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18 | THE LATEST
“Ready to Roll,” by Lissa Townsend Rodgers. As the county’s first medical marijuana dispensary inches closer to opening, you probably have questions. We have answers. Plus, Three Questions on a 2.8-million-year-old find, Ask a Native and The Deal.
20 | Sports
“Wide Open Shot,” by Mike Grimala. The Mountain West Conference tournament figures to be as unpredictable as the regular season.
22 | Green Felt Journal
“Score One for Nevada?” by David G. Schwartz. Repealing an antiquated federal tax on sports betting seems long overdue.
24 | COVER
“Look Good, Feel Good, Play Good,” by Mike Grimala. On the field and off, Bryce Harper goes about his business in style. Plus, this spring’s women’s collections summon the ’70s, and seven great dates from one side of the Valley to the other.
33 | NIGHTLIFE
“Stronger Together,” by David Morris. The H.Wood Group’s John Terzian talks about what will make Heart of Omnia tick. Plus, a Q&A with Dannic, Steve Angello lights a fire at Life, a St. Patrick’s Day cheat sheet and photos from the week’s hottest parties.
57 | DINING
Al Mancini on Fish ’N’ Bowl. Plus, soups for the soul, Dishing With Grace and the Grape Nut.
63 | A&E
“Survivor’s Tale,” by Kurt C. Rice. A Las Vegas-born documentary offers one girl’s story of intestinal fortitude. Plus, Punk’s Salad days documented, The Hit List, Tour Buzz, and a review of Talib Kweli in concert.
68 | Old Lady in a Mosh Pit
Lissa Townsend Rodgers on the seven best metal movies.
70 | Movies
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and our weekly movie capsules.
88 | Seven Questions
Comedian George Lopez on the immigration debate, ethnic diversity on television and Erik Estrada’s day-old bread.
Event Vegas Moment Seven Days Seven Nights Showstopper
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ON THE COVER Photo by Anthony Mair
See page 27 for clothing credits.
March 12–18, 2015
PHOTO BY ANTHONY MAIR
15 16 19 38 69
VegasSeven.com
DEPARTMENTS
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LAS VEGAS’ WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE
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EVENT
AN EVENING OF HOPE
March 12–18, 2015
PHOTOS BY JOE FURY
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VegasSeven.com
When it comes to dealing with cancer, hope is a very powerful thing. That’s something that was celebrated March 6 as Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada held its seventh annual An Evening of Hope fundraiser at World Market Center. More than 300 guests raised more than $140,000 to aid families of children with cancer and afford 20 kids the opportunity to attend the Camp Independent Firefly summer program. Highlights included a performance by Firefly camp kids and a gallery of children’s art created in collaboration with artists such as Michael Godard, which raised $10,000.
UPCOMING EVENTS • April 4
Easter Seals Walk With Me [WalkWithMe.org/LasVegas] • April 19 AFAN AIDS Walk [AFANLV.org]
15
VEGAS MOMENT
Wait ... Am I Next?
Have you taken a photo that captures the spirit of Las Vegas this week? Share it with us at Moment@VegasSeven.com.
| March 12–18, 2015
Look, you don’t understand: This thick head of hair didn’t just sprout overnight. It’s taken a lot of time and effort to grow these locks. They, along with my pinchable cheeks, are the reason I’m a chick magnet—whether it’s the old lady in the grocery store produce aisle or little Suzy on the playground blacktop, this head turns heads. So while I certainly admire what y’all are doing (voluntarily shaving your domes in support of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which funds research to fnd cures for childhood cancers), and while I’m tickled to learn this March 7 event at RíRá Irish pub raised more than $11,000, I’m gonna have to sit this one out. ... What’s that? Suzy’s got a soft spot for charitable dudes? OK, I’m in.
VegasSeven.com
Photo by Mike Stotts
17
“The Revenue Act was never designed to bring in a steady new federal revenue stream; it was merely one more club to use against organized crime.”
GREEN FELT JOURNAL {PAGE 22}
News, sports and the great oyster bargain hunt
Ready to Roll
As the county’s frst medical marijuana dispensary inches closer to opening, you probably have questions. We have answers. By Lissa Townsend Rodgers
March 12–18, 2015
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VegasSeven.com
NEVADA LEGISLATORS FIRST APPROVED
18
medicinal marijuana use way back in 2001, yet it wasn’t until late 2014 that the state licensed its frst dispensary. So it should come as no surprise that getting the product into the hands of patients hasn’t been quick or easy. However, with just a few more logistical hurdles to clear, it’s likely that the frst dispensary will open sometime in the spring. In the meantime, here’s an update on some key issues relevant to the local medical marijuana movement: ➜ State offcials are navigating what should be the fnal roadblock as they attempt to determine a list of approved pesticides and heavy-metal limits, which must be in place before dispensaries open. The Division of Public and Behavioral Health established an Independent Laboratory Advisory Committee to “provide recom-
mendations to the Division regarding the testing of medical marijuana,” as well as help create a testing-policy manual. The committee met March 4 but still has not issued offcial guidelines. Although additional meetings are expected, none were scheduled at press time. ➜ No matter if you’re peddling cotton balls or cannabis, business begins with customers. The good news for local dispensaries is their potential customer base has risen signifcantly over the last year: From January 2014 to January 2015, the number of medical marijuana cardholders in Clark County increased by nearly 75 percent, from 3,544 to 6,195. ➜ Speaking of dispensaries, they’re fnally closing in on opening their doors, with one outpost—Euphoria Wellness
on South Jones Boulevard—hoping to be in business by early April, if not sooner, pending approval of the aforementioned pesticide-testing guidelines. “We’re about to get our business license, the medicine is all arranged and we are prepared to be up and running with the full gamut of products,” says Jim Ferrence, a representative for Euphoria. The Grove Wellness Center has dispensaries in Las Vegas (on Paradise Road) and Pahrump, and Grove CEO Demetri Kouretas says he expects both to be open no later than summer. Kouretas adds that Grove is also working on opening its own growing facilities. “We should be able to sell [our] own cultivated product in our dispensaries by frst quarter 2016,” he says. “We will have complete product quality control, and the ability to manage the overall cost, which gets passed on to the patients.”
➜ Anything medicinal or consumable needs to be tested, and marijuana is no exception. Steep Hill Halent Lab has cannabis-testing facilities in three states and soon will be opening its frst Nevada offce in Las Vegas. Steep Hill CEO David Lampach explains that testing is about “health and safety, quality assurance and knowing what’s in your product.” Steep Hill tests for potency, as well as mold, solvents, pesticides and other adulterants. “We’re serving the industry and serving patients on both sides of the counter,” he says. Steep Hill’s Las Vegas lab is tentatively set to open April 20, but Lampach says that may change if they’re not fully prepared for the “thousands of samples a week” they anticipate. ➜ As the industry fnds its place in the community, education and information are vital. Enter Elevate NV: The Medical Marijuana Monthly. “I’m not trying to portray the hippie stoner,” says publisher Guy Bertuzzi. “The idea is kind of removing the stigma. … If we do it right, we do it educated and we do it classy, it can help move the conversation forward.” Bertuzzi says Elevate NV will concentrate on medical, legal and industry stories, as well as providing a dispensary fnder. Fittingly, the magazine expects to launch April 20. ➜ As with any startup, employees, suppliers and other staffers require training. This is where Oaksterdam University comes in. The Oaklandbased cannabis education institution recently offered horticulture seminars in Las Vegas, and will return in June with more classes and a job fair. Aseem Sapaal, dean of faculty at Oaksterdam, says the school offers a “horticulture-specifc” program, as well as a more comprehensive course that covers topics such as politics, history, science, economics, the law (local and federal), and even cooking with cannabis. “We have 18-year-olds, we have 80-year-olds—doctors and lawyers taking our class sitting right next to high school graduates,” Sapaal says. Oaksterdam has graduated 20,000 students since 2007 from its brick-andmortar facility in California, as well as traveling seminars, and Sapaal says they’re eying Las Vegas and Denver for additional permanent campuses. “We model ourselves no differently than any other educational institution or university,” he says. “The only thing that’s different is our content.”
PHOTO BY JESSE J SUTHERL AND
Higher education: At Oaksterdam University, students learn the business of cannabis.
How long have you been looking for this?
★
UNLV
★
Las Vegas frequently makes the news, but rarely for academic or scientifc achievement. However, UNLV anthropologist Brian Villmoare and his team have recently been in headlines from Anaheim to Australia following their discovery of the oldest human fossil yet: a 2.8-million-year-old jawbone, which was discovered in northeastern Ethiopia and offers new insights into how we became “us.” Why is the jawbone you found scientifically important?
Because it’s the oldest member of our genus. We’re the genus Homo. There’s Homo erectus and Homo habilus. This [fossil is from] long before that, and it’s probably right at the stem of where Homo split off from Australopithecus. We have a good fossil record older than 3 million years. And those animals are all very apelike: Long arms, lived in the forest, fruit eaters, mostly arboreal. And then we also have a good fossil record after 2 million years. They are much more human-like: Large brains, using stone tools, eating meat. But in between [we’ve found] very little, and nothing older than 2.5 million years. … This shows that the adaptive shift toward becoming “us” happened pretty early.
J A M E S P. R E Z A
VILLMOARE BY A ARON MAYES/UNLV PHOTO SERVICES
BURGERS ARE EVERYWHERE IN VEGAS THESE DAYS, BUT WHERE CAN I GET A GREAT MONTE CRISTO? My favorite decadent sandwich adventure was once a staple of casino coffee shops. And why not? Loaded with turkey, ham and Swiss cheese, dipped in egg batter, fried (either in a pan with butter or in a deep fryer), dusted with powdered sugar, and served hot with a tart jam to foil the richness, it’s a meat-stuffed mash-up with the sweetness of French toast. Breakfast, lunch and dessert in every bite—#yumz! I discovered the Monte Cristo as a kid, and scarfed them down in my teens during summer Saturday jaunts down the Strip. Memories of those times recently led me to UNLV Special Collections, where a database search of old casino restaurant menus left me baffled. I saw the “Pancake Sandwich” on several old menus, including this
We’ve been trying to fnd fossils in this time period for more than 10 years. There’s no other way to do it than just getting out on your feet. You can’t use remote sensors or anything, so it just takes a lot of time to cover all the territory. And we knew [what it was] as soon as we saw it. A human mouth looks nothing like any animal’s, so we knew right away what it was, and we were jumping up and down on the side of the hill. What will you search for next?
We’ll probably look for other areas that preserve the same interval, because, to my mind, it’s the most interesting in all of human evolution. There was a whole other branch [of the species] that split off and—instead of solving the problem of a dry environment with tools and large brains—responded by essentially becoming a bipedal cow: huge chewing teeth in the back, huge jawbone, huge chewing muscles. … There’s a lot about that we don’t know. We don’t know when that split happened. It would have been equally satisfying to fnd one of those. – Lissa Townsend Rodgers
55-cent special from the old Silver Slipper: crisp bacon, nestled in egg, between two golden brown pancakes, dripping in melted butter and melted syrup, served with our delicious coffee. But that is neither a Monte Cristo nor a sandwich. Who knew a simple question would spawn a fool’s errand? I kept looking. UNLV’s collection isn’t comprehensive, and the Sands Garden Room was the only one confirming the existence of the sandwich on the Strip: It was the Monte Cristo Delight, which suffered the unfortunate addition of tomato, but I’ll take what I can get. Fast-forward to today. With the help of a dialing partner (and fellow native), we phoned about two dozen restaurants—from casino coffee shops to “French café” type places, such as Mon Ami Gabi at Paris—searching for the sandwich. We were certain that at least three of the restaurants offered them: Jerry’s Nugget’s coffee shop, Du-par’s at the Golden Gate and the Peppermill. Jerry’s and Du-par’s list a Monte Cristo on their online menu, but Jerry’s has actually stopped frying
By Bob Whitby THURSDAY, MARCH 12: Few things say “Las Vegas” like the Mint 400. Off-road racing, parties, parades, all that heavy-duty machinery and (of course) the Miss Mint 400 contest add up to an iconic weekend. The actual race is Saturday, but the festivities began March 11. TheMint400.com.
FRIDAY, MARCH 13: St. Patrick’s Day isn’t
until the 17th, but who wants to party like the Irish on a Tuesday? Henderson has you covered this weekend with the 49th annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival and Parade, 5:30 p.m. today through Sunday. Games parades, crafts and food are all on tap in that other downtown. CityofHenderson.com.
SATURDAY, MARCH 14: Experienced garage-sale shoppers know: Size absolutely matters. The bigger the sale, the better the chances of scoring something really cool. Which is why the Great Garage & Antique Sale, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Silverton, is a good bet. It’s like 100 neighborhood sales in one convenient location. SilvertonCasino.com.
them up, while Du-par’s, in a weird twist, serves them only in their nonVegas locations. What about the Peppermill? An employee there insisted they have never served them. So, to answer your question— where can I find a great Monte Cristo?—the only place I discovered is the suburban breakfast joint the Cracked Egg, which has five Valley locations. Problem is, this Monte Cristo is merely good, not “great” (my critique: not enough powdered sugar, wrongly served with syrup instead of jam). Perhaps in the coming weeks, our readers can solve this little mystery. In the meantime, I’ll continue trying to figure out what city I live in, because this sure isn’t the Vegas I remember. Questions? AskaNative@ VegasSeven.com.
