January 10-16, 2013
• Eating WEll,
looking BEttEr • grEat hair for thE nEW yEar • thE fun & frolic of social fitnEss • Winning thE oBEsity War
PLUS
las Vegas plots a real estate recovery David g. schwartz takes the strip’s pulse sancho Van ryan spins the new year
Taylor Makakoa strikes a pose ... and answers 7 Questions, Page 94.
H I P
A S I A N
D I N I N G
Chef Joseph Elevado | Musical Chef Steve Angello
Now accepting reservations at 702.770.3463 wynnlasvegas.com |
@andreasencore |
/andreasencore |
/andreasencore
Smith Plastic Surgery Institute of Las Vegas 8871 West Sahara Ave Las Vegas, NV 89117 P: 702.838.2455 F: 702.838.7055
The Smith Plastic Surgery Institute is one of the most complete cosmetic surgery centers in the United States. Dr. Lane Smith had the vision to combine all aspects of cosmetic skin care, health, beauty and cosmetic surgery into one integrated center. The luxurious Smith Plastic Surgery Institute is located at 8871 West Sahara Ave, just above Durango and across from the Canyon Gate Country Club. It can be found on the web at Smithsurgery.com, or reached by phone at 702-838-2455. In one building, there is a complete medi-spa and skin clinic, plastic surgery clinic, and an accredited surgery center. The entire Institute is under the careful direction of well known and respected board-certiĂ…ed plastic surgeon Dr. Lane F. Smith. Dr. Smith is one of the busiest and Ă…nest plastic surgeons in the western United States. The integrated approach at the Smith Plastic Surgery Institute allows the surgeon, medical staff, skin care team and surgery team to work to seamlessly together to provide total care of the of cosmetic patient. Patients can come to the Smith Plastic Surgery Institute for a cosmetic surgery consultation, get laser hair removal in the medispa, skin care products and advice from Dr. Smith and the Aestheticians working together. If the patient wants cosmetic surgery, he or she can be seen in the modern hi-tech exam rooms have their surgery in same the building. Patients even check in at the same front desk and are assisted by the same staff working in combination with the surgical team. The surgery center is fully AAAASF accredited by the American Association for Accreditation for Ambulatory Surgery Facilities. The Smith Plastic Surgery Institute has had the privilege of serving thousands of happy patients from all over the world. Appointments can be made by calling 702-838-2455, or online at smithsurgery.com.
Taylor Makakoa answers our Seven Questions.
94
16 | The LaTesT
Real estate trends for 2013; the sometimes-wholesome fun of fitness mobs; and Comrade Grumpy on ESPN’s skewed sense of geography. Plus, Green Felt Journal by David G. Schwartz, and Anthony Curtis’ The Deal.
18 | About Town
Heidi Kyser on the appeal of ice skating in the desert, and Ask a Native on tennis tournaments gone by.
20 | Going for Broke
Matt Jacob’s hard-hitting, fun-loving betting column moves to the Latest. And this week, he promises he’s got the NFL playoffs wired. Plus, Tweets of the Week.
22 | Green Felt Journal
David G. Schwartz on what to expect in the casino biz in 2013.
26 | heaLTh & beauTy 2013 “True Beauty,” by Heidi Kyser. What to eat, drink and do for an inside-out glow.
32 | sTyLe
“Prime Locks.” When it comes to beauty, the truth is overrated. A hair-extension expert shares tips on how to keep faux follicles looking great.
37 | NIGhTLIFe
Seven Nights, Gossip, a profile of Sancho Van Ryan, and photos from the week’s hottest parties.
61 | DINING
Max Jacobson on Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill. Plus, Dishing and Cocktail Culture.
69 | a&e
“O Jazz Fans, Where Art Thou?” by Steve Bornfeld. Trying to attract younger listeners, jazz is its own worst enemy. The Smith Center’s “Jazz Roots” program provokes questions on the future of the form.
72 | Music
“The (Luke) Duke of Swing,” by Steve Bornfeld. One of TV’s good ol’ Duke boys, Tom Wopat, is a standards-singin’, Broadway-lovin’ dude at heart. Plus, Jarret Keene’s Soundscraper, CD reviews and our concert pages.
79 | Movies
Una LaMarche on early Oscars buzz. Plus, Zero Dark Thirty and our weekly movie capsules.
Departments 11 | Dialogue 12 | Vegas Moment 14 | Event
94 | Seven Questions on the cover Photo by Eric Ita
Taylor Makakoa, photographed by Eric Ita
9 VEGAS SEVEN
24 | National
January 10-16, 2013
17 | Seven Days
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
VegasseVen.Com
DireCtor
Danny DeFreitas
DePuty DireCtor Felicia Mello DeVeloPer Billy Steffens eDitor Jason Scavone staFF writer, runrebs.Com Mike Grimala ProDuCer Hayley Sparre
ProduCtion/distribution
DireCtor oF ProDuCtion/Distribution Marc Barrington aDVertising CoorDinator Jimmy Bearse Distribution CoorDinator Jasen Ono
sales
business DeVeloPment DireCtor Christy Corda senior aCCount manager Nicole Feely aCCount serViCe manager Nicole Bullis aCCount exeCutiVe Robyn Weiss
interns
Jessica Albano, Camille Cannon, Ashley Gates, Courtney Marquez, Kaleigh McIlveen, Amanda Pamblanco, Trey Tagliaferri
Wendoh media ComPanies
Ryan T. Doherty | Justin Weniger ViCe PresiDent, Publishing Michael Skenandore ViCe PresiDent, marketing anD eVents Kyle Markman CreatiVe DireCtor Sherwin Yumul
FinanCe
ChieF FinanCial oFFiCer Kevin J. Woodward assistant Controller Donna Nolls general aCCounting manager Erica Carpino
letters and story ideas
January 10-16, 2013
Comments@VegasseVen.Com
VEGAS SEVEN
10
advertising
sales@VegasseVen.Com distribution
Distribution@VegasseVen.Com Vegas Seven is distributed each Thursday throughout Southern Nevada.
PublisHed in assoCiation WitH tHe observer Media grouP
Copyright 2013 Vegas Seven, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Vegas Seven, LLC is prohibited. Vegas Seven, 888-792-5877, 3070 West Post Road, Las Vegas, NV 89118
Deputy online director Mello comes to Vegas Seven from Sacramento, where she oversaw a network of community news websites for Patch.com. She will be working with the Vegas Seven team to make VegasSeven.com, RunRebs. com and DTLV.com even juicier, more informative and more engaging. Mello brings both online expertise and first-rate journalistic chops. Her work has appeared in The Boston Globe, The Nation and Los Angeles Times Magazine, among other publications, and has won several awards including the George Polk Award for Radio Reporting and
a Project Censored award. She holds a master’s degree in Journalism from the University of California, Berkeley; lives downtown; and loves people, dancing and figuring things out. Drop her a line at Felicia.Mello@ VegasSeven.com.
This week @ VegasseVen.com Heroic Fitness
Your plans for getting fit might include a few crunches to shore things up for bikini season. Danny Shepherd uses an intense workout regimen to get in superhero shape as he embarks on a quest to launch an online series centered around the Batman-adjacent character Nightwing. Check it out at VegasSeven. com/Superhero, and watch DJ Sancho Van Ryan show off his vinyl collection at VegasSeven.com/Sancho.
Rebel Celebrations
RunRebs.com hosts a viewing party at the Cosmopolitan’s Boulevard Pool on January 19 when UNLV plays at archrival San Diego State. Plus, as the Runnin’ Rebels transition into conference play, Mike Grimala passes out his midseason awards. And don’t miss Sean DeFrank’s latest Rebelist, recounting the program’s most beloved benchwarmers, from Mike Milke of the legendary 1976-77 team to a kid named Dave Rice.
Peep of Ages
Steve Bornfeld says Rock of Ages is a “self-mockin’ good time” (Page 77), but find out what he had to say about the reinvented Peepshow, Soul2Soul or any of myriad local entertainment options before you plunk down your dollar at VegasSeven.com/ Showstopper.
Photo by Geoff Carter
Downtown Shopping Dreams
We all know downtowners’ most fervent wish is for a grocery store, but we lay out our comprehensive wish list for retail additions to the Downtown scene at DTLV.com.
Follow Us!
Facebook.com/VegasSeven Twitter.com/7Vegas
Join our club. VegasSeven.com/Lucky7.
QUALITY INSURANCE from dedicated neighborhood agents available when you need them. • Affordable Coverage • Flexible Payment Options • Low Down Payment • 24/7 Claims Service
CALL TOLL FREE (888) 541-2113 1745 N. Nellis Blvd.
(888) 541-2116
1800 E. Sahara Ave., Suite 103
(888) 541-2125
5000 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite B
(888) 541-4129
888 S. Boulder Hwy., Bldg 1
January 10-16, 2013
Felicia Mello
11 ®
Titanup.com
VEGAS SEVEN
conTribUTors
Titan Insurance, superhero bobblehead and design are service marks of THI Holdings (Delaware), Inc. Nationwide Insurance is a service mark of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Price based on March 2010 analysis of available national data for liability-only policies. Subject to underwriting guidelines, review and approval.
dialogUe
VEGAS SEVEN
12
December 6-12, 2012
vegas moment
This year’s goTTa geT beTTer
3:15 a.m. January 1. The Arco station on Koval and Flamingo. Unless you are this guy, just stop complaining.
ď‚ľ Elizabeth Wolynski
Have you taken a photo that captures the spirit of Las Vegas this week? Share it with us at VegasSeven.com/Moment.
EvEnt
World SerieS of Beer Pong
VEGAS SEVEN
14
[ upcoming ]
Jan. 26-27 Mesquite Hot-Air Balloon Festival at the Casablanca Resort (CasaBlancaResort.com) Feb. 3 Jewish National Fund’s Smokin’ Lox & Bagels at Battlefield Vegas (JNF.org/LVSmokin)
Photos by Bobby Jameidar
January 10-16, 2013
Who would have thought a frat-house drinking game could attract thousands of partiers to Vegas … all vying for a chunk of a six-figure prize? That was the scene at the eighth annual World Series of Beer Pong on Jan. 1-5, when about 400 teams representing 48 states and 14 countries flocked to the Flamingo. Timothy Findley and Mike Seivert of Sacramento took home the $50,000 prize, finishing on top after 22 rounds. In addition to the main event, side competitions included East vs. West, and Men’s and Women’s Singles, as well as a costume contest. And in true Vegas fashion, if there’s an event that involves booze, you can be certain former Mayor Oscar Goodman will be in attendance—sure enough, hizzoner was on hand to offer the welcoming speech and throw out the ceremonial first pingpong ball.
THE JOFFREY BALLET TUESDAY, 1/22 & WEDNESDAY, 1/23 AT 7:30PM Tickets starting at $22
A TRIBUTE TO ELLA, JOE & BASIE
Featuring Janis Siegel, Kevin Mahogany and The Count Basie Orchestra with Special Guests Nikki Yanofsky and Nicole Henry
SUNDAY, 2/3 AT 7:30PM Tickets starting at $26
NATALIE MERCHANT in Concert with Orchestra TUESDAY, 1/29 AT 7:30PM Tickets starting at $29
THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER, NEW YORK VOICES and Special Guest Jon Hendricks in VOCALESE
THURSDAY, 1/17 AT 7:30PM
PADDY MOLONEY AND THE CHIEFTAINS
Ireland’s official music ambassadors perform century-old Irish tunes along with reimagined modern hits to celebrate their 50th anniversary.
MONDAY, 2/18 AT 7:30PM
Tickets starting at $26
MICHAEL CAVANAUGH: THE BILLY JOEL SONGBOOK Friday, 1/25 – 7:00pm
|
Saturday, 1/26 - 3:00pm & 7:00pm
CLINT HOLMES
Friday, 2/1 & Saturday, 2/2 – 8:30pm
|
Sunday, 2/3 – 2:00pm
VISIT THESMITHCENTER.COM TO SEE THE FULL LINEUP TODAY. 702.749.2000 | TTY: 800.326.6868 or dial 711 | 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89106
Tickets starting at $29
“When the holiday rinks close this month, will people join the ranks of the figure skaters and hockey players who frequent the year-round rinks?”
about town {page 18}
In Real Estate, Old Truths for a New Year By Brian Sodoma
January 10-16, 2013
no one’s ready to say a real estate rebound is here to stay. But at least we now have a hint of positive uncertainty. Here are a few things we’ve learned about real estate, Vegas-style, as we lurch into 2013. Legislators hate Realtors. Just when we thought passing laws to help people in a tough spot was a good thing, the real estate industry tells us no. AB 284, a.k.a. “the robo-signing law,” took effect in October 2011.
VEGAS SEVEN
16
Throughout 2012, it was blamed for declining inventory on the multiple listing service (MLS). For most of the year, fewer than 4,000 homes in any given month were available on the MLS, off from the 10,000 or so in 2010 and 2011. Other experts say the Justice Department’s $25 billion master settlement also affected the market because it helped underwater homeowners stay in their homes. Either way, agents still long for listings.
Homeowners have reason to be grateful. Thanks to the tight supply, those who decided to keep rowing in their underwater homes were rewarded with 15 percent appreciation. Homes are still selling for less than half of boom-year levels, but it’s better than a fork in the eye. New homes cost more than they should. Home buyers tired of bidding wars on resales have a nice inventory of new homes to choose from. But they’ll pay for
the privilege of pristine: Resale homes are selling at about 62 percent of new-home prices; in a normal market, they should sell for between 80 and 90 percent of new pricing, says Applied Analysis’ Brian Gordon. Nonetheless, new-home sales are up more than 50 percent from 2011 lows. Oh, and a few construction jobs have been saved. Commercial real estate is still in a holding pattern. It’s more than 80 percent off its peak values, and there’s no shortage of investors kicking tires on land deals and empty buildings. But they still battle an office-vacancy rate of about 25 percent and retail vacancy in the double digits. Landlords will be giving away rent for a while, local experts say. SLS is still an intriguing question mark. In May, we
The ESPiNation of Geography On March 29, 1976, the great illustrator Saul Steinberg secured his place in sports history with a New Yorker cover called “View of the World from 9th Avenue.” In the drawing, 50 percent of the United States consists of the blocks between Ninth and the Hudson River, and the other 50 percent is almost completely barren, save for a few lumps of stone somewhere near Denver and a grove of trees in Las Vegas. For years, art historians, sports broadcasters, and fans of Big East basketball have discussed with a mix of awe and delight how Steinberg managed to encapsulate the worldview of ESPN three years before the network was founded. In ESPN-world, the dysfunctional Mets and Jets are more important than San Francisco’s high-achieving Giants and 49ers, St. John’s University is better at basketball than San Diego State,
cheered Sam Nazarian of SBE for announcing $300 million in financing from JP Morgan for a $629 million overhaul of the Sahara, soon-to-be SLS. But Standard & Poor’s has highlighted some fine print in the deal. It’s contingent on another $115 million in junior financing, and escrow on the original $300 million has been extended because of a lack of takers on the smaller financing portion. SLS likely will still happen, but Wall Street will need to believe in it first. Stalled projects are coming back with new names. On the condo front, Luxe Lofts is now The Modern. Panorama Towers’ third building is The Martin, and Vantage Lofts will be resuscitated and renamed in 2013. Alas, the Fontainebleau remains the Fontainebleau.
and Nevada is pronounced with the word “awwww” in the middle. Statistically, the Mountain West Conference ranks third in basketball, but as the new year began, only two of its teams were in The Associated Press Top 25. ESPN doesn’t make the rankings, but the sportswriters who do live on a diet provided by the ESPN cafeteria. The ESPiNation of geography has caused entire institutions of higher learning to adopt Steinberg’s map. Thus Boise State spent the past year convincing itself that it occupied a penthouse flat on Ninth and Broadway and was natural football rivals with Syracuse. That sort of thing costs money: Have you ever tried to sneak an extra offensive lineman into the overhead compartment on Allegiant? The good news is that Boise State is tearing up its Steinberg map and staying in the Mountain West. The other good news is that apparently there’s some nice trees in Vegas. May they bear fruit in March.
Photo Illustration by Thomas Speak; Skates photo by Josh Metz
News, essays, gaming and burnt calories
By Bob Whitby
Thursday, Jan. 10: Maybe you’re not ready
to run off and join the circus, but you can run off and watch it: The Zelzah Shrine Circus takes up residence at the Orleans Arena today through Sunday, featuring elephants, tigers, crazy guys on motorcycles, acrobats and, of course, clowns. OrleansArena.com.
Friday, Jan. 11: If you know who
Chael Sonnen is, then you probably also know that the fifth annual Fighters Only MMA Awards are at 7 p.m. at the Hard Rock. The ceremony celebrates MMA highlights from 2012 with awards for Fight of the Year, Knockout of the Year, and so on. Sonnen, perhaps MMA’s most outspoken fighter, is the host. WorldMMAAwards.com.
