THE LATEST
Insert Change Old-school is new again at the Global Gaming Expo
October 8–14, 2015
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➜ THE GLOBAL GAMING EXPO
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returned to the Sands Expo Center last month, giving industry members a chance to discuss the latest issues and see the newest technology. It was clear that the big question asked last year—how to appeal to a new generation of gamblers—has not been fully answered, but we got several tantalizing glimpses of the future. Caesars Entertainment CEO Mark Frissora was bullish about reaching the “untapped” market of millennials and others drawn to social and mobile gambling, but any failure to connect with that audience hasn’t been for lack of trying. Traditional slot manufacturers have, for the most part, sought to enrich and extend the existing slot machine model to appeal more to younger players. IGT’s massive foor presence (the company exhibited about 400 machines) included next-generation True 3-D, which provides a novel experience to those familiar with the company’s existing slots, including the Wheel of Fortune series. The new Simpsons slot has another new twist—a motion sensor that lets the player grab bonus points by manipulating their hand in front of the screen. Aristocrat presented more immersive versions of traditionalplaying slot machines, drawing on licensed properties such as Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey and The Big Bang Theory to lure new players. Scientifc Games focused on providing games that bridge the
gap between social and play-forfun offerings and traditional slot machines—rolling out a slot whose bonus round is a skill-based game of arcade classic Space Invaders. Others have gone further, putting skill at the heart of the game. Gamblit Gaming, for example, had several offerings that “gamify” traditional board and video games: Dreadnought and Raze will be familiar to those who love board classics Battleship and Risk, respectively. Both have gambling elements but rely on a player’s skill far more extensively than anything currently on a casino foor (outside of blackjack). Grab Poker pits the player against up to three others in a game that is faster-paced and demands far more of a player’s attention than traditional video poker. These games may be off-putting to players who want only to press buttons and get lucky, but they bring the engagement of video games to a gambling context. Nanotech Gaming brought back its acclaimed advantage-play, skill-based Vegas 2047 pinball game, which is geared toward experienced gamblers. This game
differs from much of what you’ll see in a casino because it gives the player a measure of control over the house edge and, if the player is skilled enough, can offer a positive expected value. The company added CasinoKat, a Pacman-style maze chase game that may appeal to more casual players. There is still some uncertainty as to when we will see the frst skillbased games in Nevada casinos—the consensus is that it will mostly be early next summer, but, as with the rollout of online poker in the state, the wait may be longer. Gambling is changing on other fronts, as well. Daily fantasy sports and e-sports (betting on video games) were two of the conference’s hottest seminar topics. Both would not have been on the agenda a few years back, but their exploding popularity has forced the industry to take notice. It’s clear that the industry is in a transitional era right now. This is nothing new: Since its 1931 Nevada relegalization, the casino business has been in a dynamic state. The difference is that in 2015, the industry is far larger and more selfaware than it’s ever been. This new spirit is in many ways good, since it can lead to more conscious envelope-pushing. The measure of a game isn’t how innovative or technically complex it is, but how well it connects with gamblers. That basic truth will never change, and those who are designing the games of the future would be well advised to remember it.
➜ It’s been almost two years since P.J. Clarke’s closed in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, taking with it its daily $1 oyster special, but dollar oysters on the Strip are back. DB Brasserie at the Venetian sells oysters on the half-shell for $1 apiece at the bar and in the lounge during Oyster Happy Hour from 5 to 6 p.m. daily. The good-size, ice-cold West Coast selections Kumiai Bajas are served with lemon and mignonette sauce. Cocktail sauce, horseradish and Tabasco are available upon request. If you’re still hungry, the 30 percent off deal for locals has been extended through the end of the year (not applicable for happy hour items). For those whose oyster is more like a hamburger, Charlie’s Down Under (1950 N. Buffalo Dr.) has a strong 24-hour kitchen that specializes in big burgers. From 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., the Charlie’s Burger is just $2.99. Other $2.99 graveyard specials include a steak sandwich, sliders, and biscuits and gravy. On to more healthy ground: Did you know Las Vegas has a pick-and-pay farm where you can get fresh produce right off the vine? It’s called Gilcrease Orchard, and it’s located about 10 miles north of Downtown. This time of year, they sell frozen apple or pear cider for $2 a pint (the cider is unfermented and contains no preservatives, so you have only about a week to drink it after it’s thawed), along with cider doughnuts (six for $2.50) and caramel apples ($3). Get your cider and doughnuts this month while checking out the pumpkin patch. Speaking of juice, sports bettors can get theirs reduced at the Westgate SuperBook, which is offering -105 pricing from 3 p.m. to closing on Thursdays. During this period you only have to bet $105 to win $100, as opposed to the standard $110/$100 everywhere else in town. The same deal is offered up the road in Mesquite at the Casablanca and Virgin River, also on Thursdays from noon to 4 p.m. At Westgate, discount is for sides only, while in Mesquite, it’s good on sides and totals. There’s a decent 2-for-1 deal available right now on tickets for Jersey Boys at Paris that works out to two tickets for $157. Due to taxes and fees, twofers for shows are never exactly half the price, but this deal saves about $60 off any other offer currently running. Get the tix at JerseyBoysInfo.com/ vegas/LOCAL (you have to type in the caps). Rockhouse at the Venetian is featuring tableside magic performed by Seth Grabel of America’s Got Talent fame, from 7 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. It’s the first place to do this since Mike Skinner roamed the old Lilly Langtree’s at the Golden Nugget, and predating Skinner was Jimmy Grippo in the Bacchanal Room at Caesars Palace. It’s kinda cool when those old ideas become new again. Anthony Curtis is the publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor and LasVegasAdvisor.com.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GLOBAL GAMING EXPO
OYSTERS, JUICE AND MAGIC
Clockwise from top: Oscar Goodman and Robert De Niro; Randy Sutton and Sharon Stone; the cornfield scene; Dave Courvoisier as Newsman #2; Martin Scorsese, Joe Pesci and De Niro on set.
