Holiday Shopping Guide | Vegas Seven Magzine | Nov. 28-Dec. 4 by Vegas Seven

JIMNOVEMBER GAFFIGAN 29 & 30

Known for routines relating to being lazy and eating Hot Pockets, cake and bacon, his high-pitched asides showcase his clever and quiet style. Gafgan is one of the top fve most successful touring comedians in the country today.

TICKETS • DINNER & SHOW PACKAGES • 792.7777 View upcoming Aces at mirage.com

To purchase tickets, visit lvbowl.com

14 | THE LATEST

Big dreams and holiday skepticism on the Strip; assessing the tenure of outgoing UNLV President Smastrek; and new steps for desert tortoise adoption. Plus, Ask a Native, The Deal and Tweets of the Week.

16 | Next Exit

“Dear America, Pro Athletes Think You’re Soft,” by Stacy J. Willis. So does the secretary of education. Maybe Bobby Knight can help.

20 | Sports

“A More Mindful MMA,” by Heidi Kyser. Octagon warriors learn the art of inner peace. Plus, Sean DeFrank on UNLV’s seven greatest shot-blockers.

22 | Politics

“Rebel Regent?” by Michael Green. UNLV alum Sam Lieberman wants to fix the state’s ailing higher education system.

24 | THE SHOPPING ISSUE

Our favorite stores, trends and hot looks as we kick off the holiday season.

33 | NIGHTLIFE

Seven Nights, a Q&A with Questlove and photos from the week’s hottest parties.

57 | DINING

Max Jacobson on Max’s Restaurant (not what you’re thinking). Plus, Diner’s Notebook, the peak of truffle season and Scene Stirs.

63 | A&E

“Holly and the iPod,” by Danny Axelrod. Start your 12 days of artsy gifting with our handy guide.

66 | Music

“Here Come the Kids,” by Camille Cannon. Parade of Lights grows into the next Las Vegas success story. Plus, Jarret Keene’s Soundscraper, CD reviews and our concert pages.

70 | Art

“Rented Dreamspace,” by Pj Perez. A motel art event opens a gateway to a greener future.

72 | Movies

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Nebraska and our weekly movie capsules.

86 | Seven Questions

DEPARTMENTS 11 | Dialogue 15 | Seven Days 18 | Gossip

9 ON THE COVER Let the shopping begin: Kemo Sabe at the Forum Shops.

Katie Epstein photographed at Coterie (515 Fremont St.) by Beverly Poppe. Dress by TFNC London ($95 at Coterie).

VEGAS SEVEN

PHOTO BY BEVERLY POPPE

20 | Going for Broke

November 28–December 4, 2013

Onetime Playmate of the Year and current View co-host Jenny McCarthy on her upcoming Hard Rock comedy showcase, dating a New Kid and one wild Vegas night.

las Vegas’ weekly City magazine FounDeD February 2010

Publisher

Michael Skenandore

eDitor

editorial

Greg Blake Miller

senior eDitors Matt Jacob (news and sports), Xania Woodman (nightlife, beverage and dining) a&e eDitor Cindi Reed senior writers Geoff Carter, Heidi Kyser, Stacy J. Willis Copy ChieF Paul Szydelko assoCiate eDitors Steve Bornfeld, Sean DeFrank assoCiate style eDitor Jessica Acuña CalenDar CoorDinator Camille Cannon

Contributing editors

Melinda Sheckells, style; Sam Glaser, nightlife; Michael Green, politics; Max Jacobson, food; Jarret Keene, music; David G. Schwartz, gaming/hospitality

art

CreatiVe DireCtor Ryan Olbrysh art DireCtor Christopher A. Jones graphiC Designer Jesse J Sutherland staFF photographer Anthony Mair

VegasseVen.Com

Deputy DireCtor Felicia Mello teChniCal DireCtor Herbert Akinyele eDitor Jason Scavone interaCtiVe proDuCer Nicole Ely staFF writer, runrebs.Com Mike Grimala

ProduCtion/distribution

DireCtor oF proDuCtion/Distribution Marc Barrington aDVertising manager Jimmy Bearse Distribution CoorDinator Jasen Ono

sales

business DeVelopment DireCtor Christy Corda aCCount manager Brittany Quintana aCCount serViCe manager Nicole Bullis aCCount exeCutiVe Robyn Weiss

interns

Adam Culler, Devin Howell, Susanna Kelly, Allison Kyler, Tye Masters, John Schmitz

Wendoh media ComPanies

Ryan T. Doherty | Justin Weniger presiDent Michael Skenandore ViCe presiDent, marketing anD eVents Kyle Markman eDitorial DireCtor Phil Hagen CreatiVe DireCtor Sherwin Yumul marketing CoorDinator Maureen Hank

FinanCe

November 28–December 4, 2013

ChieF FinanCial oFFiCer Kevin J. Woodward assistant Controller Donna Nolls general aCCounting manager Erica Carpino

letters and story ideas

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Distribution@VegasseVen.Com

VEGAS SEVEN

PublisHed in assoCiation WitH tHe observer Media grouP

dialogUe conTribUTors The Style Squad

Style editor Melinda Sheckells has long dreamed of compiling a shopping issue rich in local favor (see Page 24). “For years there was little to write about in terms of boutiques,” she says. “We were generally confned to major retailers on the Strip. They’re luxurious and cool, but it’s exciting to have vibrancy at the grassroots, too.” With the help of associate style editor Jessi C. Acuña, Laurel May Bond, Devin Howell, Claire Wigglesworth, Nicole Ely and Erin Timrawi, cool-hunting across the Valley was a tiring yet enjoyable task. “Hey, shopping isn’t all fun and games,” Sheckells says. “Just ask our fashion baby, Nash Gray [pictured], who has to be carried by the end of most of his trips.”

This week @ VegasseVen.com Runnin’ Rebels Through the Ages

Get the scoop on Rebels past, present and future at RunRebs.com. Sean DeFrank’s RebeLists will get you acquainted with UNLV greats (see Page 20 for his rundown of the program’s all-time best shot-blockers); Mike Grimala’s game coverage and analysis will keep you in the know when the Rebels face Tennessee-Martin at the Thomas & Mack on Nov. 30; and our recruiting news will introduce you to top Class of 2017 prospect Christian Popoola Jr. of Bishop Gorman High School.

The Best Vegas Gear

Forget about the cheesy T-shirts tourists buy at ABC Stores. These local artisans’ Vegas-inspired hats, tees and hoodies let you rep Sin City in style. See their wares at VegasSeven.com/VegasGear.

Burger-Crazed Las Vegas

What’s behind the proliferation of celebrity burger joints? Food critic Max Jacobson explains why your half-pounder with grilled onions and béarnaise sauce is helping casinos make ends meet at VegasSeven.com/AskMax.

Facebook.com/VegasSeven Twitter.com/7Vegas

11 VEGAS SEVEN

Thanksgiving comes and goes on November 28, but it’s just the beginning for Hanukkah, which starts the evening of November 27 and continues for eight days. To toast this rare confluence of the two holidays, dining and beverage editor Xania Woodman pulls together a drinking-themed gift guide that will keep the menorah burning bright. Start your shopping at VegasSeven. com/Thanksgivukkah.

November 28–December 4, 2013

Happy Thanksgivukkah!

EVENT

WAKE-UP CALL

VEGAS SEVEN

[ UPCOMING ]

Dec. 8 Circus Couture to benefit Children’s Specialty Center of Nevada (Circus-Couture.com)

Dec. 14 City of Henderson’s WinterFest Parade (HendersonLive.com)

PHOTOS BY JOSH METZ

November 28–December 4, 2013

Why roll out of bed when you can run? That’s what more than 600 pajama-clad participants did on Nov. 24 for the inaugural PJ 5k and One-Mile Walk at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. As the runners were ushered through the Glittering Lights holiday display on the racetrack, several spectators bid on raffle baskets on the sidelines. Event organizer Speedway Children’s Charities collected new pairs of pajamas and nearly $23,000 to support various Southern Nevada youth organizations—a warm and fuzzy outcome, just like your favorite PJs.

“I think competitiveness is beautiful. And if I’m playing gin, I want to kick your ass.” next exIt {Page 16}

News, essays, politics and blocked shots

Fantasy Land

A proposed project looks like it could bring a winter Wonderland to the Strip. But in Las Vegas, looks can be deceiving.

VEGAS SEVEN

In Las Vegas, you’re never quite sure what’s real, what’s fantasy and what’s just wishful speculation. And it’s never possible to tell which is which, until it’s entirely obvious. The latest real-or-not dream might be Wonderland, a project which purports to bring the charm of winter to 18 acres on the Las Vegas Strip: a cluster of pre-fab faux storefronts decked out in twinkling lights, the sound of sleigh bells ringing, everything dusted in fake snow. Like nothing you’ve ever seen, and everything you’ve ever wanted! In other words, Opportunity Village’s Magical Forest … amplifed to Strip proportions … with none of the local tradition or philanthropic connections. A brilliantly nostalgic Geocities website—with nonfunctioning Facebook and YouTube links, and contact info “Coming Soon”—was recently replaced with a static page promising “something wonderful” coming to town. Accompanying that message are links to functioning (but uninformative) Facebook, Instagram and Twitter feeds. Meanwhile, the opening date for Wonderland was pushed from November 25 to December 14. The media page that was available on that site until mid-November included a PDF packed with a wealth of big dreams (albeit no contact information or identifcation of 7 Wheel Wonders, the company behind the project). Projecting “gross net profts” (a heretofore unknown statistical category) of $12.3 million, Wonderland was at one time soliciting corporate support, including $1 million of in-kind donations of lumber to

actually build the place. But the project wasn’t without heart; local charities were free to buy a Christmas tree (a mere $5,000 for 12 feet of holiday cheer), and Wonderland would provide mailboxes for guests (after they paid $20 to enter) to drop off donations, keeping only 8 percent of all sums given as a “Charity Administration Fee.” Las Vegas is not unfamiliar with illusory press-release-andpray-for-funding projects—if you build a website, they will come—but the short timeline on Wonderland makes it an intriguing case to follow: In early November, the Clark

County Commission approved a temporary use permit for Wonderland, allowing it to build a “holiday” village that would operate through Valentine’s Day. In an apparent reversal, it was indicated that admission would be free, and daily attendance was estimated at a maximum of 5,000—or more than half the projection of 11,000 average daily visitors initially indicated on the nowdisappeared media page. After the County Commission’s imprimatur, a few major media outlets reported on Wonderland as a done deal. But questions

remain. In a media release, Wonderland said Cashman Photo Enterprises would “offer unique portrait opportunities” in the faux village. One problem: When contacted about such a partnership, Art Greene, Cashman’s director of marketing, was completely unfamiliar with Wonderland. Wonderland Executive Director Jason Feltz, who spoke before the commission, is—if his website and IMDB entry are to be believed—an actor/writer/ producer/director and editor of a score of short flms produced over the past two years … and no known experience in retail

development. Thus far, no work is apparent on Wonderland’s would-be site, across from Mandalay Bay (in fairness, the county permit mandated that setup couldn’t commence until two weeks prior to the event). No vendors have been announced, no details have been released about how a snow-dusted village will be erected in two weeks, and no call has gone out for employees. Indeed, it seems impossible for prospective vendors or employees to reach the people behind Wonderland, since those people have remained wondrously elusive. (Our repeated attempts to reach representatives from 7 Wheel Wonders were unsuccessful, and an architect who worked on the project would not discuss its details or name his client.) And still more unsolved mysteries: The now-departed website media page once projected $2.5 million in souvenir sales. Have these souvenirs been fabricated already, or will they appear magically under the tree on December 14? Will all those Santas, elves, porta-potties, faux fur capes and mugs of apple cider (and everything else needed for a “Victorian winter village”) spontaneously assemble on the appointed day? Is this a Christmas secret so magical that the dozens of people who would have to be involved to pull this off have conspired to protect the secret? Your guesses are as good as ours: Maybe we’ll see you at the village in a couple of weeks. After all, the uncritical acceptance of Wonderland is another sign that Las Vegas—a city built on dreams—isn’t ready to stop believing.

ILLUSTRATION BY JESSE J SUTHERL AND

November 28–December 4, 2013

By David G. Schwartz

[ NEED TO KNOW ]

THE TORTOISE’S NEXT STEP

The Animal Foundation recently announced the start of its desert tortoise adoption program, which aims to ease the strain on the overcrowded Desert Tortoise Conservation Center. Here are the key details: 1 The adoption fee is $75 and includes an implanted microchip. 2 Those interested in adopting a tortoise must meet with an adoption counselor to ensure that their homes meet certain criteria: Yards should be at least 600 square feet, and they must have space for a burrow. 3 Because desert tortoises are a threatened species, adoption is only available to Nevada residents. To control the captive population, each household can adopt only one tortoise. For more information, visit AnimalFoundation.com/Adopt or call 702-384-3333. – Erin Timrawi

By Bob Whitby

THURSDAY, NOV. 28: Thanksgiving in Las Vegas is uniquely wonderful. There are excellent buffets and prix-fixed menus all over town for those who don’t want to cook, the weather is usually lovely, and bars stay open so you can get that much-needed antidote to an overdose of family time. Count your blessings today, and be thankful you don’t live in Schenectady.

FRIDAY, NOV. 29: You don’t need us

to tell you that it’s Black Friday. So while you’re standing in line at 3 a.m. to get a bargain on a new flat screen, think ahead to this evening when you’ll be at The District’s holiday tree-lighting party, 6:30 p.m. at the outdoor mall at Green Valley Ranch. Santa will be there, as will Frankie Moreno, who will perform live. ShopTheDistrictDVR.com.

[ DISPATCH ]

A LAS VEGAN IN GETTYSBURG By Michael Green

SATURDAY, NOV. 30: It’s Small Business Saturday, and if you

THE SMATRESK LEGACY At his State of the University address in September, UNLV President Neal Smatresk stated his biggest goal for the school: to make it a top research university within 15 years. Now he’s announced that he will leave at the end of the year, returning to his home state as president of the University of North Texas. Smatresk’s tenure began in 2009, in the heart of the Great Recession. The crisis informed his efforts, but did not entirely defne them. He’ll be remembered as: A budget man. UNLV’s budget fell by $74 million, and Smatresk had to raise student tuition more than 50 percent, eliminate 19 degree programs and reduce 700 faculty positions. But for the frst time, UNLV got to keep fees and the tuition raised on its campus. A fundraiser. He’s credited with raising a record $537 million, including $12.6 million from the Engelstad Family Foundation for UNLV’s largest-ever scholarship program. A would-be builder. Smatresk championed visions for an on-campus football stadium, a medical school and more student housing. The highlights are admirable, but the university— which has one of the nation’s lowest six-year graduation rates (43 percent)—still has far to go if it is to achieve Smatresk’s most cherished goals. – Stacy J. Willis

SMATRESK PHOTO COURTESY OF UNLV REBEL YELL

[ EVENTS ]

THE HOLIDAYS START AT SUNSET Three years after the Gift of Lights decamped for the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, holiday dreaming returns to Sunset Park. From December 6-22, Sunset Wonderland (not to be confused with the elusive Strip project by the same name) will host winter activities including tree decorating, gingerbread house construction, chestnut roasting and performances from local dance and cheer troupes. The Gift of Lights drive-through event was at Sunset Park for nine years; it became a popular tradition, but also generated some epic lines of cars snaking down Eastern Avenue waiting to enter. Its departure coincided with the start of major renovations at Sunset. Now that those renovations are complete, the park was ready to bring back a big holiday event, Las Vegas style, complete with an EZ Glide 350 synthetic ice-skating rink. – Erin Timrawi Free. Open 4-10 p.m. Mon–Fri and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sat-Sun.

are planning on keeping your gift dollars local this year then you’ll want to be at the Neon Holiday Bazaar,, noon to 6 p.m. at Jackie Gaughan Plaza at El Cortez. This gathering of about 50 local retailers features thousands of items you won’t find at a big-box store, along with food trucks, photos with Santa, giveaways, etc. NeonBazaarLV.com.

SUNDAY, DEC. 1: Today is World AIDS Day, and while the disease has slipped from headlines, it’s still something that affects millions worldwide. AFAN is commemorating the day with a screening of Philadelphia at 4 p.m. at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center, 401 S. Maryland Pkwy., followed by a candlelight walk to the AIDS Memorial Garden on the UNLV campus. AFANLV.com. MONDAY, DEC. 2: There are many ways to brighten the holidays for others, and we’ll note several of them in the coming weeks. We’ll start with Grimaldi’s Pizzeria,, which is staging a toy drive through Dec. 20 at all five of its Las Vegas locations to benefit the Shade Tree shelter. Drop off new, unwrapped toys and Grimaldi’s will get them into the hands of the women and children who are victims of domestic violence helped by Shade Tree. GrimaldisPizzeria.com. TUESDAY, DEC. 3: Tonight’s recommendation: a little Christmas cheer, south-of-the-border style, at The Smith Center. Sol de Mexico, a touring mariachi ensemble, brings the lively, festive sound of Mexico’s musical heritage to Reynolds Hall at 7:30 p.m. Put a dash of hot sauce on your Christmas routine this year. TheSmithCenter.com.

