconnect with the brewing community. How important are events like this in establishing a sort of beer identity for the city? Michael Shetler, craft beer business development manager at BreakThru Beverage: “Festivals are often maligned as just a big party. My response to that, especially if you have ever attended a virtual beer festival or tasting, is what’s wrong with that? Sometimes the best way to

appreciate beer is to do it with hundreds of other people in a fun environment where you aren’t overanalyzing, you’re just enjoying it. As far as establishing a beer identity for Las Vegas, festivals are important [for] bringing people together to appreciate a wide range of available beers in the city and [connecting] people to local breweries they may not have visited before.” Brian Chapin, founder at Motley Brews and Great Vegas Festival: “Ten years ago we were one of the few companies producing local events because we thought there was a lot of opportunity to get together with friends and develop that identity on a small level. Now there are all kinds of people doing [beer] and culinary events. The goal of [Great Vegas] remains to offer a place that you can kind of come home to, to come together with your friends, try local food and local beer, and all the people serving it are super cool and unpretentious and want to feel like you do.” Pascual: “It is a collective effort for us to establish that [identity]. We are only as strong as our weakest link. I think that keeps a lot of the local breweries on our toes. The local beer industry has taken leaps and bounds in recent years but there are many other beverages that people have access to in this town, so for us to continue establishing ourselves, we have to continuously provide quality and innovation.” Some local breweries shifted to more package sales instead of draft during the shutdowns. Are businesses continuing to adapt and change now that COVID seems to be subsiding? Forrest: “Packaging beer is an extremely cost-intensive process. If a small brewery does not own their own canning line, they must hire a mobile canning service. Lead times and cost of all packaging materials skyrocketed. This led to what has been coined as the ‘Candemic.’ The advantage that most craft breweries have is we are small enough to pivot quickly. For instance, CraftHaus changed its entire business model overnight by creating a digital platform to order our products for curbside to go. Now, craft breweries are ensuring they will never be in that situation again by stocking enough raw material and packaging materials to sustain their business for at least a quarter.” Shetler: “The shutdowns forced some breweries who didn’t have a big stake in off-premise [packaged beer sales] to adapt, and I think that will strengthen their business models moving forward. I think everyone learned that having all of your eggs in one basket is a risky proposition.” There are more great beer spots in Strip casino resorts these days, including many that offer local brews. How important is that potential exposure for the local scene in general?

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Forrest: “Breaking through the gatekeepers of the Strip is a daunting task. However, there has been a shift in carrying more locally produced beers because the Strip is demanding it. Whether it be the tourist who wants to have something they cannot get at home, the executive chef who is mindful of their menu and offering a quality-driven product alongside their thoughtful dishes, or distributors having a full range of local beers to represent, the shift is happening.” Metcalf: “Many of these casinos don’t have the draft systems in place to service the guests playing on the casino floors. Therefore, they need local craft that is in cans and bottles to offer to the guests. Restaurants and bars within the casinos have steadily increased their local selections and I am confident that will only continue to grow. People want to try local beers when they are on vacation, they don’t always want the same stuff they can get at home.” Pascual: “With the millions of people that visit here, it’s pertinent that visitors imbibe our brews and see our tap handles and packaged beer. Seeing what is going on in other craft beer markets has also helped create a want here in Las Vegas. People tend to want to know about or indulge in things that are sourced or made locally. Once people try our beers, I’m sure that they can see the quality we bring to the table.” What does Las Vegas need to level up and be mentioned among other great American beer cities? Shetler: “The local brewery scene needs to continue to evolve and grow with an uncompromising commitment to beer quality. Also, I am perplexed why a city with so much culinary richness doesn’t embrace beer as much as it should. We need more restaurants offering interesting beer lists. That has been a void long before the pandemic. Lastly, Las Vegas needs to develop an annual organized, coordinated Beer Week similar to Philly or San Francisco.” Forrest: “Las Vegas is home to national and global award-winning breweries. We don’t need to mimic any other beer-centric city because we are uniquely Las Vegas. Nevada’s antiquated laws that apply to our businesses stifle growth, so the Nevada Craft Brewers Association is poised to affect change to benefit our industry. If independent breweries are strangled out of the market, particularly the Strip and now sporting venues, they will never get to the point of being able to compete with larger, regional and national brands. If we want to change how our industry can advance, we have to be that change.”

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SUMMERLIN AREA

Out here, nothing is exactly walking distance, so an excursion is less a beer crawl and more of a beer jaunt. But with the ubiquity of rideshare, a Summerlin area beer-centric adventure is as easy as swiping right. Start at Scenic Brewing Company (scenicbrewingcompany. com), just off its third anniversary. Scenic typically offers a good variety of styles on draft, ranging from the Saison Saisoff farmhouse ale to the heavy hitting Date Nectar Belgian strong dark ale. There’s always a nitro option—currently the tasty Flying Cardinal Irish red ale—and a damn fine root beer on tap to boot. Most should pair nicely with a better-than-average burger if you’re starting off hungry. A short ride takes you from one of the Valley’s youngest breweries to one of its most established, Chicago Brewing Company (chicagobrewinglv.com). The Quad Damn It Belgian strong ale is a 2019 GABF Gold Medal winner worth seeking out, while the coffee stout is equally memorable. Another short ride up Fort Apache/Rampart gets you to Tivoli Village and a couple spots that actually are within crawling distance: PKWY Tavern (pkwytavern.com) and Hop Nuts Brewing (hopnutsbrewing.com). The former offers 43 taps and another 120-plus bottles and cans, while the latter is the westside outpost of the Arts District brewery. Try the Old Town Alt Bier for a solid representation of a German style not commonly found in the Valley. Finish the jaunt with another Lyft to Downtown Summerlin where the third Beer Zombies taproom awaits (thebeerzombies.com, summerlin.com). You can always find something great amongst the 16 taps, carefully curated by local beer celebrity Chris Jacobs.

DOWNTOWN

DTLV is the mecca of the local beer scene, ground zero due to its concentration of breweries and bars in the Arts District. Start your crawl at the south end of Main Street at Able Baker Brewing (ablebakerbrewing.com) where you’ll find some of the best local IPAs and barrel-aged beers, most generally given atomic bomb-related names. Drinking delicious beers while getting a bit of a history lesson is a win-win. North on Main lies the combination of HUDL Brewing Company (hudlbrewing.com) and Nevada Brew Works (nevadabrewworks.com), separated from one another by the city’s best barbecue joint Soulbelly BBQ. You could make an afternoon at just these three patios—trust me, I have. HUDL stouts and IPAs generally excel, while NV Brew Works’ Ariana Rye and hefeweizen are both noteworthy. The embarrassment of riches continues with a duo of the city’s best beer bars. Silver Stamp (silverstamplv.com) is already legendary, offering a limited-yet-precise draft list along with a special bottle list, and Servehzah Bottle Shop (servehzah.com) deserves accolades for its breadth. You could easily waste away a day at either. But you shouldn’t, because a bit more north is CHAD— CraftHaus’ Arts District location (crafthausbrewery.com)—a taproom that almost mirrors its original Henderson location, and Hop Nuts’ divey Downtown spot, an escape with its isolated feel and oversized flights. Don’t overlook Three Sheets (threesheetsdtlv. com) with its 30 handles and the newly opened Astronomy/Mojave taproom upstairs. Need a finisher? Tacotarian (tacotarianlv.com) consistently has a small selection of craft beers to accompany its crowd-pleasing vegan fare.

