Best of the City | Vegas Seven | July 25-Aug 7

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New “Liquid Radiation” Fights Prostate Cancer that Spreads to Bones Prostate cancer, one of the most common cancer types in Nevada, has a new enemy—one that local oncologists with Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada researched, tested and helped obtain approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

The drug is called Xofgo (zhō-f-go) and its active ingredient Radium 223 dichloride, which comes from uranium, targets prostate cancer cells, leaves unafected areas untouched, and reaches the cancer cells that spread to the bones. The latter feature is a breakthrough in modern medicine since prostate cancer metastasizes to the bones of nearly 95 percent of all prostate cancer patients.

Medical Oncologist, Nicholas Vogelzang, MD, who has been involved with prostate cancer research for more than 30 years, ensured the clinical research that was testing Xofgo became available in Nevada. He and Radiation Oncologists, Farzaneh Farzin, MD and Michael J. Anderson, MD, started testing the drug in 2011 at Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada.

Dr. Vogelzang, who described the drug as “liquid radiation” since it is administered intravenously, said he and his colleagues quickly noticed Xofgo’s multiple advantages.

Patients in the study who received the drug said they felt less pain that was being caused by the cancer, and experienced fewer side efects. Many patients no longer needed prescribed narcotics for pain.

Michael Anderson, MD Radiation Oncologist

Dr. Farzin witnessed another beneft among patients.

Since the drug is not given with chemotherapy and does not require traditional radiation therapy, patients reported feeling more like themselves, even going so far as to say they felt normal. She explained that when you don’t feel sick, you’re more likely to continue your daily routine, which contributes to a better quality of life.

Because of the radioactivity, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and nuclear medicine technicians have specifc roles when administering Xofgo. After the medical oncologist prescribes the drug, a radiation oncologist ensures the dosage is appropriate based on the patient’s height and weight. A nuclear medicine technologist then administers the drug to the patient.

According to CCCN, more than 241,000 men are diagnosed annually with prostate cancer and more than 28,000 die from the disease each year. Although this new drug was designed specifcally for prostate cancer, Drs. Vogelzang, Farzin and Anderson see the potential for using Xofgo to treat breast cancer and other cancer types that spread to the bones. More studies will be required before those possible benefts are known.

Las Vegas was one of two cities in the United States treating patients during the research study.

Nicholas Vogelzang, MD Medical Oncologist

Farzaneh Farzin, MD Radiation Oncologist

Dining

BEST TOURIST FOOD THAT’S ACTUALLY GOOD

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GORDON RAMSAY BurGR BY ANTHONY MAIR

July 25–August 7, 2013

It’s a beautiful thing to behold, and really quite easy, at 12 bucks a pop, to overlook. We’re talking about the Devil Dawg at Gordon Ramsay BurGR, a work of art that is stuffed with cheese, bacon, tomato and almost every condiment you can think of, looking resplendent inside an “Everything” bun studded with sesame, poppy and garlic, tasting just as good. The all-beef dog is fnished on the wood grill, and for our money beats any you’ll taste in this city. Yes, it’s pricey, but it’s defnitely worth it.

In Planet Hollywood, 785-5462.

Dining in Las Vegas there’s always a fne line between “supper club” and “place where the music is too loud.” Andrea’s strikes that delicate balance with a thoughtful Asian menu from Nobu-alum Joseph Elevado, and an appropriately ambient dining soundtrack programmed by EDM star and Wynn resident DJ Steve Angello. So while you’re getting down with Elevado’s crazyfresh sushi or wagyu sliders, you’re also getting down to music provided by one-third of the Swedish House Mafa.

In Encore, 770-5340.

BEST BREAKFAST THAT YOU DREAM ABOUT THE NIGHT BEFORE

Tao Beach Brunch’s Fortune Cookie Waffle.

custardy toffee and bananas; sometimes it’s an individual short-crust tartlet swathed with dulce de leche under banana cream, caramelized banana slices and topped with a quenelle of fresh whipped cream. But, with eyes closed, even a fanciful play on this British export delivers bites of pure nostalgia. $10, in MGM Grand, 891-3000.

July 25–August 7, 2013

BEST PLACE TO ORDER OFF THE MENU

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Although the menu is stacked with Buffalo, New York-style pizzas, don’t overlook the fact that Naked City Pizza chef and owner Chris Palmeri came from a fne-dining background.

With pop-up dinners and weekly specials, Palmeri has so much more than just pizza coming out of his kitchen.

Just follow the restaurant’s Facebook feed to fnd out when he’s doing Fish Fry Fridays, braised pork cheeks with a sunny-side-up egg, red wine-braised short ribs or whatever else strikes his fancy. In MoonDoggies Bar, 3240 S. Arville St., 243-6277, NakedCityLV.com.

BEST REASON TO LICK YOUR FINGERS

The fried chicken at Culinary Dropout is prepared to order, and it is worth the wait. The dish hits all the major criteria for good fried chicken: favorful and juicy with great crunch, with a bit of the seasoning that lingers on your fngers. $22, in Hard Rock Hotel, 522-8100.

BEST REASON NOT TO ORDER DESSERT

You might not believe it till you try it, but the rich, creamy cheeses at Vintner Grill envelop the palate as much as any sweet dessert would.

This northwest neighborhood restaurant has about 50 varieties on its list, from which you can build your own cheese plate to your liking. Several of the cheeses are even made in-house by chef Matthew Silverman. He started with Camembert, but has ventured into funkier territories such as Roquefort, Stilton and aged goat cheeses. One cheese for $6, three for $15, fve for $25, 10100 W. Charleston Blvd., 214-5590, VGLasVegas.com.

BEST HIDDEN GEM

Amid a nondescript stretch of Sunset Road just east of U.S. 95, Penn’s Thai House is tucked away in a seedy strip mall in old Henderson that you have to want to fnd. But it’s worth it to discover chefowner Penn Amarapayark’s homemade sauces, perfectly sticky rice, light-not-leaden noodles and several off-themenu treats. 724 W. Sunset Rd., Henderson, 564-0162.

BEST PLACE TO WOW OUT-OF-TOWNERS

Some restaurants have the view. Some have the service.

Some have the cocktails.

Some have the entrées.

Some have the apps and desserts. Some have the bread.

Some have the ingredient sustainability factor. Some magically make you feel lucky you’re allowed to spend your hard-earned dollars there. But, because a restaurant that offers only singular successes does not a memorable dining experience make, we say take your friends to Comme Ça. In the Cosmopolitan, 698-7910.

BEST BREAKFAST THAT’S REALLY A DESSERT

Fine, call it brunch—lie to yourself if you have to. But just as the fortune cookie comes after the meal, so too should the Fortune Cookie Waffe at Tao Beach Brunch be signed, sealed and considered a dessert. Waffe batter is infused with vanilla extract for that classic fortunecookie favor, then pieces of chocolate fortune cookie are crumbled in so that when that batter becomes a golden-brown waffe, each spongy bite is studded with crisp cookie. The thick dessert is then topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit, warm syrup and—here’s the clincher—fortune-cookie ice cream. We rest our case.

(Of course, no one’s saying you can’t have dessert for brunch …) $18, at Tao Beach in the Venetian, 388-8588, TaoBeach.com/Brunch.

BEST VIBE DINING

The supper club has always been a spot to see and be seen while having dinner, but

Chef-owner Natalie Young’s vibrant Downtown breakfast-and-lunch spot, Eat, shines with a menu broken into categories of what breakfast hounds crave (sweet, savory and eggs all day; lunchie stuff, too) and serves everything big and beautiful. Best bets? Huevos Motuleños ($12) is a sweetsalty riff on its more typical rancheros cousin; the eggs Benedict’s hollandaise is unfathomably fresh; and even simple steel-cut oats get royal treatment with cinnamonroasted apples. 707 Carson St., 534-1515, EatDTLV.com.

BEST TRENDY FISH

In a sautéed sea bass, seared salmon and tuna tataki world, barramundi is the next It fsh. The white, faky texture makes it versatile to cook with and likable to a variety of palates. A delicious pan-seared barramundi with ramen, Thai chili sauce and bok choy is on the menu downstairs at RM Seafood. Barramundi is also in abundance and easily sustainable, so eat up! $37, At RM Seafood in the Shops at Mandalay Place, 632-9300.

BEST UNDERAPPRECIATED RESTAURANT

With so many restaurants vying for attention in Las Vegas, it’s easy to overlook some.

Onda Ristorante is one of those slightly-forgotten-buteasily-lovable restaurants that has everything from an impressive cheese selection to tender osso bucco, braised beef cheeks and char-grilled octopus. Onda also features a fne-dining room and a more casual bar area, lined with

Bars & Booze BEST BEER PAIRING

The Gus’ Beer & Bites monthly beer-pairing dinner at the Monte Carlo Pub has at last hit its stride.

Dine above it all in the pub’s rafters with chef Timothy Radigan, GM Robert Parekh and whatever beer ambassador or brewer is hosting the fve-course affair. Reasonably priced at $64, this is the best way to dive into the craft-brewing world without pretension or unnecessary extravagance. Next up: Boston Beer Co. on August 28.

769-6699, MonteCarlo.com.

BEST YIN-AND-YANG DEAL

For those days that necessitate beginning with coffee and ending with an adult beverage, The Beat Coffee-

July 25–August 7, 2013

Public House in the Venetian.

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house has you covered with $1 coffees from 7-9 a.m. and $1 Pabst Blue Ribbons 7-9 p.m. daily. Half Slap & Tickle sandwiches are only $1, too, prompting many to suddenly stand near the register beginning at 6:55 p.m. It’s hilarious to watch. In Emergency Arts, 520 Fremont St., 385-2328, TheBeatLV.com.

BEST PUBLIC HOUSE

Our city suffers from an embarrassment of riches where restaurants and bars are concerned. Nowhere is this more apparent than our duo of Public Houses, one in the Venetian, one in Luxor (no relation). But Public House in the Venetian comes out on top both for its gastropub fare (hello, duck conft poutine) as well as its extensive, but smartly constructed,

beer menu. Direct-draw real ales rotate frequently, and beer dinners add intrigue.

407-5310, PublicHouseLV.com.

