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5,000 square feet of modern indoor-outdoor space. A convenient, off-strip location for gatherings from ten to 200. Meet the Assembly. uncommons.com I-215 and Durango
This week at UnCommons Wed 8/28 Trivia Night @ General Admission 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Las Vegas photographers embrace the revived art of shooting with film.
20 COVER STORY
Climate change manifests in many different ways across Nevada. What is being done to address it?
28 MUSIC
Hip-hop meets classical when Nas performs with the Las Vegas Philharmonic. Plus, Boyz II Men returns to the Strip.
by Ian Racoma
8 SUPERGUIDE
Lee Canyon hosts its first Bike Festival, the Punk Rock Museum holds a group art show and more this week.
32
FOOD & DRINK
New Latin brunch spot Mi
becomes a fast favorite in the
36 SPORTS
UNLV is aiming for a championship season and a decision on the starting quarterback will set the tone.
Barrio
Arts District.
Photo illustration
Chilaquiles divorciados, Barrio hash, birria grilled cheese, bone marrow street corn and other menu items from Mi Barrio. (Wade Vandervort/ Staff)
SUPERGUIDE
THURSDAY AUG 22
ALEX G
Philly-based singer-songwriter Alex G, whose music has drawn comparisons to Elliott Smith, first caught Pitchfork’s eye in 2018 as a standout new artist. Alex Giannascoli (his real name) gained a cult following through self-released bedroom recordings from 2010 to 2012, and now boasts more than eight million monthly Spotify listeners. Today, with nine studio albums and a slew of EPs and soundtracks, his discography is as expansive as his live performances are unpredictable. Known for erratic stage antics and confessional lyrics, Alex G’s shows are a captivating blend of manic energy and profound simplicity. 7 p.m., $29+, House of Blues, concerts.livenation.com. –Gabriela Rodriguez
HARRY LUGE
8 p.m., Stoney’s North Forty, stoneysnorthforty.com
HEEMBEEZY
With DrexTheJoint, 7 p.m., the Wall at Area15, area15.com
7 p.m., Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, seetickets.us
JUVENILE & MANNIE FRESH
With The 400 Degreez Band, 7:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com
COAL CHAMBER
5 p.m., House of Blues, concerts.livenation. com
THE LAST GANG
With The Minges, Suburban Resistance, 8 p.m., the Usual Place, dice.fm
GALANTIS
10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com
DJ SNAKE
10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com
WOLFGANG GARTNER
With DJ Dan, DJ Mes, 10 p.m., Discopussy, tixr.com
We don’t get out to the Punk Rock Museum as often as we should, y’know? All that amazing musical history; all those lived-in, banged-up, sweaty artifacts; the in-house bar that serves up Cuba Libres in an empty Pringles can. Fortunately, on August 23, there’s an excellent reason to pull on your Chucks and pay a visit: Neon Lights: Images and Objects Inspired by Popular Counter Culture, a group art show co-curated by Eric Beehn and James Peterson, featuring works by JW Caldwell, Alex Garcia, Sam King, Darrel Morris, Paul Nudd, Sean Slattery, Tef Wesley and Beehn. The show description doesn’t give us much—“Images that trigger the sublime and the subversive, just like the music we preserve”—but the artist lineup promises to be a visual riot. Grab a Pringles can and leap into the pit. 6 p.m., free, Punk Rock Museum, thepunkrockmuseum.com. –Geo Carter
BOY GEORGE 8 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com.
LEE CANYON BIKE FESTIVAL
Local mountain biking events and promotion company Dirt Fix is teaming with Lee Canyon Bike Park (less than an hour northwest of Las Vegas) to launch this inaugural festival featuring an outdoor expo with plenty of brands and businesses, bike demos, lift access up the mountain and scenic chair rides for non-riders, live music, food, beer, giveaways and more. After the fest, Dirt Fix is hosting a screening of new freeriding documentary Anytime at 7 p.m., right after the Bike Happy Hour at 5 p.m. in the Bristlecone Bar at the Lee Canyon resort. Noon, free admission and parking, Lee Canyon Bike Park, leecanyonlv.com. –Brock Radke
LAS VEGAS LIGHTS VS. INDY ELEVEN
7:30 p.m., Cashman Field, las vegaslightsfc.com
HILARIOUSLY INAPPROPRIATE DRAG QUEEN BINGO
7 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com
FRANKIE PACE
8 p.m., Veil Pavilion, silvertoncasino. com
CHRISTOPHER CROSS
8 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, ticketmaster.com
ME FIRST AND THE GIMME
GIMMES With The Schizophonics, Still Animals, DJ Thirst ‘n’ Howl, 6:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com
LANDAU MURPHY JR.
7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com
UNZEPPED
9 p.m., Sammy’s Island, palms.com
FLAMINGOS IN THE TREE With Blue Rain Boots, 7 p.m., the Wall at Area15, area15.com
DON TOLIVER 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com
SUPERGUIDE
SUNDAY AUG 25 MONDAY AUG 26
NELLY
11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, taogroup.com.
DILLON FRANCIS Noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.
HATTORI HANZO BARBER NIGHT With the Wild Wolves, 6 p.m., the Barbershop, thebarbershoplv. com.
SOULECTION & FRIENDS
10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com.
CARMEN’S LOVE BRUNCH Noon, Composers Room, the composersroom. com.
CHEYENNE ADAMS & THE DIRTY BUSINESS
7 p.m., the Underground, themobmuseum. org.
ALS OF NEVADA FUNDRAISER
6 p.m., Monzù, alsofnevada.org
THE B-LISTERS
6 p.m., Composers Room, thecomposers room.com
ILAI MACAGGI
7 p.m., Maxan Jazz, maxanjazz.com
GREG WARREN With Andy Woodhull, Stephanie McHugh, thru 8/28, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand.mgmresorts. com
LUENELL
9:30 p.m., Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster.com
SUPERGUIDE
TUESDAY AUG 27
MIKALAH GORDON Thru 8/27, 8 p.m., Nowhere, fontaine bleaulasvegas.com
PPA TOUR
LAS VEGAS PICKLEBALL CUP
Thru 9/1, times vary, Fontainebleau, tixr.com
KEITH THOMPSON’S
PIANO PARTY
6 p.m., Composers Room, thecomposers room.com
THE FOURMERS Thru 8/29, 6:30 p.m., South Point Showroom, ticketmaster.com
BRUCE HARPER BIG BAND With Naomi Mauro, 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com
ROB GUSON 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com
THE GREEN With Natural Vibrations, 7 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com
KENDALL WARD With Dennis Regan, Sophie Buddle, Gabriel Rutledge, thru 8/31, 7 & 9:30 p.m., Comedy Cellar, ticketmaster.com
THE GET DOWN BY HYBRIDS CREW 8 p.m., the Wall at Area15, area15.com
ARMNHMR With Deux Twins, 10 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com
JAMES KENNEDY 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com
ONE MORE SHOT
The resurgence of film photography is a beautiful middle finger to the instant gratification culture. In a society that’s currently obsessed with pixel-perfect images and AI-generated fakery, film is raw, unpredictable and gloriously imperfect. Each analog frame tests the bounds and balance of alchemy, light, framing and chemistry. The results vary, from the hands of one photographer to the next—a tangible slice of reality that digital just can’t replicate.
The “shoot film” revival is breathing life into Vegas’ local art scene, turning iPhone-gripping, living, breathing tripods into artists—each shot demanding thought and intention, each fresh exposure a gamble. Local labs and camera shops are once again thriving sanctuaries where professionals and hobbyists alike can swap secrets and tips.
Film photography has always been around, but in recent years more people have begun looking back in time to capture modern life. Sure, everyone nowadays wants to be a photographer, and most of those 35mm shots end up on the ‘gram—ironic, isn’t it? Yet this comeback was inevitable given humans’ natural instinct to stay grounded. Every light leak, overexposed, unfocused, thumb-on lens photo story tells a story. But the most important of these stories is humanity’s continuing pursuit for authenticity, and we looked to the images and words of several local photographers to see it told.