SUNDAY, MARCH 15: Seen a good lacrosse match lately? If not, this is your lucky weekend, as the UNLV women’s lacrosse team is hosting its annual Desert Lacrosse Tournament, Friday through today at the Thunderbird Sports Complex (6105 N. Durango Dr.). Teams from north and south gather here, with today’s games at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. UNLV.edu. MONDAY, MARCH 16: A few weeks back we mentioned that Springs Preserve’s annual photo contest was accepting entries. That deadline has passed, but now you can see what area photographers came up with at the Springs Preserve Photo Contest Exhibition, through June 21. The theme of this year’s show: Celebrations and Traditions. SpringsPreserve.org. TUESDAY, MARCH 17: If Henderson’s St. Paddy’s Day
throw down didn’t satisfy your need for good, green fun, here’s another opportunity: the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Firefighter Fun Challenge at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. The parade starts at noon, followed by six challenges of firefighter physical prowess. DLVEC.com.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18: We’re going to get all avant-garde on you today with two short films by video artist Dale Hoyt. Farm and The Complete Anne Frank are both psychedelic and slightly freaky pieces by an artist whose work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Getty Contemporary. Should be a mindbending evening. 6 p.m. at UNLV’s Marjorie Barrick Museum; UNLV.edu.
Have an event you want considered for Seven Days? Email VegasSevenDays@Gmail.com.
Wide Open Shot
Clockwise from top: UNLV's Patrick McCaw, Boise State's Derrick Marks and San Diego State's Skylar Spencer.
Mountain West Conference tournament fgures to be as unpredictable as the regular season
New Mexico Record: 15-15 (7-11) Why they can win: Hmm, well, the Lobos fnished the season by losing eight of their last nine, so maybe you could say they are due? But without injured guard Cullen Neal, New Mexico just can’t get the ball through the hoop. Potential kryptonite: Boise State. New Mexico doesn’t have the frepower to keep up, as its two regular-season losses to the Broncos proved. Odds: 25/1
By Mike Grimala IT’S BEEN A STRANGE BASKETBALL SEASON IN
the Mountain West Conference, as no team emerged as head and shoulders above the pack. Yes, San Diego State and Boise State are virtual locks to make the NCAA tournament regardless of their performance in the 10-team Mountain West tourney that runs through March 14 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Still, there are a handful of other squads capable of getting hot, cutting down the nets and stealing the conference’s automatic bid to the Big Dance. Let’s break down the feld according to the odds (courtesy of the Westgate Las Vegas):
THE LONG SHOT
Fresno State Record: 15-16 (10-8) Why they can win: The Bulldogs will have trouble scoring against good defenses, but their backcourt is experienced, which is always an advantage in tournament play. Potential kryptonite: UNLV. In the teams’ only meeting this season, the Rebels beat Fresno 73-61, holding the Bulldogs to 37 percent shooting. Odds: 60/1
THE CONTENDERS
March 12–18, 2015
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San Diego State Record: 24-7 (14-4 in conference) Why they can win: Have you met San Diego State’s defense? As usual, the Aztecs are death to score against, with Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year Skylar Spencer leading a unit that allowed just 52.7 points per game in conference play, more than fve points better than the next-best D. Potential kryptonite: Boise State. The Broncos are the team best equipped to score on SDSU, which they proved twice this season in sweeping both meetings, allowing the Broncos to claim the regular-season crown and No. 1 seed in this tournament. Odds to win tourney: 9/4
20
Boise State Record: 24-7 (14-4) Why they can win: Here’s how good the Broncos are: They lost their best player to a season-ending injury seven games into the schedule and still won the league, not missing a beat offensively. Senior guard Derrick Marks has been torching opponents this season (19.6 ppg, 46 percent on 3s), and the team ranks in the Top 20 nationally in 3-point shooting (39.4 percent). Tough to beat that. Potential kryptonite: Colorado State. Few teams can win a shootout with Boise, but CSU qualifes, as the Rams averaged a league-best 72.8 points per game in conference play. The teams split two close games this year, each winning on its home court. Odds: 9/4
Utah State Record: 18-12 (11-7) Why they can win: The Aggies’ longrange shooting is terrifying, as they have four players shooting better than 38 percent from 3-point range. That keeps opposing coaches up at night. Potential kryptonite: SDSU. Like most teams, Utah State didn’t generate many open looks in its 62-42 loss to SDSU on Jan. 31, shooting 29.2 percent. Odds: 25/1
THE PRETENDERS
Colorado State Record: 26-5 (13-5) Why they can win: The Rams have perfected their inside-out scheme. Senior forward J.J. Avila (16.9 ppg) is unstoppable in the paint—46.3 percent of his shot attempts come at the rim, and he’s making an absurd 71.1 percent of them—and he’s surrounded by capable 3-point shooters in Stanton Kidd (40 percent), John Gillon (39.7) and Joe De Ciman (38.5). Potential kryptonite: Wyoming. The Cowboys have a good counter for Avila in senior forward Larry Nance, and they held Colorado State to 5-of-39 from 3-point range in two games this season—both Wyoming wins. Odds: 5/2 UNLV Record: 17-14 (8-10) Why they can win: The Rebels have had their ups and downs this season, but when they are fully healthy, no other MWC team can match their talent level. Unfortunately, they're not fully healthy this week: While freshman guard Patrick McCaw (concussion) has been cleared to return to action, fellow freshman guard Rashad Vaughn (knee) remains out. With both in the lineup,
UNLV could take down any opponent on any given day. Without Vaughn, it's going to be an uphill battle. Potential kryptonite: UNR. Conventional wisdom would be SDSU or Boise, both of whom swept UNLV this season. But the Rebels actually played both teams tough and actually could've won all four games. The Wolf Pack, on the other hand, give the Rebels fts because their big strength (offensive rebounding) runs counter to UNLV’s biggest weak spot (defensive rebounding). Odds: 6/1 THE DARK HORSES
Wyoming Record: 22-9 (11-7) Why they can win: Now that Nance (16.1 points, 7.4 rebounds) is back after a midseason bout with mononucleosis sidelined him for four games, the Cowboys have to be considered a threat. Nance is arguably the league’s best player, and after closing the season with two straight 21-point performances, it looks like he’s operating at close to 100 percent. Potential kryptonite: San Diego State. With or without Nance, Wyoming had major trouble scoring against SDSU this season, producing 52 and 41 points in two meetings. Odds: 12/1
THE SUCKER BETS
Air Force Record: 13-16 (6-12) Why they can win: The Falcons are capable of catching fre from long distance (37.2 percent on 3-pointers), but it’s diffcult to see them sustaining such a hot streak for more than one game. Potential kryptonite: Boise State. Air Force allowed the Broncos to shoot 51.6 percent from the foor in two games this season—both convincing Boise victories. Odds: 200/1 UNR Record: 9-21 (5-13) Why they can win: Any made basket by UNR is cause for celebration, as the Wolf Pack shoot just 38.4 percent as a team, which ranks 342nd out of 351 Division I teams. But they make up for it (well, almost) with strong offensive rebounding. Worst opponent: Utah State. With the way the Aggies shoot the 3-ball, UNR’s pop-gun offense has no chance. Odds: 300/1 For Mike Grimala's complete coverage of the Mountain West Conference tournament—and for a list of players with local ties competing this week in the Mountain West and Pac-12 tournaments—visit RunRebs.com.
PHOTOS BY JOSH METZ
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Score One for Nevada?
Repealing an antiquated federal tax on sports betting seems long overdue
OYSTERS ON THE CHEAP (WITH A SIDE OF BREW)
March 12–18, 2015
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LAST YEAR, NEVADA’S SPORTSBOOKS
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accepted a little more than $3.9 billion in wagers. After paying out winners, they kept about $227 million for themselves, and paid about $15 million in taxes to the state. But they also sent a $9.8 million check to Uncle Sam, in compliance with a federal tax law on sports-betting handle, a levy that’s been on the books for more than 60 years—and one that U.S. Representative Dina Titus, D-Nev., is fghting to get repealed. Like so much else in the history of Nevada gaming, the tax is linked to the Kefauver Committee, the early 1950s U.S. Senate body that investigated organized crime throughout America. Chaired by maverick Tennessee Democrat Estes Kefauver, the committee found that organized crime was indeed a national problem—a problem chiefy fueled by income from gambling operations. With state and local authorities unable (or unwilling) to prosecute gambling entrepreneurs to its satisfaction, Congress decided to fx the problem itself. That included passing the Johnson Act, a law that forbade the interstate transportation of slot machines. (Nevada’s Congressional delegation was able to add a rider to the bill that permitted slots to be transported to states in which they were legal.) A second piece of legislation, the Revenue Act of 1951, targeted sports betting, which Nevada casinos offered but which was not, at the time, a major moneymaker. The Revenue Act played on the fact that illegal bookmakers were more afraid of the IRS than the FBI. The threat of prison hadn’t deterred bookies; but perhaps, Congress thought, fnancial sanctions would. Under the Revenue Act, bookmakers were forced to pay $50 for an “occupational stamp” and identify
themselves, their place of residence, and the names and addresses of their customers. The law also required bookmakers to pay a 10 percent excise tax on their handle (the total amount of money they received in wagers). A well-run sportsbetting operation averages about a 5 percent proft margin—last year, Nevada’s margin was 5.8 percent—so this new 10 percent provision would essentially guarantee bookies net losses, driving them out of business. Worse yet for bookmakers, if they were to provide the information required by law, they’d open themselves up to prosecution for running an illegal gambling operation. Thus, nobody really expected bookies to readily put their necks in a noose. But failure to register and pay the excise made them subject to penalties of up to $10,000 per violation and fve years in prison—in addition to forfeiture of all unpaid taxes, as calculated by the IRS postarrest. In other words, the Revenue Act was never designed to bring in a steady new federal revenue stream; it was merely one more club to use against organized crime. Of course, the law didn’t stop illegal bookmakers—there were perhaps 300,000 of them by 1960—but it drove legitimate Nevada casinos out of sports betting. In their absence, independent “turf clubs,” which were maybe a bit less fastidious with their record keeping, sprang up, with a gentleman’s agreement in which turf club owners promised not to offer other forms of gambling
and casinos promised to stay out of the bookmaking business. All this changed in 1974, when U.S. Senator Howard Cannon, D-Nev., succeeded in passing a bill that reduced the 10 percent excise tax to 2 percent, which provided an opening for casinos to get back in the sports-betting game. Legendary oddsmakers Bob Martin at the Union Plaza and Frank Rosenthal at the Stardust wasted little time in opening sportsbooks, and within a decade, turf clubs were out and sports betting was a casino fxture. Since a 2 percent tax on a 5 percent business was still onerous, Congress in 1982 lowered the tax on legal Nevada sportsbooks to 0.25 percent, but kept intact the 2 percent levy on illegal bookmaking operations (a law that remains on the books to this day). Which brings us to Titus’ recent letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and ranking member Sander Levin asking for a full repeal of the bill. Titus argues that, in 2015, the tax does not produce much in the way of funds and places an “undue burden” on law-abiding Nevada businesses. Without the Revenue Tax, Nevada would have been denied the colorful era of turf clubs. However, applying a 1951 anti-gambling law—one that serves no signifcant revenue function for the federal government—to 21st-century businesses is the kind of anachronism that sensible legislation removes. If Titus is successful in convincing Congress to abolish the law, it will do two things: save the state some cash, and push the legitimization of gambling in the United States that much closer to the goal line.
There aren’t many foods that you can get in Las Vegas that cost less than other cities, but oysters is one of them. And surprisingly, most of the best deals are outside of the casinos. As you read the following list of low-priced oyster options, it’s important to take note of the type of oyster served. The Gulf oysters are big and meaty, and a dozen can fill you up, but some oyster aficionados look down on them for quality. On the other hand, the higher-rated varieties can be very small, making even a dollar-apiece price seem distinctly un-bargain-like. Two places offer daily service: Rhythm Kitchen (6435 S. Decatur Blvd.) and the Crab Corner (6485 S. Rainbow Blvd). Rhythm Kitchen serves Louisiana Gulf oysters for $15 a dozen ($1.25 apiece) from 4 to 6:30 p.m. seven days a week, and until closing on Mondays. They also come charbroiled or baked Rockefeller-style if you prefer. The Crab Corner mixes it up, but usually serves a Virginia Beach variety called Skipjacks from 2 to 6 p.m. and again from 10 p.m. to close. Oysters are $1.25 at District One (3400 S. Jones Blvd.) from 3 to 7 p.m. Mon-Fri and midnight to 3 a.m. Sun-Thu. They serve smallish Kusshi oysters (imported from Washington state) in the coolest atmosphere of all on this list. South Point’s Big Sur Oyster Bar is the low-price leader at $10.50 per dozen (88 cents apiece) for big Gulf oysters from noon to 4 p.m. Sun-Thu. This is a good option if your friends aren’t oyster fans, as several other seafood specials run during this time. McCormick & Schmick’s (335 Hughes Center Dr.) does raw oysters for $1 on Wednesdays, beginning at 5 p.m. They were New York Duck Islands when I last tried. On Thursdays, the two Shucks Taverns (9338 W. Flamingo Rd.; 7155 N. Durango Rd.) serve $1 Gulf oysters all day. If you prefer cooked oysters, there are three preparations for $1.50 each. On Sundays, the aforementioned Crab Corner, along with the original Crab Corner (4161 S. Eastern Ave.), serves dollar oysters all day. Bottom line: I’m aware of eight places where you can get oysters for $1.25 or less, with a minimum of three choices every day of the week. There are five options on Wednesday and six on Thursday. The toughest day is Saturday, with only two choices. Of course, beer often comes into the picture when you’re talking raw oysters. Except for Shucks and South Point, all these deals are part of a bigger happy hour that includes reduced beer prices. The best ride-along beer special is Crab Corner’s $2 draft Primo from Hawaii. Rhythm Kitchen has $3 beers and half-price wine by the glass. As for South Point, you don’t need a happy hour to get inexpensive beers at one of their bars.
David G. Schwartz is the director of UNLV’s Center for Gaming Research.
Anthony Curtis is the publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor and LasVegasAdvisor.com.
