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EVERY THURSDAY AT 5 P.M.
CELEBRATE
STREET CORNER RENAISSANCE
A CAPELLA DOO–WOP SINGERS!
Enjoy music from days gone by.
Friday, February 7
7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Summerlin Library
Saturday, February 8
2 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Whitney Library &
7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
West Charleston Library
Sunday, February 9
2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Clark County Library
MOLODI
A HIGH–ENERGY, INTERACTIVE, RHYTHMIC EXPERIENCE
The ensemble takes body percussion to the extreme.
Wednesday, February 12
7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Windmill Library
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
AT THE LIBRARY DISTRICT
BLACK GIRL MAGIC
Vegas City Opera performs works from Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Beyoncé, and more.
Friday, February 21
7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Windmill Library
Saturday, February 22
3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
West Charleston Library
Sunday, February 23
3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Summerlin Library
SOCIAL PROTEST IN SIN CITY: HOW THE 1969 UPRISING DEFINED THE POST–CIVIL RIGHTS ERA
RHYTHMS OF HERITAGE WITH AALIYAH FAFANTO
Experience the rich African drumming traditions and cultural history in this immersive workshop.
Sunday, February 16
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Sahara West Library
Scan QR code for even more events & programs in February.
Enjoy a powerful lecture by Dr. Tyler Parry.
Friday, February 28
2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Whitney Library
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY THROUGH MUSIC Nevada Chamber Orchestra will highlight the works of historically significant black composers.
Friday, February 28
7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
West Charleston Library
16 ENTERTAINING
Kansas City angles for a three-peat. Plus, when will the Super Bowl be back in Vegas?
Three things to keep an eye on in the 2025 Nevada legislative session. 20 SUPER BOWL ON THE COVER
Dietary restriction-friendly food to serve at your Super Bowl watch party, plus the ultimate seven-layer dip.
30 NEWS
34 SPORTS
What the hiring of coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek means for the Raiders.
36 STAGE Fall for Melody Sweets all over again in All My Loving at Myron’s.
42 FOOD & DRINK
Make Valentine’s Day dining plans now at the restaurant that suits you best.
10
The Western comes alive with the One Motorcycle Show, the Dam Short Film Festival returns to Boulder City and more this week.
Melody Sweets (Courtesy/ The Smith Center for the Performing Arts)
BIG GAME PARTY
SUN, FEBRUARY 9 2PM TO LAST WHISTLE
RAFFLE PRIZES, FOOTBALL SQUARES, AND FOOD & DRINK SPECIALS
TAILGATE PACKAGE $65 PP INCLUDES 1 RAFFLE TICKET + SELECT BEERS, WINES, SELTZERS, WELL LIQUORS, AND RED BULL TOUCHDOWN PACKAG E + $10 PP INCLUDES ALL OF THE ABOVE + 4 ADDITONAL RAFFLE TICKET, PREMIUM LIQUORS, AND ALL DRAFT BEERS AYCD PACKAGES
FOOD SPECIALS
CAJUN SHRIMP PO BOY $17
CHICKEN OR CARNITAS STREET TACOS $3 UPGRADE TO STEAK +$1 SIDEWINDER NACHOS $17 WING PLATTER $45 TENDER PLATTER $35
Motorcycle enthusiasts with a passion for custom-built bikes will find a lot to love at the One Motorcycle Show. The nation’s largest independently owned custom bike show has been spinning its wheels for 15 years now, showcasing incredible, hand-crafted bikes in a space that welcomes seasoned riders and curious motorheads. For its Las Vegas debut, the One Moto Show will feature more than 100 builders, including local phenoms Majik Mike Designs and Sosa Metal Works. Downtown’s Western will transform for the two-day event, becoming a 60,000-square-foot indoor and outdoor moto gallery, with live performances from Vancouver punk rockers The Vicious Cycle, Vegas-based DJ Hard Way and more to get your motors runnin’. Thru 2/8, times vary, $25-$65, times vary, the Western, tixr.com. –Amber Sampson
HENDERSON SILVER KNIGHTS VS. CALGARY WRANGLERS
7 p.m. (& 2/8, 6 p.m.), Lee’s Family Forum, axs.com.
TRUE WEST
9:30 p.m., & 2/8, 2/10, SST Studio Theatre, apublicfit.org..
With Smoakland, E n, more, 10 p.m., & 2/8, Substance, seetickets.us
(Chris Pizzello/AP Photo)
SATURDAY FEB 8
CENTRAL CEE
10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com
BOSSMAN DLO
10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com
THE CHAINSMOKERS
10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com
TIËSTO
10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com
DJ PAULY D
10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com
JOHN SUMMIT
10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com
FOSTER THE PEOPLE
8 p.m., BleauLive Theater, ticketmaster.com
CHEAP TRICK
8 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com
THE OCEAN BLUE
DAVE AUDÉ
7:30 p.m.,
With Brian Tighe, Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com
BIG ASS TRUCK
There’s nothing more serene— or energizing—than seeing the Vegas skyline when you’re 55 stories high. Ghostbar wants you to get used to it with its Skyline Saturday residency series, which welcomes DJ and producer Dave Audé, known for his production for artists including U2, Beyoncé, Coldplay and Lady Gaga. Audé holds a record with 132 No. 1 Billboard Dance Hits. He won a Grammy for his remix of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” and served as the music director for the Pussycat Dolls tour. He’s sure to spin some good energy into the new residency, which will see him return in April, July and August, plus more DJs and theme nights scheduled along the way. 9 p.m., Ghostbar, free admission, palms.com. –Shannon Miller
With Smoked 909, Bad Mouth, Sea of Sorrow, more, 6 p.m., American Legion Post 8, blackpath booking.com
ADEA
11 a.m., Area15, eventbrite.com
DANIEL TOSH
8 p.m., the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com.
FRESH KING BENJAMIN
9:30 p.m., Wiseguys Arts District, wise guyscomedy. com.
Cinephiles rejoice! Nevada’s largest film festival returns to Boulder City with well over 150 shorts from France, Ireland, Mexico, Japan, Switzerland and more. As in past years, the multi-day film fest categorizes everything from animation and comedy to sci-fi and horror into 60-to-90-minute program blocks, but two new additions include Nevada State University and high school student blocks. There’s no shortage of standouts in this year’s schedule. For example, Krampus lovers should get a kick out of Gri Jones’ festive-horror short Yule, in which a woman unleashes an ancient pagan entity during Christmas. And Cameron Tyler Carr’s Harlem Fragments, an emotionally fraught short examining the downfall of a Black family through the eyes of a child, will tug heartstrings. Single-day passes provide access to over 30 screenings, and the five-day pass o ers even more bang for your buck. Let’s hope that popcorn line is damn short! Thru 2/17, times vary, $13-$150, Elaine K. Smith Building, damshortfilm.org. –Amber Sampson
(Courtesy)
ENTERTAINING SNACKS
Dietary restrictions can result in di erent, tasty options for your watch party
BY DIANA EDELMAN
Those not headed to the Big Easy to see the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs are likely planning on attending a party for one of the most-watched events of the year.
And if you’re the host, you won’t want to leave out party-goers with dietary restrictions from reveling in the game. It’s likely you’ll have at least one person at your party who falls into this category.
According to the International Food Information Council’s 2022 Food and Health Survey, 52% of Americans follow a speci c diet or eating pattern.
The good news is that dietary restrictions don’t mean the big game bites will su er. In fact, if you follow the lead of brand strategist and Emerging
Brands Podcast host Kelly Bennett, your vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free food will be the second biggest talk of the game (after Taylor Swift).
An expert in the consumer product goods industry, Bennett notes that while there’s been an increase of awareness when it comes to allergies, there are also better-tasting product swaps and innovations. You just have to know what to get.
So before you get cooking, consider serving snacks that span numerous dietary restrictions. A visit to the grocer, specialty foods store or online shop can get you readymade products perfect for a Super Bowl party, or any party. Bennett has some suggestions to make it easier to serve inclusive eats.
SUPER the
SNACKS
+ Seven-layer dip recipe (see page 18)
SUPER
GOOD GIRL SNACKS PICKLES
GEEM’S SEAWEED SNACK
Pickles are a snack spread staple, and the Hot Girl Pickles by Good Girl Snacks o er two fun avors—tangy original dill with turmeric, and ery honey harissa. This vegan, nut-free and soy-free option is a crowd pleaser. $13, goodgirlsnacks.com
LATE JULY TORTILLA CHIPS
Garden Ranch and Nacho Cheese.
