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MARCH 31ST - JUNE 28TH
38 A TASTEFUL LEGACY
“America’s first hookah lounge,” Paymon’s looks back on decades of cuisine and community.
COVER ART Photo by Wade Vandervort ON THE COVER
16 HOME LIFE
Tips for keeping your home cool this summer and safe year-round.
22 FEATURE
A Major League Baseball stadium on the Strip isn’t the only giant sports venue in development in the Valley.
30 NEWS
What Nevada’s federal delegates are doing about the SAVE Act, which could disenfranchise millions.
32 SPORTS
Breaking down the Raiders’ options in the NFL Draft.
34 MUSIC
The Las Vegas Jazz Society celebrates 50 years of impact with a weekend festival.
36 SCENE UNLVino toasts to the next generation of hospitality workers.
A homegrown action film debuts at Stadium Swim, Rangel Boxing Gym hosts San Antonio indie rockers Floats and more happening this week.
Paymon’s Fresh Kitchen and Lounge (Wade Vandervort/Staff)
SUPERGUIDE
THURSDAY APR 24
SAN GENNARO FEAST
Thru 4/27, times vary, M Resort, san gennarofeast.com
Thru 4/27, times vary, Galaxy Theatres at Cannery, indievegasfilm festival.com
SIP & SMOKE CIGAR NIGHT
6 p.m., Event Plaza at Mob Museum, themobmuseum.org
DOWN & DERBY
10 p.m., Gold Spike, sk8party.com
DEAD & COMPANY
Thru 4/26, 7:30 p.m., Sphere, ticketmaster.com
JOE RUSSO’S ALMOST DEAD
11 p.m., & 4/25, Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com
NNENNA FREELON
7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com
CHRIS WEBBY
With Ekoh, Whitney Peyton, Rook Director, 7 p.m., the Wall at Area15, area15.com
THE RAYFORD BROS. 8 p.m., Golden Tiki, thegoldentiki.com
GOLDEN KNIGHTS PLAYOFF WATCH PARTIES
Get ready to cheer on the Vegas Golden Knights in epic fashion! Join us in The SuperBook—the ultimate watch party destination—for every playo game. Enjoy $1 beers and $1 wings while catching all the action on our massive HD screens. Want the best seat in the house? Reserve a VIP booth for just $100 and elevate your game-day experience. It’s the hottest ticket in Vegas for hockey fans. The puck drops here—don’t miss a moment! westgateresorts.com
FRIDAY APR 25
FILM: ACTION! ACTION! Get ready for some homegrown cinematic magic from local production companies Black Raven Films and Ismahawk. Action! Action! was not only produced locally, but also based in Vegas. After a team of friends hired to steal Al Capone’s painting from the Mob Museum is double-crossed, the race is on to uncover the traitor before it’s too late. From Downtown high rises to seedy pawn shops, Vegas provides the perfect backdrop for the action (times two) to unfold. And the screening, presented as part of the Neon Museum’s citywide Duck Duck Shed event, will unfold on the real big screen at Circa’s rooftop pool club. 7:30 p.m., $15, Stadium Swim, circalasvegas.com. –Shannon Miller
PRIMUS, PUSCIFER, A PERFECT CIRCLE 8 p.m., PH Live, ticketmaster.com
AVI KWA AME NATIONAL MONUMENT SPRING BIOBLITZ
Thru 4/27, times vary, Ave Kwa Ame, friendsof avikwaame.org
LAS VEGAS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FESTIVAL Thru 5/3, times & venues vary, scifest.vegas
MILLENIUM TOUR
With Trey Songz, Omarion, Bow Wow, more, 8 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs.com
GEORGE BENSON 8 p.m., & 4/26, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com
FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS 7:30 p.m., & 4/26, Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com
HUMAN NATURE Thru 4/27, 7:30 p.m., South Point Showroom, ticketmaster.com
156/SILENCE With Allt, Memoire, Take, Words From Aztecs, Mugatu, 5 p.m., Eagle Aerie Hall, dice.fm
MO AMER 10 p.m., Palazzo Theatre, ticketmaster.com
LAS VEGAS THRILL VS. SAN DIEGO MOJO 7 p.m., Lee’s Family Forum, axs.com
RICK ROSS 10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com
DEADMAU5 With Callie Rei , 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com
(Courtesy)
SPOTLIGHT EVENT
ODDYSSEY NOIR
Introducing a new party series from Area15 made by locals, for locals. No Strip required. Uncover the mystery of Oddyssey Noir, a multiroom, multi-dance floor warehouse party that invites you to come as you are. These weekly events deliver highly curated experiences featuring art, performers and musical talent for full immersion and uninhibited dancing. No dress codes or velvet ropes, just pure, curated chaos. This isn’t a club or rave. It’s your new after-dark playground. area15.com
(Courtesy)
AC/DC
With The Pretty Reckless, 7 p.m., Allegiant Stadium, ticketmaster.com
DOGSTAR
8 p.m., BleauLive Theater, ticketmaster.com
HOLO HOLO FESTIVAL
With Common Kings, J Boog, UB40, Steel Pulse, more, 1 p.m., & 4/27, Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, holoholofestival.com
ROGER CLYNE & THE PEACEMAKERS
With Ike Reilly, 7:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com
DYLAN SCOTT
8 p.m., Green Valley Ranch Backyard Amphitheater, ticketmaster.com
LAS VEGAS JAZZ SOCIETY 50TH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL
3 p.m., & 4/27, Winchester Dondero Cultural Center, lvjs.org
THE GHASTLY ONES & GAMBLERS MARK
With Shakewells, Toe Tags, 8 p.m., Swan Dive, eventbrite.com
SEVENDUST
With Alura, Haddonfield, 6 p.m., Substance, seetickets.us
FOGHAT
8 p.m., Veil Pavilion, silvertoncasino.com
DINO A’LA CARTE & THEE SWANK BASTARDS
8 p.m., Golden Tiki, thegoldentiki.com
DANIEL TOSH
8 p.m., the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com
BRAD WILLIAMS 10 p.m., Palazzo Theatre, ticketmaster.com
HENDERSON READS BOOK FESTIVAL
10 a.m., Water Street Plaza, cityofhenderson.com
PIRATEFEST LV
10 a.m., & 4/27, Craig Ranch Park, piratefestlv.com
METRO BOOMIN 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com TITO DOUBLE P 8 p.m., PH Live, ticketmaster. com.
SUPERGUIDE
SUNDAY APR 27
GRENTPEREZ With Rocco, 6:30 p.m., House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com
VEGAS UNSTRIPPED
6 p.m., Palms, vegasunstripped. com
LAS VEGAS
SINFONIETTA: MADE IN USA
3 p.m., Clark County Library, eventbrite.com
BROADWAY IN THE HOOD: AN EVENING WITH BEN VEREEN & FRIENDS
5 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, ticketmaster.com
AFAN AIDS WALK
LAS VEGAS
9 a.m., Las Vegas Ballpark, afanlv.org
READING: MATT DINNIMAN
7 p.m., Beverly Theater, thebeverlytheater. com
THE STURNIOLO TRIPLETS
7 p.m., Palazzo Theatre, ticketmaster.com
CHASE B
11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, taogroup.com
ISAIAH FALLS
10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com
MONDAY APR 28
STURGILL SIMPSON
8 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com.
