The Baseball Issue | Vegas Seven Magazine | July 9-15 2015 by Vegas Seven

LAS VEGAS’ WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE

FOUNDED FEBRUARY 2010

PUBLISHER

Michael Skenandore

EDITORIAL

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

SENIOR EDITORS

SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Melinda Sheckells (style)

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

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

ART

Ryan Olbrysh Cierra Pedro Anthony Mair, Krystal Ramirez

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SALES

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BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR DIGITAL SALES MANAGER

INTERNS

Will Carter, Kayla Dean, Shannon Kelly, Rachel Kerr, Aric Lairmore, Brent Martelli, Erik Shallenberger

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| Justin Weniger

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J A M E S P. R E Z A

Back in Business

Crushed by the recession, locals casinos are fnally on the upswing

July 9–15, 2015

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SINCE THE RECESSION, THE LOCALS

casino market has endured some tough times, but the 2015 numbers so far suggest those tough times might be over. In particular, North Las Vegas and Boulder Strip properties, after several rough years, are showing revenue increases. Is it because value-conscious visitors are venturing off the Strip? Is it a sign of a reinvigorated economy? Possibly a little of both. Whatever the cause, the stronger neighborhood casino market is a positive sign for Southern Nevada’s overall economic health. It might be surprising to some, but locals casinos in a sense got the worst of the recession. The Las Vegas Strip was hurt, to be sure, by the decline in consumer spending, but the broader tourism slowdown had a devastating effect on establishments outside the resort corridor. Hospitality workers, including those laid off and those whose hours were reduced, obviously no longer had the same spending power. To make matters worse, stalled construction—both on Las Vegas Boulevard and around the Valley—deprived neighborhood casinos of one of their most valuable groups of customers. With less spending and fewer potential customers, the recession’s impact was immediate. Through 2014, gaming revenues had fallen 16 percent from their pre-recession highs in North Las Vegas and 17 percent in the Boulder Strip reporting area, which includes eastern Las Vegas and Henderson. The Las Vegas Strip, by comparison, suffered a drop-off of less than 7 percent. In other words, off-Strip places were affected more than twice as

much—and that revenue drag, until recently, had been continuing. Further, neighborhood casinos haven’t seen the same migration of spending from gaming to nongaming that tourist-oriented properties have. For the past several years, gaming has continued to represent about 70 percent of total locals casino income; places on the Strip get about half that amount from their gaming foors. So the decline in gaming and shift to nongaming, which has been a boon for the Boulevard, has been a net loss elsewhere. But here’s the good news: For the six months ending May 31, the Boulder Strip’s gaming profits were up by 9 percent—a better improvement than that for Las Vegas Boulevard or the state at large. Places in North Las Vegas posted similar growth. Meanwhile, Station Casinos, which operates 19 properties in the Valley, boasted a 5 percent increase in operating revenues for the frst quarter of 2015. Boyd Gaming reported fat revenues for its six non-Strip establishments for the same period, though its Downtown venues saw a slight uptick. There are two theories for why the locals market is heating up, and both are probably accurate. First, as overall visitation rises, room rates are rising. So those still watching their wallets may be staying and playing off-Strip.

This didn’t happen so much during the worst of the recession because many who couldn’t afford discounted Strip rooms also couldn’t afford rooms elsewhere, no matter how inexpensive. With rates now soaring from Mandalay Bay to SLS, other hotels, such as those Downtown, are positioned to beneft. Second, the cranes have reappeared in our corner of the Mojave. Awaited as eagerly as the swallows returning to Capistrano, these cranes signal the start of major construction projects— not just on Las Vegas Boulevard but around the Valley—which means the return of an important revenue stream for neighborhood properties. During the boom years of the mid-2000s, construction workers were among the most valuable players at a host of non-Strip casinos. Add to that better prospects for small-business owners involved in the industry, and you have another good reason to be bullish about the locals market. At the end of the day, though, it’s neither higher prices in the tourist corridor nor an improving economy that will guarantee continued strong results for the little guys. The men and women who operate such casinos must remain sensitive to what is bringing guests to them—whether it’s convenience, better prices or more intimate customer service— and continue to invest in it. The market is more crowded than it has been for years, and the one thing you can bet on is this competition for the local gambling dollar will remain ferce. David G. Schwartz is the director of UNLV’s Center for Gaming Research.

The word “ambassador” will undoubtedly present challenges to some, as Elvis and Frank were of another time, and social values have shifted since their deaths. Both suffered faults, failures, weaknesses and public embarrassments, but that just makes both well suited to represent our city of second chancers. It can be argued that it was in Las Vegas that the Chairman and the King made their biggest marks, each staking out important appearances that helped to reinvigorate their careers. A 35-year-old Sinatra made the first move, appearing September 4, 1951, at the Desert Inn at a time when his teen idol career (thanks to the arrival of Eddie Fisher) and personal life (thanks to the departure of Ava Gardner) were in free fall. But Vegas helped Frank find his swagger just as he helped inject a swinging sophistication into Vegas. In 1960, Ocean’s 11—the Rat Pack’s 127-minute Technicolor press release for Las Vegas—forever intertwined the two. Sinatra performed here regularly through 1994, and longtime Las Vegas ReviewJournal entertainment reporter Mike Weatherford once wrote that Sinatra was Las Vegas’ “one-man Chamber of Commerce.” Go, Frank! Barely legal but already sporting his rockabilly pompadour and sideburns, Elvis began his Vegas tenure in 1956 with a two-week, tepidly received run at the Last Frontier. He made up for it in 1964, when Viva Las Vegas gave us not only another reason to tolerate musicals, but also, finally, our very own theme song. Go, Elvis! Presley wisely waited 13 years after appearing at the Last Frontier to return to the Vegas stage, launching (in 1969) a series of 837 soldout performances at the Las Vegas International/Hilton. His final show here was in 1976; he died the following year. Since then we’ve lived through roughly a zillion Elvis impersonators, Elvis weddings, the Flying Elvi, and far too many broken Elvis sunglasses (complete with sideburns) littering the Strip. So, Elvis or Frank—which is it? A quick poll of fellow natives points to a definitive answer. Unfortunately, many remember Elvis from his (ahem) “larger”-than-life, prescription-addled jump-suited era (probably thanks to all those impersonators), not Viva Las Vegas. They see the King as kitschy (probably thanks to all those souvenir shops) and as someone who, like so many others, reinvented himself and made a name here. Conversely, Sinatra is remembered for the tailored suits and the swagger, for standing his ground when pal Sammy Davis Jr. was initially denied a room at the segregated Sands, and for his friendship with mobster Sam Giancana. For better and for worse, Frank seems to be “of Vegas” rather than just in it. So, sorry, Elvis fans: Frank gets the nod. But, hey, you’ll always have Memphis. Questions? AskaNative@VegasSeven.com.

