2023-01-12-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

Publisher

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION

ON THE COVER

Scoping out new Downtown Mexican spot La Mona Rosa, plus a trio of suggestions for those attempting to stay dry this January. 40 30 18 34 3628

SUPERGUIDE

12 JAN. THURSDAY

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. FLORIDA PANTHERS

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

LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC SPOTLIGHT: BACH, BEETHOVEN, MOZART & MORE

7:30 p.m., Troesh Studio Theater, thesmithcenter. com.

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

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Thru 1/15, 7:30 p.m. (& 2 p.m. 1/14-1/15), Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter. com.

BRAD GARRETT

With DJ Demers, Omid Singh, thru 1/15, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, bradgarrett comedy.com.

PARTY FAVOR

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

MANIFEST SHOWCASE

Ft. Kami Kehoe, 000, The PowdaMan, Kenyadda, Savanna Blue & more, 6:30 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com.

SARAH COLONNA

Thru 1/15, 7:30 p.m. (& 9:30 p.m. 1/13-1/14), Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster. com.

CIARAN MCAULEY 10 p.m., Commonwealth, seetickets.us.

“I

understand why the people who play the

That’s how Kyle Kinane opens his

aren’t more afraid

special, Trampo-

in a Ditch, and it’s a good example of how this Midwestern philosopher will take an idea through the process of becoming a joke, and then continue processing it until it gets funnier and funnier and goes too far, to the point where you can’t believe you’ve been laughing at the same idea for how many minutes now? Don’t let the sleepy eyes and scru y beard fool you. Kinane is a deep thinker, at least the kind of thinking we all do after a few beers, and he has plenty of time— six stand-up shows at Downtown’s hip comedy club on Main Street—to explore all those ideas until he’s gone too far. Thru 1/15, 7 p.m. (& 9:30 p.m., 1/13-1/14), $35, Wiseguys, vegas.wiseguyscomedy.com. –Brock Radke (Photo Courtesy)

MUSIC

KYLE KINANE

don’t

lottery

of lightning.”

recent comedy

line

FRIDAY

CAM’RON

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

SUBTRONICS

With Peekaboo, Dimension, A Hundred Drums, Veil, Ahee, 6 p.m., Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, dlvec.com.

ELEVATED UNDERGROUNDS

With The Acid Sisters, Evelyn Scythe, Kewk, 9 p.m., Sand Dollar Downtown, thesand dollarlv.com/downtown.

THE DOLLY PARTY 9 p.m., House of Blues, concerts.livenation.com.

DILLON FRANCIS

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

MADZILLA

With Worldwide Panic, Haddonfield, Jekserah, Prawn Queen, No Etiquette, 7 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, seetickets.us.

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

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

THE LAO TIZER QUARTET 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.

HAZRD! RAVE

With DJ Kris Toxn, DJ Thorn Blackfire, 9 p.m., Artifice, hazrdrave.com.

BLASTOYZ

10 p.m., Area15 Portal, area15.com.

KASKADE

Now that the out-of-towners from CES have come and gone, it’s a great time to see Kaskade’s new residency at Zouk Nightclub at Resorts World. Ryan Raddon surprised exactly no one when he jumped over to Zouk for 2023 after making his post-pandemic comeback at Tao Group venues like Omnia and Tao Beach Dayclub. His big-room experience and multiflavored, approachable sound continue to create demand for sets at the newest Vegas venues, and besides, his Kx5 collaborator Deadmau5 is already spinning at Zouk. Since Kaskade will be spending the better part of the first quarter here, we can expect to hear all the new music and fresh takes on classic tracks with which he has been tinkering. 10 p.m., $30-$50, Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com. –Brock Radke (Photo Courtesy)

FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS, VISIT LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM.

SUPERGUIDE

14 JAN.. SATURDAY

GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT-FUNKADELIC

This might be your last chance “to dance your way outta our constrictions.” Possibly. George Clinton is 81 years old, and the pioneering funk talent first announced his retirement from the stage nearly five years ago. He’s dismissed that retirement several times since to perform sets of P-Funk classics with a young, hungry touring band. (“It’s always been about the music and the band,” Clinton told Billboard in 2018. “That’s the real P-Funk legacy. They’ll still be funkin’ long after I stop.”) Clinton’s role in the band is minor at this point—he’ll sing a few verses here, a bit of chorus there—but it’s still a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer up there, dropping “One Nation Under a Groove,” “(Not Just) Knee Deep” and “Up for the Down Stroke” like they’re hot. Don’t miss your chance. 10 p.m., $29$125, International Theater at Westgate, westgateresorts. com. –Geo Carter

BRUNCHED BY AN ANGEL

Connect with spirits over spirits at this only-in-Vegas brunch show, created by Emmy award-winning daytime producer Shane Farley. Brunched by an Angel pairs mimosas with mediums as talented clairvoyants Reginald Lewis, Loriann Mans and Christopher Allan provide readings to diners looking to reach their departed loved ones. A live performance, composed by acclaimed music director Rob Lewis, will score this two-hour event followed by a bu et-style brunch featuring a build-your-own biscuits and gravy station, a culinary post for doughnuts, wa es and French toast, and enough bacon to rouse the dead from their slumber. 10 a.m. & 1:30 p.m., $75-$200, Kaos at Palms, palms.com. –Amber Sampson

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. EDMONTON OILERS

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

50 CENT

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

DAVID BLAINE

8 p.m., & 1/15, Resorts World Theatre, axs.com.

LIONEL RICHIE

8 p.m., & 1/14, 1/18, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com.

George Clinton (Courtesy)

15 JAN.. SUNDAY

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

KABIR SINGH 8 p.m., LA Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy. com.

UNLV MEN’S BASKETBALL

VS. COLORADO STATE

4 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center, unlvtickets.com.

UNLV WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. NEW MEXICO 3 p.m., Cox Pavilion, unlvtickets.com.

COLLECTIVE SOUL 8 p.m., the Pearl, ticketmaster.com.

TIËSTO

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

STEVE AOKI

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

WAYNE BRADY

10 p.m., Mirage Theatre, ticketmaster.com.

SCREAMROCKMOSH X

Ft. Oni Inc., Kalani, Young Trapp Daddy, Driftone, This Is Rogue Two, Deadshot, Killfish, 8 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, seetickets.us.

GRYFFIN

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

MOXIE

With Flamingos in the Tree, Secos, 8 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com.

CHRIS LAKE

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

BLOODBELLY BLUES

With Sewer Gap, Blasphemous Inebriation, Quantum Colossus, In Memory Of, 10 p.m., Double Down Saloon, doubledownsaloon.com.

CHARLES D

With Michael Blain, Polliwog, 10 p.m., Discopussy, discopussydtlv.com.

MONDAY

JAN..

16

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. DALLAS STARS

During their team’s six-year history, Golden Knights fans have enthusiastically paid tribute to former players and coaches who have returned to T-Mobile Arena on the opposing side. It’ll be interesting to see how they react to the first appearance by a polarizing figure, Pete DeBoer, now coach of the Dallas Stars. Though the Knights’ second coach finished his tenure here with a 98-50-12 record and took the team to the Western Conference Finals twice, some fans never warmed up to him after he came over from division rival San Jose to replace original VGK coach Gerard Gallant. In his first year with the Stars, DeBoer had his squad in first place in the Central Division at press time, largely on the strength of a dynamic first line comprising Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and onetime Golden Knights nemesis Joe Pavelski. 3 p.m., $25+, T-Mobile Arena, axs.com. –Spencer Patterson

SUPERGUIDE

MLK DAY PARADE

10 a.m., Downtown Las Vegas, kingweek lasvegas.com.

UNLV WOMEN’S

BASKETBALL VS. BOISE STATE 8 p.m., Cox Pavilion, unlvtickets.com.

HEART OF GOLD

With The Wildfires Projekt, Rookie of the Year, Calamity and Joy, 7 p.m., the Griffin.

