Light Rail in the Southwest | Vegas Seven Magazine | Jan. 16- Jan. 22 by Vegas Seven

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T H I S S AT U R D AY

SATURDAY

JANUARY 18 T H I S S U N D AY

SUNDAY

JANUARY 19

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

JAN 31

FEB 15

SATURDAY & SUNDAY

MARCH 22 & 23

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12 | THE LATEST

Las Vegas lives the tweet life, CES wears its heart on its sleeve and the philharmonic celebrates Nevada’s sesquicentennial. Plus, Comrade Grumpy, The Deal, Ask a Native and Tweets of the Week.

14 | Next Exit

“Soaking Up the Meaning of It All,” by Stacy J. Willis. A household flood, a new water honcho and the mind-boggling significance of clean H2O.

16 | Sports

“For These Diamond Standouts, a Crowning Moment,” by Matt Jacob. Las Vegans Greg Maddux and Frank Thomas highlight baseball’s 2014 Hall of Fame class. Plus, Going for Broke on why the Broncos and the 49ers are the right picks in the NFL conference championships.

20 | Green Felt Journal

“Raising Its Game,” by David G. Schwartz. The American Gaming Association takes a smart new direction—and Las Vegas stands to benefit.

24 | COVER

“In Arizona, Tripping the Light Rail Fantastic,” by Nora Burba Trulsson. Phoenix is dry, sprawling and traditionally dominated by cars. What does it have that Las Vegas doesn’t? Plus, two discussions propel Las Vegas’ light-rail future.

29 | NIGHTLIFE

Seven Nights, a Q&A with Ken Jordan of The Crystal Method, a look at Tao Group’s changes and photos from the week’s hottest parties.

53 | DINING

Al Mancini on Crush, Dishing With Grace, booze-infused cookies and making a case for rye whiskey.

59 | A&E

“The Tao of Shatner,” by Steve Bornfeld. Riffing on the wonders of the Star Trek icon as he beams his Broadway show into The Smith Center.

64 | Movies

“Sci-Fi Shortie,” by Pj Perez. Local filmmaker’s award-winning Philip K. Dick story adaptation to make it Downtown debut. Plus, Lone Survivor and our weekly movie capsules.

78 | Seven Questions

Lisa Lampanelli on performing for Vegas hipsters, the healing powers of laughter and why everyone needs to cut Miley Cyrus some slack.

DEPARTMENTS

ON THE COVER

Phoenix’s light rail could serve as a template for Las Vegas.

Phoenix’s light rail superimposed on Las Vegas’ Maryland Parkway. Photo illustration by Ryan Olbrysh.

9 VEGAS SEVEN

PHOTO BY CHRIS CURTIS

January 16–22, 2014

11 | Dialogue 13 | Seven Days 18 | Gossip 22 | Style

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, 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; 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 Jon Estrada 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 Digital sales manager Nicole Scherer 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 R. 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

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

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January 16–22, 2014

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VEGAS SEVEN

PublisHed in assoCiation WitH tHe observer Media grouP

dialogue letters The Tipping Point Nightlife industry pros, patrons and others weighed in on our story about a new tax rule that could reduce earnings for cocktail servers (“The Death of the Auto-Gratuity?” December 20). I am a cocktail waitress in Las Vegas. We are taxed by the IRS based on what they think we make. Unfortunately, with the economy the way it’s been, many of our incomes have dropped in half over the last year. Sometimes we’re paying more in the tip compliance than we’re actually making! People come here from all over the country because this city was a great place to live, particularly if you weren’t fortunate enough to be able to go to college. What a shame that the government is doing everything it can to make sure that doesn’t happen anymore. – Melissa Howell These clubs are making bank. I have no problem tipping a server, usually 20 percent or more if they deserve it,

but I reserve the option to pay less if the service is poor. –Brett Grant The main issue with auto-gratuity is that it is not negotiable. We have always supported suggested tips on the bottom of receipts. Customers decide what they should leave as a gratuity. A tip shouldn’t be expected as a part of salary, but an incentive reward for hard work and exceptional service. Note to employers: Pay your employees what they deserve and don’t make them rely just on gratuities. – J.L. Jordan III, Jordan & Marks Enterprises

update A Feast Fit for a Food Critic In the weeks since Vegas Seven restaurant critic Max Jacobson was seriously injured when hit by a car in December, many readers have visited VegasSeven.com and our Facebook page to leave messages of support and ask how they can help. On January 19, an all-star lineup of locally and nationally renowned chefs, including Thomas Keller, Bobby Flay and Kim Canteenwalla, will host a six-course dinner at chef Rick Moonen’s Rx Boiler Room in Mandalay Bay to beneft Jacobson’s family. Tickets are available by calling 632-9305. Follow Jacobson’s recovery and fnd out how to make a contribution at VegasSeven.com/MaxUpdate.

this week @ VegasseVen.com Dispatches from Pornapalooza

Meet the newest player in Nevada’s budding civilian drone industry, a startup that’s straight outta UNLV, at VegasSeven.com/Drones.

Take That, Coachella!

DTLV’s Geoff Carter tells you which terrifc indie bands are set to breeze through Downtown in the coming weeks, at DTLV.com/GreatConcerts.

Facebook.com/VegasSeven Twitter.com/7Vegas

11 VEGAS SEVEN

Keep Your Eyes on the Sky

January 16–22, 2014

“Unbuttoned” columnist Lynn Comella is on the scene at this week’s Adult Entertainment Expo. Follow VegasSeven.com/Unbuttoned for news, interviews and photos from the nation’s biggest adult industry gathering.

“When did it become socially acceptable to parade around in public in your pajamas?"

COMRADE GRUMPY {PAGE 14}

News, essays and the future of American gaming

Tweeting Toward Gomorrah Las Vegas has had some less-than-chirpy recent news. Can techtopian thinking really fx what ails us?

January 16–22, 2014

By Stacy J. Willis

VEGAS SEVEN

IT WAS WITH great civic pride that citizens embraced the news, at the start of the annual State of the City address on January 9, that Mayor Carolyn Goodman would allow live tweeting while she spoke. Here was an indication of a metropolis that was, if not on the bleeding edge, then suffciently churning toward progress. The tweets were then scrolled onto a large screen in the Council Chambers as the mayor

spoke, so that, as the Las Vegas Review-Journal later reported, “audience members could read what others were writing” during the speech. The feat took place atop the day’s other headlines— “National report fnds Nevada students have poor chance for success” (#suckitup); “Nevada continues to rank poorly in numbers of doctors, nurses” (#eathealthy)— and could have included a subtext: Stay focused on your navel. Indeed, the

mayor joked, “I give permission to all of you to look down.” And so the state of the city is good. Zappos is fne. Tony Hsieh: fne. The Las Vegas

Metro Chamber of Commerce is moving from Town Square, way out there at the south end of the Strip which is not even in the Las Vegas city limits and besides that it’s a mall, to a closer-to-the-navel spot at The Smith Center, which will “add to the energy” of Downtown (#echochamber). In other areas of the city, the limits of which, according to some maps, extend east to Nellis Boulevard and west beyond Interstate 215, almost nothing happened. Happens. Ever. Take that neighborhood between Jones and Rainbow boulevards north of Charleston—houses, people, schools (#where?). Or that neighborhood near Vegas Drive and Rancho Drive (#sortaNLV). But if a Downtown theme was ricocheting within the Council Chambers, it was an echo of a broader cultural tendency to do exactly the same: sink into a neverending niche community— the new navel, if you will— and post the hell out of it. It’s the socio-techno selective pseudo-reality of our times. #Proveyouexist. In fact, a few miles from City Hall, where tweeting was happening, the world’s other tech lovers were doing their annual pilgrimage to the Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Ve-

gas Convention Center. There, the future showed up as cars that drive for you (so you can live-tweet?), headgear that keeps you visually emerged in 3-D movies and games, and the world’s frst connected toothbrush, which lets users “keep exact track, through its mobile app, of how they brush their teeth” (#fnally). The city (broadly speaking) also welcomed the annual AVN Adult Entertainment Expo, where CES’ display of trends toward automated and selfdirected technologies happily morphs into amazing new ways to auto-selfe through advancements in #porn. All of this is to say that Mayor Goodman is right. The state of the city, as we launch into 2014, is fne—good, even, if you dwell on select blocks in the city’s navel, or navels generally. Sure, we need more cops and less traffc accidents (#kudosGoodman). And maybe we do still have the nation’s highest number of underwater houses, and maybe, as a state, we rank last in available doctors in most specialties. (#stophating). These are good times for Las Vegas. In case you haven’t heard, the Discovery Channel is planning a reality show set behind the scenes at Las Vegas City Hall. #yay.

PERHAPS IT'S A SUBTEXT FOR OUR TIME: STAY FOCUSED ON YOUR NAVEL. INDEED, THE MAYOR JOKED, "I GIVE ALL OF YOU PERMISSION TO LOOK DOWN."

[ CULTURE ]

NEVADA: A SYMPHONIC CELEBRATION

[ NEED TO KNOW ]

GET THAT PHONE OUT OF YOUR HANDS! How often do you glance at your smartphone when you’re in the middle of a face-to-face conversation? Be honest. And how annoying is it when you’re chatting with someone who’ll whip out his or her iPhone the moment it buzzes? Smartphones have made routine what would once have been considered

1 Beginning January 27, corporations that agree to take part in the challenge will encourage employees to make a minimum $5 donation to the American Cancer Society. 2 Those who donate will then be allowed to exchange their loafers and high heels for sneakers on March 19, which is the day designated for the Las Vegas community to participate—and also the day after the start of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. 3 Companies can also help out by becoming a “sixth-man” sponsor. A $7,500 commitment nets, among other perks, six VIP tickets to the Coaches vs. Cancer private party on May 19 at the Producers Pool at MGM Grand (which is a key partner in rallying support for the local Suits and Sneakers Challenge). Corporations interested in participating should contact Rochelle Jurani at 891-9021 or Rochelle. Jurani@Cancer.org.

rude. Is there any way to put the digital genie back in the bottle—or the pocket, as the case may be? Exhibitors at the Consumer Electronics Show, which took over the Las Vegas Convention Center January 7-10, think they might have the fx: “nonintrusive” wearable tech. Here’s a sampling of the wares: FASHIONTEQ’S ZAZZI A rectangular

device with an e-paper “Z” mounted on a ring or bracelet, Zazzi allows you to connect discreetly to your phones. If you get a message

or a call, the image will change, and the device will vibrate. Your attention is still drawn away from what you’re doing, but in a less obvious way. AUTOGRAPHER

This smart camera that can clip on to your jacket or hang around your neck enables you to take candid photos without ever having to point and shoot. The device is smaller than a smartphone and the amount of photo snapping can be programmed. This could make for some odd—and oddly interesting— photographs.

KAPTURE

This colorful audio recording wristband continually records conversations with an omni-directional microphone. As soon as someone says something memorable, a gentle tap on the band will save the last 60 seconds on the cloud. You can then apply flters and share the audio. Kapture co-founder Mike Sarow calls it “the Instagram of audio.” But tell people that you’re recording them. Otherwise, this is one instance where it’s ruder to be unobtrusive. – Nicole Ely

THURSDAY, JAN 16: About this time every year we rouse ourselves out of the post-holiday doldrums via AVN Adult Entertainment Expo, the fan-centric component of the AVN Awards Show, which just seems to get bigger and glitzier each year. This year’s expo runs Jan. 15-18 at the Hard Rock Hotel, and features just about every performer, product and publication in adult business. AdultEntertainmentExpo.com. FRIDAY, JAN. 17: Here’s a cultural

way to spend your lunch hour: Flat Five, Blues and Spoken Word with Toscha Comeaux and Woody Woods is from noon to 1 p.m. at the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse. Comeaux is a vocalist and Woods is a pianist and composer. Together they perform an hour of music, prose and poetry. ArtsLasVegas.org.

SATURDAY, JAN. 18: Death is a scary subject, but it becomes

a little less so when handled by Wonderheads Theatre. The touring troupe stops at Charleston Heights Arts Center to present Grimm and Fischer, a dark comedy about one woman unwilling to let go of life. Recommended for ages 10 and up. $10 advance, $15 at door, 800 S. Brush St., ArtsLasVegas.org.

SUNDAY, JAN. 19: How, exactly do animals hide themselves when danger looms? That’s the topic under consideration this month at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, and today’s event encourages kids to build creations that camouflage out of Legos. 1 p.m., 900 Las Vegas Blvd. North, LVNHM.org. MONDAY, JAN. 20: William Shatner won our

undying allegiance years ago when he appeared in a Saturday Night Live skit making sport of Trekkies. He’s since taken the art of being William Shatner so much further. Now Shatner brings his one-man show, Shatner’s World: We Just Live in It, to The Smith Center (see story, Page 59). 7:30 p.m., TheSmithCenter.com.

TUESDAY, JAN. 21: The next step in reality stardom? Your own Broadwaylike production, of course. See Chumlee, Rick and the whole gang, portrayed by actors, living out their wacky Pawn Star lives onstage in Pawn Shop Live! 4 p.m. TuesSat at the Golden Nugget. PawnShopShow.com.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22: Wally Cuchine,

who has lived in rural Northern Nevada for more than four decades, has long been unflagging in his support for Nevada artists, filling trailers with his personal collection of their unique and sometimes quirky work. Now, thanks to the exhibition Wally’s World: The Loneliest Art Collection in America, much of that art is on display at the Nevada State Museum. Through Feb. 28, Museums.NevadaCulture.org.