ILLUSTRATION BY CIERRA PEDRO

Who was the better Vegas ambassador: Elvis or Frank?

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@Ben_Stuart_ Things I can’t bring myself to correct in my 2&3 yr old girls: They think the 4th of July is Captain America’s birthday.

@EnasYorl So, USA beat Germany then Japan to win the World Cup. Sounds familiar. #USWNT #USWomensSoccer

@Misnomer Never really been a religious person, but I would join a cult led by Darrell Hammond dressed as Col. Harlan Sanders.

@ahannewald

A Bummer Summer

Bidding farewell to three venues, Scott Disick’s common sense and ’Merica’s dignity

stantly being all like “I can’t believe they’re closing Life!”; “Where are we going to hang out if Life isn’t around anymore?”; and “Do you think it was a tremendous misstep to obliterate the Sahara brand and convert the entire property to some vague simulacra of a mall themed around L.A. scenesterism?” Your friends are weirdly thoughtful and observant that way. Now comes word that the Cosmopolitan is turning the lights out at Book & Stage on July 12. Book & Stage was a killer venue fve years ago when the Cosmo was still programming music in the space. That windfall of free music for the people ended right around the time Rehan Choudhry decamped the property as director of entertainment and special events to start Life Is Beautiful. Post-Choudhry, Book & Stage lingered as a lounge with increasingly infrequent music acts; now it will give way to a new venue from Clique Hospitality, the outft run by former Light Group CEO Andy Masi. There is virtually no chance of the new spot bringing in Electric Six to do “Gay Bar,” but we’re

If the rumors of a hockey team in Vegas are true, I can only hope they name them the Las Vegas Hookers.

holding out hope nonetheless. It’s not only venues that are wilting in the heat, either. Baby-daddy extraordinaire Scott Disick—last seen rolling solo in Vegas at his regular haunt, 1 Oak, on June 26—went and got himself photographed being fed by stylist Chloe Bartoli in Monte Carlo. This clearly didn’t sit well with Kourtney Kardashian, who quickly pulled the plug on the relationship. Way to blow it with the cute one, Scott. It’s not like this was Khloe you were messing around on. But then there’s the other side of the equation—the side where the tenacity (and DJ skills) of a cockroach come into play: Paris Hilton spent her Fourth of July weekend at Tao with boyfriend Thomas Gross. On America’s birthday itself, Hilton “spun” at Tao Beach, wearing a red, white and blue bikini that would make you question what you ever found appealing about the very idea of America in the frst place. Then she played her new single “High Off My Love,” and you concluded that yes, indeed, we were way too hasty about the whole King George III thing.

Gay Marriage Now Legal In All 51 States! It’s Safe To Come Out Now, Gaysylvania!

@LVCabChronicles Tonight, in what has to be the dumbest question I’ve heard in a while, somebody just asked me: “Are there any hotels around here?”

@jvfricke Will be at the Rio in five minutes. If you owe me money let me know where I can find you.

@Calllabro It is almost the sixth of July. Pack up your fireworks and go to bed.

@NormanChad If you’re supposed to learn from your mistakes, then I should have 23, maybe 24 WSOP bracelets by now.

Share your Tweet! Add #V7.

ILLUSTRATION BY CIERRA PEDRO

July 9–15, 2015

VegasSeven.com

MUCH LIKE YOUR LOVE

@CMPunk

@colbertlateshow

By Jason Scavone

of the Terminator franchise, and the blockbuster, sponsored-by-Beelzebub partnership between Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea, and the Chipwich off the Interstate 15/Tropicana exit, it seems that nothing is going to survive this brutal summer. The frst casualty, of course, was the Center Bar, the iconic Hard Rock Hotel space that found late life as billboard space for JBL speakers. (JBL: Hear the truth! And also sort of feel like your happiest memories of long-forgotten rock shows have been co-opted. JBL!) The trendsetting gathering spot wrapped it up June 28 with Vince Neil in the house and vague rumors of the space being transformed into a mixology bar. Finally, someplace in town to pay 16 bucks for a dollar’s worth of rye and promises of spherical ice. Just before the fnal shots were poured at Center Bar, SLS announced it was shuttering Life nightclub. Which you know all about from all your friends con-

RIP #Vegas sheriff #RalphLamb. You had a huge impact on the growth of our city. Cowboys never die…

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STYLE

Nehme E. Abouzeid

Executive director of brand marketing and advertising

Your diverse background includes working as a journalist in Beirut and Boston before getting an MBA and moving to Las Vegas. How has your style evolved from then to now?

I went to journalism school at George Washington University, where most of the professors were working journalists in Watergate-era Washington, D.C. They were pretty conservative and preached “shoe-leather journalism,” where you pounded the pavement in suits, leather oxford shoes and an overcoat. Upon graduation, I moved to the Middle East and began reporting in cosmopolitan Beirut, where you’d interview conservative religious leaders one day and liberal fashion designers and art dealers the next. I always erred on the side of formality, as everybody respects a well-tailored suit. How does your own style play into decisions you make in your current job of brand marketing and advertising for a large resort?

