2024-05-02-Las-Vegas-Weekly

At its core, “INDULGE” is a series of meticulously crafted events and collaborations celebrating the culinary world and the allure of diverse dining experiences. From intimate pop-up dinners with Michelin-starred chefs to immersive mixology classes led by renowned experts, “INDULGE” is an exploration of the extraordinary set against the backdrop of our iconic resort.

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PUBLISHER

MARK DE POOTER

mark.depooter@gmgvegas.com

EDITOR

SHANNON MILLER

shannon.miller@gmgvegas.com

EDITORIAL

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

Managing Editor BROCK RADKE (brock.radke@gmgvegas.com)

Sta Writer GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ (gabriela.rodriguez@gmgvegas.com)

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

Contributing Writers EMMA BROCATO,GRACE DA ROCHA,HILLARY DAVIS, MIKE GRIMALA, KATIE ANN MCCARVER, AYDEN RUNNELS, RHIANNON SAEGERT

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

O ce Coordinator NADINE GUY

CREATIVE

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

Senior Designer IAN RACOMA

Photo Coordinator BRIAN RAMOS

Photographers CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS, STEVE MARCUS, WADE VANDERVORT

DIGITAL

Publisher of Digital Media KATIE HORTON

Web Content Specialist CLAYT KEEFER

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Publisher of Branded Content & Special Publications EMMA WOLFF

Special Publications Editor SIERRA SMART

Senior Advertising Managers MIKE MALL, ADAIR MILNE, SUE SRAN

Account Executives MARY CHARISSE DIMAIN, LAUREN JOHNSON, ANNA ZYMANEK

Sales Executive Assistants APRIL MARTINEZ

Events Director SAMANTHA LAMB

Events Manager HANNAH ANTER

Events Coordinator ALEXANDRA SUNGA

Events Intern MELINA TAYLOR

PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION

Vice President of Manufacturing MARIA BLONDEAUX

Production Director PAUL HUNTSBERRY

Production Manager BLUE UYEDA

Associate Marketing Art Director BROOKE EVERSON

Marketing Graphic Designer CARYL LOU PAAYAS

Production Artist MARISSA MAHERAS

Senior Tra c Coordinator DENISE ARANCIBIA

Tra c Coordinator ALEX HAASE

Distribution Relations Liaison JIDAN SHADOWEN

Fulfillment Operations Coordinator CASANDRA PIERCE

Route Administrator KATHY STRELAU

GREENSPUN MEDIA GROUP

CEO, Publisher & Editor BRIAN GREENSPUN

Chief Operating O cer ROBERT CAUTHORN

LAS VEGAS WEEKLY

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ADVERTISING DEADLINE EVERY THURSDAY AT 5 P.M.

The upgrades here include life.

SUPERGUIDE

THURSDAY MAY 02

GARTH BROOKS

8 p.m., & 5/4-5/5, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com

BOOK LAUNCH:

WENDY CHEN

Noon, UNLV’s Beverly Rogers Literature and Law Building, eventbrite.com

LAS VEGAS

AVIATORS VS. RENO ACES Thru 5/4, 7 p.m. (& 5/5, noon), Las Vegas Ballpark, ticketmaster.com

JEFF HAMILTON ORGAN TRIO

7 & 8:30 p.m., Vic’s, vicslasvegas.com

STRFKR

With Ruth Radlet, Happy Sad Face, 7:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com

JULIA JACKLIN

7 p.m., Beverly Theater, thebeverlytheater. com

P.O.D.

With Bad Wolves, Norma Jean, Blind Channel, 6 p.m., House of Blues, concerts.livenation. com

BARRY MANILOW

7 p.m., & 5/3, Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com

RL GRIME

10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com

PAUL WALL

10 p.m., Ghostbar, palms.com

LIL JON

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

LUUDE

With Dre4k, Bemm, 10 p.m., We All Scream, seetickets.us

MATT RIFE Thru 5/4, 7 p.m. (& 5/4, 10:30 p.m.), the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com.

FRIDAY MAY 03

[camera icon] BAD GIRL PARTY WITH USHER 10:30 p.m., Jewel Nightclub, taogroup.com

LOS BUKIS

JUSTIN WILLMAN

Usher (Courtesy)

8 p.m., & 5/4, 5/8, Dolby Live, ticketmaster.com.

SCORPIONS

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

PEPE AGUILAR

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

CYPRESS HILL

With The Pharcyde, Souls of Mischief, 6:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster. com

METALACHI

8 p.m., Veil Pavilion, silvertoncasino.com.

7:30 p.m., & 5/4, Summit Showroom, ticketmaster.com

LAS VEGAS

PHILHARMONIC: SWAN LAKE

7:30 p.m., & 5/4 (& 5/4-5/5, 2 p.m.), Reynolds Hall, the smithcenter.com

T-PAIN

Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com

DIPLO

Noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial. com

LUDACRIS

DURAN DURAN

10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com

WIND ROSE

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

KYLIE MINOGUE

9:30 p.m., & 5/4, Voltaire, voltairelv.com.

JANE MONHEIT

7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. DALLAS STARS Time TBD (if necessary), T-Mobile Arena, axs.com

CARLOS BALLARTA

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

FABOLOUS

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

KYGO

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

TIËSTO

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

TYGA

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

TIP

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

MIKE EPPS

8:30 p.m., & 5/4, Venetian Theatre, ticketmaster.com

AKON

10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com

The last time Duran Duran played Encore Theater at the Wynn, we got an album out of it. Well, kinda-sorta. 2023’s Danse Macabre, a collection of spooky songs, was at least partly based on the band’s October 31, 2022 show, where they dropped an exclusive Halloween setlist featuring deep cuts like “Secret Oktober” and “Night Boat” and big-swing covers like Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Spellbound” and the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black.” While that’s unlikely to happen at these May shows—Halloween is, sadly, months away—Duran Duran’s oneo Encore show demonstrated that the band is comfortable enough with the venue, and the city, to have some fun and try di erent things that may not necessarily fit into a standard tour. Hey, at the least, we’re likely to get one or two songs from Danse Macabre. 8 p.m., & 5/4, $125+, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com. –Geo Carter

SUPERGUIDE

SATURDAY MAY 04

ZZ TOP

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

THE VERONICAS

7:30 p.m., House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com.

TITO PUENTE

JR.

6 & 8:30 p.m., Myron’s, the smithcenter.com

GALACTIC EMPIRE

8 p.m., Veil Pavilion, silvertoncasino. com

HUMAN FACTORS LAB

With Our Frankenstein, The God Bombs, 8 p.m., Sinwave, dice.fm

BOXING: CANELO

ALVAREZ VS. JAIME MUNGUIA

2:30 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com

LAS VEGAS

LIGHTS VS. NEW MEXICO UNITED

7:30 p.m., Cashman Field, lasvegaslightsfc. com

WINE

SPECTATOR GRAND TOUR

7 p.m., Resorts World, tixr.com

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK:

MACBETH

6 p.m., Silver Springs Recreation Center, nvartscouncil.org

DAVID GUETTA

Noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com

RICK ROSS

Noon, Drai’s Beachclub, drais group.com

SECRET GARDEN

With Dombresky, Mindchatter, Anabel Englund, more, 8:30 p.m., Area15, area15. com

ODESZA

10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com

ZEDD

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

LIL WAYNE

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

LOVERS & FRIENDS FESTIVAL

DJ SNOOPADELIC Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

THE CHAINSMOKERS

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

AFROJACK

10:30 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial. com

STEVE AOKI

10:30 p.m.,

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

JERMAINE DUPRI

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

JA RULE & ASHANTI

10:30 p.m.,

10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com the

Last year’s Lovers & Friends fest brought icons like Missy Elliott and Mariah Carey to the main stage, but we’ve yet to see a lineup as front-loaded with female artists as this. In what world does a festival goer get to see Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, Gwen Stefani and Ciara perform live over the course of a single day? If Lovers & Friends started as a hip-hop and R&B throwback fest for nostalgia, it has entered its third year as a celebration of legacy on every level. The legendary Jackson has been on the global tour circuit since last year, and she’s not the only artist on the bill bringing a tour here. R&B powerhouses Xscape and SWV will return to Vegas on June 29 for a concert at Bakkt Theater, with support from other festival acts Mya, Total and Las Vegas-bred group 702. Seminal R&B bad boys Jodeci will also continue their House of Blues residency through July. If there was ever a good time to be a fan of these sounds, it’s now. 11 a.m., $325+, Las Vegas Festival Grounds, loversandfriendsfest.com. –Amber Sampson

With Jyoty, Kenny Beats, noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial. com

FAIRUZ NIGHT

On the heels of Arab American Heritage Month, celebrate the rich culture of the Middle East with dancing and the music of the iconic Lebanese singer Fairuz. World-renowned guitarist and instrumentalist Bishr Hijazi will lead this musical voyage with his ensemble, which includes several Arabic instruments including oud, violin, riqq and durbakkeh, as well as a dancer. Virtuoso violinist Georges Lammam and rhythmic percussionist Romario Bandek will play alongside Hijazi, taking listeners on a mesmerizing journey as they perform classics by composers such as Abdel Wahab, Baligh Hamdi and Farid Al Atrach. To top it all o , Amelia Zidane will be belly dancing. 8 p.m., $20, Winchester Dondero Cultural Center, clarkcountynv.gov.

