The Year in Pictures | Vegas Seven Magazine | December 24- January 7, 2014 by Vegas Seven

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18 | THE LATEST

“The return of ‘one heckuva Vegas show’?” by Geoff Carter. Always the trendsetter, Steve Wynn is at it again with ShowStoppers, which just might turn back this town’s entertainment clock. Plus, CCSD leans on Teach for America and Peeve of the Week.

20 | Politics

“Getting It Right,” by Michael Green. Republicans scored a knockout at the polls in 2014. When they enter office in 2015, we’ll find out if they can land another big punch.

22 | Going for Broke

“The More, the Merrier,” by Matt Jacob. Watered-down bowl season can be intoxicating for bettors.

24 | THE YEAR IN PICTURES A look back at the images that made 2014 so memorable.

33 | NIGHTLIFE

“New Year’s Guide 2015,” by Kat Boehrer and Camille Cannon. Everywhere you could be for the big ‘3 ... 2 ... 1.’ Plus, Q&As with Zen Freeman and DJ Khaled.

65 | DINING

Al Mancini on Hearthstone. Plus, why the World Food Championships won’t be returning, Dishing With Grace and Cocktail Culture.

71 | A&E

“Mock Stars,” by Lissa Townsend Rodgers. Why tribute bands are getting almost famous in Vegas. Plus, new movie-themed exhibits at Mob Museum, Trifecta’s last show, The Hit List, Tour Buzz and a review of Brian Setzer Orchestra in concert.

78 | Movies

The Babadook and our weekly movie capsules.

94 | Seven Questions

New UNLV football coach Tony Sanchez on making the jump from high school, the Fertitta donation rumors and whether his old team could beat his new team.

DEPARTMENTS

15 16 19 22 42 77 ON THE COVER Photo by Evan Habeeb/ USA Today Sports

| | | | | |

Dialogue Event Seven Days The Deal Seven Nights Showstopper

LAS VEGAS’ WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE

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Matt Jacob Paul Szydelko, Xania Woodman A&E EDITOR Cindi Reed ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jason Scavone SENIOR WRITERS Steve Bornfeld, Geoff Carter, Lissa Townsend Rodgers CALENDAR COORDINATOR Camille Cannon EDITOR

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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Melinda Sheckells (style), Michael Green (politics), Al Mancini (dining), David G. Schwartz (gaming/hospitality)

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DIALOGUE EDITOR’S NOTE Picture Perfect for nearly five years, we here at Vegas Seven have been blessed to work with some of the fnest writers not only in this city, but in the entire region—if not beyond. But sometimes a story is best told with a minimal amount of words … and sometimes, with no words at all. It was with this thought in mind that I challenged creative director Ryan Olbrysh several months ago to begin gathering the most memorable photographs from the most memorable stories of 2014. Turns out Olbrysh’s biggest challenge wasn’t fnding the photos as much as it was determining which ones we’d have to leave on the cutting-room foor. In the end, I think you’ll fnd that Olbrysh’s selections serve as a visually captivating representation of what was yet another extraordinary year in the Las Vegas Valley. One thing’s for certain: If it’s indeed true that a picture’s worth a thousand words, then we’ve got War and Peace waiting for you starting on Page 24. – Matt Jacob

➜

OUR SITES TO SEE READY, AIM … MISS

With 30 percent of the season over, the UNLV basketball team is still dealing with the same major problem that plagued the squad last year: The Rebels can’t shoot. Mike Grimala provides some perspective on what’s keeping the Rebels from racking up more points at RunRebs.com/Shooting. And follow all of Grimala’s pre- and post-game analysis throughout the season at RunRebs.com.

GETTING TECHNICAL

A few of our fledgling companies received an early Christmas gift in the form of new funding. Find out the details, plus learn which New York newcomer decided to open offices in Las Vegas, as Nicole Ely provides the scoop on the Valley’s tech scene at VegasSeven.com/Bytes.

TIKI COMES TO CHINATOWN

Those wanting a Polynesian oasis in the middle of the desert are in luck: Chinatown is getting its first tiki bar. Food writer Al Mancini dishes on what to expect when you’re sipping your rum cocktails at VegasSeven.com/Tiki.

A PERFECT PAIRING

Peanut butter and jelly. Milk and cookies … Whiskey and doughnuts? Hell, yeah, that’s a thing. And Downtown food writer Jessie O’Brien is prepared to take you through the neighborhood’s sugary (and boozy) duos at DTLV. com/Doughnuts.

FACEBOOK: /VegasSeven TWITTER: /7Vegas INSTAGRAM: /VegasSeven

EVENT

JINGLE BELL BALL

UPCOMING EVENTS • Jan. 8-11

Zelzah Shrine Circus at Orleans Arena [OrleansArena.com] • Jan. 24 Stars and Stardust at the Neon Museum [NeonMuseum.org]

PHOTOS BY AMIT DADL ANEY

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

VegasSeven.com

Santa arrived early for the Jingle Bell Ball on Dec. 20 at Fremont Country Club. Nearly 200 guests, including pro BMX rider Ricardo Laguna, mingled with St. Nick. Attendees also enjoyed wine, snacks and live performances from local musicians Sasha Sirota and Almost Normal. More than 50 silent auction items—from concert tickets and hotel packages to signed rock ’n’ roll memorabilia—raised about $3,000 for multiple sclerosis research at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and the Keep Memory Alive organization.

“Baylor, still ticked that it got passed over for a spot in the playoff, might arrive in Dallas with as much enthusiasm as a patient showing up for a colonoscopy.”

GOING FOR BROKE {PAGE 22}

The Return of ‘One Heckuva Vegas Show’? Always the trendsetter, Steve Wynn is at it again with ShowStoppers, which just might turn back this town’s entertainment clock By Geoff Carter

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

VegasSeven.com

IN 1981, WHEN I WAS 14 YEARS OLD, I SAW MY

frst Las Vegas show. Siegfried & Roy: Beyond Belief had just begun what would be a seven-year run at the Frontier, and my parents deemed it suitable for my 6-year-old sister and me on two accounts: It had magic, and it wasn’t topless. Imagine my disappointment when I perused the program and learned that the late show included “the Beyond Belief nudes.” How dare Las Vegas grow a conscience on my behalf! It didn’t know my tastes. I remember Beyond Belief as being … quaint? Corny? At the time, Las Vegas entertainment was stigmatized as being hopelessly atavistic, and even as a teenager I was dimly aware of that. The Strip, circa 1981, was dominated by fading headliners—your Paul

Ankas, your Ann-Margrets—and (topless) variety shows such as Lido de Paris and Jubilee! This was several years before the very idea of “Las Vegas Entertainment” was changed—and as he did with so many other aspects of Las Vegas, I would argue Steve Wynn was the one who changed it. Consider: Who took Jay Sarno’s wild idea of building entertainment elements into the resort itself—outside of the showrooms, where anyone could see it for free—and blew it up to volcano size? Who frst brought Cirque du Soleil to the Strip (setting off a kind of sexy circus arms race in the process)? Who added high art to casino foors, where people continue to not notice it? Who pretty much set the bar on superstar residencies

by paying Garth Brooks millions to come out of retirement, then millions more for a private jet so Brooks could commute to his part-time job in the desert? And who hoisted Siegfried & Roy out of the varietyshow-with-boobs rut and built an epic, Disney-style production around them—complete with a fucking Michael Jackson theme song? Wynn not only did these things, but he has dominated the Strip long enough to casually dismiss the trends he himself created. The reason I’m bringing it up now? Because he appears to be doing it again, with Steve Wynn’s ShowStoppers. The multimillion-dollar Broadway spectacular that opened last week in the Encore Theater is a

collection of “show-stopping” numbers from classic Broadway shows. Granted, ShowStoppers doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel—in fact, with no central story, it’s basically Wynn’s Broadway mixtape. (He even narrates the show’s transitions, an odd choice with so many great performers onstage capable of doing the job.) And while it’s often wonderful to look at and packed with terrifc, high-energy singers and dancers, when all is said and done, it’s not that far removed from the musical variety shows of Vegas yesteryear. (I got a real Jubilee! buzz during a rhinestone-studded version of “Razzle Dazzle” from Chicago.) It is big, atavistic and, yes, corny at times. And you know something? That’s fne. ShowStoppers is exactly what we need now. Just look at the world we live in: Cirque seems maxed out. Our big-money headliners—Celine Dion, Santana, Elton John—are thisclose to retiring from the stage, if they haven’t already decided to do so. Britney Spears doesn’t have the depth of following those performers do, and isn’t making many new fans just below drinking age. It’s time for the full-cheesy Vegas variety show to come back. We’re ready for it. We’re ready for a full-on return to sequined outfts, juggled chainsaws and squirm-inducing big-band versions of recent hits. We’ve exhausted our money and resources pursuing what we think the world wants Las Vegas to be, when all the while tourists have been coming here hoping to fnd what we were. We have to change the game—so why not go with what we’ve known, and give these people one heckuva Vegas show? Las Vegas is plainly entering a new phase, one that de-emphasizes gaming in favor of hospitality and entertainment. I can’t say I’m surprised to see Wynn leading the way to a new paradigm; you can say what you will about the man’s politics or personal taste, but you can’t deny that he’s helped to keep the lights on these past two decades. I wholeheartedly believe that his ShowStoppers will bring us full circle entertainment-wise, at a time when this city desperately needs to start again. And if some of those new variety shows happen to be topless, I suppose that’s between us and our conscience.

PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

News, politics, deals and a historical ride down Hacienda Avenue

By Bob Whitby FRIDAY, DEC. 26: You know the old

adage that no matter how good you are at something, there’s someone who’s better? Keep that in mind as you attend SkillCon, the “ultimate skills convention,” today through Jan. 2 at the Riviera. From sign spinning to bartending to gaming, this is a celebration of talent like you’ve never seen. Skillcon.org.

Help Wanted CCSD leans on Teach for America to help solve stafng shortage By Lissa Townsend Rodgers THE CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS ITS ISSUES, BUT

staffng—or more specifcally the lack of it—may top the list. When the school year began in August, CCSD was scrambling to fll more than 600 teaching spots. By the time winter break hit, there were still hundreds of vacancies. One potential solution is renewing the district’s contract with Teach for America, which recruits people who don’t have an education degree but are interested in teaching, puts them through a fveweek boot camp and sends them into a classroom. Over the next three years, CCSD will hire up to 175 teachers who have been recruited and trained by Teach for America, for which the district will pay $2,000 per teacher (as well as salary and benefts). “It’s a really great deal for us,” says Staci Vesneske, chief human resources offcer for the Clark County School District, noting that the district only pays about 5 percent of the total cost of preparing a TFA

teacher (the remaining cost is covered by philanthropic donations). Of course, that’s only a fraction of the more than 2,000 teachers Vesneske says CCSD will be hiring over the next several years. “TFA has a commitment to placing their teachers in high-needs schools, schools that tend to be in [higher] poverty areas, and that’s where our vacancies tend to be,” she says. “The retention rate is lower in the poverty schools than the suburban areas.” Speaking of retention, there have been concerns nationally about frequent turnover of Teach for America instructors, who agree to a two-year obligation when hired. However, Vesneske insists that’s not an issue here. “The majority actually do stay longer,” Vesneske says, adding that, after three years, the retention rate for TFA teachers is about 67 percent, compared to about 73 percent for traditional CCSD teachers. There could be one glitch in CCSD’s plan: Teach for America is facing its own recruitment issues. A note recently sent to partner organizations by TFA’s leadership states that political turmoil around educational issues and “shaky district budgets” have led to “decreased interest in entering the feld nationwide.” But Vesneske doesn’t believe that will affect Las Vegas, since CCSD and Teach for America have long-range plans that give the organization plenty of time to recruit and prepare teachers. “We need a lot of teachers,” Vesneske says. “And the focus is on getting the best teacher in front of those kids.”

SATURDAY, DEC. 27: If you’ve ever wondered what Kwanzaa is all about, head over to the West Las Vegas Arts Center, 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd., between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. It’s Kwanzaa 2014: A Celebration of African Values, Culture & Community, and it features a marketplace, dance classes, yoga, a play and other aspects of this traditional celebration. ArtsLasVegas.org. SUNDAY, DEC. 28: Get a lump of coal in your stocking this Christmas? Turn it into science at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum’s Holiday Science program. This weekend’s feature is all about the traditions of giving coal—as a bonus, you’ll use chemistry to unlock a surprise in that lump. 12:30 p.m. at the museum; LVNHM.org. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31: While there’s a ton of boozy fun to be had tonight, if you have kids, New Year’s Eve can be kind of dull. Downtown Container Park has a solution: a kid-friendly party that kicks off at 6 p.m. and culminates at 9 p.m., which, you know, is when the East Coast rings in 2015. They’ll have games, dance contests and music, and you’ll be back home in time to hit the town, adult style. DowntownContainerPark.com. SUNDAY, JAN. 4: Ice skating season in Las Vegas is

winding down. Tonight is your last chance to glide around on the Cosmopolitan’s Boulevard Pool, which offers one of the trippiest rinks in the world with its commanding view of the Strip and the Cosmo’s giant LED screen. CosmopolitanLasVegas.com.

TUESDAY, JAN. 6: Can you think of a better way to kick [ PEEVE OF THE WEEK ]

A DEARTH OF NEW YEAR’S EVE OPTIONS All the usual New Year’s Eve complaints are justified and well-worn: It’s strictly for twice-a-year drinkers; you can’t get a cab; it never lives up to the hype, etc. But how about the fact that your choice of venues comes down to dealing with the total shitshows on the Strip and Fremont Street, or going to one of your favorite haunts that’s crickets-chirping empty because everyone else is at one of those shitshows? The perfect New Year’s Eve should have 20 to 40 percent more people than normal at your favorite bar, a well-dressed crowd that can handle their booze for a reasonable period of time, and a well-earned slur-off between you and whoever’s left upright come 3 a.m. Short of that, what’s the alternative? House parties? And run the risk of the Champagne running dry by 12:15? We’re not barbarians, you know.

off 2015 than with a gory musical starring George Wendt? Neither can we, which is why we’ll be front and center for Re-Animator, The Musical, today through Jan. 18 at The Smith Center. Based on a book by H.P. Lovecraft, this play tells the tale of a plucky young scientist who discovers a serum to revive the deceased. But things don’t go as planned. 8 p.m., TheSmithCenter.com.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7: Psssst … buddy: Christmas is over. Time to get that tree out of the house. A “green” way to dump your tree is to take it to one of dozens of recycling centers around the Valley, where it will be turned into mulch. Springs Preserve has a list of such places on its website, SpringsPreserve.org.

