2012-13 Basketball Preview by Vegas Seven

November 1-7, 2012

Can Khem Birch, Mike Moser and Anthony Bennett take the Rebels to new heights?

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16 | The Latest

Election fever sweeps the Valley, and it’s becoming annoying. Plus, Michael Green on—what else?—politics.

18 | About Town

“The Return of the Café Kid,” by Geoff Carter. Tamarisk Wood is trying to fund her startup coffeehouse the old-fashioned way: by putting out the tip jar.

24 | Style

The Look with Tal Cooperman, and a downtown collaboration debuts.

26 | National

The New York Observer’s Q&A with cultural critic Dave Hickey.

28 | 2012-13 Basketball Preview

“Northern Thunder,” by Sean DeFrank By adding Canadian imports Khem Birch and Anthony Bennett, UNLV may have built the nation’s finest front line. Plus, Mike Grimala of RunRebs.com breaks down the coming season.

32 | News Feature

“Running Rebel,” by Matt Jacob Republican congressional candidate Danny Tarkanian’s inspiration comes from a staunch Democrat—who happens to be his mother.

37 | NIGHTLIFE

Seven Nights, Gossip, a Q&A with Sidney Samson, and photos from the week’s hottest parties.

61 | DINING

Max Jacobson on Meat & Three. Plus, the Beer Nut and Cocktail Culture.

69 | A&E

A guide to the Vegas Valley Book Festival, featuring Cindi Moon Reed’s interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning festival headlinerJennifer Egan, Chantal Corcoran’s discussion with children’s author-illustrator David Shannon and our can’t-miss fest picks.

72 | Art

“Balanced Contradictions,” by Chantal Corcoran. Navajo artist and Book Festival` poster creator Landis Bahe brings two worlds into visual harmony

74 | Music

Jarret Keene’s Soundscraper, CD reviews and our concert pages.

80 | Movies

Cloud Atlas and our weekly movie capsules.

Departments 11 | Dialogue

17 | Seven Days

Photo by Anthony Mair

88 | Going for Broke on the cover

UNLV big men Khem Birch, Mike Moser and Anthony Bennett outgrow the page. Photo by Anthony Mair.

94 | Seven Questions

9 VEGAS SEVEN

14 | Event

November 1-7, 2012

12 | Vegas Moment

Las Vegas’ weekly city magazine Founded February 2010

Publishers

Ryan T. Doherty | Justin Weniger Associate Publisher Michael

Skenandore

Editorial

Editorial Director Phil Hagen Managing Editor Greg Blake Miller Senior Editor, Nightlife, Dining and beverage Xania Woodman Senior Writers Geoff Carter, Heidi Kyser Associate Editors Steve Bornfeld, Sean DeFrank, Matt Jacob A&E Editor Cindi Reed Copy Editor Paul Szydelko Calendar Editor Deanna Rilling Editorial Assistant Elizabeth Sewell

Contributing Editors

Melinda Sheckells, style; Michael Green, politics; Max Jacobson, food; Jarret Keene, music; David G. Schwartz, gaming/hospitality

Art

Art Director Christopher A. Jones Senior Graphic Designer Marvin Lucas Graphic Designers Thomas Speak, Jesse Sutherland Staff Photographer Anthony Mair

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Ryan T. Doherty | Justin Weniger Vice President, Publishing Michael Skenandore Creative Director Sherwin Yumul

Finance

Chief Financial Officer Kevin J. Woodward Assistant Controller Donna Nolls General Accounting Manager Erica Carpino Credit/Collections Manager Traci McGrath

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November 1-7, 2012

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“Rebel Answers,” Page 31 Grimala is the new lead writer for RunRebs.com, joining the team after five years covering high school basketball at ESPN. An avid hoopster from birth, he grew up in Massachusetts and became a diehard Boston Celtics fan despite his formative years coinciding with the Rick Pitino era. He received his journalism degree from Northeastern University and covered high school sports for The Boston Globe before moving on to ESPN. A longtime Celtics season-ticket holder, Grimala is now immersing himself in the UNLV basketball culture as he chronicles the team 24/7 for RunRebs.com.

LETTERS How to Go Pro The clear-eyed truth is pretty simple: Las Vegas doesn't have the population and hasn't shown any type of interest and civic financial commitment to support an MLB or NFL team (“Big League or Bust,” Oct. 25). Gambling makes Las Vegas radioactive to the NFL, and there is zero chance of that changing. This leaves the NHL or NBA. By any measure, the NBA is the gold standard. But Las Vegas has to accept and embrace the reality that about a dozen well-qualified cities in America are on the same mission. The key component to getting a team is clear: an arena paid for with taxpayer dollars that enables the team to compete financially. Rationalize all you want, but that is the price of entry. Pay it or be quiet. The same formula (and competition) exists in an NHL scenario. I live in Oklahoma City. We did that, and were lucky enough to get an NBA team. We did that by committing our own taxpayer money to build and subsidize the arena. And by having civic leaders who had the money and commitment to buy a team and take their chances on bringing it to Oklahoma City. The payoff has been beyond our wildest dreams! The same opportunity exists for Las Vegas. But you gotta pay for it out of your own taxpayer pocket. Are you ready and willing? – Posted at VegasSeven.com by Jeff Leatherock

This Week @ VegasSeven.com Rebel Fever Get to know the home team with Mike Grimala’s online series, “Meet the Rebels” at RunRebs.com. And don’t miss scenes from Grimala’s exclusive preseason video interview with coach Dave Rice.

Election Fever The silly season is coming down to the wire, and political columnist Michael Green is keeping a close eye on all the developments in both the state and national races at VegasSeven.com/UpTheAisles.

Bookie Fever The arrest of (since-fired) Cantor Gaming sportsbook director Mike Colbert—one of eight Southern Nevada busts—in a major New York money-laundering crackdown made national headlines last week. Vegas Seven gaming expert David G. Schwartz, director of UNLV’s Center for Gaming Research, discusses the scandal at VegasSeven.com/GreenFeltJournal

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Dialogue

Vegas Seven

November 1-7, 2012

vegas moment

All the rage  Erik Kabik

KatY perry showed up wearing a ballot. President Obama showed up wearing a smile. Mitt Romney wasn’t with them at Doolittle Park on Oct. 24 to form a triangle of discord, but he’d just paid us a visit at the Henderson Pavilion with his very own hottie, Paul Ryan. This, in turn, came on the heels of the Pavilion hosting Americans for Prosperity’s Freedom Day festival, complete with a big black bus custom-painted with the message “Obama’s Failing Agenda.” The fest also featured bouncy slides and an inflatable Uncle Sam so the kids could learn to cherish and respect their country. Can you feel the love? See Katy’s whole dress in Gossip on Page 38.

Have you taken a photo that captures the spirit of Las Vegas this week? Share it with us at VegasSeven.com/moment.

Event

Signs of the Times After years of anticipation, the Neon Museum finally opened its doors on Oct. 26 with a sneak preview dubbed “First Night.” The “vintage Vegas” grand-opening gala—held one day before the museum officially welcomed the public—celebrated the opening of the La Concha Visitors’ Center and paid tribute to those in the community who have been supporting the museum’s efforts. The nonprofit museum is a nearly 2-acre outdoor exhibition space showcasing iconic signs from the city’s most famous properties, including the Moulin Rouge, Desert Inn, Flamingo and Stardust, which rest alongside signs from bygone restaurants and businesses. Guided hourlong tours for the general public are every half-hour starting at 10 a.m. daily. Visit NeonMuseum.org for more information.

VEGAS SEVEN

[ upcoming ]

Nov. 11 National Beard & Moustache Championships at the Clark County Amphitheater (BeardTeamUSA.org) Nov. 13 Ethel M Chocolates Cactus Garden lighting with host George Wallace (EthelM.com)

Photos by Karl Larson

November 1-7, 2012

For more photos from social gatherings, visit VegasSeven.com/events

UPCOMING SHOWS TI C KETS STARTI N G AT $2 4

ZOPPÉ – An Italian Family Circus

Ballet Folklorico de Mexico

A traditional one-ring circus right in Symphony Park Thursday, 11/1 & Friday, 11/2 – 7:00pm Saturday, 11/3 – 2:00pm & 7:00pm Sunday, 11/4 – 2:00pm & 5:00pm

The pinnacle of traditional Mexican dance and music Sunday, 11/4 & Monday, 11/5 – 7:30pm

Jim Brickman’s On A Winter’s Night

The Irish Tenors – Wright, Kearns, Tynan The Premiere Irish Holiday Celebration Tour

A holiday performance by the best-selling solo pianist of our time Monday, 11/12 – 7:30pm

UPCOMING SHOWS AT

TheSmithCenter.com

BRAZIL meets FUNK featuring Sergio Mendes and Candy Dulfer Two award-winning stars explore the nature of Funk and Brazilian beats Friday, 11/9 – 7:30pm

A beautiful arrangement of Irish and Christmas classics Tuesday, 11/27 – 7:30pm

702 .749.2000

Steppin’ Out With Ben Vereen A dazzling one-man show featuring the Tony®-winner himself Saturday, 11/10 – 7:30pm

Under the Streetlamp

Classical Mystery Tour

This pop quartet takes on the greatest hits from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s Wednesday, 11/28 – 7:30pm

A Tribute to the Beatles performed live with a 28-piece orchestra Friday, 11/30 – 7:30pm

Clint Holmes

Friday, 11/2 & Saturday, 11/3 – 8:30pm Sunday, 11/4 – 2:00pm

SEASON PARTNERS

Sam Harris in Concert

Friday, 11/9 – 8:30pm Saturday, 11/10 – 7:00pm & 9:30pm

Visit TheSmithCenter.com to see the full lineup today

361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89106 TTY: 800.326.6868 or dial 711

“I’m a café kid from the ’90s who stayed in Vegas. I know what we had, and what we need.” About Town {page 18}

News, politics, media, essays and expat geniuses

Just a Number By Heidi Kyser We disagreed. We talked and listened. Each of us tried to understand the other’s stance. We still disagreed on most things, but it was OK. I understand that this doesn’t matter to you. To you, I am a member of a subset to be processed by an algorithm and reported on CBS News. The algorithm predicts how I will vote on certain issues. I’d bet the algorithm is wrong. This afternoon, I heard a report on Latino Mormons. How will they vote in the presidential election? They must feel conflicted by their desire to support a Mormon candidate combined with their desire not to see undocumented brethren self-deport. How will you write this algorithm? Math solves all problems. I assume you’ll figure out how to quantify opposing desires. An equation could weight my brother’s solidarity with the 47 percent (as a former public servant) and his affinity for the 53 percent (as a fiscal conservative), and calculate which one will override the other. You’ll invent a subcat-

egory for him and project which way it will vote. It will be reported on CBS News. What if my brother is watching that report? Will he remain as thoughtful as he is in our discussions? Or will he begin to believe the talking heads telling him who he is and how he will vote? If your electoral science turns my open-minded sibling into a button-pushing zombie, I will be really mad. Before it’s too late, please stop using your brilliant equations to categorize and subcategorize the subtleties of our humanity. If you don’t, I’m afraid your strings of zeros and ones will mutate into a media virus causing innocent consumers to absorb and embody your predictions before they even know what’s hit them. Sure, unpredictable people are annoying, sometimes stupid. But the gaps in our logic make space for conversation, self-interrogation, sometimes even growth. Don’t take this away from us. Sincerely, Heidi

November 1-7, 2012

Unapproved Messages

VEGAS SEVEN

I cannot remember the last time I picked up the house phone. In fact, when it rings—does it ever stop ringing?—the family choir croons in unison, “Don’t answer it!” Visits to the mailbox are down to once a week (and a wheelbarrow is now required to haul the contents, 95 percent of which immediately—blindly—gets tossed into the trash). And the channel-changing and mute buttons are now indistinguishable on the TV remote. Such is life during election season, when we red-blooded Americans return home after another long day on the job—those of us lucky enough to have jobs, that is—hoping to unwind, only to be bombarded by telephone solicitations, politically charged junk mail and vicious attack ads on television. They want our money, our opinion,

our support, our vote. And you think to yourself: Wait a second, aren’t these the same characters constantly crying about overspending and the need to “live within our means”? Yet here are Romney and Obama and Berkley and Heller and Tarkanian and Horsford and every candidate from sea to shining sea, pouring millions—billions?—into their campaigns. The anger intensifies when you realize that, by the very nature of the democratic process—in which each race can have but one winner— more than 50 percent of the campaign cash essentially ends up flushed down the commode. All the while the national debt grows, education remains underfunded and the economy remains a mess. “Yes, but this is the best system in the world!” they say. I’m beginning to wonder …

Beer photo courtesy of Brewers Association

I am a 44-year-old white agnostic female. Most of my political views are in line with the Democratic platform. I won’t tell you which ones aren’t. If I did, you might advise the campaigns to alter their message in the hope of capturing my vote, and those of other 44-year-old white agnostic females who agree with me. You’ve got it down to a science, and I don’t want to be in your lab. I want my political leaders to tell me not what they think I want to hear, but what they really think. I admire political courage. I’ve heard many people do. My brother is a 45-year-old white Christian male. His views are mostly in line with the Republican platform. We differ in many ways. He’s a retired cop in a small New Mexico town; I’m a journalist in a big city. Still, we’re very close. We see each other as much as possible. He visited me around Halloween 2008, and again this summer—both times when elections were in the air. Politics came up.

Photo by Bryan Hainer; Photo Illustration by Thomas Speak

Dear Political Analyst:

By Bob Whitby

Thursday, Nov. 1: If cooking is a competitive sport—and judging by all food-themed reality TV, it must be—then it needs a crowning event. And it’s got one: the World Food Championships, through Sunday at Bally’s and other venues (see Seven Questions, Page 94). It’s four days of cooking contests in categories from burgers to side dishes, with winners advancing to the final table for a shot at being crowned World Food Champion. WorldFoodChampionships.com.

Friday, Nov. 2: Master sto[ dispatch ]

The Beer Factor Las Vegas is a town about to have two water parks and two observation wheels. It’s still up in the air whether or not we need a stadium (or two), but after what I witnessed in Denver recently, I’m convinced that what we really need are a few more bars. No, seriously! Bars, pubs, breweries, brewpubs. And, more importantly, we have to support them. That’s key, and here’s why: Right now, Las Vegas has about the same chance of ever prying the annual Great American Beer Festival from the

death grip of beer-fanatical Denver as it does of hosting the Winter Olympics. And rightfully so: We’re simply not equipped. After nearly 50,000 hopsters stormed the Colorado Convention Center at last month’s three-day festival to sample more than 2,700 craft brews or die trying, they inundated downtown Denver’s countless pubs each night and were treated to some truly rare pours (see Page 63). And, like the Denver-made Stranahan’s whiskey I stocked up on while there, you simply can’t get many of these highly

allocated rarities here in Las Vegas. Period. (Although each year we make inroads with more distributors.) Plus, much of the beauty of craft beer is the intrinsic homegrown nature of it. Craft breweries need their community’s support to stay alive as much as they need rabid fans in other markets. It’s all part of a maturation process the Vegas beer-and-bar scene will have to go through if we’re ever to compete with the Denvers of the world. And it will take awhile. – Xania Woodman

ryteller Charlotte Blake Alston weaves African-American stories and songs into mesmerizing performances that are half cultural enlightenment and half entertainment. Take the kids, the show is free (but requires tickets, which can be picked up in advance). 7 p.m., West Las Vegas Arts Center, 229-4800.

Saturday, Nov. 3: If you’ve ever seen a hot-air balloon and wondered, “How do they steer those things?” today is your chance to find out. The Friends of Metro Search and Rescue Las Vegas are holding their inaugural balloon festival and carnival from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and tomorrow at Southern Hills Hospital, 9300 W. Sunset Road. About 30 balloons, and their pilots, will be on hand to answer your questions. LasVegasBalloonFest.com. Sunday, Nov. 4: If crafts are your thing, Cashman Center will be the center of your universe this weekend. The Great Craft Festival is rolling into town, and that means 50,000 square feet of cute stuff. The show starts Nov. 2 and ends today at 5 p.m. StevePowers.com.

What does the Nevada Youth Coalition do in the political realm? We wanted to do voter registration and get our fellow youth to the polls. So we started a [nonpartisan] program this year that registered more than 3,000 young adults to vote and got an additional 1,200 to pledge to vote. We canvassed to reopen Circle Park, and we advocated on behalf of education issues during the 2011 legislative session.

What do you think is the most common misconception about “the youth vote”? That young people are disengaged. Youth are largely engaged and passionate about what’s happening in the world and how it affects them. They’re curious and always seeking to learn about or get involved in issues they feel are important. Recently, during an event to encourage early voting at UNLV, nearly every other student we talked to was wearing an “I voted” sticker. What do you think is the prevailing truth about young people and politics? They are less partisan, less interested in the back-and-forth that occurs during election season and more issues-driven. When you take the time to engage them directly and substantively, they’re more interested in hearing what you have to say.

Tuesday, Nov. 6: Heard anything about

some election today? Apparently polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and you can find your polling place on the Clark County Election Department’s website, ClarkCountyNV.gov. It’s like they were keeping this a secret or something.

Wednesday, Nov. 7: Veterans Day isn’t until next Monday, but

UNLV is getting a head start with a walk/run to honor Rebel vets from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. today on the main campus. The free event includes a wreath ceremony at the UNLV Veterans Memorial, located near that iconic flashlight on campus. Go to UNLV.edu/events to sign up for the run.

For our complete calendar, see Seven Days & Nights at VegasSeven.com.

November 1-7, 2012

J.T. Creedon will be watching local voter turnout carefully this election—particularly among 18-24-year-olds. As head of the 300-member Nevada Youth Coalition, Creedon spends his spare time persuading young adults that civic engagement can effect change. Are they buying it? Strong representation at the polls this election season would be a good sign that they are.

17 VEGAS SEVEN

Beer photo courtesy of Brewers Association

Photo by Bryan Hainer; Illustration by Thomas Speak

Politics

Monday, Nov. 5: Revel in the beauty and precision of the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico, a cultural institution that has been touring the world for 50 years. The first show is Nov. 4; the second one is today. $24-$59, 7:30 p.m., TheSmithCenter.com.

The Latest

About town

Who is the greatest Las Vegas stage performer of all time?

