the heat is so on
summer at the Beach, Vegas style
HarD roCK HoteL & CaSINo 4455 PARADISE ROAD LAS VEGAS, NV 89169 (800) 693-ROCK HARD ROCK HOTEL MAGAzINE IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO, LAS VEGAS. CREATED EXCLUSIVELY FOR GUESTS OF THE HOTEL, HARD ROCK HOTEL MAGAzINE IS PUBLISHED SEASONALLY AND DISTRIBUTED IN EVERY ROOM AND SUITE. HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO, LAS VEGAS 4455 PARADISE ROAD, LAS VEGAS, NV 89169 (702) 693-5000 OR (800) HRD-ROCK WWW.HARDROCKHOTEL.COM Follow us on Twitter @hardrockhotellv and on Facebook.com/hardrockhotellv
Bill Warner – President, Warner Gaming, LLC Jody Lake – Chief Operating Officer Marlo Vandemore – Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Dunne – Chief Marketing Officer Travis Lunn – Vice President of Operations Paul Davis – Vice President of Entertainment Jon Newton – Vice President of Food & Beverage Mike Larragueta – Vice President of Sales & Catering Javier De La Rosa – Vice President of Casino Marketing Joseph Totoro – Vice President of Casino Operations Robert Madrigale – Vice President Player Development Doug McCombs – Vice President Human Resources Warwick Stone – Curator & Designer, Memorabilia Julie Cane – Director of PR & Marketing Kerri Matherly – Director of Retail Abigail Miller, Kristin Weddingfeld – Editorial Liaisons Tomika Brown, Julie Starr – Advertising Liaisons Nicole Dineen – Fashion Liaison Published in association with WENDOH Media, Las Vegas Ryan Doherty and Justin Weniger – Publishers Michael Skenandore – Associate Publisher Phil Hagen – Editorial Director Ben Ward – Creative Director Melinda Sheckells – Fashion Editor Genevie Durano – Managing Editor of Custom Publications Sean DeFrank, Matt Jacob and Paul Szydelko – Copy Editors Marc Barrington – Director of Production Jessica Acuña – Editorial Assistant James Bearse – Advertising Account Coordinator
ON thE COVER:
Luli Fama bikini, Love Jones at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. 12th Street by Cynthia Vincent cover-up, Love Jones. Heather Belle earrings, available at HeatherBelleCo.com.
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Contributing Writers – Grace Bascos, Geoff Carter, Jen Chase, Genevie Durano, Erica Henderson, Matt Jacob, Jarret Keene, Todd Peterson, Cindi Reed, Deanna Rilling and David G. Schwartz Contributing Photographers – Angela & Ithyle, Brian Brown, Hew Burney, Erik Kabik and Anthony Mair For information about advertising in this publication, call WENDOH Media, (702) 798-7000.
Geoff Carter
The two-time Las Vegan (he did a long stint in Seattle to rehydrate) is Hard Rock Hotel magazine’s workhorse, and he did a half-dozen pieces for this issue. Three of them (“History You Can Wear,” “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Us” and the backpage Artifact) required help from his favorite source on the property: Warwick Stone, curator and designer of memorabilia.
Contributors
For Love or Lemons dress, available at ForLoveAndLemons.com. American Apparel underpinnings, American Apparel at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. Jemma Sands necklace, available at JemmaSands.com
erIk kABIk
Kabik has been photographing live music for more than 20 years. His collection, Classic Rock for the Future: Volume 1, is on display throughout John Varvatos stores in New York City and Southern California. Kabik is the Las Vegas director for Retna Photo Agency, and in 2013 he will be touring with the Electric Daisy Carnival as the official house photographer. At Hard Rock Hotel, for which he has been shooting concerts since 1996, Kabik captures the live music, celebrity sightings, architecture and even a little bit of the food. For more on Kabik and to view his complete collection, visit ErikKabik.com.
JArret keene hew Burney
Keene has a way of getting the most out of an interview with a rock legend, which he proves again on Page 36. He also has a great eye for recognizing up-andcoming talent (see Page 38). It helps that he’s been at the game for a couple of decades now, having written about the Vegas rock scene for a variety of media, including Spin, People and the BBC. He wrote the unauthorized band bio The Killers: Destiny Is Calling Me—The Untold Story of America’s Hottest Rock Band.
Burney is known for bringing the Vegas party—from concerts to red-carpet events to nightclubs— to life through his photography. Pages 64-69 offer a prime example of that, displaying the highlights of a decade of shooting virtually every Rehab Sunday at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Burney’s signature is his ability to get people to be themselves, and this talent has appealed to a variety of websites and publications, including Getty Images, FilmMagic, TMZ, Vegas/Rated magazine and SpyOnVegas.com. See more of his work at HewBurney.com, and follow him @HewBurney.
AngelA & Ithyle
The Los Angeles-based camera duo likes to look at pictures. More than that, they like to make pictures. Pictures that move, and pictures that don’t. Then they like to look at the pictures they made, moving or otherwise, and talk about making more of them. This has turned into a career, which is a grand thing, as far as a career goes, especially when you combine it with the eating of ice cream and the listening of music, which they like to do as well. But not as much as the making of pictures, which is more fun, in their opinion, than a pool party. And really, how many people can say that about their job? You can look at their pictures on Pages 48-63.
