Cheap Eats

April 8-14, 2010

Cheap Eats max jacobson finds 25 great dishes for less than $10, because you don't have to be rich to eat well in vegas

doing coachella in style natural pawn stars gossip from perez hilton

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Contents

This Week in Your CiTY 13

sEVEN DaYs

The highlights of this week.

By Susan Stapleton

14

37

LocaL NEwsroom

The ID logjam at the DMV and sunny news from the home-weatherization program. Plus: David G. Schwartz’s Green Felt Journal and Michael Green on Politics.

69

88

Reports on culture, politics and business from The New York Observer.

Plus: The NYO crossword puzzle and the weekly column by personal finance guru Kathy Kristof.

Texting relief to Haiti.

By Eric Benderoff

NaTIoNaL NEwsroom

ThE LaTEsT

TEch

91 DININg

Raising a glass to UNLVino and rating the Cosmopolitan’s coming cuisine.

By Melissa Arseniuk

Seven great places to find vegan cuisine in Las Vegas.

By Mericia González Plus: Max Jacobson’s Diner’s Notebook and a recipe from Marché Bacchus.

20

100

socIETY

A fragrant affair at Chanel.

TraVEL

Heading to this year’s Coachella?

Try it Palm Springs style.

By James P. Reza

25 sTYLE

102

45

Las Vegan John Gunderson ready for the second rumble in his UFC career.

By Jeff Haney Plus: Going for Broke

By Matt Jacob

Seven very nice things for dogs and a few choice Enviables for you.

Plus: A fashionably mixed-up look.

sporTs & LEIsurE

NIghTLIfE

Seven Nights ahead and DJ Graham Funke talks to Tiësto.

77

arTs & ENTErTaINmENT

Your insider guide to Coachella and Rex Reed gets a look at After.Life.

Above: The cheap but good dim sum at Ping Pang Pong. Photo by Anthony Mair On the cover: Photography by Francis + Francis; hair and makeup by Sung Park; model Susan Lowe of Impact Models; wardrobe from Saks Fifth Avenue.

Features

110

sEVEN QuEsTIoNs

Hugh Hefner on love, accomplishments and turning 84.

By Elizabeth Sewell

32

DEaLs oN mEaLs

We round up Las Vegas’ 25 best food bargains.

By Max Jacobson April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven 9

Vegas seVen Publishers

Ryan T. Doherty | Justin Weniger AssociAte Publisher, Michael Skenandore

Editorial editoriAl director, Phil Hagen AssociAte editor, Melissa Arseniuk News editor, Sean DeFrank A&e editor, Cindi Reed coPY editor, Paul Szydelko coNtributiNg editor, Todd Witcher coNtributiNg writers

Eric Benderoff, Tiffannie Bond, Geraldine Campbell, Mikey Francis, Chad Clinton Freeman, Graham Funke, Mercia González, Michael Green, Jeff Haney, Perez Hilton, Matt Jacob, Max Jacobson, Jarret Keene, Jaymi Naciri, Caitlin McGarry, Matt O’Brien, Eric Olsen, Jessica Prois, Rex Reed, James P. Reza, David G. Schwartz, Elizabeth Sewell, Kate Silver, Cole Smithey, Susan Stapleton iNterNs

Kelly Corcoran, Jazmin Gelista, Sharon Kehoe, Jena Morack, Patrick Moulin

art Art director, Lauren Stewart seNior grAPhic desigNer, Marvin Lucas grAPhic desigNer, Thomas Speak stAff PhotogrAPher, Anthony Mair coNtributiNg PhotogrAPhers

Hew Burney, Sullivan Charles, Jana Cruder, Danielle DeBruno, Francis + Francis, Brenton Ho,Tomas Muscionico, Ryan Weber coNtributiNg illustrAtor, Val Bochkov, Rob Tornoe

Production/distribution director of ProductioN/distributioN, Marc Barrington AdvertisiNg coordiNAtor, Jimmy Bearse

salEs AccouNt MANAger, Chelsea Hefley AccouNt eXecutive, Christy Corda, Tracy Story-McPherson and Robyn Weiss

Comments or story ideas: comments@weeklyseven.com Advertising: sales@weeklyseven.com Distribution: distribution@weeklyseven.com Vegas Seven is distributed each thursday throughout southern nevada.

WenDOH MeDIa COMpanIes Ryan T. Doherty | Justin Weniger vice PresideNt, PUBLISHING, Michael Skenandore director, MARKETING, Jason Hancock eNtertAiNMeNt director, Keith White creAtive director, Sherwin Yumul iNterActive MediA MANAger, Josu Ibarguen eveNt coordiNAtor, Richard Alexander

FinancE director of fiNANce, Gregg Hardin AccouNts receivAble MANAger, Rebecca Lahr geNerAl AccouNtiNg MANAger, Erica Carpino credit MANAger, Erin Tolen

PublisHEd in association WitH tHE obsErVEr MEdia GrouP Copyright 2010 Vegas Seven, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Vegas Seven, LLC is prohibited.

Vegas Seven, 888-792-5877, 3070 West Post Road, Las Vegas, NV 89118 10

Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

COntributOrs

Kate Silver “Broadcasters, Raise Your Hammers,” page 40 She spent a decade flexing her dauber arm … er, pen in Las Vegas. Her work has appeared in People, Playboy and Spirit magazines, and she was on staff at Las Vegas Weekly and Las Vegas Life. Now Silver is a resident of Chicago, where recently accepted a (temporary) job with the U.S. Census Bureau, and her bureaucratic urban misadventures can be found on her blog, chicagocensusworker.wordpress.com.

Val B. Bochkov “An Alien Concept” illustration, page 16 The Russian-born illustrator has produced art for hundreds of books and magazines all over the world, from New York City to Mongolia.

He also has shown his works in dozens of art exhibitions in Europe and the United States. Before moving his studio to Virginia, he was publisher and creative director of two magazines in Moscow, and he “survived” five years as a creative director at Grey Advertising in Moscow, London and New York.

See more of his illustrations at http://bochkov.com.

Perez Hilton Guest columnist, “The Latest Gossip,” page 18 Perez Hilton, whose name is synonymous with celebrity gossip, has built his eponymous website into a sassy, serious force to be reckoned with.

The blogger-turned-socialite was in Las Vegas on April 1 to celebrate his birthday, and he accepted our invitation to serve as Vegas Seven’s first guest gossip columnist.

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Visit the Vegas Seven website April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven 11

Seven DayS The highlights of this week in your city.

Compiled by Susan Stapleton

Thur. 8 Learn how to trim your power bill down to $8 a month through NV Energy’s SolarGenerations Rebate/Net-Metering Program at the Springs Preserve. Representatives from Bombard Renewable Energy will review environmental benefits of solar power and provide easy examples of ways to reduce your carbon footprint, so bring your most recent power bill and get ready to see it shrink. 6-7:30 p.m., free.

Fri. 9 AC/DC had to cancel its Oct. 3 concert at the MGM Grand Garden Arena after singer Brian Johnson’s ulcers started acting up, but he and the rest of the rockers rescheduled the show and are Back in Black. The Aussie supergroup brings their “Black Ice” world tour to town with openers Rival Sons. 8 p.m., $98.93, previously issued passes for October show honored.

Chihuahua photo by Nathan Van Arsdale / navandale.com

Sat. 10 Grab your favorite four-legged friend and head down to the largest animal event the state has to offer as Petapalooza takes over Star Nursery Field at Sam Boyd Stadium. Now in its 11th year, the daylong pet-friendly concert funds more than 40 animal rescue groups and features acoustic performances by the Barenaked Ladies and Five for Fighting, among others. Last year, more than 20,000 attendees and 4,000 leashed dogs—along with a few parrots, potbellied pigs and snakes—took in the event. $7 or $5 with a can of dog food, 10 a.m-6 p.m.

Sun. 11 Pack up the kids for an afternoon of Disney and The Muppet Show melodies as the College of Southern Nevada Orchestra gives one of its popular pops concerts. The Outside in Jazz Trio joins the performance at the Nicholas J. Horn Theatre. CSN Performing Arts Center, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave., 2 p.m., $5-$8, 651-5483.

Mon. 12 Clear your guilty conscience and return all of your overdue library books during Library Amnesty Week. From April 11-17, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District librarians will look the other way and forgive the first $25 in late fees for all outstanding materials in exchange for their missing books. What’s more, all lost library cards will be replaced free of charge. Last year, patrons returned more than 2,400 items and forked over $17,641 in residual late fines and fees.

Tues. 13 Do some gazing as the stars come out to play cards and help the Nevada SPCA during the fourth annual Jennifer Harman Celebrity Poker Tournament. Celebs confirmed for this year’s event include Curb Your Enthusiasm actress Cheryl Hines, actor Lou Diamond Phillips, Saved by the Bell actor Dennis Haskins and ESPN commentator Lon McEachern. The action gets under way at the Venetian poker room from 4 p.m. and the winner of the no-limit Texas Hold ‘em tournament gets a $10,000 seat at the World Series of Poker main event and a shiny Curtis & Co. watch. Unfortunately, it will take more than luck to get to the goods: A range of poker pros—including Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey—also have their eyes on the prize. $330 buy-in, $100 re-buys during the first three 20-minute levels, nevadaspca.org.

Wed. 14 You would have had to have been living under a rock to miss Jurassic Park but in case you were—or in case you really liked it the first time around—the triple Academy Award-winnning and top-grossing film from 1993 is back. The dinosaurs return to life at Texas Station as part of Flashbacks, the weekly series that revives retro movies such as E.T. (April 21), Back to the Future (April 28) and Top Gun (May 26). Regal Texas Station Stadium 18, 6:30 p.m., $5.

April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven 13

The LaTesT

What’s hip, what’s happening, what’s going on—and what you need to know right now.

Compiled by Melissa Arseniuk

Locals Center stage

Sake to me: UNLVino introduces rice wine to the 2010 lineup.

swirl and sip for scholarships Nevada’s oldest wine-tasting event, UNLVino, is back and is bringing with it a case of Sake Fever.

More than 250 sakes will be on hand at the Palms Pool April 9 for night No. 2 of the three-day festival. The rice wine-themed party is a fresh addition to the annual fundraising event, which was founded in 1974.

UNLVino 2010 begins April 8 at Caesars Palace with a “BubbleLicious” evening of champagne tasting by the pool and concludes at Bally’s on April 10, where the Grand Tasting will offer an expected crowd of 6,000 more than 2,000 wines to sip, swirl and sample.

“I don’t think you’ll get through all of them,” says Michael Severino of Southern Wine & Spirits, the event’s creator and sponsor.

He suggests two Californian wines—Caymus and FerrariCarano—as standouts to look for, and aspiring winos are given a wine guide to help navigate the three-day oenophilic trip around the world. “You’re going to taste wines that normally you wouldn’t have the opportunity to taste all in one area,” Severino says. “You have New Zealand, Australia, Italy, France—it’s an international array of wines.”

Since its inception 36 years ago, UNLVino has raised millions for scholarships and educational programming for the university’s William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration.

Three local tastemakers will receive the 2010 Dom Pérignon Award of Excellence for their contributions to the local hospitality industry at this year’s event: executive pastry chef and Caesars Palace-based restaurateur François Payard, Golden Gaming President Blake Sartini and Aria president and COO (and UNLV alumnus) Bill McBeath.

Tickets $50-$75 in advance or $75-$100 at the door, 739-2367, unlvtickets.com.

14

Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Further proving CityCenter is more than a tourist destination, Centerpiece Gallery is unveiling a series of collections created by Southern Nevada artists, aptly named, “Locals Only.”

On April 8, UNLV master of fine-arts graduate Shawn Hummel becomes the first artist to showcase his work in the exhibition, which will rotate quarterly.

His artwork, a study of color and form, involves shiny cars and city lights captured in close-range photographs, reprinted on aluminum and enhanced with strokes of vibrant car paint.

The gallery is located to Kiton and Carolina Herrera in Mandarin Oriental’s porte-cochère, but is technically part of Crystals. The free-to-see exhibition is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily through May 24.

Centerpiece isn’t the only place at CityCenter that art fans can see Hummel’s art: His “Solinvegas” is displayed in Aria’s high-limit slot machine gaming lounge.

“MartiangumballVSperidot C” by local artist Shawn Hummel.

Spring Preening Spring is here, which means it’s time to break out of that scaly winter cocoon and, like a butterfly, emerge radiant, ready for summer.

Canyon Ranch Spa recently introduced a new treatment to help do just this, while pampering patrons in the process. Its new Spring Revitalizing Cocoon (from $170) revives dry winter skin with a full-body exfoliation using a dry loofah followed by the application of soothing, all-natural white clay from Great Salt Lake in Utah.

The mineral-packed mud sooths and restores while the body is submerged in a special “envelopment bed”—a water-filled cradle that surrounds the body with warmth without getting you wet—and a head-to-toe application of luxurious, lemon-scented body butter completes the treatment.

The award-winning spa at the Venetian and Palazzo offers the service through the end of May and provides all Nevada residents with a 10 percent discount on all treatments. What’s more, day access to the co-ed salt grotto and wave room, saunas, steam rooms, experiential rain showers, igloo and hydro spa is included with all Canyon Ranch Spa services.

This week in your CiTy Scarpetta chef Scott Conant

Fast Friend If you noticed more speed traps on the road (or infractions on your driving record), there’s a reason: Metro is out in full force, and they’ve been handing out tickets like candy on Halloween.

And that, NASCAR driver-like friends, is where the Passport 9500ix radar detector comes in. Speed traps are no match for the GPS-enabled unit, which carries a database of thousands of known red-light and speed cameras to alert speed demons about speed traps before Metro’s radar guns get to them.

GPS updates are available online and can be downloaded straight to the unit via USB (free for 90 days). You can also program the detector to sound the alarm when you’re approaching the spot you got that $250 ticket last week—before you bought the radar detector. After a few saves, it’ll pay for itself. $499, escortradar.com.

Cosmo Cuisine The Cosmopolitan Hotel is about to add to our city’s culinary credibility.

The soon-to-open resort adjacent to CityCenter recently released a list of high-pedigree eateries, all slated to open later this year.

According to the dish, the brains behind famed Blue Ribbon restaurant, Bruce and Eric Bromberg, will open a Las Vegas installation of the popular eatery; The One Group will open a

steakhouse called STK; Costas Spiliadis will introduce the first authentic Greek restaurant to the Strip, Estiatorio Milos; Scott Conant will bring his Italian standout, Scarpetta, to town.; and chef David Myers is gearing up to bring the lone Los Angeles-based eatery, Comme Ca, to Cosmopolitan.

Each will help “make the mid-Strip a real food destination,” says Vegas Seven food critic Max Jacobson. He credits

Conent photo by Melanie Dunea

Fresh ink

Las Vegas has a new venue that hopes to make permanent impression on the city’s already colorful landscape: Mario Barth at The Mirage.

Part tattoo shop, part nightclub, the new inking and drinking outpost officially opens April 10. While King Ink offers a full range of tattoos and piercings, the adjacent bar and lounge area features an outdoor patio with views of the Strip.

Barth, who already operates Starlight Tattoo at Mandalay Bay and has three tattoo shops in New Jersey, plans to spend about 10 days a month at the new shop. He partnered with entertainment powerhouse The Light Group to launch the project, located adjacent to another Light Group offering, Jet nightclub.

Those wanting to join the likes of Usher, Tommy Lee and Lenny Kravitz can get inked by Barth at The Mirage faster than anywhere else. Although there is usually a two-year wait list for the self-proclaimed king of ink, Barth is now taking appointments at his new shop, effectively cutting future client-canvasses’ wait times in half.

Cosmo CEO John Unwin for raising the bar, saying, “He’s a real foodie.”

And the list is far from complete.

More announcements are expected as the 2,995-room hotel nears completion.

“There will probably be something else that’s pan-Asian, something that’s not Japanese or sushi,” Jacobson predicts. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re looking around San Francisco for Chinese chefs.”

Tao Reigns

Tao executive chef Mark Andelbradt

Is delicious food or star power the secret ingredient in Tao’s recipe for success? Either way, the Asian restaurant at the Venetian is No. 1 again.

Restaurants & Institutions magazine has crowned the hot spot as the nation’s highest-grossing independent restaurant for the fourth consecutive year.

The venue grossed nearly $60 million in 2009, according to the survey, which uses tax data to form the annual chronicle.

Its Italian sister, Lavo at the Palazzo, also made the list—No. 2 in Las Vegas and at No. 7 nationwide—after ringing in $22 million in sales.

The Tao Group runs both restaurants, and co-owner Jason Strauss says the key to their success is no secret. “I think the backbone of anybody’s success is the management,” he tells Vegas Seven. “You can market the hell out of something and you can do great PR, but at the end of the day the management is really what makes or breaks a place.”

Still, Strauss and his partners enjoy a considerable leg up on the competition thanks to their large concepts and nightlife-based liquor sales. Tao, for example, is 62,000 square feet, while Prime Steakhouse—No. 20 on the list—has just 7,500 square feet.

Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab at the Forum Shops at Caesars was the third Las Vegas venue on the list, in 13th place with $19 million in sales. SW Steakhouse ($18.1 million), Mix ($18 million), Craftsteak ($17 million), Prime Steakhouse ($16.4 million), Mon Ami Gabi ($15.5 million) and Top of the World (15.1 million) also made the top 25.

April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven 15

THE LaTEsT THougHT

an alien Concept Enough of our baseball team being the 51s—and of researchers who think they know Vegas

By Matt Jacob

16 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

audience,” Logan recalls. “But he just ripped me and ripped the name.”

The public outcry was predictable, because as anyone knows—except maybe the consultant who made the 51s recommendation—a community’s identity is often tied to its sports teams.

Las Vegans can get with nicknames such as the Rebels, Coyotes and Wranglers (whose mascot is a bull). But a riff on Area 51 (a formerly top-secret military base in Lincoln County, about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas)? Complete with an alien mascot named Cosmo? What, was the Las Vegas Mafiosos with a Bugsy logo too far over the top? Did the focus group not ponder the Las Vegas Elvi? The Area 51 approach was—and is—just as ludicrous. We are Las Vegans, not cartoon characters.

But the good news is that Derek Stevens, who purchased the club from Mandalay Entertainment Group two

years ago, knows it. In fact, on the day before his introductory news conference in March 2008, Stevens told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of the 51s name. We want to come up with another name, and that’s something we’d like to target for the 2009 season.”

Well, 2009 came and went, the 2010 season is upon us and the 51s are still alive. And Logan says there are no plans to change it—at least not right now.

“This is the 10th year we’ve been the 51s, and it has taken hold. Are we going to keep it forever? That’s debatable. …

Nothing’s forever.”

As the usually upbeat Logan speaks on this particular topic, the tone of his voice suggests that, if he had his way, he would’ve changed the name yesterday.

Obviously, he can’t and won’t come out and admit the 10-year-old mistake. He doesn’t have to. When he says things

like “it is what it is” multiple times and acknowledges the consultant his former bosses employed “was like hiring somebody to borrow your watch to tell you what time it is,” Logan’s views on the subject are quite obvious.

So I steered the conversation a different direction. I asked Logan—as well-liked and well-respected a person as there is in this community—a hypothetical: If the decision is made to ditch the 51s, how would the organization approach renaming the franchise? “I think it’s important to let the fans pick,” he says. “It’s not about us. It would be what the people want. So we’d do a local contest and see what came out.”

Allow us to cast the first vote: Bring back the Stars. The name worked then, and it will work again. We’ll even sign off on the return of the old Elvis the dog mascot—anything to launch Cosmo back into outer space.

Illustration by Val Bockhov

Comparing the longevity of the Las Vegas 51s baseball club to that of any other professional franchise that’s set up shop in this dusty desert is like comparing Steve Wynn’s bank account—even post-divorce—to mine. Whereas most pro sports entities struggle to survive 28 weeks in this town, the 51s this year are celebrating their 28th year of Triple-A baseball.

For that—and the fact they offer the best bang for the family buck in this valley—the organization is to be commended. But as another baseball season dawns, the time has come for the franchise to finally step up to the plate and really knock one out of the park: That 51s nickname? It’s got to go.

Quick history lesson: It was back in 2000 when the team’s then-owners (Mandalay Entertainment Group) were looking to breathe some marketing life into a franchise they believed had become stagnant. Rather than take a rational approach, these otherwise intelligent owners—whose main business is making movies—decided to go the radical route: new mascot, new colors, new nickname, the whole shebang. A consultant was hired to research options for a new nickname, and come Opening Day 2001, the Las Vegas Stars were rebranded as the Las Vegas 51s. Going “all in” on the Area 51 theme, the new logo featured an alien head and the new mascot was named “Cosmo.”

I’ll never forget my reaction when I first caught wind of the name change before it was unveiled: First came the dropped jaw, followed by the incredulous laughter. When I finally regained my composure, I remember telling the person on the other end of the phone, “This is not going to be well-received by the public.”

