CONTENTS
MARCH 17–23, 2016
T H E LAT EST
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“A Strong Start” School breakfast program leads to success in the classroom. By EMMILY BRISTOL
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“How to Spot This Year’s Cinderella”
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“Betting on the Future”
Getting rebounds, creating turnovers keys to advancing. By SAL DEFILIPPO How to prepare for emerging gaming today. Green Felt Journal by DAVID G. SCHWARTZ
Plus … Bundys await day in court, Style, Seven Days, Ask a Native and The Deal.
NIGH T LIF E
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Lucky No. 7 XS senior exec Yannick Mugnier is driving the megaclub to its next milestone. By MELINDA SHECKELLS Plus … The Minus Zero Festival’s not-so-silent local connection and Seven Nights.
DINING
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“We’re Bowled Over” Rice is just the beginning at The Rice Shop. By AL MANCINI Plus … Albert Mack carries on family traditions with Sake Rok, Dishing With Grace and Drinking.
A &E Don’t get the influential postpunk/dance music band? These 10 songs are your way in. By GEOFF CARTER Plus … Seven’s 14, what Irish eyes are streaming for St. Patrick’s Day and a look back at Neon Reverb..
FE AT URE
We just live in it—and dress accordingly. The Most Fabulous Thing by CHARLIE STARLING
SEVEN Q U EST IONS
“They Live Among Us”
The Las Vegas Valley is teeming with desert wildlife, and their homes are closer than you think. By THOMAS MOORE
“It’s a Wizard World” VegasSeven.com
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20
Caption.
“New Order for Beginners”
70 Cover illustration by Kari Günther.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area Superintendent Lizette Richardson on the West’s wide-open spaces, 100 years of the park service and how the drought makes each visit unique.
March 17–23, 2016
ILLUSTRATION BY CIERRA PEDRO
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L AS VEGAS’ WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE
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FOUNDED FEBRUARY 2010
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EDITORIAL Nicole Ely Genevie Durano SENIOR EDITORS Paul Szydelko, Xania Woodman SENIOR EDITOR, A&E Geoff Carter ASSOCIATE EDITOR Hubble Ray Smith SENIOR WRITER Lissa Townsend Rodgers STAFF WRITER Emmily Bristol CALENDAR COORDINATOR Ian Caramanzana EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
MANAGING EDITOR
SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Melinda Sheckells (style)
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Michael Green (politics), Al Mancini (dining), David G. Schwartz (gaming/hospitality)
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THE LATEST A Strong Start Seven Days
News, deals and the best places to catch March Madness.
School breakfast program leads to success in the classroom By Emmily Bristol
By B O B W H I T B Y
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THU 17
If you don’t like monster trucks, we’re just not sure there’s a place for you in America. The rest of us will be at Sam Boyd Stadium, 11 a.m. today through Saturday, for the Monster Jam XVII World Finals, featuring 32 of the world’s top monster trucks. Bring your earplugs. UNLVTickets.com.
FRI 18
Everyone deserves access to clean water. Everyone likes to be entertained. Combine these and you get One Night for One Drop, a fundraiser for the nonprofit that works on water access and education. Artists from Cirque du Soleil are performing, which should help convince you. 7 p.m. at The Smith Center. TheSmithCenter.com.
SAT 19
Latest sign that scorching summer days are on the way: Cowabunga Bay Water Park opens for the season, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Get your fill of Surfin’ USA, Rock-A-Hoola, Point Panic and other hydro thrills before the heat turns on and the crowds turn up. CowabungaBayVegas.com.
SUN 20
Wizard World Comic Con is in town, Friday through today at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and that means no shortage of comics and fantasy, cosplay sessions, light sabre training, seminars, etc. WizardWorld.com. First Lady Kathleen Sandoval with students from K.O. Knudson Middle School.
the Valley with a variety of backgrounds. This means some students start their day as early as 5:30 a.m. on a bus to school. Meanwhile, other students are showing up to school every day because they can get breakfast and lunch through different programs. Those students, Cortez says, might otherwise fall through the cracks. At Knudson, 76 percent of students qualify for free or reduced cost lunch and 68 percent of students participate in the breakfast program. According to the CCSD, 210,000 kids—more than half of the nation’s ffth-largest school district’s students—qualify for a free or reducedcost lunch. To qualify for the
federally funded free and reducedcost lunch program, a family’s income must be below 130 percent of the poverty line. Fifty-one local schools have 90 percent of students participating in the program, CCSD spokeswoman Michelle Booth says. Studies show that students who miss breakfast have lower memory recall, lower test scores and more frequent tardiness and absences, according to No Kid Hungry, a campaign sponsored by nonproft Share Our Strength. “I just think [the program is] great,” Cortez says. “Even if they’re late, the students are getting a breakfast. That’s huge. [They know] that they’re always getting taken care of.”