These Las Vegas creatives are embracing the artistry of shooting
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
JOSEPH VALENCIA
n “I think I’ve always been into capturing sh*t,” Joseph Valencia says, a sentiment that resonates through his photos. Valencia is the kind of guy who’s on your radar if you’re attuned to the grimy underbelly of Vegas. A disposable camera aficionado, Valencia’s shots are intimate, candid and raw, marked by his unflinching use of flash as he navigates frenetic crowds.
His foray into photography began in high school, when his government teacher passed down her grandfather’s 35mm
camera to him, sparking a lifelong passion. Digital cameras felt too intimidating with their endless settings and menus, so he turned to the simplicity of disposables. Although consistently shooting and scanning, Valencia doesn’t consider himself a professional. “I wouldn’t say I’m a professional unless I was making money from this,” he says. Yet Valencia’s beersoaked, in-your-face, stylized photography is a refreshingly new take on the excessively-shot neons and characters of Fremont Street. He captures visceral
reality: bloody noses, sleepy-eyed showgirls, buskers, the inebriated, the unhoused and elderly tourists clutching their pearls. Shots of DJ turntables blend with images of spontaneous art installations and various friends.
A born people-watcher, Valencia’s slight staring problem becomes an asset, allowing him to spot moments others might miss.
“Satisfaction comes from seeing the work and seeing my progress,” he says. “I like being in the streets, just being outside… it’s part of my vices.”
PREFERRED CAMERA AND FILM STOCK: Any disposable camera
EDWARD PAGÁN II
@yourgirlsfavoritepizzaboy
PREFERRED CAMERA AND FILM STOCK: Pentax 6x7 with Lomography 800 or Tri-X 400
n Edward Pagán II is the kind of photographer who straddles the line between the modern digital age and the allure of film. His earliest memories of film photography are tied to the disposable camera he used during a trip to New York to visit his father as a child. Years later, like many aspiring photogs, he began his journey with a digital camera, but its slick functionality didn’t satisfy him. A chance swap meet encounter with a box of old film cameras re-ignited his passion.
“I had my Sony, but when I was losing the love for it, that’s when I started
shooting more film,” he says.
Now, as a self-taught film virtuoso, Pagán’s portfolio spans editorial shots, portraits, landscapes, vintage cars and events, showcasing his versatility and willingness to get out there. Vegas is his canvas, a city where beauty is often hidden in the muck. But Pagán sees past that.
“I have this affinity for trash cans… just seeing the beauty in the ugly,” he explains. His photos often feature subjects framed by dilapidated backdrops— blending decay with splendor.
The local film community is a mixed bag of gatekeepers and genuine enthusiasts, Pagán says. “It’s nice to have a friendly competition ... but, I don’t gatekeep because I don’t have to.” His Instagram posts lay it all bare, listing the camera and film stock details for each shot.
Navigating the bridge from digital to analog has endowed Pagán with a unique perspective. “Shooting film has given me knowledge and helps me see different things…to not be so cookie-cutter,” he says.
NORMA JEAN ORTEGA (normajeanortega.com)
PREFERRED CAMERA AND FILM STOCK:
Olympus Stylus and Canon AE-1 with Lomography 800 or Kodak Gold 200
n “Film is what did it for me.”
Film photography’s nostalgic and dreamy elements have called to multimedia content creator Norma Jean Ortega since adolescence. “I’ve been around cameras my entire life,” she says.
Her father, a lifelong photographer, provided her initial introduction to the work. “He owned a one-hour photo shop when he came to Las Vegas from the Philippines. But the only ones he’d let me shoot [with] were the point-and-shoot cameras.”
Her epiphany was reinforced in attending a black-and-white film photography class during her college years. The intimacy of the darkroom, the trial-and-error of shooting and the tactile process of developing strips of films solidified her calling. “It sparked something in me where I was like, ‘I love this, I want to do this forever.’”
Ortega roams the forgotten corners of Vegas, capturing its decrepit signage, signature architecture and glittering neon. It’s a visual form of archeology, preserving an older, less sleek Vegas that grows more scarce by the day.
The resurgence of film photography was inevitable, Ortega says. “Things come back in style eventually…I love it and I hate it, because the prices of film and cameras have gone up exponentially.” But that thrill of capturing the perfect image, sometimes unexpectedly, is what keeps her pursuing this craft.
Like many artists, she often finds herself being overly critical of her work. “There’s a handful of photos that I love to revisit….sometimes, I’ll look at a whole roll of film and think it sucks and two years later, I think, wait a second these are pretty amazing.”
DAVID RO BLES @davidroblezz
n A decade into his photography journey, David Robles has mastered a gift for transforming the mundane into the mesmerizing. His double-exposure techniques, paired with an abstract approach and a clever use of stencils, crafts visual complexities rather than upfront imagery.
“I want people to question how I capture the image; I want them to question what they’re looking at,” he says.
Robles’ path began at the College of Southern Nevada, where he studied videography. Though he ditched the courses, those filmmaking fundamentals stuck. “I’m capturing still rather than moving images, but everything applies in
the same way,” he explains.
After spending time becoming familiar with the functions of a digital camera, Robles took the leap and purchased his first 35mm model, a Canon AE-1, the same one his grandfather once owned and that he would fiddle with as a child.
The charm of shooting film lies in its challenges. “It forces you to slow down,” Robles says. Each image he makes, often months in the making, demands precision and patience. Despite the early frustrations of trial and error, Robles has since found satisfaction in the experimental elements and mastery of his intentions. His portfolio is a kaleidoscope of visuals, including lifestyle shots, street scenes, na-
ture landscapes and portraits. Vegas is a playground for photographers, and Robles uses this to his advantage. “We’re known for neon signs and extravagance but when I’m out shooting street photography, I’m taking all of that in but also the commotion,” he says. The resurgence of interest in film photography is exciting to him, in the way its opened the door for creative exploration and fostered the opening of local businesses who want to support the community.
“Photography has helped me shape the way I approach expressing myself,” says Robles. “It allows me to hone in my creativity.”
TAKE YOUR CAMERA FOR A WALK
The great photojournalist Dorothea Lange once cautioned against going out to take pictures with a list of shots in your head: “To know ahead of time what you’re looking for means you’re only photographing your own preconceptions, which is very limiting.” But that doesn’t mean that you can’t pick a spot for the day and let the unexpected happen—and our Valley offers some prime locations for that, well beyond the Strip.
n Boulder City
It’s a time machine of sorts—a proper midcentury small town, rich in charms both new and timeworn. If you lean goth, be sure to check out the town’s unofficial pet cemetery (bouldercitypetcemetery.org).
n 18b Arts District
Day or night, this neighborhood is candy for street photographers, with great people-watching, abundant wall art and genuine surprises potentially lurking at every turn.
n Fremont Street/ Fremont East district
This is one of the most-photographed streets in the world for a reason. Wander under the canopy and paint with light and color; hang out by the nightclubs and capture the party vibes.
n Red Rock Canyon/ Mount Charleston
Some of the most photogenic natural attractions in the West are practically at our doorstep. Go, and remember the saying the Boy Scouts appropriated from Chief Seattle: “Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures.”
–Geoff Carter
(Brian Ramos/Staff)
DON’T PHONE IN YOUR PHOTOS—
USE A PROPER CAMERA
Last February, the New York Times finally noted what many of us have known for a while now: Gen Z has returned to old cameras. “Teens, celebrities and influencers alike have been snapping up 20-year-old digital cameras to take lower-quality photos with high-quality vibes,” wrote Annemarie Conte, referencing Ayo Edebiri’s 8.1-megapixel Sony Cybershot as a prime producer of the “grainy, often blown-out” images those users want to capture.
