2023-03-09-Las-Vegas-Weekly

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

PUBLISHER MARK DE POOTER mark.depooter@gmgvegas.com

EDITOR

SPENCER PATTERSON spencer.patterson@gmgvegas.com

EDITORIAL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

O ce Coordinator NADINE GUY

CREATIVE

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

Senior Designer IAN RACOMA

Photo Coordinator BRIAN RAMOS

Photographers CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS, STEVE MARCUS, WADE VANDERVORT

DIGITAL

Publisher of Digital Media KATIE HORTON

Web Content Specialist CLAYT KEEFER

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Publisher of Branded Content & Special Publications EMMA WOLFF

Special Publications Editor SIERRA SMART

Senior Advertising Managers MIKE MALL, ADAIR NOWACKI, SUE SRAN

Account Executives DEREK EIGE, LAUREN JOHNSON, ALEX TEEL, ANNA ZYMANEK

Sales Executive Assistants APRIL MARTINEZ, NANCY RAMOS

Events Director SAMANTHA PETSCH

Events Manager HANNAH ANTER

Events Coordinator ALEXANDRA SUNGA

PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION

Vice President of Manufacturing MARIA BLONDEAUX

Production Director PAUL HUNTSBERRY

Market Research Manager CHAD HARWOOD

Production Manager BLUE UYEDA

Associate Marketing Art Director BROOKE EVERSON

Marketing Graphic Designer CARYL LOU PAAYAS

Production Artist MARISSA MAHERAS

Senior Tra c Coordinator DENISE ARANCIBIA

Tra c Coordinator ALEX HAASE

Distribution Relations Liaison JIDAN SHADOWEN

Fulfillment Operations Coordinator CASANDRA PIERCE

Route Administrator KATHY STRELAU

GREENSPUN MEDIA GROUP

CEO, Publisher & Editor BRIAN GREENSPUN

Chief Operating O cer ROBERT CAUTHORN

LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 2275 Corporate Circle Suite 300 Henderson, NV 89074

702-990-2550

lasvegasweekly.com facebook.com/lasvegasweekly twitter.com/lasvegasweekly

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

ADVERTISING DEADLINE EVERY THURSDAY AT 5 P.M.

Cash Cash at Zouk Nightclub

(Courtesy/Tony Tran)

SUPERGUIDE

MUSIC

THURSDAY

IN BLOOM

Weather changes moods. So, too, does art, and the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art is getting ahead of the sunnier seasons with In Bloom, an exhibition of vibrant, nature-inspired works curated for the space by Santa Fe, New Mexico’s Tia Collection. Featuring a mix of paintings, sculpture and other unexpected mediums such as neon, In Bloom mixes abstract and figurative works, underrepresented and well-known artists to inspire visitors to “address ideas of transformation directly, subversively or abstractly” through the lens of “our shared experience of seasonal change,” says MGM Resorts’ director of art and culture Demecina Beehn. (We haven’t been yet, so we know not what it means, but if you’re asking if you should go, we say yeah.) Featured artists include Karla Black, Regina Bogat, Nick Cave, Salvador Dalí, Martine Gutierrez, James Lavadour, Robert Mapplethorpe, Ralph Meyers, Yinka Shonibare CBE, Ai Weiwei and many more, all flowing together to create an atmosphere of tender age in bloom. Daily through September 10, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., $17-$20, Bellagio Gallery of Fina Art, bellagio.mgmresorts.com. –Geo Carter

SPORTS

ARTS

FOOD + DRINK

PAC-12 BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT Thru 3/11, times vary, T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

COMEDY

FROZEN Thru 3/18, times vary, Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com.

THOMAS PUTZIER: FORGOTTEN, REDUX Thru March 26, English Hotel, neonmuseum. org.

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

MICHAEL BOLTON 8 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, ticket master.com.

WAC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT Thru 3/11, times vary, Orleans Arena, ticket master.com.

MINT 400

The month of March is once again a truly wild world of sports in Las Vegas, but few of these varied events have been around as long as the Mint 400. The rugged o -road race was born in 1968 and revived in 2008, and this year’s edition, sponsored by BF Goodrich, o cially kicked o with a vehicle parade along the Las Vegas Strip earlier this week. The O -Road Festival continues the fun on March 9 from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on East Fremont Street, a free, open-to-the-public expo with more than 150 exhibitors and 400 race vehicles on display. Qualifying races get underway March 10 with the start/ finish line midway situated in Primm, where spectator areas include bathrooms, shaded seating, food vendors, more exhibitors and o cial merchandise, bars and a VIP hospitality area. Midway tickets start at $30. Thru 3/12, times & locations vary, themint400.com. –Brock Radke (Courtesy)

LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC SPOTLIGHT II: SCHUBERT’S MIRACULOUS QUINTET

7:30 p.m., Troesh Studio Theater, the smithcenter. com.

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

GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com.

Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon (AP Photo)

LAYZ With LouieJayxx, Lvcid, 10 p.m., We All Scream, seetickets.us.

UNLV OPERA

THEATER: THE TURN OF THE SCREW 7:30 p.m., & 3/10, Judy Bayley Theatre, unlv.edu.

THE ’68 SPECIAL Ft. Justin Shandor, 9 p.m., Liberace Garage, fablv.us.

MARSH 10 p.m., Commonwealth, seetickets.us.

FRIDAY

DVSN

8 p.m., House of Blues, concerts.livenation.com.

ILIZA SHLESINGER 8 p.m., & 3/11, Encore Theater, ticketmaster. com.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY FESTIVAL & PARADE Thru 3/12, times vary, Water Street, cityof henderson.com.

KEITH URBAN 8 p.m., & 3/11, 3/15, Zappos Theater, ticketmaster. com.

BEDOUIN SAGA With Bedouin, Guy Gerber, Kimonos, 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynn social.com.

ANTHONY BONDI: SOLILOQUY Thru 5/12, Core Contemporary Gallery, core contemporary. com.

PLAN YOUR WEEK AHEAD

ADELE 8 p.m., & 3/11, the Colosseum, ticketmaster. com.

DJ SNAKE 10 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zouk grouplv.com.

USHER 9 p.m., & 3/11, 3/15, Dolby Live, ticketmaster. com.

COLIN QUINN 9 p.m., Treasure Island Theatre, treasureisland. com.

DAVID BLAINE 9 p.m., & 3/11, Resorts World Theatre, axs. com.

MAXIMUM DOOM

Ft. Fever Dog, Acid Sentence, Kvasir, Plague Doctor, 8 p.m., Cornish Pasty Co., eventbrite. com.

BRUJERIA With Total Chaos, Art of Shock, 8 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, seetickets.us

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

CHICAGO 8 p.m., & 3/11, Venetian Theatre, ticket master.com.

FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS

8 p.m., & 3/11, Westgate International Theater, ticket master.com.

TIP “TI” HARRIS

7 & 9:30 p.m., & 3/11 (& 3/12, 7:30 p.m.), Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster. com.

INHERIT THE WIND

NELLY 10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, events.tao group.com.

PAULY SHORE

9 p.m., (& 3/11, 8 & 10:30 p.m.), Wiseguys, vegas.wiseguys comedy.com.

JAIME

DA GREAT 11 a.m., Daylight Beach Club, daylightvegas. com.

YOU CAN’T TAKE IT

WITH YOU

Thru 3/19, dates & times vary, Las Vegas Little Theatre, lvlt.org.

GLITTERER

With Object of Affection, 6:30 p.m., Eagle Aerie Hall, seetickets.us.

In 1925, John Scopes made international headlines when he challenged Tennessee’s Butler Act, which banned the teaching of evolution in all educational institutions. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), still in its early days, offered to defend any teacher prosecuted under the law and did exactly that when Scopes was arrested and charged. Now, Majestic Repertory Theatre presents Inherit the Wind, a play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edward Lee about the famous trial—which spawned a 1960 film of the same name—to the local stage, with a venue assist from Vegas Theatre Company. “It’s easy to label Inherit the Wind as a museum piece about a century-old courtroom drama,” artistic director of Majestic Repertory Troy Heard said in a press release, “But our headlines show that what’s unfolding onstage is as charged and relevant as the news from Florida’s schools—schools across the country, in fact. Our goal is to create an electrifying experience for our audiences, and this collaboration with VTC allows that to happen.” Additionally, the ACLU is sponsoring the run and will be present to lead talks after select performances. Thru April 2, times vary, $20-$40, Majestic Repertory, majesticrepertory.com. –Evelyn Mateos

FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS, VISIT LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM.

SUPERGUIDE 11

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

JIMMY BUFFETT & THE CORAL REEFER BAND 8 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs.com.

ART OF THE WILD: RÜFÜS DU SOL 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.

VEGAS CITY OPERA: THE WOMEN OF THE BLACK PANTHERS 3 p.m., West Charleston Library, thelibrarydistrict.org.

JEFF ROSS 8 p.m., M Pavilion, ticketmaster.com.

UFC: YAN VS DVALISHVILI Noon, Theater at Virgin, axs.com.

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

THE FOREST With Late Night Savior, 2 Shadows, Madzilla, Retrogrvde, The Patterns, 7 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, seetickets.us.

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

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

CRASHING WAYWARD With Dominick Muzio, Chemical Tribe, 9 p.m., Count’s Vamp’d, vampdvegas.com.