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Flashback
LIVE photography by
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erik kabik and karen Mandall
highlights from hard rock hotel concerts
Def LepparD
These 1980s arena rockers represent my youth—hell, I played my cassette of Pyromania so many times the tape broke! It was the time of the Firebird & Iroc-Z, tight spandex, big hair and MTV. Def Leppard may have been trendy, but their songs still hold up today. The band was as sharp and refned as ever this night at The Joint, bringing their fans a concert experience they will never forget. “Rock of Ages” says it all. – Erik Kabik
Jon Bon Jovi & The Kings of suBurBia
The ladies love him, and the guys want to be him. Jon Bon Jovi made a rare stop at The Joint for a solo performance. He played Bon Jovi favorites and, borrowing some hip thrusts that would have made Elvis proud, did some classic rock ’n’ roll covers, such as Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman,” which was a showstopper. Of the throngs of women pressed on the rail, I met two—one had fown in from Tokyo and the other from Germany just to see this show. Now that is some drawing power right there. – Erik Kabik
The Who
They’re the greatest, loudest and perhaps the most original band of the 1960s, and The Who just keep on going. I got to photograph Roger Daltrey at The Joint last year, and getting to fnally photograph him with Pete Townshend … well, I just checked a big ol’ box on my bucket list after this night. They brought Quadrophenia out for this tour and played it to absolute perfection. And I fnally got my shot of Pete doing his signature windmill guitar move. Check! – Erik Kabik
ImagIne Dragons
The Vegas band made it a heroic homecoming by selling out The Joint. They played their hearts out for the thousands of adoring fans at this concert—the most highly anticipated I’ve seen all year. When lead singer Dan Reynolds climbed the rope and swung out over the crowd, he created the perfect snapshot of the entire evening. It was about great music and mutual appreciation. – Erik Kabik
chantal claRet chevelle The former lead singer of Morningwood was the frst artist to take up residency at Vinyl. Her upbeat, energetic sets were a great launch for the new small venue with big talent! – Karen Mandall
The band played a powerhouse set at Vinyl, leaving it all on the stage before the sold-out crowd of diehard fans. – Karen Mandall
band of SkullS
They brought their Southampton style of alternative rock to Vinyl, giving fans a rare opportunity to see them in an intimate setting. – Karen Mandall
Rival SonS
This pure, unadulterated rock band kicks your ass hard enough to wear you out, then soothes your soul with power ballads reminiscent of Led Zeppelin and Humble Pie. – Erik Kabik
The Black keys
These two guys from Akron, Ohio, sure make a lot of noise—the beautiful kind, of course. Their garage-rock sound has been copied but never duplicated. It’s as raw and lo-f as it gets, and with every action of my shutter I felt like I was capturing pixels of gold. They are animated, passionate players, and with the great lighting and energy in The Joint that night, it all made for an unforgettable photo shoot. – Erik Kabik
Flash Forward KINGS OF THE MIC TOUR MAY 24 Four legends of hip-hop—LL Cool J, Ice Cube, Public Enemy and De La Soul— unite to reaffrm the old-school, hard-edged way of spittin’ rhymes. Sure, more than half of these iconic emcees went on to fnd success as Hollywood actors, but they are, frst and foremost, rappers of the highest order and pioneering talents. You may never get another chance to catch so many of them on a single stage again. Tickets start at $45.50.
BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB MAY 31 The intimate Vinyl venue is fortunate to host one of the leanest, toughest rock trios working today. BRMC is still smarting from a tragic loss—the 2010 death of Michael Been, the band’s producer and soundman and the father of vocalist Robert Levon Been. Their latest album, Specter at the Feast, and this tour to support it, is BRMC’s way of paying their respects to a mentor, and telling a capricious world that they won’t be beaten down. Tickets start at $25.
WIDESPREAD PANIC JULY 12-13 This Athens, Georgia, jam band doesn’t incite pervasive fear so much as a fullscale festa. They’ve been compared to the Allman Brothers, Phish and the Grateful Dead, yet Widespread Panic is a Southern-steeped ensemble offering its own unique blend of rock, jazz and blues. If you’ve never experienced Panic, here’s what you can expect: an all-out dance party, infectious energy and enough jawdropping musicality to make Beethoven roll over. Tickets start at $45.50.
DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES AUGUST 2-3 Come to this show for the vast list of No. 1 Billboard pop hits (“Maneater,” “Kiss on My List,” “Private Eyes”), stay for the incredible catalog of Top 10 singles (“Adult Education,” “Sara Smile,” “You Make My Dreams”). Seriously, if you don’t know at least a dozen of this Philly-born, blue-eyed soul duo’s radio staples, then you don’t know music. And no one brings it live better than Hall & Oates. Tickets start at $45.
NINE INCH NAILS SEPTEMBER 13-14 Hard to believe the industrial-rock band responsible for masterpiece albums such as The Downward Spiral has been around for 25 years! In honor of the occasion, Trent Reznor takes his Nine Inch Nails project on the road again with a two-night engagement at The Joint. Dark, ambient and sensual, Reznor’s ambitious yet accessible music still sounds ahead of its time. Tickets start at $75.
MÖTLEY CRÜE SEPTEMBER 18-OCTOBER 6 The bad boys who brought us “Girls Girls Girls” return for a second extended run at The Joint. (The Crüe were, of course, the frst-ever hard-rock band to do a residency in Las Vegas.) Aerialists and fre-eaters, roller-coaster drum kits and jaw-dropping pyrotechnics enhanced last year’s circus-themed show. What will this fall’s Sin City saga boast? To paraphrase frontman Vince Neil, not the same old situation. Tickets start at $49.50. – Jarret Keene 24
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headliners
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The Boys Are BAck
MöTley crüe reTurns To The JoinT for An encore residency
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matt jacob photography ErIK KabIK
ou knew if Las Vegas was to ever lose its rock ’n’ roll residency virginity, the two partners crawling under the sheets would be Mötley Crüe and The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. You also knew if such a relationship was consummated, sparks would fy, and the pair eventually would reconnect for another roll in the hay. Sure enough, 18 months after a highly successful three-week, 12-show residency, the Crüe and their unique brand of mayhem—think midgets, stilt-walkers, freak-show artists and stripper poles—are returning to The Joint in September for another extended stay. “Frankly, it was inevitable that we would have the bad boys back for another run at The Joint,” says Paul Davis, vice president of entertainment for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. “The property and The Joint were made for bands like Mötley Crüe.” For their frst residency, in February 2012, the four band members of the legendary group invested their personal time and energy into making it an experience that was customized to the property and to The Joint. “They envisioned a full property takeover,” Davis says. “When Bobby Reynolds from AEG Live and myself spoke to [bassist] Nikki Sixx right before the run opened, he thanked us and acknowledged that the team had turned their vision into a reality. What could possibly be more cool than that?” Mötley Crüe closed down the original Joint with two shows in February 2009 and frst played the new Joint that August. “They fell in love with the place,” Davis says. “We always knew they would sell a ton of tickets. Their crowd is our crowd, and it’s a match made in heaven—or elsewhere, depending upon how you look at it.”