It’s totally understandable that, having lived with smartphones for nearly a generation, we no longer see them as cameras. Yes, we use them to take pictures of friends, family, pets and events ... but we also use them to capture receipts, make shopping lists and remember our parking space. We lost the thrill of shooting photos … or, that is, we had, until Gen Z swooped in to save our asses one more time. If you’re now picking up a proper camera with only the experience of shooting with a smartphone, its numerous buttons, switches and dials might feel intimidating. But here’s the thing: Eventually you’ll want to mess with them, because the bizarro magic of photography truly resides in a camera’s manual settings. You’ll want to play with the shutter speed to freeze or elongate time. You’ll want to noodle with aperture (the F-stops) to control light and change your depth-of-field. And you’ll want to experiment with ISO speeds—either digitally, or by trying out different varieties of film—to further tweak what your camera can do with light and motion, and to add or reduce image grain.
There are many, many tutorials available to neophyte photographers—on the web, in bookstores and libraries and in local schools. (Venerable west Valley camera shop B&C occasionally offers a “Photography 101” course; visit bandccamera.com and look under “Las Vegas Locals” for details.) That being said—and I hope I don’t invoke the condemnation of the many professional photographers I know by saying this—the best way to teach yourself camera photography is to turn the mode dial to “manual” and mess around. Learn from yourself. Shoot 24 exposures; get 2 good ones. That’s how I did it, first by using a beaten-up 35mm Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL and later a Kodak DC4800 digital point-and-shoot, and it’s how I continue to do it today with my mirrorless Nikon Z6II and a variety of Polaroid instants. If you feel lost, there are guideposts you can follow. You should familiarize yourself with the (easily Googled) exposure triangle; save a copy for reference. And if you’re shooting with a digital camera in automatic mode, look at the settings of the photographs you’ve already taken: Which ISO, shutter and F-stop settings did the camera choose when you shot a nighttime street? A hiking trail, by early morning light? A midafternoon party?
Experiment, learn, make mistakes (some mistakes turn out not to be!), keep track of what works and what doesn’t. Before long, you’ll be a full-on Ayo Edebiri—camera in hand and distracting phone stashed away, looking to make some bizarro magic.
–Geoff Carter
DARKROOM MAGIC
Developing photographs involves a series of chemical processes to convert your exposed film into visible images. The steps include loading the film strip into a developing tank; submerging it in a solution; tossing it into a stop bath, then a fixing bath; washing; drying; and finally, scanning and printing.
Not ready to turn your bedroom closet into a darkroom? Look to these local experts for all your film photography developments, prints, scans and more.
Fremont Photo Co
Fremont Photo Co is a centrally-located film lab operated by Jesse Hudson, a Vegas native and fellow photographer. The shop offers a large selection of film cameras and development services, including C41 color and B&W processing for 35mm, 120mm 4x5 and 8x10 formats. As the first new film lab in town since the opening of PhotoShack and Pro Image a decade ago, Hudson’s mission is to make this storefront a gathering place for like-minded creatives.
901 E. Fremont St #110. Pricing starts at $15-$25 for film development services. fremontphotoco.com.
Pro Image
When looking for speedy quality service and results, Pro Image East and West are an outstanding choice. The process is simple: Place your completed rolls of film on the countertop, and answer when the photographic developer asks you if you’d like prints, scans or both, requests your contact information and gives you an estimated turnaround time. If you’re developing color film, oftentimes they’ll have it ready within the hour, so you’re not tortured with anticipation.
4167 S. Maryland Pkwy. and 4531 W. Sahara Ave. Pricing starts at $10-$50 for film development services. iphotoshop.com.
PhotoShack
Since 1982, PhotoShack has served as one of the city’s most reliable businesses for photo developing. The lab is run by artists, and it prides itself on being obsessed with the quality of their work. As a first-timer, they’ll take their time guiding you through the various development options, and they provide the results in a timely fashion. The best part is they’re good at remembering faces, so you’ll quickly become a regular.
4632 S. Maryland Pkwy. #4. Pricing starts at $9-$49 for film development services. ephotoshack.com. –Gabriela Rodriguez
Extreme heat is not the only climate change impact Nevadans are feeling
BY SHANNON MILLER
Las Vegas saw its all-time hottest temperature on record of 120 degrees Fahrenheit on July 7. That week, the city also set a record streak with seven days at or above 115 degrees—and we’re still seeing highs above 110 in August.
Temperature trends aren’t the only data that re ect the impacts of global warming; data on heat-related hazards and even deaths paint a harrowing picture.
Those temps will continue climb in the years to come, thanks to climate change. According to 2022 data from nonprofit research group Climate Central, Las Vegas has warmed nearly six degrees Fahrenheit since 1970, making it the second-fastest warming city in the U.S. The fastest is our northern neighbor, Reno, which has warmed 7.7 degrees since 1970.
Nevada’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has seen a surge in heat complaints since 2021. During 2015-2020, the agency had 118 average annual heat complaints. During 2021-2023, the agency had 330 average annual complaints—more than double the average annual complaints compared to the six years prior. In 2024, OSHA has already received 350 complaints, and summer temperatures are still going strong.
Annual heat-related deaths in Southern Nevada have also risen. During 2010-2016, the Clark County Coroner’s O ce recorded an annual average of 50 heat-related deaths. During 2017-2023, that average nearly quadrupled to 187. As of August 13, the Coroner’s O ce counted 123 deaths in which heat was a factor so
far this year.
And according to the New York Times, Vegas’ nighttime temperatures have been getting hotter “much faster” than its days, due to an urban heat island e ect that’s trapping daytime heat in impermeable surfaces—roads, dark rooftops, asphalt parking lots— and releasing that heat at night.
Nevadans are feeling climate their lives.
Nevadans are feeling climate change in many other aspects of
UNEVEN IMPACT
We’re all feeling the heat, but we’re not all feeling it equally. Every day, I drive my air-conditioned car to my job at an air-conditioned o ce, and I come home to an air-conditioned apartment. For those who don’t have their own transportation, work outside or are homeless, extreme heat is a completely di erent experience.
“Imagine you’re out there 12 hours a day when the sun’s up,” says Robert Banghart, outreach director for Shine A Light Foundation.
The nonpro t organization does weekly outreach to the homeless, especially to people living in the storm drains trying to escape the heat. The group estimates that 1,200 to 1,500 people live in the tunnels, where it’s about 10 degrees cooler than surface temperatures and away from direct sunlight.
“It has been a very brutal summer. What we see typically, but just in more extremes is, they’re thin. They’re dehydrated. They’re a little bit more edgy,” he says.
Construction workers, landscapers and others who work outside are also more vulnerable to excessive heat. Al Lopez, local organizer with the sheet metal workers union SMART Local 88, worked on roofs installing HVAC systems for 18 years before he started working full time for the union.
“Unfortunately, [OSHA] just [doesn’t] have the manpower to be able to keep an eye on everybody. And sometimes, it’s a little too late. By the time they do hear about it, it’s after somebody’s already had heatstroke, [which] can happen pretty frequently in our trade,” Lopez tells the Weekly.
Prolonged exposure to heat above 90 degrees increases the risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke. According to the World Health Organization, the strain put on the body as it tries to cool itself also stresses the heart and kidneys, meaning people with chronic conditions like heart disease or diabetes are more likely to su er from acute kidney injury.
According to the Southern Nevada Heat Resilience Lab, extreme heat events impact populations differently based on their socio-economic status, ethnicity, vocation and other characteristics. The Desert Research Institute-based lab researches best practices for extreme heat management and public response.
Lab lead Ariel Choinard says the sheer ability to cool oneself is a privilege that not all can a ord. Air conditioning costs money, and tends to be more expensive in the summer and during times of extreme heat. Some people can’t a ord the jump in their bill.
ings on urban heat islands, or areas that are hotter than their surrounding areas due to large amounts of dark and impermeable surfaces and lack of vegetation. A 2022 RTC study found that the Valley’s highest temperatures are generally concentrated in the urban core (including Downtown and the Historic Westside neighborhood) and East Las Vegas— predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods.
