2025-03-13-Las-Vegas-Weekly

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GIVEAWAY

St. Patrick’s Day March 17 • 8am to Midnite

320 Winners Will be Randomly Awarded $100 in Free Slot Play While Playing at Their Favorite Machine

On Average 20 Winners Every Hour

THAT’S A WINNER EVERY 3 MINUTES

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

Marketing Graphic Designer CARYL LOU PAAYAS

Production Artist MARISSA MAHERAS

Senior Tra c Coordinator DENISE ARANCIBIA

Tra c Coordinator KIMBERLY CHANG

Distribution Relations Liaison JIDAN SHADOWEN

Fulfillment Operations Coordinator CASANDRA PIERCE

Route Administrator KATHY STRELAU

GREENSPUN MEDIA GROUP

CEO, Publisher & Editor BRIAN GREENSPUN

Chief Operating O cer ROBERT CAUTHORN

Director of Human Resources SHANNA CHAVEZ GRAY

Chief Financial O cer STEVE GRAY

LAS VEGAS WEEKLY

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The Vegas Jr. Golden Knights (red) take on the San Diego Angels (black) during the USA Hockey Pacific District Girls Championships at America First Center, February 21, 2025. (Steve Marcus/Sta )

22 GAME ON ON THE COVER

Henderson embraces sports as a tool for economic and community development.

10

18 SELF-CARE & LEISURE LIFE

How to create your own personal style to build confidence.

30 NEWS

Checking in on bird

flu after Nevada reported its first human case.

34 SPORTS

Las Vegas is producing memorable NASCAR races and it’s not slowing down with the Pennzoil 400.

38 ART

To keep the entertainment capital of the world going strong, we need to support local arts and culture.

42 COMEDY Ian Fidance showcases his humor and hardcore roots at Wiseguys.

46 FOOD & DRINK

Saying goodbye to the beloved DW Bistro.

Stavros Halkias brings the laughs to the Chelsea, the Great Barrier Reef takes center stage at the Smith Center and more this week.

SUPERGUIDE

BIG WEST BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Thru 3/15, noon, Lee’s Family Forum, axs.com

FORTE & FRIENDS POP-UP

5 p.m., Amari Italian Kitchen, amarilv.com

YURIDIA

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

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE

With Kublai Khan TX, Fit For A King, Frozen Soul, 6:30 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com

POUYA

With Freddie Dredd, Cursed, 7 p.m., House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com

SPY

With Anguish Cry, Sakura, Sniper’s Nest, 6 p.m., Sliced Pizza, seetickets.us

FLUX PAVILION

10 p.m., Substance, seetickets.us

NICKY ROMERO

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

NICK VARELL

10 p.m., Discopussy, seetickets.us

STAVROS HALKIAS

Rising comedian Stavros Halkias once told a Las Vegas crowd he thinks it’s “hilarious” that we live here. Now a little over a year removed from his popular Fat Rascal Tour, the 36-year-old Baltimore native is set to return as part of his 40-plus stop Dreamboat Tour. Best known for his conversational crowd work and signature blend of self-deprecating and body-positive humor, Halkias’ star began rising after his 2022 special Live at the Lodge Room garnered over seven million views on YouTube. His podcast, Stavvy’s World, has since amassed a cult following. 8 p.m., $39-$89, the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com.

–Tyler Schneider

NASCAR WEEKEND Thru 3/16, times vary, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, ticketmaster.com

TUFF-N-UFF 142

4:30 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com

UNLV OPERA

THEATER: THE THREE FEATHERS

7:30 p.m. (& 3/15, 2 p.m.), Judy Bayley Theatre, unlv.edu.

TOM PAPA

8:30 p.m., & 3/15, Summit Showroom, ticketmaster.com

EAGLES

8:30 p.m., & 3/15, Sphere, ticketmaster.com

ROD STEWART

7:30 p.m., & 3/15, 3/19, the Colosseum, ticketmaster. com

PITBULL 8 p.m., & 3/15, BleauLive Theater, ticketmaster.com

MAROON 5 8 p.m., & 3/15, 3/19, Dolby Live, ticketmaster.com.

CHICAGO

8 p.m., & 3/15, Venetian Theatre, ticketmaster.com

BRYAN ADAMS Thru 3/16, 8 p.m., Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com

THE QUEERS

8 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, dice.fm

DUSTIN LYNCH

With Brandi Cyrus, Noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.

MARKUS SCHULZ

10 p.m., Nine Twenty Warehouse, seetickets.us

ILLENIUM

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

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

ZOMBOY 10 p.m., Substance, seetickets.us

SATURDAY MAR 15

LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC: SHOSTAKOVICH’S FIFTH

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

LAS VEGAS LIGHTS VS. NEW MEXICO

UNITED

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

TUFF HEDEMAN BULL RIDING

7 p.m., South Point Arena, ticketmaster.com

SONS & DAUGHTERS OF ERIN

ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE

10 a.m., Water Street District, snsdoe.org.

CELTIC FEIS

10 a.m., New York-New York, newyorknewyork. mgmresorts.com.

AEW COLLISION

4:30 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com.

CHRIS BARRON

5 & 8 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com

MIND’S EYE

With Cathedral Bells, 7 p.m., Swan Dive, eventbrite.com

BRAD GARRETT

With Ken Garr, Mike Gaffney, 8 p.m., & 3/16, Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand. mgmresorts.com

MĒLA GUITAR QUARTET

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

MARSHMELLO 11 a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com

DJ PAULY D 11 a.m., Marquee Dayclub, taogroup.com

MUSTARD 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com

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

WIZ KHALIFA

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

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

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

JUSTIN MARTIN

10 p.m., Discopussy, tixr.com

STORYSLAM: INKED

At the end of January, the City of Las Vegas put out a call to anyone who wanted to talk about their experience getting or giving a tattoo. Since then, participants have been doing workshops with teaching artist and emcee Dayvid Figler, who is guiding them through weaving captivating narratives to showcase in front of an audience at StorySlam. “The City of Las Vegas’ StorySlam opens the door for residents to entertainingly capture and relate their personal experiences,” Figler says. “Each performance date has a new theme, and the workshops help shape vibrant, true stories loosely tied together.” What’s more? Many of the stories take place in Las Vegas. Get ready to dive into tales of challenges, conflict and (sometimes) resolution from your own community members who have been inked. 7 p.m., $5 suggested donation, Charleston Heights Arts Center, ovationtix.com. –Shannon Miller

(Courtesy/Mēla Guitar
Quartet)

SUPERGUIDE

*Spotlight events are sponsored

SUNDAY MAR 16 MONDAY MARCH 17

THE BRONX WANDERERS

7:30 p.m., South Point Showroom, ticketmaster. com

ST. BALDRICK’S

10 a.m., Nine Fine Irishmen, newyork newyork.mgm resorts.com.