headliners
Those aBouT To rock
We can’t wait for summer, with new albums expected from AC/DC, Daft Punk, Kanye West, Iron Maiden, Pearl Jam, Queens of the Stone Age, The National and Las Vegas’ own Panic! at the Disco. In the meantime, we’re all over the springtime releases from Guided By Voices (English Little League), LL Cool J (Authentic), Vampire Weekend (Modern Vampires of the City), Primal Scream (More Light), Alice in Chains (The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here) and Iggy and the Stooges (Ready to Die, whose title is hopefully not prophetic). And we’re chomping at the bit for summer, which brings new music from Switchfoot (Fading West), Black Sabbath (13), Lady Gaga (ARTPOP), The Polyphonic Spree (Yes, It’s True), hip-hop supergroup Deltron 3030 (Deltron Event II), Limp Bizkit (Stampede of the Disco Elephants) and Tricky, which we honestly believed had emigrated to another planet. Shows what we know. – Geoff Carter
More Than Music rocks This house
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MeanWhiLe, 20 Years aGo … Spoon, Third Eye Blind, Korn and The Crystal Method are formed. The U.S. Postal Service issues its iconic 29-cent Elvis Presley stamp. Michael Jackson plays the halftime show of Super Bowl XXVII; later in the year, he is accused of child molestation. Nirvana plays its Unplugged concert in New York. Depeche Mode releases Songs of Faith and Devotion. Barry White appears on The Simpsons. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame breaks ground. Guns N’ Roses plays its last show with both Slash and Axl in the band. Steely Dan gets back together. Mia Zapata of Seattle punk band The Gits is murdered. And Pearl Jam releases its second album, Vs. – Geoff Carter
Muay thai photography Bennie E Palmore II
Certainly when it comes to rock-themed resorts, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is second to none. But six strings and vintage vinyl account for just a portion of the entertainment menu. On the athletic front, the hotel has long been involved in the fght game, staging events for boxing (including Showtime Championship Boxing, presented by Golden Boy Productions) and mixed martial arts (such as UFC and muay thai by Lion Fight Promotions). The property also hosts the annual Black & White Party, a charitable gala that benefts AFAN (Aid for AIDS of Nevada), the largest nonproft serving Nevada’s HIV/AIDS community. And then there’s the party to end all parties: This year, for the frst time, Hard Rock Hotel was the sole host of the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo, a four-day “sextravaganza” that showcased the latest in toys, novelties and technology, and offered fans a chance to meet the biggest names in the adult-flm business. That the trade show, which culminated with the 29th annual AVN Awards Show at The Joint, has found a home here is only ftting, as sex and rock ’n’ roll have always been joined at the hip. – Matt Jacob
headliners
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE JOINT!
S
ince the day Hard Rock Hotel & Casino opened in 1995, The Joint has been the crown jewel of the property—a world-class concert venue that has welcomed both legends and up-and-comers to its stage. But four years ago, the original Joint closed its doors to make way for the new Joint, which celebrated its birthday in April with a pair of shows by Kenny Chesney. And while the new Joint is different than the old—it’s twice as large, with many improvements that benefit audiences and performers—one thing hasn’t changed: The giants are still rocking the house. “The idea behind the new Joint was to shove these big-arena acts into an intimate room,” says Paul Davis, Hard Rock Hotel’s vice president of entertainment. In addition to the Mötley Crüe, Santana, Guns N’ Roses and Def Leppard residencies that the new Joint has hosted, the room has also seen Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, The Who’s Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, and Don Henley of the Eagles take the stage—plus one very special performer whom Davis happened to catch in rehearsals.
“I saw Paul McCartney in the middle of the afternoon, standing onstage with an acoustic guitar, playing for about 20 people,” says Davis, grinning and shaking his head. “It was pretty crazy. Nothing will ever take that moment away.” And the magic hasn’t just been about music. The new Joint has featured parties, MMA fights, even a skateboarding half-pipe. “The old Joint had its fair, but we’re able to do much, much more with this new Joint,” says Chas Smith, Hard Rock Hotel’s executive director of entertainment operations. “All the big production managers who come through here love this place.” But while the new Joint’s unimpeded sight lines, crystal-clear sound and huge stage are all improvements, there’s one thing that the new Joint has in common with the old—the one thing that keeps audiences and artists coming back. “The Joint has a prestige,” Davis says. “But more than that, it has a cool factor.” Not bad at all for a 4-year-old. – Geoff Carter
Al Green: May 26-27, 1995 The FuGees: June 14, 1996 InXs: July 16, 1997 BAuhAus: August 21, 1998 TorI Amos: September 24, 1998 BlondIe: May 27, 1999 Tom PeTTy And The heArTBreAkers: June 1-2, 2001 lou reed: June 20, 2003 BlAck eyed PeAs: June 3, 2005 Foo FIGhTers: September 25-26, 2008 32
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crowd photography kabik/ retna digital
THEY PLAYED AT THE JOINT? FOR REAL?
on the verge
No Worries
Hard-soul outfit ViNtage trouble doesN’t fret opeNiNg for icoNic rock baNds
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By
Jarret Keene photography Lee Cherry
t’s rare that a supercharged throwback R&B group can share stadium stages with diverse bands (Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, the Cranberries). Vintage Trouble makes it look easy, because each member brings something different to the mix. Frontman Ty Taylor, for instance, cut his teeth singing in a Baptist choir in New Jersey and learned to dance by jumping on his childhood bed and singing TV jingles. He performed on Broadway for years before fnding his music mates—Nalle Colt (guitar), Richard Danielson (drums) and Rick Barrio Dill (bass)—just three years ago. “At the end of the day, Ty is an R&B and soul kid,” Dill says. “Like each of us in the band, he pulls stuff from everywhere.” Indeed, if you caught Vintage Trouble’s set earlier this year at Vinyl in Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, you’d have seen indie fans pressed against hiphop heads alongside country-music afcionados. (The latter isn’t surprising, as Vintage Trouble has toured with Brantley Gilbert.) “All contemporary music has a lineage to soul and gospel, early blues and
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R&B—pre-rock ’n’ roll—which is where we’re coming from,” Dill says. “It almost doesn’t matter what kind of bill we’re on. We played a heavy-rock fest in England last year, and the audience instantly got us.” “Instant” certainly describes the draw one feels toward Vintage Trouble’s up-tempo jams such as “Blues Hand Me Down.” (The band also delivers spectacular ballads.) Taylor attacks like James Brown, while Dill and the others bring it like Led Zeppelin. No wonder the band has rocketed to success so quickly. The band admits to being at home in sweaty clubs. But when it’s time to open for, say, The Who—as Vintage Trouble is doing in Europe this year—Dill says his band is always ready to bring their rock-party vibe to arenas. “We were an unhinged band before joining The Who on their Quadrophenia tour,” he says. “But now that we’re living out childhood dreams, we emit a fearless vibe. Especially when Taylor jumps into a muddy stadium crowd in his suit!” For more info on the band, visit VintageTrouble.com.
