On The Taco Trail | Vegas Seven Magazine | Feb. 18-24, 2016 by Vegas Seven

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CONTENTS

FEBRUARY 18–24, 2016

T H E LAT EST

“The New Mother Road” I-11 bypass job in Boulder City marks the start of a new race to the border. By KATE NOLAN

“Finding Gold in Silver” Native American jewelry store owner keeps art tradition alive. By EMMILY BRISTOL

“All Choked Up” Looking into the future, plan seeks to alleviate traffic in tourist core. Green Felt Journal by DAVID G. SCHWARTZ

Plus … Seven Days, Ask a Native and The Deal.

NIGH T LIF E

“Oh, Henry!” Henry Fong brings his brand-new beats to Brooklyn Bowl. By KAT BOEHRER Plus … Seven Nights and a Q&A with SBE executive Greg Costello.

DINING

“You Can’t Eat Fame” Dine like a celebrity at Mr Chow, but bring your wallet—or better yet, someone else’s. By AL MANCINI Plus … Nora’s Italian Cuisine readies its new home, Dishing With Grace and Cocktail Culture.

A &E Steve Wynn’s ShowStoppers features $2 million worth of costumes. Suzy Benzinger makes sure you see every penny. By MELINDA SCHECKELLS

52 F E AT URE

“Taco Blvd.”

One street, two artists, seven hours, 21 tacos: Welcome to the East Charleston Taco Challenge. By GEOFF CARTER

62 Cover photograph by Krystal Ramirez. Illustration by Phil Wrigglesworth.

“Glittering Onyx” Singing the praises of Vegas’ off-Strip theater community.

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Plus… Seven’s 14, Neon Reverb releases initial lineup, how CW’s The 100 resists the usual tropes and a review of Black Sabbath in concert.

The Most Fabulous Thing by CHARLIE STARLING

Justin “Favy” Favela and Ras One in the East Charleston Taco Challenge.

“Hey, Big Spender!”

SEVEN Q U EST IONS Siegel Group Senior VP Michael Crandall on his passion for the Artisan, design aesthetics and lessons learned from past renovations.

February 18–24, 2016

PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ

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DIALOGUE

Reader Comments

Farewell, Jubilee! Video

PHOTO COURTESY L AS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU

I attended a show last year before the announcement of the closing, knowing that this type of traditional show was not long for the Strip. It was campy, silly and just outstanding. It was everything you expected from a Vegas show. It is a great theater, and I hope they repurpose it, not just tear it down. –Robby Roberts on Facebook Las Vegas class is disappearing more and more each day! What a grand and great show Jubilee! was. T-shirts and shredded jeans are in, dresses and suits are out. No wonder gambling revenues are going south, too. Enough said! –Rusty Davis on Facebook Jubilee! was my sister Tina’s frst show [that she worked in] in Las Vegas. My fondest memory was my frst experience watching her in the production. The dancers, the showgirls, the singers, the costumes—all of it. Classic show! –Kathleen Stoll on Facebook

Guess they thought it was too oldschool, but to me, it was tradition and something that epitomized Vegas. Now it’s all pool parties and DJs. Watch New York City do the same thing to the Rockettes. Geez ... –Miranda Todd Seifert on Facebook

Ask a Native

One cliché is that there’s nothing to do here but the Strip (“Which Las Vegas cliché annoys you the most?” Feb. 11). I spent fve hours hiking at Calico Basin yesterday. The parking lot is barely 15 minutes from my house. So in 20 minutes, I was setting out with a few people for an absolutely gorgeous, 65-degree hike with views of the mountains on one side and our fne city on the other. –Deb Meinberg on Facebook

LAX

All the nightclubs should be like this (“Back to the Future,” Feb. 4)! Who needs the faux pretentiousness, the VIP lists, the tuxedoed goons at the entrance and the high-priced cocktails? –Robert Kutner on Facebook

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THE LATEST The New Mother Road

Seven Days A curated guide to this week in your city By B O B W H I T B Y

I-11 bypass job in Boulder City marks the start of a new race to the border

THU 18

Here at Seven Days, we are nothing if not fashionable. Just so you know, we’ll be attending Vegas Cut + Sew, four days of fashionforward shows, top designers, seminars and panels, through Sunday at the Zappos building. It’s all about community and looking good. VegasCutandSew.com.

By Kate Nolan

FRI 19

OMG, Peppa Pig’s in town, 6 p.m. at the Cox Pavilion! If you’ve got wee tots, you probably watch Nick Jr. and know exactly what we’re talking about. And did you also know that this is Peppa’s first live show anywhere in the U.S.? True! UNLVTickets.com.

SAT 20 ing to Silverline Road (to be completed in early 2018), while the RTC takes care of the 12.5-mile section from Silverline Road to U.S. 93 near the Hoover Dam bypass bridge (to be completed in October 2018). The project mostly consists of new highway—except where I-11 connects with I-515, U.S. 93 and U.S. 95. A mile frontage road is being built linking Henderson with the Railroad Pass Interchange. Any traffc rerouting will be connected to building the interchanges, and drivers will be alerted in advance via signs and media. Brief drops in speed are the only anticipated driving changes, according to Hand. The project’s frst traffc disruption is scheduled to start as early as mid-March and last for eight months, when traffc on U.S. 95 is diverted to a three-quartermile temporary road while a bridge is built over the current U.S. 95 roadbed. After the bypass is complete, I-11 will be branching northward and southward—as soon as it clears the bureaucratic detours that will decide its fnal route and fnancing strategies. A new federal law (the FAST Act) in December 2015 designated U.S. 95 between Las Vegas and I-80 in Reno as the future I-11 corridor in Nevada and identifed an I-11 corridor in Arizona from the Nevada border to Mexico. Meanwhile, NDOT is determining the best route for I-11 through metropolitan Las Vegas, and a study is under way evaluating the state’s freight needs in light of the new highway, among other factors. The Arizona Department of Transportation has begun a three-year environmental impact study, covering a proposed I-11 segment from Wickenburg to the Mexican border. Planning continues to outpace funding. The federal designation of I-11 corridors in Nevada and Arizona doesn’t release any funds, but it does make I-11 eligible for federal money. In the meantime, any word from Carlos Slim? To participate in the I-11 public discussion, visit I-11NV.com or contact offcials at 702-929-2013 or info@1-11nv.com.

