Cyndi Lauper Takes a Detour

Page 1

Cyndi

Lauper

Takes a Detour

FREE September 29-October 5, 2016

YOUR WEEK IN PARTIES By Ian Caramanzana

Phantogram.

September 22 -2 8, 2016 vegasseven.com

THU 29 Take some advice from Phantogram and “Fall in Love.” The New Yorkbased electro-pop duo consisting of Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel invades Brooklyn Bowl, and they’re bringing all the catchy choruses, boomin’ bass and spacey keyboards for which they’re known. It’s hard to say what we’re most excited about: singing along to the melodic bounce of that tune, feasting our eyes on Barthel’s glamorous outfits or banging our heads to the bone-shaking bass buzz of its latest single, “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore.” Let the duo’s music get you high, and don’t forget: It’s perfectly fine to fall in love with them—even if you’re doing it all over again. (At the Linq, 7 p.m., BrooklynBowl. com/Las-Vegas.)

PHOTO BY TIMOTHY SACCENTI

SEVEN NIGHTS

FRI 30 Call into work and party all day at The Cromwell. The bender begins with San Diego DJ/producer Ookay at Drai’s Beach Club. He recently released a chilled-out version of Zayn’s breakout single, “PILLOWTALK.” It’s entitled “PLLWTLK,” and it features the soothing sounds of strings and pianos rather than pounding bass and hard-hitting drums. It’s definitely worth getting out of bed to check out. (In The Cromwell, 11 a.m., DraisBeachClub.com.) Now that you’ve had a decent helping of electronic music flavor, stick around and let the nostalgia flow when Nelly hits the stage. You’ve heard “Hot in Herre,” you’ve heard “Dilemma,” but have you heard “Millionaire?” The St. Louis rapper’s collaborative cut with Cash Cash is a bumpin’ crossover hit that’ll tantalize the ears of both fanbases. Look it up and blast it out of your laptop speakers, then hear it through a world-class sound system at Drai’s. (In The Cromwell, 10:30 p.m., DraisNightlife.com.)

FRI, SEP 30

SAT, OCT 1

SUN, OCT 2

BACKYARD POOL PARTY FEATURING CHRIS JANSEN LIVE PERFORMANCE

TICKETS & RESERVATIONS: REHAB@HRHVEGAS.COM | 702.693.5505 | HARDROCKHOTEL.COM /REHABLV #REHABLV

The Acid Sisters (right) and Diddy.

September 22 -2 8, 2016 vegasseven.com

SUN 2 Grab brunch, then chill out poolside with DJ Hollywood at Foxtail Pool. If you read our interview with the turntable veteran, you know that he rocks parties in Atlantic City and Las Vegas on the regular. He’s also done time as a radio DJ for KLUC 98.5-FM, so he’s got a trained ear, seasoned by the Las Vegas streets. Witness a set that reflects that. (At SLS, 10:30 a.m., FoxtailLasVegas.com.)

MON 3 Do you prefer guitars to turntables? Head to Bunkhouse to get a dose of “reverb-soaked punked-out rock” courtesy of L.A. Witch. The name is singular, but it actually represents three ladies who craft songs reminiscent of The Pixies, Nirvana and Mazzy Star. Take a listen to the trio’s latest single, “Drive Your Car,” and get captivated in its driving, droney glory. Kurumpaw and The Acid Sisters open. (124 S. 11th St., 8 p.m., BunkhouseDowntown.com.) Feedbackridden guitar licks not your thing? Hit up Marquee for a set by trap/ progressive house champion Carnage. The Guatemalan DJ/producer recently collaborated on a track with fellow Marquee resident Timmy Trumpet named “Psy or Die.” It’s a progressive house banger that’s sure to be ripe for the room. Unfortunately the latter didn’t break out his signature trumpet for the tune, but hey, maybe he can improvise live? (In the Cosmopolitan, 10 p.m., MarqueeLasVegas.com.)