HOUSER: The car we used for Joe Pesci
was actually my father’s car. My dad had passed about four months prior. I brought it to Nevada from California, and they picked it for Joe Pesci. It’s a 1970 Olds Cutlass Supreme. It’s a great car; I love driving it. It’s still got the dice hanging in the window and Joe’s cigar on the dash. Joe was a character. He kept giving me trouble about leaving his car alone because it was his car. MANCUSO: The cornfeld—that wasn’t
in Las Vegas but they wanted to shoot it here. We went up to Overton and planted some corn, but that didn’t work out. They fnally few in some corn from somewhere and planted it in a feld out on the northeast side of town, and they shot that horrible scene out there in the made-up cornfeld. They had to hurry up and do it before the corn died. LEAR: I had to fnd a woman who could
or, “Oh, we’ve seen this one too many times, it’s time to send her home.” MONIQUE LONG (assistant to costume
designer): Casino was a huge movie for
extras. There were a number of scenes where there were just hundreds of extras—wedding scenes, party scenes, and they all had to be hand-dressed from head to toe in period clothing. That was intense. We had vintage Pucci dresses on people, and trying to pull that much vintage from that era is quite a feat. MICHAEL O’TOOLE (extra): The costumes
were incredible—we were like kids
playing dress-up. I had this suit with the big Johnny Carson tie and the wide lapels. Then they had me in this striped Peter Brady shirt playing the onearmed bandit. It was like fantasy camp. OSCAR GOODMAN (actor): The frst thing
I did was go to the wardrobe room— they had a warehouse. I walked in and, as Yogi Berra would say, “It was like déjà vu all over again.” I saw this fella with his back turned to me wearing a suit, his left arm jutted out and, if I had been placed under oath, I would have sworn I was looking at Tony Spilotro. Turns out it was Joe Pesci. They ftted
steal chips while everybody’s watching. So I called the police department. I said, “I need a beautiful woman who can steal chips and get away with it.” The gentleman I talked to said, “Well, we’ve got two. One’s going to be here awhile, but we just released the other one.” She was gorgeous: Blond, 6 feet tall. I introduced her to Scorsese: “Here’s the girl who can steal your chips.” He said, “Well, can we try that out?” The guy who’s responsible for the chips is standing at the table, and she was able to do away with those chips without him even seeing her. Scorsese says, “You’re hired. How much?” She said, “I get $1,500 a day.” He wasn’t used to paying that, but she said take it or leave it. He said OK. Then Scorsese asked me, “What does she do for $1,500 a day?” I said, “You’ll have to ask her that. I just got her here for the chips.” SUTTON: I was walking by Joe Pesci’s
dressing room. He’s standing outside wearing pink bunny slippers and a bathrobe and smoking a big cigar. You know he’s about 5 feet nothing. It was
liant in costuming … the way the thread ran through it, how it went from the beautiful glamour of what Vegas was. It brought me back to when my parents used to come out here with their furs and their long dresses. Then you get to the end, and it shows you Vegas with the fanny packs.
Casino opened in theaters on November 22, 1995 GOODMAN: I think that doing it in Las
Vegas, the cast caught the spirit of what Las Vegas is all about. Wherever they went, people in Las Vegas would show their appreciation for the fact that they were making the movie here. The real actors—everybody except me in the movie—they became the part. And I think they all felt that they were the parts they were playing while they were shooting here. Pulp Fiction was playing at the Cinedome on Decatur, and I saw Joe Pesci in line. He’s chatting with people, talking about Casino, but not giving too much away. That spoke volumes, that he was so comfortable just hanging out with people in line. O’TOOLE:
COURVOISIER: It’s not like there hasn’t
already been a lot of movies and TV shows shot in this town, but somehow this one took on a greater importance, maybe because they put so many Las Vegas people in bit parts and small roles. … They brought the culture of Vegas into the movie that way. LONG: Even though the movie was talking about the end of an era, so, too, was Vegas at the end of another era. They imploded the Landmark for that movie. The one scene with Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone in the trailer—that trailer was actually on the land where they were getting ready to build the Texas Station. Vegas was just starting the boom. That was a whole different time. SHARON STONE (actress): It was an ex-
traordinary pleasure to work in Vegas in a biographical flm about people and events from the town. We are all proud of the flm and believe it stands the test of time. SUTTON: The movie resonated with
people, and I think a big part of that was it was as authentic as it could have been. It’s surprising: That movie was 20 years ago, and I’m recognized more now than ever before from that little shitty scene. GOODMAN: People say, “I saw you on TV
last night.” “Was it Casino?” “Yes!” “Every time you see it, I make 13 cents.”