It rarely does. ... I never make the mistake of thinking I am the target customer for something that I am marketing, if indeed I am not. You have to do your research and take ‘I’ out of the equation. You’re a self-described tennis nut, so whose on-court style do you admire, and what sportswear brand can you not live without?

Who is one person who helped shape your fashion taste?

My late father always taught me that if you have one shirt, make sure it is pressed and clean. He was short in stature, so he couldn’t pass on any clothes to me, but he did pass on a vintage Omega Seamaster wristwatch that I wear as much as I can. And his “Don’t dress for the job you have; dress for the job you want” mantra has always served me well. –Elizabeth Sewell

Jantzen Tailor Hong Kong shirt, Bugatchi sweater, Ermenegildo Zegna pants, Lotto shoes, Motorola smartwatch

PHOTO BY JON ESTRADA

July 9–15, 2015

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Roger Federer has been the [fashion] trendsetter in tennis for the past decade. Everything he does is effortless and cool. For sports brands, I’ve always gobbled up adidas gear—especially the adidas Originals line—because it reminds me of my soccer and tennis upbringing. But I love Ellesse tennis clothing from the tennis boom of the 1970s and 1980s. Ellesse clothes from that era still look good; you just can’t fnd them anymore.

July 9â&#x20AC;&#x201C;15, 2015

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Baby Boomers With each prodigious swing of the bat this summer, three young Las Vegas big leaguers are cementing our city’s place on the national baseball map

Bryce Harper.

VegasSeven.com

➜ except for a stray Sandlot-type pickup game here and there, the dozens of baseball felds scattered throughout our Valley sat mostly vacant on June 13. The Little League season had concluded a couple of weeks earlier; the UNLV baseball team had been eliminated from the Mountain West Conference tournament before that; and the fnal pitch in the high school state championship game had long since been thrown. Sure, on that sweltering Saturday evening, the Las Vegas 51s pounded out a 10-5 victory over instate Pacifc Coast League rival Reno at Cashman Field, but nothing particularly noteworthy happened in that contest. ¶ And yet, June 13, 2015, will be remembered—at least by local seamheads—as a milestone day in Las Vegas baseball history. ¶ It all started some 1,200 miles away in Arlington, Texas. That’s where Rangers rookie third baseman/outfelder Joey Gallo launched a fourth-inning pitch deep into the right-feld stands for his third home run in just his 10th big league game, helping Texas outslug the Twins 11-7. It continued in Milwaukee, where Washington Nationals right felder Bryce Harper went 3-for-3 and drove in a pair of runs (his 50th and 51st RBIs of the season) in a 7-2 victory over the Brewers. And fnally, 90 minutes south in Chicago, rookie third baseman Kris Bryant went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, guiding the Cubs to a 4-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

July 9–15, 2015

PHOTO BY JEFF HANISCH/USA TODAY SPORTS

BY MIKE GRIMALA

NIGHTLIFE

LAIDBACK LUKE IS ONE OF THE FEW OLD-

school artists who has adapted and survived the limelight in an era of overnight teen DJ sensations. Born Lucas Cornelis van Scheppingen, Luke navigated the world of underground raves throughout the 1990s, and modifed his sound by the early 2000s to rise to fame during the EDM explosion only a handful of years ago. Check out how Luke stays on top of the music game and hear his ever-changing sound July 19 at Encore Beach Club.

July 9–15, 2015

VegasSeven.com

We had to schedule this interview around your “Daddy Days.” What does that mean?

Every Tuesday and Wednesday are my “Daddy Days.” One week, I have them in New York, because my daughter and [wife], Gina [Turner], live there. The other week, I’ll have [“Daddy Days”] in the Netherlands, because my two sons from my previous marriage live there, so I go back and forth. It means I just take time to actually be there with my kids and not do anything work related. That’s a far cry from the perceived “rock-star lifestyle” that some people might think you live.

Yeah. It’s very important, actually. At the beginning of my career, I just tried to plan by ear. But with kids, you’ve just got to be there and make time for them. Early on, you used to play more underground types of music. Why don’t you do that anymore?

Just Kickin’ It Laidback Luke marches to his own beat in the music industry—monkey sounds and all By Kat Boehrer

A real DJ should always adapt to the room. So when you see me in Vegas, I play more commercial [tracks], which is appropriate to Vegas. And if I play a small club, it’ll be different than a festival. What a lot of people don’t know is that my roots are in techno—I actually broke through as a techno DJ. I’m from the same generation as Marco Carola, Adam Beyer and Umek, and I still speak to those guys. When did you make the switch to a more commercial sound?

The late ’90s, and I said goodbye to techno in about 2001. I believe it took about 10 years, until I met Gina, that [techno] got ignited with me again. You recently played a back-to-back techno set with Gina in the Mixmag Lab in Los Angeles. Why did you want to do that?

It was just such a fun thing to do, be-

cause Gina plays mainly underground music. Whenever we play back-toback it’s really, really underground. Gina often does the deeper parties and the techno parties, and she keeps well connected with what’s going on there. When we came [home] from Mixmag Lab, one girl tweeted, “It was incredible, I think there was only one song I recognized!” So you like playing those sets where you have to Shazam everything, and sometimes it’s not even on Shazam?

Yeah. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a techno purist. I’m not always into deep house—I love it all. I really do enjoy playing commercial sets, and I do enjoy playing very underground sets, and sometimes even in my festival sets I’ll try to sneak in one or two deeper tracks, just because of the variation. Nowadays, everything is so segregated

into separate genres. I don’t really care about genres. I’m really a lover of [all] electronic dance music. Your new “Beat of the Drum” track with Angger Dimas featuring Mina has been described as a part of the “jungle terror” genre. What does that mean?

