2025-03-06-Las-Vegas-Weekly by Greenspun Media Group

UP AT NIGHT

PUBLISHER

MARK DE POOTER mark.depooter@gmgvegas.com

EDITOR

SHANNON MILLER

shannon.miller@gmgvegas.com

EDITORIAL

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

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

Arts & Entertainment Editor AMBER SAMPSON (amber.sampson@gmgvegas.com)

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

Sta Writer TYLER SCHNEIDER (tyler.schneider@gmgvegas.com)

Contributing Writers KYLE CHOUINARD, GRACE DA ROCHA,HILLARY DAVIS, HAAJRAH GILANI, MIKE GRIMALA, KATIE ANN MCCARVER, JACK WILLIAMS, ILANA WILLIAMS

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

O ce Coordinator NADINE GUY

CREATIVE

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

Senior Designer IAN RACOMA

Photo Coordinator BRIAN RAMOS

Photographers CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS, STEVE MARCUS, WADE VANDERVORT

DIGITAL

Publisher of Digital Media KATIE HORTON

Web Content Specialist CLAYT KEEFER

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Associate Publisher ALEX HAASE

Special Publications Editor SIERRA SMART

Senior Advertising Managers MIKE MALL, ADAIR MILNE, SUE SRAN

Account Executives CRISTAL BLAKEMAN, LAUREN JOHNSON, GIANNA PUCCI

Events Director SAMANTHA LAMB

Events Manager HANNAH ANTER

Events Coordinator APRIL MARTINEZ

Event Sales Coordinator MELINA TAYLOR

PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION

Vice President of Manufacturing MARIA BLONDEAUX

Production Director PAUL HUNTSBERRY

Production Manager BLUE UYEDA

Associate Marketing Art Director BROOKE EVERSON

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Production Artist MARISSA MAHERAS

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Distribution Relations Liaison JIDAN SHADOWEN

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GREENSPUN MEDIA GROUP

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SewingClasses

Celebrate Maker March at the Library District through exploring, making, designing & engineering!

Drop in STEAM - Button Making

Make a custom, unique button to put on your backpack or suspenders.

Friday, March 7: 12 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Saturday, March 8: 10 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Blue Diamond Library

AGE GROUP: ALL

Teen Creative Journaling Space

Decorate the pages in your journal with our paper crafts and art supplies.

Friday, March 7: 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Centennial Hills Library

AGE GROUP: TEENS

Come Out and Clay Jr.

Learn to make some of our favorite storytime pals in clay. Families are welcome.

Saturday, March 8: 10

30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Sunrise Library

AGE GROUP: PRESCHOOLERS & KIDS

Youth 3D Printing Certification Class

Customers ages 10-17 may become certified to use the Library District’s self-serve 3D printers through this class. Registration is required.

Saturday, March 8: 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

West Las Vegas Library

AGE GROUP: KIDS, TWEENS & TEENS

Youth Maker Fair 2025

Get hands-on experience with a wide range of exciting activities!

Makershop Sewing

Learn how to use a sewing machine and get hands-on practice while you sew a bookmark. Registration is strongly encouraged.

Thursday, March 13

4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Sunrise Library

AGE GROUP: TEENS & ADULTS

Cardmaking for Adults

Make two unique greeting cards. Friday, March 14: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Mesquite Library

AGE GROUP: TEENS & ADULTS

Art Block - Shrinky Dinks

Struggling to get out of an artist block? Feel inspired at Art Block, where creativity knows no bounds!

Tuesday, March 18: 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

East Las Vegas Library

AGE GROUP: TWEENS, TEENS & KIDS

LEGO Club

Children are invited to an hour of creative building using the library’s vast LEGO collection.

Thursday, March 20

3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

West Las Vegas Library

AGE GROUP: TWEENS & KIDS

Watercolor Club

Get hands-on experience with a wide range of exciting activities!

Wednesday, March12

3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

West Charleston Library

AGE GROUP: TODDLERS, KIDS, TWEENS & TEENS

Watercolor Club

Paint with watercolors and enjoy the company of our friends.

Friday, March 21

4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Mt. Charleston Library

AGE GROUP: ADULTS

Take & Makes

Pick up a Spring-themed craft to make at home.

Monday, March 24

All day during business hours

West Charleston Library

AGE GROUP: TODDLERS, PRESCHOOLERS & KIDS

Teen Maker Fair

Teens are invited to learn and create something new!

Thursday, March 27

4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Centennial Hills Library

AGE GROUP: TEENS

Free and open to the public. Seating and supplies are on a first-come, first-served basis and may be limited. Scan QR Code for more events, programming, and maker resources. For more events and online resources, visit: TheLibraryDistrict.org/maker

Free and open to the public. Seating and supplies are on a first-come, first-served basis and may be limited. Scan QR Code for more events, programming, and maker resources.

For more events and online resources, visit: TheLibraryDistrict.org/maker

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18

ON THE COVER

THE GREAT

OUTDOORS

As outdoor recreation becomes increasingly popular in Southern Nevada, environmental stewardship is more important than ever.

COVER ART Mountain biker Steffanie Gray

Photograph by Wade Vandervort

14 ENTERTAINING

Prepare for your next party by shopping at specialty stores, plus tips for an easy charcuterie board.

26 NEWS

Nevada lawmakers bring forth bills that would provide tax breaks and infrastructure for proposed Las Vegas ﬁlm studios.

30 SPORTS

Could superstar champion Alex Pereira meet his match at UFC 313?

32 MUSIC

Vegas represents on The Voice, Sinwave’s goodbye and other local music news.

34 ART

Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum’s new exhibits further cement the legacy of its namesake.

38 FOOD & DRINK

Gjelina brings rich ﬂavors and warm LA hospitality to the Strip.

Nevada Shakespeare Festival descends on the Valley’s parks with free plays, Tyler, the Creator brings his tour to MGM Grand Garden Arena and more happening this week.

Gildemeister climbs Plumber’s Crack at Calico Basin (Steve Marcus/ Sta

SUPERGUIDE

THURSDAY MAR 6

FRIDAY MAR 7

CABARET

7:30 p.m., & 3/7, Majestic Repertory Theatre, majesticrepertory. com.

LEGACY FIGHTING ALLIANCE

5:30 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, ticketmaster.com

GLENN MILLER

ORCHESTRA

7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com

OPERA ON TAP

7:30 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com

PAULY SHORE

Thru 3/8, 9:30 p.m., Wiseguys Arts District, wiseguys comedy.com

ART OF THE WILD: SOFI TUKKER

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

STEVE AOKI

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

LEVEL UP

With Distinct Motive, NMLV, Jiraiya, 10 p.m., Substance, seetickets.us

GARTH BROOKS (CLOSING DATES) Thru 3/9, 8 p.m., the Colosseum, ticketmaster. com.

TYLER, THE CREATOR

(Courtesy/8 Ten Inc.)

EAGLES

8:30 p.m., & 3/8, Sphere, ticketmaster. com

PITBULL

8 p.m., & 3/8, 3/12, BleauLive Theater, ticketmaster.com

MAROON 5

8 p.m., & 3/8, 3/12, Dolby Live, ticketmaster.com

BRANFORD MARSALIS

7 p.m. (& 3/8, 6 & 8:30 p.m.), Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com

CHICAGO

Thru 3/9 & 3/12, 8 p.m., Venetian Theatre, ticketmaster.com

BRYAN ADAMS

Thru 3/9 & 3/12, 8 p.m., Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com

SQUEEZE

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

ATLIENS

With Riot Ten, Funtcase, YDG, more, 7 p.m., Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, seetickets.us

WHAT SO NOT

9 p.m., the Portal at Area15, area15.com

BADFISH With Fayuca, 7 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com

POWERSLAP 12 6 p.m., Cobalt Ballroom at Fontainebleau, axs.com

UNLV HOCKEY VS. ARIZONA STATE 7:30 p.m., & 3/8, City National Arena, rebelhockey.com

LAS VEGAS DESERT DOGS VS. ROCHESTER KNIGHTHAWKS

7:30 p.m., Lee’s Family Forum, axs.com

LIL YACHTY

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

ART OF THE WILD: GORDO 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com

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

JAMES KENNEDY

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

Tyler, the Creator is a cultural whirlwind who’s never asked for permission or forced himself into a box. From the chaotic heyday of Odd Future to his Grammy wins and fashion world domination, Tyler’s journey has been a relentless push against convention. His latest album Chromakopia introduces his alter-ego Chroma the Great, a character from celebrated fantasy novel The Phantom Tollbooth who orchestrates the ﬂow of color in life; without Chroma, there is none, and similarly, many can say that’s the role Tyler, the Creator plays in their lives. During his latest world tour, the rapper is dropping by Vegas to color our night. Expect new anthems, old classics, and a whole lot of theatrics. 7:30 p.m., $300+, MGM Grand Garden Arena, ticketmaster.com. –Gabriela Rodriguez

MUSIC PARTY

SPORTS FOOD COMEDY MISC ARTS

SATURDAY MAR 8

(Courtesy/Wynn Nightlife)

ART OF THE WILD: DISCLOSURE (Disclosure not pictured) 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.