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better scene than originally written because Robert De Niro and I wound up hitting it off pretty good, and we adlibbed the scene. We didn’t do it as it was written—we just winged it. Martin Scorsese loved it, and that’s the scene that they actually kept in the movie.
LONG: The movie as a whole was bril-
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SUTTON: It turned out to be a much
a very amusing look. As I’m walking by I start laughing: “Nice bunny slippers.” He goes, “Oh, yeah? Fuck you!” I got a New Jersey “Fuck you!” out of Joe Pesci. That’s my favorite memory of the whole movie.
October 8–14, 2015
me with the clothes for the frst scene. We started to flm. Of course, Mr. Scorsese was directing. He’s a perfectionist, and he had never come across anybody like me in his lifetime. A scene that, with the care Scorsese put into it, should have taken about three to four hours—took three days with me. He was very kind. De Niro was more than kind. Sharon Stone was more than more than kind, and I was able to work my way through it. When the movie came out, I got a phone call from my mother. She said, “Oscar, I saw your movie. It’s a good thing you’re a lawyer.”
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NIGHTLIFE
Which came first for you, production or performing?
I love being on the guitar and fute. I was always very into music, [since I was] really young, but I wasn’t on a computer producing music. I was just a musical person. When I started to take an interest in DJing, I talked to a couple of friends who were doing it professionally on a larger scale and they all said to me, “If you want to do this the right way, you need to get a [digital audio workstation] program, and you need to produce your own tracks, so that when you’re out playing live, you can play your own music.” It was a big hurdle, learning a whole new way of making music, but it was always innate to me. Transitioning from modeling to DJing, did you take a class or work with a mentor to learn those skills?
I never went to a class, I never had a mentor. To be honest with you, I went to Guitar Center. I bought Ableton off the shelf. I sat there on the couch, and I just started to look through the manual, and then I went on Ableton’s YouTube and I started looking at tutorials on how to do the most basic stuff. YouTube videos helped you kick off a new career?
October 8–14, 2015
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It was a combo of using tools found on the Internet, and then experimenting. Just sitting down and failing a bunch of times, and trying a bunch of different things; you just keep learning. Then when you [work] with other people, too, you pick up things. Bring those things to the table, and you can fnd some pretty awesome inspiration.
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What’s the story behind your new single, “If It Kills Me”?
The track itself is really beautiful. It’s got live guitar and piano. As far as dance tracks go, I think it’s got a little bit more of an organic sound. I was working on the track, and I really loved the instrumental. Then as soon as I fnished the instrumental, I knew right away that I wanted a really spe-
cial topline [vocal] on it. There was an artist that I had found through [social media] maybe three years before, Blackbear. I thought, “Damn, he’s an amazing songwriter.” I loved his voice. I also loved the writing that he did for other people, and I’d always wanted to work with him. So you guys got in touch?
I showed him [the “If It Kills Me” instrumental], and he said, “Let me see if I can write to it.” I came to the studio, and I gave him the track. I ran out to get, like, a six-pack of beer, and when I came back he had written an entire song, and recorded the demo. Literally in 20 minutes. I remember I came back, and he and the engineer were freaking out. What about the music video to accompany it?
We fnished the song, and then about nine or 10 months ago, I saw a video on YouTube for the song called “Simple Needs” by TheStand4rd. I remember grabbing my friend, asking, “Who directed this video? I have to work with them.” I did some research. [Alex Howard] is 19 years old—crazy gifted, crazy talented. I hit him up on Instagram and said, “Hey, I want to create some art with you, I want to work with you somehow.” That kid and me talked on the phone for nine months about ideas and working together, getting to know each other and sharing music. How did the final product come together?
I ended up fying out with Blackbear to Minnesota, which is where [Howard] is from, and we shot the music video. Now that the track and video are done, what do you think about them?
It’s a really dope track. It’s a real song. It’s the type of song that, if you stripped it down, and you played nothing but guitar, or nothing but piano, and just sang acapella over it, it’s still a real song. That’s my favorite kind of music.
NIGHTLIFE
By Ian Caramanzana
tribute to Game of Thrones, “Kings & Queens” is enough to satisfy both of Foxtail’s crowds. (In SLS, 10:30 p.m., FoxtailLasVegas.com.)