I’d describe it as the revenge of the Dutch sound. Basically, when everyone jumped on the whole signature Dutch sound, it died out really quickly. In the underground, there were all these cool guys, such as Main Course Music and Wiwek, keeping this Dutch type of vibe alive, but they took it more into the tribal route—especially Wiwek, who I’ve been guiding for a couple of years. I’ve actually been trying to tell them, “Dude, you’ve got to make more mainstream stuff, because no one understands all the jungle and monkey sounds you’re putting into this track. No one gets it.” Do people “get it” now?

All of a sudden, it’s here and it’s working. Everyone loves the jungle and tribal sound. One of Wiwek’s infuences is Angger Dimas. He and I used to work [together] a lot. I thought Angger should go back into jungle terror. Basically, we made this track in a hotel room in Indonesia, and it worked well for our sets. So we just put it out like that; you know, monkey sounds and elephants and everything.

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S U LTA N + S H E PA R D JULY TICKETS

VIP

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NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

XS NIGHTSWIM Encore

[ UPCOMING ]

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com

XS BY DANNY MAHONEY

July 9â&#x20AC;&#x201C;15, 2015

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July 12 Major Lazer spins July 19 Kaskade spins July 26 Will Sparks spins

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

DRAI’S BEACH CLUB The Cromwell [ UPCOMING ]

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com

PHOTOS BY JOE FURY

July 9–15, 2015

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July 10 DJ Sinatra spins July 11 Feenixpawl spins July 12 D-Wayne spins

DINING

“The challenge and the excitement is getting guests away from that frst [unpleasant] experience they may have had.” {PAGE 56}

Rekindling the Flame Siegel’s 1941 brings round-the-clock dining back to El Cortez By Al Mancini

PHOTO BY ANTHONY MAIR

The dining room at Siegel’s 1941.

ceiling features vintage lighting fxtures. And the red booths are traditional mob-era chic. The retro vibe also has a modern twist that’s hard to defne, but it’s clearly meant to appeal to the neighborhood’s younger clientele. The most important part of the space’s makeover, however, is the foorto-ceiling windows that make it feel connected to the rest of the casino, as opposed to the tucked-away vibe of its previous incarnation. Moving on to the food, there is defnitely something for everyone. Some breakfast items are available around the clock. There’s a plethora of hearty sandwiches. And the dinner menu includes Italian staples, fve seafood entrées, numerous chicken specialties and a nice steak selection. Let’s start with the dedicated breakfast menu. It goes beyond traditional expectations, thanks to some mildly intriguing omelets (black forest ham and cheese or pork carnitas, anyone?), four types of corned beef hash and Tuscan sunny-side up eggs made with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto and basil. The problem here is that these dishes are only available from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. So while they’re nice choices if you’re looking for a real breakfast, hungry night owls won’t get to enjoy them. But have no fear, my late-night friends. The “breakfast anytime” menu offers such post-drinking staples as Belgian but-

July 9–15, 2015

I DON’T GENERALLY REVIEW

24-hour restaurants. When a place opts to stay open around the clock, it usually has a little something for everyone—making it a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none. Basically, they’re boring as all hell. (Note: A special dispensation is granted to the Peppermill.) So why then am I dedicating this space to Siegel’s 1941, El Cortez’s recently refreshed coffee shop? First, it’s the long-delayed replacement for the beloved Flame Steakhouse. Second, El Cortez is intriguing as it tries to fnd a balance between an old-school hotel-casino with loyal octogenarian clients and a hangout in the heart of hipster Downtown. But most importantly, there aren’t a hell of a lot of places to eat when you stumble out of a trendy Downtown watering hole in the wee hours of the morning, so Siegel’s will inevitably look tempting after a bar crawl. That said, my criteria when judging Siegel’s are a bit different. I wasn’t looking for a destination restaurant, or even a restaurant to compete with Downtown’s top eateries. Rather, I was looking for a nice variety of food that could satisfy El Cortez’s guests as well as Downtown denizens with off-hour munchies. And on those grounds, the place succeeds. Siegel’s 1941 is a tribute to Bugsy Siegel; “1941” refers to the year El Cortez opened. So you’ll fnd plenty of mob-themed artwork on the walls. The tiled

VegasSeven.com

Restaurant reviews, news and three quaffable rosés for all your summer barbecue and porch-pounding needs

Encore’s well-versed sommelier turns her passion from wine to sake By Al Mancini

July 9–15, 2015

VegasSeven.com

DURING A RECENT TASTING AT ENCORE’S HIP ASIAN RESTAURANT

Andrea’s, a different premium sake accompanied each of executive chef Joe Elevado’s courses. They’d been selected by sommelier Melissa Nguyen, and as she poured them, she explained their subtleties and how they complement the food. As a sake afcionado who’s been fortunate enough to enjoy the beverage with some of the nation’s top sake experts, I couldn’t help but be impressed by her knowledge and her selections. But that’s not surprising. Nguyen is one of only 180 Level II sake professionals in the world, as certifed by the Sake Education Council. And she is hell-bent on changing the negative image many people still have of Japan’s national drink. “The challenge and the excitement is getting guests away from that frst [unpleasant] experience they may have had,” she says. “I try to explain it as a beautiful glass of white wine that has those subtle nuances, those complexities, those aromatics. I try to get them to think in that mindset, as opposed to it being served hot, and being painful going down or throwing it into your beer glass.”