OPERA

LAS VEGAS: CELEBRACIÓN LATINA

3 p.m., Nicholas J. Horn Theatre, operalasvegas. com.

OLLIE WRIDE With Prxzm, 7 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, seetickets.us

PLAY IT LOUD With Danco, Shamir Kelly, Father Kap, more, 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnight club.com

(Courtesy/Patrick Rivera)

SPOTLIGHT EVENT

ST. PADDY’S DAY BASH

From March 15-17, Fremont Street Experience presents the St. Paddy’s Day Bash, where neon lights, live entertainment and electric atmosphere fuse with a dash of good Irish spirit to produce the ultimate block party celebration in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas. Starting at 11 a.m. daily, enjoy live music across three stages by local DJs and Irish and Celtic bands like Arcana Kings, Celtic Rockers, The Black Donnellys and many more. Fremont Street Experience is a locals’ favorite destination that blends vintage Vegas charm with modern-day excitement through free live concerts nightly, the iconic SlotZilla zipline attraction and direct pedestrian access to eight world-renowned casino hotels, all under the spectacular Viva Vision canopy, the longest LED screen in town. 11 a.m., free, Fremont Street Experience, vegasexperience.com.

THE O’RHYOLITE SOUND

ST. PATTY’S DAY BASH

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

EXHIBIT: ANEC-NOTES BY MOLLY SCHULMAN Thru 5/11, times vary, Windmill Library, thelibrarydistrict. org.

EXHIBIT: ECHOES OF HYSTERICUS BY @ARTGROUP_607 Thru 3/30, times vary, Enterprise Library, the librarydistrict.org.

JOSH WOLF 8 p.m., Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticket master.com

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

SUPERGUIDE

TUESDAY MAR 18

WEDNESDAY MAR 19

KING’S X 7 p.m., Fremont Country Club, dice.fm

JAZZ VEGAS ORCHESTRA

7 p.m., Vic’s, vicslasvegas.com

CONNER O’MALLEY

YACHT ROCK REVUE

7:30 p.m., House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com

CHADWICK JOHNSON

7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com

LOS PLÁTANOS

8 p.m., Fat Cat Lounge, fatcatlv.com

EXHIBIT: FLATLAYS FROM THE OFFICE OF COLLECTING & DESIGN BY JESSICA ORECK Thru 4/1, times vary, Clark County Library, thelibrarydistrict.org.

ROB GUSON

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

WILLIE FARRELL

With Rodger Lizaola, thru 3/23, 8 p.m., LA Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy.com

NATE BARGATZE

8 p.m., Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com

7 p.m., Wiseguys Town Square, wiseguyscomedy.com

TECHNASIA 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com

VELVET HOSS 10 p.m., On the Record, ontherecordlv.com.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE: DIVING THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

One of the most underrated and overlooked recurring events at the Smith Center, the National Geographic Live speaker series brings a dynamic variety of writers, researchers, scientists and artists to Reynolds Hall for a presentation and Q&A session that brings distant parts of the natural world closer to home. This month, marine biologist and CEO of nonprofit organization The Hydrous Dr. Erika Woolsey drops in to share her deep blue perspective on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, which is under climate change attack but still very vibrant, as you’ll see from her virtual reality videos created with 360-degree photography. 7:30 p.m., $23+, thesmithcenter.com. –Brock Radke

SELF-CARE & LEISURE LIFE STYLE

FASHION FORWARD

Creating one’s own personal style builds confi dence and comfort

+ Personal style continued + local shops (see page 20)

The pandemic opened a temporary window for many of us who didn’t have to dress for the workplace for many months to experiment with our wardrobe. No, we’re not talking about all-day sweatpants. It was about erasing restrictions, discovering what kind of stu we like to see and love to wear, and how clothes make us feel.

That window doesn’t have to be closed. Spending time and energy on the way you look and present yourself can be instrumental in emotional well-being, which means fashion counts as self-care. And whether or not you had an all-day sweats era, you probably gave some thought to de ning your own personal style, which doesn’t need to be more complicated than buying and wearing pieces that make you look and feel great.

Comfort equals confi dence.

Modeling clothes has come with challenging circumstances at times for Alexander. “There have been a lot of out ts I put on that I think look great, but I knew I wasn’t comfortable in. It might have been showing too much, or maybe too tight,” she says. “Having comfort with what you wear is really important in the real world because it adds up to con dence in any room you’re walking into. Even in sweats—and I’m not a fan of athleisure—you can still dress it up, add cute jewelry or a bag.”

Kee Alexander, a model for more than 10 years and recently appointed membership committee co-chair of the Las Vegas Fashion Council, has always enjoyed putting out ts together. She never intended to work as a model in trade shows and on runways—she actually planned to be behind the camera after earning degrees in lm production and creative writing—but that experience has obviously broadened her interest in fashion and her expertise in creating di erent looks.

“I wasn’t the most con dent person in high school. I liked to dress but I have insecurities, like we all do,” she says. “Becoming a model helped me step into that con dence, and then it’s just adding the wardrobe on top of it.”

Alexander shared some tips with Weekly readers who are ready to build or rebuild their own personal style.

A good rule of thumb: When dressing casual, nd ways to add a little something that will make you feel like you’re not just relaxing at home, and when you’re getting a little more dressed up, refocus on making yourself comfortable.

Try to skip fast fashion.

Rapidly produced, inexpensive apparel that’s readily available at big corporate stores is designed to be somewhat generic and feel familiar to current trends. It may be cheap and convenient to get wardrobe basics at stores like these, but fast fashion isn’t good for the environment or human rights, and it’s not going to help you de ne a unique style. Alexander notes it’s easy to nd cool jackets, pants, T-shirts and other staples at thrift stores, and points out the Las Vegas Fashion Council’s Eco Couture event set for April 30 at Emerald at Queensridge could be a great inspiration with its repurposed couture fashion show and upcycle design competition. (Tickets are at lasvegasfashioncoun cil.com.)

(Continued on page 20)

(Continued from page 19)

Don’t be afraid to take risks.

Most of us fashion civilians are a bit shy when it comes to trying something new, even if it’s a look we really adore.

“But at the end of the day, you’re not going to know how it looks on you unless you try it out,” Alexander says. “There’s a lot of online shopping nowadays, but I’m a person who needs to go to the store, feel it, and try it on before I buy it. Then it feels okay to take the risk.”

If you’re experimenting with something that feels a bit bold, perhaps a loud and vibrant print, let it be the statement of the out t and go neutral with everything else.

“Playing around with di erent things is really important when developing a personal style. That’s what makes it true to you,” Alexander says.

Fashion needs function.

Of course we dress appropriately for our jobs or careers or for the occasion, but there’s always space to be creative and express our individuality. “I work at a nonpro t and we have regular o ce attire, but we also have people come in with really colorful blazers and glasses, jewelry, blinged out shoes,” Alexander says. “There are always ways to spice up a dull look. You might have to wear basic khakis and a polo, but you can add a nice watch or a really cool belt.”