“We know for a fact that people make really tough trade-o s when it’s hot. They trade o between affording to cool their home to a safe, liveable temperature or put food on the table, or a ord their medications. If you’re somebody who is reliant on public transportation, people skip doctors appointments, or put o necessary things like grocery shopping,” Choinard says.
“This has such an impact on very normal day-to-day activities and the health of households in our urban heat island neighborhoods.”
She brings up the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada’s (RTC) nd-
The study also found that these urban heat islands can be up to 11 degrees hotter than the Valley’s coolest neighborhoods and feel up to 30 degrees hotter when factoring in humidity.
Since that 2022 study, the RTC has done a few things to mitigate the e ects of urban heat islands for bus riders, says Andrew Kjellman, senior director for RTC’s Metropolitan Planning Organization. He cites annual service changes, installing more shade structures and redesigning streets to be more comfortable for pedestrians and bicyclists.
“We look at tweaking routes for frequency updates, meaning the bus comes more often,” he tells the Weekly. “The No. 1 thing our riders told us in terms of adapting to the extreme heat is they just want the bus to come more often.”
“WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT PEOPLE MAKE REALLY TOUGH TRADE-OFFS WHEN IT’S HOT. THEY TRADE OFF BETWEEN AFFORDING TO COOL THEIR HOME TO A SAFE,
Currently, about half of the RTC’s 3,695 bus stops have shelters. Kjellman says bus shelters can provide shaded areas that are at least 20 degrees cooler.
In the next year, the RTC plans to roll out 300 new bus shelters, “[and] 70% of those are going to go into the hottest 30% of the Valley,” he adds. The project will be funded in large part by the Federal Transit Administration.
RTC’s Complete Streets projects and initiatives are redesigning roadways to be more comfortable for pedestrians and bicyclists by adding wider sidewalks, more crosswalks and street trees. The RTC kicked o construction on the Maryland Parkway Bus Rapid Transit Project on August 5, which will feature street trees “on both sides of the street and the center median.
“That’s really going to help cool that corridor,” Kjellman says.
At the federal level, U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen has introduced the Extreme Heat Emergency Act in Congress, which would make extreme heat eligible for Major Disaster Declaration by the President and make more federal funding available for Nevada to respond to extreme heat. And Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., has introduced the Extreme Weather and Heat Response Modernization Act, which would allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency to expand its suite of mitigation measures against extreme heat, including cooling centers.
STRAIN ON THE POWER GRID
Not only is climate change making excessive heat worse; it’s straining power infrastructure across the U.S.
My mother, who lives in Houston, had a two-day power outage after Hurricane Beryl swept through the city July 8, destroying power lines and resulting in outages for more than 2.2 million people. She described the heat—in the upper 90s, which with humidity feels like 106 degrees Fahrenheit—as “oppressive” and lamented the fact that most of the food in the refrigerator had spoiled.
But she was thankful that her power was restored relatively quickly, compared to some customers who were without power for more than a week. And she was grateful she was healthy enough to withstand it. Seniors and people with electric medical devices were especially vulnerable during the outages. Some senior care facilities had trouble getting residents into areas with working air conditioning.
In the desert Southwest during summer, power outages are more likely to happen when everyone is cranking up their AC and straining the power grid—during times of extreme heat, that is. Depending on how long the outage lasts, it can be life-threatening and impact medical infrastructure.
According to a 2023 study published in the scienti c journal Environmental Science & Technology, if a ve-day heat wave and blackout power outage hit Phoenix at the same time, more than half of the city’s population could end up in the emergency room.
Nevada’s power grid has experienced some strain in the past, although the state’s primary power utility NV Energy says there are “no concerns about energy supply at this time.” NV Energy did have some concerns in 2021 when it sent out mass notices to customers asking them to conserve energy during peak time by turning o lights and appliances and not charging electric vehicles from 6-9 p.m. But today, new solar and battery resources (which store renewable energy and release it when needed) are helping on peak energy days, NV Energy spokeswoman Meghin Delaney said in an email.
“Earlier this year, NV Energy brought a new battery energy storage system online at the site of the former Reid Gardner coal plant. The project is a 220-megawatt twohour grid-tied battery system and is the largest standalone battery project of its kind in Nevada. The batteries can be charged and discharged based on generation elsewhere in NV Energy’s system, and is already helping serve NV Energy’s peak load, particularly in the summer,” Delaney said.
Adding renewable energy to Nevada’s portfolio has been a goal since 2001 when the Legislature created the rst renewable portfolio standard, which is a statutory requirement to have a certain percentage of the energy sold in the state be renewable. The Legislature in 2019 increased that requirement to 100% renewable energy by 2050. Currently, Nevada’s portfolio is at about 39% renewable energy.
NV Energy expects power demand to grow by nearly one-third from 2025 to 2034. To accommodate the increase in demand, NV Energy is proposing a mix of energy sources including more than 1,000 new megawatts of solar energy and more than 1,000 new megawatts of battery storage, along with approximately 400 megawatts of natural gas-powered “peaking units” to be used in times of peak demand.
“These [present] a balanced portfolio of resources that will reduce NV Energy’s reliance on expensive market resources and help to further reduce our customers’ exposure to natural gas price volatility,” Delaney said.
The natural gas part of the
The Poeville Fire burning in Reno, Nevada on June 27, 2020.
(Courtesy/Justine Overacker)
portfolio is a sticking point for conservation advocates like the Nevada Conservation League. Although natural gas produces less greenhouse gas emissions than coal, it’s still a fossil fuel pumping carbon into the atmosphere and contributing to climate change. Conservationists would like to see the state continue to phase out of using natural gas and all fossil fuels, and shift to renewable energy.
“Decarbonizing the grid is really necessary to make all the electri cation that we’re trying to do meaningful. We don’t want to be charging our electric vehicles and power electric appliances with coal. We want to be doing it with clean, homegrown energy made right here in the state,” says Christi Cabrera-Georgeson, Deputy Director of Nevada Conservation League.
Last year, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo withdrew Nevada from the U.S. Climate Alliance, which set benchmarks for the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with 24 other states in the alliance. The Republican governor said the alliance con icted with energy policy objectives outlined by his administration, which emphasized “a balanced ap-
proach to electric and natural gas energy supply and transportation fuels … a ordability and reliability for consumers.”
The move “disappointed” renewable energy advocates like the Nevada Conservation League.
“There’s still hope that we can get Lombardo more on board. … We’re trying to get him to see the light, the pathway forward, and that clean energy is really good for our economy,” Cabrera-Georgeson says.
According to a 2023 report from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Nevada is anticipated to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 27.8% below 2005 levels in 2030—well below statutory benchmarks. (A 2019 law set the goal for Nevada to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 45% of 2005 levels by 2030.)
The Weekly asked the governor’s o ce for comment on Nevada being behind its greenhouse gas emissions goals prescribed in statute. They did not respond
INSURANCE ISSUES
Reno resident Justine Overacker grew up in the Bay Area and remembers a couple of times she
State Route 158 is closed to Mt. Charleston on June 28, 2020, as intense winds spread what o cials later called the Mahogany Fire. (Sun File)
had to evacuate her home for risk of wild re. She didn’t necessarily expect to have to do that when she and her husband Colin Biggs became homeowners in the North Valleys suburb of Reno in 2019.
Then the Poeville Fire came in June 2020.
“I saw the smoke cloud on the side of our hill … so I loaded the dogs in the car. Ten minutes later, I got the notice on my phone telling us that we would have to evacuate our house,” Overacker recalls.