Republicans scored a knockout at the polls in 2014. When they enter ofce in 2015, we’ll fnd out if they can land another big punch. A YEAR AGO, IF YOU HAD PREDICTED

ON I-15, THERE'S AN OVERPASS MARKED “HACIENDA AVENUE.” WAS THERE ONCE A LARGE SPANISH ESTATE LOCATED NEAR THERE?

Cresent Hardy getting elected to Congress was one of the big political upsets of 2014.

Cresent Hardy would be elected to Congress, Michele Fiore would be in (and out of) the leadership of the Nevada Assembly and Barbara Cegavske would be our secretary of state, you would have been sent to the Nevada State Home for the Prediction Impaired. And by now, you would have been released. Hardy, Fiore and Cegavske are the poster children for the obvious political story of 2014—the Republican sweep at the polls—but they also represent the impact of that story. Amid all of the talk of who’s up and who’s down, we tend to forget that those elected to offce are then put in a position to do something for us … or to us. And that just might be the most signifcant takeaway from the November election. Led by surprise winners such as Hardy, the GOP strengthened its position in Washington, D.C., adding to its House majority while taking over the Senate. Hardy doesn’t fgure to become the toast of 24/7 cable or a name on everybody’s lips, but he and his views exemplify what will be a more conservative Congress. They also represent, from Nevada’s perspective, a more signifcant story: Harry Reid will no longer be the Senate majority leader. Whatever your opinion of Reid—and there are certainly those who love him and those who loathe him, even if many who loathe him don't know exactly why—he’s still the key cog in Nevada’s delegation on Capitol Hill. That hasn’t changed. This hasn’t changed either: Reid is running for re-election in two years, and whatever he does between now and then will be viewed in that context. At the same time, unless something unforeseen happens to change his mind, Governor Brian Sandoval won’t be Reid’s opponent. But until Sandoval defnitively and publicly makes that proclamation, everything he does will be seen in the context of whether he might run against Reid. Meanwhile, Fiore’s selection as majority leader, which was fraught with more twists than the entire set of Sherlock Holmes novels, speaks to Republican success in Nevada. The Assembly went from 27-15 Democratic to 25-17 Republican; the state Senate fipped, too, though that seemed more plausible. What does all this mean, both in the game of politics and real life? For one thing, the Republican Party was successful for a bitterly divided group—and it is indeed divided, between the very conservative and the very, very conservative. That wasn’t necessarily a problem in Assembly and state Senate districts during the campaign, but it could be a big problem when they try to govern. Still another problem is that Democrats, especially Hispanic Democrats, didn’t vote. Why they didn’t can be attributed to a combination of “midtermitis”—a disease that often afficts Democrats who don’t understand that nonpresidential

J A M E S P. R E Z A

elections do matter— and anger that Democrats, and especially President Barack Obama, didn’t produce immigration reform. This, too, will affect what unfolds in 2015 as Democrats try to fgure out how to convince Hispanics to return to the polls—and vote for them. Republicans, of course, will have something to say about that, which brings us to Cegavske’s victory. Republicans also swept all six statewide offces in 2002, so it isn’t as though their 2014 victories are unprecedented. But the winners that year included Governor Kenny Guinn, Secretary of State Dean Heller and Attorney General Brian Sandoval, none of whom was known as tilting all the way to the right. Conversely, no one can question the right-wing bona fdes of Cegavske or Attorney General-elect Adam Laxalt. Take, for instance, Cegavske’s support for stricter voter ID laws, which many legislative Republicans seem likely to support, even if it might hurt them with Hispanic GOP voters. It’s conceivable that Sandoval will also back Cegavske’s plan, even though the national party has involved the governor in efforts to cultivate the Hispanic vote— assuming they’re permitted to vote. Bottom line: Without question, the story of 2014 was how Republicans prevailed at the polls. But the story of 2015 will be about the success or failure of their policies—and what those results mean politically. Indeed, politics and policy are inseparable. Much may have changed, but that fact never will. Michael Green is an associate professor of history at UNLV.

A Spanish estate in a Western town with a Spanish name seems reasonable. And there was indeed an estate there—an expansive gambling estate known as the Hacienda Resort Hotel & Casino. During its early construction phase, the project was named “Lady Luck,” but, as was the case with several other casinos here, financing (and ownership) changed during construction. So did the name, which left “Lady Luck” available for Andrew Tompkins to rechristen his newly acquired Downtown property Honest John’s (now known as the Downtown Grand). The sprawling, low-slung Hacienda was open from 1956-1996 on the south Strip spot where Mandalay Bay (1999) now stands. In its early years, the Hacienda was far removed from other Strip development, and therefore closer to McCarran International Airport than any other casino. That proximity explains why the resort was bold enough to fly its own airline, a junket service consisting of small white planes emblazoned with the resort’s name in its recognizable Western-style font. Obviously, many of our streets were named after casinos. Less obvious is that some of them were rechristened after gambling execs petitioned city officials to recognize their occupying resorts. Setting the standard of almost always erring on the side of positive PR, those city officials honored those petitions. With the help of Clark County Museum Administrator Mark Hall-Patton, I found those renamed streets include Tropicana (formerly Bond Road), Flamingo (Monson Road), Sahara (San Francisco Street), Circus Circus (Keno Drive) and Riviera (Racetrack Road). (Desert Inn and Hacienda were originally unnamed access roads and did not require renaming.) This free advertising worked out beautifully for the namesake casinos, but it was costly to other businesses along the renamed roads. In November 1962, former Las Vegas Sun publisher Hank Greenspun penned a sarcastic editorial regarding the renaming phenomenon; it’s available through the Sun's online archives and worth a read for its historical context. Also of historical note: You can still see the Hacienda’s iconic “horse and rider” sign. It has been restored and repositioned on Las Vegas Boulevard near Fremont Street as part of the Neon Museum’s collection. It serves as a gorgeous, twinkling reminder of both our city’s role in elevating nighttime signage to art form and the authentic cowboy roots of our once tiny desert outpost. Oh, and if you pass by and notice any of those twinkly incandescent bulbs are burned out, contact the City of Las Vegas, not the Neon Museum. Questions? AskaNative@VegasSeven.com.

ILLUSTRATION BY JON ESTRADA

THE LATEST VegasSeven.com

| December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

Getting It Right

Watered-down bowl season can be intoxicating for bettors

Despite a 29-game winning streak, Jameis Winston and Florida State are a huge underdog in the Rose Bowl.

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

VegasSeven.com

IS COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S BOWL SEASON

more diluted than my late grandmother’s 5 p.m. rinsed-out-yogurtcup of Chablis on the rocks? You tell me: This year, 12 teams with a 6-6 regular season record qualifed for a bowl. Even more laughable, a 13th team (Fresno State) was invited to play in a Christmas Eve bowl game—in Hawaii—despite a 6-7 record! Talk about being rewarded for a job, well, done. So, yeah, it’s ludicrous that nearly 60 percent of Division I-A squads (76 of 128) qualify for postseason play. But who among us hasn’t accepted something we haven’t earned? (Cut to Jay Cutler nodding while he aloofy counts his millions.) So rather than poke fun at the Duck Commander Independence Bowl (which matches 6-6 Miami against 6-6 South Carolina), or take cheap shots at those 52 teams that couldn’t even reach mediocrity—who knew UNLV would ever have anything in common with Michigan?!?—let’s just sift through the remaining bowl schedule, fnd some point-spread winners and pray my fnal bowl record (off to a 3-0 start) more resembles Alabama’s than Fresno State’s … Michigan State +3 vs. Baylor (Jan. 1, Best Bet): Most bettors would rather brush their teeth with ghost pepper-favored toothpaste then gargle with turpentine than back a plodding Big Ten team against a feet-footed Big 12 opponent. Well, all I know is the Spartans are 10-2-1 against the spread in their last 13 games as an underdog— including eight outright upsets, three of which occurred in their last three bowl games! Michigan State has also proven itself quite capable away from home this year,

MATT JACOB

going 4-1 (only loss at Oregon). Then there’s the motivation angle: Michigan State will show up to the Cotton Bowl eager to win its fourth straight bowl game; Baylor, still ticked that it got passed over for a spot in the College Football Playoff, might arrive in Dallas with as much enthusiasm as a patient showing up for a colonoscopy. Stanford -14 vs. Maryland (Dec. 30): There are but three doubledigit favorites out of 38 bowls, none bigger than Stanford—a team known more for its stifing defense (which allowed more than 20 points just twice in 12 games) than its explosive offense (which was limited to 20 points or less six times). So why lay this kind of wood, especially when Stanford’s 7-5 record is identical to Maryland’s? Several reasons: The Cardinal are coming off consecutive convincing road victories (38-17 at Cal; 31-10 at UCLA); they’re 14-7 ATS as a double-digit favorite under coach David Shaw (4-0 this year); and Maryland went 0-3 against the three most physical opponents it faced (Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan State), losing by an average of 32 ppg. Furthermore, this Foster Farms Bowl in Santa Clara, California, is being played in Stanford’s backyard. Texas-Arkansas UNDER 45.5 (Dec. 29): Just as I’m not shying away from backing the biggest bowl favorite of 2014, I’m also not afraid to play the “under” in the Texas Bowl, which sports the second-lowest total of

the postseason. While both offenses often need Siri’s help to fnd the end zone when facing top defenses, both stop units rank among the best in the country. In fact, Arkansas allowed a grand total of 55 points in its fnal fve games, while the Longhorns held seven of 12 opponents under 24 points. Together, the teams saw 16 of 24 games stay “under” the total. Plus, with this being another matchup of 6-6 squads, this game is destined to be a snoozer. Florida State +9 vs. Oregon (Jan. 1): One of these teams has won 29 games in a row, is the defending national champion and is 4-0 in bowl games under its current coach. The other team is a notorious underachiever on the biggest stage … and is a 9-point favorite in this Rose Bowl. Yeah, I know: Oregon has been a machine both on the feld and at the betting window (eight consecutive wins and covers). Meanwhile, from a point-spread perspective, Florida State (3-10 ATS) was a bigger disappointment than Anchorman 2. Still … 29 consecutive wins! On top of that, this is the frst time in 49 games the Seminoles have been an underdog—and the frst time since 2009 they’ve been this big of a ’dog. Give me the points (says the handicapper who never gets Oregon right …) Best of the Rest: Rutgers-North Carolina OVER 66.5; Arizona State -7.5 vs. Duke; LSU -7.5 vs. Notre Dame; Louisville +7 vs. Georgia; Auburn -6.5 vs. Wisconsin; Missouri +5.5 vs. Minnesota. Last Week: 5-2 (0-1 Best Bet). Bowl Record: 3-0 Season Record: 55-55-1 (29-32-1 NFL; 26-23 college; 5-10-1 Best Bets).

CATCH THE BLUE GUYS, DIRK AND MAC ON THE CHEAP Are you having visitors for the holidays? If so, you know they’re gonna want to catch a show during their stay. Here are three particularly good show plays that will serve you well when entertaining family and friends—or even if you’re just entertaining yourself. Visitors tend to want to see an A-list show, and a current locals-only twofer from the Monte Carlo fills the bill. Until the end of the year, get 2-for-1 tickets to the Blue Man Group by calling 702-730-7010 and mentioning “locals.” You can also go to the box office with your local ID. This is a particularly strong offer, because the discount applies to three out of the four seating options, including the best seats and the least expensive ones. If you go for the latter, you’re looking at about $40 per ticket—a very good deal for Blue Man. The second play is the new Dirk Arthur Wild Illusions at the Riviera. This is a fun show featuring “big magic” (you know, cars and helicopters disappearing and reappearing out of nowhere). One element of this production that you won’t find elsewhere is live tigers and other exotic cats onstage. Because of the success of Siegfried & Roy, this used to be a staple of Las Vegas magic shows, but no longer. The combo of big illusions and big cats makes this an excellent familyfriendly option. This ticket is less than $50, but since the show recently opened at a slow time of year, half-price options will likely pop up, including one I’ve already found at Goldstar.com. Finally, there’s my longtime choice for the best show value in town: The Mac King Comedy Magic Show at Harrah’s. There’s a lot to like with this one. For starters, it plays in the afternoon at 1 and 3 p.m., so you have an alternative to going out late. Mac’s show appeals to all ages, blending magic that will entertain the kids with sophisticated comedy for the adults. The best part, though, is the deal. If you pay retail, the cost is $33 (plus fees)—not bad, but there’s a much better way to go. For years, a special promotional offer has included admission and a drink for just $9.95. When you consider the drink’s value, it’s like getting the show for less than $5. These promotional tickets used to be distributed in the Carnaval Court area, but no more (at least not consistently). Recently, they’ve been available in two places: the concierge desk in Harrah’s main registration area near the back and at the Total Rewards booth. Both hand them out with no special requirements. All you have to do is ask. If you try both locations and don’t get the tickets, don’t be shy; just go to the ticket counter and ask where they’re being distributed. They’ll tell you. Anthony Curtis is the publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor and LasVegasAdvisor.com.

PHOTO BY BOB DONNAN/USA TODAY SPORTS

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December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

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LAS VEGAS HAS LONG BEEN ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST VISUALLY APPEALING CITIES. 2014 WAS NO DIFFERENT.

