Vegas Gets Smart by Vegas Seven

April 15-21, 2010

Vegas Gets Smart How tHe Ruvo CenteR foR BRain HealtH Could CHange tHe City

Plus … wHy we’Re not as dumB as ameRiCa tHinks How to take BetteR CaRe of youR BRain t.R. witCHeR CRitiques ouR fiRst geHRy

FREE

2011 SLS AMG

It has wings for a reason.

925 Auto Show Drive s In The Valley Auto Mall s Henderson, NV 89014 702.485.3000 s www.mbofhenderson.com

at the edge of fash io n in the heart of vegas The art of fashion is on permanent display at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, Dillard’s, Bloomingdale’s Home, Nordstrom, Forever 21 and over 200 fine stores, restaurants and cafés. Located on The Strip across from Wynn Las Vegas. ggp.com

702.369.8382

www.thefashionshow.com

Contents

This Week in Your CiTY 13

seven DaYs

LocaL newsroom

The highlights of this week. By Susan Stapleton

Million-dollar home deals and a UNLV program ﬁghts for existence. Plus: David G. Schwartz’s Green Felt Journal and Michael Green on Politics.

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.

Exploring television’s new dimension. By Eric Benderoff

tech

nationaL newsroom

the Latest

Dining

New Boutique Chic and a Stratosphere plunge. Plus: trends, tweets and gossip. By Melissa Arseniuk

Todd English P.U.B. brings good beer, food and life to CityCenter. By Max Jacobson Plus: Max’s Diner’s Notebook and a celebration of Las Vegas’ oldest bakery tradition.

20 societY

Artist Tim Bavington’s latest unveiling and a “Bubble-Licious” fundraiser.

100

Seven ways to take better care of your brain. By Dr. Ben Conmy

This week’s Look, working on our “So Vegas” problem and a few choice Enviables.

102

heaLth & fitness

stYLe

sports & Leisure

It’s the U.S. bull riders against the world this weekend in Las Vegas. By David Breitman Plus: Going for Broke By Matt Jacob

nightLife

Seven Nights ahead, fabulous parties past and the return of Rehab.

110

arts & entertainment

A full preview of the big country weekend, and Cole Smithey pans a dumb Ass movie.

Above: Dr. Charles Bernick of the Ruvo Center. On the cover: Inside the Ruvo events center. Photography by Francis + Francis

Features

brain power

The Ruvo Center strives to cure Alzheimer’s and up our intellectual ante. By Jessica Prois

seven questions

Larry Ruvo talks about the inspiration behind the Center for Brain Health. By Elizabeth Sewell

the vegas iq

Better understanding the smart and not-so-smart sides of us. By T.R. Witcher and Eric Olsen April 15-21, 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

Richard Abowitz, Eric Benderoff, David Breitman, Geoff Carter, Ed Condran, Dr. Ben Conmy, Mericia González, Michael Green, Jaq Greenspon, Matt Jacob, Max Jacobson, Jarret Keene, Eric Olsen, Jessica Prois, Rex Reed, David G. Schwartz, Elizabeth Sewell, Kate Silver, Cole Smithey, Susan Stapleton, Michael T. Toole, Heather Turk 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, Francis + Francis, Brenton Ho, Roman Mendez, Tomas Muscionico, Ryan Weber, coNtributiNg illustrAtor, Rob Tornoe

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

salEs AccouNt eXecutive, Christy Corda 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 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 15-21, 2010

COntributOrs

Eric Olsen “The Vegas IQ ,” page 35 Olsen, a freelance writer and editor based in the Bay Area, is formerly the director of the International Institute of Modern Letters at UNLV. He’s proud to say that he does not have an MBA from Harvard. He does have an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, however. He and Glenn Schaeffer, a classmate at the Workshop, have just ﬁnished a book about their class at Iowa, which included T.C. Boyle, Jane Smiley and Sandra Cisneros. It’s tentatively titled Disruptive Creativity: Lessons from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

Corrections: In the April 8 issue, the image that appeared with the Canyon Ranch Spa story in The Latest was not Canyon Ranch Spa (which is pictured below).

Jessica Prois “Brain Power,” page 30 Originally from Minnesota, Prois taught high school English for three years outside Minneapolis. After recently earning a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University, she pulled up her Midwestern roots, leaving Chicago for Las Vegas— two cities whose main similarities, she says, “seem to be hosting Blue Man Group and the most congested airports in existence.” Prois mostly writes for Seven’s Newsroom, covering everything from crime to education. She was enlisted to write the Ruvo Center story because much of her previous freelance work has focused on health and science.

The photo of the Tao chef in The Latest was incorrectly identiﬁed. Pictured was corporate executive chef Ralph Scamardella. Also, in Seven Questions, the friend of Hugh Hefner’s who recently died was Robert Culp. Geoff Carter “Sites to See,” page 83 Yes, the Seattle-based Las Vegas writer and photographer appears busy to the casual observer—he writes a shopping blog for the Houston Chronicle website (blogs.chron.com/onebetter), edits a literary and pop culture blog for Seattle novelty company Archie McPhee (monkeygoggles.com) and helps maintain a entertainment value blog right here in town (spelloutvegas. com)—but in reality, he just hits refresh on Facebook all day long. Thankfully, he manages to send us a ﬁne websites column every other week.

Vegas Seven Mobile

Prois photo by George Bekich II

try it nOw steP 1:

steP 2:

steP 3:

Visit getscanlife.com on your mobile device to download Free scanlife software.

as you scroll through Vegas seven, snap a photo anywhere you see a 2D barcode.

Your phone reads the 2D code and automatically loads interactive content.

Win Free stuFF ★ rsVP For eVents ★ 2D Mobile exclusiVe oFFers anD eDitorial

Visit the Vegas Seven website April 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven 11

{exclusive} The only place in Las Vegas to find stores and restaurants that speak your language for the exclusive and one-of-a-kind. michael kors sushisamba 7 for all mankind christian louboutin jimmy choo

barneys new york fendi table 10 by emeril lagasse tory burch catherine malandrino diane von furstenberg chloĂŠ (partial listing) suit: versace. provided by barneys new york | dress: poleci

On The Strip in The Palazzo - 2nd Level Located adjacent to The Venetian 702.414.4500 theshoppesatthepalazzo.com

Seven DayS The highlights of this week in your city. Compiled by Susan Stapleton

Sun. 18 Thur. 15 Kick off Academy of Country Music Awards weekend with four artists in an informal setting, all testing new material and singing each other’s songs. Darryl Worley, Blake Shelton, James Otto and Jerrod Niemann headline the All-Star Guitar Pull at Ovation at Green Valley Ranch. Proceeds beneﬁt the Ronald McDonald House. 7 p.m., tickets from $25, 547-5300.

Fri. 16 Find out how to pair floral patterns or add color to your old go-to khaki outfits at the Spring Preview fashion show at Boca Park Fashion Village. Boutiques such as Broken Leash, Eccoci, C-Level and Bounce show off the latest fashions from 7-9 p.m. and the first 100 guests receive a gift bag filled with special offers. 750 S. Rampart Blvd., free.

Philharmonic photo by Geri Kodey

Sat. 17 The city of Henderson celebrates its 57th birthday with a heritage parade and festival under the banner, “Futuristic Henderson—Decade of Destiny.” Mayor Andy Hafen gets things started at 8 a.m. when he hosts a pre-parade breakfast at the Henderson Convention Center (200 S. Water St.), then the party takes over Water Street at 10 a.m. as UNLV men’s basketball coach Lon Kruger serves as grand marshal during a parade from Ocean Avenue to Victory Road. The fun continues with a classic car show on Water Street from noon to 5 p.m. and live entertainment and cooking demonstrations from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Henderson Events Plaza. Alternatively, while The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel also celebrates its birthday with a rock feast courtesy of Them Crooked Vultures (see page 78), who take to the stage at 8 p.m. $49.50 plus taxes and fees, ages 6+.

The legendary Tony Curtis talks about his life, art and the glory days in Hollywood—including the making of Some Like It Hot with his former paramour, Marilyn Monroe—at Clark County Library. The 84-year-old’s artwork has made the rounds across North America, Europe and Asia— including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan—and collectors have paid up to $25,000 for his works, which blend landscapes, collages, sketches, acrylics and digital ink. After the 2 p.m. discussion, Curtis, who lives in Henderson, will sign copies of his autobiography. 1401 E. Flamingo Road, free.

Mon. 19 Celebrate National Volunteer Week by signing up to help the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, which takes place Oct. 18-24. Volunteers have to pay $40 for the privilege, but they get a tournament jacket, golf shirt, hat, meals and access to a wrap party after the event in exchange for their donation and help with admissions, greeting, caddie services or transportation. Interested? Call Donna Millwood (589-4945) or visit jtshrinersopen.com/volunteer.

Tues. 20 Learn how to give traditional Mexican dishes a twist with Diego Mexican Cuisine’s chef Noel Santos as he hosts an informative cooking demonstration at Whole Foods at Town Square. Part of the MGM Grand’s citywide chef series, the two-hour event gives aspiring chefs a chance to taste dishes and win gift certiﬁcates. 6-8 p.m., free but RSVP required, 589-7711.

Wed. 21 Tune into the sounds of the Orient as the Las Vegas Youth Philharmonic performs “The Road to China” and raises funds for their upcoming trip to Beijing. The evening starts with a silent auction at 6:15 p.m. in the lobby of the Nicholas J. Horn Theatre, and the concert gets under way at 7 p.m. with selections from Igor Stravinsky’s ballet The Firebird, Felix Mendelssohn’s Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 and In the Steppes of Central Asia from Alexander Borodin. The Youth Phil’s 88 student-musicians need to raise $60,000 to ﬁnance a 10-day trip next year. College of Southern Nevada’s Cheyenne campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave. $30, 385-2838. April 15-21, 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

saddle Up Twenty-five riders from five nations come to town to compete for $200,000 in prize money and the honor of best bull-riding country in the world at the Professional Bull Riders World Cup. The bull bustin’ gets under way April 16 at the Thomas & Mack Center and involves cowboys from Australia, Canada, Mexico and Brazil in addition to the home team, USA. This year marks the first time the event has come to the United States in its short history: The PBR World Cup, initiated in 2007, previously visited Mexico, Australia and Brazil. All five riders from each team compete in two rounds every day, but only the top three scores from each team count toward the respective nation’s score. The team with the highest score at the end of the three-day competition wins the cash and international bragging rights. (For a full preview, see page 102.) 8 p.m. April 16; 6 p.m. April 17; and 11:30 a.m. April 18. Tickets from $22, 739-3267.

Cowboy J.B. Mauney does his best to stay on top of Code Blue during a PBR event in New York.

Promotional Pampering

Straight Up’s island-inspired mini burgers.

New to the Neighborhood The Southwest has a new bar and lounge that walks the line—between bar and restaurant, that is. Part eclectic eatery, part martini bar and gaming lounge, Straight Up recently opened its doors in hopes of providing locals a new place to party away from the Strip. The kitchen serves up a range of food, including queso camarones, Hawaiian burger bites and potato pancakes, in addition to more standard staples and a kids menu. The bar offers 15 video poker machines, and weekly promotions include “Martini Monday” ladies night, Taco Tuesday, daylong happy hour on Wednesday and Wii Sports on Sunday night. 4970 S. Fort Apache Road at Tropicana.

So-called “consumer holidays” are often criticized as blatant cash-grabs created solely to make us spend more hard-earned money on useless stuff. That may be true, but it’s hard to resent National Spa Week—especially when it is being celebrated with deep discounts. From April 12-18, more than 800 spas across the country offer a range of services for $50, including manicures, pedicures, facials and massages. Six local spas are participating in this year’s weeklong holiday: Eleven at Town Square, Fresh in the Forum Shops at Caesars, Spa Moulay at Loews Lake Las Vegas, Well Spa at the Platinum Hotel, and two CityCenter spas, at Vdara and Aria. The Spa at Aria is discounting its 50-minute Thai clay aromatherapy wrap service—which includes a full-body Jasminescented exfoliating scrub and application of hydrating white clay blended with ylang ylang— by $125 for the promotion. Meanwhile, the spa next door, at Vdara, offers $85 off its 50-minute The Spa at Aria.

Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

Pure Results facial, which promises to cleanse, tone, hydrate and soften—all for $50—and includes an arm, hand and foot massage, too. Other Las Vegas Spa Week highlights include a 50-minute “Glitterati Cleansing Facial” and makeup application package at Eleven and a 55-minute aromatherapy-enhanced mani-pedis at Spa Moulay. Details at spaweek.com.

This week in yoUr ciTy Just Dance

siegel Luxury suites The Gold Spike doesn’t exactly scream “boutique chic,” but if the Siegel Group has its way, that perception is about to change. The group behind extended-stay bargain brand Siegel Suites has acquired ﬁve low-cost hotels and is determined to transform them into small-scale, upscale accommodations. “I’m told every day I’m crazy to be entering into the market with a new concept during such tough times,” Siegel Group founder and president Stephen Siegel said in a statement. “I love that!” The portfolio now includes the Artisan hotel on Sahara Avenue, The Resort on Mount Charleston, the St. Tropez on Harmon Avenue, and two adjoined downtown properties, the Gold Spike (formerly the Rendezvous) and the Oasis at Gold Spike (formerly the Travel Inn). “Each hotel now stands at the nexus of hip, fun and sexy,” Siegel said. We want to create an experience that feels exclusive, comfortable, relaxed and has great value.” Although the deals have been in the works since 2008, Siegel waited until April 13 to formally announce the acquisitions and reveal its big plans for the little hotels, which range in size from 62 to 150 rooms. The most dramatic undertaking comes to the St. Tropez, which will be given a $3.5 million renovation, a new name, and reopen as Rumor in June. If all goes to plan, the property will be transformed into a buzzworthy boutique hotel with a “cool pool, zero attitude, modern rooms and unexpected amenities.” Meanwhile, the Oasis gets a new pool area as part of the Gold Spike’s $6 million renovation; The Resort on Mount Charleston receives a special suspended deck for weddings and new pool with dramatic mountain views; and the Artisan gets an extensive face-lift, too. The renovations, which total more than $12 million, are expected to be completed by year’s end.

The Artisan on Sahara Avenue is one of ﬁve small-scale hotels that the Siegel Group plans to turn into a luxurious hideaway.

A SkyJumper gets ready to take the plunge.

Free Falling

As if the prospect of dangling and spinning high atop the Stratosphere wasn’t scary enough, you can now jump to your racing heart’s content thanks to the addition of SkyJump Las Vegas. The “controlled freefall,” opening April 20, allows daredevils to safely (or relatively safely) jump from the top of the skyscraper and plummet 855 feet at speeds of up to 40 mph. The price of tempting fate: $100 per jump. This is the latest thrill-ﬁlled screamer at the Strat, joining X-Scream, Insanity and Big Shot. SkyJumpers receive a short safety lesson before suiting up in safety harnesses and getting strapped into a high-speed “descender” machine. The adventure begins as they near the edge and prepare to take the big step. From there, they plunge 108 stories from the top of the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. Those who manage to keep their eyes open get an astonishing view of the Strip.

Do Las Vegas’ seven resident Cirque du Soleil shows leave you hungry for more? Perhaps the circus’ collaborative production with the state’s largest professional ballet company will sustain your artistic appetite. The third annual Choreographers’ Showcase includes 11 originally choreographed treatments created by artists from KÀ, Love and Zumanity, and the Nevada Ballet Theatre. Called A Project Designed to Stimulate and Encourage Artistic Growth, the show has become a tradition for both organizations. The annual event helps raise funds for the ballet, and last year’s raised more than $27,000. “Cirque’s artists, performers and stage technicians are the best in the world, and the beauty of this collaboration is that each work is a unique world premiere,” notes Michael Brewer of Nevada Ballet Theatre. “It’s a perfect match of creative talents.” The collaborative showcase is presented inside the Mystère Theatre at Treasure Island two afternoons, on April 18 and 25. Seats for the 1 p.m. matinees are $20-$40—far less than any Cirque show on the Strip. 894-7722, nevadaballet.com.

Cirque du Soleil meets Nevada Ballet in Choreographers’ Showcase.

The British Are Coming British airline Virgin Atlantic is adding two direct flights to Las Vegas from the UK starting next year. The airline, which has been connecting London’s Gatwick Airport with Las Vegas for 10 years, will fly from Manchester to McCarran International Airport twice weekly, on Sundays and Thursdays, beginning next April. The announcement adds to the list of new direct flights heading for Las Vegas from international destinations, including Paris via XL Airways; London’s Heathrow Airport on British Airways; and Mexico City with Aeroméxico. McCarran has retained a traffic consultant to help discover additional markets that could support direct flights. Airport officials and representatives from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority plan to use the data to convince more airlines to offer nonstop flights to Vegas. All international nonstop flights will eventually utilize McCarran’s $2.4 billion, 14-gate Terminal 3, which is set to open in mid-2012. April 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven 15

THE LaTEsT THougHT

our Community Jackpot With all due respect to video-poker palaces, our neighborhood centers offer some real rec value By David G. Schwartz Visiting scholar Pascale Nedelec recently presented an excellent paper at UNLV’s Gaming Research Colloquium Series, looking at the rise of that distinctively Las Vegas institution: neighborhood casinos. Most academics start their research with a “literature review,” which is a fancy way to say that they read what other people have written about their topic. There hasn’t been much written about locals casinos on the scholarly front, so Nedelec, a geographer, shared a conclusion from a chapter in 1999’s The Real Las Vegas: Life Beyond the Strip (edited by David Littlejohn, Oxford University Press): “Neighborhood casinos have become the senior centers of choice for thousands of local elderly people. … [Gambling] provides them with … a degree of entertainment and excitement that to them seems worth every quarter they lose, inﬁnitely preferable to the county’s senior centers or staying at home watching TV.” It was a harsh reminder that, yes, this is the crux of the prevailing scholarly literature about locals casinos: warehouses for drone-like elderly Las Vegans who—even if they insist they don’t gamble more than they can afford to lose and actually enjoy themselves—are getting a bad bargain.

That sent me thinking about the reality: There are tons of public recreation opportunities here. Aren’t there? While Real Las Vegas implies that our county rec centers are comparable to the county lockup, I think we have a far broader range of options than any casino I’ve been to—everything from capoeria classes (a Brazilian art that melds martial arts with dancing) at the Cambridge center to watercolor workshops at Desert Breeze. There’s a cost for most of these, but it’s rarely prohibitive, even to those on ﬁxed incomes. It’s not just the county, either: The community centers of Henderson and Las Vegas offer classes in cooking, guitar, art and dancing, or just take part in low-key activities such as bingo and movie night. As for seniors looking for a good time, the Cora Coleman Senior Center, for example, offers free classes that range from line dancing to Spanish. Through the Winchester senior program, seniors can play cards or watch recently released movies—and those are free, too. There are always free art exhibits, such as the county-run installations at the Winchester center and the Clark County Government Center rotunda. “As someone who really appreciates the arts, there’s far more going on than

any person can possibly attend,” says Patrick Gaffey, the county’s cultural program supervisor. That does not sound like a town full of nothing to do and nowhere to do it, does it? In addition to their senior and age-inclusive classes, public recreation centers offer options to groups deliberately underserved by casinos. There are no “Mommy and Me” classes on how to shoot craps at casinos, but you can learn sign language, gymnastics or rudimentary pottery skills alongside your toddler at a host of rec centers. For teens, the Winchester Community Center offers a hip-hop dance class, and its dance team, Star Catchers, has performed at Disneyland. The Winchester Players acting company for young adults does musical theater, and for those few adolescents not inclined toward show tunes, the county has skate parks and even a skate team, whose members have to demonstrate academic success. They not only work on their tricks, but also do volunteer work. For Nevadans of all ages, the county offers several concert series, including jazz and world music. So then what’s the attraction of smoky casinos?

If you choose your game carefully, casinos can actually compete with the low-cost fun available at our community centers. Dropping in to the American Latin Basics ballroom dancing class at the Henderson Multigenerational Center, for example, will cost $7, which is more or less the same as the expected theoretical loss for an hour of ﬁvequarter video poker. Throw in free drinks, cash back and comps, and you could argue that seniors hitting max bet on 9/6 Jacks or Better are the ones who really know how to stretch an entertainment dollar. Of course, video-poker players won’t know the thrill of correctly pulling off a cross-body step with a dip, but they might hit a royal ﬂush and end the night a thousand dollars or more richer. And avoiding the high-hold penny slots is a perquisite to making your gambling dollar last longer: Although it’s possible to make a 20 last a while, it’s even easier to lose it in minutes. Whatever your game, though, it’s hard to argue that you’re at a casino because there’s nothing else to do. David G. Schwartz, Vegas Seven’s weekly Green Felt Journal columnist, is the director of UNLV’s Center for Gaming Research.

A Henderson Multigenerational Center activity sampler: line dancing, spin class, and cooking lessons. 16 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

THE LaTEsT Gossip

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

Got a juicy tip? gossip@weeklyseven.com

Reality Starlet Swap?

Reggie Bush making a splash at Wet Republic last summer.

Tao co-owner Jason Strauss celebrated his birthday on April 10 at Tao (and, in true Las Vegas style, at several other places here and in New York that week), and both Paris Hilton and Reggie Bush came to join the fun. The two reportedly kept their distance Saturday afternoon in a Wet Republic bungalow, but a TMZ photographer captured the pair (that-insists-they’re-not) engaging in a champagne toast at Tao. Hilton has reportedly sloughed off Doug Reinhardt for a second time, but it’s silly to think that she’d hang out with Bush just to tweak Kim Kardashian. And by “silly” we mean a combination of funny and sad. Still, we won’t believe it was an intentional snub until we see Hilton having sex with Ray J on camera. Stay tuned!

Tweets of the Week Compiledby@marseniuk

@jasonstrauss “People think Noah drinks 50 shots of Patron: it’s all Lime juice.” Nicola: I want my money back!

@johnnykats Wha-a? It’s $5 to park at Las Vegas Club? I’ll give you $135 for the whole property.