RL GRIME 11 a.m., Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

ART OF THE WILD: LA SELVA

Art of the Wild is back at Wynn all weekend long, this time featuring international dance music dynamos like Guy Gerber, Dubfire, Black Co ee, Rüfüs Du Sol and Purple Disco Machine. Our pick of the litter for the Spring 2023 edition is the return of La Selva, the jungle-themed party inspired by the Tulum scene. It was perhaps the most talked-about bash from Art of the Wild’s event series this time last year, thanks to a thumping deep-house set from Gordo. Now the La Selva soundtrack will come from U.K. tech-house producer Cloonee, Brazilian hip-hop and house whirlwind Mochakk and Detroit R&B and house music legend Marc Kinchen. Hopefully you’ve been doing your cardio to prepare for this one. Noon, Encore Beach Club, $175+, wynnsocial.com. –Brock Radke

JUMP: THE ULTIMATE DOG SHOW Thru 3/13, 11 a.m. & 1 p.m., Springs Preserve Amphitheater, springspreserve.org.

(Photo Illustration)

MASEGO

There’s a special place in our hearts for the Masegos of the world. The Kingston, Jamaica, saxophonist, singer, producer, DJ and director can practically do it all—and has, across several projects. His 2018 debut, Lady Lady, introduced a sensuality so powerful, an exoticism so prevalent, it can be overwhelming at times. Swaggering singles like “Tadow” seduce listeners with Masego’s sexified saxophone notes, staking his claim as one of the era’s rising stars. The follow-up, 2020’s Studying Abroad: Extended Stay, built upon that with brilliant strokes of bass-rich R&B and escapism you can hear in “Bliss Abroad” and “Mystery Lady.” Get lost in the craft when the man hits Brooklyn Bowl. 7:30 p.m., $38-$1130, Brooklyn Bowl, ticketweb.com. –Amber Sampson

ART OF THE WILD: BLACK COFFEE With Themba, Marques Wyatt 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial. com.

DJ SINCERE Noon, Daylight Beach Club, daylightvegas. com.

ADDICTION

With LA Witch, Damnage, 7 p.m., the Chelsea, master.com.

With master.com. ticket

ART OF THE WILD: ANIMALE With Purple Disco Machine, LF System, Chelina Manuhutu, 2 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial. com.

DANCING WITH THE STARS LIVE 3 & 8 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, ticketmaster. com.

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

LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS With Hillbilly Casino, 8 p.m., the Usual Place, eventbrite. com.

CHALMER With Second Echo, Champagne Lipsmack, 6 p.m., SoulBelly BBQ, eventbrite. com.

DJ NOVA 11 a.m., Liquid Pool Lounge, events. taogroup.com.

MONDAY 13

BRAD GARRETT

With Quinn Dahle & James P Connolly, 8 p.m., & 3/14, Brad Garrett Comedy Club, bradgarrett comedy.com.

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

MAR.

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

JEFF RICHARDS

With Monique Marvez, Trixx, Michael Yo, thru 3/15, 7 & 9:30 p.m., Comedy Cellar, ticket master.com.

(Amy Harris/AP Photo)

(Photo Courtesy)

CLINT HOLMES

7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.

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

ESSEKS & TIEDYE KY 10 p.m., Discopussy, discopussydtlv.com.

On March 14, UNLV’s College of Fine Arts will unveil three new exhibits: Modern Desert Markings: An Homage to Las Vegas Land Art, Am I Your Type and Crowd Burst

In partnership with Nevadans for Cultural Preservation, Modern Desert Markings features five works of Southern Nevada land art—art that’s built into the landscape and uses materials found in the natural environment. For example, Michael Heizer’s “Double Negative” (1969), was created by displacing 244,000 tons of rock to create an impressive trench and … well, a massive pile of rocks outside Overton, Nevada. Ten artists use photography, drawing, sculpture and other mediums to bring fresh interpretation to land art prototypes from the ’60s and ’70s.

Featuring archival materials from UNLV Special Collections, Am I Your Type revolves around text and typefaces to “illuminate a variety of intersections between written language and visual arts,” according to the UNLV website. And in Crowd Burst, black and white photographs by local artist and educator Heather Protz combine with mirrors and mixed media to reveal unexpected angles of city life. Get a peek at all three shows starting on March 14, or attend the opening reception for the trio on March 24 at 5 p.m. Thru July 8; Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., free, Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, unlv.edu/barrickmuseum. –Shannon Miller

BONNIE RAITT

Whether you’ve been with Bonnie Raitt since the early 1970s or only became aware of her by way of last month’s silly furor over her Song of the Year Grammy win for “Just Like That,” her three-night run at the Venetian represents an ideal time to witness her in action. Not only will the 73-year-old blues-guitar badass bring a lifetime of quality music to the stage—18 studio albums’ worth, last we checked—but she’ll arrive at a peak moment in her storied career, just weeks after her unexpected Grammy triumph. Whether one prefers “Just Like That” to Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” or Adele’s “Easy on Me” is irrelevant; what matters is that Raitt herself is undeniably deserving, of whatever honors or rapt audience reactions continue to come her way. March 15, 17-18, 8 p.m., $64-$156, Venetian Theatre, ticketmaster.com. –Spencer Patterson

RICHIE HAWTIN With Barbosa, Jay York, Lindsey Herbert, 9 p.m., location TBD, seetickets. us.

CLOSED TEAR With Lesser Care, Wisteria, Luxury Furniture Store, 8 p.m., Artifice, seetickets.us.

NBA G LEAGUE IGNITE VS. SIOUX FALLS SKYFORCE 7 p.m., & 3/16, Dollar Loan Center, axs.com.

UNLV COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS SPRING EXHIBITS

MICHAEL GRIMM 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com.

ANNA LUNOE 10 p.m., Discopussy, discopussydtlv. com.

(Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

BEER SCIENCE

BY EVELYN MATEOS

Like lots of college students, Amanda Koeller poured beers to pay her way through school. The then 20-something Koeller, studying hotel administration at UNLV, soon developed a genuine curiosity about how suds got made. “I started thinking to myself, ‘What does it take to be a brewmaster?’” says Koeller, who began taking courses toward a Master Brewers Certificate program at UC Davis. She recalls that among 40 students in her class, she was one of just nine women. ¶ After completing her education in 2015, Koeller interned at Henderson’s Bad Beat Brewing before spending six years at Las Vegas’ Big Dog’s Brewing Company, ascending to the lead brewer position. Bad Beat then brought her back to fill its head brewing position in August 2021. ¶ Now, Koeller—the region’s only female head brewer, according to the Nevada Craft Brewers Association—is launching her next chapter: As of March 13, she’ll officially be the head brewer at Las Vegas Brewing Company in the northwest Valley.

What do you enjoy most about beer? Really, the social aspect of it— everybody being able to get together, sit down and have a beverage, and the people that you meet in the community. Also, there’s so many different styles. There’s beer that’s great for warm weather in the summertime. You can get together out at the pool and have a beverage. And the same for the wintertime, when you have your winter warmers.

Same question, but about brewing. There are moments, and it happens almost every single week, where I’ll just be in the brewery, sitting back and thinking, “I can’t believe I’m taking barley that has been malted, and I can create recipes and put them together, and in a couple of weeks, I have beer.”

… And the people that I have met in the brewing industry, the brewers that I’ve worked with, it’s such a great community and we’re all really close.

How do you come up with new craft beers? We do some fun and crazy stuff, but I’m a purist when it comes to styles. I like to brew historic styles and make them true to form. We have an English-style brown ale coming out, so I’ll look at the style guidelines. Then that’s when I start to put what we call a

grain bill together. Different malts are created by different roasting techniques and different drying techniques. So I’ll create a recipe from maybe six different malts in my English brown ale. Then I start to think about the brewing process: Do I want my brown ale to be a little bit on the sweeter side? The answer is yes for that style. Then it goes into the actual brewing process of the mash. The temperature of my mash will make my beer either dry or on the sweeter side. And then I have to think about the yeast: What yeast strain do I want to create [with the] typical characteristics of an English-style brown ale.

And then hops. There’s a variety of English hops, so as a brewer, I decide which English hops to use. How much am I going to add in the boil? All of those things come together, and in a couple of weeks, I have this product that I really want people to drink and go, “Wow, that’s a really good English brown ale.”

You describe this as a creative process, but it’s also clearly science. Do you think of it that way? When I went to UC Davis it was less work in a brewery than classroom work. I mean, you’re talking about chemical compounds of hops, bio transformations that happen in the boil, health of the

yeast and different bacterial contaminations. We even went into the growing of hops and different fungal infections that hops can be prone to seeing little insect infestations. So the program at UC Davis is basically a science base.

Why did you decide to move over to Las Vegas Brewing Company? They’ve only been open for about nine months, so I really want to work with them to create a brand and help them grow. They’ll grow, and I’ll grow.

What does it mean to you to be Nevada’s only female head brewer at the moment? I’m happy that I’m able to do this. I would just like more women to be in the same position. … My goal is to bring awareness to women that this is an industry they can thrive in. One of the brewers that I’ve had with me at Bad Beat, Becca [Halpin], is phenomenal. She started out as my assistant brewer, and she really was the best assistant brewer I’ve ever had. She learned so fast, so I bumped her up to brewer pretty fast, and she’s been excellent.

I think the exposure of her, myself and other women in the brewing industry is really showing more women that it can be accessible.