November 28–December 4, 2013

[ UNLV ]

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 4: The National Finals Rodeo returns to

Las Vegas tomorrow, and that means one thing: a huge, free, country music blowout at the Fremont Street Experience. The Downtown Hoedown begins at 4:30 p.m. with Joe Diffie, and keeps cranking until Rodney Atkins closes the show at about midnight. VegasExperience.com.

VEGAS SEVEN

For three days before the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, a group called the Lincoln Forum met in that little Pennsylvania town where soldiers fought the Civil War’s bloodiest battle and Lincoln gave its most eloquent speech. The presenters at the forum included Pulitzer Prize-winning historian James McPherson, and Tony Kushner, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright for Angels in America and author of the screenplay for Lincoln. I also gave a presentation at the forum; it was a proud moment, but the good feelings I brought home weren’t about that—they were about the enduring power of civil discourse. As Lincoln, I believe, would have hoped, the gathering brought us together out of a common interest. Even the most politically pointed moments somehow wound up being congenial: Kushner related growing up in a Louisiana parish where some people refused to use $5 bills because Lincoln’s picture was on them. Then he suggested that Lincoln was luckier in some ways than Barack Obama, because “his enemies left the country.” The crowd probably was almost equally divided between Democrats and Republicans, but everybody laughed and nodded. It was a joke with a moral. Lincoln would have loved it.

So does the secretary of education. Maybe Bobby Knight can help. IT OCCURRED TO ME recently that Americans are insuffciently competitive. Pushovers, even. We’re too nice to our kids, undisciplined, and in need of a little more Bobby Knight. I’d been dwelling on this sentiment a lot recently—because I’m a pushover in need of discipline who tends to coddle children, animals and lonely people. This, despite a childhood flled with sweat-earned trophies and the fear of being grounded for life if illbehaved. (Still grounded, technically.) So last week I attended the Leaders & Legends conference at the MGM Grand, hosted by former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa as a beneft for the Animal Rescue Foundation. The theater was full of sports and business leaders—from tennis great Pete Sampras to Whole Foods co-CEO Walter Robb. Competitive people. Hard-core winners. It was inspiring—you’d be surprised to know how many current and former athletes double as professional motivational speakers: You have to set goals. You have to get out of bed every morning and work, because if you don’t, you won’t meet your goals. You have to want it. You have to be competitive, aggressive, unfinching. There was more, but I set my pen down to relax for a bit, sure it’d all work out in the end. But right as I began to daydream of greatness, Olympic soccer star Julie Foudy shifted the conversation from positive self-talk to a consideration of culture: Don’t you think our current culture discourages intense competitiveness? Aren’t kids today told not to over-celebrate a win so that the loser won’t feel bad? I remembered that Foudy was on the 1999 U.S. World Cup-winning team, and that her teammate Brandi Chastain famously—passionately—stripped off her shirt and slid across the field on her knees with her fists

clenched: We win! We win! We win! (Oh, and congratulations to the other team for participating.) “Well I think competitiveness is beautiful, ” Olympic volleyball champ Kerri Walsh Jennings replied eloquently on the red-velvet draped stage in the MGM. “And if I’m playing gin, I want to kick your ass.” I could feel the adrenalin in the room rising. These are not average people. Foudy joked that sometimes she wants to throw away her son’s “participation” trophies and focus on teaching him to earn wins. I laughed—we all did—because we all knew the collective adrenaline was hilariously over the top now, and yet it still bore some resemblance to the true spirit of many lead-

ers and legends. Of course, it also bore some resemblance to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s recent categorization of parents who don’t like the Common Core education standards as “white suburban moms who all of a sudden [realized] their child isn’t as brilliant as they thought they were.” As in, buck up, spoiled people. The room was getting so pumped now, it felt like somebody needed to challenge somebody else to compete in something, anything—arm wrestling, pingpong, a cage match—so that we could softly utter positive affirmations, then yell our freaking heads off, and strip off our shirts in victory, to hell with the points for participation. I noticed I’d picked up my pen again, if only in self-defense. And then Dara Torres—who, at 41, was the oldest swimmer at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, losing the 50-meter freestyle gold by a single hundredth of a second—knifed me: “I would’ve liked to have played for Bobby Knight. He’s the kind of coach I’d thrive under,” she said. What?! Knight, the longtime controversial and combative college basketball coach who once threw a chair across an NCA A court, and another time grabbed a player by the neck and lost his job, happened to be sitting in the back of the theater—a leader and a legend despite such antics. He yelled out—as he is prone to do— “I would’ve let you shoot the ball, too.” Just as I was beginning to question my soft underbelly—chief among a thousand reasons I’m not an Olympic athlete, I guess—I remembered why this group was all here: to raise money for abandoned animals. There’s all kinds of heart here. Some hearts just play harder.

Wasn’t there once a gorilla in front of Circus Circus? Whatever happened to it? You must be referring to one of several white statues by local artist and worldwide circus performer Montyne, commissioned by Circus Circus developer Jay Sarno for the casino’s 1968 launch. Sarno—who in 1966 opened our city’s first themed resort (Caesars Palace) 23 years before The Mirage existed—next tried a theme that had something for everyone. That Circus Circus offered circus acts and midway games directly adjacent to gambling and a show called Nudes in the Night (never mind the G-string clad “showgirls in the sky” who tossed phallic balloons down to the kiddies every night) is a less-than-subtle example of that peculiar Old Vegas sensibility. So, where did Montyne’s statues go? According to an October 2006 Las Vegas Review-Journal story by longtime local reporter A.D. Hopkins, four of the five statues (an acrobat balancing on one finger, an acrobat balancing on a cylinder, a lion and Gargantua, the “World’s Largest Gorilla”) were quietly removed from the property in the summer of 2006. While there are a number of places the statues could have ended up (Lonnie Hammargren’s collection, the Neon Museum), there was apparently an agreement between Sarno and Montyne that they be first offered to his family should they be removed. They were not. Although a rumor exists that Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas star Johnny Depp ended up with the gorilla, the truth is considerably less pleasant: The removed statues were unceremoniously disposed of in a local landfill. While a shame to Montyne’s family and the memories of many, the loss resulted in little more than a shrug from jaded locals. Aside from Montyne’s statue, Circus Circus had other gorillas, including a circus act featuring Norbu the Gorilla, and the arcade midway’s Zambora. The latter two were actors in suits created by Philip Morris (whose Morris Magic Company unwittingly sold the gorilla suit seen in the infamous Roger Patterson 16mm Bigfoot film). Zambora was, to this Vegas kid, a terrifying sideshow that featured a woman transforming into a gorilla. If you aren’t old enough to have run screaming from the Zambora show, check out the 1971 James Bond adventure, Diamonds Are Forever, in which Sarno himself makes an uncredited cameo as the Zambora circus sideshow barker—an apropos metaphor for an important Old Vegas personality.

Questions? AskaNative@VegasSeven.com.

PHOTO BY ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP

THE LATEST November 28–December 4, 2013 VEGAS SEVEN

Dear America: Pro Athletes Think You’re Soft

THE LATEST

@JamesFrancoTV #absinthe - THE BEST SHOW I’VE SEEN IN VEGAS - diiiiiirty and good.

@ryanmgreene Oh my. I can’t even imagine the pain of that Gatorade bath. It froze instantly on Hauck’s hat. #UNLVFB

@SeanONeal Any men’s health benefits of Movember may be counteracted once I start bashing in heads after hearing one more goddamn thing about mustaches.

@Friedgold32

Slotzilla, Spider-Man and Seven Mountains of Stone By Jason Scavone

VEGAS SEVEN

up and made a construction-paper centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table that your parents were forced to display even though it showed you had all the creativity of a tranquilized orangutan. So maybe it’s time to embrace the artistic side of Thanksgiving. (More paintings involving unlikely buckles, maybe?) Over in the Arts District, the city is in the planning stages on building another parking garage. Which is helpful both for First Friday crowds and people looking to pick up some supplies for their paintings of unlikely buckles. The Plaza is consulting with local artists in trying to plan how to cover up the receiving end of Slotzilla. They could always do a Jackson Pollock riff and slather the

thing in festive, seasonal yams. Maybe they’re looking for something more permanent. Way on the opposite end of things, Aria is working with Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone on an instillation called Seven Magic Mountains along Interstate 15 near the Jean Dry Lake. “Magic,” in this case, means 50-foot-tall piles of day-glow painted rocks. Sponsorship opportunities up to $1 million are still available. Finally, when Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark limps into Las Vegas sometime after its Broadway run wraps in January, the leader in the clubhouse for rumored landing spots is the Venetian, where it could slide into the old Phantom Theater.

@IAmColinQuinn Keep seeing Walter Cronkite where he cries at JFK death on air. I’d be so humiliated to have such an unprofessional moment replayed.

@Barryathree @SteveKerrTNT With the open phone policy for flights almost in effect, the concept of “what happens in Vegas ...” becomes obsolete.

@OHMYGODitsKAT Nobody in Vegas bought EDC tickets because we all think we’re getting in for free.

@TexDolly All these documentaries about the JFK assassination are so interesting. I remember a guy at the Horseshoe got several calls from Jack Ruby on “the day.”

@LVCabChronicles

RINGO, FRANCO, AIKO. ALL DAY

In 1964, Ringo Starr took a picture of six Beatles fans from New Jersey still in their car. Almost 50 years later, he was reunited with the five surviving fans backstage at The Pearl after his All-Starr Band show November 22. NBC’s Today filmed the gathering. … Jason Statham has a new

I forgot to mention that when I got my citation the other night the officer didn’t tase me or shoot me or anything. So, that’s pretty cool.

movie out, which means he was at Planet Hollywood on November 20, along with James Franco, Winona Rider and

@BillSimmons

Kate Bosworth, to promote his new Straw Dogs-meets-The Game Plan flick, Homefront. Which will summarily get

We need Anthony Bennett to gain 20 more pounds so we can start calling him “Notorious D.N.P.”

trounced by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire upon its November 27 release. … Drake followed up his November 22 show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with a trip to Body English, along with Miguel, Jhene Aiko, Future, Yo Gotti and Shay Mitchell of Pretty Little Liars. It’s always exciting when the star of an ABC Family show starts partying. It’s like being on the ground floor of the next super-predictable Miley-turn that a young starlet is about to take. It feels like buying Apple stock in 2001. – J.S.

Share your Tweet. Add #V7.

ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTOPHER A. JONES

November 28–December 4, 2013

As art-inspiring holidays go, Thanksgiving is dismal. Christmas is the star of the show with all its movies and songs and plays and Nativity-adorned slam poetry. Halloween thrives on the crafty end of homemade costumes and all that fantastic Day of the Dead stuff. But Thanksgiving? One crappy Jean Léon Gérôme Ferris painting and a Peanuts special that everyone forgets about. Yet. We’re willing to bet your frst real exposure to some kind of coordinated artistic effort came at Thanksgiving, when you made hand turkeys. Maybe you really stepped it

Kanye vs. Zappos is my favorite Kanye feud so far.

Gastro Fare. Nurtured Ales. Jukebox Gold.

THE LATEST

SPORTS

A More Mindful MMA Octagon warriors learn the art of inner peace By Heidi Kyser

“STAND UP WITH a wide stride, lift your chest, rest your shoulders back and put your hands on your hips. This is your power pose.” About 100 boxers and mixed martial artists, along with some family members, obey the order from sports psychologist Caroline Silby and rise from their chairs at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. Silby tells the group that, in studies, people who held their power pose for two minutes experienced a spike in testosterone, the strength hormone, and a decrease in cortisol, the stress hormone. In the front row, several wiry young men in jeans and T-shirts hold the pose with grave focus. Silby was among four speakers at a recent event, dubbed The Winning Edge in Combat Sports, which aimed to teach fghters

skills they won’t learn from their trainers and promoters. At frst glance, mindfulness—the art of sustaining awareness of one’s actions, thoughts and surroundings—would seem to be built into martial arts. Surely, nothing invites alertness like a fst approaching your face. But it’s outside the ring where things fall apart. Fighters succumb to unhealthy diets to cut weight, and dangerous drugs and supplements to pack on muscle. And they may not understand the long-term implications of these practices any better than they foresee the future effects of blows to the head. Silby distributed questionnaires to help fghters measure their mindfulness. A sample item, to be rated on a scale from 1 (almost always) to 6 (almost

never): “I tend not to notice feelings of physical tension or discomfort until they really grab my attention.” Another: “I tend to walk quickly to get where I’m going without paying attention to what I experience along the way.” Those who lean toward the “1” side of the spectrum may take solace in knowing that mindfulness, like mixed martial arts, can be mastered with practice. Counseling, hypnosis and meditation are among the techniques used to train the subtler muscles of the psyche. Although winning matches may motivate fighters to try anything, there’s more at stake in cultivating clarity than they may realize. The body that holds the pose will only get them so far in life after the octagon.

November 28–December 4, 2013

TOP SEVEN SHOT-BLOCKERS IN UNLV HISTORY

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1. Keon Clark. Set the Rebels’ single-season record with 112 blocks in 1996-97. With his wiry 6-foot-11 frame, long arms and grasshopper-like leaping ability, Clark could seemingly swat shots from anywhere on the court. 2. Joel Anthony. Ranks second in UNLV history for blocks in a season (109) and career (157). Had a teamrecord 13 blocks vs. TCU in 2007 before moving on to the NBA. 3. Elmore Spencer. The 7-foot center started just one season (1991-92) for the Rebels but has the fourth- and fifth-highest season totals in team history. Ranks third on UNLV’s career list with 146 swats. 4. Khem Birch. The reigning Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year (pictured) is leading the nation this season in blocks (5.5 per game). The 6-foot-9 junior forward could end up topping this list by the time he leaves UNLV.

5. George Ackles. His violent swats were key to the Rebels’ imposing defense during the near-perfect 1990-91 season. Ranks third in team history in blocks for a season (77) and fourth in career blocks (141). 6. Richie Adams. With exceptional leaping ability and instincts, this 6-foot-9 forward led the Rebels in blocks three times in the 1980s. Ranks fifth on the career list with 139. 7. Dalron Johnson. The four-year starter (1999-2003) blocked the most shots in UNLV history (194). – Sean DeFrank

Three things you can count on from me during the long holiday weekend: I’m not passing the mashed potatoes on Turkey Day; I’m not leaving the house on Black Friday; and I’m not hitting my “Best Bet.” This just in: I barely missed with last week’s top play on Kentucky over Georgia (and by “barely missed,” I mean Kentucky lost by 42 as a 23½-point underdog). The good news: I went 4-2 with my other picks, so it was a winning effort overall. In fact, if you took out my 1-11 “Best Bet” record—and, yes, the Jaguars now have twice as many victories as I do top-play winners—my overall mark this season would be 3836-1. Of course, if my aunt had … well, you know. Thing is, you see 1-11 and automatically assume I’m a complete buffoon. I’d respectfully disagree with the use of the word “complete”! To wit: Remember Alabama (-7½) at Texas A&M? Alabama blew secondhalf leads of 42-21 and 49-35 before winning 49-42. By the way, the Crimson Tide have allowed a total of 50 points in nine games since. They’ve also won their other 10 games by an average of nearly 33 points. And who can forget Ravens-Browns “under” 41 points—the Browns led 21-18 with 14 seconds to go, when they tacked on a 22-yard field goal to make the final 24-18. And then there was Cal (+37) at Oregon; the Bears trailed 55-3 with more than 25 minutes to play, and lost 55-16. And then there was … Hey jackass, quit whining already and give us your “Best Bet” so we can fade it and pocket some holiday-spending cash! Fair enough. I love the Buffalo Bills this week. I love them because they’re coming off a blowout win (37-14 over the Jets), followed by a bye; because they’re facing a dead Falcons team that’s 2-9 and has lost five in a row, including three road games (Arizona, Carolina and Tampa Bay) by the combined score of 102-51; and because the weather in Buffalo figures to be Siberia-like. Seriously, who wants to conclude Thanksgiving weekend in a Buffalo blizzard? Certainly not a 2-9, onetime Super Bowl contender that plays home games in a dome … Lucky Seven: Bills -3½ vs. Falcons (Best Bet); Buccaneers +8½ at Panthers; Seahawks -5½ vs. Saints; Iowa +3 at Nebraska; Missouri -4½ vs. Texas A&M; Colorado State -14½ vs. Air Force; Utah State -20 vs. Wyoming. Last Week: 4-3 (0-1 Best Bet). Season: 39-47-1 (20-23 college; 19-24-1 NFL; 1-11 Best Bets). Says RJ Bell (@RJinVegas) from Pregame.com: Agree with laying the points with the Seahawks. Seattle and New Orleans currently have the two biggest home-field advantages in the NFL. Not only is this an edge for the Seahawks, but a team as good at home as the Saints are tends to be overrated overall, because the average bettor underestimates the difference the home-field edge makes in their games.

Matt Jacob appears Wednesdays on Pregame.com’s First Preview, which airs 10-11 a.m. weekdays on ESPN Radio 1100-AM.

MMA ILLUSTRATION BY RYAN OLBRYSH; KHEM BIRCH BY JOSH METZ

YOUR BEST BET THIS WEEK? GO AGAINST MY BEST BET!