The beautiful game is making a Las Vegas appearance, 4:30 p.m. at Sam Boyd Stadium. That’s soccer for the uninitiated, and today’s game is a beauty indeed: Global Legends Soccer, which pits two teams made up entirely of players who have been on World Cupwinning teams. This is the tour’s only American stop. UNLVTickets.com.

SUN 21

Winter in these parts doesn’t mean much, weather-wise. Different story in the Arctic. Springs Preserve has a brand-new exhibit about the critters who make the North Pole their home, and the scientists who study them. It’s called Arctic Voices, and it runs through May 18. SpringsPreserve.org.

MON 22

Mondays are good art days. For example, there’s a new exhibit of the work of Ellsworth Kelly in town, through May 14 at UNLV’s Barrick Museum. Kelly was a painter, sculptor and printmaker widely regarded as a leading postwar abstract expressionist. UNLV.edu.

TUE 23

Tuesdays are also good art days. Check out Shalini Shah’s photography exhibit, The World Through My Eyes, through March at the West Las Vegas Library. Shah has lived in Las Vegas and Tanzania, and combines the artistic sensibilities of both places. LVCCLD.org.

WED 24

We’ve said it before: Bowling and theater are a magical combination. Or maybe we’ve never said that before? Don’t recall. Anyway, Alice, A Steampunk Concert Fantasy, is playing at Brooklyn Bowl at 10 p.m., and it will be a lot of fun. BrooklynBowl.com.

ILLUSTRATION BY CIERRA PEDRO

February 18–24, 2016

VegasSeven.com

➜ DONALD TRUMP ISN’T the only billionaire

thinking about the Mexican border. While the presidential candidate proposes a soaring wall be built there, paid for by Mexico, the famous Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helú has been talking about extending plans for Interstate 11 across the border and 1,300 miles to Mexico City. The world’s second-richest person (to Bill Gates’ No. 1, according to Forbes), Helú huddled with developer and former Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey about the highway at a Phoenix business forum in April. Colangelo has offered to donate $100 million in land to make I-11 a reality in Arizona, and state offcials would love to speed up its clogged border crossings, since almost half of Arizona’s exports go to Mexico. The upshot of the Arizona bigshots’ meeting with the Mexican tycoon came in mid-June when, olé, olé, olé, Arizona and Mexico executed a memorandum of understanding to extend I-11 along Mexican Route 15 to Mexico City. Coincidentally, I-11 took its frst concrete step forward at about the same time Helú was chatting up the Arizonans. That’s when earth-moving equipment started rumbling outside Las Vegas to begin work on a 15-mile road from Henderson to the Hoover Dam bypass. Upon completion in 2018, the new roadway will constitute I-11’s national debut. Skirting Boulder City on the south and east, the new highway is expected to shave 30 minutes of driving time between the Hoover Dam bypass bridge and Henderson with increased safety and convenience. The new project invites comparisons to the 1926 designation of Route 66, celebrated in fction and history for transforming travel, communities and economic development from Chicago to Los Angeles. In The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck dubbed it “The Mother Road.” But with two years of construction to go, it may be more pressing to examine how the bypass job will affect local drivers and businesses. Tony Illia, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), predicts minimal disruption and inconvenience to area residences and businesses. Mike Hand, director of engineering for streets and highways with the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC), is equally optimistic. “The project is mostly out in the barren desert where we won’t have to disrupt traffc,” Hand says. As an engineer, Hand appreciates the opportunity to build somewhere not in the middle of an active roadway. “It’s a really smooth project from our perspective,” he says. The $318 million, four-lane divided highway is developing in two concurrent phases. NDOT is constructing a 2.5-mile stretch from Railroad Pass to U.S. 95, continu-

News, deals and planning for the future of Las Vegas gridlock.

THE LATEST

CHARACTER STUDY

Aaron Sidranski.

Finding Gold in Silver FOR AARON SIDRANSKI, a former casino executive turned Native American jewelry store owner, an epiphany struck eight years ago like a rockslide. The 37-year-old Durango High School and UNLV alum was an executive in the construction offices at MGM Resorts, working on several projects including CityCenter. But he had a nagging feeling that something was missing in his life. “I remember sitting in the parking lot of the corporate offces of MGM. I called my dad and said, ‘I think I know what my purpose is.’ I was about to turn 30, and I kind of had that ‘aha!’ [moment], where I wanted to reinvent myself,” Sidranski recalls. He decided to go into the family business, which started when his Polish grandfather immigrated to America and wound up in El Paso, Texas. In short order, the family opened the El Paso Trading Post in 1945, which sold Native American jewelry, pottery and other traditional wares. After Sidranski’s father, Ed, came home from the Vietnam War, he took over the business, eventually moving the family to Las Vegas when Aaron was 16. The family owns the De (his father’s name spelled backward) Trading Post at Hoover Dam. When Sidranski decided to go into the family business, he mentored under his father at the Boulder City store for several months. “Even though I already knew the business, I want-