Sure enough, not long after the 51s became official, Don Logan—who has been with the franchise since its inception, serving since 1991 as general manager—was attending a charity function where former Nevada governor and U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan was the guest speaker. “He didn’t know I was in the

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THE LaTEsT Gossip

Star-studded parties, celebrity sightings, juicy rumors and other glitter.

Got a juicy tip? gossip@weeklyseven.com

Tweets of the Week

Little Diddy’s Big Birthday

­Compiled­by­@marseniuk

Who comes to Las Vegas to throw their 12-year-old son a birthday party? Sean “Diddy” Combs, that’s who.

I don’t understand why you would bring your child to Vegas to celebrate his birthday when he’s 12 years old!

Maybe Diddy is dyslexic and he just thought his son was turning 21 and not 12? I don’t get it. I mean, he’s just instilling what’s probably going to be bad behavior in his child in the future.

Kids should have birthday parties at the playground, not Vegas.

The oh-so-responsible rapper brought a tour bus full of famous people’s children—including Tyson Beckford’s son, Faith Evans’ son and Master P’s son—to town on April 4 for a threeday Las Vegas vacation.

It all started at Lavo, where Diddy and the kiddies stayed in the private dining room way past the middleschoolers’ bedtimes. Combs also rented out the Hardwood suite at the Palms the following night for the kids to play in.

@RichardAbowitz Hey Cirque, a good magician is available, finally, for your one bad show. Lance Burton-Believe. Nice sound to it! A chance at real fixation. @DitaVonTeese Confession: Real reason I don’t do after-show meet and greets each night is because I would miss out on the group shower with the dancers.

Matt Goss, Robin Antin, me and my fellow Vegas Vixen, Holly Madison, at Tao.

Happy Birthday to … ME! I came to Las Vegas on April 1 for my birthday and it was super fun. I always have fun in Vegas, but this time I went to see Dita Von Teese at Crazy Horse Paris and her show was so sexy, she almost turned me. (Almost.)

After the show, my friends and I went for dinner at Tao but I didn’t get to eat much since I’m on a diet. My God, is dieting hard work—especially at Tao because everything is so yummy there.

A bunch of people showed up for the party, including Holly Madison and Benji Madden. They kind of debuted their rekindled romance at my party and were trying to not be overly affectionate or flirtatious in public but it was obvious.

It’s going to be hard for them to make it last, especially because they live in

different cities, but Benji likes blondes, so you never know! They’re probably going to be on-and-off for a while; I don’t think they’re going to be exclusive or anything.

But they are better suited for each other than Benji and Paris Hilton were. I mean, Holly’s not as famous as Paris, but she’s still famous, so she and Benji are more on the same level.

As far as Holly is concerned, she used to date Hugh Hefner, and anything is an improvement over Criss Angel, obviously, but she was also hooking up with pro skateboarder Rob Dyrdek recently—she gets around! But she’s a very sweet girl, and I know her so I’m happy for her and her new man.

Jessica Simpson’s former assistant, CaCee Cobb, was also at my party with her Scrubs boyfriend, Donald Faison, and Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin was there with her pet project, Matt Goss. He’s hot, that Matt Goss guy—but he’s not gay. Sadly.

Combs takes the cake at Lavo.

@EmilyJillette I got an advance copy of @zappos book, “Delivering Happiness.” I’m looking forward to reading it. I’ll probably buy new shoes when I’m done.

@gretawire Harry Reid’s motto: Driving Nevada Forward (and America off a cliff!).

@marcsavard My 5 1/2 yr old asked me how Lady Gaga likes her steak cooked. I dunno? She responded, “Raw Raw, Rah Ah Haw.” Where does she gets this stuff? @ODDTwitter Sitting next to a girl clad head 2 toe in Ed Hardy, desperately trying to cover up scent of sin w/ VS perfume. Not everything stays in Vegas.

@DeepakChopra Had a powerful meditation just now—caused an earthquake in Southern California.

Britney Spears’ ballooning ex, Kevin Federline, was spotted in Las Vegas on April 4 as he had lunch at Cabo Wabo Cantina. Guacamole, chips, tacos and enchiladas all washed down with CocaCola? Sounds like someone’s falling off his Celebrity Fit Club diet! He’ll be fat by the Fourth of July, mark my words.

18 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Deryck’s New +1: Jack

Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley continued his bender on April 3 and was spotted drinking Jack Daniels at Tao ... again!

This made for two weekends of Jack Daniels drinking at the Venetian for Avril Lavigne’s ex.

Last weekend he had an excuse (it was his birthday), but two weeks in a row? That’s hard-core. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if he was there all week; he didn’t have much else going on. But I guess divorce is not easy on you, and being a washed-up musician isn’t easy, either.

I originally thought he and Avril were reuniting, but this weekend while he was playing in Vegas, she was in L.A. and was spotted—again—with Brody Jenner. Avril is definitely going to fare better after this break-up—she’s already hooking up with Brody Jenner! But, hey, Deryck still probably gets free stuff when he comes to Vegas.

Deryck Whibley

@kellyoxford Just noticed my son calls Justin Bieber “Justin Beaver.”

Not going to correct that. @perezhilton Just saw @DitaVonTeese’s show at the Crazy Horse in Vegas. I think I may be bisexual now. Hot damn! @owillis Dow is up 3022 points since Obama was sworn in as president. For a destroyer of capitalism, that’s a pretty horrible record.

Photos by Al Powers

Well-Fed K-Fed

Society

chanel chic The Chanel boutique at Wynn on April 1 hosted a private event to celebrate its latest designer fragrance, Les Exclusifs de Chanel. Condé Nast Traveler partnered with the luxury brand to help present the VIP event, which welcomed a nice collection of fashionable Las Vegas residents.

Photography by Sullivan Charles

20 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Louis Vuitton tiffAny & Co. RobeRto CAVALLi tom foRd fendi VeRsACe bVLgARi CARtieR CARoLinA HeRReRA HeRmÈs bALLy PAuL smitH bottegA VenetA Kiton VAn CLeef & ARPeLs KiKi de montPARnAsse mARni nAnette LePoRe AssouLine miKimoto LAnVin H.steRn touRbiLLon PoRsCHe design iLoRi de gRisogono tHe gALLeRy feAtuRing dALe CHiHuLy tHe ARt of RiCHARd mACdonALd PResented by CiRQue du soLeiL Rodney LougH JR. CenteRPieCe gALLeRy beso bRAsseRie PuCK todd engLisH P.u.b. mAstRo’s oCeAn CLub

Introduce your sense of style to your sense of wonder.

Announcing Crystals, the fashion destination that is a journey through couture, cuisine and entertainment. crystalsatcitycenter.com

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ENVIABLES

Style

cruisin’

Nobody walks in Las Vegas, but it seems as if everyone is biking. Ride in style on the La Fonda Del Sol from the Electra Bicycle Co. This lime-green Dutch bike incorporates whimsical elements of the iconic artist Alexander Girard. It comes equipped with a sun-embossed leather saddle and matching grips and bell. $800, Sport Chalet.

The Look

Photographed by Tomas Muscionico

The Magical Mulleavys

Obsessed with Rodarte and couldn’t make it to NYC to see Quicktake: Rodarte at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum? Visit nordstrom.com for a complete recap of the event celebrating the edgy designs from Kate and Laura Mulleavy’s cutting-edge fashion house.

ZAchAry AdAmS, 25

Financial adviser, the Wealth Consulting Group What he’s wearing now: Z Zegna suit, H&M shirt, J. Lindeberg tie, Ferragamo belt, Bruno Magli shoes and Panerai watch.

In the high-stress world of high finance, Adams takes the easy way out when it comes to fashion. “I like to dress simple, and casual, whenever possible,” he says. A Las Vegas native, Adams fondly recalls his first exposure to the importance of shopping. “I remember going quite often to the Fashion Show as a toddler with my mom.”

new neuTrals

For the ninth season, Sally Hansen has joined forces with fashion icon Tracy Reese to develop stark nail lacquers inspired by Reese’s fall collection. This season’s shades include Evening Fog, Fedora, Wet Clay, Touch of Mink and Bittersweet. $7, CVS and Walgreens.

April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven 25

26 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Sweet Disarray

All mixed up with somewhere to go Photographer Jana Cruder, janacruderphoto.com Wardrobe Stylist Alexx Brown Makeup and Hairstyling Elizabeth LaGue, elizabethlague.com Photo Assistant Jake Netter

Les Chiffoniers leggings, available at Ron Herman Beverly Hills. martinMARTIN T-shirt and jacket, available by special order (213) 746-4585. Ann Demeulemeester pearl and feather charm necklace, available at Theodore Beverly Hills.

Marc by Marc Jacobs green clutch, available at the Forum Shops at Caesars. Jeffrey Campbell shoes, available at David Z Las Vegas.

April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven 27

Gucci by Tom Ford vintage dress worn as leggings, available at Catwalk Los Angeles. martinMARTIN lace tank top, available by special order (213)764-4585.

Miu Miu chiffon boy shorts, available at Miu Miu in Crystals at CityCenter.

Chanel suspenders, available at Wynn Las Vegas. Jeffrey Campbell shoes, available at David Z Las Vegas.

28 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

If Six Was Nine by Maniac Corp. leopard tank dress with silk chiffon print train, available at MaxďŹ eld Los Angeles.

Paco Rabanne vintage silver metal mesh top and gold metal link dress, stylist’s own. Chloe necklace, available at the Shoppes at the Palazzo. Wolford stockings, available at the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian.

Dolce & Gabbana vintage denim over-the-knee stiletto boots, available at Catwalk Los Angeles.

Style

Seven Very Nice Things

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The Posh Pooch It’s a decadent dog’s life

1. Juicy Couture Dog Pique Polo A preppy look for the four-legged friend who has it all. $40, juicycouture.com.info.

3. Shabby Dog Travel Dog Bowl For the pet on the go, this portable dog bowl comes in pink with black and chocolate brown with yellow. $95, theshabbydog.com.

5. Paul Frank’s Julius Avant Garde Retractable Leash Walks are the best time to monkey around. $38-$48, 26barsandaband.com.

7. Rock & Republic Precious Cargo Bed What’s studded up and fluffy all over?

Fido’s bed. $180, rockandrepublic.com.

2. ZenHaus Designer Dog Furniture Give Sparky a relaxing domain with the ZenHaus, a sleek oval that doubles as a modern end table. $525, denhaus.com.

4. The Shabby Dog Hands Free Dog Walking Watch Cuff Multitasking never looked so good thanks to this all-in-one watch cuff that attaches to any standard leash. $80, theshabbydog.com

6. PetSafe Diamond Collar Be the safest and most stylish dog on the block with a receiver collar adorned in diamonds. Also includes the PetSafe fencing system. $52,000, dog-power.com.

– Compiled by MJ Elstein

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Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Cheap Eats Vegas Seven food critic Max Jacobson searches the Valley to find the 25 best food bargains

Deals on Meals The high-end restaurants get all the national press, but we locals know the real score. You can eat very well and experience all types of cuisine for less than $10 in Las Vegas, as I hope this diverse list proves.

Mehdi Zarhloul would love to franchise his popular concept, which sells lamb, beef, spiced ground beef, shrimp and veggie sandwiches wrapped up in hot pita bread. He does wonderful specialties from his native Morocco, including poulet m’chermel (rotisserie chicken rubbed in preserved lemon) and couscous (cooked semolina wheat with gravy). $7.95, in the District at Green Valley Ranch, 2225 Village Walk Dr., 896-7482.

Pollo a la Brasa at Inka Si Senior

This Peruvian roast chicken uses more garlic than its Mexican counterpart at El Pollo Loco, and it has crisper skin, thanks to a spit roaster. What sets it apart is aji, a yellow paste made from mild South American chilies served from a condiment bar. Also try aguaditos de pollo, an exotic chicken cilantro soup that’s greener than Kermit. $8.75, 845 S. Rainbow Blvd., 731-0826.

Taco al Pastor at Tacos Mexico

Tacos for 60 cents? Believe it. Those are practically Mexico City prices, and they only apply to certain tacos on certain days, but the regular price of many is less than $1, so who cares? The tacos, which are completely authentic, come in varieties such as pastor, lengua (tongue) and sesos (brains), as well as the more familiar chicken, beef and pork. 3820 W. Sahara Ave., 444-1171, and 1800 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 444-2288.

Juicy Pork Dumplings at China MaMa

The Half-Pound Burger at Smashburger

This chain just breezed in from Denver and is already taking the north side by storm. Burgers are “smashed” on the grill, meaty and loose, served on terrific egg buns with all the trimmings. The salads are a great meal deal, too, such as the All Nighter, which comes with two fried eggs, bacon, avocado, onion rings and ranch dressing. Pass on the fried pickles, but make sure to try one of the chain’s thick, creamy malts. $5.99, 7541 W. Lake Mead Blvd., 982-0009.

Cake Chocolate Doughnut at Real Donuts

Yes, this place is a dive and the service is spotty, but the doughnuts are the best in the city. The glazed cake chocolate melts in your mouth, the raised doughnuts are as light as a feather, and the churros and Mexican sweet breads are things of beauty. 90 cents, 1811 W. Charleston Blvd., 388-9958.

Chicken-Fried Steak and Eggs at Village Pub

The hearty breakfasts served at this 24/7 chain are killer—possibly in more ways than one if you order the amazing chicken-fried steak with cream gravy. You get two eggs, country potatoes and bread of your choice along with it. I always get the rye, a nice, crusty version as good as you’d get in an authentic Jewish deli. $6.99, multiple locations, villagepubcasino.com.

No one comes to this Taiwanese restaurant near Chinatown without ordering the steamed dumplings, which are so juicy they spurt when cut

open. The Szechuan dishes are also good here, as are cold dishes such as wine chicken, jellyfish and spicy cucumbers. There are many delicious noodle preparations as well. $7.25 (8 pieces), 3420 S. Jones Blvd., 873-1977.

Photo by Danielle DeBruno

The Shrimp Pita at Crazy Pita

32 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

The Half-Pound Smashburger.

Cheap Eats The Grilled Italian Sub at Capriotti’s

Everyone is always talking about the Bobbie—a sub roll with roast turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce—at Las Vegas’ best sub chain, which began life in Delaware and has stretched to 11 states. I prefer the Grilled Italian, with Italian cold cuts and cheese finished on flat, hot metal. Capriotti’s meatball sub is reliable as well. $8 (medium), multiple locations, capriottis.com.

The Naked Royale at the Naked City Sandwich Shop Sure, it’s a hole in the wall and there are only two tables out in the parking lot of Dino’s bar. But this downtown sandwich shop makes everything from scratch, including the bread. Try the Naked Royale, with hot sausage and capicolla with provolone cheese on a kaiser roll, and then go across the street to Luv-It for a frozen custard. $8.99, 1516 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 889-6300.

Green Chile Verde Burrito at Super-Mex

If you like Cal-Mex fare, such as fat burritos with too much rice and lots of cheese, this Bud’s for you. The house specialty is the stuffed burrito, the best one being a green chile verde. They’ll do it with light, medium or heavy cheese; I recommend the light, so you can save room for their made-to-order guacamole. $9.45, 3460 E. Sunset Road, 436-5200, and 6450 S. Durango Road, 312-8000.

The Lunch Buffet at Buffet@Asia

Quantity trumps quality at this mind-boggling, 150-item buffet, which has not only Chinese fare but abundant sushi, Korean beef, Thai soup and just about anything else you can think of. The best time to go is at 11:30 a.m., when the food is fresh, not yet picked over and still glistening with corn starch, sugar, salt and grease—the essential food groups. $8.29, three locations including 2380 S. Rainbow Blvd., 307-8800; 4090 S. Eastern Ave., 650-0290; and 9901 S. Eastern Ave., 407-1166.

Wasabi Octopus at Ichiza

A new Vegas favorite, the Naked Royale (above), and a good old Jerry’s Nugget treat, the Strawberry Ring (below).

Ichiza is a mezzanine-level Chinatown sakaba, or sake bar, where small, salty dishes displayed on bilingual paper banners are the ticket. Naturally there are various types of yakitori (chicken parts on wooden skewers) and funky Japanese fare such as ankimo (monkfish liver pate), onigiri (rice cakes with salty fillings) and, if you’re lucky, the occasional hunk of wasabi octopus. $3.85, 4355 Spring Mountain Road, 367-3151.

Mixed Broken Rice Plate at Bosa 1

The broken-rice plates, called com tam, are the specialty here, not pho, the rice noodle soup most people order at Vietnamese restaurants. The rice is smashed before cooking, and the toppings are delicious, including grilled pork, five-spice chicken and cha gio, which are irresistible egg rolls. $5.99-$8.99, 3400 S. Jones Blvd., 418-1931.

The Pies and Cakes at Jerry’s Nugget Coffee Shop

“Just good food” is how most people describe the fare at this unpretentious local institution, open 24/7. Waitresses have the unflappable demeanor of warrant officers. Chicken-fried steak, burgers and Mexican entrées complement a legendary array of homemade pies and cakes. The custard-filled éclairs and the Strawberry Ring are especially obscene. $3.50-$5, in Jerry’s Nugget Casino, 1821 Las Vegas Blvd. North, 399-3000.

The Gordita at Los Antojos

Come after the lunch rush and squeeze into this tiny rabbit warren owned by a family from Mexico City named Martinez-Ruiz. Gorditas, fat corn cakes cut in half and stuffed with chicharon (pork rinds), an amazing house chicken soup called consomé loco, and pambazo, a sort of Mexican stir-fry, are just three of the treats that keep this place jammed to the rafters at all times. $3.19, 2520 S. Eastern Ave., 457-3505.

Gyro in a Pita at Gyro Time

Its many fans swear these are the best gyros in town. If you aren’t familiar, a gyro consists of thinly sliced meat (usually beef mixed with lamb) cleaved from an Autodoner, and stuffed into a hot pita slathered with sauce, tomatoes, onions and, if you insist, lettuce.

There are also delicious spinach cheese pies for a vegetarian option. $6.25, 5239 W. Charleston Blvd., 878-6393; 7660 W. Cheyenne Ave., 658-9729; and 5715 S. Eastern Ave., 262-9359.

34 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

5 CHEAP EATS ON THE STRIP Meatloaf Sandwich at wichcraft

From the Tamba buffet (clockwise from above): naan, tandoori chicken, malai kofta, chicken curry and chicken tikka masala.

Top Chef host Tom Colicchio rolled out this concept as an afterthought to his successful steak house, Craftsteak, and it turned out to be a star in its own right. Creative sandwiches such as the meatloaf are the draw, and they all come on interesting breads. Other picks: chicken salad with walnuts, tomatoes, red onions and frisée on multi-grain, and grilled cheddar, ham, pear and mustard on cranberry-pecan bread. $9.50, in MGM Grand, 891-3166.

the Banana creaM pie at eMeril’S Emeril Lagasse’s restaurant normally wouldn’t qualify to be on a “cheap eats” list, but the best thing on the menu is go good it should be patented. It’s banana-laced custard on a rich crust topped with a two-inch layer of whipped cream, more bananas, chocolate shavings and caramel sauce. Yes, it’s $8, but who could eat anything after a wedge? In MGM Grand, 891-7374.

fun Gor duMplinGS at pinG panG ponG Dim sum, those sweet and savory tea pastries that are a way of life in Cantonese fine society, are delicious here, in this elegant restaurant. Pork noodle wrappers, sesame shrimp rolls and spare ribs with black bean sauce all go perfectly with a cup of steamy Chinese tea, usually Jasmine or Oolong. $2.88, in Gold Coast, 367-7111.

Malted-Milk cake at the coffee Shop at the ti Locals tend to overlook the food at this 24/7 coffee shop, which offers delicious skillet breakfasts, one of the best Reuben sandwiches on the Strip and excellent burgers, to go along with an interesting number of ever-changing nightly specials. If nothing else, though, go for this rich, gooey cake, one of many terrific desserts here. $7.50, in Treasure Island, 894-7356.

the Buffet at taMBa

Bi Bim Bap at Greenland Supermarket

Now that Las Vegas has a big-time Korean market that caters almost exclusively to local KoreanAmericans, there is a food court with authentic Korean cuisine to go with it. This rice bowl is a sure bet: rice, seven vegetables, a fried egg and chopped beef mixed together with a spicy red bean paste. $7.95, 6850 W. Spring Mountain Rd., 283-7938.

The best and most bountiful Indian buffet in town is found in the cheesy Hawaiian Marketplace. Chef Om Singh stocks his buffet with dozens of choices, including the mixed chicken and vegetable fritters called pakoras, a rich lamb curry and terrific tandoori meats. This feast breaks our “cheap eats” $10 rule, but after you factor in the locals discount, it’s about $11, so sue me. At the Hawaiian Marketplace, 3743 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 798-7889.