Tamarisk Wood is trying to fund her startup coffeehouse the old-fashioned way: by putting out the tip jar

November 1-7, 2012

By Geoff Carter

VEGAS SEVEN

Tamarisk Wood and I are Las Vegas café kids. Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, we frequented the same now-defunct Valley coffeehouses— Café Espresso Roma and Café Copioh, formerly on Maryland Parkway across from UNLV, and my beloved Enigma Garden Café, formerly downtown at Fourth and Hoover. We didn’t really know each other then, but we knew the places, and we knew the crowds that frequented them. We spilled our cappuccinos on the same pedestal tables; we attended the same poetry readings and gallery openings. So when Wood tells me, over a table at Bar + Bistro, that she wants to open “a coffeehouse, not a café” in the Arts District, I completely get her meaning. She’s not talking about opening a restaurant; she’s talking about reviving a community. But I confess that I’m surprised by the way she’s going about opening her Avant Café: She’s calling on that community, wherever it may be, to help fund her

startup costs through an Indiegogo campaign. In essence, she’s just put out the tip jar. “Banks don’t give loans lightly, especially to coffeehouses and/or artrelated businesses,” says the 33-year old barista and gallerist, whose Indiegogo campaign is at Indiegogo.com/AvantCafe. “Add in the stress on the café’s income, and on me personally, to pay back the loan on top of the constant expenses, and it’s a recipe for failure.” Wood, who has been working as a barista since 1999, knows how modest a coffeehouse’s daily profits can be. And she’s seen how a crisis can cut into those profits. She doesn’t expect to get rich running Avant; she only wants to bring back the community she knew. “This isn’t just a lark; I want this place to be around for years,” she says. “I want to represent Vegas’ underground to other cities, I’d love to leave it to my daughter when I retire.” Still, asking someone to pay for a coffee they

haven’t yet ordered—and, let’s be honest, may not be able to order if the fundraising campaign fails—is asking a lot. And Wood knows it. As is custom with all crowd-sourced cultural endeavors, she’s offering premiums in exchange for contributions, ranging from Avant Cafe stickers (a $10 donation) to free beverages daily for life (a $1,000 donation). But the main thing she’s offering can’t be held or consumed: nostalgia, a sense of place and a cup of coffee that’s worth crossing town for. “You’d think I’d say customer service makes a great coffeehouse—and I plan on fostering an inviting, positive environment and staff—but even if you can have the hippest and nicest staff in the world, if your product is crap or your barista has no idea what they’re doing, I’m never coming back,” she says. “Enigma really is my inspiration. It was the perfect coffeehouse. I plan on having amazing art shows, awesome live shows and super-cozy and cute decor, but the entire

reason for me wanting to open Avant is because I love making great coffee.” After our meeting, Wood walks the Arts District, looking at likely spaces—and even though I have my reservations about crowd-sourced cultural funding in general, I find that I’m pulling for her on the basis of her underdog status, and her promise of a decently foamed latte and “supercoziness” within walking distance of my Huntridge District home. At the time of this writing, Avant has only raised $1,685 of its $50,000 goal, and Las Vegans are traditionally wary of investing in dreams not wholly their own. But Wood remains doggedly optimistic. “I’m a café kid from the ’90s who stayed in Vegas and watched it grow. I know what we had, what we want and what we need,” she says. “I’d love for people to be as excited as I am to have a space to become a home for artists, musicians, writers, thinkers and friends to come together.”

A recent UNR study showed that roughly a quarter of Nevada drivers use handheld cellphones despite the new law. Why? Because the other 75 percent lied. I was at an intersection last week and every driver around me was on a handheld, probably because the law is nearly impossible to enforce, especially where window tinting is both legal and prevalent. Given the variety of in-car distractions covered by the “driving while distracted” law, Metro has enough on its plate.

Do you think casinos will ever permit strip clubs, pawnshops or banks under their roofs? Not likely. Not that they wouldn’t want them. Casino operators want anything that makes money, and clearly those businesses can. But it is unlikely that the Gaming Control Board would permit them, given the “moral turpitude clause” (Gaming Control Regulation 5.011). Yes, some strip clubs have slots, but that is hardly the same as planting bare boobs next to Bouchon; even the pasty-laden Forty Deuce burlesque club was wellhidden under a Mandalay Bay escalator. As for banks and pawnshops, I suspect those, too, would be frowned upon. We have our manageable moral transgressions; nobody wants to send the message we are gaming the system to that extent.

Questions? AskaNative@VegasSeven.com.

Photo by Bryan Hainer

The Return of the Café Kid

Nothing like a subjective question to piss off the Tom Jones Fan Club! I grew up after the Golden Age of the Vegas stage (roughly 1955-1965), but through the magic of YouTube and the memories of old timers, anyone can relive the Strip’s glory days. I’ve seen an uncountable number of live performances, and my criteria for a quality stage show is simple: emotive, authentic talent (no Auto-tune or teleprompters, please). And while my tastes run toward raw and reckless authenticity (think pre-success Jane’s Addiction, circa 1987), it’s possible to translate that to Vegas performers. Who? Yes, the admittedly excellent Tom Jones is a contender. And of course, there’s always the Rat Pack, particularly the magic moments when they crashed each other’s stages. Still, I’m sticking with Vegas legend Louis Prima, particularly when performing with Sam Butera and the Wildest. His combination of talent, energy and enthusiasm made the Sahara’s Casbar Lounge the place to be. While few modern Strip performers can touch the energy and authenticity of those guys, a name-check is due for Santa Fe & the Fat City Horns. Definitely worth a watch.

the latest

media [ Vegas Tech ]

Romo: The Next Generation

@Makenai If I hadn’t sent a blank e-mail with the subject ‘burritos’ to half the company today, someone would have thought I was a complete jackass.

By David Davis

Don’t call it a toy. Well, OK, call it a toy if you want— but the new Romo is more than just that. Remember, personal computers were once called toys, too. Around this time last year, the three Romotive founders were working together in a downtown Las Vegas apartment, feverishly assembling the yet-to-be-released first-generation Romos by hand, hoping to get them shipped before Christmas. They pulled it off and added to the sense that diversification was really beginning to take root downtown (see our Feb. 2 cover story, “Robots on Fremont Street,” at VegasSeven.com/Romo). Now, after only one year, and $5 million in venture capital funding, Romotive has 14 employees, including veterans of some of the best robotics companies in the world. The new team is again rushing to get the newest Romo shipped before Christmas, but this time they’re finalizing arrangements with a factory in China that has retooled a custom assembly line to manufacture and ship thousands of Romos each week. Romo at first just looks like a friendly robot base for an iPhone or iPod Touch. Kids immediately fall in love with him and start treating

@OyVegas Just saw a lass near the Beat on Fremont Street in downtown LV whose costume can only be described as “Honey Boob Boob.”#bestwindowinVegas.

@DanaJGould

him like a pet. (Yes, Romotive has confirmed that the current Romo is male. A female Romo will be introduced in the next generation.) But don’t let Romo’s deceptively simple hardware fool you. Through its control software, this Romo can do simultaneous video conferencing and remote control from anywhere in the world. Romotive calls this “family presence” (computer geeks would call it “telepresence”), and it opens up a world of possibilities: Romos can now go on security patrols, enable homebuyers to tour houses remotely, allow distant grandparents to play with their grandkids from anywhere in the world, or even let city dwellers chase their dog around the apartment during lunch break … without leaving work. Future enhancements will allow

Romo to recognize objects and people, and to map out environments and navigate them autonomously. Romotive is also opening its software to enable other developers to create custom applications to control the robot. And though the Romotive team won’t talk about it, it seems likely that future generations will allow for hardware accessories as well. Romo can be ordered online now with a Kickstarter donation and will be in major retail stores early next year. Romotive has already rebuffed at least one toy manufacturer interested in buying them. As Chief Operations Bot Jen McCabe said, “Being bought by Hasbro would be a death sentence for us right now.” Instead, Romotive is looking toward the future, and it involves much more than just being a toy.

November 1-7, 2012

(Grrl.org)

VEGAS SEVEN

Despite the fact that I write a column about websites, I have to confess that I understand technology only marginally less than I understand women, whom I understand not at all. That’s why Lisa Phillips is such a hero of mine. The roller-derby coach and software engineer—of Seattle’s Rat City Rollergirls and Twitter, respectively—writes knowingly on these topics, and many others, at Grrl.org. Where most programmers speak jargon, Phillips speaks in plain language; she can readily explain how to get into her line of work (“Be curious about technology around you, then go learn how it works”), how to best work from home (“Create a dedicated, clean space with your necessary work tools and put a door on it”), and why roller derby boosts confidence (“There’s no time to worry about a muffin top when blocking a jammer”). This is profoundly inspiring stuff. – Geoff Carter

found material

Surviving in the City When CityCenter opened nearly three years ago, the timing couldn’t have been worse. With the recession taking a heavy toll on Las Vegas, the $8.5 million, 67-acre CityCenter negatively impacted other properties in the Valley, and risked becoming a colossal failure. The New York Times recently reported on CityCenter’s progress, and found that despite some remaining struggles, such as what will become of the unfinished Harmon tower, occupancy has been steady because of reduced room rates, and high-end retailers have been moving into Crystals, CityCenter’s luxury shopping mall. Perhaps the city within a city will make it after all. Find the link at VegasSeven.com/found.

Follow Carter on Twitter @Geoff_Carter.

@rcade Disney owns Marvel, Star Wars and Indiana Jones. If they buy Farrah Fawcett, D&D and my parents’ divorce, they’ll own my entire childhood.

@SarcasticRover Now that we’ve all had a chance to talk about Star Wars, we should probably get back to politicizing this hurricane.

@patrickmarkryan Will it ever go back? RT @danwootton: Very scary sight. New York’s gone black. #sandy.

@AnnoyedCsnoDlr

[ Site to See ]

Girl, Interconnected

I just bought my Halloween costume at the 99-Cent store. I’m going as Man Holding Some Sponges.

I wonder if the degenerates in Atlantic City are still trying to get into the flooded casinos. Can’t stop a degenerate!

@NatashaLeggero Vegas is full of white trash of all ethnicities.

@JerryCFerrara So smart of Vegas airport to put the electrical outlets right under the pay phones. Way to rub it in pay phones’ faces.

@MercedesLV I just pretended to drop something under my desk so I could quickly floss my teeth. I’ve hit rock bottom.

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the latest November 1-7, 2012

Election Food for Thought: A Six-Course Meal

VEGAS SEVEN

At dinner, a moderately liberal friend asked whether he had to vote for a Democratic candidate he found wanting in personality and honesty. The answer? Not really, since the candidate seemed likely to lose anyway. Never mind the identities. What matters more is the nerve of the guy answering the question. How do I know who will win or lose? I don’t, but here are some things and people to watch for, some of it obvious, some of it less so: 1. The Hispanic Factor. Latino turnout could tip several races. Many analysts argue that Hispanic voters closed the deal for Sen. Harry Reid’s re-election in 2010. That turnout figures to benefit Democrats, thanks to the Republicans’ failure to unite on immigration reform and tendency to disdain those who might need government help. But many Hispanic voters live in predominantly Democratic areas, meaning they don’t have very competitive races. The Democratic Get Out the Vote effort becomes even more crucial here. 2. The Coattail Factor. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney could help candidates up and down the ticket, but the guess here is that while neither will have long coattails, Obama will help Democrats more than Romney will help Republicans. This will be especially interesting in the two

congressional “swing” districts, the Democratic-leaning fourth district (Steven Horsford vs. Danny Tarkanian) and the Republican-leaning third (Joe Heck vs. John Oceguera). 3. The Ron Paul Factor. The Nevada Republican party remains split between the so-called Paulistas and others who might be called establishment Republicans or even moderate if most of them weren’t themselves so far to the right. But will the libertarian-leaning party members go for Romney? Consider this: If the presidential election is that close, it could come down to an Electoral College tie of 266-266, with Nevada’s six votes deciding it. If Paulistas won’t vote for Romney … 4. Party or Region in the State Senate? Control of that body hinges on several races, but it could come down to Washoe County. Democrat Sheila Leslie, who seems to make no apologies for being liberal, gave up a state Senate seat to run for another one against Republican Greg Brower. Painting Leslie as a lefty might not work there, since she has a long record of service. Suppose that’s the one that tips the balance. If Leslie wins, Clark County figures to benefit, having the state’s largest

Democratic registration—but it will take Washoe County to make that happen. If Brower wins, Republican budget cutters gain, and Clark County suffers—unless its delegation unites by region. Which it won’t. 5. The Worst Publicity Is No Publicity? County Commissioner Tom Collins made news for a misdemeanor (he shot a tree on his property, which will teach that tree a lesson) and for one of his bulls getting loose. It was embarrassing. But he’s a Democrat in a Democratic district—except that his Republican opponent, Ruth Johnson, is a Mormon with some name recognition from the school board. This race could measure how tolerant voters are. 6. The Wisdom of Electing Judges. Carolyn Ellsworth, appointed to a District Court vacancy last year, faces a challenger, Phung Jefferson, whose husband, Morse Arberry, was an assemblyman who made a deal with the attorney general over failing to disclose campaign contributions that he deposited in his own account. The state official who helped put the case together against Arberry was … Ellsworth. If Jefferson wins, look for a bigger fight in the future against electing judges, since voters will have shown—again— that they aren’t paying attention. Michael Green is a professor of history at the College of Southern Nevada.

I finally made it to Wonderground, the magicians’ showcase held every third Thursday of the month in the Olive restaurant at 3850 E. Sunset Road. This is another of those “secret” entertainment plays, a la the Vegas Underground on Mondays at the Tap House or the Lon Bronson gigs on Friday nights at Green Valley Ranch. It’s overseen and emceed by Jeff McBride, who’s renowned for his sleight-of-hand and card-throwing prowess. The entertainment is hit and miss, depending on who’s in that night, but McBride always takes a turn, so this is a good play for a $10 cover. The restaurant serves a good mezza sampler for $15.95 that will feed three or four. Make a night of it. • You can get a big ham & eggs at the Skyline casino on Boulder Highway, a bigger one at Irene’s on Spring Mountain Road, and probably the biggest I’ve ever seen at Home Plate on Blue Diamond Road. The Major League ham and eggs for $10.95 is a beast (with three eggs) that you won’t be able to tame in one sitting. That’s OK—they have to-go boxes, as well as a Minor League version for $7.95. • Speaking of beasts, have you tried the 22-ounce bone-in prime rib in the Cortez Room at the Gold Coast? It’s one of those huge slabs everyone in the restaurant checks out when it’s delivered. It’s just $23, and it comes with a choice of soup or salad, potato, and fresh bread. • How about sours? If eating sour candies is part of your movie-night routine, try to catch a flick at the Suncoast. I’ve been to movie theaters all over town, and none has a better selection of sour- and gummy-candies than Suncoast. • Are you voting next week? If you are and want to go to Madame Tussauds at the Venetian, admission is free on Election Day (Nov. 6) when you show an “I Voted” sticker. Also, past and active members of the military get free admission on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. • It’s not a big discount, but you can see the new Cirque show, Zarkana, in preview performances at Aria in the ever-so-slightly-discounted price range of $62-$167. Regular performances begin Nov. 11, when the ticket range will rise to $69-$180. • Sometimes you can find high-end perks in unlikely places. Whereas most happy hours place rigid restrictions on the booze you can drink, that’s not the case at El Cortez, where from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, a top-shelf happy hour offers two-for-ones on Grey Goose, Crown Royal, Johnnie Walker Red, Patrón Silver, Bacardi Gold and all martinis. Or you could go to Old Homestead at Caesars Palace and pay $12.97 for a 16-ounce draft Stella Artois. Not! Anthony Curtis is the publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor and LasVegasAdvisor.com, a monthly newsletter and website dedicated to finding the best deals in town.

Photo illustration by Thomas Speak

A secret Showcase, Monster Ham and Super Sours

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The latest

style

Artistic Alliance Two of downtown’s creative denizens—furniture designer Hayley Hunter and jewelry creator Jessica Galindo—teamed up to produce a collection capitalizing on the pair’s shared colorful, pop-art aesthetic. The assemblage, called HH+JG, debuts at Hunter’s downtown studio, Creative Space, on Nov. 2 during First Friday. The event previews the collaboration’s assortment of furnishings, paintings and mannequin art, along with displaying Galindo’s fine art and jewelry. Vegas Seven got a taste of what to expect from HH+JG.

Mannequin Lamp Hand-painted, one-of-a-kind piece crafted from a store figure, and ready to light any room.

“Label Whore”

VEGAS SEVEN

Tal Cooperman

What he’s wearing now: Alexander McQueen shirt, Topman pants and suspenders, and Toms shoes.

Director of entertainment marketing for Neff Headwear, director of mar- Style Icon: I have a few, but my top three are Pat Tenor, owner of RVCA clothing, Alexander McQueen and Anna Wintour. keting for Agenda Tradeshow and partner in RESQWATER, age 29. A fixture in the action-sports scene since he was 16, Cooperman has seen his style evolve from grunge-inspired to fitted and Photographed by Tomo

fashion forward. “I think the idea of mixing luxury and mass-market fashion is very modern. No one wears head-to-toe designer anymore.” By day, Cooperman manages celebrity partnerships for Neff Headwear such as their collaboration with Deadmau5, which produced a line of hats, shirts and accessories featuring the DJ’s signature mouse-head. By night, his journey leads him directly to the bright lights of clubs on the Strip, making dressing up just another part of his busy schedule. “I don’t hate on it—it gives me a reason to dress fancy.”

HH+JJ photos courtesy AngelinaGalindo.com

November 1-7, 2012

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The Latest

national

Retreating, But Not Retiring Cultural critic Dave Hickey on the art world’s bureaucracy and what’s next for him

VEGAS SEVEN

A year ago, on the eve of his lar readership has disappeared. retrospective at the GuggenNobody but professionals and heim, artist Maurizio Cattelan grad students even look at it. So announced his retirement. no more e-mails from civilians, Recently, another esteemed no more notes from John Updike figure, the cultural critic, cura- or Steve Martin, no more crazy tor, professor and one-time art hipsters from Berkeley knocking dealer Dave Hickey, called to on my door. Also, the art world let The Observer know that he, has turned nasty for some reatoo, is taking a step back. son, and my gentility has come Hickey, who in 2001 became out of the closet. I cry when the first Nevadan to win a people scream at me, unless MacArthur “Genius” we’re just haggling Grant, spent two about prices. Dave Hickey decades in Las Vegas with his wife Libby But you’ll still be All I Need is the World: Lumpkin before writing? A Conversation With moving to AlbuquerI will be writing, Katie Arnoldi and que in August 2010. however, revising Dave Hickey, a Vegas Author of numermaterial for three Valley Book Festival ous catalog essays, anthologies and event moderated Hickey became well writing another by Andrew Kiknown for his 1993 book. The first is a raly, 1:45-2:45 p.m. book The Invisible book of essays about Nov. 3, Historic Dragon (in which he, the work of women Fifth Street School controversially at the artists because no Auditorium, time, championed such book exists. I 401 S. Fourth St. beauty), and 1997’s have about 20 esVegasValleyBookAir Guitar: Essays on says about art from Festival.org. Art and Democracy, Bridget Riley’s to a collection of his Elizabeth Peyton’s. writings on a wide I wanted to do range of topics published in something for my late friend the form of his “Simple Hearts” [New Museum founder] Marcia column in the now-defunct Tucker, who actually introduced magazine Art Issues. me firsthand to the art world. Most recently a professor of We agreed on nothing at all, so criticism in the department of I thought I’d dedicate a book to art and art history at the Univer- her about art she would have sity of New Mexico, he left teach- hated. That would be very Maring last year. In the following cia and Dave. I’m also revising interview, conducted by phone a second volume of Air Guitar and via e-mail, he explains his called Connoisseur of Waves, which reasons for (partly) retiring and is a little more focused on archiwhat he’ll be up to next. tecture, jazz, movies and surfing. I am writing a book called Pagan Your writing on art has been America that has grown out of an influential. Now you’re reessay of mine called “American tiring from the art world, at Beauty.” I also have a completed least partly. Why? book of shorter essays called I’m retiring because my time Pirates and Farmers that is light, is up. Last summer I wrote funny and very mean spirited. catalog pieces on Ken Price and John Chamberlain. They were Hmmm … a sort of partial both my friends, and my essays retirement then? turned out to be inadvertent In other words, I plan to obituaries. I take this as a sign. disappear like Marcel Duchamp, Also, most writing about art which is to not quite disapthese days is so bad that my secu- pear. I’m about to leave…oops, I

haven’t left yet but keep on looking. I’m about to leave. I’m giving it all up for chess, that type of thing. I’m actually giving it all up for statistics. My mother was an economics professor. I’m proficient in math and statistics, game theory, symbolic logic and all of that. I want to write a creative writing book about the statistics of literary prose accompanied by software so you could compare the statistical shape of your writing to that of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Charles Dickens, Ray Carver or David Foster Wallace. My idea is to provide professors a way of teaching creative writing without having to read quires of crap. Also, I really believe that most of the problems with literary prose

tend to be statistical. They have to do with sequencing, and the calculus is helpful in gaining this sort of information. When I was in graduate school I invented a grammar based on the paragraph rather than the sentence— very radical at the time. I also had works by writers in three states of revision so I could say: The numbers are like this here, and then here and then here. So I could make empirically based observations about intention. Hemingway means to do this. Gertrude Stein means to do this. D.H. Lawrence means to do this. I was fighting against professorial Freudian and Marxist musings on the artist’s intentions. I hate all that woozy political and

psychotherapeutic crap applied to books and art. In a recent lecture, you talked about the problems inherent in art education—that it’s not something that can actually be taught. The conundrum of grading, for instance. I think you said that in your class one would earn an A for not turning anything in. Well, I think artists should be proud and too cool for school. I told my students in my last class that I always had my TA grade their papers. They asked why I didn’t read their papers. I asked them how much they would enjoy teaching a swimming class where everybody drowned.

