Meet the Startups by Vegas Seven

H. Lee Barnes SummonS the GhoStS of CelebritieS PaSt

January 17-23, 2013

10 technology

companies making sure Las Vegas stay s open for business

Shavonnah TiĂ¨ra, Shaun Swanson and Mark Cicoria of Ayloo.

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 |

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neonmuseum.org

16 | The LaTesT

Nevada’s medical school considers a makeover, CES looks even further into the future, and an appreciation of a forgotten Rebel. Plus, Politics by Michael Green and Anthony Curtis’ The Deal.

20 | Going for Broke

Matt Jacob places his bets for the NFL conference championships. Plus, Tweets of the Week.

24 | Latest Thought

“The Case for Interstate 11,” by David F. Damore. Why Nevada needs an efficient path to the south—and soon.

26 | Style

Great Spaces with Frank Marino. Plus, getting to know Brow & Beauty Bar owner Tara Lisheski.

28 | Feature

“Celebrities I Met,” by H. Lee Barnes. As a policeman, casino dealer and novelist, our intrepid storyteller has had his share of classic Vegas encounters.

30 | cover sTory

“Meet the Startups,” by Geoff Carter. A handy guide to the new kids putting Las Vegas on the digital map.

37 | NIGhTLIFe

Seven Nights, Gossip, questions-and-answers with Mark Farina and Dutch duo W&W, and photos from the week’s hottest parties.

61 | DINING

Max Jacobson on Andrea’s. Plus, My Healthy Meal serves nutritious meals amid Vegas’ hectic lifestyles, and Cocktail Culture.

69 | a&e

“Singer, Songwriter, Stripper,” by Cindi Moon Reed. Absinthe’s Green Fairy makes her own melody.

72 | Music

“Not a Jam Band,” by Deanna Rilling. Local musicians Überschall team up with legendary drummer Terry Bozzio. Plus, Jarret Keene’s Soundscraper, CD reviews and our concert pages. “Inflatable Boy,” by Jarret Keene. Artist Benjamin Entner blows himself up with Ego Sum.

82 | Movies

Gangster Squad and our weekly movie capsules.

H. Lee Barnes SummonS the GhoStS of CelebritieS PaSt

January 17-23, 2013

companies making sure Las Vegas stays open for business

Departments 11 | Dialogue 12 | Vegas Moment 14 | Event

Shavonnah Tièra, Shaun Swanson and Mark Cicoria of Ayloo.

on the cover

Shavonnah Tièra, Shaun Swanson and Mark Cicoria of Ayloo, photographed by Christopher A. Jones.

17 | Seven Days 18 | Character Study 94 | Seven Questions

January 17-23, 2013

10 technology

9 VEGAS SEVEN

Sweets photo by Bryan Hainer; hair by Amanda Bevilacqua; makeup by Natasha Chamberlain.

79 | Art

las Vegasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; weekly City magazine FounDeD February 2010

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Ryan T. Doherty | Justin Weniger assoCiate Publisher

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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

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art DireCtor Christopher A. Jones senior graPhiC Designer Marvin Lucas graPhiC Designers Thomas Speak, Jesse Sutherland staFF PhotograPher Anthony Mair

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January 17-23, 2013

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This week @ VegasseVen.com Rebels Now and Then

Visit RunRebs.com to catch all of Mike Grimala’s postgame analysis of UNLV’s January 16 showdown at San Diego State, then journey with him to Fort Collins on January 19 as the Rebels take on Colorado State. Also, become the biggest Rebel history expert on your block with our classic feature on UNLV’s first head coach, Chub Drakulich.

Melody’s Melody

Can’t get enough of Absinthe’s Melody Sweets, the elfin burlesque performer and singer profiled in this issue (Page 69)? Check out her new music video, “Love Bite,” available January 20 at VegasSeven.com/Melody.

Where to Imbibe at Sundance

Xania Woodman plays tour guide for cocktail aficionados headed to Park City, Utah, for the annual film festival. From a microbrewery in a garage to spiked cocoa on the slopes, you’ll find plenty of après-movie drink options at VegasSeven.com/Sundance.

Illustration by Christopher A. Jones

Coin Collector

Downtown arcade bar Insert Coin(s) lures tourists and locals alike with its bazillions of video games and other youthful amusements. Hear proprietor Christopher LaPorte’s ideas for promoting Downtown businesses at DTLV.com.

The Numbers

Keep up with the latest in the Vegas gaming and hospitality biz with David G. Schwartz’s Green Felt Journal blog.

Facebook.com/VegasSeven Twitter.com/7Vegas

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As I read Geoff Carter’s roundup of the growing Las Vegas tech community (Page 30), I was struck by the quiet nostalgia lurking behind so many of the Businesses of Tomorrow. Rumgr lets us buy (among other things) cool vintage stuff from the dude down the street, Romotive’s Romo the Robot is the realization of the childhood dreams of several generations—Danger, Will Robinson!—and Rolltech revives the clubby old competition of our fathers’ ugly-shirted bowling leagues. Ayloo re-creates the delightfully tattered old coffeehouse bulletin board (ukulele and calligraphy lessons from the same teacher!), and Bluefields reaches for a time before suburban anomie to give us a chance to invite our neighbors out to play. Media forms change, patterns of urban living turn cities upside down, but our aspirations remain the same: to connect, to exchange, to generate wonder. The digital world can be a lonely place; maybe that’s why the brightest among us are using its tools to revive the good fellowship we’ve lost. – Greg Blake Miller

11 ®

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VEGAS SEVEN

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dialogUe

VEGAS SEVEN

December 6-12, 2012

vegas moment

Heaven freezes over

With temperatures Well beloW freezing on the morning of Jan. 15, one Henderson resident decided to use his pool furniture to test the waters. Looks like it passed. Remember this photo the next time you complain about the heat around here.

ď&#x201A;ľ Ryan Nelson

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

EvEnt

Salute to veteranS

VEGAS SEVEN

[ upcoming ]

Feb. 6 “Oh What a Night” Red Cross fundraiser at Eiffel Tower Restaurant (RedCross.org) Feb. 9 24th annual “Splendor in the Glass” wine-and-beer tasting for Vegas PBS (VegasPBS.org/winetasting)

Photos by Gabe Zapata

January 17-23, 2013

The Veteran Integration Program (VIP), which will help local veterans and their families find employment, officially launched Jan. 10. Steve Chartrand, president and CEO of Goodwill of Southern Nevada, and Carrie Henderson of Nevada Women’s Philanthropy joined Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman for the commencement and flag-raising ceremony at Goodwill’s Career Connections Center in North Las Vegas. The VIP was made possible by a $350,000 grant from Nevada Women’s Philanthropy, with the funds earmarked for the program’s startup expenses and the hiring of three full-time career specialists with military backgrounds. About 400 local veterans are expected to benefit during the program’s two-year launch.

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

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 $29

NATALIE MERCHANT in Concert with Orchestra

TUESDAY, 1/29 AT 7:30PM Tickets starting at $29

MICHAEL CAVANAUGH: THE BILLY JOEL SONGBOOK Friday, 1/25 – 7:00pm

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“Most Las Vegans don’t have a down-stuffed snow-survival suit.”

Ask A nAtive {pAge 18}

News, politics, media, essays and highways to the future

Can This Plan Make Our Med School Great? By Heidi Kyser

the University of nevAdA School of Medicine is an icon of Nevada’s north-south civil war over public-program funding. The school’s dean, Thomas L. Schwenk, took less than a year to figure that out and another year to develop a more productive paradigm. In 2013, he’ll begin the long process of getting his plan put in place. “The state spent so many years fighting over where the school should be, and it didn’t determine what the school should be,” Schwenk says of the 40-year-old institution he took over in February 2011 after leaving the University of Michigan Medical School. “I don’t have a dog in that fight … My job is to get the school on the right track and let the politics take care of themselves.” The current situation, in which Schwenk says the medical school has become practically “invisible,” grew out of regional interests coupled with an uneven distribution of resources. Las Vegas is home to the state’s only publicly owned hospital, University Medical Center, and the bulk of its population, so it made sense to put the clinical teaching and practice here. The Reno campus of the

University of Nevada, meanwhile, has more donors and public support, so it has the facility for academic teaching and scientific research. “It was a naturalistic development, without much thought about how we would connect what was being done in the two cities, or how we should connect what was being done with the rural areas,” Schwenk says. He wants to develop what he calls the three campuses, Las Vegas, Reno and the rurals, according to the needs of each community. He’ll fill in each one’s gaps, guided by a strategy for overall growth. For instance, Las Vegas needs a building for academic instruction and scientific research, so Schwenk is focusing his efforts here on gathering consensus around the importance of the medical school to the community, much like boosters did for The Smith Center. Reno, meanwhile, needs clinical practice and instruction, so he’s working with Renown Health and local physicians to create that program. If the plan goes well, it could eventually lead to one large statewide medical school with two campuses—or two separate

schools altogether. Either way, it’s a tall order with a humongous price tag. The planned six-floor, 270,000-square-foot facility in Las Vegas would cost $220 million, and it’s just one aspect of the overall project. Schwenk will need the buy-in of legislators, the business community and state citizens, as well as the generosity of philanthropists. “Clearly, this will require some kind of public-private partnership,” he says. Schwenk has already begun drumming up support. A couple of weeks before winter break, he met with the university’s Board of Regents to present his plan. He expects it will take a couple of years to hammer out the specifics with key players, meaning the plan won’t be ready for the state’s consideration until the 2015 legislative session. But he’s not daunted. He has a clear vision of where the school could—and should—be 10 years from now. “Medical schools attract outstanding physicians, new expertise and researchers developing new techniques and programs,” Schwenk says. “We’re [still] too small to be the major player we should be.”

VEGAS SEVEN

The Allure of The NexT Many of the real products at the Consumer Electronics Show were less interesting than the fake ones—oops, I mean “the prototypes,” exhibits so far from consumerready that they’re on the brink of science fiction. For example, this year’s Whirlpool booth featured an amazing new product called Fireplace (CES.Whirlpool. com) that re-creates the feeling of sitting around a cooking pit—right inside your home. A low, circular table features colored lighting from above and below to beguile the eyes while the system heats the food—all without heating the dish. Bet your campfire can’t do that.

It was cool enough for passers-by to ask when they could buy one, where they could buy it and how much it cost. The answers to these questions, respectively, were nobody knows, nobody knows, and nobody knows. Welcome to the world of the prototype. But that’s what makes CES so much fun. It’s an opportunity to dream about what’s next, in a city that’s always been pretty good at showing America its future. – David Davis For more scenes from CES, go to VegasSeven.com/CES.

Illustration by Thomas Speak

January 17-23, 2013

[Tech]

[ rebels ]

By Bob Whitby

Earl Evans isn’t among the most celebrated UNLV basketball players of all time, but he was one of the most gifted. Unfortunately, his achievements never came close to matching his potential as injuries derailed his professional career. His life ended too soon as well, as Evans died Christmas Eve in Edmond, Okla., at the age of 57. Evans played for Jerry Tarkanian at UNLV from 1977-79, and averaged 16.7 points and 10.2 rebounds in 55 games. He was the Texas High School Player of the Year in 1974, when he averaged 28.6 points and 19.5 rebounds per game as a senior at Dallas’ Lincoln High School, was a Parade All-American and was ranked the No. 2 prep player in the nation behind future NBA Hall of Famer Moses Malone, who that year became the first player to go pro straight out of high school. Evans initially signed with USC, but the 6-foot-8 forward transferred to UNLV after his sophomore year. After he sat out the 1976-77 season, when the Rebels went to their first Final Four, UNLV was put on two years’ probation, limiting Evans’ national exposure. However, after leading the Rebels in scoring (18) and rebounding (10) his senior year, including a career-high 37 points against Idaho State, he was invited to play in the Pizza Hut All Star Classic. The game was played at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and locals who saw it still speak of it with a sense of awe: Evans got the better of Larry Bird, leading all players in the game with 21 points, pulling down eight rebounds, and helping to hold Bird—then an Indiana State superstar fresh from an NCAA Finals showdown with Magic Johnson and Michigan State—to 17 points on 5-for-17 shooting. After Bird was named the game’s MVP, Texas coach Abe Lemons, who had coached Evans’ West team, said, “It didn’t make any sense at all. On that particular day, Earl was the best player on the floor.” Evans had been selected in the eighth round of the 1978 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons as a junior-eligible player, but elected to return to UNLV

Thursday, Jan. 17: Back by … popular? … demand,

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is once again messing up the stage at the energetically funky Onyx Theatre. The show, about a cannibalistic barber in case you didn’t know, got strong reviews last fall. It’ll still be good the second time around. OnyxTheatre.com.

Friday, Jan. 18: It’s party night

at the AVN Awards, the Oscars of porn. The show got started Wednesday, and tomorrow night is the big award ceremony, so tonight is for throwing down like you’re in the business. The festivities at the Hard Rock Hotel include comedy, music and 300 adult stars in attendance. AVNAwards.AVN.com.

for his senior year. He signed with the Pistons in 1979, but spent just one season in the NBA, averaging 4.4 points and two rebounds as ankle injuries limited him to 36 games. Although Evans played in a largely forgotten period for UNLV basketball—sandwiched between the glory years of the mid 1970s and the remarkable run from 1982-92—he will always be remembered by those who saw him on the court. “Earl had more all-around talent than any Rebel I knew, including J.R. Rider or Anthony Bennett,” says former UNLV guard “Sudden” Sam Smith. “Earl was tough. He had more moves than anyone I’d ever seen. He could shoot, he could run, he could handle the ball, he could jump out of the gym, he could defend. Earl had the whole package.” – Sean DeFrank For more on Rebels past and present, go to RunRebs.com.

tHe next big tHing?

Maximum seating capacity—not including VIP/club seating and suites— at the domed event center, which could be configured to accommodate as few as 25,000 spectators.

the United States, 158 people are diagnosed with cancer. One in two men will receive the bad news in their lifetimes, as will one in three women. Cancer specialist Dr. Thomas Lodi discusses how to prevent the disease—and what to do if you are diagnosed with it—at 3 p.m. at Fresh Mama’s Café. $20, 5875 S. Rainbow Blvd.

Monday, Jan. 21: It’s MLK Day, a nation-

Number of new events the project hopes to initially attract, including a second college football bowl game, professional soccer, stadium concerts and music festivals.

100

Length (in yards) of a state-of-theart video board, which would be the largest in the country.

2017

Projected year the event center would open.

Number of minutes spent discussing total costs for UNLV Now during an hourlong presentation (financing details are to be revealed at an upcoming working session with the Board of Regents).

Vegas first: The Joffrey Ballet is at The Smith Center. Joffrey was the first company to perform on television, the first to visit the White House and the first American ballet company to perform in Russia. But they’ve never been to Las Vegas before tonight. TheSmithCenter.com.

Wednesday, Jan. 23: Combine some of Las Vegas’ best fashion designers with a fundraiser and you’ve got the Fashion Clash, which looks good and raises money for the Caring Place of Nevada Childhood Foundation. 7 p.m., Artifice Bar, 1025 S. First St. For details, call Roz at (949) 241-3996.

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

January 17-23, 2013

Tuesday, Jan. 22: Another Las

603.4

60,000

sunday, Jan. 20: Every hour in

al holiday. So after you check out the parade (see details above) hit any national park or recreation area for fee-free day. Red Rock would be our first choice.

[ HigHer MatH ]

Annual economic benefit (in millions) projected to be generated by the UNLV Now mega-event center, according to a presentation at the January 11 Nevada Board of Regents meeting.

saTurday, Jan. 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day isn’t officially until Monday, when Las Vegas holds its 31st annual parade downtown beginning at 10 a.m., but the celebration of Reverend King’s life began earlier this week and continues at 6 p.m. tonight at the Orleans, with the annual scholarship gala. Call (888) 812-5455 for tickets, and check KingWeekLasVegas.com for parade information.

17 VEGAS SEVEN

Evans photo courtesy of UNLV Sports Information; Sweeney Todd photo couretsy of Richard Brusky; Ballet photo by Herbert Migdoll

Forgotten legend

They Keep on Food Truckin’

Is it true that most Las Vegans don’t own a winter coat?

