How the Sidewalk Took Over the Strip | Vegas Seven Magazine | July 10-16, 2014 by Vegas Seven

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14 | THE LATEST

“Right here, right now,” by Geoff Carter. Vegas isn’t struggling, it’s transforming … and we get to help it happen. Plus, the NBA Summer League arrives, Comrade Grumpy on arbitrary dress codes, Ask a Native, The Look and Tweets of the Week.

18 | Politics

“Immigration Now, Civil Rights Then, and the Dilemma of Joe Heck,” by Michael Green. As the Civil Rights Act turns 50, what can history teach us about crossing partisan lines?

22 | National

The New York Observer on why nesting makes more sense than divorce for spouses of a certain age.

24 | COVER

“The Unlikeliest Prototype,” by David G. Schwartz. On the 10th anniversary of the Hawaiian Marketplace, a look at how an underdog retail development pointed the way for the Goliaths of the Strip.

29 | NIGHTLIFE

“Up All Night,” by David Morris. DJ Arty gives his fans a ‘progressive trance journey’ and Insomniac’s record label its frst release. Plus, a Q&A with Michael Woods, DJ/producer Morgan Page plays it forward, and photos from the week’s hottest parties.

53 | DINING

Al Mancini on Sterling Brunch. Plus, how local restaurants and bars are slowly embracing social media through their menus, and Cocktail Culture.

59 | A&E

“Block Party,” by Una LaMarche. NKOTB lands at the Axis at Planet Hollywood for four nights of revelry—no velvet ropes allowed. Plus, the Foreign Exchange aims for the soul, CD Reviews, Tour Buzz, The Hit List and a review of Sammy Hagar in concert.

64 | Television

“Pumping the Shark,” by Jason Scavone. It’s Ian Ziering’s second second act, and he’s making the bow-tie-wearingand-chainsaw-wielding most of it.

66 | Movies

Tammy and our weekly movie capsules.

78 | Seven Questions

Former Bishop Gorman star and current Pacers point guard C.J. Watson on why our city needs a pro franchise, inspiring kids to dream big and becoming the next Larry Bird (off the court, that is).

The Hawaiian Marketplace’s pedestrian-friendly design was ahead of its time.

ON THE COVER Photo by Jon Estrada

July 10–16, 2014

11 12 15 16 18 65

9 VEGAS SEVEN

PHOTO BY JON ESTRADA

DEPARTMENTS

LAS VEGAS’ WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE

FOUNDED FEBRUARY 2010

PUBLISHER Michael Skenandore

EDITORIAL

Greg Blake Miller Matt Jacob (news and sports), Xania Woodman (nightlife, beverage and dining) A&E EDITOR Cindi Reed COPY CHIEF Paul Szydelko ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sean DeFrank SENIOR WRITERS Steve Bornfeld, Geoff Carter ASSOCIATE STYLE EDITOR Jessica Acuña CALENDAR COORDINATOR Camille Cannon EDITOR

SENIOR EDITORS

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Melinda Sheckells (style), Michael Green (politics), Jarret Keene (music), David G. Schwartz (gaming/hospitality)

ART

Ryan Olbrysh Jon Estrada, Cierra Pedro STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Anthony Mair CREATIVE DIRECTOR

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

VEGASSEVEN.COM

Felicia Mello Herbert Akinyele EDITOR Jason Scavone INTERACTIVE PRODUCER Nicole Ely ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Zoneil Maharaj STAFF WRITER, RUNREBS.COM Mike Grimala DIRECTOR

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BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR DIGITAL SALES MANAGER

INTERNS

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PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP Vegas Seven, 888-792-5877, 3070 West Post Road, Las Vegas, NV 89118 Vegas Seven is distributed each Thursday throughout Southern Nevada c 2014 Vegas Seven, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Vegas Seven, LLC is prohibited.

DIALOGUE EDITOR’S NOTE Fresh From the Oven it seems like there’s a stat for everything these days. Here at Vegas Seven, perhaps the most telling one is the PNO, or Pizza Not Eaten. In our early days—that was back in 2010, when the mountains were still forming and journalists roamed the earth—our Tuesday deadlines were a sort of delightful summer-camp ordeal. At 6 p.m., the pizza orders would go out. By 6:45 p.m., the famished crew members were devouring—allow me to use the uncouth word snarfing—slices of pepperoni-and-olive pie at their keyboards, leaving pinkgray grease stains on the galleys we passed around. By 8 or 9, they were ready for seconds. If we were tireless, focused and a little bit lucky, we’d vacate the premises, tummies full, by 10. Then, almost imperceptibly, something began to change. As we negotiated the badlands of 2011 in our still-recession-wracked city, our sense of task sharpened, our identity began to crystallize and, lo and behold, we found ourselves finishing the magazine before the pizza was gone. Staffers divided the cheesy loot and took it home. One Tuesday that autumn, we didn’t bother to place an order. We haven’t eaten a deadline pizza since. That’s not to say we slacked off—our rising PNO numbers meant the gang at the office could focus on bigger things, and over the past couple of years, you may have noticed them: Sean DeFrank’s standard-setting features on Jerry Tarkanian’s long reign and Tupac Shakur’s last night; Cindi Moon Reed’s wild rides through the careers of Siegfried & Roy and Penn & Teller; Xania Woodman’s vibrant stewardship of our nightlife and dining coverage; brilliant design from Ryan Olbrysh and his team; a fast-evolving website thanks to the efforts of Felicia Mello, Nicole Ely and Jason Scavone. And we’re all in debt to Paul Szydelko’s eagle-eyed copy editing and fact checking. In Seven’s first four years, our team brought home more than 80 state and regional awards. This is not a big media conglomerate; we blasted off together from ground zero, and it’s been an unforgettable ride. So, why this sudden burst of three-topping nostalgia? Well, this is my last issue as editor of Vegas Seven. I’ll be stepping down to build Olympian Creative, a coaching firm dedicated to helping individuals and organizations reach their creative potential. But first I want to thank the guy who helped me chase my own potential: Phil Hagen, the WENDOH Media editorial director who gave Vegas Seven form, breathed life into it and watched it grow with sharp but benevolent eyes. Phil, who left WENDOH at the end of May to pursue outside projects, is a media visionary, an extraordinary mentor and a good friend. One final note, a forward glance: Matt Jacob has been a fabulous writer (look up his history of the Ruvo Center), a stalwart senior editor and a fount of witty betting advice. But above all, Matt is a leader, and you’ll see the stamp of his leadership every week in Vegas Seven as he takes over the challenges, pleasures and occasional stomach aches that go with being the editor. Good luck, Matt; good luck, Seven! I’ve got plenty more gratitude to dole out; let’s all meet sometime over a thin-crust. – Greg Blake Miller

PHOTO BY JON ESTRADA

➜

VEGAS MOMENT

Red, White and Wooo!

Have you taken a photo that captures the spirit of Las Vegas this week? Share it with us at VegasSeven.com/Moment.

July 10–16, 2014

After months of anticipation, Henderson’s Cowabunga Bay Water Park took its debut plunge on Independence Day weekend. The $26 million, 23-acre park near the Galleria mall has 25 rides and attractions—including this slick slide, the patriotic-hued Surfn’ USA.

VEGAS SEVEN

Photo by Gabe Ginsberg

“Heck may be letting his vision of the perfect be the enemy of the good.” POLITICS {PAGE 18}

News, gossip, style and the modern way to call it quits

Right Here, Right Now Las Vegas isn’t struggling, it’s transforming … and we get to help it happen

VEGAS SEVEN

IN THE SUMMER OF 2000, I saw the classic anime flm Akira for the frst time. Inspired by its representation of “Neo Tokyo”—a towering, neon-lit dystopia patrolled by motorcycle gangs in clown suits and kids jacked up on amphetamines—I took my camera down to the Strip to shoot photos that resembled what I’d just seen. In essence, I tried to make real-life Las Vegas look like Japanese animation. I don’t know if I was successful or not, but it’s telling that, in that particular time and place, I thought such a thing was even possible. Las Vegas, as I knew it from the time I moved here in 1989 until the day I moved to Seattle in 2002, was at least 50 percent fantasy. New resorts were opening on the Strip at a furious pace; sometimes we’d see two major openings a year. We couldn’t blow up the old fast enough to make room for the new. Everything was so big and so outrageous that none of it seemed real to me. But the sprawl expanding from the Strip … now, that felt real enough. It was easier to believe in sawtooth roads, cheaply built tract homes and ugly strip malls; that world seemed more palpable than that other, cartoony world, with its year-old towers, neo-Sphinx and science fction streetscape. When people ask me why I moved to Seattle, I give them a variety of answers, some fippant (“I wanted to rehydrate”) and some genuine (“I followed a girl”). But occasionally, I surprise myself by saying, “I wanted to feel real.” I wanted to touch buildings more than a half-century old; wanted to feel anonymous on city buses; wanted to be part of what I considered a genuine city. And when they ask me the second part of that question— why I moved back to Las Vegas in 2012—I give them what’s become a slogan of mine: “Because Las Vegas fnally wants to be a real city.”

It’s tempting to lament what, compared to the boom of the 1990s and 2000s, looks like a slowdown. People aren’t gambling as much as they used to, some Strip properties sit unfnished and, my God, won’t Resorts World hurry the hell up? But that’s not the narrative that’s beginning to dominate our front pages and our conversation. When I talk to my friends—natives and newcomers alike—we talk about the transformation of Downtown Las Vegas into a vibrant urban hub. We talk about the plans to put light rail on Maryland Parkway, and to revitalize the area surrounding UNLV. We talk about the planned Modern Art Museum and the proposed

Downtown Summerlin project. We talk about revamping our education system, about sustainability, about our need for high-density housing and offce space. And thanks to the SLS’s conversion of the Sahara and the City of Las Vegas’ million-dollar investment in saving the Huntridge Theater, we’ve even begun to talk about the importance of historic preservation. In other words: For the frst time in my memory, the excitement over local projects is outstripping the buzz about tourist attractions. For the frst time, people are talking as if they want to live here. It’s hard not to feel excited about that … and for me, it was impossible to watch this

happening from Seattle and not want to be a part of it. We have a long, long way forward. Employment is still down, homelessness is way up, and we’re still dependent on lots of visitors coming here to blow money on craps. But that doesn’t diminish my belief that this is the single most exciting time in the history of this city. If I were to walk the Strip with my camera today, I’m sure I could still pretend that I was in Neo Tokyo … but that fantasy would be tempered by the realization that something real is happening outside of that bubble, and it becomes more real and substantial by the day.

ILLUSTRATION BY CIERRA PEDRO

July 10–16, 2014

By Geoff Carter

Questions? AskaNative@ VegasSeven.com.

ANTHONY BENNET T PHOTO BY DAVID RICHARD/USA TODAY

HYPOCRITICAL DRESS CODES A few weeks ago, I tried getting into Inspire Theater but was turned away. I was wearing a button-down shirt, a pair of slim jeans, casual sneakers and—gasp—a baseball cap. The bouncer looked at my hat and pointed to a sign: “Tasteful attire required.” I demonstrated to him that the hat, like hats everywhere, was removable, but to no avail. Meanwhile, the rooftop DJ was blasting rap songs, including Ludacris’ “My Chick Bad,” the uncensored version, with tasteful lyrics such as “My bitch bad, my bitch good. My bitch do shit that your bitch wish she could.” I get that the defenders of Downtown’s renaissance want to stay classy—and, hey, so do I, my friend. But if you’re going to look down on everyone else, at least be consistent and put in a jazz band. Don’t play music by and for people you wouldn’t let in.

SEEKING REBEL REDEMPTION The NBA Summer League, which runs July 11-21 at the Thomas & Mack Center, sports some impressive star power, with eight of the top 10 picks in last month’s NBA Draft scheduled to suit up, including the top two picks, Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker.. And for locals, the league will be overfowing with familiar faces. Former UNLV standout Anthony Bennett will play for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ squad, as the 2013 No. 1 overall pick tries to re-ignite his career after a lackluster rookie season. Meanwhile, two Rebels from the 2013-14 squad, Khem Birch and Roscoe Smith,, will try to impress after going undrafted in June. Birch will play for the Washington Wizards, while Smith will play for the Los Angeles Lakers. For the complete Summer League schedule, visit NBA.com/SummerLeague. – Mike Grimala

THURSDAY, JULY 10: Summer may

be time to strip away layers of clothing, but it’s also a great opportunity to pick up new stuff at the UNLV Public Surplus Sale. Held every second and fourth Thursday of the month at Thunder Warehouse, it’s your chance to score excess equipment from the university at discounted prices. 1:30-4 p.m., UNLV.edu.

FRIDAY, JULY 11: The Las Vegas 51s take on the Albuquerque

Isotopes tonight and tomorrow at Cashman Field, and your ticket gets you a little something extra each night. The frst 2,500 fans through the turnstiles today receive a free 51s bucket hat (and all fans get a bonus game, as it’s a doubleheader), while tomorrow’s giveaway is a replica jersey of manager Wally Backman. 5:05 p.m. Friday, 7:05 p.m. Saturday, $10 and up, LV51.com.

SATURDAY, JULY 12: Sports not your thing? Check out Spike & Mike’s Festival of Animation at the Sci-Fi Center. Now in its 30th year, the touring show screens experimental and foreign animated flms at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m., and “Sick and Twisted” animations (for mature audiences only) at 3 p.m. TheSciFiCenter.com and 10 p.m. $10, TheSciFiCenter.com. SUNDAY, JULY 13: If you or someone you know has been suffering from a sudden interest in soccer, relax: The 2014 World Cup wraps today. Although the U.S. team was booted by Belgium last week, we can all agree not to shake the fever until the fnal match. See our suggestions on where to watch the grand fnale at VegasSeven.com/ WorldCup2014. MONDAY, JULY 14: Now’s about the point in the summer when young ones start to get restless. If you’ve got kids (ages kindergarten-12th grade) who scored all A’s on their yearend report card, you can bring them to Wet-’n’-Wild for one day of free admission. WetNWildLasVegas.com.

