2023-06-22-Las-Vegas-Weekly

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 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

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

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Special Publications Editor SIERRA SMART

Senior Advertising Managers MIKE MALL, ADAIR NOWACKI, SUE SRAN

Account Executives MARY CHARISSE DIMAIN, DEREK EIGE, LAUREN JOHNSON, ANNA ZYMANEK

Sales Executive Assistants APRIL MARTINEZ, NANCY RAMOS

Events Director SAMANTHA PETSCH

Events Manager HANNAH ANTER

Events Coordinator ALEXANDRA SUNGA

PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION

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10 56 64 IN THIS ISSUE

SUPERGUIDE

Your daily events planner, starring The Dirty Hooks, Legends in Concert, Live, a RVLTN bass fest and more.

SCREEN

The Nevada Women’s Film Festival brings a full slate of cinema for its ninth year.

FOOD + DRINK

The Voltaggio brothers are all about delicious nostalgia at Retro, now dishing it up at Mandalay Bay.

THE ULTIMATE VICTORY

The Vegas Golden Knights made hockey history and fulfilled the prophecy of the team’s owner by capturing the Cup, but most importantly, they celebrated a true connection to the community.

STANLEY CUP CHAMPS

Photograph by Wade Vandervort/

Photo Illustration

William Karlsson celebrates with the Stanley Cup trophy during the Vegas Golden Knights victory parade on the Las Vegas Strip on June 17. (Steve Marcus/Sta )

SUPERGUIDE

THURSDAY

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

ARTS

FOOD + DRINK

NEVADA WOMEN’S FILM FESTIVAL

Thru 6/25, times vary, UNLV, nw est.com.

BRAD GARRETT

With Michael Malone, Trixx, 8 p.m., thru 6/25, Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, brad garrettcomedy.com.

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS With Single Mothers, The Core, Brake Check, 8 p.m., Dive Bar, owthtickets.com.

REUNITED: A WARM WELCOME BACK

Thru 6/30, times vary, Priscilla Fowler Gallery, priscillafowler.com.

PLUM VISION With Elevated Undergrounds, Mojave Sun, Rose Levee, 7 p.m., SoulBelly BBQ, eventbrite.com.

COMEDY

AUTHOR ALAN GEIK 7 p.m., the Mob Museum, themob museum.org.

LOUD LUXURY 10:30 pm., Hakkasan Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

TONE BELL 7: 30 p.m., thru 6/25 (& 6/23-6/24, 9:30 p.m.), Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster.com.

DR. CHANG C. CHEN: HERSTORY Thru 6/27, times vary, Spring Valley Library, thelibrarydistrict.org.

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

LENNON ROACH 10 p.m., Sand Dollar Lounge, thesand dollarlv.com.

KARA HETRICK: NOWHERE NEVADA

Thru 9/10, times vary, Centennial Hills Library, the librarydistrict.org.

PETER LOVE 6 p.m., Easy’s Cocktail Lounge, easysvegas.com.

SLIINK

With JDHD, Vega, 10 p.m., We All Scream, seetickets.us.

RYAN BAKER 8 p.m., Dispensary Lounge, the dispensarylounge. com.

MITIS PRESENTS

RE:BORN

It wasn’t just for EDC; the Downtown Grand has been hosting EDM dance parties at its rooftop oasis, the Citrus Grand Pool Deck, pretty consistently this season. Now RVLTN Events is teaming with DJ and producer Mitis for “the ultimate melodic bass takeover” at the boutique resort, two days of music, industry workshops, pool parties and more. Among the DJs joining the former classical pianist-turned-dubstep and electro phenomenon are Bluur, Fairlane, Jimmy Burns, Grabbitz, Longstoryshort, Years of War, Sodown and Soundr. Those clubs on Fremont East aren’t the only Downtown spots building the local dance scene into something bigger and bolder. Thru 6/24, times & prices vary, Downtown Grand, rvltnevents.com. –Brock Radke

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

THE STEEL WOODS 8 p.m., 24 Oxford, etix.com.

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

LEGACY EN BLANC 7 p.m., Legacy Club, circalasvegas.com.

USHER 9 p.m., & 6/24, 6/28, Dolby Live, ticketmaster.com.

DAVID FOSTER 8 p.m., & 6/24, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com.

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

CURTIS COOK 7:30 p.m., & 6/24, Wiseguys, vegas. wiseguyscomedy. com.

KEITH URBAN 8 p.m., & 6/24, 6/28, Bakkt Theater, ticket master.com.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD 8 p.m., & 6/24, 6/28, Resorts World Theatre, axs.com.

SURF MESA Noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.

ROSE LEVEE With Machine Death, Francia, 8 p.m., the Griffin, eventbrite.com.

BIG SEAN 10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com.

CARDIEL With The Ladrones, Headwinds, 9 p.m., Dive Bar, eventbrite.com.

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

ADELE 8 p.m., & 6/24, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com.

ASYLUM OF ASHES

With Slaughterhouse Effect, The Red Charade, Empire of Ruin, Teach, Hands of Oblivion, 5 p.m., Eagle Aerie Hall, seetickets.us.

AUDIEN Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

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

FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS, VISIT LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM.

(Courtesy/Raven B. Varona)

SUPERGUIDE

ARTS

FOOD + DRINK COMEDY

THE DIRTY HOOKS

In one of the highlights of the year so far, The Dirty Hooks kicked o the historic relighting of the Huntridge Theater sign and marquee. Now, the Vegas-based rock trio steps back into the spotlight to headline SoulBelly BBQ, with support from Ted Sablay, local singer-songwriter and touring guitarist for The Killers. It’s been five years since The Dirty Hooks dropped 2018 album Kiss the Devil and Run, but the band has stayed busy gigging around town, rubbing elbows with newer Vegas acts like Mojave Sun and popping into other states for shows. And though we’re still jonesing for new tracks drenched in that signature dirty fuzz, the old tunes remain electric. From the knee-slapping blues of “Badland Saints” to the frenzied ri s of “Naked City Colt,” The Dirty Hooks break rock ’n’ roll and then put it back together. It should pair well with the soothing sounds of Sablay—a well-balanced bill full of musicians who truly love to play. 8 p.m., $7-$10, SoulBelly BBQ, eventbrite. com. –Amber Sampson

LAS VEGAS ACES VS. INDIANA FEVER 6 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com.

KASKADE Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

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

HUNTER’S BRIEFCASE With Pure Sport, Post NC, White Noise, 8 p.m., Fergusons Downtown, blacksheep booking.ticket bud.com.

THE ASYLUM THEATRE: THE THERAPIST 2 & 7 p.m., Winchester Dondero Theatre, asylum theatre.org.

MARSHMELLO & SURF MESA 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.

EMO KIDS

With Lie for Fun, 8 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, seetickets.us.

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

LIVE 9 p.m., 3rd Street Stage at Fremont Street Experience, vegasexperience. com.

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

THE NEGATIVE NANCYS

With Vavoom, War Peggie, 9 p.m., Red Dwarf, reddwarflv.com

THE CHAINSMOKERS 11 a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.

AUTHOR ELISE KRENTZEL 2 p.m., Avantpop Bookstore, avantpopbooks. com.

BAILE DA CAROL 10 p.m., Club Ego, clubegolv.com.

SUNDAY

DIPLO

JUN.

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

BOB LOG III

With The Fat Dukes of F*ck, The Psyatics, 8 p.m., Dive Bar, eventbrite.com.

NU SKOOL

With Rue Vox, Pariah Was One, 7 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, seetickets.us.

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

THE MOONSHINERS

7 p.m., Maxan Jazz, maxanjazz.com.

LAS VEGAS JAZZ SOCIETY: TRIBUTE TO CARL SAUNDERS

1 p.m., the Bootlegger Bistro, lvjs.org.

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

RAISED ON TV

With Switterbeet, Circus Rhapsody, 9 p.m., Red Dwarf, reddwarflv.com.

LEGENDS IN CONCERT:

LEGENDARY DIVAS

As far as we’re concerned, Legends in Concert remains the longest-running show in Las Vegas, even though the celebrity tribute extravaganza hasn’t been onstage since wrapping a four-year run at the Tropicana to close out 2022. It’s returning for a special engagement at the Orleans to celebrate its 40th anniversary, bringing back the massively popular Legendary Divas production, starring the music of Lady Gaga, Cher, Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton. Not only does this tribute bring all-live locals to the Orleans Showroom, it’s a fabulous parade of fashion capturing the iconic style of these legendary performers. And of course, Frank Marino returns as Joan Rivers to host the whole thing. Thru 7/8, times vary, $26-$88+, Orleans Showroom, ticketmaster.com. –Brock Radke

LAS VEGAS ACES VS. INDIANA FEVER 7 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com.

NICK GRIFFIN

With Allan Havey, Jackie Fabulous, Dennis Blair, 7 & 9:30 p.m., thru 6/30, Comedy Cellar, comedycellar. com.

NOYBEL GORGOY & FRIENDS

7 p.m., Maxan Jazz, maxanjazz.com.

DAPHNIQUE SPRINGS

With Chris Cope, 8:30 & 10:30 p.m., thru 7/2, Laugh Factory, ticketmaster.com.

DJ E-ROCK 10:30 p.m., Jewel Nightclub, events.taogroup.com.

JACK JR. 8 p.m., thru 7/2, L.A. Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy.com.

EDDIE IFFT

With Trixx, Gary Cannon, 8 p.m., thru 7/2, Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, bradgarrettcomedy.com.

