2022-04-28-Las-Vegas-Weekly by Greenspun Media Group

ASTONISHING. UNPREDICTABLE. MIND-BENDING. Omega Mart is an immersive interactive experience from groundbreaking art collective, Meow Wolf. Featuring jaw-dropping work from international and local artists, Omega Mart sends participants of all ages on a journey through surreal worlds and immersive storytelling. Discover secret portals or simply soak up the innovative art as you venture beyond an extraordinary supermarket into parts unknown.

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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, DANNY WEBSTER Contributing Editors RAY BREWER, BRYAN HORWATH, CASE KEEFER, DAVE MONDT Office Coordinator NADINE GUY

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CIRQUE. COMEDY. MUSIC. MAYHEM. NYC’s wildest night out comes to the Las Vegas stage! Mad Apple is a delicious Cirque du Soleil cocktail of high-flying acrobatics, music, dance, comedy, and magic celebrating the city that never sleeps.

TICKETS FROM $59

OPENS MAY 2022

4.28.22

Defensive back Tyson Player catches a pass during UNLV’s spring showcase at Allegiant Stadium on April 23, 2022. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

WANT MORE? Head to lasvegasweekly.com.

SUPERGUIDE

Your daily events planner, starring G-Eazy, Dan Deacon, Glengarry Glen Ross, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, tacos, tamales and more!

18 30 34 44 46 COVER STORY

NEWS

NIGHTS

FOOD & DRINK

SPORTS

The NFL Draft drops anchor in Las Vegas, and the party should be bigger than ever before. Plus, the Raiders’ primary draft needs.

Another round of financial assistance for restaurants that missed out the first time?

Gronk Beach returns to Encore Beach Club to light up NFL Draft weekend on the Strip.

Boom Bang enlivens Henderson’s dining options, and Good Morning Kitchen adds to the southwest brunch scene.

As its spring session comes to a close, UNLV’s football program has real reasons to be optimistic for the fall.

ON THE COVER

NFL DRAFT EXPERIENCE Photo Illustration

VEGAS INC A longtime Palms employee returns to the newly reopened casino-resort, and explains why doing so just felt right.

IN THIS ISSUE

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

4.28.22

SUPERGUIDE MUSIC

NFL DRAFT EXPERIENCE Thru 4/30, times & locations vary, nfl.com/onepass. DAVID GUETTA 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.

PARTY

LADY GAGA 8 p.m., & 4/305/1, Dolby Live, ticketmaster.com. LIL BABY 10 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com.

SPORTS

S U P E R G U I D E

ARTS

LAS VEGAS AVIATORS VS. TACOMA RAINIERS Thru 4/30, 7 p.m., (& 5/1, noon), Las Vegas Ballpark, ticketmaster.com. JEFF CORWIN: LANDSCAPES Thru 5/1, times vary, Summerlin Library, lvccld.org.

THURSDAY 28 APR.

HAUNT With Screamer, Traveler, Saber, 8 p.m., Count’s Vamp’d, eventbrite.com. JORDAN DAVIS With Mitchell Tenpenny, Brian Dawe, 4 p.m., Azilo Ultra Pool, azilolasvegas. com. BRIAN NEWMAN 11:30 p.m., thru 5/1, NoMad Library, ticket master.com. DANCE DYNAMICS: INTO THE WOODS Thru 5/1, times vary, Downtown Summerlin, eventbrite.com.

(AP Photo)

FOOD + DRINK

COMEDY

MISC

BRYAN CALLEN Quick, name a movie or TV show in which comedian, actor and podcaster Bryan Callen hasn’t stolen scenes away from his big-name co-stars. The guy makes the most of his playing time in an uncanny way, from his dual roles in The Hangover flicks to memorable small-screen moments on Kingdom and How I Met Your Mother. You know his face, and now you have five opportunities to absorb his smarter-than-the-average-bro stand-up style at Downtown’s buzzy Wiseguys club. April 28, 7:30 p.m.; April 29-30, 7 & 9:30 p.m.; $30; vegas.wiseguyscomedy.com. –Brock Radke

G-EAZY The Oakland-born rapper and producer has continued to diversify his sound, expanding on September’s sixth studio album These Things Happen Too—where he addressed addiction, burned-out relationships and the toxicity of fame—with the emotional new single “Angel,” commemorating the loss of his mother. In tandem, G-Eazy has launched the Dandelion Scholarship, an annual $15,000 college scholarship for a student pursuing the arts in honor of his mother, distributed through his charity Endless Summer Fund. And he’ll embark on his second summer residency with Zouk Group Las Vegas in the coming weeks, starting with a live performance at Zouk Nightclub at Resorts World to help launch NFL Draft weekend on the Strip. He might have struck a serious tone with his latest music, but expect a major party when he steps onstage. With Faze Kaysan, DJ Ruckus, 10 p.m., $30-$50+. Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com. –Brock Radke

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FRIDAY 29 APR.

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GRONK BEACH With The Chainsmokers, Kim Lee, DJ Five, Deux Twins, noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com. DANIEL TOSH 10 p.m. (& 4/30, 7:30 p.m.), Mirage Theatre, mirage. mgmresorts.com. JOHN LEGEND 8 p.m., & 4/30, 5/4, Zappos Theater, ticket master.com.

(Courtesy)

STRONG MUSIC FESTIVAL With Trippie Redd, Lil Yachty, Lil Tecca, Tory Lanez, Dizzy Wright & more, 3:30 p.m., Cox Pavilion, unlvtickets.com. NICK BIKE 11 a.m., Daylight Beach Club, daylightvegas. com.

MICHAEL BUBLE 8 p.m., & 4/30 & 5/4, Resorts World Theatre, axs.com. SEBASTIAN MANISCALCO 7 & 10 p.m., & 4/30, Encore Theater, ticket master.com. NEEDTOBREATHE 8 p.m., Venetian Theatre, ticket master.com. LIKE MIKE With MakJ, DJ Soda, Grandtheft, Vinny Vibe, 8:30 p.m., Area15, area15.com. DARCI LYNNE 7:30 p.m., Mirage Theatre, mirage. mgmresorts.com. CARLOS MENCIA 7:30 p.m., thru 5/1, South Point Showroom, ticketmaster.com. WORCS RACING Thru 5/1, times vary, Orleans Arena, ticketmaster.com.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM The Nevada Conservatory Theatre continues its season with Shakespeare’s classic tale of magic and love, sure to evoke loads of laughs. The story follows four ill-matched lovers through an enchanted forest, where they meet an interesting band of characters, including fairy royalty. Hilarity and romance ensue for this group as they embark on a fantasy-filled evening into the early morning light. Actor, writer and TEDx Talk presenter Melissa Maxwell returns to direct this comedic adaptation, following her work on NCT’s The African Company Presents: Richard III. Maxwell was nominated for Best Director by BroadwayWorld Las Vegas for that play and holds similar accolades for her other productions. Thru May 8, times vary, $25, UNLV’s Judy Bayley Theatre, unlv.edu/nct. –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

BOXING: MORRISON VS. RAHMAN JR. 7 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com.

ZAINAB JOHNSON A few years back, on Late Night With Seth Meyers, Zainab Johnson told the story of how she regrew her afro after seven years of shaving her head bald. A friend made the mistake of saying to her, “I didn’t know your hair grew like that—tight and coarse.” Johnson responded, “Oh no, that’s a misconception; my hair grows very straight. Then I walk out into the world, and oppression makes it tight and coarse.” (“We’re not friends anymore,” she added cheerfully.) Johnson, an ascending star you might have seen on Last Comic Standing or the Amazon Prime sci-fi comedy Upload, routinely fires off curveballs like that—stories that head off in completely unexpected directions, sometimes disappearing around corners, but they always hit their target, right on the sweet spot. April 29-30, 9 p.m., $25-$40, Comedy Works at the Plaza, plazahotelcasino.com. –Geoff Carter

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SUPERGUIDE SATURDAY 30

VIBRA URBANA With Anuel AA, Don Omar, Nicky Jam, Rauw Alejandro, Becky G & more, thru 5/1, noon, Las Vegas Festival Grounds, vibraurbana.frontgatetickets.com.

APR.

IGGY AZALEA 11 a.m., Daylight Beach Club, daylightvegas.com. TACOS & TAMALES FESTIVAL Noon, Desert Breeze Park, seetickets.us.

BOXING: VALDEZ VS. STEVENSON 3:30 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs.com.

ALESSO 11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, events. taogroup.com. KENAN THOMPSON’S ULTIMATE COMEDY SHOWCASE 11 p.m., LA Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy.com. DWIGHT YOAKAM 8 p.m., M Pool, ticketmaster.com.

MARSHMELLO 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com. CLAUDE VONSTROKE 10 p.m., Discopussy, discopussydtlv.com. KANSAS 7:30 p.m., Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com. GRIVO With Morosis, Luxury Furniture Store, Still Life Replica, 8:30 p.m., the Usual Place, eventbrite.com.

LUDACRIS 10:30 p.m., Light Nightclub, thelightvegas.com. LIL JON 10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, events. taogroup.com. S U P E R G U I D E

BILLY BOB THORNTON & THE BOXMASTERS 8 p.m., Chrome Showroom, ticketmaster.com.

SWAE LEE 11 a.m., Elia Beach Club, eliabeachlv.com.

LAS VEGAS CAMERATA ORCHESTRA 6 p.m., Winchester Dondero Cultural Center, clarkcountynv.gov.

GIN BLOSSOMS 8:00 p.m., Green Valley Ranch Backyard Amphitheater, ticketmaster.com.

