Man of Intrigue | Vegas Seven Magazine | April 28-May 4, 2016

CONTENTS

APRIL 28–MAY 4, 2016

T H E LAT EST

12

“A Play for Downtown” Derek Stevens bets on continued growth with recent acquisitions.

By HUBBLE RAY SMITH

14

“Guess Who’s Coming to Town?”

The profile of the typical visitor offers insights to what makes Vegas go round. Green Felt Journal by DAVID G. SCHWARTZ

Plus … A preview of the Maifest celebration, Found Material on Fremont Street in 1976, Style, Seven Days, Ask a Native and The Deal.

NIGH T LIF E

25

“A New Leaf” Medical marijuana borrows a tried-and-true tactic from Las Vegas’ nightlife scene— the art of customer development.

By MELINDA SHECKELLS

Plus … Seven Nights, a Q&A with SNBRN and photos from the week’s hottest parties.

DINING

45

“Pho-Nomenal!”

District One’s chef Khai Vu at last brings a taste of Vietnam to a slurphungry Downtown. By AL MANCINI Plus … Dishing With Grace, how Momenti Spirits mixes two temptations, and “wine guy” Kevin Vogt says farewell.

A &E

51

Ru Paul’s Drag Race winner Violet Chachki takes to the skies.

By LISSA TOWNSEND RODGERS

56 FE AT URE

“Starling and the Wizard’s Cup” In which your nerdy showgirl apparates to Henderson’s Harry Potter-themed Bad Owl Coffee. The Most Fabulous Thing by CHARLIE STARLING

VegasSeven.com

Plus … Seven’s 14, a Q&A with Violent Femmes’ Gordon Gano and sharing our favorite Prince songs.

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20

“Violet’s Hour”

“Captain of Industry”

SEVEN Q U EST IONS

66

Alex Cordova takes on Las Vegas’ biggest nightlife role. By MELINDA SHECKELLS Plus … What to expect at Intrigue.

Cover photos by Krystal Ramirez.

Longtime Harrah’s magician Mac King on Fig Newtons, a severed finger and a surprising friendship.

April 28–May 4, 2016

PHOTO BY K ARL L ARSON

Intrigue is the Strip’s latest highly anticipated nightclub experience.

9

L AS VEGAS’ WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE

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THE LATEST A Play for Downtown

Derek Stevens bets on continued growth with recent acquisitions By Hubble Ray Smith

This week in your city THU 28

Black Lives Matter is a movement born of the moment, true, but it has roots in activism, protest, mobilization and slavery. Robert Patterson, director of African American studies at Georgetown University, explores the connections, 7:30 p.m., at UNLV’s Barrick Museum, in a talk titled Black Lives Matter, Except When They Don’t: Why Slavery Still Matters. UNLV.edu.

FRI 29

Where do MMA stars get their start? Tuff-N-Uff, an amateur series featuring fighters who dream of going on to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Watch them fight for their dream, 7 p.m., at the Cox Pavilion, UNLVTickets.com.

and CEO of Desert Rock Enterprises.

He was a director of Riviera Holdings Corp. until the Strip property was purchased by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. He’s also former owner of the Las Vegas 51s minor league baseball team, which he sold in 2013 to Summerlin Las Vegas Baseball Club for $20 million.

Stevens says he’s excited to work with Granite Gaming on acquiring the buildings. Granite will continue to operate the businesses until the anticipated closing date, giving regular patrons a last chance to stop by and first-timers an opportunity to experience vintage Vegas. Employees of Mermaids and La Bayou will be given priority to apply for positions at Golden Gate and The D. Steve Burnstine, chief executive officer of Granite Gaming Group, purchased the Fremont Street businesses from his father, Herb Pastor, in 2006. Over the years, he formed a good business relationship with Stevens and looks forward to the property’s redevelopment.

“While it will be sad to say goodbye to our family-run Fremont Street mainstays, it is an exciting time for Downtown Las Vegas as Derek Stevens continues to propel its evolution,” Burnstine said in a statement.

Acquisitions and development are always great news for the Fremont Street Experience, and Derek and Greg Stevens have a history of investing and upgrading their properties, says Patrick Hughes, president and CEO of Fremont Street Experience.

“The ongoing investments by all our member properties continually

improve the standards and service levels necessary for us to maintain our position as the singular top destination in this city,” Hughes says.

“These are exciting times for Fremont Street as we head toward the next phase of improvements.”

Stevens made an immediate impact when he renovated Golden Gate, built in 1906, adding a highstakes gambling pit, 16 hotel suites and an outdoor bar. But it was The D—named for Downtown and also for his hometown of Detroit—that propelled him to prominence as a major player Downtown. He spent $22 million to transform the 34-story hotel and casino into a hip destination, with LED lighting and dance music, sexy dancers at the table games, value-priced entertainment and improved dining options such as Joe Vicari’s Andiamo Italian Steakhouse and American Coney Island.

Vegas Vicki, the iconic neon sign above Glitter Gulch, will be incorporated into the project in one manner or another, Stevens promises.

As for the construction timeline, Stevens says it’s going to depend on the scope of the project and what the final design entails.

“Obviously, during the demolition and construction phase … it’s certainly fair to say I want to move forward with the project as quickly as reasonable,” he says. “We did not buy to hold. We want to go to design as quickly as possible.”

Hughes says he has faith that Stevens will renovate the property with minimal disruption to Fremont Street Experience and other casinos.

SAT 30

If you love Indian food like we do, you’ve already got the Indian Food and Cultural Festival, 11 a.m. at the Clark County Amphitheater, on your calendar. Tandoori chicken, fish pakoras, vegetable biryani … we’ll be in all the lines. LasVegasMela.com.

