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14 | THE LATEST
“Saddling the Still-Untamed West,” by David G. Schwartz. How the NFR’s annual visit to Las Vegas is about so much more than crowning rodeo champions and filling hotel rooms. Plus, Higher Math on lower gasoline prices, and welcoming Writer’s Block.
16 | Politics
“A Tarnished Silver State,” by Michael Green. The Ira Hansen controversy is a reminder of Nevada’s history of intolerance.
18 | Latest Thought
“The Song Remains the Same,” by Matt Jacob. Bobby Hauck’s departure proves once again that, no matter the leader, UNLV football is a lost cause.
20 | Style
The Look with Chenae Shiner and Stetson Vest, and rebooting a trend.
24 | COVER
“Joint Venture,” by Lissa Townsend Rodgers. Whether for medicinal or recreational purposes, marijuana has become big business across America. Now Nevada is poised to carve out its piece of the pie.
29 | NIGHTLIFE
“Up Till Dawn,” by Kat Boehrer. Ashley Wallbridge’s secret to success? Time, tenacity and lots of caffeine.
53 | DINING
Al Mancini on Jacques Café. Plus, what Alex Stratta is working on next, Dishing With Grace and Cocktail Culture.
59 | A&E
“Bet Your Life on This,” by Cindi Moon Reed. Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds tells how to write a hit song. Plus, the economy explained in an entertaining web series, The Hit List, Tour Buzz, and a review of Stevie Wonder in concert.
66 | Movies
Horrible Bosses 2 and our weekly movie capsules.
72 | Going for Broke
Expect a surprise (or two) as teams make their last push to get into college football’s inaugural playoff.
78 | Seven Questions
Ann Wilson on Christmas albums, deep cuts and never planning ahead.
Chenae Shiner, 2013 Miss Rodeo America, models the latest in Western wear.
ON THE COVER Photo by Jan Havlicek
Dialogue Moment Seven Days The Deal Seven Nights Showstopper
VegasSeven.com
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December 4–10, 2014
PHOTO BY CARLOS L ARIOS
DEPARTMENTS
9
LAS VEGAS’ WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE
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FOUNDED FEBRUARY 2010
PUBLISHER
Michael Skenandore
EDITORIAL
Matt Jacob Paul Szydelko, Xania Woodman A&E EDITOR Cindi Reed ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jason Scavone SENIOR WRITERS Steve Bornfeld, Geoff Carter, Lissa Townsend Rodgers ASSOCIATE STYLE EDITOR Jessica Acuña CALENDAR COORDINATOR Camille Cannon EDITOR
SENIOR EDITORS
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Melinda Sheckells (style), Michael Green (politics), Al Mancini (dining), David G. Schwartz (gaming/hospitality)
ART
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DIALOGUE
OUR SITES TO SEE
ZAPPOS POPS UP
Yes, this is real life, and yes, that’s the online retail giant in the … brick. Amber Sampson takes you inside Zappos’ new pop-up store—which will only be popped up until December 31—at DTLV.com/ZapposPopUp.
REBELS TO RUN DOWN THE ROAD
ZAPPOS BY CIERRA PEDRO
The UNLV basketball team is undefeated in Las Vegas this season. And although the National Finals Rodeo will force the Rebels out of the Thomas & Mack Center and into the Orleans Arena on December 5, that record is likely to remain perfect. That’s because they’re facing St. Katherine College, a tiny NAIA school from north San Diego County. Mike Grimala will be on the scene and have all the postgame analysis at RunRebs.com.
TURN UP THE VOLUME
BID ON BURT
’TIS THE GIVING SEASON
Behind on your local music news? Engagement editor Zoneil Maharaj does all the digging for you with his online music column Hear Now. Find all the latest and legal downloads, videos and streams from local artists at VegasSeven.com/ HearNow.
Doing anything on December 11? Why yes, yes you are: You’re going to the Palms and spending copious amounts of money to acquire treasures accumulated by movie star Burt Reynolds. Daily Fiasco editor Jason Scavone dishes out the details on the Burtmabilia at DailyFiasco.com/Burt.
Planning on giving back this holiday season? Philanthropy-driven shoe company TOMS is teaming up with Target to provide food and blankets to children in need. Learn all out about their holiday collection of shoes and clothing—and how you can contribute—at VRated. com/TOMS.
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VEGAS MOMENT
The Finale
Have you taken a photo that captures the spirit of Las Vegas this week? Share it with us at VegasSeven.com/Moment.
| December 4–10, 2014
The UNLV football team’s 49-27 loss to archrival Nevada-Reno at Sam Boyd Stadium on Nov. 29 not only marked the end of a disappointing season, it marked the end of the Bobby Hauck era. Some 24 hours before leading his players onto the feld, the Rebels coach announced he was resigning after fve seasons. With the loss to UNR, Hauck exits UNLV with a 15-49 record (and a $400,000 contract buyout). That six consecutive UNLV football coaches have departed with losing records makes you wonder if Hauck really ever stood a chance. We ponder that very thought on Page 18.
VegasSeven.com
Photo by Stephen R. Sylvanie/ USA Today Sports
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“Given UNLV’s three decades of football futility, the question has to be asked: Can anyone be a winner here?” LATEST THOUGHT {PAGE 18}
News, politics, style and hotel rooms on the cheap
Saddling the Still-Untamed West Why the NFR’s annual visit is about much more than crowning rodeo champions and flling hotel rooms By David G. Schwartz
14
is, fundamentally, doing the same thing as the cowboys and cowgirls in the Thomas & Mack. We, too, subjugate nature. We’ve replaced sagebrush with asphalt; we burn through megawatts each summer cooling the air around us; 80 years ago, we tamed the wild Colorado, incidentally creating a 120-milelong lake. Sure, none of us blasted the tunnels or dammed the river ourselves, but our continued living in the Mojave, at its core, means asserting our defance of—and dominance over—the patterns of nature. We might not think of it that way— after all, don’t we savor the views from Red Rock?—but building a city of 2 million people in the middle of a desert requires the same willful dominance of nature as bareback riding or team roping.
That’s a theme Las Vegas shares with much of the region. Mostly arid, it wasn’t until the railroad—and several wars of conquest—that the West opened to American settlement. As is obvious in August, we humans—at least in large numbers—just can’t live in this corner of the world without signifcant help. From the concrete curve of Hoover Dam to the bright lights of the Strip (whether neon or LED), Las Vegas might be the ultimate symbol of how Americans have altered the land to suit them. Danger lurks, though. Seeing a rodeo cowboy in a hip-to-ankle cast limp down Harmon Avenue, we are reminded that the contest between humanity and nature, though it looks graceful when it’s going well, has an underlying violence. Bellagio’s fountains make our control
of the natural world seem effortless, but it doesn’t take more than a broken condenser fan to remind us that, without technology, our West is pretty inhospitable. More pressingly, as our thirst grows and our straws get longer, the limited pool of fresh water is as menacing as any bucking bull. So, yes, the NFR is about selling rooms during the December doldrums, and yet it is about so much more than that: It is a symbol of who we are and what we are doing and how we are existing in the desert. It should also be a reminder that, no matter how secure our grip may seem, we are holding onto a force that is far, far more powerful than us. And even our incredible ingenuity might not be enough to keep us from being thrown off.
ILLUSTRATION BY CIERRA PEDRO
December 4–10, 2014
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VegasSeven.com
IT’S HARD NOT TO NOTICE WHEN THE
National Finals Rodeo is back in town: The whole city, it seems, repurposes itself to cater to rodeo participants and their fans. There’s no denying the economic boost the 10-day event gives Las Vegas during the slowest stretch of the calendar. But the connection between NFR and Las Vegas is deeper than mere economics: The rodeo speaks to fundamental truths about Las Vegas’ identity as an urban area in the western United States. For the past 30 years, the NFR has brought world-class rodeo cowboys and cowgirls to the Thomas & Mack Center, where the competitors battle nightly in an attempt to claim crowns—technically, gold belt buckles—in a variety of events. Beyond that, it is a chance for rodeo enthusiasts and those in the business to gather, celebrate the best in their sport and have a good time in Las Vegas. We beneft, of course, because those enthusiasts fll hotel rooms during a sluggish month. But the rodeo is really about something more primal than all that. Whether they are roping, riding or steer wrestling, the participants are demonstrating the peril and thrill of humanity’s mastery over nature. That seems a very 19th-century concept right now, but how else would you defne a 180-pound man attempting to stay mounted on a ferociously bucking bull 10 times his weight? There is something affrming in watching people show the physical courage and quick refexes needed to make large, strong animals comply with their will. You might fnd such brute force disquieting in our wonderfully enlightened age of green initiatives and self-conscious carbon footprints, but despite our LEED certifcations and curbside recycling, every one of us in Las Vegas
[ HIGHER MATH ]
HOW LOW CAN WE GO?
2.69
$
Lowest per-gallon gasoline price in Las Vegas on Dec. 2, according to VegasGasPrices.com (76 station, 3965 E. Charleston Blvd.).
2.95
$
Average per-gallon price in Las Vegas on Dec. 2, according to Vegas Gas Prices.
3.22
$
Average per-gallon price in Las Vegas one year ago this week.
3.48
$
Average per-gallon price in Las Vegas two years ago this week.
PHOTOS BY GEOFF CARTER
A WELCOME SLAP TO THE BRAIN “They’re saying this novel is the next 50 Shades of Grey,” says Drew Cohen, stocking an armful of books on the shelves of the Writer’s Block Book Shop, recently opened Downtown. “If you’re into that sort of thing.” I’m not. But I’m grateful for the advice, which is exactly the kind one expects from a big-city bookshop. Online booksellers such as Amazon might have suggested the book to me through sales algorithms, but Cohen simply inquired about my interests and warned me off a new-style bodice-ripper. That’s why we need bookshops like this: to keep us from reading crap. But Writer’s Block is so much more than that. With its well-
curated stock of new titles, esoteric selection of board games, thought-provoking children’s toys, artful stationery and even Venus Flytraps, it’s immediately evident to anyone walking in the door that proprietors Cohen and Scott Seeley have created a place that’s not just in the business of selling books, but equipping restless minds. And that place looks fantastic, too. I’m reluctant to give away too much, because the look of Writer’s Block—designed by Seeley, one of the founders of writer’s outreach 826 NYC—is unlike anything else in Las Vegas. You really have to see it for yourself—even if you don’t need the next 50 Shades. “The response so far has been awesome,” Seeley says. “I think the community is really primed for an indie bookstore.” 1020 Fremont St., 702-5506399, TheWritersBlock.org. – Geoff Carter
757 million
Amount of gallons of gas consumed annually in Southern Nevada (residents, tourists and businesses), according to local research and analytics firm Applied Analysis.
76 million $
Annual savings experienced by consumers for every 10-centper-gallon drop in gas prices, according to Applied Analysis.
By Bob Whitby THURSDAY, DEC. 4: This week is so stuffed with rodeo we barely know where to begin: Miss Rodeo America, the Cowboy Christmas Gift Show, the Cowboy Fanfest and on and on. It’s rodeo overloadeo, and it starts with the opening salvo of the 10-day Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at 6:45 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center. NFRExperience.com. FRIDAY, DEC. 5: Time once again to party like it’s
1933 at the Mob Museum’s third annual Repeal Day Celebration. This anti-Prohibition bash has it all: cigars, casino table games, food, a costume contest and, of course, oceans of booze. Thumb your nose at Carrie Nation from 6 p.m.-midnight. TheMobMuseum.org.
SATURDAY, DEC. 6: Has it really been 10 years that we’ve been dressing up like Santa Claus and running a race to benefit Opportunity Village? Time flies when you’re sweating in your fake beard. This year’s Great Santa Run starts at 8 a.m., and you can choose the 5K run or a one-mile walk. There’s a party afterward, if that helps motivate you. OpportunityVillage.com.
SUNDAY, DEC. 7: If you’ve ever stayed up all night trying to get to the next level, then you’ll be among friends (who will actually be there beside you!) at PlayStation Experience, a gamer get-together of epic proportions Saturday and today at the Venetian. Play unreleased games or old favorites, and trade tips about playing—all with real people at your side! Venetian.com/ PlayStation-Experience.html. MONDAY, DEC. 8: The sounds of the season will fill UNLV’s Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. during the Desert Chorale’s annual Christmas Celebration Concert, featuring the Nevada Pops. To the uninitiated, the Desert Chorale is a nonprofit community chorus, while the Nevada Pops is a nonprofit symphony. Together, the two create pure holiday magic. UNLV.edu. TUESDAY, DEC. 9: It’s a good day for a little history lesson, and UNLV has an important one: Line in the Sand: The People, Power and Progress of the Culinary Union, a student-curated exhibit that explores the history of the Culinary Workers Union, Local 226. Founded in 1935, the union has more than 55,000 workers and is one of the strongest in the country. Through April 1 on the first floor of UNLV’s Lied Library, UNLV.edu. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 10: Speaking of
talented musicians, students from UNLV’s Jazz Studies program will be laying it down at 7 p.m. at the Clark County Library’s Main Theater, 1401 E. Flamingo Rd. The show is free— not a bad deal, especially at this time of year. LVCCLD.org.
