Out of the Octagon: Forrest Griffin | Vegas Seven | Sept. 14-20, 2017

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FORREST GRIFFIN OUT OF THE OCTAGON:

THE UFC CHAMP TALKS MEN'S HEALTH AND STAYING FIT July 13–19, 2017 vegasseven.com

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SEVEN NIGHTS Alejandro FernĂĄndez headlines Fiestas Patrias Mexican Independence Dayweekend celebration on September 15 at T-Mobile Arena.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Emmanuel Ortega “Babelito” Read the full story in Seven Nights.

SEPTEMBER 14–20, 2017 TO DO

11 24/7

What to do around the clock. BY SHANNON MILLER, LISSA TOWNSEND RODGERS

12 The Deal

Football weeklies offer free rolls. BY ANTHONY CURTIS

CONVERSATIONS

33 A New Kind of Gaming

Is esports big enough to be the Strip’s next big game-changer? BY DAVID MORRIS

34 All in One Basket

Jelan Kendrick takes a shot at his dream. BY NICOLE CORMIER

FEATURE

35 Ask a Native

14 )RUUHVW *ULIÀQ

BY JAMES P. REZA

Fighting for Success

Go-tos for Mexican food in Las Vegas.

36 Lucky No. 7

The MMA champ talks staying healthy after the octagon.

Our favorite (shirtless) men.

BY ROB KACHELRIESS

BY WENDOH STAFF

20 Watch Your Back

Here are some notorious offenders to men’s health in Southern Nevada. BY MICHAEL LYLE

SEVEN NIGHTS

What To Do After Dark Concerts, nightclubs, food and experiences.

TASTE

23 You Got the Flavor!

Handel’s Ice Cream brings a chill to the desert—and dessert. BY LISSA TOWNSEND RODGERS

24 Viva Las Vegans

BY JASON R. LATHAM

Breaking Barriers International icon Alejandro Fernández returns to Las Vegas on the heels of his debut album’s 25th anniversary. BY JESSI C. ACUÑA

The vegan ramen quest.

[ Hear This ]

BY DIANA EDELMAN

Dr. Emmanuel Ortega uses different mediums to spark dialogue and increase Latinx visibility in Las Vegas.

SOCIAL INFLUENCE

26 They Have Arrived

Get to know the next generation of fashionable kids. BY JUDY STONE

30 Recalling the Voters

Recall was a progressive tool. Now it’s a Republican tactic. BY MICHAEL GREEN

BY SHANNON MILLER

[ Behind the Bar ] Station Casinos’ new beverage team will revolutionize off-Strip casino bars. BY XANIA V. WOODMAN

OUR SITES TO SEE

VegasSeven.com Unlocking Creativity Local artist Mallory Dawn uses hotel room NH\FDUGV IRU 7KH &RVPRSROLWDQ·V QHZ DUW installation.

DTLV.com Back to School in the Early 1900s Back in the day, DTLV was a lot like Little House on the Prairie, and school was no exception.

LifeIsBeautiful.com Hello Beautiful Get to know the head of music and live performances for the forthcoming music and art festival.

SpyOnVegas.com The Hookup Find upcoming events, see highlights from the hottest parties, meet the DJs and more.

September 1 4–20, 2017 vegasseven.com

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Krystal Ramirez Online DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL CONTENT

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TO DO

What to do around the clock in Las Vegas

1HWÁL[·V First They Killed My Father

By Shannon Miller and Lissa Townsend Rodgers THURSDAY 14

FRIDAY 15

Watch two of the most legendary Mexican pop/rock musicians, Gloria Trevi and Alejandra Guzmán, hash out their longtime rivalry onstage at The Colosseum. 8 p.m., tickets start at $61, at Caesars Palace, thecolosseum.com

Ballet Folklorico de Martha Luévanos performs colorful Mexican dances at Winchester Cultural Center. 6 p.m., $7, 3130 McLeod Dr., clarkcountynv.gov

PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX

Double Down Saloon hosts another TV Party, this time featuring The Filth and the Fury, Julien Temple’s documentary about the rise and fall of the Sex Pistols. The event is complete with video mashups, music from DJ Atomic and DJ Fish and free popcorn. 9 p.m., 4640 Paradise Rd., doubledownsaloon.com Time to stretch! Yoga instructor Dray Gardner hosts Silent Savasana poolside at Green Valley Ranch Resort. Don’t forget that yoga mat! 7 p.m., 2300 Paseo Verde Pkwy., facebook.com/silentsavasana

Michelle Johnson performs the songs of Carole King in Tapestry Unraveled. 8 p.m., $22–$40, Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com Thee Swank Bastards, the Psyatics, the Quitters, the Negative Nancys, the All-Togethers, Wolfhounds and Gold Top Bob join forces for a

bartender’s benefit at Double Down Saloon. 10 p.m., 4640 Paradise Rd., doubledownsaloon.com

Lil Yachty gives an all-ages show at Brooklyn Bowl.

Weird West is this month’s theme of the Sci Fi Center’s monthly B-Movie Burlesque series. Catch topnotch performances by Cinder Sparx, Lady Lilith, Sweetie Bird and more. 8 p.m., $10, 5077 Arville St., thescificenter.com

Bonus: Your ticket purchase includes one physical CD of LY’s forthcoming album, Teenage Emotions. 7 p.m., tickets start at $35, at The Linq Promenade, brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas

Beauty Bar has you covered for rock from the ’60s through the ’80s with Tribute Night: the Doors vs. the Smiths. 8 p.m., $10, 517 Fremont St., beautybarlv.com

Netflix adds a few selections worthy of viewing, including the streaming service’s original film First They Killed My Father and the fascinating documentary Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World. netflix.com SATURDAY 16

The Mob Museum’s Sip + Savor hosts blind tastings of four speakeasy favorites: whiskey, gin, rum and moonshine. Learn about the history of Prohibition, how spirits are made and how to tell them apart. 2–5 p.m., $5 in addition to $21 adult museum admission, 300 Stewart Ave., themobmuseum.org Enjoy An Afternoon of Classic Lily Tomlin as the seven-time Emmy winner takes the stage at Reynolds Hall for some stories and, of course, a whole lot of laughter. 2 p.m., $29–$85, at The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com Rock out to Sammy Hagar and Guns ‘N Roses tributes Three Lock Box and Lose Your Illusion at