January 16–22, 2014

[ TECH ]

Two statements we can make about you with absolute certainty: 1) You’d love to see a cure for cancer; and 2) You’d much rather wear sneakers to work than dress shoes, even if just for a day. The folks behind the Coaches vs. Cancer program—a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches—know this about you, too, which is why they’ve created the Suits and Sneakers Challenge. Here’s how it works:

By Bob Whitby

13 VEGAS SEVEN

On your birthday, you might get someone with a karaokelevel voice crooning “Happy Birthday.” A state deserves better—say, a Philharmonic orchestra serenading it with Mendelssohn and Debussy. If you don’t know what birthday gift to buy for a state— say, Nevada, celebrating its 150th this year, its sesquicentennial— your attendance at the Las Vegas Philharmonic’s Battle BornNevada Proud! concert at 7:30 p.m. January 18 at The Smith Center is a good start. Conducted by onetime Las Vegas resident and UNR graduate (and current San Francisco Symphony conductor) Donato Cabrera, the concert will feature four works: Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with Alina Ming Kobialka; Benjamin Britten’s “Four Sea Interludes” from his opera Peter Grimes; Equus for orchestra by Reno-raised and UNLV-schooled Eric Whitacre; and Claude Debussy’s La mer. (Tickets are $25-$94 at LVPhil.org.) The concert launches the Philharmonic’s 2014 season. A talk by Cabrera at 6:45 p.m. will precede the performance. – Steve Bornfeld

Suits, Sneakers and Good Deeds

THE LATEST

Soaking Up the Meaning of It All A household food, a new water honcho and the mind-boggling signifcance of clean H2O

STANDING BAREFOOT in the puddle in my house, I thought, what a waste of water. Never mind the rug, the books and the baseboards—this was the snowpack melting off of the Rockies, the water we need in Lake Mead, the type of clean, drinkable water West Virginians had recently lost to contamination—now soaking into the foundation of my guest bedroom. A pipe had burst in the bathroom and fooded the hallway, and then the bedroom, and fnally seeped into the foyer before my girlfriend saw it and we freaked out. All of this had happened in less than an hour. As I mopped, my thoughts ran the gamut: I’ve never liked this rug anyway; what would Pat Mulroy—er, John Entsminger—say?; hope the insurance covers this; man, my feet are cold. But mostly—still groggy from sleep and without my morning coffee yet—I kept thinking of the value of water. It’s a little weird, of course, because I knew Lake Mead wasn’t circling the drain because of this one pipe—but when you witness the speed at which water can food your house, you start to think about the myriad ways it fows all over the Valley, and then consider its power in both overabundance and scarcity.

300,000 RESIDENTS OF WEST VIRGINIA LEARNED FIRSTHAND WHAT IT MEANS WHEN THERE’S NO WATER. Entsminger will take over the Las Vegas Valley Water District and Southern Nevada Water Authority when longtime water czar Pat Mulroy retires February 6. While

January 16–22, 2014

Dressing (Way) Down

VEGAS SEVEN

he anticipates wrestling with the politics of siphoning water from Northern Nevada to keep the mirage of Las Vegas from going thirsty, and we plod on only considering the issue in the abstract, 300,000 residents of West Virginia learned frsthand what it means when there’s no water. A chemical company leaked 7,500 gallons of the dangerous coal-cleaning chemical MCHM into the Elk River just above a water-distribution plant. Authorities ordered residents in nine counties to stop using their water for everything except fushing toilets—meaning restaurants couldn’t serve food, people couldn’t bathe or wash their hands or brush their teeth or wash their clothes or dishes, and bottled water had to be trucked in by the National Guard to drink. So the power of an earlymorning micro-food in my house reminded me of how fortunate we are to have a clean water source. It’s amazing that we have been able, for so long, to channel natural water supplies through a maze of aqueducts and pipes into our desert homes. But the chemical spill in West Virginia reminds us that life as we know it—business, health, habitability—ends without clean water.

I know lazy. Believe me, I really know lazy. So much so that if lazy were a career, Warren Buffett would be my butler. (Cut to the wife and kids nodding violently.) But even my lethargy has its limits. Which brings me to this question: When the hell did it become socially acceptable to parade around in public in your pajamas? ¶ Used to be a time when people would be hesitant to open the front door in their PJs and take two steps outside to grab the Saturday-morning newspaper. Now? There’s the lady in her fannel bottoms and thermal top strolling down the bread aisle at the supermarket. And the couple at a breakfast eatery on a sunny Sunday morning, dining al fresco in their nightwear. ¶ This breach of societal etiquette isn’t ending anytime soon, either. You know how I know? Because every public school in this Valley—at every grade level—has at least one “Pajama Day” annually. And while I haven’t been on a college campus lately, I think it’s safe to predict that America’s laziest population is taking full advantage of this new fashion trend. ¶ Bottom line: Sweatpants. Make the investment.

With Nevada’s new flm incentive in place, it’s the perfect time to ask: What’s the best Vegas flm ever made? I’m no film expert, but I know what I like, and I enjoy many Las Vegas movies for aesthetic reasons. Diamonds Are Forever, Viva Las Vegas and Ocean’s 11 (the original, Sinatrafueled version) capture images of Sin City as it once was: an intimate, isolated, neonsoaked adult playground. Other Vegas films thematically illustrate the sensibilities of our unique desert asylum. Meet Me in Las Vegas, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Swingers each reflect various perceptions of our city throughout its history. Other films work because they’re objectively very good (The Godfather Part II), or good because they’re so very bad (Showgirls). But for me, one Vegas movie stands above all: Martin Scorsese’s 1995 Casino. Whether or not the (ahem) fictionalized account of the Mob’s Last Stand at the Stardust rings factually true, it certainly does so aesthetically and thematically. That works for me. All of this reminds me of one of those only-in-Vegas stories, one that (allegedly) pits Francis Ford Coppola against the casino industry with his 1982 Waterloo, One From the Heart. Vegas lore (which I was unable to substantiate) was that Coppola, riding high from the success of Apocalypse Now, boldly wanted to turn Fremont Street into a closed set for weeks at a time. “No can do!” said the City (allegedly), so Coppola returned to his Zoetrope Studios and wholly manufactured a soundstage replica of Fremont Street. Coppola’s film crew never set foot here. The result? A mediocre $27 million film (with an amazing set) that only earned $4 million, and bankruptcy for Coppola. Vegas. Always. Wins.

Why is it that when someone runs away to Vegas, it makes national news? Ah, the strange, incomplete tale of 20-yearold Kentucky woman Jena Chisholm, who left behind the bluegrass in December and was “found” (in good health and no apparent danger) at the Cosmopolitan on January 4. Blame the media fascination on a confluence of youth, beauty and the temptation of sin. After all, many adults run away every day without making the national news. It’s likely we will never hear this entire Vegas story, unless Ms. Chisholm writes a tell-all book later. Coppola? Scorsese? Doug Liman? Are you listening? Questions? AskaNative@VegasSeven.com.

For These Diamond Standouts, a Crowning Moment Las Vegans Greg Maddux and Frank Thomas highlight baseball’s 2014 Hall of Fame class

January 16–22, 2014

By Matt Jacob

VEGAS SEVEN

LAS VEGAS MAY NEVER MATURE into the big-league city that its former and current mayors insist it should be. But that doesn’t mean we lack for sports royalty of the highest order. We were reminded of just that on January 8, when pitcher Greg Maddux and slugger Frank Thomas—the former a near native Las Vegan, the latter a longtime Valley resident—were voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in their frst year of eligibility. Maddux for years has been jockeying for position at the top of the list of all-time greatest Southern Nevada athletes—it’s him and Andre Agassi; you debate the order—and his slam-dunk induction reinforced just how historically special the right-hander was: Maddux was named on 97.2 percent of the ballots cast by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, falling just short of Tom Seaver’s record of 98.84 percent. Somehow, the 16 writers who didn’t include Maddux on their ballots failed to be overly impressed with these statistics: 23 seasons; 355 victories (eighth most in Major League Baseball history); a 3.16 ERA (despite a fastball that rarely topped 90 mph and despite having to face countless juiced-up hitters); an MLB-record 18 Gold Gloves; and four National League Cy Young Awards (won consecutively from 1992-95). When Vegas Seven caught up with Maddux in April 2011 for a Seven Questions interview, the Valley High School alum was his usual humble self while refecting on his remarkable two-plus decades pitching for the Cubs, Braves, Dodgers and Padres. “I feel very proud of the career I had,” Maddux said at the time. “I feel good about the longevity of my career. … I only won 20 games twice out of 23 seasons, and you would think to win as many games as I did, you would probably have to win 20 games a year more [often] than I did, but you don’t. You just have to make your starts. If you pitch pretty good and you win half of your starts, if you’re lucky enough to make 600 starts, there’s your 300 wins right there.”

Like Maddux, Thomas was a dominant force throughout a 19year career spent mostly with the Chicago White Sox. Nicknamed “The Big Hurt” not long after getting promoted to the big leagues in 1990, Thomas lived up to his moniker, punishing American League pitchers to the tune of 521 home runs (tied for 18th on the all-time list), 495 doubles and 1,704 RBIs. But Thomas—who won back-to-back American League MVPs in 1993-94—was much more than just a raw power hitter, as evidenced by the fact he hit .301 for his career and fnished with nearly 300 more walks (1,667) than strikeouts (1,397). Despite a career that progressed through the heart of the steroid era—and despite his massive 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame—Thomas’ name was never mentioned in the same performance-enhancing-drug breath as contemporaries Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. It’s something he addressed when I sat down with him in March 2012. “When I think about the era I played in, I have mixed emotions,” said Thomas, who bought a home in Seven Hills in 2002 (which he sold last June) and is CEO of Las Vegas-based W2W Records. “I always thought I was playing with the best players ever, and the numbers were saying that. I had no idea what was going on behind the scenes.

I stayed away from all that, because I was so into, ‘What do I have to do to get better every day and help my team win?’ I was already the biggest guy. I didn’t know that everyone was chasing what I was doing. … Then all of a sudden everybody caught me and passed me, and I’m like, ‘Fuck! I guess everybody’s outworking me.’ That’s what was in my mind: that I wasn’t working hard enough. But I really wasn’t cutting any corners. I was working my ass off. Lo and behold, 12 years later we found out what the hell was going on.” Hall of Fame voters certainly validated Thomas’ career: While facts and overwhelming circumstantial evidence continue to keep the likes of Bonds, McGwire and Sosa out of Cooperstown—maybe forever—Thomas skated through on his frst try, garnering 83.7 percent of the vote (75 percent is required for enshrinement). It was validation that Thomas was hoping for when we met nearly two years ago: “Making the Hall of Fame when I’m eligible in 2014 would be the fnal chapter, in my mind—to get into that hallowed Hall and be recognized as one of the greatest players of all time.” To read our 2011 interview with Greg Maddux, visit VegasSeven.com/ Greg Maddux. To read our 2012 interview with Frank Thomas, visit VegasSeven.com/FrankThomas.

HANDICAPPING THE NFL’S DREAM FINAL FOUR Tom Brady and the Patriots vs. Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Colin Kaepernick, Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers’ nasty defense vs. Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll and the Seahawks’ nasty defense. Yeah, I’m gonna tiptoe out on a limb here and say that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is pretty excited about how the playoff bracket has shaken out. OK, very excited. Perhaps overly excited. (Memo to the commish: You’re supposed to call your doctor if that thing lasts more than four hours!) Anyway, let’s see if we can deflate some of Goodell’s, um, enthusiasm by tackling the conference championship matchups from his favorite angle … New England at Denver (-4½, 55½). The case for betting the Patriots: They’ve won six of their last seven, scoring 34 points or more five times; their four losses—while all on the road—were by 7, 3, 4 and 4 points; they’ve won and covered four straight meetings against Denver; Brady is 10-4 all time vs. Manning (including an overtime win this season); Brady will face a Denver defense that’s without its best pass rusher and top cornerback; and, somehow, the Pats have kept running back LeGarrette Blount (431 rushing yards, 8 TDs last three games; 301 yards, 2 TDs previous nine games) from having to pee in a cup. The case for betting the Broncos: Of their 14 victories, 13 have been by a touchdown or more; they’re 8-1 at home (average final score: 38-22); Manning is facing a patchwork Pats defense that in the last six games has given up more than 1,800 passing yards to Andrew Luck, Thaddeus Lewis, Joe Flacco, Ryan Tannehill, Jason Campbell and Case Keenum; Manning has the entire city of OMAHA! on his side; New England has failed to cover in four straight AFC title tilts; and the last 13 favorites of six points or less in AFC Championship Games are 12-1 straight-up and against the spread. San Francisco at Seattle (-3½, 39½). The case for betting the 49ers: They’ve won eight in a row, including five straight on the road; they’ve held seven of their last eight opponents to 20 points or less; they’re in their third consecutive NFC title game, while Seattle is in its third title game in franchise history (experience matters); and Kaepernick is in another playoff groove, while Wilson (158 passing ypg, 4 TDs, 3 INTs last five) is in a slump that nobody wants to discuss. The case for betting the Seahawks: Wilson is 16-1 (12-5 ATS) in Seattle; only three of those 16 victories were by fewer than four points; final score of the only two previous Kaepernick vs. Wilson meetings in Seattle: Seahawks 71, 49ers 16; the home team is 9-1 (7-3 ATS) in this NFC West rivalry since 2009; and the NFL gods find Carroll slightly less annoying than Harbaugh. Predictions: Broncos 37, Patriots 24; 49ers 23, Seahawks 16 (Best Bet). Last Week: 2-2-1 (1-0 Best Bet). Season: 62-69-2 (36-36 college; 26-33-2 NFL; 6-13 Best Bets).

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

ILLUSTRATION BY JON ESTRADA

THE LATEST

SPORTS

THE LATEST

@gregmaddux

Pretty cool last 48 hrs!! Glad I shared it with Glav and the Big Hurt. The baseball world is awesome.

@NathanRabin The 15-year-old me would be ecstatic that Frank Thomas made it to the Hall of Fame. The 37-year-old me is all, “Huh, that’s neat, I guess.”

@gabedelahaye After the #GoldenGlobes, Martin Scorsese will get into his little house & let all the balloons take him on the trip of a lifetime.

@Joan_Rivers

January 16–22, 2014

By Jason Scavone

VEGAS SEVEN

Now that we’ve fully evicted the remnants of 2013—lingering boring old Christmas sugar cookies no one wants, needleshedding trees, any false hope that it would be the year you’d finally get it together and justify the $400 you spent in gym fees and at least go once—it’s time to start seriously considering what kind of year 2014 is going to be. It’s not going to be the year you go to the gym enough to justify $800 in fees over two years. You’d pretty much have to be on the treadmill for all of March to catch up at this point. But 2014 could be the year of expansion (of something other than your increasingly desperate next-size-up pants budget, we mean). Michael and Jennifer Cornthwaite’s Downtown empire is set to include Scullery—a black-box theater and bar at the base of the Ogden—that could soft open as soon as next week. The Inspire Theater they have in partnership with Tony Hsieh is continuing to roll out in phases, but the rooftop bar there may be open by the end of the month.