You can still get a taste of the ocean even if you can’t serve seafood with Geem’s Seaweed Snack. These chips are seaweed layered with rice crisps and sesame seeds. They’re also nutrient-dense, non-GMO and baked with no oils. And they’re hard to put down. $24 (6-pack), eatgeem.com
SUPERSPOON CACAO SEED BUTTER
Superspoon’s Cacao Sea Salt Super Seed
Nothing says party like some zesty tortilla chips. Grab a bag of Late July’s chips with sea salt and lime. These restaurant-style tortilla chips are perfect for all the spreads and dips, and they’re made with non-GMO, whole-ground corn. Not a fan of lime? No worries. These thin and crispy chips come in a handful of avors including Scorchin’ Sauce, Hawaiian Habanero, Garden Ranch and Nacho Cheese. $5, available at Walmart, latejuly.com.
PISTAKIO SPREAD
Spreads are always a good idea for game day. For a spread likely no one has tried before, Pistakio does the trick. This vegan, gluten-free and soy-free concoction is made with (you guessed it) pistachios, and it pairs well with sweeter snacks like chocolate. It can be drizzled on an espresso martini, or on dark chocolate bark with berries and nuts. $15, pistakio.co.
Butter is another fun spread to add to a board. This nut-free and gluten-free treat brings together cacao with sweet date syrup and a hint of sea salt, creating a sweet and savory seed butter. It gets the “super” in its name from being made with a blend of chia, hemp and ax seeds making it a chocolate treat with nutrients. $15, eatsuperspoon.
SNACKS
PARTY OF POPCORN
Popcorn makes a fab gluten-free option for any party, and Party Of’s Thai Chili Lime Popcorn raises the bar. It combines lime, aromatics and herbs from larb, a classic Thai dish, sans the meat and egg. And in true Thai fashion, it’s got a little chili for some heat. $6 for 2.1 ounces, partyofsnacks.com
.
THE ULTIMATE SEVEN-LAYER DIP
LAYER 6 FIESTA MIXED CHEESE ***
• 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
BY DIANA EDELMAN
General Admission at Uncommons o ers all the comforts of a sports bar in a more upscale setting, with no shortage of TVs to watch the game. Executive chef Eder Garcia’s menu features dishes mostly made from scratch, and runs the gamut with loaded nachos, sushi, smashburgers, sandwiches, sliders, tacos, salads and desserts. Ahead of the Super Bowl and all the watch parties Las Vegans inevitably will be having, Garcia shares his recipe for General Admission’s secret dip.
GENERAL ADMISSION’S ULTIMATE SEVEN-LAYER DIP
LAYER 1
REFRIED BEANS
• 2 pounds dried pinto beans
• 2 cups shallots, minced
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 serrano peppers, chopped
Boil the pinto beans until soft and tender. (Follow the instructions on the package.) In a pan, sauté shallots until they become dark golden brown. Once shallots are golden brown, add garlic and serrano peppers. Cook until fragrant but be careful not to burn the garlic. Add the sautéed shallots, garlic, and serrano peppers to a blender with the cooked pinto beans. Blend until creamy and smooth.
LAYER 2
GUACAMOLE
• 6 organic avocados, pitted
• 1 red pepper, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• Juice of 3 limes, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• Salt and pepper
LAYER 3
LIME SOUR CREAM*
• Juice of 3 limes, freshly squeezed
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups sour cream
Scoop out the flesh of the avocados and place it in a mixing bowl. Add finely diced red pepper, olive oil, lime juice, red onions and cilantro to the bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mash everything together until you reach a creamy consistency, adjusting the seasoning as needed.
In a bowl, combine lime juice and lemon and lime zest. Stir in sour cream, salt and heavy cream to create a creamy, tangy mixture. Add salt to taste and blend until smooth.
• 2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese
• 3 cups cheddar cheese
Combine cheeses in a bowl.
LAYER 7
PICO DE GALLO
• 1 cup red onion, finely diced
• 2 cups Roma tomatoes, diced
LAYER 4
RED SALSA MIX
• 2 pounds
Roma tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 jalapeños
• 2 shallots
• 1 bunch of green onions
Roast tomatoes, garlic, jalapeños, shallots and green onions at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until soft and caramelized. Add roasted veggies to blender and pulse until you get a chunky consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste, then mix.
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 serrano peppers, finely diced
LAYER 5
TACO-SEASONED GROUND BEEF**
• 2 pounds ground beef
• Fajita seasoning mix
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped shallots
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
Brown beef in pan, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain excess fat. Add fajita seasoning mix, shallots and garlic to beef. Stir to combine and cook for another few minutes to allow flavors to meld.
• 1 oz. pickled jalapeño juice
• 2 oz. lime juice
• Salt and pepper
In bowl, combine onions, tomatoes, cilantro, serrano peppers and splash of pickled jalapeño juice. Add lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything together until well combined.
DIP ASSEMBLY
Layer each of the prepared components into a shallow serving dish, one on top of the other, layers 1 through 7. Serve with tortilla chips, nacho chips or fresh veggies.
* For a dairy-free option, use a store-bought brand like Tofutti.
** For a meatless option, crumble tempeh, sauté and season.
*** For a cheese-free option, use a store-bought brand like Violife or Daiya.
Kansas City Chiefs stand one game away from being the fi rst team to ever pull o a Super Bowl three-peat
PATRICK MAHOMES
BY CASE KEEFER
The Kansas City Chiefs have already made history by reaching Super Bowl 59—just not the type they’ve been chasing all season.
Kansas City needs to knock o Philadelphia at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans to become the rst team to ever three-peat as Super Bowl champions. But even if the Chiefs lose, they’re now in a category of their own.
Kansas City is the rst backto-back champion to ever reach a third straight Super Bowl, with only three of its eight predecessors even managing to get to the conference championship round. It’s also the rst team to reach the Super Bowl ve times in six years, with a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Super Bowl 55 in 2021 mixed in between three other total victories.
“It will be awesome I think if we somehow look back at the end of my career if we’re able to go out there and get that three-peat,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said in a news conference when asked if this year’s Super Bowl felt more monumental. “But at the same time, you just treat it as one season and one Super Bowl run, which is always hard to do.”
The perception is that the third straight Super Bowl title should be a little easier for the Chiefs to corral than the rst two. They’re favored in the betting market, by 1.5 points, after entering both Super Bowl 57 against the Eagles in 2023 and Super Bowl 58 against the 49ers in 2024 as small underdogs.
Most fans freely admit that, at this point, they can’t pick against Mahomes, the consensus best player in the NFL who’s proven it with three Super Bowl Most Valuable Player trophies.
But don’t tell Mahomes he’s the favorite, as he’s laser-focused on the task at hand and has hinted that this year’s Super Bowl matchup might represent the Chiefs’ toughest one yet.
“We played (the Eagles) in a close Super Bowl a couple years ago but they’ve added players and gotten even better,” Mahomes said. “It will take our best football to win.”
Mahomes had to engineer a 10-point second-half comeback and a game-winning drive in the nal minutes for Kansas City to beat Philadelphia 38-35 two years ago. Eagles counterpart Jalen Hurts outplayed Mahomes for most of the game with one of the best individual performances in Super Bowl history.
Hurts tied the Super Bowl record by scoring 20 points, o three rushing touchdowns and a two-point conversion, while also throwing for 304 yards and another touchdown.
And Mahomes is right—the Eagles’ o ense is arguably more dynamic this year.
That’s largely because of the free-agent addition of running back Saquon Barkley, who led the league with 2,283 all-purpose yards this regular season.
Barkley, not Hurts, is priced as the Eagles’ most likely Super Bowl Most Valuable Player at +275 (i.e. risking $100 to win $275) behind only Mahomes at +120.
But he’s not the only weapon the Chiefs must contend with.
The Eagles have one of the best one-two punches of wide receivers in the league in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, a duo that tore the Chiefs up for a combined 13 catches for 196 yards in the teams’ last Super Bowl meeting.
And tight end Dallas Goedert
“THE MARGIN TO WIN OR LOSE IN THIS LEAGUE IS SO SMALL. THE PARITY IS UNBELIEVABLE AND THAT’S THE WAY THE COMMISSIONER AND THE OWNERS WANTED THAT SO THAT EVERY CITY HAD A CHANCE. … YOU REALLY HAVE TO HIT IT RIGHT.”
has actually outpaced both Brown and Smith this postseason as the Eagles’ leading receiver with 15 catches for 188 yards.
The Chiefs have the most imposing forces on both sides of the ball in Mahomes and defensive tackle Chris Jones, a future Hall of Fame disruptor in the middle of the line.
The only other position player who’s been a member of all their recent Super Bowl teams is tight end Travis Kelce, who’s still a gamebreaker but has seen his on- eld production go the opposite way of his fame.