Count’s Vamp’d Rock Bar & Grill. 9:30 p.m., 6750 W. Sahara Ave., vampdvegas.com

September 1 4–20, 2017 vegasseven.com

11

TO DO

24/7

THE DEAL BY ANTHONY CURTIS

Football Weeklies Offer Free Rolls THE WINDOW IS CLOSED FOR ENTERING

It’s Mexican Independence Day weekend, which means Latin music stars are invading Las Vegas. Catch Enrique Iglesias at The Colosseum tonight. 8 p.m., tickets start at $50, at Caesars Palace, thecolosseum.com South African singer-songwriter, guitarist and crowdpleaser Jonathan Butler performs at the Foundry. 8 p.m., tickets start at $40, inside SLS Las Vegas, foundrylv.com SUNDAY 17

Consider yourself a fan of Little Girl Blue? Don’t miss Carolyn Walden Celebrates Nina Simone at The Smith Center’s Cabaret Jazz. 2 p.m., tickets start at $25, thesmithcenter.com E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial phones home at six theaters in the Valley for the film’s 35th anniversary. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., ticket prices and theaters vary, fathomevents.com MONDAY 18

Professor George William Van Cleve discusses the tumultuous road to the U.S. Constitution at this year’s installment of UNLV’s Constitution Day Public Lecture. 7 p.m., Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art at UNLV, unlv.edu/barrickmuseum

TUESDAY 19

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire dance their way through a glossy art deco fantasy to the tunes of Irving Berlin in Top Hat. Catch the classic film today at the Clark County Library. 1 p.m., 1401 E. Flamingo Rd., lvccld.org Take in the experiences of one of the youngest White House speechwriters (and President Barack Obama’s goto comedy writer), David Litt, in Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years. The book hits shelves today. $28, harpercollins.com Do you have any friends or relatives who might not be able to call for help if they were to fall? Bring them to Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health for free balance and memory screenings in recognition of National Fall Prevention Day. The event also features discussions on exercise and diet changes for healthy aging. 1–4 p.m., 888 W. Bonneville Ave., registration required, walk-ins not accepted, keepmemoryalive.org/screen17 PUB 365 hosts Able Baker Brewing during its Meet the Brewer Happy Hour. Enjoy the local brewing operation’s Atomic Duck IPA, priced at $3.65 today. 6 p.m, inside Tuscany Suites & Casino, tuscanylv.com WEDNESDAY 20

Lift those Monday spirits during The Bunkhouse Saloon’s Monday Night Karaoke. 10 p.m., 124 S. 11th St., bunkhousedowntown.com

Enrique Iglesias

See the experimental collaboration and power of musical bonds at the Magpie Salute’s performance at Brooklyn Bowl. 7 p.m., tickets start at $28, at The Linq Promenade, brooklynbowl.com/las-vegas Looking for more stuff to do? Go to vegasseven. com/event-directory.

the big-money football contests, but you can still play the smaller ones with weekly prizes for the rest of the season. These are no-brainer free-rolls that lurk all over town. Translation: The worst you can do is break even and have some fun in the process. The best? You could win up to $30,000. That $30K prize is handed out weekly in the Boyd’s “Pick the Pros” contest. It’s an aggregate prize, which means it’s split if there are multiple winners, and there’s a good chance of that (so what?). The other big weekly contest is “Gridiron Glory” at Station properties. First prize each week is $10K and, if you play it regularly, you’ll also receive smaller prizes on a regular basis. They’re usually something like $1.50 in club points or a free drink, but more valuable possibilities are also there. Moving down the list, a good contest is “College Football Clash” at Wild Wild West, Barley’s and Wildfire at Boulder and Rancho, as well as Wildfire Lanes at Sunset. This one awards $500 in weekly prizes to the top three finishers. It’s a college-game contest, so you have to have your picks in before the games kick off on Saturdays. The Longhorn has an under-the-radar contest for Monday-night games. In this one, you play against a payout schedule, not the other players, for aggregated payouts of $1,000 for a perfect card, $500 for one miss, $300 for two misses, $200 for three misses and dinner for two for four misses (thankfully, not aggregated). Several casinos run smaller contests that are kiosk-based, where all you need to do is swipe a players card to submit an entry. As of now, I can confirm that there are weekly freebie kiosk contests at Rampart, Ellis Island, Hard Rock, Klondike Sunset and Silverton. Of these, the Rampart’s “Red Zone to Riches” is particularly interesting in that it pays 17 places every week. The Rampart isn’t a very convenient location for most people. Accordingly, its contest figures to be more sparsely played than those at more centrally located properties: There’s opportunity here. As much as I like the casino offerings, the ones I enjoy uncovering the most are the contests in the local bars. Look around whenever you’re in a new place. In most spots where they’re running a contest, there’ll be rectangular placards on the bar. The placards at O’Aces Decatur, for example, promote its Monday Night Football contest with a $200 prize for the winner and a chance at $10K if you fill out a perfect card. It’s free to play and you can submit one every day of the week for a total of seven entries. These weekly contests are total freerolls: You can’t lose! But make sure you read the fine print. According to the O’Aces rules, your entry is void if you don’t fill it out in ink. Invalidating a winner for using a pencil would be a bummer. 7 Anthony Curtis is the publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor and lasvegasadvisor.com.

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September 1 4–20, 2017 vegasseven.com

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THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER AND UFC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE REFLECTS ON HIS CAREER AND SHARES HOW HE MAINTAINS HIS FITNESS SINCE RETIRING

FORREST BY ROB KACHELRIESS PHOTOGRAPHY KRYSTAL RAMIREZ

14

July 13–19, 2017 vegasseven.com

GRIFFIN

FIGHTING FOR FITNESS

WHAT DOES A 38-YEAR-OLD FORMER UFC CHAMPION DO TO STAY HEALTHY NOW THAT HE'S RETIRED FROM THE OCTAGON? "I GET PROSTATE EXAMS ALL THE TIME," JOKES FORREST GRIFFIN. "I DON'T NEED 'EM. BUT I GET 'EM AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE." Following a seven-year mixed martial arts career in the UFC, Griffin remains with the company as vice president of athlete development at the UFC Performance Institute. "It's a 30,000-square-foot training facility designed for UFC fighters," Griffin says. "We have an octagon, boxing ring—literally everything you need." Found inside the UFC's new headquarters in the southwest Valley, the Performance Institute also provides a new level of education for fighters on how to improve their skills, extend their careers and take care of their bodies. It's a resource that Griffin says would have been valuable during his time as an active competitor.