J A N U A R Y 1 UNLV’s Marcus Sullivan (18) celebrates a touchdown catch with teammate Devante Davis in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. The catch gave the Rebels a 7-0 lead, but would prove to be their only highlight of the game—and, really, all of 2014. (Jerome Miron/USA Today Sports)

A P R I L 2 4 With Mr. Peanut by his side, controversial rancher Cliven Bundy departs after a news conference near his ranch in Bunkerville. As 2015 dawns, Bundy remains at odds with the BLM. (David Becker/Getty Images) J U N E 3 Giada De Laurentiis stirred up Las Vegas’ fine-dining scene with the opening of her namesake restaurant at the Cromwell. (Anthony Mair)

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M A R C H 3 1 The High Roller observation (don’t call it a Ferris) wheel becomes the latest addition to our city’s stunning skyline when it finally welcomed its first riders in early spring. (Anthony Mair)

F E B R U A R Y 1 3 Our cover story detailing chef Kerry Simon’s courageous battle against the rare and life-threatening disease Multiple System Atrophy was one of our most compelling of the year—as was this cover image that captured the rock ’n’ roll chef without his two signature features: long locks and youthful exuberance. (Anthony Mair)

J A N U A R Y 2 1 It was only a matter of time before our live-and-let-live state embraced the medical marijuana movement, and that time was 2014. Months before all the distillery and distribution debates, a representative from JM Plastics displayed a gas mask modified with a water pipe during the Champs Trade Show. (Jacob Kepler/Bloomberg)

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

J A N U A R Y 7 Every year, once the New Year’s crowd files out of town, the Consumer Electronics Show conventioneers file in, giving the world a virtual glimpse into the future ... or is it the past? (Darrin Bush/Las Vegas News Bureau)

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| December 25, 2014â&#x20AC;&#x201C;January 7, 2015

J U N E 1 2 Andrea Soldo is consoled by family members after receiving an American flag during the funeral services for her husband, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officer Igor Soldo, at Palm Northwest Mortuary & Cemetery. Days earlier, Soldo, 31, and fellow

officer Alyn Beck, 41, were gunned down by two assailants while on their lunch break at a pizza restaurant in the northeast part of the Valley. Soldo and Beck became the 23rd and 24th Las Vegas police officers to be killed in the line of duty. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

J U N E 2 2 For the fourth consecutive summer, more than a quarter-million electronic dance music fans flooded Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the three-day Electric Daisy Carnival. The kids, the DJs, the artwork and the rides return for a fifth year in 2015. (Tony Tran)

J U L Y 6 One year after the long-awaited return of Wet ’N’ Wild, the Las Vegas Valley doubled its number of water parks with the opening of Cowabunga Bay in Henderson. Suddenly, our sweltering summers are becoming just a bit more tolerable. (Gabe Ginsberg)

J U L Y 1 3 Vegas Nocturne and Rose. Rabbit. Lie. seemed like an ideal marriage between a unique show and venue. But after just a few months, the marriage ended in a he-said, she-said divorce. (Erik Kabik)

J U L Y 2 7 355 victories. A career 3.16 ERA. More than 3,300 strikeouts. Four Cy Young Awards (all in a row). For years, there’s been little doubt that Las Vegas’ own Greg Maddux would be giving a Hall of Fame induction speech in Cooperstown, New York, on the final Sunday in July. There was also little doubt that the notorious prankster would slip in a fart joke—which he did. (Gregory J. Fisher/ USA Today Sports)

A U G U S T 2 3 There’s nothing quite like the grand opening of a new hotel-casino on the Strip—or in the case of SLS a “new-old” hotel-casino: SLS emerged from the bones of the Sahara, which had sat vacant since May 2011. (Brian Jones/Las Vegas News Bureau)

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

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A U G U S T 3 Mother Nature often goes months without shedding a single tear on our arid grounds. But every summer, like clockwork, she let’s it all out in spectacular monsoonal fashion, giving us scenes like this one over Red Rock. (Anthony Mair)

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| December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

A U G U S T 3 0 In one of the feel-good stories of 2014, the Mountain Ridge Little League team became the first in Nevada history to reach the Little League World Series. Although they fell just short, the players were treated like champions upon returning home. (Gabe Ginsberg)

S E P T E M B E R 1 3 Floyd Mayweather lands a right to the jaw of Marcos Maidana during their rematch at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mayweather did what he always does: win (he’s now 47-0) and bank a lot of cash (in this case, at least $32 million). (Erik Kabik)

O C T O B E R 9 For many years, the unfinished Downtown Summerlin project sat as a daily reminder of our struggles during the Great Recession. This year, it served as a symbol of our resilience, opening its doors to great fanfare and critical acclaim. (Jon Estrada)

O C T O B E R 2 6 Proving it wasn’t just a one-hit wonder, Life Is Beautiful once again drew thousands of revelers Downtown for the three-day music/art/culinary festival. Among the highlights was the festival-closing performance by Foo Fighters. (Wayne Posner)

OCTOBER 16 Once word became officially official that Nevada’s ban on same-sex marriage was no longer, gay couples rushed to the altar en masse to tie the not. It also didn’t take long for Nevada’s tourism industry to start seeing dollar signs, as resorts and chapels up and down the Silver State began marketing wedding packages to same-sex couples. (Jon Estrada)

N O V E M B E R 1 2 Sweden’s Martin Jacobson turned a $10,000 investment into a $10 million payday when he came from behind to capture the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event championship. (Jayne Furman)

N O V E M B E R With a roster loaded with young players, the UNLV basketball team figured to stumble out of the gate this season—and that’s pretty much what has happened. But one freshman who has lived up to the preseason hype has been Rashad Vaughn, who is averaging a team-high 17.3 points per game. (Brace Hemmelgarn/USA Today Sports)

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

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N O V E M B E R 1 6 Anyone got an itch to run 26.2 miles on a chilly night in Las Vegas? Apparently so. This year’s Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon & Half Marathon attracted about 35,000 competitors—or 70,000 exhausted legs. (Glenn Pinkerton/Las Vegas News Bureau)

N O V E M B E R 2 9 One season after reaching a bowl game for the first time since 2000, it was back to reality for the UNLV football team. The Rebels were crushed by UNR in the season finale, which also doubled as the final game for fifth-year coach Bobby Hauck. (Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA Today Sports)

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

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N O V E M B E R 2 9 Out to prove that the independent bookstore is not, in fact, extinct, partners Scott Seeley (left) and Drew Cohen gave us a much-needed literary jolt this fall with the opening of Writer’s Block on Fremont East. (Jon Estrada)

D E C E M B E R 6 Do you see that? Do you see how far back that line of “Santas” stretches on a brisk Saturday morning? The fact that you can’t spot where the line ends is actually representative of something much bigger than just the annual Great Santa Run—it’s emblematic of the charitable spirit that permeates this great Valley 365 days a year. (Brian Jones/Las Vegas News Bureau)

Encore Performances

ERIK KABIK OPENS HIS PHOTO ALBUM AND SHARES SOME OF HIS FAVORITE CONCERT SHOTS OF 2014

J A. The Used B. Twenty One Pilots C. Best Coast D. Wu-Tang Clan E. Haim F. KISS G. Kraftwerk H. Lorde I. Childish Gambino J. Fleetwood Mac K. Empire of the Sun

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

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NIGHTLIFE Your city after dark, photos from the week’s hottest parties and DJ Khaled shares what he’s learned about haters

NEW YEAR’S EVE GUIDE 2015 Everywhere you could be for the big ‘3 … 2 … 1 …’

By Kat Boehrer and Camille Cannon

PHOTO BY AL POWERS/POWERS IMAGERY

Calvin Harris.

Calvin Harris continues to top charts and set records, so it’s no wonder that his Hakkasan appearance is one of

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Zedd is a Grammy Award-winning artist, and has produced music for such superstars as Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga. He also happens to throw a bangin’ party. With the man behind the smash hit “Clarity” at XS, this New Year’s Eve is bound to be epic. In Encore, 10 p.m., WynnSocial.com.

Find out why DJ Khaled is always touting his slogan “We the Best” by catching his special DJ set at Lavo. The outdoor terrace provides a nice platform from which to witness the freworks on the Strip, and the two-hour open bar with three hours of passed hors d’oeuvres are nice perks that come with the performance. Ticket holders also get free entry into Tao nightclub after midnight. Learn a little more about your host in our interview with Khaled on Page 54. In the Venetian, 9 p.m., LavoLV.com.

New Year’s Eve is no time for turning down. That’s why Surrender has tapped rapper/producer Lil Jon to ensure the club and the bottles keep poppin’. Opt for an Ultimate VIP package ($50,000-$100,000) for dinner and drinks, prime dance foor real estate and a meetand-greet with Mr. Yeahhhh! himself. In Encore, 9 p.m., WynnSocial.com.

the most in-demand on the Strip. The club will offer a half-million-dollar bottle package for the most extreme of high-rollers, complete with diamond cuff links and a diamond necklace, among other fancy goodies. But even the largest nightclub in the world is known to sell out before huge events, so don’t wait any longer. In MGM Grand, 8 p.m., HakkasanLV.com.

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

SUPERSTAR DJS

NIGHTLIFE 34

Jersey Shore favorite Pauly D will have the fst-pumping honors at Vanity. Ladies enjoy complimentary drinks from the casino foor bars from 7-11 p.m. In Hard Rock Hotel, 9 p.m., HardRockHotel.com. Former Swedish House Mafia member Steve Angello recently kicked off his “Reflections” residency at Life, and New Year’s Eve will be the second installment of his series. Ticket holders enjoy open bar from 9-11 p.m., a Champagne toast at midnight and complimentary entry after 12:30 a.m. to sister venues Sayers Club and Foxtail. In SLS, 9 p.m., LifeNightclub.com.

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS

Drake will host one of the biggest nights of the year at Marquee, and his guests will be pleased with a twohour premium open bar, three hours

Drake.

of heavy passed hors d’oeuvres and a Champagne toast at midnight. Tickets also include complimentary entry into the Dayclub Dome party on Jan. 1, featuring DJ sets by Carnage and Cash Cash, with a free Champagne brunch from 1-2:30 p.m. In the Cosmopolitan, 9 p.m., MarqueeLasVegas.com. Join Snoop Dogg at Tao for the fnal installment of his 1920s-inspired Snoopadelic Cabaret. The emcee pulls double-duty at this bash: DJing and performing his hits on the LED stage. And forget Prohibition. Partygoers get to enjoy premium open bar 9 p.m.11 p.m., as well as heavy passed hors d’oeuvres from 9 p.m.-midnight. In the Venetian, 9 p.m., TaoLasVegas.com. Grammy Award winners Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson gave us one fabulous collaboration with this year’s single “Uptown Funk!” Now Mars is teaming with producer Jermaine Dupri to deliver an epic New Year’s Eve at Tryst. Dupri

handles the turntables, and Mars will likely hop on the mic. In Wynn, 10 p.m., TrystLasVegas.com. Ring in the New Year with RuPaul’s Drag Race queens Alyssa Edwards and Shangela Laquifa Wadley at Liason, the frst gay nightclub in a Las Vegas Strip casino. The old-school Hollywood glam theme will make this decadent night one to remember. In Bally’s, 9 p.m., LiasonLasVegas.com.

PARTY DINNERS

One of few restaurants in Las Vegas to offer vibe-dining year-round will keep up the tradition for its New Year’s Eve celebration. Guests at STK will be greeted with a glass of Moët & Chandon Impérial, and this year’s celebration will feature the usual live DJ in a party atmosphere with a black-tie theme and a prix-fxe menu. In the Cosmopolitan, TOGRP.com.

LUCKY FOO’S BY ANTHONY MAIR

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

VegasSeven.com

Swedish spinner Alesso wraps up 2014 with his biggest smash yet, the Tove Lo-assisted “Heroes (We Could Be).” Join him in celebrating a banner year at Light, and be mesmerized by the Cirque du Soleil performers above the DJ Booth. In Mandalay Bay, 9 p.m., TheLightVegas.com.

Diablo’s Cantina is not only a destination for Mexican cuisine, but it also has a balcony overlooking the Strip and on New Year’s Eve offers a festa with dancing all night. DJ Dilemma spins upstairs, while DJ Epic One plays downstairs. Expect a wild tequila toast at midnight. In Monte Carlo, 8 p.m. upstairs and 9 p.m. downstairs, DiablosLasVegas.com.

able anywhere in the venue. There will also be a live DJ and a complimentary Champagne toast at midnight. The Cantina dining room will have free admission. In Planet Hollywood, 9 p.m., CaboWaboCantina.com/Vegas.

Whist Stove & Spirits is holding it down for Henderson with a four- or fve-course menu, photo booth and party favors for guests. A complimentary Champagne toast at midnight is also included. For those looking to party a little longer, Due & Proper is open 24 hours right next door. In the District at Green Valley Ranch, 10 p.m., WhistStove.com.

Rap phenom Iggy Azalea closes her breakout year with a full concert at Drai’s. This means you can singalong to “Fancy” while dressed to the nines. Not only that, but partying at this rooftop nightclub means you also get a stellar view of the Strip freworks show. In the Cromwell, 9 p.m., DraisNightlife.com.

NIGHTCLUB ALTERNATIVES

Feel like line dancing? Gilley’s New Year’s Eve Hoedown includes an open bar from 9 p.m.-midnight, live music, party favors and views of the Strip freworks. Five-dollar bull rides are also available for you adventurous types. In T.I., 9 p.m., GilleysLasVegas.com. If you wanna get rowdy, rock out at Rockhouse with an open bar from 9 p.m.-midnight for general admission. A premium open bar is available for a greater fee, or get comfy at a VIP table. DJs will play all night, and a late-night menu is available. In the Venetian, 9 p.m., TheRockhouseBar.com.

Honey Salt transforms into an ’80s prom night with its 8:30 p.m. dinner seating. Guests are encouraged to dress in ’80s-era formal attire, and a prom king and queen coronation will highlight the evening which also includes a live DJ and a Champagne toast at midnight. 1031 S. Rampart Blvd., 8:30 p.m., HoneySalt.com.