THE LATEST

reported diffculties in recruiting top-fight employees because of underfunded K-12 schools and poor health benefts. • The president of Truckee Meadows Community College said she avoided classroom cuts by slicing administrative costs; NSHE leaders had advised against the approach. • Regents went along with plans to urge students to take 15 credits per semester to speed graduation rates. Nobody seemed willing to address how this would be possible without restoring the student-services counselors and advisers cut during the past six years. Two regents suggested this new policy might not be a good idea and questioned the $50,000 allocated to market it. One asked for data from another school with a similar program, but an NSHE administrator replied that there wasn’t any. Then the program was approved anyway. Meanwhile, UNLV collects food so underpaid staff can eat, but all 13 regents received new iPads. In other words, Lieberman has his work cut out for him. But— disclosure alert—I have known him since we were undergraduates. He’s always wanted to give back to society. If he’s elected, he’ll be tireless in his efforts to help build a better higher education system.

Say what you want about prices overall, but room rates continue to stay low— especially in December. Each year at this time we conduct a monster rate survey at LasVegasAdvisor.com. It’s a serious study that encompasses every casino in town (94 this year), and we check lots of sources. Since we count the best rate, even if it’s available for only a day, you won’t be able to duplicate everything you see here. But you’ll get pretty close. We found 48 casinos with rates of less than $40. Twenty-nine of the 48 were below $30, and five were under $20, including two on the Strip. Here they are (note that these are base rates; in many cases resort fees and taxes will be added): Under $20 Club: Fiesta Rancho, Palace Station, the Quad, Riviera, Santa Fe Station. Under $30 Club: Arizona Charlie’s Boulder, Boulder Station, Circus Circus, Clarion, The D, Downtown Grand, El Cortez, Excalibur, Fiesta Henderson, Flamingo, Four Queens, Gold Coast, Golden Gate, Harrah’s, Hooters, Plaza, Primm Valley, Rio, Sam’s Town, Silver Sevens, Sunset Station, Texas Station, Whiskey Pete’s, Wild Wild West. Under $40 Club: Arizona Charlie’s Decatur, Artisan, Bally’s, California, Ellis Island Super 8, Fremont, Gold Strike, Golden Nugget, Hacienda, Luxor, Main Street Station, Monte Carlo, Orleans, Palms, Silverton, Stratosphere, Suncoast, TI, Tuscany. The Rio rate was $29, Bally’s was $32, Orleans was $34, Golden Nugget was $37, Monte Carlo was $38, Palms was $38.50 and TI was $39.97. And some are even better than they look. For example, the Monte Carlo and Palms deals come with two buffets per day, and Bally’s comes with $35 in resort credits. The good deals also extend to the higher-end casinos: Hard Rock $40, New York-New York $40, Palms Place $41, Tropicana $41, Planet Hollywood $43, Aliante $48, MGM $49, Paris $53, Mandalay Bay $54, Mirage $54, Green Valley Ranch $62, Caesars Palace $76, Red Rock $81, Signature $85, THEhotel $85, Trump $90, Aria $97, Vdara $98, Cosmopolitan $105, Wynn $125, Encore $132, Bellagio $149 and Nobu $149. You have to work to find the best rates— and sometimes it’s simply about getting lucky. Plus, you have to be looking at the right time: The best deals always land between the end of the National Finals Rodeo and Christmas—this year, that’s December 15 through December 24. If you have friends coming in for the holidays or just want to hang out for a night, use the lists above as a starting point and dig a little. Your efforts will be rewarded.

Michael Green is a professor of history at the College of Southern Nevada.

Anthony Curtis is the publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor and LasVegasAdvisor.com.

Rebel Regent?

November 28–December 4, 2013

UNLV alum Sam Lieberman wants to fx the state’s ailing higher ed system

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SAM LIEBERMAN SPENT many years as a UNLV student, taking too many classes until Esther Langston of the social work department showed him how he fnally could graduate with a degree, and he did. “No one else had done that for me,” he says. “Now I want to give something back. I’ve been able to do a lot of things in the political and nonproft sector, but I’ve been able to do all of that because of the framework I got from going to UNLV.” So, Lieberman—a former Nevada State Democratic Party chairman—announced he’s running for regent next year. He wants students to have the support they need to get where they want to go. The 52-year-old already has a long history of giving back to his alma mater, serving on the alumni association board, UNLV College of Liberal Arts advisory board and the UNLV Foundation Annual Giving Council. But it’s the new goals he wants to talk about now: “to sustain and enhance higher education for students, faculty, staff and alumni alike; to bring students to campuses earlier in their lifetime; and to build community through higher education, which means educating Nevada residents to stay in Nevada and give back to the higher education system.” As party chair and in the nonproft world—he’s a governmentaffairs specialist with Easter Seals and has served on the board for HELP of Southern Nevada for 25

years—Lieberman has plenty of experience balancing contending forces. That’s good training for a regent in the troubled Nevada System of Higher Education. Part of the problem is state support, or the lack of it, for universities and colleges. So make no mistake: It’s an advantage to know how the gears of state politics work. Fortunately, Lieberman has lived in Nevada since 1980, and he knows where the land mines are, political and otherwise. “I’ve had to work in a nonpartisan fashion in the nonproft sector, and I’ll be able to do that on the board,” he said, as his list of well over 100 endorsements from Republicans and Democrats alike attest. Thus, he supports a medical school for Southern Nevada, but adds, diplomatically, “The question is what is the most appropriate method of funding it.” Another part of the problem is the NSHE itself, which has sent out several recent signs of dysfunction: • At a regents meeting, one member asked about accountability and transparency, but the question went unanswered. • Word trickled out about high maintenance costs, and the fact that CSN had to take out a $10 million loan to pay for them. • The Desert Research Institute

PHOTO BY JON ESTRADA

48 UNDER $40

Shop Around the Clock ON STRIP, OFF STRIP AND ONLINE, HERE ARE THE PEOPLE, PLACES AND PRODUCTS OUR EXPERTS COVET NOW Stories by Jessi C. Acuña, Nicole Ely, Devin Howell, Laurel May Bond, Claire Wigglesworth and Erin Timrawi

Queen of Stylish Convenience MEITAL BRONSTEIN LETS YOU TAKE

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Shopping in your pajamas is great. Not paying for anything in advance is even better. So perhaps buying the latest fashions online is the way to go. Meital Bronstein, co-founder of the west Las Vegas clothing boutique Bungalow, has brought the latest retail trend from major metro areas to us. Her BungalowClothing.com allows customers to order items by only having a credit card on fle. To top it off, the selected merch is complemented by additional clothing and accessories, which makes the service a little like having your own personal stylist. Here’s how it works: Order what you like from the site. When you receive the box, try everything on, return what you don’t like postage-free and you’ll be charged for only what you keep. Before opening Bungalow out of her home in 2011, Bronstein owned and operated the popular Talulah G boutiques, where she built a reputation for bringing “newer designers and more esoteric lines” to a town that hadn’t seen much of that level of fashion. (These days, she’s a big fan of Humanoid, Band of Outsiders and Calypso.) Although she had to sell Talulah G during the Great Recession, her clientele was still seeking Bronstein’s keen eye for personal style. Now she and her team are revolutionizing the at-home online shopping experience, and that includes throwing in a few surprises in every shipment. “If you go on the site and pick out two pairs of jeans, two sweaters and a pair of leggings, we’ll defnitely add some things in there to spunk it up,” Bronstein says. “Our average client picks about $600 worth of clothing to try on. Our stylist will then add the same amount for a total value of around $1,200 for the frst box. As we begin to better understand the client’s preferences through repeat usage, we will typically add about $1,500 more to each box.” For returns, the shipment comes with a prepaid FedEx label and tape to seal the box. There’s even a number to text to let Bronstein and her team know to schedule a pickup. Customers have 10 days to try on the merchandise. “It’s easier to make a decision when you see what else is in your closet,” Bronstein says. “It’s a great way to try stuff on to see what you actually need or what’s missing.” – Jessi C. Acuña

PHOTO BY ZACK W

November 28–December 4, 2013

THE DRESSING ROOM HOME

First-to-Market Stores at the Linq

R+D Hipster Emporium.

By February, the Linq will offer 30 fresh retail, dining and entertainment options on the Strip, but some expect to be open in time for the lastminute holiday shopping this year. Among the stores that will be unique to Las Vegas, we’re most excited about hipster hatmaker Goorin Bros. Others that we’re looking forward to: Nas and sneaker king (previously of CRSV at the Cosmopolitan) Nick Sakai join forces for 12 AM Run, bringing a muchneeded infux of rubber soles for sneakerheads; Koto, a retailer from Aspen, Colorado, and Miami, graces Las Vegas with accessories such as a $3,000 all-black Rolex; for a more friendly price point, there’s Bella Scarpa, which specializes in women’s shoes; for chocolate lovers, Ghirardelli is coming to town, even re-creating its iconic sign. Caesars.com/TheLinq.

Boutiques We Love R+D HIPSTER EMPORIUM BY JESSE J SUTHERL AND

ARTIFACT

Here you’ll find handcrafted products made by local artisans, including owner Molly Gaddy-Walters. There are also repurposed and “upcycled” clothing, home furnishings and other eco-conscious products, such as a trophy-top wine stopper for $30 or album-cover notebooks at $12 a piece. Town Square, 269-4620; ArtifactLV.com.

BEATNIK CLOTHING BOUTIQUE

The latest addition to the booming boutique scene is in Downtown’s budding Art Square, where owner Shannon Taylor offers a fun and fashionable blend of new and vintage clothing, accessories and art, plus some reclaimed items, such as vintage men’s band shirts. 1025 S. First St., Suite 155, 592-0111; Facebook. com/BeatnikClothing Boutique.com.

FIVE OF OUR FAVORITE ONE-OF-A-KIND SHOPS

COTERIE

KNYEW

The old marquee on this new store, between the Griffin and Beauty Bar, says “checks cashed,” left over from its predecessor. But what’s inside is totally up to date: chic clothes, far-out accessories and a staff of fashion risk-takers. Coterie carries no more than three sizes of each item, which means you won’t catch anyone else in your Scotch & Soda vest. 515 Fremont St., 350-2939.

Pronounced “new,” its streetwear brand is a leader in the swag industry, which comes naturally to owners DJ Crooked and DJ Neva—both New York transplants. And it’s the place to purchase the latest in snapbacks. 3999 Spring Mountain Rd., 2525212; Knyew.com.

R+D HIPSTER EMPORIUM

Don’t let the name fool you: This lifestyle store in Summerlin is as welcoming and accessible as it is trendy and fashionable. R+D offers ready-to-wear and statement pieces for millennials, such as Jeffrey Campbell shoes. 740 S. Rampart Blvd., 750-0550; RnDHipster.com.

25 VEGAS SEVEN

Artifact.

Signifying the resurgence of luxury in Las Vegas, this retail center has unveiled fve shops. Another Valentino boutique (the frst is at the Forum Shops at Caesars) offers an even wider selection of the products adored by devotees of the Emperor. The mall will also be home to the city’s frst Richard Mille boutique, a 750-squarefoot showroom (complete with VIP area) that welcomes discerning watch afcionados with touches of Makassar wood, Corian stone, leather, steel and glass. RIMOWA’s fagship boutique showcases the German luxury luggage-maker’s wide selection of cases, leather goods and accessories in custom colors such as the dreamy Ipanema Blue case. Loro Piana rolls out an array of cashmere, baby cashmere, Vicuna products and luxury Italian goods in a gorgeous 2,500-squarefoot space whose furnishings are upholstered in Loro Piana fabrics. Everything is expertly lit to provide a “shadow-free environment.” From Blancpain to Omega, Tourbillon carries an alphabet of luxury watch and jewelry brands in this, the largest space within its global network.

November 28–December 4, 2013

The Next Wave at Crystals

November 28–December 4, 2013

It feels like a science-fiction movie: I’m in a familiar place, but something is off. It looks like an Apple Store. Similar display tables. Tablets and smartphones aligned and ready for people to play with. Similar staff, clad in dark-blue T-shirts, eager to answer questions. But there are no customers. And when have you ever seen an Apple Store vacant? Then I see the sign, four illuminated and colorful cubes that make up one large square: Turns out I’m at the new Microsoft Store. From operating systems to tablets, Microsoft has been following Apple’s lead for years; now it’s followed its rival to Fashion Show. The Microsoft Store opened November 14, just a couple of minutes down the concourse from the much larger Apple Store. And for those who have decided against an iPhone 5c, it offers a good opportunity to do some hands-on shopping for an alternative. Microsoft’s product line isn’t as broad as Apple’s in terms of accessories, but, then again, you won’t find the Xbox One and Skylanders action figures at the Apple Store. Plus, while I was browsing, five different employees offered their help within 10 minutes. At Apple, it was one employee after 20. So if you want to beat the crowd to that Xbox and the new Assassin’s Creed game, Microsoft could be the answer. And unlike Apple, there’s no one in front of you in line. – Nicole Ely

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The New and Improved Market LV Tivoli Village recently took ownership of the Market LV space, which specializes in locally owned shops, fan favorites such as MarkieChar Jewelry, B Sweet Candy Boutique and Katie August shoewear. New to the collection, just in time for the holidays, are Annie Creamcheese, a high-end vintage shop that relocated from the Palazzo, and Gekka, a boutique specializing in handbags made from silk kimonos. TivoliVillageLV.com.

Cowboy Cool

Looking for something fashy to wear to the National Finals

Rodeo? Kemo Sabe owners Tom and Nancy Yoder provide just that at their recently opened Forum Shops outpost, offering a curated selection of boots, buckles, knives, hats and leather goods in a modern, highly stylized setting designed by Rowland + Broughton. KemoSabe.com.

KEMO SABE PHOTOS BY BEVERLY POPPE; MICROSOFT STORE BY NICOLE ELY

At the Fashion Show, a High-Tech Showdown

The Containers Cometh If you haven’t been scorched from the fire-spewing praying mantis on the corner of Seventh and Fremont streets yet, then you may have missed what’s in the works at Las Vegas’ newest shopping destination, the Container Park. Opening in waves in December, the concept mixes cafés, boutiques, galleries and an outdoor theater housed in repurposed shipping containers (see our roundup of Container fashion retailers at DTLV.com/ContainerPark). The goal is to give small

businesses the ability to launch storefronts, and of the 10 new retail ventures, we’re looking forward to these in particular: Crazy Legs, a boutique from Beth Madden and Nyisha Goodwin dedicated to women’s leggings (which are accepted forms of pants, by the way); Boutiqueaholics, an eclectic mix of consignment clothing curated by owner Leah Ann Stanton; Winky Designs, which specializes in wristwatches with accessories made by Winky Wu herself; and Vegas Apparel, a showcase for Edward Dorville-Santana’s men’s T-shirts and hats.

The Bargain Hunter BLOGGER LAURA CORONADO SHARES HER TIPS ON WHAT’S HOT AND AFFORDABLE RIGHT NOW

What are you normally looking for when you bargain shop? Let’s be honest here: I’m really looking for that tremendous deal that I can then brag about to my friends, impressing them and instilling at least a little bit of envy. I want to tell them about the time I paid $60 for a $900 Roberto Cavalli dress. I want someone to look at my shoes, my ring, my jacket, my bag and say, “I love that,” to which I reply, “I got it for $5.” I want to drop jaws and knock the socks off the person coveting my fashion. What are some of your picks for the season? I am mad for plaid, and so is anyone else following fashion. I just purchased a pink plaid Moschino jacket for only $7 at a Dress for Success charity event. It probably retailed originally for $700. The tags were still on, so while someone owned it before me, she obviously never wore it. Just two weeks ago or so, I found a delightful genuine lambs-wool vintage jacket for $35 at Savers on East Tropicana. It’s the kind of jacket that they just don’t make anymore. And because crossbody bags are so hot right now, the vintage 1980s Coach one that I got at Annie Creamcheese at the MarketLV was a total steal at $34. Get daily tips from Laura Coronado at LollieShopping.com.

Black Friday Bulletins

November 28–December 4, 2013

Lauren Wright, a former clothing designer and mom of two, launched her personal style blog, AHippiesDaughter.com, in May and has been enamoring readers with posts showcasing her enviable style and musings about fashion and life. Wright, who owned and designed a women’s ready-to-wear line for five years, describes her look as “heavily influenced by the ’60s and ’70s era, with a good measure of rock ’n’ roll.” Never one to say no to a bohemian dress or skinny jeans with leather jackets, this blogger looks to her favorite local spots, such as Free People, Zara, Barneys and Bungalow for new finds.

27 It’s never too early to get a jump on holiday shopping. Macy’s breaks with tradition and opens at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving night for the first time in its 155-year history. And it’s not the only store—many of the Fashion Show’s retailers will welcome shoppers at midnight, including Banana Republic, Joe’s Jeans, Steve Madden and Zumiez. Hard Rock Hotel hosts a DJ booth with sounds from DJ Scientific to set off Black Friday, from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday near Forever 21 on the second level. A midnight countdown will usher in the shopping extravaganza. BCBG Max Azria and Cotton On unlock their doors at 5 a.m. Black Friday.