The Ira Hansen controversy is an ugly reminder of Nevada’s history of intolerance
HOTEL VALUES EASY TO SCORE THIS MONTH
MANY YEARS AGO, I INTRODUCED AN
African-American colleague to a white friend who had been a civil rights pioneer. My friend told stories that included the word nigger. I winced. Afterward, my colleague said, “The words don’t matter as much as the actions.” I was reminded of that encounter when the controversy surrounding Republican Assemblyman Ira Hansen surfaced. A month ago, Hansen’s constituents in Sparks gave him more than 70 percent of the vote, and his colleagues elected him speaker. Then reporters started digging into Hansen’s writings for the Sparks Tribune and discovered several columns that included racist and sexist statements—and nothing about the remarks suggested Hansen didn’t mean what he said. Naturally, in the wake of good oldfashioned reporting, Hansen claimed a media witch hunt. Meanwhile, fellow lawmakers and Governor Brian Sandoval condemned him. Under pressure, Hansen resigned as speaker-designee. Unfortunately, Hansen’s history is also Nevada’s history: Yes, the embattled assemblyman has much to answer for, but so does the Silver State, as these examples of racial intolerance illustrate: ➜ We recently fnished celebrating our sesquicentennial and being “battle born” during the Civil War. Back then, one of the territory’s political battles pitted a judge, John North, against mining lawyer William Stewart, who in 1864 told the heavily immigrant Comstock Lode that North believed a “nigger” was as entitled to vote as “good Irish gentlemen,” adding, “I am one of those who believe that this country was made for white men.” North said most Nevadans were aghast, but he left the state and Stewart went on to fve terms in the U.S. Senate. Clearly, they were less aghast than North believed. ➜ “Progressive” has become a preferred euphemism for those scared to be called liberal—or unaware of history. Early 20th-century progressives often were racist, from Teddy Roosevelt (who believed in Anglo-Saxon superiority) to Woodrow Wilson (who ordered federal offces segregated). Back in 1912, Nevada’s leading progressive, Senator Francis Newlands, advocated repealing the 15th Amendment, which says the right to vote shall not be denied on account of race. ➜ In the 1930s and ’40s, Las Vegans elected Ernie Cragin to three terms as mayor. Cragin’s movie theater barred black customers, and he encouraged redlining to force African-Americans to live in segregated West Las Vegas. In the 1950s, an NAACP offcial proclaimed this “the Mississippi of the West.” That’s not a compliment, even now. ➜ Walter Baring served 10 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and shifted from New Deal liberal to right-winger. In 1962, he declared his independence from the Democratic Party, calling himself a Jeffersonian states' rights Democrat. More traditional Democrats hoped to defeat him. In 1964, he faced a primary challenge from attorney Ralph Denton, who supported the civil rights movement. Baring’s campaign distributed a
fier about the “unconstitutional civil rights bill.” The fier warned that if the bill were passed, “there would be riots and unrest in this country. Congressman Baring stood for us, now let’s stand up for him.” After the riots and unrest never materialized, Nevada voters did indeed stand up for Baring: He defeated Denton by 1,500 votes and continued to oppose civil rights. And Nevadans re-elected him three more times. ➜ As recently as 1982, Nevadans elected Republican Senator Chic Hecht, who said the United States should mind its own business regarding South Africa’s choice of government. White South Africans wanted apartheid; black South Africans wanted Nelson Mandela out of jail. Did Hecht’s stance hurt him? No. Hansen’s supporters have pointed out that Senator Harry Reid once used the word negro. That’s true. So is this: As an attorney, Reid represented a black policeman who was denied a promotion and won the case. He’s also strongly supported voting-rights laws. And he encouraged an African-American junior senator from Illinois to run for president. The point: Reid’s actions have spoken louder than his words. Conversely, Hansen has spoken and acted in a way that fts with too much of the ugliest part of Nevada’s history. Yet Hansen’s constituents voted for him, and his colleagues excused and endorsed him until being reminded that he had the ill grace to say in public what he has believed in private. Nevada can live down its history. The others have to live with their consciences. Michael Green is an associate professor of history at UNLV.
Back in late 2008, Las Vegas was feeling the pinch of the Great Recession, and casinos reacted by slashing room rates. There wasn’t much choice—something had to be done to keep the visitors coming during the tough times. While there’s been a great deal of economic recovery, it’s not complete, so rates have remained low. Not as low—they’re edging up, and resort fees are cutting into the deals—but low enough to keep hotel rooms at the top of the city’s list of best values. And the absolute best month for deep discounts is December, which is why LasVegasAdvisor.com conducts a monster rate survey every year at this time. It’s a serious study that encompasses every hotel-casino in town (94 this year), and we check lots of sources. Since we count the best nightly rate we find, even if it’s available for only a day, you won’t be able to duplicate everything you see here. But you’ll be able to get pretty close. This year we found 43 casinos with nightly rates less than $40. Important note: These are base rates; in many cases, resort fees and taxes will raise the bottom line by $20-$30 per night. Here’s the list: Under $20 Club: The D, El Cortez, Fiesta Rancho, Golden Gate, Texas Station. Under $30 Club: Arizona Charlie’s Boulder, Boulder Station, Circus Circus, Excalibur, Fiesta Henderson, Flamingo, Four Queens, Harrah’s, Hooters, Luxor, Palace Station, Plaza, Riviera, Santa Fe Station, Silver Sevens, Stratosphere, Sunset Station, Wild Wild West. Under $40 Club: Arizona Charlie’s Decatur, Artisan, Bally’s, Buffalo Bill's, California, Downtown Grand, Eastside Cannery, Ellis Island, Fremont, Gold Coast, Golden Nugget, Lucky Club, Main Street, Monte Carlo, Palms, Rio, Sam’s Town, Silverton, Tuscany, Whiskey Pete’s. As for the more prominent hotels, rates at the Rio, Harrah’s and Luxor were $30, Flamingo was $32 and Monte Carlo was $37. The strong deals also extend to the higherend properties: New York-New York ($40), Hard Rock and TI (both $41), MGM Grand ($45), Mandalay Bay ($49), Green Valley Ranch ($51), Planet Hollywood ($53), The Mirage ($56), Red Rock Resort ($72), Caesars Palace ($76), Vdara ($80), Cosmopolitan ($108), Wynn/Encore ($111), Bellagio ($140), and Nobu ($149). And for the record, this year’s new joints came in at $67 for SLS, $88 for Delano and $130 for the Cromwell. If you’re looking to optimize your staycation—or if you have friends or family looking for a getaway—note that the best rates always fall between the end of the National Finals Rodeo (December 14) and Christmas. After that, these deals are gone … until next December. Anthony Curtis is the publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor and LasVegasAdvisor.com.
ILLUSTRATION BY JON ESTRADA
THE LATEST VegasSeven.com
| December 4–10, 2014
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A Tarnished Silver State
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The Song Remains the Same
Bobby Hauck’s departure proves once again that, no matter the leader, UNLV football is a lost cause By Matt Jacob
IT’S A SCORCHING SUMMER MORNING IN 2010,
and I’m sitting in a coffeehouse on Maryland Parkway, waiting for Bobby Hauck to walk through the door. I’m scheduled to interview UNLV’s new head football coach for a cover story for this magazine, and despite all that I learned two decades earlier in journalism school—about how reporters should never have preconceived opinions about a story or a subject— I’m bracing for the worst. That’s because Hauck arrived to the desert from Missoula, Montana, with a twopronged reputation: He knew how to win football games (80 out of 97 over a seven-year stretch at the University of Montana), and he despised the media. If he distrusted reporters he knew and interacted with daily, how defensive is he going to be with me? About a half-hour into the hour-plus interview, I come to the realization that either Hauck’s disdain for the media was contrived, or he’s one hell of an actor. Turns out he’s engaging and affable, witty and self-deprecating—a genuinely nice guy. Which is why, after we shake hands and he makes his way for the door, I actually feel a bit guilty—guilty that I failed to ask him one crucial question: Do you have ANY freakin’ clue what you’ve gotten yourself into?
And if you think that’s distrubing, get a load of this: In their last 19 seasons dating to 1995, the Rebels have fnished with three wins or fewer 13 times. That’s not a coaching problem; that’s an institution problem. Don’t misunderstand: Like the men who preceded him, Hauck must shoulder a good chunk of blame for his failure. In fve seasons, he failed to develop a quality quarterback in a pass-happy era of college football; he failed to recruit a single player whom the NFL deemed draftable (although senior wide receiver Devante Davis
op Gorman’s coach is at the top of the wish list of UNLV athletic director Tina Kunzer-Murphy and interim president Don Synder. But their interest in Sanchez has nothing to do with his 84-6 record and six state championships in six seasons at Gorman (assuming the sun rises December 6, Sanchez that day will get that 84th win and sixth title with a victory over Reed High School in Reno). It also has nothing to do with the fact that, prior to Sanchez’s arrival, Gorman had claimed just one state title since 1983 (clearly, the man can coach).
should break that streak in the spring); his assistant coaches at times seemed in over their heads; and not only did he fail to win a single non-conference game of consequence, he lost twice to I-AA schools … at home! That’s as inexcusable as it is incomprehensible. No, in hindsight, Bobby Hauck wasn’t “The Winner” we so boldly proclaimed him to be on the cover of that 2010 issue in which my profle of Hauck appeared. But given UNLV’s three decades of football futility, the question has to be asked: Can anyone be a winner here? If you believe the buzz around town, Tony Sanchez will likely be the next one to get the opportunity to fnd out. According to widespread reports, Bish-
No, Kunzer-Murphy and Snyder see dollar signs—30 million of them, to be exact. That’s the amount of money Lorenzo Fertitta (Station Casinos, UFC, etc.) is reportedly willing to withdraw from his $1.5 billion checking account and hand over to the Rebel football program if it hires Sanchez, who is close with Fertitta after coaching his two sons at Gorman. Far be it for me to suggest a cashstrapped athletic department turn down a $30 million gift. That said, there’s something unseemly about a Division I-A football program being auctioned to the highest bidder under a quid-pro-quo deal. I mean, if Fertitta is opening his wallet because he truly wants to see Rebel football suc-
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By now you’re aware that Bobby Hauck is the 10th former head coach in Rebels history, having “resigned”—let’s call it a mutual parting of the ways—on November 28 after fve seasons on the job. That four of those fve seasons ended with exactly two victories doesn’t at all speak to Hauck’s ability to diagram Xs and Os—again, the man went 80-17 at Division I-AA Montana. Rather, it speaks to a football program that has been cursed—cursed by an apathetic fan base, by an uncommitted university and by unreasonable expectations. Consider: Hauck is the sixth consecutive coach to depart UNLV with a losing record. The last one to walk out with more wins than losses on his résumé? Harvey Hyde … back in 1985. The coaching records of the men who followed Hyde: 19-25 (Wayne Nunnely), 17-27 (Jim Strong), 13-44 (Jeff Horton), 28-42 (the legendary John Robinson), 16-43 (Mike Sanford) and 15-49 (Hauck). Not counting Hauck, not one of those guys ever got another Division I-A head-coaching gig.
ceed—as he told the Las Vegas ReviewJournal this week—well, why not do it three years ago? It’s not like Fertitta just hit the jackpot. More importantly, crazy as it sounds, $30 million doesn’t buy you much in today’s world of college football (hell, that would barely cover four years of Nick Saban’s base salary at Alabama). But let’s say it’s enough for the program to upgrade its weight room and training facilities, redo the antiquated locker room at Sam Boyd Stadium and maybe even fund an indoor practice facility—all things that are important to this generation’s players, and all things that worked against Hauck and his predecessors. Does that mean Sanchez knows how to attract the caliber of big-time recruits who have landed at his doorstep at Gorman? Does it mean he’ll be able to assemble a competent staff? Does it mean he’ll be able to rally a student population and community at-large that, frankly, just doesn’t care about Rebel football? Which brings me to this: Back in November 1998, I was fnishing my third and fnal season covering UNLV football for the R-J when Horton was fred after an 0-11 campaign. At the time, there were a vocal few who called for the disbanding of the program, claiming the only thing it would ever be successful at is bleeding money. I thought it was an asinine suggestion then, and held frm to that belief for the last 16 years. Now? I’m not so sure. If the university is to the point of allowing the program to be hijacked— with absolutely zero guarantee that the on-feld results are going to be any different—why not pull the plug? That won’t happen, of course. Whether it’s Sanchez or a hotshot college assistant or a retread with name recognition, the Rebels will soon hire Hauck’s replacement. Whoever gets the gig, you can be assured of two things: 1) He will be a huge underdog to halt the lather-rinse-repeat cycle of losing that has come to defne UNLV football for 30 years, and 2) he’ll most certainly share the optimism Hauck displayed to me at that coffeehouse in 2010: “Coaches around the country, we look at other programs and kind of gauge what goes on there,” he said that summer morning. “And one of the questions that a lot of guys in my profession always asked was, ‘Why can’t you win at UNLV.’ And I’m one of those guys who asked the same question. Now I’m going to get the chance to fnd out.”
