2023-07-13-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 GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ (gabriela.rodriguez@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

Publisher of Branded Content & Special Publications EMMA WOLFF

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

Vice President of Manufacturing MARIA BLONDEAUX

Production Director PAUL HUNTSBERRY

Production Manager BLUE UYEDA

Associate Marketing Art Director BROOKE EVERSON

Marketing Graphic Designer CARYL LOU PAAYAS

Production Artist MARISSA MAHERAS

Senior Tra c Coordinator DENISE ARANCIBIA

Tra c Coordinator ALEX HAASE

Distribution Relations Liaison JIDAN SHADOWEN

Fulfillment Operations Coordinator CASANDRA PIERCE

Route Administrator KATHY STRELAU

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CEO, Publisher & Editor BRIAN GREENSPUN

Chief Operating O cer ROBERT CAUTHORN

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Playful

IN THIS ISSUE

WANT MORE? Head to lasvegasweekly.com.

SUPERGUIDE

Your daily events planner, starring Quavo, Stephen Marley, WNBA All-Star Weekend, The Drums and more.

NOISE

Country-rock mainstay Jason Isbell on speaking his mind, Martin Scorsese and much more.

THE WEEKLY Q&A

The couple behind Chinatown arcade Game Nest explain why you don’t need to speak Japanese to enjoy that country’s entertaining exports.

COVER STORY

Don’t laugh. Las Vegas has become a hotbed for stand-up comedy, from the clubs to the largest arenas.

ON THE COVER

by Wade Vandervort

44 SPORTS Aces All-Star Jackie Young’s continued offensive improvement has strengthened Las Vegas’ chances for a title repeat.

THE STRIP

How Mandalay Bay’s Moorea Beach remains a “toptional” holdout in a town with dwindling topless pool escapes.

42

FOOD & DRINK

Begin with the bread at 1228 Main, but save room for the rest of the menu.

Game Nest (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

JIMMY KIMMEL

Photograph

SUPERGUIDE

GARTH BROOKS 8 p.m., & 7/15-7/16, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com.

RITA RUDNER 6:30 p.m., South Point Showroom, ticketmaster.com.

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

LISA FIELDS CLARK: COLORFUL CONFINEMENT

Thru 9/24, times vary, East Las Vegas Library, thelibrarydistrict.org.

BARRY MANILOW 7 p.m., thru 7/15, Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com.

TONY ROCK 8:30 & 10:30 p.m., thru 7/16, Laugh Factory, ticketmaster.com.

STEPHEN MARLEY With Hirie, Arise Roots, 7 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com.

GIANNI BLU 10 p.m., We All Scream, seetickets.us.

JUSTIN FAVELA BOOK SIGNING

TARRALYN RAMSEY

9 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com.

ORNY ADAMS 7:30 p.m., thru 7/16 (& 7/14-7/15 at 9:30 p.m.), Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster.com.

Justin Favela is an artist who wears many hats. He’s perhaps best known for his piñata-style sculptures and installations like the low rider that graced Nuwu Art Gallery this past spring. Until 2021, he was one-half of the now-inactive Latinos Who Lunch podcast, in which he and art historian Emmanuel Ortega would dish on Latinx representation in art and pop culture. More recently, he has taken up the mantle of author with Fantasía/Fantasy, A Decade of Practice 20112021, the artist’s first monograph documenting his formative years. Favela will partake in a conversation and signing for the newsprint book, which features vibrant illustrations by designer Edith Valle, archival photos, essays by Ortega and other culture scholars and interviews with artists, friends and family who have been a part of Favela’s community-centered work. 7 p.m., free, the Writer’s Block, thewritersblock.org. –Shannon Miller

DAVID PERRICO POP SYMPHONIC FT. THE

RAIDERETTES

During Raiders home games, trumpeter and conductor David Perrico can be found leading the team’s 19-piece house band. In a special performance o the field, Perrico’s Pop Symphonic will showcase a group more than three times that size featuring eight powerhouse vocalists. Additionally, all 34 of the Raiders’ cheerleading squad, the Raiderettes, will move to a rock symphony set to include music by Heart, The Rolling Stones, Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Bruno Mars, AC/DC, Celine Dion, Elton John, Earth, Wind & Fire, Guns N’ Roses and more. 7:30 p.m., $29-$69, Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter. com. –Shannon Miller

(Courtesy)

DIPLO

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

ANTHONY JESELNIK

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

LAS VEGAS AVIATORS VS. RENO ACES

7 p.m., & 7/15 (& 7/16, 6 p.m.), Las Vegas Ballpark, ticketmaster.com.

THE AQUABATS

With The Aggrolites, Left Alone, 7 p.m., 24 Oxford, etix.com.

TUCK EVERLASTING

8 p.m., & 7/15 (& 7/16, 2 p.m.), Las Vegas Little Theatre, lvlt.org.

PICKLE

With Londonbridge, Giometrik, Keo, 9:30 p.m., the Portal at Area15, area15.com.

LARRY JUNE 7 p.m., House of Blues, concerts.livenation. com.

WNBA ALL STAR WEEKEND

1 p.m. (& 7/15, 5:30 p.m.) Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com.

CHRIS TUCKER 8 p.m., & 7/15, Encore Theater, ticketmaster. com.

ASHLEY MCBRYDE 8 p.m., Green Valley Ranch Backyard Amphitheater, ticketmaster.com.

G-EAZY 10 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

DANA CARVEY 10 p.m., & 7/15, Mirage Theatre, ticketmaster.com.

MIRANDA LAMBERT 8 p.m., & 7/15, 7/19, Bakkt Theater, ticketmaster.com.

USHER 9 p.m., & 7/15, Dolby Live, ticketmaster.com.

2 CHAINZ 10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com.

ALURA

With Pure, Silence Speaks, White Noise, Kalani, 6 p.m., Eagle Aerie Hall, seetickets.us.

CONVERT With Three Rounds, Silent Movie Cinema, 8 p.m., the Griffin, eventbrite.com.

MARTIN GARRIX

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

NGHTMRE 11 a.m., Wet Republic, events.taogroup.com.

FRANCIA With Laguna, Ugly Boy, The Musket Vine, Jonetsu, The Red Sea, 9 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com.

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

FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS, VISIT LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM.

A’ja Wilson (22) will represent the Aces in the WNBA All-Star game, along with Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

SUPERGUIDE

QUAVO 10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com. (Photo Courtesy/Drai’s)

THE DRUMS

Jonny Pierce’s long-running indie-pop project has all the jangling buoyancy of summer. It’s a sprite and snappy kind of sound, perfect for a cloudless, tuneful day that demands a pair of sunshades. That’s The Drums in a nutshell, but if you peek inside, you’ll find density beneath those beats. Pierce masterfully programs his feelings into a danceable, palatable medium, while flashing the listener with a naked snapshot of his true self. “There’s a plastic envelope taped to the wall/Beside my bed/ Inside are words that say you love me/Just like my heart, I don’t know if I could ever open it again,” he sings on new single “Plastic Envelope,” the first of several new tracks Pierce has teased ahead of the Drums’ North American tour. With Cold Hart. 7:30 p.m., $28, A-Lot at Area15, area15. com. –Amber Sampson

MARSHMELLO & SURF MESA

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

KASKADE

Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS

9 p.m., Fremont Street Experience, vegasexperience.com.

NICKELBACK

With Brantley Gilbert, Josh Ross, 7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

AUDREY BARCIO: SIGHT \ LINE

Reception 5 p.m., Exhibit thru 8/26, times vary, Sahara West Library, thelibrarydistrict.org.

STELLAR GOSPEL MUSIC AWARDS

4:30 p.m., Orleans Arena, ticketmaster.com.

ZEDD

With Charly Jordan, 10 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

LOS TUCANES DE TIJUANA

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

SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE

8 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, ticketmaster.com.

OVERKILL With Exhorder, Heathen, 6:45 p.m., 24 Oxford, etix.com.

TAKE With Aspen, Shiloh 5001, Preacher, The Forerunner, Image/ Intent, Teach, 5 p.m., Eagle Aerie Hall, seetickets.us.

ANTHONY RODIA

8:30 p.m., Summit Showroom, ticketmaster.com.

TROYBOI 11 a.m., Daylight Beach Club, daylightvegas.com.

SAM BLASUCCI

With Sarah Once Was, Paige Overton, 7 p.m., the Gri n, eventbrite.com.

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

HAPPY TOGETHER TOUR

With The Turtles, Little Anthony, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, more, 7:30 p.m., Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com.

FOOD

(Photo Courtesy/ Qiao Meng)

JASON ISBELL & THE 400 UNIT With Deer Tick, 8 p.m., Encore Theater, ticket master.com.