[ FiTNess ]
THe Mob RUles
[ social vegas ]
HasHiNg UP secReTs Here, now, is everything I know about Hashing and the clubs that do it, known as Hash House Harriers. I know that Hashing is a combination of trail running, pathfinding, beer drinking and blue language. I know that it dates back to 1938, when a group of British colonials stationed in Kuala Lumpur began running on Monday mornings to stay fit, to mitigate the effects of weekend hangovers by running (and by drinking even more beer), and “to persuade the older members that they are not as old as they feel.” I know it’s becoming insanely popular; according to Hash site Half-Mind.com, there are more than 1,200 active Hash groups worldwide. And I
mantra, “You cannot complete a Tough Mudder course alone.” For now, at least, it’s a successful strategy. Active Network reports that it saw a 92 percent increase in mob event listings from the first five months of 2011 to the same period in 2012. Las Vegas has its share of these: Before spring officially arrives, locals can tackle Calico Racing’s Mardi Gras Masquerade 10k and 5k (a “party on foot”); February 9 in Henderson, the Las Vegas Urban 5k St. Patrick’s Day Run and Festival, March 16 Downtown; or the Devil Dash obstacle course March 22-23 at Bootleg Canyon. And for those who want to really earn that beer on the other side of the finish line, Tough Mudder’s coming up again April 13-14. Cheers! – Heidi Kyser
know, by doing a Google search for “Vegas Hash,” that there’s a local chapter—a tremendous sign that our scrubby little desert town is growing more worldly. But that’s all I know, because when I emailed the Vegas Hashers looking for quotes and information, I was told that they preferred to remain “underground and mostly anonymous” and that I did not have their consent to publish information about a group that any interested party is invited to join. So, y’know, forget I said anything. And whatever you do, don’t visit their public website at LasVegasHHH.com, or call the hotline number provided there, or seek out their 590-member Facebook group at Facebook.com/LasVegasHHH. If you do, though, give it a try and let me know how it turns out. But keep my name out of it. – Geoff Carter
learning how to green up your corner of the desert. The Clark County Cooperative Extension’s Gardening in Small Places workshop is a good place to start. This week’s topic: pruning fruit trees, ornamentals and desert plants. 9 a.m. to noon, Lifelong Learning Center, 8050 Paradise Rd. Call 257-5573 to register.
sunday, Jan. 13: More proof that we are the film festival capital of the world: the 12th annual Jewish Film Festival, which begins today and runs through Jan. 27. The festival features comedies, dramas and documentaries, most of which will be shown at the Adelson Educational Campus in Summerlin. Check LVJFF.org for show times, tickets and information. Monday, Jan. 14: What do you know about hip-hop? Challenge yourself to learn a little more about this genre/lifestyle/cultural statement at 5 p.m. at the Arts Factory, when rapper KRS ONE presents Hip-Hop: Its Meaning and Purpose. You don’t need to rap to show up, you just need to open your mind. KRS-ONE.com.
Tuesday, Jan. 15: You’ve resolved to save a little money this year. But are you ready to become an extreme couponer? Find out by attending a workshop with skinflint … err, couponer … Jen Freeman, who clipped her way to TLC’s Extreme Couponing, a claim to fame … of sorts. 11 a.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Oquendo Center, 2425 E. Oquendo Rd. Free, but tickets required from EventBrite.com. Wednesday, Jan. 16: New year, new Disney princesses … on
ice. Dare to Dream, a skating showcase of Disney princesses the younger set will recognize, makes a stop at the Thomas & Mack Center for eight shows, today through Sunday. DisneyOnIce.com for info; UNLVTickets.com for tickets.
For our complete calendar, see Seven Days & Nights at VegasSeven.com.
January 10-16, 2013
Southern Nevada last year with the arrival of the Color Run, the Glow Run and the Zombie Run, among others. But it got (ass-) kicked into high gear with the arrival of Tough Mudder, the mother of all mobs, in October. The 10- to 12-mile obstacle course inspired by British Special Forces training includes such challenges as crawling under barbed wire, running while holding a log, wading through ice and, of course, slithering through mud. But grueling physical feats are only part of the picture. Mob events incorporate the social media-inspired practice of tackling challenges with support (or, for the more narcissistic, an audience), as Tough Mudder demonstrates—with its Mudder Nation community site and
17 VEGAS SEVEN
Glow Run photo by Hew Burney; Elephant photo courtesy of Zelzah Shrine Circus
Triathlons are so 2010. If you’re not wearing a Pippi Longstocking costume caked in mud and hoisting a pint of beer as you pose for a group photo at the end of your race, you’re doing it all wrong. The name of the fitness game today is “mob.” That’s the term Active Network uses to describe the recent wave of group races that stress fun and friendship as much as fitness. On Active.com’s mob portal, events are classified as “adventure races,” “costume/ theme,” “mud runs,” “obstacle courses” and “partiers.” (The icon for that last one depicts two beer mugs clinking together in a toast.) These events drew more than one million participants in 2012, Active reported. The trend became evident in
saTurday, Jan. 12: Perhaps you should spend a little bit of 2013
The LaTesT
about town
What happened to the ATP tennis tourney that Las Vegas hosted a few years ago?
January 10-16, 2013
By Heidi Kyser
VEGAS SEVEN
18
My earliest MeMory of ice skating is fragmented: pulling cold, hard leather over warm toes; discovering new muscles to stand up, then move; my parents shouting advice as I stumbled by. There was no ice skating in the small desert town where I grew up. I was 15 the first time I took the ice, on a family vacation to the Midwest. Circling the ice in the center of an indoor mall felt both exotic and classical, and I loved every minute of it. I wanted my 15-year-old stepdaughter to know this feeling too, so I took her to the Las Vegas Ice Center on Flamingo and Durango during a Friday-night open skate. Teenagers packed the darker of two large rinks, flirting and falling down to loud house music. In the second, brighter rink, a hockey game unfolded to occasional cheers. The game was ultimately more interesting to my stepdaughter than going around in a circle holding the rail—maybe because none of her friends had been up for the date. She agreed to give it a second try, though, this time recruiting a friend to go along. We headed to the SoBe Ice Arena at Fiesta Rancho on a Thursday afternoon just before Christmas. Its walls hung with tinsel and neat aluminum bleachers were a contrast to
Las Vegas Ice Center Figure skating, hockey and public skating year-round; 9295 W. Flamingo Rd., Suite 130; 320-7777 SoBe Ice Arena Figure skating, hockey and public skating year-round; Fiesta Rancho; 638-3785 Montelago Village Resort Seasonal skating through January, Lake Las Vegas, 286-8509 Winter in Venice Italian “ice” through January, at the Venetian, Venetian.com The Ice Rink at BLVD Social Club Skate above the Strip through Jan. 20; at the Cosmopolitan, CosmopolitanLasVegas.com
the boyish messiness and lockerroom smell of the Las Vegas Ice Center. Girls in sequined tights twirled to old-fashioned Christmas carols, some apparently rehearsing for the holiday show taking place later that evening. My stepdaughter asked to go back the following week and added skates to her gift wish list. Success! This has been a good winter for
skating in the desert. In addition to the two year-round rinks we visited, three high-profile seasonal rinks have expanded the Valley’s ice awareness. The floating rink at Lake Las Vegas’ Montelago Village returned for its fourth year, the Venetian’s artificial ice returned for a second season, and the Cosmopolitan debuted its rink at the rooftop Boulevard Pool. The two Strip locations have done significant local advertising, and the Lake Las Vegas rink has become a popular winter escape for eastside families. The question is whether these seasonal spots can help push ice skating into the mainstream. When the holiday rinks close later this month, will people who discovered the ice be tempted, like my stepdaughter, to join the ranks of figure skaters and hockey players who frequent the year-round rinks? They should be. You don’t have to be a skilled skater to enjoy a cool open-skate session in June, when it’s 110 degrees outside. For kids in particular, summer vacation brings limited options for putting down the electronics, getting out of the house and moving around. Ice skating could help fight both boredom and obesity— but only if it becomes more than a once-in-a-childhood memory.
What is with the Las Vegas love affair with chain restaurants?
That’s easy: comfort. Whether the patrons just moved here or are just visiting, the easy familiarity of national chains provides emotional respite—via predictable decor, pricing and menu offerings—during otherwise stressful moments. Don’t hate; we’ve all pulled into a Starbucks on a road trip just to use the toilet.
Questions? AskaNative@VegasSeven.com.
Photo by Denise Truscello
The Lure of the Ice
Held at the superb Darling Tennis Center in Summerlin for three years (2006-08), the ATP World Tour Tennis Channel Open arrived in Las Vegas from Palm Springs, where it was held from 1986-2005. The tournament had a Vegas connection even before it came to town: Andre Agassi holds the record with four singles titles: 1993, 1994, 1998 and 2002. In some ways, the Tennis Channel Open recalled the glory days of the Alan King Caesars Palace Tennis Classic. From 1972-85, the Alan King tourney brought such stars as Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe to the then-sprawling Caesars outdoor tennis complex for an important stop in the Grand Prix Championship Series. The end of King left a void in the Vegas tennis menu, and many local fans hoped the Tennis Channel Open would fill it. In its first year at the Darling Center, the Open enjoyed good attendance, and some fans even came dressed to evoke images of tennis stars of the past. I spotted at least one “Agassi” and a young raqueteur sporting rant-era McEnroe short-shorts, sweatbands and a voluminous curly wig. There was even one old dude who dusted off his vintage Sergio Tacchini warm-ups and Ray Ban Aviators for the occasion. (OK, that was me.) Unfortunately, the Tennis Channel Open was sold to the ATP and moved to South Africa for 2009. The tournament never achieved stellar attendance figures here, particularly during weeknight sessions, when our notorious spring winds combined with the dry desert chill to chase away fans. Also to blame? A declining American love affair with tennis that can be traced, at least in part, to the nearly 10-year gap since an American man won a Grand Slam tournament. But while the Tennis Channel Open is gone, the impressive 110-acre facility—the largest public outdoor tennis center in the state—remains. Lucky us.
VEGAS SEVEN
20
Rescaling the Fiscal Cliff AnyBody cAtch the license-plate number of the semi-truck that ran me off the road and over the fiscal cliff during college football’s bowl season? Holy hell, you know it’s bad when both Bob Stoops and Notre Dame fans are sending emails mocking your pathetic bowl performance. OK, neither of those things happened, but this did: Minutes after Notre Dame finally scored to trim its BCS title-game deficit to 35-7 and push the contest “over” the total—and thus kill my big play on the “under”—my next-door neighbor called to offer his condolences on the death of this column, presuming I’d gone bankrupt. Close, but not quite. I’ve still got a couple of bucks stashed in between the mattress and box spring, and Plan A is to invest it wisely in the NFL playoffs over the next two weeks and be sitting on a nice nest egg come Super Bowl Sunday. Plan B? Figure out a way to become the agent for AJ McCarron’s girlfriend. On to this week’s playoff picks (Note: All point spreads are as of Jan. 7) … $200 on 49ers -3 (Even) vs. Packers: Probably not much of a surprise that I’d be laying some chalk with my best bet—favorites only went 4-0 straight-up and against the spread in the wild-card round. But going against Aaron Rodgers? As an underdog? When San Francisco is countering with a second-year QB who has all of eight NFL starts on his résumé, including zero in the postseason? Sure, on the surface, betting against the Packers looks riskier than betting against Harry Reid inserting his foot in his mouth in the next 72 hours … until you realize that Rodgers has been sacked an NFL-high 54 times this season. And that the 49ers’ pass rush (38 sacks) is one of the fiercest in the league—one that planted Rodgers in the turf three times in San Francisco’s season-opening 30-22 victory in Green Bay (a very misleading final, by the way, as the Niners never trailed). What about that second-year San Francisco QB, you ask? Well, all Colin Kaepernick did was put up a 98.3 passer rating while leading his team to a 5-2-1 record down the stretch, outplaying the Bears’ Jay Cutler (32-7 home win), the Saints’ Drew Brees (31-21 road win) and the Patriots’ Tom Brady (41-34 road win). In two seasons under coach Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers are 25-8-1 SU and 23-11 ATS, including 14-3-1 SU at home (12-5-1 ATS). On the flip side, the Packers are 4-4 away from Lambeau Field, including
@HAL9000_
I am disappointed another year has gone by and I still haven’t been unveiled at CES.
@levie
CES: people travel from all over to play with gadgets and not buy anything. Not to be confused with Best Buy.
@Mobute
Ray Lewis was involved in a double murder and is beloved by writers. Barry Bonds took dinger medicine and is considered worse than Hitler.
@fivehundy
If you took the over on Sin City Rules when the line was set at one season, you lose. Also, you have a gambling problem. Seek help.
Despite an earlier drubbing, expect the Ravens to cover the spread in Denver.
bankroll: $957 Dec. 20 ReSuLtS: 9-8 (-$540) LASt weeK’S ReSuLtS: 3-6-1 (-$442) NFL SeASoN: 47-43-1 (-$2,926) coLLege FootbALL SeASoN: 58-47-1 (+$117) In February 2010, we gave Matt “$7,000” to wager. When he loses it all, we’re going to replace him with a monkey.
losses to Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson and Christian Ponder, three QBs with a combined four years of NFL experience. $110 on Texans +9½ at Patriots: My ophthalmologist recently informed me that my eyesight is perfect. I think it might time to find a new ophthalmologist. Because one eye tells me the Texans—after last week’s 19-13 win over Cincinnati—are now 13-4, while the other eye tells me Houston is a 9½-point un-
derdog versus the 12-4 Patriots. Say what? Oh, that’s right: A month ago, the Texans went to New England and got crushed 42-14 as a 5½-point underdog. So obviously Houston doesn’t stand a chance here. Just like the Jets didn’t stand a chance two years ago when they went to New England in early December and got boat-raced 45-3 … only to return to Foxborough five weeks later and win 28-21 as—yep!—a 9½-point underdog. Shit, Mark Sanchez had three TDs and no picks in that game! Now I get Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, Andre Johnson … and 9½ points? Sold! $110 on Ravens +9 at Broncos: Peyton Williams Manning has played in 19 playoff games. His record: 9 wins, 10 losses. Four of those wins came in the Colts’ run to the 2006 Super Bowl title. Since then, Mr. Manning is 2-4 in the postseason (all as a favorite), including two losses to the Norv Turner-led Chargers! So, no, I don’t care that Denver destroyed the Ravens in Baltimore 34-17 in mid-December (part of the Broncos’ unimpressive 2-3 record against playoff teams, by the way). I trust Lindsay Lohan to drive me home from the bar at 4 a.m. more than I trust Manning as a 9-point favorite (in what are certain to be frigid conditions).
For this weekend’s college basketball recommendations, visit VegasSeven.com/GoingForBroke.
@kevinseccia
Every time Guy Fieri forgets to call it “Hotlanta,” Chester Cheetah magically appears to remove one flame from his shirt.
@Ken2Smoove
It’s official: For the next 4 years I will be a part of the UNLV basketball program. I am a Runnin’ Rebel now! #LetsRun
@DJRotaryRachel
Most people don’t know that I invented dubstep in 1987 when I accidentally ran a vacuum over 3 pennies.
@Mitzula
Pauly D just signed a yearlong residency at Haze. Hmmm ... I need to practice pressing play on iTunes playlists in case they need an opener.
@sirpearce
I’m officially extending the first offer to host @RealHoneyBooBoo for her 21st birthday in Vegas.
@michcoll
There’s something about the Vegas water that makes my hair super shiny/the people act like animals.
Share your Tweet. Add #V7.