The 35-year-old slowed in his 10th NFL season with career lows of 8.5 yards per reception and three touchdowns.
Mahomes, Jones and Kelce remain a legendary and formidable core, but few would characterize Kansas City’s overall roster as more talented than Philadelphia’s.
The NFL, with its salary-cap rules, isn’t designed for one team to stay on top as consistently as the Chiefs have since Mahomes took over seven seasons ago.
Win or lose, Kansas City has secured a dynasty. Super Bowl 58 will determine whether it has any competition as the greatest run ever.
“You think of all the ups and downs and arounds that you went through during the season, the injuries, all those things that have to just happen the right way,” Kansas City coach Andy Reid said of advancing to a third straight Super Bowl. “The margin to win or lose in this league is so small. The parity is unbelievable and that’s the way the commissioner and the owners wanted that so that every city had a chance. … You really have to hit it right.”
KANSAS CITY COACH ANDY REID ON ADVANCING TO A THIRD STRAIGHT SUPER BOWL
Scouring Super Bowl index props for valuable bets, potential big payouts
BY CASE KEEFER
Less than a decade ago, over/under statistical wagers on players seemed like far and away the most popular proposition bets to make on the Super Bowl.
That’s no longer the case. Forever drawn to the lottery mentality of risking a little to win a lot, bettors now gravitate more than ever before to index props where bigger payouts are available with a pool of options to choose from.
FIRST TOUCHDOWN SCORER
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is this year’s McCa rey in that he’s hogging most of the first-touchdown equity at around 4-to-1, coming o an O ensive Player of the Year award-winning season.
The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, which typically o ers the most Super Bowl props in Las Vegas, posted nearly 40 index-prop markets for this year’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. There are even more assorted categories elsewhere including novelties such as jersey number of the first player to score a touchdown to length of the game’s first field goals.
The Super Bowl prop preview in last year’s Las Vegas Weekly hit the only index play made—49ers running back Christian McCa rey to score the first touchdown at 4-to-1—so why not go all-in this year?
We’ll stick to five of the more standard indexes, and handicap them here.
But the Chiefs’ rush defense is significantly improved from a year ago, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s whole gameplan will likely revolve around limiting Barkley. Bettors need to try beat Barkley in this market.
Kansas City’s two biggest defensive weaknesses have been against scrambling quarterbacks and No. 1 receivers. Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown, respectively, are therefore tough matchups.
Even better, the pair’s best-available first-touchdown prices in Las Vegas are both at BetMGM— Hurts is 7-to-1 and Brown at 13-to-1—which o ers a “second chance” promotion. That means bettors are refunded their wager if either player scores second instead of first.
It’s always more fun to have exposure on both sides, so let’s take a longer shot with the Chiefs. Running back Kareem Hunt has overshadowed position-mate Isiah Pacheco late this season into the playo s—especially around the goal line—but that wasn’t the plan coming in.
MAHOMES > o s—especially around the
and a near 600% increase
Pacheco remains more talented and could be healthier for the Super Bowl. He was the second choice behind McCa rey to score the first touchdown last year at around 5-to-1, and a near 600% increase at Circa Sports is too much.
Plays: Jalen Hurts at 7-to1, A.J. Brown at 13-to-1 and Isiah Pacheco at 29-to-1.
Pacheco at 29-to-1.
PATRICK
Isiah
< JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER
LAST TOUCHDOWN SCORER
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Mahomes has won the Super Bowl MVP trophy in each of the Chiefs’ three previous recent championships, and has to be the look again for those that expect them to three-peat.
Backup slot receiver Mecole Hardman scored the decisive, walk-o touchdown for the Chiefs at Super Bowl 58. In this year’s NFC Championship, Eagles third-string running back Will Shipley scored last.
Translation: This is a market where it’s wiser to take long shots. Games can go so many di erent ways, and there’s far less structure to an o ense late than there is early.
Mahomes’ MVP price of +120 (i.e. risking $100 to win $120) being so much larger than Kansas City’s moneyline to win the game outright at -125 (i.e. risking $125 to win $100) is illogical.
But so is the fact that Barkley, at as low as +220, is perceived as much as 12% more likely to take the honors than Hurts. Philadelphia’s quarterback isn’t as highly regarded, but he had one of the best performances in Super Bowl history two years ago.
Kansas City uses a ton of di erent receivers, and there’s a decent chance it will be playing from behind and therefore throwing liberally. Backing their longest-shot receivers, therefore, is a shrewd strategy.
As mentioned in the first touchdown handicap earlier, Hurts’ matchup against Kansas City is also more advantageous than Barkley’s. And he’s going to touch the ball every play.
<
FIRST SACK
Kansas City’s starting defensive line consists of Chris Jones, Tershawn Wharton, George Karlaftis and Mike Danna.
The first three are all at least twice as short in odds to notch the first sack. That’s too much separation, even though they’re all more decorated players.
Most bettors’ first reaction might be to go with a correlated outcome here and at least pair a quarterback and receiver from the same team together.
But sports books are keen to that approach and force bettors to pay a premium for combinations like Mahomes/ Travis Kelce and Hurts/ Brown. It’s better to aim high and hope for a tight game where both teams put up similar statistical production.
has JuJu Smith-Schuster
DeAndre Hopkins is widely available at 40-to1 to score the last touchdown, while South Point has JuJu Smith-Schuster at 32-to-1.
A quarterback should arguably never be close to 4-to-1 in this market as Hurts is at Caesars/ William Hill, not in a game that sets up as ultra-competitive. Jalen Hurts at +380.
On the Eagles’ side, what if they’re up multiple scores again? Maybe they give the rookie Shipley some more snaps in mop-up duty.
Shipley some more
Plays: Smith-Schuster at 32-to1, DeAndre Hopkins at 40-to-1 and Will Shipley at 100-to-1.
JuJu Play: +380.
The edge rusher Danna’s biggest assignment figures to be getting to Hurts while the defensive tackles (Jones and Wharton) will be on high-alert to disrupt Barkley by controlling the middle of the line.
Injury seems to be the only thing that could keep Barkley from leading in rushing yards, as he’s -800 to do so and that might not be high enough. But Hurts is far more likely to keep up with Mahomes than the odds indicate—the former outgained the latter in passing by 122 yards two years ago at the Super Bowl.
Hurts and Mahomes have nearly identical sack rates, and the Eagles have several compelling candidates in this market in their own right. So maybe the best way to back Danna and take advantage of the overwhelming amount of prop options is to split the stake between him to get the first overall sack and the first one for the
Chiefs rookie speedster Xavier Worthy meanwhile has clearly overtaken Kelce as the Chiefs’ primary option in the passing game. Hurts, Barkley and Worthy sounds like a weird fit, but that’s why it o ers such a large payout and sits as worth a swing.
Chiefs. Play: sack. o ers such a large pay-
Play: Jalen Hurts/ Saquon Barkley/ Xavier Worthy at 40-to-1.
Mike Danna at 20-to-1 for game and 10-to-1 as first Chiefs
Xavier Worthy >
JALEN HURTS > SAQUON BARKLEY
MIKE DANNA
OUR SUPER BOWL SEQUEL
BY CASE KEEFER
This year’s Super Bowl 59 was widely expected to be Las Vegas’ debut as the host city of the biggest sporting event of the year.
The NFL never o cially awarded Las Vegas the 2025 Super Bowl but it was considered a shoo-in after New Orleans was initially announced as the 2024 site. Plans changed when the league moved to a 17-game regular season schedule in 2021, pushing the Super Bowl back a week and making it con ict with Mardi Gras.
Las Vegas and Allegiant Stadium swooped into the rescue, e ectively trading with New Orleans to land the big game a year early despite the challenges that presented.
incredible success,” despite the “increasingly complex” issues it dealt with because of the short lead time.
The buzz back then was that the Super Bowl could be back as soon as 2028, but alas, that will not happen.
Modern Super Bowl cities typically get at least three years, and up to ve years of lead time to prepare, while Las Vegas barely received two ahead of last year’s game that saw the Chiefs down the 49ers 25-22 in overtime.
That made Las Vegas’ rst run as host all the more impressive as it drew rave reviews across the board and calls for the game to return as soon as possible.
It seems like every sportsbook, bar, lounge, restaurant and banquet hall is throwing a Vegas Super Bowl bash, but there di erent kinds of venues of all shapes and sizes getting in on the football fun. Here are few truly unique o erings.
When will the big game be back in Las Vegas after debuting a year early in 2024?
At the traditional Super Bowl Committee hando event the day after Super Bowl 58, Gov. Joe Lombardo jokingly asked NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to, “forego your rotation plans for the Super Bowl and maybe get them here sooner than later.”