BASHFORTHEWORLD

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

BENNY THE BUTCHER With Boldy James, 8 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster. com.

BLIPPI

2 p.m., Orleans Arena, ticketmaster. com

CLAIRE WOOLNER: A RETROSPECTIVE

8 p.m., Vegas Theatre Company, theatre.vegas

VEGAS THRILL VS. OMAHA SUPERNOVAS

7 p.m., Lee’s Family Forum, axs.com

THREE SISTERS: NOT BY CHEKHOV

8 p.m., Vegas Theatre Company, theatre.vegas

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

L’ÉTAPE LAS VEGAS BY TOUR DE FRANCE

6 a.m., Las Vegas Ballpark, lasvegas. letapebytour defrance.com

RALPH BARBOSA

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

DEBI GUTIERREZ

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

MONDAY NIGHT LIVE 7:30 p.m., Wiseguys Arts District, wiseguyscomedy.com MAY 05

With John Knight, Frazer Smith, thru 5/12, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand.mgmresorts. com

TANK & KEYSHIA COLE Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com

NE-YO

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

RÜFÜS DU SOL 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com

–Shannon Miller

MYKE TOWERS 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com

SUPERGUIDE

MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER

7 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, seetickets.us.

FRANKIE MORENO

7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com.

JUSTIN CREDIBLE

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

VICKI BARBOLAK

7 p.m., Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster. com

DAVID BLAINE

8 p.m., & 5/105/11, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com

REO SPEEDWAGON

8:30 p.m., & 5/10-5/11, Venetian Theatre, ticketmaster.com.

ERRA

6 p.m., House of Blues, thesmithcenter.com.

CLINT HOLMES

7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.

HUNTERGIRL

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

DILLON FRANCIS

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

DO IT ALL

HIDDEN HISTORY

UNLV’s Claytee White on a new project digging deeper into Las Vegas sports

THE WEEKLY Q&A

BY BROCK RADKE

Professional sports in Las Vegas couldn’t be a hotter topic than it is today. But while locals and fans celebrate recent championships and successful events and look to future expansion, it’s easy to overlook the significant history of sports in the Valley and how we got here.

That’s why UNLV’s Oral History Research Center is seizing the moment to launch a two-year project dubbed Game On! The Oral History of Las Vegas Sports, collecting stories from the people who shaped this aspect of local life through the decades. The center’s founding director Claytee White and project manager Stefani Evans will lead a team gathering stories about today’s hockey, football, soccer and basketball teams, but also reaching back to learn more about motorsports, baseball, mixed martial arts, tennis, rugby, rodeo, golf, pro wrestling and many more sports subjects.

Launched with a $30,000 gift from a private donor, the project’s oral histories will be transcribed, digitized and eventually made available to researchers and interested parties through the UNLV Special Collections & Archives Portal. White discussed the project recently with the Weekly

Why is it important to tell the story of sports in Las Vegas?

Because people think it’s just starting. While we want to include all of these new arrivals in this project, we want to also tell the story of boxing at Caesars Palace, and golf in the 1950s. There was a baseball team in the Black community in the 1930s called the Giants, and we don’t even have anyone we can interview about it, but I want to be able to let people know we had community sports back then. Frank Hawkins, who played for the Raiders when they were in Oakland, grew up here. He has a championship ring for the Raiders and when he was a little boy in the Black community, he would walk around with a football under his arm. We just have so many wonderful stories we need to tell. What do we gain from collecting these oral histories versus a different style of documentation?

We get to hear their voices, people who actually participated in a lot of cases, and people who were in the families of those who participated. Oral history allows everybody to be involved, not just those written about

in the newspaper or who we hear from and about on TV or radio shows. And this allows communities that have been silenced for so long to be involved. A man in the Latinx community told me about horse races in the desert and we want to [talk to him] about what’s beyond organized sports, those we don’t know a whole lot about.

Las Vegas has learned pretty quickly about the less obvious impacts sports can have on a community, and this project will certainly continue that education.

We want to talk to Bill Foley and Mark Davis, and some of those players who have made [that impact] and ask about their memories, how they got into sports. Our first interview was with a woman who works for the Library District who was part of the corporate challenges they used to have in the city; she played ping pong. She’s a very genteel lady until you start talking about ping pong—her whole personality changes. Sports can do something beyond the economics. It builds the community in a way that allows for competition and teamwork … and establishes relationships for years to come.

Are there specific teams, events or sports stories you’re particularly excited to uncover?

I want to find out all about lacrosse, and about pickleball. I don’t know where pickleball came from, but all of a sudden, it was

everywhere. Of course we’re going to do tennis and hopefully talk to Andre Agassi and Steffi Graff. The LGBTQ community had sports events back in the ’60s and ’70s and we’re learning more and more about that, and we want to include some of those in this project. And something new is esports—college kids all over the country are involved in esports. We’re planning to collect maybe 140 interviews, so we’re going to have to be careful and not get too excited when we interview someone from the Las Vegas Aces team, for example, because we’re going to want to talk to the whole team but we’ll have to hold ourselves back so we can devote the right number of interviews to each subject. I grew up in Las Vegas when UNLV won the men’s basketball national championship and I still remember how that captivated the community, and we’ve seen it again with the Golden Knights. Do you think an earlier milestone like that UNLV title will remain important and continue to resonate as we grow and accomplish other achievements in sports?

Yes. It’s always going to be important. I’m from a small town in North Carolina, and if someone mentions that Claytee lives in Las Vegas, the first thing they say is, ‘Oh, the Runnin’ Rebels.’ That will always mean something to this town. And we want to interview one of [Jerry Tarkanian’s] sons that played at UNLV for this project.

Sugar Ray Leonard battles Marvin Hagler in “The Super Fight” in 1987 at Caesars Palace. (Courtesy/UNLV, Caesars Palace Photograph Collection)

How Area15 subverted and transformed Vegas’ take on themed attractions—and became one of our rare cultural exports

BY GEOFF CARTER

(Christopher DeVargas/Sta )

It’s Friday night at Area15. We step gingerly past artist Tyler Fuqua’s giant robot Mechan 9, who’s sprawled out near the front door. We walk through the hallway of a starship. We slip beneath the gaze of Shogyo Mujo, the giant glowing skull, and emerge in Area15’s main hall—called the “Spine”—with possibilities bordering on the unlimited. We could vanish into a parallel dimension inside a supermarket. We could shimmy through a laser maze. We could make footprints on the moon.

Since opening its doors in September 2020, Area15 hasn’t stopped adding strange corners and unexpected destinations. The sprawling entertainment, dining and nightlife complex now boasts an axe-throwing bar, a virtual- and augmented-reality “lab,” a two-story arcade, a bar that soars into the air and whatever Wink World is. (I’m going with “bouncy psychedelic diorama.”) Its backyard event space, the A-Lot, and main performance hall, the Portal, host regular dance parties, which Area15 calls “massives” in a nod to the warehouse rave culture that inspired them. By day, some of the same spaces used for all-night partying are used for yoga and guided meditation.

I’ve seen a good portion of what Area15 has to offer. Naturally, I’ve visited Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart— the previously mentioned parallel-dimension market—on multiple occasions, most recently to drink in the semi-hidden bar. I’ve watched burlesque performers and screened movies in the Portal. I’ve dined in the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea-themed dining room of the soon-to-close Lost Spirits Distillery, and walked out with two bottles of the terrific rum made on the premises. And I saw the legendary surf/garage band Man or Astro-man? in the club venue called the Wall, where it performed what amounted to a synth solo on a vintage Apple dot matrix printer. (I missed shows by The Drums and Yves Tumor, to my regret.) Area15 prides itself on doling out complete, memorable experiences like these, one after the other.

“There was an article in the Wall Street Journal the other day about how marketing events are now called ‘experiences,’” says Area15 COO Dan Pelson. “The word is kind of losing

some of its meaning, but to us, an experience is something that really is transformative—something that is very unusual to the guest, something that we hope drives their participation in something. We like to talk about moving our guests from spectators to participants … While we obviously love people taking pictures and posting them, we want them to engage.”

As it happens, my girlfriend and I are here on this Friday to engage with some of the stuff I haven’t yet. Tonight, we’ll travel to deep space courtesy of Illuminarium, throw a few sharp objects at Dueling Axes, get dinner at The Beast gastropub and put down a couple hundred zombies from the back of Army of the Dead’s heavily armored taco truck. We’ll even poke our heads into the Asylum arcade to check out the Skee-Ball setup and giant Space Invaders machine. All told, we spend just shy of three-and-a-half hours at Area15 … and we still don’t come close to seeing everything, much less engaging with it.

