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14 | THE LATEST
“Remembering Kerry Simon, 1955-2015,” by Al Mancini. Rock ’n’ Roll Chef’s influence will endure.
16 | Politics
“A Tale of Two Adelsons,” by Michael Green. Unrelated icons show changing dynamic between gaming and politics.
17 | Breaking Stuf & Making Stuf
“The Chairs That Made This Country Great,” by Greg Blake Miller. Or, don’t let the bastards get a better view than you.
20 | COVER
“The Brave New World of Vehicles,” by Nicole Ely. How an automotive entrepreneur teamed up with a robotics expert to bring us the future of cars. Plus, join us on drives to Great Basin National Park, Kingman and the coast of California.
25 | NIGHTLIFE
“Certified Platinum,” by Melinda Sheckells. Two of the nightlife industry’s top women launch a new business targeting talent booking and digital marketing. Plus, a Q&A with Jauz, and photos from the week’s hottest parties.
49 | DINING
Al Mancini on Chada Street. Plus, a preview of Rivea atop the Delano, sampling iced and cold-brewed coffees, and a look at Life Is Beautiful’s liquor brand experiences.
55 | A&E
“An MLK for Today,” by Zoneil Maharaj. Saul Williams talks up a revolution with Martyr Loser King. Plus, NBC’s The Player becomes the latest show to feature Vegas, a photo exhibit focuses on Downtown architecture, and reviews of the Growlers and Lenny Kravitz in concert.
60 | Movies
The Visit and our weekly movie capsules.
70 | Seven Questions
Bill Nye the Science Guy on space travel, climate-change deniers and why he’s never gambled a penny in Las Vegas.
Cambria’s Moonstone Beach boardwalk is worth the drive to California.
ON THE COVER Photo by Krystal Ramirez
Dialogue Event The Deal Seven Days Style Seven Nights
VegasSeven.com
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11 12 16 17 18 30
September 17–23, 2015
PHOTO BY MARYANN STANSFIELD
DEPARTMENTS
9
LAS VEGAS’ WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE
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FOUNDED FEBRUARY 2010
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Michael Skenandore
EDITORIAL
Nicole Ely Genevie Durano SENIOR EDITORS Paul Szydelko, Xania Woodman SENIOR EDITOR, A&E Geoff Carter ASSOCIATE EDITOR Camille Cannon SENIOR WRITER Lissa Townsend Rodgers CALENDAR COORDINATOR Ian Caramanzana EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
MANAGING EDITOR
SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Melinda Sheckells (style)
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Michael Green (politics), Al Mancini (dining), David G. Schwartz (gaming/hospitality)
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PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP Vegas Seven, 302 East Carson Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89101 Vegas Seven is distributed each Thursday throughout Southern Nevada c 2015 Vegas Seven, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Vegas Seven, LLC is prohibited.
DIALOGUE
Reader Comments
A true visionary! The food and experiences I have had at his restaurants will forever be fond memories! – Marissa Jo Pezely on Facebook This makes me so damn sad. I have enjoyed many a great meal at his restaurant in L.A. and Carson Kitchen here in Las Vegas, and I’ve had a few conversations with him about food and wine that were always informative, friendly and enthusiastic. R.I.P., man. You were loved and appreciated by many, and you will be missed. – Michael L. Compton on Facebook I remember Kerry well from his days on Miami’s South Beach— always deliciously inventive, and a complete professional. – Paula Block on Facebook He was a lovely man. And he loved life. I spent a day with him, and we shared war stories. – @VivaldoGroup on Twitter
REMEMBERING KERRY SIMON
Such a sad time, but I am hopeful he is at peace and no longer in pain (Page 14). His strength, perseverance and dedication to the craft will forever remain his legacy! – Cameo Prado on Facebook Everyone who knew Simon knew him not only for his hard work and talent, but also for his compassionate, fun and caring personality. No one will ever forget the wonderful Mr. Simon. You will be greatly missed; rest in peace, you beautiful soul. – Brooklynne Olson on Facebook
Our Sites to See DOWNTOWN IS GETTING REAL
Word on the street is that a third installment of MTV’s The Real World Las Vegas will begin production Downtown in October. Find more details on that and other juicy gossip at DTLV.com/BlindAlley.
KERRY SIMON BY ANTHONY MAIR
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Instead of browsing multiple band pages for updates from local musicians, let Zoneil Maharaj do the work for you in his column, Hear Now. This week’s edition includes a local showcase at Life Is Beautiful and the launch of X-Effect Wednesdays at the Sayers Club, with new music from Kitze + the CPUs, Jourdan Jackson and SquidHat Records. VegasSeven.com/HearNow.
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EVENT
SPREAD THE WORD GALA
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UPCOMING EVENTS • Sept. 19 Children’s Heart Foundation’s Show Your Heart 5K Run at Kellogg Zaher Park (CHFN.org) • Sept. 26 Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada’s Dessert Before Dinner at Caesars Palace (GirlScoutsNV.org)
PHOTOS BY THOMAS TRAN
September 17–23, 2015
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MGM Grand Conference Center’s third floor was transformed into a mini Central Park on Sept. 12 and served as the backdrop for Spread the Word, Nevada’s 14th annual Storybook Gala. More than 400 people attended the Curious Georgethemed event, including Morton Group owner Jenna Morton, poker player Sam Stein, state Senate Majority Leader Michael Roberson and state Senator Patricia Farley. Highlights included an auction presided by auctioneer Christian Kolberg dressed as the Man in the Yellow Hat and a performance by Bella Strings. The event raised $325,000, and all proceeds contribute to advance early childhood literacy in Southern Nevada’s at-risk, low-income communities.
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“The chair-in-a-bag was, in modern terms, a disruptive technology. It forced all of us—even those who initially found it unnecessary, crass or ideologically troubling—to adapt.”
{PAGE 16}
News, deals, politics and the perfect gift to give a stranger
Remembering Kerry Simon, 1955-2015 Rock ’n’ Roll Chef’s infuence will endure
September 17–23, 2015
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VegasSeven.com
KERRY SIMON LOST HIS LONG, INSPIRING
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fght against multiple system atrophy on September 11. I’ve known Simon professionally for more than a decade. But I really got to know who he was, and the many ways in which he touched and changed the world, after I was asked to help write the memoir portion of his upcoming cookbook. I developed an even deeper understanding of Kerry the chef, Kerry the celebrity and Kerry the man. Simon’s greatest contribution to the world was, and continues to be, his food. Born June 17, 1955, he attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. His early career in New York City included a stint at La Côte Basque with Jean-Jacques Rachou, time with André Soltner at the legendary Lutèce and a position as personal chef for astrologer John Addey. Next up was a position at the Lafayette Restaurant in the Drake Hotel under Jean-Georges Vongerichten, where he helped the restaurant earn a four-star rating in The New York Times and where he developed his love of pastry. The chef began really rubbing elbows with celebrities when Donald Trump’s then-wife, Ivana, hired him to run the Edwardian Room at New York’s legendary Plaza Hotel. As Robin Leach, who dined there with Ivana, says, “He was serving a different kind of food than we’d ever had [in hotels]. It wasn’t a slab of roast beef on the plate with mashed potatoes. It was elevated pub food.” And Simon introduced a VIP table in the kitchen that became an immediate hit among the Big Apple’s A-listers. After leaving the Plaza, Simon traveled a bit before landing in Miami. There, he
had successes with Blue Star and later Starfsh in the Raleigh Hotel, as well as a spot called Max’s. It was in Miami that, while cultivating even more celebrity friendships, he began his serious embrace of comfort food, and frst introduced his famed meatloaf. After Miami, Simon reunited with Vongerichten, running fne-dining restaurants for him around the world and helming his Bellagio Steakhouse Prime in 1998. While Simon continued to open restaurants internationally, Las Vegas became his home. His comfort-food spots at the Hard Rock and Palms Place became the defnitive Vegas hangouts for the cool crowd. But he also brought us the brothel-themed CatHouse at Luxor and KGB Burgers at Harrah’s before bringing culinary credibility to Downtown with Carson Kitchen. Simon’s infuence on the culinary world is undeniable. Walk down the Strip today, and you will see casualcomfort food restaurants by some of the world’s top chefs. That’s a result of Simon’s vision—he was as comfortable with haute cuisine as he was with comfort food. In the words of Cat Cora, “He was ahead of his time.” But Simon is also memorable as one of the frst true celebrity chefs. In 1991, Rolling Stone declared him the Rock ’n’ Roll Chef, a title that stuck with him for the rest of his life. Simon’s celebrity came before the launch of the Food Network, and while he made his fair share of appearances, he never hosted a long-running show. Nonetheless, he was as well known in celebrity circles as any TV star chef. Simon was the epitome of rock-star cool, minus the ego. When he entered
a room, it was never with fanfare. You would just look up, and there was Simon—usually with some VIPs in tow. He was a staple backstage at rock concerts—even catering Led Zeppelin’s 2007 reunion show in London. And his restaurants were always packed with musicians, actors, athletes, business moguls and adult flm stars. They were drawn by his food. They appreciated the way he made them feel at home. But, perhaps most importantly, they loved his personality. The chef was also one of Las Vegas’ greatest supporters, appearing in nearly every local charity event, even after his diagnosis. Friends who attended the beneft he threw to fght MSA in February 2014 universally describe how happy he was to be surrounded by a lifetime’s worth of friends and supporters. Up until his last days he was consulting with his partners on his still-expanding restau-
rant empire. And on August 22, just three days before being admitted to the hospital for the fnal time, he was onstage at the Hard Rock, watching his old friends Cheap Trick perform. When I visited Simon in California earlier this summer to check on the progress of his book, he seemed tired and was barely able to communicate. But he made it clear he wanted me to stay and relate the stories his friends had told me. As I retold those tales, he repeatedly smiled and laughed. His only admonishment to me was that he didn’t want me to dwell on his illness. He wanted to be remembered and celebrated as the Rock ’n’ Roll Chef. Of course, that’s the only way he ever could. Rest in peace, Chef. A memorial celebrating Simon’s life is being planned. Donations in his name are encouraged to Keep Memory Alive, 888 W. Bonneville Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89106.
PHOTO BY ANTHONY MAIR
By Al Mancini
THE LATEST
Then New York made clear that Nevada can do even better: Rather than electing a president who’s from here, someone from here could choose the president. That may overstate Sheldon Adelson’s power. He certainly has money and spent about $100 million in 2012 to defeat Barack Obama, and look where it got him. Few of the candidates he has backed have been winners. But as the article shows, he has affected how Republican politicians respond to some issues, especially involving Israel (not necessarily the recent Iran deal; the fact that Obama supported it made certain that they would oppose it). Yet the article suggests that money has bought him less respect than he might prefer. For a presidential candidate to supplicate to a casino mogul such as Sheldon Adelson as recently as in Merv Adelson’s time in Las Vegas would have been unthinkable. Gaming has become respectable enough to be legal in some form in 48 states, and multinational corporations control a large percentage of it. Yet New York subtly, perhaps unintentionally, showed how some things haven’t changed. Those who read it undoubtedly have noticed the great illustration that ran with it: It shows a man kissing Adelson’s ring. The blinds behind him and Adelson’s tuxedo are reminiscent of the opening scenes of a flm in which men bowed to another titan: Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather. Now, if Adelson were as powerful as he was …
Last week a visiting cousin from New York City was given a complimentary upgrade on a room at the Hard Rock. There was no particular reason for it, other than the room was available. My cousin was bowled over. I explained to her that casinos sometimes do this as an intelligent PR move, but she wanted to do something in return for the desk clerk who facilitated it. A gift. But what do you get in a situation like this when you don’t know a thing about the person you’re buying for? It’s a situation that everyone runs into at some point, but in Las Vegas there’s a unique and easy play. Make ’em a sports bet. There are a number of reasons why this works. For starters, it’s easy. If you know where the recipient comes from you can pick a team from or near their home city. In this case the Hard Rock guy was from Detroit, so a bet on the Sunday opener for the Lions was an easy choice. Pick a team, hit the sports book, buy a ticket and hand it over. Next, you’re buying this gift at a discount. Say you want to spend $20. You can accomplish that for half price with the sports-bet gift. Make a bet for $11 to win $10. If it wins, the ticket holder gets $21 total, but you’re out only $11. Yes, when the bet loses the ticket is worth nothing, but the perception is still that you’ve bestowed a $21 gift. Then there’s the entertainment value that comes with the bet. The person who’s holding the ticket has a freeroll on the game. Trust me, they’re gonna watch it. Finally, there’s just something cool and different about the idea. We’re in Vegas, and this is a Vegas thing to do. This play works particularly well around Christmas for hard-to-buy-for friends, especially when you know they’re big fans of a specific team. If it’s an NFL team that’s in the hunt for a championship, you can buy a futures bet to win the conference or the Super Bowl. Say your friend is a Cowboys fanatic and you can get them to win it all at 10-1. Spend $50 and that’s a potential $550 payday (remember, they get to keep the amount you paid for the bet). If you want to get fancy, your friend can lock in a profit by hedging with a bet the other way if the Boys happen to win a game or two in the playoffs. So my cousin bought the ticket and gave it to the Hard Rock dude, who was absolutely thrilled. The Lions looked like world-beaters against the Chargers before (typically) blowing the game in the fourth quarter, meaning Hard Rock cashed zippo. No matter—the gift was appreciated and absolutely generated some excitement. It’s easy, fun and a 90 percent effective go-to play in a pinch.