MSSV With Leaving Springfield, 8 p.m., the Gri n, dice.fm
UNLV SPRING JAZZ FESTIVAL Thru 4/30, 7:30 p.m., Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, unlv.edu
EXHIBIT: ANEC-NOTES BY MOLLY SCHULMAN Thru 5/11, times vary, Windmill Library, thelibrarydistrict. org
EXHIBIT: ON CANVAS BY YOKO KONDO KONOPIK Thru 5/17, times vary, Marjorie Barrick Museum, unlv.edu
BRAD GARRETT With John Dicrosta, Tom Clark, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand.mgm resorts.com
GELO
slacker
This Sunday, the gloves come o and the fuzz gets loud as Floats drift in from San Antonio, Texas and bring their bouncy surf-punk twang to the desert for the first time. With a sound that resonates with an already indie-heightened local scene, the trio fits right in and is sure to get a circle pit swelling with sweat, sneakers and chaos. It’s pop with teeth, punk with charm. Vegas staples Los Emptys match the energy with a blend of slacker garage rock, while Desert Island Boys play their house-show era punky jams. Mutual Head is set to open the night and the pit for some head-bobbing indie noise. 6:30 p.m., $10+, Rangel Boxing Gym, 8445 W. Flamingo Road, eventbrite.com. –Gabriela Rodriguez the already a
10:30 p.m., Jewel Nightclub, taogroup.com
DO IT ALL
(Courtesy)
SUPERGUIDE
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. MINNESOTA WILD Game 5 (if necessary), time TBD, T-Mobile Arena, axs.com
LAS VEGAS AVIATORS VS. TACOMA RAINIERS
6:30 p.m. (& thru 5/4, times vary), Las Vegas Ballpark, ticketmaster.com
ANEES With Jayo, 7 p.m., the Portal at Area15, area15.com
SPIRIT MOTHER With Iress, Psalm, 8 p.m., the Gri n, dice.fm
CHEYENNE GILES
10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com
CARLOS MENCIA 10 p.m., & 4/30, Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster.com
SAMMY HAGAR
8 p.m., & 5/2-5/3,Dolby Live, ticket master.com.
RITA LIM 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.
ECO COUTURE VEGAS
6 p.m., Emerald at Queensridge, lasvegasfashion council.com
I’M HERE: AN EVENING OF MUSICAL THEATRE SONGS
7 p.m., Composers Room, universe.com
GUARDIN With Sewerperson, KennedyXOXO, 7 p.m., the Wall at Area15, area15.com
LAS VEGAS LIGHTS VS. AV ALTA FC 7:30 p.m. Cashman Field, lasvegaslightsfc.
SATURDAY MAY 3
TINA FEY & AMY POEHLER
SPOTLIGHT EVENT
Award-winning comedians and actresses Amy Poehler and Tina Fey announce their critically acclaimed Restless Leg Tour will return to Resorts World Theatre for one night only on Saturday, May 3. The beloved comedic duo will celebrate their 30 years of friendship with an unforgettable evening of jokes, stories and con-vertainment. axs.com
* Spotlight events are sponsored
BY SHANNON MILLER
Summer is upon us, and that usually means higher energy bills. And while we can’t help needing to crank the AC when it’s 120 degrees outside, we can take certain steps to curb the hike.
According to an NV Energy spokesperson, “a common misconception is that energy rates increase in the summer. While the company does make quarterly adjustments to adjust for fuel costs, your total bill is largely based on the amount of energy you use.”
Less energy equals lower bills. The utility company encourages the following energy-saving measures that can lower your summer energy bills up to 25%.
nvenergy.com/ save-with-powershift for more information about products, services and steps you can take to lower your energy bill this summer.
HOME LIFE SAVING ENERGY
How to stay cool in summer and save money on your energy bill
BEAT THE HEAT
One of the most basic things you can do—turn o lights and appliances and unplug them when not in use. Some appliances and devices pull energy even when turned o .
In addition to the outside air, sunlight shining into windows can accelerate the heating of your home in the summer. NV Energy recommends closing blinds and
NO COST TIPS
drapes during the day to keep the heat out and give your AC a break.
When you’re not home, set your thermostat to ve to 10 degrees warmer than when you are home. This saves the AC from expending the energy to cool your home when no one’s there.
NV Energy also recommends getting a free energy assessment, which can be done online or at your home.
ADDED COST TIPS
Some blinds or shudders are better than others at blocking light and outside temperatures. The cost of installing these types of blinds varies depending on the material and size of your windows. Home Depot gives an estimate of $20 to $35 per square foot for standard shudders.
Install a smart thermostat.
Ranging from $100 to $300, smart thermostats are connected to the internet and can automatically adjust the temperature to optimize how your cooling system works. NV Energy o ers smart thermostats and installation for free for customers with central AC and internet access. According to the company, it can save customers up to $100 on their energy bill each year.
Annual maintenance is one of the best ways to ensure your cooling system is functioning
average of about $250, and there might be added costs to replace anything. NV Energy o ers free or low-cost AC tune-ups for qualifying customers.
For those who don’t already have them, ceiling fans are somewhat essential here in our desert. The fans themselves start around $60, and installation costs an average of $250.
LOW COST TIPS
Assessments o er personalized insights on how to save on your energy bill year-round.
Some customers may even qualify for free appliance replacement by NV Energy. Based on income eligibility requirements, the program provides energy-e cient appliances, including refrigerators, dishwashers, washers and driers, to replace less e cient appliances.
Starting at about $19, a room fan can come in all price ranges and, when strategically placed, can help keep you cool even when it’s warm in your home.
When shopping for light bulbs, reach for a package of LED bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs. Although LED bulbs are a few cents more expensive than incandescent bulbs, they last longer and have lower energy use than traditional bulbs, which helps lower your energy bill.
Not just your AC, but also
appliances like your refrigerator work harder in the summer to keep things cool. Keep it running eciently by checking the seal. You can check the seal by closing a piece of paper in the refrigerator door. If it comes out easily with no resistance, the seal could probably stand to be replaced.
Caulking and weather stripping windows and doors is another low-cost way to keep the outside air out and inside air in.
HOME LIFE SECURITY
DETERRING PORCH PIRATES
SAFE AND SOUND
“One of the best ways to deter porch pirates is with a modern video doorbell or camera system,” Wendt says. He recommends the brand Reolink, which can detect packages and people as soon as they arrive at your door and notify you on your phone.
And while cameras provide a measure of deterrence, they’re not 100% guaranteed. Wendt recommends asking for a signature requirement, or delivering packages to your workplace to ensure the package reaches the right person. And if you’re shopping on Amazon, use an Amazon locker.
Home security tips
Las Vegas Tech Pros knows a thing or two about protecting homes and property from security threats. The home automation company specializes in installing cameras, which can deter burglars and other intruders and help police identify culprits.
INSTALLING VIDEO CAMERAS AND LIGHTS
“Our mission is to give homeowners and communities peace of and through deterrents with cameras, as well as the ability to monitor their property 24/7,” says CEO Cary Wendt.
Here are his top tips for keeping your home safe.