BEST NEW FACE IN THE BEER COMMUNITY

Crowdfunding isn’t for everyone. And why the Bringing Zombie Ants to Life research project isn’t funding faster is anyone’s guess.

But it worked for Wyndee and Dave Forrest. They successfully funded CraftHaus Brewery & Taproom, soonto-be purveyors of “traditional but tweaked beers,” putting the crown cap on the burgeoning Las Vegas Booze District, already populated

by Las Vegas Distillery and custom crush outft Grape Expectations. Come winter, we will be expecting big things, Forrests—big,

deliciously hoppy things.

7340 Eastgate Rd., Henderson, CraftHausBrewery.com.

BEST HOPS—ER, HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

Founded last fall by Nevada’s working breweries, the Nevada Craft Brewers’ Association promotes and represents the interests of Nevada’s craft breweries, for Nevada’s craft breweries and, most importantly,

by Nevada’s craft breweries.

Advocating for themselves, the members can brew collaboratively, share resources and equipment, and most importantly, lobby for legislation that makes it easier for more breweries to start up.

Fostering competition, you ask? It’s not a competition— a rising tide lifts all kegs.

NevadaCraftBrewers.com.

BEST NEW BEER

Finding Las Vegas’ best new beer is like locating those rare desert pupfsh—you have to know exactly where to look. Joseph James Citra Rye Pale Ale replaced Tahoe Blue this year on the local brewery’s year-round portfolio, capitalizing on the arrival of a long-awaited order of fruity citra hops.

The company has been in expansion mode, temporarily halting production of this crisp, refreshing light-golden palate-pleaser, so get it while it lasts at Fireside Tavern and Atomic Liquors. And when the batches start to roll out again in about a month, look for it on draft ($4 pint), in growlers ($13) and eventually in cans and bottles at Khoury’s Fine Wine & Spirits.

FoxBrews.com.

Culture & Community

BEST STATISTIC

There’s been 87 percent growth in average annual job formation since May 2012. That’s 17,200 new jobs this year in Southern Nevada, representing every industry except the mining and information sectors. While it’s tempting to cite the upswing in housing prices, we’re forever wary of housing bubbles.

But 17,200 new jobs? Solid.

BEST TWEET ABOUT LAS VEGAS

“How is Las Vegas different than Mos Eisley, except that our lounge acts have a larger repertoire?” — @JayFenster

Aesthetically speaking, the Amargosa Trail bridge in Henderson is nothing special—just a mauvecolored steel structure, a chain-link fence and some concrete, all stretching about 18 feet above busy St. Rose Parkway. And, to be honest, we can count on two hands the number of people we’ve actually seen cross the bridge since it opened 18 months ago. But that doesn’t make it any less of a community asset; just means more of us could stand to get off the couch and reacquaint ourselves with the great outdoors. The $1.7 million bridge, just east of Eastern Avenue, links the Siena Heights Trailhead with Cactus Wren Park. The latter serves as the northern end point of the Amargosa Trail and Trailheads project, a 6-mile bicycle and pedestrian urban pathway that starts at Mission Drive west of Horizon Ridge Parkway and connects to the county’s trail system west of Eastern.

BEST USE OF THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE IN A PARK

For years, the more curious and wide-eyed among Las Vegas kids would sit up a little higher in the back seat when Mom drove down Tropicana Avenue past Decatur Boulevard. There we caught a glimpse of some other world, one from long ago: a world of cowboys or,

heck, dinosaurs. Right in the middle of the city were elephantine dunes and jagged cliffs plummeting down toward a sandy basin. The place seemed oddly glorious, not only because it had not been built upon, but because, from the looks of things, it would be impossible to ever build upon. Alas, in 2011 the construction equipment rolled in, and, if you didn’t stop to do your research, it seemed that we were bound for yet another offce park or gentlemen’s club. What we got instead in fall 2012 was the glorious Charlie Frias Park, which honors the land rather than obliterating it. Those dunes and cliffs now surround one of the most beautiful soccer/ football/running-aroundwith-your-dog pitches in the whole Valley. And then you can ascend and walk the trails along the cliffs, zooming your gaze in just enough to glimpse the ancient space that was. 4801 S. Decatur Blvd.

BEST NEW ALMOSTMAYBE-KINDA LAW

In the Miracle of Carson City—and the fact that we say that shows how cheap miracles go around here these days—the Legislature approved the voters’ right to decide in 2014 whether to remove the constitution’s 5 percent cap on mining taxes. If the voters say “yea,” the 2015 Legislature will be able to debate whether to raise—or, hey, reduce!—the taxes after all. So it’s a little early for Nevada schools to

start rejoicing in the coming windfall. But back to the miraculous part of this miracle: It was the willingness of Southern Nevada Republicans—led by Senate minority foor leader Michael Roberson—to vote against party lines and along geographic ones that got the resolution rolling and ultimately passed.

BEST PIECE OF REAL ESTATE

With apologies to Liberace’s former 15,000-square-foot home near UNLV, available for a mere $529,000 (cash), there’s only one piece of Vegas property that includes a suitable penguin habitat: 6629 S. Pecos Road, formerly Wayne Newton’s Casa de Shenandoah. The property was valued in bankruptcy papers at $50.8 million— though the owners picked up the property in 2010 for $19.5 million. Which is a steal for a property that nets you 40 acres with a 7,000-square-foot mansion, six guest homes, an airplane hangar, a classic-car garage (vintage cars not included), swan ponds, and stables for more than 50 horses that include arenas, trainers quarters and separate wash bays. It’s currently in the hands of CSD, LLC, which could put the property up or move forward with the long-awaited plan to turn the Casa into a Graceland West for Mr. Las Vegas, who will be able to visit after hoofng it over from his new $3 million mansion just a couple of miles away.

PL ANETARIUM BY BRYAN HAINER; CHARLIE FRIAS PARK BY GREG BL AKE MILLER

BEST PLACE TO TAKE A SELFIE

Charlie Frias Park.

Let’s just get this out of the way: The same people own Commonwealth and Vegas Seven. But they don’t own the historic façade of the El Cortez or the spectacular streetscape of Fremont East, and that’s what you get from the rooftop patio of Commonwealth: a photo backdrop that’s like no other in this city. Taking a selfportrait up here is like using that setting on your Mac that puts you in the front seat of a roller coaster, except it’s real. All the visual excitement surrounding you—the striking neon, the revelers on the street below—will make you look like you’re starring in your own movie.

525 Fremont St.

BEST NIGHTTIME VIEW

Tucked inside the L Building of the College of Southern Nevada’s Cheyenne Campus, the Planetarium is your best place to learn about the skies.

With multiple presentations on Fridays and Saturdays, there are plenty of opportunities to get your astronomy fx. Bonuses include being able to see artifacts from the space program, including a main landing-gear wheel from the Discovery Space Shuttle on display, and free telescope viewings after the 8 p.m. shows. 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave.; for programs and times, visit CSN.edu/planetarium.

BEST DOG PARK

This 3�-acre area—part of Sunset Park’s 2010 renovations, near Warm Springs and Eastern—provides all the amenities that any dog (and its owner) could want. There are three separate dog parks that rotate to allow for regular maintenance, giving dogs small and large their own areas, with plenty of grass and obstacles. Meanwhile, shaded picnic tables provide plenty of space for dog owners to hang out, helping provide a sense of community. What better way to make friends than alongside man’s best friend?

BEST SNEAKY DOWNTOWN PARKING SPACE

OK, so it’s not listed on the hotel website as one of the offcial benefts of signing up for Club Cortez (a.k.a. “Jackie’s Club”), but if you fash your card at the entrance to the El Cortez parking garage on North Seventh and Fremont streets, you get free parking there anytime. It’s free in that garage most days anyway (because there’s no attendant on duty), but come evening— especially with the growing number of events Downtown— it’s restricted to members.

July 25–August 7, 2013

Study after study shows that if you teach kids to read in early childhood, they’ll have a better chance at succeeding with the rest of their education—and career. With a school district as busy as Clark County’s, a nonproft devoted to putting books in the hands and homes of atrisk kids is paying attention to what a community needs.

Spread the Word Nevada collects and distributes books, provides kids with volunteer reading mentors and hosts storytelling events.

Founded by educators Laurie Hartig and Lisa Habighorst, Spread the Word has reached some 24,000 students in 28 Clark County schools since 2001. You can help by hosting a book drive, becoming a storyteller or being a mentor.

SpreadTheWordNevada.org.

BEST PEDESTRIANFRIENDLY AMENITY

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BEST NONPROFIT

Business & Services

El Cortez’s Cabana Suites.

BEST STAYCATION BARGAIN

With about 150,000 hotel rooms, Las Vegas has plenty of options, but the historic El Cortez wins for a few good reasons: It is perfectly positioned on Fremont East for a night of crawling among all the cool new bars without worrying about how to get home; it’s still got historical charm but with some contemporary refurbishments (such as the new Designer Suites and the lime-green modern Cabana Suites); and midweek rates are as low as $21 a night.

600 Fremont St., ElCortezHotelCasino.com.

July 25–August 7, 2013

BEST WORST LAWYER COMMERCIAL

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If there’s one good reason to watch local TV these days, it’s bad law ads. Typically, we love either the guys who try way too hard or the guys who try very little. Now, straight from Don Draper’s nightmares, there’s “Attorney, Jack Bernstein,” who somehow manages to do both (see for yourself on YouTube).

This guilty pleasure begins with a pas de deux of voice and body language that is at once gentle, frm and totally awkward. But evidently not frm and totally awkward enough, because, out of nowhere, comes a right-arm power thrust at the camera—or would that be “the jury”?—with his closing argument: “Bernstein & Poisson, protecting your rights.” Our verdict: one-take genius.

BEST BOUTIQUE HOTEL

“Intimate” and “megaresort” don’t usually go hand in hand. But Caesars Palace is changing that with its 181room Nobu Hotel, conceived by chef Nobu Matsuhisa and actor Robert De Niro. The hotel-in-a-hotel, located just off the casino foor, is a pleasant respite from the Strip without losing access to all that great Strip stuff. But we prefer to get lost in the hotel’s VIP vibe and soak up the David Rockwell design. A good day could be staying in and ordering from the roomservice menu that fuses Eastern and Western cuisines, then maybe wandering over to the spa. Other Nobu hotels are in the works in London, Riyadh and Bahrain. This is the new version of the Vegas “theme” hotel. NobuCaesarsPalace.com.

