Life Is Beautiful 2016 Preview | Vegas Seven Magazine | May 19-25, 2016 by Vegas Seven

CONTENTS

MAY 19–25, 2016

T H E LAT EST

“Friends in Low Places” The Bundy family’s political allies, for better or worse. By LISSA TOWNSEND RODGERS

“The X-treme Games” Unruly behavior unduly rewarded. Politics by MICHAEL GREEN

Plus … New campus housing on the way for UNLV students, Seven Days, Ask a Native and The Deal.

NIGH T LIF E

“They’ve Got Soul” These UK producers fuse dance music with the unexpected. By KAT BOEHRER

Plus … Seven Nights and photos from the week’s hottest parties.

DINING

“New Burger on the Block” The Mirage’s Italian dining star tackles an American classic. By AL MANCINI Plus … The woman behind Yardbird’s unexpectedly sophisticated desserts, steeping up the city’s tea culture and Dishing With Grace.

A &E Seven things we like about Seven Magic Mountains. By GEOFF CARTER Plus … Seven’s 14, why Oddisee’s a hip-hop mainstay and how Firewatch is a satisfying tryst.

“L.A. Consequential” Shane Black reinvigorates the buddy comedy with The Nice Guys.

Life Is Beautiful

SEVEN Q U EST IONS

The fourth annual Downtown festival promises the next step in the city’s musical footprint. Plus … Q&As with G-Eazy, the Lumineers’ Wesley Schultz and Ted Dwane of Mumford & Sons. Cover illustration by Ryan Olbrysh.

Artist Peter Tunney on Tony Bennett, practicing mindfulness and living the good life.

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By GEOFF CARTER

FE AT URE

“FunHenge”

May 19–25, 2016

PHOTO BY JULIANA BERNSTEIN

L AS VEGAS’ WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE

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THE LATEST Friends in Low Places

The Bundy family’s political allies, for better or worse By Lissa Townsend Rodgers

IT’S NOTHING NEW for politicians

to hitch their wagons to celebrities: Reach out to George Clooney or Kim Davis and try to turn a few of their fans into your voters. Most do their best to not confuse the famous and the infamous, but that hasn’t stopped some Nevada officeholders from continuing to cuddle up to the Bundy family. Perhaps the Bundys’ most ardent supporter has been state Assemblywoman Michele Fiore, who got her first taste of sweet, sweet national airtime during the 2014 Bunkerville standoff. Fiore recently brushed off the numerous photos and videos of armed militants pointing guns at and/or threatening law enforcement. “Once you point your firearm at me, I’m sorry, then it becomes self-defense. Whether you’re a stranger, a bad guy or an officer,” she told a local radio show. Insisting that shooting an officer who might shoot you is within your Second Amendment rights is surely an idea armed criminals everywhere can really get behind. Fiore then backtracked—sorta—insisting that only Bureau of Land Management agents should be gunned down, not Metro cops. No word yet on where the FBI or state police rank on the shootability scale. Fiore is running for a Republican congressional seat—clearly a better position from which to help the Bundys. As she announced on Facebook, “My first congressional bill will be mandatory education to all jurors on jury nullification.” Jury nullification is when a jury basically declares that the law is just wrong: It’s about as common as snow on the Strip, but jury nullification is the legal holy grail for sovereign citizens. Fiore has repeatedly crossed state lines to lend support during and after the Malheur (Oregon) standoff. Her explanation: If any of her constituents is in trouble anywhere, “You betcha I’m gonna come getcha.” Of course, the Bundys don’t live in Fiore’s district so they’re technically not her constituents but, hey, the next time you get a speeding ticket in California, you know who to call for bail and a ride home. The Bundys aren’t residents of Assemblywoman Shelly Shelton’s district either, but she’s been standing with them since Bunkerville—hell, she even brought

Seven Days This week in your city By B O B W H I T B Y

THU 19

If you can find beauty in something as mundane as a rock, you should plan on attending Visitor Made: Found Rock/Found Object, 4-7 p.m. at UNLV’s Barrick Museum. You’ll be granted access to the materials at the ArtBar, but supply your own rock. Donate your creation when finished and it will go on display. UNLV.edu.