RICH HALL

8:30 & 10:30 p.m., Laugh Factory, ticketmaster.com.

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

FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS, VISIT LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM.

JOE GATTO 8 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com.

JAKE RYAN SHEPARD 1 p.m., SoulBelly BBQ, soulbellybbq. com.

(AP Photo)

SUPERGUIDE

MATTHIAS

TANZMANN

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

FRANKIE MORENO 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.

STEVE AOKI 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, events.taogroup.com.

JIMMY POWERS & THE HANG DYNASTY 10 p.m., Sand Dollar Downtown, sanddollarlv.com/downtown.

SAUNDRA LYLE: WOMEN OF FIRE Why wait until March to celebrate inspirational women? Saundra Lyle kicks o 2023 with a commemoration of her own, and you’re welcome to join in. In her latest exhibit, Women of Fire at Left of Center Art Gallery, the local artist pays tribute to women in Congress, in sports, and from the worlds of television, theater, art, literature and more. In one painting, for example, Serena Williams is depicted with her tennis racket in blue with pops of red and yellow. Lyle has partaken in other Left of Center exhibits over the years, including Bending the Arc, a group show focused on social justice and Clark County Public Art’s Representation Matters, another group show centered on Black identity and portraiture. Women of Fire runs through March 25, with a reception scheduled for January 21 at noon. Free, Left of Center Gallery, leftofcenterart.org. –Evelyn Mateos (Photo Courtesy)

AGAINST ALL ODDS: OSCAR GOODMAN & THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JIMMY CHAGRA MURDER TRIAL 7 p.m., the Mob Museum, themobmuseum.org.

JENNY ZIGRINO

With Joe Praino, Marsha Warfield, Michael Yo, 7 p.m. Comedy Cellar, comedycellar.com.

KIM LEE 10:30 p.m., EBC at Night, wynnsocial.com.

ASTONISHING. UNPREDICTABLE. MIND-BENDING.

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

Tickets at OmegaMart.com

PEOPLE

DRAWN TO VEGAS

Tattoo artist Hiram Casas finds his American dream in his adopted hometown

Q+A

Even before Hiram Casas learned how to write, he knew how to draw. The native of Havana, Cuba, studied at the San Alejandro National Academy of Fine Arts, one of the oldest cultural institutions in Cuba. That training led him to become a graphic designer and, eventually, a tattooist.

The 12-year tattoo artist’s hyper-realistic portraits, rich in contrast and striking against the skin, have earned him airtime on Paramount Network’s Ink Master and driven business to Basilica Tattoo, a tattoo studio Casas coowns with award-winning color surrealism artist Vic Vivid.

We caught up with Casas to discuss Ink Master, his immigrant journey and how Las Vegas has played a major part in it all.

Havana is a long way from Las Vegas. What brought you out here? When I came to the States, I lived in Florida for a few months and then I met my wife, [who] was living in Vegas, and that’s the reason why I came here. … Now I have two kids. Now I own a house. Now everything’s here. This is my home.

What were your initial impressions of the city? I was in a small town in Florida, Deltona, really close to Orlando. Just one main street, pretty country for me. So when I moved to Vegas, and my wife took me for a ride on the Strip, I was like, Wow, this is what the United States really is. Everything was more organic, even without [me speaking] English. I had my wife going with me to places and translating for me in order to get a job, but … it was easy to come here and [find] some opportunities. That was what I was trying to achieve. Get some opportunities and take advantage of them, because where I come from ... you don’t really have opportunities presented to you. … Now I have this opportunity where I can actually draw on people and make a living out of it.

was an outlaw feeling, especially because tattooing [in Cuba] ... had some legal limbo, where you’re not really doing anything illegal, but at the same time there’s no institution that granted you a permit to do the work.

BASILICA TATTOO

It’s the human touch—that’s what draws me to tattooing. You have that experience when you have a client and you get to meet people, [they] share their life and you share that bond. You’re getting into art through pain in some kind of way. It’s impactful.

3170 E. Sunset Road #G, 702-888-3881, basilicatattoo. com. Wednesday-Sunday, noon-6 p.m.

Did putting permanent art on people make you nervous when you began tattooing? When I started I was in my teens, early 20s, so I guess I wasn’t that deep. I was just trying something cool. I was trying to belong. It

You competed on Season 13 and 14 of Ink Master. Were you a fan of the show before that? I wasn’t really following it, but I knew what it was about, and I liked those kinds of competitions. I didn’t have that attitude that most people that worked with me had toward the show. They’d say it’s bad for the industry and it’s not showcasing tattooing in the right way. What I was thinking at the time was the opposite. I think it’s great for the industry. It’s opening our business to a massive audience, everybody’s getting more in

touch with our industry, and it’s helping us to be recognized. There is no specific way to present art. It’s so subjective, and the best thing you can do is make it open for more people to receive it. That’s what matters.

Are there any pieces you’ve done at your shop that are especially meaningful to you? Everyone that sits in my chair will get a unique piece. Whatever I create is always for you, and I do it with you, too. I want it to have your stamp on it to look the way you want it, and I always put my own. That’s my way to throw some kind of karma into the atmosphere. I always want to give my best into everything I do. People appreciate it more when they can tell you’re trying the most. That bond, to me, matters. For some people it’s just a canvas. That’s not the case for me. I always create relationships with my clients. We stay in touch. I want it to always mean something.

What’s it like to look back on your journey from Havana to Las Vegas and see yourself as an artist and business owner? I appreciate it a lot. I believe in luck. I believe in hard work. I believe in being a good person. If you create the right relationship and you behave the right way with people, then that will open opportunities for you. I didn’t make it by myself. I always have great people surrounding me. And this is just the beginning of the journey.

Hiram Casas (Christopher DeVargas/ Staff) and (left) some of his work (Courtesy)

BY AMBER SAMPSON

R I S I N G U P

Essence Booker COVER

STORY

Keshon Gilbert

BY MIKE GRIMALA

Last March, the UNLV women’s basketball team won the Mountain West Conference tournament. It made for quite a scene.

Family, friends and fans swarmed the court at the Thomas & Mack Center. Point guard Essence Booker was named tournament MVP. Head coach Lindy La Rocque ascended a ladder to cut down the net. A few days later, the team and hundreds of supporters gathered on campus to watch the NCAA Tournament selection show.

The vibe around the program was pure, and the March Madness fanfare was well-deserved for a team that won 26 games and made the big dance for the rst time in 20 years. And it didn’t go unnoticed by their players’ peers.

Keshon Gilbert, who had just completed his freshman season with the UNLV men’s basketball team, remembers watching the women’s run and taking notes.

“It was right in front of us,” Gilbert says. “It kind of made us say, if they can do it, we can do it.”

A season later, both programs are thriving, with a combined record of 23-5 at press time. The women are favorites to win the league again, and the men stormed out to a surprising 10-0 start under second-year coach Kevin Kruger and have played their way into the at-large discussion for the 2023 tournament.

Kruger and La Rocque have a lot in common, from their local ties to their plans for improving their respective programs.

Both spent formative years around Las Vegas basketball. Kruger’s father, Lon, coached the UNLV men from 2004-11, and Kevin joined the team as a grad transfer for the 2006-07 campaign. He led the Scarlet and Gray in assists that season and guided the team on an exhilarating run to the Sweet 16.

La Rocque’s dad, Al, was a legendary prep coach who racked up 280 wins and a pair of state championships at Durango High School. Lindy starred for the girls’ team and earned a scholarship to play at Stanford (2008-12); before that, she served as a ball girl for the UNLV men’s team from 1998 to 2002.

UNLV is the rst head coaching job for both, but they have quickly proven capable of leading a program.

La Rocque took over a squad that hadn’t made the NCAA Tournament in two decades, but based on her familiarity with the Mountain West, she believed a fast

turnaround was possible.