EVERYONE’S IRISH ON ST. PATRICK’S DAY AND THE PARTY STARTS AT the D! TUESDAY, MARCH 17 JOIN US FOR ONE OF THE BIGGEST, LUCKIEST PARTIES OF THE YEAR. GET A FREE “I GOT LUCKY” T-SHIRT BY PLAYING ANY ONE OF THREE WAYS: EARN 100 POINTS ON SLOTS BUY IN FOR $100 ON TABLE GAMES WAGER $100 ON LIVE KENO See Club D for details.
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L O O K G O O D F E E L G O O D P L A Y G O O D
March 12–18, 2015
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On the field and off, hometown hero B R Y C E H A R P E R goes about his business in style
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➜ bryce harper’s casual days are long behind him. The Major League Baseball star and Las Vegas native no longer just “throws on” an outft— despite a locker-room culture that typically eschews high fashion, he’s all about the sophisticated look that comes with a European-cut suit and designer shoes. Ask him, and he struggles to remember the last time he went out in anything less than a three-piece. And this is a 22-year-old ballplayer. It’s been nearly fve years since the Washington Nationals selected Harper with the No. 1 pick in the MLB amateur draft—a milestone that occurred exactly one year after a Sports Illustrated cover story dubbed the then-16-yearold “Baseball’s Chosen One.” After signing a record $10 million contract, Harper left Las Vegas for the minor leagues, eventually making his debut with the Nationals on April 28, 2012. Since then, Harper has gone from top prospect to Rookie of the Year (2012) to two-time National League All-Star (2012, 2013) to postseason hero; the only thing evolving as quickly as his game is his sense of style. Just before departing for spring training last month, Harper returned to his hometown to pose for our Spring Fashion issue. And while he enthusiastically prepped for his moment in front of the camera, we asked him about his personal style, how he stays fresh on the feld and his expectations for the upcoming season.
When did you start to take an interest in fashion? Probably my
By
MIKE GRIMALA
jacket, or with a suit jacket. That’s pretty different. I love the short suit—you know with the shorts and a regular [jacket]. Some people will say they don’t like it, but I think that’s awesome. So it’s fun to look at other people and see what they do, how they do it and learn a little bit.
frst year in the big Photography leagues. I thought about it, and I really ANTHONY MAIR wanted to look good Styling every day I went R O N ALD SMITH into the clubhouse, Stitched Lifestyle every day I had an interview. It’s a lot Grooming of fun to be able to N ATA S H A dress up. It’s like on C H AMBERLIN Sundays when you go using MAC Cosmetics How do your teammates to church, you want respond when you take a to wear your Sunday Shot on location at the fashion risk? Baseball best, and during the Hammargren Home is a traditional sport, season I try to do of Nevada History so people will say, that. Every day is like “What are you wearSunday. And I enjoy ing that for?” It’s like, the offseason, because that’s what’s in right of what I can do with now, and that’s what I want to wear. photo shoots and things like that. So I’ll do certain things like that, and Do the Nationals have a dress code? guys will just say, “That’s weird,” or During the season, of course when we whatever. But that’s me. travel we wear suits. I usually wear a If you’re going out for a night in Las Vegas, suit and tie no matter what. Some guys what are you wearing? I don’t really go will just wear a shirt, no tie. I wear all out much, but if I’m going to dinner the accessories—the tie, the threeor something, I love being in a suit. I piece suit. I want to look good and love that kind of look. If I could live have some fun doing it. in the 1950s and be suited up every Have any other athletes influenced your day, I would. I really think suited-up style? [NBA All-Star] Chris Paul is one of [men], with girls in their dresses, is the guys I really look at. He has a great a really cool look. When we’re doing style. He’s different from everybody. Old Timers' Day at the park, I wish He’ll wear a hoodie with just a regular they’d make fans dress in suits to
watch us like in the old days. What’s your go-to spot if you’re looking for a suit? Stitched [at the Cosmopolitan]
is great. To be able to go there and sit down and go through fabrics, it’s a lot of fun. In the offseason I love going in and picking out the suits I want to wear … for the season. I want to be different. I don’t want to show up with the same suits as everyone else. I want to show up and have everyone else be like, “Wow, where did you get your suit from? Who made that for you?”
As a baseball player, you have to wear a uniform 162 days out of the year. How can you customize that to show off your unique style? I try to be different as
much as I can on the feld. I try to have stuff that nobody else does. With my batting gloves and my cleats and my arm sleeves, wristbands and things like that, Under Armour and all the other companies do a great job for me. People will walk by my locker and see 15 different pairs of cleats, and they’ll say, “What size do you wear?” And I’ll say, “My size. Don’t worry about it, because you’re not going to get a chance to wear them.” You look good, you feel good, you smell good, you play good. That’s one of the mottos I’ve always lived by. You’ve played three seasons in the majors now. What is your mentality heading into 2015? I still feel like I have the same
mentality of trying to win and doing
VegasSeven.com
| March 12–18, 2015
STITCHED XXXX Custom 1 of 1 Collection three-piece suit in Scabal fabric. ETON slim-fit shirt. STITCHED XXXX Collection Black Label tie and socks. EDWARD ARMAH pocket square. SEBASTIAN CRUZ knit lapel flower. DI BIANCO Monk Strap Brogue. LEATHER ISLAND Righello belt. TAG HEUER Carrera 43mm Chronograph with rose gold markers.
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AG ADRIANO GOLDSCHMIED men’s Commute Shallow V-neck T-shirt. JOE’S JEANS Quest slim joggers. SWIMS sport loafer.
everything I can to bring a ring to D.C. We have a great organization and the best fans. We have one of the best teams and defnitely the best pitching staff in all of baseball. Adding [former Cy Young Awardwinning pitcher] Max Scherzer is something I’m very, very happy about. He’s an absolute stud. Adding him to an already phenomenal staff is a great thing. For me personally, I just want to play a little bit smarter. Play hard of course, but play smart and stay on the feld for 162 games and really try to enjoy this year. I always have fun playing ball. It’s not a job for me. I’ve always said when it gets to be a job, I’ll quit and fnd something else to do. I’m excited for this year and we’ll see where it goes. The 2014 Nationals made the playoffs for the second time in your three seasons. What have you learned from your postseason experiences? Two of the past
three years we’ve won the NL East, and both of those years we should have won the World Series—having the team that we had, the best team in baseball all year long, we should have won. But woulda, shoulda, coulda. We’ve got to get the job done this year. We’ve got a great manager [former UNLV star Matt Williams], we’ve got a great team. Everyone is healthy. … We’re going to go in and work hard and hopefully hold that trophy at the end.
It looks like Las Vegas is on the verge of getting an NHL franchise. Can you envision an MLB team here? I hope so.
That would be awesome. It would be great for this city. My parents were born and raised here. We’ve had three generations of people in our family who have been born and raised here. You don’t see that much. So many [Las Vegas residents] are from California, Arizona, East Coast, West Coast—they’re all coming here and rooting for different teams. I think the NHL will thrive if they get a team here. They’ll get so many fans from other places who come to Vegas. You can imagine how much revenue you can generate from something like that.
March 12–18, 2015
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VegasSeven.com
You seem to take a lot of pride in being from Las Vegas. Why is that? I went
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Where to Buy
All looks available at STITCHED LIFESTYLE in the Cosmopolitan, 702-698-7630, StitchedLifestyle.com. TAG HEUER the Shops at Crystals, 702-380-2820, TagHeuer.com. TOM FORD the Shops at Crystals, 702-740-2940, TomFord.com. AG ADRIANO GOLDSCHMIED Fashion Show, 702-433-5875, AGJeans.com. JOE’S JEANS Fashion Show, 702-690-3046, JoesJeans.com
to Las Vegas High School. Being able to come from a high school that’s named after the city is special. I love this place. It’s a working town and seeing people work hard, I want to work hard for them and be a good person on and off the feld. I want to be that guy who’s from Las Vegas and people say, “They’ve got good people coming out of Las Vegas.” I love coming back here in the offseason. The people in this town really take me under their wings and root for me and have a lot of pride for me. I love being able to say I’m from the 702.
VegasSeven.com
| March 12–18, 2015
STITCHED XXXX Custom 1 of 1 Collection sport coat in Scabal fabric. ETON slim fit dress shirt. SEBASTIAN CRUZ pocket square. JOE’S JEANS Brixton in Warbucks. SWIMS sport loafer. TAG HEUER Carrera 43mm Chronograph on black alligator strap.
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SPRING'S MANIFESTO This spring’s collections pay a free-spirited nod to the 1970s, with prints and textures including lace, gingham and suede. Fashion blogger Claire Wigglesworth from StyleConviction.com gives her picks on what to shop for right now.
TOP TO BOTTOM:
TOP TO BOTTOM:
Jason Wu, Chanel, Zara
Altuzarra, Diane von Furstenberg, Oscar de la Renta
TOP TO BOTTOM:
March 12–18, 2015
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VegasSeven.com
Topshop Unique, Peter Pilotto, Dsquared2
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Checked Out
It seems the retro picnic-blanket pattern has gone less chintz and more “sexy cool girl.” Wear as an A-line summer skirt with loafers to modernize, or keep it girlie with a thigh-high slit dress. If you’re not feeling the country love, ease in with a simple shirt— there’s no need to turn into Dorothy for this trend!
Color Block
A pop of color is welcome after endless neutral shades of seasons past. Primary-color looks were memorable parts of every runway presentation. Don’t be afraid to stand out—we won’t judge you.
’70s Suede
I’m not sure if I’m lusting after suede because I’m “oh-so on-trend” or because I’ve been infuenced by its liberal use on the spring/summer runways as this season’s “fabric of the moment” (along with it came 1970s-inspired looks). I want everything in suede right now: boots, jackets, bags, pants or dresses. Luckily I’ve been heard.
The Next Generation in Fashion By Sam Mendoza
The Forum Shops at Caesars will soon add three stores to its collection favored by millennials, who account for about $200 billion in spending power … if you haven’t noticed:
ALEXIS BITTAR
Filled with bold feminine items, stones and modern metals, the jewelry of Alexis Bittar is all about making a statement—and hard to believe that Alexis is a dude who really knows how to make a woman feel beautiful with jewelry. Check out the Moonlight Resting Panther hinged bracelet, Jagged Diamond collar necklace and Desert Jasmine Bee stud earring.
NOW OPEN! New places to shop
CHARLOTTE OLYMPIA
By Stephanie Rivers and Genesis Gonzalez
Miracle Mile Shops, 702-735-9440; Desigual.com Spanish retailer Desigual opens its second Las Vegas store. Known for breaking the rules with textile and pattern mixing, its fashions encourage men and women to take a stand against the conventional.
THE GRAND BAZAAR SHOPS
ALEX AND ANI
Grand Canal Shoppes in the Venetian and the Palazzo, 702-478-9180; AlexAndAni.com Alex and Ani brings good vibes with every delicate bangle, necklace and charm—many bearing motivational symbols and messages. Trendy, wearable and sustainably designed, Alex and Ani is a good stop for both a great gift and the perfect accessory.
GIORGIO ARMANI
The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-904-7741; Armani.com Giorgio Armani continues to reign as one of the kings of high fashion with a new namesake boutique at the Forum Shops highlighting readyto-wear and accessory collections for women and men.
MONCLER
The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-323-7129; eng.moncler.com A favorite of the celebrity set including Rihanna, Blake Lively and Salma Hayek, the French-Italian apparel manufacturer, known for down jackets and sportswear, opens its frst Las Vegas boutique.
ZADIG-ET-VOLTAIRE
The spring 2015 collection has an edgy laid-back feel with a rocker vibe. When they open, be sure to snap up the V1747 women’s sneakers, Bobo backpack mat bag and the perfect-for-summer Steva hat.
A BLOG WE LOVE
ThoseBlondes.com
Do you obsess over beauty, fashion, traveling, doing well and having fun? Well, we know two blondes who do: Ashley Corley and Dani Capps. These life-o-holic native Angelenos (Capps now lives in Las Vegas) publish reviews on products such as Sephora’s Buxom Full-On Lip Polish; examine trends such as the comeback of the denim skirt; and take trips to such cool cities as Scottsdale and Austin. They do all this quite stereotypically, while having a lot more fun than the rest of us. – Aric Lairmore
GO-TO DOWNTOWN BOUTIQUE GETS A FACE-LIFT Things are on the move at Fremont East’s Coterie, where manager Hannibal Nisperos says the store is finally undergoing a build-out that has been in the works since it opened nearly three years ago. New in the “Coterie lounge” will be a denim bar, arcade games and a big TV. On the apparel front, the store is launching new lines including SO SO Happy, For Love & Lemons, Y.R.U., Mishka, Circolo, CC skye, and Jungmaven. Also, there’s a great emphasis in 2015 to promote Coterie as an events space as well as a chic place to shop. “We are featuring a local artist each month,” he says. “The artist will have a gallery opening every first Saturday, and their art will be displayed on the Coterie walls.” In addition, Coterie will continue to serve as the artist lounge for the Las Vegas Film Festival. 515 Fremont St., 702-685-7741; Co-Te-Rie.com. – Melinda Sheckells
March 12–18, 2015
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GrandBazaarShops.com The Grand Bazaar Shops at Bally’s debuts with retailers such as Honolulu Cookie Company, Havaianas, Martin & MacArthur, Swarovski, Hammitt and Superdry, among many others. At its centerpiece are the Swarovski Crystal “Starburst” and Mid-
night Celebration, a nightly sound and light show that is meant to welcome a new day. With more than 900 custom-cut Swarovski crystal spheres, the Starburst features 1,800 points of LED light, choreographed to an original score.
