CONTENTS
AUGUST 18–24, 2016
T H E LAT EST
12
“Turn Up the Heat”
14
“When Does Party Trump All?”
We are experts at cooling our heels in the dog days of summer. State has history of politicians fleeing the top of the ticket Politics by MICHAEL GREEN
Plus … Trump loses union fight, anticipating AFAN’s 30th Black & White Ball, Style, Seven Days, Ask a Native and The Deal.
NIGH T LIF E
25
“First-Name Basis” Vocalist and production duo AlunaGeorge say what they mean. BY KAT BOEHRER
Plus … Seven Nights, the Ylixr App helps service industry members promote themselves and photos from the week’s hottest parties.
DINING
45
“One-Hit-Wonderful” Town Square’s spicy shrimp-focused spot hits all the right notes. BY AL MANCINI
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“A Smackdown at Sam’s Town” Pro wrestlers seek glory—and revenge—at Ring of Honor’s Death Before Dishonor. BY DAVID G. SCHWARTZ
SEVEN Q U EST IONS
66
FE AT URE
“Uniquely Vegas”
A glossary of Vegas shorthand.
Cover Illustration by Ryan Huddle RyanHuddle.com for Rappart.com
Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor on meeting Marilyn Manson, recent controversies and living in Las Vegas.
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Plus … Seven’s 14, album reviews and a Q&A with DIIV’s Zachary Cole Smith.
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A &E
August 18-24, 2016
KILLER SHRIMP PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ
Clockwise from top at Killer Shrimp (Page 45): Baja fish tacos, Killer Mac ‘n’ Cheese, and spicy shrimp in broth.
Plus … Dish & Tell, Shane Stuart’s Panacea has the cure for what ails you and Drinking.
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L AS VEGAS’ WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE
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FOUNDED FEBRUARY 2010
PUBLISHER Michael Skenandore
EDITORIAL Melinda Sheckells Genevie Durano DEPUTY EDITOR Paul Szydelko SENIOR EDITOR, DINING, BEVERAGE & NIGHTLIFE Xania Woodman ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Mark Adams SENIOR WRITER Lissa Townsend Rodgers ASSISTANT EDITOR Ian Caramanzana EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Michael Green (politics), Al Mancini (dining), David G. Schwartz (gaming/hospitality)
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THE LATEST
Turn Up the Heat
We are experts at cooling our heels in the dog days of summer
August 18-24, 2016
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➜ EVEN IF YOU’RE A SEASONED DESERT RAT, the long stretch of 100-degree days in August can be a drag. While we can take comfort in the fact that summer is more than halfway through, we all know too well that a cool spell is still a couple of months away. ¶ Vegas Seven’s editors and writers are preoccupied with staying cool, and everyone has a trick up their sleeves. Here, we share them with you:
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• When you first get into your car and drive off, roll down the back two windows. As you drive and as the cold air comes in from the vents, the hot air will be sucked out the back of the car, cooling it down faster. • Keep homemade cranberry, cherry, coconut milk or other natural-flavor ice cubes to drop into unsweetened iced tea or lemonade. • Freeze sports drinks such as Gatorade in ice cube trays. If you put some of the cubes in water, it not only cools down your water but it gives you some diluted electrolytes, without as much sugar and in a suspension that is more easy to digest when your body is hot. • Always have cut-up fruit in the fridge for smoothies. No one wants to start a sweltering day
wtih fried eggs. • Freeze regular yogurt in its own cup to make frozen yogurt. Just poke your spoon through the peel-away lid and put it in the freezer until it’s frozen to your liking. • Reach for a cold meal—hummus and veggies, even leftover pizza— so you don’t have to heat up the house cooking. • Wool fiber tees actually keep you cooler than cotton. • Take shorter, colder showers and go easy on the towel-drying. That way, your body becomes a natural air-conditioner as it absorbs water and cools itself. • As counterintuitive as it sounds, hot yoga is awesome in the summer. Emerging from a 102-degree studio with 70 percent humidity makes that 110-degree day feel downright balmy.
• In its Summer Under the Stars series, Turner Classic Movies does an all-day tribute to 31 different classic movie stars. Why brave the outdoors when you can sit inside in your air conditioning all day and night, appreciated Bette Davis (August. 22) Boris Karloff (August 26) or Dean Martin (August 31)? • Take your shower at night. This washes off the sweat of the day and if it heats you up temporarily, it won’t feel as bad as during the hottest part of the day. This is also an excellent allergy mitigation strategy, as it washes off pollen. • Keep the lights dim or off. If you own your home (or have a reasonable landlord), get ceiling fans. They are worth their weight in gold and will save you money on your power bill.
• Plan errands at night when possible. (This also saves you money on gas, as it expands in heat and so you lose/use more during hot parts of the day.) • Keep a wet washcloth in a plastic baggie in the fridge. You can take it out and put it on your neck or face for instant cool-down. • If you've ever felt overheated, place a cold can (like soda) on the inside part of your wrist. It actually cools down your internal temperature faster because those blood vessels go right to the heart and circulate the cooler blood. • Spend more time in Summerlin. It’s on higher ground—3,500 feet above sea level on average, 1,500 feet higher than the Strip and Downtown—and as a result, it’s usually a few degrees cooler than the rest of the Valley. Do as we do: Hit Shake Shack in Downtown Summerlin. • Try a neighborhood pool. City- and countyrun pools are probably loaded with screaming kids even now, but water is water. Better yet: Find a friend with a pool. • Crystals, the Wynn resorts and the Bellagio all feature private art collections of the kind many museums would kill for—works by Jeff Koons, James Turrell, Dale Chihuly and many more. Enjoy the art in air-conditioned comfort. • On the hottest days, take a trip to the lodge or any picnic area at Mount Charleston, where it’s usually 10-15 degrees cooler. • Invest in an insulated reusable water bottle (made by companies such as S’well and Klean Kanteen). These magical vessels keep water cold for extended periods of time, so a refreshing glass is always within arm’s reach. They’re a must for our dry, unforgiving desert, and you’ll be helping the environment at the same time!
News, deals and how past Nevada politicians have fled their party's presidential nominees.
Seven Days This week in your city By B O B W H I T B Y
THU 18
UNLV’s Barrick Museum wants you to create art, not just consume it. Its Visitor-Made series is back with an ode to David Gilbert, who creates ephemeral sculptures from everyday objects, then photographs them for posterity. You’ll do the same, 4-7 p.m., and your work will be displayed on Barrick’s website. UNLV.edu.
FRI 19
Anime, video games, pop culture … do we have your attention? Good. Sabakon 2016 runs today through Sunday at Alexis Park Resort. Screenings, performances, special guests, panels, it’s all here. Sabakon.com.
SAT 20
Not only is admission to Springs Preserve free today and Sunday, it’s also the Super Hero Summer Send Off. That means themed movies, heroic tales and a Captain America magic show. Come in costume and help vanquish villainy. SpringsPreserve.org.
SUN 21
Crafty sorts, today’s your day. The Artisan Craft Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Sam’s Town, features more than 60 local artists making jewelry, paintings, sculpture, pottery, etc. You’ll also find food, contests and entertainment. ArtisanCraftsFestival.com.
MON 22
Last chance to check out the Nevada Camera Club’s Electronic Photographic Competition, ending tomorrow at the Whitney Library. The competition features stunning shots in categories from abstract to wildlife, shot around the state. LVCCLD.org.
TUE 23
Free movie alert: Strangers on a Train, one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most gripping movies, follows two men who meet and offhandedly discuss killing people. Things get complicated when one of them follows through. 1 p.m. at the Clark County Library’s Main Theater. LVCCLD.org.
WED 24
We bookend this column with more art courtesy of UNLV. The KUSO Project recently opened at the Donna Beam Gallery. It features the work of 12 Taiwanese artists who mine the internet for camp and parody, then combine what they find with painting, sculpture and photography. Kids these days are so creative. Through Sept. 30. UNLV.edu.
Trump vs. Culinary
J A M E S P. R E Z A
Hotel fails in effort to prevent employees from unionizing by Lissa Townsend Rodgers
What’s Black, White and Red All Over?
PHOTOGRAPH OF GUESTS AT 2015 BL ACK & WHITE PARTY TONYA HARVEY
AFAN’s distinctive annual fundraiser marks 30 years Guests are encouraged to don as little or as much white and/or black attire as they like or dare at the 30th Black & White Party, the annual fundraiser for Aid for AIDS of Nevada at Aria on August 20. Mondays Dark’s Mark Shunock and the "bearded lady of Las Vegas," Norma Layman (Jim McCoy), will emcee the event. Among this year’s 14 “Right to Wear Red” honorees are Shunock and McCoy, Back Bar USA founder Tim Haughinberry, Hard Rock Hotel executive Lia Rispoli, CNN publicist Richard Hudock and burlesque performer Melody Sweets. They are invited to stand out from the dichromatic crowd for their dedication and commitment to AFAN. Guests will enjoy samples from Aria restaurants, and Back Bar USA will present and serve 11 cocktails, including JD’s Blackberry Smash by Patricia Richards, Don Julio’s Watermelon Sunshine by Sam Bracamontes, The Prohibition Sour by Jair Bustillos and Peach Perfect Mule by Raul Faria. In the silent auction, items up for bid include meetand-greets with headliners Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Lionel Richie and Olivia NewtonJohn, and tickets to see Pet Shop Boys, Blue Man Group, Penn & Teller, Rock of Ages, Human Nature, Divas Starring Frank Marino, Thunder From Down Under and Absinthe. Visit Facebook.com/AFANLV to peruse the offerings in advance. Sustainable jewelry brand Alex & Ani will be on hand selling its Kindred Cord Red Heart bracelet, with a percentage of proceeds donated to AFAN. General admission tickets ($50) include entrance to the LGBT after-party at Piranha Nightclub and the Temptation Sundays pool party at Luxor on August 21. VIP tickets
($125) include early entry at 7 p.m., as well as entrance to the VIP after-party hosted at Jewel Nightclub. In addition to the gala, Carbone will host a cocktail party and wine dinner on August 19 (7-10 p.m., $125), and Herringbone will offer an all-inclusive brunch on August 21 (11 a.m.-3 p.m., $100). Proceeds from both events benefit AFAN, Human Rights Campaign Las Vegas and The Center Las Vegas. The Black & White Party (8 p.m., AFANLV.org) raises funds for AFAN’s client service programs, which assist men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS in Southern Nevada. Last year, the party’s 3,500 guests raised more than $145,000 for the cause. —Xania Woodman
Is it true that Lake Mead almost overflowed once? ➜While it may seem implausible in the current climate of extended Southwestern drought and fear-mongering photos of the "bathtub ring" (see our "Uniquely Vegas" feature), it's true that the spillways of Hoover Dam were hastily cranked open during the desert monsoon season of July 1983. It was only the second time that water gushed through them, the first being a 1941 test six years after the dam's completion. The hype compelled me to hop into my VW Rabbit and putter the 45 minutes to witness the event myself. It was captivating to watch 200,000 cubic feet (per second!) of the desert's most precious resource roar 60 stories down a waterfall into diversion tunnels. This spillway event was primarily the result of human error. The purpose of a dam is to artificially control, for human benefit, the flood-drought cycles of river flow. Further, the Colorado flow is also governed by the 1922 Colorado River Compact. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation decides how much water each dam along the Colorado River must hold in reserve (i.e. in the lake) or release downstream via the normal method of intake towers. According to Philip Fradkin's fascinating 1995 Los Angeles Times story, "The Year the Dam (Almost) Broke," as BLM engineers expected a normal snowmelt that year, they managed various lake levels accordingly. Instead, the melt was more than double. According to some reports, Arizona's upstream Glen Canyon Dam (the one that created Lake Powell) came within two centimeters of lake height of collapsing. Just four years later? Lake Powell entered a fiveyear period of its lowest recorded levels. Flood and drought are natural occurrences. Water is a fixed-quantity resource—not just in the desert, but on Earth. Lake levels along a dam-controlled river system are reflective of many factors, including rainfall and snowpack melt, as well as human influences such as usage, water rights and the decisions of Bureau of Reclamation's engineers. As desert dwellers, we often think of water in terms of scarcity and conservation; others think about it on terms of dangerous overabundance. Just as the Southwest struggles from too little water, Louisiana suffers too much. In a few years, that may reverse. The takeaway? Hydrology and climate are complicated. Doom-porn internet memes are easy. Have a question about Las Vegas, past, present or future? Send it to askanative@ VegasSeven.com.
