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“Smiles” by Shan Michael Evans.
SUPERGUIDE
THURSDAY SEP 05 DO
ICE NINE KILLS & IN THIS MOMENT
With Avatar, TX2, 6 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com
JIM GAFFIGAN Thru 9/7, 8 p.m., Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com
A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER
Thru 9/7, 7:30 p.m., Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, supersummer theatre.org
CLARK COUNTY
ZINE CLUB
Thru 9/26, Tue.-Sat. 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Winchester Dondero Cultural Center, nvartscouncil.org
THE CONJURORS
10:30 p.m., Gatsby’s Lounge, gatsbysvegas.com
RL GRIME
10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com
MIKE ATTACK
10:30 p.m., Tao Nightclub, taogroup.com
YOOKIE
10 p.m., We All Scream, seetickets.us
BIG BLUES BENDER
The 10th annual Big Blues Bender returns to take over Westgate Las Vegas, with dozens of acts performing on five di erent stages over four days and nights. Each day has a musical theme this year, with the final night playing out as a tribute to Jimmy Bu ett. Among this year’s lineup are Los Lobos, Trombone Shorty, Beth Hart, Tab Benoit, Canned Heat, Samantha Fish, Victor Wainwright & The Train, Marc Broussard, The Record Company, and Blood Brothers featuring Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia. Thru 9/8, show times vary, Westgate, bigbluesbender. com. –Brock Radke
V-U2: AN IMMERSIVE CONCERT FILM
Days & times vary, Sphere, ticketmaster.com.
FRIDAY SEP 06
SHANIA TWAIN
8 p.m., & 9/7, 9/11, PH Live, ticketmaster.com
SUICIDEBOYS
With Denzel Curry, Pouya, Haarper, Shakewell, Ekkstacy, 6:30 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs.com
VINCE NEIL
With Stephen Pearcy, Vixen, 7 p.m., Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, universe.com
JAMES KENNEDY 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com
XDESCEND 11:30 p.m., Club Ego, posh.vip
This year’s Sin Sity Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Project Nunway fundraising event takes over the Usual Place with Barbie’s Sinful Dream World, an outrageous pink party once again featuring a fashion show like none other. Eight designers will create fresh looks using recycled, found and unpurchased materials, and winners will be chosen for the best overall look, theme interpretation, audience response and working the runway. RuPaul’s Drag Race queen Alexis Mateo will host with special performances by Jaymes Mansfield and Touni, and proceeds benefit the Sisters AIDS Drug Assistance Program providing life-saving medications to people living with HIV/AIDS. 7:30 p.m., $25-$750, the Usual Place, eventbrite. com. –Brock Radke
SUPERGUIDE
SUNDAY SEP 08
MONDAY SEP 09
MALAA 11:30 a.m., LIV Beach, livnightclub.com.
AUSTIN MILLZ
10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.
BEYOND BRUNCH
Noon, the Wall at Area15, area15.com
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH
With Marilyn Manson, Slaughter to Prevail, The Funeral Portrait, 6:30 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs.com
JESUS AGUAJE
RAMOS & HIS BUENA VISTA ORCHESTRA
8 p.m., Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com
MOENIA
7 p.m., House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com.
CALLING
ALL CAPTAINS With Good Terms, Sani Bronco, Worseforwear, 7 p.m., Swan Dive, swandivelv.com
MICHELLE JOHNSON
MONDAYS DARK
8 p.m., the Space, mondaysdark.com
RICK PARMA
7 p.m., Maxan Jazz, maxanjazz.com
ZIA BAND
10 p.m., Sand Dollar Lounge, thesand dollarlv.com
TOM RHODES With Darrin Rose, Daniel Eachus, thru 9/15, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand. mgmresorts.com
ALEX REYMUNDO Thru 9/15, 8 p.m., LA Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy. com
7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com DO
SUPERGUIDE
TUESDAY SEP 10
WEDNESDAY SEP 11
MARIACHI VARGAS DE TECALITLÁN
When you think of mariachi music, you may imagine the sounds of trumpets, violins and guitar. But that doesn’t quite encapsulate what Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán has in store for Reynolds Hall. Originally founded in 1897, this 14-strong mariachi orchestra is considered the best in the world. And it’s earned the esteem, having performed more than 12,600 concerts around the globe and collaborated on Grammy Award-winning albums including Linda Ronstadt’s Canciones de Mi Padre and Luis Miguel’s México en la Piel and ¡México por Siempre! Don’t miss your chance to partake in this storied celebration of la música Mexicana. 7:30 p.m., $27-$99, Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com. –Shannon Miller
STEPHEN SANCHEZ
With The Brook & The Blu , 8 p.m., Pearl Concert Hall, ticketmaster. com
THE JAZZ REPUBLIC REVUE
7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com
BUSH
With Jerry Cantrell, Candlebox, 7 p.m., PH Live, ticketmaster.com
MR. NOBODY
7 p.m., Notoriety, notoriety live.com
WORLD BAR FLAIR COMPETITION 7 p.m., HyperX Arena, eventbrite.com
CELTIC THUNDER 7:30 p.m., Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter. com
SERPENTINE FIRE
7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com
NERVOSA
With Lich King, Hatriot, Claustrofobia, 7 p.m., the Usual Place, dice.fm
HUGEL 10:30 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com
ANDRUSS
10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com
EMALKAY With Invade the Place, Beef Deckington, 10 p.m., Discopussy, posh.vip DO IT ALL
(Courtesy/Matt Aguirre/Las Vegas Raiders)
Raiders fl ip the script, focus on a defense-fi rst attack heading into the 2024 season
BY CASE KEEFER
Maxx Crosby might have spent more time standing on the sideline watching his fellow starting defensive teammates on the Raiders in training camp than he will all season, and certainly more than he would have preferred.
The superstar edge rusher didn’t have a choice, as he was so disruptive in practice that coach Antonio Pierce felt compelled to hold him out at times to give the starting o ense a better chance at a successful stretch. Crosby was the runaway leader in such forced breaks, but he wasn’t the only defender held out for the same reason.
New $110 million defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, nonstop-aggressive linebacker Robert Spillane and ballhawk cornerback Jack Jones also had to take breathers on certain days where they were single-handedly su ocating the o ense.
“All those guys are playing at a high level,” Pierce said of his defense overall after a recent practice. “It’s a very tight-knit group. You can see the energy and excitement they have for one another when they make plays. They expect to dominate, and they’re doing such.”
Wielding a showstopping, playmaking defense is a long-awaited, welcome change for the Raiders organization going into the 2024-2025 NFL season. No other franchise in the NFL has struggled more in limiting opponents to score in the 22 years since the Raiders last won a playo game.
But Las Vegas’ defensive troubles started to fade last year under then second-year defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, and then totally dissipated once Pierce took over as
interim coach. The Raiders ranked rst in the league in scoring defense, giving up only 16 points per game, in the nine games they played with Pierce at the helm.
On paper, this year’s stop unit should be even better. Almost everyone is back including Graham, who interviewed for head-coaching jobs and was a nalist for the position with the Seattle Seahawks.
Last season only strengthened Graham’s reputation as one of the top defensive minds in the league, and this year, he gets to head a group that has starters returning at 10 of 11 positions.
The only exception is Wilkins, who was the consensus top defensive freeagent available on the market after improving in each of his rst ve NFL seasons with the Miami Dolphins.
“We’ve got a chance (to be a great defense),” Wilkins said. “But it’s the same mindset, same approach and we can’t go o what everybody else is saying—good, bad or indi erent. We’ve just got to build each and every day.”
Graham said it would be “a recipe for disaster” if his players looked back on last year’s glories and assumed they could pick up right where they left o . They’re heeding his words.
No one is doing so, not even the players who were central to the ascent. They’re wholly unwilling to even discuss monumental moments like the 20-14 Christmas Day win on the road at the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kansas City didn’t lose again for the rest of the season, ultimately winning Super Bowl 58 at Allegiant Stadium, and the Las Vegas victory was almost entirely driven by defense.
The unit had back-to-back touchdowns in the second quarter, includ-
ing an interception o eventual thirdtime Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes that Jones returned 33 yards into the end zone.
Jones in many ways felt like the nal missing piece that enabled Las Vegas to hit its full defensive potential last year. The Raiders claimed him o waivers in mid-November following a troubled three-year tenure with the New England Patriots.
