MA N OF MA NY F A CE S
M A R S H M E L LO FREE April 13 – 19, 2017
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FRIDAY 14 Bon Iver and Music Festival is happening poolside at the
THURSDAY 13 HEAR: Grammy Award winners Bon Iver bring
their catalog of indie-folk hits to The Joint. Justin Vernon and the gang are touring in support of the group’s third studio album, 22, A Million. 8 p.m., $40.50, inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, hardrockhotel.com
On the other end of the musical spectrum, you can head Downtown for a “night of female-fronted doom metal” at Beauty Bar. Demon Lung, Doomstress and Disenchanter are on the bill. The best part: no cover. 8 p.m., 517 Fremont St., beautybarlv.com
April 13–19, 2017 vegasseven.com
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Get unlimited samples of more than 50 craft beers from Las Vegas and Southern California breweries. A performance by “Face Down” singers Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is also on tap. 7–10 p.m. (6 p.m. for VIP), $35–$50, vegasbeerandmusicfestival.com SEE: Admit it, you’ve always loved the The Fast and the Furious movies. You’re not alone—the action franchise clocks in at $3.9 billion in box office sales and is set to get even bigger with the release of The Fate of the Furious. The seventh (seventh!) sequel comes with lofty expectations but has been hampered by rumors of infighting between series stars Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The ring or the streets, fellas? Wherever you want to settle this, we’ll be watching. Theaters, showtimes and prices vary HEAR: You have to hand it to Drai’s—they’ve been
booking some solid live acts alongside their headlining DJs. Hip-hop star Nelly takes the stage on April 14, bringing back all the hits, and he had some good ones: “Country Grammar,” “Ride Wit Me,” “Hot in Herre,” “Air Force Ones,”
“Errtime,” even “My Place.” Bring Kelly Rowland back, too, so we can hear “Dilemma.” Damn, we miss Nelly. 10:30 p.m., $30–$50, at The Cromwell, draisnightlife.com Nearby at The Cosmopolitan, London’s
Bastille performs at The Chelsea. 7 p.m., $25,
cosmopolitanlasvegas.com. Check out our interview with frontman Dan Smith on page 39. DANCE: If you need to blow off steam after a long
week’s work (and lordy, don’t we all), we suggest you get to XS in time to see Marshmello take the stage. At this point, we’ve given up on guessing the identity of the camera-averse DJ, but we will say that we’ve never seen Marshmello and Luxor headliner Criss Angel in the same room at the same time. Think about it. 10 p.m., $20–$30, inside Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, xslasvegas.com New Jersey DJ trio Cash Cash returns to Hakkasan with a show that combines turntable tracks, live instruments and money guns firing dollar-bill confetti. They don’t call it “Cash Is King” for nothing. 10:30 p.m., $20–$30, inside MGM Grand, hakkasanlv.com
PHOTO BY CAMERON WITTIG AND CRYSTAL QUINN
TASTE: Beer. Enjoy it. The 6th-annual Vegas Beer
GET OUT OF BED,
TASTE: When was the last time you took in the view from Foundation Room? Try it out again Saturday night during its “Bubbles for Beauties” ladies night, featuring complimentary Champagne and vodka cocktails (with RSVP) for women from 10 p.m. to midnight. 10 p.m., $30, ladies free, men free with RSVP, inside Mandalay Bay, mandalaybay.com HEAR: Dearly beloved, a year ago this month
we lost Prince, and we’re still not over it. On April 15, gather at Backstage Bar & Billiards to hear “Erotic City–Tribute to Prince,” along with funky acoustic duo Brent Muscat and Anthony Serrano. 8 p.m., $12–$15, 601 E. Fremont St., backstagebarandbilliards.com
Prince would not be disappointed if you decided to pass on the tribute because you had tickets to see Empire of the Sun at The Chelsea. 7 p.m., $40–$60, inside The Cosmopolitan, cosmopolitanlasvegas.com
Empire of the Sun (left) and DJ Lema at Marquee Dayclub
EXPERIENCE: It’s your last chance to catch An American In Paris at The Smith Center.
