2022-10-06-Las-Vegas-Weekly

PUBLISHER

MARK DE POOTER mark.depooter@gmgvegas.com

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

KATIE DIXON katie.dixon@gmgvegas.com

EDITOR

SPENCER PATTERSON spencer.patterson@gmgvegas.com

EDITORIAL

Senior Editor GEOFF CARTER (geo .carter@gmgvegas.com)

Editor at Large BROCK RADKE (brock.radke@gmgvegas.com)

Deputy Editor EVELYN MATEOS (evelyn.mateos@gmgvegas.com)

Sta Writer SHANNON MILLER (shannon.miller@gmgvegas.com)

Sta Writer AMBER SAMPSON (amber.sampson@gmgvegas.com)

Contributing Writers GRACE DA ROCHA,HILLARY DAVIS, MIKE GRIMALA, CASEY HARRISON, KATIE ANN MCCARVER, DANNY WEBSTER

Contributing Editors RAY BREWER, JUSTIN HAGER, BRYAN HORWATH, CASE KEEFER, DAVE MONDT

O ce Coordinator NADINE GUY

CREATIVE

Art Director CORLENE BYRD (corlene.byrd@gmgvegas.com)

Senior Designer IAN RACOMA

Photo Coordinator BRIAN RAMOS

Photographers CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS, STEVE MARCUS, WADE VANDERVORT

DIGITAL

Publisher of Digital Media KATIE HORTON

Web Content Specialist CLAYT KEEFER

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Director of Strategic Content EMMA CAUTHORN

Market Research Manager CHAD HARWOOD

Senior Advertising Manager ADAIR NOWACKI, SUE SRAN Account Executives LAUREN JOHNSON, MIKE MALL, ALEX TEEL, ANNA ZYMANEK Sales Assistant APRIL MARTINEZ Events Director SAMANTHA PETSCH

Marketing & Events Coordinator ALEXANDRA GEX Marketing & Events Intern ALEXANDRA SUNGA

PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION

Vice President of Manufacturing MARIA BLONDEAUX

Production Director PAUL HUNTSBERRY

Production Manager BLUE UYEDA

Associate Marketing Art Director BROOKE EVERSON

Marketing Graphic Designer CARYL LOU PAAYAS

Production Artist MARISSA MAHERAS Publication Coordinator DENISE ARANCIBIA Tra c Administrator JIDAN SHADOWEN Fulfillment Operations Coordinator CASANDRA PIERCE Route Administrator KATHY STRELAU Distribution Coordinator KARLA RODRIGUEZ

GREENSPUN MEDIA GROUP

CEO, Publisher & Editor BRIAN GREENSPUN

Operating O cer ROBERT CAUTHORN

LAS VEGAS WEEKLY

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All content is copyright Las Vegas Weekly LLC. Las Vegas Weekly is published Thursdays and distributed throughout Southern Nevada. Readers are permitted one free copy per issue. Additional copies are $2, available back issues $3.

ADVERTISING DEADLINE

THURSDAY

5 P.M.

Kanpachi carpaccio at Wakuda

SUPERGUIDE

Your daily events planner, starring Alice Cooper, Tokimon sta, Om, the Age of Chivalry Renaissance Festival and more.

20 38

COVER STORY

The Sahara brings its storied past into an exciting present as the Strip property turns 70.

FEATURE

Touring three LGBT bars providing diverse, inclusive nightlife options.

NEWS Psychedelic drugs gain momentum and support for their potential medicinal benefits.

NOISE

New Vegas music from Ekoh, The Dollheads, Sonia Barcelona, Amarionette, Foster and more.

FOOD & DRINK

Wakuda lives up to its considerable credentials at Palazzo, and music man Franky Perez serves up tacos while you shop.

THE SAHARA

SPORTS Catching up with Rod Woodson, pro football Hall of Famer and coach of Las Vegas’ new XFL team.

by Wade Vandervort/ Photo Illustration

SUPERGUIDE

THURSDAY

DRINK

LAS VEGAS STORIES: THE SMITH CENTER –A DREAM IN THE DESERT 7 p.m., Clark County Library, lvccld.org.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY 8 p.m., Avantpop Bookstore, eventbrite. com.

JULIAN EUSEBIO: PHILIPPINE CULTURE AND EXPRESSION OF COLOR

Thru 12/20, times vary, Summerlin Library, lvccld.org.

NEVADA BALLET THEATRE: DRACULA Thru 10/9, times vary, Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (PRESEASON)

7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

GALANTIS

With Breathe Carolina, 10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

BIA 10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

AWEMINUS

With Wassa, Umbra, Just Barely Awake, 10 p.m., We All Scream, seetickets.us.

AUTHOR READING: P MOSS

P Moss goes there. The Las Vegas-based author of Tabloid and Vegas Knockout tells charged and atmospheric city stories that float through backrooms and bedrooms where all manner of perverse, probably illegal activity is taking place, often instigated by the characters with whom we’re supposed to identify. The smokier, smuttier and more dangerous the room, the more the protagonists (and author) feel inclined grab a chair and let someone order them a drink—a gangster, a self-proclaimed carnival freak or, in his latest novel Dead Ringer, a billionaire. Set in 1967 Vegas, Dead Ringer rounds up a number of real-life historical figures—Moe Dalitz and Howard Hughes, among others—and sets them loose in a fun, gritty pulp noir whose violent twists and turns are balanced with loving, cinematic descriptions of a Vegas long gone.

The Writer’s Block Book Shop hosts Moss for a reading and signing on October 6, after which you should head over to one of his two iconic Valley bars—the Double Down Saloon or Frankie’s Tiki Room—and let someone order you a drink. 7 p.m., free, the Writer’s Block, thewritersblock.org. –Geo Carter

QUICKSAND

Quicksand once went 20-plus years between albums, but you wouldn’t guess it listening to the New Yorkers’ newest songs. Last year’s Distant Populations, the post-hardcore band’s second LP since reuniting a decade ago, feels as muscular, urgent and demanding of live treatment as Quicksand’s treasured ’90s material. So give the new disc a few spins, brush up on old faves like “Head to Wall” and “Thorn in My Side” and you’ll be ready to rock out with frontman Walter Schreifels and his mates inside Virgin Hotels’ primo small music space. (Having caught them in 2018 at Brooklyn Bowl, I can vouch that they still pack a punch.)

Oh, and get there in time for Dark Black, an inspired choice of local openers. 7 p.m., $27-$47, 24 Oxford, etix.com. –Spencer Patterson

MUSIC

FRIDAY

LAS VEGAS

PRIDE PARADE

6 p.m., Downtown Las Vegas, lasvegaspride.org.

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE

With Taking Back Sunday, Youth Code, 7:30 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

20TH ANNIVERSARY

FIRST FRIDAY CELEBRATION

5 p.m., Downtown Las Vegas, ffflv.org.

REGGAE RISE UP

Noon, thru 10/9, Down town Las Vegas Events Center, tixr.com.

EDDIE VEDDER & EARTHLINGS

AGE OF CHIVALRY RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL

Thru 10/9, times vary, lvrenfair.com.

SHRINERS CHILDREN’S OPEN

8 p.m., Dolby Live, ticketmaster.com.

DIPLO

11 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.

HENDERSON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: THE PRINCESS BRIDE 8 p.m., Water Street Plaza, hendersonsymphonynv. org.

TOM JONES

8 p.m., Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com.

Thru 10/9, times vary, TPC Summerlin, shriner schildrensopen.com.

VEGAS SK8 TO ELIMINATE CANCER

Thru 10/9, times vary, Lifeguard Arena, scottcares.org.

RISE FESTIVAL

Thru 10/8, times vary, Jean Dry Lake Bed, risefestival.com.

VAN MORRISON

8 p.m., thru 10/9, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com.

KATY PERRY

8 p.m., & 10/8, Resorts World Theatre, ticketmaster.com.

DANIEL TOSH

10 p.m., & 10/8, Mirage Theatre, mirage.mgmresorts.com.

MIRANDA LAMBERT 8 p.m., & 10/8, Zappos Theater, ticketmaster.com.

TIËSTO

With Kream, 10 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

MONSTERS OF BRUTALITY

Featuring Mortician, Skinless, Morpheus Descends, more, 6:30 p.m., & 10/8, Fremont Country Club, eventbrite.com.

NEVADA CONSERVATORY

THEATRE: THE CHERRY ORCHARD

Thru 10/16, times vary, Judy Bayley Theatre, unlv.edu.

THE WARNING

With The Letdown, 7:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketweb.com.

SUPERGUIDE

TOKIMONSTA

Tokimonsta just doesn’t stop. In the past few months, the LA producer and DJ played has Outside Lands in San Francisco, goofed around with burners in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert and performed at the NFL Season Kickoff concert in Long Beach. Now, she’s on her Unseen Forest tour which includes a set with Cakes da Killa and Bad Turner at Area15 in Las Vegas—fitting venue for Tokimonsta’s trippy, innovative brand of hip-hop instrumental and dance music. Despite so many live sets and rapidly changing surroundings, the musician’s recent releases show that she has stayed grounded. This year, her track record of dynamite collaborations continues in “Loved by U” with LA singer-songwriter Morgxn and a remix of Sia and Neneh Cherry’s “Manchild.” She also contributed “The Flower Blooms” to the 2022 EP for Netflix show Squid Game, alongside dance music superstar Alok and electronic trio Cheat Codes. “I can’t wait to get weird w y’all,” the DJ Tweeted when she released her tour schedule. We can’t, either. 9:30 p.m., $20, Area15 A-Lot, area15.com. –Shannon Miller

(Photo Courtesy/Fred Morledge)

SUPERGUIDE

LAS VEGAS PRIDE FESTIVAL

Noon, Craig Ranch Park, eventbrite.com.

MARY J. BLIGE

With Ella Mai, Queen Naija, 8 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOTRE DAME VS. BYU

4:30 p.m., Allegiant Stadium, ticketmaster.com.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY CULTURAL CELEBRATION

1 p.m., Winchester Dondero, clarkcountynv.gov.

MARSHMELLO 11 a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.

SUMMERLIN

FESTIVAL OF ARTS 10 a.m., & 10/9, Downtown Summerlin, summerlin.com.

