Game On | Vegas Seven Magazine | January 29-February 4, 2015 by Vegas Seven

14 | THE LATEST

“Betting on Integrity,” by Jason Scavone. In the wake of Deflategate, we pause to reflect on real sports scandals— and ponder if they could ever happen again. Plus, Three Questions with Jon Ralston, Peeve of the Week on disdain for the Super Bowl, Ask a Native and The Deal.

16 | Breaking Stuf & Making Stuf “Earning My Wings,” by Greg Blake Miller. Embracing the glories of the last row of the plane.

18 | Green Felt Journal

“Follow the Money,” by David G. Schwartz. Annual report reveals that nongaming activities continue to pay the bills for Strip casinos.

22 | THE SUPER BOWL ISSUE

“Super Memories.” Experts from both sides of the wagering counter share their most unforgettable Super Bowl betting stories. Plus, a look back at game-changing commercials and halftime shows, a few Super dining options, and Matt Jacob’s prediction and prop bets.

29 | NIGHTLIFE

“Welcome to Fabulous Not Vegas,” by Camille Cannon. The city’s hottest new nightclub is an art installation. Allow us to explain. Plus, Seven Nights and photos from the week’s hottest parties.

53 | DINING

Al Mancini on Tom’s Urban. Plus, Dishing With Grace, a look at the Valley’s most unusual foods and mile-high mixology.

59 | A&E

“End of an Era,” by Cindi Moon Reed. Trifecta Gallery’s Marty Walsh on closing a Vegas institution and what happens next. Plus, Game of Thrones comes to IMAX, The Hit List, Tour Buzz and a review of Santana in concert.

65 | Showstopper

“One for Our Baby,” by Steve Bornfeld. Bob Anderson’s Sinatra tribute is an impressive valentine to a Vegas icon.

66 | Movies

Song One and our weekly movie capsules.

78 | Seven Questions

Former NFL coach Jim Fassel on his Super Bowl experience, UNLV’s hire and his pick for Sunday.

VegasSeven.com

12 | Moment 15 | Seven Days 20 | Style

Our betting expert has an opinion on whether or not Russell Wilson will throw an interception in the Super Bowl.

ON THE COVER Illustration by Ryan Olbrysh

January 29–February 4, 2015

PHOTO BY MARK J. REBIL AS/USA TODAY SPORTS

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VEGAS MOMENT

Darling, Save the Last Dance for Me

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

| January 29–February 4, 2015

There’s a certain romantic mythos tied to living fast, dying young and leaving a pretty corpse. Well, here’s your most profound rebuttal for graceful aging: Adult Entertainment Expo conventioneer Don shows a young lady how they used to keep it classy back in the day. You lead when a topless woman rubs her boobs on your windbreaker, like a proper gentleman.

VegasSeven.com

Photo by Gabe Ginsberg

“Have you ever sat hemmed in by two toilets on a long-distance fight on which creamed chicken is served?” BREAKING STUFF & MAKING STUFF {PAGE 16}

Betting on Integrity In the wake of Defategate, we pause to refect on real sports scandals— and ponder if they could ever happen again

January 29–February 4, 2015

VegasSeven.com

By Jason Scavone

WE DIDN’T COME HERE TO TALK ABOUT TOM

Brady’s defated balls. We’re not going to waste precious column inches discussing how hard Tommy has to work to get a grip on them, or how unhappy he gets when his balls aren’t treated properly over the course of the game. That, after all, would be juvenile. Defategate (or Ballghazi, if you please) might have the pundits calling for Bill Belichick’s head (as if his decapitated robot body wouldn’t just keep lumbering on regardless). But as scandals go, it’s as relatively malign as other historical efforts in goofy gamesmanship, from Joe Niekro’s nail

fle to Graig Nettles’ adventures in Super Balls. Yet on the heels of last week’s admission by Super Bowl-winning quarterback Brad Johnson (still feels weird to say) that he paid two ball boys $7,500 to scuff up the pigskin prior to his Buccaneers’ blowout win over the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII, it all combines to … maybe not shake your foundation of faith in sports betting, but at the very least give it the side-eye. At the Mob Museum on January 21, a panel consisting of former Gaming Control Board Chairman Pete Bernhard, sports betting legal expert Barry

Lieberman, pro bettor Ted Sevransky and longtime Vegas oddsmaker Art Manteris (now with Station Casinos) got together to discuss sketchiness and the law in sports betting. The discussion touched on the usual suspects (the 1919 Black Sox, the ’94 Arizona State point-shaving scandal) as well as the somewhat more esoteric (such as Billy Walters and the Computer Group). Soothing, folksy reassurances came from the panel: Pros make too much money to take a dive these days. Besides, the industry is itself as much at the mercy of fxers as the public. It’s in everyone’s best interest to stay on the level.

“I think our industry is much more credible than people give it credit for,” Manteris says. “I had a study done by Las Vegas Sports Consultants in 2000. They reviewed all the games [Nevada] booked between 1990 and 2000—everything. They took every documented case of impropriety—Tulane, Arizona State, Boston College. Their analysis was that the number of events [involving impropriety] we book in Nevada over a decade was less than 0.01 percent.” Maybe. But there’s a romance to shadiness. Just ask any horse bettor who giddily skips to the window with a hot tip from the backstretch on a long shot. (Then ask them again when they fnd out that tip fltered down from the trainer’s busboy’s girlfriend’s uncle.) Modern data-mining may have shaved the rough edges off old-school betting scandals, but that doesn’t mean those luscious, shadowy margins don’t exist in the college ranks, or with less-scrutinized sports. “Any sport where anyone is underpaid is susceptible to shenanigans,” Sevransky says. “It’s not necessarily the guys who [are playing]. If you want to make a [basketball] game go under the total, if you’ve got a timekeeper who just starts the clock a second early and ends it a second late, over the course of the game you’re going to kill three or four possessions. But the more eyeballs, the more TV cameras that are paying attention, the less likely you can get away with this stuff.” Certainly, no league has more eyeballs on it than the NFL—especially on Super Bowl Sunday. Still, does that make the Seahawks-Patriots clash a smart bet? Aren’t you better off wagering on a Blackhawks game, where the oddsmakers and public aren’t parsing every detail? “Yes,” Sevransky says, “but that’s almost un-American. You don’t see a lot of sharp bettors loading up on a side or the total in the Super Bowl. Those numbers are right where they’re supposed to be. But the sharp bettors will get involved in the proposition market, big time.” Wait, aren’t those the goofy sucker bets, like, “Will there be a safety in the frst half?” or “What will be greater: the number of points LeBron James scores on Sunday or Brady’s number of completions?” Sevransky stares, like we’re a spreadsheet proffering a minus-3 matchup when the book lists plus-7, the corner of his mouth drawing up. “Who you talking to?”

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News, gaming, style and the Native takes you to the movies

By Bob Whitby THURSDAY, JAN. 29: Listen up, Hendersonians: Mayor Andy Hafen will deliver his annual State of the City address, at noon at Green Valley Ranch Resort’s Grand Events Center. It may not be as world-shaking as President Obama’s recent State of the Union speech, but don’t you want to know Hafen’s vision for the place you call home? CityofHenderson.com. FRIDAY, JAN. 30: Soccer—it’s not just for World Cup want to risk getting in the muck. Because of term limits, have we reached the point where lobbyists are running the show in Carson City more so than elected officials, many of whom are inexperienced? How dangerous is this for the state?

★

POLITICS

★

Political season begins in earnest February 2, when the 2015 Legislature convenes in Carson City. In advance of the chaos, we checked in with longtime Nevada political pundit and Reno Gazette-Journal columnist Jon Ralston, who also publishes Ralston Flash (RalstonReports.com). With Republicans controlling both chambers and the governor’s seat, do you expect more or less partisanship and infighting than in the recent past?

It potentially will be worse, because there will be both partisan fghting—with the Democrats desperately seeking relevance—and the internal GOP fghts between the moderates, conservatives and crazies. [Governor Brian] Sandoval may want to get in the middle, but may not

Very. Some of the lobbyists are very skillful and persuasive, and institutional knowledge is evaporating [because of term limits]. The legislative staff is superb, but they often can’t have as much infuence as the paid advocates. What do you predict will be the craziest thing Assemblywoman Michele Fiore does or says during the session?

That’s impossible to answer, because she appears to have no boundaries, no sense of decorum [and] no respect for the process or anyone in it. She is a demagogue with nothing to lose, because she is such a skillful retail campaigner. She is—almost literally—capable of anything. She will make headlines—and few will be good, if any. For more from our interview with Ralston, visit VegasSeven.com/2014Session.

[ PEEVE OF THE WEEK ]

UNHOLY SUNDAYS I’m part of a silent minority, but I’m breaking that silence right now: I hate football. And not because I’m a woman, but because the whole thing is just a pointless display of brute force that results in brain damage. The ball goes this way, the ball goes that way—who gives a shit? I don’t, but I know a lot of people do. And those people like to talk about it. Endlessly, tirelessly, obsessively talk about it—and way too frequently in my airspace.

RALSTON BY ANTHONY MAIR

Whether it’s around my desk or at a bar, I can’t friggin’ escape the football talk, especially now with the Stupid Bowl upon us. You’d think having grown up in football-obsessed Texas, I’d have built up a tolerance. Nope. I’ve been sick of it for as long as I can remember. What’s more, football takes up precious TV, radio and social media airwaves. Kim Kardashian’s ass didn’t break the Internet. Football did. Here’s how much I detest this game: On Sundays during the season, my neighborhood grocery store gives customers a 10 percent discount if they wear a football jersey. It’s a great promotion. Me? I’d rather pay the full freight than encourage this ridiculous national obsession.

time anymore. Which is why you should head over to the Orleans Arena at 7:35 p.m., when the Las Vegas Legends take on the Tacoma Stars. Our local indoor soccer team would like your support, and tickets are only $9. What do you have to lose? OrleansArena.com.

SATURDAY, JAN. 31: If you weren’t aware that homelessness among teens is a big problem in our city, we suggest you attend the grand opening of the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth’s newly expanded Drop-in Center, 4981 Shirley St., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. They’re having a party, which means you can score a free hot dog or two and learn about the scope of the problem. NPHY.org. SUNDAY, FEB. 1: There’s this thing called the Super Bowl today. If you’re still looking for a place to watch it, check out Downtown Container Park for its Big Game Party. There will be food and drink specials, and it’s billed as “family friendly,” so you can bring the little fans. Just keep the swearing down if things don’t go your way. DowntownContainerPark.com. MONDAY, FEB. 2: Whatever you or your kids are afraid of, the Discovery Children’s Museum’s new featured exhibit Goose Bumps, the Science of Fear will tap into it, exploit it and explain it so you can better understand why some things are so frightening. This interactive exhibit runs through May 3. DiscoveryKidsLV.org. TUESDAY, FEB. 3: When it comes to academic competitions, the Scholastic Achievement Awards (which has been around since 1923) is the Emmys, Grammys and Super Bowl all rolled into one. Winning is a big deal, because the competition is tough. See the winning art and writing from Southern Nevada’s teen contingent at Springs Preserve’s Big Springs Gallery, through March 1. SpringsPreserve.org. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 4: Dinosaurs and

trains. That just about covers it when it comes to what fascinates kids. Dinosaur Train Live: Buddy’s Big Adventure, 6 p.m. at The Smith Center, hits both of these tot-button issues with a show that encourages scientific thinking skills while it entertains. TheSmithCenter.com. Have an event you want considered for Seven Days? Email VegasSevenDays@Gmail.com.

Embracing the glories of the last row of the plane

I RECENTLY SAW THIS HEADLINE:

“Airlines Want You to Be Uncomfortable.” At least I think I saw such a headline. I’d cite the article, but now that news websites, chasing viral gold, rewrite headlines every fve minutes, I’m no longer able to fnd the things I thought I once saw. This condition, in which one cannot fnd a thing and begins to doubt whether that thing ever existed, is popularly known as “madness.” In any case, there is a thematic connection between these constant, discomfort-inducing changes in the quest for virality and the airline industry’s constant, discomfort-inducing changes in the quest for costsavings. I could take the grandiose path here and tell you that this connection is called “capitalism.” Instead I will take the petty path and tell you that the common theme is my discomfort. After all, the headline, imagined or real, said “Airlines Want You to Be Uncomfortable.” And if I am the one reading the article, then You means Me. Why do airlines want me to be uncomfortable? What did I do to them? Eight months before a recent trans-Atlantic fight, I purchased tickets from a popular travel website. This, I thought, would ensure me a degree of comfort in my seat assignment, though the website did not allow me to choose my seat. Still … eight months! I had to be somewhere near the front of the line, if not the front of the plane. I have always been a good airline rider. I never complain to the stewardesses or stewards or superintendents. Even as a child, I never hassled the pilots— never approached them, say, in midfight to ask for one of those pins with wings, or insisted on sitting in the captain’s chair and fying the plane for a spell. No! I sat quietly by the window and marveled at the miracle of fight! And when the plane landed, I clapped. I did not care in the least about the food. It was wonderful enough that several tons of metal managed to rise into the sky and stay there long enough to land safely in a different place. It seemed entirely unnecessary to fuss over creamed chicken with string beans. I’d be perfectly happy with peanuts. Or honey-roasted peanuts! I really like those.

J A M E S P. R E Z A

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY MOVIE THEATERS IN LAS VEGAS CASINOS?

