16 minute read
FEATURES
MGM Grand 4627 Koval Lane 702.933.8458
Topgolf Las Vegas
is a fantasy sports venue for all seasons
By Matt Kelemen
Imagine teeing up on Las Vegas Boulevard in front of MGM Grand Resort, ignoring the cacophony of horns, facing north with a golf ball at your feet and a driver in your hands. Resort hotels line the fairway, with a large water hazard on the left in front of the Bellagio. The chance to swing and find that sweet spot that sends the ball sailing 300 yards up the Strip is, alas, an impossible dream. The possible dream is Topgolf Las Vegas, where golfers across the skill spectrum can aim for the Strip’s skyline.
Las Vegas has one of the world’s most beautifully designed and exclusive courses in Shadow Creek, but for a considerably smaller fee a northward view of the Strip becomes an incomparable backdrop for the course of multicolored targets in Topgolf territory. The balls have an obstacle in backstop netting that also serves as a landmark for the four-level complex of climate-controlled hitting bays adjacent to MGM Resort, but Topgolf Las Vegas offers unlimited game play passes on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through the end of August and stays open until 1 a.m. year-round.
Guests back for the first time since before the pandemic will discover a new high-tech amenity in the Toptracer tracking systems that serve up instant replays on HDTV screens in every bay. Experienced golfers can aim for zones within the targets and place complete focus on their swing, since they can
check the Toptracer replay to see where the computer-chip enhanced balls land.
Less-skilled golfers can aim for the targets, while neophytes can teach themselves how club design relates to distance with color-coded irons that correlate to the distance of the targets. The system makes it easy for up to eight players with varying skill to get the hang of any of more than a dozen games, including signature option Topgolf and one based on Angry Birds. Virtual courses include Pebble Beach, St. Andrews, Spanish Bay and Spyglass Hill.
A few minutes under the tutelage of a Topgolf pro at the onset of a bay session could give a guest the edge on the competition and possibly improve a swing permanently. Other newbies can hook and slice to their heart’s content as scores register on screen, and visitors are welcome to bring their own clubs.
A large menu of shareables, burgers, sandwiches and breakfasts as well as full bar service keeps the good times rolling in the bays or in the adults-only pools occupying upper levels. Indoor viewing areas are tuned into UFC for fight nights and will likely feature Golden Knights or Raiders games unless a contingent of visitors absolutely, positively needs to catch their hometown action between rounds of Topgolf.
Fantasy football freaks can get their fixes at Topgolf, too, with several packages to choose from including an Ultimate VIP Fantasy Experience in Topgolf’s timely Hublot Chairman’s Suite. For those who prefer smaller, round, micro-chipped balls, Topgolf Las Vegas is a fantasy for all seasons.
Comedy provides the best med i ci ne i n L a s V e g a s
By Nina King
It’s been a trying time lately, and we all need a laugh. Here in Vegas there’s a rich comedy scene, with clubs that have been open for years and regular shows by top comedians (many of whom call Vegas home).
Take The Mirage’s Aces of Comedy series, where such stars as Ray Romano and David Spade regularly play. This week, Kathleen Madigan delivers short, punchy jokes plus pithy comments on everyday life on Aug. 5.; improvisational genius Chico Bean of Wild ’N Out fame plays Aug. 6; and Jim Jefferies performs on Aug. 12-13.
Down the street at MGM Grand, Brad Garrett has his own club, where a variety of acts play regularly along with up-and-comers. Garrett first opened the Brad Garrett Comedy Club in a small venue, but moved into a much larger space after the pandemic (and he has a lounge next door with live music, perfect for grabbing a drink before
Rodney Laney
or after the show). This week, from Aug. 1-7, Garrett himself headlines along with well-known comedians Tom Rhodes and Ronnie Bullard.
Also on the Strip, the venerated Laugh Factory at Tropicana Las Vegas hosts Jon Lovitz through Aug. 3; you’ll know Lovitz from Saturday Night Live, The Critic and many films. The Laugh Factory is a favorite among comedy fans, with plenty of seating and a bar in the back.
New York-New York recently opened the variety show Mad Apple, where you’ll find trademark Cirque du Soleil acts and music, but also several stand-up comedy acts—Brad Williams plays here currently. Those acts rotate every few months, so if this is your jam, catch him now.
North on Las Vegas Boulevard, you’ll find The Eddie Griffin Experience, where the irreverent comedian and actor has had his own show at Sahara Las Vegas for several years. He plays Monday through Wednesday, which makes it easy to fit into a busy Vegas schedule.
At The Strat, the L.A. Comedy Club features a rotating lineup of touring acts at 8 p.m. (Willie Farrell from Aug. 1-7) and an early show at 6 p.m., James Michael’s Redneck Comedy Magic Show—don’t take yourself seriously here. After the 8 p.m. show, at 10 p.m., Butch Bradley plays Thursday through Monday and Bret Ernst Tuesday through Wednesday, each roping in a cadre of guest comedians to fill out the bill.