PHOTO BY STEPHEN R. SYLVANIE/USA TODAY SPORTS
THE LATEST
THOUGHT
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Chenae Shiner
2013 Miss Rodeo America
Stetson Samuel Vest Rodeo tie-down roper
It’s like something out of a fairy tale: Rodeo queen meets champion roper, they fall in love and tie the knot. Except this fantasy story line is about to come true. Chenae Shiner, the 2013 Miss Rodeo America, and Stetson Samuel Vest, a National Finals Rodeo tie-down roper and Wrangler model, will get hitched during this year’s NFR, which celebrates its 30th consecutive year at the Thomas & Mack Center on December 4-13. Before their big day, the couple model the latest looks from the top Western-wear stores around town, while the bride offers tips on where to fnd that perfect piece to complete your rodeo ensemble. Where are your favorite places to shop during the rodeo? NRS
[National Roper’s Supply] has a trade show at MGM Grand during the NFR that is great. Cowboy Christmas at the Las Vegas Convention Center is also an awesome place for Western wear, as are the Sands and Mandalay Bay trade shows. It’s easy to spend way too much on shopping while in Vegas.
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made a big comeback. I love it on all the purses and boots. Stetson loves to wear all different kinds of printed wild rags that go with his look. He probably has more wild rags than I do jewelry. What’s your favorite item that you have purchased in the last year? A turquoise-colored
pair of tall boots that have leather fringe along the top and down the sides.
– Melinda Sheckells
Clockwise: Wrangler jeans, Corral boots and Vest’s own blazer, shirt, belt and buckle; Shiner dons a distressed rodeo T-shirt and her own boots with a Bagatelle lambskin fringe skirt and Tiger Lilly necklaces from Pinto Ranch in Fashion Show. Vintage Collection Rainbow dress, necklaces and cuffs from Pinto Ranch. Scully Ostrich blazer and shirt available at Pinto Ranch, Wrangler jeans and Vest’s own belt and buckle.
PHOTOS BY CARLOS L ARIOS
December 4–10, 2014
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VegasSeven.com
What are some of your favorite Western trends? Fringe has
THE LATEST
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BOOT SCOOTIN’
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Western wear gallops into the mainstream By Melinda Sheckells
AS THRONGS OF COWGIRLS AND
cowboys descend upon Las Vegas for the 10-day National Finals Rodeo, our desire to pinpoint the perfect outfit to match the aesthetic of the annual event escalates to a fever pitch. After all, who wants to be seen in last year’s boots? Dena Mercera, Zappos’ Western buyer, decodes what rodeo enthusiasts should be wearing now.
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What kind of growth have you seen in the Western-wear category?
Footwear has grown about 58 percent in the past three years and accessories about 279 percent. Our customer split is about 75/25 percent women/men.
December 4–10, 2014
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Why is it so popular right now?
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The music festival scene and the ongoing boho trend have been huge contributors. There is a lot of crossover between that style and scene, and Western fashion. Southwest patterns, fringe, turquoise, and ankle boots are all foundations of Western wear, but can be found all over music festivals and on boho inspiration boards. Pop culture also infuences this category. In the 1980s, [the flm] Urban Cowboy pushed the style to the forefront. Nowadays, the rise in popularity of country music has helped tremendously. Artists like Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, etc., are crossing over into mainstream and creating awareness for Western style and fair. What toe should we be buying?
Those who buy Western for fashion gravitate more toward a snip toe or snub toe versus a Midwestern customer who gravitates toward a broad square toe. We are seeing the trend move toward a classic round toe for men as well.
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1 Dan Post Flat Iron Studs, $184 2 Lucchese Madras, $350 3 Ariat Caldera, $300 4 Ariat Loretto, $210 5 Justin BR733, $170 6 Durango Santa Fe, $155
THE TRENDS Ankle boots are on fire. They continue to sell well even as the temperatures dip. For the past few years, fall/winter has been all about the kneehigh riding boots. Ankle boots are performing just as strong this year.
Fringe and stud boots represent flare. American flag boots are also on the rise.
Bright colors dominate during the holidays. Our customers love purple boots. We create exclusives just for them with some brands.
“Pendleton”/ Southwest-patterned fabrics are being incorporated into footwear. A few brands showcased this in their holiday lines, but I think it is going to continue to grow in 2015.
Ariat, Lucchese and Justin are the top brands for boots. These lines have represented our core items for years and are still selling very strong.
Joint Venture Whether for medicinal or recreational purposes, marijuana has become big business across America. Now Nevada is poised to carve out its piece of the pie.
muscle spasms, nausea and pain … there are numerous documented instances and patient testimonials in which medical marijuana has proven more effective than pharmaceutical drugs.” There have also been testimonials from some very public fgures: CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta has been a strong public proponent of medical marijuana, so much so that he’s produced and hosted a documentary on its use; TV personality Ricki Lake is working on her own flm about how marijuana has helped pediatric cancer patients. Nevada voters legalized medical marijuana use in 2001, but the state didn’t es-
tablish a means of acquiring it until 2013, when state Senator Tick Segerblom, DLas Vegas, fnally brought the issue to the Senate foor. What took so long? “[Legislators] didn’t have the courage to address the issue,” he says. “They said ‘There’s no way you’re going to pass it,’ but it turns out there was no opposition. The emperor had no clothes.” To that point, Gallup Polls for the last two years have shown a majority of Americans supporting legalized marijuana for all uses, so it’s not surprising that state legislatures are succumbing to the will of the people. Segerblom says that the once-controversial issue now enjoys support “from
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alifornia became the first state to legalize medical marijuana back in 1996, and more have followed suit at an ever-accelerating rate: Currently, 23 states—as well as Washington, D.C., and Guam—allow it for medicinal use, as people seek more natural remedies than a handful of pills. “Dating back thousands of years, marijuana has been a well-documented medicine throughout the world for numerous ailments,” says Brian Arevalo, executive director of the Las Vegas branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). “Cachexia, AIDS, cancer, glaucoma,
across the political spectrum.” Indeed, marijuana legalization is the rare topic that both social-justice liberals and laissez-faire libertarians can agree on. In Nevada, both camps are well aware that there are plenty of budgetary holes that cannabis could plug up. And that heretofore untapped revenue stream could be fowing sooner rather than later: A Nevada ballot initiative to legalize adult possession and use failed in 2006, but it drew 44 percent of the vote, a number that will surely rise when voters reconsider the issue in 2016. While we await that vote, entrepreneurs and local jurisdictions have spent the latter half of 2014 cutting through all the procedural red tape to get medical marijuana dispensaries open up and down the state. For instance, the cities of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson, as well as unincorporated Clark County, received and approved applications for licensure of medical marijuana services, including cultivation, production and distribution. It was a process that involved thousands of dollars in fees and thousands of pages of paperwork, but the hope of drawing a golden ticket attracted almost 200 businesses; out-of-state players with experience opening facilities elsewhere; and a mix of local businesspeople, including such prominent fgures as restaurateurs Jenna and Michael Morton, philanthropist Camille Ruvo, former Assemblyman Chad Christiansen, mayoral spawn Ross Goodman, lawyer/TV personality Ed Bernstein and Reagan/ Bush right-hand man Sig Rogich. Regarding the out-of-state group, many came from California, where the
December 4–10, 2014
ILLUSTRATION BY RYAN OLBRYSH
t’s a familiar scene: A few hundred businessmen, investors and a few politicians pack a hotel conference room, the requisite white linen covering banquet tables sitting under glittering chandeliers. Some of the attendees swap business cards and hit the coffee urns. Others sit at the tables, their attention divided between the smartphones in their hands and the gray-suited, thirty-something speaker onstage—a speaker who just proclaimed, “When you invest in marijuana, you invest in America!” What? ¶ No, this isn’t Johnny Knoxville in disguise pulling off another prank. This is the new reality. Legalization of medical marijuana is spreading across the country, with recreational legalization picking up speed in its wake. Changing attitudes aren’t just bringing a new tone to our national drug policy, but new ways of treating illnesses and a new multibillion-dollar industry that is being birthed in voting booths, legislatures and grand ballrooms from coast to coast. ¶ It’s also an industry that offers Nevada the rare combination of tourism revenue and the creation of non-tourism jobs. The business of cannabis is beginning to encompass virtually every profession: lawyers, doctors and engineers; graphic designers, IT specialists and chefs; janitors, salesclerks and security guards. And it’s a tax base that no state minds tapping. The Nevada Economic Forum estimates that medical marijuana—which should be available in dispensaries by early 2015, once all the building, inspecting and supplying is completed—will generate $10 million in tax revenue over the next two years alone. And if recreational use becomes legal, that number will rise like smoke in the air at a Phish concert.
VegasSeven.com
BY LISSA TOWNSEND RODGERS
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Medical Marijuana Facilities in Las Vegas and Clark County
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doctors, accountants, everything in between. That’s the reality of people using this for true medicinal purposes: Cancer doesn’t care whether you’re rich or poor or old or young.” A combination of proft motive and social consciousness is one of the blossoming marijuana industry’s chief characteristics. “This industry is getting birthed [by] people who really care,”
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December 4–10, 2014
someone who operates dispensaries and knows frsthand the benefts of the product he’s peddling: “I broke my neck several years ago and used it for that purpose, so I get it from a relief standpoint.” Peterson says Terra Tech’s California dispensaries serve about 1,000 people daily, and the customer demographic is not unlike what you’d see in a random restaurant. “You’ve got hippies,
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medical marijuana system has been operating since 2010. One business was Terra Tech, whose MediFarm subsidiary has gotten approvals in Las Vegas and Reno. “Vegas has done a good job of looking outside at what others have done well or poorly,” says Derek Peterson, Terra Tech’s president and CEO. One of the main differences between the bordering states is the industry’s proft/nonproft status. “The for-proft model is the spirit of Vegas,” Peterson says. “It invites entrepreneurs who have capital and will invest heavily in infrastructure.” He adds that a great opportunity exists for Nevada to capture out-of-state revenue through the process of interstate reciprocity: People holding medical marijuana cards in other states could use them for dispensary purchases in Nevada. Peterson was in fnance with Morgan Stanley before jumping into the medical marijuana business. A friend was running a dispensary in California, and Peterson began to inquire about the dispensary’s revenue and growth rates. Needless to say, the answers got Peterson’s fnancial juices fowing. “One of the ways you analyze retail is [annual] revenue per square foot. Your big-box retailers will do $500-$600 per foot. ... But the medical marijuana dispensaries were doing $3,000-$5,000 per square foot.” “We’re obviously in it for economic reasons,” Peterson continues. “But we are also trying to build a socially conscious company while making a proft.” He’s also got the unique perspective of
Ra
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A selection of medical marijuana “flavors” are displayed at a California dispensary. Dispensaries are scheduled to open up and down Nevada in early 2015—meaning these flavors may be coming soon to a shelf near you.
says Troy Dayton, president and CEO of the ArcView Investor Network, a group that matches cannabis entrepreneurs with investors. Dayton sees it as combining “the best ideals of activism with the best ideals of business. Hopefully we’re building not just a new industry, but a new kind of industry.” Last month, ArcView hosted a pitch forum at Green Valley Ranch hotelcasino, where “cannabusinesses” from all over the nation presented ideas and sought investors. The ballroom was populated with men in sport coats and closely cropped haircuts, but there was also a smattering of vintage print shirts and fedoras. Dayton views proft as another tool to reform drug laws. “It seems like I’m here for business, but that’s just the suit. My background is in activism,” he explains. “If we were really going to change the laws, we had to build an industry that was responsible, politically engaged and proftable; that was what ultimately was going to move the needle. The goal is to make sure that no adult is punished for this plant ever again.” The gathering at Green Valley Ranch was actually the second time this year the group has met in the Valley. It was hardly by accident. “All of the people who provide the ancillary businesses to the industry that are based in other places are also excited to be in Nevada, because there’s so much opportunity,” Dayton says. The entrepreneurs seeking funding go far beyond the stereotypical bongs n’ baggies set. First, there are the new delivery methods that seem like something out of Blade Runner: Fake cigarettes pre-flled with cannabis oil; shots that have an immediate impact, thus lowering the risk of overconsumption; and soft gels that come in “feelings” such as chill, create and giggle. There are also THC-laden caramels, medical marijuana chili-lime peanuts and cannabis soda. There’s a 100,000-square foot offce park specifcally for growing and processing facilities and a Victorian castle/hotel that’s being renovated into a “luxury cannabis destination resort,” both in recently legalized Washington state. There are pot-centric iterations of GrubHub, Facebook and Google; insurance companies devoted to ferreting out legalese that might impact marijuana-related industries; security frms that specialize in the industry’s particular requirements and challenges; and even hedge funds that only invest in cannabis-related businesses. Then there’s the unintended beneft to cultivation: a demand for agricultural innovation and applications that could extend beyond marijuana, into growing food, lowering pollution and cleaning the environment. “We got drug into the cannabis market. They discovered us,” said James Gaspard of Biochar Now, a soil enhancer, when he addressed the ArcView panel. “We’ve got a lot of Ph.D.s in this industry. I’ve met more scientists in the cannabis industry than any other.”
and the left-wingers are pushing the stuff and trying to destroy us.” So he designated it as a dangerous gateway drug.
