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unlock your appetite.
B-boy Ronnie Abaldonado heads to Paris to commentate for the Olympics’ new breaking competition.
DRINK The Strip’s French dining scene gets a new addition with Bobby Flay’s Brasserie B.
near.
Photograph Courtesy Todd Weaver
SUPERGUIDE
MORRISSEY 7 p.m., & 8/2, House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com
THE SELFIE STUDIO: DECADES TOUR BEYOND Thru 8/27, times vary, Fashion Show, fslv.com
LAS VEGAS AVIATORS VS. ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES Thru 8/3, 7 p.m. (& 8/4, 6 p.m.), Las Vegas Ballpark, ticketmaster.com
SCHOOL OF ROCK THE MUSICAL Thru 8/3 & 8/7, 8 p.m., Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, super summertheatre.org
INSIDE THE MIND OF HANS VAN DE BOVENKAMP Thru 8/20, times vary, Enterprise Library, thelibrary district.org.
LIVE KARAOKE WITH THE BUSKER KINGS
Karaoke is fine on its own, but when you add in a live band, it’s next level. Throw in a grand prize up to $1,000, and now we’re really going above and beyond. That’s exactly what’s going on at the Red Rock’s Rouge Room with the Busker Kings backing those who brave the mic. Musicians Ben Carey, Gigi Gonaway and Shawn Eiferman provide the support you need to really display those pipes. At the end of the night, the club will select the top three singers from throughout the evening to retake the stage for a final showdown. From there, the crowd’s applause will crown the best singer, who will walk away with the grand prize. 8 p.m., free, Rouge Room, rougeroomlv.com. –Shannon Miller
JANE AUSTEN’S EMMA
Thru 8/11, days & times vary, Majestic Repertory Theatre, majesticrepertory. com
MIGUEL
RODRIGUEZ: AND ANOTHER ONE Thru 8/24, times vary, Sahara West Library, thelibrary district.org.
MRS. DOUBTFIRE THE NEW MUSICAL COMEDY Thru 8/4, 7:30 p.m. (& 8/3-8/4, 2 p.m.), Reynolds Hall, the smithcenter.com
DEAD & COMPANY Thru 8/3, 7:30 p.m., Sphere, ticket master.com
FRANKIE MORENO 6:30 p.m., South Point Showroom, ticketmaster.com
THE SAND RIVER BAND 8 p.m., Stoney’s North Forty, stoneysnorthforty. com
Oh hi, readers! The Room, a 2003 film written and directed by the enigmatic and mysteriously wealthy Tommy Wiseau, is both hailed as a “masterpiece” and condemned as one of the worst movies ever made. Despite the divided opinions, it’s a must-watch. The film tells the story of Johnny, a banker (Wiseau), his fiancee Lisa (Juliette Danielle), his best friend Mark (Greg Sestero) and his college aged pseudo-adopted son Denny (Philip Haldiman). There’s impromptu football games, a melodramatic web of love, betrayal and comedy. What’s grown into a cult classic over two decades will leave you both scratching your head in confusion and quoting the movie at random. Stick around after this showing for a Q&A session with Sestero, co-star and author of the tell-all book The Disaster Artist 9 p.m., & 8/3, $17, The Beverly Theater, thebeverlytheater.com. –Gabriela Rodriguez
ROB BASE With DJ Jenna Palmer, 9 p.m., Ghostbar, palms. com
AYYBO
With Danco, Mingo, Fama, more, 10 p.m., Discopussy, posh.vip
SHAGGY
9 p.m., Sammy’s Island, ticketmaster.com.
MIDNIGHT TYRANNOSAURUS
10 p.m., Substance, seetickets.us
KEHLANI
10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com
BLXST
10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com
(Courtesy/Palms Casino Resort)
SUPERGUIDE
SATURDAY AUG 03
CHRIS BROWN
With Muni Long, Maeta, 7:30 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com
LOS TEMERARIOS
8 p.m., & 8/4, Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com
PRAYERS
7 p.m., Swan Dive, swandivelv.com
THE ROCKETZ
9 p.m., Red Dwarf, reddwarflv.com
ULTIMATE WING DOWN
1 p.m., PT’s Ranch, ptstaverns.com
GALANTIS
11:30 a.m., LIV Beach, livnightclub.com
THE CHAINSMOKERS
11 a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynn social.com
DJ PAULY D 11 a.m., Marquee Dayclub, taogroup. com
LIL JON 11 a.m., Wet Republic, taogroup.com
SOCA TAKEOVER
With DJ Pu y, 8 p.m., Azilo Ultra Pool, eventbrite. com
GREAT GATSBY PARTY
8 p.m., Legacy Club, circalasvegas. com
SUBFILTRONIK
9 p.m., the Wall at Area15, area15.com
DJ SNAKE
10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com
ARMADO
Theater at Virgin, axs.com.
GUCCI MANE
10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com
DIPLO
10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com
ZEDD
10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com
ZHU
10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com
VNSSA 10 p.m., Discopussy, tixr.com
DESERT HONEYPOT
Mariah Baldwin recently graced our Women in Music cover after years of championing local frontwomen through her all-female showcase, Desert Honeypot. And though that mission remains, it will look a little di erent in the future. Baldwin recently announced this Honeypot will be her last for a while, as she plans to relocate to the South with local country rocker Lennon Roach. She plans to return to Las Vegas yearly to host more events. “I’m very excited about all the women that I see putting out new music and stepping in and out of Vegas and being proud of who they are,” Baldwin told the Weekly in April. “I just want to give them the message to keep going.” Among those giving Desert Honeypot a warm sendo : Paige Overton, a leading voice in local country; guitarist and singer-songwriter Lexi Pifer; and eclectic rocker Ronnie Wylder. As usual, there will be a donation drive for the Embracing Project to aid young girls in need. 8 p.m., $13, Backstage Bar & Billiards, dice.fm. –Amber Sampson
SUPERGUIDE
SUNDAY AUG 04
GOSPEL BRUNCH
10 a.m., House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com
STEVE AOKI
11 a.m., Wet Republic, taogroup.com
MUSTARD 11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, taogroup. com
MOCHAKK
10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynn social.com
ART OF THE APERITIVO BRUNCH
1 p.m., Gaetano’s, gaetanoslasvegas. com
EAT THIS COMEDY 6:30 p.m., Echo & Rig Henderson, eventbrite.com
DRE BOYD & FRIENDS
7 p.m., Maxan Jazz, maxanjazz. com
LAST HOUSE
8 p.m., Fat Cat, fatcatlv.com
BATTLE OF THE BANDS
8 p.m., the Barbershop, thebarbershoplv.com
MONDAY AUG 05
JESS GOPEN QUARTET
7 p.m., Maxan Jazz, maxan jazz.com
LUENELL 9:30 p.m., Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster. com. DO IT ALL
MONDAYS DARK
8 p.m., the Space, mondays dark.com
DOOMED POETRY 9 p.m., Red Dwarf, avant popbooks.com
A Culinary
SUPERGUIDE
TUESDAY AUG 06
IZTHMI
With Scathen, 8 p.m., the Gri n, dice.fm
LAS NUBES
With Family of Light, 8 p.m., the Usual Place, the usualplace. vegas
SOFI TUKKER
10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup. com
JAENGA
With Jiraiya, Shawn Bernier, 10 p.m., Discopussy, posh.vip
BATTLE OF THE BANDS
When Blake Shelton announced he’d be bringing his tried-andtrue honky tonk bar and restaurant to the Strip, he assured this would be the spot to see and be seen. “Perception is everything in this business, and when you come to Ole Red, you feel and look like a superstar no matter what level you’re at,” Shelton said last year. Emerging artists will have a chance to prove themselves at Ole Red’s Battle of the Bands for a chance to win $1,000 and a regular gig at the four-story, 27,000-square-foot venue. Bands will be judged on their energy, fan favor and ability to perform with the setup Ole Red provides. Shelton will serve as the tie-breaker, if the competition should come to that. No pressure, though. 9 p.m., free, Ole Red, olered.com/ lasvegas. –Amber Sampson
WEDNESDAY AUG 07
NE-YO
8 p.m., & 8/9-8/10, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com
JOI JAZZ ORCHESTRA
7:30 p.m., Notoriety, notorietylive.com.