Chicago Hot Dog at Chicago Tasty Dogs

A true Chicago hot dog—on a poppy-seed roll with sport peppers, celery salt, pickle wedge and all the other trimmings—is a work of art. This unassuming shop does the best one in Las Vegas, thanks to its juicy Vienna Beef wiener. A Chicago company called Scala provides the giardiniera, a mixed pickle you’ll want on a hot Italian beef sandwich, as well as the sliced beef. $5.40 (with fries) 9711 S. Eastern Ave., 914-3451.

Dim sum at Ping Pang Pong.

This cowboy-themed bar has good, reasonably priced pub grub that runs to pulled pork sliders and Texas barbecue chicken wings. But the tastiest—and possibly most healthful—thing to eat from its menu is this soup, which is not often found outside Baltimore County. It consists of a rich broth stocked with a golfball-size lump of crabmeat, tomatoes, corn, celery, onions and carrots. Mom approves. $5.95 for a cup, $7.95 for a bowl, at Town Square, 294-7300.

Fish Tacos at Rubio’s

Ralph Rubio began his empire at a San Diego taco stand with a simple idea: Take some beer-battered fish, a touch of tangy white sauce, shredded cabbage and salsa, then wrap it all up in a corn or flour tortilla. Today, the menu includes crispy shrimp tacos, grilled mahi mahi and much more. Tuesdays, a $1 fish taco is served at participating locations, an amazing deal. $2.48, multiple locations, rubios.com.

Photography by Anthony Mair

Maryland Blue Crab and Vegetable Soup at Cadillac Ranch

April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven 35

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THe LocaL Newsroom

Photos by Anthony Mair

Teams competing in FIRST Robotics received no direction and had six weeks to build their robots.

engineering Interest Robotics competition increases involvement in a field that needs it

By Jessica Prois Stacy Nelson is dressed like a stock-car pit-crew member at the international high school robotics competition at the Thomas & Mack Center. But she’s greasing the gears in a different kind of way. Nelson is the lead robot inspector, making certain that teams adhered to 140 specifications in crafting their six-wheel, flatbed robots designed to “kick” a soccer ball into a goal. Nelson, who once thought she’d major in political science, entered this very robotics competition as a high school student in 2002. Now, she’ll earn her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from UNLV in about a year.

The university is a partner in the competition, formally known as FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics, a program designed to encourage high school students to pursue careers in science and engineering. Engineers such as Nelson who pursue advanced degrees are still rare, says Robert Abella, associate dean of undergraduate programs at UNLV. Although undergraduate engineering enrollment is up about 6 percent at UNLV since last year, fewer people are interested in math and science nationwide.

Recent grads are finding jobs easily and aren’t going on to earn advanced degrees, which means less research and innovation, Abella says.

The problem starts earlier than college. Last fall, President Obama launched a campaign called Educate to Innovate, aimed at increasing student participation and performance in math and science. The program was spurred by the fact that American students are rated 21st in the world in science and 25th in math, Obama said.

Abella is doing his part.

He goes around and speaks to physics classes, showing them hands-on applications of engineering, from catalytic convertors to computer microchips.

Getting kids excited about engineering is always a good thing, he says. “Our solution has been to involve them in research early on as an undergrad and to really encourage students.

And we pay them for their research.”

There were numerous displays of enthusiasm at the competition, with teams sporting everything from brightly colored team T-shirts to matching Mohawk hairdos. The two-day competition involved 48 teams, including 10 from Clark County and another from Germany. Forty percent of competition alumni pursue engineering in college and more than 20 FIRST alumni are students at UNLV, which has hosted the competition for six years.

One local high school—CimarronMemorial—didn’t need much encouragement. It won the regional FIRST competition the past two years and was crowned world champion in 2007. And these students are truly put to the task.

“The advisers are really mentors, teaching us motivation and to be innovative.

It’s not like they grab a part, do the work and we just watch,” says team electrician Bryan Webb, 17. The school has a robotics class and after-school program, which Webb calls “a good feeder system.” The students received a kit of 36-inch aluminum pieces and electronic components and had just six weeks to create their robot, replete with handmade remote controls that manipulate a “kicker” and turn the wheels to navigate and score.

One thing Cimarron had that other schools didn’t: females comprising half its team. Team adviser Jenny Stensrud says the school has more girls than ever involved this year. She says some of the female students were a bit timid at first, so she’s really tried to take a hands-on approach as an adviser. She even set up time for new members to work on a practice robot before diving in. “You’d expect the team to be more guy-run, but we’re just not,” says Nikki Beaman, 18, who wants to become a civil engineer.

Just exposing women to engineering is essential, says Nelson, the robot inspector. She had never considered it until a mentor encouraged her. “And now engineering has become my career,” she says. “It’s fun to check robots for a job.”

The two-day FIRST Robotics competition involved 48 teams.

License for Controversy REAL ID Act faces uncertain future because of concerns over privacy

By Caitlin McGarry On a breezy Saturday in late March, a stream of disgruntled people flowed through the double doors of the West Flamingo Road office of the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, stretching into the afternoon sun. After standing in the DMV’s general information line for three hours, Veronica Mendez sat on a bench in front of the building with her mother and young daughter, ticket in hand. Mendez’s wait was far from over, but she had finally received a number to see a DMV employee.

“I’ve been here three hours to change my registration,” Mendez says. “[The DMV employees sarcastically] said, ‘That’s all?’ They were surprised I had to wait in line three hours for this.”

Wait times at DMV locations around the state recently increased from an average of 45 minutes to two hours, a change attributed to what DMV Public Information Officer Kevin Malone calls the perfect storm—budget cuts, employee furloughs and the introduction of Advanced Secure Issuing driver’s licenses. The new driver’s licenses were created to meet 18 benchmarks set by the 2005 REAL ID Act and require that Nevadans provide proof of residential address at the DMV. “We never required that before, so we are turning a lot of people away [because they don’t have the right documentation], and that’s adding to the lines,” Malone says. “That’s why it’s a two-hour wait.”

The DMV has launched an educational TV advertising campaign to inform the public of the licensing changes, but ASI licenses—which are marked with a gold star—have been a source of controversy since before they were implemented earlier this year. The REAL ID Act mandates that each state’s identification cards and driver’s licenses must comply with standards set by the Department of Homeland Security.

Nevada is one of nine states to fulfill the terms of the REAL ID Act. Although the state Legislature voted against implementing the act in both 2007 and 2009, Gov. Jim Gibbons in January ordered an emergency 120-day regulation to bring the state up to speed with the law. At the time of Gibbons’ order, the Department of Homeland Continued on page 39 April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven

37

The Local Newsroom

Green Felt Journal

Total Rewards program expands with inclusion of Planet Hollywood

By David G. Schwartz

If you didn’t notice anything unusual at Planet Hollywood recently, don’t feel bad: You weren’t supposed to. But behind the scenes, and occasionally in front of them, a massive operation transformed the property into the eighth Las Vegas casino under Harrah’s Entertainment’s Total Rewards umbrella.

Since its relaunch in 2007, Planet Hollywood has offered players its A-list club, which, like other casino loyalty programs, lets them earn points redeemable for meals, lodging and entertainment with each dollar wagered.

Harrah’s Total Rewards does the same thing on a national scale, letting players bank rewards credits from 35 properties across the United States and Canada.

Even before the Planet Hollywood acquisition, Harrah’s has been planning its conversion to the Total Rewards system.

Conversion required more than installing an update patch on a few computers.

Technicians had to remove all existing systems, including the core casino management system (which tracks and records play), the lodging management system (which lets the hotel take room reservations) and back-of-the-house systems that track everything from employee hours to ordering and receiving.

Throughout the property, technicians replaced or reformatted 1,500 computers and retrofit 1,200 slot machines.

“It’s extremely labor intensive,” says Harrah’s Entertainment Chief Technology Officer Katrina Lane, who shares responsibility for the conversion with John Baker, senior vice president of enterprise effectiveness. “They have to upgrade every device—slots, work stations, printers. But the end result is a data conversion that will migrate all player history, points and credits from A-List to Total Rewards.”

As a result of combining their Planet Hollywood and Harrah’s histories, 70 players reached Seven Stars status (Harrah’s highest tier) with perks such as priority service at participating restaurants and clubs, and access to private lounges.

Adding Planet Hollywood to the fold gives players a “fresh, hip Vegas property,” according to Bally’s/Paris Vice President of Casino Marketing Sean McBurney.

Work on the changeover started before Harrah’s officially acquired Planet Hollywood on Feb. 19, and was fast-tracked

38 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

to a degree never seen. When Harrah’s added four Las Vegas properties to Total Rewards in 2006, it required six months of preparation before implementing changes.

At Planet Hollywood, it took six weeks.

That preparation included 15,000 hours of multi-track training for the casino’s 2,400 employees, covering technical aspects of operating each of the systems and the company’s Total Rewards customer-service standards.

The latter already has paid dividends, McBurney says. Dealers’ tokes are now higher than they’ve ever been, as customers have responded to the casino’s new commitment to the Harrah’s Way. The conversion team, led by Harrah’s Director of Information Technology Jason Beard, had more than 150 dedicated members drawn from Harrah’s properties across the country and outside vendors working out of a mezzanine command center that coordinated the 800 to 1,000 tasks, from installing hardware to turning on the new systems required once the conversion went “live” on March 27. They had spent much of the previous 14 weeks meticulously planning for the conversion, mapping out the process and planning for a variety of contingencies, from unexpected power failures to hiccups in the data migration that might complicate the process.

When all the work was done and the switch finally was flipped on April 1, existing Planet Hollywood customers could get new Total Rewards cards at temporary stations set up on the casino floor.

The only outward sign of all that work? The vacuum fluorescent display attached to every slot machine now reads “Welcome to Planet Hollywood.

Please insert your Total Rewards card.”

The changes, however, were significant. With their new card, players multiplied their Las Vegas options by seven, adding perks at Harrah’s other Strip properties; and Harrah’s gained a new chunk of customers—60 percent of legacy Planet Hollywood players had no history with the casino giant.

“We look forward to letting them know about all our options,” Lane says. “We’re using all of this technology to let our customers have more and better choices.”

David G. Schwartz is the director of UNLV’s Center for Gaming Research.

REAL ID Act Continued from page 37

Security had threatened to prevent citizens with noncompliant ID cards from boarding airplanes, but that threat was later rescinded, eliminating the need for the new ID. Nevada’s implementation of the REAL ID Act has united conservatives and liberals in opposition.

“REAL ID is nothing but a national ID, and a national ID is essentially antithetical to liberty,” says Janine Hansen, conservative lobbyist and director of the Nevada Eagle Forum. “Secondly, if [hackers] can break into the computers at the Pentagon, I don’t feel secure with the additional information that the DMV will have.”

The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada also has expressed concern about the REAL ID Act’s potential privacy violations and overreaching federal mandates.

The REAL ID was designed to create Fourteen states uniform security measures for states. have rejected the REAL ID Act, and the Department of Homeland Security is now considering more affordable alternatives, such as the less stringent PASS ID. Gibbons’ regulation expires May 1, and the Legislature must decide whether to renew the ASI licensing program, which cost $2 million to implement ($1.3 million of which came from a federal grant). State lawmakers have indicated that they may let the program expire because of the REAL ID Act’s uncertain future on the federal level.

“We hope that the Legislature does the right thing and refuses to force Nevadans to shoulder this burden when it comes time to make the decision,” says Rebecca Gasca, a public advocate for the ACLU of Nevada. “They should continue holding off until more finite changes are made on the federal level, which is bound to happen.”

TORNOE'S TOONS

Photo by Anthony Mair

Instructor Les Lazareck, right, gives direction to students in the federally funded Weatherization Training Program.

Building a Better Future Program helps unemployed construction workers expand skills, find jobs

By Tiffannie Bond Richard Pipkins helped build more than 6,000 homes here over 13 years. But once the demand for homes stopped, so did his livelihood. He was laid off 15 months ago, with no job in sight.

Then he applied for the Weatherization Training Program, a federally funded program that last year received an injection of stimulus funds. After being one of 14 applicants accepted into the six-week certification class, hope has been rekindled for not only a regular income again but for a future.

“Hopefully, [I’ll] get back into the housing industry,” he says. “Right now, it’s slow. … With

By Rob Tornoe the price of homes, it’d be better to make your home more efficient than to rebuild or remodel.”

And there are a multitude of Las Vegas homes that could use this type of help, which could equal jobs and reduce airconditioning expenses for homeowners this summer.

“If any state in the country should be successful with this, it’s Nevada,” says Brian Patchett, president and CEO of Easter Seals of Southern Nevada.

To bring the creation of this new industry full circle, Easter Seals is exploring ways to connect newly certified workers with the population in need of weatherization.

It’s “a work in progress,” says Joleen Arnold, assistant director of vocational rehabilitation for Easter Seals of Southern Nevada.

The goal of the program is to help put a broad spectrum of people back to work, including the disabled.

That’s why, along with Home Free Nevada, the effort is coordinated locally by Easter Seals. Of the total number in the program, 20 percent have disabilities.

The six-week program takes students through online training, plus about 25 hours of in-class training and field instruction, in preparation for the national certification exam. It is taught in two parts, and includes about two hours of homework each night. First, students are trained with Nevada’s Weatherization Program in mind and learn to help poverty-stricken homeowners replace inefficient light bulbs, make water-heater blankets and seal ducts.

Home Performance training teaches students how to assist homeowners in making up to a 20 percent energy reduction, says instructor Les Lazareck, of Home Free Nevada.

“It’s across the board with the people we’re helping,” Arnold says. “Many are out-of-work construction workers, which seem to be the large pool right now.”

According to Bill Anderson, chief economist for the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, the number of unemployed in the construction industry remained steady at 66,900 from January to February. Since June 2006, the industry has lost 81,900 jobs, or 55 percent of the workforce.

If WTP students pass the exam, they’ll receive a Building Performance Institute certification. With this in hand, their expertise is instantly broadened. If they are disabled, Easter Seals can help them find a job through the WIA Grant.

“From perspective job offers to starting my own business, [this is] another certificate to help the clients I provide services to,” Pipkins says. “Hopefully, this is something that will be around for a while now that people have to stay in their homes longer.”

April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven

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The Local Newsroom

Broadcasters, Raise Your Hammers NAB Show incorporates community spirit into convention

By Kate Silver

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Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

“We want the broadcast industry to come together as whole in this partnership to build one entire home for a Las Vegas family,” says Deanna Kennedy, director of marketing communications for VCI Solutions. “The economic downturn and volatility of the advertising market has directly impacted the broadcasting industry over the last year. Building partnerships is one way for our industry to band together for the future. The Build 2010 House Project is great representation on how partnerships can benefit us all.”

The NAB Show will draw about 85,000 audio, visual and film content professionals to Las Vegas, and is just one of nearly 20,000 conventions that come to town each year, bringing in 4.5 million attendees.

Big names on tap for the NAB Show include: Dana Walden and Gary Newman, Twentieth Century Fox

Television executives; Stan Lee, iconic comic book creator; Michael J. Fox, who will receive NAB’s Distinguished Service Award; Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory, winner of the Television Chairman’s Award; Dick Ebersol, representing NBC Sports, which will be inducted into the NAB Television Hall of Fame; Matthew Weiner, creator/executive producer, Mad Men; Anthony E. Zuiker, creator and executive producer, CSI; Russ Mitchell, CBS News; writer/ producer Jesse Alexander, Heroes, Lost; and Ian Sander, executive producer, Ghost Whisperer.

The 3-D Pavilion has doubled in size since its debut last year. Technologies include 2-D-to-3-D conversion, digital cinema products, advances in eyewear and display monitors. Trends in 3-D production and 3-D sports also will be prevalent.

New mobile Digital TV devices will be on display at the Mobile DTV Market-

Iconic Marvel comic book creator Stan Lee will speak at the NAB Show on April 14.

place in the grand lobby and the Mobile DTV Pavilion on the show floor.

The new Destination Broadband exhibit area and theater on the show floor will include more than 50 exhibitors and the latest innovations in online video creation and distribution enabled by broadband technology.

Lee photo by Trae Patton

When the National Association of Broadcasters Show comes to town April 10-15, it will leave an impact—and not just through convention dollars and advertising. Attendees will actually build a new house for a local family, thanks to the Build 2010 House Project sponsored

by VCI Solutions and guided by Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas.

Volunteers can sign up for two-hour shifts (and/or make a monetary donation) and participate in the homebuilding right there—mid-convention—in the Silver parking lot of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

This will be the second house that VCI Solutions has helped build. The company undertook the first one last year in Springfield, Mass., near its corporate office. Participants were so impressed with the experience, they decided to do another, and, this time, invite the rest of their industry to join in.

The Great Divide Expect a civil debate between Dean and Rove despite monumental differences Rove photo by Fred Prouser/Corbis; Dean photo by Dennis Van Tine / Retna Ltd.

By T.R. Witcher On the heels of the epic health-care reform that squeaked through Congress last month, two towering figures of the Democratic and Republican parties are coming to Las Vegas to continue to duke it out over health care, foreign policy and economics.

The Marjorie Barrick Lecture Series at UNLV will host a debate at 7:30 p.m. April 9 between Karl Rove, the political mastermind behind George W. Bush’s ascendancy to the White House, and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, a 2004 presidential candidate and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Tickets are free to the event at Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall.

The two have debated each other across the country since fall.

In YouTube excerpts from a September debate at Indiana’s DePauw University, Dean possessed the slick cadences of a born candidate, while Rove milked a whisky-smooth Texas deadpan.

At one point, Dean tries to defend the then-floundering public option: “The public option is not saying you can’t have private insurance, but it says you can have a choice,” he says. “You can choose what you have now or you can choose a voucher and take it to the private insurance system.

But you can also use it in a public insurance system, just like Medicare.

If it’s good enough for people over 65 and our veterans and for people in Congress, it ought to be good enough for us.”

Medicare is “going bankrupt,” Rove responds. “You think it’s bad today, wait until you start throwing everybody onto Medicare where the prices are set administratively by a bureaucrat in Washington

and not by markets. And those bureaucrats sure do a damn fine job when they start pricing things like they do at the post office.”

Says Dean: “And if you don’t like the post office, you get to choose UPS or FedEx. That’s choice. Why can’t we have that kind of choice?”

Says Rove: “You do get to use the post office, Fed Ex or UPS. That’s your choice. But only one of them runs a $7 billion-a-year deficit, and that’s the U.S. Postal Service.”

Given the increasing vitriol between the left and the right, the debates have a flavor of reassuring civility about them, a strangely bipartisan quality—like both are committed to edu-tainment for the masses.

Nevertheless, with health-care legislation now the law of the land, expect plenty of strong feelings in the air. “What we’re hoping to hear is sort of a plan or strategy of how we can move forward on repealing health care or de-funding it,” says Matthew Jarzen, president of the UNLV College Republicans.

Maureen Gregory, president of UNLV Young Democrats, hopes the crowd will get a sobering look at Rove. “I hope the debate is enlightening as to what he is about and what Republicans are really proposing,” she says.

The UNLV Republicans and Democrats will host their own debate at Moyer Student Union from 4 to 6 p.m. April 12. Jarzen says both student organizations want to reach kids “who aren’t politically knowledgeable—that way they can walk out kind of knowing what side they’re on.”

Howard Dean, top, and Karl Rove have been debating across the U.S.

April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven

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The Local Newsroom

Politics

Making a Hecht of a comparison to Harry Reid

By Michael Green

CHRISTENSEN DIAMONDS Since 1939

42 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Harry Reid might not appreciate being compared to Chic Hecht, but it may keep the senator in a job that some Nevadans want to take away from him.

Let me explain …

On the same day the tea party gathered in Searchlight, that burg’s most famous son spent part of the day opening a new shooting park with National Rifle Association President Wayne LaPierre.

Then he went to the Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, where speakers hailed the passage of health-care reform and Al Gore spoke with the kind of fervor that nearly made him president.

All of that may seem incongruous.

It isn’t, and that helps explain the incongruities in being a U.S. senator and why writing the political obituary of Reid or any other incumbent—especially a Democratic incumbent—this year is risky business. And it’s all because of something Gore said.

In addition to explaining why Republicans seem to oppose the sun and everything under it, Gore was praising Reid for, among other things, killing Yucca Mountain. The former vice president attacked the notion that science supports a waste dump and recalled when some Nevadans thought a nuclear-waste dump wasn’t such a bad idea. He remembered one of them calling it a “nuclear suppository,” which would hurt.

Longtime Nevadans laughed knowingly. Gore was referring to Hecht, who tended to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, didn’t strike many as that tough or awe-inspiring, didn’t stand out physically or oratorically, and was written off on a regular basis.

Hecht was a Republican, but that description might sound familiar. In 1982, Hecht jumped into the Republican Senate primary on the last day. Even if he won, he faced an uphill fight against four-term Democratic Sen. Howard Cannon. But not only did Hecht win the primary, he beat Cannon by 6,000 votes out of about 235,000 cast.