BIG LEAGUE WEEKEND: ATHLETICS VS. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

1 p.m., & 3/9, Las Vegas Ballpark, ticketmaster.com

UFC 313

3 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com

LAS VEGAS LIGHTS VS. TAMPA BAY ROWDIES

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

HENDERSON SILVER KNIGHTS VS. COLORADO EAGLES

1 p.m., & 3/9, Lee’s Family Forum, axs.com

DEFTONES

With The Mars Volta, Fleshwater, 7 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs. com

JOE With Musiq Soulchild, Eric Benét, 8 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com

ROBERT CRAY BAND

8:30 p.m., Summit Showroom, ticketmaster.com

PAPERBACK WRITER

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

BOSSMAN DLOW

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

LESSER CARE

With Cold Gawd, Plaster, 9 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, seetickets. us

NATE LOVE

8 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com

GIGGLY SQUAD LIVE: CLUB GIGGLY

7 p.m., the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com

THE SHADE TREE’S CHAMPAGNE & PEARLS

10:30 a.m., Emerald at Queensridge, theshadetree.org

MODI

8 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com

AFROJACK Noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com

DON TOLIVER

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

TIËSTO

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

CASH CASH

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

KINAHAU

10 p.m., Discopussy, seetickets.us

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

“I want to do Shakespeare for people who don’t like it, would never pay to see it, don’t understand it and don’t care. That’s who I want my audience to be,” said Nevada Shakespeare Festival co-founder Matthew Morgan in a Weekly interview last year. The NSF committed to that creed in 2024, winning over unlikely audiences with a grindhouse-inspired Titus Andronicus and performances of their Bard-at-the bar series “Shotspeare.”

This year, as the company prepares what appears to be a trailer-trashy Hamlet for the stage, they’re performing The Comedy of Errors free in the Valley’s parks, beginning in Henderson on March 8—ably demonstrating, once again, their eagerness to “meet people where they are in order to expand where they can go.” 6 p.m., free, Silver Springs Recreation Center, nevadashakespeare festival.com.

–Geoff Carter

SUPERGUIDE

SUNDAY

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS

5 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com

ANBERLIN With Copeland, The Dangerous Summer, 6 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com

ERIC BELLINGER

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

LAS VEGAS JAZZ SOCIETY: THE DRS OF JAZZ 1 p.m., Bootlegger, lvjs.org

THE BACKFIRES With Mercury, 7 p.m., the Wall at Area15, area15.com

MIKE ATTACK 11 a.m., Marquee Dayclub, taogroup.com

ART OF THE WILD: SOLOMUN 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com

Vegas Golden Knights center Ivan Barbashev (Steve Marcus/Sta )

MYSTIFY MAGIC FESTIVAL Thru 3/12, times vary, Santa Fe Station, mystifymagic festival.com

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

EXHIBIT: IN CEMENTO VERITAS BY MARIO LOPRETE Thru 4/27, times vary, Centennial Hills Library, the librarydistrict.org.

MADELINE NASH 7 p.m., Maxan Jazz, maxanjazz. com

ZIA BAND

10 p.m., Sand Dollar Lounge, thesanddollarlv. com

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

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE STUDIO COMPANY

7:30 p.m., Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, unlv.edu.

TUESDAY MAR 11 WEDNESDAY MAR 12 S U P E R G

BALLET FOLKLÓRICO DE MÉXICO DE AMALIA HERNÁNDEZ

7:30 p.m., Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter. com.

EXHIBIT: BIG SOFTY Thru 3/27, Tue.-Sat. 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Winchester Dondero Cultural Center Gallery, clarkcountynv.gov.

COMEBACK KID

With Koyo, Desmadre, 6 p.m., Swan Dive, seetickets.us

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

NASALROD & VICTIMS FAMILY

ROD STEWART 7:30 p.m., the Colosseum, ticketmaster. com

PETER CINCOTTI 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com

DAWN OF OUROBOROS

With Wolf King, The Red Charade, Hands Of Oblivion, 8 p.m., the Griffin, dice.fm

KEN GARR With Mike Gaffney & Mary Upchurch, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand. mgmresorts. com

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

We throw the term “genre-bender” around a lot. But truly we’ve stopped thinking of Portland’s Nasalrod and the Santa Rosa rockers of Victims Family as anything but subversive. Victims Family, a hardcore band that formed in the mid ’80s, brings a challenging amount of noise to the equation— think jazz-punk meets metal meets outright manic. Meanwhile Nasalrod’s fevered, if not kooky and convulsive song expression puts any sense of genre to shame. On 2024 collaborative album, In the Modern Meatspace, the bands join forces, creating a match made in mayhem you won’t want to miss live. With The Fat Dukes of F**k, The Bitters, 8 p.m., $15, Dive Bar, tickettailor.com. –Amber Sampson

ENTERTAINING COOKING

THE FOUR THINGS YOU NEED ON YOUR CHARCUTERIE BOARD

It’s entirely likely that the ﬁrst food one human served to another was some meat, nuts and berries on a rock … in other words, a charcuterie board. Of course, we’ve advanced since those days—now it’s a lovely prosciutto with some pistachios and perhaps a nice wheel of Brie laid out on a polished marble slab.

lami variety, or add a dry-cured pork like prosciutto or ham. You can go further aﬁeld with pate, which comes in vegetarian varieties for non-carnivores.

Next up, your cheeses, which should be a variety of ﬂavors and textures. There are soft cheeses like Brie or burrata, semi-soft such as havarti or

fontina and ﬁrm cheeses, which include cheddar or gouda. Another way to ensure variety is to consider where the cheese comes from. “We always try to give you at least one of each type of milk cheese—a cow, a goat and a sheep’s milk cheese,” says Fama.

cheeses, bread

briny items to cut through the bitterness. We make sure there’s something sweet, like fruits or honey,” explains Fama. These extras can be a complementary topping or eaten solo, allowing people to tweak their taste journey with a swipe of sweet preserves or a bite of salty-sharp gherkin.

). She notes that “charcuterie board”

“We like to encourage our customers to buy a bunch of stu and try it at home. We can teach them to cut it like this or pair it with that, but they can just have fun at home making their board,” says Janell Fama, general manager of Cured & Whey (curedandwhey.com notes that “charcuterie board” technically just means meat but is usually understood to mean an array of meats, cheeses, bread and assorted condiments.

But when assembling your board, the meat is where you begin—start with a classic sa-

the essence of a board, what elevates it are the extras. “We

While meat and cheeses are the essence of a board, what elevates it are the always make sure there’s some

Of course, your meat and cheese needs a ers, crisps, sliced baguette or apple, anything that can be held in the hand and used to stack or scoop. But beyond the basics, you can be as creative and personal with your board as you like—add cookies, nuts, candied fruit, whatever appeals and is ﬂoating around in your kitchen.

Of course, your meat and cheese needs a vehicle—crackers, crisps, sliced baguette or apple, anything that can be held in the hand and used to stack or scoop. But beyond the basics, you can be as creative and personal with your board as you like—add cookies, nuts, candied fruit, whatever appeals and is ﬂoating around in your kitchen.

“There’s no right or wrong way to make a cheese board,” says Fama. “Just have fun, have an imagination, try something

“There’s no right or wrong way to make a cheese board,” says Fama. “Just have fun, have an imagination, try something di erent and just enjoy everything you have on there.”

–Lissa Townsend Rodgers

Charcuterie board from Cured & Whey (Christopher DeVargas/Sta )

meats,

CELEBRATE WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH AT THE LIBRARY DISTRICT

Women’s Adventure Film Festival

Dollface: All Girl Party Band

Women of Broadway and Jazz Presented by International Opera Institute

Performances honoring Liza Minnelli, Ella Fitzgerald, Barbara Streisand, and more.

Saturday, March 8 at 2 p.m.

Windmill Library

Sunday, March 9 at 2 p.m.

West Charleston Library

Saturday, March 15 at 7 p.m.