DREW THOMAS
With John Roy, Kathleen Dunbar, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand.mgm resorts.com
DILLON FRANCIS
With Madds, 10 p.m., EBC at Night, wynn social.com
DJ FRANZEN 10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com DO IT ALL
Olympic commentatorGames
Ronnie Abaldonado fosters a breaking community in Las Vegas
MAK
MA MOV
Vandervort/Sta )
KING ES
BY SHANNON MILLER
You’re a co-founder of the crew Full Force, and you later became part of Super Cr3w, the group that won season two of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew. And Super Cr3w is associated with the Jabbawockeez. Can you explain how those are all connected?
Me and my older brother started Full Force in 1995 in Las Vegas. … Eventually, we bumped into another crew called the Knucklehead Zoo, also from Las Vegas. We joined forces [and] we went to California competitions. And then we ran into a group called Battle Monkeys.
And that’s what’s so beautiful about breaking. You can teach the foundation of breaking. But ultimately, your goal is to have an original style, to create moves that have never been seen before.
Breaking has come a long way since you started your crew in the ‘90s. Can you believe it’s included in the Olympics now?
Breakdancing, or breaking, started atop a cardboard box in the Bronx in the 1970s. This year, it’s making its debut at the Olympics in Paris.
On August 9-10, 16 B-boys and 16 B-girls will face o in solo battles, vying for the highest honor that any athlete can achieve—an Olympic medal.
“We have a huge responsibility. Our job is to make the world fall in love with breaking,” says Ronnie Abaldonado, one of the commentators for breaking at the Olympic Games.
A Las Vegas local, Abaldonado has been commentating for Red Bull BC One, the world’s largest breaking competition, for the past few years. He dances on the Red Bull BC One All Star team, and he’s also the co-owner of local dance studio District Arts, where dancers of all skill levels can come to hone their craft.
I think what we all had in common was, we were the younger generation at that time, the late ‘90s. And we never won any big competition at that time, so we decided to join forces and we created Super Cr3w. … We started battling more overseas and then eventually ended up winning America’s Best Dance Crew, which is ironically the biggest competition that we possibly could have won because it was on national television. And then some members from Full Force also moved to San Diego and created Jabbawockeez.
So basically, Full Force is the origin story of Super Cr3w and some members of Jabbawockeez.
You continue to make space for breaking with your dance studio District Arts, which opened in 2012. There are formal classes as well as open sessions where people can drop in and practice.
We do that because that’s how we kind of grew up learning. You know, with breaking you never grew up learning it in the studio. You just kind of experiment with moves and you get constructive criticism from your crewmates.
I think it’s beautiful. It was inevitable. I feel like everything’s all about timing. And this is the right time for breaking to be in the Olympics, because it’s a lot more structured now. Back then, it wasn’t as [structured], especially when I started, competition wasn’t as big. But then with competitions like Red Bull BC One, and really highlighting the individuals and really making it feel like this is something that’s huge at this magnitude where you’re ying people around from di erent countries. And now with the B-girls team and B-girls, it’s just turned into this undeniable … artistic sport.
Before heading to Paris, Abaldonado chatted with the Weekly about his breaking origin story, District Arts and what it’s like to nally see breaking as an Olympic sport.
We have this whole thing in breaking: “Each one teach one.” You just kind of share. While I’m teaching, I’m also learning as well. … I’ll teach a certain move, and I’ll be like, “So what can you do from this?” And it’s just a way for people to get creative.
It is such an artistic sport, which leads me to my next question: how will breaking be scored at the Olympic Games? Ultimately, it’s still subjective, right? Like, we could have a point system, but it ultimately will come down to the judges and judging whose style they prefer more. You’re really dealing with the top, the best of the best. So, I guess the easiest way to judge is when you see someone mess up.
Some Olympic breakers have actually come through District Arts to train. And you might have seen them before at other competitions you’ve commentated or competed at over the years. What’s it like to see them make it this far?
They’re all my friends—some breakers that I helped mentor, some that I battled with, some that I battled against. And it’s so beautiful to see everyone’s journey to get to where they’re at.
ALL THESE THINGS THAT THEY’VE DONE
The Killers celebrate 20 years of Hot Fuss with a history-making Colosseum residency
BY AMBER SAMPSON
Before Brandon Flowers became The Man, before The Killers’ 2020 album prematurely imploded the Mirage and “Mr. Brightside” obliterated a U.K. chart record once held by Oasis’ “Wonderwall,” we had 2004’s Hot Fuss. By today’s standards, the Grammy-nominated LP is a modern classic, regarded as one of the best debut albums of all time by Rolling Stone and an uno cial soundtrack to the early 2000s by virtually everyone else. Uninhibited and blistering with desert heat and dance-inducing synths, Hot Fuss ltered a patchwork of postpunk in uences through a baptismal glow of neon lights and glammed-up indie rock. Nothing quite compares to the dizzy space synths on “Somebody Told Me” or the stadium-size sing-along of “All These Things That I’ve Done.” Those are the moments that take an album like Hot Fuss from sounding great, to feeling alive.
“I remember at the time, there were a few di erent track orders, but we ended up doing one where it’s very strong from the get go, and then they just power through ve of our strongest songs,” says Dave Keuning, guitarist and co-founder of The Killers. “You cannot say that this was wrong. It’s an amazing, can’t-argue-with-it-fromthe-get-go kind of album.”
So much of Hot Fuss shined, while
THE SOUND OF VEGAS
THE
August 14, 16-17, 21, 23-24, 28, 30-31, September 1, 8 p.m., the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com
the process remained unadorned. At the time of recording demos, Keuning says he and the rest of the band— Flowers (vocals), Ronnie Vannucci Jr. (drums) and Mark Stoermer (bass)— were still frequenting the 24-hour Hard Rock Hotel hang Mr. Lucky’s after band practice and working day jobs. Keuning even fashioned a makeshift studio out of his closet to create parts of the magic.
“Back when I was living in my apartment in Vegas, I used the closet to kill some sound and not bother the neighbors. I speci cally remember [inviting] Brandon over one time to work on music, and one of the neighbors was like, pounding on the wall. I don’t know if they were scary or an old person. I didn’t want to nd out,” he laughs.
In that closet, Keuning would noodle around on his guitar until he stumbled onto something worth using with the band. One day, he landed on the career-de ning “Mr. Brightside.”
“I stumbled onto that chord and stayed on it and developed it into something, and then made a little 4-track of it,” he recalls. “I had my 4-track Tascam back then. I was very old-school, still really not very good with computers and recording, honestly. I’d still prefer a four track if I could. But that was my method. That’s how ‘Brightside’ started.”
It’s been 20 years since The Killers debuted Hot Fuss. And for the rst time in 20 years, they’ll dust it o and perform it in full for their rst Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
Even after all the arena tours and award ceremonies, Keuning still can’t fully comprehend that last part.
“Caesars is pretty special. It’s been
(continued on page 22)
KILLERS LIVE IN LAS VEGAS
BAND
Residencies
weren’t really quite a thing 20 years ago as they are now, so to have us doing a residency and being on some of those billboards, that feels like the fantasy is kind of completed.”
– Dave Keuning, guitarist and co-founder of The Killers
around a long time, it’s very centrally located on the Strip, and I used to wander those hallways at the Forum Shops a lot,” he says, laughing. “I saw Elton [John] when he was playing his residency there. I was able to catch one Adele show when she was there. It’s pretty special and pretty cool to play it there. Caesars is a name people know.”
Surely, The Killers have christened their share of Vegas venues before, but a Vegas-bred band returning home to perform a sold-out 10-night Strip engagement is unprecedented. It’s also very, very Vegas.
“From the moment I got to Vegas, I was just overwhelmed by billboards, of other people playing and the excitement of who was headlining each hotel and fantasizing about that,” Keuning
says. “Residencies weren’t really quite a thing 20 years ago as they are now, so to have us doing a residency and being on some of those billboards, that feels like the fantasy is kind of completed.”
But that’s not to say The Killers haven’t had some pretty rockstar Vegas moments already. Who could forget the secret Bunkhouse Saloon show the band did after opening the T-Mobile Arena in 2016?
“It’s all like, ashes, but I remember that night,” Keuning says. “There was nowhere to stand inside the Bunkhouse. We had our own little private spot o to the side that was outdoors because there was basically just enough room to get on stage and then play and then leave again. You couldn’t walk in there.”