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by the Culinary Workers Union/ Bartenders Union. The hotel appealed, but last month the National Labor Relations Board upheld the union and instructed management to come to the table. Khan says that the union “sent [management] a letter asking for a negotiation date and they haven’t responded.” She adds, “He’s afraid to negotiate with housekeepers. This is the man running as a great negotiator?” “My message to Mr. Trump is this: If you want to make America great again, start right here with us, with the workers here in Las Vegas,” Llahrull says. It’s a message that may get louder: The Culinary Union has a large membership among immigrants and Latinos, two groups Trump has often offended on the campaign trail. Both groups are highly represented in our state and are seeing spikes in voter registration. This may not be the only loss they—and Nevada—deal to Trump in 2016.
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discussing unionization: Among complaints about benefits and health care was the fact that Trump hotel workers are paid $3 less than hour than those with similar jobs who belong to a union. “We want to be part of this company. We want to be treated with respect and dignity," Llahrull says.“Right now we are like second-class employees.” As workers began to campaign for the union, the Trump property became the focus of frequent protests, often drawing the support of Democratic political figures from Nevada congressional candidate Ruben Kihuen to Hillary Clinton. Within the building, there were charges that pro-union employees were subjected to what Khan describes as a “hostile work environment”; a recent court case awarded more than $11,000 in back pay to two workers who suffered retaliation for their activities. In December, Trump hotel employees voted to be represented
August 18-24, 2016
➜ Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has struggled with messaging and dips in the polls lately. But even if he gets a bounce that bungees him into the White House, 2016 has already handed Trump one defeat, as the businessman has failed in his efforts to keep employees at his Las Vegas hotel from unionizing. (Trump Las Vegas is co-owned by Phil Ruffin.) “The federal government dismissed the hotel’s last appeal, so we’re a certified union hotel and it’s time to negotiate a contract,” says Bethany Khan, director of communications of Culinary Workers Union Local 226. “The federal government certified unionization, and every attempt they’ve made to block or object to it has been totally overruled.” As Trump Hotel housekeeper Carmen Llahrull says, “We go to court and we win, we win, we win.” The conflict began in 2015, when some employees began
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THE LATEST
STYLE
SEVEN THINGS WE LOVED AT COSMOPROF By Lissa Townsend Rodgers ➜ The massive Cosmoprof convention hit Las Vegas at the end of July, bringing
more than 250,000 square feet of cosmetics, skincare, fragrance, spa treatments and all things beautiful. Among the thousands of exhibitors, we found a few standout products that might be worth some face time.
PHARMAGEL Founded almost 30 years ago, Pharmagel is known for its anti-aging products and pharmaceutical-grade ingredients. Many facial scrubs veer into Brillo-like harshness or go the opposite route and are too smooth to exfoliate well. Pharmagel’s Enzyme Ex-Cell Facial Scrub combines just enough grit with a soothing cream—your skin will feel clean, but not stripped. The Eye Proté Eye Cream is rich and smooth, but doesn’t leave a greasy residue and even perked up this girl’s insomniac dark circles. Pharmagel.net
CHINUP MASK Want to give your face a lift without going under the knife? While it won’t fix every flaw, the ChinUp is a combination sheet mask and “contouring belt” that takes away—or at least decreases—chin pouches and face flab. You put on the mask, wrap the red thing around your head, wait 30 minutes and behold your new jawline. While it’s not an outright miracle worker, it did take a few centimeters off and the effect lasted 2-3 days. ChinUpMask.com
BÉSAME COSMETICS Some of us are old-school with our cosmetics—a red lip, a cat eye, a vintage fragrance. Bésame Cosmetics takes retro style seriously, with a line of lipsticks that replicate original classic colors—a 1941 Victory Red, a 1970 Chocolate Kiss—but with modern Vitamin C and aloe ingredients. There’s also cake and cream mascara for ultralush lashes and delicate face powders, all packaged in vintage style. Bésame also has a half-dozen fragrances that typify various decades, each in a pretty crystal flacon: The heady 1930 is a smoky mix worthy of Marlene Dietrich herself. BesameCosmetics.com
KRYOLAN If you prefer your makeup more modern and desert-durable, pro cosmetics line Kryolan can fix you up. Their new Nebula foundation stands up to heat, sweat and long hours to keep your face fetching, whether you’re out in the sun or up in the club. While it’s designed for airbrush application, it goes on (and stays on) just as well with your fingers, a sponge or a foundation brush, and there are 54 shades to match any skin tone. Another hot-weather tip from the Kryolan makeup artists: a little primer on your eyelids will keep those false eyelashes on until dawn. US.Kryolan.com
August 18-24, 2016
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MOYOU NAIL ART Want elaborate nail art with colors and patterns, but don’t have an hour to spend at the salon? Well, you don’t have to: MoYou can get your fingers full of multicolored flowers, mandalas or even cupcakes at home in minutes. The trick is a stainless-steel image plate: Smear nail polish on the design you like, roll a stamper across it, stamp the ends of your fingers and voilà! Instant fabulous nails. The plates and colors come in themes, from Steampunk to Princess, with cute packaging and plenty of design options. MoYou.us
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BIOBELLE Sheet face masks are great, but the tissue can slide off and the formulas can feel a little chemical-y. Biobelle uses TENCEL, a biodegradable material that actually clings, so you can get up and do things without fear of the mask sliding off your face. They come in a variety of formats: Happy Hour sheet mask has retinol and red wine to smooth lines, and Bamboo Charcoal refines pores with glycolic acid and black tea extract. There are also pre-makeup primer masks and Batgirl-style eye-treatment masks. Even better, no parabens, gluten or GMOs are involved. BioBelleCosmetics.com
P Ū R-LISSE As we all know, desert-dweller skin needs extra moisture. The Pūr-Lisse line is a mix of Asian and French beauty treatments and ingredients that’s focused on keeping skin hydrated. The Pūr-Moist moisturizer is creamy but light and is gentle on sensitive skin. Need a slightly more intense treatment? The Blue Lotus & White Tea sheet mask is moisture-rich: If your face is a bit like a dried apple, it’ll leave your skin feeling plumped-up and smoothed out. Purlisse.com
BY IAN CARAMANZANA, ANTHONY CURTIS (LASVEGASADVISOR.COM), GENEVIE DURANO, MICHAEL GREEN, M I K E G R I M A L A , J E S S I E O ’ B R I E N , R O B M I E C H , J A M E S P. R E Z A , L I S S A T O W N S E N D R O D G E R S , A M B E R S A M P S O N , DAVID G. SCHWARTZ, MELINDA SHECKELLS, PAUL SZYDELKO AND XANIA WOODMAN
UNIQUELY VEGAS A glossary of Vegas shorthand Call them tropes. Call them euphemisms. Call them clichés. Yes, even call them hashtags. Vegas has spawned a number of phrases mystifying to outsiders, uncertain to newcomers and maybe even forgotten by longtimers. Some set us in a particular time and place, some gain nuance with each passing decade and others recede into obscurity. No doubt readers will let us know what we’ve missed (that’s half the fun of such an exercise), but here are some of the phrases that set our city apart.
Like all arts districts, Las Vegas’ Arts District was once a place full of abandoned buildings, spray-paint murals and edgy art galleries that is now filling up with craft beer bars, metered parking and brand-new condos. This reference (for 18 blocks) will become even more obscure once the area is rebranded as … the Arts District.
Hamburger street signs
Squint when you’re looking at street signs, and the city of Henderson logo faintly resembles a burger. “Mmh, burger,” Homer Simpson says. (And who remembers the replica of The Simpsons home in Henderson, built at 712 Red Bark Lane in 1997 as a promotional giveaway?)
Bathtub ring
One of the city’s first exclusive residential enclaves, about a mile west of Downtown, and previously referred to as the “Beverly Hills” of Las Vegas. Residents included the elite of the casino industry and some Hollywood types, perhaps most notably, Phyllis McGuire.
A depressing symbol of the ongoing drought, acres of white (the color is formed by minerals on previously submerged surfaces) on Lake Mead’s shoreline remind us of its high-water mark.
Glitter Gulch
Often-used nickname for Downtown. It refers to the heavy concentration of lights and neon (especially “Vegas Vic”) created by all the casinos being lined up side-by-side.
Naked City
The small subdivision that radiates for eight or 10 blocks from the northwest corner of the Strip and Sahara Avenue
Rancho Circle
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It happens to all of us, but most of us aren’t paid to sing. Say the phrase to any performer and watch him or her nod knowingly. The desert’s conditions play havoc with vocal cords, causing dryness, scratchiness or a loss of voice.
behind what’s now the Stratosphere. In the ’50s and ’60s, showgirls who occupied many of the apartments there sunbathed topless to avoid tan lines, spawning the nickname.
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Around Town
Vegas throat
Over the hump to Pahrump
This refers to the one-hour or so drive from Las Vegas to Pahrump in Nye County. State Route 160 runs through the Spring Mountains range—the hump you go over.
August 18-24, 2016
Long-haul(ing)
Also known as tunneling, the practice of unscrupulous taxi drivers taking new arrivals from McCarran International Airport to, say, the Tropicana via Interstate 15; any superfluous use of the airport connector or other extraneous routes.
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Casa de Shenandoah
Wayne Newton’s sprawling residence, located on Pecos and Sunset roads, used to be a big mystery to his neighbors. What exactly was behind that sprawling gate at the estate known as Casa de Shenandoah? Wonder no more: Wayne’s casa es su casa, with public tours available. More than 50 acres are dotted with lakes and wells, eight homes, 60 stalls and 60 purebred Arabian horses—a veritable wonderland that can only come from Wayne’s imagination and can only rightfully exist in Las Vegas.
The Happiest Mayor on Earth
The would-be Oscar Goodman, former mayor of Las Vegas. The former mob lawyer served three terms from 1999-2011. Highlights included having his face put on casino chips at the Four Queens, snapping photos of Miss January for Playboy, appearing in episodes of CSI and walking around with a martini in his hand and a showgirl on each arm. Nice work if you can get it.
