2023-11-30-Las-Vegas-Weekly

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EDITORIAL

Senior Editor GEOFF CARTER (geoff.carter@gmgvegas.com) Editor at Large BROCK RADKE (brock.radke@gmgvegas.com) Deputy Editor SHANNON MILLER (shannon.miller@gmgvegas.com) Staff Writer GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ (gabriela.rodriguez@gmgvegas.com) Staff Writer AMBER SAMPSON (amber.sampson@gmgvegas.com) Contributing Writers EMMA BROCATO, GRACE DA ROCHA, HILLARY DAVIS, MIKE GRIMALA, CASEY HARRISON, KATIE ANN MCCARVER, RHIANNON SAEGERT, DANNY WEBSTER Contributing Editors RAY BREWER, JUSTIN HAGER, CASE KEEFER, DAVE MONDT Office Coordinator NADINE GUY

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WANT MORE? Head to lasvegasweekly.com.

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SUPERGUIDE

Your daily events planner, starring Miranda Lambert, The Napa State Tapes, Rick Ross, Depeche Mode, Adam Sandler and more.

18 28 32 38 46 COVER STORY

Cirque du Soleil’s original Las Vegas Strip residency show reaches 30 years of performances, yet Mystère still feels fresh and vibrant.

ON THE COVER

MYSTÈRE

NEWS

Documentary film Downwind sheds new light on the troubled history of nuclear Nevada.

(Courtesy/ Photo Illustration)

STAGE

“Pope of Trash” John Waters is coming to Las Vegas to give you the Christmas you deserve.

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COMEDY

Wiseguys has expanded from Downtown to Town Square and the upstart comedy club is packing in the laughs.

SPORTS

FOOD & DRINK Pine Bistro brings the flavors of the Mediterranean and Middle East to Southern Highlands.

Thanks to the surprising UNLV football team, Allegiant Stadium is hosting back-to-back conference championships this weekend.

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SUPERGUIDE FRIDAY 01 DEC.

THURSDAY 30 NOV.

MUSIC

HIJA/E/O/X(S) DE SU Thru 12/7, times vary, Nuwu Art Gallery & Community Center, nuwuart.com.

PARTY

SPORTS

S U P E R G U I D E

ARTS

FOOD + DRINK

COMEDY

FILM: THE NAPA STATE TAPES On June 13, 1978, two punk-era bands performed a free concert at a Napa, California psychiatric hospital: West coast art punks the Mutants, and New York psychobillies the Cramps.

The former was building up momentum that would land them opening spots for The Ramones, Talking Heads, Iggy Pop and others, while the latter was a couple years away from releasing its legendary debut album Songs the Lord Taught Us and just about 44 years away from Jenna Ortega dancing to their cover of “Goo Goo Muck” in Wednesday. San Francisco-based collective Target Video captured the evening, attended by just 100 people—patients, mostly—for a VHS that would become an influential punk document.

The Napa State Tapes, a fully restored version of that legendary show, also includes the Mutants’ set and a brief documentary.

But most importantly, it brings Lux Interior and Poison Ivy back to the stage for the 21st-century encore they deserve. 7:30 p.m., $10, the Beverly Theater, thebeverlytheater. com. –Geoff Carter

MISC

(AP Photo/Amy Harris)

STEVE AOKI’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION 10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

PATTY ASCHER 7:30 & 9 p.m., Vic’s, vicslasvegas.com.

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

BARRY MANILOW Thru 12/2, 7 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster. com.

MUST DIE With Tisoki, Jeyfari, 10 p.m., We All Scream, seetickets.us.

GREG LOPEZ 9 p.m., Foundation Room, houseofblues. com.

MIRANDA LAMBERT 8 p.m., & 12/2-12/3, Bakkt Theater, ticketmaster.com.

PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIP 5 p.m., Allegiant Stadium, ticketmaster.com.

ERIKA JAYNE 7:30 p.m., & 12/2, House of Blues, concerts.livenation. com.

FIRST FRIDAY 5 p.m., Downtown Las Vegas, ffflv.org.

JR DE GUZMAN Thru 12/2, 7 p.m. (& 12/1-12/2, 9:30 p.m.), Wiseguys Arts District, wiseguys comedy.com.

U2 8 p.m., & 12/2, 12/6, Sphere, ticketmaster.com.

GARTH BROOKS 8 p.m., & 12/2, 12/6, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com.

LAS VEGAS DESERT DOGS VS. ALBANY FIREWOLVES 7 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com.

UNLV OPERA THEATER: FIGHT OR FLIGHT 7:30 p.m., Beam Music Center, unlv.edu.

USHER 9 p.m., & 12/2, Dolby Live, ticketmaster. com.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD 8 p.m., & 12/2, 12/6, Resorts World Theatre, axs.com.

ELF THE MUSICAL Thru 12/2, 8 p.m. (& 12/2-12/3, 2 p.m.), Las Vegas Little Theatre, lvlt.org.

WINTERFEST LIGHT PARADE 6:30 p.m., Water Street District, cityofhenderson.com.

HENDERSON SILVER KNIGHTS VS. CALGARY WRANGLERS 7 p.m. (& 12/3, 5 p.m.), Dollar Loan Center, axs.com.

RAINBOW COMPANY YOUTH THEATRE: THE ODYSSEY Thru 12/2, 7 p.m. (& 12/2-12/3, 2 p.m.), Charleston Heights Arts Center, rainbowcompany.org.

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

DUSTY RUG With Los Platanos, 9 p.m., Red Dwarf, reddwarflv.com.

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

SMOAKLAND With Sumthin Sumthin, Auracle, Wngz, 9:30 p.m., the Wall at Area15, area15. com.

(Courtesy)

11.30.23

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

RICK ROSS 10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com.

(Courtesy/Radis Denphutaraphrechar)

F O R M O R E U P C O M I N G E V E N T S , V I S I T L A S V E G A S W E E K LY.C O M .

(Courtesy)

SUPERGUIDE

DEPECHE MODE There are persistent whispers on the wind that Depeche Mode may be retiring from touring soon. (Although, if their fifteenth studio album Memento Mori is their last, it’s a fine way to go out.) The only hole in this reasoning is this: Dave Gahan and Martin Gore are having more fun on stage than they have in years. During their last T-Mobile show in March, they frequently grinned at each other across the stage, hugged after an acoustic number and even sang “Happy Birthday” to a young fan. And they delivered an all-killer, no-filler setlist that included their terrific new single “Ghosts Again,” muscled-up takes on lesser hits like “Wrong” and “John the Revelator,” and super-energized versions of 1980s classics like “A Question of Lust,” “Enjoy the Silence” and “Just Can’t Get Enough.”

So, if this is indeed Depeche Mode’s victory lap, you should be there to tip your hat. And if it’s not, go anyway, because this kind of fun should be shared. 7:30 p.m., $56$302, T-Mobile Arena, ticketmaster.com.

–Geoff Carter

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SUPERGUIDE SATURDAY 02

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JAMES KENNEDY Since the loose-lipped Londoner and self-proclaimed “No. 1 guy in the group” joined the hit Bravo reality TV show Vanderpump Rules, the drama and ratings have skyrocketed. His one-liners are iconic (“You’re a worm with a mustache!”), but his DJing skills are equally sharp. Working his way up from a busser in Lisa Vanderpump’s LA restaurant Sur, James Kennedy soft-launched his See You Next Tuesday shows, supported by self-produced house cuts. He’s since found his way onto the festival and Las Vegas club circuit with hits like “Ride Like This,” featuring England’s Vinny Vibe, and “Dance With the Groove,” a floor-rattling bass track that’s shown just how far this reality TV star has come. 10:30 p.m., $20$40+, Marquee Nightclub, events. taogroup.com.

–Amber Sampson

MUSIC

ADAM SANDLER 7:30 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com.

(AP Photo/Jordan Strauss)

MOUNTAIN WEST CHAMPIONSHIP: UNLV VS. BOISE STATE Noon, Allegiant Stadium, unlvtickets.com.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. WASHINGTON CAPITALS 7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

(AP Photo/Richard Shotwell/Invision)

S U P E R G U I D E

DEC.

LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC: A VERY VEGAS CHRISTMAS 2 & 7:30 p.m., Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter. com.

PARTY

SPORTS

UNLV WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. ARIZONA 2 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center, unlvtickets.com.

TO THE FRONT VOL. 1 With Lagrimas, S.O.H, Träumer, Grudgepacker, B.E.G, Scrutiny, Swampbrain, 7:30 p.m., Punk Rock Museum, thepunkrock museum.com.

KALANI PE’A 7 p.m., Water Street Plaza, cityofhenderson. com.

ARTS

SAM MORRIL 8 p.m., Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com.

TAMALES & MARIACHI FESTIVAL 10 a.m., Historic Fifth Street School, eventbrite.com.

ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK 8 p.m., Orleans Showroom, ticketmaster.com.

WHISKYFEST 6:30 p.m., Resorts World, whiskyadvocate. com.

FOOD + DRINK

CLINT HOLMES 3 & 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com.

REPEAL DAY CELEBRATION 8 p.m., the Underground at Mob Museum, themobmuseum. org.

ZEDD 10 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zouk grouplv.com.

GUCCI MANE 10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, drais group.com.

COMEDY

LEGENDS OF BASKETBALL LAS VEGAS INVITATIONAL 4 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs.com.

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

JESSICA AUDIFFRED With Modestep, Rzrkt, YDG, Youth In Circles, 9 p.m., the A-Lot at Area15, area15. com.

MISC

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L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

SUNDAY 03 DEC.

PANTEÓN ROCOCÓ Mexico City’s ska legends Panteón Rococó will bring their irresistibly skankable songs to the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center this weekend. Largely known for politically charged music, this eight-piece outfit shares its musical story and beliefs by fusing Latin rhythms, reggae and punk. Formed back in 1995, the band has reached a 10-album milestone that touches generations of fans and their musical recognition goes beyond their home country and has landed them on U.S. and European stages in recent years. Even this year, Panteón Rococó collabed with London based ska band The Skints on a cover of No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak.” And although they’ve gone on to write love ballads and other feel-good songs, they always come back to their rebel music roots. 8 pm, $65+, Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, dlvec. com. –Gabriela Rodriguez (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

GOLDEN RAINBOW RIBBON OF LIFE HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR 1 p.m., Tropicana, ticketmaster.com.

BEYOND THE NEON REGIONAL POETRY SLAM 5 p.m., UnCommons, uncommons.com.

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

DUSTIN NICKERSON 7 p.m., Wiseguys Arts District, wiseguyscomedy. com.

HIGHLY SUSPECT With Good Boy Daisy, Carr, 7 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com.

