2023-01-05-Las-Vegas-Weekly

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

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

& CIRCULATION

FOOD & DRINK

COVER STORY

Penny Chutima talks Lotus of Siam’s legacy and Greek seafood spots coming to Red Rock Resort.

and actor Sebastian Maniscalco on watching his dad rub shoulders with Robert De Niro.

Valley launch.

Penny Chutima at Lotus of Siam (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

SUPERGUIDE

THURSDAY

JAN.

05

MARSHMELLO

10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial. com.

DISNEY ON ICE: ROAD TRIP ADVENTURES

Thru 1/8, times vary, Thomas & Mack Center, unlvtickets. com.

TIËSTO

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

JILL KIMMEL 9:30 p.m., Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticket master.com.

RUBY LEWIS 1 p.m., Coop’s Cabaret, coopscabaret. com.

STEVE AOKI

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

BRENDON SCHAUB 7:30 p.m. (& 7:30 & 10 p.m. 1/6-1/7), Wiseguys, vegas.wiseguys comedy.com.

JUSTIN CREDIBLE 10:30 p.m., Tao Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

JAKE LANGLEY QUARTET 7 p.m., Gatsby’s Supper Club, gambit henderson. com.

BRIAN GLOWACKI Thru 1/8, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m., Laugh Factory, ticketmaster. com.

MUSIC

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

On November 28, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang su ered a stroke, the second of his NHL career. Some wondered if the 35-year-old, recently chosen among the top 100 players in modern NHL history by the Athletic, would return to the ice this season, or if his career might be over. Yet less than two weeks later, Letang was back on the blue line, once again teaming with longtime Pittsburgh teammates Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to help the Penguins to a 3-1 win over Bu alo. Catch that Hall of Fame-bound trio, plus whichever Golden Knights players haven’t found their way onto this season’s injured list, when the two squads meet up, with Vegas looking to avenge a 4-3 loss back on December 1. 7 p.m., $25+, T-Mobile Arena, axs.com. –Spencer Patterson (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

FRIDAY

SEBASTIAN MANISCALCO

7 & 10 p.m., & 1/7, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com.

KASKADE

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

THE BUTTERTONES

With Eclipse, Los Emptys, Laguna, The Chefs, 8 p.m., Fremont Country Club, seetickets.us.

DEFEATED SANITY

With Malignancy, Prophecy, Strangle Wire, Excerebration, 7 p.m., the Dive Bar, eventbrite. com.

TREVOR WALLACE

10 p.m., Mirage Theatre, ticket master.com.

SUPER 16 NCAA GYMNASTICS

Thru 1/7, times vary, Orleans Arena, ticketmaster.com.

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

THE MOBY DICKS With Hollywood Gods N’ Monsters, 8 p.m., & 1/7, Count‘s Vamp‘d, vampd vegas.com.

TIERNEY ALLEN: LADY WINEHOUSE 7 p.m., the Space, thespacelv. com.

LAS VEGAS DESERT DOGS VS. PHILADELPHIA WINGS 7:30 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs. com.

LOUD LUXURY 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

THE QUITS With Wheelchair Mosh Pit, 9 p.m., Red Dwarf, red dwarflv.com.

DJ PAULY D 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

CALVIN HARRIS

It’s not uncommon for the newest nightclub on the Las Vegas Strip to “steal” many of the biggest DJs in the game, and that certainly happened when Zouk arrived at Resorts World last year. In addition to stars like Tiësto and Zedd, it appeared as if recent Life Is Beautiful headliner Calvin Harris would slide over to the new spot too when he played a set at Zouk last fall. But the Scottish hitmaker shifted gears and returned to Wynn, where he had a residency roughly 10 yeas ago. Harris played for one night in September when in town for LIB, and now he’s back at XS for a Friday night CES week performance. Despite the ultra-chill vibes from his recent Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 collection, the smart money has Harris getting the party started in a big way. 10:30 p.m., $30-$100, XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com. –Brock Radke

(Courtesy)

SUPERGUIDE

SATURDAY

DESERT HONEYPOT

SHOWCASE

Leading ladies of the Las Vegas music scene have been gathering at Mariah Baldwin’s live-music showcase for the better part of a year in celebration of their strengths and the creativity they bring to the local landscape. Baldwin, who fronts the heavy blues band Mojave Sun, curates a robust lineup of women for each show, and the first Desert Honeypot of the year looks like one of the best. Teddi Mercury, of Vegas rock band Mother Mercury, will kick o the evening with an acoustic set of original music and covers, followed by Virtue Sound (led by Zoe Day), alternative pop-rock outfit Heroine Honey and finally Mojave Sun, with special guest Scot Coogan on drums. Feminine hygiene products, along with cash donations, will be accepted in the lobby to benefit the Embracing Project, an nonprofit aiding girls who have been the victims of human tra cking. 7:30 p.m., $13, the Space, thespacelv.com.

–Amber Sampson

JAN..

07

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS

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

DILLON FRANCIS Noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.

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

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

CLOSE TO MODERN

With Deacon Hill, 9 p.m., the Usual Place, theusualplace.vegas.

MUSTARD 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

TWO FRIENDS 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.

LE YOUTH 10 p.m., Discopussy, discopussydtlv.com.

LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC: BUGS BUNNY 2 & 7:30 p.m., Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com.

(Courtesy/Chris Lee/New York Philharmonic)

MUSIC

SUNDAY

FISHNETS & SPOTLIGHTS: LIDO DE PARIS AT THE STARDUST

Lido de Paris hit the Stardust Hotel and Casino in July 1958, the first full-scale French production in Las Vegas. The casino’s showroom was revamped for it with three elevators and an orchestra pit to replicate the e ects used in the Paris productions. It ran for more than 20 years and ushered in the likes of Nouvelle Eve, Folies Bergere and Minsky’s Follies. The Weekly ranked it No. 15 in our 2016 list of Greatest Shows in Las Vegas History, explaining that the Lido “set a new standard in spectacle.” Now, Fishnets & Spotlights commemorates the 65th anniversary of the famed French production’s Vegas arrival by sharing its history and bringing in some of the earliest dancers. 2 p.m., free, thelibrarydistrict.com. -Evelyn Mateos

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS VS. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS ime TBD (date could change to 1/7), ticketmaster.com. Time

TWIN CITIES

With Full Fledged, Indigo Kidd, Groomlake, Lie for Fun, 6:30 p.m., SoulBelly BBQ, soulbellybbq.com.

ANGIE VEE 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

MARISSA & THE HOLLENBACKS 10 p.m., Sand Dollar Lounge, thesanddollarlv. com/lounge

SUPERGUIDE

MONDAY

D.J. DEMERS

With Omid Singh, Steven Roberts, thru 1/11, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett Comedy Club, bradgarrett comedy.com.

GREG HAHN

Thru 1/15, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m., Laugh Factory, ticket master.com.

MIKE ATTACK

10:30 p.m., Jewel Nightclub, events.taogroup. com.

FORREST SHAW

With Chris Clarke, Lynne Koplitz, Je Leach, Michael Yo, & 1/9, 7 & 9:30 p.m., Comedy Cellar, ticket master.com.

FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS, VISIT LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM.

SUPERGUIDE

TUESDAY

10 JAN.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

“The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience,” Atticus Finch states in Harper Lee’s 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird More memorable than even the child narrator, the noble attorney makes the remark while being tasked with defending a Black man against a white woman’s false accusation of rape. The role remains prominent in Aaron Sorkin’s 2018 Broadway adaptation, but in a di erent way than many might expect after years of required reading. “The audience comes into the theater, and probably 98% of them have seen the movie and there’s one Atticus in their head,” the playwright told Variety in November. “It takes about four minutes to make the audience forget about Gregory Peck and realize that they’re seeing a new piece and a new Atticus.” Though he added that adapting the well-known book for stage was a “suicide mission,” it appears to have paid o . In May, the Tony Award-winning production became the highest-grossing American play in Broadway history.

Thru 1/15, times vary, $40-$140, Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter. com. –Shannon Miller

THROUGH THE EYES OF GEORGE FIELDER, ARTIST AND CHEF

Thru 3/28, West Las Vegas Library, thelibrary district.org.

DAD BOD With The Plastic Cherries, Deacon Hill, 9 p.m., Red Dwarf, reddwarflv. com.