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

JA RULE 10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com.

MONDAY

JUL.

17

JEFF DUNHAM 8 p.m., Bakkt Theater, ticketmaster.com.

ASAP FERG Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

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

PAST LIVES Thru 7/20, times vary, the Beverly Theater, thebeverly theater.com.

DANIELLE BRADBERY 9 p.m., Gilley’s, gilleyslasvegas.com

SHANG 8 p.m., thru 7/23, L.A. Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy.com.

3

RODNEY NORMAN 7:30 p.m., Wiseguys, arts-district.wise guyscomedy.com.

STEVE AOKI 11 a.m., Wet Republic, events. taogroup.com.

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

RYAN BELLEVILLE

With Debi Gutierrez 8 p.m., thru 7/20, Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, bradgarrett comedy.com.

3 DOORS DOWN With Candlebox, 8 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, ticketmaster.com.

THE PEELERS 9 p.m., Red Dwarf, reddwarflv.com.

FRANCISCO RAMOS

With Brandon Vestal 8:30 & 10:30 p.m., thru 7/19 Laugh Factory, ticketmaster.com.

FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS, VISIT LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM.

Doors Down (Courtesy/David Abbott)

TUESDAY

PUSHLOOP & CHEF BOYARBEATZ With Magoh, Discopussy, discopussydtlv.com.

JIMMY CARPENTER 10 p.m., Sand Dollar Lounge, thesanddollarlv. com.

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

ROBOTS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

Maximum Doom, a Vegas series conceived and presented by Brian Moy’s Dirty Rock & Roll Dance Party, is a treat for metal variant enthusiasts, and this week’s lineup comprises four psychedelic stoner-metal bands. Headlining is Portland’s awesomely named Robots of the Ancient World, touring behind sophomore release Mystic Goddess. Recorded, mixed and produced in six days back in 2020, the project had potential to really take o had the pandemic not brought the world to a grinding halt, but these Robots can’t be stopped. Their hazy, heavy concoction blends blues-influenced guitar ri age, relaxed percussion and bellowing vocals, and the stylistic range sets it apart from the stoner-rock crowd. Rounding out the bill: Austin’s Cortége, Spokane, Washington’s Merlock and local favorite Sonolith. July 18, 8 p.m., free, the Gri n, eventbrite.com. –Gabriela Rodriguez

SPACE MOTION

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

MICKEY DARLING

SUPER SUMMER THEATRE: SOMETHING

ROTTEN 8 p.m., thru 8/5, Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, supersummer theatre.org.

ORTHODOX

With Chamber, Cell, Skin Ticket, Roman Candle, 6 p.m., Eagle Aerie Hall, seetickets.us.

With Los Emptys, Kobe Jay, 7 p.m., SoulBelly BBQ, eventbrite.com.

EVERYBODY LOVES KRIS 7 p.m., Notoriety, notorietylive.com.

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

(Courtesy/Mike Kirschbaum)

GAME ON!

pastime

Abraham Salume’s eyes sparkle with an excitement even his glittering aisle of games can’t match. He’s proud to provide a proper tour of Game Nest, the newly expanded, 10,000-squarefoot Chinatown arcade that offers customers an hourly rate and has become a neighborhood treasure during the last decade. The founder even bears a tattoo of its logo … though Julie Ann Salume, his wife and co-owner, warns that it’s not in the most flattering of spots. Such is Abra-

ham’s devotion to gaming. “I spent most of my life savings on every arcade game we could get our hands on,” says Abraham, a former mechanic from El Salvador. “I’m proud to say since we’ve started we have not been in the red ever. It was a lot of years of struggle to make it work, but it was well worth it.”

Abraham Salume originally got into the arcade business with his best friend’s dad, later buying him out to take over Game Nest. For years, he repaired machines

himself, even creating a new one that doubles as a secret door to other parts of the arcade. More than 100 arcade games, from Japanese rarities like Konami’s Bishi Bashi and Scotto to rhythm games like Guitar Hero and the arcade version of Luigi’s Mansion, line the walls like a neon jungle, lighting up alongside Japanese graffiti art from local artists. It’s truly a place of childlike wonder.

How did your childhood experiences with arcades shape how you run yours today?

Abraham Salume: My cousin was a big influence in my life. He would take me to play arcade games, and I would always see him pumping quarters in to continue playing with me. All respect to the business—I get the hustle, it’s a way to make money—but I didn’t enjoy it as much, because it was more of a guilty pleasure. That was a big thing I instilled into my business … and I think makes us very different: Everybody who comes here knows we’re not here to make a crazy amount of money.

We’re here to give people the joy of arcade games. I can’t stand quarter eaters. I can’t stand ticket eaters. It’s not what I am passionate about, and it’s not what I want to instill.

A lot of arcades come and go, especially on the Strip, where Gameworks used to be. Does location play a big part in how successful one is? AS: I think it’s location and also market research. I have a quote that I love: “It’s not always the first person that did it; it’s the first person that did it right.” When we were moving from the other side of the plaza to this side, I was adamant that I wanted to stay in Chinatown. I’ve been to so many cities, all over the United States and every single Chinatown or Asiantown has some kind of tiny arcade. Japanese culture has a big factor with arcade games, and Vegas has never had an Asian-themed arcade in Chinatown since we’ve lived here. That was a big thing we were missing as a city.

Julie Ann Salume: Another thing that really helps is the fact

AMBER SAMPSON

Game Nest owners Abraham and Julie Ann Salume turn playtime into a Chinatown

Abraham and Julie Ann Salume (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

that we are an hourly place. Since we have such unique games, at a normal arcade a lot of people would get intimidated to put in their money to try it. Since we’re hourly, they have that pressure taken off of them to try something new.

I’ve heard people say that your Japanese games are typically the most fun, even if they don’t speak the language. JAS: It’s pretty intuitive. Whenever you play a new game in general, in Japanese or English, there’s gonna be that learning curve. I feel like video game [makers] in general know that people don’t really like taking risks, and they do a really good job of showing a tutorial. It’s very visual.

THE WEEKLY Q&A

GAME NEST

4525 W. Spring Mountain Road #112, gamenestlv.com.

Sunday-Thursday, noonmidnight; Friday-Saturday, noon-2 a.m.

How often are games at Game Nest switched out?

AS: About every six weeks, we have at least one new game. I have my box truck out there that I drive personally to California every six weeks. I take games that have been here for a while that no one’s really played that much. I sell them, and I buy something new to us. That’s another thing that keeps us fresh in people’s minds. Every time they show up, there’s something new to play. At a lot of corporate stores, that kind of thing falls between the cracks.

Game Nest has plans to open a café and offer beer and wine. What else is coming? AS: The café will be a huge start. We’re supposed to go into construction next month. I’m also hoping to get the [space] next door, which is another 5,000 square feet. There’s always games I’m looking at that I want more of. I like to collect them all, kind of like Pokemon

JAS: It’s so hard to think of what we’d get rid of, because these are all in our collection. That’s why we keep striving to get bigger, so that we can have more games and just enjoy all of them.

Read more of this interview at lasvegasweekly.com

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LET’S BOOGIE!

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LAUGH TRACK

DAVID SPADE

LUENELL

LINDSAY GLAZER

A STAND-UP SURGE HAS LIFTED LAS VEGAS INTO THE COMEDY CONVERSATION

BY AMBER SAMPSON

Las Vegas has every right to brag. It’s still the entertainment capital of the world, and now it’s a sports town and a music festival mecca. Plus, it remains a cornucopia of comedy.

That last one might have felt less prominent in the past, but Vegas has always had a sense of humor. Stand-up comedy has never been as loud, as funny or as diverse here as it is today.

“Comedy has arrived,” says Noam Dworman, owner of New York’s legendary Comedy Cellar, which opened a second location at the Rio in 2018. “The level of comedians is very high now, much higher than it’s ever been in my career. I was looking at some old shows at the Cellar from the ’90s and early 2000s, and the comedians are so much funnier now.”

Dworman would know. The original Comedy Cellar helped launch the careers of many of the top comics we follow, love and have laughed with for years. “Starting all the way back from Jon Stewart and Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and Ray Romano, up now through Mike Birbiglia and Amy Schumer, you name it—they’ve all been through the Cellar,” he says. There’s also a surplus of stand-up content available right now thanks to streaming media companies like Net ix specializing in specials and showcases. Overall, comedy has become a bigger part of the entertainment landscape, and Las Vegas is perfectly positioned to take advantage thanks to its multitude of venues.

Traditional clubs like the Comedy Cellar, Laugh Factory at the Tropicana and L.A. Comedy Club at the Strat keep the laughs coming on a nightly basis, hosting rising stars and veterans of the tour circuit. Meanwhile, such headliners as Ali Wong, Chelsea Handler, Leslie Jones, Russell Peters, Bill Burr and Kevin Hart have steamrolled the Strip this season, entertaining at larger venues at Resorts World, Park MGM, Wynn and the Mirage.