Becky G (Courtesy)

DAN DEACON It’s been … wow, nearly seven years since Dan Deacon played that crazy daytime set at Life Is Beautiful. I couldn’t tell you what he was playing when it happened—probably one of the more hyperactive songs from his splendid psycho-electronic 2015 album Gliss Riffer—but I do vividly remember the conga line-like train of festival kids that formed up and snaked its way through the crowd. I joined in, because what are you gonna do, not join a conga line? Since then, the Baltimore-based indietronica mastermind has leaned heavily into atmospheric soundtrack work, but a number of the tracks from his 2020 album Mystic Familiar have what it takes to whip a crowd into a frenzy, which should serve Deacon well when he brings his audience participation-heavy live show to Area15’s Portal. Get ready to hop that train. 9:30 p.m., $20, Area15, area15.com. –Geoff Carter

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SUNDAY 01 MAY

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(Courtesy)

MONDAY 02 MAY

DJ SOURMILK 10:30 p.m., Jewel Nightclub, events. taogroup.com. AFAN AIDS WALK & 5K 10 a.m., Sunset Park, afanlv.org.

FLO RIDA 11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, events. taogroup.com. CHRIS WEBBY With Ekoh, 8 p.m., 24 Oxford, etix.com. LEI DAY PARADE 6 p.m., Downtown Summerlin, summerlin.com.

MUSIC

KYGO 11 a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com. DILLON FRANCIS 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.

PARTY

GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS Put that coffee down! Las Vegas Little Theater performs Glengarry Glen Ross by American playwright David Mamet. The Pulitzer Prize-winning 1983 play brings you into the world of real estate businessmen who are as cutthroat as they are desperate to keep their place in society’s rat race. The coffee command is a memorable line from Alec Baldwin in the 1992 film adaptation, also starring Kevin Spacey and Al Pacino. Plan to leave the kids at home, unless you want them parroting profanities of spiritually bankrupt realtors. April 29-May 15, times vary, $30, Las Vegas Little Theatre, lvlt.org. –Shannon Miller

SPORTS

ARTS

FOOD + DRINK

SANTA FE & THE FAT CITY HORNS 7:30 p.m., Bootlegger, bootlegger lasvegas.com.

SUPERGUIDE

EDDIE GRIFFIN Thru 5/4, 8 p.m., Sahara Theater, ticketmaster.com.

DJ LES ORTIZ 9 p.m., Emporium, emporiumlv.com. DEBI GUTIERREZ With Mark Eddie, Ron Vigh, thru 5/4, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, bradgarrett comedy.com.

COMEDY COMEDY

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 .

MISC

11I

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SUPERGUIDE TUESDAY 03 MAY

MUSIC

A LIFE’S JOURNEY: THE KIESHA WRIGHT STORY 7 p.m., Whitney Library, lvccld.com.

UNLV CHAMBER ORCHESTRA 7 p.m., Clark County Library, unlv.edu.

BRET ERNST 10 p.m., LA Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy. com.

DJ LEMA 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

PARTY

SPORTS

ARTS

S U P E R G U I D E

FOOD + DRINK

COMEDY

MISC

SILK SONIC 9 p.m., Dolby Live, ticketmaster. com.

BIFFY CLYRO 7 p.m., House of Blues, livenation. com.

DIPLO 10:30 p.m., Encore Beach Club at Night, wynnsocial.com.

POWERGLOVE With Immortal Guardian, Taking Dawn, Decaying Tigers, 8 p.m., the Usual Place, brownpaper tickets.com.

PAN DULCE CON SERVEHZAH If there’s one thing in life you can never get enough of, it’s an evening of good food, drinks and company. Head to Servehzah in the Arts District with your best buds for its first food and beer pairing event, featuring four delicious Mexican desserts created by chef Breanna Arballo from Take It Easy Coffee Roasters. Just the names will make your mouth water, like, churro concha cupcakes. These treats will be paired with four exclusive local beers provided by Able Baker Brewery and HUDL Brewery. Every ticket includes an eight-ounce pour of each beer, all four pan dulce desserts and one complimentary Nueva Esperanza Mexican Lager. 7 p.m., $45. Servehzah, servehzah.com. –Evelyn Mateos

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 .

FIRST LADIES OF DISCO 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com. (Courtesy)

SUPERGUIDE

WEDNESDAY 04 MAY

JACKIE FABULOUS With Eddie Ifft, Michael Yo, John Joseph, 7 & 9:30 p.m., & 5/4, Comedy Cellar, ticketmaster.com.

THREE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS

NORTH LAS VEGAS

SAHARA

3698 W Cactus Ave Las Vegas, NV 89141

2755 W. Cheyenne Ave. Unit 103 North Las Vegas, NV 89032

3500 W. Sahara Las Vegas, NV 89102

ORDER ONLINE: THRIVENEVADA.COM FOR EXCLUSIVE GIVEAWAYS, NEW DROP INFO, AND MORE DOWNLOAD OUR REWARDS APP Management reserves all rights. Keep out of reach of children. For use only by adults 21 years of age or older.

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

4.28.22 Ash DelGrego hosts Campfire Open Mic at ReBar in the Arts District. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

POWER IN

VERSE

P E O P L E

Vegas poet Ash DelGrego on teaching writing, persevering and loving yourself

4.28.22

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

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BY EVELYN MATEOS

How long have you been writing poetry? I feel like I’ve been writing since I came out of the womb. I came out and I was like, “All right, I’m ready to write it down!” But it took me a little while, I feel, to understand and hone what that voice was. But my first instance—that I can recall—was a poem titled “Wild Child.” I was very young, and it talked to my experiences being adopted and my family dynamics. It was sort of an opening for me into therapeutic tools. Poetry just became such a tool for me.

What themes and ideas can be found in Chrysalis? I would say the biggest one is self-love. You know, really advocating for a selflove approach in life, in leading with kindness, especially in regard to how we treat ourselves. For me, I feel like I was treating myself like I was an enemy. I was always helping people out with their problems and being kind and true without giving to myself first, and what I understood about that people pleasing nature is that’s not true kindness. It’s not authentic. What is your favorite line from Chrysalis? The last one always gets me: “… after all it took me 25 years to start becoming happy with who I am today, and I cannot give up these wings for anybody, not even me.” I’ve often been my own worst enemy, and it took me a long time to come out of my own darkness and embrace who I am wholesomely as a trans, queer individual and a self-love advocate. It’s my reminder to keep going, despite anti-trans legislation, leadership and influence, and to continue to be brave in using my voice to share my story. What is an average night like at Campfire Open Mic? We usually have about 50 to 60 people show up, and we have 20 to 30 people sign up on the list [to share]. … Also, we have a feature pretty much every single night, and that is somebody from the community, generally (we have [also] had out-of-town people feature randomly). They get about 15 to 20 minutes for their own sets. We run on donations, and we offer a portion of the proceeds to our feature of the night, and also my wife and I—[knowing] that artists sometimes struggle— [will] offer a meal and a drink, if you’d like one, as the feature for us.

You also work with Poetry Promise. What kind of work does that organization do? We go in there and teach them about poetry, teach them about things like metaphors, similes and ways that they can define things outside of maybe the way that they’ve been taught. [We] talk about the five senses and how to include that into your poetry. We talk about performance and editing. Then for the slam workshops … like a mini slam, where they’re actually up there performing in front of their peers, teachers and other students. They’re in an auditorium with the lights on them. It’s so beautiful to see them. Sounds like you’re really enjoying those experiences. I love being a teaching artist. There’s something about going into schools and talking to kids and sometimes being the first person in their life to talk to them about self-love. Where do you think you would be without poetry? It’s difficult to admit this, but I don’t think I’d be alive without poetry, as I feel it exists within me and is embedded in much of my day-to-day life. So I don’t know where I’d be, but I’m beyond grateful to be where I am now. What do you still hope to achieve? I continue to just want to evolve and grow. I am aspiring toward working with TED Talks to get out there with my story and have a bigger platform that I can share about selflove. [I’m also aspiring to] having a tour happen, where I can bring my book out to different states and different open mics.

THE WEEKLY Q&A

hen life gets to be too much, Las Vegan Ash DelGrego puts pen to paper. It’s what he has done for as long as he can remember. The practice led to a poem titled “Chrysalis,” which takes the reader alongside the trans poet’s difficult, yet fulfilling, journey to self-acceptance. The poem was so special, DelGrego’s words were placed on a sidewalk on South Third Street in the Arts District. It was then that he was inspired to begin work on a book. His first collection of poems, Chrysalis, was published by Zeitgeist Press in December. The 32-year-old DelGrego isn’t just a poet, though; he’s also an advocate. Shortly after moving to Las Vegas in 2016, he began attending openmic nights, which eventually inspired him to launch his own. Today, he runs Campfire Open Mic, a reading event that provides a safe space for poets to share their voices. DelGrego also brings poetry into the classroom through his work with Poetry Promise, Inc. To get the creative juices flowing, he also likes to create visual art, including jewelry and tie dye, work which can viewed and purchased at stardustessentials.com. The Weekly caught up with DelGrego to find out more.

Q+A

2022 concert series Lineup includes comedy, indie rock, 90’s nostalgia, and more!

Blues at the Amp MAY 6

UPCOMING DATES

This high-energy concert showcases top female blues musicians Ana Popovic and Vanessa Collier as they display their prowess on the saxophone and guitar!

I Love The 90’s Tour

MAY 20

Featuring headliner Vanilla Ice, the tour will host 90’s hit makers including Rob Base, Color Me Badd, and Young MC!

Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals

MAY 26

Award-winning musician and producer, activist and record label founder Ben Harper is set to perform for the first time ever at The Amp at Craig Ranch!