(Servehzah, Able Baker and HUDL Brewing Company by Wade Vandervort/Staff)

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Take advantage of rideshare options to cruise these new local beerscapes

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(Mojave Brewing Company by Steve Marcus/Staff)

WATER STREET

A Henderson brewery crawl discussion will inevitably center around the renowned Booze District (visithendersonnv. com), home to the trio of Bad Beat (badbeatbrewing.com), CraftHaus and Astronomy (astronomyaleworks. com). But for a different stroll of libations, you’d be well served to check out the ever-evolving Water Street scene in downtown Hendo. Begin at the south end at MacKenzie River Pizza (mackenzieriverpizza.com) hidden inside Lifeguard Arena. It’s worth hunting down the entrance to grab a pint of caramel-laden Jeremiah Johnson Mountain Man Scotch Ale, as the Montana export is hard to come by in these parts. Continue north on Water to Mojave Brewing Company (mojave-brewing.com) where a wonderfully shaded patio and a variety of movie-inspired brews await; the Van Milder dark mild on cask is a particularly nice option right now. Crossing over to Hardway 8 (hardway8henderson.com) gets you access to drafts ranging from Henderson to Reno and all points in between. And as man cannot live on beer alone, Hardway 8 is a good spot to set a base with skillet nachos topped with chicharrones and Buffalo fried oysters. Further up Water, Lovelady Brewing (loveladybrewing.com) awaits. Expert advice: while you could always start the Water Street crawl at its northernmost spot, it’s best to leave Lovelady until later in the day when the east-facing patio is fully shaded. That’s the best way to enjoy a creamy Paleo Porter in all its peanut buttery, chocolaty, coffee-rich goodness. You’re welcome.

THE GREATEST BEERFEST OF ALL

HE CRAWL BY JIM BEGLEY

The Great Vegas Festival is finally back in Downtown Las Vegas with its first two-day beer and culinary event since 2019. It’s also the 10th time Motley Brews has presented this event, which has grown immensely through the years. “The excitement and the jitters have been back for us, and since it hasn’t occurred in the last three years, I think there’s a little extra excitement,” says event organizer and Motley Brews founder Brian Chapin. “It’s just great to get everybody back together.” And it really will be everybody—37 breweries will be pouring more than 100 different beers, serving alongside a dozen food trucks during the Great Tasting, which starts at 3 p.m. April 23 at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. The opening event is the Taco Tiki Throwdown (starting at 7 p.m. April 22), with 10 local chefs including Marc Marrone, Sam Marvin and Jeffrey Weiss competing for best taco while 12 mixologists including Adam Rains, Jason Hughes and Javier Ramirez battle in the Malihini Tiki Competition. Guests get to taste everything. “Our roots are on the craft beer side and we’ll always have that, but we’ll keep playing in other avenues, experimenting in mixology ... and different food and beverage options,” Chapin says. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously and we know it’s a fun crowd that wants good energy and good vibes.” Great vibes, actually. –Brock Radke

GREAT VEGAS FESTIVAL April 22-23, times vary, $50-$65. Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, greatvegasbeer.com.

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night or brunch destination for many North Las Vegas residents looking for something outside of a franchise. “You’ll have people that live way north by the 215 and North Fifth Street, and there’s nothing out there [except for] BY SHANNON MILLER Chili’s, Applebee’s,” Matt says. “They North 5th Brewing Company opened in want something different. So they’ll travDecember 2021, but co-owners Amanda el an extra 15 minutes.” and Matt Payan were working in the buildCustomers keep coming back for limiting years before that, when it housed their ed-edition and members-only beers. The dad’s restoration company. True North series incorporates one-off The siblings and beer-loving pioneers flavors including real fruit or spice. Try a opened North Las Vegas’ first brewery after Mexican lager infused with jalapeño and touring facilities around the country and habanero, or a hazy IPA made with real seeing the potential that a warehouse has. passion fruit, orange and guava juices. “We were in Colorado when we “Once that keg is gone, that’s it,” noticed that a lot of breweries Matt says. “That really motivates were in warehouses in induspeople to try something differtrial areas,” Matt recalls. Matt and Amanda ent and come into the brewery Payan, with their “Amanda said, ‘Hey, we during the weekdays, because parents can probably put a brewery sometimes those cases only (Christopher at our facility.’” The idea last for a couple of days.” DeVargas/Staff) morphed into a business Members of the 5th Degree replan that the siblings presentwards program can enjoy exclusive ed to their dad, who approved of brews, such as a gingersnap saison converting his business’ warehouse into a with lemon. The Sunday brunch drink brewery and taproom. menu features house-made micheladas, A few months later, there’s a steady a beermosa with Bavarian Hefeweizen, flow of customers at the warehouse on and an IPA shandy, accompanied by Latin Mayflower Avenue, just north of Lake cuisine from Torta Chaser food truck. Mead Boulevard and US Highway 93. The brewery’s 5,000-square foot producMany workers from nearby businesses tion room includes seven barrels. But its come in around 4 p.m. looking to unwind pride and joy is its taproom, which Amanda over a drink or two. says is intentionally welcoming for nonDuring evenings and weekends, the white people and women. As a Latino- and brewery has become a convenient date woman co-owned business, they were

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North Las Vegas’ first brewery keeps it all in the family

grateful to other local breweries that helped and supported them when they got started. Creating a comfortable atmosphere for everyone was one way to pay it forward. “Women feel comfortable being in [the taproom] having a couple of beers, and even coming alone. And so that for us is something that we’re really proud of,” she says. Most of all, the siblings say none of it would have been possible without the support from their parents. Although they say they work well together, their dad gets to play referee when they have disagreements. Seeing the brewery flourish has brought them closer together. “My brother and I had to ask them to close their business and open something for us, for our dreams,” Amanda says. “To have them continue this journey with us has been something that both of us are extremely thankful for.”

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SUDSY NEW SIPS TO SAMPLE NORTH 5TH BREWERY’S JAVA DRIP The new brewery’s True North series showcases small-batch beers and one of their latest is Java Drip, the Tickle the Floor Scotch ale brewed with coffee. The style’s typical maltiness serves as a nice complement to the coffee’s inherent acridity, resulting in a well-balanced brew delivering just enough coffee essence.

(Steve Marcus/Staff)

ABLE BAKER’S BOURBON BARREL-AGED VIVA THE KING This might be my favorite local brew right now, and it’s among the all-time greats. Flavors from the King’s favorite sandwich— peanut butter, banana and chocolate—blend seamlessly, none overpowering. And it drinks way easier than the 11% ABV would suggest. Perfection in a glass. LV BREWING COMPANY’S PENNY O’REILLY’S IRISH RED ALE LV Brewing Company marks the return of lovable curmudgeon Dave Otto to Las Vegas and the brewing system he knew well from his time at PT’s Brewing Company. Following in his tradition of award-winning Irish styles is his Penny O’Reilly’s Red Ale, boasting rye malt flavors in a bounty of breadiness. Welcome back, Dave, you’ve been missed!