BEST DOWNTOWN REVAMP

There’s the elegant porte cochere where the grimy lot and sketchy valet stand used to be at the Golden Gate Hotel. Inside the revolving doors—where the old deli once cranked out those little shrimp beauties—is the brand-new lobby with the minimalist-swank vibe of a big-city boutique hotel. (We’re in love with the “HOTEL” art—reclaimed metal letters from the original Gate sign— on the wall behind the front desk.) Las Vegas’ frst hotel, built in 1906, has managed to preserve what’s made it

our favorite cheap gambling haunt while rivaling the cool, contemporary kids on the block. It started with go-go dancers gyrating behind the low-limit tables a few years ago. Now it includes the aforementioned revisions as part of a new fve-story tower that does something only a few properties have managed to do over the years: offer a sense of style Downtown.

GoldenGateCasino.com.

BEST NEW KIDS SHOE STORE

It’s music to a mom’s ears to hear about a store that not only produces quality shoes for her kids but also is well informed when it comes to proper ft. Angela Edgeworth is the founder of PediPed, a retail concept that stems from her own frustrated search for the right soles for her children. As you choose from more than 120 leather- and rubber-soled styles for kids up to 8 years old, rest assured your child’s foot development is back on track, as this store has earned the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance. You’ll also like the fact that your purchase will last more than a few weeks. At Town Square, 6593 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 564-2246.

BEST COMMUNITYSOURCED AGRICULTURE

Quail Hollow Farm has prevailed over the harsh growing conditions and meager

proft margins that have kept Southern Nevada from jumping on the CSA trend in a signifcant way. Only about a half-dozen of these co-op farms, which deliver food to paying members on a regular basis, are thriving here.

Among them, Quail Hollow is the most established, having been founded by Laura and Monte Bledsoe in 2006.

For an annual fee of $1,440, members receive weekly baskets of locally grown, organic, seasonal produce ($765 gets you a basket every other week) from their farm in Moapa Valley, 50 miles north of Las Vegas. Quail Hollow also produces honey, eggs and even meat. The Bledsoes’ success comes in part from building community among members, who are encouraged to volunteer and attend events such as cider-pressing parties and the annual Farm to Fork dinner. QuailHollow FarmCSA.com.

BEST PLACE TO LEARN A TRADITIONAL SKILL

Perhaps you want to expand on an already accomplished life skill such as quilting, or you seek a beginner’s guide to sewing, or maybe you simply desire a girlie get-together off the Strip. Then Dewey Street awaits you. Founders Cindy and her daughters Lindsay and Laurie grew up on threads and glue and inherited the creative gene from Joan Faust, mother and grandmother of the crafty trio, respectively. Faust lived on Dewey Street in West Springfeld, Massachusetts, and inspired the women to turn trash into treasures.

They offer children ages 8 and above sewing and quilting lessons on weekends.

2960 S. Durango Dr., Suite 111, 767-0338.

BEST VINTAGE SHOP

Like a fne wine, the wares in Patina Décor have gotten better with age. Specializing in upscale vintage furnishings, lighting, accessories and a growing selection of vintage clothes, owners Kate Aldrich and Tim Shaffer carefully select each item they sell. Thanks to their eclectic tastes, the store has some of Las Vegas’ best vintage fnds. In fact, the place feels like an extension of their home—welcoming and flled with stories to share with guests. 1211 S. Main St., 776-6222, PatinaDecorLV.com.

BEST THRIFT STORE

At Charleston Outlet, featuring a tiny yet impressively curated vintage rack as well as a designer boutique (always head there first), it’s not unusual to find a Catherine Malandrino dress for $30 or a well-preserved mink cape for less than $20.

The store’s popularity is growing so quickly that it was forced to build a parking lot for overflow just half a block away. 388-1446, 1548 E. Charleston Blvd.

BEST “SHOP LOCALLY” CHEERLEADER

The local jewelry designer could rest on her laurels and play Vegas socialite as the daughter of Jack Weinstein, owner of Tower of Jewels, but Polly Weinstein has enough chutzpah to make a name for herself. The young, fery blonde spends her time designing her own line of jewelry (the Jeweler’s Daughter) and organizing a biannual “pop-up” showcase event Downtown called Neon Bazaar that features Las Vegasowned businesses only. Shop the next one November 30, Small Business Saturday, and support Weinstein’s mission.

NeonBazaarLV.com.

BEST SHOPPING CENTER RENAISSANCE

The pride of developer American Nevada Company, Green Valley Town Center boasted a United Artists Theater, Barley’s brewery and casino, and Smith’s when it opened in the mid-’90s.

Losing one leg of the threelegged stool when the theater closed in 2005, the center teetered. Starbucks, a furniture store and other retailers shuttered, and the Great Recession mocked plans for a hotel. But a $2 million investment by Galaxy Theatre for a high-end movie-going experience, including beer and wine sales, eight large screens, all-digital projection, stadium seating and reclining leather chairs, has attracted robust crowds since March.

Dipsticks Desert Pops Bakery, MELD women’s apparel and Spa 99 have invigorated the center, and, according to an ANC offcial, look soon for youth-oriented amusement, personal-service salons and more restaurants to propel the momentum. Sunset Road and Mountain Vista Street.

Health & Beauty

who can wax philosophic on the way varying fabrics will react to chlorine versus salt water. That and the outlet-like pricing hooks most people, but Swim2000 sweetens the deal with loyalty cards that reward return customers with discounts. And the shop has evolved with the times, adding triathlon products to its ftness and competitive swim lines. 696-9290, 4137 S. Maryland Pkwy., Swim2000.com.

FUNCTIONAL FITNESS BY LUCKY WENZEL; DR. SUFIA PALLUCK BY ANDREW SEA JAMES

BEST ECO-CONSCIOUS ART BOUTIQUE

Shopping Artifact boutique is like nosing on Pinterest but in a real-life store.

Owner Molly Gaddy-Walters’ mission is simple: to share her love of recycled, up-cycled and repurposed home furnishings, clothing and unique fnds in one shop. After the success of her frst store in the Market LV at Tivoli Village, a second location opened in May at Town Square to feed a broader audience. The new boutique welcomes more than 100 handpicked emerging designers with the same ethos. Expect to discover one-of-a kind pieces, but, most of all, prepare to be inspired. Tivoli Village: 420 S. Rampart Blvd., 672-2780; Town Square: 6551 Las Vegas Blvd.

South, 269-4620.

BEST PLACE TO BECOME A DOMESTIC GODDESS

With the economy still sputtering along and the Earth’s resources buckling under the weight of our conspicu-

ous consumption, it’s never been a better time to get crafty. But the cost and legwork required can make mastering the domestic arts a bit intimidating for everyone but your grandma and a few cooler-than-thou hipsters. Downtown fashion lab Stitch Factory is doing its part to bring sewing to the masses. At their evening social classes, you can stop by after work and let a cheery former home-ec teacher coax you through making a custom-designed maxi skirt or studded headband, all in just three hours and for about the price of the same item at Target (supplies included). Sense of accomplishment: priceless. 300 Las Vegas Blvd. North, 476-5552, StitchFactory.com.

BEST VEGETARIAN OASIS

Long before Whole Foods entered the marketplace, Rainbows End was selling whole foods in Las Vegas. It’s survived by maintaining its ’70s-inspired health-food lines while adding more contemporary offerings, such as eco-friendly cosmetics and toiletries. The in-house café still carries the hippiethemed Green Goddess sandwich alongside a full menu of juices and smoothies. Plus, the store is now a participant in the Quail Hollow Farm Community Supported Agriculture exchange. Buying local, eating fresh and supporting a Vegas staple—it’s an herbivore’s delight. 1100 E. Sahara Ave., 737-1338, RainbowsEndLV.info.

BEST PLACE FOR HUMAN LANDSCAPING

Some come for the precision, others for the comfort.

But let it be known, a few of the Box Human Landscapers regulars return simply for the homemade truffe potato chips. Whatever the case, the hair-removal salon continues to build a cult following—one that’s followed Box to its new location, in Tivoli Village. Only in Vegas can you come in for a Sac & Crack and leave with a Brave Soldier (pain ointment, that is). 420 S. Rampart Blvd., 8939993, BikiniWaxing.com.

BEST VEGAN ROLE MODEL

Best what? Really we just wanted an excuse to trumpet Annie LePage, whether you’re looking for a vegan to idolize or not. If you’re not a convert to the strict no-animal-products diet (adios, dairy and eggs!), one glance at the recipes on her catering and cookbook website or Twitter feed might change your mind. What’s not to love about Fiesta Quinoa with cilantro dressing?

Mmm. What’s more, LePage isn’t just a body-beautiful example of a healthful diet, she’s a badass poker player (the jury is out on the effects of cheese on poker—but she’s making a case). Plus, she’s working on a cookbook, and is well-versed in the health benefits of a plant-based diet: decreased risk of heart disease and

BEST COUPLES’ SHOPPING

Now located in a stunning 15,000-square-foot space, the new Express at the Fashion Show is chicer, sleeker and sexier than before. Men can shop in one half of the open-spaced store while their female counterparts remain in view while shopping the other, slightly larger half.

Featuring quality fashion with an elegant blend of classic silhouettes and modern trends at a fair price, the store gives both shoppers simultaneous retail satisfaction. 737-8999.

You’ll get the chic atmosphere and treatment of a resort-style salon without paying the price at Bond.

Bellagio Spa veteran Shawna Traynor opened her “nail lounge” earlier this year with a menu of creative offerings, such as the Chocolate Covered Strawberry, which starts with a strawberry oil and mineral soak, followed by a strawberry scrub and chocolate mask, and then fnishes with a super-hydrating chocolate lotion lather-up.

Bond’s specialty manicures and pedicures incorporate Me Bath products, and they change seasonally. $50 pedicure, $30 manicure; 4115 Grand Canyon Dr., Suite 101, 545-0100.

BEST-LOOKING DENTIST

BEST STORE FOR YOUR SKIN

Don’t let its Strip location deter you (just take Harmon Avenue right to the Cosmo’s parking garage), Skins 6|2 is locally owned and is the only beauty boutique of its kind in the United States.