Whitney Library

AGE GROUP: ALL

Women’s History Month: Dolores Huerta

Kids will learn about one of the most influential labor activists and make a paper mural celebrating migrant workers.

Performing hit songs from Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Journey, and more.

Friday, March 7 at 7 p.m.

Windmill Library

AGE GROUP: ALL

Frida Kahlo Painting

Artist Barbara Thomas will lead an inspiring painting session.

Friday, March 7 at 4 p.m.

Blue Diamond Library

AGE GROUP: ADULTS

Women’s History Month with the Nevada Ballet Theatre II

Enjoy the contributions of women in dance throughout history.

Saturday, March 8 at 3 p.m.

Summerlin Library

AGE GROUP: ALL

Get ready for an adrenaline-fueled showcase of extraordinary women.

Saturday, March 22 at 2 p.m.

Clark County Library

AGE GROUP: ADULTS

Women’s DJ Afternoon

Learn the basics of DJing and let’s demystify tech for women. Registration is strongly encouraged.

Saturday, March 22 at 3 p.m.

East Las Vegas Library

AGE GROUP: TEENS & ADULTS

Monday, March 10 at 4 p.m.

Centennial Hills Library

AGE GROUP: KIDS K-5

Women’s Wellness Sound Bath and Gentle Yoga

Release tension, refresh your energy, and step into spring.

Wednesday, March 12 at 12 p.m.

Windmill Library

AGE GROUP: TWEENS, TEENS & ADULTS

We Can Do It! A Swingin’ Celebration of Female Artists: Featuring The Swing It! Girls

A tribute to your favorite artists!

Saturday, March 15 at 3 p.m.

West Charleston Library

AGE GROUP: ALL

Empower HER

Explore the stories of women who made significant strides in civil rights, the arts, science, education, and more.

Friday, March 14 at 7 p.m.

Whitney Library

Saturday, March 15 at 3 p.m.

West Las Vegas Library

AGE GROUP: TEENS & ADULTS

Celebri-TEA Book Club – “The Woman in Me” by Britney Spears

Join us for a deep dive into the autobiography of the iconic Princess of Pop.

Sunday, March 30 at 12 p.m.

Sahara West Library

AGES: ADULTS

Scan for even more events & programs this month:

Southern Nevadans practice environmental stewardship as they play outdoors

BY SHANNON MILLER

Emerald Cave at Black Canyon

(Courtesy/Antonio Trujillo, Desert Adventures)

Iremember my rst time at Arizona Hot Springs.

In February 2016, I was in training to guide hiking and kayak tours in Black Canyon—a 12-mile stretch of the Colorado River downstream of Hoover Dam, known for its hot springs, near-pristine beaches and Emerald Cave.

On that day, my guided group arrived via kayak at the Arizona Hot Springs beach. After tying up our boats, we hiked into a canyon dotted with globe mallow, Mormon tea and mighty mesquite trees. As the canyon narrowed, it required careful maneuvering. We walked through owing water, stepping on slippery volcanic rocks, and made it to a shaky 20-foot ladder that was directly in the path of a waterfall.

After all those joyful obstacles, my group and I—the springs’ only visitors at that time—sat in the clear water and felt the magical 120-degree geothermal heat radiate from the rocks beneath us. Looking up at a blue sky pinched by the towering walls of a narrow slot canyon, I felt in awe.

That was the rst of many times going to the springs. Though my guiding days are behind me, I still like to hike down to the river every year, touch the water and feel that awe. But unfortunately, that sense of wonder is harder to come by these days as outdoor recreation becomes increasingly more popular.

When I returned to the Colorado River in December, I saw gra ti, litter—toilet paper, food wrappers, rags and socks—along the strenuous Gold Strike Canyon trail just upstream of Arizona Hot Springs. Ill-equipped people lined up to get through parts of the trail that required intense maneuvering and bouldering. At the humanmade hot springs at the bottom of the canyon, people dunked their heads underwater, probably not knowing about the bacteria and actual brain-eating amoeba that live in those waters.

Increased interest in outdoor

Guided mountain bike tours ﬂourish at Red Rock Canyon

 In 1992, Jared and Heather Fisher were assigned a UNLV student marketing project in which they were tasked with developing a hypothetical business serving an untapped market. Thirty-three years later, the pair’s e ort has stood the test of time as Escape Adventures, a Las Vegas-based nature touring company that’s best known locally for hosting guided mountain biking and hiking trips through Red Rock Canyon, Lake Tahoe and beyond.

While they started with just two bikes and an idea, the Fishers’ business has since grown into an enterprise equipped with more than 500 rental mountain

recreation has been a trend since COVID. According to the Nevada Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, there was a 34% increase in visitation to public lands from December 2019 to December 2020, and a 40% increase in campsite usage during the pandemic. The plan also noted that the consequences of this include “overcrowding in some areas; insu cient nancial and/or human resources to manage, maintain, or grow park and recreation infrastructure in response to population growth; misuse, abuse, and vandalism; and heavier use of parks, trails, and other facilities than is sustainable.”

More people getting outside is a sign that Southern Nevada’s outdoor recreation economy is growing, which is good in a lot of ways. (In 2023, Nevada’s outdoor recreation economy took second place nationwide for job growth, according to data from the Bureau of Economic

bikes and a sister retail cycling shop, Las Vegas Cyclery, in Summerlin.

All in all, Jared Fisher estimates that they’ve taken more than 100,000 people on guided tours. By far the most popular destination is Red Rock Canyon, which he calls “the gem of Nevada.”

“In my personal opinion, it’s even more unique than Lake Tahoe. When I ﬁrst started, it was already known as a world-renowned rock climbing destination, but mountain biking was kind of in its embryo stages,” he says. “It was starting to become more popular in the early ’90s, but it hadn’t taken o too much yet. At the time, I saw it as a tourism need

that we could ﬁll.”

Back then, the mountain biking infrastructure at Red Rock was sparse, he explains. “There was only one very lightly ridden trail, if at all. We basically had to work with the [Bureau of Land Management] and local land managers to develop more wild trails. Over the years, they just kept expanding. And then, of course, Las Vegas boomed,” he says.

In a swelling metro with expanded access to outdoor recreation destinations, can the average Nevadan still beneﬁt from signing up for a guided tour?

“It sounds biased, but I honestly don’t think there’s a better way to do it,” Fisher says. “First, having a professional guide takes away all the worrying and guesswork. They can give you a full education on the vegetation and geology you’ll see, all while taking you out on the best ride possible. And because you’re all taking one van and sharing bikes, it’s also a more sustainable experience.”

For more information on tours, visit escapeadven tures.org. –Tyler Schneider

Analysis.)

But as more people come to outdoor spaces, there are tradeo s with conservation—meaning an increase in visitation can negatively impact the natural resources and beauty that drew people there in the rst place. Overcrowding can also degrade visitors’ experiences and lead to safety issues, says Marta Soligo, director of tourism research for UNLV’s O ce of Economic Development.

“It’s good to have tourism. It’s good to have this success. It’s also good to think about strategies, to have a responsible promotion [and] ways to teach that. We have to teach the tourists to behave responsibly,” Soligo says. “When it comes to outdoor recreation, it can lead to permanent damage, like the rocks in Red Rock. We’ve already seen damage [there].”

If we want to continue to have the high-quality outdoor recreation opportunities that surround Las Vegas,

then we need to assume stewardship of our public lands. And while stewardship encompasses many di erent actions, it is widely de ned as “the responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices to enhance ecosystem resilience and human well-being.”

Those sustainable practices may look di erent depending on what you’re doing—hiking, climbing, biking or boating. And they’re not always easy or intuitive. They require a community made up of government agencies, recreationists, volunteers, nonpro ts and companies to educate visitors.

I would be remiss here if I didn’t acknowledge that a large force for education and other essential services, the National Park Service, is currently being gutted by President Trump’s controversial “Department of Government E ciency” initiative. While its e ects are just beginning to trickle down and not yet fully understood, there are still resources available in the state, local, nonpro t and private sectors. Members of the outdoor community stand ready to teach you how to recreate responsibly.

–Marta Soligo, director of tourism research at the UNLV O ce of Economic Development

ROCK CLIMBING

The Calico Basin area of Red Rock Canyon is practically a climber’s playground, with a vast array of bouldering and sport climbing routes at easy-access places like Cannibal Crag and Kraft Mountain boulders, as well as in more backcountry areas for those who are willing to hike in with their gear.