WEDNESDAY

UNLV JAZZ: JOE WILLIAMS COMBO SHOWCASE 7 p.m., Clark County Library, thelibrary district.org.

UNLV MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. BOISE STATE 8 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center, unlvtickets. com.

SUMMERTIME 7 p.m., the Usual Place, eventbrite. com.

JAN.

ROB GUSON 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

DEUX TWINS 10:30 p.m., EBC at Night, wynnsocial. com.

BILLY RAY CHARLES BLUES BAND 7 p.m., Gatsby’s Supper Club, gambit henderson. com.

(AP Photo)

JEFF ROSENSTOCK With Cheekface, 8 p.m., 24 Oxford, etix.com. (Courtesy)

TAKING UP THE TORCH

Q+A

BY BROCK RADKE

We have entered a new era of the legendary local restaurant Lotus of Siam. Its latest location, at Red Rock Resort, opened in November, engineered by second-generation restaurateur Penny Chutima—daughter of James Beard Award-winning chef Saipin Chutima—and local hospitality veteran Lou Abin. It’s the first project for the duo’s new Bua Food Group, which is also gearing up to open Greek seafood-focused concepts Naxos Taverna and Kallisto Oyster Bar at the Summerlin resort in the coming months.

The genesis of these developments began in 2017, when Penny Chutima had moved away from the family business and was working to finish law school in California when the roof at the original Lotus of Siam collapsed, forcing the restaurant’s closure. She came back to Las Vegas to help straighten out its future and ended up “falling more in love with the business,” shifting back to hospitality with a new focus.

After growing up with Lotus of Siam, what has been it like to develop new, different restaurant concepts? Definitely exciting. When I was a lot younger, the restaurant business was not my forte. I didn’t want anything to do with it. But growing up and seeing how my parents worked so hard on this restaurant and trying to showcase their product to the world made me think of it in a different light. And I love to eat, so it was definitely a great opportunity when it came to opening [a restaurant] with a different style of food.

LOTUS OF SIAM

Red Rock Resort, 702-907-8888, lotusredrock.com. Sunday-Thursday, 4-11 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 4 p.m.-midnight.

this cuisine that’s more targeting Mediterranean than hard Greek. We have a really good one already in Las Vegas with [Estiatorio] Milos, and there’s another one [Elia Taverna] on Sahara. It’s one of those things that I feel like Vegas needs. When I went to Chicago, there was a Greek spot on every corner, and none of them are the same.

What lead you to focus on Greek cuisine for the new concepts? When Lou [Abin] and I started working on [other concepts], we realized it’s very rare to find Greek food in a different realm. We’ve always seen a type of

Perhaps the city needs a bit of an education on Greek food the same way it once did on Thai food? I would agree with that. When we first came [to town with Lotus of Siam], a lot of the guests who came in only knew of pad Thai and som tam, maybe coconut soup. It’s always an eye-opening experience to see different guests and other cultures adapt and expand their horizons.

Do your parents give you advice on the restaurant biz? Oh yeah, 100%. Both of my parents are first-generation immigrants, and they tend to stay on the cautious side, and I always look at that side, to be cautious with what I do in business and not be careless. I talk to them quite often. My dad was a finance major, so it’s been an education not only in how to open a restaurant but also on the finance side.

Lotus has always been something of a restaurant in its own category. How important is it to you to carry on that legacy? It’s one of my top priorities, especially with my mother’s brand. I watched where my mom came from and what she had to endure to get to this point, and [continuing] that is definitely something I want to pursue. In the beginning it was like a hobby, and now it’s become my goal. My mom is literally the American dream. She came here on a plane and never knew how to speak English, and she’s made it this far. Her English is getting better, but she doesn’t really need it.

What’s the status of the other locations of Lotus of Siam? The Flamingo Road restaurant is set to close when the original Sahara location reopens. We’re aiming for ... the first quarter of 2023. It will be great to get Sahara open again, especially since that plaza [Commercial Center] has changed a lot in the last few years.

The new Red Rock restaurant has a very different feel than the previous locations. Red Rock has a different vibe—it caters a bit more to a late-night crowd, and hopefully we’ll see that grow on the weekends. When industry people get off work at 11 or 12, there’s not much [in the area] to go out to eat anymore, especially after COVID, so we’re trying to make that happen. We’re also planning to do a party brunch, and hopefully launch that in the wintertime.

Penny Chutima at Lotus of Siam’s Flamingo Road location (Wade Vandervort/ Staff)

Penny Chutima on Lotus of Siam’s legacy and becoming a restaurateur

“I watched where my mom came from and what she had to endure to get to this point, and [continuing] that is definitely something I want to pursue. My mom is literally the American dream.”

Enter the Sphere

The venues make the Vegas. The Madison Square Garden Company is planning to open the MSG Sphere in time for the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix in November, and that’s not necessarily because some megastar act will be booked for the $2.17 billion arena—the most expensive entertainment venue ever built in Las Vegas. If you’ve seen the Sphere and been struck by its imposing presence just east of the Strip, wait until its exterior LED screen—all 580,000 square feet wrapping around the nearly 400-foot-tall circular structure—is fully operational and blasting advertisements and other content across the Vegas skyline in a way we’ve never seen. Inside, the Sphere will host concerts, residency performances (reported by Billboard to begin with U2, though drummer Larry Mullen Jr.’s health issues could nix that possibility), sporting events, original attractions and corporate gatherings in what appears to be the most technologically advanced theater in the world. Those fortunate enough to attend a performance will likely learn the true definition of today’s most overused phrase—“immersive entertainment”—and the Sphere has the capacity to broadcast that same performance on its exterior. Las Vegas has long been the place to turn imagination into reality, but this is on the grandest of scales. –Brock Radke

Christen Downtown’s new indie music hub

We’ve been following the construction for months, and though there’s still no specific timeline for Swan Dive’s opening, we’re told “all systems are go” for a 2023 launch. The music venue, which will occupy the upper floor of the two-story Colorado building at 1301 S. Main Street and feature a

show capacity around 400, is expected to fill the independent and underground music void left behind by the shuttered Bunkhouse Saloon—in no small part because the Swan Dive’s talent buyer will be Mike Henry, who promoted acts such as Bob Mould, Deerhunter and Japanese Breakfast in that space.

Henry, who’s partnering with owner Harvey Graham—the man behind Downtown dance club Oddfellows and multiple rooms in Austin, Texas, including a Swan Dive there—provided one new interesting tidbit by deadline: “In addition to the music venue, Swan Dive will feature a balcony bar overlooking Main Street, which will always be free/no cover charge—even on the nights when the venue has ticketed shows.”

–Spencer Patterson

Take an UnCommon stroll

UnCommons, the 40-acre residential, retail and office center at the 215 and Durango in the southwest Valley, is set to deliver an abundance of cultural riches. Commissioned works by local artists like Cerissa Lopez, Mila May and Eric Vozzola will line its walls, and its lifestyle amenities—which will eventually include a luxury cinema—are complemented with a stacked restaurant row. Some two dozen prestige eateries, including Nicole Brisson and Jason Rocheleau’s Italian restaurant and market Amari, Alejandro Medina and Rajat Parr’s Indian dining concept Dhaba Ji, Meráki chefs Girair “Jerry” Goumroian and Nikos Georgousis’ Kávos Coastal Greek Grill, local favorites such as SoulBelly BBQ and Proper Sandwich, and even a Vegas location of beloved Portland, Oregon, ice creamery Salt & Straw, will compete for your attention along UnCommons’ handsome, pleasant and thankfully walkable streets.

–Geoff Carter

A big year in Las Vegas starts here

(Wade Vandervort/Staff)

Experience Fontainebleau, finally

Just before Christmas, Fontainebleau secured a $2.2 billion construction loan to complete its Las Vegas Strip resort, the 67-story building on the northern end of the Strip that has rested unfinished and unopened for 14 years. After initial funding stalled during the Great Recession, the building was snagged out of bankruptcy by Carl Icahn, then sold to the Witkoff Group in 2017, which announced plans to complete it and open it as the Drew Las Vegas. But those plans soured over the pandemic, and miraculously, Fontainebleau developer Jeffrey Soffer reclaimed the property, partnering with Koch Real Estate Investments.