Pierce, who also coached Jones in high school at Long Beach Poly and in college at Arizona State, believed he could get the best out of the former fourth-round pick and vouched for him to team owner Mark Davis. The vision was almost immediately realized, as Jones performed like a true No. 1 cornerback with the Raiders.
The 26-year-old is emblematic of how the Raiders built what they hope turns out to be one of the best defenses in franchise history. The unit is not homegrown, though former general manger Mike Mayock deserves credit for uncovering Crosby as the centerpiece gem in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Crosby’s counterpart on the other side of the line, edge rusher Malcolm Koonce, is also looking like quite the nd in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft after a breakout late last season.
But the other stars, including Wilkins and Jones, were plucked from other teams. A pair of freeagent pickups from last year, Spillane (previously with the Pittsburgh Steelers) and strong safety Marcus Epps (Philadelphia Eagles), were named captains before ever playing a snap in the silver and black.
Epps shored up the long-de cient back end of the defense and brought the best out of 2022 second-round pick Tre’von Moehrig at free safety. He’s soft-spoken and quiet in contrast to the ery Spillane, whom Crosby calls “the best linebacker I’ve ever played with.”
Spillane vowed at the beginning of last year that the Raiders’ defense would, “be up there with the best,” and that it was leaving behind being “looked at as a weak point, one of the
weakest defenses in the league.”
He delivered on the vow but isn’t satis ed. The fact that most projections have the Raiders as one of the worst overall teams in the league this year continues to drive him.
“I try to not see it, but I’m pissed o ,” Spillane said. “I’m angry. Not just about that ranking, but a lot of rankings that go on, and of course, it adds to the fuel to the re … You don’t want to care, but at the end of the day you want respect.”
Crosby has declined to discuss external expectations, but Jones said the three-time Pro Bowler addressed the team at training camp by reading some of the poor predictions for the Raiders’ record.
“We’re going to show everybody that 6-11 is crazy,” Jones said. “I’m going to lose 11 times throughout the year? I’m going to lose more than I win? I don’t like that. That’s not who we are. That’s not why we’re working. That’s not why we’re here. We’re going to step up and we’re going to show why.”
But, for the rst time in years, pessimism around the Raiders isn’t because of the defense. It’s much more about an uncertain o ense breaking in a new quarterback, Gardner Minshew, and rebuilding itself after the departure of a franchise great, running back Josh Jacobs.
The defense, in fact, may have inadvertently contributed to the skepticism about the Raiders being able to score enough points by controlling so much of training camp.
Being more con dent in their defense than their o ense is a whole new world for the Raiders. But they believe in the unfamiliar formula, one that was best summarized by a viral message Pierce extended to the rest of the league via Raiders.com earlier in the summer.
“There are two gentlemen that are in this building every day before the coaches—Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins,” Pierce said. “They happen to be on the same D-line playing next to each other. God bless everybody else. Don’t worry about our quarterbacks, buddy. Worry about yours.”
PUTTING IT ALL ON PIERCE
How promoting Antonio Pierce was an outside-the-box decision for the Raiders, and why it just might work
BY CASE KEEFER
It’s more than 100 degrees outside for one of the Raiders’ first practices of the year, and Antonio Pierce is dressed in an all-black sweatsuit topped by a hoodie pulled snugly over his head.
The 45-year-old coach is more suited up than his players as they’re only in helmets, jerseys and shorts at the team’s Henderson headquarters six weeks before training camp begins in Costa Mesa, California.
Pierce is just as active as his team once practice starts, too, as he bounces from station to station during positional drills before settling in at a good vantage point during full-team periods. He’s rarely silent, barking encouragement and getting
animated with his motions and handclaps.
Chalk it all up as another subtle way Pierce connects with his players. He doesn’t want to ask them for maximum effort and not exude it himself.
“He definitely brings it every day,” defensive tackle Christian Wilkins says. “He’s the tone-setter. He’s the culture-setter of this organization and everybody from the top down falls in line.
“The coaches, the players, we’ve got to bring it every day because, when you see your coach is bringing energy and has such high expectations of everyone, you don’t want to let him down.” The approach is one of the reasons why Raiders owner Mark Davis removed the
“interim” tag on Pierce from the second half of last year and named him the 23rd coach in franchise history this offseason.
The way the 2023 Raiders rallied behind Pierce, going 5-4 under his watch, and campaigned for him to get the permanent gig makes it easy to gloss over the sheer improbability of his rise to the position.
At the start of last season, Pierce was going into his second year as an NFL assistant (linebackers coach) on then-Raiders coach Josh McDaniels’ staff. None of the other 31 current coaches in the NFL had served fewer than seven years coaching in the league before landing a head job.
Only one other, Detroit’s Dan Campbell, had
(Courtesy/ Lucas Peltier/Las Vegas Raiders)
never at least been a coordinator, but he had logged ve years as an assistant head coach—a position much higher on the organizational chart than linebackers coach.
Given his nine years as a player in the NFL—including as a captain on the 2008 Super Bowl-winning New York Giants’ team— Pierce doesn’t come o as an outsider in the head-coaching ranks. But make no mistake— his hire signals the Raiders trying something new to break out of a two-decade funk as one of the NFL’s least successful teams.
Pierce is the 12th coach since the Raiders reached the Super Bowl in 2003, and his pro le di ers drastically from not only his peers but his predecessors.
With Pierce, Las Vegas is emphasizing leadership over schematics, attitude over experience.
“The culture is in us,” Pierce says. “I mean, it’s in our DNA. We talk about it every day. That was the opening statement in my ( rst) team meeting with (the players), the Raider way, the Raider culture. That never changes.”
Interim coaches have a history for inspiring teams upon taking over, and Pierce was like a triple-shot version of that reputation a year ago. The problem for coaches like Pierce who have been promoted in the past is maintaining the initial adrenaline rush.
The league has trended away from keeping interim coaches in recent years, including the Raiders as Davis passed on Rich Bisaccia in favor of McDaniels two years ago, despite the latter leading the team to the playo s in 2022.
Pierce is the rst to make the jump since Doug Marrone with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017. Marrone may have lived up to his promise in his rst year with the Jaguars by leading them to the AFC Championship Game, but bottomed out from there to a 1-15 record in 2020 (where he ironically had now-Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew as his signal caller).
Ten coaches before Pierce have gone from interim to full-time in the last 25 years, accounting for a total of 32 seasons and only seven playo appearances. It’s not a strong track of success but the Raiders believe Pierce is di erent.
It’s real easy to follow a guy who understands the big picture and has the same mindset we have as players. It’s easy to get behind a guy like that.
–STAR RECEIVER DAVANTE ADAMS
“Because he was a player, he played in between the white lines,” cornerback Jack Jones said of what makes Pierce special as a coach. “When you’re a player (and there’s) a guy that’s never played ... and he’s trying to tell you how to make a tackle, how to do anything, I’m not saying that they’re wrong, because there is a lot of experts out here that never played a down, but it’s just harder to feel that. When you’re getting it from a former player, it’s almost like, ‘He did this before, so I don’t even have to question it.’”
Star receiver Davante Adams, who pushed for Pierce, calls the coach “a straight shooter.” Pierce’s lack of lter has occasionally gotten him into trouble, most notoriously midway through last season when McDaniels was still his boss.
Knowing the respect Pierce commanded in the locker room, McDaniels asked him to address the team following an ugly 30-12 loss to the Bears. Pierce, according to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, gave an impassioned speech about his playing days and how the Giants rebounded from a rough stretch to beat the previously-undefeated New England Patriots to win the championship.
McDaniels, the o ensive coordinator for that New England team, reportedly rebuked Pierce afterwards and told him, “don’t ever talk about the Patriots like that.” But Pierce’s message resonated with the team, and made him an easier choice to ll the interim role a week later when Davis red McDaniels.
“It’s real easy to follow a guy who understands the big picture and has the same mindset we have as players,” Adams said. “It’s easy to get behind a guy like that. Last year, up until probably [the] halfway point of the year, right before he became the guy, that’s when we fully bought in.”
Las Vegas has tried to do everything it can to help with Pierce’s perceived de ciencies and inexperience. The Raiders have the largest coaching sta in the NFL with 31 assistants under Pierce, including two former head coaches—assistant head coach Marvin Lewis (Cincinnati Bengals) and senior o ensive assistant Joe Philbin (Miami Dolphins).
Pierce’s coach from his time with the Giants, Tom Coughlin, has also been around the Raiders frequently in an advisory role.
Lewis said one of Pierce’s greatest strengths is that he’s “not stuck on himself,” and “wants to hear other people’s point of view.”