February 18–24, 2016

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➜

ed to learn exactly how we made the stuff, not just, ‘here’s some silver, here’s some turquoise, go,’” Sidranski says. “And it was awesome, because I really learned under him.” Unfortunately, just as he opened the frst of his own stores, Silver Post, in December 2009, the economy was tanking. “I literally lived off of rice and beans, beans and rice, every day,’” he says. “Every dollar I made, I reinvested it back into the business. It’s not like I can pay Native Americans with credit cards. But I built it into a successful store.” The fagship store, formally located in Premium Outlets South but relocated to Downtown Summerlin in November, took off after a couple of years. Sidranski expanded with a second location in Primm, which failed. He opened a new store in Town Square 18 months ago, which is thriving. “I kept telling my wife, ‘The more stores we open, the more opportunity we’re giving these artists,” he says. And it’s the artists that drive Sidranski to succeed. He didn’t have to go far to fnd them, since his family had connections with nearly 50 artists from 18 tribes around the Southwest. “What makes our store unique is we’re not buying from suppliers, we’re buying from actual Native American artists,” Sidranski says. “I’ve known a lot of these artists since I was a young man. And some of them, now, their kids work for us.” Authentic jewelry, each imprinted with the artist’s

hallmark, make up about half of Silver Post’s business. Another signifcant portion is selling rocks and crystals, or, as Sidranski prefers to call them, minerals. While that part of the business made up 10-15 percent of sales in his parent’s store, Sidranski says crystals for decorative or spiritual purposes make up almost 40 percent of his business. “As people are getting more in tuned with the whole [natural], holistic, handmade kind of mentality, [they] are feeling more of a spiritual connection to what rocks and minerals symbolize,” he says. “That was, I think, one of the turning points I did for my parents’ and for my business. I didn’t want to be just an oldschool trading post. I wanted to connect the spirituality of the Southwest with the spirituality of the earth.” Sidranski and his wife, Sarah, who also works at Silver Post, enjoy helping tourists and locals learn more about culture and stones from the Southwest. “We’ve noticed that tourists tend to know a lot about Native American Southwest jewelry, but sometimes locals, we’re kind of oblivious to what’s in our own backyard,” he says. “For example, most people aren’t aware of the white buffalo turquoise mine up in Tonopah. Or the fact that Nevada produces more turquoise than any other state in the Southwest.” Sidranski has no regrets about his career change, even if it has come with a few bumps along the way. “I think it was my destiny,” he says. “I truly believe that.”

PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ

Native American jewelry store owner keeps art tradition alive By Emmily Bristol

“Fuck Las Vegas Boulevard,” Favy says. “I grew up at 28th Street and Charleston. I went to high school at Charleston and Nellis. To me, Charleston is Vegas’ main street. When I think of Las Vegas, I think of Charleston.” When Favy and Ras think of Charleston, they think of East Charleston. And when they think of East Charleston, they think of tacos. A lot of Latin restaurants congregate east of the Strip, and a good amount of Mexican and Salvadoran restaurants on the nearly fve miles of Charleston stretching from Las Vegas to Nellis boulevards. Plus, there are fast food joints that serve Americanized Latin food, and an unpredictable number of outdoor carts that come out nights and weekends. The street is all but paved with tortillas. Favy and Ras estimate that there were two dozen places on Charleston to get a taco, and they decided that they would set aside an evening and try them all.

February 18–24, 2016

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LOS CONTENDIENTES

Ras and Favy met while in line at one of East Charleston’s best Mexican spots, Tacos El Gordo. The two artists realized they had more in common than an appreciation for Mexican cuisine. Ras is a world-class street artist, whose work can be found on indoor and outdoor walls all over the Arts District; Favy is a multidisciplinary artist whose proud Latino heritage is front and center in his work, especially in his custom-made piñatas—some of which are the size (and shape) of cars. Also, both men understand at a gut level that the appreciation of art doesn’t begin and end with how it looks. Art is social, political, tactile … and, occasionally, favorful. “To me, the taco represents a lot,” Favy says. “It’s a way for Americans to literally consume Mexican culture. Today, the taco doesn’t just represent Mexico; it represents America. It’s become an American food.” “What’s the No. 1 condiment in America? Salsa,” Ras says. (I actually Googled this, and he’s not wrong— though some reports put mayonnaise ahead of salsa in total sales. These reports are evil and shouldn’t be trusted.) It’s Sunday and Favy, Ras, photographer Krystal Ramirez, impartial observer Laura Herbert and myself meet up at Esmeralda’s Café, a Mexican-Salvadoran restaurant at Charleston and 10th Street. This is their second attempt at what the contenders call the “East Charleston Taco Challenge.” Favy and Ras once before attempted to try every taco on East Charleston, but they dead-ended halfway through. “They started too late in the day. Plus, they were snacking on chips, drinking beers,” Ramirez says. This time, they’ve got to be more strategic. Favy orders two tacos from a server—en español— before we even reach the table. As he sits down and pushes the basket of chips over to me, he remarks that he has an ongoing project called Taco Takeover (see it here: JustinFavela.net/Taco-Takeover/), in which he documents every single taco he enjoys from around the world.

“The last taco I ate was in Ireland,” he says. “The culinary jam over there has taken a major jump,” Ras says. “They’ve got a lot of cats coming in, a lot of different favors, different styles.” “The [restaurant I went to] looked cool,” Favy says. “You know those Cholo line drawings? They had those on the walls. And it was so hipster in there … like when you walk into a place that’s like this (he gestures to an empty-ish Esmeralda’s) and they say, ‘Sorry, there’s no tables left.’ Anyway, I had fish tacos, California-style. The one thing they fucked up was they didn’t put the tortilla on the grill, so we got a raw tortilla. That’s how they treated us. I was like, ‘I lived in Mexico for two months. I know what I’m talking about. Heat up the fucking tortilla.’ Other than that, though, the flavors were on point.” Ras’ travels have also allowed him to shape his tastes when it comes to the street food. “There are no good tacos in Hawaii, unless it’s a fsh taco,” he says. “I don’t know if it’s the quality of meat they have, or maybe

it’s too much for them to get certain ingredients for marinating, but the favor was just not there. One of the frst things I did when I got off the plane … my friend took me right to El Gordo. I needed tacos. I’ve been eating poke bowls for fve months.” A short time later, the tacos arrive. The artists don’t say a whole lot while they eat. But when the question of authenticity comes up, they put the tacos down and get serious: “I like to stray away from what is ‘authentic’,” Favy says. “It’s easier to say what’s good. Even in Mexico, an enchilada is different in the north than the south.” “Yeah, you could have a more Indio infuence in the community, which brings a certain favor,” Ras says. “Or you could go into certain areas that have a more Arab infuence.” “The Arab taco is a huge thing in southern Mexico,” Favy says. “Migration brings in favor and culture,” Ras says.

