May 1 1–17, 2017 vegasseven.com
ARIA’S NIGHTCLUB TURNS ONE
2
the crown jewel
WHAT TO DO
AFTER DARK By JASON R. LATHAM
THURSDAY 11 HEAR: The ’90s are big in the 2010s, kind
of like how the ’70s were big in the ’90s. It must be a 20-year thing. Anyway, go find that mix CD of Counting Crows and Alanis Morissette and play it on your way to see ’90s tribute band Empire Records at Brooklyn Bowl. 7:30 p.m., free, at The Linq Promenade, brooklynbowl.com
DANCE: After your brush with the ’90s, catch
up to current music with Chuckie at Intrigue Nightclub. 10:30 p.m., $25–$45, inside Wynn Las Vegas, intriguevegas.com Or, choose door No. 2 and see Tiësto at Hakkasan. 10:30 p.m., $20–$30, inside MGM Grand, hakkasanlv.com
FRIDAY 12 TASTE: Grab your hat and boots and cele-
brate Las Vegas’ cowboy roots with unlimited samples of craft beer from 40 vendors at Helldorado Days Brewfest at Las Vegas Village. 5 p.m., $32–$64, across from Luxor, mgmgrand.com/entertainment After kicking off on May 10, the annual San Gennaro Feast continues at Craig Ranch Regional Park, and it’s going even later on the weekend. While you’re eating, catch performances by Kelly Clinton and Denise Clemente, among others, and the casts of Shades of Sinatra and MJ Live. 4 p.m.–midnight, $10, 628 W. Craig Rd., sangennarofeast.com HEAR: Train is one of those bands in stealth
mode. A song gets stuck in your head, you’re singing it in the car, you’re singing it in the office, and you don’t know it’s Train until someone points it out. Then you’re like, “You got me, Train, good work.” Sing along with all of their hits at MGM Grand Garden Arena. 7:30 p.m., $40–$90, inside MGM Grand, mgmgrand.com
May 1 1–17, 2017 vegasseven.com
Clockwise from top left: UFC fighters Stipe Miocic, Junior Dos Santos, Jessica Andrade and Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
LAUGH: You’ve got two chances to see The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah at The Mirage. If you miss him on Friday night, you can try again on Saturday. Otherwise, you’re stuck watching him on Comedy Central until he comes back to town. 10 p.m., $60, themirage.com. Check out our interview with Noah in this issue.
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
SAT, MAY 13
MAY 20
MAY 21
SUN, MAY 14
JUNE 2 & 9
JUNE 3
WALE JUNE 11
JUNE 15
JUNE 18
JUNE 24
REHAB@HRHVEGAS.COM | 702.693.5505 | HARDROCKHOTEL.COM | REHABLV.COM /REHABLV #REHABLV
SAT, MAY 27
JUNE 4
JUNE 10
DEE JAY SILVER
JAMIE IOVINE
JUNE 30
JULY 7
So you figure Trevor Noah’s show probably goes 90 minutes, two hours tops. The night’s a puppy. Get out there and dance. DANCE: Encore at Wynn Las Vegas has lined up a
double whammy for the evening. You’ve got your choice of Getter, who is playing Nightswim at Encore Beach Club (10:30 p.m., $25–$35, encorebeachclub.com), or The Chainsmokers, who are back onstage at XS. 10 p.m., $45–$75, xslasvegas.com Meanwhile, DJ Stevie J is lighting up Light at Mandalay Bay. 10:30 p.m., $26–$38, thelightvegas.com SEE: Don’t forget that the second season of Aziz
Ansari’s Master of None premieres on Netflix. So you have something to watch when you get home.