MON 21
Woo-hoo, spring break! Unless you have young kids, then “I’m bored” is probably more common. The Las Vegas Natural History Museum has your fix: a week of activities for kids with Camouflaged Creations at 11 a.m., wherein the tots will build a LEGO animal that blends into backgrounds. LVNHM.org.
TUE 22
Put your John Hancock at the Thomas & Mack steel toppingoff ceremony by 10:45 a.m., when the last beam goes in the new west wing addition. Score some barbecue and a tour while you’re there. You’ll need to RSVP by March 21 if you want to attend. UNLV.edu.
WED 23
You love homegrown tomatoes. You live in the desert. You have a problem. We have the answer: Growing Tomatoes in Terrible Dirt and Desert Heat, a seminar by master gardener Leslie Doyle, 6 p.m. at the Centennial Hills Library. LVCCLD.org.
PHOTO BY JIM K. DECKER
March 17–23, 2016
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VegasSeven.com
➜ AS PART OF National School
Breakfast Week, Nevada First Lady Kathleen Sandoval stopped by K.O. Knudson Middle School on March 8. The message of the day was to highlight the success of the Breakfast After the Bell program, which offers free breakfast at schools across the Valley. “School breakfast is a key part of how we are going to end childhood hunger,” Sandoval says. “Knudson’s success is exactly the kind of success we envisioned when we passed the Breakfast After the Bell law.” The school breakfast bill was signed into law in June. The law brought in federal funding to feed more than 93,000 eligible students across the state. Locally, Three Square food bank and Share Our Strength, a national childhood hunger nonproft, have partnered with the Clark County School District, the Nevada Department of Agriculture and the Governor's Council on Food Insecurity to administer the program. According to Jodi Tyson, director of government affairs for Three Square, an additional 16,000 kids will be fed through the Breakfast After the Bell program this year. Their goal is to reach 33,000 additional kids in the next three years. “Parents encourage breakfast on testing days,” Tyson says. “But we feel [breakfast] needs to be every day.” Knudson principal Monica Cortez says there’s been a noticeable difference since the breakfast program debuted. Teachers, particularly in math and science, are reporting better grades and better engagement from students, she says. Trips to the nurse’s offce have also gone down. “The students are more alert. Even the students who eat breakfast at home, it’s helping them, too,” Cortez says. “Our health offce visits—for headaches because they’re hungry—have gone down.” A big factor in the program’s success has been that any kid can get breakfast, which is served in the classroom, so nobody is feeling singled out because they are different or can’t afford food, Cortez says. Knudson is a magnet school for the arts and technology, and there is a mix of students from around
A curated guide to this week in your city
THE LATEST
STYLE
Tariq Ali, 42 Restaurant owner Describe your personal style.
It depends on where I am and what I’m doing, but I am defnitely all about comfort while still having style. I am not much of a suit man, although I will wear one when the occasion calls for it. My regular daytime attire is gym clothes, because I am constantly on the go. Who has been a style inspiration for you? My father. My dad is, and
always has been, a really sharp dresser. My dad was a musician in New York and he always dressed very dapper from head to toe. Now that he is older, he is more casual but is still very stylish. What is your typical daily “uniform”?
My “uniform” for Marrakech is my “Marrakech button-up” and black slacks. I always feel I should represent the restaurant and my brand. Marrakech is beautifully decorated. Does the aesthetic flow into other parts of your life? Of course! It is
my culture. If you come into our homes, you will fnd Moroccaninspired decorations and similar cultural pieces. For example, you will fnd a Khamsa in my home and in my car. It wards off the evil eye. [The city of Marrakech’s] culture and aesthetic has been an inspiration my entire life—but also for the last 20 years of being at the restaurant every single day.