FRI 20

Libraries are full of books. So full, in fact, that sometimes they have to sell off the excess to make room for new ones. That’s a boon for book lovers who should descend on the Clark County Library today and tomorrow to score cheap reads. Got a dime? Buy a paperback. LVCCLD.org.

SAT 21 her newborn grandchild because it was really more like a family picnic than an armed standoff. They grilled burgers! Shelton doesn’t miss a Bundy rally or court date; her official Facebook page is largely dedicated to “LaVoy [Finicum] clearly had his hands up” and the Bundys are “political prisoners.” Shelton’s constituents, Glen Heather’s mid-century hipsters and the Ph.D.-carrying professionals of the Medical District, also undoubtedly appreciate her disparagement of “urban people” who, according to her, do not work or pay taxes like rural folk. Another assemblyman who seems to be focusing on the Republic of Bundystan is John Moore. He represents the 8th District, which is basically a bunch of industrial buildings and suburban homes in the southern part of the Valley. He has frequently declared at rallies and court dates that Malheur occupier Finicum was “murdered;” during a conference call hosted by Bundy supporters, he said of the shooting: “I haven’t often shed tears, but I will say I’ve shed more than one tear on seeing that.” (Apparently other police shootings are not so sad.) During this same call, another invited participant declared that any law enforcement officers who cause an issue for anti-BLM forces “will be met with hot fire.”

The politicians may not quite be representing their constituents, but the folks they lionize aren’t exactly what they seem to be, either. Not quite noble patriots, those facing government charges included an assortment of unemployed musicians, bipolar potheads, deadbeat dads and guys who had fake military records but real police records. Not quite a rural farmer, Ammon Bundy owns a truck repair company— “centered in the heart of the Phoenix industrial area,” according to its website—that received about a half-million dollars in government (government!) loans, as well as a six-figure home in an Idaho suburb. Sometimes a cowboy hat is just a hat. Shelton and Moore both face re-election this year—and both won their last elections by less than 1 percent margins—while Fiore is battling six other candidates to be the Republican nominee for the 3rd Congressional District. Politicians’ tough talk may comfort those locked up for their actions at Bunkerville and Malheur, but it probably doesn’t do too much for the nature lovers living near Lone Mountain or the gated communities on Greenery View Lane. Come November, all three may find themselves losing to candidates who worry about schools and stoplights rather than Admiralty courts and the enclave clause.

Sometimes we just have to give a shout-out for awesomeness. Detox to Retox is one such event. Combining yoga and beer, at a brewery no less? Inspired. The yoga part begins at 10:15 a.m. at Tenaya Creek Brewery, and the beer part commences afterward. Check Detox to Retox’s Facebook page for details.

SUN 22

Have a pet? Want a pet? In either case, Cashman Center is your nexus this weekend as it hosts the Vegas Pet Expo, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. From exhibitors to adoption groups, obedience demonstrations to vet-care tips, it’s all here. And yes, you can bring your pet. VegasPetExpo.com.

MON 23

It’s Day One of an eight-game consecutive homestand for the Las Vegas 51s as they take on the Nashville Sounds, 7:05 p.m. at Cashman Field. Later in the week, the 51s host the Memphis Redbirds. MILB.com.

TUE 24

Henderson is challenging you to hit the 180 miles of trails the city has to offer with the Bike It or Hike It challenge. Jump on a trail, take a selfie in front of a trailhead, kiosk or sign and post it to the city’s parks and rec Facebook or Twitter accounts before May 31 using #bikeitorhikeit2016. CityofHenderson.com.

WED 25

If you graduated from UNLV in the last 10 years or just love the Rebels, here’s your chance to mingle. Graduates of the Last Decade, 6-8 p.m. at the Hard Rock’s Center Bar, will have appetizers, a cash bar and plenty of schmoozing. UNLV.edu.