culture
HISTORY YOU CAN WEAR THE STORY OF THE HARD ROCK T-SHIRT
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geoff carter photography anthony mair
t
he legend goes something like this: A few years after the first Hard Rock Café opened in London in 1971, founders Peter Morton and Isaac Tigrett sponsored an English football team by providing them with T-shirts featuring the café’s logo. The team took what it needed and returned the extras to the café, where they were given away as gifts to customers. The shirts became so popular that Morton and Tigrett decided to start selling them. And then they became really popular, so much so that a stand-alone shack was built outside the café just to handle the volume of T-shirt sales. It’s a great story, one that gives Warwick Stone, curator of Hard Rock Hotel’s memorabilia collection and a longtime friend of Morton, cause to laugh heartily. “It sounds too wholesome!” he says. “The London Hard Rock was a very lively place, with a reputation for crazy shenanigans. They might have had a Jack Daniel’s bottle-throwing team!” That said, Stone offers some perspective on why the T-shirts have become such an iconic piece of merchandise. “In the 1980s, the Hard Rock shirt became the modern version of the picture postcard,” he says. “You validated where you went on a trip by bringing back one of those T-shirts, because you couldn’t get them
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anywhere else. To get a Hard Rock Honolulu T-shirt, you had to go there. And the sales grew from people buying multiples of shirts to take home.” Every souvenir image begins with an artist, and Stone effuses praise for Alan Aldridge, designer of the original Hard Rock logo that adorns those shirts. The English artist has a graphic-art portfolio like few others: a series of iconic book covers for Penguin; album covers for The Who (A Quick One), Elton John (Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy) and Incubus (Light Grenades); and the art for the classic 1969 book The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics. “Aldridge brought airbrush back to life,” Stone says. And, unwittingly, he helped bring an entire T-shirt industry to life. “By the late 1980s, we were selling $40 million worth of T-shirts annually,” Stone says. “And this was out of the few restaurants we had then, about 10 restaurants.” The T-shirts, of course, remain iconic today. But it still would be cool if some of them found their way onto the backs of, say, a Las Vegas-based whiskey-bottle-throwing team. We could even recruit some of the players from the original 1970s London squad. “The rock stars weren’t just sitting there at the bar, eyeing their guitars hanging on the wall,” says Stone with a devilish grin. “They were probably throwing Jack Daniel’s bottles, too.”
subculture
Living on the Cutting edge Body engLish remains the pLaCe to hear what everyone eLse isn’t
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By
Jen Chase photography erik kaBik
nyone looking for fresh music in Vegas should know that the cutting edge is as sharp as ever at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Its Body English Nightclub & Afterhours has long been known for featuring respected underground legends and undiscovered talent before they became the next best thing. It is still the place where these artists and the unique music they play are the focus of the every-Fridaythrough-Sunday set. “These megaclubs—with their megastars and their mega-meganess— they kind of lose their soul … and lack any kind of true magic,” says Branden Powers, creative director for Hard Rock Hotel. “With us, guests aren’t going to a concert, but are experiencing a show as a participant, not just a viewer.” Body English is dark: black walls and leather booths, purple lights, sparkly accents and seductive visuals such as surrealist Dalí and clips from Kenneth Anger ficks, as well as montages of Hunter S. Thompson, William Burroughs and Charles Bukowski. Powers likens it all to Aleister Crowley’s manse after Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page bought it. When it reopened in 2012 after a several-year closure, Body English maintained its original infrastructure but moved the DJ booth from its 1970s-esque virginal lookout to a few feet off the ground and closer to the people. But more than its come-hither interior that Powers calls sexy, underground and cutting edge, Body English is still all about the music, serving a potent cocktail of alternative, hip-hop, indie, indie dance and bass, among other genres. Although Body English’s underground ’tude drives music programming nearly every night, it does offer a pop assortment with its Sunday-night programming. But that’s approached with tongue in cheek. The rest of the week at Body English, music fans know they can hear the likes of Kill the Noise, De La Soul, Dilated Peoples, Flosstradamus, Robbie Rivera, Dan Reynolds (lead singer of Imagine Dragons) and other fresh talents that, Powers says, wouldn’t otherwise play Vegas. “We’ve let artists know we’re not going to tell them what do to with their art,” he says. So the next time you’re there, close your eyes, listen and think subterranean Berlin or New York in the ’80s. Then, open them up. With the DJ booth a foot away and provocative visuals you just might want to try out later with whomever takes you home, you’ll not forget where you were when you heard 12th Planet for the frst time. After all, you are at Hard Rock Hotel.
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Dice A
ndrew Dice Clay burns through Benson & Hedges like the last cigarette in the pack comes with a prize. He grips each one through fngerless Harley-Davidson gloves as he surveys the seating layout in Vinyl. It’s his new Vegas home, with dates announced through May 26 and more to come. Moments earlier, Hard Rock Hotel dedicated a memorabilia case with fve of Clay’s jackets—including the one from the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards show, when his antics got him banned from the network for life. It’s the frst case the hotel has done for a comic, which is appropriate because he’s the property’s frst resident comedian. It caps a solid couple of years for the resurgent Clay, who had a recurring role in the fnal season of Entourage in 2011, leading to a new Showtime special, Indestructible, and, even more unlikely, a role in Woody Allen’s upcoming Blue Jasmine. Bet no one saw that coming when Nora Dunn and Sinéad O’Connor refused to appear alongside him on Saturday Night Live in 1990. What was it about Vinyl that grabbed you? Honestly, I came here and I was gambling. I was told to check out the room. I was looking for a new room to perform, because I like doing around 20 to 24 weeks a year in Vegas. I live here, between here and L.A., so I am part of the community. I wanted to be in a place that wasn’t too small, but not overly big that people can really feel me when I’m onstage. This is the perfect vibe. It’s in-their-face. This is where rock bands perform.
Doing theaters and clubs again after doing arenas—does it ever feel like starting over? Show business has always been about accomplishment for me. It was never about money. Obviously money comes with fame and fortune, but it was about accomplishing something in my life and really counting. The career I’ve had, I’ve had the biggest highs you can have. Even Eddie Murphy would ask me in private, “Why do you think you sell out 20,000 seats a night?” And I’d say to him, “Why do your movies make $400 million?” I even did the Rose Bowl with Guns N’ Roses. Axl [Rose] was on Jimmy Kimmel a few months ago talking about it. At that time it was funny. I stopped doing arenas because I started getting very overwhelmed and claustrophobic. He goes, “Dice, you’re going to be outside; you can just look up at the sky.” This is Axl making all the sense in the world, which is crazy. You look at a comedian like Daniel Tosh, and now people understand there’s a layer of persona there. Would your career have gone diferently if people were a little more savvy back then? I think I would’ve had a bigger movie career, but it came around again.
The inDesTrucTible comeDian is rolling again—on The big screen anD in his favoriTe new venue, vinyl By
Jason scavone photography erik kaBik
To star in a Woody Allen movie with Cate Blanchett and Alec Baldwin— you’re working with the greats.
