Nick Valensi In the driver's seat with
CRX
FREE December 15-21, 2016
SEVEN NIGHTS YOUR WEEK IN PARTIES By Ian Caramanzana
THURSDAY 15
Late last month, police in Ontario caught an 11-year-old “driving erratically” on Highway 400. After binging on an hours-long session of Grand Theft Auto V, the child decided to reenact the white-knuckle, rubber-burning action of the video game by taking his parents’ SUV on a joyride. Thankfully, driving was the extent of the child’s fantasy come to life, and no one was harmed. We’re willing to place the blame on the mix of adolescent curiosity and good ol’ cabin fever. Grandtheft, on the other hand, evokes the fist-pumping adrenaline and intensity of the video game, but does it through bass-heavy, bone-shaking tunes. The DJ/producer from Toronto recently teamed up with Canadian songbird Delanay Jane on “Easy Go.” It’s an easy-going, melodic ode to the overwhelming single life. The track is quite the departure for Grandtheft, who in the past has created bumpin’ music that favor the low end. Get intrigued by the new tunes at Intrigue, and pray you don’t run into any curious 11-year-old drivers on the commute. (10:30 p.m., in Wynn, intriguevegas.com)
All aboard! Kick the weekend off strong by partying with one of the hottest up-andcoming rappers, Lil Yachty. The chipper, red-haired Atlanta native, born Miles Parks McCollum, is enjoying a sort of victory lap in what’s been an incredible year. After modeling front and center for Kanye West’s polarizing Yeezy Season 2 collection alongside Young Thug and Desiigner, Yachty became a steady figure in the public eye by dropping his debut mixtape, Lil Boat, and a follow-up, Summer Songs 2, shortly after. Many would call his style of rapping unconventional; rather than relying on rapid-fire delivery and clever wordplay, Yachty uses catchy Auto-Tuned yet off-key melodies to draw in his listeners. The style is best displayed in breakout hits such as “1 Night” and “Minnesota (Remix),” featuring Quavo, Skippa da Flippa and Young Thug, which have infectious choruses. Prep yourself by listening to those tunes before seeing him at The Joint. Yachty shows are known to be wildly energetic, so don’t be surprised if you get soaked with water or booze. (8 p.m., $25-$65, in Hard Rock Hotel, hardrockhotel.com/thejoint)
December 15-21, 2016 vegasseven.com
PHOTO BY KRISTIN BURNS
FRIDAY 16
Opposite page: Stevie Nicks. This page: Lil Yachty and Techno Taco Tuesday.
TUESDAY 20
Tuesday means techno and tacos. Get your fix of tantalizing treble and boomin’ bass paired with delectable dishes and lavish libations at Tacos & Beer for Techno Taco Tuesday. You can expect usual spinners such as Bad Beat, Lance Le Rok, Pedro Flores, Rob Fernandez and Eder More, but given the time of year, we’ve got the feeling there will be some surprises in store. Promoters have yet to announce anything at press time, but there’s bound to be something up their sleeves. (9 p.m., 3900 Paradise Rd., facebook.com/technotacotuesdaylv)
WEDNESDAY 21
LIL YACHTY COURTESY OF ARTIST; TECHNO TACO TUESDAY BY EDER MORE/MNTRA
SATURDAY 17
We’re blessed. As Las Vegas locals, we’re able to enjoy the new crop of venues that debuted in the past year. Welcome another when Park Theater opens its doors with Stevie Nicks and The Pretenders. We can’t think of a better way to christen a new performance space than with a bona fide diva and a legendary rock band. As the “Reigning Queen of Rock and Roll,” Nicks is known for her contributions as a singer/songwriter of British-American rock outfit Fleetwood Mac, as well as her prolific solo career. Nicks’ airy alto vocals on songs such as “Dreams” and “Landslide” have solidified her place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and earned her eight Grammy nominations. The Pretenders have enjoyed considerable success since forming in the late ’70s thanks to a potent formula that takes elements from punk, New Wave and rock and fuses them into a cocktail that goes down nicely. Songs such as “Don’t Get Me Wrong” and “My Baby” hit No. 1 on the U.S. charts. We could really get used to seeing rock legends on a weekly basis. (8 p.m., $90-$590, at Monte Carlo, montecarlo.com)
SUNDAY 18