Late-night TV talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, who grew up in Las Vegas, sounds excited to witness his hometown re-entering the comedy spotlight.

“You think back to the olden days with

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis and Frank Sinatra and Sammy [Davis Jr.] and Joey Bishop ... this was the place to be if you were a comic. Now it is again,” says Kimmel, who opened his own club at the Linq Promenade in 2019. “I think there was a stigma attached to performing in Las Vegas. I don’t know what the reason for that was, but it doesn’t exist anymore. Comics realize that it’s a way to be on the road when you’re not on the road. You could have an entirely di erent audience every single night.”

Las Vegan Lindsay Glazer, a stand-up comic and attorney whose 2023 comedy album, Thanks, Dad, reached No. 3 among comedy albums on iTunes, has headlined Kimmel’s club here among others across the nation.

“Some nights you’ve got 20 cowboys from Montana in the audience with 50 people from New York, a bachelorette party, a wedding party, and four Michael Jackson impersonators,” Glazer laughs.

Shiny theaters once reserved for live music have opened up to stand-up. The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan now books a variety of comics (Anthony Jeselnik, Nurse Blake, Nicole Byer and Tom Segura) following a multiyear residency from Adam Sandler. And in 2002, onetime Las Vegan Jo Koy became the rst comedian to headline the largest “room” in town—T-Mobile Arena—home to the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League.

The nearly 1,500-seat Encore Theater at Wynn has hosted stars like Wong, Chris Tucker, Jim Ga gan, Sebastian Maniscalco and Jay Leno, along with rising comics like Matteo Lane and Taylor Tomlinson who have outgrown smaller clubs.

Mirage Theatre’s longtime Aces of Comedy series also brought lots of big-name talent to the Strip. Recently rebranded as Center Stage Comedy as the Mirage evolves into a new Hard Rock Hotel, the lineup features heavy hitters like Ray Romano, Kathy Gri n, Dana Carvey and Daniel Tosh, while other Aces alumni have moved on to other venues (including Bill Maher, who now performs at MGM Grand’s David Copper eld Theater).

“If you’re gonna see a comedian in Vegas, you’re not gonna see a hack,” says veteran comic and actress Luenell. “For me, you’re

BRAD GARRETT

gonna see and hear not just great comedy; you’re gonna see glitz and glamor. You’re gonna see what I think you expect to see when you come to Las Vegas.”

Luenell, who performs at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, is the only Black female comedian with a residency on the Las Vegas Strip and recently appeared in Hacks, the HBO series about a waning Las Vegas comic who joins forces with a 25-year-old comedy writer to revive her career. (Luenell assures that’s de nitely not the case for her: “I’m relevant AF.”)

Comedy o erings in Las Vegas have also leveled up o the Strip. Weekly latenight stand-up show The Dirty at 12:30 at the South Point Showroom recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Don’t Tell Comedy delivers pop-up shows around town on a regular basis. And Dworman has noticed a signi cant uptick in homegrown talent.

“We’re using more and more local acts, and not to save money, but because they’re of equal quality with the acts we’re bringing in from New York,” he says. “Some very good acts have decided to stay in Vegas and are able to make a living there, which is great.”

The Arts District’s Wiseguys comedy club has hosted some of the country’s top performers since opening 2021 and it recently announced that a second location will arrive at Town Square this summer. On the local level, o -Strip spots like Wiseguys have been a boon for comics looking to perfect their punchlines.

“In Vegas, because of the level of comedy here, you have to pretty much do your A material all the time at the clubs,” Glazer says. “Wiseguys is one of the only places that has open mics on Tuesday and Wednesday, where you can develop new material in front of real audiences.”

Glazer sees Vegas as a great place

saturation also means sti competition. It’s good for comedy fans, but it keeps the

pressure on up-and-coming entertainers.

“People are like, ‘Comics only have to work one hour a day.’ No we don’t,” Glazer says. “We actually write our bits, then we do our social media and then we send out 50 million booking emails. We do all that, and then we go onstage for an hour. Comics are really hard workers.”

The high volume of venues and performers in Las Vegas isn’t the only reason stand-up is surging here. “People have stopped going to the movies, but they’ve increased coming to comedy clubs,” Kimmel says.

Brad Garrett, the Everybody Loves Raymond actor and stand-up vet who, like Kimmel, runs his own Vegas club—Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club opened 11 years ago and recently moved to a more prominent location at MGM Grand—has a few theories.

“There seems to be a real need for

people to escape and to laugh as the world kind of gets scarier and more divisive,” he says. “I think people are really coming around

around to the point of, ‘Don’t tell me what to laugh at, don’t tell me what’s funny.’ They’re almost getting more liberal, their humor is almost getting darker, as far as what their tastes are.

“We’re in a world where we’ve seen so much sh*t in the last ve years, the seriousness of it all is permeating the entire world you’re living in,” Garrett continues, “and you have much bigger issues than someone making an o -color joke.”

To Luenell, the current climate of comedy simply feels like history repeating itself. “I remember when 9/11 happened. I thought we were gonna be done with comedy for a long time. It was just the opposite,” she says. “People were so down and shocked, they were looking for some relief and comedy seemed to be it.

“What I have learned is that in times of despair, people do reach out for come-

Las Vegas Strip and recently appeared

JAY LENO

DANA CARVEY

TAYLOR TOMLINSON

RUSSELL PETERS

LESLIE JONES

ALI WONG

MATTEO LANE

JIM GAFFIGAN

of comedy shows at the Venetian Theatre in September and November, says some comics also used the pandemic as an opportunity to build their followings through podcasts and other avenues, so when venues re-opened, new fans came in droves. But the SNL alum echoes Garrett’s theory that audiences “like it less PC now.”

“You don’t want comedy to be so watered down to the point where everyone is scared,” Spade says.

Perhaps that’s always been the appeal of stand-up comedy. It’s the one place where people will tell you the truth. And they will do so relentlessly.

“I’m not the Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” Luenell says. “I’m not somewhere where I don’t know what’s going on in the community, politically, racially and sexually. I speak on it; I don’t bite my tongue about it. People appreciate that, because every-

Upcoming comedy headliners

Anthony Jeselnik

July 14 at the Chelsea

Chris Tucker

July 14-15 at Encore Theater

Dana Carvey

July 14-15 at Mirage Theatre

Anthony Rodia

July 15 at Summit Showroom

Gary Owen

July 22 at Pearl Concert Theater

Big Boy’s Funny Mutha Fruckas

ft. DC Youngfly, Eric Blake, Chico Bean, Marlon Wayans & more

July 28 at the Theater at Virgin

Jerry Seinfeld

July 28-29 at the Colosseum

Nurse Blake

July 29 at the Chelsea

Matteo Lane

July 29 at Encore Theater

Sebastian Maniscalco

August 4-5 at Encore Theater

Deon Cole

August 19 at the Theater at Virgin

Heather McMahan

August 19 at Encore Theater

body’s so worried about cancel culture. I want people to loosen up, have fun.” Political

dating stories—it’s all material for professional comics. It’s “a seed of truth expanded into a mini-movie for the audience to watch and relate to but not have to worry that they’re that bad,” Glazer says.

Stand-up comedy seems simple—one person onstage with a microphone—especially juxtaposed against the grand entertainment options available in Las Vegas. But that’s also why it stands out, and why comedians’ di erent styles can connect with di erent kinds of audiences. That’s especially important in a city known for drawing in a mosaic of people.

“People don’t come to Vegas to have a bad time, they come to Vegas to escape and have a great time,” Luenell says. “If I can help make a memory of that for somebody, then the job don’t get no better.”

Brock Radke contributed to this article.

Jim Ga gan

August 25-26 at Encore Theater

Nicole Byer

August 26 at the Chelsea

Tom Segura

August 31-September 2 at the Chelsea

Bill Maher

September 15-16 at David Copperfield Theater

Steve Martin & Martin Short

September 22-23 at Encore Theater

Ali Wong

September 29-30 at Encore Theater

David Spade & Nikki Glaser

September 29-30 at Venetian Theatre

Tina Fey & Amy Poehler

November 10-11 at Resorts World Theatre

Actor and comedian David Spade, who’s teaming up with Nikki Glaser for a series

unrest, social media beefs, TMI

(AP Photo /Photo Illustration)

SEBASTIAN MANISCALCO

NICOLE BYER

CHELSEA HANDLER

CHRIS TUCKER

BILL BURR

RAY ROMANO

KATHY GRIFFIN

Did living in Las Vegas shape how you approached being funny? Absolutely. This is a very weird town. It’s a big town and a small town simultaneously. And I didn’t realize how weird the city was until I moved and people were shocked to hear I grew up in Las Vegas. They don’t imagine that there are little league teams here. They think of a little league team, they imagine the kids being chased around by one of Siegfried and Roy’s tigers.