Now it’s on track to open in the fourth quarter as an updated version of the Fontainebleau we were supposed to get in 2008. It’ll be right next door to the shiny new Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall and across the street from Resorts World, with 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting space. The typical Strip specifics (restaurants, nightclubs, shows, etc.) still haven’t been officially announced, but a quick look at the iconic Miami Beach resort will give you an idea where this thing is headed. And now that we’re just months away, it’s safe to assume that info will be rolling out soon to generate maximum excitement. –BR

(Courtesy)

Immerse yourself in punk

Opening March 10, the Punk Rock Museum will celebrate every era of its namesake, “from the Germs to The Linda Lindas.” Conceived, designed and run by the people who made the music that changed your life, the museum will feature iconic artifacts such as Fear’s “New York’s Alright if You Like” saxophone, Devo’s “Energy Dome” hats, Sum 41’s green chainsaw and a number of historic guitars and basses, which you’re invited to play

Sum 41’s green chainsaw and a number of historic

through the original amps. You’ll also nd beerstained setlists, vintage gig yers, handwritten lyrics and some artifacts from Las Vegas’ own punk rock past, a proud history of generator-run desert shows. Once you’ve taken in the collection and chunked out a few chords, you can check out the museum’s tattoo shop, wedding chapel and gift shop, or just get a beer at the Triple Down, an on-site bar run by the inimitable P Moss. –GC

Attend a sick new music festival

Laugh Sick New World o as nu metal nostalgia if you want, but dig into the poster and you’ll nd a rst-year festival with a varied soundtrack heading to the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on May 13. We’re talking The Sisters of Mercy, Mr. Bungle, Death Grips, Placebo, Ministry, Turnstile, Killing Joke, Melvins, Failure and Skinny Puppy to name just a few, along with, yes, big names from the nu metal world like System of a Down, Korn and Deftones. –SP

When developer J Dapper acquired the 60-yearold Huntridge Center shopping plaza in 2016, he had an idea of creating a distinctive mix of dining experiences there, with regional chains alongside locally owned establishments. In late December, Yukon Pizza—a Vegas Test Kitchen favorite— joined the center’s existing handful of chain joints, serving up its delicious, sourdough-crust pie. It’ll soon be joined by Winnie & Ethel’s, an old-fashioned neighborhood diner whose propri-

etors Mallory Gott and chef Aaron Lee won the space in the Dapper Companies-sponsored Great Las Vegas Co ee Shop Giveaway last year.

By the way, Dapper’s 201 S. Las Vegas Boulevard project, located practically at the doorstep of Fremont East, should open in 2023, too, bringing with it a Broken Yolk Cafe location and several other restaurants that include Pachinko Pub, a new project from the creators of FukuBurger. –GC

(AP Photo)

(Courtesy)

(Courtesy)

Do all the Mirage stuff … before you can’t

Now that the sale of the Mirage to Hard Rock International is complete, the clock is ticking. It’ll be hard to say goodbye to one of the most iconic and in uential resorts ever to hit the Strip, but we’ll have at least a year to do so. The volcano should continue to erupt until initial construction begins, and Cirque du Soleil’s beautiful resident show The Beatles Love will perform through 2023. The stand-up stars of the Aces of Comedy and rising magician Shin Lim will likely also be looking for new opportunities in the near future.

It’s exciting to consider updated dining and entertainment options that will be part of a new Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas when it arrives in 2025, but for now, nd your favorite experiences at this special destination and get back in the building; we’ve always been partial to a stroll through the rain forest atrium, a cocktail and snack at the bar at Heritage Steak, and an afternoon escape to the tropical pool landscape. Each visit to the Mirage always feels like a celebration, and we’re ready to sneak in a few more this year. –BR

Swiftie

Unleash your inner

This city has waited a long time for Taylor Swift’s return (she last played a non-festival set here in 2009), and the timing for her March 24-25 shows at Allegiant Stadium couldn’t be better. She’ll be arriving with her Eras Tour, which supports all 10 of her studio albums, so it’ll be worth all the scheming it will take to secure the tough ticket. The star is known for executing a great show, and including everything from amazing props (like Karyn, the giant in atable snake that appeared at the Reputation Stadium Tour) to talented guest stars like Mick Jagger. In other words, it should have all the spectacle Las Vegas deserves.

STORY spectacle Las Vegas deserves. –Evelyn Mateos

Raise the banner with the Aces

The WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces will open their 2023 season on the road in Seattle on May 20 before playing their rst home game at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena on May 27 against the Los Angeles Sparks. Judging by the over-the-top, Champagne-and-cigar super-bash the Aces threw to celebrate their championship win on the Strip in September, we’re expecting some serious fun at that home opener to once again celebrate this historic accomplishment. And we don’t think you should miss it. –BR

(Wade Vandervort/Sta )

(AP Photo)

Support independent culture

The city’s rst standalone theater dedicated to independent and international lm is set to open early this year, and it’s an absolute stunner. The two-story, 14,000-square-foot Beverly Theater features a stateof-the-art auditorium, a terrace with a panoramic Downtown view and a spacious courtyard, all devoted to three programming pillars: Lit, Live and Film. The rst two will owe much to the theater’s next-door neighbor, the Writer’s Block; author readings and signings will move to the Beverly, and it seems likely that the Wave In literary, music and arts festival will use it for a home base.

But really, what has us most excited is walking into this beautiful, purpose-built space and enjoying unexpected, challenging and rare cinema of the sort that used to skip this Valley entirely. Vegas has waited a long time for that curtain to rise. –GC

Consume publicly

The arrival of adult-use recreational cannabis consumption lounges might not mean much to locals who have been happily pu ng, vaping and consuming in their own homes these past few years. But it’ll be game-changing for our resort corridor, where tourists have had little choice but to light up in places where they’re not supposed to. It’ll also be fascinating to see what individual operators bring to the consumption lounge concept, from dining to decor to entertainment. The possibilities are so numerous that it’s not tough to imagine that some of us homebodies might even be persuaded to take a cab or rideshare to the nearest consumption lounge and light up, too. –GC

Try a taste of Israel

Miznon, an Israeli street food stop serving falafel, ratatouille, lamb kebab and more in u y pita bread, is already open at the Venetian. Chef Eyal Shani, considered the founding father of modern Israeli cuisine, will soon open a second Venetian restaurant, the energetic and re ned HaSalon, and late in 2023, James Beard Award winner Alon Shaya will debut his rst Las Vegas restaurant at Wynn. –BR

(Courtesy)

Tune in to a new Station

Expected to open in the fourth quarter o Durango Drive and the Beltway in the southwest Valley, Durango Station represents a return to form for the traditionally local-focused Station Casinos after the purchase, renovation and sale of the Palms in recent years. The new $750 million neighborhood resort will o er a 15-story hotel tower with 211 rooms, 83,000 square feet of casino space, a fancy pool, a selection of restaurants and bars and a food hall with 11 vendors. Expect Durango to raise the bar on the neighborhood casino experience much the way Station’s Green Valley Ranch and Red Rock did before it. –BR

Spend time with new residents

Garth Brooks and Maroon 5

Catch March Madness— up close

These guys have been playing mammoth Vegas concerts for a long time, but you’ll get new versions in 2023. Maroon 5 was a New Year’s Eve mainstay at Mandalay Bay for years in addition to regular tour stops on the Strip. Now, the pop-rock out t will repackage its many hits for a residency run at Dolby Live at Park MGM beginning on March 24. And Garth Brooks has already etched his household name into the Vegas volume of entertainment history, thanks to a legendary residency at Wynn and his sold-out summer 2021 concert at Allegiant Stadium that helped reopen the city during the pandemic. His new Plus One residency takes him to the Colosseum at Caesars Palace starting on May 18, and Brooks has already signed on for a second year. –BR

beginning on March 24. And Garth name at Palace starting on May 18, and Brooks has

For decades, Las Vegas has been the most exciting place to experience the rst two rounds of the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament, with casino sportsbooks o ering the unbeatable combination of massive television arrays showing every second of action, betting options galore and a partylike atmosphere that lasts four straight days. This year, however, Vegas will take its March Madness game to another level still, hosting the West Regional—a trio of Sweet 16 and Elite Eight contests—March 23 and 25 at T-Mobile Arena. It will mark the rst time Vegas has been an NCAA Tournament site, but it won’t be the last—Allegiant Stadium is already lined up for the Final Four in 2028. –SP

(Courtesy)

Watch a few bolts get knocked loose

It’s not news that the robots are coming for us. They’re the next great artists, the writers with impeccable prose. Now they’re targeting our Strip residencies with BattleBots: DestructA-Thon, an exclusive live show featuring large-scale brawls between the best bots in the world and the teams that control them (for now). An offshoot of BattleBots’ hit Discovery Channel show, Destruct-A-Thon opens February 3 at Caesars Entertainment Studios and promises to grind more gears and bend more bolts than ever before. See you in the arena. –Amber Sampson

Pick Six

If you missed last fall’s Smith Center engagement of Six, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’ musical comedy based on the lives of Henry VIII’s six doomed spouses, you needn’t lose your head over it. The critically acclaimed smash is coming to back to town on March 21 for a limited seven-week engagement at the Venetian’s Palazzo Theater.