SUN 1

From atomic testing to the Hoover Dam, the Las Vegas Science and Technology Festival celebrates our science heritage with programs to interest kids (and their parents) in STEM education. The festival continues today at Springs Preserve, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. SpringsPreserve.org.

MON 2

When it comes to escapes, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman makes Al Capone look like an amateur. Guzman escaped a Mexican prison via a 5,000-foot tunnel that ended right in his cell. The Mob Museum’s El Chapo’s Great Escape, has all the details, as well as a a scale model. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. TheMobMuseum.org.

TUE 3

While any day is a good day to listen to the Las Vegas Philharmonic, Tuesdays seem particularly suited to Baroque music. Plan on being at The Smith Center, 7:30 p.m., for Baroque Splendour, a concert featuring compositions by Bach, Vivaldi and others. TheSmithCenter.com.

WED 4

If it’s May, it must be time for yet another San Gennaro Feast, the 37th annual, to be precise. By now you know the drill: great Italian food, live acts onstage hourly, rides for the kiddies, arts and crafts, etc. Craig Ranch Park in North Las Vegas, 4-11 p.m., through Sunday. SanGennaroFeast.com.

PHOTO BY KOBBY DAGAN

VegasSeven.com

| April 28–May 4, 2016

12

Seven Days

By B O B W H I T B Y

➜ THE GIRLS OF GLITTER GULCH will

be looking for a new place to strut their stuff after June 27 when casino owner Derek Stevens closes Downtown’s famous topless joint to make way for a new hotel-casino.

Stevens announced the acquisition of Glitter Gulch and the adjoining La Bayou and Mermaids casinos from Granite Gaming Group on April 21.

Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition gives Stevens control of the block from Main Street to First Street, and from Fremont Street to Ogden Avenue, having purchased the shuttered Las Vegas Club in August.

Development plans for the hotelcasino are in the earliest stage with no projections on casino size or room count, but Stevens promises to reshape the property that lies at the west entrance to Fremont Street Experience. He says he’s always believed “the whole is larger than the sum of its parts,” and that acquiring this real estate provides a great opportunity for the future of Downtown.

“Las Vegas Club opened the door, and this broadens the spectrum of opportunity for what the Las Vegas Club could turn into,” he tells Vegas Seven. “It allows for a bigger and better project.”

Originally from Detroit, Stevens and his brother, Greg, have amassed real estate holdings Downtown, starting with the purchase of the Golden Gate in 2008 and then Fitzgeralds in 2011, which they renovated and renamed The D Las Vegas.

They expanded their footprint in 2014 with the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center at Third Street and Carson Avenue, and won a bid in March to buy the Bridger Building from Clark County for $2.7 million.

Stevens plans to use the building to accommodate “internal growth” of his company, including warehouse and distribution operations and administrative offices.

“One thing I see is Downtown becoming much busier,” he says.

“There’s some great investment taking place by Boyd, the Golden Nugget, the Four Queens and what we renovated. There’s opportunity to continue the growth and have a nice resort hotel. There’s enough demand for it in Downtown.”

Stevens, who holds an MBA from Wayne State University, is co-owner

News, deals and a close look at the typical Vegas visitor.

THE LATEST VegasSeven.com

| April 28–May 4, 2016

16

STYLE

Fashion for a Cause

Nathan Adelson fundraiser has both style and substance By Genevie Durano ➜ Fashion takes on many guises, but in our city, the most stylish also have some of the

biggest hearts. Nathan Adelson, the largest nonprofit hospice in Nevada, hosts its annual Flair for Care May 13 at Wynn Las Vegas. This year’s featured designer is Veronica Etro, who crafts highly functional womenswear that transitions seamlessly from day to night. Etro will unveil her 2016-2017 fall/winter collection at the fundraiser. ¶ Nathan Adelson Hos-

pice has provided comprehensive end-of-life and palliative care in Southern Nevada for 36 years. For more information about Nathan Adelson or the event, visit NAH.org.

Veronica Etro is part of legendary fashion house Etro, founded by her father in Milan in 1968. She studied at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London.

VegasSeven.com

| April 28–May 4, 2016

20

Alex Cordova loves nightlife and he’s had an illustrious career to prove it, which landed him on Wynn’s corporate team.

NIGHTLIFE Your city after dark, photos from the week’s hottest parties and breaking out the SPF 702 with SNBRN

A New Leaf

Medical marijuana borrows a tried-and-true tactic from Las Vegas’ nightlife scene— the art of customer development

By Melinda Sheckells

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VegasSeven.com

THE BURGEONING MEDICAL MARIJUANA

industry, in which potential customers are required to have a state-issued license to enter a dispensary and make a purchase, has given our city’s most adept marketing minds their latest challenge: How can Las Vegas top the methods that have already been tested in other states that permit medical marijuana? With an aesthetic that combines the vibe of an Apple Store and the design of a high-end jewelry store, Essence Cannabis Dispensary’s ambience is warm and inviting without being overly clinical or, on the other hand, dark, dingy and foreboding.

Essence (EssenceVegas.com) won the golden ticket of being the only business of this type that was granted permission to operate on Las Vegas Boulevard, and it recently celebrated its grand opening. The company now has two additional locations across Las Vegas and an impressive 54,000-square-foot cultivation facility in a warehouse behind Mandalay Bay. In grower circles, theirs is reputed as stateof-the art, with a computerized system that fully automates and controls fertilization, irrigation, temperature and humidity.