Breaking Stuff & Making Stuff

Mad musings on the creative life GREG BLAKE MILLER

But apparently I crossed the line somewhere, because out of the four legs of my recent journey, I spent three sitting in the back row of the plane, directly in front of one toilet and right next to another. Have you ever sat hemmed in by two toilets on a long-distance fight on which creamed chicken is served? I’d hoped to get some writing done, but there was always a long line next to me. People got tired in the line, or perhaps a little nauseous. Who can blame them? Creamed chicken always seems good, until you’ve actually eaten it. Anyway, while they waited in line, they wanted to take a load off their feet. That meant sitting on my armrest. Or leaning on my seat. Or—like one large rear end in faded Wranglers—leaning on me. I pushed the large rear end away. There was no retaliation. The rear end understood my plight. Who can

write under such circumstances? I managed only to scribble a few pages in my journal during this time. (I hope you are enjoying them!) The seat reclined only half-an-inch before striking the restroom wall. It was possible, for a moment, to doze off to the white-noise whoosh of the chemical toilet. The smoking gun in this travel mystery came as I boarded the plane for my journey’s fnal leg. Homeward bound! All I had to do was make it back to the 45th row. But as I walked the aisle, I noted that the frst 10 rows were not called “frst class” but “economy comfort.” By default, that meant that the rest of the plane was “economy discomfort.” At last I understood: I was not alone in my suffering! The airlines did not simply want me to be uncomfortable. They really do want you to be uncomfortable, too. Solidarity, comrade! Greg Blake Miller is the director of Olympian Creative Coaching & Consulting, providing storytelling training to students, professionals and organizations. OlympianCreative.com.

Considering the casinos’ oft-discussed and demonstrated desire to calculatedly capture gamblers’ every move (and dollar), it might seem counterintuitive to offer an amenity that would spirit gamblers away from the gaming floor for hours at a time. That’s not necessarily so. At last count, there are 20 movie theaters in the Las Vegas Valley (excluding one drivein). Of those 20, half are within hotel-casino properties, and two others are on the Strip but not affiliated with a hotel. As for the 10 casino-based theaters, they’re all in so-called locals casinos. (To my recollection, Santa Fe Station—originally Santa Fe Casino—was the first modern-era casino to include a multiplex in 1991.) These off-Strip, often suburban gambling resorts (Sunset Station, Suncoast, etc.) attract a fair number of value-seeking visitors, but their primary marketing focus is on a captive audience: the 2 million folks—a good percentage of whom gamble—who call Southern Nevada home. The recent idea of attracting “families” (and their gambling parents) was hardly innovative (Jay Sarno did this in 1968 with Circus Circus). Nor was it groundbreaking to offer a movie theater in a casino (that began at the original MGM Grand, now Bally’s, in 1973). But it worked well enough, and, as is typical of the industry, others soon imitated and expanded on the concept: Movie theaters begat food courts, bowling alleys, KidZones and other distractions normally reserved for Main Street, USA. (An interesting sidebar: That MGM Grand movie theater was part of an elaborate “arcade” that also featured unique retail shops and restaurants. An argument can be made that this arcade was the predecessor to the Forum Shops and every other casino-based mall in Las Vegas; that the MGM’s mall included a movie theater where couples snuggled on couches watching classic MGM films while slinky waitresses delivered cocktails is the stuff of Vegas legend.) The bottom line is casino properties have long tried to lure guests with these entertainment and restaurant offerings, often at a loss. The reason? Get the gambler through the doors by any means necessary, and inevitably—be it before dinner or after the movie ends—they’ll find their way to the slot machines. This does, however, beg the question: As the movie industry struggles to compete against home streaming, what will become of the casino multiplexes? For a possible answer, we need look no further than the new MGM Grand, whose family theme park fizzled out after less than seven years; it was razed and replaced with luxury accommodations. Questions? AskaNative@VegasSeven.com.

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THE LATEST VegasSeven.com

| January 29–February 4, 2015

Earning My Wings

THE LATEST

Follow the Money Annual report reveals that nongaming activities continue to pay the bills for Strip casinos

January 29–February 4, 2015

VegasSeven.com

EACH YEAR, THE GAMING CONTROL BOARD

releases a massive document that charts the performance of the state’s casinos for the previous fscal year, broken down by geographic area and income. The release of the 2014 Nevada Gaming Abstract crystallizes the trends that have shaped the local gaming industry over the past year. Not surprisingly, the 23 Las Vegas Strip casinos that made more than $72 million in gaming revenue in 2014 are a critical piece of the state’s economic infrastructure: These large Strip properties represent more than half of Nevada’s gaming revenue and nearly two-thirds of the state’s total revenue (gaming and non-gaming combined). Let’s dive into the details: It’s no secret that gaming is becoming less important to Las Vegas casinos, and in fscal 2014 (July 2013 to June 2014), nongaming revenues grew more than gaming revenue (a 6.6 percent increase vs. a 3.6 percent rise). The timing is critical here, because the second half of the year saw a lag in gaming revenues driven by a slowdown in baccarat, so barring a reversal of that slowdown, the 2015 numbers may tell a different story. Looking more closely at the year-over-year fgures for the big Strip casinos, beverage revenue (which includes nightclubs) grew more than 5 percent, the most of any category. Rooms earned 2 percent more thanks to higher rates, and dining grew by 1 percent, with

the “other” category (chiefy retail and entertainment) posting a 3 percent decline. The long-term trend is even clearer: From 2006-14, beverage revenues grew by 82 percent, while gaming win increased by only 16 percent. Restaurants, entertainment and retail income outpaced room revenue, which is why new projects such as the Linq and Park have plenty of places to eat, drink and be entertained but no new places to sleep. This also explains why there’s been so much investment in nightlife in the past year: It’s the revenue stream that’s seeing the most growth. As long as this trend continues, expect to see more extravagant nightclubs and big-dollar DJ contracts. Within the casino itself, revenues from the pit (table games) were responsible for more than 50 percent of casino win, again refecting the stronger infuence of VIP play. Looking back over the past decade at the race-and-sports industry, horseracing win has fallen by nearly two-thirds, while the sports side is holding steady. Slot win actually fell from fscal 2013 and is shrinking further from its 2007 high (more

than $3 billion), while table win was at its highest level ever in fscal 2014. This speaks to the post-recession reality in Las Vegas, in which high-end play has supplemented decreases in “retail” gambling (which accounts for most slot play). The abstract also analyzes casino expenses, shedding some light on what goes on in the back of the house. Casinos on the whole did a better job of managing their expenses in fscal 2014. Bad debt, which had been at or above 2.4 percent of total revenue since the start of the recession, fell to 1.4 percent, the lowest it’s been since 2006. The explanation: Either high-rollers have more money to pay off their markers, or Strip casinos have tightened up their credit; the growth in table play suggests it may be the former. Meanwhile, payroll and comps as a share of gaming win fell slightly, refecting what analysts call “increased operational effciencies”—or, as most of us would put it, getting more bang for your buck. The path forward for the Strip seems clear: Rather than bet on a substantial increase in gambling revenue, casino executives—always mindful of the bottom line— will continue to roll the dice on restaurants, clubs and entertainment venues, at least until our 40 million-plus visitors tell them to do otherwise.

It’s Super Bowl week, and the casinos and bars are competing hard to pull you in for the Big Game. As always, the list of establishments is a long one, and I don’t have room to mention them all in this space. But here are some of the better options. An easy strategy is to watch the game at a bar that follows your team. That works for Seahawks fans at Scooter’s Pub, Timbers (West Horizon Ridge Parkway in Henderson), Crown & Anchor West, BJ’s Cocktail Lounge West and Hooka Master’s Lounge. Patriots fans will have to improvise, given there are no bars this year dedicated to New England. As for other good plays, the new Made L.V. in Tivoli Village will have bottomless mimosas for $20. Whist Stove and Spirits in the District is running an unlimited Grey Goose Bloody Mary bar for $20. Next door to Whist, Due & Proper will have all-you-can-eat barbecue for $25. Gamblers can get a $20 match play on Super Sunday at Home Plate on Blue Diamond Road. The Sporting Life Bar on South Jones Boulevard is having a higher-end party for $100 per head, but it comes with a pig roast; all-you-can-drink draft, wells and wine; and a giveaway with $2,000 in cash, plus prizes that include a television. There will also be dozens of casino-based parties. Honestly, they’re everywhere—New York-New York, SLS, the Linq Promenade and several others have sent out details on property-wide shindigs—you’ll have no problem tracking one down. As usual, South Point will have one of the best, with its annual free-entry bash featuring $1 dogs, cheap beer by the bucket and prize drawings. Gold Coast, Orleans, Sam’s Town and Suncoast will also host free parties. At Aliante, $25 gets you a buffet, with beers for $2 extra. Both Red Rock Resort (Rocks Lounge) and Fiesta Henderson (Amigos) have all-you-can-eat and drink deals for $40. What about deals for betting the game? The best wagering value that I've found is the minus-105 line at the Wynn. This means you have to bet only $105 to win $100, as opposed to the standard $110/$100 arrangement. As of press time, Wynn was the only book in town dealing minus-105. But be sure to look for addons. For example, some books will give you a logo hat or T-shirt for making a bet. That’s pure value added. The best I’ve seen is at Jerry’s Nugget, where a $20 parlay gets you a bucket filled with Corona gear, plus a hat, T-shirt, two decks of cards, two mason jars, a keychain and a bottle opener. Finally, proving once again that a deal can pop up anywhere, in honor of the 49th Super Bowl, Rock of Ages at the Venetian is selling $49 tickets on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1; use code SUPER49.

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

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

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SUPER DEALS FOR SUPER SUNDAY

THE LATEST

STYLE

Paul Lowden, IV

Financial reporting manager

Who influences your style?

My style is pretty conservative. I got that from my father, who always dressed really well—still does. My style icons are Italians—they make everything seem effortless. Also, when I was a fraternity associate, a.k.a. a pledge, I had to wear a shirt and tie once or twice a week. It helped me learn how to work with clothes, get creative, and learn to mix and match. What’s your involvement with the fashion industry? I started

modeling in college at Loyola Marymount University. I ended up signing with an agency that sent me to everything—a lot of commercial stuff, music-video auditions. They even conned me into doing a couple of reality TV dating shows. I kept it going when I moved back here to make some extra cash.

suggested I give it a shot since I was living in L.A., but I didn’t go right to college. I deferred and moved to Canada to play hockey for three years. It was a semipro, developmental league. Before the last year, I met with my former counselor at The Meadows, who is Mayor [Carolyn] Goodman now, and she suggested that I apply at Loyola. The last year came and went, and I wasn’t happy with the decisions I got offered for Division I [hockey]. I got into LMU and was the 21-year-old freshman. – Jessi C. Acuña

Canali sport coat. Eton shirt. Tom Ford tie. Zanella pants. Donald J Pliner shoes. Cartier watch.

PHOTO BY JON ESTRADA

January 29–February 4, 2015

VegasSeven.com

Was modeling always in the cards? Friends and family

SUPER BOWL PREVIEW

Super Memories The sure thing that wasn’t. The lucrative kneeldown that nobody saw. And the last-second field goal that halted a lap dance. Experts from both sides of the wagering counter share their most unforgettable Super Bowl betting stories.

➜ last year, more than $119 million was wagered statewide on Super Bowl XLVIII between the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos—the frst time in Nevada history that betting handle for the Big Game eclipsed the $100 million mark. Throw in the offshore market, illegal bookies, friendly wagers and football-square pools, and America’s biggest single-day sporting event now attracts nearly $4 billion in betting action, according to a recent report from the American Gaming Association—and that’s just in this country. (Go ahead and keep that blindfold on, Commissioner Goodell.) ¶ Of course, as each Super Bowl unfolds, so too does a narrative for the principals who sweat out every pass, every tackle and every replay challenge. And much like the moment your children are born or the frst time you, well, you know, sometimes these narratives leave everlasting memories. ¶ With this in mind, in advance of the Patriots-Seahawks clash in Super Bowl XLIX, Vegas Seven invited several of the city’s most respected handicappers and oddsmakers to recount those Super Sunday betting moments that—for better or worse—they’ll never forget.

PHOTO BY RVR PHOTOS/USA TODAY SPORTS

January 29–February 4, 2015

VegasSeven.com

Moments after being replaced by his backup in the waning moments of Super Bowl XXXIII, Broncos QB John Elway walks off the field for the final time.

the sportsbook at the Holiday Casino way back then, and he’d put together a party for some friends and high-rollers. I arrived with my date after making a fairly substantial play on the Redskins. Long story short, the Broncos, a 3-point favorite, jump out to a 10-0 frst-quarter lead, and I’m disgusted. The date doesn’t give a rat’s behind about football, so she’s bored silly. I suggest we just hit the road and fnd someplace where we can avoid the game entirely. The decision was made to go to Scandia, where we played miniature golf and rode bumper boats. Needless to say, I missed Doug Williams and the Redskins exploding for 35 second-quarter points and what turned out to be an easy winner on Washington. As it turned out, this was one Super Bowl Sunday that ended up providing a happy ending—in more ways than one, if you catch my drift.

Jay Kornegay Executive director of race & sports, Westgate Las Vegas

SUPER BOWL XXXIII, BRONCOS VS. FALCONS (JAN. 31, 1999): This was Den-

PHOTO BY DICK RAPHAEL/USA TODAY SPORTS

ver’s second straight Super Bowl appearance, and presumably the swan song for Broncos quarterback John Elway. So we offered a prop bet of “Will Bubby Brister

Andy Iskoe Veteran handicapper, The Logical Approach TheLogicalApproach.com

SUPER BOWL II, RAIDERS VS. PACKERS (JAN. 14, 1968): I grew up in New York

as an AFL fan (Jets), and when I was 13 years old, I made a Super Bowl bet with my dad, taking the Raiders plus-14 points against the defending-champion Packers. If the Packers won by more than two touchdowns, I’d lose one week’s allowance. If not, he would take

Ken Thomson Veteran handicapper, Pregame.com SUPER BOWL V, COLTS VS. COWBOYS (JAN. 17, 1971): I was the only Colts fan

at my elementary school in North Jersey. A lot of the other kids liked the Jets, Giants and a good portion liked “America’s Team”—the Dallas Cowboys. So I made a bet with a couple of my fourthgrade buddies—anywhere from 50 cents to $1, which was big money for a kid at that time. Fortunately, I was the one who did the collecting when Colts kicker Jim O’Brien made a last-second feld goal to give Baltimore a 16-13 victory. The sad part of the story is I never got to actually see the game, because my evil stepmother locked me outside in the Jersey snow as punishment for

Bart Starr (15) marches the Packers down the field in their 33-14 rout of the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl II.

something I had done. So I had to listen to all of my buddies talk about the game, while I could only pretend I watched it. When the Colts fnally beat the Bears in Super Bowl XLI in February 2007, everyone in my family sent me texts saying “Finally, you got to actually see that freakin’ Horseshoe win it!”