Photo by Francis + Francis

November 1-7, 2012

By Sarah Douglas The New York Observer

Photo by Francis + Francis

This reminds me of your McLaughlin Principle. Exactly. John McLaughlin was a great painter. How many John McLaughlin paintings is this artwork worth? I started off as an art dealer, and it’s the last really honest thing I’ve ever done. It’s the last thing I did where you were punished for your mistakes, and the prospect of the gallows will really hold your attention. I regarded Leo Castelli, the Janis brothers and Irving Blum as my mentors. They were the people who told me everything I needed to know. [Castelli Gallery director] Ivan Karp told me things I needed to know that I didn’t want to know. But I loved Ivan. He told me how to close a sale, but I still can’t do it. When I asked Leo how he and Ivan worked together, he said, “David, you need a poser and a closer to sell art. I’m the poser, Ivan is the closer.” Who was your closer? When I ran Reese Palley in New York, it was Betty Cunningham. She was great. In Austin, it was my ex-wife Mary Jane, who was also great. She could say, “Well, if you can’t afford it, you can’t afford it.” And throw up her hands. That’s closing. In an article about art fairs

So what else do you plan to do, besides a creative writing textbook based on statistics? Well, I look at all these art websites. They tell you how to buy things and give you a bunch of prices. They forget to tell you that art dealing is dealing, not retail. Every price comes out of a deal, so I feel like their numbers need some explanation. So, my friend Joe Tabet and I want to start a limited subscription newsletter called “The Hard Part,” which is selling art. We want to educate collectors about buying spontaneously, and how you sell if it turns out that you hate it. This sounds ominous, but it’s all about liquidity. It’s all about collectors reclaiming their power. Writing “buy” contracts is a part of it. They explain the gallery’s obligation with regard to the art they’ve just sold you. Things that were standard in my days as an art dealer in New York are no longer standard. You can’t just take a work back and trade it for something of equal value without a contractual obligation. As a dealer, I always wanted to do that, because I figured if I sold it once I could sell it again. But the art world has changed so radically. What’s the main change in the art world? The main change, which people haven’t noticed, is that there’s no middle class anymore—there’s a courtier class— that would be you and me. We’re intellectual headwaiters to very

rich people. As a consequence, compared to the disposable income of contemporary collectors, art is cheaper than it ever has been. A purchase that would mean a lot to a nice couple on the West Side would be nothing to these people. Also collectors don’t understand the geometry of price elevation in art, especially in historical art. That means they flip the art too soon, which screws up the market. That means they don’t take care of it. That means it doesn’t matter to them, period. I always wanted to sell artworks for enough money that the collector would walk by it and think, “$40,000!—and look at it!” I always hoped that there would be some kind of transubstantiation from money-value to art-value. Anyway, the general principle

“I started off as an art dealer, and it’s the last really honest thing I’ve ever done. It’s the last thing I did where you were punished for your mistakes.” is, you buy what you love and you can sell what you love. Every time you take advice, you become somebody’s minion. Most of the rich people I know have 10 brokers. They don’t trust just one guy. So, you can ask 20 people what you should buy. Or, you buy what you love. So a lot of collections are the product of an adviser’s or dealer’s taste? Yes, certainly, and also, most of the good collectors I know have a penchant. Steve Wynn loves painterly paintings, and that goes from Titian to Pollock. He likes wet paint. My friend [for-

mer Fontainebleau Resorts CEO] Glenn Schaeffer collects minimalist art, so when the curve on Sol LeWitt dropped compared to his contemporaries, he bought. I think that’s how you gain power. You want notoriety so you get the offers. You want power so you get the deal. How about auctions? If you’re interested in numbers and statistics you must also be looking at auction prices … I do, of course. I even auction things. Good art sells although the business model is sublimely bogus. Lately there’s been a fashion for covert chandelier bidding, in which five collectors who own the work of a certain artist throw in $50,000 each and bid a work by that artist up to a higher price. They bid against one another to get it up to the price they have collectively assembled. This raises the price of what they already have. Then they sell it. So, you can’t take the auction market too seriously. I have a very good, longtime friend who didn’t become a famous artist until he was in his 40s. That means for 20 years he was selling art cheap. Now his art is very expensive. Now everybody who bought the cheap art is dumping it on the market, and he is competing against himself. Remember when Charles Saatchi bought all those Bruce Naumans? Then he dumped them all on the auction market. Bruce ended up with a warehouse full of his own work because he was out there competing against his own work that had a better provenance. If you don’t know how to read the curves, the price means nothing. Take two equal rising curves. One means the artist is moving up. The other means people are dumping the work as fast as they can. It helps to be able to distinguish one curve from the other. What about art critics? Do they have any place in this system anymore? They used to have an influence over whether people bought things or not. Do they still have that? We have no power at all. We just market aphorisms. This is mostly because of magazine economics. Good critics are expensive. I am expensive. Academics work for free to get tenure, and since they are worried about the approval of their colleagues, they are fearful of making value judgments. Also, most of my peers and contem-

poraries learned how to write magazine journalism. We know how to do a transition, we know how to do a lead, we know what a hook is and we’re literate. Most critics today come out of art academia, where they don’t even understand the futureimperfect tense. People like me, the late Bob Hughes, Chris Knight, Peter Plagens, Jerry Saltz and Peter Schjeldahl—we’re sort of like sewing machine repairmen after the sewing machine has gone out of fashion. All my friends have fancy magazine or newspaper gigs, however, and Jerry has developed a new sort of chautauqua gig on the side, but Jerry likes people. I don’t, and publishers don’t like me. I’ve interviewed for a couple of these jobs. Publishers take one look at me and think trouble, so I’m just out here by myself, which is fine because they’re right. I am trouble. What do you miss about the art world of old? I miss being an elitist and not having to talk to idiots. When I went into the art world there were 6,000 people who were there voluntarily, who didn’t get benefits, retirement or medical. We were all just freelance adventurers and we used to hang out. I loved the talk. The handicapping. There were no “professors” and nobody had a job, so we made up jobs. Rolf Ricke and I used to tell people we were art dealers, in Kassel [Germany] and Austin [Texas], for Christ’s sake. Then people started asking us for things, so we eventually became art dealers just because you had to tell people you did something. The end of the world for me—and I’m being serious—is that I’ve seen dealers, magazines, collectors, critics and museums abandon their own reckless taste for security and money and give their power away. As a result there is power scattered on the ground in the art world. At the same time, I have to emphasize that I think the art is great. There’s as much good art out there now as there was in—maybe not in 1968—but certainly there’s as much good art as there was in 1978 or 1988. The difference? The art world used to let in gangs—the pop gang, the minimalist gang—and now they let artists in one at a time and isolate them from their peers. This is bad medicine. So, if you’re an artist, join a gang. Make up signs. Demand respect, but don’t drive-by critics. It’s our job to hurt you. Sorry about that.

November 1-7, 2012

Do you go to many fairs? I don’t. I’ve been to Frieze and to Miami a couple of times, some in New York and others here and there, and I actually like them. I like to look at art and to price things. I started out as a dealer and most of my writing is market-driven. I have this old-time notion that there should be some equity between price and value. If I think somebody is underpriced, I try to raise their prices. If I think somebody is overpriced, I try to lower their prices. I don’t just go around discovering wonder women in Brooklyn.

in Vanity Fair a few years ago, you wrote, “The dealer’s only edge is the vanity of wealth.” What I mean is that rich people are confident and often overconfident. This is good for the dealers but good for the collector, too. You always trust your gut. That’s who you are. You see something you like at an art fair, you buy it for cash. Paying things out poisons your relationship to the work. It erodes your trust in your gut. So you negotiate for it, you scream about it and you buy it. You don’t wait around to see if everybody else likes it, that’s just going to raise the prices. The best thing about collectors in Las Vegas is those dudes don’t care what you like. In Beverly Hills people call all their friends. If you hesitate, if you start to distrust your own taste, you start depending on dealers and art advisers. You’re giving away your power to choose and your power to get good prices. Also, you may be no good at choosing, and you should learn that fast.

27 VEGAS SEVEN

So, I’m quitting teaching, too, and saving myself from that sort of desolation. Also, I’m too far away. I’m not competent to critique the work of young artists over whom I have so much leverage and experience. It’s like crop dusting with a 747. Bad for the crop and bad for the plane. This doesn’t mean I’m that much better, just that I’m way older. What do you say about a painting or a story by a kid who hasn’t seen a million paintings or read a million books? Also, nobody cares if it’s good anymore, and everybody hates it when something’s really great.

Photo by Anthony Mair

VEGAS SEVEN

November 1-7, 2012

By adding Canadian imports Anthony BENNETT and Khem birch, UNLV may have built the nation’s finest front line

November 1-7, 2012

he subtle exchanges between the two big men—a glance, a shout, a nod— give away their familiarity with each other. The UNLV basketball team, one of the most talented in the program’s history, is practicing inside the Mendenhall Center this October afternoon, but with eight newcomers on the roster, much of the action is disjointed as players learn their teammates’ tendencies and quirks. There is a notable exception: When 6-foot-8 freshman Anthony Bennett and 6-9 sophomore Khem Birch are placed on the same side for a 5-on-5 half-court drill, the interior motion becomes more cohesive—Birch grabbing an offensive rebound and kicking it out to Bennett for an open jumper on the right wing; Bennett passing through the lane to Birch, who finishes with a backboard-rattling dunk.

29 VEGAS SEVEN

Photo by Anthony Mair

By Sean DeFrank

It is the type of sequence that has Rebel fans dreaming of a long-awaited return to the Final Four—and some college basketball experts thinking those dreams could come true. UNLV begins this season ranked nationally for the first time in two decades, with McDonald’s High School All-Americans Bennett and Birch joining returning star Mike Moser to form a frontcourt already being discussed as potentially the best in the country despite never having played together. That UNLV landed Bennett or Birch, let alone both of them, is remarkable considering the players’ lofty credentials and the Rebels’ spotty track record attracting such stars (just seven previous McDonald’s All-Americans in the program’s history). A year ago, Bennett was rated one of the top 10 seniors in the country and projected as a long shot to join the Rebels despite playing for Henderson-based national high school powerhouse Findlay Prep. It was

even more improbable that Birch, who was a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh at this time last year, would end up a Rebel. Yet, here they are, an unlikely tandem born and raised in the growing basketball incubator of Canada. This is the story of how they ended up in Southern Nevada—and what it means for the Rebels. ••• Bennett and Birch weren’t exactly neighbors up north— Birch is from Montreal, while Bennett grew up near Toronto. But in the close-knit world of Canadian hoops, they became fast friends after playing together at the 2010 Nike Global Challenge, a three-day tournament in which Birch was named the International MVP after a 25-point, 20-rebound game in a double-overtime victory over the USA East team. Bennett came to the U.S. in 2009 to attend Mountain State Academy in West Virginia, then moved to Henderson the following year to play for Find-

lay Prep. He played basketball and soccer as an elementary schooler living in Toronto’s crime-riddled Jane and Finch neighborhood, but after his family moved to nearby Brampton, he didn’t play any sports again until he was 13 years old. By that time, he had grown to 6 feet, 2 inches tall, but still had the outside shot he’d developed earlier. “He’s blessed with great athleticism, and great size and instincts,” UNLV coach Dave Rice says. “But at the same time, those things only take you so far if you’re not fundamentally sound. And because he was coached very well growing up, that just has enhanced his ability to potentially be a terrific player. He thinks and breathes and eats and sleeps basketball.” Birch committed to Pittsburgh in September 2010, before his senior season at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., and played in 10 games with the Panthers last season, averaging 4.4 points and five rebounds before deciding

McDonald’s All-Americans to play for UNLV Sidney Green 1979 John Flowers 1981 Anthony Jones 1981 Eldridge Hudson 1982 Freddie Banks 1983 Larry Johnson 1987 Elmore Spencer 1987 Khem Birch 2011 Anthony Bennett 2012

to transfer in December. He had started six games, but his unhappiness with the team’s rigid style of play and some of his teammates’ attitude led him to rethink his decision. “I was 17 years old, really young at the time,” Birch says. “And I knew I had made a mistake when the assistant coach [Pat Skerry, who had recruited Birch] left before the season [to become head coach at Towson State]. I didn’t want to be there, but I had no choice since I had

signed a letter of intent.” Birch’s decision to transfer brought a flurry of attacks from Pitt fans on Twitter. He turned for support to his friend Bennett, who advised Birch to ignore the online assault. Birch wasn’t even considering UNLV initially, but then he turned on the television on Nov. 26. That was the night the Rebels thumped top-ranked North Carolina, 90-80, at the Orleans Arena. Birch fell in love with the team’s fast-paced attack. And since Rice was already recruiting Bennett, the coach had established a relationship with the players’ AAU coach, giving UNLV the edge over Florida and New Mexico State. Immediately after Birch arrived at UNLV, he began lobbying his countryman to join him on the Rebels’ roster. “I knew a couple of people here [at UNLV], but I didn’t know them very closely,” Bennett says. “As soon as Khem came, I thought, ‘OK, now I have someone here to talk to.’” But at the beginning of May,

Three just-off-the-radar Rebels who could come up big

November 1-7, 2012 VEGAS SEVEN

Carlos Lopez-Sosa

Most prognosticators have sophomore Khem Birch slotted in at center for the Rebels, but he’s not going to be eligible until a month into the season. So who mans the middle until then? It may turn out to be Lopez-Sosa, a 6-foot-11 junior who showed shot-blocking and rebounding ability last year. LopezSosa moves well for a near-7-footer, and his touch around the basket has improved. He’ll get big minutes until Birch hits the floor—and even after that, he’ll be a crucial part of the Rebels’ vaunted rotation of big men.

Savon Goodman

To Rebel fans, Goodman may have seemed an afterthought in Dave Rice’s masterpiece of a recruiting class, but the freshman could turn out to be a gem. A 6-foot-6 forward, Goodman plays with exactly the type of hard-nosed edge you’d expect from this Philadelphia bruiser. He could end up being the Rebels’ best and most versatile defender as early as this season, and he’s shown the ability to run the floor and score in the open court. But any offense he provides will be a bonus—Goodman is a stopper. – Mike Grimala

Photo by TK

Bryce Dejean-Jones

Dejean-Jones lost a little momentum when he broke his non-shooting hand during a preseason workout, but he may be the most natural scorer on the team. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard transferred after one year at USC, and his talent has never been in question (off-court problems held him back at Southern Cal, with reports of locker-room altercations and clashes with the coaching staff). But once he fully recovers from his injury— he’s expected to be back around the start of the season—a happy and focused Dejean-Jones could become one of the Rebels’ top scoring options.

Rebel Answers Playing true-or-false with the nation’s most intriguing team By Mike Grimala

to run the floor,” Rice says. “He’s as fast a player as we have on our team, frontcourt or backcourt. He can affect the game and make a difference without scoring a basket. He is very capable of scoring, but his ability to block shots, run the floor and just basically wreak havoc on offensive players—he’s a game-changer on the defensive end.” In the meantime, Birch has been polishing his offensive moves and footwork with Rebel assistant coach Stacey

Photo by TK

“I believe that you’ll see the Canadian national team become a major factor in the next several Olympics. There are a lot of very good young players, and we’re fortunate to have two of them on our roster.” – UNLV coach Dave Rice ••• Findlay Prep has won three national high school championships since the program began play in 2006. Along the way, it has helped develop some of Canada’s brightest young stars. Former Pilots Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph were both selected in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft following one season at the University of Texas, and Longhorns sophomore guard Myck Kabongo (another Findlay alum) is also likely to end up in the NBA. Add Montreal native Joel Anthony, a defensive force at UNLV in the mid-2000s who now plays for the NBA’s Miami Heat, and Southern Nevada has become a most unlikely beneficiary of this emigration of top Canadian talent. “I think a connection certainly has developed,” Rice says. “And anytime a player from a particular geographical area goes to a particular school and has success, it’s just natural that other players are going to follow. But the biggest thing is that there’s great basketball being played in Canada now. I believe that you’ll see the Canadian national team become a major factor in the next several Olympics. There are a lot of very good young players, and

which includes five Canadians selected in the last two NBA drafts and Ontario native Andrew Wiggins, who is rated the No. 1 prospect in this year’s recruiting class. There’s even more talent on the northern horizon, and some of it, Barrett says, may find its way to Las Vegas. “With a couple of national championships [for Findlay Prep] with Thompson and Joseph, it opened up Vegas to many of the Canadian kids as a place they could go and maybe do the same,” he says. “And then as a result, once you get into that area, UNLV is obviously big there, and there becomes a connection. And kids are starting to understand that the NBA is there during the summer. It’s almost a convergence of different factors.” ••• Birch will be a spectator when UNLV opens its season against Northern Arizona at the Thomas & Mack Center on Nov. 12. Since he transferred mid-semester last year, he isn’t eligible to play until the Rebels’ Dec. 17 game at TexasEl Paso. But the high-flying forward is expected to have an immediate impact once he is allowed to suit up. “He’s so unique in his ability

Augmon, and has added about 15 pounds of muscle to his slender frame since last year. With the continued development of Birch’s half-court skills to complement his opencourt abilities, UNLV’s frontcourt very well could meet its lofty projections. Moser, one of the nation’s top rebounders last season, will play more on the perimeter this season, but his high-energy game makes him a threat to opposing teams anywhere on the court. Bennett, potentially the most dangerous player on the team, can use his height and wide shoulders to clear out space in the paint, but he’s also versatile enough to stretch a defense past the 3-point line while also providing a strong rebounding presence. “He’s a good 3-point shooter, so I know when to be in the post,” Birch says of his countryman. “It’s kinda hard to explain, but I know what he’s going to do. I know all his moves.” That sixth sense is mutual—and Bennett can’t wait to share the floor with Birch. “Khem’s not even playing until December, and we’re already good enough how we are,” Bennett says. “But as soon as he comes, it’s definitely going to be a step up from that. It’s going to be incredible.”

With a slew of touted newcomers joining an already talented (and tournament-tested) core, the excitement level is high for the 2012-13 Rebels. As in, towel-chewing high, L.J. and Plastic Man high. It’s a lot for a community to ask of a team, and it’s important to separate the hype from the fact. Below are four statements whose truthiness could determine just how far the Rebels will run this season.

Katin Reinhardt is the next Jimmer Fredette

It’s hard to ignore the similarities between Reinhardt, the Rebs’ incoming freshman sharpshooter, and NBA lottery pick Fredette. Dave Rice was an assistant coach at BYU when Fredette was at the height of his powers, and Rice’s recruiting pitch to Reinhardt was simple: Run the floor, find an open spot and let it fly. There’s no doubt Reinhardt will knock down shots—he’s an absolute flamethrower, with the ability to heat up as quickly as anyone in the country—but the freshman’s handle and shotcreation aren’t at Fredette’s level … yet. So, for now, this is FALSE, but that’s OK. He’ll stretch the floor, and that’s exactly what this UNLV team needs after shooting just 37 percent from 3-point range last season (58th in the nation).