According to a 2022 report from the Bureau of Land Management, which has jurisdiction over Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, recreation use in Calico Basin has increased by 30% to 35% since 2012. In 2022, the area attracted 1.2 million of Red Rock’s 3.8 million visitors.

One of the reasons it is so popular may be that it’s free to enter, with no fee station. But that could change, should visitation and recreation continue to increase. The Southern Nevada Climbers Coalition is keenly aware that the area is at risk of being gated off with a fee station, an option that was left on the table in the latest business plan prepared by the BLM.

“It’s unfortunate that in order to protect a resource, we need to limit access to it at times. I’m not saying that Calico Basin is an area that needs limiting, but if numbers continue to grow, it’s inevitable,” says Cory Statt, president of the Southern Nevada Climbers Coalition.

The coalition is in favor of keeping the area free of a fee station, and so they’ve taken it upon themselves to practice good stewardship there. Members take tips about litter and graffiti and have facilitated clean-ups of popular climbing areas. They worked with the BLM to install WAG bag stations and continue to refill them. (An acronym for Waste Alleviation and Gelling, WAG bags are essentially two-layer bags that contain a gel substance that solidifies and deodorizes human waste.)

They also spread the word about climbing on wet sandstone—one of the biggest no-nos for the local climbing scene. They detail on their website and social media why people shouldn’t do this.

“Rain seeps into the sandstone that we have. Even 24 hours after heavy rain, [it’s] at least 50% or more weaker. It just breaks more easily and causes not only damage to the routes, but it’s also a dangerous situation where someone could drop a rock on their belayer, or someone could take a fall when they don’t expect to,” Statt says.

The coalition is also working on getting rain monitor stations set up closer to the most popular climbing areas.

“The goal is to get people more information so they can make more informed decisions,” Statt says. “We are purposefully not enforcing anything, and we’re not telling people they can or can’t do anything. It’s more encouraging.”

Climbers who traveled to climb in Red Rock Canyon might not be thrilled to have their plans foiled by rain. But they can also be directed to alternative, non-sandstone climbing areas like nearby Mount Charleston, Statt says.

Cory Statt climbing a route in Cannibal Crag. (Staff/Steve Marcus)

–Cory Statt, Southern Nevada Climbers Coalition

MOUNTAIN BIKING

Also in Red Rock NCA, the Cottonwood Canyon and Blue Diamond areas have been popular spots for mountain bikers for decades. And like other recreational sports, the biking community is experiencing growing pains.

“The pace of new trails showing up and the number of people mountain biking has just exploded … really in the last ve years,” says Alison Cormier, a local mountain biker for 25 years and vice president of the Southern Nevada Mountain Bike Association.

Cormier has noticed a “rapid” increase in gra ti and trash since the pandemic, attributing these to people who don’t have an appreciation for nature.

That mindset also creates issues when it comes to trail etiquette, she adds. Recreationists don’t always want to share the trail, whether it’s joggers with earbuds in and no awareness of bikes trying to pass them, or e-bike users zooming through the trails as fast as possible.

“Some mountain bikers just

think … everybody needs to get out of their way. [But] trails are common ground. And we need to learn to live with all the other trail users. Trail etiquette is based on that—living with the other trail users and respecting nature and not ruining it by going o trail,” she says.

As a National Interscholastic Cycling Association coach for high school and middle school age mountain bikers, she teaches her students trail etiquette. The sooner they start learning, the better, she says.

“If we can impress upon people why nature is so bene cial, not only for our own mental and physical health, but also for its own sake, hopefully it will sink in that we should try to preserve it in as nice a form as we can,” Cormier says.

The association is working on constructing new trails to help

keep up with the demand for mountain biking. Members have a concept plan in the works for new beginner and intermediate trails surrounding the campground in Red Rock Canyon and are working on fundraising and grants to construct the trails. They’re also looking to construct beginner and intermediate mountain biking trails that would connect with Southwest Ridge Park.

The association also received a grant to start planning an uphill trail for the popular 3 Mile Smile route in Cottonwood Canyon.

“It’s the most fun when you can be at the top and ride it down. … Right now, to get to the top, you have to ride it uphill, and then you risk coming face to face with somebody who’s coming downhill. So there’s user con ict [and] a safety factor,” Cormier says.

–Alison Cormier, vice president, Southern Nevada Mountain Bike Association

From left, Jon Cook, Ste anie Gray and Alison Cormier ride mountain bikes at the Landmine Loop trail in Blue Diamond (Sta /Wade Vandervort)

PADDLE SPORTS

Sarra Jones, a guide and instructor with tour company Desert Adventures, guides a lot of overnight trips in Black Canyon in Lake Mead NRA. One of the gems of the area is Emerald Cave, where the Colorado River water glows a vibrant green when the sunlight hits it just right. Visitors love to take photos inside the grotto, which is accessible only by boat.

When national parks closed or limited access to certain areas during COVID, they kept Willow Beach open, creating a perfect storm for overcrowding. The beach, which has a large parking lot and marina, is about two miles downstream of the cave.

“I’m sure that it was the explosion on social media too, because people were posting more pictures of how it glows and how beautiful it is when it does have the sun hit it. It got to the point where there were times the kayak beach at Willow Beach was almost inaccessible because there were so many people on the beach,” says Jones, who has worked for Desert Adventures since 2019.

The National Park Service stepped in and limited tour companies to launching 45 boats at a time to manage crowds, she adds. And fortunately for visitors, the pandemic created just a spike in visitation, rather than a continued trend. Other parts of Lake Mead opened back up, and crowding started to go down.

What happened with Emerald Cave during the pandemic again illustrates the tradeo s between visitation and conservation: when visitation is too high, there’s more competition for natural resources and sometimes, land managers deal with that by limiting access.

“Last year, across the board there were approximately 30% less people. Most companies were down in business,” Jones says.

While they might not be able to control the heavy volumes of visitors, Desert Adventures guides do take accountability for their groups, Jones says. Two years ago, the company implemented Leave No Trace practices (see page 23) with its customers. For those who feel that they don’t need a guide and only need an out tter, the company ensures that they have all the materials they need to minimize their impact on the beaches along the river.

have re pits, so they’re

“We make sure they have re pits, so they’re not leaving marks of res on the beaches. They have to carry garbage containers and animal-proof food storage. We make sure they pack out all their garbage in addition to human waste. We o er rentals if they don’t have those items themselves,” Jones says.

Clockwise from top: Sarra Jones, Kyle Ellis, Aaron Kehoe and Sasha Palmer kayaking at Lake Mead. (Sta /Steve Marcus/Photo Illustration)

TEACHING STEWARDSHIP

People are more likely to practice good stewardship if they have a special connection to the land. Every time I take my yearly trip to the Colorado River, I bring gloves and a trash bag and pick up what I can, because I still feel the sense of responsibility I felt when I was a tour guide. My history with the land makes me want to take care of it.

As the original stewards of these lands, Native American communities look to share their connection to land, and model stewardship practices. Fawn Douglas, a member of the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, says she recently did this on a hike with BLM rangers in Red Rock Canyon.

“We had an open conversation about how I forage for plant medicines or teas, and how I do that in a respectful way—not to completely thrash the plant, but take a little bit here, a little bit there and place some water in it as an o ering,” she says.

Also the founder of local gallery and activism center Nuwu Art, she organized an event at Red Rock Canyon visitors center on March 2 that celebrated the culture of the Southern Paiutes, the area’s original stewards, with pow wow dance, storytelling and art.

“The Red Rock area was really home to our ancestors—the agave roasting pits, the petroglyphs, archaeological areas are there. When we can talk about why these lands are so important to us, it really builds a spark with other people. They’re like, ‘Let me not vandalize it. Let me pick up my trash [and] leave no trace.’ That education really goes far. They’re also going to tell their kids, they’ll tell their team members and educate those around them,” she says.

“When it comes to public lands, this belongs to all of us. Why wouldn’t we want to take care of it?”

Learn the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace

 Leave No Trace is a conservation nonproﬁt that advocates for sustainable environmental practices. The organization is known for promoting a set of guidelines known as its Seven Principles, which, according to LNT’s website (tinyurl.com/ynfywf2e), outline an “easily understood framework of minimum impact practices for anyone visiting the outdoors.”

The Seven Principles are fundamental for Las Vegas Inspiring Connections Outdoors, a local chapter of the Sierra Club’s national outreach program that facilitates outdoor experiences for underserved youth. Chapter chair Cynthia Regidor recently spoke with the Weekly about how she approaches teaching these tenets.

1

Plan ahead and prepare.