SATURDAY 13 EXPERIENCE: Oh, hell yes. Downtown’s premier cos-
play bar, The Nerd, is hosting the LVL UP Gaming & Technology Expo after-parties, with half-price drinks if you’re still in costume! LVL UP, Las Vegas’ annual anime and video gaming convention, is happening all weekend long at Cashman Center, but you already knew that. 8 p.m., Neonopolis, 450 Fremont St., thenerd.com
And Station Casinos is hosting UFC 211 viewing parties at three locations: Chrome Showroom (Santa Fe Station), Club Madrid (Sunset Station) and Red Rock Ballroom (Red Rock). 5 p.m., stationcasinosevents.com HEAR: Southern rock tribute band Southern Stue is
playing MonteLago Village at Lake Las Vegas. You’ll hear covers of everything from 38 Special to the Marshall Tucker Band—basically, all the hits from that Goin’ South CD collection. Google it. 7 p.m., 30 Strada Di Villaggio, lakelasvegas.com
The only thing better than a classic rock cover band is the real thing in concert, and The Orleans Showroom is hosting the legendary Three Dog Night for two shows (the second is Sunday). The request is going in right now to hear “Easy To Be Hard” at the top, and then again in the encore. 8 p.m., $40, orleanscasino.com
SUNDAY 14 HEAR: It’s Mother’s Day, and we don’t have Mamma
Mia in town anymore, so after you take your mom to brunch, treat her to ABBA the Concert —direct from Sweden at Eastside Cannery Casino Hotel. She’ll love it. 7 p.m., $27–$33, eastsidecannery.com
DANCE: If you spent all day at the pool, you don’t even
If you’re trying to stay out of the water and you just want to dance, check out Mark Eteson at Hakkasan. 10:30 p.m., $20–$30, inside MGM Grand, hakkasanlv.com
Or, if you didn’t get your fill of JERZY during Life is Beautiful 2016, you can see him at Daylight Beach Club. 11 a.m., $20–$30, at Mandalay Bay, daylightvegas.com
MONDAY 15 Mondays get no respect. People start complaining about Mondays on the weekend, and then when the day arrives, your timeline is filled with memes about what a horrible thing Monday is. DANCE: You know who doesn’t complain about Mon-
days? DJ Shift. That’s because he gets to be onstage for Flawless Mondays at Jewel. Go see if some of his positive energy rubs off on you. 10:30 p.m., $20–$30, inside Aria, jewelnightclub.com
TUESDAY 16 EXPERIENCE: You get enough EDM in your life, so
turn the dial to showtunes and catch A Night on Broadway at The Smith Center. It’s family-friendly, featuring students ages 4 to 18 from the Academy of Nevada Ballet Theatre Pre-Professional Dance Program. 6 p.m., $18–$59, thesmithcenter.com
much EDM, but not when Steve Aoki is the main attraction. 10:30 p.m., $20–$40, Omnia Nightclub inside Caesars Palace, omnianightclub.com
WEDNESDAY 17
killing it onstage, and “Soul Sacrifice” sounds just as good as it does on those YouTube videos of Woodstock. 7 p.m., $99–$225, inside Mandalay Bay, houseofblues.com/lasvegas
May 1 1–17, 2017 vegasseven.com
And CLA is spinning at Tao Beach. 11:30 a.m., $9–$23, at The Venetian, taolasvegas.com
SATURDAY 13 STEVE AOKI, who just released a new
track with DVBBS and Life Is Beautiful 2017 headliner 2 Chainz titled “Without U,” is playing Wet Republic. 11 a.m. $30–$75, at MGM Grand, wetrepublic.com Aoki sounds like a must-see, but before you book it, you should know DAVID GUETTA will be onstage at Encore Beach Club. It’s not fair to make you choose between two all-stars, but life’s full of tough choices. 10 a.m., $30–$50, at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, encorebeachclub.com And to make it even tougher for you, Saturday’s the day JAY SEAN is set to play the GO Pool. 9 a.m., $15, at Flamingo Las Vegas, gopoolvegas.com
SUNDAY 14 DANCE: I take that back, there is such a thing as too
LAUGH: Andrew Dice Clay portrays a fictional version of himself as a Vegas performer on Showtime’s Dice. On Saturday night, Dice Man plays his real self, a Vegas performer, at Tropicana’s Laugh Factory. 10 p.m., $54–$89, troplv.com
Or see Zedd at Omnia Nightclub inside Caesars Palace. 10:30 p.m., $20–$30, omnianightclub.com
FRIDAY 12
Make it a memorable day and see DIPLO at Encore Beach Club. The man is always on the go—he’s in Mexico City one minute, South Africa the next—but we’re lucky that we don’t have to go far to see him. 11 a.m., $40–$60, at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, encorebeachclub.com
HEAR: Carlos Santana returns to the House of Blues
Aria and catch NGHTMRE onstage at Jewel Nightclub. 10:30 p.m., $20–$30, jewelnightclub.com
AND GET TO THE POOL PARTY ON TIME
have to go home and change before going back out for the night. Just stay in your swimsuit, nap in your car, get something to eat and dive back in for Laidback Luke’s Nightswim performance at XS. 10 p.m., $40–$60, inside Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, xslasvegas.com
Or, if your tastes are a little more modern—like, lyrics written this century—Grammy nominee Big Sean will be at Drai’s Nightclub on top of The Cromwell. 10:30 p.m., $30–$50, draisnightlife.com
DANCE: You’re not tired, are you? Good. So get to
SET THAT ALARM
for the first of eight May shows in his long-running An Intimate Evening with Santana: Greatest Hits Live residency. Even at 69, Santana is still
DANCE: End up at 1OAK and get your midweek
groove on with DJ Karma. What else are you gonna do, stay home? 10:30 p.m., $20–$30, inside The Mirage, 1oaklasvegas.com
When you’re a DJ, you need a name people are going to remember. M!KEATTACK is an awesome name. Go give him props at Marquee Dayclub. 11 a.m., $19–$33, at The Cosmopolitan, marqueelasvegas.com
SAVI’S latest collaboration with NER-
VO and Lauren Bennett, titled “Forever or Nothing,” sounds like it would make an excellent James Bond theme song (and that’s a compliment). Catch the artist at Drai’s Beachclub. 11 a.m., $20–$30, at The Cromwell, draisbeachclub.com
TEMPTATION SUNDAYS are going
down at Luxor. The resort’s gay pool party is now in its eighth season. 1 p.m., $10–$20, luxor.com
And the mysterious MARSHMELLO is back at Encore Beach Club. When you’re sipping Champagne and bottled water, just think about how hot he’s gotta be under that helmet. 11 a.m., $30–$50, at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, encorebeachclub.com –J.R.L.