She and Biggs packed some essentials and irreplaceable belongings. They ultimately spent a day and a half with friends in Reno and with nearby family. She acknowledges the re was “relatively small” and burned only 3,000 acres. But the proximity to their home was “terrifying.” Hundreds of residents were evacuated.
“The houses at the end of the street had to replace roofs and cars because their houses got bombed by re retardant, basically. That stu doesn’t come o ,” she says.
And she assumes it will happen again. It did happen again earlier this year when the Trail Fire came within a mile of their house.
“I kind of knew this was a possibility. But I assumed there would be a di erence between Gold Country and all of the trees they have there, and North Reno,” Overacker says. “Apparently, this is a thing that is just happening.”
Climate change doesn’t necessarily start res. (The National Park Service estimates that nearly 85% of wild res are caused by humans.)
But it does come into play in creating dry conditions and fuels for longer, more active re seasons,
Wildfi re smoke is taking a toll on Southern Nevada’s air quality, and climate change isn’t helping
BY AMBER SAMPSON
It’s no secret that the recent influx of wildfires has tarnished Southern Nevada’s air quality. Smoke frequently chokes the atmosphere here, putting residents at risk and our city on alert.
“We decided we’re gonna start issuing a seasonal wildfire smoke advisory alongside the ozone advisory to give folks…a heads up that this is something we have to learn to live with now,” says Kevin MacDonald, public information administrator for Clark County’s Division of Air Quality. “In previous years, 2018 and 2021, we had heavy exceedances for ozone those years and wildfire smoke was definitely an influencing factor.”
More than 5,000 wildland fires tore through California this year according to Cal Fire, and climate change could be a contributor. As temperatures rise, conditions become drier and heat intensifies wildfires, making them burn longer.
MacDonald says wildfire smoke can blow in from hundreds of miles away. And while being able to visibly see smoke and dust is concerning, the formation of ozone, an odorless, colorless gas, is our primary outdoor air quality challenge, he says.
Ground-level ozone thrives in hot, sunny places like Clark County, where “the mountains surrounding our region create a ‘bowl’ for pollutants to settle and cook in the sun,” MacDonald says.
In July, MacDonald recorded 15 days that surpassed the ozone standard, “which was our worst month in six years,” he adds. The American Lung Association also issued Clark County an F grade for high ozone days.
Like smoke and dust, unhealthy levels of ozone can be harmful to inhale, especially for seniors, kids, pets and people with COPD or asthma, MacDonald says. On bad air quality days, he recommends changing your filters, staying indoors and exercising in the mornings before pollutants can build up.
Also, let’s cool it with the smoky celebrations.
“In terms of wildfires, all I tell people is if you’re going to do a gender reveal party, let’s leave the fireworks out of it,” MacDonald says.
according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In Nevada, data from the Legislative Counsel Bureau says acres burned by wild re increased from 4.2 million during 1980-1999 to 9.5 million during 2000 to 2018, a 126% increase. Neighboring California has seen a vefold increase in “summer burned areas” in northern and central areas during 1996-2021 compared to 1971-1995, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System.
Other costs aside, an increase in wild res means an increase in property that needs to be repaired or replaced, which means an increase in costs for insurance companies and reinsurers—and higher premiums. Over the last ve years, the cost of property insurance has risen 34% nationwide and 21% in Nevada, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.
In some states, the e ects of climate change have become so severe that insurance companies are refusing to insure properties. Last year, State Farm announced it would not be renewing coverage for 72,000 houses and apartments
in California, citing in ation, catastrophe exposure and reinsurance costs as reasons why the company could no longer continue to insure the dwellings.
According to the Nevada Division of Insurance, a similar phenomenon is taking place in the Tahoe Basin, which is at high risk of wild res. The division held a townhall in June in Incline Village, where one attendee said his re insurance went from $14,000 to $136,000.
According to Nevada Division of Insurance commissioner Scott Kipper, Nevada historically has had a good record when it comes to wild re losses and claims. But given that Incline Village is on a slope and has lots of lumber (the perfect conditions for wild re), insurance companies are giving the area “special rating and access scrutiny.” More insurers are opting to not renew policies, and the rate of acceptance for insurance applications is decreasing.
“Wild res, oods, tornadoes, hurricanes, convective storms, you name it—it seems like there’s an increase in the number of events taking place. The cost of these events essentially tripled over the
course of the last 10 to 15 years,” Kipper tells the Weekly
“Because of the greater number and the greater severity of these events, reinsurers are now paying out more. Subsequently, they need to recoup. So they are charging their customers more and those costs get passed down through the insurers to the ultimate consumers,” he says.
While the rate of acceptance for insurance applications is decreasing, Nevada is also starting to see its share of nonrenewals go up. Overacker and Biggs experienced it with their home insurance policy in 2023.
“Progressive was our home insurance. We got a letter in the mail, and it was … an opt out to renew,” Overacker says.
So she took to Facebook to see what her neighbors were going through and how they were dealing with it. She was able to nd home insurance comparable to the coverage they had before Progressive dropped them. But she fears getting dropped again.
“From what I gathered from the North Valleys [Facebook] responses that I got, this wasn’t just my
previous insurance company. This is something that has been kind of a pattern,” she says.
To address shrinking access to insurance coverage, the Nevada Division of Insurance has created an online tool where individuals can type in their ZIP code to see which insurers are still writing policies in their areas. The division also is looking at the creation of a state-based insurer of last resort, which would require action from the Legislature and approval by the governor.
“It was pretty clear to us that there would be a demand for this type of program if things continue as they are right now,” Kipper says.
“In the past, there really hasn’t been a need for such because access to insurance, especially in the Tahoe Basin, was not the problem that it is now.”
“The challenges are all over the place,” he adds, citing heat’s deteriorating impact on wiring, roo ng and plumbing in Reno and Las Vegas as another reason for rising premiums across the state.
“So it’s not just wild res. There are a number of perils coming into play all at about the same time.”
In the aftermath of Reno’s 2020 Poeville Fire, the hills were burned black. (Courtesy/Dr. Justine Overacker)
IN THE NEWS
“The workers at the Venetian/Palazzo have now made history by unionizing 25 years after the property opened its doors. This contract not only guarantees job security and fair wages, but it also upholds the standards that the Culinary Union has fought to establish in Las Vegas.”
–Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer of Culinary Union Local 226
HOT SHOT: Dallas Cowboys defensive end Tyrus Wheat (91) tackles Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (87) during the first half of a preseason game August 17 in Las Vegas. The Raiders lost 27-12.
(AP Photo/Steve Marcus)
Guitars donated to help CCSD students
During the first week of school, Las Vegas nonprofit Life By Music donated 150 guitars to the Clark County School District.
The guitars were distributed to middle and high schools, some of which are Title I (meaning 70% or more of students qualify for free or reduced lunch). The donation, valued at over $30,000, was made possible in tandem with Free Guitars 4 Kids, Gibson Gives, Zager Guitars and Guitar Center.
“This expanded access is vital,
BY THE NUMBERS
$8.7M
offering students who lack personal or loaner instruments the consistent practice time necessary to hone their skills and fully engage in their musical education, thereby fostering both personal growth and academic success,” reads a Life By Music statement.
The organization will host the Rock ‘N’ Run Weekend fundraiser November 1-2 to develop online courses that complement the donations it has made. More information is available at lifebymusic.org –Staff
U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., announced that U.S. Vets and the Salvation Army will be receiving $8,702,592 in grant funding through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide housing and wraparound services for veterans experiencing homelessness.
Clark County asking voters to update their signature on file
Clark County is undertaking an effort to update its voter signature verification database ahead of the November election.
All active registered voters— about 1.4 million people—will receive a form asking them to confirm or update their signature.
Filling out the form is optional, but those who choose to complete it are asked to return it to the county by September 12.
Nevada law requires signature confirmation when voters cast a ballot, whether by mail or in person.