The woman at the helm of raising awareness and educating the community about Essence is Jenn Schacht, an eight-year veteran of Las Vegas hospitality, primarily working in nightlife with the Light Group, Hakkasan Group and Clique Hospitality Group. “I have learned from the best of the best about networking, relationships and how the industry operates: casino marketing events, hotel grand openings, hiring and training staff, festival management and hosting extravagant weekend itineraries—I’ve done it all.”

Schacht got her start as a cocktail server at Bare Pool Lounge at The Mirage and made her way up the ranks, eventually landing in customer development, which she will be

April 28–May 4, 2016

PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ

➜

25

NIGHTLIFE

Seven Nights Your week in parties

By I A N C A R A M A N Z A N A

local open-format greats DJ Direct and DJ Sev-One will be hitting the decks. Hit it! (At Tropicana Las Vegas, 12 p.m., SkyBeachClubLV.com.)

SAT 30

DJ Crooked.

THU 28 Fun fact: Those clubs you’ve been frequenting for years—XS, Surrender and of course Encore Beach Club—aren’t actually in Wynn. Those giant nightlife venues are actually in Encore, its sister building. Remember Tryst, though? That club was in Wynn until it shuttered late last year. Tonight, that space is coming back to life as Intrigue. Wynn’s newest nightlife concept gets unveiled tonight. They're keeping things under wraps, so we're expecting some surprises. (In Wynn, 10:30 p.m. IntrigueVegas.com.)

April 28–May 4, 2016

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VegasSeven.com

FRI 29

28

In case you haven’t heard, it’s back! SpyOnVegas’ infamous Hot 100 enters the second selection round at Wet Republic.

Now in its ninth year, the 14week competition pits some of our city’s finest beauties against one another for a nice package of $150,000 in cash and prizes.

As if that wasn’t enough, when all is said and done, the lucky winner will have a shot at winning $1 million. It’s a good thing these contests are happening at a pool club, because things are sure to continue heating up! DJ Shift will be there to provide a soundtrack to the madness. (At MGM Grand, 11 a.m., WetRepublic. com.) It’s a Blueprint Sound Takeover at Sky Beach Club.

While you’re hitting the pool,

Time to show the local guys some love: Las Vegas rockers Paper Tigers are playing a show on the Strip! The rock ’n’ roll quartet will head to the Sayers Club for a night full of the sweet licks and driving rhythms that have earned them spots on Valley View Live! and countless headlining shows at local venues such as the Bunkhouse and Vamp’d. If you haven’t had a chance to sample the rock, visit ReverbNation.com/PaperTigersLV and get familiar before they hit the stage tonight. The best part?

Admission to the concert is free!

Guess you can say these local tigers have earned their stripes.

(In SLS, 10 p.m., TheSayersClubLV. com.) Behind City Lights brings forward-thinking Los Angeles producer Mike Gao to Velveteen Rabbit. We know, “futuristic” is a peculiar term to describe somebody's music, but take a listen to tracks such as “Red Cars” and you’ll see what we mean. It’s a tune that combines the boom-bap of rap, the heavy low-end of bass and the avant garde elements of L.A.’s infamous beat scene. It’s electric and eclectic! (1218 Main St., 9 p.m., BehindCityLights.EventBrite.com.)

Hot 100.

SUN 1 This day of madness at Drai’s might just be on par with Super Bowl Sunday. Chug some coffee and head to Drai’s Beach Club for the Animal House party featuring back-to-back performances by “Wild Boy” rapper Machine Gun Kelly and electronic band Breathe Carolina. Want more? Eclectic DJ/ producer duo Zeds Dead will man the decks. Togas are encouraged, but not required, Bluto. If that epic party somehow wasn’t enough for you (applause), stick around for a performance by A$AP Ferg at Drai’s. His latest collab with Missy

Elliot, “Strive, ” is sure to drain that last bit of energy you’ve got left. Don’t worry: The bar stocks Red Bull, so you can keep it going.

(In the Cromwell, 10:30 p.m., DraisNightlife.com.)

MON 2 You paid rent yesterday, so now it’s time to cash out. Fittingly, Cash Cash will invade Marquee Mondays. The New York trio has been pretty relentless when it comes to new music as of late; they’ve released single after single since they dropped their collaboration with Tritonal, “Untouchable,” last May. And the singles are unique, too.

“Devil (featuring Busta Rhymes, B.o.B. and Neon Hitch)” showcases the group’s ability to craft a melodic trap banger, while “Escarole” is a future-house tune with a cascading melody that’s just ripe for the summertime. Since the three released a “30 Songs in 30 Minutes” compilation not too long ago, we challenge them to do the same, but with all of their original material. How about it, boys? Better get to mixing.

(In the Cosmopolitan, 10 p.m., MarqueeLasVegas.com.)

TUE 3 Zeds Dead.

Dirty Dutch originator Chuckie heads to Omnia. He coinciden-

tally released his latest single “High (featuring MC Stik-e)” two weeks before the auspicious date of April 20. As with many other Chuckie songs, it’s a bass-heavy, synth-driven tune that’ll mix in wonderfully with his countless other Dirty Dutch productions. While it was timely, we’re thinking he may have had an ulterior motive for the release—we’ll be sure to ask him about that tonight. Local turntable-head and KNYEW boutique co-owner DJ Crooked keeps things straight at Heart of Omnia. (In Caesars Palace, 10 p.m., OmniaNightclub.com.)

WED 4 Have you checked out DJ Five’s article in Vice? The SKAM Artist shed some light on our humble city, from the party-centric mindset of tourists on the Strip to the stories of locals just trying to make it in the suburbs, and everything in between.