Hakkasan will be expanding its offerings into Southern California markets with a $28 million acquisition of Enlightened Hospitality Group. The latter brings Brian Malarkey (Top Chef, The Taste) restaurants Searsucker (in San Diego, Del Mar and Austin) and Herringbone (in San Diego and Los Angeles) into the fold, with a new Herringbone opening at the Mondrian in Los Angeles on January 17. Hakkasan has a 51 percent stake in the company, plus full control of Enlightened’s San Diego nightclub Stingaree. The plan is to use the restaurants and club in SoCal to funnel business to Hakkasan at MGM Grand. Paris Hilton is taking another gaming market by storm, allegedly inking a deal for a four-date residency at Harrah’s Atlantic City’s The Pool to DJ at a reported $100,000 per appearance. Which seems about right. The part where she can only get work in Atlantic City, not the part where she’s making six fgures to play Avicii remixes she downloaded off of Soundcloud. Light at Mandalay Bay, meanwhile, turns away from a go-nowhere future for its newest resident, instead looking to the

past. British rave scene pioneer Carl Cox is the newest addition to their 2014 lineup. Flavor Flav is expanding his skillset. The hypeman/reality star—who was busted January 9 in Mineola, New York, allegedly with marijuana after being pulled over for speeding en route to his mother’s funeral—has been taking bartending classes through Crescent in order to do some celebrity bartending gigs at nightclubs. Lest you get heady with all these new directions in 2014, it’s important to keep a frm grasp on the past. Especially when the past is repeating itself, pretty much verbatim, in the present. The present, it seems, has a shocking lack of imagination. Britney Spears’ father, Jamie, is rumored by In Touch to have Lindsay Lohan on a blacklist from attending Piece of Me at Planet Hollywood, because he thinks Lohan is a bad infuence. Still. We’re not sure if Lohan was trying to buy blocks of tickets, or if the elder Spears just wants to keep any and all historical troublemakers away from the Axis Theater. Someone should check and see who else is banned, like Sean Penn circa 1987, or Fatty Arbuckle.

@Puddinstrip Gary Busey just got an Emmy nomination for his performance as Jacqueline Bisset. #GoldenGlobes

@AlbertBrooks Was gonna go to Target and buy some underwear but decided to just send my medical records and PIN numbers instead.

@Misnoper Just got an email from a casino host that was in comic sans, and I swear I’m not making that up.

@PennyPibbets I always know when CES is in town because all my Star Wars jokes land so well.

@pennjillette It was 20 years ago today we first played in Las Vegas. It wasn’t at the Rio and it wasn’t full time, but we worked here. Wow. Long time.

@JoseCanseco Hug for Michael Bay.

Share your Tweet. Add #V7.

ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTOPHER A. JONES

Paris in Jersey, Britney’s Dad and a Downtown Empire

You know which film has a good chance of winning tonight? That movie about Katie Holmes’s marriage to Tom Cruise: 12 Years a Slave.

The American Gaming Association takes a smart new direction— and Las Vegas stands to beneft IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS, the American Gaming Association has almost completely regenerated itself. Even though the gaming industry’s chief lobbying group has the same name and offces, it has a renewed mission under new President and CEO Geoff Freeman: to promote the overall positive community impact of gaming, urge a streamlined regulatory process and underline the reality that online gaming is not going away. When the AGA was founded in 1995, the industry was in transition. The cross-country proliferation of casinos was scarcely a half-decade old, and there were fears that the federal government would pass legislation unfavorable to the industry. In particular, the National Gambling Impact Study Commission, which was chartered by Congress in 1996 and which delivered its fnal report in 1999, was expected to be on balance unfavorable to casinos, perhaps even suggesting a federal tax. That didn’t happen, in part because of the American Gaming Association’s advocacy. Once the immediate threat faded, the AGA continued to advocate for the industry on the national level. It also made strides in promoting responsible gaming. Its Global Gaming Expo events in the United States and Asia helped to spread ideas and new technologies. But, Freeman says, something was missing. “I think the American Gaming Association in chapter one was the right organization for the right time,” he says. “But as the industry has evolved, and the openness in the country to gaming has evolved, the organization needs to change. Our responsibility is to rise above intra-industry differences to articulate the value of gaming.” So it’s no surprise that the AGA has been in the news recently. In December, the group added three members—Wynn Resorts, Station Casinos and Churchill Downs—to its board. And this may be just the beginning. “I see membership growing,” Freeman says, “not just over the next year, but in coming years. We will develop an organization that this industry will only be more proud of as it grows.” This kind of growth is important: Having stared down external foes, the industry can’t afford to be riven by internal squabbles such

BARGAIN BREAKFASTS

as the current dispute over online gambling. Freeman sees a renewed AGA as a bulwark against division. “As the AGA rises above these divisions, becomes a champion for the industry as a whole, we’ll see more expansion: We’ll have not just operators and manufacturers, but also tribal entities affliates.” That outreach to tribal gaming— which in the 1990s was considered the enemy—speaks to the new realities of 21st century gaming in the United States. Earlier this month, the AGA announced the addition of fve staffers, including Sara Rayme, who led MGM Resorts’ successful Maryland lobbying and referendum efforts, as senior vice president of public affairs; Chaka Burgess, an experienced lobbyist, as vice president of government relations; Allie Barth, formerly of the U.S. Travel Association, as senior director of communications; Elizabeth Cronan, who has deep experience in gaming technology, as director of gaming policy; and Virginia Hurt Johnson as general counsel.

The group also brought in Jim Messina, who managed President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign, to advise on many grassroots issues—including online gaming. The total effect, Freeman says, will be to make the group “stronger, more proactive and more relentless in our championing the cause of gaming.” And even though much of the action is taking place within the Beltway, these changes will mean something in Las Vegas. “For many years,” Freeman says, “Las Vegas was considered an outpost, marketed as a destination with ‘sin.’ But the more appreciated the gaming industry becomes nationally, the greater the beneft to Las Vegas will be. I saw recently that the number of government meetings in Las Vegas has plummeted because of the perception it’s not an acceptable destination. That’s absurd. “By mainstreaming this business, the American Gaming Association can help Las Vegas maintain its spot as a top destination. The data is there; it’s incumbent on us to tell the story.” So even though the American Gaming Association is a national trade group, expect its future moves to make big waves in Las Vegas.

One of the marketing hooks that made Las Vegas famous was the 99-cent breakfast, and it wasn’t that long ago that you could still find them. Today? Not so much. But even though the true 99-centers are gone, there are still some darn good deals available in Bargain City for eggs & bacon … or ham … or steak. Here’s a rundown of several classics. Prices and times bob around a bit, but these were all accurate in a recent check. In many cases you have to show a players card, or it’ll be a buck or two more. The closest thing that I know of to the original is the $1.49 bacon & eggs at Club Fortune in Henderson (725 S. Racetrack Rd.). Served in Emily’s from 6 to 11 a.m. daily, this is a good one that comes with three eggs, two bacon or sausage, hash browns and toast. The casino is often jammed with locals, and a line is likely at peak times. Almost as good is the new Wildfire Valley View with 24-hour eggs & bacon for $2.99 and an even better steak & eggs for $5.99. Arizona Charlie’s, at both the Decatur and Boulder Highway locations, still offers its excellent 24-hour steak or ham special for $4.49. Get the steak. For ham & eggs, head to Irene’s bar on West Spring Mountain Road for its 24-hour $7.95 monster that will remind you of the good ol’ days at the Horseshoe. Bacon & eggs is also strong here for $5.35. Check this place out on Sundays, and you can turn breakfast into brunch with $1 Bloody Marys. Another popular casino special is the Deuces Wild breakfast at Silver Sevens (4100 Paradise Rd.). It comes with two eggs, two pancakes and two bacon or sausage for $2.99, served 24/7 in the Sterling Spoon Café. This is a hungry-man’s plate that’s tough to argue with for the price. At least till the end of this month, the best of several good Downtown plays is the Downtown Grand’s 50 percent off dining deal for locals. Use it at the Spread to get big breakfast sandwiches for about $4.50. Don’t forget the buffets. The best ones offer almost untouchable breakfast values and are worthy of a column of their own. But if you’re looking purely for lowest prices, breakfast is just $4.99 at Palace, Boulder, Texas, Sunset, and Santa Fe Stations, or at Silver Sevens. Close behind are Arizona Charlie’s Boulder at $5.49, and Arizona Charlie’s Decatur, Gold Coast or Aliante at $5.99. You can make that up in juice alone. For gamblers, you can’t do better than Sagos Baja Tavern & Bar on Fort Apache Road, where a $20 buy-in at video poker gets you eggs with three big strips of bacon, potatoes and toast, or a loaded omelet, comped! I don’t know how you beat that.

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

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

ILLUSTRATION BY JON ESTRADA

THE LATEST January 16–22, 2014 VEGAS SEVEN

Raising Its Game

THE LATEST

STYLE [ BEAUTY ]

SKIN SOLUTIONS

Randy is the senior vice president of operations at One Queensridge Place; Julianna is an intuitive facilitator at Elements of the Journey The Work Randy: We’re the leader in million dollar-plus condos. Our clientele is world class with very interesting backgrounds. For many of our buyers, this is one of many homes they own. Julianna: At Elements of the Journey (JuliannaChar.com), I work with people in helping them release any kind of limiting belief they might have so they can better love themselves and those around them.

January 16–22, 2014

Randy: The clientele at One Queensridge are not aspirational. They’ve already made it, so they have the means to buy anything they want, and they’re connoisseurs of watches, fne wines, cars. I try to mirror that atmosphere. Outside of work I’m usually playing tennis. If not, I’m wearing some Hudson jeans—comfortable and fashionable.

VEGAS SEVEN

Julianna: I’ve always admired the way Jackie O dressed—elegant and classic. I have three young kids, so day-to-day I’m in Seven Jeans and a cute top. My 3-year-old keeps me moving. – Jessi C. Acuña

Her: Theory dress, Steve Madden shoes, custom necklace. Him: Ted Baker shirt, jacket and pants, Magnanni shoes, Panerai watch.

The most common request is still Botox, which has become a household name (like Q-tips and Kleenex). However, there are two FDA-approved competitors on the market, Dysport and Xeomin that target the same areas of concern. The second most common request is to fill the nasal labials (the two lines from the nose to the mouth, commonly called “parentheses”). The nasal folds develop from loss of collagen and elastin in the upper-cheek area. I prefer to restore the lost volume to that area, often making the filling of the folds unnecessary. Sculptra is a long-lasting soft-tissue collagen stimulator. It is used in areas of the face where fat and volume have decreased because of aging—commonly the cheekbones, jawline and nasal labials. Sculptra is a slow process, and typical treatments consist of three sessions over several months. The newest FDA-approved product to treat the cheek area is the injectable Voluma. The best line of defense to combat aging is good skin care, which consists of not only daily maintenance with paraben-free products, but monthly trips for professional deep cleansing, exfoliating, hydrating and rejuvenating facials.

PHOTO BY MARYANNE BILHAM

Randy and Julianna Char

“New year, new you.” These words are plastered all over television, billboards and magazines as the calendar transitions from one year to the next. January is known as the month to focus on personal resolutions and improvements. Here, Martine Abbey, Las Vegas skin expert and owner of Just Face It Medspa, gives five suggestions on what’s hot in terms of noninvasive cosmetic procedures— duck lips and droopy brows not included.

In Arizona, Tripping the Light Rail Fantastic Phoenix is dry, sprawling and traditionally dominated by cars. What does it have that Las Vegas doesn’t?

VEGAS SEVEN

PHOTO BY TIM ROBERTS

January 16–22, 2014

BY NORA BURBA TRULSSON

January 16–22, 2014 Phoenix’s Metro Light Rail carried 14.2 million passengers in 2013.

VEGAS SEVEN

Transit Stats

One of Tucson’s Sun Link streetcars during testing: The project has spurred $800 million in development along the line.

route that links a medical center, the University of Arizona and downtown. “Our project has been 10 years in the making,” says Shellie Ginn, the streetcar’s project manager for Tucson’s Department of Transportation. “We’re hoping it breaks down connectivity barriers and gets ‘choice riders’—those who own a car but choose to ride—onboard.” THE RIDE WASN’T ALWAYS SMOOTH

In metro Phoenix, the history of the light rail dates to the 1990s, when voters began approving sales-tax increases to fund regional transit. By 2000, with federal funding also in place, the light-rail

alignment had been approved—a dedicated, rail-only track down the center of main streets, linking activity zones in central Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. Connecting ASU’s Tempe campus with its thenfedgling downtown Phoenix locale was a key element, allowing students to move easily between campuses. The light rail’s 28 stations are architecturally pleasing, each equipped with seating, shade and landscaping. The line also integrates public art, ranging from tile work to an illuminated bridge over Tempe Town Lake that changes color as the light rail passes. Along the line, nine park-and-ride lots provide 3,600 free parking spots. The

50 electric-powered light-rail vehicles—purchased from a Japanese manufacturer and assembled in Phoenix—can each carry up to 175 seated and standing passengers, with space for wheelchairs and bike racks. Up to three can be linked to form a train. Despite smooth sailing now, the light rail got off to a rough start, judging by critics and timing. Many pointed to the $1.4 billion construction cost, calling it an extravagant transit option aimed at what was then deemed a small segment of commuters. One local blogger suggested Valley Metro could have bought each daily rider a new Prius and enough gasoline to drive 10,000 miles a year and still come out ahead of

building and operations costs. Construction was another bugaboo, tying up streets and restricting access to businesses for months and, in some cases, years. Utility lines, in place for decades under city streets, turned out to be mysterious tangles. “You can’t do much about construction,” Keuth says. “You have to try to do it quickly. But for some businesses that weren’t very viable, the light-rail construction was the fnal straw.” Timing for the launch of the light rail couldn’t have been worse. The frst paying passengers came on board in December 2008, just as the Great Recession was sinking its teeth into the community. Lenders were reluctant to

METRO LIGHT RAIL, PHOENIX

SUN LINK, TUCSON

Construction cost: $1.4 billion

Construction cost: $196 million

Construction time: About 4 years

Construction time: About 2 years

Initial length: 20 miles

Initial length: 3.9 miles

Fare: $2 one way; $4 all day

Fare: $3.50 all day

Average weekday ridership in 2013: 43,619

Anticipated average weekday ridership: 3,600

PHOTO BY MARTHA LOCHERT

January 16–22, 2014

 On a balmy autumn afternoon, the Metro Light Rail departs its northernmost terminus in Phoenix, whooshing south, then east through downtown, past high schools, museums, sports stadiums, offce towers, Arizona State University’s downtown campus, the airport and into Tempe, past ASU’s vast main campus and scores of outlying apartment complexes. As the afternoon becomes rush hour, the cars go from nearly full to standing room only, packed with business people, students, shoppers, retirees, hipsters and plenty of bike riders. A little more than an hour and 20 miles later, the light rail reaches its opposite terminus in a commercial district in Mesa. Despite an initial volley of public criticism, fve years on, light rail is by most measures a success in this car-centric desert city, if you’re looking at ridership, community development and social connectivity, not to mention obvious eco-factors such as getting cars off the road and reducing pollution. “Light rail has changed the city by making it more accessible,” says Ben Limmer, corridor and facility development manager for the regional transit authority, Valley Metro. “You can go to a ballgame, go to work, go to dinner easily. It’s also provided opportunities for economic development.” “It’s has been embraced,” concurs Don Keuth, president of Phoenix Community Alliance, a heavy-hitting, nonproft economic development organization that was a major proponent of the line. “Now, everyone wants light rail in their community.” Meanwhile, in southern Arizona, Tucson is hoping for similar success for its new Sun Link streetcar, set to launch this summer on a four-mile

open the purse strings for any development, transitoriented or otherwise. Operational costs were also attacked, especially when it became clear that fares and advertising opportunities on and in the trains would only account for a portion of the costs. “I don’t think light rail really pays for itself anywhere,” Keuth notes. “Usually only 30 to 40 percent of operational costs are paid by the fare box. The rest is subsidized.” The naysayers had their day, but criticism waned because of several factors. For one, ridership has been growing. Metro light rail carried 14 million riders in 2012, an increase of 5.4 percent over 2011. Numbers went up again in 2013, albeit more subtly, to 14.2 million.