@badbanana Have we considered

Stephanie Pratt said that her brother Spencer and his plastic bride at the top of the wedding cake, Heidi Montag, didn’t want her in their lives. That bit of theory was put into practice as Stephanie spent the weekend at Lavo celebrating her birthday—with Heidi and Spencer nowhere in sight. And by “nowhere” we mean “highly visible all day Saturday at Liquid,” as the vaguely humanoid couple led the pool’s grand opening at Aria with a display of boobs more plastic than anything that could be found at most ﬁne Las Vegas adult retailers. (Let’s face it: At this point, the only difference between Montag and Roxxxy the sex robot is personality. And Montag is losing.) Meanwhile, Speidi’s male portion was looking dapper as ever as he hung by the pool in ratty fatigues while still sporting that ridiculous, mangy beard. We can’t wait for those two to have kids.

Heidi Montag’s enhanced new look. 18 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

The Couple That Tattoos Together … As if Deryck Whibley needed another reason to drink—he was spotted knocking back Jack Daniels at the Venetian two weekends in a row, beginning at Tao where he celebrated his birthday on March 25, and the following weekend, too, because, well, whiskey is delicious— but he might want to step it up a notch (we suggest Wild Turkey 101, Everclear or anti-freeze) now that ex-wife Avril Lavigne has apparently taken her ﬂing-thing with Brody Jenner to the next level. Lavigne and her new beau made it ofﬁcial and got matching lightning-bolt tattoos during the opening weekend party at King Ink at The Mirage. While Lavigne got hers on her hand, Jenner opted for the neck—a move only a man who long ago resigned himself to never ever needing a job could make without hesitation. This comes three weeks after Lavigne was spotted with Whibley as they left an L.A. tattoo parlor. Some people are serial killers; perhaps Lavigne is a serial matching-tattoo-getter.

Lavigne and Jenner were spotted at The Bank the following night, throwing back shots of Jäger with Shaun White and Emile Hirsch. Unconﬁrmed reports suggest the empty Jäger bottle annoyed Lavigne at the end of the night when it refused to get matching “Deutschland Is for Lovers” tattoos with her.

Recent divorcee Avril Lavigne has made it ofﬁcial—or at least semi-permanent—with her new beau, Brody Jenner: The couple got matching tattoos at King Ink at The Mirage.

@reggie_bush It’s funny watching drunk people make a fool out of themselves... and then you think, God, I hope I don’t act like that when [I] drink! Lol!

@rickmurray Unbelievable. #Spirit airlines to charge $20-45 for items in OH bins. More than that if you yourself choose to sit up there.

@perhaes Did a panel at #NAB today. Local radio advertising reps in attendance had never heard of @Foursquare. R.I.P. local radio. @Lrfrisbee_LVM Trading in the Wheaties for Lucky Charms ... No more ﬂakes (cereal, friends and men) for this girl!!

@fandpinlv I can’t afford UNLVino this year, so I’m giving blood so my homemade margaritas are more effective.

@vegascourtesan You know you’re throwing a good bachelor party when there’s a noise complaint. Oops. @chrisJAMESS @reggie_bush Paris Hilton? Cmon son!!!

@kevinrose I’m considering buying old spice body wash just so they keep making these epic commercials.

Bush photo by Eric Kabik; Montag photo by Denise Truscello; Avril photo by Theodore Wood / Retna Ltd.

Sibling Snub

just not replacing Justice Stevens? Nine justices seems pretty ﬂashy in these tough economic times.

Society

champagne Wishes UNLVino’s three days of wine-ﬁlled fundraising was an invitation to the community to “Take a Sip for Scholarship.” The “Bubble-Licious” kickoff event April 8 at Caesars Palace attracted a range of personalities, including Mayor Oscar Goodman (bottom left, martini in hand), actor Danny DeVito (bottom right) and bubble-loving Robin Leach (right, bubbly in hand, blonde on arm).

Photography by Sullivan Charles

20 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

April 17, 2010 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Mandalay Bay Convention Center Lobby Be a part of the solution! recycle your batteries or a cell phone at the shark reef Booth and receive a two-for-one admission to shark reef aquarium. Discount is limited to the ﬁrst 500 recyclers. Voucher valid until May 25, 2010. See Box Ofﬁce for restrictions and details. Bring the whole family to this fun-filled event, featuring special earth day activities hosted By leading conservation and environmental groups!

7 0 2 .6 3 2 .4 5 5 5

shark r e e f.c om

Society

Fresh Stripes Tim Bavington unveiled his newest collection of colorful, sound-inspired art during an in-studio open house April 10. Widely regarded as one of the—if not the—most successful artists in Las Vegas, Bavington (below) hosted the event inside his Mesquite Avenue work space where DJ John Doe (right) entertained the crowd. Bavington’s creations are displayed across the city, including inside the high-limit slot gaming lounge at Aria.

Photography by Sullivan Charles

22 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

S E X Y

I N T I M A T E

702.823.2210 • 8665 W. Flamingo, Suite129 • Las Vegas, NV 89147

ENVIABLES

Style

FranciS KurKdjian in pErSOn

The master perfumer will be at Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show from 1 to 5 p.m. April 17. His new unisex Aqua Universalis ($145-$195) has notes of bergamot, lemon and lily of the valley. franciskurkdjian.com.

HE’S GOT THE LOOK

Not sure what to wear to a charity event or power meeting? Visit the Style Guide video series at kennethcole.com to get wardrobing answers for every occasion. Then visit Kenneth Cole at Fashion Show to snatch up the perfect look.

The Look

Photographed by Tomas Muscionico

JESSIcA LArSEN, 30

Sales/market manager, Bacardi Style icons: Jackie Onassis, Patti Smith, Kate Moss, Carla Bruni. What she’s wearing now: Urban Outﬁtters dress and scarf, vintage fringe cowboy boots and Links of London accessories.

BEyOncÉ’S muST-HavE BauBLE

Young designer Danika Faiola is making a splash with her colorful Plexiglas bracelets, necklaces, earrings and two-ﬁnger rings (pictured). Beyoncé even sported one of them in her “Video Phone” video. $10-$300, danika-bxny.com.

Larsen describes her style as eclectic bohemian with a dash of accessorize, accessorize, accessorize. A self-described fanatic for Scoop NYC in the Forum Shops at Caesars, she is not immune to the hazards of dressing in Las Vegas. “I wore a white sequin dress on a big night out, which lasted a few days, and I ended up wearing the dress to several random places including a backyard barbecue, where I took a swim, and several dive bars around town. By the end of the weekend there were very few sequins left on the dress.”

April 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven 25

Style

Outlet Shopping

Bargain Hunter

las Vegas’ outlets are ﬁlled with deals, scoops and hidden treasures By Jennifer cornthwaite The retail opportunities in Las Vegas are vast and varied, ranging from the most posh shops in the world to small chain stores at strip malls. In these trying times, we must re-evaluate how we approach an afternoon of shopping. How much is too much to spend on a particular item? Will this sweater work next season? Are those gladiator sandals still going to look cool in ﬁve years? The best advice in a city overrun with great shopping: Wake up early, armed with a very strong coffee, and hit one of our three outlet centers, which are brimming with smokin’ hot deals. The Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas in Primm as well as the Las Vegas Outlet Center (7400 Las Vegas Blvd. South) and the Las Vegas Premium Outlets (875 S. Grand Central Parkway) have been handing out deals for years. Once thought of as scary places with no dressing rooms and clothes piled into bins, outlets have come a long way in the last decade. Outlet centers across the United States have seen a radical increase in sales, with shoppers spending 39 percent more of their time there than at traditional malls. The goal: Score an inexpensive look, well-made by a reputable designer or brand, at a fraction of the retail price. Vegas Seven recently spent the day in three stores at Premium Outlets in search of the perfect deal. The results were surprising and exciting.

The sophistication and energy of the big city is what Catherine Malandrino’s silky, uber-flattering cocktail dresses are all about. The Malandrino store, with its lime-green, light and airy feeling, makes buyers feel sophisticated and smart. Malandrino discounts everything 50 percent when it hits the outlet, and most of the items get a 30 percent reduction after a week on the floor. It’s Parisian chic at a fraction of the price. After trying several of Malandrino’s signature prints, we decided on a simple peach silk dress. Catherine Malandrino got her start in New York as Diane von Furstenberg’s head designer, and the draping and prints found within her collections echo her days at DVF. Malandrino’s dresses are elegant and flattering (see the faux wrap of this dress) to a multitude of body types and ages. This dress has pockets and can be accessorized for a formal affair. It is also simple enough for a date night. At $350 for an all-silk designer piece, it’s a true bargain. 26 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

Catherine Malandrino

Photography by Anthony Mair; Model Alicia Sanchez

catherine Malandrino

Miss sixty

Miss Sixty

For a dash of Italian spunk, Miss Sixty, which produces brands such as Energie, Murphy & Nye and Richlu, is known for its brightly colored separates, knits and super fun denim. Miss Sixty is a small boutique that packs a big punch. Its location is a bit hidden (on the far west corridor between the Mountain and Tree courts), but it’s worth the trip. The offerings range from neon pink PVC handbags to separates. This is the place to grab interesting spring and summer pieces. Check out the super-soft leggings in neon leopard print and hot-pink Tshirts. Miss Sixty seems to be the perfect spot for loud standout pieces with a bit of Euro ﬂavor, and they do double duty as good wardrobe choices for the many summer music festivals, such as Coachella or Bonnaroo. From Miss Sixty, we chose a printed tank ($26), a paper-thin knit top ($89) and jeans that are about as comfortable as sweatpants ($108).

2B BeBe The most interesting stop on our outlet shopping tour was 2b Bebe. The store is ﬁlled to the brim with satin dresses and the other brightly colored items you would expect from the retailer, but we were pleasantly surprised upon digging a bit deeper. The jewelry selection is absolute heaven. Chunky statement necklaces in silver and gold were plentiful, as well as great bracelets in a plethora of styles. With seven locations across Las Vegas, you can’t swing a Fendi baguette bag without knocking over a group of girls in Bebe dresses. Outside of its typical apparel, 2b Bebe has great staple pieces and fun accents. We put together an outﬁt for spring that included some denim shorts ($28), a silky, peachy camisole ($24) and a military-inspired three-quarter jacket ($39). At 2b Bebe, they sell not only Bebe Logo merchandise but also a small selection of the regular collection, including accessories. Finding great prices on Bebe items, and maybe searching for a look that isn’t in the current ad campaign, is easily done here.

2B Bebe

April 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven 27

Style

The Modern Muse

Dealing With ‘So Vegas’

Showgirls should remain icons, not wardrobe inspiration

By Jennifer Cornthwaite The worst possible thing Nina Garcia can say to a contestant on Project Runway is that their garment is “so Vegas.” On the show, the majority of designers are sent packing due to problems with their taste level. “So Vegas” usually means their creations are overworked, overembellished and underdesigned. It is kind of sad that our city has become a metaphor for bad taste. Las Vegas should be glamorous with an edge, instead of ﬂashy and trashy. Much like the gold rush of 1849, Las Vegas has seen its fair share of prospectors in the last 50 years—people willing to risk it all for a big house, good job and a happy life. We live in an age where the valet attendant becomes vice

Above: Miu Miu is a brand that epitomizes the Vegas aesthetic. Shown here is spring/summer 2010. Miu Miu will open a store this month at Crystals in CityCenter. Right: Marc by Marc Jacobs zigzag dress, available at Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show, is a statement piece that can hold its own against the bold neon landscape.

28 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

president of the hotel. Because of this boomtown mentality, we are left with a hodgepodge population, hailing from all over the world, and now a growing crop of second- and third-generation locals. Although the showgirl remains an icon of the city, take this as inspirational rather than literal. Showgirls need rhinestones, feathers, skin and fishnet tights to put on a great performance because the audience is paying $52.50 plus tax to see them perform. They need the extra sparkle. Going to dinner and a nightclub does not require the same effort, and if you sit outside any number of clubs, you will undoubtedly see a Jubilee-esque ensemble that has been tragically misused for dancing the night away with vodka Red Bulls instead of a twice-nightly show that results in a paycheck at the end of the week. Applaud the showgirl, show her reverence, but don’t steal her costume! There are certain cities you could be dropped into blindfolded and within five minutes know where you were, based on a collective fashion sense. San Diego boys and girls have their own aesthetic, with flip-flops, surfer shirts and a generally laid back, casual wardrobe. Step off the plane in New York and the sensibility is fairly specific. A true New Yorker can be easily spotted even outside his natural habitat. Miami has its look down, beach side to nightclubs, it’s pretty easy to spot the south Florida vibe. An opportunity presents itself here, and by adopting an aesthetic that reflects our lifestyle, weather and goals, we can change “so Vegas” into a positive, denoting a fierce, edgy look that is confident and a little wild. Vegas is the home to some of the biggest and best architecture in the world. This is something that should be embraced and used as inspiration. Strutting to dinner in a tribal inspired Balmain jacket or severe McQueen-shouldered dress and sky-high platforms simply would not work in Austin. In our desert city, don’t think twice about dressing that T-shirt and jeans up with an enormous statement necklace. Las Vegas has a rich history of showgirls and movie stars, so go forth, be bold, wear color, patterns and high heels.

Brain Power

The Ruvo Center hopes to not only cure Alzheimer’s within 10 years, but attract some great minds to Las Vegas along the way By Jessica Prois

The ceiling of the Ruvo’s newly completed events center.

30 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

Photography by Francis + Francis

The Ruvo’s Tranquility Room (below) and lobby.

“It’s been thought that Las Vegas isn’t a serious place. … Well, there’s a new message.“

– Robert Lang A patient with Alzheimer’s disease ambles up the walkway to the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, a two-faced building with one side resembling something like molten steel poured over a rolling hillside. Its strangeness calls to mind that she’s been here before for an appointment, and she’s pleased to have remembered. At the same moment, via videoconference, a doctor at the center reads a short story to test the memory of a patient in Winnemucca who has Huntington’s disease. And another patient, who has Parkinson’s, meets with the sole nurse practitioner at the Ruvo outpost in Reno, where she’ll assess his tremors. “This is the new model,” director Randy Schiffer says of this snapshot of a typical day. “If you’re really going to be taking care of these disorders, you can’t just be in one place. That’s the old mass model.” That “one place” is, of course, Las Vegas, home to the 65,000-square-foot facility that diagnoses and treats conditions that cause brain cell deterioration. The center fully opens in May with the christening of that peculiar half, known as the Life Activity Center, but it has been operating out of the more traditional-looking medical institute with its benefactor, the Cleveland Clinic—one of the largest and top-rated medical organizations in the world—since last summer. Both parties realize that with 13 percent of people over 65 and half of those over 85 suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and a population that’s aging, the center’s outreach must extend beyond the Ruvo Center’s 13 examination rooms. The center’s focus is on Southern Nevada, where an estimated 25,000 residents have Alzheimer’s. But beyond that, Schiffer says, “our second constituency is the entire world of Alzheimer’s disease, where we hope to have an impact.” To that end, he anticipates about 6,000 clinical visits this year and double that in two to three. This new approach will also attract a number of diverse minds to the Las Vegas Valley. Charles Bernick, associate medical director of the center, envisions his

city blossoming with innovation. He talks of think tanks and symposiums that will gather in a place that’s never been thought of as a mecca for brainiacs. Until the Ruvo Center opened, that is. “I will say this, at least in the medical field, Las Vegas is now thought of for some of the exciting ideas,” says Bernick, who has lived here for 15 years. “There will be this sense of intellectual curiosity that will be stimulated here.” The wheels are constantly turning. “I just had a recent conversation with a neurologist in town about starting a Clark County Neurological Society,” Bernick says. Meantime the center has become home to the annual Leon Thal Symposium, an international think tank of hundreds of Alzheimer’s scientists and researchers. And a regular rotation of residents comes to learn about neurocognitive disorders at the facility, as do a host of other learners, from psychology interns to nurse practitioners. Joint research projects between the center and UNLV are still in the works, but it’s expected to produce a partnership that will accomplish another thing that Las Vegas isn’t known for: keeping its talent. “The hope here is that if we train students correctly, they will see that staying in Nevada is a good thing,” Bernick says. “If they’re interested in research, they can follow research paths here and be innovative.” Ultimately, the center’s mission is to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease by 2020, which is a national plan proposed last year by Zaven Khachaturian, consulting science adviser to the Ruvo Center and president of Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease 2020 Inc. He charged a task force with finding new models to finance clinical trials and establishing an international patient registry as a means of reaching the goal. But Schiffer has a more unassuming plan of attack. “I myself am quite skeptical of treating scientific breakthroughs in that manner— setting a goal and number of years and thinking that will work. In the history of medicine that hasn’t ever

worked. What I’m trying to do—and what works in medicine—is when you have a therapeutic dilemma where everything that’s been tried, more or less, hasn’t worked, you need a variety of creative approaches in the hope that one will hit.” While the search for a cure continues, Schiffer’s mission at hand is for the center to truly become embedded into the community’s identity. “We’re not that big,” he says of the 10-person staff, which includes three doctors, two nurses, two social service providers and three researchers. “We’re just one thing, and we’re here to do one thing: Bring the brain dimension of health care into the system of Vegas. We’re crafting this as a center of excellence that’s additive or synergistic with health-care systems in place, not competitive.” Since opening its doors last July, the clinic has had about 2,300 total patient visits. Nearly 1,000 patients followed Bernick to the Ruvo Center from both his former post at UNLV and his role as director of a network of Alzheimer’s clinics in Las Vegas, Reno and Elko. The center will likely hire more doctors in Las Vegas—possibly a rehabilitation physician and a Huntington’s and Parkinson’s specialist—in the next six to 18 months. “It was somewhat of a deliberate decision to not flood the center with doctors,” Bernick says. “We wanted to just ramp up and get the bugs out first.” As part of the center’s Nevada mission, doctors will video-conference in patients who wouldn’t have otherwise been treated, call on radiologists at the Cleveland Clinic to look at scans on the spot, and maintain Ruvo’s outpost in Reno as part of its Rural Medicine Outreach program. The Reno clinic is modest in comparison to the winding hallways, grass-green bench cushions and serene caregiver library at the $100 million Las Vegas headquarters; it comprises two exam rooms, two offices and a conference room. The doctors visit the center a couple of times each month. Right now, the diagnosis of a patient’s neurocognitive disease usually involves cognitive testing and an MRI April 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven 31

“The hope here is that if we train students correctly, they will see that staying in Nevada is a good thing.”

scan. A doctor might then prescribe a drug treatment, such as an inhibitor that prevents the breakdown of a chemical messenger essential to learning and memory. But for the patient whose memory is still somewhat sharp—perhaps he or she drew an immediate flashback upon recognizing the center, for example—the doctor might prescribe lifestyle interventions, including exercise or a change in environment. These treatments are simply not adequate, Bernick says. The center is researching and practicing ways to identify diseases earlier and when treatments will be most effective. Raising awareness is the best way to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s, he says. The average age at diagnosis is 80, with signs typically showing up 10 to 20 years before. Delaying the disease by five years cuts the diagnosis by 50 percent for a given generation. And delaying the onset by 10 years essentially eradicates the disease. That reflects the reality that, in those five or 10 years, many potential Alzheimer’s sufferers will have died from other causes. As part of the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, the Ruvo Cen32 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

ter has started researching an imaging process to tag amyloid, a protein that’s abundant in brains with the disease and may be part of the cause. Amyloid imaging can be done before the appearance of any symptoms. Funding includes $1 million from the National Institute of Health to study a multimodal treatment for Alzheimer’s disease—a combination of drugs, physical fitness and a program called “Memorcize,” which focuses on cognitive rehabilitation targeting a patient’s specific deficiency. These advanced efforts are something Larry Ruvo, the Las Vegas philanthropist (see page 110), could have only wished for his father, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a year and a half after being misdiagnosed in Las Vegas. His father, the namesake for the center, died in 1994. In hopes of bringing treatment to Nevada and finding a cure for the disease, Ruvo raised funds to commission famed California architect Frank Gehry to build the institute and secured the partnership with the Cleveland Clinic. Gehry’s design for the clinic is clean and contemporary, but the events center is something else. It comprises

– Dr. Charles Bernick

199 windows—no two alike— forming an angular, dramatic dome. The 10,000-square-foot space with room for 900 people officially opens May 1. Keep Memory Alive, the center’s fundraising foundation, recently held its 14th annual Power of Love Gala fundraiser at Bellagio, replete with high-profile guests including Danny DeVito and Wolfgang Puck walking a pink carpet. Next year, the event will be held at the center. Part of the $27 million raised this year goes to another ambitious side of the Ruvo Center. The foundation has been active on Capitol Hill, providing Congress with evidence necessary to secure Alzheimer’s patients a spot in the Independence at Home Act, part of the new health-care bill. It includes a threeyear pilot study aimed at proving that providing in-home care for Alzheimer’s patients—as opposed to placement in an assisted care center—saves Medicare costs. The act will also reimburse caregivers for expenses or services such as counseling. The Ruvo Center, says Maureen Peckman, CEO of Keep Memory Alive, is “a depot for all things happening in this disorder. We’re the benchmark for legislation to science to treatments to diagnosis to prevention.” Entrenched in research on one end of the facility and aflutter with celebrity guests and power hitters in the other, the Ruvo Center is potentially a microcosm of a new Las Vegas: still holding onto its ever-present image, but becoming something grander, says Robert Lang, director of research at Brookings Mountain West think tank at UNLV. “It’s been thought that Las Vegas isn’t a serious place,” he says. “It doesn’t do grownup-y things like medical research. Well, there’s a new message.” And he points west to the precedentsetters. “It’s similar to the way L.A. was once thought of only for Hollywood but has now moved beyond just its entertainment industry identity,” he says, calling it the alternative to New York, as Chicago once was. “L.A. is massive, sprawling, trendsetting, diverse, rich and poor, funky, fun, innovative, and yet totally dysfunctional. … At some point, Vegas will also see this expanded image.” Imagine, for example, a permanent trade show here that introduces the world to the latest innovations, from technology to design. But he’s quick to

point out that it’s not out with the old and in with the new. “That image of the Strip is so well-known,” he says. “You could show it to people from Kathmandu to Carache, and people will say, ‘That’s Las Vegas.’ That image is something we should never run from.” It may seem that for doctors so committed to ﬁnding a cure, they’d be taken aback by the fact that, at this point, the building has become known just as much for its peculiar design and its celebrity sightings as it has for its medical care. But Bernick is pleased the building has drawn so much attention to neurocognitive diseases. And Lang agrees: “It’s a serious venture and signals a kind of permanence of the institution.” And the Ruvo Center might gain even more staying power. The city of Las Vegas has offered the Cleveland Clinic an additional 12 acres of land adjacent to the brain center in Symphony Park. The center has until fall to decide what to do with the offering. Clinic executives aren’t giving any indication of what might be in the works, just that it “won’t provide inpatient care,” according to Nicole Wolf, spokeswoman for Keep Memory Alive. There have been rumblings, however, of what might happen with the parcel of land. There’s a possibility the clinic will build a medical school and a college of medicine, maintains Robin Leach, a writer for the Vegas Deluxe website and former host of the television show Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous. A patient who comes to the Ruvo Center may have traveled from California, never thinking he’d end up in Las Vegas for treatment. He may be there because of money raised as the result of a celebrity’s star power. And he may end up part of the very research efforts that will cure the disease. But when the patient walks out the door, he’s likely not thinking about any of that. He may be admiring the ﬂower he received as a parting gift from the center. Or he may glance up and notice the abstractly wrinkled shades covering the hanging lights, symbolic of Gehry’s unorthodox practice of crumpling up paper when he began brainstorming the design of the building—a building built from power, intelligence and opportunity. Conceivably, it’s a building that could mean all this and more for Las Vegas’ future.