That demeanor could be seen in the quarterback competition that dominated training camp. There was a sense that incumbent Aidan O’Connell was Pierce’s preference to win the job over Minshew, but the coach repeatedly said he would confer with general manager Tom Telesco and o ensive coordinator Luke Getsy to make the nal decision.
Minshew’s mobility was a better t for Getsy’s scheme, and Telesco was the one who signed the sixth-year veteran to a two-year, $25 million contract. Pierce pledged the better player who gave the Raiders the best chance to win would play, and that nothing else, like the promise of a younger player in the second-year O’Connell, would be a factor.
It wasn’t a runaway, but Minshew was the better player in training camp—it’s more debatable who played better in a pair of preseason contests—and the decision to stick with him into the season was another example of Pierce keeping his word.
Integrity is a pillar of what Pierce hopes to build in Las Vegas. Energy is another. The players say a new voice emphasizing classic ideals is just what they need to get the Raiders back into contention.
“We trust AP because AP trusts us,” cornerback Nate Hobbs said. “As a player, that’s one of the biggest things you could you have from a coach is that trust, that credibility, and belief. He believes in you and that almost makes you more ready to go. I feel like that breeds ultimate buy-in and con dence.”
COMINGS AND GOINGS
New Raiders to watch and old Raiders to miss
BY CASE KEEFER
The Raiders and Colts met in an elimination game in Week 17 of last season.
The winner of the showdown at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis would see their playo aspirations extended; the loser would be out of the postseason picture altogether. A fast start from the Colts and their quarterback Gardner Minshew, who threw a 58-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, helped the home team withstand a late Raiders’ rally for a 23-20 victory.
Indianapolis ultimately fell short of the
playo s too, when it lost 23-19 to Houston the next week, but Minshew made a late pass that could have sealed victory before it was dropped by running back Tyler Goodson.
Instead of making his postseason starting debut after taking over for injured Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson last year, Minshew had to settle for a di erent prize after the season. The sixth-year quarterback signed with the Raiders in free agency and won the right to be a starter going into the season for the rst time since 2020 with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Minshew beat out incumbent Aidan O’Connell, who started opposite him in last year’s
CHRISTIAN WILKINS, defensive tackle
The Raiders secured the crown jewel of this year’s defensive free-agency class by giving the former Miami Dolphin a four-year, $110 million contract with about $83 million in guaranteed money.
ALEXANDER MATTISON, running back
Mattison will technically be the backup of Zamir White, a 2022 NFL Draft fourth-round pick out of Georgia, but the former Minnesota Viking by way of Boise State University will rotate in frequently and play a lot on passing downs.
CODY WHITEHAIR, guard
The 2018 Pro Bowler followed new o ensive coordinator Luke Getsy from Chicago to Las Vegas after spending eight years with the Bears and won a starting job in training camp largely due to a prolonged injury absence of second-round pick Jackson Powers-Johnson.
ANDRUS PEAT, tackle
The former first-round pick and three-time Pro Bowler arrives in Las Vegas as the ultimate offensive-line utility man playing primarily tackle but ready to fill in wherever needed, after spending nine seasons in New Orleans.
HARRISON BRYANT, tight end
First-round rookie Brock Bowers out of Georgia and emergent second-year player Michael Mayer will have bigger roles in the o ense at tight end, but Bryant will also get snaps and stands out as the best blocker of the three.
Raiders at Colts game, to earn the job. The hope is that Minshew can far outplay Las Vegas’ starter going into last season, Jimmy Garoppolo, who played six games before getting benched for the then-rookie O’Connell.
The Raiders released Garoppolo this o season, and he signed with the Los Angeles Rams to back up Matthew Sta ord this year after serving a two-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.
Any quarterback change will always be the most visible switch for an NFL team, but here are ve of the other most notable incoming and outgoing veterans from last year.
JOSH JACOBS, running back
The Raiders’ third all-time leading rusher departed for the Green Bay Packers in free agency in an e ort to score a bigger contract (a four-year, $48 million deal) and play for a Super Bowl contender.
AMIK ROBERTSON, cornerback
Losing the boisterous, undersized playmaker quietly a ects the defense as much as Jacobs’ departure hurts the o ense, as Robertson emerged as a fan and teammate favorite before going to the Detroit Lions in the o season.
BILAL NICHOLS,defensive tackle
Nichols was reliable if nothing else for the Raiders, having started in every game the last two seasons before his contract expired and he signed with the Arizona Cardinals in free agency.
JERMAINE ELUEMUNOR, tackle
The veteran from London, England played three positions over the last three years in Las Vegas and was highly underrated before following former Raiders o ensive line coach Carmen Bricillo to the New York Giants.
GREG VAN ROTEN, guard
The 34-year-old revitalized his career by starting every game for the Raiders last season, and recently landed a contract with his eighth NFL franchise in the New York Giants.
Breaking down every game on the Raiders’ schedule this season
BY CASE KEEFER
WEEK 1:
At Los Angeles Chargers
September 8, 1:05 p.m., CBS/ Paramount+
Current Line: Chargers -3.5
The Raiders set a franchise record for points in a 63-21 victory over the Chargers last December, a performance that got then-Los Angeles general manager Tom Telesco fired. Las Vegas hired Telesco as its new general manager this o season.
WEEK 2:
in tight end Darnell Washington (Desert Pines) and guard Troy Fautanu (Liberty).
WEEK 7:
At Los Angeles Rams
October 20, 1:05 p.m., CBS/Paramount+
Current Line: Rams -5.5
WEEK 13:
At Kansas City Chiefs
November 29, Noon, Prime Video
Current Line: Chiefs -7.5
The Raiders’ first stand-alone television spot of the season comes in the league’s second annual “Black Friday” matchup.
WEEK 14:
At Tampa Bay Buccaneers
At Baltimore Ravens
September 15, 10 a.m., CBS/Paramount+
Current Line: Ravens -7.5
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is coming o winning his second career Most Valuable Player award, and should provide a big early test for the Raiders’ defense with his dual-threat ability.
WEEK 3:
Vs. Carolina Panthers
September 22, 1:05 p.m., CBS/ Paramount+
Current Line: Raiders -4
Las Vegas will be among the last teams to stage its home opener, but at least the Raiders get to do it against a team widely considered one of the NFL’s worst coming o a 2-15 season.
WEEK 4:
Vs. Cleveland Browns
September 29, 1:25 p.m., CBS/ Paramount+
Current Line: Browns -1.5
Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett is one of the only defensive players in the league considered a tier above Maxx Crosby as the former won the Defensive Player of the Year award last year while the latter finished fourth.
WEEK 5:
At Denver Broncos
October 6, 1:05 p.m., FOX
Current Line: Broncos -1.5
The Raiders have beaten the Broncos in all eight meetings since moving to Las Vegas including in heartbreaking fashion on the road, where three of the four victories have come by less than a touchdown.
WEEK 6:
Vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
October 13, 1:05 p.m., CBS/Paramount+
Current Line: Pick’em
A couple legendary local high school football players will return to Las Vegas with the Steelers
If the Raiders have any uncertainty on defense, it’s at the cornerback position and they’ll want those questions shored up before taking on the Rams’ dynamic receiving duo of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua.
WEEK 8:
Vs. Kansas City Chiefs
October 27, 1:25 p.m., CBS/ Paramount+
Current Line: Chiefs -5.5
Although they’ve knocked o the Chiefs twice on the road in the last four years, the Raiders are still looking for their first victory over their archrivals at Allegiant Stadium, where Kansas City has won three of the four meetings by two touchdowns or more.
WEEK 9:
At Cincinnati Bengals
November 3, 10 a.m., FOX
Current Line: Bengals -7
It was somehow less than three years ago that the Raiders came a fourth-and-goal interception away from knocking o the eventual Super Bowl-bound Bengals in a road playo game.
WEEK 10: BYE
WEEK 11: At Miami Dolphins
November 17, 10 a.m., CBS/Paramount+
Current Line: Dolphins -6
December 8, 10 a.m. on CBS/ Paramount+
Current Line: Buccaneers -3
The Raiders have only played at Tampa Bay three times previously in franchise history and haven’t lost there since the first meeting—a 20-17 overtime defeat on November 10, 1996.
WEEK 15:
Vs. Atlanta Falcons
December 16, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Current Line: Falcons -1
The pressure is on Las Vegas to remain relevant this late in the season to avoid it getting flexed out of its only scheduled Monday Night Football showcase of the year.