SATURDAY

ALICE COOPER

There are at least a dozen reasons to see Alice Cooper perform live at Henderson’s Dollar Loan Center, with one above all: He’s Alice freaking Cooper, the very definition of a living legend. Absent the pioneering influence of his shocking, theatrical performances, you don’t get Rammstein or Gwar; take away his buzzing, sludgy Detroit fuzz, and punk rock loses one of its foundational supports. (Joey Ramone wrote his first Ramones song after hearing Cooper’s “I’m Eighteen,” and Johnny Rotten auditioned for the Sex Pistols by miming the same song in front of a jukebox.) Not for nothing is Cooper a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and the object of Wayne and Garth’s “We’re not worthy!” supplications in Wayne’s World. And judging by last year’s solid Detroit Stories LP, the 74-year-old rocker who gave the world such hard rock gems as “Welcome to My Nightmare,” “School’s Out” and “Billion Dollar Babies” still has what it takes to rattle your eardrums and blow your mind. With Ace Frehley, 8 p.m., $39-$129, Dollar Loan Center, axs.com. –Geo Carter (AP Photo)

ASIAN NIGHT MARKET 6 p.m., CSN, eventbrite.com.

JIMMY BUFFETT 8 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs.com

SEBASTIAN MANISCALCO 7 & 10 p.m., & 10/9, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com.

BIG SEAN

p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com.

LAS VEGAS LIGHTS

MIAMI FC 7 p.m., Cashman Field, lasvegaslightsfc.com.

THE CHAINSMOKERS

p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.

KOOL & THE GANG 8 p.m., & 10/9, Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com.

VIR DAS 8 p.m., Summit Showroom at Venetian, livenation.com.

10TH ANNUAL WILD & SCENIC FILM FEST 4:30 p.m., Spring Mountain Ranch Park, nevadawilderness.org.

PAULY D

11 a.m., Marquee Dayclub, events.taogroup.com.

THE QUEERS

With Venomous Pinks, Mercy Music, Jerk!, 8 p.m., Dive Bar, eventbrite.com.

Miss Nevada Kataluna Enriquez with festivalgoers at Las Vegas Pride 2021 (Courtesy/LGT Images)

SUNDAY

OCT.

9

LUDACRIS

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

DPR 8 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com.

SURF MESA

11 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.

ACCEPT

With Narcotic Wasteland, 7 p.m., Count’s Vamp’d, eventbrite.com.

SLANDER 10 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

LAS VEGAS CLASSICAL GUITAR ENSEMBLE 3 p.m., West Charleston Library, lvccld.org.

OCT.MONDAY

GWAR With Nekro goblikon, Crobot, 6 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketweb.com. (Photo Courtesy)

MONDAYS DARK 8 p.m., the Space, mondaysdark.com.

BRANDT TOBLER

Thru 10/12, 8 p.m., LA Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy. com.

COCOMELON LIVE 6 p.m., Orleans Arena, ticketmaster. com.

GOLD NECKLACE

With Andres, Satyr, Moondough, 7 p.m., SoulBelly BBQ,

COMEDY

MUSIC FOOD + DRINKSPORTS MISCPARTY ARTS

OCT.TUESDAY

11

SUPERGUIDE

HUMAN NATURE

6:30 p.m., thru 10/13, South Point Showroom, ticketmaster.com.

MARTIN GARRIX

With Justin Mylo, 10:30 p.m., Omnia, events.taogroup.com.

TWIZTID

With Blaze, ABK, AMB, Cody Manson, Donnie Menace, NE Last Words, Ezekiel, 7 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, seetickets.us.

FRANKIE MORENO

7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.

OM Sleep guitarist Matt Pike has brought his “other band,” High on Fire, to Las Vegas with such regularity—House of Blues 2007, Beauty Bar 2011, five Psycho fests since 2016—he practically feels like a resident by extension. Sleep vocalist/bassist Al Cisnernos, on the other hand, has only ever played here with Sleep … until now. At last, Cisneros’ own “other band,” the mystical and aptly named Om, will hit Las Vegas—specifically Brooklyn Bowl, site of Sleep’s last show here, in 2019. Om hasn’t released an album since dropping its fifth, Advaitic Songs way back in 2012, but that hardly matters. The trio can play one hourlong piece for all we care, provided it transports us to the meditative, cosmic headspace for which Om is known. In Al we trust. With Zombi, 7:30 p.m., $20-$25, Brooklyn Bowl, ticketweb.com. –Spencer Patterson (Photo Courtesy)

OCT.WEDNESDAY

12

SARAH BRIGHTMAN

8 p.m., Venetian Theatre, ticketmaster.com.

DEGENFT VEGAS DIGITAL ART & MUSIC FESTIVAL

6 p.m. (& 10/14, 2 a.m.), Area15, theticketing.co.

USHER

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

LIONEL RICHIE

8 p.m., Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com.

THE MOVEMENT

With The Elovaters, Cydeways, 6:30 p.m., Virgin Event Lawn, etix.com.

ZO & SKRIBBLE

10 p.m., On the Record, ontherecordlv.com.

LAS VEGAS ACADEMY: STANDING TOGETHER

7 p.m., Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com.

(Photo Courtesy)

MURAL MISSION

BY EVELYN MATEOS PHOTOGRAPHS BY WADE VANDERVORT

When you head down to Fremont Street for a bacon-wrapped Dirt Dog this weekend, take a second to look up. Just above their menu is a mural of a sea side and a portrait of the late rapper Nipsey Hussle, done in vibrant oranges and blues.

Twenty-two-year-old Juan Ochoa is the visionary behind that image and some 20 other murals around Las Vegas, including one memorializing drunk-driving victim Tina Tintor and her dog Max. From tattoo shops to gyms, neighborhoods to public schools, this young artist has taken to beautifying Las Vegas.

Ochoa migrated to Las Vegas from Mexico with his family at a young age and has worked toward becoming a professional artist since graduating high school. “After high school, money became a part of the equation: ‘How do I still do what I love but make an income?’” he says. “So, I started knocking on doors, and asking businesses, ‘Can I draw something for you? Can I paint something for you?’ It was a lot of rejection. It was hard.”

Now, however, Ochoa is well on his way to making art his full-time gig. Aside from his commissioned pieces, he works at Legendarys Art Supply, which offers a platform for other aspiring artists. Every week, Ochoa logs onto the store’s Instagram (@leg endarys702) to host lessons on his technique.

The artist sat down with the Weekly to discuss his work and love of art.

Works by self-taught artist

Ochoa are popping up all over town

When did you discover you had a tal ent for art? I come from a family that has artists, and they’re really good, especially my mom. But I wasn’t born with a gift; I was real ly bad at it. I knew it, but I was OK with it. It wasn’t until I came to the U.S. and kids made fun of me in another language that I really got offended. I wanted to draw just to prove them wrong. … I had to try extra hard at it, and it wasn’t until I fully committed to it that I became good at it. I guess it wasn’t that I was a natural; it’s just that I became com fortable being uncomfortable and constantly trying. I wanted to get better.

Did you study art in school, or are you wholly self-taught? I was always into drawing with pencil, so a lot of it was just contrast black and white. And I was against education, so I didn’t want to be like, ‘I have to learn the traditional way.’ I was more like, ‘If you love it, you do it.’ So, I kind of ignored [art education]. But when it came to spray painting, I had to learn color theory.

An artist that I looked up to … started pointing it out. He said, “You have to read these books.” So, I kind of dove into it and started realizing that color theory is more like understanding that colors as a whole are a language, and the way that you mix the saturations makes hues.

What was the first mural you complet ed? When I was a teenager, for the Boys and Girls Club. It was an elephant. … I don’t know who brought it up, but I was asked to paint a room. The paints weren’t the best, so I stayed there for days and days trying to fill in the piece.

Which of your murals has been your favorite so far? The one that I posted of [boxer] Tyson Fury [inside a private gym]. That one really took so much time and energy. I didn’t think it was going to be possible.

Does your work have themes or ideas that you’re trying to convey to viewers? I do want to add more meaning to my work, but I guess that’s something that I’m still finding and trying to get better at.

What do you still hope to achieve? I want to be able to share what I know—probably build a platform where I can help people get to where I am without having to struggle so hard. [And] I don’t ever see myself giving this up, so I hope to make an impact in the art scene.

Do you have any advice for other young artists? Love every piece you do. … Just have fun, because when you have fun that’s when you learn.

Muralist

work at

public

Deepak Chopra

annual

THE

UNLV’s annual series featuring nationally and internationally known guest lecturers

BY BROCK RADKE

Vandervort/Staff)

The Sahara marries new experiences and past successes as it turns 70 on the Strip

The beginning came at the end. The grand porte cochère became one of the last major renovation projects at the new Sahara Las Vegas, the iconic Strip casino resort that reclaimed its original name three years ago. And although the gaming floor, hotel lobby, pool, main lounge and several restaurant spaces had been entirely refreshed, the striking new entrance reframed the entire proper ty upon completion in July.

The odd, cartoonish statue that welcomed guests during the SLS era is gone, replaced by an inviting water feature that has been pushed closer to Las Vegas Boulevard to allow for more drop-off lanes. A gigantic canopy extends over much of the entry space, offering protection from the desert sun and creating a dramatic first impression. It might remind some visitors of the illuminated Taj Mahal-esque dome that once covered the Sahara’s entrance.

“We are a property that has a lot of history, that’s rooted in the ethic of what Las Vegas is and how we envision it,” says Paul Hobson, president of the Sa hara. “There is this sense you want to create when people arrive that they have come to somewhere special, somewhere refreshing. For lack of a better word, it’s an oasis, coming in right from the desert. We’re here for hospitality, to take care of you.”

This storied property has evolved its identity through the years, but the current and future face of Sahara—conceptualized by owner Alex Merue lo, who also operates media outlets in California, the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno and the Arizona Coyotes of the NHL—takes a modern approach centered around service, with whispers of a by gone but celebrated era of classic Las Vegas.

And right now is the right time to see what they’ve done with the place; on October 7, the Sa hara will celebrate 70 years on the Strip. One of the oldest spots on the Strip is all new and very ready to mark the occasion.

“The Sahara is the oldest hotel building on the Strip. You have the [75-year-old] Flamingo, of course, but it has built over or gotten rid of its original vestiges through the years,” says Michael Green, associate professor of history at UNLV.

“The Sahara is still modern and new and competitive, even if it’s smaller in terms of the megaresorts built down the block. The renova tions have brought it up to date, and it’s nice to see for historical purposes because the original place is still there. We’ve blown up a lot of places, but the Sahara has managed to work its way around that, and it’s gratifying to see.”

Creating a classically fancy porte cochère might feel against type for Vegas today, and the same can be said for the Sahara’s strategy of renovating instead of imploding, bringing back its original brand instead of creating something entirely new.