Downtown Grand moved its Delirious Comedy Club to a bigger venue after the pandemic and has a rotating lineup of comedians at the 8 p.m. show. Vegas favorite Kathleen Dunbar plays Aug. 4-7. The House of Magic provides an outlet for talented illusionists at 6 p.m., while resident headliner Don Barnhart takes the 10 p.m. show.
At the Plaza, you’ll find a variety of comedians featured in The Comedy Works in its plush showroom, from new names to veterans of the scene. This week, Rodney Laney plays on Aug. 5-6. Laney, who released his first book last year (a memoir and a guide to meditation), has appeared on The Late Late Show and Premium Blend, as well as comedy specials. Plus, you’ll find plenty of other comedy acts in Vegas in their own shows, like Tape Face at Harrah’s and
Piff the Magic Dragon
at Flamingo, and as comedic spice in others, like Shayma Tash in Fantasy. So go ahead and let those giggles out— there’s no laugh track in Vegas, except what you provide yourself.
Brad Garrett
Butch Bradley
Interior photo of Brad Garrett Comedy Club by Anthony Mair, Rodney Laney, Brad Garrett and Chico Bean courtesy photos, Butch Bradley photo courtesy of L.A. Comedy Club, Bret Ernst photo by Ray Alamo, Kathleen Madigan photo by Luzena Adams Bret Ernst
By Matt Kelemen
Photo by
Clara Balzary
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 2022 tour is amping up in Vegas
If there’s one song that represents the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ long, colorful, checkered, impossibly resilient career, it has to be “Me and My Friends.” The song from 1987’s Uplift Mofo Party Plan, the band’s only album featuring the original lineup, encapsulates the Peppers’ spirit, and has been played on the European leg of 2022 Global Stadium Tour that leaps into Allegiant Stadium Saturday night with special guests The Strokes and King Princess.
Ambiguous as it is, that manifesto was inspired by the spirit that drove the Chili Peppers from its Hollywood jam beginnings and took it to its most musically successful moments, largely achieved during guitarist John Frusciante’s tenures. The chemistry he has with Kieidis, Flea and drummer Chad Smith is inimitable, and resuscitated a band that had crashed and burned after the death of founding guitarist Hillel Slovak.
It was Slovak’s chance encounter with a pair of hitchhiking rapscallions he kind of knew from high school that led to the bond of friendship so essential to the fabric of the Chili Peppers. Other musicians would play on the fi rst two albums (drummer Cli Martinez would go on to become an A-list fi lm soundtrack composer) but Frusciante got to see the Uplift
Mofo lineup live multiple times and soaked up Slovak’s style as well as the inclusive atmosphere at performances. “I’d felt the feeling of joy at concerts before,” Frusciante said in the April 1 edition of Rick Rubin’s Broken Record podcast. “But there was nothing in comparison to seeing that band when the original lineup had come back together but they hadn’t put out their third record yet. Everything I had heard about them, everything I had seen on videotape, did not prepare me for the intensity of that show.” The Chili Peppers were wild and never stopped moving. They had the intensity of hardcore punk with the violence replaced by funk attitude songs that celebrated being young, wild and libidinous. The musicians, adorned with fl uorescent body paint, and audience became one in an organic fashion that teenaged Frusciante found dreamlike and otherworldly as he jumped around with abandon. As much as guitarists DeWayne McKnight, Arik Marshall, Dave Allegiant Stadium 6:30 p.m. Aug. 6, starting at $59.50 plus tax and fee. ticketmaster.com Navarro, Jesse Tobias, and Josh Klingho er contributed to the nearly 40-year legacy of the Chili Peppers, it’s the lineup with Frusciante most capable of creating the magical spirit of camaraderie and chaos in concert he experienced as a fan. His playing on latest album Unlimited Love is supremely soulful and sublime, and his return to the band in December 2019 means music from Mother’s Milk, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Californication, Stadium Arcadium is once again generated by the same fi ngers that created it. The band with the uplifting party plan is back.
By Em Jurbala
STATE OF THE
Donuts by Jae Yong Kim
Resorts World Las Vegas delivers a diverse and expansive program
Home to an eclectic collection of artworks, Resorts World Las Vegas takes a refreshing approach to casino art with its self-guided art tour and exceptional attention to detail. Prepare to be delighted, art lovers, because this collection is like no other. Grab your phone, throw on a good pair of walking shoes, and take a stroll through this combination of modern and historical works, made interactive through QR codes that guests can scan for additional information.
There really is no bad place to start; you’ll find intentionally conceptualized, crafted and curated work anywhere you go. “Being that many of our areas are open to the public, we often have to consider many different cultures when selecting subject matter,” says Darla Real, director of interior
design. “Art should be evocative and create a conversation, but we are careful to not create controversy.”