Let’s call today Simmer Down Sunday. Get festive by heading to The Smith Center to catch The Christmas Concert. This holiday engagement puts students from the Musical Arts Scholarship Program alongside Las Vegas entertainer Glenn Williams for an all-star extravaganza. Spoiler alert: At the end of the concert, you’ll be able to join the stars onstage for a grand sing-along of classic Yuletide hits. Best of all, proceeds from ticket sales go right back to the scholarship program. Looks like Christmas came a bit early this year. (2 p.m., $25, 361 Symphony Park Ave., thesmithcenter.com)
With the holiday season comes the parties. Join a beloved pack of DJs as they get into the spirit with Blackout Artists Holiday Party at Light. The talented group will hitch up its sleigh to bring some holiday havoc into the club. This engagement is stacked with sets by DJ Ikon, DJ Karma, DJ Kid Conrad, DJ Que, DJ Wellman and Kyle Flesch. Think of it this way: If the Avengers started DJing in Las Vegas on a regular basis, this would be their holiday party. (10:30 p.m., in Mandalay Bay, thelightvegas.com) 7
MONDAY 19
Feelin’ festive? Venture to Marquee for the fourth annual Mistletoe Ball. This isn’t your typical boring holiday party; clubgoers are encouraged to round up the entire squad for an ugly sweater competition. The biggest group gets to split a cool $5,000. It’s rare for a nightclub to amend its dress code for wacky competitions, so bust out your quirky knitwear and bask in the hilarity. Trance heavyweight Andrew Rayel will provide the soundtrack for the party, and industry night means free admission for locals before midnight. You have nothing to lose … except maybe some dignity! (10 p.m., in The Cosmopolitan, marqueelasvegas.com)
December 15-21, 2016 vegasseven.com
Nick Valensi is best known as the lead guitarist for the rock ’n’ roll band The Strokes. And while the rockers put out their latest album, Comedown Machine, in 2013, The Strokes never went on a full tour to promote the release—leaving Valensi deprived of playing live. The beckoning stage motivated him to write new music, which not only introduced him to singing and lyric writing, but also birthed a record and a new band: CRX. The project wasn’t intended to yield a new band, though. Throughout the writing process, Valensi wasn’t sure that was something he wanted to pursue. “Instead of [writing new music] to go on tour and book some shows with my friends, it started to feel like we could potentially be making something very special,” he says. Valensi ended up reaching out to his friend, Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, to produce the album. And Columbia Records’ interest soon followed. “It was an indication: Oh, now there is a corporation that is interested. … Maybe this is something more than I thought it [could] be,” Valensi says. The unintentional evolution of the project, as well as Valensi’s shift from guitarist to frontman, contributed to the lengthy amount of time the band took to complete its debut album. Years in the making, CRX’s New Skin was released in late October. After playing guitar with The Strokes since he was 13, Valensi started singing lead vocals for the first time with CRX. “I feel confident as a guitar player. I’ve been doing it my whole life,” he says. “When you’re a singer—when you are writing and singing lyrics—you are putting yourself in a much more vulnerable place.” The result of CRX’s inaugural release is a 10-track album that includes heavier, QOTSA-influenced songs such as “Broken Bones” to radio-ready pop songs such as “One Track Mind.” Oddly enough, it was the pop songs that Valensi says Homme was particularly excited about. “Josh wanted to make—not a pop record, because who knows what pop music is anymore—kind of a shiny rock record.” When producing the album, the QOTSA rocker envisioned a mohawked dude drifting through a desolate, post-apocalyptic Tokyo in a Honda CR-X—the band’s name refers to that crappy hatchback from the ’80s. And if there is one overarching theme to New Skin, it’s that the record should be listened to on the road. “When we were recording, we would always talk about how the album was good for driving. The music made you want to get in the car and just fucking drive fast,” Valensi says. But while he says he’s having a great time on tour with CRX, he’s just fine with eventually going back to just his Epiphone with The Strokes. “That’s what I love to do,” he says. 7