Train in vain? No longer!

Las Vegas light rail gets closer to reality every day, thanks to two discussions happening right now

PHOTOS COURTESY PHOENIX VALLEY METRO

BUILDING BETTER CITIES

Despite the recession and its still-challenging aftermath, light rail has had a major impact on development. “That’s the absolute true value of having light rail,” Keuth says. “Rubber tires—a bus line—can be moved at any time. But you put rails in the ground, a developer knows the transit is always going to be there. They will build.” Empty lots and underutilized blocks still dot parts of the line, but there has been more than $5 billion in development to date along the light rail, says Keuth, with 65 percent coming from the private sector. ASU’s downtown campus is now a major presence, while nearby CityScape, a 1.2 million-square-foot mixed-use project, was completed in 2012. Elsewhere, apartments and condos are sprouting, and a string of indie restaurants, bars and shops have popped up. In Tucson, the Sun Link project is having similar birth pangs and successes. Construction along the 18-stop line has been similarly brutal, impacting businesses with barricades and occasional street closures. “It’s an older part of town,” Ginn says. “When we went to relocate utilities, we found things from the early 1900s. There were a lot of unknowns.” Critics have also been vocal about the relatively short length of the Tucson line, noting that it doesn’t link outlying neighborhoods, work areas or the airport. Detailed analysis, Ginn says, showed that this starter line was in the right spot for maximum activities and potential initial rider-

The path and the destination: Phoenix Metro Light Rail under construction and in use.

ship. Extensions, while not yet funded, are being studied. The Sun Link stations and the public art are in place, and the streetcars (which, as opposed to light rail, run individually, unlinked, along tracks that can be shared with cars) are being tested. Ginn says Sun Link is already successful. The project generated 500 construction jobs and has already spurred $800 million in development along the line, including student housing, apartments, retail and restaurants. “Sun Link is a development tool,” Ginn says. “We’re creating density along the line. Sales-tax [revenues] are up. Property values are up.” In Phoenix, two threemile extensions have broken ground. A $200 million stretch farther east into downtown Mesa is expected to open by 2016, as is a $300 million set of tracks farther north in Phoenix. Also up is a 2.5-mile streetcar link from the light rail down Mill Avenue in Tempe. Earlier this year, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport opened its automated

Sky Train connection to the light rail. This time around, Limmer notes, Valley Metro’s construction team has been more proactive with residents and businesses in construction zones, garnering input and offering marketing help. When all is said and done, Limmer says, Metro light rail should have a web of 58 miles by about 2032, stretching farther into Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa, as well as neighboring Glendale. “Certainly, older cities have longer light-rail lines,” Limmer says, “but we are providing options here.” Light-rail riders have quickly fgured out those options: Traffc-free commutes to work or school. Seamless ways to get to a concert or basketball game. Friday night bar crawls along Central or Mill avenues. Dinner in a part of town previously unexplored. “Years ago, it was a constant battle with the naysayers,” Keuth says. “Now it’s, ‘How soon can you get it in my area?’”

and bad news. The bad news is that Las Vegas still doesn’t have a light-rail blueprint, despite the fact that we’ve been talking about our need for one since the late 1990s. “That’s when the Regional Transportation Commission had a proposal to use a Union Pacific right of way to Henderson,” remembers Tom Skancke, CEO of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance. The failure to put trains on tracks back then still stings longtime light-rail advocates. But the good news is that the discussion continues, and has recently produced twins: According to RTC General Manager Tina Quigley and Director of Engineering Services Dave Swallow, two specific light-rail discussions are taking place right now—and both could actually go somewhere. First, there’s the ongoing study of rail transit through the Maryland Parkway corridor—beginning at McCarran International Airport and continuing north through the University District to Downtown. Swallow is the project manager on that study, and he’s excited about it. “The corridor is populated with a lot of high-activity centers,” says Swallow, citing UNLV, Sunrise Hospital and the clusters of high-density housing lining the street as a few likely reasons Maryland could receive the city’s first rail line. Swallow adds that a Maryland Parkway line could serve McCarran in an unexpected way: not in bringing passengers in, but in giving the airport’s some 15,000 workers an easier commute. Skancke says that’s the true purpose of light rail: “It’s about moving workforce to workplace.” Swallow envisions Maryland Parkway as a complete

transportation corridor that could accommodate light rail or streetcars, plus automobiles, cyclists and pedestrians, and it could all begin with a central transit lane like the ones that express buses already use on Grand Central Parkway and Casino Center Boulevard. He confesses that might reduce the number of traffic lanes on parts of Maryland from six to four, but it shouldn’t have an impact on traffic: “The volumes are low enough that that’s not an issue.” Meanwhile, Rossi Ralenkotter, president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, has created a Transportation Steering Committee that includes among its membership representatives from Clark County, the City of Las Vegas, Metro Police, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and many others, including—remarkably—representatives from the Valley’s taxicab companies. Ralenkotter wants to increase convention business by 25 percent, with which “comes a very serious challenge” of how to move people between the Convention Center, the resorts and the airport, Quigley says. “This committee is starting to recognize that we have to start finding ways of financing mass transit. And light rail is part of that discussion,” she says. None of this surprises Skancke, who says that light rail is something Las Vegas can no longer afford to let roll by. “From the point of view of global competitiveness, this community has got to start making the infrastructure investments to be a multimodal society,” he says. “The world revolves around connectivity. We’ve got to connect our community better.”

27 VEGAS SEVEN

 There is good news

January 16–22, 2014

BY GEOFF CARTER

BY CAMILLE CANNON

“There are so manuy talened people making music, I just wish more people would explore their own sounds.”

WITH THE DJ {PAGE 30}

Your city after dark, photos from the week’s hottest parties and Lavo’s new look 3

FRI 17 What’s classier than a white party? The answer to that question might be the second annual Adult Star White Party at Body English. It might not, but you never know unless you go. (In Hard Rock Hotel, 10:30 p.m., BodyEnglish.com.) Elsewhere in the land of AVN, VividTV and VividRadio host the night at The Bank with actresses Brandy Aniston and Ash Hollywood. Hey, didn’t you go to high school with Ash Hollywood? Shoulda known… (In Bellagio, 10:30 p.m., TheBankLasVegas.com.) Lastly, if you’re looking for a night out with a little more man1 power (and clothing), Tao has the always-dapper Jerzy on deck. (In the Venetian, 10 p.m., TaoLasVegas.com.)

Light switches on Exposure, a new LGBT event that will satisfy anyone’s artistic yearnings. The evening is broken into three epic “chapters” that include live painting and short flm screenings, DJ sets by Dave Audé (3), Wayne G and Joe Gauthreaux (more on Page 34). (In Mandalay Bay, 10 p.m., TheLightVegas.com.) In case you missed the Facebook alert, get hip to the fact that both Calvin Harris and Tiësto celebrated their birthdays on Friday—twinning! Tiësto turned 45 and Harris rang in the big 30. But tonight, it’s all about another DJ duo as Mim and Liv—better known as Nervo (4)—spin at Hakkasan Hakkasan. (In MGM Grand, 10 p.m., HakkasanLV.com.)

MON 20 DJ Vice and vocalist Mike Taylor name drop a barrage of cities in the lyrics of their Billboard hit “World Is Our Playground,” but tonight Vice returns to us again for his frst Marquee appearance 5 ( the Cosmopolitan, 10 of 2014. (In p.m., MarqueeLasVegas.com MarqueeLasVegas.com.)

TUE 21 Hallelujah for Hyde! The lounge gets you gracefully through the Tuesday party slump with its Lost Night during Angels Industry Night, which DJ Konfikt provides ( Bellagio, 10:30 p.m., the tunes. (In HydeBellagio.com At Moon, resiHydeBellagio.com.) dents Alie Layus (5) and Presto ( The Palms, One share DJ duties. (In 10:30 p.m., Palms.com.)

SAT 18 We hear there’s some pretty stiff competition at tonight’s AVN Awards, taking place in The Joint. (In Hard Rock Hotel, 9 p.m., HardRockHotel.com.) After you fnd out who takes home the trophies for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography—the ceremony’s most hotly-contested categories, obviously—stop by Vanity, which opens up for the offcial AVN Awards After-Party After-Party. (In (In Hard Rock Hotel, 10:30 p.m., HardRockHotel. com.) At Haze, adult stars Teagan Presley and Alexis Texas host the Adam & Eve Award Show AfterParty while DJ Pauly D (2) gets TurntUp on the turntables. (In Aria, 10:30 p.m., HazeLasVegas.com.) Now in addition to giving us AVN, this month has blown the winds of change through many nightclubs’ resident DJ rosters. One example: Tommy Trash tossed his locks around Hakkasan last year, but you can spot the Aussie at XS tonight. (In Encore, 10 p.m., XSLasVegas.com.)

WED 22 4

Ghostbar always caters to the ladies on Wednesdays with free entry until midnight and complimentary rosé Champagne from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tonight, the club sweetens the deal with a gifting suite from Cosmetics (In the Palms, LASplash Cosmetics. Palms.com DJ Snake slithers 8 p.m., Palms.com.) into Surrender for the frst date of his Slippery When Wet residency. Whether you like it or not, the French producer has already slipped a few songs into your head lately: He’s the man behind the trap-tastic “Turn Down for What” with Lil Jon, and Lady Gaga’s ’80s inspired “Do What U Want” featur( Encore, 10:30 p.m., ing R. Kelly. (In SurrenderNightclub.com.)

January 16–22, 2014

“Barely there” is always an apt way to describe nightclub ensembles, but thanks to AVN, the odds are favoring skin to fabric all the more. 1 Oak embraces the trend for tonight’s edition of A la Mode Thursdays, bringing in adult actress Tera Patrick (1) for a burlesque performance. DJ M!ke Attack is also on the bill, but he is not—at least as of press time—expected to shimmy out of his trousers. (In The Mirage, 10:30 p.m., 1OakLasVegas.com.)

SUN 19

29 VEGAS SEVEN

THU 16

The Crystal Method are Ken Jordan (left) and Scott Kirkland.

January 16–22, 2014

The Beat Goes On VEGAS SEVEN

Las Vegas’ original hometown heroes return to the scene with a new album, The Crystal Method By Deanna Rilling

THE FIRST NOTABLE DJ/PRODUCERS to put Sin City on the electronic music map were Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland, better known as The Crystal Method. The graduates of Rancho and Las Vegas high schools, respectively, put in their time DJing at a long-gone sports pub across from UNLV; Jordan even served as KUNV 91.5-FM’s program director. They now celebrate multiple Grammy-nominations, a gig scoring the new J.J. Abrams TV series Almost Human and their 20th anniversary together, so it was ftting to check back in with our hometown heroes. ¶ We caught up with Jordan at The Crystal Method’s North Hollywood studio as the fnishing touches were being put on their new album, simply titled The Crystal Method, released January 14.

You’ve worked on this album for two years. As opposed to many producers who build tracks entirely on their computer with samples and plug-ins, what goes into creating your music? We do use plug-ins, but most of the plug-ins we use are more sound-processing stuff. We still do record a lot of parts, synths, from our old analog gear. We use a lot of Moog stuff, a lot of guitar pedals. We have a lot of boxes and toys we use here before it gets into the computer. A lot of producers are focused on releasing singles and getting headlining residencies. Why do you feel it’s still important to make an artist album? It’s a personal preference. We enjoy it; we like making an album that has a sound. Things that are released as albums are generally six songs, plus maybe some remixes. If we did that, we’d get releases out quicker, so that would be a beneft. Who knows? Maybe this is the last 10-11 song record we do. Maybe we will go to more of the EP versions later. We like

doing it this way. But it’s probably not a good idea to wait so long between albums [laughs]. What are your favorite tracks on the album? I really like the frst track, “Emulator,” and it has no real vocals. Then I love “Over It”; Dia Frampton [singer and The Voice fnalist] was great to work with. The original version is just her doing a few lines with an acoustic guitar, so that was fun working on that. I love “110 to the 101.” During the making of the album, Kirkland underwent surgery to remove a noncancerous cyst against his brain and subsequently developed a spinal fuid infection, making this a particularly personal journey for you both. Is that situation evident in the album? It was my idea to include that sound from the machine Scott was hooked up to in the hospital [on the track “Dosimeter” with Nick Thayer], so a lot of this record was worked on knowing that he was going to have the surgery, and then during and after. It was quite a process for him, so it was a cathartic sort of thing to fnish the record and get it out. We’re really happy it’s done and happy with it. What do you think about the current state of music that’s being produced? I get bored with that same formulaic buildup [of cymbal crash/wooshing sound], then the girl sings some crappy vocal, buildup and then the cheesy synths and all that stuff. Even though some of it’s good, I don’t really like that formula style. But all genres and subgenres are guilty of the formula, too. Cedric [Gervais] and Borgore are incredible, but that fostered a million copies of all songs that sound the same way, and then the Swedish House [Mafa] sound had a million songs that sound like that. There are so many talented people making music, I just wish people would explore their own sounds and not try to copy everyone else’s.