BAD BEAT BREWING’S LUAU BROWN COFFEE VARIANT Coffee can be a tricky adjunct for brewers to work with. Sometimes coffee on the nose falls flat on the palate, while in other instances it can overpower the base beer. In Bad Beat’s Luau Brown creation, the right balance is struck and is even accentuated with bourbon barrel aging and hazelnut flavors abounding. Try this one with dessert if you have the chance. BIG DOG BREWING COMPANY’S CHOCK‘EM SOCK‘EM FAUX BOCK German-style weizenbocks aren’t a style you see brewed in the Valley very often, so kudos to Big Dog’s Dave Pascual for taking this one on, brewed with cacao nibs and vanilla. Pascual excels at Belgian styles but it’s worth the visit to the northwest to see him tackle other European styles just as gracefully. LOVELADY BREWING’S 6 FEET UNDER A dual-occasion celebration beer commemorating both the brewery’s sixth anniversary (seems like Lovelady has been a fixture much longer) and Richard Lovelady’s 25th year of brewing, this one is advertised as both an imperial cold IPA and an India pale lager. Call it what you want, it drinks easier than its booziness would lead you to believe. This is how celebrations should be done. BANGER BREWING’S COMMON CHIPPY Local breweries should be lauded when brewing uncommon styles, and unlike its name, the Kentucky Common is as uncommon a style as you’ll find. Think of it as a dark cream ale hinting of chocolate and you’re on the right path. Because we’re not living in early 1900s Louisville when the style was in its heyday, it’s just not a beer you generally come across, so grab one while you can. –Jim Begley

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Valley craft brewers get creative with their cans

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“We are big on can art. Can art definitely helps sell the beer when it’s just the beer speaking for itself on the shelf,” says CraftHaus Brewery co-owner Wyndee Forrest. “We love people to visit our brewery; that’s where they can get the face, place and story. However, we can’t be everywhere all the time, so the can has to do the talking for us.” They’ve got nothing but good things to say. CraftHaus’ cans are beautiful. I can easily pick out CraftHaus’ year-round beers in a crowded cooler, especially the Silver State blonde ale, with its silver-on-black silhouette of Sunrise Mountain and Steve Brockman’s swooping cursive logo. Local designer Victoria Hart—creator of the “City of Las Vegas” logo that adorns Downtown’s entryway arch—has some real fun with CraftHaus’ seasonal beers, putting a bespectacled ursine on their Urban Panda Schwarzbier and dressing up their Sugoi Strawberry Mochi Milkshake IPA in irresistible pink kawaii. CraftHaus’ cans have to look good, because

that aforementioned cooler is rapidly filling up with Valley-made craft beers, nearly all of which are telling their maker’s stories through mirthful, colorful and sometimes even provocative can art. Able Baker’s cans evoke mid-century Americana, wholly appropriate for a brewery named for the first two bombs detonated at the Nevada Test Site. Bad Beat Brewing’s cans tell archetypal Vegas stories in miniature. (My favorite is the sad sack watching two hands scooping away his chips and wristwatch, with a banner underneath that reads “Bluffing isn’t Weisse.” Naturally, it’s a hefeweizen.) Tenaya Creek Brewery looks to the nature right outside our window. “We just want to pay homage to the southwest region … to give you a feel for the state of Nevada,” says Mike Majano, Tenaya Creek’s director of sales. Their cans, designed by artist Kendrick Kidd, sport a deep blue band at the top that represents the desert sky, and a deep brown band at the bottom standing in for the desert floor. Framed between them are assorted specimens of Mojave wildlife, illustrated in a style reminiscent of Charley Harper—a

howling coyote (Gypsy Fade IPA), a desert tortoise in an oompah outfit (Oktoberfest lager) and so on. Beer Zombies, on the other hand, illustrates their cans with characters you probably hope never to meet on a beer run: grotesque, rotting ghouls, just going about their day. “Every once in a while, someone will say something like, ‘Oh, that label’s a little aggressive,’ but it doesn’t stop anybody from drinking it or buying it,” says founder Chris Jacobs, who until recently illustrated the can art himself. He now assigns the illustrations to other artists, though they’re still his concepts: “I probably have a couple hundred beer can ideas,” he says. Like Forrest and Majano, Jacobs is all about the stories his cans tell. But at the same time, he says, it’s OK for a beer can to just … be. “I think you’re gonna see [beer can art] in museums in the future, you know, as a peek into the artistic landscape of the 2020s,” he says. “You have professional, world-renowned artists that are working on these things now. They’re just like a little miniature canvas, but the fact that they’re disposable makes it interesting, because you only get it for a quick time.”

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NEWS 2

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

As of April 15, the seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 cases rose to 39,521, up from 30,724 two weeks earlier. Experts warn that the coming wave—caused by a mutant called BA.2 that’s thought to be about 30% more contagious—will wash across the nation.

MASKS OFF IN THE SKY A federal judge in Florida struck down a national mask mandate on airplanes and mass transit April 18, and airlines and airports swiftly began repealing their requirements that passengers wear face coverings.

(E11EVEN Miami/Courtesy)

COVID CASES ON THE RISE

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LEGENDARY NIGHTCLUB E11EVEN MIAMI SET TO TAKE OVER RESORTS WORLD FOR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND E11EVEN Miami, a global nightclub industry leader since 2014 that has hosted performances from Drake, Miley Cyrus, Cardi B, Post Malone and many more, is partnering with Resorts World Las Vegas and Zouk Group for a series of events and activations at the new Las Vegas Strip casino property during Memorial Day Weekend 2022. Zouk Nightclub, Ayu Dayclub, Fuhu restaurant and lounge and Bar Zazu restaurant and lounge are among the Resorts World venues that will host different entertainment events during the holiday weekend. “We are beyond excited to be partnering with Resorts World, the newest and most amazing jewel on the Strip,” E11EVEN Miami creator and co-founder Dennis DeGori said in a statement. “My operating partners Gino LoPinto, Daniel Solomon

and I all hail from Las Vegas, and we couldn’t be more proud to have a presence in our hometown.” Among the scheduled events are: The 11 Captain’s Club NFT kickoff party on May 26 at Bar Zazu; a performance by Cash Cash at Ayu Dayclub on May 27; a special dinner at Fuhu followed by a Tiësto set next door at Zouk Nightclub on May 28; and performances by DJ Snake at Ayu and the Martinez Brothers at Zouk on May 29. “Zouk Group and E11EVEN Miami both offer guests an unparalleled experience and we could not be more excited to partner with a leader in the industry and expand Zouk Group’s footprint across the United States,” Ronn Nicolli, vice president of Zouk Group Las Vegas, said in a statement. For more information about event tickets and packages, visit zoukgrouplv.com/ mdw2022. -Brock Radke

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$500M HOUSING INITIATIVE Gov. Steve Sisolak on April 14 detailed his “Home Means Nevada” initiative, which will include $500 million from American Rescue Plan funds, as well as additional funding from state and local investments to build affordable housing.