The wildly popular show, which “remix[es] 500 years of historical heartbreak into a euphoric celebration of 21st-century girl power,” comes to Vegas at the absolute peak of its popularity, fresh from two Tony Award wins (Best Costume Design in a Musical and Best Original Score).

Tickets begin at $70—an absolute steal for a show with productions still playing to sellout crowds on Broadway. –GC

Speed down to the F1 race

Not unlike the recent World Cup in Qatar, Formula One racing is an international phenomenon that’s less celebrated in the U.S. But you don’t have to be a fan or understand the thrill of open-wheel single-seaters to recognize what a big deal F1 will be when it comes to Las Vegas November 16-18. Its race course will take over the Strip in unprecedented fashion. Casinos are falling over themselves to create exclusive VIP packages and experiences for international fans traveling for what feels like a once-in-alifetime event. It’s sort of a global Super Bowl before the actual Super Bowl comes to town in 2024, and the Strip is already buzzing about it. –BR

(John Locher/AP Photo)

CCSD BREAKUP DERAILED

1Proponents of a Clark County School District breakup confirmed that they did not collect enough valid petition signatures to put the measure before state lawmakers or voters. The Community Schools Initiative needed at least 140,777 signatures to be valid.

CLARK COUNTY RENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ENDING SOON

Clark County’s pandemic-era rent assistance program—which helped keep more than 130,000 households afloat with $375 million for rent and utilities assistance—is coming to an end.

The county announced at the end of December that applications for Emergency Rental Assistance under the CARES Housing Assistance Program (CHAP) no longer will be accepted starting January 23. Officials say CHAP will transition to assistance programs to help Southern Nevada households that face eviction for nonpayment of rent.

“As state and federal funding to address the COVID-19 impact begins to phase out, the Clark County Cares Housing Assistance Program will be

NEW GOVERNOR SWORN IN

Republican Joe Lombardo is officially the Nevada governor. The former Clark County sheriff took the oath of office January 2 to become the 31st governor in state history.

After reciting the oath, Lombardo, flanked by first lady Donna Lombardo, signed the certificate of election officially swearing him in, while congratulating the other state officers who assumed office as well.

“I’m looking forward to a wonderful term,” Lombardo, 60, said.

Lombardo bested Gov. Steve Sisolak

transitioning to best support residents within our community,” reads a December 29 press release from the county.

CHAP applications that have been submitted by 11:50 p.m. January 22 will be processed under the current eligibility criteria.

Starting January 23, new eligibility guidelines will go into effect: 1. At least one member of a household is living on a fixed income; 2. Experienced a rent increase within the 12-month period prior to the date of application; 3. Received an eviction notice for non-payment of rent; 4. Experienced a recent change in circumstances that has resulted in an inability to pay rent.

More information is available at chap.clarkcountynv.gov.

–Shannon Miller

in November’s general election, riding a wave of support in the state’s rural counties and solid turnout from voters in and around Las Vegas and Reno to take the governor’s mansion by about 1.5 percentage points, or about 15,000 votes.

He will have to navigate Democratic majorities in both legislative chambers to enact his priorities, especially in regards to campaign promises like education and economic reform.

Democrats won a 28-14 supermajority in the Assembly and a 13-8 edge in the state Senate. Any legislation that makes it to Lombardo’s desk will need bipartisanship support or else risk being vetoed. -Casey Harrison

CONVENTION REBOUND

2A show that attracted nearly 170,000 attendees before the coronavirus hit is expected to draw just over 100,000 this month. CES runs January 5-8. While down from pre-pandemic levels, that’s up significantly from last year’s crowd of 45,000.

END OF AN ERA FOR RAIDERS

Las Vegas Raiders fans and coaches got their first look at a post-Derek Carr team January 1 when the Raiders took the field against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium.

Jarrett Stidham, a fourth-year career backup, made the most of his opportunity to audition for the role of team leader next season, albeit it in a losing effort.

Stidham replaced Carr, the starting quarterback for the franchise the past nine years, and completed 23 of 34 passes for 365 yards and three touchdowns in his first career regular-season start.

He added 34 yards rushing on seven attempts, and frequently demonstrated his athletic ability by escaping the 49ers’ highly regarded pass rush to extend plays and prevent sacks.

He also threw two interceptions, including one in overtime that set up San Francisco’s game-winning field goal.

In the locker room after the game, Stidham addressed the team and apologized, telling his

teammates he could have done more.

“I think every single person on the team said, ‘Man, get out of here with that. You balled out. You did your thing,’ ” top receiver Davante Adams said, recounting the reaction to Stidham’s speech. “We’ve got to find a way to help him.”

Stidham is assured one more start—Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against Kansas City in the season finale— and then the franchise will have to make a decision about how to address the quarterback position moving forward.

Carr is likely to be traded, and if not, released. Stidham becomes a free agent at the end of the season, and the Raiders could be in position to draft a quarterback in April. Among other free agents likely to be available is Tom Brady, who was Raiders coach Josh McDaniels’ quarterback during his time as offensive coordinator in New England.

But Stidham has put himself firmly in the conversation. –Staff

THREE LAS VEGAS STRIP PRODUCTIONS END RECENT RUNS

Two major Las Vegas productions have closed up shop at their current homes, and another will play for the last time at its home January 7.

The longest-running show on the Strip, Legends in Concert ended its four-year run at the Tropicana on December 30. Producers are expected to announce future plans at another venue soon.

Also, the months-old Bat Out of Hell: The Musical at Paris Las Vegas performed for the last time January 1. The energetic musical celebrating the music of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf had received great acclaim for its talented cast and over-the-top production elements, but it wasn’t selling enough tickets to continue.

And Extravaganza: The Vegas Spectacular, a show that fought to stay onstage in an incredible encapsulation of Vegas entertainment during the pandemic, will play for the last time at Jubilee Theater at Horseshoe Las Vegas on January 7. Extravaganza is planning an international tour and creator Hanoch Rosenn says he is working on a new project in which some of this show’s cast could perform.

Fireworks explode over Las Vegas Strip casinos just after midnight on January 1. Winds that were prevalent for parts of Saturday died down in the late evening, allowing for the New Year’s extravaganza to go on as planned. (Steve

3EX-CLOWN WINS BIG Jeff Reeves, a former rodeo clown who now runs his own transportation and private security business, won a $500,000 Three Card Poker jackpot late last month after hitting a royal flush at the newly branded Horseshoe, formerly Bally’s.

–Brock Radke

Marcus/Staff) HOT SHOT

Raiders quarterback Jarrett Stidham (Steve Marcus/Staff)

COMBATING

BY SHANNON MILLER

Recent weeks have seen a surge in high-profile antisemitism, and that comes after reported incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault against Jewish people had already reached an all-time high in 2021, according to anti-hate nonprofit the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

Experts, officials and the Jewish community largely trace the latest rise in incidents to media, social media and users spreading antisemitic views through these networks—most notably Ye (previously known as Kanye West), who on December 1 spoke positively of Adolf Hitler and leaned into Holocaust denial on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ podcast.

On the same day, Twitter suspended the rapper’s account after he posted an image of a swastika inside a Star of David, a symbol of the Jewish religion. The platform had previously partially restricted West’s account after his October post that he would go “death con 3 on Jewish people.”