“It was just like the old days,
except packed to the gills with people,” he continues. “We do like doing those small shows when we’re able to do them. They’re hot and sweaty, and I love that. That was a fun night.”
In 2016, The Killers held another anniversary album show at Boulder Highway’s famed Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino for the band’s aptly named sophomore album. But a milestone of this magnitude feels even rarer for these hometown heroes. It’s a staple of their legacy, and to a greater degree, it’s a point of pride for our city.
“To just stand on stage and be a part of the whole thing playing Hot Fuss, plus others of our favorites, it’s going to be amazing,” Keuning assures. “I think we’re just trying to make it as good as we can.”
The Colosseum
(Wade Vandervort/Sta )
(Courtesy)
BEGINNINGS
Dave Keuning placed these ads in Las Vegas Weekly in 2001 and 2002 to form The Killers.
(Wade Vandervort/Sta )
(continued from page 21)
Do what YOUR MOM ALWAYS SAID, eat your veggies.
Food everyone (and their mother) can love
SURPR IS I NGLY VEGAN
(Courtesy/Cole Curtis)
Discussing the city’s distinctive scenes with three local musicians
BY AMBER SAMPSON
Las Vegas’ music scene has changed a lot since those early days with The Killers. On any given night, a Downtown venue might offer western tunes, among snatches of darkwave and Latin psychedelia. Our metal movement is also gathering steam, and underground hip-hop circles are seeing a resurgence. Vegas’ current sound is as vast as it is diverse. We spoke to three local musicians about their differing scenes and how Las Vegas plays a distinct role in them.
Zach Ryan is an ex-Nashville country man who regularly gigs at Blake Shelton’s Ole Red and fronts Soft Echo, a new grunge-gaze band that recently released its new single “Hooked.” The band performs at Swan Dive on August 15, and they’ll hit the road with The Killers this September.
Jae Douglass is melodic hitmaker often backed by a six-piece band, and he’s amassed a following for his borderless approach to hiphop and R&B. Singles like “Coy Leray” and “Pennies” exhibit that in full, delivering a sleek arrangement of music made for those moments to yourself.
Cali Tucker is a Season 6 finalist of NBC’s The Voice and hails from a long line of stars, including Hall of Famer Tanya Tucker (her aunt) and recording artist LaCosta Tucker (her mother). The Nashville native has fully infiltrated the local country-pop scene, headlining at Delilah and Easy’s Cocktail Lounge and winning over fans with her single “Country Couture.”
Las Vegas Weekly: What inspires you to make the kind of music you make?
CT: The love of performing comes from my family, because we traveled as really young kids on
the road with them. When it came to country music, I went through a major phase when I hit middle school where I was introduced to all these other types of music I didn’t grow up listening to. It wasn’t until I moved out here to Vegas that I was ... learning new songs from all different genres. And what brings me the most joy when I sing them? It’s always been country music. Shania Twain was very influential on me as a kid. When her new album, Come On Over, came out, I was like, what? Because that was pop-influenced and rock-influenced. The country music genre is now so vast and open to so many different styles.
ZR: At one point I was a young’un, and I would sit down on the rug in the living room with a Totino’s pizza and watch five hours of MTV. In 1996, I would have been 10 years old, so [there was] Oasis and Nirvana and Blur and Stone Temple Pilots and all that stuff. Those were all a really big deal to me when I was a kid. Later on in life, I’d been playing ’60s retro music and I decided it would be fun to do something that was nostalgic for me. Then I found my own voice with it.
JD: I grew up with a lot of different music, but funnily enough, hiphop was introduced to me through my own self. The first songs I ever downloaded on my little iPod shuffle at 7 years old were “Love Lockdown” [by Kanye West], “Ice Box” by Omarion and then “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” by Jay-Z. John Mayer was huge for me when I was growing up. That was an inspiration for me, vocally. But I always had my personal love for hip-hop.
LVW: How would you describe your scene right now?
CT: It’s growing. People are being touched by country music
ZACH RYAN OF SOFT ECHO
instagram.com/thesoftecho
now more than ever, because country is allowing these different sounds and different vibes to really infiltrate this genre and bring more of a wider audience. The fact that we have NFR here, we have [Professional Bull Riders] here—that is huge. We just need to continue to support all artists, but especially country artists really making waves. That’s the only way we’re going to continue to make country music grow more in Las Vegas instead of it being such a club vibe. People are craving live music, and I’m here to serve, girl.
JD: It truly is a melting pot of people. I have all the rap artists from the north side coming out. I have a lot of bands and a lot of indie folks that come out here. I have grandmas and grandpas showing up. It’s moms and dads. It’s kids that show up. It makes me proud to say I feel like I have something for everyone.
LVW: Has living in Vegas influenced your craft?
CT: One thousand percent. If I’d recorded “Country Couture” and I hadn’t moved to Vegas, it wouldn’t have been the same because I hadn’t experienced Las Vegas, and the
(Courtesy/Robert John Kley)
(Courtesy/Fred Morledge/PhotoFM)
CALI TUCKER
bougieness of it and the extravagance of it. I don’t think I would have had my quirkiness and the cheekiness that the song actually does have. Vegas has brought out the absolute very best in me as a performer.
ZR: I stumbled into more country gigs here than I thought I’d ever do and that’s become something I really love doing. I’m so thankful for Ole Red. That was a real godsend. They’ve been really encouraging and they’ve given me a lot of creative freedom in how I produce my own shows there.
JD: I’d say a ton. I started out with this really small, passion project label here called Artist Mafia, and through that, I got the experience of meeting other artists and people who are doing the same thing. The music scene here is really strong, but it’s under-appreciated. There’s a lot more love in the community than there ever has been, and I’m super immersed in the Downtown Arts District. I have a creative space down there. Being tapped in with that community has been really revelatory to me.
LVW: Is there a current sound you feel is dominating Vegas right now?
JD: I think the hip-hop scene is the most dominant. I think it has the most loyal following, and it’s beyond just hip-hop and rap. I like to say alternative because hip-hop has become so widespread. Everyone’s getting so experimental and fun with it. Granted, there’s several bands really doing their thing. Michael Richter is one of them. He’s a great friend of mine, he’s crushing it. Secos has been doing a really great job. But I think the hip-hop and R&B sound is really the anchor of music here right now.
CT: There’s not another soul on this planet that sounds like me. There’s not another soul on this planet that sounds like my friends who play. We’re all doing something different. That’s what’s great about Vegas is it’s so eclectic.
There is something for everybody.
ZR: It’s pretty diverse. Sand Dollar tends to be more of a working man’s venue. They do long sets and they do original shows, but they’re rooted in long performances … whereas multiband shows are more apt to happen at Sinwave or Swan Dive or Red Dwarf. There’s certain people in town putting on themed shows, like Brian Moy’s doing Maximum Doom and the Dirty Rock ‘n’ Roll Dance Party. Even within that, I don’t think those bands are totally overlapping in their sound.
LVW: How does your sound fit into the overall vibe of Vegas?
ZR: That sound can work well in a big open space once you get out of town, when you see the big sunsets out in the desert, but then it also can work in the midst of all the neon lights, surrounded by slot machines. It’s kind of surreal living in a place like this. We take it for granted.
CT: People from all over the world come to Vegas, either for work or fun. And I think their initial intuition is, “Let’s go to Omnia or let’s go to Drai’s, let’s go to Zouk, let’s go to the clubs.” If they play country there I will die. I think it’d be the greatest thing on the planet if people would start re-mixing country songs and making them club songs. That’d be a cool way to bring country into Vegas in a bigger way.
LVW: If you had to make a Vegas soundtrack, what three tracks would be on your playlist?
ZR: “Sin City” by the Flying Burrito Brothers, “Cherry-coloured Funk” by Cocteau Twins and “1979” by the Smashing Pumpkins.
CT: Calvin Harris’ “We Found Love.” It’s a super fun song. “I’m in Las Vegas B****,” by LMFAO. The third one would be “Danke Shoen” by Wayne Newton.
JD: There’s a song I have that isn’t out yet, it’s called “Midnight in Vegas.” That would be a really solid one. I’d also say “1 Shot” by [local musician] Quinn Ayers and “Rental” by Brockhampton.
