2023-05-18-Las-Vegas-Weekly

PUBLISHER

MARK DE POOTER mark.depooter@gmgvegas.com

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SPENCER PATTERSON spencer.patterson@gmgvegas.com

EDITORIAL

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

Editor at Large BROCK RADKE (brock.radke@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, TERESA MOSS, RHIANNON SAEGERT, DANNY WEBSTER

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

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CREATIVE

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DIGITAL

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ADVERTISING & MARKETING

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PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION

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IN THIS ISSUE

SUPERGUIDE

Your daily events planner, starring Garth Brooks, Ella Mai, a Haney vs. Lomachenko boxing bout, the Savannah Bananas and more.

32 18

COVER STORY

The desert goes electric for EDC once again, and Insomniac has brought some intriguing acts and experiences to town for this year’s edition.

for ways to curb the crisis.

44

SPORTS

NOISE

Vegas rapper Lurk Franklin looks to give his people what they want— more music.

NIGHTS

Even for those not heading up to the Speedway, EDC Week is packed with party possibilities.

38

FOOD & DRINK

An extra-special dining experience at Lost Spirits inside Area15, plus Shack Shake’s latest creation.

Offseason NFL practices might be voluntary for players, but they’re of vital importance for the Raiders right now. Our look at what Las Vegas’ team can accomplish as it begins preparing for the 2023 season.

NEWS Henderson holds a fentanyl awareness summit, and Nevada leaders look

EDC 2022 (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

SUPERGUIDE

(AP)

The first Garth Brooks Las Vegas residency was something of an exclusive a air, a four-year series of acoustic concerts (prominently featuring his wife Trisha Yearwood) in the limited-capacity Encore Theater. It was a hot ticket, but things were di erent then, in 2009. The Strip residency model has exploded, so now we have his new show, Garth Brooks/Plus

One, splitting time with the extended Weekends With Adele at the 4,300-seat Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Yet Brooks is still obsessed with intimacy in Las Vegas, so this residency—already booked into December, with 2024 dates to be announced soon—will be a mandated phone-free experience. He has said he’s planning to switch up arrangements for his many hits, from 10-piece band to just Garth and his guitar and everything in between. And he has teased hosting special guests, which will almost certainly include his showstopping spouse at some point. May 18, 20-21, 8 p.m., the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com. –Brock Radke

ABOVE & BEYOND 11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, events.taogroup. com.

NEVADA SHAKESPEARE

FESTIVAL: THE TEMPEST

7:30 p.m., thru 5/20, Water Street Amphitheater, nevadashakespearefestival.com.

DREAMSTATE With Atdusk, Ben Nicky, Ferry Corsten, Jorza, more, 10 p.m., the Portal & A-Lot at Area15, area15.com.

ELLA MAI

Long before the Grammy Award-winning single “Boo’d Up” turned Ella Mai into an R&B sensation, she had established herself as a musical force with the jam-packed 2016 EP Time. Swinging ’90s-esque hits like “Switch Sider” and “She Don’t” put the 28-year-old’s confidence on full display, and with infectious beats by DJ Mustard anchoring the tracks, it was only a matter of time before Mai blew up. Fast forward to 2023: The English artist has toured with Kehlani and Bruno Mars, collaborated with Latto, John Legend and H.E.R., and perfected the slow jam on second studio album Heart on My Sleeve, released last year. The essence of ’90s icons Brandy and Monica lives on in this astute young talent. With Thuy, 7:30 p.m., $35-$80, House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com. –Amber Sampson

THE MOR FLOWRS

With Nova Babies, Switterbeet, 9 p.m., Sand Dollar Downtown, thesanddollarlv. com.

BLACK COFFEE

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

UNLV BASEBALL VS. AIR FORCE

6 p.m., & 5/19 (& 5/20, noon), Earl E. Wilson Stadium, unlvtickets.com.

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

ALESSO

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

KATHERINE BLANFORD

7:30 p.m., thru 5/21 (& 5/195/20, 9:30 p.m.), Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster. com.

ILLENIUM

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

BARRY MANILOW

Thru 5/20, 7 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster. com.

BASSCON POOL PARTY

With Adrenalize, Ben Nicky, DeadX, Lil Texas, more, Citrus Grand Pool Deck, 11 a.m., seetickets.us.

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

GARTH BROOKS

(Photo Courtesy/Adrienne Raquel)

MAY FRIDAY

ELECTRIC DAISY CARNIVAL

Thru 5/21, 7 p.m., Las Vegas Motor Speedway, lasvegas.electric daisycarnival.com.

JIM GAFFIGAN

8 p.m., & 5/20, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com.

GOLDEN DAWN ARKESTRA

It takes guts to call your band an Arkestra, given both how polarizing the Sun Ra Arkestra’s weirdjazz music was in its heyday and how legendary that group’s performances have become. But Topaz McGarrigle, leader of Austin, Texas’ Golden Dawn Arkestra and an avowed Sun Ra devotee, makes it work. Though his group’s latest recordings, on August’s The Gold Album, lean far more into bouncy electronic-pop than skronky jazz, GDA’s live show—witnessed here at last year’s Psycho Las Vegas festival—undeniably evokes the over-the-top presentation and freewheeling sonic explorations of Sun Ra and his disciples. Dancers, costumes and a roster of musicians that can swell into double-digits are the norm for these spirited, talented party-starters creating an Arkestra story of their own. 8 p.m., $23-$25, the Wall at Area15, area15.com. –Spencer Patterson

SAVANNAH BANANAS WORLD TOUR

If you think Vegas baseball is getting exciting right now, wait until you experience Banana Ball. The sports sensation that has gone viral on TikTok, enlivened America’s pastime and surely annoyed the crap out of baseball purists touches down at Downtown Summerlin’s Las Vegas Ballpark for two exhibition games this weekend along its 33-city tour. Sometimes kilted, sometimes stilted, always yellow and always dancing—coaches and umpires, too!—the Savannah Bananas are sort of the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball, with extra silliness and choreography. And the fun factor is working: Every game in their original collegiate summer league and on this minor-league tour is selling out. May 19-20, 7 p.m., Las Vegas Ballpark, thesavannah bananas.com. –Brock Radke

AFROJACK

With Lucas & Steve, 10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

TWIN TRIBES

With Social Order, DJ Paulie, Luxury Furniture Store, 8 p.m., Fremont Country Club, seetickets.us.

DIM MAK TAKEOVER

WITH STEVE AOKI

With 4B, Nostalgix, CHYL, Bok Nero, 11 a.m., Wet Republic, events.taogroup.com.

KATY PERRY

8 p.m., & 5/20, 5/24, Resorts World Theatre, axs.com.

JENNA KIM JONES

7:30 p.m., & 5/20, Wiseguys, vegas. wiseguyscomedy.com.

DEADMAU5 10 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

SANTANA 7 p.m., & 5/20, 5/21, 5/24, House of Blues, concerts.livenation. com.

DJ SNAKE Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

TEACHERS GONE BAD 9 p.m., Vegas Stand Up & Rock, vegasstandup androck.com.

DERMOT KENNEDY

8 p.m., the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com.

THE CHAINSMOKERS

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

THE LOST VIRGINITY TOUR

8 p.m., & 5/20 (& 5/20-5/21, 2 p.m.), Las Vegas Little Theatre, lvlt.org.

P-LO 9 p.m., 24 Oxford, etix.com.

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

(Courtesy/The Savannah Bananas)

(Courtesy)

SUPERGUIDE

JUDICIARY

CALVIN HARRIS

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

WOMEN WHO ROCK THE ROOF Ft. Rose Levee, Elevated Undergrounds, Madison Deaver & more, 6 p.m., Taverna Costera, taverna costera.com.

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

SKYLINE SIPS WINE WALK 2 p.m., Legacy Club, circalasvegas.com.

JUICY J 11 a.m., Drai’s Beachclub, draisgroup.com.

VEGAS KNIGHT HAWKS VS. TULSA OILERS 7 p.m., Dollar Loan Center, axs.com.

IYA TERRA 7:30 p.m., 24 Oxford, etix.com.

MARTIN DUPONT 8 p.m., the Wall at Area15, area15.com.

TIËSTO Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

With Deadbody, Mongrel, Scrutiny, Sea of Sorrow, 6 p.m., American Legion Post 8, seetickets.us.

MARTIN GARRIX

With Justin Mylo, 11 a.m., Wet Republic, events. taogroup.com.

DAVID PERRICO POP STRINGS ORCHESTRA 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com.

DEADWOLFF

With Moth, Rose Levee, Algorerhythm, 8 p.m., Red Dwarf, reddwarflv.com.

BOXING: HANEY VS. LOMACHENKO

You’re forgiven if you missed the first half of this spring’s double dose of monumental lightweight boxing bouts, considering the astronomical prices for last month’s fight between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Ryan Garcia. The fight-day getin price at T-Mobile Arena for Davis’ eventual TKO victory over Davis was around $500, and ordering the pay-per-view ran $85. But Saturday’s second piece of the puzzle is much more a ordable, with $81 tickets available and a $60 pay-per-view price for Devin Haney vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko—and this matchup might be even more action-packed and competitive. The 35-year-old Lomachenko, a Ukraine native, was once considered the top lightweight in the world, but Americans Haney and Davis now look like the men to beat, both with undefeated records. The 24-year-old Haney holds almost all the notable lightweight belts and comes into the bout with Lomachenko around a -270 (i.e. risking $270 to win $100) favorite. A Haney victory could pave the way for perhaps the biggest money fight yet—a colossal showdown with Davis. Doors 3 p.m., full undercard/payper-view card 7 p.m. main event around 8:30 p.m., $81+, MGM Grand Garden Arena, ticketmaster.com. –Case Keefer

FOOD

DAVID GUETTA 11 a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.