(Photo Courtesy)

12TH PLANET With Bizpunk, Teenwolf, 10 p.m., Discopussy, disco pussydtlv.com.

THE BRONX WANDERERS 6:30 p.m., thru 6/29, South Point Showroom, ticket master.com.

PATRICK GARRITY 7 p.m., thru 7/2, Vegas Stand Up & Rock, vegasstandup androck.com.

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

SERPENTINE FIRE 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com.

AB With Cantinflz, Eton Gash, Tuan Phace, 10 p.m., La Mona Rosa, lamona rosalv.com.

WEDNESDAY TARJA With Chaoseum, 7 p.m., House of Blues, concerts.livenation.com.

LAS VEGAS AVIATORS VS. ROUND ROCK EXPRESS 7 p.m., thru 7/1, (& 7/2-7/3, 6 p.m.), Las Vegas Ballpark, ticketmaster.com.

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

LUSTSICKPUPPY With Johnnascus, Thatnamedoh, 8 p.m., the Space, thespacelv com.

COUR T. With Neco, Mr. Toulalan, Gream, Iky Vicky, 10 p.m., We All Scream, weallscream.com.

MILLION DOLLAR BAND

With Richard Mann, 6 p.m., the Lawn at Downtown Summerlin, summerlin.com.

FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS, VISIT LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM.

(Courtesy/Tim Tronckoe)

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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Comprehensive Cancer Centers congratulates the entire Vegas Golden Knights organization for bringing a championship home to Las Vegas. We have always been proud to partner with you in great causes across our community, including increasing cancer awareness and prevention. We are just as proud to cheer you on as fans, and to share in your joy, as you celebrate one of the greatest accomplishments in all of professional sports.

Forward • No. 22

Age: 27 • Acquired: waiver claim from Toronto (October 2021)

Amadio exemplifies how so much of what the Golden Knights touch turns to gold. Amadio was a great goal scorer in junior hockey but didn’t reach that level of productivity at the NHL level … until joining Vegas. He has scored 27 goals in two seasons with the Golden Knights, including a career-high 16 this past season. He then tallied 10 points in 16 playo games, including the game-winning double-overtime goal in Game 3 against Winnipeg.

The championship 2022-2023 Vegas Golden Knights

IVAN BARBASHEV

Forward • No. 49

Age: 27 • Acquired: trade with St. Louis (February 2023)

You could call Barbashev the missing piece to the Golden Knights’ championship puzzle. When he arrived in Vegas before the trade deadline, he was in the midst of a disappointing run for a lackluster Blues team. Then he joined the Golden Knights, became a top-line mainstay alongside Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault and proved to be a true di erence-maker. Barbashev had 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 23 regular-season games, then wrecking-balled his way through the playo s with 18 points (seven goals, 11

a huge role in winning his second Cup (the first came with teammate Alex Pietrangelo in St. Louis in 2019), and he’s due for a big payday this o season as an unrestricted free agent, from Vegas or some another team.

TEDDY BLUEGER

Center • No. 53

Age: 28 • Acquired: trade with Pittsburgh (March 2023)

The Golden Knights felt they needed some defensive help down the middle, and Blueger fit the bill. He wound up playing a key role while Nicolas Roy dealt with an injury late in the season, playing 18 games as the fourthline center and chipping in six points (two goals, four assists). Starting with his Golden Knights playo debut in Game 5 against Edmonton, Vegas reeled o six straight wins.

MICHAEL AMADIO

All players (AP Photo)

LAURENT BROSSOIT

Goaltender • No. 39

Age: 30 • Acquired: signed as free agent (July 2021)

After backing up Robin Lehner during the 2021-2022 season, Brossoit fought hard to return to competition following o season hip surgery. Once healthy, he became the veteran leader of a young Henderson Silver Knights squad. And then, following Logan Thompson’s post-AllStar break injury, Brossoit came up to fill the gap … and did far more. Brossoit went 7-0-3 during the regular season (who could forget his save-of-the-year candidate versus Dallas on February 25?), and then helped Vegas eliminate his former team, the Winnipeg Jets, in round one of the playo s. A injury against Edmonton knocked Brossoit out of action for good, and he’ll be a free agent this summer, but he was vital to Vegas’ championship run.

WILLIAM CARRIER

Forward • No. 28

Age: 28 • Acquired: expansion draft from Bu alo (June 2017) Carrier proved this year that he’s more than a fourth-line grinder ready to hit everything in sight. Given the opportunity to play a larger role, he took advantage, scoring a career-high 16 goals before su ering a lower-body injury late in the season. He returned for Game 5 against Winnipeg, bolstering the depth that helped propel the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup. One of six players remaining from Vegas’ inaugural season, Carrier could continue to thrive on the fourth line or move up as the goal scorer we saw this season. He’s come a long way since Year 1.

PAVEL DOROFEYEV

Forward • No. 16

Age: 22 • Acquired: drafted in third round (June 2019)

Dorofeyev stormed onto the scene in March when

NICOLAS HAGUE

Defenseman • No. 14

Age: 24 • Acquired: drafted in second round (June 2017)

Hague emerged from an initial Golden Knights draft class that also included Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom, and he has proven to be a valuable asset.

PAUL COTTER

Forward • No. 43

Age: 23 • Acquired: drafted in fourth round (June 2018)

Cotter proved he’s a capable NHL player this year. A star of the preseason and training camp, he went on to score 13 goals in 55 regular season games. He was a scratch throughout the playo s, but he’s shown versatility and he has room to get better and claim an elevated role.

JACK EICHEL

Age: 26 • Acquired: trade with Bu alo (November 2021)

If there was any doubt about Jack Eichel being a superstar, it’s been obliterated. Not only did he take his place among the world’s top players, he did it during his first taste of playo hockey. His 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) led all players this postseason, and, as importantly, he took the next step toward becoming a complete 200-foot player, showing an emphasis on improvement in the defensive zone. Only linemate Jonathan Marchessault had a better 5-on-5 rating than Eichel during the playo s. Eichel has been through a lot since his days in Bu alo—getting traded, recovering from neck surgery, missing the playo s last year … but all that’s behind him. His 26 points rank third all-time by a player in his first postseason. It could be just the beginning of Eichel’s ascension.

Hague chipped in with six points in 22 games during the playo s, but it’s his work on the defensive end that mattered most. His chemistry with Zach Whitecloud has formed a valuable pairing, rounding out arguably the deepest defensive unit in the NHL. Hague won’t be the last draft pick to make Vegas’ NHL roster, but he’ll always be the first of them to hoist the Cup.

BRETT HOWDEN

Forward • No. 21

Age: 25 • Acquired: trade with New York Rangers (July 2021)

Howden, a former first-round pick from 2016, earned his spot in the VGK lineup after finding a welcoming home with Vegas. He tallied 10 points in the playo s and proved to be an important complement to the Chandler Stephenson/Mark Stone line. His two goals in Game 4 in his hometown of Winnipeg, days after his son Charlie was born; his game-winning overtime goal in Game 2 against Dallas; and his highlight-reel goal in Game 2 against Florida will be endlessly replayed by Golden Knights’ fans, on screen and in their memories.

Age: 27 • Acquired: trade with San Jose (August 2022)

The Golden Knights needed more goaltending insurance heading into training camp after Robin Lehner and Laurent Brossoit both underwent o season hip surgery. Enter Adin Hill, a 2015 third-round pick who had appeared in 74 total games during five seasons with Arizona and San Jose. Backing up Logan Thompson, he’d put together the best regular season of his career with Vegas: a 16-7-1 record, 2.50 goals against average and a .915 save percentage). Hill, who had never started an NHL playo game, was thrown into the fire in Game 3 against Edmonton when Brossoit su ered an

injury … and Hill went on to become a Las Vegas folk hero. He won 11 of his playo 14 starts, allowing just 2.17 goals per game and posting a .932 save percentage. He also delivered the best save T-Mobile Arena might ever see—his sprawling paddle stop against Nick Cousins in Game 1 of the Cup Final. (Talk about erasing the memory of Braden Holtby’s stick save against Vegas in 2018.) Hill becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, and his price tag surely skyrocketed with that playo performance. Whether he stays or goes, he’ll be forever etched in Vegas lore.

BEN HUTTON

Defenseman • No. 17

Age: 30 • Acquired: signed as free agent (October 2021) For 31 games this season, Hutton provided a valuable depth presence on the blue line. With Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb out at times, Hutton stayed steady and reliable when called upon. The veteran made his Stanley Cup Playo debut in Game 5 against Winnipeg and contributed his usual solid minutes.

10 key moments from the 2022-2023 regular season

Center • No. 71

Age: 30 • Acquired: expansion draft from Columbus (June 2017)

The man who scored 43 goals during the Golden Knights’ inaugural season has now been compared to one of the greatest two-way centers the NHL has ever known (Patrice Bergeron) by Bruce Cassidy, who has coached them both. And then, when it mattered most, Karlsson’s goal scoring returned—11 after just 14 during the regular season. But the Original Misfi t found ways to contribute all year, racking up a career-high 39 assists in the regular season and then helping to stifl e Edmonton superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the second round of the playo s. Wild Bill’s legend truly took fl ight when he went between his legs for a 2018 goal against San Jose, so it’s fi tting that he did so again on an assist to Reilly Smith for what proved to be the game-winning goal in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

MAKING MEMORIES

October 11, 2022

Mark Stone returned from his first back surgery in time for the season opener and scored the game-winning goal with 24 seconds remaining to give the Golden Knights a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena.