TUE 4 It’s official: The Chainsmokers have the hottest hit in the country. With the help of singer-songwriter Halsey, the New York-based duo created “Closer,” which has been sitting pretty on Billboard’s Hot 100 for several weeks now. And it’s hard not to acknowledge its catchiness. We’re not sure what it is that makes the song so great: Halsey’s airy vocals, The Chainsmokers’ earworm-worthy leading melody, or how they both mingle so well. Either way, the duo is sure to drop it when they spin at Omnia. Get closer! (In Caesars Palace, 10:30 p.m., OmniaNightclub.com.) WED 5 If rap’s on your radar, hit up House of Blues for a set by Machine Gun Kelly. He’s Cleveland, Ohio bred, but currently resides in Houston, Texas, so he’s gotten a good taste of the styles from each city. That’s reflected in his lightning-quick raps and hyperactive stage presence. MGK recently suffered a broken arm and scarred face after he performed Jackass-like maneuvers following a show. He ran on the roofs of cars before face-planting on one of the hoods. Cheer him up by turning up to “Till I Die.” (Mandalay Bay, 6 p.m., HouseOfBlues.com/LasVegas.) 7

PHOTO BY FILTHY MOUTH CREATIVE

SAT 1 We could dedicate an entire issue to how Diddy spearheaded the move from hype man to manager to business mogul in the hip-hop world, but we’ll spare you the explanation and let you do the homework yourselves. Here’s the thing: There’s nobody in this world like Diddy. You might know him as Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy or simply Sean Combs, but his contributions to the rap world are undeniable. His record label, Bad Boy Entertainment, has served as a launching pad for some of the most memorable hits of the last three decades including “It’s All About the Benjamins,” “Bad Boy for Life” and “Last Night.” He’s made cameos in dozens of music videos including the classic “Mo Money Mo Problems” where he danced in shiny metallic suits with Ma$e. And you’ve probably seen him on television or in online ads relentlessly promoting his vodka, Ciroc. Diddy’s a walking role model for success, so maybe you’ll get some tips when he rocks the party at Hakkasan. (In MGM Grand, 10:30 p.m., HakkasanLV.com.)

4@7 =1B &

A/B =1B '

AC< =1B !

;=< =1B !

/@BE=@9 0G 9G:3 :/;03@B

FAED OCT 3

LIL JON DJ SET OCT 10

WEARETREO & BRKLYN OCT 17

SEVEN LIONS OCT 24

STEVE AOKI

OCT 31 / HALLOWEEN WEEKEND

herringbone HOOKED ON MONDAYS

alibi ultra lounge PREPARE YOUR ALIBI

jewel nightclub FLAWLESS MONDAYS

HALF PRICE SELECT BOTTLES OF CHAMPAGNE AND EXCLUSIVE FOOD SPECIALS BEGINNING AT 9PM EVERY MONDAY

FEATURING COMPLIMENTARY CHAMPAGNE FOR LADIES FROM 9:30PM – 11:30PM EVERY MONDAY

COMPLETE YOUR NIGHT AT THE HOTTEST NEW NIGHTLIFE DESTINATION IN LAS VEGAS COMPLIMENTARY FOR LOCALS

a flawless experience at aria

OPEN MONDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY \ FLAWLESSMONDAYS.COM \ JEWELNIGHTCLUB.COM \ 702.590.8000