(Courtesy/Dan Reid)

5/22, Event Lawn at Virgin, PICNIC IN

With Acraze, 11 a.m., 11 a.m., Tao Beach

Encore Beach Club, 10 p.m., Sand Dollar Dayclub,

EDDY SARABIA

1 p.m., the Bootlegger,

DENEILLE THOMPSON

7 p.m., Maxan Jazz,

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

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

JARED JAMES NICHOLS

With Stoney Curtis, Lennon Roach, 7 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, dice.fm.

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

KEVIN BOZEMAN

With Ken Garr, Kristeen Von Hagen, 8 p.m., thru 5/27, Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, brad garrettcomedy.com.

B2

With Badbeat, Shana, Sensah, 10 p.m., La Mona Rosa, lamonarosalv.com.

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

DAN NATURMAN

With Amy Miller, Vargus Mason, Gabriel Rutledge, Michael Yo, 7 & 9:30 p.m., thru 5/28, Comedy Cellar, comedycellar.com.

THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS

6:30 p.m., thru 5/25, South Point Showroom, ticketmaster.com.

VINCE MORRIS

7 p.m., thru 5/28, Vegas Stand Up & Rock, vegas standupandrock.com.

N-TYPE

With Huckleberry Quin, Mugen, 10 p.m., Discopussy, discopussydtlv.com.

GEOFF KEITH

8 p.m., thru 5/28, LA Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy.com.

K-VON

8:30 p.m., thru 5/28, Laugh Factory, ticketmaster.com.

32 SOUNDS

Think of the last nice thing you’ve done for your ears. No, seriously, take a minute.

Most of the nice things we do for our ears these days are defensive or preventative—using earplugs at concerts and sporting events to protect our eardrums, or using earbuds at the gym to drown out the godawful music they play there. For his latest documentary, 32 Sounds, filmmaker Sam Green (The Weather Underground, A Thousand Thoughts) teams with Le Tigre’s JD Samson and Academy Award-winning sound designer Mark A. Mangini (Dune, Mad Max: Fury Road) to reward this oft-neglected sense with an imaginative feast of auditory delights that Rolling Stone’s David Fear calls “the greatest documentary you’ve ever heard … part aural history and part ASMR therapy session.” Green aims to shape our understanding of how we process and interpret sound—and with the help of the Beverly’s killer sound system, he could very well pull it o . 5:30 p.m., $10, Beverly Theater, thebeverlytheater.com.

–Geo Carter

AEW: DYNAMITERAMPAGE

4 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs.com.

BRUNO MARS

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

WCC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

Thru 5/27, times vary, Las Vegas Ballpark, milb.com.

RINGO STARR & HIS ALL-STARR BAND

8:30 p.m., Venetian Theatre, ticketmaster.com.

DOM DOLLA

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

TAKING DOWN JOHN GOTTI

7 p.m., the Mob Museum, themobmuseum.com.

BILLY STRINGS

6:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com. (Courtesy/Jesse Faatz)

THE POWER OF LOCAL

Hospitality

veteran Sean Christie on the evolution of the sports bar and the city’s welcoming nature

Sean Christie (Steve Marcus/Staff)

BY BROCK RADKE

Sean Christie’s Carver Road Hospitality left its initial impact on the Las Vegas Strip with Car versteak at Resorts World. Now, the company is ready to maximize the sports boom in Vegas with Flanker Kitchen & Sports Bar, opening June 10 at Mandalay Bay—coincidentally, just steps away from the House of Blues, which was the first gig that brought Christie to town.

A major player in the evolution of nightlife and other Vegas experiences, he continued at the Light Group, Wynn and MGM Resorts before rounding up an all-star team of local and national industry pros to create Carver Road, which has already launched Flanker sports bars in Salt Lake City and at the BetMGM Sportsbook at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium. And though it might seem like a fancy bar so close to Allegiant Stadium would be a short and easy kick through the uprights, Christie says it’s essential that Flanker connects with the ever-changing sports experience on the Strip, and perhaps most importantly, finds its chemistry with locals.

Is Flanker going to be an especially elevated take on the sports bar, maybe similar to what you’ve done with Carversteak in the steakhouse genre? I think the sports bar has been evolving in Las Vegas over the past decade, but in most cases, people are still seeking out a traditional sports bar. Back in the day, you’d have to trade out, because the idea of an energetic environment during games and at certain times didn’t always coincide with premium food and beverage offerings and well-designed [spaces]. When I was at Wynn, I worked on the sportsbook, and at that time it was a good differentiator with the bar, some luxury with the banquette seats and the curved LED screen. I think what really set things in motion was Circa [Resort] and what they did with Stadium Swim and at the sportsbook. There’s been a natural progression, and we’re hoping to take that to the next level with a place you’ll want to go to watch sports, or not; just a great place for a burger and a beer. Our executive chef at Carversteak, Daniel Ontiveros, has done the menu with his take on what I would call more American grill dining.

RM Seafood was a pretty iconic Strip restaurant, but the location also seems like a good fit for a sports bar given its closeness to the stadium. MGM Resorts and Mandalay Bay built this beautiful escalator that goes right down to [the street] where everyone walks to and from the stadium on event days, so there’s a huge influx of people that walk right by our door. We want to capture that, but the magic will be in

having this be for everybody, locals included—just a great place to have a great meal. And we’ve built the space in a way that we can compartmentalize it as the evening goes on.

But how do you create that local, neighborhood sports bar feeling in a big casino on the Strip? It’s a great question. I think what’s different about Las Vegas and sports is the way the people that live in Las Vegas are so welcoming. I’m from Boston, a die-hard fan of all those teams. If the Yankees came to town, when that game lets out, I can almost guarantee you there will be one or two fistfights between Yankees and Red Sox fans on the street behind the Green Monster. In Las Vegas, everyone is so hospitable; everyone wants visitors from all over the world coming here. And when they show up, even if they are our archrivals in hockey or football … there’s this spirit that when we’re in the arena, we’re going to combat you, but outside, we recognize you’re a guest in this city

and we want to take care of you. We want to harness that spirit.

We’re hoping Flanker has a local feel to it, and in our company, we’re used to making sure that industry people and locals are first on the list of priorities. And when the 49ers or the Broncos are coming to town with [their fans], those worlds can coexist here. And again, it’s not always like that in other cities that can be so sports-centric.

You mentioned burgers. Is there a particular burger or another dish that really exemplifies the culinary approach at Flanker? Our first tagline we came out with was “Burgers, Crafts and Drafts.” We’ve done extensive tastings of Chef’s version of all different types of burgers, Nashville hot chicken sandwiches, all the things that you’d expect. One is an over-the-top western burger that’s really decadent and requires a steak knife to cut it and share with two people.

We’re hand-making everything every day. Even our to-go window, it’s not going to be, “here’s your turkey wrap in a boring takeout box.” We put a lot of thought into the way those things are packaged and presented, the way they’re going to hold up in the heat as people might be walking over. And we’ve been working on the beverage program, with more than 40 taps in the bar, over 90 different types of beer, a large Belgian beer selection. Flanker is going to be exactly what you think it is, but it’s our job to wow you and make it better.

A rendering of Flanker Kitchen & Sports Bar (Courtesy)

veteran and rising acts

into your EDC 2023 schedule

(Friday night, 10 p.m., Quantum Valley)

Don’t let the name fool you, Pretty Pink’s material is anything but light. Picture a throng of sweat-soaked bodies writhing in an underground club to a pulsating, submerged beat—that’s Pretty Pink. The deep house maestro with a decade of production under her belt is known for immersing the listener in sensations. Born Digital, her latest album released on her Deep Woods label, expands on that sound with a brighter, more electric approach that should translate well to the stage.

Electric Daisy Carnival’s hundreds-strong lineup represents an opportunity to discover new talent and rediscover pioneers of the electronic music scene. For Pasquale Rotella, CEO of promoter Insomniac, this year’s festival also marks an important achievement—and a chance to celebrate EDC’s history.“This is our 30th anniversary, so we brought in some artists that haven’t played with us for a very long time—R.A.W.; Frankie Bones, who’s the originator of PLUR [Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect]; DJ Dan; DJ Trance, who was a resident for us even before trance music existed,” Rotella tells the Weekly. “We have lots of surprises planned and artists who we haven’t announced yet. People are going to be stoked.”

history. “This

Here are eight acts to get you started as you sift through the schedule.

FERRY CORSTEN

(Friday night, 12:30 a.m., Basspod)

“There’s been a real interest recently in a genre that I personally have never lost love for—drum and bass,” Rotella says, and this year’s EDC has tons of it. Englishman Andy C, a founding father of the genre, leads the charge, and he brings a frenetic mixing style to the decks, one that shifts the weight of the track from one extreme to the next, evidenced on 2017 hit “What Bass.” The DJ and producer also leads Ram Records, one of the largest independent drum and bass labels around.

(Friday night, 3 a.m., Quantum Valley)

Corsten has made genre-defining tunes under several aliases (Moonman, System F, Gouryella), but longtime listeners know him best as the groundbreaking Dutch DJ and producer who established a blueprint for trance. For nearly three decades, Corsten has fine-tuned a sound that’s both genre-blurring and radiant. Cuts like “Connect” and “Out of the Blue” demand stamina, so prepare to leave some sweat on the dancefloor during this legend’s set.

(Saturday night, 7 p.m., Cosmic Meadow)

Infectious, sexy and tailor-made for the underground, Nala’s music caught the attention of Claude VonStroke, and the rest, well, it’s history. The Miami DJ and Dirtybird Records signee has since become a hot commodity in techno and house circles, and her signature use of her own hypnotic vocals—check out “Everything Is Burning”— leaves a stamp on whatever she touches.