THE LAS VEGAS PLAYLIST:
OUTSIDER EDITION BY GEOFF CARTER
Before the ascension of homespun superstars like The Killers and Panic! At The Disco, it fell on outsiders to write and perform songs about Las Vegas that could reach the ears of an international audience. In many cases, the songs were half-hearted efforts that the musicians themselves don’t rate: “Viva Las Vegas” was a medium-sized hit for Elvis Presley in 1964 (it reached #29 on the Billboard Hot 100), but he never performed it live, not even in Vegas itself. And when other name artists make Vegas songs, they’re packed with as-seen-on-TV clichés (see Sheryl Crow’s “Leaving Las Vegas” or Katy Perry’s “Waking Up in Vegas”), or use the city as a metaphor for stuff that has nothing to do with us (Gram Parsons’ “Ooh Las Vegas,” AC/DC’s “Sin City”). We waited a long damn time for our “Empire State of Mind,” our “No Sleep Till Brooklyn.” Now, The Killers drop local-pride anthems every few years. But that doesn’t mean those outsider songs were bad. I’d suggest adding several of them to any all-Vegas playlist, along with the gems named below. But here’s the thing: If you live here, and you’ve made playlists to get you through the day: Congratulations, those are now all Vegas songs. Rip them away from other cities whose hometown musicians think they know something about living here.
MENTION THE CITY BY NAME
“Atomic City” U2
“Heaven or Las Vegas” Cocteau Twins
“Let’s Go to Vegas” Faith Hill
“Queen of Las Vegas” The B-52’s “Vegas” Sara Bareilles
“Vegas” Doja Cat
“Vegas” Calvin Harris
“Vegas” Shamir
“Vegas Lights” Panic! At The Disco
“Vegas Nights” Mary J. Blige
“Viva Las Vegas” Elvis Presley
(also Dead Kennedys, ZZ Top, Shawn Colvin or Nina Hagen)
“Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” Brandon Flowers
MUSIC VIDEO SET IN VEGAS, WHICH ARGUABLY GIVES US A STAKE
“24K Magic” Bruno Mars
“Do You Realize??” The Flaming Lips
“How I Feel” Flo Rida
“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” U2
“Money on My Mind” Sam Smith
“On My Mind” Ellie Goulding
“Ride” Lana Del Rey
“Space Lord” Monster Magnet
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IN THE NEWS
“It’s really important for us to understand just the kind of public health crisis that much of the country is in and why Nevada is such an oasis—why we have to protect it.”
- Alexis McGill Johnson, president of Planned Parenthood, speaking about abortion access at a July 29 Harris for President campaign event
BY THE NUMBERS
That’s the amount of the loan that local nonprofit SafeNest received from the Nevada State Infrastructure Bank to construct a new Las Vegas campus, the One Safe Place Project, that will increase services for victims of domestic violence and trafficking. The project is expected to be completed in 2025.
HOT SHOT
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford shakes hands with supporters July 25 at the first Harris for President campaign press conference in Las Vegas.
(Steve Marcus/Staff)
COMMUNITY
The future is now for the peafowl of Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs with the birth of a chick for the first time in at least two years.
The locally famous flock of showy birds, generations of which have inhabited the sprawling Las Vegas park since it was a privately owned ranch in the 1940s, was approaching the end of the genetic road when its females died in 2022.
Word didn’t spread widely until earlier this year, but people responded strongly when it did, and the Peafowl Preservation Program came to be. Valley residents who had peafowl on their property trapped several females—or peahens; only the males of peafowl species are actually peacocks—and donated
Peafowl population up
them to the parks and recreation department.
The males met the females. Nature took its course. Last weekend, the first chick of the new era hatched.
Janna Hudson, Floyd Lamb’s facilities and events coordinator, oversaw the repurposing of an unused barn as a nursery for the transplanted mothers and chicks to get acclimated to the new setting and human caretakers.
Students from Arbor View High School shoveled six tons of sand into horse stalls to make comfortable homes for the feathered families, which will be released to explore the acreage soon.
Staff from Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary, which is about a mile from the park, connected to help the city focus on the
best care, feeding and community education for the now much-larger population.
Hudson said there were about 10 resident free-roaming peafowl, a mix of males and females, at Floyd Lamb when she joined the city in 2020.
But the population dwindled. Hudson speculated that with their free will, some birds may have just left—though they don’t soar, they can fly short distances.
Then two summers ago, a coyote or possibly a hawk might have killed the last two peahens, Hudson said.
In April, three adult hens moved in. In June, two more, along with about a dozen of their young, followed.
–Hillary Davis
Nevada election officials verified enough signatures for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign to appear on the Nevada ballot, the state’s top election official confirmed July 26, likely bringing his insurgent quest to shake up Republican and Democratic dominance of U.S. elections to a crucial battleground state.
There still could be room for legal challenges. Last month, state and national Democrats filed a lawsuit challenging Kennedy’s standing on the Nevada ballot as an independent because of his affiliation with political parties in other states. Kennedy picked California lawyer and philanthropist Nicole Shanahan as his running mate in late March.
State and county election officials verified over 22,000 signatures on the new petition, well over the requirement of just over 10,000. –Associated Press
Neon
City Festival angles to be the F1 alternative
As year two of the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix speeds onto the Strip this November, a new Downtown music and culinary festival seeks to absorb the overflow of locals and tourists.
The Neon City Festival, created by casino mogul Derek Stevens and sponsored by Fremont Street Experience partners and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, will kick off November 22-24 as a free, non-ticketed alternative to F1.
“I think everybody was kind of taken aback by the disruptive nature of F1, particularly with having to rebuild the roads and the road construction, and the impact it had on both our tourists throughout those six months leading up to it, as well as our locals just going to work,” Stevens says.
Last year’s race raked in a whopping $1.5 billion in economic impact for the city, but cut many businesses—and locals, he adds—out of the equation. With Neon City Festival, Stevens vies to create a boon for all businesses in the Downtown corridor.
Similar to Life Is Beautiful’s 18-block footprint, Neon City Festival will be a large undertaking. As Stevens explains it, we’re going to see activities throughout the city’s urban core, with areas like the Arts District, Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, Third Street and Fremont East all being incorporated. –Amber Sampson
(Steve Marcus/Staff)
(Wade
The
Neon Museum announces relocation to Las Vegas Arts District
BY GRACE DA ROCHA
Past the towering Strip hotels and bright lights of the Fremont Street
Experience lies a boneyard filled with history that comes alive at night.
When an old hotel, bar or even flower shop was set to be updated or demolished, the Neon Museum made sure at least one part of it remained–giving birth to the eclectic collection of vibrant neon signs that fill a dirt lot off North Las Vegas Boulevard.
Walking among the maze of signs—from the huge Hard Rock Hotel guitar stretching into the sky to the bright red Stardust sign or, soon, the white Mirage arch—it’s nearly impossible to see all of the things that have been collected over the past 30 years in one go. But in a few years, that could change with the Neon Museum set to move into two new spaces within Las Vegas’ Arts District.
BRIGHT
“With a new art museum that’s coming into the City of Las Vegas (and) with the museums that are already here—the Mob Museum, the Natural History Museum, Springs Preserve—these opportunities are wonderful, and we’re just adding to that culture of Las Vegas,” says Aaron Berger, executive director of the Neon Museum.
“This is an opportunity to let locals embrace the Neon Museum and hopefully connect with their history here, but also bring tourists into the area as well and help tourists discover the locally-owned businesses and restaurants (and) bars.”
The Neon Museum is slated to move from their current 2.27-acre campus in the Cultural Corridor north of Fremont Street to a space in the Arts District. The entire move is estimated to cost around $45 million.
At least 250 signs are currently on display, but Berger says that’s only about 35% of the entire collection.
Growing pains have impacted the museum in recent years, according to data from Berger. In the past 12 years, the museum has gone from pulling in 20,000 visitors a year to attracting over 200,000. The admission slots, a roughly 45-minute period, sold out so often that the museum had to turn away 30,000 guests last year, he tells the Weekly.
A move to the Arts District, where it will have two new buildings, gives the Neon Museum a chance to “triple (the) footprint” and “showcase more of Las Vegas … indoors and outdoors,” Berger said. He added that the new location will not only increase the size of the museum, but allow the organization to present more exhibits to visitors as well.