Michael Green is an associate professor of history at UNLV.
Anthony Curtis is the publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor and LasVegasAdvisor.com.
Sheldon Adelson and the late Merv Adelson.
A Tale of Two Adelsons
Unrelated icons show changing dynamic between gaming and politics
September 17–23, 2015
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VegasSeven.com
A PAIR OF ADELSONS RECENTLY MADE
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news, reminding us of how Nevada’s political status and stature have changed through time. The day after Merv Adelson died, New York magazine ran a 6,000-plus-word article with the inviting headline, “Sheldon Adelson Is Ready to Buy the Presidency.” The two Adelsons weren’t related, but their stories, and magazine articles about them, are. Merv Adelson founded Paradise Development in the 1950s with Moe Dalitz, Allard Roen and Irwin Molasky. They built or operated a lot of Las Vegas. Dalitz and Roen were among the Desert Inn’s co-owners, but Paradise Development built or ran Sunrise Hospital, the Boulevard Mall, the Las Vegas Country Club, Commercial Center, Nathan Adelson Hospice (named after Merv’s father), housing tracts and offce buildings, as well as the La Costa Resort and Spa in Southern California. Molasky and Adelson helped start Lorimar in 1969, the production company behind shows such as The Waltons and Dallas. They also wound up suing Penthouse for libel. In March 1975, the magazine published “La Costa: The $100 Million Resort With the Criminal Clientele,” linking the spa and its builders to organized crime through its visitors and the Teamsters Central States Pension Fund loan that had helped build it. The foursome sued for libel—$522 million worth. After a 5�-month trial in 1982, a jury cleared Penthouse. During the ’70s, the FBI sent Joe Yablonsky to run its Nevada operations, and he targeted Dalitz, his friends, and various politicians and judges. One of his least favorite people, Senator Paul Laxalt,
R-Nevada, also was the “First Friend” to Ronald Reagan. Laxalt tried to persuade the Reagan administration to send Yablonsky from Nevada to, well, anywhere else, preferably near Mars. Asked how he could take political funds from a presumed mobster, Laxalt replied, “For a Nevada politician to refuse a contribution from Moe Dalitz would be like running for offce in Michigan and turning down a contribution from General Motors.” Some in the outside world found that mind-boggling. By Nevada standards, for good or ill, it made perfect sense—besides, Dalitz never needed a federal fnancial bailout to survive. But Laxalt’s family received a Teamsters loan to rebuild the Ormsby House in Carson City, prompting a Sacramento Bee report on skimming and Laxalt to sue the Bee for libel. All of which is why Senator Pat McCarran, D-Nevada, once told one of the students attending law school on his patronage that no Nevadan could hope to be president: Those living in the state were guilty by association with an industry viewed as an adjunct of organized crime. But times have changed. Governor Brian Sandoval’s name has popped up as a possible Republican vice presidential candidate (don’t bet on it). Former Senator John Ensign, R-Nevada, apparently thought about going for the White House until going for his chief of staff’s wife derailed his career.
MERV ADELSON BY CHRIS CONNOR/WENN
AN ALWAYS COOL GIFT
The Chairs That Made This Country Great Or, don’t let the bastards get a better view than you IT WASN’T SO LONG AGO THAT, UPON DECIDING families arrived in the form of the to attend an outdoor movie or jazz big & tall chair-in-a-bag. Have on the beach or Shakespeare in you seen these things? You can the Park, all one had to pack was perch a good five feet above the a blanket and a basket of snacks. ground, like a pigeon on a low Part of the pleasure of culture branch. The armrests can now under the stars was the odd accommodate a meal of three Mad musings on the creative life confuence of cosmopolitanism courses, served all at once. and camping, heightened by the We’ve moved into the era of the GREG BLAKE feel of the cool ground beneath adult high chair. Now, whether MILLER the blanket and the democratic we’re at the kid’s ballgame or the sensibility of sitting on the same level Trio Under the Tree (cellos, wine as everyone else. Then along came the and ants!), we can peer over the head collapsible chair-in-a-drawstring-sack to of the poor schlub in front of us who has shatter this sylvan egalitarianism and reduce the only an ordinary chair-in-a-bag. blanket-bringers to looking at the hairy ankles of But the last word has not been had, because the seated fellow in the preceding row. in the Republic of Disruption, there are no last Folding patio chairs had been around forever, words, only people vibrantly competing to say but in the realm of cosmopolitan camping they them in the hopes that, this time, last really will had never displaced the humble blanket. The mean last. My wife and I recently attended an folding patio chair at a public event—perhaps indoor archery competition in which our son because of the general cultural agreement that was competing. We sat down in the third row of patio furniture belonged on a patio—had about it little plastic benches that the range had graciously the whiff of the downscale. Dragging an unwieldy provided. Our view was not perfect, but it was not folding chair into a large crowd looked effortful; much worse than the view from the second row or the onlooker wondered what was coming out of the fourth row. We spectators were spectating on the faux-wood-paneled station wagon next: A a level playing feld. Then they arrived: a rangy, table? A blender? The chair-in-a-bag, however, athletic-looking couple in their mid-60s, half a was sleek and sporty. One could toss it effortlessly head taller than the rest of us even without the over the shoulder and carry it like a skinny athaid of advanced seating. Slung over their sturdy letic duffel. It was, in modern terms, a disruptive shoulders were two very long, slim bags. technology, and it did what disruptive technoloMr. and Mrs. Tall walked past the fourth row gies always do: It forced all of us—even those who of chairs, then past the third, the second and the initially found it unnecesfrst, and set themselves up sary, crass or ideologically in the newly discovered troubling—to adapt. Zeroth Row. They loosened Soon chairs-in-bags were their drawstrings and drew everywhere. At youth basetheir swords: fve-foot-high ball games, which almost collapsible chairs clad in always come equipped sleek black fabric. They sat with bleachers, nobody sat down immediately in front in the bleachers anymore. of the people to our left, Bleacher-sitters were outsidwho were working busers; the moms and dads ily on their digital in the know sat devices and in debagged seemed chairs not beto hind notice. the In fact, nobackstop body seemed to so that they notice. It was as if a could better coach collective signal had their children and been sent: “Resistance apprise the umpire is futile; the Slumof his shortcomings. berjack Big Tall Steel Players receiving scant Chair is now available playing time wandered for 60 bucks on Amazon.” from dugouts and sat down Never stop improving, with their well-prepared America! parents. If you wanted to Greg Blake Miller will read from sit behind such families, his book, Decemberlands, you had to stand. at 6 p.m. on October 6 at Every disruption, the Coffee Press in the Paseo though, is ultimately Verde Library. Information: disrupted, and the salvaOlympianCreative.com. tion of the second-row
Breaking Stuff & Making Stuff
By Bob Whitby THURSDAY, SEPT. 17: UNLV is a linchpin in this town, and its direction concerns us all. So consider being in the audience when UNLV President Len Jessup delivers his first state of the university address, 2:30 p.m. at UNLV’s Judy Bayley Theatre. There’s no substitute for face time. UNLV.edu.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 18: If you’re going to have a tattoo show, might as well make it the Biggest Tattoo Show on Earth. More than 40,000 expected attendees, 1,000-plus tattoo artists, celebrities, parties … it’ll probably live up to its name. Might be time to get your ink on. 4 p.m. today through Sunday at the Las Vegas Convention Center. LasVegasTattooShow.com. SATURDAY, SEPT. 19: Even when it isn’t 100 degrees out, Las Vegas is a melting pot. We’ve got folks from all over the world here, and the Las Vegas Culture Fest celebrates that diversity with a big party on Fremont Street. You’ll find live music and local restaurants dishing out everything from Creole to Korean. 11 a.m. to midnight today and Sunday. EventBrite.com.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 20: Speaking of festivals, Brazilians love good food, good music and a good time, all of which will be in abundance at the Brazilian Outdoor Festival, 4 p.m. at the Fort Apache Commons Mall, 1225 S. Ft. Apache Rd. It’s your best bet for seeing fire-breathers, we think. ViaBrasilSteakHouse.com.
MONDAY, SEPT. 21: Kickbacks.
Secrecy. Match fixing. Las Vegas boxing in the ’50s? Nope. We’re talking present-day soccer. The global FIFA scandal rocked “the beautiful game,” and the Mob Museum now has a display that will help you make sense of it. It’s a forceful reminder of the many shapes of organized crime. Through Jan. 1. TheMobMuseum.org.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 22: Sometimes it takes a poet to explain
the world around us. Poet (and novelist) R.M. Ryan considers American society and the military in his book, There’s a Man With a Gun Over There, a unique reflection on what it means to serve from a veteran’s point of view. He’ll be reading from the autobiographical novel at UNLV’s Barrick Museum at 7:30 p.m. UNLV.edu.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23: Forgetting things? Balance not what it used to be? Aging happens to us all, but it can be difficult to determine if your “senior moments” are just that or something to be concerned about. That’s why the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health is providing free balance and memory screenings from 1 to 4 p.m. in recognition of National Fall Prevention Day. KeepMemoryAlive.org.
Have an event you want considered for Seven Days? Email VegasSevenDays@Gmail.com.
THE LATEST
STYLE
DON’T MISS! Three Stylish Events
Thursday, Sept. 17: Atelier by Square Salon’s Jenny Savage throws a Blow Dry party and class from 6 to 8 p.m. Guests will master a fall-inspired updo and a sleek blowdry. The cost is $25 and will be credited toward any retail purchase that evening. 1225 S. Fort Apache Rd., Suite 160, SquareSalon.com
Joanna Baumann director of marketing and public relations, iHeartMedia Las Vegas
Describe your personal style.
You work in music. Which artist has the best style?
If I could raid anyone’s wardrobe, it would be Katy Perry’s. She is the queen of foral and lives in color. Everything she wears shows off her curves and screams that she’s proud to be feminine at all times, and she does it with this outof-this-world confdence. I admire that so much. She wears the clothes; the clothes never wear her.
September 17–23, 2015
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VegasSeven.com
What is your perfect concert outfit?
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It will defnitely depend on the artist. I am a girly-girl, so I play dress-up when I attend shows. It’s fun for me to pick out an outft for a show I’m attending because I can wear stuff I wouldn’t during the workweek. If I’m headed to an indie show or festival, a fower crown is my signature look. For a country show, I’ll rock a more bohemian outft with a fowy skirt and boots. If I’m headed to a hip-hop concert, it’s going to be a little sexier, with a lower-cut front and ferce heels. Where do you go in Vegas for fashion inspiration?
I’m inspired by old Vegas
Diane von Furstenberg dress, UNOde50 and The Jewelers of Las Vegas jewelry, BCBG shoes.
glamour. When I got married in 2014, I wanted to look like a modern-day Priscilla Presley and how she looked when she married Elvis at the Aladdin Hotel. I pull inspiration from multiple places around town. I have found some of my best pieces at thrift stores, like a vintage ’70s white fur jacket
or a green sequin dress from the ’80s. You’re originally from Chicago. How does the style there compare to Las Vegas?
I love living in Las Vegas so much because this city embraces style and welcomes glam, which I really appreciate. Chicago
is way too preppy for me. In Chicago, girls would shop at the typical preppy, plainJane-type stores. I shopped boutique city stores to fnd items that no one else had. Vegas is where I can let the glam shine and really rock it. I love Chicago for its pizza; I love Vegas for its style! —Liz Powell
Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 19-20: Make a Wish Southern Nevada and Ovarian Cancer Research Fund invite fashion devotees to attend the first Las Vegas OCRF Super Saturday Shopping event at Grand Canal Shoppes and Fashion Show. Designer, stylist, editor and author Rachel Zoe and her husband, Rodger Berman, will host the weekend festivities that include a public signing on Saturday for Zoe’s newest book, Living in Style. OCRF’s Super Saturday extravaganza is a two-day shopping fete with retail incentives and activities from more than 50 brands. OCRF’s Super Saturday is held annually in the Hamptons and Los Angeles. SuperSaturday .OCRF.org/VegasStyle – Tia Keys
PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ
Thursday, Sept. 17: Style With a Cause, benefiting Opportunity Village, celebrates its third year inspiring women through fashion and beauty. Mercedes from Mix 94.1 and Rachel Smith from KVVU Channel 5 host a runway show presented by Saks Fifth Avenue. New this year, the Style With a Cause collection will feature five designers from around the country showing creations made of an exclusively designed fabric from textile and gift-wrap printer Spoonflower. These pieces will be auctioned at the end of the event. Tickets are $100, 6-8:30 p.m., Fashion Show, Great Hall, StyleWithACause.com
I am a dresses-and-skirts kind of girl all day, every day. I had to kick my husband’s stuff out of the master closet and turn that one into a “dresses only” closet, I have so many. People look confused if I show up wearing jeans because that is just not me. I love wearing anything with foral print and has a romantic feel to it. I love color.