“I felt like I knew the league,” La Rocque says. “I felt it was winnable. And I think we got the right people in place really quickly, which is sometimes the hardest part. I felt it was a place that had the structure and the resources for that success. We just had to pull it out.”

Kruger’s task was di erent, based on the outsize expectations of a fan base that still remembers the Jerry Tarkanian teams—including the 1990 national champs.

It’s impossible to turn a mid-major program into a title contender overnight, but Kruger says he thinks UNLV can get there. “It’s an extremely unique job. We’re not going to snap our ngers and be Tark’s Runnin’ Rebels. Don’t get me wrong, we would love to be as good and feared and dominant as the Tark-era Runnin’ Rebels.

“But it’s something that, having lived here, played here—my dad coached through it—I think if anything, that helped me understand the expectations of being a Final Four contender every year. We’ve got to build it.”

Behind promising young coaches and local recruits, UNLV’s men’s and women’s basketball programs are on the upswing

(Steve Marcus/Photo Illustration)

La Rocque

Kruger

When it comes to building a roster, Kruger and La Rocque diverge slightly on the type of players they’re seeking.

When Kruger and his assistants gathered in the o season to set their recruiting agenda, there was a clear priority. “We kept nding ourselves gravitating toward defensive-minded guys who play hard,” he says.

Since time immemorial, freshmen have struggled to guard at the NCAA level. That led Kruger to the transfer portal, where he found a rotation’s worth of willing defenders in senior wings E.J. Harkless, Eli Parquet and Luis Rodriguez. All three veterans became opening-night starters, and UNLV now elds one of the best

defenses in the country. The Scarlet and Gray ranks 38th nationally and second in the Mountain West in defensive e ciency, and the team is No. 1 in the nation in forcing turnovers.

The team has a clear identity, and all players have bought into Kruger’s defense- rst vision. The wins have followed.

La Rocque has leaned in the other direction, seeking out players who bring a variety of talents to the o ensive end of the court.

“When we’re recruiting high school players or transfers, we really value some o ensive skill set,” La Rocque says. “Being able to be multidimensional. I don’t ever want to play with someone out there that can’t do something o ensively, because

then you’re playing 4-on-5.”

Desi-Rae Young ts that mold. The 6-foot-1 center from Desert Oasis was a member of La Rocque’s rst recruiting class at UNLV, and she has developed into perhaps the most e cient o ensive force in the Mountain West. She averaged 15.2 points per game last year as a sophomore en route to MWC Player of the Year honors, and she has upped her production to 17.8 points this season while making 61.0% of her shots.

The UNLV women averaged 75.3 points per game last year, ranking second in the Mountain West. This season they’re up to 78.6 points, rst in the league and 28th in the nation at press time.

Desi-Rae Young (Steve Marcus/Sta )

Both teams take after their point guards, and that’s by design.

Gilbert has been nothing short of a revelation for the Scarlet and Gray men. Recruited out of Durango while Kruger was still an assistant under previous head coach T.J. Otzelberger, Gilbert was often considered an afterthought in his class. His tenacious, attacking style on defense earned him minutes as a freshman and quickly made him a fan favorite.

Now Gilbert’s o ensive game has caught up. He’s averaging 12.5 points and a team-best 3.7 assists per game, and, after a December 10 win over Washington State, Kruger paid him the ultimate compliment by saying the entire team takes after Gilbert.

Gilbert seems to understand the gravity of that statement. “It means a lot,” he says. “I think everybody on the team has that dog in them, but to hear him say that, it de nitely means a lot.”

While Gilbert’s game has blossomed naturally, Booker has had to work to master her role as the point guard for the women’s team.

Through her rst three collegiate seasons ( rst at UNR, then Ball State), the Spring Valley product played shooting guard and considered that to be her true position. But La Rocque recognized her potential as a oor general and convinced her to transfer to UNLV and run the point.

“I didn’t think I could do it,” Booker says. “She thought I could do it. I was very nervous and questioning myself and didn’t have a lot of con dence. She said, ‘This is what you’re going to do, and we’re going to take on this challenge together.’ And she’s morphed me into this elite point guard.

“It not only has helped my game, but it has helped me become a better leader.”

Booker turned in a career year at her new position, averaging a team-high 15.5 points and 3.8 assists. And when the stakes were highest in the MWC tournament, Booker came through by hitting all the big shots and earning MVP honors.

With Booker and Gilbert playing point guard, both teams are in good hands.

JANUARY 14

Colorado State 4 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center

JANUARY 24

Wyoming 8 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center

JANUARY 28 UNR 7 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center

FEBRUARY 3 Fresno State 8 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center

FEBRUARY 14 San Jose State 7 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center

FEBRUARY 24 Air Force 6:30 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center

JANUARY

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY 23 Utah State 6:30 p.m., Cox Pavilion

Booker and Gilbert (Steve Marcus/Photo Illustration)

The Future

With its basketball programs surging, it’s only natural to look toward the future and wonder how long UNLV can keep it going. A mid-major school is a stepping stone for young coaches, and if they continue winning at their current rates, La Rocque (33 years old) and Kruger (39) will be fielding offers before long.

La Rocque previously served as an assistant at Stanford, her alma mater, so there have already been whispers about her path to becoming the Cardinal head coach someday. UNLV has done what it can on that front, signing her to a five-year contract extension in May.

Kruger, who has been an assistant at Northern Arizona and Oklahoma, has three years remaining on his current contract after this season. His father retired as head coach at Oklahoma two years ago and moved back to Las Vegas in order to be closer to his son and their family. Kruger says he’s happy with his current situation but that he hasn’t had any extension talks with UNLV.

In fact, he says his dad would probably advise against that. “I’ve got a pretty good mentor, and if I brought that up, I’m pretty sure he’d say you’d better just go win ballgames and let the rest take care of itself.”

The Next Wave

To continue surging, UNLV must win on the recruiting trail

The NCAA’s newly instituted one-time transfer rule has changed the recruiting landscape, making it more common for veteran college players to seek out new homes. Under Kevin Kruger, for instance, UNLV has made itself a landing spot for underappreciated grinders who are looking for expanded roles.

That formula has served Kruger well so far, but he also recognizes the importance of wooing high-upside youngsters from the high-school ranks. Sometimes that means going out of state, as he did in signing explosive Class of 2023 guard Brooklyn Hicks of Timberline (Lacey, Washington). It also means targeting the talent-rich Las Vegas area.

UNLV is currently in the mix for Class of 2024 point guard D.J. Thomas, a 4-star player who led Liberty to a state championship last year. His father is former UNLV player Dedan Thomas; they both attended UNLV’s upset win over Dayton at the Thomas & Mack Center earlier this season.

Kruger says he wants UNLV to be a destination for top local prospects. “Anytime you recruit a local player there’s just a different type of relationship,” Kruger says. “It’s a stronger relationship because of how much you can be around each other, how often they can be on campus and come to games.

“There’s a lot of talent here in Las Vegas. If we could build a Runnin’ Rebel team around a core of Las Vegas guys, we would love it.”

On the women’s side, Lindy La Rocque has three newcomers signed for the Class of 2023.

Meadow Roland is a 6-foot-2 forward from Fresno, California, who has already drawn Desi-Rae Young comparisons from La Rocque, a high bar to set. Amarachi Kimpson is a top point guard prospect from Little Elm, Texas, and McKinna Brackens is an athletic forward from Fairfield, Texas.

(Steve Marcus/AP

Photo/Photo Illustration)

NEWS IN THE

Group will sue to protect rare ower

TIEHM’S BUCKWHEAT LISTED AS ENDANGERED IN DECEMBER

A national conservation advocacy group said it plans to sue the federal government for failing to preserve the habitat of an endangered flower species that grows on a small swath of land in western Nevada.

In a letter January 9 to U.S. Interior Secretary Debra Haaland and Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning, the Center of Biological Diversity said it intends to file a lawsuit against the government pursuant to the Endangered Species Act. The group alleges livestock grazing, unfettered by BLM, has adversely a ected the designated habitat of the Tiehm’s buckwheat—a rare species of wildflower found only on 10 acres of BLM land in the Rhyolite Ridge area of the Silver Peak Range mountains in Esmeralda County.