Founded in 1996, the Neon Museum began as a nonprofit organization dedicated to collecting,
Vandervort/ Staff/Photo Illustration)
FUTURE
restoring and exhibiting neon signs from as far back as the 1930s. The museum was officially opened in October 2012, and includes the Neon Boneyard where signs are displayed outdoors; the North Gallery, which houses the immersive audiovisual Brilliant! experience; the Boulevard Gallery outdoor exhibit and event space; and the visitors center inside the former La Concha Motel lobby.
Part of the new Arts District location will be within the ninth and 10th floors of a developing parking garage with retail and dining on the first floor. Dapper Companies will be developing the parking garage, which will contain 32,000 square feet of retail space, 20,000 square feet of office space and 887 spaces for cars.
The ninth floor will be enclosed so the museum can one day showcase its “robust” stash of Las Vegas-centered fine art and “the beginnings of a costume collection.”
An indoor location can also solve one of the problems affecting visitation: weather.
Because the Neon Boneyard is outdoors, the museum can cancel scheduled tours and admission slots during inclement weather, which includes those days when the heat exceeds 110 degrees.
On the 60,000-square-foot top floor of the garage, the Neon Museum’s collection of signs will be displayed in even greater numbers, with an “amazing view” of the Las Vegas Valley, saysBerger.
The second location, a “maker space,” will be a three-minute walk away. Berger hopes that it will become a space for activities where visitors can learn how neon is made and possibly get to bend some themselves. He also wants to bring an outreach programs and field trip opportunities to the new location.
“I couldn’t be happier,” said Las Vegas City Councilwoman
Olivia Diaz, who oversees the Arts District, at a city council meeting on July 17. “I think it’s going to be a spark that really ensures that on the north side of the Arts District, things start to happen.”
The Neon Museum would be moving next to the Mission Linen building, a “development program” soon to be anchored by the Evel Knievel Museum (relocating from its current spot in Topeka, Kansas); Heavy Metal Pizza Party, a restaurant from Evel Pie’s Branden Powers; and a new Mothership Coffee Roasters flagship store and roasting facility.
Right now, the Neon Museum shows no signs of closing and is in the early stages of planning the move. One thing Berger guarantees is that the restoration efforts will continue, and even amplify, in the coming years.
There’s work continuing on La Concha right now, giving everything from the original walls to the large stained glass sign some TLC before moving to the new site a few miles away.
Fundraising efforts to support the Neon Museum’s relocation will start soon, and it will be a group effort seeking individual, philanthropy and government support to get started.
Berger told city council members that officials expect to open in the new location in 2027.
“You can expect the Neon Museum to continue to provide for the next three years while we’re here in this location,” Berger says. “(But) with arts and culture, if we begin to synergize and actually work together to create a reason for people to come to Las Vegas as a cultural destination, that just simply makes everything else stronger in that process.”
SWAN DIVE TAKES FLIGHT
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
For many, there was a small slice of recent music history in Las Vegas that was golden, and at the heart of it was the now-defunct Bunkhouse Saloon. From the mid-2000s to 2019, the Downtown venue was a cornerstone and sanctuary, a place we flocked to nearly every week to enjoy our favorite bands and discover new sounds.
When Bunkhouse closed its doors shortly before the pandemic, it left a void in the ever-changing landscape of Las Vegas nightlife. And when a fire broke out at the shuttered venue in June 2021, it felt like losing an old friend. Sometimes it seems we’re still chasing the high we once felt enjoying live music within those walls.
From that void emerges Swan Dive, a new music venue perched on the upper floor of the two-story Colorado building in the Arts District. Harvey Graham, owner of Fremont East club Oddfellows and other Swan Dive locations in Austin and Portland, saw in his new event space an opportunity to try replicating that Bunkhouse magic.
“[Swan Dive] actually came out of desperation, when we thought we were going to lose Oddfellows,” Graham says. The alt-club eventually survived its COVID-era closure and prospered,
leaving Graham to consider what to make of the nearly 10,000 square feet of space he’d claimed in a then-unfinished Arts District building.
“It became apparent that there would be a need for a venue for medium-sized touring bands and to fill the void left by Bunkhouse,” Graham tells the Weekly
The sprawling Swan Dive space includes a wrap-around outdoor balcony with a great Downtown view, indoor and outdoor bar access, an elevated stage, and plenty of standing room, all enlivened by wall projection displays.
Graham says Mike Henry, the former talent buyer at Bunkhouse, helped plan and develop the venue’s soapbox. “He helped a lot developing the stage and telling me what all needs to go into making a proper live music venue, which is a completely different beast from a nightclub,” Graham says.
To book the space, Swan Dive partners Graham and Tim Kam teamed up with local promotional music company We The Beat, known for its curated concerts that focus on showcasing up-andcoming talent. As the in-house talent buyers, We The Beat works with local music promoter groups such as Pulsar Presents and Black Sheep Booking to secure a variety of acts.
The Arts District’s latest addition caters to live music lovers
“It takes a while to build programming, and it’s six months out,” says Graham. “But we’re developing a good calendar and have some good stuff coming up.”
For the past few months the venue has been working in a soft opening phase. It has hosted shows featuring surf punk band Agent Orange, techno-house DJ Biscits, Brazilian tropicalia band Os Mutantes, synthwave duo Glass Spells and more.
Swan Dive’s official grand opening is scheduled for August 9, a 21-and-over event featuring a west coast tour stop by German synthpop artist Roosevelt.
Graham’s vision for Swan Dive is to create a national brand, and considering his two other operational locations, it looks like he’s on the right track.
Here, his goal is to make this venue a space for both tourists and locals to come experience the best of live music in one of the hottest neighborhoods in town.
”It really looks like the live local scene is growing,” says Graham. “Vegas is going to become a place for artists to come to … there’s so much to offer now.”
(Photographs
DANE COOK
FRIDAY | AUG 30
BABYFACE
SATURDAY & SUNDAY | AUG 31 & SEPT 1
BILLY CURRINGTON
SATURDAY | SEPT 7
STEPHEN SANCHEZ
TUESDAY | SEPT 10
HIT IT HOME
Locals can catch a fun, affordable day out at Las Vegas Ballpark
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
Someone once told me that baseball was the most boring sport to watch live. And I, admittedly not the biggest sports person, was appalled by their misguided statement. What’s not to love? The smell of sizzling stadium food? A satisfying gulp of cold domestic beer? A leisurely-paced ballgame and some good-natured trash talking goes a long way, even for someone who isn’t sports-savvy. Las Vegas Ballpark proves it.
“When you come to a game here, it’s non-stop entertainment—we’ve got music going throughout and on-field entertainment during the innings,” says Erik Eisenberg, the Aviators’ vice president of ticket sales. “The game on the field is almost secondary.”
There’s been a lot of talk lately about building an on-Strip baseball stadium in the coming years. But
since 2019, the Las Vegas Ballpark, located just east of Downtown Summerlin, has been the beating heart of local baseball. Home to the Aviators, the local minor league team and Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland A’s, LVB is a family-friendly oasis that’s surprisingly affordable, offering wholesome outdoor fun—it’s where baseball fans or fans of a good time have found their fix since the park’s very first pitch.
During a recent visit to watch a faceoff between our home team and the Sacramento River Cats, I was immediately taken by the buzz of just being there. I got a kick from the smell of cut grass, the announcer over the intercom giv-
ing highlights, and the crowds of people of all ages zipping around, all seemingly incapable of colliding with each other despite their baseball cap-shaded eyes.
Post-pandemic, the Aviators have been steadily building up their attendance with events for a variety of crowds. They’ve introduced various themed nights, including country, ‘80s and Marvel; they offer $2 beer nights on Thursdays; send up post-game fireworks on Fridays. They even allow dogs into the park every Wednesday. And with tickets starting at just $14, getting out there is a no-brainer.
Food at the ballpark is an attraction in itself, from Le Lana’s choco-
late-dipped bananas to the signature Aviator burgers at the Flight Deck, featuring a rotating selection of opponent-themed burgers each series. Crunch Time offers gourmet nachos served in a souvenir baseball helmet. And there are hot dogs good enough to give Costco’s famous wieners a run for their money.
“There’s not a bad seat in the house,” Eisenberg assures. And considering the ballpark’s 10,000-person capacity and my own on-site investigative work, he’s right. Your choice of seats go beyond which base you’d like to sit behind—the park offers upper level stadium seating, club and suite accommodations and grass lawn seating. Oh, and did we mention there’s an exclusive field-facing pool beyond
the outfield wall? The 14-seat area is almost always booked solid but is worth checking for availability.