The NFL o cially awarded Super Bowl 62, scheduled for February 13, 2028, to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium late last year. Las Vegas did not end up bidding on the game, potentially because Allegiant had already landed one of the biggest sporting events of 2028—college basketball’s Final Four and national championship game on April 1 and 3 of that year.
Allegiant will also host the College Football Playo National Championship Game on January 27, 2027, so another marquee football game is on the books regardless of when the Super Bowl comes back.
A ve-year wait for Las Vegas would mean the city is in line to host Super Bowl 63, but it’s facing a lot of competition for that particular year.
The Tennessee Titans are opening their New Nissan Stadium for the 2027 season, and team president/CEO Burke Nihill has already talked openly about the team’s desire to host the Super Bowl in 2029.
The assignment for Super Bowl 63, tentatively slotted for February 11, 2029, remains available, and on the surface, Las Vegas could be in the running.
Allegiant’s de facto sister venue is Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, as the two buildings opened in 2020 after multi-billion dollar construction projects. SoFi hosted Super Bowl 56 on February 13, 2022, when the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20, and quickly corralled its second date scheduled for ve years later.
Goodell laughed but seemed receptive, saying Las Vegas marked “an
VERIZON SUPER BOWL FANFEST AT ALLEGIANT STADIUM
The home of the Raiders is one of 30 venues nationwide to host this free event with entertainment, food and drink (available for purchase) and a really big-screen viewing of the game. verizonfan fest.com.
BIGGEST BIG GAME BASH AT DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS EVENTS
CENTER
To stand out in the crowd at this new annual Vegas tradition, book a Mancave for your crew or a spot in the new Ultimate Endzone Experience. universe.com.
Super Bowl 61 will go down on February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium.
HYPERX ARENA
LAS VEGAS
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who wields perhaps the most power in the league, has also expressed a desire to bring the Super Bowl back to North Texas. Jones’ AT&T Stadium has only hosted the Super Bowl once, on February 6, 2011, when the Packers beat the Steelers, 31-25.
GOLD SPIKE
The Luxor gaming arena’s giant LED wall will be one of many screens broadcasting the Super Bowl, supported by an open bar and game-day bites. hyperx arenalasvegas. com.
The tailgate bu et at “The Big Spike” this year includes a walking nacho bar, so don’t fumble this opportunity at Downtown football fun. goldspike.com.
Las Vegas remains positioned to host the Super Bowl more frequently than that, but the NFL has repeatedly resisted calls to employ a more set rotation of cities. It may sound prudent to constantly cycle through the most popular stops like New Orleans, Miami, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, but there’s no indication that will ever happen.
The NFL likes to give as many of its cities as possible a shot to shine on the Super Bowl stage, even though agreement that Las Vegas made for an ideal setup was fairly unanimous.
The city will surely soar again in its second chance, but it may not be until next decade. It’s not out of the question that Las Vegas could get the 2029 Super Bowl, but 2030 or 2031 are beginning to look more likely.
OLE RED LAS VEGAS
The center Strip country saloon at Horseshoe just happens to have a 40-foot screen ... and no cover charge for this watch party. olered.com.
NIGHTCLUBS
Lux up your Super Bowl experience at some of the Strip’s finest nightlife venues including LIV at Fontainebleau (livnightclub.com) and Tao Group’s Omnia, Marquee and Tao hot spots (taogroup.com).
–Brock Radke
SOMEONE SCORES A TOUCHDOWN IN THE FIRST THREE MINUTES OF THE GAME.
CHARLI XCX APPEARS IN A COMMERCIAL.
So you’ve decided to watch the Super Bowl at home ... that doesn’t mean you should miss out on fun (beer-fueled) activities! Clip out our special bingo card, keep your eyes (and carrot sticks) peeled and enjoy the game ... but you’re gonna have to come up with prizes on your own!
SOMEONE AT YOUR PARTY COMPLAINS ABOUT SEEING TAYLOR SWIFT ON CAMERA TOO MANY TIMES.
THE EAGLES KICK A FIELD GOAL.
JALEN HURTS RUNS FOR A TOUCHDOWN IN THE FIRST HALF.
YOU CATCH THE LIVE-ACTION SNOW WHITE TRAILER.
GEORGE KARLAFTIS SACKS THE EAGLES’ QUARTERBACK.
A POINT AFTER TOUCHDOWN KICK IS MISSED.
SOMEONE AT YOUR PARTY SAYS, “WHY ISN’T THE SUPER BOWL IN LAS VEGAS EVERY YEAR?”
KENDRICK LAMAR OPENS THE HALFTIME SHOW WITH “NOT LIKE US.”
SOMEONE AT YOUR PARTY COMPLAINS ABOUT THE USE OF AI IN COMMERCIALS.
PATRICK MAHOMES RUNS FOR A FIRST DOWN.
BIG GAME BINGO
FREE SPOT
DEVONTA SMITH CATCHES A TOUCHDOWN PASS.
A COMMENTATOR USES THE WORD “THREE-PEAT” DURING THE FIRST HALF.
DOJA CAT APPEARS IN A COMMERCIAL.
YOUR PARTY RUNS OUT OF CHICKEN WINGS.
XAVIER WORTHY CATCHES A TOUCHDOWN PASS.
TRAVIS KELCE FUMBLES THE BALL.
THE EAGLES WIN THE COIN TOSS.
JOSH SWEAT SACKS THE CHIEFS’ QUARTERBACK.
SAQUON BARKLEY BREAKS LOOSE FOR A RUN OF MORE THAN 40 YARDS. YOU CATCH THE FANTASTIC FOUR TEASER TRAILER.
THE CHIEFS KICK A FIELD GOAL.
YOU WATCH A COMMERCIAL FOR TOTINO’S PIZZA ROLLS WHILE EATING TOTINO’S PIZZA ROLLS.
MONTH OF LOVE.
Your relaxation and wellness journey begins here at Awana Spa Increase chi, blood flow and healing potential with the Midnight in Bali massage or embrace the luxurious ritual from Central Java during the Javanese Lulur Ceremony couple’s experience.
Dining
With over 3,500 rooms across three of Hilton’s premium brands – Hilton, Conrad, and Crockfords – the resort offers a perfect stay whether you’re here for a couple’s stay, Galentine’s staycation, or anything in between. Book now to receive 20% off your room or suite.
Discover the perfect dining
A ROMANTIC GETAWAY AWAITS AT RESORTS WORLD LAS VEGAS. MAKE YOUR MONTH OF LOVE A MEMORABLE ONE WITH VARIOUS DINING SPECIALS, PERSONALIZED SPA TREATMENTS AND ICONIC PERFORMANCES IN THE RESORTS WORLD THEATRE.
Discover the perfect dining destination for your intimate night.
This February, the resort’s extensive collection of food and beverage venues will celebrate the Month of Love with specialty menus & dishes.
The Month of Love will feature prix fixe menus and specials at Bar Zazu, Brezza, Carversteak, Crossroads, Eight Cigar Lounge, Gatsby’s Cocktail Lounge, ¡VIVA!, Wally’s.
Getaway 02.14. 25
Complete your date night with a memorable performance by five-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist Janet Jackson. From February 5-15, this Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee will perform six shows as part of her residency at the Resorts World Theatre.
Awana Spa
UNLV President Keith Whitfield delivers the State of the University address at UNLV on January 30. Find full coverage of the address at lasvegassun.com
“President Trump’s attempt to dismantle USAID without Congressional approval is illegal, and it will weaken America’s national security. USAID does critical work to develop and strengthen U.S. partnerships that protect our nation, including through addressing conflicts and stopping the spread of pandemics around the world. Make no mistake, ceding America’s global leadership is a gift to Vladimir Putin and the Chinese Communist Party, who will use this opportunity to attempt to take our place on the world stage.”
The Vegas Golden
play at the Boston Bruins on February 8 at 12:30 p.m.
1
AIRPORT WEDDINGS
A pop-up marriage license bureau will be at Harry Reid International Airport February 11-25, located at Terminal 1 baggage claim. It will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, and accepts only credit and debit cards.
Knights
—U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.
Repair leaky pipes, save money
The Las Vegas Valley Water District is offering customers a water line protection program that would make repairing and replacing leaking pipes more accessible at $3.99 a month, or $48 a year.
The first 50,000 customers who sign up will be reimbursed for the first year, officials said.
Homeowners whose property was built more than 20 years ago can benefit from the optional program, said Bronson Mack, a spokesperson for the water district. Residents must sign up for the program before they have any ongoing leaks, with coverage starting 30 days later.
