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TO FEE OR NOT TO FEE? An update on Strip parking MGM Resorts ruffled feathers in January when it announced a new paidparking system on the Strip, but executives didn’t expect such intense backlash from Vegas residents. So while the new fee structure for out-of-towners goes into effect beginning June 6, locals’ rates are postponed until December 29—which raises a whole new slew of questions.
> STATION TO STATION What will change inside the Palms?
WELCOME TO PALMS STATION? Station Casinos’ $312.5 million purchase of the Palms is a blockbuster move that might have seemed like a surprise but makes so much sense. In the Palms’ heyday, when George Maloof was running the West Flamingo joint and after its star-making turn on MTV’s The Real World, it was a celeb-buzzing hot spot at night and a locals’ casino during the day. It might not be the cool place to be anymore—kinda the Vegas equivalent of Warhol’s 15 minutes of fame theory—but it’s got great bones, underutilized spaces, and a prime location; Station’s CFO Marc Falcone called it a “hybrid gaming
property,” because it appeals to both tourists and locals, and both of those markets are on the rise. But once the acquisition is complete, what will Station do with the Palms? Introduce some of the tried-and-true amenities from the neighborhood casinos? Or go allout for the tourists, since this is the closest the company has ever been to the heart of the Las Vegas Strip? Naturally, we have a few ideas. Turn the old Playboy Club space into a bowling alley.
hosting LGBT parties on Saturdays. Since Palms Place used to house Kerry Simon’s spot, why not turn its restaurant over to the late chef’s partners for Carson Kitchen, part deux? The Pearl could once again book acts familiar to people under 45. Open the legendary Hardwood Suite for games of H-O-R-S-E. Here’s what you should change about Alizé: nothing.
Swap out some of the generic foodcourt options for superior or locally owned restaurant brands.
Discounts for local bands at the Pearl’s recording studio.
Reopen Rain Nightclub with a focus on locals. It could work.
Ditch Fridays? How about Ditch Tuesdays. For real.
Here’s what you should change about N9NE Steakhouse: nothing.
Pay tribute to the Palms’ glory days by having Dennis Rodman and Paris Hilton host the grand reopening of Rain Nightclub. Or maybe not.
The Palms Place pool could start
6W LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM MAY 19-25, 2016
How do I avoid paying for parking for now? Nevada residents can scan the barcode on their driver’s licenses upon entry or exit for free self-parking at all MGM Resorts properties until December 29 (not including special events). There’s no grace period for valet, however, and cars self-parked overnight (longer than 24 hours) will pay the full parking rate. What’s this about complimentary parking? MGM M life loyalty program members who achieve Pearl-tier status and higher can self-park at no charge (including special events). Gold, Platinum and Noir levels receive free valet parking. Do I still have to tip the valet? The ethical answer is yes. With these new fees, lots of folks will probably want to forego tipping the valet runner. In that case, you should probably self-park. –Leslie Ventura
PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY JON ESTRADA, FREMONT9 BY STEVE MARCUS
Downtown Project and Arizona-based apartment investment firm Wolff With Fremont9, Downtown Company just broke ground finally gets some housing on an ingredient many see as critical to Downtown’s revival: new housing. The 1.3-acre project, dubbed Fremont9, is at the corner of Fremont and 9th streets, next to Atomic Liquors and two blocks east of Downtown Container Park. The five-story, 231-unit rental complex is slated to include 15,000 square feet of retail, as well as a “hip resident lounge,” a resort-style pool, quartz countertops and stainless-steel appliances, developers say. Nothing vertical is built yet, but investors aim to finish in the second quarter of 2017. Fremont9’s average rental rates are expected to be around $1,000 to $1,100 per month, with units ranging from 500 to 1,200 square feet. At a Monday news conference, Mayor Carolyn Goodman said, “We have been waiting so long for residences Downtown, and to have them be available for people not of the highest income ... it’s just really exciting.” –Eli Segall
LIVE WHERE YOU LIVE
How much will it cost? Anyone stopping by an MGM Resorts property for under an hour can self-park for free. The self-parking fee at Aria, Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, Mirage and New York-New York is $7 for vehicles parked between 1-4 hours and $10 for vehicles parked between 4-24 hours. The self-parking fees at Excalibur, Luxor and Monte Carlo are $5 and $8 for the same time frames. Valet parking will cost $13-$18 at the former hotels (plus the Delano and Vdara) and $8-$13 at the latter (plus Circus Circus).
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AS WE SEE IT…
911 ISN’T A JOKE Clark County seeks to reduce inappropriate calls to the emergency line
PYRAMID OF BISCUITS
HOPE IN THE ASHES
If violence begets violence, the national mood explains a lot BY STACY J. WILLIS
8W LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM MAY 19-25, 2016
ILLUSTRATIONS BY JON ESTRADA
Hollywood Recreation Center is a well-kept facility in front of a sprawling green park. Palm trees line the parking lot. Bright yellow flowers bloom from the medians. It’s situated between three schools, two churches and a fire station, and from its lot in the Sunrise Mountain foothills, the view of the Strip is breathtaking. On this Saturday morning, several families are picnicking at the park tables, and other kids gather inside the rec center for community classes. It’s hard to imagine that just a couple of months ago, this was the site of a massive fight and shooting in which more than 50 rounds were spent and a 15-yearold boy was killed. It was the 55th homicide of the year; since then, the number of murders in Metro’s jurisdiction has risen to 67. Recent homicides include a bludgeoned man found in the trunk of a parked car on the far south side of the Valley, a domestic double shooting in front of a daycare center on the far north side and the robbery shooting at Lee’s Discount Liquor on the southwest side. The homicide rate has surged by more than 80 percent over this time last year. Last week, FBI director James Comey named Las Vegas and Chicago as two cities where the rates were spiking when he commented on a new report on crime nationwide. But Las Vegas and Chicago are not alone; Dallas, LA, Memphis and Jacksonville are all experiencing dramatic increases this year—after nearly two decades of decreasing violent-crime rates in the U.S. In fact, the nation’s violentcrime rate in 2014 was the lowest it had been since 1970, and the homicide rate was the lowest since 1960, according to the Federation of American Scientists. Why, then, the sudden escalation here? There’s no easy answer. Sheriff Joe Lombardo held a news conference last month to address the issue and, while he said he’d been losing sleep over it and was doing everything he knew to do, he didn’t know why violent crimes were increasing. But in a New York Times article, the FBI director floated this possible cause: “The viral video effect,” otherwise known as “the Ferguson effect.” Comey surmised that some officers were more reluctant to police since a string of videos showing mistreatment of citizens resulted in anti-police backlash. That theory was dismissed by many police leaders, including Darrel Stephens, executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Police Association,
the organization that compiled the recent nationwide crime stats. He told the Times, “You may have some who do that, but police officers don’t get into the business to not do the work they’ve been hired to do.” Body cams are in fact being used by police departments more widely. Last fall, the Justice Department awarded $23 million to 73 agencies in 32 states to fund the cameras, including more than 300 for Las Vegas officers. Still, in these unhinged times, it seems somehow incomplete to pin huge jumps in violent crime solely on cop cams, instead of recognizing the larger mix of challenges around us. Nationwide, criminologists point to poverty, the heroin epidemic and gang activity—which is itself associated with poverty and drug use. Also, the “viral video effect” cannot be entirely separated from its roots in the long-standing racial divide, which is aggravated by the hostile, puerile national conversation, one dominated by loud bigotry. The leading Republican presidential candidate is vociferously anti-Muslim and anti-Mexican. A leading news issue—the right of transgender people to use appropriate public restrooms—has prompted others to threaten violence against trans people; “I have my ccw [concealed carry weapons permit] for those weirdos” says one Facebook post. Rhetoric sometimes does turn physical. Metro was called in last week to the state Democratic convention to prevent altercations between Bernie and Hillary supporters. And the following day, the party headquarters got vandalized and the chairwoman allegedly received death threats. Though a hostile national mood also completely fails to explain the rise in local violence—you can’t help but feel that they feed each other. This morning I woke up to headlines from various news outlets: “Shots Fired on RTC Bus,” “Teen Dead after Gunfight” and “Two Dead After Apparent Murder Suicide.” It’s heartbreaking, mystifying, ominous. One Facebook commenter said, “What the hell is up [with] this state[,] everyday is something [and] I hate it.” More than a hundred others on KTNV’s Facebook page shared similar sentiments. As we head into the summer—statistically, a time when violent crimes increase—there’s uncertainty in the air. At the Cornerstone Crossing apartments on Rainbow and Washington, there’s also the smell of a burned building in the air, a fire that took 72 firefighters to extinguish last week. The fire was allegedly set by a woman in the middle of a domestic dispute. Whatever the circumstances, that fight displaced 40 other people—innocent neighbors who lost some of their possessions and their homes. While talking to a security officer who was guarding the fenced-off, charred building, I noticed quite a few young kids playing on the basketball court a few yards away. Their laughter, their joy—their triumph over the disaster in their midst—gave me hope.
Sprained ankles. Information about the weather. Loud neighbors. Sore throats. Questions about paying traffic tickets. Grievances with the guy that takes your drivethru order. These are all issues locals deemed serious enough to warrant calling 911. The ineptitude doesn’t stop there. 911 dispatchers have also fielded calls regarding stubbed toes and other minor injuries, pet problems and queries regarding travel. And there are the crank calls. Non-emergencies are clogging up 911 lines and posing a risk to the health of those justifiably calling for immediate assistance. According to the Clark County Fire Department—which is appealing to the citizenry to learn proper 911 protocol, especially to avoid impediments for those in much more dire circumstances—it logged almost 153,000 calls for service last year, nearly 7,500 of which were classified as “other,” or non-fire/non-EMS. From January to April of this year, they’ve already taken nearly 98,000 calls, indicating a 3.4 percent increase over January to April of 2015. So, when should someone call 911 (or text, if a call absolutely cannot be made)? According to a PSA made by students for Clark County, grounds include a life-threatening injury from any kind of accident, a person choking or struggling to breathe and a structure on fire. (A crime in progress also qualifies.) From there, callers should be prepared to give their name and phone number so a dispatcher can call back, their address (and any possible nearby landmarks), and a description of the problem. But if someone wants to report not being able to sleep through the neighbors’ kids’ party, or Fluffy’s unwillingness to climb down the tall tree, or any other less grave circumstance, their alternative is calling (or texting) 311. And if you’re in doubt as to which number to dial, go with 911 and let the dispatcher determine whom you should call next. –Mike Prevatt
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May 19-25, 2016 LasVegasWeekly.com
11W
MIND A
B E A U T I F U L
Larry Ruvo’s examined life, from busboy to great benefactor of Las Vegas
By Kristen Peterson
I
to combat brain disease. And there would be no UNLVino, the wine-tasting bash that over 25 years has raised millions to benefit students—or Ruvo’s charitable efforts to improve education for local kids. He has been honored locally and nationally for his community leadership and philanthropy, and when his nonprofit Keep Memory Alive puts on its 20th-anniversary Power of Love gala on May 21, Ruvo will be there with Tony Bennett, Wolfgang Puck and other notables throwing their weight behind the Center for Brain Health. The annual celebration of life is the medical center’s financial backbone, raising funds for vital research on Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and other ailments, along with programs aimed at supporting caregivers and comforting patients. And according to the Keep Memory Alive Foundation, which Ruvo founded in 1996, 100 percent of the money supports that work. The organization has raised more than $250 million, according to a spokesperson. Larry Ruvo is an enormous reason, and Las Vegans know his name. But his high-profile Vegas story began in a cozy restaurant, where the Italian cooking was so delicious and the love from its owners so palpable that it became its own local institution.
photograph by jon estrada
t’s the 1940s, and a young limousine driver in Niagara Falls is about to break a woman’s heart. “Angie, I love ya,” he says, “but I’m going off to war, and I don’t know where I’m going, and I don’t know for how long, and I don’t want you to wait for me and I don’t want to worry about you. We’re done.” Devastated, Angie calls her sister in Las Vegas and heads out West for a visit. They go to a nightclub. And the first man she sees is the one who left her back in Niagara Falls, now a soldier stationed at McCarran Field training for the South Pacific. “He looks at my mom and says, ‘I’m done,’” says Larry Ruvo, relishing the zinger of this old yarn about his father Lou, for whom Las Vegas’ Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health is named. “They got engaged. He went to war. Four years later he comes back, they got married and that was it. It’s one of those stories like, what are the odds?” There would be many more stories. And the odds? They would play out in Las Vegas’ favor for decades, a roll of the dice that would change the community immeasurably. Because without this family, without Larry, there would be no landmark clinic Downtown working
> la famiglia Young Larry with his family.