UFC is very serious about its drug testing. Is that a big part of the education program at the Performance Institute? Of course. The UFC has a partnership with USADA [the United States Anti-Doping Agency], an independent third party that tests Olympic athletes. UFC athletes are involved in the most stringent drug testing program in the world. The UFC wants guys and gals to be healthier, make weight easier, have longer careers and be able to fight as long as they want to fight. 7KHUH KDYH EHHQ FDVHV ZKHUH D Ă€JKWHU will test positive and claim a legal supplement was tainted. That's happened with Jon Jones more than once now. You'd be surprised at how much shit is on the market. Some of the stuff I took over the counter or even from GNC probably would have made me pop positive on these [new] tests. A lot of the excuses you've heard about—“Oh, it was a tainted supplementâ€?—that's actually been proven correct by the double-testing USADA does. What's your take on the current Jon Jones situation? [At press time, Jones remains under investigation for a positive GUXJ WHVW WKDW LI FRQĂ€UPHG FRXOG OHDYH him suspended from competition and stripped of the light heavyweight championship title.] We have the best testing and regulatory procedures in place. Let's let them play out. Let's test everything. Let's wait until there's a conclusion before we try to make one. I know Jon Jones pretty well. He doesn't get the credit he deserves because everybody thinks his confidence comes from his physical abilities—his reach, his quickness and having a great chin. A lot of his confidence comes from him knowing he can't be broken. He always fights above himself. He's a competitor. He's got no quit in him.

17

It sounds like you're keeping an open mind. I would hate to lose a guy who's that popular for two years [if suspended].

'R \RX HYHU IHHO \RX KDYH RQH PRUH ÀJKW LQ you? No, but I miss the training. I miss that sense of purpose.

What's the key to longevity in MMA? One of the things we work on at the Performance Institute is teaching smarter ways to train—with more intelligent volume. I don't know if you ever read George Orwell's Animal Farm, but the horse follows a motto of, “when in doubt, work harder.” That used to be my motto. The phrase “work smarter, not harder” is kind of tacky, but there's something to be said about it.

<RXU ODVW ÀJKW ZDV D YLFWRU\ RYHU 7LWR 2UWL] :DV ZUDSSLQJ XS WKH WULORJ\ ZLWK KLP D JRRG ZD\ WR JR RXW" No. Not at all. I was scheduled to fight [Phil Davis] and three weeks before, I blew my knee out. There were a lot of fights I wanted that I didn't get. I pulled out of two of my last four fights.

Any lingering health issues leftover from your time in the octagon? My knee doesn't agree with running and my shoulders are garbage from years of pummeling and clinch wrestling. This business of using your body leaves everybody banged up no matter what sport you play.

"I HAD SOME FRIENDS WHO RETIRED FROM THE NFL, AND ONE PIECE OF ADVICE THEY GAVE ME IS TO NEVER STOP MOVING. AS YOU GET OLDER, IF YOU STOP MOVING, IT JUST GETS HARDER AND HARDER TO START AGAIN."

18

$Q\ GUHDP RSSRQHQWV ZKR QHYHU ZRUNHG out? The best fight would've been me in my prime against Wanderlei Silva. He's a guy I looked up to. I liked his fighting style. He was always exciting to watch.

+RZ ZRXOG \RX FRPSDUH \RXU GLHW WRGD\ WR ZKHQ \RX ZHUH LQ WKH RFWDJRQ" I just eat less. When you go from working out 20 hours a week to eight hours a week, you adjust your calories. I would have a couple cheat meals [after a fight], but within a week of competition, I was back to eating like a professional athlete. My wife used to make a post-fight lasagna and carrot cake for me. It's funny: the lasagna was actually made with vegetables in place of pasta, and that was one of my favorite cheat foods. :KDW GR SUR DWKOHWHV NQRZ WKDW WKH DYHUDJH SHUVRQ PLJKW QRW WKLQN DERXW ZKHQ LW FRPHV to maintaining health? Just use your body. I had some friends who retired from the NFL, and one piece of advice they gave me is to never stop moving. As you get older, if you stop moving, it just gets harder and harder to start again. A body at rest remains at rest. A body in motion tends to remain in motion. You need to keep moving. Do something every day. 7

19

h c t a W Y our Back

Here are some of the most notorious offenders affecting men’s health in Southern Nevada By Michael Lyle

Illustrations Cierra Pedro

Cancer

Don’t skip that suggested yearly physical. According to the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD), males have 29.7 percent (per 100,000 individuals) more deaths caused by cancer compared to females in Southern Nevada. Dr. Ronald Hedger, an associate professor and associate dean of clinical skills training at Touro University, says cancer often goes undetected because men are less likely to go to a doctor for regular checkups. In general, Hedger says men between 25 and 40 should get a screening at least every few years, or if they’re having symptoms. “Get an annual blood test to see your cholesterol and make sure everything is OK,” he says. It’s during those checkups that other pressing health issues, like cancer, might be identified. “And it’s better to discover those earlier than later,” Hedger adds.

Cardiovascular Disease

Whether due to genetics or other outside factors, cardiovascular disease is also an issue for Las Vegans. According to the Healthy Southern Nevada report on age-adjusted death rates in Clark County, the rate of fatal heart disease is higher in men than women—127 per 100,000 vs. 68 per 100,000. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes can contribute to heart disease.

STDs

“People hear about syphilis and think it’s something of the past that has gone away,” says Dr. Michael Johnson, the director of community health with the SNHD, “but it hasn’t.” According to the 2016 annual program report from the Office of Epidemiology within the health district, men are contracting gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV at higher rates than women. Some of it is misinformation around STDs and how they can be contracted. Johnson says many people are less concerned about diseases, including HIV, because treatment is available for some STDs, which leads people to believe it’s available for all STDs. This leads to higher rates of unprotected sex. “People need to be practicing safe sex, especially if they have multiple partners,” he says. “And if they are concerned they might be infected, they should get tested.”