WILLIAM KARLSSON

ADIN HILL Goaltender • No. 33

William Karlsson (Christopher DeVargas/Sta ); others

(AP Photo)

PHIL KESSEL

Forward • No. 8

Age: 35 • Acquired: signed as free agent (August 2022)

The NHL’s iron man is a three-time Stanley Cup champion. What was already seen as a Hall of Fame career for Kessel is now further cemented after he played all 82 regular season games (to up his record total to 1,064) and contributed some in the playo s. Though his time with Vegas will likely last just one season, the veteran was a key locker-room presence for the title team.

JONATHAN MARCHESSAULT

Forward • No. 81

Age: 32 • Acquired: expansion draft from Florida (June 2017)

Think of how good the Golden Knights were in the playo s, between Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Adin Hill, William Karlsson and Chandler Stephenson, to name just a few. And yet it was Jonathan Marchessault who won the Conn Smythe Trophy. The Original Misfit went the first seven games of the playo s without a goal … and finished with 13, tied for first

of a pure goal scorer, which has been Marchessault for his entire Vegas tenure. He ended the playo s on a 10-game point streak. And the 5-9 winger is one of the biggest reasons the Golden Knights are Stanley Cup champs. In November 2021, Marchessault was asked about just being a member of the Golden Knights. He said, “VGK is the pride of my

ALEC MARTINEZ

Defenseman • No. 23

Age: 35 • Acquired: trade with Los Angeles (February 2020)

KEEGAN KOLESAR

Forward • No. 55

Age: 26 • Acquired: trade with Columbus (June 2017)

Keegan Kolesar’s impact goes beyond being the Golden Knights’ enforcer. He has shown improvement each year since becoming a full-time NHL player, earning trust from coach Bruce Cassidy as a key cog on the fourth line. Coming o a career-high 24 points last season, Kolesar set another career-best with eight goals this season. He’ll still drop the gloves to stick up for teammates, but he has become an important player in other key situations, too.

All Alec Martinez does is score goals in the Stanley Cup Final. And he did it again in Games 2 and 5 for the Golden Knights en route to his third career championship. Martinez made a name for himself by scoring the Cup-clinching goal in 2014 for the LA Kings, and he has remained a solid stayat-home defenseman ever since. During three seasons with the Golden Knights, he has led the NHL in blocked shots and been a valuable veteran presence who continues to get things done in his mid-30s, working as a rock-solid defensive partner with Alex Pietrangelo. Martinez’s career might be winding down, but the “warrior” continues to state his case as one of the most accomplished defensemen around.

BRAYDEN MCNABB

Defenseman • No. 3

Age: 32 • Acquired: expansion draft from Los Angeles (June 2017)

There were four players on the stage at T-Mobile Arena on the night of the 2017 expansion draft. Brayden McNabb is the last one standing from that group–and now he’s a Stanley Cup champion. McNabb has become one of the most reliable stay-at-home defensemen in the league, and his powerful hip check always sends the Vegas crowd into a frenzy. One of six remaining Original Misfits, McNabb has played 420 games with the Golden Knights after just 238 during the first five years of his career. A softspoken, introspective player, McNabb goes about his business until the job is done.

MAKING MEMORIES

October 25, 2022

Phil Kessel tallied his 400th NHL goal on the night he played in his 990th consecutive game, surpassing Keith Yandle’s mark set the year prior. The Golden Knights won 4-2 in San Jose.

ALEX PIETRANGELO

Defenseman • No. 7

Age: 33 • Acquired: signed as free agent (October 2020)

For Alex Pietrangelo to leave St. Louis, it had to be for a special city and team. Las Vegas and the Golden Knights became just that for him. The former Blues captain, who led that team to the 2019 Stanley Cup, has been as advertised since signing a seven-year deal with the Golden Knights in 2020. He tied his career-high with 54 points this season and led Vegas in ice time during the regular season (23:59) and playo s (23:25). Pietrangelo was a key player in all three areas for the Knights—a 5-on-5 shutdown defenseman with o ensive ability who also excelled on the power play and the penalty kill. Now, he’s a two-time Stanley Cup champion and just 29 points from becoming the ninth active defenseman to reach 600 points. It feels like a Hall-of-Fame résumé is being carved out.

JONATHAN QUICK

Goaltender • No. 32

Age: 37 • Acquired: trade with Columbus (March 2023)

It seemed like a Twilight Zone moment when the Golden Knights acquired Quick before the trade deadline, but it turned out to be a shrewd move for Vegas. The longtime LA linchpin went 5-2-2 in nine starts with his new team, helping the Golden Knights hold o Edmonton for the top spot in the West and home ice during the playo s. Quick didn’t get into the net during the postseason, but he hoisted the Cup for a third time in his life.

NICOLAS ROY

Center

• No. 10

Age: 26 • Acquired: trade with Carolina (June 2019)

Nic Roy arrived in Vegas to little fanfare when the Golden Knights added him in a trade that sent popular player Erik Haula to the Carolina Hurricanes. Four years later, Roy is a rock-solid player who can slot almost anywhere in the lineup and contribute. He began the playo s skating on the wing with William Karlsson and Reilly Smith, then moved back to his familiar position as fourth-line center once everyone got healthy. Roy finished with 11 points in the postseason, becoming one of 12 players to reach double digits for the Golden Knights during their championship run.

REILLY SMITH

Forward • No. 19

REILLY SMITH ON THE ATMOSPHERE HEADING INTO GAME 5 OF THE STANLEY CUP FINAL AT HOME, JUNE 12

Age: 32 • Acquired: expansion draft trade with Florida (June 2017)

There was some chatter last o season that another team could o er Smith more money, and that it might entice him to leave. But the Original Misfit had no intentions of leaving. He represented himself in negotiations during free agency and came away with a three-year extension to stay put in Vegas. And why not? Since arriving here in 2017, Smith has been a consistent presence on both ends of the ice—and in all situations. He posted 14 points in

the playo s and remained his ever-reliable defensive self in his own zone. Florida tossed him to the Golden Knights as an enticement to take Marchessault from their roster in the expansion draft. The world will never know how di erently things might have turned out for Vegas without that two-fer, and Smith helped make sure his own Florida-to-Vegas journey had the ultimate signature moment— the game-winning goal in the Cup-clinching Game 5 win.

MAKING MEMORIES

November 8, 2022

It took six years for the Golden Knights to secure a win in every NHL arena, but they finally got one in Toronto, a 4-3 overtime victory highlighted by a game-winning goal from Reilly Smith.

“I FEEL LIKE OUR FANBASE HAS BEEN EXCITED SINCE THE FIRST YEAR. IT’S GREAT FOR US. IT KEEPS THE EMOTION LEVEL HIGH. I THINK THIS IS A PRETTY FOCUSED GROUP, AND WE KNOW WHAT’S AT STAKE.”

–VGK FORWARD

CHANDLER STEPHENSON

Center • No. 20

Age: 29 • Acquired: trade with Washington (December 2019)

It’s clear now that the Golden Knights’ front o ce saw something in Chandler Stephenson that no one else did. The two-time Stanley Cup champion has blossomed into an All-Star with the Golden Knights, developing amazing chemistry with linemate Mark Stone and even inching into the Conn Smythe Trophy conversation after tallying 20 points in 22 playo games, including two goals in Game 4 to put Vegas on the brink of its championship. The speedy Stephenson remains one of the best bargains in the NHL at $2.75 million, and he’s entering a contract season. The Golden Knights will surely do everything they can to keep him.

MAKING MEMORIES

November 10, 2022

Forward • No. 61

Age: 31 • Acquired: trade with Ottawa (February 2019)

Mark Stone is an emotional human, and he has every reason to be right now. After undergoing his second back surgery in less than a year, the Golden Knights’ captain worked tirelessly to return to the ice and help his team make another deep playo run. And he didn’t just make it back; he often looked like the Stone of old, racking up 24 points in 22 postseason games, including an unforgettable hat trick

in the Cup-clinching Game 5 win over Florida. And, of course, he became the first Vegas player ever to hoist the Stanley Cup, as his teammates raucously cheered him on. Former VGK coach Pete DeBoer once said a team can’t win a championship without a captain, and Mark Stone has proven to be a perfect choice to wear that letter on his sweater for the Vegas Golden Knights.

LOGAN THOMPSON

Goaltender • No. 36

Age: 26 • Acquired: signed as free agent (July 2020) Thompson’s season ended prematurely, but he deserves of a lot of credit for the Golden Knights’ championship run. In his first full season as the starting goalie, he went 21-13-3 and earned an All-Star nod. A February non-contact injury cut his run short—he tried to make one more start a month later but couldn’t finish the game, but the 26-year-old is still considered the goaltender of the future in Vegas, and he showed that he can handle that workload.

Defenseman • No. 27

Age: 27 • Acquired: expansion draft trade with Anaheim (June 2017)

It’s truly incredible that all it took for the Golden Knights to get Shea Theodore was to agree to select Clayton Stoner in the expansion draft. Stoner never played a game for Vegas, while Theodore has blossomed into a Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman with room to get even better at age 27. One of six remaining Original Misfits, Theodore would be a No. 1 defenseman on many teams, but in Vegas, he put up 41 points in 55 games this season on the squad’s second pairing. His highlight-reel dangles, his smooth skating and his blistering speed have helped him make him a popular Golden Knight—and now a Stanley Cup champion.