This is why 34-year-old Nguyen makes it a point to interact with her guests as much as possible. “When guests are open-minded to trying something different, then it’s just kind of fne-tuning and fnding out exactly what it is they’re looking for. I’ll ask the styles of beverages that they would drink other than sake.” And no matter what that is, Nguyen can usually relate, thanks to her extensive and varied training: She also holds certifcations as a beer server and tequila specialist. She’s served as a sommelier at Caesars Palace, and assisted in coordinating the award-winning wine list at the three-Michelin-starred Joël Robuchon in MGM Grand. Yet immediately before joining the team at Andrea’s, she began tending bar at Downtown hot spots Atomic Liquors and the Gold Spike, and occasionally still picks up shifts at both when she has the time. Needless to say, the clientele at the latter are a bit different from those at the former. “At Atomic, because there’s such a phenomenal beer and cocktail program, [customers] are always very intrigued about what new taps are coming on,

and the cocktails, which are very seasonal,” she says of one side gig. A few blocks away at the Gold Spike, the clientele is “very straightforward and simple,” preferring Fireball shots and Adios Motherfuckers. Such varied experiences serve the sommelier well when she’s working the foor at Andrea’s, where the customers on any given night might include celebrities, club kids on their way to Surrender or Encore Beach Club, well-heeled high-rollers or random Strip partiers. “I always think of the word ‘adaptability,’” Nguyen says of her responsibilities to such a diverse audience. “And I think that’s so huge in our industry, to have that type of intuition and be able to provide the service that people are looking for. So many different walks of life come to our city, dine in our restaurants and go to our bars. So it’s a matter of acclimating and adapting to what they’re looking for.” If what you’re looking for is sake, whether you’re a newbie or a longtime fan, Nguyen will undoubtedly find one among her 40-plus labels to suit your taste.

PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ

DINING

A Win-Nguyen

DRINKING

[ SCENE STIRS ]

By Xania Woodman

AZZURRE SPIRITS BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ

➜ THE FAMILY THAT MAKES BOOZE TOGETHER, stays together.

Just ask Danny and Angela Pettit. The father-daughter duo has just launched Azzurre Spirits (AzzurreSpirits. com), the family’s own line of vodka and gin, available now in Las Vegas, and soon in California. The learning curve was steep; Danny has a 30-year background in corporate fnance and tech, not to mention a number of entrepreneurial pursuits (ahem, racing team owner), while Angela is a certifed personal trainer and athletic instructor. Danny has attempted retirement a few times, but the deep blue-green of the Mediterranean captivated him while living abroad, inspiring a new venture. With the help of Essential Spirits, a contract distillery in Mountain View, California, Danny and Angela sought to capture that coastal feel, along with the scents and tastes of the region, in a spirit that thumbs its nose at the notion of vodka as a favorless, odorless spirit. Azzurre Vodka has an intriguing aroma, having been distilled from apples, grapes and sugarcane, instead of wheat, rye or potatoes. The favor evokes apples and cream, with a perceived sweetness, yet dry fnish, lending it to fruity and delicate applications. “People should try them on ice, and then see what they want to do,” An-

gela says. She likes her vodka with freshly pressed watermelon juice and a little lime, or just club soda and a squeeze of citrus. And before you ask: “No, we don’t add anything,” Danny says. “Only water, pure water. Azzurre Gin came second, born out of the vodka base. “It’s very complex,” Danny says of the recipe. “We lined up [botanical] elements, tasted each one separately and started eliminating. Then we started blending, adding and subtracting.” Following in the footsteps of Hendrick’s and other alternative-style gins, Danny and his distiller intentionally dialed back the juniper profle (at once gin’s defning and most polarizing characteristic), and pumped up the botanicals with tangerine, grapefruit, ginger, basil and rose petals for an assertive, unique aroma, favor and fnish. Among the frst to embrace the Pettits’ passion project was DB Brasserie in the Venetian, which uses the vodka in a riff on the French 75, and you can fnd the gin in the house Negroni at Public School 702. Also look for Azzurre’s dramatic iris logos at STK in the Cosmopolitan, Delmonico Steakhouse in the Venetian, VDKA bar in Encore, Vintner Grill in Summerlin and at Lee’s Discount Liquors locations. Then drink one for the home team.

Classic Jewel, 353 E. Bonneville Ave., Suite 111, 702-722-6750. Open 4 p.m.-midnight. Mon-Thu., 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Fri-Sat and noon-8 p.m. Sun.

Local father-daughter team sees a future in the spirits industry

July 9–15, 2015

The Eyes Have It

A treasure has been unearthed at the Juhl. Like a time capsule from the 1950s comes Classic Jewel, a retro-themed lounge located on the building’s north side. Decked out with chandeliers, tufted wall panels, an ornate banquette, a handcrafted concrete bar and a giant mural of ’50s-era Las Vegas created by local artist Miguel Rodriguez, this swanky concept exudes classy cool. And though it’s the first nightlife business venture for coowners Jerome “Rome” Harry and Selina Brown, they look to be doing everything right. They’ve devoted a generous amount of time to conceiving and planning the space, beginning six years ago, when Harry moved Downtown to the Juhl. “We wanted to be a part of something that was growing and cater to the community,” Brown says. “A lot of the people who work Downtown want to have a place that they can call home. We want to get regulars who, when they walk in the door, we know exactly what drink they want.” Harry, a former indie music label honcho from Los Angeles, and Brown, who’s worked at various Strip properties for the past five years, are going all-out with the theme by screening classic films and concert footage from the vintage Vegas era. There will be contemporary tunes, too, provided on weekends by DJs, live bands and lounge singers. As a member of the Las Vegas Cruisin’ Association classic car club, Harry also wants to showcase some sweet rides in front on the weekends. But if it’s the retro vibe and classic rides that draw you to the Classic Jewel, it’s the drinks that will keep you in their cushy seats. The menu, designed by family friend Kimberly Etol, features 10 cocktails that fit the theme like an evening glove. You’ll find drinks such as the Brooklyn to Vegas (made with Bulleit bourbon, blood orange bitters and Carpano Antica sweet vermouth) and The Sammy (Hendrick’s gin, Hangar One vodka, Lillet Blanc and St-Germain), along with their own spins on such staples as the Old-Fashioned, Vesper and classic Martini. If you’d prefer a cold brew instead, they’ve got a few kegs from local breweries on tap, too, which they’ll switch regularly, Brown says. Although Classic Jewel takes its cues from the old school, Harry wants to be clear that this isn’t a speakeasy. There will be bright, neon signage in front, unlike the shuttered Lady Silvia at the Soho Lofts. “We want people to know exactly where we are,” Harry says. – Zoneil Maharaj

VegasSeven.com

NEW DOWNTOWN LOUNGE CLASSIC JEWEL HAS OLDSCHOOL VEGAS LUSTER

The author faces off with his Air Force incarnation.