ILLUSTRATION BY CIERRA PEDRO

May 19–25, 2016

VegasSeven.com

➜

News, deals and the tipping point on gratuities.

Ryan Lofty’s DJ set, 2015; The Killers play a surprise set, 2015; the “Secret Garden” transforms a DTLV parking lot to a park, 2013; Pussy Riot invades the speaker series, 2014; Banksy parks one of his pieces at the festival, 2015; Kimbra and Rick Moonen whip up a mean steak at the Culinary Village, 2014; Diplo of Major Lazer crowd-surfs in a transparent rubber ball, 2015.

THE STORY SO FAR Highlights from Life Is Beautiful’s first three years

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Shamir plays a homecoming set, 2015; Bill Nye drops in on

➜ When Drew Levinson left Atlantic City’s Borgata resort to take over the beverage program at Bellagio in 2004, he probably wouldn’t have imagined that nearly a decade later he’d be driving a golf cart around Downtown Las Vegas during 2013’s inaugural Life Is Beautiful. But Levinson, now the vice president of business development for Breakthru Beverage Group (formerly Wirtz Beverage), has played an integral role in the festival, shaping and reshaping the beverage program, since its inception. So, what does it take to batch and serve close to 100,000 drinks? Levinson and his playfully titled Breakthru Wrecking Crew will find out in late September when they parlay all the lessons they’ve learned during Life Is Beautiful’s first three years. Looking back, Life Is Beautiful’s first year was a crapshoot, beverage-wise. “It was an idea exploding into life and us just trying to hang on for the ride,” Levinson says. The main focus was to “create something that will hopefully grow in the future,” he says. And grow it did, clearing a path for innovation in terms of what Levinson could do to push the boundaries of large-scale festival concessions. The second year marked the birth of Batch World—the batched cocktail commissary—and outside support teams were brought in to help facilitate the ambitious program. By Year Three, Levinson and his crew focused on refinement and superior execution. Wine was sold near food stands that would pair well with the food. Beers were hand-selected. “We were much more organized and strategic about how things were laid out,” Levinson says. Those strategies included the Dos Equis backpack guys, Coco Tap’d real coconuts and widespread frozen drinks to beat the heat. Levinson estimates a 20-25 percent increase in volume from last year, with Batch World planning to pour nearly 100,000 craft cocktails, with a focus this year on delivery methods and “just in time” service. Already signed on to join the Breakthru team for 2016 are New York-based beverage professionals Leo Degroff, Andy Seymour and Lulu Martinez. As to which specific brands will be a part of Life Is Beautiful, all are still deep in the negotiations phase. But, Levinson assures, it will be a mix of established and burgeoning labels that he hopes attendees will discover on the festival grounds. “One of the most exciting parts of Life Is Beautiful is that it’s very experiential,” he says. “You turn a corner and something new catches your eye.” –Xania Woodman

May 19–25, 2016

PHOTOS BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ, ERIK K ABIK, GEOFF CARTER, AL POWERS, PETER GAUNT AND TONY TRAN

Soaring to a New Level of Beverage Programming

NIGHTLIFE Your city after dark and photos from the week’s hottest parties

These UK producers fuse dance music with the unexpected By Kat Boehrer

GIBBON AND MATT ROBSON-SCOTT MAKE

up Gorgon City, the musical duo currently touring with fellow U.K.-based band, Rudimental. Their newest album, Kingdom, is in the process of its release, with a new track revealed every three weeks. Album collaborators include greats such as Tink and Wyclef Jean, adding to the list of incredible talent they’ve worked with in the past. From vocal-led tracks to underground-sounding instrumentals, Gibbon promises to bring the whole package to their live show at The Foundry at SLS on May 21.

May 19–25, 2016

They’ve Got Soul

➜ KYE

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Matt Robson-Scott (left) and Kye Gibbon.