We haven’t heard much from R&B crooner Miguel this year, so we’re seriously hoping he’ll tease new material at Hyde. Either way, admission to the night spot includes the live performance, hors d’oeuvres from 9-11 p.m., open bar from 9 p.m.-midnight, and a Champagne toast when the clock strikes 12. In Bellagio, 9 p.m., SBE.com. Feel the love as hip-hop heartthrob Trey Songz serenades The Bank. The “Bottoms Up” singer is bringing along Bay Area beat slinger DJ ERock to keep you moving while he’s

off the mic. Embrace open bar from 9-10 p.m. In Bellagio, 9 p.m., TheBankLasVegas.com. Why settle for one headliner when you can have two? Rapper Macklemore and his producing partner Ryan Lewis are ready to give you more bang and beats for your buck. Join the duo at 1 Oak and get there early as drinks fow freely from 9-10 p.m. In The Mirage, 9 p.m., 1OakLasVegas.com.

Put your pinky out at Fizz, where general-admission guests can enjoy a three-hour premium open bar with passed hors d’oeuvres. Naturally, there will also be a Champagne toast at midnight. VIP packages are also available if you feel like stepping it up a notch. In Caesars Palace, 9 p.m., FizzLV.com.

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Catch DJ Gusto and Fatman Scoop at the Midnight Mix Red Bull Lounge, just off the Palazzo casino foor. Perks include passed hors d’oeuvres and a three-hour premium open bar. Scoop will lead the countdown to midnight at the pinnacle of the evening. In the Venetian, 9 p.m., 702-414-9000. Sayers Club offers a swanky and sultry alternative for ringing in the New Year. House band, Sessions, will serenade partygoers till the midnight Champagne toast, while the Sayers patio is a prime location for viewing the freworks. There’s also an open bar from 9 p.m. till midnight, and attendees will get admission to neighboring venues Life and Foxtail after 12:30 a.m. In SLS, 9 p.m., TheSayersClubLV.com. Carouse at Cabo Wabo for a patio party, or drink all night in the Loft. Both areas will host open bars all night, and the full Cabo Wabo menu will be avail-

You can head off-Strip for a “Classic Vegas” supper club event at Lucky Foo’s. Visited by EDM celebrities the likes of Tiësto, Martin Garrix and Steve Aoki, the hot new Asian restaurant is bringing the lavish vibe of the Strip to the suburbs. Table service with a dinner menu and a bottle of Champagne is available, or partygoers can choose individual admission with passed appetizers and a Champagne toast at midnight. A hosted bar and party favors will also liven the party throughout the evening. 8955 S. Eastern Ave., 9 p.m., LuckyFoos.com.

LIVE PERFORMANCES

Fizz.

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

FIZZ BY ANTHONY MAIR; IGGY AZALEA BY DENISE TRUSCELLO

Lucky Foo’s.

Iggy Azalea.

This Brooklyn Bowl appearance may be the Roots’ ffth show in Las Vegas this year, but you should know it won’t be repetitive. The hip-hop band is known for mixing impromptu medleys and unexpected covers into their sets. If you don’t get enough tonight, catch them again Jan. 2-3. At the Linq, 8 p.m., Vegas. BrooklynBowl.com.

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.

Class it up at The Smith Center with Emmy- and Grammy-nominated performer Michael Feinstein. The man known as “The Ambassador

of the Great American Songbook” will be joined by Broadway’s Laura Osnes and American Idol Season 11 standout Jessica Sanchez.

FIREWORKS

Can’t decide how to spend the night? Chateau satisfies multiple tastes

BENNETT AND GAGA BY STEVEN KLEIN; HIGH ROLLER BY ANTHONY MAIR

NIGHTLIFE VegasSeven.com

| December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

Wanna ring in the New Year by rocking out? Undo your up ’do and join alternative thrashers Sevendust in Vinyl. In Hard Rock Hotel, 9 p.m., HardRockHotel.com.

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga combine forces at the Chelsea. Expect to hear numbers from their 2014 jazz album, Cheek to Cheek, and to see the most eclectic audience anywhere on the Strip. In the Cosmopolitan, 9 p.m., CosmopolitanLasVegas.com. Let’s face it: We all know the lyrics to at least six Maroon 5 songs. Adam Levine and Co. have been cranking out the catchy, inescapable singles for more than a decade. Look forward to lots of hits when they rock Mandalay Bay Events Center on New Year’s Eve. In Mandalay Bay, 8 p.m., MandalayBay.com.

In the Smith Center, 7:30 p.m., TheSmithCenter.com.

Throw back a cocktail or two with Robin Thicke at Foxtail. You’ll be treated to open bar till 12:30 a.m., so your New Year gets off to a good start. And for nostalgia’s sake, you can bet Thicke will perform his biggest hit, “Blurred Lines.” In SLS, 9 p.m., SLSLasVegas.com.

Artisan. DOWNTOWN

It’s an average Wednesday night of Karate Karaoke at Beauty Bar. Come by to show off your sing-along skills (Journey, anyone?), and stay for a $6 beer and shot special. 517 Fremont St., 9 p.m., TheBeautyBar.com.

Atomic Liquors offers a midnight Champagne toast, and they’re staying open till 4 a.m. So you don’t have to go home … you can stay here! 917 Fremont St., 4 p.m., AtomicLiqours.com.

Where can you find 13 tribute bands and Mayor Carolyn Goodman in one place? Under the canopy of the Fremont Street Experience, of course. The more than nine-hour jam-a-thon begins at 6:15 p.m. Goodman leads the New Year’s countdown before the actual and Viva Vision fireworks are set off. VegasExperience.com/NYE.

Puddles.

This time last year, Bunkhouse was still undergoing a face-lift. Now you can rock out to the sounds of local bands Crazy Chief, Rusty Maples, Same Sex Mary and Mercy Music, who will all grace the recently refreshed stage. 124 S. 11th St., 7 p.m., BunkhouseDowntown.com.

The High Roller.

“Ring it in right” at Insert Coin(s), where the so-named bottle package includes a bottle of Moët & Chandon, four beers, four shots and Resqwater hangover remedy. DJs Charlie Darker and Silent John cover the ones and twos. 512 Fremont St., 8 p.m., InsertCoinsLV.com.

Plop down 20 bucks at Silverton for a wristband that grants you all-you-candrink draft beers, well cocktails and house wine at any casino bar from 7-10 p.m.. You’ll also get access to a dance party in Veil Pavilion (where, sadly, it’s back to a cash bar). 3333 Blue Diamond Rd., 7 p.m., SilvertonCasino.com. Times Square may have a ball drop, but Revolver promises a balloon drop at the stroke of midnight. The country saloon also offers two complimentary well or draft drinks, party favors, a Champagne toast and a DJ to provide your line-dancing soundtrack. In Santa Fe Station, 9 p.m., SantaFeStation.SCLV.com.

Puddles, the 7-foot singing clown, headlines Commonwealth’s festivities. The big man will perform at 11 p.m., 11:45 p.m. and 12:45 a.m. General admission includes a Champagne toast at midnight, or you can opt for a $50 all-you-candrink package. 525 Fremont St., 6 p.m., CommonwealthLV.com. Velveteen Rabbit keeps the Arts District rocking with tunes from local DJ duo Totescity starting at 10 p.m. Look your best for a photo booth from 10 p.m.-midnight. 1218 S. Main St., 7 p.m., Facebook.com/VelveteenRabbitLV.

and Chris Aurelius. Dinner, bottle and room packages are also available for those who wanna go big and not go home. 1501 W. Sahara Ave., 10 p.m., ArtisanHotel.com.

OFF-STRIP

Red Rock Resort has a giant party under one roof. Manhattan’s celebration will be broadcast at Lobby Bar, where ladies drink free from 8-9 p.m. Rocks Lounge has live music from Elvis Monroe from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. (open 9 p.m.) and Cherry nightclub reopens for the evening (10 p.m.) with DJ G Squared on the turntables. 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., RedRock.SCLV.com.

Celebrating on the north side of town? Swing by Aliante’s Access Showroom for a performance by jazz/R&B fusion group DW3 with saxophonist Elan Trotman. Or join the go-go dancers and DJs at ETA Lounge. 7300 N. Aliante Pkwy., 9 p.m., AlianteGaming.com.

Get hyped at Henderson’s Green Valley Ranch Resort. There you can carouse at Lobby Bar with DJ CB Shaw and receive party favors and a Champagne toast. At Drop Bar, you’ll get the same amenities with sounds by DJ Andrew B. 2300 Paseo Verde Pkwy., 7 p.m., GreenValleyRanch.SCLV.com.

Ain’t no party like an Artisan party, ’cause an Artisan party lasts until 8 a.m. Sip complimentary Champagne from 10 p.m.-midnight and groove to residents Justin Key, Zach the Ripper, Joey Mazzola, Javier Alba

Kiss 2014 goodbye at Blue Martini, and indulge in open bar and passed appetizers from 8-10 p.m. Admission also includes live music and a glass of bubbly at midnight. In Town Square, 8 p.m., BlueMartiniLounge.com.

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Enjoy a little fresh air at the Cosmopolitan’s Boulevard Pool Ice Rink. Get there early to score skates before rentals run out, then take in the stellar views as well as sounds by DJ Atom E. Fire-pit reservations are available by contacting IceRink@ CosmopolitanLasVegas.com. 8 p.m., CosmopolitanLasVegas.com.

Stratosphere offers several options for pyrotechnic sightseeing. Join Pin Up’s Claire Sinclair for a fourhour open bar at the 108 Tower Party (8:30 p.m.) or go below for three hours of open bar at the Level 107 Lounge Party (9:30 p.m.). Real life pinup model Sabina Kelley hosts a post-midnight party in the Stratosphere Theater. StratosphereHotel.com.

ARTISAN BY TONY TRAN

Want to bypass the Strip but still get a great view? Sitting 55 foors atop the Palms’ Ivory Tower, Ghostbar offers the perfect vantage point. Choose from signature cocktails or a hosted bar, then stargaze on the patio or cozy up in a booth. In the Palms, 8 p.m., Palms.com.

The High Roller operates as usual until 10:30 p.m., after which it will be available only for private cabin rentals. Impress your closest 25-40 friends with VIP amenities such as Champagne toasts and cupcakes. Those who splurge on the 777 package will be placed at the highest point of the wheel at midnight. At the Linq, Caesars.com/Linq.

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

with EDM in the main room, decades of pop on the terrace and Top 40 on the roof. Go for general admission, which includes three-hour open bar and a midnight toast, or opt for a VIP table and bottle service. In Paris Las Vegas, 9 p.m., ChateauNights.com.

NIGHTLIFE

Camille Cannon

Bro Safari with opening sets from Canadian wall-shaker Snails and L.A. beat maker Kayzo. (At the Linq, 7 p.m., Vegas.BrookynBowl.com.) You may think Los Angeles trap duo Slander got their name from the law term, but it isn’t so. The two told OnlyTheBeat. com, “It’s our real names combined. Derek Anderson + Scott Land = Slander.” See them spin at XS. (In Encore, 10:30 p.m., XSLasVegas.com.) Loco Dice has spent the last decade making major waves in Deutschland and Ibiza. Now the overseas superstar makes his debut at Life. (In SLS, 10:30 p.m., SLSLasVegas.com.)

Kiesza.

MON 29 Hopefully, by now you’ve heard “Hideaway” by Canadian songstress Kiesza. It’s highly probable she’ll perform the house-pop crossover hit at Foxtail. And our fngers are crossed she’ll also do her cover of Haddaway’s “What Is Love?” so we can pretend it’s A Night at the Roxbury. (10:30 p.m., SLSLasVegas.com.)

TUE 30 Thanks to New Year’s Eve falling on a Wednesday, several clubs are opening tonight to start the festivities early. Hardwell holds down Hakkasan with support from up-and-comer Kill the Buzz. (In MGM Grand, 10:30 p.m., HakkasanLV.com.) Meanwhile,

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

VegasSeven.com

THU 25

It’s Christmas Day, kids! And it’s the day after the last day of Hanukkah. You may have already ripped through your presents (Socks? Seriously?), but much fun still awaits at Marquee. Join John Borger, a.k.a. Borgeous, with fellow DJ/producer Ashley Wallbridge and singer Nadia Ali. It’s just like spending the holiday with family… if all your relatives were EDM stars and your aunt’s house a nightclub. (In the Cosmopolitan, 10 p.m., MarqueeLasVegas.com.)

FRI 26 What is “neo-ragtime”? It may involve some tap dancing, a

horn section and old-timey remixes of contemporary tunes. But if you wanna know for sure, we suggest you check out the serious vocal styling of Dessy Di Lauro. The Los Angeles artist begins a limited engagement in Rose. Rabbit.Lie. through Dec. 31. And from the looks of it, her throwback fair will be a perfect ft for the supper club. (In the Cosmopolitan, 9 p.m., CosmopolitanLasVegas.com.)

also release the Belgian quad they’ve kept in bourbon barrels for nine months. Advance tickets are $30, or $50 to snag an anniversary-edition bottle. (450 Fremont St., Suite 135, 6 p.m., BangerBrewing.com.) Dutch duo Vicetone tag team the decks at Drai's. Need a refresher on their dance/rock fusion? Check out the End of the Year Mix they recently dropped on YouTube. (In the Cromwell, 10 p.m., DraisNightlife.com.)

SAT 27

SUN 28

The hometown hops heroes of Banger Brewing celebrate their One-Year Anniversary. Gather 'round for open bar, appetizers and the tapping of three frkins! The boys will

Ravealation, Vegas Seven’s pick for Best-18-and-Over Events, celebrates 2014, a year of epic parties, at Brooklyn Bowl. The birthday bash is headlined by moombahton mixer

Vicetone.

Borgeous.

fellow Dutchman Nicky Romero commands Light. (In Mandalay Bay, 9 p.m., TheLightVegas.com.) And if you’re in the mood for something soulful, swing by The Bank for a serenade by Aloe Blacc. (In Bellagio, 10:30 p.m., TheBankLasVegas.com.)

WED 31 As we say farewell to 2014, we also bid adieu to Mix Lounge as we know it. The haute hideaway will close for renovations in 2015. So, we recommend you settle in one last time for a stunning view of the freworks. (In Mandalay Bay, MixLounge-LV.com.) Of course, that’s nowhere close to everything happening on Las Vegas’ biggest night. See our complete New Year’s Eve Party Guide starting on Page 33.