Over the past decade, the Strip has seen the

Stratosphere become the Strat, Barbary Coast become the Cromwell, Imperial Palace become the Linq and Monte Carlo become Park MGM. Bally’s will soon be the Horseshoe, the Mirage will be a new Hard Rock Hotel and the Tropicana could morph into Bally’s.

“The Aladdin was torn down and rebuilt and kept the name, but it didn’t really work out,” Green says about the resort now known as Planet Holly wood. “There are efforts elsewhere to link to the history, but the Sahara seems to be pulling this off. It’s incredibly unusual, because the tendency has been to tear down and rebuild as something else.”

Don’t assume today’s Sahara is saturated in throwback Vegas vibes, however. Warm and vibrant, the casino space looks nothing like the LA-flavored, nightlife-heavy vision SBE Enter tainment brought to the resort when it trans formed it into SLS from 2014 through 2018.

There are subtle callbacks to the African desert theme of the ’50s and ’60s—including brass elements incorporated in mosaics of flowers made out of pieces of that old dome—and other design features that advance the Moroccan paradise vibe

of the ’80s and ’90s.

If there’s a definitive theme, it’s comfort, equal parts convenience and sophistication. Designer Nancy Paolino, who worked with the Meruelo Group on the Reno property for a dozen years and also helped refresh the Plaza in Downtown Las Ve gas, says the objective was to create a fun flow while embracing the restrictions of an older property.

“Demolishing the building was not in anybody’s sight for a lot of reasons. We worked within those walls to create a boutique yet swanky type of property, and to embrace the size,” she says. “It’s a historic icon, but you have to know who you want to be when you grow up, I think, to know what your endgame is. We want to keep guests intrigued with everything we do.”

The creation of the Casbar Lounge at the heart of the casino in 2019 set the tone for what was to come, a luxurious 24-hour cocktail spot awash in rich jewel tones. The lounge has a hidden entrance to one of Paolino’s favorite Sahara spaces, the Azilo Ultra Lounge, which connects to the Azilo Ultra Pool, an outdoor event and entertainment space with lush decor and massive wrap-around LED screens.

“I spent a lot of time branding that space, and we wanted it to feel like a true desert oasis,” she says. “Every one of those backlit art pieces in the cabanas were developed by my team, sort of a Sahara desert-meets-Burning Man type of thing. We developed the chaise lounges, which have their own zipper pouch underneath to secure personal belongings, and hand-dyed fabrics to follow the color scheme in the casino. And we have that magnificent screen and stage, so that pool is a chameleon. It can be so many things.”

There’s always been a strong undercurrent of buzzy dining and exciting, accessible live enter tainment at the Sahara. When it comes to food, the House of Lords and Don the Beachcomber are legendary restaurants of Vegas past, but the Meruelo Group has capitalized on the culinary advancements SBE installed back in 2014, which included the widely acclaimed Bazaar Meat by José Andrés.

“A lot of the people that were executing some of that stuff that did work when it was SLS are the people helping us pave the future of culinary here,” Hobson says.

The new ownership has added Philadelphia favorite Chickie’s & Pete’s, authentic Chinese at Noodle Den, energetic tacos at Uno Más and up dated breakfast and lunch favorites with Zeffer’s Café. Now comes another big leap with Balla,

Azilo Ultra Pool (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

a soulful Italian restaurant from James Beard Award winner and Strip favorite Shawn McClain, who has operated Sage and Five50 Pizza at Aria and Libertine Social at Mandalay Bay.

“I could see Mr. Meruelo’s commitment from our early conversations, that this was a passion of his, really getting back and committing resources and ideas to making Sahara a great place to dine,” McClain says. “And I think the timing has been tremendous, the foresight of seeing the north Strip being re-energized. I just think Sahara has this great runway and a great future ahead of it.”

Green notes that the Sahara was the first hotel-casino to put a strong emphasis on enter tainment in the lounge, including classic names like Ray Bolger, Tony Bennett, Don Rickles, Louis Prima and Keely Smith, and Sam Butera (see side bar). The SLS era saw dance-club DJs invade that traditional mix before its Life nightclub gave way to the Foundry, a room for live music and comedy. Today that space is the Sahara Theater, home to resident comedian Eddie Griffin and Reckless in Vegas, a rock ’n’ roll take on a lounge act.

“The biggest venue we have is Azilo, which can do 1,800 for a concert, and during Labor Day weekend we had Live Nation promoting a couple events in that space,” Hobson says. “The theater is eventually going to be a great forum

for that as well and is definitely a big part of the story going forward.”

And don’t forget about the cornerstone show, Magic Mike Live, an incredible success when it opened at the Hard Rock Hotel (now Virgin Hotels Las Vegas) in 2017 before relocating to a brand-new, custom theater at the Sahara last year. It’s a big draw for bachelorette parties, among other groups, and the resort is building around it; Balla should work as a nice complement before or after the show.

“We’re great at throwing parties,” Hobson says. “If you have a dozen people all coming to celebrate a birthday, we can make that special for you in a way other [casinos] might not be ready to do, because it’s not as big a deal as it is to us.”

Intimacy in service is intentional. It’s not making up for something a boutique destination lacks; it’s the centerpiece. Hobson says the per sonality passed from Meruelo to the Sahara staff is family-driven: “Treat each other like family, treat guests like family, and everything else will

take care of itself.”

In theory, that could help make the Sahara the chosen Strip destination for locals, along with the convenience of a casino just off the freeway at one (still quieter) end of the Boulevard, where you can cruise right into a free parking garage for a refined dinner or evening of entertainment.

And lots of longtime locals have a soft spot for classic Vegas. That’s certainly the case for Green, whose parents spent a lot of time there.

“It was the closest Strip [property] to those of us who lived in the city, because it was the beginning of the Strip as far as locals were concerned,” he says. “The fact that it’s there and viable and attractive [is] a good feeling for me as a Las Vegan and a historian. But it’s also a good feeling that they’re not just acknowledging but embracing their own history.”

Visitors might not make those classic connec tions when they’re catching a game and feasting on crab fries at Chickie’s & Pete’s or bopping along to Reckless in Vegas’ take on Frank Sinatra

“It was the closest Strip [property] to those of us who lived in the city... It’s a good feeling that [the Sahara is] not just acknowledging but embracing their own history.”

Balla (Wade Vandervort/ Staff)

“Doing research into all the celebrities that either performed or stayed there was mind-blow ing, and I collected pages and pages every time I found something new,” Paolino says.

“It’s a special place to a lot of people in Vegas and out of Vegas. People know about The Beatles [staying] there, the movies filmed there, the connection with Elvis. I think those people really enjoyed going back to the [original] name, and we put a gallery in the lobby and the walkway of all these black and white photos. And every time I’m on property, I see people looking at those images.”

Merging old and new in an appealing way is a always challenge. Renovating a known Vegas casino and meeting or exceeding expectations is similarly difficult. Ultimately, it’s up to you to determine if the Sahara has pulled it off.

“To get people who have been here a while to understand this is a reinvented Sahara is import ant, and we can’t shout it loud enough,” Hobson says. “The most valuable messaging we can use is people who have been here and had a great expe rience and like the way it looks, and tell somebody else. That’s why we’re trying to have more events, to throw more parties, so they can come see it for themselves and tell their friends.”

It might seem like the Rat Pack spent the entirety of the 1960s reveling and reigning over Las Vegas, but it didn’t last that long—and Frank, Dean and the gang didn’t necessarily make the rounds up and down the Strip. But they definitely spent lots of time at the Sahara, and they were usually insulted by Don Rickles when they were there.

“The lounge at the Saha ra became incredibly sig nificant for two prominent performers, Don Rickles and Louis Prima,” says UNLV historian Michael Green, who will take part in the upcoming 70th an niversary events at the new Sahara Las Vegas. “Bill Miller was the entertainment guy at the time [in the 1950s], and he saved Prima’s career by bringing him in.”

Prima, along with Keely Smith and Sam Butera, essentially pioneered the lounge show in Las Vegas casinos under Miller, who eventually moved on to the Dunes and the Flamingo and helped develop iconic production shows Lido de Paris and Les Folies Bergère Rickles also became a main attraction at the Sahara, before “getting laughs insulting

The Sahara’s unique celebrity history or Bobby Darin. But the folks who created the experiences at Sahara went out of their way to un derstand and fall in love with that history—and that care is reflected in the results.

people in the audience was something to behold,” Green says. “In both cases, with Prima and Rickles, they attracted other entertainers, and it gave the Sahara an extra buzz you might not get at other lounges.”

There’s no doubt the Sahara was the hot spot. You might know The Beatles were booked to perform there in 1964 before moving their concerts to the Convention Center to accommodate many more screaming fans. (They still stayed at the nearby desert-themed hotel.)

You might not know Johnny Carson performed there throughout the ’60s and ’70s, and plugging his Vegas gigs on The Tonight Show translated into good publicity for the hotel and the city.

“Later in the’70s, the Sahara became the home of the Muscular Dystrophy Labor Day Telethon hosted by Jerry Lewis,” Green says. “I confess to having mixed feelings, as a kid, when Jerry came on, because that meant the end of summer va cation, but every year it was 21-plus hours on a network all across the country with all these people hearing constantly about the Sahara hotel.”–Brock Radke

The Sahara’s casino floor (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

The Sahara marquee in November 1967 (Courtesy/Las Vegas News Bureau/Robert Scott Hooper)

(Inset) The Beatles arrive in Las Vegas on August 20, 1964. (Courtesy/Las Vegas News Bureau)

P A R T Y I N G W I T H P R I D E

Three LGBT bars steeping the nightlife scene in character and connection

BY AMBER SAMPSON

The LGBT community hasn’t always had the privilege of partying out in the open. So when the opportunity to do so does come, it’s a celebration of so many things. It’s a time of expression. A time of jubilance and pride. A time to revel in the freedom of identity.

Las Vegas’ LGBT bar scene has changed a lot over the years, but through it all, these three standouts haven’t wavered in their commitment to diverse nightlife.

THE PHOENIX

4213 W. Sahara Ave., 702-8262422, facebook.com/thephoenixlv.

When you’re the entertainment director and party host of a bar like the Phoenix, you kind of have to be ready for anything. And Keyska Diva is flexible.

“We’re a one-story building, but I’ve been lifted into the air as Elphaba [in Wicked],” she says. “I got lowered down as a disco ball for New Year’s.”

Shawn Hunt, an owner of the distinguished gay bar, nods enthusiastically next to her. “When we had her fly, a guy in the front row was like, ‘You better fly, bitch!’”

And that’s about as subtle as the Phoenix gets.