TUESDAY, JULY 15: Here’s something cool for all ages:

Brooklyn Bowl now serves sundaes and milkshakes, and will donate a portion of the proceeds to Three Square food bank through August 31. We’ve heard the Bourbon St. Shake with Nutella is especially tasty, though any ice cream is good ice cream in this heat. ThreeSquare.org.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16: We all know that kids say the darndest things, but what happens when kids write the plot of a pirate adventure and adult actors perform it live? Well, that’s Story Pirates, an interactive sketch comedy show taking over Charleston Heights Arts Center and the Historic Fifth Street School at 7 p.m. July 16 and 10:30 a.m. July 17, respectively. $3, ArtsLasVegas.org.

July 10–16, 2014

Aside from the usual complaints about pieces missing from the Vegas puzzle (Ikea? White Castle? Water?), here’s one worth thinking about: institutional memory. The stories and input of people who understand a place because they’ve experienced it over time can transform a city. Memory of this sort brings past experience to bear on dreams

By Camille Cannon

15 VEGAS SEVEN

What does Las Vegas lack?

of the future. That’s what most other communities rely on when trying to fnd balance between continuity and change. There’s no reason that even profound changes can’t be responsive to the spirit of a place, and to the civic lessons learned over the decades. But Las Vegas has long been a place where people come looking to leave the past behind. For them, history starts the day they arrive, and Las Vegas is very accommodating in this regard. It hardly has any memory of itself that isn’t in the form of (often staged) photos or video (which often were staged for publicity purposes). Our museums do what they can, and local historians have done their best. But our past still

has not penetrated the public conversation (such as it is) about our future. Plus, there’s the “brain drain” phenomenon: Many of our potentially infuential young citizens hit the road as soon as they are able, taking their experiences of growing up here with them. It’s hard to move forward without a sense of perspective. Perspective informs communities; it lets us know how we’ve done things and why we’ve done them. It helps to make sure that we neither forget our successes nor make the same mistakes twice. We aren’t very good at remembering, and that’s due in great deal to all the comings and goings in what remains, to an unfortunate extent, a transient town. We excel at rapid adaptation rather than historic appreciation. And while it seems OK that your bartender may have just arrived yesterday, it gives pause that many of our teachers, journalists and other opinion leaders are also recently imported. That’s always been the nature of Las Vegas, and whether you see that as positive or troubling may determine how happy your stay here will be.

THE LATEST

@OyVegas Oh great. Fireworks and lightning/thunder on the same night. #vegas nightmare for my doggie! Thanks, Obama.

@UNLVFBSID During Greenwood song my 7-year-old daughter: “When he’s talking about the man who gave his life for us, did he mean a soldier or Elvis?”

@Martin1Williams Haven’t witnessed anyone in a yellow shirt this disgraced since Lance Armstrong. #Brazil 1 7 #Germany FT

@Ron_White To celebrate Independence Day, I’m going to kick my 23-year-old son out of the house.

VEGAS SEVEN

WHILE THE YEARLY DISPLAY of American exceptionalism—the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest—takes place 2,500 miles away on Coney Island every Fourth of July, our patriotic fervor was no less for being so far from the epicenter of everything that makes this country great. Of course, it helps that Las Vegan Miki Sudo slammed 34 dogs to win the women’s title over defending champ Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas, proving that our hopes for expanding the local economy past gaming are alive and well. No greater an American treasure than one of the myriad and sundry Kardashian sisters—Khloe, in this case—celebrated both her birthday and America on July 4, with her 30th coming the week prior. The former Mrs. Lamar Odom marked the milestone with boyfriend French Montana and R&B singer Miguel at Tao, where an Elvis impersonator and showgirl brought her a red, white and blue cake. Which sounds awfully generic. Come on, Khloe, distinguish yourself here: Design some lousy handbags or something. One of America’s greatest contri-

butions to the world at large is, it goes without saying, the meatball sub. Italian-American cooking has found its own foodie champions in chefs Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi. Their Torrisi, Parm and Carbone restaurants have lit up the New York dining scene since 2010. Now their Major Food Group is rumored to be bringing an outpost of Carbone to Aria in September. A representative for MGM Resorts International had no comment. Flavor Flav just wants to celebrate the country of his Don King-ian success the same way you do: with a hundred pounds of illegal freworks. But apparently, showing all the world just exactly how patriotic you are is frowned upon these days, because Metro confscated Flav’s stash and issued a pair of citations. God, you have

a couple of bottle rockets lying around and all of a sudden you’re Guy Fawkes. Generally, most of our better pastimes involve frearms—like hanging out at gun ranges, or blasting away at television sets showing Mike & Molly reruns. Penn Jillette will be hosting Camp Stew on the Sportsman Channel starting July 17. The premise involves Jillette hosting clips of woodsy goofness, sort of an America’s Funniest Home Videos or Tosh.0 for the camoufage set. If there isn’t a video of a lynx leaping right at an unsuspecting hunter’s face, we’re going to consider the whole project a failure. Sometimes, it takes a couple of Canadians to really hone in on what makes America so great. Like becoming famous for recording a sad lip-synch video at the airport. Richard Dunn’s “All By Myself” viral sensation paid off July 4 when Dunn got a full meet-and-greet with Celine Dion, as she promised in a video of her own. See, dreams really do come true. Unless your dream is to set off a hundred pounds of illegal freworks.

Happy Birthday to America and the thousands of kids born on this day in a porta-potty during intermission of a Monster Truck show.

@Pokerati Best of luck to everyone in the @wsop Main Event—especially the 90 percent of you who won’t cash!

@TexDolly Rabbit runs and hops all day but only lives 15 years. Tortoise does nothing and lives 450 years. Doc wants me to exercise?#right

@CespedesBBQ Not enough parity in the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Would like to see increased revenue sharing to help out the small-market eaters

@HannibalBuress This guy used the same American Airlines credit card I have to pay for something and I yelled “get those miles son!” I’m pretty cool.

@PennyPibbets My deodorant’s like, “You’re on your own, bitch.” #summerinvegas

Share your Tweet! Add #V7.

ILLUSTRATION BY CIERRA PEDRO

July 10–16, 2014

Only in America: Hot Dogs, Kardashians and Flavor Flav’s Stash

@Puddinstrip

As the Civil Rights Act turns 50, what can history teach us about crossing partisan lines?

July 10–16, 2014

REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE JOE HECK OF

VEGAS SEVEN

Nevada says he supports immigration reform. Several times, he has called on Speaker of the House John Boehner to act. But Boehner won’t move the bill, which passed the Senate more than a year ago, forward. Most House Democrats have signed a “discharge petition” to force action, and they’re looking for some majority Republicans to join them. Heck would seem a good candidate, but so far he’s refused to sign on to help the bill escape Boehner’s dungeon. Heck says he opposes parts of the bill, which is fair enough, but he may be letting his vision of the perfect be the enemy of the good. Senator Harry Reid and Heck’s general election opponent, Erin Bilbray, have blistered him for not doing more, and political commentator Steve Sebelius has pointed out that Heck could try to gather Republican support to force Boehner’s hand; he could also make speeches and generally food the media. But Heck is in a heck of a spot. Boehner is invoking the “Hastert Rule,” which states Republicans won’t bring a bill to a vote unless a majority of the caucus supports it. Boehner violated the rule once to raise the debt ceiling, but Republicans were fne with it because they could have their cake (avoid default) and eat it (go home and say they voted against something President Obama wanted). Also, Republicans fgure to control the House for the foreseeable future, thanks to the 2010 midterms, which installed GOP governors and legislatures in time for redistricting while Democrats slept at the switch. Republicans are split every imaginable way on immigration, and while Boehner probably wouldn’t welcome apostasy from Heck, Tea Partiers would never forgive him—and whatever their voting numbers, their ideology drives the GOP. But Heck might learn from something that happened half a century ago on July 2—the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964—and from the way Nevadans dealt with it. The bill passed with Republican support. Southern Democrats almost unanimously opposed it. The key chamber that time was the Senate, where it took 67 votes for “cloture” to bring a bill to the foor (unlike today’s requirement of 60 votes, which has made Reid’s life so, um, easy). President Lyndon B. Johnson knew he couldn’t have pushed the Civil Rights Act through Congress without support from Republicans, especially Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois. Today, Dirksen—whose love of oratory earned him the nickname “The Wizard of Ooze”—is remembered more for that support than for his more partisan escapades. Meanwhile, Nevada’s senior senator, Alan Bible, voted against bringing the bill to the foor. A Democrat, Bible was close to many of the Southerners, who had often helped him battle federal actions that

might interfere with gambling or mining. Bible’s Nevada colleague, Democrat Howard Cannon, was also friendly with the Southerners. Both Bible and Cannon also were tight with LBJ, who was twisting every arm in sight for the bill. Cannon didn’t have a strong civil rights record, and he faced a tough re-election fght against Republican Paul Laxalt. But in the end, he sided with Johnson and voted for cloture, which was approved, 71-29—thus allowing, by a mere four votes, the civil rights bill to come up for a vote. Both Cannon and Bible voted for the fnal bill, which needed only a simple majority. In the House, Nevada’s lone representative, Democrat Walter Baring, had broken with his party over its alleged communism; he fought LBJ’s Great Society and liked to talk about fuoridated drinking water. He voted against the bill, which passed 289-126. Democrats and Republicans supported the bill almost equally, with Southern Democrats leading the opposition in the House of Representatives. Many of those House Democrats later became the heart of their region’s GOP. The message for Heck? Well, there’s something to be said for the Dirksen legacy, in which one gutsy action helped shape our perception of the man. And in political terms, there’s this: Cannon won re-election by 84 votes, thanks in signifcant part to support from West Las Vegas. On the other hand, Nevadans were so “upset” with Baring over his break with the Democratic party that they re-elected him only four more times. He fnally lost in the 1972 primary to Jim Bilbray— the father of Heck’s opponent. Michael Green is an associate professor of history at UNLV.

BIG-WHEEL TUESDAYS, BROASTED CHICKEN AND DRINK DRONES For the second month in a row, new pricing has been instituted for the Linq’s High Roller. It’s a little complicated, and I’d need a dedicated column to explain it all, but the bottom line is that Tuesday is now the best day for locals to ride. The Linq runs a Bloq Party on Tuesdays with discounts for several of its vendors, including 50 percent off the big wheel. That drops the price to $17.50 to ride at night (beginning at 6 p.m.) and just $10 during the day. • Also on Tuesdays only, the Commissary at the Downtown Grand serves up good 99cent street tacos from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The choices are bean-and-cheese, and chicken and brisket—and one of each will do ya. But watch out: The habanero hot sauce is wicked. • Would you go to the Silver Sevens casino (formerly Terrible’s) for a high-end steak dinner? You couldn’t before, but you can now. The new steakhouse, the Back Room, is actually a curtained-off section of the Sterling Spoon coffee shop. It operates on Friday and Saturday nights only, and features good steaks priced from $25 to $35. This is an excellent value-gourmet play that’s also a relatively easy comp for gamblers. • Are you a broasted chicken fan? For those who don’t know, broasted chicken is a pressure-cooked form of fried chicken that keeps the meat moist and is considered much healthier than the standard fried variety. It’s not easy to find, but it’s served for both lunch and dinner in the Suncoast buffet. This is the first time I’ve ever seen it in a buffet, and I’m told the casino has a $7.77 dinner special slated to run this month. • TGI Fridays outlets don’t advertise it much, but they run a really good happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m. and again from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily. It’s called 6-5-4-3 for $6 appetizers; $5 sangria; $4 20-ounce draft beers, well drinks and wine; and $3 14-ounce drafts. The deal and hours are the same at all the casinobased Fridays: Suncoast, Orleans, Sam’s Town, Gold Coast and Aliante (hours differ at the two non-casino locations). • While this is by no means a deal, I simply can’t resist including it. Marquee Dayclub at the Cosmopolitan is apparently offering drone bottle service by the pool. For $20,000, flying drones will deliver Champagne to your cabana and snap photos of you and your friends (presumably not to be sent back to Cosmo intelligence). • Finally, I regret to inform that one of the city’s best drinking deals is only half as good now, as the price of Sunday Bloody Marys at Irene’s has been raised a buck. C’est la vie—at $2, it’s still pretty strong. Anthony Curtis is the publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor and LasVegasAdvisor.com.

ILLUSTRATION BY CIERRA PEDRO

THE LATEST

Immigration Now, Civil Rights Then, and the Dilemma of Joe Heck

THE LATEST

STYLE

Robert Gamch

Executive marketing host for Light Group

MY JOB ENTAILS …

making sure our customers are taken care of from the moment they land until the time they leave: low-key lounges, turn-key experiences, extravagant dinners, pool parties they will never forget and then of course turning it up all night long in the club afterward. IT’S IMPORTANT …

that clients have a comfort and trust level with me. I’ve been invited to parties at their private homes and flown to L.A., New York and Miami for off-the-clock special events. I PLAYED …

baseball at UNLV for two years before winding up in the nightlife industry. DURING THE DAY …

July 10–16, 2014

I’m usually in jeans, a tee and Air Jordan 1s. At work, I’m either in a suit, or nice chinos and a button-up. My favorite stores are Barneys, G-Star, Paul Smith and Nordstrom, but I love shopping online, too, particularly at Mr Porter. Locally, I hit Feature Sneaker Boutique and 12AM Run.

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20 Paul Smith shirt. Oliver Spencer shorts. Ben Sherman shoes. StingHD bracelet. Faded Days sunglasses.

PHOTO BY JON ESTRADA

– Melinda Sheckells

The New Divorce Is No Divorce By Richard Kirshenbaum, The New York Observer

AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, the Silver Fox had invited me to join him at a retreat in Malibu, California—a sensational summer camp for adults that’s a cross between a chic boutique hotel on the Amalf Coast and the Betty Ford Center. Most people came without spouses (children don’t watch themselves, you know), and it was a diverse group. I was struggling up an arid mountain peak when I began chatting with an attractive redhead from San Francisco. We exchanged pertinent information.