The Brave New World of Vehicles the sun is beaming, and you feel like cruising down the Strip in a convertible. You take your sedan to a dealership and ask for the hardtop to be removed. While they’re at it, why not move the middle cup holder to the driver’s door? You’re left-handed, so this will be easier. The next day, you pick up your refurbished ride. Although this seems like a scene from the distant future, Local Motors, a technology company that designs, builds and sells vehicles, wants to get there in the next decade. In September 2014, the startup debuted the world’s frst entirely 3-D-printed car, the Strati. Composed of only 50 parts, the Strati drove out of a lab in Chicago after 44 hours of printing. But the Strati is only half the story. Local Motors recently joined forces with UNLV to usher in a new approach to autonomous cars: a robot in the driver’s seat.
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entrepreneur jay rogers was sitting on a plane when an idea came to him that could change the way people think about building cars. He was on his way to Italy to speak to a group of manufacturers when he started thinking about clay modeling—a process used by automotive giants in which thousands of pounds of clay are molded into a life-size version of a vehicle. This model is usually the prototype of any new Ford, Toyota or Honda. Decades ago, an artist used to sculpt the model by hand. Now, technology has usurped the sculptor and the artist instead mans a computer that cuts the clay based on a digital design. So Rogers thought, why not make a commercial vehicle that could be molded completely from a computer? Before his plane hit the tarmac, he was scouring the Internet to see if anyone had taken this approach. No one had. “That was a big ‘Aha!’ moment in Local Motors’ history,” he says. Rogers founded Local Motors in 2007, with headquarters in Phoenix and a small outpost on Stewart Avenue and Sixth Street in Downtown Las Vegas. The startup raised an undisclosed amount from a small group of investors, including Tony Hsieh and the VegasTechFund. With a passion for automobiles that spans 30 years, he began building his startup after seeing technology advance faster than the car industry could keep up. “All of the cars sitting on lots waiting
to be bought are an example of products that are grossly overstocked that people don’t want,” Rogers says. “So I wanted to change that.” However, changing that means changing more than 100 years of manufacturing. When General Motors or Toyota wants to introduce a model, it usually takes seven years and more than $1 billion before that model appears on a lot, according to Rogers. To offset the high cost, factories need to produce hundreds of thousands of cars. Enter Henry Ford’s assembly line. If an Accord or Corolla’s design needs to be tweaked, that takes even more time and more money. By comparison, a Local Motors vehicle takes two years and $15 million. The less expensive price tag means you don’t have to produce as many cars to turn a proft. “I don’t care about mass manufacturing vehicles,” Rogers says. “I want to build local factories that are less
designers to create a unique vehicle. That was how Local Motors came up with its highway-ready sports car. Their staff and a group of car experts reviewed more than 60 design submissions and settled on a sports car whose name will be unveiled in October. The car will be available to the public in the next 18 months for $50,000. For Rogers, the fact that the car is 3-D printed is not the point. “Adjectives that the consumer is going to care about: technologically superior, sustainable and more customizable.” But they didn’t stop there. This summer, Rogers saw something that would take Local Motors to UNLV and its cars even further into the future.
••••• paul oh acts as a mild-mannered Tony Stark among a feet of drones and humanoid robots nestled in a warehouse on the UNLV campus. Before
“As big as driverless has become, you’ll see that this is what is coming down the pike.” –Paul Oh
expensive, and I want to put them all over the world.” In the next 10 years, Rogers plans to have 100 Local Motors micro-factories all over the world, each printing 3,000 cars a year. Although the Strati was the frst 3-Dprinted car to hit the road, the automotive industry has been using the process for decades to do rapid prototyping. Also known as solid imaging, 3-D printing was developed and patented by a man named Chuck Hull in the mid 1980s. To print an object, a designer creates a virtual blueprint that a computer then builds layer by layer. Materials such as rubber, plastic, polyurethane and metals can be used, depending on the printer. It can create toys, hearing aids, prosthetic limbs and much more. As if challenging Henry Ford weren’t enough, Rogers’ vision will also change how people can customize their cars. Instead of showing personal fare with racing stripes or spinning rims, Rogers and his team want to put consumers in the artist’s chair, where they can work with their
coming to UNLV last year to build the unmanned autonomous systems lab, he taught mechanical engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia for 14 years and was a former program director for the National Science Foundation’s robotics portfolio. His Iron Man is a 5-foot-5-inch, 175-pound robot called the Metal Rebel. His goal: Program Metal Rebel to drive one of Local Motors’ vehicles. In early June, Oh, three postdoctorates and nine undergrads faced off with teams of 50 or more from NASA, MIT, Lockheed Martin and other international contenders in the DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Robotics Challenge. “DARPA is a strong predictor of what technology and innovations will come,” Oh says. “Now everyone is talking about driverless cars, but that’s technology we knew 10 years ago [because of DARPA].” After the Fukushima, Japan, nuclear disaster in 2011, DARPA turned its attention to robots that can help in relief efforts when an area might be too contaminated or dangerous to send
humans. So the challenge was to build a humanoid robot that could climb stairs, traverse rocky terrain, turn valves, use power tools and drive a car. With a shoestring budget and a fraction of the labor, Oh and his team placed eighth in the competition, but Metal Rebel’s driving skills were superior to the others. “We completed the driving in 60 seconds,” Oh says. “Everyone else took around fve minutes.” That caught the attention of Local Motors. In August, the startup announced the LOCO program (short for Local Motors co-created), a partnership with UNLV to apply autonomous robotics to its cars. A 3-D-printed prototype resembling a golf cart arrived at Oh’s lab in August. The Strati should arrive in January. Autonomous driving usually conjures the image of a car cruising along the highway, driverless, steering wheel turning as if by magic. Instead, Oh sees a robot at the wheel. A self-driving car can only do one thing. For Oh, a robot that performs many tasks (opening doors, picking up objects), including driving, is a better choice. “As big as driverless has become, you’ll see that this is what is coming down the pike,” he says. Before you think you can have a robot drive your kids to school for you, Oh sees disaster relief and suffering industries, such as transportation or agriculture, as early adopters. Big-rig truckers risk their lives when they drive heavy vehicles over frozen lakes to move supplies in and out of Canada or Alaska. With a robot driver, the transportation company wouldn’t have to change their vehicles and the threat to human lives would no longer exist. From there, who knows?
••••• metal rebel dangles from a crane in front of a wall where splotches of pigment have been whitewashed over and over again. Oh and his postdocs are teaching him to paint, one more skill to add to his overfowing toolbox. By January he will be able to drive Local Motors’ prototype, hopefully in time for the International Consumer Electronics Show. In 2013, Google debuted its autonomous car at CES. Just two years later, that technology is already trickling into luxury vehicles. In 10 years, many predict that millions of self-driving cars will be on the road. Who knows what will be on the road 10 years after the Metal Rebel cruises the exhibit foor?
PHOTOS COURTESY LOCAL MOTORS; METAL REBEL BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ
HOW AN AUTOMOTIVE ENTREPRENEUR TEAMED UP WITH A ROBOTICS EXPERT TO BRING YOU THE FUTURE OF CARS By Nicole Ely
Clockwise from top: The Local Motors team, two prototypes, students working on Metal Rebel, the 3-D printing process.
Great Drives Ahead
THE ROAD TRIP IS ALIVE AND WELL, WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM TECH
To the Heart of Route 66 From Las Vegas to Kingman
Driving California’s Highway 1 From Monterey to Morro Bay
➜ Sometimes you need the physical and spiritual escape of a road trip, but lack the time to cover hundreds of miles. The drive from Las Vegas to Kingman is relatively short, with unique stops on the way. Take the scenic route through Boulder City and stop in at the über-Googie A&W to grab a root beer for the road. Admire the view of the mountains; be alarmed at the sight of low-level Lake Mead. As the road rises into the high desert, the landscape becomes barren and unearthly: You can imagine a guy in a tinfoil suit with a fishbowl on his head chasing a guy in a rubber monster costume until someone shouts “Cut!” Farther along the 93 is the tiny mining town of Chloride (ChlorideAZ.com), a collection of dirt roads and ramshackle houses with outsider-art
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By Xania Woodman
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➜ We get our first tantalizing views of the ocean leaving Monterey on Friday morning. With three days and two nights to spend, we skip breakfast and head for Big Sur and brunch with the view at Nepenthe’s (NepentheBigSur. com) cliffside Café Kevah. Here, California’s historic Highway 1 is a two-lane strip notched into curvy cliffs that weave in and out above a deep, swollen ocean. Every once in a while there’s a spit of beach, a dense stand of coastal pines, whispy fog or frothy sea spray—a whole world of tan, green and blue. The temptation to pull over at every scenic view turnout is almost too great. After Ragged Point, the forested terrain flattens into a wide shoreline with rolling seaside hills and the Santa Lucia Range in the background. This is also the start of the Highway 1 Discovery Route (Highway1DiscoveryRoute. com), a 101-mile swath of
coastline encompassing 10 charismatic cities. Just past Piedras Blancas, we stretch our legs at the Vista Point elephant seal rookery and watch the velvety, iridescent males angle for dominance. From here, it’s just moments to Sebastian’s General Store in Old Town San Simeon for a quick flight at Hearst Ranch Winery (HearstRanchWinery. com). The rest of the afternoon is given over to touring Hearst Castle, five miles up into the goldengrassed coastal hills. Setting Day 2 aside for more wine tasting, we begin with Stolo Family Vineyards & Winery (StoloFamilyVineyards.com), Cambria’s only estate winery. Hillside and valley fruit make for quaffable whites and surprisingly complex single-varietal red wines. Just 30 minutes away, in Morro Bay, we visit the tasting room of Chateau Margene (ChateauMargene.com) for a comprehensive sampling of
Paso Robles wines. A beach cruiser ride caps the day perfectly a drowsy sun sets over the breakwater. From Morro Bay, the Discovery Route follows the coast for six more towns, but our departure route takes us inland on Day 3, through the Santa Lucia Range to Paso Robles for stops at Firestone Walker Brewing Co. (FirestoneBeer. com) and Daou Vineyards & Winery (DaouVineyards.com). It’s difficult to bid the coast goodbye, but I’ll be back soon— if not for the delicious wines, then for the delicious scenery. HANDY APP: Steller
The last thing I wanted was another reason to look away from the breathtaking vistas. Steller turns my road trip photos and videos into a virtual flipbook that I can caption and share. The best part is that all that work can be done after the fact, keeping my eyes on the ocean.
sculpture and a “ghost town” that hosts “gunfights” every Saturday. Downtown Chloride consists of a tiny post office, a tinier antique shop and Digger Dave’s. It’s owned by the eponymous Digger Dave, a refugee from Washington state who now pours ice-cold beers and cooks a hell of a bowl of chili. The bar/restaurant is bedecked with old postcards, old tools, old sheet music and a sign reading “Girls must be 4 feet 8 inches or less to dance on the bar” to a vintage jukebox stocked with Tom Waits and the Ventures. Another half-hour—watch for “Santa’s Land”—to our final destination. Kingman calls itself “the Heart of Route 66,” replete with
themed signage, visitors center/museum and branded tchotchkes next to every cash register in town. Beale Street is geared toward your contemporary tourist, but there’s still plenty of retro along Route 66, a.k.a. Andy Devine Avenue. A cruise down Devine is a survey of American roadside architecture: ’70s drugstore, ’60s Chinese restaurant, ’50s motel, ’40s storefront, ’30s train station. The Sportsmans Club is a 107-year-old dive—an enormous room with high ceilings and a battered wooden bar, as well as an endless parade of trains flying past. Most Kingman dining is of the comfort-food variety: Calico’s (CalicoRestaurant. com) is a mid-century A-frame that features a salad bar, a sundae bar and big breakfasts, while Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner (MrDzRt66Diner.com) is an ’80s homage to a ’50s diner with a pink-teal color scheme and excellent milkshakes. If you aren’t ready to return, the themed El Trovatore Motel (ElTrovatoreMotel. com) is adorned with a giant cartoon Route 66 map along one building, another is done up as a faux-Western village. The Hill Top Motel (HillTopMotelAZ.com) has a terrific neon sign and looks like the kind of place Don Draper would have taken a secretary for a quickie. Or you can always head back to Vegas—don’t worry, you’ll be home by bedtime. HANDY APP: None
Sometimes it’s not choosing the best technology, but getting by without it. If you’re relying on a smartphone for directions, weather, music, reassurance that kittens are still totes adorbs, know that connectivity often fades along the road to Kingman. At least download a map and a playlist before you hit the road so that you can still access them in the no- signal desolation.