Musical Detour

Cyndi Lauper talks exploring country music on her latest album

By /LVVD 7RZQVHQG 5RGJHUV Photography &KDSPDQ %DHKOHU

W

hen Cyndi Lauper burst on the scene with a blaze of orange hair and a string of giddy pop hits back in 1983, few would have pegged her as an enduring artist and Renaissance woman. But over the last 30-plus years, Lauper has won Grammys and a Tony, acted in films and on Broadway, written a musical (Kinky Boots) and an autobiography. Lauper’s 11th album, Detour, explores the sound of classic country music. She recently chatted with Vegas Seven about it. Detour LV D ELW RI D GHSDUWXUH IURP ZKDW \RX¡UH NQRZQ IRU :DV WKDW DOZD\V WKH LQWHQWLRQ RU GLG LW GHYHORS DV \RX ZHQW RQ" I wanted to work with [producer] Seymour Stein. He gave me a couple of ideas, and this one sounded like the best to me because I felt that these songs and this time period were very important to rock ’n’ roll. I basically cut my teeth on this style of music when I was doing rockabilly with Blue Angel. +RZ GLG \RX FKRRVH WKH VRQJV" Everybody started sending songs—you know, it’s time to do a project and your friends say, “Hey! I’ve got this song ‌â€? Of course I was going to do Patsy Cline because that’s like doing an Édith Piaf song. I love Patsy Cline; I sang some of her stuff when I was with Blue Angel. I realized when I was putting [Detour] together—when you listen to “Funnel of Love,â€? without [singing] that kind of thing, maybe “She Bopâ€? and “Girls Just Want to Have Funâ€? would not have sounded that way. “The End of the Worldâ€? also had a lot of similarities. It’s the same organ as “Time After Timeâ€?—it’s electronic, but it’s that round sound. As I went through, I found a lot of similarities and, even more than that, influences from when I was becoming my own person and becoming a lead singer. This time period, this music was very instrumental in making me who I became. Just like the blues album I did, it’s a foundation of what I sing. 6R WKLV LV VRUW RI D UHWXUQ WR \RXU FRXQWU\ URRWV" Patsy Cline, Wanda Jackson, Loretta Lynn—as a little kid it was beautiful ladies on TV with beautiful outfits, singing. I think that caught my eye right away. And that someone like Loretta Lynn would actually sing something like “The Pillâ€?—as a young girl growing up, that made me just stop for a minute and think: “Wow. She understands what women are going through. She’s one of us.â€? So I included all of these wonderful women artists and songs and stories that I thought related to today. “People go through life, they take a detour. Sometimes the detour is good, sometimes it’s bad. We did “You’re the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly,â€? which I think is funny. ‌ I didn’t know how it was going to turn out because I’m not a professional comic, though I like to tell stories and I like to be funny. I did one song that Dolly [Parton] made famous, “Hard Candy Christmas.â€? I wanted to do a Christmas song because you have to give people hope and that song is very hopeful—“You’ll get through, you’ll be OK.â€? Alison Krauss was around and she wound up coming over to do it. <RX KDYH D ORW RI UHPDUNDEOH JXHVW VWDUV RQ WKLV DOEXP ÂŤ Jewel being on the record was another gift. I thought I could learn to yodel in three lessons. Peter Gabriel learned like that ‌ and then I realized I’m not Peter Gabriel. But we needed someone to really yodel. Anyway, I’d seen Jewel on TV and she said she yodeled and her father taught her and I was like, “OK, let’s get her in here.â€? So there’s Jewel on “[I Want To Be a] Cowboy’s Sweetheart.â€? Willie Nelson was making a record and I met with his producers—they had something they wanted me to sing on. I was doing his “Night Life,â€? which is a really beautiful song. It’s one of those songs, you have to sing it like a pop song because all of the blues and jazz is already in it. He came in and sang on that Cyndi Lauper with special and I was like, “Oh, my God!â€? Having Emguest Operator Emz, The Joint mylou [Harris] come down and sing with me at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, was something I’ll always remember. There Oct. 8, 7 p.m., $43-$178.50, were a lot of people on that album that were HardRockHotel.com pretty incredible.

September 29 - October 5, 2016 vegasseven.com

[ DRINK THIS ]

Party in a Box

Craft cocktails, now on demand. Whether you’re stirring up a pitcher for an intimate in-home dinner party or shaking Daiquiri Time-Outs for the whole backyard barbecue crew, Cocktail Courier by ShakeStir (CocktailCourier.com) will ship you everything you need to do the deed. Choose a cocktail kit for 4-12 people from the award-winning recipes created by ShakeStir’s national network of professional bartenders (who do get commission if you choose theirs). The climate-controlled box arrives bento-style, stocked with booze, mixers, modifiers, house-made syrups and fresh garnishes. You just add the ice! Similar to meal-kit delivery, this service is also available on a discounted subscription basis for $40 weekly, bi-weekly or monthly), which you can skip, suspend or cancel anytime. Indicate your preferences and approve the recipe (or swap it out for something else) before it ships. And if you’re throwing a full-scale soirée, ShakeStir can even cater the event, right down to the guest bar star who does the mixing for you—no assembly required. –Xania Woodman