Chuck Esposito Director of race & sports, Sunset Station SUPER BOWL XLI, COLTS VS. BEARS

At the time, I was overseeing the book at Caesars Palace, and as usual we had hundreds of prop bets on the board, including several involving Devin Hester, the Bears’ All-Pro return man. Three props in particular really stand out: Would Hester score a touchdown in the game? Would Hester score the frst touchdown? And would there be a defensive or special teams touchdown at any point in the game? The “yes” was heavily bet on all three. As luck would have it, the Bears won the coin toss and elected to receive the opening kick. As the crowd in the sportsbook was placing their fnal wagers and getting settled in, I turned to my team and said, “Just don’t let Hester run this back!” It was a standing-room-only crowd, and as usual they all started to cheer as Hester received the ball. As I turned to look at the crowd, I could hear the excitement building, and the room started to get louder and louder. I quickly looked back at the TV screens to see why the decibel level had just tripled, only to see Hester make a few moves, break into the clear and go 92 yards for a touchdown. In all my years in this industry, I’ve never heard a book get so loud in such a short period of time. Usually that’s reserved for a last-second win or an exciting fnish. But this was for the opening (FEB. 4, 2007):

VegasSeven.com

SUPER BOWL XXII, REDSKINS VS. BRONCOS (JAN. 31, 1988): Dave Lee ran

“I had about $250 in my savings account and was scared shitless of losing almost half of it. ... When the game started, I turned off the lights in my bedroom and watched it on a small black-and-white TV. I was nervous as hell.”

SmokinCokin.com; Pregame.com

me to a New York Knicks game at the soon-to-open “new” Madison Square Garden. Unfortunately, my plus-14 did me little good, as the Raiders lost 33-14. Even though my allowance was lost, my dad decided to use his “winnings” to help buy a pair of tickets to a Knicks game, and we went a couple of months later. Even better, the next year my father and I attended the AFL title game, and I watched the Jets beat the Raiders. My dad was then able to secure tickets and make arrangements to fy down to Miami for Super Bowl III, where we saw the Jets, as 18-point underdogs, upset the Baltimore Colts 16-7 at the Orange Bowl. I still have an old black-and-white photo of the scoreboard that shows the score as the fnal seconds were ticking off. (I think it was taken with an old Kodak Instamatic—back in the old days when flm was used!)

January 29–February 4, 2015

Dave Cokin Veteran handicapper/ESPN Radio host

have a rushing attempt?” Our thinking was, if the Broncos were winning at the tail end of the game, they’d pull Elway and put in Brister to kneel down. With that prop, we made sure to specify to bettors that a “kneel down” qualifes as a rushing attempt. Sure enough, Elway got removed from the game for a standing ovation, and Brister went in and took a knee to end the game. A guest who knew that I was from Denver accused me of calling Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan on the sidelines and instructing him to put in Brister—he suggested we needed that to happen to win that specifc prop. The guy was yelling at me in front of everyone: “I know you’re from Denver, and you probably have a hotline to Shanahan!” The whole room was laughing and in disbelief watching this guy get so animated. The other interesting part of that story is television cameras never showed Brister kneeling down—instead, they concentrated on Elway celebrating on the sidelines. However, we knew exactly what was happening at the time. And the box score confrmed it.

SUPER BOWL PREVIEW

Micah Roberts Former Las Vegas sportsbook director;

currently an analyst with The Linemakers Linemakers.SportingNews.com SUPER BOWL XXXII, BRONCOS VS. PACKERS (JAN. 25, 1998): As a lifelong

Broncos fan who suffered through four agonizing Super Bowl defeats, where each one got progressively worse, I was optimistic this time, despite the fact Green Bay was as much as a 13-point favorite. And my optimism rested entirely with Denver running back Terrell Davis. I knew the Packers couldn’t stop him—and they wouldn’t have stopped him the previous year, when Green Bay beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl after No. 1-seeded Denver lost at home to Jacksonville in the divisional round. So I had Denver plus the points, Denver on the money-line and I bet a bunch of props related to my theory about Davis playing a big role: I took Davis “Over” and Elway “Under” in just about everything I could fnd, and cashed them all—plus a side-and-total parlay on the Broncos and “Over.” And Denver scored the 31-24 upset. I liked to say at the time that I put my fan cap away when wagering that day, but in retrospect it was just a homer play from a hungry, rabid fan looking to celebrate in a big way. It’s still by far my favorite Super Bowl memory.

Ted Sevransky Veteran handicapper/radio personality Pregame.com

January 29–February 4, 2015

VegasSeven.com

SUPER BOWL XXXII, BRONCOS VS. PACKERS (JAN. 25, 1998): Green Bay

was making its second consecutive trip to the Big Game, having beaten the Patriots 35-21 the previous year. And as double-digit favorites, the Packers were very much expected to repeat. At the time, I was a former smalltime college bookie managing a sports bar in Michigan, which in 1998 was not exactly a hotbed of sophisticated bettors. In fact, nobody at the bar seemed to have any idea what the point spread was; as Lions fans, they just wanted the Packers to lose—and they were more than willing to put their money where there hearts were. My bookie nature immediately took over. How often do you get to take a double-digit favorite without laying any points? I started taking bets from one end of the bar to the other—$20 here, $50 there, $100 for more than a handful of the serious football fans in the joint. With each wager, I became even more

cocky, knowing I was getting the best of it by a wide margin. By kickoff, I was in action for more than a month’s salary, and I was making plans to spend the money. “Suckers,” I thought. I genuinely expected the Packers to cover the 12-point spread. There was absolutely no question in my mind that, at the very least, they’d win the game outright … until they didn’t. Elway fnally won his ring, and I took an absolute beating, one that I remember to this day. Turns out I was the only sucker in the bar that day—betting more money than I could comfortably afford to lose, on what I thought was a “can’t lose” proposition.

ahead and called in Bears minus-10. When the game started, I turned off the lights in my bedroom and watched it on a small black-and-white TV. I was nervous as hell. Of course, the Bears ended up blowing out the Patriots 46-10. It was a great adrenaline rush. That was 29 years ago, and I fgured betting NFL games was going to be pretty easy. I started to think that someday I could move to Las Vegas and make a living betting on football and basketball. Eventually, you learn the hard way that it’s not easy.

Jason McCormick Director of race & sports, Red Rock Casino

Pregame.com; ScottWins.com

SUPER BOWL XLVI, PATRIOTS VS. GIANTS (FEB. 5, 2012): I’m just get-

ting settled in to watch the game at the Red Rock hub following the madness leading up to kickoff. After the Giants’ opening drive results in a punt that pins New England at its own 6-yard line, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, on the team’s frst offensive play, gets called for intentional grounding while in his own end zone—an automatic safety. The penalty sends our team scrambling to look at the fnancial results on the “Will there be a safety?” prop; needless to say, the results are not good. Then we realize the safety is the frst score of the game as well—we gave 50-to-1 odds on a safety being the frst score of the game, further adding to the inauspicious start to Super Bowl XLVI. The next year, the last score of Super Bowl XLVII between the Ravens and 49ers was a safety. Then in last year’s Seahawks-Broncos Super Bowl, a safety was once again the frst score of the game. As a bookmaker who posts big odds on safety props for the Super Bowl, I don’t think I’ll ever forget these incredible results—and I’m hopeful the streak doesn’t continue Sunday!

Scott Spreitzer Veteran handicapper/ESPN Radio host SUPER BOWL XXV, GIANTS VS. BILLS (JAN. 27, 1991): This was my frst Super

Bowl as a true “professional” bettor/ handicapper. Being a neophyte when it came to betting big money, I had tied the Giants, a 7-point underdog, with the “Under,” which was set at 40½. I should note 1991 was likely the last time I’ve played a parlay. But I did so that day, and had my frst “real” clients on the side and total—and I offered a money-back guarantee. At 24 years old, it was easily the most money I had ever tied to a sporting event up to that point in my life. Late in the game, a 21-yard feld goal gave the Giants a 20-19 lead. Since the NFL didn’t incorporate 2-point conver-

sion attempts until the 1994 season, the Giants plus-7 was in the bag when the Bills began their fnal drive on their own 10-yard line with just over two minutes to go. The total, however, was not— if the Bills so much as made a game-winning feld goal, I would be screwed. At this point, I should mention that, instead of watching the biggest game of my life at home, I had joined a couple of friends at a local establishment on what we then called “Stripper’s Row,” also known as Industrial Avenue. So I’m a nervous wreck as Jim Kelly drives the Bills all the way to the Giants’ 29-yard line, setting up a Scott Norwood’s nowfamous 47-yard feld-goal attempt. As Norwood set up and with all eyes (including those not wearing tops) on the game, the girl in front of me— perhaps eager to earn, perhaps just a young lady perfecting her craft—continued with her dance. I literally had to stand up and gently lift the young lady up in the air, moving her about two feet to the right just so I could see whether I was going to be able to afford to pay that bill. The rest is history: Norwood’s feld goal sailed wide right by less than a full yard, and the girl—who moments earlier was none too happy with my “smooth move”—turned quite happy when she received a nice tip. To this day, every single Super Bowl Sunday, at least one friend brings up that night, that move, and a little nickname I gained because of it—a nickname that cannot be mentioned in these pages.

Mike Ditka and the ’85 Bears weren’t the only big winners in Super Bowl XX.

Matt Youmans Las Vegas Review-Journal betting columnist/ESPN Radio host

SUPER BOWL XX, BEARS VS. PATRIOTS (JAN. 26, 1986): Even though I grew up

near Chicago, I was never much of a Bears fan. That changed in 1985. That year, the Bears had so many characters and were just crushing opponents, fnishing the season 15-1. As a high school freshman, I had just started betting football and basketball games through a local bookie (the father of a friend). It was all small stuff, mostly $20 bets. But that Super Bowl was my frst $100 wager. I had about $250 in my savings account and was scared shitless of losing almost half of it, yet went

PHOTO BY DICK RAPHAEL/USA TODAY SPORTS

kick! Then again, it wasn’t just any opening kick. Oh, by the way, I think half the room cashed a ticket that day on Hester. That one score was one of the largest prop-bet payouts in Nevada history.

S UPER B OWL D IN IN G

Break Time

BIG GAME BITES

Where to find great grub on Super Sunday By Grace Bascos

Let’s be honest: The most entertaining part of the Super Bowl usually has nothing to do with the game. It’s all about the clever commercials and halftime spectacles. So we pause and look back at some of the best and worst from Super Sundays past.

➜ The holiest day of the football season has become an unofficial eating holiday for many Americans. Last year, Super Bowl spectators gnawed on more than a billion chicken wings, while millions of pounds of avocados were smashed into guacamole. You can be sure that those two items will once again be staples of most parties on Super Sunday, but there are other foods to get you through the game. So if you still haven’t made plans for the Big Game, consider these options:

By Lissa Townsend Rodgers

CO MM ER CI AL In 1984, Apple creates a new prototype—and not just the Mac they’re advertising. Apple’s “1984” ad features an orange-clad runner smashing through a crowd of Orwellian drones. The spot opened the door to extended narratives, big budgets, dystopian imagery and such Hollywood directors as Ridley Scott. In a 2014 Coke commercial, “America the Beautiful” is sung in a variety of languages. What makes this memorably patriotic is the barrage of angry tweets from citizens offended that “our national anthem” was sung in “foreign shit.” Of course, our national anthem is actually “The Star-Spangled Banner,” but when have facts ever stood in the way of jingoistic outrage? In a 1997 Holiday Inn commercial, an attractive blonde in leopard print walks into her high school reunion. The hook: She used to be “Bob Johnson.” It’s a confusing attempt to advertise impending renovations to the hotel chain. But said renovations hadn’t happened yet, so maybe a commercial with a guy who had gotten a boob job but still had 5 o’clock shadow would have been more appropriate … 1984: “Where’s the beef?” One of last year’s ads for Maserati features the Maserati trident logo. The Ukranian flag has a trident. So does the 9/11 Memorial. The logo of the Malaysian Airlines plane that crashed? Gotta turn it sideways, but still, trident. Paul McCartney once played the Super Bowl, and his onetime bandmate George Harrison recorded All Things Must Pass, a triple album, at Trident studios. It’s World War III, we tell you, World War III! SoBe sports drink hires notoriously hot-tempered supermodel Naomi Campbell for its 2008 Super Bowl spot. In it, she does the “Thriller” dance with a bunch of tiny, CGI reptiles. Viewers are confused whether they’re SoBe lizards or Geico geckos, but at least Naomi couldn’t celly-whip animated creatures. It’s 1979. Pittsburgh Steelers tough guy “Mean Joe” Greene limps off the field and is trailed by an adoring mop-topped young boy, who offers “Mean Joe” his Coke. Greene initially declines, but after the kid insists, the future Hall of Famer downs the drink in one gulp, unleashes a broad smile and tosses the kid his game jersey. Cue lump in throat— and the “Have a Coke and a Smile” campaign.