HIGHWAY 1 BY X ANIA WOODMAN; CHLORIDE, ARIZONA: SHUTTERSTOCK
By Lissa Townsend Rodgers
Finding True Darkness in the Desert
GORDON TRONSON PHOTOS BY ANTHONY MAIR; GREAT BASIN COURTESY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
By Genevie Durano
➜ People drive to Las Vegas to see the famed neon lights. Me? I want to drive as far away as possible to see celestial lights from above, not one you can see from space (I’m looking at you, Luxor). Just more than 300 miles north is Great Basin National Park, where the night sky is mercifully unsullied by light pollution. One weekend a year, Great Basin holds its Astronomy Festival, where the telescopes come out and planets, nebula rings, constellations and more are a hair’s breadth from your eyeball. A park ranger described the sky over Great Basin as primeval, which means it is the same sky that the earliest human beings were looking at—the darkness has largely been unchanged by artificial light. When you look up, it is absolutely shocking how bright the stars are. And that white spume across the sky? That’s the Milky Way, a sight most adults
vaguely remember from their childhoods, and kids nowadays do not know at all. To get there, we drive through a whole lot of desert, which, at night, seems unremarkable, unless you really pay attention. The quality of darkness gets richer and more velvety as you get closer to the little town of Baker, which is at the foot of Great Basin. During the day, Baker is not much to look at save for a couple of hipster-ish gems: the Magic Bean coffee hut, which looks like it came straight from the Pacific Northwest, and the LectroLux Café, which has an impressive wine list for a town with a population of 20. When you get to the park itself, the 12-mile Wheeler Peak scenic drive is all about the journey and the destination. You reach an elevation of more than 10,000 feet, and it feels like you’re driving in the clouds. The views are stunning during the day; at night, you can (almost) pluck
the stars with your hands. The very much alive Lehman Caves offer another way to commune with the dark. Stalactites, stalagmites and helictites millions of years in the making are just as beautiful as the stars above. HANDY APP: SkyView
If you’re an astronomy novice and can’t tell a constellation from an asterism, SkyView is a handy app that’ll make you sound almost as awesome as Carl Sagan. Because of the elevation change, you want to be on top of the weather at Great Basin, especially if you’re camping. I used Wunderground to track the temperature and weather patterns, and it helped me decide if I should bother with the rainfly or not. And of course, I used every parent’s lifesaver on long car trips: Siri, who answered all of my kid’s questions, including that ol’ favorite, “Are we there yet?”
CLASSIC CARS WITH A MODERN TOUCH Mention Gordon Tronson to any hot-rod enthusiast and they’ll know his Double Trouble hot-rod, hand-built by the man in six months. Somehow, he managed to get two Ford V-8s to work in tandem and produce about 1,000 horsepower. A couple of years back, Tronson just fnished a four-engine Harley-Davidson. Aside from Double Trouble, he is in the process of restoring his pride—a 1960 Cadillac. Tronson never has any physical plans or sketches in hand. It’s all in his head. Who knows what he will be building in the next couple of years. –Anthony Mair
NIGHTLIFE Your city after dark, photos from the week’s hottest parties and up-and-coming DJ/producer Jauz shows his teeth
Two of the nightliife industry’s top women launch a new business targeting talent booking and digital marketing By Melinda Sheckells
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FROM KILLER DJS TO A PACKED HOUSE, GREAT NIGHTCLUB
parties don’t just happen on their own. And if you have experienced either of the above in Las Vegas, chances are Zarnaz “Zee” Zandi and Lauren Linck touched the event in some way. Now, Zandi, Las Vegas’ “Queen of House” and Linck, the reigning princess of digital marketing, have teamed up to preside over a new empire. ¶ The two nightlife industry experts recently created Silent Partner Entertainment Group, a marketing, management and talent-booking agency. The goal of the
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PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ
Doing it for themselves: Zee Zandi and Lauren Linck.
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NIGHTLIFE
Linck and Zandi with DJ/producer Axwell (white shirt) and his manager, Peter.
“Most agencies represent an artist. ... We are doing it the other way. Rather than representing the artist, we are representing the venue.”
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– LAUREN LINCK
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joint venture is to match venues with talent, and then provide the digital marketing support, social media and in-club activations to make sure the show is a success. “It’s kind a backward agency, because most agencies represent an artist and then they pitch the artist,” Linck says. “We are doing it the other way. Rather than representing the artist, we are representing the venue.” In Las Vegas, the duo will be working exclusively on bookings with Marquee Nightclub and Dayclub. Out-ofmarket clients include nightclubs in San Diego, San Francisco and Orange County, as well as digital initiatives for liquor brands. Using the Las Vegas nightlife industry as a case study, Zandi and Linck plan to take their expertise to other cities. Chicago, New York, Miami and Seattle are on their radar. “I’ve booked in-house before, so I know how those relationships work, but this gives us the chance to route an artist to different markets and clubs,” Zandi says. “Instead of booking for one show, we will have a chance to book in various cities: ‘How
about coming in for a one-week run and playing these four nightclubs?’” Zandi also helps the venues to understand what is possible and what isn’t, and then uses her connections to deliver in ways others can’t. “Just because you want an artist on a certain date doesn’t mean that’s going to happen,” she says. “Let’s say a club in Boston wants to book a show and I will say, ‘OK, let’s get Steve Angello to come play and let me also give him to all these other markets and see if they’re into it.’ Because of my relationship with the talent agencies that I’ve had for almost 15 years, I can go to Steve Angello’s team and say, ‘I have a venue in Boston that wants to book you. When can we make this show work?’” Once the DJ is booked, that’s when Linck’s job kicks in. “In other [cities] they don’t really know how to market the way we do in Vegas,” Linck says. “So let’s say you book Kaskade in Boston. Sometimes Kaskade sells out and all you have to have to do is post a fier. But sometimes it doesn’t happen that way. Many venues don’t really know what to do.” Linck will create a digital
marketing campaign. “I know that if I have an artist that has a huge single coming out, you need to need to build a campaign around that single, because then you are much more apt to get support for your show,” Linck says. Since they work on behalf of a specifc venue, Silent Partner can evaluate whether the club has the proper sound, lighting and other specifcations. And Silent Partner will be onsite to make sure the artist’s needs are met. “All of our deals involve directly connecting the agent to the venue,” Zandi says. It seems as if Zandi and Linck were, quite serendipitously, always meant to be collaborators. The pair met in October 2010 at Swedish House Mafa’s Masquerade Motel show in The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel. Responsible for the DJs’ booking was Zandi, then director of electronic music at Angel Management Group (AMG; now Hakkasan Group) and a 15-year nightlife-industry veteran who long ago earned the title “Queen of House,” for her role in bringing electronic music artists to Las Vegas. Linck was, at the time, “director of serving Champagne,” she says, having a laugh about her days as a Hard Rock Hotel cocktail server. The two became fast friends and soon Linck joined AMG as social media manager in March 2011. They collaborated to promote DJs, nightclubs, dayclubs, restaurants and associated brands until Zandi took on the role of director of nightlife at Wynn Resorts later that year. In 2013, the twosome reunited to work for Amy Thomson’s ATM Artists and former Swedish
House Mafa members Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso, as well as Alesso. It was Thomson who encouraged them to form their own business. “She wanted us to do this about six months ago,” Zandi says. “She told us, ‘You two need to do this … go out on your own.’ Amy is someone we look up to.” “She is the hardest worker I’ve ever worked with, and she holds her own in this male-dominated industry,” Linck says. “Her marketing skills are above anyone’s level I’ve ever seen. She is unique.” Since their time at ATM, Zandi has continued to book for both Light Group and Hakkasan Group, while Linck forged her path as an independent digital marketing consultant. Through it all, Zandi and Linck have remained close, traveling the world, partying with famous friends and musicians, blasting their exploits on various social media channels and generally living up to the reputation of an industry that is known to play hard and work even harder. And while most of their history is in electronic dance music, they say their future is definitely open format. “We don’t want to be a strictly EDM booking company,” Zandi says, adding that live music isn’t outside the realm of possibility for Silent Partner, either.
SILENT PARTNERS
You might not know them by name, but you probably know their work.
ZANDI WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR BOOKING …
• Swedish House Mafia at The Joint in 2010. • Loco Dice and Carl Cox back to back for Sundown at Daylight this summer. • This year’s Disclosure Wild Life series at Light and Daylight. LINCK MADE HER MARK ON DIGITAL NIGHTLIFE WITH …
• Hakkasan’s pre-opening marketing campaign in 2013. • Assistance on the rollout of Swedish House Mafia’s 2014 documentary Leave the World Behind. • Atlantic City’s Revel nightlife branding campaign in 2012.
Carl Cox.
NIGHTLIFE
By Ian Caramanzana
blood Julian Jordan opens. (In Caesars Palace, 10:30 p.m., OmniaNightclub.com.)
SUN 20 Take advantage of the tripledegree heat by hitting up XS for Sunday Nightswim with RL Grime. The Los Angeles DJ/producer seamlessly surfed through a barrage of genres including spine-rattling trap and future bass during his set at last month’s HARD Summer festival. He’s bound to bring a similar variety to this pool party. (In Encore, 10 p.m., XSLasVegas.com.) Bingo goes from the rec room to the club at Hakkasan when Dutch electro-house producer Bingo Players spins. He recently dropped a “Curiosity” remix EP featuring new takes on his single by Henry Fong and Autolaser. See if he’s got the chops to awaken your curiosity. (In MGM Grand, 10:30 p.m., HakkasanLV.com.)
MON 21 The Weeknd.
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As residents of the Nightlife Capital of the World, we’re spoiled; we’re able to catch some of the biggest DJs on a daily basis, such as Calvin Harris, Tiësto and Steve Angello. But local DJs are thriving, too. Take DJ Kid Conrad, for example. The Las Vegas native has established residencies at clubs including Foxtail, The Bank and 1 Oak, and he still fnds the time to make it out to other cities. Last month, Conrad spun at Infusion Lounge in San Francisco and AD in San Diego. He’ll cash out at The Bank tonight, so give him a hero’s welcome. (In Bellagio, 10:30 p.m., TheBankLasVegas.com.)
FRI 18 By now, you’ve had ample time to digest The Weeknd’s sophomore effort, Beauty
Behind the Madness. The album showcases the Toronto singer’s knack for writing incredibly catchy pop tunes—a departure from the hazy soundscapes of his previous work. Beauty has gotten rave reviews across the board, and it’s turned the previously bedroom producer/singer into a bona fde pop star. See him perform at Drai’s to kickstart your … weekend. (In the Cromwell, 10:30 p.m., DraisNightlife.com.) Bass invades the space when Bassjackers hit Light. The Dutch duo is composed of DJ Marlon Flohr and producer Ralph van Hilst, who have been best friends since high school. Now, instead of working together on science projects, the two team up to create some hard-hitting house. Not a bad evolution, if you ask us! (In Mandalay Bay, 10:30 p.m., TheLightVegas.com.) Not into smooth R&B or fstpumping madness? Borgore
brings his signature brand of colossal dubstep to Foxtail Pool. We suggest bringing earplugs. (In SLS, 10:30 a.m., FoxtailLasVegas.com.)
SAT 19 Are you following the messy breakup of Martin Garrix and Spinnin’ Records? The 19-year-old electro-house producer left the EDM label after several disagreements regarding music ownership and management. Spinnin’ Records CEO Eelko van Kooten issued a statement late last month, explaining that the label was willing to negotiate a severance, even though Garrix was unwilling to talk. The DJ eventually announced his #DontCrackUnderPressure campaign with TAG Heuer— hinting at the possibility of a new label. Comfort the DJ when he mans the decks at Omnia. The Netherlands’ new
The Borgeous Army continues to grow. Fans in Montreal welcomed the progressive house DJ with a “Borgeous” chant, shirts and signs when he visited the city last month. And it’s hard not to love the guy; take a listen to “Zero Gravity,” his collab with Canadian singer Lights, and you’ll fnd her infectiously catchy hook is the perfect complement to his melodic brand of house. Listen to the bumpin’ tune, then
RL Grime.
catch Borgeous at Marquee. (In the Cosmopolitan, 10 p.m., MarqueeLasVegas.com.)
TUE 22 Vanguard Lounge’s resident DJs Sucio and Exile present Studio V. It’s an open-genre, openformat night for open-minded people. Hear everything from electro house and hip-hop to reggaeton and more in this weekly affair. You might just discover your new favorite song. Hooray for variety! (516 Fremont St., 10 p.m., VanguardLV.com.)
WED 23 Wind down with some wings! Park on Fremont hosts Wing Wednesday just in time for football season. Ten bucks gets you a pound of wings and a beer. Now’s your chance to indulge in poultry at a park! We’ll, it’s not an actual park, but it’s about as close as you’re gonna get. (525 Fremont St., ParkOnFremont.com.) Martin Garrix.