September 29 - October 5, 2016 vegasseven.com

7+856'$< 6(37(0%(5

:$/6+< ),5( )5,'$< 6(37(0%(5

6$785'$< 2&72%(5

'- .21)/,.7

'$<$

:<1162&,$/ &20

#,175,*8(9(*$6

By Robert Spuhler Photography Catie Laffoon

“Winterbreak” Is Coming Dark pop trio MUNA rides the mainstream-fame wave after a boost from Tiësto The Los Angeles “dark pop” trio MUNA does not seem like the band to be buying a DJ booth-adjacent table at Hakkasan. Katie Gavin, Naomi McPherson and Josette Maskin are around the same age as many of those standing in snaking lines around the MGM Grand foyer, sure, but their aesthetic is less “fist-pumping reveler” and more “worldly art school student.” And yet, it’s a remix of the band’s song “Winterbreak” by dance-music titan Tiësto that has garnered almost 20 million plays on Spotify. “He checked out the song and wanted to remix it,” McPherson says. “We don’t really like listening to EDM that much, but everyone in our camp was like, ‘You should try it!’ We’ve had a lot of bad remixes before, but he absolutely slaughtered it—in a good way.” A lot has been going MUNA’s way in 2016, with the release of their EP, Loudspeaker, Tiësto’s remix becoming a summer dance anthem, an appearance at Lollapalooza and now, possibly their highest profile tour to date, opening for Grouplove on a 27-show, six-week jaunt that starts at Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas on October 5. It’s all leading up to the band’s debut album, very tentatively set for early 2017, and for which at least a track listing is completed (and has been teased on the group’s social media pages). But while the surge of recognition is hitting now, the band still has its eyes on the future. For a group comprised of such young members—no one is over the age of 24—the longevity of their songs is of major concern. There is no “Selfie” here (a la The Chainsmokers), nor nods to a hashtagged slogan or meme. Instead, there are lyrics that speak to universal, everlasting concerns: a doomed but inescapable love (“Winterbreak”), the refusal to hide emotionally (“Loudspeaker”) and the self-doubt after being blindsided by a breakup (“So Special”).

“I really care about being emotionally authentic in our songs, and we want the lyrics to stand the test of time,” Gavin says. “That’s important to us. There are certain songs [that artists are releasing] that just aren’t going to be relevant in a few years.” Those may sound like dark subjects for a pop band to explore. But the trio combines them with an irresistible, ’80s-tinged pop sound, like if a John Hughes movie soundtrack got a rhythm-heavy remix. In the same way a comedian can approach tough topics through humor, MUNA is able to open itself up, to be vulnerable, thanks to pulsating pop production. It’s a long way from the group’s more experimental roots; MUNA’s first EP, called More Perfect, has now been fully removed from the Internet (scrubbed, McPherson has said, in favor of a retooling of the band’s sound). “The only thing that’s really changed is that we’re a weird hybrid of a crystalline pop group and a college jam band,” Gavin says. “We started from just jamming together and following whatever weird musical instincts. We didn’t have a plan to start a pop group. Our early work was different, but we made a decision that we wanted to try to fuse all of these different things.” That combination of soul-searching lyrics and accessible music has already brought the group wide acclaim, and from a variety of sources. Whereas a group of three young, queer women might have once been pigeonholed and put in a box, MUNA (a somewhat unplanned union of “luna” and “moon”) has landed a major label deal, placement at festivals and on tours, and attracted an audience drawn to the radically inclusive feel of its shows. “We’ll be in random cities and people will come up to us,” Gavin says. “There was a middle-aged white guy who said, ‘I had a really hard year, and I just wanted to say thank you, because your music got me through it.’ And I was like, ‘What the fuck?’ I don’t know what it is, but people are connecting. I just want to help people feel less alone.” 7 Grouplove with MUNA and Dilly Dally at Brooklyn Bowl, Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m., $28.50-$38, BrooklynBowl.com/LasVegas.