January 17-23, 2013

By Kurt Rice

VEGAS SEVEN

I stood at the food-truck window in the early December dark, my breath coming in white puffs. Inside the truck, a smiling, dark-haired woman scooped a generous helping of freshly griddled egg, spiced potato and chorizo into a warm tortilla, whipping it together into a hand-held meal with satisfying heft. “It’s hot,” she warned. This wasn’t one of the trendy trucks that shook up the Vegas culinary scene over the past two years. There was no hip graffiti art on the truck’s white flanks, no winking innuendos in the truck’s name—just simple lettering: A.1. MOBILE CATERING. “Yeah, people still call them roach coaches,” laughs John Margaretis, who started A.1. with his wife, Chila, in 1995 after moving from Orange County, Calif., where Chila ran a food truck and John owned a small textile business. They began with one truck, then bought Chila’s sister’s route and did so well they picked up another truck in 1996. “We added a truck about every six months to a year,” Chila says. “We were running 30 to 35 trucks out of here every day at our peak.” The client base was workmen rather than hipsters—carpenters, clerks, Nellis airmen. The food had to be good, but it also had to be fast. “You’re servicing a business,” John says. “The gourmet truck guys have all night; they can have you wait in line for 45 minutes. We do that and [the businesses] will kick us out.” John and Chila were good at what they did, and A.1. boomed along with the Valley. “We hit it just right,” John says. ”We just didn’t know it then. We were here almost since the beginning of catering trucks in Vegas. There were like maybe one or two trucks in Vegas when we got here: my sister-in-law and one guy in the airport.” Everything was cooking along nicely until late 2005, when industrial and commercial businesses, especially those that served the construction industry, began going dark. For most mobile food trucks, it was a death sentence. “The majority of independent operators, those guys with just one truck or anybody who had a truck payment, went out of business,” John says. On the surface, it might seem like an easy gig: Pick up a truck, whip up some tacos and head over to a

construction site. Explains John, “Insurance is a very big expense. We have multimillion-dollar liability on our product, the driver and our truck on their premises.” To make it more difficult, they can’t push the price points of the “gourmet” trucks. “We have to keep our prices

“We hit it just right. We Were here almost since the beginning of catering trucks in Vegas.” down. Most of our customers aren’t able to spend a lot.” Today, A.1. is “just making it”—hanging on with only 15 to 20 trucks heading out on any given day. But the husband-and-wife team remains hopeful. “We’ve seen a little bit of an increase in business since 2006, but not as much as we would like. If the economy ever recoups, mobile catering should be stable,” John says. “The gourmet food truck side is already oversaturated, but there will always be a need for what we do.”

That would be foolhardy, considering the many backyard pools that froze over last week. The idea that desert environments don’t get cold is a myth perpetuated by the sizzling summers we endure. But “deserts” are defined primarily by average rainfall rather than average temperature. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, this approach originates in the 1953 work of Peveril Meigs, who “divided desert regions ... into three categories according to the amount of precipitation they received.” At 4.5 measly inches per year, Vegas is definitely a desert: dry and hot on summer days, slightly less dry and downright chilly on winter nights. Which leads to a fact that many fail to take into account: In the U.S., arid lands are often far from oceans. Proximity to the big pond (and its attendant humidity) helps keep things temperate. In contrast, high-desert areas such as the Las Vegas Valley experience big temperature swings after sunset. In San Diego, day-night temperatures shift about nine degrees in the summer; in Las Vegas, 20-degree swings are the norm. So, while most Las Vegans probably don’t have a down-stuffed snow-survival suit, most own a winter coat. As for the folks sporting T-shirts and flip-flops during last week’s desert freeze? They were either Alaskan tourists enjoying our “nice weather” or Vegas fools stubbornly stumping for pool season while giving the rest of us a bad rep.

Once and for all: Where is Downtown Las Vegas?

The physical boundaries of “Downtown” have certainly expanded since the 1980s, when the city was much smaller (in both population and area). Back then, Downtown was considered to be the area on and around Fremont Street. Recently, though, I’ve heard suburbanites refer to the Springs Preserve as being “Downtown,” and while it seems a stretch to expand Downtown all the way west to Valley View, they might be right—especially when looking at a current aerial map. Boy, has this place blown up! With that in mind, I’d go big on the boundaries: Washington Avenue, Eastern Avenue, Sahara Avenue, Valley View Boulevard. Despite that serious swath, I’m convinced “Downtown” has become as much an urban state of mind as a place.

Questions? AskaNative@VegasSeven.com.

Photo by Zack W

The LaTesT

about town

January 17-23, 2013

the latest

Betting

VEGAS SEVEN

Flying Into the Great Unknown the top three surprises from a zany divisional round of the NFL playoffs: 1. The Falcons—in a desperate attempt to claim the Playoff Choke Artists of the Year crown for the fourth time in five seasons—blew a 20-point secondhalf lead at home against Seattle, only to rally for a 30-28 victory at the gun. 2. 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick—in just his eighth NFL start, and first in the postseason—finished with 263 passing yards, 181 rushing yards, four total touchdowns and one sparkling-clean uniform in San Francisco’s 45-31 rout of the Packers. 3. Peyton Manning, who helped the Broncos to an 11-game winning streak to close the regular season, tossed a game-deciding, Blaine Gabbert-esque interception in overtime against Baltimore as top-seeded Denver fell, 38-35. OK, so I’m half-joking about that last one—Manning losing a playoff game was about as shocking as Jodie Foster coming out of her doorless closet. The man who’s always in the “Greatest Quarterback of All Time” conversation is now 9-11 in the playoffs, going one-and-done eight times. Hell, I recorded as many playoff wins last week (two) as Manning has in the last six NFL seasons (since winning the Super Bowl in February 2007, he’s 2-5 in the postseason). Guess that means I’m now in the “Greatest Handicapper of All Time” conversation, huh? On to this week’s picks (all point spreads are as of January 15) … $220 on 49ers-Falcons OVER 48½: Speaking of playoff surprises, how about that scoring binge last week? With combined point totals of 58, 69, 73 and 76 points, all four games easily soared “over” the total. This a week after the four wild-card games finished with 32, 33, 34 and 38 points. Here’s a stat for you: If you bet the first half, second half and game “under” the total in the wild-card round and all three categories “over” the total in the divisional round, you would’ve cashed 24 of 26 tickets! In other words, playing NFL totals this week is a complete crapshoot— especially when you consider the “under” is 3-1 the last two years in conference championship games after the “over” went 7-1 the previous four years. Well, somebody pass me the dice, as I’m calling for a shootout in the Georgia Dome. Here’s why: The Falcons have scored 23 points or more 14 times this season, averaging

@RiLaws

So people go to Las Vegas for a week every year to have ghouls shriek at them about computers?

@RyanHafey

I wonder how many DJs actually know what DJ stands for.

@morgan_murphy

Lying about being on drugs is the first thing Lance Armstrong has ever done that I can actually relate to.

@MrTeller

True: A woman heard it was customary in Vegas to tip well for good service. After she saw our show, she left a $20 bill at the front desk.

@PerlaPell Matt Ryan and the Falcons have scored 23 points or more 14 times this season.

bankroll: $1,147 LAST Week’S ReSuLTS: 2-1 (+$190) NFL SeASON: 49-44-1 (-$2,736) In February 2010, we gave Matt “$7,000” to wager. When he loses it all, we’re going to replace him with a monkey.

28 points per game in those contests. Meanwhile, the 49ers have put up 24 or more in 12 of 17 games (including 27 or more 10 times). And since Kaepernick took over for Alex Smith in Week 10, San Francisco has cleared the total in eight of nine games, including the last five. $110 on Ravens +9 at Patriots: In six head-to-head clashes since 2007, Baltimore has won twice (33-14 on the road in the 2010 playoffs and 31-30 at home in Week 3 this season), while the Patriots’ four wins were by scores of 27-24, 27-21, 23-20 and 2320 (that’s a total of 15 points). What’s

more, the Ravens outgained New England in five of those six meetings. So why are the Patriots laying nearly double digits? It’s certainly not because they’ve been profitable in the playoffs lately; even with their spread-cover against Houston last week, they’re just 2-8 against the spread in their last 10 postseason games (2-7 ATS at home). Conversely, Baltimore is on a 10-4 ATS playoff run (including 2-0 in New England). $88 on Falcons +4 vs. 49ers: When this line was posted minutes after Atlanta escaped against the Seahawks, San Francisco was installed as a 3-point road favorite, and I was all-in on the Niners. Then the line immediately jumped to 3½, then 4. I even saw 4½ flash briefly. At this rate, by kickoff, the sportsbooks will be on their knees begging for Falcons money. They won’t have to beg me, though, as I’m backing Atlanta on principle—the Falcons are 14-3 this season and 34-6 at home with Matt Ryan at quarterback (and that includes a meaningless Week 17 loss to the Buccaneers). Note this, too: The last time there was a home underdog greater than 3½ in a conference championship game was January 1977, when the Raiders were 4½-point home dogs against Pittsburgh ... and Oakland won outright. (Atlanta, you’re now free to play the “nobody-believes-in-us” card …)

For this weekend’s college basketball recommendations, visit VegasSeven.com/GoingForBroke.

I bet there’s less body hair at the Miss America Pageant than there is in a hospital nursery.

@IAmRashidaJones

Who knew that Miss America contestants were single-handedly keeping tap-dancing schools open? #AwesomelyAwkward

@ChadSaunders

Ten years from now Mankind will be illiterate, and we’ll only communicate through pictures of food we’re about to eat & shit we just bought.

@APokerPlayer

Note to Vegas #poker players: If you paid a prostitute more than $600 in 2012, don’t forget to file a 1099-MISC tax form!

@Ochocinco

I’m on East side with my Mexican homies, going skating at Crystal Palace. RT @da_real_KK: Are you still in Vegas bro?

@WolfpackAlan

A cop stopped me & asked “do you know why I followed you” so I said “because my tweets are funny” & we laughed & high-fived & I’m in jail …

Share your Tweet. Add #V7.

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Gene Segerblom helps break ground for Cashman Center in 1981. With her are Harry Wald, Jack Petitti and Paul Christensen.

January 17-23, 2013

A Model of Integrity

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Gene SeGerBlom, a lifelong teacher and longtime legislator, died on January 4 at age 94. She lived well, traveled widely and did everything she wanted to do, except stay around longer. Her husband Cliff was an artist, and Las Vegas ReviewJournal columnist John L. Smith described her Boulder City home as “one part poem, one part art museum.” You can be a politician and still be interested in other things. Gene (I knew her, and I’ll call her by first name) is a reminder that the people we elect to office—even the people who run for office—are flesh-and-blood human beings with families. Her son, Tick, is an accomplished attorney who has served in the Legislature since 2007. Her daughter, Robin, is an emerita professor of urban planning at UCLA. Their children are well educated and active. Do we stop to think that when we blister an officeholder or office-seeker, that person has to share that burden with others? Gene wasn’t a hater, and didn’t want anyone else to be, either. Gene served on the Boulder City Council and spent four terms in the state Assembly from 1993 to 2000. She served her district—she was proud of getting a DMV for Laughlin—and was an ardent advocate for the arts, history and the environment. After losing in her final two campaigns, she concentrated on community good works, such as the

Boulder Dam Hotel and the Boulder City/Hoover Dam Museum. You can serve without being in office or running for it. She was the third of four generations in her family to serve in the Legislature, following in the footsteps of her grandfather and her mother. We often hear that family dynasties are bad, but they don’t have to be; it depends on what they want to accomplish, whether they want to be in office to preserve a legacy or to preserve a way of life. Gene and Tick show that parents and children can go into politics and not just do well, but also do good. She overcame obstacles. Gene was born before women had the right to vote and grew up in a Nevada that took pride in how little it offered its populace. She became a schoolteacher and wrote freelance articles when women still had to fight for the right to be heard. Gene fought that fight and remained a lady not just because she had to be, but because she chose to be. She was a teacher not only in the classroom but outside of it. One of her former students at Boulder City High School, Sally Denton—who grew up to become a renowned journalist and member of the

Nevada Writers Hall of Fame—defined a good teacher when she said of Gene that she “taught all of us Boulder City kids how to think, how to navigate politics with moral integrity, if not what to think.” That’s what a good teacher does, inside and outside of the classroom. We can present facts, interpret them, even present a point of view. But above all, we need to make sure students have the tools to decide for themselves. Gene did that and decided for herself—and kept doing that long after she had been in the classroom. One of her lessons was that community matters more than party. The people who met around her dining-room table to plan events and activities included Democrats, Republicans, independents and for all I know a Whig or two. What mattered to them was saving a building, or protecting the environment, or preserving and promoting history. I didn’t spend enough time with her, but I spent enough to know that if you couldn’t learn from Gene Segerblom, you couldn’t learn, whether it was to appreciate a painting or a policy, a building or Boulder City, or the rest of Nevada, and she did it all without spilling a drop. When friends gathered to toast her, they agreed that she broke the mold—but she also molded us. Michael Green is a professor of history at the College of Southern Nevada.

Over the past 25 years there have been two Las Vegas casinos inside truck stops. You might know one of them—it was the King 8 that was sold to Station Casinos and transformed into the Wild Wild West—but you probably don’t know the other. Referred to for years simply as the Blue Diamond truck stop for its location way out at the corner of Blue Diamond and Industrial (now Dean Martin) across from the Silverton, the only hint that there was something more than slots inside was a sign that read, simply, “CASINO.” Out there all by itself, long before Boomtown (Silverton’s predecessor) was built, it was a bare-bones operation, but there was always at least one live blackjack game. Today the truck stop is owned by Travel Centers of America and features three fast-food restaurants and a convenience store. And while that same sign is still in place, there’s a busy little casino inside called the Alamo. Operated by the owners of the Sparks casino of the same name, the Alamo is doing more than just carrying on the tradition of dealing live blackjack at the former Blue Diamond truck stop, it’s dealing the best blackjack game in Las Vegas. In blackjack, different players look for different things, but a good gauge of a game is its casino advantage against “basic strategy,” which is the optimal way to play considering only the cards in your hand and the dealer’s up card (no card counting or other strategies). Typically, a casino’s basic-strategy advantage ranges from about .5 percent to more than 2 percent. There are a few casinos that use good blackjack rules as a marketing tool and offer games with skinnier edges, but none of them beats the Alamo. The casino has two tables, both single-deck. Naturals pay 3-2, the dealer hits soft 17, late surrender is allowed, and an unbusted six-card hand is an automatic winner. If you know what all that means, and you play correctly, the result is a basic-strategy edge for the casino of .14 percent. It’s strictly small stakes, with limits from $5 to $100, but that .14 percent translates into an expectation of losing just 14 cents for every $100 you wager. Not bad! Even if you don’t play 21, there are a few other reasons to remember the Alamo. You’ll get $10 in free play for joining the players club, plus $1 every time you come back. The video poker’s not great, but there are progressives at the bar that can potentially get juicy. You’ll even find a few slots that still operate by handle pull. Check it out during happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight, when domestic beers and well drinks are just a buck. 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 courtesy of Las Vegas News Bureau

Good Blackjack at the truck Stop

The LaTesT

ThoughT

The Case for Interstate 11

As the second Obama term begins, Nevada’s wish list should start with a vital connection to the south

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AfTer plAying a key role in President Obama’s re-election, Nevadans may be expecting the administration to shower the state with federal largesse in the coming four years. Unfortunately, securing federal dollars is not as simple as a powerful politician turning on the appropriations spigot. If that were the case, certainly a state represented by the Senate majority leader would not continually rank last in securing census-based federal dollars. Indeed, the ability of the Obama administration to juice up Nevada’s federal appropriations is hampered by two factors. First, a good deal of federal money that is available to the states requires funding matches. Since Nevada is notoriously tightfisted in the policy areas—i.e., education, welfare and health care—where federal money is contingent upon state contributions, the state receives very little from these programs. Second, Nevada’s applications for federal dollars are often either rejected or the state fails to apply. Take for instance the two rounds of grants totaling $1 billion for the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training initiative, a program that funds work-training partnerships between community colleges and local employers. The state’s first-round application, filed by the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), was deemed unqualified. For round two, it does not appear that NSHE even applied. As a consequence, the state with the highest unemployment rate is receiving the minimum award; the same as a non-state, Puerto Rico. Fortunately, there is one federal project where Nevada’s lift is relatively easy—particularly compared with the benefits that the state will accrue—and that’s Interstate 11 between Las Vegas and Phoenix. As Arizona writer Kate Nolan detailed in these

pages in June (VegasSeven.com/ Interstate11), while the idea of connecting two of the largest urban centers in the country not linked by the interstate system has been discussed for some time, the project’s development has been hindered by environmental concerns and financing. (Not to mention the difficulty of coordinating a host of bureaucratic and political actors at the state and federal levels.) At the same time, there are

reasons for optimism. The project is clearly on the federal radar as the Obama administration has signaled that Interstate 11 is an infrastructure priority. Also, the transportation bill passed by Congress in June included official designation of the interstate, which should expedite completion of the various studies required before the road can be built. Moreover, in writing the legislation that allows Arizona and Nevada to apply for interstate highway

funds, Sen. Harry Reid’s office removed any time limits for these requests. If fully completed, Interstate 11 will run from Phoenix to either Portland, Oregon, or to the Canadian border by way of Idaho. The immediate priority, though, is the stretch between Las Vegas and Phoenix. For this phase of the project, Nevada is responsible for the link from the Hoover Dam bypass to either Interstate 515 in Henderson, a distance of