Bombay Sapphire
One of the things that keeps Goodman the “happiest.” The former mayor remains the only officeholder in the nation to have an official liquor sponsorship.
Serendipitous collisions
“Maximize collisions and accelerate serendipity” is a philosophy of Zappos founder Tony Hsieh and one of the principles underwriting his investment in Downtown Las Vegas. When people run into each other and share ideas, great things happen.
Delivering happiness
Not only a book by Hsieh but an ideology that theorizes that a happy corporate culture is the pathway to success.
The Loop
The 13-mile circular scenic route through stunning sandstone backdrops in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Most drive it, but it’s also popular with bikers willing to take on the challenging, but reasonable, climbs and descents.
August 18-24, 2016
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Fruit Loop
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New York has the West Village, San Francisco has the Castro, Los Angeles has West Hollywood and Las Vegas has … the Fruit Loop. A block and a bit more, it’s home to long-standing gay bars FreeZone, Piranha and Quadz, as well as more recent addition the Locker Room.
Manneken Pis
Scantily clad buskers at nearby Fremont Street Experience don’t hold a candle to a peeing little boy at The D. The statue is a replica of the famous one in Brussels, supposedly representing that city’s rebellious spirit. The
same can be said for our town. (Follow the statue’s stream on Twitter @MannekenPis_LV.)
In the Arena 103-73
The tally that will live in infamy. It’s a coda for the late Jerry Tarkanian. The Shark’s outstanding UNLV run would soon evaporate. He’d coach again, at his alma mater. It didn’t matter. Vegas mattered. And that 30-point destruction of Duke in Denver on April 2, 1990, stands as the most lopsided NCAA championship game. The combined margins of the past five title tilts don’t even match that astounding spread. And no team but that Tark squad has ever tallied triple figures in a final. Voilà!
Fan Man
James Miller paraglided into the Caesars Palace outdoor boxing ring—and Riddick Bowe’s fist-clenched entourage—on November 6, 1993. He pulled other stunts. In his final act, at 39, he hanged himself in the Alaska wilderness in 2002.
The Bite
Mike Tyson made an hors d’oeuvre of Evander Holyfield’s right ear on June 28, 1997. The unappetizing act is etched in the minds of witnesses and fans. A London T-shirt would bear a poignant Iron Mike dénouement — END OF AN EARA.
“Walk Like a Tarkanian”
The Bangles’ “Walk Like an Egyptian” became a smash hit in late 1986. Hence, Cathi Campo deftly mimicked Susanna Hoffs to hail UNLV’s hoops boss. Campo fronted the Vegas group 911. They produced one album—and one brilliant spoof.
Hardway Eight
A group of eight recruits, including Eddie Owens, Reggie Theus and Robert Smith, who formed the high-scoring nucleus of UNLV’s first great basketball team. In 1977, the eight led the Rebels to the semifinals of the NCAA tournament, breaking several scoring records along the way and earning coach Jerry Tarkanian (and the program) his first taste of national recognition.
Amoeba
An aggressive style of defense used by the UNLV basketball team en route to the program’s first and only national championship in 1990. Pioneered by assistant coach Tim Grgurich, it mixed elements of man-to-man defense with zone defense principles. The amoeba gave the Rebels’ quick, versatile
defenders free rein to force turnovers and start fast breaks. Which they did. A lot.
Gucci Row
A stretch of courtside seats opposite the scorer’s table at the Thomas & Mack Center. During the glory days of UNLV basketball in the 1980s and early 1990s, the seats became a popular spot for image-conscious celebrities and wealthy elite who desired to be seen at Rebels games. Dubbed “Gucci Row” because of the fashionable nature of the clientele.
Rebellion
The student cheering section at the Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV students run and operate the “Rebellion,” which in recent years has earned a reputation as one of the country’s most creative cheering sections because of the liberal use of cardboard cutouts, oversize puppets and other props.
on her: Sharron Angle, no stranger herself to outlandish ideas, went on to defeat Lowden in the Republican primary.
#AB230
What started as a hashtag for a failed comprehensive sex education bill in the 2013 Legislature continues to be used as a shorthand for similarly themed efforts by local feminists and sex ed activists.
Ring around the Valley
In 1997, state Senator Dina Titus proposed adopting a boundary beyond which development would be prohibited. Despite the catchy name, reminiscent of a Wisk laundry detergent commercial in the ’70s, the proposal died—but not before sparking a debate about how to address the Valley’s rampant growth.
Hey Reb
The official mascot of UNLV sports since 1983. Modeled after the prospector and mountain man-types who populated the Las Vegas area in the 1800s, Hey Reb’s defining characteristic is a giant mustache. He wears jersey No. 57 as a nod to 1957, the year UNLV was founded.
“Are you kidding me?” When a call doesn’t go the Rebels’ way, UNLV men’s basketball radio play-by-play broadcaster Jon Sandler laments rhetorically. His passion for the team indefatigable, Sandler’s frequent exasperation with referees helps keep his listeners engaged. “That’s a clown question, bro”
Southern Nevada resident and Washington National Bryce Harper was only 19 in 2012 when he responded to a Toronto TV reporter who asked if he’d have a celebratory beer after a win. The phrase took off on social media and helped set the tone for the gifted player’s persona. Harper’s savvy advisers filed to trademark the phrase the next day.
In Political Sphere “Chickens for checkups”
Republican Senate hopeful Sue Lowden captured national attention in April 2010 when she suggested a return to the days when patients could barter with doctors by offering them livestock. Comedians wouldn’t let it go. She was serious, but the yolk was
Operation G-Sting
Federal law enforcement officials targeted bribes paid by topless club owner Jack Galardi to four Clark County commissioners: Dario Herrera, Erin Kenny, Mary Kincaid-Chauncey and Lance Malone, who worked for Galardi after losing his reelection bid. To help Galardi’s business interests, the politicians took payoffs, including special service provided on a golf course and a comped lap dance for a commissioner’s son.
Law of the River
The collective term for the compacts, federal laws, court decisions, decrees, contracts and regulatory guidelines that manage and operate the Colorado River, apportioning the water among the seven basin states and Mexico.
Nuclear Suppository
After Congress targeted Nevada as the site of America’s only high-level radioactive waste dump, then-U.S. Senator Chic Hecht meant to say the state shouldn’t be forced to accept a nuclear repository. Instead, he called it a nuclear suppository, which would hurt even more.
Sin City
No one is sure where the term comes from. Las Vegas earned this nickname for winking at prostitution, alcohol and gambling almost from its beginnings as a railroad town in 1905. As Las Vegas became a major tourist destination from the late 1940s on, its notrorious image was more associated with being the gambling capital in the only state where that supposedly sinful activity was legal. Some critics suggest Las Vegas has evolved from “sin city” to “the entertainment capital of the world,” but the terms have been used interchangeably to describe Las Vegas for many years.
Nevadagation
The practice of walking from place to place via air-conditioned spaces, even if it means a longer trip.
Dayclub
We have circa-2003 Hard Rock Hotel to thank for dragging all the trappings of nightlife out of the dark and into the light at Rehab pool party, where we can still partake in all the requisite drinking, dancing and standing in front of DJs—but barefoot and with a super-size sippy cup of Miami Vice.
Ever since the Las Vegas Review-Journal was purchased by local casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, the paper has been less than subtle about adhering to its owner’s various agendas. Among these are an abrupt about-face on its pro-legalization marijuana stance and ardent, unequivocal support of a publicly funded football stadium. It has brought the R-J national attention, although we doubt a featured spot in a “death of journalism” segment earlier this month on Last Week Tonight With John Oliver was what they had in mind.
0-100
The act of consuming a vile string of cocktails consisting of a shot of Jägermeister, a Red Bull/Vodka and a Corona within one minute to get drunk fast. A popular pregame item Downtown—especially at the Fremont Casino where it would total up to $10.50. A reference to the Drake song.
Spaghetti Bowl
Despite its culinary moniker, nothing is appetizing about the Spaghetti Bowl, that special slice of hell where Interstate 15 and U.S. 95 meet. With 300,000 cars weaving through its arteries each day, it’s the place where motorists’ dreams die, especially during rush hour. Still, hardy Las Vegans take on this tangled concrete, barrel through like expert NASCAR drivers and thank their lucky stars that at least it’s not L.A.
$20 Trick
The act of sliding a $20 bill toward a hotel check-in clerk while simultaneously asking if there are “any complimentary upgrades available” in an attempt to get a better room. Reported results for this move run the gamut from scoring a lavish suite to being summarily shut down and embarrassed.
“It’s a Dry Heat”
What you tell your out-of-town friends when you still want them to visit you in the summer, even though they’re buying a first-class ticket into an oven.
“Vegas Has No Culture”
A collective saying among statewide relocators who can’t see past the transience of our city to notice the communal glue that holds entire areas of it up, such as with Downtown Las Vegas.
Vegas-Chella
It’s the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival experience without the flower crowns, culturally offensive outfits and Jenner sisters. Big-name artists have a record of passing through here during the interim of the festival. It’s a win-win. We get the music, they get to play to a more intimate—and hygienic—crowd.
$7.77 Gambler’s Special
The long-running “off-the-menu” special in Mr. Lucky’s at the Hard Rock. With several variations over the years, it’s a sirloin steak with three shrimp that comes with string beans and a heapin’ helpin’ of mashed potatoes. It’s not really $7.77 anymore, since it’s mandated that you also buy a drink.
“Gambling” vs “Gaming”
Moral wordplay referring to the same games of bad math upon which Las Vegas is built. Gaming is for happy people on vacation. Gambling is for outlaws. Gaming is a fun, exciting distraction. Gambling is a degenerate rush for addictive personalities. Gambling is outside the law, but gaming? That’s heavily regulated. Perhaps first officially used in 1955 when the Nevada Legislature created the Gaming Control Board, “gaming” sounds less sinful. Right?
Oh, What Was
Ratchet
In a word, trashy. But we prefer to think of it as the title of native North Las Vegan Shamir Bailey’s 2015 debut LP, a follow up to his 2014 EP Northtown. Devoted Shamir fans embrace the artist’s pro-hot-mess ethos, and answer to the collective “Ratcheteers” and “Baby Ratchets.” So while he may not have coined it, the burgeoning superstar has certainly done more for the term than the Black Foot Club.
Black Foot Club
The Black Foot Club is reserved for those who wear towering heels to the club, and then throw their stilettos and caution to the wind, and opt for a more comfortable, albeit dirty, conclusion to the night.
Las Vegas CityLife
Believe it or not, Las Vegas used to have multiple newspapers and magazines. During those glorious days of large-scale tree slaughter, CityLife covered where to drink and what to listen to, but also more in-depth stories about homeless colonies in the storm tunnels and the disparity in development spending in North Las Vegas versus Downtown. CityLife began publishing in the summer of 1996 and folded in January 2014.
Las Vegas Mercury
Another of Sin City’s crop of alternative weeklies, the Mercury published from 2001-2005, when it was bought
by Stephens Media and folded into CityLife.