VegasSeven.com
DESIGUAL
The London-based luxury accessories designer is known for her witty collections inspired by old Hollywood glamour. Must-haves from the Cruise 2015 collection include the Kitty Flats, Pom Pom Pandora Clutch and the bold Taquera Bag.
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Have the bartender at the Griffin mix your cocktail of choice, or go the DIY route with a cooking class at Sur La Table (below).
It’s a Date! March 12–18, 2015
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VegasSeven.com
THE FEEDING FRENZY
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For food lovers and those who want to explore new restaurants without committing to a full dinner, newcomer Lip Smacking Foodie Tours offers a three-hour Savors of the Strip guided excursion on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Small groups (a dozen or less) can sample six or more signature dishes from a variety of restaurants. Since all the planning and guesswork is done by the experts, all you have to do is keep up with the group and sample to your belly’s content. VegasFoodieTour.com. – Melinda Sheckells THE DOWNTOWN THROW DOWN
Because some of the best dates happen after the witching hour, head Downtown to the Fremont East Entertainment District, where the personalities of the bars are as diverse as the patrons who frequent them. Drinkers can plan a mini bar crawl—we suggest starting with a classic American cocktail made by the mixologists at Vanguard Lounge— while nondrinkers can enjoy the
cozy freplaces at the Griffn or the classic arcade games at Insert Coin(s). Vanguard Lounge, 516 Fremont St., 702868-7800, VanguardLV.com; the Griffn, 511 Fremont St., 702-382-0577; Insert Coin(s), 512 Fremont St., 702-477-2525, InsertCoinsLV.com. – Ian Caramanzana THE NEW DINNER AND A MOVIE
Downtown Summerlin is quickly becoming a popular date destination on the west side. But rather than having someone cook your meal for you, go the do-it-yourself route by taking part in a cooking class at Sur La Table. Spend two hours learning how to prepare the perfect seafood or pasta dish, then taste the results. After getting your Puck on, stroll over to the Regal 5 theaters—fagship of the chain’s luxury brand—where you’ll fnd a full menu (in case you’re still hungry), full-service bar and oversize recliner seats. Gone are the days of sneaking bottles of Champagne into the theater to pair with hot buttered popcorn—now the booze is out in the open for everyone to enjoy. Sur La
Table, 1980 Festival Plaza Dr., 702-4488611; SurLaTable.com; Regal, 2070 Park Center Dr., 844-462-7342; RegMovies.com – Aric Lairmore THE VEGAN ADVENTURE
Thanks to a slew of new restaurants, it’s becoming easier to live the vegan lifestyle in Las Vegas. Look no further than Chinatown for some animal–free culinary delights. Start at all-vegetarian restaurant Veggie House, which offers a vegan-friendly menu as well. Sample such dishes as Chef Kenny’s Spicy Crispy Beef or Veggie Fish (you read that right) with a spicy bean sauce, then head down the street for dessert at Tea Station for an almond or coconut milk tea (with boba, of course). Veggie House, 5115 Spring Mountain Rd., 702-431-5802, VeggieHouseVegas.com; Tea Station, 4355 Spring Mountain Rd., 702-889-9989, TeaStationUSA.com. – IC THE BLAST FROM THE PAST
There’s nothing more gratifying than walking out of a casino with a pocket
full of cash—and it doesn’t matter if that pocket is flled with a bunch of Abe Lincolns rather than Ben Franklins. So hit up the $5 single-deck blackjack tables at El Cortez, where you’ll enjoy the rare occasion of the odds actually being in your favor (ever-so-slightly, anyway). After cashing out, keep with the casino vibe and walk over to the Mob Museum and sign up for the Casino tour. Hosted by former mobster Frank Cullotta, you’ll visit sites made famous by both history and Martin Scorsese’s flm, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Finish off the evening with a martini at Piero’s Monkey Bar, the Las Vegas Convention Center-adjacent restaurant that had a cameo in the flm. Show up on the right night, and none other than Pia Zadora—who performs regularly in the lounge—just might serenade you. El Cortez, 600 Fremont St., 702-3855200, ElCortezHotelCasino.com; Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave., 702-229-2734, TheMobMuseum.org; Piero’s Italian Cuisine, 355 Convention Center Dr., 702-369-2305, PierosCuisine.com. – MS
THE GRIFFIN BY JON ESTRADA; SUR L A TABLE BY ERIC BELL
Maybe you just met last night. Or maybe you’re tired of the same-old Saturday night routine. Either way, kick-start your relationship with these 7 GREAT DATES that will take you from one end of the Valley to the other.
THE HIGH TIMES
Whether you’ve been married for 10 years or are embarking on your frst date, there’s never a bad time to get a little adventurous. So check out Refuge Climbing & Fitness and take a 90-minute class that teaches the basics of indoor rock climbing. If scaling faux rocks isn't your thing, get your gravity-defying fx at SkyZone, where you can show off that double backfip while bouncing on their wall-to-wall trampolines. Either way, you’re going to work up a bit of an appetite, so keep reaching for the stars with dinner at the Stratosphere’s Top of the World restaurant. The spectacular view of the Valley will surely take your breath away—as will watching people pay for the privilege of bungee jumping off the tower. Refuge, 6283 S. Valley View Blvd., Suite C, 702-3830175, ClimbRefuge.com; SkyZone, 7440 Dean Martin Dr., Suite 201, 702-560-5900, SkyZone.com; Top of the World, 702-380-7711, TopOfTheWorldLV.com – AL
VegasSeven.com
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The sky's the limit at Top of the World restaurant at the Stratosphere; below, enjoy a post mob-tour nightcap at the legendary Monkey Bar at Piero's, or try some belly dancing at Ali Baba.
It's a great big world in this here Valley, so why not step out of your American comfort zone and explore other cultures? Start off in Germany, with a visit to the German-American Social Club, which showcases jazz music at 6:30 p.m every Tuesday. When the melodies get you in dem gute Laune (the good mood), travel to the Middle East for some belly dancing and baba ghanoush at Ali Baba. Continue your world tour with a taste of the Far East at Izakaya Cocokala (affectionately known as the poor man’s Raku), where you’ll indulge in delicious skewers of meat, pork and vegetables, as well as sushi and sashimi. Finally, head next door to the chic J Sake Bar and sip until the sun rises over Vegas (and Tokyo). German-American Social Club, 1110 E. Lake Mead Blvd., 702-6498503, GermanAmericanClubNV. com; Ali Baba, 8826 S. Eastern Ave., 702-688-4182, AliBabaLasVegas. com; Izakaya Cocokala, 4449 W. Flamingo Rd., 702-538-9556, Cocokala-LasVegas.com; J Sake Bar, 4459 W. Flamingo Rd., 702-701-8515. – AL
Because sometimes "just the two of us" isn't enough, we've crafted some unique nights on the town for the entire family or a group of friends. For details, visit VegasSeven.com/GreatDates2015.
March 12–18, 2015
TOP OF THE WORLD AND PIERO'S BY JON ESTRADA; ALI BABA COURTESY LEIL A SAS
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO VEGAS
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NIGHTLIFE Your city after dark, photos from the week’s hottest parties and nightlife’s golden boy, Dannic
The H.Wood Group’s John Terzian talks about what will make Heart of Omnia tick By David Morris
| March 12–18, 2015
Stronger Together
WITHOUT A DOUBT, the Hakkasan Group is Las Vegas’ fastest growing nightlife organization. Not only has it acquired the Light Group locally, but it has also added Brian Malarkey’s San Diego-based restaurant empire to its portfolio and partnered with John Terzian, who operates the H.Wood Group. Terzian, a prolifc Los Angelesbased entrepreneur, has made a name for himself in the entertainment sphere for operating some of that city’s hottest restaurants (The Nice Guy), clubs (Hooray Henry’s, Bootsy Bellows), lounges (Blind Dragon) and bars (SHOREbar) as well as curating some of the world’s most exclusive events (think Vanity Fair’s Oscar bash). We caught up with the busy Angeleno to chat about his next project, Heart of Omnia in Omnia Nightclub at Caesars Palace, and to learn what this impresario’s arrival means for the city.
VegasSeven.com
A rendering of Heart of Omnia.
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NIGHTLIFE
A rendering of Omnia.
When you partnered with Hakkasan Group, did you know you would soon be operating venues in Las Vegas?
I didn’t go in thinking that, but Hakkasan’s strong presence in Vegas was a major bonus for me. Having a club in Vegas has always been a goal, but I would never open in Las Vegas if it wasn’t done right, and there is not a better company than Hakkasan in Vegas to work with. I did not expect to be as excited as I am for Vegas, but I am— especially with the type of programming that we have coming up.
I’m utilizing my L.A. and New York contacts in Vegas. For example, [Justin] Bieber’s 21st birthday [March 14 at Omnia] and the [upcoming] W Magazine party are good examples. Our group has cultivated these relationships, and I’m excited to integrate these relationships into the Vegas community. As far as music programming goes, the emphasis will be on open format, which includes a fair amount of hip-hop these days.
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It’s no secret that you’re friendly with
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VegasSeven.com March 12–18, 2015
What can you tell us about that programming?
Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun. Will the Bieb’s party be in the main room or in Heart of Omnia?
He’s having the party at Heart of Omnia, and he’ll absolutely be in the main room as well. He’s friends with Martin Garrix whom Scooter also manages. It’s one big family, which is great—exactly what I want. Now that you’re coming to Las Vegas, what’s your long-term plan?
We want to open Bootsy Bellows in Vegas. The reason why Heart of Omnia makes sense for us is that it’s a frst step for us to be there and to become integrated within the city. Hakkasan is the operator and owner, and they’re the best at what they do. We’re pretty solid at our marketing and our crowd and our clients and the way we handle them, so it’s just a great recipe. We will only get stronger together. Bootsy Bellows has always been known as the proverbial “hard door” in L.A. Will Heart of Omnia’s door be as difficult to get through?
Our goal is to be exclusive, but not in a too-cool way. It will cater to locals, because we want our regulars there.
It’s not just about celebrities and tastemakers, it’s about people who are going to be there week in, week out and those people are the locals. Body English is a good example. It’s been a long time since someone has achieved what they did, so that’s what we’re going to try to do. My partners Brian [Toll], David [Arquette, yes that David Arquette] and I will live there the opening month, and then we will be there physically—one of us or all of us—every weekend for a while. We’re [also] going to have our promoters and doormen handling the door. This isn’t a fake show for a launch. We are committed to making a place that is a safe haven for celebrities and tastemakers, as well as catering to our regulars and locals. Will Heart have a separate entrance from Omnia?
Heart has a separate entrance once inside [Omnia]. Will anyone be able to get in?
As long as we can accommodate locals and hotel guests we will. But it’s a small room, so we have to be careful. We can’t be overcrowded; we want people to feel safe and happy in there.
How much autonomy has Hakkasan Group given you?
I couldn’t ask for a better partner. Hakkasan has been amazing to us. It’s hand in hand. I don’t even know if it’s autonomy. I don’t really want it to be autonomy with them. When it comes to Heart, it’s our activation, it’s our ideas, it’s our everything, but they’re involved in every step. They back me, they know the market, they know the infrastructure, they know the people— so we lean on them for a lot of aspects. You sound pretty confident about your ability to succeed in Las Vegas. Are you?
I’ve seen a lot of operators go into Vegas over the past 10 years thinking that they can just invade and take over. That’s not possible, nor do I want that to be possible. Vegas is its own living, breathing, unique place. When people are there, they want to be immersed in Vegas. I want to create that experience, create that fun, and the only difference with me is the way we operate and take care of clients, regulars and people. We try to convey an extra sense of warmth and love. That’s what is sometimes lacking and what we’re going to attempt to bring here.
By
NIGHTLIFE
Camille Cannon
Justin Bieber.
to complain about a party. (At the Cosmopolitan, 11 a.m., MarqueeLasVegas.com.) For the under-21 set, there’s a whole lot of drum and bass blowing up Downtown Spaces. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary, the British pioneers at Formation Records bring DJ SS, Crissy Criss, Prototypes and more to two stages—one at the Spaces studio and one at Hard Hat Lounge for those 21-andup. (1675 Industrial Rd., 8 p.m., Facebook.com/ EventBrite.com.)
Ludacris.
MON 16
March 12–18, 2015
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THU 12
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Tell us three reasons why you don’t like bingo and we’ll give you twice as many why you’ll love Rock Shot Bingo at Green Valley Ranch. The all-electronic game requires no messy daubers. Winners are rewarded with shots, plus cash prizes up to $1,000. The highest scorer also snags a pie from Pizza Rock (!) and more goodies from Slice House. There’s even trippy lighting and a DJ rolling out the jams. You’ll feel like you’re in a nightclub, but the tables aren’t roped off, your shoes are comfortable and the air is sweet with the scent of tomato sauce. (In Green Valley Ranch, 8 p.m., GreenValleyRanch.SCLV.com.)
FRI 13 Who says you have to wait for Halloween (or EDC) to dress like a scantily clad monster? In honor of Friday the 13th, Revolver hosts a Dancing
Dead party where the scariest zombie attire wins $500. (In Santa Fe Station, 8 p.m., SantaFeStation.SCLV.com.) After a few years under the radar, rapper Ludacris is back in a big way. The Southern spitter will release Ludaversal, his frst full-length album in fve years, on March 31. (Listen to the fame throwing on lead single “Call Ya Bluff” if ya haven’t already.) On April 3, he’ll hit the silver screen again in Furious 7. But before all that, you can catch him delivering rhymes at Surrender. (In Encore, 10:30 p.m., EncoreBeachClub.com.) Cure your insatiable itch for club bangers with Skratchy at Tryst. (In Wynn, 10:30 p.m., TrystLasVegas.com.)
bringing in the big—possibly photoshopped—guns of Justin Bieber tonight. The soon-tobe-roasted singing sensation rings in his 21st birthday inside the ultra lounge, Heart of Omnia, while DJ Ruckus spins and Martin Garrix holds down the main room. Will there be shenanigans? Probably. Will you want to be there? Defnitely. Those waxing nostalgic for the pre-antic era Bieber will just have to watch the 2011 pop-umentary Never Say Never, which we defnitely never saw in 3-D on opening weekend. (In Caesars Palace, 10 p.m., OmniaLasVegas.com.)