The East Charleston Taco Challenge:

THE RESTAURANTS ESMERALDA’S CAFÉ

1000 E. Charleston Blvd. #101 (702) 388-1404 Facebook.com/ EsmeraldasCafeLV TACOS MEXICO

1205 E. Charleston Blvd. (702) 444-1738 TacosMexico.com MARISCOS PLAYA ESCONDIDA

1203 E. Charleston Blvd. (702) 906-1124 Facebook.com/ MariscosPlayaEscondida

MARISCOS EL DORADO

2021 E. Charleston Blvd. (702) 868-2970 MARISCOS 7 MARES

2000 E. Charleston Blvd. (702) 473-5522 7MaresMexicanRestaurant LasVegas.com/ PEPE’S TACOS

2490 Fremont St. (702) 360-5200 PepesTacosLV.com EL DIAMANTE RESTAURANT

2830 E. Charleston Blvd. (702) 307-9891

LOS TACOS

1710 E. Charleston Blvd. (702) 471-7447 LosTacosLV.com BLUE SKILLET FAMILY RESTAURANT

1723 E. Charleston Blvd. (702) 382-3330

CEMITAS POBLANAS MI CHULA PUEBLA

3021 E. Charleston Blvd. Unit B (702) 688-9765 PLAYA DE CANCUN

3513 E. Charleston Blvd. (702) 432-0034

MACAYO VEGAS

1741 E. Charleston Blvd. (702) 382-5605 Macayo.com

EL POLLO LOCO

4011 E. Charleston Blvd. (702) 459-0987 ElPolloLoco.com

DEL TACO

1802 E. Charleston Blvd. (702) 366-1878 DelTaco.com 1756 E. Charleston Blvd. (702) 383-6909 LOPEZ RESTAURANT

(at Bonanza Indoor Swap Meet) 1720 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite 13 (702) 366-1590 TACOS EL GORDO DE TIJUANA B.C.

1724 E. Charleston Blvd. (702) 251-8226 TacosElGordoBC.com LA PUPUSA LOKA

1956 E. Charleston Blvd. (702) 360-5652

EL TRIUNFO RESTAURANT

4450 E. Charleston Blvd. Suite 3 (702) 453-4147 TAQUERIA EL BUEN PASTOR

4777 E. Charleston Blvd. Suite 217 (702) 912-0775 TaqueriaElBuenPastor.com LA FLOR DE MICHOACAN ICE CREAM

3021 E. Charleston Blvd. (702) 366-1447

VegasSeven.com

“This is where my grandma taught me never to order a taco with everything on it,” Favy says as we step up to the counter at Tacos Mexico. “Stick with sauce, onion and cilantro, because if you order a taco without stuff, they put more meat on it. Then you just use the toppings bar to fll it out. “These tacos … not the best,” he adds. “But for nostalgic purposes, it’s like going to Vickie’s Diner. It’s not that great, but it scratches the itch.” “This place is a staple—the late-night, greasy taco,” Ras says. “We have so many memories of this place. Back in the day, it was one of the few places near the Hunt-

OLOCULITA RESTAURANT

THE SECRET INGREDIENT

ridge Theater for quick tacos. Not like it is today; we’re spoiled today. But that’s also a refection of street food expanding, from Portland to Houston. Vegas has stepped it up in the past 20 years.” We exit Tacos Mexico and notice a Mexican restaurant we’ve never seen before, Mariscos Playa Escondida, hidden behind the venerable taco stand. We go in and order fsh tacos. “It’s a little fshy on the intro, but nice on the out,” Ras says. “That’s a good smoky taste,” Favy says. “I like places like this, places that do different kinds of tortillas for different kinds of proteins.” So what makes a good taco stand out? “You can tell when a business takes pride in what they make, from Taco Bell to Tacos El Gordo,” Favy says. For Ras: “It’s love.”

4345 E. Charleston Blvd. (702) 440-8181 JackInTheBox.com

February 18–24, 2016

“Who cares what’s authentic, as long as it’s good?”

JACK IN THE BOX

NIGHTLIFE

Henry Fong brings his brand-new beats to Brooklyn Bowl By Kat Boehrer

| February 18–24, 2016

Oh, Henry!

FONG always gets right to the point— and the point is to party. RVLTN will bring Fong and his genre-blending beats to Las Vegas for a March 4 appearance with Bingo Players at Brooklyn Bowl. Some of those beats are brandnew, and already signed to labels including Calvin Harris’ Fly Eye Records and Tiësto’s Musical Freedom. Hey, it never hurts to diversify.

➜ HENRY

VegasSeven.com

Your city after dark, photos from the week’s hottest parties and dishing on the new Hyde Lounge

Judging from your online presence, you like to get the party started. What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen at one of your parties?

I was on Holy Ship!, and I was hosting a pool party. It was called the Henry Fong Aquatic Olympics. That was the fancy name for a bunch of poolside drinking games. Every time someone won, we would reward them with shots or beers. In the middle of one of the contests, this kid just pulls off his pants and cannonballs off the second story on the cruise ship. When he comes up [from underwater], everyone started cheering.