Taking the Wheel
CRX With Streets of Laredo, Hideout; Dec. 17, 8 p.m., $12-$25, Vinyl at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, hardrockhotel.com
The Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi adds lead singer and frontman to his résumé with CRX By Jessie O’Brien
Photography Amanda De Cadenet
December 15-21, 2016 vegasseven.com
[ CLUB TOUR ]
LAVO BRUNCH
LAVO ITALIAN RESTAURANT, CASINO & SPORTS LOUNGE IN THE PALAZZO
By Kat Boehrer
Photography Anthony Mair, Al Powers and Tony Tran
YOUR TOUR GUIDE: TY RILEY Ty Riley knows a thing or two about brunching. As the assistant director of VIP services for Tao Group, Riley’s job is to take care of bottlebuying guests and their table arrangements at Lavo Casino & Sports Lounge and its daytime counterpart, Lavo Party Brunch. The nightlife expert has been with Tao Group, he says, for four “amazing” years, and has been working in nightlife for a total of “five years of madness.” Multifaceted Lavo comprises an Italian restaurant downstairs and a casino and sports lounge upstairs. A featured experience, Lavo Party Brunch is the rowdy, mimosa-fueled daytime extravaganza with free admission that takes over from 2-6 p.m. every Saturday through mid-March. “The party starts off pretty low-key,” Riley says. “Then the curtains are closed, the music is turned up, girls are dancing on the tables, Champagne is flowing and confetti is flying everywhere.” Not a bad way to pass a Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas when it’s too cold to hit the pools!
December 15-21, 2016 vegasseven.com
SAVE THE DATE Lavo Brunch is known for its fun themed parties throughout the season, and Riley has the inside scoop on some of the best ones. December 31: New Year’s Eve
“With the holiday falling on a Saturday this year, Lavo Party Brunch is going to be one for the books. Everyone is dressed to impress, and the celebrations will go from day to night at Lavo, making it an unforgettable event.” January 7: PJ & PJ Brunch
“Everyone is in their pajamas, and Perrier-Jouët representatives come to brunch as well and bring an amazing amount of energy with them. Guests are dressed in lingerie, onesies and robes.” February 4 & 5: The Big Game Brunch and Lavo Bowl, respectively
“Everyone is representing their favorite team, the energy is through the roof, both floors are absolutely packed and there are a ton of celebrities in town, which always brings another element of excitement to the party.”
ON DECK
INSTA THAT
With nightclubs such as Marquee and Tao in the family, Tao Group makes good music a priority, and Lavo is no different. Find favorite local DJs C.L.A., Lema, Mike Attack, DJ Vice and others setting the sounds for each party. Riley adds, “Also, guests can expect to see a few of Marquee’s resident DJs at Lavo.”
“Definitely don’t overlook the menu. The food is unbelievable,” Riley says. Lavo Brunch is unique in that you can actually eat brunch in the venue ahead of the madness—you know, before everything gets drenched in Champagne showers and covered in confetti. Not-to-miss dishes include the almond-crusted French toast ($18) and seafood plateau grande ($125).
MUST-TRY Riley’s favorite drink, Frosé All Day, is made with Hacienda de Arínzano rosé wine, Stoli Elit Vodka, Chambord and fresh berries. For a new take on cool bottle presentations, Riley recommends the giant ice cream sundae for $800. Just how giant, you ask? “It has 18 scoops of ice cream, macarons, waffles, marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and sprinkles,” he says. “It’s delivered to your table in a giant ice bowl and is topped with a bottle of Avion Espresso Liqueur.” Just the type of midday sugar rush needed to power through the afternoon.
KEEP CALM, BRUNCH ON Not feelin’ the party this weekend? Lavo also honors your quieter side with Proper Brunch, available from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays.
SUNDAE COURTESY OF TAO GROUP
Lavo Italian Restaurant, Casino & Sports Lounge lavolv.com Instagram: @lavolv, @lavocasinoclub Opposite page: Lavo’s epic Party Brunch; Ty Riley. This page: Mike Attack (above); chef Marc Marrone with a giant ice cream sundae.