How did that come about? He saw me on Entourage. He just had me come in. I read a couple of lines. Next thing I know I’m on a set in San Francisco. Were you a fan? Yeah, I love Woody Allen. To say I’ve gone to every Woody movie would be an ass-kissing dumb thing to say, because I haven’t. I didn’t give a fuck about half of them, because he puts out so many movies. But he is a defnite genius. He’s brilliant at what he does. He’s hysterical. He understands comics, and that’s why he likes to work with them. His stand-up album is fantastic. We talked a little about stand-up on the set. He understands what I do as a comic, and was thrilled with what I do as an actor. He said it right to me. He gave me one of the best compliments I ever got, talking to a newspaper guy: “This is the best natural actor I ever worked with.” What was the moment like after you walked of the stage after the sellout at Madison Square Garden in 1990? After the show the frst night was funny because my wife was pregnant with my frst son, Max. She was nauseous. We took a cab back to Brooklyn, and I took my dog to 7-Eleven wearing a big parka with the furry hood to buy ice cream and A&W root beer to celebrate by making root beer foats. I could see all these cars coming by and going—these are people coming back from the Garden. What’s the biggest thing you’ve changed in your act over the years? I’ve made myself less cartoony. I’m more myself up there. I used to BreakUp-Ev-Ery-Syll-A-Ble. It was a real cartoon. I became very real, and the material more truthful as far as saying what really goes on in the world. I talk a lot about sex and relationships. It’s more truthful stuff, but it’s done in a very in-their-face kind of way. Years ago I felt like a cartoon onstage. The fans start calling for the Mother Goose stuf as soon as you get onstage. Are you sick of it at this point? It’s like singing a Beatles song together. I’m lucky enough I came up with a bit the fans do with me. I like to close out my shows with that, but when they yell it out, it’s just like their way of saying “I love you.” Tickets start at $59. Call 800-745-3000 to order.
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IT’S ALL HAppenIng The JoinT shows iTs rooTs wiTh epic fashion —and a liTTle flirTaTion—backsTage phoTography
angela & iThyle sTyling
“yoU are hoMe”
Bryden: 12th Street dress by Cynthia Vincent, Love Jones at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Gypsy Den vintage jacket, Gypsy Den. Tory Burch shoes, Nordstrom.com. Fendi purse, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show. Femme Metale ring, Love Jones. Jemma Sands rings (left), available at JemmaSands.com. Goorin headpiece, The Hard Rock Store. Vanessa Mooney necklace, available at VanessaMooney.com. Robbie: Patina Décor vintage denim shirt, Patina Décor. John Varvatos T-shirt, John Varvatos at Hard Rock Hotel. Converse shoes, model’s own. Jean Machine jeans, TheJeanMachine.co.uk.
nina lenders
“This is The circus”
Robbie: Obey shirt, Urban Outftters. Jean Machine jeans, TheJeanMachine. co.uk. John Varvatos jacket, John Varvatos. Bryden: Skaist Taylor jacket, Neiman Marcus. Gold Hawk shorts, available at GoldHawkClothing.com. Urban Outftters T-shirt, Urban Outftters. Femme Metale rings, Love Jones. Jemma Sands bracelet, available at JemmaSands.com. Lanvin boots, stylist’s own. Rib: Patina Décor vintage shirt, vest and belt, Patina Décor. Standard Cloth jeans, Urban Outftters. John Varvatos necklace and bracelet, John Varvatos.
“Rock ’n’ Roll is a lifestyle” Bryden: Skaist Taylor jacket and dress, Neiman Marcus. Samantha Wills ring, available at SamanthaWills.com. Rib: AllSaints tank top, AllSaints in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. John Varvatos sunglasses and necklace, John Varvatos.
“We inspire the music“
American Apparel romper, American Apparel at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. Oak jacket, available at MadisonLosAngeles.com. Brixton hat, The Hard Rock Store. Samantha Wills necklace, available at SamanthaWills.com.
“WRITE WHAT YOU WANT”
Standard Cloth jeans, Urban Outftters at Miracle Mile Shops. Vintage shoes and jacket, stylist’s own.
WHERE TO BUY
GYSPY DEN 213 E. Colorado Ave., 702-684-1628 NEIMAN MARCUS Fashion Show 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-731-3636 PATINA DÉCOR 1211 S. Main St., 702-776-6222 ALLSAINTS The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-722-5252 URBAN OUTFITTERS Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood 3663 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-733-0058 AMERICAN APPAREL Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood 3663 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-691-2506
Photography AngelA & Ithyle AngelaAndIthyle.com Styling nInA lenders CelestineAgency.com Hair WIll CArrIllo CelestineAgency.com Makeup Amy ChAnCe AmyChance.com Talent Bryden J., rIB h. And roBBIe r. LAModels.com Photographer 1st assistant ZACh sChuller Stylist assistants molly truCAno And JessICA ACuÑA
A swim-sAtionAl Adventure through the wAter At hArd rock hotel & cAsino
Wet ’n’ Wild photogrAphy
AngelA & ithyle styling
ninA lenders
in the LiVinG ARt SUite
Parker jacket, available at MadisonLosAngeles.com. Valery Prestige bra and underwear, Love Jones at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Urban Outftters earrings, Urban Outftters at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood.
in the Living Art SUite
12th Street by Cynthia Vincent dress, Love Jones. Oscar de la Renta earrings, Neiman Marcus.
in the LiVinG ARt SUite
Herve Leger jacket, Neiman Marcus. Beach Bunny bikini bottom, Love Jones.
Rehab TuRns 10
Reflections on the pool paRty that changed las Vegas foR good Jen Chase hew Burney By
i
photography
t’s hard to imagine a Vegas with no dayclubs, but before 2004, there was no such thing. “Daylife” back then meant guests swimming and drinking by the hotel pool to pass the time before the crux of their Vegas vacation: likely, a blowout meal and a long-planned night of partying. Hard-corers might extend their night into morn; but by dawn’s bright light they’d be retreating to hotel covers, hair of the dog prepositioned by the bed, and there they’d stay until the next round of nocturnal playtime before a sad fight home. Others might say, “What pool?” In April 2004, however, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino changed the Strip forever with a new approach to daylife—one that capitalized on the city’s eight months of dry, “in your face East Coast!” heat, best enjoyed in a small swimsuit and with a big drink. And it did so with Rehab, Vegas’ frst dayclub to yank programming out from under its cloak of darkness and into the desert sun. Thanks to Hard Rock Hotel’s status as an international music icon, Rehab’s world-class recognition is built on an unbeatable recipe: the Las Vegas location’s tropical campus, unrivaled concerts, a weekly crowd that craves its high-octane Sunday and a staff that embodies the brand’s love-all-serve-all mind-set.