With a background in dancehall and a passion for the percussive jungle style that developed out of the U.K., Sherelle is a raver’s dream. The London DJ is playful behind the decks, juking and pump-faking listeners with unexpected transitions and sound e ects just for sport. She’s also busting down doors with her indie labels Hooversound and Beautiful, which specifically represent Black and LGBTQ people like her in the community.

(Sunday night, 8:30 p.m., Neon Garden)

A techno wizard in her own right, Ellen Allien laid the groundwork for her legacy with resonant rave cuts and a progressive catalog of IDM, fueled by enigmatic grooves and roiling basslines. The German producer’s edit of “Their Blood” by Rose Anschütz personifies that approach, building toward a doomful finale that feels equal parts chilling and sexy. There’s a magnetism to Allien’s sounds, and over decades she has shared it with the world on most every major festival stage.

(Sunday night, 11:30 p.m., Neon Garden)

One of the hardest-working and most iconic names in techno, Je Mills will make a rare EDC appearance this weekend. The Detroit legend who co-founded that city’s Underground Resistance collective in 1989 mostly plays overseas, so catching him under the desert sky should be quite an experience. Mills’ old-school approach has historically involved up to four turntables and a drum machine, but the result is a dynamic experience, rich in composition, expertly mixed and often grittily industrial.

(Sunday night, 4 a.m., Bionic Jungle)

Legendary. Iconic. Game-changing. That about sums it up for Todd Terry, one of the pioneers behind ’80s New York house. Terry produced The Jungle Brothers’ 1988 hip-hop hit “I’ll House You”—built around his own track “Can You Party”—and his 1995 dance remix of “Missing” by Everything but the Girl took that English pop band to new heights. Terry’s influence will be felt for many years to come, and we’re privileged to get an earful of it at this year’s fest.

(Courtesy)

HEART RAVE HEART RAVE HEART

Wooli talks mixing metalcore and dubstep and why EDC Las Vegas is so special

BY AMBER SAMPSON

Long before Rochester DJ and producer Wooli released blood-pumping bass bangers like “Name Drop” (with Excision) and “You Were Right” (with Grabbitz and Illenium), he spent countless nights raving as a fan. That partying past has helped shape his production today—and his live show. “I always picture myself as if I was out in the crowd, looking back to what some of my favorite sets were and how I can use that inspiration of how I felt to build my sets,” Wooli says. “I think it’s one of the biggest advantages I had coming into this.” The DJ, who plays Saturday night at the Basspod stage, spoke with the Weekly in the lead-up to EDC.

HEART

You played your very first EDC in Vegas in 2021. What was that experience like? That one I was really looking forward to, because before I became a DJ, I was a huge rave kid. I went to every festival. I was spending pretty much every single dime to travel around and go to as many shows as possible. But the one that I didn’t go to that I knew was big was EDC Las Vegas. I was gonna go in 2017, but I told myself I’m gonna set this little goal to motivate myself: I’m not gonna go to EDC Las Vegas until I get booked. At that time it was kind of like a pipe dream, but the fact that we were able to make it a reality in 2021, and after the pandemic, was insane.

You just hit 1 million listeners on Spotify. How does it feel knowing that many people are hearing your stu ? It’s obviously a good feeling. With my last release being an Illenium collab, that really helped. It’s a little stimulus check I got in the mail from Spotify (laughs). It’s one of those fun little goals to be proud of, but don’t let it de ne you. … Some people have 2 million monthly listeners and they’re struggling to get booked. It’s a helpful indicator of how you’re doing as an artist, but it’s not the end-all be-all.

One collab of yours that surprised me was “Reasons” with The Devil Wears Prada. I wouldn’t have expected metalcore and dubstep to gel so well. I have to give a lot of credit to guys like Excision and Illenium for opening that gateway. We were very inspired by their previous song with I Prevail. [My] session was never meant to really go anywhere. I showed it to Excision, and he was like, let’s see if we can gure out how to make this into a dubstep tune. We made a heavy drop, and then we’re sitting there like, who do we get on the song? One [of the bands] on the list was The Devil Wears Prada. They sent over a couple ideas … and they re-recorded some drums and guitars, so it was more of their vibe.

Who else is on your radar?

There’s a running joke that I have this huge obsession with Ellie Goulding. It’s not really a joke. I’ve been the biggest fan of her forever. … I’ve worked with some artists that you wouldn’t expect, like Scott Stapp from Creed. I like the whole surprise element.

For more of this interview, visit lasvegasweekly.com.

WOOLI Saturday night, 2:30 a.m., Basspod.

HTOWAX MOTIF

EDC 2023

Dynamic beatmaker Wax Motif continues diversifying his sound

BY AMBER SAMPSON

SAustralian artist Wax Motif might be an OG of the G-house club scene, but he’s still reverential toward the OGs on Electric Daisy Carnival lineups. “I’ve always looked at Diplo as a mentor. He’s a friend, too, in that older generation, and same with Chris Lake,” he says. “That’s who I grew up listening to and watching, Kaskade as well.” Wax Motif, the “gangsta-house” beatmaker whose wide palette of tastes stretches from disco to R&B, will perform two nights at EDC—Friday with French DJ Malaa and Sunday solo.

AYour debut album, House of Wax, is a year old. Looking back, were there songs you were particularly proud of for pushing you out of your comfort zone? Maybe the songs that are less dance-oriented, like “Waiting” or “Live For The Night.” It really was just making fun music with friends. It wasn’t about getting the streams or making them hits. It was really a need to ful ll my own satisfaction.

Your track “Telugu Tech,” which is blowing up, samples from a song in the Indian action film Pushpa: The Rise, and Telugu-speaking fans seem to love it. So you’ve not only crossed into a new market but also exposed Americans to something they probably haven’t heard before. It’s pretty cool. Diplo’s someone I’ve always felt was a guide for things I think are cool and want to do. All this stu earlier where he was sampling baile funk ... he’s always digging for new stu . DJ Snake is the same way. When you travel, you start to realize how big the actual world is and how big other music markets are. It’s probably pretty obvious with Blackpink and Bad Bunny headlining Coachella this year. That’s the fun part about music—discovering new sh*t.

You’ve long been a conductor in the G-house scene. How did you become a hip-hop head? I discovered trance music and hiphop at the same time, but I think the rst music I was really into was probably rap and hip-hop. I eventually discovered raves and stu , but when I started DJing, I didn’t really understand how to be a dance-music DJ. What I did understand was the DJ that played for a bunch of suits after work in a bar. I went down that path. It wasn’t until people like Diplo came along, and Crookers, who at the time had “Day ’n’ Nite.” That genre of producers, where they started sampling a lot of rap and hip-hop … that’s where I started understanding there’s a blend here in the way you can t both molds.

Do your parents come to shows or listen to your music? My mom and my sister came to my new year’s run of shows. It was the rst time since I left Australia that they really saw anything. This was their rst real experience seeing that I actually got somewhere (laughs). They hated it at rst. My mom follows me like a hawk on social media now. She knows every song. The minute I drop it, she’s texting me like, “it’s out.”

For more of this interview, visit lasvegasweekly.com.

OMSSMOOTH AS WAX

HOME ON THE STRIP

Hotel EDC transforms Resorts

World for festival week

BY BROCK RADKE

What happens at Resorts World happens all over Resorts World. Any event at the nearly 2-year-old property is typically accompanied by additional programming at restaurants, bars and shops, or broadcast on the 100,000-square-foot hotel tower’s LED screen.

When megastar comedian Kevin Hart returns to the stage at the theater July 6-9, it’s not just a show, it’s the Hartbeat Weekend, with a celebrity poker tournament at the 66thoor Allē Lounge, a pool party, an afterhours bash at the hidden Jalisco Underground and club performances by Ludacris, Jack Harlow and J Cole. It’s a whole thing.

And when EDC arrives this weekend, it will set up shop on the Strip like never before with Hotel EDC at Resorts World. With an assist from curated experience company Vibee, the music festival and the hotel have partnered to fashion Resorts World into something more than a comfortable place to stay for festgoers.

“EDC hasn’t had a real home on the Strip. This is an extension of the festival,” Pasquale Rotella, CEO for promoter Insomniac, tells the Weekly. “You have hubs all over the Strip but not concentrated, not o cial. Every year, people are asking me where’s the place to be, where is the hotel to be, what parties on the Strip they should attend, because there’s just so much going on. We’re doing a full hotel takeover.”

Those who’ve booked a weekend stay at Hotel EDC will be stationed in the Hilton tower at Resorts World, and sure, they’ll get cool festival gift bags and access to exclusive popup parties on property. But they’ll also be welcomed to a hotel lobby decked out with festival vibes, they’ll have exclusive

channels broadcasting special DJ sets in their rooms, they’ll nd a dedicated Vibee concierge taking care of their needs and, when they set a wake-up greeting for the morning (or afternoon) after festival fun, it will come from Rotella.

“Those [greetings] will also let them know about special activities happening that day, and there are some health and wellness activities just for hotel guests,” he says. “I actually posted the robe and slippers we’re giving Hotel EDC guests, and it created a bit of an uproar for Camp EDC guests [staying at the festival site]. People were up in arms. So we gave in a little bit and made them available for sale at Camp EDC.”

Brent Freed, executive director of talent programming at Resorts World and Zouk Group Las Vegas, says the property has dabbled with other “takeovers,” but Hotel EDC is the biggest one yet. And while there are plenty of exclusives for those guests, the experience in general is for everyone. “We’re programming [music and entertainment] heavily in our clubs and lounges for those general guests who want a taste of EDC,” he says.

Zouk Nightclub opened on a Wednesday night for the rst time this week, and both Zouk and Ayu Dayclub are packed with star DJs like Tiësto, Deadmau5, Kaskade and DJ Snake all weekend long, plus Alan Walker, who opens his new residency at Zouk on May 20.