“Are you married or divorced?” I asked her as we both sipped water from our CamelBaks in the blazing sun. “Neither,” she said. “I am married, but I am separated. We live on the same property, but have two different living areas. It’s called nesting.” “Nesting?” “Yes, we have children together and are best friends, but we aren’t divorced.” “So do you see other people?” “Yes, in between family vacations.” On a subsequent trip to the Left Coast, I had lunch with Hollywood Mogul at the Ivy in Santa Monica. He looked trim, wiry and youthful as he bounded into the restaurant on two devices. (Everyone who is successful in L.A. looks like they are going to a Lakers game.) “Our marriage may be dead, but our assets are very much alive,” he said, spooning the espresso crema onto his tongue.

ILLUSTRATION BY ROMAN MURADOV

THE LATEST July 10–16, 2014 VEGAS SEVEN

NATIONAL

“we’re not separated, we only live separately,” said chic Euro chick (a minor-titled noble from someplace we all like to go on vacation). She ficked her ash, sporting not one but two Buccellati cuffs as we made our way into New York’s Monkey Bar. She double-kissed those in charge, and we were seated promptly. “Do you live in different apartments?” “No darling, in different wings,” she confessed as she stashed her silver lighter in her chic Boxer Bag. “In my opinion, that’s the only way. We have breakfast and dinner together with the twins in the common area, and then we retire to our own wings. It’s divine. Very Edwardian. I have my books, my Kindle. I have peace and quiet.” “Did divorce ever come up?” “Divorce is so …” she struggled to fnd the English word, “so … bourgeois. Peo-

through two- or three-year divorces. The damage is incalculable. And then the kids mostly hate all the new players who show up. … It’s a story as old as time. The kids, who are no longer kids at this point, are also afraid the parent is going to end up with someone inappropriate and change the will. Don’t think I haven’t seen that before, especially if the kids aren’t as successful as the parents and living off their largesse. And let’s not forget some second wives can be more demanding and mercenary than the frst one! That’s trouble.” “Well,” I said, “you know what I say: Where there’s a will, there’s a relative.” He continued: “Imagine spending years and millions suing each other— years of character assassination in court. For what? Because someone won’t put up with the wife’s trainer or the husband’s stripper? The Europeans have it right. When the man wants to have a bit of fun, he buys the young lady a Hermès bag and off she goes.

“DARLENE MAKES THE MEANEST TURKEY. IF WE HAD GOTTEN DIVORCED, SHE WOULD’VE KEPT THE STUFFING RECIPE. FOR THAT ALONE, IT’S WORTH STAYING MARRIED.”

“Why would I?” she asked without irony. “That’s the beauty of it. He lives there, and I live all over. It’s the only way to do it, dear. I call it Marriage 3.0.” “So you never see each other?” “No. We do speak and collaborate over Charlotte (their grown daughter), and he sends fowers on my birthday and anniversary. Who wants to get divorced? Why disrupt your life? I see this as a new trend,” she said, munching on a faky brioche that apparently had no effect on her rail-thin fgure. “How so?” “In the old days,” she smiled, “people had the good grace to drop dead. Now everyone works out, eats well and their cholesterol is under control. The men are living so much longer. So when the kids are grown, one is confronted with one’s spouse.” “Did you actually sit down and work it all out?” “There’s no need to,” she said, twirling her wedding band. “It just is.” “Do your friends have deals?” “Some do and some don’t. The really successful ones tend to. We don’t need a man for anything.” “Then why be married?” I knew I was pushing Lily’s white buttons. “It’s part of the fear that women have about not having ‘Mrs.’ in front of their names. Today, marriage is a choice but not a mandate. Many women went charging into the workforce in my day and then bailed. If the husband lets them go spinning and lunching and shopping, many women would rather take that option. Brioche, dear?” *****

ones. It’s different when people are unhappy in their 20s and 30s, but making a deal is a phenomenon for 50-year-olds.” “And you condone extramarital relationships?” “I didn’t say that. That’s not my business, and who am I to judge? That said, if it comes down to a messy divorce with the parents at war, I honestly think this is a better solution.” ***** “if you are young and don’t have children, divorce is perfectly fne,” the Seventh Avenue Kingpin declared over luscious gigande beans at the superb Yefsi Estiatorio. “Is that why you stay together?” I asked, knowing he has his own deal with his long-term spouse. “When you have children—and I also have grandchildren—it adversely affects a lot of people. I believe in this idea of the family unit. When you build a life together, you don’t divorce your wife or your family because she might not be interested in sex anymore. Sex is not always the driving issue. In fact, I would rate it a distant third at a certain age. “My children and grandchildren are my focus. I have friends who have gone

The wife gets the earrings from Graff; the bigger the indiscretion, the bigger the stone. They’re not testifying against each other; they’re smart. Think of all the eight-fgure divorces.” “So did you say anything to your wife about the new deal?” “Some people do and some don’t,” he said, avoiding the question and looking at his Cartier tank. “The smartest women, in my opinion, turn a blind eye to keep the family together.” He downed his espresso and waved goodbye. He had an appointment to keep, but didn’t mention with whom. ***** part of the upper crust, fabulous interior designer Lily Whitebread and I were catching up over a scrumptious Nutella, fruit and toast confection at the Eurosleek Artisan Boulanger. Witty, entertaining and très intéressante, Lily lives the transatlantic lifestyle while her husband lives in and around Charleston, South Carolina. “So do you ever see each other?” I asked. “Hardly ever,” she said, amused. “Did you ever consider getting a divorce?”

with summer and the pleasures of seersucker and linen beckoning, I received a call from a Southern Gentleman I know through the squash circuit. He is going through a War of the Roses-style divorce. “Up for a game and a martini afterward?” I asked. “I’ll take the martini, but I haven’t been playing lately. Things have been extremely diffcult. We’re actually going to trial next week,” he said in shellshocked tone. “Why don’t you just split it down the middle and call it a day?” I asked. “She’s getting all sorts of bad advice from people who are telling her she should be getting more than I have. It’s been disastrous. The only people who are winning are the lawyers.” “Yes, I have heard that before,” I sympathized. “These divorce lawyers are undertakers for the living,“ he moaned. “You lose a loved one and all your money. Not to mention I hardly see my children anymore.” “I am so sorry to hear that. Let’s make plans for drinks at the club,” I offered. “That would be great,” he said before hanging up. “If I could have martinis by intravenous, I would.”

July 10–16, 2014

*****

ple got divorced in my parents’ generation. Look how that turned out.” The following week, I visited a leading clergyman who was recuperating from an illness across town in the wellstocked library of his sprawling West End Avenue apartment. “If the option is either divorce or a deal, I prefer the latter,” he said. “You do?” I asked, somewhat surprised. “Yes, of course,” he said, offering me tea. “There is something to be said for family dinners, vacation time and holidays. Divorce is a disaster for the children. Some never recover. The kids don’t care if the parents are sleeping together or sleep in the same room. They care that they are both there when they wake up in the morning and go to bed at night. They just want everything to be OK. “Sometimes people can’t stay together, and divorce is justifed. But I always counsel people to stay together if they can,” he said. “I cannot tell you how many people I counsel who have separate bedrooms and lives. And they’re the well-adjusted

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“I had a mentor when I frst got into the movie business. [He mentioned a legendary producer.] He’d been married at that point, fve or six times, and he said the best business advice he could ever give me was never to get divorced. Every time he got divorced he moved into a smaller and smaller house until he ended up in an apartment on the wrong side of the tracks.” “The sex went out of the marriage years ago,” Hollywood Mogul said without emotion, “but we’re still best friends.” “How did you work that deal?” I asked, marveling at his alluring tuna tartare. “She always enjoyed a much quieter life. Listen, I respect a woman who goes gray, but the net net is I don’t want to have sex with a grandmother,” he said, fashing high-wattage laminations at two young starlets sharing crab cakes at the next table. He fexed his ageless bicep, licked his lips and brandished his Patek watch as if part of the L.A. mating ritual. “And where do you all live?” “She lives in a [bedroom community of L.A.], and I live in the house [gated mansion on an über-exclusive Los Angeles drive]. Our girls divide their time when they are in L.A. and it makes total sense. I have no desire for more children, and they’re going to get it all anyway. This is the way the old-money people do it. So much smarter. As far as I’m concerned, this part of my life is dedicated to fun, fun, fun.” “So you get together for the holidays?” “Of course. My favorite time. Darlene [not her real name] makes the meanest turkey. If we had gotten divorced, she would have kept the stuffng recipe. For that alone, it’s worth staying married. And this way I have the best excuse in the world when I’m dating.” “What’s that?” “I’m married so I never have to commit. Now, what’s all this talk of divorce? Are you OK?” “I always say I married my second wife frst,” I laughed.

The Unlikeliest Prototype On the 10th anniversary of the Hawaiian Marketplace, a look at how an underdog retail development pointed the way for the Goliaths of the Strip

tainment’s Linq, anchored by the 550foot High Roller observation wheel. But the recent rise of outdoor retail on the Strip—and its promise to fnally redeem Las Vegas from the Great Recession—has antecedents. A decade ago, the Hawaiian Marketplace hit on the same formula that the big casino operators are only now discovering. The little patch of Polynesia—a mix of kitsch and unpretentious good cheer—struggled to get traction, but today it looks downright visionary.

➺ you’re

By DAVID G. SCHWARTZ Photographs by JON ESTRADA

walking south down las Vegas Boulevard, past a nondescript strip mall promising beer, wine and fourfor-$9.99 T-shirts when you see it: the carved head of a bronze-helmeted warrior poking serenely out of a landscaped planter, faded 7-Eleven banners fapping in the background. With only scaffolding visible behind it, the warrior looks out of place but not out of place—another artifact beached on the Strip shoreline, divorced from logic and context. And yet that warrior is there for a reason. He’s a sentinel guarding the approach to a development that, 10 years

ago, saw the future of the Strip. Kiosks pitching Grand Canyon tours, nail art and light-up tees might not seem the epitome of the Las Vegas experience. But they—and the other tenants of the Hawaiian Marketplace—are part of the story that in recent months has come to dominate the Strip: the triumph of physically and fscally accessible shopping, dining and entertainment, outside of traditional casino resorts. Naturally, there’s some major distance between the six artifcial banyan trees that support the Hawaiian Marketplace’s canopy and Caesars Enter-

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In 2004, Brett Torino (above right, in white shirt, with partners Paul and Peter Kanavos) celebrated the Hawaiian Marketplace’s grand opening. Little did he know that he’d hit on a model for the Strip’s future.

it was may 2003. las vegas was struggling out of a trough after a decadelong crest. The post-dotcom, post 9/11 recession was technically over, but no one knew it yet. The mid-decade boom was still a year away. Steve Wynn’s new casino was two years from completion, and many were unsure what the future held. Visits to Las Vegas fell in 2001 and were fat in 2002. With its nose bloodied by the recession, the city had, for the frst time in a while, doubts. Even before the slide, there was doubt about the future; in 2000, Wynn had bought the Desert Inn and the surrounding land for $270 million, or $1.2 million per acre. In just a few years, land on the Strip would sell for $34 million an acre. But for now, when ambition seemed dangerous, a $170 million, 80,000-square-foot retail development seemed sensible. Almost before the wraps were off, though, the Hawaiian Marketplace seemed woefully pedestrian. By May 2004, when it opened, anxiety on the Strip was being replaced by ambition. That fall, the Strip’s frst condo-hotel development, the Residences at MGM Grand (now Signature), would break ground. Plans for more luxury condo and hotel projects, culminating in CityCenter, the Cosmopolitan, Fontainebleau and the Plaza, were coming. As the Strip prepared for the opening of Wynn Las Vegas in early 2005, the Hawaiian Marketplace’s future seemed set: It would be the poor relation on the gentrifying south Strip until it was wiped away for more high-rise, highpriced condos. But then the Great Recession intervened, with plummeting land prices, and canceled projects up and down the Strip in 2008 and 2009. Since then, Las Vegas has started a recovery. Visitation is higher than it’s ever been; gambling win, aided by an infux of Asian money, is coming back; and the Strip is adjusting to a world where the average domestic visitor is spending more on non-gaming amenities than before. Unlike the aftermath of the 2001-02 recession, this recovery isn’t about a return to the megaresort. Instead, it’s led to the eclipse of the big-box casino. There are still plenty of them, and they are proftable. But the big operators don’t seem to be interested in building any more of them. Instead, they are opening their existing resorts to the street with retail/dining/entertainment

July 10–16, 2014

*****

Outdoor retail and entertainment complexes such as the Linq, the under-construction addition at Treasure Island and Bally’s planned Grand Bazaar all share the Hawaiian Marketplace as a predecessor.

corridors such as the Linq and MGM Resorts International’s forthcoming Park. The new interest shown by the major operators in open-air retail parallels what has happened with nightclubs over the past 20 years. Once, tourist-corridor nightclubs were mostly stand-alone places such as Club Utopia, the Beach, Club Seven and Drink. But after the Rio and Palms proved that nightclubs could complement a casino’s offerings, the Strip bought into nightclubs in the biggest way imaginable. The prominence of, say, Hakkasan at MGM Grand couldn’t have been imagined in the late 1990s. Nightclubs were once marginal; now they dominate the marquee. Moral of the story: When the big players decide something’s right for them, they go all-in.