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L AURA CORONADO BY STACIE FRAZIER; L AUREN WRIGHT BY K AL ANI WRIGHT

Advice From a Hippie’s Daughter

Where’s the best place to get a good deal? When I’m shopping specifcally for designer, my favorite places are Off 5th, Nordstrom Rack and Buffalo Exchange. When I’m scouting for secondhand clothing, I’m usually looking for a treasure. Sometimes it’s in the form of a designer piece (like the Trina Turk dress I got for only $7), and sometimes it’s in the form of something vintage (like the mink cape I got for only $25). So for treasure hunting, I shop Savers, Goodwill and Charleston Outlet. When I’m in need of something on-trend and fresh, and I know I’m only going to wear for a couple of seasons, that’s when I shop affordable fashion boutiques like Patty’s Closet, Best Kept Secret and MIXT.

From the Cutting Edge

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT FASHION TRENDS WITH A TRIO OF LAS VEGAS RETAILERS BY CLAIRE WIGGLESWORTH

Melissa Akkaway, owner of Beckley Boutique in the Cosmopolitan, one of the city’s go-to spots for emerging designers—and for Akkaway’s personal label, Beckley by Melissa.

Lucas MacAdam, assistant general manager, John Varvatos in the Forum Shops at Caesars, home of rock-icon worthy menswear. What trends are you focusing on? Three-piece suits for the offce or night out and skinny jeans worn with biker jackets or shearlings for outdoor events. Accessories such as handkerchiefs, small mirrored sunglasses, fngerless gloves, felt hats and lace-up boots are musts. Describe the Varvatos customer. A mid-20s to late-40s kind of guy with a creative spirit who wants to dress sophisticated and young. He appreciates Old World quality and craftsmanship, but wants more contemporary and modern silhouettes.

What trends are you focusing on? I love the black-and-white trend, and this will continue through to spring. Also, I love the feminine and firty dress this season.

What’s the best-selling item for you this season? Shearling jackets and boots.

What was your inspiration for your own brand this season? We focused on tailored pieces as well as strong leather silhouettes, which created an edgier yet feminine vibe for the collection.

What’s the one item I should leave your store with today? It should be the John Varvatos Rock In Fashion (Harper Design, $60) book.

Who are your best-selling designers? 10 Crosby by Derek Lam, 3.1 Philip Lim, Stuart Weitzman, Lover, Camilla and Marc, and Helmut Lang.

The Forum Shops at Caesars, 939-0922; and Hard Rock Hotel, 693-6370, JohnVarvatos.com.

What’s the one item I should leave your store with today? The weather is fnally changing, so I would buy a chunky Helmut Lang sweater. What are your top-selling products this season? Citizens of Humanity Rocket denim, Beckley by Melissa Lily jacket, Helmut Lang leather leggings, Rick Owens denim jacket and a Lover faux-leather pleated skirt. What plans do you have for the boutique on Black Friday? Starting on Black Friday [10 a.m.] we will be offering 40 percent off all merchandise for the entire weekend.

November 28–December 4, 2013

698-7600, BeckleyBoutique.com.

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Jonathan Glenn Nichols, owner of Boca Park’s J. Glenn, which specializes in gift and home décor, including fine jewelry, books and cards, and knickknacks for children. What trends are you focusing on? Peacock feathers. You can choose individual feathers in the traditional browns and cobalt blue, which can be added to a tree, placed into a vase or simply laid on a table to give a little something extra. Smaller clip-on peacocks make any gift extra special. Our personal favorite is the large all-white peacock with crystal and silver accents, and a stunning 24-inch tail.

What are your best-selling items or designers? Michael Aram. We offer a wide variety of his collection, including frames, candles, tabletop and barware. We also carry his special-edition items and have brought in a large assortment of his Judaica and Christmas pieces. Another top-selling item would be our women’s jewelry and handbags. We offer genuine leather and vegan options in a variety of styles and price points. What are your top-selling products this season? We carry a variety of books ranging from $9.95 fun books to $695 collectors’ editions. Papyrus Cards are always

a favorite with customers. And our men’s gifts—we recently created an entire cabinet flled with great men’s items. We have humidors, fasks, cuff links, cigar cutters, cigar cases, lighters and poker sets. What plans do you have for the boutique for the holidays? We will be having our second annual After-School All-Star Shopping Day on December 12 [9 a.m. to 4 p.m.]. We will have free gift-wrapping and donate 20 percent of all sales. And everything in the store will be 15 percent off on December 19. 425-7636, JGlennHome.com.

The Varsity Jacket Is Back!

The athletic-style bomber has actually been on trend for the past two years and still going strong this fall. It’s time to get nostalgic and embrace this “touchdown” trend with our more muted two-tone fnds. 1 Scotch and Soda, Boucle Bomber Jacket, $249, Fashion Show. 2 J.Crew, Golden Bear Sportswear Varsity Jacket, $270, Premium Outlets, 366-1279. 3 TOPMAN, Black and Navy Panel Bomber Jacket, $300, Fashion Show, 866-0646. 4 Niketown, Heritage Destroyer Jacket, $550, Forum Shops, 650-8888.

1 5 3

A Touch of Plaid

Proving the season’s most sought-after versatile print, the “plaid” resurgence swept through the fall catwalk shows, thanks in large part to Saint Laurent. Wear it preppy or punk with our fnds on the modern-day version. 1 French Connection, Fluid Silk Check Dress, $188, Fashion Show, 369-0852. 2 Marc Jacobs, Mesh Plaid 13” Computer Case, $88, Forum Shops, 734-0220. 3 Forever21, Classic Plaid Square Scarf, $12.80, Fashion Show, 735-1014. 4 Anthropologie, Woven Plaid Loafers, $185, Forum Shops, 650-0466. 5 ZARA, Checked Pants with Zips, $80, Fashion Show, 733-1113.

Hot New Collaborations

This holiday season sees the launch of three intriguing fashion collaborations. Damien Hirst and Alexander McQueen join forces to create 30 limited-edition scarves, which just became available at the Alexander McQueen fagship store in the Wynn. The patterns are based on pieces from Hirst’s Entomology series, which features insects formed into kaleidoscopic art, reconfgured to create the iconic McQueen skull. Isabel Marant brings her Parisian cool-girl chic to the masses this month as well with the launch of her H&M collection, which includes cropped jeans, printed blouses and menswear-inspired coats among the looks. Finally, L’Wren Scott marks her frst collaboration with a major retailer with her capsule collection for Banana Republic. Available December 5, Scott’s line will encompass more than 50 pieces that will include cardigans and lace dresses, and even a stylish printed clutch with detachable chain that can be used as a bracelet or necklace.

Hot Looks BY LAUREL MAY BOND PHOTOGRAPHS BY BEVERLY POPPE

Katie Epstein El Cortez Hotel & Casino’s vice president and director of guest services has the enviable ability to make fashion appear effortless. In less capable hands, her signature “mix of all things glamour, girly and tomboy” could appear dangerously haphazard, but Epstein dresses up and down with equal aplomb. Here are a few of her secrets to pulling it all together: How do you prefer to shop for clothes—online or in person? I much prefer shopping in person. While I am guilty of online window shopping and adding endless items to my shopping cart, I rarely if ever take the plunge and check out. It’s more as a means of gathering inspiration.

Have you ever been a victim of a trend that didn’t suit you? If you were to peruse through some old family photo albums, you’d be sure to fnd many a fashion faux pas—namely, a belt with KATIE in large rhinestone letters, and a healthy collection of Von Dutch trucker hats. Shame.

What fashion rule should never be broken? You should always dress for yourself and no one else!

VEGAS SEVEN

November 28–December 4, 2013

Who’s your shopping/style guru? I do try and stay abreast of the latest trends via fashion bloggers such as Aimee Song (SongOfStyle.com), but really my best inspiration is gathered from those around me. My parents both have a classic aesthetic and have emphasized the importance of cultivating personal taste and style.

Favorite place to shop? I always manage to fnd a must-have at Neiman Marcus, but my go-to stores are Zara, Topshop and Coterie—an awesome eclectic boutique on East Fremont.

Dress by Cynthia Vincent, blazer by Doma, necklaces and bracelets by Lisa Freede.

Nash Gray

Stores We Wish We Had

We don’t normally seek fashion advice from a toddler. But because his father, Jon Gray, is the stylish general manager and vice president of the Linq project, and his mother, Ruth, is the reigning Mrs. Nevada, Nash Gray is an exception to the rule.

OPENING CEREMONY

As international in flavor as the Olympic festivity for which it’s named, this shopin-a-shop stocks fashion brands such as Comme Des Garçons, Band of Outsiders and Jeremy Scott, as well as a private-label line and artdriven pop-ups such as cathead mannequins designed by Tyler, the Creator. OpeningCeremony.us.

How do you prefer to shop for clothes—online or in person? I prefer to go in-store; I like to make sure everything fts. As you can imagine, I may be a 2T today and in a few months I can rock a 3T. … I need to try everything on. If you bring someone along, who is the usual suspect? My old man is a pretty fashionable guy so I like having him around, but mom usually comes along, as I want to make sure I’m wearing something the ladies will appreciate.

UNIQLO This casual Japanese brand, which outfits tennis great Novak Djokovic, is ubiquitous throughout Asia and recently announced its desire to dress America as well, with stores popping up in New York and San Francisco. Uniqlo.com.

How would you describe your personal style? Eclectic and unafraid. I’ll rock purple pants, neon chucks, bow ties—I’m all over the place. … If I like it, I wear it.

IKEA Despite our cravings

for Swedish meatballs and self-assembled furniture, the Scandinavian retailer still has no plans to break ground in the desert. We’ll just have to keep driving to L.A. Ikea.com/us.

Who’s your shopping/style guru? My dad. He has a classic style that I always want to maintain but he’s not afraid to push the limits. He inspires me to try stuff others wouldn’t. What fashion rule should never be broken? Bibs are for the dinner table only. Never, EVER, get lazy and walk around with a bib around your neck in public.

RESTORATION HARDWARE

Favorite place to shop? I love Kitson, if only we had one in Vegas …

Scott Julian While we easily guessed the name of Zappos’ senior buyer Scott Julian’s favorite retailer, we were surprised to learn he has shopping in his DNA—and even still more shocked to hear him use the term “jorts.”

Jeans by G-Star Raw, shirt by Maison Martin Margiela, jacket by G-Star Raw, watch by Cartier; hat by Gucci.

Do you shop for clothes by yourself, or do you like to bring someone along to give you friendly feedback? My family owned and operated clothing stores when I was a kid, so I grew up going to the market

with my grandmother and mother. I suppose as an adult I prefer to shop by myself. What was your greatest fashion faux pas? Back in the early ’90s I owned a pair of purple Cross Colours extendedlength jorts. Enough said. What fashion rule should never be broken? No fip-fops and boot-cut jeans. I’m not sure if this is a rule, but it drives me crazy. What’s at the top of your personal must-have hit list right now? Golden Goose sneakers and G-Star Raw denim.

MOODS OF NORWAY This brand sharply departs from the stoic Nordic mold with its offerings of men’s and women’s clothing in a kaleidoscope of colors and prints. MoodsOfNorway.com.

Although notoriously absent front the Vegas

store stays open through

November 28–December 4, 2013

Sweater and shoes by H&M, pants by Truly Scrumptious by Heidi Klum.

the end of the year, offering

retail scene, Crate & Barrel finally makes an appearance with its holiday pop-up shop, The Tree Lot, at Town Square. Focusing on holiday merch and gifts, the

locals a glimmer of hope of landing the home-goods store once and for all. CrateAndBarrel.com.

VEGAS SEVEN

What’s at the top of your musthave hit list right now? A Tom Ford smoking jacket. As soon as I can ft into one of those, I’m getting one.

Yes, we want to deck out our home like a Parisian pied-à-terre and perhaps throw in some giant marquee lettering (this is Vegas, after all). RestorationHardware.com.

BY SAM GLASER

“The Roots have always traveled their own path, and that’s the reason why we have credibility among our peer group.” WITH THE DJ {PAGE 34}

Your city after dark and party pics

SUN 1

THU 28 Happy Thanksgiving! If turkey’s not your thing, head to Hakkasan for some Peking duck, then ascend to the main room for a set by former local radio DJ, now club DJ, Cyberkid. (In MGM Grand, 10 p.m., HakkasanLV.com.) Meanwhile at Tao, local favorite and SKAM Artist DJ Five (1) spins his hip-hop-meets-house, openformat steeze all night. (In the Venetian, 10 p.m., TaoLasVegas.com.)

FRI 29 Stand in front of your “Mirrors” until your “Suit & Tie” are in perfect order: Justin Timberlake (2) brings the 20/20 Experience World Tour to the MGM Grand Garden Arena tonight and tomorrow. It’s JT’s frst tour in six years, and we fully exIn MGM Grand, 8 p.m., TicketMaster.com.) pect him to bring it. (In At the opposite end of the spectrum, DJ Carnage jams his festival music into Marquee,, which he’ll turn into a bouncy In the Cosmopolitan, 10 p.m., MarqueeLasVetrap-tastic rave. (In gas.com.) Head straight to Hyde for Crooked, the hip-hop DJ-turned-street-wear entrepreneur with New York favor. Read all about it in our recent interview at VegasSeven. In Bellagio, 10 p.m., HydeBellagio.com.) com/DJ-Crooked. (In Can’t decide between EDM and hip-hop? Luckily you don’t have to choose at Surrender’s Battletrack: Hip-Hop vs. House Music. Vegas Seven’s No. 1 local DJ Mighty Mi will hold it down for house while battling the Beastie Boys’ DJ Hurricane on the hip-hop-stage. (In Encore, 10:30 p.m., SurrenderNightclub.com.)

SAT 30

MON 2 Slide up to Date Skate Mondays at the Boulevard Pool’s Ice Rink. Grab your boo and skate around while a double feature of A Christmas Story and Polar Express play on the 65foot digital marquee. (At the Cosmopolitan, showtimes are 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., CosmopolitanLasVegas.com.) Next, descend to the Marquee Library for The Collaborative, presenting Louder Than Words, a night of art, music and spoken word poetry hosted by Khalilah Yasmin and Lonnie Love. Downstairs, Eric D-Lux drops it in the main room. (In the Cosmopolitan, 10 p.m., MarqueeLasVegas.com.)

TUE 3 Sip cocktails and get a dose of Las Vegas art history as the Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts presents a pop-up exhibition, Too Much of a Good Thing Is Wonderful: Liberace and the Art of Costume, curated by UNLV’s Dr. Deirdre Clemente in and around the Chandelier Bar through Jan. 2. (In the Cosmopolitan, 3 p.m., CosmopolitanLasVegas.com.)

Surrender Your Wednesdays with Sultan and Ned Shepard. The Montréal-based duo has been producing primal beat-driven tracks since 2002, and scored its frst Billboard No. 1 for last fall’s “Send Me Your Love” with Taryn Manning. (In Encore, 10:30 p.m., SurrenderNightclub.com.) Rising star DJ Stellar spins Blow Out Wednesdays at Light. The DJ/ producer and Calamity of Noise label-head came up playing raucous late-night sets post-Paul Oakenfold during the Perfecto days, and is fnally getting his due as a headliner. (In Mandalay Bay, 10 p.m., TheLightVegas.com.)

November 28–December 4, 2013

WED 4

33 VEGAS SEVEN

Jared Leto and his platinum-certifed altrock band 30 Seconds to Mars (3) headline The Joint with support from Vegas-reppin’ Panic! at the Disco. (In Hard Rock Hotel, 7 p.m., TheJointLasVegas.com.) Elsewhere in concert-land, nine-time Grammy-winning R&B singer John Legend hits the Pearl. Impressive fact: The University of Pennsylvania grad worked as a management consultant for Boston Consulting Group before a careershifting introduction to Kanye West. (In the Palms, 8 p.m., Palms.com.) Kick it at the Ling Ling Club in Hakkasan for the Roots’ drummer/frontman Questlove. The super-talented percussionist, producer and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon musician is a vault of music history. Learn something in our interview on Page 34. (In MGM Grand, 10 p.m., HakkasanLV.com.) IndieKrush.com presents the impressively creative Say What?! White Trash Social at Beauty Bar with hosted PBR Facials and a Cupcakes & Chronic photo shoot. (517 Fremont St., 9 p.m., TheBeautyBar.com.)

Start a riot with indie-rock/electro-pop duo LA Riots at XS, named to refect their aggressive and rebellious sound. (In Encore, 10 p.m., XSLasVegas.com.) Hakkasan welcomes back Danny Avila (4). The baby-faced 18-year-old Spaniard whom USA Today called the “youngest DJ to ever have a Sin City residency” also happens to be a championshiplevel wakeboarder who’s placed second in the Spanish Wakeboard Championships and 12th in the world. (In MGM Grand, 10 p.m., HakkasanLV.com.)

For your newer fans, introduce your band, the Roots. The Roots are a band from Philadelphia. We’ve done 16 various albums. Currently we are the band for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. We have run into every sort of caliber of artist under the sun. So this week we’re playing with Paul Simon, next week we’re playing with Chromeo; one week it could be Duck Sauce, another week it could be Bruce Springsteen. The Roots have always traveled their own path, and that’s the reason why we have credibility among our peer group.

November 28–December 4, 2013

Do you see music differently than the rest of the world? One would like to think their taste is a little different. I’ve been told I have synesthesia; basically, I see colors when I hear songs. When I’m creating stuff and making records I think this needs a red here, this needs a yellow here, this needs blue here. That’s just how I was built, since I was like 6.