Tiehm’s buckwheat, the letter states, faces numerous threats, including a proposed lithium mine near the flower’s natural habitat.

The plant grows about six inches from the ground and blooms into small, yellow flowers resembling a pompom. There are about 15,000 Tiehm’s buckwheat plants growing in Nevada.

Patrick Donnelly, the Center of Biological Diversity’s director for the Great Basin region, said in a news release announcing the letter he recently took a trip to the plant’s protected 10-acre allotment and photographed seven cows grazing and trampling over plants on the land.

Spiegelworld, the producer of hit Strip variety shows Absinthe, OPM (formerly Opium) and Atomic Saloon Show, has purchased the California town of Nipton, some 60 miles southwest of Las Vegas, for $2.5 million.

In an email statement, the circus company says it bought the former mining town— founded in 1905, with a current population of 20—with the intention of making it its base of operations, a sheltered place “where Spiegelworld artists and performers will retreat to dream, create

and undertake unfettered artistic experimentation.”

Surprisingly for a town so small, Spiegelworld is getting a lot of raw material to work into its dream. Its existing structures include a five-room adobe hotel, a café, a general store, a schoolhouse, a town hall and a few tepees. And the town’s previous owners, who’d hoped to make Nipton into a cannabis-friendly resort, imported a few Burning Man art pieces, the most striking of which is Clayton Blake’s Perpetual Consumption Apparatus, a trio of circular towers of shopping carts.

The Golden Knights play Edmonton on January 14 at 7 p.m.

(Courtesy)

Spiegelworld’s public-facing plans for Nipton include building on both foundations, with an “art-directed, luxury accommodation and restaurant experience for a limited number of visitors,” and an artist-in-residence program that will enhance the town’s burgeoning sculpture park. But if Spiegelworld’s three Vegas shows have demonstrated any one thing again and again, it’s that this company loves surprises. Nipton will be a proving ground for those surprises, says Spiegelworld’s Ross Mollison.

–Geo Carter

NEVADA

Spiegelworld buys California town

POLITICS

BY THE NUMBERS

1,653

Las Vegas running back Josh Jacobs led the NFL in rushing with a yardage total that ranked second all-time in franchise history. He’s the first Raider to lead the league in rushing since Marcus Allen in 1985. The team did not pick up his fifth-year option, so he’ll be a free agent.

END OF THE LINE

Kansas City running back Isiah Pacheco (10) fends off a tackle by Las Vegas safety Duron Harmon (30) at Allegiant Stadium during the teams’ final regular-season game. The Raiders lost, 31-13, to end their season with a 6-11 record. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

MUSIC New radio station devoted to EDM

As electronic dance music solidifies its grip on Las Vegas, from its clubs to its stadiums to entire resort properties, it’s only fitting that its influence should at last encompass the airwaves. Acid 87.7 FM, a 24-hour dance music station that appeared on Vegas’ dial in late 2022, plays a mix of EDM artists that aspires to go deeper than the club headliners and large-type festival names.

“While we sprinkle in some [big crossover pop records], we try to be more authentic,” says Acid’s operations manager, Brandon Anjeleno. “Hopefully, we can earn our street cred with hardcore house and EDM fans, and still find a balance.”

Refreshingly, Acid is independent and locally owned. That’s an advantage the station intends to leverage both creatively—its Friday and Saturday night show, Hometown Heroes, features local DJs—and in reaching every corner of Vegas’ EDM-listening market, from local Fremont East clubgoers to the visitors who drop in for Electric Daisy Carnival.

“People on their way here, coming to see a show or festival or DJ or whatever, will have this radio station,” Anjeleno says. “Then, hopefully, when you leave, you’ll take the station with you, either [live or streaming], and you’ll get to relive those memories.”

Acid 87.7 is online now at acid877.com –Geoff Carter

“As we greet the promise of a new day, I want you to know that I am fully committed to putting the future back in the hands of the people. That is the Nevada way. … It is in our blood and in our bones.”

– Gov. Joe Lombardo, during his

January 3

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BEYOND THE STATS

Southern Nevada continues efforts to reduce homelessness

BY SHANNON MILLER

On Las Vegas Boulevard just south of Charleston, a cold light streams into the lobby of Hebron housing community, illuminating shelves—some empty and some neatly stocked with canned goods, dry pasta and beans, boxes of apples, instant mac and cheese and hygiene products.

“Happy New Year!” a tenant greets Merideth Spriggs, sitting behind the front desk. “You’re open tomorrow, right?”

“Happy New Year!” replies a smiling Spriggs, founder and chief kindness officer of Hebron’s umbrella organization Caridad. “We are! Ten to three, but I’ll be here earlier.” She continues to chat about the best places to watch the fireworks on New Year’s Eve.

It’s just before 10 a.m. on an overcast

Friday, and Spriggs has been at her post for a few hours sorting mail, processing rent checks, directing deliveries and guests and monitoring a grid of about 20 security cameras throughout the low-income and transitional housing complex in the city’s urban core.

“Most people don’t really cause me drama here, because they want to just come in and use the food pantry and charge their phone,” she explains.

Spriggs founded her nonprofit in 2014 with a mission to “humanize the homeless.” The charity began doing street outreach Downtown and leading a federal program focusing on veteran and chronic homelessness. In 2019, Caridad launched a job training program, Caridad Gardens, for veterans and folks transitioning out of homelessness, she says.

The organization assumed operations of the 124-unit low-income housing at Hebron this year.

“We have workforce dorm housing here, where they’re in roommate situations. So our team can literally meet somebody, put them in here and, within 30 days, get them their identifying documents, working full-time and paying their own way in their own apartment here,” Spriggs says. “Everybody pays rent.”

“How much do you charge for a room?” one visitor inquires. Spriggs says it’s based on income, but the standard rate is $785. “We have a three-month waiting list,” she gently explains.

‘A Housing Problem’

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), affordable housing is defined as housing for which the tenant or household is paying no more than 30% of their income. Advocates say when a household spends more than 30% of its income on housing expenses including utilities and repairs, other basic needs can suffer, including health care, nutrition, transportation and the ability to perform at school and at work.

Nevada’s lack of affordable housing—particularly in the Las Vegas metropolitan area— is one explanation for ongoing homelessness in the region. According to a 2022 report

from the nonprofit National Low Income Housing Coalition, the state had the highest percentage (81%) of extremely low-income renters with “severe cost burdens,” followed by Florida (80%), California, Oregon and Arizona (76%).

More than 97,000 or one-fifth of Nevada renters earn 0% to 30% of area median income. (That’s less than $20,000, per the latest federal data.) Of that group, 81% are severely cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than half their income on housing costs, per the report.

Households that do not make enough income to pay rent—a number that has spiked in Southern Nevada since the pandemic—are at risk of eviction and becoming homeless. A 2020 census and survey of homeless individuals found that 47% of respondents who reported experiencing homelessness for the first time said they “lost their housing because they could no longer afford it.”

“Homelessness is a housing problem,” says Clark County Social Services Manager Michele Fuller-Hallauer. “Without safe, accessible, affordable housing, we will not solve this issue.”

According to Southern Nevada Homeless Continuum of Care, a network of local organizations and government agencies in charge of coordinating funding for homeless services and transitional housing, more than 6,000 people experience homelessness in Southern Nevada on any given night.

Fuller-Hallauer says the pandemic presented opportunities to “test” new approaches and interventions. Its Operation Home initiative set an “audacious” goal to “house 2,022 high-risk unhoused community members by the end of 2022.”

“We exceeded that stretch goal,” Fuller-Hallauer says. “And that has helped us to really move the needle on some things … that, moving forward, will become part of interventions and will become standardized. That was our community. Providers really stepped up, and landlords have partnered with us.”