County election officials want to ensure they have the latest samples to cut down on the number of ballots flagged for mismatched signatures and the time it takes to resolve the issue.
“There’s folks that registered when they were really young at
18, and now they have a different signature at 26,” said Clark County Registrar of Voters Lorena Portillo.
When processing votes, the initial signature match is an automated process. If the signature is flagged, a bipartisan team reviews the ballot and conducts a manual signature verification.
The review team examines the latest signature on record, and if it doesn’t appear to match, officials review all the person’s signatures in the voter record.
“If it does not match, if these bipartisan groups still say that the signature does not match, then it will go into the curing process,” Portillo said.
In the 2022 general election, more than 14,000 ballots went through the process to try to rec-
tify mismatched signatures. Portillo said there were several ways for a voter to cure their signature, which may include providing additional identifying information.
While half the issues were resolved in the 2022 election, the rest of the ballots needing a cured signature ultimately didn’t count, Portillo said. Some voters failed to get in touch with elections officials after being informed about the issue with their ballot.
“We want to make sure we do a little bit of proactive work in hopes that we get less curing in the system rather than us having to follow up with the voter and the voter not contacting us and possibly not counting on their ballot,” she said.
–Haajrah Gilani
John Waters to headline Las Vegas Book Festival
“We need to make books cool again. If you go home with somebody and they don’t have books, don’t [expletive] them.” So said John Waters, legendary director of Hairspray and Polyester and the headlining author of the 2024 Las Vegas Book Festival, returning to Downtown’s Historic Fifth Street School on October 19. Waters is expected to speak about 2022’s Liarmouth, which is, remarkably, his first novel. (His many preceding works were biographies and cultural commentaries.) But if his December 2023 visit to Virgin Las Vegas was any indication, he’ll likely go off on some hilarious tangents that test the festival’s all-ages policy. –Geoff Carter
Nevada will lose 7% of its apportioned water for its 2025 operations in drought-saving measures from the dwindling Colorado River supply, the Bureau of Reclamation announced August 15.
However, even after the cuts, the state is still using significantly less water than it’s allotted.
“Right now, our community has around a 90,000-acre-foot buffer with our current water use,” said Bronson Mack, a spokesperson for the Southern Nevada Water Authority. “It may sound like a lot, but we’re really going to need that buffer going forward in the years ahead.”
Nevada’s cuts amount to 21,000 acre-feet; an acre-foot of water equals 320,000 gallons, according to the authority. Arizona and Mexico will cut 18% and 5% of their apportionments, respectively. In exchange for the Central Arizona Project, a canal that diverts water from the Colorado River, California’s reductions are being taken on by Arizona, Mack said.
None of the other states that share water from the Colorado were listed in the announcement from the Bureau of Reclamation.
The bureau projects that Lake Mead’s water elevation will be around 1,062 feet at the beginning of 2025, 10 feet lower than last January and 13 feet below the shortage trigger.
Due to an unseasonably wet winter in 2023, Lake Mead recently moved down from a “Tier 2” shortage to “Tier 1,” where it will stay for 2025 based on the bureau’s 2024 24-month study. –Kyle Chouinard
The Las Vegas Philharmonic joins Nas in celebrating 30 years of Illmatic at Wynn
BY AMBER SAMPSON
To this day, hip-hop fans still bow in reverence to Nas’ 1994 debut, Illmatic. Widely regarded as a touchstone for East Coast rap, the album introduced us to the Brooklyn-born, Queens-raised wordsmith, a man whose gritty, unshackled flow and raw portrayal of the Queensbridge projects inspired critics to crown him as one of the greatest emcees of all time.
Fans have bumped that acclaimed release across decades.
And when Nas debuts at the Encore Theater August 29 in the first of three performances, they’ll be able to hear it with a live orchestra, as the Las Vegas Philharmonic joins him onstage to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Illmatic.
MUSIC
CLASSICAL HIP-HOP
NAS WITH THE LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC
August 29 & 31, September 1, 8 p.m., $95-$175. Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com
“This is an unusual pairing, and it totally makes sense here in Las Vegas,” says Alice Sauro, executive director of the philharmonic.
Unusual, yes, but not as much as it used to be. Recently, artists like Metro Boomin and Roddy Ricch have utilized the arrangements of national orchestras in their live sets, with Eminem performing with the Detroit Symphony this year.
But like many things in his career, Nas pioneered the trend when he teamed up with the National Symphony Orchestra in 2018 to perform Illmatic at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.—a feat Sauro says is a bigger deal than most realize.
was a jazz musician, so this all really partners well with what it is that he’s doing.”
Nas has bridged the gap between hip-hop and symphonic music across several concerts now, and Sauro says it’s possible he may be arranging additional songs for his Encore debut. In preparation, the Las Vegas Philharmonic and other orchestras Nas has worked with are comparing notes, determining the best way to enhance this prolific body of work. But to Sauro, it’s all still music at the end of the day.
“This is music, and he is a modern-day poet. The way that they speak and the pentameter that they speak with, in sharing their stories, has a musical line and phrases to it,” she says. “All of this goes into what the arrangers are going to think about when they want to add strings, brass and additional percussion, and some of the woodwinds.”
It’s also about matching those instruments and their tones to Nas’ voice. The rapper weaves multisyllabic rhymes throughout his tracks, creating a complex and hard-hitting cadence that will shine once the rapturous swell of symphonies kick in. We can see it now: “N.Y. State of Mind” punctuated by dashing keys and a flourish of violins; “One Love” magnified by rich orchestral percussion.
(Courtesy)
“Listening to what the Kennedy Center did a few years ago, to me, it’s really exciting because it builds a lot of tension while he’s telling his story. You can feel the layers coming in of the different instrument families, and then as the tension of his story gets greater, the music increases in volume, and then comes some really great statements from the orchestra,” says Sauro. “I read that his father
Sauro believes this “cross-pollination” of genres will reach even more people, some who’ve possibly never seen a symphony orchestra before and others who’ve never heard of Nas.
That’s also why the Las Vegas Philharmonic’s 26th season is so diverse. “We are accessible to everyone, and we want everybody to feel comfortable coming to the Philharmonic,” Sauro says. “This is for our community. We are the orchestra for Las Vegas.”
BOYZ II MEN
August 23-24, 30-31, 8 p.m., $69$369. The Chelsea, ticketmaster.com
THE BOYZ ARE BACK
BY BROCK RADKE
Before recent years brought R&B residencies from Usher, New Edition and Jodeci, the Las Vegas Strip had legendary chartbusters Boyz II Men, headlining at the Mirage for nearly eight years before the pandemic shut things down. The trio has returned to perform at festivals but now makes a more prominent Vegas comeback with a series of concerts at the Cosmopolitan—just as the group’s blockbuster II album celebrates its 30th anniversary—and the Weekly was lucky enough to talk about all of it with Wanya Morris, owner of the mind-blowing voice with which generations of fans have been attempting
to sing along on iconic ballads like “End of the Road,” “I’ll Make Love to You” and “On Bended Knee.”
How does it feel to come back to Vegas?
It feels amazing. In the beginning, when we first came, it wasn’t like this. People weren’t here, Usher wasn’t here, I think when we first started, Britney [Spears] hadn’t come in yet. You just wanted to make your mark and be a staple in Vegas, so to be coming back just means we did something of a good job and Vegas is still willing to accept Boyz II Men. That’s all we want to do, wherever we go, is be memorable and have people want to see us. Right as things were opening
R&B residency pioneers Boyz II Men return to the Strip stage
up again after the pandemic, the Netflix documentary series This Is Pop featured Boyz II Men and your Vegas residency in a great episode. Did you guys get a lot of feedback about that?
Yes, we started traveling and everybody was saying they saw it, and the funny thing was I hadn’t seen it yet, so I was, ‘Oh sh*t, what did I say? [Laughs.] But I think there was a lot of information in it that people appreciated—a lot of people don’t know those things. For us to give some more intense, insightful info felt good.