PHOTO BY CHAPMAN BAEHLER

NIGHTLIFE

How are you able to continue to innovate electronic music and retain the distinct Crystal Method sound without being formulaic? We wanted this album to really sound current and new and modern, but at the same time we never want to lose that sound that we have, which is always changing. It still has that very bass-heavy, almost rock feel to it. We want every track to be a song—whether it has vocals or not. We’re always concerned about that. We didn’t want to follow any of the formulas of the current electro-house sound. There are some elements of half-time stuff—dubstep and things like that—but we don’t really go there on any of the whole songs. Even if we’re trying to do something totally different, it’ll end up sounding like us. So it’s good that we don’t have another job where we’re trying to mimic all different kinds of sounds. It works out good for us.

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NIGHTLIFE

TAO SPECS Funktion-One audio system RUSH line system from Martin Lighting 100 tiles of 15mm video on the ceiling 54 moving track lights 8 LED spotlights 8 wash LEDs

DAYCLUB DOME DEETS 22,000 square feet 50 feet tall at its highest point 200 feet above street level 95,000 pounds

A Tao Group Tune-Up 2014 brings an appealing new look, a stunning new space and a dramatic change in sound

January 16–22, 2014

By Camille Cannon

VEGAS SEVEN

YOU AREN’T THE only one sporting a new look in the New Year. Recently, Tao Group has updated the appearance of several of its Las Vegas venues. A Strip-side staple since the debut of Tao Restaurant and Nightclub at the Venetian in 2005, the group is moving into 2014 loaded with modern design and technology. At the Palazzo, Lavo Nightclub underwent renovations December 9-27, during which the club was transformed into a modern-day speakeasy lounge. Downstairs, Lavo Restaurant was also expanded into its adjacent former lounge space. The restaurant can

now accommodate additional patrons even when the patio is closed in the winter months. Guests in the new Lavo Lounge, which officially reopened January 14, can also partake in small plates (or the full menu, by request) till 10 p.m. Reincarnated by designer Hayley Hunter, the upstairs space shows few signs of its past life as a nightclub. The DJ booth that once dominated the dance floor has been scaled down and tucked into a corner, while the banquette-style seating that lined the perimeter of the floor has been replaced with sleek couches. The mirror ball is also gone, and in its

place is an elegant crimson chandelier. These differences reflect not just an aesthetic redesign, but also an intentional repurposing of the space. With these changes, Lavo is able to offer an experience “besides a booming dance foor,” Tao Group managing partner Jason Strauss says. He describes the space as “scenedriven,” artfully decorated and dedicated to socializing rather than just dancing. He hopes it will be a sophisticated spot where guests can come in for cocktails, order

small plates and carry a conversation without having to compete with loud music. Additional features at Lavo will also offer a more flexible use of the room. A drape will soon be installed along the back wall that, as Strauss explains, can create a more intimate experience for private functions. The collage work by local artist Cass Fuller that’s been added to the walls can be layered over and refreshed to create new looks over time. And awardwinning mixologist Rodger Gillespie, formerly of Vesper

in the Cosmopolitan, has been added to the roster. In the two weeks before New Year’s Eve, Tao Nightclub also received a makeover, though without having to close its doors. The ceiling was stripped and raised to install a new system from Martin Lighting. As part of the upgrade, the DJ booth has been relocated to become the center of a new technological throne: An LED screen above displays fashing graphics that continue onto the ceiling beams and project out across the dance foor. When performers visit the club, they’ll now be visible to partygoers from any vantage point thanks to a built-in stage above the booth. And yes, the bottle fairies will continue to take wing. Not to be left out, Marquee Nightclub in the Cosmopolitan was transformed as well. Late last year, the pool deck was covered so that the outdoor space could be used throughout the winter. In addition to its functional purpose, the Dayclub Dome reflects light from video pillars and newly installed strobe lasers (twice the strength of those used indoors), creating a wash of color between its white walls and transparent ceiling, at least until the dome is removed for pool season. Still ahead, Strauss confrms that renovations to Tao Restaurant and Tao Beach will occur in the coming months. So, how’s your New Year’s resolution coming along?

L AVO LOUNGE BY ANTHONY MAIR

Lavo Lounge (left), and the new Tao DJ experience (below).

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

LIGHT

Mandalay Bay [ UPCOMING ]

January 16–22, 2014

Jan. 17 Otto Knows spins Jan. 18 Zedd spins Jan. 19 Exposure featuring Dave Audé

VEGAS SEVEN

34 See more photos from this gallery at SPYONVegas.com

In a city that loves skin, it’s only fitting that the latest party to grace the Strip be called Exposure. And this time it’s an event aimed at LGBT partiers, with a special one-night-only fête January 19 at Light nightclub. “There are more than 20 male performers—and a few females,” says Leu Strope, managing director for Cirque du Soleil’s part of Light. “There’s also some customized content that is male—we are going to have some male-centric performances for sure. But, he adds that with an LGBT party such as this, “everybody is welcome.” Especially those looking to check out some brand-new performance elements from Cirque. “Light nightclub is a laboratory for us to try different artistic and performance elements, so we have all new performances happening,” Strope says, including an apparatus combining the elements of aerial silks and a typical stripper pole. “It’ll be a fabric pole with anchors in the ground and in the air, that people can climb and use as a pole and as a silk.” And while Grammy-nominated DJ/producer Dave Audé will be spinning dance-music charttoppers, this night isn’t all about dancing and drinks. “We’re transforming the room so that we have areas for live art to be performed,” Strope says. “Upstairs there will be photographs, live body-painting, fashion creations and things like that stationed around the club to not just have it be a nightclub, but also to have some art films in there. So it’s a very different experience this night. Hopefully people will take time to explore all of the places in the club.” Presale tickets are available at TheLightVegas.com for $30, or $50 at the door, and proceeds benefit the Human Rights Campaign, Aid for AIDS of Nevada, the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada and Golden Rainbow – Deanna Rilling

PHOTOS BY TEDDY FUJIMOTO AND TOBY ACUNA

EXPOSURE, LIGHT’S FIRST GAY NIGHT, IS TURNED ON BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

2014

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NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

ABOVE & BEYOND MAKE ITS MOVE, THIS TIME TO HAKKASAN

GHOSTBAR The Palms

[ UPCOMING ]

Jan. 18 GBDC Rebel Pride Mustache Bash Jan. 22 For the Ladies featuring LASplash Cosmetics Jan. 25 GBDC Pajama Jam

As Las Vegas social media buzzes about who will be DJing where this year, trance trio Above & Beyond is set to mix things up by pulling up stakes for the third time in three years. First at Marquee, then spinning at Wynn and Encore, members Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljamäki (above, center) have been lured to Hakkasan for 2014. We chatted with Siljamäki about what Above & Beyond has in store for clubbers when the three take control of the MGM Grand megaclub’s decks.

January 16–22, 2014

Will it be possible to integrate the live, on-screen messaging that is such a staple of your live shows for audiences at the Hakkasan shows? Most definitely. And we’re going to find some cool new ways of doing it. I’m going in there a couple of days before the show, and we’re going to see how we can get all that stuff working the best way in that room.

VEGAS SEVEN

38 See more photos from this gallery at SPYONVegas.com

You’re also in the studio working on the next Above & Beyond album. Will you get to showcase works in progress at your new residency? Bit by bit, we’re starting to play new tracks [live]. So the Hakkasan residency is going to be a good place where we will be testing some of the new tracks from the new album. – Deanna Rilling

PHOTOS BY TEDDY FUJIMOTO AND TOBY ACUNA

What will the Above & Beyond experience be like at Hakkasan this year? We’ve just been looking into the club’s equipment and what people are doing over there, and I’m really excited having now having seen lots of footage and all the gear. We’ll end up doing a unique version of [our touring] show for Hakkasan, and I’m personally coming down with Neil, our LD [lighting designer], to fine-tune things. So it should look and sound great.

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

MARQUEE

The Cosmopolitan [ UPCOMING ]

VEGAS SEVEN

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONVegas.com

PHOTOS BY POWERS IMAGERY AND AMIT DADLANEY

January 16–22, 2014

Jan. 17 Gareth Emery spins Jan. 18 Chuckie spins Jan. 20 Vice spins

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

ARTISAN

1501 W. Sahara Ave. [ UPCOMING ]

VEGAS SEVEN

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONVegas.com

PHOTOS BY JOE TORRANCE

January 16–22, 2014

Jan. 16 Temptation Thursdays Jan. 18 Violet Reign

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

PURE

Caesars Palace [ UPCOMING ]

VEGAS SEVEN

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONVegas.com

PHOTOS BY TONY TRAN

January 16–22, 2014

Jan. 17 DJ Gusto spins Jan. 18 AVN After-party hosted by Jesse Jane Jan. 24 DJ Que spins

DINING

“When you’re enjoying snacks this good, calories are the furthest thing from your mind.” SCENE {PAGE 55}

Dishing With Grace and going with the grain—rye, that is

Michael Morton’s new MGM Grand spot delivers on both atmosphere and taste By Al Mancini

The same can be said for the Morton’s new shared-plates restaurant in MGM Grand, Crush (tagline “Eat, drink, love.”) Its two rooms are gorgeous. There’s a great atmosphere throughout. And the food ranges from good to very good, with a few exceptional dishes. Crush is in the space that housed Nobhill Tavern—the most underappreciated restaurant of Michael Mina’s local empire. But the rooms, which have been expanded to reach

53 VEGAS SEVEN

Crushing It

WHEN YOU’RE LOOKING for a place to eat, are you more concerned with food or atmosphere? I’d rather eat amazing cuisine in a dump than have a mediocre dinner at the coolest spot in town. But the restaurants of Michael Morton (partner with his wife, Jenna, in the Morton Group’s La Comida Downtown and La Cave in Wynn) have always appealed to me more for their vibe than their cuisine. That’s not to say the food at either has ever been bad. It’s just played a supporting role.

January 16–22, 2014

The bright and airy Atrium at Crush in MGM Grand.

DINING

A SAUSAGE FEST, NAUGHTY CHEESECAKE AND SUSHI BEEFCAKE—THANKS, AVN!

January 16–22, 2014

Spicy octopus ceviche and Nana D’s meatball pizza.

VEGAS SEVEN

farther onto the casino floor, have The roasted cauliflower—made been completely renovated. with garlic, chili and mint—is CRUSH The Atrium in the front has a almost good enough to make me casual, outdoor garden feel, with In MGM Grand, 891rethink my distaste for that veglighting designed to mimic the sun’s 3222. Open for dinner etable. Although the rectangular movement across the sky. The Bo5-10 p.m. Sun–Thu, wood-fired pizzas are fairly simple, dega in the back is a more romantic 5-11:30 p.m. Fri-Sat. their thin, New York-style crust and setting, with white brick walls and Dinner for two, $40-$85. sweet crushed tomatoes make them a barrel-vaulted ceiling that make it worth a try. vaguely reminiscent of New York’s AL’S MENU PICKS My visits weren’t without disapGrand Central Station. It’s also home Veal Bolognese with pointments, however. The lamb to a sizeable private dining room, Polenta ($16), Octopus sirloin wasn’t gamey enough for my one wall of which is lined with beauCeviche ($16), Ricotta palate. The shrimp risotto was a tifully crafted crystal decanters. The Gnocchi ($16), Nana D’s bit too soupy. The yuzu vinaigrette restaurant’s sound system plays an Meatball Pizza ($15). on my hamachi overpowered the eclectic mix of music from ambient delicate fish. And the sea scallop to new wave to opera. ON THE CHEAP Benny, made with a sunny-side A single page lists the menu Peasant Soup ($9), Kale quail egg, chorizo and chipotle of salads, flatbreads, pastas and Salad ($10), Roasted hollandaise sauce, was clearly desteaks. The peasant soup—a thin Caulifower ($10). signed more for how well it reads broth packed with sausage, Tuscan on the menu than for the way those kale and sage—is a standout dish, as flavors complement one another in is the octopus ceviche, marinated in practice. Moreover, my eggs were grapefruit and pickled jalapeños, and served with overcooked. (The quail eggs on my sliders upon my taro chips. The chef’s pillow-light ricotta gnocchi second visit, however, were executed perfectly.) are also outstanding, although they tend to get Given the great atmosphere at Crush, I would overpowered by the accompanying braised short gladly tolerate even the few flawed dishes to soak rib. For my taste, I’d prefer them with the Bologup the vibe. But when executive chef Billy Demarnese sauce that comes heaped over polenta. (The co is at the top of his game, the restaurant delivers next time I dine here, I may ask the chef to switch a level of quality I haven’t seen at one of Morton’s the sauces on those two dishes.) restaurants since Nove Italiano.

Las Vegas is in the throes of the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo, and as such, I’ve had my fill of meat, pie and box-lunch puns—it’s like sixth grade all over again. Get your snickering out of the way. Here we go: Roving food truck Sausagefest (@SausageFestLV)—which brought us gourmet encased meat delights such as the FilipinoVietnamese hybrid longanisa banh mi and chorizo fries—introduced its new sister truck, TacoFest (@TacoFestLV) earlier this month. The latest addition to the fleet rolled out street-style Mexican fare such as breakfast tacos with pepper-studded eggs and ham, and a vegetarian version with portabellas, kale, poblano peppers, cotija cheese and avocado salsa verde. Although TacoFest debuted alongside SausageFest during CES, there is no word on whether the two trucks will converge again for a culinary orgy during AVN. The only thing that makes doughnuts better is when they put stuff inside the doughnut. Much more accessible than the Cronut fad, Krispy Kreme’s (various locations, KrispyKreme.com) cheesecake-filled doughnuts are the everyman’s answer to the layered Dominique Ansel creation. Available through January 26, the glazed, cream-filled doughnuts come in two varieties: caramel cheesecake with plain cheesecake, caramel icing and graham cracker crumbles, and chocolate cheesecake with chocolate icing and brownie topping. Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, which happens to be the home of the AVNs this year, also is the property of one Pink Taco (693-5000), and I’m sure there is much elbowing by passersby, performer and conference attendee alike. While the tacos are indeed respectable, I’m a fan of the sabana de pollo, a thinly pounded chicken breast smothered with beans, cheese, onions and a roasted Serrano chili. Ask for one of the fresh flour tortillas on the side and build your own taco. Because that’s OK sometimes. Australia Day commemorates the country that was built by exiled criminals and subsequently spawned some of the finest party people in the world. January 26 is the day to celebrate the Land Down Under (“where women glow and men plunder”) at Rice & Company (in Luxor, 2624774). Throughout the month, the Thunder Roll ($18) honors the Thunder From Down Under male revue with a special roll made with soft-shell crab, tuna, avocado and cucumber, then wrapped with nori and topped with spicy mayo and kabayaki sauce, a sweet, soy-based glaze. Though to be fair, you’d think they would eschew the crab and toss on a shrimp from the barbie. Grace Bascos eats, sleeps, raves and repeats. Read more from Grace at VegasSeven.com/ DishingWithGrace, as well as on her dining-andmusic blog, FoodPlusTechno.com.