I did see a lot of interesting stuff growing up. I had access to real show business. My best friend, who’s now my bandleader, his dad was the room service butler for Bill Cosby and Sammy Davis Jr., and all these acts that would come through Vegas. It was an exciting place to be a kid and a teenager, and also a normal place to be a kid and a teenager.

How important is it for you to support local comedians? It’s very important. People sometimes ask me if

COMEDY CENTRAL

BY AMBER SAMPSON

Jimmy Kimmel makes a suit look good on a stifling summer day.

“Thank you,” he replies, pulling on the lapels of his crisp two-piece.

“This is my costume.” ¶ The late-night television host, who was born in Brooklyn and moved to Las Vegas at age 9, takes in the sights of his Stripside comedy club. We’re hours away from an intimate fundraiser Kimmel will host to benefit Project ALS, but he has carved out time to talk about comedy and its place in Las Vegas. ¶ “I think comics love coming here now,” he says. “It used to be that the audiences here were weird. With Downtown blossoming the way it has, and with the locals really coming out to the comedy clubs, that really wasn’t the case when I grew up here. You’d have to drive to the Improv in LA if you wanted to go to a comedy club. ¶ “It’s fun to see the various levels of comedy,” he continues, “and I love meeting a comedian who tells me they’re from Vegas. It’s getting less rare.” ¶ A self-described class clown at Clark High School, Kimmel often used his humor to get out of tight spots—and it got him into others, he says— but the positive feedback encouraged him to take his jokes into radio, TV and to where he is now: “Back in Las Vegas, unemployed, on strike, working the comedy clubs,” he jests. ¶ This year, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! will surpass 20 years, making Kimmel the longest-running late-night host. We chatted with him about that and much more.

I feel competitive with the other clubs, and I don’t. I think the more comedy clubs there are, the more funny people there are, the more stars will come out of Las Vegas. We didn’t have anything like this when I was a kid. I was pretty much limited to making prank calls and calling jokes in to a radio station. Now you see people on social media, they’re much more inclined to get up onstage. They have followings when they’re teenagers. I take a lot of interest and pride in performers who are coming up out of Las Vegas. I’m really rooting for as many comedy clubs as we can possibly handle.

Your Vegas club was the last to reopen after the pandemic. What was that like? We felt like the rug had been pulled out from under us, because we’d worked for so long and we’d really pored over the details. I talked to every comedian I know. I wanted to know what makes a great club. What features

would you like to see, from the lighting to the ceiling height to the audio to the positioning of the chairs, even to the fact that we don’t have utensils for the food, because I don’t like the sound of knives and forks while I’m onstage. Then to have it suddenly shut down and empty … it was difficult. We weren’t absolutely sure we were going to even reopen, because Caesars [Entertainment] went through an ownership change.

You have to remain relevant to become the longest-standing late-night talk show host. Does that come with the responsibility of always having to be “on?” I work very hard. There are comics who work really hard, and there are comics who don’t. Some of the comics who don’t are just naturally funny enough to make it work. Then you have people like Jerry Seinfeld, who is naturally funny and works very hard. As a result, he’s Jerry Seinfeld.

It is interesting how many comics don’t sit down and write jokes. If you really want to be a comic, sit down for two hours and write down jokes. If you have any gifts whatsoever, you’re gonna come up with some good stuff. But you have to apply yourself. I had the benefit of being a disc jockey, so I had to fill five and a half hours every morning, oftentimes by myself. You wind up getting in the habit of working hard.

You’ve caught flak for some of your material. Do you need tough skin to survive this business? I think you always did. But it has become more personal. Now we have a new phenomenon, which is people cursing you and your family and threatening you and criticizing you. You do have to have some toughness, and you develop that as you

experience it. But I do find that when people are new to it, it can be very hard for them. It’s not so hard for me anymore. I mostly just don’t look at any of it. But it’s hard not to look at the beginning.

After 20 years of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, what keeps you going? I’m not entirely sure. I do like doing the show. At the end of the day, writing the show all day is hard. It’s sometimes fun, but most of the time, it’s not. There’s a lot of nonsense I have to deal with that I’d rather not. But at the end of the day, at 4:30 p.m., when I walk onto the stage, I want to make sure that I’m funny. That is what drives me from 7 o’clock in the morning when I wake up until I drive home afterwards.

When I was a kid, I was pretty much limited to making prank calls and calling jokes in to a radio station.”

Kimmel hosting the 2023 Academy Awards in March (AP Photo /Chris Pizzello)

NEWS IN THE

DITA VON TEESE AIMS TO ELEVATE BURLESQUE AT NEW RESIDENCY

This month’s announcement from Live Nation and Caesars Entertainment touting a new burlesque residency show from Dita Von Teese at the iconic Jubilee Theater at Horseshoe Las Vegas may have caught many by surprise.

But the 50-year-old performer known as the queen of modern burlesque says a Vegas residency show is something she’s been working toward for a long time.

“It took quite a while, many years to actually get to someone with the power to make it happen the right way,” she said. “We’ve seen burlesque shows before and it’s usually in a little room with about a hundred people. It takes someone coming out to see my show and what I actually do on my tours to understand where I should be.”

Dita Las Vegas: A Jubilant Revue is set to open October 5, and presale tickets are already available via Ticketmaster. The show is scheduled to perform on select Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 9 p.m. with special performances planned for New Year’s Eve weekend.

Hyped as “the most lavishly staged burlesque production ever, anywhere,” the 75-minute show is an elevation of Von Teese’s touring productions and will make use of the full capabilities of the 1,160-seat Jubilee Theater and some of the legendary costumes created by Bob Mackie and Pete Menefee that haven’t been seen on this stage or anywhere else since the venue’s namesake spectacular closed in 2016.

Von Teese wants audiences to understand that this residency will take inspiration from Jubilee and that vintage Vegas history, but she’s not re-creating anything.

“It’s a little bit daunting to build a show for that stage. It’s a tough act to follow. I respect Jubilee so much and everyone who was in it and working on it,” she said.

“I’m interested in technology, in feminine power, and that’s very different from old-timey burlesque entertainment that was run by men for men.”

–Brock Radke

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

HENDERSON ROAD PROJECT

A nearly 4-mile stretch of Horizon Ridge Parkway, from east of Gibson Road to Paradise Hills Drive, will be under construction for about a year beginning in August, while a singlelane roundabout will be installed, among other improvements.

HOME PRICES HIT PLATEAU

The median sales price of a single-family home in Southern Nevada was $440,990 in June, ending a steady increase of local home prices. Sales of existing homes were down over 14% in June compared with the same month last year.

RURAL HOSPITAL HELP

The Governor’s Office of Workforce Innovation will expand a rural health care grant program to help Mesa View Hospital in Mesquite, Desert View Hospital in Pahrump and Boulder City Hospital.

EARLY ENGRAVING The Vegas Golden Knights this month became the first team to have their names engraved on Lord Stanley’s Cup before they get their days with it. Each notable member of the organization, per tradition, gets to spend a day with the 35-pound silver trophy.

COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF NEVADA GETS $2 MILLION

After 19 years of providing dropout prevention and family support services in high-needs schools around the state, Communities in Schools of Nevada is getting its first state appropriation.

Gov. Joe Lombardo presided over the bill signing at C.C. Ronnow Elementary School in east Las Vegas, one of 108 schools in Nevada with a Communities In Schools program.

Ronnow Principal Michelee Cruz-Crawford

HOT SHOT

said schools were the “first line of defense” in their neighborhoods.

“When my parents don’t have food,” said Cruz-Crawford, who is also on the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents, “they tell us.”

Ronnow sits in the 89101 ZIP code, where census data show that more than a third of children live below the poverty line and about a third of adults lack a high school diploma.

–Hillary Davis

CLOSURE FOR WIDOWS OF METRO OFFICERS

When a Metro officer dies in the line of duty, their photo is hung on walls of honor found in area commands throughout the department’s jurisdiction. Recently, two years after their deaths, three men were added to the wall.

Sgt. Douglas King and officers Philip Closi and Edward Contreras all died from COVID-19 in 2021. But at the time, they weren’t classified as line-of-duty deaths by then-Sheriff Joe Lombardo, who is now Nevada’s governor.

It was a decision that sparked a yearslong battle from the widows of Closi and King.

But in recent months, changes began taking place slowly, and ultimately the widows said they’ve found the closure they were seeking.