A&E VegasSeven.com

| July 9–15, 2015

VETERAN VISION PROJECT

The first of Devin Mitchell’s printed volumes will be released in early 2016 and will consist of 350 curated images from his first year of photographing subjects for the Veteran Vision Project. View his work, pre-order his book and register to participate in the project at VeteranVisionProject.com.

But Mitchell’s journey didn’t start with so grand a vision. The 28-year-old Arizona State University senior took his frst photographs in August 2014 as a way to spice up the academic verbiage and document the sources for his undergraduate sociology capstone project. “I started taking the pictures for my thesis; I originally just wanted six or seven so that when I submitted my paper there was something interesting to look at and some proof that I met these people.” He came up with the idea of compositing mirror images of veterans in their civvies and in their uniforms from something he had seen in a 2007 episode of America’s Next Top Model. And while the shoot didn’t exactly make me feel sexy, the repeating frames of compositionally similar photographs on the Veteran Vision Project’s virtual wall (see it at VeteranVisionProject.com) anchor the project in a compact and easily identifable expression of the duality of human nature. It beckons the viewer to look more closely at the people who inhabit those frames. Mitchell hopes this will lead viewers to think more deeply about the challenges service members face as they reintegrate into mainstream American society. But Mitchell didn’t really know where he was going at frst. He says he didn’t even really have a solid direction for his paper. “I didn’t know what reintegration was when I started. I didn’t know what a veteran was when I started. I thought I knew what a veteran was, but I didn’t really understand in the beginning.” Part of Mitchell’s initial misunderstanding is a refection of our culture’s tendency to mold our veterans’ narratives around a heroic archetype: sometimes tortured, but always brave. Mitchell isn’t interested in having

“My photographs have already made it very clear that I am not interested in taste.” – Devin Mitchell his photographs appeal to any crafted storyline. He has had plenty of national exposure through features on CBS, Fox News, in The Washington Post, the Japanese edition of GQ and the United Kingdom’s Daily Mail. And he has tangled with more than one group who has wanted to supply him funding but direct the nature of his art toward specifc rhetorical or political ends. His shot of uniformed sailor Alejandro Bataille at parade rest staring back at himself dressed only in a bath towel and involved in a homoerotic shaving session with another man hardly helps push the traditional agenda. “My photographs have already made it very clear that I am not interested in taste,” he says. Case in point: His image of Marine Corpsman Mackenzie Claude in battle gear staring back at himself, in a blonde wig and tight red dress, fellating an automatic weapon in a mirror emblazoned with “NEBRASKA THUNDERFUCK XOXO” in lipstick. “I don’t care how tasteful something is, I care about how transparent they are. You want taste, you can go look at some other red, white and blue magazine where they show just one archetype of veteran. How many times have you seen that?” Sure, some of Mitchell’s photographs are disturbing, like those of Marine Sgt. Jared Comini, with his back against a

bathroom door and his chin pressed against a pair of shotgun barrels, and sailor Kelli Serio with a pistol poised to obliterate her sobbing features. Yet some also inspire: Navy vet Cody Gustaveson’s simple image of himself in graduation cap and gown speaks to a narrative of progress and success. We are naturally drawn to images of imminent violence: the young man or woman with a frearm prepped for selfdestruction is undeniably compelling. We are also drawn to images that follow a simple heroic narrative: Proud Coast Guard Commander Desa Rae Atnip Janszen embracing her children makes us see the direct link between the hero and who she is protecting. But Mitchell doesn’t want those pictures taken out of the larger context. He contends that superfcially mundane images of retirees like me, veterans who have come through the transition from uniform to civilian life while still carrying that indefnable longing to be back in uniform, are just as important. Mitchell says that what he has found so far is that the huge majority of veterans are proud of their service but torn and often depressed, haunted by a sudden emptiness they encounter when they step out of uniform. He emphasizes that he “can’t speak from personal experience”; he is a civilian. But he observes,

“It seems that to be part of an operation that is directly connected to worldchanging events can possibly make one feel signifcant. And then to no longer have that kind of validation in life has to be traumatic in one way or another.” He has consciously steered away from commenting on PTSD or combat-related stress because those have already consumed much of our cultural narrative and fed the hyper-simplistic cliché of a “broken hero.” Mitchell is quick to point out, and a 2013 study in The Journal of the American Medical Association agrees, that “combat-related trauma is not killing most of the veterans, it’s depression. It’s some other form of trauma. Millenials tend to have the opinion that the war was actually nice for them and now that they are home they have environmental depression, occupational depression. They don’t feel like they are utilized even if they never saw combat.” Educating himself and arming himself with the credibility he needs is much of the reason why he is shooting for the 10,000 mark. “It felt like a good number, it felt like it had value,” he says. “After being in 10,000 homes I think it’s going to be pretty diffcult to argue that I didn’t learn something. If it takes me 10 years, well, there will probably be another war in fve years so there will be a new generation of people with problems to solve and I will be there to document it.” As I listen to Mitchell talk about his project, I am encouraged. I feel heartened that this young man is stretching out on a journey of discovery as an artist and a chronicler of part of the human condition. He has a joy for this work and a sense of belonging to it that I recognize in that guy in the mirror who put 25 years in the Air Force loading nukes on deep strike aircraft in the ’80s and leading young airmen through their frst years in a post-9/11 military. Mitchell leans back and with clear eyes tells me, “This is my life’s work. I could do this until I die. At the age of 28 I’ve resigned myself. The resignation comes from the passion I have for it. It is like settling down with someone for the rest of your life. I would hope in 300 years people will be turning the pages in their textbooks, if there are still books, and see the pictures I took.” After Devin Mitchell walked down my front steps and drove away into the heat, I turned upstairs and looked at myself in the mirror one more time. Then I turned away, shed my past and hung it back up in a garment bag in the closet next to my father’s Korean War feld jacket.