Photo by Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun
January 10-16, 2013
the latest
Betting
the latest January 10-16, 2013
The Strip in 2013: Recovery and Retrenchment
VEGAS SEVEN
22
the new year has its restorative elements—the celebrations, the resolutions, the fresh hopes. But, against the background of the Great Recession, it’s also another occasion to fret about what lies ahead for Las Vegas casinos. Last year began with indications of a full-fledged recovery, but that rebound lost steam in the summer. It was a paradoxical year, as more people than ever came to Las Vegas, but they didn’t spend money the way they once did. It doesn’t look like anyone’s betting on a rebound in 2013, either. Instead, most operators have positioned themselves to take advantage of 2014: • Caesars Entertainment will open the Nobu Tower at Caesars Palace this year as a “hotel within a hotel” (an increasingly popular concept on the Strip), but the company will mostly focus on developments across the street, as Linq gets close to opening toward the end of the year and the shuttered Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and Hotel is transformed into a boutique lifestyle concept hotel (which seems to be code for “high-priced rooms for people who go for bottle service”). • MGM Resorts International has less construction in the pipeline, but it won’t be idle, either. THEhotel at Mandalay Bay is being transformed into the Delano Las Vegas, which will be run by the Morgans Hotel Group. Morgans once owned the Hard Rock Hotel and was slated to bring two brands to Boyd Gaming’s Echelon development. Having sold the Hard Rock
and seen Echelon mothballed indefinitely, this is the best way for the company to get a foothold on the Strip. Work might be done by the end of the year. • The big question is whether either MGM or Caears will divest any properties. After the onset of the recession, deconsolidation on the Strip seemed like a given: Both companies appeared to be too debtheavy to stay without unpacking the portfolio a bit. But outside of MGM’s sale of Treasure Island to Phil Ruffin in 2009, deconsolidation has been illusory. With margins not improving much and debt expenses still looming (despite both company’s heroic efforts to restructure their liabilities), 2013 might be the year that we see some properties sold off. Certainly the end of 2012 saw rumors involving properties from Monte Carlo to the Rio to The Mirage. As always, if the price is right, just about everything is in play. • Both Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands will, for the most part, sit tight in Las Vegas. The majority of revenue for each company now comes from Asia, but both have domestic growth opportunities as well: Massachusetts for Wynn, and the potential of Florida for LVS. With no reason to add high-end
room or casino capacity in Las Vegas in the foreseeable future, neither company will make many moves on the Strip. • The Riviera will continue its rebranding effort, hoping that a focus on value resonates with visitors. It’s been dealt a good hand by Caesars, which in closing Bill’s and renaming Imperial Palace has removed two of the better-known value options from the mix. With Fontainebleau and Echelon years from opening (if they ever do), the only other potential lift on that end of the Strip comes from the possible addition of a water-parktype development at Circus Circus and the development of SLS Las Vegas—should SBE Entertainment get its financing in order, which is by no means a given. • LVH will, hopefully, acquire a proper name and a renewed reason for being, as the property has struggled since losing the Hilton badge. • The Tropicana will look to its affiliation with DoubleTree to boost occupancy and the next-door Bagatelle to bring some spark to the property, but it faces tough competition in the mid-tier market. In the boom years, adding capacity was a surefire way of making money. Now, it’s more about finding new ways to attract people who are already coming here. Margins may be tighter in traditional casinos, but nightclubs have demonstrated that, for the right customers, Las Vegas remains a growth market. David G. Schwartz is the director of UNLV’s Center for Gaming Research.
Another new year, another crop of only-inVegas deals . . . • N9NE at the Palms is one of the city’s great steakhouses, but it’s not known for bargain pricing. That’s what makes its current prix-fixe menu, served nightly from 5 to 7 p.m., such a great find. The meal includes a starter, followed by a small “teaser” entrée, a regular main-course accompanied by big portions of green beans and parmesan mashed potatoes and a dessert, plus the chef’s amuse-bouche (a small appetizer at the start of the meal) for just $65. Worried about deciding between French onion soup and the garbage salad for an appetizer? Don’t be—you get both. As if that weren’t enough, it also comes with unlimited wine pairings! Switch back and forth between chardonnay and cabernet and refill as often as you like throughout dinner (they’re supposed to cut it off when dessert is served). There’s a similar deal for $55 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Nove, the sister Italian restaurant upstairs. • It’s not often that you find something cool to do with your kids in a casino, but here’s a good one. For the duration of its run at the Venetian (through Jan. 27), children 12 and under are admitted free to Da Vinci—The Genius when accompanied by a paying adult. This is an amazing educational exhibit that your kids will honestly dig. The adult price for locals is $22. • Get a lunch or dinner buffet for just $5 by showing your acePLAY card on Wednesdays at Arizona Charlie’s Decatur. Or show your B Connected card and get $5 off the Friday seafood buffets at the Orleans, Gold Coast, Suncoast or Sam’s Town ($19.99). Both deals run through the end of January. • The Orleans is running good blackjack minitournaments every Saturday and Sunday this month. First rounds on Saturdays start at 9 a.m., with a $50 entry fee and a first-place prize of $2,000. Sunday’s tourneys begin at 2 p.m., with a $25 entry fee and a first prize of $1,000. Both tournaments pay through sixth place and 100 percent of the entry fees are returned (which is the real key to a tournament being “good”). • Several notable drinking plays also rang in with 2013. The new Firkin on Paradise English pub offers 2-for-1 pints on Tuesdays and $1 PBR and all-youcan-eat chicken wings for $12.95 on Wednesdays. Downtown’s Triple George and Mob Bar are running a “Two-Martini-Lunch” special with twofer martinis on weekdays. Head over to Shifty’s at 3805 W. Sahara Avenue to get draft Hamm’s (in a plastic cup) for a buck. Better yet, Ranch House Kitchen at Town Square has debuted “Dirtbag Tuesdays,” with 50-cent draft beer from 9 p.m. to midnight. There’s also a $5 appetizer menu daily from 3 to 6 p.m. and 9 to midnight. Parlay the two on Tuesdays. 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 by Elizabeth Wolynski
From Da Vinci to Dirtbag tuesDays
[ advertisement ]
Finding Cancer Early Helps Defeat It By Oscar B. Goodman Jr., MD, PhD Early detection is one of the best allies in the Åght against cancer. Newer tests and screenings show greater capabilities of Ånding the disease in early stages as well as at the pre-cancerous stage when they can be treated more effectively and cured. Prostate and breast are the two most common cancers in Nevada, and melanoma skin cancer is among the top ten types. During the last few years, guidelines for who should request the tests and screenings and at what ages have been modiÅed. The following information contains conclusions from speciÅc organizations and pertain to people who are considered having an average risk for cancer. Always speak with your primary care physician or health care provider about these tests and their frequency, as well as your risk factors for cancer. If possible learn your family’s history with cancer, speciÅcally among those in your immediate family (mother, father, siblings, grandparents).
Prostate Cancer: According to the American Cancer Society about screenings for prostate cancer, men should discuss prostate health and necessary screenings, such as a prostatespeciÅc antigen or PSA test and digital rectal exam, with their physicians at: • Age 40 if they have had more than one close relative (father, brother, son) who had prostate cancer at an early age or are at higher risk (i.e. African-American men). • Age 45 if they have one close relative who had prostate cancer. • At age 50 if they are at average risk for prostate cancer.
Breast Cancer:
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: • Women between the ages of 20 to 39 and have average risk for breast cancer should receive a clinical breast exam every one to three years. • Women ages 40 to 74 should be offered screening mammography annually (also recommends that women should consult their physicians to determine if a biennial screening is more appropriate). • The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also recommends that women develop better awareness about the normal appearance and feel of their breasts. The organization also recommends formal instruction for women who wish to conduct self -breast exams.
Skin Cancer: Medical Oncologist, Scientist and Researcher at Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada
Comprehensive CanCer Centers of nevada 702.952.3350 | www.cccnevada.com
According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: • Those who are at high risk for skin cancer should undergo a full body examination supported by total body photography every six months. • Those who are at very high risk should have a total body skin examination annually. Remember, these are guidelines and should be discussed with your primary care physician or health care provider to determine what may be more appropriate for you.
January 10-16, 2013
the latest
national
VEGAS SEVEN
24
Grave Danger
9/11 families ßght plan to put remains seven stories underground in àood zone By Emily Anne Epstein The New York Observer
During Hurricane SanDy, the site of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum complex was overcome by more than 16 million gallons of floodwater, which ruined wires and drywall and ravaged a handful of iconic artifacts. In an emotional essay on the museum’s website, director Alice Greenwald described seeing “seven feet of standing water throughout the museum.” “The humidity was thick, like a sauna,” she wrote. “This was a disaster.” The site’s extensive flooding is renewing protests over a plan to move the 8,584 stillunidentified remains from 9/11 victims into a repository adjacent to the base level of the museum, seven stories below ground. Family members of the dead fear that putting the remains so far under the earth leaves them unnecessarily vulnerable to the elements, particularly with researchers still actively conducting DNA tests on those body parts. “It’s going to happen again,” said Russell Mercer, the father of a firefighter who perished in the attack. “Those human remains should not be there.” Mercer’s son, Scott Kopytko, died climbing the stairs of the South Tower on 9/11. Although his corpse was never recovered, his parents still hold out hope that scientists will yet find some part of him that they can bury. “I can’t even go to a cemetery and visit his grave,” Mercer said. “I have an empty seat at my house on the holiday.” Prior to Hurricane Sandy, the remains were stored above ground in a parking lot adjacent to the medical examiner’s 30th Street office and were removed to a secure location during the storm. When construction is completed—in late 2013 or early 2014, according to officials—all of the remains will be moved over to the repository site, where they will rest until they’re sampled and transferred, one by one, to the city medical examiner’s office for testing. The agency has
committed to identifying every piece of bone, tissue and DNA found at ground zero, insofar as testing methods allow. Mercer is afraid that when the remains are transported to the bedrock of the memorial site and there’s another storm— and another flood—he’s going to lose his son another time. “Is Scott going to be washed away?” he asked. “Is he ever going to be identified?” Most of the museum’s artifacts were stowed before the storm in secure locations, but some of the larger pieces, including the Last Column, the World Trade Center cross, two fire trucks and a cab, remained in the structure, shrink-wrapped to protect them from the surge. While the Port Authority installed dozens of sandbags and concrete barriers and additional water pumps, those efforts were no match for the gushing water. Michael Frazier, the museum’s spokesman, said despite
the precautions, some artifacts were damaged. “We’re doing all the work we can with our conservators to make sure any damage is remediated,” he said, noting that the objects were pretty banged up to begin with, given their source. One construction worker faced with the task of emptying the waterlogged location was somewhat more candid. “Everything that’s in there is fucked— the fire truck, the taxicab—it was so sad to watch,” he said. It took more than a week to pump out all the water, and the museum is still assessing how much damage the flood caused. Steve Plate, the director of World Trade Center Construction, said the site was especially vulnerable because it was roofless at the time of the storm. Construction for the memorial and the museum—located below the footprint of the towers—began in 2006 following several years of back and forth
among families, architects, engineers, community members and other stakeholders. Everything from the admissions price to the construction start date to the organization of the victims’ names has been contested at pulpits and in courtrooms. The 110,000-square-foot site will have multimedia displays, archives and narratives commemorating the victims of the attacks. Portraits of the nearly 3,000 men, women and children who died also will be displayed. Visitors will walk down a sloped ramp until they reach the exhibition space at the base of the site, 70 feet below ground level. The museum area will share a wall with the repository, where a quote from Virgil will be displayed: “No day shall erase you from the memory of time.” Parts of the original foundation of the Twin Towers also will be incorporated into the museum complex. While the subterranean
design was intentionally gravelike, that concept has long been contested by family members who wanted the remains to be stored above ground and entirely separate from the museum’s exhibition space. Flooding was always a concern for these families, Sally Regenhard, one of the museum’s most vocal opponents, told The Observer. Those fears were heightened by the recent storm, said Regenhard, who lost her son Christian, a firefighter and former Marine. She and more than a dozen other family members are suing both the memorial and the City of New York for the right to obtain a comprehensive contact list of victims’ relatives. Regenhard hopes to use the list to mobilize an effort to store remains in something akin to the Tomb of the Unknowns, a monument dedicated to American service members who have died without identification. Amid flood fears, yet another concern is the safety of personal artifacts that are being donated to the exhibition, including bloodied watches, handwritten notes and wallets recovered from the site. Frazier said it was unlikely that the museum would relinquish any items, owing to “a thorough collection policy” that requires donors to give the museum legal ownership. Michael Burke donated his late brother’s FDNY badge to the museum, and is now having second thoughts about having signed it over. “When I heard about the flood and saw the photographs, I was shocked,” he said. “I want the story to be told ... and he would want the history to be told. It’s not fair.” Burke said the only silver lining in the years of construction delays and bitter debates surrounding the still-unfinished repository and museum is that their future contents were largely spared by the storm—at least this one. “If there is one place where we know we can’t predict the future,” Burke said, “it’s at ground zero.”
With additional reporting by Dayna Blackwell, Paulina Dimaguila, Shawna Matsunaga and Molly Trucano
At some point in their lives, children of caring parents are likely to hear, “True beauty is on the inside.” Then comes adolescence, and the mythology passed from older siblings and cousins: Eating carrots darkens your tan; Jell-O makes your fingernails grow. By adulthood, the corporate world of gyms, supplements and surgeries has got you. Your head is full of advice for making your hair shinier, skin tauter and teeth whiter. The simple truth of it all is that outer beauty does start on the inside— with your health. Intuitively, this makes sense: The better you feel, the better you look, right? Yes, experts in everything from hair-styling to medicine agree, but there’s a lot of marketing spin to untangle from the science of beauty.
VEGAS SEVEN
January 10-16, 2013
Photo by Hiroshi Watanabe
27
Start with your head You don’t want to hear this,
but the aspect of your inner health that most affects you on the outside is your mental health. Self-acceptance facilitates healthier and longer-term change more than any superficial measure does. For instance, learning to like yourself fat or thin can both provide the positivereinforcement cycle that is conducive to weight loss and help you avoid potentially harmful diets and drugs. “I can tell clients all day long that they look good and are getting stronger, but once they start to internalize it, you can instantly tell in their attitudes,” says Steffanie Canto, a personal trainer and aesthetician with Skin Tight Fitness and Aesthetics. “They’re happier, they sleep better and they don’t want to cheat on their diet.” Setting aside quiet time to introspect is to mental health what going to the gym is to physical fitness, says licensed
counselor and family therapist Amy Forton. “I use guided meditations that help shape clients’ thoughts,” she says. “This, in turn, helps change the way they think about themselves.” You don’t necessarily need a professional like Forton to try meditation. The Internet abounds with slideshows and videos that teach basic meditation. A well-tested, step-bystep method is available in the Himalayan Institute’s free online classes at HimalayanInstitute.org. If that’s still too much of a commitment, try simply closing your eyes and holding a positive thought in your mind for 15 to 20 seconds. “You can do this exercise almost anywhere,” Forton says. “Choose an experience that has filled you with joy, gratitude or a sense of accomplishment. Try to stay with the experience and the feelings associated with it. This is a simple but effective moodchanger.”
January 10-16, 2013
decompreSS
VEGAS SEVEN
28
EYEs twitching, jaw clenched, lips drawn in a tight frown … stress is not pretty. Besides having such temporary effects, it can exact a longerterm toll on your looks. “Stress affects your hair, skin, nails and other parts of your outward appearance,” family physician Lubna Khan says. Eczema, fever blisters, and loss of hair and lunula (the white crescent at the base of fingernails) are a few examples of the many physical conditions for which physicians blame stress. And the common wisdom about stress causing gray hair
and wrinkles? It’s affirmed by voluminous research. Although there are many factors—both environmental and genetic—at play, it seems oxidant production, glycation (glucose binding to other substances) and cell damage, all possible results of stress, are the most likely culprits. Dermatologist Victoria E. Guerra explains it to clients this way: The human body treats skin, hair and nails like accessories, reserving the bulk of energy for vital functions. “When we have major stresses, these accessories get put on the back burner,” she says.
Everyone’s going to encounter stress triggers, but making time for relaxing activities is a good way to keep stress hormones in check. Going for a walk, sitting in the sun reading, doing yoga—think of these as beauty treatments. Sleep is also critical to checking stress. “Lack of sleep is a major roadblock for feeling and looking your best,” says Amy Forton, a family therapist. Beyond just the luggage under your eyes, sleep deprivation makes people generally less attractive to others, according to a 2010 study by researchers in Stockholm. Despite many folks’ swearing to the contrary, countless such studies affirm that eight hours of sleep each night is the proper amount for optimal mental and physical health.
Eat light sTephanie CanTo is a fanaTiC about the
importance of diet—not dieting, mind you, but changing your lifestyle to include healthier behaviors in every area, including the kitchen. “I can give you a great facial, you can leave with great skin, but if you’re going to go home and eat crap, it’s not going to last,” says the personal trainer and aesthetician. Eating for health and beauty is more complicated than counting calories. Broadly speaking, you should cut down on animal fat and cholesterol, eat more antioxidant-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and avoid high-sodium foods, says Molly M. Michelman, a registered dietitian and nutrition-sciences instructor at UNLV. These practices will ward off the big appearancerelated problems such as high blood pressure and
weight gain. As for foods that promote more specific components of beauty, there’s a sizable body of research supporting the role of healthy fats. The essential fatty acids in avocados, salmon and olive oil help curb both dry hair and wrinkles by increasing moisture in the scalp and elasticity in the skin. Besides containing high amounts of vitamin C and E, green tea is rich in catechins (antioxidants) that can reduce the risk of skin cancer. And crunchy fruits and vegetables— celery, carrots, apples—trigger saliva production, nature’s mouthwash, which keeps teeth white. Sun poses the biggest threat to the skin, says dermatologist Victoria Guerra, and vitamins A, C and D protect the skin from ultraviolet light. Foods with the highest levels of these vitamins are liver, sweet potatoes and carrots (vitamin A); peppers, guava and dark, leafy greens (C); and seafood and fish oils (D).
True or false? Common beauTy myThs under The miCrosCope Eating greasy food/chocolate causes acne. FALSE—In studies, diet was shown to cause acne in only about 10 percent of people, says dermatologist Victoria Guerra. Dairy is actually the food most commonly to blame in that 10 percent. Coffee stains your teeth. TRUE—As WebMD puts it, anything that stains a white shirt also can also stain your teeth.