VEGAS SEVEN

Drumroll, Please

Questlove talks about his musical pedigree, the source of his production fortitude and DJing in his element By Sam Glaser

AHMIR “QUESTLOVE” THOMPSON is as multitalented as they come: all-world drummer for the Grammywinning hip-hop/neo-soul band the Roots, musical director of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, music journalist/historian and globetrotting DJ impresario. The 42-year-old self-described “peculiarlooking 6-foot-2 walking Afro” and Philly native is a rare combination of ultra-gifted, charismatic, thoughtful and understated. In advance of his DJ gig November 30 at Hakkasan’s Ling Ling Club, Vegas Seven hooked up with Questlove to dissect his once-in-a-generation musical genius.

What’s your perspective on hip-hop’s role in today’s nightclubs? It really depends. My celebrity allows me some sort of Tefon untouchable status [laughs], so I am able to break a lot of rules. A lot of DJs who open for me say, “Man, I would never be able to play that!” I remember the frst time I ever saw DJ AM spin. I went in his booth, and he immediately stopped his EDM set and started playing classic hip-hop. I thought, “Oh, man, you’re going to kill your audience.”

He was like, “No, man, I got this.” Paris Hilton’s table was jumping up and down for KRS One’s “My Philosophy!” It’s crazy how it is now. Some places are segregated; they like what they like, and they know what they know. Places that are open-minded are few and far between, but I don’t think the [hip-hop] spirit has died at all. You also differ from many other DJs in that you prefer longer DJ sets. Why is that? The thing that satisfes me, in a three-hour set I can probably cram in 130 songs. I normally ask for 3½ hours so I can get up to an even 160. In that 160, I can pretty much touch every genre of music. So I might start with the Beastie Boys and end with the beat of the moment. In between, my whole thing is to tell a story. There’s a whole bunch of demographics to look out for: the fake-ID chicks, the kids under 24, midlife-crisis people trying to hang onto their club life before they dry up in their domestic graves, the ones trying to get life how it used to be clubbing in the ’90s, the bartenders there every night hearing the same song over again, and especially the promoter—I pretty much cover all those bases. The earliest song I play was made in 1938, and the latest song I played I just downloaded last week. I’m trying to fnd the perfect infuence between Benny Goodman and Drake. You’re notably nonchalant. What surprises you these days? Any song between 95 and 100 beats per minute. Searching for the perfect song between 95-100 is like mining for gold. Which is why Drake’s “We’re Going Home” is a godsend. It’s just hard to fnd that sweet spot between 95-100. Most of the music produced today is 75 beats per minute—very slow—or 130 beats per minute, which is EDM-fast. It’s really hard to fnd this classic danceable midtempo dance music to spin. So anytime someone makes a great song between 95-100 it’s like, “Oooh, that’s a shocker!”

What made the Hakkasan crowd go “crazy ape shit” at Questlove’s first show? Find out at VegasSeven.com/Questlove.

PHOTO BY BEN WATTS

NIGHTLIFE

How did your musical pedigree help create Questlove? The frst thing [my parents] did was prevent me from watching television. The second thing was they invested in this 5,000-plus record collection. So I spent many an hour inside our record library. My father was an oldies/doo-wop singer from the ’50s who was doing a nostalgia tour in the early ’80s. His drummer had broken an arm in the summer of 1983. So at the age of 13, at Radio City Music Hall, I made my debut with my father.

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAYS

MONDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAYS

MONDAY

FRIDAY

NOV 29

DEC 2

DEC 8

NOV 30

DEC 6

DEC 9

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DEC 7

DEC 13

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

LIGHT

Mandalay Bay [ UPCOMING ]

VEGAS SEVEN

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONVegas.com

PHOTOS BY AMIT DADLANEY

November 28â&#x20AC;&#x201C;December 4, 2013

Nov. 29 Stellar spins Nov. 30 Steve Powers spins Dec. 6 Hook N Sling spins

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

MOON The Palms

[ UPCOMING ]

VEGAS SEVEN

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONVegas.com

PHOTOS BY BOBBY JAMEIDAR

November 28â&#x20AC;&#x201C;December 4, 2013

Dec. 3 Exodus and Benny Black spin Dec. 6 Exodus and Mark Stylz spin Dec. 10 Alie Layus and Kid Conrad spin

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

HYDE Bellagio

[ UPCOMING ]

VEGAS SEVEN

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONVegas.com

PHOTOS BY TONY TRAN

November 28â&#x20AC;&#x201C;December 4, 2013

Nov. 29 Crooked and Jace One spin Nov. 30 Jordan V and D-Miles spin Dec. 3 Konflikt spins

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

ARTISAN

VEGAS SEVEN

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONVegas.com

PHOTOS BY SEAN AKARI

November 28–December 4, 2013

1501 W. Sahara Ave.

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

PURE

Caesars Palace [ UPCOMING ]

VEGAS SEVEN

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONVegas.com

PHOTOS BY AMIT DADLANEY AND BOBBY JAMEIDAR

November 28–December 4, 2013

Nov. 29 DJ Karma spins Dec. 6 Ink Master Season 3 winner Joey Hamilton hosts Dec. 10 St. Nick’s Ugly Sweater Party

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

HAZE Aria

[ UPCOMING ]

VEGAS SEVEN

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONVegas.com

PHOTOS BY BOBBY JAMEIDAR, TOBY ACUNA, JOE TORRANCE, AND SEAN AKARI

November 28–December 4, 2013

Dec. 28 TurntUp with DJ Pauly D Dec. 29 Wale hosts

DINING

“No ingredient can compare to a white truffe. A white truffe has a very intense perfume. It’s a little bit like garlic; it’s very strong.” SCENE {PAGE 60}

Diner’s Notebook, A Small Bite, Scene Stirs and a truffe-artichoke cocktail—no joke!

Max’s brings the cuisine of the Philippines to the masses By Max Jacobson

housed in a large freestanding building that was once a Lone Star Steakhouse. Save for a stone freplace and a dedicated bar area, it’s somewhat plain in here, a maze of rooms with ordinary tables and chairs, although there are a pair of childlike paintings of chickens next to the kitchen. I am not generally a fan of Filipino cooking, which I fnd greasy, bland and often overly sweet. But Max’s has several good dishes, and a loyal following; at peak hours, plan on a short wait for your table.

57 VEGAS SEVEN

PHOTO BY ANTHONY MAIR

An Island-Chain Chain

MAX’S RESTAURANT IS a chain that extends worldwide to well over 100 locations, but what may be a household name in its country of origin, the Philippines, still fies well under the radar here … unless you talk to local Filipinos. In the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, you might be curious about this Southeast Asian archipelago of 7,107 islands east of Vietnam. Fair enough. And what better way to get to know a culture than by its cuisine? Well, we have a Max’s, too,

November 28–December 4, 2013

Lumpia Shanghai at Max’s.

the scent of garlic perfumes every mouthful. One of the most famous Filipino dishes is adobo, here done with pork or chicken. The name comes from adobar, Spanish for “to marinate,” more specifcally with vinegar and salt, and here, the meat is braised without sauce, and served in big chunks with a tomato and onion salad. It’s my favorite dish on the menu. I also like the very Chinese pancit bihon (sautéed rice noodles with cabbage, chicken and Bowls of pancit bihon. beef, again served in a huge bowl) and sizzling tofu, which comes on an iron platter in a garlicky sauce. But unless MAX’S MENU PICKS you’re Filipino yourself, I’d have to call kare-kare (a four-rich beef Lumpia Shanghai, $7.95. and peanut stew), or pinakbet (a Pancit bihon, $8.95. vegetable stew dominated by the Half chicken, $9.95. favors of shrimp paste and ampaPihatuyong pork adobo, $11.95. laya, bitter melon in English) to be, Halo-halo, $5.95. er, acquired tastes. By all means, though, save room for halo-halo, one of the world’s most bizarre, delightful desserts. ice and, presto, you’ve got it. Picture a glass bowl you’d use for They’ve left out the jackfruit and an ice cream sundae, and then mung beans traditionally used substitute purple yam ice cream, in the Islands, but maybe eating young coconut and multicolored foods with banana ketchup and cubes of jelly, then throw in a little purple yam ice cream is exotic fan or egg custard, lots of shaved enough for one visit.

[ A SMALL BITE ]

A NEW WAY TO GET YOUR FIX Fix in Bellagio may serve as the pregame stomping grounds for nightlife revelers—it’s right next door to The Bank—but it dishes out some buzz-worthy plates to complement its cocktails. Last month, chef Brian Massie (one of only two executive chefs for Light Group’s restaurants foodies—are contenders to become fixtures on the menu. And we’re not surprised. “Serious food,

collard greens and Southern mustard barbecue sauce ($42) or duck confit served with waffles, a fried egg and maple-bourbon

VEGAS SEVEN

November 28–December 4, 2013

and bars) debuted five new seasonal dishes that—considering their winning impact on veteran serious ingredients were my inspiration,” Massie says. “We have been going back and forth with what Vegas is missing, and it’s real gastro-style food in a great setting. Everyone has a tuna tartare and carpaccio and Caesar. … We wanted to create dishes outside the box and appeal to a larger audience.” Even if the existing menu didn’t need an overhaul, Massie still amped it up with unique, savory plates (all perfect for sharing) aimed at elevating the average dining experience. Most dishes can’t be found elsewhere on the Strip, such as the salt-cured yogurt with blackberry jam and toasted pistachios ($19). And the chorizo-stuffed dates with speck and piquillo pepper puree ($21) are packed with intense flavor, bringing to mind palatable small bites somewhere far in the Mediterranean. Those who want something more substantial can order the crispy-skin pork shank with sweet-corn spoonbread, creamed syrup (pictured; $36). The grilled flatbreads, however, may be the winning dish for the season. They’re non-fussy and wildly inventive, such as the lamb sausage flatbread with lamb shoulder, dates and pesto ($21). The new menu has already garnered

TWO BITES OF ROCK ’N’OODLES, AND JOËL DROPS HIS FOIE GRAS It seems there is a new restaurant opening Downtown almost every week. What’s more, almost every one of them has distinguished itself in short order. Rock ëN’oodles (1108 S. 3rd St., 522-9953) is the newest entry, a tiny place with two four-tops, two high glass tables with stools and three tables just outside the door. On a good day, they can seat 12 inside, six outside. Building a menu around noodles is a good idea for a startup: The main component is inexpensive, and there is the potential for versatility, even more so when the chef is talented newcomer Abbigail Byrd. Not a single dish disappointed. We started with a cheese and ale soup loaded with bacon that had a rich, creamy finish. Then came Born on the Bayou, a hearty jambalaya made with orzo (a barley shaped wheat pasta), and chock-full of chorizo, andouille, chicken and the Cajun holy trinity: peppers, onions and celery. Want Italian? Try Great Balls of Fire, a spicy take on spaghetti and meatballs, spiked with jalapeños and crushed red pepper. Chinese enthusiasts can enjoy the Everybody Wang Chung Tonite, a fairly straightforward version of Hong Kong-style crispy noodles with chicken, broccoli, carrots, shiitake mushrooms and oyster sauce. And the tiny chocolate-dipped Bavarian-cream-filled puffs compete for the title of Downtown’s Best Dessert. I’m sad that Café de Japon (5300 Spring Mountain Rd.) closed recently, but the truth be known, the kissaten (Japanese-style coffee shop) had a tough time from the outset. This was our first real version of what one finds all over Tokyo, a place where the menu features coffee brewed in a siphon, fresh pastas, Japanese-style plate lunches and oddball desserts such as cubes of fruit-flavored Jell-O with whipped cream. Let’s hope another kissaten surfaces in Chinatown soon. In other news, Chef of the Century Joël Robuchon has dropped his French foie gras supplier, Ernest Soulard, for “animal abuse.” The delicious fatty duck liver has already been banned in California, so I’m wondering: Is there a nice way to force-feed a goose or duck? Maybe he’ll stop using foie gras all together, but don’t count on it. Finally, is it my imagination or is Sriracha, starting to crop up everywhere? I sampled Lay’s Sriracha-flavored potato chips (thumbs down), Subway’s Sriracha chicken melt (thumbs further down) and Sriracha candy canes from Cost Plus World Market, 12 for $5 (enough, already). The hot sauce is manufactured in Irwindale, California, at a factory recently in the news because of an attempted shutdown by locals protesting the pungent odors emanating from the facility. It is named for a coastal Thai city, Si Racha. If you’ve never tried it, head for the nearest ramen shop or Chinese buffet. You’ll find a bottle or two on every table. Hungry, yet?

the attention of both local and visiting epicureans alike. 693-8300, FixLasVegas.com. – Jimmy Im Follow Max Jacobson’s latest epicurean observations, reviews and tips at VegasSeven.com/DinersNotebook.

PHOTO BY ANTHONY MAIR

DINING

The restaurant is renowned for a fried chicken recipe, a crispskinned, unbattered bird served with atsara, a spicy papaya and carrot relish. Those bottles on your table contain banana ketchup, Worcestershire and Tabasco, which are meant to be combined to make a proper sauce for the chicken. For some, the chicken is dry, although I like the golden, shatteringly crunchy texture, and love the sauce. Most customers order it, served half or MAX’S whole, on the bone, RESTAURANT natch, since the clientele here is overwhelmingly 1290 E. Filipino, and that’s what Flamingo Rd., Max’s is known for. But 433-4554. man does not live on Open 11 a.m.-9 chicken alone, and the p.m. Sun-Thu, relatively large menu is 11 a.m.-10 p.m. a “greatest hits” of this Fri-Sat. Lunch exotic, hybrid cuisine of for two, $25Pacifc Island, Chinese $39. and Spanish infuences. The main menu doesn’t yet have an appetizer section per se, although the takeout menu does. One you can ask for, however—and should—is lumpia Shanghai, a delicious, bite-size version of the egg roll, at least a dozen of them, served in a small basket. The rolls are denser than what you get in a Chinese restaurant, thanks to a meaty flling. I fnd them addictive, and that goes double when you dip them in the sweet-andsour sauce served alongside. One of the best bargains is garlic fried rice. I had to blink when I ordered the regular size for $3.50. It’s a huge bowl, with easily enough rice for four people, and

DINING

SCENE

Ferraro’s behemoth white truffle, and the delicate pumpkin soup with poached egg and white truffles at Restaurant Guy Savoy.

The Fungus Is Among Us White trufe season peaks with dinners worth digging deep for

November 28–December 4, 2013

By Al Mancini

VEGAS SEVEN

➧ WHITE TRUFFLES are in full force in Las Vegas restaurants these days, as evidenced by the arrival earlier this month of one weighing nearly two pounds at Ferraro’s. Chef Mimmo Ferraro won’t say what he paid for it, simply telling me it was “enough.” But even in a year when the prized ingredient is plentiful, and relatively cheap (averaging $1,500 to $1,600 a pound), he presumably paid a signifcant premium to purchase what will likely be the largest of its kind to hit Las Vegas this year. While all varieties of truffes are highly valued in the culinary world, none are as sought after as the whites. Harvested in Italy and Croatia, they’re only available a few months of the year. The frst immature samples usually arrive in October. The season hits its stride in November. And by the end of December, they’re usually gone. (Some chefs reserve a few for New Year’s Eve, but fnding them in any restaurant in January is rare.) Because they only grow in the wild, underground near the roots of trees, harvesting any species of truffe is an arduous task involving pigs or specially trained dogs. Guy Savoy, whose Caesars Palace restaurant is offering a special white-truffe tasting menu, experienced that frsthand in Italy earlier this month. “I walked with a truffe hunter and two dogs. We walked for three hours and found nothing,” he says of the experience. But for fans, the work and the expense are worth it, because no ingredient can compare to a white truffe. “A white truffe has a very intense perfume,” Savoy says. “It’s a little bit like garlic; it’s very strong. We have to cut it at the last second in front of every guest.” And when it’s shaved, every diner in the restaurant will likely catch a whiff of its beautiful scent. Truffes can be shaved onto nearly any dish, from pastas to poultry to steaks. But dishes with highfat content tend to work best. In many local restaurants, you can ask for the white-truffe treatment on any dish on their menu, for anywhere from $20-$60 for a few precious shavings. But for a true white-truffe indulgence, the following restaurants have created special tasting menus.

Le Cirque The Alba White Truffe Menu ($395) begins with an amusebouche of soft scrambled eggs with crème fraîche and brioche. That’s followed by four savory courses: scallop carpaccio, tarte Florentine, lobster tortellini and risotto with sweetbreads—each topped with a furry of truffes. You’ll round out the meal with two dessert courses. In Bellagio, 693-8100. Picasso Chef Julian Serrano’s fvecourse White Alba Truffe Menu ($250) pairs the tuber with egg poëllé, risotto, butternut squash ravioli and flet mignon. In Bellagio, 693-8105. Restaurant Guy Savoy The White Truffe Menu ($420) starts off deceptively, with a black-truffe dish. But the chef quickly switches to whites, pairing them with scallops, pumpkin soup, risotto, guinea hen and brie. The meal concludes with a pair of desserts. In Caesars Palace, 731-7110. Ferraro’s While Ferraro’s will offer truffes as a supplement to

any dish all season long, the restaurant will host a onenight-only truffe tasting on December 15. The fve-course Tartuf E Nebbiolo: Una Coppia Perfetta dinner ($250) will pair truffes from Alba with Batasiolo wines from Piedmont. 4480 Paradise Rd., 364-5300. É by José Andrés While the multicourse Holiday Menu ($325) available December 21-31 doesn’t include white truffes in every dish, it makes good use of them in courses including lamb shank with truffe, a truffe egg and a cocktail called Truffe Mist (see Page 61). In the Cosmopolitan, EByJoseAndres.com. Nobu Caesars Palace At his new Caesars Palace restaurant, Nobu Matsuhisa introduced an exclusive eight-course White Truffe Menu ($400) on November 27. Offered through December, it will include Maine lobster with white truffe foam, sea bass with a white truffe reduction, wagyu short rib with white truffe custard, and sushi with a white truffe seafood broth. In Caesars Palace, 731-7110.