Before Regidor and her team of volunteers start a hike, they take some time to brief each group on the basics.

“LNT is ﬁrst and foremost something that we need to have them familiar with because we’ll be out in delicate areas that we want to preserve the integrity of,” Regidor says. “We also walk them through safety [tips] and point out certain things they should know about the landscape we’re going to. For instance, if we’re going to the Spring Mountains, we tell them we might see wild horses and remind them that, if we do, we should never get too close.”

Travel and camp on durable surfaces.

While local ICO sessions don’t involve camping, Regidor says sticking to pre-established trails and traveling single-ﬁle is

an important factor in preserving the landscape. A single-ﬁle line reduces trail erosion, allows speedier hikers or someone on horseback to pass the group if needed and decreases the likelihood that one of them accidentally steps on adjacent “foliage or fresh growth.”

3 Dispose of waste properly.

Regidor says most participants already know that littering is frowned upon. The old saying, “pack it in, pack it out,” applies here. One can avoid the nuisance of having to stu crinkling wrappers in a backpack pocket by bringing reusable water bottles and food containers.

Leave what you ﬁnd.

“We might say something like, ‘take only pictures, leave only footprints.’

If they see a beautiful ﬂower, we tell them not to pick it, because we want to leave this area intact for the next person to enjoy. And they totally understand that,” Regidor says.

Minimize campﬁre impacts.

This one doesn’t apply to ICO hikes, but Leave No Trace generally advises against building unnecessary campﬁres. If a campﬁre is unavoidable, keep it relatively small, using only dead wood from the ground, and burn all wood and coals to ash before extinguishing it completely.

Respect wildlife.

To illustrate this principle, Regidor introduces what she calls “the thumb rule.”

“I’ll walk into the distance, pretending I’m an animal, and tell them to stick their thumb out towards me. If their thumb doesn’t cover my whole body, they should know they’re too close to the animal,” she says.

Be considerate of others.

“We’ll talk about how we want to keep our voices to a minimum because everybody is out there for their own reasons,” Regidor says.

“The beauty of that is, when there isn’t any noise, they’ll tap into their ﬁve senses. They might hear a strong breeze and equate it to something they’re already familiar with, like the sound of the ocean.”

–Tyler Schneider

Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter (Courtesy)

IN THE NEWS

YOU OUGHTA KNOW

At last, Alanis Morissette has set her sights on Las Vegas. The alt-rock icon and seven-time Grammy Award winner will embark on a nine-date residency at the Colosseum, October 15 to November 2. Those familiar with Morissette’s reign in the ’90s should recall the absolute breakout that was 1995’s Jagged Little Pill, an album that defined a decade with songs like “You Oughta Know” and “Hand In My Pocket.” It made such an impression, writer and producer Diablo Cody helped adapt it for Broadway in 2019. Morissette’s cathartic delivery is signature to her work. And in a room as grand as the Colosseum, we should expect to see her holding nothing back. Tickets start at $89 and go on sale March 7 at ticketmaster.com

–Amber Sampson

BY THE NUMBERS

‘World’s first’ AI hotel to open in Vegas this summer

Major tech disruptors like AirBnB and Uber have been in the game for more than 15 years now, but Las Vegas-based entrepreneur Philippe Ziade believes the time has come for smartphone apps and AI technology to expand into the traditional hospitality sector.

Ziade’s vision for what he’s hailed as “the world’s first true AI-powered hotel” will finally come to fruition this summer with the grand opening of Otonomus Hotel—a $160 million, 300-plus suite development situated roughly four miles southwest of the Las Vegas strip on Russell Road.

The new venture from Ziade’s development company, Growth Holdings, is designed to allow guests “to customize their stay by selecting preferred amenities and determining their desired level of interaction,” according

to a news release. Amenities include separate 21+ and family-friendly pools, EV charging stations and what the company has touted as “some of the largest accommodations and the most connecting room options on the market.” It will also house a Lebanese restaurant by Top Chef winner Charbel Hayek, a “contemporary American Italian establishment,” and a speakeasy-inspired cocktail lounge.

“Our AI-driven system learns and adapts to individual preferences, allowing us to anticipate needs before they arise. Imagine walking into a hotel where everything—from your room temperature to your dining preferences—is customized just for you,” Ziade said in a statement.

Bookings are available for summer 2025 at otonomushotel.com –Tyler Schneider

That’s how many staffers were fired from Lake Mead National Recreation Area, according to the Association of National Park Rangers. In addition to an estimated 1,000 National Park Service employees, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen have said “several thousand” U.S. Forest Service and Department of Interior personnel were terminated. The firings are part of the Trump administration and Department of Government Efficiency’s moves to reduce the federal workforce. We have worked hard and accomplished much, including record enrollments and graduation rates; we’ve created new academic programs, built new buildings and acquired important properties; and we’ve improved campus security, developed successful athletic programs and started new student-success focused initia tives.”

Have you heard Best Friends Forever emo and indie rock festival is returning to Downtown Las Vegas Events Center in October? And in addition to iconic headliners, local bands are in the lineup. Read more at lasvegasweekly.com.

–Keith Whitfield in an address at the UNLV Foundation dinner in which he announced his resignation as president of the university. Read more at lasvegassun.com

HOT SHOT Protesters gather in front of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area Visitor Center during a “Protect Our Parks” rally, part of a national day of rallies to protest the layoffs of Park Service employees on March 1.

(Steve Marcus/ Staff)

Shake off winter in Nevada’s wild, wide-open spaces. Follow dirt roads to hidden hot springs, historic ghost towns, and other offbeat and unexpected adventures. Go by UFO, 4WD, or ATV, because there’s always more to explore and see. Spring is for wandering—so get a little out there.

20TH

LIGHTS, CAMERA, LEGISLATE!

Nevada lawmakers bring forth bills that would provide tax breaks, infrastructure for film studios

BY TYLER SCHNEIDER

A renewed push to lure major Hollywood studios to Nevada with favorable tax incentives hit a major plot twist last week when Warner Bros. Discovery announced it was partnering with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Howard Hughes Holdings on tentative plans to construct “a 31-acre world-class production facility anchoring a planned 100-acre mixed-use development” in Summerlin.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s foray into the Summerlin Production Studios Project came less than two months after the company backed out of its commitment to invest $8.5 billion into a rival studio project at UNLV’s Harry Reid Research and Technology Park. Both proposals hinge on the Nevada Legislature passing a pair of competing bills designed to overhaul the state’s film tax credit system.

The Summerlin development is tied to Assembly Bill 238, which would provide up to $1.8 billion in tax breaks for qualifying productions made in Nevada, beginning in mid-2028 and continuing through 2043. That includes $95 million per year in transferable tax credits for film infrastructure and productions filmed at the new studio, plus a separate annual pool of $25 million in non-transferable credits for those that shoot elsewhere in Nevada. It would also set aside additional funding for grants meant to bolster the talent pipeline through education and industry-specific workforce development opportunities.

Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui of Las Vegas, who’s co-sponsoring the bill along with her Democratic counterpart Daniele Monroe-Moreno, has said the plan is expected to create nearly 18,000 permanent jobs and generate $3

“We are the entertainment capital of the world, and there is no better example of that than this partnership between two of the world’s major film and television studios.”

–Nevada Assemblymember Sandra

Jauregui

Summerlin Studios rendering (Courtesy)

billion in annual economic activity once the Summerlin studio is up and running.

“We are the entertainment capital of the world, and there is no better example of that than this partnership between two of the world’s major film and television studios,” Jauregui said in a statement.

Senate Bill 220, sponsored by Las Vegas Democrat Roberta Lange, would gradually raise the state’s transferable film tax credit cap to $83 million per year by July 2028 until it’s phased out in 2043, plus an additional $15 million in annual nontransferable credits. It would also pave the way for studio space and hands-on educational programs at the Nevada Studios Project at UNLV. That facility is linked to a deal between Birtcher Development and The Manhattan Beach Studios Group, which signed on in Warner Bros. Discovery’s stead. Both bills represent a fundamental overhaul of Nevada’s existing film incentives system, which sets an annual film credit cap at $10 million total and $6 million for any single production. Prior to the Warner Bros. Discovery revelation, Lange noted that she believed the bills would have to be combined at some point before the legislative session ends on June 2.

Lange, who calls herself “the architect of the film idea in Nevada,” previously spearheaded a bill in the 2023 session that would have vaulted Nevada’s annual film tax credit cap up to $190 million. But it failed to pass through either chamber.