MONDAY 04 DEC.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. ST. LOUIS BLUES 7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

TRAVIS CLOER 7 p.m., Suncoast Showroom, ticketmaster.com.

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

ADAM HUNTER Thru 12/10, 8 p.m., LA Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy. com.

FILM: 48 HOURS 8 p.m.,Beverly Theater, thebeverly theater.com.

F O R M O R E U P C O M I N G E V E N T S , V I S I T L A S V E G A S W E E K LY.C O M .

SUPERGUIDE

UNLV CHORAL ENSEMBLES: WINTERSCAPES 7:30 p.m., Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, unlv.edu.

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TUESDAY 05 SUPERGUIDE DEC.

ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES 7:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com.

G LEAGUE IGNITE VS. STOCKTON KINGS 7 p.m., Dollar Loan Center, axs.com.

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

BRUCE HARPER & NAOMI MAURO 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.

G-SPACE 10 p.m., Discopussy, discopussydtlv.com.

(Courtesy)

MUSIC

PARTY

SPORTS

SUPERGUIDE

ARTS

S U P E R G U I D E

FOOD + DRINK

WEDNESDAY 06 DEC.

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

COMEDY

MISC

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BLUE RIVER BAND 9 p.m., Sand Dollar Downtown, thesanddollarlv. com.

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THE BILL SIMMONS PODCAST 8 p.m., Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster.com.

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JOI JAZZ ORCHESTRA 7:30 p.m., Notoriety, notorietylive.com.

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DAVE WILLIAMSON With Drew Dunn, Brandt Tobler, Thru 12/10, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand.mgm resorts.com.

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HOLIDAY DATES ADDED

the sphere experience

TM

for showtimes and tickets, visit thesphere.com

Show schedule subject to change. Accessible and companion seats are available via the Disabled Services Department at 725-258-6724.

DECEMBER 7-16, 2023

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C O V E R

S T O R Y

MYSTÈRE

11.30.23

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

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FOREVER Cirque du Soleil’s Vegas original celebrates 30 years of thrills, laughs and wonder

BY GEOFF CARTER

(Matt Beard/Courtesy)

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

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(Courtesy/Erik Kabik)

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S T O R Y

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ystère, Cirque du Soleil’s first non-traveling, permanent show, opened at Treasure Island on Christmas Day, 1993. For three decades, it has thrived in a city where few things are non-traveling or permanent. It is Cirque’s longest-running production—not just in Las Vegas, but worldwide.

That alone is worthy of recognition, but Mystère’s achievements don’t end at its longevity. Without this trailblazing production, Cirque likely wouldn’t have six shows on the Strip today.

Without Mystère’s long tail, it’s likely we wouldn’t have seen such theatrical residency shows as Celine Dion’s A New Day… and Katy Perry’s Play.

And without Mystère, we wouldn’t have the best scene in Judd Apatow’s 2007 comedy Knocked Up, in which Seth Rogen’s character flees the show in a psychedelic, mushroom-induced freakout.

To be fair, when it made its debut, Mystère was perceived as just a teeny bit of a freakout.

Though Vegas had previously hosted temporary Cirque shows, Mystère was kind of a new thing. This was early 1990s Las Vegas, when the Strip was beginning to shake itself out of a long creative slumber. Back then, the Strip’s marquee acts were largely magicians, showgirl-dominated variety shows and a few aging headliners still hanging on from the Strip’s 1960s heyday. The Montreal, Quebec-based Cirque brought in colorful masked acrobats, jaw-dropping set pieces

and a grown man dressed as a baby. The effect that all this wonderful weirdness had on Las Vegas was immediate, electric, and as previously said, lingering.

I was lucky enough to see it happen firsthand.

In early 1994, Mystère performers and crew members began to frequent Café Copioh, the UNLV district coffeehouse where I spent many of my days and nights. Copioh’s baristas played a CD of Mystère’s lovely René Dupéré score several times a day for nearly a year. And one night, I met a crew member who offered to let me watch the show, free of charge, from the lighting booth, which I did in summer 1994.

I can recall only fragments of my first viewing of Mystère. I remember the booming taiko drums that announced the show (and continue to do to this day). I remember cracking up at the comic anarchy of the show’s clowns, Bébé François and Benny Le Grand. And I remember tearing up during the bungee act, while the show’s band played Dupéré’s “Kunya Sobé.” I strongly remember that feeling, because I still get it. More than any other show, Mystère makes me want to run away and join the circus.

RJ Owens, one of the inheritors of the Bébé François role—originally played by the late Francois Dupuis—told me in a conversation last year that Mystère, like all the large-scale Cirque shows that followed, is meant to overwhelm.

“One thing that (original director) Franco Dragone was passionate about was filling the en-

tire space with activity. So, even though there’s a centralized act going on, somewhere there will be ancillary things that are happening that if by chance your eye wanders, you’re going to catch them and go, ‘Oh, look at that,’” he said. “I call it ‘search recidivism’, because Cirque shows have a unique ability to keep audiences coming back.

Every time you come to Mystère, you will see something different; the show will be the same, but you’ll have different seats, might have had a little more wine with dinner, might be at 9:30 as opposed to the 7 o’clock show. … If you’re fortunate enough to see everything, it’s eye candy.

Cinematic eye candy.”

He added that my weepy first-timer experience isn’t uncommon. He recalled an encounter he had while working on another Cirque show, Saltimbanco.

“I walked out 20 minutes after the show was over, makeup’s off, and I’m in my street clothes.

The crew was getting set up for the next day and there was a couple sitting 300 feet from the stage, nobody sitting around them, and they were just holding each other and sobbing,” he said. “I asked them, ‘Are you okay?’ And they said, ‘Couldn’t be better. This was beautiful. It was so beautiful. But we just don’t want to ever leave it. We want to sit here and take it all in.’

That’s when I realized what I was doing on stage was far, far more than doing a musical, far more than doing a comedy or play. And it’s the same with Mystère.”

11.30.23

Multiplying one sobbing couple by two shows a night, five nights a week for 30 years, it’s reasonable to assume that a very large number of people are reluctant to leave Mystère after its final bows. Using that logic, it’s not all that surprising to learn that several members of the cast and crew never did leave Mystère behind, and likely never will.

Magalie Drolet, an acrobat who performs bungee, Chinese poles, stiltwalking and other roles in Mystère, joined the show in June 1993.

She was 20 years old at the time.

“I didn’t speak English at all, so for me, it was a big thing,” she says.

She has performed consistently over three decades of shows. Her role has grown a bit—she’s now acting as the artist coach for the bungee act, teaching newbies the ropes. (One of her recent students would make their show debut the day after our interview, she notes proudly.)

Despite her administrative position, Drolet doesn’t take any of Mystère sitting down. She shows up to the theater a good two hours early on show nights—“so I have plenty of time to warm

up, because as you get older, you need a bit more time for that”—and then figures out where she needs to be.

“Depending on what the show needs, I’ll do an opening Spermato [a big-bellied comic character] or opening drums. Then Chinese poles, followed by bungee. Then I do another Spermato cue, and I do stilts at the end of the show.

“I still love what I do,” she says. “People are like, ‘I can’t believe you’re still there after all this time.’ And I say, ‘Well, when you love what you do, it’s hard to think of what else you want to do.’ It’s just unfortunate that we really rely on our body to do this kind of job because, honestly, I would do that for the rest of my life. You know? And I will until my body doesn’t want to anymore, but my head wants to do this. My heart wants to do this.”

Sean Jensen, Mystère’s head of lighting, special effects and projection, has also been with the show since the beginning. He came on board as a follow spot operator, having previously worked at the Golden Nugget, working on shows by the likes of Don Rickles and Tony Orlando.

And like Drolet, he, too, is a Mystère lifer.

“I was 23 years old when I came to Mystère,” he says, measuring the intervening years by

milestones: “I got married. I had kids. I’ve seen my kids get married; I have grandkids now.”

Jensen’s department is one of several that currently benefits from Cirque’s continuing belief in Mystère. During a backstage tour for the Weekly’s writers and editors, our guide noted that Cirque president Daniel Lamarre had recently taken in a Mystère performance, sitting in the regular seats like a paying customer; afterwards, he suggested that the show could be louder, and approved a complete replacement of Mystère’s audio back end. (It’s a testament to how well they did that when we sat down to watch the show, a scant few minutes after the tour concluded, I didn’t think about the audio mix at all; I just lost myself in it, once again.)

Now, Jensen says, they’re modernizing the show’s lighting. Another milestone: He’s actively ripping out the equipment he helped to install 30 years ago.

“Every single light nowadays is a computer.

We had 1980s technology; now we’re putting in 2023 technology,” he ways. “When we’re dark, I rip a section of the system apart, we put new stuff in and then I stay all night and program it to make it look like it did before. We’ve probably already replaced, I don’t know, 450 lights.

(Courtesy)

LIVING MYSTÈRE

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“The challenge is mixing LED technology and old tungsten light bulbs,” he adds. “We’re kind of in the middle [of the project], so you saw some of that stuff that’s been integrated. And since you didn’t say it looks different, that’s a good sign, because that’s my job … The vibrancy of the colors, and the capabilities of the new technology, is just going to enhance the beauty of the show even more.”

We have some time to appreciate Mystère’s renewed look and feel.

Shortly after the show returned from the pandemic shutdown in 2021— the first of Cirque’s Vegas shows to reboot—Treasure Island immediately granted Mystère a 10-year contract extension. When it runs out, Mystère will be close to its 40th year. It’s not unreasonable to expect that, when that time comes, Sean Jensen and Magalie Drolet will still be in the house.

“I’ve seen a lot of coming and going, especially in the recent years.

Before, people would stick around for years and years,” Drolet says.

“But still, every time somebody new comes in, they’re welcomed with open arms. Everybody’s very nice to each other and respectful of each other and loving to each other. And now I’m on the older side, so I see them all as my kids [laughs]. I’m like, ‘Come here; I’ll help you zip,’ and ‘If you need help with anything, ask me.’ You just want to be there.”

“Why in the world would I ever leave? They’ll have to pull me out kicking and screaming,” Jensen says, laughing. “Youngsters come in, join the show and say, ‘Man, I saw this show when I was five, and I always wanted to be in it.’”

LOVING MYSTÈRE I realize I haven’t said much about the show itself. The thing is, if you haven’t seen Mystère, I don’t want to spoil it for you, though admittedly, Mystère may be spoiler-proof: I’ve seen the show multiple times over the years, and even as recently as a couple of weeks ago, it still surprised me in places. Like Owens said, even a slight change of perspective can make all the difference. “Search recidivism” is real.