ZACH WHITECLOUD

Defenseman • No. 2

Age: 26 • Acquired: undrafted free agent (March 2018)

From undrafted to the AHL to a mainstay on an NHL blue line, Zach Whitecloud has grown with the Vegas organization. He has played 186 games with the Golden Knights, teaming with Nic Hague to provide reliable third-pairing play. He’s also a fan favorite. A man proud of his heritage—a member of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation—Whitecloud becomes the first member of his tribe ever to win the Stanley Cup. He’s signed for five more years and should only continue to get better.

SHEA THEODORE

MARK STONE

Mark Stone (Christopher DeVargas/Sta ); all others (AP Photo)

Jack Eichel’s second return to Bu alo was more successful than the first, as he scored a hat trick in the third period to give the Golden Knights a 7-4 win, their ninth straight victory.

MAY 10:

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 1 (Rogers Place)

The Oilers dominated from the start, and Vegas’ frustration boiled over when defenseman

Alex Pietrangelo slashed at Draisaitl’s wrist in the final minutes. Pietrangelo received a one-game suspension, the first of his 15-year career, casting some doubt on Vegas’ chances in the series.

POSTSEASON PATH

BY CASE KEEFER

Reliving the Golden Knights’ 22 playo games en route to the Stanley Cup

MAKING MEMORIES

December 5, 2022

defenseman Alec Martinez completely shut down the Stars’ o ense. Karlsson scored twice, and Marchessault chipped in another goal in a highly anticipated showdown that was never close and sent the the Golden Knights to the Western Conference championship and into the Stanley Cup Final.

outclassing the Eastern Conference Champions. Stone, Theodore, Marchessault and defenseman Zach Whitecloud each had highlight-worthy goals.

New coach Bruce Cassidy’s return to Boston saw his new team hang on for a 4-3 shootout victory over the Bruins at TD Garden. Paul Cotter scored twice, and Smith connected in the shootout to wrap up a 3-1-0 road trip for Vegas.

when Keegan Kolesar picked up a Marchessault dispatched the by Howden—set up by Stone

Conn Smythe Trophy favorite as the playo s’ most valuable player. The Panthers, meanwhile, couldn’t really crack Hill, who posted back-to-back big-time performances to start the series.

to start overtime. Cassidy, Stone and Pietrangelo all bemoaned not finishing the right way and vowed to fix it going forward.

up to the task this time despite playing 4-on-6 for the final 17 seconds. Tensions flared afterwards, as the Panthers started winging punches once Hill turned away their final shot on goal.

and out of sync in front of a boisterous home crowd desperate to

MAKING MEMORIES

December 31, 2022

KNIGHTS 9, FLORIDA PANTHERS 3

Stone notched the first hat trick in a Stanley Cup-clinching game in 101 years, and Eichel added three assists in the highest-scoring game in franchise history to help claim the trophy. Somewhat surprisingly, Marchessault was held without a goal in the blowout, but his team-high 26 points were enough to secure the Conn Smythe nod before he became the third Golden Knight to lift the Cup behind Stone and alternate captain Reilly Smith.

The New Year’s Eve game is typically exciting, and this one, against the Nashville Predators, proved no di erent. After Vegas allowed a late tying goal by Predators forward Filip Forsberg—his third of the contest—defenseman Nic Hague scored in overtime to give the Golden Knights a 5-4 victory.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Stars narrowed their series deficit

(Steve Marcus/Sta )

Bruce Cassidy delivered the Golden Knights to the promised land through an insatiable desire to win

(AP Photo/John Locher/Photo Illustration)

course on the Vegas Golden Knights a year ago, when he began considering pursuing their vacant head-coaching position.

The hockey lifer admits to some previous East Coast bias, considering his 40-year career in the sport—between playing and coaching—had never stationed him farther west

It back red, going down as famous last words when the Bruins lost 4-1 in the decisive game and then failed to make it past the second round in Cassidy’s nal three seasons at the helm. But the 58-year-old wasn’t ready to give up after Boston red him last o season.

Vegas wasn’t his only option to stay behind an NHL bench. As many as three other teams contacted him, according to NHL.com.

Cassidy somehow brought together the best of both of his predecessors. The players loved him, but he also implemented a personnel- tting scheme of patient o ense and packed-in defense that the Golden Knights rode to the Western Conference’s best record in the regular season.

cally be winding down or asleep by the time the Golden Knights played during the franchise’s rst ve seasons, so he devoured highlights and reading material on the team over a couple weeks last summer.

Cassidy felt pretty acquainted by the time general manager Kelly McCrimmon introduced him as the organization’s third-ever coach in June 2023. He only missed one bombshell that was dropped on him soon afterwards.

“What I didn’t know right away when I got hired was that [owner Bill Foley] said he was going to win a Stanley Cup in year six,” Cassidy said in his postgame news conference after winning this year’s Stanley Cup. “I found out it was year six after I signed, so I went, ‘All right, there’s a little bit of pressure here,’ but here we are.”

Cassidy jokes about the “Cup in Six” pressure now, but deep down, he must have loved it right away. It meant the ambition at the top of the franchise matched exactly with his own.

than Chicago. He’d typitenure with the Boston Bruins came in

The highlight of his previous six-year tenure Bruins came 2019 when he reached the Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues. Hours before Game 7 of that series, Cassidy gave what would become perhaps his most remembered quote when asked about his legacy.

“I just want my name on the damn Cup,” he said.

Cassidy did his homework on all of them, but something stood out about Vegas after he reached out to the likes of team captain Mark Stone and recently acquired star Jack Eichel. He was

con dent the Golden Knights gave him

the best chance to keep winning.

Cassidy at rst struggled balancing that revelation with worry about uprooting his two youngest children, who had spent their whole lives in the New England area after he rst went to work in the Bruins’ organization in 2008. But his family, including his wife, Julie, was receptive to a move west, where Cassidy could chase his lifelong dream.

“He cares so much about winning, and I think that’s why he jelled with our group,” Stone said on the ice after winning the Cup. “Our team cares so much. We wanted to win the Stanley Cup; he wanted to win the Stanley Cup. He pushed hard this season. He pushed a lot of buttons to help us get here.”

It’s not like Cassidy was succeeding a history of failed former head coaches with the Golden Knights. Vegas’ ring of Pete DeBoer last o season was as controversial as Boston’s dispatching of Cassidy around the same time.

DeBoer had twice led the Golden Knights to within one series of the Stanley Cup Final and carried a reputation as one of the most tactically shrewd coaches in the NHL. Going back further, original Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant was beloved among the fanbase and in the locker room, known as one of the top “players’ coaches” in the NHL.

“We’re in the winning business, and he had done a lot of that,” McCrimmon said of what drew him to Cassidy. “That’s why we brought him in, and I think he’s met our expectations and more along the way.”

In the clinching game of the Stanley Cup Final, Cassidy made a splashy move of starting an original Golden Knights lineup of forwards Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson and Reilly Smith to go with defensemen Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb. That was despite another typically buttoned-up former East Coast mainstay in the organization, president of hockey operations George McPhee, admitting to not agreeing with the plan and calling it “a gimmick.”

Cassidy showed a air for showmanship by sticking with it anyway. He said he’ll be bringing the Cup back to his summer home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, during his allotted day with it this o season, but make no mistake: Cassidy is now a Vegas guy. Not only is he getting his name on the “damn Cup,” but a big part of his legacy will go down as being the missing piece to make the “Cup in Six” proclamation come true.

“At the end of the day with Bill, he’s done everything right,” Cassidy said of the owner and his high expectations. “I think the players would tell you that. I’ve only been here one year, and he’s treated me so well. I’m really grateful to being given this opportunity.”

MAKING MEMORIES

February 25, 2023

Laurent Brossoit tested out his surgically repaired hip to make the save of the regular season: He stopped Jason Robertson’s initial shot in overtime, then performed a barrel roll on his back to block Tyler Seguin’s rebound attempt. The Golden Knights lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Dallas Stars, but it was clear another goalie was ready to make a stand for Vegas.

–VGK CAPTAIN MARK STONE

5

Goalies, including Adin Hill, ever to win a Stanley Cup-clinching game without appearing in the team’s first-round

MAKING MEMORIES

March 3, 2023

9 Goals scored by Vegas in Game 5, most in a Stanley Cup-clinching game in NHL history

9 Coaches, including Bruce Cassidy, to win the Stanley Cup in their first season with a team

Growth in Southern Nevada youth hockey participation since the Golden Knights’ inception, according to the NHL

340% Consecutive postseason games played by William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith … and counting 88

In his best performance during the regular season, Adin Hill put on a masterclass in clutch goaltending. The future Cup-winning goalie made 47 saves in a 4-3 shootout victory over the New Jersey Devils. Two days prior, Hill was instrumental in a 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

“TO BE ABLE TO COME HOME AND WIN IN FRONT OF THESE FANS … IT WAS THE LOUDEST

BUILDING I’VE

IN. THESE

2,076

Days between the Golden Knights’ first regular season game (October 6, 2017 in Dallas) until the night the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup (June 13, 2023)

4

The Golden Knights will become the first team ever to have four goalies’ names on the Stanley Cup: Laurent Brossoit, Adin Hill, Jonathan Quick and Logan Thompson

MAKING MEMORIES

March 11, 2023

–MARK STONE AFTER WINNING THE STANLEY CUP, JUNE 13

The last time a player won a Stanley Cup with a team that selected him in an expansion draft. William Carrier, William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Brayden McNabb all did it with Vegas (Reilly Smith and Shea Theodore were acquired in expansion draft-day trades)

92

Total Golden Knights’ playo goals this postseason, an average of 4.18 goals per game

15

Last time a team captain recorded a hat trick in a Stanley Cup Final (Peter Forsberg in 1996 with Colorado) before Mark Stone did it in Game 5 this year. It hadn’t been done in a Cup-clinching game since 1922

VGK players who won their first Stanley Cup championship

26

Jack Eichel’s playo points, third-most ever for someone playing in his first postseason

13

Jonathan Marchessault’s postseason goal total, an alltime high for a Golden Knights player in the playo s

Two days after a thrilling overtime victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning, newly acquired goalie Jonathan Quick posted a 33-save shutout in Carolina for a 4-0 win. It was the Golden Knights’ fifth win in six games.