Ja Rule + Ashanti AUG 25

Get ready for an unforgettable night with two of the biggest names in Hip-Hop and R&B as Ja Rule + Ashanti take the stage at The Amp at Craig Ranch!

Lost 80’s Live! AUG 26

This totally awesome concert is filled with all of your favorite 80's songs performed by the artists you know and remember.

Gipsy Kings feat. Nicolas Reyes

SEP 2

The Gipsy Kings have spent a remarkable two-and-a-half decades at the top, in a category that's all their own. Spend an evening under the stars listening to the band that has dominated the World Music charts and sold more than 14 million albums worldwide.

Located inside Craig Ranch Regional Park with seating capacity up to 6,800, The Amp is the only large-scale outdoor amphitheater in Southern Nevada.

@cityofnorthlasvegas

@cityofnlv

@cnlv

FRI / APR 29

SAT / APR 30

SUN / MAY 1 PRIMAL A Series of W Wild ild Events vents

AT VIRGIN HOTELS L AS VEGAS 7 0 2 . 6 9 3 . 5 5 7 0 / M U ST B E 2 1 + / E L IA B E AC H LV. C OM

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NFL IN

BY CASE KEEFER

C O V E R

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2022

NFL DRAF

S T O R Y

How the NFL Draft became a major spectator event— and will grow even bigger in Las Vegas

Lore has it that former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle responded with one word when a fledgling sports network came to him with interest in televising the 1980 NFL Draft. “Why?” Rozelle reportedly asked ESPN executives. The NFL Draft had been little more than an annual closeddoor meeting in a hotel conference room with representatives from each of the league’s teams picking college prospects for each of its first 45 years. Rozelle couldn’t fathom the idea that it held any broadcasting value, but he agreed to the proposal anyway. That decision now stands as one significant reason why Rozelle is held up as the commissioner who elevated the NFL to its current place atop the national sports scene. Not only do millions now tune in to watch the NFL Draft each year, but hundreds of thousands show up to be on hand for what has turned into a three-day festival of football fandom. “It’s one of the biggest events in the country every year, period,” says Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority.

T F A DR

Now, it’s Las Vegas’ turn to put its stamp on the NFL Draft, which runs April 28-April 30 at Caesars Forum with attractions stretching across three Linq parking lots and all the way to the Fountains of Bellagio. For 50 years, the NFL held the draft at a site near its New York City headquarters—until 2015, when it became a traveling event. It hit its peak to date in 2019, when 600,000 total attendees showed up over three days in downtown Nashville, but Las Vegas is expected to break that record. No tickets are sold—the draft is free to attend—so it’s difficult to project exact numbers, but Hill estimates 300,000 visitors will come to town for the draft, not including locals. If most of those fans show up for multiple days, Las Vegas should easily surpass Nashville’s numbers. “It’s going to be an amazing spectacle for three days while we’re here, and we’re super excited to finally bring this to life,” says Eric Finkelstein, the NFL’s senior director of event operations. “We’ve already raised the bar [on the draft], but there’s no question Las Vegas is going to raise the bar that much further.” Finkelstein, who has worked on the past 23 drafts, might never have shared Rozelle’s skepticism about potential interest in the event, but he does admit to some surprise in how big it has become. Expanding the scope of the draft

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wasn’t some NFL master plan, he says, but rather a reaction to increased fan excitement. The league moved the draft from a ballroom inside New York’s Marriott Marquis to the 5,600-seat Theater at Madison Square Garden in 1995, after fans began showing up for the event en masse. Even after upgrading to the nearly 6,000-capacity Radio City Music Hall, the draft couldn’t meet fans’ demands, especially for the first day, when massive crowds started to assemble outside the building. “We just outgrew them,” Finkelstein says of the traditional New York venues. “Interest just continued to grow, so that’s why we started taking it on the road, bringing it to more fans. Once we started doing that we were like, wow, we have to keep doing this and bringing it to all different parts of the country, so all our fans have a chance to be a part of it. It really all came down to the fact that more fans kept coming.” Some might not understand the appeal of witnessing current commissioner Roger Goodell (and others) announcing 262 names over the course of seven rounds, but the event has expanded way beyond that ritual. These days, the league also sets up its NFL Draft Experience, best described as part-interactive theme park, part-museum dedicated to the sport and its history. Fans can run their own 40-yard dashes, kick extra points

and view an exhibit featuring every single Super Bowl ring. Finkelstein recognizes that the added attractions have helped draw additional fans, but he credits the main reason for the draft’s explosion in popularity to something more basic. “The reason why is, it’s the one event where all 32 teams are represented, so you have all of them here,” Finkelstein explains. “The draft represents hope. For the teams that didn’t do as well last year, they get a chance to select first and bring in new talent, but even the teams that have been successful, they’ve been able to sustain it, because they’ve drafted smart. “So, this is the one event where all our fans can celebrate together and really be a part of it.” Finkelstein says there’s a focus on making each draft special to its respective location, though he and his staff get together at the conclusion of each edition to discuss what went well enough to carry over into future versions. If Las Vegas’ stint as NFL Draft host goes as planned, he might need to allot extra time for that meeting this year. “Las Vegas sets the bar for every type of event, and the draft is no exception,” Hill says. “Vegas just brings aspects other places can’t. I’ve been to a number of drafts, and those cities have done a great job hosting, but we will raise the bar.”

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FABULOUS FORUM

C O V E R

S T O R Y

Caesars Entertainment ecstatically hosts the 2022 NFL Draft after a prolonged wait BY BRYAN HORWATH

Caesars Entertainment was rushing to finish construction on its $350 million conference center, Caesars Forum, in time for the start of the planned 2020 NFL Draft in Las Vegas. That ended up being unnecessary due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which postponed the draft’s Vegas debut for two years. Caesars Forum has now been up and running for more than a year and will serve as the de facto home of the 2022 NFL Draft from April 28-30. “Caesars Forum is still effectively new,” says Sean McBurney, regional president of Caesars Entertainment and former general manager of Caesars Palace. “This is still a kickoff in some ways.” The draft’s main theater, where picks will be announced and late-night concerts will take place, is set up just steps outside Caesars Forum and stretches back almost to the base of the High Roller observation wheel. Adjacent to the stage will be the league’s NFL Draft

Experience, an area stretching across three parking lots to the east of the Linq Promenade outdoor mall. No public draft festivities will be held inside Caesars Forum, but the space will house essential support infrastructure such as media workrooms. Beyond this weekend, holding such a high-profile event is expected to assist in the venue’s marketability. The convention industry has been slower to recover from the pandemic than other tourism-based segments of the Las Vegas economy, so Caesars Forum has yet to host a major event. The draft will “take everything to another level,” McBurney says. “No event has been more thoroughly planned than the draft,” he says. “It’s literally years in the making.” The extra time allowed Caesars to capitalize on being the center of the three-day party. McBurney says the company made sure many plans—including recent high-profile restaurant openings

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like Nobu and Vanderpump á Paris at Paris and Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux at Harrah’s—were done with the draft timeline in mind. “There’s going to be an energy here like a New Year’s Eve, like a Super Bowl,” McBurney says, pointing out that beyond Caesars, “there are a lot of new experiences across the city as well.” As with other major events that have taken place in Las Vegas over the years, the various resort companies will work in tandem to host the swarm of visitors. On Thursday’s opening day, select draft hopefuls will walk a red carpet on a stage over the Fountains of Bellagio. The space between Caesars Forum and the fountains covers more than 1 million square feet, making it the largest draft footprint in the history of the event. MGM Resorts International

operates the Bellagio and is typically Caesars’ top competitor, yet the two rivals are teaming up to welcome the throng of football fans. “If you have different properties pulling against each other, it’s hard to make everything we do happen,” says Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “This destination has a history of understanding that we’re going to all work together to bring customers here.” Caesars Entertainment will go down as the draft’s official host, and it’s a long time in the making after the company signed a partnership deal with the NFL more than three years ago. The 2021 NFL Draft was already promised to Cleveland, so when 2020 got scrapped, Las Vegas received the 2022 make-up date. “It’s going to be a draft like nobody has ever seen,” McBurney says.

LEFT Workers construct the NFL Draft Theater on April 4. (Wade Vandervort/ Staff)

BELOW The NFL Draft red carpet stage gets set up at Bellagio on April 23. (Steve Marcus/ Staff)

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS THURSDAY, APRIL 28 • Draft Experience, noon to 9 p.m. • Draft, 5 p.m. through end of first round • Concert with Weezer, begins post-draft at approximately 8:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, APRIL 29 • Draft Experience, noon to 9 p.m. • Flag football game between Faze Clan (Brett Favre) and AMP (Michael Vick), 2:45 p.m. • Draft, 4 p.m. through end of third round • Concert with Ice Cube, begins post-draft at approximately 8:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 30 • Draft Experience, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. • Draft, 9 a.m. through end of seventh round • Concert with Marshmello, begins post-draft at approximately 5 p.m.