NIGHTLIFE

Clockwise from top: HARD Presents Gorgon City at the Hollywood Palladium in October; Matt Robson-Scott; Gorgon City at Bestival.

What are you doing with them?

And Wyclef?

May 19–25, 2016

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You tend to work with very soulful vocalists.

Yeah, the key word is “soul.” We really want our music to have soul, even if they’re quite banging tracks. We want to have a bit of soul and life in there. It made sense to [work with] people such as Jennifer Hudson. We also love dance music with vocalists that you wouldn’t expect on dance music. A lot of the vocalists we’ve worked with have never done house tracks or dance tracks before we met them. It was exciting for us to bring Jennifer Hudson into the house music world. Laura Welsh and

MNEK hadn’t really done a house track. It makes it sound interesting and unique. Do you seek out this sound, or does it just fall together like that?

A lot of the time, it’s people that we seek out. Or sometimes, with people like Katy B and MNEK, it’s people that we know from the London scene. We’re out partying together and stuff, so it makes sense to get in the studio with them. You’ve also worked with Tink and Wyclef.

He’s a legend. We flew out from New York just for two days to work with him. That was a pretty surreal experience getting in the studio with someone that you’ve respected for years. He was crazy to work with, he just knows about all kinds of music. He said the first-ever track that he wrote, even before the Fugees, was a house track, in like the mid- or late-’80s. So it was coming back to his roots in a weird way. He did a house track back in the day? Do you think we can find it online somewhere?

He said that it wasn’t under his name. It was under a pseudonym, so no one really knows it’s out there.

So you’re releasing a new track every three weeks until your album is released. Does this mean we get a few tracks now and then a whole batch of tracks when you decide to release in full?

We wanted to release the album in a different way. At the end of the eight tracks, that will be when the album is released. Then shortly after that, we’ll release a second volume. The album’s coming out in two parts. So there’s going to be two volumes of eight tracks [each]. Why did you decide to release this way?

Nowadays, it’s all about streaming. No one really buys [music] anymore. We wanted to concentrate on people who stream by releasing tracks every three weeks. People can just enjoy the tracks for a while and wait for the next one. It makes sense for us to release them in that way because we can show off the different sides of what we do. We can have the big vocal tracks and follow that with an underground track.

HARD BY OH DAG YO; ROBSON-SCOTT AND VOCALISTS BY GAËLLE BERI

[One song] was a track with Tink and Mikky Ekko. It came from a session with Mikky Ekko about a year ago, but we never finished it. It was an upbeat song. I was just playing around on my laptop with his vocals and pitched the sound and turned it into quite a sort of moody, down-tempo track. It just worked. We felt that it could do with having a rapper on. We’re fans of Tink, so we asked if she was up for it. It just came about nicely. It’s quite a different sound for us. It’s a very sort of downtempo thing.

NIGHTLIFE

Seven Nights Your week in parties By I A N C A R A M A N Z A N A

Jamie Foxx.

THU 19 Jewel Nightclub—Hakkasan Group’s shiny new nightlife concept in the former Haze footprint—celebrates its grand opening by bringing in the big guns. Actor, singer/songwriter and comedian Jamie Foxx breaks in the venue. When it comes to Hollywood, the 48-year-old has played everything from the drugtroubled soul legend Ray Charles in Ray to a Texas slave hell-bent on getting revenge on his master in Django: Unchained. Tonight, he’s sure to give us a musical palette that is just as eclectic, with his upbeat contributions on Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” and “Blame It” as well as the silky smooth “Fall for Your Type.” With so many sounds, expect an evening full of surprises. (In Aria, 10:30 p.m., JewelNightclub.com.)

May 19–25, 2016

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FRI 20

Metro Boomin.

Calvin Harris has finally unearthed some new material! On April 29, the superstar DJ released “This is What You Came For (featuring Rihanna)”—the two’s first collaboration in five years. It’s their take on tropical house—the EDM subgenre that’s taken over the world. The song features cascading Caribbean instruments and Rihanna’s uplifting airy vocals layered above a slower house drum beat, which makes it the perfect tune for kickin’ it poolside. See how it fares indoors when Harris mixes it with his other Rihanna-featured hits such as “We Found Love” and “Where Have You Been” at Omnia.