September 29 - October 5, 2016 vegasseven.com

DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS

10.01

10.08

10.15

10.22

Hidden Levels

The Acid Sisters

Same Sex Mary

Adult Books

Special-K

Serpentfoot

Glass Pools

No Tides

Indigo Kidd

The Astaires

DJ Fish

Kurumpaw

DJ Fish

DJ Jacob Savage

DJ Cromm Astaire

SATURDAYS AT THE BEER GARDEN | 8PM | 21+ | FREE PLAZA HOTEL & CASINO | 1 MAIN STREET | LAS VEGAS | plazahotelcasino.com | 702.386.2110 | #PlazaLV

In Case You Missed It:

Life Is Beautiful 2016 Still basking in the afterglow of Life Is Beautiful?

Find our complete coverage of the Downtown music and art festival—including more overheard quotes and a collection

This weekend is a memory I’m gonna cherish for a lifetime. Best festival I’ve been to, yet. #LifeIsBeautifulFest —@teenyleenyy

September 29 - October 5 , 2016 vegasseven.com

–RuPaul at the Troubadour stage

Photography by Erik Kabik

“Laughter is the most powerful spell you can cast.”

of haikus (yeah, we did that)—at VegasSeven.com.

Music, Art, awesome food and lots of booze. Damn! Life IS beautiful—especially with this [sic] awesome crew. #LifeIsBeautifulFest

—@joeconcepcionn

“We’re all gonna be such great friends after this!” Already missing the people, music, and vibes from this weekend #LifeIsBeautifulFest

—@lovelyfebruary

–Totem-holding girl at City and Colour to her obviously new bestie Thank you again to @zappos for giving away those tickets to me! It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever been to! #LifeIsBeautifulFest

—@_DBOII97

Vegas was so much fun! Met awesome people and #LifeIsBeautifulFest was perfect! —@Marrero_Marissa

@lifeisbeautiful what a weekend! Reminding us to create & celebrate this BEAUTIFUL LIFE! Shout out to @LVMPD also keepin errbody safe. —@s_wissy

September 29 - October 5, 2016 vegasseven.com

SECTION

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL

I wake up tomorrow and it’s day one again, right? That’s how it works? #LifeIsBeautifulFest —@Reyymundo

We haven’t played lots of shows this year but @lifeisbeautiful was one of the best. Thank you for getting funky with us. —@Chromeo I just want to take a moment to say everything at @lifeisbeautiful is art and I appreciate it all! Breathtaking. [sic] —@Trippyytrina None of these hotel websites will let me book a hotel for next year’s [sic] #LifeIsBeautifulFest

—@Lynoboeeleria

“You’re very beautiful. There are a million other things I could say, but that’s all I have the courage to say to your face.” –Man to woman during Mumford & Sons

On my way back to CO from Las Vegas NV … the 12 hr drive there and back was so worth it #LifeIsBeautifulFest #JCole #sogood —@_asiaa4

September 29 - October 5, 2016 vegasseven.com

67

SECTION

Roxie Amoroso designs a killer line for The Viper Room nightclub

[ WEAR THIS ]

Vicious Vintage

By -HVVLH 2·%ULHQ

Former costume designer and current owner of Exile on Main Street, Roxie Amoroso is the queen of vintage. Sure, she can find the perfectly worn tee in a sea of unwanted threads, but can she make one? Amoroso recently unveiled her first-ever line made for the infamous Sunset Strip nightclub, The Viper Room. The looks come in crops, ’90s skinny strap tanks, tees, hats and beanies all adorned with the bar name or the iconic viper woman logo. The quality is that of those rare 20-year-old soft, threadbare finds thanks to a silicone wash giving the apparel a worn feel. With the ’70s-style cut, it’s not typical merch, it’s clothing. Purchase the designs at ExileBoutique.com or at the Exile on Main Street store.

September 29 - October 5, 2016 vegasseven.com

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.