“It came too late to really make it through all the channels, but we had the support in both houses,” Lange says. “I’ve said for a year and a half now that if they’re going to have a bill in this session, we need to merge it.”

If the two parties do end up collaborating on a unified bill, the Summerlin Studios camp may hold a greater share of the bargaining chips

with Sony and Warner Bros. Discovery in its corner. It also has backing from union groups like the Southern Nevada Building Trades Unions, which recently announced a work agreement with Sony and Howard Hughes that it said would “bring over 10,000 union construction jobs” to the Valley.

On the workforce development side, Lange’s bill would directly reinvest 10% of the value of all film tax credits awarded to each production back into the proposed Nevada Media and Technology Lab at UNLV. The Assembly version would establish the Nevada Partners Vocational Training Studio by 2030 and offer a similar 1% match plus additional grants.

This new, home-grown class of industry professionals could someday work on a project with local film talents like Danny Chandia, a third-generation Las Vegas native who recently won the Boulder Citybased Dam Short Film Festival’s Best Nevada Filmmaker Award for his writing and directorial work on short film Margaret the Brave

“I have every hope and faith that they can get that pushed through,” Chandia says, adding that his latest work featured a primarily local cast and crew of around 300. “As local filmmakers, all we can do on our end is show our readiness for a studio system to move in.”

But opponents view the film tax credit saga as a distraction from more pressing issues.

“Nevadans are relying on lawmakers to address this state’s most urgent needs—housing, the cost of living, education—all areas that, if improved, would help diversify the economy without unprecedented tax credits subsidizing corporate bottom lines. At this point, Nevada can’t afford anything less,” Battle Born Progress executive director Shelbie Swartz wrote in a statement.

In early February, Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo indicated his own skepticism after notably failing to factor either of the bills into his recent state budget.

“I just don’t see that being good policy, good investments for the constituents and the state of Nevada,” he told KTNV.

Both pieces of legislation are subject to revisions throughout the legislative session in Carson City. Assembly Bill 238 went through a five-hour initial hearing at the Assembly Committee on Revenue on February 27, with dozens speaking for and against it during public comment. Senate Bill 220 has yet to be scheduled for a hearing.

TOP The Desert Cactus Films crew of Margaret the Brave

BELOW

Behind the scenes of Margaret the Brave

(Courtesy Desert Cactus Films)

SPORTS

DANGER AHEAD

UFC 313

Could superstar champion Alex Pereira meet his match at UFC 313?

BY CASE KEEFER

Top-ranked Russian light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev received some English lessons from UFC Hall of Famer/current commentator Daniel Cormier going into his last ght in October 2024.

At least six words stuck with him.

“Alex, stop running away from me,” Ankalaev said at Cormier’s urging after a win over Aleksandar Rakić in the octagon, and then again at the post- ght news conference.

It was a pointed message to light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, who has somehow held the title since November 2023 and defended it three times without facing Ankalaev.

That ends on March 8 at T-Mobile Arena when Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) and Ankalaev (191-1 MMA, 11-1-1 UFC) battle for supremacy of the 205-pound division in the main event of UFC 313.

The betting market sets the bout as a straight pick’ em, which might come as a surprise to more casual mixed martial arts observers.

Pereira has, somewhat out of nowhere, become the biggest star in the sport. The 37-year-old joined the UFC relatively recently, less than four years ago, as a career kickboxer known for beating then-UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in a pair of striking matches.

The pair renewed their rivalry in the octagon— each knocking each other out once—to build Pereira into a draw, but then his popularity really exploded when he moved up a weight class. It took only

March 8, early preliminary card at 3:30 p.m., full preliminary card at 5 p.m., main card at 7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, $250-$1,505, axs.com Pay-per-view $79.99, plus.espn.com

MAIN CARD AND BETTING LINES

•Light heavyweight championship bout:

two ghts for “Poatan”—Pereira’s nickname that roughly translates to “stone hands” from his native Brazilian tribal language—to capture the light heavyweight title and start a string of four straight knockout victories that captivated millions.

“It’s a testament to how when you keep your discipline and you keep believing in yourself and keep doing everything correctly,” Pereira said through a translator at a news conference. “I’ve been having the same discipline since I was an amateur and, at the time, you didn’t know what money you were going to make, how far you were going to go. Here I am in this glamour in the UFC, making money with all these people around. People lend me their nice cars to drive and people want to take me to dinner nice places, so I’m proud of how far I’ve come.”

But some diehard fans have nitpicked Pereira’s strength of schedule during his championship reign and described his opponents as favorable to his strengths as a world-class striker.

Count Ankalaev among those detractors. The 32-year-old has turned into primarily a striker himself but has a background in combat sambo with the grappling chops that could dismantle Pereira.

Ankalaev’s résumé was strong enough to merit a shot at Pereira long ago, but he’s among those who allege the UFC intentionally slowplayed giving him the ght as a way to maintain the champion’s drawing power.

“I think they are protecting him,” Ankalaev said through a translator a few months before UFC 313 was announced. “We know he’s an exciting ghter.

Alex Pereira (-110) vs. Magomed Ankalaev (-110)

•Lightweight bout: Justin Gaethje (+120) vs. Rafael Fiziev (-140)

•Lightweight bout:

Jalin Turner (-115) vs. Ignacio Bahamondes (-105)

•Women’s strawweight bout: Amanda Lemos (+100) vs. Iasmin

Lucindo (-120)

•Lightweight bout: King Green (+450) vs. Mauricio Ru y (-590)

We know that he ghts in the stand-up, he’s a great striker. I think they are just saving him.”

Ankalaev describes those lengths as unnecessary from a stylistic standpoint. He’s said he’s so con dent he can beat Pereira that he won’t even use his wrestling, which is where he seemingly holds the biggest advantage, and will instead exclusively contest the bout on the feet.

One of the biggest questions heading into UFC 313 is whether he will live up to that promise. Pereira doesn’t seem to be taking Ankalaev’s word for it, focusing heavily on wrestling in his training camp including working with locally based former middleweight champion Sean Strickland.

“I don’t think this is going to be that hard of a ght for me,” Ankalaev said through a translator. “I think I’ve had harder ghts.”

Pereira has largely ignored Ankalaev’s talk about him over the last year beyond disputing the allegations that he’s avoided ghting him. Pereira said he never chooses his opponents; he lets the UFC handle that side of the business.

The champion has never been a man of many words, which has played into his appeal with the masses. His mild-mannered, soft-spoken style outside the octagon naturally con icts with the heavy-handed master of violence he transforms into for ght night.

Pereira’s walkouts have become rituals of legend with him walking into arenas gently with a steely glare on his opponent before eventually making a bow-and-arrow motion in a nod to his heritage as part of Brazil’s indigenous Pataxó tribe.

If Pereira keeps winning, he could take the spectacle to a whole new level and perhaps get booked into some of the biggest ghts in UFC history. For one, current heavyweight champion Jon Jones, widely considered the best ghter of all-time, has expressed interest in facing Pereira in a super ght.

But as fast as rises like Pereira’s can are up, they can also zzle out just as quickly. That’s what Ankalaev says will happen at UFC 313.

“He’s not going to escape,” Ankalaev said.

(Frank Franklin II/ AP Photo)

Contestants select the game winner vs the contest point spread on 28 first round games.

VEGAS REPRESENTS ON THE VOICE

(Courtesy/NBC Universal)

BY AMBER SAMPSON

If you’ve tuned into NBC’s The Voice lately, then you might have seen star coaches Kelsea Ballerini and Michael Bublé fawning over our very own Jessica Manalo (spoiler: she’s Team Kelsea). During a blind audition, the Las Vegas-based singer-songwriter came out swinging with a cover of Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy.” She’s since gone viral.

“I’m so grateful that The Voice gave me this opportunity to share my craft. I’m forever grateful to the Las Vegas community for letting me sing my butt off for years in this beautiful city,” Manalo tells the Weekly. “All I’m thinking is that the hours spent playing in several venues here have been worth it. So thankful for all the love that’s pouring in.”

Manalo has been slowly building momentum over the last couple years, following her 2021 EP Magic. This season of The Voice marks her second time on the show after auditioning in 2020.

“This time just felt different. I felt ready,” she says. “I felt more confident with who I was as a person and as an artist. This experience has definitely inspired me to write more of my original music. I am actually recording new music right now.”

The Arts District is still grieving the loss of Sinwave, a goth and metal music sanctuary that permanently closed in January after months of financial struggle.

“We really loved the idea of being a community space, a home for people and a friendly neighborhood venue,” says owner Martin Boynton. “We tried to treat the bands right and the customers right. And the employees all just loved being there. They would come on their days off. It was really special.”