–Teresa Moss

Dricus Du Plessis reacts after knocking out Robert Whittaker during their middleweight bout July 8 at UFC 290 in Las Vegas. In a night filled with upsets, du Plessis’ victory might have been the biggest, setting him up for a title shot with current 185-pound champion Israel Adesanya, who confronted him afterward. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

I CAN PROMISE YOU THIS, ADIN HILL IS GOING TO HAVE AN INVITATION TO ATTEND ANY UNLV EVENT HE WANTS BECAUSE OF THAT BRANDING AND MARKETING FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK.”

–UNLV athletic director Erick Harper, referring to the Golden Knights goalie who attended the Stanley Cup parade in a retro Larry Johnson basketball jersey

Michelee Cruz-Crawford, principal of Ronnow Elementary School, and incoming first-grader Brissa Martinez speak before a ceremonial signing of the Keeping Kids in School Act on July 6. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

THE ROLLOUT

Las Vegas is going big on Bus Rapid Transit . So, what is it?

BY GEOFF CARTER

Maryland Parkway is a very busy street. There’s no better way to describe this midtown thoroughfare, which connects Downtown Las Vegas directly with the airport. Along the way, it passes by several public schools, Sunrise Hospital, a dense assortment of retail stores and the main campus of UNLV. It serves some 90,000 residents, touches 80,000 jobs and accommodates 35,000 vehicles daily.

Furthermore, Maryland Parkway is where you’ll nd the 109 bus, one of the busiest routes operated by the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTCSNV). Thousands board the 109 daily, heading to work, school or shopping. Several years ago, RTCSNV undertook a study to determine what kind of transit would best serve this fast-growing, dense urban corridor. Light rail was seriously considered, but the funding wasn’t there to support it, so RTCSNV pivoted towards Bus Rapid Transit.

Wait, what? Though Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a common sight in countries around the world, and in a number of U.S. states—most notably California, Colorado and Texas—it’s not exactly a household term, and it takes some doing to unpack. Case in point: RTCSNV’s webpage on the proposed Maryland BRT route (rtcsnv.com/ maryland-parkway) has a nearly 1,600-word FAQ.

Jacob Simmons, RTCSNV’s principal transit operations planner, manages to describe BRT

more succinctly.

“BRT is a bus-based public transportation designed to have more capacity and higher reliability than traditional bus service,” he says. “A BRT system usually includes dedicated lanes for buses and stops or stations, tra c signal priority at least at some locations, and high frequency service. Exact system designs vary in places across the United States, but those are common features.”

Put another way: BRT, at its best, should feel something like light rail without the rails. The global nonpro t Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP) names the ve essential features to make a BRT route: A dedicated right-of-way, a separated busway alignment (meaning a separated center lane, not one that sticks to the curb), pre-boarding fare collection, signal and lane controls (so that cars can’t make turns from, or across, the

bus lane while a bus is present) and raised boarding platforms that eliminate the inconvenience of stepping up to board.

It’s too soon to say if the 13mile Maryland Parkway BRT project will incorporate all these elements, Simmons says, though from the look of RTCSNV’s aspirational renderings, it’s likely to

Rendering of the proposed Bus Rapid Transit improvements to Maryland Parkway (Courtesy/ Regional Transportation Commission)

include many of them. The route begins at the South Strip Transit Terminal and ends near the recently completed UNLV School of Medicine. The renderings of Maryland as a BRT corridor depict a calmer street, with combination bus/bike lanes, larger and more aggressively shaded bus shelters, and a median planted with low-water

trees, which will help to diminish the heat that builds up along the asphalt-heavy Parkway.

“BRT involves more than just running buses more frequently with fewer stops. I mean, that’s basically limited-stop, local, traditional transit service,” he says, adding that BRT brings a “more convenient, more comfortable waiting experience,” as well as improved on-time reliability. “It can also include wide sidewalks, more street trees, bike lanes—just generally enhancing the visual appeal. With that comes potential redevelopment, and a greater sense of place.”

And the coaches themselves

might be more pleasant than the ones we’ve known, as RTC moves to reduce its carbon footprint. There’s a strong possibility that when Maryland’s BRT route begins operation, it’ll be serviced by electric vehicles.

“RTC has a zero-emission vehicle transition plan that we’re moving towards. … We’ve already welcomed our rst 40-foot hydrogen-powered bus into the eet,” Simmons says. “There are plans in the next few years to procure additional electric and hydrogen-powered buses. We’ll be seeing vehicles like that throughout Southern Nevada on various routes, and that would include future BRT lines.”

Work on the Maryland Parkway BRT line could begin as early as this year. The projected cost of the improvements is $334 million, 58% which will be funded through federal sources. If all goes to plan, the Maryland Parkway BRT might be up and running within two years, by which time RTCSNV will likely be well into planning the next few BRT routes. It has several options

on the table, all of them corresponding with current high-ridership bus routes.

“Here in the Las Vegas Valley, we have quite a few major arterials that are also very high transit ridership corridors [and] potential candidates for BRT service,” Simmons says. “Maryland Parkway currently has over 9,000 boardings per weekday, [but] Flamingo has over 10,000 boardings per weekday, and Charleston has 9,000 to 10,000 as well.”

Cities need mass rapid transit to grow. In the steady rebuild from the Great Recession, the Las Vegas Valley has swelled to a population of nearly 2.5 million, adding several more high-traffic tourist attractions and miles of new roadway, but transit innovation here has lagged. The Las Vegas Monorail is late in its operational life and is probably too pricey to expand. The Boring Company’s network of tunnels, while novel, will be largely confined to the tourist corridor.

RTCSNV won’t begin to address all of Vegas’ rapid transit with the Maryland Parkway BRT, but it’s a start, one that could roll out relatively quickly and begin making a di erence in how travelers in one densely packed part of the city get from here to there.

The BRT experience isn’t quite as novel or Instagrammable as light rail. But when done correctly, it can carry just as many passengers, and is far less expensive to maintain. It might even entice some transit-wary Las Vegans to leave their cars at home for a change.

“That’s one of the project goals,” Simmons says. “Right now, the RTC system is extremely well-utilized for the service that it is. … Just today, we’ll see 150,000 boardings throughout our entire system. But at the same time, we do recognize that a large portion of the community is not using RTC’s service and is certainly not using it on a regular basis. Part of this is about broadening that appeal and bringing on as wide an array of users as possible.”

STRONG AND (NOT SO) SILENT TYPE

Chatting with Jason Isbell about Martin Scorsese, subverting expectations and more

BY AMBER SAMPSON

One of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of his generation, Jason Isbell has built his legacy upon truth. He’s a Southern man who speaks his mind, through rawly composed Americana music and deeply personal documentaries like Max’s Running With O ur Eyes Closed, which underscored Isbell’s marital struggles and addiction battles during his days with Southern rock band Drive-By Truckers.

Ahead of his July 16 Encore Theater performance, Isbell chatted with the Weekly from his Nashville home, about June LP Weathervanes, taking a stand on social media and much more.

Weathervanes throws you into the deep end from the opening track “Death Wish,” which explores dealing with a partner’s mental illness. These are vulnerable topics people might not expect your typical Alabama man to touch. I like being the type of person that subverts the stereotypes about where I grew up. I’ve always naturally written about things like that. Starting off with “Death Wish” … was almost like a litmus test for the rest of the record. If you can handle the depth of this topic, then the rest of the record might feel like a bit of a relief. And sonically, it made for a good leadoff, because it’s cinemat-

ic. It really puts the listener in the right place to receive the rest of the information on the album.

I like to encourage people to try to be open about how they feel. Since I’ve had a kid … I have been reminded of the fact that we all get along better when we’re able to talk about exactly what it is that we’re feeling. That’s something I try to encourage in myself.

You subvert a lot of stereotypes on your social media, where you speak up about gun reform and LGBTQ rights. Have your stances polarized your fanbase at all? Does it matter?

I see it like weeding a garden. If

you’re vocal and you let people know where you stand … people who have a fundamental issue with you speaking your mind, they’re going to stop coming to shows. That is a positive development, in my opinion. If you have some sort of issue with me believing the things I believe, you’re probably not going to fit in well with the audience we’re trying to cultivate. I want the place to be safe, I want it to be fun and I want people to feel at least a bit free when they’re at these shows. A good way to work toward that is for me to be as vocal as I can. If enough of us are talking about the same issues at the same time, sometimes that can change people’s minds.