SPORTS

(Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

NLV SCHOOL’S ‘ZEN DEN’ HELPS KIDS COPE, RESET This year’s spike in the frequency and intensity of violence has led Clark County School District officials to discuss myriad possible solutions. One way that Ruby Duncan Elementary School in North Las Vegas has attempted to help children reboot and calm down when they get overheated or emotional is with the “Zen Den.” Jay Meyers, who has a background in working with children with severe emotional challenges, is Duncan’s behavior strategist and is in charge of the room. He has a “breakfast club” before school and pullout sessions during the day that children earn, as tracked on their behavior charts. The Duncan reset room features a bin of shredded scrap paper for kids who need crisp tactile sensation or to tear up something that isn’t valuable. Flute music and the lights are both set to low and soft. There are bookshelves coated in paint that turns them into chalkboard surfaces, for kids who need to

With his wife and three sons sitting in first-row seats while his 1-year-old daughter climbed around the front of the room cooing, Derek Carr announced a long-awaited threeyear contract extension with the Raiders on April 13 at the team’s Henderson headquarters. Family was a recurring theme of why the 31-year-old veteran said he wanted to stay in Las Vegas and add to his status as the AFC’s longest-tenured quarterback. “I’ve only wanted to be a Raider,” Carr said. “I told my agent I either want to be a Raider or I’m going to be playing golf. I don’t want to play anywhere else.” The new deal includes a no-trade clause and is worth a total of $121.5 million. Carr had one year left on his current contract — a five-year, $125 million deal signed in 2017 — so the extension means he will be in Las Vegas through the 2025 season. -Case Keefer

Vegas goaltender Robin Lehner (90) blocks a shot against New Jersey on April 18 at T-Mobile Arena. The Golden Knights lost the game, 3-2, and remain on the outside of the playoff hunt down the stretch. They trail Nashville and Dallas, though the Predators have a challenging slate of games remaining. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

THE AVERAGE RENT IN LAS VEGAS IS $1,450.

NEWS

HOT SHOT

scribble or draw beyond paper. A toy kitchen for imaginative play. Glowin-the-dark stars in a dim corner and a tubular, water-filled lamp that quietly churns up bubbles and knocks around colorful plastic fish for kids who need something to gaze at. And there are several miniature trampolines and a freestanding punching bag with a few tiny pairs of boxing gloves for kids who express themselves physically—an urge that can be risky, especially when upset. The punching bag was the first item Principal Amy Manning said she bought for the room. Manning and Meyers said their students had emotional issues and personal traumas to sort through long before the pandemic. During the pandemic’s distance learning period, Duncan staff planned and outfitted the room. Because the room is so well-known, it’s also used as a reward because it’s “the coolest thing in the whole school,” Meyers said. -Hillary Davis

CARR: ‘I’VE ONLY WANTED TO BE A RAIDER’

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POWWOW FOR THE PLANET

How Indigenous youth are connecting with, and protecting, land and heritage BY SHANNON MILLER

P E O P L E

e take for granted the land on which we build, make a living and raise families every day. The same can be said of the Indigenous people who are here today, and were here long before Spanish missionaries, prospectors or railroads ran through this land. Las Vegas rests on ancestral lands of the Southern Paiute or Nuwuvi people. According to U.S. Census data from 2021, there are more than 27,000 Native Americans of various tribes living in Clark County and more than 53,000 in Nevada. To honor the land and Indigenous cultures, the first-ever Youth Powwow for the Planet is coming to the UNLV. Organized by the UNLV Native American Student Association, the event is open to the public and will include climate justice workshops, booths, vendors, dance performances and a powwow ceremony. Natalie O’Neal, a board member with Indigenous Educators Empowerment, a Nevada nonprofit that helped organize the event, says the powwow’s focus on youth reflects her culture’s traditions and life philosophy. As a member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux tribes of Montana, she says regard for the earth and for future generations is part of Native Americans’ spirituality. “We’re always taught to think seven generations ahead,” O’Ne-

al says. “Decisions that we make today, we really as a community, as an oyate, as a family should think about things in terms of [impact] on future generations.” Powwow is a celebration of culture that typically includes food, song and dance. Non-natives are invited and encouraged to attend. No drugs or alcohol are allowed at the powwow, to show respect for elders, songs and dancers. Non-natives will be invited to join in some of the dances, when announced by the emcee. Local Indigenous-led activist group Fifth Sun Project is providing plant-based meals for the dancers,

drummers and veterans at the event. Through grassroots organizing and mutual aid from the community, the group raises awareness about issues affecting Indigenous people, including land protection and food sovereignty—the power to produce and control the food you eat. They partnered with the Solidarity Fridge, another local Indigenous-led initiative, to create illustrated cookbook Native Plant Based Foods Vol. 1. Together, they created the zinestyle cookbook to provide a free resource that they could leave at the Solidarity Fridge’s “little free libraries” that have been installed in Las Vegas’ eastside and low-income neighborhoods. “A lot of the culture within food and environment has gotten lost,” says Eztli Amaya, cofounder of Fifth Sun Project. “We put it together to offer something to the community that has to do with culture, land protection, food justice and resources.” Amaya and Fifth Sun’s co-founders are descendent of Purépecha, Indigenous people of Western Mexico. They say Native American reservations have long received processed commodities from the government, which has led to poor diets and bad health outcomes. According to the

Pages from the Solidarity Fridge’s Native Plant Based Foods Vol. 1 zine (Ricardo Ledesma/Courtesy)

Office of Minority Health, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and liver disease are disproportionately prevalent among American Indians and Alaska Natives, compared to other ethnic groups. Even for urban natives who don’t live on reservations, food deserts present the same issue. “Growing up on the east side of Vegas, there were never healthy options for us, always fast food and tacos,” Amaya says. “With Vegas being urban and having food deserts, we wanted to figure out how we can reclaim what we haven’t been taught.” Amaya has been vegan for ten years. She says plant-based eating has helped her reconnect with her culture and traditional ways of growing and consuming food. At the powwow, Fifth Sun’s priority is bringing nutritious, plant-based food to the table and raising awareness about healthy eating, especially among elders who are more set in their ways and diets. In addition to working toward healthier communities through more plant-based, locally grown food, young Indigenous people have united and rallied around land protection and preservation efforts. Since last year, 18-yearold McKinley McPherson has been writing letters to lawmakers, advocating for national monument designation of Avi Kwa Ame near Searchlight, which is sacred land to several regional tribes. She started doing it through a CCSD group that she founded in October 2021, Indigenous Student Association. “Growing up, I always experienced that there was a lack of representation for the students, and a place where we can be, especially in middle school and high school,” McPherson says, adding that programs organized through the schools often die down after the students graduate. “I wanted to create a space where the students [could] feel heard, and where we didn’t have to be constricted by those limits.” A member of the Pit River Tribe in California, she says student organizing has connected her with natives

YOUTH POWWOW FOR THE PLANET April 23, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., UNLV Chem Lawn, unlv. edu.

McKinley McPherson, founder of the Indigenous Student Association (Right Insert) Lilliana O’ Neal, powwow dancer (Courtesy)

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in Las Vegas and helped strengthen the community overall. For the Earth Day celebration, she and the Indigenous Student Association have prepared a “live art piece”—a mixed-media project that students will paint and create in real time during the powwow, focusing on how natives respect Mother Earth. She will be contributing beadwork, her personal demonstration of connection with heritage.

NEWS

Fourteen-year-old Lilliana O’Neal is one of the powwow dancers at the Earth Day celebration. She has been powwow dancing for as long as she can remember, and specializes in the Fancy Shawl dance, in which a shawl is worn on the arms and over the shoulders. She says it’s important to carry the traditions of powwow, to keep the community strong. “I think it’s important [to] have something to fall back on, for us to celebrate when times are tough,” she says. The middle schooler helps to support the Native community by managing the event’s Instagram page (@powwow4theplanet). Her mother Natalie says social media has become a trademark of contemporary Indigenous youth initiatives. Powwow organizers did not print a single paper flyer to promote the event. Indigenous youth are rooting down to their communities, using their creativity and tools to affect change from the ground up. “Native people are here in Nevada,” says Lilliana O’Neal. “Nothing you can do about it.”