HALFTIME SHOW

GAME CHANGER

Michael Jackson is at his King of Pop zenith when he plays the 1993 halftime show. The opening where he just stands motionless for 90 seconds while 100,000 people lose it is incredible in itself. Then he launches into “Billie Jean” and “Black or White,” and 135 million television viewers follow suit. Super Bowl halftime would mean “headliner” forevermore.

’MERICA!

In 1997, hundreds of women in hot pants lie on their backs, spreading and closing their legs as ZZ Top plays “Tush” and “Legs” while silver Harleys and red pickup trucks drive across the field. It does not make up for the betrayal of our nation’s cultural heritage that is Jim Belushi taking his brother John’s place fronting the Blues Brothers. We recall the dishonor and shed a tear.

WHAAAT?

Ninjas with boa constrictors have stolen the Vince Lombardi trophy, and only Indiana Jones and Patti LaBelle can get it back for us! No, really, this is the premise of the 1995 halftime show. Along the way: parachutes, lasers, pyrotechnics, scimitars and an utterly bewildered Tony Bennett presiding over a tango contest.

CATCHPHRASE

2004: “Wardrobe malfunction.”

CONSPIRACY THEORY FODDER

In 2012, Madonna, the high priestess of the Illuminati, presides over their supreme rite, the halftime show. Note the use of the winged sun disk, chariots, robes, triangles, animal prints, the letter M and the slogan, “World Peace.” All are sacred to the Illuminati and point to our coming doom at the hands of a one-world government.

BIGGEST WASTE OF TECHNOLOGY

In 1989, a former Solid Gold dancer billed as “Elvis Presto” leads “the world’s largest card trick.” The clincher? Said card trick would be in 3-D. Families rushed out to get the glasses—which only came with purchase of a Diet Coke. Of course, the 3-D didn’t really work and, even if it had, how would it improve a card trick?

ONE FOR THE AGES

In the scramble for the right mix of reverent and celebratory for the first post-9/11 Super Bowl, someone thought to book U2 for the 2002 halftime show. Their set is mercifully free of special effects, dancing girls and glitter—just the band and audience bonding over “Beautiful Day” and “MLK.” As the names of the fallen scrolled behind him, it would be the last time Bono could strike a Jesus pose without anyone wanting to strike him.

BORN AND RAISED Boasting 32 TVs, this popular spot on the southwest side of town is a huge gameday destination—particularly for UNLV fans. The menu is expansive for bar fare, starting with the slider selection. There are 15 mini-sandwiches on the play sheet, from traditional beef patties with American cheese and catfish po’ boys to Philly cheese steaks and such vegetarian options as falafel or eggplant Caprese. You could plow through a dozen of these bad boys and still feel good about it, no matter who wins. 7260 S. Cimarron Rd., 702-685-0258, BornAndRaisedLV.com. GUY FIERI’S VEGAS KITCHEN & BAR

If there’s one chef whose food style embodies a tailgate, it’s Guy Fieri, so it’s little surprise that he’s going all out on Super Bowl Sunday. Starting at 1 p.m. February 1, the Coors Light and Miller Lite flows freely, along with a buffet that includes Fieri’s greatest hits of Fireball whiskey wings, St. Louis-style ribs, brisket sandwiches on brioche and a bona fide nacho bar, all for $150 per person. Don’t fret, vegetarians: The all-you-can-eat experience also includes Caesar and Greek salads. In The Linq, 702-731-3311, GuyFieri.com DUE & PROPER Is it somehow un-American to

watch America’s biggest game at a posh Britishstyle pub? Due & Proper doesn’t seem to think so. Instead of its typical offerings such as bangers and mash, their Pigskin Finale goes full ’Merican, with all-you-can-eat barbecue right off the grill, including dogs, burgers, brats and pulled pork. The best part? No soccer hooligans. In the District at Green Valley Ranch, 702-307-2714. WYNN SPORTSBOOK The Vegas sportsbook

is like a house of worship on Super Bowl Sunday, and Wynn’s book has the good fortune of being in close proximity to Zoozacrackers Deli. Guests must pony up a $90 food-and-beverage minimum on Super Bowl Sunday (reservations recommended), but that will be easy to meet with à la carte options, such as nachos or a fried chicken sandwich. But you’re really here for the Zooza burger, topped with pastrami, Swiss cheese, coleslaw and Russian dressing. In Wynn, 702-770-3463, WynnLasVegas.com. ANDRE’S There’s no rule that says game-day eating can’t be fancy. The French restaurant in Monte Carlo welcomes fans into its Cigar Lounge to sip rare cognacs and puff on hard-to-find stogies. For $100, indulge in the Big Game bar package, which includes unlimited beer, well cocktails and house wines. You’ll be washing down bites from an à la carte menu that includes steak frites, a roulade of crispy chicken Cordon Bleu and a lovely charcuterie and cheese plate. (What can we say? They’re French!) In Monte Carlo, 702-798-7151, AndreLV.com.

SUPER BOWL PREVIEW

Patriot Games

Tom Brady didn’t have much to celebrate in his last two Super Bowl appearances. Will this one be different?

➜ in my five years as this publication’s resident/alleged sports-betting guru, I’ve made more than my fair share of horrifc predictions—starting with the very frst one: In our inaugural issue, I advised readers to take the favored Colts over the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV. (To my credit, that’s the last time I recommended betting on Peyton Manning in a playoff game!) Of those many egregious predictions that could’ve (should’ve) gotten me fred, the one that stands out above all didn’t even directly relate to an actual wagering recommendation. Back in early October, I penned a column suggesting—OK, insisting—that Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were fnished following a 41-14 Monday night debacle in Kansas City that left them at 2-2. While watching Brady throw two interceptions, pass for a measly 159 yards and get yanked for his rookie backup, I giddily fred off “It’s over for the Golden Boy and the Hoodie!!!” texts. Days later, my well-reasoned (or so I thought) column fleting Brady and the Pats hit the streets, accompanied by this headline: How the Mighty Have Fallen, and this subhead: A certain Hall of Fame quarterback is in a downward spiral—as is his once-dominant team. I wrote both—again, giddily. You know the rest of the story: Brady and his team immediately ripped off a seven-game winning streak that was part of a 12-2 run that has landed New England back in the Super Bowl for a record-tying eighth time—the sixth in the Brady-Belichick era. Of course, as the Patriots’ victories and spread-covers mounted—they enter the Big Game on a 9-5 ATS run—I remained mostly defant, going against them several times, most recently in their 45-7 AFC title game rout of the Colts. So now I’m faced with this quandary: Do I risk looking like a fool once again and fade New England, a one-point favorite against Seattle in Super Bowl XLIX? Or do I fnally hop on the Brady-Bill Belichick bandwagon (and pray that they didn’t defate the tires too much)?

MATT JACOB

***** let’s begin the handicapping with this disclaimer: If this Patriots-Seahawks matchup were taking place in early November instead of the frst day of February, I would be avoiding it like Belichick avoids the truth. After all, Seattle and New England traveled nearly identical paths to Arizona: Both struggled to start the season; both enter this game with 14-4 records (playoffs included); and both went 9-1 at home and 5-3 on the road. Hell, even their Vegas results are similar: The Patriots are 10-8 ATS (6-4 at home; 4-4 on the road), while the Seahawks are 10-7-1 ATS (6-3-1 at home, 4-4 on the road). Unlike last year, when I felt strongly that the Seahawks were superior to Denver and that the wrong team was favored, this is a dead-even matchup on paper with little to no betting value on either side. In other words, I wouldn’t be rushing to take out a second mortgage and wager it on either of these teams. Then again, this being the Super Bowl, you’re going to wager something, so let’s see how we can get a return on that something. Starting with New England, as much as Brady looked like his old self after seemingly fatlining in Kansas City, it’s the defense that really carried the day. During their 12-2 run, the Patriots have

given up more than 26 points just once (in their 35-31 come-from-behind playoff victory over Baltimore), allowing 20 points or fewer eight times. As strong as New England’s defense has been, though, Seattle’s has been stronger. Not only did the Seahawks lead the league in every meaningful defensive statistic except rushing defense (where they fnished third), but they’ve been suffocating opposing offenses, giving up a total of just 78 points during their ongoing eight-game winning streak. Not since a 24-20 loss at Kansas City on November 16 has Seattle yielded three touchdowns in a game. Of course, that defense needed to be dominant, as the offense has sputtered at times, even during the winning streak (for the most recent example, see the frst three quarters of the NFC title game against Green Bay). Conversely, New England has scored at least 27 points in 10 of its last 14 games (including a meaningless 17-9 loss to Buffalo in the regular-season fnale), producing 34 points or more eight times. So if the Patriots have the offensive edge, and Seattle gets the nod on defense, where will this game be won? Where it almost always is: in the trenches. And this is where we do fnd a decided advantage. Paced by the thunder-and-lightning duo of tailback Marshawn Lynch and QB Russell Wilson, Seattle had the NFL’s top rushing offense, piling up 172.6 yards per game—a whopping 25.5 ypg more than second-place Dallas (and 64.7 ypg more than 18th-ranked New England). True, the Patriots’ defense was solid against the run in the regular season, allowing just 104.3 ypg (which ranked ninth). But through 18 games, New

England has only defeated three opponents that ranked in the top 10 in rushing offense: the Jets (3rd), Bengals (6th) and Ravens (8th). More to the point, while they crushed Cincinnati, they beat the Jets twice by a total of three points (the Jets!!), and needed a miracle to escape Baltimore. Speaking of that miracle against the Ravens: Over the past 10 days, many have been quick to point out that the Seahawks are incredibly lucky to be here, and they certainly are; the Packers absolutely choked. Yet many have already forgotten that the Patriots are equally as fortunate. The bottom line is, whether it was because of mindboggling coaching incompetence (I’m looking right at you, Mike McCarthy) or defated footballs, both teams found a way to get to Arizona. All that matters now is which is better suited to be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy come Sunday night. To me, because of their defnitive rushing advantage and their slight-but-signifcant defensive advantage, that team is the Seahawks. Now, before you disregard that pick as a byproduct of my irrational disdain for the Patriots, note this: New England is thisclose to being 0-7 in Super Bowls (each of its three victories was by a feld goal); I need to get this game correct to fnish the football season with a winning record; and since that terrible play on the Colts fve years ago, I’ve nailed four consecutive Super Bowls. Here comes No. 5 … Seahawks 24, Patriots 17 NFL Playoff record: 4-2 (0-2 in conference championship games) Season Record: 64-64-1 (33-34-1 NFL; 31-30 college; 6-10-1 Best Bets)

PHOTO BY GREG M. COOPER/USA TODAY SPORTS

January 29–February 4, 2015

VegasSeven.com

Our handicapper has stubbornly refused to buy into New England all season. Will that finally change in Super Bowl XLIX?

Nonstop Action

Prop bets ensure there’s never a dull moment in the Big Game Of course, there’s a reason Kornegay and his colleagues around town up the prop ante each year: The betting market’s thirst for Super Bowl action is unquenchable. In fact, by the time the Patriots-Seahawks clash kicks off Sunday afternoon, most bettors—particularly the wisest of wise guys—will have more action on props than they will on which side will win the game. Some of these props (such as “Will the opening coin toss land hands or tails?”) are arbitrary. But many present solid value, especially if you’ve done your research and have a strong opinion on how the game will unfold. Last year, my research and strong opinion—which essentially boiled down to “I don’t trust Peyton Manning in a big game against an incredibly physical defense”—helped me win six of my seven prop plays (a few of them nice “plus-money” winners). Do I have another 6-1 effort in me? Let’s fnd out. Below are this year’s seven prop-bet recommendations—and, no, one of them isn’t that silly Lakers-Knicks-Jon Ryan prop. (Although I should point out that Ryan averaged 44.1 yards per punt in the regular season, while the Lakers and Knicks combine to average 45.6 points in the frst quarter—and you’re getting plus-7.5 with Ryan. Hmm … maybe it’s not so silly.) – MJ

THE PROP:

Marshawn Lynch rushing yards: over/under 82.5?

Total Seahawks rushing yards: over/under 142.5?

Will Russell Wilson throw an interception?

First quarter total points: over/under 9½?

Total points scored by the Patriots: over/under 24.5?

Will there be a defensive or special teams touchdown?

THE PLAY: Over (-110)

Longest completion by Tom Brady: over/under 36.5 yards?

THE REASON:

Lynch has rushed for at least 83 yards in seven of his team’s last 10 games (playoffs included), and he paces a rushing attack that was tops in the NFL (by a wide margin). Unlike last year’s Super Bowl, when Lynch rushed for just 39 yards on 15 carries, expect Seattle to lean heavily on their Beast Mode tailback against a leaky Patriots run defense.

And here’s what I mean by leaky: In four games against three teams (Ravens, Jets, Bengals) that finished in the top eight in rushing offense, New England allowed an average of 137.3 yards. The Patriots also got run over by the Chiefs (207 rushing yards) and Dolphins (191)—neither of whom are as physically imposing as Seattle.

Wilson was a mess for much of the NFC title game against the Packers, throwing four INTs (and it should’ve been five). But prior to that, he had been picked off just once in six playoff games (152 pass attempts). I’ll take the six-game sample size over one bad day.

THE PLAY:

Under (+105)

THE REASON:

While the Seahawks have been notoriously slow starters offensively all season, Brady and the Pats have been DOA in Super Bowls. Get this: New England hasn’t scored a single first-quarter point in the five Super Bowls in the Brady-Belichick era!

The Seahawks, who held Peyton Manning and the explosive Broncos to eight points in last year’s Super Bowl, haven’t surrendered more than 24 points since Oct. 19 (12 games). New England has scored more than 24 points only one time in seven Super Bowls.