EVER BEEN

FANS CARE ABOUT HOCKEY. WE LOVE LIVING HERE; WE LOVE PLAYING HERE.

I JUST CAN’T WAIT TO GO AROUND TOWN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.”

(Steve Marcus/Sta )

Get to know the coveted trophy captured by the Golden Knights

BY CASE KEEFER

The Stanley Cup has been a frequent visitor to Las Vegas over the years, both as a decoration for the annual NHL Awards—held locally from 2009 to 2022—and a companion of celebrating, recently-crowned champions.

Expect to see a lot more of the 35.25-inch tall, 37-pound “most famous trophy in sports” around town in the coming months now that the Golden Knights have earned the right to possess it.

The winning team typically gets to display the Cup for a couple weeks before it begins traveling the globe as part of a tradition in which members of the championship squad are each given one day with the 66-year-old object. That includes players, coaches and front-o ce o cials, all of whom get their date with the Cup and can plan how they want to utilize it.

The trophy was rst introduced in 1892 by Lord Stanley of Preston, Canada’s governor general, as the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup. It underwent two other variations before the current

version was introduced in 1957. Here are ve more things to know about the Stanley Cup.

• Each winning team can engrave up to 52 names on the Stanley Cup, including players, coaches and other personnel. The engraving became a tradition in 1924, with 3,489 names having so far been added onto the trophy all-time.

• Only 2,497 of those names remained on the Cup before the Golden Knights’ win. The Cup can t a maximum of 65 teams across its ve wrap-around bands. When it hits capacity, a band containing 13 teams is removed and moved to a display in Toronto at the Hockey Hall of Fame. The next scheduled band removal is set for 2030, with champions from 1958 to 1970 moving to the museum.

• The Cup has ve “keepers,” one of whom stays with it everywhere it goes. Philip Pritchard is the most well-known “Keeper of the Cup,” a role he has held for 35 years. It’s not as easy a job as it might sound, considering the Cup travels more than 300 days per year and has o cially

visited 31 countries.

• The rst place the Golden Knights brought the Cup after claiming it at T-Mobile Arena was Omnia Nightclub at Caesars Palace to celebrate their victory alongside DJ Steve Aoki. The morning after the Golden Knights’ championship win, Pritchard posted a video on his social media of team captain Mark Stone carrying the Cup into the venue.

• Babies always make for a popular photo opportunity in the top bowl of the Cup, which has a 35-inch circumference and 11.5-inch diameter. That trend should continue with the Golden Knights, considering ve players had newborns over the past year: Stone, Brett Howden, William Karlsson Brayden McNabb and Reilly Smith. And that doesn’t include an already large number of tots and toddlers. One-month-old Beckham Karlsson and 1-year-old Ford Stephenson beat their baby peers to it, with their parents placing them in the Cup on the ice during the postgame celebration after the clinching victory.

MAKING MEMORIES

April 13, 2023

It took until the final game of the regular season for the Golden Knights to win the Pacific Division and clinch the top seed in the Western Conference. Vegas accomplished that, and finished with a team-record 111 points, with a 3-1 win in Seattle.

“YOU’RE A MEMBER OF A UNIQUE CLUB NOW. YOU’RE A STANLEY CUP CHAMPION. THAT PART IS GOING TO BE SPECIAL.”

–KELLY MCCRIMMON, GOLDEN KNIGHTS GENERAL MANAGER, JUNE 13

(Stanley Cup by Wade Vandervort/Sta ; background by AP Photo/Photo Illustration)

FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT

A’s stadium gets the green light

MLB APPROVAL IS LAST PIECE REQUIRED FOR TEAM TO MOVE

Gov. Joe Lombardo signed into law the $380 million public financing package for a proposed $1.5 billion baseball stadium off the Las Vegas Strip, leaving formal approval from Major League Baseball owners as the final linchpin in the Oakland Athletics’ relocation bid to Southern Nevada.

Lombardo signed Senate Bill 1 of the 35th special legislative session in front of a small gathering of A’s lobbyists a day after the measure cleared the Legislature.

Construction on the 30,000seat stadium to be built on the current site of the Tropicana would be scheduled to begin next year.

Signing of the bill all but ended the A’s quest for a new stadium in Oakland, after negotiations for a waterfront ballpark stalled following years of back-and-forth with city officials.

A’s representatives said the ballpark should be open in time for the start of the 2028 season.

Speaking to reporters June 15 after the conclusion of an owners meeting in New York, Commissioner Rob Manfred bemoaned the team’s inability to stay in Oakland, but defended A’s owner John Fisher, who has maintained public silence.

“I feel sorry for the fans in Oakland. I do not like this outcome. I understand why they feel the way they do,” he said. “I think that the real question is, what is it that Oakland was prepared to do? There is no Oakland offer. They never got to the point where they had a plan to build a stadium at any site.” –Casey

Harrison

IN THE NEWS

EDUCATION

County updates school design

The Clark County School District’s next elementary and middle schools will have new looks.

CCSD schools are built following architectural templates for several years at a time, and the current models are getting dated—the elementary school design is more than 10 years old, while the middle-school plan is close to 20 years old, the district said.

“Why the prototypes? It becomes an efficient design process for us,” said Justin Lam, a director from CCSD’s construction management department. “Once we’ve designed and kind of worked

out all the bugs with the first one, we can re-site that one multiple times, allowing us to speed up our process for delivery and at the same time we get cost benefits from that across the board, so our contractors and subcontractors develop a standing and knowledge with those.”

Templates also build in equity by having the same standard classrooms, gyms and other facilities across the district, he said.

One upcoming elementary plan wraps a two-story building around a central courtyard. The other is a two-building design with sin-

gle-story wings around a central two-story wing. Both are based on enrollments of 638 students. The middle-school layout can be adjusted for student populations between 1,050 and 1,500 students.

The templates will be used for replacement schools— tear-downs and rebuilds of established neighborhood schools—and new schools to accommodate growth.

District plans show the next construction projects will be replacements for Mountain View and Red Rock elementary schools, and Brinley, Garside and Woodbury middle schools. –Hillary Davis

(Rendering courtesy Clark County School District)

WATCH THIS

NEWS

WEST NILE VIRUS IN COMMUNITY

The Southern Nevada Health District announced on June 15 that o cials identified the first West Nile-positive mosquitoes in Southern Nevada this year. There are no vaccines to prevent or medication to treat the virus, according to the CDC. The county has yet to see any cases of West Nile virus this year, but o cials are expecting the mosquito population to only increase throughout the summer.

–Grace Da Rocha

6.16.2023

LEGISLATURE

BY THE NUMBERS

$43M+

Nevada was awarded more than $43 million on June 16 to expand high-speed internet access. The initiative, aimed at delivering fiber optic service and boosting network resiliency for a 431-mile open access network from Las Vegas to Wells, will impact communities across Clark, Lincoln, White Pine and Elko counties, the White House said.

THE VALLEY CELEBRATES THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Businesses decorated billboards and marquees throughout Southern Nevada in recognition of the Vegas Golden Knights winning the Stanley Cup in ve games with the second-largest goal di erential in Finals history. (Christopher DeVargas/Sta )

Gov. Joe Lombardo has signed a bill allowing the state Department of Health and Human Services to establish a Psychedelic Medicines Working Group to study the therapeutic use of entheogens including psilocybin or magic mushrooms.

The Nevada Coalition for Psychedelic Medicines, which testi ed in support of the bill as it moved through the Legislature, said the move was one step toward bringing legal, psychedelic therapies to the state.

Senate Bill 242, sponsored by state Sen. Rochelle Nguyen, cites the Food and Drug Administration’s designation of psilocybin as a breakthrough therapy for its e ectiveness in treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder.

The law outlines the makings of a working group tasked with identifying psychedelic therapies that could help in reducing suicidal ideation in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorder, major depressive disorder or psychological distress relating to end of life. The group also will review laws relating to the use of therapies and develop recommendations and a plan for people to access them in the state.

–Shannon Miller

A COMMUNITY EFFORT

BY SHANNON MILLER

Nevada had the highest rate of new HIV diagnoses in 13 Western states, according to the most recent, reliable 2019 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

At a rate of 16.6, the Silver State was well above the nationwide rate of 12.6 new HIV infections per 100,000 people. Clark County’s rate for new infections was even higher at 19.8, ranking the Las Vegas metropolitan area 12th of 111 large metropolitan areas nationwide. Approximately 10,740 people were living with HIV in the Las Vegas area in 2019.