Khem Birch is the next Anthony Davis

We’re not crazy—it’ll be a loooong time before the next Anthony Davis comes along, so this is obviously FALSE. But Birch can probably pull off being the next Alex Oriakhi (a Connecticut starter who transferred to Missouri), and he can definitely be the next Brian Zoubek (the Duke big man). And if there’s one thing the last three NCAA champs have had in common, it’s been a defensive anchor at the center position. Birch, a 6-foot-9 shot-blocking and rebounding specialist, can be better than Oriakhi and Zoubek were when they dominated the paint for UConn and Duke in the 2010 and 2011 NCAA tournaments, respectively. He won’t be eligible until mid-December, but he’ll be at full steam for conference play.

UNLV will have the best frontcourt in the nation

This statement is TRUE. Birch will give the team an elite defensive center, and freshman Anthony Bennett was the top-ranked power forward in the Class of 2012 after dominating the high school ranks with his burly, physical offensive game. The key to this group is Mike Moser. Bennett’s arrival kicks the 6-foot-8 Moser to small forward, and it remains to be seen if his game can translate to the perimeter. He shot 33 percent from 3-point range last season as a sophomore, but those numbers can improve after an offseason of shooting. Plus, Moser’s game is varied enough—he can be a slasher, a banger or a shooter—to make the transition work. Add in freshman Savon Goodman, who should see minutes at both forward spots, and you’ve got the country’s No. 1 frontcourt.

The Rebels will be a Final Four team in March

While UNLV may have the best frontcourt in the nation, old basketball wisdom says guards win in March. And that may end up being a problem for the Rebels. Point guard is a question mark, and while Anthony Marshall will probably end up seeing most of those minutes, he’s an athletic slasher who’s has not yet been a primary distributor. Reinhardt has some point-guard skills, but he’s a freshman. Incoming USC transfer Bryce Dejean-Jones is explosive, but the sophomore is a straight-up scorer. The lack of a true point guard is a problem, but the overall talent level throughout the roster is hard to ignore. Marshall will hold down the fort just enough to help the Rebs play through the end of March, and maybe even all the way into April. That’s right, we’re going TRUE on this one. See you in Atlanta.

Follow all of Mike Grimala’s Rebel coverage at RunRebs.com.

November 1-7, 2012

we’re fortunate to have two of them on our roster.” Toronto native Rowan Barrett played for the Canadian national basketball team for 15 years before retiring in 2008, and is now the program’s assistant general manager and executive vice president, part of a new regime headed by Los Angeles Lakers star Steve Nash, who became general manager in May. Bennett and Birch are just part of the country’s rising wave of young talent,

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Bennett remained the nation’s top unsigned player. He narrowed down his possibilities to UNLV, Kentucky and Oregon before making his decision that month. Now the countrymen have become as close off the court as they are on it, doing homework and spending much of their free time hanging out together. “He made me comfortable here,” Birch says of Bennett. “Just knowing there was another Canadian here made me comfortable.”

Photo by TK

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32 Photo by Andrew James

November 1-7, 2012

In taking one last shot at public office, Danny Tarkanian can draw inspiration from his famous parent. Hint: It’s not Dad.

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Photo by TK

Photo by Andrew James

he patriarch, the legend—still recuperating from a heart attack suffered seven months ago—sits in his recliner, a blanket draped over his lap. His famously droopy eyes are fixed on the television. So, too, are the eyes of several guests. It’s not a highlight reel of the legend’s basketball coaching career that they’re focused on, but rather a one-on-one battle between vice-presidential candidates Joe Biden and Paul Ryan. Truth be told, Jerry Tarkanian might as well be invisible tonight. Of the dozens of people gathered in his family room and kitchen, few actually approach him. That’s because while some might be here because of the UNLV basketball icon, they’re all here for his son, a former Rebels point guard turned attorney turned small-business owner turned political candidate. This $150-per-person fundraiser Danny Tarkanian is hosting at his parents’ home of 37 years has attracted supporters of all kinds: young and old; black and white; friends, family, former teammates and complete strangers. The one thing they have in common: They want to see Tarkanian—the Republican locked in a heated race with state Sen. Steven Horsford for the newly created U.S. Congressional seat—win his first election after three previous failed attempts at political office. As many in attendance strain to hear the vice-presidential debate, I turn to the wife of the legend, the mother of the candidate, the Las Vegas councilwoman for Ward 1, the lifelong Democrat. “Did you ever think you’d see so many Republicans in your house?” I ask Lois Tarkanian. “No!”

November 1-7, 2012

By Matt Jacob

November 1-7, 2012

The numbers painted on the curbs in the Rancho Estates cul-de-sac have faded over time, and because the homes are set back so far from the street, it’s difficult to pinpoint the addresses. It is not, however, difficult to pick out the Tarkanian house, thanks to the faux orange-and-white basketball that doubles as a mailbox. I’ve come here early on a bright Monday morning—three days before the fundraiser, less than a month before Election Day—for a joint interview with Danny and Lois Tarkanian. I’ve come not to probe about Jerry and his health. Or the family’s much-publicized failed real estate venture, which resulted in a $17 million judgment that reportedly could lead to Danny and other family members filing bankruptcy. I’m not even all that interested in Danny’s contentious campaign against Horsford. Instead, I’ve come to learn about the relationship between a mother and her eldest son—between a Democrat who grew up poor and whose social views were shaped by post-Depression FDR policies, and a Republican who was reared by said Democrat, then went off to college and discovered Ronald Reagan. I’m curious: How did this ideological divide come to pass? How great is the divide? And how does it all play against the dynamic within Las Vegas’ first family, the coach’s shadow forever looming? I pull up a chair at the head of the kitchen table. Ironically, Danny sits to my left, Lois to my right. The lively hourlong conversation begins with a simple question:

VEGAS SEVEN

How much were politics discussed at this very dinner table?` Lois: Issues were discussed; I wouldn’t say politics were discussed. Should taxes be raised? Are we funding the health department enough? Should we get rid of the Department of Education? Danny: Or was Georgetown’s front line too tall? Lois: Yeah. Could we ever beat Georgetown? That came up. … It was like any family: You don’t always agree, and sometimes when you disagree, if you believe passionately, you might, uh, get upset at times. [Laughs.] Danny: I can’t think of any real specific examples, though. Lois: Oh yeaaahhh. There might be things I vote on with the [City] Council, and he might question my vote—why I did this, why I did that. Danny: Like the beautification of those off-ramps and how wonderful those look, [thanks to] our taxpayer dollars. Lois: Yeah, that’s one. Danny: They’ve got to be the most beautiful off-ramps in the whole country, and someone paid for them. Lois: Federal money paid for those—that’s NDOT [a Nevada Department of Transportation project]. Danny: Oh, I’m sorry, federal money—like federal money means it’s not taxpayer dollars.

So, where should taxpayer dollars go? Lois: I believe money should go into social issues. ... I’ve been in those social-problem areas all my life, and so I know the needs, and I just feel there are some needs we have to [support]. Danny: And that’s an accurate statement: You do the needs, and no more … And [most conservatives] would say the same thing: You need to take care of people who can’t take care of themselves. But it’s when that money is being wasted for programs that aren’t being useful … Lois: That is true. I totally agree. Government is a large bureaucracy, and we waste too much money—Republicans and Democrats. When it comes to certain issues, the Democrats don’t want to cut. Then there are [programs] that Republicans don’t want to cut. … This is why I always have voted for the person. I have voted at times for Republicans. What was your reaction when you first learned Danny was a Republican? Lois: I’ve always tried to instill within all my kids independent thinking. So my reaction was not negative really at all. I disagreed, but I’m from an educational background. I think it’s good to disagree and throw out ideas and discuss them. So I really wasn’t upset. I wondered how he got to be Republican! But who am I to go against Ron-

ald Reagan? Danny: It was always instilled in me that you should work hard, you should take risks, you should be innovative—that America gives you an equal opportunity across the board. Not equal results, but equal opportunity. And if you work harder and you do a better job, you should be rewarded better. This redistribution of wealth is the exact opposite of what’s made our country so great. I think my mom will tell you— well, of course she will; she’s my mother—but most will tell you I’ve got a strong work ethic, that when I get involved in something I try to outwork anybody that I’m competing against. Clearly that’s one trait you got from your mother. What about some others? Danny: Her competitiveness, the stand-up-for-what-you-believe-in. That’s from her much more than [from] my dad. My dad has great people skills; my mother will tell it more like it is and stand by that. And I do that, and that gets you in trouble a little bit, particularly politically. Lois: But that’s courage, which we lack so much in candidates. It’s all a little game they’re playing. And just the fact [Danny has] run this many times shows courage—you’re sticking your head out there,

and you’re trying to do something you believe in. Danny: Everywhere I go when I campaign, people ask me, “Are you going to go back to D.C. and fall within that trap where you give into what the special-interest groups and your party want you to do?” Too often that’s what happens. But because of the way she raised me, that’s not my characteristic, nor will it be my actions when I get back there. Lois: I don’t think it’s good if you always agree when you’re in Congress. But, the thing is, you work together to come to the win-win agreement—you don’t get everything, but you get what you feel is important, and the other side, also. Danny: It’s so sad to watch what has happened to our politicians, because they’re no longer public servants. Have anybody go back and look at the career of [former] Sen. [Paul] Laxalt or Sen. [Richard] Bryan and find when they were belittling or criticizing their opponent publicly—you didn’t see that, because they were statesmen. They worked for the betterment of their community and the people they represented. It’s unfortunate we’re not there now. Lois: And look how [well] a strong Democrat like Bryan worked with a strong Repub-

lican like Laxalt—they worked together! … People, when they say to me, “You’re a politician,” I say, “Really? I hope I’m a public servant. That’s what I started out to be, that’s what I want to be.” And there’s a big difference. What kind of kid was Danny growing up? Lois: A very good kid. He studied, he was disciplined, he was very kind. He had all those kind parts to him that my ideal Democrat has. I remember when he won some shoes at a basketball tournament, and I asked him when he came home, “What kind of shoes were they?” And he didn’t have the shoes; he’d already given them away to somebody on his team who didn’t have shoes. And he did things like that his entire life. The cynic would say that’s not the Republican way, to give away a pair of shoes … Danny: Sure it is. Sure it is. It’s absolutely the Republican way. You know why? Because I gave them away. The government didn’t take them from me and give them away. And that’s the difference. Mitt Romney gave away 17 percent of his income. The government didn’t take it from him. People like it when they have the decision to give something away. They don’t like it when it’s taken from them by rules or force or regulations. Lois: Was that in taxes, the 17 [percent]? Danny: No, he paid 14 in taxes and [gave] 17 to charities.

Danny’s Hardwood Lessons

“Virtually everything that I’ve learned was from playing sports, including how to deal with criticism. My first season at UNLV [1981-82], we were 20-10, which I think was my dad’s second-worst year. We started off 4-0, beating two ranked teams, so everybody was saying how great I was doing. Then all of a sudden we started playing bad, and we lost and I was criticized. Then the next year, I don’t think I played any better, but we won 24 straight games and became No. 1 in the country, and all of a sudden I was doing great. So you understand how criticism and compliments are given out, and you learn not to go too high or too low with any of them.”

was on the Republican side. Lois: Well, but his social side was more Democratic. Danny: Was he? Was he prochoice, as a Catholic growing up? Lois: I wasn’t thinking of the pro-choice. I was thinking of the Education Department and stuff like that. Danny: He didn’t have anything to do with the Education Department. Lois: Well, then I better shut my mouth. Where did Jerry fall on the political spectrum—were his views more aligned with his wife or his son? Danny: My dad was never political. He was always apolitical until, I don’t know when it was, maybe two years ago—maybe it was the U.S. Senate race—he finally started watching what was going on. Lois: Because of you he’s a registered Republican. During his career he was so into the basketball and all that other business. You know that whole coaching thing is a lot heavier

The Horsford Files

What’s it like for a mother to watch her son get attacked, be it in the political or basketball arena? Lois: It’s hard. It was hard watching him play basketball. I never really enjoyed it, because I was so nervous all the time. So no, I don’t like [the attacks] at all. And every election it seems it’s gotten worse. So how do I feel? Not happy, and upset at times. There were a couple of people I’ve wanted to call up [during this election] and say, “What in the world are you talking about? You’ve been here in our house!” But then I realized it was all political. Danny: The point is, that’s part of politics. You don’t like it, but it’s something you’ve got to live with. I have a very inherent advantage in growing up most

Tarkanian’s opponent, state Sen. Steven Horsford, appeared on the cover of our inaugural Intriguing People issue in January 2011. Emerging from the recession, he told T.R. Witcher, “is going to take all of us. As individuals, as small-business leaders, as community advocates. If we care about our community, we can’t sit back and watch. People are going to have to engage in a real way.” Read Witcher’s essay on Horsford at VegasSeven.com/ People/Horsford.

Danny, were there any obstacles you had to overcome before jumping into the political fray? Danny: Let me tell you my biggest problem: I was scared to death to talk in front of people— absolutely scared to death. In fact, the first time I had to speak in court, all I had to do was say, “Hello, my name is Danny Tarkanian; I’m appearing on behalf of the debtors,” and I was sweating, I was so nervous, I stumbled the words out. And early in my career I decided against running for office because of that—this was in the early 1990s. But I just said, “If this is what you want to do, you better practice and get better at it and overcome those fears.” Lois: He wasn’t comfortable at all, and when he ran his first race, he wasn’t comfortable. That’s one good thing about running more than one race— you learn. How does a mother handle the three previous political defeats? Lois: It’s hard, it’s really hard. You see he has his whole heart into it. And he works so hard— God, he works hard. … Danny: There’s nothing

embarrassing about losing a campaign. It’s embarrassing if you perform or handle yourself [poorly]. And you can talk to people who watched those races, and I haven’t had anyone tell me, “You know, you just didn’t try hard enough. You didn’t articulate those issues well enough.” Listen, I ran in some tough races. I made a choice to run in some tough races. Lois: And that’s when we disagreed. I told him not to run in some of those races. Danny: But if you lose a race, if you did everything you should’ve done and could’ve done—it’s just like playing a sporting event: You walk away, you hold your head high. As my dad would say, if you go into the game mentally, emotionally and physically prepared to play, and you leave it all on the floor, you never leave with your head down, even if you lose. Still, was there any hesitation to run for a fourth time? Danny: No. The only [thing that would] stop my pursuit of my dreams would be my ability to succeed. At the same time, a candidate who continues to run for office but doesn’t win may lose credibility on the fundraising front. Does that make this campaign a must-win for you? Danny: I know full well that this is my last shot. I have to win this race—have to win it. There’s a sense of realism in how this whole thing works. How does that make you feel when you hear your son say that? Lois: Makes me feel like I should go out walking door to door in North Las Vegas for him. … This is a public-service family. I’m proud of my family. To me, Danny’s not just someone trying to run, run, run. You have that in your heart, you want to help—that’s the way we’ve always been.

November 1-7, 2012

Lois: Seventeen to charities? Well, that is very good. Danny: The misnomer is that Democrats care about poor people and Republicans don’t. The difference is Democrats feel you should do it through government intervention—and what some would call force— while Republicans feel you should do it through your individual choice and free will. Lois: I don’t agree all the time with the giving away—especially when we don’t have the oversight. I was aghast that we gave monies to stimulate the economy and then didn’t check and see how they were being spent. I don’t object to stimulating business, but too often we don’t have the checks and balances we should have. Danny: She’s a fiscal conservative in a lot of ways. She’s a Kennedy Democrat. She said that was what got her involved in politics—she walked door to door for him in 1960. And Kennedy, in my opinion, in today’s political ideology, would be a Republican. He cut taxes, his economic philosophy at least

Prior to that, was he a registered Democrat because of you? Danny: I’ll bet he was! Lois: Well, let’s just say that he asked me to [cast his] vote for him. That’s what he did: He’d say, “Who should I vote for, Lois?” And I certainly made sure the candidates I thought were best got his vote. Danny: The rest of the family [Danny’s younger brother and two older sisters] is all Republicans right now. I don’t know if they changed, but they are now. Lois: I think at one point they were [Democrats], but because of Danny, they’re Republican now.

of my life with people saying negative things about my family. So it doesn’t affect me like it does other people. It affects you more when it’s not you [being attacked] but someone [close to you]. When my mom ran [for City Council], I can’t remember the guy’s name, but he did the “10 Scariest Things About Lois Tarkanian” on Halloween night. It was vicious. Lois: It was a brilliant PR move. [Laughs.] But it was vicious. And it was untrue. Danny: All of them are untrue. But if you’re going to get into it, you’ve got to put up with that. It’s easier to take when it’s about yourself than when it’s about someone you care about. Lois: That’s right.

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than people think, time-wise. But then he started getting interested because of Danny.

“A real DJ knows his gear, has skills and does tricks that nobody has heard before.“

Better than Yesterday {page 40}

Your city after dark, hot gossip, party pics and Sin City sounds Thu 1

Sun 4

Seems like Las Vegas is recovering from a Halloween hangover this week, and the party options are slim pickings. But we were able to dig up a few noteworthy events. For example, load up on Miller Lite for a SpyOnVegas Open Bar during Luna Fuego Latin Thursdays at Oracle Mansion. In honor of Día de los Muertos, Oracle will feature Amp Blo Bar models channeling the traditional sugar skull look amid flowers and candles to illuminate a night dedicated to celebrating life. (3500 W. Naples Dr., 10 p.m., SpyOnVegas.com.)

We drank Bare dry a few weeks ago; now it’s time to finish off the rest of the booze at its sister party pool. Drink Liquid Dry as we bid adieu to bathing-suit weather. And if there’s a slight chill in the air, just drink more for warmth and dance around to DJs Kid Conrad and Madd Maxx before accepting that it’s officially time to put on a light jacket in the desert. (In Aria, 11 a.m., LightGroup.com.)

Mon 5

Fri 2 2

Tue 6

Don’t forget to vote today, then get ready for a Dia de los Tacos Party! Seriously, you could forage in the sofa cushions and still be able to have a good time at Nickel F---ing Beer Night, because this time, they’ve teamed up with iRok Events to feed everyone as well. Yup, free tacos! Whoo-hoo! Messinian handles DJ duty. (At Beauty Bar, 10 p.m., Facebook.com/vegasnickelbeers.)

Wed 7 Jack N Cake—the party that pairs booze and baked goods—returns to Snitch at Ghostbar, with free shots and Pick Your Poison Bake Shop (5) cupcakes from 11 p.m. to midnight! DJs Wizdumb and Midnight Affair are on board, along with resident DJ M!keAttack, plus paint your face up all pretty for the Dia De Los Muertos theme. Say “CollectiveZoo.com” at the podium for free entry and complimentary drinks for ladies. (In the Palms, 10 p.m., Palms.com.) Yee-haw! Stoney’s in Town Square is now open and a Winter Style-Up is under way with Lollie Shopping and fashion blogger Laura Coronado. (6 p.m., LollieShopping.com.)