December 15-21, 2016 vegasseven.com
Atlantico Rum co-founders Brandon Lieb and Aleco Azqueta never set out to offer an entire rum line. According to Lieb, they wanted to offer the definitive expression of the spirit, and in 2008 they released Atlantico Private Cask, an award-winning blend of small-batch rums aged up to 25 years. But while the slim bottle fit nicely in the hand, bartenders spoke up and asked for a drier finish as well as a white version. All requests were answered when Atlantico launched Reserva—solera-aged for an average of 15 years in ex-bourbon barrels—and the highly mixable Platino. New, bolder packaging will roll out in 2017 for all three. But that’s not where the story ends. When the brand’s Las Vegas brand ambassador Ryan McGinnis of O-D-V Imports longed to see a specialty finished expression, he went a step beyond the ask and secured a single ex-Cognac barrel from Alain Royer (“a legend in the alcohol and barrel industry, especially in France,” McGinnis says). The lightly toasted French Limousine oak barrel was shipped to Atlantico’s La Romana distillery in the Dominican Republic and filled with Reserva for nine months of additional aging that adds sweet vanilla notes but is not cloying on the palate. Atlantico Reserva Cognac Finish ($35; atlanticorum.com) could easily be mixed but, McGinnis says, was designed more for enjoying on its own. The barrel yielded just 420 bottles, which are available exclusively at Total Wine & More locations in Nevada, so hurry or you’ll be left asking, “Why is the rum gone?” –Xania Woodman
December 15-21, 2016 vegasseven.com
ATLANTICO RESERVA COGNAC FINISH
[ DRINK THIS ]
Rha pso dy
DOO R] NE X T [ DJ
Ca rr By J o h n cKe e y Z ach M h p ra g to o Ph
Gabriel Blu facebook.com/gabrielblumusic soundcloud.com/gabrielblu
December 15-21, 2016 vegasseven.com
u l B in
F EL TILEF E I R B A G K WHY R FORSA D E V E N L N WIL ERGROU D N U E H T
IS the music coming from the turntable artists who dominate the city’s billboards all the Strip’s megaclubs have to offer? For deep house and techno minister Gabriel Tileff, who performs as Gabriel Blu, the answer is no. Born in Bulgaria and raised in Wisconsin before moving to Las Vegas, Tileff has been DJing since he was 16. A year later, his interests expanded into music production: “My days generally begin around 7 a.m.,” he says. “I go play a round of disc golf, run my errands and aim to be in the studio ASAP.” He also does his own mixing and mastering—two very involved and demanding tasks. When he can, Tileff says he invites fellow artists to his home studio to mentor them. “I always end up learning something new while helping others, so it’s great for everyone.” Despite the fact that many DJs maintain a day job to keep the cash coming in while pursuing their creative goals, Tileff doesn’t take his eye off the prize. He supports himself by hauling a flash drive full of music around the country in L.A., Miami and Chicago. His greatest passion lies in his two-year-old venture Diamond Blu Records, which puts out tracks from himself and other artists/producers who share his vision, such as Toronto deep-house DJ Pastiche. Tileff likes to keep his plate full, and he regularly schedules enough commitments to make anyone go insane. So naturally this summer, he added throwing pool parties on his to-do list. Collaborating with veteran Las Vegas promoter JC Coats, Tileff hosted Sundaze, a series of events at Azure Pool which saw an array of underground names, including Spacebyrdz and Trent Cantrelle. With his diverse skill set, Tileff knows he could make a more commercial track selection. For him, though, it’s the opposite kind of pressure. “It’s very tough for me to play any music that I’m not passionate about. I often see DJs absolutely bored out of their minds, playing the same music every weekend just because of the paychecks,” he says. Once upon a time, Tileff was an open-format DJ who honored all the trends, from hiphop to mashups. He eventually hung up that gig. “I quickly learned it killed my creativity and made me lose that passion I had,” he says. Tileff’s mission to bring to Las Vegas a scene based around a more mature dance music sound is aided by the slew of friends and colleagues that he’s gained over the years. He opens for Chris Lorenzo on January 31 at Beauty Bar. 7