PHOTOS BY ANTHONY MAIR

By Grace Bascos

SCENE DINING

Booze-infused treats are a winning combination By Al Mancini

PHOTO BY ANTHONY MAIR

➧ IT’S A STORY WE CAN ALL RELATE TO: Jennifer Baumgartner and her mother, Wendy, were at a family gathering in September 2012, commiserating about their jobs. Wendy was a longtime employee of a restaurant in The Mirage, while Jennifer was doing accounting for a construction company. It’s not that they were unhappy, but like so many of us, they wanted something more fulflling. ¶ “We were just throwing ideas out there,” Jennifer recalls. “Everybody was coming out with things. And I said, ‘What if we did something called The Cookie Bar and named all the cookies after cocktail drinks?’” ¶ Wendy took the brainstorming a step further. “She said, ‘What if we actually put alcohol in the cookies?’” Jennifer continues. ¶ Cookies and booze. Honestly, what more can you ask for? The pair began with several old family recipes for baked goods, adding just a touch of spirits to each. They catered parties at frst, before moving on to First Friday and other festivals. It remained a part-time labor of love for about a year, until Jennifer began to research crowdfunding.

aren’t likely to give their neighbor much competition among serious boozers. You’ll likely slip into a diabetic coma before you catch a buzz. But if even a touch of alcohol makes you uncomfortable, the ladies also offer nonalcoholic treats. What they can’t save you from, however, are the calories. Even the owners, who say they aren’t heavy drinkers, can’t resist the sugar high. “It’s awful, we’ve gained so much weight,” Wendy laughs. “It’s almost like I have to have a bite of something before I go to bed!” And as someone who devoured a bag of their Booze Munch (puffed corn coated in rum, butter and brown sugar) within minutes of opening it, I can relate. When you’re enjoying snacks this good, calories are the furthest thing from your mind. So what’s next for these entrepreneurs? “I just want to have more little kiosks around town with our cookies,” Jennifer says. “And we’re talking about maybe doing vending machines in bars.” Her mother also suggests offering frozen versions of their chocolate-chip cookie— an alcohol-free item, which has become their most popular treat. But in the end, Wendy says, “It really is one cookie at a time.”

55 VEGAS SEVEN

The Cookie Bar

“We were at the point where we were struggling fnancially,” she explains. “And I had heard about crowdfunding from a couple of people at events. So I was researching different companies, and I Googled ‘crowdfunding contests’ just to see if there were any contests that anybody was running. And sure enough, Fundable had just posted something.” Neither Jennifer nor Wendy had ever heard of the company. But they called on family members who work at a local TV station to put together a video promoting their business. Despite the two-day deadline, they got it done, and were amazed when it garnered more than $10,000 and won the contest. The ladies were able to quit their day jobs last fall and open a retail outlet on East Flamingo Road. Working seven days a week, the two of them cook up recipes such as Drunk Pumpkin Punch (that would be rum-infused walnut cookies with rum creamcheese frosting), coconut rum-infused piña colada cookies and vodka-laced Rice Krispies treats, by hand. They sell them at a small kiosk next door to the Cannery Village Pub (TheCookieBarLV.com). With just a few tablespoons of alcohol per item, they

January 16–22, 2014

Sweets from the sweet: Jennifer (left) and Wendy Baumgartner.

Drinking

Make Mine Rye Go with the grain—especially this one

January 16–22, 2014

By Xania Woodman

VEGAS SEVEN

“A rye MAnhAttAn, please, stirred. Dolin sweet vermouth, if you have it. And bartender’s choice of bitters.” Behold, my drink. That I have to ask for it stirred is painful. (Fact: Every time you shake a Manhattan, a puppy dies.) That I have sweet vermouths (plural!) from which to choose is encouraging. And the bitters invitation allows for creativity. But that I specifcally call for rye—these days it’s Bulleit—is just a matter of my preference for rye whiskey over the more prevalent bourbon. American rye whiskey must be made from at least 51 percent rye grain, the balance being barley, corn and other grains. In a Manhattan, bold rye is complemented by sweet vermouth and bitters, what spirits writer Gaz Regan calls a “ménage à Manhattan” in his poem of the same name, the most erotic as was ever written about a cocktail. When Bulleit rye debuted in 2011, BourbonBlog.com (a tremendous resource) noted cherry, tobacco and spice on the nose and a good balance between sweet and spicy characteristics on the palate— perfect Manhattan material! Just a few years ago, rye Manhattans were rare as there were so few ryes available. This was not always the case. Before Prohibition, rye was America’s most popular whiskey. A few survived the Noble Experiment, including Old Overholt, the house rye in Manhattans at Herbs & Rye (HerbsandRye.com). In 2010, mixologist Andrew Pollard fought hard to bring Michter’s rye into Las Vegas. That whiskey is said to have fortifed George Washington’s army during the winter at Valley Forge; I imagine it would do the same for a Vegas winter. More recently, Old Potrero and Rittenhouse were the tinder and the spark, respectively, of the 2006 rye renaissance that has led to a food of ryes on the market. Look for Wild Turkey’s Russell’s Reserve 6-year, and from

Utah’s frst legal distillery since Prohibition, try High West’s Rendezvous and especially the 21-year. I recently encountered (and enjoyed) Knob Creek rye in Kentucky. And Templeton rye—said to be Al Capone’s favorite— became widely available in Las Vegas in 2012, with Templeton barrels being coveted for barrel-aging cocktails. But there are other ryes besides whiskey. Rye also makes beautiful vodka—silky, spicy and medium-bodied with a subtly grainy aroma. It positively kills in boozy cocktails such as a dirty martini, Bloody Mary or—oh!—the Gibson. For this, look to Poland for Belvedere and Chopin. And rye gin? St. George Dry Rye. Rye beers can vary greatly from light and dry to caramel-sweet, spicy, fruity or a little sour, but most still retain a touch of rye character. At Khoury’s Fine Wine & Spirits (KhourysFineWine.com) look for Epic Rompin’ Rye, Firestone Wookey Jack, Bruery Saison Rue, Bear Republic’s Hop Rod Rye, and soon, Sierra Nevada’s Ruthless Rye. At Smashburger (Smashburger.com), grab a can of Joseph James’ Citra Rye Pale Ale. If you’re not opposed to a little homework, you could re-create mixologist José Zepeda’s house-made Rock and Rye (pictured, $18), which he serves at Hyde Bellagio. Over a month, rock candy, cloves, cinnamon sticks, lemons, limes and oranges infuse Old Overholt rye. After a month, the rye is double-strained, bottled and served on the rocks (recipe at VegasSeven. com/Cocktail-Culture), though you might prefer yours neat, in a hot toddy or even in a wintry Manhattan. As in the past, you can buy this “alcoholic medicinal preparation” prebottled (look for Hochstadter’s Slow & Low), but the joy of a homemade elixir was the personal touch of whomever made it for whoever had a cough … even if it was just for themselves.

Gastro Fare. Nurtured Ales. Jukebox Gold.

A&E

“The thing most people don’t realize is, their favorite artists all had problems, all had bills, all had kids. But you gotta do that thing.” MOVIES {PAGE 64}

Movies, music, album reviews and acrobatic pandas

The Tao of Shatner Rifng on the wonders of the Star Trek icon as he beams into The Smith Center

“Whatever else you may be—and you’re probably mad as a hatter; when they take your brain apart they’ll fnd that you were singularly nuts—you’re a genuine guy. And more to the point, you’re a true original.” – Actress Kate Mulgrew of Star Trek: Voyager to William Shatner in the documentary The Captains Close Up.

January 16–22, 2014

SCREW THAT DAMN commercial— The Most Interesting Man in the World is not that silver-bearded, supercilious fop in the pompous beer ad. The Most Interesting Man in the World is William Shatner. … Deal with it. “I think of myself as callow and shallow and ignorant and so stupid about everything, and yet, every so often, I think, well, maybe I know something,” says the sonorous, iconic voice at the other end of the communicator. (Call it a phone if you’ve never zipped through the Trek-verse, but really … how many of you are there?) Callow, shallow, ignorant and stupid? Musings of self-loathing were long anathema to the image of the venerable Capt. Kirk— a.k.a. “Capt. Quirk” and “Capt. Jerk” to his detractors (including a few ex-Star Trek castmates). Such heathens should be banished to a primitive planet in the hinterlands of the cosmos, light years out of beaming range. All the rest of us, at least in Las Vegas, should attempt to squeeze into The Smith Center on January 20 for El Capitan’s one-nightonly touring Broadway show, Shatner’s World: We Just Live In It. (Yes, this story is a Shatner lovein, 100 percent objectivity-free.) Write a Captain’s Log entry, Stardate: Early 21st century, on Shatner’s life and it would read: Broadway star. Prolifc author. Documentarian. Interviewer. Recording artist (OK, maybe “artist” is a stretch). Hilarious talk-show guest. Pitchman with a comic fair. … Oh, and still-active actor. “Here I am. I’m still able to talk, I still have my wits about me,” he says.

59 VEGAS SEVEN

ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTOPHER A. JONES

By Steve Bornfeld

Diamonds” on The Tonight Show as a horrifed Johnny Carson looked on); to philosophizing (love, loss, risk, death). Yes, there are forays into a storied TV career with more series than anyone save hardcore Shatner-ites could rattle off. (Star Trek, T.J. Hooker, The Practice, Boston Legal, Rescue 911, $#*! My Dad Says, Shatner’s Raw Nerve— and others we’ve likely forgotten.) Oh, and that Priceline.com spokesman gig that—paired with his Emmy-winning portrayal of Denny Crane on The Practice and Boston Legal—lent him comedy cred, a second and third career wind and a hip factor among original Trekkers’ grandkids. “The through-line of the show is saying yes to life,” Shatner says. “It’s so easy to say no—‘No, I don’t want to go out, I don’t want to try something new, I don’t want a new idea, I don’t want to meet somebody new.’ Saying yes requires courage. That’s what you have to do to make your life meaningful to you.” Late-stage Shatner has been revelatory, a triumph of evolution and reinvention. Try fnding another celebrity whose intense curiosity about the world remains unabated, even amped-up, into his ninth decade of living, coupled with a twinkly, infectious joy about it all. You’re more likely to hit Warp Nine in a Ford Focus. “He’s still got the things I found so sexy,” says actress Nana Visitor of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the documentary The Captains Close Up. “It’s a fre in his belly that he’s not afraid to light, and show.” Over his life and career, Shatner has morphed from a strapping leading man and sci-f icon derided in some quarters as an egotist’s egotist, into a cuddly, life-hugging humanist/leprechaun with a self-deprecating streak as wide as a Klingon warbird. “The more you know, the more there’s a mystery,” says Shatner, whose inquisitiveness was never more evident than on Shatner’s Raw Nerve, his Biography Channel show that was the quirkiest, most compelling chat-fest since Tom Snyder’s Tomorrow. Part thoughtful shrink, part hard-charging interrogator, part amiable barfy one stool over, Shatner probed marquee names from every corner of the celebrity universe, from Leonard Nimoy to “Weird Al” Yankovic and Rush Limbaugh to Jenna Jameson. Over the show’s run, Shatner proved to be one of TV’s best interviewers, unafraid to inter-

Enterprising entertainer: In his Broadway show, Shatner takes us where we’ve never gone before—backstage.

SHATNER MORPHED FROM A STRAPPING LEADING MAN DERIDED IN SOME QUARTERS AS AN EGOTIST’S EGOTIST, INTO A CUDDLY, LIFE-HUGGING HUMANIST/LEPRECHAUN. rupt guests when something they said—a seemingly insignifcant aside or a too-pat explanation—raised his radar. Doggedly, often leaning in for emphasis, he kept quizzing until he’d extract insights that would elude many traditional journalists. Shatner wasn’t doing a job. Shatner was just … interested. “I loved doing that show, wandering that path,” Shatner says. “That’s why I had the seats so close, because it’s that nonverbal language you see from somebody, that takes you right there. You’re not so close that you’re intimidating, but close enough to see their pupils and the reaction and the twitch.” How does the Shatner brain function? Ask him about the anti-Semitism he endured during his Canadian childhood, and you get an analogy that begins with Doberman pinschers. “We have two female puppies. One of the puppies and our 7-year-old [Doberman] attacked the 9-month-old puppy. The puppy is screaming and mauled a little and in shock. I got the other two off her and got her back in her crate. She’s OK, but what will the effect be on that puppy having been mauled?” This is relevant … how? “Well, what was the effect on me of all those years having to fght Catholic kids who were mauling me and made me so ashamed of being Jewish, when I had to look both ways where the shul [syna-

gogue] was when I went in for my Hebrew lessons?” he asks. “You’re not aware of how that mauling has conditioned your behavior until much later, when you say, ‘What made me angry? Why did I say that? Is it because I had to fght so hard back then?’” In a polarized culture where changing one’s mind is less a sign of intellectual growth than a character faw, Shatner’s willingness—indeed, delight—to have undergone a Star Trek epiphany is refreshing. Initially a critic of the idea of the Next Generation spinoff series, he has warmly bonded with Patrick Stewart (a.k.a. Next-Gen’s Capt. Jean-Luc Picard) who persuaded Shatner to embrace his Star Trek legacy. Famously, in a 1986 Saturday Night Live sketch, Shatner told Trek conventioneers to “Get a life, will you people?” Pulling a 180 in recent years, he’s made documentaries detailing the Trek phenomenon, earnestly and respectfully examining the franchise’s meaning to fans. Employing the word “peripatetic” undersells Shatner, when you factor into everything else, his sidelights as an author (Star Trek novels and the TekWar sci-f series), flmmaker (nine documentaries) and a quirky (to say the least) music career (recording with Brad Paisley and Ben Folds). Don’t have time to sample all that? Distill The Shatner Experience into his vampy digressions

on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson—whether he’s in the guest’s chair or dropping in on Ferguson’s goofy cold openings, puffng cigars with the offbeat Scotsman and swapping bizarre non sequiturs. Tell him he’s a stitch to watch because he seems to be having so much damn fun just being himself, and he doesn’t simply accept the compliment, but runs it through the Shatner thought processor. “I never thought of that,” he says. “I heard Ferguson say that and I thought, ‘I wonder how he means that?’ How interesting that is. That’s a truth I never thought of. It’s not like a chore. It’s, ‘Let me entertain you.’” As Jonathan Frakes—Commander Riker in The Next Generation—says in The Captains Close Up: “That twinkle in his eye has just gotten brighter and brighter and brighter.” While chronologically in twilight, Shatner spiritually basks in sunlight, which he explains in The Captains Close Up: “I’m saying to life, and therefore to death: I’m not extinguished yet.” Sum up the Shatner-esque essence in the fnal scene of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and its reference to Peter Pan: Chekov: “Course heading, Captain?” Kirk: “Second star to the right— and straight on till morning.” That’s the galactic path to Neverland, where William Shatner never grows old.

PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

VEGAS SEVEN

January 16–22, 2014

A&E

“I’m having the best time.” Bottom line: Shatner—who’s steaming toward his 83rd birthday in March with a driving life force that mocks his octogenarian status—seems to be The Most Intellectually Curious Man in the World. And The Most Active Man in the World. And The Most Absolutely Delighted to Be Alive Man in the World. And—if your TV is the gauge—The Most Ubiquitous Man in the World. Which makes him The Most Interesting Man in the World. More than 95 minutes, Shatner’s World offers credible evidence to that effect, taking theatergoers on a tour of his life, built around a nearly 65-year career. “To quote a famous Star Trek catchphrase, resistance is futile to William Shatner’s one-person show,” wrote The Hollywood Reporter in its 2012 review of the Broadway version, noting that Shatner “is such an engagingly hammy and funny raconteur that only the most curmudgeonly will begrudge him this celebration of his life and career.” Predictably, the Star Trek theme SHATNER’S the mood, WORLD: WE JUST sets but Shatner LIVE IN IT subverts expectations of pretense— 7:30 p.m. Jan. excepting the 20, Reynolds staggeringly selfHall at The Smith important (and Center, $29 and wink-wink) show up, 749-2000, title—by yelling TheSmithCenter. from the wings: com. “No! No! No! No! No! I’m not beaming in. You said I could make an entrance with a rocket strapped to my ass!” No grand curtain-rising follows— just Shatner ambling in from stage left to laughter, wearing a crinkly grin. “It’s scary, a one-man show,” he says, recalling his opening night on Broadway in 2012. “I was facing the critics and I had food poisoning. I can’t leave the toilet for more than 30 minutes, and it’s an hour-anda-half show. But I do it. And the emotion I felt coming across the footlights at me, only stirred in me an equal amount of emotion that went the other way.” Beginning with his Montreal childhood, the multimedia Shatner voyage—aided by video clips, still photos, even a song—pinballs from homey memories (summer camp); 60 to acting anecdotes (subbing, terrifed, for future Star Trek VI co-star Christopher Plummer in Henry V); to hilarious embarrassments (butchering “Lucy in the Sky With

PROMOTION

stage

get downtown! What beauty, skill, talent, artistry, athleticism, cultural uniqueness and … is it the fnale yet? Such thoughts can haunt a critic. Familiarity with the Cirque-pioneered genre of fantasy dreamscapes doesn’t necessarily breed contempt. Jadedness, however, can settle deep into the bones. Watching the Palazzo’s new resident show, the non-Cirque, direct-fromChina Panda!, is like gazing at a beautiful aquarium—a scrolling tableau of gorgeous images. You could stare at it for 10 minutes straight. Even 15. But 90? Panda! is an exotic, wordless swirl of martial arts, dance and acrobatics from director An Zhao, whose team also was responsible for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Visually stunning, Panda! is, like Cirque productions, a series of fantastical set pieces loosely linked to a simple story, this one of Chinese folklore: LongLong, the cuddly, titular creature (a costumed performer), embarks on a quest to rescue his lady, a.k.a. the peacock princess, from a demon vulture and its evil minions. Along the way, LongLong encounters the fawless leaps, tumbles and spins of the Chinese National Acrobatic Troupe, the kung-fu kicks and thrusts of the gold body-painted Shaolin Monks Monastery Troupe (including one astoundingly limber 7-year-old) and the graceful choreography of the China Star Dance Troupe. Demons descend over the audience. LongLong fops around adorably onstage for a few giggles before gaining his martial arts skills from a master of the art. Costumed supporting pandas prance up and down the aisles. Giant balloon panda heads are bounced into the audience and bat-

ted around. Demons are vanquished. Panda and princess reunite. Highlighting the staging are lush projections against a multilayered LED wall and movable panels that make LongLong’s travels up mountains and glaciers seem like 3-D action scenes, and lend the entire production a multidimensional look. Panda! is a sumptuous contradiction. Ironically, for all its exceptional movements and intricate artistry, it is strangely static. No performer inside that panda suit, no matter how many basic expressions one can manage, can connect with an audience on more than a superfcial level. And while its central conceit of using Chinese disciplines separate it from competing Strip shows, it is, fnally, merely another fantasy stroll through a dream world. Perhaps a marketing campaign for Vegas entertainment should paraphrase Shakespeare: “To sleep, perchance to see Kà, La Rêve, Mystère, O, Panda! …” We seem to cling to childlike fantasy as entertainment more than ever, especially in Las Vegas. Any sociologist with free time might look into that. STRIP POSTSCRIPT: On a sad note, longtime Riviera hypnotist Dr. Scott Lewis died January 11 in Sydney, after a fall in an apartment complex. Published reports said his body was found on a fourth-foor balcony. An investigation is underway. Lewis was in Australia performing with the magic troupe The Illusionists 2.0, for which promotional material billed Lewis as host of “the longest-running hypnosis show in Las Vegas history.” Got an entertainment tip? Email Steve.Bornfeld@VegasSeven.com.

Celebrity stylist Zoe Dupree drops tips on looking fresh and building your brand.

Friday, Jan. 17 Vintage Bike Night at Bar+Bistro Bring your own ride to this showcase of classic cycles.

Saturday, Jan. 18 The Dirty Hooks at Container Park

See the hometown rockers shake up the shipping containers.

SUNday, Jan. 19 The Aristocrats at LVCS

Stop in for jazz-metal instrumentals that’ll melt your face with bass.

For details on these and many more events, visit

January 16–22, 2014

photo by Denise truscello

Panda! has Far East fair but ultimately is just another pretty, live-action dream

Thursday, Jan. 16 Styling Workshop at Stitch Factory

News and views from Downtown Las Vegas

VEGAS SEVEN

EvErybody was Kung-Fu dancing

Music

Amon Amarth brings their apocalyptic sound to House of Blues on Jan. 17.

January 16–22, 2014

goatlord regrouping, tolkien shredding, dwarves tossing

VEGAS SEVEN

soMething really cool and gnarly is in the works. I’ve been talking with Spun in Darkness drummer Jeff Nardone, and if he pulls off what he’s planning, then 2014 will feature a reunion of arguably the most important metal band in Vegas history—and the return of a pioneering group in the annals of heavy music. I’m referring to Goatlord, the Vegas doom-death-black metal ensemble that formed in 1985 when Nardone was a dirt-biking teenager. Their 1987 debut demo arrived simultaneously with Florida metal band Death’s groundbreaking Scream Bloody Gore. Goatlord offered more of a Sabbath-esque, sludge-like attack— now widely imitated. (Heck, I started my own band four years ago, cribbing guitar riffs from 1991’s Refections of the Solstice.) Indeed, Demon Lung drummer Jeremy Brenton calls Goatlord “the Godfathers of Vegas doom.” The show is tentatively slated for the last weekend in April. Demon Lung, whose debut disc The Hundredth Name landed on many metal magazine’s Top 10 lists, is on the bill. Look for updates in this column, fellow Soundscrapers! Now for live music this week. Here’s a promising Downtown bill you don’t catch every day. Starting at 5:30 p.m. January 19, Commonwealth launches a new Sunday live-music event. This one features indie-folk ensemble Union Drifters; acoustic supergroup Elvis Monroe (including Matchbox Twenty’s Ryan MacMillan and Lifehouse’s Ben Carey); Matt Matelko from Elko; and DJ-and-guitar Electro-indie duo Payola Presley. Talk about mixing it up. Swedish Viking-metal marauders Amon Amarth bring their Deceiver

of the Gods tour to House of Blues at 8 p.m. January 17. This brutal yet melodic band takes its name from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and specializes in epic metal that is the aural equivalent of a Michael Bay-directed movie titled Ragnarok [Viking apocalypse]. Also on the bill: Ohio thrashers Skeletonwitch and Norwegian blackened progsters Enslaved. If you prefer punk, watch rockabillyrenegades the Blasters obliterate LVCS at 10 p.m. January 17. This blues-rockin’ Americana act smashed into the Reagan era with 1980’s acclaimed American Music, and have never let up. You might’ve heard their song “Dark Night” in Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s flm From Dusk Till Dawn. The Blasters last came to town more than a year ago, and their set was searing, so you’ll wanna be there. Also on the bill: Hometown roots-rockers the Lucky Cheats and local retro-country-western act Crimson Balladeers. Lock up your daughters and any roaming livestock, because the Dwarves are rolling up to LVCS at 10 p.m. January 18. These shock-rock punk-thrashers are—as far as I know— still playing 20-minute sets designed to peel your face off like Hannibal Lecter recovering from a crash diet. The Dwarves’ most recent disc, The Dwarves Are Born Again, is a disturbing eardrum-destroyer, especially the song “I Masturbate Me,” in which singer Blag Dahlia narrates the story of a schizo self-pleasuring and then, um, violating his various personalities. Also on the bill: local bands Since We Were Kids, I.D.F.I., Lambs to Lions and C.G.S. Your Vegas band releasing a CD soon? Email Jarret_Keene@Yahoo.com.

music

ALBum REViEWs By Pj Perez RETRO ROCk

Brendan Benson, You Were Right (Readymade Records) Frequent Jack White collaborator Benson returns with his first solo album since 2012’s What Kind of World. Released on his own label, You Were Right collects both songs originally released as part of a monthly singles series and newly recorded versions of outtakes from his previous albums. The opening track, “It’s Your Choice,” isn’t dissimilar from the Nashville musician’s signature Southern-tinged powerpop, but once the Moog-accented “Rejuvenate Me” kicks in, the rest of the album weaves and bobs through the sounds of the 1960s and ’70s. From the Paul McCartney-like, pianodriven “Swallow You Whole” to the psychedelic “I’ll Never Tell,” You Were Right crackles with enjoyable familiarity, even if it’s not exploring any new ideas. ★★★✩✩

2. Lorde, Pure Heroine 3. Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP2 4. Drake, Nothing Was the Same 5. Arctic Monkeys, AM 6. Kid Ink, My Own Lane 7. Childish Gambino, Because the Internet 8. R. Kelly, Black Panties 9. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Wig Out at Jagbags 10. Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals, Walk Through Exits Only According to sales at Zia Record Exchange at 4503 W. Sahara Ave., Jan. 6-12.

Mogwai, Rave Tapes

(Sub Pop) On its second album for Sub Pop, Scottish post-rock band Mogwai once again delivers an addictive collection of challenging music—one that strikes a balance between the organic, Wall of Sound approach heard on earlier albums such as Mr. Beast and the tighter, synth-heavy material found on its Sub Pop debut, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will. Typically bereft of vocals, the surprisingly brief 10 tracks (clocking in at just 50 minutes total) on Rave Tapes feature syncopated rhythms, pulsing keyboards and a production that feels somewhat claustrophobic, save for a select few songs, such as the expansive, cymbal-drenched “Master Card” and the mild, haunting “Blues Hour” (which features the only proper vocals on the album). ★★★★✩ POP-PUNk

Against Me!,

Transgender Dysphoria Blues (Total Treble) Against Me! founder Laura Jane Grace has never shied from getting personal in her folk songs disguised as punk anthems. Transgender Dysphoria Blues doubles as a concept album about a fictional transgender prostitute and as a document of the singer/songwriter’s own transition from male to female. Despite the heavy subject matter, the songs charge along with the same shout-along choruses, jangly distorted guitars, bouncing bass and snappy drums that propelled 2011’s White Crosses, occasionally veering into thrash-ier territory on songs such as “Drinking with the Jocks” and “Osama Bin Laden as the Crucified Christ.” It’s a bold album on which Grace’s forceful growl is more honest and raw than ever. ★★★★✩

Disc scAn

Upcoming on Pj’s radar ... FEB. 11: Electronic trio The Glitch Mob returns with its first full album in four years, Love Death Immortality, while the Casket Girls unleash another disc of goth-tinged pop music on True Love Kills the Fairy Tale. FEB. 18: Retro-pop quartet Lake Street Dive releases Bad Self Portraits, just in time for an appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman. ALSO IN FEBRUARY: Beck is slated to release the long-awaited Morning Phase, a spiritual follow-up to 2002’s acclaimed Sea Change.