NIGHTLIFE

A Little New Year’s Zen DJ Zen Freeman closes out a banner year with a fashionable performance at Life By David Morris

ZEN FREEMAN MAY BE THE HOTTEST

turntablist around. Just ask Victoria Secret Angels Alessandra Ambrosio, Behati Prinsloo, Adriana Lima and Lily Aldridge, who asked Freeman to play their private, star-studded after-party following last year’s fashion show where Tiësto and Leonardo DiCaprio were in attendance. In the world of fashion, he’s spun for every major brand from Chanel to Prada (and even had a stint as a Burberry model), all the while serving as Soho House’s musical director. We caught up with the busy Brit before his New Year’s Eve gig at Foxtail to chat about all he has going on and his new residency at Life. How does a DJ become the face of Burberry?

Well, I don’t know if I’m one of the faces, but we have an ongoing thing. They’re doing a lot of styling for me when I play at award shows, and I do a lot of DJing for them. I did their Art of Trench campaign, and they asked me to host a screening and dinner party.

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

VegasSeven.com

What’s your relationship like as a DJ to these brands?

I actually DJ for 50 different fashion brands and do a lot of music supervision for them as well. Every brand is a little different. For example, with Chanel they put me in touch with Karl Lagerfeld, because I had done a lot of music supervision for the North American leg of the Paris, Dallas collection. With that particular event I played music such as Buddy Holly and Joe Lee’s “The Good, the Bad and The Ugly,” and then got into party music afterward. With their Number 5 campaign, there were different rooms for different vibes. In the graffti room, we pre-programmed French minimal disco and French covers in their smoky jazz club. That’s sounds very different than playing for a Las Vegas crowd.

Well, it’s almost better to forget you are

playing for one or the other, as the skill set you need for each are very different. Las Vegas has power and amplitude with the sound systems, and is dynamic with all the smoke, bells, whistles, cryo, half-naked girls serving drinks and drunk people from all over the place. If you think about the demographic that I had when walking into the Chanel gig, there were Karl Lagerfeld and Gisel [Bündchen] greeting every mover and shaker from New York to Paris. With Vegas, it’s actually way more fun to be jumping up and down. It’s another skill set. It’s another passion. I love having a completely wellrounded schedule, because otherwise I’d get bored. I’m just a bit of a freak, where I want to dive deep and discover all types of music. The important thing is being able to differentiate those

sounds. You don’t need anything in Vegas that you’d need at a Prada or Chanel event. You don’t need anything at a Chanel event that you’d need in Las Vegas. In addition to your live shows, you seem to collaborate a lot. What was your most recent collab?

The last song I put out was a track called “Switch” [with dBerrie] on Calvin Harris’ label. Before that was “Dance Bitch” [with Tom Neville featuring Aaron Paul], which charted on iTunes in America. At the moment I’m working on a lot of instrumental, powerful, big-room stuff and pretty much making my album. Speaking of “Dance Bitch,” I heard that you actually got Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul to record the lyric on his cellphone?

It’s a funny story. He called everyone

at his wedding a bitch on the microphone. I was DJing, and as people would come out [on the floor], he literally said, “Dance bitch!” I was like, “Oh, my God. That would be so funny if we made that into a track.” He said sure, and I left him a voicemail a couple of days later. He was on his honeymoon. I said, “Hey. You have to record ‘Dance Bitch.’ Send it to me.” He’s my friend, but he’d just literally blown the fuck up as an actor, so a month later I was like, “Listen, we should do this. We should make a song before Breaking Bad ends.” He went, “Man, I emailed it [as an MP3] to you like four weeks ago.” I went back to my email, looked in the junk and it was in there. Then four weeks later—bang—“Dance Bitch” was out.

NIGHTLIFE

[ SEVEN MORE NIGHTS ] THU 1

It’s Day 1! Check out Carnage and Cash Cash at Marquee Dayclub and lap up complimentary brunch and Champagne 1-2:30 p.m. Do we even need to mention the bikini bowl games? Eh, doesn’t hurt. (At the Cosmopolitan, 1 p.m., CosmopolitanLasVegas.com.) Speaking of cutthroat sports, the 10th annual World Series of Beer Pong takes over the Riviera through Jan. 5. (Spoiler alert: There’s water in those cups!) (BPong.com.)

FRI 2

He’s the Best

A positive outlook on life—and no shortage of selfconfdence—is what got DJ Khaled to the top By Kat Boehrer

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

VegasSeven.com

LOVE HIM OR HATE HIM: DJ KHALED IS ONE

of the most powerful DJs in the hip-hop community, having produced some of the hottest Top 40 tracks since 2006. And he’s not shy about it: According to his Instagram, the mogul gave the “CEO of iTunes” the OK “to add the most powerful servers” to handle his “I Wanna Be With You” single sales. The “We the Best” rapper speaks with a rough-sounding conviction, but his words are always uplifting. DJ Khaled (born Khaled bin Abdul Khaled) took a few moments out of his daily grind to talk about his rap mogul lifestyle, positivity and his upcoming gig on New Year’s Eve at Lavo. How do you feel about the rise of the “DJ” in pop culture?

I love anything with the word “rise.” It’s amazing. DJs, we’re special people. We wear many hats, and we’re special artists. We’re special to the culture; to hiphop culture, pop culture, you know what I mean? The DJ is very powerful. It’s on the DJ how much power you wanna have and where you wanna take your heights. I’m a DJ when I say I’m a DJ. I come from DJ, and I still DJ. And at the same time I’m also one of the biggest moguls out here. Who are your favorite DJs to listen to?

My favorite DJs are probably Funk Flex, Kid Capri, Uncle Al, Clark Kent. …

There are a few legends out there that I respect. But obviously me—I feel like I’m the best DJ in the world. You are known for having a very positive outlook. What advice do you have for any average Joe to “be the best”?

God frst. God frst.

And as an artist, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Never stop. You know what I’m saying? When you get the opportunity and you fnally break the door down of being in the game, once you get that feeling of success—don’t ever stop. You’re a somewhat controversial figure. How do you deal with haters?

You don’t deal with them. It’s simple. When you have negative energy or haters, why would you deal with ’em? What’s the point? You’re wasting your time. How do you remain so positive in the face of that?

It’s that life. God gave me life, and I appreciate it. That’s all that matters every day. You could be happy one day, mad one day—no matter what vibe you are, as long as you got life, you can deal with it. When can we expect your new album, I Changed a Lot!, to drop?

The album is gonna come probably next year. I don’t have a date right now. But I’m just enjoying myself, making great music. My last record went No. 1 on the charts. It’s called “Hold You Down,” and it’s still currently on top of the charts. So I’m just enjoying putting hit records out and when the album needs to come out it’s gonna come out. Since you’re a celebrity DJ, do you ever feel like you have to act a certain way because you’re now a role model for a lot of kids?

I act like DJ Khaled, that’s who I act like. I’m Khaled Khaled. I don’t know how to act like nobody else but me. Being me is what got me here. What do you have planned for 2015?

Got some big announcements in 2015. Just expect more and more big stuff from We the Best brand. I got these brand-new [We the Best] headphones out right now. Expect more greatness. Expect a corporate takeover. Expect big wins. What are you planning for your big New Year’s Eve bash at Lavo?

I’m coming to tear that whole place apart in an amazing way. When I get behind the turntables and when I touch that stage it’s gonna be New Year’s for real. It’s gonna be the best party that Lavo ever threw in their whole history of being created. Matter of fact, whoever the promoter is that hired me needs a raise. As a matter of fact, he’s a genius. There’s no party like a We the Best music party—it’s the best thing. Ever. Do you have any New Year’s resolutions?

My New Year’s resolution is always more blessings. You know what I mean? Make sure my family and their health is great. And more wins. It’s always winning.

Now that the Get Back has moved to Velveteen Rabbit, Beauty Bar introduces a new First Friday “lunar dance party,” Under the Moon. DJs Byra Tanks, Zack the Ripper and Bev$tmde will spin the freshest in house, indie, hip-hop and trap. (517 Fremont St., 10 p.m., TheBeautyBar. com.) Having conquered Hakkasan and Life Is Beautiful last year, R&B singer The Weeknd makes his Drai’s debut. (In the Cromwell, 10 p.m., DraisNightlife.com.) Turntablist DJ Logic begins his Spare Time (get it?) residency at Brooklyn Bowl. (At the Linq, midnight, Vegas. BrooklynBowl.com.)

SAT 3

All y’all who worked on Dec. 31 can take in Lavo’s Industry New Year’s Eve Party Brunch. Yes, it’s an afternoon New Year’s Eve party on Jan. 3. (In the Palazzo, 2 p.m., LavoLV.com.) Singer/songwriter John Legend rings in his 36th birthday at Foxtail. You’re invited, and we’re guessing wife/model Chrissy Teigen is, too. (In SLS, 10:30 p.m., SBE.com.)

SUN 4

Support frequent opener Mark Eteson as he holds down the headliner slot at Hakkasan. (In MGM Grand, 10:30 p.m., HakkasanLV.com.)

MON 5

Local favorite DJ Ikon gets in the booth at XS. The occasion: a party for his other business, Feature Sneaker Boutique. (In Encore, 10:30 p.m., XSLasVegas.com.)

TUE 6

CES begins today, as do the afterparties. Join Diplo for a post-tech twerk-fest at Surrender. (In Encore, 10:30 p.m., SurrenderNightclub.com.)

WED 7

Still kicking? Stretch your brain at Bunkhouse during Geeks Who Drink trivia night. (124 11th St., 7 p.m., BunkhouseDowntown.com.) - Camille Cannon

DINING

“The World Food Championships placed a value on their event higher than we were willing to pay for the future.” {PAGE 68}

Restaurant reviews, news and the only wine you’ll want with your Downton Abbey

Where the Hearthstone Is Light Group’s latest restaurant ofers homey, diverse fare far from the Strip By Al Mancini

| December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH BUEHRING

FG&J: foie gras mousse with Virginia peanuts and house-made jelly.

VegasSeven.com

THE LIGHT GROUP—ENMESHED IN A TAKEOVER

by the Hakkasan Group—is best known for its nightclubs. But being a bit past my clubbing prime, I’ve always been more impressed by its restaurants. The new Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar in Red Rock Resort brings the organization’s grand total to eight local restaurants. With a few notable exceptions (sorry guys, Kumi just doesn’t do it for me), I’ve almost universally enjoyed the meals corporate executive chef Brian Massie and his staff have provided at all of them. And I’m happy to report that Hearthstone adds something new and exciting to the group’s portfolio, without compromising the quality I’ve come to expect from a Massie project. Hearthstone is a large restaurant occupying the space that was previously home to Hachi. Entering from the casino foor and past a private cellar/dining room, one emerges in the main dining room with its open kitchen. There, chefs cook everything from pizzas to whole suckling pigs in large wood-burning ovens. As the space widens toward the back, a small raw bar hides behind a corner, followed by the long bar area. Finally, there’s an outdoor patio accessible directly from the resort’s parking lot. Décor is minimal—shabby chic with unfnished ceilings, modern light fxtures and other urban touches. But each area has its own identity, thanks to antique photo vignettes on the walls, a collection of pristine china between the raw bar and bar, and a shuffeboard table in one corner. Both the dining room and bar offer communal tables for those seeking a less formal, more social experience. The menu is diverse and interesting, with casual and fun dishes that range from the simple (deviled eggs, shucked oysters or a marinara fatbread) to the surprisingly sophisticated (a spread of foie gras mousse, peanuts and housemade jelly or scallop tartare with plum vinegar, basil and grapefruit). I’m not one for rabbit food, but the harvest quinoa salad comes packed with protein from both the grains and a hearty helping of chickpeas, accented with apple, Gouda and pumpkin seeds in vinaigrette. A mason jar of baked ricotta with truffe honey and Gouda makes a rich, delicious spread for crisp oven-toasted bread. The pasta and shrimp with crispy strings of zucchini is seasoned with a beautiful blend of sweet honey and spicy peppers. And the roasted squash topped with creamy burrata cheese and brown-butternut granola is one of the best side dishes I’ve had in a

DINING

Al’s

The Hearthstone dining room (left) and wagyu short rib.

Menu Picks Harvest quinoa salad ($12), baked ricotta ($16), roasted squash ($7) and Calabrian shrimp pasta ($23).

long time. (The mac ’n’ cheese with roasted caulifower, apples and Gouda is a close second.) The fatbread pizzas I’ve tried so far have all been good—very similar to a classic Neapolitan style. The large balls of chorizo stuffed into the bacon-wrapped dates, however, are a bit much for my taste. If I want a meatball, I’ll opt for the

chef’s short-rib version, served with red sauce, tomatoes and a helping of goat cheese. The only dish I’ve truly disliked during my visits has been a thin, extremely dry short-rib and chuck burger, and the fat, square fries that accompanied it. Given the thin patty, it’s only available well done, but that really doesn’t excuse the total lack of moisture in the one I sampled. While Hearthstone is the Light Group’s frst venture into the ’burbs, it hasn’t compromised the creative and fun spirit that have made its restaurants such hits with club kids and other trendsetters

on the Strip. It’s also a bold move for Summerlin, where restaurants tend to have a more conservative or predictable bent. But if locals are willing to give it a chance, they’ll fnd a truly exciting new neighborhood spot.

HEARTHSTONE KITCHEN & CELLAR

Red Rock Resort, 702-693-8300. Open for dinner 5-10 p.m. Sun–Thu, 5-11 p.m. Fri-Sat. Dinner for two, $40-$100.