Our favorite part of the piece was when he gave some love to local businesses such as Commonwealth, Raku, Flock & Fowl and Golden Tiki. He may be blowing up, but he’s a true Las Vegan at heart; shake the man’s hand tonight at Light.

(In Mandalay Bay, 10:30 p.m., TheLightVegas.com.)

NIGHTLIFE

Feel This Burn

Strip down for fun under the sun with SNBRN at Drai’s Beach Club

By Kat Boehrer ➜ THESE DAYS, KEVIN CHAPMAN

goes by SNBRN, his musical project that turned out last summer’s most quenching hit release, “Raindrops,” featuring Kerli. SNBRN’s tropical house vibes are an ideal salve for scorching summertime pool parties such as those at Drai’s Beach Club.

You can expect to hear decadent tunes like the ones he played on April 17 on select dates this season.

What’s the story behind your track, “Gangsta Walk”?

There was this a capella—a bunch of unreleased Nate Dogg stuff that he’s done—that no one ever got to [use].

I contacted his publisher, who just happened to be doing other stuff with me as well, and he was like, “I have some random Nate Dogg stuff if you want to take a shot at it.” Like a year later, after tracking down his family, the estate, all that stuff, it all came together.

How did you decide what you wanted to do with it?

I knew what I wanted to do. There’s another version that no one will ever see. It came together so quickly just because the second that I heard it, I was like, “All right, I know what this needs to be.” The tempo—because the original vocals are a lot slower—I had to stretch it to a certain extent. It all felt like the almost disco route; then I wanted to keep it all in the same family.

30

What is essential to you when you’re making a new track?

Lots and lots of coffee. And Postmates.

I like Tender Greens here; it’s so good.

I won’t leave [the studio]; I’ll stay in there. I find that I finish songs at, like, 4 or 5 in the morning. I’ll start prob-

ably after this interview and I won’t really get anything done because I don’t get anything done during the day for some reason. Work comes at night, when all the creativity comes out and I start getting on a roll.

You have a new track coming out soon, right?

Yeah, it’s a song called “Sometimes.”

It’s different from what I have done in the past. It’s with Tobias Kuhn. It’s a different tempo—way more vibe-y. It’s a really cool direction, beautiful song.

I believe people are going to be really happy with it.

You’re best known for the tropical vibe of “Raindrops.” If your new track is taking you in a different direction, will your fans recognize it as your work?

don’t we do it with kids?” With kids and the whole ’90s thing, it reminds me of Blink 182’s “Man Overboard.” It kind of has that vibe to it; everyone’s a kid.

What was your creative process behind the “Gangsta Walk” music video?

Oh, yeah. I love old-school rap. I like a lot of older stuff as well: the early 2000s and late ’90s. There’s something cool about that. Even punk rock as well. I like Sublime and Pennywise, stuff like that.

Yeah, you’ll for sure know that was me, but the tempo is around 100 beats per minute. It’s a lot slower and a little bit more vibe-y, but you can definitely tell it’s me.

The whole music video is this idea I had from the beginning: It had to have like a ’90s VHS look. “Gangsta Walk” is such a fun song that I was like, “Why

Are you into that old-school rap vibe?

Warped Tour kind of stuff?

Oh, my God. I grew up on Warped Tour.

I still love that stuff to death.

PHOTO BY GALEN OAKES

April 28–May 4, 2016

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VegasSeven.com

Is that how you usually make music?

No. I’m just finishing up something right now, and I am on version 27.

There are so many different things, especially in the beginning, when you are starting something. There are a lot of different ideas that come out and a lot of stuff that doesn’t get used. Then, when you’re finally toward the end, it’s finalized, and it’s just like small little changes and stuff like that.

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

WET REPUBLIC MGM Grand

[ UPCOMING ]

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See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com

PHOTOS BY TOBY ACUNA AND AMIT DADL ANEY

April 28–May 4, 2016

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VegasSeven.com

April 29 SpyON Vegas’ Hot 100 with DJ Shift April 30 Krewella spins May 1 Endless Sundays with the Chainsmokers

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

LAX Luxor

[ UPCOMING ]

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See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com

PHOTOS BY JOSH METZ AND BOBBY JAMEIDAR

April 28–May 4, 2016

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VegasSeven.com

April 28 Throwback Thursday with Naughty by Nature April 29 DJ Cass and DJ Scooter spin April 30 DJ Cass and DJ Kid J spin

DRINKING

PHOTOS BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ

started working with celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse at Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House in 1996, Vogt referred to himself as the “wine guy” with his customers because during those days, it seemed like the only way to connect with them. “Wine lists were prevalent, but if you’d ever say, ‘sommelier,’ they’d say, ‘what?’ and then you’d say, ‘wine guy’ and then it was, ‘Oh, OK.’” Much has changed in the industry since then, from the ebb and flow of consumer wine preferences and customers’ perceptions toward the sommelier to the economy’s decline and its recovery. Vogt has seen it all, but what has always remained constant is this rock star sommelier’s honest nature, which has earned the trust of his clientele as the wine director of Lagasse’s Las Vegas outposts Delmonico Steakhouse, Table 10 and Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House.

Vogt joined Emeril when celebrity chefs were just emerging in Las Vegas. At the time of his hire, Vogt didn’t have restaurant floor experience as a sommelier, but did hold an advanced sommelier certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers. “I went from no credentials to advanced in about three months,” he says. “Then, I got a job with Emeril. I was his first untested sommelier outside of New Orleans. And it worked out great.”

