CONTENTS
APRIL 21–27, 2016
T H E LAT EST
12
“Power to the People” Energy Choice Initiative aims to give consumers more say. By HUBBLE RAY SMITH
14
“The Buzz About Drones”
16
“The Great Divide”
The unmanned aircrafts are hitting the mainstream, but is it a profitable business? By THOMAS MOORE Nevadans historically blur the party lines. Politics by MICHAEL GREEN Plus … Seven Days, Ask a Native and The Deal.
NIGH T LIF E
25
“Healthy, Wealthy and Wise” Further Future seeks to reach out to the body and mind. By KAT BOEHRER Plus … Seven Nights and photos from the week’s hottest parties.
DINING
45
“More Than Just Noodles” Niu-Gu offers Chinese that already has foodies talking, although service is wanting. By AL MANCINI Plus … A look at ways Mario Batali supports the environment, how two new cigar bars stack up and Drinking.
A &E
51
Plus … Seven’s 14, CinemaCon details coming attractions, a Q&A with The 1975’s Matthew Healy and a review of M83 in concert.
56
“D.C. Blues” Two suspicious minds connect in the well-acted Elvis & Nixon.
“Earth Wise”
SEVEN Q U EST IONS
66
In honor of Earth Day, seven things we’re doing right and seven things we could be doing better. Plus … One woman’s quest in leading an environmentally conscious lifestyle, and the inspiration of a community garden.
Bon Appétit editor-in-chief Adam Rapoport on planning Uncork’d, loving a good dry-aged steak and the hottest food trends today.
CORRECTION In a story about Diner en Blanc
Cover photo by Krystal Ramirez.
(“Dressed for Dinner,” April 14) a photo of co-host Michael Habicht was incorrectly captioned.
VegasSeven.com
By GEOFF CARTER
F E AT URE
|
18
Foals’ Walter Gervers tells us What Went Down with the ascending UK band this year. By IAN CARAMANZANA
April 21–27, 2016
PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ
Rosalind Brooks’ Vegas Roots Community Garden has given the Westside a green oasis and a new source of fresh food.
“Mountains of Sound”
9
L AS VEGAS’ WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE
|
FOUNDED FEBRUARY 2010
PUBLISHER Michael Skenandore
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)
ART CREATIVE DIRECTOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Ryan Olbrysh Cierra Pedro Krystal Ramirez
VEGASSEVEN.COM Herbert Akinyele Zoneil Maharaj SENIOR WRITER, RUNREBS.COM Mike Grimala WEB PRODUCER Jessie O’Brien ASSISTANT WEB PRODUCER Amber Sampson TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
PRODUCTION/DISTRIBUTION Marc Barrington Jimmy Bearse
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION/DISTRIBUTION ADVERTISING MANAGER
SALES Christy Corda Nicole Scherer ACCOUNT MANAGERS Brittany Quintana, Steven Kennedy ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Robyn Weiss DIRECTOR OF SALES, BILLBOARD DIVISION John Tobin BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR DIGITAL SALES MANAGER
INTERNS Michaela Chesin, Scott Luehring, Soni Richards
Ryan T. Doherty
| Justin Weniger
Michael Skenandore VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND EVENTS Keith White CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sherwin Yumul CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Sim Salzman CONTROLLER Jane Weigel PRESIDENT
Comments@VegasSeven.com Sales@VegasSeven.com DISTRIBUTION Distribution@VegasSeven.com
LETTERS AND STORY IDEAS ADVERTISING
PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP Vegas Seven, 702-798-7000, 302 E. Carson Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89101 Vegas Seven is distributed each Thursday throughout Southern Nevada c 2016 Vegas Seven, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Vegas Seven, LLC is prohibited.