Treat your day-to-day fashion choices as if you’re creating a personal uniform—one that’s less rigid and structured than what that word normally implies.

Be intentional.

This is Alexander’s greatest style advice, because it comes from a mom, not just a model.

“I think the biggest thing is to make sure you’re being intentional every morning when you get dressed, no matter what you wear or where you’re going,” she says. “I’m a mom, and for my rst few years, I didn’t care what I was looking like. After a while, I’d look in the mirror and I was not recognizing who I am, but I am a person who does like to get dressed. Now I make sure my hair is done, I have a cute out t that’s comfortable and appropriate, and it makes me feel good knowing I look good in it. It’s the small things—even if I’m not wearing makeup, I always put on earrings.”

Here are a few of our favorite local boutiques—friendly shops and sites where you can nd anything and everything from casual comfy clothes

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INVESTED IN THE GAME

ON THE COVER AND THIS PAGE

Photographs by Steve Marcus
The Las Vegas Desert Dogs (in black) take on the Halifax Thunderbirds at Lee's Family Forum in Henderson on March 1.

It’s Valentine’s Day and I’m at Lee’s Family Forum falling in love with the game of box lacrosse. Or, as I like to call it, hockey at room temperature.

Our own Las Vegas Desert Dogs have wrestled the upper hand from the Vancouver Warriors, and I’ve discovered these athletes have just as much game on foot as their hockey equivalents do on the ice. But what the Warriors don’t have is a furry, four-legged mascot like we do. His name is Duci the Desert Dog, and that detail alone is enough to keep me running with this pack.

By the third quarter, my voice has gone raw from screaming. I’ve memorized every syllable of Baha Men’s “Who Let the Dogs Out,” a track that plays each time we score a goal. And I can’t help but notice how the families waving their team ags and the couples stealing kisses on the jumbotron also recite the song by heart as the Desert Dogs near their victory lap.

We’re all very much invested in this game. And over the last few years, it’s obvious the City of Henderson is, too.

Factor in the $84 million investment of Lee’s Family Forum, currently home to four professional sports teams; the nearly $26 million America First Center on Water Street, where the Henderson Silver Knights practice; and the Las Vegas Raiders headquarters and Las Vegas Aces facility, where both teams train, and it’s clear Henderson has used sports to bolster its economy and develop the community in a very signi cant way.

“We like to think of Henderson as the place where sports come to do business,” says Jared Smith, director of economic development and tourism for the City of Henderson. “The Raiders have their headquarters here, the Aces have their headquarters, and we have pitched Henderson as a headquarters for other sports teams as well.”

team. That historic moment happened in Henderson, and it isn’t the rst time sports have made this city proud.

Lee’s Family Forum, the 5,500-capacity arena on Green Valley Parkway originally known as the Dollar Loan Center, began as a partnership between the City of Henderson and the Vegas Golden Knights. Built on the site of the former Henderson Pavilion amphitheater to house Bill Foley’s American Hockey League team the Silver Knights, it opened in 2022 with a dynamic rst event: the Big West Basketball Championships, which returns this year and is being played now through March 15.

“We had three pillars when we opened the building: sports, families, Henderson,” says Kerry Bubolz, president and chief executive o cer of the Vegas Golden Knights. “We’ve got over 100 sporting events now that take place at that facility. The American Hockey League, without playo s, has only 38 events. So how do you build a business model? It doesn’t work with just one team. So we went to work to build out that portfolio.”

How the City of Henderson has embraced sports as a powerful tool for community development

The Aces’ 64,000-square-foot facility, located at St. Rose Parkway and Raiders Way, garnered national attention when it opened in 2023 as the rst building of its kind built exclusively for a WNBA

The arena has since become a agbearer for Henderson sports and entertainment and is also home to the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame. In addition to the Silver Knights, it hosts the games of the Desert Dogs, the National Lacrosse League team that decamped from Michelob Ultra Arena and moved to Henderson in 2024; the Vegas Knight Hawks, an Indoor Football League team also owned by Foley Entertainment Group (FEG); and the professional women’s volleyball team the Vegas Thrill.

(Continued on page 24)

Various action from the Las Vegas Desert Dogs-Halifax Thunderbirds lacrosse game at Lee's Family Forum in Henderson. (Steve Marcus/Sta )

(Continued from page 23)

“This year, I think, is where we really hit a tremendous stride. We’ve got the two teams that I specifically oversee, the Silver Knights and the Knight Hawks, but also with adding the Thrill last year, it’s unbelievable to have not only professional volleyball, but women’s professional volleyball in the Valley,” says Gabe Mirabelli, chief business officer for FEG’s minor league properties. “That building is so intimate and accessible to the community. Being able to get fans so up-close to those tremendous female athletes, I think is fantastic.”

Bubolz says he’d love to host state high school basketball tournaments, and to see indoor soccer and professional women’s hockey eventually join the Lee’s Family Forum portfolio, but so far, “it’s been a really good start and there’s more to come.”

For Mirabelli, a Bostonian who grew up playing pond hockey, the community aspect of sports—and having access to arenas and facilities in the neighborhood—was a crucial part of his upbringing.

“One thing that I kind of hearken back to my childhood is being able to go to Red Sox games, and just walk down to the front row and watch batting practice. We’re offering that across four different sports for youth here.

“In addition to all the shows, it’s just having something that is so close to your house that you can get to in 10 to 20 minutes, depending on where you are,” Mirabelli says. “But even in communities like Boulder City, we’ve got a strong number of folks that … come out to our games, and even Lake Las Vegas. We’re the closest entertainment venue to that part of the Valley, and I think it’s wonderful to give them something to do on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday.”

Especially when it comes to hockey, the Silver Knights can get up close and personal with their neighbors in ways their older brother squad cannot, Mirabelli says.

“Kids 14 and under, if they stay for the whole game, can actually come down onto the ice and take a slap shot. That’s our version of kids running the bases,” he says. “We’ll sit there, whether it’s 45 minutes or two hours, until we get all those kiddos to have that experience.”

Sports has been touted as an economic engine in Las Vegas well before major league teams arrived, and now the same claim can

HENDERSON SPORTS

be made in Henderson. The construction and development of these facilities factor into the city’s growth in a high-profile way.

“Companies that we talk to everyday, when they’re deciding on where they want to relocate to or expand, are always looking for a high quality place,” Smith says. “They want their employees to be thrilled to live, work and play in the community in which they [live].

“Those investments that Henderson and our other sister cities in Southern Nevada make into their quality of place, their quality of life, makes us very competitive as a community.”

As Bubolz points out, each time Lee’s Family Forum hosts an event, the entire area feels it. Fans who come for a game or one of the arena’s many concerts might also dine or shop at The District at Green Valley Ranch or visit the Green Valley Ranch Resort.