Valley Times
Founded in North Las Vegas in 1959 by Adam Yacenda, the newspaper under publisher Bob Brown later employed Ned Day, who in the late 1970s and early 1980s uncovered a variety of stories about organized crime figures and what law enforcement officials hoped to do about them. The paper was known for its in-depth coverage of gaming and politics. The Valley Times closed in 1984, two weeks after Brown’s death, because of financial problems.
Scope
The independent genesis of the Las Vegas alt-weekly scene. Published from 1992-1998 (by “Ask a Native” columnist, James Reza), Scope documented the city’s music and cultural scene with gusto, and today reads like an edgy compendium of an alternate Las Vegas.
Fabulous Las Vegas
A semi-glossy tourist guide published by Jack and Etta Cortez from the mid 1940s to the mid 1970s, when (some would say) Las Vegas truly was fabulous. The photos, showroom guides and interviews with headliners (Robert Goulet! Juliet Prowse!) are nostalgic gems, but the kitschy ads are the true treasure.
Vegoose
Before Coachella became Brochella or EDC came to Vegas, the creators of Tennessee’s Bonnaroo brought massive acts such as Rage Against the Machine, Muse, Daft Punk and Iggy Pop to the Sam Boyd Stadium fields for Vegoose. Because of low attendance, the Halloween-weekend festival didn’t make it beyond 2007, but continues to live in the hearts of rock ’n’ roll lovers everywhere.
CineVegas
In its heyday, Sean Penn, Jack Nicholson, Brad Pitt and George Clooney were among other A-listers who brought star power to the Palms hotel-casino red carpet for the nationally recognized film festival. After 10 years, CineVegas canceled in 2010 because of the economic downturn. While it may never return to its Ocean’s Eleven-level glory days, it was reappeared on a smaller scale as part of 2015’s Las Vegas Film Festival.
Neon Reverb
Reappearing in 2016 after a three-year hiatus, the homegrown indie music festival continues to help the local music scene stake its claim against the Strip’s Cirque and Celine. The festival brought local and national acts to Fremont East’s bar venues in March for four ear-ringing days of guitars and PBR.
VegasSeven.com
Still Defining Us
“The Adelson News”
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In 1987, Senator J. Bennett Johnston of Louisiana pushed through legislation to circumvent the process of choosing a nuclear waste dump site to focus only on Yucca Mountain. Nevadans began calling it the “Screw Nevada” bill, suggesting the federal government was out to do something biologically impossible to the state by making it accept something scientifically debatable.
August 18-24, 2016
Screw Nevada
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Mint 400. A classic of gonzo journalism and the inspiration for VegasTripping.com.
Leaving Las Vegas
A song. A movie. An attitude. A party: Part I. In the same year (1995) that Sheryl Crow played the Hard Rock Hotel’s VIP grand opening party, she released this stereotypical Vegas loser’s anthem. Two years later, Nicolas Cage scored an Oscar as a drunken loser who ends up never leaving Las Vegas. During the recession, it became a hashtag for everyone who abandoned the city. Today, it lives on as a frequent going-away party theme.
Viva Las Vegas
A song. A movie. An attitude. A party: Part II. The city’s most recognizable theme, sung in 1964 by one of its most celebrated headliners (Elvis) starring in the eponymous Technicolor tribute film. Today, the phrase remains relevant thanks to the annual springtime soiree, the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender.
“Danke Schoen”
Never Forgotten May 4, 1988
A series of massive explosions leveled the Pacific Engineering & Production Company (Pepcon) solid-rocket-fuel component plant and the adjacent Kidd Marshmallow facility, killing two Pepcon workers, injuring more than 300 and inflicting damages of more than $80 million throughout a stunned Las Vegas Valley.
Nov. 21, 1980
August 18-24, 2016
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In the worst disaster in Nevada’s history, the MGM Grand (now Bally’s) fire killed 85 people, most through smoke inhalation, and injured more than 700. As a result, fire codes were enacted to require sprinklers in high-rises, automatic elevator recalls, heating ventilation shutoffs, extensive alarm systems and evacuation maps on the back of hotel room doors.
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Depending on how old you are, the song “Danke Schoen” may be etched in your memory as lip-synced by Matthew Broderick in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Wayne Newton’s high-tenor 1963 version remains iconic, and while we don’t have an exact count of how many times he’s performed his signature tune, we bet it’s a lot. The last time we heard it live was in April, when Newton christened the T-Mobile Arena, and we were reminded of how lucky we are to have our very own Mr. Las Vegas.
Montecore
Although their show is long gone from the stage, Siegfried & Roy will always be part of Las Vegas’ DNA. And no local who lived here in 2003 can forget that fateful last show on October 3 when the pair’s beloved cat Montecore hauled Roy off the stage with its mouth, severely injuring the performer. The white tiger died in 2014, lovingly cared for to the end at Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden Habitat at The Mirage.
Receding Into Memory
Green Felt Jungle
The 1963 Ed Reid/Ovid Demaris muckraking potboiler that threw the curtain off Vegas’ mob corruption. Casino owners grimaced, but visitation inexplicably soared in the subsequent years.
Fear and Loathing
A reference to Hunter S. Thompson’s 1972 book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which was initiated by Thompson’s Rolling Stone assignment to cover the
Family-friendly
Generally the 1990s, an era when theme parks were pushing out blackjack while Dorothy and Toto worked at the MGM Grand. The trend, also known as “Disneyfication,” was itself pushed out by nightlife decadence.
Hendertucky
Simply put, Henderson. A jab at the city’s distance from the center of Las
Vegas and its barren landscapes. Oh, and cows.
Hooterville
Another derogatory term for Henderson, specifically the Pittman area just north of Boulder Highway, which housed a Depression-era tent city nicknamed “Hooverville” after President Herbert Hoover. And who can forget Hooterville, the farming community in Green Acres?
Henderson Cloud
Particularly offensive throughout the 1980s, a distinct haze and a pervasive odor settled over the Basic Magnesium (BMI) and Titanium Metals (Timet) industrial complex along Lake Mead Drive in Henderson. Chlorine and other chemicals formed the greenish stew, eventually vanquished with new regulations stemming from the 1988 Pepcon explosions.
Magnesium Maggies
Southern Nevada’s version of Rosie the Riveter, these women worked at the Basic Magnesium Plant during World War II, making, stacking and shipping ingots to the factories where they would be turned into tracer bullets, aerial flares and incendiary bombs for the Allies.
Old Vegas
The short-lived amusement park located on 126 acres of land in Henderson opened in 1978 and operated for eight years. The Hollywood-style reconstruction of an Old West town featured old movie sets, several rides, staged saloon brawls and gunfights, and the Hondo Casino.
Snoberlin
The oh-so-Euro roundabouts, Money’s affirmation of Summerlin’s affluence, its peerage over the Valley, the attitude. How hasn’t it been made into a sappy soap, replete with Percy Faith strings? Get Courteney Cox’s agent!
Northtown
Derisive nickname for North Las Vegas, the “scruffy and poor” (Las Vegas Sun, Jan. 18, 2002) city that sprung up near Nellis Air Force Base in 1946. After shiny new master-planned communities (Aliante, Eldorado) opened in North Las Vegas, the nickname is often limited to older areas of town.
University of Never Leaving Vegas
A derisive nickname for UNLV. Its origin stretches to Old Vegas, when the city was a much smaller place, every kid couldn’t wait to leave, and going to college locally was seen as a life sentence.
Vegas Stench
Not that long ago, a mysterious odor used to hover over portions of Downtown such as the old Bonanza Gift Shop, the pre-renovation Gold
Spike and a number of buildings that have fallen beneath the wrecking ball. Rather like sewage, but with a subtle chemical undertone, it often roiled up during heavy rains but, really, it could make its presence unwelcome at any time. Today, the smell no longer permeates but its malodorous memory lingers in the minds of longtime residents.
Airbaggers
A term used to refer to veterans of the Las Vegas music scene. It’s a reference to Team Airbag—an online message board that detailed upcoming DIY concerts and events in the early days of the internet.
Mississippi of the West
Las Vegas (and the state) acquired the reputation in part after a March 1954 Ebony story titled “Negroes can’t win in Las Vegas” chronicled deep segregation practices. African-American entertainers such as Sammy Davis Jr., Nat King Cole and Pearl Bailey couldn’t stay at the properties in which they performed.
31ers
The collective name for the workers who arrived in Black Canyon in 1931 to build what became known as Hoover Dam.
Miss Atomic Bomb
The holder of one of four A-Bomb-associated beauty queen titles, Sands Copa Girl Lee A. Merlin emerged as the iconic image of the atomic era in Vegas. The classic 1957 photo of Merlin wearing a mini mushroom cloud attached to the front of her swimsuit has appeared on everything from mouse mats to magnets, greeting cards to poker chips.
Hole in the Wall Gang
The Tony Spilotro-led burglary ring that got its name from its not-sosubtle technique of gaining entry by drilling through exterior walls and ceilings. The gang fenced the stolen goods through a business located just off the Strip called The Gold Rush.
Block 16
Back when the Strip was just a dirt road, Las Vegas still had a street for drinks, dice and dames. In the early 1900s, liquor, gambling and whoring were all forbidden—except on Block 16, where Sin City earned its name.
Tabish-Murphy
In 1998, Ted Binion died of a drug overdose and prosecutors charged his girlfriend, Sandra Murphy, and her boyfriend Rick Tabish with murdering him in a plan to steal millions Binion had buried in Pahrump. They were convicted, retried after an appeal and acquitted of murder charges, though they were convicted of burglary and larceny.
“Arrogant, ignorant or both”
District Court Judge Jackie Glass concluded O. J. Simpson was both before sentencing him in 2008 to nine to 33 years in federal prison on conspiracy to commit a crime, robbery, kidnapping and assault with a deadly weaponx charges.
Unforgettable Lines
Affectionate nickname for the rentby-the-hour Jacuzzi-suite “spa” called Spring Fever that was located on Boulder Highway and Sahara Avenue. Rumored to have clandestinely filmed its frolicking patrons, nothing was ever proven and the place closed after a fire in the late ’80s.
Picasso’s “Le Rêve”
It was the rip heard ’round the art world. In 2006, Steve Wynn was showing some guests Picasso’s “Le Rêve,” which he had bought for $48.4 a few years before and was about to sell for $139 million to hedge-fund mogul Steven Cohen. All that needed to take place was to exchange money for art when Wynn accidentally backed his elbow into the painting and created a 2-inch puncture. The sale was called off, the tear was restored, and Wynn held on to the painting for many years. In 2013, Cohen finally bought “Le Rêve” for $155 million. Apparently, Wynn’s elbow added a cool $16 million premium.
The Harmon
Las Vegas is known for tearing buildings down, but the Harmon never even made it up. Originally planned as a 47-story tower, it was cut down to 26 stories, was eventually determined to be unstable and had to be deconstructed piece by piece.
“You’re a poker player”
Joan Rivers scowled in an attempt to denigrate Annie Duke in an episode of The Apprentice in 2009. The host, whose name escapes us, chose the late Rivers over Duke, both frequent Las Vegas visitors.
“The only one I’ve signed my name to”
Steve Wynn pulled out the big guns in 2005 for the Super Bowl commercial that introduced Wynn Las Vegas to television audiences. It featured him standing above his name on top of the tower. He showed he doesn’t take himself too seriously by asking, “Can I get down now?” at the end.