SAT 14
Marquee Dayclub opened its doors for the season on March 6. The season preview is March 21 with Cash Cash and Kourtney Kardashian. But the pre-opening party is today with Porter Robinson in the booth. It’s a little confusing, but hey, we’re not ones
So you missed the opening night of Las Vegas’ newest nightclub, Omnia, on March 12? Fret not, party animals. The space formerly known as Pure in Caesars Palace is
SUN 15
Indulge in some after-work revelry at Champagne’s Café. The cozy bar does Karaoke every Monday (and Friday and Saturday.) Actor Elijah Wood— who's flming The Trust with Nic Cage and Jerry Lewis—was spotted here on a recent weekend. The chance to sing alongside Frodo is too good to pass up. (3557 S. Maryland Pkwy., 10 p.m., 702-737-1699.)
a trip for two to Ireland. The Linq will be bustling with bagpipers, beer trucks and general tomfoolery. (At the Linq, Caesars.com/Linq.) Join Miami house DJ Patrick M for Cymatic Sessions at Downtown Cocktail Room (111 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 10 p.m., Facebook.com/CymaticSessions) and see more St. Paddy’s suggestions on Page 52.
TUE 17
WED 18
Drink with purpose and join the St. Patty’s Stumble pubcrawl to beneft Grant a Gift Autism Foundation. Starting at Stitch Factory, the tour de booze includes stops and specials at Gold Spike, Nacho Daddy, Banger Brewing Co., Commonwealth and Bunkhouse. (300 Las Vegas Blvd. North, 6:30 p.m., StitchFactory.com.) Keep it classic at O’Sheas where purchasing a pint gets you entered to win
It’s time again for Baauer’s monthly rager, Studio B, at Light. (In Mandalay Bay, 10:30 p.m., TheLightVegas.com.) The wonderfully rowdy Down & Derby skate party rolls into Gold Spike for its triumphant Las Vegas return. Skate rental is free, but we suggest you arrive early … we’re predicting a packed rink. DJs Shr3d and Supra supply the beats. (217 Las Vegas Blvd. North, 9 p.m., Sk8party.com.)
Porter Robinson.
NIGHTLIFE
Golden Heart DJ/producer Dannic has a love of fast cars and devoted fans By Kat Boehrer
DANNIC RECENTLY MADE HIS RESIDENCY
debut at rooftop club, Drai’s. While the Dutchman is inspired by his fans around the world, he still comes home to road race his new whip to unwind. Catch up with Dannic—if you can—at Drai’s on March 21. What do you do in your free time on the road?
I’m always working on music. When I have downtime, I open up my laptop and work on new edits or new tracks. Are you more creative when you’re on your laptop on the road or when you get to sit down in an actual studio?
When I’m on the road. My biggest inspiration comes from the DJ shows I do. I get to read the crowd and see what they react to. There’s so much inspiration in that. It’s so hard to force being creative when you’re at home in the studio. You just have to imagine how it would sound on the dance foor. [On tour], it’s really easy to make something and then test it the same night. What’s your favorite part about going to different cities?
Touring is great, but I don’t like the traveling part. I see a lot of hotels and airports and stuff. But what I do like is meeting new people and playing different crowds every night.
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In December, I was playing at a club in Korea and we did a meetand-greet backstage. When I met the people, they started crying because they saw me. It was something really strange, but it was nice to see people who are that into your music and who really appreciate what you’re doing. It was a surprise, but cool. Do you get to relax and hang out when you play Las Vegas?
Yeah. I love Vegas. Some people hate it, some people love it. It’s cool just to walk around and see crazy people doing crazy stuff.
Did you get to see Drai’s prior to your residency debut?
This last year I was at Light, which was really cool as well. But I heard a lot of stories about Drai’s from my fellow colleagues and when I was off, I had a quick look around; I was there for a half an hour, and it really blew my mind. It was so crazy production-wise and the whole setup. The DJ is right in the middle, and it has a big general-admission dance foor, so the fans can enjoy the shows. What types of songs do you usually like to play in your sets?
Right now, defnitely “Wait for You,” my own song with Shermanology. I have a bunch of unreleased tracks that I’m playing right now that are doing well. I can’t talk much about it, but I have a collaboration with Lucky Date coming up and HRRSN. That one was released on March 7. And obviously,
the edit for “Golden Hearts” that I just released. I always try to play a lot of my own tracks. Like 80 to 90 percent [of my set] is my own material. In an interview, you once said you’d race cars like in The Fast and the Furious if you could. Are you a speedy driver?
Oh, yes. I just bought a new car, and this one’s pretty fast. It took me just one day to get a speeding ticket. What did you get?
An Audi.
What’s your dream car?
Defnitely a Ferrari. And it has to be red. A Ferrari always has to be red.
PHOTO BY GERARD HENNINGER
March 12–18, 2015
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Has there been something that has happened on tour that made it all especially satisfying?
NIGHTLIFE
PARTIES
SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE
MARQUEE
The Cosmopolitan [ UPCOMING ]
March 13 Lema spins March 14 Cedric Gervais spins March 16 Carnage in Black & White
Giving new meaning to the term ‘hot spot,’ Steve Angello is the first DJ to incorporate fire into an indoor nightclub production on the Strip, making Life Nightclub in SLS figuratively, if not literally, the hottest spot in town. Angello says the music made him to do it. “There is an aspect of danger found in the music that the flames enhance,” he says. “When you see them, it instills a sense of fear and excitement, and many parts of the music speak to that. They make you feel alive.” The flames are dispersed via a three-tier ladder truss that runs off a single propane line behind the DJ booth. The result is a wall that shoots flames in time with the music. The vessels are known as FirePixels, and they are the invention of San Francisco-based company LiveSpark. While Angello employs the standard nightlife bells and whistles, such as LED lights and confetti, during his production, he knows that the fire is what people will remember most about his visuals. “Flames bring the rawness and intensity found in the music to life,” he says. “It breathes and explodes—just like fire.” - Ian Caramanzana
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See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com
PHOTOS BY TONY TRAN AND BOBBY JAMEIDAR; ANGELLO BY BRENTON HO
March 12–18, 2015
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VegasSeven.com
Catch fire with Steve Angello at Life Nightclub in SLS on March 14, April 4 and April 24; SLSLasVegas.com.
MARCH 13 & 14
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NIGHTLIFE
PARTIES
SEEING GREEN: A ST. PATRICK’S DAY CHEAT SHEET
SAYERS CLUB SLS
[ UPCOMING ]
March 12 White Label Thursdays with Karma March 13 Sessions
Happy St. Paddy’s Day! Yes, you read that correctly; it’s spelled P-A-D-D-Y, not Patty. In Ireland, “Paddy” is short for Patrick. While we’re setting the record straight, contrary to popular belief, St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin is an epic party, and makes anywhere else feel like bingo night at Palace Station. Last year, during an 11-month trek around the world, I decided to make a pit stop in Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day. That day turned into one of the messiest drinking days of my life. It began at noon in the Temple Bar area of Dublin. I kept pouring Guinness down my throat, but I drew the line at hard liquor. However, after my fifth pint of Guinness, I was ordering shots of Jameson for myself and any lad or lassie standing next to me, while yelling, “Woohoo! What happens in Ireland stays in Ireland!” So much for that. Having taken this one for the U.S. team, I suggest you stick to these local St. Paddy’s hot spots: ➜ Sip a $6 Baileys Irish Float
during the St. Paddy’s Day bar burner at Made L.V. (450 S. Rampart Blvd., 5 p.m., Made-LV.com.) ➜ Score a free T-shirt—plus
Guinness in beef, brats and mugs—at Sean Patrick’s. (Multiple locations, 5 p.m., PTEGLV.com.)
➜ Compete in the Wear’n O’
the Green costume contest at Remedy’s, Elixir and Distill. (Multiple locations, 7 p.m., DistillBar.com.) ➜ Cheer on your favorite
March 12–18, 2015
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➜ Get politically incorrect
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See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com
at Fremont Country Club’s Leprechaun Smackdown, a three-round fight between two competitors less than 5 feet tall. (601 Fremont St., 8 p.m., SmashMagazine.com.) – Matthew Fraser
PHOTOS BY BOBBY JAMEIDAR
VegasSeven.com
half-naked firefighter at Commonwealth’s Men in Kilts charity competition. (525 Fremont St., 6 p.m., CommonwealthLV.com.)
DINING
“In order not to overstate the obvious, I skipped the truffle artichoke soup at Guy Savoy, which is considered by most serious foodies to be the gold standard of soup.” {PAGE 60}
Restaurant reviews, news and hunting for unicorns in the Napa Valley
Bowled Over Sushi’s just the start at new-school Japanese spot Fish ’N’ Bowl By Al Mancini
A selection of dishes including a salmon poke salad bowl, tuna poke tacos, crispy rice with yellowtail tartare, Warm Springs roll, assorted sashimi plate and barbecue pork belly.
VegasSeven.com
| March 12–18, 2015
PHOTO BY JON ESTRADA
NO ETHNIC CUISINE OFFERED IN LAS VEGAS
is as diverse as our selection of Japanese restaurants. We have izakayas, robata grills, sushi bars, teppanyaki houses, fusion spots, curry restaurants and ramen shops just to name a few. And yet, every few months I walk into a new Japanese restaurant that’s doing things unlike any of the others. Case in point: Fish ’N’ Bowl, a tiny spot in a strip mall on the southwest side of town. It isn’t that chef Howard Choi (a veteran of RM Seafood, among other spots) is re-inventing the wheel in what is, essentially, a sushi restaurant. But he is putting enough creative twists on his cuisine to make the menu stand out from the rest. That said, the proffered menu at Fish ’N’ Bowl is just a starting point. Nearly half the dishes in Choi’s repertoire appear on various chalkboards and other signs scattered throughout the dining room. Options start with basic sushi and sashimi made from high quality fish and expertly cut. But you’ll also find five types of poke tacos, hot and cold appetizers, various flavors of edamame, and several rice bowl and salad bowls. One of the more interesting dishes, a trio of uni preparations, is listed on a sign behind the sushi bar. It features the sea urchin on a spoon, in a dumpling and in a hand roll. The spoon version is sadly overshadowed by a heavy dose of lemon juice and a bit of grated wasabi. That’s a shame, especially since uni is most delicately favored during the cold-weather months that are drawing to a close, and this preparation fails to highlight that fact. The chef’s use of it in the fried dumpling and the roll, however, is spot on,
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DINING
The Double E bowl is made with eel and shredded sweet egg; chef Howard Choi.
Al’s
Menu Picks
March 12–18, 2015
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Uni trio ($15), Double E bowl ($9.50), crispy rice with yellowtail ($5.50).
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truly showcasing its natural citrustinged briny favor. Of the rice bowls, I’ve had the Double E, made with eel and shredded sweet egg. The rice was cooked to perfection, and the seafood was lean and tasty. Other excellent dishes include crispybut-chewy rice cakes, which can be topped with tuna, yellowtail or salmon tartare and then adorned with avocado and jalapeño slices. But what truly sets Fish ’N’ Bowl apart from other sushi restaurants, are the rice-free rolls. I’m generally not a fan of Americanized sushi rolls, with multiple types of fsh, assorted sauces and all of those other bells and whistles. But I know many people love them. And unlike nigiri fans such as myself, who can eliminate the rice and just have sashimi, fans of those rolls are usually hardpressed to fnd an alternative if they’re looking to cut back on rice.
Fish ’N’ Bowl, however, employs some interesting techniques to do just that. The Warm Springs, for example, consists of soft-shell crab, spicy tuna, spicy crab, shrimp tempura and avocado wrapped in thin translucent rice paper and topped with a trio of sauces. The Rock ’N’ Roll wraps cucumber skin around tuna, salmon, snapper, crab stick and avocado. And even more creatively, in the Tuna Flower the chef uses slices of tuna as the wrapper around a flling of spicy crab, spicy scallop and pomegranate molasses. It’s almost more beautiful than it is delicious. Of course, those who want the familiar rolls of rice and nori have plenty of options as well. With a diverse menu, high-quality product and an extremely friendly staff, Fish ’N’ Bowl is yet another nice addition to our city’s Japanese cuisine offerings. And if you save room for dessert, make sure to walk
a few doors down to Suzuya Pastries & Crepes, which happens to be one of my favorite local bakeries.
FISH ’N’ BOWL
7225 S. Durango Rd., 702-739-3474. Open for lunch and dinner, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. SunMon; 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri-Sat. Dinner for two, $20–$50.
Get the latest on local restaurant openings and closings, interviews with top chefs, cocktail recipes, menu previews and more in our weekly “Sips and Bites” newsletter. Subscribe at VegasSeven.com/SipsAndBites.