NIGHTLIFE
Something in the Water Meet Jauz, the new thriller from the deep (house), at Life Is Beautiful By Kat Boehrer
SAM VOGEL WAS IN SAN
Francisco when we checked in about his upcoming gig at Life is Beautiful on September 26. It was his birthday week, and he spent it with family. Getting a few days off is a luxury for Vogel since he’s gotten so much recognition recently. To his fans he is known as Jauz, and his breakout hit, “Feel the Volume,” crept its way into main stage sets by huge artists, propelling Vogel onto those very same stages in a matter of months. What do you think of the Life Is Beautiful lineup?
It’s all over the place— which is so cool. One of my favorite bands is Rebelution, so to be on the same lineup as them is awesome. Whose performances would you like to see if you get some free time?
Rebelution and Atmosphere. There are so many, especially outside the electronic music side of things. I get to see those acts all the time, but the acts that I don’t get to see are the people I grew up listening to, and a lot of those people are on the Life Is Beautiful lineup.
September 17–23, 2015
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You’ve been touring a lot lately.
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I’ve been working on music for fve and a half years now, and this is the frst year not only that I’ve done festivals, [but also venue and club] shows. I started this year with Ultra Music Festival in Miami, and I’ve done Hard Summer in L.A. I did some campy stuff, such as Camp Bisco in Pennsylvania and Shambhala in Canada, and a couple of other festivals. I’ve defnitely gotten a taste of all the different sides of festival life, as far as electronic music is concerned. Which festival experience has been most special?
Hard Summer, without a doubt. I’ve lived in L.A. for the last couple of years. Before I was playing shows or anything, I couldn’t afford to go to the festival.
My girlfriend had to buy me a ticket to go. Then, this year, I got to play the festival on the main stage for 15,000 people. That was defnitely the most sentimental experience for me so far. What about a smaller venue—any standout parties you’ve played?
One of my favorite shows in the States was in Virginia Beach at this club called Peabody’s. It was maybe a 500-to600-person room, and I was on a tour with Borgore on a bus going across the country. And I [thought], “All right. We’re in Virginia Beach, no one knows
who I am.” But I’ve never seen a crowd go as crazy as them. So they surprised you because they knew who you were?
Yeah, I had a ton of fans there. I had a group of 50 people, who were like, “We came here just to see you!” A lot of stuff I play is more on the deep-house side of things. I wouldn’t say it’s mellow, but it’s more mellow than dubstep. The entire hour that I was playing, those kids made six or seven mosh pits to deep house, just going bonkers. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life!
What’s a new goal that you’ve set for yourself in your career?
I’ve reached a lot of milestones. For example, making a song with Skrillex is something that I never thought I could possibly achieve in my lifetime, and it’s already been done. I don’t have a set goal of, “This is what I want to accomplish next year.” No matter what I achieve and how good things get, I’m always focused on doing bigger and better things, and making myself better as a musician. And just working as hard as I can to keep things going in the right direction.
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702. 785. 6200
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NIGHTLIFE
PARTIES
ARTISAN
September 17–23, 2015
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1501 W. Sahara Ave.
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See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com
The original crew behind Red Dragon—the late ’90s industry party at China Grill in Mandalay Bay—will bring the party back to Las Vegas for a one-night throwback blowout on Thanksgiving Eve, November 25, at Lucky Foo’s Sushi, Cocktails & Kitchen in Henderson. Heading up the comeback are OG Red Dragon squad members Michael Fuller and Rosine Zelicskovics (née Frangie). Fuller, today a managing partner of Lucky Foo’s and owner of marketing consultancy Moving Sun, is also one of the original developers and partners of the inaugural 1998 party. Frangie, now the director of development and major gifts for ACLU of Nevada, also comes from a professional nightlife and hospitality background that began with Light Group in 2003, and remembers Red Dragon as one of the original patrons of the weekly event. Although much of the original crew has moved on since the end of the party series in the early 2000s, the plan is to reassemble for one more night of old-school fun. This party is currently invite-only, so if you were known to have slayed the Red Dragon a time or two, keep an eye on your inbox in the coming months. Of the venue selection for Red Dragon 2015, Fuller says, “When we built Lucky Foo’s, it was originally called Dragon Grill and the logo actually paid homage to the original logo that we built for Red Dragon. A lot of the concepts and undertones inside of the space are actually attributed to what we did with Red Dragon. [It] is perfect to house [the] event. We took the DNA from Red Dragon and put it in Lucky Foo’s.” “When you say ‘Red Dragon Wednesday Nights at China Grill,’ you think of the amazing house music. You think of the way everybody used to dress up. People would go there to see the people who were working, but [also] to be part of that whole scene,” Frangie says, reminiscing. “It was unlike anything that’s happening in Vegas at the time.” – Kat Boehrer
PHOTOS BY BOBBY JAMEIDAR
RED DRAGON INDUSTRY PARTY SWOOPS BACK IN FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY
NIGHTLIFE
PARTIES
LIQUID Aria
[ UPCOMING ]
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PHOTOS BY AMIT DADL ANEY
September 17–23, 2015
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Sept. 18 DJ Karma spins Sept. 19 Bae Watch Party with Platinum Models and DJ Shift
DINING
“Even if it’s casual, it will remain an Alain Ducasse restaurant. We keep our standards high.” {PAGE 53}
Restaurant reviews, news and a look at the grounds for choosing a cold-brewed coffee over an iced coffee
Bank Atcharawan takes it to the streets with his latest Chinatown concept By Al Mancini
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Thai Another One On
September 17–23, 2015
PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ
Clockwise from top: Kao Pad Rod Fai (fried rice with chicken), Sai Oua (northern thai spicy herb sausage), Street Pad Thai and Tom Yum Nam Kon soup.
VegasSeven.com
A GOOD REPUTATION CAN BRING INCREASED
pressure. The incredible acclaim achieved by Lotus of Siam—including the praise from Pulitzer-Prize-winning writer Jonathan Gold—made it hard to imagine that the Thai restaurant’s sommelier, Bank Atcharawan, would succeed when he went it alone in 2012. Nonetheless, his solo project Chada Thai & Wine was an overnight success. His second project, Chada Street, in the heart of Las Vegas’ Chinatown, has received mixed reviews in its opening weeks. I have foodie friends who love it, and others who feel quite the opposite. But I think both are going a little overboard in their critiques. Chada Street is a small restaurant that, as the name implies, focuses on street food, the sort of things I’ve eaten from vendors in Thailand. Some of Atcharawan’s renditions of these dishes have been exceptional. A few disappoint. And certain things (such as the fried rice) may be a bit too authentic for Americans. But I like the place, and anticipate returning frequently. Atcharawan is best known to wine enthusiasts for being named Sommelier of the Year by Food & Wine in 2003. But locals knew him long before that, from when he was pouring reasonably priced wines and amassing a considerable collection at Lotus. Rieslings are his most frequently offered varieties, but he’s earned respect for going much deeper into the cellar. That’s a tradition he carried on to the frst Chada concept. And he keeps it going at the new space. There are 50 bottles priced below $50, with the lowest being a $25 Spanish mourvedre. I’m not a serious wine drinker. (I’ll gladly grab a Polynesian cocktail a few doors down at the Golden Tiki on my way in—and again on my way out.) But at these prices I’m an easy convert. Of course, I didn’t come to Chada Street for the wine. I come for serious Thai cuisine at a good price. And Atcharawan delivers. If you want a real bargain, try the hor mon Phuket. It’s a tiny piece of seasonal fsh steamed wonderfully in a banana leaf with just the slightest hint of yellow curry. It’s a small portion, but at a mere $4, it’s impossible to complain. Another place where Chada hits it on the mark is the fried rice. Far too many Thai restaurants in the Valley rely heavily on Chinese and Japanese infuences on this dish. But if you’ve ever dined on the streets of Bangkok, you know true
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[ LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL ]
Bank Atcharawan is something of a local hero to the city’s sommeliers—and deservedly so.
Al’s
Menu Picks Hor Mon Phuket ($4), Sia Oua ($8) and Kao Pad Rid Fai ($6-$12).
Thai fried rice is mildly sweet, with a nice fresh tomato in the center, and Chada’s as authentic as you’ll fnd on this side of the Pacifc. Another incredible dish is the sai oua, a very spicy pork sausage reminiscent of the dishes on Lotus of Siam’s “secret” Northern Thai menu. And you don’t want to miss the
kanom pung dessert: sweet, steamed bread served warm with an amazing pandan leaf-favored custard. As much as I like this place (and I like it a lot), there are a few dishes I’ll avoid on my next visit. The catfsh larb is mediocre at best. The Street Pad Thai is decent, but not exceptional. And the tod mun pla (spicy fsh cake) has an odd gelatinous texture. But none of those things bothers me much. Part of what I love about American Thai food is the chefs’ ability to experiment. And this is a great place to mix the traditional with the not so traditional. Chada Street may never garner
the same accolades that Lotus of Siam has earned, but on a street packed with some of Las Vegas’ top Asian cuisine, this is a place where you can get authentic Thai food and a very good glass of wine without breaking the bank.
CHADA STREET
3839 Spring Mountain Rd., 702-579-0207, ChadaStreet.com. Open daily for lunch 11:30 a.m.3 p.m., and dinner 5 p.m.-3 a.m. Dinner for two, $25-$60.
[ JUST A SIP ]
HOPE IN A BOTTLE
What if ordering your favorite varietal, say, pinot
noir from Edna Valley, California, helped educate women about their risk of heart disease? That would certainly make every sip worth the price, wouldn’t it? Crafted in collaboration with consultant winemaker Rob Mondavi Jr., award-winning wines from ONEHOPE (OneHopeWine.com) make a positive worldwide social impact by aligning specific varietals to different causes. Half of the program’s profits goes to make a difference somewhere in the world; for example, providing clean water, supporting our troops or offering micro-loans to indigenous farms to break the
September 17–23, 2015
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poverty cycle. ¶ To date, 678 cancer patients have been provided with clinical
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trials from the sale of ONEHOPE chardonnay; 1,105 children with autism have received ABA therapy thanks to cabernet sauvignon sales; and 6,394 pets have found loving homes by way of California pinot noir. Closer to home, as part of the company’s Sands Cares corporate-citizenship initiative, the Venetian, the Palazzo and Sands Expo feature ONEHOPE to benefit Three Square food bank. ¶ “This program will help fund 18 meals to people in need in Southern Nevada, for every 12 bottles of wine sold,” says George Markantonis, president and CEO of the Venetian. Selections available locally include a California cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay. – Marisa Finetti
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.
Even with 80-plus musical acts, more than 30 world-class street artists, live culinary demos and a speaker series, there will still be moments of downtime amid the excitement at the Life Is Beautiful festival (Sept. 25-27, LifeIsBeautiful.com). That’s the time to grab a bite and a little refreshment from any of the four Culinary Villages and many beverage sponsor experiences (also known as brand activations) scattered throughout the festival footprint. Joining Ketel One, Jack Daniel’s, FernetBranca and Milagro in the lineup of major sponsors are Dos Equis beer and Champagne Taittinger. Look for the Dos Equis (and Heineken) activation at Seventh Street and Ogden Avenue, as well as the 10 roaming vendors serving Dos Equis from backpack dispensers around the Downtown and Ambassador stages from 5 p.m. Taittinger will pour its brut Champagne and Domaine Carneros American sparkling wine at a booth by the Ambassador stage. On the Hyde Out VIP stage, Taittinger bottle service will begin at the standard 750 milliliters and go all the way up to a 15-liter Nebuchadnezzar (equivalent to 20 bottles). Also available are 750-milliliter bottles of Taittinger’s elite Comtes de Champagne blanc de blancs and rosé. Happily, the draft cocktail program is a go, with two confirmed offerings. Rhum Clément Créole Shrub will serve its Born on the Bayou on draft at the corner of Fremont and Eighth Streets near the Insomniac stage. (Next to that, find whole baby coconuts filled with coconut water and rum!) And Milagro Tequila will have a spot on Seventh Street between Stewart and Ogden avenues for its Piña Verde draft cocktail. In anticipation of the heat, seven frozen cocktails are confirmed, and will be spread throughout the festival to instantly bring on a chill. There will be one from each marquee sponsor, plus a frozen Wondermint Grasshopper, Bols Yoghurt frozen yogurt stand with chooseyour-own toppings and a frozen Irish coffee a la New Orleans’ infamous Erin Rose bar, made with Teeling Irish Whiskey and Caffè Borghetti. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey will debut the JDX, a 60-foot tractor-trailer that opens into a two-story music-themed party patio with a DJ booth, awnings and a Jack Daniel’s cocktail bar. Get off your feet and into the shade at the Ketel One Lounge, offering ottomans, a photo booth and pub table charging stations at the Downtown Stage. In the Culinary Village by that same stage, get your #RoséAllDay on with Acrobat Rosé and Carpano Bianco spritzers. Yes, spritzers. Now, if you’re curious about what goes into batching 5,000 gallons of cocktails (120,000 individual drinks!), you can observe the goings-on from the fence behind Container Park on Eighth Street. Joining the Wirtz Beverage Nevada team in “Batch World” are beverage development manager Eric Hay and beverage development specialist Johnny Costello. Watch it, then drink it. - Xania Woodman For details about the AfterLife after-hours lineup, SoundHouse and recovery brunches, visit VegasSeven.com/LIBActivations2015.
PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ
DINING
LIQUOR BRANDS WILL KEEP FESTIVALGOERS ENGAGED, REFRESHED
DINING
Chameleon Espresso Coffee (CB) A medium-bodied black coffee, Chameleon is round, supple and smooth, with Swiss Miss cocoa-like qualities and a mellow fnish. $4, 10 oz., Whole Foods. Illy Issimo Caffè No Sugar (IC) From Italian coffee company Illy comes an outstanding, bold taste with all the qualities of freshly brewed espresso: velvety texture, measured earthiness, balanced bitterness and a smidge of caramel. $2.70, 6.8 oz., Whole Foods. Stumptown Original (CB) This Portland, Oregon-based coffee roasters’ original brew is ever so slightly reminiscent of instant coffee crystals. Quite angular and with high acidity for cold brew, the lightly roasted style brew offers aromas of bell pepper and oversteeped tea. $4, 10.5 oz., Fresh & Easy. Bob Marley’s One Drop Coffee (IC) Made from Jamaican beans, the taste is creamy, sweet and smooth, with subtle vanilla and cane sugar favors. $2.30, 11 oz., Sprouts. Kohana Sweet Black (CB) Delicate and faintly sweetened (with monk fruit), this coffee has aromas of caramel, walnut and banana. A seemingly complete lack of tannins makes it soft and easy to drink. $2.80, 11 oz., Whole Foods.
Buzzing Away Grabbing and going with iced and cold-brewed cofees
September 17–23, 2015
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By Marisa Finetti with Kirk Peterson, Certifed Sommelier
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PRIZED FOR ITS ABILITY TO BOTH COOL AND CAFFEINATE, iced coffee is a warm-weather ritual. Ready-to-drink single-serving versions are perfect for when you’re on the go, but which will you choose— traditional iced coffee or the increasingly popular cold brew? I teamed up with sommelier and beverage director of B&B Hospitality Group Las Vegas, Kirk Peterson, a fellow coffee addict and Vegas Seven contributing wine writer, to taste (and smell) a sampling of both styles to help you flter through the choices. But frst, a little coffee clarifcation: Cold Brew (CB) is created by steeping ground coffee in room-temperature water
for 12-plus hours. The result is typifed by unadulterated coffee favors and aromas, and less acidity. Iced Coffee (IC) is hot, brewed coffee that is cooled instantly cooled to retain its acidity and is sometimes blended with favor enhancers, resulting in a tasty, often sweet and milky beverage. If you’re more of a frappuccino fan and prefer your coffee softened with sweetness, go more for the traditional iced-coffee. Drink cold brew if you enjoy a well-crafted coffee-favored coffee, tend to enjoy your coffee unadulterated by cream and sugar, or are worried about your hipster street cred.
UCC Original With Milk (IC) Japan’s original coffee in a can is light, sweet, milky, slightly bitter and charming in its simplicity. $3, 11 oz., Greenland Supermarket. High Brew Double Espresso (CB) Boldly favored with medium acidity and a touch of condensed milk, making for a creamy and generous coffee reminiscent of chocolate milk and butterscotch. $2.50, 8 oz., Glaziers. Lucky Jack Old School (CB) The Las Vegas-based coffee company delivers a lightly effervescent brew that recalls the aroma of a fresh-brewed pot of classic diner Joe with good body, mild acidity and minimal bitterness. $2.30, 10.5 oz., Glaziers.
[ SCENE STIRS ]
By Al Mancini
PHOTO BY PIERRE MONET TA
THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING EXCITING
about walking through a restaurant that’s being renovated. It’s even more exciting when you know the space as it once was, and can witness it moving in a different direction. I had that experience recently on the top foor of the Delano. There, in the former footprint of Mix by Alain Ducasse, I sat down with the restaurant’s executive chef, Bruno Riou, to discuss the space’s new identity, Rivea. “Basically, it’s a whole new chapter,” Riou says. “We’ve been working on this since the end of June.” Several design elements will remain when Rivea and the adjacent lounge, Skyfall, open in fall. The cascading glass spheres, which have been imitated by more than a few local restaurants, aren’t going anywhere. The second-foor loft seating, which hasn’t been used in a while because it wasn’t handicapaccessible, will remain as a decorative addition to the room, although the stairs have been removed. But perhaps most importantly, a northfacing storage room with a 180-degree view of the Valley has been converted into Rivea +, a private dining room. A separate kitchen will serve just that room. The chef is also determined to
make Rivea a bit less stuffy than its predecessor. While Mix earned a Michelin star and was not the kind of place I ever would have entered without a jacket, I’m assured that my go-to uniform of jeans and a T-shirt will be a bit more acceptable here. “It’s going to be a little more casual,” Riou says. “But at the same time it’s still going to be a wonderful restaurant. There will always be a sophistication about it. So even if it’s casual, it will remain an Alain Ducasse restaurant. We keep our standards high.” “The cuisine by which Alain Ducasse has always been inspired ranges from St. Tropez to Genoa,” Riou says. While it is far from fnalized, the menu is expected to include “house-made pizzettes, pastas and premium grill offerings with Mediterranean accents that embody the nature of the Riviera,” Riou says. That’s a perfect ft for Riou, who grew up with the Mediterranean infuences of both France and Italy. “My grandmother was from Corsica,” he says. “That’s where I spent most of my holidays. And my granddad was in the garden, growing all kinds of vegetables: carrots, potatoes, beets. So that’s where I really started [cooking]. My granddad was doing the garden, and I was helping
him and learning. And my grandma would cook what came from the garden every day.” To reconnect his European roots, Riou and his team spent much of the summer traveling. They visited Ducasse’s existing Rivea restaurants in St. Tropez and London, and also traveled to Monaco. They returned in early July and have been working on recipes ever since. And the chef says that four years after arriving in Las Vegas, it’s far easier today to get the quality of ingredients his grandfather produced in his garden. “When I frst came here it was quite challenging,” he says. “But there’s now a trend of farm-totable cuisine. People are a lot more educated about their food. We’re getting there. The vendors now know what we’re looking for.” Riou clearly knows this town and how to take a beloved restaurant in a new direction. And when Rivea fnally opens its doors in a few weeks, Ducasse will almost certainly make an appearance. Moreover, there is no doubt that Ducasse’s infuence will be present in every plate. But when Ducasse moves on to another of his restaurants elsewhere in the world, Riou will be the guy making sure everything is up to his boss’ standards.
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Rivea executive chef Bruno Riou dishes on the Delano restaurant's well-deserved makeover
September 17–23, 2015
Mixing Things Up
An ice-cold Tenaya Creek beer would have gone down easy, standing in the blazing August sun outside 831 W. Bonanza Road. But there are no brews to be had here just yet; the former plumbing-supply warehouse is still being converted into Tenaya Creek Brewery's new production facility and taproom, slated to open in October. Upon its completion, plans call for the sale of the original Summerlin location for which Tenaya Creek takes its name. “Maybe 'Bonanza Creek?'” staffers joke about a highly unlikely name change, but even with a new address closer to Downtown than Red Rock, Tenaya Creek continues inching closer to a purely beer-focused existence. To understand the significance of this move, you have to remember that Tenaya Creek opened in 1999 as a fine dining restaurant and brewery with gaming. The two distractions of food and gaming eventually fell away, allowing owner Tim Etter to focus on beer production. In its new digs on an industrial corridor—just west of Interstate 15 and north of the U.S. 95 Interchange—Tenaya Creek will take a giant leap in the direction of distribution, as well as offer a new guest experience and even a classroom. Park in the massive lot that will also host beer festivals and food trucks and enter through the taproom. A long gray quartz bar faces the wall of taps, 28 in all for Tenaya's six year-round brews plus one-offs, limited releases, seasonals and guest taps. Some of the light fixtures might look familiar as they were brought over from the Summerlin location. Sit at the bar, at pub tables or on the patio. "By 11 a.m. this area is already shaded and will remain that way the rest of the day," sales manager Alex Graham points out. But the real jewel is the original vaulted redwood ceiling soaring high overhead in the 11,000-square-foot brewery behind the tap room. A little seating area with floor-toceiling windows looks right into the facility. Beside this is Graham's favorite aspect of the project, a small classroom, where he can teach UNLV students about beer stewardship. Head brewer Anthony Gibson hopes to fire up the new brewhouse and start cooking as soon as possible. Meanwhile, in Henderson, another brewery is just getting started. Lovelady Brewing Co. ceremonially broke ground on August 19. The 6,000-square-foot production facility and taproom will offer tours, tastings, pints, bottles and growler fills of Lovelady's signature "creative craft lagers." At the helm is Richard Lovelady, currently head brewer at Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. Lovelady will leave there at the end of the year to work full time on his eponymous brewery at 20 S. Water Street. Lovelady says he's aiming for a March 4 opening; the date also happens to be his birthday. I honestly can't think of a better present. – Xania Woodman
VegasSeven.com
ON TAP: TENAYA CREEK EXPANDS, LOVELADY BREAKS GROUND
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A&E
A&E
“We got too wild last night. This time, my parents are here, but they're used to it." CONCERT {PAGE 58}
Music, movies, television and cool pictures of buildings
An MLK for Today
Saul Williams talks up a revolution with Martyr Loser King By Zoneil Maharaj
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industry and inspiring people to be “weird as fuck” before he hits Las Vegas for a book reading at Barnes & Noble and a performance at the Sayers Club in SLS, both on September 21. US(a) is your first book in nine years. Why now?
Nine years? Fuck. Holy shit. It has been nine years. I never think of the time I’ve been away from releasing shit. What can we expect from the book?
[The publisher] came up with the idea: “We want you to write a book of poems about America.” Michael Brown, Eric Garner and all this stuff that’s going on—I grew up in this America. Much of what I felt is what it’s always felt like; this shit is never changing. The book contains more poems than I’ve ever released [at once]. ... I was given a oneyear deadline to write 40,000 words on what it was like to be back in the States. My approach was nonlinear in that I was writing poems, I was recording dreams, and I ended up writing scripts based on some of these dreams and ideas. The book itself is a quick glimpse into the workings of my head.
PHOTO BY GEORDIE WOOD; THE GROWLERS BY CARLOS L ARIOS
September 17–23, 2015
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SAUL WILLIAMS IS A
radical, multidisciplinary threat. A poet, musician, writer, actor and activist, the New York native has garnered acclaim with all of his projects, from his breakthrough role in the 1998 Marc Levin flm Slam! to his Trent Reznor-produced 2007 album, The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust. His words, written or spoken, are incendiary; his music, a hybrid of hiphop, punk and tribal beats, is discordant and electrifying. After spending the last few years living in Paris, he returned Stateside last year to star in the Tupac Shakur-inspired Broadway musical Holler If Ya Hear Me. He also got working on the justreleased poetry book US(a), and a graphic novel and companion album, Martyr Loser King, which is scheduled for release in early 2016. Its eponymous protagonist is a Central Africa-based hacker who sparks a revolution via his computer, aided by his transgender girlfriend. We caught up with Williams to talk about his latest works, reinventing the music
“Performance for me is ritual”: Saul Williams onstage.
THE ESSENTIAL SAUL WILLIAMS Highlights from a prolifc career
Slam (film, 1998): Williams stars as Ray Joshua, an aspiring inner-city poet who winds up in jail on drug charges. His fiery spoken word captivates those in the prison yard and in his neighborhood, inspiring them to break the cycle of violence. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
PHOTO BY PIOTR WOJNARSKI
Just symbolism. The idea itself came from the mispronunciation of “Martin Luther King” by francophone people who, when they say his name, they go (speaks in a French accent) “Martyr Loser King.” That made me hear it that way, and also sparked the idea of what I could do with the “martyr.” We’re living at a time right now where we’re literally counting the number of people picked off by police and the number of people picked off by gun violence. There are several martyrs each day. The “loser” is the idea of someone who does not identify with the capitalist conception of what winning means. If winning means a lot of money in terms of the One Percent, that makes a lot of us losers. [The character] identifes with being a loser in the same way that someone like Beck or Thom Yorke would be like, “I’m a loser, I’m a creep." It’s a little tongue-in-cheek. The promo messages from the Martyr Loser King rollout have been scrambled and mysterious. Why?
Because there’s a long pre-roll. Martyr Loser King is a graphic novel that’s
When you dropped Niggy Tardust in 2007, you offered it as a name-yourprice download. Did you know then that the industry would go in that direction?
It was obvious, in terms of people downloading, the access the average person has to music and the belief that we’ve always had, which was just that: If I have a choice between hearing it for free and not hearing it because I don’t have money, I’m gonna choose to hear it for free because I love music. Right? We can’t fool ourselves about that. It forces the industry to reinvent itself, but the listener is always gonna take the easiest route. I’d do the same thing. What do you think might be the next reinvention in the music industry?