SUN 11 Are you familiar with the aptly named Los Angeles DJ trio TREO? According to the group’s Instagram bio, they’re “just a few surfers who love making tunes.” Listen to their brand of progressive house and you’ll notice a few things that refect the ambience of a beautiful summer day at the beach, with tranquil vocals and gentle buildups that are easy on the drops. You can ride the TREO wave when the trio hits Marquee Dayclub. Surf’s up, dude! (In the Cosmopolitan, 11 a.m., MarqueeLasVegas.com.)
MON 12
50 Cent.
October 8–14, 2015
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THU 8
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Begin your weekend early with Fergie DJ. Although his name is very similar to that of the “Fergalicious” and “Clumsy” hitmaker, this Fergie’s blend of house and techno is a world away. The DJ from Northern Ireland showcases his talents via a weekly podcast called Arcadia. Listen to the catalog and you’ll find that he goes beyond house and techno, and touches on trance and hardstyle. However, we suggest listening to his eclectic mix of tunes in the proper nightclub setting, such as Hakkasan. (In MGM Grand, 10:30 p.m., HakkasanLV.com.)
FRI 9 Future/progressive house producer Joe Maz spins
at Hyde. Last month, Maz witnessed performances by some of the biggest names in EDM, including Alesso. He was so inspired he tweeted, “Surround yourself with like-minded people.” See if his trip across the pond also had a profound effect on his mixing skills. We think his intense electro-house remix of Major Lazer’s “Lean On” might replace the original as the anthem of the summer. Hear it tonight. (In Bellagio, 10:30 p.m., HydeBellagio. com.) If you prefer guitars over turntables, head to Brooklyn Bowl for a performance by Kentucky rock band My Morning Jacket. Since forming in 1998, the band has released nine albums and 11 EPs. Among the dozens of songs are the neopsychedelic “I’m Amazed” and the alternative rock anthem “Big Decisions.” Hear a few of them tonight. C’mon, it’s nice to get away from EDM every once in a while. (At the Linq 8 p.m., Vegas.BrooklynBowl.com.)
SAT 10 Celebrate great music and even better booze at Las Vegas Village for Wine Amplifed! The event actually started yesterday with Panic! At the Disco and Passion Pit sharing headlining spots, but we think tonight’s lineup is even better. Catch Sublime With Rome and 50 Cent. Not enough for you? Fiddy’s bringing his G-Unit crew with him. Talk about #SquadGoals! (3901 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 5 p.m., WineAmplifed.com.) In an interview with Miami New Times, Gareth Emery says the VIP section of the club can be a DJ’s worst enemy. He explains that the party is “split between the dance on the dance foor and the VIP tables, which aren’t always the biggest music fans, so you’ve got two crowds to keep happy.” We think his trance
Head to any Valley Nacho Daddy location to enjoy the Monday Night Football trifecta: the game, booze and food. Enjoy $5 Jim Beam and Absolut cocktails and $2 PBR to accompany new menu items such as the borracho chili or pork tenderloin barbacoa. Unfortunately, the only pigskin you’ll be able to enjoy will be on the big screen when the Steelers and Chargers toss it around. Go team! (Multiple locations, NachoDaddy.com.)
TUE 13 Sultan + Shepard team-up to conquer Omnia. The progressive house pair from
Fergie DJ.
Canada recently dropped their collaboration with singer Kreesha Turner, “Bring Me Back.” It’s a mellow house tune that puts her soft, angelic vocals on the forefront. The two are bound to play it tonight. Read more about the pair at VegasSeven. com/SultanAndShepard. (In Caesars Palace, 10:30 p.m., OmniaNightclub.com.)
WED 14 Sharpen your pencils and gather your scantrons: Class is in session at Surrender. Tonight, your professor is hip-hop hypeman-turned-DJ Lil Jon. The Atlanta native’s residency is titled Shot Class, and it promises to “provide a lesson in partying.” No syllabus could be found online at press time, but we think some of the subjects on Jon’s lesson plan include Twerkanomics and Turnin’ Up. Canadian DJ/ producer Grandtheft opens. This might be the only time staying out late gets you extra credit. (In Encore, 10:30 p.m., SurrenderNightclub.com.)
Lil Jon.