To prevent hair loss, be gentle while washing your hair. FALSE—In order to achieve proper hair growth, you need to vigorously scrub and massage your scalp while washing your hair. This will stimulate more blood circulation in the scalp, therefore stimulating more hair growth, says Gary Waysack, owner and operator of Destination Spa Salon.
January 10-16, 2013
Smoking gives you wrinkles around the mouth. TRUE—As if you needed another reason not to smoke. Besides the little lines around your mouth, smoking has been linked to wrinkles elsewhere on your face and body, too.
29 VEGAS SEVEN
Vegetable photo by Hiroshi Watanabe
Drinking water makes your skin suppler. FALSE—While ample water consumption is important for overall health, there is scant scientific evidence to back up the claim that it improves your skin.
Know your supplements
VEGAS SEVEN
30
through food. But what you can’t get through food, you can get through supplements. “Few of us eat enough of all our vitamins in a daily basis,” dermatologist Victoria Guerra says, “and since I recommend sunscreen everyday, supplementation of vitamin D is important.” Saundra Carroll, manager and aesthetician teacher at G Skin and Beauty Institute, suggests her clients take vitamin B and C supplements— the latter particularly for people with skin issues, since it participates in the production of collagen. Those who can’t get their healthy fats in food may consider taking fish oil pills. They help skin by regulating oil production, boosting hydration and delaying the aging process, which is great for desert living, says personal trainer and aesthetician Stephanie Canto. Biotin is another frequently recommended supplement for beauty-related issues. Although the scientific evidence that it prevents thin, splitting or brittle hair and nails is weak, physicians still believe in it. Certain groups of people need supplements more than others. Vegetarians and vegans may not get sufficient iron and vitamin B in their diets, and pregnant women must take prenatal pills with vitamins and minerals that help prevent birth defects. Still, physician Lubna Khan cautions, too many vitamins can lead to problems. It’s worth noting that vitamins recommended for healthy skin, hair and nails are among those that hold the greatest threat for toxicity—A, D and B complex. A good overview of vitamin toxicity can be found at eMedicine.Medscape.com.
Photo by Maarten Wouters
January 10-16, 2013
The besT way to get nutrients is
Stay balanced
Weight-Loss Wager By Heidi Kyser
Photo Illustration by Garfield & Adams
Not long ago, a fellow writer told me that the time he lost the most weight was when he bet a friend he could do it. We’d been talking about financial incentives for dieting—in
particular about a recent study indicating that paying for lost pounds could help in the fight against obesity. A team of researchers from the Obesity Prevention Center at the University of Minnesota combed decades of data and concluded that, when money talks, America walks—with some caveats. Bettors such as my colleague don’t mind caveats, and there is an above-average acceptance of games of chance here in Las Vegas, which is why Aurora Buffington, a nutrition and health educator for the Southern
Nevada Health District, believes the approach has special potential here. Paying for pounds works, Buffington says, because it offers reinforcement (either negative or positive), rather than punishment, for behavior. Dieting is slow, thankless work. If you shed two pounds in a week, it’s considered good progress, but it doesn’t show on the body. A little cash in your pocket can provide the immediate gratification to make up for that. Buffington cites two methods in current use: One is the commitment contract, which calls for investing one’s own money, which is then won back by achieving goals. The other is payout programs, or earning outside money by achieving goals. The former works better, Buffington says, because one’s own cash is at stake. One problem with paying for weight loss is that its effectiveness tends to peter out over time, and people may start to lose less weight or gain pounds back. Adding a lottery system, however, can reduce the gain-back. “People would come in to be weighed every month for 12 months,” Buffington says. “If they lose weight, they would be entered in a lottery for a prize.” Some monetary weight-loss challenges have already taken off in Las Vegas. In “The Best Weigh to Go,” a program run by the Teachers Health Trust, teams can win $1,000 for dropping pounds. Meanwhile, individuals can choose from many online programs. Buffington recommends Stickk.com (tagline: “Put a contract out on yourself”) and FatBet.net, which urges players to “Bet your ass.” There’s no better way to lose your ass in Vegas.
31 VEGAS SEVEN
[ the obesity war ]
January 10-16, 2013
the oLd saWs about consistency and moderation are the varnish that seals healthy beauty practices. Consider weight loss. While some experimentation with diets to find the best regimen is OK, nobody encourages crash dieting, which deprives the body of nutrients needed to stay healthy. “Extreme efforts to lose weight—whether through restricting certain foods, self-induced vomiting, extreme exercise or laxative use—can hurt outward beauty,” says dietician Molly Michelman, noting specifically that bulimia can cause broken blood vessels in the eyes. There’s an important mental component to this, as well. “If you want to eat chocolate, eat chocolate,” Caroll says, “just not a lot of it. If you want to drink alcohol, drink alcohol—just don’t drink too much. Don’t eliminate food groups; just have them in moderation.” This idea extends to exercise and other healthy activities as well. “You can’t do something for a month, then, if you’re not happy, give up and try something else,” Canto says. Adopting behavior you can stick with will make a lasting difference.
When it comes to beauty, the truth is overrated. A hair-extension expert shares tips on how to keep faux follicles looking great. PhotograPher: William Perls PhotograPher’s assistant: Patrick Aguilar Producer: Soleil Kellar hairstylists: Kayla Cory, Anna Nichols, Rachel Thomasula,
Rachel Spillsbury, Jill Welsh MakeuP: Jordan Thomasula stylist: Aubrey Kia
Pick Your StYle
January 10-16, 2013
Extensions come in two diÖerent applications methods: WeÚ and Seamless.
VEGAS SEVEN
32
Aàer working in the industry for more than 10 years, Anna Nichols knows a thing or two about how to give her clients a full, luscious head of hair—the natural way or the “other” way. She now produces a line of her own all-natural extensions called Bomb Hair sold at her salon of the same name. Nichols oÛers a primer on how to get the most out of a modern mane. 6115 S. Fort Apache Rd., Suite 106, 891-4061; BombHairVegas.com.
Weft A long strip of follicles, which can be sewn, braided or attached to the head with beads. Why We love them: This type can last longer
January 10-16, 2013
than the advised three months by having a stylist tighten the application method.
VEGAS SEVEN
33
SeamleSS Specialized tape attaches the extension to the scalp. Why We love them: Seamless bonds lie ×at on the scalp and are great for thinner hair.
TipS for mane mainTenance • Don’t wash every day: Use dry shampoo (available at any drugstore) to keep your scalp from looking greasy. • Use an overnight treatment: Extensions don’t receive the nourishing moisture from your scalp and can dry out without help.
January 10-16, 2013
• Brush out hair before washing it to prevent a tangled wet mess aÚer the shower.
VEGAS SEVEN
34
Rebel, Rebel
January 10-16, 2013
Put a row of colored locks near the back of the head to test spring’s pastel-hued trend without the commitment or stress on your natural hair.
VEGAS SEVEN
35
[ By Deanna Rilling ] “Who listens to music that doesn’t have words in it? I thought that was really dumb!” ‘Bringing rEcords Back’ {pagE 40}
Your city after dark, gossip, party pics and proof that vinyl isn’t dead
Thu 10 1
OK, I guess we have to take back what we said about getting over those New Year’s Eve hangovers, because there’s one last chance for a countdown do-over when Ghostbar holds a Russian New Year’s Eve party … because Russia is apparently 13 days behind the rest of the world? Eh, don’t question it, just enjoy the free Russian Standard vodka till 11 p.m. (In the Palms, 10 p.m., Palms.com.)
Mon 14
3
Fri 11 Although the chance to officially submit your own skanker dance footage for a music video by dubstep DJ/producer Rusko (1) has passed, it could still be fun to show up to his gig at Surrender wearing your own Rusko mask. Just go to RuskoOnFire.com/ SkankerVideo and print one out, attach an elastic headband or ribbons, and— viola!—skank away. (In Encore, 10:30 p.m., SurrenderNightclub.com.) Last chances for nerds to turn their faces into a silicone sandwich at Crazy Horse III. The strip club hosts its final day of a four-day Beauty and the Geeks celebration for guests of the Consumer Electronics Show with a complimentary cocktail, limo service and free entry for badge holders when you call the venue at 673-1700. (3525 W. Russell Rd., 8 p.m., CrazyHorse3.com.)
4
TuE 15
2
WEd 16 T ’n’ A time is here! The Adult Entertainment Expo is back, and Chateau hosts the KickOff Party sponsored by Wicked Pictures and Adam & Eve. Top Wicked Girls (3) host the sexy soirée, including Jessica Drake, Stormy Daniels, Kaylani Lei, Alektra Blue, Samantha Saint and Lisa Ann (4) (you know, the one who dresses like Sarah Palin and does naughty things on camera). If you are familiar with all of those names, you don’t want to miss this party, so pry yourself away from the computer screen and dozens of DVR’d movies of the adult variety. (In Paris Las Vegas, 10 p.m., ChateauNights.com.)
January 10-16, 2013
There’s nothing like a good ol’ fashion DJ battle. Cheer on your favorite local spinners Ikon, Mark Stylz, Karma, C-L.A., and Scene as DJ Hollywood hosts the Red Bull Thre3style Spin-off at Lavo, complete with yours truly as a judge. (In the Palazzo, 10 p.m., LavoLV.com.)
saT 12 Adam Beyer (2) is playing at Body English. No, you didn’t read that incorrectly. The Swedish techno DJ/producer behind Drumcode really is coming to Vegas. It’s on his official schedule and everything! Excuse us while we geek out at the news that this underground awesomeness is going to tickle our ears with something other than synth-y builds and drops for an evening. (In the Hard Rock Hotel, 10 p.m., HardRockHotel.com.) On the other end of the spectrum, get your throwback on at the Royal House with the launch of Social Disco featuring DJs Danny Coker and Personal Touch. (99 Convention Center Dr., 9 p.m., RoyalHouseLV.com.)
If you’ve been following the Grammynomination controversy in the Best Dance Music Recording category— where unknown and obviously delusional wannabe DJ/producer Al Walser somehow spammed the nomination committee into giving his horrendously laughable cacophony “I Can’t Live Without You” a nod—then you’ve seen the equally head-scratch-able cheesy music video, complete with keytar. Not sure what angers us more: That this atrocious song was allowed to infect anyone’s ears, or the fact that there’s only room for one keytar-player in electronic dance music, and that’s Joachim Garraud! If you want to see what real talent can do with a retro instrument while still rocking the dance floors of today with a live coordinated high-energy multisensory A/V experience, catch the happiest French DJ/producer ever seen as he plays for his army of Space Invaders at Marquee. (In the Cosmopolitan, 10 p.m., MarqueeLasVegas.com.)
37 VEGAS SEVEN
C’mon, Las Vegas—get it together! It’s been more than a week since New Year’s Eve, and the nightlife scene is still a bit sluggish. Drink your Pedialyte, put your big-kid party-panties on and get back on the dance floor already! In the meantime, we did some digging and found some fun fêtes to keep it going during the cold winter months. “Push” yourself out of that slump and head over to the Lady Silvia for the launch of the weekly party of the same name. Jake Esparza provides the tunes, while the chicas polish up with Nordstrom’s complimentary lash, blow-out and makeup bars and half-priced manicures and martinis until 10 p.m. (900 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Suite 140, 8 p.m., TheLadySilvia.com.)
sun 13
January 10-16, 2013
Just as fall gives way to winter and Christmas to New Year’s Eve, we find ourselves in a new season, with all its attendant glittering lights and mysterious traditions: residency season. With 2012 in the books, clubs are starting to come out with their 2013 DJ rosters, and no place dropped a turntable bomb quite like the Wynn/Encore clubs, which announced a staggering 42 residents for the year. Of course, if you’re not overwhelmed by sheer numbers, what jumps out just as much as who’s on the list as is who’s not. Notably, two of the biggest names that ran through XS, Encore Beach Club, Tryst and Surrender—Tiësto and Deadmau5—won’t be back for the pending campaign. That’s because they, along with Calvin Harris and Steve Aoki, are going to be moving to Hakkasan for the club’s expected spring open. Those guys aren’t coming cheap to Hakkasan, either— Deadmau5 will be getting $35 million for 40 shows, including sets at Wet Republic and the MGM Grand Garden Arena for a pending electronic dance music concert series, while Tiësto is reportedly getting $250,000 per gig. Also departing the Wynn are Alesso and Sebastian Ingrosso, but swelling the ranks are an impressive roster of newcomers led by Eric Prydz, along with Bassnectar, Madeon, Knife Party, Cedric Gervais, Fedde Le Grand and LMFAOist and inveter-
VEGAS SEVEN
38
Deadmau5.
Tiësto.
ate banana hammock-wearer, Redfoo, who is shifting over from his Party Rock Monday residency at Marquee. And, just in case you were sweating where former Palms and Vanity resident DJ Pauly D would end up with the latter
club closing down, it turns out he’s going to Haze for a monthly residency called Turnt Up. Because New Jersey apparently has really good schools. With additional reporting by David Morris.
AMG GrAbs ChAteAu Just about eight months after Block16 Hospitality purchased Gallery, the club’s investors are turning over operation of its other club, Chateau, to Angel Management Group. The deal is effective immediately and includes “future redevelopment plans,” whatever they may be. Meanwhile, downstairs, Sugar Factory is spreading to the East Coast. The sparkly lollipop empire is making good on its planned expansion with a late February ribbon-cutting on a 3,000-square-foot brasserie in New York’s Meatpacking District. … Dennis Rodman made the rounds at Casa Fuente in the Forum Shops at Caesars on Jan. 4, opting to mingle and chat with guests at the cigar bar instead of just hunkering down at his own table. Which seems like it would make you double down on the expensive scotch to steady your nerves after a random Rodman interaction. He’d be like the human equivalent of salty snacks on the bar counter.
A glowing Madison at Rock of Ages.
Holly SoakS in ’80S Metal The launch of ‘80s nostalgia/ Tom Cruise movie completist show Rock of Ages was January 5 at the Venetian, and even though not one stinking member of Trixter was invited, the show did draw a very pregnant Holly Madison and babydaddy Pasquale Rotella, future headliner Claire Sinclair, the JabbaWockeeZ, chef Carla
Pellegrino, Angel Porrino from Absinthe, Jai Rodriguez of Malibu Country, Amazing Race contestants Jaymes and James of Team Chippendales, and Arianne Zucker and Kate Mansi from Days of our Lives. We’re not sure, though, that prolonged exposure to Broadway-ified Styx covers can be good for the baby. Isn’t this covered in some sort of prenatal care class or something? A couple of cocktails and a ride on a roller coaster sounds like a safer bet.
Jason Scavone is editor of DailyFiasco.com. Follow him on the Las Vegas gossip trail at VegasSeven.com/blogs.
Deadmau5 and Tiësto photo by Erik Kabik, Madison photo by Denise Truscello
nightlife
Wynn Shuffles DJ Lineup; Hakkasan Builds Its Stable
nightlife
He’s Bringing Records Back January 10-16, 2013
Digging into scenester Sancho Van Ryan’s autographed vinyl collection
VEGAS SEVEN
40
By Deanna Rilling
EvEryonE in thE Las Vegas nightlife industry loves electronic dance music. Or at least they pretend to, now that it’s seemingly everywhere. Still, it isn’t often that you see one of those movers and shakers carrying around a vinyl electronicdance-music record in hopes
that the superstar DJ will add an autograph to the label. But scene staple Sancho Van Ryan, who just launched VivaVegas. tv in November, has a love of EDM going back more than 15 years—and a vinyl collection to prove it. “In 1996 I was at a mission-
ary kids’ summer camp in Queensland, Australia,” says Van Ryan (he was born in India, where his family did volunteer work before moving to Australia at age 7). “For the dance we had, they were playing Scatman John’s “Scatman’s World,” and I was introduced to what they called techno-pop.” A few years later, it would be ATB’s “9 PM (Till I Come)” that solidified his affinity for the sound. “That was the first time I liked a song that didn’t have words in it—who listens to music that doesn’t have words in it? I thought that was really dumb!” Van Ryan laughs. “But ever since then I’ve been in love with electronic music. It started out with trance, I guess.” The vinyl collecting began purposefully enough, with Van Ryan dabbling in DJing
for about a year until other career obligations hijacked his time. But his love for the music spurred his desire to amass an impressive collection of mintcondition autographed vinyl. From Paul van Dyk’s “For an Angel” and Gabriel & Dresden’s “Serendipity” to “Ghosts N Stuff” by Deadmau5 and albums by Benny Benassi, Calvin Harris, Cosmic Gate, Sidney Samson and Afrojack, Van Ryan’s collection is an amalgam of classics and newer limited-edition pressings. His most cherished piece? “Armin van Buuren! He’s my No. 1 favorite DJ,” Van Ryan says. “Getting his record signed by him and getting a picture with him was probably my favorite.” Another standout is the aesthetically pleasing special-edition double-vinyl of Kaskade’s Dynasty. “That one’s really cool because of the actual record—one of them is bright orange and one is bright blue, and I had those both signed.” Knowing everyone who’s anyone in the Las Vegas nightlife scene doesn’t hurt and affords Van Ryan easier access to the talent when nabbing a signature. But, he adds, having vinyl in tow these days helps anyone have a better chance at catching their favorite artist’s attention since the medium is more and more rare and proves you’re a dedicated fan. If you’re looking to start a collection yourself, “Hold the record up where people can see it,” Van Ryan advises. “Be patient and really polite, because the staff at the venues works really hard to produce a big product and experience. If you catch the DJ or look for their manager when
they’re onstage with them and not busy working, a lot of times they can take the record to the DJ and get them to sign it.” He adds that you’ll probably have better luck getting closer to a DJ and their team at dayclubs rather than nightclubs. With an ever-expanding memorabilia collection that also includes countless photos, swag and a closet full of club shirts and hats, the now 30-year-old Van Ryan still digs for vinyl and imports many of his purchases from the U.K. “Some of the older stuff is really difficult to get a hold of,” he says, “a lot of the older Armin van Buuren, Sasha & Digweed, Carl Cox.” But even the newer DJ/producers release a limited number of vinyl records for fans and collectors, most prominently on Record Store Day (April 20). “I’m really looking forward to getting vinyl from Zedd and Porter Robinson,” Van Ryan says. “I think they represent the best up-and-coming talent; they’ve got a unique sound and are changing the way people listen to electronic music and the way they party.” With most of his vinyl enshrined in frames or tucked away for safety, Van Ryan’s next step is to create an entire grid-style wall in his office to showcase his collection and love of all things EDM. “I’m always listening to electronic music, always downloading music, Shazam-ing music,” he says. “It really gives you such a positive outlook on life. That’s important. Pretty much all the electronic music that I listen to is uplifting, and it just helps get me through the day.”