THE STRIP

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4.21.22 AMYSTIKA Wednesday-Sunday, 9:30 p.m., $69-$139. Criss Angel Theater, ticketmaster.com.

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(left) Criss Angel and Franco Dragone (Amystika/Courtesy/Photo Illustration)

ARTISTIC AMBITIONS Two iconic Strip creators reach for more with Amystika BY BROCK RADKE

either Criss Angel nor Franco Dragone has anything to prove to Las Vegas audiences. Whether or not you prefer his goth-horror style and industrial rock soundtrack, Angel is without question one of the most famous magicians in the world, an uncompromising performer who has headlined his own major production show on the Vegas Strip since 2006. His collaborator on the new show Amystika at his eponymous theater at the Planet Hollywood Resort is Dragone, the celebrated stage director behind seminal Cirque du Soleil smashes Mystère and O, as well as former Strip staples A New Day (Celine Dion’s first residency) and Le Rêve. The unlikely partners have been friends for years and reunited during the pandemic to livestream a series of artist interviews to raise money for out-of-work performers. Each has been supremely successful in Las Vegas. Creating a new show from scratch is always an incredible risk, even more so coming out of COVID. With the rapid development and launch of Amystika, it seems they have little to gain and lots to lose. So why did they do it? The answer is in the show itself. Described as the prequel

to Angel’s more magic-based Mindfreak production playing in the same room at 7 p.m., Amystika follows the story of how Long Island kid Christopher Sarantakos became Criss Angel, but the narrative is expressed in a dream-like, otherworldly way, complements of Dragone. There are tricks, loud music, lots of cool special effects and plenty of the spookiness we’ve come to expect from Angel, but it’s all balanced with a lighter, brighter, occasionally whimsical touch. “Even though we’re still dealing with illusion and escapism and comedy and these avant-garde acts, we needed to do something that … represented what Franco is a master at, and what I’m pretty good at doing,” Angel said at a media event prior to the show’s opening on April 2. “If you want to see what a new Cirque du Soleil show is, you have to see Amystika, because this is the man that created the Cirque du Soleil language, look and feel. Together, I think we have something special.” Since he’s onstage all night in Mindfreak, Angel wisely shares the spotlight in Amystika with plenty of other talented performers, so much so that it feels like a Cirque-ish variety show in the first half. More magic and a refreshing dose of charming

comedy come from Mike Hammer, who stars in his own show Downtown at the Four Queens, and there’s lots more from a fire artist, dancers, an aerialist, contortionists and an escape artist who innovates on Houdini’s iconic water chamber stunt. Thanks to the incredibly expensive technological updates to the theater that have been added for both shows, there’s also an intense tornado scene that actually sweeps through the entire room and pelts the audience with debris. “We started off with the latest and greatest technologies to innovate an experience that is truly immersive and one of a kind, but it all starts with the emotional connection,” Angel said. And that’s the why of Amystika. Its creators wanted to get more performers back onstage, to innovate once again—this time together—in the perpetual quest to present something new for Las Vegas. But above all, they do it because that’s what they do. “Especially today, it is more difficult than ever to bring people from their homes into the theater,” Dragone said at that same pre-opening event. “But one thing we know after COVID is that people want to get together, they want to be part of a community. This is our role as entertainers, to get people in the same place at the same time and trigger their imagination, and to do our best.”

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MORE THAN A PARTY OF TWO Nervo is back on the Vegas club scene with new music and family in tow BY BROCK RADKE

Sister DJ duo Miriam “Mim” Nervo (left) and Olivia “Liv” Nervo (Courtesy/Nervo Music)

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NERVO April 24, noon, $20-$30+. Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

“It’s definitely back to preCOVID, which is a bit scary, the how-to-do-it now that we’ve got the kids, but we’ll figure it out like everything else. We’re really just very grateful that we have a lot of work going on, overwhelmingly grateful that we’re still going, still able to do what we love, truly.” A new Ibiza residency at Eden is also on the summer agenda, and plenty of new Nervo music can be expected along with the rampage of tour dates. The sisters fell into a period of prolific creativity during the forced downtime of the pandemic, “one of the most creative times we’ve ever had,” Liv says. “We’re really happy with the music and now we’re polishing it up to release it, and it’s nice to have some more distance from that [period of time] now.” She says the pause actually came at a time when Nervo needed a break. In January, the duo participated in a discussion series produced by the International Music Summit that focused on mental health awareness. The hectic lifestyle in the entertainment industry can obviously breed issues and specific challenges, some of which Nervo has been able to avoid through their unique career. “We’ve been a little luckier, I think, because we don’t have the loneliness that follows DJs. We have each other, and families that follow us,” she says. “And where we thought it might be a burden to [tour] with the kids, it ended up being a lovely addition. They love it. “We have a different life, there’s no hiding that, but it’s great to see how happy they are, thriving, learning different languages. It makes you realize you are the master of your destiny, you can do things differently and it can be great.”

NIGHTS

Australian DJ duo Nervo performed its first Las Vegas club gig in more than two years on April 15. It was quite the occasion for sister act Olivia “Liv” and Miriam “Mim” Nervo, who got started in the music industry at the age of 18 and have impacted the Strip scene with long-running residencies with Wynn Nightlife and Hakkasan Group. “Vegas is such a special place for us,” says Liv. “Of course, it’s the most fun city in America and arguably the world, but also because the clubs really try to be better than each other. The competitive drive there just makes everything amazing.” This month’s comeback was also Nervo’s first show at Zouk Nightclub at Resorts World, where a new residency will keep the progressive house-leaning artists all summer long. Their first visit to Ayu Dayclub is set for April 24. The move to the hot new spots on the Strip was a natural one, having partnered with Zouk Group venues in Asia for almost a decade. But a Vegas transition is “never a no-brainer,” Liv says, “because when you move, you kind of burn a bridge and you always really think about it. We know how good they are and we’ve heard the rave reviews of these [new venues]. Tiësto said it’s incredible.” The sisters are beyond excited to amp up their touring schedule again after COVID, bouncing around the states this month and pinging over to Europe in May before the summer festival season arrives. Traveling will be a little different now that Liv has one child and Mim has two, but their extended family shares homes in LA, London and France as well as Australia. “We have a summer [planned] that’s gonna hit us like 45 jet planes,” Liv says.

