From Skateboards to Tour Buses

From Skateboards to Tour Buses

20-plus years later, Incubus still has the "Drive" FREE September 7–13, 2017

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W HA T TO DO

AF T ER DARK

By JASON R. LATHAM

THURSDAY 7 HEAR: It’s a blues invasion at Plaza Hotel & Casino as

TASTE: Dominate a season’s worth of tailgating parties with the Hands-On Cooking Class: Tailgate Divine at the Springs Preserve. You’ll learn to master a menu that includes fruit kabobs, Buffalo wings, shishito peppers and more. 6:30 p.m., $89, 333 Valley View Blvd., springspreserve.org

the Big Blues Bender brings more than 50 artists to the property for four nights of live performances, music panels and more. 5 p.m., ticket prices vary, bigbluesbender.com

HEAR: Brooklyn-based guitarist Kaki King performs

TASTE: Lagasse’s Stadium at The Venetian is crafting team-centric menus for Thursday Night Football. The season’s kickoff game features fried pork wings tossed in smoky BBQ sauce (for the Kansas City Chiefs) versus a lobster po’boy “fully dressed” with Creole seasoned fries (for the New England Patriots). 5:30 p.m., venetian.com

EXPERIENCE: Downtown Grand invites gamers to compete in a Tekken 7 tournament at the hotel’s esports venue. There’s a $500 pot bonus and happy hour to boot! 7 p.m., downtowngrand.com

DANCE: Work off that meal by dancing the night away to Marshmello at Wynn Las Vegas’ Intrigue Nightclub. 10:30 p.m., $35–$45, intriguevegas.com

September 7ñ13, 2017 vegasseven.com

an all-ages show at the Historic Fifth Street School in Downtown Las Vegas. 7:30 p.m., $13–$25, 401 S. Fourth St., artslasvegas.org

And Pole Expo 2017 is in Las Vegas this week, so, naturally, there are tie-in events. On Friday, Mandalay Bay’s House of Blues hosts the “Super Bowl of Pole Dancing,” Pole Show LA. Get ready. 7 p.m., tickets start at $45, poleshowla.com

DANCE: Calvin Harris will be at Caesars Palace’s

Omnia Nightclub every Friday night through the end of September. Surely you’ve got time to see him. 10:30 p.m., $50–$125, omnianightclub.com

And Steve Aoki is back at Hakkasan Nightclub inside MGM Grand Las Vegas. 10:30 p.m., $25–$40, hakkasanlv.com

SATURDAY 9 SPLASH: The competition has lasted all summer

long. At last, a winner will be crowned at the Bikini Invitational Finale at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s Rehab Beach Club. 11 a.m., $20–$40, rehablv.com And it’s all your fault if you miss Bebe Rexha at Flamingo Las Vegas’ GO Pool. 9 a.m., $15, gopoolvegas.com HEAR: Mandalay Bay’s 2017 Concerts at the Beach

series wraps with the Lost ’80s Live tour starring Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley, Wang Chung, Berlin, the Flirts, Animotion, Dramarama (yes!), Cutting Crew and Missing Persons. That’s a helluva lineup. 9 p.m., $37, mandalaybay.com

PHOTO BY SIMONE CECCHETTI

FRIDAY 8

Kaki King

Top: Bebe Rexha; Bottom: AlunaGeorge

Meanwhile, Melissa Etheridge performs at Pearl Concert Theater inside Palms Casino Resort. 8 p.m., $42–$141, palms.com

EXPERIENCE: If you’re looking for a good seat to watch people get their faces smashed in, there are UFC 215 viewing parties at Sunset Station’s Club Madrid and Rocks Lounge at Red Rock Resort. 5 p.m., stationcasinosevents.com

Mandalay Bay’s Light Nightclub hosts the Pole Olympia pole–dancing competition, with $10,000 in cash and prizes. 10:30 p.m., $26–$38, thelightvegas.com DANCE: David Guetta returns to the

XS Nightclub booth. 10 p.m., $30–$50, inside Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, xslasvegas.com

SUNDAY 10 SPLASH: Celebrate the return of the

magnificent DJ Jazzy Jeff at Rehab Beach Club. 11 a.m., $20–$40, rehablv.com

And it will feel like summer never ends when you’re enveloped in the sounds of Nora En Pure at Marquee Dayclub. 11 a.m., $23–$33, at The Cosmopolitan, marqueelasvegas.com SING: Forget television talent shows:

the 17th Annual Talent Quest

National Karaoke Singing Contest

is where you can prove you’ve got award-worthy pipes. Tropicana Laughlin Hotel and Casino is hosting the event through September 17.