CONCERT

All Grown Up: Las Vegas’ Dizzy Wright Brings His Tour to a Close

A&E

The House of Blues, July 4 The Growing Process is a fitting title for Las Vegas native MC Dizzy Wright. The 24-yearold rapper is already considered a vet in the game, having released his first full-length album before he was able to legally party in the clubs where his music was playing. But with the release and tour of The Growing Process, Dizzy is showing critics and fans that he’s evolved from simply being a talented teenage stoner. “Killem With Kindness” and “Train Your Mind” had the crowd reciting the lyrics word-for-word as Dizzy “swagged” his way back and forth across the stage. “I Need Answers” was also a great example of how much the rhymer has grown, as the insightful lyrics quieted the crowd and allowed them to take in Dizzy’s wordplay. But what’s a Dizzy Wright show without a little light-hearted fun? “Everywhere I Go” and “Fly High” punctuated a well-rounded Independence Day weekend set from one of Las Vegas’ most talented sons. ★★★★✩ – Brjden Crewe

July 9–15, 2015

VegasSeven.com

Back when the Cosmopolitan debuted in 2010, the Book & Stage solidified the new resort’s artistic cred. The lounge/ sportsbook/live music venue opened onto the casino floor, catching passersby and pulling them in with some unexpectedly great tunes. It was, as the property’s slogan goes, “just the right amount of wrong.” For a minute, Book & Stage was the coolest place to be, offering a new twist on the Old Vegas lounge singer tradition: Up-and-coming indie bands played twice a night for multiday mini residencies … for free. Even the most hardened local music fans shared a sense of innocent glee at the prospect of so many great bands playing such a unique setting. Highlights included Fitz and the Tan-

THE LAST SONG Who evokes “summer” as well as Brian Wilson? The force behind the Beach Boys is supporting his solo effort, No Pier Pressure, with former Beach Boys Al Jardine, David Marks and Blondie Chaplin. See Wilson, with Rodriguez, at the Chelsea on July 10 ($50-$125).

Vintage Trouble at Book & Stage in 2012.

NOT BORED, NOT BLIND After a five-year break, Dashboard Confessional frontman Chris Carrabba got the old band together again for a 38-city tour with Third Eye Blind. If you’re hankering for some late-’90s alt-rock or early "aughts" emo, be at The Joint on July 11 ($40-$55).

ON SALE NOW Ariana Grande shows no signs of slowing down. Two consecutive No. 1 albums, a slew of awards and the early success of her worldwide Honeymoon Tour required 40 extra dates to satisfy fans. Catch Grande at Mandalay Bay Events Center on Aug. 29 ($45-$80).

DIZZY WRIGHT BY LINDA EVANS; BOOK & STAGE BYSHY MCGRATH

R.I.P. BOOK & STAGE

trums, Walk the Moon, Foster the People, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, ZZ Ward, Mayer Hawthorne and Vintage Trouble. It felt like Christmas morning every night. In 2011, Vegas Seven even named Book & Stage the “Best New Venue” in our annual Best of the City awards. Alas, all that free awesomeness was too good to be true. The Cosmopolitan, which has been famously and fabulously unprofitable, eventually scaled down the shows to a trickle. Soon the spotlight of our collective attention moved elsewhere (including to other venues on the same property). Now, that brief, bright era is finally ending. According to a statement by the Cosmopolitan, the Book & Stage will close on July 12 to make way for “an exciting lounge concept” that will be announced soon. It’s hard to imagine anything as exciting as those early days of the Book & Stage, but since it’s the Cosmo, we’re optimistic. – Cindi Moon Reed

Jurassic World (PG-13) ★★★✩✩

Spy (R) ★★★✩✩

Insidious: Chapter 3 (PG-13) ★★★✩✩

Entourage (R) ★★✩✩✩

Going back in time before the haunting of the Lambert family that made up the first two offerings of the series, this is the story of how psychic Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) was able to face her own demons to be able to help others. Quinn Brenner (Stefanie Scott) is a teen dealing with a lot of pain and sorrow after the death of her mother. An attempt to speak through the shroud of death turns into an invitation for a demon to haunt the young girl. It’s a fun and chilling creep show that is more concerned with scares than being gross.

Fans of the HBO series (2004-2011) will find the film passable. It picks up where the show left off. Movie star Vince Chase (Adrian Grenier) and his crew from Queens are eager for more of what Hollywood success has in store. Entourage brings Vince into the auteurist big leagues. Jeremy Piven’s superagent Ari Gold is elevated to studio head and wants Vince to star in a contemporary remake of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Vince agrees, upon the condition that he directs himself. The money’s coming from a Texas billionaire (Billy Bob Thornton).

Aloha (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩

San Andreas (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩

Business at the retooled dinosaur theme park off the coast of Costa Rica has hit a plateau. Scientists led by B.D. Wong have responded to requests for a new star attraction. Behold the genetically engineered hybrid Indominus rex. Chris Pratt is the hunky raptor trainer. Bryce Dallas Howard is the uptight operations manager. Vincent D’Onofrio is the InGen security honcho, out to weaponize the park’s dinosaurs for military purposes. I wasn’t expecting the world, but I wouldn’t have minded sharper jokes and grander action scenes.

Despite a blue-chip cast, Aloha can barely tell its story straight. Private military contractor Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper) returns to Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu. He works for a billionaire (Bill Murray) partnering with the U.S. military to send up his own personal rocket for reasons the film gradually reveals. There’s a triangular romance afoot. Gilcrest’s ex (Rachel McAdams) is now married to a taciturn Air Force pilot (John Krasinski). Emma Stone plays Gilcrest’s tightly wound handler, a fighter pilot who retains the idealism Gilcrest once had.