GOING GREEN
➜ In 2004, Adam Sternberg asked for, and received, a medical marijuana card from the State of Nevada. Sternberg was undergoing cancer treatments at the time, and he wanted to try the hash-oil treatment concocted by medical marijuana activist Rick Simpson. “I was on chemo, and I figured that the oil couldn’t be any worse than what they were putting in me at the time,” Sternberg says. By 2006, his cancer went into remission, a happy event that Sternberg is quick to attribute to Simpson’s oil: “The doctors say it was the chemo, but I know better.” Sternberg, 44, is now devoted to assisting others in their quest for similar relief. He runs the medical marijuana consultancy firm Compassion Nevada, which specializes in helping cancer patients obtain their medical marijuana cards. The firm is partnered with real medical professionals who can meet with patients, determine their needs and help them to get their “green cards.” On the educational side, Compassion Nevada teaches cardholders how to stay on the right side of the law and how to maintain personal grow spaces. As quickly as we learn about the safe use and benefits of medical marijuana, Sternberg wants to get that information to the people who need it. He could have used such help himself a number of years ago, when he sought his own green card. “At the time I was licensed, I asked the State, ‘How do I get my resources and information and knowledge on how to do this properly?’ And they said, ‘Don’t ask us; it’s against the law for us to give you any advice in that direction.’ Basically, they shoved patients into the black market.” Forced to obtain marijuana illegally, Sternberg was subject to robberies, home invasions and “just getting taken advantage of.” He founded Compassion Nevada in part because he didn’t want anyone else to go through the struggles he did—though starting the consultancy was itself a struggle: “The climate was very prohibitive, and from the
beginning I was very adamant about being honest with all the landlords I was speaking to,” Sternberg says. “I told them I wanted to have a cannabis education center to teach people how to grow, how to extract, how to get legal … but there would be no buying or selling of cannabis on the property.” It took some time, but finally, Compassion Nevada Consulting found a place in an industrial section of Highland Drive. Eventually, the firm relocated to Commercial Center on Sahara Avenue—a move Sternberg was more than happy to make: He found a group that wants to use the Highland Drive location for a legal dispensary. “I felt confident that they’re in this for the community, not just for their pockets,” he says. Sternberg speaks passionately about the effects of medical cannabis, sometimes tearing up. He talks about child cancer patients who have been successfully treated with it; he talks about the push back from “Big Pharma” (“elderly gentlemen who have been doing this for a lot of years, and have blood on their hands,” he says). But he becomes particularly emotional when asked if medical marijuana really will change lives—and offers an opinion that might speak to why we’re now seeing a wave of marijuana legalization in America. “I don’t believe in the phrase ‘recreational use,’” Sternberg says. “If a person is using marijuana for whatever reason, there’s some type of medicinal relief that they’re going for. Maybe they’re not comfortable in their own skin, or they have a headache, or they just need to sleep. Whatever the reason, there’s a medical relief to be had.” – Geoff Carter For more information on Compassion Nevada Consulting, visit CompassionNevadaConsulting.org.
VegasSeven.com
Medical marijuana patients find a helping hand in Compassion Nevada
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o doubt medical marijuana will create a lot of revenue to Nevada, but the Megabucks jackpot would come from legalizing recreational use, which is taxed at a higher rate—Colorado has already seen recreational-use sales surpass medicinal. Is Nevada ready to take that step? It won’t take long to fnd out. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol turned in 200,000 signatures in support of legalizing recreational cannabis—they only needed 102,000—guaranteeing that the issue will once again go before voters in 2016. “We anticipate that Nevada will favor legalizing marijuana for recreational use in the near future once they see how other states have successfully implemented their programs,” NORML’s Arevalo says. Segerblom concurs, pointing out how Nevada schools will directly beneft from medical marijuana sales: According to the current legislation, the school district in the county where the marijuana is purchased will receive 75 percent of the sales tax. “Everyone I talk to says, ‘We already know it’s out there; let’s pass it and regulate it,’” Segerblom says. “If Colorado, Washington and Oregon can do it, it seems like a no-brainer for Nevada.” A recent study by the Congressional Research Service states that Colorado collected $37 million in taxes between January and September of 2013, and Segerbloom thinks that our “Whatever happens here, stays here” state can beat that number. “You can come here, be a renegade, be an outlaw,” he says, “then go home and tell your friends what happened. It’s perfect for people who want to indulge.” As a lure for the youngadult market, can legalized marijuana really be worse than bottle service, the Electric Daisy Carnival or The Hangover? Even the less-excessive crowd might be inclined to have a puff or two in a town of sparkly lights and nightly freworks, pirate battles and acrobat shows, clubs, concerts and every variety of food that can be put on a plate. “You couldn’t ask for a better complement to what we already are,” Segerblom says. “I defnitely think it will raise our profle nationally and internationally. It will bring more business, less gambling.” Clearly, the 21st-century marijuana user is no longer just the dreadlocked kid puffng on a joint and devouring Funyuns. It’s also the 6-year-old with cancer being given THC extract by his mom so he can eat and sleep. It’s the glaucoma patient using it to alleviate eye pressure. It’s the roomful of biologists trying to build a better fertilizer. It’s a farmer using a new form of greenhouse. It’s the private club where people sip top-shelf cocktails and puff artisanal strains. It’s your neighbor on a Friday night. It’s also the future, something Nevada has never shied away from.
December 4–10, 2014
isruption” is the business buzzword du jour, yet the cannabis industry becomes more disruptive as it moves down traditional corporate paths: Doing an IPO with something that’s still semi-illegal is far more radical than making a new app for the same old. “We entered when they were giving fve- to 10-year sentences,” says Terra Tech’s Peterson. “Now that the risk is gone, the pure economics are coming in, and the new suits are coming in and replacing the stoners. But those quote-unquote stoners built this business at a time when they put their own safety at risk. I hope it’s a great symbiotic relationship between pioneers and new money men.” Who knew that one day Abbie Hoffman would join forces with Ayn Rand? “I think it’s the next great American industry,” ArcView’s Dayton says. “It’s a generational moment here where the little guy has a chance to take a run at a multi, multibillion-dollar market that’s grown at a remarkable clip. It will be stacked up against the Internet boom, the renewable energy boom, the organic foods boom and all the booms that have come before.” The sound of that boom is being heard in legislatures and at ballot boxes across the nation. In addition to the 23 states that allow medical marijuana use, four states (Washington, Colorado, Oregon and Alaska), as well as Washington, D.C., permit adult recreational use. Addressing the ArcView forum, U.S. Representative Dina Titus, D-Nevada, said, “As more and more states get on board, that pushes the representatives to represent the business interests in their state.” But even if states legalize, the federal government still considers possession of marijuana to be a crime. Drugs are on federal “schedules” that, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency, rate their “acceptable medical use and the drug’s abuse or dependency potential.” Marijuana sits as a Schedule I drug, along with heroin and LSD; both oxycodone and methamphetamine are Schedule II. In other words, the government believes you’re safer smoking meth than reefer. Because of the Schedule I status, if an institution receives any form of federal funding—such as for schools or hospitals—they will lose it if they permit cannabis use, even for medical or scientifc purposes. Vets who use medical marijuana will be denied other VA services. Marijuana-related businesses can’t keep money in banks, nor can they gamble it in casinos. But even this may be changing: In October, the Eastern District of California, a court trying a cultivation case, began considering a motion to declare marijuana’s Schedule I status unconstitutional and either lower its place on the schedule or remove it. Who put it there to begin with? Richard Nixon: His own presidential commission suggested that marijuana be left off the schedule entirely. Nixon ignored the recommendation, declaring in one of his recorded Oval Offce rants, “The Communists
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NIGHTLIFE
The secret to Ashley Wallbridge’s success? Time, tenacity and lots of cafeine. By Kat Boehrer
VegasSeven.com
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Up Till Dawn
ASHLEY WALLBRIDGE has kept up with the music industry’s fastpaced changes throughout the last few years. Best known for bringing trance together with progressive house in his sets, his last album is no departure, being an amalgam of genres and intriguing sounds. Now he’s busy in the studio again and on the verge of releasing a string of commercial singles with artists such as RedOne and Akon, while he also gets ready for a short U.S. tour during the holiday season. Still he fnds time to return to his Marquee residency December 19 and 25. So what’s the secret to his explosive sets and uptempo tendencies? Well, Wallbridge really likes his coffee.
December 4–10, 2014
ILLUSTRATION BY CIERRA PEDRO
Your city after dark and photos from the week’s hottest parties
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Ten years ago, did you think you’d go on to achieve this level of success?
No, I didn’t. This time 10 years ago, I was working in a phone shop that I got fred from. That was when I was trying to DJ and, you know, with the lifestyle of DJing you’re always up late. I was turning up at the phone shop on no sleep and, yeah, I got fred.
December 4–10, 2014
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What does a typical studio session look like for you?
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A load of coffee is the frst thing. I work better at nighttime, so usually I’ll go in until about 5 or 6 o’clock in the morning. I’ll wake up usually around midday. I’ll have four or fve coffees and some breakfast, get myself awake and then do about 15 or 16 hours in the studio. I really never know what I’m going to be doing until I sit down. I’ll have a call with my manager and the team and see what needs to be done, and then just sit down and just go for it. And how do you take your coffee?
Strong. I’ve got a coffee machine in
“THE WORST THING TO DO IF YOU’VE GOT WRITER’S BLOCK IS TO JUST SIT THERE IN THE STUDIO. ’CAUSE IT’S NOT GONNA CHANGE.” the studio. I’m constantly topping off with little pots. I go through a good 15 coffees in a day, so by the end of the day I’m on like caffeine explosion. It’s pretty hard to get to sleep, so that’s why I’m up till God-knows-what-time in the morning. Do you ever get writer’s block when you’re making music? If so, what do you do to break though it?
Yeah, I mean, sometimes I’ll sit there and I’ll be making something and it just isn’t working. You know, 10 or 11 hours I’ll sit there, and just nothing is happening. If that is the case, I just need to get out of the studio. I’ll go do
something with friends or go do something with the missus. I’ll get inspired if I get out of the studio. The worst thing to do if you’ve got writer’s block is to just sit there in the studio. ’Cause it’s not gonna change. Is there anyone you’d really like to collaborate with in the future?
People like Zedd, Calvin Harris, Alesso— the guys who have changed the music scene. To work with them would be pretty amazing. What can we expect from your upcoming track releases?
Most of them are commercial tracks,
[but] commercial with a club vibe. So they would be good on the radio, but also good to smash out in a club. How do you decide what to play in the club?
Different cities have so many different tastes. I’ll play in Vegas and I’ll do a certain set, and then I’ll play somewhere else in the U.S. like L.A., and it’ll be completely different. But you know, like I said about Zedd, Calvin and Alesso—that kind of style is perfect for Vegas. So that’s my favorite style at the moment. Where are your favorite places to play?
Every time I play Marquee, I just get a buzz. Two-and-a-half, three hours, it just goes so fast. I love the vibe. How was it hanging out with Bruno Mars last time you were there?
It was pretty surreal. Everybody knows who Bruno Mars is. As soon as he came in, I was like, “Wow. First thing’s frst: Let’s have a selfe together.”
PHOTO BY TONY TRAN
NIGHTLIFE
Wallbridge at Marquee.
By
NIGHTLIFE
Camille Cannon
Nelly.) After Troy opens for Big & Rich at Brooklyn Bowl (at the Linq, 8 p.m., Vegas. BrooklynBowl.com), he hosts Chateau with sounds by DJ Sinister. (In Paris, 10:30 p.m., ChateauNights.com.) Oh, no! Have you square-danced so much you split your favorite pair of jeans? Body English has you covered with Girls Night Out featuring a gifting suite from Frankie B. Denim for the ladies. (In Hard Rock Hotel, 10:30 p.m., HardRockHotel.com.) Cowboy Troy.
SUN 7 Let’s take a country break to sample some hip-hop, shall we? Bay Area-bred rhyme dropper G-Eazy makes his Drai’s debut. Earlier this year, Billboard referred to him as “The Young Elvis,” (The fans! The hair! The swagger!). While we wouldn’t go that far, we’re still pretty hyped for his performance. (In the Cromwell, 10 p.m., DraisNightlife.com.) “Don’t Tell ’Em” singer Jeremih treats us with an appearance at The Bank. (In Bellagio, 10:30 p.m., TheBankLasVegas.com.)