“Rehab has never been a party I had to ‘sell’ people on,” says Xania Woodman, a senior editor at Vegas Seven magazine and venerable nightlife expert. “Throughout my Las Vegas career, whether I was putting together bachelorette parties for visiting college buddies or arranging an itinerary for visiting flm crews, the Rehab name was already in their consciousness. Not only was it frst in market, but it stuck around as frst in the consumer’s mind.” After 10 years, Rehab remains the Strip’s most epic Sunday party for those reasons and more. And in a city where fawed concepts fall faster than a tipsy girl’s inhibitions, that’s saying something.
BUILDING THE PERFECT BEAST
Ten years ago, Hard Rock Hotel already had a lot going for itself: concerts by the world’s biggest artists; DJs and celebrity programming; and a reputation as the place where rockers stayed and played on the Strip, and savvy guests stayed for who they might see. But the property also had a stunning sandy
beach around which the hotel was built—a “tropical paradise,” according to Mike Goodwin, vice president of nightlife and daylife for Hard Rock Hotel. “Palm trees, more than six acres of beach, water slides, a chilling area and a full-on crazy vibe—we still have the coolest pool in Las Vegas.” With its hotel, gaming, beach, water and entertainment, all it needed was a daytime hook to leave guests no choice but to stay on the property from check-in to checkout. “[Rehab] was an opportunity to extend the music environment, turning the pool into a nightclub atmosphere with its different types of live daily performances, ” says Goodwin, who manages Rehab’s programming and hundreds of employees. It didn’t take long for the party to catch on: Any Sunday, up to 7,000 people spread among Hard Rock Hotel’s three pools—Nirvana, Breathe, and Paradise North and South—happily groovin’ to music, nursing a Tiki served in the equivalent to an adult sippy cup, a Rehab signature cocktail since it opened. “I travel a lot, and when I tell [people] I work at Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, the frst thing that comes to their mind is Rehab,” says Scott Cochrane, Rehab’s lead bartender. “For the frst three years I worked here, I didn’t realize how big it was. Even to this day, people will save their money for a whole entire year to come to Las Vegas and come to Rehab.”
RED-CARPET SIGHTINGS
A Rehab draw is the way A-listers, locals and tourists comingle as one. “This pool is iconic in this industry,” says Ian Kohoutek, Rehab’s original general manager and now
REHAB MATH
+ + = ONE HELLUVA DECADE!
850,000 BEERS POURED 45,000 BOTTLES DRAINED 1,100,000 COCkTAILS MIxED
executive director of beverage services. “When we talk about an act, a band, a celebrity appearance, people associate it with Hard Rock Hotel and say, ‘I saw them at Rehab.’” From hearing Tiësto, Deadmau5, 12th Planet, Snoop Dogg and Drake to seeing Kim Kardashian, Nicki Minaj, Tommy Lee and Kid Rock, Rehab offers something—and someone—for everyone. “I’ve run into athletes I didn’t even know were here [at the hotel],” says Kohoutek, who, aside from a short stint away from Rehab, has been there 10 years. “I’d be up at the bar and look over and think, ‘Oh, I
just saw you in the Pro Bowl!’” Bartender José Hernandez is starting his eighth year at Rehab. His fondest memory? Watching a member of the Hawaiian rock band Pepper go out of his way during a staff pre-show meet-and-greet to hunt down a Sharpie to sign a fan’s hat. “Usually it’s the kids running around to fnd a marker,” says Hernandez of the Joe-regular gesture, “but a lot of celebrities love coming to the pool.” Behavior like that at Rehab isn’t unusual.
THEY SAY YOU WANT SOME EVOLUTION
Rehab’s evolution has had more to do with fghting the recession than with the party’s mass appeal. “We’ve had to change our way of throwing pool parties, especially with the economy,” says Cochrane, one of a handful of Rehab staff to work there since it opened in 2004. During the lean years of late, management mindfully considered that not all guests have wads of cash to blow every weekend. “We’d try to do special things for them: beer-bucket specials, special shots,” Cochrane says. “We’d say, ‘OK, we have to get back to taking care of everyday people.’” Speaking of evolution, if you’ve been a longtime fan, the Rehab you remember may not be the one you’ll soon see—it’s even better. Hard Rock Hotel’s Nectar Music Saturdays highlight the best in electronic dance music. This year that includes several appearances by Robbie Rivera and his worldrenowned Juicy Beach. This new special event consists of six shows (including May 25, June 22—EDC weekend—and July 6), in which Rivera brings a taste of his Miami-
how could it get any better? bikini contest! This will no doubt be the hottest summer ever at the Beachlife pools. On June 30, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino launches the Rehab Bikini Invitational, a fve-round competition featuring hundreds of hardbodies from across the country. The contest is spread over four preliminary rounds—June 30, July 7, July 14 and July 21—during which 50 bikini-clad women will strut their stuff for the judges. The top 10 winners of each preliminary round receive cash prizes totaling $5,000 and numerous non-cash prizes. All 40 winners advance to the fnal round on July 28, when they will compete for a share of $70,000, plus additional prizes such as modeling contracts, automatic entries into larger beauty competitions and a potential spot on the frst Rehab Bikini Team, whose 10 members will take part in a calendar shoot and have Beachlife appearance opportunities in summer 2014. – Matt Jacob
Nightlife
The ReTuRn of Body english photography
hew burney
Las Vegas’ sexiest hideaway is back by underground demand. Known for showcasing tomorrow’s next big thing (see Page 42), Body English Nightclub & Afterhours is powered by up-andcoming DJs spinning indie, electronic, rock and pop sounds. Reopened New Year’s weekend, the center-stage DJ booth has been manned by such talent as M83, Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons and resident DJ 12th Planet. The cutting-edge vibe can be enjoyed from lavish leather VIP booths while sexy servers keep the party going all night, from 10:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday, with after-hours lasting till 8 a.m.
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appetite
FĂş specializes in classic Chinese-American and authentic Chinese cuisine, including beef noodle soups with tender brisket.