Drinking

Truffe in Paradise

If you know anything about chef José Andrés, you know that to dine at É—the eight-seat dining room at Jaleo restaurant in the Cosmopolitan—is to give yourself over completely to a team of highly trained chefs who will present you with 20 mini-courses of the most intriguing molecular morsels. That includes spheres, caviars, and oh-so-many foams, airs and mists. Created by chef Aitor Lozano, Truffe Mist is the welcome cocktail on the menu, and is based on Down to Earth, a cocktail created in 2010 by Lucas Paya that combines earthy truffe, artichoke, mezcal and agave. And thanks to the dissolving truffe salt and the truffe mist being wafted over the balanced cocktail just before service, this is also a cocktail in motion. Find the recipe at VegasSeven.com/Cocktail-Culture, and for more white truffe action, see Page 60. – Xania Woodman

[ the Grape nut ]

Opening simultaneously, a hillside yurt has been parked at the same level as Chair 4, and is the ultimate mancave for 15-20 people, available for just a $300 food and beverage minimum. Inside, bachelor(ette) parties and other groups will find seating for the whole group, a 50-inch flat-screen with cable, an iPod-compatible sound system and a stocked beer fridge. In November, the resort also announced the launch of its complimentary coaching service on the bunny hill, where skiers and snowboarders looking to make the jump from beginner to intermediate can drop in for free instruction and feedback. Reservations are not necessary, and there is no limit on the number of participants or the length of time that a person can participate. The resort is scheduled to open November 29, weather permitting. – X.W.

You see the world in a way only you can. You take a blank canvas and make it full of possibilities.

ART IS YOUR POWER.

For Southwest Medical, health is our power. We are always searching for new ways to help keep you healthy so you can do what you do best. EXPLORE.

November 28–December 4, 2013

Rippers and hot shots will have a new place to après-ski this winter when Chair 4 rooftop bar and lounge debuts at Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort (SkiLasVegas.com). Slated for a December 14 opening, the new chill spot is situated atop the main lodge’s existing Bighorn Grill and Bristlecone Bar, and will feature table service and seating for 100; a small-plates menu from the outdoor grill; beer, wine, spirits and winter-inspired signature cocktails; and breathtaking views of Lee Peak and Mummy Mountain. Taking theming to new heights, the mountain-inspired décor is outfitted with the up-cycled bits and pieces from a 50-yearold chairlift, including shiv-wheel cocktail tables and authentic chairlift seats that swing. Guests access Chair 4 by climbing a real chairlift tower. “We have a lot of sunny days,” says Dan Hooper, LVSSR’s director of rider/skier services, “which is unique for ski resorts.” But the entirely outdoor lounge will also have heaters. As to the name, skiers and riders have long referred to the resort’s bar as the fourth chair, “So it’s similar to how golfers have the ‘19th hole,’” Hooper says. Chair 4 is scheduled to operate 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday through Sunday as well as holidays and special events during this season.

61 EMAIL YOUR PROVIDER FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR SMARTPHONE WITH E-VISITS. VISIT POWEREDBYLV.COM

VEGAS SEVEN

cocktail photo by kin lui; chair 4 photo by anthony Mair

Chair 4 raises the Bar

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“Only a Grinch would turn down a chance to be bombarded by bombastic yuletide songs ‘Wizards in Winter’ and ‘Siberian Sleigh Ride.’” MUSIC {PAGE 66}

Stage, music, movies and a culture motel

Holly and the iPod

Get your 12 days of artsy gifing on with our holiday guide By Danny Axelrod

November 28–December 4, 2013

THE MERRY LITTLE elves at Vegas Seven want to treat you to some good ol’ fashioned caroling. Read on for a retooling of holiday chestnut “The Twelve Days of Christmas” in which we share our picks for great arts and entertainment gifts. You now have 12 days to run around trying to show you care through crass consumerism. On Dasher—and that means you!

VEGAS SEVEN

ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS, AN ARTLOVER GAVE TO ME ... A box full of artist Andy! While the Warhol exhibit at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art is leaving us at the end of this year, you can keep Andy in your home and in your heart with the The Andy Warhol Pop Box. This coffee table-size curio is filled with an eclectic collection of replicated artifacts from the life of the enigmatic icon, including notable business documents, personal letters and newspaper clippings. A must-have for the true fanatic! $25. ON THE SECOND DAY OF CHRISTMAS, A BOOKWORM GAVE TO ME ... Two ways to enjoy “Heeeere’s Johnny!” Depending on which way your mind goes when you hear that timeless phrase, we have a book choice for your holiday reading pleasure. Henry “Bombastic” Bushkin’s Johnny Carson (Harcourt, $28) is a revealing look at the late-night TV legend from his perspective as his attorney, friend and confdant. Horror lightning has

Record Store Day, the annual High Holiday for audiophiles, gets a Black Friday spin-off for the fourth time. For the best chance to get limited-edition vinyl, check out the full list of releases at RecordStoreDay.com and then head down early to Zia Records, Record City or Wax Trax records. Fair warning: Not all stores carry all items listed on the website, so call ahead if you have a specific desire. Speaking of which, here’s ours: Grateful Dead’s Family Dog at the Great Highway: A “lost” acoustic set by Bob Weir and Mickey Hart sees the light of day. Deadheads rejoice. Stone Temple Pilots’ Core and Nirvana’s In Utero: Two grunge champions get the colored-vinyl treatment.

ON THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME ... Some photos that were sexy! Taking the term “photophile” to a whole new place, Beverly Hills’ The Boudior Cafe is the premier boudior photography studio in the country. And it recently opened a Vegas location. This the perfect gift to exhibit and express the language of love. A picture is worth a thousand words

November 28–December 4, 2013

AMID THE NEON LIES A BAZAAR

VEGAS SEVEN

Dawes’ Stripped Down at Grimey’s: Record Store Day comes full circle with this release, recorded at Grimey’s in Nashville during their RSD celebration in March. ñ Adam Culler

also struck twice with Stephen King’s sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep (Scribner, $30), which follows the nowgrown up protagonist from the frst book as he wages psychic war against a horde of vampire-like ghouls.

Shopping for Small Business Saturday (the day following Black Friday) just got easier thanks to Neon Bazaar and organizer Polly Weinstein. For one day twice a year, retailers from across the Valley converge Downtown to celebrate independently owned stores and support the retail efforts of artists in the city. The pop-up market’s third event, Neon Holiday Bazaar, takes place November 30 and features more than 50 retailers, including American Vagabond, Jessica Galindo Leather Couture and Happy Panda Toys. Live music, food trucks and a fashion show by the Art Institute of Las Vegas will keep shoppers entertained. For the crowd-averse, a pop-up shop will find a home December 6-26 in Emergency Arts (520 E. Fremont St.) and will feature local designers including The Jeweler’s Daughter, which is Weinstein’s jewelry company. ñ Jessi C. Acuña 12-6 p.m., Jackie Gaughan Parkway at El Cortez, NeonBazaarLV.com.

(and who knows how much cash if you use these for extortion). TheBoudoirCafe.com. ON THE FOURTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, A PUNKER GAVE TO ME ... A SquidBox under the tree! That’s right, the entire SquidHat Records catalog in one four-sided container. Las Vegas’ homegrown punk rock label will have someone you love moshing under the mistletoe. $40, Squidhat. BigCartel.com. ON THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, A LAS VEGAS ACADEMY STUDENT GAVE TO ME ... Broadway with some country! In what is sure to be the New Years’s Eve performance for those who aren’t into Strip nightclubs, musical dynamo Kristin Chenoweth brings her hits to The Smith Center. A full band with backup singers, dancers and a few surprises will turn this concert into a Wicked party. Whomever gifts these tix will be “Popular,” indeed. $49-$175, TheSmithCenter.com.

ON THE SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY EDITOR GAVE TO ME ... Indie-rock poster prints that don’t suck! (Yeah, we’re ditching the rhyming at this point.) Local artist Hernan Valencia of The Construct Creative has created killer music tour posters including Weezer with Hunter Hunted, She and Him with Tilly and The Wall, and New Order with Johnny Marr. They’re the next best

thing to papering your wall with gig fiers. $20-25, TheConstruct.info. ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, AN ASPIRING HUNTER S. THOMPSON GAVE TO ME ... An awesome vintage typewriter! Featuring models from the 1920s through the 1970s, Etsy.com can help you feel the unmistakable rhythm of a manual typewriter as you or someone you love bangs out that Great Las Vegas Novel that every literary minded local is racing to write. $30-$400, Etsy.com.

CHENOWETH PHOTO BY BRIAN BOWEN SMITH; TYPEWRITER PHOTO COURTESY OF ETSY

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SPIN THIS GIFT IDEA

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS … BUY ’EM BOOKS ideas. Since I don’t bake or knit, and I’m too cheap to enroll anyone in a Wine of the Month Club, I tend to get those people books. Here are

A&E

Every year, I end up with people on my gift list who defy all the easy

some foolproof suggestions: The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and the Golden Age of Journalism by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin (Simon & Schuster, $40) is not just for fans of presidential trivia. The book is a sweeping history of politics and the power of the press, beautifully written and exhaustively researched. Things That Matter: Three Decades of Passions, Pastimes and Politics by Charles Krauthammer (Crown Publishing Group, $28) is a collection of columns by another Pulitzer Prize winner who spent decades at both The New Republic and The Washington

ON THE TENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, A PARTY ANIMAL GAVE TO ME ... The Hangover Part lll!! In terms of showing you care, DVDs beat gift cards while requiring barely any additional effort. How can you go wrong with the

ON THE ELEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, A MUSIC-LOVING SOCIALITE GAVE TO ME ... Musical instrument cheese boards with wine accouterments! The holidays are about entertaining, and Alligator Soup in Summerlin and Henderson has bamboo cheese boards in the shape of either a guitar or a piano that open up with utensils tucked inside. $45-$60, 804-0544, AlligatorSoup.com.

political leanings, his insights are invaluable and provocative. Malcolm Gladwell has a gift for identifying the complex—and sometimes hidden— patterns in everyday life and then explaining his theories in highly readable prose. His new book, David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants (Little, Brown & Company, $29), examines advantages, disadvantages and how we overcome or are defeated by them. Like The Tipping Point (2000) and Outliers (2008), this book will appeal to teenagers, grandparents and all ages in between. Johnny Cash: The Life (Little, Brown & Company, $32) by former Los Angeles

ON THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, A BELIEBER GAVE TO ME ... Two tickets to Justin Bieber’s Believe! The concert flm is opening Christmas Day and is directed by the guy who did GI Joe: Retaliation, so it has to kick ass, right? Whether you have tweeners at home or you’re a confounding grownup who’s into The Beebs (yes, we’re looking at you, Miranda Kerr), there’s nothing like spending some holiday time at the movies.

Times music critic Robert Hilburn is a rich and honest portrait of “The Man in Black.” Hilburn attended Cash’s famous concert at Folsom Prison and interviewed Cash many times, so the book is full of firsthand observations and previously untold stories. Undisputed Truth by Mike Tyson and Larry Sloman (Blue Rider Press, $30) is a knockout: a no-holds barred look at the former heavyweight boxing champion. The athletic accomplishments are here, and so are drugs, sex, violence and misogyny. It’s not all grim, though; there’s a great deal of humor and raw emotion that make it a compulsive read. Let Me Off at the Top: My Classy Life and Other Musings by Ron Burgundy (Crown Publishing Group, $22) isn’t just for fans of Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues—it’s for anyone on your Christmas list with a sense of humor. Will Ferrell has been

November 28–December 4, 2013

ON THE NINTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, A PIT BOSS GAVE TO ME ... Two tickets to Terry Fator’s Country Christmas! The America’s Got Talent winner is going honky-tonk for the holidays, which means puppets “singing” country versions of Christmas carols. It’s the most fun you’ll have watching a grown man stick his hand up the wrong end of a doll, holidays or not. $60-$129, The Mirage, TerryFator.com.

Post. Even if you don’t share Krauthammer’s Post

culminating episode of this epic Vegas-Bangkok-Vegas trilogy? Delight (or dismay) a friend with their own copy of what Toronto Globe and Mail film critic Rick Groen describes as “Not just bad, but weirdly, fascinatingly bad.” $15.

popping up everywhere as Burgundy lately, and this tongue-in-

cheek biography is hilarious. Don’t act like you’re not impressed.

VEGAS SEVEN

ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, A COUCH POTATO GAVE TO ME ... Only the hottest home entertainment system since Atari! With the new Microsoft Store at Fashion Show giving Apple Stores a run for their brick and mortar, the Strip will be ground zero for the new Xbox One. Play, watch movies and TV, surf the web and Skype, with cool voicerecognition technology so you can talk back to your TV like never before! $500, XBox.com.

– M. Scott Krause

A&E

MUSIC On parade: Michelle Ashley, Ryan Daly, Anthony Improgo and Randy Schulte.

SIBERIAN ROCK, SUICIDAL SKATERS, MARIACHI CHRISTMAS

Here Come the Kids

Parade of Lights grows into the next Las Vegas success story By Camille Cannon

November 28–December 4, 2013

PARADE OF LIGHTS is branded “L.A.-based,” but the band’s roots stem from our dusty desert. Before all but one of the band members relocated to Southern California, they experienced quiet triumphs here: a spot on the local stage in 2011’s Bite of Las Vegas; and opening shows for Imagine Dragons (Count’s Vamp’d circa March 2011 being one of them). Then this summer, their shoe-gaze anthem “We’re the Kids” hit airwaves, hooked them a recording contract and their biggest Las Vegas audiences yet: opening for X 107.5’s Holiday Havoc featuring former locals Panic! at the Disco on November 30, and Imagine Dragons’ largest solo homecoming on December 30, both taking place at The Joint. All the while, the band is still busy working on their frst full-length album, expected for release in February. In the midst of the madness, we caught up with the group’s last remaining Las Vegan, drummer Anthony Improgo, to discuss the challenges of working long-distance, his love of typography and pizza toppings.

VEGAS SEVEN

You signed with Astralwerks Records in August. How has that affected the band? That’s the funny thing. You go into it like, “Oh shoot. Are we going to have control of our website or imaging or photo shoots and videos?” But it’s been really refreshing because everything that the people at Astralwerks said they were going to do … they’re doing. It’s been a 50/50 marriage. I’m a graphic designer by trade, and Ryan [Daly] does a lot of photography. Everything you see on the web, we’re the ones doing it because they let us. Today, you have to be a 360 artist. Once the music is out you have to be in control of the imaging, the fonts, the whole look, because that complements the music. If you have that whole skill set, you’ll be a lot more successful.

It’s very subtle but clean type design. You still live in Las Vegas, but your bandmates all live in L.A. How’s the long-distance relationship working out? It’s defnitely hard. We go back and forth, and we work online a lot. We trade fles. We have to coordinate more, but the Internet makes it a lot easier. There’s still nothing like being in one room and actually rehearsing. For the show in November, [the rest of the band] will be out here for about a week.

You guys are defnitely art heavy Where do you take them when with your posts on social media. they’re here? I love typography. That’s my thing. When they come here, we’re in I love a nice font, clean lines. I love the studio. If we do go out, we go user-interfaces and user-navigation, to Silverton or something because rule of thirds. You can apply that it’s cheap [laughs.] Everything on to music as well. Let’s say you have the Strip is so expensive! I’ve also Photoshop—you have layers in Photobeen fnding some really cool coffee shop. When you have Pro Tools it’s shops in Summerlin. What’s that the same thing—you have layers, but pizza place in Boca Park? you also have the timeline. It’s really good … I went That’s the marriage of there and they have a PARADE OF design and music. They’re named after a guy very similar. LIGHTS’ UPCOM- pizza from the Killers. What inspired you to ING SHOWS make the “G” backward Would you want to have 7 p.m. Nov. 30 and in your logo? a pizza named after you 8 p.m. Dec. 30 at It’s kind of the Bauhaus, one day? The Joint in Hard modern design moveYes! And if it were, it Rock Hotel, 693ment that started in Gerwould be Hawaiian. It 5000, HardRockmany. I’ve been heavily would have a lot of mushHotel.com. infuenced on that type. rooms and pineapple.