In that spirit, I’m going to push you gently towards Mystère. If you’ve seen it before, go back. If you haven’t seen it yet, go and appreciate an enduring piece of art—a show that created its own lane in Las Vegas, and continues to lead it 30 years on.

“Mystère really touches all the bases,” Jensen says. “They just did everything right … they really made something that Vegas hadn’t seen before, something very unique, very magical, mysterious and kind of bizarre. It hits so many emotions.”

“I think Mystère is more of a human show, in the sense that it’s about what we as humans can do physically, acrobatically, while some of other the shows are a lot more technology,” Drolet says. “I feel like we still have a bit of that feeling like [Cirque’s] tent shows, where the audience is close to the stage and we have a connection with them. We can have eye contact with the audience. We can touch them emotionally. And, acrobatically, they just love it.”

(Courtesy/Erik Kabik)

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(Courtesy/Matt Beard)

(Courtesy/Erik Kabik)

FIRST AND LASTING IMPRESSIONS Four Weekly writers marvel at the wonder that is Mystère

BY SHANNON MILLER Immediately after a VIP experience watching Mystère at Treasure Island—one that included a backstage tour—four Weekly writers went to a nearby bar to talk about what they’d just experienced. Geoff Carter, who once watched all six Cirque du Soleil shows in just five nights, particularly wanted to know what the others—two Cirque dabblers and one first timer—thought about the show. What ensued was a conversation about the humor, art, talent, dedication and legacy all packed into Cirque’s first-ever resident production in Las Vegas.

Shannon Miller: We never found out what the standalone nipples were.

Gabriela Rodriguez: The ones that were hanging upside down?

Amber Sampson: It was like a nipple keychain, or something like that.

SM: We never got to see them be used.

Geoff Carter: My guess is it was related to the baby nursing … I believe the show is supposed to be about the journey of life, from childhood to adulthood.

Although, the baby’s around pretty much the entire time.

AS: That’s one thing I thought was gonna happen—that we were going to see the baby in the beginning, from bassinet or crib or stroller to baby and then to adult. I don’t think we ever saw that full circle of life.

GC: Shannon, Amber, you’ve seen Cirque shows before. Gabriela, this was your first time.

What did you think?

GR: I was confused, but so impressed. The thing I thought about Cirque shows was that it was corny clowns, with no backbone to the story. And then I saw it, and I appreciate the work they put behind this. I can’t imagine doing that five days a week. I want to see it again to truly understand what the heck was happening.

AS: I feel like you need to see it more than one time to really grasp the nature of what the hell you just saw.

GR: When the baby finds his “papa” in the crowd … do you think there’s ever someone in the audience that’s too macho to play along with that? Obviously, if the audience doesn’t play along and push the ball back, you have to have a plan B.

GC: Oh yeah, Bébé François can work with that. He’s a professional.

Sometimes I blow my own mind when considering Cirque.

It’s influenced the way action is staged in movies and television; it’s influenced costuming and ... it’s changed the culture here in Vegas. These performers come in from different cultures— from Russia, from Mexico, from the U.K., from Montreal. And when they’re not working, they go out in our community, and they do cool sh*t. They create art, they produce other shows.

GR: My sister and I argue all the time about there being no culture in the city, no art. I want to argue this is art to see once in a while.

AS: It’s like a living canvas.

You have your main setup of what’s happening right in front of you—the main scene. But then in the background, everybody is having their own little vignettes of their own stories playing out.

All these beautiful little touches and accents of character and personality are all going on in the background.

GC: I can tell you that with some exceptions, some of the music and maybe one or two of the acts, this show is largely similar to what I saw in ‘94.

AS: That’s one of the things I was very impressed by. This [show has] a live band and live musicians. I thought that was awesome. The drumming scenes just had my heart racing. It was so powerful.

GR: That giant drum coming down!

AS: Yeah. That’s when you’re really in it, too. Like, this is their world now. They’re basically heralding the introduction of their characters and their world.

That’s one thing I really love about Cirque, is they do introductions well. They’re pulling the curtain back, they’re banging on the drums, they’re introducing their world to you in such a cool, majestic, interesting way.

SM: I liked that they gave attention to the dance elements, the transitions with the Red Bird, especially. I appreciated that they had some beautiful choreography in there.

I also loved that entire seesaw trampoline section. And I love that as they were flipping on the trampoline doing their flips that it was timed to the music. All the acrobatics were tied to the music, and it wasn’t just for the hell of it. It was all driving the story and music forward.

AS: Being the kickoff point for all the other casino residency shows—looking at it from that angle—I feel like you can see little bits and pieces of the groundwork that it laid for the other shows. The world building, you see a little bit more of that in O. The playfulness, you feel a little bit more of that in The Beatles Love. All those things are offshoots in all these different shows. This is really the ground zero of it all, and I think that’s why it remains unchanged.

GR: You don’t think the acts get tired of doing it all the time?

AS: You don’t get tired of falling through the air!

GC: Imagine that’s your job, you know? And the show is different, every night. The audience brings something different. One thing we don’t get in our profession is an immediate, “Oh my god, Gabriela, you were incredible. That article was fantastic.” … Imagine getting that kind of dopamine hit twice a night.

A Retro Modern

Burlesque Show

Now Performing Thursdays-Saturdays Tickets available at virginhotelslv.com

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BUSINESS

IN THE NEWS

N E W S

Veterans get new resource in Nevada Entrepreneurs with ties to the military throughout Nevada have a new resource to help grow their business ventures and transition to civilian life.

Officials on November 20 celebrated the grand opening of Nevada’s first Veterans Business Outreach Center, or VBOC, at the UNLV Technology Park in Spring Valley.

It’s the 28th such center nationally.

The center is sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration to provide business counseling services to help incorporate new businesses and expand existing ones.

The SBA announced in April it had secured federal funding to expand the VBOC program from 22 locations to 28, making the decision to put a VBOC in a state like Nevada—which is home to more than 200,000 veterans and over 23,000 veteran-owned small businesses— an obvious one, Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, told the crowd at the ribbon-cutting.

The center at 8400 W. Sunset Road, Suite 400, will be operated by the Southern Nevada Veterans Chamber of Commerce, and a satellite location will operate in Reno to service entrepreneurs in Northern Nevada, said Andy Pierson, director of the Nevada VBOC. Among the services available to either transitioning or active duty servicemembers, veterans, reserve members or military spouses include personalized counseling on accounting, financial planning and asset management, officials said.

Entrepreneurs also can get help in securing capital, as well as assistance to access financing, loans and available grant programs.

–Casey Harrison

Enchant Christmas debuts its Christmas light maze at the Las Vegas Ballpark on November 24.

The attraction is open through December 31. (Courtesy)

CANNABIS

UNLV leads the way on cannabis policy The medicinal and recreational use of legal cannabis is still relatively new in Nevada, where lawful sales debuted in 2017, and the regulation of consumption lounges is being worked through.

That’s part of the reason why UNLV created its Cannabis Policy Institute, believed to be the first of its kind in Nevada and possibly in the United States, director Riana Durrett said.

The institute will serve as a research hub for cannabis policy and “local, state, national and international implications

for public policy, law, medicine, science, economics and businesses,” UNLV said in a recent release.

“It starts with the notion that we believe there’s a need in the community for thoughtful policy related to cannabis,” UNLV Provost Chris Heavey said. “And we recognize that there were many resources on campus that could be brought together to help inform the development of policy and research on cannabis.”

Durrett has experience teaching cannabis law and regulation

under UNLV’s Boyd School of Law. She is also the first vice chair of the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board and served as the executive director of the Nevada Dispensary Association from 2015 to 2020.

The “extremely well-qualified faculty and institutional capabilities” make UNLV the perfect place to begin filling what many maintain is “a lack of research and credible policy information on cannabis,” Durrett said.

–Grace Da Rocha

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N E W S PARKS

WATCH THIS

EDUCATION

Those visiting Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs will need to remember to bring a debit or credit card, as cash will no longer accepted at the entry kiosk staring January 1. There is a $6 per vehicle entrance fee that is payable by debit or credit card at the park entry gatehouse located at 9200 Tule Springs Road.

The Rebels play Boise State at noon December 2 for the Mountain West Conference title.

University grapples with antisemitism amid protests

11.26.2023

SILVER AND BLACK NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE

BY THE NUMBERS

$2.6 MILLION That’s how much the Laffite LM1 Hypercar fetched at a live auction as part of the One Night for One Drop charity event during Formula 1 race weekend. The One Drop Foundation’s mission aims to ensure sustainable access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene for communities facing extreme barriers while contributing to climate action. The car is the first Le Manstype to be produced for road use.

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As some college students protest over the war between Israel and Hamas terrorists in Gaza, officials at UNLV are toeing a fine line between protecting free speech and quelling concerns that some demonstrations have allowed antisemitic rhetoric.

UNLV President Keith Whitfield issued a statement acknowledging the “range of emotions” seen on campus since the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas in Israel and the ensuing war.

Whitfield’s letter to the campus community came days after a group supporting the Palestinian people rallied on the UNLV campus, according to social media accounts.

In a reel posted to Instagram, one demonstrator said, “The Israel state shouldn’t exist.” Another proclaimed, “I believe a lot of the terror things happening in this world is Israel.”

“While the war in Gaza is far from us, its impact is felt here too,” Whitfield said, noting UNLV was committed to hearing from individuals and groups “with different perspectives and positions.”

“In some instances, the people participating in—or even organizing—these activities are not members of the campus community. But as a public urban university, every individual has a right to visit our campus,” he said.

-Casey Harrison

A Las Vegas Raiders fan holds a sign with a message for Taylor Swift before the game against rival Kansas City, whose superstar tight end, Travis Kelce, has been dating the pop icon. The Raiders raced out to a 14-0 lead but lost, 31-17. Kelce caught six passes for 91 yards.

(Wade Vandervort/Staff)

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ATOMIC ACTIVISM

H I S T O R Y

N E W S

A documentary about Nevada nuclear testing urges awareness

From left: Co-director Mark Shapiro, co-director Douglas Brian Miller, Principal Man of the Western Bands of the Shoshone Nation Ian Zabarte and journalist Paulina Bucka take part in a panel discussion after a showing of the documentary Downwind at the Beverly Theater.

(Wade Vandervort/Staff)

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BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ ome Nevadans know about the Nevada National Security Site, or what used to be called the Nevada Test Site.

It’s where the U.S. government detonated hundreds of nuclear weapons from 1951 to 1992. But while some believe the dangers of atomic testing are in the past, anti-nuclear activists say the fight against atomic testing lives on and must continue.

At a November 20 screening of the new documentary Downwind at the Beverly Theater, Rep. Dina Titus and Principal Man of the Western Bands of the Shoshone Nation Ian Zabarte spoke before and after the film about the importance of awareness of the

harms of atomic testing.