Every venue and event feeds into something larger. Bubolz experienced that first hand when the Golden Knights worked with the City of Henderson to open a 120,000-squarefoot hockey facility, now the America First Center, on Water Street in 2020.

“It was a very similar story in that the city presented this location, which was previous-

ly called the Henderson Event Center, but it was an old facility. It really was deteriorating, and they needed an economic catalyst on Water Street,” Bubolz says. “We were able to partner in a public-private partnership on close to a $30 million investment.”

Since its arrival, restaurants and other businesses have popped up along the historic main road of Downtown Henderson. “Joe DeSimone, who owns the Pass Casino there, built a hotel. All of a sudden Water Street is taking on a whole new feel, whereas 10 years ago, it just kind of lost its appeal,” Bubolz continues.

“We were excited to ... be a catalyst, to have a name and a brand like the Golden Knights say, we’re making an investment in Water Street and it’s led to a lot of other investments. We were really proud of that.”

America First Center has also striven to “build the game of hockey here in the Valley,” Bubolz says. It has hosted several unique tournaments, including the USA Hockey National Championships and the Pacific District Championships. On March 19-22, it’ll host the Amerigol LATAM Spring Classic, which features Latin American hockey teams.

(Continued on page 26)

Vegas Thrill outside hitter Hannah Maddux (11) celebrates a point against the Omaha Supernovas at Lee’s Family Forum. (Steve Marcus/Staff)
Members of the Vegas Jr. Golden Knights line up with the San Diego Angels during the USA Hockey Pacific District Girls Championships at the America First Center in downtown Henderson. (Steve Marcus/Staff)
LAS VEGAS

(Continued from page 24)

Just like the Golden Knights’ practice facility, City National Arena in Summerlin, America First Center has also become a true community rink for youth hockey and ice skating.

Recreational activities also have incredible value in the big picture of Henderson sports. The Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce-backed pickleball chain Chicken N Pickle recently opened its first Nevada location here, offering a three-acre, multi-level compound for the popular paddle sport.

And just recently, the city announced the development of the 160,000-square-foot West Henderson Fieldhouse, an indoor sports and entertainment complex right behind Chicken N Pickle at St. Rose and Maryland Parkways. According to a press release, the facility will have four basketball courts, 24 bowling lanes, outdoor mini golf, parks and recreation programming and more. And it’s the second such development under way in Henderson.

“The West Henderson Fieldhouse is going to have certain amenities that are going to be great for local kids and leagues in its own right,” Smith says. “The [sports facility] that we are envisioning for the former Fiesta site [near the southeastern Beltway] is also geared towards local leagues, but large enough to bring in these national tournaments. So it’s not just a quality of life asset, it’s a tourism asset as well.”

Smith foresees the fieldhouse becoming

“a worldwide magnet” for minor league and recreational sports and more.

And these new facilities are being added to a community renowned for its collection of parks and outdoor recreation hot spots.

In 2024, Henderson’s park system ranked in the top 25 in the nation, according to the Park Score Index of Trust for Public Land.

The annual Sin City Classic sports festival utilized many of Henderson’s facilities during its citywide takeover in January.

Smith says he’d love to see this momentum build into new industries such as sports medicine and media production.

With educational staples like Touro University and College of Southern Nevada’s Henderson Campus nearby, growth in those areas could be imminent.

“Henderson is a place that is choosing its own destiny,” Smith says. “We’re making these investments, and we’re not stopping no matter how good things get.”

“WE LIKE TO THINK OF HENDERSON AS THE PLACE WHERE SPORTS COME TO DO BUSINESS.”
Jared Smith, director of economic development and tourism, City of Henderson
RIGHT Chicken N Pickle (Courtesy)
BELOW
Rendering of the West Henderson Fieldhouse. (Courtesy/ City of Henderson)

IN THE NEWS

A’s to wear Las Vegas patch on uniforms

The A’s are set to play baseball in Sacramento for the next three years, but the team will have Las Vegas on its sleeve in the meantime.

A’s owner John Fisher named the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority the “o cial travel destination partner” of the franchise at a press event on March 7 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. A patch featuring the Las Vegas logo will be on A’s jerseys this season.

“Every time one of our players gets up to bat now, you’re going to see right

in that camera shot: ‘Las Vegas,’” Fisher said with a giant baseball projected on the Sphere behind him.

“That’s our future.”

Fisher said the partnership will be more than just the patch, a “whole marketing relationship,” adding, “we’re going to be doing things throughout the next three years to remind everyone on a continual basis that Las Vegas is our home.”

On March 6, the team hired a new team president in Marc Badain, who

served in the same position for the NFL’s Raiders during their move from Oakland to Vegas, and unveiled updated renderings of the $1.75 billion stadium scheduled to open for the 2028 season.

“It is going to be the best place to play baseball in the United States,” LVCVA president Steve Hill said. “Today (is) the next step in our relationship, partnership and in the elevation of both Major League Baseball, the A’s and Las Vegas.” –Kyle Chouinard

Miss Atomic Bomb, 1957

This shot seen around the world was taken by Las Vegas News Bureau photographer Don English in May 1957 in the Nevada desert. English’s team fashioned the model’s swimsuit after a mushroom cloud, a defining symbol of nuclear power at a time when atomic bombs were being tested at the Nevada Test Site. Fast forward to 2025, and the identity of the model has finally been unveiled after a lengthy investigation by one of the founding members of the Atomic Museum. Anna Lee Mahoney of New York performed as a lead dancer at the Sands Hotel’s Copa Room and posed for the “Miss Atomic Bomb” photo, the museum announced. A temporary exhibit about the investigation into the model’s identity and the image’s evolution is planned for summer. Visit atomicmuseum.vegas for more information. –Sta

“I know that the majority of my constituents are anxious because, even those who voted for him, voted for him to lower costs, to make their lives more a ordable. And his actions are doing directly the opposite.”

You might have heard about the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s Water Smart Landscape rebate program, which provides $3 per square foot of functional turf removed and replaced with desert landscaping up to the first 10,000 square feet converted, and $1.50 per square foot thereafter.

The City of Henderson is sweetening the deal with an additional $575 for removing decorative grass. To qualify, projects must be approved by SNWA and be for single-family residential parcels with at least 400 square feet of lawn in Henderson. More information is available at cityofhenderson.com/ savewater –Sta

HOT SHOTS
A’s player Brent Rooker points to the Las Vegas logo on his jersey during a press conference on March 7 in Las Vegas.
Above: The A’s logo appears on the Sphere.
(Wade Vandervort/ Sta )

STEAK, EGGS AND THE AVIAN FLU

After

Nevada’s first human case of bird flu, experts discuss the state’s capacity to handle outbreaks

Bird flu is back and stronger than ever, and Nevada isn’t immune to the surge. A pair of emergent new strains have infiltrated the Silver State in recent months.