Area15’s entryway (Courtesy/Laurent Velazquez)

“I would say Area15 has at least a half-day’s worth of activities, excluding the dining and retail,” says Dylan Dickson, host of the popular YouTube channel Theme Park Obsession, via email. “When I was there, we easily spent three hours in Omega Mart alone, so if others are spending that much time [there], plus doing the zipline, arcades and maybe a bar, then

you could easily do a half-day.”

Now they’re coming for your entire day. Area15 is amid an expansion that will add Universal Horror Unleashed, a giant haunted house attraction inspired by the Halloween Horror Nights of Universal’s California and Florida parks, and a John Wick-themed attraction that puts visitors in the shoes of Keanu Reeves’ reluctant assassin. (See the sidebar on page 23.) And bucking Vegas’ habit of bringing in outside brands, concepts and operators, Area15 is expanding to other markets, beginning with a new complex in Orlando, Florida—only minutes away from both Walt Disney World and Universal as the UFO flies.

Las Vegas has toyed with motion rides, interactive attractions and full theme parks in the past, but Area15 has found footing where MGM Grand Adventures and Luxor’s early attractions found none. And it’s done so not by copying Disney or Six Flags, but by building on what this city was already doing better than anyone. The fuel of Area15’s ascent is pure, high-octane Vegas, through and through—our hospitality, our nightlife, our inherent weirdness. Area15 may have originally positioned itself as an airport terminal for UFOs, but—almost despite itself—it’s becoming a new kind of theme park.

WE HAVE LIFTOFF

Real estate investment rm Fisher Brothers has owned the land Area15 now occupies since 2005. The complex is in a strangely isolated place— hemmed in by Interstate 15 on one side and by the Desert Inn super arterial on another, and accessible only by side streets lined with industrial parks. Shortly before Area15 opened, I asked CEO Winston Fisher if he was concerned about the out-of-the-way location, and he shook his head placidly: “The rideshares will nd it.”

Finding Area15 was an e ort for Fisher, as well. When I interviewed him for the Weekly in March 2023, he said he’d entertained “a lot of wacky ideas” for the land before he met Michael Beneville, CEO of New York-based creative agency Beneville Studios, who would become Area15’s chief creative lead. They set parameters for themselves: They had to add something new to Vegas’ entertainment mix, while keeping in mind “the decline of malls” and “the future of the experience economy.”

Guideposts in place, Fisher and Beneville set out to build a kind of mall (though Area15 is not a mall, and Fisher bristles at the word) and theme park (Fisher says it’s not a theme park, either, though he doesn’t seem to mind that comparison as much) centered around creative interaction, “an immersive district that houses immersive experiences … [and] attracts best-in-class experiences and art.”

This wasn’t a wacky idea. Around the time Beneville and Fisher began brainstorming ideas for Area15, Sleep No More—an immersive theater production set in a ve-story New York “hotel”—was ve years into a smash hit run that’s only wrapping up this year. House of Eternal Return, an interactive art installation created by New Mexico collective and future Area15 tenant Meow Wolf, had recently opened to glowing reviews. An increasing number of giant art pieces created for Burning Man were making their way o the playa, landing at music festivals and other events. Even Universal and Disney were starting to explore more personalized and atmospheric kinds of storytelling, with experiential “lands” based on Harry Potter and Avatar, respectively.

The Area15 campus came togeth-

er easily. The 200,000 square-foot “Spine” building is visible to cars heading both directions on I-15. Charcoal-colored and mysterious, it is its own best advertisement, and only became more so when Lifto , a colorfully lit, 100-foot-tall observation tower and bar, was raised next to it. And Fisher was right: Uber and Lyft nd the property just ne.

A long sidewalk to the entrance, adorned with Burning Man art, stretches out into a nearly 900-car parking lot. A group of concrete-slab o ce/warehouses on the west side of the property—all told, some additional 90,000 square feet of space—were later repurposed into additional experiences, a process that continues today. (Lost Spirits is in those warehouses, also the Army of the Dead VR attraction. Pelson says John Wick will take up residence there, too.) Inside the Spine, a two-level, 53,000 squarefoot space was carved out for Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart.

But architecture and construction are linear and mathematical. The elusive what of Area15—as in, what makes an experience an Area15 experience?—wasn’t the easiest thing to pin down. I ask Pelson if they created “a brand book, or maybe a mood board” for Area15 during the planning

process. He chuckles lightly and says, “Not only did we create a brand book, but also many, many mood boards. We’re kind of famous for them, internally, to the point of annoying some of our employees.

“But we also actually do have an underlying story, which we haven’t quite articulated to the guests—where did Area15 come from? What is it that it represents? We’re just now starting to unveil that, so to speak, but in very, very subtle ways. Even if you fast-forward many, many years from now, we’d like to have an environment where our guests are able to ll in the blanks.”

The tenant mix came a bit easier, though guring out what’s a t for Area15 and what’s not remains an active point of discussion within the mothership. “It’s kind of the secret sauce, and it’s such a secret that I’m not sure we even know,” Pelson says. “But we know when it’s right and when it’s wrong. And the key is to have that contextual t and all the puzzle pieces tting together.”

Omega Mart, still the largest and most recognizable part of that puzzle, opened a short time after Area15 did. Its importance to Area15 is literally spelled out on the building: Meow Wolf’s logo is painted on the Spine, the same size as Area15’s logo.

Area15 expands its experiential vision with new attractions from Lionsgate and Universal

BY AMBER SAMPSON

Hollywood has a new home at Area15. As part of a 20-acre expansion, the entertainment complex will welcome Universal and Lionsgate into its ever-expanding universe, bringing two new attractions the world has yet to see anywhere else.

Universal Destinations & Experiences is on deck to debut a year-round horror experience next year, with Universal Horror Unleashed serving as its first permanent venture outside of

its global theme parks. Typically, Universal’s seasonal fright fest Halloween Horror Nights features di erent haunted houses, teeming with iconic creatures like Frankenstein and Dracula and more modern monsters like Vecna from Stranger Things. Universal Horror Unleashed is a di erent beast entirely.

Dan Pelson, chief operating o cer of Area15, says the attraction will bring new fears to the forefront, evolving the terror as time goes on—and it won’t all be Halloween-based. This will be an

experience worth traveling for, he adds.

“They could have put their first permanent one in Los Angeles or Orlando, they certainly have a massive presence there. But the fact that they’re doing it here and with Area15 ... that’s really a testament to how the city has transformed and humbly to what Area15 is doing in terms of that transformation,” Pelson says.

That should contrast nicely with Lionsgate’s new John Wick Experience, a 12,000-squarefoot attraction set to open in 2024. The experience draws heavily from the billion-dollar film franchise’s hitman lore, delving fans into an elite underworld of contractual killing, complete with missions, in-character assassins and more. Egan Productions, the masterminds behind Circus Circus’ seasonal scare Fright Dome and the o cial Saw escape room, will pioneer the project, “merging our expertise with the cinematic brilliance of the films and the top-tier environment that Area15 provides,” says Jason Egan, who founded the production company.

“From the moment guests walk up to the building and enter the Vegas Continental, they will feel like they are inside the John Wick films,” Egan says of the fictitious hotel being constructed for the attraction.

“Not only is this a highly immersive action-packed experience, it also includes two amazing themed bars along with a John Wick retail store that will be open to the public.”

These are “new endeavors” for both studios, Pelson says, and there’s more in store.

“A lot of folks in Las Vegas specifically think we’re gonna get it to this level, and then we’re gonna keep running it at that level. In our world, we’re just never done,” he says. “That’s why we continue to say—and it’s painted on our roof —‘Area15 does not exist.’ It’s not ever going to fully exist. We’re going to just constantly keep innovating.”

The Secret Garden massive at Area15. (Courtesy/Gina Joy)

John Wick Exprience rendering (Courtesy/Lionsgate)

Universal Horror Unleashed rendering (Courtesy/Universal)

The relationship between the two entities couldn’t be tighter, says Omega Mart GM Jeff Lund.

“I call it a collaboration, a partnership,” Lund says. “On paper, it’s a business transaction; we are in their campus. [But] they’re really a great partner. We collaborate because we want to draw people to Area15, which takes a little bit of effort—to get people off the Strip, across the Interstate. But once they get here, this is a destination.”

Dickson, who did a video review of Area15 for Theme Park Obsession, was initially drawn by Meow Wolf, but was impressed by everything else he saw.

“The Omega Mart experience was easily the highlight, at least on our first visit. … The exploration element to that attraction is so much fun, because every turn you make, you’re rewarded with beautiful visuals and fun art,” he says. “Also … the entry statement to Area15 was pretty cool, right when you walk in the building.”

It’s worth noting that, once you’ve stepped underneath that giant stylized “A” over the front door, your level of engagement with Area15 is adjustable down to the penny. Pelson proudly notes that entry to Area15 is free. You can take pictures with Bart Kresa and Joshua Harker’s projection-mapped skull Shogyo Mujo,

browse the wares of Rocket Fizz and Kappa Toys, peer into the various attractions and experiences, bob your head to the constant hi-energy club music soundtrack and leave without paying a nickel. (Parking is free, too.)