Amanda Koeller takes the lead role at one of Las Vegas’ newest breweries

MARCH 16-19, 2023 VIEWING PARTY

Catch the first four days of pulse-pounding college hoops at our popular March Fever Viewing Party. You’ll be surrounded by the perfect combination of giant screens, stadium style food, live betting stations, and FUN!

VIP TICKET DETAILS

• THURSDAY: $199 INCLUDES 4 FREE FOOD ITEMS & 5 FREE DRINK TICKETS.

• FRIDAY: $209 INCLUDES 4 FREE FOOD ITEMS & 5 FREE DRINK TICKETS.

• SATURDAY: $159 INCLUDES 4 FREE FOOD ITEMS & 5 FREE DRINK TICKETS.

• SUNDAY: $129 INCLUDES 4 FREE FOOD ITEMS & 5 FREE DRINK TICKETS.

Viewing Party is open to the public. For a guaranteed seat, purchase a VIP ticket. *TICKET

• 4 DAY PACKAGE: $599 INCLUDES 4 FREE FOOD ITEMS PER DAY & 5 FREE DRINK TICKETS PER DAY

VEGAS’BIGGEST FANSPORTS

How mega DJ and music icon Lil Jon fell in love with Las Vegas and its teams

CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS

STUDIO PHOTOS BY

t’s Super Bowl Sunday, and though the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs are set to face o for the Vince Lombardi trophy this afternoon in Arizona, Lil Jon has touched down in Las Vegas, staunchly decorated like a Raider.

Behind his signature shades, the megastar shows o his obsidian black sneakers, tailor-made and terrifying with their large, protruding spikes—a near match to the ones adorned by Raider Nation’s most notoriously committed fans. The multiplatinum crunk king, who introduced himself simply as “Jon,” knows the NFL’s fan base well, and the love ows in both directions.

“A testament to that is when I did the Raiders halftime performance last year. We had the No. 1 rated halftime performance in all of the NFL, of all of the teams’ performances,” says Jon, who has parked himself on a couch inside Weekly’s photo studio for our chat. His shades shield his eyes— even indoors—but his tone is anything but guarded. It’s proud.

“Whenever I go to a Raiders game, or just games in general, they’ll show the clips of that performance, because it was just so good,” he says. “They play my songs at all of them. You can’t go to a sporting event in America without hearing two or three songs with my voice.”

It’s no exaggeration. Lil Jon’s “Turn Down for What” exploded onto the club scene like a viral party grenade in 2013. But no one could have anticipated that its passage into the sports world would reshape it into an inescapable arena anthem. That much could also be said about the 52-year-old rapper, who in recent years has become an iconic part of sports fandom—especially here in Las Vegas, where he holds down a Tao Group club residency roughly three times a month.

Some nights, the Atlanta-born DJ, songwriter and producer can be found on the sidelines of Vegas Golden Knights games, pumping

up the crowd at T-Mobile Arena and serving as the rowdiest of good luck charms for the team. He even rang the opening siren for Game 1 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals. VGK defenseman Brayden McNabb respects Jon’s enthusiasm.

“I’ve met him a couple times— he seemed like a big Knights fan,” McNabb says. “You love the support, no matter who it is. You get the high-level celebrities who like to come out to the game, and it’s awesome. It’s great for us, great for the team, and it’s fun having them behind us.”

On other nights, Jon’s rocking an A’ja Wilson tank at Las Vegas Aces games or a UNLV Runnin Rebels’ jersey when he isn’t DJing—or coaching the Golden Knights’ o ense about his time-tested “Shots” strategy, as seen in a viral November commercial that featured a handful of players, including McNabb.

“I haven’t been embraced by a team like that ever,” Jon says of the Golden Knights. “They even called me for the documentary.”

The 2019 lm Valiant chronicles the team’s inaugural-season run to the Stanley Cup Finals in the aftermath of one the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. And, Jon says, the community’s response to that October 1 tragedy played a major part in him adopting Las Vegas as his sports town of choice.

“I was here when the tragedy happened, and the one good thing that came out of that was the city came together,” he says. “That’s part of why I support all of the teams, because we support each other. And that’s what Vegas is about. The slogan is Vegas Strong—we’re all together. So anything Vegas I’m gonna support, win or lose, because this is my second home. Everybody in this city is basically like my family.”

Jon’s support for the Knights dates back even further, “before it was all the way a team,” he says.

After the NHL awarded Las Vegas its rst major professional sports franchise in 2016, the earliest version of the Knights’ team shop offered but one jersey. Still, Jon made

it a point to get rinkside as soon as the doors opened. As a longtime hockey fan, how could he not?

“When I was younger in Atlanta, we had the Flames, then we had the Thrashers,” he says. “And I actually got back into hockey taking my son to games to show him how the pros did it, because he was playing hockey at the time when we had the Thrashers.”

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman reached out to Jon not long after that. “They saw my interest

(Continued on Page 20)

protruding spikes—a near match

“You can’t go to a sporting event in America without hearing two or three songs with my voice.”

in the sport and, me being a Black man in hip-hop, that was a rarity,” he explains. “The owners of the team at the time would give me amazing seats on the glass, and I fell in love.”

The Atlanta Thrashers capped their final season in 2011 before relocating to Winnipeg. Jon wouldn’t feel that same swell of pride for an NHL team for years, not until Las Vegas passed the puck to the Knights, one of the most exciting debuts in hockey history.

“That first season was just amazing,” he says somewhat wistfully. “To go to all of those games and then to have the amazing opportunity to open up the Stanley Cup, performing? Before that, hip-hop didn’t do Stanley Cup.

“What was amazing about that cup also was we got to show the world how Vegas does it,” he continues, leaning forward as though charged by the memory. “People were like, ‘Whoa, Vegas does it different. Vegas got the best arena and fans in the league!’ I remember

before the team came, they were giving us a hard time, like, ‘Vegas isn’t a sports town. Vegas don’t have no real hockey fans.’ Vegas showed that we do have real fans.”

The Las Vegas Aces’ 2022 WNBA championship only reinforced that reality. Jon began following that team after performing at one of its halftime shows during the playoffs. “I went to the game, and I fell in love with women’s basketball,” he says, despite never attending a game prior to that.

To see them “kill it and bring the first major championship for a professional team to the city?” Well, it did a little something for this Las Vegas sports fan’s confidence.

    

The dressing room inside the Weekly’s photo studio is full of Lil Jon’s sports swag.

He insisted on bringing his own pieces to the photo shoot—and his own form of ice. The rapper’s bodyguard, a massive brick of a man, hands him a thick, 18-carat gold diamond-cut chain with a pendant

spelling out “Las Vegas.” It gleams with a brilliance only his diamond-encrusted grill can match.

For a celebrity who owns bling that could probably double as a house down payment, Lil Jon seems surprisingly humble. That energy feels palpable in his physical presence, too. He’s temperate as he takes time behind the camera, looking through his photographs with an unhurried appreciation culminated by an occasional, “That’s dope.” It’s quite a contrast to the person he turns into with the camera aimed his way. That is Lil Jon, the party monster.

Flash. He bares his teeth, frozen in a muted roar.

Flash. He bites down squarely on his chain.

Flash. “I’m coming out of this sh*t,” he mumbles, bunching up the fabric of his Marshawn Lynch tee to land the perfect angle.

Where he finds the energy to put on a private show like this is a mystery. The night before Super Bowl Sunday, he hopped behind the decks at Hakkasan Nightclub, spinning into the wee hours of

the morning. Earlier that day, he partied it up with football champ Rob Gronkowski in Scottsdale, Arizona, for his annual Gronk Beach Big Game bash. After this, he’ll pop back onto a plane for LA. If he’s winded by his schedule, you’d never sense it.

That unstoppable vitality has helped make Lil Jon as successful as he is. Everyone loves a life of the party, and in that department, few can match the man with one of the longest nightclub residencies on the Strip.

The hitmaker headlined a fiveyear engagement at Wynn’s Surrender Nightclub before kicking off his About Last Night residency at Hakkasan in 2016, making him an in-demand mainstay. Jon’s relationship with Tao Group dates back to the early 2000s, when the star frequented Tao’s New York clubs and hung with founders Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg in Vegas. His longevity with the megabrand is a testament to his talent. To stay relevant in these clubs, one can’t simply rely on celebrity.

“This is one of the most unique places to DJ in the world. You can’t come in here just expecting that you’re gonna kill it without doing your research,” he says. “People are from all over the world, all over the country, and you can’t play that stuff that might be the jam in your city. It takes a certain amount of skill to DJ in a Vegas club and to be able to rock a Vegas club.”

Jon says he learned a lot by studying open-format DJ Vice, who he’d come to see at Tao when he first started visiting Vegas. A lot of it is “testing out certain records,” he says, “and making your own special versions of records.”

Sujit Kundu, the founder of SKAM Artist booking agency, which represents Lil Jon, has seen a lot of “phoned in” performances. He says Lil Jon’s have never been among them.

“He pays attention to the crowd. He comes for every show one hour early, and he studies the audience,” Kundu says. “He’s looking

Lil Jon performing at Hakkasan on January 19, 2023—two days after his 51st birthday

(Courtesy/Sammy Dean, Hakkasan) (Continued on Page 22)

On turning down for … sleep? “I’m very into binaural beats. I do a lot of rain. I do a lot of ocean. I do frequencies. I’m very much into health and wellness, because I want to be here a long time, and your body is your temple. I have coming out later this year guided meditations and sleep meditation, because when you turn up, you gotta turn down sometime.” He explains further. “We took some of my biggest productions and made them into meditation sounding music. ‘Get Low’ is about grounding. We have ‘Say Yeah! to Life.’ We did a whole album of all of my songs and just made the music more spa meditation sound, and I did the guided meditations on those.