Video cameras can help you monitor your home for security threats and document any incidents like burglaries or property damage.
“Where to put cameras depends on many factors such as trees, sight lines from various angles, the layout of your property, even the angle of the sun,” Wendt says. “Generally speaking, you want to cover every entry onto the property or into the home or o ce from angles that will provide the best visual of any unwanted intruder.”
Bright lights all the way around your property also will make you a less likely target at night, he adds.
Any reputable low-voltage electrical contractor that installs security cameras and lights will o er a no-cost personalized quote. An experienced estimator can evaluate the speci c needs of your property.
NOT SHARING INFORMATION
To avoid being the victim of property crime in Las Vegas, be careful what you say to contractors, rideshare drivers and other people who have knowledge of how to access your house.
“Don’t ever say ‘That day won’t work, we’ll be out of town.’ Instead say ‘We’re having company that day or week, can we pick another time?’” Wendt says.
He also advises not giving random people access to or a look inside your home.
“Never open the door for an unexpected salesperson or canvasser. And ask contractors to see their license and if their employees are background checked,” he says. –Shannon Miller
Tuff-N-Uff 143
Friday April 25
4:30 PM
Babyface: Live in Las Vegas
Friday May 9 & Saturday May 10
8 PM
The Go-Go's
Thursday May 15
8 PM
Gilsons
Friday May 16
8 PM
BOOK TICKETS
WHERE’S THE TIPPING POINT?
Las Vegas may not need another sports arena, but that won’t stop it from happening
LAS VEGAS ARENAS AND STADIUMS: CAPACITY AND
OPENING YEAR
BY BROCK RADKE
When Las Vegas-bound Major League Baseball team the Athletics hired Marc Badain as the club’s new president on March 6, it was hailed as a natural and savvy choice. After all, Badain had served as team president and in other roles for the Las Vegas Raiders for years, and played a crucial role in the NFL team’s relocation from Oakland and the construction of Allegiant Stadium.
A minor but not insignificant detail from that announcement was the company Badain was leaving to join the A’s, the Oak View Group. A sports and live entertainment firm that specializes in developing and managing arena-sized venues, Oak View is three years into a multi-billion dollar project to create another arena in Las Vegas, designed to host a potential NBA expansion team.
The A’s stadium, at an estimated cost of $1.75 billion, has yet to begin construction—groundbreaking should happen sometime in this second quarter of the year—and already, there are plans for a pro
basketball arena, too?
Not exactly. Try two basketball arenas. Last April, real estate developer LVXP announced its plans for an entertainment and sports arena on the 27-acre north Strip site that once contained the Wet ‘n’ Wild waterpark, replacing a similar project that failed to find financing. Clark County Commission chair Tick Segerblom called it “a well-conceived project that has the potential to transform a valuable undeveloped land parcel into a highly productive destination that contributes meaningful long-term value to the community and visitors alike.”
All this fast-paced, forward-looking development has become par for the course for Las Vegas. In the spring of 2017, months before the Vegas Golden Knights played their first game at the year-old T-Mobile Arena, the Raiders had already announced their departure from Oakland and started planning their new Vegas stadium. It feels like community buzz around more professional sports and more arenas and stadiums hasn’t let up since.
And why would it? Allegiant Stadium has hosted
myriad mega-events beyond Raiders and UNLV football, including a Super Bowl, the Pac-12 Championship football game, the NFL Pro Bowl and the CONCACAF Nations League, not to mention dozens of huge touring concert events from the likes of the Rolling Stones and Taylor Swift.
The economic impact of the Vegas sports boom has been a fast-moving phenomenon, so specific and intriguing that the UNLV Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER)and Sports Innovation Institute have created a tracking tool, the Southern Nevada Sports Economy Data Dashboard, to serve as an evolving research document.
“I think we predicted it and expected it within the traditional drivers of the economy, leisure and hospitality,” says CBER director Andrew Woods of the sports economy surge. “Where we’ve been surprised is the spillover effect into other industries or amateur sports. For example, the number of small businesses in sports instruction, those establishments alone increased 160% over the last 10 years.
“It spills over to members of the community
LAS VEGAS
A rendering of the Athletics’ Las Vegas Strip stadium (Courtesy)
who want to pick up those sports. You see that at the [school] level where some of the most popular sports are girls ag football and amateur
from fewer than 300 jobs a decade ago to over
Certainly the culture of sports is growing and changing in Las Vegas as teams and venues join the community, and the dashboard has plenty of information about that. But its ndings on the sports economy are particularly resonant, and seem theory: If we build it,
Last week, the Clark County Commission ap- You youth hockey.” to support the they will come. Vegas visitors, and their dollars.
In this case, “they” would be sports fans, Las
Since Allegiant’s completion, total employment has nearly doubled within a half-mile radius of the stadium, and wages have increased by 12%. Local employment in the promotion of arts, sports and similar activities has grown
1,800 in 2022.
is one all too familiar for Raiders fans: ApproxiAllegiant Stadium are from out of town. league events, they’re not just simply there, as in other cities, as entertainment for locals. They’re Vegas is better positioned than other cities to capeconomy is driven by tourism.”
One of the dashboard’s most compelling gures mately 60% of visitors attending sporting events at “When it comes to stadiums hosting these major also there to drive our economy,” Woods says. “Las Vegas is better positioned than other cities to capitalize on the bene ts of these venues because the are planning to play there for the next three years
The Athletics opened their 2025 season last month in the team’s temporary home at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, California. The A’s before settling on the Strip for the 2028 season.
proved the creation of a sports and entertainment improvement district around the new ballpark to raise millions of dollars for the bonds the county and state will use to raise the public funding portion of the ballpark, which could be up to $380 million. The public funding was approved by the state legislature in 2023.
The MLB season is a long one, 162 games played over six months. Ticket prices, the quality of the stadium experience and the Athletics’ success on the eld will gure into how baseball in Vegas plays out. But attracting both locals and Vegas visitors to the ballpark will be essential.
And will there be a saturation point for pro sports experiences in Las Vegas? Will fewer fans attend VGK games in favor of Athletics or even NBA games in the future?
RANKINGS FOR LAS VEGAS SPORTS TEAMS
Golden Knights
13th in NHL in 2023-2024
Las Vegas Raiders
31st in NFL in 2024
Las Vegas
Third in WNBA in 2024
venues
“When it comes to stadiums hosting these major league events, they’re not just simply there, as in other cities, as entertainment for locals. They’re also there to drive our economy. Las Vegas is better positioned than other cities to capitalize on the benefi ts of these venues because the economy is driven by tourism.”
“We don’t have the answers, but at the end of the day, we’re building these things to ll them up,” Woods says. “There’s a di erent dynamic with di erent teams. The economics are di er-
with ent between Allegiant and T-Mobile.
“It will be interesting to see if pro basketball and baseball ... how much economic support they have from out of town. Both play a lot of games, so I’ll be curious to see how that pans out.”
–Andrew Woods, director of UNLV’s Center for Business and Economic Research
to host an NBA team. T-Mobile Arena was built
al operates T-Mobile and company o cials
to pro basketball speci cations, and last year, Golden Knights owner Bill Foley said he’d be interested in renovating the arena to attract a basketball team. (MGM Resorts Internationdeclined to comment for this story.)
soccer team in the United Soccer League, was recently sold at auction by the City of Las Vegas to national homebuilder Lennar. The Lights’ lease should allow the team to play there through 2026, but it’s expected the land will be
be moved away from that location. O cials have require information about nancing.