Vegas continues evolving as a sports town, and stadiums are popping up seemingly everywhere. But the Las Vegas Ballpark isn’t just a venue for watching a game; it’s a showcase of how Vegas can still offer something both affordable and luxurious with locals in mind. So grab some friends and family, put on your favorite baseball cap and enjoy this no-frills American pastime at its best.
“Minor league sports can provide a great experience for cheaper prices,” says Eisenberg. “Even though you’re not seeing major league baseball players, you’re seeing the up-and-coming stars.”
LAS VEGAS AVIATORS
Remaining home games at Las Vegas Ballpark:
Aug. 1-4 vs. Albuquerque
Aug. 13-18 vs. Oklahoma City
Sep. 3-8 vs. Round Rock
Sep. 17-22 vs. El Paso
Tickets at ticketmaster.com
C’EST MAGNIFIQUE
Brasserie B by Bobby Flay is a welcome addition to the Strip’s French dining scene
BY KEN MILLER
Few regional cuisines have helped de ne Las Vegas over the last few decades as much as France’s. Many of the city’s greatest restaurants have come courtesy of the likes of Daniel Boulud, Guy Savoy, Joël Robuchon, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Alain Ducasse and many more.
The newest enfant on the block is courtesy of a celebrity chef whose presence on the Strip only continues to get stronger, and it’s the perfect blend of elegance and fun: Brasserie B by Bobby Flay at Caesars Palace.
Located next to Flay’s Italian restaurant Amal—which took the place of Flay’s popular Mexican restaurant, Mesa Grill—Brasserie B is his rst Vegas foray into French cuisine, and from décor to service to menu options, it’s hard to imagine how he could have done it better. The exterior’s sign playfully bends toward you, beckoning you inside.
The interior is brightly lit, with plenty of table and booth seating, a large, well-stocked bar, a raw bar and large separate area for parties with opaque
glass for privacy.
While the restaurant is open for brunch and dinner, it really stands out for the brunch menu, one of the few on the Las Vegas Strip to be o ered every day of the week from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. You’ll want to start your adventure here with the assorted pastries, an absolute steal at $21, considering you get four distinct and substantial baked goodies, including a chocolate croissant and lemon- lled pastry.
Entrées all have that Flay creativity, especially the soft scrambled eggs ($22), here mixed with chèvre and red pepper pesto; and the Omelette Basquaise ($24), which focuses on quality over quantity. It’s relatively thin when compared to its wa e-house equivalents, but the addition of onion, garlic, pepper, parsley pesto and chèvre makes every bite a special memory. Fans of French toast will love the Pain Perdu ($22) and its crispy, custardy texture, smothered with seasonal berries and whipped crème fraîche.
Given the wide-ranging timeframe for Brasserie B’s brunch, you may want to opt for lunch-type fare like a sandwich, and if you’ve never tried one of Flay’s burgers, there’s no better place to start than the Bar Americain Burger ($25), where the patty, cooked to your speci cations, gets the duo of American and Gruyere cheese, as well as very crispy bacon (my personal favorite style) to keep you coming back for just one more bite … until it’s mysteriously gone. Pair this with the twice-cooked French fries, shoestring-cut and served with red pepper mayonnaise.
If you’re thinking of something more along the lines of late lunch or early dinner, de nitely opt for the “Avec Frites” portion of the brunch menu, where everything from mussels to whole lobster is grilled and served with those delicious fries. If you need a bit more accompaniment, the macaroni Gruyere gratin ($15) is about as satisfying as a side dish can get. Just be sure to use both hands when lifting the container for this dense, decadent beast.
(Clockwise from left) Eggs Royale, yellowtail crudo and Lobster Avec Frites (Courtesy/ Caesars Entertainment)
BRASSERIE B Caesars Palace, 866227-5938, caesars.com
Picnic in the Alley, Las Vegas Distillery, The Parlour and more
The fully female-curated culinary event Picnic in the Alley returns for its third year on September 21 in the Downtown Arts District, once again raising funds for the Women’s Hospitality Initiative. More details will be announced soon but tickets (starting at $125) are available now at picnicin thealley.com
After a two-year renovation under new ownership, the Las Vegas Distillery is now open in the Henderson Booze District, serving craft cocktails made with its own spirits and a curated food menu, and offering additional experiences and tours in its tasting room and distillery. It’s open Thursday through Sunday and you can find more info at lasvegasdistillery.com. Longtime Las Vegas Strip Indian food institution Tamba will be reopening this month at its new location at Town Square. Stay informed at tambalasvegas.com.
Chef and restaurateur Antonio Nunez has acquired the former Kitchen Table space in Henderson and plans to open a second location of The Parlour, his Downtown Las Vegas fast-casual spot, in September. Meanwhile, The Parlour (on Carson Avenue) just launched a “pre-inflation” smashburger pop-up menu, available Thursday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m. un-
til 2 a.m., featuring a burger and fries for $7 and craft cocktails for $7.
The Rio has opened Lapa Lounge, a cocktail spot at the heart of the off-Strip casino resort celebrating Rio de Janeiro’s vibrant Lapa neighborhood. The bar’s open Monday through Thursday from 2 p.m. until midnight, and Friday through Sunday from 2 p.m. until 2 a.m.
Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab at the Forum Shops at Caesars will host a special wine dinner on August 13 at 6:30 p.m. celebrating Caymus Vineyards’ 50th anniversary. Tickets are $195 and available via Tock.
The Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino has announced the initial lineup for its Miracle Eats food collective, set to open this winter. Fat Sal’s, Tacotarian, Carnegie Pizza, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Lobster ME and Fat Tuesday will be dishing it up on the Strip, with more brands to be announced later.
Triple 7 Restaurant & Microbrewery at Main Street Station recently took the top-prize Gold Award in the Belgian Witbier category at the U.S. Open Beer Championship. The Downtown favorite was the only Las Vegas winner in all categories. –Brock Radke
Bets to make on eight football awards right now as the season draws near
BY CASE KEEFER
The preponderance of options has slowly made awards wagering perhaps the most popular vehicle of football future bets.
HANDICAPPING HONORS
It’s an exercise that’s all about timing, requiring bettors to buy and sell on players at the right times throughout the season. And there’s nothing better for a portfolio than having a valuable starting position, so let’s dive through eight of the biggest markets available locally and find a bet or two in each one as the season rapidly approaches.
PATRICK MAHOMES
CEEDEE LAMB
JALEN MILROE
DAVE CANALES
HEISMAN TROPHY:
Alabama quarterback
Jalen Milroe AT 14-TO-1
(BETFRED SPORTSBOOK AT VIRGIN HOTELS)
The Crimson Tide quarterback nished last season playing at a Heisman level, helping knock o two-time defending national champion Georgia in the SEC title game before coming within an overtime of beating eventual 2024 champion Michigan.
Now he gets an o ense even more suited to his strengths as a junior with the arrival of new coach Kalen DeBoer. The former Washington coach likes to throw deep and rely on his quarterbacks’ rushing ability—the two things Milroe does best.
Current Heisman favorite Dillon Gabriel, Oregon’s quarterback, was worth a bet when he sat most of the summer in this same range but he’s moved too far at as low as 5-to-1. The better approach now is to pick o contenders in the midrange like Milroe and hope Gabriel drifts upwards at some point in the season.
NFL MOST VALUABLE PLAYER:
Chiefs quarterback
Patrick Mahomes AT 6-TO-1
(SUPERBOOK AT WESTGATE LAS VEGAS)
The gap between the back-toback Super Bowl champion and every other player in the NFL continues to widen. It’s certainly wider than this future pool indicates with players like Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow and Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud nipping at Mahomes’ heels at as low as 8-to-1.
The main concern with a player like two-time MVP Mahomes is voter fatigue, but that shouldn’t be as much of an issue this year considering he didn’t win the MVP award last year. Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson claimed the honor last year—as given out in this column at 18to-1—in a relatively down regular season for Mahomes.
But Mahomes is entering a quarterback’s traditional prime at 28 years old, and his numbers should increase across the board.