Since Hunt and his partners transformed Escape Lounge into the Phoenix eight years ago, it has

become one of the hottest alternative bars in town. On any given night, patrons can catch a drag-lesque show or a fully casted Broadway production. Year-end ragers like the Fancy as F*ck fashion ball always pack the venue, as do WAP Wednesdays and karaoke nights.

“I’ve worked at almost every gay bar in town, and this is definitely my favorite,” says Diva, whose past involvements with Krave, Flex, Piranha and Sunkissed Sundays read like a CV of local LGBT hits.

The Phoenix tops her list for sev eral reasons, chief among the way it champions inclusivity. The bar welcomes women regularly on ladies nights and has become one of the first to invite them to participate in underwear nights, a historically male tradition.

“We also have a lot of cross dress ers that come in, and they can’t just go anywhere and feel safe when they’re dressed up, because a lot of them are straight men,” Diva says. “They feel that if they go to another venue, other people will judge them. When they come here, they feel very safe.”

Those who frequent the Phoenix know they belong. Some couples have even gotten married there and named their children after the place.

The Phoenix will celebrate this month with Pride-lesque dinners, an afterparty following Downtown’s parade and other events you can find on the Facebook page (facebook.com/ thephoenixlv).

As for what to expect? It’s hard to say with a bar this whimsical. But, as Hunt assures, “We will bring a party.”

Phoenix (Courtesy)

 Las Vegas

Pride Parade

October 7, 4th Street, lasvegaspride.org

 Pride on the Cone After Party

October 7, We All Scream, weallscream.com

 Queer Circus with Eureka O’ Hara October 7, the Garden, thegardenlasvegas.com

Pride-related and ongoing LGBT parties

Social Las Vegas’

Pride Weekend for Queer Womxn

October 7-9, various locations, instagram.com/ socialeventsent

Body Work Queer

Dance Party

October 7, 14 & 21, Cheapshot, bodywork.club

Las Vegas Pride Festival

October 8, Craig Ranch Regional Park, lasvegaspride.org

Elevate Pride

Pool Party

October 9, Sahara, saharalasvegas.com

Starfire LGBTQ Party

Every third Saturday, Starbase, starbaselv.com

Shade Thursdays Thursdays, the Garden, thegardenlasvegas.com

 Neon Rabbit

Variety Show Saturdays, Badlands Saloon, badlandsbarlv.com

FUN HOG RANCH

495 E. Twain Ave., 702-7917001, funhogranchlv.com

You won’t find any pageantry at Fun Hog Ranch. Nor will you find anyone lip-syncing for their lives. Folks don’t come to one of the oldest gay dives in Las Vegas for fanfare. They come for the warm welcome.

“Our selling point is always having the friendliest bartenders in town,” says general manager Will Glenn, who sees a healthy mix of tourists and locals due to the bar’s proximity to the Strip.

“We don’t do entertainment. We don’t do anything else. We just provide a safe environment for people in our community and people outside of our community who are advocates for us,” he continues. “We don’t turn anybody away.”

That’s been the motto of this rustic, no-frills dive for the past 15 years. Glenn, who previously ran the

Western-themed Charlie’s, has been in the bar business for more than 20 years, and in that time, he’s learned a lot, most importantly how to treat a customer.

“It takes a special person to be a bartender, and a good one at that,” he says. “I can teach anybody to bartend, but I can’t teach them how to be a bartender. They’ve got to have a personality trait.”

Regulars often frequent Fun Hog just to chat with Glenn’s bartenders over cheap drinks and gaming. And though the bar might not indulge in spectacle, there’s no shortage of themed nights, like Bears Roam the Ranch and the Levi & Leather Social.

Dives like Fun Hog are reminiscent of historic West Hollywood bars like the Mother Lode, where cruising and meeting new people was possible in an unpretentious playground.

“These apps have pretty much changed dating life in the gay com

munity,” Glenn says. “We always get those people who come in like, ‘Have you seen this guy?’ And they’ll flash a picture [on their phone], and I’m like, ‘Yeah, he’s sitting right over there. Why don’t you go talk to him like a normal human being?’ We encourage it!”

Fun Hog also encourages the LGBT community to take care of itself. The bar partners with the Southern Nevada Health District to offer free HIV and syphilis testing

on-site, and works with nonprof its such as the Sin Sity Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, who raise money for HIV medication, provide monkeypox educational materials for the bar and more.

“I truly love every single person in these charity organizations, and I love what they do for us in our com munity,” Glenn says. “I’ll never stop helping them.”

(Continued on Page 26)

Ranch

Fun

THE GARDEN

1017 S. 1st St. #180, 702-202-0900, thegardenlasvegas.com

No Vegas gay bar hop would be complete with out a tiptoe through the Garden. Two years ago, nightlife impresario Eduardo Cordova opened the Arts District venue, which had been on his mind for more than a decade.

Following the closure of Liaison, the Strip’s first gay nightclub (which Cordova opened

with Victor Drai), Cordova vowed to make his next venture something purely his own. “I thought about what if it’s not on the Strip?” he says. “Would the gays still come?”

In droves, it turns out.

Las Vegas’ gay party prince helped put LGBT nightlife on the local map at a time when tension was at its highest. “There was no equality. Gays couldn’t marry,”

Cordova remembers. “The whole gay thing in Las Vegas was a taboo. Vegas was pretty much created in the straight world.”

His ambition to see the city become the next gay party destination brought us illustrious events like Closet Sundays at Cat House, Bare’s gay pool party Heaven and Sunkissed Sundays, which still lives on as Temptation Sundays at the Luxor 14 years later.

The Garden is the culmination of all that and then some. Queens rule the roost at this chic and modern gem, putting on some of the most performative drag shows you can find while noshing on Strip-quali ty brunch with patrons of all orientations

and generations. It’s the kind of place where you recognize people. Divas from RuPaul’s Drag Race and even Cher have made appearances.

“I didn’t want to just create one bar; I wanted to create a community and grow, no pun intended, with the Garden,” Cor dova says. “Grow a little district where we could invite other gay-owned and gay-op erated businesses into this destination.”

During the pandemic lockdowns, the Garden was one of the only bars allowed to remain open, because it had a kitchen. Cordova used that time to kick-start his communal vision, inviting workers from gay bars around town to visit.

All are welcome to lounge in the Garden, and Cordova is hopeful that one day that affirmation will apply to the whole neighborhood.

“This is where the gay district should be. So my mission that I’ve taken up on myself is that,” he says. “What’s the health of the queer scene right now? I feel we could do better. But I’m so happy that we have more. I feel like this is the best time to be queer.”

The Garden (Courtesy)

Sisolak, Lombardo claim victory in likely their only debate

The gubernatorial debate had been over for a few minutes when both candidates—Gov. Steve Sisolak and Republican challeng er Joe Lombardo, the Clark Coun ty Sheriff—took to social media proclaiming they had won.

The debate, which was hosted by the Nevada Independent in front of a private audience October 2 and aired the follow ing night on the state’s NBC affiliates, saw the candidates trade barbs on issues ranging from abortion and education to affordable housing and taxes, mostly lining up with their par ties’ respective platforms.

In a break from many conser vatives vying for elected offic es, Lombardo stopped short of calling former President Donald Trump a “great” commanderin-chief, while Sisolak touted President Joe Biden as a “very good” leader who inherited a slew of problems from his predecessor.

“I wouldn’t say great—I think he was a sound president,” Lombar do said of Trump, the only presi dent ever to be impeached twice. “I think he had policies that he brought forward that were bene ficial to the country.”

Celebrating 50 years of achievement in special education

Cortez Masto campaign reports raising $15 million

Democratic Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s campaign on October 3 announced it raked in $15 million through fundraising, setting a new record for politicians in the state. Cortez Masto’s campaign enjoyed donations from more than 170,000 individuals, with 97% of funds coming from contributions of $100 or fewer, according to a release. The campaign says the average donation amount was $44, and nearly 330,000 people have donated to her re-election bid since 2021. A poll released October 2 by the Nevada Independent and OH Predictive Insights shows Republican Adam Laxalt with a slight lead over Cortez Masto with just more than five weeks until the November 8 midterm elec tions. Laxalt led by two percentage points, 45% to 43%, with an additional 7% unsure and the last 5% saying they would vote for neither. Laxalt’s lead, however, is still within the margin of error.

Alumnae Danniela Pineda, 28 (left), and Karla Pineda, 25, cele brate with Dr. Linda Miller at the 50-year anniversary ceremony at the Helen J. Stewart School on September 29. The school, which educates students with intellectual disabilities, was named for the granddaughter of Helen J.W. Stewart, a pioneering advocate for formal education in Southern Nevada. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

Casey Harrison

“

I don’t look at them with any ill will. ... If anything, I look at it like it was a blessing, because I learned so much from it. It made me better.”

-Josh McDaniels, on his feelings about the Denver Broncos, the organization that gave him his first head coaching position, and against whom he earned his first win as coach of the Las Vegas Raiders

Casey Harrison

Theatrical force Franco Dragone dead at 69

Franco Dragone, the director who co-created some of the most influential and successful shows in the history of the Las Vegas Strip, died September 30 in Egypt at age 69. Dragone was one of the key creators of the Cirque du Soleil theatrical brand in Las Vegas and around the world, including as architect of Cirque’s first resident production on the Strip, Mystère, and arguably the company’s most popular show in the world, O

After his time with Cirque, Dragone helped launch Celine Dion’s groundbreaking Caesars Palace residency, A New Day, and later created Le Rêve at Wynn Las Vegas. In recent years he had returned here, opening a Downtown o ce for his production company and teaming up with illusionist Criss Angel to create Amystika, which opened at the Planet Hollywood resort this year.

In an interview with the Weekly in December, Dragone spoke of his excitement to create in and for Vegas again: “This place has created a community of creators, an underground, and in the underground is where you find the future, because they are not constrained in the big corporate companies, so they have more audacity. This is good. Thanks to those big productions and [casinos], we now have thousands of artists coming from all over the world, and you can find a lot of expertise.”

Cirque dedicated the September 30 performances of Mystère at Treasure Island and O at Bellagio to Dragone and his work. –Brock Radke

WATCH THIS

The Golden Knights open the regular season

11 at 7 p.m. against the LA Kings.

Number of pupfish tallied by scientists recently in Devils Hole, a detached unit of Death Valley in Nye County. It’s the highest number of one of the world’s rarest fish species observed in nearly two decades.