To be honest, it’s the sound system. When you play a nice club or venue that has a really good sound system, that’s more important. That overrides any lighting or extra production [element].

February 18–24, 2016

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You perform at venues and festivals that use a lot of production elements—lasers, strobes and confetti. What’s your favorite part of the fan experience?

What’s one item that you absolutely have to bring with you on tour?

I eat fairly healthy. I just make sure to pack food ahead of time, so I at least have breakfast for one morning. You sometimes get rushed out at 6 or 7 a.m. for these fights, and you don’t have time to stop and get breakfast.

“I don’t want to sign to one label and just be stuck. I make such a wide variety of stuff, so I would rather have the option to be able to put it where it fits the best.” What kinds of things are we talking about here?

Just like little protein bars and stuff. That’s not very cool, is it? That’s not a cool answer at all. It’s inspirational. If you could cast the perfect show, who would you put in your lineup?

I used to promote a weekly event before I really started DJing. Bass music is really cool right now. So I would probably book more of the bass music acts. Such as Flume or Skrillex?

Yeah, for sure Flume. If I were booking, I would want to put on the best show ever, someone like Jack Ü. Those guys put on a show. They’re making great music, changing the game. That is an ideal act that I would like to book if I was on the other end. Who were your early influences in music?

When I frst started out, probably The

Prodigy, like back in the early ’90s. That’s the frst dance music I really listened to, the frst of any sort of electronic music I ever heard. How did they land on your radar?

That was back when you had to go and buy CDs. I saw one of their music videos. Their single “Breathe” was on the radio and all over MTV. It was a really weird music video. I discovered them and bought their album The Fat of the Land. What about your influences now?

Major Lazer is very inspiring, the way they’ve incorporated an entirely new style of music outside of dance music, such as dance hall and reggae. I’ve been listening to that stuff pretty much my whole life, but I never even thought to do something like that with dance music. It’s really inspiring, taking an entirely different genre like that and blending it with dance music.

What’s the story behind your newest release, “Fear”?

I did that with two of my buddies from Vegas, an awesome upcoming duo called Halfway House. They can make anything, any style of music. We produced this together. I was just kind of messing around, wanting to sample one of the older dance hall beats. There’s a famous one called the “Coolie Dance Riddim.” You’ve heard it a million times, although you might not know what it’s called. Pitbull used it in “Culo”; Nina Sky used it in “Move Your Body.” And you modified it?

I sampled the beat and sped it up to 128 beats per minute, and then we did vocals on it. We got linked up with this guy Sanjin, who did a big DVBBS track called “Pyramids” last year. He has this cool reggae dance hall style but he’s from Sweden, so he’s got a different vibe on it. We took his vocals, and they just went perfectly on it. That’s on Calvin Harris’ label, Fly Eye. Wow, you’re all over the place. You seem to sign your music to a lot of different labels.

That’s kinda just been my thing. I don’t want to sign to one label and just be stuck. I make such a wide variety of stuff, so I would rather have the option to be able to put it where it fts the best.

PHOTO BY MS PHOTOGRAPH

NIGHTLIFE

Fong catches a wave at the World DJ Festival in South Korea.

It will be open whenever there is an event at the arena. What’s cool about it is that you can do something different in nightlife, but not feel like you did. You can see a concert, and also be in a club and have a few drinks. When you go to any arena for an event, you’re basically sitting in your seats. You cannot portray that as something sexier than it is. Hyde Lounge at the arena will be a nightclub and a lounge. Bringing that concept here is something that no one else can replicate. That’s SBE. That’s what we always try to do: bring something that can’t be duplicated. What skills did you learn as a stockbroker that have carried over to nightlife?

I was making a thousand phone calls a day, cold calls to people trying to sell them stocks. Selling [VIP tables] was a nobrainer. It was easy for me, because I had been doing it “in real life,” as I like to call it. I was selling reallife stuff: stocks, bonds and mutual funds. When I came out here, I thought it was going to be for a year. But the opportunities just kept coming. When SLS opened at the north end of the Strip, SBE managed it, which it doesn’t anymore. Is there any lingering crossover?

VegasSeven.com

Hyde & Conquer

February 18–24, 2016

SBE executive Greg Costello gears up to welcome Hyde Lounge at the T-Mobile Arena By Mark Gray

GREG COSTELLO will never forget the look on his former boss’ face when he told him that he was trading his Cincinnati-based job as a stockbroker to become a nightclub host in Las Vegas. “He looked at me like I had three heads,” Costello says. “I don’t think he had many other 27-year-olds walking into his offce talking about that.” That was in 2003. Fast forward

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13 years: Now 40, Costello is the director of customer development at Hyde Bellagio, a job that has him not only calling the shots at the casino-resort hot spot, but will also see him fully involved at Hyde Lounge in the soon-toopen T-Mobile Arena. Considering what Hyde owner SBE has up its sleeves for 2016, it sounds like Costello traded up at the right time.

That project is licensed. We are no longer managing it. We’re working on us, on the expansion of SBE—namely the Hyde brand—and all of the rest of the stuff that we do with SBE. [SLS] is kind of a closed chapter for us. We are moving on to bigger and better things. What do you have planned for Hyde Bellagio this year?

We’ve gone through some transition. You will see some more events from Hyde, but they will be focused on what we do at Hyde, which is to, again, try to provide that experience that no one else can provide. We are really getting our ducks in a row. We are matching our budgets with the big weekends, making sure that we are doing things for the right reasons and doing things that make sense.

There seems to be a push for smaller, more intimate clubs in Las Vegas right now, and less focus on the DJ. Since that’s been Hyde’s bread and butter, do you feel you have a leg up?