Diabetes

Diabetes is having a bigger impact than people realize. In 2015, diabetes caused 13.4 deaths per 100,000 people among males, which has been a consistent trend since 2004, according to the SNHD. One of the common risk factors for diabetes is obesity, which has also risen. Males in the Valley are more obese than females, 28.9 percent versus 25.2 percent, respectively.

Poor Nutrition/ Unhealthy Lifestyle Choices

Some of the health issues people face—such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease—can be traced to their lifestyle choices. According to SNHD, about 25 percent of local males reported smoking. The survey also reports males consistently consume fewer vegetables than females do, and about 20 percent of men said they don’t consume vegetables at all. Damon McCune, a dietitian and the director of food and nutrition outreach of the California Beef Council, says that it’s more than just getting fruits and vegetables. “It’s about finding a balanced diet,” he adds. McCune notes many people go off the notion that they should be having a 2,000-calorie diet. “But if you’re a 6-foot-4, 245-pound-man, that might not be the best thing,” he says. McCune suggests men seek a certified dietitian to see what works for them and their body type. Johnson adds that people can ease into a healthier lifestyle at their pace. “People think you have to change everything at once,” he says. “You can make the small changes. Those small wins really add up.”

Low Testosterone

Feeling tired? Having low energy? Dealing with a declining libido? Those long-winded ads on television (you know, the ones with the scary health warnings) are actually trying to tell men something. As they get into their 40s, 50s or 60s, men usually see a decrease in testosterone levels. However, a significant drop can negatively impact health, whether it’s low energy or lack of a sex drive. “I think this is an issue we’re just really starting to talk about,” Hedger says. There are therapies, such as injections and gels—Hedger adds that men can feel the impact of those relatively quickly. “Once they get treatment, they will have more energy,” he says. “They get their second wind, start exercising again and have enhanced mental capacity.”

Accidents

Enough with the hypermasculinity, because the need for speed or unnecessary risks is actually killing men at higher rates. According to the SNHD, men are more likely than women to die from an injury, which could be anything from firearm use to motor vehicle accidents. Since 2010, unintentional accidents were the No. 3 cause of death among men in Clark County (compared to the No. 5 cause among women). 7

September 1 4–20, 2017 vegasseven.com

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SMALL BITE

TASTE

YOU GOT THE FLAVOR! +DQGHOÓV LFH FUHDP EULQJV D FKLé WR WKH GHVHUWÑDQG GHVVHUW By Lissa Townsend Rodgers

Photography Krystal Ramirez

+DQGHO·V +RPHPDGH ,FH &UHDP <RJXUW 10170 W. Tropicana Ave. 11 a.m.–10 p.m. daily handelsicecream.com

P

eople love a good backstory served alongside their food, and it doesn’t get more classic than Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt. The company launched more than 70 years ago, when Alice Handel began selling ice cream out of her husband’s gas station in Ohio. It has since spread throughout the state and dots the nation, including a Las Vegas outpost. With their retro packaging and eccentric flavors, one might think Handel’s is just kitsch, but the taste will convince even those who aren’t big fans of the cold stuff. Handel’s boasts that they make their ice cream in-house daily with fresh ingredients, and the proof is in the scoop. The coffee chocolate chip carries the rich flavor of real coffee mixed in, not just a few drops of concentrate added per 1,000 gallons; the strawberry has the taste and texture of the berries in a luscious swirl of frozen strawberries and cream. Their salty caramel truffle is more like a high-end dessert than something a teenager hands you through a window, with a smooth, almost mousse-like texture and chunks of candy. For those triple-digit days, Handel’s makes a sorbet that is chillier than Melania Trump swatting away her husband’s hand, and the pink Champagne is a standout, with a rosy princessy color and a sweet-dry Champagne taste. The Las Vegas Handel’s is far west on Tropicana Avenue (10170 W. Tropicana Ave., Suite. 150, handelsicecream.com), but worth the haul. Need more convincing? On Tuesdays, there’s a $2 cone deal, although the four-flavor sampler is a bargain any day of the week at four bucks and change. No deciding between key lime pie and blueberry cobbler or cinnamon pecan and orange pineapple: Go ahead and have ’em all! 7

September 1 4–20, 2017 vegasseven.com

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VIVA LAS VEGANS

TASTE

THE VEGAN RAMEN QUEST By Diana Edelman Photography Krystal Ramirez

Caption goes here

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raving some ramen noodles but need ’em veganized? Sure, it’s a twist on the traditional style that typically pairs the wheat noodles with meat or fish broth, but plant-based versions can be found in town. If you’re on a budget, head over to KABUKI JAPANESE RESTAURANT (Town Square, Tivoli Village, kabukirestaurants. com) for a bowl packed with sautéed kale, onions and bean sprouts for $8.95. If spice is your jam, JINYA RAMEN BAR (4860 W. Flamingo Rd., jinya-ramenbar. com) is the spot.

Made with some serious love—they use Fuji water and age the handmade noodles for three days before they journey into your bowl— the Spicy Creamy Vegan Ramen is what dreams are made of. Seriously. For $11 you get a gorgeous bowl packed with spinach, onions (crispy and green), tofu, sesame seeds, garlic and chili oils and garlic chips. MOKO RAMEN BAR (6350 W. Charleston Blvd., mokoramen. com) allows you to go vegan with spinach noodles. Here, bowls start at $6.50 (you’ll want the miso broth), and then add on the veggies and spices. Or order the vegan ramen offering, which will set you back about $15. 7

They Have Arrived GET TO KNOW THE NEXT GENERATION OF FASHIONABLE KIDS

By Judy Stone Photography Anthony Mair

Hayden Mair 2 years old in October It’s not easy having a father who has a keen eye for beauty and fashion, but Hayden Mair is doing a pretty good job keeping up with his photographer father, Anthony. In fact, the toddler had no problem taking dad’s direction on the set—well, maybe it required some Bruno Mars. When Hayden isn’t in front of the lens, he’s usually having a Jurassic Park moment with one of his many dinosaurs. Describe your fashion style. My style is ever-evolving. Mommy used to dress me in the RompHims. She says they were easier to change my diapers in, but now I’ve moved on to big-boy T-shirts and jeans. I like streetwear fashion with fun colors and cool, youthful illustrations. I always like looking polished to follow my English roots.