Three years later in 1999, Vogt would become the 38th master sommelier in the nation, 88th in the world, and the only one to pass the exam in America that year. Steadfast in his mission, he aimed to develop the best wine lists for Lagasse’s restaurants. Delmonico, with its capacity to house 20,000 bottles on site, fostered the development of its list rapidly, but intelligently.

“For a while I was adding 50-60 wines a month to really grow it,” Vogt says. He curated his lists, placing heavy emphasis on cultivating a serious breadth of top producers, outstanding depth in mature vintages, a selection of large-format bottles, harmony with the menu, superior presentation and, of course, the highest level of wine service.

With Vogt at the helm, Delmonico has earned Wine’s Spectator’s “Grand Award,” the magazine’s highest honor, every year since 2004. Emeril’s Fish House continues to maintain the “Best of Award of Excellence.” In 2005, Vogt launched his own wine label, Mastery. After 20 years with the company, Vogt has decided to part ways with Lagasse’s empire to embark on a new adventure: to open a wine shop in Napa.

Vogt says it was a natural progression. For nine years, his entrepreneurial nature kept him involved with clients, as he offered wine recommendations via email and acted as a broker to his partner’s licensed wine warehouse and online store, Wine Country Connection. The company has enjoyed 19 years of business and instinctively the next step was to open a retail location. Vogt’s business partner, Daniel Pressey, asked him to co-own and operate the Yountville, California, wine shop, which was once home to the historic Groezinger Wine Merchants shop.

“Wine Country Connection will have a lot of Sonoma and Napa wines,” Vogt says. “We are also planning on having a well-chosen international section, as well as a

tasting bar for wine by the glass and tasting flights.”

As his days with Lagasse come to a close, Vogt reflects on what he will miss most: “The people. We’ve all been here close to 17 years. You see more of them during the waking hours than you see your own family. Maybe that will change a little bit.”

Vogt’s decision to move, albeit bittersweet, is well supported, even from the very top. “It has been a pleasure working with Kevin for the past 20 years,” Lagasse says.

“We have worked very hard at building award-winning wine programs at our Las Vegas restaurants, which I’m very proud of. Kevin has brought immense knowledge and passion to its development, and I’m very thankful.

I wish him and his family the best for their future and much success on his exciting new project.”

And what will Vogt bring with him to his customers in California wine country? “[Lagasse’s] company always comes from the standpoint of doing the right thing, and I live by that motto,” Vogt says. “You gain [customers’] trust with pure honesty, and we’ve been very successful in having people come back year after year, and I’m very grateful for that.”

As “wine guys” go, Vogt will be missed, and just as he and Lagasse started off “breaking new ground,” Vogt says, back in 1996, his wine journey continues once more into new terroir.

➜ Oh, the sweet, sweet agony that is the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America convention. The annual exposition bounces back and forth between Orlando and Las Vegas like it can’t decide how it feels about humidity, and brings attendees a taste of the beverage industry’s future— whether we can actually get any of it in Nevada yet or not. (Hence, the agony.) In a word: tantalizing.

BarMagic of Las Vegas’ Tobin Ellis moderated a stunning panel on trends that included the newest member of the Breakthru Beverage team, Mike Doyle. Topics sprinted from the increasing power of social media; craft cocktails and wine on draft (Doyle put it best: “We’re making a better product available to more people in a shorter amount of time”); bottled cocktails; #roséallday; the return of the gin and tonic; so-called “inverted” cocktails; and the death of age statements on spirits. PHEW! Next up, in the Brand Battle (like Shark Tank, but without ownership changing hands), Cocktail Caviar owner Steven Hollenkamp won over the experts with his delicious little spiked pearls of liquor that you can find in cocktails at Burger Bar, the Sapphire and Azure pools and Fizz Champagne bar.

In the West Cork Distillers suite, I got to taste the Pogues’ new Irish whiskey. Although the back of the matte black bottle reads “aged three years and a day,” the juice, according to the whiskey’s rep is actually a 50/50 blend of West Cork’s fruity 10-year-old single malt whiskey with grain alcohol aged 5-7 years.

Next, in a Caesars guest room (no comment), I tasted two incredible rums from Barbados, including Cockspur VSOR 12-Year, which appealed plenty to this brownspirits lover. How it’s not already available here is beyond me.

Later that evening, at the fortuitously concurrent Indie Spirits Expo, I worked my way through the room, finding delight in the singlebatch wild agave of Craft Distillers’ Mezcalero Mezcal and in Barrow’s Intense Ginger Liqueur. Las Vegas’ Sapphire Family of Wines is now distributing Colorado’s Golden Moon Distillery products, the most impressive of which was the Amer dit Picon. It will make one hell of a Picon Punch—Nevada’s official state cocktail. So it’s not all a tease after all! –Xania Woodman

VegasSeven.com

➜ WHEN MASTER SOMMELIER Kevin Vogt

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Master sommelier Kevin Vogt makes the vinous move to Napa Valley By Marisa Finetti

THE SEVEN MOST DELICIOUS THINGS ABOUT WSWA 2016

April 28–May 4, 2016

Pressing On

[ SCENE STIRS ]

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A&E

You’ve got a very retro, glamorous style.

Are there any particular stars or films that inspire you?

The model Dovima from the ’50s. Or Lady Miss Kier, from the group DeeLite. I love Funny Face because Dovima’s in it. It’s about Audrey Hepburn, she’s found at a bookstore, then she goes to Paris and she turns into this fashion model. The clothing is amazing, and there are all of these fabulous photo shoots. They have it on all of the Delta flights so I watch it all of the time.