She adds that state and local officials made “strides” in 2022, mentioning former Gov. Steve Sisolak’s

allocation of $500 million in American Rescue Plan funds for affordable housing projects.

Last year, Clark County also made hefty investments by initiating a Community Housing Fund with $160 million to help developers with gap financing, and to create incentives for more building. The county announced that the first round of awards, totaling $120 million, was expected to lead to the construction of about 3,100 affordable housing units for low-income families and seniors.

2023 Point-In-Time Count

Depending on construction, it can take several months before people can move into new affordable housing.

In the meantime, the Continuum of Care is seeking 600 volunteers for its annual Point-In-Time Count to assess the current situation. The regional census of the homeless population is scheduled for January 26, and is required by HUD to determine funding for transitional housing and homeless services.

“During the pandemic, we had to modify the methodology because of … not wanting volunteers to be out and get potential exposure,” Fuller-Hallauer explains. “[This year], we’ll be going to our traditional method—full-on canvassing that we have done previously.”

Volunteers will be trained, assigned to predetermined deployment areas and asked to look for and count the number of homeless people there.

They’ll also be asked to conduct surveys, to determine demographics information and factors that contributed to lost housing.

While the Continuum of Care phases out of pandemic mode, it also awaits the distribution of $15 million in federal funds for programs to “reduce unsheltered homelessness.” The Continuum of Care submitted a final application to HUD in October, according to documents on its website.

Fuller-Hallauer says that money will be used for “various types of outreach, including medical and street outreach … some supportive and wraparound services that help people connect to services and get housing … rapid rehousing projects and permanent supportive housing projects.”

Such services help people move toward stability and can be the difference between life and death for those experiencing homelessness, Spriggs says.

In December, Hebron hosted a vigil in partnership with the outreach group Straight From the Streets, recognizing hundreds of lives lost as a result of homelessness. In one particularly moving moment, she says, a resident named Andrew “shared his story … and the fact that he knew he was going to die on the streets if he had not come into our housing.

“It’s just so full circle that Straight From the Streets got him the house, and he got to share at the homeless vigil,” Spriggs says. “He wasn’t a statistic.”

Attendees at a Straight From the Streets vigil for lives lost to homelessness, hosted at Hebron in December (Courtesy/ Merideth Spriggs)

BACK FROM THE FUTURE

Cool gadgets and other takeaways from CES 2023

BY AMBER SAMPSON

The week after the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) always feels like one big tech hangover. For one week, conventioneers were thrust into the very-near (and often ways-off) future. We saw the world’s first color-changing concept car (thanks, BMW). We marveled at LG’s gigantic 97-inch OLED TV, one of the first wireless models of its kind. We did what folks at CES tend to do: get lost in possibility together.

After a rough 2022, full of COVID fears that forced many leading exhibitors to pass on in-person attendance at the convention, the show needed a year like this. Microsoft returned in full force, as did others like Google and Lenovo (with a head-turning dual-screen collapsible laptop).

After the exhibit floor languished from light foot traffic last year, every square inch felt alive this time. Congested halls full of international travelers kept exhibitors busy. The Boring Company’s Las Vegas Convention Center Loop ran around the clock, Teslas weaving through tunnels underground

to the West Hall and Resorts World through a connecting path.

It rained a lot the rst day, cloaking the city in an eerie dystopian darkness like a deleted scene from Blade Runner 2049. It t the mood for some of the Black Mirror-esque tech I saw.

I’d never taken the warnings about arti cial intelligence replacing us very seriously … until I saw Xorbis’ Sketcher X robot draw a person in real time. The disembodied “artistic performing humanoid” bears a strong resemblance to the bots in 2004’s I, Robot And if it wasn’t for the large robotic arm protruding out of its side, you’d swear it had a heartbeat. Its eyes blink naturally, its lips part and shut believably. “I’ve nished analyzing you now,” it told an attendee who sat down to have her portrait drawn. “Now, let’s begin our pleasant conversation.”

The robot responds to what’s being discussed through eyebrow raises and even smiles as it draws. The portraits created were thin-lined croquis sketches that still factored in facial expressions, structure and items such as eyeglasses. But Sketcher X can create more advanced drawings through various methods.

Virtual humans were another big ticket at CES this year. The oor featured plenty of holograms and virtual shopping assistants, and DeepBrain AI’s hyper realistic 2D and 3D AI humans astounded. The startup can make a virtual replica of a person’s body, mannerisms and voice through deep learning, video and voice synthesis technology and motion capture of the subject at an in-person studio.

TECH

Scripts can be programmed into the AI, as DeepBrain showcased with the virtual twin it created of comedian Howie Mandel, which answered questions from the CES crowd.

What’s more, DeepBrain has ReMemory, a service that allows the company’s technology to work o pre-captured video interviews with elderly loved ones to create a human AI of them after they die. We’re de nitely catching up to science ction here. Everyone raced to nd the next big thing on the show oor, from Sony and Honda’s new electric car, Afeela, to a $3,300 self-driving stroller. My personal favorite gadgets skewed toward tech I could foresee the world

using very soon.

Nuvilab’s AI food scanner immediately stood out for its potential in our personal diets, school cafeterias and restaurants. The scanner analyzes and

identi es what’s on your plate in real time, displaying calories, nutrients, volume and potential allergens. It can also reduce food waste in restaurants by showing how much produce—and money—is being wasted when leftovers are discarded. Nuvilab operates in Korea but is working with Microsoft and Nestlé to expand.

Agrist o ered more neat food tech with its autonomous pepper-picking robot called “L.” The harvester, designed to address the agricultural labor shortages in Japan and the challenges of the aging farmer, would free up a signi cant amount of time for them. Perhaps our U.S. farms could also someday bene t from the fruits of L’s labor.

Robots as a service seemed to be a common thread this year. Aeolus Robotics’ debuted its dual-arm robot Aeo as the next potential addition to hospitals. Autonomous and essentially tireless, Aeo has the ability to make deliveries and patrol areas to which it has been mapped. It can open doors, disinfect them with UV light and even ride in elevators. It’s also programmed to check on patients, send out alerts about elderly people who have fallen and detect anyone not authorized to be in an area. Aeo’s built-in 360 degree cameras also allow operators to tap into what it sees, much like a livestream.

By the end of my CES, I’d had my ll of robots. So when I discovered Bird Buddy, a smart bird feeder one rep described as “like Pokémon Go for birds,” I was intrigued. Bird Buddy captures footage of every visiting bird and, using its AI, identi es its species and generates a dossier for your phone. You can listen to its song call, review photos and videos of it, learn where it came from and more.

Eventually, you’ll have a collection of birds in your gallery and a way to review other people’s birds through a community feature. It’s bird-watching without leaving your backyard. And in this quickly transforming world, sometimes something that simple is what we need.

(Photos Courtesy of respective companies)

CULTURE

Awakening (Courtesy/Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Wynn Las Vegas)

THE STRIP BELOW THE SCENES

Storytelling unfolds throughout Awakening ’s dynamic stage at Wynn

BY SHANNON MILLER

Even by Las Vegas standards, the new Wynn show Awakening is an unforgettable sensory experience. Puppetry, choreography, laser lights, more than 300 haute couture costumes and set designs based on the four elements all tell the story of one heroine and two fellow travelers chasing magic and meeting obstacles along the way.

At rst glance, the 60-foot stage-inthe-round at the newly rechristened Awakening Theater appears to be just a stage. But as the adventure unfolds, it becomes part of the action. Unlike the tilting and rotating stage in KÀ at MGM Grand, this one is divided into nine pieces that can elevate to di erent levels and create unique landscapes for characters to traverse.

we call a sub deck operator, who is operating [and] moving the scenery and stu below.”

Above all that, six identical “bridges” are capable of rotating and being raised and lowered 8 to 9 ½ feet. Props like a massive cupula t for Dionysus himself, or a life-size 26-foot tree can be brought to the stage from above or from below.