Dad is used to working with divas, so it must take a lot to drive him crazy. What’s the one thing you do that gets under his skin? I’m still learning the English language, so sometimes I can’t put into words that I just want my blankie. So I just cry until Daddy tries everything, and eventually he figures it out. Who has a stronger influence on your style, Mom or Dad, and why? Daddy has the cool sneakers and hair to look up to, but Mommy picks the special pieces that get me attention on the playground. Finish this sentence: “I never leave home without … ” My Armani diaper bag—I come prepared. And in the bag, you guessed it, dinosaurs. Pampers or Huggies? Pampers Baby Dry always keeps me feeling fresh! How do you feel about shoes? I have a cool collection of Nike Air Maxs and Air Jordans. Biggest wardrobe malfunction? When I get “oats” stuck on my clothes.

Kenzo jacket, Janie & Jack zip-up hoodie; Ralph Lauren T-shirt; Zara pants; Nike sneakers.

SOCIAL INFLUENCE

Charlie Rose Evaluna 4 Ω years old

Charlie might be the Stella McCartney of Las Vegas. She loves animals so much so that this toddler is vegan. Her healthy lifestyle doesn’t stop there. She enjoys kids yoga at Home Means Yoga and, of course, the great outdoors, where she delights in singing to her animal friends.

Describe your style. My style is being as cute as I am. I like to switch between “cool” days and “pretty” days. On cool days I wear dark colors and vintage favorites, like my Breakfast Club T-shirt. On pretty days I wear pink tutus and things that shimmer and shine. What is your go-to outfit? Overalls, boots and my Sunrise Coffee T-shirt. I hope every day for a chance to get muddy. The great outdoors or room service? You know, both are good, but my favorite day would be a playdate with my three brothers and sisters in the forest. I love climbing and exploring in the wild. Is there an accessory you just can’t live without? I can’t live without my necklaces. I’ve had my amber necklace on since I was 6 months old and they protect me and calm me. I also love my Ruby Dark side of the Moon necklace from local jeweler I Adorn U, because my last name is Evaluna and I adore the moon. What is the most special piece in your closet? My nickname is Foxy. My grandma Wendy makes me special clothes with foxes on them. Handmade pieces are always the most special.

I Adorn U necklace; Well Rounded Momma necklace; Baby Gap sweater; Carolina Zapf New York vintage dress; Target tights, socks, boots and fox ears; OshKosh Natural satchel.

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SOCIAL INFLUENCE

Madden Mohammednur, a.k.a. Baby Attack 3 years old in November

Madden’s father, DJ M!ke Attack, may swing between nightlife and daylife, but his offspring is strictly a cabana kind of kid with a beachy style. If he’s not swimming, he’s hanging at the playground, sending all the toddler hearts aflutter as he cruises by on his four-wheeler or hits up the slide with his signature shades. He’s probably acting like a superhero too—he loves those guys—but the surefire way to get his attention: marshmallows.

Who wins in the ultimate evil fashion showdown, Darth Vader or the Joker? Darth Vader always wins. Potty training: Been there, done that; counting the days; or I’m going to keep rocking these diapers? Been there, done that. Undies for the win. If you could wear only one thing, what would it be? My Darth Vader Halloween costume.

Daylife or nightlife? Daylife, because I get to go to school and play with my friends! On my days off I like to go swimming with my mommy and daddy in our pool. What is your go-to look? Ripped denim, a T-shirt and Vans. What is the biggest fashion risk you have taken? My parents took me to Big Bear once and put me in a full snow outfit. It did keep me warm, though.

Zara jacket, shirt and denim pants; Adidas sneakers.

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Kiarra Lyn Waidelich 12 years old Kiarra lives to dance. Her dream is to be a professional ballerina, and she is certainly well on that path as a member of the preprofessional program at The Rock Center for Dance. The Henderson resident, who names Zara, Tilly’s and H&M as her favorite stores, says her style outside of tutus is usually sporty, quirky and casual. Who is your style icon? My style icons are Krystal Bick and Emma Watson. What was it like getting your first pair of pointe shoes? It was so exciting! I was so happy that day to finally be strong enough to go en pointe. At first my feet weren’t used to it, so it really hurt. But the more I did it, the better I got and the stronger I became. You love to dance. So which Las Vegas headliner would you like to see, J. Lo or Britney? J. Lo. She is so inspiring, fierce and so beautiful. What current style trend is just not for you? Chokers. Maybe it’s because I am a dancer, but they make my neck look short, and I don’t like it. What is your favorite accessory that you own? A ring that is shaped like a branch that my mom bought for me during my first regional ballet competition. Explain your favorite back-to-school look. My school has a dress code and it can be hard not wearing all the cute shirts that are cut at the shoulders or finding shorts that are long enough, but I find a way to stay within code and keep it interesting. I like wearing a fun, unique shirt with casual jeans and my Converse sneakers. You have four younger siblings. Tell us how you stay sane. Honestly, my younger siblings keep me grounded and help me remember to do kid things, because I am still a kid, of course. I like that each one is unique and we have different things that we bond over.

Zara denim dress; Russian Pointe pointe shoes.