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my favorite thing. We have been around for generations now, and to have grown people come in and reminisce about memories from their childhood is priceless. It is those moments that are so touching to me. The food is awesome and the décor is beautiful, but it is the history that is my favorite part. Do you have a favorite dish the restaurant serves? I live on the
kabobs. Chicken, beef, shrimp, veggie. They are all amazing. –Liz Powell
Pal Zileri blazer; Giorgio Armani shirt; Levi’s jeans; Converse shoes; Dior glasses; Rolex President watch.
PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ
March 17–23, 2016
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VegasSeven.com
What is your favorite thing about Marrakech? Its history by far is
THEY LIVE
AMONG US The Las Vegas Valley is teeming with desert wildlife, and their homes are closer than you think BY
THOMAS MOORE /
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
CIERRA PEDRO
NIGHTLIFE Your city after dark and photos from the week’s hottest parties
Lucky No. 7 XS senior exec Yannick Mugnier is driving the megaclub to its next milestone By Melinda Sheckells NEWEST. BIGGEST. BEST . These are the superlatives that propel the inquiries we face when out-of-town friends ask about Las Vegas nightclubs. Since 2009, one of the top recommendations for those in the know has been XS in Encore, which is about to turn seven. When we last rountabled with XS’ team for the club’s ffth anniversary, the talk was all electronic dance music and unforgettable moments. Now, approaching another milestone birthday, Yannick Mugnier, senior executive director of nightclub operations, says XS still focuses on talent, but it’s time for the DJ to share the spotlight. “[Around town], we see different trends happening. [Some venues] have live performances, and that’s a niche that works well for them. For us, we want to stay with the DJs and what we can offer to set us apart from our competition. The DJ was the king—and that’s still the style [in terms of talent]—but there needs to be a refocus on the guest experience and making the guest the king again.” One major stride was the $10 million technology revamp that the club underwent last year. “In the U.S., everything is a trend,” says Mugnier, who is originally from France. “And every trend comes to an end. So you have to go in and think of the next [thing]. We spent a lot of money on bringing in technology that amplifes the experience of the customer, and that was a good part of our success.” Some of the best nights Mugnier can remember, though, are when that technology is used to its fullest by performers such as Diplo, Kaskade and Major Lazer, whom he recounts as being his favorites from the roster.
VegasSeven.com
| March 17–23, 2016
PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ
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OMNIANIGHTCLUB.COM
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702.785.6200
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NIGHTLIFE
PARTIES
SILENT PARTNER’S ZANDI AND LINCK TO CREATE A WINTER WONDERLAND DANCE PARTY
HYDE Bellagio
[ UPCOMING ]
March 17–23, 2016
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VegasSeven.com
March 18 Hyde Fridays with Konflikt March 19 Joe Jonas spins March 22 Industry Tuesday with DJ Five
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See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com
so much more than just music. SXSW attracts the media, tech and film industries to its conferences. Coachella draws desert revelers to its outrageous afterparties. Bonnaroo relishes in its camping-centric vibe. And now the multi-date and multi-location Minus Zero Festival (MinusZeroFestival.com) will take the fun to a higher altitude, interlacing winter sports between sets from major names in electronic dance music. Las Vegas-based Silent Partner Entertainment, headed by Zee Zandi and Lauren Linck, will handle all booking and marketing for the event, which kicks off April 2-3 at Winter Park Resort in Colorado. “Currently, there isn’t a winter music festival series that has made a large impact in the U.S.,” Zandi says. “[Minus Zero] is offering worldclass ski and snowboard accommodations in addition to a phenomenal lineup. Fans of this type of music from Vegas should come experience the festival. Sure, these DJs play here often, but the atmosphere of being on top of a mountain and surrounded by snow makes it unique.” After a first-year effort that featured Jamie Jones and Capital Cities at California’s Mountain High Resort in 2015, Minus Zero returns with Diplo and Kaskade headlining Winter Park, in addition to 15 DJs across two stages, as well as local supporting acts, according to a lineup developed by Zandi. All ski lifts and slopes will be open, and snow buck/bunny gear is suggested. Linck will lead
the marketing efforts, which include rebranding the festival. After Colorado, the event heads east to Vermont’s Stratton Mountain Resort, where Deadmau5 and Kaskade are on the marquee April 9-10, along with a full roster of talent. The year culminates in a return to Mountain High on December 10-11. “We were both excited to land all three headliners—Diplo, Kaskade and Deadmau5—as it was not easy to do with a new [festival] brand,” Zandi says. “Diplo just won a Grammy and has the perfect sound for this type of party. Kaskade, who is an avid snowboarder, was one of the first names brought up in our initial meetings. His fans are willing to travel to see him. Deadmau5 has a ton of new music in the pipeline, and has not been playing the festival circuit. His addition to the lineup adds an element of surprise. We are hoping his fans will be able to hear new music at our festival.” In addition to Minus Zero, Silent Partner is now working with Essence Vegas—which has three cannabis dispensaries—on its digital marketing. According to Zandi and Linck, they are also in initial negotiations on signing their first management contract with talent. –Melinda Sheckells Pricing varies by event: Denver, $95 day pass ($179 with lift ticket); $99 weekend pass ($339 with lift ticket). Stratton, $85 day pass ($179 VIP); early-bird $99 weekend pass ($295 VIP).