We’re coming back to people wanting a more intimate space. When nightclubs started in this town, you had to be someone to get in. Now, if you wait in line long enough, you will get in anywhere. It will be interesting to see if we start going back the other way. We’ve always been doing open format; that’s what we are known for. I don’t know how much of an edge it gives us when everyone else goes to it, too. I don’t know when the DJ craze is going to end, because the top tiers will always be there. The problem is, it went really far. All of a sudden, there were DJs who aren’t mainstream who got paid the same amount as a mainstream DJ. That can’t be sustained. What sets the Hyde brand apart?

There are so many nightclubs in this town. Lately, it has been really hard to tell them apart. When you walk into an SBE property, though, you have something distinct. At Bellagio, we have the fountains. People can try to do what they want to replicate it, but you’re never going to have anything like the Bellagio fountains 50 yards from your table. Plus, we have the small club—40 tables. We can be a little bit more selective about who we let in. We can make our crowd a little bit better. In your tenure, what have been some of the craziest or most memorable nights at Hyde?

When [UFC fghter] Conor McGregor won his frst big fght, he and his fans came in. It was unbelievable, the energy that we had in there. I remember our frst New Year’s Eve, which was our frst night open. It was crazy. The lights went out in the tower at Bellagio. People were so angry and so stressed. Then we opened, people came in and we showed them a great time. By the end of the night, everyone was having the greatest time of their lives. We saved it for the Bellagio. Our frst day open and we already saved it.

PHOTO BY JIM K. DECKER

NIGHTLIFE

What will Hyde Lounge at the T-Mobile Arena be like?

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NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

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[ UPCOMING ]

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com

PHOTOS BY BOBBY JAMEIDAR AND THOMAS TRAN

February 18–24, 2016

VegasSeven.com

Feb. 19 DJ Hollywood spins Feb. 20 DJ Hollywood spins Feb. 27 Ja Rule birthday celebration

Marcello Mauro charts a course to bring Nora’s Italian Cuisine to its new home By Al Mancini

➜ WHEN MARCELLO MAURO and his

parents broke ground on his new restaurant on January 26, it signifed a passing of the torch. When Marcello was still in high school, his parents, Nora and Gino, handled the day-today operations of the original 12-seat Nora’s Italian Cuisine which opened in 1991. Today, Nora and Gino are semiretired, but they still keep a watchful

eye on their beloved restaurant. Marcello serves as general manager for a Las Vegas institution that has become a go-to-spot for those seeking authentic Italian-American cuisine. There’s no questioning Marcello’s credentials to run an Italian joint. He was born in Italy, where his mother ran a deli. They immigrated to the U.S. when he was 9, settling in Los Angeles,

where Nora managed a restaurant. When the family opened the spot in Las Vegas, she was in the kitchen every day. But when he got out of school, Marcello would head over to lend a hand fipping pizzas. He attended UNLV for a psychology degree, with an unoffcial “minor” in food and beverage—meaning he took all the classes he could on the subject.

PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ

DINING February 18–24, 2016

VegasSeven.com

The Next Generation

“I always wondered, why am I studying psychology? The restaurant business is my life,” he says. Over the years, Marcello has practically done every job in the restaurant, from the front of the house to the kitchen, even teaching current chef Misael Macias the family’s recipes. And he’s had other projects. He developed the Mac Shack build-your-own pasta concept before turning it over to his partner. Marcello and his brother Giovanni opened the popular but short-lived Nora’s Wine Bar in Summerlin. Marcello blames the recession and an infexible landlord for the closure. But the fve-year venture paid the restaurateur in valuable experience he applies today. “The biggest lesson I took from it was that we needed to have our own building,” he says. “If we would have had a different landlord or a bank holding our note, the wine bar would still be open today.” That belief led to Marcello’s decision to build a new home for Nora’s. But, he says, the very nature of Las Vegas also makes the move a logical step. “You have to keep reinventing yourself a little bit [here], or fne-tuning. You need to show that you’re not stagnant, you’re gonna keep working on it and you’re still focused on your business. You’re not done with it.” And Marcello clearly isn’t done with Nora’s. The bigger space near Flamingo Road and Duneville Street, just a block away from the current location, will bring bold opportunities. For starters, it will increase the overall capacity from 115 seats to 170. The larger kitchen will allow Marcello to install a grill and add a grill menu. A second foor with a balcony and view of the Strip won’t be open at frst, but will allow for expansion down the road. And there will be a bocce court outside for those who feel like rolling some balls. The move could come as early as mid-July, Marcello says. He’s hoping to “close [the original] one day and reopen the next day at the new location.” There’s obviously a lot at stake for the man who has been entrusted with overseeing his family’s Las Vegas legacy in its second generation. But Marcello has plenty of support. “My family has always done a really good job of making us feel like this was a family business from Day 1,” he says. “We all felt like we were a part of Nora’s growth. Nobody ever felt like, ‘It’s all me.’ My dad never felt that way. My mom never felt that way. My brother never felt that way. I never felt that way. We always felt like Nora’s was a true family business, and everybody contributed. And I still feel that. Even though they’re not actively involved, I still feel that they are part of it and they’re still contributing—whether it’s a nod or a wink or whatever. I’m carrying the torch, but I don’t feel alone one bit.” And with a loyal customer base that spans the Valley, the Mauros are unlikely to ever feel lonely in their new home.