WEEK 16:
Vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Current Line: Jaguars -1
New defensive tackle Christian Wilkins might have something to prove against his former team as he repeatedly stated his desire to remain in Miami but the two sides couldn’t come to a contract agreement.
WEEK 12:
Vs. Denver Broncos
November 24, 1:05 p.m., CBS/ Paramount+
Current Line: Raiders -1.5
The Raiders were widely believed to be interested in selecting a quarterback in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft but the Broncos took the last one with a top grade, Oregon product Bo Nix, one spot ahead of them at No. 12 overall.
December 22, 1:25 p.m., CBS/ Paramount+
Las Vegas had one of its worst collapses ever the last time it faced Jacksonville, turning a 17-0 lead into a 27-20 defeat in Week 9 of the 2022 season despite 10 catches and 145 yards from receiver Davante Adams.
WEEK 17:
At New Orleans Saints
December 29, 10 a.m., FOX
Current Line: Saints -2.5
This should set up as a long-awaited showdown between the Raiders and their all-time passing leader, current Saints quarterback Derek Carr, whom they unceremoniously cut from the roster before the 2023 season.
WEEK 18:
Vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Time, date and television TBD
Current Line: Chargers -1
Some Las Vegas fans hoped the team would look towards Jim Harbaugh to fill its coaching vacancy in the o season, but the former Raiders’ quarterbacks coach had his sights set on Los Angeles from the moment he decided to leave the University of Michigan.
The best futures bet to make in every NFL division this season BY CASE KEEFER
SOWING DIVISION
To get a sense of the NFL landscape to start the season, let’s handicap each and every division using locally available betting odds. ¶ Listed odds in every division come from Circa Sports, while the pick for each is the best price available on the chosen side anywhere in Las Vegas with the sportsbook noted.
AFC East: Buffalo Bills -185 (i.e. risking $185 to win $100), Miami Dolphins +195 (i.e. risking $100 to win $195), New York Jets +210, New England Patriots +1400
n The Jets are the favorites at many other sportsbooks, which feels like quite a rosy outlook for a team with a 40-yearold quarterback coming off a torn Achilles injury—even if it is four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers. The Dolphins have fielded the best offense in the NFL collectively over the last two years. If the defense improves marginally this year, watch out.
n The Steelers have an aging roster and the toughest schedule in the NFL. The Browns have a injury-ravaged roster and a big question at quarterback in Deshaun Watson. The Bengals have a mediocre-at-best defense and quietly-injury-prone quarterback in Joe Burrow. How are the Ravens, which had one of the best regular seasons in NFL history last year, not odds-on favorites?
Pick: Ravens at +155 (Circa)
AFC South: Houston Texans -108, Jacksonville Jaguars +280, Indianapolis Colts +380, Tennessee Titans +1100
n The souped-up Texans will be formidable, but the Jaguars were the NFL’s biggest divisional favorite at this time a year ago and came a Week 18 upset loss to the Titans away from paying it off. They haven’t fallen off as precipitously as the odds indicate. Houston could be vulnerable if quarterback C.J. Stroud has any semblance of a sophomore slump or if prized trade-acquired receiver Stefon Diggs is as past-his-prime as he looked at parts of last season.
Pick: Jaguars at +300 (STN Sports)
AFC West: Kansas City Chiefs -305, Los Angeles Chargers +450, Las Vegas Raiders +925, Denver Broncos +2200
n It may seem expensive, but the Chiefs had a disastrous regular season a year ago and still won the division with ease. They should be better this year, especially on offense. The Chargers, Raiders and Broncos are all in transitional seasons—the former two with new full-time coaches (Jim Harbaugh and Antonio Pierce, respectively) and the last with a rookie quarterback (Bo Nix).
Pick: Chiefs at -260 (Caesars/William Hill)
NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles -140, Dallas Cowboys +187, Washington Commanders +1200, New York Giants +1400
n The Cowboys were better than the Eagles last year by any and every metric, so it’s downright illogical for them to be this big of an underdog this year. Yes, no team has repeated in the NFC East in 20 years but that’s more a random trend than a predictive signal. Dallas’ high-profile playoff failures are making everyone forget how great of a regular-season team it’s been with three straight 12-win seasons.
Pick: Cowboys at +200 (Wynn)
NFC North: Detroit Lions +129, Green Bay Packers +205, Chicago Bears +400, Minnesota Vikings +800 n Truth be told, there’s not a bet here. This is the most efficiently priced divisional market. The Lions probably win it with a breezy schedule and an entering-their-prime core, though the Packers and Bears could unseat them if everything goes right. The Vikings are no slouch either with one of the league’s best offensive minds at coach (Kevin O’Connell) and top weapons at wide receiver (Justin Jefferson). The longest price implies only a 6% chance the Vikings can pull off a shocker, and that’s too short.
Pick: Vikings at +1425 (Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook)
NFC South:
Atlanta Falcons -145, Tampa Bay Buccaneers +305, New Orleans Saints +475, Carolina Panthers +1500 n The Saints may not have won the NFC South last year, but they were by far the best team with a scoring margin 52 points superior to the eventual champion Buccaneers. New Orleans is due some positive regression this year. Every team in this division is flawed and should be no factor in the playoffs, but the Saints are the most proven.
Pick: Saints at +475 (Circa)
NFC West: San Francisco 49ers -200, Los Angeles Rams +300, Seattle Seahawks +785, Arizona Cardinals +1325 n Don’t fall for the Super Bowl runner-up hangover narrative or the impassioned cases for the Rams or Seahawks being sleepers. The 49ers are still a juggernaut with star power at virtually every position. This is their last year to make a run with quarterback Brock Purdy still on a minimum contract before he’s extension-eligible and they’re crunched up against the salary cap. San Francisco will make the most of it.
Pick: 49ers at -190 (Caesars/William Hill)
IS FOREVER
Find your fandom at di erent NFL team bars around Las Vegas
BY BROCK RADKE
Las Vegas was an NFL city long before it got its own NFL team, and we’re not just talking about being the football betting capital of the universe. The old adage that everyone here comes from some other place was and is supported by the fact that plenty of neighborhood pubs root for other “home teams” that Las Vegans love—even in the case of the Kansas City Chiefs, the bitter rivals of our hometown Raiders.
Jackpot Bar & Grill (4485 S. Jones Blvd., 702-463-0333, jack potbarlv.com) has been a Chiefs bar for three years, since it moved from a previous location on Decatur Boulevard. Owner Je Frederick is originally from Nebraska but lived in Kansas City for 12 years, and when the Blue Diamond Saloon became such a popular spot for Chiefs fans that it was hard to nd a table to watch the game, he turned Jackpot into another
football hot spot.
“The funny thing is, I want the Raiders to do well as a local team, but I nd it hard to root for them,” he says, and many locals can relate. (Broncos fan over here.) “We get a lot of positive feedback here. We get a little hate from Raiders fans, but it’s not bad. We’ve got bars all over town representing di erent teams and there’s a lot of people living in Vegas who brought their loyalties with them.”
It’s hard to hate on the game-day specials at Jackpot, discounted pitchers or buckets of beer and $7 shots of Tito’s or Jameson. The bar is setting up a ra e this year for two tickets to the Chiefs-Raiders game in Las Vegas, too.
Here are some other NFL team bars around town, in case you’re looking for a new Sunday spot, and we’re planning to add to this listing at lasvegasweekly. com, so stay tuned.
Did we miss your NFL team bar? Email info to brock.radke@ gmgvegas.com.
IN THE NEWS
“I’ve really enjoyed performing … it’s been three years now, which is the longest I’ve done and probably the longest I’ll ever do. But I have 10 shows left after this, back in my (Las Vegas) residency … but after that, I will not see you for an incredibly long time and I will hold you dear in my heart for that whole length of my break.”
HOT SHOT
Pending approvals from Clark County, Bally’s Corporation and the Oakland A’s are set to host an event in the early morning of October 9, featuring a drone show and fireworks display by Grucci concluding with the implosion of the Tropicana slated for 2:30 a.m., according to a Bally’s spokesperson.
(Steve Marcus/Sta )
That’s how many local beer tastings will be available as part of a new beer festival at the September 6 First Friday event in the Arts District.Tickets are $35-$45 and available at flv.org/beerfestival/2024.
–Adele speaking to fans in Munich on August 31 (USA Today)
Track construction underway for F1 2024
Track construction for the Las Vegas Grand Prix began Monday night with work on a pedestrian bridge on Koval Lane.