For video of Van Ryan’s impressive collection, visit VegasSeven.com/Sancho.
Album photos by Andrea Walter
Albums signed by (from left) Above & Beyond, Dash Berlin and Armin van Buuren.
nightlife
parties
LaX Luxor
[ Upcoming ]
VEGAS SEVEN
42
See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com
Photography by Josh Metz
January 10-16, 2013
Jan. 11 Fridays at LAX with DJ Gusto Jan. 12 Saturdays at LAX with DJ Gusto Jan. 16 Industry Wednesdays with DJ Gusto
nightlife
parties
stoney’s
In Town Square [ Upcoming ]
VEGAS SEVEN
46
See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com
Photography by Gabe Zapata
January 10-16, 2013
Jan. 10 Ladies Night Jan. 13 Service Industry Sundays Jan. 15 Two-step Tuesdays
nightlife
parties
the bank Bellagio
[ Upcoming ]
VEGAS SEVEN
50
See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com
Photography by Amit Dadlaney
January 10-16, 2013
Jan. 11 Keri Hilson performs Jan. 12 Karma Saturdays with DJ Karma Jan. 13 The Game performs
nightlife
parties
tryst Wynn
[ Upcoming ]
VEGAS SEVEN
56
See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com
Photography by Danny Mahoney
January 10-16, 2013
Jan. 10 LA Riots and Derrick Anthony spin Jan. 11 DJ Spider and Kris Nilsson spin Jan. 12 Jermaine Dupri and Derrick Anthony spin
dining
“In the new ABC television series The Taste, four culinary teams work with famous foodie mentors to have a final dish judged by a single bite.” A SmAll Bite ... {pAGe 62}
Reviews, Diner's Notebook, Dishing and betting on the Ainsworth
Safe But Sound Ramsay takes a walk on the mild side with his second Strip spot By Max Jacobson
Duck confit salad sports a beautifully poached egg.
[ Continued on Page 62 ]
VEGAS SEVEN
Photo by Anthony Mair
January 10-16, 2013
everyBody who’S AnyBody in Las Vegas, to paraphrase the writer John Gregory Dunne, goes by one name. Cher does Vegas. Celine does Vegas. So does Gordon. The peripatetic Gordon Ramsay, who regularly abuses his minions in various TV shows, makes perfect sense here, as he proved with his first venture, Gordon Ramsay Steak in Paris Las Vegas. His second Strip venture, Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill, is as British as the Millennium Eye, a place where servers Gordon wear houndstooth, beer rAmSAy puB kegs line the walls, and ’80s & Grill music from U.K. artists such as Adam Ant can be heard In Caesars through the din. Palace, 7317110. Open 11 The former Bradley Ogden a.m.-midnight space has been overhauled, Sun-Thu, 11-2 and the seating capacity is a.m. Fri-Sat. now nearly 300. The front Dinner for two, of the restaurant is open to $54-$109. the casino floor, and various design touches—such as those red phone booths you find in London—have been added, just in case you didn’t already know this was, in essence, a British pub. Good thing, because the food here didn’t convince me I was. Ramsay’s menu is prepared by talented chef Jeremy Berlin. But somehow, it all feels compromised, geared to the mainstream. Most dishes are tasty, but several of them are underseasoned and lack daring. Once again, we’re told to expect gastropub fare. And once again, we get a tricked-up, British version of Culinary Dropout. Still, I don’t doubt that Ram61 say’s doing exactly what he planned. Take the tiny crock of cheese brought with the interesting house pretzel and pumpkin seed breads. Instead of hitting
[ Continued from Page 61 ]
DINING
Dining
Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon (left), and butterscotch pot de crème.
a home run with a Welsh rarebit, what we get here is an altogether bland spread, British Velveeta. Or how about the English ale onion soup? At Gordon Ramsay Steak, it’s a dish worth returning for. This take is sweet, oily and forgettable. This is not to say there aren’t high points. Yorkshire ale-battered fish and chips—cod, I’m told—have a deliciously crunchy exterior, and come with large, proper English-style chips and a side of mushy peas. If you’re a fan of shepherd’s pie, this beef and lamb stew with root vegetables topped with mashed potatoes is excellent, although I would have preferred a piped-on crust. I also liked the chilled shrimp salad and the fine, fatty pork and
MAx’s MeNu pIcks Chilled shrimp salad, $17. Yorkshire ale fish and chips, $24. Shepherd’s pie, $16. Butterscotch pot de crème, $10.
duck rillettes, served in a clever duo of mason jars. And I love the iPad drink menu and the fact that there are three dozen beers on draft. But other dishes disappointed me, especially since, given the talent level of Ramsay, my expectations were rather high. Mustard-glazed lamb short “riblettes” were fatty and generally flavorless. Brick-pressed
Cornish chicken wasn’t crisp, and I didn’t notice any sign that it had been pressed. Fish dishes acquit themselves well, though. Both pan-roasted snapper and sautéed Scottish salmon are imaginatively garnished and well prepared. PEI mussels and clams with chorizo and caramelized fennel come in a deliciously creamy broth. And then there are the desserts, to my mind, the best reason to stop in here beyond the good cocktails, beers and other libations. Sticky toffee pudding is the mainstay, and though slightly different than the one served at Gordon Ramsay Steak (this time, it comes with sweet-cream ice cream instead of brown-butter ice cream), it is still amazing. Equally good is Peanut Butter & Jelly, a sort of blackberry cobbler paired with peanut crumble; Spotted Dog, an unreasonably rich bread pudding; and a butterscotch pot de crème layered with spice cake and pumpkin seeds. The pot de crème is so good it almost made me forget the previous occupant here, Mr. Bradley Ogden. But not quite.
January 10-16, 2013
[ a SmaLL Bite ]
VEGAS SEVEN
62
LocaL chef shares big taste on the smaLL screen Forget 15 minutes—chef Adam “Kas” Kaswiner is getting his whole quarter hour this month. The Las Vegas-based private chef (ChefKas.com) is competing in the new ABC series The Taste (premiering Jan. 22), where four culinary teams work with famous foodie mentors to have a final dish judged by a single bite (eaten blindfolded, no less). This month, Kaswiner will also appear in Episodes 6 and 7 of Fuse network’s newest reality show Ex-Wives of Rock, where the exes of four big-hair band members (think Warrant and Scorpion) bare their souls. More than a year ago, the show hired Kaswiner to prepare a private dinner for the ladies, and he was featured both during the meal and gallivanting out on the town with them. But there’s more to Chef Kas (his professional name) than these appearances infer. With a 2-year stint in the Peace Corps (Southeast Asia), a bachelor’s degree in biology with a focus on nutrition and exercise science (Emory University) and a degree from the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Kas’ focus is developing delicious recipes that help his clients live their best, healthiest lives. For now, Kaswiner has to stay mum about how far he got on The Taste. But, he adds, if the quality of The Next Food Network Star were ever crossed with the health-mindedness of The Biggest Loser, that is another show he could really get into. – Jen Chase
One of the world’s most exclusive resorts lies 260 miles northeast of Las Vegas, in Canyon Point, a protected valley in Southern Utah. Amangiri is part of Aman Resorts, an ultra luxurious hotel company with two dozen properties worldwide. It stayed there last month, and I can honestly say I’ve never experienced a more magnificent hotel. Entry to each suite is via a private courtyard that features a Douglas Fir timber screen, and a typical day here is packed with activities. A state-of-theart fitness center offers yoga and Pilates. There are photography classes, hikes on the 600-acre property and incredible food, most made to order. Executive chef Shon Foster procures bison, elk and venison sausage as part of his tasting menus, but what really impressed me was the lavish breakfast buffet, the wood-burning pizza oven and the fact that the Indonesian sous-chef was willing to cook a few of his native specialties, such as nasi goreng, on demand. There are just 34 suites and one villa at Amangiri. The hotel was built at a cost of more than $120 million, and the hotel has a staggering 3-to-8 employee-to-guest ratio, so expect the pampering of your life. Call (435) 675-3999 or visit AmanResorts.com for reservations. I moved to Las Vegas from Long Beach, California, where I occasionally dined at Kelly’s, a local steakhouse of considerable repute. Now, Kelly’s has come to me. The steakhouse has opened at 3900 S. Paradise Road in a space formerly home to Ruth’s Chris (which is said to be replacing the Range at Harrah’s in 2013). It’s a huge 12,000-square-foot place, seating 450 guests. If you want to get technical, it’s Kelly’s Prime Steak & Seafood, and the restaurant serves oldschool eats, such as Caesar salad, steak Diane and bananas Foster. When I dined there recently, service was impeccable, the food up to par and the piano bar was appropriately filled with retro atmosphere and good cheer. The one mistake I made was eating too much of the complimentary house chicken liver paté. Finally, for those who want to know where to find good Asian food in Henderson, the imaginative Asian bistro Noodle ChaCha at 2021 W. Sunset Road has a new menu with interesting fare such as Peking duck sliders, salt and pepper chicken wings, and various Vietnamese soups, Korean noodle dishes and Japanese snacks. What’s more, there is a “buy one, get one free” menu stocked with dishes such as Vietnamesestyle pork with egg roll and rice noodles, or Japanese chashu ramen, with all dishes less than $9. Just try to find a better deal in the Valley. Hungry, yet? Follow Max Jacobson’s latest epicurean observations, reviews and tips at VegasSeven.com/blogs.
Photos by Anthony Mair
A DelIcIous sojourN, A proper steAk AND HeNDersoN’s New AsIAN BIstro BeckoNs
Dining
Dishing
TaCos De BaRBaCoa, CanTina laReDo
ChiCken kiev, ReD squaRe
Mud Wrestling Every Wednesday Night 11:00 p.m. Don’t miss a single slippery minute.
2-for-1
Shot & Drink Specials For more information, go to
facebook.com/tigilleys
The recently retooled menu features Russian-American standards, including this beloved retro dish. Thinly pounded chicken breast is rolled and then crusted with Lay’s potato chips for optimum crunch, and served over a juicy thigh. Traditional Eastern European pelmeni, or sour cream dumpling, is contrasted by smoky bacon and Brussels sprouts. The only thing missing? The signature squirt of melted herb butter when you cut into the Kiev. $26, in Mandalay Bay, 632-7404, MandalayBay.com.
January 10-16, 2013
TRuffleD ChiCken, BagaTelle ResTauRanT & suppeR CluB
VEGAS SEVEN
64
A well-prepared roast chicken is a good indicator of the caliber of a kitchen. Bagatelle most definitely has some talent in theirs as evidenced by the supper club’s whole chicken, which comes out moist and fragrant. The truffle essence isn’t overpowering, with just a whisper of funkiness coming through along with countrystyle potatoes and mushrooms. $27 for one, $52 for two, in the Tropicana, 739-3639, TropicanaLV.com.
CaRBonaRa, allegRo
This is the right time of the year for carbonara, the egg and bacon pasta dish that sticks to your ribs. Allegro’s is made with pancetta cured in house by the restaurant’s chef, also a charcuterie aficionado. The porky chunks are tossed with ribbons of scialatelli pasta and a creamy, eggy Parmesan sauce. $26, in Wynn, 770-3463, WynnLasVegas.com.
gyRos, ameRiCan Coney islanD
The import from Detroit has much more than its signature chili, mustard and onion-slathered dogs and fries. The gyros are carved directly from the rotating vertical spit when you order, then placed on warm pita and topped with sliced onions and a proficient tzatziki, or cucumber yogurt sauce—a good way to transport yourself to the Midwest via sandwich. $7, in The D, 388-2120, TheDLasVegas.com.
Got a favorite dish? Tell us at Comments@VegasSeven.com.
Photo by TK
Compiled by Grace Bascos
Beef brisket is roasted slowly until tender, and then it’s placed into two warm corn tortillas to make these classic street-style tacos. Cilantro and slivers of marinated red onions add bite and a little acidity, and a side of rice and savory black beans makes this a hearty lunch. $11, Tivoli Village, 202-4511, CantinaLaredo.com.
Dining
drinking
Your Best Bet
The seemingly disparaTe worlds of poker and mixology have joined forces to wonderful effect at the Ainsworth, the Hard Rock Hotel’s new highend sports bar and cocktail lounge. Named for a particular variant of poker, Paige Hospitality Group food and beverage director David Heinman’s cocktail, the Blind Stud, is essentially a slightly tipsier Moscow Mule, thanks to the addition of a little absinthe-flavored liqueur. It also showcases Belvedere’s pink grapefruit maceration, which offers notes of juicy grapefruit, as well as spicy ginger and a hint of vanilla. The traditional Moscow Mule combines vodka with lime juice and ginger beer, and is served on the rocks, arctic cold in a real copper mug. No dice here on that point. As the Ainsworth is not only a sports-viewing venue, but also a sports-betting bar, it’s probably for the best that such potential projectiles be omitted all together. If I were a gambling woman, I’d bet you’d agree.
Blind Stud
As served at the Ainsworth in the Hard Rock Hotel, $15
January 10-16, 2013
In a mixing glass, combine 2 ounces Belvedere Pink Grapefruit vodka, ¼ ounce Le Tourment Vert and 1½ ounces fresh sour mix. Add ice, cover, shake and strain over fresh ice into a 12½-ounce Collins glass. Top with Gosling’s Ginger Beer and garnish with a fresh lime wedge.
VEGAS SEVEN
66
A&E
“Marrying a kitschy boy-meets-then-loses-then-wins-girl story with a mixed score of ’80s metal hits, Rock of Ages is an intriguing juxtaposition to other jukebox musicals.” ShoWStopper {paGe 77}
Trying to attract younger listeners, jazz is its own worst enemy. The Smith Center’s ‘Jazz Roots’ program provokes questions about how to turn it around. By Steve Bornfeld
Hopscotching around the FM dial on the car radio several decades back, this popaddled music lover happened across some dude named Dave Brubeck, pounding piano keys with the subtlety of a crane operator on some tune with a fifth beat tacked onto the usual four. Oddly … compelling. “Take Five,” the announcer called it, which would explain that screwball 5/4 time signature, this discovery demanding further investigation that uncovered the Brubeck Quartet’s “Blue
Rondo a la Turk”—in 9/8 time. Near-constant exposure—via casual clubs, gritty dives, street musicians, freebies in the park and only the occasional formal concert—followed for this listener, revealing aural treasures and pleasures from artists and styles throughout the wondrous world of jazz. I felt invited in. I was 19. How often does that happen anymore, at least to anyone not within sight of an A ARP membership? How bubblewrapped, vacuum-sealed, amber-encased—and flat-out exclusionary to young ears—
has jazz become? Jazz lovers are handwringers over the genre’s survival, and its marginalization is culturally alarming. More than a historical footnote as an original American art form and progenitor of rock and R&B, jazz challenges listeners with a deeper level of expression, a safeguard against the musical infantilism of pop that threatens to overtake us. Given that, is The Smith Center’s program for high school students called “Jazz
[ Continued on Page 70 ]
69 VEGAS SEVEN
Illustration by Hernan Valencia
O Jazz Fans, Where Art Thou?
What the hell is that?