DETAILS • Cost: Free • Registration: Fans must register at NFL.com/OnePass and are encouraged to download the mobile app for easy entry • Parking/transportation: The Draft will be spread across all Linq Hotel & Experience parking lots, but garages from other nearby Strip resorts remain open with event parking fees in effect. The LVCVA will offer free parking at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and is urging locals to ride the monorail ($2) to the Harrah’s-Linq or Bally’s-Paris stations. RTC will also offer $4 round trip bus service from several locations across the Valley (more information at rtcsnv.com). Rideshare and taxi drop-offs and pick-ups will be set up at Tuscany Suites and Casino. –Case Keefer

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How the Raiders might utilize their diminished draft capital

C O V E R

S T O R Y

BY CASE KEEFER

The host is going to miss the biggest stretch of the party when it comes to the 2022 NFL Draft. Barring a highly unlikely blockbuster trade, the Las Vegas Raiders will not make a pick on the first night of the draft, which consists exclusively of the first round. The Raiders traded away both their first- and second-round picks to acquire superstar receiver Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers last month. So as things currently stand, the Raiders won’t make their first selection until late Friday night with the 86th overall pick, in the third round. The team holds four picks on the draft’s final day—a fourth-rounder, two fifth-rounders and a seventh-rounder—so the pressure is on new general manager Dave Ziegler and his staff to unearth immediately useful

players with the five total selections. That’s easier said than done with lateround picks, but it’s something past Raider front offices have done well. Three of Las Vegas’ current foundational players—edge rusher Maxx Crosby, wide receiver Hunter Renfrow and cornerback Nate Hobbs—were all taken on the final day of the draft. Las Vegas is set at the top of its roster, including at the glamour positions, but still has a lot of holes elsewhere. Here are the five spots where the Raiders need the most help and will likely attack in the draft. It’s nearly impossible to pinpoint which players any team will target in the draft’s later rounds but some possibilities have been included, based on reported Raiders’ visits and Pro Football Focus’s ever-popular mock draft simulator.

& OFFENSIVE LINE

Blocking was the Raiders’ biggest pitfall a year ago, and they haven’t done much to improve in that area this offseason. Center Andre James and left tackle Kolton Miller are proven difference-makers, but Las Vegas could use competition at any of the other three spots. Potential Targets: Sean Rhyan, UCLA (third-round grade), Thayer Munford, Ohio State (fourth-round grade), Joshua Ezeudu, North Carolina (fifth-round grade).

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Las Vegas has a great starting point with Pro Bowler Denzel Perryman and last year’s rookie revelation Divine Deablo but lacks depth beyond those two. The Raiders need help on both the inside and outside, though All-Pro edge rushers Crosby and Chandler Jones will act as de facto outside linebackers at times in new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s scheme. Potential Targets: Brian Asamoah, Oklahoma (third-round grade), Darrian Beavers, Cincinnati (fourth-round grade), Nephi Sewell, Utah (fifth-round grade).

DEFENSIVE LINE

Las Vegas arguably had five starting-caliber interior defensive linemen last year but is now down to two—longtime Raider Johnathan Hankins and free-agent newcomer Bilal Nichols. Graham prefers bigger defensive tackles, so look for size to be a determining factor in Las Vegas’ selection(s). Potential Targets: Matthew Butler, Tennessee (third-round grade), Neil Farrell Jr., LSU (fourth-round grade), Haskell Garrett, Ohio State (fifth-round grade).

CORNERBACK

Last year’s standout, Casey Hayward, departed for Atlanta in free agency, though the Raiders did snag a couple of potentially competent replacements in Rock Ya-Sin and Anthony Averett. Las Vegas isn’t in terrible shape with Hobbs and Trayvon Mullen also back, but Graham wants three cornerbacks on the field at almost all times, so it still needs some more depth. Potential Targets: Marcus Jones, Houston (third-round grade), Cordale Flott, LSU (fourthround grade), Mario Goodrich, Clemson (fifth-round grade).

SAFETY

Former second-round pick Tre’von Moehrig is entrenched at free safety after a terrific rookie season, but there’s a lot more uncertainty regarding how underperforming former first-round strong safety Johnathan Abram fits with the new staff. At the least, the Raiders might seek a cheaper, long-term option at strong safety to push Abram in training camp. Potential Targets: Bryan Cook, Cincinnati (third-round grade), JT Woods, Baylor (fourth-round grade), Smoke Monday, Auburn (fifth-round grade).

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The first NFL Draft ever held in Las Vegas will have something most of its recent predecessors have lacked— suspense to start. There might be less clarity on how the first handful of picks in the 2022 NFL Draft will go than ever before. That’s partly a byproduct of a perceived weak quarterback class. When a can’t-miss prospect or two are available at the sport’s most important position, teams are typically rushing to trade up and potentially secure their future. But there’s no five-star passer this year. All the top-rated options—Liberty’s Malik Willis, Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett, North Carolina’s Sam Howell, Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder and Ole Miss’ Matt Coral—come with questions. And that same theme can apply to most of the other expected top picks, regardless of position. Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux was considered the likely No. 1 choice for months before dropping down amid reported concerns about his passion for football. In his place, Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson and Alabama tackle Evan Neal became linked to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the overall No. 1 pick, with the former eventually pulling away as the likeliest option. But, in the final weeks before the draft, reports spread that Jacksonville general manager Trent Baalke preferred the upside of Georgia edge rusher Travon Walker over Hutchinson. Reports of four different potential No. 1 picks in the span of few months is practically unprecedented when it comes to the modern day of the draft. The professional careers of that quartet, and those selected around them, will ultimately go a long way in determining how the 2022 NFL Draft is remembered. Here’s a closer look at 10 players likely to be among that group.

(AP Photo)

10 AIDAN HUTCHINSON Michigan edge rusher 6-foot-7, 260 pounds Hutchinson was considered a fringe first-round prospect coming into the season but was arguably the most valuable defensive college football player in the country, tallying 14 sacks.

KAYVON THIBODEAUX Oregon edge rusher 6-foot-5, 258 pounds Thibodeaux was a unanimous All-American selection in his final season at Oregon despite dealing with an ankle injury, which kept him out of two games.

of the most-hyped prospects coming into the 2022 NFL Draft BY CASE KEEFER

TRAVON WALKER Georgia edge rusher 6-foot-5, 270 pounds Walker has never put up the statistical production of Hutchinson and Thibodeaux, but he’s regarded as an athletic freak who’s fast enough to drop into coverage regularly in addition to pressuring quarterbacks.

EVAN NEAL Alabama offensive tackle 6-foot-7, 337 pounds Neal was surrounded by blue-chip talent with the Crimson Tide and rarely stood out over his teammates, but that was largely because he never made any mistakes, especially in pass protection.

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IKEM EKWONU

CHARLES CROSS

North Carolina State offensive tackle 6-foot-10, 310 pounds Ekwonu might be the single most physically imposing player available—he mauled opponents in the run game and racked up endless pancake blocks in three years with the Wolfpack.

Mississippi State offensive tackle 6-foot-5, 307 pounds Cross made a major leap last season to live up to his hype as one of the nation’s top-ranked high school players and tantalize evaluators with how much further he might progress.

AHMAD “SAUCE” GARDNER Cincinnati cornerback 6-foot-3, 190 pounds Gardner is the ultra-rare defensive player who logged more touchdowns than he surrendered in college. He had a pair of kick-return scores as a freshman bu2t never gave up a touchdown in three years of pass coverage.

DEREK STINGLEY JR. LSU cornerback 6-foot-1, 195 pounds Stingley was a day-one college superstar, helping the Tigers win the national championship as a freshman, but he has struggled with injuries and inconsistency in the two years since.

MAILK WILLIS

KENNY PICKETT

Liberty quarterback 6-foot, 225 pounds Willis could be the biggest game-changer in the draft with his dual-threat passing and running ability, but he has rarely faced elite competition after failing to win the starting quarterback job at Auburn to start his college career.

Pittsburgh quarterback 6-foot-3, 220 pounds Pickett was one of college football’s best players this season, finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting behind non-draft eligible Bryce Young and Hutchinson, but he’s older, soon to turn 24 years old, and had an upand-down career otherwise.

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FIRSTROUND DRAFT ORDER 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Jacksonville Detroit Houston New York Jets New York Giants Carolina New York Giants (from Chicago) 8. Atlanta 9. Seattle (from Denver) 10. New York Jets (from Seattle) 11. Washington 12. Minnesota 13. Houston (from Cleveland) 14. Baltimore 15. Philadelphia (from Miami) 16. New Orleans (from Indianapolis through Philadelphia) 17. Los Angeles Chargers 18. Philadelphia (from New Orleans) 19. New Orleans (from Philadelphia) 20. Pittsburgh 21. New England 22. Green Bay (from Las Vegas) 23. Arizona 24. Dallas 25. Buffalo 26. Tennessee 27. Tampa Bay 28. Green Bay 29. Kansas City (from San Francisco through Miami) 30. Kansas City 31. Cincinnati 32. Detroit (from Los Angeles Rams)

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N E W S

ENTERTAINMENT

Life Is Beautiful announces day splits, single-day tickets The 2022 Life Is Beautiful festival, set for September 16-18 on the streets of Downtown Las Vegas, revealed its individual-day lineups on April 26 and began selling single-day tickets. Arctic Monkeys will headline Day 1 and will be joined by Migos, Cage the Elephant, Jungle, Oliver Tree, Alison Wonderland, Charli XCX and others on Friday. Gorillaz will close out Day 2, which also features Lorde, Kygo, Gryffin, Marc Rebillet, Isaiah Rashad, Alessia Cara, Bob Moses and others on Saturday. And Calvin Harris tops the Sunday bill, which also includes Jack Harlow, Beach House, Dermot Kennedy, Sylvan Esso, Big Boi, Rico Nasty, Said the Sky and others. Single-day tickets, ranging from $225 to $1,710 (including fees), are now on sale at lifeisbeautiful.com. Three-day passes remained available at press time, too, priced from $462 to $3,542 (including fees). –Staff

IN THE

NEWS

WATCH THIS The Golden Knights close out the regular season April 29 at 5 p.m. against St. Louis.