Lane reductions are expected from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. through September 8 at Koval Lane and Rochelle Avenue for the bridge construction.
Track lighting installation will also cause single-lane reductions on Harmon Avenue from Las Vegas
HOUSING
Boulevard to Koval Lane with one lane open in each direction.
Those interested in traffic updates related to this year’s race can sign up for the weekly SMS text system established last year by the Las Vegas Grand Prix team and Clark County. Updates will begin in the next week and are sent out every Sunday and Wednesday. People can opt-in by texting “F1LV” to 31996.
English and Spanish options are available.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix also launched an interactive road map to communicate traffic updates for the 3.8-mile circuit and surrounding areas, including Las Vegas Boulevard, Koval Lane and Harmon Avenue. The map is available at f1lasvegasgp.
com –Grace Da Rocha
HUD AWARDS $53M FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN SOUTHERN NEVADA
Flanked on either side by oversized checks, Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., joined local and national housing leaders on August 29 to celebrate two major grants for the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority (SNRHA).
On top of last month’s $50 million grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for middle-class housing in the Historic Westside, the local authority announced a $3 million grant from the federal agency to help public housing residents find jobs and education.
“Given the extreme need for more affordable housing in Southern Ne-
JOBS CULINARY UNION IN ACTIVE LABOR DISPUTE WITH VIRGIN HOTELS
vada, this funding is transformative, and its value cannot be overstated,” said William McCurdy II, vice chairman of the Clark County Board of Commissioners and a board chair with SNRHA.
Outside the celebration, Titus highlighted the need for more housing vouchers in “fast-growing” areas of the country like Clark County, which increased from 1.95 million people in 2010 to 2.27 million a decade later. In July, U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., wrote in a joint letter that the local housing authority’s waitlist for vouchers already exceeded 42,000.
“Whether you’re building wealth in your own home or whether you just have a place to rent that’s safe and comfortable so your children can go to school,” Titus said in an interview. “Housing is the key. You have a roof over your head? The other things are more successful.”
Along with Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Titus introduced a bill in April directing HUD to provide additional vouchers in similar areas, adding that the program has lagged behind booms in population.
“I will continue working to ensure housing is treated as a right, not a privilege,” Titus said. –Kyle Chouinard
According to Culinary Workers Union Local 226, approximately 23 members were arrested at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on August 29 in an act of “nonviolent disobedience.”
Seven hundred hospitality workers from Virgin are pushing for a new five-year union contract. According to the union, the contract expired June 1, 2023. The last negotiations with the property took place in July.
“The company hasn’t offered more than zero in wage increases for the first three years of the contract since the first day of negotiations and it’s disappointing that we haven’t seen real movement. The contract expired 15 months ago and the Virgin Las Vegas’ proposal and treatment of their own workers who deserve a raise is unacceptable,” said Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge in a news release.
Earlier this year, the Culinary and Bartenders unions led a strike with hundreds of members May 10-12, 2024, marking the first strike in 22 years for the unions.
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas did not immediately respond to a request for comment. –Staff
campaign tabs Nevada’s Horsford as national co-chair
U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., was named a national co-chair for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, the Las Vegas resident announced in a social media post today.
“Together, we will fight and we will win. We’re not going back!” Horsford posted on X.
Horsford wrote in a statement that the election stakes were high because Republican nominee Donald Trump was looking to “ban abortion, hurt the middle class and threaten our democracy.”
“Every vote, especially in key battleground states like Nevada, is going to be critical. I’m looking forward to doing everything to protect our future by electing Vice President Harris and Governor (Tim) Walz, electing a Democratic Congress and Senate and electing Democrats up and down the ballot,” Horsford wrote.
He’s part of a slate of five newly named national co-chairs; the others being Harris’ fellow Californians, Sen. Laphonza Butler and Reps. Ted Lieu and Robert Garcia, as well as Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas.
The co-chairs will continue to be high-level surrogates, traveling and engaging with voters on behalf of the campaign, said a Harris campaign official.
Horsford, who has held his seat representing Nevada’s 4th Congressional District since 2019, is also on the ballot in November against former North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee. –Haajrah Gilani
GROWING THE GROUNDS
A favorite Spring
Valley
park gets a massive new events center this October
BY SHANNON MILLER
Desert Breeze Park has been a part of my life for a long time. I have memories of playing on its jungle gyms, shooting hoops, and watching baseball, softball and soccer games as a kid. Now that I live in Spring Valley again, it’s my regular walking spot. I do laps around the park’s 240 acres, lush with several species of trees; I sit on benches and people watch (and dog watch at the dog park); and I gawk at kids dropping into bowls with scooters and skateboards, pulling off tricks I would never attempt.
My long-term relationship with Desert Breeze is not unique. It’s a storied park, founded in 1996 and one of Las Vegas’ largest. It has hosted countless picnics, parties and many cultural events including Clark County’s annual two-day Tacos & Tamales Festival, which has hosted 20,000 attendees in previous years. Back in 2009, it even staged a concert by a then-little known band called Imagine Dragons at the Bite of Las Vegas festival.
Now, in its 28th year, the park is getting a new events center. Officials hope the venue will provide affordable entertainment options for the community and a platform for local artists and entertainers.
“I’m excited for this, because Desert Breeze has hosted some of the biggest events in this town,” says
Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones, whose district includes the park.
“With the events center, we have the opportunity to give other local bands a stage to break out, like Imagine Dragons did.”
Construction of the events center (unofficially dubbed the Special Events Venue at Desert Breeze Regional Park) started in 2022 and is expected to be mostly wrapped up by October. Radio station X107.5 has announced that a concert featuring Las Vegas band Falling In Reverse, Awolnation, Palaye Royale, Sleep Theory and more will take place at the venue October 26.
Sitting on 14.5 acres, the events center includes a 208-stall parking lot, a ticket office and a 7.5-acre event area which includes two natural turf
Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones shows natural turf fields at the events center at Desert Breeze Park.
fields. Surrounding the event area are 12 power pedestals for electric and water hookups, allowing for flexible use.
“We built this so that the stages can be in any direction, or there can be multiple stages. … You have it set up so the stages can be hooked right in, or food trucks or any other type of facility,” Jones says.
“Having a facility like this, I think, really gets us get back to providing those community-focused events … with all of the tech and facilities that you need for a spectacular event,” Jones says.
Live music, outdoor movies, game watch parties and food truck festivals are on the agenda. Parking and security details need to be worked out for future events, but Jones estimates the venue will be able to host up to 12,000 attendees.
The events center also includes a 2-acre production lot, with a dedicated building for entertainers.
“They’ll have dressing rooms, laundry facilities, basically anything. If a band wants to come and get ready for an event, they’ve got, essentially, their green room. And we’ve got storage for stages and all of the equipment that goes along with this,” Jones says.
He adds that the venue will offer competitive rental rates compared
to others in town. And that will ultimately benefit consumers, who already feel like they’re priced out of the market for certain shows on the Strip.
“For the last several years, [X107.5’s] big concert was on the Strip. So they’re paying Cosmopolitan prices to rent a facility. And that just means that the cost to the average person who lives here is substantially more. The beauty of this facility is, we’re offering much more competitive rental rates, and that savings is passed onto the people
who live here,” Jones says.
The current construction is just phase one of a larger expansion of Desert Breeze Park planned for the coming years. Future phases of development include plans for four soccer fields, two special-use fields, four baseball fields, an adaptive use field with enhanced accessibility features, a covered playground, restrooms and a shaded plaza with seating, a walking loop and lawn areas. Funding for the baseball fields has been secured, according to Jones’ office.
Expansion of the park has been a “dream” of the county since before Jones was elected to represent District F in 2018. Phase one of construction was funded by room tax revenue set aside for regional facilities.
Ultimately, the goal is to enhance quality of life for constituents, Jones says.
“We’re trying to make it so that it’s a place where people can live, work and play and get out of their car. And so if we have the trails, parks [and] bike lanes, so that people can really get out in the community and enjoy the amenities that we have. That’s really the focus here,” he says.
An official ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place before the X107.5 concert, he adds.
Natural turf fields at the events center at Desert Breeze Park.
A building for entertainers and touring artists under construction at Desert Breeze Park events center.
(Photos by Christopher DeVargas)
METAL MAIDENS
Brazilian thrash metal band
brings its fast fury to the Usual Place
Nervosa
Nervosa (Courtesy/Aki @digitaltaurus84)
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
Those privy to metal music history know that Brazil’s musical roots extend beyond its world-class bossa nova and samba traditions.