A visit to Omega Mart starts at $54 ($44 for locals); multi-day passes that offer Meow Wolf and a whole lot more start at $124. That latter pricing is comparable to what Disney and Universal are charging for a single day, which is part of the reason why Area15’s crowd changes wildly depending on what time of the day you show up.

“During the daytime, when school’s out, we get a lot more families with younger kids,” Lund says. “Then, as

VNSSA performing inside Area15’s “Spine.” (Courtesy)

the evening progresses, you’re gonna see more young adults in their 20s and 30s … the kind of consumer that’s more interested in nightclubs.”

Arguably, Area15 is creating a market for nightclubs plus. If you’ve been to EDC, you know that the carnival rides and funhouse aren’t just for show; attendees love to try them. Sure, Area15 has enough nightlife events on the calendar to rival the nightclubs of the Strip (including a May 16 EDC pre-party, Dreamstate, featuring Ferry Corsten, Markus Schulz, Infected Mushroom and more), but I’d be surprised if the attendees of those “massives” didn’t make room for some augmented reality dodgeball in the Lab, a ride on the Haley’s Comet indoor zipline, a few swings of Five Iron Golf or a taste of the free-flowing psychedelia on tap at Omega Mart and Wink World. The instinct to play, to engage, can’t be denied.

Along those lines, it’s no surprise that Area15 officials are exploring the possibilities that adult use recreational cannabis has to offer, although they’re doing so cautiously, and in a way that would keep it isolated from non-consumers and families. (At present, consumption of marijuana is unequivocally forbidden at Area15.)

Last month, they partnered with Planet 13 dispensary—one of two Strip-adjacent dispensaries to recently open a consumption lounge, and itself a special effects-heavy attraction—to launch an open-air, double-decker bus ride between the two properties, running Thursday to Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. They call it—hold on to something—“Shuttle-14.”

“It didn’t take a Harvard MBA to come up with that one,” Pelson says.

But he gets serious when discussing the possibility of a consumption lounge. It wouldn’t be part of Area15, he stresses—“It’d be more of a … let’s call it a ‘condo’d-out’ area, due to federal laws. It wouldn’t be something that we would do directly,” he says.

“That said, those opportunities evolve. We’re always looking at what makes sense for the campus, and in the right place. It wouldn’t be something that’s front and center. We do get a lot of family business during the day, so if we do something like that, it’s not going to be in their faces at all.”

SET THE CONTROLS FOR THE HEART OF THE SUNSHINE STATE

Area15 Orlando has yet to begin construction. Its 17-acre future site— right next to an interstate highway, like in Vegas—is already home to another Tyler Fuqua robot, Mechan 11, who’s carrying an Area15 flag and a bindle full of goodies. As currently planned, its “Spine”will be 100,000 square feet larger than its Vegas relative. In a March 2022 interview with Orlando Weekly, Fisher also promised it won’t be a copy: “I would love to work with local shops and to bring in local culinary experiences … they won’t be the same things [as] Vegas. It will be unique.”

Even so, it’s hard to imagine refining the Nevada out of Area15. Our city and state DNA is in its look, its attitude, its very name. Asked if Area15 can retain its Vegas-ness outside of its home state, Pelson says, “Oh, a thousand percent,” adding that Area15 has already established a sort of foothold outside of Nevada: Another iteration of Wink World, the co-venture with Blue Man Group co-founder Chris Wink, recently opened in the Mall of America in Minneapolis.

For now, the Area15 organization is laser-focused on Vegas—opening the Universal Horror and John Wick experiences, as well as another expe-

(Special to Greenspun Media Group/Becca Schwartz)

rience that Pelson can’t talk about just yet. But he can talk in general terms about the pitch for the experience that he, Fisher, Beneville and the rest of Area15’s creative team received—which, in its way, says just enough.

“It was the wackiest, most insane idea,” Pelson says. “At the end of the presentation, they were kind of nervous, looking to see if they went too far. And I said to them, there’s probably two or three companies in the world that would look at what you just showed and say, ‘That’s exactly what we were hoping for.’ Most folks would throw you out of the room, but that was exactly what we’re looking for. It’s a lot of fun to be able to work in that kind of environment, where you’re constantly trying to push the edge and do things that most are probably just afraid to do.”

“We have some really funky ideas. We’re gonna see if we can make them pencil,” Fisher said to the Weekly in March 2023. “We’re very inspired by [the example of] P.T. Barnum: spectacle sells. It scares people, but the riskiest thing you can do is something original, something grand, something that blows people’s mind. That actually makes me very comfortable. It’s being a commodity that I can’t stand.”

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The Michael Jackson Estate is not affiliated, associated, or connected with “MJ Live Tribute Concert,” nor has it endorsed or sponsored “MJ Live Tribute Concert.” Michael Jackson portrayed by Jalles Franca.

IN THE NEWS

“Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana.”

- President Joe Biden in December. On April 30, The Associated Press reported that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug.

HOT SHOT

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone (61) fights with Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) during Game 4 of their Stanley Cup first-round playo series April 29 at T-Mobile Arena. The Stars won, 4-2. (Wade Vandervort/Sta )

THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

1 F1 AT FONTAINEBLEAU

Formula 1 and Fontainebleau have announced the Paddock Club will be transformed into an open-air version of Fontainebleau’s LIV Nightclub November 21-23. Its trackside experience will give access to a rooftop party at the hotel.

The Golden Knights play host to Dallas on May 3 in Game 6 of their playo series.

Even the player picked was shocked

After months of speculation, the Las Vegas Raiders opted to keep their first-round draft pick, 13th overall, and select one of the top offensive weapons available April 25 in Detroit. At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, tight end Brock Bowers, from Georgia, grades out as a capable blocker while adding a big-play element with his downfield speed and receiving skills. In three collegiate seasons, Bowers caught 175 passes for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns. He averaged 14.5 yards per reception. “I was really shocked,” Bowers said. “I wasn’t sure what was happening. Man, when that call came up from Las Vegas, Nevada, I was juiced.” Quarterback, cornerback and offensive line were considered three need areas for the Raiders heading into the draft. Tight end was way down the list, as the team took tight end Michael Mayer in the second round of last year’s draft. –Mike Grimala

BY THE NUMBERS

$27.8M

ELECTION

National voting advocacy group Vet the Vote staged an event April 26 alongside state and Clark County officials to encourage veterans to become poll workers.

Joined by Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar and Clark County Registrar of Voters Lorena Portillo, Vet the Vote provided veterans and others a chance to learn about poll working.

Attendees were invited to ask questions and observe a mock poll setup to get a better understanding of a poll worker’s responsibilities.

“Today, the country needs veterans and military family members to serve again,” Vet the Vote president Dan Vallone said. “We need veterans and military family members to

That’s how much Harry Reid International Airport will receive to renovate runways. The money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be used to install water drainage systems along airport runways and repair airfield pavement to improve aircraft safety.

RAIDERS POLL WORKER SOLUTION

join with their neighbors and communities and show us again what it means for Americans of all backgrounds and all views to work together for a common purpose.”

Vet the Vote is a national movement encouraging veterans and their family members to get involved in the electoral process.

In 2022, more than 63,000 veterans served at polling places through Vet the Vote. This year, the group is aiming to have over 100,000 veterans apply to be poll workers.

Aguilar underscored Nevada’s role as a swing state, calling Nevada a “deeply purple” state. He said voters in Nevada will play a pivotal role in deciding the next president in the November election.

Aguilar and Portillo also touched on election integrity and safety, emphasizing that steps were being taken to ensure the safety of poll workers and to deter election interference.

“I want to be clear: attacks on our election workers are attacks on our democracy,” Aguilar said.

Phillip Davis, a Las Vegas resident and Vietnam War veteran, has worked the polls for the past two election cycles.

“To me, it’s the right thing to do if you have the time,” Davis said. “Sure, it’s long hours, but the camaraderie, compassion, the people—I just love the people I’m working with.”

–Ayden Runnels

MAGIC MIKE LIVE GIVING BACK

2 3

In celebration of its seventh anniversary, Magic Mike Live announced the “7 Years of Magic” community outreach campaign engaging with seven local nonprofits through volunteer days, benefit nights, supply drives and more.

TURNING THE TASSEL … 4 YEARS LATER

Members of the Clark County School District’s high school class of 2020 and current staff are invited to party at Circa’s Stadium Swim on June 14. The school with the highest number of students and staff in attendance will be awarded a $10,000 grant.

GAMING Study links sports betting with binge drinking

A new study shows that sports bettors are more likely to binge drink than people who are not gambling or who are gambling in another way.

The study from UNLV and the University of New Mexico included a survey of more than 4,000 people, and found that sports bettors engage in a lot more binge drinking—approximately five drinks per sitting—than their nonsports-betting counterparts, said co-author Shane Kraus, UNLV psychology professor and director of the Behavioral Addictions Lab.

“It’s not a very good health behavior,” he said. “So that’s the big takeaway—and it didn’t matter if they’re male or female. Men and women who do sports betting engage in a lot more drinking, or more binge drinking.”