NFL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb AT 10-TO-1 (CIRCA SPORTS)
The training-camp holdout of Dallas’ top receiver is keeping this price in ated to well beyond where it should rightfully stand. In all likelihood, the 25-year-old will get a new deal and go right back to producing at one of the highest clips in the league.
Only Miami receiver Tyreek Hill has been more proli c than Lamb over the past two years, but his price is much lower (7-to-1). The Dolphins may also be more cautious with Hill, as injuries have slowed him drastically late in the past two seasons.
Injuries are also a concern for reigning winner/San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey (8-to-1). This is trending toward becoming more of a wide receiver award anyway, as McCa rey was only able to break the mold because he’s so involved in the passing game.
NFL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson AT 16-TO-1 (CIRCA) AND Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike AT 100-TO-1 (SUPERBOOK)
The Lions’ defense has everything in place to take a leap into the NFL’s top 10 this year, and Hutchinson is the face of the unit. The 23-year-old should have the statistics, too, as he nished either rst or second in the NFL last year in pressures, depending on the charting service (Pro Football Reference or Pro Football Focus, respectively). He was probably unlucky to have only 11.5 sacks in 2023.
Madubuike, meanwhile, broke through with 13 sacks and plays on what’s perennially one of the best defenses in the NFL. A recurring narrative all year will be discussing the best defensive tackle in football now that the Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald has retired, and Madubuike’s name could be in the conversation.
NFL RUSHING TITLE:
Ravens running back
Derrick Henry AT 20-TO-1 (CIRCA) AND Bills running back James Cook AT 35-TO-1 (BETMGM)
Why not give running backs some love after dismissing them as it pertains to O ensive Player of the Year? This isn’t technically an award as it’s not voted on, but the player who leads the league in rushing is annually recognized. Henry has nished on top twice previously, in 2019 and 2020, and nished second last year in hisnal year with the Tennessee Titans. Baltimore runs the ball even more often than the Titans, and the bruising Henry looks like a natural t next to the shifty Jackson.
Speaking of high run rates, Bu alo kept it on the ground at a much higher clip once Joe Brady took over as o ensive coordinator late last season. Cook nished fourth in the league in rushing yards, and could take the next step this season.
NFL OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Broncos quarterback
Bo Nix AT 18-TO-1 (BETMGM) AND Vikings quarterback
J.J. McCarthy AT 25-TO-1 (SUPERBOOK)
The best of the six quarterbacks taken in the rst round of this year’s NFL Draft should ultimately win this award. And they’re all probably closer together from a quality standpoint than the odds imply, with Chicago’s Caleb Williams at +140 (i.e., risking $100 to win $140) and Washington’s Jayden Daniels at 6-to-1 so far above the rest of the pack. Williams and Daniels are more talented than the long shots Nix and McCarthy, but there’s an argument to be made the latter duo are in better situations. Nix seems like the perfect quarterback to pair with Denver coach Sean Payton’s o ense, while McCarthy has the best weapon in 2022 O ensive Player of the Year Justin Je erson as his top receiver.
NFL DEFENSE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Rams edge rusher
Jared Verse AT 11-TO-1 AND Dolphins edge rusher Chop Robinson AT 20-TO-1 (BETMGM)
Defensive backs, or even linebackers, can win this award but sacks give edge rushers a virtual cheat code so it’s better to start there. Minnesota edge Dallas Turner was the best prospect in the draft by any predictive measure, but there’s no value in backing him at as low as 3-to-1.
Los Angeles’ Verse and Miami’s Robinson weren’t far behind anyway. They are both athletic freaks who should be focal points right away on above-average teams that regularly draw the spotlight.
Their potential for highlight-worthy plays are high, and those viral moments carry a lot of weight in this award.
NFL COACH OF THE YEAR: Panthers coach
Dave Canales AT 20-TO-1 (BETMGM)
Coach of the Year is typically awarded for the biggest year-overyear improvement. No one has a better chance to improve their team’s fortune than Canales, who takes over in Carolina following a 2-15 season under previous coach Frank Reich.
The Panthers have also made some sneaky improvements o ensively to complement second-year quarterback Bryce Young, including drafting running back Jonathon Brooks and trading for receiver Diontae Johnson.
Canales was an o ensive miracle worker as a coordinator last season with Tampa Bay, leading the team to an NFC South title. The chances he repeats the success with the Panthers are better than this line implies.
(AP Photo/ Photo Illustration)
ARE FREE-PLAY OFFERS A WASTE OF MONEY FOR CASINOS?
BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF
Free play campaigns—those casino incentives in which customers are given money to gamble on the house—have historically grown exponentially as a form of competition between gaming institutions.
If one casino o ers $10 in free play, but a consumer chooses another that o ers $15, then the rst casino will adapt to o er $20 and so on.
These programs have gotten so big over the decades that operators are concerned to cut back on free play lest they lose a major market share, said Anthony Lucas, a professor and researcher at UNLV’s Harrah College of Hospitality. A recent study by Lucas, however, shows that fear may be unfounded.
“It’s an understandable fear, an understandable concern, but the reality is, it’s not necessarily so,” Lucas said. “And you have to remember that money can be used for a lot of other things that can improve gaming spend and visitation.”
Free-play campaigns are not only huge expenses, they are annual ones, Lucas said, meaning they virtually never stop.
“And so they have become far and away, especially in the United States, the most expensive play incentive that the casinos fund,” he said. “So it’s a huge annual dollar amount, and it’s very unclear as to whether these campaigns are achieving their stated objectives.”
Free play has two primary aims: to increase spending and the number of trips that a person makes, Lucas said.
“So, especially in the United States, it’s a very important piece of research to try to understand—is this thing working?” he said. “Because we sure are leaning into it.”
In their study, Lucas and his collaborator, San Diego State University professor Katherine Spilde, gathered 400 mid-level players with the same free-play “o er tier,” and gave them all $15 a week in year-one of the study to see how much they spent.
In year two, Lucas said, they split the group up into sections of 100 and gave them varying amounts of $0 to $15 in free play. What they found was that there was no signi cant di erence in spending or visiting either for the control group that still had $15 or the experimental group whose o ers were knocked down to $10 a week.
“We didn’t see any change in visitation or gaming spend over that six-month period,” Lucas said. “That’s (a) pretty, pretty important result, because you just decreased your play incentive costs by 33%.”
The group that only got $5 spent more than in the previous time period, even with a 67% cut in their free-play o ering, Lucas said. The spend for the $0 group also saw no signi cant di erence.
This study was conducted using data from a tribal casino in the western U.S., per a release.
While incentives like free-play campaigns may be considered best practices in the gaming industry overall, they also don’t always t in the same way with a tribe’s purpose, said Spilde, who is also the endowed chair of the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming in the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at SDSU.
In addition to a return on investment, tribes have another metric by which they measure business: return on community, Spilde said. And, researchers found that where less free play was gifted, the return on that smaller amount was more positive.
In that context, gaming managers were treating the free-play dollar as tribal money, said Spilde, who emphasized that 100% of net gaming revenue from tribal gaming properties is moved over to tribal governments. As a result, operators were treating that dollar more conservatively.
“If the casino management or the marketing team understands that they aren’t just taking that dollar, if you will, and giving it to a player from the casino,” she said, “they’re taking it from a scholarship fund for tribal members, they’re taking it from health care … they’re taking it from the housing department or the roads department—it’s actually going to have a real impact to remove that dollar from the tribe’s economy, from the return on community.”
She’s excited that this type of research has highlighted the di erence between tribal gaming and other gaming segments, and the former’s reliance on “return on community.”
“Sometimes, from a business perspective, outsiders may say, ‘Well, return on community is not good business practice,’” Spilde said. “But, in fact, what some of our research shows is that it actually is better business practice.”
VEGAS INC NOTES
Spotlighting the best in business
Two Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican hospitals have been named by U.S. News & World Report to its 2024-25 Best Hospitals, as high-performing hospitals for multiple procedures and conditions. Siena Hospital earned the rating in 10 categories, doubling its count from the previous year. Those areas included chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, hip replacement, kidney failure, knee replacement, leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, pneumonia and stroke. San Martín Hospital matched its previous-year performance by earning the ratings in two categories—heart failure and kidney failure.