Know what counters the drowsy effects of tryptophan-laced turkey meat? Edgy, underground music. Here are some shows sure to keep you from dozing: The millions of dollars that touring rock-opera production Trans Siberian Orchestra spends every year on lighting, stage props and pyro for its Lost Christmas Eve production will peel open your peepers. Cross TSO off your list at 8 p.m. November 30 at the Orleans, as the symphonic metalmeets-Andrew Lloyd Webber extravaganza returns to Las Vegas. Only a Grinch would turn down a chance to be bombarded by bombastic yuletide songs “Wizards in Winter” and “Siberian Sleigh Ride.” Hail Santa! Should you prefer skateboards over sleigh bells, punk-metal legends Suicidal Tendencies won’t be hanging any mistletoe on the very same night (Nov. 30), 8 p.m. at House of Blues. The band arrives in support of 13, its frst disc of new music in 13 years. While not quite a return to form, you can expect the Tendencies to treat you to their ’80s-era hits such as “Institutionalized” and “Trip at the Brain.” Crossover thrash doesn’t get any better than this L.A. outft. (Heads up: Frontman Mike Muir remains the only original member.) Also on the bill: Terror, Trash Talk, Sprung Monkey and the Inspector Cluzo. Here’s a hidden gem: 7 p.m. December 3, HellPop! comics shop inside the Arts Factory is throwing together an incredible evening of outré music that includes New York City folk-punk weirdos Wood Spider. This Americana ensemble sports eclectic instrumentation—banjo, ukulele, glockenspiel, accordion, cello, saw, washboard and upright bass. Over this acoustic havoc, the musicians scream-sing lyrics of heartbreak and alienation. It’s bracing yet oddly beautiful. Vegas folk-punk bands share the bill: Lawn Mower Death Riders, Alexander the Terrible, Pistol Shoebox, Time Crashers and Mountain Meadows Massacre. Me, I’m considering another option that very same night (Dec. 3), at 7 p.m. at Cabaret Jazz in The Smith Center. There, Mari-Achi Christmas: Mariachi Sol de Mexico de José Hernández will take the stage. Mariachi bandleader and world music fgure Hernàndez and his band Sol De Mexico will share the Christmas traditions of “Veracruz, Yucatán and Jalisco.” Posada-style celebrations and pastoral ballads will be presented via music, dance and merriment. Your Vegas band releasing a CD soon? Email Jarret_Keene@Yahoo.com.

music

Album REViEWs By Deanna Rilling Bass HOusE

AC Slater Night Moves EP (Party Like Us Records)

Get down with some super-deep basslines that make you want to hump a woofer. AC Slater, the “King of Heavy Bass House in America”—likely a self-proclaimed title, but it’s fitting—shells out a three-track EP that’s just the right balance between soulful classic house and new-school wonky beats. The first track, “So Sweet” with Megan Thomas, could be super dance-floor friendly. Unfortunately, it’s a bit too creative for a Las Vegas club—but it’s what should be pumping though speakers. “Go Harder,” featuring Dell Harris, continues to lure in anyone with dope undertones and strings for substance. “What You Want” is equally solid. Put this on at stoplights and blow away the guy next to you who’s listening to Avicii. ★★★★✩

2. Eminem, Marshall Mathers LP2 3. Ghost B.C., If You Have Ghost EP 4. A Perfect Circle, Three-Sixty 5. Lady Gaga, Artpop 6. Lorde, Pure Heroine 7. Yo Gotti, I Am 8. Drake, Nothing Was the Same 9. Pearl Jam, Lightning Bolt 10. Death Grips, No Love Deep Web According to sales at Zia Record Exchange at 4503 W. Sahara Ave., Nov. 18-24.

Booka Shade Eve (Embassy One/Blaufield Music) Fortunately, the genius German duo Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier got their panties out of a wad and didn’t break up—the music world should be thankful. With understated funkiness, their traditional recording techniques lend human warmth to each of the 12 tracks, which weave together into something of a house/tech house/techno opera that even includes Groove Armada’s trombone player Andy Cato and deep house vocalist Fritz Kalkbrenner. Favorites include “Maifeld” and “Perfect Time.” Spotify this sucker, then actually buy it. It’s totally worth it. ★★★★✩ EDM

Mat Zo Damage Con-

trol (Astralwerks) Oh, I know this song (“Easy”). Wait, I know this one, too (“Pyramid Scheme”). And this one (“The Sky”). Wait, didn’t I hear this already (“EZ”)? Hmmm, Mat Zo’s debut album sounds awfully familiar. That’s because some of the tracks have already been out for a minute. Can’t fault a guy for knowing what works and turning that into an album, but the offering seems disjointed. Perhaps Zo is trying to prove his versatility, thus he’s got everything from an interlude that sounds like Jethro Tull’s flute (“Little Damage”) to ’70s porno background music (“The Sky”) and Middle Eastern dubstep (if that’s a thing now, on “Caller ID”). But it’s still better than most EDM these days, so, much appreciated, Mat Zo. ★★★✩✩

Disc scAn

Upcoming on Deanna’s radar … NOV. 15: OK, I know the date has passed, but I just saw that Nils Frahm released Spaces and I almost missed it, so shame on me; I’d be mad at myself if I didn’t share it with you. Who’s Nils Frahm? A brilliant German modern-day composer I’m musically in love with, so if you’re looking to refresh your ears, pick this one up. DEC. 3: Speaking of people I’m musically in love with, Glen Hansard (you know, the guy from the movie Once), drops his second solo offering, Drive All Night, on this date.

November 28–December 4, 2013

1. Five Finger Death Punch, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Vol. 2

DEEp HOusE

67 VEGAS SEVEN

WhAt WE’RE buying

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CONCERTS

PERFECT VISION: Justin Timberlake strikes me as a guy with drawers full of pocket squares, maybe a walk-in closet full of porkpie hats.

DRAKE

A stylish guy, a real

Drizzy brought his A-game for a performance that proved the crooner has staying power. A blend of classic songs such as “Successful” and “Uptown” as well as tracks off September release Nothing Was The Same merged old with new. His hypnotic, haunting lyrics were only matched by a Warshak-esque montage chronicling the Canadian rapper’s rise from unpretentious beginnings to the head of his OVO empire. He acknowledged the hunger that drove him to greatness on tracks such as “Started From the Bottom.” Singing the anthemic “Hold On, We’re Going Home,” Drake serenaded a lucky lady from the audience before diving headfirst into the confident irreverence of “Worst Behavior” and “The Language.” The most riveting moment of the evening came when the stage became a floating contraption that hovered above a mesmerized audience, as Drake stepped out closer than ever before and shouted to those who could not get enough Drizzy Love. “Las Vegas, thank you for one of the best nights of my life,” he said as “Started” carried him on outro. No, Drake … Thank you. ★★★★✩ – Tiffany Franklin

Timberlake could fit in a dick-sized box,

natty dresser. What I actually know about Justin

November 28–December 4, 2013

TEKKNO FLAMENKO

VEGAS SEVEN

WHITNEY PEYTON Ultra Violet Studios, Nov. 23

The Philadelphia rapper was impeccable in her delivery and unpredictable in her behavior. Raised in the game among rap’s notoriously raucous Juggalos, the diminutive darling gave her fans a party, not just a performance. Her Nikes soared at least a foot into the air as she bobbed during “Live by the Sword,” her cleverly phrased song declaring her commitment to a life of writing rhymes, the subjects of which revolve primarily on the triumphs of an underdog. As she rapped, she orchestrated her arms in snappy rhythmic movements that showed she’s no amateur. Her small frame scaled the scaffolding several feet high, still dropping ferocious lyrical bars while she clutched the cold metal bars with her hands. Back on the ground, Peyton teased the audience for their “golf clap” reception and offered her solution: propelling herself into people on multiple occasions, starting a mosh pit for the final track, “42 Bars,” during which she ripped the line, I’m sick of being kidded cause I’m different. In other words: You can’t judge a book by its cover, and you can’t judge a rapper by her stature or gender until you see her live, bouncing around with bodies thrice her size, simultaneously spitting fire into the microphone. ★★★★✩ – Camille Cannon

but I know this: As a former Mouseketeer and boy band survivor, Timberlake takes performing seriously. Timberlake brings his 20/20 World Experience Tour to MGM Grand Garden Arena for two nights, November 2930 ($53-$203), which means velvety vocals, synchronized dance moves and more than 30 songs. In “Suit and Tie,” Timberlake croons, “I want to show you a few things.” According to the lyrics, he’s talking about love, but Timberlake has bigger plans. He

The Library inside the Marquee, Nov. 18

wants to show you everything: his vocal

Acoustic techno? It almost sounds like an oxymoron. Tekkno Flamenko performed their unique blend of classic acoustic guitar and techno/electronica for Marquee’s first gathering of The Collaborative’s Fireside Sessions. Blue Man Group’s Elvis Lederer and Jason Mackenroth teamed up with Djeff of Cirque du Soleil and Gonzo Groove Situation’s Mike Gonzales to perform music that’s one-part jazz, one-part EDM and three parts originality to create some very interesting instrumental tunes. Lederer, on guitar, led the collective as Mackenroth pounded on his octapad over jazz-influenced horns. With strategically placed maracas located all over the lounge, spectators were encouraged to play along. Truly a musical experience. ★★★✩✩ – Brjden Crewe

He wants you to love him, and he’s pulling

range, his dance moves, his acting chops. out all the stops. HAVOC YOUR WAY: Jared Leto is charming film critics with his role as a transsexual in Dallas Buyers Club, but on November 30 he’ll wow rock fans when Thirty Seconds to Mars headlines X107.5’s annual Holiday Havoc at The Joint ($35-$150) along with special guests Panic! at the Disco, Pepper and Parade of Lights. Attendees who spring for $150 tickets support Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas and have an opportunity to meet the bands at an exclusive pre-show party. I believe that’s what we call a “win-win” situation. ON SALE NOW: Fleetwood Mac recently canceled tour dates in Australia and New Zealand so group co-founder John McVie could undergo cancer treatment, which means their show at MGM Grand Garden Arena on December 30 ($99.50-$224.50) is the group’s sole remaining scheduled appearance. I know Christine McVie went her own way a long time ago, but 80 percent of Fleetwood Mac is still a pretty big Mac attack.

FLAMENKO AND DRAKE PHOTOS BY GLENN BROGAN; WHITNEY PEYTON PHOTO BY LINDA EVANS

MGM Grand Garden Arena, Nov. 22

A&E

ART

Rented Dreamspace A motel art event opens a gateway to a greener future

November 28–December 4, 2013

By Pj Perez

VEGAS SEVEN

BEFORE IT WAS known—and then offcially designated—as 18b or the Arts District, the area just west and south of the intersection of Las Vegas and Charleston boulevards was part of the Gateway District. The name makes sense, if you remember that the Strip is actually outside Las Vegas city limits, along what used to be the Los Angeles Highway that led into the city proper, north of Sahara (originally San Francisco) Avenue—making that area between Sahara and Charleston the “gateway” to the city (and in particular, Downtown). That makes the venerable Gateway Motel, on the northwest corner of that intersection, the ideal location for Greetings From Las Vegas, a one-night event December 5 that will see the 1930s-era

motel transformed into a collection of 20 art galleries. In each room, local artists and designers will display their visions of a more sustainable Las Vegas—enabling the spot to become a “gateway” to the potential Vegas of the future. The event is organized by Michael Litt and Green Jelly (the same loose collective that threw the “Build a Greener Block” event on Main Street last year), with help from Americans for the Arts Action Fund. Greetings From Las Vegas will also feature music from local bands the Swamp Gospel, the All-Togethers and Ditch Diggers, free beer from Tenaya Creek Brewery, free food from Gateway Motel neighbor Doña Maria Tamales and burlesque performances by Penni Piper. An Indiegogo campaign, which raised more

than $4,000 in one month, is covering the costs. Litt, who lived in ecominded Austin, Texas, for 10 years, says the idea for “a sustainable twist on a motel art show” came from a combination of inspirations: the yearly, free-form NadaDada Motel art event held in Reno, and the Austin Futures Fair, a pop-up gallery exploring artists’ visions of that city’s future, in which Litt had a hand organizing. “I really do believe in the power of events around creative mediums to civically engage people,” Litt says. More than 20 artists are featured in the show, including Andreana Donahue, Brian Henry, David Sanchez Burr, Justin Favela and Joel Spencer, as well as a selection of designers, architects and community

groups such as Green Chips, ment and spark a discussion the Huntridge Foundation on sustainability—making and the UNLV Downtown Southern Nevada a greener Design Center. place isn’t as easy. The Vegas The installations themValley, even without the selves might not be what spiraling growth of the early you’d expect from an eco2000s, is a sprawling dust themed art show. One of bowl not easily covered by the exhibits is a group effort public transportation, with led by Jevijoe Vitug that will still-infantile recycling availtackle the notion of personal ability and an often-harsh sustainability, creating a spaclimate. Litt agrees there is like environment for visitors, plenty of room for improvedecorated with artwork made ment (“I’d like to see more from recycled materials. in terms of transportation, Another, created by Hektor protected bike lanes, more D. Esparza of Push Forward, energy-efficient buildings”), will debut a prototype for and he is also optimistic a program that repurposes about current efforts. skateboard parts, incorpo“I’ve always maintained that rating sustainability into the Las Vegas has a lot of awenonproft’s at-risk youth some progress going on,” Litt skateboarding programs. says. “Look at the Vegas Roots One room will feacommunity garden. ture postcards subThere’s a really GREETINGS strong bike culture. mitted from around the world showing A lot of nonprofts FROM LAS how cities can be that do a lot of work VEGAS more sustainable, around sustainability making the locally and clean energy. Gateway Motel, 928 Las Vegas focused event part of It’s important to Blvd. South, a global picture. point to the progress 6-10 p.m. Dec. While Litt’s there is already, so 5, Greetingsgoals are simple we can say, ‘OK, let’s FromLV.com. enough—encourtake that a little bit age civic engagefurther.’”

PHOTO BY RYAN OLBRYSH

For one night, the Gateway Motel will host 20 art galleries.

stage

The phabulous Ewing, Keith and Patriquin.

Phat and haPPy Bruce Ewing gives thanks as Bally’s rescues the Phat Pack

photo by frankie Sanchez

Why did the Plaza run end? We had been four-walling the production. Although we were encouraged by the amazing reviews and recognition, we just weren’t selling like we needed to. The Plaza did all they could to help us … but we ran out of resources. We couldn’t keep going anymore. Why were you guys so determined to revive this? There were so many signs telling us that we were on the right track, we just didn’t want to give up! We have an agent in New York who is booking us across the country on concert dates, but we live here and we want to make a run of it here. Some performers have complained that the Windows Showroom is tucked away upstairs, and that the Bally’s promotion was lax. Does that worry you? So far, all signs are looking very encouraging. We are no longer

four-walling. We are being produced by Andrew Van Slee (Extraordinary Media), and I have no reason to be anything but encouraged. We were trying to do all the producing on our own, with some help from the Plaza. Now the producing is in the hands of people who know how to do that. Will you take advantage of the new room to make changes to the show? We have made a lot of changes over the year at the Plaza. We’ve tightened the show up a lot. … Our show will never be “cut in stone” or frozen. There will always be new things happening with us. Any other developments we should know about? Our biggest challenge is that people mistake that we are doing a Rat Pack tribute show. There are great groups here in town that do that. ... We are Broadway singers, presenting the best of Broadway, American standards and original music. It has taken time, but we are getting that word out. We have changed our logo to include Broadway characters, and we also have added “Broadway at its Best” to our poster. We are hoping this will help! Count on help from this corner, too. And score one for class. STRIP POSTSCRIPT: Burlesque isn’t dead, so why shouldn’t the dead do burlesque? Such unassailable logic undoubtedly inspired Zombie Burlesque, a curiosity-stirring newbie that opened in previews November 25 at Planet Hollywood’s V Theater. Bumping and grinding by the walking dead? Who says sex appeal requires a pulse? Got an entertainment tip? Email Steve.Bornfeld@VegasSeven.com.

November 28–December 4, 2013

Barely an eye-blink after departing the forever-in-fux Plaza showroom on November 16, the phaaaa-bulous Phat Pack—impeccably talented ex-Phantom performers Bruce Ewing, Ted Keegan, Randal Keith and Kevan Patriquin—will resurface with an upgrade to the Strip, where they always belonged. Beginning December 11, the Phab Four (actually, three at any one show) take up residence at Bally’s Windows Showroom (4:30 p.m. Wed-Sun). Consider this rebound validation that charming, gimmick-free entertainment—no acrobats, magic tricks, impersonators, dirty-talking sock puppets or Cirque-ish razzmatazz—has a niche in the Vegas frmament. We ran a few questions by a thrilled-to-be-coming-back Ewing:

71 VEGAS SEVEN

score one for showmanship.

A&E

MOVIES

Bruce Dern and Will Forte are father-son travel companions who must have missed an exit in Nebraska.