7 p.m., qualifying and semifinal rounds free, visitlaughlin.com

MONDAY 11 SEE: South Point Hotel and Casino holds its first Monday Nite Pigskin Party of the season in its showroom, with bottomless Bud and Bud Light drafts for $15, $1 food specials and a quarterly cash giveaway. The matchups are Saints vs. Vikings at 4:10 p.m. and Chargers vs. Broncos at 7:20 p.m. southpointcasino.com

TUESDAY 12 EXPERIENCE: The stars of W WE are roll-

ing into town for Smackdown Live at the Thomas & Mack Center. Make a sign, grab a seat and see which of your favorite wrestlers doth layeth the smackdown. 4:45 p.m., tickets start at $34, at UNLV, unlvtickets.com

MGM Resorts International kicks off its Mexican Independence Day weekend event, Fiestas Patrias 2017, with the return of Ricky Martin at Monte Carlo’s Park Theater. Go “Shake Your Bon-Bon.” 8 p.m., tickets start at $55, montecarlo.com HEAR: The Reverend Horton Heat

hits House of Blues with opening acts Strung Out and Fishbone.

7:30 p.m., $23, inside Mandalay Bay, houseofblues.com

DANCE: Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival alum AlunaGeorge wants to see you in your bathing suit for the last Swim Night of the season at Drai’s Beachclub. 11 a.m., $20–$30, at The Cromwell, draisbeachclub.com

WEDNESDAY 13 DANCE: We’re crossing our fingers and hoping TV’s Diplo, James Van Der Beek, shows up alongside the real thing at Surrender’s Nightswim party.

10:30 p.m., $25–$35, at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, surrendernightclub.com 7

September 7–13, 2017 vegasseven.com

BEBE REXHA BY DENNIS LEUPOLD; ALUNAGEORGE BY FIONA GARDEN

And R&B legends Ohio Players ride the “Love Rollercoaster” into the Railhead at Boulder Station. 8 p.m., $29–$64, stationcasinosevents.com

INCUBUS THROUGH THE YEARS

Brandon Boyd on the band’s beginning, coming full circle and his shirtless reputation By: Jessie O’Brien

September 7–13, 2017 vegasseven.com

Incubus October 7, 8,11, 13 and 14, tickets start at $50, The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, hardrockhotel.com

“One of the major mistakes that artists make is leaning into what made them successful a little too much, and for better or worse, that’s something that we never really did.”

T

hose who have wiped mouth fog off of Make Yourself with their sleeve before spinning it in battery-powered Walkmans would be disturbed to know that Incubus’ 1997 sophomore album S.C.I.E.N.C.E. recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. The group was in their early 20s at the time of its release, but their friendships and the group itself began before any of them had their learner’s permits. When Incubus formed, frontman Brandon Boyd, guitarist Michael Einziger and drummer Jose Pasillas’ main mode of transportation around Calabasas, California was still skateboards.

“Michael and I used to do middle school projects together,” Boyd says. “We were in an advanced literature class together and the project was to compose an original poem or a song and perform it for the class. Or if you were too nervous to do that, which we were, you made a videotape. That’s how the band started.”

Now, the group, with bassist Ben Kenney and turntablist Chris Kilmore, are touring in support of their eighth album, 8, which ends with a five-day residency at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino from October 7 to 14. It’s the longest engagement the band has ever done.

“When [the residency] was initially proposed, we were excited about it. And then the next thought was, ‘Do we have five different sets?’”

Boyd says that when he and Einziger were younger, they watched bands that never played the same set twice, and as their career went on, they realized how unique and difficult that was. But after decades onstage and developing an expansive catalog of music, with this “annoying, but wonderful thing called the internet” keeping them on their toes, each night at The Joint will be a different experience.

Diversity isn’t a new concept to the band, though, as it was a key strategy Incubus applied to making records. S.C.I.E.N.C.E.’s new-metal spoken word “Vitamin” is Chinese pipa guitars away from Morning View’s instrumental track “Aqueous Transmission.”

It’s a necessary method that keeps Incubus from getting too comfortable after so many years of making music together.