Olivia Ramirez, left, and Kandis Gumbs, cousins of Christiana Duarte, attend a sunrise remembrance ceremony at the Clark County Government Center honoring victims of the October 1, 2017, mass shooting. (Steve Marcus/Sta )

TRIPPING

For decades, mainstream culture has associated psychedelics with impairing the mind rather than improving it. But advocates, researchers and o cials are starting to paint a di erent picture—that substances including magic mushrooms, mescaline, LSD and MDMA can actually help treat serious mental health issues.

After the Food and Drug Administration designated MDMA (ecstasy) and psilocybin (magic mushrooms) as “breakthrough” therapies in 2017 and 2018, the Department of Veterans A airs launched clinical trials this year to study the e ectiveness of the drugs to treat military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders and other behavioral conditions.

During a September 26 House Veterans A airs Committee Meeting, representatives from Reason for Hope, a nonpro t that advocates for psychedelic therapies for veterans, presented a letter asking lawmakers to push for more federal funding for research. “There is urgent need to investigate novel therapeutics with potential to o er relief and healing to individuals who have been failed by current treatments, especially those which can o er rapid and robust improvements,” the letter reads.

It goes on to say that current treatments—selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs—are known to be slow-acting and largely ine ective, even more so among the veteran population than the general population.

Bruno Moya has been working with impacted veterans and advocating in the Las Vegas community for nearly a decade. He transitioned from active infantry service in 2008 and says he experienced challenges with his mental health and relationships afterward—until a guided experience with psilocybin improved his mental health and enhanced his familial relationships.

“My rst experience completely

Nevada lawmakers and researchers advocate for psychedelics in medicine

BY SHANNON MILLER

changed my life. … The next day, I came home and my wife was like, ‘What did you do? And you need to do it more,’” he laughs. “My 15-year-old now kind of notices the di erence … [from] when I was getting out of the Marine Corps to watching me raise her little sister. … Now, I’m playful with both of my kids, and I really have no issues with my wife.”

As one of seven co-directors of Decriminalize Nature Nevada, which launched in 2021 as part of a national organization working to create a coalition and provide educational resources about psychedelic therapies, Moya pushes for increased access for veterans and “everybody else that can bene t from it.”

“Right now, the only people that really have access to this are 1) people who are willing to risk their freedom and risk doing it with somebody who might not know what they’re doing, or 2) people who can go to Mexico, Peru or anywhere else in the world where they have legal access to a spiritual center, which is a small population in our community,” he says.

(Photo Illustration/ Ian Racoma)

Although the group took root in Nevada less than two years ago, it’s already seeing state lawmakers come to the table. After discussing with stakeholders, Democratic Assemblywoman Rochelle Nguyen has led a draft request for the 2023 Legislative Session for a bill that “revises provisions governing controlled substances” and deals with matters of decriminalization, regulation and research on psychedelics.

Nguyen tells the Weekly that it could potentially help with the growing mental health crisis. She adds that Nevada can bene t from lessons learned in jurisdictions that already have passed decrimi-

TREATMENT

nalization measures, including Oregon, which became the rst and only state to fully legalize psilocybin in 2020.

Gordon Brown, spokesperson for the Nevada State Democratic Party, says the state party is calling for “the legalization, regulation and taxation of therapeutic and recreational psychedelics, as well as the broad decriminalization of drugs, the end of policies relating to the so-called ‘war on drugs,’ and call for greater funding for addiction treatment services.”

Not everyone is on board with e orts to decriminalize and legalize psychedelics. After Oregon voters legalized psilocybin by ballot initiative, at least one county has proposed a ban on the psychedelic therapy, citing safety concerns for children and teens.

Earlier this year, Maine lawmakers voted against a bill that would have allowed patients 21 and older to access psilocybin if they had received a doctor’s recommendation. As rst reported by Pew Charitable Trusts, the director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said a lack of “clinical practice guidelines and FDA-approved treatments” would make it di cult to “ensure safe and appropriate use of the therapy.”

Nevertheless, an increasing number of people have shared their stories, painting an alternative narrative about psychedelics.

In August, NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers said during a podcast interview that his experience with ayahuasca helped get him in shape for some of the best-played seasons of his career. And in 2021, Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds told Rolling Stone that his experience with ayahuasca helped him make “leaps and strides” in his mental health, and might have saved his marriage.

Research and multiple recent studies have shown psychedelics to be successful in treating a range of mental health issues, from depression to obsessive compulsive disorder. According to Decriminalize Nature, which helped pass

psychedelics decriminalization resolutions in localities in at least four states and Washington, D.C.—decriminalizing before legalizing is essential to ensure that treatments remain accessible and a ordable.

“We will pursue legalization of community-based enterprise models that enable payment for services, but we will not support commodi cation of the plants and fungi materials themselves,” the organization’s website says.

Decriminalize Nature emphasizes that naturally-grown psychedelics, such as mescaline-containing cacti, iboga and ayahuasca, have been used in centuries-old ceremonial practices. Like cannabis, full legalization of psychedelics would come with regulations and oversight that might restrict indigenous communities and traditional users from growing and freely using the plants in ways they see t.

But legalization will be necessary for psychedelic therapies to expand more widely in structured programs and clinics, which could provide safer and more predictable experiences, Moya acknowledges. “Clinicians would be able to provide services,” he says.

“They’ll be able to have retreats where people are going to have experiences that are well-structured with professionals that have training.”

Legalization will also be necessary to allow psychedelic drugs to be sold commercially—something on which local researchers are already working. Earlier this year, scientists Dustin and Rochelle Hines, who conduct cutting-edge research from their laboratory at UNLV, founded the pharmaceutical company Tessellate, which is developing and researching the e ectiveness of “synthetic versions of psychedelics.”

“Synthetic versions don’t have a sustainability issue,” Rochelle Hines says.

“If we can develop a synthetic psychedelic that doesn’t require a slow-growing cactus to be killed to get it, then we see that as an important avenue to pursue. The other big upside of developing a

TREATMENT

synthetic is that you can make it more speci c, so it may have less o -target e ects.”

After conducting research in psychedelics for about 10 years, the Hineses say they see an opening to make waves in the landscape of mental health treatments— and make them even more e ective.

“We really haven’t had any innovation in drugs since the ‘50s,” Dustin Hines says. “Tessellate is looking at making novel compounds that treat speci c disorders. … You need to understand the patient [and] understand how di erent compounds work together in the brain. These are ideas that shamans have known for thousands of years.”

Tessellate has developed and holds provisional patents covering 30 compounds that are under preclinical development as psychedelic therapies. The company is seeking funding to begin clinical trials.

Whether through decriminalized use or legalized clinical use, advocates and researchers warn that, while psychedelics o er new possibilities for treatment, they’re not a panacea. Though psychedelics have “very low abuse liability,” a certain level of education and guidance is necessary to yield best outcomes, they say.

“There is this public perception that it’s a magical pill: You take it and then all of a sudden all your problems dissolve away. … The truth of it is, you take the medicine and you have a very deep and sometimes challenging experience,” Rochelle Hines says. “That’s why, sometimes, it’s important there’s a therapist or at least some interpersonal connection there, some person to work with. … It may not work for everybody. And it may be di cult and require working through some issues.”

Moya emphasizes that the communal aspect of psychedelics can be an important part of the therapy. “This sounds corny, but … you get to realize the importance of connection, even with people that you disagree with. And that’s extremely important. With somebody with PTSD, there’s numbness. And when the numbness goes away, you’re able to feel the people next to you and appreciate them,” he says. “Even that simple thing changes somebody from having a decision to take their life or do something irreparable, to having an ability to connect with themselves and others.”

Chef Kris Yenbamroong takes recipes from the ‘old country’ and gives them a dizzying modern spin. Whether it’s the crispy rice salad or outside-the-box fried chicken sandwich, some of the dishes are traditional, some are evolutions, some are not even Thai at all, but presented together it’s Night + Market.

AT

FOOTBALL SEASON

MONDAY

KICKOFF

SURF MESA

October 9, 10:30 p.m., $30-$50+.

XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.

Surf Mesa makes his Las Vegas nightclub debut at XS

BY BROCK RADKE

He’s one of the brightest up-and-coming stars in the dance music world. He’s fresh off the biggest summer of his young career playing megafestivals around the world, including Lollapaloo za, Outside Lands and Down town Las Vegas’ own Lost in Dreams last month.

The future looks limit less for 22-year-old Powell Aguirre, better known as Surf Mesa. But right now, he says, all he can think about is his Las Vegas club debut at XS on October 9.

“It’s just such a staple name and venue,” he says via Zoom from his second home in LA (Seattle is his true home). “I’ve seen a few sets at XS—Marshmello and The Chainsmokers. All the DJs that play there have such a discography. Everybody in the crowd knows them for their hits, so being able to play in front of that crowd is such a huge opportunity.”

It’s been a rare for Surf Mesa to play Vegas at all. He performed one of his biggest sets at the time during 2021’s Life Is Beautiful, an extra fun experience, he says, since multigenre music fests are his stage of choice.

“I think the crowd is more dynamic, because it’s very digestible to have all kinds of music, and it’s an energy that’s easy to feed off,” he says. “I just played Outside Lands a few weeks ago ,and that topped anything I’ve ever done because of how many people were at the set, like 20,000-plus, just nothing like it.

“When there’s all kinds of

genres and artists, it real ly opens people up to walk around and check out other sets.”

Two days before he takes over XS for a fall Nightswim party, Surf Mesa will release latest single “State of My Heart,” a collaboration with singer and writer Nat Dunn. It’s an emotional evolution on his breakout track “ily (i love you baby),” which went to the top spot on U.S. dance radio shots en route to more than 5 billion views online, and his recent Nitti Gritti team-up, “Marching Band,” more of a club-thumper.

“[Dunn] is a writer I looked up to a lot, and she’s done a lot with these really cool house acts like Hayden James and Gorgon City, and she writes a lot for Duke Dumont. Those are some of my favorite artists,” Surf says. “It’s exact ly the space that is inspiring me, and we set up this perfect studio session.”

That yielded what he

(Left) Surf Mesa (Courtesy/ Alex Michael Kennedy)

(Below) Surf Mesa perform ing at Lollapa looza 2022 (Courtesy/ @thekeytobliss)

considers one of his most complete songs yet, with a more elaborate structure and a heart-felt message he believes will resonate with lots of listeners.

No doubt he’ll find a way to work “State of My Heart” and other new music into the XS show, a two-hour set that will find Surf Mesa expanding his sound to keep the Vegas audience entertained.

“You have people coming from all different parts of the world, so it can be pretty wide in taste,” he says. “I’ve learned to incorporate more Latin music, a lot of rap and a ton of house music into my set.