Plus, Freed says. “We’re really highlighting the art elements of the festival. EDC has been crushing it when it comes to the art experience, everything from the production stages to the moment you walk into the festival and you’re ooded with all the lighting and installations, and we have versions of that on property.”

(Courtesy/Photo Illustration)

This Maverick is EDC’s top flier

The tra c snarls leading to and from the Speedway during EDC weekend are legendary. Nearly everyone has a story about them. (I was once trapped in the Speedway lot for three hours—and that was after nearly two hours of walking, because my friend had forgotten where she parked.) It’s little wonder that helicopter sightseeing tour Maverick (maverickhelicopter. com) does strong business shuttling festivalgoers to EDC and back—a breezy, scenic 15-minute ight.

“This will be our 13th year of working with EDC. We’ve been a part of it every year since it’s been in Las Vegas,” says Bryan Kroten, Maverick’s VP of marketing. “It’s been a great partnership, and it’s evolved since year one, when we had two helicopters, and we did not have one single booking prior to the event date. Let’s just say that 13 years later, it’s a little di erent.”

Maverick’s luxury helicopter ights—$650 one-way and $950 round-trip, with special rates available for multiple-passenger private charters—essentially extend the

festival’s footprint to the company’s south-Strip terminal, which is transformed with a “nightclub-type feel,” complete with a full bar, photo opportunities and a live DJ. More than 1,000 people will y to EDC on any given night of the festival, and that number might include more than a few surprise passengers.

“The really cool thing for a lot of guests is they could be ying out— let’s say at 9 or 10 p.m.—and their favorite DJ could be ying out at the same time,” Kroten says.

Kroten adds that despite the large number of repeat customers—“We’ve been seeing some of these faces 10, 12 years in a row”— bookings are still available for EDC 2023. “We encourage guests to keep checking with us. And we do have a standby option. … If guests come to our lobby before 8 p.m. or on the returns before 4 a.m., we’ll be able to get them out in a decent time.”

And, by the way, Maverick does y pretty much directly over the gridlock. “That is something I can guarantee: We’ll see a lot of brake lights,” Kroten says. –Geo Carter

Need EDC wear? Drop in

Incredible as it might sound, there are EDC goers in Las Vegas this weekend lacking in festival gear. No booty shorts, no hydration packs, no Kandi necklaces, no di raction goggles or even glitter pasties. The Drop (thedroplv.com), a rave and smoke shop located just under four miles east of the Strip on Flamingo, gets them what they need … and what they might not have known they needed before they walked through the door.

“We get people from Japan during EDC time, from China, from St. Louis, New Orleans,” says Robert Suarez, who co-owns the shop with his longtime partner Marie Romero. “People from all across the world are watching us, because we’re doing something di erent than everybody else, which is two totally opposite things: hip hop and EDM.”

The rave gear occupies most of the western half of the shop, while the rest is filled with Cookies-branded apparel, bags and accessories, exotic sodas, candies and snacks, stylized pipes and vape batteries and much more. Suarez keeps the vibe balanced, even subtly changing the shop’s soundtrack to suit who’s shopping there. During EDC, the ravers pretty much take over.

“It gets crazy,” says Suarez, adding that he usually hires five to six additional employees to handle the increased business. “We run out of a lot of women’s outfits. Men are easy to dress; sometimes they really don’t care what they’re wearing. But the women are the ones that love to use the fitting rooms. We sell out on body suits; we sell out on women’s face masks; we sell out on gloves, LED gloves. We have a major gloving community out here in Vegas.”

The only drawback to that EDC rush? It makes it nearly impossible for Suarez to join his customers at the Speedway.

“We don’t get to go to EDC ourselves anymore until the last day [of the festival], because we have to work and run our business for the community and make sure everybody’s happy,” he says. “We have a lot of pride in [trying] to elevate and do things for the culture.”

–Geo Carter

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

POKER LEGEND DIES

COVID-19 PANDEMIC NOT OVER, BUT NO LONGER AN ‘EMERGENCY’

The Southern Nevada Health District says it will shut down its COVID-19 testing clinic this summer and slow to monthly data reporting of local virus hospitalizations and deaths, after the federally declared COVID-19 public health emergency ended May 11.

Dr. Fermin Leguen, district health officer for the Southern Nevada Health District, said May 11 that the end of the emergency declaration after more than three years does not mean the pandemic has ended, or that the health district will stop protecting the public from the disease. The virus is still circulating, and still has the potential to be fatal, he said.

“Even so, we don’t see today the severity of fatalities that we’ve seen in previous years,” Leguen said.

Dr. Cassius Lockett, SNHD’s director of disease surveillance and control, said the testing clinic at health district headquarters in Las Vegas will close in July, although clinics at the College of Southern Nevada’s North Las Vegas and Charleston campuses will remain open through next March. Vending machines placed at government and community centers around the county will also dispense free at-home kits through May 2024.

Lockett said the disease data being posted on the SNHD’s website on a weekly basis—which includes case counts, hospitalizations, seven-day averages of daily new cases by age

group, test positivity and deaths—will be pared down to monthly hospitalization and death trend reports. Those are now more accurate in assessing COVID’s impacts than the previous standards, case counts and testing positivity rates, he said.

Hospitalization data is also just as good.

According to Nevada Health Response, the 14-day moving average of case counts statewide was 66 as of Monday. The 14-day rolling average was 389 cases as of May 8, 2022; at the peak of the delta variant in January 2022, the rolling case average was about 6,500 cases.

Lockett said virus cases remain undercounted because of the wide use of at-home test kits, the results of which are not reported to the government. People with less-severe COVID-19 may also opt for self-care, he said.

But Southern Nevada has long returned to its pre-pandemic normal. Tourism is booming, entertainment venues are packed and restrictions have been lifted— the state dropped its mask mandate in February 2022.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement this week that “we are now in a better place in our response than at any point of the pandemic and well-positioned to transition out of the emergency phase and end the COVID-19 [public health emergency].” –Hillary Davis

UNDERWATER LIVING

Joseph Dituri, a university professor, broke a record for the longest time living underwater without depressurization—74 days—at a Florida Keys lodge for scuba divers. He plans to stay at the lodge until June 9, when he’ll reach 100 days.

Doyle Brunson, one of the most influential poker players of all time and a two-time world champion, died May 14 at age 89. Brunson, called the Godfather of Poker and also known as “Texas Dolly,” won 10 World Series of Poker tournaments—second only to Phil Hellmuth’s 16.

LIAM AND OLIVIA WERE 2022’S MOST POPULAR BABY NAMES IN THE U.S.

GUN BILLS GO TO GOVERNOR

Democrats in the Legislature are sending a trio of bills aimed at reducing gun violence to Gov. Joe Lombardo’s desk, setting the stage for the Republican’s first potential vetoes since assuming office in January. None of the bills passed with veto-proof majorities.

STRANGER THINGS POP-UP LANDS ON THE STRIP

Vecna and his army of monsters from the Upside Down are headed to Las Vegas, and they’ll be here for a while. Netflix will launch Stranger Things: The Official Store at the Showcase Mall on the Strip on May 26, open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The spot will include an exhibit filled with some of the show’s most iconic set pieces, including the Starcourt Mall from Season 3’s final battle sequence, along with exclusive merchandise. Greg Lombardo, head of live experiences at Netflix, said it “makes perfect sense” for the streaming service to bring one of its most successful shows to “such an incredible entertain-

ment hub” like Las Vegas. “[Stranger Things] has such a global fan base … [and] Vegas is where the world comes,” he said. Stranger Things generated about 52 billion viewing minutes across all of its Season 4 episodes last year, according to media analytics site Nielsen. Set in 1980s Indiana, the series follows a group of children after a disappearance ushers in supernatural happenings from an alternate world known as the Upside Down, where the villain Vecna resides.

The store has already visited cities including New York, LA, Dallas, Chicago and Miami, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans, according to Lombardo. He said the Las Vegas’ version will run through 2024.

–Grace Da Rocha

BALLPARK DEAL ANNOUNCED FOR TROPICANA SITE

Bally’s Corp. announced May 15 it has reached a binding agreement with the Oakland Athletics and the land owner of the Tropicana to build a baseball stadium on the Strip property.

The agreement marks a reversal from another ballpark deal announced in April.

Bally’s announced the new deal in conjunction with the A’s and real estate investment firm Gaming & Leisure Properties Inc. It assigns about nine acres of a 35-acre site at Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue to the A’s or a related stadium authority.

The proposed ballpark, which would seat about

30,000 people, is pending passage of state legislation for public financing and other related agreements. The team, which would relocate from Oakland, California, estimates the new ballpark would welcome more than 2.5 million people annually. The stadium would provide significant flexibility to develop the site in a phased approach, the news release said.

Gaming & Leisure Properties has agreed to fund up to $175 million toward certain “shared improvements” within the future development in exchange for a commensurate rent increase, the release said.

–Casey Harrison

DEADMAU5 TO HEADLINE FREE BL OCK P ARTY AT COMMERCIAL CENTER

EDC and local redevelopment overlap May 18 with the Fabulous Commercial Center Block Party, a free event featuring a set by superstar DJ Deadmau5 and several pieces of Burning Man art.

Capitalizing on a wave of interest in the historic midtown retail center that’s yielded new galleries, restaurants, bars and other cultural businesses, the Block Party is intended to herald “the re-emergence of an area that [was once] considered to be the very center of Las Vegas,” said Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom in an email statement.

Segerblom says the Block Party is the inauguration of an arts-forward “South of Sahara Avenue District,” whose boundaries roughly conform to Commercial Center’s 38 acres.