“Remember to Breathe”
A marketing slogan dreamed up for MGM’s Aria. Also helpful for those suffering respiratory distress.
Sometime after Boulder City went from federal reservation to a Nevada city in 1960, local residents began promoting their town as clean (no legal gambling and suburban) and green (courtesy of Southern California water and urban planning).
“You see that I get enough towels.”
The commercial featured Frank Sinatra murmuring that to a well-dressed bellhop—Golden Nugget owner Steve Wynn—as he slipped him a fin. Only Ol’ Blue Eyes could pull off such a scene in a mauve sports coat. Mauve.
“If I can finance him, and I vill, I can finance you”
Fred Fayeghi owned GMF Motors on Boulder Highway and featured everyone from Elvis impersonators to down-on-their-luck gamblers needing a car. The car lot closed and went into bankruptcy early in the decade.
“Denk you”
Polish immigrant Bob Glinski concluded commercials for his car dealer-
“Laaaaas Vegas”
Ralph Menard worked at Channel 5 for nearly 30 years in numerous capacities, but everybody in town knew not his name but his voice. His station identification said, “KVVU-TV, Channel 5, Henderson, Laaaaas Vegas.”
“U-N-L-V tick-ets, we get you there”
If having a slogan eternally sealed in the recesses of the cranium is a sign of Madison Avenue brilliance, this one gets a gold medal. In fact, you know the line will stick in your craw the rest of today. (Sorry.)
“Scarlet and Gray, Every Day”
Marketing ace D.J. Allen brainstormed that gem in an ad-campaign skull session during a three-year stint in the UNLV athletics hierarchy. It instantly resonated with many. Still does. Says Allen, “It seems to speak to a lot of people.”
“Your Vegas Is Showing”
When 2003’s dependable “What Happens Here” campaign started to show its age, local ad company R&R Partners and the LVCVA dropped this one on us and caught the city’s visitors acting out their Sin City fantasies, only to return to their workaday lives with a little proverbial lipstick on their collars, as if to say, “Let your freak flags fly—HERE!”
“Just the Right Amount of Wrong”
The advertising campaign that captured the Cosmopolitan’s spirit; notable for its commercials featuring everything but the property itself, it’s the poster child for elevating the “brand” over the building itself.
“In Henderson, of course”
Beginning in the early ’80s and through his death in 1999, car dealer Ben Stepman would wrap up his television pitches with the phrase, grinning broadly, his arms outstretched.
“877-1500”
He no longer goes by “The Heavy Hitter,” but Glen Lerner’s law firm, which specializes in personal injuries, championed some unforgettable idioms such as “In a wreck? Need a check?” and “Make one call. That’s all.” That jingle with the number has been seared into our brains since the early 2000s.
“Enough said—call Ed”
Sure, Ed Bernstein’s tagline isn’t as catchy as “The Heavy Hitter’s”, but it’s still a memorable and ubiquitous saying.
VegasSeven.com
Soak ’n’ Poke
The official tagline of the iconic commercials created by R&R Partners in 2003 for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority; popularized as “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” Shorthand for the adult hedonism that defines Las Vegas today.
“Clean, green Boulder City”
ships, most notably Datsun (now Nissan), with the phrase. During Helldorado, he would add a “yippie-tiyo-ki-yay.”
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The Jimi Hendrix-looking dude who, for years, hung out at the corner of Sahara and Fort Apache avenues, performing, waving, and shouting at passing motorists. His typical impromptu act involved an array of outlandish costumes, facial gestures, air guitar, high kicks, claps and dog barks, performed come rain or shine (family commitments permitting).
Las Vegas’ first mayor, Peter Buol, founded the insurance company that one of his successors, Ernie Cragin, and William Pike took over. Its jingle began, “Call Cragin and Pike/For insurance every time/Serving Southern Nevada since 1909.” One version also rhymed “agency” with the names of partners Paul McDermott and Frank Kerestesi.
August 18-24, 2016
Mr. Happiness
“What happens here, stays here”
The Cragin and Pike jingle
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NIGHTLIFE I’m particularly interested in your recent single, “Mean What I Mean,” with Leikeli 47 and Dreezy. They’re both also really hot right now in the music scene. How did you get linked up with them, and why did you decide to work with them?
That’s so great to hear. You three women are all really great role models. So it definitely crossed your mind when you were planning to work together that you are all strong women in music?
You’ve said that the lyrics to “Mean What I Mean” were inspired by a situation you were in when someone didn’t want to take “no” for an answer. That’s a sad situation, but at first listen, it’s a happy beat and it makes you want to dance. Is that something that you did on purpose, turning a negative into a positive?
I had suggestions with whom to collaborate. I said “no” to a few of them, just because I didn’t feel like they were actually trying to help women.
Absolutely. I’m a stronger person if I feel happy, and I feel like I’m not fighting. When you feel that you’re in charge, and you’re happy about that, you don’t even think twice about it, trying to get yourself heard. It comes from that—happiness.
Are there other women who aren’t necessarily trying to help women in the industry?
We’ve heard so many great tracks already from your upcoming album. Talk a little about the making of it.
August 18-24, 2016
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VegasSeven.com
I really like what they are doing. That song really needed a powerful female voice. I had this vision: Women need to back each other and get together a lot more. You’re not seeing many [female] collaborations in the industry, and I wanted to try it. I was actually really encouraged; it felt really good. It’s [easier to] collaborate with men in the industry—mostly because there’s more of them, I guess. [But] this song really needed females.
“We mainly live on the road, and we get to meet other musicians and experience other cultures as part of touring. Naturally, this influences the music.”
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It’s a conscious effort to go with the role that is traditionally made for women. If [women] avoid it—make an effort to stand away from it, and stand up for their human rights—it can come across as confrontational.
We move around quite a lot for different writing sessions. We spent a couple of weeks in a studio in the countryside in England. We did some of it in a studio in London. Is there a reason for recording in so many different places?
We get influenced by the areas that we’re in. We mainly live on the road, and we get to meet other musicians and experience other cultures as part of touring. Naturally, this influences the music. What can we expect from your Las Vegas dates and your live performance?
[Before the July 29 show], I’ve never really performed there. People in Vegas get pretty crazy. It’s going to depend on the audience. Some performers have very particular styles. [For us], it’ll be more based on what people like there. I just perform in the way that I perform. I don’t like to flesh it out all that much. What is your favorite part about performing live?
Getting to share that moment with the people who have supported us and are part of the AlunaGeorge crew. Touring lets us spend those special moments with our fans.
NIGHTLIFE
Seven Nights
Rich Homie Quan.
Your week in parties By I A N C A R A M A N Z A N A
Nervo.
this extravagant party are available at LifeIsBeautiful.com, but if you’re feelin’ lucky, head to Palms Pool for a Life Is Beautiful ticket giveaway. Guests have two chances to win wristbands: through a raffle entry, and through the pool’s Instagram page, and one winner gets passes to the fabulous threeday festival. Even if you don’t win, SKAM Artist DJ D-Miles will be there to provide an entertaining open-format set. (In the Palms, 1 p.m., Palms.com.)
SAT 20 THU 18 If you’re ready to have the coolest weekend, it’s only right to start it off by seeing the so-called “coolest DJ in the world.” Our Best of the City winner for “Best Unsuspectingly Humble DJ,” DJ Esco mans the decks at Drai’s. The bandana-wearing Atlanta native is Future’s right-hand man when it comes to dropping the hottest trap. Since Esco is so close to Future, we think it’ll quell rumors of the latter’s feud with Brooklyn rapper Desiigner. Esco on a Thursday? Take it from Future: “That’s too much sauce.” (In The Cromwell, 10:30 p.m., DraisNightlife.com.)
August 18-24, 2016
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FRI 19
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We’re nearly a month away from Life Is Beautiful, folks, and we’re gearing up for what’s sure to be one of the best weekends this year. If you’ve been living under a rock, the lineup features alt-folk rockers Mumford & Sons, Billboard-charting rapper J. Cole, electronic music heavyweights Major Lazer and dozens more. Those huge names come in addition to a stellar art lineup consisting of OBEY Clothing founder Shepard Fairey and French graffiti/pop artist Fafi, and a forthcoming culinary lineup that’s sure to be stellar. It’s a festival geared to please all the senses. Tickets to
The weekend just started and already it’s time to hit Rehab. There won’t be any soothing meditation sessions or tear-jerking testimonials there, though. Instead, you can treat yourself to a set by DJ, producer, remixer, label owner and adviser Loczi. He wears many hats, but he excels at crafting some wide-ranging sets as a DJ. Don’t believe us? He’s commissioned remixes for Prince, the Rolling Stones and the Black Eyed Peas. Sample that today. (At Hard Rock Hotel, 11 a.m., RehabLV.com.) Want to get rich? Do it with Rich Homie Quan at Sky Beach Club. The Atlanta rapper returns to Tropicana’s pool, and he’s bringing two DJs—DJ D-Money and DJ Da Kidd—to support him. And talk about an entourage: Both have spun at numerous
clubs across the country. They’ll sit pretty as openers when Quan rocks the house with “Check.” (At Tropicana, noon, SkyBeachClubLV.com.)
SUN 21 Hit up Marquee Dayclub for a dose of some tranquil tropical house goodness courtesy of Australian DJ/producer Thomas Jack. Sure, he’s known for his work in that genre, but don’t put him in a box. His latest Thomas Jack.
collaborative single with singer Jasmine Thompson, “Rise Up” is a bouncy funk tune that marks his departure from what some think is a “trendy” genre. While the single features the keys and flutes for which he’s known, the drop features a groovy bassline that’s sure to get that butt moving. Take a listen to the song on his SoundCloud before you take a dive. (At the Cosmopolitan, 11 a.m., MarqueeLasVegas.com.)
MON 22 You know Nervo as a worldfamous Australian EDM duo, but do you know Nervo, the sound engineers? You read that right: The sister duo studied sound engineering in their formative years, and they were the only two women in their class. Nervo recently paid homage to this period in their lives by teaming-up with the Made by Me campaign, which encourages women to enter the engineering profession by showing a different side of it. They partnered up to release the music video for “People Grinnin’” which does just that. Nervo hits Jewel tonight, so you can ask ’em
about the peculiar profession firsthand. (In Aria, 10:30 p.m., JewelNightclub.com.)
TUE 23 Rid yourself of the notion that Tuesdays are boring ASAP, because Omnia will prove that wrong. The venue hosts two headline-worthy acts under one roof: the Chainsmokers in the main club and DJ Crooked at Heart of Omnia. We’ll leave it up to you to pick your poison, but whether it’s the ultra catchy EDM bangers of the Chainsmokers, or an open format set by local champion DJ Crooked, this is the place to be. (In Caesars Palace, 10:30 p.m., OmniaNightclub.com.)
WED 24 Still searching for the bass to get you through Hump Day? Surrender your night to Brillz. He takes the darkest parts of hip-hop, bass music, grime and electro and other genres and fuses them into a hard-hitting, abrasive concoction at Surrender. (In Encore, 10:30 p.m., SurrenderNightclub.com.)