November 1-7, 2012

Sat 3 Get ready for the “dopest ghost in town”! U.K. import Caspa (2) is bringing the legit dubstep stateside with a soul-shaking set for the 18-and-up bassheads at the House of Blues. Bring your earplugs, it’s gonna be beautifully bass-tastic! (In Mandalay Bay, 11 p.m., Facebook.com/frequencyevents.) Music. Energy. Community. Collaboration. That’s the goal of RE: at the Royal House. DJs Spacebyrdz, Bad Beat, AB, Sensé, STJP and Rudy keep it soulful and sexy with deep house, techno and minimal for a party that plans to groove until the sun comes up. (99 Convention Center Drive, 10 p.m., RoyalHouseLV.com.) We’re saddened that there’s only a month left with the sexiest calendar ever, that being a collection of beautiful illustrations of DJ duo the Captains of Industry. If you weren’t lucky enough to score one this year, or simply prefer the real thing, half of the duo, the Freshmaker known as StoneRokk (3), will be spinning at Hyde. Cravats and captain hats are always welcome to show support. (In Bellagio, 10 p.m., HydeBellagio.com.) We’ve almost finished drying our eyes after hearing the news that Rain will be calling it quits after Halloween (minus one last hurrah for New Year’s Eve). But until then, it’s still a great spot for special events, such as The Gay and Lesbian Community Center’s 18th annual Honorarium to Celebrate Community. Tickets for the fundraiser can be purchased at TheCenterLV.com. (In the Palms, 5:30 p.m.)

Nightlifers: We may have to stage a Twittervention for Dirty South (4) when he hits Marquee. Nah, who are we kidding? We love his Tweets. From his new obsession with Cinemagram, to his love of Nutella and all things Apple, snag his new track, “City of Dreams,” with Alesso featuring Ruben Haze, then plan your excuse for missing work on Tuesday so you can party all night. (In the Cosmopolitan, 10 p.m., MarqueeLasVegas.com.) Monday feels more like a Friday this week, because over at XS, Russian trio Swanky Tunes will be celebrating the release of their new tune, “Chemistry,” which comes out today, and most likely they’ll be working it into their headlining set. (In Encore, 9:30 p.m., XSLasVegas.com.)

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Free stuff rules! And if you haven’t made it to Vanity yet for Rock Paper Scissors Fridays, you’re totally missing out on some super-sweet swag. Plus, ladies drink free champagne until midnight. This next installment features Kenneth Cole Watches. And once you’ve scored a snazzy new timepiece, watch the hours fly by dancing to tunes provided by DJs Presto One and Spair. (In Hard Rock Hotel, 10 p.m., VanityLV.com.) There’s more fashion fun over at Lily with designer Reyna Herrera for the Avanseh Progressive Clothing and Website Launch Party (1). The night also features the Doce Collection of Brazillian Bra Bags by Natasha Campisi and host Mario Guardado. Dress to impress for a free headshot by Raen Badua, plus fashion and makeover giveaways. (In Bellagio, 9 p.m., LightGroup.com.)

nightlife The cast of The Hangover Part III was filming in town—because that plot isn’t going to cynically recycle itself in a blatant cash grab. But three of the actors got all civic-minded with their downtime. And here we thought the only thing actors ever did in between scenes was retreat to their trailers to have sex with crewmembers or do drugs or have sex with drugs. Or however Hollywood works. Michelle Obama was holding a rally Oct. 26 at Orr Middle School, where Ed Helms, Ken Jeong and Zach

Galifianakis all turned up to support President Obama’s reelection efforts and/or drunkenly kidnap the First Lady instead of Mike Tyson’s tiger. It could go either way; you’ll just have to wait until the end of May when the movie comes out. (We don’t want to spoil it, but we will say that the Secret Service insisted Jeong couldn’t be pantsless in front of the Commander-in-Chief’s wife. They really ruin everything.) Justin Bartha brought a date to O after dinner at Olives

later that night, while Helms was at The Beatles Love the night before. Bradley Cooper, meanwhile, teamed up with Zoe Saldana to hit up Marquee on Oct. 27. As for Galifianakis, he had the dubious honor of being in Las Vegas over Halloween weekend, when even three years after the fact, plenty of people were still running around wearing Alan-andbaby-Carlos costumes. You know who you are, and you should be ashamed of yourself.

November 1-7, 2012

Dancing with the political stars

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There’s at least one bit of upside to this seemingly never-ending hellscape of political ads and election news: At least it was good for some moderate entertainment. Before his wife was in town, President Obama held a rally Oct. 24 at Doolittle Park, where Katy Perry performed in a skintight mini dress decked out like a presidential ballot, leading us to want to start a youth-oriented MTV turnout campaign called Grope the Vote. Even Libertarian candidate Gov. Gary Johnson, at his Oct. 26 event at Dal Toro Ristorante in the Palazzo, had comedian Doug Stanhope and former MTV VJ Kennedy. Mitt Romney on Oct. 23 had, well, no one. Absolutely no one. Unless you count Paul Ryan. Which we don’t. … Kid Rock hosted a Halloween party Oct. 26 at Lavo, where he couldn’t be bothered to wear a costume. Unless you count “Lowest common denominator rocker mercilessly flogging the catalog of Lynyrd Skynyrd” as a costume. Which we don’t.

Clooney’s girl hosts Hyde sans Clooney Stacy Keibler has had an unusually long run with George Clooney. They’ve been together for more than a year, which is like a decade-plus run in Clooney years. (Which is 15 years for the first two years of dating, plus seven months and two on-set romances for each additional month of dating.)

That still doesn’t mean that he’s going to show up to her Halloween party. Keibler hosted at Hyde Bellagio on Oct. 27, where she wore a ruffled black dress and eye mask in what was either a really bad Black Swan costume or a really good I-Don’t-Know-What-to-DressAs-So-I’ll-Put-Some-RandomStuff-On-And-Hope-It-LooksVaguely-Halloween-y costume.

Jason Scavone is editor of DailyFiasco.com. Follow him on the Las Vegas gossip trail at VegasSeven.com/blogs.

Obama rally and Perry photo by Erik Kabik, Keibler photo by Cassi Thomas/ Erik Kabik Photography

The First Lady and the sequel

nightlife

… When you put the CD on, I want to give you the feeling that you are partying at [EBC and] Surrender again. You’ve said, “I’m grateful for all the doors ‘Riverside’ opened for me, but I don’t intend to keep on riding out its success.” Yet you included the original mix of that 2009 hit of yours on the compilation. Why was that? First of all, it was an Ultra track, and second, it was the first album for the Wynn. I played in Vegas because of “Riverside,” and it was just to thank my own song for being in Vegas. How did the “Riverside” dance get started? The guys who shot the video, they came up with the dance. I’m not a dancer at all, so don’t blame me. I feel like this is one of the first shuffle tracks ever, the beginning of the shuffle! You’ve collaborated with and/or remixed Lil Jon, LMFAO, the Stafford Brothers, Roger Sanchez and a long list of others major players. Who’s been the most unexpected or surprising collaboration? I did a song for Pitbull called “Get It Started” with Shakira. I’ve never met her, so that’s the strangest collaboration for me.

Better Than Yesterday Mighty Sidney Samson lays down the official Las Vegas soundtrack

November 1-7, 2012

By Deanna Rilling

VEGAS SEVEN

He’s in the studio with singer Eva Simons, releasing a new track “Torrent” on Tiësto’s label, and just dropped “Better Than Yesterday” with Will.i.am. So, yeah, you could say that Dutch DJ/producer Sidney Samson is kind of a big deal. Vegas Seven caught up with Samson on his way to shoot the music video for “Change Your Life” with Far East Movement and Flo Rida. Before Samson makes his next stop in Las Vegas Nov. 9 at Surrender, he looks back at “Riverside,” plus proposes an alternate to the hotly debated DJ Mag Top 100. You mixed the first-ever Ultra Music/Wynn compilation, Encore Beach Club: Las Vegas Sessions Vol. 1. What was the process for creating that album as far as includ-

ing certain residents’ music versus other tracks? The guys from Encore [Beach Club] and Surrender asked me to mix the CD, and I was really happy, of course. Because it’s

released by Ultra, I only had a list of 40 or 50 [Ultra] tracks. It wasn’t like I wanted to have certain artists on there; I just chose the dopest tracks and mixed them into one album.

Do people even realize you worked on that song? I don’t know. Maybe. I posted on Twitter and Facebook once and if you missed it, then, yeah, you don’t know. As a kid, you were fascinated with the DMC DJ battles and have a background as a hip-hop DJ. These days it seems like everything has flipped, with people starting off as producers, then learning how to DJ. What are your thoughts on what’s going on in the booth and how it affects the party? I respect everybody, and if you want to DJ because you’re

a good producer and you can make money with DJing, it’s all good. What I am a little bit bummed about is that people don’t understand the difference. If you have 40 hit [tracks], people think you’re a good DJ, and the crowd is missing the whole point. I think that’s really lame or fake, because a real DJ knows his gear, has skills and does tricks that nobody has heard before. That’s when you’re a real and great DJ, and not the guy who sells the most tickets because he has the most hits— that’s not the best DJ, but the most popular DJ. That’s another thing: A lot [of DJs] are really popular, but they’re not great DJs. You have the DJ Mag Top 100—if it came to the best DJ, based on really DJing, then Carl Cox would still be in the Top 10. That’s my point. Yes, Carl’s amazing! That’s my point. He’s a DJ in his heart. The fact that he hasn’t got any big hits in the Top 100 doesn’t make him a worse or better DJ. I’ll drive to California just to hear him play. Of course! He’s an artist. He tells a story with his music in the DJ booth. Maybe we have to make a new DJ list. So, we have the DJ Mag 100 that is not the best DJ, but the most popular DJ. Then we have to make a Top 100 Best DJ [list]: Best skilled, rated by an official jury. As you’ve toured the world, what has impacted you most in your travels? I did a gig in India once, and we all know there are a lot of poor people over there, like really poor. To see all the poverty in the street, it was terrible. That, for me, was a life-changing moment. Of course I appreciate everything that I’ve accomplished and what I have, my friends, my family and my girlfriend. I’m really happy, but when you see something like that, you realize that you are happier than you thought.

Follow Samson’s DJ globe-trotting adventures on Twitter @SidneySamson.

DJ SET BY

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nightlife

parties

The Act industry Opening

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See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com

Photography by Josh Metz

November 1-7, 2012

The Palazzo

nightlife

parties

‘barquee’ at Marquee The Cosmopolitan [ Upcoming ]

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See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com

Photography by Gabe Zapata

November 1-7, 2012

Nov. 2 Markus Schulz spins Nov. 3 Erick Morillo spins Nov. 5 Dirty South spins

nightlife

parties

Gallery

Planet Hollywood [ Upcoming ]

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See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com

Photography by Bobby Jameidar

November 1-7, 2012

Nov. 2 Tyson Griffin after-fight party, OB-One spins Nov. 3 Duane King spins Nov. 8 Soul Train Awards after-party with Tyrese

nightlife

parties

Encore [ Upcoming ]

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See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com

Photography by Danny Mahoney

November 1-7, 2012

Nov. 2 Diplo spins Nov. 3 Afrojack spins Nov. 4 Nervo spins

dining

“578 breweries from all over the U.S. serving more than 2,700 beers to the nearly 50,000 attendees. I didn’t stand a chance. Not without a stunt liver anyway.”

The beer nut {paGe 63}

Reviews, Diner's Notebook, the Beer Nut and Southwest-inspired fall cocktails

Crispy fried chicken with creamy mashed potatoes and sautéed green beans.

Three Cheers! Chris Herrin goes beyond Bread & Butter to answer the age-old question of what’s for dinner. (Hint: It’s not just beef.)

[ Continued on Page 62 ]

November 1-7, 2012

Chris Herrin is a serious baker and restaurant owner, but if you ask him, he’ll tell you he mostly just wants to have fun. This ruddy, cheerful man, who looks as if he stepped right off a Pillsbury box, has already secured a coterie of friends who assemble almost daily at Bread & Butter, his Henderson bakery and informal breakfast/lunch stop. The bakery closes at 4 p.m. weekdays and 2 p.m. weekends, though—much to the chagrin of his loyal following. So when a small space opened a few doors down, Herrin grabbed it with the intention to do a casual dinner place serving American comfort food, a genre he knows well. But just to bolster his kitchen, he’s retained the services of a colleague, Brian Lafferty of Bouchon and Alizé. Open officially Nov. 1, Meat & Three is his Southern-style cafeteria concept, where you order a main course—the meat— and a choice of up to three sides with the price adjusted accordingly ($11.50 for meat plus one side, $13.50 with two sides and $15.50 with three). Those meats vary: fried chicken, short ribs and porchetta, for instance. And sides come both cold and hot, anything from potato salad shot through with bacon and dill to

61 VEGAS SEVEN

Photo by Anthony Mair

Photo by TK

By Max Jacobson

OUr Public Houses, General faux chicken, and the Olympics of hunger games

Porchetta and potato salad with bacon and dill.

It’s the little touches that elevate Meat & Three. The house bread is fresh, hot mini-pretzels paired with a piquant, addictive pimento cheese spread crowned with olive paste. There are artisanal soft drinks, too, and wonderful puddings for dessert, topped with a layer of thick whipped cream. The banana pudding is a must, but the butterscotch pudding is truly a game changer. Meat & Three may turn out to be one as well.

Max’s menu picks Entrees

Fried chicken Porchetta Cold Sides

Bacon-dill potato salad Cole slaw Hot Sides

Sautéed green beans with caramelized onion

[ The Grape nut ]

Pinot While You Paint? Wine & Canvas—you had me at wine. Since my art skills are … not, I figured that under the influence of mighty Bacchus, I might just come up with something not too horrible to hang in my bathroom. While my painting of two silhouetted lovebirds (the actual winged kind) perched in an odd sort of tree on a background of red sky isn’t likely to win any awards, it makes me happy. “Love in the Fruit Loop Tree,” as I call it, is just one of the numerous and ever-changing menu of paintings I could have chosen from the Wine & Canvas schedule ($35, WineAndCanvas.com). The schedule goes up on the 20th of every month. Just sign up and show up at the assigned bar (hey, how often do you get to tell people you need to head to O’Aces for your art lesson?). You are guided by kind and nonjudgmental instructors through the steps of your masterpiece, and when it’s dry, you keep it. Oh, and you get to drink throughout the process! Think of it as Color Me Mine for the grown and thirsty. Granted, I drank beer and my girlfriend Shalom had whiskey, but you get the idea. Just don’t accidentally reach for the wrong glass and drink your paintbrush water. – Xania Woodman

If you’re still a bit confused by the fact that there is a restaurant called Public House at Luxor, it’s understandable. After all, there is another restaurant by the same name at the Venetian, and there is no relationship between the two. Luxor’s Public House (262-4000) is a large, boxy, brightly lit space with a slightly unfinished feel. It’s not a so-called gastropub, but more of a pub/sports bar, and the first West Coast outpost for the East Coast chain. The service was cheerful, and I could see Monday Night Football from my table on one of the restaurant’s many large-screen TVs. What I ate was only so-so. Philly cheese steak egg rolls, cut on a slant, are delicious here, and I was surprised by how much I liked my pastrami on rye. Unfortunately, I sent the jambalaya—assembled rather than cooked together and dominated by a sour tomato sauce—back to the kitchen. So for now, let’s call this place a work in progress. I have no such mixed feelings about Veggie House (5115 Spring Mountain Road, 431-5802), where Cantonese-Malaysian chef Kenny Chai, who previously had three restaurants in San Diego, cooks with imagination and heart. Chai replicates many classic Chinese favorites such as spicy crispy beef, General Tso’s chicken and fish with hot bean sauce using gluten, tofu and soy proteins. The resemblances are incredible, right down to a bean curd fish “skin.” Try the garlic-laden cold cucumber salad. No tricks there, but the dish is terrific. Since Nov. 1 is National Sushi Day, it’s appropriate to mention that Luxor’s Rice & Company (262-4852) welcomes sushi enthusiasts with a monthlong prix-fixe menu priced at $38 per person for four courses. A sake pairing is available for an additional $12 per person. And because I’m giving Luxor’s Public House some ink, I should mention that Block 16 and chef Anthony Meidenbauer, the company and chef that run the other Public House, have created many new dishes for their Las Vegas restaurants, including Holsteins and the Barrymore. A few more creative examples include the Fun-Ghi (a beef patty with truffle-marinated portabella mushroom, caramelized onion, Gruyere and frisée) at Holsteins, shepherd’s pie pierogis at Public House and Muscovy duck confit with creamy farro at the Barrymore. Finally, the World Food Championships goes down Nov. 1-4 at Bally’s, with additional events at Paris and Caesars Palace. The competition features four categories of classic American cuisine, including barbecue, chili and burgers. The Travel Channel’s Adam Richman will appear, as will several other notable cooking superstars. See Page 94 for more from Richman. Hungry, yet? Follow Max Jacobson’s latest epicurean observations, reviews and tips at VegasSeven.com/blogs.

Photo by TK

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sautéed green beans with caramelized onion. Cannellini beans with Italian sausage are incredible. The day’s menu is listed on a board above the kitchen, and dishes are described on interchangeable paper signs. Seating is on long benches or reclaimed chairs at tables Herrin built himself. The only décor, per se, is the hanging wooden slats, embossed with lyrics by artists/ philosophers, such as Paul Simon. Herrin, if you didn’t know, worked for Thomas Keller—arguably America’s most famous chef—as head baker at Bouchon in the Venetian, and is highly trained. That explains the attention to detail and high standards here. He insists that this is all fun food, but for the serious eater, it’s going to be thought of as serious food. The fried chicken, for instance, is the paragon I’ve been hoping for since I moved here more than 12 years ago: crunchy, moist, goldenbrown and coated with the tastiest butMeat & Three termilk crust I can ever remember eating. In the Sunridge Calling it the best fried Heights Center, chicken in Las Vegas is 10940 S. Eastern like saying that Holly Ave., 473-5577. Madison is relaxed in Open 3-9 p.m. front of the camera. daily. Dinner for His porchetta is also two, $25-$39. amazing—tender, $35-$66. moist and expertly seasoned, cut into thin slices swirled with an herbal blend based on fennel and garlic, and served inside the crisp outer skin of the pig. I’m looking forward to Herrin’s doublecrusted chicken pot pie, which he’s putting on the menu soon, as well as meat loaf. Hot sides are hearty and imaginative. Cylinder-shaped potato croquettes are creamy and crunchy at the same time. Arancini, golden rice balls perfumed with the faint scent of truffle, have shatteringly crisp exteriors. Got to have mashed potatoes? You bet, and the chicken gravy on top tastes like your grandmother made it.