“But XS is really a test. You’re really curating an expe rience for people who might not be there to see you. Prob ably the majority of people there are there for their own club experience, and you’re kind of in the side pocket. But you also have to impress.”

That hasn’t been a prob lem yet for Surf Mesa.

LOCAL SPIN

New music from Ekoh , Los Emptys , Natalie

and more

BY AMBER SAMPSON

Natalie Kalei (Courtesy)

Ekoh Look What You Made

The Ekoh-verse continues to expand, this time with the rapper’s first alternative album. “I think I always knew I had these songs buried in me; I just didn’t know I had the skill set to make them,” the Las Vegan said in a social media post. “I’ve put out a lot of music in my life, but these songs are some of my favorite things I’ve ever made. This album was for me.”

Tonally, Look What You Made strips down, trading the speaker-rattling bass and blow hard bars of past installments for fender guitars and acoustic arrangements. Topically, it’s Ekoh at his most introspective, as he raps (and sings!) about poverty and privilege, past addictions and the tension of feeling like an outcast even when you’re famous on the internet. linktr.ee/ekohmusic

Los Emptys 6-Pack

It’s been a year since these East Vegas surf rockers formed Los Emptys, and they’ve been steadily building a fanbase in backyards and bars around town since. At first listen, 6-Pack succeeds at ad justing your mindset, transport ing you to sun-drenched coasts with groovy riffs. Singer Cristian Alfaro’s howling vocals give the EP a particular grit, especially on “Crush,” where he bellows lyrics to the point of pain, ultimately admitting what he always knew: “You were my crutch.”

“Each song on our EP varies in flavor, kinda like those createyour-own six packs you get at a grocery store. It’s a sampler of dif ferent genres and styles we enjoy,” Alfaro says. “We’re honing in on a West Coast blend of garage, indie and surf. We all come from dif ferent musical backgrounds and it comes through in our music.” linktr.ee/losemptys

QUICK HITS

Arnold Benton Smith, “Time We Spent” We couldn’t get this hummable rock tune out of our heads even if we tried. These songwriters and longtime friends have cracked the code, deliver ing polished production and wistful, singalong hooks. linktr.ee/arnoldbentonsmith

Sonia Barcelona, “Que Me Amas” (ft. Komataya) The singer-songwriter’s first-ever Spanish single fits seamlessly into her soothing reper toire, while musician/producer Komataya casts a romantic, bossa-nova spell over the listener. ampl.ink/amor

Natalie Kalei Stick Around Style maven, TikTok star and R&B singer Natalie Kalei chan nels the sass and sonic brilliance of Kehlani and Summer Walker on this debut EP. We were hooked from the opening 808s of “Mo tion,” and that feeling only builds with every cutthroat verse from the play-no-games Kalei.

There’s a delicacy to her voice, but on tracks like “Selfish” and her skit “Back 2 Ur Hoes,” she’s a unyielding force, regarding the lying men in her life and bravely discarding them from her life. “Stick Around” stands out with freshly laid trap beats and a bop-worthy chorus that’ll inspire you to give the dating apps another try. Keep an eye on this new addition to the local R&B scene, because she’s definitely going places. withkoji.com/@nataliekalei, @nataliekalei

The Dollheads

What Teenage Angst?

Not many teens can say they’ve had a summer like The Dollheads. The sibling trio has played Life Is Beau tiful, recorded at National South western and debuted a new album with production assistance from Ted Sablay, touring guitarist for The Killers. What Teenage Angst? plays like a fast-flowing ode to plucky pop-punk, evoking fond compari sons to The Donnas. Guitarist and singer Angela Avery, 15, leads with confidence and conviction on the 10-track LP, and though the source material can feel a bit junior at times, that’s kinda the point.

“We definitely explored the theme of feeling ‘stuck in between,’ which is from our perspective of being teenagers,” Avery says. “People have expectations of us, but at the same time they limit us, which makes those expectations all the more difficult to meet. Each of us wanted to capture that feeling of what it’s like being a teenager and growing up, and we all wrote a song about it.” linktr.ee/dollheads

Amarionette, “Moving On” Frontman Issy Berry lays down the vocal magic on this high-energy rock track ahead of Amarionette’s Gemini album release on October 21. If this is any indication of what the rest of the LP sounds like, we’re in for a treat. linktr.ee/amarionette

Foster, “Meant to Be” It wouldn’t surprise us if pop singer Kaylie Foster went full EDM after this successful foray into the genre. Her buttery vocals and Nourey’s intricate and delicately arranged production will drive you onto the dancefloor. linktr.ee/whoisfoster

PARKING SLOT

Leon Keer’s “Crypto Casino” brings a new dimension to Downtown

It kinda sticks out. That’s the point. Leon Keer’s anamorphic mural “Crypto Casino,” commissioned for last month’s Life Is Beautiful festival, pops off the wall of its Downtown Vegas parking structure in a way that’s surprisingly tough for the eyes to deny. Even when standing within a few feet of this Vegas-in spired cryptocurrency mural, you can’t quite make yourself believe that there isn’t a multistory slot machine tucked into a notched corner of the El Cortez’s Seventh Street parking garage. (For best viewing, stand on the south side of East Ogden Avenue, a little closer to Eighth Street than Seventh; for reference, you’ll be directly alongside the Downtowner Hotel.) ¶ Keer’s piece is a comment on the rapid mainstream emergence of digital currency, but it’s not an ad. On his Instagram page (@leonkeer), the artist sounds a wary note: “You can go all in,” he says, “but without the recognized risk, crypto can become an addictive gam bling product.” In any case, “Crypto Ca sino” offers a guaranteed visual payoff. –Geoff Carter

October marks the start of spooky season, which means it’s time to prep your Halloween costume.

Whether your vibe is funny or sexy, scary or glam, pop culture-inspired or a triedand-true classic, creating a unique and memorable costume is a must, and 2022 is the year to go all out. Are you hitting a dead end with costume ideas? Worry not. Use this guide to inspire you to something spooktacular (and memorable) at your local thrift store, and have a ghoulishly good time this Halloween.

COSTUME IDEAS

You can find anything you’ll need for the perfect costume at a thrift store. Whether you’re working on a costume for yourself, your friend group, your children or your family.

TIPS FOR THRIFTING

TRY DIFFERENT LOCATIONS

Shop around, especially if you’re looking for something specific. No two locations are the same, and no single location is the same day-to-day.

KNOW WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR BUT BE FLEXIBLE

Because you’ll find so many different options, it helps to walk in with a flexible plan. It also helps to think creatively—maybe you’ll find the perfect pair of pants, but in the wrong color or size. Can they be dyed or altered?

CHECK FOR DAILY DISCOUNTS

Keep an eye out for color tag sales and Dollar Day every Monday.

What should I do with old costumes?

Give your old costume a second life and donate it when you’re done.

80s

What you need:

PRO TIP ShopGoodwill.com allows you to thrift online. Shop by category, keyword, price, location and more. It’s ideal for hardcore bargain hunters (all items listed are verified and appraised) and individuals who are looking for something specific. It’s a treasure trove of vintage, high-end and hard-to-find items.

What you need:

goggles, yellow shirt,

FOR A FAMILY

FOR CHILDREN

GOODWILL OF SOUTHERN NEVADA

WHY THRIFT YOUR COSTUME?

It guarantees an approach that is unique and one-of-a-kind. The endless options also inspire creativity and allow your imagination to take the lead—nearly anything can become an incredible costume at the thrift store.

It’s inexpensive. In 2021, the National Retail Federation reported that the average consumer planned to spend more than $100 on Halloween expenses. Buying your costume at a thrift store means spending a fraction of that.

2 3

Holiday décor shopping

Consider thrifting for all your holiday décor. The reasons to thrift your costume apply to buying seasonal goods as well.

It’s good for the community and the planet. Many thrift stores contribute to charitable and low-cost initiatives for those in need. For instance, the money spent in Goodwill thrift stores helps fund workforce training programs for underserved communities, and buying from thrift stores is one of the most sustainable ways to shop. Especially so for costumes, which most people wear only once. Thrifting reduces consumer waste, environmental and chemical pollution from factory production, and water consumption.

FOR A GROUP

GOLDEN GIRLS

What you need:

Plenty of

A MEAL FOR ALL SENSES

Wakuda’s caviar, among other seafood and steak dishes (Courtesy/WRE)

Wakuda reaches the heights of Japanese cuisine

BY GENEVIE DURANO

Walking into Wakuda at Palazzo, it’s easy to be starstruck … two Michelin stars, to be exact. Tetsuya Wakuda’s rst foray into Las Vegas’ culinary constellation— and his rst stateside restaurant anywhere—arrives with considerable credentials.

The chef rst gained fame in the 1990s with Tetsuya’s in Sydney, Australia, named one of the top 50 restaurants in the world. Waku Ghin in Singapore is a two-Michelin star destination. Singapore Wakuda debuted earlier this year. And with this outpost at Palazzo, we get to experi-

ence an interpretation of traditional Japanese cuisine through the hands of a master, whose abiding principle of shun—using seasonal ingredients at their peak—informs every delicate bite that comes out of the restaurant’s four distinct kitchens.

The Wakuda experience begins well before the rst dish lands on your table. The rst sense to awaken is visual, starting with the dramatic entry portal that marries Japanese art and street culture and the very particular energy of the Las Vegas Strip (read: lots of neon). Inside, ballpoint pen images by artist Shohei Otomo marry traditional Japanese

subjects with a decidedly modern take—geishas and samurais with a punk-rock feel—covering the walls.

Inspired by Tokyo’s Shinjuku Golden Gai area, the restaurant is a textural panoply of dark woods, stone surfaces and paper, studded throughout with neon accents and mood lighting. The centerpiece of the main dining room, a sculpture of sumo wrestlers by Otomo, nods to Japan’s revered tradition.

Settle into your banquette and divert your attention to the menu, starting with hot and cold dishes for contrast. The chamame ($10), boiled Niigata edamame nished with crunchy Maldon salt, makes for a good palate starter. Follow that with the kanpachi carpaccio ($35), served with orange segments, baby mizuna and yuzu kosho, a Japanese

condiment made from fresh chilies, fermented with salt and the zest and juice from yuzu. The freshness of the sh blooms beautifully with the citrus. Try one of the sashimi toasts, particularly the Tuna Zuke ($15). Blue n tuna, marinated in sake, soy and mirin, sits atop a most delicate crouton where it’s topped with Beluga caviar. It’s two (or three) bites of perfection.