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BY GEOFF CARTER My generation is arguably the last one to grow up hearing the occasional country song on top-40 radio. When I was a kid, songs by Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and the like regularly appeared in Billboard’s Top 10, and a few of them even topped the charts. Country music still sells—these days, arguably better than ever—but it occupies its own ecosystem; Morgan Wallen, Gabby Barrett and Chris Stapleton may be superstars, but you’re unlikely to see them on a pop festival bill, mixing it up with Tame Impala and Lizzo. It just doesn’t happen. However, that doesn’t mean those two worlds can’t mix. (See: Taylor Swift, also “Old Town Road.”) Orville Peck, who plays House of Blues on April 22, and Yola, who plays the same venue on April 26, are living proof that the walls separating country music from pop still have doors and sizable windows in them, through which influences, stylistic flourishes and entire songs can pass. These artists aren’t of the No Depression school, where punk decelerated into twang. The music they make is sincere, big-hearted pop country, and it belongs on a mass market festival stage—like, say, Coachella, which Peck and Yola will play before and after their Vegas visit. Odds are good you’ve at least seen Orville Peck before now. His distinctive fringed mask (actually one of many, all of them individually named) is a Daft Punk-level flex, but that kinda thing only works if the music you make is good enough to make people want to know the face of the artist who made it. And Peck, whose sophomore album

BREAKING THROUGH Orville Peck and Yola, playing Vegas within days of each other, are making country music without borders

Bronco just dropped, is that good. A velvet-voiced baritone whose gift for the theatrical never overwhelms a song’s emotional impact, Peck’s talents stubbornly resist apples-to-apples comparison. He’s a professed fan of Merle Haggard, but also of Whitney Houston; you can hear the influence of both in the torchy “Dead of Night.” Bronco’s “Daytona Sand” evokes Roy Orbison, Morrissey, Johnny Cash and the Twin Peaks music of Angelo Badalamenti without borrowing directly from any of them. His music is heartrending in feel, cinematic in scope. Rarely do artists emerge with such a confident, indelible footprint; it’s almost as if he’s been with us all along, traveling the back roads incognito since the CB radio era. Yola is something else entirely. Considering how

NOISE

ORVILLE PECK April 22, 8 p.m., $43. House of Blues, 702-6327600, livenation.com. (Courtesy)

YOLA April 26, 7:30 p.m., $30. House of Blues, 702-632-7600, livenation.com. (Courtesy/ Joseph Ross)

strongly rooted she is in classic American forms— country and R&B—her music feels unexpectedly audacious and fresh. The twangy shuffle of “Diamond Studded Shoes” could have been a hit in 1972, as could the dreamy soul of “Now You’re Here”—but Yola isn’t a retro act; she’s too passionate for that, too alive. Her vocals are so warm, human and beguiling that you can only imagine them existing at the precise moment you’re hearing them. No matter how many times you listen to her most recent album, last year’s Stand for Myself, you always feel like you’ve only just discovered its sweet, affecting songs. However, the most intriguing thing about both artists is that they’re coming at this very American music from places you might not expect. Peck is South African (by way of Canada), and also proudly gay, a fact he doesn’t even begin to hide in his lyrics. Yola, born Yolanda Claire Quartey, is Black and British—and still, this Bristol-raised singer-songwriter has managed to get Grammy-nominated for Best Americana Album two times now. Their successes bode well for the future of both country and pop. It shows that a lot of people are willing to dismiss their preconceived ideas of what makes the proverbial good country or pop song, and to just cross through the wall—from one side or from the other—to enjoy it. For a fitting example of this, search for Peck and Yola together on YouTube: You’ll find them duetting live on “Islands in the Stream,” a chart-topping hit for Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton in 1983. As performed by these two new country stars, it sounds like a chart-topper all over again.

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4.21.22 (Courtesy/Christina Russo)

RELIGHT AND RELIGHT AGAIN Y

IGNITE April 22-24, 4:30 p.m.-1 a.m., $65$125. Sandy Valley Ranch, ignitenv.com.

The Ignite variety festival returns with new passion and purpose

SCENE

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BY GEOFF CARTER

ou knew it was something special the moment you drove up to Sandy Valley Ranch, a proper horse ranch about an hour southwest of Vegas on the California side of the border. A stilt walker glided through the preshow crowd, spreading her diaphanous black wings for photos. A horse-drawn surrey rolled by, driven by a ranch hand in a top hat. And at showtime, we were ushered into a horse arena, seated on hay bales and treated to a circus/ variety show under the stars. That was the inaugural Ignite festival, May 2021. Las Vegas’ showrooms were slowly reawakening from the pandemic shutdown, but for many of us it had been more than a year since we’d seen a performance of any kind. Ignite gave us a night of balancing acts, acrobatics, fire acts, clowning, music and more, suffused in desert magic. Ignite 2021 was, in no small measure, a much-needed night of uplift at the end of a long, bad year. It feels like a tough act to follow, but it’s happening: Ignite returns to Sandy Valley Ranch April 22-24. Festival founder and co-director Sandi Croft says that Ignite proved simply too good not to repeat. “It’s not just about the show. It’s about getting outside of Vegas. It’s about bringing the whole family out to the ranch and seeing the animals and all the circus artists,” Croft says. (More evidence that Ignite is a different kind of circus animal: For this interview, the show’s principals

and I sat cross-legged in a semicircle on the floor of a west side rehearsal space, like schoolkids at story time.) “And then, on top of it all, to see a brilliant, moving, gorgeous show with the top talent in Las Vegas … and now, from other states as well. It’s really just taking what we did last year and recreating it, hopefully as an annual event.” “There was no pressure on this last year. It was just ‘let’s come together as a community,’ and it did so well,” says Ignite co-director Brandon Pereyda, noting that the feedback from attendees, from the guests to the performers to the vendors to the volunteers, was overwhelmingly positive. “I mean, even a week afterwards, a lot of us still had that energy going. “That’s why, probably around October or November, we were like, do we want to do this again? And everybody on the team was like, ‘Yes, I’m ready to feel that feeling again.’” Though this time, more people will be able to enjoy it. But not too many more. “Last year we had numbers that we obviously had to stick by. And we went right up to those [attendance numbers] because of the amount of love and support from the community,” Pereyda says. “This year, we added one more day … but at the same time, we’re keeping it so that it’s not too big. We want this to be a very special, close and intimate event for everybody to experience. I don’t want Ignite to become this massive festival. That’s not what it is.” What that means is most of the elements that made last year’s festival such a pleasure to

attend will also be present this year, expanded in size and scope—including the courtyard of food trucks and drink vendors, the DJ-driven afterparty and the accommodations for guests who’d like to sleep over. Sandy Valley Ranch offers several overnight options, including covered wagons and glamping tents. It probably also means there’ll be more hay bales in the outdoor arena, spaced closer together. But as to the particulars of the show itself—what acts we’ll see, what surprises we’ll encounter—we’ll have to wait to see what artistic directors and choreographers Alexis Ochin and Arnaud Boursain have helped to dream up. “We went out to the ranch the other day for a photoshoot, and the magic, the energy of this place is just so incredible,” Ochin says. “We’re really trying to tap into that for the show experience, how you can reconnect to something that’s very deep and very meditative. As humans, we’ve gathered around fires under the stars and exchanged myths and legends. That’s what we’re gonna do. We’re creating our own myths and legends with all these talents.” And some of those myths will soar: Ochin adds that Ignite 2022 will have aerial acts. “The catchphrase of Ignite is ‘[Disconnect to] reconnect,’” says Boursain. “I feel, for my part, it’s really about reconnecting as a human being to nature; as a professional, to the creative process; as a friend, to reconnect with the artists; and to support and help the community here. It’s really like feeling alive again.”