Melissa McCarthy plays Susan Cooper, a behind-the-scenes CIA analyst who works as the remotely connected intel expert for superspy Bradley Fine (Jude Law). When Fine runs afoul of Bulgarian arms dealers and disappears, presumed dead, Cooper gets her chance to enter the field. Where Spy goes from there is predictable in many ways but fresh in a few others. Paul Feig the director is required by Paul Feig the screenwriter to chase after a wearying amount of plot, sometimes entertainingly, sometimes less so.

Dwayne Johnson plays Ray, the L.A. Fire Department rescue honcho who’s on the phone up in his helicopter, talking to his ex, Emma (Carla Gugino), when one of a series of Big Ones unleashes its digital fury. The film concerns Ray and Emma’s attempts to rescue daughter Blake (Alexandra Daddario). Blake’s in soon-to-be-leveled San Francisco with her mother’s sniveling boyfriend (Ioan Gruffudd). San Andreas imagines the insanely destructive possibilities inherent in a 9.6 quake, plus the inevitable tsunami. The effects are quite good.

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How do you measure success beyond wins, losses and ERA at this level?

Just seeing what effect we have on the big league club. By midJune there were 10-11 players who started here who were off to the [New York Mets, the 51s’ parent club] and making a difference. We have no control over a lot of the [promotions]. The kid has to be in the right place at the right time, or you have to be looking for a specifc person for a specifc role at a specifc time. … It’s [about] keeping these kids above water, keeping them even-keeled and letting them know that even though they’re not getting an opportunity now, that opportunity will come if they keep on working hard. During spring training last year, you were diagnosed with an enlarged aorta. What was your reaction?

Frank Viola

The 51s pitching coach and former World Series MVP on connecting with today’s players, his recent health scare and how he would pitch to Bryce Harper

July 9–15, 2015

VegasSeven.com

By Paul Szydelko

After a 15-year major league career and stints coaching high school, college and Single A, how do like dealing with players in Triple A?

The younger kids are more apt to not only learn but also to pick your brain about how to move up in the organization—what do I need to do to be successful? At this level, they’re one step away. They pretty much know what they need to do. The question is the mental hurdle of understanding what it takes to get from being a TripleA pitcher to a big league pitcher. And that’s my biggest strength: If you were to ask me to break down a [pitcher’s] delivery and start all over

again, I probably wouldn’t be able to do that. But I’ve been through all the highs and all the lows of baseball, so if a scenario plays out, I have an answer, because I’ve been through it myself. You were inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame last month, and you were the World Series MVP in 1987 and a Cy Young winner in ’88. Does that mean players give you respect from the get-go?

Short-term, yes. Once they Google you and realize, “My God, you were able to do this,” you have a window of opportunity. Within that window, you better make a statement that says

I could have been throwing batting practice tomorrow, had an aneurism and died on the spot. Or it could have been 5-10 years from now. Eventually it was going to show its ugly head. So I stopped everything, and within a week I was under the knife. It was a hell of a wake-up call. One [minute] I’m concerning myself about how I’m going to handle these Triple-A pitchers and the next thing, it’s life and death. You take for granted a lot of things. You don’t realize how important people are to you. My wife has been around for 30-plus years, and what she helped me get through is mindboggling. I wouldn’t be able to have the patience to do that for her; she was incredible. Your true friends come out, and you realize that you do make a difference in a lot of people’s lives. I hate to say it, but it’s like going to a funeral—you don’t know until after the fact how much people care about you. It’s nice to know that when you’re [still] around you see all this love and compassion. What’s your fondest memory of the ’87 World Series in which you started three times for the Minnesota Twins, including

Game 7, when you beat the St. Louis Cardinals?

When the third out was made, all I wanted my legs to do was get to the bottom of the pile. My biggest thought was, “Don’t collapse before you get to the pile.” It was just an amazing feeling, because when you win a world championship, you do it as a team—25 guys, coaching staff, front offce working together. Out of my 15 years [in MLB], that was the only time I made the playoffs. What was your funniest moment on the mound?

I’m pitching for the Twins against the Texas Rangers in 1984, and it was the frst time we were in a nationally televised game because we were in a pennant race. We’re winning 1-0, I’m throwing well and I don’t want to be bothered. I just got the leadoff hitter out in the seventh, and all of a sudden catcher Timmy Laudner starts walking to the mound. Halfway to the mound he took his facemask off, put it on top of his head and starts smiling. I’m thinking, “What the hell are you doing? I’m in a groove. Get back!” He keeps on walking slowly with a smile on his face. When he fnally got to the mound, I go, “What’s this all about?” He says, “You’re pitching too well—I want to get some national TV coverage.” So he just walked out to have the camera pan on him. To this day that’s one of the priceless stories, because who would think about doing that in the heat of the moment? It was beautiful. You’re a southpaw who had a wicked circle change in your prime: How do you get lefthanded hitting Las Vegan Bryce Harper out?

I would work hard stuff away and mix in the changeup when I go ahead in the count. But you have to have enough confdence in your secondary pitches to throw [the changeup] when you’re behind in the count, and I would do that. If I fall behind Bryce Harper 2-1, everybody and their mother would think, “Here comes a fastball”; that’s when I would throw him my changeup. I would pitch him backward, because he’s such a quality hitter. It would be a good matchup; I’d take my chances with him.

What’s Viola’s advice for youngsters who dream of being big leaguers? Read the full interview at VegasSeven. com/FrankViola.

PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ

SEVEN QUESTIONS

to them, “I’m in it for you.” If you don’t do that, they’ll lose you just like they’ll lose anybody else, and then you’ll have no chance. Fortunately, I like talking, I’m outgoing, I’m all about having fun if you do your job. So it’s real easy for me to be able to click with the young players.