In December, a Nye County dairy cow became Nevada’s first positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in cattle. And on February 10, the Central Nevada Health District (CNHD) confirmed the state’s “first and only” case of the virus in a human after a Churchill County dairy worker tested positive.

With President Trump and his administration implementing cuts to agencies that monitor such outbreaks, will our state be properly equipped to curb the spread? The

administration has already laid off at least 1,300 probationary employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)— roughly a tenth of its workforce.

To get a handle on the situation, the Weekly spoke with Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) director J.J. Goicoechea and UNLV professor and epidemiologist Brian Labus.

What’s the latest on the existing bird flu outbreak?

The Nye County herd is tied to one strain called B3.13, which began circulating nationwide roughly a year ago. Now, Goicoechea says nine northern Nevada herds are also under quarantine with a slightly newer variation known as D1.1.

To date, nearly 1,000 herds across 17 states have contracted some form of bird flu, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Nearly three quarters of them are in California, which poses additional challenges for Nevada’s primarily beef and dairy-driven agricultural sector.

The wave has so far been linked to 70 human cases in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In January, the Louisiana Department of Health announced the first and only human fatality in a patient “over the age of 65 and reported to have underlying medical conditions.”

As of March 10, the CDC cited more than 166 million birds impacted thus far. In Nevada, just one small Churchill County flock of 20 birds has been confirmed to have been exposed.

What risks do these new strains pose to humans?

While humans can contract bird flu, Labus says the latest strains are “not a general risk to the public.”

“When humans have been infected, it has tended to be very, very mild,” Labus says. “It’s an occupa-

tional hazard for poultry and dairy cattle workers, but not something we’re worried about spreading from person to person at this point.”

According to the CNHD, the infected Churchill County employee had “conjunctivitis and no other symptoms and is recovering.”

The CDC also maintains that “the current public health risk is low.”

How dangerous is it for animals? Should I be worried about my pets?

Bird flu’s successful jump over to cattle is notable in a scientific sense, but Labus and Goicoechea both say that the new variants are unlikely to kill very many of them.

“For birds, this is a devastating infection that can wipe out an entire flock in a couple of days. For dairy cattle, it’s a minor annoyance. They might get a little sick or may not have any symptoms at all, but almost all of them recover eventually,” Labus says.

Dogs seem to be in a similar boat, but Labus warns that the virus can be “a very serious problem for cats, causing severe respiratory and neurologic illnesses and often resulting in death.”

The majority of infected cats live or roam near dairy farms, but Labus says some have also contracted it from contaminated pet foods.

What is Nevada doing to mitigate the impact?

Goicoechea works closely with other state agencies to monitor potential outbreaks and quarantine any afflicted herds or flocks.

“When this virus is literally falling out of the sky, our message to producers is to increase their biosecurity and stay vigilant. If you see an increase in nuisance birds that are affecting your cows’ intake or contaminating your feed, let us know, and we will take appropriate action,” Goicoechea said.

When a farm is hit, NDA works

“It’s an occupational hazard for poultry and dairy cattle workers, but not something we’re worried about spreading from person to person at this point.”
–Brian Labus, epidemiologist and UNLV assistant professor

with local agencies to coordinate a quarantine, during which “mandatory testing will occur onsite at regular intervals until the herds are confirmed to be virus-free.” At-risk agricultural workers are offered testing, and those who work on an impacted farm continue to test for two weeks after a quarantine is lifted.

The NDA and USDA have also partnered to conduct controlled culling of invasive bird species like the European starling, which are known to spread bird flu in high numbers.

Labus says there have been efforts to develop a vaccine, but a market-ready product is still a long way off.

“The best thing we can do right now is keep wild birds away from the chickens that we have for food production. When you’re trying to protect a large group of birds, the idea isn’t that you can save every animal, but if you can save the group, then you’ve done your job,” Labus says.

What about egg prices? And is milk still safe to drink?

According to the USDA, the latest outbreak has led to the deaths of over 100 million chickens nationwide, which has in part caused infamously high egg prices.

The issue was an early priority for Nevada legislators, who recently passed a law that allows the state to temporarily overrule a 2021 law prohibiting any commercial poultry or eggs from being sold unless they came from a cage-free farm. The new law allows limited 120-day suspensions, which Labus said could both potentially lower egg prices and also create incentive to separating poultry from wild birds.

Nevada farmers also work with the FDA to regularly test every dairy silo for the virus before any milk is sold commercially. Goicoechea says earlier versions of those tests confirmed that bird flu is “rendered inactive by pasteurization.”

“There is no raw milk consumption allowed in the state of Nevada. So, as long as you’re eating or drinking pasteurized dairy products, you’re fine. And there’s no risk of eating meat as long as you’re cooking it to the proper internal temperature,” Goicoechea says.

Experience the first pitch of the season with Greg Maddux at

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HITTING THE

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SPORTS

Las Vegas Motor Speedway staged one of the most dramatic and impactful races of the year the last time the NASCAR Cup Series was in town.

Bell wound up on the losing end of Logano’s unbelievable victory last fall. He nished second despite having the fastest car and leading 155 of 267 laps—almost three times more than anyone else in the eld.

It was the rst chapter in a disappointing end to the season as Bell went from championship favorite to not even making the nal four, largely thanks to Logano catching him in Las Vegas.

GAS

Veteran driver Joey Logano overtook the lead for the rst time with only six laps to go as a result of a deft fuel-preservation strategy, and held on for victory in last October’s South Point 400. The win made him the rst driver to clinch in a spot in the Championship Four, which he went on to win despite having been brie y eliminated a week before the Las Vegas race.

A penalty assessed post-race to another driver, Alex Bowman, ultimately elevated Logano back into the eld, and he used the second chance to make a shocking run at the title.

“What an incredible turn of events here,” Logano said after his South Point 400 victory.

Those types of exclamations have become commonplace after recent races at the local 1.5-mile asphalt tri-oval that’s now one year away from turning 30 years old. Las Vegas Motor Speedway has become one of the more exciting stops on the entire NASCAR circuit.

But the 30-year-old Toyota driver appears to be back for vengeance this season. Despite being thick in NASCAR’s age of parity, Bell claimed back-to-back victories in Atlanta and Austin in the second and third races of the season in the weeks before Las Vegas.

PENNZOIL400

March 16, noon, $94-$310. Las Vegas Motor Speedway, tick etmaster.com

The track never produced dull action, but it was easy to overlook and blend in with similar courses during its early years—and the same names seemed to win repeatedly.

Jimmie Johnson most memorably prevailed in the Pennzoil 400 three straight years from 2005 to 2007, and then again in 2010. He’s one of four racers who have gone back-to-back with victories at the event.

But it hasn’t happened since NASCAR introduced its “Next Gen car” in 2022, with three di erent winners— Bowman, William Byron and Kyle Larson—grabbing the checkered ag in the annual spring Las Vegas race.