In the U.S., St. Patrick’s Day may be a drunken, green-beer-fueled day of parades and revelry, but in Ireland itself, up until the mid-’90s, the national public holiday was actually a somber one. So it’s possible to celebrate your Irishness (or lack thereof) in a manner that doesn’t require you to get falldown drunk (more about that on Page 52). The monthly Farm-to-Table dinner at Honey Salt (1031 S. Rampart Blvd., 702-445-6100) on March 16 pays tribute to traditional fare through four courses, beginning with the classic bubble and squeak, a fried mish-mash usually made with leftover roasted vegetables from Sunday dinner, along with shaved corned beef, horseradish and soda bread. The family-style main course features braised lamb shanks glazed with Guinness, served with boiled vegetables and roasted potatoes, and paired with the Irish stout itself. This obviously isn’t a teetotaler meal—there’s plenty of Jameson, Bushmills and Baileys Irish coffee to keep you in the spirit. Irish nachos are a delicacy I learned while cooking at a bar in college: waffle fries topped with melted cheese, bacon and jalapeños, then topped with a dollop of sour cream and chopped scallions. It seems that Shake Shack (in New York-New York, 725-222-6730) has perfected the dish just in time for St. Patrick’s Day with its playful When Irish Fries Are Smiling: Crinkle-cut fries are topped with horseradish cream, scallions and all-natural applewood smoked bacon. All that’s missing to make it a proper holiday meal are a few slices of corned beef and cabbage. I’d suggest that chocolate Guinness be the frozen custard flavor of the week from March 16-22, but the Mast Brothers mint chocolate will do nicely. New York-New York also happens to be home to one of the biggest St. Paddy’s day celebrations on the Strip, Celtic Feis on March 17. I’ve got to have corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day if I’m going to manage the marathon of drinking, but occasionally it’s fun to go beyond the hunk of boiled beef and potatoes. Holsteins (in the Cosmopolitan, 702-698-7940) agrees. They put all the usual Irish suspects on the Luck O’ the Irish: shaved corned beef, Swiss cheese, braised green cabbage and Thousand Island dressing, all served on a beef patty. It’s like combining a burger and a Reuben into one fortifying mega sandwich that will shore you up to celebrate this holiday properly. And it of course comes with french fried potatoes. Because Ireland. – Grace Bascos Grace Bascos eats, sleeps, raves and repeats. Read more from Grace at VegasSeven.com/ DishingWithGrace, as well as on her diningand-music blog, FoodPlusTechno.com.
PHOTOS BY JON ESTRADA
WHAT TO EAT ON THE BEST DRINKING DAY OF THE YEAR
Clockwise from above: Crossing the Bridge, chilled vichyssoise and tomato and Le Champignon.
José Andrés’ SLS noodle shop has several great soups. But for the best overall experience, I recommend Crossing the Bridge. The simple chicken stock arrives at your table unadorned. But your server quickly rectifes that by adding raw striped bass, slices of Virginia ham and a freshly cracked egg. It’s then topped with bean sprouts, scallions and rice noodle vermicelli. The meat provides hints of salt, while the fsh gives a nice seafood touch and the other items offer great texture. If you want some heat, toss in a dash of chili paste. According to one story, this soup got its name from a woman who would take soup to her husband, who was studying for an exam on an island. Frustrated that by the time she crossed a winding footbridge, his meal would be cold and soggy, she used a layer of oil and fat to keep the broth warm, so she could then add noodles and meat on her arrival, cooking them to perfection. $19.88, in SLS, 702-761-7615.
Ladle to Crave Sipping the Valley’s most sensational soups By Al Mancini
March 12–18, 2015
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NEWCASTLE BROWN ALE AND CHEDDAR SOUP The Pub at Monte Carlo
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IN THE MID-1970S, Campbell’s Soup introduced the slogan “Soup Is Good Food.” In 1975, the Dead Kennedys opened their landmark album Frankenchrist with a song called “Soup Is Good Food.” As someone whose grandmother worked for Campbell’s and who idolizes Jello Biafra, I’m not one to argue with that simple sentiment. So in recognition of Grandmom and Biafra, I recently set out to explore the Valley’s most intriguing bowls. (In order not to overstate the obvious, I skipped the truffe artichoke soup at Guy Savoy, which is considered by most serious foodies to be the gold standard of soup.) Here are a few of my favorite new discoveries.
This soup isn’t much to look at. But how can you go wrong with anything that includes both beer and cheese? The chef also tosses in some potatoes and broccoli, so you can pretend it’s nutritious. With more than 100 beers with which to pair it, and whatever game you want to watch on one of the many big screens, this is comfort food to the max! $9, 702-730-7420. LE CHAMPIGNON Joël Robuchon
When the Chef of the Century does soup, you know he’s not messing around. What arrives at your table is a helping of Paris
mushrooms stuffed with veal in ravioli style, topped with shaved black truffes. The veal and matsutake mushroom broth is added tableside, producing one of the most sensational soups in this town or any other. The broth itself is simple and delicate, but the meat, mushrooms and truffes are packed with earthy favor, while providing strikingly different textures. $50, in MGM Grand, 702-891-7125. CHEF CARLOS’ GUMBO The Country Club
Las Vegas is blessed to have several great Louisiana chefs cooking in our kitchens. And Wynn is fortunate to have one of the best. Carlos Guia is a veteran of New Orleans’ famed Commander’s Palace. So if you’re looking for quality gumbo, this is your spot. His version is packed with favor, thanks to generous portions of housesmoked Andouille sausage, shrimp and crawfsh—and just the right amount of New Orleans heat. Between that and the chef's equally excellent shrimp and grits, every day is Mardi Gras at Wynn. $18, in Wynn, 702- 770-3315. CHILLED VICHYSSOISE AND TOMATO SOUP Alizé
If you like your soup cold, André Rochat is offering an elegant two-for-one bowl atop the Palms. The left side of the bowl is chilled tomato. The right is chilled potato. They’re both topped with crispy bits of potato, minced chive and a touch of truffe oil. Either of these soups could stand alone as perfect representations of familiar classics. Together, they’re a smooth and rich feast for all the senses, served in a dining room with one of the best views in the city. $14, in the Palms, 702-951-7000.
PHOTOS BY JON ESTRADA
DINING
CROSSING THE BRIDGE Ku Noodles
Premiere Napa Valley rolls out one-of-a-kind barrels for annual auction weekend By Xania Woodman ➜ AN ISLAND OF ACTIVITY IN THE SEA OF CALM
that is Napa in winter, Premiere Napa Valley (PremiereNapaWines.com) is a long weekend of tastings, parties and more tastings in February. But at its core, it’s an annual barrel auction of epic proportions. Proceeds support Napa Valley Vintners, a nonproft trade association, in promoting, protecting and enhancing the Napa Valley appellation. The wines previewed and then live-auctioned before an invite-only audience of licensed wine buyers are utterly unique, not only from any other wine that the specifc winery produces, but also from year to year. It might be a blend or an isolation of a clone or vineyard, a stunning vintage or a clever assembly of sub-appellations or unexpected varietals. But these wines (as few as 60 bottles and never more than 240), can never be replicated—they are the unicorns of the wine world. Some of the wines are thoroughbreds, most appealing because of their makers’ reputation, while others are dark horses, whose ul-
timate value is only revealed when the auctioneer’s gavel strikes—“Sold!” This was my frst time at Premiere Napa Valley, and it proved intoxicating. I arrived late Thursday night on February 19, just in time to ride (and immediately be tossed from) the mechanical bull at Page Wine Cellars’ “Not Our First Rodeo” party with Emerson Brown and FlyWine. “There’s a reason the bids get up to $50,000, even $100,000: These wines are one of a kind!” said Kale Anderson, winemaker for Pahlmeyer. That winery’s 60-bottle lot of “Raison d’Etre” 2013 Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon would sell for a tidy $30,000 two days later. But there would be much laborious networking, pouring and tasting before that would happen. It started early the next day at a 9 a.m. blind tasting of 34 Napa cabs from 2003 through 2009 at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. This was followed by a blind tasting of 2010, 2011 and 2012 cabs from 12 winemakers. Both were selected by a prestigious jury and largely varied only by degrees from
“great” to “really great” to “incredibly great.” By 11 a.m. my palate was stripped, my tongue chaffed, my lips purple and raw from spitting—still think this job is glamorous? With my fnal notes reading “tastes like fermented grape juice,” I retreated to the ladies room for a luxuriously protracted teeth-brushing session. That afternoon the Valley came alive with preview parties. From Napa Town to Calistoga, Howell Mountain to Spring Mountain, the Premiere Napa Valley wines were poured along with current and future releases, in the hopes of attracting buzz. Can you believe that Mekerra sauvignon blanc by Melka? Did you try the Fairchild Sigaro —it’s a Melka. One name kept coming up. Legendary winemaker Philippe Melka’s portrait dots the auction book 11 times— like the kid in the high school
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Unicorn Hunting in Napa
yearbook who was in every club. At an unoffcial portfolio tasting later that day, I found out why. I say ‘unoffcial’ only because it was not an event set up by Napa Valley Vintners. But any event held at Meadowood Resort, with its three-Michelinstarred restaurant, is offcial on my itinerary. In a breezy meeting space opening onto the lawn—where just a few years earlier I had learned to sabre sparkling wine bottles with the team from Schramsberg Vineyards—we clustered around tasting tables to meet Melka’s numerous clients. His business model as a consulting winemaker is as unique as his auction lots; with degrees in geology, agronomy and enology, Melka is the total package. “In the ’90s, I came with a different perspective than other winemakers,” he said, seated in the garden. “Plus, all my education came from Bordeaux, where I was very lucky to work with some of the best: Château Haut Brion and [Christian] Moueix of Petrus and Dominus.” Lucky, indeed. Saturday started out foggy, keeping the barrel-tasting room cold and damp until there were enough bodies to warm it. But the sun burned through in time for the main event. Every seat in the auction room was flled. Numbered paddles doubled as fans while we waited for auctioneers David Elswood and Fritz Hatton to take up the gavel. And once they did, they kept a miraculously steady pace with an average of one minute, seven seconds per lot, 225 lots in all. There were some surprises, such as an incredible $32,000 for debuting FlyWine (high-end wines in TSA-compliant bottles) and a $70,000 starting bid for Continuum’s lot. Melka’s wines showed well, with furious bidding for his BRAND Napa Valley label’s 60-bottle lot, which sold for the day’s high of $115,000; a total of $6 million was raised. But I was not the only Las Vegan in the room! Delmonico Steakhouse wine director Kevin Vogt was there, paddle 68 in hand. In all, he put that paddle up for more than 20 lots. “For me, it’s a balance between wanting to support the Napa Valley Vintners association and [the wine] also needs to be sellable in the restaurant and to at least cover the expense,” Vogt said after the gavel’s last fall. In the end, Delmonico didn’t bring home any lots, but the top bidder of the day was reportedly Total Wine & More. So perhaps we’ll see a unicorn in Las Vegas after all.
March 12–18, 2015
The scene in the barrel tasting room prior to the Premiere Napa Valley wine auction.
VegasSeven.com
THE GRAPE NUT
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A&E
“Few—if any—Vegas headliners leave it all on the stage the way he does, every drop of blood and sweat.”
SHOWSTOPPER {PAGE 69}
Movies, music, art and some rocking books
A Las Vegas-born documentary ofers one girl’s story of intestinal fortitude By Kurt C. Rice
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Survivor’s Tale
ANYONE WHO HAS SPENT TIME WATCHING LOCAL TV over the last few years has probably seen ubiquitous lawyer Ed Bernstein and his daughter, Dana Marshall-Bernstein, pitching the Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon and its association with fundraising for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. Dana is one of an estimated 700,000 Americans who suffer from Crohn’s. While that puts her in an exclusive club, what makes Dana unique is the fact that she is the star of a documentary. Her story is framed in Las Vegas producer-director Robin Greenspun’s flm Semicolon; The Adventures of Ostomy Girl.
VegasSeven.com
Dana MarshallBernstein's openness and charm lightens this otherwise serious film.
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A&E March 12–18, 2015
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Mother and daughter share a quiet moment.
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The flm, which premieres in Las Vegas at Brendan Theatres at the Palms on March 15, follows Dana and her family as she works toward a lifealtering decision and deals with Dana’s day-to-day pain and uncertainty. In Semicolon, Dana faces a tough choice: An intestinal transplant now or possible liver failure and additional transplants later. Crohn’s has been a lifelong battle for the 26-year-old, who was diagnosed at age 4. Her mother, Cari Marshall, says Dana has spent half of her life in hospital beds and undergone more than 20 major surgeries, one of which led to an almost-fatal infection. Without a functioning digestive tract, Dana must get nutrition intravenously and eliminate waste her body generates through an ostomy bag attached to a stoma in her abdomen. Despite her literally gut-wrenching situation, this isn’t one of those victim tales. Dana has a glowing spirit and joie de vivre that pulls the viewer in, easing the audience through the tough topic. According to Greenspun, Dana is a natural. “She could be a talk show host,” Greenspun says. “She is so well spoken, so confdent. She is so willing to put herself out there. And she is doing it specifcally in hopes of helping others with her disease.”
This is Greenspun’s frst documentary. But she has been extensively involved in flmmaking, partnering with her husband, Danny, as well as Andrew Molasky and Scott Steindorff in 1998 to form Stone Village Pictures, where she was an executive producer on flm adaptations of literary works such as Love in the Time of Cholera and Empire Falls. Despite a decadeslong friendship with Dana’s mother, Greenspun didn’t know any details of the illness. But then at lunch in November 2013, Greenspun asked Marshall how her daughter was doing. Marshall thought about it and told Greenspun, “You know, we should have a camera follow Dana around just so people could see what she goes through every day of her life. We should just make a documentary about her.” Greenspun had the background, connections and resources to make a documentary, but she needed one more thing: full approval from Dana, who would have to be open about her body in ways most of us prefer to keep private. “Dana really had to buy into it, because it’s not just about Dana; it is Dana,” Marshall says. “She had to be 100 percent willing to put herself out there, talking about a disease that nobody wants to talk about.” As it turned out, Dana gave far more
than just her time and her story. Despite the never-ending complications that often keep her hospitalized, Dana insisted on being a part of the full process. When Greenspun sketched out questions to ask doctors off-camera, Dana insisted she ask them in front of the camera and in her hospital room. The flm can be uncomfortable at times. It doesn’t shy away from frank discussions or gallows toilet humor. It also documents the stress that chronic illness can have on relationships. Greenspun made sure to record the normal struggles of a mother-daughter relationship. “It’s stuff that I go through with my daughter, and I don’t have to deal with my daughter having a chronic illness,” Greenspun says. “They were really wonderful about allowing me to keep enough of it in there for me to really make that point.” Semicolon was shot mostly in Cleveland, where Dana now lives. The unpredictability of Crohn’s caused production challenges while flming in two cities. They had planned to start flming in early 2014, a month or two after the lunch that launched the project. But Greenspun says within weeks Dana had to return to the Cleveland hospital. “We had no time to do a full production schedule,” Greenspun says.