TOURISM

WELCOME BACK TO FABULOUS LAS VEGAS If the March totals for passenger traffic at Harry Reid International Airport are any indication, Las Vegas is nearly back to pre-pandemic air travel levels. The airport recorded over 4.2 million arriving and departing passengers during the month, up 66% from March 2021, according to a report released April 26 by the Clark County Department of Aviation. The March total was only about 140,000 passengers off from the pre-pandemic March 2019 figure, which represented a record for the month at the airport. -Bryan Horwath

(Wade Vandervort/Staff)

COMMUNITY

Holocaust Memorial Plaza unveiled Visitors to the newly constructed Holocaust Memorial Plaza at King David Memorial Cemetery might be caught off guard by the crumbled brick wall with rebar sticking out at the plaza’s entryway. But the symbolism is powerful. “That depicts the deterioration of the Jewish community due to the Nazi regime,” said Jay Poster, the Las Vegas cemetery’s general manager and founder (pictured above with Celena DiLullo, president of Palm Mortuaries).

The monument of perseverance was unveiled April 24 as part of the commemoration of Yom HaShoah, the Holocaust Remembrance Day celebrated April 27 to correspond to the 27th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar on the anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto uprising. The plaza includes a Jewish star rising from the ground to symbolize survival, the names and locations of the Nazis’ World War II extermination camps and a complete timeline

of the Holocaust. The plaza will be a sacred space where survivors and their descendants can pay their respects to the 6 million Jews and 5 million others killed in the Holocaust. More important, it will provide a resource for educators and rabbis in their teaching, officials stress. The project, which spans about 100 yards and includes family burial plots, was paid for by Palm Mortuary and King David Memorial Cemetery. -Ray Brewer

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BEST BET

The NFL Draft starts April 28, and sports writer Case Keefer advises that at 2-to-1 odds, the best value can be had by wagering on Georgia pass rusher Travon Walker to be picked first overall. Michigan’s Aiden Hutchinson is the favorite at -170 (betting $170 to win $100).

CHARITY

UKRAINE AID Baby’s Bounty, a local nonprofit organization that supports at-risk families by providing education and essential tools for parents to help their children thrive, on April 25 made its second shipment to supplies to Ukrainian refugees in Poland. It has shipped 11 pallets of diapers so far, and is working with Project Marilyn to coordinate a separate shipment of supplies. Those interested in donating for future shipments can visit babysbounty.org.

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LIVIN’ ON THE EDGE Magician Murray SawChuck prepares to rappel down the side of the 16-story Opal Tower as Over the Edge training manager Todd Medeiros looks on during the kickoff to a Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada fundraising event at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. People could rappel during the daylong event by raising at least $1,000. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

GAMING

Women in esports to receive grants

IN THE NEWS

Nearly half of all women in the United States are gamers, according to market data firm Newzoo. The competitive esports scene, while still heavily dominated by men, has also started to see an uptick in female players and content creators. Still, gender equity issues and funding often hinder these women on the rise. National nonprofit 1,000 Dreams Fund has set out to help women kick-start their gaming careers through a series of programs, including the BroadcastHER Academy Challenge. In partnership with the HyperX Esports Arena at Luxor and Allied Esports, the nonprofit will present four challenge winners with a $1,000 grant and a one-year fellowship to build their esports education. These winners will also be flown to Las Vegas on April 29 to assist with the production of HyperX Arena’s Knockdown! Tekken video game tournament and meet key Allied Esports executives. Competitors will battle it out for a $125 prize pool for the top 2 players and other rewards for the bracket. April 29, free entry to compete, HyperX Esports Arena at Luxor, hyperx arenalasvegas.com. –Amber Sampson

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Other Mama general manager Allen Holmes, second from left, chats with patrons. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

RELIEF FOR RESTAURANTS Congress deliberates reviving the Restaurant Revitalization Fund

BY SHANNON MILLER

fter bakery co-owner Allyson Yaecker went through the application process for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund in early 2021, she received a notice from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) that her business would receive a grant. Yaecker’s Downtown-based Fatty’s bake shop encountered several roadblocks before the pandemic even started. After it opened in fall 2018, nearly a year of surprise road construction made it virtually impossible for customers to access the storefront. Then, once that wrapped up, all non-essential businesses were ordered to close to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The revitalization fund (RRF) grant would have been a lifeline. Established through the American Rescue Plan Act, the program was designed to help businesses recover from pandemic-related revenue losses. But Fatty’s never received it, after a group of mostly white and male business owners sued the federal government—accusing the RRF program of discrimination because it gave priority to applications from women, people of color and veterans—and won. The SBA notified thousands of businesses that the grants they were in line to receive were being revoked as a result of court rulings. “As a woman business owner, it’s ridiculous,” Yaecker says. “How many more restaurants are they willing to let close before they fix this? All of us small businesses, especially restaurants, are in danger of closing.” She says she has been calling lawmakers daily, urging them to pass legislation that would give many restaurants a second chance. She thinks it’s the least Congress can do, after about two-thirds of businesses that applied for the first round of RRF grant money, didn’t receive any.

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Baked goods at Fatty’s (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

are on the verge of permanent closure. Dan Krohmer’s west-side restaurant Other Mama received an RRF grant and a Paycheck Protection Program loan from the SBA in 2021. He says prudent spending has allowed him to “maximize” the money, which he has used mainly to keep employees on the payroll and cover the costs of rent and ingredients. Like many restaurants, Other Mama is dealing with increased costs and staffing challenges. But Krohmer says he feels like he can get by without further government assistance, so that a second round of funding can go to the businesses that need it most. “We feel very lucky that we got it. I know so many people that didn’t and also don’t have that kind of support, like I did. And I think these things are meant to go around,” he says, explaining that he doesn’t plan to apply for a second RRF grant, if the legislation passes. “We’re fortunate that business is great right now. People are really coming in and being really supportive.”

To deal with increased costs, Other Mama had to raise menu prices, Krohmer says. And he’s paying kitchen staff about 50% more than when the restaurant opened in 2015, he adds. “It’s so hard to even get an apartment or a home in Las Vegas right now. So I’m thinking about, what is our average employee making? And is that the kind of money you can live on?” According to a 2022 Independent Restaurant Coalition survey, 89% of restaurant operators say they’ve had to increase menu prices, and 84% report raising wages in response to hiring difficulties. Reviving the RRF program could offset those and help keep more restaurants afloat. Keeping restaurants open helps not only those businesses but also the economy as a whole, says Erika Polmar, executive director of the coalition, which has been driving advocacy for RRF legislation. According to U.S. Census data, small business employees accounted for about 43% of jobs in Nevada in 2019.

“When restaurants and bars close, suppliers lose their clients, further damaging the already-fraught supply chain,” Polmar says. “Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants allow businesses to continue serving their communities, and keep their workers employed through COVID-19 uncertainties. This relief also allows businesses to hire at competitive wages and offer better benefits.” The Senate will deliberate the Relief for Restaurants and Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act and proposed levels of funding therein. While they do, many businesses remain on the line, waiting for relief. For Yaecker, it has been a “game of chess” to try to keep the door open at her bakery. “We changed everything in our restaurant just to bring people in,” she says. “We’re a bakery, and we had to expand into doing sandwiches to bring people in.” If her business were to receive a RRF grant, she says, she might have a chance to finally catch her breath—and catch up.

NEWS

According to SBA data, 278,304 restaurants and bars applied for RRF grants in spring 2021, and 101,004 were approved. Among nearly 2,500 Nevada establishments that applied, about 30% of those applications were approved. After lawsuits shook out, the SBA awarded more than $267 million to 763 restaurants across the state. Congress is now considering a bill that would give more money to the RRF program. The House of Representatives in early April passed the Relief for Restaurants and Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act of 2022, which would allocate $42 billion for the RRF and $13 billion for other small businesses. From April 25-27, the National Restaurant Association convened in Washington, D.C., for the “industry’s largest grassroots lobbying event,” as the association describes it. Like Yaecker, that organization is calling on Congress to pass legislation that would direct more money to the RRF and grants for other small businesses. According to recent estimates from the association, 90,000 restaurant locations nationwide have temporarily or permanently closed since 2020. As of March, eating and drinking establishments employed about 820,000 (about 6.6%) fewer people than they did pre-pandemic. The state restaurant association agrees that the industry was “decimated” by the pandemic. Businesses that survived and are still recovering, are struggling with new issues that have cropped up since the pandemic—increased costs for food and rent, supply chain logistical issues and workforce shortages. According to a 2022 nationwide survey of nearly 1,200 restaurants, 80% that applied and did not receive a RRF grant say they

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Gronk leaps into action. (Courtesy/Medium Rare, Gronk Beach)

OFFTHEFIELD, Rob Gronkowski wants to party with you during NFL Draft weekend BY BROCK RADKE

L C U L T U R E

as Vegas has had to wait two years to host the NFL Draft it was promised, and now that the time has come, the Strip is ready to party across many of its nightclub and pool club properties. But if you’re asking on-again, off-again NFL star Rob Gronkowski, there’s really only one party you need to attend. He’s back for another round of Gronk Beach at Encore Beach Club, and he’s hoping the entire 2022 draft class will show up to celebrate. We emailed with Gronk to get the heads up on his party plans, why pro football is a perfect fit in Vegas and whether his gridiron days are over or not. Do you remember the first time you hosted a club party in Las Vegas? I’ve been going to Vegas for years. Not sure I remember the first time I ever hosted an event, but I definitely have a ton of Vegas memories. My favorites are with my buddy Mojo [Rawley]. I remember one time we went to Encore Beach Club for David Guetta and we got reckless and started dancing on one of those daybeds in the pool. Everyone was splashing water, and the bottle girls came out on a fire truck. … It was epic. We’re going to do all of that but on a whole other level at Gronk Beach! What do you think of the NFL’s impact in Las Vegas so far? I mean, I love it! Vegas already had enough going on, so when the NFL announced the draft was coming to Vegas, I knew it was time for the next Gronk Beach. I can’t wait to see what the league is building. I heard they are even shutting down the Strip.