“Winning has certainly become harder,” current NASCAR Cup season leader Christopher Bell said of the in uence of the Next Gen car earlier this month. “More guys are capable of it. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing is debatable, but it’s the sport that we live in and compete in right now.”

He’s putting forth a case to be considered NASCAR’s best all-around driver, a description Kyle Larson has held relatively comfortably for the last four years. The 32-year-old Larson, who drives a Chevrolet, more or less started his ascent to the very top of the sport with a victory at the 2021 Pennzoil 400. He won it again last year, and also claimed the South Point 400 in October 2023. There might be more competition than ever before at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but Larson is still always considered the top man to beat.

With two second-place nishes in his last three races in Las Vegas, however, Bell is closing the gap.

“It’s time to start putting it all together,” Bell said after his second win of this season. “I have the opportunity of a lifetime in front of me.”

That’s a lot more hopeful tone than the one Bell struck after Logano stunned him in the South Point 400. Bell described failing to win for the rst time in Las Vegas as a “bummer” and alluded to needing to regroup.

It didn’t happen last season, but he’s o to the best start in the Next Gen car era this year. But in NASCAR, the margin between victory and defeat can come down to fractions of seconds or minuscule decisions.

Few locations have illustrated that duality better than Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

I’m gonna talk at you for a minute about the National Endowment for the Arts.

EXTENDED RESIDENCY

An independent government agency, the NEA ful lls grants for arts and culture schools and organizations nationwide, which includes those in Southern Nevada. In the past ve years, it’s granted funds to A Source of Joy Theatricals (for Broadway in the HOOD); to Nevada Ballet Theatre (for new works by Krista Baker and Trey McIntyre); to the Nevada School of the Arts (for a chamber music program); to the Discovery Children’s Museum and the Neon Museum (for artist residencies); to UNLV (for a summer writer’s residency) and many more.

These NEA grants made city festivals possible. They allowed concerts and art shows to be mounted. They provided arts education to kids. They weren’t huge sums of money, relative to how much we spend for other government services and agencies; most of the NEA’s grants to Southern Nevada entities range in the low-to-middle ve gures. And nationally, the taxpayer burden is minimal: The NEA’s 2025 budget is $210.1 million, which gures out to less than 62 cents per capita. That means your annual out-of-pocket for the NEA is substantially less than the price of a candy bar.

(Continuing that thought experiment: Last week we did some napkin math in the newsroom, combining the requested 2025 federal budgets for the NEA, the National Endowment for the Humanities [$200.1 million] and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting [$545 million], which supplies minimal funding to PBS and NPR stations.

DEFENDING ART-OCRACY

(the performing, musical, costuming and literary arts), for eye-popping attractions like Sphere and Area15 (the visual, sculptural and interactive arts), for our restaurants and bars (culinary arts and mixology), and for the experience of walking our streets and marveling at our buildings and signage (the commercial, architectural and graphic arts).

If we empower our arts organizations, they can empower us in return

None of the talents and skills needed to make a place like Las Vegas were developed in a vacuum. They were nurtured, over time, through specialized arts education. They were made with the help of arts institutions: museums, galleries, libraries, theater companies, musical conservatories. And even with an NEA working at peak engagement—which it has arguably never enjoyed—these arts and culture organizations need our patronage, in denominations ranging from “candy bar” to “monthly streaming service.”

We cost for all of that, per taxpayer, at just under $3. Not monthly: $3 a year. Most parents

We gured the annual cost for all of that, per taxpayer, at just under $3. Not monthly: $3 a year

would pay that for Sesame Street alone. Remember that when Elon Musk inevitably brandishes his chainsaw on the socials, threatening to saw Elmo in half.)

I say all this because … well, you probably knew the reason coming in.

The NEA has been a political kickball pretty much since its founding in 1965. Ronald Reagan considered abolishing the NEA during his rst term but changed his mind; Newt Gingrich tried to pull the NEA’s funding, along with that of the NEH and CPB, but repeatedly came up short; and Donald Trump attempted to defund it in 2017, but Congress kept it alive. Trump’s going to try again this year, likely by allowing Musk’s out-of-control Department of Government E ciency to re its

personnel and dissolve its before Congress and the

administrative structure

Whatever DOGE does to the NEA is out of our hands, at least for the moment. But it should remind us that the arts occupy a tenuous and perpetually endangered spot in the national consciousness. The phase itself begs to be spoken in a haughty, mid-Atlantic accent: the ahhhts Many people—probably not most, but many—regard the arts as a kind of high-minded, existential threat that’s coming to steal their money and indoctrinate their children, leaving only atonal symphonies and Robert Mapplethorpe nudes in its wake. But the arts are substantially more than that, as anyone who lives in this city can attest.

to the NEA is out of our

There are thousands of arts-minded organizations and individuals across our Valley that need us now and always, from painters to poets to theater companies to local bands. Many of these artists will never receive a federal grant, or even think to pursue one. But any one of them could make a di erence for us, the self-made “entertainment capital of the world.” A little bit of attention could make all the di erence to a struggling creative, whether that means o ering nancial support or simply showing up. Especially now, when the prevailing political sentiment is that the arts are a frivolity, a line item that can be eliminated and replaced with more streaming TV.

Las Vegas has a foundation of legalized gaming, but it’s the arts that makes losing money palatable to millions of tourists annually. They come for our shows and headliners

It’s not the gambling that entices people away from online betting and their state lottery to visit Las Vegas. And it’s not this Valley’s assortment of strip malls that keeps us locals occupied on a Friday night. It’s the spotlight, the stage, the microphone, the painted backdrop, the movie screen. It’s the arts. And in supporting them, we’re supporting the idea of Vegas. The arts is what Vegas does. The arts is what Vegas is.

CELEBRATE WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH AT THE LIBRARY DISTRICT

Virtual Author Talk with Clara Bingham

Award-winning journalist and author Clara Bingham will discuss her new book, “The Movement: How Women’s Liberation Transformed America, 1963-1973.”

Thursday, March 20 at 11 a.m.

Virtual Program (visit our website)

AGE GROUP: ADULTS

Women’s Adventure Film Festival

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

Saturday, March 22 at 2 p.m.

Clark County Library

A Stage Reading of “NSFW” by Lucy Kirkwood

Enjoy a razor-sharp comedy about power, publishing, and the commodifying portrayal of women in the media. Presented by A Public Fit Theatre Company.

Friday, March 28 at 7 p.m. & Saturday, March 29 at 2 p.m.

Clark County Library

AGE GROUP: ADULTS

AGE GROUP: 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

Out of this World: Women’s History Storytime

Little ones will learn about courageous and empowering women.

Tuesday, March 18 at 11 a.m.