Meanwhile, Sean Perry will keep it moving at Heart of Omnia. (In Caesars Palace, 10 p.m., OmniaNightclub.com.) Big Sean’s been a Drai’s resident for a while now, and yet, people still can’t get enough of him. The Detroit rapper recently posted an Instagram photo of himself performing, claiming that he sold out the venue. Catch another one of his high-demand performances tonight, and see if he brings singer Jhené Aiko with him to perform songs from their Twenty88 project. (In the Cromwell, 10:30 p.m., DraisNightlife.com.)

SAT 21 According to the Daily Mail, one in five married couples will divorce. It’s difficult to earn trust from significant others, friends and even family these days, which means you always have to stay on your toes. What makes matters worse is that Atlanta rapper Future threatens us with bullets if we haven’t earned the trust of his right-hand producer Metro Boomin. We’re sure you’ve heard the St. Louis rapper’s hardto-miss tagline, If Young Metro don’t trust you, I’m gon’ shoot you, in songs such as Drake and Future’s “Jumpman” and Kanye West’s “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 2.” While we don’t think that’s a good business practice, the product speaks for itself; Metro Boomin’s layered trap creations have served

as the foundations for an eclectic group of artists including gutter rap phenomenon OJ da Juiceman, sultry singer Tinashe and everything in between. Earn his trust by showing up at Light—your life depends on it. (In Mandalay Bay, 10:30 p.m., TheLightVegas.com.)

SUN 22 Hand it to Marquee Dayclub for bringing something different into our city’s sprawling world of nightlife by including Duke Dumont.

Duke Dumont in its roster. Since blessing us with 2013’s melodic deep house track “Need U (100%),” the English DJ/ producer has cranked out countless catchy tunes that have been stuck in our heads since their release. The songs follow in the same format of traditional songwriting with infectious choruses and softer drops. Songs such as “The Giver” and “Ocean Drive” will complement the warmer weather nicely in the dayclub. (At the Cosmopolitan, 11 a.m., MarqueeLasVegas.com.)

MON 23 Your friendly locals are showing off their best stuff, and you’re invited! Hit up Bunkhouse Saloon for another installment of its Open Mic Mondays series. The venue invites brave songwriters to play on the same stage christened by greats such as The Killers, Built to Spill and Chelsea Wolfe. Who knows? You might just catch the next best thing. (124 S. 11th St., 10 p.m., BunkhouseDowntown.com)

TUE 24 Still not over that good-for-nothing ex from high school? Head to Brooklyn Bowl and join dozens

of others in singing anthems of heartbreak in Emo Night Brooklyn. Tonight, Buddy Nielsen of Senses Fail is behind the decks. He or she may have taken your dignity along with countless belongings, but that person can never take away your Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, My Chemical Romance or Saves the Day. I just wanna break you down so badly … (At the Linq 10:30 p.m., Vegas.BrooklynBowl.com.) Not into guitars and live drums? Hit up Beauty Bar for a set by English dubstep/electro-house duo Jack Beats. The London bassheads are still mourning the death of one of their major influences, Prince, so show them some love by getting down to their future house banger, “Zone (featuring Riko Dan).” Oh, and don’t forget the nickel beers! (517 Fremont St., 9 p.m., TheBeautyBar.com.)

WED 25 Surrender your Wednesday to Dillon Francis, who spent the majority of a night last month unraveling duct tape from his body. Last month, Diplo wrapped the moombahthon producer with duct tape mid-set at Encore Beach Club. Cheer him up by showing up and “Get Low!” (In Encore, 10:30 p.m., SurrenderNightclub.com.)