Our Delicate New Icon The Ruvo building smartly and gently ﬁts into the fold downtown By T.R. Witcher

When Larry Ruvo was ready to bring his Alzheimer’s research center to life, he was upfront about his ambitions. He wanted a name architect to design his building—because that would attract attention, interest, support and money. Ruvo got what he wanted—Frank Gehry, the most famous living architect in the world. Now Las Vegas will see if it gets what it wanted—an iconic piece of architecture— when the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health fully opens in May. Gehry’s Ruvo Center is really two buildings. The ﬁrst is an outpatient medical ofﬁce where patients suffering from neurological diseases, and their families, can meet with physicians, get blood work or MRI tests. The second is a rentable events center, a space intended for parties and weddings (or “creating memories” as the organization puts it); revenue generated there will support Ruvo’s medical operations. Gehry designed the events center, which fronts the corner of Bonneville Avenue and Grand Central Parkway, to be the visual dazzler—in other words, to look like a Frank Gehry building. From the south, the building presents a recognizable Gehry face— a swirling mashup of curving, cantilevering forms, where walls smoothly curve into roofs, and roofs return the favor, all draped in brushed stainless steel panels. The random curves and metal-paneled exterior recall Gehry icons such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in L.A. and the Pritzker bandshell in Chicago.

Toward the rear of the building, the stainless steel panels seem to “rip off” from the building and form a steel trellis that overhangs an outdoor courtyard nestled between the two buildings. In a nice gesture to public space, the courtyard will be open to all and will even include a sandwich and coffee shop. Nevertheless, it’s the rear building, where patients and doctors will work together to “preserve memories,” that is the greater accomplishment. An elegant, blocky checkerboard of white walls and large glass windows, the somehow chaste rear seems to respect the fundamental seriousness of the research aims of the facility while giving the building breathing space and something that approaches serenity. Right now it faces nothing but empty dirt, but as the city’s 61-acre Symphony Park project unfolds, this quietly dynamic façade should make for a good neighbor. Although the ﬂashy steel events center may be a little old hat, the interior is still a marvel. Rising 75 feet at its highest point, the space is punctuated from all directions by 199 coffered windows of varying sizes and different angles (though all basically rectilinear). Gehry has created what feels like a kind of cathedral of light, a place where looking up in any direction infuses the spirit with optimism. So, how does it ﬁt in with its neighbors? The Ruvo Center holds its own with the similarly scaled but more sprawling red sandstone of the Clark County Government Center. It also sits across the street from the monolithic World Market Center complex of windowless wholesale furniture warehouses. From some angles the World Market Center threatens to swallow the four-story Ruvo—which is not a big building— but on the ground, walking by, the Ruvo asserts itself. Gehry says he wanted to make the building a jewel, and he has succeeded. But it’s not a jewel that impresses with its shine but rather one that succeeds in winning you over because of its delicateness. Despite the big steel girders holding up the trellis mid-building, the underlying feeling of the Ruvo Center is one of preciousness and fragility, a building that is constantly breaking itself down and tentatively remaking itself. April 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven 33

The Vegas IQ How dumb do they think we are? Let us count the ways … By T.R. Witcher We’re a bunch of idiots. That would seem to be the general consensus of the rest of the America about Las Vegas. Last fall The Daily Beast website published a list on the smartest cities in the country—a niche it seems to be trying to usurp from the undisputed king of ridiculous list-making, Forbes magazine. It was very scientific, according to the website, so I’ll let them explain it: “We divided the criteria into two halves: Half for education, and half for intellectual environment. The education half encompassed how many residents had bachelor’s degrees (35 percent weighting) and graduate degrees (15 percent). No credit was given for ‘some college,’ or ‘some grad school’—we rewarded those who finished the race.” The “intellectual environmental half” was broken down by nonfiction book sales (25 percent)—an “imperfect proxy for intellectual vigor”—the ratio of institutions of higher education (15 percent), because universities “drive the intellectual vigor of cities,” and voter turnout in the 2008 presidential election (10 percent). Long story short? Against 55 cities with a population of more than one million people, Las Vegas finished 54th, with 11 IQ points and the scantest of reasons why: “A city that prides itself on sin performs predictably for each of our intellectual-based criteria.” (Last place was lavished on Fresno, Calif. It received three IQ points. Poor bastards. First place … Ah, don’t worry about it. I’d tell you, but it might fry your brain; suffice to say it scored 170 IQ points and is located a very far and very safe distance from here.) No doubt Las Vegas possesses more than its share of street smarts, however, and if only the smug New York media would come up with more “social IQ” lists, we’d clean up. But the lists that do make the rounds tend to be ones like the Unhappiest Cities, Emptiest Cities or Best Cities to Raise a Family. In that last list, Children’s Health Magazine ranked us 92nd best out of 100 (or ninth worse, if you want to be a pessimist about it, although we did best Phoenix, Tampa, Cleveland, Memphis, Orlando, Miami and those two other sad-sack towns we often share the bottom of the barrel with: Detroit and, once again, Fresno). Maybe I’m a little dense here, but aren’t all these lists kind of a waste of time? Or rather, they’re imprecise, imperfect proxies for our desire to know where we stand. We Americans like them because we like competition. We like winners. We don’t like losers. And we’re anxious 34 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

about whether we are winners or—despite our best efforts—losers. But this constant badgering of our town and its lack of smarts does make one feel a little uneasy—like the rest of America is churning along happily, successfully, and we’re stuck in a town we believed was some kind of center of the universe, or some kind of perfect escape, and found that we’ve landed in neither. And it gets worse, dear reader. Consider a report the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce released at the end of March on the quality of education in the Valley. It concluded that “national comparisons of subsets of students indicate that Nevada students fare no better than mid-range, and are most often well below students in other states when evaluating achievement based on standardized test performance.” How bad? Fourth- and eighth-graders in Nevada placed no higher than 43rd in the country in math or reading on recent exams conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Of the quarter of high school students who took the SAT, they ranked 35th in critical reading, “39th in math and 40th in writing.” They did marginally better on the ACT. Despite my fatigue with these poor rankings, which is matched only by my fatigue with Vegas-style boosterism, I try to remain an agnostic on questions of our dumbness, not wanting to believe that you and I and everyone we know are somehow mentally challenged for our decision to live here. Especially now, when the weather is perfect. Sometimes, though, I can’t help but wonder, like when I see three-lane roads (with no lane dividers) abruptly narrow to one lane, then back to two. Or when I suspect that the average Las Vegan not only doesn’t care that we lost our city’s art museum last year, but also likely doesn’t realize we had one in the ﬁrst place. Or that four out of 10 Las Vegans, according to a recent survey, would leave the state altogether if they could. And why is it that we routinely, proudly turn our back on Las Vegas’ greatest asset—the Strip—with a derisive sneer, as a place for tourists? As if we’ve invented something better elsewhere in town. But I don’t want to end on a despairing note. There is a bit of good news. According to that Chamber report, which was conducted by Applied Analysis, elementary school students in Clark County have shown improvement in math and English between 2003 and 2009; middle school and high school students have also seen proﬁciency gains in math and English. Now, can we offer our best and brightest kids a reason to stay in Nevada?

It’s a smart city when you factor in adaptation and the Imagination Quotient By Eric Olsen So, we’re a bunch of idiots because we don’t all sport advanced degrees? Like a college degree guarantees smarts? Allow me to submit Exhibit A: George W. Bush, 43rd president of the United States, B.A. from Yale and MBA from Harvard. Need I say more? To be fair and balanced, though, I could make the same point using the blue team, too. Look no further than Larry Summers, Ph.D. from Harvard and the school’s former president (before he was forced to resign for saying something really, really dumb), and now an economic adviser—God help us all—to the Obama administration. You don’t have to read Harper’s to know who caused the mess we’re in today. It’s these blockheads and their buddies on Wall Street, supposedly the smartest guys in the room, who’ve presided over the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression. Smart? Who can tell? You want smart? Give me a Vegas pit boss any day, or a poker player. Give me a cocktail waitress or a cab driver from Russia or Nigeria looking for the main chance. Give me a kid just arrived from Guatemala with imagination and a dream and the gumption to put it all on the line for a shot at it. These guys will show you how to adapt and survive—in a hurry. “Vegas has to be one of the smartest places in the world,” says Las Vegas’ own Dave Hickey, art and culture critic and a certiﬁed MacArthur “genius award” winner at that (and no Harvard MBA, either), “where your average basketball bettor can project a change in the point spread based on Manu Ginobili’s upper thigh sprain across a four-game road trip.” In 1997, Jared Diamond published Guns, Germs and Steel (W.W. Norton & Co.) in which he proposed that the reason the peoples of the Eurasian landmass—that is, us—came to dominate the world technologically and economically

than smarts, what’s “ More important is imagination, and imagination’s what we have here and in spades.”

had nothing to do with cultural or intellectual superiority. Rather, such dominance has been an accident of geography and climate. He even argues that the hunter-gatherers such as the New Guineans, among whom he lived for years, are in mental ability “probably genetically superior to Westerners.” And not a Harvard MBA among them, I’ll wager. They have to be smarter, Diamond says, because they have to make it in a tough environment where they’re not isolated from the consequences of their acts: Make an error of judgment in the jungles of New Guinea and you could end up being eaten by wild hogs, or worse. Which is why Las Vegas—if we’re going to play this “dumbest/smartest city” game that The Daily Beast dreamed up—should be ranked the smartest in the nation: We’re the hunter-gathers of the industrialized world. Take your eye off the prize in Vegas for even a second and the ﬁgurative wild hogs will get you. Smarts in Vegas are measured real-time by the size of that stack of chips, a constant prodding to wise up, be sharp, pay attention, look for the opportunity. There are no taxpayer bailouts to cover those docking fees for your yacht and your country-club dues when you make a dumb play in Vegas. And so it’s always been. Las Vegas was founded by folks who had to be pretty smart to create a vibrant city out of what is a blasted wasteland. True, there were a few natural springs in the Valley early on to ease the way, but the new settlers sucked those dry in short order and still they thrived! They just dreamed up new angles, like Fremont Street and then the Strip. In fact, more than smarts, what’s important is imagination, and imagination’s what we have here and in spades. “The learning process of seeing anew underlies innovation in business and arts as in science, and for that matter, the practice of democracy itself,” says Glenn Schaeffer, former president of Mandalay Bay Resorts who has, by the way, a master of ﬁne arts degree in creative writing from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, not an MBA. “It’s the mind’s eye, the realm of imagination after all, that sees new things. And it is the drive of imagination that strikes advantage in business as much as the arts—our cultural advantage.” So, you want to talk about IQ? How about an Imagination Quotient? We’re off the charts! But don’t fret. If you don’t have the brains or the imagination to make it in Vegas, there’s always that Harvard MBA. April 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven 35

Rock Tradition.

685 MADISON AVENUE NEW YORK BETWEEN 61ST & 62ND ST (212) 756-9912 IVANKATRUMPCOLLECTION.COM

THe LocaL Newsroom

Luxury for Less Million-dollar homes starting to move due to rare high-end short sales By Jessica Prois Half-off sales are normally limited to deals such as skiing equipment in June and electronics store liquidations. But now in Las Vegas, savvy buyers are shopping clearance racks for luxury homes with burnished stained-glass windows and master suites that pour out onto cozy esplanades, listed at about half their original value. Sales on homes in the million-dollar price range are increasing, according to Las Vegas-based Home Builders Research. New home sales in that category have tripled compared with this time last year, and resales have risen 28 percent. Contrast that with a 13 percent decrease in the overall number of homes purchased in the Valley compared to the early part of 2009. Experts attribute the increase in pricey home purchases to the basic premise of shopping: The greater the discount, the greater the likelihood someone will buy it. These luxury homebuyers are striking gold due to short sales, foreclosures and decreased property values. “It’s a great time to buy because of the market,” says Ivan Sher, partner in Shapiro & Sher Group, Prudential Americana Group’s top-producing company. “Things have turned around for us.” Granted, the statistics on million-dollar home sales are smallscale numbers: 29 re-sales in Las Vegas in the first two months of 2009, compared with 40 so far this year. “There aren’t as many homes in that luxury price category, which amplifies the appearance of the numbers,” says Dennis Smith, president of Homebuilders Research. “It’s a little misleading.” Nonetheless, sales have been increasing over the past five months, says Ken Lowman, owner and broker of Luxury Homes of Las Vegas. His buyers typically have to provide proof of their income and assets. And now about 50 percent are from out-of-

state, with about half of those coming from California. Those buyers are reaping the benefits of diminished property value in Las Vegas, experts say. And some areas boast deals even greater than the typical half-off price tag. At The Ridges in Summerlin, for example, sellers got $800 to $900 per square foot in 2007, says Rob Jenson, CEO of Jenson Group, a RE/MAX company. Now, those same properties have dropped to $200 to $400 a square foot. About half of Lowman’s buyers are paying with cash, compared with about 20 percent during the 2004-07 housing boom, when financing was easier to get. “We’re never going to have the easymoney credit we had,” he says. “We’re never going to have the tight inventory supply we had then. It was the perfect storm: huge stockmarket evaluations, low interest rates and the right supply of homes.” Luxury agents say the number of short sales and foreclosed home purchases has increased. Sher brought on a third-party short-sales negotiator who’s able to directly contact banking senior executives, skirting the traditionally drawn-out process. It’s been necessary, he says, because “we’ve never seen short sales in high end, but now we’re seeing it. It’s almost commonplace.” All three real-estate agents have ramped up their marketing. Both Sher and Jenson say they’ve strengthened their online presence, and Lowman is flying potential customers from Los Angeles on a private jet to tour foreclosed luxury homes here. Despite all these efforts, the housing market likely won’t explode again anytime soon, Smith says. He cites consumer confidence as an important factor. “Would you buy a $2 million home if you weren’t sure it [was] going to go up in value?”

Trying to Grow Support Proposed budget cuts put UNLV Landscape Architecture program at risk By T.R. Witcher Up until a few weeks ago, the UNLV Landscape Architecture program was on firm ground. It had just received its first six-year accreditation from the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board. It also had hosted a successful national conference for 400 landscape architecture students. Then the topography changed. The program was proposed for the chopping block as UNLV struggles to close a $9 million budget gap for next year. In March, UNLV President Neal Smatresk asked Vice President for Research Ron Smith and Provost Michael Bowers to independently list 20 programs they would recommend cutting, based on criterion such as cost and students served. Some programs had “no record of scholarship, or they had too much faculty or was it absolutely central to the role of a university,” Smith says. “There’s not a bad program on there, but the point is we have to come up with $9 million.” They wound up with a list of seven programs that included women’s studies, marriage and family therapy, and landscape architecture. David Baird, director of the School of Architecture, says landscape architecture was put on the chopping block because its coordinator recently took a job at another university. “Because of the hiring freeze, we have her position and another position we were hoping to fill frozen,” Baird says. “I think the thought was, by some, that made the program nonviable.” Now it’s up to Baird to marshal his resources to try to save the program. He argues that the program is “really in the best interest of the state. They’re employed in all our city agencies. They help run our parks and rec Continued on page 39

The resale of million-dollar homes, such as this one in Southern Highlands, is up 28 percent from last year. April 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven

The Local Newsroom

Green Felt Journal

Old-school El Cortez wins by staying relevant By David G. Schwartz

Times have been tough in downtown Las Vegas. In 2009, gaming revenues fell below their 1988 levels. There are five fewer casinos in the city’s core than there were then, and the area—which has traditionally relied on budget-oriented, drive-in customers and locals—has not yet rebounded from the proliferation of California Indian and Las Vegas neighborhood casinos. The recession, of course, has exacerbated downtown’s problems. With some Strip hotels offering room rates in the $20s midweek, it’s hard for them to compete on value—their traditional strength. But the El Cortez, which has midweek rates higher than those at the Stratosphere or Excalibur, is doing better than many of its neighbors and recently enjoyed 12 straight days of 100 percent occupancy, with no signs of slowing down at age 69. El Cortez General Manager Mike Nolan, who’s worked in Las Vegas since 1974, knows there’s more to running a good casino than lowering room rates or restaurant prices: He’s spent much of his career learning directly from casino maven Jackie Gaughan. In many ways, the El Cortez is the anti-CityCenter. Built in 1941, it’s the oldest continuously operating hotel-casino in Las Vegas. Its most prominent feature— the “new” neon sign—was installed in 1946. It has only 364 guest rooms, and, for better or worse, it’s in the middle of a real urban neighborhood. Yet there are some similarities to CityCenter. The El Cortez has a swanky nongaming hotel a few steps from the casino. The old Ogden House, massively renovated in 2009 and reopened as the Cabana Suites, might not have the Mandarin Oriental’s cache, but its art-deco-meets-mid-century modern stylings and contemporary fittings (plasma screens and iPod docks) are a fraction of the price. And, thanks to the renovation, natural light spills through the hallways. Just as CityCenter has invested in public art, the El Cortez is finding a new identity with the arts. You won’t find massive installations like Nancy Rubins’ Big Edge,

but the hotel is sprinkled with art—like Jerry Misko’s Gaughan, Baby, Gaughan that adorns the Cabana Suites lobby. The arts connection goes beyond decoration. The El Cortez, Nolan admits, “doesn’t have a shark tank or a volcano” to attract customers interested in more than generous casino odds. But it does have plenty of free parking—1,200 spaces—and is cheek by jowl with the budding Fremont East entertainment district. So Nolan offered parking for visitors to the Arts District’s popular First Friday event. Art lovers can park at the El Cortez and hop a shuttle to Colorado Boulevard and Main Street. It’s a way, Nolan says, of bringing foot traffic to the neighborhood, even if it doesn’t lead to an immediate jump in the slot drop. As landlords of the Emergency Arts building across 6th Street (formerly the Fremont Medical Building), the El Cortez is getting involved with the local arts scene in an even bigger way. “Emergency Arts is bringing 21 small businesses into the neighborhood that otherwise would not be there,” El Cortez Executive Manager Alexandra Epstein says. “We hope this will improve people’s confidence in the area and inspire other businesses to open up on Fremont East and downtown. We hold strong to Jackie Gaughan’s motto that what’s good for downtown is good for us. It’s no accident that Epstein looks to Gaughan, 89, for inspiration: His legacy is another draw at the El Cortez. “We have real history here,” Nolan says. “We still have what Jackie Gaughan started—some of the best slot promotions, good food and great service.” With 3/2 blackjack, full-pay video poker, coin-in slots to retain serious gamblers and an artistic flourish to attract a younger crowd, the El Cortez is hoping to lead a downtown renaissance that brings Gaughan’s approach to a new generation.

The El Cortez ... recently enjoyed 12 straight days of 100 percent occupancy.

38 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

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

ACE Produces Winning Hand Ridership for new Bus Rapid Transit routes way above initial expectations By T.R. Witcher After just a few weeks, the Regional Transportation Commission’s new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route between the Strip and downtown seems to be finding its ridership. The ACE Gold Line and the new ACExpress C Line from Centennial Hills join a BRT route called MAX already running from downtown to Nellis Boulevard. Ground has just broken on a new line down Boulder Highway, and RTC also received funds for a new line along Sahara Avenue. Since the launch at the end of March, ridership for the Gold Line has been better than expected with more than 20,000 people per day (projections were between 4,000 and 6,000). And the express line has seen more than 12,000 total riders, also above expectations. What’s more, tourists seem to love it. “This is great. The wait time has been fabulous,” says Carolyn Butterfield, who’s visiting from the Seattle area. “If they had bus service like this at home, I’d be more tempted to take it.” Butterfield and her friends were able to easily—and cheaply—make their way between the Strip and downtown. “It’s like we ordered a bus just for us,” says Paula Thompson, visiting from Winnipeg, Manitoba. The appeal of BRT, its supporters claim, is that it can mimic the plush ride and quality interiors of today’s light-rail trains, and approximate their speed—with dedicated right-of-way and off-bus fare collection—at a fraction of the cost. One day in early April, a ride on the Gold Line from the Las Vegas Premium Outlets mall downtown to the Strip proved that the bus is smooth—maybe not as smooth as light-rail, but definitely a far cry from the

More than 20,000 people have been riding the ACE Gold Line each day since its launch last month.

stop-and-go jerkiness common to most bus rides. RTC employees were on hand at several stops to help guide people, and purchasing tickets was easy at the kiosks. Still, anyone expecting really rapid transit might want to downshift their expectations. The journey from the outlet mall, past Fremont Street, over to the Las Vegas Convention Center and down the Strip to Bellagio took 40 minutes. Even as trafﬁc was picking up in the afternoon down Las Vegas Boulevard, the bus made only a few stops on the Strip, which did give the ride a more relaxed cast. And for tourists looking for another way to get through the resort corridor to Fremont Street, the ride had the same leisurely feel as playing hooky from work. But for residents, there’s little incentive not to drive.