“It’s important, because if we don’t address and educate the young people, we run the risk of letting them believe there’s nothing else after Oppenheimer,” said Zabarte said in his pre-film remarks. “[It] is an oversimplified view of the nuclear age. And it doesn’t address what happened to us, the American people.”

Christopher Nolan’s period drama Oppenheimer follows the American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer during World War II and his time as director of the top secret Manhattan Project, which resulted in the creation of the first atomic bomb and the first nuclear explosion. The

film quickly reached box office success and brought awareness to nuclear testing. But although its director, writers and researchers went to great lengths for accuracy, the aftermath of this nuclear research goes untouched on screen.

The Downwind documentary uncovers the harrowing reality of nuclear fallout—particles from atomic bomb clouds—and specifically highlights the 928 nuclear weapons that were tested near Mercury, Nevada, over the course of 41 years, exposing residents in the area and surrounding states to downwind radiation. The government also closed off sacred Western Shoshone land for the test-

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ing, violating the tribe’s treaty rights.

“Oppenheimer is an iconic individual, but we sort of take off where the film ends and represent the people downwind of those 928 detonations,” co-director Mark Shapiro tells the Weekly. “Science has many sides to it, a responsible side and a potentially damaging side. … It’s important to showcase these people and give them a platform to share their stories about the impact of nuclear weapons testing and fallout.”

Shapiro believes a lack of education about nuclear testing and its effects has led to disengagement in the face of possible further testing and nuclear waste storage, leading to

shortfalls when it comes to helping and compensating victims.

Radiation-related illnesses span generations, and can be traced to clusters of people living in the areas surrounding nuclear detonations.

The film makes a connection between the downwind location of St. George, Utah, to the city’s high leukemia and cancer rates. The town was also a hotspot for Hollywood movie sets, including the 1956 film The Conqueror starring John Wayne. Wayne and half of the crew were later diagnosed and died from various cancers.

These troubling statistics are far from dated and the pervasive radiation still lingers in the environment and in

the exposed and their kin.

Ahead of the Downwind screening, U.S. Rep. Dina Titus said Congress has responded with legislation to compensate people sickened by exposure to the blasts and by uranium mining during the Cold War. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act originally passed in 1990 and is set to expire June 2024. It provides a $50,000 one-time lump sum in compensation for downwinders who are found eligible. To determine eligibility, RECA asks for evidence of exposure to radiation, which can be difficult to prove.

Titus said the government has shown unwillingness to admit a mistake in exposing veterans, workers and residents to nuclear radiation.

“In Congress, we continue to try to compensate the people who were harmed. The RECA Act has been several decades in the works and we piece by piece try to cover all the victims.

They are dying off,” Titus said. “The amount of money you get certainly can’t pay for a life. But it is an acknowledgment that it was perhaps not a mistake—they won’t acknowledge a mistake—but that it’s something that deserves some assistance.”

In effort to ease the process for compensation and benefits for veterans exposed to radiation, Titus introduced the Providing Radiation Exposed Servicemembers Undisputed Medical Eligibility (PRESUME) Act in July. The VA currently requires applicants to submit proof of being involved in onsite radiation risk activity and to provide an estimation of radiation exposure. The PRESUME Act aims to eliminate the latter obstacle for RECA applicants.

At the same time, anti-nuclear activists are sounding the alarm about proposed plans to store nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain approximately 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

In a panel discussion after the film, Zabarte raised concerns about potential nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s website, Yucca Mountain is “the proposed spent nu-

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clear fuel and high-level radioactive waste repository where both types of radioactive waste could be disposed.”

Sen. Jacky Rosen, who in March helped introduce the Downwinders Parity Act to expand and amend RECA, says she and Nevada’s delegation have introduced legislation to prevent Yucca Mountain from being used as a nuclear waste repository.

With support from Sen. Rosen and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Rep. Titus in 2021 introduced the Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act, which would “require local consent before the federal government could move forward with disposing nuclear waste at a specific site,” according to a press release from Titus’ office.

Sen. Rosen says she remains vigilant in the face of attempts to revive a Yucca Mountain repository project.

“As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I’ve worked every year to ensure that the annual national defense bill does not authorize funds for defense nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain,” Rosen said in a statement to the Weekly. “Earlier this year, I joined other members of the Nevada delegation in introducing legislation to prevent the federal government from attempting to revive the ill-conceived Yucca Mountain project without clear, written consent from state and local leaders. Nevadans have made clear that they don’t want harmful nuclear waste dumped in our state, and I’ll continue working to make sure it doesn’t happen.”

Activists and the filmmakers say Nevadans need to awaken to the dangers surrounding nuclear testing and nuclear waste, and not sleep on the issue.

“It is time for us to say no. We need to check our government, and we need to stop the testing. It can’t start again,” Downwind co-director Douglas Miller said during the panel.

Downwind is available on Comcast, Verizon, Cox, Bell, Amazon, Amazon Home Video, iTunes, Google Play, Microsoft Xbox, Vimeo and Redbox.

Shannon Miller contributed to this story.

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YU-OR-MI SUSHI The Las Vegas Arts District favorite specializes in premium sushi, specialty sake and fine Japanese whisky. Featuring a unique take on Japanese favorites with a selection of rice, noodles, chicken, steak and seafood dishes, YU-OR-MI made a name for itself as a can’t-miss Japanese-inspired destination.

F A V O R I T E S

MUST-TRY DISHES: uni yaki udon, sashimi endive, miso black cod taco

SHANG ARTISAN NOODLE Highlighting handmade noodles, Shang specializes in elevated Chinese cuisine using classic techniques and thoughtful presentations. Family-owned and -operated, this is the first expansion from its original Flamingo location.

MUST-TRY DISHES: shang beef noodle, Dan Dan noodle, spicy wontons

NIELSEN’S FROZEN CUSTARD Nielsen’s has been serving Las Vegas and Utah for more than 40 years with deliciously rich frozen custard that uses only real food and fresh ingredients.

Nielsen’s also uses a specialty designed, one-of-a-kind freezing machine that contributes to its patented creamy texture.

L O C A L

MUST-TRY DISHES: concretes

VESTA COFFEE ROASTERS Vesta Coffee, founded in 2016 by Jerad Howard, has grown the brand into a top-tier coffee contender that features high-quality coffee at multiple Las Vegas locations. Freshly baked breads and pastries are made in-house.

MUST-TRY DISHES: anything on the coffee menu, All The Things croissant

EAT YOUR HEART OUT, LAS VEGAS

The hotly anticipated Durango Casino & Resort is finally open, bringing with it Eat Your Heart Out, an elevated hall of foods that features eclectic cuisines in a communal dining experience. Food hall partners include local favorites, as well as out-of-town dining concepts that are feeding Las Vegas for the first time. Each site reflects the neighborhoods they come from.

OYSTER BAR A neighborhood Station Casino without an oyster bar? Not today. Inspired by the original Palace Station’s Oyster Bar—yes, the one with the all-hours line—Durango will debut its iteration with the same signature dishes you know and love.

MUST-TRY DISHES: Durango pan roast, oysters on the half shell, cold seafood combo, gumbo

DRNK Think of DRNK as the center-bar of the food hall. The lively bar features colorful frozen cocktails and a chill, cozy atmosphere with bartop gaming.

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AI PONO CAFÉ Top Chef alum Gene Villiatora is bringing his famed Orange County outpost to the ninth island. Known for its authentic Hawaii street food, Ai Pono Café delivers only the best, most unique island flavors.

MUST-TRY DISHES: Da “Roots” plate, “Crackhead” chicken, Da “Stockton” Slap

FIORELLA Marc Vetri, the celebrated James Beard award-winning chef, introduces a replica of his famed Philly pasta bar that offers guests the full experience of watching Marc’s iconic pasta being made, plated and ultimately enjoyed at the chefs counter.

MUST-TRY DISH: rigatoni with Fiorella sausage ragu

N E W - T O - L A S

Irv’s Burgers first opened in West Hollywood in 1946 as one of the first roadside burger stands on Route 66.

For more than 50 years, Irv’s has served premium comfort food at comforting prices, complete with other staples, including the Irv’s Dog, chili cheese fries, the tuna melt and a variety of shakes.

MUST-TRY DISHES: Irv’s original burger, patty melt, birthday cake milkshake

UNCLE PAULIE’S This Los Angeles mainstay was created by longtime friends Paulie James and Jon Buscemi, who were inspired by their memories of New York neighborhood delis. Today, they’re bringing Las Vegas something “from the neighborhood, for the neighborhood.”

MUST-TRY DISHES: classic Italian sandwich, turkey pesto, meatball parm

seafood, and a chic dining scene. Nicco’s menu is all about sourcing – from the finest meat purveyors, standout fish markets to straight-from-the-farm produce – all executed with a true culinarian’s precision.

Mijo is where tastebuds travel south of the border, where guests will embark on a journey to experience the diverse flavors of coastal Mexican cuisine and spirits

street food favorites presented with an unconventional twist.

Summer House embraces the warm California spirit. Serving a variety of options ranging from Cali-style tacos, fresh vegetable plates and salads to housemade pastas and pizzas. The restaurant will offer indoor and outdoor dining and will be open

C O N C E P T S

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featuring prime meats, market-fresh

a progressive menu alongside elevated

PRINCE STREET PIZZA Started by a father-son team, Prince Street Pizza is home to the Soho Square. New Yorkers line up every day to grab a slice from the famed pizzeria that specializes in New York and Sicilian-style, and features fresh homemade sauce recipes that have been in the Morano family for generations.

Nicco’s is a modern American steakhouse

within a beautiful setting. Mijo will offer

IRV’S BURGERS

V E G A S

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for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.

Inside, guests will find The Market, offering food to-go from a menu of light breakfast items, coffee juices and the restaurant’s famous oversized cookies.

The new sportsmen’s lounge is set to become Vegas’ local hotspot with live entertainment, bartop gaming, sports viewing, patio parties, full-service dining, handcrafted cocktails and lounge-style bar seating.

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(Courtesy/Greg Gorman)

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S T A G E

HERE COMES TRASHY CLAUS

A John Waters Christmas is landing in Vegas, and we must rejoice

BY GEOFF CARTER If you know John Waters’ work, skip this intro. As an aspiring Dreamlander, deviant or “drape,” you don’t need to be told to see this legendary filmmaker, tastemaker, artist and raconteur delivering his holiday-themed monologue at 24 Oxford. You’re probably already there, so skip to the Q&A. However, if you’ve never read any of Waters’ books (particularly Crackpot or Carsick), or seen Pink Flamingos, Polyester or Hairspray—you’ve never seen Hairspray? Seriously?—go watch some of those movies and/or do the reading. Then, and only then, will you fully understand why A John Waters Christmas is a special event for Vegas, having been touched by the Divine.