Working on bringing those numbers down, Genoa Pharmacy opened in April at the Arlene Cooper Community Health Center. Chief clinical officer Leana Ramirez says one of the first steps is cutting through the stigmas of sexually transmitted infections and HIV testing.

“When you think about the health care system, does your doctor know who you sleep with? I think one of the biggest problems is that we’ve separated our sexual health from physical health. And that’s not the case,” says Ramirez.

The health center, located at Downtown LGBTQ nonprofit the Center, provides an environment where patients can feel welcome and comfortable sharing those details. Ramirez points out the health center’s separate entrance, which provides some discretion for anyone who doesn’t want to use the Center’s highly visible front door. At the health center entrance, there’s a Trac-B vending machine with clean syringes, alcohol swabs, hygiene kits and Naloxone.

“You name it, we try to stock it here … It’s all about harm reduction,” she says, pointing to a condom dispenser on the wall. “Because we are a sex positive clinic, we talk about sex … All we’re here for is to help people and to educate people.”

Also known as human immunodeficiency virus, HIV is spread through sexual contact, contaminated needles or blood and can be passed through the placenta during pregnancy. HIV can cause the development of AIDS

A new pharmacy helps the Center tackle prevention and treatment ahead of National HIV Testing Day

(acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), which weakens the body’s ability to fight infections and certain cancers. HIV and AIDS were first identified in 1981; and although the disease no longer makes headlines, the virus continues to pose serious risks for the public.

Upon the 2019 launch of the federal Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, the CDC reported that decades-long progress in lowering HIV infections had “stalled,” with some groups experiencing stabilizing or even increasing rates of infection each year. As part of that initiative, Clark County was identified as one of 48 metro areas targeted for HIV prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Spokesperson Dawn Cribb at the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health says that public health agencies statewide have been working with partners and providers to promote pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and connecting individuals with supportive programs that can assist with treatment. “Treating HIV early can help to slow damage caused by HIV infection and reduce the chances of transmitting it to others,” she says.

The Division of Public and Behavioral Health also administers the federal Ryan White Program, which provides assistance for those who are uninsured and underinsured.

“Through the Ryan White Program, Nevada residents can access needed core medical and support services, such as medical case management, transportation, mental health, medication and health insurance assistance,” Cribb says.

Of 448 newly diagnosed cases of HIV in Southern Nevada in 2019, nearly 73% were linked to care within one month after diagnosis, according to Clark County’s Ending the HIV Epidemic Plan for 2021-2026.

Prevention and treatment: PrEP, PEP and ART

In addition to HIV testing, condoms and safe practices when using injectable drugs, the medication PrEP can prevent the transmission of HIV, reducing the risk of getting HIV from sex by 99% and from injectable drugs by at least 74%, according to the CDC.

For those who have been or suspect they’ve been exposed to HIV, PEP can provide protection post-exposure. It must be taken within three days of exposure, for at least 28 days. According to a report published in the National Library of Medicine, studies have shown PEP to be more than 90% effective when taken properly.

“We are seeing an uptick in our PrEP and our PEP numbers,” Ramirez says. In April, the health center had about 80 patients on PrEP—double the previous year’s monthly average.

“But we’re still not there yet. We’re still missing a huge piece, and we’re still not seeing our HIV infections drop. That’s part of our challenge every day—how do we bring more people in?”

Having Genoa Pharmacy up and running has helped facilitate an increase in patients taking those vital medications. In 2021, Nevada passed a law authorizing certain pharmacies to prescribe and dispense PrEP and PEP without a prescription from a doctor.

Still, getting PEP within the threeday timeframe—essential for the medication to be effective—could prove a challenge for some. “The medication’s expensive, so not every pharmacy has it,” Ramirez says.

“If you have an exposure, let’s say Friday evening, and every place is closed on the weekend, [then] you come in on Monday [and] suddenly, you’re under the gun. And then you have to navigate insurance.”

The Arlene Cooper Community

Health Center has a full-service lab that can provide blood and STI test results including HIV—meaning, if a patient were to test positive for HIV, they could start them on antiretroviral therapy (ART), which prevents transmission, in the same visit. The clinic works with most major insurances, connects patients with assistance programs and doesn’t turn anyone away for inability to pay.

“To us, Rapid ART is when they’re in that room, [if] they get that preliminary positive, we put medication in their hand. If we have somebody who comes in and we get them their new diagnosis, [then] we need to see them through.”

National HIV Testing Day

The CDC recommends that everyone ages 13 to 64, regardless of sexual orientation, get tested for HIV at least once. Groups with certain risk factors should get tested more often. Sexually active gay and bisexual men should test every three to six months, guidance says.

According to Clark County’s Ending the HIV Epidemic Plan for

2021-2026, only 41% of Southern Nevadans have ever been tested for HIV. In 2018, the CDC estimated that just 79.3% of those living with HIV in Clark County had been diagnosed, meaning approximately one in five people living with HIV in Clark County are unaware of their status.

On National HIV Testing Day, June 27, the Southern Nevada Health District will offer expanded free HIV testing via its mobile testing unit and partners around the Valley including two Walgreens locations. The health district also operates Collect2Protect, in which residents can receive free at-home HIV tests.

The Center, in addition to free HIV testing offered, will host an event with presentations, community resources, food and giveaways.

“We have such opportunities. We have such great medications. We have a knowledge about HIV that we can absolutely make an impact [with]. It’s just a matter of getting it out there to the masses,” Ramirez says. “We’ve got to take charge of our bodies and make sure that we know how to protect ourselves.”

Leana Ramirez Chief Clinical Officer at the Center

Genoa Pharmacy (Courtesy/Genoa Pharmacy, the Center)

There’s a common belief that higher THC percentage is a characteristic of higher-quality cannabis and more potent consumer experiences. While THC percentage does contribute to potency, there are many other factors that affect an individual’s reaction, and consuming a higher-THC strain does not necessarily guarantee that you’ll feel more medicated than when consuming lower-THC strains. Here’s a look at THC percentages in flower and what they may mean for you.

Cannabis research is an active topic of study, and as more data is collected, psychoactive effects and potency are becoming better understood. In 2020, the University of Colorado at Boulder published a study indicating that THC concentration does not correlate with the intoxication level of a strain. Observing high-potency concentrates with more than twice the THC of flower, researchers observed that among regular consumers, the blood levels of THC were significantly higher but the level of impairment was similar to the group using flower with less THC. We’re conditioned to assume that more means more intense effects, but is that always the case with cannabis? The THC concentrate study calls this belief into question. Researchers posit that once cannabinoid receptors in the brain are full, they may stop being as receptive to any additional cannabinoids entering the body. This doesn’t mean that THC percentage doesn’t matter, but it could mean that it stops mattering past a certain point for some consumers.

Bluebird’s COLA is an indica-dominant hybrid. Photo by Sam Steinborn

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FEATURE FEMME

The Nevada Women’s Film Festival represents female filmmakers, but it’s meant for everyone

BY GEOFF CARTER

The Academy Awards have existed since May 1929. In that time, only three women have won the Oscar for Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow for 2008’s The Hurt Locker, Chloe Zhao for 2020’s Nomadland and Jane Campion for 2021’s The Power of the Dog. That’s three out of 95 Best Director trophies awarded to women—and all of them given only within the past 15 years.

The Nevada Women’s Film Festival (NWFFest), now in its ninth year, projects a bright and defining light on the mainstream film industry’s slow walk to inclusivity and representation. But more than that, the fourday fest—running June 22-25 at UNLV’s Department of Film—illuminates the many creative possibilities for women to work both in front of and behind the camera.

“The wonderful thing about film festivals is that they give the community an opportunity to see independent films, smaller films that they might not otherwise see,” says Nikki Corda, NWFFest’s executive director and founder. “Our niche is films by, and about, women, because our mission is to celebrate and support the fair representation of women in film. But that does not mean that we exclude films that are not directed by women; we accept them. If they’re not directed by women, perhaps they might pass the Bechdel test.”

The “Bechdel test,” a three-part assessment created by cartoonist Alison Bechdel and her friend Liz Wallace in 1985, is as follows: 1. A movie must have at least two female characters, with names, 2. who talk to each other 3. about something other than a man. Even movies that pass the test often do so by the thinnest of margins.

NWFFest 2023 features 108 films—shorts and features, fiction and nonfiction—that should stand up to even the most rigorous application of Bechdel. On June 23, UNLV alum Berenice Chávez will

SCREEN

be honored with the fest’s Nevada Woman of Achievement award and a screening of the acclaimed documentary she edited, 2023’s Pamela, A Love Story. “I’m really interested in hearing her take on editing this documentary, and how much she was involved in shaping it,” Corda says.

The following night brings the Nevada premiere of Miranda’s Victim, director Michelle Danner’s film about Trish Weir, whose 1963 assault by Ernesto Arturo Miranda spurred the creation of the Miranda warning. The screening will be

followed by a moderated conversation with Danner and star Abigail Breslin.

“What’s really exciting [about Miranda’s Victim] is that this is the very first time that any filmmaker has actually tackled this subject,” Corda says. “It’s the story of what [Weir] went through fighting for justice. And Miranda rights are all about protecting the perpetrator, the alleged criminal. This really wasn’t a good experience for Trish Weir.”