January 10-16, 2013
Music, movies, concerts and Oscar’s oddball bet
A&E
[ Continued from Page 69 ] Roots”—the latest installment of which happens January 17 in Reynolds Hall—a genuine step toward assuaging the apocalyptic-minded? Let’s examine—first, the program, then, the problems. “It’s such a delight to see these kids’ experiences onstage with some of these people whose music they’ve heard and have tried to emulate, it’s such a treasure,” says Candy Schneider, The Smith Center’s vice president of education and outreach. Kicking off its Vegas version in April with vocalist Al Jarreau and composer/pianist Ramsey Lewis, “Jazz Roots” is a national traveling program. Created for performing arts centers by jazz producer Larry Rosen, it unites student musicians from local schools and noted jazz musicians and singers performing at the center. Attending the preshow sound checks, the teens also participate in Q&A sessions and lectures and even improvise with the jazz cats, then cap it by going to the show. Following Jarreau/Lewis were Brazilian legend Sergio Mendes and saxophonist Candy Dulfer in November. This time around, famed “vocalese” jazz group Manhattan Transfer, singer Jon Hendricks and the New York Voices will chat up about 130 kids from Durango and Rancho high schools, and the Las Vegas Academy. “The first one with Al Jarreau, some of the kids brought their instruments,” Schneider says. “[Jarreau] said, ‘Who has their instrument?’ One kid shot his hand up and up onstage he went. [Jarreau] said to
music will they eventually perform? How much is gained if you don’t put young fans—those who don’t want to re-create a Charlie Parker sax solo, but might learn to like hearing one—into the seats by providing them the same exposure? Without it, jazz is talking (and scatting and improvising) to itself, and no one else. Cultural suicide. Referring to jazz education en masse, including college and postgraduate jazz programs, noted pianist/composer/educator Kurt Ellenberger took aim last year in the Huffington Post: “After over 40 years of jazz education … we see no indications of a surge in supporters and fans, but we have seen a huge increase in the number of practitioners,” he wrote. “Hundreds of millions [possibly billions] have been spent on jazz education since 1970, but those untold sums did not deliver a sustainable jazz audience.” Consider some stats, as reported by The Wall Street Journal: Comparing audiences in 2002 and 2008, the last survey by the National Endowment for the Arts shows the number of American adults who attended at least one jazz performance dropped three percentage points the music can hardly afford to lose, from 10.8 to 7.8 percent. As the audience dwindles it’s also graying: In 1982, the median age of a jazz concertgoer was 29. By 2008, it was 46. Even among oldsters, the numbers are nose-diving: In 2002, the percentage of people ages 45 to 54 taking in
January 10-16, 2013
How bubble-wrapped, vacuum-sealed, amberencased—and flat-out exclusionary to young ears—Has jazz become?
VEGAS SEVEN
70
him, ‘Play anything you want, my guys will join you, they know everything.’ And off they went. For Al Jarreau to be scatting underneath what he was playing, it was picture-perfect, I was crying. It was magical.” Encouraging future jazz players? Bravo! Examine the larger picture, however, and one long-range question emerges: For whom
a jazz show was 13.9 percent, plummeting to 9.8 percent in 2008—a 30 percent plunge in a half-dozen years. Jazz in free fall? No new news there, and the music isn’t disappearing tomorrow, but neither is a fresh audience appearing. If you’re a fan … you’re fretting. “[Promoters] say, ‘We’re reaching out to the jazz com-
Ramsey Lewis coaches a student at The Smith Center.
munity,’ and I say, ‘That’s the problem,’” Rosen says. “‘You’re reaching out to 1 percent of the population. Why don’t you reach out to everybody?’” Solid advice, but fixes begin with up-to-date analyses of music-consumer trends, and while he’s a major jazz impresario, Rosen’s is suspect. Exhibit A? This comment about teaching young people how early jazz contributed to the evolution of the music they listen to in 2013: “You have to look at jazz as a wider spectrum,” Rosen says, “as when young people listen to Eric Clapton.” “Young people,” at least as a group, do not listen to Clapton. Aging, balding baby boomers who get regular colonoscopies listen to Clapton. (No offense, Eric.) Clapton devotees are “young” only to those who saw action at Guadalcanal. Fresh perspective is job one. Expanding “Jazz Roots” to include nonmusicians is a good goal as well. “Because this is such a new opportunity for us with kids who are searching and striving for this style of music, that’s the first choice,” Schneider says. “Once we have the program in place and can build up support , I’d love to bring kids who don’t know about jazz.” We’ll hold you to that, Smith Center. Another aspect: Location. One survey called the Jazz Audiences Initiative, conducted in 2011 by the nonprofit Jazz Arts Group, pointed out that younger concertgoers are less open to
unfamiliar music that’s formalized in a concert hall—say, Reynolds Hall, the site of the next “Roots” performance—where they have to shut up, sit still and listen. Informal, “socially oriented” venues, i.e., clubs or outdoor events, are apt to make them more open to exploring new sounds, rather than feeling they’re being force-fed their musical vegetables. At The Smith Center, that’s the Cabaret Jazz room or even Symphony Park. Large-hall concerts also are often too pricey for teens and twenty-somethings, who cough it up for rockers and rappers they know are sure things, but not for music they consider a crapshoot. Attitude—particularly the performers’—is also a factor. When viewed as cultural currency, jazz has lost a lot. Once the popular music of America, especially in the big-band era when people danced to it, jazz has assumed an elitist aura, becoming a boutique form—a “fine art,” alongside classical music and ballet. Musicians largely boxed themselves in, no longer considering themselves entertainers, but artists. Many noodle introspectively on their instruments onstage, lost in their own zone of bliss, backs to the audience, confounding the crowd with musical navelgazing. Concerts become about what they want to express, not what people want to hear. (Trace it back to that surly jazz genius, Miles Davis.) Jazz grew exclusive. Taken to the max,
exclusivity breeds extinction. Aggravating that are modern realities of shrinking attention spans and young audiences accustomed to vivid personalities and sprawling spectacle in their pop/rock live shows. Little patience is left for the quiet collaboration of a jazz quintet taking eight minutes to improvise around a Thelonious Monk composition. Over the years, several black jazz musicians have spoken out on the necessity of reintroducing the music specifically to the black community. After turning rap and hip-hop into tent-poles of contemporary pop culture, they claim that reawakening jazz there through school programs—with reminders of how black jazz pioneers built the foundation for R&B, soul and rock—would energize pride in the genre. Jazz is regularly eulogized. Jazz devotees regularly ridicule the eulogizers. Jazz, they say, is still around, despite declarations of doom. Death, however, doesn’t have to come in one massive, cultural heart attack. Death can come from audience malnutrition, slow and withering, an inexorable clock to cultural flatlining. Time for a wake-up call. Or at least a few intrigued teens, wondering: What the hell is that? Jazz Roots: Vocalese, featuring Manhattan Transfer, New York Voices and Jon Hendricks, Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17, $26-$99, 749-2000, TheSmithCenter.com.
A&E
MUSIC
The (Luke) Duke of Swing
CheatgraSS, SwaMp wolveS, warbeaStS
Good ol’ boy from Hazzard, Tom Wopat is now a standardssingin’, Broadway-lovin’ dude
Why switch from country to Gershwin/Harold Arlen/Jimmy Webb songs? I recorded country music for 15 years, I had a couple of top-20 songs and I wrote a couple that did pretty well. But I always felt that the standards stuff is a better fit for my voice.
You were raised on a Wisconsin dairy farm. Did you envision ending up on Broadway? I grew up with six brothers and a sister. It was great. I milked cows twice a day for eight years. Our schools were really good. I got voice training in our little rural high school. I had a really fine music teacher. I started doing musicals when I was 12.
Is country less satisfying to sing? I’ll have a trio with me, my A-team guys and—not to denigrate country music—but I think it’s a waste for them to play country. There are country songs that are stunningly beautiful and really concise, but that’s not the norm in country music.
What can we expect at the Vegas show? It will be like the records I’ve been making. The last one [Consider It Swung] and the new one [I’ve Got Your Number, out next month], they’re about half standards, a quarter pop tunes that we give kind of a jazz treatment, like what Diana Krall does, and a sprinkling of original tunes.
Did you ever resent being identified with Luke Duke? It’s almost ungrateful in that the reason people are talking about you is because of what you had a hit with. To deny that is shortsighted. I surely don’t regret what I did. I had a great time doing Dukes.
Critics label your style “easygoing.” Is that accurate? One of the things [Holden] said was about how I approach “That’s Life.” Frank did it as well as it’s going to be done that way. It was killer. Mine was a more laidback version in that it’s not contentious. Frank takes it on the nose and says, Whatever comes my way I’m gonna fuck it and I’m gonna end up on top—AHHH! And my way was more, Hey, man, that’s how it goes. I’m always gonna land on my feet.
Jack Johnson fronts a damn-fine rock band called Dude City. So when Johnson emailed to say his 21-year-old cousin, Chandelle (pictured), is a badass singer-songwriter and plays her CDrelease party at the Bunkhouse Saloon at 9 p.m. Jan. 12, I pay attention and mark my calendar. Born in Northern Nevada, Chandelle lived in Vegas for a couple of years, playing in the band Vitamin Overdose before starting to work on her debut. Johnson co-produced it, played on some songs with his Dude City bandmates and released Cheatgrass Prison the day after Christmas on his own Devil’s Tower Records label. Cheatgrass Prison is crowded with dark, soulful folk—none of that weak acoustic-girl gruel. “Moonlight” conjures a haunted drive down the loneliest, most wind-blasted and tumbleweed-kissed stretch of U.S. Route 50. The tambourine-and-guitar blues “The Devil Is a Woman” is gothic and lovely, too. Chandelle’s voice melts into the song’s sidewinding rhythm like red taillights into the blackest night. She’ll be joined by San Francesca, Tarah Grace, Same Sex Mary and Johnson himself, who plays solo acoustic sets under the name Jack Evan Johnson. This show will rule. If you have doubts check out Chandelle’s entire album at Chandelle. BandCamp.com. Also at 9 p.m. Jan. 12, there’s an intriguing show at Favorites (4110 S. Maryland Pkwy.). Headlining is Flagstaff, Arizona, sludge-punk outfit Swamp Wolf, touring in support of selfreleased The Brilliance of a Feral Mind, which came out in August. That’s one way to describe Swamp Wolf’s noisy din: brilliantly feral. But I especially look forward to hearing the locals on the bill—punk group Knockdown Godzilla, a band called Bargain Shark Steak and always-unpredictable-and-fuckyou-for-noticing alt-rockers China. Old-school thrash-metal monster Warbeast slams into Hard Rock Café on the Strip at 9 p.m. January 15. (This show was initially slated for hope-it-eventually-opens Fremont Country Club. Seriously, what’s up?) The Texas band has been practically adopted by Down’s Phil Anselmo (also ex-Pantera), who released Warbeast’s 2010 debut on his own Housecore Records label and just brought out an Anselmo/Warbeast split last week. (Oh yeah, Down and Haarp are playing this show, too.) Doesn’t get thrashier than double-bass kicking, solo-shredding anthem “Scorched Earth Policy.” Horns up!
Tom Wopat, Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Jan. 11, $39-$49, 749-2000, TheSmithCenter.com.
Your Vegas band releasing an album soon? Email Jarret_Keene@Yahoo.com.
By Steve Bornfeld
JUSt F-I-v-e MInUteS more.
January 10-16, 2013
“Can I call you back?” asks Tom Wopat. “I’m at my psychologist.” Let him call it a wrap with the shrink. Besides, a brief delay beats the phone tag we’ve played for days. “Sorry I’ve been a pain in the ass,” says the 61-year-old, back on the line. “I’m elusive!” So are attempts to label the ex-Luke Duke— remember The Dukes of Hazzard?—who, since the series’ 1985 cancellation after seven seasons, has maintained a multipronged career. Consider his reputation as a Broadway musical mainstay (City of Angels, Guys and Dolls and Tony-nominated turns in A Catered Affair and Annie Get Your Gun). Or his post-Dukes straight acting (the sitcom Cybill, Glengarry Glen Ross on Broadway, playing a U.S. marshal in Quentin Tarantino’s new Django Unchained). Or his “saloon-singer” gig—after a long run as a country warbler—interpreting American standards and charming audiences and critics. “Almost every song … felt so lived in that it came across as a spontaneous personal expression,” wrote Stephen Holden of The New York Times, reviewing a 2008 show. “Mr. Wopat, like Sinatra in his glory days, makes it all look easy and perfectly natural.” Armed with that Sinatra-esque comparison, Wopat debuts at The Smith Center’s Cabaret Jazz on January 11:
VEGAS SEVEN
72
Were you worried you’d be typecast and limited in what you could do, post-Dukes? At the height of my TV success I didn’t know what the hell I was going to be doing. If I hadn’t gotten into television, I probably would have had a bigger Broadway career. Playing leading men in musicals, my voice and stature and
whole attitude was built for that. I actually did a Broadway musical before I did television. It was I Love My Wife, in 1978. Are there roles in musicals you’re still aching to play? They won’t let me anymore, I’m too old! A part I’d like to do at least one more time is Sweeney [Todd]. I did it in stock, but we did the fuck out of it. When I did Sondheim on Sondheim I sang a little bit of “Epiphany’” from Sweeney. And Stephen said, “You’d be a perfect Sweeney.” That compliment was like Rodgers and Hammerstein saying you’d be a perfect Curly [in Oklahoma!].
music
(LocaL) cD reVieWs By Jarret Keene
IndIe rock
Rusty Maples, Make Way (Self-released) Every song here rules, but one really stands out. Introduced by Max Plenke’s galloping beat and Ian Dewane’s octave-vamping guitar, “Pockets” opened into a prayer, picking locks of grief and rage. “You’ve been dealt the cruelest fate,” sang frontman Blair Dewane. “One-too-many hardships than your heart can afford.” A hundred Maples fans sang along. I can’t stop playing it or the rest of this stunning EP. If you find a better band in town, or anywhere, let me know. ★★★★✩
2. T.I., Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head 3. Imagine Dragons, Night Visions 4. Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d. city 5. 2 Chainz, Based on a T.R.U. Story 6. Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox 7. Django Unchained, Soundtrack 8. Mumford & Sons, Babel 9. Rihanna, Unapologetic 10. Led Zeppelin, Celebration Day According to sales at Zia Record Exchange on 4503 W. Sahara Ave., Jan. 1-7.
Discoma (Self-released) Here’s a full-bloomed debut from duo Carl Adami (bass) and Bill Maihen (drums), specializing in atmospheric, rockin’ instrumentals that sound unlike anything else. There are familiar influences—Tool’s Lovecraftian menace, The Police’s pop-prog minimalism, Rush’s sci-flying grandeur. But Lily’s lovely “Dark Harmonic,” with Adami’s volume-swelling waves and Maihen’s funky foundation, is unique. The driving, riff-layered “Push” will push you along the highway, while tricky time-signatured “Under the Radar” will rattle you awake en route to Burning Man. ★★★✩✩
geek rock
3d6, Space Fapping (Self-released)
The three bad boys from the comics-shop backroom are back with a sophomore disc as hilarious as their 2011 debut. New frontman Dave Thomas exudes poise in “Save Does Not End,” the band pledging to “fuck your ears with our nerdpunk dicks.” The music is sophisticated, from the Dead Milkmen jangle of “I Love Star Wars Anyway,” which (mostly) defends George Lucas, to Nirvana-chorded escapist manifesto “I’d Rather Live in an R.P.G.” “Reality can go away,” insists Thomas. God, if only. ★★★✩✩
Disc scan
Upcoming albums on Jarret’s radar … Jan. 15: Indie mainstay Yo la tengo shows no sign of fading away with the release of Fade, the band’s 13th album, on Matador. Early reviews insist it’s the band’s loveliest effort to date. Jan. 22: Ska-punk/folk-rock icon camper Van Beethoven (which has always starred Cracker’s David Lowery) turns 30 and makes yet another comeback with La Costa Perdida. Definitely a strong Eagles-esque, country-pop groove on single “Northern California Girls.” Jan. 29: lisa loeb returns to her power-pop roots with seventh album No Fairy Tale, featuring indie duo Tegan and Sara on a couple of tracks. Chad Gilbert of punk band New Found Glory co-produces.