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

MARQUEE DAYCLUB The Cosmopolitan [ UPCOMING ]

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com

PHOTOS BY JOE FURY AND THOAMS TRAN

May 19–25, 2016

VegasSeven.com

May 20 Lema spins May 21 Dash Berlin spins May 22 Duke Dumont spins

DINING

These tea leaves were picked [in China] just days ago. Next week we’ll have them here.

Restaurant reviews, news and Yardbird's creative desserts

The Mirage’s Italian dining star tackles an American classic By Al Mancini

VegasSeven.com

straws and beer cheddar sauce. Things get more sophisticated with an Angus, applewood and arugula burger (A.A.A.) of grass-fed beef, boursin cheese and sundried tomatoes, but the chef then offers a brash Kick in the Kisser (K.I.K.; yes, that’s its name), topped with pickled jalapeños, a fried egg, avocado, onion straws, pepper jack and sriracha aioli. If you want something without beef, there’s a straightforward turkey burger (What the Flock) with turkey bacon, sharp cheddar, chipotle mayo and avocado. A soy-glazed salmon patty (P.S.S.) comes with grilled pineapple relish and sesame slaw. And vegetarians can enjoy a portabello mushroom burger with Gruyère, spinach and aioli or a veggie patty with pepper jack cheese, guacamole, peppers and onions on a whole-wheat bun. For my money—which in this case is $15—that O.S.B. is as good of a rock-solid, all-American burger as you’ll find anywhere. For something more refined, the O.M.G. (Oh My Gosh) is a duck burger with Muenster cheese, smoked ketchup, tomato, watercress and roasted duck mayo. In practice, it’s closer to a duck entrée at a whitetablecloth restaurant than it is a burger, and is the best indication on the menu of just how serious the chef’s skills are. On the flip side, the B.L.D. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) is an over-thetop hangover sufferer’s dream. It begins with a huge patty of housemade sausage, which is then loaded up with a fried egg and enough country ham, bacon and American cheese to overflow its English muffin base. This is what breakfast at McDonald’s would look like if Ronald was a quality pork addict.

New Burger on the Block

➜ THE CHEFS WHO GET

the most attention in this town are usually big names we import from other cities or a local executive chef manning a celebrity chef’s kitchen. Superstars who come into their own in Las Vegas kitchens are few and far between, but Michael LaPlaca seems poised to enter that short list. Since taking the reins at The Mirage’s long-ignored Portofino in 2014, he’s turned it into Las Vegas’ top Italian fine-dining restaurant and received nearly unanimous praise in both the local and national press. So what’s a Las Vegas chef to do when his fine-dining star is rising? Why, open a burger joint, of course. LaPlaca was recently tapped to convert star chef Laurent Tourondel’s BLT Burger into a fresh concept on the same theme, LVB Burgers & Bar. The new endeavor maintains its predecessor’s diner-esque vibe with an open kitchen in the space that was once a display habitat for some of Siegfried & Roy’s feline companions. But the new chef succeeds in bringing his own creativity and vision to a genre that’s arguably been overplayed on the Strip. The gimmick here is the burger names, all of which boast three-letter abbreviations. But as when any gourmet chef tackles hamburgers, the restaurant’s real identity comes from where it sits on the fine dining/fast food spectrum. LVB stakes its claim by emphasizing originality and high-end ingredients in creations that range from big and sloppy to mildly elegant. For traditionalists, the O.S.B. (Old-School Burger) sets the standard with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, ketchup, mayo and pickles atop a juicy beef patty, while the B.C.B. (Bacon Cheeseburger) piles on applewood smoked bacon, onion

May 19–25, 2016

PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ

The O.M.G. burger and the Stay Puft shake.