It really showcased the influence of Boyz II Men on pop music and boy bands, which
we could also say about your impact on the Las Vegas Strip, where you may have paved the way for other residencies.
I’m glad you said that because I don’t think people are necessarily recognizing it that way. The way entertainment is, sometimes you’re here today and gone tomorrow, and it’s on to the next show. So it’s a beautiful thing to know we helped pioneer an R&B resurgence in Vegas. You would think it might be someone, I guess you would say, more legendary, like Stevie Wonder or Lionel Richie. But we’ll take it. We loved Vegas at the Mirage and we’re ready to show people we still love Vegas when we rock Cosmopolitan.
LOCALS
FREE CABANAS ENTRY
FOOD + DRINK
WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
BY AMBER SAMPSON
Childhood memories pack a lot of power and the best ones carry over into adulthood. For SerVehZah Bottle Shop and Taproom co-owners Tony Martinez and Jonathan Barboza, biting into something as simple as a Mexican sweet bread is enough to take them back to their childhood breakfast tables.
“Going back to the roots, it’s something that we grew up with,” says Barboza. “You wake up and you have a concha with co ee. It just makes your day.”
That means of time travel, back to their raices (“roots” in Spanish) is the impetus behind the Arts District’s new Mexican brunch spot, Mi Barrio. Located in the former space of Nightmare Cafe on Commerce Street, Mi Barrio looks like another knockout from Martinez and Barboza, who opened SerVehZah during the pandemic. They’ve since expanded with a
taproom in North Las Vegas.
“We get antsy when we have too much time on our hands. This all started years ago when we were just looking around for ideas for SerVehZah,” Martinez says. “We looked at things and said, man, a brunch spot would be really freaking cool at some point.”
When Nightmare Cafe announced its closure at the end of March 2024, the duo swooped in, signing a new lease in May. The restaurant has since received a facelift to match its bright avors. And before you ask, yes: the chilaquiles really are that good.
“That’s our star of the show,” says Martinez. “There’s a reason it’s dead center in its own little box on the menu. Finding good chilaquiles around town, to really say it’s still crunchy but saucy, there’s an art to it.”
The restaurant’s menu champions that dish with a build-your-own option ($12) that in-
cludes everything from birria and steak to mole salsa, something Barboza says you likely won’t nd anywhere else. Other dishes include the huevos con chorizo y papa ($14), recommended as a burrito, and the brightly plated huevos rancheros ($13).
“These are meals that we grew up eating,” Martinez says. “Just very simple, classic Latin dishes, a little bit of everything, which is actually kind of fun because a lot of people will come in and say, ‘Where are you guys from? I haven’t seen someone put molletes on a menu.’”
Di erent ideas come together to make fun dishes like the birria grilled cheese ($17), birria hash ($16) and the Gansito French toast ($15), a chocolatey, strawberry jam- lled treat. Savory classics like avocado toast and tacos have a place here too, but when’s the last time you had a sope benedict ($15) or bone marrow street corn ($16)?
New Latin brunch on the block Mi Barrio becomes a fast favorite
“We went through and we tasted everything on this menu, and I didn’t want to throw anything on there that we couldn’t put our name behind,” Martinez says.
The duo’s bar experience also transferred over to Mi Barrio, where boozy coffee, five different flavors of mimosas and a growing list of signature cocktails like the Avo Toast Marg ($16) have won us over.
Mi barrio loosely translates to “my neighborhood,” and it seems Martinez and Barboza are intent on building theirs. They’re currently partnering with a SerVehZah employee to help her open an ice cream shop speakeasy called Craft Creamery Downtown.
“Commerce is barely starting to get its legs to try to mirror what Main is,” Martinez says. “It’s not like Fremont East—that got a lot of love from the city right off the bat. It’s been a lot of good, organic growth. It’s a true neighborhood.”
SIPPING SORBETS
Velveteen Rabbit introduces sorbet cocktails at its indie ice cream social
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
Velveteen Rabbit, the bar that’s been serving up magic since 2013, has rooted itself as one of the Arts District’s go-to spots for experimental and balanced cocktails. One of the key takeaways is the Bohemian dreamscape decor—antique loveseats, sexy dim lighting, and Baroque framed artwork make every inch of the space interesting. The patio out back takes on its own life, beautified by glittering pink flooring, a floral mural and pastel pink-and-white striped umbrellas.
MI BARRIO
1307 S. Commerce St., 702-992-0540, mibarrio kitchen.com
Beyond looks, the bar’s daring spirit is what has set it apart. The menu is ever-changing and this summer, the staff has turned their attention to boozy sorbet cocktails. On August 24, in celebration of sharing these frozen concoctions and The Killers’ residency at Caesars Palace, Velveteen Rabbit will host the “A Friend of Mine: Indie Ice Cream Social.” The two featured cocktails? The Mr. Brightside and the Miss Atomic Bomb.
A riff on the classic paper plane, Mr. Brightside is a harmonious blend of bourbon, Aperol Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice and parted with a strawberry-lavender sorbet. As the frozen scoop begins to melt and blend with the drink, it creates a tantalizing balance of sweet, bitter and citrusy notes that’ll dance on your palate.
Miss Atomic Bomb is the bar’s take on a penicillin, with mezcal replacing the typical bourbon. It’s mixed with ginger, honey and lemon, then paired with watermelon-vanilla sorbet. These flavors will surprise and delight.
A FRIEND OF MINE: INDIE ICE CREAM SOCIAL August 24, 10 p.m., Velveteen Rabbit, velveteenrabbitlv.com.
Velveteen Rabbit’s Mr. Brightside, left, and Miss Atomic Bomb cocktails with sorbet. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
(Wade Vandervort/Staff)
Contestants choose the over/under for each of the pro football season win totals! $200 entry fee
DECISIVE ACTION
UNLV head coach Barry Odom reacts to his defense during the second half of the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against Kansas on December 26, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
UNLV aims to set the tone early for a championship season
SPORTS
BY MIKE GRIMALA
In 2021, the UNLV football team held a quarterback competition that lasted the entire offseason, with incoming transfer Justin Rogers and redshirt sophomore Doug Brumfield battling for the starting job. The duel dragged on through the end of training camp, into game week, and right up to kickoff as the coaching staff meticulously pored over each snap in practice.
Finally, after months of paralysis by analysis, they were forced to make a decision and Rogers took the field as the No. 1 QB in the season opener against FCS Eastern Washington.
After all that parsing and hand-wringing, it quickly became apparent that UNLV got it wrong. Rogers was incapable of moving the ball against what should have been an overmatched Eastern Washington defense, and the Scarlet and Gray fell behind by double digits. The coaches yanked Rogers and inserted Brumfield in the second half, and he led a comeback that forced overtime, but UNLV eventually lost in heartbreaking fashion, 35-33. UNLV ended up going 2-10 that season, so that very avoidable defeat didn’t come back to haunt in any meaningful way. But it should serve as a lesson to Barry Odom’s 2024 squad, which enters its Week 1 matchup at Houston (August 31, 4 p.m., FS1) with much grander aspirations—and an equally vexing quarterback situation.
Coming off last year’s magical march to the Mountain West title game, UNLV returns a roster loaded with skill, depth and star power at just about every position. Wide receiver Ricky White is an All-America candidate. Linebacker Jackson Woodard is the MWC preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Several four-star transfers joined in the offseason. It’s a collection of talent unlike anything the program has put together since the brief glory days of the 1980s.
The only question mark is at quarterback, where grad transfers Hajj-Malik Williams (Campbell) and Matthew Sluka (Holy Cross) have been jostling for the top spot along with returning senior Cameron Friel. Through the first three weeks of training camp, all three were still receiving equal reps as Odom and offensive coordinator Brennan Marion waited for someone to seize the job.