On reaching the Senate, Hecht did little to distinguish himself. That’s no knock on him. Granted, times have changed and the 24/7 news cycle means just about anybody can get on camera, but first-term senators rarely attracted attention or had much chance to gain power. Hecht simply went about his business.

But when Hecht opened his mouth, trouble often followed. He wasn’t the best speaker—he had a speech impediment—and “nuclear suppository” was only his most famous gaffe. At one point, he managed to come across as endorsing apartheid in South Africa. He had trouble distinguishing between overt and covert operations—and he had been in military intelligence and served on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Those kinds of errors did nothing for Hecht’s reputation and chances of re-election. Indeed, he lost in 1988 to Richard Bryan, who gave up the governor’s mansion to run for the Senate. Hecht became ambassador to the Bahamas and eventually returned to Las Vegas, where he died in 2006 at the age of 77.

The appropriate comparison might seem to be between Reid and Cannon— two very senior Democrats from Nevada who knew the Senate and how to accumulate power in it, and did so to Nevada’s advantage. Both Mormons, neither ever seemed to endear himself to voters.

But consider Hecht. He won in 1982 because almost no one thought he could—just as so many are writing off Reid. While the media all but ignored Hecht, Reid is in the news—but in the case of the biggest newspaper in Nevada’s biggest city, it’s mostly to say what he has done wrong and to bury news about what he does right, so the effect may not be that dissimilar. Hecht faced a candidate weakened by a divisive primary, as Reid may, and benefited from a lot of outside help, as Reid will.

Once in office, Hecht seemed an easy mark, and he lost to one of the most popular politicians in Nevada history. As governor, Bryan was re-elected in 1986 with 71 percent of the vote. In 1988, he received 51 percent of the vote for senator, beating Hecht by just 4 percent after virtually every analyst had predicted Hecht would disappear without leaving a laundry mark. Hecht came back by doing what he had done six years before—working hard and not worrying about his reputation.

George W. Bush once described himself as “misunderestimated.” It described Hecht, and also describes Reid.

Michael Green is a professor of history at the College of Southern Nevada and author of several books and articles on Nevada history and politics.

Nightlife

Entertaining options for a week of nonstop fun and excitement.

Compiled by Melissa Arseniuk

SeveN NIghtS Sun. 11

Thur. 8 Holland may be known for wooden shoes, but Dutch DJ Tiësto is all about the house. The super-hot European DJ plays a second show in Las Vegas in a week with a set at Liquid’s industry season opener. At Aria. Doors at 10 a.m., Tiësto set at 3-6 p.m., $50 cover. As the sun sets on the pool party, the beachy vibe moves north to the Wynn as Blush hosts its third annual Luau. Malibu Rum sponsors the event and provides sunseekers a rare opportunity to ditch their club kicks and high-heels and hit the dance floor in flip-flops instead. Doors at 9 p.m., Malibu hosted bar from 11 p.m.-1 a.m., $30 cover, local ladies free.

Fri. 9 Few heartthrobs successfully transcend from TV to music stardom, but Jared Leto did just that. His Party of Five days are long behind him, but his band, 30 Seconds to Mars, is going strong and comes to The Pearl at the Palms, along with Neon Trees.

9 p.m., $30, all ages, 944-3200. After the show, cross the casino floor and keep things going at Rain, where DJ Ruckus fills in for DJ Z-Trip, who is out for a few weeks thanks to a snowboarding injury. Doors at 10:30 p.m., $30 cover, local ladies free.

30 Seconds to Mars photo by David Bergman

Sat. 10 Get ready to blow out the candles—a lot of candles—and then do it again: Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner returns to his home away from home, the Palms, to celebrate his 84th birthday, while Tao Group co-owner Jason Strauss continues his birthday celebration with a third consecutive night of partying. Hef’s event gets under way at Playboy Club at 10 p.m. and continues at Moon, while Strauss—who, like Hefner’s girlfriend, is less than half the iconic Playboy’s age—celebrates at Tao. Playboy Club and Moon at the Palms. Doors at 10 p.m., $30 guys, $20 girls, local ladies free. Tao at the Venetian. Doors at 10 pm., $30 guys, $20 for girls, local ladies free.

They may not be bringing their Sunday night pool party back for a few more weeks (mark your calendars: May 2 will be the official season opener), yet XS is still a great place to send off the weekend. Pop by and enjoy the relatively serene scene and bid the weekend adieu in style. At Encore. Doors at 10 p.m., $30 for men, $20 for ladies, free for local ladies.

Mon. 12 Cinco de Mayo is a month away, but why not practice for the Mexican holiday at Hussong’s Cantina at Mandalay Place? The south-of-theborder bar and eatery celebrates the start of the workweek with a its weekly locals-friendly party, Muchas Gracias Mondays. The first margarita is on the house for girls with local ID (or business card), and guys get a comp shot of tequila with similar proof of residency. After that, everyone enjoys half-price draft beer and well drinks and other food and drink specials. Ole! 5-11 p.m., no cover.

Tues. 13 Moon’s new Tuesday night party, Bang!, started with just that on April 6 as Good Charlotte rocker and Palm resident Benji Madden kicked things off. The event returns for week two with two of our favorite S.K.A.M. Artist DJs (and new nightlife contributors) StoneRokk and Graham Funke. The Captains of Industry guide the party boat for a night of tongue-in-cheek top 40—good times, ahoy! Doors at 10:30 p.m., $20 cover, local ladies free.

Wed. 14 Finding a good midweek party can be tough, yet Wasted Wednesday is never a total waste of time. Head to the Hard Rock Hotel and hang out at Carey Hart’s rockbar-meets-nighclub as DJ Presto One spins.

Doors at 9 p.m., free for locals, $20 for out-oftowners, $40 all-you-can-drink well drinks or beer.

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Nightlife

LAvo | The PALAzzo

Photography by Brenton Ho

Upcoming April 9 | JAson strAuss’ birthdAy celebrAtion April 11 | dJ Vice sundAys April 14 | lAbel Junkie presented by MichAel stArs April 17 | rAndy rogers bAnd AcM pre-pArty

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Nightlife

TrysT | wynn

48 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Photography by Brenton Ho

Nightlife

CadillaC RanCh | Town squaRe

Photography by Brenton Ho

Upcoming April 8 | HAwAiiAn nigHt April 10 | UFC Viewing pArty April 11 | SAlSA nigHt April 14 | liVe BAnd April 15 | AnniVerSAry pArty

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Nightlife

privé | planet hollywood

54 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Photography by Hew Burney

Nightlife

Captain’s Log

Tiësto: Bringing Down the House

Dutch DJ blurs musical borders, pushes electronic envelope

By Graham Funke Although it may not seem like it, with these constant biting winds and sporadic showers of late, the Las Vegas pool season is upon us. And regardless of what the weatherman says is going to go down, the lush adults-only oasis that is Liquid pool at Aria is going to be packed with party people April 8.

After all, nobody wants to miss Tiësto—even if means trading swimwear for snowsuits.

The Holland-hailing DJ is a key factor in the fast-growing popularity of electronic music on this side of the pond.

Speaking over the phone from his Sky Villa at Aria, he is quick to point out that, “In Europe, the dance scene has been there for years; the U.S. is catching up fast. It’s building at the moment.”

This trend is evident to anyone who has cut a rug in a Las Vegas nightclub in the last two years, where brave and forward-thinking disc jockeys have been inserting electronic tracks into the potpourri of hip-hop, pop and rock.

“I notice the DJs drop a lot more dance music than they used to,” Tiësto says. “People respond to it a little more energetically. It’s more uplifting than having hip-hop all the time.”

This very influence has ushered in an era in which Lil Jon can perform a Dirty Dutch house set, Pitbull can comman-

deer a dance track and Tiësto might find himself referenced in Shwayze and Cisco Adler lyrics.

“I think artists have seen the reaction of people in clubs,” Tiësto says. “They go clubbing themselves. The DJ plays the house beats and they see the crowd going off.”

The international DJ sensation recently collaborated with pop music stars Sean Kingston, Flo Rida and Three 6 Mafia on the single “Feel It.” The track is a true manifestation of ongoing efforts to mesh genres, complete with a flashy and frenetic music video that captures the very essence of a wild night out in Sin City. Or, more specifically, a wild night out at The Bank, Haze, or any other Light Group property that Tiësto tends to play. (He may be a single man, but when he’s in Las Vegas, he tends to be faithful to the Light Group and plays its venues almost exclusively.)

Tiësto says more genre-splicing collaborations are on the horizon, including pairings with artists who require no last name, such as Justin or Britney. “Lately I have been approached to collaborate by everybody in the pop world,” he explains. “They want to make dance music now or at least get some dance influence in their tracks.”

While there are certainly other American cities with an appetite for dance music—such as Miami, Chicago, New

Fresh off the Winter Music Conference in Miami, Tiësto is back in Las Vegas.

York and San Francisco—nobody quite does it like Las Vegas. And while the majority of our nightclubs must cater to a predominantly Top 40 crowd, there is no ignoring the buzz nor energy present when Tiësto comes to town. Or David Guetta. Or Erick Morillo.

Yet Tiësto—whose non-DJ, human name is Tijs Verwest—says there’s no secret behind the phenomenon. “In Vegas, you play for people from all over the country—all over the world!” he says. “Everybody comes together; there are many nationalities present in the night. You feel that atmosphere; it’s a very global atmosphere inside the club.”

And like the DJ himself, the Vegas crowd consistently brings it.

“They are always up for a party,” he says. “And they aren’t going anywhere.”

Tiësto performs at Liquid April 8.

Doors at 11 a.m.; the Dutch-born DJ begins his set at 3 p.m. Pray for sun!

Graham Funke and his DJ partner, StoneRokk, push the boundaries of what it means to be a DJ, and they are determined to restore the once-glorious luster to their craft. In addition to contributing to Vegas Seven, The Captains of Industry (thecaptainsofindustry.com) entertain audiences at clubs across the country and maintain weekly residencies at Moon and Playboy Club.

Profile If you weren’t working at Rain, what would you be doing? I would be passing out “Girls, Girls, Girls” and “Girls Direct to You” fliers on Las Vegas Boulevard. I like the interaction with people.

If you could change one thing about Las Vegas, what would it be? I would change the motto from “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” to “It Never Stops!”

Julie Gray, 30 Cocktail waitress at Rain

What is your motto? My motto is, “Sometimes you’re the bug and sometimes you’re the windshield.”

Where would you like to live? I would like to live with the Seven Dwarfs. Snow White was set!

If you could go back in time and change anything, what would it be? I would pay

attention in math class, and I probably would’ve skipped prom and gone to see U2 instead.

60 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Best celeb tipper: Mark McGrath, who tipped 100 percent, and Tommy Lee, who always tips well.

Favorite celebrity to party with:

Kenny Chesney was fun to party with at Ghostbar and the Playboy Club.

Least favorite celebrity to deal with: Dennis Rodman is the worst to deal with. Gross.

That explains him! The worst!

Guilty pleasure: My guilty pleasures are

Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies, George Strait, granny panties, dancing to the song “I Like Big Butts,” cheese, and a bottle of red wine and a good movie.

Who is your favorite relative? My brother;

he’s my best friend. He’s brutally honest and he makes me laugh every day. Not to mention he’s smart, has a huge heart and loves my dogs. Geez, it’s a shame we re related!

He’d make a great catch! Well, we are from Utah.

Desires Refilled.

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Nightlife

Cocktail Culture

Story From the Bar

hakata Created by Jason Ferris For sushi samba at the Palazzo, $12.

“Yuzu has a perfume that is very distinctive, so I have combined it with grapefruit vodka and fresh lemon and lime juices to create the perfect marriage of citrus,” Ferris says. “The sugar rim offers a great contrast and gives the guest the ability to control how sweet or tart the drink tastes.”

1½ ounces Finlandia grapefruit-flavored vodka ½ ounce yuzu 1 ounce sour mix ½ ounce simple syrup dash of grenadine ice wedge of lime for garnish sugar for rim Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well, then strain into a chilled martini class and serve with a wedge of lime.

To do a sugar rim, wipe the edge of the glass with the wedge of lime, then gently dip rim into shallow plate of sugar.

64

Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Don, barTenDer aT LegenDs CasIno, 1966 n raInbow bLvD,

SuShi Samba Inspired by Brazil’s annual Carnaval celebration, Sushi Samba serves up fusion fare with vivacious and contemporary cocktails to match. Three cultures—Japanese technique, bold Brazilian flavors and Peruvian traditions—combine to create a single and distinctive culinary concept, while the restaurant offers a range of well-sourced items from the kitchen, full-service sushi bar, raw bar and robata grill. While, yes, the restaurant is part of a chain (with sister spots in New York, Chicago, Miami and Tel Aviv), Sushi Samba manages a unique vibe without the cookie-cutter feel. Meanwhile, the adjacent Sugarcane lounge boasts one of the largest sake lists in the country, with more than 125 bottles on hand.

“I had a young girl bragging about her breast implants and showing them to me on her phone. It was a small cell phone and I said, ‘Man I wish I could see that better,’ and she said, ‘Come here,’ and walked to the bathroom.

I jumped over that bar and followed her to the restroom. The rest, well, you can imagine.”

– As told to Patrick Moulin

The NaTioNal Newsroom This week in the New York Observer

The Great media hiring Thaw It’s early, and it’s tentative, but the job freeze is over!

By John Koblin

Murdoch photo by Mark Stewart / Retna Ltd.

It’s springtime, media New Yorkers!

The trees are blossoming, the sidewalks are filling up with café tables and if you stake out just the right corner, you might spot the New York University track team racing up Broadway. After what’s been an endless year for the city’s ink-stained wretches, there’s something thawing besides our grim winter: the job market.

For the past 18 months, this column has been home to a lot of unpleasant news. There have been layoffs, premature retirements, editors being forced out, newspapers and magazines closing. But in the past few weeks, jobs in media land, however limited, exist again. Journalists are moving from place to place. Media outfits are replacing people they’ve lost.

It may be boomlet, but for the first time in a long time, there’s a pulse in the New York journalism job market. “I would absolutely say that is the trend,” said Time Inc. human-relations guru Bucky Keady.

“I’ve certainly seen more revolving door stuff,” said Josh Tyrengiel, the new editor of Bloomberg BusinessWeek, who is keeping a careful eye on the market as he trolls for new editors and writers.

“People are moving, and places that have people leaving are filling the slots.”

Much of this, of course, has to do with titans such as Rupert Murdoch. Because of his imminent New York section for The Wall Street Journal, 35 new jobs have opened up in the city. The Journal’s poached talent from the likes of the Daily News and Newsday.

But there are other forces at work, too: Yahoo! is hiring at least a dozen people to come up with original content.

Bloomberg has been especially active in the market after cutting staffers earlier in the year. ESPN has opened a New York branch and has hired away some of the best print sports journalists in the city.

Even The Village Voice has been hiring!

Look at what’s happened in the city—and in D.C.—over the past few weeks. Michael Crowley has left The New Republic to go to Time. He’s on his way to Time, in large part, thanks to Karen Tumulty leaving Time to go The Washington Post. A rising star in mergers and acquisitions, Jeff McCracken, is moving to Bloomberg from The Journal! Sheila McClear, Gawker writer–turned–unemployed, has landed at the New York Post.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

For those who kept a job during this difficult period, the utter lack of mobility was obvious—you never saw reporters abandoning one place to go to another.

Now it is happening. But it has a caveat.

“I’m not seeing growth,” cautioned Tyrengiel, the BusinessWeek editor.

That’s a vital distinction. Thousands of jobs have been lost in the past 18 months. Other than limited examples like The Journal and Yahoo!, there are no indications that new jobs are flooding the market.

John Cook, who is leaving Gawker to go to Yahoo!, e-mailed to say, “I don’t really feel like the generalized sense of terror and panic has lifted, really.”

Wall Street 2: The Return of Corzine Ex-New Jersey governor is banking that his comeback in finance will be swell

By Max Abelson

Rupert Murdoch

Yet, there is, undeniably, more movement. Jim Romenesko, the media industry’s humble bearer of all good news and bad, said he noticed that his blog on the Poytner website has been stocked with transactional items these days. “It seems that in the past six or so weeks, I’ve posted an unusually high number of job changes involving staff from the larger papers and sites—WP, LAT, NYT, and Politico,” Romenesko said. “It’s nice, after reporting countless stories of people jumping to unemployment, to link to stories about people jumping to new—and often better—jobs.”

No one liked the unemployment stories!

“Last year, was miserable. Miserable!” said Karen Danziger, an executive at the Howard Sloan Koller Group, a media headhunting firm that does work for outfits such as The Atlantic, the Daily Beast and Hachette Filipacchi. “I oversee everything we do on the content side, and I was spending some of my time not doing content searches. There wasn’t enough.

Content was grim! There were so many

Goldman Sachs bankers like trekking into the wilderness of public service, but once they go, they don’t come home. An executive who becomes a senator, an intelligence adviser, a deputy secretary of state, a central banker, a Fannie Mae chief or a Treasury secretary hardly ever returns to Wall Street. And the second act in finance, if it happens, rarely goes well.

After a legendary 1998 Christmastime palace coup, Jon S. Corzine was

ousted from Goldman’s helm. The trader pivoted to a career in New Jersey politics, which ended this January after the senator-turned-governor lost reelection by more than 80,000 votes.

“He could retire and go to Florida,” said John Whitehead, the 88-year-old former Goldman Sachs co-chairman. “He could have racehorses. He could have a yacht. He could do whatever he wants. I think he wanted to come back.”

And so he did. On Saturday, March

people in the marketplace, and there really was less hiring than I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been doing this for 20 years.”

And now? “It’s night and day,” she said.

“I can say that our business is incredibly up. Just incredibly. It’s an increasing rise in calls, real searches, accepted and signed agreements with clients. … It does feel like, ‘Oh my God, we are so busy with what’s going on here!’”

Even at The New York Times, the changes are noticeable. In 2007, as fitting with the trend of everything media those days, Bill Keller announced the paper was in a hiring freeze. Fast-forward to the spring of this year, and though the same selective hiring strategy is in place, a spokeswoman e-mailed to announce that Bill Keller’s announcement is no longer applicable to this new and better day.

“There is no hiring freeze at The Times,” spokeswoman Diane McNulty said.

Outside of the city, the trend is the same. Bloomberg has been staffing up its D.C. bureau, bulking up its already sizable presence. Even the Los Angeles Times, that home of serial cutting, is hiring some reporters for its entertainment coverage.

When we chatted with several editors, reporters and recruiters in recent weeks about the sudden job market activity, they pointed to a few reasons. For one, there are new jobs! The economy, overall, is improving.

We also heard that it’s been about playing a little catch-up. Papers and magazines and websites cut back. While budgets are lower, advertising is inching back up. New budgets for 2010 allow for a hire or a two, or at least for keeping the budget intact. And after 18 months of losing jobs, editors are exhausted at not being able to fill those positions.

“It’s a new year and a new budget,” Danziger said. “There’s a renewed vision of what you want to do—a game plan of how you’re going to confront the marketplace. There’s renewed optimism to create a vision to be competitive.”

Danziger said she expects it to last throughout the year, and we hope so, too.

20, Goldman’s former chief executive was in a New York office building, touring the ninth-floor headquarters of an unremarkable futures brokerage named MF Global. He was smiling. It reminded him of an office he knew when he was a junior Goldman bond trader.

Three days after the tour, he was named chairman and chief executive of the little-known company, which does not look or sound or make money like a serious full-service financial institution.

Continued on page 70 April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven

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The National Newsroom

Corzine Continued from page 69

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Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Joshua Zeitz, a senior policy adviser and now Corzine’s chief of staff, said that the accident was, in retrospect, a minor event in a mostly successful governorship. “To me, it’s not that he’s leaving something that was too tough to handle,” he said, offering that Corzine had cut the size of government while increasing funds for education, avoiding cuts for vulnerable senior citizens and taking steps toward ending the state’s infamous property taxes. “It’s a success story that I think historians will someday appreciate,” he said.

As for his more notable failures, like his attempts to privatize New Jersey’s toll roads, and especially the reelection loss, another source with knowledge of Corzine’s thinking said he doesn’t feel that he was vanquished by New Jersey’s gruesomeness, just that the economy got tremendously horrible. The voters, he feels, were only voting with their pocketbooks.

“For me, it would have been totally debilitating. It wasn’t for him,” said Dan Neidich, a former Goldman Sachs management committee member. “He’s one of those guys who can keep his eye on what he’s trying to achieve.”

It takes seven days to turn a cast-out businessman and exiled politician into a new chief executive. On Tuesday, March 16, a 36-year-old managing director at J.C. Flowers & Co.—the buyout firm founded by, named for and led by the bespectacled former Goldman dealmaker, J. Christopher Flowers—flew to Chicago for a meeting.