Speaking of flight, you also do aerial ...

I am such a novice when it comes to aerial. I try to find time to rehearse and it’s hard to find venues that will accommodate it. My aerial performances combine drag and aerial. It’s interesting to find places where you can lip-sync and perform as a drag queen, but also be an aerialist.

Does that mean you’re a fan of Cirque du Soleil?

I love Cirque du Soleil. It’s like total gold for me. I like the surprise aspect— figuring out what the show is actually about, seeing what scenes they chose and what direction they’re going with.

You’ve worked in both the burlesque and drag communities. What is the difference between the two?

In the burlesque community, people have a little bit more patience. They’re a lot more supportive—at drag shows, people have expectations and they’re kind of like, “Well, what are you going to bring?” Whereas in burlesque, it’s more about supporting the person and the whole performance— it’s more about community and kind of embracing whatever the person’s bringing to the stage. In drag, everyone’s waiting for you to do a split or a drop kick or something.

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Don’t wait. Just do it. There’s no amount of preparation you can really do to be a drag queen.

People are scared they’re going to look stupid when they begin—and they will. Everyone looks stupid. But you do your best and progress from there.

Start that journey now. That’s how I was, too, when I started: “I need to work on this before I go out in public, I need to work on that, I need to finesse this or that.” But the truth is you’re never going to be that great until you actually do it, and the experience is what will make you the best you could possibly be.

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE BATTLE OF THE SEASONS 2016 EXTRAVAGANZA TOUR

8 p.m. April 29, $39.50-$299, the Pearl at the Palms, 702-944-3200, Palms.com/Pearl-Theater.html.

PHOTO BY MISS MISSY

April 28–May 4, 2016

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VegasSeven.com

What advice do you have for aspiring drag performers?

C O M I N G U P AT B R O O KLY N B O W L LAS V E GAS M AY 5

VIOLENT FEMMES M AY 6 - 7

J U S T

FRI 9/9 SAT 7/16 FRI 7/15 THU 6/2 FRI 6/17 THU 4/28 THU 5/12 FRI 5/13 TUE TUE 5/17 - 6/14

A N N O U N C E D

BAYSIDE WITH THE MENZINGERS + SORORITY NOISE PSYCHEDELIC FURS + THE CHURCH CRAIG ROBINSON + THE NASTY DELICIOUS KEVIN FOWLER DRAKE VS. KANYE (TRIBUTE PARTY) THE SET LIST VOLUME II - AMY WINEHOUSE: BACK TO BLACK JASON BONHAM S LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE SOMO

WITH

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WED 5/18

FILTER WITH ORGY

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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 BLUE OCTOBER

SUN 6/5

CARAVAN PALACE

MON 6/6

METAL CHURCH + ARMORED SAINT

THU 6/9

PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND

WED 6/15

MORGAN HERITAGE

SAT 6/18

DRU HILL

WED 6/22 SAT 7/2 THU 7/7 MON 7/11 SUN 7/31 MON 8/15 FRI 8/26 SUN 8/28 TUE 9/20

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>

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[ MUSIC ]

A&E

My Favorite Prince Jam

The WENDOH Media staff remembers The Artist in the best way—through his songs PRINCE IS NOT DEAD. He’s merely no longer releasing new material.

(Maybe. Rumors persist of a “vault” of unreleased songs.) And there’s so much Prince music out there—more than three-dozen studio albums alone—that even hardcore fans can come back around to an older track and experience it with fresh ears. Prince’s music is dynamic, alive—which means that, in a way, Prince is alive, too.

Last week, I asked my WENDOH Media friends to talk about their favorite Prince songs, and what they mean to them. Not “meant.” Prince is never past tense. –Geoff Carter

➜

“Darling Nikki” is my all-time favorite song, in all its seductive glory. I had the pleasure of booking Prince when we were managing (now-defunct) Empire Ballroom in 2006. To say you booked Prince really meant Prince’s camp called the venue and said the Purple One wished to play there. On the night of the event, an unapologetic Prince finally came on two hours late … and played two hours longer than he had promised. Played 34 makegood songs. He was truly one of a kind. –Ryan Doherty

April 28–May 4, 2016

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VegasSeven.com

My personal favorites are “Starfish and Coffee” and “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man.” Just before that Empire Ballroom show I met Slash, who was standing at the bar. I was shocked; I told him he was the last person I expected to see at the show.

And he said Prince was one of the most talented guitarists and musicians he had ever heard perform, and he wasn’t going to miss it. –Keith White

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I have to go with “Purple Rain,” because it has a mesmerizing rhythm and melody, has soulful lyrics … and showed me he can really play the shit out of the guitar. –Hubble Ray Smith I played “1999” endlessly in the last days of 1999, trying to give my suburban Texas neighbors more fright than usual. This was back when the media said planes would fall from the sky because of the Y2K bug; people were hoarding food in case of Armageddon.

I don’t know if I really loved the song, or loved watching my doomsdayobsessed neighbor shake his head as my ’87 Honda Accord rolled into the cul-de-sac, bumping, War is all around us / my mind says prepare to fight / So if

I gotta die, I’m gonna listen to my body tonight. –Soni Brown “Joy in Repetition” is the reason why I got the Graffiti Bridge soundtrack (but I have yet to finish the movie).

Every New York and Los Angeles art bar wishes they were this song, and Prince’s guitar solo at the end is pure sex. And “Pop Life” mirrored my surroundings while growing up in Vegas.