January 10-16, 2013
1. The Game, Jesus Piece
Instrumental prog
Backhouse Lily,
73 VEGAS SEVEN
What We’re Buying
red Hot cHili PePPers
The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan, Dec. 31
January 10-16, 2013
If you’re going to see a band play on New Year’s Eve, especially at $150 a ticket, you should expect a little more than the norm. But for the most part, the Red Hot Chili Peppers treated their show as if it were just another stop on their I’m With You tour. That’s not to say that they didn’t start strong, hitting the stage just after 11 p.m. and blazing through hits such as “Dani California,” “Can’t Stop,” “Otherside” and “Snow (Hey Oh).” But newer singles such as “Look Around” and “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” didn’t really resonate with the sold-out crowd, especially considering
VEGAS SEVEN
74
A Perfect circle
PH Live at Planet Hollywood, Dec. 29 While the seasonal influx of tourists followed the pied piper into the easily digestible saccharine pop-rock concerts on the Strip, the show everyone should have attended was A Perfect Circle. Surprisingly, the supergroup’s only show of 2012 wasn’t sold out, and one could tell those who attended were die-hard fans as cheers of “Maynard!” resounded. Preferring to lurk in the shadows as usual atop a riser stage right with a vintage microphone, Maynard James Keenan’s personality and vocals shined strong—hats off to the best live audio mixing we’ve heard in ages. Although most of the songs were decidedly som-
the wealth of material the Chili Peppers can draw from in a career that has spanned nearly 30 years and generated 10 studio albums. Bassist Flea remains the driving force of the band, frolicking across the stage shirtless even at the age of 50, with his signature punk-funk virtuosity providing the pulse while drummer Chad Smith kept the groove. Frontman Anthony Kiedis, also 50, waited just a couple of songs before doffing his shirt, his distinctive rap-singing style in clear voice throughout the set. But guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who joined the Chili Peppers in 2009, never really asserted himself and came off as little more than a hired hand. The 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees seemed to be gaining steam as midnight neared with the inclusion of “Me and My Friends,” from 1987’s The Uplift Mofo Party
ber—including Billy Howerdel kicking things off with the cover of Crucifix’s “Annihilation,” complete with tiny piano—the band balanced out the mood with banter. “Seems like everyone’s gonna get all weepy; anyone mind if we tell jokes for a second?” Maynard asked from his corner. He took a few good-humored digs at guitarist James Iha, then thanked the band and crew for their help on the “long and grueling tour” and for burning the candle at both ends for hours. Approximately half the set included their unique twist on covers from their eMOTIVe album. Other standouts included “Weak and Powerless,” “Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums” and lone new song “By and Down” for a kick to the emotional soul as only A Perfect Circle can dish out and rope you in. ★★★★✩ – Deanna Rilling
Plan, the only song they played from their first four albums. But after ringing in 2013 with “Auld Lang Syne,” they failed to keep the momentum going, playing lesser-known tunes “Universally Speaking” and “Ethiopia.” The energy took a definite upswing with the sequence of hits “Suck My Kiss,” “Under the Bridge” and “By the Way,” leading into the encore break. And it continued as the band returned for “Around the World” and “Give it Away.” But then that was it. Show over after 95 minutes. No “Californication,” “Scar Tissue,” “Higher Ground” or “Knock Me Down.” Just Flea making a plea for fans to support live music. That might’ve been OK if this were just another stop on the tour. But for such a high-profile show, the Chili Peppers didn’t provide the heat they could—and should—have. ★★★✩✩ – Sean DeFrank
Red Hot Chili Peppers photo by Jesse Grant/WireiImage; A Perfect Circle photo by Mikey McNulty
a&e
concerts
The Killers
The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan, Dec. 28
Killers photo by Wyatt Boswell; Black Keys photo by Erik Kabik
In Las Vegas there aren’t too many opportunities to cheer for the hometown band. This could be why the Killers, with their platinum albums and Billboard No. 1’s, hold such a place in the city’s collective heart. On Dec. 28, the foursome ended a three-year absence from the Las Vegas stage with a 90-minute set filled with hits from their four albums. Sweeping anthems are the name of the game at any Killers concert. Laser-light shows, glittering backdrops and raining confetti gave the sold-out crowd visual stimulation to match the heavy buildups of oldschool favorites “Mr. Brightside” and “Smile Like You Mean It” and new tracks such as “Miss Atomic Bomb.” Brandon Flowers’ brand of arena-rock-meets-new-wave may have come off as indulgent at times, but the crowd ate it up—singing along and dancing. Since he last played Vegas, Flowers has transformed into a well-rounded showman, commanding the stage by pounding the keyboard and strapping on a bass guitar, and the boisterous persona matches the larger-than-life material. Between songs, the frontman spilled anecdotes about meeting his future wife at Buffalo Exchange on Flamingo Road, and lovingly spoke of his mother, who died in 2010, before crooning “A Dustland Fairytale,” a song depicting his parents’ courtship.
The BlacK Keys
The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel, Dec. 30 Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney treated a capacity crowd to the first of two nights of gritty rock ’n’ roll. The Keys, joined by touring members Gus Seyffert and John Wood, came out firing with “Howlin’ for You” and “Next
Flowers often professed his undying devotion to Las Vegas—the inspiration for a bevy of Killers’ song titles and album names. If we were from any other city, this lovefest would’ve grown tiresome, but hearing him call out Charleston Boulevard (“I grew up off that street”) and Sam’s Town (“my grandma played bingo there”) pulled on the local subconscious. The guys even paid tribute to Old Vegas glamor with a rendition of Cole Porter’s “I Get a Kick Out of You.” For us locals, hearing the band play a rollicking set of familiar tunes was like coming home to a place we never left. “We’re from the jewel of the Mojave Desert,” Flowers boasted. “And we’re not ashamed of it.” Neither are we. ★★★★✩ – Elizabeth Sewell
Girl” off the triple-Grammy-winning album Brothers. They turned up the energy with “Gold on the Ceiling.” The original duo then dug into their catalog for “Thickfreakness” and “Girl is on My Mind,” executing to perfection their garage-rock style that put them and Akron, Ohio, on the map. As the band moved to jamming the Zeppelinesque “Little Black Submarines,” the scene
exploded with energy and set the tone for the remainder of the 20-song show, which included the crowd-pleaser “Lonely Boy” and closer “I Got Mine.” Between Auerbach’s slick guitar skills, Carney’s feverish pounding on the drums and the high-wattage light display onstage, The Joint was alive, amplified and blazing on this night. ★★★★✩ – Craig Asher Nyman
GETTING USED: Today in “bands I’ve never heard of before today,” we’ll consider The Used (pictured), who play the House of Blues on January 11 with the similarly unknown-by-me We Came as Romans, Crown the Empire and Mindflow sharing the bill. I’m a little embarrassed that I’m unfamiliar with The Used; their Wikipedia entry says they’ve sold more than 3 million records worldwide since forming in 2001, that they’ve seen their share of hardships (the most tragic being the 2004 overdose of lead vocalist Bert McCracken’s ex-girlfriend—while she was pregnant with his child), and that the band released its latest album Vulnerable independent of their former major label, Reprise. That kind of gumption earns my respect, and if you like melodic screamo, it should earn them $38 of your money. DARK STARS RISING: I really dig Pinback, scheduled to play the Hard Rock Café on the Strip on January 16 ($18). Their spacey, chug-a-lugging indie rawk sounds as good on an expensive car stereo as it does on crappy earbuds, and any band that names itself for a character in John Carpenter’s sci-fi farce Dark Star gets an eternal pass from me. And I’m heartened by the words of self-proclaimed “music nerd” the Blanket Reviewer (TheBlanketReviewer.com), who in the wake of a November 21 Toronto show proclaimed Pinback “one of those bands that sounds exactly like their albums live, if not better.” Let’s go, nerds! NOW ON SALE: I’ve spent no small number of years disliking Bon Jovi. I didn’t like them when they emerged, spandex-clad and moist-looking in the 1980s; I didn’t like them in the 1990s, when they inexplicably didn’t go the hell away; and I really didn’t like them by the time the 2000s brought them—I can’t believe I’m saying this—credibility. But I’m older now, and one thing has changed: I no longer dislike you for liking Bon Jovi. If for some reason Bon Jovi’s music makes you go squee, I can’t fault you for that. They’re nothing if not devoted to their fans, and shit, man, they’ve been around forever. You ought to see them at the MGM Grand on April 20 ($69-$249), and tell John Francis Bongiovi Jr. that his songwriting remains trite. Also, I sometimes pretend to be him in smutty chat rooms.
stage
wannabe actress—meet when he interrupts her mugging outside the rock-out Bourbon Room on L.A.’s Sunset Strip. Wild and goofy characters interact with the cute-some twosome. Expect misunderstandings, sex jokes and sitcom situations (Sherrie becomes a stripper, Drew is turned into a boyband popster, the club is threatened by greedy developers). Everyone breaks into hits by Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Poison and others— the audience swaying with LED lighters handed out at the door—before the hard-rockin’ happy ending. Balls-to-the-wall parody is played with gusto, led by St. Louis and Mortelliti as the innocents in Gomorrah. Among the heartily amusing supporting cast are Kyle Lowder as whacked-out rocker Stacee Jaxx, Troy Burgess as Dennis, the club’s middle-aged metal-head owner—and especially, hilarious Mark Shunock as Dennis’ right-hand man, Lonny, the show’s fourth-wall-breaking narrator and endless wellspring of smart-ass quips and sight gags. Rock of Ages entertainingly recalls the era of Ronald Reagan, Gordon Gekko and rock stars who would quake at the sight of a barber’s chair. STRIP POSTSCRIPT: After scribbling a negative review of the modest LegWarmers: An 80s Musical last fall, this reviewer was invited back to find it tighter, cleaner and sharper than the undisciplined mess it was previously. Congrats to director Sirc Michaels for giving an ’80s vamp a good revamp. Now it’s Rock of Ages Jr. Or, if you prefer, Pebble of Ages. What’s the cheesiest song of the ’80s? If it’s not “Walk the Dinosaur” (I like that one), email your pick to Steve.Bornfeld@VegasSeven.com.
January 10-16, 2013
they hit us with their best shot. They fired away. … Direct hit. Swapping a Broadway musical that took itself oh so seriously—i.e., Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular—for one that couldn’t take itself less seriously if it wore a clown nose, floppy shoes and a beanie, the Venetian has welcomed Rock of Ages, a rockin’, self-mockin’ blast. We’d never predict success for any Broadwayto-Vegas transfer (can you spell Hairspray and Avenue Q?), but we’ll note that this one arrives with a ready-made Vegas vibe: winking at its own campiness while wholeheartedly embracing it. Yes, it’s from classy Broadway, but its spiritual home is the sassy Strip. Marrying a kitschy boy-meetsthen-loses-then-wins-girl story with a mixed score of ’80s metal hits, Rock is an intriguing juxtaposition to other jukebox musicals. Using the oeuvres of a single group whose songs endure with devoted fans, Jersey Boys (the Four Seasons) and Mamma Mia! (ABBA) crafted storylines that, though not Sondheim-like, had some emotional resonance, honoring the music for audiences. Conversely, short-lived Surf The Musical—directed by Ages helmer Kristin Hanggi—foolishly took beloved Beach Boys tunes and disrespected them with a vapid boymeets-girl story unworthy of them. Yet that same plot excuse in a show that breaks the fourth wall to elbow the audience in the ribs is a perfect engine for Ages, where the music doesn’t reflect one group or artist, but needles an era we affectionately recall as, well, cheesy. Rock of Ages is a big, loud, glammetal jamboree in which two wideeyed young fame-seekers—Drew (Justin Mortelliti), a wannabe rocker, and Sherrie (Carrie St. Louis), a
77 VEGAS SEVEN
Photo by Denise Truscello
Party-hearty rock of ages mocks itself with camPy gusto
A&E
movies
Improving Oscar The Academy bets on Seth MacFarlane to be their pied piper of youthful viewers By Una LaMarche
No sooNer thaN the ball dropped in Times Square and Ryan Seacrest stepped out of his lifts and powered down in his cryogenic chamber, all entertainment talk turned to the Academy Awards. What will people wear? What ill-advised stunt will the Academy pull this year to spice things up? (A barbershop quartet made up of former Best Supporting Actors? Those suits from Ernst & Young bursting into a number from Les Miz?) Most important-
Fox’s Family Guy, will helm the February 24 telecast. MacFarlane will be the ultimate litmus test for the effectiveness of a host cherry-picked to appeal to the under-30 set (let’s all just pretend the James Franco-Anne Hathaway debacle of 2011 never happened). What’s especially risky about his selection is that although his sense of humor has helped to shape an entire generation’s pop-culture sensibility, MacFarlane’s is not a famous face. His celebrity is
VEGAS SEVEN
79
ly, will anyone watch? Last year I devoted a whole column to why the Oscars have become almost unwatchable by today’s ADHD, DVR-fast-forwarding standards. Shockingly the Academy doesn’t seem to have taken any of my advice (make it shorter, ditch the boring categories, smack some duct tape on Joan Rivers and the other pop-culture pundits until the morning after). Instead, it’s courting the coveted (and unrequited) youth audience by opting for a bit of host stunt casting. Seth MacFarlane, the crude creative force behind
largely behind-the-scenes, and while he has some performing experience (he served as Comedy Central’s roast master for David Hasselhoff, Donald Trump and Charlie Sheen, and even self-released an album of himself crooning show tunes in 2011), he’s not of the caliber of comedian the Oscars generally tap to host such an important event (ahem, Franco, Hathaway—have we learned NOTHING?) I get it, though. Barring a big, fanboy-courting action movie like The Dark Knight Rises getting nominated for Best Picture (unlikely), the Oscars—
Can the creator of Family Guy and Ted bring Oscar a younger audience?
now in their 85th year—can’t hope to rope in a hip young crowd based on nominees alone. This year’s reveal promised to be one of the least suspenseful in recent memory, thanks to the presence of a few seemingly unbeatable frontrunners (method man Daniel Day-Lewis playing one of history’s most beloved and tragic American presidents? Ben Affleck proving his directing chops with a period piece about the Iran hostage
crisis? I mean, come on. Everyone else can just go home.) Look for Lincoln, Les Misérables, Argo, Silver Linings Playbook, Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Master, The Sessions, Life of Pi and Zero Dark Thirty to dominate major categories. Also look for MacFarlane to work in a joke about how his first full-length feature, Ted, about a crass-talking teddy bear who loves anal-sex jokes, failed to garner a nomination. Again, I know I sound like a
[ videography ]
‘Black Days,’ The lucky cheaTs Harmonica-blowing blues-rockers the Lucky Cheats lay down hot tracks (check out 2011’s Sugar in the Tank CD) and put on sizzling live shows (as they did opening for the Blasters at Vinyl last month). How does the local band fare with its first video? Awesome, given what was obviously a small budget. Credit goes to
frontman Luke Metz (who storyboarded the video) and Steve Fodor (who has directed a handful of videos for local bands such as the Gashers). In this charming tale, a loser beau unjustly ignores his gorgeous rocker-squeeze (played by Taryn Vazquez) and pays the price. Incensed from cleaning up PBR empties,
cooking candlelit dinners for herself and finding unfamiliar panties in his guitar case, she takes revenge on his instruments—tossing one in the pool, setting fire to another, car-dragging a third. The lesson here? Treat your girl right or your fret board is as good as smashed. – Jarret Keene
broken record (that’s an oldschool mp3 stuck on iTunes repeat, for you whippersnappers out there) if you ask me, kids would be more likely to tune in if the ceremony was chopped to an hour, live-streamed, and included a halftime show starring those eunuchs from One Direction doing the Gangnam Style horse dance. Also, MacFarlane could make his entrance by rising out of a flaming garbage can. But what do I know? MacFarlane photo courtesy of AMPAS
January 10-16, 2013
MacFarlane will be the ultiMate litMus test oF a host cherry-picked to appeal to the under-30 set.
Movies A&E
Masterful Manhunt
Director Kathryn Bigelow oÞers a complex and thought-provoking depiction of the hunt for Osama bin Laden By Michael Phillips
Tribune Media Services
Everything about the film is potentially controversial, yet hardly any of it can be pigeonholed by way of ideology or politics. The raid on bin Laden’s compound, much of it filmed through an approximation of night-vision goggles, necessarily sidelines the film’s main character, Central Intelligence Agency operative Maya, played by Jessica Chastain. This is an odd thing for a movie, even a fact-based movie, to do to its protagonist. It is also the honest thing. With the same bittersweet artistry Bigelow and company lend their prologue, we return, briefly, to the main character’s wary and exhausted company after the raid. She is a heroine (conflicted, perhaps; how conflicted is up to the viewer) behind the heroes. The prologue begins in darkness, and then fades into panicked voices. In a brilliant sound collage of telephone conversations back and forth from those trapped in the World Trade Center towers, the horror of that morning comes
rushing back. Then, quickly, we’re in Pakistan. Maya is the new kid in town, learning enhanced interrogation techniques (torture by any other name) and other tricks of the trade from her fellow CIA operative, played by Jason Clarke. “There’s no shame if you want to watch through the monitor,” he tells her. She declines. The waterboarding begins. Zero Dark Thirty, its title taken from military phraseology for 12:30 a.m., is our monitor, the prism through which we see this world. We know little of Maya’s past, just as we knew little of the bomb-detonation expert played by Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker. Bigelow and Boal are interested in the present tense, and experiences rather than explanations. As a tough, old-school CIA operative, the marvelous Jennifer Ehle shares a scene in a hotel bar with Chastain that hints at Maya’s obsessive nature and blinkered personality. The way that scene ends is the essence of this coolly startling picture, one devoted to
intelligence gathering of various methods, some effective, some amoral, under the most volatile imaginable conditions. Bigelow casts all sorts of solid and familiar actors in all sorts of roles, including Kyle Chandler as the CIA’s Islamabad overseer, trying to decide which of his employees’ hunches to take most seriously. The Navy SEALs who enter the action in the final round are played by, among others, Joel Edgerton and Chris Pratt. As for Chastain, she is by now a full-on movie star, as well as an unusually versatile and gifted actress. Hers may be a largely reactive role, but on screen Chastain can do almost anything. Better than that, she understands how much is needed in any given encounter. Here, less is enough. The naturalistic style of the picture owes a lot to the Olivier Assayas terrorist film Carlos, and the actor who played the title character in that picture, Edgar Ramirez, shows up here as one of Maya’s skeptical colleagues. Bigelow, a master of complicated lines and
crosscurrents of physical action, doesn’t treat everything leading up to the raid as a preamble or a necessary evil. The lead-up is, after all, the majority of the film. We move from one country to another, from one CIA “black site” to another, with Maya’s frustrations guiding the narrative. The years and the casualties mount. Events depicted in the film, notably the waterboarding, have been debated from every side, both for their factual accuracy (not that anyone’s complaining about the hogwash content in Argo) and their political implications. I assure you: Although Zero Dark Thirty ends with the sight of a (metaphorical) bloodstained flag behind its elusive protagonist, its stance is extremely tricky. It’s not a documentary. It’s not a load of revenge nonsense. It’s not 24. I’m still arguing with myself over parts of it. And that’s a sign that a movie will endure. Zero Dark Thirty (R) ★★★★✩
81 VEGAS SEVEN
To consider whaT director Kathryn Bigelow has accomplished in Zero Dark Thirty, imagine the events depicted by the story if they’d been given the Argo treatment. Not to take anything away from that rousing true(-ish) story of hostages freed and rights wronged and, in every sense, Hollywood triumphant. But think about it. If Ben Affleck or a lesser Ben Affleck had directed Zero Dark Thirty, a film concluding with the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, nearly a decade following the deadly attacks of September 11, 2001, we’d have been led down a very different movie-going path. In Zero Dark Thirty, the key American film of 2012, now going into wider release, Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal—the pair behind The Hurt Locker—are after something truer and more lasting than getting an audience to burst into applause when the bad guys are outfoxed. Nothing in the climax of Zero Dark Thirty settles for easy triumphalism.