Additional performers include Bella Strings and Franky Perez. The Block Party begins at 6 p.m., with Deadmau5 expected to take the stage at 9. At press time, the event had reached capacity; for additional details, visit ClarkCountyNV.

gov/fabulous23 –

LVW Staff

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague, left, celebrates with center Jack Eichel on May 12 after scoring against the Edmonton Oilers at T-Mobile Arena. The Golden Knights won the second-round playoff series in six games and will host Dallas on May 19 to open the Western Conference Finals. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

It’s just this once. Everyone does it. It’s not that big of a deal,” a teen’s voice says over footage of a young person taking a pill. Then come ambulance sirens and a heart monitor, beeping. “Oh my God, that could’ve been me.” The screen then shows the text, “Fentanyl is changing everything.”

The video, presented by the City of Henderson, was unveiled at a fentanyl awareness summit hosted at the College of Southern Nevada Henderson campus on May 9. In opening remarks, Mayor Michelle Romero said that by 2018, Henderson’s strategic plan identified the “opioid epidemic” as a cause for concern.

“We didn’t have the resources or expertise at the time, but by learning from our law enforcement agencies and public health partners, we began to work more directly on prevention as well as harm reduction,” she said. “With the addition of opioid settlement funds, we have also gained resources, awareness and partnerships [to] respond.”

Romero added that the videos would be disseminated through digital ads. Those, along with other print and billboard promotions, are available to view at riskitallwithfentanyl.com. “We need to warn our young people of the true dangers of the drugs they are exposed to in ways that they can relate to,” Romero said.

In recent years, community leaders, law enforcement officials and public health advocates have increasingly sounded the alarm about fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than morphine. Law enforcement reps at the May 9 event said they believe drug traffickers are mixing fentanyl in their products—namely counterfeit pills—to make them more addictive. And many who consume the drug don’t realize it’s present in whatever they are taking.

But just two milligrams of fentanyl—“enough to fit on the tip of a pencil”— can be a lethal dose, Kevin Adams, assistant special agent in charge for the Drug En-

ALL HANDS ON DECK

Community, lawmakers come together to target fentanyl in Southern Nevada

BY SHANNON MILLER

forcement Administration (DEA) Las Vegas District, said during a law enforcement panel with Henderson and Las Vegas Metropolitan police.

“People look at these tablets, these fake oxycodone tablets, and they don’t look deadly like crack cocaine. And kids take them, thinking that it’s not a big deal, that it’s harmless. It’s literally playing Russian roulette with every tablet you take,” Adams said, advising parents to regularly check their kids’ phones for signs they might be buying illicit drugs online or through social media.

While community awareness is one step toward addressing the proliferation of fentanyl and associated drug overdose deaths, police and the Nevada attorney general have said their strategies are targeted at stopping traffickers, rather than arresting their customers.

According to Adams, two Mexican cartels are credited as the main sources of the drug. “They have been shipping fentanyl fake pills across our border. And the distribution points have been Los Angeles and Phoenix. Those are the main sources where fentanyl is coming from to Las Vegas,” Adams said. “In 2022, [the DEA] seized 50.6 million [fake pills]. Six out of 10 of those tablets had a potential lethal dosage.”

Serious dangers

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, and 67% of those deaths involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl, according to the DEA.

In December 2022, the CDC reported that median monthly drug overdose deaths among 10-19 year olds involving illicitly manufactured fentanyl increased by 182% (from 22 to 62 deaths) nationwide from 2019 to 2021. Of all drug-overdose deaths for that age group during the same time frame, 84% involved fentanyl.

“It doesn’t discriminate between anybody. … The biggest shock to the conscience is the children and casual drug users—people that don’t know what they’re [taking],” said Branden Clarkson, a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police captain. “You see a child that looks just like your child that has passed away. It’s heartbreaking. And you have to come back down the stairs, and the family’s staring at you, crying, looking for any sign of hope that you can do something to bring their child back.”

The CDC’s report also highlighted some areas where response could be improved. “Two-thirds of decedents had one or more potential bystanders present, but most

provided no overdose response,” the report reads.

The Henderson summit included a presentation from Henderson Fire Department about how to recognize an overdose, how to administer the medication naloxone, widely known as Narcan, to reverse its effects and other safety measures. With regard to policy, harm reduction advocates have said Good Samaritan laws, which protect people from drug possession charges while reporting an emergency such as an overdose, also help with that statistic.

Targeting traffickers

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, who spoke at the Henderson fentanyl awareness summit, says he and Democratic lawmakers are working on two “companion bills” to address fentanyl.

Ford’s Senate Bill 35 (SB35), which passed the upper house by a 15-6 vote, would decrease the threshold to prosecute for drug possession and increase penalties for possession and trafficking. Under current law, a person can be prosecuted for low-level trafficking if they are in possession of 100 grams or more, and for high-level trafficking if found in possession of 400 grams or more of fentanyl or a substance containing fentanyl (a Schedule 2 drug). SB35 would create a mid-level category starting at possession of 14 grams or more and setting high-level trafficking at 28 grams.

Under Ford’s bill, the felony charges for mid-level trafficking would carry sentences of one to 20 years in prison, with those penalties escalating for high-level traffickers. During a speech at the Henderson panel, Ford said the bill would assist in prosecuting traffickers.

“You heard them talk about two milligrams of fentanyl being able to kill people. One hundred grams is where we are. And so, my office has endeavored to lower the amount of fentanyl needed to charge,” he said. “The bill is not intended to do something we’ve seen happen already … to re-create a failed war

on drugs. … This bill is not intended to incarcerate those who are struggling with addiction.”

The attorney general’s address to the Henderson audience echoed what he has said in discussions in Carson City. During a April 10 Senate Committee on Judiciary meeting, representatives from Washoe and Clark County Public Defenders, along with the ACLU of Nevada, testi ed in opposition to both bills, claiming that they would not deter illicit fentanyl manufacturers and tra ckers, and that the laws could even increase the risk of death by overdose for people who, knowingly or not, use the substance.

Under former governor Brian Sandoval, Nevada enacted a Good Samaritan law in 2015, which applies to fentanyl. Asked whether the draft legislation for SB35 includes another explicit Good Samaritan provision, Ford said he was unable to get such a measure into his bill.

Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, a former prosecutor, is sponsoring a “companion bill,” SB343, which would set the threshold for low-level tra cking at possession of 4 grams of fentanyl. The bill, which also passed the Senate with a 15-6 vote, likewise does not have an explicit Good Samaritan provision in it.

At press time, both bills were scheduled for a hearing with the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, before they go to a vote in the lower house.

During the summit, Ford touted more than $231 million brought to the state in 2022 after joining a multistate lawsuit against three of the largest opioid distributors. On May 16, his o ce announced more than $151 million in settlements with CVS Pharmacy. And in December, the attorney general’s o ce announced a total of $35.5 million in funds and settlements with pharmacy companies.

At a May 3 press conference with Democratic leaders in Carson City, Ford said the settlement money could be used to provide more accurate drug testing methods for law enforcement and prosecutors.

“People look at these tablets, these fake oxycodone tablets, and they don’t look deadly like crack cocaine. And kids take them, thinking that it’s not a big deal, that it’s harmless. It’s literally playing Russian roulette with every tablet you take.”

–Kevin

Adams, assistant special agent in charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration Las Vegas District

AYU DAYCLUB

The property’s signature pool club inspired by Southeast Asia’s islands, will feature a threeday lineup.

It’s one of Las Vegas’ most electrifying weeks of the year: EDC. Electric Daisy Carnival is taking over the city, and in partnership with Vibee, Resorts World Las Vegas is introducing a full-scale takeover of the property with Hotel EDC. Creating a homebase for the festival’s performers and attendees, Hotel EDC at the Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World will feature ongoing performances from world-renowned DJs, exclusive parties, wellness activities, art installations, an Insomniac popup store and more. The experience offers the unique opportunity to interact with performers too, making it the ideal getaway for any festivalgoer and music lover to experience EDC weekend like never before.

ZOUK NIGHTCLUB

The venue is hosting a fiveday, late-night experience, starting Wednesday, May 17, with Slander, and running through Monday.

FRIDAY, MAY 19

DJ SNAKE

THURSDAY, MAY 18

TIËSTO

FRIDAY, MAY 19

DEADMAU5

DEADMAU5

DJ SNAKE

SATURDAY, MAY 20

TIËSTO

SUNDAY, MAY 21 KASKADE

HOTEL EDC EXPERIENCES AND ACTIVATIONS

Beyond parties, Hotel EDC will have round-theclock experiences throughout the property to help guests rest and recover, prep for an evening under the Electric Sky, and the opportunity to meet some of EDC’s biggest headliners.

n MORNING WELLNESS SESSIONS: Greet the day with morning wellness options that include soundtracked yoga sessions, calming sound baths and guided meditations. Vibee is also working with the executive chef at Fuhu to create a can’t-miss, wellness-inspired Sunday brunch menu to help you recharge.

n EDC GLAM: There are complimentary glam stations throughout the property, stocked and ready for any electrifying, rave-inspired look.

n PHOTO OPS: You’ll find eye-catching art installations and unique photo opportunities at every turn. There will also be surprise pop-ups and the chance to meet DJs at RedTail Bar’s meet-and-greet.

ALAN WALKER

Ayu Dayclub will host parties all weekend with some of electronic music’s favorite performers. Zouk Nightclub will cover the afterparties, with late-night entry Friday and Saturday night. Zouk will also be open Monday after EDC to keep the party going. KASKADE

SATURDAY, MAY 20

ALAN WALKER

This is the debut of Walker’s 2023 Zouk residency

MONDAY, MAY 22

TIËSTO

THE PEOPLE’S CHAMP

Meet Lurk Franklin

a rising rapper giving fans want they want

BY AMBER SAMPSON

Las Vegas rapper Lurk Franklin carries his JBL bluetooth speaker around for occasions like this. The scene is the Arts Factory parking lot on a cloudy day. We’ve just nished our iced lattes at Bungalow Co ee Co. across the street, and now he’s ready to reveal some unreleased tracks.