THE PLAY:

Under (-115) THE REASON:

Once one of the best deep-ball passers in the game, Brady has lost a lot off his fastball this year—and he’s simply not beating this Seahawks defense deep. Note also that in his five Big Game appearances, Brady has completed a pass longer than 27 yards just once.

THE PLAY: Yes (+155) THE REASON:

Playing the percentages here, just like I have each of the last two years: There has been at least one defensive or special teams touchdown in this game nine times in the last 14 years, including six of the last eight years. Full disclosure: Those two exceptions came in Super Bowls in which the Patriots participated.

VegasSeven.com

THE REASON:

THE PLAY: No (+110)

January 29–February 4, 2015

PHOTO BY MARK J. REBIL AS/USA TODAY SPORTS

With the exception of the NFC title game, Seattle QB Russell Wilson has been ultra-safe with the football during his postseason career.

➜ shortly after 11 a.m. on February 1, a basketball will be tossed in the air at Madison Square Garden, tipping off a matchup between two of the NBA’s most storied and—this year—most putrid franchises: Combined, the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks entered this week with a 20-70 record and without their cornerstone superstars, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony, who are sidelined with injuries. In other words, with the possible exception of Jeremy Lin’s parents, there is no conceivable reason for anyone to tune into this game. And yet, here in Las Vegas, there’s a good chance LakersKnicks will attract more eyeballs than any other regular-season NBA game this year. The reason: Sportsbooks all over town are offering gamblers the opportunity to tie a Lakers-Knicks bet to the Super Bowl in the form of proposition wagers—wagers such as “Which number will be greater: Lakers and Knicks combined frst-quarter points or the distance of Seattle Seahawks punter Jon Ryan’s frst punt?” That particular prop is one of hundreds offered up by Jay Kornegay and his team at the Westgate Las Vegas, whose thick Super Bowl betting packet routinely makes War and Peace look like a children’s picture book.

NIGHTLIFE

The city’s hottest new nightclub is an art installation. Allow us to explain. By Camille Cannon

Welcome to Fabulous Not Vegas

THE FRESHEST ENTRANT INTO THE LAS

Vegas party scene isn’t a megaclub, ultra lounge or booze-fueled brunch. It’s artist Lia Chavez’s The Octave of Light: A Meditation Nightclub at the Cosmopolitan’s P3 Studio. ¶ What’s a meditation nightclub, you ask? ¶ To borrow from Saturday Night Live’s nightlife savant Stefon, “It’s that thing” when an artist combines principles of neurobiology, technology and sound therapy to illustrate consciousness as an art form. New York-based Chavez says the installation is “a wink and nod to the culture of Las Vegas.”

January 29–February 4, 2015

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LIA CHAVEZ

Inside the Octave of Light installation at the Cosmopolitan, and Lia Chavez.

VegasSeven.com

Your city after dark and photos from the week’s hottest parties

NIGHTLIFE 30

Everyone is a VIP. Don’t let the studio’s dark windows discourage you from entering. As you approach, you’ll be welcomed be a greeter. Partiers are admitted no more than 10 at a time (so the atmosphere feels super exclusive). Inside, you can roam two connected rooms and observe other participants as you wait for you turn “to DJ.” It’s easy to meet the dress code. You can leave the high heels and short hemlines at home; all you need here is some headwear. Chavez, along with tech company RehabStudio, “hacked” a consumer-grade EEG headset so that it translates brain ac-

“EACH DJ SET IS UNIQUE [TO EACH PARTICIPANT] AND CAN NEVER BE REPLICATED.” tivity into corresponding colors and sounds via Bluetooth. You don’t have to deal with unwanted dance partners. No one’s gonna grind up on you during guided meditation. The installation is designed to “place the individual in the spotlight, literally and fguratively,” Chavez says. So, she will invite you to stand in the middle of a circle and focus your eyes on the light beam in front of you. After she places the EEG headset on your scalp, Chavez leads you in breathing exercises for the purpose of deepening your mental concentration.

You won’t hear the same “song” twice. Your brain wave oscillations— which are monitored by the headset— correlate to colors on the ROYGBIV spectrum, so the circle of light around you fashes and transforms as you meditate. You’ll also hear notes from the prerecorded “vocal palette,” ethereal coos and electronic hums, which are based on frequencies used in soundtherapy research. Each sound was selected “to help the viewer transcend the chaos of Las Vegas,” Chavez says. You can make requests. Your brain is the DJ, after all. The deeper your

focus, the faster your brain wave oscillations, and the greater control you have over the audio and visuals around you. Says Chavez: “Each DJ set is unique [to each participant] and can never be replicated.” You’ll never have a drink spilled on you. That is to say, you’ll never be disrupted from your groove. The installation—light, sound and all—is designed to give you, the participant, real-time feedback about your brain’s activity. Since you’re encircled by those changing light and sound patterns, Chavez says, “you observe that feedback without leaving the experience.”

THE OCTAVE OF LIGHT: A MEDITATION NIGHTCLUB

Free, 6 p.m.-midnight Wed-Sun through Feb. 8, CosmopolitanLasVegas.com.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LIA CHAVEZ

January 29–February 4, 2015

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Through February 8, visitors create their own sets of pulsing beats and hypnotizing lights by monitoring and observing their brainwave patterns. There is no bottle service or DJ booth, but like most nightclubs, Chavez admits that the installation “can be a little disorienting at frst.” Here’s how it breaks down:

NIGHTLIFE

Camille Cannon

Lux. (In the Cosmopolitan, 10 p.m., MarqueeLasVegas.com.) You can change the channel on Jersey Shore reruns, but like dried hair gel, Pauly D is here to stay. Catch the Italian mix maestro at Vanity. (In Hard Rock Hotel, 10:30 p.m., HardRockHotel.com.)

Chromeo.

Wizdumb.

SUN 1 The best commercials of the year are on TV today! And also, football. Whatever reason you have for sitting in front of a big screen, you can do so at Twin Peaks on the Strip and sip specials of Bud, Bud Light and Corona Light. (3717 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Suite 285, 2 p.m., TwinPeaksRestaurant.com/ Locations/Las-Vegas-NV.) Other Big Game viewing options: For $145, Lavo lays out an Italian buffet and open bar 2-5 p.m. (in the Palazzo, 2 p.m., LavoLV. com), while Sayers Club sticks to free booze from 3-5 p.m. (In SLS, 2:30 p.m., SLSLasVegas. com.) Still got some juice? Join DJ Five at the launch party for #IndustryLife at Life. (In SLS, 10:30 p.m., SLSLasVegas. com.) Also making a debut is Tiësto-endorsed Dutchmen Oliver Heldens at Hakkasan. (In MGM Grand, 10:30 p.m., HakkasanLV.com.)

MON 2

There are concerts, there are shows, and then there are parties with live music. Expect the latter when rap powerhouse Rakim blesses the stage at Bunkhouse. Local funk bringers RNR open the night, with in-between sets by DJ Wizdumb. (124 11th St., 8 p.m., BunkhouseDowntown.com.)

January 29–February 4, 2015

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THU 29

FRI 30 Homegrown event-production crew Ravelation brings another superb mini festival to Brooklyn Bowl. This installment, entitled Bass N’ Trapment, is led by British beat monster Zomboy

with support from Heroes x Villains, Getter and Laxx. (At the Linq, 8 p.m., Vegas.BrooklynBowl.com.) As the New Year always does, 2015 brought a string of new nightclub residency announcements. We got giddy like a fan girl upon learning that electro-funk outft Chromeo will appear at Drai’s on the regular. Tonight the duo is only behind the decks, but look for them to bring guitars, keyboards and uncontrollable swag to live performances in the near future. (In the Cromwell, 10:30 p.m., DraisNightlife.com.)

SAT 31 In honor of tomorrow’s Big Game, Ghostbar Dayclub is

hosting a Magical Unicorn Bowl. Guests who dress in theme (mythical athlete chic?) receive complimentary admission. Keep in mind that any infatables used in costumes must be flled with air between 12.5 and 13.5 PSI. (In the Palms, 1 p.m., Palms.com.) If you haven’t taken in the spectacular view of the Strip from the 63rd foor at Foundation Room, do it tonight. If you have, do it again. Guest DJ Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas will provide the soundtrack. (In Mandalay Bay, 10 p.m., HouseOfBlues.com/FR.) Hungry for hip-hop? Hang with Fabolous and Politik at Tao (in the Venetian, 10 p.m., TaoLasVegas. com) or head to Marquee for a performance by Wyclef Jean and beats by Eric D

Break up the Monday doldrums with smooth grooves and a shot of ass juice at Double Down Saloon. The musical soldiers of the Bargain DJ Collective will supply

the songs that make you forget about work in the morning. (4460 Paradise Rd., 10 p.m., DoubleDownSaloon.com.)

TUE 3 Love Latin music? Get down to the Ainsworth for sounds by DJs Cubano and Veetam. If the idea of shaking your tail feather ain’t enough, you can also enjoy $5 drink deals and bottle specials. (In Hard Rock Hotel, 9 p.m., HardRockHotel.com.)

WED 4 Sing your heart out during Karate Karaoke at Beauty Bar. You can fnd almost any song in the catalog. (We once heard Sia, Frank Sinatra and Kanye West all in one night.) If you need a little liquid courage, the bar’s got a beer and a shot for $6. (517 Fremont St., 9 p.m., TheBeautyBar.com.)

Fabolous.

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

DRAI’S

The Cromwell [ UPCOMING ]

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com

PHOTO BY TOBY ACUNA AND JOSH METZ

January 29–February 4, 2015

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Jan. 29 DJ Shift spins Jan. 30 Chromeo spins Feb. 1 Los Angeles Leakers spin

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

HYDE Bellagio

[ UPCOMING ]

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com

PHOTOS BY TONY TRAN

January 29â&#x20AC;&#x201C;February 4, 2015

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Jan. 29 Live Music Thursdays with Mahi Jan. 30 DJ Five spins Jan. 31 Konflikt spins

DINING

“If cooked properly, there’s nothing really scary about them—other than having to voluntarily put an animal’s balls in your mouth.” {PAGE 56}

Restaurant reviews, news and a Latin-themed cocktail party at a hidden cocktail bar that’s right under your nose

Urban Outftter

Fast-food icon Tom Ryan brings his latest concept to the Strip

The prime rib Philly cheesesteak Dip at Tom’s Urban.

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I HAVE TO ADMIT, when I frst saw the menu at Tom’s Urban in New York–New York (a chain that began in Colorado and also operates in L.A.), I had my doubts. It appears to be a mishmash of multi-genre bar food and sandwiches, reminiscent of what you might fnd at any theme bar from a TGI Fridays to a Hard Rock Café. There’s a little bit of something for everyone: burgers, tacos, pizzas, shakes, etc. But if you look deeper, there are also some very creative spins on familiar favorites, from the “Colorado-style” calamari (served with two types of fried chilies, remoulade and greenchili dipping sauce) to a kale, romaine and cabbage salad peppered with ginger chicken potstickers. Creator Tom Ryan says of the offerings, “All of our nouns are very familiar, and all of our adjectives will make you go, ‘Huh?’” That attempt to mix the familiar and the intriguing on an eclectic menu with regional infuences from Mexico to Xiangxiang, China, is audacious, even dangerous—especially in a casual, party-style atmosphere. But Ryan, who holds a Ph.D. in favor and fragrance chemistry from Michigan State University, knows a little something about giving the masses what they want. He worked on the corporate level at Pillsbury, Pizza Hut and McDonald’s (where he created the McGriddle sandwich) before founding the Smashburger chain—for my money, home of the best fast-food burgers around. So I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that a lot of his creations at Tom’s Urban work quite well. I probably never would have thought to mix pork green chili carnitas into mac ’n’ cheese, but now that I’ve tried this delicious combination I wonder why. The same goes for piling mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese on a bed of avocados, creating one of the most decadently rich side dishes out there. And the Hangover Slopper (a burger loaded up with that pork green chili plus queso fresco, pico de gallo, two fried eggs, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses) is the kind of guilty pleasure that you probably won’t come close to fnishing, but that will certainly hit the spot after a long night of imbibing on the Strip.

January 29–February 4, 2015

PHOTO BY JON ESTRADA

By Al Mancini

Menu Picks Mini mac & cheese pot ($8), cheddar avocado mashed potatoes ($6), prime rib Philly cheesesteak dip ($23) and Kraken spiced rum saltedcaramel shake ($13.50).

Despite nearly a pound of prime rib, the Philly cheesesteak dip (with

The Hangover Slopper, sweet potato fries and a Kraken spiked milkshake.

Havarti, beef demi-glace and horseradish cream) isn’t quite as extreme. But it’s just as good. And don’t miss the salted caramel shake, available with or without spiced rum. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the much-hyped Xiangxiang crispy duck wings. The hoisin glaze

TOM’S URBAN

New York–New York, 702-7406766. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, 6 a.m.–2 a.m. or later. Dinner for two, $35–$70.

[ JUST A SIP ]

A SPEAKEASY, HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

Lodged somewhere between a pop-up and a speakeasy is the Piazza Lounge (702-893-8933, TuscanyLV.com) in Tuscany Suites

January 29–February 4, 2015

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& Casino. It’s generally not the sort of place Las Vegas’ hard-core cocktail aficionados are first to think of—we have Herbs & Rye,

Velveteen Rabbit and 365 Tokyo for that—but beginning last summer, the lounge enjoyed something of a heyday, with a handful of top-notch bartenders making it their home, albeit somewhat ironically. You see, they knew no one would be expecting a program with a strong classic foundation that also incorporates modern ingredients and techniques there. And that was the trick of it. Of the lot of them, only George Sproule (who helped Downtown Cocktail Room to a share of its early fame) remains. While some are only still just discovering it, industry members have been posting up at Piazza, and enjoying $9 classic cocktails, for nearly a year—which means it’s almost time for them to establish a new under-the-radar haunt. Till then, you can enjoy the cocktail stylings of Sproule from Friday through Tuesday evenings. Plus, on February 8, Infinium Spirits will descend upon Piazza for a Latin-themed cocktail party. Enjoy a little salsa, cha-cha-cha, and Latin jazz by Nick Mastrangelo’s Nick at Nite, while you sip $7 Fernet Branca, Zaya rum and Templeton rye cocktails from 7-11 p.m. Just look for the prop speakeasy door, then walk right around it. – Xania Woodman

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.