The musical racked up four Tony Awards on Broadway in 2015, and its soundtrack scored a Grammy nomination last year. 7:30 p.m., $29–$127, Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com
MONDAY 17 DANCE: “The Ultimate Local Affair” is the sell-
ing point behind Jewel’s “Flawless Mondays.” That’s enough for us to get off the couch and get back at it this Monday night—and it’s even better with Faed behind the decks. 10:30 p.m., $20-$30, inside Aria, jewelnightclub.com
night long? Before you get your nightclub groove on, swing by Gilley’s on the Strip for free line-dancing lessons, $1 draft beers, 2-for1 cocktails and half-price bull rides for locals. 7 p.m., inside Treasure Island, gilleyslasvegas.com
TUESDAY 18
DANCE: It’s too soon to call it a night, so after the Empire of the Sun show, head up to Marquee Nightclub to see Tritonal. The Austin-based duo, always a monster draw at Electric Daisy Carnival, will be making the first of two appearances on the club’s calendar this month. 10:30 p.m., $18–$41, inside The Cosmopolitan, marqueelasvegas.com
SUNDAY 16 DANCE: When you don’t have to wake up early
on Monday (or even if you do), you can go all night at Hakkasan Sunday night. This week, British DJ Mark Eteson will be on the turntables until some unheard-of hour, so
April 13–19, 2017 vegasseven.com
SHAKE OFF YOUR HANGOVER AT THESE SUNNY SPOTS
rest up. 10:30 p.m., $20–$30, inside MGM Grand, hakkasanlv.com
EXPERIENCE: Why not make it locals night all
EXPERIENCE: When we first heard the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino was hosting the Jay Cutler Desert Classic, we wondered why anyone would go to an event starring that schlub quarterback who was finally dumped by the Chicago Bears last month. It turns out this is a bodybuilding competition starring fourtime Mr. Olympia (and Las Vegas resident) Jay Cutler. We’ll get on board for that! Any chance he can throw a pass? 6 p.m., $30–$100, lasvegasnpc.com
IT’S POOL SEASON
EXPERIENCE: This is the one we’ve been waiting for. If you got your tax refund in time, or if you just feel like draining what’s left in your bank account, you can hit up Crazy Horse III and treat yourself to the gentlemen’s club’s “Blow Your Refund” VIP package. The deal includes a bottle of Ultimat Vodka and a bottle of Patron, plus a loaded money gun with 50 Washingtons, and you know what to do with those. We’re thinking we deserve this: It has been a tough year. $750, 3525 W. Russell Rd., crazyhorse3.com
WEDNESDAY 19 HEAR: Break out of your midweek blues and
get to the House of Blues for a performance by Tech N9NE. The veteran rapper’s newest release, Dominion, dropped last week. 6:30 p.m., $35, inside Mandalay Bay, houseofblues.com/lasvegas
EXPERIENCE: Geeks Who Drink puts a new spin on trivia night at Beerhaus at the Park on the Strip. You’ll finally get a chance to drain your head of all the useless knowledge you’ve accumulated on those nights you wandered down a Wikipedia rabbit hole. Congratulations. 8 p.m., theparkvegas.com 7
FRIDAY 14 You’re gonna be at work on Friday?
That’s cool. We’ll be “Chasing Colors” with Ookay at Encore Beach Club. It beats pushing papers all day—whoa, that’s an outdated phrase; who puts anything on paper anymore? Whatever, we’ll see you at the club. 11 a.m., $20–$75, at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, encorebeachclub.com If you prefer your music at a higher level (see what we did there?), then you should be in the crowd for Savi at Drai’s Beachclub. The “Breathe It In” performer is set for two shows at the rooftop dayclub this month. Catch this one in case you come down with something and can’t make the next. 11 a.m., $20–$30, at The Cromwell, draisbeachclub.com Over at Marquee Dayclub, one of the city’s longest-tenured resident DJs is still drawing ridiculous crowds. Find out why DJ Lema is just as big a draw as Champagne and sunshine. 11 a.m., $18–$32, at The Cosmopolitan, marqueelasvegas.com
SATURDAY 15 Speaking of resident DJs who
have been getting love from Las Vegas for a long time, Eric Dlux is back behind the decks at Tao Beach. Remember, only he knows where the baes at. 11:30 a.m., $14–$23, at The Venetian, taolasvegas.com Further south on the Strip, former Dancing With the Stars contestant and House of Carters cast member Aaron Carter is taking over Day Beats at the GO Pool. Do we go, or do we buy a ticket to see his older brother at Planet Hollywood that same night? Decisions, man. 9 a.m., $20, at Flamingo Las Vegas, caesars.com/flamingo-las-vegas We feel bad taking a shot at Aaron Carter and his burgeoning DJ career. So bad, in fact, that we’ll invite him to see David Guetta with us at Encore Beach Club. Why not learn from the best? 11 a.m., $30–$100, at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, encorebeachclub.com
SUNDAY 16 There’s a Spring Break 2017 par-
ty happening at Rehab. Who cares if it’s not technically spring break anymore? It’s spring break when Rehab says it’s spring break! 11 a.m., $10–$20, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, rehablv.com Back on the Strip, Fergie DJ is at Wet Republic, and if you don’t know why that’s one of the best dayclubs in Las Vegas, then you need to read more, son. 11 a.m., $20–$30, at MGM Grand, wetrepublic.com —Seven Staff
MARQUEE BY TOBY ACUNA
SATURDAY 15
[ HEAR THIS ]
Marshmello Emojis TOYING WITH THE EMOTIONS OF THE FAMOUSLY SECRET DJ By Vegas Seven Staff
Illustrations Cierra Pedro
SUPERHEROES AREN’T THE ONLY DO-GOODERS WHO HIDE THEIR identities from their fans. The DJ community has long attracted a similar type of mystery man (or woman—we don’t really know). No one does it better in Las Vegas right now than Wynn and Encore resident DJ Marshmello. Since breaking onto the scene in 2015, he’s racked up huge hits such as “Alone” and amassed a social media following in the millions. But he’s never given us a glimpse under his signature cylindrical helmet.