July 10–16, 2014

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developer brett torino was sold on the viability of a new retail development because of his past successes in the neighborhood. After buying Metz Plaza, a strip mall anchored by Fatburger in 1994, Torino built an adjacent Walgreens, which opened in 1998. Today, drugstores are ubiquitous on the Strip; at the time, though, Torino’s move was unconventional. In the go-go ’90s, anything but a megaresort on the Strip seemed a mere placeholder. The Boulevard was leaving behind its old days as a wide-open highway punctuated not only by hotels but by gas stations and curiosity-shop strip malls. Why was this man paddling against the tide? “It was so successful,” Torino says of the Walgreens. “It was the frst freestanding retail pad on the Strip. I could see the customers pouring in, and it became so clear that the area needed more retail that wasn’t part of a hotel.” In partnership with Flag Luxury Properties, Torino had already acquired the land that the Hawaiian Marketplace stands on, along with surrounding parcels including the Marriot Grand Chateau and Harley-Davidson restaurant, from gaming icon Lyle Berman (he’s a Poker Hall of Fame member, co-founder of Grand Casinos and current CEO of Lakes Entertainment). Torino and Flag Luxury dubbed the acquisition “Metrofag.” Its core was an undeveloped retail plaza. For such a prime spot, Torino wanted something that could compete with the rest of the Strip. That’s why Hawaiian Marketplace is both a look ahead and a link to the theme-happy 1990s. With Paris, Venice and Egypt already represented, what better way to simultaneously stand out and ft in than to go Polynesian? The Hawaiian Marketplace was selfconsciously “inspired” by Waikiki’s International Marketplace, which had since 1957 drawn Honolulu tourists to its mix of history and kitsch. (Ironically, the International Marketplace closed late last year to make way for an enclosed mall; the faux Las Vegas version has outlived the original.) Billed as “the frst immersive, themed, stand-alone retail center” in Las Vegas (a narrow niche, to be sure), the Ha-

reached its potential during the recession as visitors sought to get more for less. What made sense in 2004 makes even more sense today. “People love to walk up and down the Strip and look and buy,” Torino says. “They don’t have a lot of money with them, and they want to stretch it. Walking down the Strip is a great way to do that. At the same time, there are a lot of retailers who have been excluded from the hotels, so there was a need for both the tourists and the providers.” In December 2010, Torino and his partners sold Metrofag, including the surrounding parcels, to NBP Luxury, a consortium of investor groups. Under a management and leasing agreement, Florida-based Urban Retail Partners now operates Metrofag and the Hawaiian Marketplace. The new owners saw value in both the land’s current income potential and possibilities for future growth. “The ownership group purchased the property,” says Metrofag general manager Paul S. Rappaport, “because it represented the most attractive underdeveloped property on the Las Vegas Strip. Moreover, ownership believes that the property is well positioned to beneft from the recovery occurring on the Strip through strong rental income

from its existing retail and restaurant tenants, releasing potential and future redevelopment opportunities.” There’s an interesting tension in Rappaport’s words between “future redevelopment opportunities” and “strong rental income from ... existing tenants.” The allure of maximizing valuable land by going big is still hard to deny. But the logic of small and steady has much present value. In fact, the visionary nature of the scrappy little marketplace has even been noticed in the global fnancial sector. “Hawaiian Marketplace was the precursor to the non-gaming uses that have become more popular in recent years,” says Joshua Smith, a commercial real estate consultant with Colliers International Gaming Group. “Gaming operators are moving into constructing retail, non-gaming areas that are not within the four walls of the casino. They are looking to put retail on the Strip to draw people into their properties. This is to take full advantage of the dramatic shift that’s happened in the last two decades, as non-gaming expenditures have eclipsed gaming win.” And therein lies the rub. As gaming operators transition into non-gaming, and developable land on the Strip gets scarcer, it’s likely that we won’t see another true independent such as the

***** with the linq open and park, bally’s Grand Bazaar Shops and a retail corner at Treasure Island under construction, it’s clear that, as Smith and Torino say, the big operators are getting into accessible retail, doing for kiosks and storefronts what they did for DJ booths and bottle service a decade ago. Because, let’s face it, a lot of the people who come to Las Vegas just want a slice of pizza, or a sign that reads “Jenny Punk Princess,” or a caricature or temporary tattoos or half-priced show tickets or, simply, a place to sit, have a drink, enjoy the shade and watch the spectacle around them. Torino and his partners saw it frst; it’s taken 10 years, but the rest of the Strip has caught up. Looking across the street at the chilly modernism of CityCenter as you stand amid the kiosks, the Hawaiian Marketplace might seem like a relic from Vegas’ past. But, if you look a little closer, you can see that it’s also a glimpse into the near future.

July 10–16, 2014

It’s likely that we won’t see another true independent such as the Hawaiian Marketplace.

Hawaiian Marketplace in the future. After selling the Hawaiian Marketplace, Torino stayed in the neighborhood, building Harmon Corner, the retail and dining development anchored by Walgreens. It doesn’t have fre dancers or animatronic birds, but Harmon Corner sports another kind of showstopper: the world’s largest full-motion LED screen. Longer than a football feld, it’s becoming another iconic sign on a boulevard flled with them. But the next time you see something like it, it will probably be on the territory of a big casino corporation. “The opportunities are played out,” Torino says. “There was a window where [a smaller developer] could get in to do something like this, and that window has closed. You can’t get land to build big projects, but there’s still a great need for retail.”

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GRAND BAZA AR RENDERING COURTESY ELKUS/MANFREDI ARCHITECTS

waiian Marketplace featured that curiously Vegas tendency toward the genuine replica: Artifcial native-to-Waikiki banyan trees supported the overhead canopy that brought shoppers relief from the Mojave sun. A statue of King Kamehameha—only the second offcial reproduction of the 19th-century unifer of Hawaii to be authorized by the Royal Order of King Kamehameha— heightened the island sensibility, as did the animatronic birds that popped out of their Enchanted Garden birdhouse to perform traditional Hawaiian songs and recount tales from island folklore. Entertainment, indeed, was a big part of what would set Hawaiian Marketplace apart. Team Aloha, a group of Hawaiian dancers, performed a variety of traditional and modern routines, with Samoan fre-knife dancers contributing to the tropical atmosphere. It seemed like a can’t-miss idea. Yet there were problems. Originally, Torino designed the Hawaiian Marketplace so that the Strip sidewalk detoured through it, maximizing traffc counts for tenants. But the County Commission nixed the idea, Torino says; he couldn’t force Strip pedestrians to walk through his development, as was the case at Harrah’s Carnival Court. Because of this, tenants deep inside the marketplace struggled early on; in December 2004, the Las Vegas Sun reported that more than half had closed down. “It threw off the whole dynamic of what we wanted,” Torino says. “Tenants who had leased prime frontage were now off the main walkway. The idea was good, but the rollout was less than perfect.” There was a market for casual retail and dining, but it wouldn’t be hand-delivered to the tenants, as was originally the plan. But the Hawaiian Marketplace persevered, adding tenants and fnding its place in the crowded Strip corridor. One notable tenant, Tix4Tonight, which sells discounted show tickets,

NIGHTLIFE Your city after dark, photos from the week’s hottest parties and Michael Woods makes his move to Las Vegas

DJ Arty gives his fans a ‘progressive trance journey’ and Insomniac’s record label its frst release By David Morris

July 10–16, 2014

Up All Night

DJ ARTY (A.K.A. ARTEM STOLYAROV) is fast becoming one of the most-talkedabout producers in the business. Not only has he been personally signed by Interscope boss Neil Jacobson, but he will also be the frst artist to put out an album on their new Insomniac label. Oh, and if that weren’t enough for us to sit up and give ear, he’s recording that album in the same studio used by Zedd, who just happens to share the same birth city as this 24-year-old Russian phenom. But this Drai’s resident doesn’t yield to creativity-stifing expectations—he is simply making the music he wants to make. We ventured to Arty’s Hollywood Hills abode to discuss his sound and his frst single while watching a riveting World Cup match.

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PHOTO BY ARIYA BEHJAT

Arty spins at Drai’s Nightclub in the Cromwell.

NIGHTLIFE That track almost wasn’t an offcial remix, right? It was unoffcial, because basically I took the MP3 fle, cut it and blended it with an old arrangement that I had—I never got an offcial approval from

July 10–16, 2014

Didn’t you do a remix for London Grammar’s “Hey Now”? London Grammar is obviously not Top 40 radio; it’s a really cool record. The frst time I heard it was in January on Zane Lowe’s show on BBC Radio One, and I thought, “Oh, my God, [lead singer Hannah Reid’s] voice is just incredible.” How it builds is just incredible, and I decided I wanted to do the remix, just for myself. I had been in the studio with Axwell from Swedish House Mafa. I was halfway through the making of the song, and I decided to show it to him. He said, “Dude, this is really amazing—you should fnish it.” Axwell only says that sort of thing once in a long while, so that means a lot. I really admire Axwell; he is my idol.

VEGAS SEVEN

What do you consider to be ‘commercial music’? Commercial music for me is stuff for the radio. I don’t play that.

the label. A lot of DJs picked it up, and when Armin van Buuren played it fve or six times on his radio show, all these big names followed suit, and the label approved it. So what about your new album? The frst single, “Up All Night” with Angel Taylor, just dropped. How’s the rest looking? Well, I defnitely took a different direction, but the one thing that I found really fascinating about was the process of songwriting. I’ve been working with all these amazing singers. I always start with the harmonies and work to get the vocals perfect. I’ve been in the studio a lot, and just fnished a really happy, upbeat song before the most recent Electric Daisy Carnival. Is happiness the message you try to convey in your sets? Not really. When I’m playing my sets, I’m not just trying to make people happy, I’m taking them on a journey as well. When I play huge festivals with lots of people, I keep in mind that there is a lot of production and massive speakers, so I keep those sets very energetic. But rather than playing

really hard like these electronic dance music [festivals] want you to do, I play more banging stuff, and prefer to do completely different things. My sets are still really energetic, but they have a lot of different flavors. At EDC, I played some really mellow stuff; I played five songs from my new album, and I also played some new stuff from Skrillex’s album that I really like. And I even played a couple of songs from Above & Beyond, which is a completely different direction from Skrillex. I try to take people through a progressive trance journey. Do you feel any pressure to be the next big thing? I want to be myself. I don’t want to feel any expectations. That’s the reason why I was so happy for the last nine months, since the time I started to work on the album. Because when I’ve come to the studio, I’ve had no expectations about what I was going to do. I just locked myself in the studio and made music. Arty plays Drai’s Beach Club on August 30. Check out his music at Soundcloud.com/ArtyOfficial.

all in his “Poolside Mix With Nick Ferrer” on Soundcloud. (525 Fremont St., 10 p.m., CommonwealthLV.com.) Speaking of Soundcloud, Danish DJ Mike Hawkins recently unleashed his single “Liberate” by posting a free download to the site, bypassing the “like-todownload bullshit." He’s also running a “Liberate” remix contest for fans through July 21, but you can catch him before then at Drai’s Beach Club & Nightclub. (In the Cromwell, 10 p.m., DraisNightlife.com.)

SUN 13 Once again, Hakkasan welcomes Moby to the main room. Will he drop his recently released and awesomely moody cover of Duran Duran’s “Rio”? You’ll have to show up to fnd out. (In MGM Grand, 10:30 p.m., HakkasanLV.com.) If you have a defnite love of shoes, swing by The Bank to support local street-wear boutique KNYEW. Co-owners DJs Crooked and Neva will grace the decks, as will Ikon and Karma. (In Bellagio, 10:30 p.m., BellagioLasVegas.com.)

MON 14

July 10–16, 2014

Moby.

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THU 10

FRI 11

As the astute philosopher Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. said, “It’s getting hot in herre.” (You probably know him as Nelly.) And in fact, today is the 101st anniversary of the hottest day ever: 134 degrees, as recorded in Death Valley. If you can unglue yourself from the couch, we suggest you get situated poolside. Encore Beach Club at Night boasts tunes by Grandtheft, who’s fresh from supporting rapper Riff Raff on his Neon Icon tour. (At Encore, 10:30 p.m., EncoreBeachClub. com.) Electronic band Big Data delivers a live set at Boulevard Pool. (At the Cosmopolitan, 8 p.m., CosmopolitanLasVegas.com.)

If you’re headed to Tao, Lavo or Tao Beach through July 13, get excited (or beware?), because in addition to regular programming (TaoLasVegas. com), it’s the third annual World’s Largest Bachelorette Party. TV divas Wendy Williams and Brandi Glanville will be on hand as you get your fll of gift bags, prizes and open bar, all included in the $99 ticket. Best of luck to all the bridesto-be and to the nearby single dudes hoping to meet their soul mate in the bridal party. (TaoLasVegas.com/WLBP.) Further well-wishes go to Hard Rock Live. The venue formerly known as Hard Rock Café on the Strip celebrates

one year since its name change with performances by British ska rockers The English Beat and locals Rusty Maples and Avalon Landing. All proceeds from the $10 tickets go toward the families of fallen Metro offcers Alyn Beck, Igor Soldo and civilian Joseph Wilcox, all of whom were murdered on June 8. (3771 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 8 p.m., HardRock.com.)

SAT 12 Vibe out on the rooftop of Commonwealth to sounds by SKAM Artist and Power 106 Los Angeles DJ Nick Ferrer. His open-format style means you could hear Disclosure, Duke Dumont and John Legend in one night, as he dropped them

Electronic/ hip-hop duo The Foreign Exchange stops by Insert Coin(s). The group’s producer, Nicolay, spins at the venue Sunday (8 p.m.), and its emotive emcee, Phonte, is one of Drake’s biggest inspirations. Learn more about the two in our preview on Page 60. (512 Fremont St., 8 p.m., InsertCoinsLV.com.)

Big Data.

TUE 15 For hip-hop of a different favor, stop by Tuesday Blend at Hard Rock Live for a performance by Bay Area rapper DMAC. In addition to his radio bangers “Panoramic” and “Nae Nae,” you can count on the Blend’s usual dance crews, vendors and DJs to hype up your weekday. (10:30 p.m., Facebook.com/ TheBlendProject.)

WED 16 There are two great reasons to spend your night at Elixir Lounge in Henderson: First, you can score food and beverages for $3-$5 from 3-10 p.m. And second, Paint Nite will provide canvas art supplies and a 16-inchby-20-inch canvas (all for $25 with code "elixir20" at PaintNite.com.) So, you can create a masterpiece while you enjoy those aforementioned specials. (2920 N. Green Valley Pkwy., 7 p.m., ElixirLounge.net.)