“A lot of the scenery for the show comes from above, from what we call the low grid, and is permanently hung there and is designed to telescope down and come to the stage,” Hurt says. “We [also] have scenery that comes through the oculus hole in the middle of the theater, which has a 28-foot diameter.”

Hurt says it can be a squeeze to get large, heavy props in place, especially for moves that take place in the dark.

AWAKENING

Tuesday-Saturday, 7 & 9:30 p.m., $125-$190.

On the other hand, light—one of the essential design elements in the show—takes up no space. The stage comprises custom LED panels and dichroic glass panels (which appear to be di erent colors from di erent angles) beneath a one-inch layer of glass, polished daily.

Awakening Theater, ticketmaster.com.

While 60 cast members are performing, 120 crew members are behind—or below—the scenes, making sure the show goes o without a hitch.

“To run the show, it takes [coordination] between the stage manager calling the queues, and a main board operator who takes care of what the audience sees,” says executive director of technical operations Dale Hurt, “and that’s the running of the lifts. And then there’s what

“You can bring the oor to the mezzanine level, … The video content can travel from the oor up to the mezzanine,” he says.

Emanating from the stage and surrounding screens, light lends impact to choreography and to turning points in the travelers’ journey.

Hurt, who has been with Wynn for 19 years, says regardless of the numerous elements to harmonize, Awakening’s team of dedicated professionals pulls it o with precision, every night.

“It’s everybody working together to make sure that we can make these moves happen … position[ing] people so that we make sure that everybody’s where they’re supposed to be.”

NOISE

MILES V.

Get to know a rising Las Vegas indie rocker

Backstory: Guitarist Miles Van Blarcom started playing local gigs with Riverside, California, folk band The Union Drifters. In 2016, he went solo as Miles V., an indie rocker with a minimalist approach to songwriting that demonstrates less can be more. In just a few years, the 32-year-old Blarcom has risen among his music peers, stepping outside his own work to produce the track “Break Me Down” on B. Rose’s Closer to Me EP, along with Strip entertainer M3cca’s Latin pop single “Stars and Moons.”

Sound: “I’ve always been a sucker for really catchy choruses,” Blarcom says of his sound. “I grew up with all that poppunk 2000s stuff like Underoath, Taking Back Sunday and Blink-182. But then I hear the British rock sound of Arctic Monkeys, Cage the Elephant and Catfish [and the Bottlemen]. All those worlds are blending into what I write.” Sure enough, “Come and Go,” Blarcom’s latest single, about a short-lived relationship with a woman he met in Europe, shares the structural DNA of Catfish and the Bottlemen’s “7,” reveling in the power of its own simplicity.

Finding a New Voice:

“Singing has always been something I wanted to be good at,” Blarcom says. But a deviated septum robbed him of his confidence for years before he finally got surgery. Ten years ago, while still in The Union Drifters, Blarcom set out to challenge himself. “I did my first open mic in Riverside and I was scared sh*tless. I was sweating,” he remembers. “But that first performance was one of those milestones.” He’s been taking vocal lessons for the past five years, he says, eager to unlearn a lot of bad vocal habits. Several solo releases later, his work is starting to pay off.

Next Up: Blarcom has two singles set to release this spring, which will recall laid-back influences like Elliott Smith and Fleetwood Mac, he says. Catch him live with Michael Richter, Radical West and Sonia Barcelona, January 28 at the Usual Place.

–Amber Sampson

MILES V. linktr.ee/milesvmusic

Miles V. (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

CHEF’S CHOICE

Las Vegan George Fielder presents a lifetime of art in his first-ever show

BY EVELYN MATEOS

Most of us would like to forget the year 2020. But local artist George Fielder says it’s important to remember even the worst of times. That’s why one of the paintings in Through the Eyes of George Fielder, Artist and Chef, up through March 28 at West Las Vegas Library, depicts a crowd at a protest for George Floyd. Some of them are holding up signs, including one with the distressing “I can’t breathe” quote.

“I went to some of the protest marches in town. I heard the sounds, and I realized the pressures of hate and people that don’t want to achieve a goal that you want to achieve and that is freedom and treating people like they should be treated,” Fielder says. “As an artist, we have to always be on call for what’s going on now.”

That piece, along with others the 68-year-old Fielder has created throughout his life, have been collected in his first-ever exhibit. It covers a wide range of themes with one common thread: They’re all important to the artist.

Through the Eyes touches on Egyptian history, depicting women playing musical instruments and men on chariots amid battle. Other paintings reflect nature. One work of red and golden leaves on an autumn day fills the canvas, and another features colorful tulips. Wild horses are also prevalent in his artwork, some in a meadow under a blue sky and others under a red sky, running toward the viewer.

One painting, of a woman in purples hues, is particularly striking. Fielder says it was inspired by an album cover he came across during the 1970s in a record shop in his hometown of Detroit. But he no longer remembers the specific album, and he’s been searching for it for years.

“I took [the painting] to two stores here

ART

[Moondog Records and Record City] for them to look it up ,and they told me that they didn’t find it. I know it’s out there!” he insists with a laugh.

Fielder has been painting for more than 55 years. He recalls his mother encouraging and supporting his interest in art, which took him from paper bags and crayons to art lessons around Michigan. Fielder’s father and that side of the family owned restaurants, however, so as a young child he was exposed to cooking.

Fielder moved to Las Vegas in 1981 and has worked as a chef for more than 40 years, including a stint as executive chef at the Jokers Wild Casino. He now works for C&E Catering.

Art and cooking aren’t actually all that dissimilar, Fielder explains. “[Cooking involves] all kinds of different techniques, like art. If you’re broiling a piece of protein, if you’re searing a piece of protein, if you want to make grill marks on a piece of protein, you have to know what

(Right) Artist George Fielder with his paintings

(Below) “My Lady” by George Fielder (Wade Vandervort/ Staff)

technique you want,” he says.

“Painting is techniques, just like food. There’s a dried technique, there are wet techniques. … There are so many different techniques that we use now to achieve [our goal], just like with art.”

Recently, Fielder briefly taught culinary skills to young men at Spring Mountain Youth Camp on Mount Charleston. Though he enjoyed the experience, he says, he

THROUGH THE EYES OF GEORGE FIELDER, ARTIST AND CHEF

Through March 28; Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. West Las Vegas Library, 702-507-3980.

found it difficult to split his focus between the camp, his full-time job and his passion for art. That led him to show his work, at long last.

“I’ve been painting and drawing since I was a kid, [but] I never did anything with my work. I might have sold one or two pieces in college, but I just never did anything with it,” Fielder says. “So now at 68 years old, I want to see what I can accomplish.”

DOWNTOWN DOUBLE-UP

Peyote chefs return to their roots with La Mona Rosa

BY BROCK RADKE

Things have been moving fast for the local chef tandem of Daniel Arias and Isidro Marquez-Castillo. After impressing Downtown diners with their seafood-focused pop-up concept the Black Pearl at Vegas Test Kitchen, the two were recruited by Corner Bar Management to helm the kitchen at Peyote in February, resulting in the boutique Fergusons restaurant to shift its menu and incorporate Mexican and South American dishes.

and travels through the various regions of Mexico and pays homage to beloved family recipes.

“Peyote was something that happened so quick. [Corner bar founder] Ryan [Doherty] followed what we did with Black Pearl, we did a tasting, and just said let’s do it,” Arias says.

LA MONA ROSA 106 S. Sixth St., 702-600-3196, lamonarosalv.com. Thursday-Sunday, 5-9 p.m.; brunch, Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Now that Corner Bar has acquired the former La Comida space on Fremont and Sixth from the Morton Group, Arias and Marquez-Castillo have been tasked with creating a new, vibrant Mexican concept. The result is La Mona Rosa, which re ects both men’s upbringing

“Over time we kept telling him about our other concepts, and when this came up, we presented them and let him choose.