[ JUST A SIP ]

POP CULTURE BOTTLES

Have a drink with Cersei Lannister, Christian Grey and the Earl of Grantham at the weirdest cocktail party ever with these TV- and movie-inspired beverages. ➜ Suitable for Lords and Ladies, the Downton Abbey Wine Collection features two blends from the famed Bordeaux region of France using the same vines, soil and region used to produce the wines from the Downton era. The Blanc is a light and crisp white blend, while the Claret is medium-bodied red with bright fruit

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

VegasSeven.com

and a silky finish. If only Mr. Carson were here to refill our glasses. Season 5

premieres January 4. $17 per bottle, DowntonAbbeyWine.com. ➜ E.L. James, author of the steamy 50 Shades of Grey trilogy, has partnered with California winemakers to create two blends that will put you in the mood … to watch the movie, that is—the film debuts February 13. Red Satin is a mix of petite sirah and syrah with flavors of black cherry, cocoa powder, creamy caramel and vanilla, leather and clove. White Silk is a blend of gewürztraminer and sauvignon blanc with floral aromatics of lychee. Buy them both and get a free whip! (Just kidding.) $18 per bottle, Lee’s Discount Liquors and Total Wine & More. ➜ Along with blood and boobs, booze is a central character in the HBO series Game of Thrones. New York’s Brewery Ommegang released its fourth Thrones-inspired beer, Valar Morghulis, in October. The Belgian-style dubbel is redolent of toffee, caramel and burnt sugar aromas with a rich, malty sweetness on the palate and a surprisingly dry finish. Stay tuned for Ommegang’s fifth Thrones beer, Three-Eyed Raven Dark Saison, to be released at the start of the fifth season in April. $11, Total Wine & More. – Jessie O’Brien

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

Three of the city’s most recognizable eye-talian restaurants will honor the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve—and seafood lovers are rejoicing. Lots of baccala (salted cod) is used throughout menus for the night; the simple, preserved fish is a nod to what was abundant in Southern Italy during harder days. Mario Batali’s B&B Ristorante (in the Venetian, 702-266-9977), for example, features traditional baccala croquettes as part of its four-course menu that’s being offered December 23-27. The redheaded, orange-Croc’d chef also includes one of his amazing raw fish preparations, fluke crudo, as well as his famous grilled octopus. Giada Di Laurentiis gets in the fish game at her first namesake restaurant (in the Cromwell, 702-777-3777), starting off her holiday tasting menu ($150) with an antipasto platter featuring her own version of baccala fritters, as well as lobster arancini, fritto misto and insalta di inforzo, a salad of broccoli and giardiniera, often dressed with extra anchovies. You can move on to more extravagant courses such as the thirdcourse choice salt-crusted branzino for two or grilled lobster with citrus herb butter. Southern Italian specialists Rao’s (in Caesars Palace, 702-731-7267) offers a few of its signatures for the special menu, including some of the greatest clams oreganato in town and the classic light and bright seafood salad, chock-full of lobster, squid, crab and shrimp. Better to eat the fishes than sleep with them, I always say. If sleep is higher on your New Year’s agenda than, say, fireworks or Lady Gaga, but about on par with eating well, there is no shame in the early-seating game on December 31. Many restaurants do offer prix-fixe menus, but then it becomes an issue of scoring a reservation late enough to see the fireworks or catch a show— if you can score a reservation at all. If you’re not afraid of eating early and then shuffling off (home, to start drinking early, or as previously mentioned, to pass out before midnight), the 5 p.m. hour seatings is where you should be. The tony Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare (in Wynn, 702-770-3463) opens its doors with a three-course menu ($125) of straight-from-the-Mediterranean seafood at 5:30 p.m., 5:45 p.m. and 6 p.m. On the other end of the Strip, Aureole (in Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7401) boasts a 5:30 p.m. seating of five courses ($150) decked out with luxurious American ingredients such as Hudson Valley foie gras, Maine lobster and Santa Barbara prawns. Or go classic with four courses from 35 Steaks & Martinis ($120 early seating, $140 late seating, $40 wine pairings, in Hard Rock Hotel, 702-693-5500) that can include duck rillettes, endive and spinach salad, and green peppercorn-crusted petite filet. Then you can go wherever you want to bid 2014 farewell. – Grace Bascos

HEARTHSTONE PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH BUEHRING

FEASTS OF THE SEVEN FISHES AND EARLY-BIRD NEW YEAR’S DINNERS

DINING

Leaving Las Vegas Why the World Food Championships won’t be back in 2015 By Al Mancini

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

VegasSeven.com

THOUSANDS OF FOODIES PACKED DOWNTOWN

in mid-November to check out the World Food Championships. It was unlike our city’s many other food festivals in one important way: ease of accessibility. Spectators watched 500 professional and amateur chefs battle it out on Fremont Street for free, and even the ticketed events were reasonably priced. The popular series started on the Strip in 2012 and moved Downtown in 2013, and WFC President and CEO Mike McCloud called this year’s version “the best event we’ve produced in Las Vegas so far.” So why is he moving it to Kissimmee, Florida, next year? “Survival,” McCloud says. “We haven’t been able to make money in Las Vegas.” And he squarely blames local tourism organizations and businesses for that fact. “We love the foodies,” he insists. “We even love the craziness of the environment at times.”

But McCloud says the City of Las Vegas failed to provide two basic ingredients that the event, which costs $1 million to produce, needed to thrive: fnancial support and logistical support. When it comes to logistics, McCloud says Downtown is like “a whole lot of people sitting at the poker table and no one [has] a trump card” (apparently confusing poker for bridge). He says other cities where WFC stages competitions appoint a person to negotiate for all of the businesses that are affected by the event. In Las Vegas, he expected the Fremont Street Experience, a collective that represents eight Downtown casinos, to fll that role, but says that didn’t happen. “The Fremont Street Experience is supposed to represent [the casinos] as a collective,” he says. “But when one of them tells us, ‘You need to move your operations back 30 feet because you’re blocking my view of Third Street

Stage,’ I can’t even get them to back us up. We had approved plans that the Fremont Street Experience signed off on and the City signed off on. Imagine how frustrating that is, how expensive that is.” That’s just one of several examples McCloud cites where the Fremont Street Experience failed to negotiate on his behalf. Tom Bruny, the Fremont Street Experience's marketing manager, says McCloud’s expectations of the group were unreasonable. “Let me make it clear: The casino-hotels are our bosses,” he says. “They don’t report to the Fremont Street Experience.” While the logistical problems were frustrating, McCloud’s decision to leave Las Vegas was also fnancially driven. His group had hoped to partner with local businesses through which he could secure paid sponsorships, but that never materialized. He also hoped to get signifcant fnancial

support from local tourist organizations such as the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the Fremont Street Experience. While McCloud says he received minimal funds from such sources, he also says that amount paled in comparison to what he’s received in cities where WFC hosted some “super-regional” secondtier competitions. Bruny says McCloud asked the Fremont Street Experience for $250,000 in cash annually for the next three years, a request the group’s board turned down. He points out, however, that the Fremont Street Experience this year provided $75,000 in free “in-kind” services, such as lights, sound and security. Unfortunately, Bruny says, “The World Food Championships placed a value on their event higher than we were willing to pay for the future.” (The LVCVA failed to respond to repeated requests for an interview about the World Food Championships or its overall policies in promoting tourist events.) For his part, McCloud concedes his event may not be big enough to get the respect he’s seeking in Las Vegas. “We’re kind of a small fsh in a big pond in Las Vegas,” he admits. “When we take our events to a Kissimmee or a Scottsdale or a Nashville, we are a big-time event. So those cities are a lot more interested in helping bring us to town and support us fnancially.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF WORLD FOOD CHAMPIONSHIPS

The scene at the World Food Championships at the Fremont Street Experience.

Cage Match

DRINKING

From Champagne to cava, prosecco to brachetto—there’s a New Year’s Eve sparkler for every budget

GRUET BLANC DE BLANCS 2007

This sparkling 100 percent malbec rosa comes from century-old vines in Lujan de Cujo, a winegrowing region in the shadow of Argentina’s Mount Aconcagua. Brilliant foral aromas and deep, Malbec favors of cherry, plum and strawberry. $15, Khoury’s Fine Wine & Spirits, BelascoMalbec.com.

A superior domestic sparkling wine from high-altitude vineyards in New Mexico. If it looks familiar, perhaps that’s because a custom Gruet cuvee is the house sparkler at the Cosmopolitan! A non-vintage blanc de noirs is also available for just $15. $24, Khoury’s Fine Wine & Spirits, GruetWinery.com.

FIZZ 56 BRACHETTO

Raise a glass to “un felice Anno Nuovo” with this alluring red spumante from the Piedmonte region of Italy. Fizz 56 is aromatic, sweet and naturally effervescent being made from 100 percent brachetto grapes, which are native to Italy. A perfect accompaniment for dessert or for the big countdown. $20, Total Wine & More, Fizz56.com.

JAM CELLARS “TOAST”

SCHRAMSBERG MIRABELLE BRUT

DRAPPIER BRUT NATURE ROSÉ

If you liked former Rombauer winemaker Rob Lloyd’s “Butter” chard, you’ll love this bright, juicy méthode Champenoise California sparkler with aromas of melon, white peach and orange blossoms and favors of light toast and pear with hints of tropical pineapple and honeydew. $25, Khoury’s Fine Wine & Spirits, JaMCellars.com.

From one of America’s fnest sparkling wine houses in the Napa Valley, Mirabelle gains palate richness and aromatic complexity from blending with aged base wines from prior vintages. Mostly chardonnay; a little pinot noir adds body and depth. Also available in rosé. $29, Total Wine & More, Schramsberg.com.

It’s Champagne, it’s kosher and it’s amazing—100 percent pinot noir produced using the saignée method without dosage or fltering. Fresh and delightful, with hints of rose petals, red fruit, minerality, citrus and white pepper. $60, Khoury’s Fine Wine & Spirits, ChampagneDrappier.com.

Poema’s brut, extra dry and rosado cavas are made using the Champagne method, with secondary fermentation taking place in bottle instead of a tank, adding toasty, bready notes and a fner bead to its citrus, mineral and Granny Smith apple aromas. A popular by-the-glass pour at restaurants. $13, Khoury’s Fine Wine & Spirits, KobrandWineAndSpirits.com.

BELASCO DE BAQUEDANO ROSA

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

POEMA BRUT

VegasSeven.com

By Xania Woodman

A&E

“Sure, we’ve got our locals and our lounges, but most touring acts seem to pass us by, going straight from Arizona to California, only stopping in Nevada for a Big Gulp and a piss.”

MUSIC {PAGE 76}

Movies, music, stage and a museum for Nucky Thompson

Why tribute bands are getting almost famous in Vegas By Lissa Townsend Rodgers

VegasSeven.com

Mock Stars

WERE YOU TOO YOUNG TO CATCH ELVIS? Ronnie James Dio? The Beastie Boys? Nostalgic for the disco era, whether you lived through it or not? Or are you just sorry that you missed the Foo Fighters on their recent tour? ¶ All of the above are factors in the increasing popularity of tribute bands—especially in Las Vegas, where audiences seem particularly fond of known quantities. Many acts are committed to replicating the original, down to the set list and stage patter. Some bands pull from a wider range of material, basing themselves on a genre or time period. Others use the work of an artist or an era as a starting point to take the music in a different direction. ¶ “The tribute band thing keeps getting bigger. We get more gigs all the time—more and more venues want tribute bands,” says Sean Mulvihill, lead singer of the AC/DC tribute, Bonfre.

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

PHOTO BY FRANK RODRICK/STRAYSHOTS

Red Not Chili Peppers still dream of “Californication.”

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As people get older, the nostalgia market gets wider: Once there were just faux-Beatles and pretend Neil Diamond, but now more recent acts such as Slayer, Depeche Mode and Pink are getting the tribute treatment. “People love it. They get a kick out of anything they recognize,” says Mulvihill, whose band is one of almost a dozen tribute acts playing the upcoming New Year’s Eve celebration on Fremont Street. “These acts are not just live cover bands,” says Tom Bruny, director of marketing for the Fremont Street Experience, “They have the look and stage show emulating the bands they are paying tribute to.” Mulvihill agrees: “It’s more of a performance piece. You’re playing a character.” He’s had 14 years to perfect his sound and look, even blacking out one of his teeth to better resemble AC/ DC’s original lead singer, Bon Scott. “You have to really be committed to do a good tribute,” he says. “People can tell if you’re not committed. You go watch U2 bands, and if Bono isn’t 100 percent committed to being Bono, it falls apart.” That commitment inspires the audience’s belief. “Our biggest thrill is having somebody walk up and say, ‘You took me back to 1982 when I saw them at this arena, I was with my frst girlfriend,’” says Derek Fuller, whose Fan Halen has been doing Van Halen for more than a decade. The band’s stage show includes the mandatory VH confetti cannon, and Fuller plays a version of Eddie Van Halen’s distinctively striped guitar. Like many tributers, Fuller had the songs at his fngertips before he had the band. “We started it from play-

“WE HAVE OUR DAILY LIVES, FAMILIES, CAREERS. BUT ON WEEKENDS WHEN OTHER PEOPLE MOW THE LAWN, WE GET TO GO OUT AND BE KIND OF LIKE A ROCK STAR.” – Fan Halen’s Derek Fuller

ing an annual party at my house,” he recalls. “One year I said, ‘Let’s just play Van Halen. It’s my favorite band.’ People were going nuts, and it gradually grew from there.” The band developed a set, added costumes and props and, as Fuller says, “Eleven years later we’re traveling the world as Fan Halen.” Perhaps it’s not the rock ’n’ roll dream he imagined years ago on the Sunset Strip, but it does have its perks: “We have our daily lives, families, careers. But on weekends when other people mow the lawn and hit a round of golf, we get to go out and be kind of like a rock star.” Most tribute musicians have honed their chops in a number of bands, playing both originals and cover tunes. “Everyone had a long history in music before starting the tribute band thing,” says Jonathan Savage, bass player for the Red Not Chili Peppers. The fandom that inspired him to found the band six years ago is something they share with their audiences. “The best crowds we have are the ones who are die-hard fans of the music,” he says. “If you’re playing with

passion for the music, it’s easy to connect with those people.” But paying tribute isn’t always about replicating a single band. Spend a weekend in Las Vegas and you’ll become familiar with the plethora of acts that represent an era/genre—bands banging out funk hits of the ’70s, John Hughes soundtracks of the ’80s or grunge hits of the ’90s. It’s a safe bet for flling a bar, and you can always be assured that the demographic is almost exactly 20 years older than whatever former Top 40 hits they’re nodding their heads to. However, some use the idea of a tribute as a point of departure for a less predictable musical journey. The gold standard is El Vez, who flters the songs of the King through his childhood assumption that Elvis was Mexican, so his white jumpsuit has a sequined Virgin of Guadalupe on the back, and “C.C. Rider” becomes “Si, I’m a Lowrider.” Las Vegans may be more familiar with Richard Cheese, who applied a swingin’ lounge-lizard style to tracks such as the Clash’s “Rock the Casbah” and Guns n’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle.”