The coverage comes from American Water Resources, an Oncourse company. Customers will pay American Water Resources; the water district will handle the reimbursement, Mack said.
Repair costs vary depending on the length of the water line, the distance from the curb and where the home is located and how deep in the ground the pipes are, said Geoff Ellis, senior vice president of business development for Oncourse Home Solutions.
“This coverage can save customers thousands of dollars,” Ellis said.
For more information, visit lvvwd.com/customer-service/cap. –Ilana Williams
WAYMO BEGINS TESTING SELF-DRIVING CARS ON THE STRIP
Waymo, the California-based autonomous vehicle company, has brought a limited fleet of vehicles piloted by trained, human autonomous specialists to test on Las Vegas roads, company officials told the Las Vegas Sun
Even though Waymo will be testing some of its fleet here, it doesn’t mean you’ll be able to hitch a ride with the company soon.
“While most people say, ‘What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,’ we’re looking forward to using our learnings from the neon-lit streets and bustling boulevards to help make a more robust and safer driver,” a Waymo spokesperson told the Sun in an email.
Testing by Waymo comes a few months after Zoox, another autonomous vehicle company, started trial runs of its robotaxis on the Las Vegas Strip in
preparation to eventually allow its driverless cars to transport travelers.
Waymo began as Google’s 2009 self-driving car project, then was established as an independent autonomous driving technology company under Google’s parent, Alphabet, in 2016.
Its commercial ride-hail application, Waymo One, operates in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas.
The company trains its vehicle fleets through a process it calls “cross-country testing,” where it takes a small group of cars equipped with Waymo Driver—its autonomous driver technology—to cities across the country.
Human drivers control the vehicles manually to help the Waymo Driver technology gain context of its operating area, then the vehicles begin driving
autonomously once enough data is gathered.
BIPARTISAN FENTANYL BILL
2 3
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto has cosponsored the Halt Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act. The bill would make Schedule I classification of the drug permanent, and “give law enforcement the tools they need” to combat fentanyl, according to a statement from Cortez Masto’s office.
Richard Kelley, a senior engineer at UNR’s Nevada Center for Applied Research, said this is done through high-definition mapping, onboard cameras and sensors and GPS navigation systems.
The specialists behind the wheel relay feedback on the driving experience to Waymo’s engineering teams and flag any unique aspects of the area.
Waymo will be testing its cars on the Strip and surrounding roadways, including the I-15 and Paradise Road. These vehicles won’t be available for rides to the public but will be actively collecting data to send back to headquarters, the company said.
Las Vegas is one of more than 10 cities, including San Diego and Tokyo, where the company will be conducting tests this year. –Grace Da Rocha
HBCU CLASSIC AT ALLEGIANT
Grambling State and Jackson State, two storied football programs from the country’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities, will come to Allegiant Stadium on October 25 to play in the inaugural Las Vegas HBCU Classic. Tickets go on sale March 7 at allegiantstadium.com/lvhbcuclassic STUFF
IMMIGRATION
Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus zones in on family protections, economy
Before members of the Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus outlined the bills they’re prioritizing in the newly convened session of the Nevada Legislature, the group’s new chair, Assemblywoman Cecelia González, D-Las Vegas, motioned the room to quiet.
“There is no doubt that our Latino community is under attack,” González said. “I feel and see the fear in our community every day.”
Much of the fear González referenced stems from President Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportations of illegal immigrants and limiting access to birthright citizenship. Trump has said criminals would be the priority in mass deportation, although the White House has stated the administration viewed anyone living in the U.S. illegally a criminal. Under federal law, however, being in the U.S. illegally is treated as a civil, not criminal, offense. That blanket criminality applied to all undocumented immigrants by the Trump administration could be addressed at the state level by legislation that would guarantee due process access, the Mandated Court Notification Act. The bill would ensure individuals receive clear and timely notification of their court proceedings since permitting missed hearings could lead to further legal actions.
Another solution the caucus is proposing is the Family Support Unity Act, which would establish safeguards for children whose parents face deportation. Those measures include access to legal, social and educational resources.
During Monday’s event, state Sen. Fabian Doñate, D-Las Vegas, added the caucus would also advocate for labor protections, better wages and benefits for farm workers. –Haajrah Gilani
3 things to watch in the 2025 Nevada Legislature
BY SHANNON MILLER
Lawmakers have convened in Carson City this week to kick o the 83rd regular session of the Nevada Legislature. They’re working with a Democratic majority and Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who vetoed a record 75 bills in the 2023 session.
If legislators and the governor himself can heed the plea for bipartisanship that Lombardo closed out his January State of the State address with—“We must set our sights on shared goals and rise above harsh political rhetoric,” he said—Nevadans might be able to expect a di erent state of play in the 2025 session.
But partisan politics might be hard to avoid. In the weeks leading up to the February 3 start of the Legislature, lawmakers were forced to ask themselves whether the budgets they planned for—largely made up of federal funding—would be enough to get the state through the coming years.
The White House’s O ce of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo January 27 freezing payments for federal grants and programs. The freeze was temporarily blocked by a federal judge on January 28 and then rescinded by the Trump administration on January 29.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told journalists Trump’s executive orders for funding reviews—to weed out things like climate change and Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiatives—still were in “full force and e ect.” While the OMB memo did not ever take e ect, Nevada Democrats said potential funding freezes would cause “massive confusion for Nevada families, delay delivery of vital services in health care and education and could plunge our state budget into further chaos.”
“The Governor’s o ce must demand answers from the federal government … while providing the Legislature a full accounting of all a ected state programs and services,”
Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro and Speaker Steve Yeager said in a joint statement.
The governor’s o ce did not respond to Las Vegas Weekly’s request for comment.
Politics aside, here are a few things to keep an eye on during the next 120-day session.
STATE OF PLAY
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Lombardo zeroed in on this topic during his State of the State address, and rightly so. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Nevada is the worst in the nation for a ordable housing with only 14 homes available for every 100 extremely low-income (making 0% to 30% of area median income) families that need one. Las Vegas also ranks as having the worst a ordable housing shortage of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S.
Lombardo—who vetoed four bills in 2023 that aimed to address Nevada’s summary eviction process and other a ordable housing issues—pitched the Nevada Attainable Housing Act, claiming that it would support $1 billion in new “attainable housing” units. Whether “attainable” means “a ordable” has yet to be clari ed.
Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui, D-Las Vegas, has said she will reintroduce a bill that would cap rent increases at 10% for people older than 62 and for people with disabilities. The bill, which Lombardo vetoed in 2023, also would prevent landlords from keeping unused fees for prospective tenants’ background checks.
Democrats are also moving to tackle corporations buying up droves of homes and driving up costs. According to a news release, Democrats will propose legislation to outlaw the purchase of more than 100 homes in a calendar year.
EDUCATION
Under Lombardo and Democratic leadership, the Legislature has made signi cant strides in education—another one of Nevada’s areas that often ranks close to last in the nation. In 2023, they passed a $12 billion K-12 budget, the largest education budget in state history; they created a $250 million matching fund for teacher raises; and they passed legislation mandating the Clark County School District to o er a teacher pathway program at every high school.
We’ll see if they can keep that momentum up in 2025. Lombardo said he wants to make teacher raises permanent, and Cannizzaro has announced the EDUCATE Act, which would “create universal pre-K for all four year-olds” and impose additional oversight on school districts and public charter schools.
Assemblyman Reuben D’Silva, D-Las Vegas, who serves as a member of the Assembly Education Committee (and as a CCSD high school teacher when Legislature’s not in session) says he and fellow Democrats plan to bring back legislation that would implement universal school lunch—a measure that Lombardo vetoed in 2023. He also plans to bring back a bill to address pandemic learning loss by scaling back standardized testing and allowing for more instruction time.
HEALTH CARE
According to a recent report from the Nevada Health Care Workforce Research Center at the University of Nevada, Reno, nearly seven in 10, or 2.3 million Nevadans reside in a Health Professional Shortage Area. It’s important to note that rural areas fare worse than urban ones.
Dr. Marc Kahn, dean of the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, has said the key to solving Nevada’s physician shortage is to “grow our own” by increasing funding for graduate medical education residencies in the state. And Lombardo said in January that he was seeking to “double” the state’s investment in graduate medical education.
Lombardo also said he expects “bipartisan support” for splitting up the Department of Health and Human Services to create the Nevada Health Authority, “which will be assigned the critical responsibilities of managing Medicaid, the [state] health exchange, employee bene ts, mental health funding and other services,” Lombardo said during his January address.
Sen. Fabian Doñate, chair of the Senate Health and Human Service Committee, says he expects there will be “synergy” between Lombardo’s o ce and the Legislature, “because we’re working toward solving the same issues.”