The study, titled “Binge Drinking Among Sports Gamblers,” may be especially relevant considering the increasing legalization and popularity of sports wagering. The latter set a record handle of $119.8 billion in 2023, according to a February release from the American Gaming Association.

Sports bettors engaging in more reckless and dangerous patterns of drinking is not a surprise, said Joshua Grubbs, an associate professor at the University of New Mexico, considering that people famously drink a lot just watching sports, and gamblers tend to drink more than non-gamblers.

–Katie Ann McCarver

CRITICAL CARE

Nevada leaders, doctors discuss how to improve Black maternal health

(Photo Illustration)

BY EMMA BROCATO

Nevada Assemblywoman Shondra Summers-Armstrong, D-Las Vegas, has experienced childbirth in both the United States and Germany.

During both of her Germany deliveries, she was allowed to stay at the hospital for five days afterwards and was given “full midwifery services,” she said.

The process was drastically different stateside, where her son suffered from hypothermia, requiring six days of treatment with a heat lamp, she said.

“They actually wanted me to leave after the second day and I had to act a fool just a little ... had to cut up a little bit, to get them to let me stay in the hospital,” Summers-Armstrong said. “But for the other four days, I had to (drive) over here, come home, and then go to the hospital across town every day and visit my child and stay with him in the hospital all day.”

She was speaking April 17 in Las Vegas during a panel discussion hosted by President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign as part of Black Maternal Health Week.

The maternal death rate for Black women is more than double than of white or Latino women, according to data from Babyscripts, a company offering virtual maternity care.

There were 44 deaths of mothers per 100,000 live births for Black Americans compared with 17.9 for white and 12.6 for Latina counterparts in 2023, the group said. The data represents deaths through 42 days postpartum, it said.

The reason for the high mortality rate among Black mothers, according to the panelists, is a lack of health care access, systemic and structural racism, and underlying medical conditions. Several panelists also stated that Black women

experience a higher rate of medical gaslighting and neglect.

Some, like Summers-Armstrong, have experienced it themselves.

The panelist expressed concern about the problem worsening if former President Donald Trump were to win reelection in November.

That’s because many uninsured residents rely on the Affordable Care Act for coverage during pregnancy, and Trump during his four years in office tried to get rid of the Obamaera law giving millions of Americans access to health insurance.

“What I want to make the point on right now is the Biden-Harris administration’s work, because in the first two years of Trump becoming president, 300,000 Black Americans lost their health care insurance,” says Tanya Flanagan, a health care advocate who was the moderator of the panel. “And we were one vote away from losing the Affordable Care Act.”

Nevada addressed the issue during the 2024 legislative session.

Senate Bill 232 was signed into law extending postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months and providing physical and mental health screenings as part of the postpartum coverage.

RACIAL BIAS IN HEALTH CARE

Dr. Marguerite Brathwaite, an OB-GYN who practices at Innovative Women’s Care on West Sahara Avenue, says 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. Some doctors, she says, have an unconscious bias toward their Black female patients that often prevents those patients from getting the treatment they need.

“People don’t really understand that they act upon those things when they encounter people,” Brathwaite stressed.

This bias can manifest in the form of doctors not paying attention to their Black patient’s pain level, which Shenakwa Hawkins—a

family nurse practitioner at Care With Purpose Medical Center—attributes to a widespread issue in the past where people would incorrectly assume that dark skin is thicker and the person under that skin cannot feel pain.

The panel suggested more cultural competence and diversity among doctors, as well as more diversity training at hospitals. Brathwaite encourages voters to “support an administration that’s going to support you,” she said in support of Biden’s reelection campaign.

Summers-Armstrong says Black patients often have better outcomes when working with Black doctors and nurses who can understand their experiences better. Several panelists also encourage patients to advocate for themselves when speaking to doctors.

“I’m a three-time breast cancer survivor and I say to women, no one knows your body more than you do,” Flanagan said. “You are more in touch with how you’re feeling and what you’re experiencing than anyone.”

Brathwaite additionally said Black maternal mortality is influenced by underlying medical conditions such as postpartum preeclampsia, hypertension, diabetes, pulmonary embolism and excessive blood loss.

Many health conditions, including some of those affecting pregnancy, can be influenced by a lack of access to nutrition.

Summers-Armstrong describes her Assembly district near the Historic Westside neighborhood of Las Vegas as a food desert, which is defined as a neighborhood where residents have to travel a mile or further to the nearest full-service grocery store. She said her district has been disproportionately affected by the urban heat island effect, smog and an excessive number of fast food locations.

Nevada Assemblywoman Shondra Summers-Armstrong, left, speaks during the Black Maternal Health panel discussion at Doolittle Senior Center on April 17. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

MUSIC

BLAZING BEATS

Cypress Hill is blending old and new fans on the We Legalized It tour

BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ

Cypress Hill and cannabis go together like peanut butter and jelly. As musical legends deeply rooted in both hiphop and cannabis advocacy, the group’s enduring legacy extends beyond blunt hits like “Insane in the Brain” and “Hits from the Bong.” Their unique sound broke boundaries in the rap genre, characterized by B-Real’s unmistakable and nasally rap flow contrasting with Sen Dog’s deep, hoarse delivery, always complemented by DJ Muggs’ signature slow-looping rhythms and Bobo’s Latin-influenced percussion.

In a recent conversation with the Weekly, Eric “Bobo” Correa reflected on the evolving fanbase, noting the emergence of a third generation of fans thanks to streaming services. “There’s some sort of Cypress Hill resurgence,” he says. “Streaming services give people who aren’t as familiar with us a chance to get familiar—they’ve heard all the stories from either their older brothers or their parents, and now they get to see us live.”

When it came to creating perhaps Cypress Hill’s most famous song, “Insane in the Brain,” Correa recalls the original intention.

“It was actually a diss song to a couple of MCs who, at the time, we had some friction with,” says Correa. “So the way it was perceived as opposed to what it was written about is crazy, because it became a real fun song.”

Lyrically, Cypress Hill was one of the early adopters of bilingual language in their songs. They’d cleverly slip in

Spanish slang, and while that especially heightened their popularity within Latino culture, their music has resonated with ethnicities beyond their own.

The group kicked off its We Legalized It tour just a couple of days before the infamous stoner holiday 420 in Boston.

“It’s been great to reunite,” Correa says. “We’re honored to be part of a dope hip-hop tour—The Pharcyde, Souls of Mischief, and us. It’s West Coast representing across the states.”

This tour serves as a celebration of the group’s musical legacy and its unwavering advocacy for cannabis legalization. Cypress Hill has partnered with the Last Prisoner Project, a national nonprofit dedicated to criminal justice reform and supporting individuals incarcerated for marijuana-related offenses.

“It’s crazy to see how far we’ve come. But it’s also a realization of how far we still have to go,” Correa says.

As part of the collaboration, Cypress Hill will donate $1 from each ticket sold on the tour to the organization to help promote awareness and advocacy for policy reform.

Beyond charitable contributions, the music is what keeps old and new fans hyped up. After a 35-year run, the group still holds power on stage through its tight rhymes and engaging crowd interactions.

“To me, our shows now have been some of the best. I say that because now we’re focused,” Correa says. “Back in the ’90s we were rock and roll, living the life—now we’re able to kick back and enjoy it for what it is.”

CYPRESS HILL

With The Pharcyde, Souls of Mischief. May 3, 6:30 p.m., $51-$102. Brooklyn Bowl, ticket master.com

(Courtesy)

Vegas poet and neo-soul siren AKASHAA steps into her own identity on new album

BY AMBER SAMPSON

AKASHAA always knew she’d reclaim her name. The Vegas-based musician had her original alias, Ami Divine, “gifted” to her while performing poetry. And for years, she honored that title, even going as far as to label her musical mysticism as the Divine Sound.

In Sanskrit, the word “Akasha” loosely translates to space or sky. That’s arguably the best way to describe where her new album takes us. An astral, introspective journey rife with texturally dynamic soundscapes, Bloom grows in size with every listen, putting the brain into a pleasant flow state. Here we see AKASHAA (which stands for “also known as ‘she heals, aligns and ascends’”) evolve her Divine Sound, reshaping it into a sonic exploration of spaced-out spoken word, woozy R&B and ambient psychedelia.

“My music serves me first. I don’t release anything unless it has worked on me. It’s almost like creating medicine—you test it on yourself,” says AKASHAA, who also founded the experiential creative platform Freequenciii. “Bloom has held sacred, vulnerable space for me. I’ve cried. I’ve journeyed on mushrooms to this album. I’ve discovered myself.”

While 2020’s album Spells represented AKASHAA’s path to healing after the death of her parents, Bloom digs up that grief and replants it into something beautiful. On “Planets,” she narrates her father welcoming her mother into the afterlife over psychotropic beats. On “Prizm,” she navigates the “deep inner child work that I’ve done.”

Gratitude and words of affirmation overflow on this self-produced record, and its musical essence sharply contrasts the R&B-laden approach she took on Spells. AKASHAA praises her Divine Sound’s ever-changing fluidity, ensuring no two albums sound the same.