Dressed in Vegas Golden Knights swag, he raps along to “Jabberjaw,” a cutthroat Franklin classic that’s hard enough for the streets, but brief enough to keep people wanting more. He’s very aware that his fans want more.

“I do have a fan base, but I’m not feeding them enough,” says Franklin, who moved to Las Vegas in 2018. “I want to make these 20, 30 or 40 songs, put them where they have to be, then go forward. I’m starving my people in a way. They want to eat.”

Lurk Franklin (no relation to gospel rapper Kirk Franklin, though the Vegas MC hat tips the Black trailblazer for breaking

down barriers) grew up in Marietta, Georgia, where he developed his love for music from his father, also a rapper. That led Franklin to join the hip-hop collective Lurk Gang. “With my group, I was the wildest one,” he admits. “Everybody else was turned up, like it was Georgia, we got that sauce. But I was on some other sauce, and then I applied that here.”

Lurk Franklin is a character, plain and simple. The same way, “there’s Shawn Carter, and there’s Jay-Z,” he explains. Franklin puts his persona out there in various ways, like through lmed skits, in which he plays his songs for Downtown strangers and captures their honest reactions, and when he res up crowds for a moshpit.

“I’ve got a lot of Odd Future

in uence, Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Wu-Tang,” he says. “I got a lot of pent-up energy, pent-up aggression just from life, and instead of using it for negative, I just use it there. People know to have that type of energy when they come to one of my shows.”

Performative punk rappers like Rico Nasty have inspired Franklin’s stage antics, too. “The bands are way more popular here than the rappers. But if you’re a rapper who can master that type of energy that the punk bands have … but don’t make it in a corny way, you can really get in that pocket,” he says.

Franklin o ered a “sample size” of his abilities on the 2022 EP Franky 5 Pack, a tightly produced burst of energy reserved for the most lit underground rap parties one can imagine. You can practically feel the oor bouncing in “Alley Oop,” and the deafening salvo of “Inferno Black” slaps on impact. It’s heated hip-hop, ne-tuned by Franklin and his musical partners Zerby and Marco4d.

Franklin’s latest music signals the next era. The unreleased track “Wednesday” channels the slinky Afrobeat style that put prominent Nigerian sensations like Wizkid on the U.S. radar, and Franklin says he deliberately did it for the ladies: “I honestly wanted to make something that my mom would listen to.”

As he dives deeper into his craft—and into the studio for weeks at a time—Franklin seems laser focused. Performing for fans, he admits, has taken a back seat as he makes dropping “good music” a priority. “Because, at the end of the day,” he says, “the people that are in the studio making the product and building their fan base solely through that. The show is gonna come to them.”

LURK FRANKLIN linktr.ee/lurkfranklin

Lurk Franklin (Wade Vandervort/Sta )

DANCE DECADENCE

Mini-fests and DJ teamups dominate EDC Week landscape

the end—check out these team-ups and multi-acts bills.

The biggest music festival of all returns to Las Vegas this week, and that means EDC Week events already have been taking over clubs on the Strip; May 17 brought pool parties at Liquid and Marquee and nighttime sets from Two Friends at Encore Beach Club and Slander at Zouk. But not every party this week is at a Vegas dayclub or nightclub, and some of these events feel like festivals unto themselves. If you’re skipping the Speedway this year but still crave diverse sounds and di erent DJs at a single venue—or if you’re all in on EDC and want to pack in the most music possible through the weekend—check out these team-ups and multi-acts bills.

Thursday, May 18

Wet Republic is the perfect pool club for a self-contained mini-festival, and the MGM Grand stronghold is starting early this year with the inventive All4House lineup, featuring an international array of electronic dance music from Claptone, James Hype, Meduza and Vintage Culture. (11 a.m., Wet Republic, events. taogroup.com)

The Bassrush brand is going big the day and night before EDC arrives, rst taking over Mandalay Bay’s dayclub for a pool party stocked with genre heavyweights Airglo, Austeria, Barely Alive, Eptic, Friction,

Riot Ten and Sullivan King. (11 a.m., Daylight Beach Club, tixr. com) Then head Downtown for the outdoor Bassrush Massive with sets from Andy C, Black Tiger Sex Machine, Hvdes, Justin Hawkes, Wooli and Zeds Dead. (8 p.m., Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, bassrush. frontgatetickets.com)

Dreamstate is the o cial EDC pre-party in Las Vegas, and it’ll be more immersive than ever thanks to all the hi-tech capabilities and indoor-outdoor action at Area15. The lineup includes Atdusk, Ben Nicky, Ferry Corsten, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Jorza, Maarten de Jong, Paul Denton, Triode, Will Atkinson and Yozhi & Razner. (10 p.m., the Portal & A-Lot at Area15, area15.com)

Insomniac’s Lost in Dreams event brand has provided a popular fall festival at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, but this week it takes the nightswim route with future bass, dubstep and dancepop from Armnhmr, Blanke, Kaivon, Pauline Herr and Tsu Nami. (10 p.m., Daylight Beach Club, tixr.com)

DECADENCE

Friday, May 19

Saturday, May 20

Sunday, May 21

STEVE AOKI

Sinclair.

Australian producer Sonny Fodera and French DJ Dombresky—two house artists seldom seen in Las Vegas—lead the bill at the Day Trip Pool Party, also featuring Biscits, Joshwa, Torren Foot, Carola and Lady (11 a.m., Daylight Beach Club, tixr.com)

Then, two of the top resident artists at Marquee join forces for one day only. The Afrojack and Deorro co-headliner promises to be a rager, one of those pool parties that could threaten your arrival time at the fest that night. Plan accordingly. (11 a.m., Marquee Dayclub, events.taogroup.com)

Get a load of this one: Up-and-comer Disco Lines is teaming up with LA duo Ship Wrek as DJ superteam Disco Wrek, and they’re sharing the booth with resident duo Loud Luxury and Minneapolis electronic tag team Twinsick. It’s a lot! (11 a.m., Wet Republic, events.taogroup. com)

Masked musical marauder Marshmello smooths things out at EBC on Sunday with the assist from one of Wynn Nightlife’s newest and most exciting resident DJs, Staten Island hitmaker Acraze. a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com)

(11 a.m.,

Nostalgix, CHYL (Courtesy/@artbygoldie); Bok Nero, 4B

(Courtesy); Steve Aoki (AP Photo) (Photo Illustration)

Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak label takes over one of his most frequent Strip stomping grounds, showcasing the talents of 4B, Nostalgix, CHYL and Bok Nero (11 a.m., Wet Republic, events.taogroup.com)

CREATING CONNECTIONS

Social culinary event

Picnic in the Alley slides over to the Arts District

BY SHANNON MILLER

My mother told me, it doesn’t matter so much where you are, but rather who you’re there with. Picnic in the Alley offers both a stellar lineup of women business leaders and a fun setting for meeting, eating and getting creative.

First held in 2019, the second edition of the charity culinary event invites the community to celebrate women in “all areas of industry” through artistic and epicurean exchange.

“We decided to do it in 2019 as an effort to shine some light on amazing women in town and, overall, [get] these women all in the same place at once,” founder Jolene Mannina says. “We talk to people on social media and connect that way. But

rarely do we get a chance to just collaborate.”

The event moves from Fremont East to the Arts District this year. Aside from the Downtown location shuffle, it picks up right where it left off just before COVID hit. More than 20 chef stations and about 15 cocktail stations will serve up gourmet bites. Local boutique Akin Cooperative will run a mini market. And there stations will feature artists, including photographers Louiie Victa and Angie Ortaliza, along with live performances “all curated by women,” says Mannina, also founder of Downtown’s Vegas Test Kitchen and Secretburger.com.

The lineup includes various local business titans like Gina Marinelli of Summerlin’s Harlo Steakhouse and La Strega, Elizabeth Blau of Honey Salt and Wyndee Forrest of CraftHaus Brewery. Guests can expect a hybrid indoor-outdoor environment where they can relax and sample to their hearts’ content while socializing and networking with some of the best in the industry.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Shade Tree, a local nonprofit and homeless shelter for women and children. “Doing things that help women in need

flows with what we’re doing. … It made sense to partner with the Shade Tree. Last [time], we partnered with Dress for Success. And we’re planning to give some money to women’s hospitality initiatives,” Mannina says.

And while the event combines charity and entertainment, the primary purpose is to create space for connections to be made, Mannina emphasizes.

“Lots of times, you don’t realize there are lots of powerful women around you, where you can go for mentorship or help,” she says. “Knowing that there’s amazing women who are around you and can help you [and] bringing them together means you can get more familiar with each other and start building those relationships.”

From left, Jolene Mannina, Alessandra Avellanet and Nina Manchev at 2019’s Picnic in the Alley, held on Fremont East (below) (Courtesy/Angie Ortaliza)

PICNIC IN THE ALLEY May 21, 4-8 p.m., $125-$150. NineTwenty Events, 920 S. Commerce St., picnicinthealley.com.

BY GEOFF CARTER

In the funniest scene from Disney’s 1954 film adaptation of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the cultivated Captain Nemo (James Mason) expertly trolls coarse harpooner Ned Land (Kirk Douglas). The two are seated in the dining room of Nemo’s submarine, the Nautilus, enjoying a feast of what Land believes to be lamb in sauce and fruit with cream … until Nemo reveals that it’s actually “brisket of blowfish with sea squid dressing, basted in barnacles” and “the milk of the giant sperm whale.” Nemo then instructs Land to eat his pudding, but

20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA Seatings Thursday-Saturday; reservations required. Lost Spirits at Area15, twentythousandleagues.com.

a crestfallen Land refuses: “I ain’t sure it’s puddin’.”