INTO THE POOL

What separates Gronk Beach from other events? I want to be clear—this is not some event I am hosting. This is my party that I am throwing on draft weekend for my fans and all the new rookies entering the league. I have said this a bunch, but I mean it when I say it—I am personally inviting every single draft pick to come celebrate at Gronk Beach with me. What can we expect to see and do at Encore Beach Club? Thanks to some of my brand partners like Pepsi Stronger Together, Emsculpt Neo, and Alkaline88, we are Gronkifying Encore Beach Club like never before with larger-than-life Gronk decor, tons of luau performers, The Chainsmokers behind the decks and so much more. We even have an Alkaline88 dunk tank, where I will be dunking my brothers and fans all party long. We’re also adding a brand new section this year dedicated to beauty and glam led by the one, the only, the extremely beautiful—my girlfriend—Camille Kostek. Fans can get their hair and makeup touched up, check out Adore Me’s clothing, use the photo booth and more. I am pumped! This is going to be big. I also just love the Wynn and am excited to be back on property hosting Gronk Beach at Encore Beach Club. You recently challenged the Rock to a wrestling match, but how are you feeling right now about coming back for another season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Not sure yet ... maybe Tom [Brady] will show up to Gronk Beach, who knows?

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GRONK BEACH FEAT. THE CHAINSMOKERS With Kim Lee, DJ Five & Deux Twins. April 29, noon, $55-$100+. Encore Beach Club, 702-770-7300, wynnsocial.com.

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

4.28.22

(Wade Vandervort/Staff)

ISSY BERRY

Catching up with the Amarionette and HighScore frontman BY AMBER SAMPSON

Who: Even if they don’t know him by name, local music fans might recognize Spencer “Issy” Berry by his bands. Since 2018, the singer has fronted Amarionette, a prog-rock four-piece that has earned comparisons to Coheed and Cambria—with a funky twist. The 12-year-old Vegas band has toured with national names like Kurt Travis, former frontman of Dance Gavin Dance. But with the addition of Berry, who possesses a vocal registry like that of The Weeknd, it’s bound to grow in new directions. In 2020, Berry also founded ’80s-tinged dance pop duo HighScore, with guitarist Christian Hill. The 32-year-old singer, who grew up performing ’90s pop songs with his siblings under the guidance of their musician father, draws from a reservoir of muses including Prince and Michael Jackson.

Balancing act: Splitting time between bands rewards a creative like Berry. “It fulfills all my tastes in music,” he says. “Singing for Amarionette, I get to use a wider range of my voice and really show off the parts that I wouldn’t be able to in some of the HighScore songs. But also in HighScore, I can be a lot more mellow, and bring out a little more of the R&B side.” The Las Vegan produces most of HighScore’s music, but with Amarionette, Berry and guitarist Nick Raya co-write lyrics and the band contributes instrumentals. Berry says he toys with fictional storytelling in his music whenever possible. “Growing up, I always wanted to be a film writer,” he says. “So I think it comes from that imaginative mind and wanting to create something for people to be wowed by.”

Upcoming: HighScore just released a new single, “Sugar Tips,” which Berry says he wrote in his bedroom the night he returned home from a weeklong hospital stay for COVID and pneumonia. An EP featuring the song will arrive sometime in September. Meanwhile, Amarionette’s full-length release is slated for fall. The band will also embark on a small tour and share a bill with such acts as Rae Sremmurd, Sum 41 and The Ghost Inside at the So What?! Music Festival in Arlington, Texas, May 27-29.

NOISE

(Courtesy/Chill Media)

CURRENT ROTATION

AMARIONETTE amarionette.com/tour HIGHSCORE linktr.ee/Highscoreofficial

“The Weeknd’s Dawn FM album is pretty dope. I always stay with Michael Jackson, of course. That’s a daily listen. There’s this band called The Midnight—they’re really good. They’re synthwave. I also just got into this band called Nightly. They’re similar to The Midnight and that synthwave vibe, which we’re going to be including on a couple of HighScore songs. And [An Evening With Silk Sonic] is probably my favorite collaboration and album since it’s been out.”

C U L T U R E

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

4.28.22

SWEET VISUALS Shan Michael Evans’ colorful Freed’s Downtown mural is a treat for the eyes

4.28.22

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

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FREED’S DESSERT SHOP 60 E. California Ave., 702-989-9899. SundayThursday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; FridaySaturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

BY GEOFF CARTER

(Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

ART

hen Brian Paco Alvarez was asked by Freed’s Bakery owner Max Jacobson-Fried to find a muralist for the inside wall of a new Freed’s Dessert Shop in Downtown’s Arts District, he turned to local artist Shan Michael Evans, whose bold, colorful geometric work is as tasty and tempting as Freed’s cakes and cookies. Evans’ Freed’s Dessert Shop mural, titled “Cakes on the Brain” (“I’ll spend forever on a title alone, looking for some bouncy word play that reflects infinite cosmic understanding, and I just couldn’t come up with it; Paco had to step in,” Evans explains), features two thematic elements the artist knew the shop would contain: pastry and customers. “I wanted people,” he says of the mural’s stylized heads. “They would be standing in line at Freed’s with you, community and conversation. The cakes, looking like hats, are their thoughts and desires visualized.” The mural is at once fresh and subtly familiar, like a memory of a childhood dream. Evans drew on a raft of influences to create it, including cartoonist Mark Beyer, and some other unexpected sources: “I’d say Pierrot, the sad clown, is there,” he says. “And though not intentional, I see hints of the [Storm Thorgerson] album cover for Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell.” The result, Evans says, is one of his favorite works so far. “Go check it out if you can,” he says, “and be sure to grab yourself a slice of cake or a box of cookies.”

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

4.28.22

C U L T U R E

MAKING NOISE IN

GREEN VALLEY B

Boom Bang serves up that fine food you’ve been hearing about BY BROCK RADKE

Eggs Per Elia at Boom Bang (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

oom Bang has been one of the most talked-about new restaurants in Henderson—really, across the entire Valley—since it first opened last fall at Paseo Verde Plaza, and owners/ chef couple Elia Aboumrad and Christian Page couldn’t be happier with the positive early response. “It’s been very rewarding. Normally it takes a minute, but we’ve been busy right off the bat, especially on the weekends,” says Aboumrad, who famously competed in the final four on Top Chef’s second season. “It’s allowed us to work on other types of problems, like rearranging this

dish and [focusing] on service.” She has maintained a home in Henderson for years and returned to full-time desert-dweller status in 2020, after collaborating with her husband in LA. “We’ve always liked Henderson, and I think there’s a lot of demand and not enough restaurants,” Aboumrad says. “I have two children and wanted to be close to home, and we really wanted to do something for Henderson. “The Strip is so close, and there are so many amazing restaurants with the best chefs in the world,” she continues. “And even though this is a suburb, it is exposed to really good food and entertainment. So we

knew if we did something, it has to be up there.” It’s the cuisine that has elevated at Boom Bang, not the prices or any sort of pretentious formality. The first item on the appetizer menu is corn dogs ($9), billed with “the best batter ever.” Even a fancy neighborhood like Green Valley wants simple, fun, tasty food, but Aboumrad says some of the top-selling dishes are a refined mushroom tart ($15) with goat cheese mousse and puff pastry; beef short rib ($39) with roasted tomatoes, Japanese yams and fried leeks; and sole Meuniere ($56), a classic dish you won’t find at many off-Strip restaurants.

4.28.22 BOOM BANG FINE FOODS & COCKTAILS 75 S. Valle Verde Drive #160, 702-478-6200, boombang. restaurant. MondayThursday, 4-9 p.m.; Friday, 4-10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 5-10:30 p.m.; Sunday, brunch: 10:30 a.m.3 p.m.; dinner: 5-9 p.m.

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

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Country fried eggs, the pancake tower and vegan crab Benedict at Good Morning Kitchen (Steve Marcus/Staff)

MORNING FIX

Good Morning Kitchen & Cocktail Bar puts brunch on a pedestal BY AMBER SAMPSON

with Granny Smith apples and wasabi-lime creme fraiche set the tone for a date-night dinner or a casual family meal. Striped bass fish and chips ($20), spaghetti puttanesca ($19) and the Boom Bang burger ($19) are secret-weapon crowd pleasers. The young restaurant has already accomplished the milestone feat of drawing diners from Summerlin. “They say, ‘We had to come, we made the drive,’” jokes Aboumrad. “I’m from Mexico City, where you drive everywhere and it takes two hours. Here, everything is 20 minutes. But I like to hear it, it’s wonderful. Thank you!”