Why a Christmas show? I’ve always enjoyed Christmas. I’ve been doing this show at least 25 years, and I rewrite it every year; in fact, I’m rewriting it right now.

We can’t escape Christmas.

No matter what—if you hate it or if you love it, no matter what religion you are, what race or anything like that, you can’t escape it in America. So, it’s about

how we deal with it. Christmas can be frightening, it can be loving, it can be expensive, it can be horrible things like Christmas trees falling over on people.

All sorts of disasters happen …

Eartha Kitt died on Christmas!

So did James Brown. JonBenét was murdered on Christmas. All sorts of things happen on Christmas that we have to remember, good and bad.

Do you have your own Christmas traditions, aside from this show? I used to decorate the electric chair that was in Female Trouble; it sat in my hall. But it’s in the Academy Museum now, so I can’t decorate it this year.

Is Vegas still trashy enough for you? We’re tilting dangerously towards respectability these days. I don’t know. I mean, sometimes you try to be trashy. My favorite thing there—I think the Liberace Museum is gone, right?

I think Pia Zadora had that little club [act at Piero’s]; I hope she still has that. And I’ve been to both the prisons there; the one you drive to, and the other one where O.J. was. But is it trashy?

Let’s just say that certainly

it’s something that European tourists love to see, because to them it’s everything they think America is.

[I can’t] imagine doing a residency there. I mean, you’d live there, forever, in the hotel room.

That’s hard for me to fathom. I guess it’s like doing a Broadway show; you do it every night in the same theater and it’s the same thing. But that seems like an extreme way to live. Where do you spend your money? I’m not a gambler.

He is. Last I heard, he was released from that Nevada prison O.J. was in. Well, maybe he would do a naked show, and Pia Zadora would sing in it, and all the understudies for Celine Dion would come out and do a show. And then Iggy Pop would come flying over the whole thing on a harness. [Thorson] called me once. I wrote about his book [Behind the Candelabra] in Vogue … The Liberace Museum is really gone, right?

Yes, but there are many folks Most locals aren’t. The slots here that are keen to resurrect are Vegas’ donation plate. I’m it in some form. It was so little jealous because Elvira has a slot and seedy; it was in some shopmachine with their name ping mall. I thought it was on it. I want one where great. The women that you always lose. It’s for worked there were, A JOHN people like me who like, cult members.

WATERS think “Ah, I’m gonna They might as well CHRISTMAS December 6, lose $100; let’s get it have had “Liberace” 7 p.m., $48-$153. over with.” carved on their 24 Oxford, virgin foreheads. hotelslv.com.

You’ve more than earned a branded slot Finally: In your opinmachine. You’ve got that ion, who’s truly subshow at the Academy Muversive these days? Who’s seum [John Waters: Pope of doing wrong right? That’s a Trash, through August 2024] good question. I have a new show and were recently awarded a called Devil’s Advocate where I’m star on the Hollywood Walk saluting the new sexual revolution of Fame. You’ve reached the that has done the unthinkable: summit. Yeah, my profile couldn’t it predictably made right wing be much higher. I’m so respectpeople uptight, but it also scared able I could puke. The Academy the left wing, so I’m now a middleAwards museum is sponsoring 12 of-the-road madman. The world rooms of my movies. It’s astonishwe live in has more rules than my ing to me. So, I don’t feel ironic; parents’ world did, and there’s a I don’t feel [like it’s] revenge. I certain humor in that. think, “What a wonderful thing to To me, the ultimate sin is be alive and to have this happen.” self-righteousness, no matter what your politics are. If you want If you could design a Vegas reto win, you don’t make your enesort, what would its theme be? mies feel stupid, you make them Hmm. Maybe a whole thing for feel smart. Then you get them Liberace’s boyfriend [Scott Thorto laugh, and then they’ll listen. son]. Is he still alive?

That’s how we’re gonna win.

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(Courtesy/Anthony Mair)

N I G H T S

CITY OF SIGHTS

Chéri at Paris presents a spectacular new way to drink in the Strip

C U L T U R E

BY AMBER SAMPSON Stunning views of the Las Vegas Strip aren’t hard to come by, but the best rooftop spots have a certain je ne sais quoi. Just look at JRS Hospitality and its portfolio of Stripside patios and beer gardens several stories up. Following suit is Chéri Rooftop at Paris, a welcome addition from the group behind Alexxa’s and Beer Park.

Previously known as Chateau, Chéri ushers in the next generation of nightlife, one that favors a chic and cool party under the stars instead of a night spent raging in the club.

The 9,000-square-foot space is an absolute vision beneath the moonlight, resembling a Parisian terrace overgrown with summertime greenery. Healthy foliage braids its way through the archway entrance, providing a nice backdrop for the ’Gram. The Eiffel Tower overhead also never gets old; it’s such a stunning Vegas showpiece that never fails to draw a wow from newcomers—which it most definitely did during Formula 1 weekend.

On the menu, Chéri covers all its bases with plenty of beer, wine, rosé and sparkling Champagne to celebrate those wins.

But the French-inspired cocktails are the showstoppers here. Whiskey sour lovers will adore the Eiffel Sour ($18) mixed with Rittenhouse rye, Disaronno, lemon, cherry and bitters. Margarita’s Trip to Paris ($20) washes the palate in floral notes thanks to the St. Germain elderflower, while those looking for a smoky smooth flavor should opt for The Devil’s Smoke ($20). Brandy-based cocktails like My Angel ($20), featuring an apple cinnamon syrup that evens out the bite of the Hennessy, also make for tasty nightcaps. The bar also offers large format cocktails of Old Fashioneds and different sangrias that serve between six and eight people.

Chéri had big party shoes to fill, stepping into Chateau’s place. But like the beautiful garden scenery all around, it’s growing on us.

CHÉRI ROOFTOP Paris Las Vegas, 702-776-7777, cherirooftop.com. Daily, 8 p.m.-2 a.m.

The Devil’s Smoke (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

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C O M E D Y

EXPANDING THE JOKE Wiseguys Comedy Club keeps the wise cracks coming with Town Square location

C U L T U R E

BY AMBER SAMPSON Jeff Arcuri has learned to be thankful for the little things— like the fact that Wiseguys comedy club has restrooms with stall doors.

“There’s a lot of bars across the country that don’t have that in men’s rooms,” he tells the crowd.

“They’re just like, ‘I need two urinals and a toilet for someone brave enough.’ You can poop in here, but you’re gonna meet somebody!”

Laughter erupts around the 300-seat venue, and the New York comic grins because he’s found his opening. With that, the punchlines come in a flurry.

He’s swinging for a knockout and this room of giggling adults are against the ropes.

Thus is the sport of stand-up comedy, and Wiseguys’ second Las Vegas outpost at Town Square has some serious heavy hitters on the way.

Weeds star Kevin Nealon, Saturday Night Live’s Chris Redd and Chappelle Show’s Donnell Rawlings are some of the headliners who will pass through the club in the coming months, along with a handful of others Wiseguys owner Keith Stubbs has on speed dial.

“Ryan Hamilton is coming; he’s got a Netflix special that just absolutely kills,” says Stubbs, a stand-up vet who launched the Wiseguys brand in 2001. “T.J. Miller’s also coming for Super Bowl weekend, and he’s just a powerhouse.”

Wiseguys Town Square, like its companion club in the Arts District that opened in 2021, is quickly becoming a popular off-

Strip entertainment destination. building in the Arts District.

It’s a larger club, boasting an adI had no intention of opening ditional 100 seats, which enables down there. It was 100% Pauly.”

Stubbs to book even bigger acts.

Introducing locals to a new And with the rise of TikTok and comedy club during a pandemic Instagram reels, it’s getting easier required a “grassroots effort,” to discover them.

Stubbs says, but investing into “It’s amazing how many really the local scene is what helped funny comics are out there, and Wiseguys flourish. maybe they were out there 15 “We want the local comics to years ago, 20 years ago, too, but succeed and have opportunities,” you didn’t see them,” he says. he says, and that’s why he books “There are people having great them frequently. It’s also not careers in stand-up comedy beuncommon to have a roomful of cause of social media.”

Las Vegans in the audience. This is Wiseguys Town Square still a locals’ spot, first and foremost, maintains the cozy, Stubbs stresses. underground feel Open mics at WiseWISEGUYS locals loved about guys Arts District TOWN SQUARE the first location also encourage local 6593 Las Vegas Downtown. “There comics to come in Blvd. South, 702272-0786, wiseare comics that could and work on new guyscomedy.com. sell out a larger venmaterial, and someFriday & Saturday, ue that love the Arts times established 5:30-11:30 p.m.

District,” Stubbs comedians drop by. adds. “Marc Maron, “What I love is for example.” seeing the progress,” he says.

Wiseguys is a staple in Utah, “The hardest thing about standwhere Stubbs’ clubs in Salt Lake up comedy isn’t doing it the first City, West Jordan and Ogden all time, it’s continuing to do it.” sit within 50 miles of each other.

Stubbs, who grew up in a funny And the comics who’ve visited family and started doing standthem—John Mulaney, George up in LA when he was a stock Lopez and Fortune Feimster, to broker, can relate. name a few—grace the walls of At Wiseguys Town Square, Wiseguys Town Square today.

Bernie Mac, Joan Rivers and Don It’s funny to think this all Rickles guard the lobby entrance might’ve never happened for Vein mural form like an uncensored gas if not for Stubbs’ good friend holy trinity. Stubbs beams up Pauly Shore. at the late legends—Rivers and “[He] called me and said, ‘Hey, Mac, with whom he’s performed man, I have a building a friend of shows, and Rickles, a longtime mine owns. They want me to put favorite—and you can tell he’s a place here. I don’t want to do planning to keep the laughs comit, but you should,’” Stubbs says. ing for a long time.

“My wife and I flew down, we met “We’re locked in,” he says. with Pauly and the owners of the “We’re not going anywhere.”

11.30.23

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

39I PRESENTED BY

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2 oz Jack Daniel’s Bonded Whiskey Large spoon of fig marmalade 1 dash pine oil Pinch of Maldon Sea Salt .75 oz fresh lemon juice Orange peel for garnish

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Wiseguys comedy clubs owner Keith Stubbs stands on stage in his Town Square location. Stubbs also owns a club in the Arts District and three in Utah. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

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11.30.23

A R T

FRONDS OF LIGHT C U L T U R E

A new Neon Museum piece illuminates our Valley’s history

BY GEOFF CARTER

I

t’s never been just about neon. Over the years, the Neon Museum has made efforts to connect the signs in its Neon Boneyard to the greater history of Las Vegas—to illuminate the lives of the people who have lived and labored underneath these glowing giants since the day they were switched on. Now, thanks to a generous donation from the new owners of the Palms, that history reaches back further still: all the way back to the indigenous peoples who lived and labored in the Las Vegas Valley well before it was plugged in.