The song encapsulated the struggle to stay sane while always facing temptation in an overly biased, cruel world.

–Herbert Akinyele I wanted to see Purple Rain on opening day, but I wasn’t old enough to see it, so my mom made my dad take my friend and me. My dad thought he was a “funny-looking little guy.” It

was a little awkward when Apollonia jumped in “Lake Minnetonka” topless; I covered my dad’s eyes, as if he hadn’t seen a naked woman before. Needless to say, the movie ends, and my dad is a Prince fan. –Kara Dennis I discovered the magic as a teen. I bought the Purple Rain LP for $5 and immediately stuck the semi-warped platter on my record player. “Let’s Go Crazy,” the straightforward rock tune that opens the album, showed me a different side of the man. He’d crafted a simple tune with an infectious melody, and my feeble mind was—for lack of a better word—rocked. He obliterated any preconceived notions I had of him as a one-trick funk pony.

–Ian Caramanzana I used to have a lot of parties at my old shitty house. My Sundays were spent picking up fallen soldiers and sweeping up cigarette butts. I typically spent most of my time at these parties DJing from an iPod in my bedroom, where I had these 4-foot speakers I got from a garage sale for 10 bucks; they didn’t look pretty but they worked perfectly.

My goal was to start a dance party— and “Kiss” was my secret weapon. Still is. It never fails. –Jessie O’Brien It’s an impossible task to pick a favorite, but if I had to choose his most irre-

sistible, it would probably have to be “Kiss.” The opening riff is almost like a drumroll or quick blast of fireworks to get our attention before the song slides into its hypnotic rhythm, the trademark fingerpicked guitar both funky and delicate at the same time. The falsetto vocals rough up Motown-smooth with an edge from passion both musical and carnal; the shrieking climax that outfrenzies both Jackie Wilson and Robert Plant. In the video Prince shimmies in velvet hiphugger bell-bottoms and a turban—macho as hell, the lingerie-clad video vixen clearly doesn’t have a prayer against a man who croons Women not girls rule my world so convincingly. –Lissa Townsend Rodgers I like “Kiss.” It reminds me of Tom Jones. –Anthony Curtis The first song I ever danced to with my now-husband was “Cream,” which was in heavy rotation on the radio when we were in high school. It came on and we just started dancing in a pretty spontaneous and innocent way, especially considering how risqué the song is. It’s not what I’d call our song, but I always think back to the kind of earnest new love one has in youth when I hear it. I had no idea then that we’d get married! This year, we celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary, so I’d say it worked out. –Emmily Bristol

THE MOST FABULOUS THING

STARLING AND THE WIZARD’S CUP In which your nerdy showgirl apparates to Henderson’s Harry Potter-themed Bad Owl Coffee By Charlie Starling ➜ I’VE ALREADY TALKED

a lot about Doctor Who, Star Wars, Harley Quinn and some hip-hop musical that seems to be doing the rounds, but there’s a fandom that we haven’t touched on yet. One with which I’m currently deeply enthralled. I’m talking about the youngest seeker in a century, the Chosen One, The Boy Who Lived—Harry Potter, of course, and the wonderful world he inhabits.

I’m of the generation that grew up with Harry. I felt his growing pains, stood in line for his new books and holed myself up to read them in one go to avoid hearing spoilers. I’m also one of those who refused to grow out of Harry. I still read books 3-7 at least once a year, and the first two every couple of years as well. I find myself quoting (or at least thinking about) the books or movies almost every day.

In fact, I hazily remember cornering someone at Burning Man and giving a lengthy impassioned speech about something Harry Pottery, but for some reason, the particulars of that speech escape me now. Ahem.

Oh, yes: I also have a Deathly Hallows tattoo on the back of my neck, and once corrected one of the actors on his own line from The Prisoner of Azkaban. (No, I’m not telling you who. But I will say he was brilliant, and highly amused by my pedantry and high-beaming blush after I failed to keep my damn mouth shut.) I believe my fandom to be pretty fucking legit, thank you very much.

Now, the less we say about me not having been to the Universal Studios Hollywood’s new Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction dressed as Rita Skeeter, the better. Instead, let’s take a trip to Henderson’s own Bad Owl Coffee—home of the Butter Brew Latte, tables emblazoned with Potter quotes … and, oddly (but adorably) enough, a TARDIS. Bad Owl seems to have an almost constant Accio charm on its customers.

The morning and early evening rushes are still seeing lines out of the door, a good couple of months after opening day. My first visit brought with it a 25-minute wait (worth it), and a wish for a Room of Requirement filled with more tables. Their popularity has been a blessing and a curse; this is, after all, a small business, and there

were some complaints recently about the Butter Brew being temporarily unavailable due to the syrup supply running out. (To the complainers ...

Go get kicked by a Hippogriff. All new ventures are prone to growing pains, and the Butter Brew Latte, now back on the menu full time, is absolutely worth making a second trip.)

My second visit was wisely timed for midafternoon. I flew straight in, got my Lavender Latte (this one’s for you, Lavender Brown), and sat at my “I Must Not Tell Lies” table faster than a Firebolt. Two drinks into this menu and I’m still happy. I’ve yet to try the food, but the “Siriusly Prosciutto” sandwich with fig butter and goat’s cheese has got my favorite Marauder’s name all over it. Oh, what a pity.

I’m going to have to visit again soon.