GOOD MORNING KITCHEN 5587 S. Rainbow Blvd., 702-867-7129, goodmorningkitchenlv.com. Daily, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

FOOD & DRINK

“Even though it’s an expensive fish, it sells really well,” she says. “We definitely wanted to open a finer dining experience—really good food and everything made from scratch. I focused more on what I wanted to cook and the type of restaurant I wanted to open, not what Henderson needed.” At Sunday brunch, her cinnamon bread ($5.50) and coffee rolls ($6.50) star alongside mimosas and Eggs Per Elia ($17), a shakshuka-esque castiron skillet dish with baked eggs and chipotle marinara. In the evening, raw bar offerings like clams casino ($20) and torched king salmon ($17)

n Brunch, coffee and cocktails. It’s the perfect spring trinity, for when the seasons start to change, days grow longer and weekends magically free up for food adventures. Those eager to map new territory will find Good Morning Kitchen & Cocktail Bar worth the trip. The southwest-Valley restaurant debuted in June, to the delight of brunchers around town. Venezuelan chef Jhon Castro, who has worked at Sparrow + Wolf, Bazaar Meat and the former Mercadito at Red Rock Resort, elevates the most important meal of the day with a creativity steeped in years of traveling and experiencing cooking styles from different countries. Castro approaches every dish with our memories in mind. The crab Benedict ($21), served with a whole soft-shell tempura crab and a poached egg over avocado hash, isn’t easy to forget. “It’s one of those dishes where I wanted to use a popular brunch item people know but haven’t really seen many variations on,” Castro says. “I wanted to create a fun version for guests to remember and want to come back for more.” Brunch staples like the chocolate-drizzled bananas Foster French toast ($15) and the breakfast sandwich ($15)—which arrives with generous helpings of scrambled eggs, Canadian bacon and creamy aioli between toasted brioche buns—hit the spot. The plant-based dishes are equally satisfying. Don’t miss the vegan chicken and vanilla waffles ($17). The fried chick’n is delicately breaded but moist, and the crisp, aromatic coleslaw between each waffle wedge balances out sweet and savory notes. Likewise, the vegan omelet ($16) could fool any egg lover with its plant-based Just Egg ingredient. Pro tip: Order the vegan Hollandaise on the side. It’s good enough to lap up on its own.

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

4.28.22

C U L T U R E

OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK UNLV football’s spring showcase suggests major defensive improvement might be possible

4.28.22

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

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(Left) UNLV linebacker Austin Ajiake (27) and other defensive players celebrate after an interception during UNLV’s spring showcase at Allegiant Stadium. (Below) UNLV quarterback Doug Brumfield warms up. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

BY MIKE GRIMALA

t the end of the UNLV football program’s spring showcase on April 23, quarterbacks Harrison Bailey and Doug Brumfield took center stage. With 1:46 on the clock, in front of a crowd of about 1,000 spectators at Allegiant Stadium, they were each given the ball in a live 11-on-11 scrimmage and asked to drive the offense the length of the field. Bailey went first and moved the ball to the 22-yard line, but on a 1st-and-10 attempt, he threw a slant that was picked off by linebacker Austin Ajiake. Brumfield went next and got the team to the 26-yard line, but a second-down pass was batted down and nearly intercepted. On third down Brumfield was forced to scramble out of the pocket short of the line to gain. Both drives came up empty. It might have been a downer ending in the context of the quarterback competition, which has instilled the program with optimism going into next season. There’s a lot of buzz around Bailey, a University of Tennessee transfer, and Brumfield, who impressed in spurts last season and recently removed himself from the transfer portal to stay at UNLV. Bailey and Brumfield both showed

enough through a month of spring practice to reasonably expect the UNLV offense to be formidable in coach Marcus Arroyo’s upcoming third season. The defense is more of a question, which is why there might have been no better way to close the team’s only opento-the-public spring practice than with the quarterbacks sputtering. Ajiake beamed as he stood on the field after collecting his interception. The senior has played with a cast on his wrist for the whole spring session after undergoing surgery to repair a broken bone in January, but that didn’t stop him. The way he got into the passing lane and read the quarterback’s eyes was something that wasn’t seen much during UNLV’s 2021 season. “I feel like we’ve put a lot of work in this the past month,” Ajiake said. “I’m glad it’s starting to show. We’ve still got a lot of work to do.” There’s new excitement all around, perhaps more than expected coming off a 2-10 campaign that saw UNLV lose its first eight games. But the team rallied to split its last four and seems to have carried that momentum forward. It’s up to the defense to keep things moving in the right direction. It was

SPORTS

one of the least effective units in the nation last year. The Scarlet and Gray allowed opponents to complete 69.1 percent of their passes, the third-worst rate in the country, and UNLV allowed opposing quarterbacks to compile a passer rating of 157.9, the nation’s 14th-worst mark. But at the open scrimmage, the defense looked like a unit capable of making plays. In addition to Ajiake’s impressive pick, senior safety Bryce Jackson intercepted Brumfield and returned it for a touchdown. All told, in 11-on-11 play Bailey and Brumfield combined to complete 32of-46 passes for 298 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. For the defense, that’s a win. Arroyo and new defensive coordinator Keith Heyward have tried to gear the defense toward creating turnovers and sounded happy that paid off during the open scrimmage. “They’ve had more takeaways this spring than we’ve had collectively since we’ve been here, which is really good,” Arroyo said. “Bryce had a nice one there, and [Ajiake] did a nice job during that 2-minute drive of sneaking under the slant. Getting the ball away is a big priority for us on defense.” Ajiake, who was second on the team last year with 74 tackles, said the defense has gotten faster and has been more competitive in the spring, with more players rallying to the ball and making plays. “We’re trying to look a certain way,” Ajiake said. “We’re trying to get 11 hats to the ball. I like to say party at the ball, because we’re all trying get there. We’re all competing.” One somewhat subpar day for the quarterbacks shouldn’t be cause for concern, not after their potential has been celebrated all offseason. It was the defense’s turn to be in the spotlight for one day, and if it’s as competent as it showed, UNLV might finally have a real shot at a breakthrough.

VEGAS INC BUSINESS

4.28.22

TOURISM

FOR PALMS EMPLOYEES OLD AND NEW, REOPENING OF RESORT FEELS LIKE COMING HOME AGAIN

BY BRYAN HORWATH VEGAS INC STAFF

f all the people enthused about the reopening of the Palms this week, Raul Daniels might be among the most excited. A Palms legacy employee, Daniels previously worked at the property under ownership structures backed by the N9NE Group and, later, Station Casinos. After the Palms—like every other casino in Nevada—closed its doors because of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, Daniels, an event sales professional, was moved by Station Casinos to Red Rock Resort in Summerlin. He later left for a job at Resorts World, where he worked for about 18 months. And then news came down that his beloved Palms was reopening. “The minute I heard the Palms was reopening, I found Cynthia Kiser Murphey’s profile on LinkedIn and messaged her,” Daniels said. “I said that I’d like the opportunity to return, and she took me up on it.” That message from September 22, 2021, was one of the first Murphey received as general manager at the Palms. She’d only been publicly announced for the position earlier that day. Daniels would be hired back as vice president of event sales and catering at the Palms, which opened its doors Wednesday for the first time since March 2020. It’s now owned by San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, which purchased the property

from Red Rock Resorts—the parent company of Station Casinos—for $650 million. “I had a great experience opening up Resorts World, and I learned a ton there,” Daniels said. “But I really grew up at the Palms. I started as a restaurant manager and grew all the way to an executive position. There’s something about the Palms that feels like home, feels like family. I know that’s cheesy to say, but it is true.” Murphey said Daniels wasn’t the property’s only former employee

who inquired about returning. In a tight labor market—especially in the hospitality industry—she said that’s helped as San Manuel has built back the resort’s workforce. She said hundreds of the Palms’ 1,400 employees have worked previously at the off-Strip property. “We had an excellent response, even though people had been gone for several years,” Murphey said. “I think it’s really special to think about the Palms coming back to the community. This is about the community.”

Having worked under two previous ownership groups, Daniels said he likes what he’s seen so far from San Manuel. “The ownership, I think, really has a vested interest in the success of the property and every partner that we have here,” Daniels said. “With the remodel, much of the construction budget they had went to back-of-the-house areas. Everybody’s office is new, the employee dining room is new. Those areas, guests won’t see them, but it speaks volumes about how much ownership cares about the team.” As Las Vegas continues its recovery from the floor of the pandemic, Daniels said the reopening of the Palms should be included among other milestones along the way. “In a lot of ways, the city is thriving,” Daniels said. “Look at all the people who were here for the BTS shows this month [at Allegiant Stadium]. My business is conventions, so we’re still lagging there, but there are a lot of positive leads coming in right now. Momentum is starting to build.”

Raul Daniels, vice president of event sales for the Palms (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

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VEGAS INC BUSINESS

4.28.22

VegasInc Giving Notes United Way of Southern Nevada, in partnership with the Clark County Local Board of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program distributed $5.8 million to 20 nonprofit partners. TSK Architects announced that Jason Andoscia, AIA, vice president, has joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada board of directors and will serve on the resource development committee. Andoscia brings decades of business leadership and development to the nonprofit. America First Credit Union donated $15,000 to Clark County School District. The donation was made as part of an effort to help youths 17 and younger begin their financial journey by opening a savings account. Workforce Connections was

awarded $1 million of American Rescue Plan funding by the City of Las Vegas. The funding will help address chronic and increased challenges local employers face due to the pandemic, including recruitment, training and retention of qualified employees. America First Credit Union and the Las Vegas Raiders are once again giving small businesses in Nevada the opportunity to compete for a single-season sponsorship agreement valued at approximately $100,000, which includes signage inside Allegiant Stadium, radio advertisements, digital promotions on the Raiders’ website and mobile app, tickets to a home game, and more as part of the Small Business Showcase. The contest is open to Nevada-based for-profit small busi-

nesses with an annual revenue of less than $10 million. To enter, participants should visit americafirst.com/raiders and provide their contact information and a short profile about how this sponsorship would help their business. The NV Energy Foundation and its employees prioritized energy assistance, sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion in 2021 by giving $5,390,779 to support nonprofit organizations statewide. This total is made up of both financial and in-kind donations, including over 15,000 employee volunteer hours. In honor of Women’s History Month, Cox Las Vegas donated $10,000 to nonprofits serving girls and women in our community. Dress for Success Southern Nevada, Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada, Girls

on the Run Las Vegas and Project Marilyn each received a $2,500 donation.

Music Awards. The furniture will be used to upgrade Shade Tree’s common room.

Nonprofit CORE was awarded more than $500,000 through two grants from the City of Las Vegas. The money will help the organization continue to build an infrastructure for success that offers long-term holistic support for under-resourced students and their families.