NIGHTLIFE
PARTIES
MARQUEE DAYCLUB The Cosmopolitan [ UPCOMING ]
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See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com
PHOTOS BY JOSH METZ AND THOMAS TRAN
October 8–14, 2015
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Oct. 9 Lema spins Oct. 10 Borgeous spins Oct. 11 TREO spins
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A R M I N SAT
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S U LTA N + S H E PA R D
NIGHTLIFE
PARTIES
DRAI’S
The Cromwell [ UPCOMING ]
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See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com
PHOTOS BY BOBBY JAMEIDAR AND TOBY ACUNA
October 8–14, 2015
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Oct. 8 Politik spins Oct. 9 Jeremih performs Oct. 10 Big Sean performs
NIGHTLIFE
PARTIES
TAO
The Venetian [ UPCOMING ]
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See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com
PHOTOS BY BOBBY JAMEIDAR AND THOMAS TRAN
October 8–14, 2015
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Oct. 8 DJ Five spins Oct. 9 Silentó performs Oct. 10 Vice spins
➜ IN THE WEEKS and months
| October 8–14, 2015
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Jolene Mannina, photographed at the former Tim Bavington gallery Downtown.
leading up to Life Is Beautiful, I wrote my fair share of stories about its culinary program and interviewed numerous chefs, restaurateurs and concert offcials. But one name was conspicuously absent: Jolene Mannina. The promoter served as the festival’s culinary director in its debut year. And while the festival’s culinary program has continued to excel in her absence, she’ll be forever linked to Life Is Beautiful in my mind. So while we bask in the memories, tinnitus and indigestion of that festival, it seems like as good a time as any to see what Mannina is up to these days. As you can see, she and her company Relish LLC have a very busy month ahead of them. First up is the return of her FYI channel food truck cooking competition show, Late Nite Chef Fight. Season 2 was shot in June in the parking lot at the Palms following a successful frstseason run. Participating chefs sweating it out on the trucks this season include Aaron Oster of Echo & Rig, Daniel Krohmer of Other Mama, Pot Liquor’s Doug Bell and Geno Bernardo of the soon-to-open Herringbone. Judges Spike Mendelsohn and Casey Lane will even take their turn as contestants. “The production team was more tight this time,” Mannina says. “And they threw even more curveballs into the competition.” Her personal role in the show is still uncertain. As the creator of the famed Back of the House Brawls at Tommy Rocker’s, after which the show was patterned, Mannina last year served as head of the “crowd table.” But that element was eliminated from the show this year. So while she was interviewed for each episode this time around, Mannina says, “I have no idea if they’re going to use that footage or not.” Season 2 of Late Nite Chef Fight will premiere October 15. Mannina is also lending chef John Church (formerly of MTO Café and RM Seafood, currently with Artisanal Foods) a hand with a new communal dinner series. A spinoff of MTO’s Sunday Suppers, the dinner in a way picks up where the now-concluded Project Dinner Table left off about a year ago. Giving Back
Sunday Supper will take place at Tivoli Village on October 18, and will kick off with a cocktail hour featuring snacks from DW Bistro, Other Mama and Echo & Rig. The sit-down portion of the meal will include courses by Church and Krohmer, as well as Kim Canteenwalla of Made L.V., Sam Marvin of Echo & Rig and Desyree Bentancourt of Gelatology; Belvedere will provide drinks. Proceeds from the event will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, while future events will beneft other causes. Teaming with Motley Brews, Mannina will once again coordinate the food element for the Downtown Brew Fest on October 24 at the Clark County Government Center Amphitheater. In August, she flled the same role at the Vegas-based Motley Brews’ frst out-of-market event, the Brew & Food Festival in San Diego. For the Downtown Brew Fest, she’s booked Echo & Rig’s Marvin and Blue Ribbon’s Bromberg brothers to cater the VIP area. Mannina will also book the grub for the general admission area, although those vendors have yet to be fnalized. Mannina is also planning her own event, The Real Taste of Liquor-ish, for the next day, October 25. “This is more focused on liquor,” she says. “I’m highlighting four bartenders, really highlighting the bartenders as the stars.” Those bartenders will be SeongHa Lee, Bryant Jane, Matt Graham and Lyle Cervenka, with Church supplying food. That party will take place in the former Tim Bavington gallery Downtown on West Mesquite Avenue. Finally, if you want to get out of town, Mannina is coordinating the food for this year’s Rise Festival in the Mojave Desert on October 10. At the culmination of this arts festival, attendees release lanterns into the sky above the Moapa River Indian Reservation. “It’s completely remote, in the middle of the desert,” she says. “And they wanted to do specifcally food trucks this time, so we’re bringing in 15 trucks.” And those are just the public highlights Mannina has planned for this month. Plenty of private parties are also on her schedule. Clearly, I don’t have to worry about not feeling her infuence on the local food scene.
PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ
Checking in with Las Vegas’ most prolific culinary promoter By Al Mancini
VegasSeven.com
DINING
Keeping Her Plates in the Air
that L.A. couldn’t fulfll the scope of their aspirations. The cost of living was too high—their apartment was so small, they had to defate and roll up their air mattress to work on their larger art pieces—and competition was ferce. They needed a new frontier, preferably one with lower rents and lots and lots of untouched gray utility boxes. “When I was playing music we kept coming out to Vegas to play shows, and I would bring my wheatpaste and my art with me,” Gatlin says. “We liked it here. We researched the 18b [Arts District] and realized that this is a big city with a small-town vibe to it. We wanted to get in on the ground foor as it started exploding.” You Killed Me First and There She Is relocated to Las Vegas two years ago and promptly got down to late-
night wheatpaste bombing runs on Downtown. “We get up around 4 a.m., and then we go cruising around. We already have our spots picked,” Gatlin says. (One of You Killed Me First’s taglines, from a Haunted Mansion-themed poster Gatlin made for YKMF's appearance in Life Is Beautiful’s Art Motel, proudly declares, “By night we sneak, at dawn we sleep.”) They soon discovered that this town is a bit more kind to street art than L.A. has been: “We freaked out, because we did a run and then we were like, ‘OK, let’s do another run,’ but everything was still up,” Gatlin says. “In L.A., we’ve seen wheatpaste ripped down within 10 to 20 minutes. There, we're just fghting for space, trying not to cap someone, you know? Just trying to get up. But
here, the electrical boxes are way bigger, and it’s just so clean. It’s amazing.” The only confict Gatlin has seen in Las Vegas is with other street artists pasting their art over his, but he isn’t much bothered by it. “I’ve gotten capped by different artists, but whatever,” Gatlin says. “I don’t want to cover someone’s art, then they cover me up, then I cover them. … I’m 45. I’m too old to play that game.” Besides, that’s not what You Killed Me First is about. Gatlin makes wheatpaste to share his pop culture enthusiasms, no matter how obscure, because people have got to know about this stuff. And if he can make You Killed Me First into a Shepard Faireysize name in the process … well, he’d be cool with that. “I just want to focus on making better art and trying to grow within myself. Hopefully, once that starts happening, maybe You Killed Me First will catch,” Gatlin says. “Like a disease.” One way or another, a poster at a time, Shawn Gatlin will show the world that Lung Leg has a posse. See more by You Killed Me First and There She Is at Cult33.com.
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“We get up around 4 a.m., and then we go cruising around. We already have our spots picked. ... In L.A., we've seen wheatpaste ripped down (in) 10 to 20 minutes.’”
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able as looking at his art. He’s nearly always smiling and bursting with enthusiasm, as if every single thing that happens to him is the most exciting thing ever. His attitude comes across in his wheatpaste; even when his subject matter is dark (hello, Lung Leg), the art is whimsical, witty and just plain fun. It’s almost as if he can’t quite believe he’s getting away with doing this—not the twilight legality of street art, but making art in a feld where he plainly admires nearly all of the players, including one of its most well known. “I remember when I frst moved to L.A. and saw Shepard Fairey’s Andre the Giant Has a Posse (street art sticker campaign). I knew him because we watched wrestling on TV 'cause we were a bunch of idiot rockers, and we were all like, ‘That’s Andre the Giant!’” Before long, however, Gatlin became more attuned to the medium than the message: “I started noticing all the different street artists, and I got so deep into it that I just started putting up my own stuff.” Soon enough, Gatlin and his coconspirator Sage—a terrifcally talented artist in her own right who works under the name There She Is—realized
October 8–14, 2015
PHOTOS COURTESY OF YOU KILLED ME FIRST
You Killed Me First leaves its mark on walls, utility boxes and even "lost bottles."
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CONCERTS
The Tragically Hip Reels Them In A&E
House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Oct. 3 Greeting a sea of hipsters garbed in fedoras and assorted NHL hockey jerseys, The Tragically Hip brought their Fully and Completely Tour to House of Blues and fed fans an enormous helping of classic songs. Led by the charismatic Gordon Downie (and his interpretive dancing), the band began the set with “Grace, Too” and “My Music at Work,” which Downie sang in his signature screeching falsetto while casually strolling across the stage to his own rhythm. After warming up the crowd with a few more fan favorites, the band played their classic 1993 Fully Completely album in its entirety. “Courage,” “Looking for a Place to Happen” and “At the Hundredth Meridian” sucked the crowd into a time machine. At one point, Downie sarcastically checked his watch before tossing an imaginary fishing rod into the audience, collectively reeling them in to an incredible
NEW ON NETFLIX STREAMING American Horror Story: Freak Show Isabella Rosselini's Green Porno Live! (debuts Oct. 15) Beasts of No Nation (Oct. 16) Hemlock Grove: Season 3 (Oct. 23) Walt Disney Animation Short Films Collection (Oct. 25) August: Osage County (Oct. 27)
October 8–14, 2015
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The Gunman (Oct. 28)
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Hiatus Kaiyote Dishes Up An Elaborate Platter
Brooklyn Bowl, Oct. 5
The “future soul” quartet from Melbourne, Australia served up a complex musical gumbo consisting of elements from soul, funk, jazz and hip-hop. Even for this seasoned music junkie, the band’s self-described “multidimensional, polyrhythmic gangster” concoction was tough to digest, especially live, but it was one that tickled the senses. Hiatus Kaiyote attacked the palate with an array of flavors, giving us dense samplings of several genres. And as befits a healthy diet, the helpings came in moderation; just as we were getting used to the catchy, orgasmic 4/4 groove of “Borderline With My Atoms,”
the band quickly transitioned into chaotic, freeform jamming. The band was at its best when it came to delivering silky smooth jazz lounge riffs, such as in “Shaolin Funk Motherfunk.” And for good measure, Hiatus Kaiyote even gave us a bumpin’ R&B interpretation of “Laputa,” the theme to Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film Castle in the Sky. Not bad for a band with a name that sounds like a coyote going on vacation. The star of the night was clearly frontwoman Nai Palm, whose vocals came off as one part Ella Fitzgerald and one part Lauryn Hill. She carried the offbeat guitar melodies of “Nakamarra” while giving us doses of her sultry vocals. And she was humble, too; when a fan asked her to marry him, she gave us a reminder of just how far she’s come. “Sorry,” she said, “But I’m married to my city.” ★★★★✩ – Ian Caramanzana
THE THRILL IS ON Jim James has an ethereal singing voice, which makes breakup songs like “Only Memories Remain” and “Get the Point” even more poignant. My Morning Jacket plays Brooklyn Bowl on Oct. 9 -10 ($50) with Strand of Oaks, and yeah—it’s going to get emotional.