LABOR DAY WEEKEND THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
ALUNAGEORGE
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
ALUNAGEORGE
WYNNSOCIAL.COM
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
KIESZA
@INTRIGUEVEGAS
Ylixr App allows service talent to promote themselves By Kayla Dean
August 18-24, 2016
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VegasSeven.com
Ylixr founders Adam Khalil and Joergen Aaboe.
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➜ HAVING THE RIGHT bartender or server can make your night out just that much better. Imagine having an app that allowed top service talent to promote themselves without having to give out their personal phone numbers or social media handles. When businessmen Joergen Aaboe and Adam Khalil started visiting Las Vegas from their native Los Angeles, they had an idea that was as unique as the Vegas market: a discovery app connecting the service industry people with potential guests. Ylixr (Ylixr.com) is still in its pilot program, with users giving feedback on everything from user-friendliness to the individuals featured on the site. “Our initial thinking was that there’s got to be something like this already,” Khalil says. “There’s an app for everything, but if you tried to Google ‘a good bartender in Las Vegas,’ you really wouldn’t fi nd anybody.” Instead of blasting their services on traditional social media channels, service industry talent now have a dedicated platform that localizes the information customers are looking for. Ylixr allows customers to keep up with their favorite servers for a consistent experience at top restaurants, bars and clubs. And if they change jobs, their regular customers can follow them to their new location. “You can look at a menu and photos of a place,” Aaboe says, “but you can’t get a vibe for who the people who work there really are. As we’ve all experienced, the people are arguably the biggest make-or-break in a service experience.” Businesses also benefit: Ylixr gives operators the opportunity to showcase their staff, making it easier for industry people to fill their guest lists. Profiles can be easily customized so staff members can share their hometown or favorite sports team, aspects of their personality that allows customers to see if that server would be right for
them. Customers can also leave comments and like profiles, but they don’t show up publicly, unlike a platform such as Yelp. “We don’t want to wrap an objective rating around people’s subjective answers,” Khalil says. “We want to be careful about how we allow people to recommend things and how those show up on profiles.” More than 100 top service people are on Ylixr from spots including Hakkasan, Culinary Dropout, Marquee and Encore Beach Club. Although Aaboe and Khalil would like to feature industry people from businesses in Downtown later this year, they also have long-term plans to expand Ylixr offerings into other service-related categories such as yoga instructors and hairstylists. Yet they’re most committed to sticking with the Las Vegas market. “An elixir is a potion. It’s what makes something special,” Aaboe says. “Ylixr’s name is a nod to the fact that people more than anything else really do enhance a service experience. Ylixr is a platform that celebrates service talent, which ultimately benefits all of us as consumers.”
HAIL, DJ! THE AGNT APP IS LIKE UBER, BUT FOR PARTIES ➜ Since it returned to town, Uber has reminded us that we live in the future. The app has proven to be a fast, convenient solution to the everyday problem of getting home from our adventures at any time of day or night. Now that same convenience is available to working DJs and event organizers. AGNT (AGNT.com), “a revolution in DJ bookings,” is designed for DJs who’d like to keep a healthy work calendar. In turn, anyone from wedding party organizers to club promoters have an easier route to find talent to rock their event. Each DJ’s profile features their location, what genre(s) they play, their availability and their technical rider (what equipment they need to properly put on a show). Acts are filtered and listed to help party organizers find the right talent thanks to the work of co-founders Mike Henderson’s work as a DJ and Viet Nguyen’s experience with promoting. “The organizer will have a feed based on their [events’] genres and types,” Henderson says. “So if you’re a DJ who plays weddings and country music, you’re going to show up on the promoter’s feed who books [those parties].” The team behind AGNT has already put the app through its paces, partnering with festivals in Canada to book their talent. The first accomplishment was getting 16 acts on the bill of Center of Gravity in Edmonton. Casting AGNT as the middleman—as opposed to a live agent—has benefits for both DJ and talent buyer. “The promoter didn’t have to deal with chasing the guys around or being chased around to get paid,” Nguyen says. –John Carr
PHOTO ROSEMARY FAJARDO
NIGHTLIFE
Your Night, Done Right
NIGHT-LITES
NIGHTLIFE
PARTIES
INTRIGUE Wynn
[ UPCOMING ]
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See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com
PHOTOS BY DANNY MAHONEY
August 18-24, 2016
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VegasSeven.com
Aug. 18 Marshmello spins Aug. 19 Jesse Marco spins Aug. 20 Conor McGregor hosts
DONALD “COWBOY” CERRONE’S OFFICIAL AFTER FIGHT PARTY AUGUST 20 DOORS OPEN AT 10:30PM
FOR RESERVATIONS: 702.262.4529 OR LUXOR.COM/NIGHTLIFE
MUST BE 21+ WITH VALID ID. SUBJECT TO CAPACITY. SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. NO DRINK SPECIALS OR FREE DRINKS ARE INCLUDED WITH THIS OFFER. MANAGEMENT RESERVES ALL RIGHTS.
August 18-24, 2016
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VegasSeven.com
Native Las Vegan Shane Stuart has the cure for what ails you, body and soul By Al Mancini
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➜ THERE’S AN OLD JOKE (or perhaps a cliché) about people born and raised in Las Vegas, that when they go to other cities and tell people where they’re from, the reply is often “What casino do you live in?” Is it stupid? Sure. But in the case of Shane Stuart, it would be appropriate. ¶ Stuart, owner of Downtown’s late GrassRoots Juice Bar, lived the first seven years of his life in the Imperial Palace. His father produced the resort’s Legends in Concert show. And the Palace provided his family with a pair of top-floor suites as a residence. ¶ Needless to say, Stuart had an unusual upbringing. Aspiring impersonators would audition for his father at restaurants. And his holiday celebrations were unique. “When we would do Halloween,” Stuart recalls, “my dad would buy various types of candy, then go down to the bottom floor of the Imperial Palace and fill up all the shops with different kinds of candy. So we would go to the ice cream store and the gift shop and other places and do our trick-or treating.”
products, however. He works with three programs in public schools in which students grow their own produce and learn about topics such as meditation, how plants convert the sun’s energy into energy for their bodies and the health effects of music. He also educates inmates in the Clark County Detention Center on the connections between food, the planet and themselves. When you speak to him, Stuart is an enigma. He sings the praises of meditation and chats freely about the energies of crystals, but consults with MDs. He’s abandoned alcohol, but admits to enjoying marijuana occasionally, and speaks positively about the controversial herbal medication kratom. And he eschews ideological labels, suspending a predominantly vegan lifestyle for honey and deer antler extract. He’s sort of L.A. New Age tempered by Las Vegas pragmatism. Last summer, Stuart announced plans to bring all of these factors together in a Downtown concept called TeaBar that would be a tea lounge by day and a nightlife spot specializing in medicinal tinctures and oils, mocktails, tea ceremonies and fermented kombucha on tap. When he decided the neighborhood couldn’t support it, he closed GrassRoots and set his sights on Boca Park. That’s where the health devotee is preparing to open a new spot. Taking a cue from its name, Panacea (a mythological cure-all) will offer all of the above, as well as a plant-based food menu, hookahs for vaping therapeutic oils and extracts, and an area for ceremonial preparations of tea, kava-kava (a legal, mildly psychoactive plant) and cacao. Plans also call for DJs, health classes, health coaches and access to medical doctors who embrace his philosophy. “Let’s figure out a place where we can go out and enjoy each other’s company without getting absolutely intoxicated and maybe learn something,” Stuart says. “I believe that resonates with a lot of people.” If it resonates with you, Panacea is set to open in October.
PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ
DINING
The Medicine Man
Unfortunately, Stuart also experienced this town’s dark side. “I got kicked out of public school, and ended up at a private school, Bishop Gorman,” he says. “And that’s where a lot of trouble went down. After that, the trouble just got more elaborate.” When he was 18, Stuart’s dreams of becoming a filmmaker took him to Los Angeles, where he learned to channel his demons creatively. He attended film school and in 2005 released his first film as associate producer, Self Medicated. It told the story of his experimentation with drugs and his experience breaking a friend out of a lock-down rehab facility. Its success paved the way for another film based on his Las Vegas years; he produced the 2007 Netflix documentary Heart of The King that tracked struggling Elvis impersonators. After a TV project was shelved in 2008, however, Stuart was the one struggling. To pay the bills, he began working for his uncle’s company, Vitamix, demonstrating blenders. “I was actually making more money selling that machine than I was doing what I loved,” he says. “But as I wanted to make more money and do better shows, I went back to school. I wanted to learn about nutrition and sell this machine in a way that would be more beneficial.” Lightning struck in 2009 when he saw a colleague mix carrots into ice cream and thought, “if you can hide those in there, what else can you hide?” Stuart began to use his nutritional knowledge to supplement Vitamix recipes with healthy infusions, eventually collecting them in an ebook called How to Eat Your Vegetables and Not Know It. Stuart continued studying other aspects of human health. And when his thengirlfriend moved to Las Vegas to work with a local juice bar, he came with her to show off his creations and ended up designing the concept and recipes. As the cold-press juice market exploded, he opened his own spot, GrassRoots, funded by Downtown Project. Education is as important to Stuart as selling
DRINKING
Strange Bedfellows Incredible spirit collections find their culinary mates in some unexpected places By Xania Woodman
The rum cart at Carbone, and a Reposado Manhattan (bottom) at Cut.
MEZCAL AT HAKKASAN With 32 unique mezcals, Hakkasan (in MGM Grand, 702-891-7888 Hakkasan.com/ LasVegas) is not going for the largest collection in city (that would be found at Taco Y Taco, with more than 75 labels). The goal is for each expression to serve a purpose. “Mezcal is a very versatile spirit that can be molded in a lot of different directions,” says Constantin Alexander, Hakkasan Restaurants USA’s director of beverage. “Cantonese cuisine is strong and flavorful; mezcals have their own strong components, and you can come up with some
magical pairings.” Hakkasan’s collection includes un-aged expressions, pechuga and aged. On the cocktail menu, look for the Bird’s Eye Margarita, made with bird’s eye chili-infused El Silencio Mezcal Espadin ($15). GIN AT JALEO Unless you’ve been to Spain, you might not be aware of the Spanish obsession with gin, specifically with gin and tonics. At Jaleo (in the Cosmopolitan, 702-698-7000, Jaleo. com), you’ll find a rotation of 10 American and English gins, as well as four takes on the classic G&T. “The Spanish have taken the gin and tonic to a high art form, and are driving the rest of the gin scene in Europe right now,” Golden Moon proprietor and distiller Stephen Gould says. Gould is the only American distiller ever to be named a Warden of the Gin Guild in London. Thanks to Spain’s gin thirst, Gould’s Colorado-made gin makes its way from Italy into Spain. At Jaleo, you’ll find all four G&Ts are served Spanish style—that is in a large wine glass with an ice sphere and lavishly garnished with fresh botanicals such as coriander, grapefruit
and lemon peels along with the Oxley Gin and Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water in the Citrico ($20). RUM AT DELMONICO Delmonico Steakhouse (in the Venetian, 702-414-3737, Venetian.com) is famous for its whiskey program, which boasts more than 750 labels. But lead mixologist Juyoung Kang inherited a budding rum list and, happily, she ran with it. The now 15 expressions include vintage rums from two “ghost distilleries,” Long Pond in Jamaica and Bellevue distillery in Guadeloupe. “Whiskey is getting increasingly expensive and is either hard to obtain or broad and generic,” Kang says. “Rum becomes a category for people who don’t particularly like aged grain spirits; it’s also easier to get into because its sweeter on the palate. I love working with rum; it’s so diverse and [in rum cocktails] you don’t have to use as much sugar to bring in flavor.” There will be more rum on Kang’s next menu, set to drop after Labor Day, but for now, look for the Last Chapter, made with Atlantico Reserva Rum, lime juice, clove and ginger syrup and grapefruit bitters ($16).