PHOTOS BY TONY TRAN
➜ Music festivals are
NIGHTLIFE
PARTIES
TAO
The Venetian [ UPCOMING ]
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See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com
PHOTOS BY JOE FURY
March 17–23, 2016
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VegasSeven.com
March 17 OG Maco and TWRK perform March 18 DJ Daddy Kat spins March 19 Machine Gun Kelly performs
TAKIN’ IT BACK TO THE OLD SCHOOL
KID ‘N PLAY PAJAMA JAM
MARCH 24
DOORS OPEN AT 10:30PM
Wear your favorite pajamas and party all night long!
FOR RESERVATIONS CALL, 702.262.4529 OR VISIT LUXOR.COM/NIGHTLIFE
Must be 21+ with valid ID. Subject to capacity. Dress code strictly enforced. Management reserves all rights.
A&E
NEON REVERB
VegasSeven.com
| March 17–23, 2016
Last weekend, Neon Reverb—our city’s homegrown music festival—came back from the dead. But not in the lifeless zombie kind of way; more like Iggy Pop’s Zombie Birdhouse kind of way. Dirty garage rockers Ty Segall and the Muggers, rapper/comedian Open Mike Eagle, synthpop throwback Neon Indian, local punks Mercy Music, eccentric hip-hop trio Wheelchair Sports Camp and many more graced DTLV’s stages, playing to enthusiastic crowds. Our ears are still ringing from Ty Segall’s glorious wall of fuzz, but nevertheless, here’s what we took away from those four vibrant nights: Local acts were just as important as national acts. Same Sex Mary’s eclectic rock was the perfect precursor to Ty Segall and the Muggers’ wild antics, while Illicitor and God's America’s’ hardcore punk warmed the crowd up for the Melvins’ abrasive experimental rock. Rusty Maples followed La Sera at Bunkhouse, while Colleen Green hit the stage before Black Camaro—and in both cases, crowds stuck around to enjoy the locals. And several touring acts voiced their appreciation for locals onstage, even if the locals were headlining. Touring artists brought their A-game. Several bands, including Beach Slang and Tijuana Panthers, were en route to Austin for SXSW, so we were able to see grade-A performances for a measly $15 per show (or on a $50 all-festival pass—a great deal). Navigating the venues was a breeze. Foot traffic remained light for the majority of the weekend, and there were several instances where we were able to catch bands during close-call scheduling conflicts. We didn’t break a sweat finding a parking spot, either. It was logistically sound. Fans were able to walk in and out of shows at their leisure as long as they flashed their trusty wristbands. With the exception of some door troubles at Fremont Country Club during the Melvins’ set, everything went smoothly. Reverb was good news for both DTLV and the Las Vegas music scene. It wasn’t unusual to see Beach Slang guitarist Ruben Gallego mingling with fans during Ty Segall’s soundcheck at Bunkhouse, Neon Indian’s Alan Palomo shuffling to Depeche Mode records at Oddfellows or the guys from Moving Units doing some record shopping at 11th Street. It’s these kind of first-hand interactions that’ll boost local businesses, inspire local musicians to write more music or get that loner punk in the corner to start a band. Welcome back, Neon Reverb. See you next year. ★★★★★ –Ian Caramanzana
PHOTOS BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ
Various Downtown venues, March 10-13
Clockwise from top: La Sera's Katy Goodman, Ty Segall, Tijuana Panthers' Daniel Michicoff, Beach Slang's James Alex and Neon Indian's Alan Palomo.