Photography by Anthony Mair

November 1-7, 2012

dining

[Continued from Page 61 ]

Malty notes and more from the 2012 Great American Beer Festival

Photo courtesy of the Brewers Association

By Xania Woodman

I had just 15 minutes alone with the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) before the doors opened to the hopped-up, pretzel-necklace-wearing masses. During that window of time, I realized a few very important things: One, I would never, ever be able to taste everything. 578 breweries from all over the U.S. serving more than 2,700 beers to the nearly 50,000 attendees. I didn’t stand a chance. Not without a stunt liver anyway. Two, I needed a plan. I’d start with the Las Vegas’ breweries (Big Dog’s, Chicago Brewing Co. and Tenaya Creek), move on to Denver for some local flavor, then go regional, focusing on the gold-medal winners (if there was anything left to taste). Three, I needed the essentials: pretzels, a festival T-shirt, water. And more pretzels. So equipped, I was ready for the wildly costumed attendees when they poured in. Presented by the Brewers Association, the GABF is held over three days at Denver’s Colorado Convention Center, about the only place that could accommodate such a feat. The beer flowed like, well, beer— an endless, bottomless river of craft brews, artisan barley wines and the nerdy project attempts of large commercial outfits to try to prove they’re down with the craft of craft. The night before, I, a GABF virgin, joined some Las Vegas members of SNAFU (Southern Nevada Ale Fermenters Union, the homebrewer’s club) at Stranahan’s distillery for a little Denver-made whiskey, before tackling some dense, syrupy, singlebarrel chocolate, vanilla and smoked isolated samples of the beers that make up Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout (Mich.) The deconstruction was eye-opening! I’d love to taste the composed beer, but, alas, says Nick Tribulato of Money Plays (“The New Kid on the Bock,” Sept. 13), we won’t be getting that in Las Vegas any time soon. Also in the party: Matt Lisowski,

director of operations at Joseph James Brewing Co.; Tenaya Creek’s Alex Graham; Aces & Ales’ Kris Wilke; and Jeremy Berkowitz from Khoury’s Fine Wine & Spirits. The guys let me tag along with them to Denver beer den Freshcraft, guided me to the socialnetworking site for beer aficionados (Untappd) and gave me my first milk stout (Left Hand Brewing Co.) before guiding me to oddities such as Odell Cutthroat Porter (Colo.) that was aged in a barrel that formerly housed Leopold Bros. domestic fernet. Hey, you gotta walk before you can run, right? And oh, how the oddities abounded the next day at the festival, such as Wynkoop Brewing Co.’s Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout (Colo.), made with—you guessed it—real roasted bull testicles. (If you’re curious, it was earthy, savory and good in small doses.) Hop-heads must have been in heaven, what with all the hop-tions; of those, Ninkasi’s Tricerahops Double IPA (Ore.) was my favorite— citrusy, bitter and refreshing. And I finally got to try the Kettle House Cold Smoke Scotch Ale (Mont.) that had Vegas Seven contributor Kurt Rice hitting the road for in the 2012 Beer Issue (“The Gospel of Cold Smoke,” Sept. 13). I can see why he drives to Missoula just for a taste. I further sought out anything “black,” “rye,” “smoked,” “barrel-aged” or “toasted.” I also hunted for saisons (seasonal farmhouse ales), the best of which was the Utah sage variety from Epic Brewing Co., which I would visit just two weeks later in Salt Lake City. More on that another time. As the hours and the IBUs wore on, I asked each booth rep to direct me to my next great beer. From Watch City Brewing Co.’s Beejezus Hop Crisis BPA (Mass.) I was dispatched to Highwater Brewing’s Campfire Stout (Calif.), who sent me to 21st Amendment’s Hell or High Watermelon Wheat (think tangy Nerds candies; Calif.), then the ambitious Ranger Creek Oak-Aged Rye Oatmeal Pale Ale (Texas) and so it went on. In all, I tried more than 50 beers that day, some more than once. Congrats to Chicago Brewing Co. for taking the gold in the Chocolate Beer category with its Cocoa for Coconuts, and to Big Dog’s Brewing Co. for placing silver in the English-Style Brown Ale category with its Red Hydrant Ale. Next year in Denver!

63 VEGAS SEVEN

Here for the Beer

November 1-7, 2012

the beer nut

C OMMONWEALTH pouring downtown soon...

Dining

drinking

South By Southwest Mexican-inspired cocktails, as served at Downtown Cocktail Room, 111 Las Vegas Blvd. South The bartenders at Downtown Cocktail Room love their amari, and use them liberally whenever they collaborate with managing partner Jeremy Merritt on the next seasonal menu. With the release of the fall lineup, however, those complex Italian liqueurs were joined by chocolaty mole, warm chipotle, vanilla-influenced tequila and spicy chili—flavors that tug at memories of family and autumn in the Southwest. Try them while you can; the winter menu drops Dec. 17.

1. Miss-Cha-Lotta By Krystal Ramirez, $9 In a dill-salt-rimmed 18-ounce Bordeaux wine glass, add 2 ounces house-made michelada mix (tomato juice, black pepper, chipotle pepper, sea salt and Worcestershire; try Demitri’s, Demitris. com), ½ ounce Plymouth gin, ¾ ounce lemon juice, and top with 1 Pacifico beer. Stir and garnish with a spear of cotija cheese, a pimentostuffed green olive and a yellow chili.

2. Black Widow By Kristyn Davis, $10

November 1-7, 2012

3. S’more’s Better By Kevin Gorham, $10

Watch Kristyn and Krystal prepare their fall-inspired cocktails at VegasSeven.com/videos.

Combine 2 ounces Bracero reposado tequila, 1 ounce Amaro Meletti, 1 ounce Amaro Averna, 3 dashes house-made tobacco bitters (try Snake Oil tobacco bitters, $23 at CocktailKingdom.com), ½ ounce brown simple syrup in a mixing glass. Add ice, cover, shake and strain into a chilled, graham cracker-rimmed 15-ounce snifter glass, and add 1½ ounces Guinness, then stir once. Brulée a marshmallow and drop into the glass.

Photo by Kin Lui

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In a mixing glass, combine ½ ounce Amaro Meletti, ½ ounce Cynar, ½ ounce house-infused Cocchi Torino sweet vermouth (cinnamon, whole clove and red chili pepper), 2 dashes Fee Brothers orange bitters and 1 dash Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters. Add ice, stir well and strain into a chilled 6-ounce coupe. Express the oil from an orange swath over the top of the cocktail and drop into the glass.

A&E

All-girl Ontario alt-rockers Hunter Valentine is the darker, gothier, sexier side of the night’s bill. Gorgeous, charismatic singer/guitarist Kiyomi McCloskey delivers songs with charged, lustful titles such as “Closet Case” and “She Only Loves Me When She’s Wasted.” Soundscraper {PAGE 75}

Music, movies, comedy, concerts and a whole lotta books

November 1-7, 2012

[ Continued on Page XX ]

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Photo Illustration by Jorge Novoa; Props provided by Medusa Antiques

After a fall season rich in pre-festival panels, writing contests and author readings, the Vegas Valley Book Festival is finally here. This year’s literary extravaganza offers more than 150 “authors and events,” although we’re not sure how that author-to-event ratio works out. Visit VegasValleyBookFestival.org to do the math and see the schedule. As always, there are two big-name headliners: Charlaine Harris, who wrote the Sookie Stackhouse series, a.k.a. the source material for HBO’s True Blood (7 p.m. at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road) and Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Egan (see our interview on Page 70). Vegas’ book fest doesn’t just do high culture for grown-ups. Check out the Comic Book Festival from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Clark County Library. Highlights include drawing classes, nerd punk bands and an event titled Closet Cosplay: Workshop With Very Awesome Girls Into Nerdy Activities, which sounds awesome. Or, if you have kids, head over to the Historic Fifth Street School for the Children’s Book Festival (9:45 a.m.-2:50 p.m.; see our interview with kid’s author David Shannon on page 71). Meanwhile, the main festival will also take place at the Fifth Street School, offering a bevy of goodies, including poetry readings, writing workshops, various panels and a Young Adult Pavilion (see our picks on Page 72). This year’s new addition is Feasting on Wheels, where from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 3 food trucks will serve literary-inspired items. Plan for a full mind and stomach. – Cindi Moon Reed

reading

A&E

media and advertising and how that world of images—a sort of parallel world [that] has little to do with real life—interacts with our psyches and changes the texture of being alive. Speaking of image culture, when you come to Las Vegas you’ll find a lot of that here. Would you ever write about Las Vegas? I feel like it’s insane that I’ve never been to Vegas. I feel like I should have gone to Vegas at birth. From a distance, it seems to embody so many of the things that interest me: the American willingness to create reality from the ground up and manipulate it, which is what image culture is. I can’t even describe how excited I am to get there.

Goon Squad Leader

What can you reveal about your new book about shipyards in New York City in the ’30s? I can’t tell you much, because the way I write is very blind. I don’t really know what my books will be about or even what will happen in them until I am pretty deeply in. … So I can’t say too much, partly it’s a little bit of superstition but even more I feel like I myself don’t really know yet.

Meet Jennifer Egan, Book Fest headliner, Pulitzer Prize-winner and Virgo-style perfectionist By Cindi Moon Reed

November 1-7, 2012

Jennifer Egan considers herself a late bloomer, partly because she was working as a typist to pay bills while other future authors were getting advanced degrees in creative writing. At 50, the Brooklynite with a “real Catholic schoolgirl personality” feels behind in terms of prolific output, having only written four novels, a short story collection, journalism for The New York Times Magazine and short fiction for magazines such as The New Yorker, Harper’s and McSweeney’s. But when she bloomed, she bloomed brilliantly. Her last book, A Visit From the Goon Squad, earned Egan the Pulitzer Prize in 2011. It’s a swirling collection of linked stories that swoop backward to the ’70s punk scene in San Francisco and forward to a dystopic near future. The book’s kaleidoscope of perspectives, eras and writing styles all serve to drive home the theme of time’s inevitable passage. In doing so, Egan taps into our youth- and technology-obsessed zeitgeist, revealing the collective anxiety hidden at its base. (One chapter is famously written via PowerPoint, and in the more futuristic moments, characters communicate emotion best via text message). Now, Egan is putting journalism on hold to write two books. One will be in the same style as Goon Squad, and the other will be about the shipyards of New York City in the 1930s. But when she headlines the Vegas Valley Book Festival on Nov. 3, Egan will likely read from and focus on Goon Squad.

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You have written so much about the passage of time. How did it feel to celebrate a milestone birthday in September? What makes this birthday hard is feeling like I haven’t been able to do a lot of what I wanted to do with my life by this point. Part of a midlife crisis is definitely the sudden cold understanding of the end game of all this. … In my case I feel very lucky that I’m doing exactly what I wanna do, so I feel like I have absolutely nothing to complain about.

So you’re handling it better than some of the characters would in your books? It’s true that people have a kind of bittersweet sense of time passing in [Goon Squad]. But the funny irony of time passing—I really do think about this in my own life—is that even if nothing has gone wrong … there’s a sense of loss. Being a beauty is a theme in your fiction. Considering that Time described your cheekbones as magnificent, I was wondering if you have

ever aspired to be a beauty? What a hell of a low aspiration is all I can say. No, I did not. My goals were always far more grandiose! [Laughs.] I saw it honestly more as a potential pitfall than an aspiration. I have never seen my appearance as something that defines me, but more just an element of the mix of things that were me. My interest in beauty— whatever that is, because it’s so subjective—has always been a tiny facet of a much larger obsession of mine. Which is image culture, the world of mass

Could you talk about your process of writing experimentally and instinctually? I start with a sense of time and place and not much else. And I try to write from that. I write by hand, which is a critical element, because my handwriting is illegible. So I don’t really know what I’m writing as I write it. … When I have a draft, I type it all up, and of course, it’s terrible! A lot of it is redundant, lousy, boring, clichéd. But hopefully there are just enough surprises that, out of that, I can get a sense of what it is that I’m trying to do, and very rationally make plans for revision. Writing by hand is foreign to me! It’s interesting because I’m also a journalist, and I can’t even fathom doing that by hand. How do you balance fiction and journalism? “Balance” is one of those words that seem to be about

something I can’t achieve. Whether it’s how you balance motherhood and writing, there’s never any balance. I’m putting journalism on hold at the moment, because I’m writing two fiction books at once. One of them, the historical one, actually required quite a fair amount of research, so that’s sort of filling the journalism niche for me. In The New Yorker’s recent Science Fiction Issue, you contributed a story, “Black Box,” that was simultaneously published via Twitter. How did that turn out? Some people got pleasure out of it, some people were mad. Funny thing about Twitter, it only exists for those who choose to be aware of it. I’m a Virgo and nothing is ever quite perfect enough for me, but I felt very pleased. Whether I’ll ever find another piece [that fits] Twitter is a big question. How can you find a story that can’t be told any other way? It’s not easy to do. Is there a new storytelling medium you would use in the same way as Twitter? I’m interested in games as a general idea, but I haven’t found any way in yet. What can you say about the other book you’re writing? I hope to create another constellation of stories that will work the same way Goon Squad did, methodologically, stories that are related but not chronological and they just have this huge range of styles and approaches. But that’s just a big question to a totally different end. I’m not interested in writing about time; what other big story can I tell with that same methodology? It’s an interesting challenge.

Music played a key role in Goon Squad. What are you listening to? I really have been Jennifer Egan loving Cat Power and there’s been a group Vegas Valley called the Weekend Book Festival, Players. Just started 3:30 p.m. Nov. 3 listening to Diego at the HisGarcia. I really like toric Fifth Street Jenny Youngs, KathSchool, 401 S. leen Edwards, and Fourth St., free. I love M83. I really Read more of should mention that Egan’s interview I’m crazy about Rick at VegasSeven. Ross. His voice is just com/BookFest. out of control … he’s like the earth.

reading

Betcha Can’t Read it Just Once Vegas Valley Book Fest’s star kids’ author on the search for the ‘again’ By Chantal Corcoran

You write of ducks riding bikes and a character that turns primary colors. Where do you get your ideas? It always comes in a different way, and I’m always extremely grateful whenever it does, because that’s what you worry about—that the last idea was the last one, ever. Duck on a Bike—my daughter had just begun to talk and before she even said words she made animal noises, so I wanted to do an animal-noise book. I was thinking how funny ducks were, and a guy rode

What unique challenges does a children’s author face? The biggest challenge is to pare it down so it fits in 32 pages. There’s an economy that you need to use in your writing to make it that short and still have several layers, or be interesting for more than just one read. The best compliment you can get is when a little kid goes, “Again! Again!” after you’ve just read it. That’s what I’m going for, the “again!” Do pictures or stories come first? I’m always thinking in terms of images, but I do sit down and write it before I do the finished pictures. …. Once I’ve got it written, it takes about a year to do the illustrations. Often it’s parents reading your books to their kids. Do you consider your adult readers? I definitely keep them in mind. If I think of something that the parents might get a kick out of, a little joke I can slip in there, then I like to do that. Do you include morals? If I try to do that, the story comes out really stiff and even a little preachy, which is the last thing I want. I pretty much just let the story tell me what it’s going to do. As it goes along, if you’re on the right track, those lessons will show up.

David Shannon at the Children’s Book Festival, Nov. 3, Fifth Street School, panel 10-11 a.m. in the auditorium, signing 12:3012:45 p.m. in the Children’s Festival Storytelling Tent, 401 S. Fourth St., 229-4614.

November 1-7, 2012

Did you always want to be a children’s author? I always wanted to be an artist. Most of my childhood, I was drawing and then I went to art school. I was an editorial illustrator in New York when I got into children’s books by accident, and realized that’s what I had always liked to do, even as a kid. Whatever I was reading, I was drawing.

by on his bike—I went, “Hmm, duck on a bike, that’s funny.” A Bad Case of Stripes— I was just thinking, “Wouldn’t it be weird if, instead of chickenpox, you got stripes?”

VEGAS SEVEN

If you have kids, you’re probably familiar with children’s author David Shannon— you might even be able recite his books from memory, having read them aloud, again and again. Shannon is the internationally acclaimed author and illustrator of more than 30 picture books, including the awardwinning No, David! (Blue Sky Press, 1998). Shannon made his first book at 5, a story that depicted David in all sorts of trouble, and contained the only two words the author could spell, “No, David!” This project was the inspiration for the book that would lead the author/illustrator to success. Today, Shannon’s pictures, in vibrant and dark acrylics, lend depth to his stories. At the Children’s Book Festival, Shannon will speak in a panel about storytelling to children and sign his newest release, Jangles: A Big Fish Story (Blue Sky Press, $18). It’s a tall tale about a boy who catches a fish named for the jingle-jangling of hooks and lures hanging from his lips.

Reading

A&E

Can’t-Miss Book Fest Events First Friday Poetry Stage: Live From The Las Vegas Arts District. Poet/lawyer Dayvid Figler collected Vegas- and downtowninspired haikus for a celebrity guest to recite. (6-9 p.m. Nov. 2, Boulder Plaza Park, 1047 S. Main St.) The Rise and Fall and Rise of Las Vegas. Historian Michael Green, journalist Geoff Schumacher and author Sally Denton discuss Vegas’ booms and busts. (10-11 a.m. Nov. 3, Historic Fifth Street School, Room 160, 401 S. Fourth St.)

Balanced Contradictions Navajo artist and Book Fest poster creator Landis Bahe brings two worlds into visual harmony

November 1-7, 2012

By Chantal Corcoran

VEGAS SEVEN

In the Navajo language there is no word for art. The nearest translation is “hózhó.” “It means being harmonious with everything,” explains Landis Bahe, the softspoken, 34-year-old, “full-blooded Navajo” who was chosen from 47 local artists to create this year’s Vegas Valley Book Festival posters. It’s no easy achievement, hózhó, particularly in Las Vegas, a city contradictory to the Arizona reservation where Bahe was raised, and where he learned to draw from his dad’s family, all untrained artists, like him. “We’d roll out a piece of paper and [say,] ‘All right, I challenge you to draw a horse.’” In 1996, Bahe moved here to work in construction. “It’s destruction, but it’s actually construction because you’re building something,” Bahe says of his 11-year stint in explosives—his first project being the Hoover Dam Bypass. The Navajo clansman struggled with his conscience: “You’re supposed to be kind to the earth. You’re not supposed to destroy it.” He once spotted a bird in a nest, just before an explosion. “I was torn up,” he says, clearing his throat of emotion.

Bahe kept a sketchbook in his truck, where he would steal minutes to draw. “It was always on my mind.” Then the economy tanked, leaving him laid-off and free to pursue a new career. Now, Bahe’s canvas paintings hang at Sticks and Stones Tattoo Co. In one piece, a Navajo boy dressed in conventional garb wears an electric blue headdress. Other paintings feature masks and feathers and fields of corn. The traditional Navajo images depicted in vibrant colors and a graffiti-like style (Bahe experiments with tattoo techniques in his art) reflect the boy on the reservation, and the man he became under the glare of Sin City’s neon. While his culturecoalescing style is garnering the attention of both the Navajo people (one of his paintings hangs in the Navajo Nation’s president’s office) and Las Vegans, not all of it is favorable: “It’s not really accepted by most of the elders in my culture,” Bahe says. Traditionally, Navajo art is more realistic and done in earthy tones. “Nobody can tell me what to paint, and what not to paint, but I feel it when

I get stares for things like this,” he says of an acrylic-on-canvas painting of an owl (purchased by Pawn Stars’ Austin “Chumlee” Russell). The owl is the Navajo symbol for death, and as an artist Bahe felt compelled to paint it, but the clansman in him was unable to finish it. “This is a big no-no in Navajo culture,” he says of conjuring the owl, which is why it has paint drippings for talons. “I didn’t fully paint him, so I can’t say I painted an owl.” The conflict reveals the inherent conflict at the root of Bahe: Navajo, artist, Las Vegan. Another painting, of corn on a cob floating skyward, seems to represent a more harmonious and balanced man, one who’s achieved some hózhó–except only Bahe understands the piece. The Navajo wonder why it isn’t on a stalk and more realistically portrayed. The rest of us are confused by his subject choice— corn? “But the corn is so important to the Navajo,” Bahe explains, “The corn pollen is what we pray with.” Bahe’s book festival posters are less controversial. For the Children’s Book Festival poster, Bahe painted a portrait of his daughter reading from an illuminating book. The Comic Book Festival poster allowed the Marvel fan to conjure his own superhero: a blind blackjack dealer who throws poker chips as weapons. Several colorful books flying over a building represent the freedom that reading brings in his third festival poster. When Bahe and the festival committee had differing ideas about the posters— they wanted the subject of his daughter’s glowing book to be recognizable; Bahe wanted to leave it open to imagination—he asserted himself as an artist. “Being from the Navajo culture, you don’t do that. You don’t press your way,” Bahe says—but he’s proud of himself for doing so, even if it isn’t in keeping with harmony, because it is in keeping with artistry.