“I really like to allow my listener space to feel and come up with their own conclusions,” she says. “I’m just there to guide them through that. My intention with my music is to hold space for my listeners.”

AKASHAA linktr.ee/akashaa.art

(Courtesy/Duwop Rose)

THE BARBERSHOP CUTS & COCKTAILS

Cosmopolitan, 702-698-7434, thebarbershoplv. com

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NIGHTS

FIVE YEARS OF STAYING

SHARP

The Barbershop thrives as a unique rock ‘n’ roll speakeasy

BY BROCK RADKE

Plenty of Vegas venues brand themselves as some sort of speakeasy-style experience, but a cool secret entrance isn’t enough to establish the vibe. A distinct approach is required, along with stellar cocktails and unique entertainment.

Those are the elements that keep us coming back to the Barbershop at the Cosmopolitan, which is an actual, operating, old-school barbershop just inside the resort’s northern entrance o the Strip, playfully cloaking an energetic and re ned parlor with a killer whisky list and a robust, rock-leaning live music program ring on all cylinders seven nights a week. There’s nothing else like it anywhere in Las Vegas.

“There are a lot of places you can go for that elevated lounge vibe. The approach for the Barbershop was to make it friendly for everyone,” says Paul Edgar, senior director of marketing at Clique Hospitality, which also operates Cosmo’s Clique Lounge. “Rock seems to connect with the most eclectic demographic of people, whereas EDM can be quite niche. So making this appealing for everyone has been a big part of its success.”

The Barbershop recently celebrated its fth anniversary with a “5 Nights for 5 Years” party that highlighted that popular musical fun, including the

signature Faded Karaoke where singers get to take the stage backed by a talented live band. What other bar can make you feel like the rockstar every Tuesday night? “Everyone comes to Vegas to party, and that full band is a unique touch,” Edgar says.

Radio XX, The Regulators, The 442s, Indie Florentino, Tomlinson Brown, Mojo Juju and other local and regional acts ll up the slate, a rotating lineup curated by Ben Carey, a musician himself and former member of Lifehouse and Savage Garden. His artist’s perspective has gone a long way in establishing the Barbershop’s reputation.

“It’s obviously not a traditional cover-band setup. Having someone who plays a lot of instruments and has been touring all over the world gives us an additional eye a normal booking agent wouldn’t see in terms of what works in that room,” Edgar says. “He knows that room and that stage and he’s always scanning the city and other events looking for new talent.”

Blending rock-club vibes with a Prohibition-era cocktail lounge is a special one-two punch that distinguishes the Barbershop from other nightlife experiences on the Boulevard, and it’s also been able to cultivate a decent following among locals and industry workers—always a tough task for a Strip venue.

“It’s a bit di erent, a bit outside the box, and locals kinda love that,” Edgar says.

(Courtesy/Alex Jerome)

YÄCHTLEY CRËW

THE TITANS OF SOFT ROCK

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KOUNTRY WAYNE

SATURDAY | MAY 11

GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC

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LIVE IN LAS VEGAS

SATURDAY & SUNDAY | MAY 25 & 26

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May 5, 8:30 p.m., $41-$82. Venetian Theatre, ticket master.com

STICK AND MOVE

Rising comic Ralph Barbosa needs more than one night in Vegas

BY JULIE SEABAUGH

Dallas comic Ralph Barbosa has never lived full-time in a coastal comedy hub. Yet he’s carved out a uniquely DIY career beginning with the 2019 title of Funniest Comic in Texas, and now including appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central, HBO and his 2023 Netflix hour special Cowabunga along with some 5.5 million views on his Don’t Tell Comedy YouTube performance.

Arriving May 5 at the Venetian on the first leg of his nationwide Super Cool Ass theater tour, Barbosa talks about oversleeping through steakhouses, needing to explore Vegas more, and why savvy boxing promoters should keep him in their sights.

In your personal or professional experience, what is the most Super Cool Ass thing about Las Vegas as a city?

The locals, the people from Vegas! My first time going to Vegas was for comedy, and I thought it was going to be nonstop parties everywhere. I ended up not really going to bars or partying or anything, but what did surprise me was the amount of support from the people from Vegas. People after the shows kept saying, “If you f**k with Vegas, Vegas f**ks with you!” I was used to doing shows and getting laughs, but man, they really showed a lot of love at the shows. The people from Vegas are definitely my favorite, and the coolest part of it.

It was a little over a year ago that you headlined Wiseguys, and now you’re up on the Venetian marquee. Based on that progress, what outlandishly giant local venue do you envision starting a residency at in 2025?

Ooh, who knows? I’ll leave that up to the fans, if I can keep growing. Then the skies are the limit. But wherever I am, I’m just happy to be in a room with people doing comedy. I’ve been there I think three times, and it’s always been for comedy-related things, so I’m mostly in the venues and hotels, which already is crazy enough. One time I did get to go to Capetillo Boxing Gym.

My last time I was there, I was with Bert Kreischer. There was supposed to be a dinner first at a nice restaurant, and I ended up not going because I stayed asleep too long. We had been traveling so much. I woke up, like, “Man, I’m not there? Wow, and that was probably my one chance to visit that steakhouse!” Every time I’ve gone it’s been getting in and out for one night. I guess I need more time in Vegas.

So you’re a boxing guy? Since you’ve recently been collaborating with the Dallas Mavericks, what Vegas team or big-time sporting event should you work with next?

I’m not too big into sports, but I do love boxing. And I know boxing is huge in Vegas. So if there was ever anything I could do with some sort of boxing event, that would definitely be the right move.

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RESILIENCE AND BEAUTY CAPTURED

Gear Duran’s new Downtown mural embodies Nevada’s frontier spirit

BY GEOFF CARTER

Artist Gear Duran and cultural consultant Brian “Paco” Alvarez have put a name to the style of Duran’s beautiful mural of a wild mustang, painted on the law offices of Gerald I. Gillock & Associates: “Neo Urban Cubism.”

It’s a perfect descriptor for the scene, which recreates a encounter from our Nevada wilderness using a palette of vivid, electric city colors. Even in a Downtown full of world-class street art, Duran’s work, in Downtown Las Vegas at 4th Street and Clark Avenue, stands out and stands apart.

Duran says that he and Alvarez brainstomed for ideas about something that expressed the idea of Nevada. “We started with some of the sort of flora and fauna of our state, and we wound up landing on the mustang. ... For me, it’s what Vegas is. It’s wild. It’s crazy. It’s resilience, it’s beauty, it’s the amount of bravery in engineering feats that it took to create this place that we call home.”

And it resonated with the attorney who commissioned it. “[Gerald Gillock] actually rides horses; they’re his passion,” says Alvarez. “He wants to have a naming contest for the horse. We’re using ‘The Spirit of Nevada’ as a working title.”

For his part, Duran is happy to have created something so full of life, and in a style that resonates with him.

“For me, graffiti is Americana,” he says. “It’s a part of our culture.”

(Courtesy/Gear Duran)

BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ

Las Vegas is recognized worldwide for fantastic food and these days, frequent visitors are familiar with di erent dining neighborhoods beyond their Strip hotel rooms. But on the east side of the Valley, where equally memorable dining options await without the flashy frills, locals know where they love to go and they’re keeping these favorites to themselves.

PATTY’S TAMALES

FAT BOY

THAI CUISINE

its tamales your

It’s no secret the east side is home to a large Latino demographic, and while there are many places to grab staples like tacos, pupusas or elote, tamales—the beloved Mexican holiday dish—can be harder to come by. That was before Patty’s Tamales set up shop on Sahara Avenue and Nellis Boulevard. Its space is the de nition of no-frills; with only a countertop to order takeout, the exchange is quick and easy, ensuring you can bite into incredibly delicious llings encased in fresh masa as soon as possible. Making tamales is a time consuming labor of love and you can taste the home-cooked quality. And the menu is simple, o ering red or green chicken, spicy red pork, rajas con queso, chicken mole and spicy shrimp, each for $5.25. Patty’s now ships its tamales nationwide so you can share your Vegas discovery. 5061 E. Sahara Ave. #1C, 725-207-2214, pattystamales.co.

In a neighborhood shopping center at Stewart Avenue and Lamb Boulevard is Fat Boy, an unpretentious eatery with a laid-back atmosphere, limited seating options and a string menu of fast-food staples. The menu boasts a variety of favorites, from burgers and pizza to burritos and wings. The signature “boygers” are nostalgic in both taste and price. For $4 you can munch on the Classic, where a cooked-to-order patty gets charbroiled to perfection and tucked into a soft bun along with all your favorite xings—mustard, ketchup, onions, tomato, pickles, lettuce, relish, Thousand Island and more. But Fat Boy’s specialty creations are what burger dreams are really made of. The pastrami Boyger is layered with a juicy beef patty, delectable slices of thin pastrami, grilled onions, smoky chipotle mayo, fresh pickles and mustard ($8). Paired with an order of Fat Boy’s beloved Chencho fries (with green sauce, chicken and mozzarella cheese, $6), it’ll have you rolling out the door with a smile on your face. 4425 Stewart Ave. #107, 702434-1600, orderfatboylv.com.