Featuring familiar favorites such as Deborah Lippmann nail polish and TokyoMilk fragrances, the best part of this beauty spot is that it also features a plethora of brands you’ve never heard of and that are normally only available online. In the Cosmopolitan, 698-7625.

BEST NONSURGICAL COSMETIC PROCEDURE

Chances are, most people with a fear of the dentist have never met Dr. Sufa Palluck. The tall, gorgeous brunette (and Las Vegas native) has been practicing for seven years since graduating at the top of her class from the USC School of Dentistry. She also played soccer at University of San Diego and one year professionally in Germany. Her fawless physical appearance is superseded only by her chair-side manner. Plus, Palluck has attracted many Strip headliners and infuencers as patients, so you never know whom you’re going to run into in the waiting room. DrPalluck.com.

At Just Face It MedSpa, Martine Abbey’s clients don’t go under the knife for smoother skin; they go under the “roller.” Micro- needl ing is an hourlong procedure that sparks collagen production via micro-needling—done with a prickly little instrument that gets rolled over your skin. Skin remains red for about three days, but the quality of the epidermis vastly improves with each treatment—depending on the imperfection (such as acne scarring, hyper pigmentation and scar tissue build-up), every six weeks is recommended. Abbey, who has an aesthetics and laser degree, is favored by supermodels and Strip headliners whose names she closely guards.

8645 W. Sahara Ave., 562-2882, JustFaceItLV.com.

BEST PLACE TO GET A MANICURE/PEDICURE

July 25–August 7, 2013

One of several functional fitness outlets in the Valley: Boom 702 in Henderson (Boom702.com).

Trainers are increasingly passing on treadmills and weight machines, and using tractor tires and wobble boards in their place. Functional ftness integrates different types of movement to imitate and improve upon real-world actions.

The goal is to make people stronger, faster and more balanced in their day-to-day lives. So, rather than sitting at a rowing machine for 30 minutes, for instance, you might sit on a bench and use hand-weights, imitating a secretary pulling and pushing fle drawers. Rather than bench-pressing, you might do squats while lifting a weight—as if it’s that heavy laptop bag you haul around all day. So long, Nautilus; hello, medicine ball!

cancer. Makes us want to be a vegan. AnniesKitchenLV. blogspot.com.

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Dr. Sufia Palluck.

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BEST FITNESS TREND

Arts & Entertainment Holly Madison, the Ice Loves Coco reality-show star proves she’s more than just her mammaries, but a genuine presence onstage. Strutting with purpose, dancing with heat-seeking sensuality and exuding a sexual rapaciousness that could bring a eunuch to arousal, she’s a Peep treat.

Catch her before the show ends its four-year carnal journey at Planet Hollywood on September 1. Tickets start at $37, LasVegasPeepShow.com.

BEST STANDUP ACT

BEST VEGAS REALITY-SHOW STAR

Any year where Don Rickles plays at The Orleans makes it hard for any other act to get in consideration as the best stand-up in the city, but a

Pawn Stars is the reality show gift that keeps on giving, begetting Counting Cars and creating an, ahem, vehicle for its

Sin City Rules was breathtakingly awful. Debuting in December and gone by New Year’s Day, Rules followed the lives of fve Vegas women: clothing designer Lana Fuchs, poker star Jennifer Harman, cosmetics line owner Lori Montoya, Amy Hanley (late mob hit man Tom Hanley’s kid, who was reportedly missing, but not really, in a bizarre kerfuffe) and entertainment reporter/gadfy Alicia Jacobs. Crude, catty and classless, it was mercifully beheaded from TLC’s schedule after only fve episodes, with three more left to stink up TLC’s website. Meanwhile, someone needs to fumigate all of Las Vegas—you can still smell the stench.

BEST HAIR METAL COMEBACK

MÖTLEY CRÜE BY ERIK K ABIK

The Rat Pack at the Desert Inn gave way to Elvis at the International who gave way to Celine at Caesars who gave way to … Mötley Crüe at The Joint in the Hard Rock? OK, so one of these things defnitely is not like the others—which is pretty much how the Crüe and The Joint prefer to roll: outcasts marching to the beat of their own double-bass drum. So it was a no-brainer that the Hard Rock decided to hire Nikki Sixx and Co. for Las Vegas’ frst rock ’n’ roll residency back in February 2012. And after the three-week residency proved a huge hit, it was even more of a no-brainer that the Hard Rock would bring them back for an encore this fall (Mötley returns for An Evening in Hell, Sept. 18-Oct. 6).

Don’t forget that in between the Crüe’s gigs, The Joint turned its keys over to Guns N’ Roses and Def Leppard, both of whom also staged successful multi-week runs. That’s right: Some three decades after Mötley Crüe gave birth to the hair-metal genre, they’re ushering it into its twilight years, right here in our little desert.

You better believe we’ll raise a can of Aqua Net (and our tops) to that! Tickets start at $45.50.

HardRockHotel.com.

BEST ACTOR

Good-ness, gra-cious, great balls of acting fre! Swallowing the scenery, belching, then swallowing some more, Martin Kaye jumps into the heart, soul and skin of rock trailblazer Jerry Lee Lewis in the resident production of Mil-

BEST COMMUNITY THEATER COMEBACK

Roaches can survive a nuclear holocaust, so the theory goes, and our Cockroach Theatre thespians are no less resistant to death. Hatched in 2002 as a collection of some of the Valley’s best theater talents, the troupe bounced between venues over the past decade, even disappearing for a while.

Resurfacing in March, they fnally found a home—Downtown’s Art Square Theatre on First Street—and have roared back with a slew of productions, including Death of a Salesman, Love Song, You May Go Now and Gruesome Playground Injuries. Encouraging original works, they also instituted a play contest. This isn’t a phrase you’ll often hear, but … Welcome back, Roaches.

BEST MUSIC VENUE YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO

Mötley Crüe.

one-off at the Palms was stunning for the quality of comedy as well as the unlikely source.

On February 9, chef Eric Ripert and culinary personality Anthony Bourdain brought their two-man show Good vs.

Evil to the Pearl in a shockingly funny hour-plus that was a real treat for foodies and non-foodies alike.

BEST STRIP HEADLINER

While we’re tempted to divide this category into three headliners—i.e., Coco Austin and her enormous twin assets—we’ll count them all as one big, sexy, high-wattage headliner. Injecting renewed vigor into the erotic production spectacle Peepshow as Bo Peep after the departure of

star, Danny Koker. Koker, the gravel-voiced, easygoing mechanic who runs the shop, had a ratings hit right off the rip, premiering to 4.3 million as the History Channel’s highest-rated debut. The show just wrapped a second season and is already flming its third, propelled as much

by Koker’s relentless, infectious positivity as it is by the sweet whips that come out of his garage. Find showtimes at History.com.

BEST REALITY-TV IMPLOSION

Even by the reality-show standards of cable’s TLC—the channel that brought us Here Comes Honey Boo Boo—the high-speed train wreck called

Come on in, the music’s fne.

So’s the food. So’s the vibe.

And pretty much everything else at The Smith Center’s Cabaret Jazz room, the city’s best untapped entertainment resource. Epitomizing elegance, the two-tiered, acoustically excellent venue is somewhere between a hip jazz joint and a sleek concert hall, and has given the city the likes of saxophonist Branford Marsalis, guitarist John Pizzarelli and legendary Broadway/cabaret star Barbara Cook. Next up: singer/musician/composer Billy Stritch, celebrating the songbook of Mel Tormé, on August 23-24.

TheSmithCenter.com.

BEST NEW VENUE

BEST THEATER VENUE

Without getting bogged down in the “size matters” debate, let’s just say that big, satisfying things happen at the small, cozy Onyx Theatre. Over the years it’s given us alternative pleasures, including Naked Boys Singing and a female Hamlet. This year alone saw a fabulous Sweeney Todd, a sterling One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and an engrossing The Laramie Project.

Don’t forget the numerous specialty shows—stand-up comedy, improv, burlesque and cabaret. All this in an intimate, 100-seat box of a theater. So if you must have the “size matters” argument, take it to the adjoining fetish shop. OnyxTheatre.com.

From the soulful reggaeblues pop of Maui-born Anuhea, to the heavy Louisiana-boiled Cajun rock of Lost Bayou Ramblers, to the punky-Motown frenzy of Chantal Claret, Vinyl has hosted a diverse array of artists and bands in the year since it’s been open.

The sound there is great, the dark-wood bar (with its attractive ’tenders) is fun to belly-up to and we love watching people exiting a butt-rock residency show at the adjacent Joint only to discover there’s something even cooler happening in this little venue in the Hard Rock Hotel. There isn’t another spot in town that offers as much musical diversity.

HardRockHotel.com.

July 25–August 7, 2013

Who knew it was possible to create an ’80s-themed show that’s even kitschier than the decade itself? Yet the Venetian’s Rock of Ages is up to the mock-tastic challenge with a crazy-fun riff on the mulletand-hair-band goofness of Reagan-era America. With hilarious snark to spare—and with way more verve than the limp movie version—Rock takes a tongue-in-cheek boy/ rocker-wannabe-meets-girl/ actress-wannabe story on the Sunset Strip and immerses it in a merry hard-rock set list from the likes of Poison, Styx and Journey. Quite simply: Rock rocks. Tickets start at $71 for locals. RockOfAgesMusical.com.

lion Dollar Quartet at Harrah’s.

The Brit-born, live-wire actor with the mop of blond curls pounds the 88s, leaps atop the piano and tosses off one-liners with smart-bomb precision, detonating across the stage. “[Lewis] believed wholeheartedly they were going to hell because they were playing this music, but he couldn’t stop playing it,” Kaye says. “He was kind of possessed.” Ditto his portrayer. Tickets start at $55, HarrahsLasVegas.com.

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BEST BROADWAY PRODUCTION

Nightlife

is not meant for EDM DJs. It’s meant to be very personal; it’s meant to be listening music.

Can we dig a bit deeper into what you’re trying to do?

Next year, I intend to start a new show that’ll bring in new infuences and hopefully will be something that doesn’t resemble what I think a lot of us are kind of getting sick of. I aspire to do more than just have some fun parties. There’s something that you can reach higher for, and it may or may not work.