Doñate will be re-introducing a bill originally introduced in 2023, now titled SB124, that would allow for medical graduates who attended foreign medical schools to receive a limited medical license from the state. After two years of practice under the limited license, the state could then issue an unrestricted license, according to a draft of the bill.
Doñate’s o ce said they have identi ed 50 physicians in the state who would be allowed to apply for a limited license under this law.
(Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)
THE UNDISPUTED BIG GAME DESTINATION
Grab your gameday crew and lock in for the biggest game of the year at the All-New SAHARA Las Vegas. We’ve packed the entire weekend with epic feasts and can’t-miss special guest appearances across the property! Make your Big Game experience a signature win at SAHARA. Enjoy FREE Valet and Self-Parking saharalasvegas.com
Hosted By: Common Kings pregame with: bo jackson
PETE’S PROMISE
(Steve Marcus/Staff, AP Photo/Photo Illustration)
What the hires of coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek mean for the Raiders
BY CASE KEEFER
Pete Carroll took over losing teams in each of his last two coaching spots, the USC Trojans collegiately and the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL, and got them both back into the postseason in his first season.
The veteran then delivered a championship within four years, making him one of three coaches ever (along with Barry Switzer and Jimmy Johnson) to have won both a college football national championship and a Super Bowl.
Those past “timelines,” as Carroll calls them, set a high standard, one he’s embracing and sprinting to match as he takes over as the Las Vegas Raiders’ new coach.
“It took us a few years to get to the very top at the last couple programs I was with,” Carroll said in his introductory news conference in Las Vegas. “We’re starting right now, going for it immediately. We don’t have some time that we’ve got to make it five, six years down the road. That’s not what we’re thinking.”
The Raiders have continually put off committing to a full rebuild since moving to Las Vegas before the 2020 season. There was a sense around the NFL that this offseason would be when it finally happened, with team majority owner Mark Davis operating with a new inner circle most notably including new minority owner Tom Brady.
The group decided to move on from coach Antonio Pierce after one season, but the hiring of Carroll signals that snapping a 23-year drought without a playoff victory is more of a priority than stockpiling young and future assets.
Carroll will be the oldest coach in NFL history by Week 3 of next season when he turns 74 years
old, so it makes sense that he wants to chase climbing the standings right away. But Davis said that was not a mandate in the hiring process.
“That’s not the message we sent,” Davis said. “We’re trying to build something here. That’s been the process and the mindset all along. It got offset, blown up when Jon Gruden was sent away. We’ve been trying to get it right since then. We’ll see but I’ve got patience to get it right and I think we’ve got the people now.”
Davis has now churned through four coaches in the four years since Gruden resigned after a string of racist and misogynistic e-mails became public during an investigation into then-Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder.
Carroll is the first one with a proven track record of head-coaching success, though he may otherwise look like an odd fit with the Raiders.
But he also wasn’t their first choice.
Las Vegas, led by Brady, heavily pursued Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who was considered one of the two top candidates in the league this coaching cycle—along with Mike Vrabel, who signed with the New England Patriots early on without considering the Raiders. Johnson was reportedly leaning toward the Raiders before ultimately going to the Chicago Bears instead.
The Raiders then shifted their focus and hired former Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant general manager John Spytek for a role that also became open when they separated with GM Tom Telesco after one year.
The 44-year-old Spytek, a long-time Brady confidant, was brought on two days before Carroll. That presumably means he could have
advocated for another coach, but Spytek said he felt an instant connection with Carroll when the two jumped on their first phone call together.
“Everywhere he’s been, he’s won,” Spytek said of Carroll. “I go back, I can remember vividly watching those USC teams. They were some of the most fun football teams I’ve ever watched, and I think I admired him a lot because, yes, they were full of talent, and our job is to find a lot of talent here, but they were full of competitors and guys that love football … That’s, to me, what this is about. You’ve got to love this. I can’t wait to learn from him. He’s a wealth of knowledge.”
Carroll’s aura makes him the clear headliner of the Raiders’ new power duo, but Spytek will likely wind up the more influential figure long-term. Carroll intimated that the two would work hand in hand when it came to personnel matters, but it’s hard to imagine Spytek, surely along with Brady’s input, not having the ultimate say.
Spytek’s roster-building philosophy pairs stronger with Davis’ stated intent of establishing a foundation. He was considered instrumental in helping to build a Buccaneers’ roster that won Super Bowl 55 in 2020 and then four straight NFC South titles.
Spytek pointed out that all but two of Tampa Bay’s starters this year were homegrown talents. One of the exceptions was notably quarterback Baker Mayfield, whom Spytek and company signed as a free agent before the 2023-2024 season.
Las Vegas is believed to covet a top-tier quarterback prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, but landing one might not be possible by the time it picks at No. 6 overall. Scouts currently grade only Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders that highly, and other quarterback-needy teams choose ahead of the Raiders.
So they could opt to go the free-agency route where Carroll’s former Seahawk quarterback, Russell Wilson, has already been linked to the Raiders. Or, at a higher price point, Sam Darnold would be a somewhat similar move to the Buccaneers bringing in Mayfield, if the Minnesota Vikings opt not to keep him.
How Las Vegas addresses the position will be perhaps the first of many major decisions where Spytek will have to choose how to balance the current and future objectives of the franchise. Carroll’s motivations may differ.
The coach wants to get in position to win right away, just like he’s done everywhere else in his career.
“We’ve got to start right now to go after it and build this team as quickly as we can,” Carroll said.
Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek, left, team owner Mark Davis, center, and head coach Pete Carroll pose during a news conference at the Intermountain Health Performance Center on January 27 in Henderson.
(Steve Marcus/ Staff)
OUR FUNNY VALENTINE
Fall for Melody Sweets all over again in All My Loving at Myron’s
BY GEOFF CARTER
Melody Sweets is an inveterate charmer. The singer and burlesque performer has a poise, humor and sexiness that wins you over in seconds, no matter if you’ve seen her a hundred times. She charmed Jeff Goldblum when she performed jazz standards with him at 24 Oxford in 2022. She charmed thousands during her time in Absinthe as the Green Fairy, a role she originated. She charmed the internet at large with her surreal, madcap web series Sweets’ Spot
And when Sweets takes the stage in an intimate venue, surrounded with a tight musical combo and surprise guests—as she will at Myron’s on February 8— you can see that charm clearly for what it is: a born reflex. Falling for Melody Sweets’ charm is just something you do, which makes this Valentine’s Day-inspired production, All My Loving, an altogether fitting one for her winsome superpower.
says, laughing. “Actually, I’m dedicating this show to my parents, who just celebrated their 35th anniversary. They will be in the audience, and that’s exciting for me.”
Judging from Sweets’ past holiday shows at Myron’s, her parents, and everyone else in the house, are set to receive a real gift. Sweets performs her own catchy songs alongside well-chosen covers, delivers several wardrobe surprises—not wardrobe malfunctions; these are intentional, and fun— and maintains an easy, hilarious banter with the band and audience.
MELODY SWEETS: ALL MY LOVING
February 8, 8 p.m., $33-$56. Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.
“I like to say this show is for lovers, and their lovers’ lovers. It’s a sassy show, specifically because I, myself, don’t have a valentine, so I’m giving you as much love as I can here,” she
And in the tradition of our best Strip headliners, she’s always game to share the spotlight with other performers.
“My special guest for this show is Joshua Danger from [vocal group] Mo5aic; he’s going to come up and do a few duets with me,” she says. “And burlesque by Maude Zoleum—I love burlesque names— and Buttercup, who’s going to join me on backing vocals as well.”
More than anything else, Sweets is a generous performer. She pretty much embodied that dedication to giving in her performance with Gold-
blum: For their final number together she took the stage in an outfit, created with Melissa King-Jules of MsTickle Arts, that reshaped itself into a giant heart. Even Goldblum didn’t know that was coming; the delight on his face was genuine. He’d been given a surprise gift.
That heart outfit may appear in All My Loving, but even in the highly unlikely event that Sweets takes the stage in her street clothes, she’ll deliver the goods. Sweets’ dearest hope is that you leave her shows with more than you came in with.
“I hope that people, first and foremost, leave my shows filled with joy; that they leave happy and have been truly entertained,” she says. “The most special thing for me is being able to make people laugh; it feels incredible to do that. And I hope that audiences get something unique from each show that they won’t see anywhere else.”
Considering she’s literally worn her heart on her sleeves, that sets a tall bar for All My Loving. But she’s confident the show will meet it.
“It’ll be a great date night, or a great night to find a date,” she says. “Maybe I’ll even meet my valentine that night.”