Open since early 2024, Sinwave quickly became Main Street’s go-to for everything from concerts and wrestling watch parties to vampire galas and heavy metal yoga. Boynton set out to create something of “a metal-based retreat center,” inspired by his own holistic experiences and his love for music and its many scenes.

Sinwave’s run was cut short, but Boynton’s vision remains the same. Equipped with new investors, the devoted metalhead plans to open a new venue elsewhere. The timeline is still being discussed, but he’s certain Sinwave’s original crowd will follow: “We’ve got a lot of goodwill and a lot of support, so I think that’ll be the easy part, getting people to come back.” –Amber Sampson

• Bel-Aire Backyard has announced a new poolside concert series at the Durango, featuring alt-rockers The Fray and electronic duo Thievery Corporation in May, plus swaggering Brit band The Struts in September. More information and tickets are available at belairebackyardlv.com.

• Pineapple Fest, a music and art showcase founded by local band Secos, debuts at Sammy Davis Jr. Festival Plaza at Lorenzi Park on March 29. More info and tickets are at secosband.com

• Politically conscious rapper Kurian has released his third album, Iron Kurtain. It’s available on Spotify.

• Local post-hardcore band MSMRS teamed up with Asteroid M. Records’ Cody Leavitt on a live version of its 2024 EP, Six Inches From A Bullet. It’s available on streaming platforms and at msmrs.bandcamp.com

• Damned By the Night’s horror-based rock cut “Fangoria” is worth a scream—er, a stream. It’s available on Spotify and at damnedbythenight666.bandcamp.com. –Amber Sampson

(Brian

ABOVE Inside the Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum.

BOTTOM Artwork from the Montenegro exhibit.

(Steve Marcus/ Staff)

CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION

The Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum ’s new exhibits further cement the legacy of its namesake

BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ

Stepping into the Rita Deanin Abbey Museum feels like an entrance to the minds of many. Each of its gallery spaces shift in scale, structure, hue, and mood ... yet all stem from a singular vision.

Known for her deep connection to nature, Rita Deanin Abbey (1930-2021) shared her awe for the natural world through a variety of artistic mediums— painting, sculpture, steel work, woodwork, stained glass, clay, bronze and more—capturing the essence and organic textures of the landscape of the American Southwest, while making them her own.

Abbey, a writer and UNLV educator as well as a pioneering artist, was a local figure who never sought out the spotlight but quietly shaped the city around her. Before the museum’s opening in 2022, her artwork dotted the city, including “Spirit Tower,” a 20-foot-tall steel sculpture at Summerlin Library; a bust of Nevada politician Flora Dungan in the Humanities building at UNLV; and the 16-panel “Isaiah Stained-Glass Windows” at Temple Beth Shalom.

Her namesake museum, situated in the northwest Valley, stands as Southern Nevada’s sole artist-specific museum, a fitting tribute to Abbey’s influence. The 10,500-square-foot space, built with marble floors, houses hundreds of works spanning each period of her life. The 10-

acre footprint also features a courtyard, desert garden, an outdoor sculpture park and her residence and studio.

Recently the museum unveiled four new exhibits, each representing a different artistic period: Drawings from the Model, Albuquerque Revisited, Montenegro and Gan Or Series. These are the first major changes to the museum’s offerings since its opening three years ago and are intended to continue the conversation of Abbey’s work and to showcase her evolving artistic language.

In one of the 12 galleries, a section is dedicated to the examination of the human body. Four of the 103 pieces from Abbey’s “Drawings from the Model” series, dating from 1962 to 1983, are on display here. While the materials used are simple, the works establish a strong connection between the curvature of the female body and the natural sculpting of the wild. The black ink and charcoal is brushed and smeared, not only to reflect the play of light but also to evoke the bends of human anatomy.

“She would draw from geological formation, wildlife and ever changing atmospheric conditions such as rain storms and flash floods, [capturing] the spirit of the desert in her abstract composition. Her emphasis on detail and contrast and unity reflects her impressions of her local environment,” says museum director Lauren Sanders. “But you don’t have to

PORTRAIT

A 1976 photo of artist Rita Deanin Abbey.

BOTTOM RIGHT

An exterior view of the residence of Rita Deanin Abbey which is ajdacent to the art museum.

(Steve Marcus/ Staff)

5850 N. Park St., ritadeaninab beymuseum.org By appointment only, Thursday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., $20.

know all about that, it’s about how the art makes you feel. That’s what I love about her abstract expressionism.”

For those seeking a deeper connection with the artwork, the museum has introduced an app that allows visitors to scan gallery cards for detailed information about the pieces, along with access to archived works.

According to Sanders, this is just the beginning of the museum’s efforts to enhance its visitor experience. Plans are already underway for a new event space, developed in collaboration with an architectural firm, to host educational programs, musical acts and special events. A notable feature of the recent exhibit additions is Gan Or Series, which showcases a collection of sketches of the fireplaces Abbey designed for her solar desert home.

Abbey’s home, which she shared with her husband Dr. Robert Rock Belliveau (1932-2024), will soon be transformed into an in-home museum, offering visitors a chance to walk through and see the sculptural fireplaces come to life and an intimate perspective on the couple’s shared existence through their personal furnishings, paintings, sculptures and more.

These recent additions are just an exciting glimpse into the museum’s future, further elevating the Rita Deanin Abbey Museum as a living tribute to Abbey’s artistic legacy and vision.

“We established how these individual galleries will showcase the works of her entire life and where they draw parallels,” says Sanders. “The museum fosters an ongoing dialog between the past and present works, which reflects an astonishing amount of mediums.”

RITA DEANIN ABBEY ART MUSEUM

Gjelina’s escarole salad, dry aged ribeye, chitarra pesto, charcuterie and citrus curd tart. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

FOOD + DRINK

GOOD VIBES FROM VENICE

Gjelina brings rich flavors and warm LA hospitality to the Strip

BY GEOFF CARTER

Venice is a unique place. No, not that one; the other one. Venice, California is a living study in contrasts. It’s casual, yet sophisticated; youthful, yet seasoned; easygoing, yet industrious. Walk Abbot Kinney Boulevard on any given day and you’ll encounter skaters, musicians, millionaires—and it’s not always readily evident who’s what.

Venice is the only place that could nurture a restaurant like Gjelina, whose chill LA vibes are ably backed by the serious, farmto-table flavors on their plates. And now that Gjelina has come to the Venetian—not that Venice; the other other one— you, too, can vibe with it.

Founded in 2008 by Fran Camaj, a former middle-school science teacher who’s become something of a real estate giant—his Gjelina Hospitality Group, named for his mother, also operates a restaurant in New York and a number of Venice businesses including a hotel, grocer and bakery—the hospitality at Gjelina Las Vegas feels completely dialed-in even before you’re seated. The front-of-house staff is warm, accommodating, and if you’re feeling it, even chatty. They waste little time in guiding you through Gjelina’s menu, which is drawn from seasonal ingredients and adheres to locally sourced, organic and sustainable practices “wherever possible.”

parsley and olive oil ($22).

Up next is the “vegetable” section of the menu, its biggest. It includes everything from an escarole salad with sunchoke, smoked almonds, parmesan and lemon preserved dressing ($26), to roasted oyster mushroom with tarragon butter and lemon ($16), to a plate of herby frites with aioli and harissa ketchup on the side ($15), to a grilled bok choy with a black garlic vinaigrette and a sprinkling of gomashio ($18). Food website The Infatuation once wrote that “the Burning Man people” are notorious for putting together meals just from Gjelina’s veggie plates, adding, “We can’t blame them.”

GJELINA Venetian, 702-414-6333, gjelina.com/ las-vegas. Monday-Thursday 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.11 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.10 p.m.

Then you’ll come to the mains, and some heavy choices to make.

DINING

NOTES

Start in the raw bar and charcuterie section of the menu with the kampachi, with guajillo pepper aguachile, lemon, cilantro and cucumber, or the hamachi, with black garlic, sesame and lemon, both $29 and almost impossibly tender. You could also go with a charcuterie plate ($29), kitchen’s choice and worth the surprise, or the anchovy and burrata toast with peporanata,

Gjelina’s woodfired pizzas are celebrated from Venice to the Bowery, and you can enjoy them in a variety of mouthwatering variants including a Gruyere and caramelized onion pie with fromage blanc and arugula ($26), or a lamb sausage pie with confit tomatoes, rapini, pecorino and asiago ($25). Or you could go with one of their hearty plates: a buttery-smooth, dry aged ribeye ($89), a mildly tangy rapini pesto chitarra with lamb sausage and breadcrumb gremolata ($29), a crispy duck confit with cabbage, apple and Dijon ($46) and more. The wine, beer and cocktail list is smartly curated, again with a focus on sustainability. The kitchen doesn’t do substitutions, and a 20% service gratuity is automatically appended to the check. It all makes perfect sense when you visit Venice, a laidback place that works extraordinarily hard to help people to relax and be their authentic selves, whether they’re ordering the food or serving it. Gjelina gives that unique contrast a flavor—a winning one.

