Fall Arts 2016 | Vegas Seven Magazine | Sept. 8-14, 2016 by Vegas Seven

CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 8–14, 2016

T H E LAT EST

“Reaching for the Stars” Who will be Las Vegas’ celebrity hockey superfan? By MIKE GRIMALA

“Las Vegas’ Founding Father” E. Parry Thomas built this city, one loan at a time. By DAVID G. SCHWARTZ

Plus … Seven Days, Ask a Native and The Deal.

NIGH T LIF E

“So, What’s Your Story?” Choose your own Vegas adventure with a stay in SLS’ party-friendly Story Tower. By JOHN CARR

Plus … How Benny Benassi is updating his sound, and photos from the week’s hottest parties.

DINING

“The Naked Truth” Chef Chris Palmeri bares all at his new tavern. By AL MANCINI

A &E

“Destination: Art” Seven creative happenings to travel to this season.

Plus … Seven’s 14, arts and academics collide in Cirque classrooms, and a Q&A with Saves the Day’s Arun Bali. FE AT UR E

SEVEN Q U EST IONS

Fall Arts Preview

Our annual look at can’t-miss concerts, films, TV, theater and art. Plus … A Q&A with Nyle DiMarco, guest-starring in Chippendales from Sept. 22- Oct. 16. Cover photo by Denise Truscello Michael.

Criss Angel on his son’s cancer, the HELP event and Mindfreak Live!

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Tilting the Basin features the art of Justin Favela, among others. (See page 23.)

September 8-14, 2016

TILTING THE BASIN PHOTO BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ

Plus … A tour of the new Nora’s and Drinking.

L AS VEGAS’ WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE

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MANAGING EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Michael Green (politics), Al Mancini (dining), David G. Schwartz (gaming/hospitality)

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Reaching for the Stars

September 8-14, 2016

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Who will be Las Vegas’ celebrity hockey superfan? By Mike Grimala

➜ The New York Knicks have Spike Lee. The Boston Red Sox have Ben Afﬂeck and Stephen King. The New York Yankees have Billy Crystal. The Kentucky Wildcats have Ashley Judd. The Chicago Cubs have Eddie Vedder. The Vancouver Canucks even have Michael Bublé. So that raises the question: In the “Entertainment Capital of the World,” who is going to step forward to become the Las Vegas NHL team’s celebrity superfan? The prerequisites are simple. The superfan needs to be famous outside of hockey and regularly attend games, becoming a visible part of the fandom. He or she also needs to be loyal through the lean early seasons. And they have to represent the attitude of Las Vegas. Who can check all those boxes and become our team’s Jack Nicholson? Some possible top choices: BRYCE HARPER When it comes to our homegrown heroes, no one has a higher approval rating than Harper. The reigning unanimous National League MVP is talented, passionate, stylish and just a little brash, which means he’s got the Vegas attitude down pat, and the locals love him for it. He’s also an avid supporter of the Vegas sports scene; he can usually be spotted at a handful of UNLV basketball games each winter. The timing is perfect, too, as most of the hockey season falls during baseball’s offseason, so Harper can be a regular. Get this guy some center-ice tickets and let him lead the way for the ﬁrst generation of Las Vegas hockey fans. THE KILLERS The Killers opened T-Mobile Arena with a pitch-perfect glam spectacle of a concert in April, so it would only make sense for the Vegas quartet to return as patron saints of the fan section once the 2017-18 hockey season rolls around. Frontman Brandon Flowers is the

most famous member of the band, and the Henderson native won hearts by wearing a retro UNLV jacket during a performance at the NCAA Final Four a few years ago. But any member could take up the charge, as long as they bring as much passion to cheering as they do to the bridge of “All These Things That I’ve Done.” CHUMLEE The Pawn Stars protégé has had some legal trouble in the past year, but it looks like he got off relatively easy and should be back in action on television soon enough. Believe it or not, Chumlee has become one of Las Vegas’ most recognizable sports fans thanks to prominent courtside seats at UNLV basketball games, so it would only be natural for the camera hog to push for a key spot in the T-Mobile stands. JENNIFER LOPEZ Celine and Shania are from Canada and therefore probably already have deep allegiances to other hockey teams, but as far as I know, Lopez is a free agent. Her sports history is shaky—Ben Afﬂeck tried to indoctrinate her into Red Sox Nation, but she never seemed all that interested—but the atmosphere in Vegas is likely to be more inclusive. J. Lo may also be the biggest star on this list, and with her residency at Planet Hollywood doing well, No. 1 fan status is probably hers if she wants it. THE ABBEY DENTAL WOMAN Was she on the original version of this list? No. Did she elbow her way into consideration because the Abbey Dental commercial has come on six times since I sat down to write this story? I don’t even know anymore. The only thing I know for sure in this world is that second opinions are free. It’s a natural ﬁt, though: Hockey players have been known to require cosmetic dentistry on occasion, so I could see an end-of-bench player cashing in as a local pitchman and adding even more cheese to Abbey’s television ads. Preferably the player who ends up wearing jersey No. 11 … 11. DEAN AMBROSE The WWE champ is a Las Vegas resident and he’s a big sports fan, though the Ohio native mostly pulls for the Bengals. But if he’s living in Vegas, he’ll eventually make it to T-Mobile for a hockey game, and that will be our chance. Ambrose is a high-energy character capable of mugging with the best of them when the JumboTron comes calling. The downside is that his grueling WWE schedule may not allow him to attend as many games as a true No. 1 celebrity fan should. MALOOF BROTHERS Joe and Gavin Maloof have experience here, as they were the faces of the Sacramento Kings when they were owners of that NBA franchise for a memorable stretch in the early 2000s. Always loud and boisterous, they weren’t afraid to speak their minds when it came to on-court or off-court issues. As minority partners in the Las Vegas hockey franchise, they’ll have primo seats, but maybe not carte blanche to be as publicly involved as they were with the Kings. After all, there’s only one owner calling the shots in Vegas, and that’s Bill Foley.

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

THU 8

If you collect pop culture toys, you just don’t find like-minded people on every street corner, so we recommend you attend the Funko Pop Swap, 6-8 p.m. at Vegas Comics, 8866 S. Eastern Ave. Do so and you’ll find food, games and toys to trade. ThePopDungeon.com.

FRI 9

People who work in advertising may be good at persuading you to buy things, but do they have other talents? Find out at the 19th annual Advertising Community Talent Show, 7 p.m. at Santa Fe Station. There’ll be singing, dancing and other performances to benefit Safe Nest, a nonprofit devoted to domestic violence issues. ACTSLV.org.

SAT 10

It’s time to celebrate island life at Henderson’s Ho’olaule’a Pacific Islands Festival, 10 a.m. today and continuing Sunday at the Henderson Events Plaza. Two stages of live entertainment, great food, a car show, arts, crafts—it’s all here. CityofHenderson.com.

SUN 11

We’re swimming in festivals this week. The Harvest Festival at the Cashman Center, Friday at 10 a.m. through today, is a big one for arts, crafts, jewelry, clothing, ceramics, etc. HarvestFestival.com.

MON 12

If you’ve wondered how social media plays into this rather crazy campaign, make time for “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Social Media Use and Debate Viewing,” a talk by University of Missouri professor Mitchell McKinney, 4 p.m. at UNLV’s Greenspun Hall. UNLV.edu.

TUE 13

In the ’30s and ’40s, when the East Coast mob needed dirty work done, it turned to a group dubbed Murder, Inc. These thugs shot, stabbed and cut their way to notoriety, and are the subject of Murder, Inc., by Christian Cipollini. He’s at the Mob Museum, 7-9 p.m., to talk about his gruesomely fascinating book. TheMobMuseum.org.