Compensating artists. (Laughs.) How about that? When I released Niggy Tardust, most of my spiel was about what it means to take away the middleman, and we still haven’t successfully taken away the middleman … You have to go to a site, to an interface, that introduces you to a lot of artists, like Spotify and whatever the fuck. So there are still middlemen, and the middlemen beneft greatly at the expense of the artist. The huge question when you talk about reinvention has more to do within the culture of us realizing the value and importance of our arts in America. We’ve taken them out of schools. We’ve perpetuated a lot of
bullshit in pop art. It goes in cycles, but I think a culture that really values the arts and the artistic voices of their citizens is truthfully the most progressive. What can we expect from you in Vegas?
Performance for me is ritual. If I’m releasing something new into the world, then I consider myself traveling around and performing a series of rituals to welcome it. I don’t know what that means because, really, the night is gonna determine it. In a place like Vegas, I might be trying to end early so I can have fun at a slot machine afterward. Speaking with only knowledge of your art, Vegas doesn’t seem like your kind of city.
Like my kind of city, huh? (Laughs.) I have been to Vegas before for concerts, and I have partied there. I don’t know if it’s my cup of tea or not because I don’t know the Vegas that goes to poetry readings, so I’m interested in that Vegas. What’s your goal as an artist?
Amethyst Rock Star (album, 2001): For his debut album, Williams enlisted legendary producer Rick Rubin to cement the foundation of what would become Williams’ signature eclecticism. Spitting his incantations over rock, jungle and drum-and-bass, Williams challenged hip-hop—and exorcised it. Said the Shotgun to the Head (book, 2003): This third book by Williams features a single, epic poem told by a man who kisses a female messiah, spiraling into a spiritual awakening. Full of vivid imagery, he utilizes the font and layout of the text to move the poem and invoke emotion.
On one level, creatively, there’s a type of lucidity that I aim to reach, just being able to spew out art. Whether it’s through speaking or making music or performing, I like challenging myself to create. … The other side of that would be to reach people, to transcend critical acclaim and actually touch some hearts and minds with the work that I’m doing, and inspire a generation to be weird as fuck. Weird and thoughtful.
SAUL WILLIAMS
7 p.m. Sept. 21, The Sayers Club at SLS, $22, 702-761-7618. Book signing: 4 p.m. Sept. 21, Barnes & Noble, 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd., 702-631-1775.
Saul Williams (album, 2004): Among his most accessible works, Williams continues to speak through a bullhorn to address topics such as race in hip-hop and U.S.-Iraqi relations. It’s still potent and abrasive, only with a few hooks you can sing along to.
VegasSeven.com
What’s the connection between Martyr Loser King and Martin Luther King?
gonna come out in 2016. The podcast and all the stuff that we’re doing is just playing with the ideas that are on the surface while not giving away too much. Even the album is scrambled in terms of ideas. I don’t know if you’d be able to piece together the whole story without me telling it to you. There will probably be a part two of the album that comes out when the graphic novel does.
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I conceptualized the story when I was living in Paris primarily because I was learning so much about the world, about different cultures. At the same time, I was looking at the stream of topics that were circulating globally and in the U.S., whether it had to do with transgender rights, racism, exploitation, the Occupy movement, gay laws that were passing, anti-gay laws that were passing in Uganda—all of these things. I just wanted to create a platform that would allow me to talk about all of these things within the context of the story.
September 17–23, 2015
What inspired Martyr Loser King?
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CONCERTS
Lenny Kravitz Turns Back the Clock
The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan, Sept. 8
A&E
Illness and voice loss couldn’t prevent rock god Lenny Kravitz from making it to the Chelsea stage, though it did make him a
VEGAS IS READING 1 Dragonfish, Vu Tran.
bit tardy. Kravitz apologized to the packed house and declared that the numbers on a wristwatch are largely irrelevant: “Time don’t mean shit,” he said. Then he launched
2 Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates.
into a series of funky hits that don’t seem 20 years old. Backed by his 10-piece band, Kravitz slayed “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over,” “Always on the Run” and “Let Love Rule.” However, some of the songs lost traction because prolonged instrumental solos wore out their welcomes. Still, Kravitz managed to close the set brilliantly with passionate renditions of “Fly Away” and “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” If you were
3 Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee.
4 Home, Carson Ellis.
5 Rel[am]ent, Jamison Crabtree.
patient enough not to look at your watch, they proved well worth the wait. ★★★✩✩ – Brjden Crewe
The Growlers Come Clean, But Keep It Rowdy
6 What Pet Should I Get? Dr. Seuss.
7 We Are Called to Rise, Laura McBride.
8 Modern Romance, Aziz Ansari and Eric Klinenberg.
When the Growlers invaded the Bunkhouse in February, the evening consisted of a fistfight, a theft (one fan stole a band member’s wallet), moshing and gallons of spilled beer. On the second night of a two-night stint at Vinyl, we saw a different version of Los Growlers, embodied by Brooks Nielsen’s new clean-cut appearance. He’s traded his curly locks for neatly parted hair, and he sported a sharp jacket that he ditched after the first three songs because of the heat. (The band's Facebook page later revealed that Nielsen got married that weekend, explaining the new look.) “We got too wild last night. This time, my parents are here, but they’re used to it,” Nielsen said. With that, Orange County’s “beach goth” sextet launched into the bouncing, syncopated melody of “Gay Thoughts,” which served as the introduction to a polished, albeit safe, set. Nielsen cleaned up his lyrics— replacing “fucked” with “messed”—but fans still managed to find excuses to get rowdy. During guitarist Matt Taylor’s solo performance of “Dull Boy,” one fan managed to sneak onstage and dance for the duration of the song while sharing a beer with Kyle Straka. Highlights included Straka’s effortless switch from keyboards to lead guitar during “Good Advice,” and Nielsen’s powerful, yet raspy vocal on “Rare Hearts.” The sold-out crowd showed its approval by singing along, shoving and splashing beer to “Going Gets Tough” and “One Million Lovers.” So much for keeping it clean. ★★★✩✩ – Ian Caramanzana
9 My Struggle: Book 1, Karl Ove Knausgaard.
According to recent sales figures at the Writer’s Block, 1020 Fremont St. Suite 100, 702-550-6399, TheWritersBlock.org.
September 17–23, 2015
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KILLING US SOFTLY Lauryn Hill sang the hell out of “Feeling Good,” one of the six Nina Simone songs she covered on the recent Nina Revisited tribute album. Hill, like Simone, is a passionate performer—often late, but worth the wait. See Hill in action at Brooklyn Bowl on Sept. 18 ($55).
DANDO CAN DO Singer Evan Dando remains the only constant in the Lemonheads lineup. Happily, he’s still serving up the same stuff you bought yesterday, if by “stuff’ you mean wistful songs such as “Confetti,” and if by “yesterday” you mean 1992. The band plays at the Sayers Club on Sept. 23 ($22).
ON SALE NOW Neil Young has been on the road with Promise of the Real (featuring two of Willie Nelson’s sons, Lukas and Micah) plugging The Monsanto Years, an anti-GMO concept album. The second leg of their Rebel Content tour brings them to the Chelsea on Oct. 11 ($65-$250).
KRAVITZ BY ERIK K ABIK/ERIKK ABIK.COM; THE GROWLERS BY CARLOS L ARIOS
10 New American Stories, edited by Ben Marcus
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VegasSeven.com
Vinyl at Hard Rock, Sept. 12
The
[ TELEVISION ]
HIT LIST
LAS VEGAS STARS IN NBC’S THE PLAYER
GETTING OUR ARCHITECTURE SQUARELY IN FOCUS
When the city's Office of Cultural Affairs held an open call for photographers to document Las Vegas’ architecturally significant buildings for a permanent visual record, Jennifer Burkart and Ryan Reason, the talented duo behind Square Shooting Professional Photography, won the bid. Soon after, in September 2014, the pair ventured forth to capture photos of such buildings as the city’s first chapel (Wee Kirk o’ the Heather Wedding Chapel, built in 1940), first Catholic Church (St. Joan of Arc Parish, 1940) and the bar with the first liquor license (Atomic Liquors, 1952). The result of their nine months of effort, In Focus: Down-
town Architecture, commissioned by the Las Vegas Arts Commission under the Percent for the Arts Ordinance, opens at City Hall's Chamber Gallery on September 17. Burkart and Reason couldn’t be prouder of the work, or of Las Vegas itself. “Our images represent the city we love. How cool is that?” Reason says. “This project may change preconceived notions of Las Vegas’ architecture.” “Who else has a City Hall covered in LEDs?” Burkart says. Carrying out a project of this caliber presented special challenges. It saw many predawn shoots and shouted threats from the characters who dot the streets of Downtown in the early morning hours. Undeterred, Burkart and Reason simply added safety whistles to their field kits. In Focus: Downtown Architecture is not only visually impressive but it will leave our city with cohesive documentation of our most important and noteworthy structures. Which IN FOCUS: DOWNTOWN begs the question: Which ARCHITECTURE buildings do Burkart and Through Nov. 19 at the Reason wish they could Chamber Gallery in City have shot, to make the Hall, 495 S. Main St. series truly complete? (Second Floor), “The Landmark,” 702-721-9893, Reason says. And after SquareShooting.com. a moment, Burkart says, Opening reception “The Huntridge Theater, Sept. 17, 5-7 p.m. pre-paint job.” – Jennifer Kleven
DESERT MENU New Mexico’s desert landscape is the backdrop for Kirstin Valdez Quade’s collection of stories, Night at the Fiestas. The tales embody violence and loss: In one, the father of a pregnant teenager plays Jesus; in another, a woman unearths her cousin’s violent past. Quade reads at the Writer’s Block on Sept. 17, 8 p.m. TheWritersBlock.org. OUT OF STEP It’s an old-school punk takeover at Double Down Saloon at 10 p.m. Sept. 18 for the release party of We're Loud: '90s Cassette Punk Unknowns. The LP features cassette recordings by local and regional punk bands from '93-'99. How dirty and dingy is it gonna get? Just take a look at the names of the bands that might make an appearance: the Fucking Pigs, the Barf Bags and Oblong Boxers. This is not for the timid. DoubleDownSaloon.com. DOUBLE THE HORROR Follow Brad and Janet’s journey through Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s elaborate mansion in real time as a live cast reenacts The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Sci Fi Center on Sept. 19. The cult classic screens promptly at 10 p.m., but you should show up at 8 for Darren Lynn Bousman’s The Devil's Carnival. Twofer! TheSciFiCenter.com WHITE COLLAR, BLACK TIE The Book of Mormon returns to The Smith Center at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22. The New York Times called this Tony-winning production— which features a female circumcisionobsessed Ugandan general named General Butt-Fucking Naked—“the best musical of this century.” Who knew South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone would get this respectable? TheSmithCenter.com.
VegasSeven.com
[ ART ]
on the street. Only in Vegas would people on the street [look on passively] as a guy in his underwear is chased by a guy with a gun.” Rogers became familiar with the diversity of Vegas early in his career when he performed stand-up in a club near the Tropicana, and made sure that the city itself played a substantial role. “In the second episode there’s an armored car heist, and a plane on a little air feld in the desert,” Rogers says. “There are not a lot of cities that [provide that range] of sets, and it allows us to make every episode very different.” The show’s settings, landmarks, and colloquialisms will make locals feel at home. And will some familiar Vegas faces make their way onto the show? “We’re trying to bring local celebrities into it,” Rogers says. “As the show gets up and running, we’ll fgure that out.” – Nancy Dunham
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ple and a lot of people who have a deep history there,” Rogers says. “We are using the classic noir vibe that radiates off the Strip. But the show gives a very three-dimensional view of the city. There’s a reason that the conspiracy [portrayed in the show] set up shop here.” The storyline revolves around Alex Kane (played by Philip Winchester), a former military operative turned security agent. He is drawn into a high-stakes game to stop some of the biggest crimes imaginable and, coincidentally, to avenge his wife’s death. Snipes plays Johnson, a pit boss, and British actor Charity Wakefeld plays a dealer. Vegas residents and afcionados will appreciate the locally flmed set pieces, such as when Winchester pursues an underwearclad man down Fremont Street. “When I saw that scene, I said, ‘Where did you get all of the extras?” Rogers says. “They told me those weren’t extras, just people
Lloyd D. George Courthouse, documented. THE PL AYER BY GREGORY E. PETERS/NBC; COURTHOUSE PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF L AS VEGAS
By Ian Caramanzana
Playtime: Wesley Snipes and Charity Wakefield.