“It became real time. Whatever Dana was doing, we were there. We never knew what was happening.” They had scheduled a camera crew in Cleveland for six weeks out, but because Dana went back earlier, the crew wasn’t available. “The frst time we put anything with her on flm for this, it was shot by the media department at the Cleveland Clinic,” Greenspun says. The forced speed of flming, Dana’s charm and her full involvement enabled Semicolon to go from an idea to its flm festival submission just nine months later in August and its nationwide premiere at the Sedona International Film Festival in February. Semicolon is the story of a smart, articulate young Las Vegan fghting for her life against a confusing and slippery disease whose symptoms are never the subject of polite dinner conversation. The flm leaves you wanting to know more: More about Crohn’s, more about the progress of research, but mostly more about how Dana Marshall-Bernstein’s story will turn out. Fortunately, you can follow her progress: Greenspun, Marshall and Dana are planning to continue to document what happens next through social media. And after getting to know her in Semicolon, you wouldn’t expect anything less.
CONCERT
Talib Kweli Kept It Humble Brooklyn Bowl, March 6
A&E
If you’ve ever wanted to see a Fresh Prince go off, Brooklyn Bowl on Friday night was the place to be. Talib Kweli displayed the charisma of Will Smith’s character in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and he had the looks to match. The 39-year-old Brooklyn emcee performed tracks from nearly all of his albums while sporting a Yankees cap, a dashiki and Gucci sneakers. Kweli rapped and jumped during the bone-shaking bass of Reflection Eternal's “Move Somethin’” and encouraged fans to sing along to the infectious hook of Black Star’s “Definition.” The veteran rapper ushered in a few of hits with the songs from which they were sampled—introducing “Lonely People” with the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” and “Get By” with Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman.” Unfortunately the rapper had trouble keeping up with some of his material at times and his signature machine-gun flow turned into indecipherable mumbles. Still, as Kweli shook hands with fans and posed for pictures throughout his performance, he displayed the humble spirit that turned him into a hip-hop legend. ★★★✩✩ – Ian Caramanzana
[ VIDEOGRAPHY ]
Trade Voorhees goes psycho with ‘Norman’ I really should’ve put Trade Voorhees in my Rappers to Watch in 2015 list. If “Norman” is any indication, his new album, Saturday the 14th (dropping March 14), will be equally dark and brilliant. The song itself is a nod to Hitchcock’s Psycho, with lyrics about … well, what you’d expect. We also get to hear Voorhees work his vocals by singing on the hook. I imagine he’d have a ton of female fans if he made songs for women instead of songs about murdering them, but
March 12–18, 2015
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is director Rob Seher’s chilling video. It’s definitely
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worth a watch and repeat listens. - Zoneil Maharaj
MRAZ-MATAZZ Take laid-back troubadour Jason Mraz, add Raining Jane, an all-female quartet of indie rockers, and you’ve got the makings of last year’s acoustic masterpiece, YES! They make it mellow at the Chelsea on March 14 ($50-$125).
STARR POWER For anyone who doesn’t think Ringo Starr is a big enough draw, throw in multi-instrumentalist Todd Rundgren, Steve Lukather (Toto) and Gregg Rolie (Santana). Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band play the Pearl on March 15 ($73-$153).
ON SALE NOW Much as I liked Jenny Lewis in Rilo Kiley, she’s even better as a solo act. Last year’s The Voyager was produced by Ryan Adams (with help from Beck, Johnathan Rice and Lewis herself). Lewis plays Brooklyn Bowl on May 30 ($28-$33) with special guest Nikki Lane.
KWELI BY CHASE STEVENS/K ABIK PHOTO GROUP
that’s never been his style. Accompanying the music
The
HIT LIST
ALBUMS WE'RE BUYING 1 Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti
TARGETING THIS WEEK'S MOST-WANTED EVENTS
2 Big Sean, Dark Sky Paradise
By Camille Cannon
3 Steven Wilson, Hand. Cannot. Erase.
Newsies.
4 Brandi Carlile, The Firewatcher’s Daughter
5 Purity Ring, Another Eternity
A view of the capital punk scene.
9 UFO, A Conspiracy of Stars
10 Marilyn Manson, The Pale Emperor (Explicit)
According to sales at Zia Record Exchange at 4503 W. Sahara Ave., March 2-8.
By Lissa Townsend Rodgers “It was like the island of misft toys, with all the weirdos and the smart kids. Once we found each other, it was like, ‘You’re not gonna fuck with us.’” That’s how Sab Grey of Iron Cross describes the early Washington, D.C., hardcore scene chronicled in the new documentary, Salad Days: The DC Punk Revolution. The flm spotlights the decade from 1980 to 1990 with interviews, photos and never-before-seen performances. It took director/writer Scott Crawford four years and $50,000 from a Kickstarter campaign to make the flm, which includes footage of Bad Brains, Fugazi and Dag Nasty play-
ing before screaming, stage-diving crowds of D.C. teens. Interviews include there-when-it-happened icons Ian MacKaye and Henry Rollins and an overwhelmed-by-the-memories Dave Grohl. Rather like the hard-touring bands it immortalizes, Crawford has taken Salad Days on the road, where it has played a number of festivals, and a string of sold-out dates across California. In Las Vegas, it will be screened 8 p.m. March 13 and 1 p.m. March 15 at a warehouse space (XOXO B Modern Events Venue, 9272 Tamarus St., Suite 110) rather than a conventional theater, adding to the DIY vibe.
[ READING ]
Kim Gordon Takes on the Rock Memoir When she played bass in Sonic Youth, Kim Gordon appeared quiet and straightforward. In her autobiography, Girl in a Band (Dey Street Books, $30) she maintains a similar tone—from the no-frills title down to her plainspoken prose. One suspects she might not have written anything at all had she not split with husband and bandmate Thurston Moore in 2011, leaving her with bills to pay and no famous band to play NEWSIES BY DEEN VAN MEER
in. Compared to the memoirs of New York scenesters Patti Smith and Richard Hell, Girl in a Band is downbeat and conflicted, more concerned with limitations than possibilities. It’s the book’s plaintive realism that will connect with the same generation of punks, riot grrrls and grunge kids who connected to Gordon onstage. It’s not all gloom: Gordon closes the book with an act of characteristic rebellion that gives the impression that the past 30 years might just have been a prelude to something better. Recommended by Chris Molnar of the Writer’s Block bookstore, 1020 Fremont St., 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Mon-Sat, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun.
READ IT AND SPEAK The Contemporary Arts Center is starting a book club, and you’re invited! Join fellow lit enthusiasts at the Writer’s Block at 2 p.m. March 14 for a discussion of Dave Hickey’s Pirates and Farmers: Essays on Taste. Hickey is a former art critic, former Las Vegan and recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship … just in case you need a conversation starter. Facebook.com/ LasVegasCAC. BOOKS AND BANDS Author Michael T. Fournier will read from his second novel, Swing State, at 8 p.m. March 14 in Blackbird Studios. “A reading in an art gallery,” you ask? Oh, yes, with live music from local rockers Coastwest Unrest and Dreaming of Lions to boot. Consider this an integral part of your wellbalanced A&E diet. MichaelTFournier.Tumblr. com/Readings. EXTRA! EXTRA! The Smith Center delivers Disney’s Broadway musical Newsies March 17-22. The 2012 Tony Award winner for Best Score and Best Choreography is based on the New York City Newsboys Strike of 1899. We’re guessing there weren’t musical outbreaks during the real deal, but we can’t wait to be wowed by them now. TheSmithCenter.com. MUST WATCH Inspire Theater’s Boozy Movie series continues to impress. Screening March 18 is the 2002 Brazilian drama City of God, a beautiful Oscar-nominated glimpse of life in 1970s Rio de Janeiro that’ll make you laugh, cry and think. As always, entry is free with cocktail purchase. InspireLasVegas.com.
VegasSeven.com
8 All That Remains, The Order of Things
PUNK’S SALAD DAYS ON FILM
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7 J. Cole, 2014 Forest Hills Drive
March 12–18, 2015
6 Imagine Dragons, Smoke + Mirrors
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MUSIC Still turning it up to 11: This Is Spinal Tap.
[ OLD LADY IN A MOSH PIT ]
SEVEN BEST MUSIC MOVIES: METAL EDITION By Lissa Townsend Rodgers SLAP THAT DVD INTO THE PLAYER AND THROW
those devil horns in the air: It’s time for the Metal Edition of the Seven Best Music Movies! This Is Spinal Tap (1984). Let’s put the inevitable frst. If you don’t know why it’s on here, get thee to a Netfix queue, stat. People are getting tired of that blank look on your face every time they say “it goes up to 11.” Lemmy (2010). No one is more badass than Lemmy Kilmister. The leader of the mighty, mighty Motörhead has been playing heavy metal since before it had a name and is still “the Ace of Spades” at age 69. Musicians in bands such as Black Sabbath, The Clash, New Order and Guns N’ Roses discuss his infuence, both as a musician and as an icon somewhere between Captain Hook and Jesus. Lemmy himself plays bass, tells dirty jokes, drinks at L.A.’s Rainbow Bar and displays a surprisingly tender relationship with his son. Still, as one fan ecstatically slurs, “Rock ’n’ roll is Lemmy. Lemmy is rock ’n’ roll.” Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008). In a way, Anvil! is the fipside of Lemmy: It’s what happens when your heavy metal career leads not to legendary status, but to driving a delivery truck. The documentary follows the infuential yet obscure band as they pull it together for one more European tour and one last album. Things don’t exactly go as planned, but Anvil! turns into a weirdly touching story about artistic passion, lifelong friendship and not giving up on dreams. KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park (1979). The opening sequence of a giant-size KISS jamming to “Rock and Roll All Nite” superimposed over roller coasters and Tilt-A-Whirls is rad, but things soon fall apart in this meeting of heavy metal and Hanna-
Barbera. Gene Simmons says he was told that the TV movie would be “a cross between Star Wars and A Hard Day’s Night,” but it’s more like liveaction Scooby-Doo. Still, for fans of cult, schlock and KISS, KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park is an amusing ride. Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey (2005). For an in-depth take on the genre, anthropologist and fan Sam Dunn went around the world to study the culture and history of heavy metal: From Norway to California, from Steppenwolf to Rage Against the Machine, from Ronnie James Dio to Rob Zombie. Interviews with musicians, managers and even ministers tell the story of how, as Zombie says, “You just somehow end up being the weird kid and can’t fgure out how you got there. And metal is like that, except it’s all the weird kids in one place.” Heavy Metal Parking Lot (1986). For the fans, by the fans, starring the fans, Heavy Metal Parking Lot documents the tailgating scene outside a Judas Priest concert. It’s a cavalcade of shirtless dudes drinking tallboys next to muscle cars, chicks in leopard-print catsuits fashing devil horns, boom boxes and big hair. Dialogue includes “Let’s make a joint so big it stretches across America and everyone can smoke it!” and “See my scab?” Weirdly endearing, Heavy Metal Parking Lot has inspired music videos, trading cards and even a brief TV series. Conan the Barbarian (1982). What’s more metal than getting drunk and swordfghting? Or launching an assault on the Snake God’s palace with your wisecracking surfer buddy and breastplated, broadswordswinging girlfriend in tow? Or “seeing your enemies crushed before you and hearing the lamentation of their women?” Nothing, that’s what!
STAGE
BIG BANG WEARY Frankie Moreno’s unfagging energy gives audiences no chance to refect
PHOTO BY JOHN KNOPF
VISUALIZE A RUNAWAY TRAIN PLOWING INTO
a house on fre. Or visualize Frankie Moreno. Doesn’t matter which. They’re the same. That’s where my disappointment and frustration lies. Perhaps naively, I’d hoped Moreno— with more raw talent in his left pinkie than some global superstars can claim from head to toe—had taken even half a chill pill after his three-year Stratosphere residency ended three months ago. Maybe he’d even embraced the notion that varying a show’s tempo with occasional slower, quieter moments would give audiences a fuller emotional experience, rather than bulldoze them into submission. Alas, no, if his Vegas re-emergence—a one-night engagement at Red Rock Casino’s Rocks Lounge last week (to be repeated April 11)—is an indicator of what he’ll bring back to town when he announces (probably soon) a new permanent room for him and his rocket launcher of a band. As a showman he’s all muscle and sinew, no subtlety and nuance. You’ve received emails from people who type in ALL CAPS? Moreno performs in ALL CAPS. That approach earned him undeniable success, but imagining what he could offer and doesn’t is disheartening. At Rocks, on a 1-10 energy scale, Moreno kicks off at 32 and keeps ramping up, with essentially his same Stratosphere repertoire, from Billy Preston’s “Will It Go Round in Circles” and Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” through originals including “Somebody,” “Biggest Fan,” “Tangerine Honey” and “Diva” (with ex-Dancing With the Stars frecracker Lacey Schwimmer gyrating atop the piano). Trotting out a new tune, he sits alone at the
keyboard, and the feeting hope is for a refreshing downshift into refection on a song he says was inspired watching a Sam Cooke documentary—but as he unleashes wall-rattling blues riffs, that hope is scuttled. Even his “Eleanor Rigby”—reproducing the version he recorded with violinist Joshua Bell—abandons the poignancy of the Beatles’ theme of loneliness as it crescendos into a wham-bam slam dance that’s all noisy melodrama. Wherever “all the lonely people” are, they’re not in this interpretation. Although the crowd was clearly with him, Moreno never seemed satisfed with the energy coming back at him—coaxing and cajoling for more-more-more, as if the woo-hoo! yelps over his leather-lunged power belting weren’t enough to feed a Tasmanian Devil-level appetite. Accepting Moreno as a manic spiritual son to Jerry Lee Lewis (complete with piano gymnastics) or grandson (OK, great-great-grandson) to Al Jolson is fattering and fair. Few—if any—Vegas headliners leave it all on the stage the way he does, every drop of blood and sweat. What about the tears? The vulnerability? The willingness to—in Roberta Flack’s words—kill us softly with a song? Perhaps Freud would call this a fear of musical intimacy. Hopefully, in a series of concerts starting March 17 at The Smith Center’s Cabaret Jazz, the set list will reveal there’s no fear, just delayed engagement. Moreno bursts with passion. Turning some inward would touch us in a deeper, richer way. C’mon, Frankie. Sing us a lullaby. Got an entertainment tip? Email Steve.Bornfeld@VegasSeven.com.