When Vegas Calls
PHOTOGRAPHS SUN FILE
The Charmed Busboy “I remember the conversation like it was yesterday,” Ruvo says. He was 6, and the family had left Niagara Falls for Las Vegas, moving in with his aunt and uncle and cousin Lorraine (who would become Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt), a woman who could belt out a song at the Bootlegger with the old-schoolers). Soon after, his father and uncle would announce they’d bought a restaurant, and that its menu would be the Northern Italian homecooking their wives learned from their Venetian relatives back in New York. “‘Well, everybody that comes over always loves your food, Angie, and always loves Mary’s food,’” says Ruvo, emulating his dad. “‘And I think [if ] we cook like that in a restaurant we can make a nice living.’” Sitting at a table inside Southern Wine & Spirits, where he’s senior managing director, Ruvo tells the tale of the family joint that opened on Fremont and Eastern in 1955 as Venetian Pizzeria. After it was relocated to West Sahara Avenue and renamed the Venetian Ristorante in 1966, it settled deeper into its hangout status—and its fame for pizza and legendary neck bones, inspired by regular customer Frank Sinatra. An authentic Italian restaurant, it catered to the tight-knit, then-small-town community and became the place where out-of-towners had to stop, including a noted mobster who flew in just for the neck bones. This was a place where stories happened, its 43-year narrative starting with two guys just buying a restaurant. And it was the environment in which Larry Ruvo learned about the world, business, community and charity, working alongside his dad until he was a teenager. His best friend. “I saw Larry as a little boy, working very, very hard bussing tables over there at the Venetian and always treating his parents with the greatest of admiration and respect. To me, that’s the telltale
sign as to whether somebody is a decent person and whether they’re going to end up being successful,” says Oscar Goodman, the former three-term mayor of Las Vegas and a Ruvo family friend. When Lou died on February 18, 1994, after a battle with Alzheimer’s that went misdiagnosed for a year in Las Vegas, his son decided something had to be done. This was the man who’d taught him character, respect and humility. To illustrate, Ruvo tells a bittersweet story about the time his 14-year-old self decided to fire Venetian’s chef. His dad said, “You fired the chef? First rule of business: You never fire a chef on a Friday. You hire him back and fire him on Monday. You need him for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Those are the busy days. Monday you don’t need him, so you let him go. Hire him back.” So he hired him back, and on Monday, with his dad present, fired him again. Then Lou turned to the guy and said: “I’m promoting you to general manger. Your first assignment is to fire my son.” He didn’t want his only child going through life with a sense of entitlement, and Ruvo never worked at the restaurant again. That was devastating on its own, but the kid was also trying to save up for a car. So he found work elsewhere, and after graduating from Las Vegas High School in 1964 Ruvo went into the hotel business. That led him to Caesars Palace, and Steve Wynn. “We met at Caesars, worked together at Frontier, and that’s where we became best of friends. He was my age and we’re around all these gaming legends and gaming experts, and there was an instant friendship,” Ruvo says. “And we had similar interests. We loved to ski. We raced motorcycles. We had a lot of fun together. Still do.” Looking at the time, he says, “I’m having dinner with him at 7:30.”
Ruvo eventually left Las Vegas, to become general manager of the Playboy Club in LA. But just two years later, it was Wynn who brought him back, to head Southern Wine & Spirits in 1970. But it was also about missing Vegas and especially his parents. “It was the right decision. At the end of the day, no matter how happy you are it’s always better when you’re happy with your family,” Ruvo says. Even with Lou gone, Larry still lives by that. On the first anniversary of his dad’s death, a friend suggested a celebration to mark his life. “We went to Spago. We ordered all the wine, all the Scotch, everything my dad would drink, all the food he’d eat, and we told Lou Ruvo stories for about two to three hours,” Ruvo says. Another friend, John Paul DeJoria (co-founder of Paul Mitchell), happened to be eating at the restaurant that night and stopped to say hi. He asked what they were doing. “My dad’s not here. We’re celebrating his life,” Ruvo said. They talked about Alzheimer’s and the gut-wrenching loss of Lou, and then DeJoria gave Ruvo $5,000 to donate to Alzheimer’s research, an act then followed by everyone at the party. By the end of the night, $35,000 had been raised. There would be a formal fundraiser, and $35 million given for the newly formed Keep Memory Alive foundation, for which Ruvo is chairman. He contacted Dr. Leon Thal, a worldrenowned Alzheimer’s expert and chair of neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, who had treated Lou near the end. Ruvo asked a favor: With the foundation’s money, could Thal establish a building at UCSD with his dad’s name on it? Thal said the school’s bureaucracy would winnow that $35 million down to $19 million, adding, “And you’re doing a terrible disservice to the people of Las Vegas. You need to build something there.”
> packaged liquor Larry (left) at Southern Wine & Spirits in 1974.
May 19-25, 2016 LasVegasWeekly.com
13W
> learning curves The Frank Gehry-designed Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.
Bittersweet Symphony Around that time, Mayor Goodman successfully arranged for 61 acres of former rail yard Downtown to become a multi-use destination for culture, health care, hospitality and restaurants. Donald Trump had actually asked to develop it, but the mayor had a different vision: an architecturally eclectic area that would become Symphony Park. And it involved Larry Ruvo and his tribute to Lou, which he was preparing to build near Southern Wine & Spirits just off the Beltway. “He did me the biggest of favors,” Goodman says. “I told Larry it would be phenomenal to have Keep Memory Alive as the keystone for what my vision was for that property in the heart and soul of the Valley. Larry had already had plans drawn up; he had commitments made. I went to him basically as a friend and said, ‘Larry, as the mayor I know I’d be able to provide land for you there. Would you consider moving your dream to our Downtown?’ He didn’t even hesitate. He said, ‘Whatever you think is right.’” Ruvo partnered with the Cleveland Clinic, an institution the mayor had unsuccessfully tried to lure to Las Vegas. The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health grand-opened in May 2010, heralding the arrival of the Smith Center for the Performing Arts and the Discovery Children’s Museum, with more in development. “Without Larry agreeing and being able to create what he did, I’m not sure what would be down there,” Goodman says. “He was the first one. He’s the one who took the chance.” > WAITING ROOM Mayor Oscar Goodman (left) and Larry Ruvo anticipate the Cleveland Clinic’s first patient.
May 21, 5:30-11 p.m., $55-$250. MGM Grand Garden Arena, keepmemoryalive.org.
14W LasVegasWeekly.com May 19-25, 2016
“Everybody here said it was his heart, his corroded artery, circulation problems—never anything related to his brain. So ignorant. Dr. Thal diagnosed my dad immediately, within an hour. My biggest disappointment growing up in Las Vegas is the reputation we had that you have pain, you get on a plane,” Ruvo says. “The quality of medicine had to change in this town.” To get a clinic of that magnitude off the ground, he realized the facility needed “sizzle.” “In Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world, the boxing capital of the world, we do things different. They gotta take some wine wholesaler who lost his dad to Alzheimer’s serious,” Ruvo remembers thinking. “And I believe it had to be packaging and marketing, and I believe it had to be a world-class architect.” Frank Gehry, the world-class architect he wanted, had no interest in working in Las Vegas. “I told him he was doing a disservice to humanity if he wouldn’t allow me to use his celebrity to find a cure for diseases. But I used a lot of profanity,” Ruvo recalls. “We were only nasty to each other about a total of four or five minutes, and for the next three hours it became a love fest, and today it’s a romance, a marriage, a friendship.” Ruvo stops to pick up a copy of last year’s U.S. News & World Report, which ranked Cleveland Clinic No. 1 in cardiology and heart surgery and No. 4 on its honor roll of acclaimed medical centers, a reminder to Ruvo that this is the right partnership for the long, worthwhile battle ahead. “I think it’s disgusting to grow up in a city with over 2 million people, and our doctors come to us and say we don’t have one board-certified MS doctor,” Ruvo says. “We’re a long way from where we need to be on health care, but without the Lou Ruvo Center and the Cleveland Clinic, those 4,000 people would still be going out of state.” The head of the center is Dr. Jeffrey Cummings, who has received the Research Award of the John Douglas French Alzheimer’s Research Foundation and the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Award of the national Alzheimer’s Association.
And it has a 20-member board of dynamic players in business and medicine. “We have several people here who are leaders in their field in neurodegenerative disorders. To be so focused and so comprehensive is highly unusual,” says Dr. Dylan Wint, a researcher at the Center for Brain Health focused on optimizing diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s. But he adds that the clinic isn’t able to keep up with demand for services, that it needs more providers and space. What keeps top clinicians invested is the promise of the research. Science is beginning to get a handle on the disease affecting more than 5 million Americans, and the center is seeking more answers. Wint says there were 25,000 visits to the clinic last year alone. Wint came for the opportunity to have that kind of access and impact, learning quickly that the Center for Brain Health’s board chair is committed to its operations. “[Larry is] here all the time—the level of passion and interest. He’s not someone who threw money down, put his father’s name on the building then moved on,” Wint says. “He’s never lost sight of his mission to improve the lives of people with these diseases, and their caregivers.” The health-care system failed Ruvo’s best friend, and it opened his eyes to the scope of the problem. “It’s time for this city to wake up,” Ruvo says. “We will never have a great city and bring smart people, big businesses, without health care. It starts with health care and education.” Las Vegas has become another world since Ruvo rolled in with his parents back in the ’50s. “In 1955, my mom and dad and I drove to Disneyland on a one-lane road,” he says. “No matter when we saw a car with a Nevada plate, one of us knew who was in the car.” Growth has swept through the Valley, and Ruvo has made it his mission to look after his 2 million neighbors. “I think if anybody asked you six years ago if this were possible, they would tell you it would be impossible,” Ruvo says of the shining beacon he built in Vegas. “Stay tuned.”
Mayor goodman and larry ruvo sun file; lou ruvo center by mikayla whitmore
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FOOD & Drink
> REFINED CHINA Clockwise from left, Niu-Gu’s lamb with cumin, spicy shrimp stir fry and tofu crumble with scallion oil.
Third time’s the charm
New arrival Niu-Gu can hang in its restaurant-rich strip mall By Brock Radke Chef Jimmy Li was the man behind two criminally overlooked, relatively short-lived Chinese restaurants on Spring Mountain Road— Three Villages and 1900 Asian Cuisine. These were tucked-away places that didn’t necessarily go out of their way to appeal to non-Asian eaters, but the food was consistently glorious. Li is back with a new location (still tucked away, though), a new name in Niu-Gu and a new partner in longtime local wine pro Joe Muscaglione. Located in the Chinatown-area Mountain View Plaza on Jones Boulevard, Niu-Gu has its work cut out, since its restaurant neighbors include China Mama, Chada Thai & Wine and District One, among others, but Li’s cuisine is just as delicious and satisfying as it has always been.
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Niu-Gu is far from formal, but the food achieves a level of Chineserestaurant sophistication usually found only within Strip casinos—and in traditional Chinatown fashion, Niu-Gu offers it for far less money. Beef tongue salad ($7), tender, funky coins of meat layered with crisp cucumber in a powerhouse XO sauce, is a must-order cold appetizer, reminiscent of a pork belly dish to which I became addicted at the former 1900. If you need a more familiar bite to get things going, opt for pan-fried pork dumplings ($5) or lightly steamed oysters in a savory garlic broth topped with scallions ($9). Chinese menus are typically lacking in dish description, which can make eating at more authentic restaurants like this intimidating. You would
Several specials are always in rotation depending what’s available, like the whole steamed fish of the day, which I enviously watched an entire family devour during my first visit, or a simple side of garlic vegetables— beautifully flavored pea greens—on never know that triple chili pork ($15) that same visit. Black peppercorn is actually a massive, fiery, garlicky beef tenderloin fried rice ($11) is a stew, rich morsels of pork tenderloin side that eats like a meal unto itself, swimming with red chili pods and and ditto for the spicy-sour slurpable veggies. Sometimes shrimp fried rice in fish sauce something that reads like an NIU-GU ($11). When Niu-Gu opened a afterthought makes for the 3400 S. few months back, it was much most memorable meal. Jones Blvd. more noodle-centric, so rest The slow-roasted beef shor#16, 702assured the hot and sour pork trib ($18) is the signature house 570-6363. tenderloin noodle soup ($9) dish, but I prefer Niu-Gu’s more Daily, follows through on the flavors exotic, hard-to-find fare, like 11 a.m.promised. cumin-laced lamb chops ($16) 9:30 p.m. To further complement or sautéed Chinese yam with Li’s food, Muscaglione has black fungus ($12), a dish popinstalled one of the most intense tea ping with freshness despite its funny programs in the city, including tradiname. Sichuan-style mapo doufu ($10) tional tableside tea ceremonies. It’s a is done traditionally with super-soft unique touch, another reason Niu-Gu tofu awash in chili oil with tender bits deserves the attention its predecesof pork, perhaps the best version of sors didn’t seem to receive. this dish I’ve tasted in Las Vegas.
photographs by jon estrada
> SERVICE SUPREME Get in your time machine and go back to Michael’s.