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SANDWICH SATISFACTION Strip hospitality pros go casual and high-quality at Proper Sandwich Company BY BROCK RADKE

cold Italian hoagie is one of the all-time great sandwiches. For two local hospitality veterans, the quest to create a perfect version of that simple meal inspired the creation of a great sandwich shop. Eric Perlin and Phil Park became friends more than 15 years ago when they helped open Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace. They used to fantasize about opening their own restaurant, and after years of grinding it out as front-of-house specialists at fine dining spots like that one, the duo departed and opened Proper

Sandwich Company off the southwest Beltway on January 31. “We didn’t think there were that many local sandwich shops, a lot of chain restaurants, so it seemed like a nice opportunity,” says Perlin. “And sandwiches gives us an opportunity to still be surrounded by great products. We’re getting great meat from specialty purveyors, fancy cheeses, we get to make our sauces. The best part of working in a restaurant is the food.” The top-seller at the cozy, cleanly designed Proper shop is the Italian hoagie ($14), with spicy coppa ham, mortadel-

la, salami, jambon de Paris, provolone and house-made giardiniera mandated by Park, a Chicagoan. “He grew up eating these cold sandwiches with awesome giardiniera, so trying to create that is how Proper started,” says Perlin. The Roast Beef & Cheddar ($15), sort of like the Arby’s version but not really, is a masterpiece of six-hour-roasted beef, Irish cheddar and crispy onions on a potato roll. The Spicy Naked Meatball sandwich ($13) took hours of development and gets its “naked” name because it doesn’t need marinara—just

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(Courtesy)

4.21.22

Proper Sandwich Company’s Spicy Naked Meatball (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

PROPER SANDWICH COMPANY 6181 S. Rainbow Blvd. #106, 725-210-5224, propersandwichcompany.com. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

house-made sides and salads. The arugula and grilled chicken salad ($11) with a bright lemon honey vinaigrette is a feel-good everyday option. On our first visit to Proper, celebrity chef Michael Mina had stopped by to pick up a ton of takeout for a family gathering. Perlin worked for the Bay Area-based Mina on the Strip and beyond Las Vegas for years, but it’s still a reassuring sign to see a culinary expert like Mina endorsing a local spot. And it proves that everyone loves and needs a great sandwich every now and then.

There’s already too much to see and do at Area15, and now there’s too much great food to eat as well. The recent addition of Illuminarium, a 360-degree immersive cinematic experience co-created by legendary design firm the Rockwell Group, brings with it the opening of Lumin Café, a new dining concept from none other than Elizabeth Blau and Kim Canteenwalla. “I have been working with David Rockwell for well over 25 years, he’s a dear friend,” says Blau, “and knowing his passion for theater and entertainment ... and going to Atlanta to see [Illuminarium] was so extraordinary. I saw Wild [the safari experience] and it reminded me of one of the most incredible vacations I ever took, with my parents to Kenya. Most [people] won’t

make it to Africa but to bring these experiences to Area15 is really special.” The husband-and-wife restaurateurs behind Honey Salt, Buddy V’s and other projects—including a restaurant and a bar in development for the Conrad Hotel in Nashville—have cooked up a comfort-inspired menu for the contemporary space, taking an all-day-dining approach with a special late-night selection available on the patio to complement guests’ Illuminarium and Area15 experiences. “It’s fun, approachable and delicious,” Blau says. “There are some healthy things like a salad with red lentils, chickpeas and hummus, and things like fish and chips and Korean fried chicken. And of course Kim has to get his tater tot poutine in there.” –Brock Radke

LUMIN CAFÉ & KITCHEN Area15, 725-527-3100, illuminarium. com. Daily, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Patio, Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight & Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-2 a.m.

FOOD & DRINK

juicy beef and pork meatballs, sharp provolone Valpadana, chili-garlic broccoli rabe, hot and sweet cherry peppers and Calabrian chili aioli. “I think I’m very hard to impress, but people tell me it’s the best meatball sub they’ve ever had,” Perlin says. “I’d be hesitant to say that.” Better eat it for yourself. There are lighter sandwiches available, like a turkey club with oven roasted tomatoes ($13) and a veggie creation with roasted peppers, zucchini, burrata and basil pesto ($13), along with weekly specials and

ILLUMINATING CUISINE

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PLAYOFF PUSH

Nicolas Roy (10) and Jack Eichel (9) move the puck during the Vegas Golden Knights’ 6-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes at T-Mobile Arena on April 9. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

The Golden Knights are doing everything they can to make the postseason but it shouldn’t be devastating if they fall short BY CASE KEEFER

ne by one, they’ve almost all returned over the last month. A small army of Vegas Golden Knights’ key players that missed large parts of the second half of the year—forward Mark Stone, forward Max Pacioretty, goalie Robin Lehner, defenseman Alec Martinez and defenseman Brayden McNabb—are all back on the ice in time for the final week of the regular season. And most of them have something in common—they’re still not up to 100% health- and conditioning-wise. “I know we’re a better team with the guys we’re putting in the lineup even if they’re not up to game speed yet,” coach Pete DeBoer said before an April 14 6-1 win in Calgary. “It’s on us to get there as quickly as possible because we’re down to the stretch here.”

The Golden Knights are fighting against time and their bodies to lock up a playoff berth and salvage what’s been the toughest season in team history. They’re pushing with everything they can muster to reach the postseason for the fifth time in five years like the future of the franchise depends on it. That’s exactly what Vegas should be doing considering it came into the year with Stanley Cup aspirations and has a roster that, when healthy, looks more than capable of getting to such heights. But does the team’s long-term outlook really hang in the balance? Absolutely not. Regardless of the results of the regular season’s final four games, no championship window is slamming shut on the Golden Knights. It would be disconcerting, if not shocking, to see a team as talented as Vegas finish in the bottom-half

of the NHL’s standings but more a reflection of a nightmare campaign than any underlying flaw. Nightmare campaigns happen in hockey, even to teams set up for sustained success like the Golden Knights. Just look at the last three Stanley Cup champions. Before they won back-to-back titles the last two years, the Tampa Bay Lightning missed the playoffs in 2017 with the same personnel core. The 2019 St. Louis Blues similarly broke through only after having failed to make the playoffs the year before. In both instances, the previous disappointments gave the franchises a chance to take a step back and reassess their situations. They made slight tweaks that eventually led to them capturing all their wildest dreams. Perhaps the Golden Knights could benefit from the same sort

4.21.22

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SCHEDULE

GOLDEN KNIGHTS REMAINING

a surprise considering the last two seasons. Back-to-back trips to the conference finals means the Golden Knights have played more games than any team in the NHL since 2020 aside from the Lightning. Extra ice time takes its toll and can’t be dismissed as a contributing factor to why so many franchise cornerstones have gotten banged up this season. It’s worth risking more strain for a shot at the Stanley Cup because that’s why everyone plays in the first place, but there could also be longterm benefits if it doesn’t work out this year. The Golden Knights would have a full offseason for the first time in franchise history, allowing for a chance to rest, recover and refocus for a potential championship run in 2023. When owner Bill Foley started the process of bringing an expansion

NHL franchise to Las Vegas nearly a decade ago, he spoke of a goal to win a Stanley Cup within eight years. He went on to trim that into a famed “cup in six” wish. It seemed borderline preposterous at the time but both timelines became immediately realistic and remain that way, no matter how this season winds up. One mandate Foley never voiced was a desire to reach the playoffs every season. Such consistency would be nice, but not a requirement for a championship-caliber franchise, and arguably not even practical with how much parity the NHL is designed to foster and how much luck plays into a single season. Sometimes it takes one step back to make two steps forward. That should give Vegas hope going forward even if it falls short of the playoffs this year.