Whitney Library

AGE GROUP: TODDLERS & PRESCHOOLERS

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

STEM Meets Art

Kids will learn about the physicist Wu Chien Shiung and create art about science, technology, engineering, or math.

Wednesday, March 26 at 4:30 p.m.

Summerlin Library

AGE GROUP: KIDS

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

Quartet Elegancia - Library Concert Series

Enjoy a performance by this acclaimed classical quartet.

Sunday, March 30 at 3 p.m.

Sahara West Library

AGE GROUP: ADULTS

Free and open to the public. Seating is on a firstcome, first-served basis and may be limited. Scan for even more events & programs this month:

NO PRESSURE MUSIC

OLLIE WRIDE

March 16, 7 p.m., $25+. Backstage Bar & Billiards, seetickets.us.

Celebrated synth singer Ollie Wride makes his Vegas debut

Ollie Wride is far too humble to see himself as a steward of synthwave, even if that’s the way a legion of genre fans see it.

“To have that in the back of my mind would be an unhealthy in uence,” says the English singer-songwriter. “As an artist, you’re doing it because you were convinced you had something to get o your chest.

“When it resonates with the audience, that’s icing on the cake, and it’s wonderful that it does.”

Despite his genuine protests, there’s no denying Wride’s status among the synth faithful. Gifted with opera countertenor vocals, Bowie-like showmanship and a love for Ray Brown custom suits, Wride is tailor-made for a sound steeped in neon-lit nostalgia.

“I wear my in uences on my sleeves,” he says. “They’re kind of like a scrapbook and a focusing lens. I view it as an extension of the music.”

An instant favorite since breaking out in 2016 with the genre-de ning “Running In the Night,” the singer is embarking on a North American tour to promote his second album,

The Pressure Point, and will make his long-awaited Las Vegas debut March 16 at Fremont East’s Backstage Bar & Billiards.

The 20-stop tour marks Wride’s return to the U.S. following a handful of 2023 shows—a test run of sorts, but a wildly successful one that kicked o with a sold-out performance at LA’s historic Troubadour, with genre peers Sunglasses Kid, Jessie Frye and others in attendance.

“That is humbling. You do feel under a microscope in a good way, it’s a healthy pressure,” he says. “And that’s the wonderful thing about this scene that sort of took me under its wing, it’s very supportive.”

Wride didn’t set out to become a synthwave star, though he’d always gravitated toward artists that broke out in the sophisti-pop and glam rock genres—Freddie Mercury, Roxy Music and the aforementioned David Bowie. Dreaming of a music career in uenced by his idols, Wride struggled early on to nd industry allies.

“I was told my sort of style and artistry would never land,” he recalls. “It was described as ‘not relevant’

ESSENTIAL OLLIE

Five tracks to start building your Ollie Wride playlist.

“Running In the Night” (w/FM-84) | 2016

“Don’t Want to Change Your Mind” (w/FM-84) | 2016

“Stranger Love” (w/Sunglasses Kid)| 2020

“Back to Life” | 2019

“A Matter of Time” | 2025

and that threw me into an identity crisis for a while, because my work is intertwined with me as a person.”

The synth community felt di erently. After that rejection, Wride’s bandmate, vocalist Josh Dally, introduced him to Dutch producer Jordy Leenaerts (aka Timecop1983), leading to their 2015 collaboration “Wild Love.” Wride then went on to work with San Francisco-based Colin Bennett (aka FM-84) on 2016’s Atlas, the album that brought “Running in the Night” to the masses and catapulted the singer to the forefront of the synth movement.

“It was vindication, because I’ve always been told I couldn’t do this, and in a way the scene kind of adopted me,” he recalls. “The fact that there was an avenue for this kind of music, inspired by a decade I love, it was like a godsend to be appreciated and counted.”

Wride’s rst solo album, 2019’s Thanks In Advance, was poised to take his star to the next level. Then came 2020. The planned tour was put on hold. The wave of publicity to accompany singles “Back to Life”

and “Never Live Without You” never crested, and the singer found himself in his Brighton home searching for a creative outlet.

That’s where the seeds of The Pressure Point were planted. Mastered at London’s famed Metropolis Studios, with Wride working out of George Michael’s writing suite, the sophomore e ort is part self-examination, part social commentary.

“My songs are about triumphing over adversity and trying to keep the faith, and isolation forced me to turn the pen on myself and the world around me,” he says. “It’s rooted in maturity, there’s this thread of continuity as far as the narrative, but every track can stand on its own two feet.”

The Pressure Point album cover re ects those last words—the image of Wride, solo in the spotlight in a tailored dress shirt and ared pants (he’s been rocking them since long before Kendrick hit the Super Bowl stage), captures an artist who’s condently ready for center stage.

Las Vegas better get ready, ‘cause Ollie Wride will be here soon.

CLUTCH CONVERSATION WITH

SATURDAY, MARCH 29 1:30 PM | INTERNATIONAL BAR

Join us before the games for an exclusive Q&A session with college basketball legend Christian Laettner!

Don’t miss your chance to relive the iconic moments, buzzer-beaters and behind-the scenes stories from one of college basketball’s most talked about figures!

COMEDY

PUNK-FUELED PUNCHLINES

Comic Ian Fidance showcases his hardcore humor at Wiseguys Town Square

When Ian Fidance stomps onstage, wildeyed, unhinged and usually sporting a band tee, there’s an undeniable presence. As he puts it, he’s a “little goblin guy,” a creature who’s been roaming comedy clubs and stages for years, leaving audiences both captivated and wondering just how far he’ll go.

”I came up in punk rock and hardcore,” he says. “My favorite part of going to shows was never knowing what was gonna happen and not knowing if you’re going to make it out alive.”

The Brooklyn-based comic, writer and actor doesn’t shy away from the madness in either comedy or music. He’s a chain-smoking, quick-witted, no-holds-barred force who’s become a known entity in the world of laughter. At his gigs, Fidance often turns to audience members, asking simple questions that snowball into an all-out verbal assault.

“I really try to do it in a way that everyone’s in on it and no one ever feels hurt or insulted,” he explains. “We’re all in on the joke, and the joke is basically me flipping out.”

And flip out he does. Fidance’s energy is manic, his pacing tireless. One moment he’s ad-libbing on random audience answers; the next, he’s spinning off into a completely new tangent full of life experiences, social commentary and self-deprecating jabs that leave his audience in stitches ... but also on edge. His nasally rasp

only gets higher and louder as he tumbles into word-twisters that lead to full-on crash outs before he settles back into an affable demeanor that’s all part of the bit.

It’s been a 14-year journey for Fidance, who started in Philadelphia doing stand-up alongside touring comedian Tim Butterly. He later moved to New York City to further his career. These days, his hustle is finally paying off. Fidance’s debut stand-up special, Wild Happy & Free, dropped on YouTube last year, garnering praise. He’s also sold out multiple tour dates and co-hosts a killer podcast with stand-up comic Jordan Jensen.