“This is the stu Isidro and myself grew up eating. We just want to celebrate Mexican cuisine here.”

After a short closure for slight renovations, La Mona Rosa soft-opened on January 6 with a grand opening and full menu unveiling set for February. It might be just a few blocks away

from Peyote, but being right o Fremont East makes a big di erence for the operators and their audience.

“This is one of the best locations we could ever have, and especially having the Corner Bar team known for clubs and the nightlife scene, teaming up with them and combining those things together,” Arias says.

The cuisine could serve as a sort of tour through speci c regions of Mexico, including tamales rojos ($12) from Oaxaca, pozole from Jalisco, and spicy salsa macha from Veracruz. Cochinita pibil ($25), the traditional Yucatan dish of slow-roasted pork wrapped in

banana leaves, is something of a centerpiece.

“There’s a big punch of avors there, from the achiote and citrus [marinade] and then toasted cinnamon, cloves and more,” Marquez-Castillo says.

“You get everything in one bite, and it’s amazing.”

Marquez-Castillo says he’s most excited about sharing his mother’s Oaxacan mole with guests, one of three mole sauces that will be on the dinner menu. There are complex techniques and a plethora of ingredients that go into the dish, and mole is a bit misunderstood, he says.

“The thing about mole is you either like it or you don’t,” Mar-

Cochinita pibil at La Mona Rosa; (inset) Isidro Marquez-Castillo (left) and Daniel Arias (Wade Vandervort/Sta )

quez-Castillo explains. I want to twist it a little bit to make it more approachable for everyone. We’re trying to introduce all these avors slowly, and once everyone likes it, we’ll go full throttle for stronger avors.”

There will be plenty of familiar options like tacos, tostadas, queso fundido and enchiladas to facilitate that journey, and La Mona Rosa will carry on La Comida’s legacy for carefully curated cocktails, with a

menu by head mixologist Dakota Granados. Weekend brunch is expected to be a draw.

“I think the Latin world has expanded a little bit more around the States, and now’s the time to do whatever you want to do” with Mexican food, Arias says.

“Americans and everyone around the world are traveling to Mexico more, and they understand these dishes. We’re trying to showcase that.”

WHERE TO DELIGHT IN YOUR DRY JANUARY

■ Las Vegas is one of the best places in the world to go out drinking, and those doing it without alcohol also have great options here. Many of the Valley’s top cocktail bars and watering holes are amping up their NA o erings this month, including the trio of lounges known as the Cocktail Collective at Venetian and Palazzo.

Electra Cocktail Club is tweaking the traditional Mai Tai with the Byron Bay, made with passion fruit, ginger and lime. The intimate Rosina reconfigures popular party drink the Hurricane with the creation of the Virgin Islands Cooler, tropical flavors set o by house-made ginger syrup. And the Dorsey’s Garden Party cocktail will make your New Year’s resolutions complete with its healthy ingredients of green apple, cucumber, mint and lime.

Always one of the most trustworthy cocktail spots in Chinatown, Sparrow + Wolf is serving up “proofless” libations, including the nostalgia-inducing Orange Creamsicle (orange juice, vanilla bean and soda) and Sage Me From Myself, cold-pressed blueberry and raspberry juice with fresh fennel, pineapple, lemon, sage and demerara cane sugar.

If you’re in need of something a little lighter and more refreshing, check out the CraftHaus Brewery taprooms in Henderson and Downtown Las Vegas. These folks just dropped HopSwell, a sparkling hop-infused water with zero calories, zero sugar and zero booze but plenty of juicy fruit notes and hoppy zing. Anyone who’s tried NA beers in recent years knows they’ve come a long way, and it’s exciting to see a local brewer jump on board. –Brock Radke

The nonalcoholic Byron Bay at Electra Cocktail Club (Courtesy/The Venetian Resort Las Vegas)

WORLD OF CONCRETE HELPS BUILD SOLID FOUNDATION FOR SOUTHERN NEVADA CONVENTION TOURISM TO REBOUND IN 2023

BY BRYAN HORWATH VEGAS INC STAFF

On the heels of what will likely be the largest trade show in Las Vegas this year, the city will host another big one before the month is out.

World of Concrete, a construction industry staple, will take place January 17-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Like the CES tech event that ran January 5-8, this year’s version of World of Concrete will be another step toward normalcy within the trade show industry, which was gutted by the effects the coronavirus pandemic had on travel and large gatherings.

Last year’s World of Concrete show attracted about 37,000 attendees and exhibitors, according to show organizers.

This year, it’s possibly close to 60,000 people could attend, said Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

The show—geared toward the commercial concrete and masonry construction industries—will feature some 1,100 exhibitors.

“The show will definitely be bigger than the past two editions,” said Steven Pomerantz of Informa Markets, the company that puts on World of Concrete and dozens of other trade shows around the globe. “By how much, we won’t know exactly until after the show, as people register up to and during the show.”

In a statement, Jackie James, vice president of the World of Concrete show, said this year’s convention will highlight “advancements in material

ingenuity and growth of the trucking sector.”

The show will highlight advancements made in aerated concrete products, which can be much lighter than traditional concrete pieces, partly because they’re made mostly of air.

An entire pavilion this year will be dedicated to “autoclaved aerated concrete” solutions, show organizers said.

The convention will also debut a panel session presented by the Women’s Association of Concrete Professionals, one of the top associations for women in the concrete industry.

As of last year, women comprised roughly 14% of the construction industry in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

World of Concrete officials expect that figure to grow in the coming years.

“World of Concrete celebrates progress in the business while also providing a platform to discuss and train on the critical topics of tomorrow,” Kevin Thornton, senior vice president of construction at Informa Markets, said in a statement.

As for the return of the trade show industry, that’s been a welcome trend

for Las Vegas tourism officials.

The city relies on the many large conventions that take place in Las Vegas annually to keep guests in hotel rooms during the week, when drive-in visitor traffic from places like Southern California and Arizona is lighter than on a weekend.

Before the pandemic struck in 2020, Las Vegas was drawing more than 6.5 million conventiongoers a year.

“We expect 2023 to be a great year,” Hill said. “I think there’s a good possibility that we will get back this year to the number of attendees to meetings and events that we had pre-COVID.”

By 2026, Hill said, Las Vegas officials hope to have more than 8 million conventiongoers visiting the city.

Las Vegas added 3.5 million square feet of meeting space during the pandemic, Hill said.

“If you take that into the equation, a complete recovery for what we had in 2019 is really a stop along the way,” he said. “By the time we get to 2026, our goal is to get to 8.3 million meeting attendees in Las Vegas.”

Partly because of where they fall on the calendar, having large shows like CES—which pulled in about 100,000 visitors this year—and World of Concrete in January provides a big boost to the Las Vegas tourism effort.

While New Year’s Eve is a popular time for visitors in Las Vegas, the winter months tend to be slower than other times of the year.

In December, tourism officials rely on the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo to help bring folks to town.

In January, it’s CES and events like the World of Concrete—and perhaps a Las Vegas Raiders home game or two—that help move the needle.

“Having CES back, basically close to full strength, that’s a tremendous morale booster for the city,” Hill said. “With CES and World of Concrete, what a great way to get started in 2023.”

Attendees make their way between convention halls during CES 2023 at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 6. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

The board of directors for nonprofit REACH (Research, Education and Access for Community Health) has promoted Rebeca Aceves to president and CEO. Aceves served for six years as executive director for the organization, which provides research, information, development and implementation of programs to improve community health services and access to care, predominantly to the Hispanic community but also to anyone seeking health care services.