SUNDAY APRIL 24 vs. San Jose Sharks, 7 p.m. TUESDAY APRIL 26 at Dallas Stars, 5:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY APRIL 27 at Chicago Blackhawks, 5:30 p.m. FRIDAY APRIL 29 at St. Louis Blues, 5 p.m.

SPORTS

of reckoning. They were going to be forced to have an active offseason shedding salary anyway after assembling the league’s highest payroll in the wake of the midseason trade for center Jack Eichel. The Golden Knights’ salary-cap squeeze has suffocated them all season and left them unable to have all their best players active at the same time even if they were all available. The salary cap dissipates in the postseason so that would no longer be a problem if they make it, but it’s hard to imagine them ever getting fully healthy this year given what they’ve been through. Five teams have lost players for more total games than the Golden Knights according to injury tracking and data site Man Games Lost, but Vegas ranks first in terms of the most impactful players lost to injury. And maybe that shouldn’t be such

VEGAS INC BUSINESS

4.21.22

TOURISM

DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS PREPARES TO WELCOME RESURRECTED CONVENTION INDUSTRY BACK TO TOWN

BY BRYAN HORWATH VEGAS INC STAFF

owntown Las Vegas features a little bit of everything: Gaming, entertainment, food and more. But when it comes to meeting space to host conventions—one of the region’s main drivers of tourism—many staying Downtown are forced to commute. Circa Resort & Casino hopes to alter that narrative. The resort intends to debut about 35,000 square feet of convention space in September. And as convention spaces go, it will be a significant chunk of what Downtown has to offer. Only the Downtown Grand (46,000 square feet) and Golden Nugget (40,000 square feet), according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, have more in terms of meeting space than what Circa will offer. “At our core, we love to throw a great event, and we’ve thought through every detail to help you do that on any scale with our resort as a backdrop,” owner Derek Stevens said. Las Vegas has about 14 million square feet of convention space, most of which sat vacant during the pandemic business closures of 2020. The industry, according to executives with the LVCVA, will likely be one of the last tourism business segments to return to a pre-pandemic level. According to the U.S. Travel Association, the U.S. economy has lost out on about $97 billion in convention and trade show-related spending because of the pandemic.

That’s why Circa’s addition to Downtown’s meeting space lineup is a welcomed development, said Steve Hill, president and CEO of the LVCVA. “Somewhere around half of our visitors ... make it Downtown at some point during their stay,” Hill said. “It’s always been a popular part of Las Vegas, but it’s more popular than ever now. They’ve done some great down there. Meetings to fill mid-week dates Downtown make as much sense as they do on the Strip. Derek is a really smart guy, and I’m sure he’ll make that new space a success.” The space at Circa will be able to ac-

commodate groups of up to 1,000, far from the numbers that the biggest Las Vegas trade shows attract, but likely an attractive choice for those who might prefer Downtown over the hustle and bustle of the Strip. It will also have a main ballroom, breakout rooms, a banquet area and an outdoor terrace, officials said. Industry on the rebound The absence of a robust convention economy has hurt the city’s economy because resorts traditionally rely on meetings to fill hotel rooms during the week.

Derek Stevens, shown here at Circa’s sports book, is planning to open 35,000 square feet of convention space at the Downtown resort this fall. (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

This month, trade show industry leaders from Las Vegas traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with Nevada’s federal delegation about “moving the industry forward,” according to the LVCVA. Stephanie Glanzer, senior vice president and chief sales officer for MGM Resorts International, said in a news release that the convention industry has shown how resilient it can be in the wake of the pandemic downturn. Glanzer was one of the local executives who traveled to Washington. “We emerged better and stronger with new creative approaches, enhanced technology, and an overwhelming desire to develop events that are meaningful and memorable,” Glanzer said. Officials of the U.S. Travel Association believe the next few months will be key to the trade show recovery. According to results from a quarterly survey, the association predicts that over 80% of self-identified business travelers in the U.S. will take at least one business-related trip to a conference or trade show during the next six months. One missing link, however, remains. The association also shows that business travel spending is still down from pre-pandemic levels. For instance, major shows like CES have taken place in Las Vegas this year, but attendance proved to be less than normal. Before the pandemic, the massive gadgets trade show would attract close to 170,000. This year, however, it welcomed less than 50,000. “While the data indicates a strong desire from American business travelers to hit the road again, there is a big different between willingness to travel and actually taking a trip,” said Roger Dow, CEO of the association. “Corporate leaders should seize the competitive advantage and encourage their teams to get back on the road and reestablish those connections that only come with face-to-face interactions.”

VEGAS INC BUSINESS

4.21.22 ing industry who is actively involved in the community.

VegasInc Notes The Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV will rename its graduate medical education classroom space The Optum GME Classroom to commemorate the school’s partnership with OptumCare. Residents learn from OptumCare surgeons and train at University Medical Center. Meow Wolf was recognized in Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2022 as No. 3 in the Live Events category. This is the company’s second time being selected for the list in the past three years. Nevada Heart and Vascular Centers appointed David Stillwell to serve as chief operating officer of its affiliated management services organization. Stillwell will bring his experience building health care platforms to lead NHV’s

non-clinical operations and employees. City National Bank announced that Julie Murray joined the bank’s Southern Nevada Advisory Board. Murray joins nine oth- Murray er prominent business and community leaders on the board and will serve a minimum threeyear term. Additionally, City National Brand promoted Yvonne Brand to relationship manager for its Summerlin banking office. Brand is a 20-year veteran of the bank-

Gov. Steve Sisolak named Kristen Stout as director of the new Office of Federal Assistance. Stout has nearly two decades Stout of experience in the public sector at the federal, state, municipal and special district levels. Sisolak also announced the appointment of Dr. Malinda Southard Southard, DC, CPM, as executive director of the Patient Protection Commission. Dr. Southard most recently served as the section manGenco ager of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Public Health Preparedness

Program. Additionally, the governor appointed the state’s first public health resource officer, Allison Genco. Genco most recently worked with the Governor’s Nevada Health Response team in support of the state’s COVID-19 response. Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopter received two Diamond Awards from the Federal Aviation Administration for excellence in maintenance and safety. To qualify for the award, 100% of an organization’s eligible maintenance technicians must complete specialized, continuous training in regulations and aircraft systems over a 12-month period. Papillon received the Diamond Awards for its Part 135 Air Carrier Operation and Part 145 Certified Maintenance Repair Station. In addition, Papillon achieved the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations Stage Three designation. The Southern Nevada Health District announced it was awarded national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board. The five-year accreditation is

the culmination of a rigorous, multifaceted, peer-reviewed assessment process designed to ensure public health agencies meet a set of quality standards and measures. Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada hired Rick Curtis as its director of programs. Curtis Curtis brings more than 30 years of diverse professional experience to the team and is responsible for everything from the research and planning to development and implementation of RTSNV’s programs. Spring Valley Hospital and its freestanding emergency department, the ER at Blue Diamond, earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval and the American Heart Association’s Heart Check-Mark as a Certified Primary Heart Attack Center for the hospital and an Acute Heart Attack Ready Center for the ER at Blue Diamond.

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