MON 8 G-Eazy.
December 4–10, 2014
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THU 4
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Well, kids, it’s NFR week. Kick up your cowboy boots at Eye Candy Sound Lounge, where Dee Jay Silver delivers a rodeo-ready soundtrack. (In Mandalay Bay, 9 p.m., MandalayBay.com.) The Nashvillebased radio host is known for slipping country-fried rap and rock remixes into his sets. He’s also gotten the stamp of approval from Rascal Flatts, Eric Church and Jason Aldean, who’ve all brought him on tour. You can also catch Silver slanging beats at The Bank on Friday. (In Bellagio, 10:30 p.m., TheBankLasVegas.com.)
FRI 5 On December 5, 1933, the U.S. government slapped
a stack of papers with a big “GET CRUNK” stamp and revoked Prohibition with the 21st Amendment. The Mob Museum celebrates that decision by raising a glass to booze at the third annual Repeal Day Celebration. Swing by for casino games, cigars and the Boss of the Bars cocktail competition (9:30 p.m.) Be sure to reserve tickets in advance. (300 Stewart Ave., 7 p.m., TheMobMuseum. org.) After a one-month hiatus and nearly a decadelong run at Beauty Bar, The Get Back returns to Downtown at Velveteen Rabbit. We’re expecting the dance party to be funkier and fresher than ever. (1218 S. Main St., 10 p.m., Facebook.com/VelveteenRabbitLV.) Don’t leave the Arts District just yet! Save some moves for Rapture at Arti-
fce. DJs Hektor Rawkerz and Xander Xero lead this edition of the new-wave/ post-punk/synth-pop jama-thon. (1025 First St., Suite A, 10 p.m., Facebook.com/ArtifceBar.) Now get to Life for the residency debut of British electronic dance maestro Gareth Emery. (In SLS, 10:30 p.m., SLSLasVegas.com.)
SAT 6 The NFR fun continues at Lavo for a Hoedown Throwdown edition of Party Brunch. Ladies dressed in Western wear get to side-saddle up to the open bar from 2-3 p.m. (In the Palazzo, 1 p.m., LavoLV.com.) “Country rap” is a thing, and Cowboy Troy is one of the biggest names in the game. (Nice try though,
We hope you got all of your shopping done early. It’s time for you and all your friends to celebrate at XS for the Industry Holiday Party. Locally based DJ crew Blackout Artists mans the decks. (In Encore, 10:30 p.m., XSLasVegas.com.)
TUE 9 Still got your NFR ticket stub? It’s good for complimentary entry, plus a Crown Royal cocktail or Bud Light, at Crazy Horse III. The aptly named Chicks ’N Chaps promotion runs through Dec. 13. (3525 W. Russell Rd., CrazyHorse3.com.)
WED 10 There are still a few weeks till Christmas, but Surrender gets you ready early with an Ugly Sweater Contest. Just don’t expect Deniz Koyu to work “Jingle Bells” into his mix. (In Encore, 10:30 p.m., SurrenderNightclub.com.) If your kind of holiday involves drinking Olde English, swing by Light for Bauuer’s Studio B. We hear they’ve provided the classic beverage at parties past. (In Mandalay Bay, 10:30 p.m., TheLightVegas.com.)
Gareth Emery.
NIGHTLIFE
PARTIES
MARQUEE
The Cosmopolitan [ UPCOMING ]
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See more photos from this gallery at SPYONVegas.com
PHOTOS BY BOBBY JAMEIDAR
December 4–10, 2014
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Dec. 5 ATB spins Dec. 6 Firebeatz spin Dec. 12 Tritonal spin
NIGHTLIFE
PARTIES
SAYERS CLUB SLS
[ UPCOMING ]
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See more photos from this gallery at SPYONVegas.com
PHOTOS BY TOBY ACUNA
December 4–10, 2014
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Dec. 4 Battle Thursdays: DJ vs. Drummer Dec. 5 Sayers Sessions Dec. 6 Builds & Peaks
DINING
“Once people get comfortable with us, we’re gonna evolve into what I do: Italian, French, Moroccan and Malaysian.” {PAGE 56}
Restaurant reviews, news and a cocktail that combines whiskey and wine
Dinner at Jacques Café convinces our critic to conquer his fear of Summerlin By Al Mancini
VegasSeven.com
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Well Worth the Trip
AS I MAY HAVE MENTIONED IN THE PAST, I’m not a big fan of Summerlin. I’m not talking about the outskirts, such as Tivoli Village or Red Rock Resort. I’m talking about the areas where roundabouts and nonperpendicular roads conspire to get me lost. Hell, even my GPS seems confused when I head deep into that particular bit of suburbia. But interesting restaurants keep opening out there, so I keep going—and keep getting lost on my way to fnd them. My most recent treks have been to Jacques Café, which celebrated its grand opening November 18, and what I found was worth the trouble.
December 4–10, 2014
PHOTO COURTESY OF JACQUES CAFE
Al dente risotto with rock shrimp, asparagus, clam juice and saffron.
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Al’s
The interior dining area and chef Jacques Pauvert.
Menu Picks
December 4–10, 2014
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Crab cakes ($16), risotto with rock shrimp ($16) and steelhead salmon belly ($20).
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Chef Jacques Pauvert has an extensive résumé that features restaurants in France, L.A. and Hawaii, including the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua. His restaurant is in the corner of Trails Village Center and bills itself as a “casual American bistro.” It’s open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, offering organic produce, grassfed beef and plenty of vegan and gluten-free options. The service is “quick casual,” meaning you order from a counter, but a server brings your food to your table. The décor is a bit more formal than your typical “quick casual” spot, however, particularly the side bar area, which has a formal bar and a view of the patio. There’s also a large outdoor patio that might not be suited to the present temperatures, but will be a great place to dine come spring. I’ve visited Jacques for breakfast, lunch and dinner. By far, the weakest part of the menu has been the soups. The minestrone is far too thick and heavy. The “Summerlin”—made with caulifower, squash, coconut milk, curry cilantro and pesto—was as confusing to me as the neighborhood after
which it was named. And a porcini mushroom butternut soup had none of the sweet squash favor I expected, dominated instead by the earthy mushrooms and bitter roasted leeks. The sandwiches I’ve tried from the lunch menu have been considerably better. The pastrami comes with Gouda, sauerkraut, red peppers and aioli, while the grilled turkey satay is dressed with cilantro, green onion and aioli. I also enjoyed a langoustine and spinach omelet, although it was just a touch on the dry side. And from the appetizer section of the dinner menu, make sure to try the crab cakes. If this review seems lukewarm so far, it’s simply because I’ve saved the best for last. Where the chef really shines is with his more formal dinner offerings. The risotto with rock shrimp is excellent (assuming you’re OK with the texture of rice that’s been cooked al dente). If I were to change anything about it, it would simply be to ask for larger cuts of asparagus so the bright vegetables could better penetrate the heavy taste of the clam juice and sharp cheese. As it stands, this is a dish well above what I’ve found in most other quick-casual restaurants. As good as the risotto is, however, it doesn’t compare to the steelhead salmon belly. It comes over a tiny al dente pasta that I don’t think I’ve
seen before, but which reminded me of a baby orecchiette. What makes the dish is the delicious, delicate red miso cream sauce, which is fnished with shitake mushrooms and a green onion puree. At $20, it’s the most expensive thing on the menu. But a seafood dish such as this would set you back a lot more at a more formal spot. The staff at Jacques has always been extremely friendly, and they defnitely know their way around the menu. The one knock: They can be a bit slow with drink reflls and generally checking in on the table. If Jacques Café were in my neighborhood, I have no doubt it’d be a regular dinner destination. And for that salmon dish alone, I’d even take on the roundabouts of Summerlin.
JACQUES CAFÉ
1910 Village Center Circle, 702-550-6363. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 a.m.– 9 p.m. Mon–Sat and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sun. Dinner for two, $25-$50.
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.
Amid a season where turkey, ham and prime rib tend to dominate menus, it’s time to appreciate a great piece of fish. And despite our desert location, we are able to get some of the best seafood from around the world, which is now waiting to be dressed according to your preference. Wynn’s Lakeside Grill (702-770-3310, WynnLasVegas.com) has been importing much of its catch direct from a small batch of fishing boats in Hawaii, and even had fisherman Greg Lind visit a few weeks ago to see where his hard work ended up. Lind is responsible for beautiful specimens, such as the line-caught opakapaka (pink snapper), uku (blue-green snapper) and monchong, a.k.a. pomfret—they’re referred to by their Hawaiian names on the menu so you can make a connection with their provenance—all of which arrive at Lakeside less than 24 hours after they were caught. And once they make it to dry land, they’re ready to be prepared with your tastes in mind. Once the skin of the fish gets all crispy from being seared and roasted in a pan, it can be adorned with influences from around the world. Those with a craving for Asian flavors can opt for pickled Japanese vegetables, yuzu, grilled onions and soy, while the Mediterranean is represented by an artichoke, celery, oregano and tomato vinaigrette. The opakapaka and uku are light and clean, the perfect pairing for citrus segments, herbs and extra virgin olive oil. The fish from Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House (in MGM Grand, 702-891-7374, MGMGrand.com) come from a variety of sustainable sources as well, including loup de mer from Greece, wild-caught striped bass from Virginia and rainbow trout from Idaho, while ahi tuna and butterfish come in from Hawaii. Emeril’s takes a slightly different approach to this mix-and-match method: Guests can request their fish to be pan-seared, grilled or steamed in a banana leaf, and all are served with ovenroasted tomatoes, lemon, herbs and sea salt. But it’s the assortment of accompanying sauces that add that extra “Bam!” for which Emeril is known. Interesting combinations such as lemon verbena Bernaise, citrus anchovy vinaigrette, and herb and caper Beurre blanc are big hits with diners, who can opt to have the sauces on the side or let the kitchen dress the fish. And don’t be shy if you can’t make up your mind about which sauce sounds best; plenty of folks have been known to order more than one to customize the fish themselves. So, why are you still looking for another slice of turkey? 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 COURTESY OF JACQUES CAFE
FIND YOUR PERFECT FISH AT WYNN AND MGM GRAND
DINING
Return to the Stratta-Sphere Afer a number of years of the radar, chef Alex Stratta has big plans for a comeback By Al Mancini
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Chef Alex Stratta in his new kitchen at Tivoli Village.
PHOTO BY JON ESTRADA
December 4–10, 2014
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THERE WAS A TIME WHEN ALEX STRATTA WAS VIEWED
as one of the top chefs on the Strip. He ran the award-winning Renoir at The Mirage before following Steve Wynn to his eponymous resort to oversee the Michelin two-starred Alex and the more casual Italian spot, Stratta. Alex closed in January 2011, and the chef left Stratta later that year. Stratta then spent time in restaurants in New York and California. Recently, however, he has forsaken the glitz of Las Vegas Boulevard, and seems intent on revolutionizing neighborhood dining on the west side. And his sights are set even further. “Fancy restaurants that have been very successful—I’ve been there, done that,” Stratta says. “I need to go to the next phase. How can I make this food accessible to people who aren’t ready to spend a couple hundred bucks on dinner four nights a week?” The Wisconsin native’s frst venture into Las Vegas neighborhood dining occurred in mid 2011, when he became a consultant at longtime west-side hot spot Marche Bacchus and helped elevate the restaurant’s cooking to its highest level in years. More recently, he teamed with Preferred Restaurant Brands (formerly Dixie Foods International) to develop a series of restaurants with his name on them, frst locally, then regionally and beyond. While they were developing ideas, P.R.B. bought Elements Fine Casual Dining & Cocktails on Rainbow Boulevard, where Stratta helped hire staff and develop a new menu. The group also has plans for two new concepts: Tapas by Alex Stratta is set to open December 17 in Tivoli Village; and in March, Alex Stratta Italian Steakhouse is slated to open in the Gramercy. The tapas restaurant will occupy a spot that formerly housed a pizza lounge, and Stratta says the venue is being developed in less than two months. “It’s pretty intense,” he laughs, “which is great.” For the menu, Stratta’s looking to both the traditional Spanish bar snacks that once defned the word tapas, and the broader defnition the term has acquired in recent years. “In the beginning, we’re gonna make it much more Spanish in style,” he says of his opening menu. “And then eventually, once people get comfortable with us, we’re gonna evolve into what I do: Italian, French, Moroccan and Malaysian.” While Tapas by Alex Stratta will be the frst offStrip restaurant with the chef's name on the door, the steakhouse was originally intended to be his big re-launch. In a town well-stocked with steakhouses, why choose such a well-trodden path? “I said ‘I’ve got to do something that is defnable, identifable, comfortable and approachable, yet can always be better,’” he says. So he’ll offer steaks alongside Italian cuisine, and a raw bar. And he’s promising something for every price range. “If you want to come in and spend 90 bucks on a shellfsh platter, we’ve got that for you,” he says. “But if you want to come in and spend 18 bucks on an incredible bowl of pasta, we’ve got that for you, too.” Even in the midst of launching these two projects, Stratta is already looking forward. “[P.R.B.] is a restaurant franchising company,” the chef says. “And we’re gonna build a brand with my name.” Who knows? Before long, Alex Stratta could become a household name—and not just in Las Vegas.