Jolie Brislin, ADL’s regional director for Nevada, says the levels of antisemitism—and the way it has proliferated on the internet— are unprecedented. “I’ve been with ADL for 14 years, and I’ve never seen us in a moment like we are in today, where it feels as though, every moment, every day, we are being bombarded with another incident,” she says.

“We know that antisemitism is a part of our daily lives. … But now, we’re seeing people with these megaphones that have been able to amplify their message.”

Brislin points out that West had more than 30 million Twitter followers before his account was suspended. “That’s double the amount of Jews in the entire world,” she says. “We have to think about how these messages are getting out, who they’re getting to … and how that has been encouraged.”

Those issues have even become more complicated since Tesla CEO Elon Musk took control of Twitter in October and implemented controversial changes regarding

whether to allow postings involving extremism, conspiracies and hate.

Earlier this year, a Senate Homeland Security Committee investigation of Meta (formerly Facebook) and TikTok’s response—or lack thereof—to the threat of domestic terrorism, found that the platforms’ incentive structures “contribute to the spread of extremist content.”

In November, the Department of Homeland Security posted a regular terrorism summary raising concerns about domestic extremists and potential threats to Jewish, LGBTQ and migrant communities.

The bulletin referenced the November 19 shooting at an LGBTQ bar in Colorado Springs (still under investigation), in which a gunman killed five and injured dozens more.

“Following the late-November shooting at an LGBTQI+ bar in Colorado Springs … we have observed actors on forums known to post racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist content praising the alleged attacker,” the bulletin reads, also noting the “enduring

Amid a surge in antisemitism, Nevada activists search for solutions

threat to faith-based communities, including the Jewish community.”

The line between online hate and real acts of violence, apparently, is becoming more clear to government agencies and the general public. With that laid out, how can the community begin to respond and attempt to unsow seeds of hate?

Joshua Abbey, executive director of the longstanding Las Vegas Jewish Film Festival, says the rise in antisemitism and associated incidents is “part of a broader spectrum” of teachings and cultural messages that ultimately create an environment for and encourage hate speech, extremism and violence. Understanding the bigger picture is essential to combating hate on any scale, he says.

“When someone feels that their identity or their belief system is under attack, that transforms itself into different levels of what we call hate. And that can graduate very easily, especially in a group scenario, into acts of violence,” he says, recalling the deadly 2018 Tree of Life Pittsburgh synagogue shoot-

ing. “What this eventually leads to is genocide,” he says.

As an activist, Abbey engages through educational outreach and cinema. In a short Holocaust education film he directed and released in 2020, local survivors ask questions to a sample of local middle school students about what they know of the event, referring to the Nazis’ systemic murder of an estimated 6 million Jews between 1933 and 1945.

“My hope is [the film] would be utilized in classrooms at the middle school level. … Teens are more likely to listen to other teens,” he says. “I’ve had a lot of experience with survivors who have dedicated their lives to teaching about hate and intolerance, and with the goal of using themselves as an example to make a difference for future generations.”

In the film, some of the student interviewees know what the Holocaust was, and some do not. Asked “Who are the Jews?” one student responds that they are “terrorists.”

a really interesting sort of

test investigation,” Abbey says of the film, adding that it underscores the importance of education in combating intolerance. “It fundamentally relies on the education of young people. That’s really the only chance for real change to occur.”

Per ADL numbers, incidents of antisemitism rose 34% in 2021 compared to 2020. The spike in reported incidents was even higher in Nevada, which saw a 64% increase, according to the ADL.

In a letter sent to President Joe Biden in early December, Nevada Senators and more than 100 bipartisan members of Congress called for stronger interagency coordination and “a unified national strategy to monitor and combat antisemitism.”

Brislin says community-led initiatives and engagement are also crucial to stemming the tide of hate, pointing to the Nevada Against Antisemitism petition and digital campaign launched by the ADL in partnership with the Israeli-American Civil Action Network and Jewish Nevada in 2021.

“We had over 250 elected

officials—from our entire federal delegation to our state legislators— community members and other organizations … sign on to this campaign to say that they will denounce antisemitism when they see it, and will continue to take an active role in learning about how to be an ally to the Jewish community,” Brislin says.

“I think that makes a strong statement to their supporters and to members of those organizations, that the organization as a whole will not stand by and be passive to the hate of Jews.”

Brislin and Abbey both refer to antisemitism as a “canary in a coal mine,” warning of rising hate and violence not only toward Jewish people, but also other marginalized groups.

“I think it’s essential that the culture, the heritage, the ideals, the values, the story of Jewish people be more broadly understood,” Abbey says. “We’re not an exclusive, insular part of the community. We’re an integral part, and here to help build and create unity of purpose, and deal with these acts of aggression that are so fundamentally detrimental to the welfare of all.”

“It’s

“When someone feels that their identity or their belief system is under attack, that transforms itself into different levels of what we call hate. And that can graduate very easily, especially in a group scenario, into acts of violence.”

TOMORROW’S TECH

Top trends to watch at CES 2023

BY AMBER SAMPSON

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), set to run January 5-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, has driven change across its industry for more than 50 years. The world’s rst VCR premiered at CES, as did an early prototype of the Nintendo NES and Microsoft’s rst Xbox. History happens here. And with the 2023 footprint projected to be 50% larger than last year’s, there’s plenty of game-changing tech to come.

Brian Comiskey, director of thematic programs for the Consumer Technology Association, says “Human Security for All” is the overarching theme of this year’s CES. That concept has inspired top innovators to demonstrate solutions to global challenges regarding food insecurity, health and sustainability. With that in mind, here are three of the top tech trends we expect to see on the show oor.

The Rise of the Metaverse

Ah, the metaverse. An exciting new virtual venture for some, a glori ed buzz word for others. If the idea of an immersive, virtual 3D world to which we can all escape to a la Ready Player One seems far fetched, a bit polarizing and still ahead of its time, that’s because it is. But according to Comiskey, we’ll start to see “the building blocks of the metaverse on display” at CES 2023 in ways that feel more tangible.

“The pandemic really accelerated a lot of the infrastructure technologies that would power the metaverse,” he says, suggesting that cloud computing, 5G and gaming software engines are all “critical for virtualization.”

Virtual reality will also become a vital arm of the concept, and that’s already being re ected on the exhibit oor. Vermont startup OVR Technology, for example, will demonstrate its olfactory tech, which allows us to smell scents in VR as though we’re actually in those environments.

“Metaverse is important in terms of spatial sound, immersive audio, immersive visual, but full sensory immersion is something that is kind of the promise in a lot of ways,” Comiskey says. “Smell has such an important impact in terms of our memory. It’s a rather primal sense at its core.”

Nemo’s Garden, an Italian project experimenting with growing crops in underwater biospheres, has partnered with Siemens to create a “digital twin” in the metaverse of its ocean- oor farm. The twin will allow the Nemo Garden’s team not only to test concepts in a virtual setting, at a faster rate, but also to work beyond the limitations of seasonal conditions or physical distances.

The Push for Digital Health

Health tech has always been a pillar of CES, but Comiskey says we’ll “see an expansion of its therapeutic footprint” like never before. Rather than focusing on the body’s everyday conditions, he says, innovators are looking to solve real physical problems.

Last month, Abbott announced its FDA-approved Eterna, one of the smallest implantable spinal cord stimulators on the market, designed for pain reduction. We’ll likely see that tech and many of Abbott’s other neurostimulators at this year’s show.

And Korea’s SK Biopharmaceuticals has engineered a sophisticated pair of Zero Glasses, which can detect and predict epileptic seizures by tracking bio signals from the brain, heart and body movement.

Smart Mobility Taking the Wheel

Las Vegas Convention Center’s newly added West Hall will see a lot of foot tra c this year as the automotive showroom of the future.

“Electri cation is going to be back again in a big way,” Comiskey assures.

“We saw a lot of electric vehicles, whether trucks or passenger vehicles or even e-bikes, at last year’s show, and we’re going to see that concept extend again. But this time, it will be more about land, sea and air.”

The shift to EV has reached a fever pitch in recent years, as reducing greenhouse gas emissions has become more essential. This past fall, for instance, California announced that it would begin phasing out the sale of new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. By 2035, 100% of new vehicles sold in the state are expected to be zero-emission.

So it’s no surprise that brands like BMW, Dodge and Stellantis have a whole eet of new electric cars and trucks to present at CES, and Comiskey says electric boats will also return.