NIGHTLIFE Your city after dark and photos from the week’s hottest parties
Further Future seeks to reach out to the body and mind By Kat Boehrer
VegasSeven.com
|
Healthy, Wealthy and Wise
FURTHER FUTURE FESTIVAL makes its return to Moapa River Indian Reservation during the weekend of April 29-May 1. As expected, this year’s event is poised to be even more futuristic and next-level than its 2015 debut, including intriguing musical arrangements, a plethora of high-end culinary pop-ups, and a wellness program uncharacteristic of such festivals. Paula Gilovich and Sara Reistad-Long are co-founders (along with Jay Faires) of the Wellness Agency, curators of worldwide “wellness adventures” as well as the team behind Further Future’s body- and soul-conscious programming, Further Wellness. See page 30 for our five must-see acts.
➜
April 21–27, 2016
PHOTO BY NICOL AS TRONCIN
Carter Cleveland (center), founder/CEO of Artsy, speaks to last year’s festivalgoers.
25
How is this year’s spa setup different from last year’s and what will you offer there? reista d-long: This year, the well-
April 21–27, 2016
|
VegasSeven.com
ness area and the spa are connected; there’s a little passageway between them. Guests can come and book a lot of very glamorous treatments. You can get IVs for the morning if you had a late night; you can get your hair and makeup done, body art, a lot of work that you would expect at various glamorous festivals.
26
What sort of wellness activities do you have planned and who will be there to present them? reista d-long: There’s so much stuff
going on with [artificial intelligence] and virtual reality at the festival, and there’s a lot of biofeedback stuff. We thought that we would weave into our conversation a combination of science and wisdom. All of our teachers and speakers have a strong background in research or science, or have very deeply studied their area; they have that cultural history of that which they’re doing.
We have an amazing functional medicine doctor, which is a kind of medicine where you’re a traditional MD, but then you really learn how to work with people to keep them well and not get them sick. Her name is Robin Berzin, and she is also a trained Ayurveda practitioner. She has all the latest research on cutting-edge medical technology. gilov ich: [Bear Walker is] really someone who actually embodies the festival as a whole. Who is Bear Walker? gilov ich: He’s a former NASA
scientist, he is Native American, and he is a double PhD. He was raised with beliefs as found inside the Medicine Wheel and with a native respect for land and biology and nature. He has been at the forefront of exploratory science. He’ll do talks on both historical wisdom as well as how to use technology in terms of biofeedback and bio-tracking— exactly what’s going on in your body in order to balance it.
Will he do any hands-on work at the festival? gilov ich: He’ll offer one-on-one
consultations for people, and he’ll also do some guided walks through the desert. He’s a really great offering in the middle of our programming.
“The Deep Dive of Ayahuasca” program caught my attention. Will you have ayahuasca ceremonies on-site? reista d-long: No, it’s a talk about
ayahuasca and whether it’s something that people will want to do or not. It’s totally up to them; they would have to fly to a country where it is legal. Bear Walker is one of the foremost experts on ayahuasca journeying. He understands it from a scientific level and an experiential level, and he will answer any and all questions about it. I’ll just say that he’s a very sought-after, highly recognized shaman. It seems like there’s the whole glamourous, gourmet, commercial aspect to this event while at the same time it’s a dusty, desert-camping music festival. How do you reconcile the many faces of Further Future?
gilov ich: It’s about what’s next,
where we’re going next. It’s setting the trend. They’re bringing in some really fascinating technologies, the DJs who are really pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with music, and how music is being programmed. We wanted to do exactly the same thing with wellness. We’ve got the Equinox [HeadStrong] brain and body training debut, so we have the next big workout, what’s the next goal cycle going to be, and how does that connect to what was, and how is it taking us to what’s next. That’s why we’re calling it Further Wellness; it’s wellness looking ahead into the Further Future.
So certain aspects are more commercialized while others would be more considered “underground.” It’s all Further Future. gilov ich: Yes. Think about what
the people who founded the festival really wanted to create. I believe they call it “mindful entertainment,” an opportunity to really go out, have fun and enjoy everything that’s going on.
YOGA BY JOHN DILL; CULINARY BY NICOL AS TRONCIN; DESERT CROWD BY GILLES BONUGLI K ALI
NIGHTLIFE
Clockwise from top: yoga, music crowd, culinary tent.