EVERY SATURDAY
JAY SEAN PERFORMING LIVE DJ SUPPORT BY SUPA JAMES
SATURDAY MAY 13 DOORS OPEN AT 9AM
COORS LIGHT BUCKET AND GREY GOOSE MAGNUM SPECIALS
FOR BOTTLE SERVICE, CABANA & DAYBED RENTALS CALL 702.697.2888 FLAMINGOLASVEGAS.COM @FlamingoVegas #FlamingoGoPool
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ARIA’S NIGHTLIFE GEM,
THE NEWEST NIGHTCLUB ON THE STRIP CELEBRATES ITS FIRST TURN AROUND THE SUN By NICOLE CORMIER
Doors open at 10:30 p.m. General admission starts at $20 for women, $30 for men jewelnightclub.com/ events/ May 1 1–17, 2017 vegasseven.com
SEVEN CELEB SIGHTINGS FROM YEAR ONE May 2016: Jamie Foxx hosts Jewel’s grand opening with a surprise performance by Drake. July 2016: Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire enjoy a night out. February 2017: Actress and activist Laverne Cox shows up for a friend’s bachelorette party. March 2017: Anderson .Paak performs during a special installment of “The Good Life Fridays.” April 2017: Singer Austin Mahone celebrates his 21st birthday.
PHOTO CREDIT GOES HERE
Happy Birthday Jewel
Jewel Nightclub, is positioned for a blowout bash the weekend of May 19 on the occasion of its first anniversary. Over the past 12 months, the Hakkasan Group venue played host to DJs such as The Chainsmokers, G.T.A., Party Favor, Tiësto, The LA Leakers, Borgeous and, of course, Steve Aoki, whose residency has sold out the venue on more than one occasion. Beyond the typical DJ cut, weekend party The Good Life Fridays has included chart-topping talent such as Travis Scott, Anderson .Paak, Lupe Fiasco and more. And Flawless Mondays has proven to be the industry night that shines even on the city’s most coveted day off. With programming touching all tastes, Jewel’s celebrity guests have included Jamie Foxx, Lil Jon, Jason Derulo and Puff Daddy, all keeping partygoers on their toes. At less than one-third the size of Hakkasan Nightclub at MGM Grand, Jewel has given room-packing DJs a rare opportunity to connect with their fans in an intimate environment. Kaskade, who has become quite at home playing the big rooms, will be taking his party to Jewel on May 20. But the good times start with the Billboard Music Awards Official Pre-Party with PartyNextDoor on May 19. And the weekend closes out with Zedd on Flawless Mondays. In only a year, Jewel Nightclub has become an integral part of the nightlife landscape. Now let’s eat cake and drink Champagne.