When the executive, David Schamis, landed, he got a call saying that the CEO of MF Global, which Flowers owns a sizable portion of, was resigning. Schamis went to the hotel and called up his boss. “Chris, we have a problem,”

Former New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine

It’s going to take time to bring MF Global up to speed, but at least Corzine has a fighting chance. he said. “How do you feel about asking Jon to do this?”

Flowers and his former colleague had been talking, loosely, about working together. On Wednesday, he called Corzine up. Meanwhile, Schamis called MF Global’s board to say he had an idea about a CEO replacement. He called him Mr. X and said he had “extreme credibility.”

When he hung up, he was supposed to go to the Chicago meeting, but he decided there was too much going on in New York. He got back on a plane. When he was standing at the American Airlines gate, he got a call from Corzine.

At a meeting later that day, Corzine was given an annual report to read, which he brought back on Friday with highlights and questions written into the margins.

A number of other executives came in. When they left, Schamis asked how the former governor might feel about joining as an interim chief executive. “If I’m going to do this,” he said, “I’m going to do it full time.” Over the weekend, details of his compensation were hammered out— a $1.5 million salary, a $1.5 million signing bonus and a $3 million target bonus for the next fiscal year.

On Tuesday morning, a few hours after Corzine had a 7 a.m. Yale Club breakfast with Schamis and the firm’s outgoing chairwoman, the deal was announced. He is chairman and chief executive of a Wall Street company again—its third in a year and a half.

MF Global has had its troubles. In June 2007, the brokerage firm was spun off from the giant British hedge fund, Man Group, which had built it up after buying the futures arm of the defunct brokerage Refco. The estimated stock price range had been set at $36 to $39, but it debuted at $30 and dropped 10 percent on the opening day.

Things got worse. In late February 2008, the firm disclosed that a 40-year-old man in its Memphis office had made rogue bets on wheat futures that cost the brokerage $141.5 million. MF Global had reportedly removed internal trading limits to speed up electronic trading.

There were rumors that MF Global was losing clients.

The company’s stock price dropped from over $28 to under $10, and before the end of the year, to under $2. In December, MF Global was fined another $10 million to settle charges over violations from the previous six years.

After Corzine was announced as the firm’s new leader, its stock price went up to nearly $9, well over its previous 52-week high. “This is a five-year project,” the former governor said in the interview, “if not a decade project.”

The idea isn’t to merely clean it up. Corzine wants to grow the futures brokerage into a mini-Goldman—an investment bank like, say, the late Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, big but not too big. The source with knowledge of Corzine’s thinking said MF Global could grow a money-management business, an advisory business, a venture capital fund, an Indian mutual fund!

But he’s also aware of the history of petered-out Wall Street second acts. “I get that. There’s a risk of that,” he said. “But I have confidence that with discipline, steady, focused work, this is a franchise that can be taken from what it is, probably one of the leading futures brokers ever, into an outstanding position in the broader financial services field.”

“Sometimes I think we take on jobs where the doing isn’t as much fun as the being,” Neidich said. “I think he’s going to like doing what he’s doing day to day.”

Corzine photo by Dennis Van Tine / Retna Ltd.

In fact, it’s lost money for four straight quarters. Corzine thinks it can become something very different. It’s already applied, for example, to be one of the few firms that are allowed to deal directly with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. “When I joined Goldman Sachs in 1975,” he said at the headquarters, “there were a few thousand employees and it had an application pending with the New York Fed to be a primary dealer. Sound familiar?”

Wall Street is not an easy or warm world, but compared to the medieval fiefdoms of New Jersey, it’s a gorgeous bastion of reason and order. It’s going to take time to bring MF Global up to speed, but at least Corzine has a fighting chance.

Corzine, 63, was born to an Illinois grain farmer and an elementary school teacher. After getting his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, he took a job trading bonds for Goldman Sachs in New Jersey. That was in the mid-1970s, long before bond trading was macho and lucrative.

He was sweater-vested, bearded, avuncular and soft-voiced, but by the end of 1985, he’d been named to Goldman’s management committee.

He became the co-head of fixed income in 1988 and, after then-chairman Stephen Friedman’s abrupt exit six years later, the head of the most important firm on Wall Street. Along with John Mack’s rise a few months earlier at Morgan Stanley, his coronation marked the beginning of the era of the trader.

But his tenure didn’t last long. Amid arguments over taking Goldman public, the dangerous collapse of the hedge fund Long-Term Capital and the direction of the firm’s growth, his management committee hatched the firm’s first cinematic coup. While he spent a family vacation skiing in Telluride, colleagues such as Hank Paulson and John Thain agreed to push Corzine out.

He reportedly spent his last days working in his suit from a car parked outside Goldman headquarters.

Friends like Janet Hansen, a former Goldman Sachs fixed-income vice president, were called to his televised appearances to lend support during his early days in politics. “They would send a car for me, and I would calm him down before he spoke,” she said. “It was to cheer him on, and I think he needed that, he really did.

He needed his Goldman fan club there. That sounds silly, but it was hard. What he was trying to do was hard.”

Family and other friends were there, too, she said. “I think it was saying, ‘You go, guy, go. You can do this.’”

Corzine won his Senate seat in November 2000. At $62 million, his campaign doubled the previous record for the most expensive ever. In Washington, he voted prominently against the Iraq war, but the Senate was not a career highlight. “I’m 58 now,” he said in 2005, “and I’m the last person on every committee I sit on.

I’d have to stay in Washington until I’m 80 to be a committee chairman.” That November, he won New Jersey’s governorship, though the race wasn’t easy. After the dissolution of his marriage, his wife, whom he’d met in kindergarten, spoke about him as tainted by ambition and state politics. “Jon did let his family down,” she said publicly, “and he’ll probably let New Jersey down, too.”

On April 12, 2007, he was being driven 91 mph in a Chevrolet Tahoe to a meeting with Don Imus and the Rutgers women’s basketball team when the SUV hit a pickup that had swerved to avoid another car. He was not wearing his seat belt. His femur, broken in two places, was sticking through the skin of his left leg. He received 12 pints of blood; spent eight days on a ventilator; and fractured 11 ribs, his sternum, his collarbone and a vertebra.

Betting on Box Office Two proposed new futures markets for movies have rattled Hollywood

By Richard Siklos In the dark, tense months after 9/11, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency came up with a new way to anticipate terrorist threats. The idea was too clever by half: a futures market of potential attacks. The underlying scientific theory was that so-called predictive markets are better at guessing outcomes than expert opinions or traditional polling methods—so why not set up a market where people could essentially bet on the likelihood of another attack by time and place? Needless to say, the notion flopped. Various senators decried it as “sick” and “grotesque,” and it was quickly shelved.

A similar backlash is brewing in response to the potential launch of two proposed futures markets based on Hollywood box-office results. A group of powerful lobby groups—the Motion Picture Association of America, the Directors Guild and the National Association of Theater Owners, among them—last week warned of the risk of “rampant

If people “starting these exchanges are correct, you might actually be able to use them to assist in the arduous task of raising financing for new movies.”

speculation and financial irresponsibility at a time when the nation is still seeking to recover from an economic meltdown of the financial markets.”

Specifically, the groups asked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to hold off on giving the new markets the green light while they prepare a response.

But while the industry groups claimed to have been blindsided by news of these new creations, the markets have been openly promoting themselves for at least the past year. One of them, the Cantor Exchange, is run by Wall Street firm Cantor Fitzgerald, which also owns the Hollywood

Stock Exchange (HSX), the 14-year-old website where people can already “bet” (without real money) on how their favorite stars and movies will perform. And, yes, it can be eerily accurate; its “traders” predicted nine of the 10 nominees for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars. A second new exchange, set up by a small, Arizona-based company called the Trend Exchange, soberly compares its mission to the way futures exchanges were created in the 19th century to help farmers hedge the risk in crops.

There is, by the way, merit to all of this: A typical major studio movie costs more than $100 million to make and market, and two or three years to come to fruition—which is just one reason why Hollywood’s well-deserved reputation as the epicenter of creativity has as much to do with its accounting as its filmmaking.

That said, it’s hard to defend derivatives these days, so let’s not even try—except to point out that many billions of dollars of them are still being traded in everything from energy to metals to weather forecasts. It’s also noteworthy that the MPAA, which represents the six major studios, has raised its hackles just after the early departure of its president, Dan Glickman, who one imagines would have taken a less alarmist view of the exchanges: Glickman is a former secretary of agriculture who sits on the board of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Of course, unlike pork bellies, the weekly box office is a huge part of our cultural psyche. And the mechanics of what is being proposed are kind of comical. For instance, a draft definition of insider trading for the new exchanges does not include people who have, say, seen advance screenings of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps—every lunkhead has an opinion, after all. Rather, for these purposes, insider information is defined as anyone who knows what the true costs of making and marketing the movie are, whether a release date is going to change and knowing the total number of screens the film is going to be released on.

The MPAA and its allies have blasted the proposed markets as “legalized gambling,” and there is truth to that, too.

Hollywood has long attracted its share of scammers, but that has rarely held it back before. And if the people starting these exchanges are correct, you might actually be able to use them to assist in the arduous task of raising financing for new movies.

One way or another, there is always going to be gambling in Casablanca.

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April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven

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18 Hordes on horses 20 Disney mermaid 21 Staff sgt., e.g.

22 Like a forgotten library book?

23 Actor who played Steve McQueen’s righthand man Delgetti in “Bullitt” 25 Hard marches 26 Shoe-size letters 27 Feel rotten 28 Singer-actress Kazan 29 1950s studio co-founder 30 Work at a wok 31 Film with two Fondas 34 Abbr. for someone who has just a first and last name 36 County that has California’s highest and lowest points 37 Valuable deposits 38 Independent, as some agencies 45 Browses (the Web) 49 “Much” follower 50 Nautical hazard 51 Some mouse hunters 53 Horse play?

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60 Counterfeit 61 Rome’s ___ Fountain 63 The parent dogs in “101 Dalmatians” 66 Capitol Hill helper 68 Former Eur. country 69 National park in Utah 70 Delegates 78 Erstwhile L.A. Philharmonic director 81 “Who ___?”

82 Astronomer’s measurement 83 Words of denial 85 Go hither and yon 86 With 70 Down, a major vessel 88 Milo’s canine pal 89 Come to 91 Supportive cheer 92 Teen ___ 94 Out of sequence 98 Certain solo 100 Nashville attraction 101 Have a tab of 102 1970 movie musical about Edvard Grieg 107 Itty bit 109 “All there” 113 Fly 114 With 55 Down, a city 115 Actor Favreau or Heder 116 Eastwood film, “The ___ Sanction” 117 Literary giant Johann Wolfgang ___ 119 1990s ticket

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126 Ex-Packer passer 127 The Red or the White 128 John Dos ___ DOWN 1 Pilfered 2 Directory listings: abbr.

3___ it (walking) 4 Book after Joel 5 “Mazel ___” 6 Scornful look 7 Cryptoquote, really 8 Winter woe 9 Sugary finish 10 Sirius XM, for one 11 On ___ (hot) 12 French-born diarist 13 Bowler 14 Actor Everett and others 15 “Yes ___” 16 Flip ___ 17 Sharpened 19 Having a certain hound’s hue 22 Timothy’s drug 24 Tears to pieces 27 A non ending?

30 McGarrett’s crew, on TV 31 Free, in a way 32 Science Guy Bill 33 Cool Whip serving

35 Calendar pages: abbr.

36 Like the sun god Inti 38 Claus artist Thomas 39 Febreze target 40 What life has, to a nihilist 41 Tombstone legend 42 Edward G. in “Little Caesar” 43 Agonizingly undecided 44 Blown away 46 Flynn role 47 Like plains 48 Scotch partner 52 Red Sea port 55 See 114 Across 57 “Deal with it!”

58 Shakespearean schemer 59 Shorten, as copy 62 Noodle product?

64 Ibsen’s Peer 65 Active type 67 Automaker Ferrari 70 See 86 Across 71 Sign 72 “Ecce Homo” painter 73 Gambler’s declaration 74 Give the boot 75 Diary passage 76 Rooter preceder 77 Old British gun 79 Story that’s spun 80 Pt. of AARP 84 Gold bar 87 For laughs 89 Haywire 90 Average guy?

93 Depart briskly 95 Laugh loudly 96 Clean-air org.

97 Bows out 99 “___ Song Coming On” 102 Shrewd 103 Not perfectly round 104 Baseball teams 105 (None of the above) 106 Joaquin’s “Walk the Line” co-star 107 “Fear of Fifty” author 108 Leading the league 110 Disco-era suffix 111 Sleuth Wolfe and others 112 Before, once 115 Bringer of misfortune 116 Space chimp 118 SW insert 119 “Survivor” network 120 W.C. 121 South American tuber

!!! VOLUME 16 IS HERE !!!

To order Merl’s crossword books, visit www.sunday crosswords.com.

4/8/2010 © M. Reagle Answers found on page 74 72 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

It’s Toodle-oo to HarperStudio, Imprint of the Future

By Molly Fischer The HarperStudio credo was bold, to say the least.

“We believe traditional publishing models are broken and are experimenting with new ones,” declared the imprint, founded by former Hyperion chief Bob Miller, when it debuted in April 2008, right before the financial meltdown. “We believe in embracing technology. We believe the future is now.”

The future would be modest advances and profitsharing arrangements with authors. It would be a sales model that permitted no returns, so bookstores couldn’t pass the buck on risk back to publishers. And, naturally, the future would involve plenty of technology—websites and Twitter and Facebook and blogs, to publicize books but also the imprint itself.

Miller announced last month that he would be leaving for Workman Publishing. And after a couple of weeks of uncertainty, HarperCollins No. 2 Michael Morrison informed staff on April 2 that HarperStudio will close up shop for good after publishing its last titles this summer.

People were rooting for the imprint—even if they didn’t entirely believe the rhetoric.

“It wasn’t revolutionary; it was evolutionary,” one publisher at a competing house told The Observer.

HarperStudio, which acted like a start-up within an established corporate framework, didn’t always conform to its stated principles, sometimes offering hefty sums as part of multibook deals. Publishers Marketplace reported last spring that the imprint had paid Gary Veynerchuk “approximately $1 million” for his marketing manifesto Crush It!, as the first of a 10-book deal.

Meanwhile, the shift downward in the economy had coincided with a major change within HarperCollins—the departure of Jane Friedman, the close friend who had brought Miller onboard; one top literary agent told The Observer that the closure of HarperStudio was the final component in “the de-Friedman-ization of HarperCollins.”

No matter what the reason for its demise, when your company declares that “the future is now,” you have to be prepared to take disappointments in stride.

“Innovation is a lot like risotto,” tweeted author Merlin Mann on April 2. “The few who make it well just go make it; the many who can’t yammer about it until you want to stab them.”

Harper senior vice president Debbie Stier said she sensed a divide between the tweeted/blogged reaction to HarperStudio’s closure and the reaction she received from her publishing colleagues. The latter were congratulatory because all of HarperStudio’s employees had landed safely in new positions, she said; the online contingent was more vocally disappointed to see the project end.

“The disconnect between perception and reality is kinda the sine qua non of publishing, isn’t it?” HarperStudio senior editor Julia Cheiffetz told The Observer. “I don’t know what others think; I only know what I think, which is that HarperStudio was a bold, worthwhile experiment.”

HarperStudio ... didn’t always conform to its stated principles.

The National Newsroom

Personal Finance

Banking laws leave business customers vulnerable to Internet fraud

By Kathy Kristof, Tribune Media Services

Many tax advisors tell their self-employed clients— including those who are “consulting” while looking for work—to open separate business bank accounts to make it easier to separate business and personal expenses for tax purposes.

Don’t do it.

This common tax advice could turn into a banking nightmare that puts every dollar in your business account at risk. Just ask Fan Bao of Los Angeles.

Bao, who runs a small import-export business, had $50,000 stolen from his bank account by computer hackers in Croatia. Bank of America has refused to reimburse him, saying the loss was his problem, not the bank’s.

Had the money been stolen out of a personal account, the bank’s response would have been dramatically different. Federal law would have required the bank to reimburse Bao. But, unbeknown to many, business and personal accounts are governed by completely different rules.

Those rules protect individuals from online hacking but can leave small-business owners to twist in the wind.

Normally that would merely be worrisome. But it’s far more frightening now because technology and law-enforcement experts believe there is a huge wave growing of sophisticated criminal enterprises that target small-business bank accounts.

Over the last year, the FBI, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the American Bankers Association have all warned banks about the threat. But many banks have outdated security systems that make their clients vulnerable, said Terry Austin, president and chief executive of Guardian Analytics, an online security firm.

Ongo - ing

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“We’re seeing increasingly sophisticated attacks,” Austin said. “But there’s been very little recent investment on the banking side. Banks need to do more to protect their customers.”

To understand the scope of the problem, Guardian Analytics recently teamed with the Ponemon Institute to study the prevalence of banking fraud on small businesses. The study found that 32 percent of the 500 small-business owners surveyed had been victimized by online banking fraud—and more than half of that group had been victimized more than once.

Bao provides one such example; he detailed his experiences in a lawsuit he has filed against BofA. Bao runs his import-export business with his wife, Cathy Huang. They did most of their banking in person until two years ago, when they were talked into opening an online account that allowed them to send wire transfers to their suppliers overseas without trudging to their local branch.

The bank had them follow a series of security protocols and assured them their money was safe. But last summer, just weeks before BofA was set to implement a new security system, two fraudulent wire transfers were posted from Bao’s account—one for $99,100 and one for $50,000. Both were sent to a bank in Croatia that Bao had never done business with. In fact, he’d never sent money anywhere other than China.

Bank officials recognized that the transfers didn’t match Bao’s regular pattern and called to verify their authenticity. Huang was the “authorized agent” on the account, according to the lawsuit, but she was out of town at the time and thus couldn’t respond immediately to the bank’s call. Consequently, the bank wouldn’t tell Bao what the problem was, and it allowed the transfers to go through.

When Huang reached the bank later in the day she declared the transactions fraudulent. By then, BofA was able to recover only the second transfer, for $99,100. The $50,000 transfer, executed earlier in the day, had already been withdrawn from the Croatian bank.

Bao asked BofA to reimburse him, but the bank said the loss was his problem.

The reason: Bao was a business customer, so his account was governed by the Uniform Commercial Code. That essentially allows the bank to lay out the conditions under which clients will—or won’t—be reimbursed for a loss.

BofA spokeswoman Shirley Norton said the bank believed Bao’s suit was without merit and intended to vigorously defend itself.

Austin said the most common source of online banking fraud was a virus infecting the victim’s computer. Typically, he said, the business owner is taken in by a “spear-phishing” attack that could be so sophisticated that the victim is unaware of it.

Most consumers have received some sort of phishing e-mail, claiming to be an “account maintenance

(Guardian Analytics President and Chief Executive Terry) Austin said the most common source of online banking fraud was a virus infecting the victim’s computer. Typically, he said, the business owner is taken in by a “spear-phishing” attack that could be so sophisticated that the victim is unaware of it. notice” from a bank or an “alert” from PayPal. These “Dear customer” e-mails, which are often rife with misspellings and funky grammar, are not personalized or sophisticated. They direct the victim to click on a link and provide personal information such as a Social Security or credit card number. Most consumers, if they click at all, come to their senses before plugging in their personal data.

Spear-phishing attacks, on the other hand, are professional looking, personalized and so clever that victims may not even realize they’ve been targeted.

“If you are a small businessman and you get a tax lien notice that has your name in the body of the e-mail and your e-mail in the subject line and it’s got a return address from your local county, you are likely to click on that,” said Doug Johnson of the American Bankers Association.

What can you do to protect yourself? If you have a very small business you’d be wise to do your banking through a personal account, where the legal protections are superior.

However, if you have a bigger enterprise that needs sophisticated business banking services, you need to be exceptionally careful when responding to e-mails.

Kathy Kristof’s column is syndicated by Tribune Media Services. She welcomes comments and suggestions but regrets that she cannot respond to each one. E-mail her at kathykristof24@gmail.com.

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Arts & Entertainment

The cast of Pawn Stars (from left): Corey Harrison (“Big Hoss”), Austin “Chumlee” Russell, Rick Harrison and Richard Harrison (“the Old Man”).

Television

Straw Into Gold

Meet the unlikely stars of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop as they film season three

Photo by Anthony Mair

By Geraldine Campbell Before the appearance of the velvet rope, hulking bodyguards and string of taxis disgorging carloads of fans, you might not have noticed the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in the 22 years of its existence. Located on the sketchy stretch of real estate just south of downtown, the store counts Showgirl Video, ABC Bail Bonds and Cupid’s Wedding Chapel as neighbors. And the building’s nondescript façade—crumbling concrete plastered with signs advertising “WE WILL BUY YOUR GOLD & SILVER”—doesn’t distinguish it from the

city’s slew of EZ Pawns and Cash Pawns (though the feel is less corporate).