In fact, during the ‘80s, the country went through its own thrash-metal movement and bred some of the genre’s most influential groups, like Sepultura. Nervosa, an all-female thrash death metal group, emerged from São Paulo in 2010 and set its sights on dominating the international metal scene.
Over the years, Nervosa has undergone several lineup changes, but guitarist and founding member Prika Amaral has steadfastly driven the project forward. Amaral aims to refine and revolutionize the group’s blistering speed riffs, technically demanding drum sequences and heart-pumping bass lines by recruiting and playing with well-respected musicians. And with a discography that includes five studio albums and one EP, Nervosa has cemented its stance as an undying force to be reckoned with.
On latest album Jailbreak, released via Napalm Records in 2023, Amaral’s talent goes beyond her guitar-shredding abilities as she takes on vocals. ”I never planned to be a singer … I never wanted to be a singer,” Amaral tells the Weekly. Could’ve fooled us. Her screeching high notes are enough to wake the dead and her low, guttural grumbles are enough to ease them back into their graves. Backing her on Jailbreak is Michaela Naydenova on drums, Hel Pyre on bass and Helena Kotina on guitar. And their collaborative efforts and brash creativity have resulted in one of the band’s most acclaimed collection of songs.
Besides Amaral’s presence on the mic, the second biggest change to Nervosa’s sound on Jailbreak is the addition of a second guitarist, which creates another dynamic layer of melody.
NERVOSA
“Seed of Death” opens with a beautifully atmospheric and tuneful guitar line reminiscent of early Pantera, which soon grows and combusts into ungodly speeds, thundering range and solo riffage. The title track has an immediate gusto that showcases each member’s respective talents.
Jailbreak also features impressive guest appearances on “When The Truth is a Lie” and “Superstition Failed.” The contributions come from Gary Holt, the legendary guitarist from American thrash pioneer band Exodus, and vocalist Lena Scissorhands from Infected Rain and Death Dealer Union. These connections left the band in awe of how far they’ve come.
“Gary Holt was very accessible, very friendly and was happy with the invitation … we could not believe it ... this is a dream come true,” Amaral says. “And Lena, I’ve been following her since we played together in 2017—she’s super talented, and we were looking for a woman to participate because we always have been an all female band, so why not?”
Nervosa is now embarking on its first North American headlining tour in support of Jailbreak. The relentless excursion will stretch 40 shows across 47 days, including a stop in Downtown Las Vegas.
Joining them on the road are Lich King, a band that Amaral met at 70000Tons of Metal—a five-day heavy metal festival that takes place aboard a cruise ship—and Hatriot, a metal quartet with whom Amaral shares mutual music friends, and considers herself a longtime fan.
“Nervosa, Lich King and Hatriot —we all have something in common, which is thrash metal being our roots,” says Amaral. “But we are more than thrash; we have the flexibility to use other elements. We are the new generation of metal—we’re like new old-school bands.”
With Lich King, Hatriot, Claustrofobia. September 11, 7 p.m., $25. The Usual Place, dice.fm.
BY GEOFF CARTER
It’s almost too much. Images crowd against each other, each of them vibrant, dynamic and actively competing for your affections. A fleet of flying saucers. A three-eyed businessman. A walking carton of sour milk, and many others, printed on small, toy-like wooden blocks. It takes real restraint to heed Nevada Humanities’ plea not to touch the art—to refrain from picking up the blocks and re-stacking them in new contexts.
Artist Shan Michael Evans, arguably known best for his murals and street art (there are several of his works on Arts District walls, and one inside the Freed’s Bakery on California Avenue), conceived Saints and Poets Maybe—showing at Nevada Humanities’ Arts District gallery through September 25—as an encyclope -
ALL TOGETHER
Shan Michael Evans throws humanity a block party in Saints and Poets Maybe
dia of his visual style and an introduction to his work for those who might not have previously connected these vivid art pieces with each other, much less with the artist who makes them.
“It’s years of work,” Evans says. “I’m not sure who has seen any of it … This opportunity presented itself, and I hope people are enjoying it.”
There are many ways to enjoy the show, whose name is inspired by dialogue from the classic Thornton Wilder play Our Town. (“Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it ... every, every minute?” “No. Saints and poets … maybe they do some.”) But the unspoken “town” analogy seems particularly apt when you consider Evans’ rows of people, places and things. Don’t care for one of the works?
There may be a piece that you love literally one block over.
“I thought the wood could lend some substance to them,” Evans says of his decision to print the pieces on wood. “I wanted them like toys. Building blocks. Create your own adventure. Collectable. Affordable. I was thinking of tiny homes.”
The themes range all over, from popular culture to Vegas history to storybook fantasy. Asked about his jukebox of influences, he gives an answer as unexpected and playful as the works themselves.
SAINTS AND POETS
MAYBE
Thru September 15, free. Artist’s talk September 11, 5 p.m. Nevada Humanities Program Gallery, 1017 S. First St. #190, nevadahumanities.org.
(Courtesy/ Nevada Humanities)
“Something mystic. Bauhaus. Horrace Pippin. Folk art, the commercial art from by-gone eras, vintage comics … Advertisements are a big one. Bad printing,” he says. “There’s not a day, nor a thing in a day, that I’m not inspired by—but mostly, cheap plastic Halloween masks that once littered a K-Mart aisle.”
Going deeper, Evans says he’s inspired by “the human condition, though I absolutely worry that never comes across.” But the humanity is always, always present. It’s in the blue-eyed, freckled goth girl with high cheekbones dappled with perfect black dots, and the grinning skull with a rainbow issuing from its head. It’s even in his polygonal abstracts and his nods to classic Vegas signage and iconography. (Look for the five differently hued “one-arm bandits”—a proper gathering of robotic cowpokes.)
Oftentimes the “real” world feels like nothing but be gray concrete, smog-filled skies and emotional disconnect. But in Saints and Poets Maybe, Evans has provided colorful building blocks of hopes and dreams, ready to be assembled into something aspirational, something better.
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS
Malcolm Gladwell, Author and Podcaster
Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 7:30 p.m.
Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall
Tickets ONLY available at the UNLV Performing Arts Center Box Office, Tuesday–Saturday 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. For information, call (702) 895-ARTS, but tickets cannot be reserved by phone.
UNLV Faculty, Staff and Students may obtain tickets beginning at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4. A valid UNLV Rebelcard is required.
The General Public may obtain tickets beginning at 12 p.m. on Saturday, September 7.
UNLV’s annual series featuring nationally and internationally known guest lecturers
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WADE VANDERVORT &
MORE THAN THE GAME
General Admission aims for elevation beyond sports bar status
BY BROCK RADKE
With fall sports season upon us, it’s de nitely time to check back in at your favorite local tavern, nd your seat to watch the game, and indulge in your favorite bar foods.
Or maybe it’s time to nd a new favorite sports bar? I know, it’s a crazy idea. The tried and true is so comfy and familiar, everybody knows your name, and you can’t do without those perfect chicken wings. But there are many topnotch venues scattered across this Valley, and one of the newest sports bars has been building a tasty reputation for being more than just a sports bar.
ate future looks bright for the 6,500-squarefoot, indoor-outdoor restaurant and bar with 37 large screens for viewing.
“Most people walk away shocked,” says Tigran Nalbandyan, a partner at General Admission at UnCommons. “It’s de nitely not the typical bar food. It’s an elevated menu with elevated atmosphere.”
General Admission opened quietly in January and had a grand opening in time for March Madness, and Nalbandyan says it’s been growing a solid team of loyal regulars ever since. With the arrival of football and hockey season, the immedi-
There will be specials and promotions during games; in the spring, customers wearing a VGK jersey earned a free appetizer and beer. But General Admission is trying to o er something for everybody, better food than you’d nd at the typical sports bar, and an overall distinctive experience. “The atmosphere and vibe is where we stand out,” Nalbandyan says. “It’s if you’re looking for something more intimate with really good food and a place where you’re going to see the owners around, and you’re going to have a say with what draft beers we put up next.
(Photos Courtesy of General Admission
FOOD & DRINK
DINING NOTES
Prime at Bellagio, China Mama at Palace Station, C&R Public House at Town Square and more
We let the local customer base decide on what they want to see next.”