You made headlines for organizing the Love Rising Tennessee concert for LGBTQ rights recently. How was it to seeing so many rally around that cause? It was a great night. It was in response to anti-LGBTQ legislation and the drag ban, as they call it in Tennessee and a lot of other states. On one level, we were protesting that legislation, and on another level, we were celebrating the fact that we all existed and we all could get together somewhere as big as an arena and fill the place up. Everybody felt like they

belonged there. To me, you have to have that dual purpose—the purpose of changing things, and then in case that doesn’t work out, you have to be able to celebrate the fact that you can all be together, feel safe and celebrate your own identity.

Killers of the Flower Moon, a Martin Scorsese film you appear in, releases this year. Did working on that influence any parts of Weathervanes? I think it did. [Scorsese] was not afraid to collaborate with the people around him. I was really impressed by that, because I had expected that I would either never see him or that he would be a dictator out there. He didn’t go to make that movie as though he was the greatest film director in the world. He went out there like a guy who was trying to tell a story. That was really impactful for me, because I got back in the studio and thought, “You don’t have

to be precious about the fact that you’re the leader. Just do the best work, listen to everybody around you and take their concerns seriously.”

Sounds like you both had a relatable experience. It was wild. Somebody at that level, who’s been that good and that well known for that long, I didn’t expect him to be quite as motivated still and as diligent. It was beautiful. You can tell he loves making movies at his age now as much as he ever has.

Is that your plan with music?

It’s not the kind of job I think I have to retire from. I like it more now than I did when I was a teenager. I don’t see that ever stopping. I was playing guitar before I talked to you on the phone, and that’s what I’ll be doing when I hang up.

Read more of this interview at lasvegasweekly.com.

JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT With Deer Tick. July 16, 8 p.m., $55-$155. Encore Theatre, ticketmaster.com.

Isbell (seated) and the 400 Unit (Courtesy/Danny Clinch)

SCULPTING THE SCENE SCULPTING THE SCENE

SCULPTING

Chris Lake (Courtesy)

SCENE

SCULPTING THE SCENE

U.K. standout Chris Lake paces the evolution of Vegas dance music

BY BROCK RADKE

Who remembers Tabú Ultra Lounge at MGM Grand? Chris Lake does. The 40-year-old British electronic music producer and DJ played his rst Vegas set at the intimate venue that helped reshape a nascent club scene on the Strip.

“I rst came to Las Vegas almost 16 years ago and did a few shows there, and Vegas was very di erent. This was pre-EDM boom,” Lake tells the Weekly “It was fun. It sounds like an oxymoron to say Vegas has grown up, and it’s still fu*king lunacy, but the scene has grown up. And I love the general vibe today.”

He loves it because the sound in those Vegas venues, big and small, has shifted in recent years, becoming more welcoming to the type of progressive house music Lake has been making since breaking through with 2006 track “Changes.” And it’s easy for Lake to enjoy his time here, since he spins at many of the top clubs in the city. He’ll be commanding the day party this weekend at Tao Beach Dayclub at Ve-

netian, where he’ll return August 6 for his birthday bash during a nighttime Evening Tide set.

“It’s taken a few people taking some risks and having some kind of vision on what bookings can do and what di erent programming can do for the bene t of the scene and its longevity,” Lake says. “Previously, the Las Vegas scene was awash with whatever was the most fashionable and impactful and of the moment, and not going beyond that.

“As it’s grown up a bit more, the events got better, and that’s why I enjoy working with Tao Group, because one of the things myself and my buddy Fisher have [discussed] is … allowing us to bring what we would bring anywhere else to Vegas and to be as authentic as possible. We love the reactions we get from the crowd, and it’s as if we get rewarded for those risks and the people get an experience that maybe they didn’t expect to hear.”

Lake has reached the upper echelon as a producer during the time he has contributed to the evolution of the Vegas club music landscape. Few headlining DJs can match his discography or versatility. Last month his Black Book Records released the Four Tet remix of Lake’s “In the Yuma,” the viral track inspired by Lake’s 2019 Coachella set, and before that, he dropped the infectious groove “Beggin’” with vocals by Aluna.

“At the end of the day, everything I do draws from this sort of reserve power I have, my passion for music. It’s very strong and drives me forward every day and leads me to work far more than I should and rest far less than I should,” Lake says. “But it’s di cult to say anything I do is work, because everything that’s built up around me is a result of this passion for what I do.”

That’s how Lake powers through the busy summers of touring club gigs, festival sets and continued creativity collaborating and making music.

As for his buddy Fisher, the fellow Tao Group Las Vegas resident with whom he shared the stage at this year’s Coachella fest, another team-up might be in the works, in Vegas.

“We’ve de nitely talked about it. He’s jumped on with me several times and we always have fun, but we do have some plans to do some things,” Lake says. “There are so many possibilities in Vegas, especially when you have people who share that vision of wanting to do fun things and get people excited.”

CHRIS LAKE July 15, 11 a.m., $30-$50+. Tao Beach Dayclub, events. taogroup.com.

At the end of the day, everything I do draws from this sort of reserve power I have, my passion for music. It’s very strong and drives me forward every day and leads me to work far more than I should and rest far less than I should.

(Courtesy/Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino)

SPIRIT

THE STRIP

Adults-only oasis Moorea Beach Club perseveres among vanishing topless options

BY ROB KACHELRIESS

If topless swimming pools are on the way out in Las Vegas, Moorea Beach Club never got the memo. The adults-only enclave is celebrating its 20th anniversary at Mandalay Bay, refusing to shy away from its “toptional” tagline even as other resorts eliminate free-the-nipple policies or quietly allow them on an unadvertised if you know, you know basis.

Based on a recent visit, Moorea appears to be busier than ever with food, bottle service and music that’s familiar, upbeat and not overbearingly loud. Just follow a few rules: You must be at least 21 to enter; tops are required at the bar or when making a trip to the bathroom; and though phones are permitted, photos are a big no-no. Security might even demand to view and delete images if you’re caught. Need to send a text? No big deal. Pointing phones downward seems to be a universal sign to say “gimme a sec”—and overall, it’s refreshing to be in a social setting these days where people are so noticeably disconnecting from technology.

Renovations are coming next season, although Moorea has avoided any sense of stagnation with regular updates over the years, including the replacement of a sand dune with artificial turf. The pool even experimented with dropping the “toptional” policy a few times in favor of a dayclub vibe with headlining DJs, but Dexheimer says that’s not what the public wanted.

MOOREA BEACH

“It’s a sophisticated guest,” Dexheimer says about the average visitor. “They’re not looking for a crazy, techno-heavy, pool party atmosphere. They’re looking for a chill, relaxing atmosphere, but with some liveliness.”

Mandalay Bay, 702-632-9095, mooreabeachlv.com.

Thursday-Monday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Moorea’s ongoing success coincides with a shifting landscape for topless pools in Las Vegas. Bare Lounge recently dropped its tops-optional policy as the Mirage prepares to become a Hard Rock property. Venus Pool at Caesars Palace is no longer topless either, shifting focus to after-dark night swim events this season.

Be polite. No gawking. Watch the flirting. Play it cool. Being an adult isn’t just a requirement; it’s how you carry yourself.

For being two decades in, Moorea still feels new. The pavilions are the most posh option; fully decked-out cabanabungalow hybrids with a private pool and attentive service.

“It’s the cream of the crop at Moorea,” says Chris Dexheimer, senior pool oper ations manager. “You’re in the party but isolated as well.”

Guests can also book standard tent-like cabanas, opium beds and villas—similar to pavilions, but on the third level with views of Mandalay Beach.

Daybed reservations are based on location, with the most valuable real estate by the main pool or an elevated jetted pool near the bar. They’re great for couples. Booking one for three-to-four people depends on how cozy you want to be. Moorea allows general admission, with reservations required for lounge chairs.

Meanwhile, European Pools at Wynn and Encore continue to quietly permit topless sunbathing, while the Strat allows it on a limited basis at Wet24 Pool & Bar.

The pool at the Lexi carries over a topless tradition from when the 21-and-over resort was known as the Artisan, but

CLUB

RISING STAR

Bakery, restaurant and bar 1228 Main simply shines

BY GEOFF CARTER

The story could begin and end with the bread. The artisanal bakery at 1228 Main is an absolute winner, offering everything from crème brûlée croissants to loaves of buckwheat olive ciabatta with panache. On a recent visit, we spotted the owner of another popular Main Street restaurant sitting down with a basket of 1228’s freshbaked bread and fresh-made butter, his expression altogether blissful. Don’t underestimate a good slice of bread.

That said, 1228’s ambitions go well beyond baked deliciousness and breakfast time grab-and-go. The recently opened restaurant, bakery and bar—brainchild of longtime Wolfgang Puck executive David Robins— lands in the Arts District among Downtown dining favorites as Esther’s Kitchen, Main St. Provisions and Yu-Or-Mi, and this handsomely appointed, brick-and-hardwood neighborhood spot meets the challenge handily. Virtually everything that comes out of the kitchen or from the bar impresses.