Self Portrait, With Others: The Ethics of Writing Memoir. Four memoirists explore the hardest part of memoir writing: Choosing if and how to protect or reveal loved ones. Author/professor Maile Chapman moderates. (11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Nov. 3, Fifth Street School Auditorium.) All I Need Is the World: A Conversation With Katie Arnoldi and Dave Hickey. A best-selling novelist and an enfant terrible art critic on the role of observation in writing. See Page 26 for an interview with Hickey. (1:45-2:45 p.m. Nov. 3, Fifth Street School Auditorium.) Stories and Songs in the Oral Tradition. Master storyteller, singer and instrumentalist Charlotte Blake Aston performs as part of the Children’s Book Festival. (1:45-2:45 p.m. Nov. 3, Fifth Street School, NSA Recital Room, Suite 125.) Nevada Humanities Salon: Nevada Voices. The fest’s closing event features a lineup of intellectual all-stars: authors Chapman, Christopher Coake and Peter Goin, and poets Shaun Griffin, and Donald Revell (6-7 p.m. Nov. 3, Fifth Street School Auditorium.) Steampunk Spectacular: Clockworks, Corsets, Historical Adventure and a Little Bit of Paranormalcy! Complete with a macabre location, this Y.A. event delves into the retroVictorian joys of Steampunk and spooky Edgar Allen Poe-inspired writing. (7:30-9:30 p.m. Nov. 3, Bunker’s Mortuary Chapel, 925 Las Vegas Blvd. North.)

A&E

Music

Minus the New

Dave Knudson (middle) and Minus the Bear.

Guitarist Dave Knudson talks about mining Minus the Bear’s original sound for inspiration

November 1-7, 2012

By Elizabeth Sewell

VEGAS SEVEN

Eleven years after releasing their first EP, Minus the Bear returns to their progressive indie-rock roots. The Seattle-based outfit departed from the danceable, guitar-heavy tracks of their previous albums for 2010’s Omni, opting for keyboarddriven melodies, many with no trace of guitarist Dave Knudson’s signature chords. But with the August release of Infinity Overhead, the musician, who recently spoke with Vegas Seven, says he’s proudly back on the six-string and delighted to be creating the classic Minus the Bear sound fans love. The band plays the Hard Rock Café on the Strip on Nov. 7. Your album Infinity Overhead is more aggressive than Omni. Why? It was a conscious decision on my part. The last album was keyboardfocused—on “My Time” I didn’t even play guitar—and I think we were trying to experiment with some new stuff on that record. I was jaded about the guitar, and I wanted to step outside of normal

guitar stuff. [For] this record, I wanted to create some stuff that is a little more upbeat, a little filthier and get a little more into guitar acrobatics if you will. It’s funny to hear a musician say they’re jaded about their instrument. Does that happen often? It was just a phase. That was our fourth full-length album. All of us have been working with [former band member and producer] Matt Bayles for a long time, and it felt like we were doing a lot of the same things. We wanted to step out of our comfort zone. That was probably the first time I felt that way, but it’s awesome to come back and pick up a guitar again and be totally inspired. Does your guitar have a name? I have one I call Goldie, but no names like B.B. King’s Lucille. But when I come home and I’m writing and I pick up my guitar for the first time after being on tour, it’s nice to be like, ‘Where have you been, old friend? Let’s go to the basement and make some noise.’

Minus the Bear has been around since 2001. And in that time, popular music has shifted from being rock ’n’ roll-focused to electronic. Have you felt pressure to change your sound? No, at the beginning we were all coming from more punk-rock backgrounds, but we still really liked Daft Punk and electronic music. So that electronic undercurrent has always been a part of the band. On this record we’ve made an effort to go back a little and be influenced by what we were doing earlier in our career. This record is a mixture of all of our albums put into a blender and made into a delicious Minus the Bear smoothie. You’re touring well into next year; it’s a bunch of guys on a bus. Do you want to kill each other at the end? You would think that it would be a trying experience, but we’ve been together long enough that we all understand each other and our crew is great. We’re a pretty laidback group of guys, so it’s not too hard and we generally enjoy being around each other. If we didn’t, the band wouldn’t be around. Minus the Bear with Cursive and Girl in a Coma at the Hard Rock Café on the Strip at 6 p.m. Nov. 7, $26 ($23 in advance), all ages, 733-7625, TicketFly.com.

Three cool Canadian bands coming to Vegas this week? Must be something in the maple syrup. All-girl Ontario alt-rockers Hunter Valentine stalks the Bunkhouse at 9:30 p.m. Nov. 1 with female-fronted L.A. anthemic-pop outfit Queen Caveat. Hunter Valentine is the darker, gothier, sexier side of the bill. Gorgeous, charismatic singer/guitarist Kiyomi McCloskey delivers songs with charged, lustful titles such as “Closet Case” and “She Only Loves Me When She’s Wasted.” The band is touring in support of its sophomore full-length Collide and Conquer. Meanwhile, Queen Caveat comes to chop off people’s heads with the Slap on the Wrist EP, featuring massive-sounding single “Resilient Me.” Caveat chieftess Lauren Little is a blond bombshell with a big voice that suits the grandiose yet thrilling material. It’ll be an interesting contrast in stage presences. You’ll want to be back at the Bunkhouse at 9 p.m. Nov. 3 for something greasy. Prep your palate for some slices and punk ’n’ roll at the Punk Rock Pizza Party. The lineup includes Vegas bands Deadhand, Battle Born and Not Much Cooler, plus L.A.’s Identity Theft and yet another all-female thrash-core outfit from Canada, Vancouver’s Joyce Collingwood. The latter is said to have played a few prisons across the Great White North, so performing at a downtown Vegas dive bar should be no problem for these sisters of no-mercy. My favorite Collingwood cut is the postcard-from-hell metal number, “Victoria.” The pit and the pepperoni should be furious with these ladies. After the cheese, gorge on the crust-doom offering of Squamish, British Columbia-crawlers Hoopsnake, who play Yayo Taco at 7 p.m. Nov. 5 with Demon Lung and Spiritual Shepherd. Hoopsnake is a tightly coiled sludge-slinging trio possessing Sabbath-riffing powers. Songs such as “Weedfiender General” conjure ’70s-era psychedelic weirdness. Whatever you do, don’t come to this show minus a neck brace. Gonna be serious headbanging brewing. This will also be Vegas doom band Demon Lung’s first show since signing with European metal label Candlelight Records. Here’s a post-Halloween treat I can’t resist. Southern boogie-metal band Jackyl revs its engines at 10 p.m. Nov. 6 at Las Vegas Country Saloon. If the name doesn’t ring bells, what about 1992 MTV-video sensation “The Lumberjack” song, during which singer/guitarist Jesse James Dupree breaks real musical ground by unleashing a frickin’ chain-saw solo? C’mon, you know you love it when that STIHL starts to tear. Jackyl had other semi-hits (“I Stand Alone” and “Dirty Little Mind”), but the band is on tour to promote its seventh studio album, called Best in Show. Best way to describe Jackyl is AC/DC meets Skynyrd, so if you crave crashing guitar riffs and stomping drum beats, this dog will hunt. Know another song with a chainsaw solo? E-mail jarret_keene@yahoo.com.

Photo by Angel Ceballos

Canadian rock invasion

music

A Gripping eco- thriller Set in Glacier National Park.

CD REVIEWS By Jarret Keene

Post-rock

Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! (Constellation) The Canadian instrumental chamber-rock monolith returns with a fourth studio album, the first in a decade. Its timing is impeccable, arriving days before a U.S. presidential election between two politicians who relish killing strangers via unmanned aircraft. Check out the band’s 20-minute apocalypse-drone centerpiece “Mladic.” It begins with eerily plucked violin strings and builds into a wrathful surge of metal-edged, Arabianscaled guitars. A total masterpiece of cathartic dirges. ★★★★✩

2. Stone Sour, House of Gold & Bones - Part 1 3. Twiztid, Abominationz [Madrox Version] 4. Taylor Swift, Red 5. The Sword, Apocryphon 6. Mumford & Sons, Babel 7. Twiztid, Abominationz [Monoxide Version] 8. Gary Clark Jr., Blak & Blu 9. Pig Destroyer, Book Burner 10. Dethklok, Metalocalypse: Dethalbum III According to sales at Zia Record Exchange on 4503 W. Sahara Ave., Oct. 22-28.

Lord Huron, Lonesome Dreams (IAMSOUND) If all you know of this L.A. pastoral-pop band is Paul Simon-aping single “Time to Run,” go back and listen again. This debut brims with wide-open sounds and spaces, like the spectral, harmonica-laced “The Ghost on the Shore,” perfect music for a drive to Lake Mead. Or the cosmiccowboy yodel of “Ends of the Earth,” singer Ben Schneider promising “there’s a world that was meant for us to see.” Opulently romantic. ★★★★✩ Electronica

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“ ”

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– Ann Rule, New York Times Bestselling Author of Fatal Friends, Deadly Neighbors and Other True Cases

– Jeff Hull, Author of Pale Morning Done

Soulsavers, The Light the Dead See (Mute)

availble at your local retailer and online at

British production team Ian Glover and Rich Machin know how to do downtempo. This time they recruit moody, self-lacerating Depeche Mode front man Dave Gahan, who penned lyrics to the 12 songs on this CD, which enjoyed an Oct. 24 release. Gahan sounds caught between religious damnation and erotic salvation, from gospel-folk ballad “Take Me Back Home” to bluesy barroom confessional “Tonight,” when he sings: Are you sure you’re ready for forgiveness? Your answer: yes. ★★★✩✩

Disc Scan

Upcoming albums on Jarret’s radar … NOV. 6: Vancouver synth-instrumentalist Teen Daze delivers his sophomore full-length The Inner Mansions, said to be a “spiritual and musical journey.” The tracks leaked so far sound dazzling. NOV. 13: Avant-electronic legend and U2 co-producer Brian Eno unwraps LUX, a 75-minute composition inspired by visual art. Ambitious has always been Eno’s middle name. NOV. 20: Seminal D.C. hardcore band Bad Brains is back with their first disc in five years. This one’s self-produced and titled Into the Future. NOV. 27: Underground hardcore rapper Lone Ninja throws a shuriken-size disc of sinister beats and ominous rhymes called Rogue Agent.

November 1-7, 2012

1. Kendrick Lamar, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City

Indie-rock

75 VEGAS SEVEN

What We’re Buying

concerts

a&e

Mark Knopfler

by an über-talented seven-piece band, Knopfler displayed his slick guitar skills and distinct vocals. He encored with the Dire Straits jam “So Far Away”; the crowd was singing, dancing and primed for Dylan. Donning a flat brim hat and black

suit with white trim, Dylan appeared spirited and happy, jamming with his band. Although his voice has given way (it sounded even more garbled than it did in the ’60s) and his hands never touched a guitar, Dylan spent much of the evening wailing at the

November 1-7, 2012

Melvins Lite

VEGAS SEVEN

Las Vegas Country Saloon, Oct. 23 “We broke the record we set last night in Phoenix,” said Buzz Osborne, lead singer/guitarist of the venerable sludge-metal band Melvins Lite. The trio has embarked on a grueling tour in support of their last release, Freak Puke. The tour is more of a mission; 51 dates in 50 states in 51 days. They’re attempting to break a Guinness World Record to be the fastest tour by a band in the U.S. Switching up from the usual four-piece band with two drummers to a trio with Trevor Dunn on upright bass is why they’re called Melvins Lite (instead of just Melvins). There was nothing ‘Lite’ about it. Osborne, with his signature gray, ragged hair, black long-sleeve shirt and

piano and letting his harmonica do the talking as he rambled through a set, which included “Girl From the North Country,” “Highway 61 Revisited,” “Like a Rolling Stone” and “All Along the Watchtower.” ★★★✩✩ – Craig Asher Nyman

what looked like sequins, thrashed about onstage, leading the rockers furiously. Dunn got the flannel-wearing crowd of 30- and 40-somethings revved up with his thrilling bass solo, which included dark, spooky riffs to the pleasant sounds of “Over the Rainbow.” Drummer and birthday boy Dale Crover got an onstage surprise when “Professional Weirdo” Jenn O. Cide lit the room with her lengthy “fire fingers.” She then lit the candles on Crover’s cake and led everyone in singing “Happy Birthday.” The Melvins Lite, on the 49th date of this recordbreaking tour, played with great confidence and spirit. It was a solid performance, and the highlights were “Mr. Rip Off,” “Electric Flower” and Wings cover “Let Me Roll It.” At the end, Crover shouted, “Let’s get fucking shitfaced!” With that, the band exited the stage. ★★★✩✩ – Ross H. Martin

A$AP Rocky, Danny Brown and ScHoolBoy Q photos by Joseph Connell

Mandalay Bay Events Center, Oct. 27

Two members of rock royalty—Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame and the legendary Bob Dylan—performed to a crowd that spanned generations. Warming up the audience, Knopfler came out firing with “What It Is” and “Corned Beef City.” Backed

Mark Knopfler photo by Erik Kabik; Melvins Lite photo by Linda Evans

Mark Knopfler and Bob Dylan

A$AP Rocky

UKE-FUL INFORMATION: Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder visits the appropriately named Pearl on Nov. 1 ($91), the second night of a twonight engagement. I didn’t mention it last week because I figured you’d be busy on Halloween. But this week, you have no excuse. You’ve just got to see one of the greatest rock ’n’ roll vocalists of our generation—the voice of ‘Jeremy” and “Corduroy”—standing defiant on a Vegas stage, accompanying himself on … an ukulele. Vedder is touring behind his May 2011 album Ukulele Songs, which he’d apparently hoped to do sooner than this. (These Vegas shows were originally scheduled for April—and yes, tickets purchased for those shows will still be honored.) Although it would be nice to have some Electric Ed, it’s better than no Ed at all—and according to early reviews, there are a bunch of Pearl Jam songs in the set, anyway.

A$AP Rocky, Danny Brown and ScHoolBoy Q photos by Joseph Connell

Mark Knopfler photo by Erik Kabik; Melvins Lite photo by Linda Evans

Danny Brown

A$AP Rocky

House of Blues, Oct. 29 Despite the fact that none of the performers have an official album out, the line to see Danny Brown, ScHoolBoy Q and A$AP Rocky was wrapped around the House of Blues and littered with the most eclectic group of fans you’ll ever see at a hip-hop concert. Oh, and

ScHoolBoy Q

what a rabid bunch of fans they were. After Danny Brown and ScHoolBoy Q heated up the crowd, A$AP Rocky and his A$AP Mob turned the frenzy up to nuclear levels. Wearing white sneakers, T-shirt, a vest and his trademark beanie, Rocky put on a staggering 90-minute set that spanned both the LiveLoveA$AP and Lord$ Never Worry mixtapes. The subwoofers rumbled through the house speakers as the crowd sang

along to “Purple Swag” and “Goldie” as the A$AP Mob circled the stage like vultures waiting for their turn on the microphone. A$AP Ferg blitzed through “Work” and A$AP Nast’s “Black Mane” kept the crowd from settling. With ScHoolBoy Q joining Rocky for a riotous version of “Hands on the Wheel” and Rocky closing with the wicked “Peso,” the venue popped like a shaken soda. ★★★★✩ – Andreas Hale

Paper Route

Vinyl at Hard Rock Hotel, Oct. 27 Opening for the acclaimed act Switchfoot is no easy task. But the Nashville, Tenn.-based Paper Route made it look easy. With captivating front man J.T. Daly at the helm, Paper Route delivered a solid and lively performance to a dialed-in crowd. Performing tracks off their new album, The Peace of Wild Things, including “Better Life,” and new single “You and I” as well as fan favorites “Gutter” and “Dancing on Our Graves,” the group spanned their catalog of songs and made the most of their opening set. The only thing that could have made the evening better was if the band were headlining. ★★★✩✩ – Craig Asher Nyman

BALL HOG OR THUD GOD: I’m gonna pull rank on you here. For $22, you can see Mike Watt + The Missingmen playing at Vinyl on Nov. 3. And as someone who’s been forced to see both Cher and Ratt live onstage in the course of his work, I demand that you shell out that paltry sum of money to see a truly great musician. Watt, formerly a member of Minutemen, Firehose and the Stooges, is revered among punk bassists—everyone from the Beastie Boys to the Red Hot Chili Peppers to … yes, even Eddie Vedder has clamored to work with Watt, and they have. (Get Watt’s 1995 album Ball Hog or Tugboat, whose numerous guest performers practically make it a K-Tel collection of the 1990s alternative rock era.) Just remember, you’re not paying $22 for Watt’s “hits.” You’re paying to see him master his instrument, and to be grateful you’re not watching Ratt. NOW ON SALE: Remember back when, in the pre-Gaga, pre-Adele days, when everybody was all up in Pink’s stuff? Well, she hasn’t forgotten you. The rose-tinted diva plays Mandalay Bay in support of her new album, The Truth About Love, on Feb. 15 ($69-$153).

stage

Maher needs Strip upgrade to match his status

79 VEGAS SEVEN

Leftie joke-teller/bomb-thrower Bill Maher has chosen our neon hamlet in which to shred Republicans this last weekend before the election, performing Nov. 3-4 at the Orleans. Intending no offense toward the Orleans, but the off-Strip property isn’t where Maher—America’s Premier Political Pot-Stirrer/Hornet’s Nest-Kicker/All-Around RabbleRouser (Comedy Division)— final years—conbelongs. sidered himself As host of a free-floating HBO’s Real Time entity, inveighWith Bill Maher, ing against us his views are from beyond the sought on CNN; his monologues, human bubble. Conversely, Maher “new rules” and essay-rants are ob- brawls in the arena where public life sessed over online; and his million- meets incendiary laughs, à la Mort bucks gift to the Obama campaign Sahl, Lenny Bruce and Carlin in unleashed contentious debate decades past. on the political stage. The man is Like Carlin, Maher’s comedy can smack-dead-center in the cultural turn ugly, spilling into pettiness zeitgeist. And should be likewise on and cruelty. (See: Chris Christie the Strip. fat jokes, Sarah Palin and the “C Think: Caesars Palace, MGM word,” Republicans denying climate Grand, The Mirage, The Wynn, change, and Americans overall, laBally’s, Harrah’s. (Anything not beling us stupid.) Regardless, Maher owned by the Republicans’ walkmatters because, though coating ing ATM, Sheldon Adelson.) Yes, it’s it in comedy, he challenges us on likely Maher’s punch-line grenades a civic level that resonates after curtail his drawing potential. Livedeparting a showroom. show fans, like his liberal-cheering, Once upon an entertainment time, conservative-jeering cable audience, the Strip was a showbiz backwater flock to him not just to laugh, but where acts went to die. Now it’s join an ideological circle jerk. where acts go to shine. Maher’s place However, compare Maher to other is there. Orleans headliners: The TemptaExcuse us co-opting your shtick, tions, John Pinette, Kellie Pickler, Bill, but that’s a new rule. Lonestar, Babyface, Travis Tritt and Steven Wright. Strong acts, all. Yet do STRIP POSTSCRIPT: What’s missany pack the here-and-now wallop of ing here, timeline-wise? Come the comic commentator whose deliFebruary, Harrah’s welcomes Milcious digs rattle Republicans enough lion Dollar Quartet, about a historic to provoke public venom? recording session with Johnny Cash, Off-Strip hotels—Orleans, SouthJerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and point, Suncoast, Palace Station and Elvis Presley—in 1956. Meanwhile others—are also the site of many Jersey Boys at Paris Las Vegas has the older acts no longer luring sizable ’60s covered, rewinding to the Four Strip crowds, catering largely to Seasons’ heyday, while the Venethe nostalgia-oriented. (Caveat: tian in December unveils Rock of Performers such as Don Rickles and Ages, lampooning ’80s metalheads. other “Greatest-Generation” legends Whither the ’70s? Isn’t anyone have earned respect and a Vegas clamoring for a tuneful flashback home as long as they desire.) to “Feelings,” “You Light Up My Also true is that Maher expresses Life,” “Muskrat Love” and “The Piña affection for the Orleans ShowColadaby Song”? Resized 4.37665 7.25 to 9.81299 by 11.813 and Adjusted to 98.43% Vertical and 98.12% Horizontal room, claiming it was unofficially When will we celebrate—finally— bequeathed to him by another the musical magnificence of “Disco socially/politically opinionated Duck”? comic, the late, unparalleled George Any “birthers” have proof Bill Maher was Carlin. However, Carlin—growing Richard Nixon’s secret love child? E-mail increasingly jaded over our foibles and strident in attacking them in his Steve.Bornfeld@vegasseven.com.