DRINKING [ SCENE STIRS ]
LOCAL F&B DYNAMOS SHARE THEIR SECRET PET PROJECTS. PART 1: RAZING THE BAR
➜ Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I dropped a pretty penny on 2015 travel plans: ski resorts, the Caribbean, Italy. Foremost on the itinerary, however, is my annual visit home to New York. And it couldn’t come soon enough. The Empire State has been on my mind even more than usual this season, what with the New York Sour popping up on menus all over town—Bazaar Meat in SLS and Oak & Ivy in Container Park offering two of my favorites. Why this sudden interest in the classic drink? Maybe it was that casual mention of it in Season 4 of Boardwalk Empire. Like its brother in booze, Mad Men, the show has had a tremendous infuence on how we’re drink-
ing and dressing right now. The drink actually dates to pre-Prohibition times, and there’s so much to love about it: a whiskey sour topped with a foat of wine—that’s it! It refreshes in summertime, and warms the soul in winter. And the ombre effect as the wine foat delicately mingles with the sour below is a hypnotic storm in a glass. Just know that your choice of wine determines the overall favor once the drink is stirred: Opt for jammy and fruit-forward wines over racy, earthy or tannic. Truth be told, the New York Sour was purportedly frst created in Chicago. But I’ll let that one go. Get the recipe at VegasSeven.com/CocktailCulture.
Want Ellis’ Cocktail Station for your bar? Visit Perlick. com/Bar-BeverageEquipment.
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NEW YORK SOUR PHOTO BY JON ESTRADA
To New York, With Love
December 4–10, 2014
The New York Sour at Bazaar Meat, $16.
Bartenders, to Your Stations That sly devil—Tobin Ellis thought he could just revolutionize the bar industry on the DL? This week, Perlick, an industry leader in bar equipment and beverage dispensing systems, will announce a partnership with Ellis, a Vegasbased beverage consultant, to build a better bar starting with the well. The Tobin Ellis Signature Cocktail Station will be unveiled in February at the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers tradeshow (NAFEM) in Anaheim. Ellis popped the cork December 2 on his company BarMagic’s Facebook page. What qualifies Ellis to put his name on a bar design? Well, he has 26 years of bartending, hospitality and nightlife experience. The six-time National Bartending Champion and founder of the Flair Bartenders’ Association has been designing and building bars worldwide for the past 10 years, and has served as a technical adviser and judge for a number of television networks including A&E, Travel Channel, Food Network and NBC. (Plus, he throws a mean moveable speakeasy party—remember Social Mixology?) After a decade of listening to bartenders and operators complain about their bar’s faulty design (and paying Ellis to fix it), he did the next logical thing by designing a “bartender cockpit,” an efficient, ergonomic bar station that anticipates the needs of craft bars, restaurants and high-volume nightclubs. This means bartenders take no more than two steps to reach everything they need, with minimal bending and reaching, reducing fatigue and repetitive-motion injury. Other features include refrigerated drawers for herbs, flowers and other delicate garnishes; shallow-depth ice bins and speed rails to reduce the reach to the bar and the distance between bartender and patron; and divided ice storage to accommodate multiple sizes and types of ice—“a quantum leap forward in equipment design,” he says. I’ve known Ellis since he was slinging at Tangerine in 2003, nearly as long as I’ve been in Las Vegas, so I can usually tell when I’m in a bar Ellis has had a hand in—because it actually works. Hopefully that, along with his signature bartender station, will become the new industry standard. – X.W.
VegasSeven.com
I keep a lot of industry secrets—bartenders’ next moves, executives’ big plans, new venues and doomed ones. So when a colleague finally spills their beans on the record, we can at last celebrate. This week, I give you the first of two recent causes for “Cheers!”
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“Iridescence is a major element as the dancers dazzle by twirling neon-tipped spears in, over and around their undulating bodies to the tribal drumbeat.” SHOWSTOPPER {PAGE 65}
Movies, music, stage and a few unbelievably smart alpacas
Bet Your Life on This
Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds tells how to write a hit song By Cindi Moon Reed
Imagine Dragons are Daniel Platzman, Ben McKee, Dan Reynolds and Daniel Wayne Sermon.
| December 4–10, 2014
PHOTO BY ANTHONY MAIR
STEP 1
Start building the rhythm. It starts typically on my computer, typically at night, thus the frst album was called Night Visions. I’ll pull out my laptop and start building, usually with rhythm frst. Because I was a drummer before I was anything else, what I frst hear in my head is a beat. But with “I Bet My Life,” Wayne [Sermon, Imagine Dragons guitarist] sent me two guitar samples, and I pieced them together in Ableton [music production software].
VegasSeven.com
ON NOVEMBER 23, IMAGINE DRAGONS
debuted “I Bet My Life” at the American Music Awards. The Las Vegas band had struck platinum with 2012’s Night Visions and single “Radioactive,” but could the Grammy winners repeat their success with this song from their soon-to-be released, currently untitled album? According to Rolling Stone, the answer is a resounding yes. The magazine declared, “based on bone structure alone, [it] certainly seems destined to be a smash.” All this got us wondering: How exactly does Imagine Dragons go about writing a hit song? There had to be a process behind the magical mojo that propelled them to international stardom. In advance of the band’s December 11 performance at X107.5’s Holiday Havoc, we asked charismatic frontman Dan Reynolds for his songwriting secrets. Here, Reynolds explains how he and his bandmates created “I Bet My Life”:
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Daniel Wayne Sermon and Dan Reynolds rocked a homecoming show at The Joint last year.
Create a sonic environment. Then I start building around the [rhythm/ guitar riff], and create an environment. I don’t really have a story or a thought planned, but I’m in some sort of state of mind when I’m building the structure of the song. Then, based on where it goes, that’s where my mind goes. “I Bet My Life” was one of the last songs we wrote for this new album, so it was written really recently. A lot of the new album was written on the road, with this process. I’d either start something on the computer or Wayne would send me a guitar riff, and I would build it into a bare-bones structure.
December 4–10, 2014
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STEP 3
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Add melody and lyrics. Because I’m a very percussive writer, I write lyrics and melody at the same time [over the structure]. I’ve been writing [songs] since I was 14, and it’s always been my journal entry. If I came home from [Kenny C. Guinn] middle school, and felt like the kid who had a big gap in his teeth and a lot of acne, then that’s what I was writing about. It was a way to say things I’ve never been able to say aloud because I feel awkward about it. “I Bet My Life” is a song about my ongoing strange relationship with my parents. It’s great at times, and it’s not so great at other times, just because we have different ideals. “I Bet My Life” came together in one night as a skeleton; it wrote itself very easily. Some songs take a week of me sitting with
“I’VE BEEN WRITING SONGS SINCE I WAS 14, AND IT’S ALWAYS BEEN MY JOURNAL ENTRY.” -Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds
it on my computer, and some songs write themselves in a night. That was one of those songs—like it was already in my head waiting to come out. STEP 4
Put the song demo up to a vote. I write so much that I have way too much material. We’ll make a website that will have 100 demos up, then everybody will listen to all of them and email their favorites. We’ll see what is consistently on everybody’s list and work through it like that. We’re picking one-ffth of the demos to record. It’s very democratic. But there’s more that goes into an album than just picking the 10 best songs. It has to be 10 songs that tell the right story, have the right vibe and the right momentum going from song to song. They have to work well together as a unit, have a theme. STEP 5
Self-edit in the studio. Typically we’ll pick 20 songs and record all of them in the studio. We start by playing the song live in the studio to see how it feels. It’s
like when you write a rough draft in English class, then the teacher marks it all up, then you scrap half of it and try to make it better. We’re really into the self-editing process. We bought a house in a really normal old-school Vegas neighborhood and turned it into a studio. We renovated the whole inside and gutted it. The guys are big gearheads, so it was like Christmas for them picking everything out for the studio. It’s feels very homey, which is perfect for us. We did the whole album there, and I’m really happy we did. There’s nothing worse than going into a studio that’s super expensive. You sacrifce the work, because you’re rushing things. You’re putting a price on your art, and that’s just awful. We’re able to say, “All right, if this takes six months, then it takes six months.” We already bought the house, so we’re not paying per hour. It really makes it more relaxed, and allows you to spend the time you need to spend. STEP 6
Narrow it all down. We’ll narrow down those 20 songs that we recorded
to 10 for the album. Then the next discussion is, “OK, but does that make a great album?” These are our 10 favorites, but is it 10 slow ballads that have nothing to do with each other lyrically? That’s not going to be a good album. We need to open our minds, go back to the drawing board and see what songs tell a story together. There’s a big whiteboard in the studio, and we write ideas or jot down different songs down and see how they look together and erase it and put up something else. It’s an editing process. There are a lot of elements that go into it, but somehow we carve through the chaos. STEP 7
Try to like it! A lot of artists I meet are very self-critical and never happy. Looking back even at Night Visions, there are a million things I’d do different now. At the end of the day you just have to learn to be proud of your work, but of course, you hate everything you do. It’s just an awful life being an artist. But it’s also great, because you’re happy when you create something for the moment that you create it—that’s about the only time you’re happy with it.
IMAGINE DRAGONS
X107.5’s Holiday Havoc, 8 p.m. Dec. 11, The Joint at the Hard Rock, $44.50 and up, HardRockHotel.com.
PHOTO BY ERIK K ABIK/ERIKK ABIK.COM
STEP 2
CONCERT
Stevie Wonder Hits All the Right 'Keys' MGM Grand Garden Arena, November 29
This show was every bit as expansive and ambitious as the album being celebrated. One of just 11 dates covering Wonder’s entire 1976 magnum opus Songs in the Key of
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Life, the three-hour concert showcased the wide range of musical styles and societal and spiritual lyrical content explored on the album (plus its accompanying four-song EP). More than 30 musicians and singers (including guest vocalist India.Arie) filled the stage on many songs, yet only a string section accompanied Wonder’s vocal on “Village Ghetto Land,” while “If It’s Magic” featured Wonder singing over the original harp track from Songs. Album hits “Sir Duke” and “I Wish” got the strongest crowd response, as did “Isn’t She Lovely,” with the song’s inspiration, Wonder’s daughter and backup singer Aisha, swaying lovingly as her father performed an extended harmonica solo sitting at his keyboard. After finishing Songs, Wonder dipped into his catalog as DJ Tick Tick Boom, delivering only snippets from many of his classic hits, such as “Boogie on Reggae Woman” and “Part-Time Lover,” blowing each one up as he moved to the next, teasing the crowd the whole way. But the abbreviated medley of hits was excusable. It allowed Wonder more time to give Songs the needed room to breathe, covering a musical expanse on one album that most artists couldn’t traverse in a lifetime. ★★★★★ – Sean DeFrank
Terry O'Neill captures Vegas icons.
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Scott Saul’s Becoming Richard Pryor (Harper, $28, Dec. 9) is a comprehensive biography of the comic legend that covers his troubled, unorthodox childhood (abandoned by his mother and raised in his grandmother’s brothel), his Army stint and his brilliant career as a writer and performer. Saul’s exhaustive research includes the usual interviews with family and friends, but also information gleaned from court records and unpublished writing. – M. Scott Krause
He Shot for the Stars
SLS is reaching back to its vintage roots with the December 4 debut of Iconic
Images Gallery, which features the work of celebrity photographer Terry O’Neill. You might not know his name, but you’ll probably recognize his photos: Brigitte Bardot with her hair blowing over her eyes and a cigarette at her lips; Sean Connery golfing on the moon; a stage-view of Elton John playing Dodger Stadium in a spangled uniform; and a morning-after-Oscar Faye Dunaway. Since it’s Vegas, admission is free and everything is for sale. Open daily 10 a.m.-10 p.m. in the mezzanine of SLS. – Cindi Moon Reed
ON A CLARE DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER Alex Clare owes his career to Microsoft. Clare’s song, “Too Close,” was featured in the Internet Explorer 9 campaign and brought the singer international attention. Clare plays House of Blues on Dec. 4 ($23) in support of his new album, Three Hearts.
ON SALE NOW If you just missed Justin Timberlake (pictured) you have two more chances. Timberlake will close out his wildly successful 20/20 Experience Tour with two final shows at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Jan. 1-2 ($89.50-$279.50).
STEVIE WONDER BY WAYNE POSNER; JUSTIN TIMBERL AKE BY ANTONIO SCORZA
December 4–10, 2014
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[ I WANT THAT BOOK! ]
ALBUMS WE'RE BUYING 1 Eminem, Shady XV
A Most Epic Photobomb KISS is easing its way, like Journey, into my Rockholm Syndrome catalog of bands-I-hated-but-now-will-rock-to-onthe-radio. Since I never deigned to plaster my bedroom with KISS posters, the
Circa Survive, Descensus 2
iPhones allows me to belatedly buy in to and iPad users will have to wait till next year). Now I can make up for lost time by painting my digital face like
Foo Fighters, Sonic Highways 4
HIT LIST TARGETING THIS WEEK'S MOST-WANTED EVENTS
new “KISS ME! Official Photo App” for the recent KISS resurgence (Android
3 Pink Floyd, The Endless River
The
By Camille Cannon Steve Johnsons "Sheer Cowboy."