WHITE WINE SANGRIA
MOONEN-LIGHTING
Burgundy and—no surprise—it was awesome. The appetizers marched their way onto our table: French onion soup gratinée, huge and full of molten cheese; Coquille St. Jacques, a creamy sea scallop dish I have made thousands of times in my career, perfectly cooked and well-seasoned so you could taste the mushMichael’s remains an elegant, out-of-thisrooms harmonizing with the scallops in a large shell bordered with Duchess potatoes; tender, baked escarworld dining experience BY RICK MOONEN got under a blanket of crisp, lovely pastry; and scampi fra diavolo. I guess my tolerance for spice and heat has In 1980 I was the head saucier at La Côte Basque in increased over the years, and this particular version of New York City. This was a big-deal position to hold down a devil sauce left me wanting more flavor. We passed at age 24, working in a very big-deal restaurant during around all the apps, getting louder and having a blast, our an era where everything fine dining was French, period. voices echoing under the dome. As soon as I arrived at Michael’s Gourmet Room at Then, time for the show: A huge wooden bowl arrived the South Point, I was transported back 36 years, to on a cart and our captain asked for ingredient preferences that place in the Big Apple where I began my culinary for the grand Caesar. No trendy kale to be seen! I gave him journey. Every detail at Michael’s is perfectly attended the nod on heavy anchovy, garlic and Parmesan Reggiano, to, and the staff takes full charge of your happiness we picked up our chilled salad forks and the clasfrom the moment the door closes behind you, sic salad was gone in two minutes. I felt like I was helping you leave the casino world far behind. cheating, this was so good. Dining here is a fantasy that everyone must MICHAEL’S South Point, After a palate-cleansing scoop of lemon sorexperience at least once. bet topped with a splash of Dom Perignon, here My wife and I arrived a few minutes early 702-796-7111. came the entrées: a rack of lamb bouquetière (a and decided to enjoy a pregame cocktail. The Daily, 5:30ton of veggies and a poached pear housing mint maître d’ walked over and asked how my old 10 p.m. jelly); one medium-rare, bone-in filet mignon; friend “Mr. M” was doing. I squinted my eyes in imported, fresh Dover Sole meunière; and wild salmon disbelief, as I hadn’t heard that name in over a decade. sauté doria (with cucumbers). I got the salmon, because “Mr. M” was a very good customer of mine from 11 when I asked if the sea bass was from Chile and the years ago, and he insisted I had to go to Michael’s—then answer was yes, I just could not. Every entrée was preat the Barbary Coast—with him. He and I dined there sented on a very large silver tray, so you could take in together, once, a decade ago, and this man at the front the magic of a classically garnished dishes. Then, some desk remembered. Wow! choreography, a well-rehearsed ballet of every waiter My perfect negroni was a very generous pour, as in the restaurant surrounding our table, elbows flying, was my wife’s martini. I love it when they give you the splitting the proteins onto warm plates for everyone to shaker to refill your glass ... it just screams class. Our get a taste of everything. It was seamless and impresfriends arrived, and our drinks were whisked off the bar sive. These dishes, all classic preparations, hit the mark and brought to our table. We sat below a giant stainedon all counts. glass dome transported from the Barbary Coast when “Give me your two best desserts for the middle of the Michael’s was resurrected here in 2007. Deep-red velvet table, Vin,” and he did, along with trays of chocolatedominates in this impeccably designed room, with highcovered fruit and bon-bons. Thank you, Michael’s, for backed chairs that make you feel like royalty. Our captain, bringing me back in time and taking such great care of Vin, a Vietnamese gentleman born in China, came right my friends. We’ll be back soon. over, and the ladies were given menus that did not contain prices, to respect their comfort when ordering whatever grabbed their fancy—a pretty cool touch. Bread service was delivered with a huge tray of mixed goodies to nosh, When he’s not dining at classic Vegas restaurants, sort of crudité-meets-pickle plate with some quail eggs Rick Moonen is chef and owner at RM Seafood and thrown in for good measure. I ordered a bottle of white Rx Boiler Room at the Shoppes at Mandalay Place.
CLASSIC PERFECTION
PHOTOGRAPH BY LEILA NAVIDI
INGREDIENTS RECIPE SERVES 6: 1 bottle (750ml) Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling 6 oz. Azzurre Vodka 3 oz. Cointreau 3 oz. orange juice 2 oz. simple syrup 1 cup of mixed citrus slices from orange, lemon and lime 1 cinnamon stick 5 cloves 1 cucumber cut into quarterinch thick wheels Cantaloupe melon chunks as desired Fresh mint for garnish
METHOD Pre-batch ingredients with the fruit and spices in a pitcher and keep refrigerated for 4-6 hours before serving. Serve over ice in a wine glass, or in a clear plastic bag for a fun and unusual presentation (pictured). Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
What’s better than a big batch of refreshing, white wine sangria on a hot day? Whip this up for your next barbecue or pool party and serve it in a plastic bag with a straw if you really want to impress your guests.
Cocktail created by JR Starkus, Master Mixologist, Southern Wine and Spirits
MAY 19-25, 2016 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM
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Associate Publisher Mark De Pooter (mark.depooter@gmgvegas.com) Industry Weekly Editor Brock Radke (brock.radke@gmgvegas.com) Industry Weekly Writer Leslie Ventura (leslie.ventura@gmgvegas.com) Contributors Mark Adams, Don Chareunsy, Sarah Feldberg, Erin Ryan Associate Creative Director Liz Brown (liz.brown@gmgvegas.com) Designers Corlene Byrd, Jon Estrada Circulation Director Ron Gannon Art Director of Advertising and Marketing Services Sean Rademacher CEO, Publisher & Editor Brian Greenspun Chief Operating Officer Robert Cauthorn Group Publisher Gordon Prouty Managing Editor Ric Anderson Las Vegas Weekly Editor Spencer Patterson 2275 Corporate Circle, Suite 300 Henderson, NV 89074
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The time to shine has arrived. Oscar winner Jamie Foxx plays the role of party emcee and DJ Irie spins as the newest nightclub on the Strip makes its debut at Aria.
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The lightning rod for hip-hop controversy will soon host her own VH1 talk show, but she’ll host a party for you at 1 OAK this weekend.
HAKKASAN
Rapper, producer and DJ Lil Jon launches his new About Last Night Friday night party in Hakkasan’s big room this week.
HEART OF OMNIA
Old-school meets new when Rev reunites and rocks out with Ruckus, a perfect pairing for the rollicking Heart room.
INTRIGUE
They said Intrigue’s entertainment was going to be different, and they meant it. Kissed by a rose at Wynn? Why not?
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Our empty leg flights make flying privately possible.
LAS VEGAS’ PREMIER PRIVATE AND COMMERCIAL JET SERVICE Book your flight by callling (702) 829.0487 or for more information visit www.cirrusav.com *All seats must be filled by a single group. Seats not sold individually. Prices subject to change.
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unique to our resort,” Bobby Baldwin, president of Aria, said during his fall announcement.
The chainSMokerS by aaron Garcia; JaMie FoXX by John Shearer/ap phoTo
Knowing how crucial Aria’s club component would be, Hakkasan Group and the Rockwell Group set out to blow minds, just as they did in creating Omnia at Caesars Palace. “We needed to make sure it was compelling, not just something that felt like renovating what was Haze into a new thing,” says James Algate, Hakkasan’s vice president of entertainment. “We want to change everyone’s perspective when you come into this venue, and we believe we’ve done that. We did the same when changing Studio 54 into Hakkasan, and with turning Pure into Omnia—completely different feelings and atmospheres.”
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oday, we begin to explore the many brilliant facets of Jewel.
Hakkasan Group’s newest nightlife venture, a 24,000-squarefoot space at Aria on the Las Vegas Strip, is brimming with incredible detail. Two intimate floors designed by the Rockwell Group. A mezzanine level boasting significant GA space and a bar plus five exclusive themed VIP skyboxes, like the European salon-inspired Gallery and the sports-themed G.O.A.T. First-ofits-kind technology seamlessly incorporated into the architecture and sound design. As soon as the doors open tonight, all eyes will be on these details and how they form the experience. But
as we get ready to go inside Jewel, let’s look at the big picture. Simply put, Aria is the hottest resort on the Strip right now. Its grandeur has been overlooked, mostly because it debuted at the height of the recession with the CityCenter project in late 2009. It was already the pinnacle of modern luxury on Las Vegas Boulevard, and yet recent, refreshing additions have created a phenomenon. Its restaurant lineup is unparalleled. And with the debut of Jewel, the final piece of the puzzle is placed. “Nightlife is an integral part of the Las Vegas scene and in partnering with Hakkasan Group, the preeminent operator in the industry, we will offer a distinct experience
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Jewel also manages to lay the groundwork for its entertainment lineup within its opening weekend, featuring Jamie Foxx as opening-night host and fast-rising EDM stars The Chainsmokers. “That’s diversity of programming, and that’s what we want to do,” Algate says. Focus a bit tighter and notice not only how well Jewel fits at Aria, but how it rests in Hakkasan’s portfolio. With a capacity of around 2,000, Jewel affords a much more intimate experience for clubgoers, yet doubles down on spectacle and big-name talent. “We’re trying to give everyone a different experience and not marginalize our existing [venues],” Algate says. “We’ve had a clear vision from the start on what we wanted to achieve and put in a large amount of effort and thought to make sure we don’t end up duplicating things we’ve done in the past.” –Brock Radke
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arclay Crenshaw—aka Claude VonStroke—sounds as laid-back on the phone as you’d expect. The underground DJ and producer known for party-driving records and his own tasty blend of house, funk and dirtybass radiates an effortless cool that’s often emulated but rarely achieved. VonStroke brings that swagged-out demeanor to his music (hear: “Make A Cake”), his Dirtybird record label and his legendary barbecue series. Now, he’s bringing the ultra-chill vibes to Vegas with a new residency at Daylight called the Birdhouse.
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“I’ve been just waiting [to see] when is the time when it’s gonna work, and we’re hoping this is the time,” VonStroke says about his left-of-the-dial programming. If his past few stops here—with and without Disclosure— were any indication, unconventional DJs are picking up momentum. “The audience is just getting more discerning, and they want to check out other stuff besides the really commercial stuff … It’s just happening right in front of me, all these kids experimenting and going into more deep sounds. I think there’s an opportunity for a night like ours to be in Vegas.”
The Birdhouse takes over Daylight’s pool grounds for the launch of Sundown following Disclosure’s afternoon set. There’s no party more appropriate to kick off the club’s summer underground house series. Claude VonStroke presents the Birdhouse with Danny Daze & Donmoyer, at Sundown at Daylight at Mandalay Bay, May 22. –Leslie Ventura For more with VonStroke, visit lasvegasweekly.com/industry.