But the lackluster storefront belies an interior that’s chockablock with rare artifacts—such as an 18th-century Damascus sword and Benny Binion’s 10-gallon hat— artwork by Picasso and Renoir, and case after case of gold, silver and gemstones.

The shop, as most of America knows by now, is run by three generations of Richard Harrisons: There’s the grandfather, a.k.a. “the Old Man,” a retired marine with a saying for everything; his son

Rick, a geeky history buff and naturalborn hustler with a shiny bald head and infectious laugh; and his grandson Corey (his middle name), also known as “Big Hoss,” whose penchant for getting suspended from school as a young ne’erdo-well landed him behind the counter.

Lending a hand and adding comic relief is Corey’s boyhood friend Austin “Chumlee” Russell—a sweet village idiot-like character who describes himself as the “Go-Getter” (i.e. Chumlee, go get some coffee). Their business is the unlikely subject of the History Channel’s overnight hit, Pawn Stars, which is now filming its third season. It’s Antiques Roadshow meets Sin City. But while there’s the occasional bleeped-out cussword, this is more of a family show than a seedy pawnshop version of Confessions of a Taxi Driver.

Back in 1981, when the Harrisons moved to Vegas from San Diego, a law prohibited new pawn licenses until the population reached a quarter million.

Rick was only 16 at the time—and making big bucks hustling faux Gucci bags—but he knew an opportunity when he saw it. Dutifully, the young entrepreneur kept track of the census and secured a joint license with his father the minute the city’s numbers 250,000 in April 1988.

“When I first started, I was broke,” Rick remembers. “I spent all my money getting the license, and it was a grind for years. When you have a pawnshop, you’re constantly loaning out money.

It wasn’t until 10 or 12 years ago that things started to get really nice.” Even then, the shop got fewer than 100 customers a day.

Continued on page 78 April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven 77

Arts & Entertainment

Stage Pawn Stars Continued from page 77

As seen on TV: Vegas’ newest tourist attraction.

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Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Sound Dog

Erich Von Tourneau

How Viva ELVIS‘s musical director turned a legend into a live show

By Jarret Keene When Cirque du Soleil’s The Beatles LOVE opened in 2006, the production was unique for two reasons. First, it’s the only instance in which the Most Important Band in Rock ’n’ Roll permitted its music to be used in a major theatrical show.

Second, it’s the only Cirque show without live musicians, relying on brilliantly remixed and re-orchestrated tracks.

So when Viva ELVIS opened earlier this year, the question was: How can Cirque top LOVE? After all, it can’t be simple adapting the music of the Most Important Singer in Rock ’n’ Roll. The trick for the show’s musical director and arranger Erich Von Tourneau was to bring Elvis up to date for 2010.

Despite mixed critical reviews of the overall show, Tourneau and Cirque have succeeded on a musical level. From a technical standpoint alone, Viva ELVIS is a sound to behold. The theater, which has 24 subwoofers buried into the orchestralevel floor, creates the kind of low-end vibration that comes from being attached to the structure itself. It’s an attempt to give the live-concert experience without pulverizing audiences’ ears. A live band performs onstage for a good 80 percent (or more) of the show—more than any other Cirque show. In other words, despite its demographic of Elvis fans, Cirque enthusiasts and tourists, Viva ELVIS appeals to those who admire raw musicianship.

But the challenge for Montreal-based Tourneau remains: How does one bring anything new to such classic material without offending lifelong fans?

“The nicest homage you can pay to Elvis is to experiment and make something new,” Tourneau says. “He’s still evolving and demanding we keep up.”

Following suit, Tourneau transformed “Now or Never” into a beautiful tango.

Ranging from hard-core Delta blues to full-throttle rockabilly to deep-fried Southern gospel-folk, the blending of

styles in Viva ELVIS is unique in live theater, confirming what most music critics have known for half a century: Elvis was a musical sponge, soaking up and synthesizing any and all music he came in contact with.

It’s not straight-on and complete vocal takes Tourneau is presenting, either.

Before even sitting down to draft the initial arrangements, he listened to 900 albums and too many films, bootlegs and home recordings to even count.

Ultimately, Tourneau created nearly 18,000 samples of Elvis songs, which he relied on to make the score.

“We tried to find little bits of magic here and there and bring them into each song,” he says. “We wanted to become familiar with all the nuances, because Elvis went through a lot of different incarnations.”

The Elvis that Tourneau most often pursued is the young, dangerous Elvis as well as the ’68 comeback King, mainly because of the singer’s flexibility at those times. Still, it often felt like a puzzle.

Sometimes it was no problem to work with the speed of the new arrangements; at other points the loss of background noise and other context caused the sound of Elvis to sound, well, not at all like Elvis. Particularly difficult was the re-imagining of “Now or Never.”

“Because tangos must be played in a minor key, it really took some work to make that song happen,” Tourneau says.

“This isn’t about attaching Elvis to a Nine Inch Nails arrangement. We had freedom, yes, and we could do what we wanted, but we respected the original song and its roots.”

Look for a Viva ELVIS soundtrack CD later this year, a project on which Tourneau is already hard at work. It’s another challenge, insofar as, typically, the CD precedes the live concert. But then Elvis was always ahead of himself and everyone else.

Photography by Anthony Mair

It was the Harrisons’ willingness to deal in rare antiques and less-conventional wares that separated them from the pack—and ultimately got them national attention as one of the top shopping destinations in Vegas. “When you are competing against 40 other pawnshops,” Rick explains, “you have to be different.” And his fascination with random trivia and arcane goods made the riskier business of dealing with Philco radios, antique Coke coolers and Civil War-era weapons a natural fit.

Once the shop got a bit of buzz, the offers poured in, most notably from HBO, though the Harrisons The TV RealiTy ultimately went with the History of life in laS VeGaS Channel because they wanted to present their business in a favorable The reality onslaught began with MTV’s light. The rest, as they say, is history: The Real World: Las Vegas (2002), introA teaser led to a pilot, a second season, ducing America to the Palms, the crazy and now a third. Up next? A $400,000 club scene and a sexual magnetism that expansion that opens this week (which has become synonymous with New Rick describes as “the most expensive Vegas. Meanwhile on E!, the short-lived removal of two walls ever”) will double series Vegas Showgirls: Nearly Famous the size of the showroom and make the (2002–03) attempted to capture the Old 1,000-a-day crowds more manageable.

Vegas flair.

Despite their success, the Harrisons In the aught years, Las Vegas became are modest about their newfound hotbed of reality TV. Audiences were celebrity. Sure, their life now includes introduced to the gripping world of car red-carpet appearances—such as the sales in King of Cars (2006-07, A&E) grand opening of BB King’s Blues Club and the many assets of poolside servand the World Mixed Martial Arts ers in Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock Awards—and fawning fans, but they Hotel (2008-09, TruTV). Bravo’s Top still get excited about the little things Chef raised the stakes by placing its (such as the kid at the Starbucks counter 2009 season at the M Resort, while King giving them a free cup of coffee). And of Clubs peeks behind the curtain at they’re genuinely surprised about the the family-owned Palomino strip club near-universal adoration, from Bible (2009-10, Playboy).

Belt devotees who flock to Vegas to buy Many E! reality shows have featured a coffee mug or snap a picture, to celebs episodes in Sin City: Keeping Up With like Ludacris and Bon Jovi. the Kardashians (2007-10), Denise And while business has grown Richards: It’s Complicated (2008-09), tenfold and the number of rarities The Girls Next Door (2005-09) and and “cool items” as Corey calls them, Kendra (2009-10) have made Vegas has tripled, the business of owning their favorite weekend getaway. a pawnshop remains essentially the In a city full of hot weather, women same: Jewelry is still the bread-andand winners, cameras continue to roll. butter, and the average customer is Holly Madison is filming a reality show more likely to be a single mom looking (Holly’s World, E!). Shows based around for quick cash or an average Joe buythe exploits of Tao and Badda Bing have ing a wedding band than a billionaire been proposed, and even now, the Travel or, say, the Prince of Nigeria, who once Channel is accepting résumés for a new stopped by.

VIP-host contest-based show. Check Craigslist for your chance at fame.

– Patrick Moulin 713 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 385-7912.

DRIVE THIS! ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS

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Convention Report

Xanadu Las Vegas Still a weird place to visit, but not as racy—or busy—as hoped

By Chad Clinton Freeman Xanadu Las Vegas is a schizophrenic beast of a convention. Last year, it was touted as a family-friendly sciencefiction, fantasy and horror event. This year, Xanadu added adults-only fetish and bondage to the mix.

I checked out the new Xanadu March 27-28 at the Suncoast. The gathering I found was very sci-fi oriented, not as racy as I expected, and a whole lot weirder.

The event’s setup maximized attendees’ choices with two ballrooms of programming and one for vendors. So if you weren’t in the mood to hear the sibling writing team of Dani and Eytan Kollin debate how the economy relates to science fiction, you could enter the next room and watch photographer Dominic Wolfe gag and tie up model Gina Rae Michaels.

All dressed up in your Obi-Wan Kenobi outfit and not a fan of either? Then you could always wander through the dealers’ room (a.k.a. the vendors exhibit hall).

Make the rounds and you could meet talented people such as pinup artists Popeye Wong, fantasy photographer Joseph Corsentino, author Todd VanHooser, scream queen Rachel Grubb and porn star Julie Simone. Disaster education group Zombie Squad was also there, as well as vendors drawing zombie caricatures. Others sold artisan jewelry, gothic items, pagan gifts, movie memorabilia, comic books and more. Most of the elements seemed to mesh well.

“There’s an interesting mix of people here,” says Simone, who was one of the event’s headliners. “I’ve never been to a convention quite like this.”

Author Darryl Dawson had the best seat in the house. As he peddled his horror anthology, The Crawlspace (Author House, 2009), he could watch photographer James Busch turn models such as Blair Blouson into damsels in distress.

“It helps draw attention to me, that’s for sure,” Dawson says.

Rich Johnson’s booth for Mystic Publishers of Henderson—as well as a few other “normals”—seemed a tad out of place, but like Lily’s blond niece Marilyn on The Munsters, nobody seemed to mind. “Some of what’s going on is on the fringe of what I might normally look at, but it’s definitely a learning experience,” Johnson says.

Wong, Corsentino and Grubb, who all attended Xanadu’s debut event, said they were happy with the new theme. “It made for better parties,” Grubb says. “I really liked the bondage demonstrations, too.”

The biggest thing lacking, besides a solid horror presence, was foot traffic.

None of the vendors—including Simone, giving away autographed posters for her film, Audition—were very busy. But with fine tuning, more marketing and perhaps some therapy, Xanadu could become the weird highlight of spring.

MAY 5

12pm – 12am

erik estrada HOSTED BY

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Adult actress Julie Simone.

Xanadu photo by Chad Clinton Freeman

The LIbrarIan Loves ...

Selected by Jeanne Goodrich, executive director for the Las VegasClark County Library District.

Written for the cognoscenti as well as the beginner, Jazz (W. W. Norton & Co., 209) by jazz critic Gary Giddins and jazz scholar Scott DeVeaux, provides a sumptuous banquet of history and culture from the genre’s earliest roots to the present day. The authors note that jazz is three different kinds of music: an art form (America’s classical music), popular music (particularly during the swing era of the 1930s) and African-American folk music. The book is encyclopedic in scope, written in engaging, accessible language and made even richer by the inclusion of vintage photographs as well as more than 75 listening guides.

April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven 79

Arts & Entertainment

MUSIC Soulful, R&B-laced vocals over electronic-pop synths and ’80s noise.

Saturday, April 17 GUARANTEED RAGER

MGMT. Psych-pop music for the masses. “Time to Pretend” should get everyone pumped up.

Hot Chip. A quirky, fun, live electronic band hailing from London with an immense catalog of catchy tunes.

GOOD CALL

Clockwise from top left: LCD Soundsystem, Gorillaz, Spoon, Julian Casablancas, Little Dragon, Thom Yorke, Ra Ra Riot.

Coachella’s Playlist

DANCE PARTY

Navigating the desert with Afghan Raiders’ music picks for this year’s festival

By Mikey Francis Trying to digest the sheer amount of amazing artists performing at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. (April 16-18) can be a daunting task. So I’ve simplified the massive lineup into a short but sweet guide based on what Vince, Drew and myself—i.e., the local electro-punk trio Afghan Raiders—would want to watch. Our guide is broken down into roughly 10-15 acts per day (which is a doable number of bands for the average person to see) and categorized the acts based on whether you want to rage with the masses, play it safe by watching a good band, dance your heart out, rock out with a heavier band or discover some new music. See you there!

Friday, April 16 GUARANTEED RAGER

ROCK OUT

LCD Soundsystem. The live incarnation of James Murphy, dance-punk pioneer and cofounder of DFA records.

in the vein of The Shins, Arcade Fire and Vampire Weekend.

Fever Ray. Swedish electronic music goddess Karin Andersson’s (of The Knife) new solo project and terrifying mask.

GOOD CALL

DANCE PARTY

NEW DISCOVERIES

Yeasayer. Experimental psych-pop outfit from Brooklyn.

Their 2010 effort, Odd Blood, is fun, catchy and interesting.

Grizzly Bear. Think young Radiohead: heavenly harmonies and a beautiful wall of psych-pop sound.

Ra Ra Riot. Solid indie pop 80 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Deadmau5. Giant mouse head costume + mind-altering electro-house dance music = Sahara Tent madness.

Erol Alkan. World-renowned DJ, masher, remixer, producer.

Wolfgang Gartner. DJ, remixer and producer plays his danceheavy tech house/electro set.

Beach House. Space out to the Baltimore duo’s dreamy, drifty, hypnotic indie music.

Devo. The New Wave pioneers fuel you up with their infamous energy domes and finish you off with “Whip It.” The Dirty Projectors. If you want to feel like the smartest, most avant garde Coachella fan ever, then you need to see these experimental Brooklyn rockers.

The xx. Sans energetic stage presence, this dreamy English indie-rock band still wows with moody tones, a dark look and illuminating X’s.

The Dillinger Escape Plan.

This tech-heavy, face-melting, hard-core rock outfit who once opened for NIN will shake the bones out of your body.

Sleigh Bells. With only a handful of demos, this Brooklyn-based duo is stripped-down noise pop that’s danceable, in-your-face and incredibly hooky.

Little Dragon. Swedish electro band with a lovely Swedish-Japanese vocalist.

2 Many DJ’s. A phenomenal DJ set from David and Stephen Dewaele of Soulwax. An eclectic selection of songs and a crowd that wants to redefine the meaning of dance.

Major Lazer. Expect guest vocal appearances and hard electro-laced reggae dancehall bangers with the talented DJs/ producers Diplo and Switch (of M.I.A. fame).

Bassnectar. Up-and-coming S.F.-based electro music producer who will bring heavy, dubby, bassy, nectary musical goodness mixed with interesting visuals.

ROCK OUT

Faith No More.

A vastly influential late-’80s/ early-’90s rock band that recently reunited.

White Rabbits. Six-piece indie rock band from Brooklyn.

Girls. The San Francisco buzz band cuts their Children of God cult ties with lovable, psych-pop rock in the vein of Beach Boys and Elvis Costello.

NEW DISCOVERIES

Flying Lotus. A beat junkie, next-level music producer, avant garde genre-bender and Alice Coltrane’s great nephew.

The Almighty Defenders.

Dirty, lo-fi “gospel” supergroup feat. members of Black Lips and King Khan & BBQ.

Sunday, April 18 GUARANTEED RAGER

Thom Yorke. Radiohead frontman’s undeniable solo effort.

Pavement. A long-awaited reunion for one of the biggest cult bands ever.

Sly Stone. Sly & the Family Stone helped pioneer 1970s funk.

GOOD CALL

Gorillaz. Iconic cartoon characters mashed with Blur frontman Damon Albarn.

Julian Casablancas.

The Strokes frontman sings his debut solo record.

Mayer Hawthorne & The County. A goofy, Detroit-based white guy with deep, soulful Motown music a la Al Green.

Miike Snow. One name, three producers Swedish electro pop band with remix work and notable hits on their debut record.

DANCE PARTY

Orbital. British electro music duo drops techno-acid houserave bombs into the masses.

ROCK OUT

Spoon. Frontman Britt Daniel brings his upbeat, fun and smart indie rock from Austin, Texas.

The Soft Pack. Good ol’ fullflavored indie rock with hints of that memorable San Diego punk-rock scene.

Deerhunter. Smart, ambient, noise-punk, straight from Atlanta.

NEW DISCOVERIES

Charlotte Gainsbourg.

A famous French actress and singer-songwriter with a great new record produced by Beck.Local Natives. Young, talented indie rockers from Silver Lake, Calif. Slick, cool harmonies and percussions a la Arcade Fire and Fleet Foxes.

CD REviEws

By Jarret Keene

GUTTERBLUES

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Dirty Shirt Rock ‘N’ Roll: The First Ten Years (Majordomo) Before the White Stripes redefined garage-blues for “the aughts,” the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion mapped out the entire primitive-rock geography for a solid decade, mostly for the Matador label. During the going-grunge ’90s, frontman Spencer dragged the blues kicking and screaming from the VH1 Unplugged acoustic refinement of “Layla” and into a place where audiences of both the Chitlin’ Circuit and Grand Guignol could find sonic satisfaction.

Deconstructionists par excellence, Blues Explosion has yet to produce a polished recording, instead opting to break every riff down to its lacerating core, every vocal to its howling essence. Whether you’re talking the brutal cacophony of “Chicken Dog” or the funked-out bliss of “Bellbottoms” or the sucker-punch slide guitar of “Blues X Man,” the band is uncompromisingly pure, raucous and real. Don’t let Blues Explosion’s messy, nasty rep discourage you. This 22-track best-of release will get your booty shaking— and doing other questionable acts, too.

DANCEPUNK

We Are Wolves Invisible Violence (Dare to Care) The Montreal-based trio are now three albums deep into a brilliant career of fusing disco, electronica and garage rock in a way that few of the band’s peers can match. Not too heavy for the dance crowd and yet not too synthetic for the rockers, Invisible Violence is the band’s finest moment so far, a 12-song energizer that arrives just in time for spring break, bikinis and beach-proof beer bongs.

“Walking Commotion,” with its throbbing synth-bass intro, ultimately reveals itself as a Ramones-styled slice of glue-sniffing, three-chord street-rock. “Reaching for the Sky” glides forward into a dark, cybernetic tunnel, its four-to-the-floor beat driving the listener to the very edge of a light-scattered metropolis. There are a few moments that are maybe too evocative of ’80s new wave, such as the spiky power chords that punctuate “Me As Enemy.” Overall, however, Violence is aggressive, tuneful fun for getting ready for a long night of nightclubbing.

EPIC INDIE

Look Mexico To Bed to Battle (Suburban Home) Somewhere between the gritty anguish of Cursive and the arty guitar wallop of The Walkmen exists the expansive rock sound of Look Mexico. Expertly recorded in a pizza shop in Tallahassee, Fla., Battle mines territory already explored by earlier, more mature emo acts. “Maybe a good friend’s like a great story—you pick up where you left off,” singer Matt Agrella wonders. This versatile quintet doesn’t just specialize in clever metaphors. Blast-itwith-the-car-windows-down tracks like “Until the Lights Burn Out?” are deliciously visceral. Still, Ryan Slate’s pedal steel, Dave Pinkham’s keyboard and Agrella’s horn (trombone and trumpet) parts cause Battle to brim with musicianship. Like the band’s lush home state, the sonic palette of Look Mexico makes you feel like anything—even love—is possible.

April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven 81

Arts & Entertainment

Movies No Meaning in After.Life This morbid film makes Nip/Tuck look like a Mel Brooks musical

By Rex Reed After.Life, with a pretentious decimal point between the two words in the title for no explainable reason, is a horror film with a macabre style but few of the creepy chills of cheaper, cliché-riddled thrillers that are a dime a dozen these days. That is not a recommendation, just a mild salutation to writer-director Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo. In her feature film debut, she proves she knows her way around a morgue, but her future seems dubious. No danger of becoming a household favorite with a name like that.

Christina Ricci plays a pretty Jersey City elementary school teacher named Anna who is killed in a horrible car accident in a rainstorm, she is pronounced dead by the coroner and sent to a slab in the autopsy lab of Eliot Deacon, the psychotic, soft-spoken town mortician (would you believe Liam Neeson in a role Boris Karloff was born to play?) in preparation for an open-casket viewing.

There’s only one problem: Anna is still alive. Or at least she thinks she is. Eight hours after being declared dead, she opens her eyes and insists it’s all been a mistake. Totally nonchalant about carrying on a conversation with a dead body, the undertaker hovers over her, locks the exits and refuses to admit Anna’s boyfriend Paul ( Justin Long) when he demands to see her one last time. Deacon tells Anna she’s a corpse, albeit a reluctant one. Maybe she is.

“I’m not dead,” she protests. The funeral director retorts, “That’s what you all say.”