NIGHTLIFE
PARTIES
[ THE CHEAT SHEET ]
FOXTAIL SLS
[ UPCOMING ]
April 21–27, 2016
|
VegasSeven.com
April 22 Yo Gotti performs April 23 DJ Hollywood spins April 29 DJ Hollywood spins
30
See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com
➜ Further Future (Further Future.com) promises to bring in the next big thing in all aspects of its programming. This includes the DJs and musical artists who will take the stage in the desert outside of Las Vegas from April 29 to May 1. Aside from better-known acts and DJs such as Nicolas Jaar, Four Tet, Lee Burridge and Caribou, the festival has planned some special treats that will please the ears and titillate the senses. • Low Leaf is an L.A.-based vocalist who also brings her harp and piano expertise into the spotlight. She’ll perform backed by a full band, which is a nice change from the many DJ sets you can expect during the weekend. • From Vienna, HVOB represents the dark techno side of things. Anna Müller and Paul Wallner make up the duo, and their music brings melody and vocals into the realm of techno, and they even did an exclusive mix for the festival that you can preview at SoundCloud.com/ FurtherFuture. • Elderbrook is a triple threat, being a producer, vocalist and instrumentalist. The London-based musician will also bring a band to assist in the performance of his electronica-inspired tracks. • If you’re into traditional instruments with a twist, Hauschka is known for his unique technique of putting toys and other objects into his piano to bring unique nuance to his sound. Catch his set as the opener for the speaker series. • Anchorsong is a true connoisseur of global music. From Tokyo but living in London, he is also inspired by West African music. In his sets, he’s known to use an MPC, which is an electronic music controller that allows musicians to create and play electronic music live, rather than playing ready-made tracks like in a DJ set. Time to expand your horizons! –Kat Boehrer
PHOTOS BY JOE FURY
FIVE NOT-TO-MISS MUSICAL ACTS AT FURTHER FUTURE
NIGHTLIFE
PARTIES
DRAI’S BEACH CLUB The Cromwell [ UPCOMING ]
36
See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com
PHOTOS BY TOBY ACUNA AND JOE FURY
April 21–27, 2016
|
VegasSeven.com
April 22 Sidney Samson spins April 23 Quintino spins April 29 Breathe Carolina performs
NIGHTLIFE
PARTIES
MARQUEE
The Cosmopolitan [ UPCOMING ]
40
See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com
PHOTOS BY TOBY ACUNA AND BOBBY JAMEIDAR
April 21–27, 2016
|
VegasSeven.com
April 22 Andrew Rayel spins April 23 Cash Cash and French Montana perform April 25 Marquee Mondays with Vice and Savi
C O M I N G U P AT B R O O KLY N B O W L LAS V E GAS
MOVIES APR
24
FOA L S KIEV A N N O U N C E D
THE AVETT BROTHERS
MON 6/6
METAL CHURCH + ARMORED SAINT TOMORROWS BAD SEEDS GEORGE CLINTON + PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC THE OUTLAWZ WITH THA DOGG POUND
SAT 6/11 WED 6/22 SAT 7/2 THU 4/21
CHVRCHES
WITH
WOLF ALICE
FRI 4/22
DJ QUIK
SAT 4/23
THE FRONT BOTTOMS
MON 4/25
AN EVENING WITH CHRIS ROBINSON BROTHERHOOD
THU 5/5 FRI SAT 5/6 - 5/7 THU 5/12 FRI 5/13 TUE TUE 5/17 - 6/14
VIOLENT FEMMES
UMPHREY S MCGEE JASON BONHAM S LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE SOMO
WITH
QUINN XCII
ALICE - A STEAMPUNK CONCERT FANTASY
WED 5/18
FILTER WITH ORGY
SUN 5/22
J BOOG
TUE WED 5/24 - 5/25 TUE 5/24 SAT 5/28 SAT 6/4
T H E
U S E D
EMO NIGHT BROOKLYN STRFKR + COM TRUISE B L U E
O C T O B E R
SUN 6/5
CARAVAN PALACE
THU 6/9
PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND
WED 6/15 SAT 6/18 THU 7/7 MON 7/11 SUN 7/31 MON 8/15 FRI 8/26 SUN 8/28
MORGAN HERITAGE DRU HILL TARRUS RILEY
TOAD THE WET SPROCKET + RUSTED ROOT THE CLAYPOOL LENNON DELIRIUM KURT VILE + THE VIOLATORS MICHAEL FRANTI + SPEARHEAD EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY
CENTER STRIP AT THE LINQ || BROOKLYNBOWL.COM || 702.862.BOWL
D.C. BLUES Two suspicious minds connect in the well-acted Elvis & Nixon By Geoff Carter ➜ RICHARD NIXON IS IN THE OVAL
Office, going over his schedule with two young officials. He is bored, perfunctory; he grumbles at his workload, goes off on racist diatribes. Then one of the officials casually mentions that an Elvis Presley is on tap for an afternoon meeting. “During my nap time?” Nixon says, angrily. “Who the fuck set this up?” Elvis & Nixon, a charming, low-key comedy directed by Liza Johnson from a script by Joey Sagal. Hanala Sagal and Cary Elwes (yes, The Princess Bride’s Cary Elwes), tells the story of how The King came to meet the President on December 21, 1970, a meeting that resulted in one of the most bizarre photographs in history. (A note at the end of the film informs us that the famous photo of Elvis shaking hands with Nixon is the most-requested shot in the National Archives.) While the meeting is the climax of the film, it’s not its most interesting element, thanks to nuanced performances by Kevin Spacey as Nixon and Michael Shannon as Elvis. Shannon, a terrifying presence in some films (Bug, Man of Steel) and a flat-out weirdo in others (The Night Before), pulls off a nice twofer here: He finds new notes in his own repertoire, and presents an Elvis we’ve rarely seen before. In preparing for the film, Shannon worked closely with Elvis’ friend Jerry Schilling (played in Elvis & Nixon by Alex Pettyfer), and spent hours listening to recordings of Elvis—not in concert, but in conversation with friends. Shannon’s Elvis is a revelation; he is nervous, thoughtful and even a bit sad. The actor doesn’t look a thing like Elvis, but it’s easy to suspend disbelief in the face of his total commitment to the role. Though parts of the story are fictionalized by necessity—no recording
devices were set up in the Oval Office at the time to capture the meeting; that, the movie reminds us, came later—the bones of the story are so absurd that they could only be true. Bottom line: Elvis wanted a badge that identified him as an agent of the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. More than that, he wanted to be an undercover agent, using his public persona to infiltrate such radical organizations as the Black Panthers and the Rolling Stones. Why? Because it turned out that Elvis and Nixon had simpatico views on the hippie counterculture, at least as far as the film is concerned. It doesn’t go well at first—the two men circle each other warily, something that’s very easy to believe—but before long, they’re in full-blown bromance, united by their disgust for communism, Woodstock and the Beatles. It’s a repugnant, jingoistic display—I mean, c’mon, it’s Nixon—but the film has taken such patient care to build the characters that you’re happy they get on so well. Nixon gets to feel cool; Elvis gets to feel respectable. The only problem with the movie is that it’s a snapshot of a moment that was, to all concerned, a goof; Nixon gave Elvis a badge because it was good PR, and Elvis only wanted one so he could take his guns on commercial flights. Spacey and Shannon are so good at finding the loneliness and desperation at the hearts of their characters that you wish the both of them had bigger stages to play on. I want to see Spacey’s Nixon in the throes of Watergate; I want to see Shannon’s Elvis losing the plot in Vegas. But we get a snapshot of those lost performances in Elvis & Nixon. We can imagine the thousand words that go along with it. Elvis & Nixon (R) ★★★★✩
PHOTO BY STEVE DIETL/BLEECKER STREET
>
J U S T
TUE 9/20
<
WITH
MARKETPLACE
MARKETPLACE
MARKETPLACE