WED 14

Festival No. 3 is another Valley fave: The San Gennaro Feast is back, this time in Craig Ranch Park. The feasting happens 4 p.m. today through Sunday. Sample Italian fare, be entertained or jump on a carnival ride. SanGennaroFeast.com.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CIERRA PEDRO

THE LATEST

News, deals and how E. Parry Thomas helped build this city one loan at a time.

Outlaws on Wheels Mob Museum unveils biker exhibit

PHOTO BY PAUL K ANE/GETTY IMAGES

By Lissa Townsend Rodgers ➜ Most of the displays at the Mob Museum are about old-school criminals: Men in fedoras wielding Tommy guns as their Duesenberg sedans tear through teeming city streets. But, of course, gangs have taken a variety of forms since the days of Prohibition, and a new exhibit on outlaw biker gangs acknowledges that. “We also address modern organized crime in all its forms, from the Mexican drug cartels to cybercrime to outlaw motorcycle gangs,” says Geoff Schumacher, the museum’s director of content. “And when we address 21st-century organized crime, we usually look at its global reach. This is certainly the case with outlaw motorcycle gangs, which are an American export that can be found on every continent today.” The exhibit also features a video interview with former Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent Jay Dobyns, as well as memorabilia from his time working undercover in outlaw biker gangs, including his vest from the Solo Angeles Club in Tijuana and a set of

studded leather gauntlets that would make any death metal musician jealous. “Jay Dobyns spoke at the Museum in 2014,” Schumacher says. “When we began work on this display, we contacted Jay and he was willing to loan us objects from the time when, as an ATF agent, he was working undercover with biker gangs in Arizona. Jay is a controversial figure in some circles, but he was able to provide valuable insights.” Of course, outlaw bikers are a tiny percentage of motorcycle riders—a certificate from Senator Harry Reid thanking the Banditos club for their charitable activities hangs amid the more menacing memorabilia. “Our focus is on those motorcycle groups engaged in drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, extortion and other forms of crime,” Schumacher says. “Most bikers are law-abiding citizens and are not participating in organized crime.”

It’s an alchemy of comfort, familiarity and nostalgia. Whether we are just visiting Las Vegas or have actually bedded down here for a while, so many of us (well, you) hail from elsewhere. Many find the fast-moving, shifting sands of the city particularly unsettling, so the sight of a familiar logo helps one feel at home. The hype surrounding the arrival of Dave & Buster’s, Ikea and ChikFil-A is obvious evidence of that, and there’s nothing wrong with it. But once you settle in, start exploring the city beyond the familiar. Discovering the local joints—the gems you can’t find at every Interstate off-ramp—will truly help make Las Vegas your home.

David vs. Goliath, Part 2 Last week’s fascinating tale of Villa De Flores—a small apartment building that Steve Wynn enveloped with The Mirage and Treasure Island 20-plus years ago, and today remains an occupied island ensconced between the behemoths—contained an error. Gaming analyst Chris Grove and UNLV’s International Gaming Institute both tweeted to remind me that MGM Resorts sold TI to Phil Ruffin in 2009. The online version of the column was quickly corrected, so thank you for helping to keep the story straight. Following up on that led me down a rabbit hole to discover a similar story, that of Oscar Nunez, his six-building French Villas apartment complex and Harrah’s Entertainment. Located along a stretch of Albert Avenue at Koval Lane, the French Villas were the last holdout when Harrah’s was gobbling up land east of its Strip-front properties in the mid-2000s. Much of that property held apartment buildings built in the 1960s for casino employees, and at the time of a December 2006 Las Vegas Sun article, French Villas remained occupied by tenants. Nearly 10 years later, it appears that Harrah’s has yet to acquire the property. The now-vacant row of buildings stands in the shadow of the company’s High Roller observation wheel and is surrounded by massive ground-level parking lots for The Linq. I’ll continue digging into this, so if any reader has any further insight, do share.

Have a question about Las Vegas, past, present or future? Send it to askanative@VegasSeven.com.

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potentially deadly device is stressful for everyone, including the driver’s parents. Recently, the Nevada DMV and State Farm teamed up to create safety program to help tackle those teendriver worries. Unlike most programs that are

Why is the Las Vegas landscape dominated by franchises and chains?

➜ In addition to ubiquitous orange cones, flash floods and, really, any vehicle with a California license plate, teen drivers can be the most frustrating and dangerous obstacles on the road. The idea of anyone so inexperienced in life operating such a

J A M E S P. R E Z A

September 8-14, 2016

Nevada DMV, State Farm Roll Out Teen Driving Program

only aimed at new drivers, this program is targeted at parents as well and emphasizes the importance of being involved in their teen’s learning experience. According to a Driving Through the Eyes of Teens, a study conducted by State Farm, teen drivers with highly involved parents are half as likely to get in an accident, 71 percent less likely to drive intoxicated, 30 percent less likely to use a phone while driving and twice as likely to wear a seatbelt. The program, available at all DMV offices and available in PDF and e-reader formats, discusses emotion management and encourages parents to drive with their teen in various conditions. Teens will be happy to learn that the program also covers what things have changed since their parents started driving, which is good for reducing those insipid “back-in-my-day” lectures. Speaking of changes, there’s even the RoadReady app that logs hours, so there’s no more scrambling to construct a fake log right before the driving test. More than 11,000 Nevada teens applied for permits last year, and department officials wanted to create something that would expand the time and conditions that teens drive with their parents before receiving a license. “It’s a great way for teens to learn the driving skills they need and a valuable refresher for the parents,” DMV director Terri Albertson says. –Jasmina Salas

E. Parry Thomas built this city, one loan at a time WHEN E. PARRY THOMAS took control of the Bank of Las Vegas (later called Valley Bank) in 1955, Clark County had a population of about 50,000. At the time of his passing on August 26, it was home to nearly 2 million people. Thomas’ lending practices did much to mitigate that growth, and his career, as well as recent events, highlight just how critical finance is to the casino industry. Thomas, originally from Utah, was the first banker to extend loans to casinos. Today, with gaming dominated by multinational, multibillion-dollar corporations, it seems incredible, but banks were once hesitant to lend money to gambling operations in Nevada. Thomas, as he explained in Jack Sheehan’s 2009 biography Quiet Kingmaker of Las Vegas, decided that the shaky financing of the growing Strip resort industry was a drag on the community. So, while he would be “damned careful and conservative” with his loans, his bank would “cater to the gambling industry.” Thomas’ finances helped to get the Strip through the 1955 boom and consequent bust (see “The Long, Hot Summer of ’55,” August 6, 2015). But that was only the start. In the late 1960s, Thomas saw that the capital needs of future projects would be beyond his bank, so he championed the Corporate Gaming Acts, which enabled publicly traded ownership of casinos. Without those acts, not only would Nevada gaming have stagnated, but it might not have spread far. Lacking the Wall Street-driven growth imperative, operators probably would not have lobbied for casino legalization in other states. It’s no understatement that without Parry Thomas, Las Vegas would look much different today. But don’t take my word for it. Steve Wynn speaks of Thomas as his second father; having lost his own father at 21, he was taken under Thomas’ wing at the age of 25. What does he think a Las Vegas without Thomas would be? “Without him—it’s hard to even say—this is a radically, dramatically different place,” Wynn says. “You’d still have the Teamster money, but no Sahara, no Riviera, no Frontier, no Dunes, no Thunderbird, all of my stuff. … He helped Frank Fertitta Sr., too, so no Fertitta. Then you have all the places that Hughes purchased and cleaned up. No Green Valley, either—he helped keep Hank Greenspun afloat.” Imagining a Las Vegas where