Refusing to believe she’s worm bait even after the funeral director produces her death certificate, she tries every key she can find to escape, and the movie plods on as Neeson prepares embalming fluid and babbles on about his special talent for conversing with the dead—a

Liam Neeson pays his respects to “Sleeping” Beauty, Christina Ricci 82 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

“gift” shared by the little boy who hyperventilates when it comes time to lower the casket into the grave. A cop eventually shows up, but all he wants to do is cop a look at Ricci’s breasts under the shroud.

So just what is going one here? Is she a corpse who won’t play by the rules?

Or is she the prisoner of a raving lunatic who decorates the walls of his home with photos of all the people he’s buried? Is the setting, with its clanking doors and rooms filled with cadavers, really an insane asylum? Do you care? Everyone is curious about what happens after death, but you won’t learn anything here.

I’d like to say it’s riveting, but unfortunately I found it quite repetitious and boring. Neeson tries hard to reveal a rarely seen aspect of his artistic versatility as a gruesome Dr. Caligari (I guess horror flicks can also be fun for distinguished actors on occasional slumming expeditions). Against cinematographer Anastas Michos’ odd angle shots through shattered glass or scanned across darkly lit slabs of blue, bloodless bodies, Ricci plays the whole movie slashed with cherry red lipstick, in either a red satin slip or totally nude. Very little is shown, including the accident.

Before rigor mortis sets in, you are, however, treated to the detailed work of the undertaker: close-ups of darning needles sewing stitches through wounds, draining blood into buckets, sewing the mouth closed with threads thick as shoelaces, foot-long hypodermics jammed into jugulars to give the flesh more color and taking measurements to select the correct coffin.

I have no idea what the significance of After.Life is, or to which market it aims to appeal. It’s too dull for grown-ups and too nightmarish for children.

Arts & Entertainment

Movies

Aussie Noir Crackles Filmmaking duo prove deserving heirs to the Coen Brothers

By Cole Smithey Kicking off with a wicked little short film called Spider, sibling filmmakers Nash and Joel Edgerton announce their ability to shock and prepare you for the even-more-shocking main event.

The Square is a masterfully conceived and executed neo-noir from a couple of promising newcomers possessing keen ideas about weaving suspense with thematic momentum. This is one very satisfying genre piece to share with your suspense-loving friends.

The story revolves around Ray and Carla, an adulterous couple (well-played

by David Roberts and Claire van der Boom). Between Christmas and New Year’s, Carla arranges for Ray to steal the cash from her criminal husband’s latest heist so she and Ray can abandon their middle-class suburban existence forever.

It’s refreshing to see the oft-hackneyed neo-noir genre—witness the recent Don McKay—done with such precision and emotional involvement. Adultery is a common staple of the genre, and it’s a tricky sin with which to gain audience empathy. Roberts’ everyman appeal as the story’s volatile lynchpin makes him infinitely intriguing to watch. When Roberts’ character Ray hires a local arsonist (played by co-writer Joel Edgerton), you

can’t help but hope that somehow things land a little in his favor.

The cuckolded side of the marital equation features Anthony Hayes as Greg “Smithy” Smith, the mullet-wearing husband to the woman that Ray desperately wants to spend his life with. There’s a sardonic comedy to Greg’s being that makes his possession of a large amount of cash an especially ridiculous prize for exploitation.

The story profits from the filmmakers’ meticulous use of proximity in its locations, which figure explicitly into the drum-tight narrative. Ray’s house is across a lake from Carla’s home, and his boy dog can’t help but swim across to visit Carla’s bitch; the canine romantic symmetry is one of those light touches that exemplifies the film’s involuntary fascination with detail.

Although it might not contain the heavy shadows of the long-passed film noir era, the influence of Mother Nature is an ever-present threat that sweeps you up in its unpredictability. Heavy

Anthony Hayes plays the crying cuckold with a vengeance.

rain plays an important role in forcing Ray to expose the fraying edges of his loosening personality. Like William H. Macy’s character in the Coen brothers’ Fargo, he puts himself in a jam where every decision is 10 times worse than the one before.

Neo-noir is all about watching people actively pick and poke at their Achilles Heel as if it were their only hope for salvation. In the case of this adulterous couple, their imagined sense of emotional loyalty takes a backseat to greed. An anonymous blackmail demand presents an especially juicy

Short reviewS

The Clash of the Titans (PG-13) ★★★✩✩ In spite of its miscasting of Sam Worthington as Perseus (enough with the Aussie accent) and a lame CGI snake-bodied Medusa, The Clash of the Titans is an enjoyable spectacle.

Director Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2) makes the most of big action set pieces that necessarily include an intense battle with giant black scorpions and a confrontation with three evil Stygian witches. To all the critical pissing and moaning about this modern update of the Desmond Davis 1981 original, I say pishaw. Solid supporting performances from Liam Neeson as Zeus, Ralph Fiennes as Hades, and Mads Mikkelsen as Draco add significant gravitas to the film’s churning momentum. When Hades visits Zeus to set in motion a plan to unleash the Kraken to destroy Argos and kill Andromeda, only Perseus has the power to save the city by battling the gigantic beast.

84

Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

twist to a story with almost as many reversals as the Dahl Brothers’ Red Rock West, and a gut-wrenching climax that’s just as surprising as the Coen brothers’ Blood Simple.

In cinema, there’s nothing new under the sun, but you’ll recognize the artistic creativity and expert filmic craftsmanship the Edgerton brothers apply in twisting the suspense tighter and tighter toward an inevitable ending where all debts are paid. Unlike Avatar, The Square is the kind of movie you could see twice, and not feel the least bit of guilt.

By Cole Smithey

Hot Tub Time Machine (R) ★★✩✩✩ Considering John Cusack produced this lackluster comedy where three guys (Rob Corddry, Cusack and Craig Robinson) travel back to their ’80s-era heyday, Time Machine should at least feature cool music à la High Fidelity. Instead we get hair metal. Chevy Chase is wasted in a minor role, as is Crispin Glover. Homosexual hijinks and poorly executed slapstick pratfalls attend this sloppy comedy.

Leaves of Grass (R) ★★★★✩ Tim Blake Nelson retains his status as an adventurous filmmaker with this familial comedy of errors. Edward Norton does dual character duty as identical twin brothers from the country: Ivy league prof Bill Kincaid and the pot-growing brother whom he’s denounced. Nelson’s mixed bag of violence, poetic references, philosophy and stereotypes find their balance in Norton’s brilliant acting.

Arts & Entertainment

Short reviewS

When You’re strange (R) ★★★✩✩ Although laden with pathetically written narration by filmmaker Tom DiCillo about what an “icon” Jim Morrison was, When You’re Strange provides a treasure trove of what must be every single scrap of film footage of Morrison and his overrated band, The Doors. Johnny Depp reads DiCillo’s 5th-grade-readinglevel script that covers every major aspect of Morrison’s ascent to rock god status and his alcoholic fall from grace. Interview footage with the band’s keyboardist Ray Manzarek provides the film’s main talking-head viewpoint. If anything, DiCillo’s over-insistence about Morrison’s influence on pop culture, and the band’s influence on music, comes off as vastly overstated. When You’re Strange unintentionally confirms what most rock historians admit, which is that ’60s and ’70s era rock poet singers Iggy Pop and Lou Reed put Jim Morrison to shame.

Greenburg (R)

★★★★✩

The desolation of the 21st-century filters through the midlife crisis of Ben Stiller’s title character in Noah Baumbach’s edgy rom-com. Stiller house-sits for his more successful sibling (Chris Messina), while he dates his brother’s personal assistant (Greta Gerwig). With Greenberg, Baumbach and wife/co-story writer Jennifer Jason Leigh fearlessly stare into a social abyss that’s swallowing up a country forced into stagnation.

The Runways (R)

★★★✩✩

This film follows the crash-and-burn experiences of the 1970s all-girl rock band of the same name. Dakota Fanning delivers her best work as the bisexual vocalist, while Kristen Stewart channels Joan Jett.

But Michael Shannon steals the show as their famously eccentric producer. Debut filmmaker Floria Sigismondi is keen on telescoping meta meaning, while the real Jett and record producer Kenny Laguna executive produced.

Movie TiMes

Alice in Wonderland (PG) ★★★★✩ Mia Wasikowska is ideal as Alice in Tim Burton’s juiced-up adaptation. Presented in 3-D, Burton’s filigree-filled fantasy blooms after 19-year-old Alice steps away from a 19th-century garden party.

A messy tea party in “Underland” with Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter leads Alice on a journey to the Red Queen’s (Helena Bonham Carter) castle. It’s difficult to imagine another filmmaker doing justice to this well-worn children’s tale.

86 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

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Gadgets & Tech

Tectonic shift in texting helps after Haiti quake

By Eric Benderoff

When disaster struck Haiti, the international community answered the call.

Well, almost: They started to text.

An enormous amount of money was raised through text messaging initiatives to assist relief efforts in Haiti after a devastating earthquake hit the country on Jan. 12.

In all, more than $41 million has been raised by 36 organizations via text. The bulk of that money—about $32 million, according to data from March—was raised by the Red Cross.

The organization had collected more than $354 million for Haitian relief by mid-March through text messaging and traditional relief fundraising efforts.

Meanwhile, other organizations helping Haiti via text include Partners in Health, a charity that works with poor countries to provide health care, and musician Wyclef Jean’s Yéle Haiti Foundation.

Relief for Haiti has become the biggest effort to ever benefit from mobile relief to date, and it utilizes the same type of micro approach that helped put Barack Obama into the White House: small contributions from lots of people.

“The bulk of the money for Haitian relief came from $5 and $10 donations,” says Jim Manis, chairman and CEO of the Mobile Giving Foundation. “People felt empowered to give, it was easy to give and they wanted to give.”

Here’s how it works: Interested donors text the word HAITI to 90999.

(That’s the Red Cross’ text code. Other

organizations have different codes.)

A free reply is sent back, asking you to confirm the donation by replying “Yes.” Once confirmed, $10 is charged to your phone bill, but you are not charged a fee for sending the charitable text.

The Mobile Giving foundation, which Manis started in 2007 with the assistance of the nation’s wireless carriers, provided the underlying technology for text donations and includes safeguards that make sure the $10 you send to Haiti is properly routed.

The Red Cross has capped monthly text donations at $30. While this may seem bizarre—why cap charitable giving?—the policy doesn’t come without reason: There were reports that wellintentioned children were sending relief texts without permission. Meanwhile, women played tricks on flirtatious men by texting relief to Haiti instead of keying their phone numbers into would-be suitors’ cell phones.

Other safeguards have been put in place as well: If text-senders have questions about the donations, they can text HELP. Likewise, if a text was sent by a child without permission, a parent can text STOP—but that requires the parent to notice that a phone has been used to send the relief messages.

The Haiti campaign was the tipping point for mobile charitable giving.

Before the disaster, Manis says about 300 organizations only managed to raise about $3 million through mobile giving campaigns.

CHariTaBlE GivinG Would you donate via text message?

Willing to contribute to relief effort after emergency occurs

36%

Willing to support a friend who is raising money Willing to make a pledge at charitable event Willing to donate if prompted by a scoreboard message at a sporting event

31% 28% 26%

Total

Gen y

Gen X

36%

58%

49%

24%

10%

31%

52%

43%

20%

7%

28%

49%

39%

17%

7%

26%

47%

36%

14%

5%

Source: Convio

88 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

MoBilE PHilanTHroPy Did you text relief to Haiti?

Source: Convio

“It was everyday charitable giving,” he says, “for groups like the American Cancer Society, small food banks and even entertainers [with charitable arms] like John Legend.”

With the Mobile Giving Foundation’s software and hardware infrastructure in place, the system was prepared to mobilize when the Haiti disaster struck.

“We pioneered this space ... and put a system in place that without us the Haiti text relief wouldn’t have occurred,” Manis says.

Within 48 hours of the earthquake, more than $5 million had been raised through text messaging, according to news reports. During those first days, up to 10,000 relief-giving text messages were arriving per second, each generating $10 of funding.

A trio of surveys conducted by Convio, Edge Research and Sea Change Strategies found that nearly $50 million was raised through texts to assist Haiti, while only $1 million had been raised previously. (The results of this threetier study include text donations that originated on platforms other than the mobile phone, such as Facebook.)

Additionally, the survey found that mobile giving “must be used at the right time, in the right place, and with the right audience.” An immediate emergency need—in this case, Haiti—was deemed acceptable as well as funding raised through “someone in a personal network.”

Whereas 36 percent of all respondents said they would be willing to donate via text for a disaster, only 26 percent reported they would be willing donate to a charity if prompted by a scoreboard at a stadium. Meanwhile, the survey found younger people, who often rely more on texting to communicate compared with older mobile phone users, were more likely to donate. (No real surprise there!)

Curiously enough, Manis says the more-recent earthquake in Chile did not raise nearly the amount of funds as Haiti. Still, relief organizations say a key reason for this is because in the wake of the earthquake, the Chilean government said that it did not need international aid. Manis says the text-generated relief for Chile totals less than $1 million.

Even so, charitable giving through text messaging is poised to grow because of the Haitian efforts. Manis says since the earthquake, between 600 and 700 charitable organizations have approached his company asking how they can harness the power of charitable giving via text messaging.

Within 48 “hours of the

earthquake, more than $5 million had been raised through text messaging.”

Chicago-based technolog y columnist Eric Benderoff writes about consumer electronics and runs BendableMedia.com, an editorial services firm. He frequently discusses tech trends and new gadgets on various national radio and TV programs. Follow him on Twitter @ericbendy.

April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven 89

Dining The Vegan Seven A curious carnivore finds out how the healthier half eats by discovering some of the city’s best vegan restaurants

By Mericia González In Las Vegas it often feels like you can get anything you want at anytime, especially if it involves food. But if you’re a vegan, if you chose a lifestyle without consuming meat, dairy or eggs, you’d might as well be in Omaha.

I am not a vegan myself. I love my steaks, chicken and fish-based sushi. But I have many friends who do not share my carnivore passions. One night over dinner with a frustrated vegan couple, I decided to look into the matter. And I must say, after some research, I found that vegans who want to eat out do have it rough in this town. You really have to know where to look.

To supplement my friend-approved list, I sought the help of Chef Mayra Trabulse, dubbed the “Flavor Chef” by her loyal customers. One of the only truly vegan chefs in town, she runs her own catering company, which—befitting Las Vegas—is called All Vegan, All the Time. She has dedicated her life to not only making a variety of vegan cuisine but teaching others how to make it and to live a more healthful lifestyle.

Photo by Danielle DeBruno

Continued on page 92

Whole-wheat penne with vegan sauce from Panevino.

April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven 91

Dining

Diner’s Notebook

Wise caloric rules, a Total Wine take and vital fish talk

The Green Goddess at Rainbow’s End. The Vegan Seven Continued from page 91

To better enjoy that lifestyle beyond your own kitchen, I’ve incorporated Trabulse’s sage advice to come up with a list of seven vegan-friendly restaurants: Rainbow’s End This market and café is full of natural foods and has a wonderful vegetarian/vegan café. The most popular dish—for more than 30 years—is the Green Goddess pita sandwich ($7.49), which features avocado, cucumber, tomato, grated carrots and beets, onions, Vegenaise and cheese. There are some wickedly tasty desserts, too, including a sinful organic peanut-butter chocolate pie. You can also find Trabulse’s cuisine here 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays, when she takes over the kitchen to make a three-course lunch that costs only $10. Café open for breakfast and lunch 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Mon.-Fri. and noon to 5 p.m. Sat.; market open 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

Mon.-Fri, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat. and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun.; 1100 E. Sahara Ave., 737-1338.

Go Raw Café Considered the only truly vegan kitchen in Las Vegas

by Trabulse, this restaurant lives up to its name by serving cuisine made of raw ingredients, such as the Gimme the Beet “Cheese” Burger ($10.88, with fries), which consists of beets, carrots, sunflower seeds and parsley served on living bread with handmade ketchup, mustard, mayo, onion, tomato, lettuce, sprouts, avocado and almond cheese. 2910 Lake East Dr., 9 a.m-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun., 254-5382, and 2381 E. Windmill Lane, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun., 450-9007.

Red Velvet Café This vegan hot spot is known for its amazing food, stylish décor and friendly atmosphere. The extensive menu, featuring dishes such as spaghetti and meatballs vegan-style ($10.99), will satisfy the pickiest eater. 7875 W. Sahara Ave., 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 360-1972.

92 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Whole Foods Market It may be a chain supermarket, but true vegans know the value of its offerings and convenience. Whole Foods not only offers a vast array of organic produce, but its deli has great variety for vegan meals, including a salad bar—making this an ideal place to get a quick bite and pick up the groceries. Four locations; wholefoodsmarket.com.

Samosa Factory Indian Cuisine Samosa claims to serve the best vegan and vegetarian food in Las Vegas, and it certainly offers affordable food with great taste. See for yourself, with dishes such the Baigan Bharta, charbroiled eggplant with onions and tomato, or the Veggie Kofta Curry, which includes opo squash, chickpea flour and garlic. All of these dishes are served with basmati rice and cost $11. Lunch 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Fri., dinner 5-9 p.m.

Mon.-Thurs. and 5-10 p.m. Fri., noon-10 p.m. Sat.; 4604 W. Sahara Ave., 804-0293.

Paymon’s Mediterranean Café & Lounge This is vegan-friendly place, but you might call ahead to make arrangements for your meal. Trabulse suggests the lentil soup ($2.95 cup, $6.25 bowl) and the rich hummus for lunch. 4147 S. Maryland Parkway, 11 a.m.9 p.m. (lounge open to 1 a.m.), 731-6030; and 8380 W. Sahara Ave., 11 a.m. 1 a.m., 731-6030.

Panevino Ristorante & Gourmet Deli This alluring restaurant is surprisingly vegan-friendly. Trabulse says Panevino makes a delicious wholewheat penne with vegan sauce ($22), and it even has homemade vegan desserts. But she says you need to call at least 24 hours ahead of time to make arrangements for a vegan meal. That may be a pain, but the great part is being able to dine your way while enjoying the company of your non-vegan friends. 5-10 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 246 Via Antonio Ave., 222-2400.

No matter what side you fall on with regard to the new health-care legislation, you can’t fault the idea of caloric labeling in a restaurant that has more than 20 outlets. It might be a good idea to know what the damage is if you’re eating something like the Aussie Cheese Fries with ranch dressing at Outback (2,900 calories, 182 grams of fat) or five chicken strips at McDo (a mere 660 calories). Hey, it’s just a thought.

In the March 11-17 issue, Vegas Seven mentioned the opening of our city’s first Total Wine store, and I’d like to add a few observations about the place.

Yes, it’s true that some of the prices are the lowest in town, but that’s in part because the store sells many bottles that are made in wineries almost exclusively for them. These are of varying quality, and most are well priced. Novice buyers will find it convenient that certain shelves describe the characteristics of a wine, such as “Big and Robust” or “Soft and Fruity.”

Total Wine is in Boca Park, the mall on the corner of Rampart and Charleston boulevards, and it is worth the trip.

Meanwhile, Rick Moonen continues to be the conscience of local chefs as he lobbies for sustainable seafood and the “Slow Food” movement. He recently handed out copies of his book, Fish Without a Doubt: The Cook’s Essential Companion (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2008), at a “Super Green Dinner” put on by Slow Food Las Vegas. Giovanni Mauro of Nora’s Cuisine is the head of the local chapter. Send him an e-mail if you’d like to join: info@slowfoodlv.org.

The dinner was amazing, by the way. It started with Hog Island oysters from a facility in Marin County (Calif.) and continued with togarashi-marinated tuna—albacore, not bluefin, which is on the endangered species list. A plate of Hawaiian walu and spot prawns followed, then naturally raised lamb with the lamb sweetbreads.

After the dessert, Moonen signed copies of his book and handed out the Monterey Bay (Calif.) Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, a list that tells you the fish you should and should not be eating. “Talk to chefs and restaurant owners,” Moonen says, “and tell them you don’t want Chilean sea bass or Atlantic salmon. They will listen to you.”

The reason is simple: “Give fish a chance to refresh their species,” Moonen says. “A once-depleted swordfish population is now abundant again, and off the list of endangered species.”

Moonen and his team are doing very important work in their Mandalay Place restaurant, RM Seafood.

Thanks, guys.

Hungry, yet?

Follow Max Jacobson’s latest epicurean observations, reviews and tips at foodwinekitchen.com.

Photo by Danielle DeBruno

By Max Jacobson

Dining

Dishing Got a favorite dish? Tell us at comments@weeklyseven.com.

Edamame Dumplings at Koi

Sunday Gravy at Nove

Chilaquiles at T&T’s

Elote Plazero at Hussong’s Cantina

You’re sure to feel a sense of Hollywood energy and style at this Japanese restaurant. These dumplings in a mushroommirin broth are the newest addition to the Signature Dishes menu and are exclusive to the Las Vegas location.