On the Daily Comedian and late-night talk show host Trevor Noah pulls a double shift at The Mirage
[ LAUGH NOW ]
By Zoneil Maharaj
T
revor Noah may be a foreigner in the U.S., but it’s his global perspective that’s made the charismatic South African comic one of the country’s sharpest voices and critics. With a fresh take on American politics, he translates many of our frustrations into hilarious quips, helping us laugh through the political shitshow weeknights on The Daily Show. When he’s not on set at Comedy Central, Noah’s onstage performing stand-up (watch his recent Netflix special, Afraid of the Dark, for his witty observations on race, immigration and his experiences abroad). Fans can catch the international funnyman May 12–13 when he visits Terry Fator Theatre inside The Mirage. Noah recently took a break from taping The Daily Show to talk with Vegas Seven about what he’s learned covering American politics, his favorite guests and the one question he’d ask Donald Trump.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SKY CINEMA
Is it an advantage being a non-American and hosting a show focused on American politics? This is a new age of politics. Anyone who claims to know what is happening, I feel a lot of the times, is proven wrong because it seems like Donald Trump himself is winging it, swinging from one position to another, going from one idea to the next. It feels like we’re all on the same journey … everyone is an outsider to what’s happening right now. What’s the strangest thing you’ve learned about our country’s political sphere? The strangest thing is how American politics has evolved to a place where both sides of the spectrum are more concerned with winning for their side than they are for winning for America. I know you get asked this one a lot, but what was it like interviewing Barack Obama? It was intimidating. I never thought I’d be sitting across from the President of the United States, let alone [any nation’s] president. I never
talk. I’d love to be in a space where it could be like, “Yo, man”—just a genuine conversation. You had a genuine conversation with Tomi Lahren, so I’m sure you’d do a good job with Trump. I afford every guest that comes to my show the same respect, because I’ve invited [them] as a guest, so whether I agree or disagree with [them], whether my views or [theirs] are completely different ... [they’re] a guest. I have to treat [them] accordingly, and that’s what I would do for anyone who joins the show.
thought I’d be sitting across from Barack Obama. It was a surreal experience because of where I’ve come from in my life, and because of how many things I feel I share with him: both having a parent from Africa, both being biracial, both struggling with identity [while] growing up and then both getting to a place a lot of people maybe didn’t want us to get to. But it was a really special moment for me and for the show, as well. If you were to interview Trump, what’s the one question you’d want to ask him? I would want to ask him if he could press a reset button, and if he could start it all again and erase our memories, what would be the story that he’d want to tell us, or, rather, what would he want to kick off on a clean slate? Take the campaign away. Take [away] what people think about him being a celebrity and a billionaire ... Take his tweets away. Take everything
away and just go: What would you like to do if you could start again from scratch tomorrow? Who’s been your favorite guest on the show? [Naming a] favorite is difficult because there have been so many. When it comes to celebrities, it’s Will Smith, it’s Jennifer Lopez, it’s Idris Elba. Politicians—I had a great time when Lindsey Graham came to the show. Ben Carson was fun; so was Rand Paul. When it comes to just interesting personalities, Michael Hayden of the CIA was fantastic. We’ve had some really, really interesting people that have come on. Who is your dream guest for The Daily Show? Probably Donald Trump. That would be fun, to sit down with him. I’d do my best to honestly give him a good interview where we just
One last question: When World War III starts, where are you headed? I’ve always said this to my friends and everyone who knows me: “When World War III starts, trust me, you want to go to Africa.” Because if you’ve watched movies, whether it’s aliens, whether it’s wars—go back and watch them—it never happens in Africa. Aliens never attack Africa. There are no war scenes that take place in Africa. It’s just chilling, doing its own thing. It’s so far out of the way, so Africa is definitely where I’m going. But District 9 was set in Africa. Yeah, but that wasn’t a war. In fact, that was the opposite. District 9 was basically [about] aliens [who] had landed in South Africa—they weren’t invading, and then the apartheid government had taken them as prisoners. That’s how hectic the apartheid government was. Aliens came and apartheid basically invaded the aliens. That’s how you know how rough South Africa was. 7
Trevor Noah May 12–13, 10 p.m., $55–$77, Terry Fator Theatre inside The Mirage, mirage.com
May 1 1–17, 2017 vegasseven.com
[ SATURDAY-NIGHT ITINERARY ]
RAMP UP A NIGHT
ON RAMPART
An evening on the town in and around Tivoli Village
S
tarting at dusk, this itinerary proves that there’s plenty of night moves to be made in and around Tivoli Village.
5 P.M. Begin your evening on the greens at
Angel Park Golf Club (100 South Rampart Blvd.,
angelpark.com). A tee time won’t be necessary for the nine-hole putting course, which is putt-putt minus the annoying windmills plus real grass. This mini golf will cost $5, and that includes putters, balls and wild-bunny viewing. The Club’s restaurant, Nino’s Kitchen, offers plenty of refreshments, so grab a cheap beverage, and let the par-tee begin. (If you don’t have time for a round, you can at least take in the view from Nino’s palatial patio, where there is often live music.)