MACON SWEET MUSIC Gregg Allman has been busy with his solo career since the Allman Brothers Band called it quits in 2014. Allman’s career-spanning live album Back to Macon, GA is out now, and you can catch the “Midnight Rider” when he plays The Pearl on Oct. 9 ($39-$113).
ON SALE NOW To honor the 10th anniversary of Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike, Gogol Bordello has embarked on a special tour where they’ll play their third album in full, along with some more recent gypsy jams. Gogol Bordello lands at Brooklyn Bowl on Nov. 28 ($30-$35).
TRAGICALLY HIP BY GLENN BROGAN; HIATUS K AIYOTE BY FRED MORLEDGE/K ABIKPHOTOGROUP.COM
performance. ★★★✩✩ – Brjden Crewe
MOVIES
SPEAKING IN FIRE He Named Me Malala struggles to rise to the level of its subject By Geoff Carter ➜ EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD
ACCIDENTAL HERO Malala Yousafzai’s story is worth telling.
indignation (he also directed the public education documentary Waiting for “Superman” and the flm adaptation of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth), often mashes down on the “change begins at home” button a bit too hard. (No documentary should end in a hashtag.) Thomas Newman’s admittedly lovely score sometimes steps in front of the story. And that animation, while smartly conceived and produced by Skip Lievsay and Jason Carpenter, begins to feel frivolous the third or fourth time it appears. Malala Yousafzai’s face is a study in courage; the gentle smile she manages while talking about terrible events tells a more interesting story than any animation ever could. But the animation does give us one startlingly poetic image. When Malala’s father, educator and human rights activist Ziauddin Yousafzai, tells the story of how he overcame his stutter to become a public speaker, the animation frst displays his words as black scribbles as he tries to get them out. Then, as his confdence grows and the passion wells up in him, he speaks a line of fre that becomes glowing script. Malala’s frst speech is depicted in the same way. It’s obvious, but nonetheless affecting. Shortly after He Named Me Malala opened the Telluride Film Festival in September, some critics derided the documentary as “an infomercial.” It’s easy to go that route, especially given some of Guggenheim’s storytelling choices. But that judgment misses the truth of Malala herself: She’s a teenager who roughhouses with her brothers, worries about dating and struggles with her homework. What she’s advocating for isn’t privilege or convenience, the stuff of which informercials are made. She’s only asking for the same basic right to an education that America’s kids can take for granted. She’s suffered dearly to be a normal teenager. The least we can do is grant her our attention for 87 minutes. He Named Me Malala (PG-13) ★★★✩✩
PHOTO COURTESY FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai is named for Malalai, the teenage folk hero who rallied Afghan fghters against British troops in the 1880 Battle of Maiwand. The eponymous subject of Davis Guggenheim’s documentary He Named Me Malala opens the flm by narrating Malalai’s story against beautiful, painterly animation, devoting special care to Malalai’s rallying cry: “It is better to live like a lion for one day than to live like a slave for 100 years.” Malalai was killed in that long-ago battle. Guggenheim’s flm wastes no time in joining the principled and peaceful stand that Malala Yousafzai almost died for: a girl’s right to an education. The effort nearly ended in October 2012 after a Taliban gunman shot her in the head. With shocking suddenness, Guggenheim’s flm jumps from the dreamlike opening animation to matter-of-fact news footage of Malala lying bloodied on a stretcher, as if to demonstrate that every heroic folk tale has roots in something terrible. He Named Me Malala is a remarkable flm wholly because of its subject. Malala is a real person, not a long-ago folk hero or a political talking point, and Guggenheim’s flm presents a nearly complete portrait of her life. We meet her mother, father and brothers; we meet her friends and see the place where she grew up; and we get an unprecedented conversation with Malala herself, who’s nearly always framed in close-up. Looking deeply into Malala’s brave face for 80-plus minutes as she tells her story would have been enough on its own, but He Named Me Malala gives us more. The documentary skillfully entwines two different stories: Malala’s continuing mission of educational advocacy, and the set of circumstances that put Malala in the path of that bullet. The former story is told through contemporaneous interviews and more-or-less standard documentary footage; the latter story is related through soft-focus abstract shots and the aforementioned pastoral animation. Each storytelling method takes its turn propelling the flm. It can all be a bit much. Guggenheim, who’s no stranger to righteous
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SEVEN QUESTIONS
spends a lot of time to make sure that the people who need HIV/AID medication, in Africa or wherever, can get them and educate the people to make sure they take them in a timely fashion. We also want to make the event fun and entertaining for the fans. We have a great lineup this year. [Andre Agassi, Stefanie Graf, Martina Navratilova, Andy Roddick and James Blake are scheduled to appear.] Team Billie Jean and Team Elton are tied at 11 wins apiece.