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The TasTe of Luck
New fú resTauraNT coNTiNues aN oLd chiNese TradiTioN iN Vegas
By
grace Bascos photography anthony mair & erik kaBik
I
n the late ’70s, Ming See Woo opened Mayfower restaurant well off the Strip, but Asian tourists still somehow managed to fnd it. It was one of the frst restaurants dedicated to real Chinese cuisine. Now, after three decades and two other restaurants in Vegas, the Woo family has brought their unique dishes to visitors, setting up shop just off the casino foor at Hard Rock Hotel. The restaurant is called Fú, which means “luck” in Chinese, and Chef Woo’s panAsian menu features lots of good fortune. Her tapas, for example, offer lettuce wraps with ground chicken aromatic with Thai basil, similar to the classic gai pad krapow. And don’t miss the spicy wontons: delicately wrapped pork dumplings drizzled with a bit of chili oil. Tony Woo, general manager and Ming See’s son, who also runs the front of the house with his sister Theresa, insists that I try the beef tenderloin in Fú sauce, which has been on every menu in every Woo family restaurant. This dish is about as ChineseAmerican as it gets, and that is defnitely a good thing. Tender flet is grilled and tossed with a slightly sweet, tangy sauce similar to thick and rich Madeira with a velvety fnish. I can see why it’s been popular with the Woo faithful for years. Another dish that has made its way from the original restaurant is the Hong Kongstyle noodles. This is made in the traditional manner, with long, thin egg noodles panfried so that they form a nice crust on the bottom, then topped with an assortment of shrimp, chicken, barbecue pork and vegetables. The Provincial Favorites section of the menu is where you’ll fnd more authentic Chinese dishes. They’re not necessarily unfamiliar, such as the green beans with a spicy XO sauce or ma po tofu, but prepared with a lighter touch that is traditional of Chinese fare. For example, skinless Chinese eggplant slices are gently sautéed with garlic and strips of pork, seasoned only with a splash of soy to create a simple yet satisfying savory bite. In dishes like these, you can practically taste why the Woos have built such a following. And why Fú is bound to only further the tradition. Fú opens at 11:30 a.m. daily. Call 702-522-8188 for reservations.
appetite
Fit For a King
new tastes in two classic restaurants include an elvis-style Breakfast By
grace Bascos photography Brian Brown
H
Pink Taco features the new lobster tacos and chimichanga burrito, and Mr. Lucky’s is now home of The King (top right).
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ard Rock Hotel & Casino’s two most venerable restaurants, Pink Taco and Mr. Lucky’s Café, have introduced some menu items that are bound to become new favorites. Pink Taco starts things on the spicy side with bacon-wrapped jalapeños stuffed with Mexican cheeses. The tiny chile relleno comes with smoked ranch for dipping. After that, go big with the Ultimate Taco, a 25-inch crispy shell flled with everything but the kitchen sink: shredded chicken, steak, carnitas and classic toppings. If you don’t feel like eating a pizza-size taco, there are now lobster tacos: tender lobster tail topped with crunchy cabbage dressed with lime and serrano peppers, and balanced by mango pico de gallo. If dining north of the border is more your style, Mr. Lucky’s has you covered 24/7, starting with its towering homage to Elvis: The King, featuring 14 banana pancakes, 14 strips of bacon, peanut-butter glaze and maple syrup. If you need a different kind of morning boost, there’s the Breakfast Bloody Mary, an over-the-top concoction that is less like a cocktail and more like a bunch of tasty hors d’oeuvres in a glass. Then there’s the Shrimp Cocktail, featuring a Slim Jim, deviled egg and pickle spear on a skewer, topped with a little waffe breakfast sandwich. Oh yeah, it comes with a beer chaser. That should get you through to lunch or even dinner, which Mr. Lucky’s also serves. Sure, you love old favorites like Pink Taco’s sabana de pollo and the chicken and waffes from Mr. Lucky’s. But if you take a gamble on these new dishes, we guarantee a payoff.
shop around
Rock Paper Photo is open 10 a.m.-midnight daily. Visit RockPaperPhoto.com for a taste of the collection.
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By
Erica HEndErson
madonna photography deborah Feingold; deborah harry photography martyn Goddard
W
hat started as a passionate hobby for Guy Oseary (yes, that Guy Oseary, of Madonna fame) has quickly turned into a lucrative partnership with Live Nation, the world’s leading entertainment company, in the form of Rock Paper Photo. Featuring the works of 300 photographers (many of them legendary, including Guy Webster and Bob Gruen) and more than 10,000 photos, Rock Paper Photo offers a fx for every die-hard fan and closet groupie. After opening its virtual doors in May 2011, the online gallery rapidly gained a loyal following for its exquisitely produced, hand-signed, limited-edition prints of rock stars and pop-culture icons (ranging in price from $135 to more than $10,000). Following a number of successful temporary gallery ventures, the photography purveyors bit the bullet and opened a real-life brick-and-mortar. Opportunity came knocking, and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino readily opened its doors for Rock Paper Photo. The new 1,000-square-foot gallery, located just off the main casino foor, boasts a decidedly edgy, contemporary vibe resplendent with polished concrete foors, exposed ceilings and iPad stations for guests to browse the entire photo collection. And don’t be afraid to ask questions; the staff is well-versed in the history of each photograph. In a stroke of genius, the gallery even offers guests a more realistic setting for the photographs: a full living room housing some of its most iconic photos. In fact, you just might see Ian Dickson’s 1977 shot of the Ramones playing at a club in London—a personal favorite of Rock Paper Photo’s chief marketing officer, Edward Baum—prominently displayed in the informal space. From heart-pounding live performance shots to intimate candids, Rock Paper Photo has exactly what you are looking for—even if you don’t know it yet.
ROCK ’N’ ROLL PHOTO HEAVEN
SEXY, SWEET, WILD & SAVORY! DON’T MISS THE 27TH ANNUAL BLACK & WHITE PARTY PARADISE POOL AT HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2013 TICKETS STARTING AT $35 AFANLV.ORG
PRESENTED BY
LAS VEGAS
PRESENTING SPONSORS
resort
Time for a Tune-up?