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, who bought the Palms in 2020 and reopened it in 2022, funded the restoration of this 2001 neon sign, which the Neon Museum acquired in 2013. Originally placed atop a billboard near the resort, the

sign is nearly 20 feet in length and includes 28 units of neon. And while it’s not the flashiest sign in the Boneyard, it will serve an important role going forward as a representation of the Southern Paiute and other western tribes, thanks to an accompanying instructional panel that describes their history and influence. To borrow the name of the museum’s nighttime show, it’s a brilliant idea.

“Nevada is rich in indigenous culture. Our San Manuel tribe from California are visitors in the lands of the Nevada Native Americans that came before us,” said Latisha Prieto, chairperson of the San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority, in an email statement. “We are pleased that tribal history is included as part of this restoration and presented as an educational opportunity.”

11.30.23

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

(Courtesy/The Neon Museum)

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C A N N A B I S

11.30.23

(Courtesy/Addie Martin/Photo Illustration)

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PENS N’ ROSINS C U L T U R E

BY GEOFF CARTER If ever you get to thinking that adult-use recreational cannabis hasn’t changed much since it became legal in January 2017, consider this: We now have a choice of dozens of dispensaries, some of which are nearly the size of a department store. Legal consumption lounges will soon open near the Strip.

And Camp, a Vegas-based cannabis brand available through The Source and other Valley dispensaries, is up to a third version of its disposable vaporizer pens.

Disposable 3.0 marries technical savvy to Camp’s proprietary solventless process for extracting rosin from cannabis. Briefly: The trichomes are removed from the flower without using solvents such as alcohol or butane. They’re run through a hot press, which extracts a golden concentrate which is then sealed into the disposables. There’s more to the process, but the gist is that Camp has found a way to get a pure and flavorful cannabis into discreet 500-milligram vapes.

Camp offers three versions of Disposable 3.0, each made with a different rosin extraction process and each in a distinct color casing. Flower Rosin, in a burgundy-colored pen, offers a taste akin to smoking flower traditionally. (My pen is filled with Wedding Cake, an indica strain.) Ice Water Hash Rosin, in the orange pen, comes from cannabis buds that have been soaked in cold water to extract the trichomes. (This one contains Dead Banana, a 50/50 indica/sativa hybrid.)

And Live Rosin, in the white pen, comes from trichomes frozen for a day before they’re heat-pressed. (This one is Dark Rainbow, another hybrid.) The listed THC content on the pens ranges from 71% to nearly 78%.

The hardware is no less impressive. Disposable 3.0 boasts auto-draw, three separate voltage settings and a power cycle that eliminates clogs. It also features a USB type-C port for recharging the battery, effectively extending the useful life of the vape to the point you could smoke it dry. That’s enormously

Camp’s latest disposables are the vapes you’ve waited for

helpful if, like me, you sometimes forget you have them. (I did exactly that with one of my Camp vapes—got it in mid-August, but only removed it from its package last week. It was fully charged and tasted great.)

I wish I could give you the full rundown on each pen’s cannabinoids, flavonoids and terpenes, but to be perfectly honest with you, I’m still trying to figure that stuff out. (Instead of giving budtenders my preferences for taste or feel, I reel off a list of symptoms: “I need something for social anxiety/insomnia/ writer’s block.”) However, having sampled all three varieties of Disposable 3.0, I can tell you that whatever way those elements are present in the vapes, they feel like they’re in harmony.

The pens offer what is perhaps the smoothest draw I’ve ever taken from a cannabis vape. And the effects, while immediate, aren’t overwhelming—there was no couch lock, no anxious jitters. Disposable 3.0 is tangible, puff-able proof that not only do things change, they can change for the better.

N O M I N AT I O N S N OW O P E N Nominate the best of the cannabis industry to be celebrated in the Las Vegas Weekly Cannabis Awards! We’re accepting nominations for products, dispensaries, brands and more.

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F O O D

11.30.23

&

D R I N K

ELEVATING AUTHENTICITY C U L T U R E

PINE BISTRO 10620 Dean Martin Drive, 725-214-3280, pinebistro.com.

Daily, 5 p.m -2 a.m.

Pine Bistro’s mixed grill platter (above) and grape leaves, tabbouleh and fattoush salad. (Courtesy/Key Lime Photography)

Pine Bistro brings a world of flavors to the southwest valley

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47 I

BY SHANNON MILLER

hat if you could be transported to the Mediterranean without leaving your neighborhood?

That’s the vision at the new Pine Bistro, which opened in Southern Highlands in October.

“We actually took a trip to the Middle East and that region last year to try the best Lebanese in the world in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, and see ... how we can best represent that in a new modern space here,” says Lowell Raven, partner at Ayya Hospitality.

What that translates into is ingredients like sumac, za’atar and tahini throughout the menu, and a dining experience welcoming guests into a world of flavors.

“We wanted it to be an elevated dining experience, but we still wanted it to be approachable.

And I think that’s a very hard thing to do, especially when you’re elevating any space. You want people to come in and feel comfortable,” Raven says.

Diners are welcomed by cold mezza (appetizers) like lemony, garlicky baba ghanoush ($13) with pomegranate seeds and olive oil garnish.

The fattoush salad ($15) is made with garden greens and sprinkled with toasted pita, pomegranates, herbed sumac and lemon vinaigrette.

Kibbeh Nayeh ($23), sort of the Lebanese version of steak tartare, is prepared with bulgur, onion and mint. On the hot mezza menu, an eggplant and zucchini tower ($21) offers lightly battered squash topped with Lebanese yogurt.

Main courses are a mix of individual and shareable dishes. The kafta loula kabob ($27)– ground beef and lamb seasoned with sumac, onion and parsley and served with rice and signature yogurt–comes hot off the skewer. The whole fish platter ($57) features the fish of the day grilled or fried.

And while the Pine Burger on the dinner menu ($23) is meant for one person, a late-night menu allows for social sampling. Made with the same kafta beef used for the kabobs and topped with

arugula, honey and the signature yogurt-based spread, the burger is converted into sliders on the late-night menu, available at 10 p.m.

Salads, rakaket jebneh or Lebanese cheese rolls ($13) and sambousek meat pies ($13) and beef shawarma plate ($23) transfer to the latenight menu seamlessly.

“Late night is usually more social than traditional dinner service. … We’re expecting larger groups to come,” Raven says. “What we did is build out that menu … so multiple people can try the same things with an order.”

You can’t have a good social scene without good cocktails. And Pine Bistro delivers with a program spearheaded by Lewis Caputa, who formerly helmed mixology at Rosina at the Venetian.

“We freshly juice all our items. We make our own syrups. And we do the correct icing and correct preparation. I think it goes a long way in delivering a pinnacle project,” Raven says.

Try the Sumac Smack with Leblon cachaca, sumac syrup, pomegranate juice and lemon; or the Arak sangria with the regional, liquorice-like spirit, red wine and seasonal fruits.

Hookah service, which is confined to the patio until 9 p.m., offers three different levels. The first level uses one flavor—think mint or pineapple.

The second “mocktail” level combines two or three different flavors.

“And the last piece that you won’t see anywhere else in town is a cocktail hookah selection. …

There’s about two to four ounces of additional spirit put into the water base, which makes it taste a little bit different. And it’s curated to match whatever is inside the bowl,” Raven explains.

“One thing we experienced when we went through our travels was [hookah] was everywhere, and it was so social. When you usually think of hookah in Las Vegas, you’re thinking of a dark little hidden hookah lounge. The main thing we wanted to do is make sure that in the venue, the hookah experience felt more elevated than the traditional connotation.”

(Wade Vandervort/Staff)

WSKY SCORES A TOUCHDOWN WITH NEW BAR NEAR THE STADIUM  Raiders fans, rejoice. Your game day grub options just got a whole lot better. This month, WSKY Bar & Grill touches down across the street from Allegiant Stadium with more than 600 parking spots, a wraparound outdoor patio, over 40 screens and a food and drink menu that could put even a seasoned tailgater to shame.

“The stadium opened but there hasn’t really been a stadium district around the property, so we’re going to become domino one,” says Bryan Breeden, vice president of marketing and advertising of Terrible’s, which owns the WSKY tavern brand.

The 12,000-square-foot space is the largest WSKY to date, dwarfing its Inspirada and Warm Springs locations by doubling their size. The 24-hour restaurant, with its cozy fireplace and floor-to-ceiling garage doors, can accommodate around 780 people, with a private back room used to absorb overflow.

Executive chef and Hell’s Kitchen Season 5 contestant LA Limtiaco heads up the menu, with an assist from chef Gabriel Melchor. “I’m from the Bay Area.

I grew up my whole life with Raider games, 49ers games, so I focused on what I used to eat at those games,” says Limtiaco. “We went with what I’m calling Cajun-Asian fusion. We have a bibimbap bowl on the menu, stadium garlic fries—we actually took those and threw them on top of a pizza.”

WSKY also serves serve po’ boys and burgers like the Oh Shootz Brah Gah. “We took Portuguese sausage, pineapples (and) Maui onion and we made a jam out of it. Then we’re putting that over an eightounce Wolverine Patty,” she says. “That’s also got purple slaw on it so it’ll take you on that ride, that sweet and salty ... vinegar, acidy sort of thing.”

“Quick eats” menus also have been curated for fans rushing to and from games, and they’ll pair well with the tavern’s cocktail and beer options. Parking is free except on game days. –Amber Sampson

WSKY BAR & GRILL 5625 Polaris Ave. #100, 725240-7652, wskybarandgrill.com. Daily, 24 hours.

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11.30.23

FOOTBALL FEAST What to watch in the pair of conference championship games set to take place at Allegiant Stadium

C U L T U R E

BY CASE KEEFER When the $2 billion Allegiant Stadium opened in 2020, executives touted that it could one day serve as the center of the college football world in addition to being the home of the Las Vegas Raiders.

It just wasn’t supposed to happen this soon.

Those proclamations were made with the knowledge that the College Football Playoff was expanding to 12 teams in 2024 and would require more neutral-field venues going forward. No one expected Allegiant to be the focal point a year ahead of time during conference championship week, but that’s how it’s shaken out this season.