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OUR FIVE BIG TAKEAWAYS FROM A FIVE-STAR NEON REVERB
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SEVEN QUESTIONS
from not wearing a life jacket. It’s not that they have too much to drink or are reckless—it’s just maybe they’re unaware the lake’s conditions can change. You can think it’s really nice and calm and clear, and you get out there and the wind kicks up. Or it’s deep; it’s not a pool. While you might think you’re an expert swimmer or a really experienced swimmer, you [still] need to put a life jacket on. But there’s defnitely also an aspect of that: Too much alcohol and riding a fast boat is not a good combination, and we get accidents. How are you celebrating 100 years of the National Park Service?
March 17–23, 2016
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VegasSeven.com
The Lake Mead National Recreation Area chief on the West’s wide-open spaces, 100 years of the park service and how the drought makes each visit unique By Paul Szydelko
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You were chief of maintenance and engineering for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area from 2004-2013, and after a short stay as chief of the Construction Program Management Division in the National Park Service’s national office in Denver, you returned here in 2015 to be superintendent. How did your previous stint at Lake Mead inform your decision-making today?
That position manages all of the park infrastructure and operations—not only the dayto-day but also the capital improvements. At any given time, you’re dealing with the entire lake, the land, all the visitors, because we want to make sure the facilities are clean. Maintenance touches
every part of the park, so it’s nonstop 24/7, really highprofle. The typical day could be dealing with park housing, budgets and resource management. It got involved with everything. What drew you to engineering in the first place?
When I went to college, I was going to be a math major. But I realized that teaching wasn’t going to be in my future, and a lot of people who went into math would go on to be doctors. Midstream, since I really liked math, I chose to go into engineering because I liked the science part of it. I liked fguring out formulas and solving things.
You were born in New York and spent your childhood in the Bronx. In your wildest dreams, did you think about the wide-open spaces of the West?
It seems the two wouldn’t be connected. I thought I would stay in a large city, but I moved out here for personal reasons in the early ’80s and once I did, I really liked the openness. You had a lot of room to do whatever you wanted. I loved the climate and the landscape. At frst I thought there’s a lot of space that you can still build things. In New York City, there’s nothing but buildings and skyscrapers. But then I thought, this is really nice, you can go outdoors and it’s a little different pace—not as
hurry, hurry, hurry. You can sit back and enjoy things. The park is ranked fifth of 410 national parks in annual visitors, with seven million. How do you know it’s a good day?
It’s a good day when there’s not a safety incident. We have a law-enforcement component, and sometimes people come out and they may get hurt or do some things that we wouldn’t fnd acceptable or appropriate for a recreation area. It’s a good day when we know it’s quiet from that side of the house. Is the biggest problem drinking, and the recklessness associated with that?
A lot of the drowning is just
Although it’s a challenge you’d rather not face, how has the drought added intrigue for visitors?
It’s a different lake each year. In some ways you don’t know what you’re going to encounter, which is exciting. We hear from boaters who have been [coming] here for a long time, because [the water level] is down another 10-15 feet, maybe something else got exposed, or they’re seeing it a little bit differently. It provides a [unique] experience that other parks don’t get from that standpoint. With the B-29 wreckage, for example, before you had to have the more experienced divers and now we can get more of the recreational divers. Even the hikers, visually, have a different experience. The majority of the park is land-based. Across all parks, there are picnic areas, campgrounds, ranger stations and amphitheaters. When you overlay the lake, it’s more dynamic and complex. I love it; that’s why I came back!
PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ
Lizette Richardson
At the national level, the campaign is Find Your Park. At Lake Mead, we launched Find Your Park From Vegas (FindYourPark.Vegas) on March 3. We’re trying to [instill] a broader sense—getting outdoors, connecting with nature. Find whatever park and whatever activity you want to do. We’re working with the City of Las Vegas and Fremont Street Experience, and we’re developing a video which will be shown on the canopy during National Park Week, April 16-24, and also on the actual 100th birthday, August 25. In April, we will have volunteer cleanups, a Junior Ranger Day, a Find Your Park Day and a Junior Scientist Day. All of this is to connect and create that next generation of visitors.