VegasSeven.com
AGAVE SPIRITS AT CUT Another cart! At Cut by Wolfgang Puck (in the Palazzo, 702-607-6300, Venetian.com), Manhattans are prepared tableside with a twist as agave-based spirits—Fortaleza Blanco Tequila, Chamucos Reposado Tequila, Del Maguey Vida Mezcal and Patrón Platinum Tequila—are used in place of whiskey, along with Dolin Sweet Vermouth, house-made orange simple syrup and Angostura Orange Bitters and stirred over handchipped ice ($20-$55).
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downstairs at Javier’s, you’ll enjoy tequila, mezcal and other agave-based spirits. As the sole outlier, Carbone’s rum cart presents multiple opportunities for conversation. When the cart comes your way, Schoettler suggests directing your attention to the El Dorado rums from Guyana. Carbone offers the 21- and 25-year-olds, as well as the 30-year-old, which is one of only a handful of bottles available in the U.S., “all incredibly affordable for what they offer,” Schoettler adds. Also look for the limited-edition Appleton Estate 50 Year Independence Reserve. Rums such as those by Rhum Clément strike up an additional conversation. “Agricole rum isn’t something that everyone is used to, especially the general public, the American palate,” Schoettler says. “It tends to be a little funkier, richer and more vegetal because it comes from fresh sugarcane juice. It’s not the byproduct of sugar making like molasses is. The Rhum Clément line does a beautiful job of expressing that.” But don’t think you need to drop a bundle to partake in Chef Mario’s after-dinner tradition. “Rum by definition shouldn’t be expensive, unless its been sitting somewhere for a long period of time.” There are more labels available than what you see on the cart, so if you don’t see something you like, just ask your captain for the complete rumdown. Says Schoettler, “If we could fit 90 rums on the cart we would!”
August 18-24, 2016
CARBONE PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ. TEQUIL A MANHATTAN BY ANTONIO DIAZ
➜ THERE’S BEAUTY IN CONTRAST.
Nowhere is this more evident than at Carbone (in Aria, 877230-2742, Aria.com/Carbone), where, following a sumptuous meal, your captain, sommelier or a manager will wheel over a special guest: the rum cart. As to why a redsauce Italian-American joint would offer such a service, Aria director of spirits, wine and beer Craig Schoettler explains, “Because that’s what Chef Mario likes.” Mario Carbone’s spirit of choice (itself inspired by a lifelong passion for cigars), rum in its many forms factors heavily into the after-dinner drink program at Carbone’s original location in Lower Manhattan. In keeping with Carbone’s captain service, the rum cart notion journeyed west along with the chef’s namesake restaurant. “Rum hasn’t taken off yet,” Schoettler says. “It has this persona of being a very sweet product—it’s in fruity drinks, geeky drink—but a number of high-quality rums are on the drier side … things you’d want to sip on after dinner.” Elsewhere on property, the pocket collections are a little more in tune with their surroundings. Across the way at Bardot, you’ll find Cognac; at Jean–Georges Steakhouse, it’s whiskey; and
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A&E
PAGE 56
Music, and looking in on the Ice Cream Social podcast
Jay Lethal defends his ROH title at Sam’s Town on Aug. 19.
A Smack Down at SamÕs Town
Mexico’s CMLL (Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre) and WWE, where Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows wrestle as “The Club.” Cole insisted that, as long as he was in ROH, the popular Kyle O’Reilly would never become ROH champion. That insistence led him and his Bullet Club compadres, the Young Bucks, to injure O’Reilly before he faced Lethal in a championship match. Lethal reluctantly defeated the insistent O’Reilly, but expressed his disgust at Cole’s underhanded tactics. Cole responded by ambushing Lethal (again, with the help of the Young Bucks)—knocking the champion out and shearing off his trademark braids. That’s about as old-school a humiliation as it gets— just ask the White Witch and Aslan of The Chronicles of Narnia—and it prompted Lethal to demand that Cole be given a shot at his championship in Las Vegas for a chance at vengeance. Will Lethal get revenge for his lost braids, or will Cole make good on his promise to become a two-time heavyweight champ?
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feel for how ROH has brought old-school wrestling into an era defined by social media and globalism. The card is being presented in cooperation with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, the premier Japanese wrestling federation, giving American fans a chance to see some of the world’s best stars in action. The event is as good an introduction to ROH—and NJPW—as any. Though the focus is more on grappling than theatrics, and the Code of Honor gives the action a slight MMA flavor (with wrestlers shaking hands before and after matches), many compelling stories are heading into Sam’s Town. The highest-stakes match is, fittingly, the main event, in which Jay Lethal will defend his ROH heavyweight championship against Adam Cole—but this is no ordinary bout. Cole, like Lethal a longtime ROH talent, turned his back on the organization at last May’s Global Wars event by joining the Bullet Club, a stable that began in NJPW but has developed branches in ROH,
August 18-24, 2016
➜ LAS VEGAS HAS SEEN ITS SHARE of ring showdowns: in championship boxing, mixed martial arts and professional wrestling. And on August 19-20, Ring of Honor returns to Sam’s Town Live with two nights of action: its Death Before Dishonor pay-perview and a follow-up card of television tapings. A global pro wrestling organization, Ring of Honor focuses more on in-ring action than World Wrestling Entertainment, the established “sports entertainment” kingpin, and its events are smaller than W WE ones with more wrestler/fan interaction. Cheap seats at a W WE event such as the recent Money in the Bank pay-per-view will put you in the upper bowl, far from the action, while cheap seats at an ROH event are on the floor, just a few rows back from the ring. It’s the difference between seeing a band at T-Mobile Arena or Brooklyn Bowl; one of them is a spectacle, the other more of a happening. Death Before Dishonor—now in its 14th year—gives a
VegasSeven.com
Pro wrestlers seek glory—and revenge—at Ring of Honor’s Death Before Dishonor BY David G. Schwartz
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August 18-24, 2016
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A&E
ROH's July 2016 Aftershock event in Philadelphia saw Jay Lethal facing Colt Cabana (above) and Jay White against Will Ferrara (below).
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Besides that confrontation, two other championships are on the line Friday night: ROH team The Addiction’s World Tag Team titles, in a triple-threat match with two NJPW teams, and Bobby Fish’s television title. The card also has a handful of non-title matches: two featuring an NJPW champion, an ROH grudge match, and a six-man tag match between members of the Bullet Club and the Chaos team. The event is also notable for having a Women of Honor match, featuring the undefeated MustSee Submission Machine Kelly Klein. The following night ROH will be back at Sam’s Town Live to tape episodes of its weekly TV show, which airs locally on KSNV and KVCW. The shows develop the angles that culminate in PPVs and give fans a chance to keep current on the action in between local live appearances. Television tapings don’t always have the fast pacing of PPVs, but they give fans a chance to see what’s happening before everyone else. Since 2011, ROH has been owned by the publicly traded Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns 173 stations in 81 markets (including KSNV and KVCW). So while the wrestling group doesn’t have the glitz of the mammoth W WE, it does have serious backing and a regular presence on broadcast television.
DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR XIV : Aug. 19, 6 p.m., $30-$90. ROH DBD XIV TV taping: Aug. 20, 6 p.m., $20-$90. ROHWrestling.com.
It’s also worth saying that ROH’s roster is considered one of the best in the world, and champion Lethal says the proof of that is in the plucking: “I think we have the greatest locker room out there today,” he says, “and that’s apparent because other wrestling companies constantly pluck wrestlers from the Ring of Honor roster.” Indeed, many current WWE stars, including Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Cesaro and Daniel Bryan, were recruited from ROH. But seeing ROH live (or on PPV) is more than a chance to see tomorrow’s W WE superstars today. On that point, Lethal is emphatic. “What you can expect,” he says, “is quite simply the best professional wrestling on the planet. Ring of Honor always delivers; and with Death Before Dishonor live on pay-per-view from Las Vegas, it’ll be no different.” For the complete online exclusive Jay Lethal interview, visit VegasSeven.com/Lethal.
A&E
[ MUSIC ]
Diving Into Details with DIIV’s Zachary Cole Smith ➜ WHEN BROOKLYN INDIE rockers DIIV released its debut album Oshin in 2012, critics heralded the quintet for creating gorgeous, lush soundscapes that are as melodic as they are dreamy. The band relentlessly toured to support the album, and hit the festival circuit to spread the glory. Their quick rise to fame came to a screeching halt in September 2013 when singer/guitarist Zachary Cole Smith was arrested with his girlfriend, Sky Ferreira, on a number of offenses, including drug possession. Three years later, Smith and company released sophomore album Is the Is Are, which expands on the band’s familiar shoegaze/krautrock formula but includes Smith’s take on the controversy via introspective lyrics. Get a taste of the formula August 23 at the Bunkhouse. The last time you were in Las Vegas, you opened up for How to Destroy Angels. How was that experience?
Oh, wow, that feels like it was such a long time ago. That tour was amazing. It was so awesome watching Trent [Reznor] perform every night, and his taking us under his wing was a dream. What have you done here?
I’ve had some pretty crazy experiences in Vegas; too many to mention. I recently went there just to hang out and blow some money at the casinos. I stayed in old Vegas—Downtown. It was a good time. This time around, I’m not sure if we’re doing anything crazy. If somebody offers us a cool party, we can’t say no to that. What took so long between Oshin and Is the Is Are?
Honestly, I don’t think three and a half years is that long today, considering how often artists are expected to tour. We were on the road the entire time, and it was hard finding the time to write. Also, all that stuff in my personal life became public, so making the record was a long process. I’m meticulous when it comes to details; I wanted every note on the record to sound perfect. We wrote it over such a long period, which included the time we toured to support Oshin and when we [Smith and girlfriend, Ferreira] got arrested. How’d you land your modeling gig with Yves Saint Laurent?
I met Hedi [Slimane, creative director at the time] through Sky and Grant Singer, a filmmaker. … Hedi asked if I was available sometime six months into the future [in 2013]; he told me to block out a certain amount of time. I agreed, and didn’t think anything of it for a couple of months. Then in December [2013], somebody called me and said, “Keep your entire March open. Don’t book anything.” I
ALBUM REVIEWS
Dinosaur Jr.
Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not
August 18-24, 2016
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VegasSeven.com
(Jagjaguwar)
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Free-flowing, melodic and loudas-fuck. Nothing’s changed in Dinosaur Jr.’s 11th album—the fourth the Amherst, Massachusetts, trio has released since their 2005 reunion. ¶ That being said, sheer quantity doesn’t necessarily yield dullness. This go-around, J. Mascis and company stay consistent in cranking out the woozy alt-rock jams, and they’re just as brilliant as ever: The lead single, “Tiny” revels in its driving melody and distortion pedal howls, and the epic “I Walk for Miles” could very well be the band’s groovy, layered “Stairway to Heaven.” Mascis proves yet again that he’s got a penchant for writing infectiously catchy hooks, and his melodic wails mingle nicely with his fuzzy, frolicking licks in “Good to Know” and “Mirror.” Bassist Lou Barlow’s pulverizing low-end takes charge in the songs where he sings. ¶ In summation, Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not does more than give us a glimpse: It’s a masterfully crafted record that’s another shining treasure in an already rich discography. ★★★★✩ –Ian Caramanzana
I don’t want it to be too long before another release. Third records are easier to write than second records, so hopefully you get to hear some new stuff soon. –Ian Caramanzana For more of our interview with Smith, head to VegasSeven.com/DIIV
What’s next for DIIV?
We have plans for a really big, cool thing in September. It’s related to Mexico, and I can’t say much just yet, other than it’s going to be huge. The band will be in Los Angeles soon, and we’re going to start writing and rehearsing for our next release.
HIP-HOP
DIIV
Aug. 23, 9 p.m., the Bunkhouse, $15-$20, 702-982-1764, BunkhouseDowntown.com.
POP
Noname
Shura
(Self-released) “Miss Nina Simone, Jimmy Jones, Missy Elliott / musically they’re my relatives,” Noname raps on “Forever.” It’s a bold comparison to make on a debut record, but it’s one the Chicagoan makes apparent just seconds into Telefone with her poetic and poignant lyricism. ¶ A frequent collaborator of Chance the Rapper (her pained verse on 2013’s “Lost” still haunts), Noname’s gentle, soothing voice is drenched in dreariness and hope. She reminisces happily on “Diddy Bop” yet imagines her funeral on “Shadow Man.” On “Casket Pretty” she laments that there are “too many babies in suits,” and begs “Where’s love when you need it?” ¶ The colorful, jazz-tinged production, which includes contributions from Las Vegas native Cam O’bi, lightens the weight of the album, with delicate keys and percussion complementing Noname’s breathless delivery. That combination makes the record, which isn’t particularly upbeat, liberating. So when Noname beckons “dance with me, I know I’m free” on “Freedom (Interlude),” you’ll want to take her up on the offer. ★★★★✩ –Zoneil Maharaj
(Polydor Records) On her debut LP, singer-songwriter Shura lays out a fresh revival of ’80s electro-pop and ’90s R&B like the eras happened yesterday. ¶ Tales of an old flame punctuate the first half of Nothing’s Real. Debut single “Touch,” illustrates an expired love, as Shura coolly sings, “You want to touch me, but there’s too much history.” In “Kidz ’N’ Stuff” the singer pores over the details surrounding a breakup, with soft-spoken vocals layered with tranquil synths. You’re almost pissed that it happened to her as she repeatedly asks, “How can I not be, everything that you need?” ¶ The second half of the release pulls back the curtains. “Tongue Tied” ambles in, flirty and assertive unlike the heartsick tracks before it, while “2Shy” reins in that confidence with a soft, and believably shy, groove about a crush. The artist caps off the LP with two experimental tracks: “White Light” is as an eight-minute disco marathon with Janet Jacksoninspired vocals, and “The Space Tapes”’ nine minutes of otherworldly ambience puts the bow on an already great album. Nothing’s Real might be her debut effort, but Shura’s no rookie. ★★★★✩ –Amber Sampson
Telefone
INDIE
told that person I had several shows booked! We worked something out, and still, I didn’t know what that entailed. So a week before, I found out they were shooting me for a campaign. It was with [model] Cara Delevingne. Since then, I’ve done runway shows and have remained friends with Hedi.
Nothing’s Real
THE MOST FABULOUS THING
SOCIAL SUCCESS Strip performers strike podcast gold By Charlie Starling
➜ ONE OF THE BEST things about liv-
ing in a city full of acrobats, clowns, comedians and weirdos is getting to indulge in all of their side projects. You needn’t look far to find members of the Strip’s staple shows creating gems during their downtime—and sometimes those side projects become focal points on their own. This is the case with Matt Donnelly and Paul Mattingly—or Matt and Mattingly to those who may have had a few—a comedy duo who have become Vegas’ most prolific improv comedy act. By day (well, night: nighttime is daytime for carnies.) you can find them both getting down and freaky in 50 Shades! The Smash Hit Parody at Bally’s, but later at night they’re writing, performing, podcasting, teaching and blasting the interwebs like they own that shit. If you’re not listening to Matt and Mattingly’s Ice Cream Social podcast, you’re costing yourself some laughs. The show, featuring Paul, Matt and Jacob the Audio Guy (who I also get to bother every day at Absinthe), has garnered massive success since it began in 2014, being named Best Comedy Podcast at the 2016 National Podcast Awards and averaging more than 7,000 downloads per day. The show’s following is massive, and populated with “Scoops” who name themselves with ice-cream puns via the “Scoop Registry” on HeyScoops. com. (I am Manic Pixie Cream Girl. Thought I’d reclaim that trope.) Scoops are not only supporters, but also contributors to the show in their own right via “Scoop Mail” and social media. Get on your podcast platform of choice and dive in for a world of jocks and nerds, memetic marvelousness and winged pigs. Then join the party on Twitter by following @
heyscoops. If you’re wondering where to start, might I suggest episode 255 featuring a certain Nerdy Showgirl … and then heading back to the beginning for the other 260. If that seems like too gargantuan an undertaking, their site also features a weekly throwback show. Around the time of Ice Cream Social’s debut, Matt and Mattingly also began The Bucket Show, an improv comedy show held at Art Square Theatre at 11:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Firstly, yay for a show that we fellow performers can actually attend! And secondly, this is a fucking corker of a show, comprised of short-form games and quick-fire rounds, peppered with wordplay and improvised musical numbers accompanied by pianist Michael Spadoni. A personal favorite segment is “Triple Threat,” a pun-based joke where the challenge is to create three separate jokes based on an audience suggestion. The structures are: “185 blanks walk into a bar,” “I like my women/men like I like my blank,” and “They call me the Blank, because ...” It’s fun, and you can also play along online on Twitter by following @ bucketshow. Though that particular game may not be seen as high-brow improv comedy, it works, and I’m not a high-brow type of gal anyway. Plus, it gives us all a chance to join in, and HEY GUYS! LOOK AT ME! right? The final twist is the buckets themselves. With prices for entertainment in this town being what they are, Matt and Mattingly decided on a “pay what you want” scheme, so you can drop whatever you deem appropriate into the bucket (not a euphemism) of the performer you thought was the funniest. The show is also broadcast live via Periscope, and you can find the link on the Bucket Show’s Twitter and Facebook pages. Between Ice Cream Social, Bucket Show and the duo's work on the Penn’s Sunday School and GeekShock podcasts, I doubt it’ll be long before Matt and Mattingly monopolize your weekly funny fix, as they have mine. 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.
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SEVEN QUESTIONS
Corey Taylor
The Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman on meeting Marilyn Manson, recent controversies and living in Las Vegas By Ian Caramanzana
That’s a friendship that developed over so many years. We initially met at Ozzfest 2001, so a long time ago! We met with kindred spirits, and we’re trying to stir everything up [at the show]. The rest is history.
August 18-24, 2016
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VegasSeven.com
You said Donald Trump’s campaign message is “anti-Slipknot.” How so?
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He’s very divisive: He’s trying to pull people apart rather than bring them together. People can believe what they want to believe, but everybody’s scared, everybody’s afraid. We need to stand together to go against that. And being divided—that’s not how we do things here. Being in America means standing with each other no matter what color you are, or where you came from. We should stand together to fight everything—not break up into sections. We’re all into different things, so we can band together by being politically active, getting behind various movements and combatting the paranoia. And if we’re not comfortable doing that, we can reach out to local outreach projects in our neighborhoods—do what we can to bring everything together. You recently snatched a phone from a fan during a performance. What exactly happened that night?
That story is getting so much traction—
it’s insane. We were performing in all costs. It gets messy out there, and Holmdel, New Jersey, and some dude it’s rough when you’re trying to get was texting [while leaning] on the barsomewhere. Every once in a while, like ricade. I got a little pissed off about it, when I have to play a show, I have a reso I smacked it out of his hand. It fell ally good time people-watching there. a whole 2 feet. So security picked it up I live in Henderson, so I’ve gotten to and gave it back to him. I looked at the know “Hendo” and Vegas proper. I’ve guy, kind of nodded, and he gave me a lived and moved around in both over look that said, “Ah, nice, you got me.” the past seven or eight years. That’s That was it. the area I like, and even though I’ve Over the week, that story became so got friends in Anthem, and all across divisive, almost as much as political the city, the Henderson and Las Vegas headlines. It’s hilariareas are my favorous. The more people ite. It gives off a vibe who stand opposed that’s kinda close SLIPKNOT against that, the to Iowa [where I’m WITH MARILYN MANSON harder I laugh. It’s from]. People are AND OF MICE & MEN insane. The dude tokind—not very opAug. 21, 6:30, $30-$65, tally saw what was goposing; they’re just 7:30 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, ing on, knew he was doing their thing T-MobileArena.com. wrong, and after it all, and getting along. we kinda had a moI don’t drink, but ment and laughed it I do miss Insert off. People came out of the woodwork Coin(s). I was shocked when that to split hairs; they were saying things closed. On the off chance that I’d do like, “What if it was an emergency?” stuff, I’d go there, and I’d always have a and, “He paid the money, he can do great time. what he wants.” Well, it’s my show, What’s going on with Stone Sour? In an and I can do what I want. That sort of interview with Billboard, you mentioned entitlement is permeating in people that you were working on the sixth album. everywhere. It’s unbelievable. We’ve got 18 songs written for the new You’ve been a Las Vegas resident for a few album, and the material is all killer. years now. What are your favorite parts It’s all so good! As of now, the timeline or places in the city? looks like we’re going into the studio Funny thing is: I avoid the Strip at in January for a couple of months to
get everything together and make it a spring or summer [2017] release. We’re letting it all hang out this time. There’s a hint of some older stuff, but we’re also trying something different: Some songs have a punk vibe, another reminds me of a classic hard rock song ... but they’ve all got a modern approach. We’re definitely pushing boundaries, and I hope people dig it. You’re also an author and radio host. What’s next in those worlds?
I just seriously started working on the new book. It’s going to be called America 51, and I hope it’ll come out sometime next year, since I’m trying to finish it by the end of this year. I’ve been busy running my radio show [A Series of Bleeps] on Apple Music’s Beats 1 Radio, while being on the road for Slipknot. I rarely sleep. What can we expect at the Las Vegas gig?
A great show. We have something really different for this tour, and it would’ve gotten there quicker if it hadn’t been for the neck surgery. I’m really stoked to play T-Mobile Arena. I was there to see Guns N’ Roses, which was an incredible show, and I got to see WWE’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view right before I hit the road. I’m really excited because people are saying this is all of their favorite parts of our set lists bunched into one. It’s gonna be a great show.
PHOTO BY RAVENSCAPE
You’re sharing the stage with Marilyn Manson. How did that friendship begin?
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