SOCIAL INFLUENCE

POLITICS

By Michael Green

Recalling the Voters RECALL WAS A PROGRESSIVE TOOL—NOW IT’S A REPUBLICAN TACTIC

W

hen was the last time someone came to your door to ask you not to do something? If the answer is never, wait for a Nevada Democrat to show up. Democrats are walking in three state senate districts to discourage people from signing a recall petition ginned up by Republicans to get rid of three female state senators over an issue of policy and law that… oh, let’s face it. They’re being recalled for being women in districts where Republicans think they can win, and thus regain control of the state senate and start undoing what Republican governor Brian Sandoval has accomplished. The three are Democrats Joyce Woodhouse and Nicole Cannizzaro, as well as Patricia Farley, who was elected as a Republican but switched to Independent in part because her fellow Republicans were treating her like a woman of ’17—1917, that is. Democrats, naturally, have criticized their counterparts across the aisle and, unusually, responded with a campaign of their own to dissuade constituents from signing. State senate minority leader Michael Roberson said the women and their Democratic colleagues were “pro-felon and anti-business.” The law firm handling the recalls is Hutchison & Steffen, and the first name there belongs to the current Republican lieutenant governor, who disclaims any involvement. The recall is a cherished relic of the Progressive Era, which includes a word that Republicans dismiss with disdain— strangely, since even in Nevada, many of the leading progressives were Republicans. It became part of the Nevada Constitution in 1912 when the voters approved it. That same year Nevadans threw their electoral votes to Democrat Woodrow Wilson, thanks to a national GOP divided between traditional conservative William Howard Taft and the more progressive Teddy Roosevelt, who also happened to be an opinionated New Yorker who was both part of the establishment and an enemy of it (before this goes further, the only comparisons). Recall petitions have been common, especially in rural Nevada, where the political often becomes personal. But successful ones have been rare. One Las Vegas City Council member, Janet Moncrief, was recalled in 2004. Three of the five North Las Vegas City Council members were recalled in 1976 in a battle over pay for the police, who campaigned ardently on the issue. Otherwise, recall efforts have largely not accomplished what the progressives intended—to root out corruption, force well-bribed legislators to heed the public and give the people a voice. Rather, they have been like this one: based in disagreement or political gain. One of the more memorable recall efforts in Southern Nevada involved higher-education regents who had supported then-UNLV president Robert Maxson in his battles with basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian. Some Tarkanian supporters tried to remove them, but to no avail. It didn’t help that several of the signers lived at nonexistent addresses or boarded-up buildings.

That can happen in any situation, but allow me a personal note. In the late 1990s, Clark County Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates offended Las Vegas Sands mogul Sheldon Adelson (this was long before he owned the Review-Journal, but she was a Democrat, so the R-J didn’t like her anyway). Atkinson Gates often faced ethics charges, as did several other commissioners at the time. She was involved in a frozen daiquiri business she was trying to expand, which is what capitalism is all about. Also, several commissioners got into trouble over how they administered the concessions for the thennew airport D gates. Adelson helped finance a recall drive, as was certainly his right. At the time, I taught at the College of Southern Nevada’s Cheyenne campus in North Las Vegas. People with clipboards were circling the entrance and ignored me. When I got to my office, our administrative assistant handed me some papers. They were all about the need to recall Atkinson Gates. She said some guy at the entrance handed them to her, but she didn’t live in that county commission district. Curious, I went out a side door and came around the front. Again, ignored. I circled to another door and came back to the entrance. Once again, ignored. Coincidence? Maybe, except I noticed that those collecting the signatures were stopping only African Ameri-

Certain things are not progress—WiFi on airplanes, pineapple on pizza, trying to thwart the people’s will.

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can students and staff. I am white. Our administrative assistant was African American. So is Atkinson Gates. She represented parts of West Las Vegas and North Las Vegas … and such elite areas as Rancho Circle. It’s hard to say how the progressive founding fathers of the recall would have felt about such a move. They weren’t all that racially enlightened, but they also didn’t think those in Adelson’s bracket needed help getting the attention of politicians. Whether or not they were always progressive as we define it today, they believed in progress. Certain things are not progress—WiFi on airplanes, pineapple on pizza, trying to thwart the people’s will. Those behind the current petition drive obviously support one of those, and it isn’t WiFi or pineapples. 7 Michael Green is an associate professor of history at UNLV.

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CONVERSATIONS

A New Kind of Gaming F

By David Morris

or those of us who aren’t gamers, it’s hard to imagine that there are young adults out there who can make up to seven figures playing video games. But thanks to the recent exponential growth of esports—video game competitions—talented gamers are living very much like professional athletes. In the past few years, esports competitions have been packing venues as big as Madison Square Garden, and the industry as a whole is expected to surpass $1.5 billion by 2020. While competitions are often hosted at varied venues, from lounges to convention centers, a permanent esports arena is opening at Luxor in early 2018—and a dedicated space for gaming competitions should bring a whole new demographic to the city. This comes as great news for VFD Marketing, a Miami Beach-based agency with representatives in Las Vegas. The firm just took on Echo Fox, an esports franchise owned by three-time NBA champion and retired L.A. Laker Rick Fox, to provide marketing services including sponsorship procurement and management as well as website development and design. A consortium of teams, Echo Fox groups participate in a multitude of video games, including League of Legends, Gears of War 4 and Mortal Kombat X. VFD initially focused on creating branding and sponsorships in more established athletics arenas, specifically UFC. “In traditional sports, you have the L.A. Lakers, who just participate in basketball. What we do is more like the Olympics and Echo Fox is set up like a country,” VFD founding partner Elie Deshe says. “We want [Echo Fox] to be the USA of these sports and have a great program across different events ... [while wearing] the same jersey [as part of] the same team.” Putting video gamers and Olympians in the same athletic category is not a comparison that would come naturally to most people. However, Elie and his brother Daniel, a partner at VFD, say their players are treated like athletes, just like in any other sport. “Our athletes are training on average around eight to 12 hours a day,” Elie says. “And, in addition to that, they also go to the gym every day to work out to get physical exercise so that they have the stamina when the games are being played.” As Elie explains, the high level of competition and fan base around the game are what draw out the similarities between esports and other traditional sports. “There’s practice, teamwork, strategy, stamina and endurance. It’s probably hard for some people to recognize it right away as a sport. There are some people who think that NASCAR drivers or golfers aren’t real athletes. I think most people who really appreciate [those] sports can recognize [those participants] as athletes as well.” The fan base behind gaming is massive. The 2016 World Championship finals of League of Legends achieved a peak of 14.7 million concurrent views—about the same as the PGA’s Masters tournament. And, Las Vegas being the cutting-edge epicenter of entertainment that it is, it’s no surprise local entities are investing big. Beyond the worldwide support of the industry, there are many high-profile names attached to esports. “[Rick Fox] was the first traditional sports celebrity to come into the space and validate what these kids do,” Daniel says. “After Rick, you saw a lot of dominos falling. Shaq came in, A-Rod, all these people started investing. NBA owners started buying teams. Rick was the linchpin in really making esports mainstream.” While esports is quickly becoming more conventional, the average Las Vegas consumer is still unlikely to know what the sport is. But the addition of the Luxor arena has the potential to bring in a long list of monetization opportunities. There’s a worldwide