A&E VegasSeven.com

| February 18–24, 2016

Wynn not to duplicate anything from the original productions from which the songs came, and to work within an insane time frame. “Everything had to be designed and built from July to September [2014],” McKinley says. “Then we were off, and we started rehearsing. It was tough.” Benzinger, a New York-based designer who works extensively in flm, created ShowStoppers’ $2 million worth of costumes. She also made costumes for Wynn’s other prestige show, Le Rêve, and for several Woody Allen flms, among them the Oscar-winning Blue Jasmine. (Fun fact: one of her frst costume gigs was for the original Ghostbusters in 1984.) Re-creating Broadway in Vegas was a towering challenge, but Benzinger met it. “Suzy did a huge number of designs in a very short period of time,” McKinley says. “Our frst meeting was June 26,and we opened December 2.” Recently, ShowStoppers celebrated both its frst anniversary and the introduction of three songs: “Big Spender” from Sweet Charity; “Nobody Does It Like Me” from Seesaw and “Don’t Rain On My Parade” from Funny Girl. They join existing numbers from A Chorus Line, Cabaret, Chicago and more. As long as Wynn loves Broadway, Benzinger’s work may never be done. In her frst interview ever about the show, Benzinger shares the extraordinary details behind the production and its costumes. ON WORKING WITH STEVE WYNN

“Either Steve likes something or he doesn’t and that makes my life a lot easier, because it’s horrible when you work for someone who is vacillating. He loves the show. He goes all the time. I don’t know many producers who go to the show after they open.”

CUT AND SEW

Because of the short time frame to produce the costumes for ShowStoppers, the labor was split between the Wynn costume department and a New York City costume shop that Benzinger frequently works with. “Every costume is a work of art specifcally made for each person,” she says. RUN ORDER

“The order for me is an important thing because I had to design around function as well [as aesthetics],” says Benzinger. “With this show, there are so many quick changes, it’s one big, huge number after another. When I design a dress I have to think of how they are going to put it on, or take it off. Knowing the sequence was very instrumental.” McKinley’s trick is to “follow a company number with a boys’ number,” he says. “The girls have to take off stockings, the corsets, wigs and jewelry … and, they have to put it all back on again. The boys can change in 60 seconds. However, in fast changes, the girls do it in 20 [seconds].”

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

Magnets are used to help performers get in and out of their gear when every second matters. “They don’t wreck the garments,” Benzinger says. “We try not to use Velcro anymore because it eats up the fabric.” STAGE VS. FILM

“I love stage and I love flm, but after each, I want to do the other,” Benzinger says. “It’s like childbirth. It’s so joyous you forget the pain so you do it over, and over. I really do love both mediums, though I started with stage. On a flm, every day is like the opening night, so it can be frightening. I love the interaction with the dancers on stage. They are both so different; I am happy I can do both.”

A “RAZZLE DAZZLE” FROM CHICAGO This hot-pink sport coat weighs more than six pounds and is covered in 1,815 square-cut, handplaced Swarovski crystals. B “BALLOON DRESS” IN “RAZZLE DAZZLE” FROM CHICAGO This piece has 50 balloons, 29 of which are unexpectedly popped during the number. It takes two wardrobe dressers and nearly 30 minutes to fill the balloons and get the dancer into the dress. C “DON’T RAIN ON MY PARADE” FROM FUNNY GIRL The gown features thousands of hand-beaded bugle beads placed in an eye-catching asymmetrical ombre pattern that descends from silver to emerald to black. It takes more than 140 individual bugle beads to create one single strand on the gown from top to bottom. D “PUT ON YOUR SUNDAY CLOTHES” FROM HELLO, DOLLY! Every dress in Sunday clothes is different— the 16 female performers are clad in exquisite ball gowns. The bodice of the gown is fully corseted, and features a six-layered skirt and four-layered petticoat each with a distinctive color palette and different embroidered sequin designs.

[ MUSIC ]

➜ It’s on. The organizers of Neon

[ MUSIC ]

February 18–24, 2016

VegasSeven.com

Vegas Bands, Get Yourselves Compiled

Are you in a local band? Does your local band make original music? Is that original music worthy? If you can answer these three important questions with an unqualified, unironic yes, there may be a couple of local compilations that could benefit from your rump-shakers, twangers or headbangers. Zia Records is putting together a compilation of Phoenix, Tucson and Las Vegas bands for Record Store Day, while Shake Shack is seeking local artists who are already on Spotify (important distinction, there) for its in-house Spotify playlist, “Burger Beats.” If either of these prospects sound like just the thing your band needs to go supersonic, just drop a two-song CD at Zia accompanied by a submission form (ZiaRecords.com), or visit Shake Shack’s Facebook page to learn how to submit your tracks (Bit.ly/ShackBurger-Beats). Deadline for Shake Shack submissions is February 29; Zia, March 4. And good luck! You were always my favorite, even if you’re kinda Coldplay sometimes. –Geoff Carter

Reverb have announced an initial lineup of bands for the four-day music festival, which takes over several Downtown venues March 10-13. The cool thing is, the rebooted festival is acting like it never went away; Neon Reverb favorite Ty Segall is returning (with his band the Muggers), and he’s joined by a staggeringly great assortment of up-and-comers and indie stalwarts, including Neon Indian, La Sera and El Ten Eleven. And this isn’t all of it, promises festival coproducer Mike Henry: “Your friends at Neon Reverb will always have a few tricks up our sleeves. We may or may not be reserving a surprise band or two that we’ll add along the way.” Festival wristbands go on sale at 10 a.m. February 18 at NeonReverb. com. As promised, they’ve kept the price low: Four days of music will cost you only $50, plus taxes and fees. Welcome back, Neon Reverb. Damned good to see you. –Geoff Carter

CONCERT

• Ty Segall and the Muggers • Neon Indian • Beach Slang • Sage Francis • El Ten Eleven • Chuck Ragan • La Sera • Eleanor Friedberger • Tijuana Panthers • James Supercave • Open Mike Eagle • Melissa Brooks and the Aquadolls • Astronauts, etc. • Wheelchair Sports Camp • Moving Units • Chaos Chaos • Colleen Green • My Body Sings Electric • GEMS • Partybaby • Mercy Music • The Lique • Rusty Maples • Special K • Illicitor • Hassan Hamilton • The Dirty Hooks • Kitze + the CPUs • Leather Lungs • Headwinds