19 miles, or a 30-mile route running along the east side of the Valley and terminating at Interstate 15 in North Las Vegas. In contrast, Arizona is on the hook for the other 250 or so miles between the ArizonaNevada border and Interstate 10 west of Phoenix. The project will provide a number of benefits to the region. For those who regularly drive between Las Vegas and Phoenix, driving times will be reduced by an hour. The ability of the 200,000-plus residents of Mohave County, Arizona, to easily access goods and services in Las Vegas will boost Clark County’s sales-tax revenue and potentially increase the number of northern Arizona travelers flying in and out of McCarran International Airport. Interstate 11 is also consistent with Gov. Brian Sandoval’s economic development program, which has identified logistics and operations as a key industry sector. Phoenix is already a major shipping hub, and once the port in Punta Colonet, Mexico, is completed, the need for warehousing, freight logistics and distribution centers will increase. That means more business investment and job creation in Southern Nevada. Lastly, Interstate 11 is the final ground connection linking the three corners of the Southwest Triangle: Southern California, central and northern Arizona, and Southern Nevada. Absent Interstate 11, we tend to think of these geographic spaces as discrete locales with minimal shared interests. With Interstate 11, we are more likely to think in terms of a unified region containing the country’s secondmost populous concentration of people, exceeded only by the Northeast Corridor. David Damore is an associate professor of political science at UNLV and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Illustration by Garfield & Adams

January 17-23, 2013

By David F. Damore

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Style

Photographed by Andrew Sea James

January 17-23, 2013

One On One

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Facial Recognition Brow & Beauty Bar owner Tara Lisheski, 35, started applying makeup at just 3 years old, setting her on a career path straight to the beauty world. The Las Vegas native studied aesthetics at the Academy of Hair Design and dove into a career as a makeup artist for local brand Filthy Mouth Clothing before striking out to launch her

“My favorite space is my dressing room at the Quad, where I perform in Divas Las Vegas. The room is about 500 square feet, and it’s entirely pink, green and purple. It’s broken up into two areas, one of which houses my 17 different costume changes for the show. I’m an organized hoarder, so I always find new unique items to decorate with, but my favorite piece of furniture is a hot-pink recliner I got from local store LG Gallery. My dressing room is the one place when I walk someone into it they just say ‘Oh, my God.’ Even if I’m having a bad day, it always cheers me up.“

own business. Lisheski zeroed in on eyebrows because “they have to look good or your face won’t look its best.” Capitalizing on the constant demand for waxing—some regulars come in every two weeks—Lisheski created a place where the focus is on the peepers. Her plucking system involves a traditional face map, taught to all aesthetics students, tweaked to her specifications, such as a softer, more rounded arch. She uses the paper face maps as her filing system and to educate clients how to maintain perfect shape

between visits. “The mapping takes the guesswork out of brows for professionals and customers.” Expert tip: Lisheski says the most popular arches belong to curvy beauty Kim Kardashian, whose face framers are the most requested by clientele. “Big, beautiful and natural are in,” she says. “Not too constructed, but not messy.” Canyon Falls Spa & Salon, 7331 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Suite 103, 5416000; CanyonFallsVegas.com.

Photo by Andrew Sea James

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Celebrities i Met A life in Las Vegas encounters

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s a kid, I never worshiped movie stars or singers. My heroes were baseball players, especially the three M’s—Mays, Mantle, Musial. Then I went to Vietnam and found what it takes to be a hero, and after that I viewed baseball players as well-paid athletes. I went to work for Sheriff Ralph Lamb in 1967 as a 21-year-old deputy, and I settled into Las Vegas in an apartment near the Strip. Like many newcomers, I was initially enthralled with the neon, and in my off-duty time I often ate in the casinos. That was before corporate bean counters ran the joints, and a good meal was affordable even for a low-paid deputy. Little Joe’s Oyster Bar in the Thunderbird was a mile from my apartment. Occasionally I’d drop in just to have a bowl of the killer oyster stew. In part, the attraction was watching cooks prepare orders a few feet away, sort of like a sushi bar today. And the

smell! Imagine the smell of an ocean breeze, pepper, cayenne and melted butter blending in the air with a fresh catch of tuna—like that, but not quite. One evening I was seated at the bar waiting for my bowl when this aging man with a nearly bald head and a belly the envy of a woman carrying sextuplets sat next to me. The cook addressed him as Jack and asked what he was having. “Oyster stew,” he said. The cook set my bowl before me. “Best I ever tasted,” Jack said. “And I’m from the East.” I nodded. He continued to talk as I ate. The subject was now his wall and how the County Commission wouldn’t grant him a variance to add a few rows of cinder block to the top. “I’ve had block stacked up in my yard for years now waiting for a decision.” What he meant, I assumed, was a decision in his favor. He spooned his meal and between slurps complained about the bureaucracy. He finished before

I did, said that he was in a hurry for a show and left. The cook laid down my bill and gave me an apologetic look. “I been hearing it for more than a year. He even complains about it to his audience.” “His audience?” “Yeah, that’s Jack E. Leonard, the comedian. He’s playing the lounge at the Sahara.” I made it a point to tell my stepfather, Mal Harris, a local TV newsman, about the encounter. In those days, anyone in the news media could usually receive a comp to any show in town. Mal got us comped into Jack’s act. He proved far funnier while performing, but just as the cook had said, Jack got on the soapbox and berated the County Commission. I don’t know if he ever got the variance, but I remember laughing at his one-liners. Some years later, I read about his death and wondered if he ever got that wall.

Meals With Musicians In 1968 I was transferred to the Detective Division,

Savalas photo by George Rose; Foxx photo by Herb Ball; Photo by ABC Photo Archives; Payton photo by Ron Vesely; Elvis photo by Popperfoto.

January 17-23, 2013

By H. Lee Barnes

ShadeS of Redd Of the celebrities I met, none was more genuine than Redd Foxx. When I quit the sheriff’s office, I went to work for Griffin Investigations for a time chasing casino cheaters and increased my weekly wage by nearly 50 percent. The job demanded my time, 10 or more hours a day, often seven nights a week without overtime or vacation. I had little personal life and no benefits except eating the occasional meal at the Hilton with Gene Desel, the chief of security, who’d also been my classmate in the police and sheriff’s academy. Those were the days when Elvis starred in the showroom and the maître d’ and his captains knocked down $3,000 and more apiece on a good weekend. Redd Foxx was at the peak of his fame because of his role as Fred on Sanford and Son. He was also a degenerate keno player. On four or five occasions he joined Gene and me as we ate, in his hand as many as a half-dozen keno tickets. His attention divided between us and the keno board, he entertained us with anecdotes or by repeating a joke that got a big laugh in the lounge. Although he was

Elvis took thE ring off, spit on it, polishEd it on his slEEvE and handEd it to rogEr, tElling him it was his now. glib, something about him spoke of sadness—of the clown who disguised his pain with laughter. He had another characteristic that made him genuine: He actually listened to and heard what others said. Gene knew my ex-wife from his time as deputy and her name came up in the conversation. “So you’re divorced,” Redd said. I said that, yes, I was. “Well, that’s a blessing for two people.” He didn’t smile when he said it. I think he was speaking of himself.

The King Then there was Elvis. Gene hired me as backstage security for him during one of The King’s long weekend shows. My contact and conversation with him were limited to elevator rides down from his penthouse suite to the hallways from the kitchen area to the back of the showroom, where I took a position in the wing of the stage. I got paid a nominal wage, 35 bucks as I recall, and saw a half-dozen performances. The magic the audience saw was largely lost on me. It was a job, and I needed the money, and I got to hang around with Roger Meeney, whom I knew from the sheriff’s office. My Elvis stories begin and end with Roger. One night, after escorting Elvis back to his suite, Roger returned down the elevator. On the way down, Red West—a trained martial artist who was Elvis’s primary security man—asked Roger if he thought he could take him. Roger, probably the best barroom brawler ever to set shoe leather in the great state of Nevada, wasn’t about to shirk from a challenge. In a few seconds Red found himself twisted up like a yogi in an apple crate and begging to be released. Sonny West, Red’s cousin and another Elvis bodyguard, looked like he was going to jump in and help Red, but

gReen felT and fame From 1978-97, I worked on and off as a casino dealer in Las Vegas. During those years, I dealt to just four celebrities. Robert Goulet was a gentleman, but a typical Canadian in that he didn’t tip, at least not in a manner that reflected what he lost or won betting. My single encounter with Telly Savalas occurred at the Mint when he walked in with a small entourage and spotted me near the entrance standing on a dead blackjack game. He slapped a hundred down on the table. I shuffled and pitched the cards. He lost, slapped another and became Kojak. “I’m gonna getcha this time, baby.” He lost, slapped down another and continued doing so until he lost a thousand, then he turned to his entourage and said something about the game being rigged. A woman, a tourist, who’d watched the entire event asked how I could do such a thing to Telly Savalas. “Telly Savalas?” I said. “Lady, I thought he was Yul Brynner.” I was walking out of the pit and headed to the break room at the Sands when I saw the great Bob Lanier, center for the Detroit Pistons. He’d been featured in a couple of the Miller Lite commercials. As I passed by, I pointed at him and said, “Less filling!” He pointed back and said, “Tastes great!” I said, “Less filling!” He said, “Tastes GREAT!” I looked up at him, nearly a head taller, and said, “You win.” He pointed to his cards, two face cards, a winner. My last casino gig before leaving for graduate school in Arizona was at the Hilton. There I met Walter Payton—known to football fans simply as “Sweetness,” one of the greatest running backs ever to play in the NFL. I wrote about this encounter in “Beating Sweetness” (VegasSeven.com/Storytelling2010/BeatingSweetness), so I won’t recount it again, except to say he was a gentleman, as was Evander Holyfield, who played $5 chips and was happy to pass time with good conversation and win a few hands. I was reminded in meeting these two fine and humble men of why my childhood heroes had been the three M’s. There’s a kind of confidence in real greatness that transcends the need for attention. You sense that when you’re in the presence of such humans, those celebrities who shun being celebrities. H. Lee Barnes teaches creative writing at the College of Southern Nevada. His latest novel, Car Tag, was published in 2012..

January 17-23, 2013

working vice on the Strip. The chief of security at the Bonanza, where Bally’s now sits, was Joe Lavoy, a former Las Vegas policeman, a storyteller and an all-around nice guy. Once every two weeks or so, he’d invite me to have a bite with him. One night Joe called over Marty Robbins, who was playing the showroom, and he sat down with us and ordered dinner. When I said that my then-wife was an avid fan of his, he took it with a smile, excused himself and left. When he returned, he had an album in hand and asked my wife’s name. He wrote something on it that I now can’t recall, then we ate and talked. I later had a similar meal at the Bonanza with Buck Owens. He too was gracious, but I didn’t get an album, perhaps because I told him that for a long while in my camp in ’Nam we had only two albums to play on our record player in the team house, and our intel sergeant, J.V. Carroll, played Buck Owens to the point of having our captain tell him “No more.” I met Frank Sinatra when I got a one-night gig to act as security for a private party he threw for a handful of guests at his Caesars Palace suite. Our job was to guard the door. Actually, you could say I didn’t actually meet Sinatra; I met the persona he was displaying that particular night. He made a point to tell us he was glad we were there to keep out the riffraff. He called us “Guys,” inferring in his tone that he too was a “Guy.” After all, he did play a cop. That made him like us, right? Like us, only richer. Truth is, I liked most of his acting and I’d seen his show twice at Caesars, but I knew his history with the Rat Pack and his many past abuses of casino dealers and bosses. The story I liked most was when he threatened Carl Cohen in Mr. Cohen’s office at the Sands and lost a few caps from his teeth in the process. Early in the party, Sinatra kept an eye on the doorway. If a guest was important enough, he strolled over and honored them with a toothy smile and warm greeting that came from someplace much cooler. Sammy Davis Jr. and Franky Jr. showed up, but the highlight of my night was when Rod Steiger stepped out of the elevator. He didn’t carry himself like a celebrity, just a man invited to a party who offered a handshake graciously. At the party’s end we got envelopes from one of Sinatra’s people. Twentyfive dollars. I later found out that he had his manager handle the envelopes, and they usually contained a fifty or a larger bill. I also found out the underlings charged with distributing money for such events often skimmed some off the top for themselves.

thought better of it when I stepped between them. It’s little wonder Elvis took a special liking to Roger. On one of the rides down the elevator, Roger commented on a diamond ring that Elvis wore on his pinky finger. Elvis asked if he liked it. Roger said yes. Elvis took it off, spit on it, then polished it on his sleeve and handed it to Roger, telling him it was his now. That same flashy ring was on display in Elvis’ Aloha From Hawaii televised concert. I haven’t seen or heard from Roger for more than 20 years, so I don’t know what he did with the ring. Last I heard he kept it in a safe-deposit box. Elvis’ impulsive generosity didn’t end with Roger. Jerry Amerson, a detective I also knew from the academy, was working backstage with us. He was packing a special-edition .45 automatic. Elvis asked what kind of gun he was carrying. Jerry showed him the .45. Elvis offered to buy it on the spot for an amount triple its value. Apparently, temperance wasn’t part of Elvis’ personality. Still, he was a generous man. I heard tales of him giving Cadillacs to people. I also heard stories of his sometimes strange behavior, but I never heard a single report of him abusing or belittling anyone. My only exchanges with him were his asking, “You ready, boys?” We answered, “Yes” as one and walked him down the empty hallways, for no employee of any stripe was allowed in the hallway when The King made his walk to the stage.

29 VEGAS SEVEN

Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Elvis, Redd Foxx, Buck Owens, Walter “Sweetness” Payton, Telly Savalas and Jack E. Leonard.

A handy guide to the new kids putting Las Vegas on the digital map

January 17-23, 2013

By Geoff Carter

VEGAS SEVEN

January 17-23, 2013

hey are among us. They Ǚoat, distracted and iPhone-bewitched, from their Downtown crash pads at the Ogden to the counter at The Beat, where they order strong coǗees and aǗord us Ǚeeting looks at their T-shirts, branded with the names of companies they themselves own and operate, before they turn and driǜ upstairs to Emergency Arts’ /usr/lib coworking space, where potential billionaires mix and mingle with potential gazillionaires. The Vegas Tech scene is a fact. (Sounds like a university, doesn’t it? Fight on, Vegas Tech!) In choosing to move his billion-dollar online retail operation to Downtown Las Vegas, Zappos’ big-shoed Tony Hsieh has inspired a burgeoning tech culture in what was very recently Not a Burgeoning Tech Culture. But who are these startup ǘrms, the companies who make Vegas Tech a reality? What do they hope to accomplish? How will we beneǘt from their labors? Is /usr/lib aǚliated with the Bavarian Illuminati? And do any of them have a chance of soaring above the mother ship by actually becoming the next Zappos? Let’s meet some of our most promising startups and ǘnd out.

Founded: By Mark Cicoria, Mark Johnson, Shaun Swanson and

gatherings you’ll care about in your city.”

VEGAS SEVEN

January 17-23, 2013

AYLOO Ayloo.net Shavonnah Tièra, all of them core Las Vegans (“One-hundred percent of our team grew up in Vegas,” Tièra says proudly) who racked up years of software development ninja skills before launching Ayloo in 2011.

What they say they do: “Our iPhone app tells you about What I thInk they do: It’s a community-center bulletin

board made digital, connecting you with all the bake sales, motivational lectures and punk-rock yoga sessions you can eat. It’s pretty dang cool.

Amy Jo Martin of Digital Royalty WIll It become the next Zappos? The

comparison doesn’t really apply; one is a storefront, the other a kind of interactive events calendar. However, the two companies share one deeply felt value: They believe that success comes from stirring one’s sense of community. Slap some advertising on this baby and it’ll dominate.

BLUEFIELDS Bluefields.com Founded: By Andrew Crump and Piers Rollin-

son in London in 2010. Before Bluefields, Crump ran a consulting firm (“Great money, but soulless”) and a renewable technology startup, and Rollinson sold his first company while still in college. The company is run from both London and Vegas, but its creators hope to spend more time here in the coming years. What they say they do: “Organize your

sports team without the hassle. Discover the best way to schedule games and communicate with players.”