Is esports going to be the Strip’s next big game-changer? audience of adults who not only play, but also would pay to watch the best in the world face off in a place where the production and experience are at their pinnacle. The 30,000-square-foot space will feel just like any other sporting arena, with seating surrounding the competition stage, top-quality LED screens and food and beverage offerings. Esports competitions are expected to reach a live viewership level of 6.7 billion by 2018. The World Championship at Los Angeles’ Staples Center sold out in less than an hour and had 43 million live viewers. TBS is airing Eleague games in prime-time slots, and ESPN and Yahoo also have dedicated coverage. The demand for the sport is high and is only getting higher. Will esports one day surpass the Super Bowl in viewership? At least right now, that’s no longer an unbelievable idea. 7

Daniel and Elie Deshe

Photography Anthony Mair

September 1 4–20, 2017 vegasseven.com

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CONVERSATIONS

THE COME UP

Jelan Kendrick takes a shot at his dream

All in One

Basket By Nicole Cormier

Photography Andrew Sea James

The methods to become whole often end up defining a person. Whether through religion, self-reflection, travel or other means, each individual’s path is unique. For Jelan Kendrick, the journey has been long—but it has only just begun. When watching Kendrick, 25, taking shots on the basketball court, his athletic gifts are immediately apparent. With hopes to make it to the NBA, he works his 6-foot-7 frame to the bone—every day is training day for Kendrick. From two- to three-a-day training sessions peppered with yoga, meditation and devouring book after book, he’s preparing his body and mind for the pros, and he’s not taking no for an answer. “I made a decision to put all my eggs in one basket,” he says. “I know a lot of people say [to not] do that—and that’s exactly what I’m doing, and I’m going to achieve my goals.” Despite his drive and contagious positivity, Kendrick has come a long way. “MY DAD WAS A COMPETITOR and he exposed me to basketball at a very young age,” Kendrick says. But it wasn’t only sports that stroked the competitive spirit. “I saw my dad come home from work with a gash in his leg [from an accident with a weed eater while landscaping a yard] about 3 inches deep, and he put glue in it and pushed it together because he had to finish the job,” he says. “I’ve always seen how driven my dad was. It’s so beautiful to me: He never stopped dreaming, he never stopped working, he never stopped driving.” Kendrick’s dad, who played church basketball and had an affinity for the game, helping many kids with the fundamentals, pushed Kendrick to try it. “When it came to basketball, I knew my dad was obsessed, so I wanted to beat his obsession. I got up before he got up, I would stay in the gym longer than he wanted to stay. I wanted to be so annoying that he’d be like, ‘Let’s go!’ There were times when I was dead tired and didn’t want to do it, but that competitive spirit pushed me to go harder than him. “When I initially started playing basketball, I wasn’t the fastest, I didn’t

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jump the highest, I wasn’t the best shooter. I wasn’t anything great. But I was obsessed, I was consistent and I worked my butt off.” It was this unyielding work ethic that skyrocketed Kendrick into becoming one of the top high school basketball players in the country. In 2010, as a senior, he was named a McDonald’s All American at Joseph Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia, which is less than an hour drive from his hometown of College Park. “Growing up in College Park was amazing. For the outsider looking in, it would be viewed as a dilapidated, violent culture. But when you grow up there you think differently,” he says. “Even though a lot of people didn’t make it out, I think the lessons learned there were something that were instilled in me and helped carve the person I am today. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Kendrick had many options to leave his beloved home base, but it’s when he got to college—at the tender age of 17—that challenges arose and the pressures of being a young athlete came to a head. IN FOUR YEARS KENDRICK attended four colleges, eventually finishing at UNLV, earning two degrees. Although he was part of three stellar teams before arriving in Las Vegas—University of Memphis, Ole Miss and Indian Hills Junior College—his many transitions were the result of being a kid faced with adult realities to succeed and perform. Conflicts caught up with him and played out in his relationships on the court. It was then that he learned a valuable lesson about oftentimes intense media scrutiny, which according to Kendrick, was without warrant. Being typecast was tough for him to reconcile. “There’s a fine line between passion and attitude,” he says. “If you ever get a label that is associated with attitude, it’s almost like you can’t be passionate anymore.” It chipped away at his psyche—a change, he says, from being beloved by his peers and coaches in his adolescence. Though things evened out by the time he made it to UNLV for his junior and

ASK A NATIVE

“I had $28 in my bank account. One day I woke up and said, ‘$28 is better than $27.’ I told myself that for a week. [Then] I said, ‘I’m gonna be happy about every single thing in life. Period. I will never be sad again, I’ll never feel sorry for myself again—never.’”

senior years, he was no longer putting up the same numbers on the court than he was when he was younger. “It was a difficult time, but I also think it was a needed time,” he says. He graduated in spring 2015. After what he says was a well-received practice with the Golden State Warriors in May of the same year, he was disappointed that it didn’t end up in a contract. He went back to College Park. “I got a job, because what else was I doing— waiting for a phone call?” he says. “I started working at Top Golf [in Atlanta], and after a couple weeks they offered me a salary job. I went home and I thought, ‘This isn’t my life. I don’t know what is, but this isn’t it.’” He decided to come back to Las Vegas and after a few weeks of sleeping on a friend’s floor, he began questioning his choice. “I had $28 in my bank account. One day I woke up and said, ‘$28 is better than $27.’ I told myself that for a week. [Then] I said, ‘I’m gonna be happy about every single thing in life. Period. I will never be sad again, I’ll never feel sorry for myself again—never.’” Life took a 180. He solidified a steady living situation, and he met some influential Downtown business owners and helpful friends through some well-timed networking. He eventually cofounded his own millennial lifestyle platform, Unxommon, in the malleable landscape of Downtown, as media space to tell stories about people in a more immersive fashion. After the media attention Kendrick received during his college years, he made a concerted effort to ensure that his team got to know its subjects firsthand. The success was punctuated with a weekly event Kendrick curated called Unxommon Thursdays at Downtown’s Commonwealth. Millennial-driven, it brought in fresh DJs and became a base for creative types. According to Kendrick, the event catered to upwards of 600 attendees on some nights. His team reaped the benefits. From the writers interviewing artists and musicians they admired to the videographer getting the