September 17–23, 2015
JOHN ROGERS KNOWS A THING OR TWO
about rolling the dice. His previous wagers have paid off in hit movies such as the 2007's Transformers and television shows such as TNT’s The Librarians. But television critics and fans wonder if Rogers’ luck will hold as he introduces The Player, which he wrote and co-executive produces. NBC is betting the show, which debuts September 24, will net the same high ratings as the beloved James Spader action drama The Blacklist, which helped turn NBC’s prime time around with an average of 9.51 million viewers last season. Rogers talks as if The Player is a sure thing, which it might well be. The show boasts the same creative team as The Blacklist, plus major star power in Wesley Snipes. And it combines traces of comedy with kick-ass action and a mysterious pulp fction vibe—think The X-Files. But The Player’s true ace-upthe-sleeve, says Rogers, is its Las Vegas setting. “We are really taking advantage of the fact that Las Vegas is a city with a rich history. It’s a hub with a lot of visitors, a lot of transient peo-
TARGETING THIS WEEK'S MOST-WANTED EVENTS
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A&E
MOVIES
SIGNS OF REVIVAL
M. NIGHT TERRORS
Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie).
The twist of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Visit is that it’s actually kinda good By Cary Darling Tribune Media Services
REMEMBER WHAT THE WORLD WAS LIKE
when anyone last cared about an M. Night Shyamalan movie? George W. Bush was in the White House, Vanessa Carlton was on the radio, and you couldn’t tweet about how cool you thought Signs was because Twitter wasn’t even around yet. The early 2000s seem like several lifetimes ago, especially for the director who soared early in his career with The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and, yes, Signs, and then spiraled into creative free fall through the likes of The Last Airbender and After Earth. But with the clever, cheeky and only slightly scary horror flm The Visit, Shyamalan is partying like it’s 2000 all over again. Fifteen-year-old budding documentary flmmaker Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and her 13-year-old wannabe rapper brother, Tyler (Ed Oxenbould), are going to visit their grandparents, whom they’ve never seen. Mom (Kathryn Hahn) cut ties with her parents years ago when she ran off with her children’s father—who has since left her for another woman. Grandfather, a.k.a. Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie), and Nana (Deanna Du-
nagan) have tracked their daughter down online and invited the children to stay for a week at their isolated farm in the Pennsylvania countryside where there’s no cellphone service. That means Mom can take a break from parenting to spend some quality time with her boyfriend by going on a cruise. And, if Mom and the kids need to talk, there’s always Skype. Sounds like a good plan? Well, what part of “isolated farm” don’t you understand? Of course, Pop Pop and Nana turn out to be as creepy as midnight in a graveyard. But it’s good that Becca has brought a couple of cameras and her laptop along to document all the strange things that go bump in the long night. Since much of the flm is from the viewpoint of her cameras, The Visit fts
into the tiresome found-footage trend, but Shyamalan, who also wrote the script, unexpectedly injects it all with a wily sense of humor that works. Much of the success of The Visit goes to the cast, specifcally to the two young Australians DeJonge and especially Oxenbould (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day). They display a very real sense of sibling chemistry and an almost improvisatory sense of comic timing that make their interactions a joy to watch even if what’s going on around them is typical hauntedhouse stuff. Seeing Tyler channel his inner Drake is worth the price of admission alone (be sure to stay for the beginning of the end-credits). Likewise, McRobbie (Boardwalk Empire) and Dunagan (Just Like a Woman) play the grandparents with just the right amount
September 17–23, 2015
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VegasSeven.com
SHORT REVIEWS
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Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine (R) ★★★★✩
Oscar-winner Alex Gibney, who has taken down such powerful institutions as Enron in The Smartest Guys in the Room and Scientology in Going Clear is never one to pull his punches. Jobs, usually revered as the Silicon Valley genius who transformed our lives with beautifully designed technology, gets raked over the coals and is revealed to be a despotic high-tech titan willing to throw anyone under the bus, even his own baby daughter, in his quest for power. You may never look at your iPhone the same way again.
A Walk in the Woods (R) ★★✩✩✩
Robert Redford and Nick Nolte star as travel writer Bill Bryson and his buddy, fictionalized by Bryson as “Stephen Katz,” having a go at the Appalachian Trail for a little light banter and a casual insight or two regarding life’s highways. The project grew out of Bryson’s 1998 book. All you want from A Walk in the Woods, honestly, is a chance to enjoy a couple of veteran actors. But the book’s comic tone hasn’t found a comfortable equivalent for the screen. The movie should’ve been a little more, a little truer in the central push/pull relationship.
Hitman: Agent 47 (R) ★★✩✩✩
The story in Hitman: Agent 47 seems overly complicated but is actually quite simple: Someone’s trying to make more of the genetically enhanced “agents,” and in order to succeed, they need to find the originator of the project, who has dropped off the face of the earth. Ultimately the film is about work: what it means to work a job that strips one’s humanity in the service of a contract, and what it means when your life’s work results in those agents. However, the execution of that particular story just falls flat in the sanguine Hitman: Agent 47.
of tongue-in-cheek tone without spilling over into overkill. It’s a tightrope everyone manages to walk with skill. Shyamalan is known for his patented twist endings but, thankfully, he seems less concerned about it this time, instead focusing on telling a good, fun story in place of just conjuring a good gimmick. Granted, The Visit is lightweight. It doesn’t have the emotional resonance of The Sixth Sense, but it’s a welcome return to form for a director who seemed doomed to a future of resting on laurels and remembering better days. With this and Wayward Pines, the well-received miniseries he recently produced, Shyamalan defnitely has his groove back. Except, this time, everyone can tweet about it. The Visit (PG-13) ★★★✩✩
By Tribune Media Services
American Ultra (R) ★★★★✩
A soup spoon turns lethal in the unlikely hands of sweet and spacy stoner Mike (Jesse Eisenberg) in the violently paranoid action comedy. Mike’s a lot like the spoon— harmless unless deployed in the right way—because he used to be a particularly effective “asset” at the CIA, a term used to describe highly trained super-killers. Mike just wants to get stoned, be happy and have the government leave him alone. Ultimately, the humanist nature of the film doesn’t allow that to fully happen, but it’s a heck of a lot of fun watching Mike figure that out.
Straight Outta Compton (R) ★★★✩✩ This is a musically propulsive mixed blessing of a biopic, made the way these things often get made: with the real-life protagonists breathing down the movie’s neck to make sure nothing too harsh or unflattering gets in the way of the telling. Straight Outta Compton alternates between party scenes, filmed as if they were hip-hop videos, and confrontations or reconciliations. A tougher-minded biopic would’ve had the nerve to acknowledge some of the group’s seamier material and its role in the group’s international success.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩
Director and co-writer Guy Ritchie’s The Man From U.N.C.L.E., inspired by the 1964-1968 TV series, stars Henry Cavill as Napoleon Solo, an American CIA spy. Armie Hammer plays Illya Kuryakin, the Soviet KGB operative enlisted to team up with Solo in Cold War 1963 to unravel and destroy a Nazi-tinged, nuke-minded crime ring based in Italy. In The Man From U.N.C.L.E. we find out how these two adversaries meet (badly, violently) and how they learn (petulantly) to accommodate each other’s lone-wolf habits.
Fantastic Four (PG-13) ★✩✩✩✩
The Gift (R) ★★★✩✩
Mission Impossible–Rogue Nation (PG-13) ★★★★✩
Vacation (R) ✩✩✩✩✩
From Miles Teller to Kate Mara to Reg E. Cathey, everyone on screen in Fantastic Four speaks in a flat, earnest monotone with a determinedly low-keyed air bordering on openly not giving a rip. The film, genuinely listless as directed and co-written by Josh Trank, showcases the revised origin story of the Marvel Comics quartet, basing its storyline on the 2004 Ultimate Fantastic Four books. Adversary Dr. Doom (Toby Kebbell) wants to destroy earth and rehab Planet Zero to his liking. Lame is lame.
The super-secret espionage agency known as the Impossible Mission Force becomes defunded in Rogue Nation. This leaves Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the gang without the leeway they need to capture the vicious head of an international terrorist syndicate known, expediently, as The Syndicate. Cruise clearly has a death wish, judging from how he throws himself into Mission: Improbable stunts every time out.
A delayed-secret suspense thriller of unusual stealth, The Gift comes from actor and screenwriter Joel Edgerton, here making his feature directorial debut. All three leading performers (Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall and screenwriter/ director Joel Edgerton) are scarily convincing on the film’s own tight, clammy terms. Gradually The Gift unwraps a story of the past, in the present day. At heart this is a three-character chamber piece, with three very interesting actors showcased in a confident directorial debut.
A grim reboot of the franchise begun in 1983. Ed Helms plays Rusty, the nowgrown Griswold, a regional jet pilot based in Chicago. Stuck in a rut, Rusty tells wife Debbie (Christina Applegate) that they’re going to re-create his childhood road trip to Walley World. Meantime he’s conveniently blind to the toxic behavior of his younger son (Steele Stebbins), who nearly asphyxiates his sensitive, wimpy sibling (Skyler Gisondo) using a plastic bag. It’s a comedy unafraid of death; it dies a thousand of ‘em.
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SEVEN QUESTIONS
Bill Nye
The Science Guy on space travel, climate-change deniers and why he’s never gambled a penny in Las Vegas By Lissa Townsend Rodgers
When did you first get excited about science?
I got stung by a bee—I might have been 3½. My mom put ammonia on it, and it had this distinctive smell. My brother had a chemistry set back when they were dangerous—he made ammonia, and it was magical. In other words, you can get it at the store, but you can also make it from these other materials. That was amazing.
September 17–23, 2015
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VegasSeven.com
Your PBS kids’ show, Bill Nye the Science Guy, ran for five years and inspired countless children’s interest in science. Is it gratifying to see the emphasis placed on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education now?
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that NASA now competes for funding just like every other government agency. So attitudes toward the space program have changed?
People remember a time when the NASA budget was almost exactly 10 times as big as it is now. Cars had rocket fns, the building in Seattle was called the Space Needle. Expectations were different—the Jetsons were fying around … How many people have fown in space? Five hundred-something. It’s no longer to “boldly go where no one has gone before.” It’s to timidly go where 550 people have already been.
I’m the CEO of the Planetary Who frustrates you more: Society. … I think that if we creationists or climatehad a better-funded space change deniers? program, [and] if we had The creationists are charmsome extraoring. They’re dinary national a throwgoals in space, back, they’re BILL NYE you wouldn’t thoughtless. Life Is Beautiful, have to have evThe only probLearning Series, erybody running lem with them, 7:19 p.m. Sept. 25, around chanting of course, is LifeIsBeautiful.com. “STEM STEM that they’re afSTEM,” because it fecting young would be organic. people. … But The expectation the grown-ups that the future is better, the can overcome their upbringexpectation that we can acing. I say this based on emails complish great things: That is and stuff I get. People discovinherent in a space program. er later in life that creationThat’s one of the reasons I’m ism is completely unreasondoing what I’m doing now. able and unscientifc. The other reason is I want to Climate change is serious fnd life on other planets. because you’re talking about enormous changes to the way Do you think we will? Will that everyone in the world lives kind of space travel be possible? at an extraordinary speed. At the Planetary Society It’s not that the world wasn’t we advocate for a humansonce warmer; the problem orbiting-Mars mission in is the speed at which the 2033. That turns out to be changes are happening. … a very favorable orbital opCreationism is bad for the portunity with respect to future, but climate-change the positions of the planets denial is catastrophic. and their orbits around the This is the fght I fght. Welsun. It is achievable by 2033 come to my world. without increasing the NASA budget. What everybody has You have a book coming out, to get their heads around is Unstoppable. (Nov. 10,
St. Martin’s Press, $27) What is it about?
It’s about the heavy industries that will be required to address climate change. It would be great to have better transmission lines, electrical transmission lines. But the main thing is better energy storage—batteries. If we can come up with a big, improved energy-storage system, better transmission lines, a way to desalinate water that takes less energy than it does today… The main thing is policy change. If we have something where whenever you make a ton of carbon dioxide you have to pay 10 bucks or 40 bucks, then that money would go into a fund for what would be traditional research. Rich people make more carbon dioxide than poor people, so
they would pay a higher fee. For example, Mitt Romney said he had seven houses, so he’s going to use more energy. Each house has a hot-water system and a furnace and a garage door opener, etc. … so he would pay a higher fee. It’s inherently fair. If you’re importing stuff on ships—the big container ships use dirty diesel fuel and pump CO2 into the air. If there were a fee on that CO2, then you would raise the cost of goods shipped by that means and then maybe manufacturers would choose to manufacture in the U.S. rather than overseas. What do you think of Las Vegas?
Oh, gosh, I love Las Vegas. People like to disparage it, at least the people I meet. But
I think it’s cool in moderation—though Vegas isn’t really about moderation. I love the shows. Last time, I saw Penn & Teller. I love Cirque du Soleil in any version. I always have a good time. Also, do you know how much money I put in slot machines in Las Vegas? Zero! Not a penny. Look around: All those huge hotels and amazing stuff, enormous energy and intense use of water, of everything—most of it was paid for 25 cents at a time. There are a few $10,000 poker games, but most of it is people putting quarters in slot machines. That kind of gambling is a tax on poor people, a tax on people we have failed to educate about probability. It’s a tax on people who don’t know math.