RADICAL CREATIVITY
Indecline’s Vandalism is for Lovers blends art and a call to action
How often does art hit so hard you can feel it in your bones, not just your brain? That’s the kind of provocative work Indecline has been making for over 20 years—no punches pulled, no apologies. The anonymous art collective have painted on freight trains, filmed documentaries and hijacked billboards. And their latest exhibit Vandalism Is for Lovers, launches this February at the Arts District’s Recycled Propaganda, calling viewers to not just observe, but to feel, to think and most importantly, to act.
“We’ve been around the better part of 20 years,” says a representative from Indecline, “and while we operate in many different cities, for a significant amount of time, we were operating in Las Vegas.”
From guerrilla actions on billboards to unsanctioned installations in the streets, Indecline’s work has always disrupted the status quo.
But this exhibit marks a shift. During this extended display, it brings together two decades of audacious art as well as new pieces—for the first time in Vegas.
“It’s rewarding,” the representative explains, “being able to hang in the wings and watch people discuss the work and get inspired in real time.”
Vandalism Is for Lovers includes pieces that helped cement Indecline’s bold reputation, like the infamous naked Trump statue titled “The Emperor Has No Balls,” and David Fay’s haunting statue paying tribute to the victims of the Route 91 shooting, “On Second Thought.”
You’ll also see contemporary pieces like “Freedom Kick,” a series of sculptures by Eugenio Merino featuring hyper-realistic heads of world leaders turned into soccer balls. It’s all framed by the collective’s broader ethos—radical, fearless and unapologetically political.
Indecline’s emphasis on activism is at the heart of this show, but the collective’s most recent work is more than just a passive viewing experience. The group has begun to open a dialogue between artists, activists and local community groups in response to November’s election.
“The thing we kept coming back to was just how apathetic people seemed to be in the wake of that election,” the rep explains. “That’s one of the most terrifying emotions to see come out
VANDALISM IS FOR LOVERS: RELATED EVENTS
Feb. 7
(First Friday)
Opening Night, 5 p.m.-midnight.
First look at Indecline’s retrospective exhibit featuring guest DJs Factor Chandelier and Sam King of Codefendants.
Feb. 14
The Art of Protest and For What It’s Worth screenings, 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m.
Double feature screening of The Art of Protest, a documentary directed by Colin M. Day and produced by Indecline that traces the history of resistance art through luminaries such as Shepard Fairey and Nadya Tolokonnikova (Pussy Riot). The documentary will be followed by a rare screening of For What It’s Worth, a Faustian allegory written and directed by Indecline.
Feb. 15
Speed Activism, 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Hosted by local actor Ryan Remark, Indecline is taking the “speed dating” model and turning it toward community organizing, mutual aid and collaboration. Attendees will spend two minutes each with five local organizations. Hopefully, by the time they leave, attendees will have a place to try out a new relationship through the act of volunteering.
Feb. 22
Side Hustles screening, 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m.
A compilation of Indecline’s foray into activism in the Deep South, set to a narrative skit and including a behind-the-scenes look at some of the collective’s biggest projects in recent years.
Mar. 1
An Evening of Dangerous Literature, 7 p.m.-11 p.m. Indecline teams up with Avant Pop Books to make literature subversive again. Hosted by Shwa Laytart and featuring performances and readings by local writers and special guests, the event charges a $5 cover, which will help Avant Pop in its quest to relocate to a new location.
Mar. 7 (First Friday) Aware: A Celebration, 5 p.m.-midnight. The work and legacy of founding member, Aware, will be on display in Las Vegas for the first time as well as private pieces from the collections of friends and family.
Mar. 8
Control Alter
Delete screening, 8 p.m.-9 p.m.
Indecline’s latest film compilation tracks over 20 years of “billboard liberation,” behind-the-scenes footage, and news reports from its biggest actions.
of someone who could otherwise lift up their community.”
The exhibit aims to engage directly with people in the Las Vegas community with events like Speed Activism—think speed dating but with a purpose, connecting with organizations like Fifth Sun Project and Obodo Collective—and film screenings of The Art of Protest and For What It’s Worth challenging attendees to engage.
Through art, conversation, and collective action, Indecline asks viewers to not just observe, but to change. That can look like a donation for a banned-book drive, or buying a “non-Hallmark valentine” for a local cause. When art and activism collide, it can leave a lasting mark on the community.
Photo from Indecline’s “Death Metals” (2018), an installation at an abandoned gold processing mill at Mojave National Preserve.
Photo from
“The Emperor Has No Balls”
MODERN ROMANCE
Make Valentine’s Day dining plans now and do something that suits you best
BY LAS VEGAS WEEKLY STAFF
Expert diners and local restaurant buffs will tell you they don’t go out to eat on Valentine’s Day—too crowded, too tough to get a reservation, too many restricted menus, whatever. But the truth is the real experts just choose carefully and avoid the obvious; after all, the perfect date night depends on you. It’s not perfect if it’s not what you want.
If you want to do a fancy casino restaurant, do it with style at the NoMad Library (Park MGM, 702-730-6788, nomad lasvegas.com). Dining here feels like a trip to a more glamorous era, especially if you’re sharing a seafood platter and the signature truffle-stuffed chicken. Fontainebleau’s Chyna Club (702-678-9000, fontainebleaulasvegas.com) has a similarly great, romance-in-the-library vibe, along with a modern take
on classic Cantonese cuisine.
And then there’s Superfrico (Cosmopolitan, 702-534-3419, spiegelworld.com), sexy in a more playful way, guided by the mischievous spirit of Spiegelworld, with fantastic Italian food complemented by built-in, unpredictable live entertainment.
Getting off the Strip but keeping the mood just right, Summer House (Durango, 702623-5011, summerhouse restaurants.com) serves warm California cuisine that truly offers something for everyone, and its evening environs are more romantic than you might guess, with lots of plants and perfect golden hues.
We’ve always loved customizing different experiences at Ada’s Food + Wine (Tivoli Village, 702-462-2795, adaslv.com). Sit at the bar for more energy
and an interactive education in fine wine, or sneak off to a corner table with truffle tagliatelle for a quiet, intimate evening.
On the other end of the Valley, consider the twin Henderson institutions of Hank’s Fine Steaks & Martinis (Green Valley Ranch, 702-617-7777, greenvalleyranch.com) or Todd’s Unique Dining (4350 E. Sunset Road #102, 702-259-8633, toddsunique.com), two classic neighborhood restaurants defined by delicious food and friendly, familiar service.
But again, it has to be perfect for you, on Valentine’s or any other day. Maybe you want to go out during the day and order all the dim sum there is at Palette Tea Lounge (4601 Spring Mountain Road, 702888-3626, palettelv.com) and push all those bamboo baskets into the shape of a heart. Or maybe the dream is just to grab a couple messy burgers and milkshakes—and a way-too-big bag of fries—from Five Guys (multiple locations, fiveguys. com) and finish that Netflix binge. Sounds pretty sexy to us.
Summer House (Courtesy/David Borzkowski)
Ada’s Food + Wine (Courtesy/Jose Salinas)
SHIFTING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY COULD CHANGE STATUS QUO FOR WORKFORCE
BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF
The impact of the construction industry is obvious during the daily commute.
From roads and plumbing to power lines and even the grocery store — everything was previously a construction site, said Mac Bybee, CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors in Nevada, or ABC Nevada.
Those projects aren’t finished without enough construction workers, he emphasized. The industry will need to attract about 439,000 net new workers in 2025 to meet anticipated demand for construction services, and 499,000 new workers in 2026, data from ABC Nevada showed.
“One is the work—projects just don’t get done as quickly,” Bybee said when asked about the direct result of a talent shortage in construction. “The other thing is, if you have a deficit of skilled individuals, wages usually go up. Which is not something I’m opposed to, but when wages go up, the price of construction goes up.”
During the Great Recession in the late 2000s, few entered the industry because the jobs weren’t there, Bybee said. Las Vegas, in particular, was “ground zero” for the sector’s collapse, he said.
By the time construction regained its stride nearly a decade later, Bybee continued, its workforce was aging out.
Neil Opfer, an associate professor at UNLV in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction, attributed talent shortages to the retirement of longtime workers and the loss of prospective workers to other sectors. A fast-food restaurant or similar job promises air conditioning and indoor restrooms, he said, amenities not guaranteed on a construction site.
But Vince Saavedra, executive secretary treasurer at the Southern Nevada Building Trades Unions, is disputing claims of a shortage.
“I think that there’s a false narrative of people trying to claim that there’s a worker shortage,” Saavedra said, “when they need to look at their bottom line and their profit margins and ask themselves, is it a worker shortage or a payment shortage?”