Canadian auto parts manufacturer Magna should be another to watch, as it showcases “a front panel to [its] car called a Mezzo Plus that changes the exterior shape of the vehicle … to improve aerodynamics,” Comiskey says.

Autonomous vehicles should also draw considerable interest, with numerous self-driving demonstrations planned for CES, along with the return of the Indy Autonomous Challenge, a high-speed race between nine robo cars at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The future begins now.

(Courtesy/AEG Presents)

COMEDY

FAMILY FUNNY BUSINESS

BY BROCK RADKE

Sebastian Maniscalco is giving you the goods in his latest Netflix comedy special Is It Me?, cracking on musical theater, preschool hijinks and his wife’s indecision when ordering at restaurants. But there’s a different vibe this time around, a little glamour mixing with the goofiness. He’s wearing a tux, and his stage is bathed in gold.

And he did it on purpose. Maniscalco filmed the special at Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas last year during a recent residency performance.

“I was trying to bring back old Vegas,” he tells the Weekly . “I always felt like if it was the ’50s or ’60s today, that’s where the Rat Pack would be hanging out, at Wynn.”

It’s hard to argue with that sentiment, and Maniscalco has been playing Wynn and Las Vegas long enough to know what feels right. Encore Theater has been steadily adding other stand-up stars and up-and-comers to its lineup, but the 49-year-old entertainer from the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights has been captivating the room for longer than most.

“It really is a nice place, and I love the theater because it’s not huge. It’s intimate. It’s 1,400 seats, and you get a good cross section of the U.S. coming through.”

Is It Me? comes across a little harder, with Maniscalco poking fun at the evolution of political correctness and, occasionally, catching his audience off guard. It’s worth watching to see a comedian in his prime, still pushing through and challenging himself.

dad, Salvatore Maniscalco, a 76-year-old hairdresser who still works in the salon four days a week.

Once De Niro read the script and took the role, he asked to spend some time with Salvatore. “Being the actor he is, he wanted to hang out with my father and get his nuances, how he smokes his cigar, how he wears his hat,” Maniscalco says. “Then he wanted my dad on set to talk him through some things. There’s a scene that takes place in the salon, and De Niro’s doing a dye job, and he wants to do it right, so my father is teaching him.

“I’m sitting there looking at this, and I can’t believe it. I had posters on my wall of this guy growing up. And my father, he still goes to the salon all week, so he’s saying, ‘I gotta get the f*ck out of here, I’m losing clients.’”

Maniscalco knew De Niro from working with the legend in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, but the comedian is still fairly new to acting. He’s clearly a comedian who channels any anxious energy into his performance, but acting brings new obstacles.

SEBASTIAN MANISCALCO January 6-7, 7 & 10 p.m., $75-$195. Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com.

This year will be a pivotal one, and not because he has clearly mastered streaming specials after dropping this fourth Netflix show, or because he just launched the Daddy Vs. Doctor podcast where he brings a funny parental perspective to his actual pediatrician’s family medical advice.

The big thing in 2023 will be About My Father, the first film based on his material. He’s playing a version of himself, the son of an Italian immigrant father, and Robert De Niro is playing a version of his

“For me the challenge was to be in the moment and not overthink the performance,” he says. “The first couple days [filming] were a little shaky for me, but then you’re off and running. The difference is, I’m basically in every scene, no days off, working every day for six weeks.”

To those general artistic struggles, add that Maniscalco is telling his own story and representing his real family in this film, and it’s easy to understand why “it was anxiety ridden, I’m not going to lie,” he says. “It was fun, but there was a lot of pressure on me to deliver, and when you’re doing something you typically don’t do, there’s a little bit of doubt that you can pull it off. But after the first couple of days getting my feet wet, I felt a little more comfortable.”

DOUBLE THE DIVA

BY AMBER SAMPSON

Tierney Allen’s favorite case of mistaken identity happened early in her career, at MGM Grand during the iHeartRadio Music Festival weekend.

“I stepped out of the bar, and all of a sudden somebody asked for a picture,” she remembers. “Then one person turns into ve, turns into 20, turns into literally hundreds of people in the casino. People standing on top of slot machines. People on each other’s shoulders. It was absolute pandemonium.”

Security swooped in. “They took me and my husband … to the back of the house and said, ‘Which suite are you in, Miss Gaga?’ And I’m like, ‘I’m not Lady Gaga.’”

That was when Allen, early in her role as a Lady Gaga tribute artist, knew her likeness was enough. For the past seven years, the San Jose native has faithfully portrayed the award-winning artist through each iconic era in Legends in Concert.

“I’m really interested in her jazz era,” says Allen, a trained singer, pianist and violinist. “We know how talented she is from her pop stu , but when she does her jazz shows in Vegas, man, she wails and she’s like Elvis and Liberace in one.”

self, with the exception of the diva’s Versace Super Bowl beaded bodysuit, which required a collaboration with a seamstress.

Allen says she’s developed a new appreciation for her work since the pandemic. Alongside dealing with the entertainment shutdown, she was battling Stage 3 breast cancer. While undergoing chemotherapy and waiting to get back to work, Allen and her husband—an acclaimed Elvis impersonator—invited other tribute artists to perform for Stars in Quarantine, a Facebook Live show they produced and streamed.

“I would get up every now and then and perform as Lady Gaga,” Allen says. “I was bald, but I put a wig on and made it work. Her music helped me get through it.”

January 6, 7 p.m., $30$40. The Space, thespacelv.com.

Today, Allen is two years in remission and ready to take on another legend. Lady Winehouse, her new tribute show at the Space on January 6, will honor both Lady Gaga and Amy Winehouse, two musicians she believes are strikingly similar.

“I want it to be an experience,” she says. “I want people to feel like, what if Amy lived and she got to be here for Gaga’s jazz era, and they shared the same stage?”

Allen hadn’t given much thought to tribute performance until actress Kate Beckinsale walked into the Fred Segal’s where she previously worked. Beckinsale, oored by Allen’s resemblance to Gaga, encouraged Allen to turn the similarity into a career.

Onstage, Allen’s a vocal powerhouse; o stage, she’s a diligent student incessantly studying Gaga’s mannerisms, “how she holds her hands, or how she forms her mouth,” she explains. And Allen makes 99% of her Gaga replica out ts her-

The tribute marks a turning point for Allen, who up until this point had always relied on joining others’ productions.

Lady Winehouse is “something of mine,” she says, “something I could create and take on the road when I want to go to di erent casinos or venues around the world.”

While Allen has everything it takes to carve her own path as an artist, her role as Gaga remains a priority and a passion.

“It’s Halloween every day,” she says. “I get to sing these incredible pop songs and jazz songs, and she’s still going. Why would I ever quit this?”

TIERNEY ALLEN: LADY WINEHOUSE

Tribute artist Tierney Allen widens her range for a new show at the Space

(Courtesy)

BY BROCK RADKE

Chef and restaurateur Sam Marvin has seen a lot of change and growth surround his Echo & Rig restaurant at Tivoli Village since it opened more than 10 years ago. The swanky suburban center struggled to maintain its dining lineup until recent years, but Marvin’s steakhouse, bar and butcher shop has always been a consistent bright spot.

“It’s really been exciting for us, and it’s definitely given me a lot of confidence in our strategy and what we’re trying to achieve,” Marvin says of the growing overall success of restaurants at Tivoli. “Now that we have some more traction here, people are understanding how to provide service

to the neighborhood and treating it like a neighborhood restaurant versus an off-Strip restaurant. There’s a big difference.”

The difference is the people in the neighborhood, he says, and creating an experience that will resonate with regular customers who live nearby.

He’s ready to double-down on that approach this month with the opening of the Valley’s second Echo & Rig steakhouse at the District at Green Valley Ranch, taking over the former Elephant Bar space. The new spot will be only slightly smaller than the Tivoli Village footprint, set on a single story instead of the original’s two floors. But the menu in

Henderson will be similar, and there will be a familiar butcher shop and retail component.

Everything will be tweaked slightly for Green Valley, however. The design will be different, skewing in the “desert chic” direction. The cocktail program will be renovated and kicked up, and Marvin is bringing in some ringers to create a beverage experience you won’t find elsewhere in Henderson—or possibly the rest of the Vegas Valley.