“One of the major mistakes that artists make is leaning into what made them successful a little too much, and for better or worse, that’s something that we never really did,” Boyd says. “That’s probably indicated most dramatically in the fact that we never wrote ‘Drive Part 2’ or a ‘Pardon Me Part 2.’ There are definitely recognizable lines in our music, in the vibration and tenor of what we do, but we’re constantly looking for novel ground.”

Boyd says to do this has been “frustratingly difficult” at times, so the band members have had to periodically step away from each other and their music. He says a perfect example of that is 8, which was co-produced by Skrillex and Dave Sardy. There was a lot of time between the last two albums, and during that period, the band focused on other creative pursuits, like Boyd’s watercolor painting (which will be on display at Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival’s Crime on Canvas exhibit from September 22 to 24). Boyd says the band had no real plans to come back and make a new album, and that 8 ended up being a blend of their first and last recordings, “which is so much fun, especially if you’re not necessarily trying to do that,” he says. “It informed itself and it found its way back home.”

One standout track on the new release that throws back to earlier recordings is “Love in the Time of Surveillance,” which makes a statement on the dangers of big data and social media. “It’s commonplace now, but when you really step back and look at it, it has such a fascinating kind of Orwellian stink to it that it definitely bears highlighting,” Boyd says.

The band’s social commentary is just one of the reasons Incubus fans have followed them for the last 20-plus years. Another is Boyd’s shirtless reputation—one that rivals Vladimir Putin’s—although, currently no merch of a bare-chested Boyd riding bears exists, like the shirts the musician saw of Putin being sold in Moscow’s subway stations.

“Minus the nasty politics and election hacking and stuff like that, maybe one day there will be T-shirts of me riding dinosaurs.

Really, that’s what I’m aiming for,” he says. “My aspirations thus far have been quite humble. I overheat with clothing on when I’m playing, so I start shedding layers, but really what I’m aiming for is like, riding larger mammals.” 7

[ CLUB TOUR ]

Hakkasan Nightclub

THIS IS WHERE THE NIGHT WILL TAKE YOU AT MGM GRAND’S MEGACLUB

By KAT BOEHRER Photography TOMO

Your Host Melody Ventocilla As a model cocktail server at Hakkasan Nightclub, Ventocilla gets to experience some of the best parties on the Las Vegas Strip—from start to finish—on a nightly basis. She says the focus of her job is to create the ultimate fun vibe each night for her clients.

Ventocilla has been working in nightlife for six years and has been with Hakkasan since it opened in 2013. She boasts that the venue itself does a good job of setting the scene but there are a few tips and tricks she advises of to get the most out of a night. Ventocilla says that among the best aspects of the club are the “different spots where you can chill, depending on your mood.”

September 7–13, 2017 vegasseven.com

Hakkasan Nightclub 10:30 p.m.–close Thurs.–Sun. inside MGM Grand Las Vegas hakkasanlv.com @hakkasanlv

The Main Room

Hakkasan’s fourth floor hosts the main room of the nightclub, where headlining DJs like Calvin Harris, Zedd and Hardwell hit the decks each night. The space features a large dance floor, a balcony and tables with bottle service, all focused around a large platform where the DJs perform. Even in such a huge space, though, fans can Insta-without-zoom the talent from one of the VIP tables onstage. “Being that close is pretty awesome,” Ventocilla says.

The main room is also great for personal photo ops. “[It] has cobweb[-like LEDs that run along the ceiling],” Ventocilla says. “When you take a picture anywhere—literally anywhere—in the main room, it’s always in the background.”

The fifth floor is the mezzanine, which has a more intimate feel but still captures the excitement of the main room.

Ling-Ling Club and Lounge

For a musical experience different than the big-room bangers found on the fourth and fifth floors, visit the third-floor Ling-Ling Club. “Maybe you don’t feel like listening to house music,” Ventocilla says. “You can go down to Ling-Ling, which has a super cool vibe and plays completely different music; like Top 40 and a lot of hip-hop.” Notable DJs at the Ling-Ling Club are DJ Irie, Wellman and DJ Mike K. “We also have a lounge right next to it for a quieter feel, where you can go to sip on a cocktail [without loud music],” Ventocilla says. The Ling-Ling Lounge is a separate area, also on the venue’s third floor, with a chill, sultry atmosphere.

Save the Date

September 7 Lil Jon hosts About Last Night September 8 Steve Aoki (with DJ Dash in the Ling-Ling Club) September 9 Tiësto (with Wellman in the Ling-Ling Club) September 10 Borgeous

Completing the Experience

Ventocilla reminds guests to take advantage of other locations within this multifaceted space such as the ground-level restaurant and bar.