Other NWFFest screenings include director Connie Cocchia’s comingof-age film When Time Got Louder; June Beallor’s 2020 Chaos and Hope, a look back at one of the most challenging years in recent memory; Everybody Wants to Be Loved, a comedy-drama about relationships from director Katharina Woll; Las Abogadas: Attorneys on the Front Lines of the Migrant Crisis, from director Victoria Bruce; and Rogue Angel, a war/family drama from Las Vegas filmmaker Brenda Daly.

But as Corda noted, not all the films screening at NWFFest are directed by women. Some films, Corda says, just have a “strong female presence, either in their

subject matter—something that’s of interest to women—or they showcase women who are doing important work in the world.”

As an example, she names Adam Gacka’s documentary Teacher, about “three amazing women in New York who are first-year teachers at underprivileged schools. … We like to showcase women in a positive light, [and] to get beyond the male gaze that is so prevalent in so many Hollywood movies still.”

Corda has much to do in the days before the festival, working with the NWFFest crew (“our team is amazing”) to coordinate its four packed days of screenings and the “Femmy Awards” ceremony that closes out the weekend with presentations for “Best Female Protagonist,” “Best Nevada Film,” “Outstanding LGBTQ+ Representation” and more. If the Academy can’t deliver deserved awards into the hands of women filmmakers, NWFFest will.

“Our awards are fun, but you should just come on down and enjoy the festival,” Corda says. “Each year we get a little bit bigger and better. … And with 108 films, there’s got to be something in there for people to like.”

NEVADA WOMEN’S FILM FESTIVAL June 22-25, times vary, $12-$50. UNLV Department of Film, nwffest.com.

(left) Pamela Anderson in Pamela: A Love Story (Netflix); (below) Emily VanCamp and Abigail Breslin in Miranda’s Victim (Navesink River Productions)

GOOD FOR BUSINESS

Vegas punk trio Pure Sport works hard and plays even harder

BY AMBER SAMPSON

Pure Sport takes its company culture pretty seriously. The suit-wearing punk trio conducts regular “board meetings.” (“We’ve had pretty much a show every weekend for the last year,” vocalist/bassist Jared Scott explains). Its fans show up well-dressed and on time. (“We joked around and called them our unpaid interns, and people took that as, ‘Cool, I’m gonna show up in attire,’” he says.)

And though its HR department kinda sucks, the bene ts of joining up with these corporate mis ts far outweigh the cons.

Scott and bandmates Justin Tejada (guitar) and Gage Walker (drums) have a zero tolerance policy for BS, hence Pure Sport’s mission statement: “Don’t be a scumbag. Genuinely be the best person you can be,” Scott says with conviction. “The world is hard enough. Don’t make it harder for you and other people around you.”

Pure Sport inverts the ideology of Corporate America by becoming the very thing it despises—and imploding it. “We’d see something in the news—‘Je Bezos did another dogsh*t thing today’—so we’d get together and complain,” explains Scott, whose love of theatrics and character-building inspired the band’s suits. “Then, it was like,

what if we were the punks making fun of that?”

Walker and Tejada initially had doubts about wearing business attire to punk gigs, “But now it’s like there’s no other way,” Tejada says.

When the Weekly meets up with the trio for co ee, they’re o the clock. Their corporate armor has been shed, but the professionalism of a band that’s been doing this for years remains. But Pure Sport just entered the scene with 2022 EP Big Business. Since then, the trio’s anti-corporate message has reached fans across multiple generations.

“For the youth, it’s like looking down the barrel of what life is gonna look like, possibly working a sh*tty 9-to-5 job. Rallying against that is really comforting,” Scott says. “Then, for the people who are already dealing with it, they’re like ‘Yeah, f*ck that, man.’”

Pure Noise’s nonconformist nature can be traced back to its in uences, which include Las Vegas acts Desert Island Boys and The Dollheads. For Walker, a drummer since age 4, the ’90s nu metal and industrial releases of Deftones and Nine Inch Nails shaped his timekeeping. Classic rock from the ’50s, ’70s and ’90s inspired Tejada, a

guitarist of 11 years. And Scott, a self-proclaimed “grunge baby for a while there,” gravitates most toward the modern punk of the Viagra Boys, Idles and Amyl and the Sni ers, and the stoner-rock sheen of Queens of the Stone Age.

Pure Noise recorded its second EP, last month’s Bigger Business, with Knicc Limbs, drummer of local band Elephante King, at his studio MXA Productions. Each track ties into the overall theme. “Opening Statements”—an O ce Space-esque intro—leads listeners into the pumping ri s of “The Meeting Commences,” with its zany electric guitar licks and aggressively voiced directives from Scott, the band’s eight-year vocalist who only recently picked up bass. “Wateroy” stands out for its groundswell of blistering instrumentation, gaining on you like a galloping steed. In the music video, Pure Sport beat on one another with baseball bats and bash a printer.

Pure Sport advocates for safely monitored all-ages shows, while carefully choosing venues that can “support the chaos” of full-blooded punk shows, Walker says.

With a full-length album in the works and Pure Sport set to go on tour for the rst time this July, it sounds like business is better than ever.

PURE SPORT opening for Hunter’s Briefcase, with White Noise, Post NC. June 24, 7:30 p.m., $10-$15. Fergusons Downtown, blacksheep booking.ticketbud. com

Pure Sport (Courtesy/Tarah Tackett)

HOME FOR HOUSE

Discopussy draws in the debut of Defected Records

NIGHTS

BY BROCK RADKE

U.K. house music label Defected Records has been strategically dancing its way across the pond for nearly five years now, programming stateside events and releases in major club scene destinations like New York City, Miami, Chicago, and most recently, at Detroit’s renowned Movement Festival in May.

The time is right for the brand to land in Las Vegas, says head of talent and events Deniz Hilmi, and that’s what happened last weekend at Downtown’s Discopussy. Defected Las Vegas made its debut June 17 with established English DJs Sam Divine and Riva Starr.

releasing on his own Simma Black imprint) and American DJ and producer Harry “Choo-Choo” Romero, who earlier this year released a 30-track House Masters compilation on Defected.

DEFECTED LAS VEGAS

With Harry Romero & Low Steppa. June 24, 10 p.m., $20. Discopussy, tixr.com.

“It’s a unique territory for us and we’re very excited,” Hilmi says. “For America in general, we’ve been planning and developing how to take Defected [there] for so many years now, but we’ve never done Vegas, and we feel like the fruit is there to be picked. We’re ready.”

Another house harvest is set for June 24, implemented by influential artist Low Steppa (currently

The new party series falls perfectly in line with the sizzling direction Discopussy is headed in, having recently hosted sets by Alix Perez, Black V Neck and Goldie, among other multi-genre names. And the Vegas invasion is another link in the chain for Defected, which has continued to grow post-pandemic under new CEO Wez Saunders, as the company has inducted three new labels and also launched a virtual festival series in recent years.

“Over the last few years we’ve seen some of those big residencies and events in Vegas … shift more toward house music and our club culture, and that’s really good for us,” Hilmi says. “It always depends who’s there, but Vegas is a very tourist town and you never know who you’re going to get [in the audience].

“But the stuff they’ve been booking over the last year [at Discopussy] is amazing and one of the reasons we wanted to launch there, and it’s a combination of the venue really putting itself on the map and it being the right spot because it’s more cutting-edge. This is not just the casino [club] faithful, this is for people who have that appetite for house music.”

Hilmi won’t go into deep details for future plans, but it’s clear this Downtown series is only the first step. And Las Vegas could play into the company’s massive plans to celebrate its 25th anniversary next year in the biggest way possible.

“We have an amazing calendar of stuff we’re already locking in, and I’m not going to give away too much, but the USA is one of our main focuses,” he says. “This is literally dipping our toes in the water. Watch this space.”

Harry Romero (Courtesy)

SENSE MEMORIES

Retro by Voltaggio pays playful homage to the past

Cheese and Crackers at Retro (Courtesy/Anthony Mair)

RETRO BY VOLTAGGIO Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7401, mandalaybay.com. Monday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m.

BY GENEVIE DURANO

Food nostalgia is a powerful thing. It can transport us back and evoke happy memories spent with friends and family. The idea of comfort food is rooted in this— most of us probably remember our parents making us soup when we were sick or Sunday suppers of pot roast or chicken pot pie. The Gen X latchkey kids among us surely recall fending for ourselves after school with sleeves of Ritz crackers and SpaghettiOs while watching Saved by the Bell

In our fast-paced modern world of Uber Eats and streaming, Bryan and Michael Voltaggio—celebrity brothers of Top Chef fame—have chosen to go back in time and dig into their culinary memories. The result is Retro, which has taken over the former Aureole space at Mandalay Bay. Gone is the iconic wine tower, in its place a museum of sorts, dedicated to artifacts from the ’80s and ’90s. Analog pleasures rule here, from BMX bikes and skateboards to VHS tapes and vinyl records.

If you’re of a certain generation, all the Retro touches will surely bring a smile, from the white “paper” plates and vintage water glasses to the table of Slinkies, Rubik’s cubes, Magic 8 Balls and Viewmasters with which you can amuse yourself while awaiting your food. And if you think you’ve forgotten the lyrics to “I Think We’re Alone Now” because you haven’t heard it since junior high, you’d be wrong. Retro’s background music will

have you bopping your head to VH1 classics as you gleefully drink your Appletini ($20) or Fuzzy Navel ($20).