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H E A R T Omnia industry night First anniversary, may 10
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ieces of a marching band are banging their way across the dancefloor, their militarystyle drum corps hats illuminated with purple LEDs. Floyd Mayweather is hanging in the corner, hiding in his own VIP man cave. Black and red ballcaps are being passed out, embroidered with the phrase “I came here to break hearts.” As the DJ duo FAED (Five and Eric DLux) brings up all kinds of guests to take turns on the decks, trap star O.T. Genasis jumps up
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on the booth to run through his hits “CoCo” and “Cut It,” before segueing into some other favorites ... Justin Bieber? And Adele? We’re not sure if Heart of Omnia has ever had a rapper lead the room through a sing-along like this—“Hello from the other side!” everyone bellowed—but it happened. We were there. And we wouldn’t have missed this party, the first anniversary celebration of Heart’s Tuesday industry
night, one of the most popular weekly shindigs on the Strip when it comes to locals. Somehow, it’s just as unpredictable and exciting every week as it was this time around. –Brock Radke
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ouble Barrel Roadhouse is something of a one-stop Strip shop. On any given night you might catch a UFC fight on the big screens, or a comedy show, or a wild karaoke party, or a live band. There’s always something new going on, and it always seems to go well with a cold beer and a hot plate of barbecue. But the food is new, too, at Double Barrel. The Strip-front restaurant at
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Monte Carlo’s BLVD Plaza just added drool-worthy dishes both savory and sweet, including a burnt ends brisket plate, tender beef smoked over peach wood and slathered in tangy barbecue sauce, and an array of spicy hot links straight off the grill, perfect for sharing. Speaking of sharing, you probably won’t be able to take down the brisketloaded baked potato skins alone, so bring your squad and attack. Finish off with a kitschy Vegas classic,
deep-fried Twinkies covered in chocolate sauce—but Double Barrel does ’em in a raspberry tempura batter. It’s the little touches that make all the difference. Double Barrel Roadhouse at Monte Carlo, 702-222-7735; daily 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
Venus European Pool Lounge at Caesars Palace
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Known for its European-style sunbathing and intimate and lush surroundings, Venus European Pool Lounge is an upscale escape located off of Caesars’ main pool area. The 10,000-square-foot, adults-only, watery playground sponsored by Fiji Natural Artesian water features frozen fruit trays, handcrafted libations served in fresh pineapples and coconuts, spacious newly remodeled VIP cabanas and daybeds and poolside massages and wraps.
Presented by CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT
The desert surroundings present no roadblock for tropical, watery playgrounds where guests can soak up paradise at some of the city’s hottest pools. Whether you want the party atmosphere or a more tranquil, trendy escape, each oasis offers plenty of amenities and atmospheres to satisfy all sunbathers all season long. So jump in.
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at The LINQ Hotel & Casino The Pool at The LINQ, free to both locals and non-hotel guests ages 21 and up, has many amenities to choose from. The cabanas are equipped with overhead misting systems, chaise lounges, plasma TVs, built-in speakers, refrigerators and complimentary sliced fruit and veggie dishes—not to mention your own cabana host and server. Other amenities include poolside daybed rentals. A center bar seats more than two dozen guests, and you can order everything from beers on tap to frozen and signature cocktails. There’s also the REQ Room, an indoor, air-conditioned hangout with pool tables and games. And get ready for some serious fun all weekend long—O’Sheas Takeover on Fridays features beer pong, Irish-themed entertainment and a visit from the bar’s mascot, Lucky the Leprechaun; get your island vibe on at the tropical house music-themed Tropical Saturdays; and enjoy buy-one-get-one Champagne specials during Champagne Sundays.
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at Flamingo Paradise can be found at the GO Pool. The watery adults-only playground is situated among the property’s 15 acres of tropical topography. Towering palms trees set the scene for the outdoor party pool, accessible through a separate entrance off the main pool area. Once you’re through the doors, feast your eyes on two adjoining pools with a cascading waterfall and grotto in the middle. Around the water’s edge are daybeds, curtained opium beds and lounge chairs. Lining the perimeter are 38 luxurious VIP cabanas. And daily DJs guarantee a party atmosphere all week long.
FlowRider & PH Pools at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Can you really hang 10 in the desert? Absolutely! The first of its kind in Las Vegas, the FlowRider adds excitement to the pool season. Whether you’re a professional or newbie, surf the machine-made waves bodyboard-style, or stand up on one of the flowboards. Or enjoy the rooftop Pools with two separate pool decks and more than two dozen cabanas and daybeds lining the water’s perimeter. Two bars, DJ performances and bikini contests keep the fun flowing all summer long.
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ntonio Nunez already had a knack for leaving his mark on Las Vegas restaurants when he decided to start his own. From STK at the Cosmopolitan to Le Cirque at Bellagio, Nunez’s Midas touch is evident. As co-owner, partner and chef at Kitchen Table in Henderson, Nunez is igniting something rarely seen in the Vegas Valley: a suburban cult following.
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“Generally, what I like to do [is] go in and try to get places opened,” Nunez says. “This is ours.” The “ours” refers to his business partner, co-chef and coowner Javier Chavez. Since opening last fall, their homegrown “social eatery” has become nothing less than a shining diamond in a sleepy strip mall, a neighborhood restaurant the neighbors can’t wait to get into. “You go to LA, you go to Chicago, they have restaurants like this everywhere. Vegas does not have anything that does this,” Nunez says of Kitchen Table, which specializes in breakfast, lunch, brunch and baked goods—he recommends the chilaquiles and
croque madame. “Chefs [with] our background, their heart and their ego lies in dinner. Everyone wants to do dinner, so why not go completely left field and do something that no one’s doing?” Like everything else about the restaurant, the menu is a collaboration between the two chefs. Nunez says it’s “oddball and weird,” but Kitchen Table’s duality of flavors and personalities works. “I plan on doing chef collaborations all over town,” he says. “Building a brand of one-off restaurants that are built on two-sided chefs, so it’s always this dysfunctional function.” Kitchen Table, 1716 Horizon Ridge Parkway #100, 702-4784782; Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.3 p.m., Sunday 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. –Leslie Ventura
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5/20 Amber Rose. 5/21 Gusto. 5/27 Scott Disick. 5/28 Desiigner. Mirage, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-693-8300.
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5/19 Tiësto. 5/20 Lil Jon. 5/21 Tiësto. 5/22 Showtek. 5/26 Calvin Harris. 5/27 Puff Daddy. 5/28 Tiësto. 5/29 Hardwell. 6/2 DVBBS. 6/3 Rae Sremmurd. 6/4 Ingrosso. 6/5 Borgeous. MGM Grand, Wed-Sun, 702-891-3838.
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M A R Q U E E 5/20 Eric Prydz. 5/21 Carnage. 5/23 Juicy J. 5/27 Porter Robinson. 5/28 Travis Scott. 5/29 Wiz Khalifa. 5/30 DJ Khaled. 6/3 Benny Benassi. 6/4 Galantis. Mon, Fri-Sat, Cosmopolitan, 702-333-9000.
B A N K
5/19 Kid Conrad. 5/20 DJ Que. 5/21 DJ C-L.A. 5/22 DJ Karma. 5/26 Kid Conrad. 5/27 DJ Que. 5/29 DJ Karma. 6/2 Kid Conrad. 6/3 DJ Que. 6/5 DJ Karma. Bellagio, Thu-Sun, 702-693-8300.
H Y D E O M N I A 5/20 DJ D-Miles. 5/21 DJ JaceOne. 5/24 Joe Maz. 5/25 DJ D-Miles. 5/27 Joe Jonas. 5/28 Travis Barker. 5/30 Bryan-Michael Cox. 5/31 DJ D-Miles. Bellagio, nightly, 702-693-8700.
D RA I ’S
5/20 Calvin Harris. 5/21 Martin Garrix. 5/24 Afrojack. 5/27 Calvin Harris. 5/28 Martin Garrix. 5/29 Afrojack. 5/31 Burns. 6/3 Calvin Harris. 6/4 Nervo. Caesars Palace, Tue, Thu-Sun, 702-785-6200.
I N T R I G U E
5/19 Esco. 5/20 Big Sean. 5/21 Nas. 5/26 Esco. 5/27 Future. 5/28 Trey Songz. 5/29 50 Cent & Jeremih. 6/3 Big Sean. 6/4 Trey Songz. Cromwell, Tue, Thu-Sun, 702-777-3800.
5/21 Seal. Wynn, Thu-Sat, 702-770-7300.
J EW EL FOX TA I L 5/20 DJ Jami. 5/21 DJ Hollywood. 5/27 Young Thug & DJ Wellman. 5/28 Flo Rida & Borgore. SLS, Fri-Sat, 702-761-7621.
5/19 Jamie Foxx. 5/21 The Chainsmokers. 5/23 Lil Jon. 5/27 Lil Jon. 5/28 Steve Aoki. 5/30 The Chainsmokers. 6/3 Swizz Beats. 6/4 Steve Angello. Aria, Thu-Sat, Mon, 702-590-8000.
S U R R E N D E R 5/19 RL Grime. 5/20 Atrak. 5/21 Flosstradamus. 5/25 Dillon Francis. 5/26 Skrillex. 5/27 Diplo. 5/28 Flosstradamus. 5/29 Marshmello. 6/1 Major Lazer. 6/2 RL Grime. 6/3 Nghtmre. 6/4 Dillon Francis. Encore, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-770-7300.
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5/20 Joe Maz. 5/21 J. Espinosa. 5/23 DJ Sincere. 5/24 Kay the Riot. 5/25 DJ Sam I Am. 5/26 DJ Seany Mac. 5/27 Dee Jay Silver. 5/28 Taboo. 5/30 DJ Sincere. 5/31 Kay the Riot. 6/1 DJ Sincere. 6/2 DJ Seany Mac. Mandalay Bay, nightly, 702-632-7631. G H OST B A R Thu Benny Black. Fri-Sat DJs Exodus & Mark Stylz. Sun DJ Exodus. Mon-Tue DJ Seany Mac. Wed DJ Presto One. Palms, nightly, 702-942-6832.
5/26 Rob Base. 5/28 Salt-N-Pepa. 6/2 Twista. Luxor, Thu-Sat, 702-262-4529.
L I G H T 5/20 Laidback Luke. 5/21 Metro Boomin. 5/25 DJ Mustard. 5/27 Stafford Brothers. 5/28 Disclosure. 6/1 Eric DLux. 6/4 E-Rock. 5/29 J. Cole. Mandalay Bay, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-632-4700.
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5/19 DJ Five. 5/20 Enferno. 5/21 Vice. 5/26 Kid Ink. 5/27 DJ Daddy Kat. 5/28 DJ Khaled. 5/29 Timbaland. 6/2 DJ Five. 6/3 Politik. 6/4 Eric DLux. Venetian, Thu-Sat, 702-388-8588.
XS 5/20 Skrillex. 5/21 David Guetta. 5/22 Marshmello. 5/23 David Guetta. 5/27 Zedd. 5/28 Kaskade. 5/29 David Guetta. 5/30 Skrillex & Diplo. 6/3 Zedd. 6/4 Kaskade. 6/5 Skrillex. Encore, Fri-Mon, 702-770-0097.
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B A R E 5/21 DJ Neva. 5/23 DJ Ikon. 5/28 DJ Nova. 5/30 DJ Turbulence. 6/4 DJ Dilemma. Mirage, Thu-Mon, 702-693-8300.
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5/21 Borgore. 5/22 DJ Hollywood. 5/28 Flo Rida, Yo Gotti & DJ Drama. 5/29 Lil Wayne, Ty Dolla Sign & Yo Gotti. 5/30 Ja Rule. SLS, daily, 702-761-7621.
P O O L
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5/20 Eric DLux. 5/21 Laidback Luke. 5/22 Sundown with Disclosure & Claude VonStroke. 5/27 DJ Mustard. 5/28 Disclosure. 5/29 J. Cole. 5/30 DJ Five. 6/3 DJ Five. 6/4 Morgan Page. 6/5 DJ Five. Mandalay Bay, Thu-Sun, 702-632-4700.
PO O L
Thu DJ Jenna Palmer & Mikey P. Fri DJ JD. Sat DJ Eric Forbes & Mikey P. Sun DJs Kittie & Britstar. Flamingo, daily, 702-697-2888.
T H E B E AC H C LU B
5/20 Breathe Carolina. 5/21 Sidney Samson. 5/22 Mija & Ghastly. 5/24 F3R. 5/27 Bassjackers. 5/28 Brody Jenner. 5/29 Makj. 5/31 F3R. 6/3 Kim Kat. 6/4 Party Favor. 6/5 Brody Jenner & Devin Lucien. Cromwell, Fri-Sun, 702-777-3800.
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5/20 DJs Exodus & Mark Stylz. 5/21 DJs Presto One & Exodus. 5/27 DJs Exodus & Mark Stylz. 5/28 Tyga & Jidenna. 5/29 Flo Rida. Palms, daily, 702-942-6832.