Rusty Maples.

MOBY BY BRENTO HO/POWERS IMAGERY

NIGHTLIFE

Camille Cannon

NIGHTLIFE

Out of the Woods Hakkasan resident Michael Woods makes the move to Las Vegas By Deanna Rilling

MICHAEL WOODS— you may recall him as the British EDM/house DJ who put Justin Bieber in his place for demanding hip-hop during a set. And yes, we give him mad props for that (then throw some more props on top of that). But away from the booth and the spoiled pop stars, Woods sits down at a keyboard and begins to play. What will come of each session? He never knows. But some of it will ultimately make it to the dance foor, where legions of fans—including those attending the Hakkasan Group resident’s next appearance July 13 at Wet Republic and July 17 at Hakkasan—will get down to his sounds. The new Las Vegas local recently took us through his creative process.

July 10–16, 2014

Your latest single, “In Your Arms” with Lauren Dyson, is about to drop. How did you two end up collaborating? This single came about awhile ago. I was actually doing a track—I think it was for Madonna. I came up with this chord progression and everyone loved it so much and said, “Why don’t you just use it for your own track?” I sent it off to a writer friend of mine, Darren Bennett, and he got one of his songwriters, Lauren Dyson, and it came together quite quickly. It was initially released on my own label and then Spinnin’ heard it, absolutely loved it and it’s now coming out July 14 on Spinnin’.

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With so many people throwing their hats into the production ring, what are some of the ways you stand out? That’s the challenge right now. Basically, all you need is a laptop and you can write a track. But the thing I try to hone in on is my musicality, because I’m classically trained. My dad was a piano teacher, and he taught me piano from the age of 4. So I rely on my musicianship to make me stand out. A lot of these kids, they never really know music, but they do know the computers and the production side of things. But many tracks sound the same because they’re using these sample packs and the same samples. I just create my own and let the music [speak] for itself. Is having a music background essential these days for those in the electronic music industry? It’s not essential. I know people who have No. 1 tracks who don’t really have a musical background; they’re so good at fnding samples and putting them together. It’s not completely essential, but everyone’s got to hone in on their own skills and techniques. I’m not too bad at knocking a track together myself. But I just try to use everything I can.

Do you compose the melodies on piano beforehand? I sit down at the keyboard, start playing and it just kind of comes out. Every time I sit down and play, something comes out—I don’t know what until I literally start playing. It’s kind of strange. Sometimes I might hum a melody and record it into my phone and then re-create it back in the studio. But more often than not, the most successful times for me are when I am just sitting there with a blank mind and the music just fows out from my hands.

Do you record your brainstorming sessions at the keyboard just in case? No, not every single time. I’d have about 15 albums if I did that! I just play and if I hear something I like, I’ll go back and hit record, then come back to it in an hour or two and see if it’s actually any good. But normally, I’m just jamming away. Check out Woods’ music, including his new single, “In Your Arms” with Lauren Dyson, at SoundCloud.com/ MichaelWoods.

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

HYDE Bellagio

[ UPCOMING ]

July 10–16, 2014

July 15 Lost Angels industry night July 17 Live Music Thursdays July 18 Brody Jenner hosts

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See more photos from this gallery at SPYONVegas.com

Since DJ/producer Morgan Page’s first introduction to the city in 2008, Las Vegas has become arguably the most important place in the country for a turntablist to perform, sending DJs from around the world scrambling for a time slot. Now, with his “Morgan Page Presents” series at Wynn clubs Surrender and Encore Beach Club, the headlining resident gets to handpick up-and-coming openers for select dates. Benefiting from the superstar’s largesse this summer are DJs Walden, dBerrie and Maor Levi. “What’s important to me is that these guys make their own music—quality dance music—and they appreciate the opportunity to play for the Vegas crowd,” Page says. It isn’t easy to break into the big time, even with the plethora of megaclubs that have been EDM’s biggest cheerleaders, since they cater more to huge international stars such as Skrillex, Calvin Harris and Kaskade. “There are a lot of choices for DJs out there—a lot of noise, a lot of clutter. I wanted to bring some people to the forefront,” Page says. “There’s a trend happening in Vegas where people are getting back to the mega-headliner again, and the sort of middle class of DJ is dwindling. This is my way of keeping that talent in the fold.” That talent includes Australian DJ/producer Walden, who was on Page’s 3-D tour last year. “I think the reputation of Las Vegas speaks for itself,” says Walden, who opened for Page at Surrender on July 5. “This place is party central, and definitely where most of the money for the club scene is. The crowds, I find, are always very energetic and especially enthusiastic for dance music.” “Morgan Page Presents” continues July 12 at Surrender with dBerrie, who holds residencies in New York, Miami and Los Angeles. Israel’s Maor Levi, who has remixed for Gabriel & Dresden, the Killers and Skrillex’s OWSLA label, will open for Page at Surrender on August 1. “It’s interesting to see what’s going to happen with the sound of Las Vegas,” Page says. “There are a lot of new clubs opening, there’s going to be a lot more competition … I just hope they continue to support EDM; I hope it doesn’t just go to novelty acts.” – Sarah Gianetto

PHOTOS BY TONY TRAN

PLAYING IT FORWARD: ‘MORGAN PAGE PRESENTS’ GIVES YOUNG DJS THE CHANCE HE NEVER NEEDED

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

REHAB

Hard Rock Hotel [ UPCOMING ]

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See more photos from this gallery at SPYONVegas.com

PHOTOS BY TEDDY FUJIMOTO

July 10–16, 2014

July 13 DJs BYNON, Loczi and Wellman spin July 26 Sky Blu of LMFAO hosts July 27 DJs Loczi and Wellman spin

$ $$

One App â&#x20AC;˘ All Nightlife PartyPetition.com | @PartyPetition

DINING

“I’ve advised dozens of restaurants that they should just print their Twitter handle or appropriate hashtags on their menus—or at least train their staff to know them.” {PAGE 56}

Restaurant reviews, Dining news and the new Italian bitter that bartenders are sweet on

Polished or Tarnished? Bally’s brings back its Sterling Brunch bufet with mixed results By Al Mancini

July 10–16, 2014

Stone crab is a good place to start at the new incarnation of Sterling Brunch.

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PHOTO COURTESY CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT

A LITTLE VOICE INSIDE MY HEAD SAID,

“Don’t look back. You can never look back.” Maybe Don Henley had it right. That’s certainly the way I felt when dining at the recently revamped Sterling Brunch. The $90-per-person experience at Bally’s Steakhouse (to my knowledge, the most expensive brunch buffet in Las Vegas) was one of the frst meals I ever reviewed in print. Despite my general hatred of buffets, I’ve dined there numerous times, and frequently recommend it to friends and family. It was one of those only-in-Vegas gems that make me love this city. So when Bally’s Steakhouse closed earlier this year to be replaced by BLT Steak, I was thrilled to hear Sterling Brunch would continue in the new venue. Unfortunately, my first visit to the relaunched brunch left me pining for the old days. My experience begs the question of whether the new Sterling Brunch should be judged for what it delivers today, or for what I remember of it in the past. The truth is, this is still a solid experience. First, it comes with unlimited Perrier-Jouët Champagne, which would set you back $120 a bottle if you were having dinner at this steakhouse. Second, it still offers American sturgeon caviar—although you now have to order it from the kitchen rather than help yourself. Third, I can’t remember the last time I saw a create-your-own omelet station that included lobster, Boursin cheese and Cognac. (The booze is in the back, but just ask personable omelet chef Webster, and he’ll gladly fre it up for you!) I like the fact that dishes such as eggs Benedict are now made to-order in the kitchen, rather than being set out on the buffet line. And the raw seafood offerings are still amazing. When it comes to ambience, though, the new modern dining room lacks the old-Vegas charm of its predecessor. And the modern buffet line isn’t quite as much fun to me as the makeshift version I remember. But the old staff is back, many of whom have worked at Sterling for years and who remember repeat customers by name. So why am I still disappointed? Probably because the powers-that-be at Caesars Entertainment didn’t want to cross the $100 check line. At 90 bucks, this already seems pricey. But to truly deliver the quality I remember, they’d probably have to raise the bill another $20 or $30. Since they’re unwilling to do that, we get smaller

DINING

Al’s

Menu Picks Stone crab; Cognac omelet with lobster; American sturgeon caviar; Perrier-Jouët Champagne.

lobster tails. The cheese selection is also smaller. The sushi is no longer made to order. The chicken is dry. The “signature” tuna tartare, which you have to order from the kitchen, is unbelievably bland. And while I realize it makes me sound like

Clockwise from top right: The BLT Steak dining room; caviar and Champagne; and the omelet station.

a snob, serving caviar with metal spoons is not acceptable! (If you’re unwilling to shell out for mother of pearl, at least offer plastic.) All of that said, Sterling Brunch is still worth the money—provided you order correctly. Start off with crabs—either king or stone—and a few oysters. Ask your waiter for a double order of caviar. The dense, sweet bread-pudding French toast is awesome. The prosciutto on the eggs Benedict provides a wonderful touch of salt. And the

aforementioned omelet can be a work of art, something I’d gladly pay $25 or more for in an à la carte setting. Wash it all down with three or four glasses of bubbly, and you will not leave disappointed.

STERLING BRUNCH

BLT Steak in Bally’s, 702-967-7258. 9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Sat-Sun. All-you-can-eat, $90.

[ A SMALL BITE ]

GLUTTONY: NOT SO SINFUL AFTER ALL

A restaurant named Glutton seems appropriate in Sin City, but then

owner and chef Bradley Manchester has an uncommon definition of gluttony. “It’s actually quite the opposite,” says Manchester, who has spent his career as a chef in high-end hotels, including developing the Wicked Spoon alt-buffet concept in the Cosmopolitan. “When I think of glutton, I think of living life in abundance and enjoying life’s indulgences,” Manchester says. When it opens at 622 E. Carson Avenue—hopefully in October—Glutton will offer small-plate dining with an emphasis on natural cooking, meaning only using natural fuels, such as wood-burning grills and ovens. ¶ The neighborhood-style

July 10–16, 2014

restaurant’s seasonal menu will source ingredients as locally as possible or from nearby Southern California and the

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Pacific. Glutton will also offer Sunday brunch and supper, as well as a full craft-beer selection, cocktails on tap and house-made sodas. The 2,000-square-foot space boasts a 700-square-foot back patio. Manchester describes the proposed décor as being “comfortable and contemporary.” He plans on using the wood left over from the building, and is excited about the open kitchen. “It is not supposed to be an uptight restaurant,” Manchester says. ¶ Like many of its neighbors, Glutton is backed by the Downtown Project. “It is an honor to be a part of the project,” Manchester says. “Not only has it helped someone like me fulfill my dreams, but it is an honor being part of that community environment.” - Jessie O’Brien

Get the latest on local restaurant openings and closings, interviews with top chefs, cocktail recipes, menu previews and more in our weekly “Sips and Bites” newsletter. Subscribe at VegasSeven.com/SipsAndBites.

Did you know there’s a restaurant next to Sapphire? You may not think to look, but to the left of the massive doors of the “World’s Largest Gentlemen’s Club” is another set of doors that lead to El Dorado Cantina Restaurant & Bar (3025 Industrial Rd., 702-7222289, ElDoradoVegas.com). Trust me: Once you walk in, you’ll totally forget that there’s nothing but a red wall that separates the Mexican restaurant from 70,000 square feet of nearly naked women. [Insert obligatory tacos and tacos joke here. OK, moving on.] Don’t let geography influence your expectations; El Dorado is putting out some really excellent, honest-to-goodness Mexican fare, emphasizing organic, sustainable ingredients and non-GMO and hormone-free meat. I’m a huge fan of the cochinita pibil, a platter of large chunks of slow-roasted achiote pork shoulder, and the chicken tostada, made with tender shredded chicken and topped with crema and slivers of radishes. And yes, there are tacos, my favorite being the al pastor: grilled, marinated pork with roasted pineapple. On the subject of being surprised by restaurants, I have made my maiden voyage to Flavortown, Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen & Bar (in the Quad, 702-731-3311, TheQuadLV. com). Every dish on the menu is turned up to 11—tons of strong flavors, loads of ingredients in every bite—but after awhile, it all kind of blends together. It’s like construction starting outside your window on a Monday morning, pulling your brain in different directions because it’s new and aggressive. But by Wednesday, you don’t even notice the jackhammer constantly beating against the ground. The Guy-talian Fondue Dippers (pepperoniwrapped breadsticks served with a sausage and smoky provolone dipping sauce) set the bar with punchy flavors and an assortment of textures, as did the well-constructed Los Nachos del Jefe, topped with chorizo, cheddar and cotija cheese, black beans, jalapeños and red onions. By the time we got to the Mac + Cheese Bacon Burger and Lava Rock shrimp tacos our taste buds felt overworked. Yet I was enjoying the food so much that I kept eating. Each dish felt like an embodiment of Fieri himself: bold, in your face, huge personality. And that’s something I can appreciate. Here’s a game to keep you foodies entertained during your Guy Fieri experience: Any time you see “Guy” on the menu, pronounce it “ghee,” as in Guy Savoy across the street, and pretend that the French titan has traded in his artichoke black truffle soup for sausage cheese dip. It really puts things in perspective. Grace Bascos eats, sleeps, raves and repeats. Read more from Grace at VegasSeven.com/ DishingWithGrace, as well as on her diningand-music blog, FoodPlusTechno.com.