TORNOE'S TOONS

The RTC is still trying to work out how to keep the buses in better contact with each other so they don’t bunch up along the line. Traveling each way, the Gold Line bus stopped for several minutes at the convention center to smooth out the spacing. RTC spokeswoman Allison Blankenship says the agency has a team of workers helping to smooth out any initial hiccups. Henderson resident Randy Love had just come from the Internal Revenue Service ofﬁce downtown. He was on his way to the South Strip Transfer Terminal to connect to the 207 bus, making his third trip downtown on the Gold Line. So far he has been very impressed. “It would have taken me six hours without this. Now it’s down to three. This is by far the smoothest ride. I thought they couldn’t top the MAX, but they did.”

By Rob Tornoe

Landscape architecture Continued from page 37

departments.” He adds that this is the only landscape architecture program in the Mojave Desert. “Its loss would be a major setback in the movement to make our region more sustainable.” What’s more, he says the loss of landscape architecture could have a negative impact on the quality of the rest of the architecture school, which also offers programs in design foundation, and interior architecture and design. As noted in a draft report the department is preparing, “Due to the integrated nature of the three programs in the [School of Architecture], eliminating one will diminish the remaining two programs.” If landscape architecture is cut, the changes in faculty-student ratios may impact accreditation for the architecture program, which begins next year, since many courses are cross-listed.

The landscape architecture program began in 1995 and currently has 46 students, the most in its history. Earlier this month, the department submitted a report to a faculty review committee, and Baird is scheduled to meet with the committee on April 21 to give a 30-minute presentation about why the department should stay. The committee will make recommendations to Smatresk, who will make a decision that in turn must be signed off by the Board of Regents. “We’ll deal with the situation dealt to us,” Baird says. “We’re committed to the education of our students and to the state, providing what the state needs to function. We’re going to make do with whatever decision is made. But we would like a robust landscape architecture program. That’s what we’re going to ﬁght for until we hear otherwise.”

April 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven

The Local Newsroom

Mugshot Mania Newspaper puts local outlaws on display By Jessica Prois It took Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein about two years at The Washington Post to uncover evidence that helped indict and convict Nixon administration officials in the Watergate scandal. Now there’s another newspaper trying to bring scoundrels to justice with every issue. Local Mugshots is a brazen photo compendium of people arrested in Nevada for drugs, gang activity, DUIs and sexual crimes—even killing a goat. It’s not a traditional newspaper—no coupons or crosswords to be found—and the publication won’t break the next big case in American politics. But it’s published in 25 cities across the country and boasts 208 fugitive apprehensions nationwide since 2007 from information it provides. “And we don’t even hear about all of them,” says Max Cannon, founder of Florida-based SafeCITY Publishing, which puts out the paper. The publication gets its photos and information from federal and local law enforcement agencies. In Nevada, it obtains public records online from the district attorney and state and court records. The mugshots are what you’d expect: bleary-eyed men and women looking stupefied—some are saddled with bruises or blood. Metropolitan Police officials say they haven’t seen the publication but recognize the benefit of featuring sexual

Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

ing someone. “There’s a good likelihood that at some point offenders and even revealing their addresses. “That’s a in time, they’re going to see someone they went to school great thing,” Metro spokesman Jay Rivera says. “We’re with or work with, as opposed to watching something on able to let community know where they are. We have America’s Most Wanted,” he says. that on our own Web page.” Bates sees it as doing more harm When presented with the evidence, than good, however. “It seems a Rivera didn’t agree with certain sections little irresponsible to feature people of the 12-page newspaper, however, who have been arrested and not such as the one listing “Ugly $5 Hoes.” been charged with any crime. It’s The pages feature women arrested for tarnishing people’s reputations.” prostitution. “We’re not in the game of Some stores choose not to carry calling names,” Rivera says. the newspaper because of threats Nevada is the ﬁrst West Coast version from customers who see their of the publication and has been around faces in the newspaper, says Chris for about eight months. About 15,000 Parsons, owner of Local Mugshots to 20,000 copies are distributed to 80 Distributors. “Well if you hadn’t locations throughout Clark and Washoe done the crime, your picture counties every two to three weeks. In Las wouldn’t be in there,” Parsons says. Vegas, it is available at most 7-Eleven, The newspaper costs $1, and AM/PM and Fills locations, and the Parsons says his company makes distributor is working on increasing its 35 percent, the stores receive 25 presence to about 20 more locations. percent and the publisher earns the “Who says journalism is dead?” jokes other 40 percent of the revenue. Stephen Bates, a UNLV journalism Cannon stands by the value of the professor who teaches media law. He’s paper, and has a personal testimony quick to distinguish it from traditional The Nevada edition of Local Mugshots. to back it up. A couple of years ago, journalism, though, calling it “an enterhe says, his son-in-law’s sister picked up a copy of Local tainment vehicle.” He wasn’t familiar with the publicaMugshots in Tennessee and saw her son’s baseball coach on tion but says he’ll deﬁnitely be bringing it up in class. the sexual offender page. “The city didn’t have a policy to Cannon, who started the publication about nine years do a background check,” Cannon says. “But she got upset ago in Tennessee, can’t say for certain why it’s been so popular, but conjectures that it’s the possibility of recogniz- and contacted the city, and the guy got dismissed.”

The Local Newsroom

Politics

Republicans for governor: Three musketeers or three stooges? By Michael Green

The Republican race for governor figured to be interesting, if only because Jim Gibbons is involved in it. For those just tuning in, Gibbons declared for re-election last month, striking terror into the hearts of Republican leaders who feared he saw it as the best way to meet cocktail waitresses. Two Southern Nevadans also were in the race: Joe Heck, a recently defeated state senator from Henderson, and Michael Montandon, the recently term-limited mayor of North Las Vegas. Few know Heck or Montandon, posing a problem: Once you get outside Clark County, it’s hard to find anyone who wants to vote for someone from inside Clark County. So, if Heck and Montandon split the Republican vote down south, that would have allowed Gibbons to squeeze through the hole in the middle. Issues weren’t the issue. No Republican in the race was likely to try to actually tax business. Chances are the Republicans’ main concerns about holding onto the governor’s mansion were over patronage appointments and redistricting, which will determine congressional and legislative districts. This helps explain why Heck decided instead to run for the House against Dina Titus, and Republican Party leaders prevailed on Brian Sandoval to give up a lifetime appointment as a federal judge to run for governor. If it was supposed to be easy for Sandoval, it hasn’t been. He leads in fundraising, but it’s more of a race than many could have predicted, partly because of the roles each candidate is playing. First, Gibbons is portraying Gibbons, which appeals to those who believe any government is too much government and anyone who agrees with that is fine, no matter what an embarrassment he may be (also see Sen. John Ensign). What’s more, thanks to the worst economy since the Great Depression, Gibbons has achieved his goal of destroying as much of state government as he can, appealing to his base and appalling the logical. Second, Sandoval seems to be playing Kenny Guinn. For decades, Republicans waited for Guinn to run. When he finally did, Guinn enjoyed strong backing from the GOP establishment. Two outsider types took him on in the primary. Guinn beat them easily enough

42 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

after a few scary moments, and won the general election and re-election. Republicans loved Guinn until he tried to drag the state into the 20th century, just in time for the 21st. He proposed taxing business, which made him a communist. Right-wingers may fear a similar fate for Sandoval, rightly or wrongly. That brings us to Montandon, appearing in the part of Sarah Palin. Like Palin, Montandon was a mayor, meaning he faced many issues, but not as a state or federal official encounters them. So, just as Palin had no need to show Wasilla, Alaska, how right wing she actually was, Montandon now gives off a different vibe than he did as mayor. Montandon calls himself a “movement conservative,” and is attacking Sandoval as a “liberal Republican,” which would make him the political equivalent of a woolly mammoth. Amusingly, he also charges that Sandoval “quit [his] two most recent jobs,” which makes him seem almost Palinesque, and not in a good way. Will what each candidate is doing work? Sandoval has been running madly to the right, attacking taxes and flip-flopping on whether the attorney general should ignore the U.S. and Nevada constitutions, listen to Gibbons and sue to try to stop health-care reform. That could be wise; candidates generally feed raw meat to the base in primaries and lurch to the middle for the general election. But in doing so, Sandoval and his opponents are giving Democratic candidate Rory Reid more material for general election campaign ads than he may know what to do with. Meanwhile, hopes spring eternal. Sandoval can hope Gibbons and Montandon split the libertarian Republicans and help him squeeze through, and that the party doesn’t place purity above victory. Gibbons and Montandon can hope anti-immigration or tea-partying Republicans tar Sandoval with the wrong brush. Montandon can hope Southern Nevada Republicans prefer not to vote for a Northerner. Gibbons can hope Republicans forget that he has been a bigger embarrassment than Ensign. And Reid can hope the winner emerges too bloodied to be a strong opponent. 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.

FOR THE GENTLEMAN WHO REVELS IN THE PURSUIT OF THE PERFECT PREMIUM SMOKE

Find your favorite cigars and rare selections in our new, larger humidor. Then, light up and enjoy your smoke in our lounge. On Western, north of Cheetahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (702) 735-8322 cigarbox.com

Nightlife

Entertaining options for a week of nonstop fun and excitement.

Compiled by Melissa Arseniuk

Thur. 15 Celebrate one year of mechanical-bull-ridin’, country-inspired fun at Town Square as Cadillac Ranch throws its one-year anniversary party, or head to Treasure Island where the latest Western-themed bar and grill— Gilley’s—opens its doors. Either way, giddyap and ho-down! Cadillac Ranch opens at 11 a.m., no cover. Gilley’s doors at 8 p.m., no cover ’til 10 p.m., after that, ladies and military are free, local guys get in for $10 and non-local guys are subject to $20 cover.

Fri. 16 Try your luck at local love as Caramel hosts a party for city singles who want to mingle. While the Strip isn’t exactly a locals hangout, meetup.com encourages solo Las Vegans ages 20-40 to c’mon down, have a cocktail or two and see what happens. Who knows, you might meet your soulmate—or some similarly social singles and potential drinking buddies. Or, even better: a new wingman (or wingwoman) to hit the singles circuit with. At Bellagio, 6-8 p.m., no cover, meetup.com/lvsingles25to40something. Later, head to Haze as the famed and foul-mouthed F*CK ME I’M FAMOUS DJ David Guetta takes to the tables. At Aria. Doors at 10:30 p.m., $75 per person.

Sat. 17 Check out Andy Rourke of The Smiths as he spins an ’80s-inspired set at GenX Saturdays at Daddy Mac’s. Close to Modern also plays the retro–themed night, which is open to everyone ages 18 and up, meaning many in the crowd might not have been born when “Sheila Take a Bow” shot to the top of the charts. Mind you, that was 23 years ago, so not everyone in the standard 21+ set is old enough to remember the late ’80s. He or she with the highest tab takes home a Rourke-signed bass guitar, while another will be given away in a drink-inspired rafﬂe. 2920 N. Green Valley Parkway (one block north of Sunset Road). Doors at 9 p.m., $10 for 18-20-year-olds; free for those old enough to drink and take advantage of $5 Ambhar Tequila shots and $50 bottles all night long.

SeveN NIghtS Sun. 18 Brace yourself: The city’s ultimate debaucherous pool party, Rehab, is back and TruTV’s reality show crews are, too—so head to the Hard Rock Hotel and get ready to make a splash in more way than one as Wyclef Jean performs. Don’t forget the SPF, but leave your inhibitions at home. Doors at 11 a.m., $50 for guys, $20 for girls, half-price for locals, fully comped cover available for lucky local ladies.

Mon. 19 Contrast Sunday’s mayhem and shoot for a sophisticated Monday at Mandarin Bar as the super-sleek lounge lures locals with drink discounts and prime Strip views. The venue serves up Silver Whistles and a range of high-end beer, wine and cocktails, all discounted by 20 percent for Las Vegas residents—but the stellar scenery is free for everyone to enjoy. At Mandarin Oriental. Doors at 4:30 p.m., no cover.

Tues. 20 Halloween may be months away but that doesn’t mean your naughty nurse or sexy vampire get-up has to wait. Dress for ghoulish success as Blush celebrates the midway mark to All Hallows Eve with a Halfway to Halloween party, where he—or, more likely, she—with the most seductive costume walks away with $5,000. And no need to go door-to-door looking for sweets: the ultra lounge always provides sufﬁcient eye candy. At Wynn. Doors at 9 p.m., $30 for men, free for women.

Wed. 21 Check out the still-somewhat-new midweek party at Ghostbar, which made its debut on the 55th ﬂoor last month. Snitch resident DJ, DJ 88, will be in the booth and promises the soundtrack will be straight-up “electro soul classic hip-hop disco dopeness.” At the Palms. Doors at 10 p.m., $20 cover, local ladies free. April 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven 45

Nightlife

EvE | Crystals

Upcoming April 17 | 98.5 KlUC DJ CO-1 April 24 | HAlfwAy tO HAllOween COstUme pArty witH BriDget mArqUArDt mAy 1 | p DiDDy HOsts

46 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

Photography by Roman Mendez

Nightlife

LAX | LuXor

Photography by Hew Burney

Upcoming April 24 | ice T MAy 5 | TilA TequilA MAy 7 | DJ Devin lucien MAy 8 | TAio cruz

48 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

Nightlife

Wet republic | MGM Grand

Upcoming april 17 | ll Cool J april 18 | 2 many DJs april 24 | kim anD khloe host kourtney karDashian’s birthDay april 25 | maDe in miami with osCar G

50 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

Photography by Eric Ita

Nightlife

XS | EncorE

54 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

Photography by Brenton Ho

Nightlife

Pool Parties

Everyone in the pool: Rehab opens April 18.

Rehab Returns for Another Relapse The city’s most notorious pool party is back, bigger and bolder than ever By Melissa Arseniuk Rehab is usually a place where junkies go to sober up and straighten out, but at the Hard Rock Hotel, it’s a daylong event punctuated by tribal tattoos and oversize plastic sports bottles filled with booze. There is nothing rehabilitative about Rehab, and that’s precisely how the thousands who flock to the venue every weekend like it. It’s where innocent-looking college girls from the Midwest lose themselves amid a mass of nearly naked revelry, and stars such as Rihanna and Cuba Gooding Jr. live it up. Or, as in the case of NFL star Jeremy Shockey, live it up a little too much. (The 250-pound New Orleans “Saint” had a little “dehydration” incident last summer, and passed out after having a too much fun in the sun.) Summer’s most notorious Sunday destination returns for a seventh year April 18. From then until fall, the party will overtake the hotel’s main pool area every Sunday and force the hotel’s more modest guests to sun themselves elsewhere. (Luckily, the hotel’s renovation is finally complete and a new, quieter pool area has been added.) Although Rehab’s 2009 entertainment lineup included the likes of T-Pain and Snoop Dogg, this year’s schedule is so far more focused on reality show personalities—Paris Hilton (April 25) and Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino of Jersey Shore (Fourth of July weekend)—than musical guests. Still, Wyclef Jean headlines opening day, and additional acts will be announced in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, TruTV’s camera crews return to the pool this year, ready to shoot the third season of the reality TV series set in and around the mayhem, Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock Hotel. The popular show provides first60 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

hand sights and sounds of life at the pool, from both the front lines and behind the scenes. Well, sort of. Hard Rock director of nightlife operations, Matthew Minichino, says Rehab is a “created reality” series. “Everything that occurs on the show is scripted, except the stuff that happens with me,” he asserts, noting he is still portrayed as the main antagonist. His on-screen behavior has landed him in hot water and he received death threats last year as episodes from his ﬁrst season on the small screen began to air. Though he says the threats didn’t faze him, he realizes that mistakes were made. “I regret a few things,” he says. “I did get caught on TV telling a girl that she came to work looking like she got gang-banged.” He didn’t do himself any favors by calling servers “fat” and “whores,” either, but he still laughs as he recalls the time he told a cocktail waitress “to shut the fuck up” when a customer apparently hadn’t tipped enough. He concedes that he might have crossed the line a few times. “I said some things that I probably shouldn’t have said, considering I’m pretty much an executive,” he says. “[But] everyone likes the bad guy so I guess I play the part really well. My dad thinks that it’s funny; he knows that it’s all entertainment. And my brother just says I say what everyone else is thinking.” The show is more than just entertainment: It also serves as an efﬁcient marketing tool and helps attract about 4,000 partiers from around the world every weekend all summer long. “People see Rehab on TV and they want to come for that experience,” Minichino says.

And come they do. “We have 4,000 to 5,000 people coming through the doors in a hotel that only has 1,700 hotel rooms,” he says. Minichino and his colleagues are looking to build upon that already impressive momentum—and proﬁtability—this season. “Every nightclub does $200 [thousand] to half a mil on New Year’s Eve and I do that every Sunday, in the middle of the summer, at Rehab,” he boasts. He is the only manager in the pool’s six-year history to last more than one season. So what’s the secret to surviving Rehab? “I just work hard and expect a lot from my employees,” he says. “But, at the end of the day … numbers speak louder than words.” And he and his team have been reporting some impressive numbers: Rehab revenues rose 30 percent last year compared with the year before, despite the recession and the city being frequently full of half-empty hotels. This year, Minichino is “looking forward to beating last year” and doesn’t think it’s unrealistic to expect great things, especially considering the hotel’s recent expansion. “The pool has literally doubled in size,” he says, and they’ve added 15 new cabanas, as well. If opening weekend is any indication, the once-aweek-party is poised to hit its targets and help the hotel along the way, too: Rooms at the Hard Rock have been sold-out for weeks, and all of Rehab’s 75 cabanas are spoken for during opening weekend. In fact Minichino says cabanas at Rehab—which all start at about $2,500—are sold out for the next three weeks, and reservations for the pool’s 35 $1,000-a-day daybeds are going strong, too. This, despite the recent opening of a brand-new pool party on the Strip—Liquid at Aria—and all just weeks before another major water wonderland at Encore opens its doors. Will the city and its planeloads of pool-loving tourists be able to sustain it all? Time will tell, but Minichino thinks a segment Rehab has largely ignored in the past—locals—will be key to winning the water war. “Rehab has turned into so much of a tourist attraction on Sundays that we’ve forgotten about our local clientele,” he admits. The Hard Rock pool hasn’t ignored locals altogether—its Monday afternoon party, Relax, offers Las Vegans a fun place to party—but aside from that, Minichino admits that, until now, what has proven to be a tried, tested and true business model hasn’t needed locals to succeed. “If I have a customer who wants to pay $100 to come in the door and a local who wants to come in for free—who do you think we’re going to let in?” he illustrates. But with Rehab’s expanded facilities and increased capacity, he knows that attitude has to change. “We want to cater to the local environment now,” he says. Rehab is open Sundays, 11 a.m.-sunset. Cabana guests get a half-hour jump on the crowds and are allowed in at 10:30 a.m. General admission ﬂuctuates, but cover is usually $50 for men, $20 for women and half price for locals–or, if you’re lucky and/or good lookin’, completely free.

Nightlife

Cocktail Culture

Lucky Me As served At Lucky bAr in red rock cAsino, $13 Who doesn’t want to improve their luck—in Las Vegas, especially? Red Rock Casino’s center bar calls itself Lucky and offers thirsty patrons a chance to improve their odds with the Lucky Me martini. Created by the resort’s director of beverage, John Arishita, the fortunate drink packs a fresh citrus punch. 2 ounces X-Rated Fusion liqueur 1 ounce Pama pomegranate liqueur 1 ounce rock candy syrup 1 orange ½ lemon ½ lime ice Muddle the orange, lemon and lime in a martini shaker with the rock candy syrup. Add ice and liquors, then shake, roll and cross your ﬁngers as you serve in a chilled martini glass. For extra luck, garnish with a wedge or wheel of lime. — Mericia González

Lucky Bar

Story From the Bar BILLy MAC, BARTendeR AT BRenTWood CAFé And TAVeRn, 7325 W. WARM SPRIngS RoAd

Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

“This regular got a little out of hand one night after a few too many Jäger shots and threw a shot glass at me. I 86’d her, and she called me back the next day saying she’d do anything to come back. ‘Anything? ’ I said. I told her to come in later and we’ll settle up. I quickly ran across to the market and got what I needed. When she came in later that day, I told her to assume the position and she proceeded to be spanked, bare-ass, by a 14-inch striped bass. Its guts and goo were going everywhere. I’ve got pictures, too!” – As told to Patrick Moulin

Lucky Me photo by Ryan Weber

Red Rock drenched its center bar in deep shades of brown and red, then gave it a luxe feel with lavish drapes, loads of comfy seating and $1.6 million in crystals hanging from the ceiling. For a ﬁnishing touch, the sparkling circular room is enclosed in ruby-colored glass. Patrons can try their luck at blackjack tables and, on weekends, enjoy a live DJ starting at 8 p.m.

The NaTioNal Newsroom This week in the New York Observer

Battle of the Barons! The Wall Street Journal’s New York section is sparking a most excellent press war

By John Koblin Wall Street Journal managing editor Robert Thomson and New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. met last week for the first time. They were at the Manhattan apartment of Sir Martin Sorrell, head of the big WPP advertising firm, and they were there for a dinner on the night of April 6. Sulzberger approached Thomson and introduced himself. The two spoke for a few minutes. They laughed a couple of times, chatted and “then sat down, as all the guests were seated for a small dinner to honor courageous journalists from two continents,” Thomson told The Observer. And that’s all about that night that they seem to agree on. An old-fashioned, honest-to-God press war is unfolding in New York, revitalizing the local media scene after months of torpor. On April 26, The Journal will begin its clearest attack on The Times ever, right in its own backyard. The conversation between Thomson and Sulzberger was bound to be fraught. Only weeks earlier, Thomson sniped to New York magazine that The Times was vulnerable in part because Sulzberger was in charge. Then, on March 27, the front cover of the Weekend Journal section included a cropped image of the lower part of Arthur Sulzberger’s face, in a graphic that accompanied a story on how healthier women prefer feminine-looking men. The implication seemed clear enough. Sulzberger had a girly face! A gag, sure, but nonetheless a usual move by a Journal editor to bring a corporate fight into the paper’s news pages. Thomson said the two men laughed about it at the Sorrell dinner. “We had a good giggle about it,” he said. “It wasn’t about masculinity. If you looked at that mosaic of masculinity, Arthur’s jaw was on the masculine end.” He said Sulzberger Jr. understood that he was being portrayed as masculine and “there was immediate empathy when we were chuckling.” He referred to everyone’s interpretation that suggested otherwise as an “eccentric exegesis.” The thing is, according to Sulzberger’s spokesman Bob Christie—who bolted The Journal for The Times only a few weeks ago—that is not how it happened. At all.