Nevada Realtors presented awards to several leaders of the statewide association at an installation and awards event on Friday, recognizing Doug McIntrye as its Realtor of the Year and honoring others from around the state for their continued service to their association, profession and community. McIntyre, of Reno, served as 2022 president of the organization after being president-elect the previous year. Tom Blanchard was officially installed as president for 2023, as were other officers, and the following awards were presented:

n Brad Spires of Gardnerville received the Active in Politics Award for government affairs advocacy.

n Brandon Roberts of Las Vegas

received the Achievement Award for outstanding service to local and state associations.

n Greg Martin of Elko received the Nolan/Reiss Award recognizing spirit, passion and professionalism in serving fellow Realtors.

n Christina Chipman of Las Vegas received the Nevada Distinguished Realtor Award recognizing an NVR member who consistently contributes to the association and the real estate profession. Chipman has directed charitable activities for her local and state associations and led a group that built a house for a needy family in Mexico.

n Grant Meyer of Incline Village received the Inspirational Leader of Tomorrow Award.

n David R. Tina of Las Vegas received the Peek-Woodcock Legacy Award, a lifetime achievement award named after longtime NVR leaders George Peek and Jack Woodcock recognizing extraordinary commitment to volunteerism, political action and promoting professional standards in the real estate industry and throughout Nevada.

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck announced 10 elevations: Travis

MGM Resorts International Operations, Inc. seeks a Data Engineer Sr I in Las Vegas, NV to be responsible for executing the design, development, and operationalization of data integration, engineering, and data platform services to support enterprise data programs. Work from home benefit available within a reasonable commuting distance from Las Vegas, Nevada Office. Apply online at https://careers.mgmresorts.com/global/en job number: 220837 or E-Mail resume to resume@mgmresorts.com and reference job number: 220837.

Chance (Las Vegas), Liz Esposito (Sacramento), Craig Finger (Denver), Justin Lerner (Denver), Chloe Mickel (Denver), Charlotte Phelps (Denver), Amalia Sax-Bolder (Denver), Zach Siegel (Denver), Mike Smith (Denver) and Melanie Taylor (Denver) will all become shareholders.

Pisanelli Bice, a Las Vegas-based law firm, added three new attorneys. Brianna Smith joins the firm as of counsel. Her area of expertise is in civil litigation with an emphasis on business disputes, Section 1983 claims, and the health care industry. Smith served as a deputy chief, assistant U.S. attorney for the Department of Justice in the District of Nevada. Daniel Brady joins the firm as an associate with a focus on commercial litigation. His previous experience includes clerking for the Elissa Cadish of the Nevada Supreme Court. Tyler Stevens joined Pisanelli Bice as a law clerk while attending the Wil-

liam S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV. After completing his juris doctorate and passing the bar, he was promoted to an associate position. His area of practice focuses on civil litigation and business disputes.

Southwest Medical has added four providers to help meet the growing need for health services in the Las Vegas community. Dr. Tuong Bui, who specializes in adult medicine, and Dr. Eric Lee, a hospitalist, join Southwest Medical at the 2716 N. Tenaya Way location. Tammy Collander, APRN joins the Tenaya Healthcare Center location (2704 N. Tenaya Way) and specializes in adult medicine.

Chiamaka Faith Ibeabuchi, APRN joins the Rancho Urgent Care location (888 S. Rancho Dr.) and specializes in urgent care.

Dr. Robert Smith joined OptumCare Anesthesia (2716 N. Tenaya Way), specializing in anesthesia.

The Plaza hired Sue Ascanio as general manager. Ascanio has more than 30 years of experienced as a gaming and hospitality executive. She most recently served as general manager at River Rock Casino in Sonoma County, California, but began her career in Las Vegas.

MGM Resorts International Operations, Inc. seeks an Advanced Analytics Data Scientist in Las Vegas, NV to work collaboratively with marketers, analysts, and strategists to define the advanced analytical modeling capabilities and outcomes required to enable personalization use cases. Work from home benefit available within a reasonable commuting distance from Las Vegas, Nevada Office. Apply online at https://careers.mgmresorts.com/global/en job number: 221203 or E-Mail resume to resume@mgmresorts. com and reference job number: 221203.

Stevens

Brady

Smith

Ascanio

PREMIER CROSSWORD HOROSCOPES

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In Nigerian author Wole Soyinka’s reworking of the ancient Greek play, The Bacchae, the god Dionysus criticizes King Pentheus. “You are a man of chains,” Dionysus tells him. “You love chains. You breathe chains, talk chains, eat chains, dream chains, think chains. Your world is bound in manacles.” The coming months will be a favorable time to shed some of your chains. Try to help a few others wriggle free from their chains, too.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The coming weeks will be a great time to fill your journal with more intense ruminations than you have for many moons. Write passionately about an experience you’ve always wanted to try. Conduct imaginary interviews with people who rouse strong feelings in you. Visualize a dream in which you appear as a bolder, more confident version of yourself.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Meditate on channeling your incredible vitality into being grounded and centered. This year is a good time to settle down and focus your energy better. Restlessness—even just tapping your fingers on the table while talking with people, or constantly darting your eyes around the room to check out the ever-changing views, can sap your energy.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): According to author Ronald Sukenick, the writer’s work is “to destroy restrictive viewpoints, notice the unnoticed, speak the unspeakable, shake stale habits, ward off evil, give vent to sorrow, pulverize doctrine, attack and uphold tradition as needed and make life worth living.” This year, carry out those actions, even if you’re not a writer.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Psychotherapist Ryan Howes says, “We need to accept our age. We need to accept illnesses and addictions. We need to accept the past. We need to accept others as they are.” This doesn’t mean we must like all these situations. And we can certainly try to make the best of them. But when we don’t struggle in vain to change what’s beyond our control to change, we have more energy for things that we can actually affect.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Here’s testimony from musician Pharrell Williams: “If someone asks me what inspires me, I always say, ‘That which is missing.’ ” The best way for you to generate motivation and excitement in the coming weeks will be to explore what is lacking, what is invisible, what’s lost or incomplete. Check in with your deep intuition right now.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “Every animal knows far more than you do,” declares a proverb of the Nimíipuu people, also known as the Nez Perce. You will have a special power to enhance your understanding of the world by calling on the savvy of animals and your unconscious mind. They will be especially rich sources of wisdom. Seek out their educational input!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Psychologist Carl Jung said the whole point of Jesus Christ’s story was not that we should become exactly like him. Rather, we should aspire to be our best and highest selves in the same way that he fulfilled his unique mission. So Jesus was not the great exception, but the great example. Life in 2023 will conspire to make you the hero of your own destiny.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Compose a testimony on what it is like to be a Sagittarius. You would benefit from getting clear about the experiences you intend to avoid in 2023. Once you have done that, write a list of the interesting feelings and situations you will seek out with intense devotion during the coming months.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): When he was 74, author Norman Maclean published his first novel, A River Runs Through It. Award-winning director “Beat” Takeshi Kitano directed his first film at age 42. Activist Melchora Aquino, a leader in the Philippines’ fight for independence from Spain, launched her career as a revolutionary in her eighties. This year you will get an upgrade in any area of your life where you have seemed to be a late bloomer.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You will soon be called upon to summon grace under pressure; to express magnanimity while being challenged; to prove that your devotion to your high standards is more important than the transitory agendas of your ego. You are primed and ready to succeed at these assignments.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “By dying daily, I have come to be,” wrote poet Theodore Roethke. He didn’t mean he suffered literal deaths. He was referring to the discipline of letting go of the past; shedding worn-out habits; leaving behind theories and attitudes that once served him well but no longer did; killing off parts of himself that were interfering with the arrival of the fresh future. To the degree that you agree to die daily, you will earn the right to be reborn big-time in a few weeks.

BACKSTORY

RED ROCK CANYON | JANUARY 2, 2023 | 3:35 P.M. I’ve never met a hypnotist with a fog machine I didn’t like, and so the mountain calls my name, just like all other fog machines tend to. I can’t be the only one. Rumor has it that we’re more alike than we are different. I was way different than the hikers on this day. They were prepared. I, meanwhile, put the “loveless” in gloveless, and instead, went full Morrissey and left because it was too cold. –Corlene Byrd

(Corlene Byrd/Staff)