Between touring 48 weekends out of the year, popping in to guest spot on comedy projects and podcasts, and even jumping on a hardcore band’s track (listen to Going Off’s song “Bound

By Blood” to hear Fidance’s vocals), you’d think it’d be enough to knock him on his ass. But he admits he thrives on staying booked and busy.

When asked about the evolution of his crowds over time, Fidance doesn’t mince words.

”I think social media is evil and it’s the devil. … It’s not lost on me that I’m a hypocrite when I say that, because I’m in a narcissistic endeavor of, ‘Hey, everyone, be quiet. Look at me for an hour,’” he says. ”I’ve noticed crowd members try to inject themselves into my act so that they can maybe be in a clip to show their friend. And I’ve noticed in hardcore, people do that as well, where they’ll go onstage to hopefully get a clip of them moshing. It’s like, you’re losing the point.

That’s not what this is about.”

There’s a certain purity to seeing an Ian Fidance set live. It’s a shared, wild ride, with no room for unwelcome intrusions. And, as he says, “I give you no choice but to enjoy and have the best time of your life.”

(Courtesy/Jim Mccambridge)

The warm and welcoming DW Bistro says goodbye after 15 years

FOOD + DRINK

TIME WELL SPENT

Bryce Krausman
(Bryce Krausman by Steve Marcus; Dalton Wilson by Christopher DeVargas)

I’ve been writing about restaurants in Las Vegas for a long time, longer than I’ve had a platform to print the words. (I started doing it for Weekly 16 years ago.) Through all those many meals and conversations about food and drinks and hospitality, I’ve been lucky enough to make some great friends in the local scene. And I’ve fallen in love with a restaurant here and there.

One of those most beloved is saying goodbye after 15 years. DW Bistro has been one of the most pioneering and in uential restaurants across the local dining landscape. It was one of the rst o -Strip spots to build a stylish social scene around the experience, especially during weekend brunch. And it gave us all a reason to drive to the southwest side of the Valley long before the area was one of the hippest food neighborhoods.

DW BISTRO

9275 W. Russell Road #190, 702-527-5200, dwbistro. com. Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m.9 p.m.; Tuesday, Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

has been hosting themed brunches on the weekends, including a superhero-themed party (costumes encouraged) on March 22-23. (Get tickets and make reservations at dwbistro.com.)

Before Krausman and Wilson started doing it, there were few if any neighborhood restaurants that were making a big deal of brunch, doing it with ash and cocktails, big avors and fun atmosphere like the fancy casino eateries on the Strip. Today, there seem to be multiple trendy brunch spots in every neighborhood.

For me, DW Bistro has been one of the warmest and most comfortable places in Las Vegas to meet with friends and just be—especially when it moved to the Gramercy from its original Fort Apache location. Hopefully I’d catch owner Bryce Krausman and chef Dalton Wilson for a quick chat, or maybe a long one, but we never really discussed the restaurant biz. We just talked about life, about Vegas.

Below Dalton Wilson

“It was very much the place people came when, say there was a great concert at MGM Grand, people would come to DW the next morning and everyone would be talking about Madonna or whatever happened the night before,” Krausman says. “We didn’t invent brunch but I don’t know another neighborhood restaurant that did brunch like that. It was a scene. A lot of days, it’d be Vince Neil, Nic Cage and Carrot Top at their table, holding court.”

about life, about Vegas.

It was always like going to your friend’s house for a meal, where the food was going to be great but the time together was the thing. That’s always what DW Bistro was supposed to be.

a restaurant that served

going, really connect with

“People came to our house for brunch before we had a restaurant that served brunch, and we really fostered that feeling of home,” says Krausman. “This is what we would do had you been at our house, hand you a cocktail when you walk in the door, have music going, really connect with people. It’s just disguised as a restaurant that serves Jamaican food with New Mexico roots, and you have to pay the bill.”

As much as we’ll miss that energy, we’ll miss the food just as much: the pastry basket with never enough blueberry and white chocolate scones; goat cheese with fresh pesto for smearing across sourdough toast; Wilson’s spicy jerk fried chicken and wa es. Brunchtime was so popular that lunch and dinner o erings were sometimes overlooked, like the New Mexican red chile pork bowl or the perfect Nicoise salad with tuna kissed by that Jamaican jerk seasoning. No one ignored the burger with jalapeño bacon, roasted green chilies and chipotle mayo.

Wilson’s spicy jerk fried chicken and wa es. Brunchtime was so popular that lunch and and chipotle mayo. We won’t be able to

DW will close after a grand, all-day brunch on April 6. Leading up to the nal farewell, it

We won’t be able to enjoy this experience after April 6, but our friends will be around.

“We setting,” says Krausman. “We love this business. so comes in, you’ll still feel the love and energy from us.”

“We have these open arms, and we will still, it just won’t be in a brick-and-mortar setting,” says Krausman. “We love this business. You have to have passion that drives you every day, even if there are outside forces that reign over you, you still have that passion to take care of people. Hospitality is inside of you always, so whatever form it comes in, you’ll still feel the love and energy from us.”

BACKSTORY

WEEKLY SEMAGLUTIDE OR TIRZEPATIDE INJECTIONS

These weekly injections have revolutionized the way we treat obesity.

✔ They help lower blood sugar levels

✔ They can promote fullness

✔ Reduce food intake

Schedule your consult to determine which medication is best for you.

LOW-FLYING AIR

TRAFFIC

| FEBRUARY 26, 2025

No, this isn’t DOGE putting air travel on wheels to save money. This decommissioned Boeing 747 fuselage, originally a Burning Man art car created by Big Imagination Foundation and owned by late Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, traveled down Decatur Boulevard on February 26 on its way to Area15, where it will become an event space and a visual centerpiece of that dining, nightlife and interactive entertainment district’s 20acre expansion plot. –Geoff Carter

JOB LISTING

MGM Resorts Satellite, LLC seeks a Senior Software Engineer I in Las Vegas, NV to develop and execute production grade code: through vision, definition, planning, execution, deployment and sustainment. Remote Work Permitted. Approved remote states include Las Vegas, Nevada, and Dallas-Fort Worth Texas. Apply online at https://careers.mgmresorts.com/global/en job number: 259939 or E-Mail resume to resume@mgmresorts.com and reference job number: 259939.

JOB LISTING

Developer Engineer Quality Principal III sought by Everi Payment Inc. (Las Vegas NV) to regularly build and execute test cases, ensure quality and regulatory standards are met; responsible for defining test plans based on user stories, technical design, and implementation; recommend testing timelines and scope; identify opportunities for automating test cases with a focus on reducing regression times and escaped defects, etc. Requires Bachelors in Computer Science, Information Technology or related field plus five years of experience in a Quality Assurance or Software Development role. Send resume and salary requirements to: recruiting@everi.com.

(Steve Marcus /Staff)

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