What I thInk they do: Once it’s up and running, Bluefields should become the tool for setting up weekly basketball games between friends or softball grudge matches between rival companies. It schedules games, keeps track of player availability and even reminds you of upcoming games. WIll It become the next Zappos? Unlikely; a lot more people wear athletic shoes than actually use them for athletics. But like Rolltech Bowling (see Page 34), it has the potential to compel armchair athletes to get up and do something. I think Bluefields’ post-launch growth will be slow, but steady and robust. That’s how you win.

DIGITAL ROYALTY TheDigitalRoyalty.com Founded: By Amy Jo Martin, formerly director of digital media

and research for the Phoenix Suns, in 2009. The company moved from Phoenix to Vegas in June 2012.

What they say they do: “We de-

velop digital integration and social-media strategies for corporate and entertainment brands, professional athletes, sports teams and leagues.”

What I thInk they do: As near as I can tell, they put tweets in people’s mouths. Everybody has a social-media brand now, including your mom. DR finetunes your mom’s social-media brand, and also those of Shaquille O’Neal, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Hilton’s DoubleTree brand and many others.

Shavonnah Tièra, Shaun Swanson and Mark Cicoria of Ayloo.

WIll It become the next Zappos? Unlikely. By design, Digital Roy-

alty has a fairly small base of potential customers to draw from; not everyone cares if their social-media presence is massaged and refined. But those who do care will pay piles of money for a Twitter feed that reaches millions.

ECOMOM Ecomom.com Founded: By Jody Sherman and Em-

ily Blakeney in Venice, California, in February 2009. Before running Ecomom, Sherman ran a private-jet booking service that he eventually sold to Richard Branson, while Blakeney ran a retail store for healthy families called Eden’s Green Closet. Ecomom came to Las Vegas last January.

What they say they do: “Eco-

mom provides easy access to healthy alternatives to conventional products.”

What I thInk they do: Want to feed your kids organic food? Buy them handmade toys? Dress them in madein-the-USA organic cotton onesies? Ecomom features these products and more, and at prices that won’t break you. WIll It become the next Zappos? I think it will. Like Zappos,

Founded: By Tom Ellingson and

Dean Curtis in Las Vegas in November 2011. The founders proudly say that the company was launched shortly before another important event: the Las Vegas Invitational at Orleans Arena, where UNLV beat the snot out of then-topranked North Carolina.

What they say they do: “Fan-

deavor’s game-day experiences provide exclusive access to the field, court,

33 VEGAS SEVEN

FANDEAVOR Fandeavor.com

January 17-23, 2013

Ecomom is strongly customer-serviceoriented; the company tests every product it sells, and is generous with its discounts. And there are a lot of moms in the world, and they buy a lot of stuff.

broadcast booth, locker room, athletes and coaches from your favorite teams!” What I thInk they do: Want to see the San Diego Chargers from a premier suite, attend their pregame party and pose for photos with the Charger Girls? Fandeavor gives you all that in one package, priced slightly less than a used Honda Civic. WIll It become the next Zappos? I’m kind of amazed it hasn’t

already done so. I’m interested in what they do, and I detest virtually all spectator sports … with the exception of women’s flat-track roller derby, of course.

ROMOTIVE Romotive.com Founded: In May 2011 by Phu Nguyen,

Keller Rinaudo and Peter Seid. The three Arizona-raised partners have known each other since grade school. Fun fact: Rinaudo was a professional rock climber for a time.

What they say they do: “We

build simple, affordable and flexible robotic platforms that interact with humans in meaningful ways.”

What I thInk they do: They build robots! Romotive makes your smartphone into a robot that can roll around your home, shoot video and make cute faces at you. At first blush it may look like a simple toy, but its ease of programmability can make it a useful household tool. At the very least, it moves us one step closer to the day Skynet becomes self-aware. WIll It become the next Zappos? You bet your life it could. These

little robots are cool as hell. You can play games with them or use them to frighten your pets, and they can even learn from your behaviors over time. I wish I had one to write this article for me. (For more on Romotive, read our February 2012 feature story at VegasSeven.com/Romo.)

ROLLTECH RollTechBowling.com

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May 2011. Before starting Rolltech, Belsky—a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law—worked in the poker industry as a writer, tournament reporter and talent manager.

Phu Nguyen, Keller Rinaudo and Peter What they say they do: “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, con- Seid of Romotive.

sectetur adipiscing elit.” That’s Latin for “Guys, don’t forget we need to update our ‘about’ page. Still got the filler text on there.”

What I thInk they do: They make an app that tracks and shares your bowling score and stats in real time, essentially making real bowling into a kind of video game. You can compete with friends in other cities, other countries—or at different bowling alleys on opposite sides of the Valley. WIll It become the next Zappos? Probably not. When

was the last time you went bowling? Even I haven’t been in several months, and I’m a Little Lebowski Urban Achiever. But that’s OK. Rolltech abides, man. And they just might get lots of us bowling again, if this thing catches fire.

RUMGR Rumgr.com Founded: By Dylan Bathurst, Ray Morgan and Alex Coleman dur-

ing the first Las Vegas Startup Weekend in June 2011. All three are Zappos alums: Bathurst and Coleman were on front-end development teams, and Morgan was on the mobile-development team.

Photo by Anthony Mair

January 17-23, 2013

Founded: By Rich Belsky in Las Vegas in

What I thInk they do: Rumgr is an app that allows you to put most anything up for sale in seconds, except for animals, weapons, booze, drugs and pornography. (What’s left?) It’s got a snazzy look, too—like the love child of Craigslist and Instagram. You can leaf through it like you’re skimming an online catalog. WIll It become the next Zappos? It could. This is the

Amazon of secondhand trash and treasures. Buying and selling on Rumgr is addictive and fun; it’s like yard-sale shopping without the sticker shock and creepy, muumuu-clad salespeople inviting you into their homes to “come meet Mother.” (For more on Rumgr, see VegasSeven.com/Rumgr.)

TICKET CAKE TicketCake.com Founded: By Joe Henriod, Dylan Jorgensen and Jacqueline

Jensen. It launched in January 2011 as the nightlife ticket supplier to the Sundance Film Festival. The Salt Lake City company moved to Las Vegas last May.

What they say they do: “An online event-management

system with low service fees, great customer service and socialmedia tools to help you sell more tickets.”

What I thInk they do: They’re a true “ticketless” ticket-

ing company with low service fees. We’ve elected presidents for

doing less. Ticket Cake por la vida! Rubbin’ it in Ticketmaster’s

stupid, omnipotent face! Charles Watkins and Alex Coleman on the job at Rumgr WIll It become the next Zappos? The next Ticketmaster, you mean. I hope it will be, but there’s a lot of competition headquarters.

out there: Eventbrite, TicketWeb, Brown Paper Tickets and many other hungry upstarts. We need to have a ticket-broker cage match. But who will sell the tickets?

WEDGIES Wedgies.com Founded: By Jimmy Jacobson, a former Zappos software developer and API advocate, and Porter Haney, formerly a product owner for Salt Lake City-based startup eXperticity, in Las Vegas last summer. What they say they do: “What is a Wedgie? It’s a simple,

tweetable poll with real-time results.”

January 17-23, 2013

simple act of buying and selling.”

What I thInk they do: It’s an online survey tool that’s ridiculously easy to use, and just as fun. In just seconds, you can build a this-against-that poll that you can put on your Facebook, Twitter or Web page. Boxers vs. briefs? Should I stay or should I go? You can make all your decisions with Wedgies.

WIll It become the next Zappos? I’m tempted to make a Wedgie for this question, though I know the answer to my question is “yes.” Social-media add-ons are becoming big business indeed— just look at Instagram and Klout, both of which have raised mountains of money in the past year.

VEGAS SEVEN

What they say they do: “Connect people through the

[ By Deanna Rilling ] “We try to use house grooves and more dancable grooves in the melody of trance music.” ‘lift off!’ {page 42}

Your city after dark, gossip, party pics and

Mark Farina finally gets to play what he wants

thu 17

In case you couldn’t tell by the nearly nude females on this page, the porn convention is in town! And you don’t even need to buy a badge to the Adult Expo to get up close and creepy with your favorite “actresses” of the adult film variety. But unlike most of the nightclub parties, you can catch starlets Inari Vachs and Devon Michaels (2) in various stages of undress at Crazy Horse III, where they’re also resident strippers—er— “performers.” The AVN-award-winning duo, who’ve starred in a combined total of more than 670 films, will host the party, sign autographs and raunchily pose for pictures before shedding their clothes onstage. (3525 W. Russell Road, 10 p.m., CrazyHorse3.com.) Attention boys who like boys and girls who like girls (and their friends who love them, too): Krave Massive is still a ways off from its grand unveiling in Neonopolis, but for those having withdrawal since it departed its original home at the Miracle Mile shops, a popup nightclub at Crown will play host starting tonight and every Friday and Saturday until the megaclub is ready. (In the Rio, 10:30 p.m., KraveLasVegas.com.) For your EDM fix that has nothing to with the AVNs, Dirty South is spinning at Marquee, so update your party planner accordingly. (In the Cosmopolitan, 10 p.m., MarqueeLasVegas.com.) Not only is Dillon Francis credited with bringing moombahton to the masses—which he will do again tonight at Surrender—but you gotta love a guy who doesn’t give a rat’s ass if he pisses off the biggest players in the game. Recent tactics have included convincing numerous people who don’t know shit 4 about electronic music that a pic of Tiësto is, in fact, Francis’ press shot. (In Encore, 10:30 p.m., SurrenderNightclub.com.)

Porn, porn and more porn. One of the few adult film stars to achieve household-name status, Vegas’ own Jenna Jameson (3), hosts the party at Tabú. (In the MGM Grand, 10 p.m., MGMGrand.com.) Over at 1 Oak, the official AVN afterparty will be hosted by Asa Akira and Jesse Jane. (In The Mirage, 10:30 p.m., LightGroup.com.) In other news of people who live their lives in front of a camera, DJ Pauly D is back in Las Vegas, and begins his new residency at Haze. (In Aria, 10:30 p.m., LightGroup.com.) On the wild and crazy front, Donald Glaude will bring a high-energy, electronicmusic punch to the dance floor at Body English. (In Hard Rock Hotel, 10 p.m., HardRockHotel.com.)

Sun 20 3

Munch away during the Burning Angel Brunch at Rattlecan where fans can dine and drool over Joanna Angel (4), Jessie Lee and Kleio while grubbing on dishes by chef Sammy D. (In the Venetian, noon, RattleCanLV.com.) In keeping with the AVN theme, prepare to get wet and sticky during Champagne Showers at the Bank. Largest group gets $5,000, and raincoats are probably a good wardrobe choice. (In Bellagio, 10:30 p.m., LightGroup. com.) Alter Ego, the Sunday night industry party at SHe, welcomes Butch (a.k.a. Henry Cote from Bomb Hair) as he hosts the night and takes on a “Kill the DJ” theme, channeling the hair bands of the ’80s. (In Crystals at Aria, 10 p.m., SHe-LV.com.)

Mon 21 One DJ spinning in Las Vegas this week who has also had his brush with the adult industry (and not because he was dating a stripper) is Lil Jon. But all we care about is that the hip-hop staple is DJing at XS. (In Encore, 11 p.m., XSLasVegas.com.)

tue 22 In non-porn party news (sorry to disappoint), the Young Rapscallions, featuring Chris Mintz-Plasse from Superbad (i.e. McLovin) will perform for Nickel F---ing Beer Night. (Never count out the nerds, though; remember Dustin Diamond, a.k.a. Screech from Saved by the Bell, made an adult video, much to everyone’s dismay?) Role Models and KickAss are also on the bill. (At Beauty Bar, 9 p.m., Facebook.com/VegasNickelBeers.)

Wed 23 It’s safe to say we’re done with the AVN events and have moved on to “Snapbacks & Tattoos.” The rapper behind the song of the same name, Driicky Graham, performs at LAX. (In Luxor, 10 p.m., AngelMG.com.)

January 17-23, 2013

fri 18

37 VEGAS SEVEN

Wine-down the week at Hyde for the new monthly event, Vino Thursdays, launching this evening. The complimentary wine tasting also features a performance from American Idol Season 11 contestant Mahi Crabbe from 7 to 9 p.m. (In Bellagio, HydeBellagio.com.) Show some support for local outfit Juice (1) on the first of three nights headlining Chandelier. The group comprised of musicians Joey Pero, Michael Spadoni, Will Leahy and Carl Collins puts their spin and mash-up style on familiar favorites thanks to a collaboration with the First Friday Foundation. (In the Cosmopolitan, 8 p.m., 9:05 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., CosmopolitanLasVegas.com.)

Sat 19

nightlife

Britney rumor wheel spins into high gear again It seems like just yesterday—or at least, just 2008—since it was all but a sure thing that Britney Spears was going to be a headlining resident at the Palms. Now five years and one recently quit X Factor gig later, published reports have Brit gearing up to become a headliner at Caesars where, presumably, she’d pair with a cantankerous, threedays-from-retirement Celine Dion as they take on a shadowy group of heroin smugglers. … Chad Johnson, nee Chad Ochocinco (nee … Chad Johnson) doesn’t need any fancy nightclubs when he comes to town. He was doing it oldest of schools January 14 when he was rollerskating at Crystal Palace. … Haze has added a second 2013 resident, following on the heels of its Pauly D announcement, with T-Pain firing up a bimonthly House of Pain residency beginning January 26.

January 17-23, 2013

CES Delivers Headphone Bounty

VEGAS SEVEN

If CES were a high school cafeteria (bear with us here), then you’d want to mosey over to where the sexy, cheerleaderish headphones were sitting. Because the headphones’ varsity football-player boyfriends in this admittedly tortured metaphor are all sorts of celebrities— and their big parents-out-of-town weekend keggers (we promise this will be all over soon) are nightclub after-parties. Starting January 8, the willnever-be-confused-with-anactual-popular-jock Lemmy

celebrated his Motörheadphönes—basically the greatest name for anything in the history of ever—at Girls, Girls, Girls. All things being considered, a Vince Neil-owned strip club is exactly where you’d expect Lemmy to have an after-party. That same night, Skullcandy celebrated its line of ’phones by bringing Wale into Pure to do “Chillin” and his mix of “Rack City.” But does even Wale manage to finagle unnecessary umlauts into those headphones? No. No, he does not. Advantage: Lemmy.

Snooki was at the convention proper January 10 for her Snooki Couture headphones, which include a set of earbuds with dangly earrings coming off them. Because there is apparently no trend so new that Jersey Shore veterans can’t get in and push it straight into sharkjumping territory. The main event came January 10, as Ludacris hosted the Soul Headphones party at Tao, and the man who started it all, Dr. Dre, was at Marquee. The Doctor sent out Rick Ross to handle performance duties, and for half an hour he did it like some sort of entity in charge of other people, while Dre hung back with Jimmy Iovine.

Cheryl Burke.

Burke and company Blow off pageantjudging steam Somewhat less star-studded was this year’s Miss America pageant, January 12 at Planet Hollywood. But the lack of Dr. Dre and Rick Ross didn’t stop judges Cheryl Burke, Bradley Bayou, Sam Champion, Mary Hart, Daymond John, McKayla Maroney and

Katie Stam Irk from hitting up Stoney’s for the official judges’ after-party, along with the winner, Miss New York, Mallory Hagan. Along with designer Bayou and Shark Tank judge John, Burke headed over to XS later in the evening to catch Afrojack. Before the pageant, Maroney—the silver-medal gymnast who captivated an exceptionally bored Internet with her “not impressed” face—brought her parents, brother and sister to a January 11 performance of Zarkana.

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

Dr. Dre and Rick Ross photo by Al Powers; Burke photo by Danny Mahoney

Dr. Dre and Rick Ross.

nightlife

snIffles for snItch, Pure gets gIg-y wIth It, and clubs head to sundance

Imagine That Mark Farina doles out some proper house at Body English By Deanna Rilling

January 17-23, 2013

If 2012 was the year electronic dance music exploded in the U.S., 2013 is quickly shaping up to be the year that newer clubgoers will dig deeper and veterans will come out of the woodwork now that more of the underground DJs are gigging in town. One notable spinner willing to give Las Vegas another chance is Mark Farina, who’ll finally get to do his proper house thing when he commands the dance floor at Body English on January 26. The Chicago-born, San Francisco-based DJ/producer fills us in on when we’ll see his long-awaited Mushroom Jazz 8, important elements of true house music and the beauty of basslines.