Christie’s account? While it is true that Sulzberger greeted Thomson and the two men exchanged pleasantries, Thomson left the conversation for a few minutes, before returning. Upon his return, he said that the image that looked like Sulzberger’s face in that graphic on the Weekend Journal front wasn’t his at all. Thomson, according to Christie, told the Times publisher he wasn’t even aware of the image until he read blog posts about it. When Sulzberger asked Thomson to run a clariﬁcation, the Journal editor declined and said he didn’t want to escalate the issue. “We have moved on,” Christie said. “And we are focused on the high-quality journalism that we produce every day and that’s why we won three Pulitzers on Monday. The readers and employees of The Wall Street Journal deserve much better than this type of juvenile behavior from its editor in chief.” And it’s likely to get more intense as The Journal approaches the launch of its New York section. In his ﬁrst extensive interview on the subject, Thompson sought to dig further under Sulzberger’s skin. “My advice to New York Times readers is cancel your subscription, read it on the Web for free and buy The Journal,” Thomson said. “You’ll be impressed by how the coverage broadened out, even if you aren’t a businessperson. There’s a great opportunity for New Yorkers to sample The Times for free, and for less money than a Times subscription, you’ll get The Journal for six days.” Thomson explains the rationale behind the new section. Maybe you haven’t noticed, he says, but The Journal, now 28 months into Rupert Murdoch’s ownership and nearly two years into Thomson’s editorship, has changed over the past couple of years. He believes there are New Yorkers who aren’t aware of its “evolution” and that’s why they’re still there, on the subway, reading The Times. But now Murdoch and Thomson are going to pro-

Robert Thomson

Continued on page 70

Never Having to Say You’re Sorry Thomson Illustration by Philip Burke

Why Wall Street has a hard time with contrition By Max Abelson “Every great general regrets the loss of even one of his soldiers,” the chief of communications for a major New York finance firm said this week. “But the loss of soldiers is inevitable.” Wall Street’s regret for its role in the financial crisis—what contrition looks like, how it’s expressed, why it

exists in the ﬁrst place, and then why it doesn’t—has come to the forefront this week. That’s thanks to sorely differing performances at the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission from two former Citigroup executives on April 8, not to mention statements from former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan and

a rare shareholder letter from Goldman Sachs the day before. “Let me start by saying I’m sorry. I’m sorry the ﬁnancial crisis has had such a devastating impact for our country,” Chuck Prince, Citi’s former chief executive, said. “I’m sorry about the millions of people, average Americans, who lost their homes.” But Bob Rubin, the former chairman of the executive committee board at the same bank (where he made more than $100 million), said he did not have much control at Citi. What’s more, he said, nearly everyone else failed to foresee the

crisis, too. His deﬁance, and Prince’s careful explanation of what went wrong and how it can change, are two prototypes for how Wall Street looks at its past. Now that the Dow closed above 11,000 for the ﬁrst time in 18 months on April 12, is there a point to forcing leading executives to explain past mistakes? “And what if, after all that vitriol,” The New York Times’ Andrew Ross Sorkin wrote, naming skeptical economists like Nouriel Roubini, Joseph Stiglitz and Times columnist Paul Krugman, who the next day explained why an apology was Continued on page 71 April 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven

The National Newsroom

By Richard Siklos So, Oprah’s back—or, rather, it’s become clear that she never planned to go anywhere. There was Oprah onstage in New York last week, unveiling her new lineup of TV shows on her new Oprah Winfrey Network cable channel—at least three of which feature herself! There she is on the cover of The National Enquirer this week, with an evergreen story about lesbian rumors and her love life being in turmoil. And to top it all off, there is Kitty Kelley’s Oprah exposé arriving in bookstores this week with a nice thump. If there is one thing to be gleaned from this Winfrey-rich environment, it is this: A lot of media had it wrong when they predicted she was slowing down when she announced that she was giving up her daytime talk show after 25 years, in the fall of 2011. In her book, Kelley quotes a former employee observing Winfrey standing in the control room of The Phil Donahue Show toward the end of his daytime run and saying, “If I ever stay that long, kick my ass out of here.” (And, to be fair, The Oprah Winfrey Show is ending its network run a season sooner than Donahue did.) But her exit has so far been remarkably shrewd: First, she’s riding the transformation of the media business by moving from a challenged daytime-syndication business model to a full-ﬂedged cable network in partnership with Discovery Communications. And in doing so, she is taking a calibrated, though gigantic, risk.

Press war Continued from page 69

vide those New Yorkers a daily section dedicated to local news, and an entirely new option for a broadsheet in the city. “Obviously, our ambition is that people will come in through New York and they’ll take a look at us, they’ll sample us and then they’ll discover how much we’ve broadened the national and international coverage,” he said. Starting soon, The Journal will include a pull-out local report in all of its New York editions. There will be “12-ish” pages every day, and will run six days a week. The paper has already expanded its coverage of international events and politics. Now it will move the paper straight into The Times’ turf, covering local politics, news, sports, culture, gossip and real estate. In Thomson’s estimation, there is no such thing as a “second read” anymore. You’ll eventually buy one paper only. “The New York Times is a difﬁcult paper to read,” he said. “Navigation is not easy. So clearly, we have a much easier paper to read and to understand. We don’t have as many stories jumping from place to place. It’s an opportunity for people who have been frustrated by the very act of reading to read again. We have an accessibility that will make sense to people.” By The Journal’s own projections, the prospects of turning a proﬁt on the New York report in the next couple of years

Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

after the fall of 2011 will be a roving interview show called The wisdom of Oprah’s move to cable is far clearer Oprah’s Next Chapter, which got a lot of press attention bethan it was when her new channel was announced more cause it will run in prime time. But that was a bit of a curve than two years ago—just look at the news that Conan ball—this is cable, after all, where you O’Brien is moving to TBS as evidence can watch The Shawshank Redemption that while cable may deliver a smaller over and over for an entire weekend. audience than broadcast TV, it also I’m told that the plan is to also air delivers the much-desired dual source Oprah’s Next Chapter in the afternoon, of income—advertising as well as possibly in her familiar 4 p.m. slot. subscriber fees—that every other form The risk in all this is that the promof media is now chasing. (Another small ising lineups of new cable channels and recent example is Martha Stewart rarely work—as Winfrey discovered moving her daytime show from NBC to years ago when she helped launch the Hallmark Channel.) the Oxygen channel. But she has Indeed, Oprah’s move to OWN is tread carefully, including enlisting more analogous to Howard Stern’s former MTV guru Tom Freston as move from broadcast to satellite a consultant. And tension between radio—but only if satellite radio was the channel’s L.A. headquarters and a proven success and he owned half Winfrey’s Harpo Productions in the company. Chicago was mitigated with the Jan. Winfrey recently told The Wall 1 arrival in L.A. of Lisa Erspamer, as Street Journal that she is wary of too OWN’s chief creative ofﬁcer; she comuch exposure on the channel: ran the Oprah show for the past four “I will be on the network as many years and knows what the boss likes. times as is necessary—but not If Kelley’s telling is to be believed, too much. I don’t want to make it Oprah Winfrey prepares to launch OWN. Winfrey has rewritten and mythololook like every time you turn it on, gized her personal history to such a degree that the irony ‘There she is again.’” inherent in her famous on-air scolding of James Frey is That means there will be a reality show chronicling enough to make your head explode. There are quite a few the last year of her syndicated show, and contractually more chapters to be written, especially once Winfrey ofshe can’t appear on any other interview shows until that ﬁcially trades the Windy City for Southern Cal next fall. show goes off the air. But her main gig on the new network

are remote. Despite the fact that people aren’t buying newspapers the way they used to, Thomson and Murdoch want you to buy their printed paper. It is a crazy-like-a-fox strategy, or it’s just plain crazy. Either way, it’s undeniably Murdoch, joyfully defying the odds. The only audience Murdoch and Thomson crave are the people who read the paper. “We will be judged rightly and harshly by readers,” Thomson said. “That’s the only judgment that counts.” Plans for the New York section go back to at least last summer, when The Journal drafted a plan to create a weekly culture section for New York. That effort quickly grew. Dow Jones executives listened as Kelly Leach, then the vice president of business management at the paper, presented two plans, according to a source familiar with the discussion. The Journal could expand its Saturday paper, invest heavily in it and make a solid profit. Or the paper could build out a fiveday-a-week New York section, which all projections indicated would lose money. At that point, Les Hinton, a Murdoch confidante for decades and the publisher of The Journal, leaned back and asked, unfazed, ‘How much would it cost to run it six days a week?’” according to the source. It wasn’t long after that meeting that the wheels were set in motion. Once again, Murdoch would spare no cost. According to Sarah Ellison’s book War at

The Wall Street Journal (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010), this is the man who lost $80 million on The Journal last year and spent $60 million moving the paper from its longtime home downtown to the News Corp. building on Sixth Avenue. The New York Post has reportedly lost tens of millions of dollars a year. A Dow Jones spokeswoman said that The Journal, in the fiscal year 2010, would be profitable, as would the Journal franchise. Thomson said that the plan that was temporarily shelved, the Weekend section relaunch, will start this fall. “It will be quite grand and rather profitable,” he said. Although the war will begin over New York stories in a few days, the skirmishes with The Times began long ago. Thomson has gone on the record to attack time and again, complaining about The Times’ pretentiousness or about how the whole institution could go under because Arthur Sulzberger is in charge. Last year, he accused Times Executive Editor Bill Keller of tampering with an awards process. The Times, uncharacteristically, has responded with a few jabs of its own. It poached arts reporter Kate Taylor, who had been working at The Journal for mere weeks on its New York section and who infuriated her old bosses. Bob Christie, the PR chief at The Journal, left a few weeks ago to join up at Sulzberger’s shop. In addition, The Times last month kicked

off an ad campaign that argued The Times had a greater market share of local women readers than The Journal. For months, The Times’ public posture has been that it’s not worried about the upcoming section. Once the New York changes take effect, the business and ﬁnance paper of yore that will include a section that covers nightlife and gossip and local political and sports news. It will have stringers stationed throughout the tristate area covering suburban news. Much of the Journal staff has no knowledge of the paper’s planned new section. It’s been so top secret that many staffers have told us that they’ll learn just as much about it as everyone else when it debuts on April 26. The majority of people assigned to the section have been hired from outside the paper. Jacob Gershman, a familiar player in local political coverage, has been hired, but most of the three dozen other new reporters are not boldface names. The sports reporters come from the likes of the Memphis Commercial Appeal and the Calkins newspaper chain. “We have a body of expertise,” Thomson said. “We brought in the best journalists in the region to write about the region. Readers are smart. They will make informed decisions about the value of this section. I have absolutely no doubt they will see the value. We will present them a choice, and they’ll decide accordingly.”

Oprah photo by Dennis Van Tine / Retna Ltd.

Oprah, Oprah, Everywhere

Rubin photo by Paul J. Richards \ Getty Images

Apology Continued from page 69

in order, “it turned out that taxpayers might actually lose nothing, or even make a profit? Could it be?” The message from Wall Street, in other words: Move along. Mild semi-regret is more common than non-apologies and passionate atonement. On the day before the Citibank testimony, Greenspan said he’d been wrong 30 percent of the time, but would not elaborate, and he opened his remarks by blaming foreign historic events, like the Berlin Wall’s fall, on where we are today. In November, likewise, Goldman Sachs chief Lloyd Blankfein said the firm had “participated in things that were clearly wrong and we have reasons to regret and apologize for,” but did not explain what the things or the reasons were. On the morning of Greenspan’s speech, Goldman released a letter to shareholders that said the bank did not “‘bet against’ our clients.” On April 9, the investigative newsroom ProPublica released a massive profile of the hedge fund Magnetar, a hedge fund that created and bet against massive bundles of subprime mortgage investments that soon became worthless. Responding to that report, the hedge fund denied that it had any intent or reason to believe that its subprime securities were built to fail. The next day, Frank Rich’s column was headlined “No One Is to Blame for Anything.” But, to be fair, there have been dozens of apologies from financiers, just odd ones. Wall Street, after all, has become savvier since William Vanderbilt’s “the public be damned” and J.P. Morgan’s “I owe the public nothing.” “We’ve said repeatedly that we are disappointed in our performance and that it wasn’t up to our standards,” Ed Sweeney, spokesperson for the credit-rating agency S&P, said this week. “I think, frankly, that people—I’m trying to think of the word here—ratings are only one piece of the investment-decision-making process, and the investment-research process, and that’s how we think they should be used.” “Among our disappointments has been the ratings of mortgage-backed securities issued between 2005 and 2007,” S&P president Deven Sharma told Congress in September. “Over the course of 150 years, however, our track record is something in which our people can take pride.” The Morgan Stanley chairman John Mack stands alone as the only big Wall Street boss who has consistently said otherwise, though he stepped down this year as CEO. JPMorgan’s chief, Jamie Dimon, even if he doesn’t have a reputation for unabashed pride, has not been as forthcoming. “We did make mistakes,” he said at the first crisis commission

Ex-Citigroup executive Bob Rubin is deﬁant regarding Wall Street’s blame for the recession.

hearing in January, “and there were things we could have done better.” “What should we apologize for?” the New York Post wrote the next day, quoting a JPMorgan insider. “I’ll tell you this much, we do a lot more for America than Congress does.” To the extent that Wall Street apologizes, with a few exceptions, it gives the sense that the crisis was caused by a regrettable combination of rivals’ incompetence, some bad judgment that’s since been remedied, a great deal of historic bad luck and gruesome regulatory failures that make them look relatively blameless. Life goes on. James Kwak, who wrote the book 13 Bankers (Tantor Media, 2010) with the former International Monetary Fund chief economist Simon Johnson, said that’s part of an “intellectual cover-up.” What he means is that when Rubin or Greenspan describes the crisis as an unforeseeable natural disaster, despite the evidence to the contrary, it distracts from the man-made causes. “There was a conscious intention to break down the regulatory system and to make sure that the banks were essentially allowed to do whatever they wanted to do, especially when it came to new products,” he said. “The second level of intention, I think, is people consciously pushing the rules as hard as they could.” Barbara Kellerman, a lecturer at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government who has written about leaders’ contrition, says that what’s important about apologies are timeliness and sincerity, and what comes along with them. “Nobody begrudges the right people have to make a profit, and the more profit the better,” she said, “but in a way that’s reasonably fair and adhering to the law, and not corrupt, and not greedy to the point of nausea.” “The issue is,” said the Wall Street firm’s chief of communications source, pointing to rivals who were more heavily leveraged, “if we were to say we were sorry, what would we say we’re sorry for?”

April 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven

The National Newsroom

Sounds Like Somebody I Know 1

46 52

47 53

104 112

118

100

126

95 102

107

108 109 110

115

116

117

122

124

125

127

128

67 Design anew 68 Lightning sound, in comics 69 Your eggman? 70 Creator of Atticus Finch 72 Mantel piece? 75 Went wildly 77 Stays 81 Collectibles suffix 82 Bakes in little dishes 83 Your carfinisher? 85 Your Italian waiter? 87 Weasel’s kin 88 Monet influencer 89 Anarchist Goldman 90 Perrier rival 93 Bk. depository 95 Capone chaser 96 Cooks on direct heat 98 Make beloved 101 Where a pain in the neck might be 103 Wood of the Rolling Stones 104 Actor Ayres 106 Your music teacher? 108 Vehicle in a barn 111 Help pull a job 113 Floater of a sort 115 Call ___ day 116 See 128 Across 118 Conventional type? 120 Your neighbor who won’t let you borrow anything? 123 Unexpected hit 124 Grated

Answers found on page 74

94 101

120 121

123

ACROSS 1 Goes on 6 Mail attachments 12 Workout wear 18 Jellied dish 19 Author ___ de Balzac 20 Bugs grub 22 Your ﬂorist? 24 Where the main characters meet in a 1951 Hitchcock classic 26 Compromise 27 NOW cause of the ’70s 28 Has a gambling problem? 29 ___-European 30 Chemical ending 31 Your lawn guy? 35 P.D. rank 37 Jay’s intro? 38 Balmy getaway 39 Frames 41 Manufacturer’s woe 43 Lyricist Sammy 46 Old airline 48 Do a yard job 50 ___ me tangere 51 Do ___ (wash clothes) 53 Hot and damp 56 Your Spanish tour guide? 59 Your old car dealer? 61 “A bit of ___ is always walcum” (Ogden Nash) 63 Blackmailer’s orig. 64 Early Muslim 65 Bequests

114

88 93

106

119

98 105

113

71 78

111

58 63

103

50 57

37 42

69 75

55 61

48 54

17 21

24 27

125 W. Beatty played one in “Heaven Can Wait” 126 To the rear 127 Bear witness 128 Paramount chief during the “Chinatown” and “Godfather” years DOWN 1 Minor error 2 Pale 3 Meanness 4 Contest 5 Viragos 6 That yacht 7 Firmed, as abs 8 Guitarist Segovia 9 Captain’s concern 10 NFLer, for example 11 D.C. abbr. 12 Barge 13 Decreased 14 Goof remover 15 With 52 Down, a 1930s look 16 Aaron’s daughter 17 Your uncle, the recluse? 21 Taken out of a game 23 Gave a hand? 25 “The First ___” 28 Burden 32 Word said by Seinfeld in disgust 33 Exerter’s words 34 Verb ending?

By Merl Reagle 36 Bedtime for some 38 Disoriented 40 Raincoat fabric 42 Newspaper section?: abbr. 43 Singer Elliott of The Mamas and Papas 44 Utah ski area 45 Time 47 Arctic sea bird 49 Fish made of music notes 52 See 15 Down 54 Spoon bender of note 55 Diving birds 57 Sheet fabric 58 Opposite of “in the future” 60 “You ___!” (emphatic assent) 61 Least exciting 62 Passed (a test) with ease 66 Howitzer, for example 67 Part of a temperature gauge 69 Make it 71 Actor Stoltz 72 Suction sufﬁx 73 Microorganisms that don’t need oxygen 74 Your food inspector? 76 Half a dog? 77 Butch of NHL fame 78 Roman dough, once 79 Space chimp 80 Topkicks: abbr. 82 Modest 84 Fictional diner owner 86 Rouen buddy 87 Turow’s law school memoir 91 MIT, e.g. 92 Commotion 94 Scot’s kid 96 Mr. Pitt 97 Juan’s warmer 99 Never been done before 100 Fix anew, perhaps 102 Sculpted dog 105Dog-bowl reﬁll 107 Some winds 108 English-mangling Yankee 109 City 110 Plant parts 112 Country club buys 114 Lobby plant 117 Young Cleaver, familiarly 119 Retrieve 120 New Deal agcy. 121 Meal preceder 122 Change that used to occur in Apr.

!!! VOLUME 16 IS HERE !!! To order Merl’s crossword books, visit www.sunday crosswords.com.

4/15/2010 © M. Reagle

Style & Culture

Why Life Still Sucks for the Second Sex By Simon Doonan Being a broad has never been tougher. Small wonder that Chaz Bono has decided to become a bloke. In this crazy day and age, it’s easier to live with an artificial, inflatable willy than it is to go on living as a woman. No, seriously. Has it ever been more mind-numbingly confusing/complicated to be a goil than it is right now? And I fear the situation may be getting worse. While men sit around farting and twiddling their BlackBerrys, the chicks writhe in agony under the increasing pressure to optimize every aspect of their lives, and everyone else’s. They are expected to look like Angelina Jolie; be as nurturing and upbeat as Maria Von Trapp; be as decisive and reassuring as Winston Churchill; and be as tigress-y and protective as Gloria Allred. The pressure to be perfect, self-imposed and otherwise is, like, totally off the chizzies. This past week, I was forced to confront, in no uncertain terms, the epic scale of the challenges that dog the glamour-pusses and socialites of New York City on a daily basis. TUESDAY, APRIL 6: An amazingly good-looking group of chicks—Lauren Santo Domingo, Chloë Sevigny and Dasha Zhukova, among others—all showed up at Barneys for the launch of scribe-socialite Derek Blasberg’s hilarious new etiquette manual, titled Classy (Razorbill, 2010). Derek’s book directly addresses one of the biggest challenges facing women today: How to project the ludicrous degree of sizzling hotness that our culture demands of every female, without turning into a skank. Classy’s tips are broad-ranging and include a vital and cautionary note about the fad for Japanese tattoos: ‘You might think you got “goddess” on your hip bone, but it could very likely be “toilet seat.” WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7: The Women in Need gala at the Waldorf—my Jonny and I were there to cheer our honoree pal, Glamour magazine editrix Cindi Leive—was full of women who clearly were in need of very little, except maybe a respite from the burden of looking totally perfect every time they appear in public. The standards of flawless coiffure and couture for the prominent New York gal have become sadistically high. Unfortunately, it is no longer considered cool to show up with fag burns in your miniskirt, à la Edie Sedgwick. FYI, girls: I hate to sound smug, but it took Jonny and me about two minutes to get dressed that night. THURSDAY, APRIL 8: I flew to Scottsdale, Ariz., with Ashley Olsen. Actually, she was in first class and I was back by the turlets. But that’s OK. I’m not bitter. I would rather be an F-list celebrity man, back by the turlets, than face the kind of fan onslaught to which Ms. Olsen and her twin sister were subsequently subjected. We were headed to the new Barneys store to stage a fall fashion show of the Olsen clothing line, The Row. Continued on page 74

Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

The National Newsroom

Personal Finance

Old-fashioned investing advice still applies By Kathy Kristof, Tribune Media Services

There aren’t a lot of investment experts who will tell you what they said 10 years ago and just how much of it turned out to be right. But John C. Bogle isn’t your average investment expert. Bogle, author of Common Sense on Mutual Funds (Wiley, 2000), is right most of the time, which differentiates him from 97 percent of the mutual fund managers who attempt to beat the market. When he updated his book this year for its 10th-anniversary edition, he put updated passages in red but left the original text, too, so that everyone could see how well his earlier advice held up. Batting average? Almost perfect, about .950, he says. But his advice also has been largely the same for the last 50 years. The 80-year-old founder of Vanguard Investments, one of the nation’s largest mutual fund companies, has been preaching a simple, disciplined approach to managing money since he graduated from Princeton and got a job at Wellington Management, an investment ﬁrm, in the 1950s. The short version: Invest consistently and for the long haul in a widely diversiﬁed portfolio of stocks and bonds. Pay attention to taxes and costs. But leave your investments alone. Unfortunately, investors don’t follow that advice very often, Bogle said. They peek at their portfolios. And the moment they start watching their investments on a regular basis, they get tempted to do something stupid—like react to a temporary market blip by selling or trading the perfectly good stuff they already own. “Who was talking about buying gold a decade ago? Nobody,” Bogle said. At the time, the investment had been much maligned and long disappeared from most portfolios. Today the metal has had a decadelong run

C A S S

A L T A

V A A N C A E B R RO A B D E S

S P I T E

T I L T

S C O L D I S HN OA D UD E R A C Z O S E A S L AM MMA O I L N L E T L EG L E E A S T

S T AM HONO D E NDR E E R A A ND E L L E S E TWA MUGG B A K E R E N L E T A L B C A R E E H I RR S A R I E V I A S E ND EW SO R A F T A T E N P E R R E RN A

P S R E ON I O T S R E Y T GA UM N E S O T N E A L F I OR A S T T

SWE A C A RR ON A T OWE S N D E T U P R E SOD N P AMP A L CUM C I E S E N L E D G I R I MON I T E R C L I B R N A P EGG I O T A RO A L E ND P E D L E S T E

T O R I C O L R E D Z O N E B E A V

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.