A DECADE OF RM, THE NEWEST SHAKE SHACK MANIAC AND WHERE TO FEED THE BEAST It’s been 10 years since chef Rick Moonen planted his roots here in Las Vegas with RM Seafood (in Mandalay Bay, 702-6329300), bringing with him his dedication to sustainable seafood, even here in the desert. Moonen’s branched out since then, opening his steampunk-influenced Rx Boiler Room upstairs. But for this anniversary, he’s busting out the classics. To celebrate, Moonen has selected 10 dishes that represent his past decade, running the gamut from comfort food to pristine examples from fine dining, available through February as daily specials. The Oprah-approved Catfish Sloppy Joe has been on the menu since Day One, while the black truffle vinaigrette-dressed brandade of scallops and shrimp is an elegant take on his commitment to sustainability. Moonen will also showcase dishes from his time competing on Top Chef Masters, so you’ll get all versions of the chef at his best. Say what you will about Shake Shack (in New York-New York, 725-222-6730)—like their hipster burgers are cooler than you— but you definitely cannot say they’re not putting out excellent burgers and crinkle-cut fries (you need them with cheese, I assure you). My favorite just might be the most hipster-y sounding one of the bunch: the ShackMeister, a cheeseburger topped with super-secret Shack Sauce and ShackMeister-ale marinated shallots (crispy onions enhanced with the beer that’s made just for them by Brooklyn Brewery) on a soft, cozy bun with a hinge on the back. You know, so everything doesn’t fall out the bottom all over your vintage scarf or ironic T-shirt. Even the most disaffected of us can’t hate on a burger this good. However, if you’re all burger’d out, there’s always brunch. Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar (in Red Rock Resort, 702-797-7344) just launched its midday weekend service that, of course, requires bottomless mimosas and micheladas. Not just for the hungover, the meal also reaches out to those who are serious about food, offering mason jars of house-cured bacon with black walnut bone-marrow jam and poached duck egg, and wild-mushroom Benedicts. The so-called Whole Beast Feast has piqued my interest, using all my favorite words, including “pig” and “cheesy eggs with chives and tortillas.” Finally, and if you’re part of a couple that insists on going out on Valentine’s Day, here’s a tip: Make your reservation now. – Grace Bascos Grace Bascos eats, sleeps, raves and repeats. Read more from Grace at VegasSeven.com/ DishingWithGrace, as well as on her diningand-music blog, FoodPlusTechno.com.

PHOTO BY JON ESTRADA

DINING

Al’s

coating was a fairly generic Asian sweet-and-spicy sauce. And they were overcooked, leaving them super-crispy on the outside, but making it diffcult to appreciate the difference from chicken wings that the duck meat should have provided. The result was something resembling takeout General Tao’s chicken in drumstick form. Another losing dish for me was the vaunted shrimp and grits. The shrimp were small-to-medium and overseasoned with salty Cajun spices. And while I never thought I’d say this, I think they may have used too much cheese in the grits. After two visits, the food at Tom’s Urban reminds me of things a stoner with the munchies and a wellstocked kitchen might cook up, gleefully mixing favors on a whim and piling on as much as possible. The difference is that Ryan and his staff know exactly what they’re doing, so in most cases, the overkill works. Tom’s is a huge space with bars fronting both the Strip and the interior of New York–New York. The décor is casual and inviting to both late-night revelers and families grabbing a quick lunch. And the staff is one of the most impressive I’ve come across in casual restaurants in a while, going out of their way, not only for me, but for all of the diners around me. Also note: If you’re partying late, the house policy is to stay open as long as there are six or more patrons. So go early or go late—but defnitely go check it out.

DINING

Go On—We Dare You How many of these unusual foods are you willing to try? By Al Mancini

Chapulines (grasshoppers) at El Dorado Cantina and Nacho Daddy's scorpion Fireball shot.

BRAINS

The taste of brain has always reminded me of the mineral favor I get from sweetbreads, another challenging food. But brains are much more mushy. You can fnd them in tacos at various Las Vegas restaurants, including Tacos El Gordo (3260 Losee Rd., 702-641-8226), which offers beef brains in its sesos tacos. But if you really want to see them elevated to gourmet status, wait for Mario Batali to reintroduce his lamb’s brain francobolli at B&B Ristorante (in the Venetian, 702266-9977). The postage stamp-shaped

ravioli flled with poached lamb’s brain, ricotta, anchovy and lemon zest are a signature dish that rotates on and off the menu fairly regularly. TESTICLES

I’ve eaten various animal testicles in several forms over the years: stew, deep-fried chips, even Buffalo-style. And while they have the potential to be tough, if cooked properly, there’s nothing really scary about them— other than having to voluntarily put an animal’s balls in your mouth. So I was surprised it was so diffcult for me to fnd a local restaurant that’s currently serving them. But after polling my chef friends, they directed me to Gabriella’s (8878 S. Eastern Ave., 702-912-1111), where the so-called “lamb fries” are sliced thin, breaded, fried and served with ketchup and lemon. AJI HEAD AND SKELETON

Most sushi lovers know aji, or Spanish mackerel. But when they get it at Naked Fish (3945 S. Durango Dr., 702-2288856), they are offered something different. After the fsh has been fleted, the chefs take the remaining skeleton (head and tail included) and fash fry

it. It’s then served alongside the sashimi, with a ceviche. While it may sound strange, the skeleton is easy to break apart and eat like a chip—at least until you get to the head, which is packed with favor and texture thanks to the brain and the eyeballs! GRASSHOPPERS

I have to admit that before this assignment, I’d never eaten insects (at least not on purpose). So when I heard that El Dorado 3025 S. IndusCantina (3025 trial Rd., 702-722-2289) offered chapulines (grasshoppers), I immediately headed over to try them. The large dish of sautéed bugs reminded me more of crickets than the grasshoppers I knew growing up—no more than a halfinch long and one-eighth of an inch wide. And while the legs and antennae can be a little off-putting

at frst, they make nice little bar snacks. They’re available in a spicy habanero seasoning, but I opted for garlic and lime, which allowed me to still taste their earthy bodies. SCORPIONS

Grasshoppers are one thing, but scorpions scare me. Still, I drummed up my courage and visited one of the local Nacho Daddy locations (NachoDaddy. com), where they’re available at the bottom of a tequila or Fireball shot. Even dead and with the stingers removed, these guys are way too big and intimidating for me to swallow whole without fear of choking. So as I threw back the shot and saw the long tail hanging out of my mouth through the corner of an eye, I forced myself to chew through the body. It had been softened by days of marinating in vodka, but was still a tough exoskeleton. A minute or so later, I swallowed the ball of mush and washed it down with a beer. Because—whether balls, bugs— brains or bugs—everything's better with beer.

PHOTOS BY JON ESTRADA

January 29–February 4, 2015

VegasSeven.com

ONE OF THE MOST FREQUENT QUESTIONS

about my job (especially among school kids on Career Day) is what is the weirdest/grossest/strangest food I’ve ever eaten. The truth is, I try not to think that way. I’ve always found it weird that some people will eat a pig but not a rabbit, an animal’s fesh but not its organs, or a mammal but not a reptile. Nonetheless, when asked to recommend some of the Valley’s most “bizarre” dishes, I managed to push my envelope and add some new choices to my old favorites. How many of these have you tried?

DRINKING

On the Fly Keep calm and carry-on cocktails By Xania Woodman ➜ Sure, you could spend $25 on a carry-on cocktail kit … and still have to buy the booze on the plane. Or, you could totally DIY that task. All you need is to free up a little space in your carry-on bag for a few key ingredients. We teamed up with Delmonico Steakhouse beverage manager, mixologist and frequent fyer Max Solano for an On-the-Fly Old Fashioned. WHEELS UP

You’ll need: one or two 50-milliliter bottles of whiskey (bring or purchase on the plane), one sugar packet, one 20-milliliter bottle of bitters (find The Bitter Truth or Scrappy’s on Amazon.com), a little soda water, one stirrer and two cups or glasses, one empty, one with ice. CRUISING ALTITUDE

Add the sugar to the empty cup. Add three to four dashes of bitters and ½ ounce water; mix well with the stirrer. Add the booze and fill with ice. Give it a quick stir, and pat yourself on the back.

For 10 more carry-on cocktail recipes, visit VegasSeven.com/ CarryOnCocktails.

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If you’re feeling extra fancy, you could also carry on a swath of orange rind to zest over the top the drink and drop it in, or—if you’re from the fruited Old-Fashioned camp—a few Marasca cherries and a slice of orange to muddle before adding the booze and ice.

January 29–February 4, 2015

PHOTOS BY JON ESTRADA

FINAL APPROACH

A&E

“So Sinatra-esque is Bob Anderson—master of Ol’ Blue Eyes impressions—that he elevates a tribute show beyond uncanny to truly artful.” SHOWSTOPPER {PAGE 65}

Trifecta Gallery’s Marty Walsh on closing a Vegas institution and what happens next By Cindi Moon Reed

End of an Era

FOR 11 YEARS TRIFECTA GALLERY has thrived as an anchor of the Las Vegas art scene. Situated in the Arts Factory, it has not only been a highlight of First Friday but it has also introduced or helped boost the careers of many popular Las Vegas artists. But on January 30, that era ends when venerable gallerist and artist Marty Walsh closes up shop to pursue what she calls a “vagabond’s” life of creative possibilities. This leaves just a few more days to check out her gallery’s fnal exhibit, Parade The Collective: The Art of Cirque du Soleil Employees. On the occasion of her departure, Walsh opened up for this exit interview, which was flled with equal parts excitement and loss.

January 29–February 4, 2015

PHOTO BY JON ESTRADA

Walsh and Spud in her soon-to-close gallery.

VegasSeven.com

Movies, music, stage and one ‘Smooth’ autobiography

A&E

ized that there are people here who can buy art and I can get them in at an introductory level. So I introduced a lot of people to their very frst piece of art. They began collecting and a lot of them have moved on to a more expensive bracket. I was like their crack dealer, their art dealer, I got them started on their addiction. And I’m proud of that. How should the art scene to continue on without Trifecta?

I’m going to say what I’ve always said, which is that we need at least fve more galleries like Brett Wesley, Amanda Harris, Trifecta and the others that have come before me. If they all could’ve happened at the same time and had the same momentum we would already be well on our way. I just started thinking about how organic the arts scene could be, I say let it ride. I think it needs good leadership. It almost seems like there are more spaces for galleries Downtown than there are galleries.

Maybe my work isn’t over here. My husband will shoot me but I’m in “maybe land,” I’m thinking about all the maybes that are possible. Maybe it needs one person to focus on courting New York, L.A., Denver, Midwest galleries to have an outpost here. There’s a lot of spaces for rent, make it a destination. I think I can probably sell that idea. There are a lot of possibilities. Even though her gallery is closing, Walsh hopes to always stay connected with the Las Vegas art community.

I have so many ideas of what I want to do in the future that I trust that I’m not going to go home and sit under the blankets and cry. I’ve already done that. I feel like I’ve been through [the stages of grief] and I’m ready to move on. I feel very sad and strong at the same time.

January 29–February 4, 2015

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Why did you decide to move on?

Have you ever woke up one day and said, [it’s] time for a change? Every year Pete [my husband] and I said to each other, is this the year we move back to Ireland? We’re always like, hell no, we love Vegas. So after 15 years we kinda said, are we staying? We both broke a foot this year. Is this a sign? Our health? Our age? Maybe, before we get old we better make a change because that’s who we are. We’ve always been adventurers; Las Vegas is the longest place we’ve ever lived anywhere. That’s not like us. We managed a youth hostel on the Georgia coast and lived in a tree house. On our honeymoon, we went 20,000 miles around the United States in a V W bus.

I’m trying to help them advocate for placement in galleries that are the next level up from Trifecta. I’m going to help them on my own dime, on my own time. I will help them because I don’t want what I did to stop. Were you always an artist and a lover of art?

I remember being small enough to ft below the bottom shelf in the linen closet. I used to crawl in there and draw. I used to put pictures on the little wall inside the closet and pretend that was my gallery. I must’ve been 5 or 6. I remember eating marshmallows in secret and looking at my art. Post-Trifecta, you plan to move to Ireland, where your husband is from, and live on a piece of family land near Dublin. What will that be like?

We love the tiny-house movement and we’re going to have a couple of the tiny houses on wheels so that when we have visitors, people will just be able to pull their houses up to the edge of the greenhouse and participate in our community-family kitchen. We’re growing our food directly in the kitchen. I’m sure we’re gong to fnd all sorts of creative ways to produce food. Pete wants it to be wind-powered. We’re going to have a root cellar to make applesauce. We want to go back to the beginning. … Only something that amazing would pull me away from what I absolutely loved doing. I

thought I’d be doing Trifecta for the rest of my days. When we had our 10th anniversary [in February 2014], I was planning for the next 10 years. I was going to take it to another level because my collectors were growing with me. I was planning until one day we just said, hey, we can put the brakes on this and do something else. What is the art legacy you want to leave?

I want a legacy of art to keep living and to fow the transient way that Las Vegas is. There’s going to be a new conversation, maybe there will be somebody with a different version of what I did. There will be a whole other thing, because that’s how Las Vegas is: It reinvents itself constantly, so why not in art?

Where are those next-level galleries? Are they in Las Vegas?