BONFIRE, FAN HALEN AND RED NOT CHILI PEPPERS

will play Fremont Street’s Tributepalooza, Dec. 30-Jan. 3. VegasExperience.com. FRANKS & DEANS

play the first Wednesday of every month at the Double Down Saloon. DoubleDownSaloon.com.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF VEGAS EXPERIENCE

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

VegasSeven.com

Don’t call them “cover” bands: Bonfire (left) and Fan Halen.

Meanwhile, Las Vegas’ Franks & Deans are one of the new-style bands that use tribute as just a part of the act. They’ve just celebrated their one-year anniversary of giving the slick sounds of the Rat Pack a rough-edged punk spin. Vocalist/bassist Rob DeTie and his bandmates share a love of “punk rock and the old crooner music. We can turn rock ’n’ roll into lounge,” he says, “As soon as we did it, it became a hit.” Franks & Deans’ skewed take on Ol’ Blue Eyes and his buddies has brought gigs all over town, including opening slots for the likes of Reverend Horton Heat and the Toasters, as well as a monthly show—with guest stars and a weenie roast—at the Double Down Saloon. Franks & Deans might occasionally sport those tuxedo T-shirts, but they have no interest in reproducing someone else’s original. “Yes, it is a tribute, but we’re playing songs we want to play in the fashion that we want to play them,” DeTie says, “We get to be creative about it and play them in a new style: It’s fun and different.” Tributes not only fll concert venues, but play on TV (AXS network’s World’s Greatest Tribute Bands) and in theaters (“jukebox musicals” such as the Venetian’s Rock of Ages), both tributes to single acts and bands that span genres. And, as sampling and satirizing becomes more and more a part of how we consume culture, “different” tributes may become even more of a part of the musical landscape. So why not a hundred KISSes, a dozen homages to the sounds of Studio 54, as well as a goth take on Motown—and maybe some kind of Dolly Parton-David Bowie hybrid, too?

With the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Christmas Rocks The Pearl, December 20

Next to Santa himself, perhaps nobody has provided more yuletide cheer over the last decade than Brian Setzer. Now in his 11th year doing his Christmas Rocks tour, the former Stray Cats frontman has something in his bag for everyone, no matter whether you like your holiday season naughty or nice. Supported by a 13-piece horn section, two fur-clad vixens on backup vocals, Johnny Hatton on upright bass and Noah Levy on drums, Setzer and his trademark Gretsch guitar led the way through a full helping of Christmas classics and other holiday treats. The horns added bounce to “Sleigh Ride” and an instrumental “Joy to the World,” while the seamless interplay between Setzer and the orchestra on “Angels We Have Heard On High” and “The Nutcracker Suite” belied the complexity of the arrangements. In addition to the holiday rockers, Setzer tossed in a few Stray Cats hits, along with stocking stuffers such as “Ring of Fire,” “Jump, Jive an’ Wail” and “In the Mood.” When it comes to getting in the spirit of the season, Setzer never fails to deliver. Just like swingin’ ole Saint Nick. ★★★★✩ – Sean DeFrank

[ VIDEOGRAPHY ]

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

VegasSeven.com

Marion Write’s 'Annie Oakley'

My favorite cut off Marion Write’s Black Gold, which I told y’all to download back in October at VegasSeven.com/ HearNow, got the visual treatment recently. Earnest and raw, it’s a song about lost love over a crackly sample of Willie Hutch’s “Baby Come Home.” The video finds Marion crooning while sitting on a stoop in New York—New York, she’s calling … telling me hold her in the winter, but baby I can’t because I’m a sinner—before returning to the Vegas Valley's Annie Oakley Drive, still alone. – Zoneil Maharaj

LEVINE LARGE It’s been a good year for Maroon Five. Their latest album, V, was a big hit despite mixed reviews and the controversy over their bloody “Animals” video. Maroon Five closes out 2014 with a pair of shows at Mandalay Bay Events Center on Dec. 30-31 ($100-$225).

Mob Museum annexed by Boardwalk Empire SURE, ALL THAT TRUE-LIFE MAFIA HISTORY IS GREAT, you said to yourself after spending hours wandering the Mob Museum, “But what about The Sopranos?” The last stop on the tour before you hit the gift shop is the Museum’s tribute to gangster ficks—complete with a little screening area. This year, they’re adding new exhibits, because it can’t just be all Casino all the time. (OK, it could totally be all Casino all the time.) Two of the new ones come from the world of Boardwalk Empire and are, uh, about as spoilery as they can be. Don’t keep reading this and don’t go to the Mob Museum until you’ve caught up on the HBO drama that was one of the best things on television despite a spate of complaints from the same critics who insisted True Detective was more than freshman-level philosophizing wrapped up in a sub-Lovecraftian murder-mystery. To the point, though, they’re adding the suit Steve Buscemi had on when Nucky Thompson got shot in the fnale and totally ruined your night because you were convinced he and Margaret were going to retire to Manhattan where they’d go quasi-legit and live the Joe Kennedy life of insider stock trading. Also, from the real world, they have the Nucky Johnson Culinary Trophy. Buscemi’s real-life counterpart handed out the silver cup to Omer Bondoux of the Breakers Hotel in Atlantic City in a 1925 culinary contest. Finally, they’ll have a track suit that Tony Sirico wore in The Sopranos’ Season 6, Episode 4, where Paulie Walnuts fnds out his real mother is a nun. Can’t wait until they can add Sirico’s hair to the collection – Jason Scavone

BENNETT GOES GAGA Legendary crooner Tony Bennett and musical chameleon Lady Gaga have audiences of all ages swooning over Cheek to Cheek, their collection of pop standards. The unlikely duo will perform at the Chelsea on Dec. 30-31 ($125-$225).

ON SALE NOW Dr. Dog first caught my attention with its excellent cover of Architecture in Helsinki’s “Heart it Races.” The rockers’ new album, Live at a Flamingo Hotel, will be released in January, and you can catch the band at House of Blues on Feb. 21 ($25).

BRIAN SETZER BY EDISON GRAFF; SUIT COURTESY OF THE MOB MUSEUM

A&E

CONCERT

[ READING ]

ALBUMS WE'RE BUYING

It’s All About that BASS

D’angelo, Black Messiah

published in North America have been col-

Since 1915, the best short stories lected in an annual anthology aptly titled The Best American Short Stories (Houghton

J. Cole, 2014 Forest Hills Drive 2

Miffler Harcourt, $15). Author Heidi Pitlor has been editing the series since

The

HIT LIST TARGETING THIS WEEK'S MOST-WANTED EVENTS

By Camille Cannon

2007. She scours magazines and literary Taylor Swift, 1989 3

journals—some as familiar as The New Yorker, others more obscure—rounding up what she thinks are the 100 best stories

Nicki Minaj, The Pinkprint 4

published in a given year. Then it’s up to the guest editor—this time it’s Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jennifer Egan—to narrow down the list to 20. It’s a subjective process; Egan readily admits this in her

Pink Floyd, The Endless River 5

According to sales at Zia Record Exchange at 4503 W. Sahara Ave., Dec. 15-21.

introduction. But if you’re a fan of the genre, you’re bound to love at least a few, if not all, of this year’s stories. Egan selected shorts “for their power to make me lose my bearings.” Her picks include work from big names such as Joyce Carol Oates, T.C. Boyle, Ann Beattie and Joshua Ferris. But the newbies also shine. Highlights include Nicole Cullen, a young up-and-comer from Idaho whose prose is steeped in place, and Craig Davidson, a Canadian who writes characters as physically broken as they are emotionally so. – Chantal Corcoran

GIVING AGAIN Here’s a final dose of holiday theater for ya. Henderson’s Theatre in the Valley wraps its run of The Magic Toy Box Dec. 27-28. This production was the first by the theater troupe in their new home, the Playhouse. Let’s hope the New Year brings more shows. TheatreInTheValley.org.

Kiss and his art from last year's Parade: "X-Ray Vision" and "Untitled."

ty awesome art. Even more awesome is the fact that this self-taught artist only took up the paintbrush three years ago, inspired by Parade: The Collective, the annual exhibition of art by Cirque du Soleil employees at Trifecta Gallery. ¶ “It’s one of the highlights of the goodness that we’ve done, of what an art gallery can do,” says gallerist Marty Walsh, who successfully fought to protect the program from Cirque budget cuts. She explains that even people who work in creative fields can fall into a workaday rut, but that having a studio practice and a goal to meet enhances your personal well-being, makes you more fulfilled. “[Parade] has changed a lot of people’s lives.” ¶ Running January 1-30, the 10th annual exhibit will feature 30 artists, including Kiss and popular Las Vegas artist/production coordinator for Michael Jackson One, Brent Sommerhauser. But the show is special for another reason: It’s the last one at Trifecta. In fact, it’s the very last show at Trifecta Gallery, period. Instead of ending with a solo show, Walsh wanted to continue the collaboration, “We’re going out with a larger voice that includes more people.” It’s the Trifecta way. – Cindi Moon Reed

MARKY IS A BOOK AUTHOR Marky Ramone, the former drummer and only surviving member of the Ramones, has penned an autobiography titled Punk Rock Blitzkrieg: My Life as a Ramone. He’ll sign copies of the book—in which he opens up about the band, the music and his alcoholism—at the Barnes & Noble at 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. at 7 p.m. Jan. 7. And yes, you can take selfies from the signing line. BarnesAndNoble.com.

VegasSeven.com

As a rigger for Mystère, Sergio Kiss views the world from a unique perspec-

tive: When everybody else is looking up, he’s looking down. His different way of seeing has helped Kiss create some pret-

Trifecta’s Last Show

MOVERS AND SHAKERS Some of the city’s best in music and dance will be honored at the Tuesday Blend Anniversary Awards on Jan. 6. The monthly talent showcase moves from its usual home at Hard Rock Live to bigger digs at Brooklyn Bowl for the occasion. B-Boy crews, DJs and choreographers will all represent while you get to enjoy the performances. WHKLV.com.

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

PARADE PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRIFECTA GALLERY

SYNONYM FOR ENTOURAGE “A multisensory erotic fashion experience” is how Sin City Gallery describes Angel Alcala’s Retinue exhibition. On display Jan. 1-24, the centerpiece is a short film that features elaborate costumes, some of which will reside in the gallery space alongside props. Alcala will give an artist’s talk on Jan. 20—which is good, cuz we’ve got questions. SinCityGallery.com.

MUSIC

[ OLD LADY IN A MOSH PIT ]

JUST ‘WAITING’ FOR THESE BANDS Everybody’s got a dream list of acts that should play Vegas. Here’s ours. By Lissa Townsend Rodgers WHY DOESN’T VEGAS GET GOOD LIVE BANDS?

Sure, we’ve got our locals and our lounges, but most touring acts pass us by, speeding from Arizona to California, only stopping in Nevada for a Big Gulp and a piss. So, if I could ask for one thing this holiday, it’d be these seven shows … Faith No More at The Joint. It’s been 30 years since Faith No More’s frst hit, three decades of lineups, breakups, reunions and general weirdness. Next year, they’ll release a new album— which will be mighty if it resembles frst single, “Motherfucker.” May they play Vegas and may they do their versions of both Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” and the Commodores’ “Easy.” The Dirtbombs at the Bunkhouse. The Motor City’s fnest live band covers vintage soul, Detroit techno and bubblegum pop, along with raucous originals. I can’t think of anything more fun than doing shots, eating mac n’ cheese and digging the Dirtbombs’ dragstrip rendition of Thin Lizzy’s “Ode to a Black Man” or their own Marvin-Gaye-meets-JohnnyRotten ode to love, “Stupid.” The Fucked Up at Dive Bar. The best frontman in hardcore is a chubby Canadian stoner. Who knew? The man known as Pink Eyes heads up a cyclone of a sextet that’s melodic and pummeling, profound and insane, joyous and furious all at the same time. If they don’t come to us this year, you should go to them, wherever they may be. D’Angelo at the Brooklyn Bowl. We’ll always have a spot in our rotation for “Brown Sugar.” The enigmatic neo-soul superstar has been given to lengthy sabbaticals and album delays that last longer than your K-12 career. His recently released disc, Black Messiah, features contributions from Questlove and trumpet great Roy Hargrove, among oth-

ers. D’Angelo is planning a string of European dates this spring. He needs to bring his show—and a few of those guest stars—to Vegas. Sleater-Kinney at Life Is Beautiful. Calling them the best female rock act puts them in too small of a league: Sleater-Kinney can kick the ass of any band, be they male, female, Hobbit or have someone named Grohl in them. Life Is Beautiful isn’t ideal—that would be playing every venue in Vegas, from The Beat to the Thomas & Mack … but since the odds of getting them here at all are slim, I’m pinning my hopes on our benevolent Downtown overlords. My Bloody Valentine at the Boulevard Pool. Maybe the sound system isn’t perfect, but wallowing in this band’s cascades of ethereal feedback against a backdrop of shimmering neon, glittering bulbs and fashing LED would be sublime sensory overload. I also want to hear the 15 minutes of ear-splitting screeching reverb known as “You Made Me Realize” echo off the Strip’s towers. Tom Waits at The Smith Center. Waits spent the beginning of his career posing as a lounge singer, sent his songbook here with The Tempest last year and has written several great tunes about our city. But, apparently, Waits has never played Vegas. This is a situation that must be remedied, so that we may also partake of junkyard percussion, skronk guitar, barrelhouse piano, exquisite songwriting and epic charisma. Why stop there? Bring Rocket from the Crypt’s horn section and Elvis hair to Fremont Street! Bring Bridget Everett singing raunchy, hilarious lounge songs to Inspire! Bring Bianca Del Rio and her Rolodex of Hate to the Sands Showroom! Bring Nick Cave to sit by my bed and croon “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” as I fall asleep …