January 10-16, 2013
Jessica Chastain plays the obsessive CIA operative behind the historic raid.
A&E
movies
Fractured ‘Promise’ This Matt Damon vehicle is a little too eco-friendly for its own good By Michael Phillips
Tribune Newspapers Critic For a Fellow who’s just been promoted to vice president of land management by his multibillion-dollar natural gas company, the character played by Matt Damon in Promised Land is awfully wussy. He turns into a puddle whenever he’s bested by the opposition: a likable environmental activist portrayed by John Krasinski. What’s up? Mr. Corporate Slicko has never been trained in countering the other side’s arguments? More an argument than a fully fleshed-out drama, Promised Land starts with the notion that Damon’s character, Steve, has begun to doubt his corporate mission. Filmed in western Pennsylvania, director Gus Van Sant’s film takes on the issue of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, by which natural gas is extracted from miles beneath the surface using a combination of water, sand and controversial chemicals that, some studies show, isn’t much good for topsoil. Or drinking water. Because the word “fracking” has a way of crushing the
average moviegoer’s interest in any subject, let alone fracking, Promised Land has its work cut out for itself. It strives to humanize the conflict. Along with a colleague (Frances McDormand), Steve arrives in the town of McKinley for what he thinks will be a quick two- or three-day sales pitch, convincing the locals to hand over drilling rights to as much of the land as possible. Some of the locals, hobbled by the recession, can’t wait to cash in. Steve’s job is to offer as little money for that land as possible. Then the anti-fracking contingent, led by the local high school science teacher played by Hal Holbrook, lets its collective voice be heard. And the company folks have a fight on their hands. Rosemarie DeWitt plays another teacher who lives alone in bucolic splendor, in her lovely old house with a shady front yard and goats. She finds herself interested in both Steve and his rival, though Promised Land is too high-minded to develop any serious sexual ten-
Rosemary DeWitt and Matt Damon people this David and Goliath tale.
sion. (That’s fracking for you: That word just doesn’t make room for much else.) This is Damon’s third collaborative script for Van Sant, the first two being Good Will Hunting and Gerry. The actors are first-rate, and DeWitt is becoming one of the brightest and most interesting American faces on screen, an actress who can keep an audience
guessing (in the best way) as to what her character’s thinking and feeling. But the script is unconvincing; two key narrative twists, one related to the other, are deeply hokey. Van Sant, a smooth craftsman, never gives us a town on the ropes. You keep hearing how tough things are—and in towns like this one, they are—yet Promised
January 10-16, 2013
short reviews
VEGAS SEVEN
82
Django Unchained (R) ★★✩✩✩
Quentin Tarantino returns to the big screen with his long-anticipated and extremely controversial slave revenge Western film. Jamie Foxx plays Django, a freed slave who teams up with his bounty hunter savior (Christoph Waltz) to rescue Django’s wife (Kerry Washington) from a venal plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). It’s a mashup of Tarantino’s favorite old movies and songs, and it’s brutally violent in action and language. A lot of it is engaging and typical Tarantino style, but after the second hour, it gets a bit stale.
The Guilt Trip (PG-13) ★★★✩✩
Barbra Streisand returns to the big screen here, and the result is not bad. Streisand plays Joyce, the long-widowed mother of inventor Andy (Seth Rogen). Out of guilt, Andy asks Joyce to accompany him on a work trip. The secret mission is to hook up Joyce with a long-lost beau. A tight if formulaic script does well enough, but the performers here do a lot of the lifting. It’s a sweet movie, in its way.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (PG-13) ★★★✩✩
This first of three movies to be extracted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s slim novel is moderately engaging. Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), a homey hobbit ill-suited to dangerous adventures, gets mixed up in just such a quest. Bilbo and Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and 13 dwarves set out to reclaim the ravaged kingdom or Erebor. Peter Jackson is up to his old tricks, and it’s pleasant enough, but three films seem a bit extreme and the controversial 48 frames-per-second that Jackson used is awful. See it in 24 if you can.
Land, from a story idea by Dave Eggers, is too concerned with shimmering rural vistas as photographed by cinematographer Linus Sandgren to give us much grit. A movie on this subject needs more than postcards from well-meaning writers and filmmakers just traveling through. Promised Land (R) ★★✩✩✩
[ by tribune media services ]
Jack Reacher (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩
This new Tom Cruise vehicle does its work sleekly and well. However, to be honest, it’s a little hard to watch given recent news events. Jack Reacher (Cruise) is off the grid as a cop, ex-military sniper and investigator. An accused killer, coming out of a coma, asks for Reacher to help clear his name. Rosamund Pike plays Helen, the defense attorney who’s on the case. Eventually, it all boils down to The Zec, played with relish by Warner Herzog. It’s a sharp film, but with lots of gun violence.
movies
Les Misérables (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩
This Is 40 (R) ★★★✩✩
Playing for Keeps (PG-13) ★✩✩✩✩
Killing Them Softly (R) ★★★✩✩
Life of Pi (PG) ★★★✩✩
Red Dawn (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩
Based on Yann Martel’s beautiful little book about a young man and the sea and a tiger, this film transforms into a big, imposing and often lovely 3-D experience. Ang Lee directs and while not all of it works, there is a lot to admire. Pi sets sail with his family on a freighter, accompanying a slew of zoo creatures. Terrible weather. The ship sinks. All die except for Pi, a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker. The adventures and astonishments keep on coming.
This stimulating black comedy from Kiwi director Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) is a good one. Brad Pitt stars as hit man Jackie Cogan in 2008, much of the dialogue in the film concerning the financial difficulties experienced by contract killers. It begins with the robbery off a high-stakes poker game, which sets of a flurry of violent events. While much of the story is familiar, it’s a taut, beautifully shot, pungent film that’s worth the time.
In the not-too-distant future, North Korea has invaded American soil. Our only hope is a gaggle of high school kids who form a guerilla army calling itself the Wolverines, after the local football mascot. Chris Hemsworth takes on the old Patrick Swayze role, and there’s enough to like about him and the general reworkings of the 1984 cult-classic. There’s plenty of righteous kills, explosions, patriotic speeches and righteous kills. It’s not a disaster. Just drab.
January 10-16, 2013
This romantic comedy follows onetime Scottish soccer star George (Gerard Butler), who finds himself down and nearly out. He’s moved to suburban Virginia to be close to his preteen son. George’s ex (Jessica Biel) is engaged to be remarried. But you never know! Maybe she’ll get back with the vaguely unsympathetic protagonist. The women in the film exist to prop up Butler’s fabulousness. Not a lot to like here.
In the latest film from Judd Apatow, Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) reprise their roles from Knocked Up. They’ve reached age 40; there are money problems; Pete’s label is on the verge of insolvency; their sex life has cooled; Debbie becomes pregnant again. Rudd and Mann are incredibly skilled comedic actors, and there’s a lot to like here, with Albert Brooks and John Lithgow supporting to boot. But Apatow hesitates going deep enough, starting out well and bravely, and then settling for less.
83 VEGAS SEVEN
This film version of the popular French Revolution musical (based on the classic novel) is destined for Oscar nods. That being said, it doesn’t exactly work. Hugh Jackman has the chops to sing his way through as Jean Valjean. Anne Hathaway takes a turn as Fantine and nails her one song, “I Dreamed a Dream.” But otherwise, director Tom Hooper fumbles with a few numbers, moves his camera far too much, and relies on Russell Crowe who can’t really pull off the singing as Javert. It’s just all right.
Titan Insurance, superhero bobblehead and design are service marks of THI Holdings (Delaware), Inc. Nationwide Insurance is a service mark of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Price based on March 2010 analysis of available national data for liability-only policies. Subject to underwriting guidelines, review and approval.
MARKETPLACE
QUALITY INSURANCE from dedicated neighborhood agents available when you need them. $IIRUGDEOH &RYHUDJH )OH[LEOH 3D\PHQW 2SWLRQV /RZ 'RZQ 3D\PHQW &ODLPV 6HUYLFH
CALL TOLL FREE (888) 541-2113 1745 N. Nellis Blvd.
(888) 541-2116
1800 E. Sahara Ave., Suite 103
(888) 541-2125
5000 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite B
(888) 541-4129
888 S. Boulder Hwy., Bldg 1
速
Titanup.com
MARKETPLACE
Meatball Sliders ls Meatbal nots Garlic K Aaaaahh!! 5 Consecutive Zagats Best Pizza Awards & Best Pizza R-J Readers Poll America’s Neighborhood Pizzeria 10% off bill excluding alcohol
*Good only at Tropicana location
1395 East Tropicana Ave. 4001 South Decatur Blvd. 1420 W. Horizon Ridge 4178 Koval Lane
702-736-1955 702-362-7896 702-458-4769 702-312-5888
(Inside Ellis Island Casino)
4111 Boulder Highway
702-247-1980
(Inside Boulder Station Casino)
www.metropizza.com Also visit us at:
New Meatball sliders, topped with melted provolone served on soft, fresh baked garlic knots
MARKETPLACE FEATURING:
THE EXCLUSIVE
$9.95 MEMBERSHIP OFFER IS BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
AS
LOW AS
9
95 MONTH TO MONTH
Ȉ ® Ȉ Ȁ Ȉ ǯ
Ȉ
Ȉ
Ȉ ®
Ȉ
Ȉ
Ȉ
Ȉ Ǩ
JOIN TODAY!
*$15.95 for Sports Club Membership. Some restrictions apply. See club for details.
NO COMMITMENT, NO GIMMICKS, NO INTIMIDATION
Call, Click or Come in Today! 702.529.2139 | GoldsLVOnline.com
MARKETPLACE 10% off Valentine gift baskets
until 02/09/13
IT’S TIME TO GET POPPED !
K i o s k 1 a t To w n S q u a r e 702-207-0985
9 4 8 0 S . E a s t e r n A v. S u i t e 1 1 0 702-998-9234
P O P P E D C O R N S H O P. C O M
Cor porate Gifts, Par ties, Online Ordering, Gour met Popcor n
BILL MAHER SATURDAY MARCH 23 & SUNDAY MARCH 24
ON SALE11 FRI JAN GREGG ALLMAN SATURDAY JANUARY 12 MIKE EPPS SATURDAY JANUARY 19 BEN FOLDS FIVE FRIDAY JANUARY 25 ANTHONY BOURDAIN & ERIC RIPERT SATURDAY FEBRUARY 9
JACKSON BROWNE FRIDAY FEBRUARY 15 LISA LAMPANELLI SATURDAY FEBRUARY 16 BONNIE RAITT FRIDAY FEBRUARY 22 MATCHBOX TWENTY FRIDAY MARCH 29 JOE BONAMASSA SATURDAY APRIL 20
tickets at ticketmaster.com // pearl box ofce // 702.944.3200 // palmspearl.com palms.com ©2013 FP Holdings, L.P. dba Palms Casino Resort. All Rights Reserved.
CUSTOM TAILORING & FASHIONABLE READY TO WEAR.
MEASURING BY APPOINTMENT 702.698.7630
7 questions
I lIke beIng actIve; I hate workIng out. … cardIo—hate It so much. we have an ellIptIcal [machIne] at home—don’t want to use It.
Taylor Makakoa
Our cover model on the true meaning of beauty, working alongside her husband, and why chocolate and cardio don’t mix
January 10-16, 2013
By Matt Jacob
VEGAS SEVEN
94
When it came time to select a cover model for this year’s Health & Beauty issue, all eyes turned to Taylor Makakoa—and not just for the obvious reason. Oh, sure, the statuesque 5-foot-10 Hawaiian— whose credits include a steamy photo spread in the April 2011 issue of Maxim—has the beauty angle covered. But she’s much more than just the proverbial pretty face who supplements her modeling career—which began at age 12—with a night job as the onstage assistant for Mirage headliner Terry Fator (who also happens to be her husband). Her commitment to a healthy lifestyle includes a bachelor’s degree in nutrition, a fitness routine that ranges from yoga to rock climbing to 3-mile daily walks with her three dogs, and an undying devotion to … chocolate. Lots of chocolate. “I prefer milk chocolate, but I don’t discriminate—I’ll eat anything that’s in front of me,” says Makakoa, whose family relocated from Oahu to Las Vegas shortly after she was born. “For a while, I had gotten so bad that I switched to 90 percent dark chocolate. I hated it, but I was able to satisfy that craving. Then Halloween came, and I’m eating so much of it … boxes a day! It’s disgusting.”
True or false: Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder? Definitely true. We are taught at a young age to believe what everyone believes is beautiful. If you take society’s constructs away, then you can see for yourself what you’re attracted to and what you think is beautiful in yourself. [Beauty] is being true to yourself. And I know that’s so [cliché to say] now, but I really do believe that. The idea of conforming to small nose, small waist, nice curves—it’s just not realistic for people. So embracing who you are, being healthy, exercising and whatever body shape comes from that, is beautiful. How frequently do you work out? I like being active; I hate working out. So I like to do things like yoga, and I’m trying to get back into martial arts. And I recently started indoor rock climbing—I’m rock climbing every other day. And my goal after my [rock-climbing] membership expires is to pick something new, like archery. Then after that maybe go into martial arts—just constantly moving and evolving so I don’t get stuck in a rut.
Is there one exercise routine you’d pay money to never have to do again? Cardio—hate it so much. We have an elliptical [machine] at home—don’t want to use it. It’s tedious, and I hate staying in one spot. That’s why I’ll walk my dogs and run with them. The gym kills me, too. Something like jujitsu or martial arts, where you’re moving and it’s conditioning your body at the same time—that’s great, because your mind and your body are working. When you’re in a gym, it’s just your body, and my mind goes crazy. You have a bachelor’s degree in nutrition science. So carbs, fat or sugar—what’s the biggest dietary sin? Oh, they’re not sins! I guess sugar, but I love sugar so much that I wouldn’t call it a sin. But I’d say minimize the sugar. I remember in school, my teacher wouldn’t allow anyone to say “carbs” because, with the Atkins diet, [the word carbs] started to develop this stigma. But carbohydrates are so important to our health and to our energy and to our brain function. Protein? I don’t know why Americans think they need more protein. We get too much protein, and it goes to your body as fat. What’s the best and worst part of working with your husband every night? There is no worst part—honestly, I would tell you if there was. The best part is that I can pretty much decide what I want to do. For example, we were doing a hoedown dance in the show for a little while, and I hated it. So it’s not in the show anymore. Can you talk without moving your lips yet? No—no thank you. I leave that to Terry. Enough puppets already! What are the two beauty secrets Taylor Makakoa swears by? Find out at VegasSeven.com/Makakoa.
Photo by Eric Ita
When did you know you wanted modeling to be a career? I started performing hula when I was about 6, and so many hula girls came in and out of our lives. One of them was a model, and she suggested when I was 12 years old that I go down to one of the modeling agencies in town. So I went and they signed me, and a few years later I started traveling all around the world. It happened naturally because it was an easy way to make money—it was not an easy way to make money, sorry; it was a way to make money. It was a lot of pressure at first, because I was so young … but I loved it.