S T A N D A L O N E

S I D E L I N E D

A G O

L I R E

E N O S

S G T S

B E R R A

U R B A N

S T E M S

N O E L

After the flawless defile, out came the phone cameras, flashing away. Mary Kate and Ashley were impressively tolerant of this insanely intrusive ritual. The horrifyingly naff mania for documenting social events with phone pics now includes all generations. This gruesome substitute for human interaction is assault—packaged as homage, making it impossible to remonstrate with the amateur paparazzi. Women seem to be the primary target. They are also the primary perpetrators. FRIDAY, APRIL 9: Back to New York at the crack of ass. If further proof is needed that being a woman is fraught with complexity, then I certainly get it on this particular morning. While I breeze through security, my colleague Delphine—a new mom with a hungry lad named Hugo waiting at home—is forced to unpack and repack a breast pump and a massive quilted nylon bag filled with gallons of BREAST MILK!!! While I loll in the lounge reading Us Weekly, Delphine has to wait for hours while her copious lactations are tested for traces of explosives. Cheers, Hugo! Drink up and celebrate the fact that you were born a carefree little bloke!

Bono photo by Angela Weiss / Getty Images

A S H E N

investment via the bond’s “coupon” or yield. If your promised return is 4.5 percent, the long-term return on that investment is likely to be 4.5 percent. How does Bogle suggest you play this market? The same way you should have played it a decade ago—or a decade from now. Invest your age in bonds, he suggests, and the rest in stocks. Buying individual stocks is a loser’s game, he adds. Mutual fund managers, who invest for a living, can’t pick their investments consistently enough to beat the market as a whole, he notes. And it’s even less likely that the average investor is going to be able to do any better. The good news is that you don’t have to, Bogle said. You can get market returns by simply buying an index mutual fund, the broader the better. Bogle recommends Vanguard’s Total Market Index fund for stocks and Vanguard’s Total Bond Market Index fund for the bond portion of your portfolio. But wouldn’t you be better off diversifying your portfolio by owning, say, four or five different stock funds? No, Bogle said. The fund is only as good as the manager who directs its investments, and managers come and go. The average stock fund manager lasts about five years, Bogle said, so if you have five funds, you’ll have gone through 20 fund managers in 10 years and 40 managers in 20 years. “The idea that this wide array of managers could consistently beat the market is just absurd,” Bogle said.

Doonan Continued from page 72

Sounds Like Somebody I Know by Merl Reagle

L A P S E

and soared to record highs. “Who is talking about buying gold now? Everybody.” Bogle thinks gold is now the wrong place to invest. Most investors should stick with the chocolate and vanilla of the investment world—U.S. stocks and bonds, he said. And, frankly, he thinks stocks have about twice the potential of bonds, even though bonds have done beautifully in that time, too. He doesn’t recommend that people load up on stocks, though, because stocks are volatile. And he knows that investors will peek at their portfolios and react to what they see—even if what they’re seeing is a temporary blip on the investment horizon. “Stocks should do about twice as well as bonds over the coming decade,” Bogle said. “But what good is that going to do you if, when stocks drop 50 percent as they are likely to do at some point, you say: I’m out of here?” Notably, Bogle’s current predictions are the reverse of his forecast a decade ago, when he said bonds would soar and stocks were in for some tough sledding. Those predictions were unpopular at the time because stocks had been zooming while bonds earned half as much. But he doesn’t make these predictions just to be perverse. Stocks and bonds both have “internal rates of return,” which is investment-speak for the fact that there are fundamental, mathematical measures you can use to predict future returns. With stocks, that’s the company’s dividend yield, plus its projected earnings growth. Bogle thinks it’s reasonable to assume that those two factors will produce an 8 percent average annual return over the coming decade. Bonds, meanwhile, promise a set return on your

Chaz Bono began gender reassignment about a year ago. 74

Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

THE 15TH ANNUAL KOMEN SOUTHERN NEVADA RACE FOR THE CURE® Saturday, May 1, 2010 Fremont Street Experience • Downtown Las Vegas Encourage your friends, families, and co-workers to be part of this historic event as we continue our journey to end breast cancer forever.

“The task ahead of us is never as great as the POWER behind us.” -Ralph Emerson

For further information, call 702.252.RACE or visit our website at www.komensouthernnevada.org

Arts & Entertainment Music

We Are the Wild West After All Vegas Seven’s guide to the biggest country music event in the nation By Jaq Greenspon Throw on your best boots, iron your jeans and pull your hat down low. Sunday, April 18, the MGM Grand Garden once again plays host to the Academy of Country Music Awards show. Every top act in the ﬁeld will converge, turning Las Vegas into Nashville West for three days of festivities. Lest we forget that there are actual awards in the midst of all the parties and concerts, here’s a rundown of the highlights, as well as a few predictions with help from our local experts: Red-Headed Hostess This is the 45th year for the awards and the 12th time that 12-time winner (and

Lady Antebellum

nominee for Top Female Vocalist, once again) Reba McEntire will host. “Reba does such a good job—she’s so humble, so down to earth. She’s amazing, perfect for the show,” says Cadillac Jack, afternoon drive DJ on The Coyote, 102.7 KCYE. “I don’t know if she writes her own material, but she’s frickin funny! She really gets the crowd going.” Where to Watch The award show itself is already sold out. But if you’re dying to see the show, tickets are available on second-market sites, such as Craigslist and eBay, the most expensive of which is a $15,000

four-ticket VIP package on eBay, which includes the works. Expect to pay at least $300 for a ticket online. For those who need to tighten their brass belt buckles, The Coyote will host an ACMA viewing party at Stoney’s Rockin Country, 9151 Las Vegas Blvd. South. There’s no cover if you say “Coyote” at the door. Then again, you could always watch the show from the comfort of your home at 8 p.m. on CBS. Nominations Marking our favorite cross-over, rocker Dave Matthews teamed up with country star Kenny Chesney to release “I’m

Alive,” nominated for Vocal Event of the Year (an award for songs featuring a guest artist). He’s nominated alongside perennial favorites Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins, Brooks & Dunn working with Billy Gibbons (of ZZ Top fame), and Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis. This idea of genre-blending excites local country crooner Tony Marques. He has a 13-year-old daughter who listens to country, often simply because a country song will follow a pop song on the radio. “Country music appeals to so many different people,” Marques says. “It doesn’t matter how old you are or what you’re into.” Likewise, the most accessible thing Continued on page 78 April 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven 77

Arts & Entertainment

Music Country Music Awards Continued from page 77

Soundscraper

about contemporary country music is if you grew up on rock, you have something in country to like. Underwood herself is nominated in five other categories, including the biggie of the night—Entertainer of the Year—an award she won last year. This year, though, her competition is pretty stiff. She’s in a field of eight nominees (up from the traditional five), which includes her Vocal Event competitor Chesney as well as Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Keith Urban, the Zac Brown Band and Taylor Swift, whom Cadillac thinks is going to take that top prize. “Kenny Chesney puts on a great show,” he says. “[But] I think Taylor is gonna take it.” If she does, she’ll put a crimp in Underwood’s hopes of becoming the only woman to win the award twice, as well as consecutively. Marques, a 17-year Las Vegas resident, has been a voting member of the ACM since November 2005. He favors Urban, who is nominated in two big categories: Entertainer of the Year and Top Male Vocalist of the Year. “I’m a huge fan … for his writing and guitar playing and his vocals. He’s a highly talented individual and deserves to win.” (Catch Marques in the Celebration Lounge at the Tropicana at 10 p.m. April 16 -17. He and his band will also be featured monthly at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill and at Gilley’s in Treasure Island.) Cadillac Jack, who is also the music director for The Coyote, has several other winners picked: “Top New Solo Vocalist? Luke Bryan is gonna take that. Album of the Year, I think it’s gonna be Lady Antebellum.” The biggest toss-up of the evening for him is Record of the Year. “The Zac Brown Band has really come on like gangbusters and so has Lady Antebellum,” but both he and Marques are rooting for Lady Antebellum. Regardless who wins Sunday evening, Marques thinks the biggest winner of the weekend will be Las Vegas itself. “The ACM really puts on a great show. Thousands of people come here just to attend. It’s great for the economy and great for country music.”

Led memories By Jarret Keene

Luke Bryan: Top New Solo Vocalist?

A Fond Farewell And if all that weren’t enough, Monday night at the MGM will see The Last Rodeo, a concert tribute to legends Brooks & Dunn who are calling it quits after an award-ﬁlled 20-year career. As a team, they are the best-selling duo in the history of country music, with 26 awards, including Entertainer of the Year three times. At the show, which has scheduled performances by a number of ACMA 2010 nominees, including Miranda Lambert, Underwood, Swift and Paisley. Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn and will receive one more honor: the Academy’s Milestone Award. The show is being recorded to air at 8 p.m. May 23 on CBS. Tickets are $100-150 and available through Ticketmaster. Proceeds beneﬁt ACM Lifting Lives, the charity of the Academy of Country Music (ACMLiftingLives.org).

Free mont Country The awards show isn’t the only game in town. On the two days leading up to the big show, the LVCVA will be sponsoring free country music at the Fremont Street Experience. Some of the biggest names in country music will be performing from 7 p.m. through midnight at the First and Third street stages.

Friday, April 16

7:00 p.m. Emily West 7:45 p.m. The Band Perry 8:40 p.m. Danny Gokey 9:45 p.m. David Nail 10:45-midnight Lady Antebellum Miranda Lambert 78

Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

Saturday, April 17

7:00 p.m. Joey + Rory 7:45 p.m. Gloriana 8:40 p.m. Randy Rogers Band 9:45 p.m. Luke Bryan 10:45-midnight Miranda Lambert

Are you ready for the Vegas arrival of the biggest hard-rock supergroup since Audioslave? Talkin’ ’bout Them Crooked Vultures, who will perch inside The Joint April 17 for the joyous one-year anniversary of the venue. TCV comprises Foo Fighter Dave Grohl (drums), Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme (vocals/guitar) and Led Zeppelinist John Paul Jones (bass/keys). The band’s self-titled debut album was released last October and earned rave reviews, most crediting the fleet, soulful fretwork of 64-year-old Jones. While I’m unsure how often Jones has performed in Vegas, I’ve long heard natives insist on having seen English rock icons Led Zeppelin tear apart what was then known as the Ice Palace in Commercial Center on Sahara Avenue way back in 1969. (Las Vegas Cue Club now stands where the rink once stood.) The band arrived here on or around Aug. 11, after having put the final touches on Led Zeppelin II, which would hit American record stores two months later. This was the band’s only Vegas appearance. (A Zep concert at the Convention Center in 1970 was canceled.) One person who has proof of the show is Jacie Maynard. Thirteen at the time and a student at John C. Fremont Middle School, she says her mom dropped off her and her friends at White Cross Drugs to spare them from being seen as they climbed out of a parent’s station wagon. They each paid $5 admission; she has a ticket stub to prove it. She recalls hearing Zep unleash “Whole Lotta Love,” “The Lemon Song” and “You Shook Me.” (Zep wasn’t the only powerhouse classic rock act to play the Ice Palace. Maynard says she saw Cream and The Doors perform there, too.) Speaking of Led, late Zep drummer John Bonham would definitely admire a mixed-media series by Jacie’s husband, Lincoln Maynard, a notable Vegas artist. Maynard’s Jones, Homme and Grohl recent “Rhythms of the Earth,” incorporates discarded drumheads and staging material (Masonite). The end product is a stunning, otherworldly yet organic collection of environmental designs. Although “Rhythms” was most recently displayed in Swenson Fine Art in Laguna Beach, Calif., expect a Vegas show in late spring/early summer. Check lmaynard.com for updates. And here are my favorite John Paul Jones-penned Zep tunes for you to stuff into your iPads. Page and Plant didn’t write the entire Zep catalog, you know. Give a listen to the band’s last proper album In Through the Out Door (1979), which contains the following: “South Bound Saurez,” “All My Love” and “Carouselambra.” Don’t forget that Jones also supplied the Middle Eastern-tinged string parts in the stomping “Kashmir” (later sampled by Sean “Puffy” Combs for a song, “Come With Me,” that appeared in the 1998 Godzilla soundtrack). No wonder Jones is a legend! Going to the Arctic Monkeys’ April 16 HOB show or Meat Loaf daughter Pearl Aday’s April 17 gig at Cheyenne Saloon? I want to hear all about your crazy concert memories and backstage stories. Contact jarret_keene@yahoo.com.

Arts & Entertainment

CD REviEws

By Jarret Keene

POSTROCK

Jónsi Go (XL Recordings) The few times Icelandic post-rock masters Sigur Rós played Las Vegas have been revelatory. Epic to the point of absurdity, the band conjures all the menace and divine grace of a Herman Melville novel minus the tedious reading. With his band on “indefinite hiatus,” frontman Jón “Jónsi” fiór Birgisson—he of bowed guitar infamy—strikes out with his solo debut. Go confirms the man’s prowess. Sure, there are comparisons to be drawn with the Rós, but ultimately this album extends the band’s strangely compelling artistry by allowing Jónsi to nurture his technique and instincts. To say that Go goes in a more electronic direction doesn’t do his accomplishment justice. “Go Do” truly snaps, crackles and pops with unique layers of sound, while “Tornado,” with its soft bed of piano chords and eerie synth surges, is unlike anything you’ve heard. Jónsi‘s latest is gorgeously vast yet hauntingly intimate.

neRdROCK

Kirby Krackle E for Everyone (Self-released) A tremendously gifted artist who owes a great debt to Roky Erickson is pop culture-crazed Seattle-based singer/songwriter Kyle Stevens. His Kirby Krackle project (with lyricist Jim Demonakos) sheathes the acoustic, folk-based stance of its 2009 self-titled debut and draws the Weezer-fan-worthy 11-song E for Everyone, a CD ideal for the long car trip to the San Diego ComicCon. The title is apt, since the subject matter includes something for every shut-in—a power-pop tribute to steel-clawed Wolverine (“On an On”), a rocked-up job query from an evil sidekick (“Henchman”: “I hope you’ve got a healthcare plan/If you don’t I understand/I’ve got a question for you/Does your hideout have a covered lot?”), and the hilarious yet heartfelt ode-ballad to ’80s paraphernalia (“Dusty Cartridges and Long Boxes”). Stevens’ hooks here are massive, crafted to head-sticking perfection. Sing along while banging your head (lovingly) against your Voltron lunchbox.

CulTReTuRn

Roky Erickson True Love Cast Out All Evil (Anti) Soft-hearted critics praise substandard work by artists who once innovated. Hence, solemn reviews continue to celebrate, say, each successive Neil Diamond album and posthumous Johnny Cash release, when the fact remains—these efforts are ﬂawed, at best. Case in point, Roky Erickson’s comeback CD, his ﬁrst new record in 15 years and after a lifetime of drugs and mental illness. Despite indie-rock superstar Will Sheff and his band Okkervil River’s efforts to back up the former Thirteenth Floor Elevators frontman and Austin cult legend, Cast Out All Evil sounds destined for cutout bins. The problem lies in the unimaginative expression of the religious lyrics and the restrained musical approach: acoustic guitars, piano and synth-string touches. Skip it for Erickson’s edgier ’80s pop-rock classics, I Think of Demons and The Evil One. 80 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

Arts & Entertainment

Stage

Dust Off That MySpace Account MySpace Comedy Secret Stand-Up brings ‘Chuy and the Comedians of Chelsea Lately’ to the Palms

From Miles to Mohammed Lance Burton remembers his favorite audiences

By Ed Condran formed for Comedy Central and the Cartoon Network—is “Being associated with Chelsea Handler is a good thing for touring behind Self Help, her first comedy album. A cerebral any comic,” says observational humorist John Caparulo, who and unpredictable stand-up comic, Wollack, writes for Chelhas been a regular guest on E!’s hit TV show Chelsea Lately for sea Lately, MTV’s The New Tom Green Show, more than a year. Four comics—Chris FranParental Control and Style’s Foody Call. He jola, Jenn Kirkman, Brad Wollack and Sarah doesn’t seem to care what audiences think Colonna—wouldn’t argue with Caparulo. of his material, which gives him a leg up on Each of them is a regular on Chelsea Lately, many of his peers begging for approval. where they goof on pop culture and crack wise But topping the MySpace show is the about whatever subject Handler explores. The diminutive Chuy Bravo. The Chelsea Lately comedians have such an association with the phenomenon will be hawking his book, provocative host that they have embarked on Little Nuggets of Wisdom (Grand Central the “Chuy and the Comedians of Chelsea Lately” Publishing, 2010), which offers life advice tour, which stops at the Palms for a surprise as well as his autobiography. Bravo hit show as part of MySpace Secret Stand-Up. television pay dirt after appearing in Pirates And now a little about these comics … of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End. The little Franjola is a brash New York native who is man has a pleasant demeanor and ocquirky, observational and irreverent in a mancasionally utters something that’s flat-out ner that recalls Handler’s no-holds-barred hilarious, which is what the MySpace tour style. The clever Kirkman—who has been on is all about. the stand-up trail for a decade and has perBravo’s first book.

Chuy Bravo brings big laughs.

“Chuy and the Comedians of Chelsea Lately” appear at 11:30 p.m. Saturday, April 17, at the Palms. Free, first-come first-serve with a copy of your MySpace profile. 942-7777.

More Free entertainMent

Do your civic duty and watch a movie in the park

By Richard Abowitz After 14 years, Lance Burton’s magic show at the Monte Carlo will be coming to an end. Burton, who has performed at the casino since 1996, recalled for Vegas Seven that he has had many dignitaries in his audience. “I was really excited when Mohammed Ali came to see the show. We are from the same town in Kentucky. When I introduced him and he stood up, the entire audience jumped to their feet and gave him a two-minute standing ovation.” But his favorite audience member was a little child from England. Burton brought the kid onstage to assist with an illusion. Burton recalls the exchange: Burton: What is your name? Kid: Miles. Burton: How old are you, Miles? Kid: Five. Burton: Are you married? Kid: No. Burton: Do you have a girlfriend? Kid: No. Burton: Do you want to meet one of the girls in my show? Kid: No. We can’t afford one of those. Burton said the audience response to 5-year-old Miles from England, equaled that of Ali’s. Burton’s run at Monte Carlo concludes with the ﬁnal performance on Sept. 4. See his show at 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Call 730-7160. Tickets are $50-$75

Bravo photo by Scott Harrison/ Retna Ltd.

If over-21 comedy isn’t your style, here’s some free entertainment that you can bring the kids to: movie screenings with free popcorn (while supplies last). The event, sponsored by Ward 5 Las Vegas Councilman Ricki Barlow, is located at Sammy Davis Jr. Festival Plaza in Lorenzi Park, 720 Twin Lakes Dr., 229-5443. The movies play at dusk. 6:30 p.m., Friday, April 23: Wall*E (Rated G) 7 p.m., Friday, May 21: The Princess and the Frog (Rated G) 7 p.m., Thursday, June 24: Monsters vs. Aliens (Rated PG) Lance Burton with one of his fans. 82 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

Reading

Sites to see By Geoff Carter WHEN YOU’RE STRANGE (http://ehdom.com/strangers/) Brandon Doman understands that diaries aren’t blogs. The Michigan-based writer set up a table full of blank books in the middle of Ann Arbor, Mich. and asked strangers to write out their stories in them, and the result is “Don’t Talk To Strangers”—a Website of anonymous confessions, and a compass rose pointing to every point on the emotional landscape. Here you’ll ﬁnd the life truths that people don’t admit to others in their blogs, or sometimes even to themselves. It’s a wrenching, yet uplifting read.

THE DUDE ABIDES … VIDEOGAMES (www.arcadeaid.com/challengingstage/) Walt Disney Pictures’ Tron: Legacy, the sequel to its 1982 cult favorite Tron, doesn’t hit the multiplexes until December, but Disney is already well into pouring gravy on the geeks. Their Flynn Lives! viral marketing campaign (the idea behind the sequel is that Jeff Bridges’ “Flynn” character has vanished) has already yielded a bunch of advance trailers and exclusive content—and you don’t even have to be a standard-issue IT nerd to enjoy the latest bit. “Arcade Aid” is simply a visual puzzle: Nearly every item in the picture represents a popular videogame. Guess them all and they’ll send you an “ENCOM” badge that unlocks another set of clues. Get to it, geeks; Flynn ain’t gonna ﬁnd himself.