As of press time, no decision had been made, and on the surface it’s starting to shape up a lot like the 2021 situation. There is one gigantic difference, though: This squad harbors genuine College Football Playoff aspirations and therefore
can’t afford to give away any games due to indecision at quarterback.
When they take the field at Houston, the Scarlet and Gray have to be in midseason form, and they know it.
“We certainly understand we’ve got to be really good early,” Odom said after a training camp practice last week. “The ultimate goal is we want to compete for and win a championship.”
Those are lofty dreams for a program with UNLV’s history, but given the team Odom has assembled in his two years at the helm, a Mountain West title and playoff berth are firmly within reach. The non-conference schedule is challenging but not impossible, with road games at Houston and Kansas (September 13) and home dates against Utah Tech (September 7) and Syracuse (October 4). As for the Mountain West portion of the schedule, UNLV went 6-2 against conference foes in 2023 and was picked second in the 2024 preseason poll, behind only perennial power Boise State.
The players have had no issue taking the pressure head-on, openly addressing their playoff hopes throughout camp. Woodard even said he expects UNLV to compete for a national championship.
Coming off a knockout rookie campaign that saw him set a school record for touchdowns by a freshman (12), running back Jai’Den Thomas spoke for the rest of the team in setting the bar as high as possible.
“Everybody is all in,” Thomas said. “We’re trying to get to the bigger goal. We came up short last year in the championship. That’s our goal—we want to make it to the championship and hopefully the national playoffs as well. All in, and win.”
UNLV isn’t going to be able to sneak up on opponents like last year. The Scarlet and Gray will be circled on the schedule, and they’re going to get everyone’s best shot—starting Week 1, no matter who lines up behind center.
A must-win game to kick off the season? This is a brand new era for UNLV football, and Odom believes they’re ready for it.
“We know what is out there. We’ve addressed that, we’ve talked about it openly as a team. Now the focus is, let’s get as good as we can get at all positions.
“There’s not more pressure on the outside than we put on ourselves,” Odom continued. “I feel a deep responsibility to get this team ready to go play at a high level, and our coaching staff does as well. We understand the big picture.”
PROGRAM INSPIRES TEENS’ GROWTH INTO LEADERS
BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF
Ezzah Tariq, a senior at The Meadows School in Summerlin, hopes to go to college on a pre-law track. And thanks to a student-leadership program she just completed, Tariq also wants to work with nonprofits and be a voice on their behalf.
Tariq was one of four local high school students chosen for Bank of America’s Student Leaders program, which this year celebrated its 20th anniversary in Las Vegas. Students in the program participated in a paid internship with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada and a leadership summit in Washington, D.C.
“When I heard that they were offering this internship, I was just so excited to apply and even more to get in,” Tariq said. “And I’ve just grown so much from this internship, and it’s really aligned and really emphasized my interest in politics and social activism going forward.”
Students in the program learned about different aspects of the Boys & Girls Clubs, she said, from the nonprofit’s management to human resources. They also each got to design and implement their own “program project,” which for Tariq was “self-expression and creativity through clay.”
The project, her own innovation, involved looking at how “we represent ourselves and
what’s important to us,” and how to express that through clay creations, Tariq said.
“For me, culture, identity, self (and) creativity are values that are extremely important,” she said. “And to be able to share those with the members was amazing.”
The second part of the program was the weeklong trip to D.C., during which Tariq and her peers met with senators and a diverse group of panelists who talked about current issues such as mental health, financial literacy and more.
The Student Leaders program allows participants to experience the workforce and gauge their opportunities for the future, said DoriAnn Vuong, community relations manager at Bank of America.
“When you think of our youth, you have to think about—what do we provide them, and how can we equip them for a better future?” she said. “And sometimes we as parents, or sometimes we as brothers or sisters, how do we teach them how to be prepared for the workspace?”
What she’s heard from participants in the program is that they’re thankful for the opportunity and find the experience unexpectedly unique. Anyone who gets into the program is accomplished and involved in school and their community, she said, but a paid internship with a
prominent nonprofit is still out of their element.
In the program, participants get to think outside the box and learn differently, she said.
“The opportunity is to learn more,” Vuong said. “I think the opportunity is to learn about leadership outside of what you have done in school, because a lot of the leadership they learn in school is given by curriculum.”
With two decades of Student Leaders under its belt, every year Bank of America conducts the program it gets better, Vuong said. The organization always looks at how it can elevate its offerings, she added, and this year the program had over 100 applications from students.
“When you think of 20 years, we’re doing something really well because we’re still capturing that attention generationally down the line,” she said. “It’s moving in the right direction.”
Vuong said she believes there’s at least another 20 years in the program’s future, noting that applications for next year’s program open in October.
Tariq encouraged eligible students to apply.
“The experiences that (students) get, especially if you’re interested in leadership, political activism, business, really the program (encapsulates) all of them, and you’re able to get experiences that you wouldn’t really get anywhere else,” she said.
The biggest lesson Tariq learned working at the Boys & Girls Clubs, she said, was how to communicate in a way that different people will understand you.
“I feel like that’s something that’s huge, not only when working with kids, but just everybody—that you have to be adaptable, especially when you’re a leader,” she said. “And that’s something that I hope to continue throughout my senior year and the rest of my life.”
VEGAS INC NOTES
Gov. Joe Lombardo, Treasurer Zach Conine, Interim Finance Committee
Chairwoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno and Chair of the Senate Finance Committee Marilyn Dondero Loop announced that Nevada has finalized funding for a new campus in Southern Nevada that will increase services for victims of domestic violence and tra cking. The board of directors for the Nevada State Infrastructure Bank approved a loan of $5 million to the nonprofit organization SafeNest for its One Safe Place Project in Las Vegas. This project will allow SafeNest to develop a one-of-akind campus to provide legal assistance, case-management, temporary supportive housing, childcare and medical care for victims of domestic violence, sexual violence and human tra cking. The total cost of this project is anticipated to be $20 million, and the Legislature’s Interim Finance Committee previously approved $9 million in American Rescue
Plan Act funds to support this project. Remaining funding for the project will be privately raised by SafeNest.
The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, also known as the Mob Museum, announced newly appointed board and advisory council members. They are: Nadine Jones, vice president of people and culture for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority; George Anastasia, journalist and author of six nonfiction books, including Blood and Honor: Inside the Scarfo Mob—the Mafia’s Most Violent Family; and Jim Lee, federal law enforcement o cer for the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division for 29 years.
Seven attorneys with Bailey Kennedy were recognized in the 2024 edition of Mountain States Super Lawyers. They were: John Bailey, business litigation;
This event attracts 1,400+ local undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni, giving you access to a variety of skillets, knowledge pools, and individuals from one of the nation’s most diverse university!
Registration is limited. Contact us at careerworkforce@unlv.edu to learn more.
Interested in sponsoring the event? Contact Kristine Anassian, Assistant Director of Employer Engagement at kristine.anassian@unlv.edu
Dennis Kennedy, “Top 10” and business litigation; Joshua Dickey, business litigation; Joshua Gilmore, business litigation and 2024 Mountain States Rising Stars; Joseph Liebman, business litigation; Paul Williams, health care; and Rebecca Crooker, Rising Stars.
The Las Vegas Natural History Museum added Jason Hu er and Kimberly Groome to its board of directors. Additionally, Laurie Thomas was appointed as the sole executive director following the departure of co-executive director Kate Porter. Hu er, a senior digital content designer, is an exhibited fine artist with displays and studio work in solo and group exhibitions in Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas. Groome is the Amgen Rare Disease Key Account Director for the West Coast, leveraging her experience in the life sciences field to deliver health care solutions to those in need.
JOB LISTING
SENIOR MARKET RESEARCH ANALYST: Req’d: Master’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or rltd. $67,434/year. Send resume to US Pharmatech NV, Inc., 7210 W Post Rd., Bldg. 1, Las Vegas, NV 89113