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Las Vegas hasn’t always appreciated true house music, but it’s looking like you’ll have more freedom at Body English. Do you have a particular game plan for the night? It’s always a great time at the Hard Rock, and playing for those guys. At the same time, I’ve always known from local house-music friends that Vegas isn’t a super house-y town. I know there’s the transient Vegas crowd, and then there’s local heads that might be more into a certain vibe. But I’m excited to play. I haven’t chosen my set. I’m just gonna do what I always do. I’ve got a ton of underground house-y goodies and I’m gonna do my San Francisco, Chicago-y, jackin’ thing I would do any other weekend.

Is there any possibility of an eight-hour set since Body English goes into Afterhours as well? Possibly, if that’s an option. I don’t know what the length of my set time is. Doc Martin is on the bill as well—always good to play with him. I’m a DJ who prefers to play longer, so if time’s available, then I will play as long as I can. My best ideal set time is three to four hours. Anything shorter is manageable, but not preferred. If somebody says, “Play longer,” I’m down! You’re one of those rare DJs people still vie to see live based on mixing, set construction, track selection etc., rather than a mass quantity of releases. Do you think that part of

the culture—where someone can just be a really talented DJ who creates a musical journey—will disappear some day? For a new, up-and-coming person, it would be very difficult to come up as just a DJ. Making tracks in this day and age is a strong way to get your foot in the door somewhere. I feel fortunate that I have taken the route where I have limited production release and somehow I’m still known for rocking the party and playing good sets. But, I find that is the minority. I’m still fortunate to be in sort of a category of DJs known for DJing. Your last Mushroom Jazz compilation came out in 2010. Will we hear Mushroom Jazz 8 in 2013? Yes, it’s in the works as we speak with Om Records, and [I’m] working on an April/May release. I also just finished Urban Coyotes, a Coyote Cuts mix, which is a house label out of Detroit. I have my Great Lakes Audio label as well and a string of releases lined up. On Soundcloud I’m always featuring mixes all the time, too. But my podcast I’ve lagged the last few months, because I have a 2�-month-old son. When he gets older do you

think you will teach him how to DJ? Yeah, I’m trying! He likes messing around with the mixer. What should the uninitiated listen for to know it’s legit house music they’re hearing? Basslines are very important. A lot of times, I find that with some of the minimally electro-y stuff, the bass is very simple. I like basslines that are based on a little more soul, a hip-hop-y style of bass that has transferred into house. It doesn’t have to have a vocal, it can be dub-y. I still like hip-house, which is hiphop combined with house. No break or drumroll. No build and epic drop, right? Yeah, no dramatic drops—I mean, there can be a breakdown into nothing, but it’s not about a big, repeated drumroll that’s gonna lead into some whooshing whatever. Avoid ‘whooshing’ breakdowns for proper house; nothing can ruin an attempt at a good house sound like a big, prolonged 16-bars snare drumroll that dips into triplets, then adds wind and storms and explodes. It’s more about a continuous, subtle vibe that keeps going, layering those sounds.

For more, including the real story behind the “you’re too house-y” Vegas gig, visit VegasSeven.com/MarkFarina.

A New Year means updates for the Las Vegas party scene, including some hellos and goodbyes. First up, we bid a fond farewell to Snitch at Ghostbar. January 30 marks the final night for the party that’s been going since 2010. In honor of the finale, the OG DJ crew of DJ88, M!keAttack and Dave Fogg are on hand. But all is not lost: A new ladies night will launch sometime in March. Also new to nightlife, Pure dips into early-hour entertainment Mondays through Thursdays starting at 5 p.m. in the Lounge (the former Pussycat Doll Lounge space). Singer/songwriter Suzie McNeil will hold a residency for the month with a mix of favorite covers and originals, plus an audience segment with a rock-star karaoke twist. The Pure Lounge opens at 5 p.m. with the entertainment starting at 8 p.m. (9 p.m. on Tuesdays). Those fortunate enough to get away from all the neon— but who still long for the vibrancy of Las Vegas nightlife—will rejoice in the knowledge that both Wynn Resorts and Tao Group are heading to the annual Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. First up, Encore Beach Club, Surrender, Tryst and XS, will transform concert venue Park City Live into a club experience January 17-21, with DJ sets from Nero, Afrojack, Cedric Gervais and more over the course of the weekend. And for its eighth year on the mountain, Tao Group descends upon the film festival, once again creating an underground club at the Village at the Lift, with talent including DJs Vice, Politik and a performance by Nas. – Deanna Rilling

nightlife

Quite the tongue-twister: Willem van Hanegem (left) and Ward van der Harst.

Trance has been around for ages and is largely embraced by European clubgoers. How does W&W go about attracting a wider American audience that generally prefer commercial house? Trance is getting more popular right now in the U.S., which is a very good thing, and you can see that in big festivals as well. But the trance that’s getting more popular is the newschool trance the younger guys are doing. The older [style of] trance is having a little bit more of a hard time in the U.S. House music has become so big, but people are going to search for more in other genres. They are hungry for more music.

January 17-23, 2013

What is the key to making legit trance tracks these days without sounding dated, but still preserving the spirit of the music? It’s very important that we use a slightly slower BPM [beats per minute], which allows more space in between the beats for a groove. Because a groove is not something you find a lot in trance. We try to use house grooves and more danceable grooves in the melody of trance music. That’s one of the key elements that makes our kind of trance music a little bit different than the older trance music.

VEGAS SEVEN

‘Lift Off!’

Dutch duo W&W makes an Impact on the trance world By Deanna Rilling

These days, Trance music isn’t just about banging it out at 138 beats-per-minute (not that we mind), nor does it make American clubbers wrinkle their noses and go running off looking for commercial house anymore, either. Dutch import W&W, a.k.a. 24-year-olds Ward van der Harst and Willem van Hanegem, are producers helping the cause, with massive support from the trance messiah himself, Armin van Buuren. Thanks to their double album Impact, as well as Beatport chart-topping track “Lift Off!,” W&W’s fan base continues to grow. Catch them next at Marquee on January 26. Meanwhile, van der Harst fills us in on the rise of W&W and what’s next.

Legend has it that you and Willem had “a chance meeting at Trance Energy,” but what exactly does that mean? Did one of you drop a glow stick and the other pick it up? Were you standing in line for the restroom together? We were on this program called Windows Live Messenger, and all the small producers would chat and send each other music. But we didn’t actually meet each other [in person]. At a certain point we were all going to this event called Trance Energy—which doesn’t exist anymore—but we ended up having a [meet-up] with a lot of young producers there. That’s where we met each other for the first time. But we didn’t actually produce anything together for the first six, seven months. We just started to hang out and party. We were both producing our own stuff, but felt like maybe we could do something

together—and that first track [“Mustang”] was actually the best track that we ever did. We sent it to Armin, he played it on his radio show, agreed to sign us to his label and that’s how we got started. Before you two teamed up, how did you fill your days to support your production habit and did you study music at all? Willem was studying economics. I had some shitty job actually, so I was lucky to do this! My dad is a guitar builder, and that side of the family is very musical, so I kind of got into music because of that. But it’s not that I can read [music] notes and stuff, so it doesn’t really go to a very high level in terms of musical education. W&W has collaborated with Ummet Ozcan for an as-yetuntitled single. Is that coming out soon? It’s a collaboration coming up on Hardwell’s Revealed Recordings label in the next month. It’s sought after a lot, and we play it in our sets every time and it’s going off. We’re looking forward to releasing it. You’ve played Las Vegas a few times. From a Dutch perspective, what are your impressions? The first time we actually got to Vegas was last year during [Electric Daisy Carnival]. We were supposed to play there, but the whole sandstorm thing ruined it for us. We still had a great time, and went to Marquee to see Armin play. That was the first time we went to Marquee as well—amazing club. First time we played there, I liked it a lot, so I’m looking forward to playing there again in January. Do you think W&W will get an Electric Daisy do-over? It’s up to Insomniac [Events; operators of EDC]. They decide. But we would love to play there. How about an official residency here in Las Vegas for 2013? That is a possibility; I’m not sure, though. That’s all the stuff that our agency does. We just get the news when it’s all done. Maybe we have to [prove we can] play good first. [Laughs.]

nightlife

parties

vanity

Hard Rock Hotel [ Upcoming ]

VEGAS SEVEN

See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com

Photography by Hew Burney

January 17-23, 2013

Jan. 17 Girls Gone Wild AVN After-Party Jan. 18 Digital Playground AVN After-Party Jan. 19 Wicked Pictures AVN After-Party

nightlife

parties

1 OaK

The Mirage [ Upcoming ]

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See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com

Photography by Gabe Zapata and Josh Metz

January 17-23, 2013

Jan. 19 Official AVN After-Party with Asa Akira and Jesse Jane Jan. 22 Eli Pacino’s birthday celebration Jan. 24 Haute Thursdays

nightlife

parties

Moon

The Palms [ Upcoming ]

VEGAS SEVEN

See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com

Photography by Bobby Jameidar

January 17-23, 2013

Jan. 18 M!keAttack Fridays with DJ M!keAttack Jan. 19 Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas spins Jan. 22 Exodus spins

dining

“I like to think of it as Grandma’s cooking—wholesome, comfort food, but taking it to another level by doing it healthier.” A convenienT TruTh {pAge 64}

Reviews, Diner's Notebook and fruity spiked floats hit the Spot

Lured back to the Strip, chef Joe Elevado’s vibe-y new pre/post is both trendy and on-trend By Max Jacobson

Wynn Resorts continues with the nightclub-adjacent Andrea’s (pronounced Ahn-DRAYuhs, please), an airy, creamand-gold space with windows that open to neighboring Surrender Nightclub. The ceiling is studded with geometric rows of crystal teardrops. The dining room is geared toward and filled with beautiful people, here to party and enjoy the modernist Asian fare by executive chef Elevado. Their next stop is likely to be Surrender.

Perhaps the best tables in here are a series of private booths couched behind “doors” composed of shimmering metal beads, which run along the perimeter of the mezzanine wall. In luring Elevado back from Los Angeles, Wynn Resorts has officially become part of the “turning Japanese” phenomenon currently under way in Las Vegas. The master himself, Nobu Mat-

[ Continued on Page 62 ]

61 VEGAS SEVEN

Photo by Barbara Kraft

The Eyes Have It

The sensuous, color-shifTing

eyes flashing over the bar at Andrea’s, the new Asian fusion restaurant at Encore, belong to Steve Wynn’s wife, Andrea, taken from a photograph by local shutterbug Denise Truscello. Indeed, everything about this build-out, from chic décor by Todd-Avery Lenahan to the Japanese-anchored menu by Nobu alum Joe Elevado, is an eye-opener. It’s hard to remember this room was once Switch. The nightlife-ification of

January 17-23, 2013

Andrea Wynn surveys the dining room.

Dining

[ Continued from Page 61 ]

Chef Elevado’s Japanese Kobe rib cap and shishito peppers (below).

Max’s Menu picks

January 17-23, 2013

Shishito peppers, $10. Hamachi sashimi, $20. Spicy pork ragu noodles, $23. Whole crispy fish, $42. Japanese Kobe rib cap, $65.

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suhisa, is about to open his own tower at Caesars Palace. Meanwhile, in Chinatown, there is a seemingly endless parade of new sushi bars and ramen houses. So don’t be surprised to see a full menu of sushi, sashimi and esoteric hand and cut rolls that you couldn’t find in Tokyo with a divining rod. Nobu may be the chef who made Japanese a global cuisine, but he developed his unique style in Lima, Peru, so it’s not surprising that Elevado, a Nobu disciple, is largely following suit. Well, not altogether. I loved his take on shishito

peppers, served warm in a small pot with a sprinkling of beaded arare rice crackers and a delectable mustard miso. And his Kumamoto oysters—laced with smoky ponzu gelée, Indonesian sambal (chili sauce) and spring onion— stand proudly alongside the oyster dishes at Sage and Guy Savoy, as the Strip’s best. Two rolls I tried—one, a combination of wagyu beef and lobster (steep at $36, and to my view, mostly a gimmick), the other a rolled cucumber with yellowtail and albacore miso cleverly crammed inside—were both fine, but a hamachi (farmed yel-

lowtail) sashimi crispy fish (an oddity in a took the prize, tomato and egg broth), is made with similar to sinigang, a Filicrispy garlic, pino fish dish, except, in cherry peppers, this case, minus the sour cilantro and tang of tamarind. calamantsi soy Sixty-five bucks may sauce. seem a lot for a steak, Are there oth- but this baby is a Japaer touches from nese Kobe rib cap, and Elevado’s native worth the indulgence. Philippines, And I’ll have to return for such as the calamantsi soy, Elevado’s five-spice garlic on Andrea’s eclectic, pan- lobster, served with long Asian menu? Not many. beans. I saw it on an adjaBut there are dim sum, cent table, and it looked such as limp, pan-fried and smelled great. scallion pancakes, crispy Make sure to get a pork pot stickers and cocktail such as the Asian even Gardein chicken Pear, created for the shumai, for those of you room by top-notch Wynn towing the vegan line like Resorts mixologist Patricia the eponymous Richards. DesAndrea. serts are rarely a andrea’s Many Asian strong suit in an bases are Asian restauIn Encore, covered here, rant, but there 770-3463. Open though. Tom kha is a nice display 5:30 p.m.-10:30 gai, a creamy of exotic ice p.m. Sun-Thu, coconut-ginger creams, in tiny 5:30 p.m.-2 chicken soup, cones, on a treea.m. Fri-Sat. is distinctly like contraption. Dinner for two, Thai. One could Just go $79-$185. argue that the easy—Andrea is chef’s whole watching.

New Orleans-bred chef Carlos Guia, who opened the late, lamented Commander’s Palace at the Aladdin (now Planet Hollywood), is adept at all things Cajun and Creole. He makes the best gumbo in town, not to mention shrimp étouffée, incredible beignets, and specials such as pheasantand-foie gras potpie just before Mardi Gras at the Country Club in Wynn (770-3463). In other words, right now through the first two weeks of February. This dish is a must for any lover of New Orleans cooking. Picture a perfect pastry hat concealing a rich, creamy filling stocked with chunks of gamy pheasant and slabs of duck foie gras complemented by vegetables. A light field-green salad is served on the side, to lessen the indulgence. Speaking of indulgence, I ate in two of my favorite local Chinese restaurants last week, and was delighted to find that both had improved considerably since my last visits. Yunnan Garden at 3934 Schiff Drive (8698885), an alley that runs off Valley View Boulevard, and is a bit hard to spot. It’s home to some of the spiciest Chinese cooking in town: cucumber salad laced with ma la peppers, wontons in an incendiary red broth, and whole fish in a Szechuan chili sauce that causes beads of sweat to drip down my shirt. If you want a less challenging item, try the smoked duck, which the server will probably say you won’t like. You will. There’s even better news for Chinese food lovers living on the southeast side. East Ocean (9570 S. Eastern Ave., 567-4800) has a new owner, a team of new chefs, and dim sum that still rivals any in Las Vegas. This huge place is the only authentic Cantonese restaurant in these parts, you know—live fish tanks, rolling carts and all the Chinatown-style bells and whistles. The siu loong bao (“little basket dumplings,” or juicy pork-filled dumplings to you, fella) come in little aluminum foil cups, so the juice won’t spill onto the plate when you bite in. I sampled chicken and salted egg porridge, sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves, spare ribs in black bean sauce and at least four other dishes, and each one was exemplary. In other news, Castle Walk Food Court at Excalibur, a 20,000-square-foot space, has gotten a makeover. A few of the new options include Krispy Kreme Donuts, Pick Up Stix and Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen, which serves fried chicken as good as any I know about (and that includes ones sold for five times the price by celebrity chefs.) Finally, let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope owner Chris Herrin finds a way to keep Henderson’s Bread & Butter open. It’s rumored he’s going to either close it or make it a retail bakery. We needs places like his in this breakfast-challenged burg. Hungry, yet? Follow Max Jacobson’s latest epicurean observations, reviews and tips at VegasSeven.com/blogs.

Photos by Checko Salgado

crave-worthy creole, hot chinese, and a food court do-over

A Convenient Truth

New business aims to help Las Vegans squeeze a little more healthful eating into their hectic Las Vegas lifestyle

January 17-23, 2013

By Brittany Brussell

VEGAS SEVEN

salubrious sWaps While words such as “fried” or “super-size” may be part of your daily meal repertoire, consider swapping out a typically gluttonous standby with one of the My Healthy Meal’s healthful revamps.

Breakfast To reduce cholesterol, the Southwest Scramble is made with egg whites, lean ground turkey and veggies such as tomatoes and broccoli.