Let’s begin by mentioning the free vegetable spring rolls that Thai Cuisine starts you with during your visit. The crunchy delights are served up incredibly fast with a side of sweet and sour sauce, the perfect snack to get you going while you peruse a long menu of classics. The service is swift and friendly, and a conveniently spacious dining room accommodates both large families and intimate gatherings. For almost 20 years, Thai Cuisine has been dishing out avorful soups, thick and thin noodle dishes and savory fried rice. Indulge in seafood tom yum soup ($16), a harmonious fusion of spicy, sour and aromatic avors. We’re also partial to their pad see ew ($15), wide rice noodles stir-fried with Chinese broccoli and your choice of protein— it’s the perfect balance of sweet, savory and umami notes. Finish the meal with an order of mango sticky rice ($9), ripe mango slices served atop a bed of coconut-infused rice. This simple delight will have you wanting to come back for more. 601 N. Nellis Blvd., 702459-6009, thaicuisinelasvegasnv.com.

(Patty’s Tamales by Wade Vandervort; Fat Boy and Thai Cuisine by Gabriela Rodriguez)

Vegas discovery.

SPORTS

PRIDEFUL PRIZEFIGHT

Álvarez vs. Munguía promises to be a memorable fight in honor of Mexico

(AP Photo/Photo

BY CASE KEEFER

Saul “Canelo” Álvarez has fought on Cinco de Mayo weekend nearly every year of his boxing career as a nod to his Mexican heritage.

This year, the undisputed super middleweight champion and boxing’s biggest draw wanted to supersize the holiday. The 33-year-old Álvarez passed on several other potential opponents because he felt a calling to face a fellow Mexican for the first time since 2017 with the emergence of 27-yearold Jaime Munguía.

The bout between Álvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) and Munguía (43-0, 34 KOs) scheduled for May 4 at T-Mobile Arena may not wind up one of the former’s biggest blockbusters from a financial standpoint, but that’s a secondary concern.

This matchup means more than box-office figures and payper-view receipts to Álvarez.

“It’s a great source of pride for me because it’s all about Mexico,” Álvarez said at a news conference promoting the event. “I’m proud to have my country featured this way in front of the whole world. The fans are going to be the biggest winners … and we invite everyone to what’s going to be a big party for Mexico.”

Munguía sits nowhere near Álvarez in terms of star power, but that could now change with one well-timed punch. By taking the fight, Álvarez is at risk of staging his own passing-ofthe-torch moment as the greatest current Mexican fighter.

And that’s exactly what another former boxer once considered Mexico’s best, Oscar De La Hoya, is predicting.

“Canelo is going to come out guns blazing but there’s a changing of the guard in every

era, and I think that this is the perfect scenario,” De La Hoya said at Munguía’s open media workout.

De La Hoya is notably biased as Munguía’s promoter. But he was also formerly Álvarez’s promoter, including for many of his biggest fights, like a majority-decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Mexican Independence Weekend in 2013.

Before Álvarez, boxing’s traditional Cinco De Mayo showcase spot belonged to De La Hoya. One of the biggest ever came when De La Hoya fell via split decision to Mayweather six years before the latter would take on Álvarez.

It’s all a tangled web, but the lineage carried on between fighters like De La Hoya and Á lvarez has long been part of boxing’s appeal.

“The respect between us is mutual,” Munguía said of his relationship with Álvarez. “We want to be a source of pride not just for Mexicans in Mexico, but those all around the world who are expecting a great fight.”

Munguía was never considered as much of a can’t-miss prospect as De La Hoya and Álvarez, but he’s willed himself to the top of the sport. Inspired by Álvarez, Munguía developed an insatiable work ethic and a fan-friendly style in search of boxing’s biggest stages.

He’s won three different belts in the last six years, giving some in the boxing community hope that he could knock off a monolith like Álvarez in the process.

There’s a chance Munguía’s best is still ahead of him, especially considering he only recently started working with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach.

In his first fight with Roach in his corner, Munguía

knocked out John Ryder in January at Footprint Arena in Phoenix. The result looks particularly eye-raising juxtaposed with how Álvarez couldn’t finish Ryder and settled for a unanimous-decision verdict in their Cinco De Mayo weekend fight in Guadalajara, Mexico, last year.

“Munguía is a disciplined fighter who hits hard,” Álvarez said. “He’s a power puncher and I like a challenge. I want to face fighters who are hungry like I am.”

Álvarez had drawn some criticism for his choices in opponents the last few years. There were some bigger, more challenging options that could have been explored this time around, including David Benavidez and even Terence “Bud” Crawford, but Álvarez hasn’t drawn as much heat for awarding Munguía the opportunity.

In addition to the Mexico connection, Munguía also looks like a more exciting option for Álvarez on paper than the other fighter who seemed to make for the most realistic pairing—Jermall Charlo. There was a narrative of Álvarez facing both Charlo twins as part of his new threefight deal with Premier Boxing Champions, but the first fight against Jermell Charlo last September at T-Mobile was a bit of a snoozer.

And most of the blame fell on Jermell Charlo, who was widely accused of not caring to put up much of a fight. Jermell Charlo’s motivations were securing the massive payday that comes with facing Álvarez and getting out of the ring unscathed, according to his detractors.

Despite some whispers that Álvarez had declined, he looked every bit of the -450 (i.e. risking $450 to win $100)

ÁLVAREZ VS. MUNGUÍA

May 4, doors at 2:30 p.m. with main card at 5 p.m. and mainevent walkouts expected around 8:15 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena. Tickets: $405$3,505 at axs. com. TV: $89.99 through Prime Video.

favorite he closed in the betting market with an easy unanimous-decision victory over Jermell Charlo.

He’s now been at least that large of a favorite in 12 straight fights including against Munguía, where Álvarez is priced as a -600 favorite with the challenger coming back at +450 (i.e. risking $100 to win $450).

Álvarez did notably lose one of the prior 11 fights, though, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Dmitry Bivol on Cinco De Mayo weekend 2022.

The Álvarez-partisan crowd sat shocked and silent at T-Mobile Arena in the aftermath of that upset. That scene won’t repeat no matter who wins Álvarez vs. Munguía. Green, white and red flags will wave throughout the venue with spirit either way.

Munguía is highly unlikely to go out like Jermell Charlo without much of an effort. Fighters like De La Hoya and Álvarez evangelize Mexican fighters by saying their trademark is passion and perseverance.

Álvarez and Munguía are pledging to put on a spectacle that will live up to the legacy they’re currently carrying on.

“With two Mexican fighters at this elite level, we’re in for a special treat,” De La Hoya said.

(Wade Vandervort/Sta )

OPTIMISM LOW BUT RESILIENCY HIGH AMONG ENTREPRENEURS

BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF

Evergreen Co ee opened its doors in Henderson almost two years ago, hoping to restore some of the community and neighborhood connections that had been lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was slow going at rst, but community support ultimately helped the co ee shop grow “tremendously,” said Lovely Mempin, co-owner and creative director of Evergreen.

Few people understand the challenges of opening a small business, Mempin said, so Evergreen would rely on the depths of knowledge from other small-business owners. The co ee shop does the same for its peers, she said, and tries to help other entrepreneurs by hosting small business pop-ups.

“We understand it’s really hard

to get a brick-and-mortar in Vegas unless you are established, unless you have the capital—unless you have those two things,” she said. “It’s hard to get a brickand-mortar. So if we can lend our space to those businesses so they can promote themselves, so that our community can get to know their faces, so that we can promote small business in general and how amazing it is for our city, for our community, then, why not?”

Even with community support, owning a small business is not without its challenges, and Mempin said she’d be lying if she didn’t consider the economy’s uncertain future and high in ation rates cause for concern.

Experts would say she’s not alone.

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)

Small Business Optimism Index decreased in March to its lowest level since December 2012, according to the organization’s report.

The primary reason for low levels of optimism in small business is probably in ation, said Charlie Dougherty, a senior economist with Wells Fargo, which writes a report on the monthly NFIB survey.

“You have sales expectations that are pulling back somewhat, meaning a rising share of small businesses are expecting a slower rate of future sales,” Dougherty said. “So, with in ation still an issue, that’s a challenging environment for many small businesses.”

Small businesses are also contending with input costs signicantly higher than they were just a few years ago, he said.

Winnie Dowling, state director of the Nevada Small Business Development Center—which in 2023

aided nearly 3,000 entrepreneurs statewide—said a survey of small businesses that the organization conducted last summer had in ation “front and center.”

Around 44% of respondents said adapting to in ation was a challenge to operating their small business, and more than 70% said funding was the biggest challenge to getting their startup o the ground.

Access to capital is a big issue, Dowling said.

“When interest rates are high, you just don’t have that access to capital,” she said. “The banks aren’t lending to as many people, you have to have collateral, you have to have skin in the game. And this is a big issue because … banks like for that number to be high. So they’re just not getting access.”