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5/19 EBC at Night with RL Grime. 5/20 Alesso. 5/20 EBC at Night with Atrak. 5/21 Zedd. 5/22 David Guetta. 5/26 EBC at Night with Skrillex. 5/27 Dillon Francis. 5/27 EBC at Night with Diplo. 5/28 Zedd. 5/29 Kaskade. 5/29 EBC at Night with Marshmello. 5/30 David Guetta. 6/2 EBC at Night with RL Grime. 6/3 Vice. 6/3 EBC at Night with Nghtmre. 6/4 Zedd. 6/5 Kaskade. Encore, Thu-Sun, 702-770-7300.
5/21 Bingo Players. 5/22 Flux Pavilion & Lexy Panterra. 5/25 DJ Scotty Boy. 5/27 Dee Jay Silver. 5/28 Knife Party. 5/29 Pauly D. 5/30 Lala Kent & James Kennedy. 6/4 Flux Pavilion. 6/5 Pauly D. Hard Rock Hotel, Fri-Sun, 702-693-5505.
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Fri DJ JBray. Sat M!KEATTACK. Linq, daily, 702-835-5713.
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5/20 Krista White. 5/21 Cypha Sounds. 5/22 DJ C-L.A. 5/27 DJ Lisa Pittman. 5/28 Rob Kardashian & Black Chyna. 5/29 50 Cent. 6/3-6/4 DJ D-Money. Tropicana, Fri-Sun, 702-739-2588.
L I Q U I D 5/19 We Are Treo. 5/20 Exodus Festival. 5/21 Ruckus. 5/22 DJ Lezlee. 5/26 DJ Shift. 5/27 M!KEATTACK. 5/29 We Are Treo. Aria, WedSun, 702-693-8300.
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5/20 J. Espinoza & DJ Karma. 5/21 Eric DLux. 5/22 DJ Wellman. 5/27 Enferno. 5/28 DJ Five. 5/29 Kid Ink. 6/3 DJ Karma. 6/4 Eric DLux. 6/5 DJ Wellman. Venetian, Thu-Sun, 702-388-8588.
DAYC L U B
5/20 Lema. 5/21 Dash Berlin. 5/22 Duke Dumont. 5/27 Cedric Gervais. 5/28 Cash Cash & Wiz Khalifa. 5/29 Carnage. 5/30 Andrew Rayel. 6/3 Savi. 6/6 Timmy Trumpet. Cosmopolitan, daily, 702-333-9000.
W E T
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5/20 DJ Irie. 5/21 Tiësto. 5/22 Martin Garrix. 5/27 Steve Aoki. 5/28 Afrojack. 5/29 Tiësto. 5/30 Hardwell. 6/3 DJ Irie. 6/4 Calvin Harris. 6/5 Ingrosso. MGM Grand, Thu-Mon, 702-891-3563.
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Arts&Entertainment M o v i e s + M u s i c + A r t + M ORE
Do the jelly robot Tech and treats collide at this unique fundraiser
> VEGAS OR BUST Tom Russell, meet Sin City.
Trust Us
Stuff you’ll want to know about Hear tom russell The accomplished country/folk singer-songwriter, who has had songs covered by the likes of Johnny Cash and Nanci Griffith, performs in Vegas for the first time, touring behind acclaimed 52-track concept album The Rose of Roscrae. May 19, 6:30 p.m., $30, University United Methodist Church, 4412 S. Maryland Parkway. SOULKITCHEN’S 13TH ANNIVERSARY Edgar Reyes’ enduring monthly enters its teens, a testament to the demand for a more refined, intimate dance party. Revered LA house DJ Doc Martin headlines. May 19, 10 p.m., free, Vanguard Lounge. CABRERA CONDUCTS TCHAIKOVSKY The Las Vegas
Philharmonic ends its 17th season with a distinguished level of spectacular, featuring guest cellist Oliver Herbert and Tchaikovsky’s “Variation on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33” and his sixth symphony, “Pathetique.” May 21, 7:30 p.m., May 22, 2 p.m., $26-$96, Smith Center’s Reynolds Hall.
RUDIMENTAL AND GORGON CITY The former offers a joyous convergence of drum ’n’ bass and soul; the latter, the latest crossover act rooted in U.K. garage, a house/R&B hybrid. Both will perform in their full-band formations, demonstrating the vibrancy and dimension of live electronic music. May 21, 8 p.m., $39.50, the Foundry.
see TITUS ANDRONICUS JR. A recently divorced teacher takes over the spring play, staging his own version of the goriest Shakespeare tragedy (filled with ’90s power ballads) in hopes of winning back his ex. May 19-21, 26-28, 8 p.m.; May 22, 5 p.m.; $20; Onyx Theatre.
You won’t find a semi-robotic donut maker, purchasable donut-shaped artwork and robot demonstrations at just any tattoo shop. But for one night, May 21, Studio 21 Tattoo will transform into a smorgasbord of unique art, donuts and technology to raise money for Cimarron-Memorial High School’s robotics program, the Team 987 High Rollers. They’re headed to Shanghai in August, their third-consecutive trip to the international China Robotics Challenge. Studio 21 owner and Cimarron alum Austin Spencer met a few members of Team 987 when they came into his shop for some ink. In conversation, he mentioned his “Dohbots” machine, a “deep fryer Donuts that looks like a space and pod and makes delicious Robots donuts.” It was then that May 21, 6-9 he found out about the p.m. Studio 21 school’s award-winning Tattoo, 6020 robotics program, and W. Flamingo the Donuts and Robots Road #B2. art show fundraiser was born. “It’s so much bigger than kids just building robots,” Spencer says. “They’re able to get out there and learn all of these programs that they will need in the workforce.” The event will feature creatively designed, donut-shaped wood from more than 25 local artists—including the entirety of Studio 21’s staff—along with donuts from Pink Box, New Belgium craft beer, a DJ and a raffle. Team 987’s goal is to raise $15,000, as it costs $500 per student to attend the CRC competition. If you want to donate but you’re unable to attend, visit gofundme.com/ team987china2016. –Rosalie Spear
DIXIE’S TUPPERWARE PARTY Fast-talking Alabama Tupperware lady Dixie Longate returns to Smith Center to hock her “fantastic plastic crap” in this interactive, hilarious, off-Broadway production. May 19-20, 7 p.m.; May 21-2, 3 & 7 p.m.; $33-$40; Troesh Studio.
drink Tour of Tequilas Border Grill chef Jamaal Taherzadeh continues his monthly patio dinner series, this time pairing unique menu items with cocktails crafted with Avión tequilas. Elderflower sage margarita with charred mackerel crudo anyone? May 19, 6-8 p.m., $49.
May 19-25, 2016 LasVegasWeekly.com
19W
A&E | screen > neighborhood watch Gosling and Crowe question a suspect; Yaya DaCosta takes aim (below).
film
Right next door to hell Neighbors 2 is a nasty, unfunny sequel
film
Nice work Crowe and Gosling make for amusingly shabby detectives in The Nice Guys By Josh Bell Lebowski and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice, Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling are probably not the protagonists are often as clueless as the audience, the first two actors you’d think of for a buddy-cop and the general confusion is part of the charm. comedy, but the leading men known primarily for their March and Healy are better detectives than the intense dramatic roles have great comedic chemistry in Dude, at least, and another part of the charm is seeShane Black’s thoroughly entertaining The Nice Guys. ing how these apparent screwups are underestimated In part it’s Crowe and Gosling’s dramatic commitment at every turn. The unofficial third memthat makes the movie work, as they fully ber of their team is March’s daughter Holly inhabit the characters of a pair of disrepuaaabc (Angourie Rice), whose Nancy Drew-like table private investigators in 1977 LA (a setTHE NICE abilities place her in danger as often as they ting that Black uses to inform but never overGUYS Ryan move the investigation forward. Rice is fanwhelm the story). Technically, only Gosling’s Gosling, Russell tastic as Holly, a smart balance of movie-kid Holland March is an actual licensed investiCrowe, Angourie precociousness and realistic vulnerability, gator, while Crowe’s Jackson Healy is more Rice. Directed and she easily matches her experienced coof a freelance thug, taking money to beat up by Shane Black. stars in every scene. unscrupulous characters. Rated R. Opens As he did in his excellent 2005 directorial Their paths cross thanks to a missing Friday citywide. debut Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Black (along with young woman named Amelia (Margaret co-writer Anthony Bagarozzi) balances the Qualley), whose disappearance is tied to sevserious, sometimes violent mystery with a eral mysterious murders of adult-film actors barrage of one-liners and physical comedy (he makes and, somehow, to a Justice Department investigation great use of the gag of something significant happening into collusion among auto manufacturers. As is often the in the background without the characters noticing), case with twisty, noir-ish mysteries, the actual details and The Nice Guys is consistently funny from beginning of the case are less interesting and satisfying than the to end, even as the story eventually runs out of steam. characters’ journey to discover them, and the plot of The The breezy tone is sometimes at odds with the story’s Nice Guys gets incredibly convoluted by the end. But in dark turns, but the dialogue, characters and jokes are so the tradition of laid-back LA-set mysteries like Robert sharp, you’ll be having too good a time to really notice. Altman’s The Long Goodbye, the Coen brothers’ The Big
20W LasVegasWeekly.com May 19-25, 2016
Late in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Seth Rogen’s Mac Radner accepts a bucket of money and yells, “We won! F*ck you!”—which pretty much sums up the attitude of this vacant, needless sequel. The barely passable 2014 original made an unholy $270 million worldwide, from an $18 million budget. But this sequel looks as if everyone involved accepted a large paycheck, and then came up with a movie that seems expelled from some collective digestive tract. The pace is frantic and flailing, as if the filmmakers were waving their arms, trying to distract viewers from thinking about the money and time they’ve abccc wasted. NEIGHBORS Chloë Grace 2: SORORITY Moretz enters the RISING Seth story as a college Rogen, Zac Efron, freshman who Rose Byrne, Chloë forms a sorority Grace Moretz. so she can party Directed by Nicholas with her new Stoller. Rated R. pals (Kiersey Opens Friday Clemons and citywide. Beanie Feldstein). Former frat boy Zac Efron joins forces with hapless, idiotic parents Rogen and Rose Byrne to stop them. The movie tosses around a half-hearted message about female empowerment, but also ogles bikini babes and includes a recurring (oh, does it recur) joke about a female toddler with a vibrator. Not one character is smart or even lifelike, though at least Efron—with his vacant eyes and absent personality—is a believable moron (he doesn’t know that boiling water is hot). It’s sometimes satisfying, and gratifying, to see the characters occasionally pummeled and slammed in lifeless slapstick gags, but there’s not one genuine laugh, giggle or smile to be had among these Neighbors. –Jeffrey M. Anderson
A&E | screen
film
Mother’s day Susan Sarandon ages gracefully in The Meddler
> community outreach Cooper’s Jesse Custer tends to his flock.