Lunch Quinoa macaroni boost the protein and fiber content of Bailey’s Mac and Cheese, topped with a low-calorie sauce made from carrots, reduced-fat cheddar cheese and Greek yogurt.

snack For a convenient nosh on a stick, chicken satay is made from skinless chicken breasts and served with a mint tzatziki dip of red onions, cucumbers, garlic and Greek yogurt.

➧ When i Was a child, my mother would sneak extra vegetables into her lasagna; I wasn’t fooled, but I didn’t object. It was delicious either way. Since then, little has changed. Without Mom’s charming subterfuge, figuring out what to eat is routinely determined by whatever is at hand, never mind if it’s good for me. Here with a better option is My Healthy Meal, now open in Summerlin. Owner Candace Bailey is the model of someone always on the run. As an entrepreneur and avid participant in triathlons including the Ironman, she had trouble balancing work with her exercise routine and eating healthy. After researching various avenues to accommodate her busy schedule that included preparing sample meals for an entire week and seeking nutritious fare when dining out, she decided to do it her way. “The idea was that it had to be simple,” Bailey says, “and address the biggest obstacle: time.” My Healthy Meal (10220 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 2, MyHealthyMeal.com) creates 100 percent organic, portioncontrolled, packaged meals— breakfast, lunch, dinner or something in between—that cater to an individual’s lifestyle rather than dictating it. For the most time-strapped customers, selections are available for advance ordering. And requests for glutenfree, vegetarian, vegan, raw, low-calorie and high-protein meals are not treated as inconveniences, either. The space is outfitted in earth tones, and the vibe is casual and upbeat. A board created by Bailey lists the “10 Commandments” to a healthy

Dinner The turkey tacos (pictured) are filled with ground turkey, quinoa and a generous dose of tomatoes, corn and roasted pasilla peppers.

Dessert Black beans, baking cocoa, quick oats, agave and vanilla mimic the taste and texture of Bailey’s Black-Bean Brownies, which with every bite feel every bit as indulgent as they should be.

and happy life. Framed quotes scattered throughout espouse positive thinking, eating and living. Tables overflow with baked goods such as banana bread protein muffins, toasted coconut cookies and pumpkin crunch trail mix. Refrigerated coolers divide meals into categories: breakfast; entrées; and raw/ snacks/a la carte. Seats and microwaves are available for those who wish to eat on-site. Tasked with combining health and convenience into those neat little packages is executive chef Gene Villiatora, who credits his Hawaiian roots, experience at Roy’s and Tao and an appearance on Top Chef: New York with helping him create the menu. “I like to think of it as Grandma’s cooking—wholesome, comfort food, but taking it to another level by doing it healthier,” Villiatora says. Like Mom with her stealth health method, Villiatora also has some tricks up his sleeves: mashed potatoes are infused with pureed cauliflower to cut carbs; agave nectar and honey serve as natural sweeteners and homemade chicken broth replaces the store-bought variety to reduce sodium. Even the meaty flavor adding depth to certain dishes comes from turkey, not beef. Since maintaining a nutrition plan can be “technical and intimidating,” Bailey says, she devised an easy-to-follow system: All of the meals are labeled with facts calculated using the USDA’s database on the nutritional content of foods. There is also a nutritionist on hand to assist customers in mapping out manageable regimes in line with their specific goals and dietary needs. I might just have to start calling her Mom.

Photo by Anthony Mair

dining

profile

Dining

drinking

A Parade of Floats

January 17-23, 2013

The appeal of Town Square’s Meatball Spot is undeniable—pizza, salads and juicy meatballs any way you like ’em. And while the kiddies and ’tweens may enjoy the close proximity of a movie theater flanked by a candy shop and two fro-yo places, adults might prefer a babysitter and the proximity of Meatball Spot’s bar. Here, big kids (the over-21 variety) can channel their youth with spiked floats in familiar, com-

VEGAS SEVEN

From left: grape, orange and strawberry. Find all four spiked float recipes at VegasSeven.com/Cocktail-Culture.

forting flavors that recall visits to the soda shop: grape, orange, strawberry and root beer ($9). Bar consultant Ken Hall specializes in creating cocktails for high-volume venues and has a knack for adapting sweets and desserts into cocktails. For his lineup of spiked floats, Hall substituted heavy whipping cream for ice cream, and used premium vodka, rum and liqueurs to usher a childhood treat into adulthood.

[ Scene StirS ]

The palms geTs a liTTle more social, and money plays caTches The spiriT Hot on the heels of the late-December opening of Scarlet, the Palms’ micro-bar next to N9NE Steakhouse, the property is poised to welcome Social to the scene. Slated for a January 25 opening, the revamped center bar will focus primarily on whiskey. More than 30 varieties will be available in flights and whiskey-based cocktails, including a barrelaged cocktail program. Before you go all-in on a particularly spendy or unfamiliar sip, Social bartenders will happily pour you a sample. Programming will include a sort of whiskey social club, meet-ups arranged around visiting whiskey dignitaries such as brand ambassadors and master distillers. Social arrives at a great time in the Las Vegas mixology scene, with 2012 being a year that welcomed the Venetian’s Bourbon Room to the small cadre of whiskey-centric bars that already included Delmonico Steakhouse, Craftsteak, Casa Fuente and, of course, the Whisky Attic. This year, it seems, will continue the trend of hyper-focused watering holes—the new VDKA bar at Encore and Light Group’s recently revamped Red Square come to mind—as well as that of casinos opening micro-bars such as the Palms’ Scarlet, but also the Cosmopolitan’s Talon Club and the Ainsworth at the Hard Rock Hotel. Meanwhile, just west of the Palms, Money Plays, a venerable blue-collar watering hole known for its burgeoning beer program and friendly atmosphere, has gotten a little friendlier. “Yes, it is official,” owner Stanley Henderson says, “Money Plays has its liquor license.” The bar that had been subsisting on a limited license (beer, wine, liqueurs and low-alcohol spirits) because of all kinds of red tape is now able to serve full-strength liquor, and the list is growing. “We are thrilled with the opportunity to offer more to our customers and operate without previous limitations,” Henderson says. “We are extremely thankful for those involved who helped the process move forward and probably save a local business. Now, instead of explaining why we don’t have a certain product, we can happily provide service with a smile.” The first order served? A shot of Crown Royal. For more scene stirrings and shake-ups, visit VegasSeven.com/Cocktail-Culture.

A&E

The band artfully moved the crowd to crescendos of entrancing mantras, meditative instrumental interludes, and danceable funk grooves. ConCerts {PAGe 75}

Absinthe’s Green Fairy makes her own melody By Cindi Moon Reed

on this weekdAy morning in the Burlesque Hall of Fame, Melody Sweets looks like a rocker chick with an incongruous interest. Her black-leather jacket contrasts with the feathery pink puff adorning her hair, long dangly earrings and glamorous makeup. As she flits from display to display, a graceful elfin enthusiasm reveals this fan of the art to also be a participant. Sweets pauses at a photo of burlesque legend Dixie Evans. “She’s the cutest thing in the world. She came to Absinthe,

and she was the first one to stand,” says the dancing, singing co-star of the Strip variety show. “I hope I’m like that when I’m older—still with energy and excited about life. Very inspiring.” That is a lifetime away, even if the exact number of years is a mystery (the youthful performer guards her age as jealously as she guards her real name, saying with a wink in her voice that “Mama Sweets” named her Melody and that she is “timeless”). Today, Sweets’ self-guided tour of the small museum in

Downtown’s Emergency Arts ends at the back corner, where there is a glass shadow box displaying a photo of Sweets with matching pasties. The artifact is from a July event where Absinthe co-star Penny Pibbets made a Melody Sweets sock puppet that was inducted into the Burlesque Hall of Fame. Despite her youth, a portrait of Sweets by photographer Henry Horenstein is also in the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

[ Continued on Page 70 ]

January 17-23, 2013

Singer, Songwriter, Stripper

Stage siren Melody Sweets in the karaoke corner of Champagnes Cafe.

69 VEGAS SEVEN

Photo by Bryan Hainer; Hair by Amanda Bevilacqua; Makeup by Natasha Chamberlain

Music, movies, books, concerts and inflatable art

stage

VEGAS SEVEN

Sweets plays the Green Fairy in Absinthe, a role that allows the performer to dance her own way and sing her own songs. It’s a freedom that is largely absent from most production shows, and one that Sweets appreciates: “A lot of the burlesque on the Strip, first of all, is not burlesque—it’s more like bad stripper jazz hands. Or the show was written for someone to come in and play this part. But the fact that I am a burlesque performer, and I’m doing my own thing in the show, makes it so special for me. I love it. I would not take it back for anything.” Sweets, though, who has been with Absinthe since it opened nearly two years ago, isn’t quite sure if she will renew her contract when it expires in October.

The performer is debuting her But Sweets prefers to be first solo album, Burlesque in the the sole captain of her ship. Black, on January 19, and she “The fact that I get to build would like to tour the album something from the ground internationally with up—the concept a “full-on burlesque of the act, the cosabsinthe concert.” Sweets has tumes, you know, already written five everything that Caesars Palace, songs for her second goes along with 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. album and has plans it—it’s so fulfilling,” Wed-Sun, $89to make a new music Sweets says. “I’m a $114, 1-800-745video, her third. You micromanager so 3000, AbsintheVecould envision her I have control over gas.com. ambition propelling everything, and I her to a Dita Von love it that way.” Teese-level of sucThis desire for cess. But for now, she is content independence and control with an elaborate midnight likely comes, in part, from release party in the Absinthe tent her tumultuous upbringing. and the hope of hitting the West From about the age of 6, Sweets Coast on her nights off, Monday lived in foster care, bouncing and Tuesday. between California, where she Such big dreams would was born, and the East Coast— seem to require a big staff. Philadelphia, South Jersey. Her

guardians forbade singing, and she started working at 16 in order to “do anything but live in foster homes.” However, many of the memories Sweets does have of her family involve music. Her father was a rock ’n’ roll drummer, and he would “play the drums on anything in his path, including your head if you were in his way.” Sweets says that her first words were probably lyrics to the Rolling Stones’ song “Start Me Up.” A few years ago, Sweets found out that her musical heritage runs even deeper: Her grandmother was an opera singer in Italy, and her great-grandparents were in a band together. About 10 years ago, Sweets moved to New York City to make it in the arts. Despite having no formal dance training beyond age 10, Sweets aspired to be a dancer. She moved on to drumming when she realized that dancers didn’t get a voice. Then she moved on to lead singing when she realized that drummers had to sit in the back. She was struggling to make it in a rock band, when a friend asked her to perform in a burlesque show. Sweets wrote the song “Slice of Heaven,” which she now performs in Absinthe, dressed as “Elvira’s dominatrix twin sister” and sliced off pieces of her costume as she sang. Soon, “Melody Sweets was paying my bills.” The band broke up due to artistic differences, and Sweets became a full-time burlesque performer. “At first it was a hustle. I would have to book three or four shows a night. In New York, you don’t have a car so you’re literally going down the street and the subways with these huge containers of costumes. I definitely did it because I loved it. There’s no other way anyone would do that. But I also loved the hustle,” says the girl whose rock band-era nickname was “Scrappy.” “To know that I was doing something off the grid that I didn’t know anyone else to be doing—you know, writing their own songs, doing burlesque—it was thrilling for me. I definitely felt like I was creating my own path.” That path brought Sweets to Las Vegas, a place she imagined to be temporary. She refused to buy a car for the

Soundtrack to StripteaSe Burlesque in the Black can certainly stand alone. The 13 songs have catchy hooks and offer a lively listen. But listening is only half the experience. Sweets wrote or co-wrote every song (with the exception of “Taboo,” a Peggy Lee cover) to go alongside individual burlesque acts. For her release party, Sweets plans at least six costume changes with the intriguing caveat, “We’ll see how this goes. I might just do the whole thing naked.” At this party, she will also debut the music video of her Bollywoodstyle song, “Love Bite,” in which she starred and produced. The debut album boasts such a wide variety of styles that the uniting factor is their seductive dance-ability … and the regular appearance of brass instruments. “Slice of Heaven,” her most recognizable single, is classic burlesque, with a smoky, velvet, plush lounge feel. “VooDoo You” is dark, cinematic and enchanting. “Shoot ’em Up” sounds like a jazz-infused spaghetti Western. “Love Digitale” is futuristic, and “As Good As It Gets” could pass for the soundtrack to Boardwalk Empire. These melodies take your inhibitions and twist them around Sweets’ finger. They open up possibilities that have long fallen dormant in the naked cynicism of Las Vegas. These are songs to take your clothes off to … but slowly. – C.M.R. Album release party in the Absinthe tent at Caesars Palace, featuring the Absinthe Vegas boys, midnight Jan. 19 (doors at 11:30 p.m.), $20 ($12 advance), MelodySweets.com.

first year and a half, but now she is considering buying a house here. On her way out of the Burlesque Hall of Fame, Sweets stops in front of the postcards. She admires a photo of a burlesque dancer in a sort of ass-less jumpsuit, saying that she wishes she could try that costume. The executive director responds that the museum is trying to acquire that piece, but the process has been delayed. Maybe, if Las Vegas is lucky, Sweets will still be here when it arrives.

Photo by Bryan Hainer; Hair by Amanda Bevilacqua; Makeup by Natasha Chamberlain

January 17-23, 2013

A&E

[ Continued from Page 69 ]

A&E

Music

ElEctronicorE, lycanthropy and sMooth-MEtal

The über-talented Brady, Cohen, Tortora, Waetzig, Lederer and Pickett.

Not a Jam Band Local musicians Überschall team up with legendary drummer Terry Bozzio

January 17-23, 2013

By Deanna Rilling

VEGAS SEVEN

an indiE collEgE coffee shop. The ultimate dive bar. And now the shining performing-arts epicenter of Las Vegas. After nearly 12 years, the musicians of Überschall are still going with their unique brand of improvisational grooves ranging from jazzy intonations to electronica. Originally forming as a side project of Blue Man Group musicians to break out from their eight-showper-week routine, they’ve become a Double Down Saloon staple the last Sunday of every month. On January 20 they’ll descend upon The Smith Center, with legendary drummer Terry Bozzio joining them as a special guest. With a lineup of Christian Brady, Jordan Cohen, Jeff Tortora, Todd Waetzig, Elvis Lederer and “Wickett” Anthony Pickett, Überschall is comprised of three drummers, bass and two guitarists that take the audience on an ebb and flow of musical waves. Primus’ Tim Alexander and Phil Leavitt of Dada have also played with Überschall. “Jam bands don’t have a vocabulary as deep or as wide as Überschall,” Bozzio says. An inspiration to drummers worldwide, Bozzio rose to prominence with Frank Zappa and Missing Persons. Says Überschall guitarist Lederer, “There are no solos in our shows. ‘Rules of

conversation’ is the best metaphor for it. If everybody ‘talks’ all the time, it’s a mess. If somebody talks all the time and doesn’t let anybody else talk it’s a mess. You have to listen—but sometimes it’s good to interrupt and come in with a new subject or turn it into something else.” Adds Waetzig, “You just have to have a lot of experience of interacting musically, rather than just knowing your part and knowing how to play your instrument. It’s a little bit like jazz, but it doesn’t sound like it. It has a really modern sound and people seem to really gravitate toward it.” Überschall began playing together on the small stage at the now-defunct Café Espresso Roma—a venue the Killers also played before hitting the big time. Lederer booked the Roma gig before he even had a band together. “I went to the Blue Man dressing room, everybody said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it!’ Originally we didn’t have time to rehearse and I had been playing around with the idea of improvisational music.” Their sound (and volume with multiple drummers) quickly outgrew Roma and they moved on to the Double Down, not missing a gig yet (even when Lederer’s baby was born, he still made the second set). “For myself, some of the ideas

that I’ve had or some of the things I’ve played I never would have been able to do if I wasn’t surrounded by these other guys doing what they’re doing,” drummer Tortora says. Fast-forward to The Smith Center gig and Bozzio sitting in with the group. “The fact that we can do it and bring someone in like Terry Bozzio—and definitely due to the fact that he’s Terry Bozzio—we have an understanding of what it takes to play what we think is cool and successful; we’re able to help create an environment for him to flourish,” says drummer/percussionist Cohen, also known for his Sons of Jupiter project and playing with Powerman 5000. Although the Überschall guys have years playing together, Bozzio obviously has the chops to join in. “The first rule is to listen,” Bozzio says. “If you listen and have the intention of being sensitive and sharing, getting your ego out of the way, then you can do this. If you have an agenda, if you’re a musician who is schooled and plays something that is sort of pre-planned, you’re going to have a hard time in improvising. “It’s this situation [in which] the audience doesn’t know what’s going to happen next,” he adds. [They are] being given an exclusive, authentic, one-time-only musical event—a spontaneously created musical event that will never be repeated.” Hmmm … maybe it’d be a good idea to get a ticket to both the 2 and 8 p.m. shows. Überschall with Terry Bozzio, Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Jan. 20, $24-31, 749-2000, TheSmithCenter.com. For the complete Q&A with Bozzio, visit VegasSeven.com/TerryBozzio.