new massage aT The reliquary spa guaranTees harmony By
i
Genevie Durano
n a city where the good times roll 24 hours a day, it’s easy to overdo it. When this happens, cash in the chips and head up the escalator in the HRH Tower to the Reliquary Spa & Salon, where you’ll fnd sanctuary amid all the excitement. Begin in the quiet lounge, which offers refuge from the Vegas cacophony. Sink into the plush couches with a book or a magazine, and tune out the noise as you prepare to cleanse your body and soul. The relaxing environment puts you in a respectful state of mind, which gels nicely with Reliquary’s reverence for water— that most essential element of life. Jacuzzis, wet and dry saunas, and the aqueous centerpiece—the coed Roman bath—hydrate you outside and in. In addition, the spa has a full menu of facials, massages and body therapies. Reliquary’s newest offering is the Harmonic Massage, which I experienced under the expert hands of lead therapist Aaron Pahk. The treatment begins with tuning forks placed on the body’s key acupressure points. The forks vibrate at 136.1 hertz, the same frequency as the Earth. Studies have shown that when you physically experience our planet’s primordial vibrations, it sends the body into a deep state of relaxation and wholeness. It is also the same frequency for the Sanskrit mantra “Om,” used in yoga and meditation. “The tuning fork creates the sound of ‘om,’ which is the quickest and most effective way to communicate with our body’s own healing system,” Pahk says. “Sound is the universal language that the body understands. The vibrations and sounds of the tuning fork can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, alleviate pain and improve movement and balance.” Pahk follows the tuning forks with a classic Swedish massage, which, this being Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, is appropriately called the “Rock Star,” after which you will defnitely feel like one. The Harmonic session ends with another round of forks. Forget being in tune with the Earth. After 80 minutes under Pahk’s care, I was in a whole other universe. Harmonic Massage, $225 for 80 minutes. Call 702-693-5520 for a reservation.
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Free
Shopper
Shuttle. See Bell DeSk.
Featuring Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Macy’s Men’s Store, Dillard’s, Forever 21, Topshop Topman and over 200 stores and eateries, including our newest arrivals Scotch & Soda, Henri Bendel and Robert Graham.
Las Vegas Blvd at Spring Mountain Road | 702.369.8382 | thefashionshow.com
tour guide
daRing eSCapeS 5 wayS to get a thRill in, aRound and above laS vegaS By
S
ure, there’s plenty of action to be had at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, but if you’re in a daring mood and want to get off-property for a spell, here are fve opportunities to inject a little more intensity into your vacation:
Fly like an eagle
In an era in which warfare is increasingly drone-oriented, aerial combat seems almost … well, quaint. Thankfully, no one mentioned this to the folks at Sky Combat Ace. And as anyone who’s had a white-knuckle grip inside one of their biplanes will attest, fying one is anything but tame. Not afraid of losing your lunch? Opt for the Top Gun Experience. After some coaching from the professional pilot in back, you’re handed the controls. Grab a 360-degree view during an aerial roll, and follow it up with a simulated bombing run. Our advice: Wear your big-boy breeches. $399 and up. 1420 Jet Stream Dr., Henderson, 888-4945850, SkyCombatAce.com.
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Come Sail away
Land sailing doesn’t have the cultural cachet of skydiving or bungee jumping, but what it lacks in publicity it makes up for in speed—and history. Over the last 60 years, land sailing has become a racing sport: The speed record, set in Nevada, is 126 miles per hour. Not bad for a three-wheeled, windpowered “ship.” Mull this over on your trip with Omega Land Sailing, either during an afternoon fying through the desert or on a dayslong excursion that skims the edges of Area 51. $149 deposit and $149 balance upon arrival, 206-249-9769, OmegaLandSailing.com.
Solid like a RoCk
Ever craved something so much you felt like you’d move Heaven and Earth for it? How about just moving some earth? If that’ll work for you, make a pit stop at Dig This. Choose either a bulldozer or an excavator and begin building your
digging skills with activities such as Excavator Basketball or Bulldozer Teeter-Totter. Then the instructor will turn you loose to carve trenches, pound the ground and otherwise maul the landscape to your heart’s content. Guaranteed to satisfy your deepest blue-collar fantasies. Prices range from $249 (using one machine) to $1,100 (for group digs). 3012 S. Rancho Dr., 702222-4344, DigThisVegas.com.
i walk the line
Combine your adventurous spirit and the splendor of nature at Flightlinez Bootleg Canyon, where zip-lines stretch across this gorgeous landscape. Would-be zippers start with Flight School at company headquarters, take a bus ride up Red Mountain and then hike to the platform. Once there, you’ll adjust your harness and zip on down. And we do mean down: The first line drops you 450 feet in 15 seconds, and you’ll feel that in the pit of your stomach (where
Todd PeTerson
it’ll stay, if you’re lucky). With four lines that crosscut amazing desert scenery, once you get to the bottom, you’ll be ready to do it all over again. $159 per person, $99 for children under 12. 1512 Industrial Rd., Boulder City, 702-293-6885, FlightlinezBootleg.com.
maSteRS oF waR
At Battlefield Vegas, you’ll take your love of playing first-person shooter to a whole new level. Its five-acre military complex (or its off-site desert training area) allows you to reenact monumental battles ranging from D-Day to Hamburger Hill. Or take it into the modern era instead by joining a SWAT team. With a 25-yard indoor firing range, hundreds of fully automatic machine guns, and a military museum that includes Willys Jeeps and a Huey helicopter, it’s enough to make any Call of Duty fan drool. $159 and up. 2771 Industrial Rd., 702-566-1000, BattlefieldVegas.com.
PhilanthroPy
St. BALDRICK’S
H
photography
erik kabik
ard Rock Hotel & Casino put a unique spin on the St. Baldrick’s tradition with Rock ’N’ Shave at Vinyl in March. There were prizes, a performance by the Sin City Sinners and special guests that included Robert Mason of Warrant, Scott Vokoun of Quiet Riot and Jeff Young of Megadeth. There was also lots of support from Hard Rock Hotel guests and staff, including Chief Operating Offcer Jody Lake, who had his head shaved live on television. In all, the event raised more than $43,000 for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which funds research to fnd cures for childhood cancers.
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artifact
ONE-OF-AKIND KIT By
Geoff Carter photoGraphy anthony mair
W
hen Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm in a 1984 automobile accident, he didn’t think he’d ever be able to play again. But while restlessly tapping on a foam pad at the end of his hospital bed, he soon realized that he was able to play entire drum parts using just his feet. With the help of fellow drummer Jeff Rich, he created a wood-and-wire prototype of a pedal set that Allen could use to trip various electronic-drum sounds with his left foot. The prototype was shipped to electronicdrum maker Simmons, which created a right-weighted set that was used on the Hysteria world tour of 1987-88, and is on display at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. “They’ve just restored it,” says the hotel’s memorabilia curator, Warwick Stone, citing enthusiasm on the band’s part and a “$200 bar tab” he shared with their roadies. Sadly, the wiring harness that went with the set is gone. “It was this great octopus of wires,” says Stone, regretfully. “But too late for that.” But the indefatigable spirit of the man who built the set remains. Written on tape on one of the drum pads is a joke that only Rick Allen and his friends would see, until now. “ACME WRIST STRENGTHENER,” it reads. “RIGHT HAND ONLY.”
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