“You can have a nice dinner beforehand, or a cocktail—there’s a really nice bar—and then make your way up when you’re feeling like it’s time to party,” she says. 7

September 7ñ13, 2017 vegasseven.com

ON SALE SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 EDCLASVEGAS.COM

[ HEAR THIS ]

HITTING THE FIRST STAGE LAS VEGAS’ OPEN MIC NIGHTS OFFER TALENT AND A SENSE OF COMMUNITY

By Nicole Cormier

IS IT ANY SURPRISE that Las Vegas is

full of talented entertainers and musicians? In a city that literally exists for fun, there are plenty of employment opportunities for those who can provide fantastic entertainment. For the artists still working on realizing their dreams or perfecting their craft, there are many chances to get onstage in front of a receptive audience to test the waters—and that’s where the Las Vegas open mic scene comes in.

On almost any night of the week, performers champ at the bit to get out there, and fans who love fresh talent can put their hands together at many bars and venues across the Valley. Although there is some carryover by the more ambitious artists, each event has its own soul, patronage and identity. The open mics themselves are almost as diverse as the talented people who provide the entertainment, and represent the fascinating and eccentric community that makes up Las Vegas as a whole.

The vibe, focus and rules are different at each of the Valley’s open mic nights, which means that potential performers should move around to see where their style fits in best. One local musician, Jenna Reisdorph, is doing just that. She hopes to find a place that will embrace her, especially because she has never performed for an audience before and is nervous about the reception, as most are. She still has plenty of legwork ahead of her to find the right venue.

Conversely, Stefan des Lauriers is a regular at Human Experience, a vibrant and welcoming weekly open mic night at Hop Nuts Brewing in the Arts District. An incredible songwriter and producer, des Lauriers has lost a lot of his vocal abilities due to deterioration from the late stages of Parkinson’s disease.

His speaking voice is slow and careful, and to combat the lost steadiness of his singing voice, he created artificial vocals digitally for his performances. He hopes to garner the attention of a talented singer to croon his multilayered, poetic compositions.

The title for longest-running weekly open mic goes to Money Mic at Money Plays. The Monday-night event has been going on since the ’90s and even stuck around when the bar changed hands years later. As the eager attendees file in and write their names on the signup sheet, you can easily see that there is a community here, as many of the performers know each other by name.

Spending just one hour in any of the open mic nights around town will supply endless entertainment, both due to the undiscovered talent and, sometimes, misguided ambition. The sense of community and palpable passion give even the most chiseled critics some much needed inspiration. Why not see what the city is hiding in plain sight?

September 7–13, 2017 vegasseven.com

READY TO SHINE? Where to take the stage across the Valley Human Experience With a loyal following of both artists and fans, the seats at this open mic are usually packed.

The affordable drinks and relaxed atmosphere make it an easy place to hang out and wait to see what transpires. Mondays, 7 p.m., at Hop Nuts Brewing, 1120 S. Main St., Suite 150, facebook.com/ humanexperiencelasvegas Monday Nite Jamming Session For musicians who want to jam with a full band, this open mic night provides the support of the Tap House All Star Band. Mondays, 7:30 p.m., at Tap House, 5589 W. Charleston Blvd., taphouselv.com/ tap-house-jamming-session Spit Your Truth For rappers, singers and poets, Spit Your Truth puts the talent at the forefront, providing the big stage many have been dreaming of. First and last Tuesdays, times vary, at Classic Jewel, 353 E. Bonneville Ave., Suite 111, facebook.com/ spityourtruth Open Mic at The Spike The young, energetic crowd, open-air venue and hip Downtown vibe make this event a place not only to be heard, but also seen. Every second and fourth Wednesday, 7 p.m., at Gold Spike, 217 Las Vegas Blvd. North, goldspike.com Money Mic The unassuming strip mall gaming bar doesn’t seem like a treasure trove of musical talent, but with upwards of 20 acts each Thursday, it’s a great casual place to take in some entertainment. Thursdays, 8 p.m., at Money Plays, 4755 W. Flamingo Rd., moneyplayslv.com Soul Sessions It says it right in its name: Soul Sessions is made for the soulful.

The all-ages event focuses on art, poetry and music. Sundays following the first Friday, at Raw Remedies, 203 E. Colorado Ave., facebook.com/ soulsessionslv

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