Not right now. But I hope that somebody bigger and badder and better comes after me, and picks up that slack. Now that you’ll have more time, do you have any interest in doing your own art?

I have lots of ideas for painting and I know that I’m going to be a different painter than I was when I started, because look at how much I’ve seen. They’re large-scale paintings, though. That sounds like an albatross. If you’re going to be a vagabond, how are you going to carry around large-scale paintings? But maybe I can have a big studio on a Greek island somewhere. There are always possibilities. I’ll never be stuck. And I’ll never be bored.

How were you able to sell art in Vegas when art buyers tend to prefer larger cities?

Believe it or not when I started volunteering at the Contemporary Art Center, selling art was not even on their radar. I thought, why aren’t there price tags on the art? So every First Friday I volunteered and I looked at the demographic of the people. I real-

PARADE: THE COLLECTIVE

Trifecta Gallery, 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite 135, various hours through Jan. 30, 702-366-7001, TrifectaGallery.com.

PHOTO BY JON ESTRADA

How do you feel now that it’s your last show at Trifecta?

What’s your advice to artists who’ve already shown at Trifecta and want to advance?

A&E

ALBUMS WE'RE BUYING Marilyn Manson, The Pale Emperor (Explicit) 1

CONCERT

Santana still weaves that ‘Black Magic’ House of Blues, January 23

It’s said that Woodstock made Carlos Santana famous. But during a recent Santana set, I wondered if the opposite might be true. Some may argue that the 67-year-old guitarist is past his prime, his early fiery attack having subsided into his current style of Zen-like spell casting. Still, Santana (10 members in all) can pour it on loudly, heavily. Despite owning, at best, a half-dozen genuine radio smashes, the band knows how to “stretch the chicken,” avoiding long sections of unfamiliar tunes.

Joey Bada$$, B4.DA.$$ 2

SleaterKinney, No Cities to Love 3

“Jingo” jammed; “Oye Como Va” moved; “Black Magic Woman” was, well, magical. Singers Tony Lindsay and Andy Vargas nailed it, seamlessly connecting the band’s half-century discography, everything from “Soul Sacrifice” to “Smooth.” Santana himself remains nimble; his fret-board fingering was tight, eloquent. Experiencing Santana live offers a taste of what got the hippies high and hungry for more than a Tupperware life. Like them, I never want to come down. Carlos Santana plays House of

Fall Out Boy, American Beauty/American Psycho 4

5 The Decemberists, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World

6 Lupe Fiasco, Tetsuo & Youth

7 J. Cole, 2014 Forest Hills Drive

8 Belle and Sebastian, Girls In Peacetime Want to Dance

Mark Ronson, Uptown Special 9

According to sales at Zia Record Exchange at 4503 W. Sahara Ave., January 19-25.

[ READING ]

TRUE TONE AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH

Santana: Greatest Hits Live at House of Blues Las Vegas (see above review) remains a strong draw. Carlos Santana and his band deliver a ferocious set, even if some hipsters view him as a guitar-wanking, New Age spouting, women’s-shoe-designing jam band guru responsible for a cloying collaboration with Rob Thomas (“Smooth”). Good thing, then, that Santana’s recent memoir, The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light (Little Brown, $30), succeeds in reminding us of the virtuoso’s gritty, hard-scrabble rise. The son of a violinist, Santana was born in Jalisco, Mexico, and cut his teeth playing blues shuffes in the bump-and-grind joints of Tijuana (Santana describes it as “a kind of Casablanca for black Americans” in the early ’60s). Even at 14, he could read a room and deftly wield the power of music: I remember some guys would bring their girlfriends there, start to drink, and get distracted by

these beautiful strippers. Then their dates would get jealous. We could tell from the stage what was going on—the tension, the emotion. We’d decide to have a little fun and start playing a tune with just the right breaks and heavy rhythm— ba-da-bum, bada-bum—and next thing you know the girlfriend would be up and taking off her shirt, then her brassiere. Two or three times we were able to make that happen—actually strip someone who wasn’t a stripper. Santana’s family moved to California, at one point physically removing him from a going-nowhere career in Tijuana, where he’d contracted tuberculosis. Stateside, he struggled to ft in and graduate from high school, but found acceptance in the exploding San Francisco music scene. Eventually Santana met

impresario Bill Graham, who had the teenager opening for The Who at the Fillmore. Graham would go on to negotiate a record deal for Santana and seal his place in rock history with a Woodstock gig. Like a pair of cool sunglasses, Tone tints Santana’s life story in places where blazing light isn’t required. He eloquently expresses the pain of child molestation and his journey of healing and forgiveness. He movingly articulates the sweet genius of abrasive friends such

as Miles Davis. And his mumbo-jumbo tangents (as when he discusses the representation of Christ in Franco Zeffrelli’s made-for-TV Jesus of Nazareth) are oddly endearing. There are lapses: Santana fails to note the fatal beating of great jazz-rock bassist Jaco Pastorius outside his concert in 1987. And despite professing a love of comic books, he excludes adventure comic Scout, featuring Apache protagonist Emanuel Santana. Nitpicking aside, Tone hits the right musicmemoir notes. – J.K.

ALL ABOUT BURT The legendary Burt Bacharach cowrote hits for Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield and B.J. Thomas and has been covered by the Beatles and Aretha Franklin. Don't walk on by this chance to see the melody master at The Smith Center on Jan. 30 ($29-$125).

NON-STOP “BAILANDO” Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull and special guest J Balvin spent 2014 wowing fans with a nearly four-hour (!) show, featuring songs in both English and Spanish. Now their tour has been extended, with a stop at Mandalay Bay Events Center on Jan. 31 ($50-$200).

ON SALE NOW After a 16-year absence, Christine McVie returned to Fleetwood Mac in 2014 for the On With the Show tour. The show—heavy with hits and raw emotions— proved so successful that a second leg was added. Fleetwood Mac plays MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 11 ($50-$200).

SANTANA BY WAYNE POSNER

January 29–February 4, 2015

VegasSeven.com

10 E-40, Sharp on All 4 Corners: Corner 1

Blues on January 28-31. ★★★★✩ – Jarret Keene

The

HIT LIST TARGETING THIS WEEK'S MOST-WANTED EVENTS

By Camille Cannon The Devil's Dog by James Pink, Skulls Biennial.

A LOTTA SKILL IN ONE PLACE Wondering what’s up with The Modern— Downtown’s proposed art museum? ArtLIVE! on Jan. 29 is a fundraiser for that project and the Las Vegas Fashion Council. Young superstars from Cirque du Soleil, Olympic medalists and more will grace The Smith Center with host Clint Holmes, a fashion show and auctions. ArtLiveLV.com.

GAME OF THRONES BY HELEN SLOAN/HBO; SKULLS COURTESY OF UNLV

but that’s about to change. Select theaters will welcome Westeros the IMAX way with a first-ever screening of the HBO series January 29-February 5. Digitally re-mastered episodes “The Watchers on the Wall” and “The Children” will run alongside a preview—yes, a preview of Season 5. Here’s what to expect: the Khaleesi doing a bang-up job mothering her scaly offspring; Bran being lugged around like a suitcase; Snow practicing his silent broody bastard look (does that guy ever have a good day?) and Tyrion coming for every asshole in the Seven Kingdoms. Oh, and if you spot someone smuggling a dragon egg into their popcorn bag, relax, it’s just one of us. The Palms, Regal Aliante Stadium, Sunset Station, $17, IMAX.com/GameofThrones. – Amber Sampson

IF YOU CAN’T SEE ’EM, PAINT ’EM Contemplate craniums at the closing of the third Skull Biennial at UNLV’s Donna Beam Gallery. The reception at 6-8 p.m. Jan. 30 is your final opportunity to peruse more than 40 artist interpretations of “death and immortality.” Afterward, we recommend you do something upbeat. UNLV.edu. POWER TO THE PEOPLE You may not have enough artistic chops for your own exhibition, but you can help create one during Vegas Votes. Check out the assortment of iconic Las Vegas News Bureau images on display at Sahara West Library through Feb. 4 and fill a ballot for your favorites. The winners will be showcased in the library’s studio later this year. LVCVA.com.

VegasSeven.com

Jon Snow know nothing about Season 5,

When it comes to Game of Thrones, we and

Khaleesi sets out to conquer the big screen.

January 29–February 4, 2015

Game of Thrones Rules IMAX

GO SHORTY It’s time for the 11th annual Dam Short Film Festival at the historic Boulder Theatre in Boulder City. The fest will highlight hundreds of mini movies Feb. 4-7. Don’t miss the homegrown talent in the Battle Born Filmmakers block on Feb. 6, and surf the schedule for swanky after-parties and meet-n-greets. DamShortFilm.org.

MUSIC Guilty by Association, one of SquidHat’s prize bands.

[ OLD LADY IN A MOSH PIT ]

ON ITS THIRD ANNIVERSARY, SQUIDHAT RECORDS IS A VEGAS SUCCESS STORY By Lissa Townsend Rodgers ALLAN CARTER REMEMBERS EXACTLY WHEN

and where he chose to start a record label. “I decided I was a little too old to be dragging a drum kit out of a bar at 4 in the morning,” he says, “I didn’t want to be one of those cranky old guys at the end of the bar going, ‘Grrr, I used to be in a band.’” But he wanted music to remain part of his life—and to pass on some of the wisdom he’d acquired in 20-plus years as a professional musician—so SquidHat Records was “born on a barstool” at the Double Down Saloon. So it’s appropriate that SquidHat returned to the Double Down for its third annual showcase. This past weekend, 10 bands packed the bar and kept the mosh pit going past 2 a.m. The New Waves brought their surf renditions of ’80s classics (“Take on Me” lends itself especially well) and the Franks & Deans did their thrash take on Rat Pack classics. Guilty by Association brought the hardcore, while Eliza Battle roared through death metal and rising stars Sounds of Threat pounded out energetic punk rock. Even Carter got into the act, performing with his band Attack Ships on Fire for his once-a-year gig that always amazes the younger bands. “It’s like learning that your dad can juggle,” he laughs. “For me, it’s a way to remember why we do this,” says Carter, whose role as president and founder isn’t about cheering crowds and complimentary cocktails, but about contracts, paperwork and number-crunching. “You spend a lot the year in front of computer doing busy work and mak-

ing deadlines, and it weighs on you.” SquidHat now has 13 acts on its roster and just issued its 16th release, a much larger output than Carter anticipated when he began in 2011. He saw local band the Dirty Panties and he “wanted to buy something and they had nothing to sell,” no CDs, no T-shirts, not even a button. “It wasn’t something they’d thought about or could afford,” he recalls. So he created SquidHat. “My goal was to do three a year— fnd three bands I like, help them put out a record and move on,” he says. But distribution deals with Nail and Planet Works required more product and Carter saw an opportunity to spread the sounds of Sin City all over the world. “There’s never been a shortage of new bands in Las Vegas,” he says. “If I say, ‘I’d buy that,’ I’ll take a risk on it and put my money where my mouth is.” “[Running a record label] has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done and the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” Carter says. “People trust us with their art and that’s powerful.” He’s excited that the label has made it to year three, but is looking forward to another anniversary. “I can’t wait to have a ffth anniversary. Ninety percent of small businesses don’t make it to year fve.” In the end, for Carter, it’s about making the best music possible and making it available to as many people as possible. “A good song is a good song,” he says. “The best way to ensure my grandkids’ rock ’n’ roll is secure is to put out albums.”

STAGE

ONE FOR OUR BABY Bob Anderson’s Sinatra tribute an impressive valentine to a Vegas icon I SAW FRANK SINATRA THE OTHER NIGHT. I don’t care if it was Bob Anderson. I saw Frank Sinatra the other night. So Sinatra-esque is Anderson—master of Ol’ Blue Eyes impressions—in every aspect of Frank The Man. The Music at the Palazzo that he elevates a tribute show beyond uncanny to truly artful. Aided now by prosthetic makeup that is spot-on (at least from my distance in row U) and expanding to a full-length show, Anderson is midto-late-career Francis Albert from his close-cropped wig and ruggedly livedin face to his sleek, classic tux, flled out by Sinatra’s signature swagger and charm. Ratcheting up his Sinatra from a singer he impersonates to an artist he inhabits, Anderson imbues the show with his long love affair with the Sinatra mystique, adding even more dimension than the music and makeup. Backed by a 32-piece orchestra led by Vincent Falcone, Sinatra’s conductor, Anderson performs in a setting that’s part concert stage, part supper club. Plunging in with “Come Fly With Me,” he seasons the fabled voice with just enough Jack Daniel’s and gravel to evoke the deeper, mature Sinatra, the familiar body language intact. He throws air jabs to punch home staccato notes, finches his shoulders to underline chord blasts and swoops his arm as the band crescendos. Whittling down the Sinatra canon for a 90-minute showcase couldn’t have been easy, but the set list is well chosen. In a mix of classics representing multiple eras, from Cole Porter to “New York, New York,” Anderson hits highlights including “The Lady Is a Tramp,” “All or Nothing at All,” “The

Way You Look Tonight,” “Luck Be a Lady,” “You Make Me Feel So Young,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “Chicago,” etc.—and of course, “My Way.” As Sinatra did, Anderson prefaces many tunes with nods toward songwriter/ arrangers Gordon Jenkins, Jimmy Van Heusen, Nelson Riddle and Don Costa. Touching on Sinatra’s bossa nova collaborations with Antonio Carlos Jobim, his voice sways and foats through the dreamy “Wave” and “The Girl From Impanema.” An anticipatory hush falls over the crowd when Anderson dons a white trench coat and—as the stage is bathed in midnight-blue lighting and faraway thunderstorm sound effects creep in—he takes a stool by the piano to croon barroom torch classics “Here’s That Rainy Day” and “One for My Baby.” Squeezed into an all-too-brief medley are “Witchcraft,” “Night and Day,” “The Summer Wind,” “The Best Is Yet to Come” and “That’s Life.” Oh, and “Strangers in the Night,” with Anderson uttering, “I hate this song” (historically accurate, as Sinatra called it “a piece of shit”). And in the night’s centerpiece, the stage is rearranged to approximate a recording studio during Sinatra’s Capitol Records heyday, Anderson by a podium and studio microphone, bantering with the band and recreating the stop-and-start perfectionism of his legendary sessions. Unquestionably, this show would put the sparkle in a pair of famous ol’ blue eyes. So set ’em up, Joe—then raise a shot glass to Frank The Man. The Music. Got an entertainment tip? Email Steve.Bornfeld@VegasSeven.com.