My final recommendation is that you have a chat with the staffers, all of whom took the Pottermore quiz to find out their Hogwarts houses before starting work. Amber, my Hallows tattoo twin, is a Gryffindor, and the lovely Chris is a Slytherin. (Yes! Slytherins unite! I always self-identified as a Ravenclaw, but the Pottermore Sorting Hat spoke and I’m not going to argue with it. Besides: Lin-Manuel Miranda is also a Slytherin. Here’s to a richer, more diverse Potterverse in which Slytherins can, in fact, be good people.)

So, Bad Owl serves excellent coffee in a fandom paradise. Sold. Also, they’ve provided an excuse for me to drop an inordinate amount of Potter references in one column. Double sold.

See Charlie Starling in Absinthe, twice nightly in the Spiegeltent at Caesars Palace, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Wed.-Sun. Visit AbsintheVegas.com for tickets. Follow her on Twitter: @charlistarling.

What still motivates you after all these years?

Mac King

April 28–May 4, 2016

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VegasSeven.com

The longtime Harrah’s magician on Fig Newtons, a severed finger and a surprising friendship By Paul Szydelko

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You are marking your 16th year of afternoon comedy-magic shows at Harrah’s. To what do you attribute your longevity?

I’m inexpensive. We get a lot of repeat [customers] because you never really know what’s going to happen when people do stuff onstage. That’s what keeps it interesting for me.

The appeal is really broad. It’s rare [that a show appeals to] a 7-year-old, a 77-year-old, a 57-year-old and even a 17-year-

old—those are the hardest ones.

That wasn’t my intention; it was initially for adults, but with this afternoon thing, it turns out families came.

You credit your grandfathers for sparking your interest in magic, but when did you know you could do it for a living?

It was because of the genesis of comedy clubs opening outside of New York, Chicago and L.A. There were a couple of places

that had open-mic nights in Minneapolis and St. Paul, where I was going to college [majoring in magic and anthropology]. That’s where I started getting actual stage time, and so I thought, “Yeah, maybe.”

Did you ever think you’d land here?

Magician Lance Burton and I are boyhood friends [from Kentucky], and he moved here a long time before I did. I lived in L.A. and was on the road

I do a rope trick to open the show, and [sometimes] I’m not paying as much attention as I should be because I’m scoping out audience members for the next trick. And, oh, criminy! It was mostly my thumbnail and some skin. In my recollection, you could see it arc, backlit through the spotlight, and land on the front table of the lounge. In my little suitcase I found Scotch tape. Would that do any good? No. So I got through the rope trick, there was blood on the rope, and normally, I would invite some random woman up from the audience for the next trick but under the circumstances, I asked if there were any nurses. A woman who was a nurse came up and helped me out. A bar was in the back of the room, and she made them bring up vodka. I put my thumb down in it—steam coming from my ears!

Even after all this time, I still love coming in. If we take a little trip or something, after Do you have any celebrity a couple of days, friends who would my wife will say, surprise your fans?

“I know what’s Neil deGrasse wrong with Tyson and I are MAC KING you. No one has buddies. I met COMEDY SHOW laughed or aphim when he Harrah’s, plauded at you for was hosting PBS’ 1 p.m. & 3 p.m., two whole days.” It Nova ScienceNOW, Tue-Sat, $35, is like a drug; you and I helped MacKingShow.com do really get used some neuroloto it. I really crave gists who were that response. It’s doing research kinda sad that still after all on magic and the brain, eye these years of doing it, that’s tracking, misdirection and what I really love. stuff. We shot little videos of me doing tricks, and then Besides goldfish, you’re known they would show these to peofor working with Fig Newtons. ple and track their eyes. Here’s What is it about the joy of saying what I as a magician think I’m Fig Newtons? doing to these people. If I do It is the funniest cookie! I this, if I do that, your eyes are challenge you to think of going to go from here to there. another. Oreo? No. Lorna But is that in fact true? They Doone? No. Just the idea of it wrote a book, Sleights of Mind: just brings a smile to people’s What the Neuroscience of Magic faces somehow. It’s oldReveals About Our Everyday fashioned, but they still make Deceptions based [partially] on them. It was just one of my these things. Neil came to the favorite cookies growing up. show, and he participated in My dad’s dad had Fig Newtons the goldfish trick. We just kept at his house all the time, and up. My wife and I go to New when I’d go I’d gorge myself York regularly to see shows, on Fig Newtons. I just loved and he and I will have dinner. them. The first week in my freshman year of college, I What do you like to do when bought a package of Fig Newyou’re not onstage? tons and set them on the table Croquet. My cousin (a comic in the lounge on our floor. strip artist) and the Jumble I was watching TV, people puzzle guys meet in Las Vegas started coming in and they’d a couple of times a year and go, “[Gasps] Fig Newtons! For have big croquet tournacryin’ out loud!” It struck me ments. We play pretty feroas a social cookie. cious croquet—drinking wine and playing croquet!

You once severed part of your thumb onstage in the late ’80s.

Was it a Dan Aykroyd-Julia Child SNL moment?

See King perform a trick exclusively for Seven at VegasSeven.com/MacKing.

PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ

SEVEN QUESTIONS

doing comedy clubs, and the first time I came here was to headline at the Improv Club at the Riv in the mid-’80s. Lance kept trying to get me to move here, but [I thought] it’s not the right place for me. I don’t have dancing girls or tigers. He’s also friends with my wife, who is a marriage and family therapist.

He’d say, “Jennifer, there are a lot of crazy people here, too.

There’s plenty of work.”

It wasn’t his doing, but it certainly didn’t hurt that he was kind of pushing us. It was the work. There were so many clubs here. Tropicana, Harrah’s, Riviera, Maxim— there were like five clubs where I could work twice a year, so it was a way to work more from home, so we moved here.