Wakuda’s menu delves into the pillars of Japanese cuisine. You’ll nd nigiri and othersushi, rice and noodles, tempura, and various proteins grilled yakimono style. The signature sushi selection might best showcase the chef’s mastery of avor and technique. The king salmon ($12 per piece) hails from the pristine coastal waters of Big Glory Bay in Stewart Island at the very bottom of New Zea-

WAKUDA Palazzo, 702-665-8592, wakuda japanese.com. Daily, 5-10 p.m.

TACOS WHILE YOU SHOP

land, where the cold currents give the fish time to develop a distinc tive, smooth flavor. Here, it’s sliced thin and minimally prepared with mirin, soy and wasabi. The bite is delicate and buttery, gone too soon in the mouth but lingering in the memory long after.

Contrast the fish with some of the finest Japanese A5 Wagyu ($25 per piece) you’ll find anywhere on the Strip. Served nigiri style, the Omi Wagyu from the Shiga Pre fecture, is lightly torched, lending the meat just a touch of warmth, its distinctive marbling draped over a thumbful of rice.

It’s tempting to order up more sushi—sea urchin or scallops, for example. But make sure you don’t miss one from the yakimono grill: Patagonian toothfish ($60) mari

nated with Saikyo Miso from Kyoto and served with pickled myoga, a Japanese ginger. It’s broiled and then seared, resulting in delicate flakes of white fish that melt in the mouth. Its simplicity in prepara tion and presentation is Japanese minimalism at its maximal, and the ephemeral flavor that comes through is so rarefied, my dining companion declared that she’ll never have a more sumptuous bite in her life.

A meal at Wakuda is a delight for the senses, and there are many ways to experience it, from a la carte dishes to the tasting menu ($300 per person). Along with the extensive sake and whiskey selection, it’s a singular experience that stands out in a city of culinary stars.

n Local musician Franky Perez, who recently returned to touring duty with Finnish metal group Apocalyptica, has been performing at company parties for his friends at Liquidation Nation in Southern California for years. He always thought the business was a great concept—offering affordable furniture, electronics and more from hotel chains and overstocked retail outlets—that could do well in Las Vegas.

Now he’s one of the partners in the new southwest Vegas location, where he wanted to add his personal touch to the experience. He did so with Good Mojo, a taco cart slinging Mexican-Cuban fusion for shoppers to snack on—or maybe it’s the other way around. “Come for the tacos, leave with a treadmill,” Perez jokes.

The foundation of the tiny menu is an old family recipe for Cuban mojo pork, slow

roasted for eight hours with lots of citrus and garlic and packed into tacos with signature salsa. The other standout item is a hybrid bite, quesadilla-meets-Cuban sandwich.

Liquidation Nation could eventually create something of a café space for Good Mojo, and Perez thinks the concept could go the food truck route, too. But for now, it’s all about maximizing fla vor and feeding locals as they take advantage of well-priced merchandise.

“The response has been incredible,” he says. “You’re always nervous when you’re trying out a new song live, wondering how they’re gonna take to it. This has been like an automatic hit with strang ers and friends alike. And we want to keep the price point low for an affordable, fun experience between the food and what you find at Liquida tion Nation.” –Brock Radke

GOOD MOJO TACOS 4830 W. Oquendo Road, liquidation-nation.com. Tuesday-Sunday, noon-3 p.m.

Good Mojo tacos (Wade Vandervort/ Staff)

RETURN

Football great Rod Woodson on coaching Las Vegas’ fi rst XFL team in 20-plus years

BY CASE KEEFER

Legendary NFL defensive back Rod Woodson moved to Las Vegas three years ago thinking his seven-year run coaching professional football had ended.

That all changed late last year when he got a call from several executives from the reformed XFL. They presented Woodson, who only ever worked as an assistant in the NFL, with a chance to become a head coach for the rst time.

“It was an easy answer for me—yes,” Woodson tells the Weekly. “Any time you coach, whether it’s little league or whatever, you want to be that head guy, so it was really a neat situation, great opportunity for me to put my own sta together and lead a bunch of men to try to win a championship.”

Woodson has been hard at work ever since, preparing for the upcoming XFL season, scheduled to start February 18, 2023—six days after the Super Bowl. The eight-team league will hold its inaugural draft in November, and it plans to announce team names, logos and uniforms ahead of that event.

Vegas Vipers is heavily rumored to be the name of the new local team, but Woodson says he hasn’t been given “the green light” to con rm that. He also says he isn’t privy to what the team’s home venue will be, though a partnership with the NFL means the team could potentially use Allegiant Stadium.

Las Vegas, an original XFL city in 2001, wasn’t part of the league’s 2020 relaunch. That ended before nishing a season, with the XFL folding when the pandemic struck in the middle of its season. A new investment group, led by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, then purchased the entity from the WWE for $15 million with sights set on a third incarnation.

The Weekly chatted with Woodson about The Rock, why this time will be di erent and more.

OF THE

The XFL announced the teams and coaches before revealing who would coach where. Did you only want to coach the Vegas franchise? Oh yeah, I don’t want to coach anywhere else. It’s a great opportunity for me to stay close to home and build the modern-day XFL fan base back. It was great years ago, in the 2000s, when they were with the Outlaws, so coming back here with the new team, it’s going to be fun to build that fanbase up where I live.

A lot of the coaches in the league were peers in the NFL, playing against one another at the same time. Do you have any particular friends among the group and therefore friendly rivalries? Oh yeah, I’ve got a rivalry with [San Antonio coach] Hines Ward. He hit me in the side of the head when I was playing. … I know I can’t

X

technically hit him while he’s on the sideline, but I’ll get one of my players to take him out. I’m just kidding (laughs). I’ve known [Houston coach] Wade Phillips for a long time and played against some of his teams, same with [Seattle coach] Jim Haslett. You love having these rivalries. We’ve talked about being together already and about the times we’ve had on the eld, and now we’re making new memories.

What do you remember most about the XFL’s original run? It was a great opportunity for those players who needed another year or two to develop mentally or physically, and we want to be the same thing. We saw that the rst time: The players who leave here and show their wares have a great opportunity to make an NFL roster. That’s an end goal—to be the feeder league. Hopefully the XFL is like the G-League for basketball. Maybe in a year or so, we can get some of those college-transfer portal guys and feed them to the NFL Draft. If we can do that, then we’re doing our part to promote and make these guys better football players.

The XFL has already announced a partnership with the NFL, something most of these alternative leagues have never acquired. How important is that? Hopefully it’ll keep growing. It’s a petri dish partnership right now, where some of the rules they want to consider implementing in a couple years, we’re doing now for everybody, along with some of the equipment and

things of that nature. But I hope the league sees the value in having players play. Being on an NFL practice squad is great, but if you’re not on the eld, it’s hard to hone your skills. So hopefully it grows, and the NFL sees the value in helping the XFL in some capacity with players and engagement, so we can emerge together and put a better product on the eld for everybody.

What’s it been like working with The Rock? He’s my BFF now (laughs). No, but he’s a great man who has accomplished so many things in his industry. He’s a rock star, but when he’s around us, he’s just a normal guy. His rst love was football, and he didn’t get a shot at football professionally like these guys will. But I think his backup career has gone pretty well.

How much input did you have on the team name, logo and uniforms? My only request is, we need black somewhere in the uniform.

Is that a tie-in with the Raiders since you’re sharing Las Vegas with them? No, my favorite color has been midnight black since I was a little kid. All my cars are black, outside of my last truck. It’s something I’ve always liked, from clothing to shoes to cars.

Has there been any progress on where you’re going to play in town? That’s also above my pay grade. If they put AstroTurf on a concrete block somewhere in the middle of the 215, we’ll play on it.

RAIDERS Report

■ Last Week: Raiders 32, Broncos 23

Running back Josh Jacobs and edge rusher Maxx Crosby led Las Vegas to its first win under coach Josh McDaniels at Allegiant Stadium. McDaniels stuck with the run game for the first time in his short tenure and was rewarded for it, as Jacobs racked up a career-high 144 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries. Crosby was heavily disruptive to the Broncos’ offense, notching two sacks, two quarterback hits and four tackles for loss. Las Vegas led most of the game, but Denver cut the lead to two points early in the fourth quarter when Russell Wilson added a rushing touchdown to his two earlier passing scores. But the Raiders answered with a 10-play, 75-yard drive to post a nine-point victory.

■ This Week: Raiders (1-3) at Chiefs (3-1)

When: Monday, October 10, 5:15 p.m.

Where: Arrowhead Stadium

TV/Radio: ESPN/920 AM & 92.3 FM Betting line: Chiefs -7, over/under 51

■ Matchup: The Raiders’ reward for their first win of the season is their toughest game of the year at Arrowhead Stadium, where they’ve won just once in the past nine years. Despite losing some key members of their team, including superstar receiver Tyreek Hill, this year’s Chiefs look every bit as dangerous as the team that reached AFC Championship Games in each of the past four seasons. Kansas City just dismantled Tampa Bay on the road, 41-31, in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated. The Chiefs’ only loss has been a 20-17 Week 3 setback to the Indianapolis Colts— a road game in which Kansas City was undone by ill-timed mistakes and turnovers.

■ Raider to Watch: Cornerback Amik Robertson

The 5-foot-8, third-year defender returned a fumble 68 yards for a touchdown against the Broncos, two games after he recorded the first interception of his professional career. Robertson was known for those types of takeaways and electric plays in college at Louisiana Tech, and it’s what the Raiders’ defense has been without for many years. Robertson’s score was the Raiders’ first defensive touchdown in 42 games. He was pushed into a starting role in Week 4, with cornerback Rock YaSin out with a knee injury, but Robertson has become a big part of the defensive backfield rotation regardless.

–Case Keefer

Raiders running back Josh Jacobs celebrates a touchdown against the Denver Broncos October 2 at Allegiant Stadium. (Associated Press)

BUSINESSES ATTRACTED TO SOUTHERN NEVADA’S INDUSTRIAL SPACE HELP DIVERSIFY AREA’S ECONOMY

BY BRYAN HORWATH VEGAS INC STAFF

Last year, Novva Data Centers started building a 275,000-square-foot warehouse on 20 acres in North Las Vegas.

The facility—expected to cost about $400 million—will eventually house computer servers, routers, switches, storage systems and other information technology components.

When the announcement for the complex was made, Wes Swenson, founder and CEO of the Utah-based company, called North Las Vegas an ideal location for a data center, partly because of its proximity to California and regional markets.

The announcement was a win for North Las Vegas and its effort to build out a burgeoning industrial area. It also underscored the growth of the region’s industrial real estate market.

Jake Higgins, senior vice president for commercial real estate services and investment firm CBRE Group Inc., said the local industrial market has been “very active” since about 2015.