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a Lost Spirits dining experience inspired by Verne’s novel, artfully flips that script. Located deep within the belly of that richly themed, maze-like interactive distillery tour, 20,000 Leagues maintains the submarine’s elegant, atmospheric dining room and loyal crew, but the master and commander of your 16-course meal, chef Taylor Persh— formerly of LA’s Trois Mec and Jose Andres’ Bazaar Meat—pulls only a couple of Nemo-like surprises, which

resolve happily and deliciously. “Whale” is actually bites of Kobe beef brined in sesame, while “Eggs in Eggs” is a hardboiled quail egg filled with Ossetra gold caviar. That said, the “crème brulee” is really a Hokkaido sea urchin. Owned!

Everything that’s placed in front of you plays to all your senses. Dishes are beautifully plated—the fennel pollen-dusted octopus arrives seemingly in medias res, with a delectably tender tentacle curling upward to ensnare passing warships—and they’re accompanied by a musical soundtrack that swings from the atmospheric (PJ Harvey’s “When Under Ether”) to the playful. (Bet you can guess which Ringo Starr-featured Beatles track accompanies the cephalopod). The scents are heavenly, the textures beguiling and, as nearly every dish makes use of Lost Spirits’ splendid house-made rums, the tastes are unforgettable.

I need to stop there. I’m reluctant

to describe more of 20,000 Leagues’ menu, for two reasons—because it changes nightly depending on what ingredients are available to the kitchen, and because surprises are one of the meal’s defining aspects. Early on, you’re politely asked not to film the arrivals of the dishes and cocktails, to preserve the mystery for the next night’s diners. Photographs are allowed, but here’s the thing: The sensory overload of the meal, coupled with a seating arrangement that encourages conversations with multiple strangers along the candlelit

SUB CULTURE

Lost Spirits ’ submarine-themed dining experience is a voyage worth taking

(Photos Courtesy/ Lost Spirits)

Eggs in Eggs

Otoro Tart

Mai Tai Fruit

16-seat table, compels you to put your phone down and be present.

(As a consequence of this, I didn’t record Persh’s lyrical descriptions of each course, many of which contained the word “intention” and her explanation of the multiple ways the kitchen sought to embrace it. Nor did I capture the moments when she was legit funny; following one impassioned speech, she interjected, “We’re also gonna get drunk and have a great time, so don’t worry

about it.”)

So, in deference to Verne’s novel, I’ll end here with the mystery largely intact—“not a detail exaggerated … a faithful narrative.” The cost is not unsubstantial—$299 per person, which includes several cocktails alongside those 16 chapters, er, courses—but the dinner is ideally suited to special occasions, or to anyone who wants to experience something whole-cloth unique. It’s a real adventure, from stem to stern.

Veggie Shack? Should you try the

 They’ve finally done it. It seemed as if Shake Shack wouldn’t be joining the fast-food fray when it comes to plant-based burger offerings, maybe because the brand has established a certain level of elevation above the competition, or maybe because its crispy-fried, cheese-stuffed ’Shroom Burger is a popular (and decadent) veggie option.

But the time has come. This month brought the unveiling of the Veggie Shack ($8.50), a patty made with a proprietary blend of veggies and grains plus American cheese, crispy onions, pickles and ShackSauce on a toasted potato bun.

It’s a satisfying success largely because it’s not an Impossible or Beyond burger; whether or not you enjoy those products, the goal is to replicate the ground beef burger experience. Instead, Shake Shack just tried to make a tasty veggie burger, and the mushrooms, sweet potatoes, farro and quinoa packed into the patty deliver with pleasant flavors and textures. And the Veggie Shack corrects the only flaw with the original ShackBurger by adding the perfection of pickles.

Double down on your pseudo fast-food experience with the new non-dairy chocolate shake ($7), made with NotMilk. But you won’t care what’s not in it—it’s a deliciously nostalgic partner to any real or fake burger on the menu.

–Brock Radke

SHAKE SHACK Four locations, shakeshack.com.

A Veggie Shack, plus treats (Courtesy)

+Prepare to go back hundreds of millions of years to the Mesozoic Era, when dinosaurs roamed the planes of Pangaea during the Triassic period, trapezed through lush vegetation in the Jurassic period, and explored the diverse landscapes of the Cretaceous period. It was a world unlike anything we know today, but through thoughtful recreations, immersive installations and sciencebacked play, you can adventure through time at Dino Safari at Horseshoe Las Vegas.

The Walk Thru Adventure is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets start at $22.25 and children 2 and under are free. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit DinoSafari.com

THE EXPERIENCE

The world of dinosaurs comes to life with the use of large animatronics, including prehistoric creatures, fossils, and sensory play experiences. Guests will find interactive challenges, depictions of natural elements that occurred in the prehistoric world, captivating virtual reality activations and installations. With an educational foundation and an emphasis on fun, the exhibit caters to people of all ages including kids.

The importance of sensory play for kids

Play that emphasizes sensory engagement—touch, smell and sound— helps develop a child’s language and motor skills. It also encourages social interactions, helps with cognitive development and can help cement understanding of learned materials as children explore topics in a hands-on way. At Dino Safari, you can replicate the experience of digging up fossils and sifting through sand to make your own dinosaur discoveries.

THE SCIENCE

When creating the experience, Imagine Exhibitions partnered with Gregory M. Erickson, world-renowned Ph.D. in dinosaur paleontology and one of only 150 full-time dinosaur paleontologists in the world. Erickson received his doctorate from University of California Berkley and conducted research at Stanford University and Brown University before joining the faculty at Florida State University in Tallahassee. At FSU, he’s a professor of anatomy and vertebrate paleobiology and curator of the Florida State University Biological Science Museum. His research focuses on dinosaur growth, life history, physiology, behavior, feeding mechanics and more.

Erickson has made indelible contributions to the field of paleontology and our understanding of the life and times of dinosaurs. Some of his notable discoveries include:

n Determining the growth rate of dinosaurs and demonstrating that they were likely warm-blooded.

n Discovering the age, growth rates and evolution of giantism in T. rex.

n Discovering that the first known bird, Archaeopteryx, was physiologically more like a dinosaur than a modern bird.

n Conaming six dinosaurs, including the Guanlong and Anchiornis.

START YOUR ADVENTURE

20+ ANIMATRONIC DINOSAURS

THE DINOSAURS

Dino Safari features more than 30 dinosaurs, including the T. rex of North America, the Spinosaurus from Africa, and some of Nevada’s own local legends, including the recently discovered Nevadadromeus, which means “Nevada runner.” Its fossils were first found near the Valley of Fire.

SEIZE THE SUN

STEP INTO PARADISE

Immerse yourself at Vegas’ Mykonos beach oasis, where toes belong in the sand and heads stay among the clouds. A new summer has begun in the Vegas pool scene – and it’s your time to shine.

AT VIRGIN HOTELS LAS VEGAS

SPRING TO SUCCESS

Five focuses for the Raiders’ defense during the current stretch of o season practices

BY CASE KEEFER

The rst of the NFL’s three allotted periods for voluntary o season team workouts begins May 22 for the Las Vegas Raiders ahead of their mandatory minicamp from June 6-8.

Many downplay the signicance of this stretch of spring practices, considering it nothing more than a chance for players to learn terminology and work with new teammates for the rst time. But, coming o a 6-11 season under new coach Josh McDaniels, the Raiders need to milk every available practice minute.

They’ve got many areas of concern and needs for growth, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite being maddeningly inconsistent a year ago, Las Vegas hovered around league-average or slightly above on o ense. Defense was a di erent story, however; on that side of the football, the Raiders were near the bottom of the league by any measure.

The path to xing it starts now. Here are ve things the team can work on immediately, leading into the o cial start of training camp in late July.

The path to xing it starts

1

Get top draft pick Tyree Wilson up to speed

The Raiders had an anemic pass rush a year ago, needing a late-season rally to raise from dead last in the league to 30th among 32 teams with 29 total sacks and a 4.38% sack rate. Wilson, the No. 7 overall pick in last month’s NFL Draft out of Texas Tech, represents their biggest hope for creating more pressure.

Problem is, the 6-foot-6, 276-pound edge rusher is relatively raw at a position that traditionally has a rather steep learning curve for players moving to the professional level. Every rookie progresses differently, but the Raiders can’t a ord for Wilson’s development to move too slowly. They need to push him to ensure that he’s ready for the start of training camp this summer.

out of Arizona State in the seventh round) and return two second-year players from the 2022 draft (Neil Farrell Jr. and Matthew Butler).

3Allow Robert Spillane to assert his infl uence Las Vegas wooed middle linebacker Robert Spillane, who broke out late last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, to the desert in free agency by promising him an opportunity to become the leader and proverbial quarterback of the defense.

the Los Angeles Rams, Duke Shelley from the Minnesota Vikings and Brandon Facyson from the Indianapolis Colts. They also drafted Jakorian Bennett out of Maryland in the fourth round and bring back a trio of depth contributors from last year in Amik Robertson, Tyler Hall and Sam Webb.

At least a couple of those guys aren’t going to make the nal roster and need to make use of every chance to di erentiate themselves.

5Run the tip drill repeatedly

Foster competition at defensive tackle

“College and NFL are whole di erent levels, so I want to improve my technique going against other great o ensive tackles and o ensive linemen, and locking people out with the long arms that God gave me,” Wilson said in a news conference after he was drafted. 2

Las Vegas had superstar Maxx Crosby getting consistent pressure on the outside last season, but the team had no one who could do the same on the inside. Former Los Angeles Chargers rst-round pick Jerry Tillery gave the Raiders a minor spark when Las Vegas claimed him o waivers late in the season, but his rush defense left much to be desired. Tillery and Bilal Nichols, who was decent while starting every game but similarly inconsistent, are both back, but the Raiders should open up the starting jobs to whomever can seize them. They should have plenty of options at the position, considering they signed three veteran free agents (longtime New Orleans Saint John Jenkins, former New England Patriot Adam Butler and former San Francisco 49er Jordan Willis), drafted two rookies (Byron Young from Alabama in the third round and Nesta Jade Silvera

That doesn’t happen overnight. The rest of the defense’s players will need to get used to Spillane’s calls— he’s expected to be the Raiders’ designated defensive player with the radio in his helmet to communicate with coaches—and style. It should help that he’s already gotten a cosign from Crosby, an old college rival at Eastern Michigan when Spillane played at Western Michigan, but it’s up to Spillane to sync up with everyone else.