do have to have a safe place if you want to come out—it’s not easy. People say, “Why don’t you just come out?” It depends on what culture they grew up in, and their parents or caregivers. Every single person’s situation is different, and they have to make that judgment. The sport of tennis appears healthy globally, but is less prominent in the U.S. than it was in the ’80s or ’90s. What can be done to move the needle in the U.S.?
It would help to have a male champion again, and we need someone besides Serena [Williams] to come up through the pipeline. We also have to change how we deliver our I’m not fnished yet. I started sport. Get rid of the word the Billie Jean King Leader“lesson” and have children, ship Initiative last year, and when they sign up for tennis, I’ve always been very incluput on teams. They practice sive of both genders. When their skills as a team and a woman leads, people tend make it more fun. You’re not to think we’re as isolated that only trying to way, which is help women very imporMYLAN WTT and that’s not tant for young SMASH HITS true. Everyone people. It’s is an infuencer, more exhilaOct. 12, 5 p.m. and we infurating when VIP reception ence all genyou win on a and live auction, ders depending team but less 7 p.m. team tennis on how people disappointmatch, $45self-identify. ing as a team $125 ($500 VIP), The Leaderif you lose Caesars Palace, ship Initiative because you WTTSmashHits.com. is working on absorb it from equal pay for each other and equal work for you take care everyone. We do need more of each other. women on boards of corpoI would get rid of the term rations; [studies have shown] “teaching pro.” They’re all a corporation has a better coaches—kids love coaches. bottom line if it has at least Most “teaching pros” have a three women on the board. basket of balls and all they want to do is give hourly Are you optimistic about gay ‘lessons’ and make money. rights now? You look at soccer, you look Very. It’s been a real grassat other sports, there is more roots movement. People have involvement with parents had courage. They stood and they don’t limit it to one up, and they’ve fought for hour a week. Most kids in things. It’s about inclusion sports practice [at least] twice and that everyone has equal a week, and then they have a opportunities and rights all game on the weekends. We’re the time under the law. I’m not set up that way, and I more optimistic than peswant us to be set up that way. simistic. If you asked me 20 years ago, I might have said So “Philadelphia Freedom” was the opposite, I don’t know. written for you. How about
Billie Jean King
October 8–14, 2015
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The tennis legend on her AIDS fundraiser, how to better teach the sport and that Michael Jackson song By Paul Szydelko
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The 23rd annual Mylan WTT Smash Hits benefits the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Aid for AIDS of Nevada. How did your involvement begin?
Elton and I have been friends since 1973, and we always wanted to do music and sports together, so when he started his foundation, [World Team Tennis Commissioner and my partner] Ilana Kloss said this is your chance to do music and tennis together. He was thrilled. He used to watch me play World Team Tennis, and he wrote “Philadelphia Freedom” for me. That was a great gift to the people of
Philadelphia and a signature song for the team, and now actually I own the team! What are you most looking forward to in Las Vegas?
I’ve been going to Caesars Palace since the ’60s! It’s like home for me when I go to Vegas. We used to have the Alan King Tennis Classic there. We’ve always wanted to have Smash Hits in Las Vegas, and Elton plays at Caesars so that makes it easy on him. The bottom line is to raise funds to help people with HIV/AIDS. … Mylan [a global pharmaceutical company)
Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”?
What’s your advice to teens who are dealing with bullies or loneliness or discrimination, especially in today’s context of social media?
Stay off social media if it’s bothering you, if it’s getting you in trouble or hurting your feelings. Seek out people you know who love you unconditionally. And you
“Billie Jean” is fantastic because of the beat. I sat next to Quincy Jones at Elton John’s Oscar party, and I asked, “Just set me straight on this, I wasn’t in mind at all, right? He said, “We actually talked about you, but, no. It wasn’t about you. We said, ‘not my lover.’” So that was real clear.
PHOTO BY ANDREW COPPA PHOTOGRAPHY
You’ve helped change the narrative of equal rights for women in this country. At age 71, describe the sense of satisfaction.