A&E

MOVIES

A ‘SONG’ OF LOVE Anne Hathaway stars in this New York romance with an indie soundtrack By Roger Moore Tribune Media Services

IT’S COMMON HOLLYWOOD PRACTICE TO

follow an Oscar win with a trip to big budget land, where the paychecks, the trailers and the impact on the culture are potentially huge. So Sandra Bullock did Gravity right after The Blind Side, and Anne Hathaway did Interstellar not long after picking up an Oscar for Les Misérables. But Hathaway tried something altogether more modest and intimate in between paydays. Song One is a lowbudget New York romance set against the backdrop of the city’s small-clubs/ singer-songwriters scene. Hathaway stars as Franny, an anthropologist whose estranged brother Henry (Ben Rosenfeld) has become obsessed with songwriting, flling notebooks with tunes, performing them as a guitar-playing busker. But a car accident leaves Henry in a coma, and a guilt-ridden Franny comes home to an irate, self-involved writer-mom (Mary Steenburgen) and a brother who won’t wake up. The novelty in writer-director Kate Barker-Froyland’s debut feature is Franny’s way of coping with this

Hathaway and Flynn explore a singer-songwriter’s paradise.

tragedy. A scientist in training, she immerses herself in Henry’s notebooks, listens to the mixtapes he had been sending her and, traipsing through Brooklyn’s busker underground, discovers Henry’s world. Henry’s unconventional songs are Franny’s soundtrack as she visits Henry’s haunts. She starts making natural sound recordings, hoping for audio cues that will wake her sibling up. She’s trying to help. It’s on this odyssey that she meets Henry’s absolute favorite artist, a British singer-songwriter of onetime repute named James Forester (played by British singer-songwriter Johnny Flynn). Hathaway and Flynn have minimal chemistry, but she makes Franny beguiling enough to persuade the near-hasbeen James to visit the comatose Henry.

That means he’ll be close to Franny, and that sets us up for a little romance. Hathaway sets off most of her sparks in her scenes with the great Steenburgen, whose character’s nagging doesn’t mask her own guilt at what has happened to her son. “You came out of my womb having all the answers!” Mom bellows. But Franny gives as good as she gets. The magical thing that Hathaway accomplishes here is getting this flm made and this look at the New York music scene out there. BarkerFroyland’s script makes knowing observations about “stardom” in the age of pirated downloads, when most musicians have to make most of their money off live performances, and “fandom” in the age of selfes. Tunes by everyone from Nina

January 29–February 4, 2015

VegasSeven.com

SHORT REVIEWS

Cake (R) ★★★✩✩

Why didn’t Jennifer Aniston get an Oscar nomination for Cake? With a best actress slot taken by Julianne Moore for Still Alice, there wasn’t room for another routine healthcrisis indie, salvaged by a strong, confident, unfussy turn from its female lead. Cake attempts to deal with a protagonist in chronic pain without becoming a chronic pain itself. Claire (Aniston) has scars on her face and body, and plenty she’s not yet acknowledging in her recent, tragic past. The film charts a progression from a dark place to a lighter place, from misanthropy to community.

Mortdecai (R) ★★✩✩✩

Should the facial hair trend stall in 2015, blame Mortdecai, a perky but obstinately unfunny heist caper with a hero irksome enough to make any happily mustachioed man reconsider his life choices. The film shoots for the swinging insouciance of ’60s farce, but this story of a caddish art dealer enlisted by MI5 to assist in a theft case is longer on frippery than quippery. Only dedicated devotees of Johnny Depp’s latter-day strain of mugging—here channeling Austin Powers by way of P.G. Wodehouse—will delight in this expensive-looking oddity.

The Humbling (R) ★★★✩✩

We have forgotten how subtle Al Pacino could be, pre-hooah, before his Oscarwinning turn in Scent of a Woman unleashed the beast. So it’s a bit of a jolt to see him as Simon Axler, a famous, fading actor who is losing his grip and his ability to stay on script. Pacino rarely cranks up the heat here, and that’s a shame, because this sometimes funny/often sad film could use some fireworks. Instead it shambles along the way Simon does, with witty, coherent stretches and droning theatrical self-absorption that’s as dull as a sleepwalk through Shakespeare.

Simone to America—whose “I Need You,” Hathaway sings—turn up on the soundtrack, with Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley providing much of the music Flynn’s James Forester sings in the flm. Sharon Van Etten, The Felice Brothers and Cass Dillon are among those seen in various indie music clubs. It never rises to the level of say, a Nick and Nora’s Infnite Playlist, a romantic comedy that wandered through a different corner of New York music subculture. But Hathaway and a legion of musicians make this musical time capsule a pleasant enough time-killer, a flm that seems to get what it is that turns people who play as a hobby into obsessed creatives looking to start a long-shot career with Song One. Song One (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩

By Tribune Media Services

The Boy Next Door (R) ★★✩✩✩

Jennifer Lopez plays Claire, a suburban high school literature teacher whose marriage is on the rocks. Her loins are stirred by the hunk next door (Ryan Guzman), who seems nice enough in a turning-stalker-anysecond-now way. While estranged husband and teen son are away, Claire capitulates to those psycho-bedroom eyes, and soon her new neighbor gets clingy and violent and then serial-killy. Whenever this mediocre film threatens to become zingier, it pulls back and behaves itself and settles for a grindingly predictable series of escalations.

Paddington (PG) ★★★✩✩

The Wedding Ringer (R) ★★★✩✩

Still Alice (PG-13) ★★★✩✩

Blackhat (R) ★★✩✩✩

Based on the beloved children’s books, Paddington is witty and charming, with a considerable if sneaky emotional impact, and it offers more than enough to satisfy. Graced with unusually delicate computer-generated animation mixed with live action, the film retains elements of the first book, ropes in bits of other books and invents a lot of its own. Raised in a tribe of surprisingly verbal bears in Peru, Paddington is shipped off to London, where he and his adoptive human family negotiate life under the same roof. Nicole Kidman is a villainous taxidermist.

In this Wedding Crashers Redux, Kevin Hart plays a guy who hires himself out as a rent-a-best-man to rescue grooms who have failed to establish long-term friendships. He’s hired by a sad sack (Josh Gad) who needs not just a best man but a whole team of groomsmen. The film softens Hart and his manic funnyman persona into someone more sentimental than abrasive. A savvy, sassy script and genuine chemistry between Hart and Gad make this an R-rated bromance that will touch you as often as it tickles you.

It’s terrible to watch someone lose their mind, but the splendid acting here makes it worth the pain. Scarier than any nightmare, the film succeeds because of two strong performances. Oscar-nominated Julianne Moore stars as respected academic Alice, shocked by her diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s disease, and Moore’s work deserves all the plaudits it’s going to get. But if it weren’t for costar Kristen Stewart, who plays Alice’s daughter, Still Alice wouldn’t be nearly as emotionally effective as it is.

This movie is a thickly plotted disappointment, yet it has three or four big sequences proving that director Michael Mann (Heat, Collateral) has lost none of his instincts for how to choreograph, photograph and edit violence. Chris Hemsworth plays a hunky convicted hacker, doing hard time stateside. He’s sprung from prison to assist the hunt for a cyberterrorist. If Blackhat had more movement and less story, or if it had a story and characters that excited the imagination, we’d have a swell globe-trotting thriller. But the intrigue level rarely rises above medium.

Spare Parts (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩

Two Days, One Night (PG-13) ★★★★✩

Spare Parts is about undocumented high school kids who enter a big robot-building competition and make a splash in that state most hostile to illegal immigration— Arizona. It’s a little more concerned with making a statement than with covering new ground in an original and entertaining way. Still, it’s a pleasant enough run-ofthe-mill outsiders-beat-the-odds dramedy. It makes its point and does it with heart, if not a lot of laughs or originality.

Oscar-nominated Marion Cotillard stars in the latest compelling examination of the human condition and how we treat one another from the sterling filmmaking team of JeanPierre and Luc Dardenne. Cotillard plays a solar panel factory worker in Belgium coping with depression. After her job is eliminated, her only hope is to persuade her co-workers to reinstate the position, which means forgoing bonuses. She has two days to accomplish this before a secret vote. The filmmakers and Cotillard scrupulously avoid melodrama.

MARKETPLACE

Things happen to people in life, and you just can’t let it set you back so far you can’t function. … Through history, I’ve seen a lot of games that end up like that, and the next year, say, Green Bay, they don’t come back and play well. As much as they want to spit it out, they can’t spit it out. Sometimes you just don’t bounce back. You were a football coach for 40 years. Do you miss it?

I miss coaching. I like coaching. The whole dynamic has changed a lot, though. I’m enjoying my life right now. People say, well, you should get back into coaching. If you really knew how much time you missed in life and with your kids, and grandkids now, you say, maybe it’s just time. The only thing left for me would be to win a Super Bowl. When I started out coaching, my goal was to be the head coach at my high school or at Fullerton Junior College, and I would’ve stayed there the rest of my life. If you’d have said back when I started, well, you’re going to be a head coach in the NFL, I’d say what have you been smoking? What would surprise fans the most about the life of an NFL coach?

Jim Fassel

The former NFL coach on his Super Bowl experience, UNLV’s hire and his pick for Sunday

January 29–February 4, 2015

VegasSeven.com

By Paul Szydelko

When you watch games such as the recent classic NFC championship between the Seahawks and the Packers, are you more a fan or a former coach?

I’m watching as a coach. Green Bay outplayed Seattle, and then they had a break down in discipline with [Brandon] Bostick not blocking his guy [on the onside kick]. You’ve got fve blockers there; you forget the ball unless it hits you in the chest, but don’t back up like he did. Good grief—that

should never happen. On that two-point [conversion] play, when Russell Wilson went all the way out to the right and threw it back across the feld, you’ve got two receivers on their feet and a defensive back who doesn’t get there. I wondered if they know the rules: Once the quarterback is out of the pocket, you don’t know if he’s a runner or passer, so there is no pass interference until the ball is thrown. We taught our guys, if the QB gets

out of the pocket and you’re covering this guy, just shove him. Those guys are playing it like you can’t touch the [receiver]! They treated him like he was glass! How long does it take for a team to recover from a loss like that?

It’s one of those things in life, you just got to spit it out and try to regroup. I was an assistant at Stanford in the Stanford-Cal game (when the band came on the feld).

For seven months after you start the season, you have two days off. People don’t realize you give it your life. … What bothers me the most at this time of the season, everybody talks like it’s a game. Oh, he’s going here, and this guy’s got this job! You’re talking about one guy, and in today’s world, you’ve got 16 assistant coaches. All their families are moving—or they may not have a job. It’s different than working for a real estate company and you get fred. You don’t have to move your family, you just have to move over to a different job in the same community. In Super Bowl XXXV, your Giants trailed 10-0 to the Baltimore Ravens at the half and lost 34-7. Was there a point you realized it was a lost cause?

I could have held [the score] down a little bit. But when they started slipping ahead, I took chances. I had to go after them. That was the best front seven I’ve seen. Man, that defensive line was awesome, and [linebacker] Ray Lewis was in his prime. A turning point was in the second quarter, when [Baltimore] threw a pick, and Jes-

sie Armstead ran it back for a touchdown. But they called us for holding the running back. I was screaming, it was bad call—he didn’t hold him at all. I know [Ravens coach] Brian Billick was going to go nuts on [quarterback] Trent Dilfer; he was already starting to scream at him, and that could have shaken [Dilfer] up. You don’t know, I mean, one touchdown was not going to close the gap that much, but the momentum and psychology of it … What do you think of UNLV’s decision to hire a high school coach?

I don’t know Tony Sanchez at all. What they needed was an infusion of energy and toughness. It sounds like he’s got that. Is he going to be able to walk into a home [of a potential recruit] right off the bat for the frst year or maybe two and sell that? I don’t think so. I just don’t see it. A lot of high school players want to go to the NFL, and they want to go play for [college coaches] who say they will help them get in the NFL. … I’m wishing him the best. I hope he can. Patriots or Seahawks— who you got?

When the Patriots have won Super Bowls, they were going up against good teams. The two times they dropped the ball were against the New York Giants. The Giants weren’t supposed to be even in the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl. When the Patriots go in with a challenge, they play better. They seem to be a team that can put distractions (Defategate] to the side and go on. It’s not the best team that wins, it’s the team that plays the best. The Seahawks can’t play like they did in the NFC championship and expect to win. No, Green Bay had to screw it up, too. They’re not going to get that from New England. … New England has had the best pass protection of any team every year, but their offensive line coach retired a year ago. At times they looked a little shaky earlier in the season, but they’ve got it back together now. Now they can protect Tom Brady. Seattle plays on a lot of emotion and when they start struggling early they don’t have that mojo. I’ll go with New England, 30-27. What are Fassel’s memories of his time as coach of the Las Vegas Locos? Read the full interview at VegasSeven/Fassel.

PHOTO BY JON ESTRADA

SEVEN QUESTIONS

Coach of the New York Giants from 1997-2003, Fassel displays 9/11 memorabilia in his Henderson home.