Outtakes from our convo with the crunk king

On his HGTV show, Lil Jon Wants to Do What? “Season 1 was like, get your foot in the door, get your bearings. Now we’re doing some crazy builds right now. We’re doing eight houses at the same time. We just finished our first one two weeks ago. They’re very creative. That’s one thing I pride myself on is being creative, me and my partner. We don’t want to give anybody white walls. And we feel like we have a di erent kind of energy for HGTV. And fun fact, we brought the youngest demographic to HGTV ever for our first season.”

On possibly moving to Las Vegas, permanently “[Steve] Aoki was pushing me on that years ago. He’s got this crazy freaking house with foam pits, and he’s jumping o the roof into the pool. He’s like, ‘You should move out here, man.’ I’ve thought about it a couple of times. But Vegas is the playground. You can’t lay your head where the playground is,” he says, laughing. “But maybe I’ll eventually get a house here. Who knows?”

(Continued from Page 20 STORY

) 22 LAS VEGAS WEEKLY 3.9.23

to see who’s in the room, what they’re reacting to or what they’re not reacting to, and he takes that into account in his performance.

“When you go see a Lil Jon show, he entertains,” Kundu continues. “And he’s very nice to everybody, from the busboys to the waiters to the managers to the sound guys. He’s hospitable, and he makes everyone have a good time.”

Lil Jon likes to kick o his club sets amid the crowd, “and I start with ‘Shots,’” Jon notes, “because people come in here to party. They gotta get their shots right away.” It’s also not unusual to see the DJ pouring the liquor himself as he parties on risers surrounded by clubgoers. He makes it a point to sneak all of the crunk standards in too—from “Get Low” to “Snap Yo Fingers”—because some fans aren’t as familiar with his revered DJ run.

“Most people are surprised at how good of a DJ I am,” he says, smiling. “I can play something for everybody, from Latin to hip-hop to house. Any kind of music. I can play it just as good as the top DJ in that genre.”

Jon began DJing in the early

1990s, well before he was a Grammy award-winning artist or the go-to producer behind some of Usher and Ciara’s biggest hits. Jon played clubs around Atlanta, meeting So So Def Recordings producer Jermaine Dupri along the way and joining him to recruit other rappers. When Lil Jon stepped out into the limelight with The East Side Boyz in the early 2000s, he did so as the face of Southern crunk.

“We’d just go into the studio and try to make good records,” he recalls. “The rst song we recorded was a song called ‘Who U Wit,’ and that basically started us as crunk artists, because we didn’t rap on the song; we were just doing chants. From there we developed …

into having ‘Bia Bia’ and ‘What U Gon’ Do.’ It was always rowdy club music, and then it got rowdier.

“But,” he quickly adds, “I also understood that you got to make records for the girls. That’s why we had ‘Get Low.’ That’s why we had ‘Lovers and Friends.’ It can’t just be rowdy all the time. You just gonna hang out with testosterone all day and night? No!”

Lil Jon pushed DJing to the side as he ascended his crunk throne. And then one night, at an afterparty in the late 2000s, the rapper discovered DJ Spider, whom he credits for getting got him back into his crate-digging craft. By then, he says, it was time.

“After the crunk era, I was fried from producing so much,” he explains. “Through DJing, I met [Steve] Aoki, and me and Aoki got together with Laidback Luke and we did ‘Turbulence.’ But before Aoki, I did ‘Shots’ with LMFAO, and I did ‘The Anthem’ with Pitbull. All of those records got me into the EDM world.

“Then I ended up meeting DJ Snake, and we did ‘Turn Down for What’ and that was the No. 1 EDM song of the year for 2014. All of this stu is crazy, because the biggest record of my career was, ‘Yeah.’ Then 10 years later, I have ‘Turn Down for What.’ It’s unheard to have a run this long.”

And Lil Jon has no plans to slow down. He’s revamping his Hakkasan club set, promising it will “change the game up a little bit and bring back some things that people don’t do anymore in the nightclub.” Pressed on the topic, he leans in to say, “The only thing I’ll give you is shhh, because the party’s so crazy, you can’t tell everybody what happened. It’s that wild.”

LEGISLATURE

Bill focuses on missing persons in Nevada tribes

LAW WOULD OPEN ACCESS TO FEDERAL TOOLS

Assemblywoman Shea Backus, a Las Vegas Democrat and an enrolled member of the Eastern Cherokee, is sponsoring Assembly Bill 125, which would require all law enforcement in Nevada, including nontribal police, to take reports of Indigenous people who go missing from a Nevada reservation under suspicious circumstances. Police would enter the details into existing national databases, allowing any other o cer who might make contact with that person to know that they’ve been reported missing.

At a March 6 hearing, the bill’s first, Backus noted that going missing is not itself a crime, and her bill respects tribal sovereignty. If passed into law, the reporting requirement wouldn’t seek nontribal police to enter reservations to take over an investigation, but to get the basics into o cial national databases to get more eyes looking out for missing persons. Time is of the essence with missing persons, and tribal resources can be limited and patchwork, Backus said.

Not all tribes have police departments, and not all tribal police departments have access to databases like the FBI’s National Crime Information Center, so they will rely on the FBI or the federal Bureau of Indian A airs for law enforcement. The BIA has a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Unit, but the unit only has one dedicated agent to cover Nevada along with two neighboring states. In any event, jurisdictional issues can be tricky.

“The Department of Interior openly recognizes [that] Native American and Alaska Native communities have struggled with high rates of assault, abduction and murder of women” especially, Backus said. But the federal government also acknowledges that precise data on missing and murdered Indigenous people is unreliable, she said. Often, even their race is misclassified, she added. –Hillary Davis

NEWS IN THE

EDUCATION

School police incident addressed

The chief of the Clark County School District Police Department said he couldn’t get into the details of the continuing internal investigation against an o cer recorded slamming a Black teen to the ground and kneeling on his back last month.

Chief Mike Blackeye met March 6 in North Las Vegas with the local chapter of the National Action Network, one of the local civil rights organizations that has been vocal after the February 9 afterschool incident that occurred outside

Durango High School, without most of the answers the crowd seemed to want to hear— especially regarding the employment status of the o cer captured on a video that circulated widely on social media immediately afterward.

The o cer, whom CCSDPD has not identified publicly, is on administrative duty away from the public as internal a airs reviews his conduct that day.

“For this community, nothing is acceptable except termination for that o cer,” Nation-

al Action Network chapter president Robert Bush told Blackeye. “I want you to tell the community why he hasn’t been terminated or why he can’t be terminated at the moment.”

The o cer has due process rights under the o cers’ collective bargaining agreement, Blackeye said.

Speaking generally on the discipline process, he said that termination doesn’t come right away, and suspension typically happens when a termination is imminent. –Hillary Davis

The Golden Knights host Calgary on March 16 at 7 p.m.

Jshauntae Marshall, chair of the Anti-Racism for National Action Network, questions Clark County School District Police Department Chief Mike Blackeye (not pictured) during a March 6 town hall. (Wade Vandervort/Sta )

BY THE NUMBERS

$330M

A package of tax breaks worth more than $330 million for Tesla was approved March 2, clearing the way for the company to begin a $3.6 billion expansion of its Gigafactory in Storey County. The expansion is expected to create 3,000 new permanent jobs, with an average wage of $33.49 per hour.

3.4.2023

STILL GREAT AT HEAVYWEIGHT

After winning the UFC heavyweight title with a victory over Ciryl Gane following a threeyear layoff, Jon Jones grabbed the microphone and made a “bahhh” noise, emulating a goat. The implication was, of course, that he’s the greatest of all-time. With Jones taking just two minutes to win the title, it’s hard to argue against him. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

Presumed presidential contender to visit

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is scheduled to visit Las Vegas on March 11, making it the latest stop in a series of battleground states as the conservative mulls a run for president in the 2024.  DeSantis will serve as the “special guest” speaker for an event called “the Florida Blueprint” at Stoney’s Rockin’ Country in Las Vegas, according to a post from the website Eventbrite. The event is free to the public, with doors opening at 3:30 p.m. DeSantis is scheduled to speak at 5 p.m.

After a landslide win in November, DeSantis created a “blueprint for freedom in Florida that serves as a model for the rest of the nation,” thus coming up with the name for his speaking tour.

DeSantis is widely considered the leading conservative to challenge former President Donald Trump, who announced in December he’d run to secure the Republican presidential nomination for a third time.

DeSantis has the backing of many prominent conservative donors, including Nevada billionaire Robert Bigelow, who last year donated $10 million to DeSantis’ political action committee.

Though DeSantis has not formally announced his candidacy, he’s been the target of nicknames by Trump and his allies. –Casey Harrison

“In addition to his talent, I admired his approach to the game, work ethic and commitment to get better every day in what were the formative stages of his career.”

– New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen , speaking about former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr after Carr signed a four-year contract worth up to $150 million with the Saints

SPORTS

POLITICS

STREET STANDARDS

BY CASEY HARRISON

CARSON CITY—Lawmakers are proposing a bill that would decriminalize street food vending across Nevada, a move advocates say would legitimize the practice by introducing a certification process and food safety standards while also serving as an entrepreneurial boon for migrants living in the state.