GENERAL ADMISSION
8548 Rozita Lee Ave. #105, 725-780-1098, generaladmissionlv.com
So far, they want to see, and eat, the tuna tostada crudo ($15), the star of the sushi menu, with ahi tuna, citrus poke sauce and tru e aioli. (There are also sushi rolls named after Godzilla and King Kong, for those with titan-sized appetites.) The Double-Double Smashburger ($18) is another top seller, two Black Angus beef patties on brioche with caramelized onions, American cheese, dill pickles and special sauce.
Wings and tenders (both $14) are on the menu, but they’re not frozen, and in fact the kitchen took extra care developing these seemingly simple sports bites. Other appetizers ($12) piquing interest include: Wagyu gyoza; Tokyo Tots ($12), crispy potato nuggets topped with di erent Japanese sauces plus nori and togarashi; and house-breaded mozzarella sticks.
Wanna guess what else GA does?
Breakfast every day, served until 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, including steak and eggs ($18), chilaquiles ($12) and chicken and wa es ($14) with honey butter and Vermont maple syrup. And still to come: trivia night on Wednesday, ladies’ night, nightlife-y programming with DJs and more. “We’re very excited for football season, but there’s a lot of other stu still in play,” Nalbandyan says.
In another significant change to one of the iconic restaurants at Bellagio, Prime Steakhouse will close in its lakeside location on September 2 and temporarily operate from the adjacent former Picasso space while the original restaurant undergoes a “modern-day design transformation coupled with menu enhancements.” Details on Prime’s refresh completion date will be announced soon.
Palace Station recently announced it will close Boathouse Asian Eatery on September 1 to make space for a location of beloved local Chinese restaurant China Mama Jason Aldean’s Kitchen & Bar is set to debut on the Strip at 63 CityCenter this fall, o ering live music along with Southern comfort food and more. It will be the fourth location of the country star’s restaurant, a two-story venue with seven bars and a massive outdoor patio.
The José Andrés Group has opened Bazaar Mar, a seafood-driven concept, at the Shops at Crystals, and the adjacent Bar Centro, serving breakfast, lunch, and cocktails and dessert in the evening. For more information, visit
Angie’s Lobster has opened at 4835 Blue Diamond Road, serving warm and chilled lobster rolls, a spicy honey fried lobster sandwich, fried North Atlantic cod and more.
AYYA Hospitality’s Crust & Roux has reopened at Town Square as C&R Public House & Eatery, a sports bar and lounge that maintains its menu of pizza pies with the addition of gourmet takes on sports bar favorites. Find more info at crustandroux.com
PT’s Taverns has opened another location of Great American Pub at 6945 South Bu alo Drive, open 24 hours every day.
The sixth annual Lake Las Vegas Classic food, wine, golf and music festival is set for September 27-28 at Reflection Bay Golf Club in Henderson. The Culinary Feast portion of the event, featuring chefs from Kassi Beach House, Capital Grille, Kona Grill, Le Thai and more local restaurants, is set for 5:30 p.m. on September 28. Tickets and more info are available at lakelasvegasclassic.com –Brock Radke
UNLV TAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO ACCESS WITH NEW MBA PROGRAM
BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF
Lisa Davis, the executive director in the o ce of graduate student services at UNLV’s Lee Business School, said she has spoken to many prospective students who can’t regularly make it to campus for classes.
The school now has a solution for those students.
The Lee Business School will o er fully online, module-based learning so students can pursue a master’s of business administration at their own pace. The option will debut in the spring.
“They’ll be able to work through the program on their schedule, and they won’t have to come into class,” Davis said. “I think it just provides a lot of exibility for students. And it seems like, after COVID, a lot of people are looking for that exibility.”
The program follows the hybrid MBA, a program UNLV launched after the COVID-19 pandemic that had students come in person for classes one week and online the next.
Even with that option, Davis said, there were still students reaching out about fully online options. She pointed to a student who worked in Ely as an example of someone who couldn’t come down to Las Vegas every other week.
A fully online program for people unable to attend in person has been “a long time coming,” Davis said.
“We’ve been talking to students that are just really busy, juggling families, work and school, and sometimes this … online format really works the best for those individuals, so they’re not having to pick and choose as much,” she said. “They’re able to balance it more.”
Students in the hybrid program will be able to take the fully online courses, as well, Davis added. “We just admitted our largest class of students in 20 years to … our hybrid part-time evening
class,” said John Baur, faculty director of the MBA program at Lee Business School. “And just last year, we reached our highest ranking ever in that program. So we’re doing really well there, and we still see that as a core o ering. But really, what we’re trying to do is just provide another option on top of that.”
Baur said the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the trend of online schooling and allowed those who may have had preconceived notions about it to see how it could be implemented.
UNLV is an “access university,” he said, and wants to provide opportunities for career advancement to as many people as possible—especially in Southern Nevada. Locals like service members at Nellis or Creech Air Force bases or hospitality workers may not have the ability to attend regular classes, however.
“We’re a 24-hour town,” Baur said. “And we have to realize that we can’t just have the classes in a regular schedule that maybe MBA programs around the country do, because that’s just not who we are at the core of Las Vegas.”
He emphasized that the MBA online program is not about raising revenue, but providing more opportunities and diversifying jobs and industries in Southern Nevada. Lee Business School works with employers, organizations and business leaders to develop their programs that will hopefully turn around and meet their needs, Baur said.
“We realize that we can’t sort of lean on or have a one-size- ts-all option,” he said. “And, instead, we say, ‘OK, how can we provide the skills needed that are suitable and necessary, not only for today, but forecasting forward?’ ”
There’s a lot of excitement in the feedback Lee Business School has gotten so far about the online MBA program, Baur said.
Frank Wu, an incoming third-year student in UNLV’s dental school who is pursuing a dual MBA-DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine) degree, said it can be di cult to balance additional classwork outside of his normal course and clinic hours.
“It’s pretty demanding, and something like a full online course would really help with that— with managing our time,” Wu said. “One great thing about the MBA dual-degree program was that a lot of the classes that we took … were hybrid programs. So de nitely me and my classmates really appreciated that.”
Wu said many dental students graduate with the skills to perform dentistry but not the business acumen to excel with running their own practice.
“I would encourage anyone who’s interested to apply for the program, especially if they are in dental or medical school,” he said. “I know a lot of people are on the fence because they feel like it’s going to be so much more work. But at least for me, I think it’s worth it.”
(Courtesy/UNLV)
BY CORY FRANK
My first mentor taught me core values when I was fresh out of college, in my early 20s, and launching my career in the construction industry. Now, over a decade later, mentoring the next generation is something I take great pride in. Each year, I guide individuals with careers in every industry using the tools I learned along the way to help them become the best versions of themselves professionally and most importantly, personally.
Watching their careers evolve—from entry-level roles to positions at prestigious companies—demonstrates the profound impact of mentorship and brings me back to my own experience as a mentee.
Self-awareness in mentorship
Although we worked in different industries, my mentor took me under his wing and instilled two core values that have sustained me throughout my career journey: strive to do better and always remain relevant. These values touch both personal and professional development and are essential for avoiding stagnation. My mentor did more than guide me in leadership; he placed me in situations that challenged me to grow.
In business and life, who you are directly impacts how you mentor others. As mentors, we should aim to replicate the positive characteristics that others appreciate about us. You must have a strong foundation before you can step
GUEST COLUMN
Build a legacy beyond your own
achievements: Mentorship
plays a vital role in shaping future leaders
into a mentorship role, along with the emotional intelligence to be a supportive and positive resource for your mentee. Recognize that technical skills can be taught, but soft skills like transparency, authenticity and vulnerability are inherent traits that drive success and are often developed through experience. It’s crucial to be culturally relevant when adapting your mentoring approach to each relationship. Understanding and respecting cultural differences allows for more effective connections, addresses unique needs, and supports meaningful personal growth.
Essential qualities and tips
n Create achievable milestones: Clear goals that are nothing but achievable for your mentee are imperative. It can be tempting to create broad 5-10-year plans, but focus on outlining specific, smaller milestones to start. This keeps your mentee accountable. Concentrate on their learning journey and help them identify areas for improvement with assessments like the DISC profile, which pinpoints strengths and weaknesses.
n Balance guidance and autonomy: While it’s deeply rewarding to see your mentee’s growth, remember that mento-
ring is not about dictating their path. Start by asking, “Do you need a listening ear, a solution, or a personal example?”
For example, I recently had lunch with someone facing a big life decision, and after listening, I asked how I could support them, prompting them to reflect on the advice they truly needed. This question helped them move past their stress and see the bigger picture.