STAGE

HOLLY-ER THAN THOU Strip-scene gif-giving by your humble Sour Claus

ILLUSTRATION BY CIERRA PEDRO

THAT DUDE WHO NEVER HEARD OF A RAZOR,

dresses in red-and-white PJs and visits too many hotel buffets is called St. Nick. Me? More like St. Prick—at least to some Vegas entertainers. Still, my withered ticker turns to mush—or in my case, gruel—at holiday time, so here’s what your faithful Stripschlepper left under the neon tree this year for … Murray Sawchuck: You’re moving into Planet Hollywood, so how about a new look? Inside this box, please fnd a hairbrush that won’t fee in terror. Bill Cosby: Sorry, I can’t lobby to bring you back to Treasure Island. But this certifcate entitles the bearer to an exemption from the ultimate humiliation: having your situation barely fctionalized on an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. 50 Shades! The Parody (opening Feb. 3 at Bally’s, based on Fifty Shades of Grey): S&M/ B&D joins T&A on the Vegas Strip. So, inside this box, fnd … absolutely nothing for Christmas. Suffering, are you? Glad I could put a (oooooohaaaaaaaaaw) smile on your face. Britney Spears: Enclosed, please fnd a newly passed law that makes lip-synching a felony. Forgive the mixed metaphor, but some people need to be tossed into the deep end of the pool before it becomes a matter of sink or sing. The Duck Commander Family Musical (opening in early 2015 at the Rio, based on TV show Duck Dynasty, which gave America Phil Robertson, the world’s foremost homosexuality/bestiality scholar): Open that rainbowcolored box and out pops … a big gay audience at every performance. The cast of Zombie Burlesque: Here’s your written invitation to make a guest

appearance at The Duck Commander Family Musical to sing your hit song, “Eating Penis Doesn’t Make You Gay.” Pia Zadora: So you won’t get hurt again being thrown from a golf cart, please look outside. … Yes, it’s your brand-new, 2015 golf tank! Steve Wynn’s ShowStoppers: A new production with almost exactly the same title as this column, which predated it by nearly three years? For your gift, please see the nearest process server. Jeff Dunham: In the best news in years for our fght to weaken terrorism, please fnd enclosed the paperwork for the promotion of Achmed the Dead Terrorist to leader of the Taliban. Veteran rockers of Raiding the Rock Vault: There’s a delivery guy outside. He wants to know where to load my gift—a year’s supply of Metamucil and magnums of prune juice. Men the Experience: Use the enclosed permission slip to create a more daring companion show: Women the Interactive Experience. Readers who can’t stand me: The line forms on the left for your kiss on the lips. Readers who like me: The line forms on the right to get my autograph on a blank check from my meager account. Cirque du Soleil: You don’t need fancy gifts, so accept this simple greeting card wishing every performer in every Cirque production a safe— and therefore very happy—new year. While I’m at it, the same to each and every one of you. Got an entertainment tip? Email Steve.Bornfeld@VegasSeven.com.

A&E

MOVIES

HORROR DONE RIGHT The Babadook is smarter than the average scare By Michael Phillips Tribune Media Services

HERE’S ONE OF THE STRONGEST FEATURE FILM

debuts in a long time, in any genre. Currently on demand and making its way into a few brave theaters, The Babadook comes from Australian writer-director Jennifer Kent, whose short flm Monster, made nearly a decade ago, inspired her full-length treatment of the same story. That story deals in familiar tropes having to do with a troubled young boy, his widowed mother and a notso-imaginary creature, sprung from a malevolent pop-up storybook. But Kent has taste, an eye and a knack for brisk, accelerated pacing. In the case of The Babadook, familiarity breeds an eerily gratifying contentment. A frst-rate performance guides the tale, which is typically not the case with contemporary horror movies. Essie Davis is well-known in Australia and has won awards for her stage work in London and New York, but she’ll be new to most movie audiences. She plays Amelia, an elder-care worker whose husband died in a car accident nearly seven years earlier. The accident happened on the way to the hospital, where their son, Samuel, was born. Since then, mother and boy have lived in a tragedy-clouded haze in their ram-

Just a boy (Noah Wiseman) and his mom (Essie Davis) eating in a creepy kitchen—what’s not to fear?

shackle house, whose rooms are painted in unsettling grayish-blue tones. The house is practically begging for trouble. Out of nowhere, the Babadook storybook appears at the doorstep. The monster in the book is depicted as terrorizing a young boy after being allowed inside the boy’s house. Samuel begins seeing him for real, and the boy, played by a game, wide-eyed Noah Wiseman, lives in fear of losing his remaining parent to the monster. The Babadook clearly digs Edward Gorey; he’s a Victorian-looking fellow with a stovepipe hat, long, Nosferatulike fngers and terrible teeth borrowed from Maurice Sendak’s wild things. Amelia descends into sleepdeprived madness as she, too, realizes the monster is no fgment. As Amelia becomes the unwilling host for the

Babadook, this stressed-out mother fgure, as writer-director Kent herself suggested, turns into a combination of Shelley Duvall and Jack Nicholson from The Shining. Full of shadow and insinuation, The Babadook owes some visual touches to Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. In their state of justifed paranoia, Amelia and Samuel consume untold hours of late-night television, everything from Disney’s Three Little Pigs to The Strange Love of Martha Ivers. Little things indicate the presence of their tormentor, from fickering light bulbs to shards of glass in a bowl of soup. It sounds miserably manipulative and exploitative, but that’s horror for you: The right artists can put terrible, painful emotions to work inside scares that add up to more than “boo!” (Or, in the

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

VegasSeven.com

SHORT REVIEWS

Annie (PG) ★✩✩✩✩

The risks taken by co-writer/director Will Gluck begin with pulling Annie out of the 1930s and plopping it down in contemporary Manhattan. Living in foster care in Harlem, the girl formerly known as “orphan” (each time she’s called that, she retorts, “I’m a foster kid”) is played by the confident Quvenzhane Wallis, of Beasts of the Southern Wild. The overall vibe of this folly is curdled and utterly blasé; it’s a 118-minute foregone conclusion, finesse-free and perilously low on the simple performance pleasures we look for in any musical, of any period.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (PG) ★★★✩✩

This film rates as more determinedly heartfelt than the first and not as witty as the second (and best). It closes out this effectsdriven, family-friendly trilogy with three separate farewells. The most bittersweet parting involves the late Robin Williams. The third farewell is to the series itself, anchored by Ben Stiller as night guard Larry, here upgraded to museum evening events planner, animatronic division. It’s a hectic pileup, but at least in its final laps it takes the time to say its goodbyes more or less properly.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩

Bilbo’s barely in this one, but Evangeline Lilly and Orlando Bloom are attractive in close-up, and true to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Battle of the Five Armies is treated to at least five separate endings so we know that Jackson isn’t kidding: The trilogy’s really ending; the long march is over. I did find the logistics of waging battle on a frozen river entertaining. But, honestly, if it weren’t for Ian McKellen’s masterful Gandalf, a wellmade tough sit of a trilogy capper would’ve become a challenge of Tolkien proportions.

parlance of splatter horror, “blech.”) The blood and gore in The Babadook is blessedly restrained by modern standards. Is the sinister force a manifestation of Amelia’s grief? Is it her late husband in disguise? Could Kent’s debut flm actually be recut as a nonsupernatural drama about a single parent willing to do nearly anything for a decent night’s sleep? Any horror flm offering more than one answer to its central question is ahead of the game. The Babadook is a tonic, easily the best mainstream horror since last year’s The Conjuring. And special thanks to illustrator Alexander Juhasz for the Babadook book itself, whose pages are given just the right amount of screen time. The Babadook (No Rating) ★★★★✩

By Tribune Media Services

The Imitation Game (PG-13) ★★★✩✩

As mathematician, code-breaker and martyred gay icon Alan Turing, one of the most ill-served heroes of World War II, Benedict Cumberbatch goes to town—discreetly—in The Imitation Game. Director Morten Tyldum adheres to the tradition of uncomplicated, well-acted biopics about complicated makers of history. The movie is entertaining and, at the same time, extremely nervous about going over the heads of the average moviegoer, to the point of boiling down its code-breaking technicalities to watery generalities.

Exodus: Gods And Kings (PG-13) ★★ ✩✩

Wild (R) ★★★✩✩

What do the entrails say about Exodus: Gods and Kings, director Ridley Scott’s ambitious retelling of the Moses story, the exodus from Egypt, the burning bush, the frogs, the boils, the hail, the commandments, the Red Sea crossing and the rest of it? Not bad, they say. Christian Bale is Moses, raised as Ramses’ brother and protector and eventual adversary. How you respond to the totality of Exodus: Gods and Kings will, I suspect, relate directly to how you responded to Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood from 2010.

Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 memoir Wild has become a swift, solidly built movie capturing most of its author’s most interesting baggage—the weedy tangle of regrets, the reckless bumper-car behavior borne of grief. I can’t unread the book, which I love. I can only offer my feelings about this film, a showcase for a pareddown and very fine performance from Reese Witherspoon, in relation to its source. Screenwriter Nick Hornby (About a Boy, An Education) creates a dense interweave of flashbacks to Strayed’s past life.

Panic 5 Bravo (R) ★★✩✩✩

Horrible Bosses 2 (R) ★✩✩✩✩

Penguins of Madagascar (PG) ★★✩✩✩

Foxcatcher (R) ★★★✩✩

This tin-can thriller is set almost entirely inside a paramedic ambulance under siege, just below the U.S.-Mexican divide south of Arizona. Writer-director-star Kuno Becker plays an Arizona paramedic whose crew includes a retirement-bound chief (John Henry Richardson,); the hazed newbie (Dan Rovzar); and the racist (Aurora Papile), who will eventually strip down to her bra. Parked on the U.S. side, the paramedics receive word of a code 5 Bravo, a shooting, and as luck would have it, they are yards from the gunshot victim on the other side.

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.

This incredibly tasteless sequel is an excuse to bring back Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis for another round of amateur-criminal high jinks and semi-improvised vulgarity. After finding a wealthy investor (Christoph Waltz) to help them manufacture and distribute their new invention, our heroes find themselves double-crossed when the investor reneges on their deal. With no legal recourse, the three friends kidnap the investor’s handsome, preening son (Chris Pine), and demand a ransom.

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.

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SEVEN QUESTIONS

and that we need support on. We need a quality football facility. From weight room to coaching offces to meeting rooms, academic centers, computer labs, training table—we need to have a football complex. Like the Mendenhall Center and how that houses the basketball program, we need something like that for Rebel football. Before you were hired, there was much speculation about Lorenzo Fertitta committing money to the program if you got the job. What is your relationship with him?

I’ve got a great relationship with that family, based on my relationship with Bishop Gorman and [the Fertitta family’s] love for the school. They’ve done some tremendous things for that school and this entire community. We’ve got Fertitta Middle School and a tennis complex here at UNLV that’s already named after the family. They’ve been unbelievable for this community. But a lot of things were said and a lot of things were alluded to that just weren’t factual at all. And a lot of people just kind of misstepped when they wrote those things. We’re going to ask everybody in this community to step up and help. One family can’t fx anything. It’s going to take a group of people coming together who believe that Rebel football can be successful. If they can step up and support the kids and support us and our vision and get everybody engaged, I think we have a great opportunity to get those things done. Was there any indication during your hiring process that Fertitta would support the program financially?

Absolutely not.

UNLV’s new football coach on making the jump from high school, the Fertitta donation rumors and whether his old team could beat his new team

December 25, 2014–January 7, 2015

VegasSeven.com

By Mike Grimala

What’s the last week been like for you?

It’s been a whirlwind—from media, to going [before] the Board of Regents, to the press conference. A big part was saying goodbye to a wonderful group of kids [at Bishop Gorman High School] and a wonderful group of administrators and people who had supported me relentlessly for the last six years. It was emotional. It’s been crazy, but you don’t take jobs like this to rest. You understand that it’s going to be a grind, and you’re going to put in a lot of hours and burn the candle. And that’s fun, too. Why was now the right time to make this move?

I’ve had a great 11 years as a head

coach in high school and a couple more as an assistant. We’ve kind of accomplished all we can at the high school level. Obviously you can continue to do it, but I’ve always been one who looks for the next challenge, and this is a great opportunity to stay at home in a place that I love and to lead a university’s football program that can be successful. I’ve had multiple [college coaching] opportunities. I’ve talked to a number of coaches about being a coordinator [or a] position coach and one school about a head coaching job. I wanted to make sure we saw the entire thing through at Bishop Gorman. That was something I was committed to—mak-

ing sure we got it where it is today. There was some unfnished business [at Gorman] when I had certain opportunities. I actually talked to another school a year ago about the same situation, and it didn’t seem like the right time. But this one felt right. What is your first priority, and what are some of your long-term goals for the program?

The biggest thing immediately was [getting] a staff together. Let’s see where we are on the recruiting trail, and evaluating our guys, evaluating our current team. Moving forward, there are things we need to bring to the community

You can’t wait until their senior year for them to know who you are. We’ve got to be out there, we need to be out in the community. We need to show some progress, we’ve got to show some initiative by people investing in facilities and doing those things. But we’ve got to recruit the Las Vegas kid. There’s a lot of talent here. ... I know that’s easier said than done, but we’ve got to identify kids early, we’ve got to get to know them, they’ve got to get to know us, and we’ve got to get into the conversation. I don’t care where their other opportunities are, we’ve got to be in consideration.

The 2014 undefeated state-champion Bishop Gorman team vs. UNLV on a neutral field—what happens?

That’s a really silly question. You’re talking about college athletes who are on full scholarship. There’s no high school in the country that can compete with any college at any level. You’re talking about grown men. I think people who don’t understand football might consider that. But it’s not even in the equation.

PHOTO BY JON ESTRADA

Tony Sanchez

If there’s a local player who is considering schools like Oregon, Arizona and USC, how do you get UNLV onto that list?