A&E
MOVIES
The ensemble is back together for this fun sequel.
LESS EXOTIC, NO LESS CHARMING Confdent ensemble tries to overcome reservations about this Marigold Hotel By Michael Phillips Tribune Media Services
THREE YEARS AGO, ON A SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT
scale, the success of the frst Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was weirdly akin to the success of the frst Avengers movie. Both relied on ensemble superheroics and charmingly fractious banter among movie stars. This year brings sequels to both flms. First up is The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, the one without the explosions. Director John Madden’s easygoing
follow-up resembles a slightly scattered second season of a BBC sitcom. We’re back in the Jaipur, India, retirement hotel run by manic, ambitious Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel), who plans to open a second establishment. The Maggie Smith character, a onetime Cockney racist, has mellowed and become Sonny’s co-manager. The expat residents played by Bill Nighy and Judi Dench remain fast friends, and perhaps more. Already,
right there, add ’em up: Smith, Nighy and Dench, together again, lending many moons’ worth of relaxed authority to a wisp of a story. That’s more than enough for fans of the frst picture. The rest of the gang returns as well, minus Tom Wilkinson (whose character died at the end of the frst one). Celia Imrie’s Madge, who tends bar at a local watering hole, is poised between two suitors. On the other hand, the way she eyes Richard Gere’s visiting novelist, who may be working undercover for the investor (David Strathairn) Sonny hopes to secure, the flm momentarily becomes more carnal than anything in Fifty Shades of Grey. This is 50 shades of another sort of gray, and there’s a tremendous box-offce appetite for it. Written by Ol Parker, Second Best offers little you couldn’t write yourself, but it does so with respectable level of craft. The appeal lies in the ensemble playing. I adore what Nighy can accomplish in
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SHORT REVIEWS
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Chappie (PG-13) ✩✩✩✩✩
Writer-director Neill Blomkamp’s latest sci-fi outing is a misjudgment. Robotic law enforcement droids have improved crime stats, but gang activity is on the run. The police order up more robots from the weapons firm run by Sigourney Weaver. The firm’s lead designer (Dev Patel) cracks the code for a new iteration of droid, one that is fully human in its techno-makeup. Meantime, the designer’s colleague/rival (Hugh Jackman) continues to press for funding on a sinister droid. As voiced by Blomkamp regular Sharlto Copley, Chappie is a whining, dithering, bore.
Unfnished Business (R) ★★✩✩✩
A comedy with its heart in the right place and everything else bizarrely out of joint, Unfinished Business finds director Ken Scott following 2013’s Delivery Man with another dubious attempt to sell audiences on Vince Vaughn’s sensitive side. Playing a down-on-his-luck family man who takes an ill-advised business trip to Berlin with two unfunny sidekicks (Tom Wilkinson and Dave Franco), Vaughn is the least of the movie’s worries. It’s hard to deliver a good buddy comedy when two of the buddies in question are narrative dead weights.
The Lazarus Effect (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩
This is what happens when hip, smart actors commit themselves to a horror movie. Mark Duplass and Olivia Wilde ably play a scientist couple whose work has led to a serum that brings the dead back to life. And with director David Gelb (Jiro Dreams of Sushi) in charge, you can be sure this isn’t some brain-munching zombie apocalypse. There’s no point in overselling a conventional horror picture that manages one good, cheap jolt and a solid hour of dread. But Lazarus reminds us that a genre overwhelmed by junk fare doesn’t need to be that way.
the minimalist double-take department, just as I admire the key scene late in the flm between Dench and Smith for its quiet simplicity. Too often in Madden’s flm the actors are stuck propping up the story of Sonny’s dithering crisis of confdence before his big wedding. But if you’ve seen the ads for the flm, you’ve seen the big wedding dance at the big wedding, so ... spoiler alert: The end is happy. Imrie, a wonderful performer too little known in America, recently told the Daily Mail that The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel could never have been made in Hollywood, because in Hollywood “nobody has wrinkles.” The movie’s smooth to the point of blandness, but its faces really do tell a story. And having Gere’s silverly mane share the same flm with Strathairn’s is almost too much fabulous hair for one diversion. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (PG) ★★★✩✩
By Tribune Media Services
Focus (R) ★★✩✩✩
Will Smith plays gentleman thief Nicky Spurgeon, who runs a 30-person team of pickpockets and scam artists. Margot Robbie is the fatale-in-training Jess, looking for a mentor in the con game. The best scene in Focus, in which Smith engages in a series of risky wagers with a high-roller (BD Wong) at a football game, allows Smith to play something other than Joe Cool. Robbie, an Australian native, isn’t bad. Focus concludes with a shot of two characters limping into a hospital, and unfortunately that’s a metaphor for the movie itself.
The DUFF (PG-13) ★★✩✩✩
Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (R) ★★✩✩✩
The DUFF stands for “Designated Ugly Fat Friend.” Kody Keplinger wrote the book when she was 17. What happens in The DUFF could be treated as a tragedy. Here, it’s handled as a comedy of humiliation. Mae Whitman plays Bianca, a high school senior and horror movie geek full of life, and smarts, and zippy comebacks. Because her best friends are willowy, runway-ready creatures, our heroine is treated as a dateless hag. The question with every movie besieged by an army of high school cliques is this: Does the movie rise above clichés? This one does.
John Cusack has been reduced to Z-grade action comedies. And he still turned down this half-baked sequel starring Craig Robinson and Rob Corddry. In the first movie, the guys travel back to a pivotal 1986 ski weekend from their past in what appears to be an electrical accident. But their trip was no accident, Time Machine 2 tells us. Whatever regrets Cusack may have for not returning—he says he wasn’t even asked— the proof is 93 minutes of a movie whose closing credits have the most laughs.
The Last Five Years (PG-13) ★★★✩✩
McFarland, USA (PG) ★★★✩✩
Fifty Shades of Grey (R) ★★✩✩✩
Kingsman: The Secret Service (R) ★★✩✩✩
Director Richard LaGravenese’s film version of the Jason Robert Brown stage show deserves attention. Brown’s chronicle of an ill-fated romance begins with struggling musical-theater performer Cathy (Anna Kendrick), still hurting from the end of her five years with novelist Jamie (Jeremy Jordan). Jamie’s scenes and songs proceed in chronological order, from the start of the affair; Cathy gives us the end and takes us back through the middle, and on back to the start. Brown’s musical has more than structural cleverness in its corner.
Director Sam Taylor-Johnson remains true to novelist E.L. James’ narrative about Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) and Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan), up to and including the abrupt cliffhanger ending that doesn’t work in a stand-alone movie. I expected either a camp hoot or a slavishly faithful film. Instead, Fifty Shades turns out to be roughly as pretty good as the first Twilight—appropriate, since James wrote Fifty Shades as sexed-up, loinzapoppin’ fan fiction paying tribute to the Twilight best-sellers.
Director Niki Caro has delivered a Kevin Costner sports movie that works. Costner plays Jim White, who in 1987 moves to McFarland in central California. There, in a largely Latino community, the aptly named Whites are faced with finding their friends and their place in this land of low-riders and sun. Caro shot much of it on location to strong advantage, for clues to character and circumstance in a part of the nation too rarely explored on screen. Also, if you’re keeping score on Costner sports flicks: McFarland is more rewarding than Draft Day.
Silly, sadistic and finally a little galling, Kingsman answers the question: What would Colin Firth have been like if he’d played James Bond? Firth portrays one of the crack gentlemen-spies working for a secret agency out to save the world from a crackpot billionaire (Samuel L. Jackson). As Firth’s beautifully tailored colleagues, Michael Caine and Mark Strong offer unblinking gazes par excellence. In the leading role, Taron Egerton is engaging as the working-class miscreant “Eggsy.”
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When your sitcom (George Lopez, 2002-2007) was canceled, you criticized ABC for using racially motivated reasons for its decision. Now ABC airs Cristela, starring Latina comedian Cristela Alonzo. Has there been much change for Latino representation on television since 2007?
George Lopez
The comedian on the immigration debate, ethnic diversity on television and Erik Estrada’s day-old bread
March 12–18, 2015
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VegasSeven.com
By Steve Bornfeld
88
What is your stand on illegal immigration?
There’s a need for a place where people can come and work. If you chase people by taking away things, we damage ourselves as a country. It’s easy to say illegal immigration is responsible for the economy and taxes. In Las Vegas, a lot of the people who clean those rooms are probably undocumented. If that goes away, you’re not going
to pay 99 cents for a shrimp cocktail, you’re going to pay $12. You’re not going to get a room at Palace Station for $30 a night. Everything is going to be $300 and up. The laws need to be changed. My grandfather was not a citizen—he was happy being a citizen of Mexico—but he had his green card and worked here for years and did things the right way. So there’s a place to meet in the middle.
Is it difficult to work immigration into standup comedy for a broad audience since it’s an incendiary topic now?
You work it in by saying, “[Hispanics are] the largestgrowing population in the United States, and everything you touch we touch frst. And we come to this country with love for this country, we’re not terrorists—we only terrorize family members, never strangers.” Or when Donald Trump
bit of a following, then it went away. Then there were four years that were really tough, like ’95-’99, being in the clubs all the time, not having a direction yet. You always look at other people and go, well, why are they doing that and how come I’m not doing it? The minute I stopped worrying about anyone else and why they had a show and I didn’t, everything turned around for me. You’ve had a few public feuds with other celebrities. Any regrets about those?
I wouldn’t want to be a person Things have gotten better in who had something done to some places but not in others. them and didn’t speak up. I When I said that—“television don’t think anybody should just got a bit whiter,” I think, be like that. The Eric Estrada was the quote—I sounded crathing continues because he zy that day. Now I don’t sound continues to say he wants to so crazy. I had everybody on fght me. [Backstory: A teenage my show—African-American Lopez met Estrada at the height people, Asian people, white of his CHiPs fame, and Estrada, people. When I do things, I Lopez said, refused to shake like to keep them to how the his hand]. All I wanted was an country looks. Cristela does apology. All he wants is to anthat, and that’s nice. But NCIS: tagonize me. Well, [Estrada] has Los Angeles, I don’t think any 16,000 Twitter followers. I have of the lead guys are Latinos. access to 15 million people. It’s True Detective is coming to Los really not a fair fght. To bring Angeles, and the people I’ve it into the light only helps him, seen have not been Latinos. so I leave it in the dark. But I Better Call Saul is went to Ralphs flming in New supermarket [in Mexico, and it Los Angeles]. A GEORGE LOPEZ looks like they’re guy who works 10 p.m. March 13-14, shooting around there said, “I The Mirage, $60-$80, us. The change saw your buddy 702-792-7777, has to come with [Estrada] in Mirage.com. the creators of here yesterday.” the shows. When He’s laughing I was the creator, and says, “He I made it look like things look. was in here looking at the dayold bread.” And I thought, “I’m Only a few comics—Bill Maher, winning right now.” Tina Fey, Amy Poehler are And Jay Leno, when I had some—have joked about the my [kidney] transplant I got Bill Cosby sexual assault calls from a lot of people. allegations. Is that difficult And he was the only one who because he’s a member of the called me and wanted somecomedians’ fraternity? thing for himself. He wanted It wouldn’t be part of my comThe Tonight Show to be the frst edy anyway because I am in fashow I went on. Everybody vor of women, I love them and else asked how I was doing, they should all be safe. I know That didn’t sit right with me. Bill Cosby, but not only as a friend of Bill Cosby but as this How did experiencing such a is something legal that’s still severe illness change you? going on, I don’t think there’s When I had surgery in 2005, a place for me. Bill Maher I get [I was] healthy for the frst because he’s Bill Maher. John time. My thought changed Oliver as well. They’re the satifrom instead of just wanting rists of our day. But Eddie Murto get better and go on with phy didn’t [impersonate Cosby] my life, to it being a disservice on Saturday Night Live [40th to people who live sick every anniversary special]. It’s to day to not go out and try to our own judgment, and mine help them, so we started a would be that I would not. foundation. I’ve raised a few million for kids with kidney Has your approach to comedy issues and military people. It changed over the years? gave me a healthy life, but it When I started to do Arsenio in also gave me a purpose to help ’89, I was still very green. The other people and expect noth’90s were interesting. I got a ing back for myself.
PHOTO BY JOHNNY LOUIS/WENN.COM
SEVEN QUESTIONS
says Mexico owes him money, well, “If you borrow money from a Latino, you don’t get it back all at the same time.” I do humor that’s socially relevant, but not to the point of grandstanding.
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