Effective mentoring involves discerning when to set boundaries and prioritize emotional support over quick solutions. When someone brings a problem to you, it’s natural to want to jump in and fix it immediately.
Instead, provide guidance and accountability to help them build the confidence to make their own decisions.
n Lead with empathy: Empathy is like laying a strong foundation in relationships. Just as a firm foundation supports a building, empathy supports deeper connections by allowing you to truly understand and care for others. Mentors who demonstrate empathy in their leadership can foster a secure and supportive environment where mentees feel empowered to grow in both their professional and personal lives.
n Embrace continuous learning: In any industry, staying relevant and being
a lifelong learner is essential. Encourage mentees to embrace new challenges, seek out learning opportunities, and stay curious. Answer questions with a question, like “What is your next step?” to motivate self-reflection and accountability. I ask that my mentees take the initiative in guiding our discussions and sessions, whether it’s a phone call, coffee or dinner meeting. Their mentorship experience is theirs to shape—what they put into it is what they will get out of it.
n Understand their world: Prioritize understanding your mentees’ perspectives and aspirations in the early stages of the mentorship process. By empathetically embracing their worldview, mentors can tailor their guidance to have the greatest impact—metaphorically take their glasses off, put them on your eyes, and see through their lens. Stay in touch with generational trends. Your mentee might be older or younger than you, and understanding their unique experiences and perspectives can make a significant difference in your mentorship.
n Creating lasting relationships: Being a good mentor requires a significant commitment. It is essential to choose a mentee who demonstrates transparency, authenticity and vulnerability. Concentrate your efforts by selecting 2-3 mentees each year so you can build thorough connections and ensure each mentee receives the resources required for success.
Over the years, I have learned that success is not achieved flying solo; it involves learning from others’ experiences and sharing your own wisdom. I am grateful for the mentors and mentees in my life and am committed to walking alongside those who seek guidance.
Cory Frank is vice president of business development and project management at Nigro Construction.
In business and life, who you are directly impacts how you mentor others. As mentors, we should aim to replicate the positive characteristics that others appreciate about us. You must have a strong foundation before you can step into a mentorship role, along with the emotional intelligence to be a supportive and positive resource for your mentee.
VEGAS INC NOTES
Attorneys with Bailey Kennedy, Naylor & Braster, and Brownstein were recognized among the 2025 Best Lawyers in America. It’s the 13th consecutive year that the firm has earned the distinction. Those honored from Bailey Kennedy include: managing partner John Bailey, partners Dennis Kennedy, Joshua Dickey, Joshua Gilmore, Joseph Liebman and Paul Williams, and of counsels Mark Goldstein and Sarah Harmon Honored from Naylor & Braster were co-managing partners John Naylor and Jennifer Braster, Those honored from Brownstein include: Peter Ajemian, David Arrajj, Andrew Brignone, Adam Bult, Frank Flansburg III, Erin Grolle, Christopher Humes, Albert Kovacs, Mitchell Langberg, Kirk Lenhard, Bryce Loveland, Rebecca Miltenberger, Angela Turriciano Otto, Patrick Reilly, Frank Schreck, Ellen Schulhofer, Adam Segal, Jamie Thalgott and Sonia Church Vermeys. Included on the Ones to Watch
list were: Travis Chance, Emily Dyer, Erin Elliot, Emily Ellis, Maximilien Fetaz, Maliq Kendricks, Connor Shea, Eric Walther, Mackenzie Warren Kay and Lindsey Williams. The Best Lawyers list is peer reviewed and designed to select attorneys whose professional ability is advocated for by other esteemed lawyers.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s latest initiative, a Tunnel to Towers Veterans Village in North Las Vegas, will o er permanent housing and comprehensive support services to our nation’s heroes. It will o er more than just a place to live. It will provide a range of wraparound supportive services designed to help veterans regain stability and thrive, including job training, benefits assistance, education assistance, financial budget management, legal advocacy, medical care access, mental health support and PTSD counseling, and addic-
tion treatment.
JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa named wellness veteran Nanette Cartier as its director of spa, salon and fitness operations. She will be responsible for the overall management and day-to-day operations of the spa, salon, fitness and spa pool. Before joining JW Marriott, Cartier was the spa and fitness operations manager at the Encore Spa at Encore Las Vegas.
The Asian-American Group and Las Vegas India Chamber of Commerce recognized Karen Rubel, president and CEO of Nathan Adelson Hospice, with a Community Achievement Award. Rubel’s honor is a testament to her e orts in enhancing the quality of care provided to patients and their families at Nathan Adelson Hospice, as well as her commitment to community service and the community as a whole.
Contact careerworkforce@unlv.edu to register.
Sponsorship opportunities available, contact Kristine Anassian, Assistant Director of Employer Engagement at kristine.anassian@unlv.edu
PREMIER CROSSWORD HOROSCOPES
FRANK LONGO
BREZSNY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In 2015, a large earthquake struck Nepal. It was so powerful, it shrunk Mt. Everest. You will generate good fortune in the coming months whenever you try to shrink metaphorical mountains. You won’t need to resort to anything as forceful as an earthquake.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Might Queen Cleopatra have been a Taurus? What other tribe of the zodiac would indulge in bathing in donkey milk? Modern science has shown that donkey milk has anti-aging, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities. Many Tauruses are drawn to luxurious, healing influences that enhance beauty. Cultivate such influences in the coming days.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In two trillion galaxies stretched out across 93 billion light years, new stars are constantly being born. Their birth process happens in stellar nurseries, where dense clouds of gas coalesce into giant spheres of light and heat. I believe that you Geminis are now immersed in a small-scale, metaphorical version of a stellar nursery. I have high hopes for the magnificence you will beget in the coming months.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): The planet Mars usually stays in your sign for less than two months every two years. But in the coming months, Mars will pay an extended visit. What does it mean? In the undesirable scenario, you’ll wander aimlessly, distracted by trivialities, unable to decide which dreams to pursue. In the best scenario, you’ll be blessed with a sustained, fiery devotion to your best and most beautiful ambitions.
Wodehouse’s Wooster 6 Ham actor
Support group mantra
Torah cases
Very thin coat
Slim, handheld Nintendo game console
“Mrs.” with a famous cow
Language of Austria 16 Helpful heading on a dictionary page
I Love Lucy
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I believe this is a time for you to express extra care for the tools, machines and apparatus that give you so much. Polish them up, get repairs done, show them you love them. And if you need new gizmos and gear to enhance your self-expression, get them in the near future.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In all of world history, which author has sold the most books? Agatha Christie, a Virgo. Readers have bought over two billion copies of her 70-plus books. She is a worthy role model for you during the next nine months. This will be your time to shine, to excel, to reach new heights of accomplishment.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The ancient Festival of Eleusis, observed every September, honors the cyclical flow of decay and renewal in human life. Observe your own version of a Festival of Eleusis by taking an inventory: What is disintegrating and decomposing in your own world? What fun action can you do that resembles a resurrection?
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The coming weeks will be an excellent time to take inventory of your community and your network of connections. Are you linked with an array of people who stimulate and support you? Do you belong to groups or institutions that share your ideals?
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I’m very happy about the progress you’ve been making recently—the blooming, expanding and learning. But I’m guessing you would now benefit from a period of refining what you have gained. Rather than even more progress, you need to consolidate and integrate the progress you have so robustly earned.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): According to my reading of the omens, it’s important for you to avoid the thrills and ills of alcohol. I’m completely in favor of you pursuing natural highs, however. I would love you to get your mind blown and your heart opened through epiphanies and raptures that take you to the frontiers of consciousness.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Many scholars think that the fig, not the apple, was the forbidden fruit that God warned Adam and Eve not to munch in the famous Biblical passage. I will favorably quote the serpent in the Garden of Eden: “When you eat the fig, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God.” Now may be an excellent time to sample a forbidden fruit. Also: A serpent may have wise counsel for you.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Now is a great time to feel intense gratitude for everyone who has supported you, encouraged you and appreciated you for who you really are. I also suggest you communicate your thanks to as many of your personal helpers and heroes as you can.
BACKSTORY
(Wade Vandervort/Staff)
MAXX CROSBY | AUGUST 22, 2024 In a heartwarming moment behind the scenes of this week’s Las Vegas Weekly cover shoot, young local football player and Raiders superfan Marcus De Pooter met his favorite player, Maxx Crosby, on the star’s birthday. Marcus was sporting his own No. 98 Raiders jersey while Crosby took a few minutes from his busy schedule to inspire one of the next generation of athletes. – Mark De Pooter