Nevada Sen. Fabian Donate, D-Las Vegas, recently introduced S.B. 92, which, if passed, would establish a pathway to licensure for prospective sidewalk food vendors. It would also create a task force within the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office to review and reform existing laws; work with vendors to implement them; and collaborate with local jurisdictions, surrounding businesses and law enforcement to ensure vendor safety and public health.

The bill was introduced March 1 to the Senate Committee on Government Affairs and was met with opposition from city governments in Clark and Washoe counties, including Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Reno, over specific provisions. Many of those

cities largely agreed they would support an amended version of the bill, which would only require municipalities within Clark and Washoe to create licenses for vendors.

Committee chair Sen. Edgar Flores, D-Las Vegas, said governments around the world have regulated street food vendors for decades and that it’s time Nevada established statutory language legitimizing the practice.

“It sounds very complicated, but street vending has been around for a very long time,” says Flores, who belongs to the Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus along with Donate. “It’s all over the world. It’s not rocket science. … I grew up seeing it every single day, [and] it’s right now happening in an unregulated manner. ”

In his presentation to the committee, Donate cited a report by industry research firm IBISWorld showing that street vendor employment has grown more than 10% per year on average over the past five years, and an increase last year alone of 12.9% to an estimated 53,592 street vending businesses nationally. In Nevada, Donate said, street

vendors are overwhelmingly Latinos, mostly from immigrant backgrounds.

That means the status quo leaves these vendors vulnerable to confusing citations depending on where a vending stand is located, along with harassment from law enforcement, Donate said.

That has led to instances in which vendors have had equipment confiscated by local health districts or police officers, said Jose Rivera, a community organizer with Make the Road Nevada—a nonprofit that advocates for Hispanic and immigrant advancement across the state. That has sparked fears a vendor could be arrested or deported for trying to make a living, he said.

“Legalizing street vending through S.B. 92 would bring significant benefits to street vendors and all stakeholders,” Rivera said.

“Consumers will have regulations that protect their health, and street vendors will have a chance to continue earning a decent living.”

Donate pointed to states like California and New York, which have in recent years passed legislation regulating street food vending. He

Food vendors could soon be legitimized— and regulated by Nevada codes

also noted smaller states like Arizona, Utah and Florida, which have also taken action to regulate mobile food vendors and food trucks.

The bill would create criteria for the Secretary of State’s office to dispense business licenses to street vendors and prohibit the Clark and Washoe’s county commissioners from imposing criminal penalties for sidewalk vendors or imposing any “unduly restrictive” requirements designed to solely hinder street vending operations.

Under Donate’s amended version of the bill, however, county commissioners can approve distance restrictions prohibiting vendors from setting up near gaming establishments, brick-and-mortar restaurants, child-care facilities, election polling places and other recreational facilities. That’s in addition to any pedestrian malls or entertainment districts, such as certain downtown areas.

The amended version of the bill would also allow health districts to create a certificate program underneath pre-existing permitting structures to educate vendors on food safety regulations. The health districts could also

create a tiered system for licensing vendors, whether they are simply dispensing prepackaged food or beverages or preparing and cooking raw food.

Sen. Lisa Krasner, R-Carson City, wondered aloud how any certification would be outwardly presented to consumers. She also asked how consumers could know for themselves if the vendor from which they are buying has had past licensing infractions.

“I’m thinking, what if it was me and I wanted to buy some of the food—how would I know? I can go to a restaurant and see that they have an ‘A’ rating; they’re clean, the back behind the kitchen is clean. … How would I know the food from these roaming street vendors is safe?” Krasner asked.

Chris Ries, a government affairs liaison with Metro Police, testified in opposition to the bill due to concerns regarding overcrowding, or because the bill as written would decriminalize all street vending, making it more difficult to stop unregulated vending.

“S.B. 92 looks to decriminalize street vending across the board,” Ries said. “In

doing so, officers would not be able to compel any person to identify themselves, making it nearly impossible to issue a citation, and thus eliminating any incentive to stop unregulated vending in residential areas or in the resort corridor.”

The bill also drew more than 50 people for the hearing, at the Legislative Building in Carson City and the Grant Sawyer building in Downtown Las Vegas. Vendors, advocates and migrants all urged lawmakers to advance the bill.

“[This bill] is a great starting point to open opportunities for many Nevadans,” said Eddy Diaz, a strategic director for the LIBRE Initiative, another nonprofit that advocates on behalf of Hispanic people living in the U.S.

“Whether it is street-food vending, food trucks, or brick-and-mortar restaurants, we should work to have an economic system that makes it easier to grab hold of the economic ladder and rise,” Diaz continued. “Latinos, like everyone else, should have the ability to succeed and contribute to their communities and live meaningful lives.”

(Photo Illustration)

M3CCA

Get to know the Shag Room performer who found her footing after American Idol

BY AMBER SAMPSON

Who: The daughter of two performers, Mecca Madison carries the torch of her family’s musical legacy through song. On Saturday nights, she’s the headlining force behind Virgin Hotels’ swanky ultralounge the Shag Room, a gig she landed after performing at an open mic for fun. M3cca, as she’s known onstage these days, toured with Strip entertainer Matt Goss, playing big rooms like London’s Royal Albert Hall, and between sets at the Shag, she performs at Delilah at the Wynn.

Backstory: M3cca embraced her calling early, eclipsing gospel musicians at talent showcases and debuting on American Idol at 18. On nights when her mother wasn’t onstage, performing Billie Holiday standards, she’d introduce M3cca to her favorite records. “A lot of great music was played in that household,” she remembers. “It was The Isley Brothers. It was Chaka Khan. It was Stevie Wonder.” Those legends and many others built the foundation upon which the singer now stands.

Sound: Onstage, M3cca indulges all of her influences, delivering heady whiffs of jazz one moment and kicking off her heels to the searing riffs of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” the next. “My show consists of live horn, drums, bass and keys ,and we don’t like to do anything like the record. We like to be very particular in arrangements,” she says. That much could also be said about “Stars and Moons,” a Latin pop ballad she wrote and incorporates into her sets.

Life after Idol: M3cca’s brief-but-powerful rendition of Shirley Bassey’s “Big Spender” earned her a ticket to Hollywood on Season 5 of American Idol. “It was such a huge deal,” she remembers, “but being so young, being so raw at that time and invulnerable, I don’t think I was fully prepared and ready for that opportunity.” The singer took a break from music, prioritizing self-care. “I had to learn a lot about self-compassion, self-love, because you’re rejected all the time in this business. But we do it for the love of music,” she says.

Next up: M3cca recently released a cover of The Isley Brothers classic “Footsteps in the Dark.” Catch her at the Shag Room, Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

M3CCA linktr.ee/m3ccaofficial

‘NEW TERRITORY’

Zouk resident trio Cash Cash unleashes new music at last

BY BROCK RADKE

Time flies when you’re having fun programming some of the hottest club parties on the Las Vegas Strip. Jean Paul Makhlouf, Alex Makhlouf and Samuel Frisch—better known as New Jersey-born electronic outfit Cash Cash—have been doing just that for close to a decade, including multiyear residency gigs for Marquee and Hakkasan Group, and now, Zouk Nightclub and Ayu Dayclub at Resorts World.

“We almost bought a house in Vegas, because we’re there so much but never followed through. There have been times I wished we did,” Jean Paul Makhlouf says. “It’s a very different market, because of all the people from all over the world, not just people who are there for EDM or as Cash Cash fans or dance-pop fans.

“And we know now how to cater to the Vegas audience and make sure everybody has a good time.”

Cash Cash has already kicked off a month full of shows at Zouk (back on March 9) and Ayu (March 17 and 24) and the trio was one of the first acts locked up by the Zouk Group when it debuted its clubs on the Strip.

“Zouk makes sense for us, because we do a lot of tours in Asia and we’d always done awesome shows at Zouk in Singapore,” Makhlouf says. “It was huge for them, right when they opened up, to say, ‘We gotta have you guys,’ because especially after the pandemic, nobody knew what was happening next. I remember texting other DJs and asking what they were thinking

about doing, and then it felt like everybody went to Zouk.”

The dawn of 2023 marks significant change for Cash Cash beyond the ongoing COVID comeback. Building on smash singles like “Can We Pretend” with Pink, “Take Me Home” with Bebe Rexha and “Too Late” with Wiz Khalifa, the group signed with Ultra Records last year and then dropped its first single in almost two years, “Anyway,” in January. Co-written with singer and songwriter RuthAnne (who has worked with One Direction and Britney Spears), the feel-good track is destined for some spirited singalongs at Ayu Dayclub this summer.

“The biggest reason it took a while to release new music was just business,” Makhlouf says. “Through the pandemic, we were writing a lot of new music, but we had finished our previous record deal and were kind of in no man’s land. We had to figure out what would be best for us … and this is kind of the best of both worlds, because Ultra is part of Sony Music but it’s also been such a moving force in dance for more than 30 years.”

The deal “rejuvenated” Cash Cash in the creativity department, he says, and the trio’s excited to push more new music out the door quickly and make way for more production.

“I think it’s going to be a big departure from [other] music we’ve put out. It still sounds like Cash Cash, but it’s definitely new territory—new lyrical concepts, a lot of stuff we haven’t tried.”

CASH CASH

March 9, 10 p.m., $20-$30+. Zouk Nightclub, zouk grouplv.com.