6:30 P.M. Just down the street at Tivoli Vil-
lage, Cork & Thorn (330 S. Rampart Blvd., Suite 180, corkandthorn.com) is a full-service floral shop where you can sip wine and learn how to master the art of flower arranging. It’s like those classes where you drink wine and paint, but better because unlike your rendition of the Eiffel Tower, you will actually want to put the final floral masterpiece on display. And don’t be worried that you’ll have to suffer through a cheap glass of vino. Owner Randi Garrett is a self-proclaimed “Napa ninja” who takes her wine seriously, and the menu reflects it. For $80, get fine stems all around: a glass of good wine, floral instruction and a take-home
May 1 1–17, 2017 vegasseven.com
By MISTI YANG Photography KIN LUI arrangement that could easily cost $100. To register for a class, visit corkandthorn.com.
8 P.M.
The host at Echo & Rig (440 S. Rampart Blvd, echoandrig.com) will think you’re high-class when you show up with your own centerpieces. Or, stash your flowers in the car before dinner at chef and restaurateur Sam Marvin’s worth-every-penny steakhouse. And, when it comes to meat, Echo & Rig is a very reasonable amount of pennies with steaks averaging $30. Because there is a full-service butcher on the ground level, you can order from a wide selection of cuts, including hard-to-find beauties such as the bavette. Even vegetarians will delight in their salads and small-plate vegetable creations, including an avocado toast that will elicit instant Instagram envy.
9:30 P.M.
You will have just enough time to satiate your sweet tooth with two scoops at Vivido Gelato (1000 S. Rampart Blvd.). Each homemade frosty treat is an unabashed display of flavor. For example, the white chocolate double fudge brownie variety features giant hunks mixed in. Warning: They limit the number of samples you can have, but without the restriction, you’d probably make your way through the more than 50 flavors one teeny spoon at a time. Vivido also offers pastries, cakes and crepes, and you can fuel up on a strong cup of coffee to keep the night going. 7
Sandal-Weather Scotch
[ DRINK THIS ] By XANIA V. WOODMAN Photography KRYSTAL RAMIREZ
May 1 1–17, 2017 vegasseven.com
ll right, we’re taking the gloves off and packing them away for the long, hot Las Vegas summer. But if you’re thinking there isn’t a warm-weather friend among your Scottish whiskies and that you need to say farewell till fall, think again. From one of the country’s most prestigious, innovative and still-family-owned Scotch houses comes
A
Glenfiddich India Pale Ale Cask Finish
($66, Total Wine & More locations), the first in a new Experimental Series that joined the brand’s permanent lineup in late 2016. “When malt master Brian Kinsman’s not drinking Scotch whisky, he likes a little beer,” Glenfiddich national ambassador Mitch Bechard says. Two years ago, serendipity brought Kinsman together with brewer Seb Jones from Speyside Craft Brewery in Scotland, just minutes from the distillery, “and Seb said he just about fell over when Brian called him.” Empty casks were sent to the brewery, filled with IPA, rested for four months, emptied and then filled with Glenfiddich. “They weren’t successful at the start; some of the experiments just failed completely—which is great!” Bechard says. “You have to remember that what we’re doing with this expression has never been done before with single-malt Scotch whisky. After two years, the gentlemen nailed it.” The trick, it turned out, was the beer; it had to be relatively low in bitterness. “Glenfiddich off the still is a very delicate spirit: pear notes, very clean, very fresh. What we always want to do whenever we’re aging any Scotch whisky is have that nice balance between distillery and maturation characteristics,” Bechard says. Accordingly, the finished spirit displays all the house attributes: fruit-forward on the nose, and vibrant on the palate with a pleasant sweetness, “but then right at the end, there’s just that little hop kick,” Bechard notes. The typically long finish—slightly cut short by the hoppiness—is at once satisfying and refreshing, not unlike a cold draught of ale. You’ll find a suitable companion for the IPA Cask in a not-excessively-hoppy beer (about 20 to 30 on the International Bitterness Units scale), or, if you happen to be in Speyside, you can visit the brewery and ask to try the IPA, which in addition to lending its flavor to the finished Scotch, has picked up some of the whisky’s character. “From its inception, Glenfiddich has always been pioneering and experimental,” Bechard says. “William Grant used his seven sons and one stonemason to build the distillery. Then Glenfiddich essentially created the single-malt category in 1963 with the first single malt ever to be marketed in a big way. It was the first distillery to open its doors to visitors as well. The solera process—Glenfiddich pioneered that. The 21-Year-Old—a Scotch whisky using ex rum casks—again something that had never been done before.” And the innovation doesn’t stop there. To create Project XX, the second in the Experimental Series, 20 whiskey experts were invited to roam one of Glenfiddich’s warehouses, selecting a personal favorite from among thousands of casks for a blend that is a mosaic of finishes and expressions that is even greater than the sum of its parts. “And that’s what you’re going to see with Glenfiddich moving forward,” Bechard says. “We’re throwing the rule book out.” 7