When chef Tim Horrock decided he wanted another vegetarian option, he took something simple (the edamame) and mixed it with something luxurious (truffles) and made it all delicious. $14, Planet Hollywood, 454-4555.

Meaning “nine” in Italian, this restaurant is perched at the top of the Palms Fantasy Tower and is part of the N9NE Group. It has a great view and atmosphere with LED Swarovski crystal chandeliers that light up a fantasy purple. This hearty pasta dish will bring you happily down to earth with its rigatoni, braciola, sausage, meatballs, ricotta cheese and pork gravy. Executive chef Geno Bernardo’s grandmother used to make this dish for him every Sunday. $25, Palms Fantasy Tower, 942-6800.

This traditional Mexican breakfast dish is served as part of the restaurant’s Mariachi Brunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Sundays. It is made with crispy tortillas, shredded marinated chicken, panela cheese and crema fresca, and topped with pico salad and your choice of spicy red or zesty green sauce. Don’t forget the Bloody Maria! $14, Luxor, 262-5225.

This cantina originated in Ensenada, Mexico, and it is the birthplace of the margarita. The dish that goes best with that famous beverage here is the one that chef Noe Alcala says gets its name from “the street carts in the corners of the plaza selling corn” in Ensenada.

The appetizer/side is grilled white corn brushed with mayo butter and covered with cotija cheese, and it’s quickly gaining its own fame. $4.95, Mandalay Place, 553-0123.

94 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Dining

Dishing

Ceviche of Shrimp at Firefly

The Kobe Meatball at LAVO

Nam Kao Tod at Lotus of Siam

Dates at Nora’s Wine Bar and Osteria

As one of the original tapas, this dish has South American influences and is zestier than most that you’ll find. Tiger shrimp is cut into chunks combined with chopped red and yellow peppers, cucumbers, jalapeño and cilantro. Then it is chilled and marinated in fresh-squeezed citrus juices. The dish is topped with an avocado slice and accompanied with tortilla rounds for dipping. It is the perfect warm-weather dish. $8.50, 3900 Paradise Road, 369-3971.

You’ve probably noticed the LAVO billboard featuring the sensual model with a meatball on her fork, but have you noticed how good that meatball tastes? Made from freshly ground kobe beef, veal and sweet pork sausage, served with marinara sauce and topped with ricotta cheese—it’s delicious! And it weighs in at one pound. $20, the Palazzo, 791-1800.

The magic of cooking is the ability to transform something simple, such as rice, peanuts and sausage, into something unforgettable. And that’s exactly what the Thai chef Saipin Chutima has done at her recently expanded Commercial Center restaurant. This crispy salad might be the world’s greatest finger food.

Eaten in the hollow of a cabbage leaf, accompanied by a cold one, it’s at the very least the world’s greatest beer snack. $7.95, 953 E. Sahara Ave., 735-3033, saipinchutima.com.

Serving Sicilian recipes and hundreds of wines, Nora’s transforms this fruit into a tasty creation. These dates are locally sourced from China Ranch, near the California-Nevada stateline, guaranteeing their freshness. The gourmet dates are filled with Parmesan-Reggiano, wrapped in apple-wood smoked bacon and cooked in a pizza oven. $9.50, 1031 S. Rampart Blvd., 940-6672.

96 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Ceviche and Dates photos by Anthony Mair

Got a favorite dish? Tell us at comments@weeklyseven.com.

Dining

Cooking With ...

Jean Paul Labadie

Marché Bacchus chef shares one of his favorite kitchen riffs

By Max Jacobson Jean Paul Labadie is known to Las Vegas diners from his long stint as Emeril Lagasse’s chef de cuisine at Emeril’s Fish House in the MGM Grand, where he succeeded Rosemary’s Michael Jordan. It might be natural to think he was French, considering his name, but the fact is, he’s from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Today, JP, as everyone calls him, mans the stoves at Marché Bacchus, where he cooks French and Cajun for the wine lovers who come to sip wines from the store, relax on the patio and stare at the duck-stocked lake. The restaurant is more than just a locals favorite; it’s a chef hangout and a place to find terrific boutique wines.

“I want this to be a nice neighborhood restaurant where people can sit and enjoy a great glass of wine and an affordable dinner,” JP says.

The menu is French-based, but he loves to riff for the guests. His shrimp recipe is a prime example. And it’s easy, irresistible and perfect for a spring afternoon.

Grilled Pesto Marinated Jumbo Shrimp

with Heirloom Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, Red Onion and Basil Salad 2 cups pesto (see below) 20-25 medium shrimp 4-5 heirloom tomatoes 2/3 cup red onion, thin-sliced

2 cups diced fresh mozzarella ½ cup balsamic syrup 2½ cups extra virgin olive oil 1 cup Parmesan cheese

for the pesto 2 tablespoons orange juice 2 cups of the olive oil (a portion of the above) Salt and white pepper

Put everything in the pesto recipe except the oil into a food processor and blend until well-mixed. Drizzle the oil in a stream until blended and the mixture is nicely puréed. Check for seasoning and toss in shrimp. Let marinate one hour.

Grill the shrimp on medium heat, turning once or twice until done. See that the grill isn’t too hot, or the pesto will char and the shrimp will be dry and overcooked.

To plate, slice the tomatoes as thin as possible, then toss with the cheese and red onion, adding the remaining olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the salad in the center of the plates, top with a four or five shrimp for each plate and garnish with the extra basil, cheese, balsamic syrup and any remaining oil.

98 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Suggested Pairing Marché Bacchus owner Jeff Wyatt recommends the delicious Curran ’07 Grenache Blanc from California’s Santa Ynez Valley with the dish. A bargain at just less than $20, it has a nice smokiness that complements the grilled shrimp, and just the right balance of fruit and acidity.

Photography by Anthony Mair

½ pound fresh basil ½ cup toasted pine nuts ½ cup of the Parmesan (a portion of the above) 4 garlic cloves

Travel

Doing Coachella in Style

Palm Springs’ Ace is a renovated mid-century modern motel.

That means making nearby Palm Springs your home base for the arts and music festival

By James P. Reza

100 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

where aesthetes, glitterati and gays all congregate to schmooze and sun. A variety of groups hold big events here, from tiki aficionados to lesbian golfers, but the most diverse weekend is when Coachella hammers up its multiple stages just down the road, attracting music fans of all kinds. With a balance of proximity and style, Palm Springs can be the perfect home base for Coachella fans.

It is best to choose accommodations within walking distance of downtown’s Palm Canyon Drive.

Along that main drag you’ll discover coffeehouses, bars and restaurants, boutique and retro shopping, and (as if you haven’t had enough already) live music. Crashing in a downtown motel also affords access to the beautiful neighborhoods of the Tennis District—and to house bicycles, on which you can explore them.

If you’d prefer to visit Palm Springs after Coachella clears out, keep in mind that summer is the slow season for good reason. This is a very outdoor town, so room rates drop when temperatures rise. It’s hard to enjoy a mimosa by the pool when it’s 120 out—even when you think you are used to it, like some of us claim to be.

You can either choose the painless and uneventful interstate route (I-15/I-10/I-215/CA-111), or a scenic and adventurous road trip through the tiny stops of Cima, Amboy and Yucca, Calif. The latter shaves 50 miles off the trip, but it may not save much driving time, as the route is almost all two-lane roadway. That, and there are plenty of interesting photo opportunities along the way, including at Roy’s, a legendary Route 66 filling station in Amboy.

Staying There The tiny, quiet and retro Orbit In (orbitin.com) may have started it all, but the hip hotel of the moment is the Ace Hotel & Swim Club (acehotel.com/palmsprings). For a hedonistic splurge, pack a caftan and wander the historic grounds of The Parker (theparkerpalmsprings.com).

Eat & Drink

The Parker Palm Springs has a very mid-mod sense of style, as evidenced by the Lanai Patio Room (top). The Ace Hotel & Swim Club offers distinctive hipness (above).

With the number and variety of restaurants in Palm Springs, it’s hard to believe residents ever eat at home.

Here’s a few we like: For brekkie and lunch, the sidewalk seating, full bar and casual, inexpensive café setting make Peabody’s a popular stop for Coachella kids (peabodyscafepalmsprings.com).

Tasty wood-fired pizza and a trendy outdoor bar and patio overlooking Palm Canyon Drive make Matchbox (matchboxpalmsprings.com) a natural for a late dinner. The breakfast at Norma’s— a “5star diner” overlooking the magnificent gardens of the Parker—is delicious and the setting worth every pretty penny.

Ace Hotel photos by D. L. Thompson and Jon Johnson

If SXSW in Austin, Texas, is the world’s most intense conference for those who produce, perform or just plain love music (and it is), then the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is its afterparty. In its 11th year, Coachella’s three long, hot days (April 16-18; see page 80) in Indio, Calif., feature more than 100 performances and artistic experiences that blend Lollapalooza, Burning Man and Hollywood into one massive hipster bash.

Admission isn’t cheap, not to mention the price of bedding down. With Coachella’s on-site camping ranging from $67 (a car-camp spot) to $5,000 (a luxury safari tent), many find the 30-mile drive to and from Palm Springs well worth it, especially after 12-hour days in the sun.

For the uninitiated, Palm Springs might imply “retirement community,” but that is far from the full truth. If Las Vegas is the grand master of destruction and reinvention, Palm Springs is its karmic flipside: reinvention sans destruction.

After suffering decades of economic decline and neglect, in the late 1990s the city poached a perfect opportunity to recast itself as a hot spot for fans of MidCentury Modernism. Perfectly preserved by a dry climate and, at the time, not nearly enough cash flow to implode and rebuild, the city unboarded its expansive windows, shook up a martini and resurged as a trendy mix of kitschy cocktail culture and living architectural museum.

Today’s Palm Springs models its new self after its old self: an intimate, lowslung escape in the middle of nowhere,

Getting There

SportS & LeiSure Natural progression

UFC newcomer carries lifelong passion for fighting into Octagon

By Jeff Haney Growing up in small-town central Oregon, John Gunderson was always looking for a fight.

“It was basically all we did,” he says, describing how he came to take up mixed martial arts as a career. “There were always a lot of fights, and I started boxing as a kid. After boxing, I saw MMA and that really caught my eye. I fell in love.”

Gunderson recalls attending an early MMA show in Oregon, a small amateur production.

He turned down a chance to fight on the card, only because he wasn’t asked until the day of the show.

“I told them I’m not ignorant,” Gunderson says. “I said I would fight on the next one. I started training, and I really enjoyed it. I knew I was attracted to fighting.”

At the time, it had not occurred to Gunderson he would one day join the sport’s elite.

Yet after 19 amateur fights and 28 more as a professional, Gunderson did so this year, making his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut on the organization’s big New Year’s weekend card at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

On April 10, Gunderson will represent his adopted home city of Las Vegas at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

A lightweight (155 pounds) with a professional MMA record of 22-7, Gunderson is scheduled to fight Englishman Paul Taylor in a preliminary bout on the UFC’s first card in the Middle East. In the co-headlining bouts, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva fights Demian Maia, and lightweight champ B.J. Penn faces Frankie Edgar.

As part of a small group of MMA fighters, Gunderson spent about two weeks in Afghanistan last summer greeting American troops. He learned in February he would have an opportunity to return to that part of the world under different circumstances.

“I was very excited about it right away,” Gunderson says. “As soon as I saw the UFC was going to Abu Dhabi, I told my fiancee it would be awesome to be a part of that card. I got the phone call a week later.”

After losing a decision to Rafaello Oliveira in his first UFC appearance, Gunderson sees the fight against Taylor, who is dropping from welterweight (170 pounds), as a chance to make amends.

An instructor at L.A. Boxing on Eastern Avenue in Henderson when he’s not training full time, Gunderson has been preparing at the Tapout Training Center on Hacienda Avenue. His team includes striking coach Shawn Tompkins and grappling specialist Mike Cody.

“I think they’ve brought my game to the next level,” Gunderson says. “I’ve had a long time to prepare for this, but I don’t feel like I’ve overtrained by any means.”

Assessing his strengths in the UFC Octagon, Gunderson cites his aggression and his deep knowledge of the nuances of MMA. It’s a fitting answer considering Gunderson—who has two daughters, Makayla, 6, and Tatum, 4—plans to continue teaching even after his fighting days have finished.

“It’s my No. 1 goal to make my mark in the UFC and to cement my legacy as an individual,” says Gunderson, 30. “Someday I want to open my own school and have my own following and my own students. Even more than a fighter, I’m a great teacher.

“I’ve been around the sport for so long and I’ve been in so many different gyms and camps, I believe I know what works. When it’s my time, when I’m done fighting, I want to move back to Oregon, to where I grew up, and do my thing there.”

UFC 112 can be seen via pay per view, though Gunderson’s bout is scheduled to take place before the televised portion of the card.

Las Vegan John Gunderson is set to fight Paul Taylor at UFC 112 on April 10.

The Las Vegas 51s led the Pacific Coast League in hitting last year with a .290 average, but under first-year manager Dan Rohn this season, pitching could be the team’s strength.

Left-hander Brett Cecil went 7-4 with a 5.30 ERA in 18 games (17 starts) with the Toronto Blue Jays last season and was one of the team’s final cuts this year.

Joining him in the 51s’ rotation could be Catcher J.P. Arencibia returns to the 51s.

102

Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

left-hander Brad Mills and right-handers Robert Ray and Ray Gonzalez. Mills and Ray both pitched for Las Vegas in 2009 but were sidelined by injuries for much of the season. Gonzalez pitched for Double-A New Hampshire last year.

The bullpen also should be solid, led by right-hander Josh Roenicke, acquired from Cincinnati last year, and southpaws Jesse Carlson and David Purcey. All three have the

potential to reach the big leagues this year.

Catcher J.P. Arencibia returns to Las Vegas as one of the Blue Jays’ top prospects, along with first baseman Brett Wallace, who was acquired from Oakland as part of the four-team trade that sent Toronto ace Roy Halladay to Philadelphia.

The season starts April 8, and tickets can be purchased at Cashman Field or ticketmaster.com. – Sean DeFrank

Gunderson photo by Anthony Mair

51s enter season loaded with pitching talent

Going for Broke

Final days of NBA season prime time to cash in

By Matt Jacob They say a tie is like kissing your sister.

Well, I split my two Final Four predictions, but in this case, a tie was more like kissing your stepsister—you know, if she was Kristen Bell.

To review: I won my big play on Butler ($300) over Michigan State in the national semifinals, and came within a half-inch of Butler winning it all ($50 at 5-to-2 odds), as the Bulldogs lost to Duke in the championship game when a half-court shot missed banking in at the buzzer. It would’ve been nice had that shot gone in, but I still cleared $250, pushing my bankroll to $5,415.

Three more plays for this week, including one in boxing as a former champ returns to town (too bad he’s going to need a ramp to get in and out of the ring). $330 (to win $300) on Warriors (+6.5 at home) over Thunder (Sunday, April 11): Unlike most NBA teams that are 30 games under .500, Golden State—which was essentially eliminated from playoff contention by Thanksgiving—has actually been giving an honest effort down the stretch (the Warriors entered this week on a 4-2 roll).

Golden State has been especially frisky on its home court. Although it is just 5-4 in its last nine at home, three of the losses came against the playoff-bound Suns, Lakers and Trail Blazers by a total of 10 points. The Warriors covered the spread in all three defeats, and they’re 8-1 ATS in their last nine at home. And with the Thunder likely to be a sizable favorite in this one, it’s interesting to note that Golden State is on a 48-19-2 ATS run when getting points at home.

Oklahoma City is headed to the playoffs after going just 23-59 a year ago, but situations and motivation often trump talent when handicapping the final week of the NBA season, and this is a bad spot for the Thunder. They started this week with games against Utah (road), Denver (home) and Phoenix (home); and 24 hours after playing at Golden State, they play at Portland. That puts Oklahoma City in a five-games-in-seven-days stretch. $110 (to win $100) on Bobcats (-11 at home) over Pistons (Saturday, April 10): By the time this game tips off there’s a good chance the Bobcats

will have secured their first-ever postseason berth. There’s also a good chance their postseason position will still be in doubt. Charlotte could finish anywhere from fifth to eighth in the Eastern Conference, and finishing eighth means a first-round date with LeBron James and the Cavaliers, which the Bobcats would rather avoid.

Thus, I’m banking on the Bobcats being plenty motivated in this one. And don’t underestimate how bad the Pistons are.

As of April 5, Detroit had lost 11 in a row overall (covering the spread just once) and 11 in a row on the road (going 3-8 ATS).

The Pistons lost 30 of their first 37 road games (14-22-1 ATS), and that includes a 12-point setback at Charlotte on Dec. 22. $50 (to win $90) on Francois Botha (+180 odds) to beat Evander Holyfield (Saturday, April 10): How in the world could the Nevada Athletic Commission grant a boxing license to an over-the-hill former champ who’s at an age (47) in which he’s closer to collecting Social Security than he is to the prime of his career? Is the state that hard up for cash? Obviously, the commission—widely respected as the toughest in the country when it comes to issuing boxing permits— didn’t ask Holyfield to speak at his licensing hearing. If they had, they would’ve been forced to vote “no” on the basis they couldn’t understand him. Seriously, Holyfield’s speech has become so slurred, he makes Flavor Flav sound coherent.

The only thing more comical than Holyfield being allowed to jump in the ring for a 12-round fight is him being significantly favored to win. Holyfield has lost five of his last nine bouts, the most recent being to Nikolai Valuev in Switzerland on Dec. 20. So even though Holyfield’s opponent in this bout—the 41-year-old Botha—barely qualifies as an animate object, I have a hard-and-fast rule: When a 47-year-old washed-up ex-champ is laying 2-to-1 odds, I go the other way.

Matt Jacob is a former local sports writer who has been in the sports handicapping business for more than four years. For his weekly column, Vegas Seven has granted Matt a “$7,000” bankroll. If he blows it all, we’ll fire him and replace him with a monkey.

April 8-14, 2010 Vegas Seven 103

OPEN CASTING FOR THE

We’re looking for fun, outgoing local men and women to cast for a Web series filming this summer in Vegas.

Simply come in your best poolside attire and show us you have the personality to co-host the best poolside parties and VIP events Vegas has to offer.

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seven questions

Hugh Hefner Some words of wisdom from the Playboy boss on the eve of his 84th birthday

By Elizabeth Sewell Being the world’s most famous playboy doesn’t mean Hugh Hefner is immune from the chore of getting older. Whether it’s losing close friends or just daily aches and pains, Hefner is often reminded that he’s not getting any younger. This, however, may be where comparisons to other octogenarians end. While most humans who turn 84 are quite content to celebrate birthdays with family and cake, Hef ’s party on April 10 will be a booze-and-bunny-filled extravaganza in the Playboy Club at the Palms. But not everybody has lived the life of Hugh Hefner. The Playboy mogul launched his groundbreaking magazine in 1953 and it has become the best-selling men’s magazine in the world, serving 18 million readers in 27 countries. Along the way, Hefner has survived censorship attempts, two divorces and even a stroke. Yet, on the eve of his 84 th birthday, he couldn’t be happier.

Are you looking forward to celebrating your birthday?

My actual birthday is on April 9, which is a Friday, and a gathering of family and friends will be here for what we do every year—a screening of Casablanca, my favorite film. We will be dressed in the style of the film, from the early 1940s. I’ll be wearing a white tuxedo jacket. After the movie we’ll be going into the dining room of the mansion, which is converted into Rick’s Café Americain and have champagne and caviar by candlelight. Then, on Saturday in the early afternoon, I’m going to a memorial for Robert Colt, a dear friend who has just passed away, and then we’ll be going directly from that to the airport and flying out there for the festivities at the Palms.

What is one good thing about getting older?

In my case it’s looking back on a life well-lived. It’s a tremendous satisfaction in feeling that, in most cases, I managed to do it right and I had a great deal of pleasure in the process. It’s the ability to enjoy the moment but also the pleasure of looking back.

If you could give your 21-year-old self advice, what would it be?

Well, I think I would blow his mind by telling him what lay ahead. I was a kid who dreamed impossible dreams, but I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams what lay ahead for me.

How many times have you been in love?

I’ve been in love more than a few times. I’m not happy if I’m not in love.

110 Vegas Seven April 8-14, 2010

Do you have a favorite era for Playboy?

In terms of Playboy, you would have to say that the ’60s and ’70s were the most dramatic time for Playboy because it was a time in which we changed the world.

At one point, in the early 1970s, Playboy was selling more than 7 million copies a month. Very clearly in hindsight, it was the most influential magazine in the 20th century. From that I take a great deal of satisfaction and pride.

What is the one barrier that Playboy broke that you’re most proud of?

I think the things I am proud of are changing the social and sexual values of my time by suggesting that sex is OK. What is the No. 1 piece of advice you give your sons?

Hold on to your dreams and pursue them with enthusiasm.