NIU-GU | PAGE 49

PHOTOS BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ

➜

WHILE WAITING FOR THE THIRD TEA

infusion during the traditional Chinese Gong Fu tea ceremony at Niu-Gu, restaurant partner Joe Muscaglione shows me a photo on his phone recently sent by a tea grower in China. “These tea leaves were picked just days ago,” he says. “Next week we’ll have them here.” In his newest venture, the lifelong food and wine professional’s passion is to develop the only true farm-to-cup tea program in Las Vegas, if not the nation. And his timing couldn’t be better. Although consumers increasingly want to know the origins of their food, wine or coffee, much of the public still doesn’t have a clue where their tea comes from. Wine enthusiasts seek out producers who pay special attention to every grape cluster, study how they treat their vines and how the wine is made, with great emphasis on its terroir. Tea, however, remains mostly a mystery. Where tea is mass produced—often ground up into particles then packaged in opaque, porous bags—the contents are not only visu-

ally unidentifiable, they’re virtually untraceable to their roots. So why should we care? “The entire plant is cut down and made into dust—pesticides and all,” Muscaglione says. “The teas that are on the market are doing more harm than good. But, the teas we offer here are sometimes just the top two leaves that have been pinched off. When they open up [in hot water], you see the entire leaf.” Muscaglione and his partner, chef Jimmy Li, who is originally from Shanghai, maintain a highly curated selection of Chinese teas that are grown according to the highest standards, even for the nerdiest of tea enthusiasts. The current list of 30 teas (and growing) is based solely on the owners’ personal relationships with farmers in China. Relationships so close, in fact, that images of harvests come in regularly via WeChat on Muscaglione’s phone. Las Vegas-based Tealet, which sources small quantities of teas from independent growers, is one of Niu-Gu’s purveyors.

VegasSeven.com

At Niu-Gu, teas are steeped in culture By Marisa Finetti

Farm to Cup

table, a sizable pinch of tea leaves is presented to us. The vessels are then primed with hot water, signifying the ritual of tea-making. Only the purest water is used to promote the delicate aromas and flavors of the tea. Tea is poured from the gaiwan, a lidded bowl used for infusion, into ceramic cups that hold merely a few sips. We would enjoy multiple infusions of Dragon Well green tea, produced by the Zhu family from Meijawu Village. The family’s fertile 10 acres sit 320 feet above sea level, and are surrounded by lushly forested mountains fed by rich rainwater. Before the spring rain, teas are made with the choicest bud-leaf tips that are plucked precisely between April 5 and April 20. Each of the teas on Niu-Gu’s list has unique flavors and aromas, and every grower has a story, which is described on the restaurant’s tea menu, specifying region, altitude, harvest dates, family names and history. Setting his cup down, Muscaglione says, “I consider this experience to be the best first date: You taste great teas, get an education and it starts at $6 per person, and it’s healthy.” Tea for two would often provide four to five cups per infusion because quality tea leaves, such as those acquired by Niu-Gu, can be shared and appreciated steep after steep to expose the different flavors and textures present in the leaves. “It’s the second- oldest beverage after water,” he says, “and in my opinion, China makes the best teas in the world.” While Muscaglione admits that it’s challenging to obtain such high-quality tea, he’s cultivating relationships with growers every day with the goal of bringing the Las Vegas community to a higher level of tea consciousness.

May 19–25, 2016

Jing Li hosts a traditional Gong Fu tea ceremony at Niu-Gu.

All the teas are hand-harvested and processed by multigenerational farming families. No chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides are used. In most cases, teas are grown in some of the most pristine areas of China, usually hundreds or thousands of kilometers away from or above pollution. The teas usually come in within a week after they’ve been harvested and dried. Essentially, customers can enjoy teas in the same season in which they were harvested. Muscaglione notes that organic certification in China is problematic because of variable standards, lack of accessibility to small farmers and enormous costs. But, knowing first-hand about how they are farmed—and being able to deliver exact origins—demonstrate the care that goes into growing these teas. However, they are also highly sought after by the Chinese elite, with little left for the rest of the world. So how did a New Jersey-born, “Sicilian-made” guy like Muscaglione, who has developed world-class Italian-only wine lists as beverage director for the likes of Joe Bastianich and Mario Batali’s Babbo NYC and who later launched Tao’s beverage program, find his passion in Chinese culture? “For a long time, I’ve found similarities between Italian and Chinese cultures,” Muscaglione says. “Both are ancient cultures, and both cherish the idea of gathering and sharing meals together.” Which takes us back to the communal presence of the tea ceremony taking place at Niu-Gu. In eight methodic steps, Gong Fu (meaning “skill and patience”) is a ceremonial drinking style meant to relax the spirit in a convivial, shared experience. At Niu-Gu’s large central