There’s a few headwinds that need to change direction for small-business optimism to get a boost, Dougherty said. He pointed to the need for in ation to come down on a sustained basis, certainty on the economic outlook considering recent fears of recession, and clarity on monetary policies.

“So that’s another thing that potentially helps small-business con dence—could help brighten small-business sentiment,” he said. “Reducing uncertainty with regards to in ation, monetary policy and general economic outlook.”

Dowling echoed that interest rates going down are likely to increase small-business optimism levels, though she noted that people will continue to start businesses no matter the state of the economy.

Small-business owners take all the risk, she said, creating most jobs and supporting big industry. They’re resilient and innovative, and continue to try despite failure, she added, even as the NFIB report shows their optimism dropping.

“We still see just as much interest in starting a business,” Dowling said. “People will just keep throwing noodles on the wall, and some of them will stick and someday be great, big businesses.”

Lovely Mempin, co-owner and creative director of Evergreen Co ee, chats at the shop’s Henderson location.

GIVING NOTES

Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican, a faith-based, nonprofit hospital system, is awarding more than $372,024 in Community Health Improvement Grants to eight Southern Nevada nonprofit collaborations. Organizations selected to receive grants include: Research, Education and Access for Community Health ($100,000), Jewish Family Service Agency ($88,000), Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada ($50,000) Brooke’s Good Deeds ($38,400), Roseman University of Health Sciences, College of Pharmacy ($30,000), Living Grace Homes ($23,071), CARE Chest ($22,553) and Nevada Future of Nursing FON Action Coalition ($20,000

Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada awarded funding for the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center to expand its services to survivors of violent crime and to be available to assist in future mass violence incidents. The center has officially

been renamed the Resiliency & Justice Center.

The Supreme Court of Nevada Law Library was awarded a $75,000 Library Services and Technology Act Last Chance Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records. The library completed the grant project in October and used 100% of the funds to translate more than 65 self-help standardized family law, protective order, divorce and custody forms into Spanish, Mandarin, Tagalog and Vietnamese to ensure self-represented litigants of limited English proficiency have equal access to the courts.

Arizona Charlie’s Decatur, 740 S. Decatur Blvd., and Arizona Charlie’s Boulder, 4575 Boulder Highway, donated more than 140 meals to the Southern Nevada

Climatec, LLC seeks Project Manager (Las Vegas, Nevada) (Multiple Positions). Requirements: Bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent in Electronic Engineering or related and 5 years of experience as a Control System Specialist, Lead Controls Engineer, Controls Project Engineer or Controls Construction Manager.

Apply online at https://www.climatec.com/careers, search [Project Manager Reference# 4184899]

JOB LISTING

Director of Strategic Sourcing sought by Caesars Enterprise Services LLC for Las Vegas, NV office. Work with the Strategic Sourcing Team to lead all centralized sourcing initiatives and contracting activities.

Apply to: Job # 325KV, One Caesars Palace Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89109 or rtrinkle@caesars.com

Regional Housing Authority as part of the 12th annual “Feed-A-Family” charitable initiative.

Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada will be able to provide water heater replacement to more low-income Southern Nevadans thanks to assistance from Silver State Plumbing. The company recently donated 10 water heaters, which RTSN will install for several residents at zero cost to the homeowner.

Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada welcomes Joan Blair as the newest addition to its board of directors. As controller at the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, Blair oversees financial and investment strategies, ensuring operational efficiency within budgetary constraints and sustainable funding for future growth of the public-private partnership that helps to diversify and strengthen the area’s economy.

HOBBY HUB: ORIGAMI

Sahara West Library

Sunday, May 5 • 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.

AGE GROUP: ADULTS

ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH: TAKE & MAKES

West Charleston Library

Monday, May 6 • 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

AGE GROUP: ALL

LISTENING LOUNGE: MUSIC BY AAPI ARTISTS

Windmill Library

Thursday, May 9 • 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.

AGE GROUP: TEENS

CELEBRATE NEW SPRING: A CONCERT BY JESSICA FICHOT

Windmill Library

Friday, May 10 • 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.

West Charleston Library

Saturday, May 11 • 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Clark County Library

Saturday, May 11 • 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.

AGE GROUP: TEENS & ADULTS

SHIMMY MOB CELEBRATES WORLD BELLY DANCE DAY: DANCE PERFORMANCE

Summerlin Library

Saturday, May 11 • 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

AGE GROUP: ADULTS

PAINT LIKE KUSAMA

Centennial Hills Library

Monday, May 13 • 4:30 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

AGE GROUP: KIDS

BOOKMARKED BOOK CLUB: “THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN”

Sahara West Library Saturday, May 18 • 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

AGE GROUP: ADULTS

LAS VEGAS KAMINARI TAIKO IN CONCERT

Clark County Library

Sunday, May 19 • 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

AGE GROUP: ALL

ALL IN THE FAMILY: COLLAGE ART

Summerlin Library

Saturday, May 25 • 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

AGE GROUP: ADULTS

KANEKOA: UKULELE-POWERED HAWAIIAN JAM-ROCK

West Charleston Library

Friday, May 24 • 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Windmill Library

Saturday, May 25 • 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

AGE GROUP: ALL

B.Y.O. BOOK CLUB: ASIAN CULTURE

Sahara West Library

Sunday, May 26 • 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

AGE GROUP: ADULTS

LEARN KOREAN CLASS: JOIN US TO LEARN KOREAN WITH A NATIVE SPEAKER!

Spring Valley Library

Sunday, May 26 • 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.

AGE GROUP: ALL

ISAMU NOGUCHI PLAYSCAPES

Summerlin Library

Tuesday, May 28 • 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

AGE GROUP: KIDS

PREMIER CROSSWORD HOROSCOPES

FRANK LONGO

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The world’s record for jumping rope in six inches of mud is held by an Aries. So is the world’s record for consecutive wallops administered to a plastic inflatable punching doll. As impressive as these feats are, I hope you will channel your drive for excellence in more constructive directions. You are primed to be a star wherever you focus your ambition on high-minded goals.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): During the coming weeks, marvels, splendors and miracles are far more likely than usual to occur in your vicinity—even more so if you have faith that they will. I will make a similar prediction about magnificence, sublimity and resplendence. They are headed your way. For best results, welcome them all generously and share them lavishly.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I recommend you enjoy a celebratory purge soon. This would be a fun holiday that lasted for at least a day and maybe as long as two weeks. During this liberating revel, you would discard anything associated with histories you want to stop repeating. You’d get rid of garbage and excess, and jettison perfectly good stuff that you no longer have any use for.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Graduation day will soon arrive. With panache and skill, you have wrangled chaos into submission and gathered a useful set of resources. So are you prepared to collect your graduation presents? Don’t allow lingering fears of success to cheat you out of your well-deserved harvest. Don’t let shyness prevent you from beaming like a champion in the winner’s circle.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): According to ritualist and author Sobonfu Somé’s philosophy, we should periodically ask ourselves two questions: 1. “What masks have been imposed on us by our culture?” 2. “What masks have we chosen for ourselves?” The coming months will be an excellent time for you to ruminate on these inquiries. Visualize how your life may change if you express your most authentic self.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): If human culture were organized according to my principles, people would be encouraged to enlist priestesses, gurus and other spiritual intermediaries to help them out in their worship. And we would all borrow beliefs and rituals from each other. I bring this up, Virgo, because the coming weeks will be an ideal time for you to craft your own personalized and idiosyncratic religious path.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Hidden agendas and simmering secrets will soon leak into view. Questions that have been half-suppressed will become pressing and productive. Are you willing to wander through the amazing maze of emotional teases to gather clues about the provocative riddles? If you are, you can expect deep revelations to appear and connections to emerge.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): It’s fun and easy to love people for their magnificent qualities and when they’re nice to you. What’s more challenging is to love the way they disappoint you. Regard your disappointment as an opportunity to deepen your compassion, and as a motivation to become wiser and more patient. Now is a time when “negative” feelings can lead to breakthroughs and a deepening of love.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I assure you that you don’t need “allies” who encourage you to indulge in delusions or excesses. Nor do I recommend that you seek counsel from people who think you’re perfect. But you could benefit from colleagues who offer judicious feedback. Here’s one suggestion: Consider phasing out a mild pleasure and a small goal so you can better pursue an extra fine pleasure and a major goal.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I invite you to take an inventory of what gives you pleasure, bliss and rapture. When you have made a master list, devise a master plan to ensure you will experience them as much as you need to. By stimulating delight and glee, you boost your physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian author Lewis Carroll said, “You know what the issue is with this world? Everyone wants some magical solution to their problem, and everyone refuses to believe in magic.” I suspect you will be inclined to believe fervently in magic, which will ensure that you attract and create a magical solution to at least one of your problems.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Which would you prefer in the coming weeks: lots of itches, prickles, twitches and stings? Or lots of tingles, quivers,

and soothings? To ensure the latter types of experiences predominate, all you need to do is cultivate