opportunity to bone up on his craft, the crew had a platform to shine. “Everyone’s doing stuff that they love,” Kendrick says. “And I sat back and thought, ‘Who’s the one person who’s not doing what they’re fully passionate about?’ And then I looked in the mirror.” THAT WAS EARLY 2017. Today, Kendrick can be found in gyms all over the Valley, training and pushing himself. His drive is what gets him out of bed each morning, but it’s been his circle that keeps him on track. “It’s good to have that support cast that believes in what you’re doing and has a different outlook,” he says. “I don’t want to be one of those people who doesn’t acknowledge who helped them. Yeah, I’m getting up early and working hard every day, but I have a lot of help from other people. Good, kindhearted people who want to get me where I want to be as well.” Trying out for the G League is his first goal, but there’s no shortage of plans afterward. With dreams of making it to the NBA after dominating the G League, he wants a championship, defensive player of the year title and a top-50 player recognition. “I want to be remembered forever, which may be delusional, but that’s what I want. “When I was a little kid, a teacher said to me, ‘Life is like a roller coaster.’ I thought about that—until I got on a roller coaster. As we’re going up, I’m thinking, ‘What the hell did I get myself into? We are going way too high; what if we fall?’ We get to the top and worry has left, and I’m full-on scared. I’m at the top, looking down, scared shitless. And then we drop. Halfway down, I feel happy. You go on all these loops and turns and you get off and you think, ‘I lived. That was fun.’ … You need all those emotions to pack into a roller coaster to have fun. “It’s not about being happy or being sad, but being whole.” 7

Ch i le Co lo rado, R e lle n o B u r r ito, B ut N o Co m bo WHAT IS THE NATIVE’S GO-TO FOR MEXICAN FOOD IN LAS VEGAS? By James P. Reza As with pizza, discussing Mexican food is a minefield of fact and opinion, with arguments ranging from the friendly to the friendship-ending and peppered with deep-seated “authenticity” snobbery from both the cheap-eats and high-end angles. Having dined at some of the top restaurants in Mexico City, as well as scarfed at some of the city’s street carts, I can attest that the arguments run deep even there, so we aren’t about to solve them here. I was raised on home-cooked, chile-centric New Mexican food (a cuisine that blends Mexican, Native American and Spanish influences), so one might expect my family to be the kind of snobs who wouldn’t even venture into a Mexican restaurant. Grandma was like that, but Dad was more lenient, and back in the day, we’d frequent classic Vegas joints like Chapala’s, Viva Zapata’s and El Cholo Cafe. Las Vegas has since grown considerably, and so have our Mexican food options, particularly in the area of taco shops and stands—a formidable list I’m not even going to touch. And rather than naming the “best” Mexican restaurant in town (let’s leave that to one ballot-stuffed poll or another), I’ll merely share with you where I enjoy eating, with one piece of direct advice: Avoid the combination plates and you’ll have a better culinary experience wherever you end up. I like Casa Don Juan and Doña Maria Tamales for their Downtown proximity. Don Juan makes an excellent Caldo de Camaron, while Doña Maria’s adds a special fish-based menu during Lent that requires no religious affiliation to enjoy. Are you outside of Downtown and gathering a lot of people? Our big-party go-to is the Henderson location of Lindo Michoacán. They handle big tables well, and their Chile Colorado is tops. As someone who frequented Javier’s when it was a Laguna Beach hole-in-the-wall, I find the pricing at their Aria outpost off-putting, but it’s still my choice for full-service Mexican in the tourist corridor. What about when I crave New Mexican food and we don’t want to cook? Carlito’s Burritos is the only game in town. Others have come and gone (RIP, Chile Addiction), but Carlito’s has grown its space and its menu. The Stuffed Sopapilla takes me back to Grandma’s kitchen, while the Chile Relleno Burrito is something I thought I had invented. My most consistent go-to (since, ugh, the 1990s) has been Viva Mercado’s. I first visited when I was a vegetarian and Bobby Mercado’s joint boasted an extensive veggie specialties menu. That menu has since shrunk (and I’m no longer in the tofu-favoring fold), but the firehot, meatless Peasant Tacos still hold a special place in my heart. What about you? Have a question or comment about Las Vegas past, present or future? Send it to askanative@vegasseven.com

CONVERSATIONS

LUCKY NO. 7

We asked the WENDOH Media staff:

Which shirtless man would you most like to see on this page?

Shane Ortega, a trans soldier who stands up against Trump’s hate. —Krystal Ramirez, staff photographer

You loved him in the desert as Khal Motherfuckin’ Drogo on Game of Thrones! You’ll love him more wet and tattooed as Aquaman in Justice League! Give it up for the ultimate shirtless man: Jason Momoa, thrower of axes, shredder of guitars and drinker of Guinness. Can we get a “Hell yeah!?� —Lissa Townsend Rodgers, editor-at-large Hell yeah! —Kara Dennis, payroll, human resources manager My husband! —Britt Quintana, senior account manager

The man who invented not wearing a shirt— Vladimir Putin. Preferably riding a large animal, like a polar bear or sea manatee. —Jessie 2¡%ULHQ web editor Former NFL star Vincent Wilfork. —Jimmy Bearse, advertising manager Personally, I couldn’t care less about this particular subject since I’m #DadBod. However, since I love revenues, a cameo by Dwayne “The Rockâ€? Johnson shirtless would have everyone picking up a copy, even if the whole magazine were written in Sanskrit. —Sim Salzman, chief Ă€QDQFLDO RIĂ€FHU

PHOTO COURTESY AF ARCHIVE/AL AMY STOCK PHOTO

Charlie Hunnam. Hands down. —Jordan Bruy, executive assistant, special projects coordinator

36

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