PHOTOS BY JON ESTRADA, CAVIAR PHOTO COURTESY CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT,

NO, EL DORADO IS NOT IN A STRIP CLUB AND YES, THE FOOD IS GOOD

SCENE DINING

HASH IT OUT

While few restaurants and bars embrace social media to the level that Mingo Kitchen & Lounge does, many are finally getting onboard. Here are a few spots that encourage you to bring your online friends into your dining and drinking experience: CULINARY DROPOUT

The Hard Rock’s casual eatery has a “Vices” cocktail menu that begins with a full-page story about how much the restaurant loves you as a customer. At the bottom, you’re encouraged to share your experience under the tag #DropoutLovesMe. STACK

If you’re enjoying the Ultimate Steak for Two or the Ultimate Surf & Turf, your staff will ask you to post some photos using the tag #RaisingTheSteaks. 1923 BOURBON & BURLESQUE

Now trending: Local restaurants and bars are embracing social media through their menus

July 10–16, 2014

By Al Mancini

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LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE, I like to post pictures of food on Facebook and Twitter. So it frustrates the hell out of me that most of the time, when I ask a server for a restaurant’s Twitter handle, they have absolutely no clue what it is. Over the past 18 months I’ve advised dozens of restaurants that they should just print their handle or appropriate hashtags on their menus—or at least train their staff to know them. And while I doubt my bitching was the inspiration, it seems some restaurants and bars are fnally catching on to the role social media can

play in promoting their establishments. In Las Vegas, the one restaurant that has best embraced social media is Mingo Kitchen & Lounge in the Arts District. Every single item on the menu has a hashtag listed right next to it so diners who want to Tweet about their food can jump right in. Owner Mingo Collaso is a huge fan of social media and has gone so far as to install phone chargers at the bar so no one has to worry about running out of juice as they interact. “I love everything about technology and social media,” he

N9NE GROUP

Wednesday is Ladies’ Night at N9NE Steakhouse and Ghostbar. And the operators want you to post your presumably amusing observations using the tag #LadiesBeLike, which they advertise on their menus and sometimes even on the Palms’ marquee. RED SQUARE

If you enjoy a cocktail or shot in the frozen surroundings of the restaurant’s Vodka Vault, the staff will encourage you to share it with the world under the tag #VodkaVault.

PHOTO BY ANTHONY MAIR

#TwitterFeed

says. “I wanted Mingo Kitchen to be a little more like me, and be more fun and interactive. I just wanted more people to get involved.” And he’s put together some funny and quirky tags. The open-faced fried-egg sandwich, for example, is tagged #FixYoFace, while the “Snoop Dogg”-style hot dog is tagged #DoggyStyle. And if you’re worried that tagging the vegetable fried rice as #FryRie might come off as racially insensitive, Collaso believes his Chinese heritage gives him and his customers a pass. “I wanted some of the hashtags to be a little risqué,” Collaso says. “That way people are shocked a little bit.” So far, the reaction has been great. “People love it,” he tells me. “The frst time they go there they die laughing.” He’s even instructed his staff that they must Instagram during their shift. The goal is to bring Mingo into a social media world that’s increasingly obsessed with food. “People love food photos,” the restaurateur states fatly. “It really does bring people in!”

The cocktail menu offered during the burlesque performances at Holly Madison’s new hot spot has hashtags for anyone who wants to rave about their beverage. They include #1923OldFashioned, #ThatStrangeRush, #KingFresa, #SexyNegroni, #HolyGrail and #MuleKick.

DRINKING [ SCENE STIRS ]

The cocktail menu at Downtown’s newly opened Carson Kitchen is a delightful hodge-podge of craft liquors, culinary ingredients and spirit-forward notions. “Farm-to-table” were the marching orders for Southern Wine & Spirits mixologist JR Starkus, who was tasked with putting together the menu, and who chose smaller, artisan brands over big names. The result is a something-for-everyone lineup of nine cocktails that show off vermouth, beer, sparkling wine, preserves and some unlikely combinations. The most complex is The Towns End ($11), in which two bitter Italian amari from Vittone collide with sweet rock and rye. The key is the ice sphere, which slowly melts, diluting the powerful mixture juuuust right. But don’t worry about over-dilution. The idea that such a delicious drink would even sit long enough for that to happen? It doesn’t stand an ice ball’s chance in Vegas. Get the recipe at VegasSeven.com/CocktailCulture.

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PHOTO BY ANTHONY MAIR

The Kitchen Sink

Yesterday, asking “Want a fernet?” to a lover of that style of pungent Italian amaro meant they might salivate like a Pavlovian dog. But today, the same question might be answered with another question: “Which one?” Until recently, there has only been one major brand of fernet offered coast to coast in the U.S., and that is Fernet Branca. But last month, competition stiffened when Fernet Vittone (“vitt-OHH-nay”) hit shelves, challenging Branca devotees to rethink their allegiances. For those not familiar, fernet is a bitter digestivo created in Italy, and is most often enjoyed either as a chilled shot, mixed with Coca-Cola (hugely popular in Argentina) or in a cocktail or espresso. And it is as adored by some as it is reviled by others. Why the polarized response? Well, for starters it’s an off-putting greenish-brown color— and that’s just the frst hurdle. The full-body experience continues with an aggressively herbaceous nose and culminates in a love-it-orhate-it bittersweet punch to the palate. But drinking fernet, at least among beverage industry professionals, is a touch less about the favor than it is about camaraderie, another shared spirituous ritual like the Champagne toast or pouring sake for a companion. Sure, there are other options. Herbs & Rye on West Sahara Avenue offers six fernets from which to choose: Vallet from Mexico by way of France; Italy’s Luxardo and Lazzaroni; and Czech R. Jelínek sit alongside Branca and now Vittone. Denver’s Leopold Bros. also makes a domestic offering. But, like many, my gateway was Branca. I’m nowhere near as committed as the Brancatattooed fanatics out there, but I’ll admit that I’m a big fan, and have even made a pilgrimage to the brand’s second distillery, in Argentina, to watch ingredients being macerated and rested in wooden vats tall as a house. So I, too, am challenged by the sudden appearance of Vittone. Not long after I was introduced to the liquor category, I started a campaign to call for our Branca by its brand name. “You’ll get into a sticky situation,” I warned. “Another brand will enter the scene and then ordering ‘a fernet’ will be like walking up to bar and ordering ‘rum’!” Sure enough, June 15, Fernet Vittone hit Vegas like a meteorite, along with its minty sister, menta (a mintier amaro), sending ripples through the community. So I asked bartenders which they prefer. Results have been mixed. Some fnd Vittone less sweet, with a spicier profle—appealing. Others think Vittone lacks Branca’s bite and body—less appealing. And many prefer Branca Menta to Vittone Menta. But one thing’s for certain: While Branca devotees have to digest that Vittone (founded in 1842) predates Branca by three years, the story that Bernardino Branca learned his trade by working for Domenico Vittone? Without proof, they’re not swallowing it. – X.W.

July 10–16, 2014

JUST SAY “VITT-OHH-NAY”: A NEW FERNET HAS BRANCA DRINKERS THINKING

A&E

“The latest trailers show Ian Ziering palling around with Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath and fghting a shark with a baseball bat on the subway.” TELEVISION {PAGE 64}

Movies, music and buckets of impromptu laughs

NKOTB lands at the Axis at Planet Hollywood for four nights of revelry—no velvet ropes allowed By Una LaMarche

July 10–16, 2014

Block Party

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK—or NKOTB, the edgier, more grown-up acronym that pulls double duty by saving the former boy band a lot of marquee space—haven’t truly been new for more than 25 years. The average age of the fve Boston-bred guys who owned the pop charts in the early ’90s—earning more than Michael Jackson and Madonna and leaving thousands of swooning teens in the wake of their artfully ripped jeans and gravity-defying urban pompadours—is now nearly 44. CO NTINUED O N PAGE 60

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PHOTO BY AUSTIN HARGRAVE

Still new after all these years: Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood, Jordan and Jonathan Knight and Donnie Wahlberg.

strangers for days on end, performing and partying and leaping into pools fully clothed—are any indication, these guys aren’t shy about getting up close and personal with what they like to call “Block Nation,” a legion of fans largely comprised of women who came of age wearing out their cassette tapes of Hangin’ Tough and Step by Step. (In the interest of full disclosure, I should out myself as one of these women. I even owned a 1990 edition Donnie concert doll. Let’s move on.) “The fans have known us for so long,” McIntyre says. “Onstage we get to be the stars, but the heart and soul of Block Nation are girls who were there for us back in the day.” Indeed, even though they’ve released two albums since their heyday—2008’s The Block and 2013’s 10, which both debuted on the Billboard 200 Top 10—the band has no hang-ups about performing their ’80s and ’90s hits. “It absolutely never gets old to sing the songs,” McIntyre says. “And people go crazy when they hear them.” He cites Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones as inspirations because they appeal to generation after generation. “Part of it is the music,” he says. “But a lot of it is just how much fun they have. Onstage we feel young and it feels current. We want to keep that going.” One thing the Kids defnitely have going for them, longevity-wise, is a friendship that has lasted more than three decades, ever since McIntyre was frst brought to the group by producer Maurice Starr to replace early

New Kids dropout Mark Wahlberg. Since 2008 they’ve been touring and cruising every year, and McIntyre says the band members relish the time they get to spend together. Which begs the question: Could the stint at Axis lead to a longer run, or even a Strip residency? Speaking for the band, McIntyre hopes so. “It does feel a little bit like an audition,” he says. “But every time we perform, we’re out to prove ourselves. We’ve got to keep that fever pitch, take it to another level. And that’s defnitely what we want to do in Vegas.”

NKOTB

8 p.m. July 10-13 at Axis at Planet Hollywood, $37.50 and up, 702-777-6737, PlanetHollywoodResort.com.

Foreign Policy In a land of EDM supremacy, R&B duo aims for the soul

July 10–16, 2014

By Zoneil Maharaj

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Nicolay and Coleman.

SO A DUTCH PRODUCER and a North Carolina rapper meet in tools that we have is our live show. We’re just that group an online forum … where you can try to explain it all day, but once people see the The punch line? They go on to make progressive, polished show, that’s when they become a believer. It’s very much like and envelope-pushing soul and R&B. A decade, four albums a traveling band of preachers. You go, you spread your gospel and a Grammy nod later, the Foreign Exchange has gone from city to city and make people believers as you go on. from a hip-hop side project to a full-fedged band and record label. And their music has taken them all I’ve heard great things about your live over the globe—everywhere except Las Vegas. show. What can we expect? On the road again in support of their highly Nicolay: We’re very much a duo as a group, THE FOREIGN praised Love in Flying Colors, the group is ready but onstage we’re eight people strong. It’s a EXCHANGE to spread their gospel to Sin City with producer two hour-plus show that has everything from 8 p.m. July 14, Nicolay spinning July 13 at Insert Coin(s), folmusicianship to comedy. Insert Coin(s), lowed by a Foreign Exchange show at the venue 512 Fremont St., July 14. How do you expand that two-man sound to $20, a full-band experience? 702-477-2525. Many artists have a love-hate relationship Coleman: Before we go on tour, we’ll hold with touring. I know it’s impacted your a day or so of rehearsals. ... But for us, every relationships. Why is touring such an night is rehearsal. Every night something integral part of your mission? changes. No two shows are going to be the same. One song Phonte Coleman (MC/singer): Because we’re not a band that might bring the house down in Vegas may get crickets you’re going to see on a lot of mainstream outlets. We have in San Francisco. You kind of have to read the vibe of the to use the tools that are available to us, and one of our many crowd that night and adjust to that.

FISHTRAP FUNK, POP REGGAE, NUGE NOOKIE It’s fucking hot out there. Luckily for us, though, there’s plenty of live music this week to assuage our impending heat strokes. Here are the cool highlights. Austin, Texas-based funk-soul octet Mingo Fishtrap springs into Silverton’s Veil Pavilion at 7 p.m. July 10. The band has been kicking around since the mid-1990s, and their latest disc, On Time, brims with jazz and rock influences. This incredible ensemble offers everything from Memphis blues to New Orleans-style jams. My favorite moment on the new album is the gospel-stompin’ “Movin,” which uses old-fashioned, horn sectionpowered arrangements. Over at LVCS, pop-reggae sensation Hirie unfurls her island grooves at 8 p.m. July 11. The Hawaiian singer relies on genuine instrumentation (instead of keyboards and drum machines) to power her rootsy-rasta tunes. “Sensi Boy” is pure sonic sugar, while the throbbing ballad “Smile” will encourage you to drink a few more Red Stripes. Also on the bill: Hi Roots, Lady Reiko & the Sin City Prophets and SYNRGY. Everyone’s favorite Obama-phobic moron Ted Nugent plays the Orleans at 8 p.m. July 12. Despite his political idiocy, the Nuge still plays guitar at a very high level, and his rock-quartet format packs a serious wallop. As long as you interpret his libertarian ravings as comedic, the music remains fun—especially now-classic, hard-rockin’ track “Fred Bear” (off ’95’s Spirit of the Wild), a freaky tribute to the legendary bowhunter of the same name. Finally, I don’t know much about instrumental surf-punk maniacs Guantanamo Baywatch except for their name, which makes me think of Pamela Anderson tanning topless behind barbed wire. In any case, this Portland, Oregon, group seems to provide a respectful update on the Ventures, at least judging by a track on their Bandcamp page called “Barbacoa.” Guantanamo Baywatch busts into the Beauty Bar at 9 p.m. July 17. Your band releasing new music? Email Jarret_Keene@Yahoo.com.