The unions have more workers than jobs, he asserted. The COVID-19 pandemic taught families how valuable their time and skill sets are, so they are looking for jobs that offer a fair, livable wage—which, Saavedra said, he doesn’t think contractors want to pay.
“If you’re having a hard time finding workers right now in the construction industry, you might want to look at paying them better, or health care or benefits, or any of those things that a lot of non-union contractors don’t offer,” he said. “Nobody wants to go to work for a slave wage.”
Saavedra said many builders in the region have placed their projects on hold to see what will happen in the wake of the new presidential administration.
He pointed to fear around the fate of the Brightline West high-speed rail between Las Vegas and Southern California—which received $3 billion in grant funding from the federal government as part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and began construction in 2024—as an example.
“People are scared right now,” he said. “Because they don’t know when their next meal is going to come, or when the next big project is going to come so that they can put
food on the table.”
The Southern Nevada Building Trades Unions does work in recruitment and retention, Saavedra said, going to high schools to teach about apprenticeship and community college programs.
ABC Nevada, a trade association for nonunion commercial contractors, also conducts career fairs to bulk up the industry, facilitating apprenticeships and a Leadership Institute that equips workers to move from the field to the office, Bybee said.
“What we try to do is we try to facilitate a system where we could bring somebody from no skill at all, all the way up into a management track, possibly even an ownership track,” he said.
Nevada has diversified its economy beyond tourism in the last several years, he said, to bring jobs in manufacturing and logistics. Those trades create competition for the construction industry.
He’s seen workers move from the manufacturing space into construction because they want a more defined career-plan and understand construction is a “true career,” he said, with all the benefits therein.
“The beauty of having a trade, or being skilled in a trade, is that’s not something that a company owner can own—that belongs to the individual,” Bybee said. “And that’s the individual’s asset. They’re able to do whatever they want once they develop those skills.”
If talent shortages do persist, Opfer said, construction costs are going to steadily increase. A skilled workforce, on the other hand, will ultimately lead to lower costs.
“If we have a more skilled workforce, then that’s going to translate into a higher productivity,” Opfer said. “And, with higher productivity, you’re going to see a lower overall cost of construction for both homebuyers as well as business owners.”
Though construction has long had an image of “tobacco chewing” and “beer swilling,” Opfer joked, he emphasized also that contracting has grown to be much more professional, with a better overall work environment.
“One of the things that I tell our students is … we make life better for people,” he said. “We create and build better roads and better schools and better buildings and better housing, and obviously, more affordable housing and all those types of things and so forth. And so we make life better for people.”
Construction workers rebuild C.W. Woodbury Middle School on June 25, 2024. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
BY JENNIFER WEINBERG
By most accounts and across various measures, the real estate professionals I trust in Southern Nevada are expecting the market to perform better in 2025 than in 2024. With my experience in both residential and commercial real estate, I believe this outlook holds true for both sectors, though there are a number of variables within each market.
For instance, in commercial real estate, the local industrial market has been thriving in recent years, while the office market has faced ongoing challenges—a trend also seen across much of the country. Like many local experts, I anticipate the office market will continue to improve this year.
The local office market has seen progress alongside our broader economic growth. Several new Class A office and mixed-use developments have recently opened and are successfully attracting tenants. Additionally, office workers in Southern Nevada were generally quicker to return to in-office work compared with those in major cities such as San Francisco and New York.
The retail and multifamily sectors have experienced more mixed results. When people think of real estate in Las Vegas, the local housing market usually comes to mind first. It’s always a topic of conversation, partly because of the attention Las Vegas attracts as
Brighter days are on the horizon for the local real estate market in 2025
a destination city. However, the local housing market is also known for its dramatic fluctuations.
Since the early 2000s, Southern Nevada’s housing market has experienced significant highs and lows. Prices soared in the early 2000s, then crashed harder and faster here than almost anywhere else during the Great Recession. The market began rebounding more than a decade ago, only briefly pausing during the pandemic, and has now reached new record highs in recent years.
According to the latest data from Las Vegas Realtors, home prices ended 2024 just shy of their all-time high. In November, the median price of existing single-family homes sold in Southern
Nevada was $480,000, a 6.7% increase from $450,000 in November 2023, and just below the record high of $482,000 set in May 2022.
While it’s difficult to predict with certainty, most local real estate professionals remain cautiously optimistic about the market in 2025.
Here are a few key takeaways:
n Like many housing experts, I expect the local housing market to improve in 2025 compared with 2024, especially in terms of the volume of homes sold and available for sale. As for home prices, much will depend on mortgage interest rates, but I believe the general trend of modest price increases in Southern Nevada throughout the year is likely.
n A sector to watch in commercial real estate is the retail market, which has been making headlines as one of the most promising in the nation for 2025. A recent study by CoStar ranked Las Vegas third among the top retail markets in the U.S. for the upcoming year, based on factors like inventory lease rates, availability, rent growth, changes in commercial real estate sales volumes, and total return.
With a new president taking office, and with wars and dramatic changes happening around the world, it’s much harder than it used to be to predict how the economy and real estate market may fare this year.
What I can say is that the ongoing influx of people and businesses moving to Southern Nevada makes it a good bet that my business and the local real estate industry are not likely to slow down any time soon.
Jennifer Weinberg is the 2025 president of Commercial Alliance Las Vegas. She works as a commercial and business broker with BHHS Nevada Properties in Las Vegas.
According to the latest data from Las Vegas Realtors, home prices ended 2024 just shy of their all-time high.
In November, the median price of existing single-family homes sold in Southern Nevada was $480,000, a 6.7% increase from $450,000 in November 2023, and just below the record high of $482,000 set in May 2022.
Jennifer Weinberg (Courtesy)
VEGAS INC NOTES
Highlighting the best in business
Lexicon Bank announced the addition of Michael Edwards as SBA business development o cer. Edwards brings more than 25 years of experience in banking, lending and commercial real estate, including extensive expertise in SBA financing and commercial underwriting. His background includes working with business owners to help them achieve their financial and operational goals.
The Clark County Commission ratified the appointment of Frank Prado as the director of the Clark County Family Services Department. Prado comes to the county with over 25 years of professional social services and family services and has held a variety of positions, including regional managing director for the Florida Department of Children and Families, child protective investigator supervisor, circuit director of Florida’s Guardian ad Litem program,
JOB LISTING
statewide director of operations, child welfare auditor and consultant to the Administration for Children and Families’ O ce of Refugee Resettlement.
Jill Marano, former director of Clark County Family Services, will transition to a newly created county o ce. This initiative aims to consolidate mental, behavioral health and prevention services from multiple departments including social service, family services and juvenile justice. Clark County Family Services oversees adoptions, operates a Child Abuse & Neglect Hotline, investigates through Child Protective Services reports of abuse and neglect, licenses foster homes, and places more than 3,000 children at any one time, provides case management services and oversees the Parenting Project for helping adults become more e ective parents. The department has about 1,000 employees and an operating bud-
Financial Manager, Full-time, Diesel Tech Inc Las Vegas, NV. Manage financial operations. Prepare financial forecasts, analyze business targets. Manage and coordinate monthly financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting cash flow. Establish internal controls and guidelines re financial transactions. Responsible for budget, accounts payable, collection and payroll. Coordinate with accountant and tax advisor. Bachelors Economics, Accounting or foreign equivalent. Resumes to: john@diesel-tech-inc.com.
JOB LISTING
MGM Resorts International Operations, Inc. has the following position in Las Vegas, NV. Lead Performance Engineer to support the Technology Department (TDD) to conceive and develop Performance and Capacity test strategies, assess new Test Technologies and develop test engineering processes, execute performance tests, analyze, monitor and report application performance. Hybrid work permitted 3 days per week within a reasonable commuting distance of Las Vegas, Nevada Office. Contact: Apply online at https://careers. mgmresorts.com/global/en job number: 259063 or E-Mail resume to resume@mgmresorts.com and reference job number: 259063.
get of $394 million.
Milton Consulting, Inc. announced the groundbreaking of the second phase of Mountain West Industrial Park, an expansion that adds 324,404 square feet of industrial space to Southwest Las Vegas. The 18.82-acre development, located at South Tenaya Way and West Patrick Lane, features four freestanding buildings with flexible suite configurations. Construction on all second-phase buildings is expected to finish in early 2026. Jonathan Schwartz, who owns Milton Consulting, is developing the industrial park to meet the region’s high demand for modern industrial space.
Wynn Las Vegas announced Jonathan Bauman as executive chef of Delilah. With more than 18 years of experience, Bauman will oversee Delilah’s menu offering an elevated take on comfort food and supper club favorites.