Perhaps you’d like to start by strolling through Resorts World’s three lobbies: • In the Conrad lobby, you can find David Spriggs’ Holos, an awe-inspiring installation consisting of 20 individually painted acrylic planes that align to create one whirling, spherical entity. Be sure to move all the way around this piece, as its dimensionality shifts depending on your perspective. • Continue to the Crockfords lobby, where you’ll find Samurai Cat by Hiro Ando, a contemporary take on the traditional maneki-neko, or lucky cat. Ando, a Japanese neo-pop artist, creates work that combines tradition with contemporary elements and has become well-known for his cat-like sculpture. Symbols of luck have always had a place in Las Vegas. After all, this city is built on luck, so it’s exciting to see a different take on the tradition this city is built on. Is the lucky cat a new concept? Of course not, but the idea of taking a traditional token of good fortune, reimagining its design, and prominently featuring it in a town flooded with horseshoes and triple sevens adds an element of identity to the property. • The Hilton lobby features the colossal Hippo Wild Ride By Gillie and Marc. The bronze sculpture commemorates endangered species and promotes wildlife conservation. Also in this lobby, you’ll find Michelangelo Bastiani’s Clouds and Jars, a digital installation featuring holograms of graceful ballerinas and trapeze artists, contained within glass jars.
As you tour the property, a common theme becomes incredibly apparent: Resorts World is full of animals! And that’s no coincidence. “We as humans relate to animals from a very young age, being given teddy bears or pets as children, or watching cartoon animals on Saturday mornings,” says Real. “The introduction of animals, in many different forms, is meant to create a surprise, provide some delight and leave our guests with a feeling of amusement.”
On your way to the casino floor, you’ll pass the High Limit
RedTail the sculpture by Kevin Barry Fine Art
Lounge, which houses its very own beast: Louis-Vuitton Doberman by Herb Williams. Made entirely out of crayons, the form brings whimsy to the space while enhancing its luxurious appearance. Another creature awaits on the casino floor. Belgian artist William Sweetlove’s Cloned Bulldog with Pet Bottle awaits, to be exact. Fitted with rain boots and carrying a water bottle on its back, this sculpture represents a future in which there’s a lack of fresh drinking
Hippo Wild Ride by Gillie and Marc
Clouds and Jars by Michelangelo Bastiani Holos by David Spriggs
water and an excess of ocean water. Sweetlove’s dadaist combination of irony, surrealism and pop art carries a clear message about climate change throughout much of his work.
The chrome-finished clone on display at Resorts World stands as a reminder of how fragile our ecosystems are, especially in a city that uses immense quantities of water despite having a dwindling water supply. Its presence forces patrons to confront the environmental impacts of wastefulness that the human race so easily commits, and possibly encourages conservation efforts among everyone who has the pleasure of enjoying this beautiful desert oasis.
While you’re on the casino floor, make sure you get a glimpse of Jae Yong Kim’s Donuts. These delightful, brightly
Samurai Cat by Hiro Ando
Red Beetle by Ichwan Noor
Tea Bag Art by Red Hong Yi
colored ceramic donuts add a lot of joy. I mean, seriously, how could you look at those without smiling?
In fact, according to Kim’s Blank Space Art web page, the Korean artist began using donuts as a symbol of greed and gluttony, but found a lot of joy in making the ceramic sweets. Over time the iconography of the donuts evolved from greed and gluttony to have many meanings for the artist, from providing sweet relief on a hard day to representing the cheap sugary foods many living in poverty find to be most accessible to them. This pastry-themed pottery adds depth to the collection at Resorts World.
Speaking of food, you’ve done a fair amount of walking and probably need to refuel. Luckily, there’s another piece of art you have to see at Famous Foods Street Eats. Actually, there’s two.
While enjoying a nosh in this spot, you’ll find Red Hong Yi’s Tea Bag Art, a three-dimensional portrait created with 20,000 individually dyed tea bags. Contrasting many of the modern themes found in art around the property, this installation highlights the Chinese-Malaysian artist’s cultural roots while maintaining the ingenuity that is apparent throughout Resorts World’s collection. Also featured in Famous Foods is Yi’s 10-foottall Lucky Cat sculpture (a continuation of the feline theme). The towering sculpture constructed entirely from
gold-colored coins radiates positivity and prosperity across the entire food court.
From Famous Foods, make a short walk to RedTail, where you’ll be greeted by RedTail the sculpture. Custom made by Kevin Barry Fine Art, the brightly colored kitten emanates humor and exuberance. This anime critter even playfully holds a finger to its lips as if it’s just told you a secret. Maybe it’s reminding you: What happens in Vegas … you know the rest.
Conclude your journey with a trek to Kusa Nori, where Red Beetle by Ichwan Noor awaits. The contorted car brings the same liveliness that many of Resorts World’s sculpture do, but it also uses the car as a symbol of what Noor calls “transportation culture.” By taking this symbol and physically reshaping it, Noor is seemingly challenging people to rethink transportation; the way we approach it, the way it affects the world around us, and ways we can do better.
Admittedly, this isn’t an exhaustive list of all the art at Resorts World. There’s Andy Warhol paintings to see in the Baccarat Salon and Genting Palace’s private dining room. There’s a propertywide digital art experience called GLOW. There’s even a limited-time-only, propertywide elephant parade to raise funds and awareness for elephant welfare and conservation.
The art at Resorts World is more than enough to satisfy even the most ravenous craving for high-quality art, and it’s well worth the walk. After all, why not get your steps in on vacation while looking at some sensational artwork?
Flowers and Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol
WITH SPECIAL GUEST COLIN CLOUD
LIMITLESS