FOREIGN EXCHANGE BY CHRIS CHARLES/CREATIVE SILENCE

A&E

CO N TIN U ED FRO M PAGE 59 And yet over the past fve years, the tightknit group—brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood and Joey McIntyre— have been staging a comeback, re-establishing the pop quintet as a global phenomenon. Hot off a two-month, 10-country European tour and their sixth annual theme cruise (more on that shortly), the erstwhile Kids are landing at the Axis at Planet Hollywood on July 10 for a four-night run that will also mark their only North American performances in 2014. “We didn’t think we’d tour in the States this year,” says McIntyre, the youngest of the group, whose angelic 15-year-old falsetto helped launch the 1988 ballad “Please Don’t Go, Girl” as the band’s frst hit single. “But the Axis is an amazing venue, the timing was right, and it helps us keep up the relationship with our fans.” He’s not just paying lip service. The dates in Vegas will include not only nightly shows, but also daytime pool parties and late-night after-parties at which fans will be able to hang with NKOTB in a more casual setting. “There’s no velvet rope in our world,” McIntyre says. “It’ll be light years away from the stock after-parties with the VIP section where the stars just peek out and wave.” (In a press release for the gig, Wahlberg promised that the band would “be up all day and all night with our fans.”) If the band’s six cruise outings—during which they’re literally trapped on a boat with hundreds of

A&E

CONCERT

ALBUMS WE'RE BUYING 1 Jack White, Lazaretto

2 Mastodon, Once More ’Round the Sun

3 Lana Del Rey, Ultraviolence

4 Every Time I Die, From Parts Unknown

5 Seether, Isolate and Medicate 6 The Black Keys, Turn Blue

7 Linkin Park, The Hunting Party

8 Trey Songz, Trigga (Deluxe Version)

9 Deadmau5, While (1<2)

10 Emerson Lake & Palmer, Brain Salad Surgery

According to sales at Zia Record Exchange at 4503 W. Sahara Ave., June 29-July 6.

SAMMY HAGAR HITS THE BOOZE AND HIS CAREER HIGHLIGHTS … ON A WEEKNIGHT Hard Rock Hotel pool, July 2

on a weeknight. Even Sammy Hagar seemed to grasp this when he paused several songs into his career-retrospective set at the Hard Rock’s Soundwaves stage and asked the poolside crowd: “What are we doing partying like this on a Wednesday?” Then the Red Rocker launched into his solo hit “Three Lock Box,” stopping midway through to grab a bottle of rum—his own Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum, of course—which he raised to the sky as he sang, “to the Redheads in Vegas, I raise a toast!” It wouldn’t be the last time Hagar hit the bottle, as he and his longtime band the Wabos belted out hits from his solo career (“I Can’t Drive 55,” “Heavy Metal,” “There’s Only One Way to Rock”); his early-’70s stint in Montrose (“Rock Candy,” “Bad Motor Scooter”); and his Van Halen days (“Top of the World,” “Best of Both Worlds,” “Finish What Ya Started”). Old VH buddy Michael Anthony—himself recently turned 60 and always the life of any party—joined in on bass for about half the set, adding to the festive atmosphere that has come to define that latter half of Hagar’s life. The only complaint? The beach bash didn’t last into the wee hours, as Mr. Mas Tequila said no

July 10–16, 2014

mas before 11 p.m. Then again, that’s well past the bedtime of most other senior citizens. ★★★★✩ – Matt Jacob

VEGAS SEVEN

MUST BE A SUCKER FOR IT Fans can kick off a real live ’80s flashback weekend with The English Beat (“Save It for Later,” “Mirror in the Bathroom,” “I Confess”) when Dave Wakeling plays Hard Rock Live on July 11 ($10). Ranking Roger won’t be there, but Wakeling usually slips a General Public song into his energetic live sets.

CHEVELLE ENOUGH ALONE Chevelle, the Chicago-based alternative metal band, released its seventh studio album in April. La Gárgola features singles “Take Out the Gunman” and “Hunter Eats Hunter,” but expect a career-spanning set list (“The Red,” “The Clincher”) when the band plays The Joint on July 12 ($29.50).

RATDOG PLAYS WITHOUT ITS OWNER On July 5, Bob Weir and Ratdog were scheduled to perform at the Pearl at the Palms. When Weir called in sick, Ratdog played on without him. How'd they do? Photographer and longtime fan Erik Kabik reports. Read his review and see his photos at VegasSeven.com/concerts.

ON SALE NOW Ed Sheeran will play two shows at the Chelsea on August 29-30 ($35-$70), touring in support of X, his brand-new album. This is Sheeran’s first tour of North America as a headliner, and a huge opportunity to multiply his considerable fan base. Not bad for a ginger, huh?

PHOTO BY CHASE STEVENS/ERIK K ABIK PHOTOGRAPHY

It’s not every day that a 66-year-old now in the fifth decade of his career attends a pool party, let alone throws one … that starts after 9 p.m. …

HIT LIST

By Andreas Hale

GRITTY INTELLIGENT RAP

Ab Soul

These Days

(Top Dawg Entertainment) Top Dawg Entertainment's success has put a lot of pressure on Ab Soul. Falling somewhere between the lyrical brilliance of Kendrick Lamar and the enjoyable ignorance of ScHoolBoy Q, the Carson, California, MC has a lot to prove with his solo outing, These Days. While he is effective with the artful ode to vegetation “Tree of Life” and the weededout “Hunnid Stax,” the album short-circuits and loses its identity. “Twact,” Ab Soul’s attempt at a club hit, comes off awkward; “Sapiosexual” suffers from mundane production and an uninspired hook. Trying to do too much, These Days lacks focus and clarity. However, when Soul is on, he’s one of the best wordsmiths in hip-hop. “Stigmata” is an exercise in lyrical dexterity as he cleverly rips through the rumbling production, while the Lupe Fiasco-assisted “World Runners” finds the two MCs one-upping each other. Ultimately a solid effort, but much more is expected from a lyricist of his caliber. It's a minor stumble from TDE, but still better than much of what’s out there. ★★★✩✩

HS87

We the Plug

(Hits Since ‘87) Ever since Hit Boy left G.O.O.D. Music last year, curiosity piqued about what the producer would be up to next. Well, he’s decided to showcase his HS87 crew while establishing himself as a credible MC with the collaborative album, We the Plug. Although a little long in the tooth and a tad crowded, Hit Boy does achieve success. The production takes center stage with trunk rattlers such as “No Talkin’” and the whining saxophone and distorted bassline of “Scorn.” With so many people in his posse, it’s difficult to get a feel of each individual’s talent but it still makes for an enjoyable listen. ★★★✩✩

DISC SCAN Upcoming albums on Andreas' radar …

SEXUAL R&B

Day 26

The Return

(BMG) It’s been nearly seven years since Day 26 was formed on Diddy’s Making the Band reality show. After seeing some marginal success, the group attempted solo careers in 2012 but now find themselves back together for The Return EP. Robert, Brian, Willie, Mike and Que are vocally solid as evidenced on “Russian Roulette.” The songwriting, however, is another story. “Bullshit” and “R&B Singer” are both terribly contrived in an attempt to give the group an edge. It’s a shame, because Day 26 has promise but needs the assistance of an A&R to focus their talents properly. ★★✩✩✩

[ I WANT THAT BOOK! ]

There’s a lot of buzz surrounding Everything I

Common takes JUL a break from acting and gets back to rapping on Nobody’s Smiling.

Never Told You (Penguin

The Cool Kids’ Sir Michael Rocks looks to establish himself as a respectable solo act on his new project, Banco.

in 1970s-era Ohio. Marilyn

JUL

After a long hiatus, Cali tandem Dilated Peoples return to the scene with their highly anticipated Directors of Photography. AUG

By Camille Cannon

Press, $27), the debut novel by Pushcart Prize winner Celeste Ng about a Chinese-American family and James Lee have three children, but they have

ELECTRIC VERBIAGE It’s no secret Las Vegas loves neon. So does our city’s former urban arts coordinator, Richard Hooker. His solo exhibition, Pregnant Neon: A Tale of Conspicuous Devotion combines bright lights and powerful phrases that make you wrinkle your nose in deep contemplation. See it at Sahara West Library through July 12. LVCCLD.org. LA VIDA KAHLO Have you ever seen one of Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits and wondered what’s brewing under her brow? The Mexican artist died 60 years ago, but the Spanishlanguage play Frida Kahlo: Viva la Vida! gives us a glimpse of her life. Performances run July 11-12 at Winchester Cultural Center theater. ClarkCountyNV.gov/ ParksRegistration. HE SAYS, SHE SAYS Where would we be without Guy Code and Girl Code? The hit MTV shows help us make sense of the opposite sex, and now four cast members from the show will break it down stand-up-style during Girl Code vs. Guy Code at Aliante on July 12. Get educated at the 8 or 10:30 p.m. shows. Tickets.AlianteGaming.com.

the greatest expectations for Lydia, their middle daughter. When Lydia’s dead body is discovered, the family is forced to deal with the dark secrets that threaten to pull them apart. – M. Scott Krause

BEST OF THE THESPIANS It’s about time we handed out trophies for local theater. On July 14, we’ll witness the inaugural Las Vegas Valley Theatre Awards at Art Square. Honors will be given out in 11 categories including Audience Choice, for which you can vote now at LasVegasValleys.com.

July 10–16, 2014

CALIFORNIA RAP

TARGETING THIS WEEK'S MOST-WANTED EVENTS

63 VEGAS SEVEN

ALBUM REVIEWS

The

A&E

TELEVISION

Pumping the Shark

Ziering: master of the transition from the Peach Pit to shark bit.

It’s Ian Ziering’s second second act, and he’s making the bow-tie-wearing-and-chainsaw-wielding most of it

VEGAS SEVEN

LIFE IS GOOD for Ian Ziering, but it turn with the Chips, and did CrossFit usually is when your job involves a two days a week and lifted weights fve chainsaw. … Come on, your job would days a week while he prepared for this be like 78 percent better if you got run. And when he’s here Thursdays to swing a chainsaw around. Unless through Sundays, he has his family in you’re a lumberjack. Then it’s par town. He lights up when he talks about for the course. Call it a cruel cosmic his two daughters, ages 3 and 1. balancing of scales for getting to eat all They’re the reason he turned in those pancakes every day. some of the directions he did as he was Fret not, Sharknaffcionados capitalizing on the resurgence. He’s (Are they called that? They should working on a line of toddler clothing be called that.) The chainsaw that that comes from a dad’s perspective, Ziering so adroitly wielded to secure and he’s hoping to franchise a chain of his freedom, like Jonah from a toothy indoor playgrounds for kids. whale, returns in Syfy’s inevitable Not all of the new doors that opened Sharknado 2: The Second One. up were kid-related. One is a travel “I’m on a truck screaming, motivatwebsite that points civilians to hideing the city,” Ziering says. “I get the away destinations that celebs know Braveheart speech. It’s great. Instead about ... but the shark is never far from of raising my ax, I raise my chainsaw the surface. He started a production into the air. It’s a call to action for all of company that’s working on both realManhattan. I get the big speech.” ity and scripted projects, one of which Ziering, 50, is living the Year of the is a reality competition show based Sharknado, the Syfy cult hit that turned around flming a monster movie. If Twitter into the postmodern equivalent it all goes right, the winner would be of a bunch of 15-year-old girls screamable to show their own, personal ’Nado ing for Elvis at the Tupelo fairgrounds. on a network. The morning after ’Nado aired, Even Chippendales is savvy to the he was felding calls from Oprah. power of the shark—they’ve touted He picked up some work in the Ziering as the star of the movies in its intervening months—voice work in a advertising. It’s turning into big busiDisney short; drag-racing biopic Snake ness on its own. Syfy is preparing to and Mongoose produced by his nextexpand its merchandising of the frandoor neighbor; and Christmas in Palm chise, up to Sharknado kids’ pajamas. Springs—but nothing “I’m kind of tickled to yet that approached the think there’s a little kid earlier sublime absurd going to sleep with my See Ian Ziering delights of the Citizen face on their pajamas. in Chippendales at 9 Kane of Syfy. That was usually for suand 11 p.m. But that’s all prelude, perheroes,” Ziering says. Thu-Sat and 9 p.m. as July 30 sees the preAs if Batman could Sun through July 20 at miere of ’Nado 2. The handle airborne sharks. the Rio, $61.45-$89, latest trailers show The high-concept 702-777-2782, Ziering palling around camp of the frst one then watch him in with Sugar Ray’s Mark is a high-wire act, and Sharknado 2 at 9 p.m. McGrath and fghting it’s going to be tough to July 30 on Syfy. a shark with a baseball follow. The Internet is a bat on the subway. The fckle bitch, and it can only way that could get turn on you at the drop more New York is if the of a chum-covered hat. shark told Ziering to go fuck himself. The frst movie was self-aware, and Ziering is making another return, that can be forgiven. Embraced, even. though, in the runup. He’s back with But self-aware and trying too hard unChippendales at the Rio, through July 20. der the weight of expectations? There’s It was easier to get in shape this time a reason there was never a Stuff White around—he said he’s kept off most of People Like movie. the 35 pounds he lost before the frst “The script is a little more

ambitious than the frst one. The locations have changed. I think people are going to really enjoy the surprise cameos—there are several that have not been publicized. The movie knows what it is,” Ziering says. “But it does things it doesn’t know it’s not supposed to do. These movies aren’t supposed to be successful.” Known cameos include Michael Strahan, Kelly Ripa and Al Roker cutting a Today segment; Judd Hirsch driving a taxi, in a nod to his sitcom days; and Biz Markie as Vinny the Pizza Guy, whose appearance Ziering worked into getting his own upcoming cameo on Yo Gabba Gabba. Right now, Sharknado 3 is a lock to happen, but if the team behind the franchise can keep the lightning frmly in the bottle, there’s a tentative plan to make the movies an ongoing sum-

mer event. What Saw is to Halloween season, Sharknado could be to the dog days. Frankly, it’s a huge step up from an annual Transformers dump Michael Bay takes on movie screens across America every year. At least you can follow the action when a man’s fghting a poorly animated shark. “It’s not ridiculously expensive to produce. If the fans want it, this is a fan-driven movie. If the fans want it, it will go on in perpetuity,” Ziering says. “I’d be proud and happy to be associated with this project as long as it lasts. As long as I don’t get eaten.” A year ago, writer Jason Scavone watched Ziering watch the airing of the first Sharknado, thus witnessing the moment one actor’s life forever changed. Read the play-by-play at VegasSeven.com/ Sharknado.

PHOTO BY WILL HART/NBC

July 10–16, 2014

By Jason Scavone

STAGE

Paul Mattingly (left) and Matt Donnelly are not the “world’s worst” jokesters.