tv
A dull sermon
Preacher drains the life from a classic comic-book series By Josh Bell review than in a single issue of the comic book, and the In the more than 20 years since the first issue of show downplays the supernatural elements so strongly, Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s comic book Preacher was it’s sometimes tough to tell if they’re even meant to be released, talents including Kevin Smith, Mark Steven real or just products of the characters’ imagination. Johnson and Sam Mendes have tried and failed to adapt Small-town Texas preacher Jesse Custer (Dominic the series for film or television. It’s not hard to see why: Cooper) has a shady past and the newfound Preacher is vulgar, violent, grandiose and ability to make people do anything he says, blasphemous, with a deliberately offensive which might come from God, although the tone. It’s an imperfect piece of work that aaccc show remains vague on that point. Jesse’s can come off as dated, but at least it’s always PREACHER criminal ex-girlfriend Tulip (Ruth Negga) and interesting, which is more than can be said Sundays, 9 p.m. Irish vampire Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) are for the adaptation that has finally made it to (premieres also hanging around, but their purposes are TV thanks to Seth Rogen and his longtime May 22, 10 equally ill-defined. The characters brood and creative partner Evan Goldberg. p.m.), AMC. scowl but rarely take action, and the pacing Along with Breaking Bad writer-producer is far more dull than methodical. Even the Sam Clatlin, Rogen and Goldberg created the look of the show is uninspired, a dusty brown palette version of Preacher airing on AMC, and while it retains that settles over everything. By the end of the fourth the basic elements of the comics, it diverges pretty episode, the plot starts to show slight signs of life, but significantly from the source material in plot and tone, there’s nothing to indicate that the show will capture taking a manic, over-the-top dark comedy and turning the energy and creativity of the source material that it into a serious, agonizingly slow prestige-style drama. should set it apart. There’s less going on in the four episodes provided for
TV writer Lori (Rose Byrne) finds her mother Marnie (Susan Sarandon) irritating and overbearing, and for the first half-hour or so of The Meddler, it’s hard to disagree with her. Widowed and relocated to LA (where Lori lives) from her native New Jersey, Marnie spends all her aaacc time attempting to THE MEDDLER micro-manage her Susan Sarandon, daughter’s life and Rose Byrne, inserting herself J.K. Simmons. into the business Directed by of everyone from Lorene Scafaria. Lori’s friends to Rated PG-13. the tech support Opens Friday in guy at the Apple select theaters. Store. Over the course of the movie, Sarandon and writer-director Lorene Scafaria (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World) reveal more about Marnie’s sadness and loss, and the way that her meddling keeps her genuine despair at bay. Eventually, just like Lori and the rest of the characters, the audience comes to accept and even embrace Marnie for all of her inappropriate intensity, and she too comes to accept this new phase of her life, whether by dating a kind retired cop (J.K. Simmons) or by letting Lori make her own mistakes. The Meddler is a sweet, low-key dramedy that is a little unfocused at times, but it emerges as a poignant late-in-life coming-of-age story, proof that maturity and wisdom can arrive at any age. –Josh Bell
film
No one who has played the mega-popular mobile game Angry Birds ever stopped to wonder, “Why are the birds so angry?” But the movie version decides to answer that and other unnecessary questions in its efforts to create a story around a series of basic, repetitive actions. Why must these flightless birds be flung via a slingshot at the homes of green pigs who stole the birds’ eggs? The answer is both boring and largely nonsensical, and expanding it into a cohesive, family-friendly movie proves too difficult a task for screenwriter Jon Vitti and directors Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly. The movie’s occasionally amusing puns and its over-talented voice cast don’t compensate enough for the meager story and the haphazard morals aimed at indiscriminating children. Game developer Rovio produced the movie itself in a bid to become a multimedia company, but if all it can come up with are variations on birds being angry, that bid is unlikely to pay off. –Josh Bell
Game over
22W LasVegasWeekly.com May 19-25, 2016
aaccc THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE Voices of Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride. Directed by Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly. Rated PG. Opens Friday citywide.
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A&E | screen | Short takes Special screenings Cinemark Classic Series Sun, 2 p.m.; Wed, 2 & 7 p.m., $7-$10. 5/22, 5/25, Top Gun. Theaters: ORL, ST, SF, SP, SC High Desert International Film Festival 5/26-5/29, feature films and shorts, awards, more, times vary, $3 per screening, passes $150. Pahrump Nugget & Lakeside Casino, Pahrump, hdiff.net. Kiss Rocks Vegas 5/25, concert movie of Kiss 2014 Hard Rock Hotel residency, 7 p.m., $13-$15. Theaters: ORL, ST. Info: fathomevents.com. Las Vegas Classic Film Theater Classic, indie and arthouse films, times vary, $5 per screening. Baobab Stage, Town Square, 702-369-6649, baobabstage.com. Movie Night Thu, sundown, free. 5/19, Enchanted. 5/26, The Princess and the Frog. Downtown Container Park, 707 Fremont St., downtowncontainerpark.com. Outdoor Picture Show Sat, 7:30 p.m., free. 5/21, Finding Nemo. The District, 2225 Village Walk Drive, Henderson, 702-564-8595. Sci Fi Center Sun, Game of Thrones viewing party, 7:15 p.m., free. Mon, Cinemondays, 8 p.m., free. 5/21, Thanatomorphose, 8 p.m., $5. 5077 Arville St., 855-5014335, thescificenter.com. The Shakespeare Show 5/23, Shakespeare celebration from Royal Shakespeare Company, 7 p.m., $13-$15. Theaters: SP, ST, VS. Info: fathomevents.com.
Drive, 702-507-3866. Tuesday Afternoon at the Bijou Tue, 1 p.m., free. 5/24, The Pajama Game. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, 702-507-3400. The War Comes Home 5/24, documentary about returned veterans, plus broadcast of panel discussion, 7 p.m., $12.50-$15. Theaters: COL, SP. Info: fathomevents.com.
New this week The Angry Birds Movie aaccc Voices of Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride. Directed by Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly. 97 minutes. Rated PG. See review Page 22. Theaters citywide. The Meddler aaacc Susan Sarandon, Rose Byrne, J.K. Simmons. Directed by Lorene Scafaria. 100 minutes. Rated PG-13. See review Page 22. Colonnade, Sam’s Town, Town Square, Village Square. Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising abccc Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Chloë Grace Moretz. Directed by Nicholas Stoller. 92 minutes. Rated R. See review Page 20. Theaters citywide. The Nice Guys aaabc Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice. Directed by Shane Black. 116 minutes. Rated R. See review Page 20. Theaters citywide. Sarbjit (Not reviewed) Randeep Hooda, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Richa Chadha. Directed by Omung Kumar. 131 minutes. Not rated. In Hindi with English subtitles. Biopic about Sarabjit Singh, an Indian national accused of spying and held prisoner in Pakistan for 23 years. Village Square.
Sticky: A (Self) Love Story 5/25, documentary about masturbation, plus panel discussion with experts and filmmakers, 7 p.m., free. Erotic Heritage Museum, 3275 Sammy Davis Jr. Drive, 702-794-4000.
This Time (Not reviewed) James Reid, Nadine Lustre, Freddie Webb. Directed by Nuel Crisostomo Naval. 109 minutes. Not rated. In Filipino with English subtitles. Two childhood friends explore a potential romance when they reunite as adults. Orleans, Village Square.
A Story Worth Living 5/19, outdoor adventure documentary plus behind-the-scenes interviews, 7:30 p.m., $12.50. Theaters: VS. Info: fathomevents.com.
Now playing
Summerlin Film Discussion Group 5/20, film plus discussion, 2 p.m., free. Summerlin Library, 1771 Inner Circle
AmeriGeddon (Not reviewed) Spencer Neville, Marshall Teague, Diane Ladd. Directed by Mike Norris. 90 minutes. Rated PG-13. A group of survivalists fight back after a United
Nations force takes over the U.S. and institutes martial law. Suncoast.
itation on aging. –JB Sam’s Town, Suncoast.
Captain America: Civil War aaacc Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson. Directed by Joe Russo and Anthony Russo. 147 minutes. Rated PG-13. Civil War sets up a battle between factions of superheroes led by Captain America (Evans) and Iron Man (Downey), who disagree on whether the Avengers should submit to government oversight. The story’s deeper meaning takes a backseat to a cluttered narrative (overstuffed with Marvel characters) and some rousing, well-crafted action sequences. –JB Theaters citywide.
TheHuntsman:Winter’sWar aaccc Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Emily Blunt. Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan. 114 minutes. Rated PG-13. The Snow White-free sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman adds a second evil queen (Blunt) and a warrior love interest (Chastain) for the huntsman (Hemsworth), but never comes up with an interesting story. Much of Winter’s War looks garish and plastic, with its style ripped off from other, more popular fantasy franchises. –JB Theaters citywide.
The Darkness (Not reviewed) Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Morrison, Lucy Fry. Directed by Greg McLean. 92 minutes. Rated PG-13. A family returns from a Grand Canyon trip with a supernatural entity after them. Theaters citywide. Eye in the Sky aaccc Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman. Directed by Gavin Hood. 102 minutes. Rated R. This military thriller aims to be a complex examination of the moral consequences of drone warfare, but its stakes (with a cute little girl put in the crosshairs of a British-American military operation targeting a terrorist cell) are so lopsided that it might as well be examining the moral consequences of puppy-kicking. –JB Colonnade, Suncoast. Green Room aaaac Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat, Patrick Stewart. Directed by Jeremy Saulnier. 94 minutes. Rated R. Punk musicians have to fight off neo-Nazis after inadvertently witnessing a crime in this tense, unrelenting thriller. There are no distractions, nothing that doesn’t contribute directly to the near-constant peril, but the movie never feels generic. Every edit, camera movement and line of dialogue propels the movie toward its inevitable bloody end. –JB Boulder Station, Suncoast. Hello, My Name Is Doris aaacc Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Tyne Daly. Directed by Michael Showalter. 94 minutes. Rated R. Although the scenario of a lonely older woman (Field) awkwardly crushing on her much younger co-worker (Greenfield) could be played for cruel laughs, the filmmakers don’t mock Doris even when she’s thoroughly embarrassing herself. The movie ends up part cringe comedy, part melancholy med-
The Jungle Book aabcc Neel Sethi, voices of Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley. Directed by Jon Favreau. 105 minutes. Rated PG. The latest Disney live-action remake of an animated classic is a fairly faithful retelling of its source material, about a young boy raised in the jungle. The tone is an awkward mix of savage jungle naturalism and cuddly animal antics, and there’s a sort of prefab blandness to the amazing photo-realistic CGI. –JB Theaters citywide. Keanu aabcc Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Method Man. Directed by Peter Atencio. 98 minutes. Rated R. The first movie outing for sketch-comedy duo Key and Peele finds them joining a street gang in order to recover a stolen kitten. Alas, there are only so many laughs to be wrung from the spectacle of two nerds desperately, clumsily trying to be gangsta, and Keanu has little else to offer. –MD Theaters citywide. The Man Who Knew Infinity aabcc Dev Patel, Jeremy Irons, Devika Bhise. Directed by Matthew Brown. 108 minutes. Not rated. Brown’s biopic about Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan (Patel) does little to explain the details of its subject’s discoveries, instead focusing on the difficulties that Ramanujan faced as an Indian studying and publishing in England in the 1910s. The middleof- the-road approach is respectable, restrained and mostly dull, with plenty of biopic clichés. –JB Village Square. Miles Ahead aabcc Don Cheadle, Ewan McGregor, Emayatzy Corinealdi. Directed by Don Cheadle. 100 minutes. Rated R. Cheadle’s Miles Davis biopic focuses on a time late in Davis’ career when the jazz legend was effectively retired from music. Cheadle and his co-writer
build an entire invented narrative around the basic facts, a silly distraction that doesn’t provide any insight about Davis as a musician or a cultural icon. –JB Suncoast. Money Monster aaacc George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O’Connell. Directed by Jodie Foster. Rated R. 98 minutes. A disgruntled investor (O’Connell) takes a cable financial-advice personality (Clooney) and his crew hostage live on the air in this uneven thriller. The tense stand-off in the confined space is well-constructed, but the movie loses momentum in the third act, and the social commentary is entirely superficial. –JB Theaters citywide. Mother’s Day aaccc Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Jason Sudeikis. Directed by Garry Marshall. 118 minutes. Rated PG-13. Instead of a dozen or so stories set around the central holiday, Marshall’s third holiday-themed ensemble romantic comedy features just four. Given more room, the individual stories only strain under their flimsy premises. The jokes are beyond stale, the dialogue is full of repetitive exposition, and the plot mechanics are clumsy. –JB Theaters citywide. Sing Street aaabc Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Aidan Gillen. Directed by John Carney. 106 minutes. Rated PG-13. The latest music-related film by John Carney (Once, Begin Again) tells the semi-autobiographical tale of a group of Dublin kids who form a New Wave band circa 1985. It’s no The Commitments, but the energy is infectious, and rising star Jack Reynor does tremendous work as the protagonist’s supportive older brother. –MD Colonnade, Suncoast, South Point, Town Square. Zootopia aaabc Voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba. Directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore. 108 minutes. Rated PG. Disney’s latest animated feature is a winning, gorgeously animated story about anthropomorphic animals living in relative harmony in a bustling metropolis. The team-up between a police officer rabbit and a small-time criminal fox provides a thoroughly engaging mystery with some satisfying twists and turns. –JB Theaters citywide. JB Josh Bell; MD Mike D’Angelo For complete movie listings, visit lasvegasweekly.com/movie-listings.