CHEETOS ARE NEXT TO GODLINESS (http://girlsinbathtubs.tumblr.com/) This site may be offensive to some (and it’s probably not work-safe for most, even though the nudity is artfully concealed), but I don’t care. I could look at pictures of pretty ladies in bathtubs all the live-long day, and Girls in Bathtubs is only too happy to oblige. I strongly advise you to roll back through all the photos on this blog, at least to March 19. That’s the day when a cute goth girl took a bath in Cheetos. What a grand day it was! Journalist Geoff Carter is a Las Vegas native living in Seattle, land of virtual titillation. April 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven 83

Arts & Entertainment

Movies

Young Brit actor Aaron Johnson kicks some … well, you know.

Dumb Mess

Fan-boy pandering goes too far with Kick-Ass By Cole Smithey Some 45-year-old film critics tilt their reviews toward juvenile readers as if they have something in common with the 12-year-old brain that Hollywood considers its primary audience. With Kick-Ass, fan-boy culture reaches an apogee of sloppy diminishing returns intended to clearly draw a dividing line between adult poseurs and the under-17 crowd who can only get into the R-rated picture with the accompaniment of said pandering grownup. Director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake) oversees a dumb-ass story cowritten by comic-book writer Mark Millar and John S. Romita Jr. about Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), a New York fan-boy who gets the bright idea to reinvent himself as a real-life masked avenger, ostensibly to win the heart of schoolmate Katie (Lyndsy Fonseca). Dave proves a failure during his first outing as his green-suited alter ego Kick-Ass. The beating he takes means that his body must be surgically reinforced with metal plates. But even Dave’s physical transformation does little to improve his tactical skills, which demand assistance from a Batman wannabe called Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and his Robin-knockoff daughter Mindy—a.k.a. Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz). Everything from its cartoon bad guys to its sudden shocks of profanity and gory violence, spells disaster. Here’s a Rated R movie that is beneath anyone over 18. Paradoxical garbage. There’s a moment during Kick-Ass’s voice-over narration when he name-checks the film Sin City to the audience as a way of telling you what to expect in an upcoming scene. It’s a telling mistake the writer makes that gives the whole game away. Anyone who’s seen Robert Rodriguez’s and Frank Miller’s unparalleled Sin City (2005) knows that Kick-Ass has 84

Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

positively nothing in common with that astronomically superior film. To imagine that it does is an act of delusional folly. In an age where kids carry on texting romances with people they rarely or never even greet in person, Kick-Ass seems, at face value, like a movie about a kid who dares to step away from his computer screen in favor of interacting with the world around him. Kick-Ass’s pissed-off and bloodied expression on the poster evinces a world-weary teen who’s not going to take it anymore. He doesn’t give a damn about what it takes to battle the Republicans, Wall Street dogs and technology peddlers who threaten his place as a free-thinker in a society where nobody can exist in public without being on a cell phone. But it’s a lie. Because if it were that kind of movie—a movie like, say, Quadrophenia that really does represent a vital teen character desperately attempting to break out of his social traps— then the screenwriter might have to go to some trouble. Kick-Ass is based on a series of comic books by Millar (Wanted) who fancies his stories as “punk-tinged.” With so many “fan-boy-punks,” “steam-punks” and “Internet-punks” buzzing around, it’s easy to forget the ethics associated with the original musical movement by people who regarded the term as a cheesy way of commercially compartmentalizing their determined efforts at delivering some amount of truth to the world. Like the fan-boy mentality that bullies with threatening e-mails, tweets, blog posts and cell phone transmissions, Kick-Ass is a movie with no guts. The bad guys are a bunch of Keystone Cops goofing around with semi-automatic weapons. But most wrongheaded is its insulting use of 12-year-old Moretz as a gun-wielding superhero who savors the word “cock” when referring to the unexplained phallic signal the mayor aims at the sky to summon her and her crime-fighter dad. As a bellwether of America’s societal collapse, Kick-Ass tells us that the corporate raiders who have sucked the country dry are stronger than ever. The Hollywood assembly-line film industry is only too happy to stick “3-D” on movies to milk an extra five bucks from audiences who believe the hype. In the case of Kick-Ass, it only served to remind me what a great R-rated movie Sin City is. If you do insist on taking your kids to see Kick-Ass, know that is a “Hard R.”

Arts & Entertainment

Movies

More Than Keeping Up

The Joneses is an entertaining critique of consumerism By Rex Reed The red carpet of greed, materialism and self-promotion has never been tread with so much fiber-punishing wear and tear as by the camera-ready Jones family in a fresh, scintillating and downright terrific new movie called—what else?—The Joneses. Like one of those obnoxious infomercials designed to max out your credit card faster than you can switch channels, this vicious but clever and highly entertaining indictment of American consumerism masquerading as the American dream will convince you the right people can sell you anything that ticks, flashes, rings, pops, purrs, hums or sparkles—except happiness. When you first see the all-American Joneses, they are pulling into the lush lime-colored lawn of their perfect new house that looks like a centerfold in Architectural Digest, their eyes glistening with possibilities. Normally nuclear Mom and Dad, Kate and Steve (Demi Moore and David Duchovny), their curvaceous, drop-dead daughter Jenn (Amber Heard) and hunky son Mick (Ben Hollingsworth) are ready to do some damage. After a perfect dinner that looks prepared by the winner on Celebrity Chefs, they all don their tailored designer pajamas, say goodnight like The Waltons, and head for their separate bedrooms. Before you can say “Lights out,” the perfect daughter strips naked in the dark and slips into bed with her perfect Dad, ready for some perfect hot and heavy incest. Mom furiously switches on the light, declares they’re not having any of that nonsense this time around and sets things right. Yes, the Joneses are too beautiful and perfect to be true, and it doesn’t take long to find out what their groove is, or what they’re up to. When you find out, get ready to pick your jaw up off the floor.

The Joneses, see, are not a family at all. In fact they don’t even know each other. They’re a team hired by a newfangled covert marketing ﬁrm called Life Image, whose clients hire the company to push the coolest, newest products and sell lifestyles. The Joneses are a unit posing as the cast of The Donna Reed Show to create high-end Meet the Jonses: Ben Hollingsworth, Amber Heard, Demi Moore and David Duchovny. demands for everything conjugal bed, Kate puts him in his place as the gang from golf clubs to frozen sushi. Every member of the unit leader with lines like, “This is business. I’m your boss. has to carry their share of the load. Their goal: to seduce I don’t need to be friends.” everyone they meet into becoming titans of “gimme, The company tries to change the cell like moving gimme” and create a ripple effect to convert naive dupes prisoners from one lockup to another, but it’s too late. into selling their products for them. Kate throws lavish To sell lifestyles, you have to sell yourself, and the Joneparties to turn the neighborhood wives into Sam’s Clubs. ses don’t know who the hell they are. Jenn is involved Steve, a former car salesman who thinks he can con with a married man, Mick creates a scandal at school anybody, hits the golf course to sell sporting goods. Jenn and Mr. Jones has already fallen for Mrs. Jones. The becomes a classroom cosmetics queen, while Mick’s new biggest mistake is when the fake family begins to act like buddies buy out the latest in digital wide-screen TVs. a real family. Only a cad would tell you how it ends, but Lauren Hutton is the tough executive who arrives every believe me—a meltdown is inevitable. 30 days to evaluate their progress with computer graphs The Joneses is a cross between alternate-universe and edgy pep talks: “You’ve been here two months and dynamics and a reality TV show, with relevant things everybody’s drinking your Kool-Aid.” to say about the vulgarity of possessions ﬁlling the hole Things go south when one envious neighbor (beautiwhere self-value should be, especially in a recession and fully played by Gary Cole) tries to keep up with the compelling performances to say them with. Surprising, Joneses, goes bankrupt and commits suicide. And the inventive and crisply, merrily written-directed by Dergame plan weakens when the family begins to show rick Borte, The Joneses is a brisk, captivating entertaina human side. Steve tries to be a team player, but his ment. Think Ozzie and Harriet on speed. heart gets in the way. Every time he moves closer to the

Short reviewS

the Perfect Game (PG)

By Cole Smithey

★★★✩✩

A sweetly mannered sports movie with lots of heart that’s ideal for introducing baseball to young fans. It’s 1957 Monterrey, Mexico and former Cincinnati Reds ballboy Cesar (Clifton Collins Jr.) coaches a group of ragtag child ballplayers to play in the Little League World Series. It’s based on a true story of the only “perfect game” (when a pitcher never allows a runner to ever get on base) in the league’s championship history. 86 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

the Clash of the titans (PG-13)

★★★✩✩

In spite of a miscast Sam Worthington as Perseus and a lame CGI Medusa, Titans is an enjoyable spectacle based on the myth of Perseus. Director Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2) makes the most of big action set pieces that include intense battles. To all the critical moaning about this update of Desmond Davis’ 1981 original, I say pishaw. Solid performances from Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes add gravitas.

hot tub time Machine (r)

★★✩✩✩

Considering John Cusack produced this lackluster comedy romp wherein three buddies (Rob Corddry, Cusack and Craig Robinson) travel back to their ’80s-era heyday, Time Machine should at least feature some cool music—instead, we get Poison and Mötley Crüe. Chevy Chase is wasted in a minor role, as is Crispin Glover. Homosexual hijinks and poorly executed slapstick punches and pratfalls attend this sloppy comedy.

Chloe (r)

★★✩✩✩

In this formulaic suspense, Julianne Moore’s Catherine hires local call girl Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) to discover if her husband David (Liam Neeson), can be tempted into cheating. Eric Cressida Wilson’s script places Chloe as the protagonist, then backpedals between the couple and their son (Max Thieriot). The ﬁlm slips into a predictable dilemma that punishes the audience for its curiosity about the title character.

Short reviewS

Oh, to be the child of Tina Fey and Steve Carell.

Date Night (PG-13)

★★★✩✩

Date Night is a middle-aged romantic comedy that splits between overplayed situational slapstick gags and saucy comic delivery from its compatible leads. As Phil and Claire Foster, a New Jersey wedded couple of 10 years, Tina Fey and Steve Carell are perfectly plausible and easy on the funny bone. The problem is screenwriter Josh Klausner’s hackneyed story that puts the couple on the run from a couple of bad-apple cops in a case of mistaken identity. Pumped-up cameos from the likes of Mark Wahlberg, Ray Liotta, James Franco and Mila Kunis do little to distract from a sophomoric script that never should have been green-lit. Even the ﬁlm’s centerpiece car-chase sequence is a thing of inert comic value. Fey and Carell deserve better. Their effortless comic timing together is the only thing to recommend Date Night, but that’s enough to make it worth your time.

Movie tiMeS

the runaways (r)

★★★✩✩

Runaways 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 band’s bisexual lead singer, while Kristen Stewart channels Joan Jett. But Michael Shannon steals the show as their famously eccentric producer. Debut ﬁlmmaker Floria Sigismondi is keen on meta meaning, while Joan Jett and record producer Kenny Laguna executive produced.

Scan here for up-to-the-minute movie listings delivered directly to your mobile device.

April 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven 87

DRIVE THIS! ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS

the 12 hours of

Gadgets & Tech

Cost, lack of content hinder television’s new dimension By Eric Benderoff

MAY 5

12pm – 12am

erik estrada HOSTED BY

calling all caliente ladies

miss T&T hot tamale

contest!

$5,000 to enter go to tacosandtequilalv.com

now, there aren’t many 3-D channels The local movie theater isn’t the only or movies out there. Only a handful of place you’ll be able to see an actionmovies are available (how often can you packed blockbuster in 3-D this summer. watch Monsters vs. Aliens?) and the slate of The “you are here” feeling of 3-D is now 3-D broadcast programming expected available for your living room, as well. from Discovery and ESPN is still months Still, you will need to spend a lot more away. Still, some cable systems and than a $10 movie ticket to experience broadcasters have started to broadcast 3-D at home. Indeed, it will take roughly select sporting events, such as the 300 trips to the theater—or 150 if you Masters golf championship, in 3-D. bring a date each time—before a 3-D Nonetheless, you can forge ahead if TV in your living room equals the cost you want. To entice buyers and soften of going to a show. That doesn’t include the blow of the high prices, this new the cost of buying or renting a 3-D living-room technology commands, DVD, but it doesn’t include the cost of retailers are “bundling” plans for 3-D popcorn, either. TV equipment. Best Buy, for example, Televisions capable of showing 3-D is offering a Panasonic bundle for fare are arriving at electronics retailers, about $3,000—a 50-inch 3-D TV, a with models from Panasonic, Samsung 3-D Blu-ray and LG already player and one for sale and Sony pair of glasses. sets expected this Initial prices for summer. Others 3-D TVs are will soon follow, expected to cost including options $400-$800 more from low-price than comparably leader Vizio. If there ever The future of 3-D TV is so bright, sized HD TVs; was a technolyou’ll have to wear shades like these 3-D Blu-ray ogy primed for (Panasonic’s 3D Active Shutter Lens Eyewear). players will cost about $400 early adopters (twice the standard price); and each pair willing to pay to be first, it is 3-D TV. of glasses will cost about $120, which To watch a 3-D movie at home, you’ll means if you have a family of four (or a need a new TV, a new Blu-ray player bunch of friends who want to come over and at least one pair of glasses (or two for 3-D movie night), you should expect if you have a date). And forget about to spend $600 on glasses. stealing a pair from the movie theater; Those prices will discourage many of you’ll need specially powered glasses the curious but they won’t turn away all to make 3-D work on your home TV. of the first movers. Thankfully, most manufacturers are Estimates vary about how quickly 3-D including one pair of 3-D glasses with TVs will be adopted in U.S. living rooms. new 3-D TV sets. Sony hopes that 10 percent of the TVs it Unfortunately, the involved set-up sells over the next fiscal year will be 3-D won’t necessarily make deciding what to models (after they arrive in June). Meanwatch any easier. In fact, it might make time, the Consumer Electronics Associait more difficult, considering that right

Want to watch the latest 3-D DVDs? Your already-old Blu-ray DVD player probably won’t cut it.

88 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

3-D viewing is coming to an open-air living room near you—and it’s bringing shockingly realistic-looking giraffes with it, apparently.

tion believes at least 1 million 3-D sets will be sold in the United States this year. “In a few years, I do think that 3-D TV capabilities will be integrated into TV sets, much as we expect Web connectivity to be a part of most displays,” Kurt Scherf, principal analyst for Parks Associates, writes in a blog post. “I heard other [consumer electronics] manufacturers at the Consumer Electronics Show indicate that 30 percent to 40 percent of their displays may be 3-D capable in five years.” If you are curious as to how 3-D technology will translate from the big screen to your living room’s (relatively) small screen, head down to an electronics store and check out a demo. I recently visited two TV retailers to test sets from Sony and Samsung. The 50-inch Sony was a production model while the 40-inch Samsung was available for $2,000. In my demonstrations, 3-D looked as good on a TV as it did in the theater. Clips from a European soccer match (that Sony included on its demonstration roll) were particularly stunning in 3-D. There was real depth of field that made the action feel much closer than it actually was, particularly from field-level shots. The in-store tests made me think of how cool it would be to put a 3-D camera behind home plate to get a clear view of the ball as it leaves the pitcher’s hand and heads toward your TV at 90 mph. I’d love to watch that. Another thought: The NHL needs a 3-D goalie cam! Other items on the Sony reel included a clip from Wheel of Fortune (although that’s probably not why you’d want 3-D TV) and a few video games. Watching a movie in 3-D was like watching a 3-D movie at the theater.

Things jump out at you, objects float in space and you feel the movie surround you. I had to force myself to stop watching because I felt that I was being sucked in. I had mixed feelings about the two 3-D video racing games I test-drove. The first one featured a brightly colored, futuristic track where race cars floated above the course. It was too much visual stimulation; I started to get a headache. The other video game featured a dune buggy racing through a sandy and sparsely forested landscape. This was much better, and it felt a little exhilarating when the dune buggy caught big air after a jump. Gaming will likely be key to 3-D TVs integration into the home. Knowing this, Sony already plans to offer a free 3-D software upgrades for PlayStation 3 owners. When Sony launched the PS3, it played Blu-ray discs, not standard DVDs like previous versions. That was a factor that led to the demise of the rival HDDVD format. With the PS3 supporting 3-D gaming, game-makers are more likely to invest in the technology. Likewise, since the PS3 doubles as a movie player, you won’t need to buy a new 3-D Blu-ray player if you already have a PS3. But you’ll still need a few of those funky (and pricey) glasses if you want to invite any friends over to play those cool 3-D games with you. 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 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven 89

Dining Public Approval Todd English’s gastropub concept adds life to CityCenter, not to mention some great grub

By Max Jacobson CityCenter’s vast architectural canyons are handsome enough, but when the crowds do not materialize, the complex feels remote, almost lifeless. So thank heaven for Todd English P.U.B. The acronym stands for the catchy but meaningless “Public Urban Bar” (oh, stop), but this is a clever concept restaurant nonetheless. A ﬁrst of its kind by the celebrity chef who burst onto the local scene at his Bellagio restaurant, Olives, English’s new place adds the sort of buzz CityCenter badly needs. For one thing, it is normally alive with a crowd, there to chug microbrews at the large bar or chow down a rotisserie meat or three from the restaurant’s signature Carvery. Continued on page 92

The obscenely delicious Dirty Chips.

April 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven 91

Dining

Diner’s Notebook

Todd English P.U.B. Continued from page 91

And for another, the restaurant is the closest thing Las Vegas has to the gastropub, a phenomenon that started in the U.K., has taken root in the American heartland and is slowly spreading across the country. I have been critical of English in the past for being too long on conception and short on execution. Here, though, the onetime college baseball player turned chef is swinging for the fences. The P.U.B. is next to Beso—Eva Longoria’s nightclub and restaurant—on the side of the Crystals shopping mall. It’s a huge, rectangular room fitted with dartboards, white tiles, a blackboard, wooden tables and handsome captain’s chairs. The one downside is a scale better suited to a banquet hall than a public house. If you’re looking for the sort of intimacy that a true pub offers, you won’t find it here. What you will find is brew, and plenty of it, not to mention a carefully considered wine list, all well-matched with the meats, several favorites from a true English pub menu, and several cute ideas from the Englishman whose name is on the front door. During a recent visit, I was a bit stunned by the $16 price tag on my Chimay ale, though the Belgian beverage was served at the perfect temperature, and I know of none better. The fellow I dined with seemed equally pleased with his Warsteiner Dunkel, which, at $8, was priced a bit more modestly. In all, there are 50 beers from which to choose, in bottle or from the keg, and the staff knows the difference between beer and ale (mainly the brewing temperature). They’re a well-trained group under the able direction of veteran Vegas restaurateur Kelley Jones. Almost everything I ate here was a home run. The Dirty Chips live up to their name by being obscenely delicious: warm kettle chips laced with bacon, scallions, fried chicken livers and blue-cheese dressing. Welsh rarebit comes in the form of a giant hunk of toast layered with creamy cheddar. The Carvery meats are sheer poetry, slow-cooked, generally thick cuts served by a half-pound minimum. Greek leg of lamb, pastrami and juicy roast

Subway’s a.m. steal, Lola’s crawﬁsh boil and a Persian jewel By Max Jacobson

English’s Welsh rarebit.

turkey are three big-time winners. I’m told that the fried bologna sandwich is a big seller, but they don’t pay me enough to try that one. An appetizer not to miss is Duck Buns, really a way for the chef to sneak Peking duck onto a pub menu. This puts the ones at most of our Chinese restaurants to shame. The only misstep on the menu is an overly puréed prime beef chili. I liked the taste, but the sloppy-joe texture left me a bit out to lunch. There is also a terriﬁc warm bread pudding for dessert, half submerged in an English toffee sauce. Hey, does this guy have to put his name on everything? At Crystals in CityCenter, 489-8080. Dinner for two (food only) $49-$93. Open daily, 11 a.m.-2 a.m.

Unusual but tasty pub fare: Duck Buns.

92 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

Anyone serious about home cooking should check out Elise Bauer’s website, simplyrecipes.com. The 42-year old consultant for Silicon Valley launched her site several years back and today is one of the biggest success stories on the Internet. Recipes for moqueca (a fish stew from Brazil), classic rack of lamb and hundreds of other dishes in every category are a boon to any home cook. I never thought I’d be writing about the Subway chain, but here it is … In an attempt to compete in the breakfast market, the chain is now doing breakfast sandwiches. This would normally not be notable, but for only $2.50 you get a Western omelet egg melt on an English muffin, plus a 16-ounce cup of Seattle’s Best Coffee. It’s a deal that is hard to beat. Lola’s, in the Holsum Lofts (241 W. Charleston Blvd., 227-5652) is my favorite local restaurant for the Cajun and Creole cooking of Louisiana. Owner Lola Pokorny does mean gumbo, wonderful catfish, terrific charbroiled Gulf oysters and peerless bread pudding. But it is the Friday crawfish boil that has gotten my attention. She cooks these crimson-colored crustaceans in onions, garlic and lots of Zatarain’s seasonings. They’re spicy but not hot, unless you add some of the Tabasco sauce that sits reverently on each table. Eating a crawfish requires both courage and skill. If you don’t know how to take the shells off, someone there will show you. Make sure to ask how to eat the crawfish butter, a real delicacy, and remember not to eat the lungs. You pay by the pound, and get a boiled potato and an ear of corn along with a bucket for shells. The only problem is that the paper napkins at Lola’s just don’t cut it. Sometimes you find something delicious and unusual when you least expect it. I was driving along Sunset Road just south of the airport when I saw a sign that said “Kabob.” That’s how I discovered The Flame (6540 Escondido St., 868-9096), which makes the best Persian-style pita bread in the city. This is taftoon bread in Farsi—flat, hot and crusty when it is pulled out of the cylindrical clay oven used here, similar to an Indian tandoor. It’s best to have one stuffed with a beef kubideh (spiced ground beef) or a meaty chicken kabob. Side dishes to try include mast-o-musir, a thick yogurt laced with shallots and the excellent paleorange hummus. Hungry, yet? Follow Max Jacobson’s latest epicurean observations, reviews and tips at foodwinekitchen.com.

Dining

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

Red Velvet Cupcake at The Cupcakery

Filet Mignon at Charlie Palmer Steak

Many people think of this Southern recipe as a form of chocolate cake, but while there is cocoa in the batter, it is really something unto itself. The Cupcakery has the best version around, and it uses a thick cream-cheese-based frosting to make you feel extra guilty. $3, 9680 S. Eastern Ave., 207-2253; 7175 W. Lake Mead Blvd., 835-0060.