“We have about a 150 million-squarefoot base here in Las Vegas,” Higgins said. “In 2015, we were at about 110 million. We’ve seen a lot of construc tion and completed deliveries during the past few years.”

The area has about 13 million square feet of industrial space under construc tion, Higgins said. Securing industrial space here can be difficult, with a vacancy rate of less than 1%, he said.

Hot spots include North Las Vegas, which Higgins said is the biggest indus

trial submarket in Southern Nevada, Henderson and the southwest Valley.

Much of the activity revolves around companies from tech hot spots in Southern California and the San Fran cisco Bay Area.

But companies from east of the Rocky Mountains have also taken no tice of Las Vegas, Higgins said. That’s partly because of Nevada’s favorable business tax structure and because it’s only a few hours from major ports in Southern California.

“Las Vegas has really become a West Coast distribution hub,” Higgins said.

“A lot of companies are relocating or moving parts of their business here to service the West Coast. You can

day-service 14 states from here and can cover roughly 25% of the population.”

Because space is at a premium, costs to lease industrial spaces have also been rising.

The average lease rate ask in the Las Vegas market was $1.11 per square foot during the second quarter of this year, according to CBRE’s research team.

That was up 7% from the previous quarter and more than double the lease rate ask eight years ago.

“We’ve been hearing for a number of years about companies wanting to move out of California, but I think many kind of dragged their feet,” said Jerry Doty, a Las Vegas-based senior vice president for Colliers International’s industrial

Jerry Doty, senior vice president with Colliers International (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

division. “COVID has helped take that to a level we’ve never seen before.”

In the past, much of the industrial space in the Valley was gobbled up by companies in the hospitality service and construction sectors, Doty said.

Today, Las Vegas has a more diverse base of businesses, he said.

Amazon has invested in multiple facilities in the Valley, and Google in 2019 broke ground on a $600 million data center in Henderson.

But a number of local companies have grown or have plans to expand.

Fohse, a company that makes specialized light systems for cannabis grow operations, and Boxabl, which makes durable tiny homes, have an nounced expansion plans here.

“We’ve diversified the tenants here to where, even if we were to have an eco nomic slowdown, the industrial market is diverse enough to not be impacted as much,” Doty said. “The bulk of what we’ve seen has been distribution, but we’re also seeing lots of manufacturing, printing companies, aluminum can manufacturing and other sectors.”

In Southern Nevada, however, there are two big questions that come up whenever expansion is mentioned: What land is available for new building and how much water will be used?

“We don’t have a lot of room to grow,” Doty said. “Five years ago, we used to point to the Apex [Industrial Park] at the far northern point of the Valley and say that maybe that will start deliver ing in 10 years. Because of our growth, though, we’re pushing Apex faster than anyone thought we would.”

The Apex park features more than 7,000 acres of developable land, accord ing to North Las Vegas officials. But Doty said the southern portion of the development is nearly bought out.

“Developers are starting to look to places like Jean and Sloan,” Doty said. “We’re going to those boundaries. May be next we’ll see development talked about for places like Pahrump and Mesquite. Not long ago, we were saying that was 20 years away, but that might not be the case now.”

Feel

SLOWDOWN IN SOUTHERN NEVADA’S HOUSING MARKET IS A HOT TOPIC, BUT DON’T OVERREACT

BY TOM BLANCHARD

Up, down or other wise, housing is al ways a hot topic in Southern Nevada.

And rightfully so, since owning a home is the biggest investment many of us will ever make.

That’s especially true today, as we’re seeing a relatively sudden shift in the local housing market.

Over the past few months, local home prices have declined following a long run of record prices and sales that saw buyers deal with bidding wars and a housing supply that shrunk to historically low levels.

This summer slowdown is a signif icant shift from 2021, which was a record year for the number of existing homes sold in Southern Nevada.

Of course, much of this shift was sparked by the recent rise in mortgage interest rates. In an effort to curb in flation, the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates multiple times this year, sending mortgage rates higher than they’ve been at any time since 2008.

The average interest rate on a 30year home loan recently exceeded 6%, which is more than twice what it was a year ago. This is greatly increasing housing costs and pricing millions of Americans out of the market.

We’re certainly feeling it here in Southern Nevada, where the most re cent report from Las Vegas Realtors,

a local trade organization, showed local home prices decline in August for the third consecutive month, with fewer homes selling and more avail able for sale.

LVR reported that the median price of existing single-family homes sold in Southern Nevada through its Mul tiple Listing Service during August was $450,000.

That was down from the all-time re cord price of $482,000 in May and down 3.2% from July. However, that median home price is still up more than 11% from the same time last year.

For more perspective, consider that local home prices are still nearly four times higher than during their post-re cession bottom in January of 2012. Back then, the median single-family home price here was $118,000.

I understand that this is a significant shift. But some people overreact to the inevitable changes in the housing mar ket. Housing booms don’t last forever, and downturns eventually bounce back.

Over the past few years, we were on such a fast ride, with housing prices that we all knew needed to slow down. By raising interest rates, the Fed has done what it wanted and pumped the

brakes on the housing market, creating what is really a more reasonable and normal market.

When arrows on major statistical indicators change direction and head lines start sounding more dramatic, it’s easy to overreact. But I don’t think Las Vegans should buy into the doom and gloom or worry about some sort of housing crash.

Fortunately, the federal government and our major financial institutions have learned their lessons from the Great Recession. They are very con scious and much more cautious in how they deal with the housing market.

During the past year or so, many locals expressed concern that home prices and rents were rising too fast. Thanks largely to rising interest rates, we now have what many of these folks wanted.

Since housing is also an increasingly important public policy issue, we expect the 2023 session of the Nevada Legisla ture to consider changes to everything from property taxes to a range of land lord-tenant issues.

That will likely include proposals related to rent control, a key issue for Nevada Realtors and all property own

ers in our state.

Realtors agree that affordable hous ing is a big issue in Nevada and nation wide. But heavy-handed measures like rent control are not the answer.

While rent control may sound good at first, it likely won’t solve the prob lem. In fact, it can make things worse by reducing the supply of affordable housing and by discouraging develop ers from building the housing we need.

In places where local governments have tried to cap what property owners can charge for rent, research and ex perience show that these measures do not lower housing costs. In fact, many developers have stopped building hous ing in those cities.

That leads to an even tighter housing supply, and even higher prices.

Nevada Realtors are already working with state lawmakers, industry and community leaders to find solutions that better address the root causes of this issue.

For example, we’re looking at ways to fast-track the construction of more affordable housing developments. Another potential solution could be to form a coalition to work even more closely with government and indus try leaders to encourage developers to build and maintain more afford able housing to increase our housing supply.

We can also look into creating a state-run or state-backed fund to help tenants and homeowners in need.

We look forward to helping as many Nevadans as possible live the dream of homeownership.

Longtime Las Vegas area Realtor Tom Blanchard is the 2022 presi dent-elect of the statewide Nevada Real tors group, a professional trade associ ation with more than 20,400 members committed to protecting, promoting and preserving our communities.

Over the past few

on such a fast ride, with housing prices that we all knew needed to slow down.

raising interest rates, the Fed has done what it wanted and pumped

brakes

housing market, creating what is really a more reasonable and normal market.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS

VegasInc Notes

The UNLV Boyd School of Law has named gaming industry veterans Jennifer Carleton and John Tahsuda distinguished fellows for the school’s Indian Nations Gaming and Gover nance Program. The program supports research and training on gaming, regula tion and governance for Indian nations. Carleton works as a teacher and prac titioner in Indian gaming law and chief legal officer for Sightline Payments Tahsuda, an expert on business and government matters, is a former staff director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and a former at torney for the National Indian Gaming Association.

Following an increase in student pilot enrollment, All In Aviation expanded its flight instructor team by hiring four

certified flight instructors: Stephanie White, Aaron Adams, Jake Przybyls ki, and Braden DeBenedictis, bringing its roster to a total of 12 private pilot educators. White, a Las Vegas native, attended the College of Southern Nevada, UNLV and Elite Aviation. Ad ams graduated from BYU and Flyright Aviation at North Las Vegas Airport. After taking a discovery flight in 2018, Przybylski got hooked on aviation and enrolled at AeroGuard Flight Training Center in Phoenix, where he earned his private and commercial pilot licenses. DeBenedictis earned his private and commercial pilot licenses, instructor certificates, and aviation ratings at ATP Flight School in Ogden, Utah.

Sam Palmer, deputy executive direc tor of the Nevada State Contractors Board, was recognized as the Inter national Code Council’s code official of the year. He was given the award during the council’s annual conference in Louisville, Kentucky. The council is the leading global source of model codes and building safety standards. An engineer with over 35 years in the building and construction industry in

Nevada, Palmer is a former assistant director of the Clark County Building Department. He also works to further technical training programs at UNLV and the West and Northwest Technical Career High School Academies, where he mentors aspiring code profession als, contractors and engineers.

CBRE has promoted Tyler Ecklund to senior vice presi dent, industrial and logistics in Las Vegas. Ecklund has been with CBRE for nearly 15 years and focus es on representing industrial properties throughout Southern Nevada. Since joining CBRE in 2007, he has been involved in more than 400 sale and lease transactions exceeding $1.1 billion in consideration and totaling over 14 million square feet.

Nevada Realtors, a statewide Realtors trade organization, announced its elected officers for 2023. Beginning next year, the organization’s president will be longtime Southern Nevada Realtor Tom Blanchard, a former pres ident of the Las Vegas Realtors group. The president-elect for 2023 will be Trevor Smith Brandon Roberts, also a Las Vegas-area Realtor, will serve as vice president next year. He will be in line to serve as the organization’s

president in 2024.

Commercial Alliance Las Vegas honored real estate profes sional Susy Vasquez as its Member of the Year. Vasquez has served as executive director of the Neva da State Apartment Association for the past several years. She was honored during the alliance’s annual education symposium at the Orleans.

The Las Vegas Raiders announced Justin Carley as the organization’s general counsel and Qiava Martinez as chief sales officer. Carley joins the Raiders from Howard Hughes Corpo ration, where he led all legal affairs for the organization. Martinez, previously the vice president of premium services and guest experience, is responsible for managing sales and customer retention efforts for Raiders and Alle giant Stadium events.

Leslie Hare is the executive president of behavioral health for Health Plan of Nevada and Sierra Health and Life She is responsible for the strategic development, growth and operations of the Nevada Behavioral Health line of business, and bringing the Whole Person Care model to members and providers.

Ecklund

Tahsuda

Carleton

Vasquez