“I brought on Tony AbouGanim, the G.O.A.T. of them all, and he’s designing the entire program,” Marvin says.

“We [also] brought in Tobin Ellis, the designer of the best bar equipment in the world, who has his own line at Perlick [Equipment]; he’s designing the bar from floor to ceiling. These two guys are at the top of their game, and we’re going to match the food program to

what they’re doing, with no limitations.”

Echo pioneered different cuts of beef available for neighborhood diners, and Marvin wants to expand on that selection at the new spot. There will be focus on the Zabuton cut, sometimes called a Denver steak, a prized bit of Wagyu beef in Japan that hasn’t become popular yet in the states. “It’s the fourthmost-tender cut on the entire cow,” Marvin says.

He’s also planning to have more options for favorite cuts like rib eyes and filets, from different ranchers cultivated with different feeds so steak lovers can seek out new favorites.

Henderson’s dining landscape appears to be in a blossoming phase, and it’s the right time for a neighborhood favorite from across town to join the party.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY JET’S PIZZA TOUCHES DOWN IN HENDERSON

n Newly arrived in Henderson with its first location in Nevada, Jet’s Pizza—which has more than 400 restaurants in 20 states—was founded by two brothers in Michigan as Jetts Party Shoppe and Pizzeria in 1978. The name of its original store should give you an idea of what you’re in for; this is family-friendly pizza, flavors of nostalgia and fun.

That’s not what I was expecting when I first picked up a few Detroit-style square pies to feed my nieces and nephews for a midweek pizza party. The shop I was visiting in suburban Illinois looked and felt like any big franchise pizzeria, so I figured the kids would enjoy it, but the adults, not so much.

But Jet’s has always focused on quality ingredients, and it starts with pizza

dough that doesn’t taste like the chain stuff. Those Detroit deep-dish slices are light and fluffy with crunchy, buttery edges, and you can opt for hand-tossed round pies if you’re not into the square stuff. Named for one of the brothers, the Eugene Supreme is a good place to start, loaded with Italian sausage, onions, and green bell and yellow banana peppers. Your favorite traditional sides and salads are available, along with Jet’s Boats, essentially giant calzones. And there are rotating specials perfect for your next family pizza party, like a small one-topping pie plus bread and a two-liter Pepsi for $22.

Just be careful with those tasty edge slices—they’re addictive. –Brock Radke

JET’S PIZZA 1321 W. Sunset Road #120, 725-258-4440, jetspizza.com. Sunday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Echo & Rig’s Sam Marvin and his food (Courtesy)

(Courtesy)

CALLING OUR SHOTS

Forecasting the year ahead in Las Vegas sports

BY CASE KEEFER

We called the Aces winning the WNBA championship, the Raiders having a disappointing season and UNLV football nishing 5-7 in last year’s version of our annual predictions for the sports year ahead. Other forecasts, like the Vegas Golden Knights reaching the Western Conference Finals and the Raiders hiring Brian Daboll as their next coach, didn’t pan out quite as well.

But there’s always next year, which in this case means this year. The local sports scene seemingly continues to grow every year, and 2023 will be no exception.

Las Vegas now has at least 11 professional sports teams to go with a year-round calendar of other events. To ring in the new year, let’s look into the crystal ball and make a prediction involving each of the 11 biggest teams and the two newest major events—the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and the Formula 1 race.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights fail to match their red-hot start to the season but play well enough to maintain their lead in the Paci c and clinch the third divisional title in franchise history. They also win their rst playo series since 2021 in six games against the Seattle Kraken but fall in six to the Calgary Flames in the second round.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders revamp their roster in the o season, signing free agent quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and using a top-10 draft pick on Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo. Garoppolo proves as inconsistent and divisive as outgoing starter Derek Carr, who’s traded to the New York Jets for draft picks, but surrounding talent and an improved defense help Las Vegas to a 10-7 record and a wild-card playo berth.

Las Vegas Aces

The Aces are even better than last year during their regular-season title defense, nishing with the WNBA’s best record and seeing leading scorer Kelsey Plum draw serious MVP buzz. Then they nd out just how di cult it is to repeat in the postseason, when they lose in the maximum ve games to the Brittney Griner-led Phoenix Mercury in the league semi nals.

UNLV Men’s Basketball

The Scarlet and Gray spent most of the end of December as one of the “last eight out” in bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s projected NCAA Tournament eld, and that’s where they stay all the way up to Selection Sunday. UNLV just misses the tournament without a chance to separate in a tough Mountain West Conference but gets the consolation of its rst NIT bid since 2009.

UNLV Women’s Basketball

UNLV wins both the Mountain West regular-season and conference tournament titles for the second year in a row but runs into another Power Five conference opponent in the rst round of the NCAA Tournament that has it outmatched. Despite a 24-point game from leading scorer Desi-Rae Young, the Scarlet and Gray fall just short of their rst postseason win since 1991.

UNLV Football

The hires of coach Barry Odom and o ensive coordinator Bobby Petrino prove inspired, as veteran quarterback Doug Brum eld stays healthy and thrives in the new system. UNLV not only reaches bowl eligibility but defeats Ball State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

Vegas Vipers

The local team isn’t among the better franchises in Year 1 of the revamped XFL, but former Raiders edge rusher Vic Beasley shows why he was the top defensive draft pick with 12 sacks in the 10-game season.

Las Vegas Desert Dogs

The roster on the expansion National Lacrosse League team isn’t strong enough to compete yet, but the fast, exciting style of box lacrosse starts to draw larger crowds to Michelob Ultra Arena late in the season to give the team momentum heading into its second year.

Las Vegas Aviators

First baseman/catcher Tyler Soderstrom and third baseman Zack Gelof, two of the top prospects in the A’s talent-rich organization, give the Aviators the highest-scoring o ense in the Paci c Coast League.

Vegas Knight Hawks

The Indoor Football League team shows great strides in its second year, nishing with an 8-9 record to squeak into the eightteam playo eld.

Las Vegas Lights

Gather the multicolored smoke bombs and prepare those forearms for maximum ag-waving as the United Soccer League franchise nally breaks through to the postseason for the rst time in its six-year existence.

Henderson Silver Knights

Brendan Brisson goes on a late-season tear to show why the Vegas Golden Knights made him a rstround pick three years ago and amp up enthusiasm for his big-league prospects for next season.

Men’s NCAA Tournament

In Las Vegas’ rst-ever stint as NCAA Tournament host, West Coast powerhouses UCLA (a No. 1 seed) and Gonzaga (a No. 2 seed) meet for the third consecutive season. And, for the third consecutive season, including second straight neutral-site meeting at T-Mobile Arena, Gonzaga comes out on top, this time to reach the Final Four.

Las Vegas Grand Prix

With tickets on the secondary market starting at $2,500 during race week in mid-November, Formula 1’s rst local competition in 41 years goes down as one of the most expensive sporting events of all-time. Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen, as he so often does, wins the event with relative ease.

Carr, who’s traded to the New York Jets for draft

defense, nishing with the WNBA’s best record

nix Mercury in the league

BY BRYAN HORWATH VEGAS INC STAFF

In the early 1990s, Vida Chan Lin became aware of a disturbing family situation in Las Vegas.

Lin, who was living in the San Francisco Bay Area, found out that her young nephew in Las Vegas was afraid of his schoolteacher.

The boy’s parents eventually went to the principal, which led to a backlash by some people who got wind of their complaints.

“They went to the principal, tried to meet with the teacher,” Lin said. “The teacher brushed them away, claiming my nephew didn’t speak English. But he was born in the U.S.; he spoke English. When they tried to go to the school board and the PTA, the family was threatened.”

Lin said they received phone calls from people who told them to “go back to their country.”

It was that experience that hatched Lin’s idea for what would become the Asian Community Development Council (ACDC), a nonprofit organization with 30 full-time employees that strives to “improve the general well-being and education” of the Asian and Pacific Islander communities in the Las Vegas area.

Soon after that school crisis, Lin brought her own family to Las Vegas and got involved in the insurance business.

“I wanted to get some help and support for our community,” Lin said. “There was a need for guidance. In California, we had organizations. In Las Vegas back then, there was nothing here.”

Lin’s dream wasn’t realized right away. There is a lot of planning involved in starting an organization like the ACDC, she said.

In 2015, when the organization received its nonprofit status, the dream was realized, but the work had just begun.