People may go to the show and be like, “It’s not energetic.” But to me, I almost feel like I have a duty. I’ve written a couple of songs now that have—at least what I hear from people—spoken to them: like “Language,” for example, it touches my heart, it’s meaningful to me on an emotional level. I want to go more to that. For about three years I’ve done shows where the emphasis is all on partying, going crazy and using as much energy as possible, aggression and all that. I want to take a look at electronic music from a different angle now, and whether or not people will call it EDM, we’ll see.

Prêt-à-Porter

DJ/producer Porter Robinson on his club-free upbringing, progression and internal pressure

By Sam Glaser

July 25–August 7, 2013

Porter robinson is a visionary. He speaks with the same detailed complexity he produces, and has accomplished more in three years than most will in a career. He’s lauded by Tiësto, Skrillex and Deadmau5, and has been called electronic dance music’s savior. By the way, the prodigious producer is just 21 years old. Still, the Wynn Resorts resident’s upcoming album represents a midlife-like pivot toward a more experimental and emotional favor of electronic music that emphasizes beauty and emotion over dancing and partying— a move that he acknowledges may not even ft into the EDM bucket.

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You began producing at 12 after getting into Dance Dance Revolution. What was going through your head back then?

When I was like 12, 13, I was experimenting with a lot of different media production software. I was working with Sony Vegas, which is video-editing [software], and I was working with Photoshop and trying to do visual art, and I was also messing with Garage Band and Sony Acid at the time. Music was just the thing for me that stuck, and it

was the thing that I had the highest aspirations for, and it was probably what I was best at.

You’re from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, not exactly known for having a thriving club scene. How did that contribute to who you are today?

In pretty much every possible regard. At frst it sort of freed me up from a lot of the tropes that surround DJing and electronic-dance-music culture.

It was kind of a rule that you

let a whole track ride out when you DJ. But when I started DJing I wanted to mix really quick and incorporate references to certain songs without playing out the whole thing. If I had been around it more it would have shrunk my headspace, put me inside of a box intellectually.

Since I don’t really have club or DJ roots, that’s liberating as far as my future endeavors, too, because the music that I’m writing for an album, it’s not necessarily DJ music, and I think that would be harder to swallow if my roots were the clubs.

You’ve toured with Skrillex, Tiësto, Zedd—who do you like the best? … Just kidding. How about a one-word description for each of them?

That’s tough! Skrillex: alien.

He’ll love that. Tiësto: legend.

Zedd: German. I love Zedd, love him to death. Skrillex brought me and Zedd both out.

We were both support slots on his OWSLA tour, and we think the world of him.

Your Spitfre EP, and then tracks “Language” and “Easy,” were all chart-toppers. How do pressure and expectations from consecutive hits affect

your mentality?

My No. 1 goal when writing tunes is to write something that I would like to listen to. Even if that’s at the cost of success, I’m happy to do it. A lot of dance-music fans might hear it and be like, “Where’s the drop?” I’m writing stuff that emphasizes beauty and emotion. I guess there’s some degree of pressure to follow up your last big success, but there’s even more pressure—at least internally for me—to write music honestly, and to try to go about it in a sincere way. And if people like it, awesome. And if not, shucks. But at least I did it with my whole heart.

What’s your take on EDM becoming so popular in the U.S.?

That’s kind of the hot-button question. Answers to that question make headlines. It’s pretty popular now to be kind of down on the status quo of dance music. I can feel some of that, for sure. Sometimes, it can feel a little uninspired. That’s why a lot of the music that I’m writing

I like the sense of duty. What are you trying to avoid?

A lot of dance music can be just in service of dance and just in service of energy and fun, and sometimes musicality is sacrifced for that. In other words, people will avoid doing certain musical moves so that it will work better when DJs play.

One of the most boring things— and I’ve done this on a lot of songs—is the melody will stop and then it’ll go into a snare roll and a rising effect, just “du-du-Du-Du-DU-DU-DU-DU!” All that does is warn people that there’s about to be a fun, exciting drop or whatever coming. I’m trying to get away from that, to emphasize all parts of the song. I want to write things that have a lifespan. I’m interested in trying to write classics. I recognize that all that’s really aspirational, and maybe it could be arrogant to think that I could do that, but at this point I almost feel like I have no other option. I have to write this kind of music.

Find details about Porter Robinson’s new album at VegasSeven.com/Porter-Robinson. See him live Aug. 2 and 30 at Surrender; info and tickets at WynnSocial.com.

nightlife

parties

Daylight Mandalay Bay [ Upcoming ]

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See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com

PhotograPhy by teddy Fujimoto and mario garcia

July 25–August 7, 2013

July 26 Peach Fridays with sounds by Stellar July 27 Hook N Sling spins July 28 Eric D-Lux spins

nightlife

parties

Bagatelle Beach Tropicana

[ Upcoming ]

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See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com

PhotograPhy by teddy Fujimoto

July 25–August 7, 2013

July 26 POPLIFE July 28 Boots & Bikinis Sundays

nightlife

parties

palms pool The palms

[ Upcoming ]

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See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com

PhotograPhy by K at bagley and bobby Jameidar

July 25–August 7, 2013

July 27 Sean Kingston performs July 29 Cabanas for a Cause Aug 3 Tyga performs

nightlife

parties

Las Vegas’ Best Bartender Competition Commonwealth, 525 Fremont St. [ Upcoming ]

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See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com

PhotograPhy by teddy Fujimoto

July 25–August 7, 2013

July 26 Sosupersam spins July 27 FCKN Dope Saturdays July 28 Avalon Landing performs

Nightlife

was huge, but no one tried adding house music to it.

When we met Ash, we already had done some tracks with dubstep sounds in our house music tracks—dubstep breaks, house-ier drops and different stuff like that. But we never wanted to just do that. The whole meaning with Cazzette is like when you did your own mixtape cassettes back in the day; you put all your favorite songs on it. That’s what we do. We do our favorite kinds of music that we want to make and we put it up on the Cazzette.

Swedish Mixtape

Cazzette dishes on Ash Pournouri, Spotify and niche genres

By Sam Glaser

July 25–August 7, 2013

SebaStian Furrer and Alexander Björklund—the Swedish production duo better known as Cazzette— form the second brainchild of super-manager Ash Pournouri, who frst guided Avicii’s remarkable rise. Cazzette’s remixes for Avicii, Adele, Kanye West and Jay-Z have garnered attention for their special blends of dub-y bass and melodic house. The duo cleverly dropped a three-part streamingonly album, Eject, on Spotify—a move that fueled their hype even further. Catch the Wynn Resorts residents’ next performance July 31 at Surrender.

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You and Avicii both sing Pournouri’s praises—I’ve never heard producers honor a manager so much.

You even use his initials in your song titles. What’s his secret sauce?

Björklund: He’s special because he’s involved 100 percent in what we do. He’s not like typical management, where you just sort stuff. He’s involved in the music, too, so everything goes through him, and we bounce ideas back and forth every time until all three of us are satisfed. And I think as a producer it is really important

to have an external source that you trust. It’s great that we’re his second signing, because he’s already succeeded with Avicii. So we feel comfortable, and listen to what he says.

Together, you guys decided to launch your Eject album exclusively streaming on Spotify. What was the backstory there?

Björklund: Of course Ash handled that for us, and that’s the way we work together. We focus on the music and playing live, and the rest is sorted by him and At Night [Management]. It

was cool because it was never done before. That was the main thing we were going for, to be inventive and try something that’s never been done before.

By going direct to streaming, you give up some shortterm sales. What were the considerations that made this worthwhile?

Björklund: Even if you give up some short-term sales, in the long run people will remember what we did and all the press that we got. We’re big fans of Spotify ourselves; that’s also why it happened.

Apart from streaming and press exposure, were there any nontraditional benefts to the Spotify launch?

Björklund: Since we chose to release the album in three parts, we could actually get feedback from our fans on Part 1, and bring it into Part 2, and likewise for Part 3. So up until the actual release, we could change the whole thing. Also we had our own app within Spotify, which also is unique. We could share our playlists, what we’re listening to when we’re touring, you could watch video—you could get a whole mini Cazzette experience within the program, and that’s also unusual for a release of a CD. You created a genre called “dub house,” but you’ve said that’s just where you started. Where’d that come from, and where are you headed sonically?

Furrer: At the time we started out with dub house, dubstep

The remix you guys did for Avicii’s “Alcoholic” sort of gets you into the trap space.

Can we expect more of this house/trap sound from you?

Furrer: You never know, but it would be in the way of hip-hop instead of trap. Because trap is more about energetic drops and in the future we’ll be more into doing real old-school hiphop, because we’re huge fans of hip-hop. We did that track a long time ago, before trap was getting popular, before “Harlem Shake.” When trap got popular we were like, “We might as well just release it and see how it goes.”

I dig your niche approach to music. Does the term “EDM” bother you?

Björklund: We’re not the biggest fans of that honestly, because it’s not really fair to the genres. It is electronic dance music, but in a way you can’t compare. For instance, like trap and deep tech house, if you call those EDM, it doesn’t make sense.

Furrer: The problem is that America is getting into this music the last four-fve years a lot. So, when you ask college people and young people what music they listen to, it’s “EDM,” because of the blogs and social media. So then they think EDM is a genre when it’s not. EDM is a collection of electronic music. I don’t think people get it, because we talk with people and see it on Twitter and they’re like, “This song is so EDM!” So they consider house music and dubstep like the same thing, and it’s not.

The difference between executive producers and producers, and what’s up with that Star Trek promo trailer? Find out at VegasSeven.com/Cazzette.

nightlife

parties

artisan

1501 W. Sahara Ave. [ Upcoming ]

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See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com

PhotograPhy by teddy Fujimoto

July 25–August 7, 2013

July 26 Sonic Soundry with Edgar Reyes July 27 Riff Raff Saturdays with M!ke Attack July 28 Community

nightlife

parties

pure

Caesars palace [ Upcoming ]

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See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com

PhotograPhy by tony tran

July 25–August 7, 2013

July 26 DJ Gusto spins July 27 USA Bikini and Bodybuilding After-party July 28 Fashion/Show Sundays hosted by V by Rob Bennett

Gastro Fare. Nurtured Ales. Jukebox Gold.

nightlife

parties

Haze Aria

[ Upcoming ]

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See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com

PhotograPhy by Derek Degner

July 25–August 7, 2013

July 25 The League of Nightlife Heroes 2 Aug 10 Drop City Yacht Club performs Aug 17 Omarion performs

nightlife

parties

Hyde Bellagio

[ Upcoming ]

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See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com

PhotograPhy by tony tran and toby acuna

July 25–August 7, 2013

July 26 Crooked and D-Miles spin July 27 Joe Maz and Turbulence spin July 30 DJ Five and D-Miles spin

FIREFLYLV.COM

dining

scene

Taming of the Trucks?