November 1-7, 2012

Say your Obama hosannas, Vegas.

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movies

Clouded Plot Six interwoven storylines serve to confuse more than enlighten the viewer By Michael Phillips Tribune Media Services

Now and then, a movie comes along defying shorthand description. Adapted from David Mitchell’s spinning top of a novel, Cloud Atlas exists to vex, intrigue and discombobulate unsuspecting audiences. It tackles nothing less than the oppressors and the oppressed throughout centuries of humanity; the reverberations of karmic payback across the oceans; the dangers of “a purely predatory world” (Mitchell’s phrase); and the value of a large supply of fake noses, sported in this nutty farrago of a picture by Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving and their fellow customers at The Nose Store. Cloud Atlas has the air of a historical masquerade, both playful and serious. Six storylines provide the webbing. Adapters and directors Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer and Andy Wachowski crosscut and juggle the stories more aggressively than Mitchell did on the page. Chronologically, it begins in 1849 on a Pacific Ocean voyage, and ends in the 24th century, after a se-

ries of selfish acts have caught up with our planet. In later sequences, Hanks plays a lonely goat herder, who speaks in a throwback Uncle Remus argot reflecting the cyclical nature of all things under the sun. In the book, old Zachry observes: “Most yarnin’s got a bit o’ true, some yarnin’s got some true, an’ a few yarnin’s got a lot o’ true.” The funny thing about the film version of Cloud Atlas is that Hanks’ musings about yarnin’s is correct: Crisscrossing time zones and centuries for nearly three hours, the results are a little true here, a little more there, patently ridiculous in some aspects and quite beautiful in others. The actors play five or six roles apiece. In 1849, a lawyer (Jim Sturgess) befriends an escaped slave (David Gyasi) while coping with a strange illness with the help of a doctor (Hanks) named Goose. In 1936, a young composer (Ben Whishaw) falls in love with the elegant Sixsmith (James D’Arcy) but hitches his wagon to a classical composer (Broadbent) working on his Cloud Atlas sextet. Zwooop forward to the 1970s

Susan Sarandon and Tom Hanks find drama through the ages.

in San Francisco. Sixsmith, decades older, holds the key to a massive conspiracy involving Big Oil, a controversial nuclear power plant project and the health and safety of an investigative reporter (Berry). In the present day, Broadbent returns as a book publisher confined in an English countryside home for the decrepit and abandoned. Weaving, in drag, plays the worst of the overseers there, a woman no different in spirit than the ruddy slaveholders in the 19thcentury sequences. The most satisfying and kinetic of the tales takes us to “Neo Seoul,” a Blade Runner-y and Metropolis-based future where a

“fabricant” (Doona Bae), accused of fomenting revolution against the “consumers” who control the society, is interviewed by an archivist (D’Arcy). From there it’s a short hop to 2321, a century after “the fall,” when what’s left of the world has become both advanced yet primitive. The stories don’t proceed in order of chronology; rather, they’re scrambled. Key characters share a shooting-star birthmark. “Eternal recurrence” is the theme; the actors and their various noses provide the variations. I’ve seen Cloud Atlas twice, because I wanted to figure out why I didn’t love it. On the page, Mitchell allows each time

November 1-7, 2012

short reviews

VEGAS SEVEN

frame to develop a rhythm and a language and some momentum before zinging over to another track. On screen, the filmmakers never stick with any one universe for long. We’re perpetually yanked out of a moment of crisis or a chase to catch up with the other narratives. The broader comedy falls flat. The “Neo Seoul” fable of revolution is strong enough to stand alone. There’s not much interest in stylistic consistency in Cloud Atlas, not with such far-flung settings. The movie doesn’t really work, but it’s fascinating in the ways it doesn’t. Cloud Atlas (R) ★★★✩✩

[ by tribune media services ]

Chasing Mavericks (PG) ★★★✩✩

Fun Size (PG-13) ✩✩✩✩✩

Alex Cross (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩

Seven Psychopaths (R) ★★★✩✩

This film is about surfing, the legendary and mysterious secret break, the Mavericks, off the coast of Northern California, and teenage Jay Moriarty who became famous there. Jay (Jonny Weston) gets the surfing bug from his next-door neighbor, Frosty (Gerard Butler). Jay lionizes Frosty and stows away when Frosty sneaks off to Mavericks, of which only a quartet of veteran surfers are aware. Frosty mentors the kid, training him to survive and ride the break. It’s an entertaining story with awe-inspiring surf footage.

This Halloween film concerns a Cleveland high school senior (Victoria Justice) who misplaces her preteen brother (Jackson Nicoll) on trick-or-treat night. This film is a soul-crusher, completely devoid of any humor, point, quality or value. The narrative shape recalls other more successful onecrazy-night comedies such as Adventures in Babysitting, but it fails magnificently. I don’t know for whom the hell this bell tolls. Maybe it will toll for Nickelodeon-fed offspring, but I doubt it.

Tyler Perry makes a go at being a conventional action-hero in this reprisal of Morgan Freeman’s role in previous film adaptations of James Patterson’s novels. A murderer, known as Picasso (Matthew Fox), is killing people and leaving Cubist-style drawings at the scenes of his crimes. He appears to have his sights set on a multi-national industrialist (Jean Reno). But not if Alex Cross (Perry) has anything to say about it. Revenge is game here, and while Perry does OK, the film just isn’t very interesting.

Filmmaker Martin McDonagh (In Bruges) brings us this black comedy romp. Colin Farrell plays Marty, a blocked screenwriter, who’s already blown past his deadline for his screenplay of Seven Psychopaths. His friend Billy (Sam Rockwell) and his accomplice Hans (Christopher Walken), make a kind of living kidnapping dogs and returning them for reward money. Fatefully, they take the wrong dog, a shih tzu belonging to a murderous gangster (Woody Harrelson). The humor is dark and razor-sharp, and McDonagh is improving his craft.

movies

Argo (R) ★★★★✩

Here Comes the Boom (PG)

This thriller from director/star Ben Affleck is based on unclassified documents, the story is set in 1979 when 52 Americans were taken hostage in Tehran by Iranian revolutionaries. Six U.S. State officials escape and hide at the Canadian ambassador’s home. CIA operative Antonio Mendez (Affleck) concocts a plan: fly into Iran, pose as a film crew scouting locations, fly out with the six Americans playing the roles of crew members. With a sharp script and deft direction, the Oscar buzz is justified.

★★★✩✩

Sinister (R) ★★✩✩✩

Taken 2 (R) ★★✩✩✩

Struggling true-crime author Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) doesn’t tell his family that he’s moved them into a house that was the scene of a mass murder. He finds old home movies of that murder and many others, and, even though he’s shocked at the images and the satanic figure that turns up in reflections, he doesn’t flee the house where his boy has night terrors, his daughter does strange drawings on the wall and his wife (Juliet Rylance) wonders what’s going on. The movie telegraphs its cheap scares.

This sequel is so much lousier than it needs to be, largely due to a director in over his head. Extending a work trip to vacation with his ex-wife (Famke Janssen) and daughter (Maggie Grace), Liam Neeson’s ex-CIA op, Brian Mills, is kidnapped and held captive in a hellhole by murderous Albanians. There is no film without Neeson shooting, stabbing, strangling, and mixed martial arts-ing dozens of Albanians who want him dead, want his ex-wife dead, and want his daughter as a sex slave. The action is a headache.

Frankenweenie (PG) ★★★✩✩

Looper (R) ★★★✩✩

Tim Burton is back with this black-andwhite 3-D stop motion animation picture, a remake of a short live action movie he made in 1984 in which he remakes the Frankenstein myth with a dog. Young Victor Frankenstein (voiced by Charlie Tahan) and his beloved terrier, Sparky, conduct a science experiment after Sparky’s demise. It works. Though typically Burton, it’s not his best, with a jaded and uneasy air, and plenty of cutely vicious monsters and a protracted climax.

In filmmaker Rian Johnson’s imaginative sci-fi thriller, futuristic criminals in the 2070s are sent back in time to 2044 Kansas, and there, standing at the ready with a rifle called the Blunderbuss, is the “looper,” the gun for hire. Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a looper, is beginning to wear down. He knows that one day he’ll be assigned to “close his loop” and kill off the older version of himself. The day arrives, but older Joe (Bruce Willis) escapes. The chase is on, and younger Joe has a lot to learn.

November 1-7, 2012

Scott Voss (Kevin James) is a high school biology teacher, a single man barely able to muster the gumption to ask out the school nurse (Salma Hayek). Their crumbling school needs $48,000 to save the longtime music teacher (Henry Winkler). Solution: Voss, who wrestled in college, enters mixed martial arts and makes it all the way to the Ultimate Fighting Championship in Las Vegas. Although it takes a while to get going, it’s actually all right.

VEGAS SEVEN

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Bankroll takes devastating hit AS Eagles fail to fly past Falcons

November 1-7, 2012

The game kickeD OFF just after 10 a.m. The texts and e-mails started arriving by about 10:30. Monkey time! Hope that monkey can type. The Chargers’ offense sucks as bad as your Eagles pick. Hey man, now that you really went broke, will you still post your bets? I’ve been paying attention to your column for a few months now, and I always go opposite your picks. In case you missed it, I rolled the dice last week with a $3,300 play on the Eagles and Andy “130 all time following a bye” Reid as a 2½-point favorite against the undefeated Falcons. By now you know the Falcons are still undefeated, Reid is now 13-1 following a bye and I’m on the verge of the unemployment line.

VEGAS SEVEN

Hey, at least I can take comfort in knowing that several people a lot smarter (and with much deeper pockets) than me also fell for Philadelphia: Of the 10 handicappers in the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s weekly NFL contest, seven picked the Falcons-Eagles game, and five sided with Philly. Said MGM Resorts sportsbook director Jay Rood to the R-J: “We took a lot of sharp money on the Eagles.” I’m sure many of those sharp bettors will swear that they never second-guess a losing bet. I’m also sure they’re liars. Me? I wanted to slit my wrists for not taking the Browns against San Diego. That’s because back on May 24—after noting that Cantor Gaming released odds

for every NFL game through Week 16 and Cleveland was the only team not to be favored in a single game—I wrote the following: “This you can take to the bank: The Cleveland Browns are winning a football game this fall. And they’re winning one before Halloween. Mark it down: Oct. 28, at home, Browns win 21-17 vs. the Chargers.” So why did I choose to unload on the Eagles last week and not Cleveland—particularly since the Chargers had spent the previous two weeks licking their wounds following one of the biggest collapses in NFL history? Because I’m an idiot. Fortunately, I was at least bright enough on May 24 to put $330 on Cleveland +3½ and $100 on the Browns money line (which ended up +130). Granted, the $430 those winners netted didn’t put much of a dent in my Eagles loss. But it was enough to keep the monkey in his cage … at least for one more week. On to this week’s selections (note: all point spreads are as of Oct. 30) … $110 on Broncos -3½ at Bengals: Denver has won (and covered) three of its last four. Cincinnati has lost (and failed to cover) three in a row (and has cashed just three times in its last 16 games). The Broncos have outscored opponents 69-14 in their last six quarters. The Bengals have been outscored 75-54 in their last three games (two of which were at home). Denver QB Peyton Manning has thrown for more than 300 yards in five straight games, with 14 TDs vs. one interception. Cincinnati

bankroll: $928 Last week: 2-1 (-$2,870) NFL season: 27-23-1 (-$3,073) College football season: 32-27 (+$235) In February 2010, we gave Matt “$7,000” to wager. When he loses it all, we’re going to replace him with a monkey.

QB Andy Dalton has five TDs vs. six INTs during his team’s three-game slump. And while I learned the hard way last week that bye-week stats don’t mean everything, it’s worth noting that Cincinnati is 4-9 against the spread in its last 13 games following a week off. $110 on Kansas State -9½ vs. Oklahoma State: Yes, I’m concerned about showing up late to the Kansas State party. Yes, this line is inflated because the books are tired of getting buried by K-State (which is 6-1-1 ATS). And, yes, with the way I’m going right now, Wildcat fans dreaming of a national championship should be mortified that I’m squeezing onto the bandwagon. Sorry,

can’t help myself—not when the Wildcats have scored 55 points in back-to-back contests (they’ve topped 50 points five times in eight games). And not when Oklahoma State has played just two road games: a 59-38 loss at Arizona (as a 10-point favorite) and a shaky 20-14 win at pathetic Kansas (as a 26½-point favorite)— the same Kansas that K-State throttled 56-16 a month ago. $110 on San Jose State -19 at Idaho: San Jose State is 6-2 straight up and ATS (five wins by double digits), and the Spartans have cashed in seven of their last nine overall, and eight of their last nine on the road. Idaho has lost 21 of 26, going 1-7 SU and ATS this year, getting outscored by an average of 28 points per game. The Vandals have scored 128 points all season—only 18 more than San Jose State has put up in the last three weeks. $88 on Seahawks -5 vs. Vikings: Minnesota has dropped two of three, and QB Christian Ponder is starting to play like, well, Christian Ponder. Now Ponder & Co. visit Seattle, where the Seahawks have already beaten the Cowboys, Packers and Patriots (whose quarterbacks are named Romo, Rodgers and Brady). Including the preseason, the Seahawks are 5-0 SU and ATS at home this year, and since late 2010 they’re 10-3 ATS in regular-season home games.

For the rest of this week’s college and NFL picks—plus Matt’s daily “Best Bet” Monday-Friday—visit VegasSeven.com/goingforbroke.

7 questions

people. But I can. And that’s the beauty of food, the notion of food tradition, that there really is this passing of the torch. On my own, I love making sushi. It’s relaxing, it’s aesthetically pleasing, the textures. Also, stews, soups—very much in my wheelhouse, because it’s all the layering, flavor, texture and essences.

The TV personality on hosting the World Food Championships, the 12-egg omelet that got away and what he’d order for his last meal By Matt Jacob

➧ To say Adam Richman has the best job in America might be a bit of

November 1-7, 2012

a stretch—after all, last we checked, Hugh Hefner’s still alive. But if it’s not the best, it certainly has to rank in the top 20 (at least in the eyes of carnivores). The man gets paid to eat iconic dishes served at hidden dining gems across this great land, from a lobster shack in Portland, Maine, to a hole-in-the-wall burger joint in Carmel, Ind., to an alehouse in Anchorage, Alaska. The Brooklyn-born, Yale-educated Richman—who first hit it big on Man v. Food and now hosts Adam Richman’s Best Sandwich in America, both on the Travel Channel—isn’t just a glutton, though. Working in the food industry “since I was 13,” Richman, 38, has evolved into a culinary expert who has judged and presided over multiple food competitions. The latest (and most prestigious)—the World Food Championships—brings Richman to Las Vegas for a four-day food fest/cooking throw-down Nov. 1-4 at Bally’s, Caesars Palace and Paris Las Vegas. The event will see culinary champions vying for a share of $300,000 in prize money in the all-American cuisine categories of barbecue, chili, burgers, sandwiches and side dishes.

VEGAS SEVEN

What’s the most appealing element to the World Food Championships? The thing I think will [excite] fledgling foodies is every person in this competition has either won or earned their way into the competition. This isn’t a vanity thing; this isn’t on popularity. This is a complete meritocracy. So for someone to get a chance to sample barbecue from Tennessee, from Georgia, Arkansas, Memphis, St. Louis, North Carolina, from

the masters—it’s not like a celebrity chef opened a barbecue place at the Wynn or something—that’s unique. I had this moment when I was a judge on Iron Chef, and I was watching my little monitor up on the judging station, and I was like, “Oh my God! I get to be one of those people who tastes the food! I don’t have to guess what it tastes like; I’m the dude!” That’s what this will be like. You get to taste the best of the best.

Where does your interest in food come from? Part of it was my great aunt, who, when I was 5 or 6 years old, taught me how to make a cheese omelet—it was the first time I watched something I recognized become something else. And part of it, without question, was growing up in Brooklyn, which [consisted of] undiluted, first-generation immigrant communities. So I had Syrian neighbors on one side of me, Turkish on the other, and then I had first-generation Italian immigrants across the street. And all the mothers would do

the wash together, walk their kids in the carriages together, we’d all go to the park together, and they’d exchange recipes. So my mother would say, “This is a shawarma recipe I got from Mrs. Sobett. Oh, Mrs. Agostino gave me her caponata recipe.” In that respect, isn’t New York the perfect place for someone to gain an appreciation for food? Yes, because you can see the language that food speaks. You know, my best friend in high school, his name was Benny Ng—Mandarin Chinese through and through—and I mentioned something about having [eaten] dim sum or shrimp har gow. And he’s like, “Excuse me, Jew boy? What do you know about har gow?” And suddenly you have this commonality. But if I said, “Oh, I’ve been to China, I walked on the Great Wall,” it would make me sound whiter than I did to begin with. Are you just a food connoisseur, or do you cook, too? I love to cook. My schedule doesn’t always allow it, unfortunately, simply because I’m home only three or four days a month. But one of my great joys is doing Thanksgiving for my extended family. My mom used to host it, and after my father passed she moved into a place that’s not really conducive to hosting

What’s on the menu for your last supper? Oooh. I’d probably do small plates of all the different dishes that I’ve come to love around the country. So some of the whole-hog barbecue from the Skylight Inn in Ayden, N.C.; a little foie-gras sushi from Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas from Hawaii; some kal bi from Side Street [Inn] in Hawaii; some brisket from the Salt Lick [in Austin, Texas]; some butterscotch pie from Yoder’s in Sarasota [Fla.]; actually, from right here in Vegas, some shrimp from Hot N Juicy Crawfish with some extra sauce; green curry from Song Restaurant in Brooklyn; knish from Yonah Schimmel’s [in Manhattan]; pastrami from Katz’s Deli—I could do this all day! Oh, and mint chocolate-chip ice cream from the Chocolate Room in Brooklyn—that would have to be there, too. And that’s just the first course.

What was Adam Richman’s first dream job? Find out at VegasSeven.com/Richman. For more on the World Food Championships—including VIP tickets—visit WorldFoodChampionships.com.

Photo by Erik Kabik

Adam Richman

Is Vegas a natural fit for this? Absolutely—it’s a layup. It’s broad culturally, off the Strip and on. You have Asian cuisine, you have Latin, you have American, you have steak houses, you’ve got pizzerias, taco shops, tapas—the beat goes on. So there’s the notion that this is already a very global community and a place where the attention of the world is directed. And it’s a place synonymous with competition. … Events like this are reasons to come to Las Vegas, because you still get the great nightlife, you still get the pretty people, you still get the gaming, still get the desert, still get all the opulence and the coolness and the ability to take your drink out of the restaurant with you.

You got famous for tackling food challenges on Man v. Food. What’s the one you conquered that you’re most proud of, and is there one that got away that still haunts you? Most proud of, I would say, the Four Horsemen burger [at Chunky’s] in San Antonio; it had cayenne, jalapeño, habanero and three whole ghost chili peppers. It was one of the most painful challenges, an extremely painful hamburger, so the fact that I won on any level was tremendous. The one I wish I had won was either the [12-egg] omelet at Beth’s Café in Seattle, because it came down to the final three bites, or the carnivore challenge in Atlanta—it was a two-man pizza challenge, and my partner had a bit of reversal of fortune.