“I had been thinking about it for 20 years,” Lin said with a laugh.

Much of what the organization does centers on connecting individuals and resources. That could include

anything from help securing a small business loan to rental assistance or food services for those out of work.

Lin said the organization has also focused on the U.S. Census participation, access to health insurance and voter registration.

“If we’re not counted, we’re not going to be heard,” Lin said.

According to the latest census data, nearly 380,000 members of the Asian and Pacific Islander communities live in Nevada, the vast majority

in Clark County.

David Huang, managing director of Skylar Consulting, a business services firm in Las Vegas, said he became an ACDC board member because he believes the Asian community is underrepresented in Southern Nevada.

“Many Asian residents do not have access to or knowledge of the community programs and services available to the public,” Huang said. “[The council] works to bridge that gap by eliminating the barriers—language or cultural—that many in our community face.”

Lin, who is from a Chinese American family, though she has lived her entire life in the U.S., said she hopes her organization can help bring about change for years to come.

While hatred toward Asian people is not a new phenomenon, Lin said she was discouraged by what she saw following the outbreak of coronavirus, which was first identified in 2019 in China.

“We saw that rise in anti-Asian hate,” Lin said. “People weren’t going to the Asian-owned businesses. There were a lot of people who thought that we brought them the virus. We had to get our community together. We had to get information about a lot of pandemic-related things to our community, which includes a lot of different languages.”

Lin said she’s proud of what the council accomplished during the worst days of the pandemic.

“A lot of small-business owners in our community didn’t know how to apply for government benefits during the pandemic,” Lin said. “Some businesses survived, some didn’t. A lot of people had to change professions. In the state, we have about 32,000 Asianowned businesses. We still have a lot of issues to work through.”

Together, Lin and her staff at ACDC believe they can continue to do a lot of good in Las Vegas.

“We’re here to help,” she said. “Let’s support each other.”

Vida Lin, president of the Asian Community Development Council (Chris DeVargas)

VegasInc Notes

The Private Bank by Nevada State Bank welcomed Donna Stanfel to the Southern Nevada team as senior vice president, private banking relationship manager.

Previously, Stanfel was a retail market manager, a position she held since 2018. Stanfel has worked at Nevada State Bank since 2003 when she joined the bank as a part-time teller.

LaPour Partners, a commercial real estate development and investment company, hired Tyler Alvino as director of accounting and operations. He brings 10 years of experience in finance and accounting across multiple sectors including government, insurance, banking, and hospitality. At LaPour, Alvino will ensure the company’s financial and accounting systems and processes continue to accommodate the volume and complexity of real estate development for the company.

Scott Muelrath, president and CEO of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, has been appointed to serve

as chair of the Government Reform Policy Committee. He will lead an experienced that has already begun to craft policies to fulfill Gov.-elect Joe Lombardo’s priorities and goals.

A partnership between Fontainebleau Development and Koch Real Estate Investments, the real estate investment arm of Koch Industries, has secured a $2.2 billion construction loan to complete Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the 67-story hotel, gaming, meeting and entertainment destination at the north end of the Las Vegas Strip. The financing keeps construction on schedule and paves the way for Fontainebleau to open late this year.

De Castroverde Law Group announced that Angel Garza has joined the firm as a immigration attorney. Working remotely in Texas, Garza was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 2021. He worked for the Travis County District Attorney’s Office in the civil rights division and as an immigration attorney for Anderson

Immigration Law Group.

Vicki Rousseau was promoted to director of marketing and business developments at The Shops at Crystals. Rousseau has more than 20 years of retail center experience in Las Vegas. She had worked with Simon Property Group since 2015 and previously worked as the area director of marketing for Las Vegas North Premium Outlets and Las Vegas South Premium Outlets.

Ashley Fawcett recently transitioned to the area director of marketing at Las Vegas North and South Premium Outlets. She recently relocated back to Las Vegas after being director of marketing and business development at Denver Premium Outlets, where she led marketing, sustainability and communication efforts for the center. Fawcett spent five years serving as a board member for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Las Vegas and launching a young professionals group, the Red Shoe Society, that supports the charity through fundraising, volunteering

and networking.

Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance welcomes five new members to serve on the LVGEA50 board of directors: David Hirschfeld, chief investment officer of Fiume Capital; Denette Suddeth, regional president and head of commercial banking for PNC Bank; Karen Haller, president and CEO of Southwest Gas Holdings; Ivan Ferraz, senior vice president and head of commercial banking for Wells Fargo in Nevada; and North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown Bank of Nevada announced that Joyce Smith, managing director of commercial banking, has joined the Vegas Chamber board of trustees for a two-year term.

The Ferraro Group, a public relations and public affairs firm, hired Gracie Gordon as a public relations specialist in its Reno office. Her role involves assisting with developing and implementing strategic public relations plans, community campaigns, media relations, social media coordination, and community outreach on behalf of various clients. Before joining the Ferraro Group, Gordon was a reporter for a local news outlet, Our Town Reno, where she focused on city development and homelessness.

Stanfel

Garza

Rousseau

Fawcett

Gordon

PREMIER CROSSWORD HOROSCOPES

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “My life was the best omelet you could make with a chainsaw,” observed author Thomas McGuane of his tumultuous destiny. There have been a few moments in 2022 when you might have been tempted to invoke a similar metaphor. But the good news is that your most recent chainsaw-made omelet is ready to eat. It will nourish you for a long time.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Tell the people who care for you that you’d like to be called by new pet names. You need to intensify their ability and willingness to view you as a sublime creature worthy of adoration. Don’t use old standbys like “cutie,” “honey” or “darling”; try unique versions like “jubilee” or “zestie” or “fantasmo.” The more variations, the better.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): If I could choose some fun and useful projects for you to master in 2023, they would include being in constant competition with yourself to outdo past accomplishments; borrowing other people’s good ideas and using them with even better results; and upgrading your flirting so it’s even more nuanced and amusing, while never violating anyone’s boundaries.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): When she was young, Carolyn Forché was a conventional poet focused on family and childhood. But she transformed. At age 72, she is now a renowned human rights advocate. In 2023, I recommend drawing on her as an inspirational role model. You will have great potential to discover deeper aspects of your life’s purpose.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I love the wisdom of author Carlos Castañeda’s possibly fictional teacher, Don Juan Matus. He said, “Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as you think necessary. Then ask yourself, and yourself alone, one question. Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn’t, it is of no use.” His advice is perfect for you in the coming nine months, Leo.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Teacher and author Byron Katie claims, “The voice within is what I’m married to. My lover is the place inside me where an honest yes and no come from.” In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to propose marriage to your own inner voice. The coming year will be a fabulous time to deepen your relationship with this crucial source of useful revelation.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche offered advice that is perfect for you in 2023. It’s strenuous and demanding, but I have faith in you, Libra: “No one can build you the bridge on which you, and only you, must cross the river of life. There may be countless trails and bridges and demigods who would gladly carry you across; but only at the price of pawning and forgoing yourself. There is one path in the world that none can walk but you. Where does it lead? Don’t ask, walk!”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): How might you transform the effects of the limitations you’ve been dealing with? What could you do to make it work in your favor as 2023 unfolds? I encourage you to think about these question with daring and audacity. The more moxie you summon, the greater your luck will be in making the magic happen.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian singer Tina Turner confided, “My greatest beauty secret is being happy with myself.” I hope you will experiment with that formula in 2023. I believe the coming months will potentially be a time when you will be happier with yourself than you have ever been before.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “I’m homesick all the time,” writes author Sarah Addison Allen. “I just don’t know where home is.” If you have ever felt pangs like hers, Capricorn, I predict they will fade in 2023. I expect you will clearly identify the feeling of home you want—and thereby make it possible to find and create the place where you will experience a resounding peace and stability.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): We are constantly deviating from the path we might wish we could follow with unfailing accuracy. That’s not a bug in the system; it’s a feature. And as long as we obsess on the idea that we’re not where we should be, we are distracted from doing our real work. And the real work? The ceaseless corrections.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A Chinese proverb tells us, “Great souls have wills. Feeble souls have wishes.” In 2023, you Pisceans could make dramatic moves to strengthen your willpower as you shed wimpy wishes. In my psychic vision of your destiny, I see you feeding metaphorical iron supplements to your resolve and determination.