He could be anyone. He could be your neighbor, your Uber driver or your best friend. Although we may never know how he feels when he’s onstage, we created a personalized set of emojis that symbolize what we imagine Marshmello wants to express to all his adoring fans.
Em oji:
Em oji:
Em oji:
Em oji:
Em oji:
Em oji:
I’m Crying on the Inside Because This Song Makes Me Think of My Mother
Hey You in the Black Dress: Wanna Netflix and Chill?
I’m Melting Like an Actual Marshmallow in This Thing
#Blessed
If he could talk: “You look like the kind of girl who’s into Grace and Frankie. That’s great, because I got more charm than Sheen and Waterston combined—and I’m into you. Come on back to my suite; I got the new season queued up.”
If he could talk: “Everybody know me. Everybody know Marshmello. They just don’t know how much I sacrifice to make every night the best night of their lives. I can’t even lift this thing an inch to sip a cocktail or it would ruin the whole effect. And next weekend I gotta be at Encore Beach Club? In that heat? Maybe I can just stick this thing on a mannequin and run the whole show remotely from a cabana.”
Flying Around the World in a Private Jet Performing for Adoring Fans Sure Does Tire Out Marshmello
Hey Guy, Stop Waving That Bag of Marshmallows Unless You’re Gonna Make It Rain
If he could talk: “She was the sweetest soul, always the shoulder I could rest my can on. Even during the lean years, Mildred Mello would find a way to support my passion. Like the time she let me smash dishes against the wall just so I could record the sound. Oh, Mum, I’m so alone; nothing feels like home …”
If he could talk: “This feels good right here, looking out and seeing the whole Mellogang come together. It reminds me of that really old movie Empire Strikes Back. At the end, when the brother and sister are standing in the window with the robots, staring at the same bright star. It’s just like that, and we’re all brothers and sisters.”
Upcoming Dates for Marshmello APRIL 14 XS Nightclub
April 13–19, 2017 vegasseven.com
APRIL 22 Encore Beach Club
MAY 5 Intrigue Nightclub
If he could talk: “These are the nights I really struggle to stay on my feet. Miami to Buenos Aires to São Paulo to Santiago and then back to Miami.”
If he could talk: “What’s that you got there? Kraft Jet-Puffed? They’re ‘America’s Favorite.’ I don’t know how you sneaked that bag in the club, but unless you’re gonna shower these good people with sugar, I got better things to do than lock eyes with you. Wait, don’t start eating them. You’re making a mess! Security!”
Instagram: @marshmellomusic Instagram: @wynnnightlife wynnsocial.com/tickets
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FLO RIDA SAT, APR 29
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[ EAT HERE ]
A New Kind of Dinner Theater
Sake Rok emcee Jonnis brings energy and excitement to a Strip-side sushi outing By Misti Yang
Photography Krystal Ramirez
“I hug,” is how Sake Rok’s creative director and OG emcee, Jonnis (whose full name is Jonathan Tannis), introduces himself—and then he hugs you. Jonnis earned the OG title because he helped craft the original vision for the entertainment at Sake Rok. And now, from producing the restaurant’s miniature shows to taking the floor as an emcee, he is responsible for infusing Sake Rok with a larger-than-life atmosphere every night. If you imagine a sushi bar mixed with a raucous house party punctuated by interludes a la the Fly Girls from In Living Color, then turn all that up to 11, you’ve got Sake Rok. Located in the outdoor dining and entertainment area between the Monte Carlo and New York-New York, a.k.a. The Park, the restaurant features small plates and entrées along with sushi and sake. During the day, Sake Rok passes as a Japanese spot with an industrial vibe, but as the lights go down, the bass gets louder courtesy of a live DJ, and guests are joined by a cast of characters—some of them also servers—who dance, lipsynch and encourage visitors to play along. Diners have been known to bust into the wobble and cheer for their fave heartthrobs in boy-band battles. It may sound like a lot to take in, but you have Jonnis to lead the way. “As an emcee, you’re kind of like a chef. You make things from scratch. You create a night with people,” Jonnis says. He was hired at Sake Rok after being introduced to the owners by a friend. His résumé was a perfect fit for a job description that included teaching servers to dance and being able to talk with strangers eating sushi. Jonnis was born in Vancouver, Canada, and is the youngest of 10 children. He attributes his knack for taking center-stage to his upbringing. “Imagine what it takes being the youngest of 10 trying to get a word in at the dinner table. Running a night at Sake Rok is the same,” he says. It also helps that six of his siblings, including himself, became entertainers. Jonnis focused on tap, jazz and musical theater as a kid, and at the age of 16, he followed several of his siblings to Atlantic City to dance in shows. But he ultimately ended up performing in a showroom in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, before auditioning for the first season of So You Think You Can Dance, where he made it to the top 16 before being eliminated. By that time, his siblings had relocated to Las Vegas, so he joined them here. Jonnis’ look has been compared to Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler because of his long, silky locks (and robes). But when he takes the floor at Sake Rok, you’ll see that the moves and attitude are his alone. 7
Rok the House: Sake Rok’s One-Year Anniversary Party Featuring complimentary drinks, geishas, sumo wrestlers and a 100-person sake bomb; April 18, 9 p.m.