January 16–22, 2014

1. Beyoncé, Beyoncé

POST-ROCk

63 VEGAS SEVEN

WhAt WE’RE Buying

A&E

MOVIES

Local flmmaker’s award-winning Philip K. Dick adaptation to have Downtown debut

January 16–22, 2014

By Pj Perez

VEGAS SEVEN

LONG BEFORE FILMMAKER M. Night Shyamalan overused the “twist ending,” author Philip K. Dick had mastered the art of storytelling subterfuge with iconic science fction shorts and novels in the mid-20th century. Many of those classic stories have been adapted into some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters. From Blade Runner and Total Recall to Minority Report and The Adjustment Bureau, Dick’s paranoid visions of dystopian futures have translated well into motion pictures. It’s no surprise, then, that there’s an entire flm festival inspired by the author’s work, the aptly named Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival, which held its second annual event at IndieScreen in Brooklyn last month. What might be surprising, however, is that the winner of this year’s Best Philip K. Dick

Short award, The Crystal Crypt, was directed by Las Vegas-based flmmaker Shahab Zargari. His flm will have its Las Vegas debut on January 18 with a screening and Q&A session at Cockroach Theatre in Art Square. Debuting in a 1954 issue of Planet Stories magazine, The Crystal Crypt takes place in the far future aboard an interplanetary transport ship, where a cadre of Martian soldiers is on the hunt for a trio of human saboteurs, who at frst appear to elude capture. However, Dick’s penchant for blurring perception is at work here, and we learn the humans may not have gotten away as cleanly as they frst thought. The adaptation—which features a combination of liveaction footage, computer-generated graphics and traditional animation—sticks closely to the

original telling, only slightly fction in general and Dick’s modifying the ending to optiwork specifcally, Zargari chose mize it for the visual medium. The Crystal Crypt after down“Everyone who’s watching loading “a bunch” of public[the flm] is human, and you domain ebooks. Another Dick sympathize with the humans,” short, 1952’s The Skull, also Zargari says. “But at the end, stood out to the burgeonyou identify with the Martians.” ing director, but he said, “The Zargari, 35, is something of Crystal Crypt would be easier on a renaissance man. He can be the pocket.” found at various cultural events A little more than a year in with a camera in hand, shooting the making, Zargari’s 28-minphotos for VerbicideMagazine. ute adaptation of The Crystal com. Since 1998, he’s co-run Crypt cost about $26,000 to Geykido Comet Records with flm. He liquidated a retirehis wife, Heela Naqshband, putment account, maxed out two ting out music by underground credit cards and raised about bands. By day, he is the creative $5,000 through IndieGogo. director for Assurance Advertis- com and other sources. ing, which in 2012 won four DavMany of the folks responey Awards for “The Comeback sible for “The Comeback Kid” Kid,” a slick commercial shot for reassembled for The Crystal Luxor Las Vegas. The success of Crypt, including Zargari’s that ad led to the making of The brother, Shahram (who wrote Crystal Crypt. the screenplay), actor Cyrus “From when Zoghi and producer I was a little kid Zeus Zamani, the and my parents latter of whom got THE CRYSTAL took me to see Zargari access to the CRYPT Return of the Jedi, I Arleta, California, wanted to direct spaceship interior set 7:30 p.m. Jan. movies,” Zargari Zamani used in Ju18, Cockroach says. “When we dith Hill’s “BWM (Be Theatre, won those awards With Me)” video (at $12 ($8 in for Luxor, I felt a cost of $2,500 per advance), confdent I could day, not including air 818-3422. do it.” conditioning). A fan of science Zargari had few

reservations about investing in a project that would likely have little fnancial return. “The thing most people don’t realize is, their favorite artists all had problems, all had bills, all had kids,” says the father of two young girls. “But you gotta do that thing.” Although he won’t be earning revenue from The Crystal Crypt (despite the story being in the public domain, Zargari says he attempted to get a “blessing” from the Philip K. Dick Estate, with little success), the frsttime flmmaker’s intent was to use the short to gain exposure. “I had two goals,” Zargari says. “One, to see if I had the chops to do it. And two, I wanted to showcase the talent. I want people to say, ‘this is amazing,’ and ask who did that.” To that end, Zargari has paid for submission to 16 flm festivals, although he doesn’t expect to get a screening at all of them. (“One thing I’ve learned is don’t be sad when you get the rejection,” he says.) For him, fulflling a lifelong dream to direct is reward enough. “I had an amazing time,” Zargari says. “I’m so proud of the crew. They did me justice. You could see the passion coming through.”

PHOTOS BY ADAM SHANE

Sci-Fi Shortie

Crypt keepers: Martian Officer Klarf (played by Jordan Jones) and his Earthling director, Zargari (inset).

A&E

movies

seaL of approvaL A harrowing, true tale of Navy survival afer an ambush in Afghanistan By Michael Phillips Tribune Media Services

roughly half of Lone Survivor is a standard-issue Hollywood treatment of a recent, bloody and, in human terms, tragic 2005 Navy SEAL mission to eliminate an al-Qaida operative in the Afghanistan mountain region of Hindu Kush. But the other half—the hour or so of writer-director Peter Berg’s flm dealing specifcally with what happens when four men are cut off in Taliban country, scrambling under fre—is strong, gripping stuff, free of polemics, nervewracking in the extreme. This is a straight, hard, do-or-die scenario, vividly re-created by Berg. He adapts the best-seller Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10, written by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson. Mark Wahlberg plays Luttrell. His fellow SEALs are portrayed by Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster and Emile Hirsch, with Eric Bana as their commander back at Bagram Air Field, monitoring what becomes a

terrible ambush. Berg’s movie gets through its introductions effciently, though without much in the way of character detail. We know from the start who lives and who dies; Wahlberg’s Luttrell provides the voice-over at the outset, while we see him being saved by a rescue team. The heart of the flm is pure crisis and response. Kitsch plays Mike Murphy, the special ops team leader; Foster, the communications specialist Matthew “Axe” Axelson. Hirsch’s Danny Dietz, gunner’s mate, completes the quartet, dispatched by helicopter to a remote mountainside perch near the village where their target has been spotted. And then it goes wrong. They’re ambushed, and for the better part of Lone Survivor we see them shot, thrown down boulder-strewn inclines, fght back, attempt to regain a foothold. The actors know what’s required of them. You wouldn’t call an actor such as Foster an under-player, but Berg manages to get all his

Wahlberg pays tribute to a 2005 Navy SEAL mission gone awry.

actors in the same movie and keep conventional histrionics to a minimum. The situations that make up Lone Survivor are harrowing to begin with; they don’t need goosing. Berg shot the flm in the mountains and soundstages of New Mexico, and the size of the picture feels right for the scope of this true-life story. The adaptation doesn’t make room for much beyond the kinetic horror of the ambush. When Luttrell meets a local

villager (Ali Suliman) who harbors the American from the Taliban, the movie takes a couple of shortcuts back into Hollywood territory. Sometimes, things that really happened have a way of seeming slightly phony onscreen. At its best, though, Lone Survivor accomplishes its mission, which is to respect these men, dramatize what they went through and let the more troubling matters of moral consequence trickle in

January 16–22, 2014

short reviews

VEGAS SEVEN

August: Osage County (R) ★★✩✩✩

There’s a serious case of miscasting at the center of August: Osage County. Director John Wells—a competent but style-free veteran of TV’s ER and Shameless and the feature film The Company Men—treats every conversation, each new encounter, as a separate, dutifully filmed scene unto itself. After a while you start thinking impossible thoughts about directors long gone. The actors do what they can. Sam Shepard is just right in the key opening sequence as the alcoholic writer married to Meryl Streep’s toxic character. See the play. It cooks; the movie’s more of a microwave reheat.

The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box (PG) ★ ✩✩✩

The Misadventurer is more like it: Taken from one of a trilogy of young-adult adventure novels by G.P. Taylor, The Adventurer grinds through generic elements of apocalyptic fantasy. The all-powerful whatzit in The Adventurer is an ancient artifact that once belonged to King Midas. Our hero, Mariah Mundi, played rather dully by Aneurin Barnard, is the older son of a secret agent (Ioan Gruffudd) who works for the British government’s Bureau of Antiquities. Michael Sheen periodically saves the film from its mediocre self as a master of disguise.

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (R) ★★★✩✩

The scariest thing about some horror movies is when “5” appears in the title. It’s not surprising the team behind Paranormal Activity has added a non-numbered secondary title of The Marked Ones on the franchise’s fifth entry. The new film shifts from the anxieties of the white middle class to a group of Latino teenagers in an apartment complex. The change gives the film much-needed freshness. It picks up with new characters: teenagers who stumble onto a mystery when a reclusive woman in their apartment complex dies.

where, and how, they may. (In one tense sequence, the men debate the fate of goat herders they encounter.) Wahlberg remains one of our most reliable and least actorly of movie stars, innately macho but vulnerable enough to seem like a human being caught in an inhuman situation. Berg’s flm pays attention to every setback, every moment lost or won on that mountain. Lone Survivor (R) ★★★✩✩

[ by tribune media services ]

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (PG-13) ★★★✩✩

It is the incendiary work of British actors Idris Elba and Naomie Harris as the couple in question that elevates our involvement in this authorized film version of Nelson Mandela’s autobiography. That, and the astonishing course of Mandela’s life. It’s not just the trajectory that took Mandela from 27 years in prison to the presidency of South Africa that make this story so dramatic. It’s the remarkable psychological journey that went along with it. This may be a familiar story, but it is one worth experiencing again and again.

movies

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (PG) ★★✩✩✩

In director Ben Stiller’s earnest-but-screwy go at this wee-but-hardy 1939 James Thurber short story, Stiller himself takes the role of the daydreaming, “Yes, dear” fellow. Mitty is the center of an easygoing self-actualization travelogue in which the title character, here conceived as a photo archivist for a dying Life magazine, lurches from Greenland to Afghanistan, searching for a photojournalist played by Sean Penn. The film has a persistent and careful sheen. If this sounds like faint praise, I’m afraid it is.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩

Walking With Dinosaurs 3-D (PG)

Wolf of Wall Street (R) ★★✩✩✩

Grudge Match (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩

Louder and crasser than the 2004 original, though God knows the first one had its share of jokes ending with “massive erection” and “smelly pirate hooker,” director and co-writer Adam McKay’s sequel nonetheless offers idiotic rewards. In Anchorman 2, Will Ferrell plays with variations on the clueless, preening Burgundy persona. Now and then, it takes a stab at satiric commentary about cable news. Anchorman 2 isn’t much, compared with the more nimble original.

In the waning years of the last century at Stratton Oakmont, the Wall Street brokerage house run like a coked-up 24-hour bacchanal by Jordan Belfort, the customer wasn’t king. Belfort’s various illegalities and near-death experiences were lovingly self-chronicled in his memoirs. Now director Martin Scorsese has made a three-hour picture about the man and his pleasure missions. Although Leonardo DiCaprio is never less than engaged, I wonder if the comfort level between actor and director has begun to work against both artists.

★★★✩✩

The BBC series Walking With Dinosaurs gets the kid-friendly big-screen treatment, complete with dino-poop jokes, in Walking With Dinosaurs 3-D. The story might be too childish for anybody older than 12, but the research behind it and effort to pass that knowledge on to young dinosaur fans make Walking With Dinosaurs 3-D as at home in the classroom as it is in theaters. But let’s keep that between us. No reason the kids need to know it might be good for them.

Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone square off as aged boxers brought back by a desperate fight promoter (Kevin Hart). Grudge borrows plot points from Stallone’s Rocky Balboa back in 2006, with a viral video of the guys mixing it up at the video-game recording studio putting them back in the news. It’s a shame the banter isn’t sharper. A few one-liners, a feeble touch of romance with Kim Basinger, a smart-mouthed kid—as formulas go, this one feels gassed.

January 16–22, 2014

My favorite cinematic moment this year comes early in American Hustle. Christian Bale plays con man Irving Rosenfeld, and Jennifer Lawrence is formidably, unpredictably volatile as his wife. Coming off The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook, director and co-writer David O. Russell treats the 1970s Abscam sting operation, and the schlump at its center, as a pivot point for a spacious ensemble comedy—tone-funny and atmosphere-funny, not punch line-funny. It’s the false fronts and neuroses and insecurities that keep these peacocks interesting.

67 VEGAS SEVEN

American Hustle (R) ★★★★✩

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The Queen of Mean on performing for Vegas hipsters, the healing powers of laughter and why everyone needs to cut Miley Cyrus some slack By Camille Cannon

PHOTO BY ANDREW COPPA

7 QUESTIONS January 16–22, 2014 VEGAS SEVEN

Lisa Lampanelli

Do you enjoy playing to a had a woman come up Las Vegas audience? to me and say, “I haven’t I love to pretend that evlaughed in five years since ery audience is super spemy kid died.” She showed cial, but every audime a tattoo she had of the ence is there—thank child who was 5 years old, God—because they she was crying and said, know what they’re “I haven’t laughed since expecting. They know then.” That was huge. what they’re going to get Us comics have really low from me. The weird thing self-esteem, and we say, “Oh, about Vegas is that they’re we don’t do anything for frickin’ insane. They’re humanity; all we do is make nuts. The place where people laugh.” But it’s like, I’m playing, [the Pearl] “OK, sometimes people actuat Palms, is ally need to laugh.” very hip. It’s a bunch of As the reignLisa Lampanelli very hip, cool ing “Queen of performs at 8 p.m. people who Mean,” what Jan. 18 at the Pearl at would never does the view the Palms, 944-3200, hang out with from your Palms.com; Ticketme in real throne look like? master.com. life, so I get Pretty good. to be above I’m pretty lucky, them and because in the make fun of them. It is a last few years, all of my nice combination. bigger dreams have been realized. I got married. I What do you enjoy about lost 107 pounds. I have my stand-up? new Miley Cyrus haircut. I certainly like the attenWhat more could a bitch tion. I like the immediacy want? Although I’m sure of the response. If you do if you asked me tomorsomething on TV or film, row, I’d find something to you have to wait until it complain about. comes out to hear the response and get a reaction. Would you like to comWith stand-up, it’s there plain about Miley Cyrus? immediately. I also like beNo, I like her! People don’t ing self-employed, which get it. She’s super-talented. means doing whatever I First of all, she’s young; let want. I can’t get fired. If her do what she wants. She’s you have complaints, I renot hurting anyone. She can ally don’t care. sing. She can act. … If I had that talent, I’d work it, too. Were you ever fired from I’d twerk if I was that age. a job? But nobody wants to see I was, in high school. that at my age. I was a waitress at a golf course’s little dumb resYou’re well known for taurant, and I got fired your work on Combecause I was making out edy Central’s celebrity with the chef. But those roasts. Who is ripe to be days are over, because now roasted next? that I’m married, there’s My two big heroes being no making out—ever again. Howard Stern and Don Rickles—I would love to What’s the greatest comroast them, but that’s not pliment that you’ve ever gonna happen anytime received? soon. If you want to honor I’m doing this Broadsomeone in this business, way show that’s coming you roast them. Yes, you’re out this year, and we’re being made fun of, but workshopping it around. isn’t that what comedy is It’s about my struggle with about? Poking fun at ourfood and men and things selves and other people? that other women struggle If they ever ask me to be with. I had a couple of roasted, that would be the really great compliments greatest day of my life. in that people told me “Oh my God, your show makes Anything else you’d like me feel like I’m not alone to mention? in this struggle.” That’s Just get the date of the a big compliment. I also show right, bitch!

GABRIEL IGLESIAS Stand-Up Revolution Tour

JANUARY 17-19

This “fufy” comic presents a high-energy show with a mixture of storytelling, parodies, characters and sound efects that bring all his personal issues to life.

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