Paul, Gene, Ace or Tommy, or pin on Gene’s disturbing cunnilingual freak show. With this free app (with ample
Primus, Primus & the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble 5
According to sales at Zia Record Exchange at 4225 S. Eastern Ave., Nov. 23-30.
options for in-app purchases), you can send a “KISSified” meet-up text to your friends, then use it to juice up a “groupie” shot of you and your pals playing KISS mini golf. Thank God that just because the KISS Hard Rock residency is over it doesn’t mean you have to put your tongue back in your mouth. – Kurt C. Rice
CHILDSPLAY FOR ADULTS When A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant opened in Los Angeles in 2003, upset members of the church threatened legal action against the production. But you know what they say: Haters gonna hate. Critics have raved about the musical for a decade. Now you can see it staged by Las Vegas’ own Table 8 Productions Dec. 4-20 at Art Square Theatre. Table8LV.com.
Morgan Spurlock, these 20 shorts deliver entertaining breakdowns of the U.S. economy. Film directors teamed with economic advisers to produce these small gems, which include a Broadway-style dance number about supply and demand; and a Lemonade War pitting comedian Patton Oswalt against a young entrepreneur across the street. Funny ladies Maya Rudolph, Sarah Silverman and Amy Poehler voice standout The Unbelievably Sweet Alpacas! Directed by Anchorman’s Adam McKay, the animated My Little Pony parody tackles income inequality with cartoon cuteness, a catchy theme song and harsh horsey quips (“You’re Paris Hilton with hooves!”). Watch the series at WeTheEconomy.com, or see all 20 videos screened for free at 6 p.m. December 6 in Scullery Theater (150 Las Vegas Blvd. North). That way, you can feel those classroom warm and fuzzies all over again. – Camille Cannon
HORSING AROUND In case you hadn’t heard, NFR has saddled up again. For those who want to appreciate the spirit of the rodeo without inhaling any hoof dust, there’s the Art of the American Cowboy Exhibit at South Point Dec. 7-14. All kinds of equine-inspired artworks will be on display and available for purchase. ArtoftheAmericanCowboy.com.
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We the Economy is the kind of film series you would’ve begged your teacher to play. Funded in part by Super Size Me’s
December 4–10, 2014
My Little Economy: What an Animated Amy Poehler Can Teach Us About Income Inequality
MUSIC TO YOUR EARS Wanna give back and receive this holiday season? Trade a new, unwrapped toy for a pass to the 11th annual Toys for Tickets All-Star Jam at Club Madrid in Sunset Station on Dec. 7. Donations are accepted at Findlay Honda Northwest. Headliners include country music hit makers Big & Rich, David Nail and the Swon Brothers. 955theBull.com.
VegasSeven.com
THE WORLD’S A STAGE SparkNotes are good, but the best way to wrap your mind around Shakespeare is to see his works live. Cozy up to the Nevada Conservatory Theatre’s presentation of As You Like It Dec. 5-14 at UNLV’s Black Box Theatre. UNLV.edu/PAC.
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MUSIC
We want to get InTOXicated with Toxsikk (center).
[ SOUND PROOF ]
THREE CLICHÉ-FREE RAPPERS TO WATCH IN 2015 When one of Las Vegas’ own gets signed, we can’t help but say who should be next By Zoneil Maharaj
IN MY LAST COLUMN, I MENTIONED THAT
local rapper Yowda got picked up by pear-eating, black bottle-poppin’ hiphop mogul Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group. High-fve to Yowda. Much like his new boss’ rhymes, Yowda’s lyrics are heavy on money, women and fipping bricks, so I guess the signing makes sense. But in a newly diverse, mainstream soundscape, where Kendrick Lamar can dominate the airwaves in a positive celebration of himself, do we still need to rely on tired clichés? There’s space for more creativity, of which Las Vegas has no shortage. As we go into 2015, here are a few artists who have the potential to break out beyond the “local” box. Label scouts, take note. Love at First Sound. This is the kind of artist you hate, not because his music isn’t good—he’s one of the most versatile rappers I’ve heard out of Vegas so far—but because of how little he releases. He’s like the Las Vegas Jay Electronica. The rapper, singer and producer teases us with unmastered demos on SoundCloud and rough video snippets on Instagram (most of which are later deleted), like the fuzzy, indie-rock inspired “Stupid Mistakes” or the short yet snaring “Reckless.” That will change in the new year, as he plans to drop his 10-track debut AUDRA in January. He gave me a preview, and songs like the stomping, anti-police brutality plea “Son Down” have me
hoping it comes sooner than later. Chop808. With everyone co-opting the Migos fow and/or trying to croon like Drake, it’s refreshing to hear Chop808’s lighthearted, feelgood jams. Like Love at First Sound, Chop doesn’t have an expansive body of work in his catalog, but what I’ve heard so far has piqued my curiosity. “Good Time” is the perfect summer song. Meanwhile, “Out of Control” displays his pop sensibilities with a bouncy beat and an Andre 3000-esque singsongy fow. He recently tweeted, “Attention Vegas Rappers: It’s about that time for me to destroy the rap game around here.” Let’s see if he’s a man of his word. Toxsikk. The rapper came out strong with his debut album, 2 Moons, in late 2013. Since then, he’s only gotten better, developing into a style that’s uniquely his own. Dark, gritty and oftentimes sinister, Toxsikk is a menacing force on the mic. Armed with an animated fow and a brash delivery, he takes listeners along with him as he pulls a heist on recent single “Ski Mask.” “Psychiatric” is even more wicked. I know I started this column talking about positivity, but damn if “All I Give a Fuck About” doesn’t make me go nuts. His InTOXication II is coming soon. What Las Vegas rappers should be on my radar? Holler at Zoneil.Maharaj@ wendohmedia.com or @zoneil on Twitter.
STAGE
THE LUWOW FACTOR Vegas goes Hawaiian in new tropical treat, Island Heat LuWow
PHOTO BY NEVADA NICHOLS
LEI ODDS ON THIS ONE.
Pack 90 minutes’ worth of showbiz bang into 45 that fy by like fve? Nifty trick pulled off with Pacifc Rim panache in Treasure Island’s’ new Island Heat LuWow. They even feed you frst (try the piña colada chicken or the macadamia-crusted mahimahi), as it’s a regional-cuisine dinner show inside the intimate showroom of the Kahunaville restaurant, adjacent to the Mystère Theatre. File Island Heat under the big-thingscome-in-small-packages header. Coheadlined by singer/dancer Charlene Carabeo (formerly of Peepshow) and Elvis impersonator Tyler Hunter (of the original Vegas cast of Million Dollar Quartet), this is a tropical joyride of singing, dancing, pounding tribal drums, fexing pecs and supersonic-level wriggle-jiggle. Oh, and Blue Hawaii-era Elvis. While we’re scarfng down dessert, easygoing singer-musician Jefferson Montoya warms us up with folk-style, island-favored takes on “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” and “Over the Rainbow,” plus a sing-along on Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds.” Immediately after—in a refreshing display of truth in advertising—luau does become a furiously paced “LuWow.” Tahitian-style tribal drummers take to the skins as skin-baring male and female dancers stream onstage in a hot dance before Hunter’s Elvis hip-shakes into the spotlight. More naturalistic than many tribute artists who take the Elvis persona to extreme caricature, Hunter sprints through a repertoire that ducks in and out of the track lists from The King’s Blue Hawaii (1961) and Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966). Highlights include “Drums of the Island,” “Girls! Girls! Girls!” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You.”
Complementing Hunter’s cool is Carabeo’s sizzle. Once she steps onstage, the energy level ratchets up even more, particularly when she whips up the crowd with “Get on Your Feet” and “Conga,” taking a few dance spins with men in the audience. Fortunately, Carabeo and Hunter have a couple of duets, and they share a breezy chemistry. Doubling as choreographer, Carabeo assembles several Polynesian-inspired dance numbers that keep the pace galloping along between her and Hunter’s lead moments. Iridescence is a major element as the dancers dazzle by twirling neon-tipped spears in, over and around their undulating bodies to the tribal drumbeat. When Hunter returns, it’s for an audience love-in on “Blue Hawaii” as the ladies in the crowd are invited up, with Hunter laying a lei and a kiss on each, before he kicks it up on “Rocka-Hula Baby,” getting the entire audience on their feet and pulling up dance partners. Keeping the walls shaking, Hunter and Carabeo team on a raucous version of “Bossa Nova Baby,” the stage jammed with dancers. Even the Black Eyed Peas get a shout-out on a tribal drum-accented “I Gotta Feeling” with its apropos refrain, Tonight’s gonna be a good night. Though it’s a modestly scaled production with a 45-minute run time, Island Heat LuWow manages to let you leave feeling like you’ve enjoyed a hearty entertainment meal. Las Vegas is awash in over-the-top spectacle, but seeing this is like walking the shoreline, picking up an oyster, cracking it open and fnding a small, pretty little pearl. Got an entertainment tip? Email Steve.Bornfeld@VegasSeven.com.
MOVIES
A&E
‘HORRIBLY’ DELIGHTFUL?
Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis go low for laughs.
The bad boys of the workday are back with a laugh-and-groan sequel By Justin Chang Variety
AT THE RISK OF SUGGESTING that Horrible Bosses 2 has a compelling reason to exist, it’s worth noting that the movie does function, on one level, as an anticapitalist revenge fantasy aimed at the 1 percent. Mainly, however, this inane and incredibly tasteless sequel qualifes as an excuse to bring back those hardworking funnymen Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis for another round of amateur-criminal high jinks and semi-improvised vulgarity, jabbing away repeatedly at some elusive comic sweet spot where blatant nastiness and egregious stupidity collide— and very occasionally hitting the mark. The Seth Gordon-directed Horrible Bosses was a sloppily entertaining actioncomedy that ended with sensible Nick (Bateman), lecherous Kurt (Sudeikis) and anxiety-prone Dale (Day) escaping the clutches of their awful employers, even if their planned triple homicide didn’t entirely come off. In the new movie, directed by Sean Anders, our heroes have liberated themselves from their day-job drudgery and formed their own company, centered around a home-ablution aid called the Shower Buddy. They need a wealthy investor to help them manufacture and distribute their product. Enter Bert Hanson (Christoph Waltz), the smarmy CEO of a retail giant, who offers to bankroll their frst 100,000 units, which they happily
accept—only to fnd themselves royally screwed over when Hanson reneges on their deal, determined to put them out of business and then buy up what remains at super-low auction prices. With no legal recourse, Nick, Kurt and Dale decide to kidnap Hanson’s son, Rex (Chris Pine), and demand a $500,000 ransom. Naturally, their criminal instincts prove no sharper than their business sense, prompting a return visit to the seedy bar where their old friend Dean “M-----------” Jones (an endearing Jamie Foxx) gives them advice on how to be disreputable. They also stop by the local prison to get tips from Nick’s former horrible boss—or rather, his still-horrible former boss, happily played once again by Kevin Spacey. Various complications, double crosses and chase sequences ensue. Kidnapping Rex turns out to be more of a handful than anticipated, and Pine’s energetic turn as a billionaire playboy with some serious daddy issues gives the proceedings an unexpected shot of adrenaline. In the most appalling subplot—the one so unnecessary that it winds up feeling almost essential—our heroes once again fnd themselves tangling with Dale’s ex-superior, Dr. Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston, game as ever), a sexually rapacious dentist who has no qualms about drilling anyone in her
path. In an extra-kinky twist, the plot requires Nick to join Julia’s sex-addiction support group, although needless to say, she hasn’t reformed a whit. It’s not only the 12-step recovery process that comes under attack here. Horrible Bosses 2 is an equal-opportunity comic offender, aiming cheerful if halfhearted jabs at Hispanic women, Asian women, women in general, gay men and ethical business practices, all the while insulting every conventional notion of plausibility, common sense and good taste. In the end, the movie reserves most of its abuse for its three top-billed stooges, which gives it a redundancy that might also be called brand consistency. As in the frst flm, the actors seem to be riffng as much as reciting, their antic verbal
December 4–10, 2014
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SHORT REVIEWS
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Penguins of Madagascar (PG) ★★✩✩✩
Charming in small doses, the Penguins of Madagascar are less irresistible in their feature-length starring debut. The intent is to explore the backstory of the penguin quartet from the previous Madagascar films. Dr. Octavius Brine (voiced by John Malkovich) is an octopus disguised as an eccentric human scientist who hates penguins. Brine commands an octopus army with the plan of turning penguins a into mutants. The jokes may be plentiful, but they’re rarely inspired.