Always a new mashed-up music genre arriving in Las Vegas. This week’s mélange is something called electronicore. Also known as synthcore, it fuses the ferocity of headbanging metal with long passages of electronic dance music. Think Skrillex and Slayer thrown into a sonic blender and you get the basic idea. The Texas band arguably at the forefront of this hybrid is The Browning (pictured), who released a first full-length, Burn This World, on metal label Earache Records in 2011. Songs such as “Dominator” start off sounding like Britney Spears pop before lurching into pit-exploding, double kick-drum-blasting, riff-snapping breakdowns. I’m curious to see if Hot Topic-draped kids turn out for The Browning’s show at Downtown’s The Box Office (1129 S. Casino Center Blvd.) at 5 p.m. January 18. Local sextet Leave This World Blind opens. That same evening at 10 p.m., indie-folk voyager Sea Wolf sails into Beauty Bar. This L.A. band, led by singer Alex Church, snuck an understated, emotionally poignant album called Old World Romance on Dangerbird Records by me in September. Here’s my chance to make amends by telling you how incredible his music sounds. Church constructs unfussy, yet deeply melodic songs with just the right amount of synth flourishes and drum loops. I’m a sucker for vintage buttrock. Which means you might find me loaded when BulletBoys ricochet into Count’s Vamp’d (6750 W. Sahara Ave.) at 9 p.m. January 19. If the sweet phrase “Smooth Up In Ya” doesn’t make your girl/ boyfriend smile, then you should break up with her/him. This L.A. band had a few minor hits such as “Smooth” in the late ’80s, including a cover of soul/funk jam “For the Love of Money.” The only original member performing is vocalist Marq Torien, but his bluesy, hard-rock pipes will make it worth your while. Stone Senate and Shine*Ola are also billed. If that’s too much hair metal, opt for Austin, Texas, punk act Lower Class Brats at LVCS at 9 p.m., January 19. The band released an EP last year called Rock ‘n’ Roll Street Noize that boasts hard-hitting tracks. Also, at 10 p.m. January 20, underground hip-hop duo Cannibal Ox plows into Beauty Bar. Fans have been waiting more than a decade for a follow-up to 2001’s The Cold Vein. A sophomore disc isn’t out yet, but here’s a chance to hear material from an album rumored to be coming this year. You releasing an album? Email Jarret_Keene@Yahoo.com.

music

cD REViEWs By Andreas Hale Anthemic RAp

A$AP Rocky, LongLiveA$AP (Sony) The hype around Harlem’s A$AP Rocky has been enormous heading into his debut album, and meeting fan demand figured to be daunting. With that, LongLiveA$AP is a strong debut that will likely please his rabid fans. Unlike other cult-rap icons, there is no insightfulness to A$AP Rocky so you better understand him. His draw is his pompous anthems with magnetic appeal. His braggadocio throbs on the shit-talking “LVL” and trunk-rattling “Goldie.” The Drake, 2 Chainz- and Kendrick Lamar-assisted “Fucking Problems” takes arrogance to another level. The album falls into several stale pockets, however, where everything sounds the same. But aside from those minor hiccups, LongLiveA$AP proves to be a successful debut. ★★★✩✩

2. Black Veil Brides, Wretched & Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones 3. Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d city 4. The Game, Jesus Piece 5. Mumford & Sons, Babel 6. Hollywood Undead, Notes From the Underground 7. 2 Chainz, Based on a T.R.U. Story 8. Imagine Dragons, Night Visions 9. T.I., Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Head 10. Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox According to sales at Zia Record Exchange on 4503 W. Sahara Ave., Jan. 7-13.

Wale, Folarin (Maybach Music Group) Since signing to Maybach Music Group, the clever DMV wordsmith knows how to make music for everyone. He keeps it sexy for the ladies (“Bad”), rowdy for the fellas (“Flat Out”) and reminds doubters of his lyrical prowess (“Georgetown Press”). The Scarface collaboration, “Limitless” and the Nottz-produced “Skool Daze” find Wale at his most introspective and prove that even though he can make the club jump, he’s most comfortable crafting insightful narratives. If there’s a knock on Folarin it’s that it shifts gears so suddenly that you can never ease into listening. Other than that, it’s another victory lap for Wale as his star rises. ★★★★✩

StReet RAp

T.I., Trouble Man: Heavy is The Head (Atlantic) Although T.I. has become more like Bill Cosby thanks to his hit reality series, his eighth studio album comes as a reminder that Clifford Harris still has his ghetto pass. On Trouble Man, T.I. often tries to be like the T.I. of old. It works on the trash-talking “Addresses” and the defiant “Trap Back Jumpin.” However, when he takes a stab at a Top 40 hit, T.I. falters. The half-singing rhymes on “Cruisin’” and the effort to tear the club up on the Lil Wayne-assisted “Ball” fall flat. All is redeemed when he rhymes alongside Andre 3000 on “Sorry,” where they half-heartedly apologize for not pleasing everyone. Eight albums down and T.I. isn’t going anywhere. ★★★✩✩

Disc scan

Upcoming albums on Andreas’ radar ... FeB. 5: Joe Budden steps out of reality TV with No Love Lost and chances are there will be more ears listening than ever before. FeB. 12: LL cool J drops Authentic Hip Hop, but is he still capable of creating raw raps? We’ll find out.

January 17-23, 2013

1. Dropkick Murphys, Signed & Sealed in Blood

hip-hop

73 VEGAS SEVEN

What WE’RE Buying

a&e

concerts

the Jennifer Keith Quintet

Chandelier Bar at the Cosmopolitan, Jan. 12 This band’s residency is classing up an already-classy joint. On this night, the Southern California import com-

manded attention: Every seat around the bar was taken, and onlookers stood well into the casino floor. Looking like a pinup doll in a luscious red cocktail dress, Keith exuded an elegance bordering on fragility. However, when she belted out a variety of retro material, she revealed a surprisingly husky and powerful voice. Keith’s sound is reminiscent

of glamorous yet earthy singers Rosemary Clooney and Keely Smith. Her poise and energy level through four 45-minute sets were admirable, as she seemed to come alive as the midnight hour approached, shimmying between stanzas of Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes.” The band, including Royal Crown Revue co-founder Mando Dorame

on tenor saxophone, added some interesting new choices to familiar standards. They also had some standout moments the few times Keith would take a “break” to stroll about the lounge area and greet guests. Their rendition of Bill Doggett’s “Honky Tonk” demonstrated how these boys could rock as well as swing. At one point, couples

were dancing in front of the stage. This combination of old-school sounds with a dynamic lounge setting is a winning one. ★★★★✩ – Danny Axelrod Keith returns to the Cosmopolitan Feb. 19-24 and March 21-24. Go to JenniferKeith.com or CosmpolitanLasVegas.com for more information.

War Paint

VEGAS SEVEN

Hip-hop group War Paint rocked the stage and fed their local movement with political anger and smoke sessions. The performers—Matt West, Jamie B., Klopse and Kay-O—brought heavy lyricism … and a heavy aroma of marijuana. “Robbery,” featuring special guests Quez and Donnie Menace, shocked the audience with the passionate lyrics of “taking what others have by force.” It motivated some of the more nervous attendees to tighten their grips on their wallets and purses. But hardcore fans rhymed each lyric word-for-word along with the MCs, who were positioned near the front of the stage. Other rhyme-along cuts, including “I’m on One” and “End Like This,” kept the energy and excitement of the place high with enthusiastic rhyme solos and heavy baselines. Highlighted by “Intoxicated,” War Paint gave an enjoyable performance, which relaxed many of the nervous attendees and had them singing along to the infectious chorus. The anthem represented what the group brought to their current and converted fans by rhyming about how they feel. No more, no less. ★★★✩✩ – Brjden Crewe

Jennifer Keith by Linda Evans; War Paint by Spencer Burton

January 17-23, 2013

LVCS, Jan. 12

Girish

Studio West at the Arts Factory, Jan. 11

Girish by Wayne Posner; Gregg Allman by Edison Graff/Stardust Fallout

How many concerts have you attended where the relaxed, fit people filling in space around you ask whether they’re blocking your view and the featured performer begins by offering you a blessing? So it was at Girish’s kirtan, a groupchanting event, at the Arts Factory. And the music filling this utopian scene? Outstanding. After five December dates in California, Girish began the 2013 phase of his Diamonds in the Sun tour with a one-day stop in Las Vegas, in which he said he was surprised to find so many “real people” (translation: yogis). The Santa Cruz-based spiritual music celebrity packed the hangar-like second-floor space of Studio West photography, a more accommodating venue than the first-floor space of Blue Sky Yoga, which hosted the event. With a kitchen at stage left and comfortable couches against the back wall, it had the intimacy of a friend’s house; wood floors allowed for the hourlong, live-music yoga session that preceded the full-blown musical act. The kirtan/concert was exactly as billed—a good balance of call-and-response chanting and band-centered performance. Girish alternated between the harmonium and guitar, accompanied by a drummer, bassist and backup singer, who played various instruments. The band artfully moved the crowd to crescendos of entrancing mantras, meditative instrumental interludes, and danceable funk grooves that got every audience member on his or her feet. Girish showed his jazz roots and world-music erudition just as much as his Sansrit scholarship and devotion to spiritual growth. He blended tracks off his 2010 Diamonds in the Sun recording with better-known singles from Shiva Machine (2006) and Reveal (2004). For the first few bars of the song “Shiva Shambo,” you might have thought you were at a Red Hot Chili Peppers show during “Give It Away”—minus a few thousand people—so enthusiastic was the fan response. Kirtan may not be your thing (for instance: It’s alcohol-free), but if you’re curious, you could have had no better introduction to the genre than this. ★★★✩✩ – Heidi Kyser

AS YET UNSTAINED: I’m sorry. This is a time of year when concert bookings are so disastrously sparse that I’m forced to write about artists whose careers I’ve taken pains to avoid. Case in point is Aaron Lewis, the lead singer of post-grunge outfit Staind, who’s playing two nights of solo shows at the Santa Fe’s Chrome Showroom on January 18 and Red Rock on January 19 ($53-$75.50). When first I heard Staind a little more than 12 years ago I didn’t care for them. And I have no reason to believe I’ll enjoy a show by that band’s lead singer—even if he has taken a hard turn into country music, which is a brave turn for someone who’s sold millions of records in another genre. As I do when I distrust my own judgment, I checked to see what other reviewers are saying about Lewis’ tour, and I found this account of his December 9 Philadelphia show by ConcertBlogger.com writer Mike Sievila: “He went into playing and singing Kermit the Frog’s ‘Rainbow Connection’ … and ended the show reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and going straight into his hit song ‘Country Boy.’” It sounds fun, I guess, but it’s just not my kind of thing. Maybe it’s yours.

GreGG AllmAn

The Pearl at the Palms, Jan. 12 Gregg Allman and his band turned the clock back 40 years with a blend of Southern rock and blues revival. Looking comfortable as ever seated at his Hammond organ, Allman kicked off the show with his solo hit “I’m No Angel”—a pleasant surprise that set the tone. A rendition of the Allman Brothers Band’s “Statesboro Blues” brought the crowd to their feet. Then he hopped up and strapped on a guitar to jam “I Can’t Be Satisfied” off his acclaimed album Low Country Blues. A supremely talented band, including Jay Collins on horns and Scott Sharrard on lead guitar, eloquently tore through Allman Brothers Band classics “Midnight Rider,” “Whipping Post” and “One Way Out.” Midway through the show, Allman hollered, “Y’all can make as much noise as you want. It’s always a pleasure to play in front of those who enjoy this.” The true pleasure was in seeing a living legend still bringing it at 65 years young. ★★★★✩ – Craig Asher Nyman

NEW KID: I’m currently listening to Sir Michael Rocks, one half of the hiphop duo The Cool Kids, who’s scheduled to play at the Hard Rock Café on the Strip on January 19 ($15). I’ve never heard him before now and you know, he ain’t bad. His charm is addictive, and he has a collegiate air about him; he reminds me a bit of Childish Gambino, though his flow doesn’t quite have Donald Glover’s giddy energy. But as I said before, bookings are down right now—and $15 really isn’t a lot of money for a sample of a new flavor. NOW ON SALE: On April 19-20, Jeff Bridges—Bad Blake, Kevin Flynn, The Dude, that fucking Jeff Bridges—is playing shows at the Santa Fe and Red Rock respectively. Will he sing? Will he take photos of the audience? Will he simply sit on the stage in his bathrobe, thoughtfully stroking his beard? I don’t care, and neither should you. Let’s go. Tickets for the two shows run between $45 and $75.50.

reading [ book Jacket ]

Macarthur Fellow’s short-story collection is Funny, sad and ... genius By M. Scott Krause

subjects but unforeseen complications arise during the clinical trials. “My Chivalric Fiasco” is one of the funniest entries here. Ted, a janitor at a medieval theme park, is promoted to pacing guard after witnessing his boss’ indiscretion. As pacing guard, Ted is given a dose of KnightLyfe, which endows him with a heightened sense of morality and compels him to tell the truth (in Olde English, of course). The title story introduces us to Don, a man dying of cancer who decides to kill himself by walking into the icy woods and freezing to death. Along the way, he encounters Robin, who—like so many of the characters in Tenth of December—makes a conscious decision to do good by attempting to save Don. The stories in Tenth of December are clever, inventive and profound. There is humor everywhere, but be warned: Some stories are achingly sad and devastatingly bleak. You read Saunders, and then you start all over again and reread Saunders. Not so much to catch something you missed the first time, but for the sheer enjoyment. ★★★★★

[ librarian loves ]

Selected by Jeanne Goodrich, executive director for the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District. Not nearly as refined as the residents of Downton Abby, the Southern California elite portrayed in Katie Arnoldi’s The Wentworths (Overlook, 2008) provides an equally fascinating look into the lives of the very rich, very duplicitous, very distorted (unfortunately in this milieu, the distortion appears to be the new normal) Wentworth clan and their friends, servants, paramours and nemeses. This book is a black-humored novel of manners, with shifting perspectives deftly presented by Arnoldi. A delectable treat.

January 17-23, 2013

Keep warm with “Book Jacket,” our coolweather reading series by M. Scott Krause.