Las Vegas hosts 20% of the championship week schedule, with two out of 10 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) games landing here. The Pac12 conference championship game between No. 3 Washington and No. 5 Oregon goes down at 5 p.m. on December 1 before the Mountain West takes over at noon on December 2 with UNLV hosting Boise State.

The Pac-12 was always slated to be here, but it took a monumental season from UNLV for it to earn the top regular-season standing in the league and get rewarded with home-field advantage in the Mountain West.

Here’s what to watch in Las Vegas’ biggest-ever college football weekend.

Shot at History

UNLV has been a member of the Mountain West since its inception 25 years ago, but never won a conference championship in football—or even come close.

This will be the Rebels’ first championship game appearance. UNLV

BARRY ODOM

MICHAEL PENIX JR.

has spent decades as one of the worst football programs in the nation but there was always a sense of potential if the right coach came around.

Barry Odom appears to be the right coach. In his first year at the helm, the 47-year-old former Missouri coach broke the program’s ignominious streak of nine straight seasons with a losing record.

UNLV’s 9-3 record technically marks the winningest FBS season in school history, as an 11-2 season in 1984 was vacated for using ineligible players.

Shot at a national championship

Allegiant Stadium is kind-of, sort-of making its debut as a playoff host with Oregon vs. Washington. The victor is highly likely, though not fully guaranteed, to earn a spot in the final four-team College Football Playoff.

Washington, one of four undefeated power-conference teams in the country, is surely in if it defeats Oregon for a second time this season. But it took a final-minute touchdown at home for the Huskies

to knock off the Ducks 36-33 in October, and they’re a 9-point underdog in the Allegiant rematch.

No team in the country has played better than Oregon since the defeat, as it’s won six straight by an average of 26 points per game. There’s a scenario in which there are five deserving conference-champion teams alive for the playoff, and it would be highly controversial if the Ducks wound up the one left out.

Oregon would be favored over every team in the country except for Georgia and Michigan currently.

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L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

ROME ODUNZE his program around local players, so it’s only appropriate one has emerged as the face of the team at football’s most important position.

Heisman eliminator

BO NIX

Votes for college football’s most prestigious award, the Heisman Trophy, are due December 4. The Pac-12 championship will have major influence, as two of the three players considered to still have a real shot at the honor square off in Oregon quarterback Bo Nix and Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Penix spent several weeks as the favorite after beating Nix and the Ducks the first time around, but has since slowed down statistically. Nix is now the odds-on favorite, barely holding off prolific LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, according to the betting market.

Daniels may edge both of them, but he won’t have a chance to make a final impression during conference championship week after LSU went a relatively mediocre 9-3 this season. Penix and Nix have the valuable opportunity to use Allegiant Stadium as the venue of their “Heisman moment.”

J AY D E N M A I A VA

Shorter-term turnaround

SPENCER DANIELSON

(AP Photo/Photo Illustration)

Rome comes home

Washington receiver Rome Odunze caught the game-winning touchdown against Oregon in the first game between the Pac-12 rivals.

He also led Washington to securing an undefeated regular season with a 23-yard rush on a fourth-down play against Washington State to set up a game-winning field goal in a 24-21 win November 25.

Odunze’s big-play ability, which has him as one of 10 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award given to the nation’s top receiver, shouldn’t be a

surprise to anyone in Las Vegas. He pulled off similar heroics for a couple years at Bishop Gorman High, where he claimed Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year honors in his 2019 senior season.

Odunze isn’t the only local on the Huskies’ roster, as a pair of Liberty High greats in guard Troy Fautanu and receiver Germie Bernard are also key contributors.

Maiava never left

Former Liberty and Sierra Vista High quarterback Jayden Maiava

drew offers to play at power-five programs, but opted to stay home at UNLV. The decision paid off quickly as Maiava worked his way up to No. 2 on the depth chart headed into his redshirt freshman season this year.

That put him in position to take over when incumbent starter Doug Brumfield went down with an injury early in the season, and Maiava played so well directing the Scarlet and Gray’s Go-Go offense that he seized the permanent job.

Odom has prioritized building

Unlike UNLV, no one would have been shocked to see Boise State in the conference championship game at the beginning of the season. In fact, the Broncos were a near-unanimous choice to win the Mountain West.

But plenty were surprised that Boise State would make it now, given a tumultuous season that saw it sitting at 4-5 in mid-November and led to the firing of coach Andy Avalos a week later. Boise State has since bounced back to win three straight, the last two under interim coach Spencer Danielson.

The Broncos needed outside help too, taking advantage of a chaotic Mountain West race to edge San Jose State via computer-ranking tiebreaker for the final spot in the championship game.

Boise State comes in as a 2.5-point favorite over UNLV with a seemingly more talented roster, but for most of the year, it hasn’t looked like the better team.

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VEGAS INC BUSINESS

11.30.23

B U S I N E S S

SMALL BUSINESS

AFTER ACCIDENT TOOK HIS MOBILITY, ENTREPRENEUR’S CAREER REALLY STARTED MOVING

BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF Scott Frost, CEO and co-founder of Titan Brands Hospitality Group, poses at Slice of Vegas at the Shoppes at Mandalay Place.

(Steve Marcus/Staff)

I

t was mid-afternoon on Mother’s Day of 2009 when Scott Frost’s life irrevocably changed.

Frost, a Las Vegas entrepreneur, was working on a business proposal at home when a friend suggested they take their motorcycles out for a ride.

Within the hour, the pair were off-roading at a rain-retention basin in the desert—the area of Henderson that’s now the master-planned community Inspirada.

“At 1:47 p.m., I shut my computer down,” Frost recalled. “It’s really eerie. You go on this motorcycle ride, and in 40 minutes I was paralyzed from the neck down. I would never walk inside my house again. I would never sleep in that bed upstairs again.”

Frost was riding on what he thought was a level road; when it dropped off about 5 feet, his bike tipped forward and he landed on his head.

After nearly an hour of communicating with first responders on the phone, Frost, his friend and a bystander that he hopes to someday track down and thank, were eventually able to get a life flight to their location. He was taken to University Medical Center, where he said he was “freaking out” as doctors set out to assess the damage.

“The sensation of being paralyzed is uniquely terrible,” he said. “You’re looking at things and they won’t move and it’s like you’re encased in concrete—but there’s no concrete.”

What he would learn is that a crushed disc was pushing on the back of his spine, creating an ischemic event and robbing it of oxygen, ultimately killing cells in a part of his spine and resulting in a permanent disability. Frost was quadriplegic.

He underwent intense physical rehabilitation, slowly regaining movement in certain parts of his body. Before long, he could move his left thumb, followed by his right big toe.

“I just said, ‘You know, this is going to be the greatest comeback story in history,’” Frost recalled. “‘Just get your cameras ready.’”

Meanwhile, he made sure his business partner picked up the proposal he had been working on, and they ultimately won a bid to open a nightclub in another state. They also finalized a lease for their restaurant, Hussong’s Mexican Cantina.

“I attribute that to desperation breeds

inspiration,” he said. “Something like this focuses you. And I became extremely focused. I had a family to provide for, and business became my oxygen tank.”

Just seven months after his accident, leaning onto others for balance and with a mariachi band cheering him on, Frost walked into Hussong’s at the Shoppes at Mandalay Place on the Strip.

Now, Frost—co-founder and CEO of Las Vegas-based Titan Brands Hospitality Group—oversees a growing portfolio of businesses, including multiple Hussong’s locations and Slice Of Vegas Pizza Kitchen and Bar. The company has still had its fair share of challenges, however. After the October 1, 2017, mass shooting on the Strip that killed 58 people, a third of Frost’s business disappeared overnight, he said.

Business was just coming back to capacity when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020.

His advice to fellow entrepreneurs: Be willing to fail, to take criticism and learn from others, then make incremental improvements to eventually reach success.

And along the way, he emphasized, treat people with dignity and respect “What it really comes down to is the culture that we have there,” said Brian Norris, president of Titan Brands Hospitality Group. “A lot of places talk of good culture, and never quite live up to those standards.

And we have our same core values that we’ve had since the beginning and we go back to those. And it’s about creating a sense of family and friendship.”

Frost said he says a prayer every morning, and practices gratitude for the continued support of his family, friends and team, as well as all that he is still capable of.

He’s grateful for all the gifts he’s maintained despite the accident, which are largely intellectual instead of physical.

Not only do those gifts allow him to keep running his business, Frost said, but being quadriplegic has also taught him to be less of a micromanager.

“I can’t get behind the bar and do that, or I can’t jump to the back of the restaurant and carry plates out,” he said. “I can’t go around and talk to customers. So it was such an incredible experience, that whole journey of navigating the loss of your physical body.”

11.30.23

VEGAS INC BUSINESS

55I

REAL ESTATE

GUEST COLUMN

Here’s to the small-business owners, who take the risks, make the mistakes and come through the other side shining

BY D.J. ALLEN

T

hank you.

Job well done.

Keep battling—you’ve got this.

As a small-business owner, accolades, words of support and thank-yous—if any—are few and far between. At times, it can be an intensely lonely existence.

Let’s try to rectify that. At least for 800 words or so.

Here’s to never having real days off. You may have a cleared schedule, but you never truly turn it off. Your business is always running in your mind. Payroll is coming and cash flow is king. Keep battling. You’ve got this.

Thank you for paying yourself last.

There is no stress like the stress of making payroll. You’ve either felt it or you haven’t. But the commitment you make to others changes lives. Thank you for the homes you’ve helped to buy.

Weddings you’ve helped to pay for.

Educations you’ve invested in. Thank you for making lives better.

You took an idea and made it come to life. You created your business—out of nowhere. You took the risk—even when you heard the doubt from others.

Take a moment and appreciate what you have created. Job well done.

At 25 years old, with our first baby on the way and still finishing an MBA at UNLV, I was too young and dumb to know the risks of walking away from a guaranteed paycheck to focus on my small business at the time, Imagine Communications. And I’m so glad I

(Shutterstock)

was. Life would forever be changed.

Nearly 25 years later, the focus is now the second business we founded—Xs & Os of Success, a people and culture company. But the journey—and the people we have met along the way—remain the prize.

Many of those people are entrepreneurs themselves and we asked them for help with writing this, posing them the question: What advice would give yourself if you could go back to when you first started building your company?

“For me, it wasn’t about dollars and cents, it was more about my mindset that needed to mature,” said Brooks Downing, who founded the Lexington, Kentucky-based sports marketing and event management firm bdG Sports in

2012. “My advice to me would be to stay humble. It’s very easy to get cocky at the first sign of success, which can lead you down a road of irrational decisions.

It’s important to grow organically. One mistake I made was adding staff too quickly, and when conditions suddenly change—a bad business decision, a pandemic, other factors—that affects your profit and loss. The worst part of this job is letting people go.