Foxcatcher (R) ★★★✩✩
Director Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher is a truecrime drama hailed as a modern classic since it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival. The facts are rich. In 1996, on his Foxcatcher Farm estate, wrestling enthusiast and chemical company heir John du Pont killed Olympic gold medalist Dave Schultz. When we first see Channing Tatum’s Mark, he’s speaking before students. Steve Carell portrays du Pont, and it’s a canny performance. Mark Ruffalo as Dave Schultz plays the script’s one truly happy man. Foxcatcher grapples with the subjects of class and money.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 (PG-13) ★★★✩✩
This is a worthy third movie in the Suzanne Collins franchise—destined to satisfy the legions of filmgoers willing to swing with a lot of scheming and skulking in an underground bunker in order to get to the revolution. The third book in Collins’ dystopian-lit juggernaut has been halved. And it works. Not everything in Mockingjay is dynamic; director Francis Lawrence occasionally mistakes somnambulance for solemnity. The series wraps up with the release of Mockingjay 2 in November 2015.
and physical energy (modulated by Eric Kissack’s editing) offsetting the absence of visual wit in this grubby, cobbled-together production. Once more, Bateman plays the sensible, put-upon leader, though Nick’s Rrated shenanigans with Julia allow him to cut loose, getting more action than Sudeikis’ swaggering horndog. The wild card this time is Day, who seems to have imbibed helium in between takes. There are times when you might wish he’d tone it down, but toning it down would probably have reduced Horrible Bosses 2 to the level of forgettable mediocrity rather than the memorable, even indelible awfulness to which it cheerfully and sometimes successfully aspires. Horrible Bosses 2 (R) ★★✩✩✩
By Tribune Media Services
The Homesman (R) ★★★✩✩
Director, co-writer and star Tommy Lee Jones’ The Homesman is a film out of time. It takes place in 1855, the year after the creation of the Nebraska Territory. Frustratingly uneven, rarely dull, it comes from Glendon Swarthout’s 1988 novel and deals with isolated characters living in the margins of history far away from the historic gunfights or the Colorado Rockies. We first see the virtuous single farm woman Mary Bee Cuddy behind a two-horse plow, and when you have Hilary Swank playing this sort of role, that’s a ton of virtue straight off.
The Theory of Everything (PG-13) ★★★✩✩
Beyond The Lights (PG-13) ★★★✩✩
Rosewater (R) ★★★✩✩
Dumb and Dumber To (PG-13) ★★★✩✩
You can’t entirely trust this romanticized portrait of astrophysicist Stephen Hawking and his first wife, Jane. The film is a story of a marriage that survives in the face of crushing disease, and within the framework of a caretaker scenario that led to Jane’s depression in the midst of Stephen’s global fame. As Hawking, Eddie Redmayne has the most interesting role of his career, and he’s up to it. In a more recessive role, Felicity Jones is hints at Jane’s internal struggles even when the film chooses a more decorous route.
The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart makes his first-feature film, and it works. Stewart has serious talent behind the camera, as well as a sense of humor. He’s telling his fictionalized version of the story of Maziar Bahari, a journalist covering the 2009 elections in Iran for Newsweek. Shortly after appearing in a Daily Show segment, the reporter was arrested and tossed in a Tehran prison. The excellent prison scenes with Bahari (Gael Garcia Bernal) and the interrogator/torturer known to Bahari as Rosewater (Kim Bodnia), after the cologne he wears, anchor the film.
Interstellar (PG-13) ★★★✩✩
A knockout one minute, a punch-drunk crazy film the next, this Interstellar is a highly stimulating mess. Emotionally it’s also a mess, and that’s what makes it worth its 169 minutes. Simple, elemental human feeling. The film takes the time and the narrative space to explore several worlds. When McConaughey breaks down watching years-old messages from his son, he weeps. And even Zimmer’s music backs down, allowing the scene to breathe, play out and—like the best of this crazy, mixed-up, heartfelt endeavor—matter.
Beyond the Lights is another pain-behindthe-music romance. But it’s so well written, cast and played that we lose ourselves in it all. This hip-hop-era Bodyguard has heart and soul, thanks to stars Gugu MbathaRaw, Minnie Driver and Nate Parker. Rising hip-hop phenom Noni (Mbatha-Raw) is dating a star rapper, doesn’t drink and never loses track of the album that’s about to drop. Her driven stage mother/manager (Driver) keeps Noni focused. But Noni is in misery. Can the cop assigned to guard her door (Parker) save her?
Twenty years after they lowered the bar on dumb character comedies, Lloyd and Harry are back. Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels energetically reprise their popular roles. Harry needs a kidney donor, so the two head off in search of the dopey bombshell (Rachel Melvin) who might be his daughter and a potential donor match. Comedy left the Farrelly brothers behind more than 10 years ago, and even their best efforts at reviving their PG-13 Three Stooges style feel old-fashioned and tired.
Low Down (R) ★★★★✩
The movie is an impressive, street-level feature debut from director Jeff Preiss. It’s based on the book Low Down: Junk, Jazz, and Other Fairy Tales From Childhood, in which Amy-Jo Albany, daughter of jazz pianist Joe Albany, wrote about her riskprone, caretaking childhood. Lena Headey plays Amy-Jo’s hostile drunk of a mother. While the writing in her scenes feels less authentic—more like an actress speaking writerly lines than a real-life character—it’s a minor glitch in a tough-minded, empathetic portrait of dreamers on the edge.
Marketplace
Marketplace
Marketplace
BETTING
RACE TO THE FINAL FOUR Expect a surprise (or two) as teams make their last push to get into college football’s inaugural playof GENERALLY, I’M NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF
issuing guarantees. But this being the holiday season—which means an abundance of eggnog … which of course is only tolerable with bourbon—I’ve got a little liquid courage worked up. So here are three stone-cold locks for this weekend: 1) I’ll be setting the DVR to record the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show (10 p.m. Dec. 9 on CBS—you’re welcome); 2) Some cowboy in town for the NFR will walk into a nightclub and order the DJ to play some Blake Shelton and Lady Antebellum; and 3) One of the teams vying for the four spots in the inaugural college football playoff will go down—at least one. OK, so there’s nothing particularly bold about the frst two statements. And, honestly, I’m not really stepping out on a limb with the third. Because every year there’s usually at least one upset around this time that alters the national championship picture. So which title contender(s) is most likely to trip up? Let’s handicap the odds, in order of the most recent college football playoff rankings: No. 1 Alabama (-14½) vs. Missouri (SEC Championship): The Crimson Tide have ripped off seven straight victories since suffering their only loss back on October 4 (23-17 at Ole Miss). It hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for Nick Saban’s squad, though: Alabama barely squeaked by Arkansas 14-13; needed overtime to rally past LSU 20-13; and trailed Auburn 33-21 last week before turning on the jets and pulling away 55-44. Meanwhile, Missouri is riding a six-game winning streak (5-1 ATS), including three consecutive outright upsets. In fact, going back to mid-October 2013, the Tigers are 8-1 as an underdog. The bad news: That one loss was ugly: 34-0 at home to Georgia. Upset odds: 4-to-1 No. 2 Oregon (-14) vs. No. 7 Arizona (Pac-12 Championship): Like Alabama, Oregon has won seven in a row since its only loss. But that loss was to Arizona. At home. As a 21½-point favorite (31-24 fnal). The Ducks also fell 42-16 to the Wildcats last year (as a 20½-point chalk), and despite being favored in each of the last 10 meetings (seven times by double digits), Oregon is just 6-4 SU and 3-7 ATS against Arizona. The Wildcats have won four in a row, and their only two losses (to USC and UCLA) were by a total of 12 points. Upset odds: 2-to-1 No. 3 TCU (-34) vs. Iowa State: TCU has averaged 46.3 points during
MATT JACOB
LUCKY SEVEN
Georgia Tech +4 vs.Florida St. (Best Bet) Wisconsin -4 vs. Ohio State Arizona +14.5 vs. Oregon Boise State -20.5 vs. Fresno State Chiefs +1 at Cardinals Seahawks +1 at Eagles Patriots-Chargers OVER 51
its current six-game winning streak. Iowa State has surrendered an average of 42.4 points during a fve-game losing skid. The Horned Frogs are averaging 46.8 ppg at home; the Cyclones are allowing 34 ppg on the road. In other words, sure, TCU could lose this game … and I could be the next president of the United States. Upset odds: 500-to-1 No. 4 Florida State (-4) vs. George Tech (ACC Championship): The undefeated, defending-champion Seminoles are 40-2 since November 2011, winning their last 28 in a row. And yet they’re barely hanging on to a playoff spot. The reason? They’ve had just four dominant victories this year (one of those was against The Citadel), and they’ve cheated death more often than Suge Knight, with six wins by a total of 28 points (the last three by a total of 12 points). Now FSU catches red-hot Georgia Tech, which has won and covered fve in a row, including three outright upsets after stunning Georgia in overtime last week. Uh-oh! Upset odds: Even No. 5 Ohio State (+4) vs. Wisconsin (Big Ten Championship): That’s right: Despite a 10-game winning streak, the Buckeyes are underdogs against Wisconsin. That’s because they lost their starting quarterback before the season started, then lost their surprisingly impressive backup quarterback in the regularseason fnale—and their third-string quarterback is a sophomore who has thrown 19 passes in his college career. I believe Urban Meyer, a world-class jackass, now knows the defnition of karma … “Upset” odds: 1-to-3 Last Week: 3-4 (1-3 NFL; 2-1 college; 0-1 Best Bet). Season Record: 46-45 (23-25 NFL; 23-20 college; 4-9 Best Bets).
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EXCLUDING SPECIAL EVENTS AND HOLIDAYS. OFFER VALID ON SELECT DOMESTIC DRAFTS AND AVAILABLE DURING ALL COLLEGE AND PRO GAMES.
SEVEN QUESTIONS
HEART
House of Blues Las Vegas Dec. 5-7, 8 p.m. $55-$125. HouseOfBlues.com/ Las Vegas, 800-745-3000.
changed my life. Since that time, it has always been my dream to sing a duet with him. I had heard him perform “Please Come Home for Christmas,” and knew it had to be that song. Can we expect any jingle-bell jams in your set at House of Blues?
I can see us playing “Ring the Bells.” But I don’t think we will play too much from the holiday disc. I anticipate that our fans will be happy to hear our own original material, and of course a few covers. As a Seattle band, you had a front-row seat to the ebb and flow of guitar-based music. How did Heart avoid being tagged as a “power-ballad act” after your slew of ’80s radio hits?
That’s an easy question to answer: We have never followed trends, because that’s artistic suicide. Hold on, wait, I stand corrected: For two short years out of 40, we were trend-followers and enjoyed relative success with a handful of ballads. But we escaped that cycle by being true to ourselves and to the music we loved. Loud rock ’n’ roll is coming back again, it seems, don’t you think?
I’m glad bands are playing heavy again, because it just goes to show that rock isn’t dead. Pop music is not killing rock. Electronic dance music is not killing rock. Rock is a pretty powerful force. It’s so primal; it’s deep inside people’s bodies, and it’s not going away anytime soon. Heart has always had a brilliant acoustic side. In your arrangements, how do you decide whether to plug in or not? I’m thinking of, specifically, the Led Zeppelin-shanty of “Safronia’s Mark” off 2010’s Red Velvet Car.
Ann Wilson
December 4–10, 2014
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VegasSeven.com
The Heart singer on Christmas albums, deep cuts and never planning ahead
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By Jarret Keene This week Heart released a new CD/DVD called Heart & Friends: Home for the Holidays. Christmas discs are a tricky enterprise, due to the inherent schmaltz, right?
Home for the Holidays isn’t specifically aimed at a Christmas audience. So many Christmas albums seem throwaway, because the efforts are so calculated. You know, the bands gather in the studio every July, with
the intention of releasing a product in November. We tried to do something that had a little more to it than that by actually recording during the holidays this time last year, and by encompassing all the major religions of the world. We perform some holiday songs and some classic songs with different types of artists participating. It was really a nice
mix of talents and a great project. What spurred you to tackle “Please Come Home for Christmas” with Aaron Neville?
Have you heard his voice? The main reason was an opportunity to sing with him. He has always been one of my biggest singing idols. When I was in junior high school, he had his hit “Tell It Like It Is,” which practically
The songs live and have a life of their own. They tell you what they want, and you obey. “Safronia’s Mark” is a deep cut. It’s almost like a folk song. That one all came straight from the imagery of the lyrics and the chord progressions. But each one is its own baby, demanding things—electric guitar here, acoustic there. So it’s two weeks before your Vegas microresidency at House of Blues Las Vegas, and you haven’t decided on a set list?
We’ve never planned things out ahead very well, and because we’ve played together for so many years, we don’t have to calculate as much. You used the term “micro-residency” or whatever, but people are people wherever you go. For us, it’s three gigs in Las Vegas. Don’t think I’m blasé about it! But the Strip headliners needn’t worry too much.