As Las Vegas’ food-truck scene comes into its own, an efort to organize owners has met with a mixed response

By Felicia Mello

July 25–August 7, 2013

➧ “It’s goIng to be a war zone,” one

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food truck operator confded.

He was talking about one of the frst public meetings of the Las Vegas Food Truck Association (VegasFoodTrucks.org), a new group formed to organize and advocate for the city’s gourmet mobile eateries.

Similar coalitions have taken shape in cities around the country as the food-truck craze exploded over the past few years. The Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association lobbies for looser regulations and mentors truck owners, while the Boston Food Truck Alliance’s “Truck Tracker” website allows hungry Beantown residents to see at a glance which rolling restaurants are in their neighborhood.

But when four Las Vegas

mobile food vendors formed a board of directors and this month announced plans to coordinate bookings in exchange for a yearly membership fee, concerns started fying in private conversations and on GroupMe, an app that truck owners use to communicate.

Would the LVFTA’s founders favor their own trucks when scheduling events? Would they want a cut of the proceeds?

Why all the fuss? Las Vegas’ relatively small food-truck scene has until now been a chaotic, organic affair.

Of the 156 “mobile food units” permitted by the Southern Nevada Health District, LVFTA organizers estimate that between 40 and 50 are so-called “gourmet” trucks: social-media savvy, with splashy logos and

innovative menus. In a way, food trucks offer the classic entrepreneurial opportunity.

Barriers to entry are low, grit and sweat are mandatory, and the payoff can be substantial.

Top trucks can gross between $250,000 and $350,000 per year and serve as trial runs for those who dream of opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

(Locally, both mini-burger mobile Slidin’ Thru and Chinese bun masters Great Bao—now Fat Choy—have made that leap.)

Truck owners compete to secure coveted parking spots, tracking down event promoters and property owners, and negotiating for a chance to sling their fancy grilled cheeses or Asian fusion fare. Sometimes they fork over a fee or a share of the profits. Relationships are key.

“You strap on the boots and go out and get it,” says Doug Porter, whose 3½ years running Curbside Café make him a veteran of the local mobile-food world. “A lot of it is through word of mouth.

Some of us have worked hard to get what we got, and I’m just not willing to turn that over to somebody else.”

But Porter and others do see benefts to organizing. While libertarian Las Vegas places fewer restrictions on food trucks than many other cities, owners still grouse about a rule banning them from parking within 150 feet of a stationary restaurant. If they were united, some wonder, could they get it overturned?

Others think an association could help bargain for lower prices with suppliers, fght back against event promoters that demand large fees to sell— or even give out microloans to new trucks.

Keith McCoy, an LVFTA board member and co-organizer of the monthly Downtown food festival Vegas StrEATs, says he hopes to one day convince Clark County to allow food-truck parking next to the “Welcome to Fabulous Las

Vegas” sign.

“Those things only happen when you have offcial organizations,” says McCoy, who also works for Slidin’ Thru. “Every industry there is—whether it’s manufacturing, interior design, construction or law—they all have a reason and a desire to work together to better their industry.”

McCoy says he and his fellow board members, who include representatives of Sin City Wings, Sauced and Kona Ice, will likely hold off on managing parking spots after hearing objections from truck owners at the July 9 meeting. They also plan to scrap an unpopular, tiered membership structure with fees ranging from $500 yearly to a $2,500 lifetime affliation for a simpler, less expensive system.

“This is new and different, so it’s going to get ugly, you’re going to throw ideas out and you go from there,” he says.

Messy though it may be, ultimately, both the emergence of the coalition and the drama surrounding it prove that Las Vegas’ food-truck industry is maturing.

And that should put a smile on the face of any local foodie.

Photo by Andrew JAmes

From left: LVFtA supporters Andy de Filippis (sin City wings), sarah Payne (sauced; board member), evan Louie (Kona Ice; board member), JoAnn bronson (señor blues) and Andrew schoenwetter (melteez).

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looks way better in a bikini than Robert Shaw.

1:08:52 – The Sharknado Gang’s plan is to fy a helicopter right up to the edge of the sharknados and heave homemade bombs into them. Because that will equalize the pressure differences that cause the tornado conditions in the frst place. Not even going to check with the National Weather Service; pretty sure that’s all on the level.

1:10:20 – “We’re going to need a bigger chopper.”

I’m beginning to suspect Nova has never actually seen a shark. She’s just pretending every shark-related reference she heard is really about her. Can’t wait until she tells about the time a landshark tried to sneak into her home with a Candygram.

1:13:02 – Incoming! Shark vs. Fin with chainsaw.

“With all the grace and speed of a ninja, I cut that shark in half,” Zeiring says. Then Fin picks off a couple more with a pistol. “And that’s years of Doom and Halo paying off.”

1:15:50 – Fin just managed to blow up a pool—a thing you can’t blow up—at the old-folks’ home adjacent to the airport. “I can’t believe that didn’t work as well when I was a 9-year-old boy trying to do the same shit,” Ziering says.

1:17:46 – Holy cats! A shark just ate Nova, falling out of the helicopter, on the fy. That shark has mad hops. That is the Michael Jordan-in-’89 of sharks.

1:21:26 – After Fin takes care of the last sharknado, the fallout shark debris (fne, “sharkbris”) ruins the sign at the Hotel Roosevelt. “Not the Roosevelt!”

Ziering sounds genuinely horrifed. “That’s where I met my wife.”

Watch a re-airing of Sharknado at 7 p.m. Aug. 22 on Syfy.

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1:22:22 – But wait, what’s this? Movement in the shark’s belly? Could it be? Is it? “Yeah, boy!” Ziering screams. Fin cuts his way free. Never doubt the triumph of explosions and chainsaws over the very worst nature has to offer. As Fin claws his way out, bloodied but unbowed, it’s a touching moment of metaphorical rebirth, of Fin’s recommitment to his estranged family. And then he reaches back in the shark and pulls out Nova. Who nearly makes out with Fin’s son, while covered in shark goo. Screw it, close enough to “touching” for me.

“Awesome. I just got chills,” Ziering says.

“It’s better than I expected. You always hope for the best. I’ve got to really hand it to [director] Anthony Ferrante for pulling this together so masterfully. This was not an easy project to direct. To have the faith in the cast with such a challenging script, to have faith in the visual effects was a huge gamble for him, and he pulled it together beautifully. This is a perfect example of excellent low-budget flmmaking. It’s got greater recognition than movies that spent $100 million.

I did Domino, and the opening weekend they did $5 million. That was with Keira Knightley, Tony Scott directed, Mickey Rourke. This has a bigger impact than that.”

Also, there’s an important, and comforting, lesson for Las Vegans: There are no sharknados in the desert.

July 25–August 7, 2013

1:21:48 – Oh no! One last piece of sharkbris!

And it’s coming right for Fin’s daughter! It’s selfsacrifce time. Right into the great white’s mouth, chainsaw held high. That is, incidentally, exactly how I want to die.

A&E

Music

Horrorcore, bounty Hunters, Hockey Masks

G Love Still Has Sauce

Afer 20 years, the hip-hop roots rocker keeps his music fresh and energy high

By Daniella Cortez

Garrett dutton, better known as G Love—the frontman for G Love and Special Sauce, has perfected a sound that combines the jam-heavy roots-rock heritage of his early ’90s beginnings with a lyrical hip-hop sensibility. After 20 years, more than a dozen studio albums, two best-of compilations and more on the horizon, the group is holding steady as the kind of feel-good band that caters to millennials. Think Jimmy Buffett or Phish for the early-30s, still-employedbut-eager-for-escapism set. Love, 40, and his band are supporting fellow altrock/hip-hop groups 311 and Cypress Hill on tour, testing out some new songs and preparing to fnish up an album due out in early 2014.

July 25–August 7, 2013

How has your career changed over time?

When we frst started out we were doing up to 250 shows for the frst couple of years. As time goes on, the goal is not to play less shows but to play to more people. We don’t do as many shows as we did when we were frst doing shows because we’re doing bigger shows now.

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What defnes this tour?

This tour feels really current and apropos to the times, and I think that’s a testament to the bands we’re on tour with. I think the goal is to keep it timely but to also keep it timeless.

What are some of your favorite places to tour?

Kind of every place. You know there’s going to be a cool vibe in a city like New York, but it’s really cool when you go to smaller cities and see a thriving music scene. I love going out to the West Coast, I love California and the Pacifc

Northwest because I love the landscape out there. In the South people are warm and loose and ready to party. And on the West Coast they’re all stoned. People are different everywhere you go.

Do you have a favorite Las Vegas spot to play?

I’ve played all the casinos mostly. The fun ones are the ones that are out by the pool with the fake beaches. Vegas is what it is, it’s a party. People go there to party.

You have that aspect of a party but then there are locals who come out, too. I think it’s cool to bring some stuff that’s down and dirty for locals, something [that’s] not schmaltzy, touristy stuff.

You’re known for your enthusiastic live shows. How do you keep the energy up?

What can audiences expect to It’s a combination of being super hear while you’re in Vegas? nervous and super excited. I still This tour and this year are really get those pre-show jitters. We are about getting the new material from always giving 150 percent and getthe new record [Bloodshot and Blue, ting our sweat on. I think the way released in April] out there. We can you keep giving that vibe is being play whatever we want right now connected with your music, putbecause we’re not really supportting the work in, staying focused ing a record. On this tour we’ve on making new music. If you’re been doing a more hip-hop set, like just out there playing covers of “Fuck It” and “Right or yourself basically, you Wrong,” and new ones can get static, so you’ve G Love and like “Come Up Man” got to write new stuff speciaL sauce and make the old stuff and a song called “No Regrets.” It’s a song we’re still sound fresh. with Cypress Hill all excited [about] as a and 311, The Joint band, it’s a big opening So no plans to retire? at the Hard Rock, song. It’s about growing No, I plan to just keep 8 p.m. Aug. 4, 693up and looking back and playing music until I 5000, TheJointLastrying to live a life with can’t do anything else.