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A&E | noise rock
Living with legacies
Can Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Clapton, Dylan and Petty further their legends with new music? By Annie Zaleski Classic-rock tours are big business. Despite its hefty ticket price, Desert Trip—a three-day festival on the Coachella grounds featuring The Rolling Stones, The Who, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Roger Waters and Neil Young—sold out two weekends in less than a day. Several new Bruce Springsteen tour dates, meanwhile, are offering “platinum seats” topping out at $500 each. Fans aren’t just paying for nostalgia—they’re shelling out for the privilege of seeing legends in action, doing what they’ve done best for decades. New studio albums from classic rockers, on the other hand, are less of a sure bet. We’re not expecting another Nebraska or Quadrophenia, but it’s rare even to hear a record that enhances or extends an artist’s legacy. Which begs the question: Can classic rockers with nothing left to prove still create vital music? In Tom Petty’s case, the answer is a resounding yes. Nearly a decade ago, he resurrected his early ’70s band Mudcrutch, whose lineup features fellow Heartbreakers Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench, along with guitarist Tom Leadon and drummer Randall Marsh. In addition to revisiting older material, the quintet forged ahead with new material—and the excellent 2 sounds completely separate from the rest of Petty’s catalog. Tench whips up a jazzy boogiewoogie called “Welcome to Hell,”
Bob Dylan Fallen Angels aaabc
while Marsh’s optimistic “Beautiful World” is infectious, Southern-tinged alt-country. Petty, meanwhile, sounds looser and more reflective than he has in years on his contributions: “I Forgive It All” is simple folk-rock revolving around conspiratorial acoustic guitar, while highlight “Hope” is a garagefuzz stomp dominated by psychedelic organ burbles. Even his own vault treasures—“Trailer” is a languid redo of a Southern Accents B-side, and barnstorming highlight “Dreams of Flying” dates from the Wildflowers sessions—feel rejuvenated. Dylan sounds equally engaged on his new studio album, mainly because he’s fired up by the source material. A sequel of sorts to 2015’s pleasant surprise Shadows in the Night, Fallen Angels once again focuses on
Eric Clapton I Still Do aabcc
standards covered by Frank Sinatra, with an emphasis on early work with big bands (“Melancholy Mood,” “All Or Nothing at All”). Still, the music remains ascetic—tendrils of tropicaljazz guitar curl around whispered percussion—and Dylan sounds even more comfortable as a Rat Pack crooner. He’s a dead ringer for Sinatra on “Young at Heart” and “Maybe You’ll Be There,” and exudes rakish, animated charm on standouts “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” and “That Old Black Magic,” the latter of which also boasts a playful, swinging drum solo. Eric Clapton’s latest, I Still Do, also features mostly covers of blues and folk standards. (The LP even has a gospel-tinged take on Dylan’s “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine.”) Sonically it sounds impeccable, thanks
Mudcrutch 2 aaaac
to finesse-filled production from Glyn Johns, who last worked with Clapton on 1977’s Slowhand. But overall, E.C. sounds so comfortable on I Still Do, it often comes at the expense of urgency and listener attention. It’s a shame, as the disc’s original songs—including the smoldering “Spiral” and “Catch the Blues,” a lighttouch bossa-nova number highlighting backup vocalists Sharon White and Michelle John—show flickers of progress. And it’s not like Clapton is losing his touch: His take on Robert Johnson’s “Stones in My Passway” is gritty and fiery, and he does sharp justice to a pair of songs originally written by his late collaborator and friend, JJ Cale. But ultimately, I Still Do shows how staying in one’s familiar wheelhouse can be the quickest route to inertia.
electronic
da n c e
James Blake The Colour in Anything aabcc
Kygo Cloud Nine aaacc
James Blake can make the most grating and trite musical practices work in his favor. Yet on the British electro-soul crooner’s third LP, The Colour in Anything, his more familiar devices begin to wear thin, especially when the seduction of his tunesmanship falters—hardly a problem on his 2013 masterstroke, Overgrown. His biggest transgression involves the digital processing of his vocals. Blake consistently demonstrates vulnerable but exemplary singing, like on “Love Me in Whatever Way,” but elsewhere it’s reduced to a warbling affectation due to rampant use of tune-correcting and pitch-shifting software, as heard on “Meet You in the Maze.” More impressive is his self-harmonizing through vocal layering, and how that Blakean choir interweaves with an already intricate soundscape (see “Noise Above Our Heads”). But more than 76 minutes of well-crafted disaffection and downheartedness grows wearisome. His prose might connect—who hasn’t wanted to say, “Put that away and talk to me”?—but his melodies, discouragingly less so. –Mike Prevatt
26W LasVegasWeekly.com May 19-25, 2016
Enter tropical house, or trop house for short, popularized by fresh-faced artists like Kygo. The young Norwegian takes a cue from his Swedish neighbor Avicii in his sound, but slows the tempos and exchanges punchy drops for lighter, synth-driven bridges, which pop up in almost every song. He won our hearts last year with “Firestone” and “Stole the Show,” the latter of which plays like a bittersweet curtain call for commercial EDM, recognizing that it’s ending and toasting a glass to its good times. He taps into those same emotions on cuts like the Tom Odell-driven “Fiction” and surely has another hit on his hands with “Happy Birthday,” a celebratory bottle rollout cushioned by the velvety voice of John Legend. If there’s a complaint, it’s that Kygo could have trimmed the fat from the 15-track playlist, which at times feels a bit redundant. –Mike Pizzo
A&E | noise
> macro family Holding Onto Sound and (right) One Pin Short.
LO C A L S C E N E
Lightning strikes again Macro-Fi’s massive Bunkhouse reunion goes down memorably By Spencer Patterson Bob Mould couldn’t quite sell out the Bunkhouse. Neither could Mike Doughty, Washed Out or Beach Slang. But midway through Friday night’s all-locals bill, staff had to stem the flow of bodies into the 250-capacity club with one-out/one-in entry—and the crowd milling outside probably could have filled another room the same size. Who drew the throng? Macro-Fi, the Vegas music collective best known for throwing longtime First Friday afterparty Common Ground and for unifying a diverse set of acts under a single banner and a shared goal: supporting homegrown talent. Friday night’s one-off reunion, which brought a handful of defunct acts back to the stage, felt as much like a homecoming for fans as for the bands—a chance to reconnect, high-five Macro-Fi co-founders John “Professor Def” Kiehlbauch and Scott “AmirRikkah” Quering and belt out lyrics to gone-but-not-forgotten tunes once more. Musically, the show unfolded as it should have, a demonstration that hip-hop, indie rock, punk and even poetry can not only coexist peacefully, but
complement one another when listeners arrive with open ears. Hip-hop grabbed the early spotlight— laser-aided in this case, thanks to a special light show that lasted all night—as Late for Dinner and then Outside Looking In filled the space with smart rhymes and slick beats. The latter played without one of its three rappers, Martin “Okword” Csanyi, and though Skooners frontman Blair Dewane later joked that he’d expected Okword to burst through the side door and grab a mic, OLI delivered a solid set without him. Not unexpectedly, a huge swath of the crowd showed up for One Pin Short, the ska/reggae band marking its 10th anniversary by reuniting with singer Shawn Garnett, who now lives in Hawaii. Despite the time apart, the eight-piece crew sounded tight and focused, as the Bunkhouse filled up and left some fans listening from the courtyard. Next up: The Skooners, with brothers Blair and Ian Dewane—now of Rusty Maples—teaming up with former bandmates Jake Farmer and Anthony Fitzgerald. “We’re The Skooners, circa 2004-2007,”
Blair Dewane said. “We don’t have keys. And we didn’t practice.” Nevertheless, the quartet kicked up some throwback fun, punctuated by The Isley Brothers’ “Shout,” complete with get-low-then-gocrazy crowd finish. The night’s most interesting segment found rapper Hassan freestyling, backed by what you could call The Macro-Fi All-Star Band: bassist Zabi Naqshband (Holding Onto Sound), drummer Jordan Rosenthal (One Pin Short) and guitarist Ian Dewane. As that trio laid down a steady groove, the rapper took a lyrical trip from past to present, retelling the Macro-Fi story, detailing Downtown’s evolution and paying tribute to fallen comrades. And then it was time for the grand finale, the first appearance of Holding Onto Sound since the revered punk foursome’s sudden breakup in early 2013. “We used to say, ‘Macro-Fi till we die,’” singer/ guitarist Bennett Mains declared between songs, and his old band sounded far from dead. HOTS— Mains, Naqshband, guitarist Bob Gates and drummer Vanessa Tidwell—raged with fire and passion, thundering through their catalog despite limited practice leading up to the show. “I don’t need an army with the ocean at my back,” Mains sang during “Song for the Earth,” but he had an army at his feet nonetheless—a pit that consumed more space and grew more frantic as the classics piled up: “Song for the Children, “The Sea,” “A Girl Called Lightning” and more. The emotional Mains, back from Austin for the occasion, called it “maybe the best night of my life,” and he surely wasn’t the only one in the house feeling that way.
LO C A L S C E N E
Joseph Brailsford is taking shots at himself. “‘I Like to Spell’ is basically making fun of cover bands,” he laughs, referring to a song on his new album. “Which is making fun of me, because I play in a cover band.” ¶ Most of Brailsford’s jabs focus on his position for nearly 15 years as the accordion player for that beloved Vegas cover band, Darby O’Gill and the Little People. Joseph Brailsford merges playful But for his latest project, The Prettiest, he’s stepping away from his longtime Darby character, whimsy with seriously good music Ringo Malarkey, and embracing his inner singer-songwriter. ¶ His new outfit The Prettiest, which just released a new, 18-track, self-titled album (available at theprettiestband.bandcamp. com), partners Brailsford with English instrumentalist Paul Sinnott, who also played in Darby at one time. From the twee “I Like to Spell” to country-tinged ballad “Make It Go Away,” featuring former Darby fiddle player Tristan Moyer, the LP is layered with folk, indie, ’90s alt-rock, power-pop and electronic textures. ¶ It’s also hilarious— Brailsford waxes poetic about “pee pee” and giving grandmas heart attacks. On “Angelina Jolie,” he pines over the Tomb Raider actress, singing: “I bought a membership to Cox Cable/Should have been doing push-ups with Carrot Top/Not pushing pause to that scene where your top was off.” ¶ Brailsford, who cut his teeth in the early aughts writing originals in local band Pilot to Orion, says he just wants to keep it light and fun. “If I get even the slightest hint of [a band] being total douchebags, I’ll just shrivel up right away. I definitely take myself seriously, but I wanted it to come off not-so-serious.” –Leslie Ventura
Sitting pretty
photographs by spencer burton
May 19-25, 2016 LasVegasWeekly.com
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Ace of Spade
The stand-up comic returns to the Mirage, and remembers the Riv By John Katsilometes
> joe pay dirt Spade teams with Ray Romano this weekend.
your hotel. It’s harder in Vegas to get someone to come to see you—this is not like Tulsa, where you’re the only game in town. “If you can draw, at all, in Vegas, it’s a big deal.” The current format of Spade’s shows has him swapping sets with Romano, a longtime Mirage headliner who has also shared weekend dates with Brad Garrett and Kevin James. The show ends with an open Q&A, in which both comics invite audience members to fire questions at the stage. It happens after 11 p.m. on a weekend night on the Strip. It can get a little nutty. “Is it a risk? Oh yeah,” Spade says. “You’re dealing with an audience that might be pretty drunk, pretty antsy to get out of the theater, and we’re giving them one shot to scream at the stage.” Spade recalls one instance, in particular. “Guy stands up and says, ‘David, I am your biggest fan! I just want to know if there’s going to be a Joe Dirt 2!’” Spade recalls. “I said, well, there is a Joe Dirt 2, and I would think my biggest fan would know that. In fact, I think any of my top five fans would know that. The top 10 would know it …” As he recites that story, laughter is heard in the background. It’s the unbilled buddy, probably in that top 10, serving as another great audience for David Spade.