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15TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

A&E 54

AMIR MOHAMED EL KHALIFA IS A

calm, rational man. Better known as rapper and producer Oddisee, the Washington, D.C.-raised, Brooklyn-based Sudanese-American artist’s international travels often trigger security alerts at airports. Frustrating as it might be, his reaction is stoic. “If you look at my passport, I look like a target,” he says. “I have a full understanding of being pulled aside and being asked more questions than my band members, because it’s just a computer algorithm that says this is a person from D.C. who travels to the Middle East and visits England and France and all of these places that have been hotbeds for activity.” It’s the lack of human interaction and compassion that gets under his skin, inspiring him to pen songs such as “Lifting Shadows” from his March EP Alwasta, which challenges American xenophobia. Since 9/11 it ain’t too clear just who the target is / I love my country, hate its politics, he raps. “These are stories that need to be told so maybe those algorithms will change, maybe they’ll be lessened, maybe there’ll be less profiling,” he says. It’s that fearlessness that’s kept Oddisee a hip-hop mainstay for more than a decade. Though he isn’t always

[ MUSIC ]

Weight in Gold Rapper and producer Oddisee’s social currency keeps rising By Zoneil Maharaj

politically outspoken, he makes bold, expressive statements through his songs, be it through his intelligent lyricism or soulful, jazz-tinged compositions. And he does so at a prolific rate: In the last 12 months alone, he’s dropped a full-length vocal album (The Good Fight), a seven-track EP (Alwasta) and the just-released instrumental album The Odd Tape, with another full-length record due this fall. When he’s not in the studio, he’s on the road, which leads him and his band, Good Compny, to The Foundry at SLS on May 20. Hearing the thought put into Oddisee’s music, you’d think it’d take months, if not years, to complete a project. Not so. “I work smart, not hard,” he says. A creative machine, he bangs out projects one after the other, and keeps them

tucked in his arsenal until it’s time to strike. His latest, The Odd Tape, was completed in February 2015 but didn’t drop until May 13. It’s a moody soundtrack to a day in his life that’s equally meditative and electrifying, with song titles to match. “Alarmed” rouses; “Right Side of the Bed” keeps you in a daze; “Live From the Drawing Board” paints vibrant pictures inside your head. But since he started touring in advance of The Odd Tape, Oddisee decided to drum up anticipation by releasing Alwasta in March—a project he completed in just seven days. The title stems from the Arabic word “wasta,” which translates to “connector” … or, in hip-hop speak, “the plug.” “It’s a person who has an abundance of social currency, and they use that social currency for others,” he says.

Oddisee’s social standing is the reason Alwasta was completed so quickly in the first place. He’s in Brooklyn, his graphic designer is in London, his band is in D.C. and his Arabic-toEnglish translator is in Saudi Arabia. “These things only happen in such a short amount of time because of me having a wealth of social currency that I was able to cash in,” he says. Cashing in on his social wealth doesn’t always translate into legal tender. Despite his critical acclaim (and his high profile at airports), he still flies under the radar. But he’s unfazed. “[I want] to make music and nothing else,” he says. “As long as I’m able to do that and do what I want with my time as much as possible, I’m the happiest man alive. I just want to wake up when I want to, sleep when I want, eat what I want, travel where I want whenever I want—and do all of that from the strength of making music.” ODDISEE WITH CHASE B., J. ESPINOSA AND PLAY ON WORDS

May 20, 7:30 p.m. at The Foundry, Free, 702-761-7617, FoundryLV.com

PHOTO BY JEREMY DEPUTAT

May 19–25, 2016

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