ANTHONY CURTIS

FOOTBALL, CRAFT BEERS AND HAPPY HOUR

➜

DAVID G. SCHWARTZ

Howard Hughes left after Moe Dalitz demanded he relinquish his Desert Inn penthouse is difficult, because Hughes’ ownership was a bridge from traditional finance to corporate control. Hughes’ biggest impact, though, was in his landholding. If not for Thomas smoothing the way, he might have taken a pass on not just casinos, but many of his real estate acquisitions, which have yielded Hughes Center and Summerlin. Wynn has never been shy about Thomas’ influence on him. Selling out of the Frontier in 1967, he was ready to head back to Maryland when Thomas interceded, telling him, “The town needs young men. You’ll end up owning the place. This place hasn’t even started yet.” “I didn’t see it,” Wynn says. “He saw it all.” Thomas was right, and Wynn has always remembered; Thomas’ generosity of spirit has guided him. “I’m not half the guy he was, but I got to be near him,” he says. “All that privilege came from him, no footnote.” There were some ways, though, to pay it forward. For the past 37 years, Parry’s son Roger has been

one of Wynn’s “three musketeers” (Wynn himself, Roger, and architect DeRuyter Butler), designing and building resorts from the Golden Nugget’s first 600 hotel rooms to the just-opened Wynn Palace in Macau and beyond. Wynn recalls walking Parry around each of his properties, pre-opening, pointing out Roger’s many contributions that have earned him a place in the Interior Design magazine Hall of Fame. “Parry would just glow,” Wynn recalls. “He’d put his arm around me and say, ‘Good job, son, I’m proud of you,’ and I would float like I was 10.” Two of his sons had found success together. Slow progress on current Strip projects—tied to funding challenges—underlines the key role that Thomas played in the history of casinos in Las Vegas. Without such a clear-sighted and vigorous advocate clearing the way, the industry would not have become nearly as large as it did. Nor would have Las Vegas. It wouldn’t have grown steadily from the 1950s through the 1980s, and it could not have snowballed to become an international force in the 1990s. So even if he didn’t take you on as a son (or daughter), if you live in Las Vegas, you owe Parry Thomas a sincere thanks. David G. Schwartz is the director of UNLV’s Center for Gaming Research.

➜ As usual, they waited till the last minute to announce, but PT’s is running a free football contest. It has a $75,000 prize pool, which ain’t peanuts for a bar contest, but the interesting component is that it pays $50 in slot free play to the weekly winner in all its bars. You might like hangin’ in that PT’s super-bar down the road, but you shouldn’t play there. Instead, find an out-ofthe-way location where the competition will be lighter—or two or three of them for that matter (it’s OK to play in more than one). Again this season, the SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas is offering -105 pricing for football bets on Thursdays. On this promo you only have to bet $105 to win $100, as opposed to the standard $110/$100 everywhere else in town. Another good football deal is running at Santa Fe Station but it will be over after this week, so take advantage now. As part of the promotion for its new sports book, hot dogs are free for the first 1,000 takers on Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., plus beers are $1.50. I hate when this happens. Last month I wrote that the $1.89 breakfast at Jokers Wild was the least expensive eggs and meat breakfast in Vegas … because it was! Well, maybe two or three of you actually got to try it before Jokers Wild raised the price to $2.49. The new lowest price for a full breakfast is $1.99 at Club Fortune and the Rainbow Club. For all the craft-beer fanatics out there, Beerhaus in The Park at New York-New York has instituted a special draft beer menu it calls “Rarities & Unusuals,” which purports to bring in special brews from all over the world with six new choices every week. They’re not cheap, going for $10-$12 a pint, but these babies can rock an alcohol content exceeding 10 percent. To preserve the deal, go during happy hours from 4 to 6 p.m. or 10 p.m. till closing, when you can take refuge with a different selection of beers for a decidedly more frugal $4. The Hard Rock has instituted a new Wednesday happy hour for locals, with 20 percent off lunch or dinner at Mr. Lucky’s, Pink Taco, or Fú, and 2-for-1 cocktails from 4 to 8 p.m. Go to the club booth and show your ID to get the card you’ll need to show. Or just show up any day from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Gold Coast’s new Cornerstone steakhouse for a higher-end happy hour featuring $5 beer and wine, $7 cocktails and $8 appetizers, including steak tartare, oysters Rockefeller and prime rib sliders. If you go for dinner, steak prices are a little higher than they were when it was the old Cortez Room, but still in the $20s and $30s. Anthony Curtis is the publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor and LasVegasAdvisor.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNLV SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

THE LATEST VegasSeven.com

| September 8-14, 2016

Las Vegas’ Founding Father

o t in

s t r a e th

, T E L L A B O T Y A W D A O R B D N A Y D E M N O O C S A O E T S S T S I R H E T C N N O O C E R M U O T L FR U C R U O Y T GE O T E R E H W

Cuffed and Collared

Model and actor Nyle DiMarco breaks barriers

Honestly, no. I never quite imagined that I would be at this point, and teaching shirtless. The reason why I do it is because it’s kind of funny, and [there are] a lot of ASL professors and they obviously wear shirts. I feel like, hey, let’s do something different. I wanna make learning American Sign Language more fun. I believe if you correlate fun and learning, that you’ll remember more things. Let’s talk about your latest venture, Chippendales. How did you get involved with that?

In one of your memorable moments in Dancing, you and your partner danced without music. What does it mean to you to be able to take a situation that you’re in and use it to spread awareness about being deaf?

It’s hard to put it in words. It was an amazing experience, and I felt like I succeeded in connecting to the audience and that’s what’s most important. It’s not necessarily the judges, but it’s the audience. And through this screen, it’s very difficult to do that, to connect. People are watching via screen, and so it was a relief that I was able to do that, and to inspire. The reason why I wanted to do that was every week, people started to forget that I was deaf, and what it actually means to be deaf. I don’t think that they really understood that, so I decided to dance without sound and I think it made that impact.

Read what Nyle thinks of Tyra Banks and why he sees his deafness as an advantage at VegasSeven.com/Nyle

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You’re teaching people American Sign Language through (shirtless) videos on your Instagram. Did you ever imagine that you would be teaching in that way?

Chippendales reached out. I’m very honored to do it. It’s [an] internationally well-known show. It’s pretty much the equivalent of a Broadway show. … I believe I’m gonna be the first deaf host of something of this magnitude. It’s all about breaking barriers.

Nyle DiMarco is having the time of his life. Not only is he riding on the success of winning Cycle 22 of America’s Next Top Model in 2015, but he also took the mirror-ball trophy on Dancing With the Stars this spring, and just landed a guest-starring run in Chippendales from September 22 to October 16. The fact that he’s also deaf is almost a moot point. Here’s what DiMarco had to say (via ASL interpreter) before donning the iconic collar and cuffs.