This is the star attraction of one of our city’s most elegant steak houses, run by one of America’s most accomplished chefs. This 10-ounce center-cut ﬁlet is aged for 21 days before being charbroiled in a 1,600-degree oven. It comes with a cabernet reduction sauce and is topped with thyme-roasted shallot. Note: This dish is also part of the special three-course Mother’s Day menu ($65 a person). $42, Four Seasons, 632-5120.

Roast Beef on Kimmelweck Roll at the Naked City Sandwich Shop

Crab Cake With Green Papaya Salad at Top of the World

Everything is made from scratch at this creative little shop, right by Dino’s in the Naked City neighborhood. Our favorites include musky Angus steak chili and homemade soups, but this sandwich, which comes on a delicious Kimmelweck (salt and caraway roll), is enough to tempt anyone, even a dancer from nearby Olympic Gardens. $8.95, 1516 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 889-6300.

Serious cooking is underfoot at this revolving restaurant, recently acquired by Goldman Sachs. Chefs Claude Gaty, late of Mon Ami Gabi, and creative Rick Giffen, formerly of Café Wasabi, are cooking with gas. This starter with lump crabmeat and green papaya is like a Thai street dish, but then is Frenched up with a lemongrass and Sriracha beurre blanc. $16. Atop the Stratosphere, 380-7711.

Who would ever put pickles on a pizza?

Pizza

Crispy Stuff Yum!!!

5 Consecutive Zagats Best Pizza Awards & Best Pizza R-J Readers Poll America’s Neighborhood Pizzeria 1395 East Tropicana Ave. 4001 South Decatur Blvd. 1420 W. Horizon Ridge 4178 Koval Lane

702-736-1955 702-362-7896 702-458-4769 702-312-5888

4111 Boulder Highway

702-247-1980

(Inside Ellis Island Casino)

(Inside Boulder Station Casino)

www.metropizza.com Also visit us at: 94 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

We’ll do it when pigs ﬂy. BBQ pulled pork, fried onion rings and chopped pickles. Sounds really weird...Tastes really great!

Dining

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

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake at Capital Grille

Hot Rocks at Stack

This pale-green Persian soup is one of the world’s great vegetarian dishes, and it’s a meal in itself. The main components are hearty beans, noodles and an herb and green vegetable mixture composed mainly of spinach, cilantro and parsley. The soup is topped off with whey and a healthy dose of fried onions and mint. 3655 S. Durango Dr., 685-1875. $5.99.

This Fashion Show steak house has window tables that afford a great view of the Strip. But another great sight is a mammoth slab of this old-fashioned chocolate layer cake when it’s coming toward your table. The thick, moist cake features layers of dark chocolate mousse and creamy frosting studded with hazelnuts. $9, 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 932-6631.

The thin raw slices of beef sirloin are dressed in ponzu, a garlic oil and citrus sauce, and they come to your table ready to be grilled. The cooking method is like the dish’s name suggests—on the rocks. They’re polished river rocks, to be exact, and they’re hot enough to cook your tender sirloin as well as you want it. $18, The Mirage, 792-7800.

96 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

Roasted Chicken House Hash at Hash House a Go Go This restaurant serves “farm fresh food with a twist.” Portions may be extra large, but the food is so inviting you can’t wait to ﬁnish the last bite on your plate. This dish is one of the most popular hashes and, besides the roasted chicken, it contains asparagus, potatoes and onions. The hash is served with two eggs, a biscuit and side of fruit, and is ﬁnished with a rosemary sprig. $12.95, 6800 W. Sahara Ave., 804-4646.

Cake photo by Anthony Mair

Aash-e Reshteh Soup at Zaytoon

Dining

Profile

A Real Slice of Vegas Freed’s Bakery has been a sweet success for more than a half century

A Guide to the Goods

By Michael T. Toole

Michael T. Toole, a lifelong Freed’s fan, picks his favorite treats: Rugelach. The best in the city. The texture is right—not too doughy or dry—and there’s a good variety of ﬂavors. I’ll have a raspberry pecan, thank you. Rainbow Cookie. Its sublimity comes from its cake-like texture and the layers of rum and raspberry. Zzyzx Road Bar. This confection equals its namesake—that strange, four-mile road in the Mojave Desert—for intrigue and originality. It features graham crust, pecans, coconut and a chocolate layer on top. Lemon Breeze Cake. Form and content are in ﬁne harmony on this one. The moist Bavarian cream cake is iced with butter cream, topped with raspberry and lemon, and coated with coconut.

From its humble beginnings in a small market off Charleston and Valley View boulevards a half century ago to its recent coverage on the Food Network’s Roker on the Road, Freed’s Bakery is a classic American success story, and it’s one that belongs to Las Vegas. It began in 1959 when Milton and Esther Fried moved their family here from New Jersey. Milton, whose main source of income was playing tenor sax at the Sands, needed a second source of income for his brood, and given that he ran restaurant back home, a little snack bar in the burgeoning city of Las Vegas showed promise. Soon came Freed’s Royal Pastries (for those paying attention, they intentionally changed the spelling) and applied themselves feverishly from the outset. Like the exacting recipe for one of their cakes, the Frieds achieved success over the years with a variety of 98 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

techniques, such as working through the holidays and having every family member pitch in, whether baking or delivering. And the taste and range of their baked goods have continually evolved, thanks to enhancements by bakers of various backgrounds and cultures. It has all added up to make Freed’s part of the consciousness of a growing city. For more than 50 years, this little bakery has been the go-to place for elaborate wedding cakes and rugelach at bar mitzvahs. Waiting in line for the chocolate strudel has long been a Christmas tradition. And many other memories of Las Vegans have long been ﬂavored by Freed’s, such as a certain writer’s association of a blueberry-and-strawberry-topped bicentennial ﬂag cookies in the summer of ’76. The latest family member in charge, Max Jacobson-Fried, the 26-year-old general manager (grandson of Milton, and no relation to Vegas Seven food critic Max Jacobson), sums up their success this way: “We’re not afraid of challenges. We love new designs, and we don’t turn people away with their requests. Our customers keep us going with their active imaginations.”

Brown Derby Strawberry Shortcake. I love how the dark cake counters the lightness of the other ingredients. The Black Out This decadent concoction of chocolate cake, blended Belgian chocolate whipped cream, chocolate shavings and powdered sugar … well, it’s just wrong. You stand warned! One example is the 14-year-old who’s become such a regular that “he actually comes into the bakery and decorates his own cakes with us,” Jacobson-Fried says. “Once, for his birthday, he designed a water-slidethemed cake. It was an entire water park, where the water slides were supported on [confectionery] Nikes. Man, that was such a big cake!” Perhaps this helps explain Jacobson-Fried’s vision for the bakery’s next chapter: “I can deﬁnitely see us having our own reality show.” Granted, Freed’s is widely acknowledged for cake designs of stunning, intricate detail, but can it compete with the two popular shows that are already out there, such as the Food Network’s Ace of Cakes and The Learning Channel’s Cake Boss? “Oh, absolutely,” Jacobson-Fried says. “Las Vegas is tailor-made for a reality show. So many people get married here, and some of the ideas they come up with for wedding cakes! And we can turn them around in a matter of hours, so they know we’re dependable.” In a city that is often chided for not having much of a history, particularly with its mom-and-pop businesses, Freed’s dependability is as welcoming as it is revealing. This is not just continuing folklore, but folklore that serves some mean rugelach.

Photography by Anthony Mair

Freed favorites include the Lemon Breeze Cake (left) and the Marble Cupcake (above). Pictured below is the family-owned shop’s new leader, Max Jacobson-Fried, who has his eye on a reality show.

Marble Cupcake. It has a chocolate mousse ﬁlling and a generous touch of ganache icing on top. Oh, the beauty of deceptive simplicity!

HEALTH & FiTnEss

Gray Matters Seven ways to keep a good head on your shoulders By Dr. Ben Conmy The brain. It’s three pounds on average and is 85 percent water. It’s an absolute marvel of efﬁciency, possibility and confusion. This inconceivably complex hunk of tissue oversees our world like a Bond villain in a secret lair, directing this, moving that, and at some point inevitably asking us questions of ourselves to which we have no idea what the answers may be (see Sunday afternoon after a night on the Jameson … ouch). But the brain is also quite heroic, like Michael Jordan on a tear in the playoffs. It is everywhere, executing with perfection, effortlessly moving from one task to another, and we all too often take this for granted. Sufﬁce to say, without this, the most complex organ in the body, we literally could not be. And yet how much do you think about taking care of yours? Just because it stops growing when we reach 20 years of age doesn’t mean we should forget about it. After all, the brain’s ability to form new circuits within it never stops, ever. As with every aspect of self-improvement, there are a thousand answers. Selected here are seven of my practical favorites: Practice. The brain never stops learning, as long as you keep feeding it. Perhaps you might want to surf your way to lumosity.com and start putting some time in. Or do anything that gives the brain a good workout—Sudoku, Scrabble, chess … you get the idea. Exercise. Regular readers will not be surprised to see this one. Jeff Victoroff, in Saving Your Brain (Bantam, 2002), argued that studies show that the more physically active a person is, the greater his cognitive performance. This is supported by the American College of Sports Medicine. There are a plethora of reasons why this is the case, but just trust me on this one. Worst-case scenario: You lose a few pounds. Nutrition. Omega-3s, Omega-3s, Omega-3s. A wealth of research shows the positive effects of this supplement on the brain. Omega-3s are integral to the health of the outer membrane of brain cells. It is through the fat-rich cell membrane that all nerve signals will eventually pass. Let’s get “Vegas” with this analogy: Think of the membrane as a kind of concierge of the mind. Salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines and albacore tuna are all full to the brim when it comes to O-3s. Type in “healthy fats brain”

100 Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

to our old friend Google and there is plenty more to learn (and that in itself is good for your brain). Music. This one can be considered controversial as the scientific research is still being accumulated. However, Einstein was once told by his schoolteachers that he was too stupid to learn, at which point his mother guided the young genius to the violin, something he credits as being one of the central catalysts for his monumental contribution to science. Look up the “Mozart Effect” on your iWhatever and make your own judgment. I’m firmly in the camp that music can help the brain to flourish (and Zoe Thrall, music director at the Palms Studio, agrees with me!). Sleep. A bit like music, the jury is still out on several of the claims made regarding the quality of sleep and brain function. However, research has implied that during deep sleep the brain repairs itself and boosts the immune system. During REM sleep, the brain consolidates information learned during the previous day’s activities, and that quality sleep can improve memory performance and help concentration levels throughout the day. Change it up. Today, use your weaker hand to do all the little tasks. Opening the fridge, turning on the light, eating that dessert. Force your brain to think, fire new synapses, break from some old habits, and get the big ball in your skull to second-guess itself for a second or two. Stress. It’s a classic, but it’s a killer. As Dr. Richard Restak, a world renowned neuropsychiatrist, asserts: “Stress causes brain damage.” As author of 18 books on the human brain, it’s difficult to argue with him, and let’s face it, who needs stress in this life? There are volumes written about stress management, so if you feel like it’s a major factor in your life, seek help, either professionally or by your own means—but do not let it fester unchecked. Ben Conmy, who earned his Ph.D. in sport psycholog y techniques from Florida State University, is a performance consultant based in Las Vegas working with athletes, executives and performers in the United States and Europe.

SportS & LeiSure Spinnin’ and Winnin’ Team USA ready to represent at PBR World Cup By David Breitman Anybody still pining for patriotism (or the chance to watch America assert its dominance over smaller, weaker countries with limited fast-food options) better circle April 16-18 on their calendars, because the top cowboys in the country are putting their pride on the line in a no-holds-barred international thrill ride. The Professional Bull Riders World Cup is coming to Las Vegas, and the top-ranked American team is ready to electrify the crowd with incredible athleticism and wardrobes right out of the Marlboro Man’s closet. “This is what it’s all about,” Team USA member Austin Meier says. “It’s as big as it gets, and we dang sure want to show everybody what we can do. You’re going to be looking at ﬁve American cowboys that don’t want to do anything but win.” While Meier’s conﬁdence and adorable ethnocentrism is dang near infectious, the highly decorated bull-riding veteran recognizes that the road to victory is going to be paved with hard work, clean living and everything else that Major League Baseball has fought tirelessly to rid its sport of. “This is a whole other ballgame out there and we’re not taking anything for granted. Four other countries want it just as bad as we do,” he says. The event, which will be held at the Thomas & Mack Center, will feature teams from the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico and Australia competing in six rounds of bull-riding action over three nights, with all 25 riders competing in each round. “The intensity at this event is off the charts,” says Meier, who leads the PBR Built Ford Tough Series standings. “It’s dozens of the best riders in the world competing for their country. Shoot, I’m honestly getting excited just thinking about it.” Scheduled to join Meier of Kinta, Okla., on Team USA are reigning world champion Kody Lostroh of Longmont, Colo.; J.B. Mauney of Mooresville, N.C.; Jordan Hupp of Cheyenne, Wyo.;

and McKennon Wimberly of Cool, Texas. Teams were allowed to make roster adjustments until April 12, after which changes are allowed only because of injuries. This year’s event will be especially meaningful for the red, white and blue riders as it will mark the ﬁrst time the competition is held on American soil. “Nobody’s ever won this thing on their home turf before,” Meier says. “It’s us against the world, and this time we have the crowd behind us.” Meier is also quick to note just how much bringing home the gold will mean to his team. “It’s a great honor to represent your country,” he says. “We want to show the world where the best riders really come from.” With the PBR World Finals in October and the National Finals Rodeo in December both being held at the Thomas & Mack, Meier says Las Vegas is the perfect place for one of the biggest bull-riding spectacles of the year. “Bright lights, big money and some of the rowdiest folks in one building sounds like just another day back home,” he jokes. “Vegas is a great American town that loves the cowboys, and we’re excited to put on a hell of a show for them.” After all, there are few things more American than a good old-fashioned rodeo. “When the dust clears and it’s all done, we’ll be representing our country as champions,” Meier says. “They go spinnin’ and we go winnin’! Just how it is.” Tickets for each day of competition range from $22 to $197, and can be purchased at unlvtickets.com. For more information about the event, ride on over to PBR.com.

Steve Clarkson is one of the country’s premier quarterback coaches.

Dreammaker Tour searching for Valley’s top QB prospects Is Las Vegas the home of the next great quarterback prospect? That will be determined by topflight QB coach Steve Clarkson, who is hosting a one-day audition at Sam Boyd Stadium on April 17 as part of the 20-city Dreammaker Tour. The camp, which costs $150 to attend, is open to youth and high school quarterbacks, and will feature four testing stations—accuracy, pocket presence, long-distance toss and player interview—to determine who will advance in the competition. Five semifinalists will be selected from each tour stop, with those QBs moving on to the finale in Santa Barbara, Calif., on May 29. From there, seven finalists will be invited in July to Clarkson’s Super 7 Maui Retreat, where the winners will receive instruction from a coaching staff that includes Clarkson and Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Warren Moon. Walk-ups are welcome at the Las Vegas camp, which will begin at 4 p.m., following UNLV’s spring scrimmage at noon. The camp also will include a free symposium in which young quarterbacks can learn what it takes to gain collegiate recruitment. – Sean DeFrank To learn more about the Dreammaker Tour, go to steveclarksondreammaker.com.

PBR Built Ford Tough Series points leader Austin Meier is set to ride for Team USA at the World Cup. 102

Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

Going for Broke

Banking on Mavs, Magic to step up in NBA playoffs By Matt Jacob In the majority of American households, “money management” means hiding the keys from the wife when she says she’s going to the mall. (Seriously, how many purses and shoes does one person need?) In gambling parlance, money management is a basic concept in which you identify your bankroll (essentially, how much money you can afford to lose in an absolute worst-case scenario) and arrange your wagers so that you’re risking a small percentage (generally no more than 5 percent) of that bankroll on each individual play. Admittedly, I violated basic moneymanagement strategy in Week 1 of this column when—in an effort to make a big splash out of the gate—I had a large play on the Colts in the Super Bowl. I did feel strongly that the Colts were the right side against the Saints, but in retrospect, the wager should’ve been scaled back. However, the last couple of weeks I’ve delivered positive money-management lessons. Two weeks ago, I went 1-1 and still cleared $250 because I won my big play. Then I lost two of three selections last week, plus just missed on an earlier pick of Tiger Woods to win the Masters, so I ﬁnished 1-3. And yet, because my top play was a $330 winner on the Warriors (who upset the Thunder), I cleared $40 for the week, putting my bankroll at $5,455. Not exactly Megabucks, true. But winning beats losing. And if nothing else, it’ll buy the wife half a shoe. With the NBA’s long second season tipping off, I’m going to focus on two strong futures plays for this week’s picks. $75 (to win $600) on Dallas Mavericks (8-to-1 odds) to win the Western Conference: I’ve been a Lakers fan for three decades, so this goes against my heart. But your heart has to take a backseat to your eyes when you’re wagering, and my eyes tell me something isn’t right with Kobe and the boys. Without question, they’re not as invincible as they looked a year ago on their way to the NBA championship. I see two teams with a legitimate chance to end L.A.’s season prematurely. One is the Nuggets, who took three of four in the regular season from the Lakers. The other is Dallas, which split four meetings with Los Angeles. Both teams have veteran leaders at point guard

( Jason Kidd for Dallas; Chauncey Billups for Denver), and both have scorers who can match Kobe (Dirk Nowitzki for Dallas; Carmelo Anthony for Denver). So why do I prefer the Mavericks? Two reasons: First, there’s a good chance Nuggets coach George Karl will miss the playoffs (or a good chunk of it) while going through cancer treatment. Secondly, the Mavericks were much better on the road this season (27-14) than the Nuggets (19-21 through April 12), and the Lakers will have home-court advantage. $50 (to win $350) on Orlando Magic (7-to-1 odds) to win the NBA Finals: While the Lakers and Cavaliers rested starters in the final week of the regular season, the Magic went all out in what were essentially meaningless games. They did so because: A) they wanted to go into the postseason with momentum, and B) they wanted to finish with a better record than Los Angeles. Here’s why the latter was important: If Orlando can get an NBA Finals rematch with the Lakers, it will have the home-court edge this time. Of course, for the Magic to secure such a rematch, they’ll have to first win the Eastern Conference, which means they’ll likely have to defeat LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the conference finals. That’s a pretty tall mountain to scale for sure, but Orlando eliminated Cleveland in six games last spring, largely because the Cavs didn’t have an answer for Magic big man Dwight Howard. To address that problem, Cleveland signed Shaquille O’Neal in the offseason. It was a desperate move that I highly doubt will work in a seven-game series. If the Magic do get to the Finals, they’d be favored against any opponent other than the Lakers. And even if Los Angeles gets there, the odds you can get on Orlando right now will be better than you’d be able to get prior to the Finals. Can Orlando beat the Lakers this time around? My heart says no way. My eyes, though, say, “I wouldn’t be shocked.” 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 15-21, 2010 Vegas Seven 103

OPENS APRil 19 it’S NO KiDDiE POOl.

2300 PASEO VERDE PARKWAY, HENDERSON, NV 89052 | greenvalleyranchresort.com | 617.7413

Seven queStionS

Larry Rvuvo The beverage boss and philanthropist talks about the brain center, its impact and its namesake

By Elizabeth Sewell

What is your main goal with the Ruvo Center? My initial goal was just to bring awareness to the disease. Fifteen years ago very few people knew of [Alzheimer’s], so I think that mission has deﬁnitely been accomplished. We have brought a lot of attention to the disease. My goal now, certainly, is to ﬁnd a cure. But until that time, the next thing is to make people aware how important the caregivers are, and through our caregiving program, let the people in the families know that every patient has several caregivers. That’s something we’ve overlooked in the past. What will the building do for architecture in Las Vegas? Raise it to another level. People from all over the world—students of architecture, professors of architecture—are coming to see it. We just hosted the International School of Switzerland. It won’t do for Las Vegas what Frank Gehry did for Bilbao [Spain], but it’s going to create some major excitement in our city. 110

Vegas Seven April 15-21, 2010

Now that you’ve broken the ice with Frank Gehry, will he consider designing more buildings in Las Vegas? I think he will for me. We’ve talked about it, and yes, the answer for me is yes. How close are we to ﬁnding a cure for Alzheimer’s? I think we’re very close to determining early detection and I think we can delay the onset of the disease for several years. If we can do that now, it’s going to continue to get better. What is your motto? Giving back and sharing every blessing you’ve had. One person can really change the community. We’ve had a lot of role models through the years—people who have dramatically changed the community, [such as] Parry Thomas and Hank Greenspun. You see what those people can do, and they set an image for you as you get older that it’s your turn. The building has been open a few months and we already have more than 100 volunteers, and have had these volunteers say what a pleasure it is to be there. We had President George W. Bush to

hear firsthand from the volunteers how important this is and how it’s changed their life since they’ve been afflicted with the disease. How do you think your father would feel about the center? I was always taught to give back and share, so I had this opportunity and I know my father would certainly be proud. What we’re doing is going to elevate our city into international attention. There is no place that has taken all of the brain diseases and put them under one roof and thus created this set-up of brain health. One intriguing thing that we’ve done is our symposium. We’re bringing some of the top people throughout the world to host our symposiums, and that’s how we’re going to find the cure. What is one thing you would like to see happen in Las Vegas? I believe we can remarket our city for the international traveler to get their wellness and physicals in Las Vegas and be a medical destination. With our partnership with the Cleveland Clinic, for the first time we have a partner that has an international reputation.

Photo by Laura Rauch

Larry Ruvo knows ﬁrsthand the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s. After a two-year struggle with the disease, his father, Lou Ruvo, died in 1994. It was a turning point that led Ruvo to establish Keep Memory Alive, an organization dedicated to not only the prevention and treatment of the disease, but ultimately the cure. Ruvo grew up in Las Vegas, where his parents owned the Venetian Restaurant, the erstwhile Italian eatery on Charleston Boulevard. Ruvo, senior managing director of Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada, joined the company in 1969 and helped it become the state’s largest wholesale liquor distributor. He parlayed that success into another one four decades later: the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. Besides a building with a noble function (see page 30), Ruvo’s effort has given the city its ﬁrst Frank Gehry. Both are gifts that wouldn’t be here without him.