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If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to read higher quality fiction, consider curling up with Tenth of December (Random House, $26), the new short-story collection from George Saunders. If you don’t know Saunders’ previous work, shame on you. Scores of fine writers publish thoughtful, well-crafted short stories but Saunders sits mostly alone at the top of the heap. It’s not just that Saunders is bright—the MacArthur Foundation awarded him a “Genius Grant” in 2006—it’s that Saunders is doing more than just entertaining. He’s musing on the nature of good and evil; he’s experimenting with language; he’s satirizing everything in sight. For these reasons, Saunders isn’t just a writer. He’s a national treasure. In “Victory Lap,” a high school student witnesses a classmate’s abduction by a knife-wielding rapist and wrestles with whether or not to intervene. The story unfolds in a series of amusing interior monologues (the boy, the girl, the rapist). “Sticks” is a haunting character study about a man who constructs a crucifix out of metal poles and his obsession with dressing it in various outfits: “On Fourth of July, the pole was Uncle Sam, on Veterans Day, a soldier, on Halloween, a ghost.” Over time, the displays become more abstract. “Sticks” is a lesson in economy, just two paragraphs long. Saunders can accomplish more in 19 sentences than most writers can in 400 pages. In “Al Roosten,” a struggling businessman kicks another man’s keys and wallet out of sight at a charity event. Al isn’t an evil person, he’s just drowning in depressing circumstances. “Escape From Spiderhead” takes place in a laboratory where scientists administer designer drugs to a prisoner named Jeff. The drugs make Jeff fall in—and out—of love with two female

A&E

art

Inflatable Boy

Artist Benjamin Entner blows himself up with Ego Sum By Jarret Keene

GivinG new meaninG to the term “pole dancer,” Benjamin Entner’s giant inflatable selfportrait wraps itself around a load-bearing support beam inside the Contemporary Arts Center. In this exhibited artwork, Entner is nude save for tube socks. “I knew my mom would see this,” says the artist, minutes after installing the piece, titled “Colossus,” with the help of a bathroom fan. “So I couldn’t be totally naked.” The piece is so large (42 feet long on its side) and squeezed into the gallery to such a degree

that it’s unrecognizable at first. Then you walk around it to see it’s a human-shaped, air-puffed nylon doll, its details—body hair galore—Sharpie-rendered. “The technique is called scribbling,” Entner says. “I trademarked it.” Indeed, a blend of humor and high art touches every aspect of the New York artist’s Ego Sum—Latin for “I am”— which runs through March 2. Entner created the show’s four pieces in his apartment in Florence, Italy, where he lived the last few years. In Florence, historical statuary can be found

everywhere. The experience of residing in a living museum inspired him to explore the intersection between threedimensional form and twodimensional representation. “For me, surrounded by all the statuary of naked men was like looking in the mirror—identical features and whatnot,” he jokes. He goes on to say that each of the self-sculptures is based on a classical statue, including the “Colossus,” which references the one of Roman emperor Constantine. There’s also 9-foot “Apoxyomenos”

(the Scraper), a reinterpretation of the pose and gesture of the famous mid-classical Greek statue by Lysippos. Here, instead of an Olympic athlete wiping sweat and dust from his body, Entner presents, well, himself. A strategically placed potted fern obstructs our view of the artist’s jewels. “[The Scraper] had a fig leaf placed on him in the 1600s, which is why I placed a fern in front of me,” Entner says. The fern suggestively leans out at the viewer from between the inflatable drawing’s legs. A commentary on how censor-

January 17-23, 2013

On the artScene

VEGAS SEVEN

On January 11, Vegas PBS launched a weekly series called artScene, which focuses on local artists and arts-related stories. The series is part of a 28-station collaboration that, according to a PBS press release, “allows large-market PBS stations to share arts features with one another.” In other words, these Vegas stories are going national, translating into a much bigger audience for our local artists and performers. Says Vegas PBS General Manager Tom Axtell: “We believe this will grow the audience for live performances in Las Vegas and stimulate interest in music, dance and theater among our local community members.” The debut episode is devoted to Cirque du Soleil’s Zarkana, and includes interviews with the creative team. Hosted by UNLV professor Clarence Gilyard, the next dozen episodes will address Vegas music, dance and theater. Expect a look at the Las Vegas Art Museum collection now housed at UNLV and a profile of artist Terry Ritter, whose 50-foot showgirl mural graces the international terminal at McCarran International Airport. ArtScene will also delve into Springs Preserve’s Dia de los Muertos event, where viewers will encounter booth artists Ska Gomez and Dorian Gomez. Tune in to artScene at 9 p.m. Friday evenings. For more info or to see the trailer, visit VegasPBS.org/artScene. – J.K.

Local artist and artScene subject Josie Adams.

ship often enhances attention to what’s ostensibly being obscured? Definitely. “Hermes and the Infant Dionysus,” also 10 feet tall, is based on the Hellenistic piece of the same name by Praxiteles. Instead of a base of Parian marble, the artist perches on a stepladder. He cradles not a god-baby but a mini-Entner in boxer shorts. In sum, from its humor to its historical art references, Ego Sum is a lot to absorb. Every year, CAC receives up to 200 proposals. Clearly, Entner’s is the kind of show that called out for exhibition in Las Vegas. “This show is a way to draw parallels to the Strip and places like Caesars Palace, but it also demonstrates a lot more thinking behind it,” says artist Matthew Couper, who serves on the nonprofit space’s exhibition committee and assisted Entner during the installation. “Instead of the gallery being a cavity or some walls on which to hang art, this show really directs the space and makes you change your perspective on what is being exhibited. It pushes the viewer to engage the art.” “This is only the second time I’ve seen these works,” says Entner, who made them entirely by hand with no Jeff Koons-like staff to do the hard stuff for him. Who needs an army of hired helpers, though, for packing and unpacking balloon figures? “Exhibiting with inflatables is easy. You just roll them up and put them in a box.” Ego Sum by Benjamin Entner, Contemporary Arts Center in the Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite 120, through March 2, 382-3886, LasVegasCAC.org.

stage

drama of male-stripping is stripped from stripped the play

STRIP POSTSCRIPT: Back in November, this column made a case for comedian Bill Maher to move on from the Orleans Showroom to a more prominent Strip property, given his relevance to both the comedy and political worlds. Last week, the Palms announced that Maher will land at the Pearl, with dates in March, June, September and November. Not the Strip— but close enough, prominence-wise. That’s Maher like it. (Yes, I know … Groooooan.) Got a great plot idea for a drama about male strippers? As long as it doesn’t surpass an R rating, email it to Steve. Bornfeld@VegasSeven.com.

January 17-23, 2013

lombian who came here as a sexual plaything to an American woman, over-emoting shamelessly. There’s the cowboy who rambles on about that lifestyle to no point. There’s the black stripper bemoaning his affair with a white lover in Mississippi, equating acting with interminable pauses and long stares into space.) Silly staging? (An actress playing the fiancée is flanked onstage at a club table by two women plucked from the audience, looking nonplussed as this inanity unfolds.) Awkward dance choreography? (Every guy’s gyrating ends in an abrupt fadeout. All that’s missing is an old-style vaudeville hook.) Or perhaps a star who’s barely onstage? (After his opening stripand-swivel, Stanulis just pops in occasionally to get pissed at his stripper brothers.) Designed as part-male strip show, part-drama, this inept hybrid isn’t much of either. Most egregiously, it’s the one thing it can’t be to lure panting patrons to a late-night skin show—unsexy. Apologies to their rippled pecs and glutes, but Stripped the Play is actually Gypped the Play.

81 VEGAS SEVEN

expect to find a “play” at Stripped the Play? You’d have better odds shopping for a G-string at a Disney store. Once male strippers take off their clothes, one wonders why they’d put on a plot, unless it provided genuine insight into the lives of dudes who shed their duds, à la the movie Magic Mike. True, Stripped the Play—imported from New York as the newly opened midnight entry at Planet Hollywood’s Saxe Theater—debuted off-Broadway in April, two months before Magic Mike’s strapping stallions (led by Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey) peeled it off onscreen. First, in this instance, isn’t best. Or even passable. Based on the experiences of star/ writer Steve Stanulis, Stripped recalls his double-life-leading story as a New York cop moonlighting as a stripper, until he committed full-time to professional undressing in 2002 after aggravating an injury at ground zero. Now engaged, his character is splitting the strip scene. On his final night, his stripper brethren and the club’s sleazy owner conspire to get their top money-maker/shaker to stay—attempting to seduce his in-the-house fiancée with their bumpy-grindy moves or sour her on marriage with their personal tales of love gone wrong. You’re meant to admire the symmetry of men baring their souls as they bare their bods. You won’t. Where to begin? Crass writing? (One stripper says, “I’m like a pussy up here—dripping wet.”) No discernible characters? (They’re not quite as deep as the Village People, from whom they seem descended, at least visually.) Correction—one discernible character. (Jerry, the leering, obnoxious owner, clad in tiger-print jacket and shoes, whom you’d like to slap unconscious.) Painful acting? (There’s the Co-

A&E

movies

Squad slog

A pale, Untouchables wannabe, Gangster Squad wastes good performances By MICHAEL PHILLIPS

TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES A triumph of production design but a pretty dull kill-’em-up otherwise, the post-World War II-set Gangster Squad comes from the director of Zombieland, Ruben Fleischer. It’s clear Fleischer, who also made 30 Minutes or Less, hadn’t worked through his Zombieland jones by the time he got to his latest film. I liked Zombieland, which made a strong case for its brand of viscera and wisecracks. But Gangster Squad is a different sort of picture, or should be. It’s based partially on the real-life 1940s square-off between a secret cadre of Los Angeles Police Department officers and their mobster nemeses, led by the notorious Mickey Cohen. In the opening scene, Cohen, played with scowling Neanderthal relish by Sean Penn, oversees the murder of a soon-to-beex-associate. We’re up in the Hollywood Hills, just behind the sign that still reads “Hollywoodland.” The man is pulled apart. In half. Maybe

it happened in real life, and maybe it didn’t, but launching your gangster picture on such a ridiculous note of bloody excess is certainly a risk. A misguided one. Josh Brolin, better than his material, narrates this highly fanciful bash, which denounces its heroes’ methods of payback even as it celebrates the cinematic possibilities of gun-related violence. With the blessing of L.A.’s valiant police chief (Nick Nolte), Brolin’s character, Sgt. John O’Mara, back from the war, assembles a team to take out Cohen, who has made L.A. his playground for too long. Ryan Gosling, who never really seems to be acting in any period other than 2013, plays the lady-killer copper who falls for Cohen’s mistress (Emma Stone). Robert Patrick and Michael Peña play a double act brought into the project; Giovanni Ribisi worms around as the electronics ace in charge of bugging Cohen’s digs and providing what little

A cop (Ryan Gosling) falls for his enemy’s girl (Emma Stone).

moral conscience Gangster Squad accommodates. Some of these characters are based on the record, others are made up, and most of the dialogue is made of wood, befitting such rejoinders as: Let’s give him “a permanent vacation in a pine box!” The template for Gangster Squad, based on Paul Lieberman’s nonfiction account and goosed up by screenwriter Will Beall, is clearly Brian De

Palma’s The Untouchables, written by David Mamet. Good template; weak variation. The original cut of Gangster Squad featured a movie-theater massacre, which was taken out and rewritten and re-shot in another location. You don’t really notice the lurch in continuity, because although Gangster Squad boasts swell art direction (I love the nightclubs, Slapsy Maxie’s and Club Figaro), it’s really just a series of

January 17-23, 2013

short reviews

VEGAS SEVEN

Zero Dark Thirty (R) ★★★★✩

Director Kathryn Bigelow has accomplished something pretty special in this partially fictionalized yet pseudo-realistic film about the Osama bin Laden manhunt. Jessica Chastain plays Maya, a CIA operative in Pakistan, who ultimately is appropriately sidelined for the climactic raid on bin Laden’s compound. Bigelow strives for immediacy and realism, and the film remains impressively complicated and nonpartisan in its treatment of the events. The best film of 2012.

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.

gory, impersonal tit-for-tat revenge killings. Only Penn’s line readings feel completely fresh. He may be made up to look like Big Boy Caprice in Dick Tracy. He may be playing a copy of a copy of a movie stereotype. But like Brolin, Penn seems to be living and breathing convincingly in another time, another place. Even if that place is a movie fantasy. Gangster Squad (R) ★★✩✩✩

[ by tribune media services ]

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.

movies

Jack Reacher (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩

Les Misérables (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩

This Is 40 (R) ★★★✩✩

Playing for Keeps (PG-13) ★✩✩✩✩

Killing Them Softly (R) ★★★✩✩

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 of 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.

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.

Life of Pi (PG) ★★★✩✩

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.

January 17-23, 2013

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.

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.

83 VEGAS SEVEN

This new Tom Cruise vehicle does its work sleekly and well. However, 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.

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7 questions

against the Electoral College, if we didn’t have it … there is not a snowball’s chance in political hell that you would see a President Obama and the challenger [Mitt] Romney in the state a half-dozen times the month or so before the election. Because the total number of votes in Nevada, from a national perspective, [are minimal]. But if you’re talking about our current six electoral votes, that can make a difference. In fact, if my math is right, I believe Al Gore would’ve been elected president if Nevada’s four electoral votes at the time had gone his way. So the Electoral College works to the advantage of a small state, even though one can argue that it is a relic. What is the most critical issue that needs to be addressed during the state legislative session? Clearly, every Legislature— and this is certainly no exception—the critical issue is always funding, the budget. My view is that we need more funding for education, K-12 as well as the university [system]. That is not to say that those who argue for reforms don’t make a point. To me, it’s not an either/ or. We do need some educational reforms, and we do need additional money. Those who say, “Well, we just can’t throw money at the problem,” that’s rhetoric. That’s not an analysis.

Richard Bryan

Nevada’s former governor and U.S. senator on political dysfunction, the beneßts of the Electoral College and his aánity for cupcakes

January 17-23, 2013

By Matt Jacob

VEGAS SEVEN

The firsT Thing you notice when you walk into Richard Bryan’s 15th-floor Downtown office at the Lionel Sawyer & Collins law firm is its spaciousness. The second thing? The striking, near-panoramic view of the Valley. The third? The countless mementos lining the room—photos of his grandchildren, pictures of him with former presidents and other dignitaries, various commendations, even a U.S. Senate gavel. It’s the type of environment you’d expect for one of the most prominent Nevadans in history. About the only thing you won’t find: an air of pompousness. Yes, Bryan was twice elected as both Nevada governor (1983-89) and a U.S. senator (1989-2001), but throughout a near-hourlong conversation, the 75-year-old Democrat is as cordial and down-home as your grandfather. With a contentious election season in the rear-view mirror—and an inauguration in D.C. and a legislative session in Carson City around the corner—we thought it an ideal time to catch up with the statesman and take his pulse on the current goings-on in his old world. What was the one thing about the recent election season that irked you? The thing that really depresses me is the amount of money that’s being spent today in politics. This is not a good thing for the country. For the presidency or a U.S. Senate seat to in effect go to the highest bidder is wrong. Money has always played

a role in politics, but today it plays an outsize role. Also, the increasing dysfunctional nature of Congress is [troublesome]— there is a group of [elected officials] who actually believe that compromise is a terrible thing. Gee, the history of the country is one of compromise. We used to be highly critical of these Third World countries and

call them dysfunctional. Today, with some legitimacy, they can say that about us! That’s scary. Did you ever think you’d see Nevada considered a swing state, with presidential candidates frequently campaigning here? Never thought that. And let me just say for those who argue

If you could offer Gov. Brian Sandoval one piece of advice, what would it be? Frankly, I don’t think the governor needs my advice. I think he’s done very well. He has been what I would call a moderate. He’s certainly been conservative with his fiscal policies … but he’s been highly criticized within the more conservative ranks of the Republican Party. His decision to expand Medicaid—he’s [one of three] Republican governors in the country to have done that. In my view, he has governed as a centrist, which historically is where most Nevada governors have been. What do you miss most about public-service life? I enjoyed Washington, D.C. I enjoyed the excitement of the city. I enjoyed being around people who were always talking

about policy and political issues. In Washington, D.C., it would not be surprising if at a checkout stand at a supermarket, some checker might say, “Did you see what the hell they did in the Senate today?” Now remember, unless you’re a Ted Kennedy-type or Sen. [Harry] Reid, who’s the majority leader, most people in D.C. would not recognize House members. But people [in D.C.] are immersed in it. Better job: governor or U.S. senator? I’d always wanted to be governor. I’ve often said that the Senate was frosting on the cake, because you did get to meet international leaders around the world and the most eminent authorities on the policy issues. But I liked being governor. Even when I was in the Senate, I was fixated on getting Nevada newspaper clips each day. Being in the state [government], I never missed the public events in these small towns. In Tonopah, Jim Butler Days—never missed that. In Carson City, it’s the Carson Valley Days—never missed that. The traditional Labor Day weekend that began in Elko with the rodeo parade then moved to Winnemucca, then ultimately to Fallon on Labor Day—never missed that. That’s retail politics, which I enjoyed. Any New Year’s resolutions? A couple. One is to try to eat a little healthier. I’m doing better than I was 20 years ago—some of that is because the folks who made the Hostess cupcakes and Twinkies shut down. Because nobody loved a Hostess cupcake like me! When I was governor, there used to be the governor’s cupcakes—don’t touch them! I still eat more junk food than I should, but I’m better. Also, to have more patience. I’m not a patient guy. I’m a patient guy as I approached issues and that sort of thing when I was in public life. But if my computer screen goes out on me, God, I become vesuvian—what do I do? And I’m not always as patient with my wife, who is a saint. We are not Catholic, but if there’s any woman in Nevada who should be beatified, it is my wife. And I think everyone who knows her and knows me would say, “We absolutely agree!”

Bryan shares his thoughts on Sen. Harry Reid, the Romney-Obama battle and the future of Yucca Mountain at VegasSeven.com/Bryan.

MIKE EPPS

FRIDAY JANUARY 25

ANTHONY BOURDAIN & ERIC RIPERT SATURDAY FEBRUARY 9

JACKSON BROWNE

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 15

PHOTO COURTESY : HBO

SATURDAY JANUARY 19

BEN FOLDS FIVE

LISA LAMPANELLI

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 16

// JOE BONAMASSA

BONNIE RAITT FRIDAY FEBRUARY 22

BILL MAHER

SATURDAY MARCH 23 SUNDAY MARCH 24

MATCHBOX TWENTY FRIDAY MARCH 29