September 8-14, 2016

By Amber Sampson

STAGE SENSATIONS FROM DRAMA TO DANCE, WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED

THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY This award-winning satire examines issues of race, culture and money through the prism of professional wrestling. Sure, there’s an allegory about America,

Eric Idle and John Cleese.

but there are also outrageous characters, a hip-hop soundtrack and, yes, actual wrestling matches. Cockroach Theatre at Art Square Theater, Oct. 13-30, CockroachTheatre.com. THE NANCE A multilayered drama about the world of ’30s burlesque, centering on Chauncey, a closeted gay man who plays “the Nance”—a flaming homosexual stereotype—on the vaudeville stage. Inevitably, the real world and the one behind the proscenium collide. Oct. 21-Nov. 6, $21$24, Las Vegas Little Theatre, LVLT.org. SLEEPING BEAUTY Nevada Ballet Theatre is celebrating its 45th anniversary with a series of lush productions of classic story ballets. First up: Sleeping Beauty, with its abundance of fairies and princesses, as well as a sparkling Tchaikovsky score. Oct. 22-23, The Smith Center, NevadaBallet.org. LAS VEGAS CONTEMPORARY DANCE THEATER: FALL SEASON 9 The program features three pieces choreographed by LVCDT founder and artistic director Bernard Gaddis, including the ballet Red Door and the company’s own version of the classic tale of Carmen. Nov. 11, $24-$79, Smith Center, LVDance.org. JOHN CLEESE & ERIC IDLE Two members of Monty Python’s Flying Circus reunite in Together Again at Last… for the Very First Time. The pair will screen old Python clips, sing a song or two, take audience questions, exchange entertaining banter and generally induce mirth. Nov. 18-19, $49.95-$150, 8 p.m., The Venetian, Venetian.com.

A small group of actors, scripts in hand, sits in the hallway of the Art Square building, waiting their turn at Cockroach Theatre’s season callback auditions. In the black box theater, Darren Weller is trying to pull more energy from a young actor auditioning for the racially tense play, Spinning Into Butter. “You don’t know where you’re going with this, you just know [these words] started a fire in you,” he says. Weller, resident director of Piff the Magic Dragon, is one of four professional directors the Cockroach team hired for the upcoming season. This is the first year the Arts District theater company, known for its modern, risky and controversial plays, is able to compensate directors. Some local troupes, such as UNLV’s Nevada Conservatory Theatre, hire professionals to direct, while many others rely on volunteer actors without much offstage experience. Cockroach’s artistic director Levi Fackrell says this is because the local theater scene is relatively young. “I really wanted to put the focus on directors this season, because inevitably, when you’ve got really solid direction, you affect every aspect of the production for the better,” he says. Rounding out the crew of directors are actress and CSN theater professor Mindy Woodhead; Kate St-Pierre, an art director for interdisciplinary experimental company The LAB (and lead singer in Cirque’s KÀ); and Steppenwolf-trained actor Chris Brown, director of outreach for local theater company A Public Fit. But hiring professional leadership is just one way to lift all ships. This summer, Woodhead was hired on as development director, an effort to get bigger budgets by attracting corporate sponsors and cultivating a donor base. Furthermore, both Brown and Woodhead have discussed establishing a rigorous training program. “[Training] needs to be in place because that is what imbues a community with a standard. Not a standard in a negative way, but one that is foundational. It’s hard to build on quicksand,” he says. Despite the lack of training programs, the four were impressed with both the old and new faces who auditioned for the upcoming season. “There is so much that hasn’t been explored as far as [actors] and talent go,” Woodhead says. -Jessie O’Brien SLEEPING BEAUTY.PHOTO BY VIRGINIA TRUDEAU. JOHN CLEESE AND ERIC IDLE PHOTO BY ROD MILLINGTON

Sleeping Beauty.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS The Majestic Repertory Theater’s debut show promises to be both ambitious and hilarious. Little Shop of Horrors will be an immersive production, during which the Alios Gallery will be transformed into Mushnik’s Skid Row Florist shop, complete with a giant man-eating plant. Majestic Repertory Theater at Alios Gallery, Oct. 6-31, MajesticRepertory.com.

DIRECTION Cockroach Theatre hires new directors to bring the company to the next level

By Lissa Townsend Rodgers

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL Part Mama Mia! and part Jersey Boys, the musical Beautiful tells the story of composer Carole King, from Brill Building songwriter to solo recording artist. Songs given the full production treatment include “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday” and “You’ve Got a Friend.” Sept. 20-Oct. 2, $29-$127, The Smith Center, 702749-2000, TheSmithCenter.com.

IN THE RIGHT

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE After success in uniting Southern and Northern Nevada artists, how will Tilting the Basin affect the Las Vegas art scene?

ART IN AUTUMN Get to these galleries this season By Kristen Peterson EDWARD BURTYNSKY: OIL Chronicling the world’s love affair with oil and its dramatic transformation of natural landscapes, Edward Burtynsky’s large-scale color photographs are jarring and sublime compositions of highway systems, oil fields, refineries and industrial parks. Sept. 23 - Jan. 14, Barrick Museum, 702-895-3381.

UNLV VISITING ARTIST LECTURE SERIES The UNLV Department of Art brings a wealth of artists to town with this lecture series, including filmmaker and artist Margaret Honda (Sept. 8), followed by Jenny Odell (Sept. 15), Emily Mast (Sept. 22) and Jim Shaw (Sept. 29). Thursday evenings through Dec. 1, Barrick Museum, 702-895-3381.

TOWN AND COUNTRY: FROM DEGAS TO PICASSO Countryside retreats and evolving 19th and 20th century urbanization anchored the landscapes that appealed to artists Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas, Jean-François Millet and others. More than 40 works portray the shifting narrative of expansion and development. Sept. 23- Feb.20, Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, 702-693-7871.

RECLAIM Shelbi Schroeder’s examination of contemporary expectations of women through textile patterns result in intricately bold and sumptuous compositions. Dec. 15 - March 9, City Hall’s Grand Gallery, 702-229-6511.

For more fall arts preview—including a Q&A with Philharmonic oboist Stephen Caplan, and The Writer’s Block’s must-read titles—visit VegasSeven.com/FallArts2016

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TREASURED LANDS: AMERICA’S NATIONAL PARKS QT Luong’s large-format photographs of the country’s 59 national parks present the extravagantly rich bounty of American landscapes, fittingly in the National Park Service’s centennial. Oct. 6 - Nov. 22, Historic Fifth Street School, 702-2296469.

Millet’s “Shepherdess Seated in the Shade,” part of Bellagio’s Town and Country.

September 8-14, 2016

It’s a Thursday evening in Reno, and the Who’s Who of the Las Vegas art community is mixing it up on the rooftop of the Nevada Museum of Art. The preview opening of Tilting the Basin: Contemporary Art of Nevada is going off without a hitch, with the communication between Northern Nevada and Southern Nevada well under way over cocktails and a view of the quaint downtown neighborhood. It was only a little more than a year ago when co-curators Michele Quinn and JoAnne Northrup made more than 50 studio visits with artists of diverse backgrounds and practices at both ends of the state. The bar was high. Quinn, a Las Vegas-based art adviser, had recently returned from Switzerland’s Art Basel, and applied the standards she had seen there during the visits. Seventeen artists from Las Vegas were selected, joining the 17 selected from Reno. Among the Las Vegas group were David Ryan, Wendy Kveck, Mark Brandvik, Rachel Stiff and JK Russ, whose work joined those of Northern Nevada artists, including Galen Brown and Katie Lewis. The aim, Quinn says, was to connect the artists in the two cities and show the level of sophistication in the work coming out of Nevada. The reference to “bridging the divide” powered discussions going forward. With the show mounted—a collection of exceptional works and concepts filling out the John Hawley Olds LaGatta Gallery—and the communities united for an evening, the anticipated conversations began. Within all of this is the growing relationship between the Nevada Museum of Art and its new friends in Las Vegas. The museum had already co-produced Ugo Rondinone’s Seven Magic Mountains with New York’s Art Production Fund, placing the giant fluorescent boulder totems on public land off Interstate 15 just outside of Las Vegas this spring. Its officials and representatives have been in talks with board members of the Art Museum at Symphony Park (a working title for the planned institution), publicly stating their desires to be involved with the Las Vegas museum. And now the two entities have teamed up to bring Tilting the Basin to Las Vegas this spring, co-producing an eight-week run here. While nothing is concrete regarding NMA’s involvement in the plans for a Las Vegas museum, Tilting represents the kind of professionalism that speaks to longtime community patrons and other potential donors, according to board members. “It gives them something substantial to consider,” Quinn says. “It’s not burning something down for the fun of it.” Katie O’Neill, board chairwoman of the proposed art museum, says an exhibit like Tilting helps to gain momentum in marketing: “It’s so important for us to be up and running. This is a great entry point.” -Kristen Peterson