Pop culture nostalgia aside, you’re here for the food, and it doesn’t disappoint. It’s served with a side of playfulness; the brothers’ version of SpaghettiO’s is called VotaggiO’s ($35) and while it comes in a can—your server prepares it tableside— this is not the Os of your childhood. The pasta is made in-house and enrobed with arrabbiata butter and accompanied by a substantial and tender meatball.

The party-favorite deviled eggs ($28) are reimagined with caviar, while the after-school snack of choice, pepperoni rolls ($16), are now very much grownup. Made of brioche dough shaped like a cinnamon roll, they’re lled with fennel pollen, basil, mozzarella, Stracciatella cheese, San Marzano tomato marinara sauce and espelette pepper.

“As a chef, it’s always fun to look back,” Michael says of the menu. “Retro is really about [our] childhood through our professional careers, showcased throughout every single dish.”

The brothers’ wide-ranging imagination meets their culinary chops in seemingly humble dishes like chicken pot pie ($24) with croquettes, a buttery cracker crust and black tru e coulis, or the chicken and dumplings ($40), where the dumplings just happen to be ricotta-rich gnudi and the chicken is crispy thighs with a bright lemon jus.

The pot roast ($56) might remind you of mom or grandma, but we bet they didn’t use Wagyu beef cheeks slow-cooked for 48 hours. And shells and cheese ($17)? Sure, you’d be hard-pressed to nd a version that isn’t not a crowd-pleaser, but this one is unapologetically Cheez Whiz-y.

And by the way, your mom will be happy to know that you’ll polish o your veggies without protest. The green bean casserole ($15), with a shiitake mushroom broth, crispy onions and mushroom hay, is a delightfully modern throwback, while the young broccoli ($15) won’t last long on anyone’s plate.

“It’s not about the memories you might be taking away, it’s about memories we might evoke when you’re here,” Bryan says of the Retro experience. “When you can make that moment happen for someone as a chef, it’s an incredible connection to our diners and food, and that’s what we hope to do here.”

THEBEAR AND THE BEEF

Chicago-style Windy City

BY AMBER SAMPSON

 Ever since Hulu’s award-winning series The Bear aired last summer, foodies have been searching for authentic Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches in their own hometowns.

The centuries-old sandwich played a leading role in The Bear’s fictitious restaurant, the Original Beef of Chicagoland, where prolific young chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) takes over the family business. As Season 2 returns to whet our appetites on June 22, we set out to revisit a Chicago favorite in Henderson— Windy City Beefs ’n Pizza.

Longtime Chicagoan Tim Korney, who also runs Windy City Beefs ’n Dogs near Summerlin, opened this Hendo spot in 2012 with legendary Chicago joint Johnnie’s Beef in mind. He estimates 98% of his customers hail from Chicago. How can he tell? They’re vocal about it.

“A lot of customers come in and they’re like, ‘Can you make my Chicago dog like Frankie’s did on 103rd and 14th Street back then?’ I’m like, ‘There’s 1,275 hot dog and beef stands in Chicago. I make it the true Chicago way. That’s how we’ve always done it,” he says.

A true Chicago beef sandwich calls for thinly sliced roast beef, giardiniera (a go-to condiment of pickled veggies) and an Italian bread sturdy enough to withstand the entire sandwich being dunked into savory au jus. Windy City Beefs has bread trucked in from the family-owned Turano Baking Company, one of the largest in Chicagoland.

“That’s who all the restaurants back there use,” Korney says. “I’ve had numerous bakeries here try and get our bread business, and when I do what I need to do to make an authentic beef, and dip the bread in the au jus, all their bread falls apart.”

At Windy City, you can have your sandwich dry, wet or dipped. For a soaking wet (and delicious) mess, go the traditional dipped route “with sweet peppers and giardiniera,” Korney says. The owner does his best to educate Las Vegans on how to enjoy their Italian beef, but he’s also grateful for The Bear to help with the heavy lifting.

“All my employees were like, ‘Boss, you gotta watch it, you gotta watch it.’ It’s a great show,” he says. “I think it’s close to 100% accurate.”

Italian beef sandwich (Brian Ramos/Sta )

Beefs ’n Pizza has the sandwich you’re looking for

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THE PLAZA’S NEW BRIAN CHRISTOPHER SLOTS AREA TAKES A NONTRADITIONAL APPROACH

BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF

When Brian Christopher began uploading content of himself playing slot machines to social media seven years ago, it was just “for fun.” Before long, however, his videos had gone viral, and he accepted an invite from the historic Plaza Downtown Las Vegas to film on its casino floor, host fan events there and more.

Now, Christopher—who has 5 million monthly viewers and more than 1.5 million subscribers across YouTube and other major social media platforms—and others can play at Brian Christopher Slots at the Plaza, a smoke-free and social media-friendly area added to the hotel during its recent Main Street Reimagination project.

“It’s super-exciting,” Christopher said, noting that many fans traveled to Las Vegas for the space’s grand opening. “This place is massive. It feels very different; it feels like our own space now. Before we shared it; now we’ve got our own space. … Our fans are very excited.”

The space, accessible off Main Street, offers Plaza guests and casinogoers a stylish place to play the slots, where, untraditionally, smoking is prohibited and the use of phones is permitted.

One corner of the large room—filled with slot machines, including Christopher’s own namesake, Brian Christopher’s Pop’N Pays More—is decked out in bright, pink lights and chairs for people feeling photogenic. The other features a backlit, nearly life-size photo of Christopher, his catchphrases, like “Rude” and “Lucky,” and more.

The room can be deemed social media-friendly for multiple reasons, Plaza CEO Jonathan Jossel said. First, the hotel and casino can easily control the sound system, so players can film without having to worry about music in the background that might be copyrighted. Second,

its atmosphere not only allows, but encourages, players to take photos.

“We played into the Instagram, photo-friendly environment,” Jossel said. “You see that, when you walk into the space [there’s] filming in process, so people know that there’s photos being taken in here. And that definitely makes it stand out … from other casinos in town.”

Content creation in casinos is still relatively taboo, Christopher said, and many places won’t even allow patrons to take pictures of themselves on the casino floor.

As people like him continue to gain a following, however, many casinos are “waking up” to the benefit of social media, Christopher said. He has a wide range of fans, from fellow gamblers to people who don’t have the money for it themselves, Christopher added.

“Plaza’s been very forward-thinking in the social media aspect; they latched on to it very quickly,” Christopher said. “That’s how we got our own space, and that’s why this space is social media-friendly. Anyone can walk in there and film their gameplay if they want to.”

Brian Christopher Slots at the Plaza will also

be smoke-free, and Christopher—who’s originally from Canada and now lives in Palm Springs, California—said he’s pushing for smoke-free casinos overall, not just in the interest of patrons, but also the health and safety of casino staff.

“I started getting really big, and I’m like, ‘You know what? I’ve got to do something with my platform,’” he said. “And I believe in breathing regular air.”

Jossel, who emphasized that smoking remains allowed on the Plaza’s main casino floor, said a non-smoking area makes a lot of sense for Christopher and younger generations who might not smoke and want that option.

The partnership between the Plaza and Christopher is a special one, Jossel said, and he believes they’ve both been pioneers in the increasingly normalized relationship between social media and gaming. Streaming gaming content isn’t going anywhere, he added.

“We embraced it,” Jossel said. “A lot of people were shying away from it, and we thought, ‘No, let’s really take a step and give these people a place where they’re comfortable to come and film their play.’

Influencer Brian Christopher with a branded slot machine in the Plaza’s new smoke-free, camera-friendly slot area. Part of the Plaza’s Main Street Reimagination project, the slot room celebrated its grand opening this month. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

VEGAS INC NOTES

UNLV announced the establishment of the Kerestesi Center for Insurance and Risk Management within the Lee Business School. The center, made possible through a $5 million gift from the Nevada Surplus Lines Foundation, will advance faculty and student research in the areas of insurance and risk management and serve as an important resource for students seeking career opportunities in the industry.

The City of Henderson announced that its parks were ranked 19th in the nation by the Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore index—a national gold-standard comparison of park systems across the 100 most populated cities in the United States.

SR Construction, a full-service design-build general

contractor, announced that it has been named the general contractor for Chip Shots, a state-of-the-art private club featuring indoor golf simulators. It’s expected to open in 2024.

B&P Advertising, Media & Public Relations has hired local marketing professional Mary Raymond, who started her career with the company, to serve as its newest senior account executive.

Nevada Donor Network has announced a new partnership with startup company Donor Services Laboratory, Inc., a comprehensive, highly accredited, clinical reference laboratory serving the human transplantation and biomedical industries.

Workforce Connections welcomed Nye County Com-

missioner Ron Boskovich to its Local Elected Official (LEO) Consortium and M.J. Maynard, chief executive officer of Southern Nevada’s Regional Transportation Commission (RTC), to the Workforce Connections (WC) Board.

Affordable Concepts, Inc. (ACI), which has been building in Southern Nevada for more than 35 years, has hired Traci Morgan as director of business development.

Chambers USA recognized Bailey Kennedy as a Top U.S. Firm in Litigation: General Commercial. Managing Partners John R. Bailey, Dennis L. Kennedy and Joshua M. Dickey have also been recognized as Top U.S. Attorneys in Litigation: General Commercial in the 2023 Legal Ranking.

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We gladly relinquish our title of America’s Greatest and extend heartfelt congratulations to the victorious Vegas Golden Knights on their extraordinary championship season. We recommend a celebration with subs (naturally)...

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