Oak View Group originally earmarked a site south of the Strip at Blue Diamond Road for its $10 billion arena and resort project, but has moved away from that location. O cials have stated the project will not require public money. In contrast, the LVXP project has a notable site—close to the Las Vegas Convention Center and Fontainebleau resort—but has not released
NBA o cials have not con rmed plans for expansion, although the recent lucrative sale of the Boston Celtics for $6.1 billion seems like a powerful motivating force for the league to do so. Las Vegas may not need either arena project
powerful motivating force for the league to do so. Las Vegas may not need either arena project
In a city that’s constantly reinventing itself and has no qualms about destroying old build-
ing to make way for shiny new ones, it’s hard to believe an older arena or stadium would be worth heavy reinvestment. The former home of UNLV football and countless sports and music events, Sam Boyd Stadium on the east side no longer hosts events and has been sold to the county (although the purchase hasn’t plans for the stadium and surrounding land “remain under consideration and have yet to be determined.”
Cashman Field, home to Las Vegas’ minor league baseball team for decades and the current headquarters of the Las Vegas Lights
closed yet). A county spokesperson said future
lease should allow the team to play there through 2026, but it’s expected the land will be used for housing.
These venues laid the foundation for Vegas today. Sam Boyd Stadium opened in 1971 and was the home eld for UNLV football for 49 seasons. Cashman opened in 1983 and baseball bloomed in Las Vegas, leading to the opening of the Las Vegas Ballpark in Downtown Summerlin and eventually to the
And the Thomas & Mack Center, also arriving in 1983 and renovated in 2015, built a love for basketball in Las Vegas with the iconic Runnin’ Rebels teams of the ’80s and ’90s and some memorable NBA games as well.
Downtown Summerlin and eventually to the Athletics’ move. sports
tinuing to develop and build on those traditions. A saturation point may not exist.
With such a unique sports history, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to bet against Vegas continuing to develop and build on those traditions. A saturation point may not exist.
IN THE NEWS
“Pope Francis was a true shepherd of God’s people, a man who lived out his faith with humility, compassion and courage. He taught us all that the gospel calls us to be people of mercy and love, and that we must work to build a world that reflects these values. He was a voice for the voiceless, a champion of the marginalized, and a friend to all who sought his counsel. He will be deeply missed.”
–Las Vegas Archbishop George Leo Thomas in response to the pope’s death on April 21
The Golden Knights’ playo series against Minnesota continues April 24 at 6 p.m. and April 26 at 1
HOT SHOT
Chris Mendoza performs with Sonia Barcelona during a benefit concert for public lands and national parks at the Nevada Climbing Center on April 18. According to the gym, $1,835 was raised for the National Parks Conservation Association, Friends of Nevada Wilderness, Nevada Conservation League and Protect Our Winters. (Steve Marcus/Sta )
IMMIGRATION
CLARK COUNTY APPROVES
Clark County Commissioners on April 15 unanimously approved the creation of a Filipino Town cultural corridor along South Maryland Parkway.
“Because there’s a Filipino Town, we have a place not only that designates where small businesses (are), where we eat at the restaurants, but also a convening place so we can share our history not only amongst Filipinos but all of Las Vegas and beyond,” resident JoAnn Fields said during public comment.
Filipino Town will be anchored by Seafood City Supermarket, an Asian grocery store carrying staple products for Filipino cuisine. Some locations, like the one off Maryland Parkway, also contain Filipino businesses like fast food chain Jollibee and Red Ribbon bakery.
Nearly 250,000 Filipinos have settled in Southern Nevada, according to the leader behind the push for the designation Rozita Lee, with more arriving each year. –Grace Da Rocha
LAS VEGAS PRIDE PUSHES ON AS CORPORATE SUPPORT OF DEI WANES NATIONALLY
Amid a national trend of major sponsors withdrawing from LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations due to diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks, Las Vegas Pride is forging new relationships and expanding preexisting ones, organizers said.
The nonprofit, which delivers programming throughout the year, depends on its events to provide a vital revenue stream. This self-funding approach has helped Las Vegas Pride remain relatively sheltered from the financial impact of corporate sponsors withdrawing their support for LGBTQ+ initiatives nationwide, said Brady McGill, the local group’s president.
“We’ve never ever thrived, is why we’re less affected by some of these changes,” McGill said.
The loss of corporate support of pride celebrations comes as businesses seek to comply with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump directing federal agencies to take
actions—investigating or litigating—against private companies, nonprofits or foundations taking part in “DEI discrimination.”
The order is enmeshed in ongoing legal battles, with a federal judge extending a block on the provision that tasked the U.S. Department of Labor to require federal contractors or grant recipients to certify they don’t operate DEI programs.
Amid the administration’s ongoing attacks on DEI, Southwest Airlines pledged to be a sponsor with Las Vegas Pride for the first time ahead of its October celebrations. The airline has participated in the festival previously, but took on a larger role as other companies are withdrawing support from other Pride organizations.
Southwest confirmed it would be a new sponsor for Las Vegas Pride.
Area15 is also looking to expand its relationship with Las Vegas Pride, which has been
hosting its monthly family bingo events at the venue for about a year with growing attendance, and now both parties see the potential for further development in that partnership. There are conversations taking place about Area15 serving as the official Pride festival location in the fall.
“For us, this is our community in the fact that (members of the Las Vegas LGBTQ+ community) are performers, they’re artists,” said Jennifer Falcione, Area15 associate director of programming and event strategy.
The LGBTQ+ community has also become an integral part of Las Vegas tourism, a fact the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority champions.
“Las Vegas is one of the top destinations for the LGBT tourism market, and we firmly stand behind that,” said Jim McMichael, LVCVA national sales manager. “And one of our pillars and values is ‘Vegas for all.’”
–Haajrah Gilani
DJ Gryffin packs out
Last Thursday, Wynn Nightlife and Corner Bar Management joined forces to present Feed the Block, a free, open-air block party in the middle of Fremont East. Wynn Nightlife resident DJ Gryffin led the mass takeover, hopping behind the decks of a Forest House Art Car to perform various bangers from his 2024 album, Pulse. The block party overflowed into the streets, rivaling that of an Electric Daisy Carnival crowd, with fans raving until midnight. According to a press release from Corner Bar and Wynn, future block parties will soon be announced. –Amber Sampson
Trump administration revokes visas of 3 more international students
UNLV is now aware of seven international students who have had their visas revoked by federal immigration authorities, a university spokesperson told the Las Vegas Sun April 18.
UNLV Officer in Charge Chris Heavey first reported in a campuswide email earlier this month that immigration officials had revoked visas of four students.
The university said it won’t release the seven students’ identities because of federal privacy laws.
“We are offering support and guidance to those impacted, including helping those in need to fulfill any necessary academic requirements to complete the spring semester,” the spokesperson said.