NIGHTLIFE

So, What’s Your Story? Choose your own Las Vegas adventure with a stay in SLS’ party-friendly Story Tower By John Carr

September 8-14, 2016

VegasSeven.com

➜ A CHEEKY, RUBBER-DUCK-HEAVY experi-

ence awaits partiers who book a two-night stay (starting at $89 per night) in SLS’ Story Tower. The #MyVegasStory Package affords your whole crew unrestricted access to a minibar stocked with $200 worth of goodies, including Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey liqueur, vodka, beer and enough Red Bull to keep your #squadgoals in focus all night long. When it’s time to head to the party, this package has you covered in the club, too. In addition to VIP access to Foxtail Pool and Foxtail Nightclub during their stay, #MyVegasStory guests enjoy two-for-one drinks at two happy hours, from 9-11 a.m. and 10:30-11:30 p.m. And all meals at Umami Burger Beer Garden & Sports Book, 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria and Northside Café come with a complimentary soft drink. Some exclusive deals for the package include access to the Captain’s Quarters, home of “Party Captain” Romeo Butihi. Acting as an exclusive concierge for #MyVegasStory guests, the Captain hosts cocktail parties, providing complimentary beverages, starting up an assortment of games (think flip cup and 25 duck pick up) and snapping any and all Polaroid photos of the debauchery that takes place in his vibrantly appointed quarters—“Zero ducks given.” (Follow @MyFunCaptain on Twitter for a taste.) For tourists, the party package weaves a narrative through their entire stay, from pre-gaming to after-party. For locals, a tongue-in-cheek package can be a welcomed addition to a staycation in a loft-inspired room that features a “floating” bed that emulates a luxury pool daybed. And if you roll deep with a group of 10 or more, SLS might even grant you your own hotel floor.

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NIGHTLIFE

Drake.

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

we think will cap off the warmer months just swimmingly. Groove to the low end, and see which version Page brings with him to the club. Sure, the big room begs for some oontz, but sometimes a curveball is good every now and then. (In Mandalay Bay, 10:30 p.m., TheLightVegas.com.)

SAT 10 Morgan Page.

THU 8 If you know rap and/or hip-hop, then you know XXL’s Freshman Class. Every year, the magazine enlists a handful of heat-seeking artists to appear on a cover and provide exclusive freestyles known as ciphers. These clips are a great way for fans to get a taste of the current climate of the rap world, and provide a glimpse of what’s sure to be hot in the future. This year, the group consisted of Desiigner, Lil Yachty, Dave East, Denzel Curry, G Herbo, Lil’ Dicky, Anderson Paak, 21 Savage, Kodak Black and Lil Uzi Vert. The latter is a Philly-bred rapper known for his singsong style that places an emphasis on melody. Take a listen to his infectiously catchy songs such as “Top” and “Money Longer,” then catch the up-and-coming purple-haired star at Tao’s Worship Thursdays, where locals get in free! (In the Venetian, 10 p.m., TaoLasVegas.com.)

September 8-14, 2016

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FRI 9

Turn the page from workweek to weekend with Morgan Page at Light. The Grammy-nominated trance heavyweight released a nifty remix EP of his collaborative track with Angelika Vee, “Safe Till Tomorrow.” Take a listen to the Bee’s Knees remix and you’ll notice that it’s the polar opposite of the original; Knees reinterprets the song as a funky lounge tune that’s completely different than Page’s upbeat trance. It’s a refreshing take that

There’s Mr. Olympia—the prestigious bodybuilding competition that’s championed Hollywood stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno, but have you heard of Pole Olympia? This competition ditches the veins and protein in favor of wild acrobatic maneuvers and eye candy. The pole dancing competition takes place in Foxtail, where the club’s decadent dark interior will complement the ladies’ moves. DJ Hollywood provides the soundtrack for these ladies to spin, bounce and twerk to pole-dancing glory. One lucky contestant will walk away with bragging rights and a cool $10,000. We have to admit: The title of “Ms. Pole Olympia” sounds pretty badass, even more so than the prize! (In SLS, 10:30 p.m., FoxtailLasVegas. com.) Three, two, one: At Jewel, you can catch a trio and a duo in one location. The night kicks off with WeAreTreo. The group comprising Ace Future, Trevor Shawn and

Spencer Regan initially met over their love of surfing and decided to make music in 2013. Since then, they’ve carved a pretty successful career as remix artists, giving songs such as Twenty One Pilots’ “Ride” and Sia’s “Elastic Heart” melodic, upbeat renditions. The trio will be joined by BRKLYN, a progressive house production/ DJ duo. They’re actually from Los Angeles, which makes us question why they named themselves after a New York borough. Either way, these tunes are meant for the world; “Your Love (featuring Kevin Wild)” is a song that’s ripe for the big room Lil Uzi Vert.

and festival grounds. (In Aria, 10:30 p.m., JewelNightclub.com.)

SUN 11 Not winded after turning up with two of the biggest names in music? Head to Hakkasan to party with the “6 God” himself, Drake. The Toronto rapper heads to the MGM after his show with Atlanta rapper Future at T-Mobile Arena as part of the official after-party. We’re not exactly sure what the boy has in store for this party, but if you’ve been following his career at all, it seems like he’s got the Midas Touch. He’s got a crew of ride-or-dies (October’s Very Own), a record label (OVOSound), a Grammy, a three-time platinum album (Views) and a sweet shoe deal with Jordan Brand. We can dedicate an entire issue to Mr. “Controlla,” but you can experience the magic of the man himself ... if you can get in, that is. (In MGM Grand, 10:30 p.m., HakkasanLV.com.)

MON 12 You’ve had a dream of a weekend, so, like yin and yang, it’s time to balance it out when NGTMRE invades XS. The Los Angeles-based producer is known for creating an abrasive blend of trap and electro that’s heavy on the bass and ears. Last

month, he unveiled a team-up track with dubstep cohort Flux Pavilion, “Feel Your Love (featuring Jamie Lewis).” While it leans heavy on the melody (which is a sort of departure for the two), it’s got an earth-shattering drop that’ll turn up the club’s speakers and crowd. (In Encore, 10:30 p.m., SurrenderNightclub.com.)

TUE 13 You know Ross One, the SKAM Artist DJ, but do you know Ross One, the author? Last year, he dropped a book called Rap Tees, a gorgeous collection of photos that showcases more than 500 garments related to the genres. Whether they’re eyecatching, humorous or downright ugly, it’s all chronicled. Pick up a copy, but see the DJ and author work the ones and twos at Drai’s Night Splash. (In The Cromwell, 10:30 p.m., DraisNightlife.com.)

WED 14 You’ve made it through the midweek slump. Now give yourself a pat on the back and hit up an infamous party to celebrate. Hyde’s Infamous Wednesdays comes correct with The Money Team’s DJ D-Miles. His sets are heavy on the hip-hop, so you can bounce your way through the rest of the week. (In Bellagio, 10:30 p.m., HydeBellagio.com.)