(Courtesy/Thomas Falcone)

GIMME SHELTER

BY AMBER SAMPSON

Jesse Hudson, the Las Vegas photographer behind Downtown’s new Killing Trends art gallery, has always been an in-betweener. His preference for the past and fascination with the future has made the 24-year-old artist a sort of courier of time.

“I find history and past events more interesting than current events—and I say that with grace,” Hudson says, sitting near the back of his quaint Fremont East studio. “There’s topics I talk about from the past and topics I talk about that are current but kind of unknown, and I have this need to explore these issues, because I feel like they’re not talked about enough.”

That was the impetus behind Hudson’s new self-funded WWII-themed installation,

Photographer Jesse Hudson makes war

‘tangible’ in Killing Trends gallery’s first exhibit

Shelter. The realities of a war-fraught world, which for those in Ukraine has become a nightmarish new normal, deserve to be discussed and remembered, Hudson says.

“I know it may be on social media, on TikTok and on the news all the time, but it’s so easy to scroll past that and not really indulge in it,” he says. “That was the idea of this project, to take a hyper object like nuclear war and make it more tangible.”

Hudson spent a year and a half building a life-size, hidden bunker inside his gallery. Resurrecting a “war-like microcosm” wasn’t easy; the artist spent hours combing through online archives of fallout shelters and old mines. He also gleaned information from Bradley Garrett, a geographer and author of fascinating texts like Bunker: Building for the End Times

The result of that research is stunning. You’re provided a lantern on your way into the dark, gaping passageway. Gravel crunches beneath your feet, and a groundswell of war planes whip overhead from a dynamic audio system Hudson has rigged together. A radio in the distance crackles with Russian audio—indiscernible but eerie enough to make the hairs on your neck stand at attention.

Across the floor are trunks full of wartime pamphlets, some rationed MREs (Meal, Ready-to-Eat) and a lone cot. The walls themselves change from sheet metal to rock-lined architecture the further you go, and bottled medicine lines shelves in the same area as a floor-to-ceiling board of bunker locations. They’re all real sites, Hudson adds. Everything here is.

“All the medicines are real, all the MREs are real, all the ammo crates are from World War II,” he says. “A lot of military pamphlets and Civil Defense relics that were donated to us were discovered in an undisclosed location in a town that was abandoned.”

Though Shelter was conceptualized well before Ukraine’s war, the timing gave the exhibit added gravitas. “I will never forget a moment where me and [my friend] were sitting in the shelter, laying on the concrete ground watching a press conference from Vladimir Putin, announcing that he’s gonna go into the Ukraine war,” he says. “There were a lot of times … we both looked at each other and were like, ‘We’re on the right track with this.’” Hudson revisits conflict, and the

threat of nuclear war, a lot in his work. That fascination dates back to his parents, who both held jobs in Nevada’s atomic testing industry. “That gave me a jump start into my research of, What is this place? What is the history of it? ” Hudson explains.

“Going on Google Earth, I found the satellite image of all of the craters that they blew up,” he says. “It just looks like cheese in the middle of the desert.”

Over the span of 40 years, more than 1,000 bombs were detonated 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Hudson marveled at that, but the aftermath of those tests has hit exceptionally close to home.

“My mom now suffers from lung damage,” he says. “And I know that a lot of people who live in Utah, and in Nevada,

suffer from the testings that we did here. To shed light on those topics is something that is important to me.”

Hudson hopes to give other local artists a chance to do that at Killing Trends, which also features his analog camera store Fremont Photo Co. and wall real estate for future art shows. He’s currently looking for investors and donors who can help fund the space for more projects.

“The goal of the overall space is to be sort of like an audio-visual art playhouse,” he says, especially for “a lot of under-represented artists here in town” looking to show work.

“I grew up Downtown. A lot is changing Downtown, and we want to try and keep it authentic,” he says. “ I really want to try and keep the arts down here.”

(Courtesy)

DOG DOMINANCE

Ralph Perrazzo’s fl avor-packed Snap-O-Razzo line is everywhere

BY BROCK RADKE

The tale of Snap-O-Razzo—the Las Vegas-born hot dog brand that started up during the pandemic and already supplies stadiums and grocery stores across the country with high-quality, maplewood-smoked meat products—is really the story of a promising pastry chef who has been making savvy moves since his career first catapulted him to Las Vegas more than 20 years ago.

Long Island, New York, native Ralph Perrazzo founded Snap-O-Razzo when COVID closures were decimating the restaurant industry. He was “sitting at home, not knowing what was going on” after

closing his BBD’s eatery at Palace Station, considering his limited options.

“I realized I can’t even go be a chef somewhere else, because everything was shut down. I never had so much free time in my life,” he says. “My ancé said, ‘Why not sell your hot dogs? Everyone loves your hot dogs.’

“I used to go to food events and sell hot dogs made from breaking down a whole beef carcass, doing inhouse butchering [at restaurants] and using the trim to make great hot dogs. I’d be watching famous chefs doing caviar and foie gras canapés at these events while I’m doing hot dogs, with a bigger line.”

Perrazzo, who had introduced his dogs to local foodies at a Whiskey in the Wilderness event, then took the next step with a limited online sale, which sold out in two hours and forced him to shut down the webpage because he

couldn’t keep up with orders. “Then it was like, OK, I’m gonna take my life savings and drop it on this.”

After closing his rst big Snap-ORazzo deal with the Las Vegas Raiders to sell hot dogs at Allegiant Stadium, he focused on breaking through with national distributors. Now the products are in 29 states, at historic eateries like Tail o’ the Pup in West Hollywood, and thanks to a recent deal, available at more than 40 Smith’s and Kroger stores throughout Nevada.

In addition to beef and pork-andbeef hot dogs, Snap-O-Razzo sells buns, sauces and seasonings, essentially everything a vendor needs to create an elite hot dog experience. The natural lamb casings and premium meats maintain that all-American, nostalgic bite, and there’s no MSG, llers, additives, gluten or unnatural avors. They’re higher in protein and lower in

his dogs

chef at the legendary Bradley Ogden restaurant at Caesars Palace, then was grabbed by Pure Management Group and helped open Social House at Trea-

search has enabled him to optimize his

“There’s a hot dog for every operation. At Allegiant, it’s a griddled dog, and people come down from the upper deck, because they smell it sizzling,” he says. “We’re big on education. I tell [buyers] to hold the hot dog in your hand and shake it—which is hilarious when you have big CEOs of companies opping these other dogs around like a rubber band—and mine is this sti thing because it’s a real meat product.”

Perrazzo was trying to work his way up in New York City at a Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant in 2001 when he was placed in pastry, “a di erent kind of cooking, more focused and technical, and I took it on real well,” he says. He rst landed in Las Vegas as the pastry

savory and move back to New York in

He was ready to combine sweet and savory and move back to New York in 2008, when he opened the rst version of BBD’s, which stood for beers, burgers and desserts. “It should have been called beers, burgers, dogs,” he says, since the bar and grill concept was centered on his newfound love of butchering and making burgers and sausages.

His second go-round in Las Vegas was supposed to bring BBD’s to the Palms when Station Casinos acquired the o -Strip resort, but then the company moved the project to Palace Station. It opened in August 2018 and closed in November 2019. “We had great clientele, but it was the wrong location,” Perrazzo says. “It just didn’t make sense. We had all these fancy people taking cars [from the Strip] over to eat at BBD’s at Palace Station.”

The relationship with Station continues, with Snap-O-Razzo selling hot dogs to the company. And Perrazzo, always a fan of Las Vegas and its unique hospitality industry and dining scene, continues to build his rep here and across the country. Next up is a no-sugar product, Snap-O-Razzo’s Beefy Butcher Dog, made for dirty-water cooking, steaming or grilling. “It’s the rst of its kind,” Perrazzo says. “I’m seriously proud of that one.”

SAVOR AN UNCOMMON COMBO AT CHINA POBLANO

■ The unorthodox-but-routinely wonderful combination of Mexican and Chinese flavors is what sets China Poblano apart. Leave it to José Andrés to put dishes next to one another—guactopped potato tacos and barbecue pork steamed buns, for example—and e ortlessly achieve unprecedented savory satisfaction.

Now a new limited-time pairing curated by head chef Carlos Cruz-Santos threatens to take things to the next level at the colorful Cosmopolitan eatery. A special bao and mezcal menu is available through March 19, and if you’ve never imagined mixing dim sum with the smoky agave-based spirit, you’re not alone. But if you can imagine the delicate, possibly complex contrasts that can be achieved, you’re ready for this adventure.

There are four dishes matched with four mezcal

tastings, along with a flight ($21) for those who want to sample all the spirits.

The steamed buns, known as When Pigs Fly ($16) at China Poblano, get matched up with the peppery, herbaceous Rancho Tepua Bacanora ($8). Chicken siu mai ($16) with wood ear mushrooms and goji berry are complemented by Del Maguey Crema ($8), known for its notes of vanilla and orange. Golden Pearls vegetable steamed dumplings ($16) are boldly matched with oak barrel-aged Xicaru Reposado ($9), and Yu Xiang eggplant ($15) with Fresno and shishito peppers, ginger and garlic chili oil is amplified by a sip of that same varietal.

Consider wrapping up the special experience with the rum-soaked, raspberry dusttopped tres leches cake ($15), and you’ve created a memorable masterpiece of a meal.

–Brock Radke

CHINA POBLANO Cosmopolitan, 702-698-7900, chinapoblano. com. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

Ralph Perrazzo and (Courtesy)

Dumplings meet mezcal at the Cosmo. (Courtesy/Louiie Victa)

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

Can three trade acquisitions help the Golden Knights achieve their ultimate goal?