President Donald Trump’s administration has sought to revoke the visas of more than 1,200 students nationwide, according to Inside Higher Ed, with many not given a reason for the sudden change in their status on the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a cabinet meeting earlier this month that international students weren’t entitled to their visas.
“We expect you to go to class and study and get a degree. If you come here to vandalize a library, take over a campus and do all kinds of crazy things, we’re going to get rid of these people,” Rubio said, referring to pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses last year. –Kyle Chouinard
VOTING RIGHTS ALERT
Republicans say the Congress’ SAVE Act will increase election security; voting rights advocates say it will disenfranchise millions
transgender voters whose names no longer match their birth certi cates, rural and disabled people who rely on expedient mail ballot services and individuals who no longer have access to their original birth certi cate due to homelessness or other reasons.
“IDs are not accessible to everybody. I know a lot of us take that for granted, but if you’re somebody who doesn’t have access to the nominal resources to be able to get one, it’s challenging,” Haseebullah says.
Mathilda Miller, government relations director for Native Voters Alliance of Nevada, adds that residents of Nevada’s 28 federally recognized tribal nations who are eligible to vote in U.S. elections may also be left out because tribal IDs don’t typically include one’s birthplace.
BY TYLER SCHNEIDER
On April 10, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act) in a 220-208 vote. The bill, now awaiting a Senate vote, would require voters to present “documentary proof” of U.S. citizenship to vote in federal elections.
Acceptable documents include a valid birth certi cate, U.S. passport or a Real ID-compliant driver’s license that “indicates the applicant is a citizen.” Notably, state, military or tribal ID cards that don’t list a person’s birthplace wouldn’t satisfy the requirement on their own.
Republicans cite the SAVE Act as another step toward improved election security, while voting rights advocates are raising concerns that it would disenfranchise millions of voters who don’t have access to those documents.
Nevada—one of 14 states that doesn’t require a photo ID to vote—has found itself caught somewhere in the middle.
The Silver State has passed numerous laws expanding access to the polls in recent years, including a 2021 bill that mandated sending mail ballots to every registered voter who didn’t opt out. On the other hand, just over 73% of Nevada voters in November 2024 approved a petition-driven state ballot question that would amend the state constitution to require residents to present a photo ID before voting. The ballot question still needs to pass again in 2026 before it can become o cial.
These actions somewhat re ect a shift in Americans’ view of election security since 2020. A Marist poll conducted ahead of the 2024 presidential election found that 58% of Americans expressed concerns that voter fraud would impact the results, with 52% citing the possibility that noncitizens would vote illegally. (It is illegal for noncitizens to vote in U.S. or state elections under penalty of perjury.) Eighty-six percent of participants who identi ed as Republicans shared this view, compared to only 33% of Democrats.
This growing sense of distrust largely stems from President Donald Trump’s widely debunked claim that the 2020 presidential election was mired in widespread fraud. Countless studies and audits have failed to nd compelling evidence supporting the claim. According to the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, Nevadans account for just 10 of the 1,340 voter fraud convictions recorded nationwide since 1982.
The SAVE Act’s passage in the House led many of Nevada’s Democratic and progressive leaders to sound the alarm. Democratic U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto have already indicated they wouldn’t support it, while Attorney General Aaron Ford and Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar have also spoken out against it.
Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada (ACLU), shares similar concerns that the bill would disenfranchise married women and
Rep. Mark Amodei, Nevada’s lone Republican Congressional representative who voted in favor of the SAVE Act, likens these concerns to “talking points.”
“For federal elections, you have to have proof of U.S. citizenship, and that’s kind of the end of it,” Amodei says.
According to the o ce of the Nevada Secretary of State, there are “numerous safeguards” in place to prevent any noncitizens or anyone ineligible to vote from casting a ballot, including proof of identity requirements baked into the voter registration process.
A mail voter himself, Amodei denies that proving one’s citizenship would add unnecessary barriers to the system. He adds that the apparent success of the 2024 Nevada voter ID ballot question is evidence that the majority of voters support his party’s election reform e orts.
“It doesn’t get those numbers by being a Democrat or Republican thing,” he says.
Haseebullah is keeping a close eye on the matter before it returns to the ballot in 2026.
“We’ll be involved in public education campaigns opposing it, but there are also unsettled legal issues surrounding it. The courts that have touched this issue in Nevada haven’t made clear that the question passes constitutional or statutory muster,” Haseebullah says. “So there’s a lot of space left for what may or may not end up happening.”
Similar campaigns to implement stricter election rules in Nevada haven’t made it very far. In 2023, Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo proposed a bill that would have reversed the 2021 mail ballot policy, but it failed to pass out of either chamber of the Democrat-controlled Nevada Legislature. This year, state Rep. Greg Hafen, a Pahrump Republican, put forth a voter ID bill that died before it could be heard.
The SAVE Act also faces some challenges as it awaits a Senate vote. While Republicans hold 53 of 100 seats in that chamber, they’ll need 60 to overcome the libuster.
SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL
Breaking down the Raiders’ options in the NFL Draft
BY DAVE MONDT
The Las Vegas Raiders have the sixth pick in the NFL Draft, which begins April 24 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and with a new coach, new general manager and new partial owner, it’s anyone’s guess who the team will select. But that doesn’t stop Raider Nation, a passionate and opinionated if often pessimistic fan base, from doing just that. Nor will it stop us.
It’s said that the late Al Davis and John Madden used to argue over which position was most important on the football eld: cornerback or o ensive tackle. In today’s game, it’s widely considered the quarterback. While the Raiders have their new starter Geno Smith signed for at least three years, they do have holes on the roster both Davis and Madden would want to ll. And there are high-quality players available in this draft to ll them.
Quarterback Cam Ward of Miami is a virtual lock to be taken rst overall by the Tennessee Titans, which means the Raiders need ve names
they are prepared to write down when it becomes their time on the clock. Here are ve players worthy of being the sixth pick.
TRAVIS HUNTER, CB/WR, COLORADO
Is it likely that Hunter drops to the Raiders? No. But it’s not impossible. Champ Bailey was picked seventh overall. Pat Surtain II was taken ninth. In fact, only 10 cornerbacks have been taken in the top ve since the Raiders made Charles Woodson—who, like Hunter, won the Heisman Trophy as a defensive back while also playing some o ense—the fourth pick of the 1998 draft.
Hunter wants to play both o ense and defense full-time, which seems unlikely in the NFL, but he would improve either position room, or both, in Las Vegas. If he can be convinced to focus primarily on one side of the ball, his potential to excel seems limitless given his maturity, athleticism and instincts.
ASHTON JEANTY, RB, BOISE STATE
Gibbs, Derrick Henry, Bijan Robinson and Josh Jacobs turned that narrative on its head.
The ve ball carriers—three free agents and two 2023 rst-round draft picks—combined for 9,884 yards from scrimmage and 84 touchdowns last season and reestablished the worth of their
What a di erence a season makes. Just six months ago, the running back position was considered one of the least valuable in football, with top performers settling for contracts that paid far less than top-tier quarterbacks and receivers. Many pundits turned their nose up at the idea of burning a rst-round pick on one.
But that was before Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr
position. Four of the ve led their teams to the playo s, and Barkley’s Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl.