Seven attorneys with Bailey Kennedy have been recognized in the 2024 edition of Mountain States Super Lawyers. They are: John Bailey, business litigation; Dennis Kennedy, “Top 10” and business litigation; Joshua Dickey, business litigation; Joshua Gilmore, business litigation; and Mountain States Rising Stars; Joseph Liebman, business litigation; Paul Williams, health care; and Rebecca Crooker, Rising Stars. Five attorneys with Pisanelli Bice were named to the list, including partners Debra Spinelli, James Pisanelli, Todd Bice, M. Magali Mercera and Emily Buchwald (Rising Stars). Bice and Pisanelli were included in the Top 100 lawyers, and Spinelli on the Top 50 Women lawyers list. John Naylor and Jennifer Braster of Naylor & Braster, Attorneys at Law, were also included on the list, with Braster receiving further recognition the Top 100 and Top
50 Women lists. Super Lawyers is a legal rating service that identifies top attorneys in each state across more than 70 practice areas.
The William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV appointed professor Lori Johnson as the inaugural Terry Pollman Professor of Law. This new professorship was established in honor of Terry Pollman, a founding faculty member of the law school. The professorship will be a multiple-year appointment that will rotate among Boyd’s legal writing faculty. Pollman served as president of the Association of Legal Writing Directors and held various leadership roles in the Legal Writing Institute.
Desert Hope Treatment Center, an addiction treatment provider in Las Vegas, promoted Kristin Berg to executive director. Berg has over 15 years of experience in the Las Vegas behavioral health industry and dual certification as a licensed alcohol and drug counselor and supervisor. In her new position, she oversees operations at Desert Hope’s inpatient and outpatient locations.
Yessica Romero, safety manager at the Penta Building Group, was elected to the board of directors for the National Association of Women in Construction’s Las Vegas chapter. The association empowers leaders in the construction industry by enhancing members’ careers through education, building technical skills and providing support and networking opportunities with women in the profession.
JOB LISTING
SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER II sought by Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. (Las Vegas, NV) Contribute to the creation and evolution of existing and future software platforms, game features, and Application capabilities developed by Aristocrat. Requires: BS+5 years. May work from home. Apply by email to: Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. totalrewards@aristocrat.com (Ref Job code: NV0120SG)
JOB LISTING
SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER I sought by Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. (Las Vegas, NV) Generate high-quality code functional in casino-style or proprietary game development kits. May work from home. MS+3 required. Apply by email to: Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. totalrewards@aristocrat.com (Reference Job code: NV1110RB)
JOB LISTING
Technical Designer(s) (f/t, multiple openings) sought by M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates, Inc. to work in Las Vegas, NV to participate in all proj phases, incl conceptual dsgns, presentations, schematic dsgn, dsgn dvlpmt , construction docs & prod for largescale commercial & mixed-use core & shell architecture projs. Incidental telecommuting may apply. EOE. To apply, please go to: https://gensler.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/genslercareers/job/LasVegas-NV-US/Technical-Designer_R-12846
PREMIER CROSSWORD
BY FRANK LONGO
HOROSCOPES
Caine
34 1950s-’60s Egyptian president
35 Puts spin on a pool ball with no further tricks?
42 Animal throat 44 Chicken -45 River of Bern 46 Cops sound 47 Office scribe 49 Road furrow
50 Basie’s music
53 Pool triangle packed in a suitcase?
pool ball?
106 Othello victim 109 Pool variety with 22 balls
110 Observe a hole in a pool table?
115 La mer filler 116 Love god
Jetson boy 121 Last shot of a pool game?
125 Be at a slant 126 Mass in the throat 127 Admiral Nelson 128 Liv of Super
Riddle-me- -130 Facial locale
Frightful flies
1 Peru’s largest city
Santa -- (some winds) 3 Certain small pooch
Reveries
KING FEATURES SYNDICATE
5 Zeta follower 6 [not my typo]
7 Desert region in Africa
8 Devitalize 9 Vacation stop
10 Long-range nuke carrier
11 Gets mature
12 Grasslands
13 Last name of singer Adele
14 Many PC pics
15 Alcove-hiding tapestry
16 Mixture baked in pies
17 Aetna offering
18 Kin of -ess
21 Grande of pop, for short
24 Ozark actor Morales
“Uh-uh”
“No bid”
Attacked as a cat might
The, to Jules
Info provider
Despicable Me antihero
Thigh locales
Actress Swenson
Pad thai
ROB BREZSNY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): What is a metaphorical equivalent to a painter’s palette in your life? Maybe it’s a diary or journal where you lay out the feelings and ideas you use to craft your fate. Or an inner sanctuary where you retreat to organize your thoughts. However you define your palette, the time is right to enlarge its size and increase the range of pigments you can choose from.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The star that Westerners call Arcturus has a different name for Indigenous Australians: Marpeankurrk. In their part of the world, it begins to rise before dawn in August. For the Boorong people, this was once a sign to hunt for the larvae of wood ants, which comprised a staple food for months. Be on the lookout for new sources of sustenance and fuel.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Seventy percent of the world’s macadamia nuts have a single ancestor: a particular tree in Queensland, Australia. In 1896, two brothers took seeds from this tree and brought them back to their homestead in Oahu. From that small beginning, Hawaiian macadamia nuts have come to dominate the world’s production. What you launch in the coming months could have tremendous staying power and reach far beyond its original inspiration.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Ketchup flows at about 0.03 miles per hour. In 35 hours, it could travel about a mile. Move at a similar speed in the coming days. The slower you go, the better you will feel. The more deeply focused you are on each event, and the more you allow the rich details to unfold in their own sweet time, the more successful you will be at the art of living.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): When you are at your best, you are a beacon of joyful magnetism who naturally exudes irrepressible charisma. You shine like a thousand suns and strut your stuff with unabashed audacity. All who are lucky enough to be in your sphere benefit from your radiant spontaneity, bold, dramatic play and whoo-hoo celebration of your creative genius.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Friedrich August Kekule (1829–1896) transformed organic chemistry with his discovery of the structure of carbon-based compounds. His realization arrived in a dream. The image that solved the riddle was a snake biting its own tail. You could have practical and revelatory dreams yourself in the coming weeks. Daydream visions, too. Pay attention!
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Don’t succumb to numbness or apathy in the coming weeks. Take extreme measures to avoid boredom and cynicism. You need to feel deeply and care profoundly. You must find ways to be excited about as many things as possible, and you must vividly remember why your magnificent goals are so magnificent. It’s time for you to be epic, mythic, even heroic.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Historically, August has brought many outbreaks of empowerment. In August 1920, American women gained the right to vote. In August 1947, India and Pakistan wrested their independence from the British Empire. In August 1789, French revolutionaries issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man. This August will be an excellent time to claim and/or boost your command of the niche that will nurture your authority and confidence for years to come.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): August is Scour Away Stereotypes Month for you. Please be an agent of original thinking and fertile freshness. Wage a brazen crusade against cliches, platitudes, pigeonholes, conventional wisdom and hackneyed ideas.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You’re never too old or wise or jaded to jump up in the air with glee when offered a free gift. Right? So don’t be so bent on maintaining your dignity and composure that you remain poker-faced when given the chance to grab the equivalent of a free gift. Pry open your attitude so you will be alert to the looming blessings, even when they are in disguise.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): One summer day, a guy woke up at 5 a.m., meditated a while and made breakfast. As he gazed out his window, he became alarmed. In the distance, a brush fire was burning. He called emergency services. A few minutes later, though, he realized the fire was just the rising sun lighting up the horizon. Double-check your initial impressions to make sure they are true and be aware that you may initially respond with worry to events that are actually wonderful or interesting.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
At least a million ships lie at the bottom of the oceans, lakes and rivers. Shipwreck hunter Sean Fisher estimates that those remains hold over $60 billion worth of treasure. If you have the slightest inkling to launch adventures in search of those riches, the coming months will be an excellent tine. Alternately, you are likely to generate good fortune through any version of diving into the depths in quest of wealth in all of its forms.
BACKSTORY
FLOYD LAMB PARK | WEDNESDAY, JULY 24 | Peacock interactions are relatable. They shake their tailfeathers to attract a mate, while simultaneously communicating “don’t touch me” to everyone else. The mixed signals, the big show, the “come here, no, go away” ... we’ve all been there. So when a peacock retracts his train, turns and walks away, he’s just not that into you. They can fly, but they aren’t really into that, either. This is a peacock’s world, and we’re just living in it. –Corlene Byrd