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

MARQUEE

The Cosmopolitan [ UPCOMING ]

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com

PHOTOS BY BOBBY JAMEIDAR AND TONY TRAN

September 8-14, 2016

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Sept. 9 Benny Benassi spins Sept. 10 Dash Berlin spins Sept. 12 Tritonal spins

NIGHTLIFE

PARTIES

XS NIGHTSWIM Encore

[ UPCOMING ]

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com

PHOTOS BY DANNY MAHONEY

September 8-14, 2016

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Sept. 11 Audien spins Sept. 18 David Guetta spins Sept. 25 Diplo spins

DINING

The New Nora’s

The landmark restaurant’s new location boasts new features, yet honors its legacy

September 8-14, 2016

VegasSeven.com

By Al Mancini

➜ NORA’S ITALIAN CUISINE—one of the true OGs of Las Vegas’ neighborhood restaurants—will relocate on September 15 to the northeast corner of Flamingo Road and Duneville Street, just a block or so east of its longtime strip mall location. Not content to wait for a grand opening party, or even the completion of construction, Vegas Seven toured the new home of this 25-yearold dining institution. Even before entering the building, one can’t help but notice the large private parking lot, a huge improvement over the current shared lot, where parking is scant. Inside, owner and general manager Marcello Mauro, full-time manager Joemar Grey and beverage consultant Gaston Martinez are overseeing the installation of the bar. And it’s not just any bar, they’re quick to note. It features Tobin Ellis Cocktail Stations by Perlick, with all sorts of bells and whistles to make drink service more efficient. It is

“the Rolls-Royce of bars,” Martinez says. Behind this state-of-the-art beverage station, in front of a vintage-style mirror adorned with gold flake, the team is preparing to install a towering backbar to showcase the beer, wine and draft cocktail programs. Above it hang circular wooden light fixtures, handcrafted from used barrels donated by Anabella Wines, which has long been the restaurant’s best-seller. Look carefully inside those, and you’ll see the tartrate crystallization that naturally occurs during a wine’s aging process. Even for those unconcerned with the art and science of winemaking and mixology, this bar area will be a focal point of the restaurant: It cuts a straight line through the massive dining room from the entrance to just in front of the open kitchen in the rear, roughly dividing the space in half. The goal is to re-create the vibe of the current location, which is split between

two adjoining units. “There’s a sense of intimacy with Nora’s because of the division of rooms,” Martinez says. “And we wanted to capture that [here] as well and not make it one big room. So there’s the same feeling of comfort when you walk in.” For additional intimacy, the larger dining room on the left will eventually have retractable walls added to further manage the space. The team also plans to make a pair of private dining rooms available for small parties of four to eight who desire some privacy. One entirely new aspect is an outdoor patio sheltered from the noise of the Flamingo Road traffic. Here, guests will be able to while away the hours practicing their bocce game on a turf course that was designed to breathe, allowing for the occasional, satisfying puff of dust when a ball hits the ground with great force. The bocce pit’s concrete wall doubles as a place on which

to sit and also rest your drinks. The expansion also features a second floor, which is expected to open about a month after the ground floor. The second level will pull double duty as either a lounge with a DJ or a private banquet room. There will also be a focus on live jazz and music since UNLV music majors are known to frequent Nora’s every Sunday. And to make sure large parties upstairs don’t interfere with service in the main rooms, the restaurant features a second full kitchen hidden directly behind the main line, with direct access to the second floor. Speaking of kitchens, suffice it to say that the new one—which is now open and visible from both dining rooms—is larger and more modern than the existing location, allowing for faster service. The most important impact on the menu, however, will come from the addition of a grill, which will open up a slew of new recipe possibilities. Despite the additions, the team insists that the new Nora’s will remain a place where longtime customers can come to spend time with friends and family. As Martinez puts it, “Sometimes you get trapped in Nora’s and before you realize it, you’re like, ‘Holy crap, it’s been three or four hours!’ And we want to bring that into this [space], because that’s the beauty of Nora’s.”

PHOTOS BY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ

Clockwise from top left: the Tobin Ellis Signature Cocktail Station; bocce courts; bar area; and exterior.

A&E

PAGE 55

Music, video games and a new Cirque du Soleil program

Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return.

Destination: Arts levolent spirit on a New York City subway track usually looks like a jumbo-size rat, which can do pull-ups with its teeth. But thanks to one impressive hyperreality experience by The Void, you can bust the real thing at Ghostbusters: Dimension. Hyperreality differs from virtual reality in that digital and physical worlds combine. What you see and touch in the virtual world, you will also feel in the physical world, because an entire set has been created for the installation. You and three friends will be suited up with proton packs and guns similar

to the blockbuster movies—complete with a hyperreality headset featuring headphones and a haptic vest—which allows you to feel when you’ve been touched or hit by a supernatural spirit (shivers). From here on out, you’re bustin’ and capturing ghosts. Hyperreality can be sort of trippy, so if this is your first experience, shelve your pride and pack an extra pair of undies. Open now, $50, Ghostbusters.MadameTussauds.com. —Amber Sampson HOUSE OF ETERNAL RETURN (SANTA FE, N.M.) Art collective Meow Wolf

debuted the House of Eternal Return in the spring, and the project since

has become a must-see cultural destination in the West. An immersive labyrinth of experiences, located in a former bowling alley now dubbed Art Complex and funded by Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, the experience will blow your mind. Enter a mysterious Victorian house where time and space have dissolved, and let the nonlinear storyline of the fictional Selig family unfold. Through the refrigerator and into the forest, desert and other dimensions, the rest is up to you, as you piece together what’s going on in this interactive fantasyland. Fans of Punchdrunk’s New York City theatrical spectacle Sleep

No More will eat this installation up. Meow Wolf was part of Life Is Beautiful’s Art Motel in 2015, and word is they are seeking a permanent space in Las Vegas. Maybe you won’t have to make the trip. Open now, $12-$18, MeowWolf.com. —Melinda Sheckells CNN POLITICS CAMPAIGN 2016: LIKE, SHARE, ELECT AT THE NEWSEUM (WASHINGTON, D.C.) Facebook, Twitter

and Instagram play important roles in our everyday lives, so the social media sites undoubtedly play important roles in our country’s political process. The media-focused institution zeroes in on those platforms’ influ-

VegasSeven.com

EXPERIENCE (NEW YORK CITY) A ma-

➜ MADAME TUSSAUDS GHOSTBUSTERS

September 8-14, 2016

MEOW WOLF HOUSE OF ETERNAL RETURN PHOTO BY LINDSEY KENNEDY

Seven creative happenings to travel to this season

A&E ence in this year’s presidential election, illustrating how 140-word tweets and the like have transformed public perception of a candidate’s campaign. If you’re unprepared to participate in the political process, the exhibit also features a voter registration booth—just remember to Facebook your registration docs after signing on the dotted line. Through Jan. 22, $14-$23, Newseum.org. —Mark Adams RANDOM INTERNATIONAL’S RAIN ROOM AT THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART (LOS ANGELES) On the surface,

Rain Room may seem like nothing but a glorified water fountain, but examine further and you’ll notice that the exhibit performs miracles. Billed as a “contemplative experience,” Rain Room allows individuals to immerse themselves in running water—hence the word “rain”— without getting wet. Overhead sensors, pressure regulators and 3-D tracking cameras trigger water to flow on and off, creating a unique experience that’s both tranquil and intriguing. You can witness it through November, but act fast: Tickets sell out quickly. Who says science can’t include miracles? Through Nov. 22, $10$40, LACMA.org. —Ian Caramanzana