Opening alert! Urth Caffé has opened at The District at Green Valley Ranch. Lucia Mexican Grill is open for dinner and weekend brunch at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. Liam’s Den & Bubble Bar has opened inside the Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian. Evolve Brewing by Aces & Ales has opened at The Bend in the southwest Valley. The Great Greek also has opened at The Bend. Seventy Six Tavern has expanded with a second spot on Aliante Parkway. Fork n’ Film is open at Area15. Mountain Mike’s Pizza has opened a second local store in North Las Vegas. And Noodles at Bellagio has reopened with a new design and a refreshed food and beverage menu.

Mark your calendar: Clark County Parks & Recreation’s Tacos and Tamales Festival will break in the new Event Center at Desert Breeze March 28-30. Single and multi-day tickets are on sale now at tacosandtamaleslv.com. Also save the date for the annual Vegas Unstripped all-local food festival, set for April 27 at the Palms. Thirty acclaimed chefs will once again compose one-night-only dishes, and the all-inclusive ticket price is holding at $150. Get more info at vegasunstripped.com

And Las Vegas Restaurant Week benefitting Three Square floods the scene with specialty experiences June 2-13. Tune in to restaurantweeklv. org to start lining up your plans. –Brock Radke

(Courtesy)

CARE INDUSTRY

LOCALS IN NEED OF A HELPING HAND CAN NOW RENT A GRANDMA

BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF

Magdalena Brandon is a caretaker at heart.

The Las Vegas resident of more than three decades is a self-described “supporter” who, a few years ago, began doing errands for the elderly, taking her charges to doctor’s appointments or the grocery store and just generally being company to them.

“I really enjoyed it,” Brandon said. “Because they have so much information, and it’s just like you’re listening to a history book.”

Now, Brandon has signed up to be a “grandma” for Rent A Grandma, a company new to the Las Vegas Valley that provides caretakers—affectionately known as grandmas or grandpas— for babysitting, pet sitting and house sitting, as eldercare companions and more.

“I hope that we can reach the communities all through the Las Vegas and Henderson area and have an opportunity to show what we can do, because there’s a lot of us that are very caring individuals that want to help,” Brandon said. “So, I’m just excited to get started.”

Dianne Mayor, founder and CEO of Rent A Grandma LV, said she helped out a lot with her first granddaughter. She realized then she could do what she did for her own daughter by helping others and became a postpartum doula

and newborn care specialist.

In that time, Mayor said, she also began to connect families in need that she didn’t have time to help with other doulas.

“That’s when I realized connecting families to quality care providers was a need in itself,” she said. “And then I found out about Rent A Grandma … and that they had not reached Las Vegas yet. And I thought it was the perfect opportunity to connect families with grandmas like myself, who were looking for work.”

She’s been surprised by the number of people who are willing and able to become a “grandma,” Mayor said. One thing they all have in common, she said, is the desire to stay active. The company charges an hourly rate for its service averaging $20 per hour.

“I never knew my grandma growing up, so I always had grandma envy,” Mayor recalled. “And now I’m surrounded by all these grandmas, and I’m loving it.”

A majority of what Rent A Grandma does is child care, particularly for new parents or households with two working parents, said Todd Pliss, founder and CEO of the first-ever Rent a Grandma operation in Los Angeles, which began in 2011 when it was featured on Shark Tank

In addition to being available daily, Rent A Grandma is “more one-on-one” service than

daycare, Pliss said, with more flexibility. The company has had grandmas who travel with the families they care for, grandmas who have teaching or nursing experience and more.

“I think they probably get more out of being with a grandma,” he said. “Kids are probably going to feel more comfortable at home, really. You know, they bond pretty quick with people, kids. So pretty soon, grandma seems like part of the family.”

The agency offers “so much more than just nannies,” however, Mayor said, even including laundry services.

“It’s so great to have grandmas,” she said. “They come to you with knowledge, experience and care you can trust. Who can’t trust their grandma? And there’s so many families in need, and so many grandmas looking to make a difference, and that’s why I’m here.”

Everyone wants and even needs a grandma or its equivalent, Mayor said, noting that she’s had positive feedback since the company’s launch in Southern Nevada.

“Especially in this town, it’s so transient that people don’t have their family here,” she said. “And I figured, with Rent A Grandma, we can provide them with that opportunity to have their very own grandma and help them in their time of need.”

For Brandon, a business owner, Rent a Grandma LV is a way to make additional money while doing something she loves.

She chose the company over other options because she said it felt like a compassionate choice with family values where she wouldn’t be just another “number,” Brandon said.

“I feel it’s a great business to be in, and there’s a huge need, because a lot of times they just don’t have people that are here, or their family’s busy or they need support, and they don’t know where to turn,” she said. “So, this seems to be like a very nurturing business.”

(Courtesy)

Communities In Schools of Nevada announced a 97% graduation rate for its case-managed students in the 20232024 school year. During the school year, CIS served 99,999 students statewide, marking the largest year of growth in the organization’s 20-year history. It also provided over $3 million in essential items to students and families, ensuring that fundamental barriers to success were addressed. These basic needs include clothing, food, hygiene products, school supplies, vision and dental care and more.

Retriever Rescue of Las Vegas received $10,000 after a Mondays Dark fundraiser. A volunteer-based rescue, its mission is to rescue dogs from horrific overseas conditions and find homes for them in Southern Nevada. Rescues are funded through contributions and adoption donations. The average rescue costs $1,000, which

includes medical bills, shelter, boarding, vaccines and travel.

Three Square Food Bank hired Brian Rice and Marissa Shoop to its leadership team. Rice is vice president of operations, responsible for overseeing food procurement, warehousing and quality assurance. Shoop is vice president of programs and partner services, leveraging her expertise in program development, partnership cultivation and resource optimization.

Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of service, the Lone Mountain Area JustServe gave Caridad ’s Hebron property a fresh start with a day of service January 25. Hebron is a Caridad-managed property that offers low-income housing and programming to veterans, homeless and seniors on a fixed income.

JOB LISTING

PHYSICIAN (INFECTIOUS DISEASE) – Maintain infectious disease-based practice and perform infectious disease duties in private practice, incl supervision of office staff. Duties: order radiology/lab tests and refer to specialists; analyze reports, exams, test results to diagnose patients and present treatment options; explain treatments and meds w patients; follow policies/procedures. Reqd: M.D. degree (U.S. degree or foreign degree pls ECMFG cert); license to practice in NV; internal med board certified and infectious disease board certified by ABIM. Send cvr ltr and resume to M. Urs, HR, Sagebrush Health Services, 8379 W Sunset Rd, #210, Las Vegas, NV 89113.

Head Cook: Req’d: Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts or

Resume to: Kim & Jang, LLC. (DBA: YUKGA), 9410 W. Sahara Ave., #150, Las Vegas, NV 89117

The Las Vegas Aviators donated team merchandise, apparel, hats and novelty items with a wholesale value of $500,000 to five local nonprofits: Project 150 , Family Promise of Las Vegas , Las Vegas Rescue Mission , Opportunity Village and Ronald McDonald House

Naqvi Injury Law has now donated more than $1 million to local organizations and nonprofits since 2008. Recent donations include $30,000 to the 98.5 KLUC Toy Drive to celebrate its 10-year partnership, $67,250 to the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation , $60,000 to HELP of Southern Nevada and $11,500 to Three Square Food Bank . The firm regularly partners with organizations like Cure 4 the Kids Foundation , HELP of Southern Nevada , Children’s Heart Foundation , Opportunity Village , Make-A-Wish Foundation and Safe Nest , among others.

JOB LISTING

Market Research Analyst (Las Vegas, NV) Bachelor’s degree in Business and 5 years experience. Collect and analyze data on customer demographics, preferences, needs and buying habits to identify potential markets and factors affecting demand.

Send resume to Gianpaolo Starita, Gore Consulting, 11700 W. Charleston Blvd., #170-439, Las Vegas, NV 89135