It’s true that Raiders general manager John Spytek was part of the Tampa Bay management team that put together a formidable rushing attack featuring mid-round picks Rachaad White and Bucky Irving (and even got a 136-yard game out of undrafted rookie free agent Sean Tucker). It’s also true that coach Pete Carroll’s teams in Seattle only drafted one running back in the rst round. But Carroll also had former rst-rounder Marshawn Lynch for six years with the Seahawks, winning one Super Bowl and coming within one play of securing a second Lombardi Trophy.
Jeanty has the tape, the productivity, the character and the work ethic to be a slam dunk.
ARMAND MEMBOU, OT, MISSOURI WILL CAMPBELL, OT, LSU
The Raiders’ failure to move the ball on the ground last year can’t completely be attributed to Jacobs leaving for more greenbacks in Green Bay. After all, Zamir White saw his average gain per carry plummet from 4.3 in 2023 to 2.8 in 2024. Alexander Mattison was never considered a dynamic runner in Minnesota, but his 3.2 yards per carry in Las Vegas was easily a career low.
Injuries to starting o ensive linemen contributed heavily to the skill players’ inability to move the ball, which speaks to the team’s need for greater
depth. Additionally, stalwart left tackle Kolton Miller is entering the nal year of his contract, so the team must be prepared for the possibility that he isn’t wearing the Silver and Black in 2026.
Membou, who played right tackle in college, has a similar athletic pro le as Detroit’s Penei Sewell, who has been rst-team all-pro the past two years. Campbell, who was rst-team all-SEC twice and rst-team all-America as a junior, nished his collegiate career on a streak of 24 games without allowing a sack. He’s two inches taller than Membou but his arm length, measured at the NFL Combine, was almost an inch shorter. That could give Raider fans Robert Gallery PTSD. The former second overall pick was considered a generational talent coming out of Iowa, but the one criticism of him was that his arms (32 inches) did not match his height (6-foot-7). He struggled at tackle and eventually moved to guard, starting 103 games over an eight-year career but never living up to his draft hype.
WILL JOHNSON, CB, MICHIGAN
Johnson wore the number 2 at Michigan, and greatness is expected of players who wear that number. Johnson has prototypical NFL size and collegiate productivity, playing at a position of need for the Raiders. With starter Jack Jones having been cut and Nate Hobbs having left in free agency, the Raiders have just Jakorian Bennett, Decamerion Richardson, M.J. Dev-
onshire, Kyu Blu Kelly, Eric Stokes and Darnay Holmes on the roster at cornerback. Bennett made strides last season before a shoulder injury ended his season in November.
Johnson lived up to the expectations set for him as a Wolverine, helping the team win a national championship and setting the school record for pick-sixes.
If he’s the pick at No. 6, he will be the highest-drafted cornerback the franchise has made since another defender who wore 2 at Michigan: Woodson.
THE PREDICTION
If Jeanty is not the pick, it may only be because this draft also features potential stars to be had in the second round at the position: Cam Skattebo of Arizona State, Kaleb Johnson of Iowa, and Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, who played for o ensive coordinator Chip Kelly during last year’s national championship season for the Buckeyes.
Jeanty is special, and you can never have too many special players, no matter what position they play. The Raiders drafted Brock Bowers 13th last year, even though tight end wasn’t considered a position of need for the team. That worked out. Take the special player.
(AP Photo/Photo Illustration)
STILL JAMMING
BY SHANNON MILLER
Las Vegas Jazz Society generations through music and mentorship
An old saxophone rests in its balding velvet-lined case. The worn keys seems fragile, the screws maybe loose, the metal tarnished. It’s on loan from local jazz musician Tom Hall, in an exhibit case at the Nevada State Museum.
“It’s been played everywhere,” says Hall, who settled in Las Vegas in 1965 and played in house bands on the Strip for 45 years.
“I played every hotel on the Strip that no longer exists. They’ve all been imploded— the Dunes, the Desert Inn, the Sands, the Tropicana, the Riviera,” he says.
In the ’50s and ‘60s, Hall toured with big bands and played with some of the biggest stars, including Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. He wanted to lend some of that energy to the exhibit, which is part of the Las Vegas Jazz Society’s 50th anniversary
In addition to the exhibit, opening April 25, the nonpro t is having a festival at Winchester Dondero Cultural Center April 25-27 with performances and workshops. The weekend-long a air is meant to honor musicians like Hall, a board member of the Jazz Society with a legacy of volunteering and mentorship, and to bring the community together over a common love of music. Founded in 1975 by famous jazz bassist Monk Montgomery, the Las Vegas Jazz Society aims to promote jazz performances, support young musicians and provide opportunities for people to bond over the constantly evolving art form. One of the ways it does this is through the Jazz Arts Community Ensemble, an all-ages band which rehearses every Wednesday and performs quarterly concerts at Winchester Dondero.
LAS VEGAS JAZZ SOCIETY 50TH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL April 25-27, 3 p.m., free with reservations required at jazzsociety lasvegas@ gmail.com Winchester Dondero Cultural Center, lvjs.org
do
“It used to be that kids could sit in with the pros and get the school of hard knocks. There’s not so many opportunities to do that anymore,” says Judy Tarte, president of the Jazz Society. “It gives people a [chance] to come and get their chops up.”
The Jazz Arts Community Ensemble gave professional saxophonist Carlos Mata a strong interest in music as a career path when he was young. The 31-year-old says the opportunity to play with “amazing” older pros like Hall helped him see that being a musician could be a viable long-
a strong interest in music as a career path when he was young. The 31-year-old says that term plan. hear was inspiring to me,” Mata says. “It was
“Tom Hall took me under his wing about 15 years ago. To hear all his stories of the Strip and who he played with ... it was inspiring to me,” Mata says. “It was the beginning of my career, learning a lot of musical concepts, how to gig, what people expect from you.”
The 31-year-old now plays regularly on the Strip, and heads a six-piece band called Arcade Bops, which plays video game music in jazz, classical and pop styles. Arcade Bops will play at the Jazz Society’s festival along with the Community Ensemble, pianist and UNLV professor Uli Geissendoerfer, drummer Jose “Pepe” Jimenez, the trombone-heavy Las Vegas Boneheads, jazz singer Michelle Johnson and more.
Tarte and Hall emphasize that the Jazz Society is run by all volunteers for “the love of jazz” and the desire to see it live on, even if its glory days are long past.
“I would love to see jazz continued, and what better way to do it than to try and mentor people in something you’ve spent your entire life in?” Hall says. “And it’s working. We have some great young talent coming along who are going to be some of the best, if they continue. And if you give them the incentive and let them know they can do it, show them how and why, it feels good to see somebody blossom out of my e orts.”
PHOTOGRAPHY
TOASTS AND TRADITIONS
UNLVino turns 50 with a night of food, drinks and student-driven impact
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
There’s a certain magic that happens when you gather in a room full of people around food, drinks and purpose. UNLVino, celebrating its 50th year, has bottled that magic and is pouring it back into the next generation.
Over the years, UNLVino has raised millions of dollars in scholarship funds for students at the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. Every ticket purchased and auction item sold at the upcoming May 2 event at Thomas & Mack Center directly supports education.