Vegas.com. no regrets.

Then play more music.

Heard of Horrorcore rap? It’s an underground style of hip-hop focusing on slashermovie themes: cannibalism, torture, rape.

While I’m not the hugest horrorcore fan, I’m curious to see such a rapper live. An early ’90s pioneer in the subgenre, Sacramento’s Brotha Lynch Hung, brings his ultraviolent and extra-gruesome lyrical themes to LVCS at 10 p.m. July 26. His best-known song is “Krocadil,” from his recent album, Mannibalector, which is about, um, devouring fake MCs: Rappers needs to get smacked/Show ’em they ain’t useful now/They one-hitter quitters, skinny-jean niggaz/R&B singers/I’m a crocodile meat-eater. Can’t wait to Instagram a selfe at this show for my mom to like!

Las Vegas’ own Bounty Hunter Brothers specialize in pre-grunge alt-rock: all loud guitars and catchy vocal melodies. The local trio’s “Love Tornado,” from self-released disc Paid in Full, is Exhibit A—four punk chords and singer/guitarist Bobby Pesti delivers self-effacing lyrics: And I matched every single vodka tonic/With a Diet Coke and a cigarette/You introduced me to your friends/Maybe now I can be your pet. Or at least her dog, right? Bounty Hunter Brothers should capture a sizeable audience at Triple B (8 p.m. July 27), with Wax Pig Melting, Fredward and Zigtebra.

Masked rap-metal marauders Hollywood Undead haunt House of Blues at 6:30 p.m.

July 28. We are made from broken parts/We were broken from the start, the band sings on frst single “We Are” from third full-length Notes From the Underground. It’s a hypnotic song with a searing hook, even if you can cut Undead’s teen angst with a Hot Topic keychain.

Plus, I’m a sucker for any group that sticks to using pseudonyms and wearing personalized masks based on the visage of Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th.

Santa Cruz-based technical-death metal outft Decrepit Birth descends upon Cheyenne Saloon at 10 p.m. August. 1. This quartet sounds absolutely uncanny in the studio—check out their song and video for “The Resonance,” from 2010’s Polarity. It’s loaded with blasting drumbeats and angular thrash riffs, and then the music slows down for an eerily tuneful measure or three, twin guitars loop-de-looping like butterfies. Make no mistake: This is extreme heavy metal, but it’s wrought with a precise musicianship typically reserved for jazz monsters. Some trivia about Decrepit Birth: Singer Bill Robinson is homeless—by choice. Dude lives and breathes music, and music alone. Respect, yo.

Your Vegas band releasing a CD soon?

Email Jarret_Keene@Yahoo.com.

July 25–August 7, 2013

Herr Magic

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German-born Jan Rouven keeps the Illusions mind-boggling at the Riviera

By Steve Bornfeld

Meet the skinny, fopsy-mopsyhaired, death-defying elf with the German accent.

“Ya, ya, ya, not just the illusions, but being from Germany with a funny accent, that’s a good combination,” says 30-year-old Jan (pronounced “Yon”) Rouven, the Riviera’s

in-house magician whose best trick might be convincing people he’s really as sweetly guileless as he seems.

Apparently, it’s the one thing he does in the Starlite Theatre that’s thoroughly devoid of trickery. Forgive him if he hasn’t fully caught on to American

idioms yet—“jumping on the bandwagon” for him is “jumping on the train” and “public fgure” is “person of life”—but the Cologne-born illusionist is one of the most disarmingly likable magic men in town.

“I always say he is really too nice for this world,” says Frank

Alfter, producer of Rouven’s bowing in October. Angel swiped show, Illusions. “He gives it, Rouven says, after seeing him autographs after the show for perform it at the Clarion Hotel, hours. If I did not stop him, he where Rouven’s show was based would go to 4 in the morning.” in 2011 before moving to the Catching Rouven’s act is akin Riviera last year. to watching an excited 10-yearIn “Bed of Death,” Rouven old performing for Ma and Pa lays on a wooden table as an in the family living room, fush audience volunteer randomly with the thrill of discovery of releases ropes attached to his magical skills and eager swords poised to fall around to share—but writ large, with his body—with one ominously considerably more danger and dangling directly over his powerful payoffs. heart. Addressing Rouven’s Flanked by fve assistant/ allegation, a Spike spokesman dancers who rock out to recredited the inspiration to corded remixes by the likes of Clive Barker’s 1995 horror flm, Adele and Katy Perry, he gently Lord of Illusions. Responding at banters with the audience with the time, Alfter conceded the an aw-shucks/gee-whiz charm movie birthed the idea, but that lends a soothing countersaid Rouven turned it into an point to illusions that send our onstage illusion. hearts into our throats.

Asked about it now, Rouven “Don’t try this at home, it’s prefers to leave it in the recent dangerous—try it at a friend’s past. “I don’t wanna be no longer home,” he quips before defying the person who accuses him of not just the laws of nature but something,” Rouven says. “And the laws of sanity. he never mentions my name so I Handcuffed inside a pyrano longer want to mention his.” mid-shaped box, he escapes gi- … Well, almost never. ant, spinning industrial blades, During his version of the then emerges from offstage, prediction-in-a-box trick—in unscathed, wearing an ornate which he proves to have acrobe. Chained shoulder-to-toe, curately written down on he frees himself from a watery paper beforehand the answers prison inside a tank. Twisting a volunteer gives to certain the concept of Russian roulette, questions—a candle is brought he seemingly risks impalement out by an assistant in full view when he hides large, sharp of the audience while the reknives—one upturned—under cruit can’t see it. paper bags and relies on an au“I learned that one from dience member’s intuition for Criss Angel,” he tells the crowd. choosing which ones are safe (After a recent show, Rouven before he smashes his hand noted that he’s developing a down on them. new illusion. “I never saw it on Admittedly, his performance another magic show,” he says. digs don’t match the audacity “I won’t invite Criss Angel to of his act, his “Blades of Doom,” see that show.”)

“Bed of Death” and other Known in some circles as prestidigitator props crammed “the man with nine lives” for onto the modest stage in the his perilous escape artistry, bandbox-y Starlite on the nose- Rouven says he was reminded bleed third foor of stacked of the necessity of vigilance in showrooms in the rear of the his act after Cirque du Soleil old-guard Riviera. acrobat Sarah Guillot-Guyard An upgrade is in order. “But died on June 29 in a fall at Kà. to be on the Strip, we are pretty “That’s the danger of what full six nights a week, so that’s I’m doing, too,” Rouven says. good,” Rouven says. “The stage “Because I do it every night, I could be a little bigger, but it’s get used to it and forget about intimate, people sit up close, the danger. It’s like a chef who it’s talking.” makes the same sauce every day.

Dude’s not into bitching. …

If he puts too much of someWell, perhaps a little thing into it, people bitching. might complain but illusions starring You may recall a they wouldn’t die.”

Jan rouven hocus-pocus dustup in Just then, Rouven May when he accused looks toward his Starlite Theatre hotshot conjurer Criss stage props from at the Riviera, 7 Angel of purloining his dressing room p.m. Sat-Thu, his “Bed of Death” as showtime nears. $59 and up, illusion by flming “When I finish this 794-9433, Rivia similar stunt on interview,” he says, eraHotel.com.

Fremont Street for “I’m checking it Angel’s Spike TV series again.”

Photo by Andrew JAmes

A&E

stage

A&E

Movies

Michael B. Jordan plays the doomed father in happier times.

Fateful Stop In 2009, a policeman shot an unarmed black man to death.

A Sundance Film Festival winner explores the true story.

By Michael Phillips

Tribune Media Services

July 25–August 7, 2013

Fruitvale station is hugely effective meat-and-potatoes moviemaking, and one hell of a feature flm debut for writerdirector Ryan Coogler.

Lean, swift and full of life, Coogler’s picture recounts a random and needless death, that of 22-year-old Oscar Grant, played by Michael B. Jordan, a familiar face from The Wire, Friday Night Lights and the films Chronicle and Red Tails.

At 2:15 a.m. January 1, 2009, the unarmed victim was shot in the back by a Bay Area Rapid Transit policeman on an Oakland station platform.

There were witnesses, lots of

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them, many taking cellphone videos of the incident.

The movie makes no secret of Oscar’s fate. Coogler could’ve settled for an enraging, full-throttle melodrama, designed to boil your blood from beginning to end. But Fruitvale Station is better, more heartbreaking, than that.

The script follows a wellworn pattern: We spend approximately 24 hours with Oscar before the shooting, as he skitters from one part of his life to another. He’s stepping out on his girlfriend, Sophina (a smashingly good and naturalistically attuned Melonie Diaz), but there’s enough

Videography

Lil’ PeePee, “Brap Brap (Nobody Has to Know)” Alt-variety show Absinthe at Caesars is raunchy fun thanks to the delightfully perverse Penny Pibbets and her handmade sock puppets. So in honor of (completely fictional) National Sock Puppet Day, her most corrupt stocking, Lil’ PeePee, debuted a music video (available on YouTube) on July 18 for glitch-rap song “Brap Brap.” It opens with a trashy couple at the dining table. She folds laundry. He sips a 40, chews

glue in their relationship, it seems, to make it stick, and for Oscar to keep their 4-yearold daughter Tatiana (Ariana Neal) in the true north position of his compass.

Oscar’s life in and out of prison has been a trial for his mother (Octavia Spencer, note-perfect), whose birthday is December 31. In the hours leading up to the fateful BART ride back from San Francisco on New Year’s Eve, Oscar spends time with his drug dealer associate and swings by to pick up a cake and some seafood for his grandmother’s gumbo.

Fruitvale Station works because Coogler and his leading

man present a many-sided protagonist, neither saint nor unalloyed sinner. He struggles to fnd legal work and to keep it once he’s found it; likewise, and not easily, he juggles his old hell-raising self with his responsibilities as a lover, a father and a son.