September 8-14, 2016

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DESERT STARS FESTIVAL (PIONEERTOWN, CALIF.) Get away from the neon and LED

of the big city and enjoy the big skies and bright stars while you rock out. The ninth annual Desert Stars Festival brings otherworldly sounds to the High Desert. Austin’s genre-smashing (and guitar-smashing) post-punks … And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead will headline September 22, playing their 2002 album Source Tags & Codes in its entirety. Saturday belongs to Lou Barlow, as he gigs with two bands on the same night: indie rock heroes Dinosaur Jr. and noisy lo-fi outfit Sebadoh. Also taking the stage that weekend will be ’60s psych legends Strawberry Alarm Clock, Canadian

power-poppers Sloan, the dreamy synths of Magic Wands and Sky Parade’s dance rock. The festival is at Pappy & Harriet’s, a concert venue/restaurant/bar/gallery that looks rather like the movie set for an old Western that has been taken over by hippies … which is exactly what it is. September 23-24, $65-$125. —Lissa Townsend

Rodgers

CHINATI WEEKEND (MARFA, TEXAS)

Donald Judd’s Chinati Foundation, the epicenter of Marfa, a modernist colony in West Texas, has long been a significant map point for lovers of 20th-century American contemporary art. Chinati weekend, October 7-9, gathers devotees to experience this obscure, magical locale, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary and will be open free of charge to the public. For the first time since 2004, Chinati welcomes an addition to its permanent collection: a 10,000-squarefoot gallery by light and space artist Robert Irwin, which recently opened after years in development. There is also a full schedule of events planned, including two special exhibitions of Judd’s work. Oh, and while you’re in town, don’t miss Elmgreen and Dragset’s seminal 2005 installation Prada Marfa. —MS

The Newseum’s CNN Politics exhibit.

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (TORONTO) Cannes and Sundance hap-

pen early on in the calendar year, and it’s usually the films that do well at those festivals that are short-listed for the Academy Awards. That’s more than enough reason to go north for Canada’s premier flick fest, which includes screenings of Oscar bait such as The Birth of a Nation and Loving, alongside other upcoming blockbusters such as the Joseph GordonLevitt-led Snowden, and Arrival, featuring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner. It’s a comprehensive fest, so don’t miss out on indie gems and foreign wonders. Through Sept. 18, TIFF.net. —MA

Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return.

MEOW WOLF HOUSE OF ETERNAL RETURN PHOTO BY LINDSEY KENNEDY. MAGICWALL PHOTO {PROVIDED BY CNNPOLITICS. MADAME TUSSAUDS PHOTO CINDY ORD

Madame Tussauds’ Ghostbusters Experience.

SAVES THE DAY

A&E

Backstage Bar & Billiards, Sept. 17, 8 p.m., $16-$20. 702-382-2227, BackstageBarAndBillards.com.

list for your September 17 Backstage Bar & Billiards show?

I don’t know how many we’re playing. We haven’t discussed it. We’ll probably just go off of how we feel at the moment. We’ll be on tour with Coheed and Cambria during that run, and it’s our day off. I anticipate we’ll play a pretty varied set list, since we’re not afraid to dive into anything. That’s just how we’ve done things. We’ll probably spread it around.

Not Through Being Cool Saves the Day’s Arun Bali talks playing O’Sheas and what's next for the band By Ian Caramanzana ➜ DON’T SAY SAVES THE DAY hopped on the nostalgia train. Sure, the New Jersey emo/pop-punk greats have kept songs such as “Three Miles Down” and “You Vandal” on set lists—and played the entirety of its 2001 landmark album Stay What You Are, at FYF Fest— but the band has consistently been cranking out new songs since forming in 1994. The quartet is known for its driving pop-punk anthems with catchy hooks, which they’re bringing to DTLV on September 17. We spoke with guitarist Arun Bali about the band’s ﬁrst Las Vegas gig in four years.

September 8-14, 2016

VegasSeven.com

Saves the Day played an infamous set at O’Sheas on St. Patrick’s Day in 2012. How

Strip-ped: News and notes from the Boulevard’s entertainment machine

was that?

I remember that! What a show. We played with Manchester Orchestra in an alleyway between some casinos in the center of the Strip. It was supposed to happen outside, but it rained, so they moved it inside. We didn’t know the show was going to even happen until a few minutes before we hit the stage. Logistically, it was crazy. Other than a stage, there was no front-of-house, no soundboard. But it happened, and it was a really good time even though it was a crazy stressful day. Chris Conley is the only original member of the band. Were you a fan before joining?

It’s been about seven or eight years

➜ Some the world's most talented and recognizable magicians team up to perform awe-inspiring illusions at a show on the Las Vegas Strip— sounds a lot like the plot from Now You See Me, right? It’s also exactly what’s happening at the Tropicana this fall, as illusionist supergroup Band of Magicians launches a residency at the resort October 26. The quartet is comprised of Scotsman Stuart MacLeod, Brett Loudermilk and Joel Ward

since I joined. I’ve played on two records; I’ve gone on countless tours, but I’ll forever be the new guy in the band. It is what it is. [Chris and I] worked in similar circles. I used to be in an indie band in Detroit, and we had a bunch of mutual friends. I thought [Saves the Day’s] In Reverie was cool, and I was super into the late ’90s emo stuff: Texas is the Reason, Sunny Day Real Estate … that kind of stuff. Then my tastes started shifting and I got into stuff like the Cardigans and Elliott Smith. In Reverie was special though. Friends in the music world were aware that the album was something else at the time, but it’s like the [Weezer] Pinkerton thing, where praise [didn’t] happen until later—posthumously. It’s a remarkable record, and it’s cool to see people ask about it now, so many years later. You’re playing Stay What You Are at FYF. Will songs from that album make the set

from the U.S., and Australia’s James Galea, who, just like Woody Harrelson in NYSM, seems to perpetually sport a brown fedora. Maybe life really does imitate art? The hard-bodied men stripping down to their skivvies five nights a week in the V Theater might be “hunks” in every sense of the word, but don’t call them that! The male revue formerly billed as Aussie Hunks at the Miracle Mile Shops venue has

What’s next for the band?

Things are starting to ramp up again. We were going at it—touring constantly—for a long time, so it’s nice to take a breather and recharge. The past year or so, we’ve played only short stints and one-offs; this [forthcoming] tour will be the longest one we’ve done since 2014, and we’re playing a bunch of shows. We also want to start working on new songs as well. There’s really no timetable or plan for what’s next, but we’re all looking forward to working on some new stuff. I’ve seen the progression from record to record, and we never rest on our laurels. We want to evolve; challenge ourselves—[and] not look back. We’re always asking ourselves, “What are we doing next?” Of course, we like to tip our hats to the legacy, but we have to keep things exciting. What are your plans for after the gig?

We usually play it by ear. We’ll be in the middle of the tour, so we won’t get too crazy. I’m known to hit up a blackjack table or two, and sometimes a roulette table, but I can’t speak for everybody else. I’m a betting man, though. Find out why the band chose to play all of Stay What You Are at FYF (and more) at VegasSeven.com/SavesTheDay

reemerged as Aussie Heat, and we’re thinking a trademark dispute has something to do with it. Regardless, the rebranded show, which celebrated its grand opening August 24, still features ab-tastic B-boys and break dancers from Down Under, adding some performance spice to the typical flex-and-pose gyrating

SAVES THE DAY BY TOM STONE; STYX BY HARMONY GERBER/SHUTTERSTOCK GERBER/SHUT TERSTOCK

Keep an eye out on the casino floor for Arun Bali (far right) after he plays DTLV with his Saves the Day bandmates.

VIDEO GAMES

ARE YOU GAME?

Seven video games to play this Fall By Amber Sampson The Last Guardian.