IVAN BARBASHEV

TEDDY BLUEGER

JONATHAN QUICK

BY DANNY WEBSTER

The Golden Knights might have been expected to make a big splash at the NHL’s trade deadline on March 3, given their reputation and history. The franchise is known for aggressive in-season moves, having acquired Mark Stone, Robin Lehner and others in such fashion over the years.

No such blockbuster swap materialized this year, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Vegas pushed to obtain the two biggest names available—Patrick Kane (from Chicago) and Timo Meier (from San Jose), but neither deal came to fruition.

Kane wound up with the New York Rangers and Meier was shipped to the New Jersey Devils, which wasn’t all that negative of a result for the Golden Knights. It meant that no Western Conference team made a high-profile move to help separate itself from the crowd packed together in the standings.

With five weeks remaining in the season at press time, Vegas sat in first in the West in both points and points percentage. Nothing is guaranteed considering how close the race has been all season, but the Golden Knights are in good position to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing out last season.

And they strengthened that placement at the trade deadline, even if their moves more resembled a dive off a small plank instead of their usual cannonball off the highest board. The Golden Knights are hoping that’s all they need to fortify their status as a Stanley Cup contender, and so far, the early returns have been positive.

Vegas acquired a trio of players—Ivan Barbashev from the St. Louis Blues, Teddy Blueger from the Pittsburgh Penguins and Jonathan Quick from the Columbus Blue Jackets—to address needs borne during another injury-plagued season.

It started five days before the deadline, when Vegas nabbed Barbashev in exchange for 2021 first-round pick Zach Dean. Barbashev has played on the top line with Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault to begin his Vegas tenure, filling in nicely for injured captain Mark Stone, who remains out indefinitely after his second back surgery.

Barbashev had five points in his first four games with Vegas, adding a pair of goals in a 4-3 victory over Montreal to three assists in his

first three games.

“He’s one of those guys that makes all the little plays out there,” Marchessault said of Barbashev. “We knew that was the kind of guy we needed, and he’s going to be a huge factor for us.”

The 27-year-old Barbashev amassed a career-high 60 points last season in St. Louis, and if he can play even a fraction of that well in Vegas, the Golden Knights will have some peace of mind regarding their top line. Eichel has returned to superstar form with 14 points in 12 games since the All-Star break, and Marchessault had a two-goal game of his own in a recent 4-3 shootout victory over the Devils.

The trade for Blueger followed Barbashev’s deal by three days and helps fill out depth.

Vegas gave up prospect defenseman Peter DiLiberatore and a 2024 third-round pick for the Penguins’ defensive-minded forward.

Defense drew Vegas to Blueger, especially his play on the penalty kill. The 28-year-old immediately contributed to the bottom six forward group in his first two games with the team, as Nicolas Roy continues to nurse a lower-body injury with his status unknown going forward.

Blueger is a fine replacement. Speed is his best ability, and it should create space for linemates Brett Howden and Keegan Kolesar.

Barbashev and Blueger might be the most impactful newcomers, but Quick’s arrival fits the closest with the Golden Knights’ standard operating procedure as a big-name surprise that sends waves throughout the rest of the league. The 37-year-old Quick might no longer play at the level that helped him win two Stanley Cups and make three All-Star teams in his prime, but Vegas hopes he can help stabilize what has become a thin set of goalie options.

Logan Thompson (lower body, week-to-week) and Laurent Brossoit (lower body, placed on injured reserve) are both out. Adin Hill is in the midst of the best stretch of his career, with six wins in seven starts and a .927 save percentage since the All-Star Break, but even if he keeps it up, he’ll need someone capable behind him.

Quick makes for a relatively low-stakes gamble; Vegas only had to give up veteran AHL goalie Michael Hutchinson and a 2025 seventh-round pick to for him. Quick, a likely future Hall of Famer, had spent his entire 16year NHL career with the Los Angeles Kings before they dealt him to Columbus in exchange for goalie Joonas Korpisalo and defenseman

Vladislav Gavrikov.

The Golden Knights adding Quick when other goalies like Korpisalo were available might seem like a head-scratcher on the surface. Quick fell off significantly with the Kings this year, with his 3.50 goals against average and .876 save percentage making his 11-13-4 record look fortunate.

But the Golden Knights are hoping he can recapture some glory down the stretch of the regular season—if not for one last playoff run. If Quick led the Golden Knights into a hypothetical series with the Kings, it would become one of the biggest storylines of the NHL postseason.

“It’s motivating,” Quick said with a grin. “I’m looking forward to being part of this team and do what you want to do every year; you want to win your division, you want to win playoff series, and you want to win 16 playoff games. Whatever I can do to help them, that’s what I want to do.”

Quick’s debut with Vegas was mixed. He shut out the Canadiens for two periods before giving up a trio of goals in the third period as part of a 4-3 victory.

Vegas’ defense has improved drastically through the break, one reason why there’s optimism Quick can produce in a new locale.

“I think he’ll fit right in,” Marchessault said. “We have the team that we had, that we have right now, for Flower [Marc-Andre Fleury] back in the days. Just the system we have right now, keeping everything to the outside, I think he’ll fit in perfect.”

Vegas’ outlook looked bleak going into its bye week after losing Stone, suffering through an offensive drought and dealing with erratic goaltending. Some thought the season might go up in flames, but the Golden Knights have since gone 9-2-1.

They’re showing they should still be considered a top contender in the West and acted accordingly at the trade deadline. The trio of new players might not make for a major haul, but they could be enough to help the Golden Knights get where they want to go.

HOT PIZZA VENDING MACHINES ARE THE LATEST INNOVATION IN SOURTHERN NEVADA FROM BUDDY VALASTRO RESTAURANTS

BY BROCK RADKE VEGAS INC STAFF

If you’ve spent any time in one of the Caesars Entertainment casinos lining the Las Vegas Strip, you’ve seen the colorful Carlo’s Bakery cake slice ATMs—temperature-controlled vending machines dispensing favorite flavors from the Hoboken, New Jersey-based bake shop made famous on the TV series Cake Boss

They’ve become ubiquitous here and across the country, and can also be found at several malls around the Valley. And the vending machines are only one sign of the recent expansion of baker and TV personality Buddy Valastro’s business growth in Las Vegas.

Valastro, who started working at the family business at age 11—the original Carlo’s Bake Shop opened in 1910 and was purchased by his father in 1964—became a culinary celebrity after starring in Cake Boss on TLC and moving on to several successful Food Network shows. He teamed with Las Vegas-based hospitality stars Elizabeth Blau and Kim Canteenwalla to open his first restaurant, Buddy V’s, at the Venetian in 2013, along with an outpost of Carlo’s Bakery.

“When we started with Buddy V’s, I didn’t think we had the best location, kind of off the beaten path,” Valastro says of the restaurant’s Grand Canal Shoppes space. “But I believe if you produce a quality experience and let people know, they will find you, and Buddy V’s has continued to grow.”

The cake ATMs came next, but over the past few years, Valastro’s Vegas operation has exploded with three

more casual restaurant venues. He opened the Strip-side PizzaCake eatery at Harrah’s just before the pandemic closures, and last year he debuted the Boss Café and Buddy’s Jersey Eats at the Linq.

Familiar East Coast-style Italian favorites like pizza, sandwiches, wings and those signature sweets are available at the new spots, and last summer Valastro Restaurants teamed with LBX Food Robotics to launch an innovative hot-food vending operation serving the bakery-style pizza available at the Boss Café. The Bake Xpress

machines are also at the Linq.

Valastro says he was initially skeptical about the vending business but the cake slice machines proved themselves quickly. “I did it on a handshake and put three [machines] in Toronto, and they moved 50,000 cake slices in a month and a half,” he says. “We made an investment in the packaging so we could better control the atmosphere, because there are no preservatives in the cake, and we went from a 3-5-day shelf life to 20-25 days, and the product is still premium. Once I knew that, I had to take it to Vegas.”

The hot food expansion was inspired by the idea of offering a warm cookie from a vending machine, and the unique, focaccia-like pizza from the Boss Café turned out to be a good fit for the new machines.

“We always talked about, wouldn’t it be cool to be able to deliver hot food, and we knew the technology was out there, but it wasn’t readily available until a few years ago,” says Bryan Forgione, the company’s corporate executive chef. “We figured it out, and now it holds up to 70 slices of pizza we make fresh every day.

“We load up the machine, and it’s running 24 hours. You choose your slice, a robotic arm grabs it and delivers it to an infrared oven, and it knows exactly what it needs to do. It takes a few minutes, and the door opens and you have a hot, crispy slice of pizza to take up to your room.”

Forgione started with Valastro as executive chef at Buddy V’s and recently traveled to New Orleans to open a second location of PizzaCake in a food hall at the Harrah’s casino property there. He says 2023 will be another exciting year for the company, with concepts coming soon to Pompano Beach, Florida, and Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The pizza machines could follow the example of the cake ATMs and expand, too. “We have an idea in the works of how to do this on a bigger scale,” Forgione says. “We took a lot of time with it, a lot of trial and error and pizza after pizza. It’s not just about making something convenient, because if it’s convenient but not very good, what good is it?”

The company also maintains an off-Strip headquarters, where products are shipped and stored, something of a distribution hub for Valastro’s local restaurants and bakeries.