“Especially in this business, guys aren’t going to follow you if they sense you’re fake,” Spillane said in a news conference after his signing. “Guys have a really good radar for who’s being real, and you can’t fake the work. I pour my heart and soul into this game.”

4

Figure out the logjam at cornerback

Not unlike their situation along the defensive line, the Raiders are high on bodies in the defensive back eld but low on sure re game-changers.

Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham usually has three cornerbacks on the field, and solid third-year veteran Nate Hobbs is the only player who can be penciled in to one of the spots. The remaining question is whether the Raiders play Hobbs more predominantly in the slot, where he has found the most success, or on the outside, traditionally where the top cornerbacks line up.

Competition for the snaps next to Hobbs should be erce. Las Vegas signed several low-priced free agents including David Long from

The Raiders ranked last in the NFL with 13 takeaways last season, which didn’t sit well with McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. All o season, they have discussed bringing in more playmakers on defense.

They lived up to their word, considering the two defensive backs they took in the draft—Bennett and safety Christopher Smith out of Georgia in the fth round—are scouted to have exceptional ball skills. But the Raiders need to make sure everyone on the roster is ready to make more plays on the ball, whether in forcing and recovering fumbles or picking o passes.

The latter is more of a skill that can be re ned and practiced, though luck plays a role in both. A classic football drill emphasizing catching loose balls obviously isn’t going to change everything, but it’s a start in instilling what McDaniels hopes can become part of his team’s defensive philosophy.

(Clockwise from top left) Tyree Wilson, Nate Hobbs and Robert Spillane

(AP Photo/Photo Illustration)

FINANCIAL LITERACY SLOPE GETS SLIPPERIER EACH GENERATION

BY KATIE MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF

The nancial preparedness of new generations of adults in the United States has steadily declined since Generation X—the age group that preceded millennials— rst came onto the scene, says Matt Bees, a Las Vegas-based senior nancial adviser at Wells Fargo.

Now, as more members of Generation Z enter adulthood and their spending increases, studies show it’s the latest generation in a long line of Americans to lack nancial literacy, or the understanding of monetary concepts—from insurance and estate planning to savings and investment.

“It’s a really important issue, because all of these things contribute to your overall nancial well-being, which can have a really, really profound e ect on your physical, mental and social well-being,” Bees said. “So, money skills are also just life skills at the end of the day.”

Financial literacy is low in each of the nation’s ve adult generations, but particularly in the youngest, Gen Z—even though it’s the generation most likely to have participated in a nancial education class or program, according to a study from the TIAA Institute and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center at the George Washington University School of Business.

Daniel Chi, chair of the UNLV Lee Business School’s nance department, said he has seen little to no evidence that the nancial literacy and spending levels of Gen Z’ers—born between 1997 and 2012—di er greatly from those of the generations that came before it.

The need for nancial literacy across all age groups is evident in various studies, Chi said. The population as a whole has generally failed to save adequately for retirement, education and more, he added, and the outlook is “pretty depressing.”

“They are spending pretty much all they make, and sometimes even more than they make,” he said, noting that many people are also hard-pressed to produce su cient cash in case of emergencies.

Factors like rising default rates for auto loans have also contributed to high debt levels, he said.

Nearly 40% of both Gen Z’ers and their predecessors in Generation Y report that debt and debt payments prevent them from adequately addressing other nancial priorities, according to the TIAA Institute-Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center study.

Gens Z, Y and X were most commonly dissatis ed with their current nancial situation.

The study found that Gen Z was the most motivated to increase its nancial literacy, however, following economic uncertainty caused by COVID-19.

Challenging economic events like the pandemic or recent in ation will always be around, and Bees said it’s important for people to have long-term nancial plans, so they can adapt and adjust accordingly. And the foundation of any sound nancial plan, he said, is cash ow.

“Once you have an understanding of what money means to you, and how it ts into your life … you recognize that by saying no to some things, that frees you up to say yes to other things,” he said. “And every facet of your nancial life has a cash ow implication.”

Cash ow can be divided into three segments—money committed to spending, money committed to saving and money for discretionary spending, Bees said.

“Gen Z has had a challenge recognizing the importance of saving, and it’s really a matter of balancing the present versus the future,” he said. “And so, it’s hard to not get caught up in what’s going on … with the economy today. But by recognizing that you have to save for your future self, you’ll see the importance of it.”

Saving is also important when it comes to weathering a potential recession, which Chi said would disproportionately a ect younger and low-income individuals, who are more likely to be laid o .

He emphasized the importance of nancial literacy, particularly how to budget, spend, save and invest, and pointed to UNLV e orts to increase nancial preparedness through nancial literacy courses, opportunities for Clark County School District students and more.

Though money is often a “taboo” topic of conversation, Bees said it doesn’t have to be. Money is a tool to help people achieve their ideal life, he said, and open communication can help them determine how to use it.

“The rst step is just to become crystal clear on what’s most important to you,” he said. “And then get to work aligning your spending, and your goals and your values. And so, having these conversations is the important part—whether it’s with a trusted adviser or a family member—and learning from others.”

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BY DANIEL CHI

Iam an optimistic person living in a sunny state, yet I’m going to start this with some gloomy numbers: 40% of Americans cannot come up with $400 emergency cash; the average American couple only has $5,000 put away for retirement; only a third of working Americans are saving money in an employer-sponsored or tax-deferred retirement account. This list can go on for very long.

The stakes for financial-literacy education are high. Our population is aging, and our Social Security system is projected to be in distress. As corporate pension plans gradually disappear, our next generation will rely more on themselves for financial planning. They need financial-literacy education more than ever. Just like physical and mental health, financial health will enable us to live a fulfilling life, reach our potential and fully contribute to our society. That is our goal.

That goal is entirely achievable.

I tell my students that I want to make them all millionaires. To most 20-year-old college students, that sounds like fantasy. But it’s entirely achievable. Here is how. Each day, save $3. “But I am a college student, and I am broke.” Well, brew your own coffee, pack your own lunch or bring your own snack or water bottle—or do all of the above. So, save $3 each day. At the end of the year, you will

GUEST COLUMN

have saved $1,095. Invest the $1,095 in an S&P500 index fund. Over the past hundred years, the S&P500 index has returned about 12% per year. Assume similar returns for the future and that you save $3 each day and invest at the end of each year, then by age 65, when you are about to retire, how much wealth will you have accumulated?

It will be $1.5 million.

It’s not magic. It’s pure math.

Then you ask me, well, $1.5 million in 45 years is not the same as $1.5 million today, right? Right, because inflation will eat away the purchasing power of money. But let’s set aside inflation for now and think about the alternatives to the above plan. Alternative 1: Don’t save, and in 45 years you will have nothing. Alternative 2: Only save but don’t invest, and in 45 years you’ll have $49,275 ($3 times 365 days times 45 years). What makes the difference between $49,275 and $1.5 million? The difference comes from the power of compounding—that is, interest makes interest, or money makes money. It’s not magic. It’s pure math. As described by Albert Einstein,

“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t, pays it.” Do you want to earn it?

Let’s stay with the $3-a-day example for a bit longer. There are two key ingredients for personal investment success. The first ingredient is to start early. If you start at 20 and have a 45-year runway, the future value will be $1.5 million. If you start at 30 with a 35-year runway, the future value will be $472,000. If you start at 40 with a 25-year runway, $146,000. But not all is lost if you start late. Better late than never, right? Rather than $3 a day, you can save more to catch up. If you start at 30, you’ll need to save $9 a day; if starting at 40, $30 a day.

The second ingredient is diversification. Don’t try to pick individual stocks. Rather, buy an index fund. In the stock market, you compete with professional investors. How many of you want to compete with professional tennis players or golfers? If not, what makes you think you can compete with professional investors and win? The good news is that the majority of

professional investors cannot beat the market over the long run. If you invest in a diversified index fund and simply replicate the market return, you’ll beat the majority of professional investors over the long run.

UNLV President Keith Whitfield regards financial-literacy education as a top priority. The university is working on a plan to provide comprehensive financial literacy and wellness support to students beginning in the 2023-24 academic year. The Department of Finance in the Lee Business School will officially launch two financial-literacy courses this fall: FIN 111 and FIN 112. The first covers a broad range of financial-literacy topics; the second covers personal investment strategies. Any community member can enroll as a non-degree-seeking student and take these courses. We’re also partnering with the Clark County School District to bring these courses to our highschool students.

Do you want to join us to improve financial literacy in our community? The task is entirely achievable. If 100 people read this and educate themselves about financial literacy, and then educate 10 others in the following year—and if those 10 people influence another 10 in the next year, and so forth—how long will it take to educate our fellow 3.2 million Nevadans? Only take 4.5 years.

It’s not magic. It’s pure math.

You only need to influence 10 people a year, which is less than one person a month. Are you on board? If you all are, in four and a half years we will have no students to teach in our financial-literacy courses. And that will be a very good problem to have.

Don’t try to pick individual stocks. Rather, buy an index fund. In the stock market, you compete with professional investors. How many of you want to compete with professional tennis players or golfers? If not, what makes you think you can compete with professional investors and win?

Compounding interest can make us all millionaires, and taking interest in sharing this phenomenon can educate all Nevadans

Daniel Chi is professor and chair in the Department of Finance at UNLV’s Lee Business School.

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