➜ DEVELOPERS RELEASE GREAT vid-

eo games year-round, but fall is for the blockbusters. Highly anticipated games generally roll out around October and November, aligning with the holiday shopping season. Mafia III (Oct. 7, PS4, Xbox One, PC) Action-adventure game Mafia returns with a fresh take on mob tales for its third edition. Set in a 1968 version of New Orleans called New Bordeaux, Mafia III follows black Vietnam veteran Lincoln Clay as he works to bring down an Italian crime family. The game’s timeline sets it apart from its Tommy Gun-era predecessors, by both style and substance. PlayStation VR (Oct. 13, PS4) Virtual reality hit the market earlier this year for PC users, but October 13 marks the first time PlayStation 4 owners will get their hands on it. PS VR is launching with a varied lineup of games, with something to please every kind of gamer. The first-person, mech-shooter RIGS: Mechanized Combat League pits you against towering robots in a sports-battle arena, while Eve: Valkyrie showcases epic dogfights in space. Also, Capcom announced it’s releasing a PS VR version of Resident Evil 7 in early 2017. Battlefield 1 (Oct. 21, PS4, Xbox One, PC) This year Battlefield returns to simpler times—like, World War I simple. The rewind is a bold statement for the franchise, but one we’re excited to experience. And what does that experience look like? With 64 players on the multiplayer feature, it looks epic. You’ll get down into the trenches, perform barrel rolls in airplanes, parachute out of said airplanes over the Sinai Desert, charge the enemy lines with horses, nuke a tank—sorry, we got carried away. The Last Guardian (Oct. 25, PS4) The Last Guardian is the most hyped game you’ll hear of all year. It’s because the game’s main character is as mystifying as it is frightening, and also because its developer, Team Ico, previ-

ously released the award-winning Shadow of the Colossus on PlayStation 2 in 2005. As a young boy in a city of ruins, you meet a griffin-like creature named Trico. Over time, you build a relationship with the colossal beast, as it helps you solve puzzles and clear gaps. With minimal direction in the game, it’s clear that Team Ico wants you to explore your surroundings and rely on Trico to pull you through. Infinite Warfare COD Legacy Edition (Nov. 4, PS4, Xbox One, PC) Developer Infinity Ward revealed that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare would ship with premium versions of Infinite Warfare. Call of Duty 4 is the crown jewel of FPS games, and it’s what catapulted the genre out of World War II, and into the then-present day turmoil of the Middle East in 2007. It also pioneered much of the fast-paced gameplay we see today in other FPSs, and drew interest to the e-sports scene. Gamespot reported in May that the game isn’t going to be sold separately. Don’t miss out on this experience. Watch Dogs 2 (Nov. 15, PS4, Xbox One, PC) Watch Dogs 2 isn’t your average open-world, third-person shooter. As a professional hacker, you hold the city under your thumb. The game ups everything we loved about the original, with hacking remaining the focus. The new protagonist, Marcus, is much more agile than Watch Dogs’ Aiden; his parkour-like moves come in handy when escaping hairy situations. Plus, the game’s fictionalized take on San Francisco is impressive. Pokémon Sun and Moon (Nov. 18, Nintendo 3DS) Pokémon debuted 20 years ago, so it’s only right to honor Sun and Moon with a spot on our wish list. Regardless, you should be excited for it because the games are like handheld crack. So what can we expect? A new tropical area based on Hawaii, powerful, one-time battle moves called Z Moves and a new Battle Royale mode where you and four trainers can fight in a free-for-all.

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SEVEN QUESTIONS

of every day. There’s no voice for these kids. One child every two minutes is diagnosed with cancer. Even though I’ve been working with children since 2001, I can’t believe that there is so little funding going to these kids and the horrendous situations they’re confronting. The amount of caring and love and outpouring from the families that are going through this and understand the process—there’s a bond between us all. It’s an experience that can’t help but change your life, and I’ve made it my mission to be a voice for these children and to raise awareness and raise as many tens of millions of dollars as we can to put toward research and treatment.

The magician on his son’s cancer, the HELP event and Mindfreak Live!

September 8-14, 2016

VegasSeven.com

By Paul Szydelko

Many people know your son Johnny, who is 2, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) last year. How’s he doing?

He’s doing remarkably well. He’s still doing his chemo every day now. It’s a three-year treatment; you’re never really out of the woods. With cancer and chemo, it’s obviously poison you’re putting into your body, and the side effects down the road—heart disease, learning disabilities—are a great concern even when you’re clear of cancer.

How much does he understand what’s going on?

He’s such a young kid, he doesn’t know what’s normal and what’s not normal. All the kids that he sees primarily are the kids in the hospitals. That’s what he knows. We keep him occupied, we keep him motivated—we just got back from Disneyland. He loves Mickey Mouse, and he had a blast doing that. Johnny has so much love. He’s so courageous, and he’s just a happy boy. These treatments, specifically the

steroids, really alter his personality, and he changes into a boy that is not Johnny. The steroids give him these fits of rage, but it’s something he has to do and go through for the big picture—the outcome of his health. Has anything about this experience surprised you as a father or as a consumer of health care?

It’s changed my life. I see these children who are so innocent who are dealing with life and death every moment

What is your goal with TR!CK’D, set to air next month on A&E?

It’s the craziest, most inyour-face unique magic experience. There are more than 30 different effects in the hourlong special. It’s completely unlike anything I’ve ever done. I guarantee it will set the new bar with how My mission was to put we see magic on television. together an event using the Gary Oldman, Miles Brown, blessings I’ve been bestowed to Andrew Dice Clay, Dee Snider, have these relationships with Richie Sambora, Vince Neil, people such as Jerry Lewis, Chuck Liddell, Frank Mir and Tony Orlando, Wayne NewRandy Couture are all on the ton, Siegfried show. You’ll see & Roy, Lance celebrities buggin’ Burton, Gordie out. There’s no fat CRISS ANGEL Brown, Terry in the show; it’s all HELP Fator, Carrot just the moments Top, Flavor Flav that you want to Sept. 12, 7 p.m. and others. All watch that would $100, Luxor, these incredbe viral clips. CrissAngelHelp.com ibly talented With all that’s going people are on, describe the coming togethsense of satisfaction you’ve had er for this cause. Unlike many in organizing HELP? charities, 100 percent of every It is such a beautiful feeling cent raised will go to research to be a grain of sand on the and treatment. I’m funding beach among so many people every expense, including the who are trying to make a difcredit card fees when people ference. I might be the conmake donations, out of my ductor, but it takes an army. I own pocket. have an incredible army that’s This (event and silent aucworking tirelessly to put this tion) is about these children together. Cirque du Soleil and and to get the world to know Luxor have been absolutely about this disease so that amazing in helping facilitate everybody can participate in this by providing the venue making a difference. It can and the staff. happen to anybody, it can I’m making time. This is happen to anybody’s family the priority. This is the most and it’s about time that we important event of my life stand shoulder to shoulder because it’s truly something and fight for these kids. that goes beyond the superHas Mindfreak Live!, which ficial garbage that consumes launched at Luxor this year, been your life and puts in place the what you hoped it would be? things that are important— Beyond my wildest dreams. love, health and happiness. Tell me about the HELP (Heal Every Life Possible), an allstar show and celebrity auction benefiting the Johnny Crisstopher Children’s Charitable Foundation for pediatric cancer research, treatment and ultimately a cure.

Criss Angel

I’ve had big dreams about Mindfreak Live! and what I’ve always wanted to create onstage … and how to put them together in an experience. We have 3-D immersion, lasers, revolutionary illusions and a new soundtrack all coming together in this interactive experience that really embraces and boasts the latest entertainment technologies. Even my own (previous) BeLIEve show was a dinosaur compared to this show. I’ve never been involved in a theatrical production where the audience is freaked out, creeped out, laugh their asses off and also shed tears all in the same show.