ROK ’N’ ROLLING INTO A SECOND DELICIOUS YEAR By Genevie Durano It’s been a year since Sake Rok made a splash at The Park, bringing to the city Japan’s vibrant pop culture and the playful side of its cuisine. With a high-energy ambiance, interactive servers and live entertainment, it has become the place to be before or after a show at T-Mobile Arena or Park Theater. Chef Bobby Silva’s menu is suitable for a group of two or 10, featuring dishes such as Tuna Tataki (garnished with crispy garlic, avocado, coriander and a citrus soy sauce) and Crispy Rice (topped with spicy tuna, serrano pepper, coriander and
a ponzu drizzle) and signature sushi rolls such as the “Fancy” Wagyu Beef Maki Roll (seared Wagyu, snow crab tempura and asparagus topped with a ponzu white-truffle vinaigrette). Those with a monster appetite can dig their hands into the Godzilla Platter, which comes with six specialty rolls and 10 pieces of the chef’s nigiri and sashimi selection. For its one-year anniversary, the chef has unveiled new entrée selections including Spicy Pork Tenderloin (purple potato puree, pickled Asian pear, Okinawan sweet potato chips and mizuna) and pork belly with sweet potato puree and Maitake mushroom. And crowd favorite ROK Chicken has been updated with sweet potato puree, chanterelle mushrooms and tempura bok choy.
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AARON CARTER PERFORMING LIVE
DJ SUPPORT BY ERIC FORBES
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[ GAMES BARTENDERS PLAY ] By Xania V. Woodman Illustration David Yett
C
ICING verb, ic·ing, \ˈī-si\
The uproarious act of surprising someone (usually a fellow bartender) with a bottle of Smirnoff Ice, demanding that the victim immediately take a knee and pound it
April 13–19, 2017 vegasseven.com
urrently battling for the title of Las Vegas Ice King are Julian Luna and SeongHa Lee. “It’s in the craft, it’s in the surprise,” says Luna, who has historically racked up victims by concealing bottles in a colleague’s bar tool kit, in a coworker’s locker, in a tequila ambassador’s birthday piñata and even in his own boss’ desk drawer. Icing is less “bartender’s handshake” and more “bartender’s affectionately administered wedgie.” “And strangely,” Luna notes, “Australians don’t seem to mind being Iced one bit.” The ritual appears to have its origins in the college fraternity scene as an obscure meme that went viral in 2010, spawning a YouTube channel, Twitter account, Facebook page, website and Tumblr blog, as well as coverage in The New York Times and CNN Money—much of which has been subsequently scrubbed from the internet by a well-funded killjoy. Only the website icingrules.com seems to have skirted judgment by opening up the prank’s starring role to other beverages. For his part, Lee famously Iced his entire crew at a highway rest stop en route to February’s Last Slinger Standing competition during Arizona Cocktail Week in Phoenix. Another year, a vending machine at the event allowed you to Ice yourself! (Or maybe that was just an actual Smirnoff Ice vending machine? We may never know.) Much of the fun of Icing, however, is in the retaliation. Prime targets, Luna and Lee have been subject to Icing by bread basket and beer bucket at Herbs & Rye. Luna also recounts how he and other volunteers were systematically Iced en masse during San Antonio Cocktail Week in January with bottles hidden in wash buckets beneath dirty bar tools. “They were all warm and covered in soap, and we were already hungover from the night before,” Luna recalls, shuddering. “Plus, they were 22-ouncers! It hurt. I’m not gonna lie, it hurt.” 7