You should begin, naturally, with the “Built for Bread” spreads at the top of the menu. The sheep’s milk ricotta with Tuscan olive oil ($6) and organic chicken foie mousse with port wine and tart cherries ($12) come paired with their perfect slices. (Example: The foie mousse and cherry walnut bread went together beautifully.)

The spreads arrived at the same moment as the cocktails. We enjoyed the Mysterious Ways ($13), a variation on the Pimm’s Cup composed of apricot Carpano Antica, Lazzaroni amaro, cucumber, ginger, lemon and grapefruit, and 1228’s take on the negroni ($17), a savory and bittersweet knockout made with Botanist gin, Campari, Amaro Nonino, Carpano Antica, house-made brine

REGAL RENOVATIONS AT THE RANCH

and marinated olives.

We could have just had bread, spreads and cocktails and gone home happy, and someday we might. But we succumbed to the lure of 1228’s salads and small plates, and it’s a good thing we did.

The marinated heirloom tomato salad, with whipped burrata, olive oil and crisped basil ($16), is a cool delight well-suited to hot summer days, as is the sugar snap pea salad ($16), with arugula, treviso, shaved radish, pecorino and a Champagne vinaigrette. We were tempted by the steak tartar ($19), with its garlic-chili-almond salsa matcha, but the grilled California squid, served with gigante beans ragu and Castelvetrano olives ($15), was also an excellent choice, tender and buttery in the extreme.

The large plates are, perhaps predictably, also wonderful. The Snake River Farms zabuton steak ($52) stands strong in a city that boasts many exceptional cuts of beef, and the potato-bacon terrine that accompanies it is a star in its own right. And it’s saying something that, in this season of triple-digit scorchers, we strongly recommend the truffle chicken pot pie ($28)—a puff pastry filled with juicy chicken bites, flavorful market veggies and a silken thyme velouté.

When we return, we might try the San Marzano tomato spaghetti with crispy guanciale ($24) or the sauteed Pacific snapper with summer squash ($35). And we’ll save more room for dessert, which includes a creamy Basque cheesecake with strawberry coulis ($9) and a market berry crostata ($11). That’s assuming that we don’t fill up on bread first—which, at 1228 Main, isn’t at all a bad way to go.

 If you’re like us, a regular at Green Valley Ranch Resort, you’ve probably already had a cocktail at the new Polaris Bar, a circular, centralized casino spot with a superior drink menu compared to the average video poker bar. The libations ($14) are named for the global cities where you might partake in such a drink, like a Bombay Sapphire martini in London or the Dublin-dubbed whiskey-ginger made with blood orange, Aperol and the new Jameson Orange.

It’s an impressive addition, considering GVR redid the Drop Bar less than two years ago, but Polaris is only the second step in a larger resort refresh. The backyard pool deck was renovated in the spring, and new gaming spaces are on the way, but most importantly, the Bromberg brothers of Blue Ribbon Restaurants are assembling two new eateries at Green Valley Ranch over the next year, including a 136-seat Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill. It famously debuted at the Cosmopolitan on the Strip before transitioning into its current bistro-ish form, and another sushi spot opened at Red Rock Resort in 2019.

Then the brothers will unveil an all-new Mediterranean concept focusing on an open kitchen serving fish, meat, poultry and vegetable dishes. Expect both restaurants to join the beloved Hank’s steakhouse as cozy, but more than casual, options at GVR. –Brock Radke

Blue Ribbon Roll (Courtesy/Green Valley Ranch)

(Clockwise from top) Coffee and pastries, bread, pastrami & melty Gruyere sandwich (Courtesy/Ace Buhay)

SHOOTING STAR

Jackie Young has emerged as the Las Vegas Aces’ top perimeter threat this season

BY DANNY WEBSTER

It’s impossible to put a number on how many three-pointers Aces guard Jackie Young shot in the offseason. Aces coach Becky Hammon estimates several thousand, and Young doesn’t think that figure is too far off. “Tons” is the best Young could do after a recent game in describing her shooting regimen in preparation for her fifth WNBA season.

That offseason work following the Aces’ WNBA championship has paid off for Young. The 25-year-old No. 1 overall pick from the 2019 WNBA Draft is in the midst of a career-best season and has looked like Las Vegas’ best player in several games.

Through 17 regular-season contests—almost halfway through the WNBA’s 36-game schedule—Young had averaged a career-high 19.5 points per game with a 57% field goal percentage and a 47% three-point field goal percentage.

The Notre Dame product averaged less than one three-point attempt per game during her first three seasons

in the WNBA, but upped that to around three last year within Hammon’s outside-shooting heavy scheme. That helped Young win the WNBA’s Most Improved Player award and contribute to the Aces’ first franchise championship. And she clearly hasn’t stopped leveling up in helping the Aces start this season with a 16-1 record.

“I always put the work in, but I think the biggest thing is coming out with an aggressive mindset and being confident,” Young says.

Young is part of the Aces’ core four alongside A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray. Each of those All-Star selections has a defined role—Wilson is the two-time league MVP and double-double machine, Plum is the crafty guard with the ability to take defenders off the dribble and Gray is the consummate orchestrator and go-to player in the clutch.

Young previously fit in as perhaps the Aces’ best on-ball defender. Her scoring had been

July 20 at Seattle

7 p.m., Prime Video

July 22 at Minnesota noon, ESPN

July 25 at Chicago 4 p.m., ESPN+

July 30 vs. Dallas 3 p.m., CBS Sports Network

August 1 vs. Atlanta 7 p.m., Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network Tickets

axs.com.

more of a luxury on the Aces’ stacked roster, but it has upgraded to essential this season.

Young has routinely come through at timely junctures. During the Aces’ 89-82 victory over the Dallas Wings on July 5, for instance, she scored a team-high 28 points. Plum was a late scratch due to illness, leaving Young running the offense from the top of the key. She didn’t flinch with the increased responsibility falling on her.

“I think it’s more mindset,” Hammon says. “The way you shift in mindset is when you know you’ve put in the work. I think she knows her teammates and the staff have the utmost confidence in her.”

The Aces benefited from balanced scoring during last year’s championship run, and it has continued this season. Las Vegas leads the league in scoring with an average of 93.7 points per game and has eclipsed the 100-point mark on three occasions. Young is one of four starters—alongside Wilson, Plum and Gray—to average at least 14 points per game as part

of an offense that’s converting on more than 50% of its shots from the field.

Not since the days of the original Houston Comets, which won the first four WNBA championships from 1997 to 2000, has an offense produced at such a rate.

Despite Young’s breakout campaign a year ago, she struggled with her shot during the playoffs. In the semifinals against Seattle, she went 1-for-9 in Game 2 and 3-for-8 in Game 3. But she showed a knack for coming through in crucial moments, making a game-tying basket as time expired in Game 3 before breaking out for 18 points in the Game 4 series-clinching victory.

Young was also tasked with guarding the Storm’s best scoring guard, Jewell Loyd, throughout the series. “It’s not all about scoring for me,” Young says. “I do whatever I can to help my team win.”

Young appeared to be the Aces’ most likely MVP candidate early in the season, but she has since been surpassed by Wilson, who has already claimed the WNBA’s top individual trophy twice. Wilson recently overtook Young as the Aces’ leading scorer at 19.8 points per game through 17 contests.

Young is staying sharp offensively, though. After every practice, she puts up an additional 50 to 100 three-pointers to make sure her rhythm is intact. She might now be in the tens of thousands of three-pointers attempted since the end of last season.

“It’s growth. It’s maturity,” Hammon says. “But I’m constantly trying to flip the switch in her brain for her to realize how great she is.”

Jackie Young (Steve Marcus, Wade Vandervort/Staff/Photo Illustration)

GROCERY’S NEW DISTRIBUTION CENTER PROMISES JOBS, FRESHNESS

BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF

Smith’s Food & Drug Stores is slated to open an 885,000-square-foot distribution center in North Las Vegas this fall, bringing with it hundreds of jobs to the area and the ability to disperse thousands of grocery items to many of the chain’s locations throughout Nevada and neighboring states.

The $225 million facility, created in partnership with the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance and the City of North Las Vegas, will be a “full-line distribution center,” meaning it will produce and ship items that Smith’s stores in Las Vegas might not currently have fresh, said Sarah Davies, regional director of supply chain for the grocer.

“Today, those come from our distribution centers that are a little further out, so we’re super excited for the freshness that will bring to the Smith’s retail brand and our customers that shop with us,” said Davies, who cited produce, deli meats, dairy items and more as some of the items that nearby customers can expect to be more fresh.