Black Sabbath Begins to End

Mandalay Bay Events Center, February 13 We wouldn’t have the musical genre of heavy metal if Black Sabbath hadn’t pioneered the sound some 47 years ago. Last Saturday night, the (mostly) original Sabbath lineup gave Las Vegas a taste of pure, uncut hard rock on their farewell The End tour. Ozzy Osbourne roamed the stage, engaging, and sometimes goading, the fans—even dumping the occasional bucket of water on them. Founding guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Tommy Clufetos—from Ozzy’s solo band— turned in a masterful performance of all the classics while the Jumbotron screen behind them captured the concert in a variety of altered states. ¶ From the opener, ”Black Sabbath,” to the encore, “Paranoid,” metal heads of all ages were treated to one last fling with one of rock’s greatest bands. At least, until this “farewell” tour comes back to the MGM Grand on September 17. ★★★★★ –Danny Axelrod

SEGALL BY DENEE PETRACEK; BL ACK SABBATH BY ROSS HALFIN

A&E

Presenting Your Neon Reverb 2016 Music Lineup

Ty Segall.

THE LINEUP, SO FAR

MARKETPLACE

We’ve done pretty normal capital upgrades. We’ve had to replace carpets, change out certain equipment, added cabanas and a bar in the pool area. We’ve replaced furniture, painted certain areas—just trying to keep the place fresh and clean. How would you characterize the current aesthetic and the new one you are going for in the redesign?

The best way to characterize the look and feel of the place is in the name—the Artisan. In general, it’s artsy, fun and unique. We’re keeping the property open the entire time during our upgrades to all 64 rooms. [There’s] nothing structural; it’s all going to be cosmetic— new furniture, changing out the carpet, painting the walls, new artwork. We’ll keep the vibe similar to what the Artisan portrays today, which is a little bit dark and moody, but with a sophisticated and more grown-up look and feel. It defnitely has a European, boutique-hotel feel to it. You’ll be adding eight video poker machines in the bar. What else?

Michael Crandall

February 18–24, 2016

VegasSeven.com

The Siegel Group senior VP on his passion for the Artisan, design aesthetics and lessons learned from past renovations By Xania Woodman

The Siegel Group briefly listed the Artisan boutique hotel for sale last fall at $4.6 million, pulled it off the market and then decided to re-invest almost $1 million in a renovation. What does the Artisan mean to Las Vegas, the company and you?

It was time to breathe some life back into the property, to freshen it up and give it some upgrades. To the city of Las Vegas, the Artisan has become a staple over the years, especially for locals. We do cater to out-of-towners, but we’ve made it a point to also cater to locals, whether it’s a date, an overnight stay or just to hang out with friends. Although [the Siegel Group’s] core business is our multifamily division and our Siegel Suites,

we also have a hospitality division with fve hotels. The Artisan was one of the frst hotels we’ve owned in Las Vegas. Steve Siegel, the president and CEO of our company, and I used to frequent the place before we owned it. I’ve been involved with helping to oversee the Artisan since the day we bought it at the end of 2009, and I’ve seen its transition from what it was when we took it over to the launch of our after-hours in 2010. … I still get a kick out of it every time I see someone react to stepping into the Artisan for the frst time. The Artisan is just so different from every other hotel in Las Vegas; it’s just that much more cool and special.

We’re going to have a new entrance to the ultra-lounge area, which will create a new effect when you frst walk in. You’re going to be closer to the actual bar now, not walking into what is currently our dance foor. We’re keeping the bar in the same footprint, but we’re going to make our back bar and everything around it look a little different, add cool art features and elements, add built-in booths and seating areas and different fooring and ceiling features that will make people feel like they’re still in the Artisan, but they’re in a totally new Artisan. The Artisan’s dining options have included the 94-seat Mood Restaurant, patio and private dining room. What do you see happening there?

We are in talks with a really great chef, and he has a group with him that we think would be extremely exciting to have in the Artisan, and I believe everyone in Las Vegas would be extremely excited as well.

There are actually a couple of different people who are very interested, but one group in particular that we’re pretty serious about partnering with. Italian still fts the property perfectly, and that would be the direction that we’d like to see the restaurant stay in … but I’d like to get the right person in there, and if that’s not Italian, then I’m comfortable with it not being Italian. The restaurant and bar will be the frst things we do. Who are other new tenants?

We’ve leased out space in the hotel—a small, private events space we called the Library— for a hair salon, [Brush Boutique Salon, now open]. [Owner James Fiala] has a great local following already. We have a chapel; we’re in talks right now with a few wedding companies that potentially will go in there. We also have what we call the Laundry Room, which is currently used as storage. We’re not sure what we’re doing with that yet. We’re still playing around with ideas—a possible bakery and a couple of other concepts. The Siegel Group, owners of Siegel Suites, also owns and has renovated Rumor Boutique Hotel and the Resort on Mount Charleston. What lessons have you learned on renovations?

I personally oversaw the Rumor renovation from start to fnish along with Steve. I was also very involved with the Gold Spike renovation in 2008. We like to come up with an idea and act on it extremely quickly, which a lot of times is a big part of our success, but sometimes maybe we shouldn’t jump in right away and [should] plan out a bit more. With the Artisan, we’re not going to start changing out paint colors and things until we have a defnite, complete vision of where we want to go, and then we’re going to do it. One of the challenges with renovating the property the way we’re doing it—the way we always do it—is we’re not shutting down the property, so you have to have all your ducks in a row and a pretty good plan in place. What at the Artisan will remain unchanged? Read the full interview at VegasSeven.com/ Michael Crandall.

PHOTO BY JIM K. DECKER

SEVEN QUESTIONS

Since the Siegel Group acquired the Artisan, which was built in 1982, have you made any other improvements to the property?