For many students, those scholarships have meant access, opportunity and the ability to chase a dream without being held back by cost. The payo ? For some, it’s that scholarship. For others, it’s the rst real step toward a career in hospitality.
UNLVINO 50TH ANNIVERSARY GRAND TASTING
May 2, 6 p.m., $100+. Thomas & Mack Center, unlvino.com.
“One of the reasons that it has been such a huge success, which a lot of people don’t know about, is that there’s a whole class behind UNLVino,” says Shaina Graham, director of events for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. “We are putting students to work and giving them that hands-on experience that they might not get otherwise.”
With 28 student managers helping to coordinate and lead the event, eight culinary students handling the food sections and more than 100 campus volunteers, UNLVino functions as a live lab. From logistics to marketing to execution, the event is student-powered from start to nish. “It’s a homegrown event for Las Vegas,” Graham adds.
“We tell the students when we’re in there talking about the class … ‘best representation always,’ because you never know who you’re going to meet that’s going to take you to your next career,” says Graham.
UNLVino’s demographic re ects the industry’s evolving palate—a mix of 30- to 50-year-old hospitality pros and young professionals who not only appreciate what’s in their glass and on their plate, but also the people who served it.
Attendees can look forward to 80 beverage booths, pouring everything from bold reds and crisp whites to sake, beer, spirits and even non-alcoholic options, o ering something for every kind of connoisseur. Culinary partners will provide bites as thoughtfully curated as the drinks with local favorites including Slater’s 50/50, On Demand Sushi and Heavenly Pies & Trattoria.
It’s been ve decades since local philanthropist and Southern Glazer’s founder Larry Ruvo and former UNLV College of Hospitality Dean Jerry Vallen created UNLVino in a warehouse. This year, the event will honor longtime hospitality legends Don Ross of Caesars Entertainment and Michael Severino—two individuals who’ve helped shape both the event and the city’s hospitality culture.
UNLVino continues to toast to a greater cause, one that starts with a pour and ends with a future realized.
TOP LEFT (Left to right): Rick Moonen, Paul Bartolotta, Lou Ruvo, Hubert Keller
TOP RIGHT A selection of wines BOTTOM UNLVino server (All photos courtesy)
IT Specialist:
Req’d: B.S. in Computer Science or Information Engineering, or rltd. $80,746/yr Resume to: The One & J, LLC. (dba: Goong Korean BBQ Restaurant) 7729 S. Rainbow Blvd., STE 5, Las Vegas, NV 89139
Q+A:
JOY HOOVER Chief Executive Officer of
Esoes Cosmetics reflects on 2024 Top Tech of the Year Award
What is it like to win a Top Tech Award?
It’s an incredible honor. Being recognized doesn’t just validate the years of grit, grief and innovation behind Esōes—it validates why we build. It shines a light on what’s possible when tech is rooted in humanity, not just profitability.
Why is it important to have a technology recognition awards program in Las Vegas?
Las Vegas is more than entertainment and hospitality; we’re a city of creators, disruptors and bold innovators. Recognizing tech innovation here elevates our entire ecosystem and spotlights the brilliant minds transforming safety, healthcare, education, sustainability and more.
How will technology evolve in the next five years?
I see a massive shift toward tech that doesn’t just entertain or simplify—it safeguards, empowers and equips. The intersection of AI, wearable tech and personal safety will unlock life-saving possibilities. The future isn’t just smart. It’s safe, inclusive and radically human.
What advice would you give aspiring innovators looking to make an impact on the tech industry?
Create what you wish existed. Solve the problem that keeps you up at night. And whatever you do, don’t wait for permission. You don’t need a traditional tech background to disrupt an industry. You need vision, resilience and community.
Restaurateur
and hookah lounge pioneer Paymon Raouf looks back on his 37-year legacy
(Wade Vandervort/Sta )
BY AMBER SAMPSON
Las Vegas has its share of success stories, but Paymon Raouf’s story may top the list. Nearly 40 years ago, the Iranian immigrant hopped on a plane to Vegas through a refugee program in search of a new life. He’s since become a reputable force in the local food scene, establishing Paymon’s Mediterranean Lounge & Cafe on Maryland Parkway in 1988 as a leader in Mediterranean cuisine, and later as a full- edged hookah lounge.
“The pressure was on me, in a way, to be able to establish this, to be able to continue this,” Raouf says, gesturing around the hookah den of Paymon’s Fresh Kitchen & Lounge, a location he opened 21 years ago on Sahara Avenue. “I continuously had to innovate the way we do things, to be able to introduce it to American culture, to accept it into becoming their own. Today, hookah and hookah lounges are not a distant thing anymore.”
In 2023, the City of Las Vegas dubbed Paymon’s Fresh Kitchen & Lounge “America’s First Hookah Lounge.” The Weekly sat down with Raouf to discuss his enduring legacy, how elders played a role in his recipes and more.
By now, I imagine you know a generation of regulars who have been eating at your restaurants for years.
I grew up with them. We became friends and family. I remember one day I was standing in the front and I was greeting people. A lady about your age came from the bathroom with her 7 year-old daughter and said, “Are you Paymon?” I said, “Yes. How are you? Is everything okay?” She gave me a look and said, “Do you remember me?” I’m looking at her, I’m looking at the kid. I say, “Should I?” [Laughs.] She said, “I used to come to your restaurant with my parents when I was 7 years old. Now I come to your restaurant with my 7 year-old.” That’s why, when you said one generation, I want to tell you no, it’s three generations.
I have tables where they come in, the grandma and grandpa, their kid and their grandkids, and all three of them, for years, they’ve come to Paymon’s. Those are the reasons that I’m still in this business. The dining room becomes your home. How did you get started in Vegas?
At the end of 1987, I came through a refugee program through Catholic Charities. They sent me right to Las Vegas. I had two jobs as a dishwasher and a busboy in two di erent hotels, working 16 hours a day with no car. Those days, it was very hard. So I saved my money, and I opened a small grocery store called Eastern Bazaar with my brother. It wasn’t very successful, just selling groceries to a very small handful of the Middle Eastern community. So I started selling food little by little. I had a little deli case, and a gentleman walked in and said, “What do you got to eat?” I
wasn’t a restaurant. I was just a grocery store. And because I was desperate to pay rent, I said, “What would you like? [Laughs.] I have all these cold cuts, I can make you a sandwich.” That was my rst experience in the restaurant business.
He came back the next day with two more guys and said, “That sandwich was good. Give me two more.” I said, “Gee, I can make some money doing that.”
Little by little, when older ladies came in to buy groceries—Greek ladies, Turkish ladies, Armenians, Arabs, Persians—when they came in, I exchanged recipes for $50 groceries. I gave them $50 worth of groceries, and they gave me a recipe for hummus, a recipe for falafel and a recipe for di erent things from di erent regions. That’s amazing. I love that.
The coolest thing about it was most of these ladies, they were housewives; traditional Middle Eastern housewives. So they never earned money themselves. What they knew most, like my own mother, was taking care of family and cooking for family.
I get emotional about this. When they went home with handfuls of groceries, they went home and showed o to their husbands what they did. It’s actually the rst time they monetized. Besides taking care of family and washing clothes and cleaning the home, they were actually participating. That made Paymon feel really good.
So how exactly did Paymon’s become “America’s First Hookah Lounge?”