WELCOME MATTS With The Bucket Show, Matt and Mattingly invigorate improv Downtown QUICK —what would the world’s worst fuffer say? “Wait, let me fx my braces.” Given enough clues can you guess that someone is playing piano on a beach in Antarctica, surrounded by Brad Pitt, Bob Marley and Mini-Me? Improvisational comedy, that pressure-cooker collision of imagination and desperation—take bizarre idea, make funny NOW—has a cool new Downtown address in the Ogden’s Scullery Theater. Your clever hosts— Matt Donnelly and Paul Mattingly, a.k.a. Matt and Mattingly—call it The Bucket Show with this explanation: “Las Vegas has a very diverse local theater crowd, which makes it diffcult to fgure out one price point for an action-packed, super-fast, 60-minute improv comedy show. So we aren’t going to. Pay what you want. Throw it in a bucket.” Pretty affordable for this comicbrain workout every Wednesday night, co-starring two witty clowns around town. (Co-hosts of The Matt & Mattingly’s Ice Cream Social podcast, the former writes for Penn & Teller’s TV projects, and the latter is the only local hired as a Second City main-stage player.) Inside the modest, lounge-like Scullery, with the performers and a lone keyboardist making do with a foor rather than a stage, The Bucket Show toggled between on-the-fy sketches and off-the-cuff song parodies, with far more funny hits than misses at a recent show. Creating a laid-back vibe that belies their intense comic instincts, the twin Matts immediately invited the audience into the antics, soliciting topics for a song/dance bit, resulting in a famenco number about a dog taxi driver. (Sample lyric: I try to cover their peters and still wind up with piss all over the meter.) Flubs are part of the fun. During a

scene set at a miniature golf course, an audience member who is asked to contribute sound effects lags behind their swift repartee, allowing the hosts to feign exasperation. After Mattingly briefy departs, Donnelly conspires with the crowd to concoct that daffy beach-in-Antarctica scenario that, upon returning, Mattingly must suss out with questions, clues and audience reaction, building raucous momentum the closer he gets to solving the absurd puzzle. “World’s Worst” (which inspired Donnelly’s “fluffer” quip) is a lightning-quick back-and-forth as the audience shouts out occupations, greasing the guys’ comic gears (at “kindergarten teacher,” Mattingly lights up an imaginary bong). Movie scene suggestions included a Woody Allen horror flick, yielding a hilarious bit featuring Mattingly’s dead-on impression of Woody as a neurotic hairdresser, opposite Donnelly as his werewolf customer. And the contents of a volunteer’s purse become ingredients for a musical about Fabio driving a woman to brunch in a smart car. With random comic sparks fying, some fzzle. This night, the game “New Choice” had an assistant shouting different directions for the guys’ characters to go in, recalibrating the scene so frequently that the comic thread was lost. (There’s no rescuing a riff devolving into a man confronting his lover who’s had an affair with their carpet. … Huh?) Yet at its best—and that’s most of it—Matt and Mattingly’s Bucket Show is a barrelful of funny. Got an entertainment tip? Email Steve.Bornfeld@VegasSeven.com.

A&E

MOVIES

BUSTING UP THE BOYS’ CLUB Melissa McCarthy shows that girls can play in bland comedies, too By Michael Phillips Tribune Media Services

SMALL FAVORS, but in Tammy we have a less grating road-trip comedy than Identity Thief, the one Melissa McCarthy did with Jason Bateman, and a more deliberately heartwarming vehicle than The Heat, featuring McCarthy and Sandra Bullock. In McCarthy, we have a performer we can trust to deliver laughs even when they barely exist on the page. The Mike & Molly star and Oscar nominee (for Bridesmaids) produced and co-wrote her latest with her husband, Ben Falcone, who also directed. The movie doesn’t look like anything special. The number of reaction shots designed to cue audience adoration could choke a horse. Yet matters of visual craft, story logic and tonal indecision are nothing up against a diversion that pounds its heroine with adversity while allowing her a romantic prospect in the form of a nice, gentle fellow, in this case played by Mark Duplass, whose job in Tammy is mainly to beam and crack up at his co-star. This is what it’s like most of a typical movie year, only with the genders switched. The overwhelming percentage of comedies are made, driven and consumed by guys; the female roles limit actresses either to decoration

or bland, recessive supportive background maternal fgures. Tammy at least lets McCarthy and Susan Sarandon run the show. You don’t believe for a second that Sarandon is this protagonist’s broken-down, alcoholic grandmother. (Allison Janney plays Tammy’s mother.) But the movie shoves McCarthy and Sarandon in a car together quickly, without much in the way of expository setup. Brash yet insecure, Tammy lives somewhere in downstate Illinois (the flm was shot in North Carolina), and when we meet her while she’s having an epically lousy day. Bang, her old car hits a deer on the way to the fast-food joint from which she’s about to be fred. Boom, she arrives home early to fnd her husband (Nat Faxon) dallying with a neighbor (Toni Collette). Tammy and her grandmother embark on a much-needed escape, vaguely in the direction of Niagara Falls, so the older woman can cross the waterfall off her personal bucket list. The bulk of the story unfolds in Missouri, where grandmother’s cousin, played by Kathy Bates, has a huge riverside estate, and lives contentedly with her lover, portrayed by Sandra

An alcoholic grandma (Sarandon) and her offspring (McCarthy) go road tripping.

Oh. A Fourth of July party provides the flm with its centerpiece, as Sarandon’s wisecracker gets sloshed enough to humiliate Tammy in public. Family secrets spill like knocked-over beer. The movie exploits heavy drinking and working-class-shlub clichés for fun, until it suits the plot’s dramatic confrontations to play them for pathos. The best bits care not for plot, or forwarding the action or any other overrated screenwriting element. There’s hardly a whisper of politics or social satire in Tammy, but when McCarthy’s working-class doyenne, fling up the car at a gas station, mutters sarcastically: “Four bucks a gallon? Thanks,

SHORT REVIEWS

July 10–16, 2014

Begin Again (R) ★★★✩✩

VEGAS SEVEN

Starring Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo, Begin Again is the latest film by John Carney, responsible for the landmark Once, and although comparisons are invariably unfair, the two films have so much in common that the question of whether off-the-cuff lightning can strike twice is inevitable. The answer, unfortunately, is no. Yet, just when you are ready to completely write off Begin Again, the music starts to play, the camera takes it all in and makes us a part of it, and the film’s unpersuasive emotions don’t seem to matter as much.

Deliver Us From Evil (R) ★★✩✩✩

Classed up by its cast, Deliver Us From Evil concludes with a rip-roaring exorcism in a police interrogation room. Co-writer and director Scott Derrickson’s extremely loose adaptation of the book Beware the Night concerns the book’s co-author, New York Police Department Sergeant Ralph Sarchie, played by Eric Bana. An atmosphere of dread is established by placing various children at risk. Half the time, Deliver Us From Evil is genuinely interested in Sarchie’s all-toohuman demons, and half the time we’re marking time until the big exorcism.

Earth to Echo (PG) ★★★✩✩

Earth to Echo is an engagingly unassuming E.T. knockoff, a kids movie that serves up a similar alien-with-kids story in a Blair Witch/ Paranormal shaky-cam package. Three tweenage pals are about to be split apart forever. Their Nevada subdivision is being demolished for a bypass. The no-name cast spreads from the kids to the adults, but the parents find a laugh here and there. Adults? You’ll be underwhelmed. But remember, we’ve seen worse fake E.T.’s, especially in the years right after Spielberg’s masterpiece came out. And your kids will be tickled.

Obamacare!” the flm blessedly makes room for a sliver of nonsense. My favorite moment has nothing to with story, or even the title character: It’s a shot, held longer than usual (director Falcone has a few things to learn about pacing and cutting less frantically) depicting Bates on the dance foor, busting some moves resembling someone dealing with terrible back pain. As for Collette and Oh, they have next-to-nothing or nothing at all to say, to the point that you wonder if these characters are supposed to be mute, or mimes in training. Tammy (R) ★★★✩✩

By Tribune Media Services

They Came Together (R) ★★★✩✩

The agreeable romantic-comedy critique They Came Together is occasionally very funny, and moderately funny the rest of the time. Over dinner with friends, candy conglomerate exec Joel (Paul Rudd) joins Amy Poehler’s chipper confectionary emporium owner Molly in telling the adorable, improbable tale of how they met, fell in love and fell into a vat of rom-com clichés. Poehler and Rudd are such intuitive and creative comic performers, they have a way of both maximizing uneven material and showing it up a tiny bit.

Transformers: Age of Extinction (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩

Third Person (R) ★★✩✩✩

Jersey Boys (R) ★★★✩✩

X-Men: Days of Future Past (PG-13) ★★★✩✩

The fourth installment of Michael Bay’s $2.6 billion franchise about a race of robot freedom fighters is an aggressively charmless act of digital confetti. Transformers will bury us. It’s no spoiler to point out that this chapter ends with Optimus Prime, long-winded leader of the nice robots, soaring into space to continue the fight with someone or thing. Except, oh, there’s a bad robot who collects Transformers and wants, no kidding, to spread his “seed” around. Also, demolition: Lots of it. What’s disappointing is the lack of confidence.

Jersey Boys the movie is a more sedate animal than Jersey Boys the Broadway musical. Those who missed the theatrical edition of the tale of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons—how they found their sound and wrestled with temptations—may wonder what the fuss was about. It begins in Belleville, New Jersey, in 1951 and ends with a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1990. Some scenes are frankly theatrical, such as the hardship tour of the famous Brill Building. Jersey Boys is rationally exuberant to a fault.

Edge of Tomorrow (PG-13) ★★★✩✩

Insanely derivative, frenetically enjoyable, Edge of Tomorrow takes gaming to a new level of big-screen indulgence, sending Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt through the same alieninvasion scenario over and over until they learn how to win, put down the consoles and get off the couch for a little lunch and some fresh air, maybe. The climax involves Paris in flames and up to its landmarks in water, and a certain museum featured in The Da Vinci Code.

Women! They’re all desperate harpies and relentless sources of conflict in writerdirector Paul Haggis’ exasperating multistory drama about how hard it is for a nice guy to be left alone to write an exasperating multistory drama. Liam Neeson stars as that guy. He’s a famous author holed up in a Paris hotel, trying to wrestle his novel into shape. He recently left his wife (Kim Basinger) for a sensual younger woman. (Olivia Wilde). A veteran screenwriter, Haggis has many strengths. But often his dramatic situations are as hoked-up and galling as his writerly flourishes.

Midway into Bryan Singer’s delightfully convoluted flick, there is a prison break so exuberant and uncharacteristic of superhero movies that you sit up a bit. As much as a pricey, box-office-savvy international franchise can indulge in fun anymore, it does here. The film brings together the cast of the original X-Men films and the upstarts of the clever 2011 reboot X-Men: First Class— teaming up generations of X-Men (and ensuring that someone seated behind you will be asking, “Wait, who is that again?”).

Think Like a Man Too (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩

A 105-minute ad for Caesars Palace, this passably engaging sequel allows Kevin Hart to hijack whole sections of the Las Vegas-set hijinks as he lets loose with his little verbal tsunamis of braggadocio. The gang reunites in Vegas for the meticulously planned wedding of Candace (Regina Hall) and Michael (Terrence Jenkins). The funniest scene is familiar, but it works: a series of mug shots after the strip-club melee lands everybody in jail, the morning of the wedding.

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NBA Summer League returns to the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion from July 11-21. What advice would you give to all the rookies who will be experiencing this city for the frst time? Just go out there and play hard. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Also, don’t let the city get to you, because it can overwhelm you. It can get you off focus and off track. If you can stay focused in Las Vegas, you can stay focused anywhere. You can come here in the summertime and have your fun, but right now you’ve got to be all business.

July 10–16, 2014

How important was the Summer League to your development? It was really big. NBA people told me some things I needed to work on, like being more vocal. Working with NBA coaches was huge. And just being back in front of the home crowd and my family and friends, that really calmed me down and allowed me to perform.

VEGAS SEVEN

C.J. Watson

The former Bishop Gorman star and current Indiana Pacers point guard on why our city needs a pro franchise, inspiring kids to dream big and becoming the next Larry Bird (of the court, that is) By Mike Grimala

Will the NBA ever put a team in Las Vegas, and how popular a destination would this be for free agents? I think the NBA will, and I think the community would support it really well. The city is in need of a professional team, whether it’s football or basketball or baseball. It would even

out the playing feld with other major cities and put Las Vegas on [another] level. The city would be very attractive [to players]. There’s always good weather—it never gets cold, never snows. There’s great food and lots of events—plenty of things to do. Your foundation hosts a free youth basketball camp called Hoops for Hope every summer in Las Vegas (July 17-19, Doolittle Community Center). Why is the camp important? It’s just a way for me to give back to my community. We show kids that their dreams really can happen as long as they have faith and keep dreaming high. When I was coming up, I didn’t have free camps or a professional player from the city I grew up in. So I want to reach out and talk to these kids and show them that they can do it, too. … I made it out, and there were people telling me I wouldn’t make it. But I didn’t listen to them and eventually I got there. You just wrapped up your seventh year in the NBA by advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals with the Pacers. How do you feel about where your career is now? I’ve got one more year on my contract, and hopefully after this one I can get another contract, like a threeor four-year deal, and then ride off into the sunset. I want to be a GM eventually, so I want to continue working [toward] that now, even while I’m still playing. Speaking of that, what have you learned about being a general manager from Indiana executive and NBA legend Larry Bird? He’s been great. He’s given me a lot of information. He told me it’s a hard job and something that you really have to prepare for. Hopefully, I can follow in his footsteps.

PHOTO BY KEN BL AZE/USA TODAY SPORTS

SEVEN QUESTIONS

When other NBA players fnd out that you’re from Las Vegas, what do they ask you? The frst thing they always ask is how I grew up in Las Vegas without getting into trouble. And they ask about the heat and if I gamble all the time. You know, they think people live in casinos out here. When you’re from Las Vegas, they’ll say you’ll never make it out, that you’re never going to be good enough. So players from Vegas, they just have a chip on their shoulder. Las Vegas players are always tough.