“We want to do more in Vegas, and I have a great team out there,” Valastro says. “I believe in the market, and when we do these new concepts, people are receptive. We’re all in. And I like to do things that I feel like are not there yet, missing links kind of stuff.”

Buddy Valastro (Courtesy)

HELIX ELECTRIC PROJECT MANAGER — LAS VEGAS, NV —

Helix Electric seeks a Project Manager to manage and lead projects successfully from pre-construction, scope of work identification, mobilization, project execution, and closeout & interact with the customer to validate expectations are understood and met before, during and after project completion. Reqs: Master’s in engineering, construction management, or closely related + 2 yrs of experience in electrical construction OR Bachelor’s in engineering, construction management, or closely related + 5 yrs prog experience in electrical construction. Job site: Las Vegas, NV.

PLEASE EMAIL RESUME TO CAREERS@HELIXELECTRIC.COM, ATTN: NICK SHELFORD, REFERENCE JOB CODE: PROJE003975.

JOB LISTING

Director of Revenue Management sought by Desert Palace, Inc. dba Caesars Palace for Las Vegas, NV office. Manage a team of pricing analysts and experts and provide daily support to the Directors and VPs of Revenue Optimization. Telecommuting permitted.

TO APPLY, SEND RESUME TO: 3570 S LAS VEGAS BLVD, LAS VEGAS, NV 89109 OR AHOLLOWAY@CAESARS. COM AND REFERENCE JOB# 1001.

The Library District recognizes makers of all ages during the month of March! Check out our upcoming FREE events that we have planned, as well as our fun, online learning resources, like Creativebug, which lets you enjoy hundreds of DIY projects 24/7 with your library card.

Activities include the following:

Learn

Do

VegasInc Notes

Optum Cancer Care, 4750 W. Oakey Blvd., Las Vegas, added two new providers. Joanna Dabu and Pia Cobrado, APRN, specialize in oncology. In addition, Optum Breast Care (2300 W. Charleston Blvd.), part of Optum Cancer Care, added Jackline Duana, who specializes in breast care. Southwest Medical, also part of Optum, added Reyleth Joy Basa Fajardo, APRN, specializing in wellness visits, to the Optum Care Community Center – East (5820 S. Eastern Ave.). Grand Canyon Development Partners, a commercial development and construction management firm based out of Las Vegas, announced that Vincent Tatum has taken on the role of president of the company. He previously served as executive vice president and has worked in the construction industry for two decades. Tatum has served in management positions in industry areas such as commercial construction, project management, capital invest-

ment management, risk management, logistics and more.

Gov. Joe Lombardo appointed Danielle “Pieper” Chio to the Eighth Judicial District Court, Department 7, and Jacob Reynolds to the Eighth Judicial District Court, Department 29. Chio most recently served as chief deputy district attorney in the Clark County District Attorney’s Office. Reynolds has an extensive background in civil litigation, most recently serving as the chief legal officer at Scholer & Sons.

Nielsen’s Frozen Custard will open at Santa Fe Station’s food court March 10. Owned by husband-andwife duo Howard and Amanda Zayon, Nielsen’s has served the Las Vegas Valley and Utah area for over 40 years.

The City of Henderson will host the 2023 Big West Basketball Championships for the second year at the Dollar Loan Center from March 7-11.

The 2022 tournament was the first sporting event to be staged at the arena. This year’s event pits 20 Big West men’s and women’s teams in action.

The board of directors for REACH (Research, Education and Access for Community Health) promoted Luis Aceves to director of marketing and business development, and Oscar Aceves to director of outreach and community engagement. Luis Aceves joined REACH in 2018 and has been responsible for overseeing the development and execution of a comprehensive marketing and engagement strategy to support the organization’s strategic plan to help generate awareness of brand, services and accomplishments. Oscar Aceves has been responsible for managing all community outreach projects and activities the past five years, including the Mobile Clinic.

NAIOP, the commercial real estate development association, recently honored the Southern Nevada Chapter with Chapter Merit Awards for outstanding leadership by a chapter president, volunteer of the year, membership and chapter of the year. Hayim Mizrachi, the chapter’s

2022 president, earned an award for Outstanding Leadership by a Chapter President. The “Volunteer of the Year” award was presented to Steve Neiger. The “Membership Award” celebrates chapters that develop a plan for the chapter’s growth, resulting in an increase in overall membership. NAIOP Southern Nevada was recognized for its success, including increasing members from 580 to 670, growing principal members from 20% to 23% and becoming a top-10 chapter by size, after previously being ranked among the top 15 chapters. The “Chapter of the Year Award” recognizes chapters for overall excellence throughout the year, including involvement with NAIOP corporate, chapter growth, civic service and more.

To commemorate former president and CEO Brian Burton and his contributions to the fight against hunger in Southern Nevada, Three Square Food Bank’s call center at its Senior Hunger Campus has been named “Three Square Center, Inspired by Brian Burton.” The center launched in 2013 out of a need to connect with hard-toreach members of Southern Nevada’s food-insecure population, including homebound seniors, those with disabilities, working families seeking convenient access to services and non-English speaking households.

JOB LISTING

Senior QA Analyst II sought by Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. in Las Vegas, NV. Ensure product meets the established standards of quality including design, performance and functionality. May work from home. $94,925-$123,803/year.

APPLY BY EMAIL TO: ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. ATTN: J. HOLLIS, JADE.HOLLIS@ARISTOCRAT.COM (REF JOB CODE: NV0502)

MGM RESORTS SATELLITE, LLC

SR. SOFTWARE ENGINEER IAM — LAS VEGAS, NV —

MGM Resorts Satellite, LLC seeks a Sr. Software Engineer IAM (Multiple Openings) in Las Vegas, NV to be responsible for designing, engineering, implementing all IAM technologies across the company enterprise. Position requires 10% domestic travel. Remote work Permitted.

APPLY ONLINE AT HTTPS://CAREERS.MGMRESORTS.COM/GLOBAL/EN JOB NUMBER: 224938 OR E-MAIL RESUME TO RESUME@MGMRESORTS.COM AND REFERENCE JOB NUMBER: 224938.

Tatum

O. Aceves

L. Aceves

ELEVATEYOURCAREER. UNLEASHYOUR POTENTIAL.

Accounting

AppliedEconomicsandDataIntelligence

Cybersecurity

Economics

ExecutiveMBA

HybridEveningMBA

ManagementInformationSystems

QuantitativeFinance

FINDTHEGRADUATE PROGRAMTHAT'S RIGHTFORYOU!

mar 11

mar 16 mar 24

LEVERAGE PRESENTS NOSTALGIA

THE OFFICIAL POP PARTY AGES 18+

INNER WAVE JUKEBOX TOUR

RANDY FELTFACE AGES 18+

apr 01 IKON PRESENTS ERIC BELLINGER AGES 18+

apr 13

apr 14

apr 15

apr 28

BABYFACE RAY W/ VEEZE

UNWRITTEN LAW

W/ AUTHORITY ZERO & MERCY MUSIC

LONG BEACH DUB ALLSTARS

W/ FAYUCA

THE EMO NIGHT TOUR AGES 18+

LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM/FIX

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE to the Weekly Fix, the digital edition of Las Vegas Weekly! Stay up to date with the latest on Las Vegas concerts, shows, restaurants, bars and more, sent directly to your inbox!

FOR TICKETS AND INFORMATION VISIT VIRGINHOTELSLV.COM

@24OXFORDLV

KIDS READING TO THERAPY DOGS | LEGACY TRADITIONAL SCHOOL | MARCH 1, 2023 | 10:05 A.M. “And then what happened?” Lucy sniffs, scooting closer to the book in absolute doggy suspense. Do different dog breeds prefer different literary genres? Do Goldendoodles prefer mystery to comedy, or fantasy to romance? Or are they just hoping someone hid peanut butter in the book? I would read more books if there was peanut butter in them. Bet. –Corlene Byrd

(Steve Marcus/Staff)

THE ULTIMATE COLLEGE HOOPS EXPERIENCE

4 WATCH PARTIES. 4 GREAT VENUES.

MARCH 15 – 19 & 23 – 26

MARCH HOOPS

12TH FLOOR AT THE D LAS VEGAS

This is not your ordinary free viewing party! Place your bets at our Circa Sports Satellite Book without having to take your eyes off the screen. Quench your thirst at the on-site bar while enjoying delicious stadium-style bites. Private man caves are also available for purchase.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT THED.COM

BIG BRACKET

GALAXY BALLROOM ON LEVEL 3 AT CIRCA RESORT & CASINO

Catch all the games at our free watch party in our newest venue. Our ballrooms are equipped with state-of-the-art audio, high-definition screens, a Circa Sports Satellite Book and on-site bars. Private viewing areas for large parties are also available for purchase.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT CIRCALASVEGAS.COM

MEGA MARCH

CIRCA SPORTSBOOK AT CIRCA RESORT & CASINO

Watch all the action in the largest sportsbook in the world. Choose from a variety of seating options whether it’s enjoying the games from the elite Circa Club to our comfortable recliners.

BOOK YOUR SPOT AT CIRCALASVEGAS.COM

MANIA UNDER THE SUN

STADIUM SWIM AT CIRCA RESORT & CASINO

Plan your Mania Under the Sun experience at Stadium Swim. Watch the game from the comfort of a reserved cabana, chaise lounge, or a day bed. Or opt to relax in our 104-degree temperature-controlled pools.

BOOK YOUR SPOT AT CIRCALASVEGAS.COM