In the year 1999, at the Maryland location, there was a patio hallway in the middle and then there was a hookah lounge. Before the hookah lounge, I used that room during the day. I put a big TV in there for all these stock traders. They used to come over there for lunch … so they could watch MSNBC. The day that the market was good, it was a good feeling. The day that the market was down, I felt negativity. So I decided to change something in that room. I wanted to build a tea house. I traveled to di erent places in America. I even traveled to China, so I could learn more and more about tea. But Vegas was not ready for a tea house at the time. We’re talking about 1999. So one day I was thinking, how about if I serve hookah?
What happened next?
I said OK, I’m gonna do it, even though my own father, who was smoking a hookah at the time, said, “You’re nuts. You can’t do that because this culture is not ready. They don’t know it.” There were hookah cafes that were mostly traditional hookah cafes with mostly Middle Eastern men. There were no mouthpieces. There were people passing the hookahs, and they were smoking real
tobacco, serving co ee and tea. And they were playing some Middle Eastern music. It wasn’t inviting to the American crowd. So I pretty much westernized the experience. I brought in the alcohol, nice cocktails and played nice American music. The sta , they were all American sta . I brought the old world … into the new world standard—the American standard.
It feels like everyone wants Mediterranean food now, and hookah is everywhere. How do you keep Paymon’s fresh after almost 40 years?
If you love what you do, you want to make things better every day. You’re looking for new ways of doing things, new ingredients, new recipes. That’s why our menu is so big. Because everything is getting expensive, everybody, they are looking to cut a corner somewhere to be able to stay in business, to be pro table. But believe it or not, I’m looking for better ingredients to be able to produce a better dish because I feel people are getting educated every day on social media, Food Network and so forth. People want to know what they’re consuming. If people are getting more educated every day about what they eat, we need to o er them items that they want.
That’s a great quality olive oil, great quality kalamata olives, a good cheese. If I’m gonna eat here every day, and my sta and my customers, we better have great ingredients and great avors so we can satisfy their needs.
Would you ever consider passing the legacy of the lounge and the restaurant down to your kids so they can continue it?
I don’t want to insult myself and other restaurateurs, but kids these days, they can make easier money. This is a lot of hard work and more power to them. Everybody’s got to follow their own passion. I am 62 years old, and I like to believe I’ll be able to do this for another maybe 20 if I can. If I can come in with a walker, I’d like to come in and do it. Hopefully I’ll be able to do this for a long life.
PREMIER CROSSWORD HOROSCOPES
BY FRANK LONGO
Comped item
Least genuine
By way of, for short
“Fancy” rapper Azalea
Sporty Pontiac Firebird
L times L
Golf average for a 300-yard hole
Forewarns
CBS show with several spinoffs
Clan carving
“You and I are done!”
Post-winter river thaw
Put into law
Screening airport org.
Speeding penalty
Cole -- (shoe brand)
Pub munchies
Diagnostic utilizing a colorant
Broncos’ and Chiefs’ div.
“Obviously!”
Mail again, as a parcel
“Jeepers!”
-- Fables
Do, re, mi, fa, sol, --, do
Twists, as a wet towel
Feature of a May- December
Like fresh bread’s smell
Other, in Oviedo
Fills with black gunk, as a pothole
Tire pressure abbr.
Playful water animals 57 Jacuzzi sigh
French port on the Loire
Onetime fad dolls
BREZSNY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): While you typically prefer direct action, now is a favorable phase to coordinate your desire to get what you need with life’s changing conditions. What advantages might you gain by waiting for the ripest moments to arrive?
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You can’t see or hold the wind, though you can feel its force and observe its effects. It scatters seeds far and wide. This upcoming phase of your cycle may be wind-like. You won’t necessarily have to be obvious to spread your influence. You will be able to work behind the scenes in potent ways. Who knows where your seeds will land and germinate?
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): What may initially seem disruptive could ultimately generate positive outcomes. I hope you prime yourself to transform challenging situations into opportunities for growth. For best results, set aside your fixed beliefs about what’s necessary for maximum progress.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): From the 17th through the 19th centuries, Paris was famous for its salons. There, artists, writers and big thinkers assembled to exchange ideas and inspire each other. Now would be an excellent time for you to organize, host or encourage similar gatherings. You have extra power to facilitate the stellar socializing that generates zesty connections and spreads invigorating influences.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): After escaping enslavement, Harriet Tubman (1822–1913) heroically returned to other southern plantations many times to help free enslaved people, relying in part on her dreams and visions to navigate challenging situations. You will soon have access to similar assets: extraordinary courage and help from unusual or even supernatural sources.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The nations of planet Earth launched 263 space flights in 2024 and are on track for over 300 in 2025. I would love for you to have an equally high level of exploratory and experimental energy in the coming weeks. You will align yourself with cosmic rhythms if you spend more time than usual investigating the frontiers. It’s time to expand and extend yourself!
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The oldest living organism on Earth is a bristlecone pine tree nicknamed “Methuselah.” It resides somewhere in California’s White Mountains, though its precise location is kept secret to protect it. Consider maintaining similar safeguards in the coming weeks. Your precious processes and creations might thrive best if allowed to grow free from undue attention.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): During high tide, Gallinas Creek almost perfectly reflects the sky in every detail. My conscious mind knows the difference between the real sky and reflected sky, but my eyes can’t discern. That’s a helpful metaphor for you in the coming weeks. It will be crucial for you to maintain an acute awareness of what’s genuine and what’s illusory.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You must directly observe people’s actions rather than simply believing what they say about themselves—or what others say about them. You must look beyond surface declarations to understand the deeper rhythms and patterns. For best results, be a devoted participant, not an uninvolved judge.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn mystic Alan Watts wrote The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are. He proposed that each of us is far more glorious than our separate, isolated egos. It’s difficult to come to this understanding, however, since our culture conspires to hide it from us. But you will have an unprecedented chance to partly shatter this taboo in the coming weeks. I have high hopes that you will discover deep truths about yourself.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Meditate on these questions: 1. What mysterious parts of your life story would you like to have illuminated? 2. About which aspects of your past would you like to receive new truths? 3. Is there anything missing in your understanding of who you really are?
Formerly, archaically
High volcano in Sicily
“-- asked you?”
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I predict that you will be like a prism, bringing out vibrancy in situations or relationships that may seem nondescript or mundane at first glance. Your ability to discern and appreciate multiple perspectives will enable you to create an
You will have the power to notice and reveal
that
BACKSTORY
THE VAULT BICYCLE SHOP | THE VILLAGE AT CENTENNIAL SPRINGS | APRIL 15, 2025 There’s no bike like a snow bike, especially in the desert. The 1963 “Ski Bob” is on display alongside a sweet Evel Knievel tribute bike at the vintage bicycle museum at The Vault Bicycle Shop. This place has everything: bikes, repairs, accessories and the sheer audacity to inspire me to wonder if it’s time for me to become the BMX superstar I never knew I wanted to be. Luckily, it also has specialists that could help me accept that I may be better off with a tricycle—and they have those, too. Furthermore, it’s walkable near a Coffee Religion on a street called Norman Rockwell. Talk about being off the chain. –Corlene Byrd