Great Plains Drifter

Bruce Dern’s afecting performance at the core of Nebraska

November 28–December 4, 2013

By Michael Phillips Tribune Media Services

VEGAS SEVEN

THE SMALL AND medium towns in the Midwest and the Great Plains region aren’t so different from any other part—rural, urban or in between—of the United States. Half the people don’t talk much, while the other half chatter to fill the silence. It’s a timehonored cliché according to Garrison Keillor, but there’s truth in it. And there truly are a million or more men in this country like Woody Grant (Bruce Dern), the tight-lipped subject of Alexander Payne’s latest film, Nebraska. Throughout Bob Nelson’s tidy, well-ordered screenplay, Woody’s wife, his sons, his distant relations and his old, dubious friends from back home drop little bits of biographical detail regarding the addled, irritable, melancholy soul at the movie’s center. We learn he’s a lifelong alcoholic;

a Korean War veteran who saw too much carnage; and he wasn’t much of a father. He may also have early-onset dementia. And now, having received a magazine subscription flier in the mail with his name on it, he believes himself to be the lucky winner of a milliondollar sweepstakes, and he is determined to travel from his home in Billings, Montana, to Lincoln, Nebraska, to collect the grand prize. This is a road-trip story. Woody, given to wandering off on his own, finds a traveling companion in his younger son, David, who sells electronics in Billings and whose recent breakup has left him in a state of stasis. Why not, David figures. Why not give the old man a ride and indulge his fantasy? Eventually Woody’s wife, Kate, whose first sentence onscreen

is a forthright “You dumb cluck!” and his “go-getter” Billings TV-anchor son meet up with the men for an uneasy reunion in Hawthorne, Nebraska, where Woody and Kate grew up and met. Nebraska is less a movie than a feature-length equivalent of a wry comic ballad, observing some ordinary lives. A lot of Payne’s film, his sixth feature, is funny, in that gently sardonic way distinguishing his best work. (I like Election, Sideways and The Descendants best so far.) Some of Nebraska feels thin and slightly misjudged—the broadly comic stuff with the idiot cousins, for example. The script, a tiny bit meager, digs only so far underneath anyone’s skin. But Payne, shooting in widescreen black and white with cinematographer Phedon Papamichael, elevates the material with images, simply

composed, of serious and paradoxically ordinary beauty. This is a movie that treats the lonely street outside a dingy small-town tavern with the same care as Payne shows his actors, beginning and ending with Dern. Dern won the Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year for his portrayal— childlike and frightened one second, finty and amusingly crusty the next —of a man who never amounted to much on paper. So much of direction is a matter of politely beating the acting out of an actor and encouraging easy-breathing, in-character behavior instead. Dern here does the least overt and most affecting work of his screen career, a career pockmarked with one too many bug-eyed psychos and head cases. His comic timing remains shrewdly unpredictable. Will Forte plays David, a sad sack eager to fnd out who’s in there, behind his father’s glazed eyes. Over beers one night, David broaches the subject of his parents’ marriage. “You must’ve been in love,” David says, hoping for a “yes,” regarding his parents’ courtship. A quick, puzzled pause, and Dern answers: “Never came up.”

Dern and Forte are both effective, but my favorite performances in Nebraska belong to the women. As Kate, June Squibb, who played Jack Nicholson’s wife in Payne’s About Schmidt, feels authentic and true in every instance. And in the small role of the Hawthorne newspaper owner and editor who knew Woody when, luminous Angela McEwan works wonders in between the lines. Payne knows gold when he sees it: The close-up of McEwan near the end speaks volumes and evokes many things, wordlessly. Much of Nebraska is ordinary prose, but the best parts are plain-spoken comic poetry, including the priceless tableau of a living room full of stoic men, drinking beer, watching a football game. Woody fits right in. Rance Howard (director Ron’s father) plays Woody’s brother, and the way he performs in this sequence, staring at the off-screen TV, it’s as if he’d been sitting in that living room his entire life, holding the same beer, waiting for someone to show up with a camera and mutter: “Action.” Nebraska (R) ★★★✩✩

A&E

movies

appetite for ‘Hunger’ Franchise advances in good form in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire By Michael Phillips Tribune Media Services

ian America, a police-state mess known as Panem. Lawrence, by contrast, shoots Catching Fire with a steadier gaze and a sleeker touch, offering a little bit of everything and not too much of any one thing. For newbies: The games of the title are battles to the death between representatives of Panem’s beaten-down districts. Through her wiles, her bow-and-arrow skills and her bangin’ fashion sense, Katniss triumphed, mournfully, in the frst movie. She engineered a life-saving maneuver for her friend and fellow competitor, the baker’s son, Peeta. Catching Fire opens with Katniss and Peeta, pretending to be sweethearts for a TV audience, embarking on their 12-day victory tour, culminating in a big show at the capitol. President Snow connives to crush this fearsomely famous woman, whose ability to foment revolution among the oppressed masses is nothing to dismiss. The movie is part treatise on the hardships of unwanted notoriety, part blood

Peeta (Hutcherson), Effie (Banks) and Katniss (Lawrence) feel the Hunger again.

sport revisited, the games this time played by an all-star cadre of past winners. Ways to die? Oh so many. There’s human-made poisonous fog. There are electrocutions, stabbings and other classics. Shooting in Hawaii, which gives this sequel a distinct Lost look, director Lawrence traffc-manages with considerable effectiveness. The simian attack, for example, which is plenty scary, recalls Lawrence’s work with the computer-generated beasties in his remake of I Am Legend. Like that picture, Catching Fire has the bonus of a genuinely charismatic performer. Jennifer Lawrence, now an Oscar winner thanks to Silver Linings Playbook, emotes like crazy, but you never catch her acting. It feels real, and

Lawrence sees to it that we rarely experience the dramatic set-ups in terms of cheap revenge or conventional movie blood lust. Josh Hutcherson returns as Peeta; Gale Hawthorne, his romantic rival for Katniss’ preoccupied affections is once again played by Liam Hemsworth. Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks and Lenny Kravitz buzz around engagingly as Katniss’ entourage. You keep waiting for better zingers, which never arrive, but The Hunger Games isn’t about wit; it’s about blunt lessons in hypocrisy and class warfare. Franchise newcomers, all welcome, include Philip Seymour Hoffman as the game designer with the ambiguous motives, and Jeffrey Wright and Amanda

November 28–December 4, 2013

short reviews

VEGAS SEVEN

Delivery Man (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩

A meat truck-delivery driver (Vince Vaughn) going nowhere in his life learns that as a young man, his rampant sperm donations led to 500-plus women being impregnated. More than a hundred of his offspring are suing the errant sperm bank to learn their father’s identity. The film isn’t terrible, but it’s all sort of unseemly. Vaughn’s character has no defining traits other than a mysterious, heal-all lovability.

The Best Man Holiday (R) ★★★✩✩

This sequel follows in the footsteps of writer-director Malcolm D. Lee’s successful 1999 comedy The Best Man, using a template familiar to anyone who may have seen The Big Chill. The Best Man Holiday is a far more Tyler Perry-ish mixture of comedy and tragedy than the easygoing Best Man. Still, some of the writing is pungently funny, as when Nia Long’s new squeeze Eddie Cibrian is described by one of the characters as “a tall vanilla swagga latte,” and the movie, while nothing visually special, earns its queen-size dose of pathos honestly.

The Armstrong Lie (R) ★★★✩✩

Documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney initially set out to make a movie called The Road Back, an intimate look at cyclist Lance Armstrong’s maybe-triumphant comeback. How could he lose, with a subject like that? But then Armstrong, the subject of various investigations, caved under the weight of the “one big lie” (his phrase). The Armstrong Lie gets going, and gets pretty good, when Gibney is able to focus on the 2009 Tour de France itself, a race fraught with old rivalries and backstage dramas. It’s the movie he set out to make in the beginning, after all. But getting there is tough going.

Plummer as a Mutt-and-Jeff pair of unlikely competitors, more about brains than brawn. The violence in Catching Fire can get pretty rough, but the reason these frst two movies work relates to our ability to take the carnage seriously. Lawrence’s Katniss doesn’t Bruce-Willis her way through the events of the rather thinly spread story. Each time she witnesses a killing, state-sanctioned or otherwise, it hurts. It means something. We’re not talking about highly dimensional or evocative mythmaking here; the flms are more about hitting the marks and setting up the next part. But they work. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (PG-13) ★★★✩✩

[ by tribune media services ]

Dallas Buyers Club (R) ★★★✩✩

Diagnosed with AIDS and given a one-month death sentence by his doctors, drug-using heterosexual Ron Woodroof scrambled to stay alive and used the next seven years to create an underground pharmaceuticals way station for others with HIV and AIDS. Matthew McConaughey lost 50 pounds to play Woodroof at his sickliest, and co-star Jared Leto lost 30 to play transgender character Rayon, Woodroof’s unlikely business associate and the movie’s secret weapon. McConaughey and Leto may well find themselves with Oscar nominations come the new year.

hunger games photo by murray Close

the hunger games: Catching Fire is a lot like its own celebrity heroine, Katniss Everdeen, who begins this second Hunger Games movie fulflling a public relations tour as penance for her killer—literally, killer— popularity. She is adored by millions; the books are, too. The three Suzanne Collins novels, to be spread across four flms, are being adapted with fdelity to the source material. All Catching Fire had to do was to show up, look good and not screw up to succeed. Consider Catching Fire an example of successful franchise installment delivery, on time and in sturdy condition. Some interesting shifts in tone and texture this time. The flm looks nothing like the frst, Gary Ross-directed Hunger Games, which I slightly prefer to the solid No. 2. Catching Fire features director Francis Lawrence behind the camera, and already he has signed for the next two. Ross favored handheld shaky-cam stylistics in his depiction of futuristic totalitar-

movies

Thor: The Dark World (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩

This sequel comes with the same old threats of galaxy annihilation, spiced with fish-out-of-water jokes. My favorite here: Encountering a London flat for the first time in his travels, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor comes in the door and hangs his snazzy flying killer hammer from its leather loop on one of the coat hooks. Plenty of fine actors (including Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins and Kat Dennings) do what they can here amid the digital mayhem and smashed columns.

How I Live Now (R) ★★✩✩✩

About Time (R) ★★★✩✩

Ender’s Game (PG-13) ★★★✩✩

Last Vegas (PG-13) ★★★✩✩

In step with its sensitive, tactically brilliant 12-year-old hero, Ender’s Game is a tweener, neither triumph nor disaster. Action scenes unfold in a vast zero-gravity battle-simulation arena, on a space station readying for an alien attack. The preteens and young teenagers being trained to save the world try to impress the authority figures played by Harrison Ford, Viola Davis and Sir Ben Kingsley. Asa Butterfield of Hugo is Ender Wiggin, the bullied boy who becomes Earth’s ultimate military leader. Hailee Steinfeld is Petra, his best friend and training mentor.

Already a hit in its native England, writerdirector Richard Curtis’ About Time works despite its fantasy element. On his 21st birthday, Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) learns from his father (Bill Nighy) the family secret: The men in this clan are able to time-travel into their pasts, reliving and then restaging key moments. It’s Groundhog Day crossed with Love Actually, the latter being a big Curtis hit. The twin poles of Dream Womanhood are represented by Tim’s crush (Margot Robbie) and his destiny (Rachel McAdams).

A genial Hangover for the AARP set, Last Vegas is a little better than what you’d expect. The four stars are Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline. The setup: Lifelong pals reunite for the bachelor party of the Douglas character, a Malibu slicko marrying a much younger woman. Old grudges reignite; new high jinks ensue; a tax attorney turned Vegas lounge singer (Mary Steenburgen) excites the interest of the Douglas character, as well as the grieving widower portrayed by De Niro.

November 28–December 4, 2013

Imagine a Judy Blume rewrite of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, and you’ll end up in the vicinity of How I Live Now. Taken from the 2004 young-adult novel by Meg Rosoff, this is a dystopian vision of a near future in the English countryside, with World War III raging just off screen. It’s no time or place for an American teenager (Saoirse Ronan) to spend a summer vacation. Young-adult fiction can’t get enough of apocalyptic scenarios, but some are stubborn about being filmed—like this one.

75 VEGAS SEVEN

The Book Thief (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩

Adapted from the book-club staple by Markus Zusak, The Book Thief tries so hard to warm our hearts amid grotesque suffering, it goes mad under the strain. It relays an uplifting story that, ill-advisedly, is not so much Holocaust-era as Holocaust-adjacent, determined to steer clear of discomfort. Director Brian Percival lends the film a craftsmanlike sheen; the script clips along, never worrying about psychological scars or what’s happening just off screen. This is an empowerment fable, with all the queasy, ahistorical perspective the phrase implies.

Marketplace

CLINT HOLMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS Singing classic holiday carols alongside Clint’s talented band, Clint and his wife Kelly will have you reminiscing on holiday seasons past. Get in on the festivities either in Cabaret Jazz or, for one night only, in the Donald W. Reynolds Symphony Park where the duo will be joined by special guests.

Friday, December 6 & Saturday, December 7 — 8:30pm Sunday, December 8 — 5:00pm* *In Donald W. Reynolds Symphony Park at The Smith Center

DANNY WRIGHT – JUST WRIGHT FOR THE HOLIDAYS Sunday, December 15 — 2:00pm & 6:00pm

THE DEANA MARTIN CHRISTMAS SHOW

Friday, December 20 & Saturday, December 21 — 7:00pm Sunday, December 22 — 2:00pm

TICKETS STARTING AT $30

361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89106 TheSmithCenter.com I 702.749.2000 | TTY: 800.326.6868 or dial 711

Marketplace

Across from the Hard Rock | 702-736-6166

Marketplace

SATURDAY

NOVEMBER 30 NEW YEAR’S EVE WEEKEND

FRIDAY

SUNDAY

DECEMBER 6

SATURDAY

JAN 18

DECEMBER 29

SUNDAY

JAN 19

FRIDAY

JAN 31

ticketmaster.com // pearl box ofce // 702.944.3200 // palmspearl.com palms.com

November 28–December 4, 2013

You started working on The View back in September. How surreal is it that you’re on TV every day sitting alongside Barbara Walters? Incredibly surreal. Every day I look to my left and go, “Oh my God, it’s Barbara Walters!” It’s her last year there, so I feel like I would’ve been gypped if I didn’t get to work on The View with the queen. So I feel blessed, honored and I am just writing down every single moment that I get to experience with Barbara Walters.

VEGAS SEVEN

Jenny McCarthy

The onetime Playmate of the Year and current View co-host on her Hard Rock comedy show, dating a New Kid and one wild Vegas night By Matt Jacob

Your all-female standup show Dirty Sexy Funny, debuts November 29-30 at the Hard Rock Hotel, and the shows will also be flmed. So just how dirty will things get? The material, I would say, is not that crazy—it’s funny, it’s edgy, but it’s not insulting; it

won’t make people get up and leave. It’s just that women are sometimes not supposed to talk about certain things, and I realized with my frst book, Belly Laughs, when I kind of spoke the truth about how women really feel, it worked; women told me, “Oh my God,

thank you. It’s maybe stuff that we think about but don’t say.” So I fgured, if men could do it, why not women? You’ve got quite a raw sense of humor; where did it come from? It came from going to

As the world knows, you’ve been dating Donnie Wahlberg for several months now. How challenging is the very public nature of your relationship? For me, it’s not challenging, because I am an open book. I made the decision early on in my career how much I want to let the public in. And I realized there’s such freedom in being open and honest, and maybe that’s where my comedy comes in—if you’re your authentic self, then you don’t have to worry about what you [say]. It’s so exhausting [and] there’s too much pressure in life to try to bullshit everyone. So I am very open. The only hard thing is when the other person’s in the public eye, if they’re not as much of an extrovert as I am in a relationship. So the hardest thing is balancing out someone else’s needs and respecting what they want in or out of the public.

What’s your first Las Vegas memory? I was about to turn 21, and my college boyfriend said, “Do you want to go to Las Vegas?” And I was like, “Yes!” We had never been there before. And in my head, I thought Las Vegas was like the James Bond movies. So we went for the night, and I literally only brought a gown to wear. We come down to the lobby, he’s dressed up, I’m dressed up, and I’m like, “Oh my God, people are in shorts and T-shirts!” I JENNY just remember MCCARTHY’S walking around DIRTY SEXY Bally’s being so embarrassed FUNNY and playing 9:30 p.m. Nov. roulette, and 29-30 in Vinyl people said, at the Hard “What, did you Rock Hotel, guys just go to a HardRockHoball?” tel.com. What’s your wildest night in Vegas? Wow. There are so many. I would say when I was there with Playmates, we were doing a promotion … and we got completely trashed and wanted to steal a taxicab. That was our goal. So we got into a cab and somehow convinced the driver to get out for a second, and one of the Playmates jumped in front and we took off. Essentially, we stole a car! We brought it back about a half-hour later. Fortunately, we weren’t arrested. [Laughs.] It was definitely one of those fun nights with 10 Playmates shoved in a stolen taxicab driving up and down the Strip! What can Jenny McCarthy do better at age 40 than at age 20? Hmm. Well, I can go with the sex answer! [Laughs.] Feel free! Let’s say I’ve honed my skills in the bedroom like all women do as they get later on in life. And then on a philosophical level, I can offer advice so much better to people now.

What was going through Jenny McCarthy’s mind during her very frst Playboy photo shoot? Read the full interview at VegasSeven.com/McCarthy.

PHOTO BY ERIK K ABIK

7 QUESTIONS

Catholic school my entire life and being kind of put in a box to not speak my mind. The more you’re confined to the cage, the bigger the breakout will be. I was taught by nuns my whole life, and … by the time I got to college, I noticed myself saying things that maybe people don’t want to talk about or are controversial or edgy, just to see the reaction. But it was also kind of freeing for me. People who went to school with me, when I see them back in Chicago, they say, “Who is this person? You grew up so shy and quiet!”