Smith’s has been working with North Las Vegas for a while to determine the best location for the new facility, Davies said. The duo eventually settled on the city’s Apex Industrial Park for its abundant availability of land, she said, and its potential for future growth.

North Las Vegas has been a great partner to Smith’s, Davies said, as the retailer navigated permit and construction processes and more for the distribution center.

Terri Sheridan, economic development manager for the City of North Las Vegas, emphasized the city’s excitement around the new development, and especially its contribution to the burgeoning Apex Industrial Park.

“It’s kind of like the next frontier for us for industrial,” Sheridan said. “And as a city, bring-

ing the infrastructure to that area just makes it all that more appealing for businesses to go out there and put their stake in the ground, and literally start up shop.”

The warehouse will create roughly 250 jobs for the Las Vegas Valley, Sheridan said, with a wide variety of employment and wage opportunities, and perhaps even the ability for many people to enter the company at a lower level and work their way up.

“We love that business that provides yet another facet of employment for our residents,” she said. “But this particular warehouse distribution center … there’s another set of jobs that are going to be available for persons to be employed.”

The distribution process begins at the corporate merchandising level, Davies said, when Smith’s determines what products to ship to a store based on customer desire and need. Nearby suppliers, including manufacturing plants of Smith’s, its parent company Kroger and others,

are identi ed and send products to a distribution center.

There, they undergo a rigorous quality control process to ensure freshness and are shipped to stores on demand. Routing from the distribution center to the store is optimized to improve e ciency, as well, Davies said.

“So, from the time a product comes to us, it could be one day before it’s at our store,” she said. “As short as one day. And that really helps maintain our freshness.”

The full-line distribution center in North Las Vegas will open in phases beginning this fall, as Smith’s transitions services from another facility in Henderson, which Smith’s Corporate A airs Manager Tina Murray said lacks the freshness that the new center will pride itself on.

“It’ll take place in phases through the fall, the winter, with an anticipated full-line capacity next spring, so spring of 2024,” Murray said. “But it will be running, at some capacity, through those phases starting in the fall.”

Smith’s Food & Drug Stores is slated to open an 885,000 square-foot distribution center in the Apex Industrial Park in North Las Vegas this fall, bringing with it hundreds of jobs and the ability to distribute thousands of grocery items to the chain’s many locations throughout Nevada. (Brian Ramos/Sta )

VEGAS INC NOTES

Brownstein Hyatt Farber

Schreck announces Emily Ellis and Jayme Ritchie as its new pro bono leadership team. They will advance the firm’s pro bono efforts and support the strategy and vision for the Pro Bono Program. They will be supported by Jessica Molesworth, the firm’s pro bono and community impact coordinator, who will continue to provide administrative support for the program.

Three alumni from the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV have been selected to receive 2023 Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC) Justice Fellowships. Cristian Gonzalez Perez (’21), Chapman Noam (’22) and Priscila Venzor (’23) will serve two-year fellow-

ships where they will become experts in immigration law and assist in a broad range of legal matters including asylum applications, securing special relief for juveniles and deportation defense.

SR Construction, a design-build general contractor, completed The Fertility Center of Las Vegas at the intersection of Hacienda Avenue and Durango Drive. The new facility is part of a nearly 4.5-acre commercial property that houses a surgery center, laboratory and fertility clinic.

Nathan Adelson Hospice hired Lori Townsend as the hospice’s chief nursing officer. She will manage daily nursing operations to ensure

all practices align with the organization’s objectives and values, plus oversee the home care, business development, admissions and transportation departments.

The NRP Group, a developer, builder and manager of multifamily housing, hired Austin Kates as vice president of development in Phoenix and Mike Moriarty as vice president of development in Las Vegas. Moriarty brings over eight years of private real estate development and construction experience to his new role. Before joining NRP, he served as managing partner at The Ardour Company, a multifamily real estate development and investment platform.

HELP WANTED

Varian Medical Systems, Inc. seeks an Instructor Clinical Applications Physicist (R-19643) in Las Vegas, NV. Educate new users on proprietary healthcare oncology software and hardware system products. Domestic and international travel required to client sites and trade shows 20% of time. Qualified applicants must submit resumes at https://varian.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/ MobilitySupport/job/Las-Vegas-NV/Instructor-ClinicalApplications-Physicist_R-19643

Varian is an EOE.

Jayme Ritchie

Emily Ellis

PREMIER CROSSWORD HOROSCOPES “DISCRETE CHARACTERS” BY

FRANK LONGO

WEEK

OF JULY 13

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The heavenly body Chiron is now in the sign of Aries and will be there for a while. Let’s invoke its symbolic power to inspire two quests in the coming months: 1. Seek a teacher who excites your love of life. 2. Seek a healer who alleviates any hurts that interfere with your love of life.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You could garner great emotional treasures from reading Virginia Woolf and listening to Janelle Monáe’s music. Get cozy with the books of Simone Weil, listen to Patti Smith’s music and see Frida Kahlo’s art. The most excellent thing to do for your mental and spiritual health is to commune with brilliant women artists, writers and musicians.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The French phrase j’ajoute (translated as “I adjust”) is a chess term used when a player is about to adjust their pieces but does not yet intend to make a move. You are not ready to make major shifts in the way you play the games you’re involved in. But it’s an excellent time to gain clarity and refine your perspective by tinkering with the overall look and feel of things.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The Simpsons’ Bart Simpson is a mischievous rascal who’s ingenious in defying authority. Sometimes teachers punish him by making him write apologies on the classroom blackboard: “I will not trade pants with others. I will not instigate revolution.” In accordance with your unruly astrological omens, Cancerian, I authorize you to do things Bart said he wouldn’t do.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Early in her career, Leo actor Lisa Kudrow auditioned for Saturday Night Live but wasn’t chosen. She was cast in the TV show Frasier but was replaced during the filming of the pilot episode. A few months later, though, she landed a key role in the new TV show Friends, which was a super hit. Will there be a Frasier moment for you in the coming months? That’s what I suspect.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): This is a good time to seek helpful clues and guidance from your dreams. 1. A dream of planting a tree means you’re primed to begin a project that will grow for years. 2. A dream of riding in a spaceship suggests you yearn to make your future come more alive in your life. 3. A dream of taking a long trip or standing on a mountaintop may signify you’re ready to come to new conclusions about your life story.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In reviewing the life work of neurologist Oliver Sacks, critic Patricia Holt marveled at how “average people not only adapt to injury and disease but also create something transcendent out of a condition others call disability.” I bring this up, Libra, because in the coming months, you will have extra power to turn your apparent weaknesses or liabilities into assets.

8 Oozy gunk 9 Lacking in nourishment 10 Skunk Pepé of cartoons 11 Like crumbly piecrusts 12 Rowing blade 13 Reggae’s

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The more love we give, the more we have available to give. As we tap into our deepest source of generosity, we discover we have greater reserves of it than we imagined. What I’ve just said is always true, but it’s especially apropos for you right now.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Home computers didn’t become common until the 1980s. During the previous decade, small start-up companies with adventurous experimenters did the grunt work that made the digital revolution possible, working out of garages. The coming months will invite you to do something similar, Sagittarius: to be discerning about how you allocate your resources as you plan and implement your vigorous transformations.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I foresee an exciting and productive time for you in the coming weeks. To best prepare, drop as many expectations and assumptions as you can so you will be fully available for the novel and sometimes surprising opportunities. Life will offer you fresh perspectives.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): By 1582, the inexact old Julian calendar used by the Western world for 13 centuries was out of whack because it had no leap years. Pope Gregory commissioned scientists who devised a more accurate way to account for the passage of time. In that spirit, Aquarius, I ask you to consider an adjustment that requires a shift in habits. It may be inconvenient at first, but will ultimately be good for you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean novelist Peter De Vries wrote, “Sometimes I write drunk and revise sober, and sometimes I write sober and revise drunk. But you have to have both elements in creation—the Apollonian and the Dionysian, or spontaneity and restraint, emotion and discipline.” In the coming weeks, you Pisces folks will be skilled at weaving these modes as you practice what you love to do.

2020 KING FEATURES SYNDICATE

SPHERE | 255 SANDS AVENUE | JULY 7, 2023 | In the days since this enormous LED orb was switched on, it has imitated a basketball, a disembodied eyeball and the fullest full moon you’ve ever seen. It’s spurred online discussion of what it could mean to Vegas tourism, for our distinctive skyline and so on … but, truly, we just wanna talk about what other round things this could be. A dwarf star! An IKEA meatball! That deadly, floating silver thing from Phantasm! The Sphere is now part of Vegas forever, so if you could, think of some round stuff it could become. Bonus points if it’s funny round stuff. –Geoff Carter

(Brian Ramos/Staff)