“I would rather maximize ‘cap space’ for staff than quickly add others to the mix. When you’re trying to develop a family-oriented, people-first staff, finding yourself in that position is not desirable. What’s the old saying, ‘the pig gets fed, but the hog gets slaughtered?’”

Over the past decade, Downing’s

team played a big role in the growth of college basketball in the Las Vegas market. Through that relationship, we met Jason Kohll, the founder of Houston-based Professional Sports Partners, a sports marketing agency focused on helping brands tell their story and getting the most value from athletes, teams, leagues and events.

“Be patient: Building it the right way will pay off,” Kohll said he would go back and tell himself over a decade ago. “Those first few years are so stressful as you build—a cycle of two steps forward, one step back. Have the gumption and grit to stick to it and focus while blocking out distractions.”

One friend who blocked out the distractions was Tim Brooks, who, despite naysayers everywhere, opened the Emerald Island Casino in downtown Henderson over two decades ago and turned it into one of the most successful local casinos in the state.

“Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and admit them when you do,” Brooks said. “Consider yourself a baseball batter in the business world. If you are successful 30% of the time, you’re an all-star.”

And then there is Alex De Castroverde, who always pushes me to think bigger. He and his brother, Orlando, have grown Las Vegas-based De Castroverde Law Group to over 100 employees and into one of the leading Hispanic law firms in the Southwest.

“Dream and think big,” Alex De Castroverde said. “You and the firm can accomplish much more than you think is possible.”

Whether you already run your own business or are thinking of chasing your dream, it will be lonely. But you are not alone. We are always rooting for you.

So, thank you. Job well done. And keep battling—you’ve got this.

D.J. Allen is a performance and communication coach with Xs & Os of Success, which he founded in 2008. He co-wrote the book Xs & Os of Success with College Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lon Kruger. Allen is also the founder and a former partner of Imagine Communications.

56

VEGAS INC BUSINESS

11.30.23

The Las Vegas Super Bowl LVIII Host Committee and NFL Green partnered with Nathan Adelson Hospice on a community greening project. Six fruit trees were planted around the front entrance and other key locations on the hospice property. With the support of Moon Valley Nurseries, staff and families cared for by the hospice helped plant the trees.

GIVING NOTES Local philanthropy making a difference

Miracle Flights, which provides free air transportation to children who need assistance reaching medical care not available in their home communities, announced the return of “Lights for Flights” at Downtown Summerlin. The interactive holiday photo opportunity includes seven oversized illuminated words that embody the mission of Miracle Flights and give holiday shoppers the opportunity to give back to the nonprofit. The signs, placed at high-traffic locations throughout Downtown

Summerlin, will remain lighted from dusk to dawn every day throughout the holiday season.

Shell USA and Green Valley Grocery donated $42,000 to Three Square Food Bank as part of “The Giving Pump” initiative. During the campaign, over 70 Green Valley Grocery gas stations donated combined proceeds from the designated Giving Pump with no additional costs to customers. It was one of several Hunger Action Month events in September that raised $518,290. Among the other events were: n Three Square’s Community-wide Virtual Food Drive n Audacy and Hunger Related Events hosted the annual 4 Corners Food Drive.

Mix 94.1 FM led the efforts by broadcasting live from various Albertsons locations to collect food and funds, with the remaining Audacy radio stations encouraging listeners to take action.

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LV W P U Z Z L E & H O R O S C O P E S

11.30.23

PREMIER CROSSWORD “CAPITAL-GRAMS” BY FRANK LONGO

HOROSCOPES WEEK OF NOVEMBER 30 BY ROB BREZSNY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Many people love spinning. Scientists postulate humans have a desire for the intoxicating vertigo it brings. Don’t go off in a meadow and spin yourself around so much that you get dizzy and fall if it’s dangerous for you. But if it’s safe and the spirit moves you, do it! Or at least imagine yourself doing it.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Now is a favorable time to be like the mushrooms that keep the earth fresh. In wooded areas, they eat away dead trees and leaves, preventing larger and larger heaps of compost from piling up. They keep the soil healthy and make nutrients available for growing things. Steadily and relentlessly rid your world of the defunct and decaying parts, thereby stimulating fertility.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Novelist Geraldine McCaughrean wrote, “Maybe courage is like memory—a muscle that needs exercise to get strong. So I decided that maybe if I started in a small way, I could gradually work my way up to being brave.” For best results, begin practicing on mild risks and mellow adventures. By mid-2024, you will be ready to launch a daring project.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Oliver Sacks worked with people who had unusual neurological issues. His conclusion: “Defects, disorders and diseases can play a paradoxical role, by bringing out latent powers, developments and evolutions that might never be seen in their absence.” Meditate on how the events of your life might exemplify the principle Sacks marvels at: apparent limitations leading to breakthroughs.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You are falling in love with new ways of seeing and understanding yourself. Your heart is singing in response to new attractions. Keep it up. You are having an excellent influence on those around you, whose dormant potentials and drowsy passions are stirring as they behold you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Journalist Sydney J. Harris offered advice to meditate on: “Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.” Now is a favorable time to take action on things you have not yet done— and should do.

2020 KING FEATURES SYNDICATE ACROSS 1 Slogan 6 Like horses offered for breeding 12 “You played well!”

20 Knot on a tree branch 21 Like Lowell’s “day in June” 22 Anomalous 23 Creature in the Philippines’ capital?

25 Former British prime minister Benjamin 26 Geronimo or Cochise 27 Voting “no” 29 Final inning, usually 30 Best Picture of 2012 32 El — (1961 epic film) 33 Horse-drawn carriage in Angola’s capital?

37 Sobieski of the screen 39 — Plaines 40 Olympic swimmer Tom 41 Skating couples in France’s capital?

44 Like charged atoms 45 Pear variety 49 Melodramatic 50 Privy to 51 Massey of old movies 52 Affliction for some war vets 56 Mineo of old movies 57 Pollen-bearing organ from a flower in Iran’s capital?

60 Golfer Hale 62 Insect’s egg capsule 64 Boise loc.

65 State Fair actor Ayres 66 Ring thrown at a peg in Ecuador’s capital?

69 Public square in Bolivia’s capital?

72 Abbr. on a navy vessel 73 Website ID 74 Showed up at 76 Narratives 77 Feudal lords in Greece’s capital?

80 TV captain Jean- — Picard 83 Big shindig 84 Has to have 85 Like a desert 86 Workforce newcomer 88 Harper of No Country for Old Men 89 Doughnut-shaped 91 Small parasite in South Korea’s capital?

96 Primitive-based kind of diet 97 “OB-viously!”

98 Striped stinkers 99 Comedian in Lesotho’s capital?

104 — Fridays (eatery chain) 106 “Fancy —!”

107 Flared dress 108 Feudal toiler 109 “Who — thunk it?!”

111 Said “OK” to silently 115 Gym sweatboxes in the Bahamas’ capital?

119 Intimate chat 120 The second “S” of KISS 121 Prez Roosevelt 122 Back spot for a rider 123 Madrid’s land, to its natives 124 “It’s nobody — business” DOWN 1 Gigi studio 2 — roll (hot)

3 4 5 6

Scarlet bird Libyan port Cantina pot Popular beer from Japan 7 Not flabby 8 — Lanka 9 Mexican meat dishes 10 Ariel’s planet 11 Letter before epsilon 12 Rove (about) 13 Kimono sash 14 Clip- — (some ties) 15 1996 presidential hopeful Bob 16 Bit of salt 17 Modify 18 Island south of Sicily 19 Nobelist Root 24 Says “OK” to 28 Tabby not leaving the house 30 Swiss peak 31 Singer Chris 34 Part of DKNY 35 — Baba 36 Fond du —, Wisconsin 38 Kin of -ette 39 Like a desert 42 Drivers’ org.

43 Brand of coolers 44 Fills the lungs 45 Deli staple 46 “So chic!”

47 Allergic outbursts 48 Hot wax may be a part of it 50 Pluralized -y, often 51 Ill-suited 52 Pleasantly pungent 53 Fiduciary figure 54 Moves with a rustling sound 55 Morse click 57 Best Picture of 1997 58 Actress Long 59 Timber tool

61 They often precede verbs 63 Experienced via another person 67 String after P 68 Final: Abbr.

70 Target of the Salk vaccine 71 Petri dish site 75 Doc’s Rx 78 Paper VIPs 79 Palace area for women 81 Country south of Braz.

82 Fahrenheit alternative 86 Snarky laugh 87 Deer relative 89 Letter before upsilon 90 Ending for schnozz 91 “Time to ride the waves!”

92 Beat in a mano-a-mano 93 Releases from one’s grasp 94 Jamaican music genre 95 N.J. hours 96 Gussies up 97 Removes some rodents 99 Stately home 100 Solitary 101 Album’s first half 102 Ewoks’ forest moon 103 Detect 104 Creator of Tom Sawyer 105 Dutch cheese 110 Past due 112 Female goat 113 MSNBC anchor Cabrera 114 Vietnamese holiday 116 Mud bath site 117 Lime drink 118 Method: Abbr.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Medieval Europeans were not dirty and unhygienic. They made soap and loved to bathe. Another bogus myth says the people of the Middle Ages believed Earth was flat. But most educated folks knew it was round. Strip away misconceptions and celebrate actual facts in your own sphere.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Poet John Berryman said, “To grow, we must travel in the direction of our fears.” The coming weeks will be an excellent time to re-evaluate and reinvent your relationship with your fears. Approach the subject with a beginner’s mind. Empty yourself of all previous ideas and be open to healing new revelations.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Poet Nina Cassian said, “I promise to make you so alive that the fall of dust on furniture will deafen you.”

She meant she would fully awaken the senses of her readers. Even if you’re not a writer, you now have an enhanced ability to perform these same services—both for yourself and for others.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “Sometimes I get lonesome for a storm,” says singer-songwriter Joan Baez. “A full-blown storm where everything changes.” If you’re feeling resilient, you, too, should get lonesome for a storm. Your life could use some rearrangement. If you’re not feeling wildly bold and strong, ask the gods for a mild squall.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Science educator Neil deGrasse Tyson tells us that water molecules we drink have “passed through the kidneys of Socrates, Genghis Khan and Joan of Arc.” Now is an excellent time to intensify your feelings of kinship with the web of life. You will attract more help and support into your life.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Do not accept lazy or careless efforts from others. You won’t allow their politeness to be a cover-up for manipulativeness. Cultivate high expectations for yourself.

You won’t be an obsessive perfectionist, but will be devoted to excellence.

All your actions will be infused with high integrity.

You will conscientiously attend to every detail with the faith that you are planting seeds that will bloom beautifully.

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