When Fruitvale Station goes where it must go, to that train platform (Kevin Durand plays a fictionalized version of the transit cop who pulled the trigger), the knot tightens in your gut. You hope for an impossible resolution to the scene. You may also find yourself hoping that the film itself doesn’t blow it—that it doesn’t push the anguish and outrage into operatic or phony realms. Coogler does not blow it (though there’s a coda or two too many in the final 10 minutes). His success with the film overall, which is considerable, lies in his easy way with extended takes, allowing two or more actors to actually interact and get a rhythm going. Jordan, Diaz and Spencer, among others,

cheese puffs, watches an action flick on a craptop—and cops a feel. She storms off. He cues Internet porn, reaches into the basket for a jizz-catching foot-sleeve. To his surprise, Lil’ PeePee is raring, spitting the encouraging chorus Put your brat-brat in my SHHH, plus a hilarious slew of intentionally wack rhymes: Worn out with holes/Maybe swimming in unborn seedlings/And your feelings all over me/And your Yorkshire terrier licking me off. Blinged-out PeePee twerks, vogues poolside, cups golf balls in her cotton mouth and, um, rides a unicorn. After this oddly comical video, you’ll never look at socks the same way again. ★★★★✩ – Jarret Keene

are superb throughout. The film was shot quickly, on an extremely modest budget.

The breathlessness feels right, and true.

Fruitvale Station won two major awards at Sundance Film Festival in January and went on to pick up a prize for its presence in the Un Certain Regard sidebar of the Cannes Film Festival.

It remains to be seen what Coogler can do with different kinds of stories. But he knows where to put a camera, and how long to hold a shot, and what it means to have terrific performers igniting a scene. In the wake of last year’s Trayvon Martin killing, and this month’s George Zimmerman trial verdict, the movie carries an added layer of resonance.

But Fruitvale Station didn’t require the killing of another unarmed African-American to make it one of the truly vital films of 2013.

Fruitvale Station (R) ★★★★✩

A&E

movies

Out Of retirement, but barely Bruce Willis and the gang return for this adequate action sequel

By Michael Phillips

Tribune Media Services

reD 2, the in-one-eye, outthe-other sequel starring Bruce Willis, received a PG-13 for its “pervasive action and violence” and “frenetic gunplay,” according to the Motion Picture Association of America’s rating description.

I love that they went out of their way to add the adjective “frenetic.” For the record the best bit in the picture involves no automatic weaponry of any kind, nor that drooling, hollow cliché, recycled here, of ridiculous numbers of empty shell casings hitting the ground in slow motion. No. My favorite thing in the movie is the way co-star and Korean action icon Byung-Hun Lee uses his feet of fury to hoist a paint can and send it fying.

Footwork beats fusillades every time in this follow-up to the 2010 RED. Willis returns as Frank Moses, the retired CIA assassin whose relationship with a nice Kansas oddball

(Mary-Louise Parker, mugging up an enjoyable storm) is tested

by Frank getting pulled back into the script’s notion of morally justifable homicide.

Also from the frst RED, we have Frank’s spy pals Marvin (John Malkovich) and Victoria (Helen Mirren, who gets to shoot pistols in two directions simultaneously out of a spinning car). Brian Cox is back, briefy, as the roguish Russian arms dealer with a thing for women of a certain age who look like Helen Mirren.

Without much in the way of style, director Dean Parisot (Galaxy Quest, the Fun With Dick and Jane remake) fulflls his medium-budget assignment, trying to make it look as if RED 2 were flmed extensively (as opposed to minimally) in cities such as Paris, London and Moscow. The plot has something to do with a doomsday device threatening Moscow’s existence and the daffy Cold War-era sci-

Fighting for their 401(k): Parker, Willis and Malkovich.

entist (Anthony Hopkins, who seems rightly perplexed at the flm’s jocular way of piling up corpses) who holds the key to the resolution. The resolution in question is capped by a major character uttering a variation on the line “I didn’t see that coming,” although most in the

audience will have, in fact, seen it coming.

RED 2 isn’t a slovenly mess, the way the most recent Die Hard sequel was. Parker and Malkovich wring some laughs out of wisecracks that meet but do not exceed expectations.

The movie’s adequate. That’s

July 25–August 7, 2013

short reviews

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Pacifc Rim (PG-13) ★★★✩✩ In Guillermo del Toro’s homage to Japanese sea-beast mythology, amphibious dragons called Kaiju emerge from beneath the ocean floor. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and threat levels. They destroy entire cities in short order. So the nations of the world settle their petty politics and agree to work together on a solution: 25-story-tall human-made robots known as Jaegers, controlled by two pilots who are mind-melded in a neural bridge. It’s a battle for mankind, and while entertaining, it’s pretty loud.

Grown Ups 2 (PG-13) ★✩✩✩✩

Adam Sandler and his gang of has-beens and other hangers-on are back for this shovelready sequel. Lenny (Sandler) and his wife (Salma Hayek) and their brood have moved back to their hometown. That’s where childhood pal Eric (Kevin James) runs a body shop, Kurt (Chris Rock) is a cable guy and Marcus (David Spade) is a deadbeat dad. The story follows this lot through a long day that ends in an ’80s party. The jokes are lame, and it’s obvious Sandler is just mailing it in, again.

The Lone Ranger (PG-13) ★✩✩✩✩

Alas, while we “wait” on the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean picture, Disney and Johnny Depp churn out this mess of a film. While it never works from the start, the story follows Tonto (Depp), the trusty Native American sidekick of the famous masked Texas Ranger (Armie Hammer) hell-bent on revenge. The Lone Ranger and Tonto spend most of their time mugging, acting silly and leaping around lavish action set pieces while extreme violence occurs all around them. The tone here is off, and while Depp takes the lead with Tonto, it’s not enough to warrant the spectacle, budget or price.

not much. And I admit to some uneasiness regarding the jokes referring to the gun-craziness of American culture and its most conspicuous exports, RED 2 being the latest.

RED 2 (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩

[ by tribune media services ]

Despicable Me 2 (PG) ★★✩✩✩

You could do worse than this sequel, but reports of this installment’s charm have been greatly exaggerated. Here, the Anti-Villain League recruits Gru (Steve Carell) to track down the supervillain, El Macho. AVL agent Lucy (Kristen Wiig) gets partnered up with him, and the two go undercover at the mall. There are the goofy Minions from the first film, and some fellow mall tenants (Ken Jeong and Benjamin Bratt), but this film relies too heavily on just the timing and charm of Carell and Wiig.

Marketplace

Marketplace

Marketplace

7 questions

“Carolyn brings that sobriety to the offiCe that oftentimes wasn’t there when i was mayor.” to the BMX convention over at the South Point, they put my favorite condiment in it: a jalapeño pepper. That was at about 9 o’clock in the morning, so that was a pretty good time to start drinking. But my watch said it was 5, so there was no guilty conscience.

Our city’s biggest cheerleader on the best time to pour your frst drink, the best tip Spilotro ever gave him and the best actor to portray him on-screen

July 25–August 7, 2013

By Matt Jacob

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osCar goodman’s seCond-floor offce in an unmarked building behind the Las Vegas Convention Center is much more modest than you’d probably guess. Clarifcation: modest in size. The contents within that offce? About as immodest as Goodman himself. There’s the miniature “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign behind his desk (neon lights turned on, of course). There’s the pro wrestling championship belt on the foor, given to him by Hulk Hogan (“You know,” Goodman says about Hogan, “he’s really smart!”). And there are the countless framed pictures of the former Las Vegas mayor at various functions, posing with various dignitaries, showgirls by his side, gin martini in his hand.

Although he vacated the mayoral chair—a chair now occupied by his wife, Carolyn—after three terms in 2011, Goodman has never stopped championing his beloved city. He is now under the employ of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, with the offcial title of “Chairman of the Host Committee.” His offcial job? Smile and wave the Las Vegas pom-poms near and far, always escorted by those showgirls, always clutching that martini. I ask Goodman: How’d you end up with the best life? His reply: “I do have the best life, don’t I?”

What’s the best part about being former Mayor Oscar Goodman?

You know, I’ve always been treated like a king around here. And it amazes me that even when I’m not in offce that treatment continues. I would’ve never dreamed that would’ve happened. I fgured, once you’re out, you’re out. Still, wherever I go, I tell people [Las Vegas] has the best mayor that the city has ever had sitting in offce right now. I have arguments with people, because they like to say I was this, I was that—forget about it. You’re much better off with Carolyn.

And the best thing your successor has done?

I think she’s brought a serious vein to the offce. I took the job seriously, but I never took myself seriously. She combines the two.

A perfect example: [Recently], she went up with her staff to Mount Charleston to thank the frefghters and the Hotshots, whom I understand came from all over the country, for their service. Now had I done it, I would’ve had a band, showgirls and probably a couple of bottles of booze. And I would’ve insisted that the press follow me. She did it very quietly, very dignifedly, and I think it was appreciated that it wasn’t a circus. She brings that sobriety to the position that oftentimes wasn’t there when I was the mayor.

Speaking of sobriety, when is the best time to order the day’s frst martini?

Well, the [LVCVA] gave me a watch that has all 5s on it. So I never have to feel guilty of imbibing. … When I recently went

What’s the best advice one of your former notorious clients ever gave you?

You can only eat one steak at a time. Tony Spilotro said that, and I can’t think of a better way to live life than with that philosophy.

Your new best-selling book Being Oscar has already caught the attention of both Broadway and Hollywood. So who would be the best actor to play you?

The most handsome! The most handsome, most masculine, most brilliant person in Hollywood … who has a love of Las Vegas, of course. And the movie will be made here. Because that’s what the mayor wants.

What’s the NFL’s best long shot to bet this season? And who will end up as the best Mayor Goodman? Read the complete interview at VegasSeven.com/OscarGoodman.

Photo by bryan hainer

Oscar Goodman

What’s the best part about being Oscar Goodman?

To wake up every morning next to Carolyn. I’ve been doing it for more than 51 years now, and it’s a very good thing. But I enjoyed it more when I was the mayor, because when I woke up, she would come to my side of the bed and applaud. Now that she’s the mayor, I have to live without the applause.

What is the best iconic symbol of Las Vegas?

The “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign—nothing can even come close to replicating that. …

When you drive by that wonderful sign, it gives you a sense of what we are, a sense of pride and it’s symbolic. It’s rather simple, too. It has a nice message: Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas. What’s better than that?