New York-New York raised more than $288,000 to benefit the St. Baldrick’s Foundation during its 13th annual head-shaving event. More than 120 participants had their heads shaved by Las Vegas celebrities including the cast from shows like Mad Apple by Cirque du Soleil, Fantasy, Thunder From Down Under and Chippendales, and performers like Piff The Magic Dragon and Xavier Mortimer, among others.

Wendi Schweigart, of the NDL Group and Project Marilyn, and Samantha Molinero of the American Cancer Society, received the 2021 American Cancer Society Volunteer Staff Partnership Award, a national honor in recognition of a volunteer and staff team that has positively impacted the American Cancer Society’s mission. The National Automobile Dealers Association donated $25,000 to Three Square Food Bank. Ashley selected the Shade Tree to receive a furniture donation, the equivalent of three rooms, that was used for two days by media and artists for the Academy of Country

R&R Partners launched a $500,000 fundraiser to benefit World Central Kitchen efforts in Ukraine. WCK was founded by Las Vegas chef José Andrés.

CORRECTION Information provided to and reported by Vegas Inc on April 7 was erroneous. Kevin Garth is not a new provider for Southwest Medical.

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“PHONY-BALONEY” BY FRANK LONGO

WEEK OF APRIL 28 BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Adopt a limitation that will enable you to claim more freedom. For example, you could de-emphasize your involvement with a lukewarm dream so as to liberate time and energy for a passionate dream. Or you could minimize your fascination with a certain negative emotion to make more room for invigorating emotions. Increased discipline and discernment can be liberating. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Imagining anything is the first step toward creating it,” wrote author and activist Gloria Steinem. “Believing in a true self is what allows a true self to be born,” she added. Those are excellent meditations for you to focus on. The time is ripe for you to envision in detail a specific new situation or adventure you would like to manifest in the future.

2020 KING FEATURES SYNDICATE

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): William Butler Yeats won a Nobel Prize for Literature, but he cultivated interests and ideas that were at variance with most other literary figures. For example, he believed fairies are real. He was a student of occult magic. Two of his books were dictated by spirits during séances. Draw inspiration from his versatile repertoire. Welcome knowledge in whatever unusual ways it might materialize. Be eager to accept power and inspiration wherever they are offered.

ACROSS 1 Wearing nightclothes, for short 6 Meanie’s look 11 In addition 15 Eyelid hair 19 Steel, e.g. 20 Ancient Greek region 21 Empty spaces 22 World’s fair 23 Illegal detention 25 Columbus is its capital 26 British actor Guinness 27 “Mind your — business!” 28 High, round collar not folding over on itself 31 Without any variety 35 Ingest 36 Boston NBAer, for short 37 Paint job made to look like marble, wood, etc. 41 New Nintendo console of 2012 43 Big antlered beast 47 Opposite of dep., in an airport 48 Thin porridge 50 Saw against the main grain, as wood 52 Bit of money seized by a Secret Service agent 58 Ecol. monitor 59 Middays 60 Tiny arachnid 61 J. — Hoover 64 Like overdue birthday wishes 67 Bill & Ted went on one in a 1991 film 70 Wombs 71 Bible book after Prov. 74 Q-V linkup 75 Spider-Man director Sam

76 Wedlock not based on love 79 Cheer up 81 Burros, e.g. 82 — occasion (never) 83 Paris’ river 84 Toronto-to-Montreal dir. 85 Prada or Fendi replica, maybe 91 Beloved novelist Toni 94 Buc, Bronco or Niner 95 Beatty of film 97 Cindy Brady player Susan 98 Former jets to the U.K. 101 Bit of non-needled body art 105 Sour plum 107 Stage star Hagen 109 Title for Kate Middleton 110 Component of a coated glass-bead bracelet, perhaps 117 Even score 118 Forum attire 119 In the past 120 Apt cry of disbelief for this puzzle 125 Coagulate 126 Rebuke from Caesar 127 Like a dweeb 128 About, before a date 129 At this place 130 Lather (up) 131 Gather up 132 Hoodwinked DOWN 1 Global finance org. 2 Teacher’s union, in brief 3 Old TV ministry inits. 4 2002 Friday the 13th sequel 5 Whole lotta 6 Knightly title

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 24 29 30 31 32 33 34 38 39 40 42 44 45 46 49 51 53 54 55 56 57 62 63 64

Bulblike base of a stem — cat (two-base game) Neighbor of Minn. and Ill. Jewish potato pancake Relative of a guinea pig Lion portrayer Bert Feature of Betty Boop’s hair “— Mio” Crude sheds Car shaft Project detail, for short Sell at a pawnshop Opponent “I taut I — a puddy tat!” Shade trees Flip — coin DEA worker Irish money Bring about Some flawed garments: Abbr. Add-on to the end of a wd. Bit of a bray Most polar Sea nymph Sovereign Letter two before iota VIP vehicle Margarine Deprives of weapons “Sorry, too busy” Bodily digit Big striped cat, in French A/C output qtys. Landscape painter Asher Brown — Like low-quality eggs City transport

65 Alcohol in liquor 66 Landlords or landladies 67 Empty 68 Having protruding hearing organs 69 Yang go-with 72 Sings gently 73 U.S. pres., militarily 77 Inquires 78 “Continue” 80 Architect Maya 83 Chiang Kai- — 84 Broody rock genre 86 Investigate pryingly 87 Very loudly, in music 88 Miami loc. 89 Stud money 90 Old Storms and Trackers 92 Paraphrase 93 On Sunset Blvd., e.g. 96 Two, in Chile 99 Maintenance job on a car 100 Indy sponsor 102 Ballet outfit 103 Something very easy 104 Vegas casino 106 Some Siouan speakers 108 MetLife rival 110 Concern for a dermatologist 111 Concern for a dermatologist 112 Horror film lab assistant 113 Twice tetra114 “Psst” cousin 115 — avis 116 Some old Fords 121 The “S” of GPS: Abbr. 122 Hosp. zones 123 Ideal serve 124 Young fella

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You know what’s always good for your well-being? Helping people who are less fortunate and less privileged than you. To enhance your health, you can also fight bigotry, campaign against the abuse of animals and remedy damage to the natural world. Doing so will boost your vigor and vitality even more than usual. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “There is a moment in each day that Satan cannot find,” wrote author William Blake. On a regular basis, you become relatively immune from the debilitating effects of melancholy, apathy and fear. At those times, you are blessed with the freedom to be exactly who you want to be. You can satisfy your soul completely. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Poet Louis Little Coon Oliver (1904–1991) was a member of the indigenous Mvskoke people. He declared, “I do not waste what is wild.” That might mean something different for him than what it would mean for you, but it’s an excellent principle for you to work with. Being disciplined in your use of the wildness will ensure that it enriches you to the max. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the coming weeks you will be psychically nimble. Your soul will have an exceptional ability to carry out spry maneuvers that keep you sane and sound. You will have the power to adjust on the fly and adapt to shifting circumstances. People will compliment you for your classiness under pressure. But the feats you accomplish may feel surprisingly easy and breezy. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A Tumblr blogger named Af-70 gives copious advice. Here are some of his tips that are right for your needs. 1. “Real feelings don’t change fast.” 2. “Connect deeply or not at all.” 3. “Build a relationship in which you and your ally can be active in each other’s growth.” 4. “Enjoy the space between where you are and where you are going.” SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Consider putting a sign on your door or a message on your social media that says something like the following: “I’ve still got some healing to do. While I’m making progress, I’m only partway there. Am open to your practical tips and suggestions for cures I don’t know about.” Expand your imagination about what might be therapeutic. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “To uncover what is hidden in my soul might take me a week or two,” a friend said. Some people spend years trying to find what is buried and lost in their souls. You will soon enjoy multiple discoveries and revelations that will be more like that friend’s timeline: relatively rapid and complete. Get ready! Be alert! AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A Thai cook named Nattapong Kaweenuntawong has a unique method for cooking the soup served in his Bangkok restaurant. At the end of each night, he saves the broth for use the next day. He has been doing that daily for 45 years. Theoretically, there may be molecules of noodles that were originally thrown in the pot back in 1977. Dream up a new tradition that borrows from his approach. What experience could you begin that would benefit you for years to come? PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Casimir Pulaski (1745–1779) was a Polish nobleman and military commander. As a young man, he fought unsuccessfully to free Poland from Russian domination. Driven into exile, he fled to America, arriving during the Revolutionary War. Gen. George Washington was impressed with Pulaski’s skills, making the immigrant a brigadier general. Over two centuries later, his identity is in flux. DNA analyses of Pulaski’s remains suggest he was an intersex person. The coming months will be a favorable time to question and revise your understanding of your identity.

NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS DEADLINE MAY 18 Real estate plays an integral role in our economy and real estate professionals often serve as unofficial advocates for our city. This is your chance to recognize those working day in and day out to make Southern Nevada home—for our families and for our businesses.

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

4.28.22

BACKSTORY

P H O T O G R A P H Y

Wade Vandervort/Staff

ARCADIA EARTH | EARTH DAY | APRIL 20, 2022 Arcadia is a word I’ve always associated with mid-’80s Duran Duran. Simon Le Bon once sang, “This is planet Earth bop bop bop bop bop bop bop bop,” and I couldn’t have said it any better. Arcadia Earth on the Las Vegas Strip has made it possible to immerse yourself in an Earth-themed experience to escape from your experience of actual Earth. This form of escapism requires you to get lost in reality, which is another way of saying you should check yourself before you wreck yourself. And when I say it’s time to “get lost,” I mean it in a good way. –Corlene Byrd

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