Photograph by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
David Spade is on the other end of this call, and instantly I detect what I call “ambient noise” in the background. It sounds like a mix of wind and traffic. “I am driving through LA, and I just passed Ozzy Osbourne’s house and Ben Affleck’s house,” Spade says. “I am cruising around with a buddy of mine here.” “Who is the buddy?” I ask. “Anyone famous?” “No. He’s a buddy from high school,” Spade says. “He’s not worth the ink, trust me.” Maybe we’ll see this windaround re-enacted in an upcoming buddy movie. Regardless, this sort of give-and-take is rote for Spade, comedic star of TV, film and stage for more than 25 years. He’s back this weekend as part of the stellar Aces of Comedy lineup at the Mirage, appearing in a co-headlinschedule—and they actually offered ing show with Ray Romano. to pay you in chips in those days,” Spade’s detached, smart-ass Spade says. “So at the end of the brand of comedy came to national 21 weeks, Steve says, ‘You want to attention with his run on Saturday be paid in chips instead of Night Live in the early a check?’ And I was like, 1990s; his “Hollywood ‘Why? So I can lose 21 Minute” segments seemed DAVID shows’ worth of work in an extension of his mockSPADE the next eight minutes?’” ing personality. He made & RAY Spade laughs as another a series of movies fans ROMANO memory hits him. “Steve loved far more than critics, May 20, 10 actually sent me to my Tommy Boy, Black Sheep p.m.; May 21, room one night, like a parand Joe Dirt among them. 9 p.m.; $90ent,” he recalls. “I came In Las Vegas, he has $120. Mirage’s down for my set when we become a popular and longTerry Fator had four comics in the linerunning stand-up after risTheater, 702up, and I was like four mining out of the Improv in the 792-7777. utes late to the show. He late-1980s. His time here says, ‘I want you to go back has taken him to the Mirage up to your room to think about what for five years, Planet Hollywood you’ve done.’ I said, ‘What? I don’t Showroom for one, the Venetian for get to go on?’ and he says, ‘That’s five more and then back to the Mirage right. You’re not going on.’ That’s for his current, open-ended run of how the Riv was in those days.” four weekends a year with Romano. Spade now shares headlining staWith that deep a history, Spade tus in the Aces series with a rangy can spin some old Vegas tales, espegroup of stand-up stars that includes cially of early days at the Improv Jay Leno, Lewis Black, Gabriel Comedy Club, which opened at the Iglesias, Jim Norton, George Lopez, Riviera in 1986, moved to Harrah’s Wayne Brady, Bill Maher, Ron White, in 1995 and is set to close at the Kathy Griffin and Daniel Tosh. end of this month. Spade debuted “It’s a great room, a beautiful at the Improv, and in Las Vegas, in room, a lot better than being in a 1989, when Steve Schirripa was the small club at one of these hotels, entertainment director at the Riv, buried with 3,000 shops around long before Schirripa became a TV you,” Spade says. “The advertising star during his run on The Sopranos. is great, which is important because “I did 21 shows per week—this there are like 95 other shows just in was before SNL, so that was my
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Kaye adds, “I remember sitting in my apartment, and you said, ‘We’re scrapping the whole thing; we’re After a long lead-up, Bright Side gets in tune starting again.’ I was like, how can By Jacob Coakley you do that? You’ve got like 100-andsomething pages, and you’ve written all these songs? How can you scrap it change; he views his son and his wife Everyone needs help, but not and throw it away? But it was absoin a different perspective than he everyone knows how to ask for it. lutely the right decision.” does at the beginning of the play.” That’s the story of a new musical The team was able to As you might guess from from Cockroach Theatre, but it’s streamline the show into the subject matter, Bright certainly not the story behind how it a “bullet train” of emotion Side is not a kick-line and all came to be. Bright Side, an origiBRIGHT and song, and now it’s time smile kind of musical, hewnal musical from Las Vegans Jolana SIDE to bring it to life. The theing closer to a modern senSampson (music and lyrics), Martin Through ater is abuzz with technisibility with an intimate, Kaye (music) and Ernie Curcio June 5; cians creating the set, musirealistic story that uses (book), opens this weekend at Art Thursdaycians learning their parts, music as a lens on emoSquare Theatre, and has involved a Saturday, 8 and actors singing along tionally tangled territory— whole lot of other people, too, somep.m.; Sunday, with full orchestration for something that led to a few thing that fits right in with the story 2 p.m., the first time. “We’re at the tangles in the process. The at the heart of the show. $16-$20. place where we are hearshow has been extensively The story follows Richard, a Art Square ing other people learn our rethought in its life, and macho Air Force mechanic diagTheatre, music and then sing it back the opening was delayed nosed with breast cancer. “At first 1025 S. 1st to us and portray the charto give the team more time he’s in denial, and he doesn’t believe St. #110, 702acters—that’s surreal,” Kaye to sharpen the story in it’s true,” Sampson says. “He doesn’t 818-3422. says. “It’s very magical.” rewrites. “We got to a point even know if he should worry his “This whole process where we literally rewrote family about it, because he doesn’t started off at a coffee shop with the whole thing,” Sampson says. “We believe it’s happening himself. an idea,” Sampson says. “And it’s took bits and pieces, but even those Through the progression of what grown into this beautiful masterbits and pieces that we took nine happens to him, his whole perspecpiece that has taken a village.” months ago were rewritten.” tive on life changes. His relationships
The village sings
photograph by Ryan Reason
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> family musical From left: Maverick Hiu, Victoria Matlock and Robert Torti of Bright Side.
A&E | PRINT
MEMORY AND MOJAVE
Snapshots of a life in defiance of—and in weird love with—its roots BY HEATHER SCOTT PARTINGTON
it’s not what I’m about.” Kushner People “don’t know how unis about the desert, though, about California most of California trying to understand the power is.” So says the narrator of Chris plays in small communities. McCormick’s linked short-story McCormick’s collection jumps collection, Desert Boys. The interforward and back in time, showing woven stories show Daley Kushner Kushner’s life in snapshots. Often coming of age in that other we know a character’s fate before California, the mean landscape a pivotal scene from childhood. of the Antelope Valley. Kushner, This, too, seems to reflect the crua gay teen and the child of an elty of the Mojave, the constant Armenian immigrant mother, lives threat of death. “She was beautiful in the cruel beauty of both the in the way people call the desert and the small-town desert beautiful,” he writes high school. Desert Boys of one girl, “which is to say is a novel in pieces, an artaaaac that although some people fully rendered collage of DESERT actually believed it, most Kushner’s life before and BOYS of the time it was said in after he leaves the Valley. By Chris response to someone else’s The book begins on an McCormick, denigration of it.” The ambitious note with the $25. desert is always present. shifting points of view in Kushner is at odds with his “Mother, Godfather, Baby, childhood, yet McCormick capPriest.” This establishes both tures the complexity of longing Kushner’s teenage friendships for a place—and the people in that with Karinger and Watts—as they place—even though you can’t wait build a paintball field “in the midto leave. dle of nowhere”—but also the tenDesert Boys is about why sion that comes from Kushner’s Kushner leaves Antelope Valley, crush on the straight Karinger. but it’s really about the imprint McCormick’s work in later stories of other people on our lives, and like “Notes for a Spotlight on a our memory of what we feel. Future President” and “How to McCormick writes to the specific Revise a Play” also show the difbut evokes the universal. His take ficulty of leaving a place but not is that when we try to remember really ever being able to escape. anyone we’ve loved, “what we’re “It’s where I’m from,” another really remembering is ourselves.” character says to the narrator, “but
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IN THEATERS JUNE 3
Calendar LISTINGS YOU CAN PLAN YOUR LIFE BY!
> SINGERS IN STEREO Fantasia co-headlines at the Joint with Anthony Hamilton on May 22.
pm, $10-$15. Bad News Fest ft. State Line Syndicate, LFC, The Krylons, Corrupted Youth, Infirmities, Thoughtcrime, The Scoundrels, The Rocketz, Enemy Proof, Informal Society 5/29, 10 pm. Shows free. 1675 Industrial Road, 702-384-8987. LVCS Tech N9ne, Krizz Kaliko, Rittz, Mayday, Stevie Stone, Ces Cru, Donnie Menace, Ekoh 5/19, 6 pm, $38-$41. Ken Boothe, Michael Black, Bonafide Band, Ras Kronik, The Reggae Warrior’s Band 5/21, 8 pm, $17-$22. Jello Biafra & The Guantanamo School of Medicine, Angry Samoans, M.I.A, Franks & Deans 5/26, 10:30 pm, $15. Poison Idea, Slapshot, MDC, Bad Samaritans, Infested 5/27, 10:30 pm, $16. 425 Fremont St., 702-382-3531. Punk Rock Bowling ft. Flogging Molly, Descendents, Flag, Youth Brigade & more 5/26-5/30. Downtown Las Vegas, punkrockbowling.com. The Smith Center (Reynolds Hall) Cabrera Conducts Tchaikovsky 5/21, 7:30 pm; 5/22, 2 pm, $26-$96. (Cabaret Jazz) The Doo-Wopp Hall of Fame of America ft. Tempest Storm 5/20-5/21, 7 pm, $39-$49. A Moonage Daydream w/the Lon Bronson Band 5/27, 8 pm, $15-$35. 361 Symphony Park Ave., 702-749-2000.
EVERYWHERE ELSE
LIVE MUSIC THE STRIP & NEARBY Brooklyn Bowl Smashing Alice 5/20, 8 pm, free. Catfish John 5/21, 8 pm, free. J Boog, Mike Love, Hirie, DJ Westafa 5/22, 8:30 pm, $20-$35. The Used 5/24-5/25, 8 pm, $28-$53. Emo Night Brooklyn 5/24, 11:30 pm, $8. Empire Records 5/27, 5/29, 8 pm, free. STRFKR, Com Truise, Fake Drugs 5/28, 9 pm, $17. Kevin Fowler 6/2, 9 pm, $20-$22. Blue October, Danny Malone 6/4, 8 pm, $27-$47. Caravan Palace 6/5, 8 pm, $22. Linq, 702-862-2695. The Colosseum Celine Dion 5/20-5/21, 5/24, 5/27-5/28, 7:30 pm, $55-$500. The Who 5/29, 7:30 pm, $96-$501. Caesars Palace, 702-731-7333. The Cosmopolitan (Chelsea) The Cure, The Twilight Sad 5/19, 8 pm, $50-$125. 702-698-7000. Double Down Saloon The Dirty Panties, Oddball, Agent 86, War Called Home 5/20. The Mapes, The Swamp Gospel, Thee Swank Bastards, The Rhyolite Sound 5/21. Alex Kirk Amen 5/22. Babylon Breakers, Thee Swank Bastards 5/25. The Kegels, Strike Twelve, The Quitters, Born Rivals, Parade of Horribles 5/26. Bonecrusher, Broken Patron Saints, The Thingz, Thunderfist, Fozzy’s Hero, Lack of Modivation 5/27. Authentic Sellout, The Slaughterhousers, Making Incredible Time 5/28. Yeastie Boys, El Nada, A Pretty Mess, Agent 86 5/29, 8 pm. Uberschall 5/29, midnight. Shows 10 pm, free. 640 Paradise Road, 702-791-5775. The Foundry The Cult 5/19, 7 pm, $35. Oddisee & Chase B, J. Espinosa, Play On Words 5/20, 8 pm, free. Gorgon City, Rudimental 5/21, 8 pm, $40. Dan
+ Shay 5/22, 8 pm, $29. Young Thug, DJ TM88 5/27, 8 pm, $45. Flo Rida 5/28, 8 pm, $40. SLS, 702-761-7617. Foxtail (Pool) KOMP Kegger ft. Candlebox 5/27, free-$250. SLS, 702-761-7617. Hard Rock Hotel (Pool) Ozomatli, Dilated Peoples 5/27, 9 pm, $20-$25. Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Prof, Get Cryphy 6/3, 8 pm, $33-$35. 702-6935000. House of Blues Carlos Santana 5/205/22, 5/25, 5/27-5/29, 8 pm, $90-$350. Saul Hernandez 5/26, 7 pm, $25. Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7600. The Joint Scorpions, Queensrÿche 5/20-5/21, 8 pm, $50-$150. Fantasia, Anthony Hamilton 5/22, 8 pm, $90$175. Knife Party 5/28, 8 pm, $35-$45. Hard Rock Hotel, 702-693-5222. Mandalay Bay (Beach) Katchafire, Mystic Roots Band 5/21, 9 pm, $30. I Love the 90s 5/28, 9 pm, $53. 702632-7777. Orleans (Showroom) Three Dog Night 5/21-5/22, 8 pm, $49-$71. Air Supply 5/27-5/29, 8 pm, $44-$65. 702-2847777. Palms (Lounge) Paul Charles 5/20, 7 pm, free. The Hal Savar Band 5/21, 7 pm. Smashing Alice 5/26, 10 pm. Patrick Sieben 5/27, 7 pm. David Perrico & Pop Strings Orchestra 5/28, 11 pm. Shows free. 702-942-7777. Planet Hollywood (Axis) Jennifer Lopez 5/22, 5/25, 5/27-5/29, 9 pm, $95-$219. 702-777-2782. The Sayers Club Crossxover ft. Forget to Remember 5/20, $25. Kevin Lyttle and Friends, Lady Reiko, The Sin City Prophets 5/21, $25. The Lique 5/28. Shows 10 pm, free. SLS, 702-761-7618. Stoney’s Rockin’ Country Lucas Hoge 5/20. Brodie Stewart 5/27. Shows 10 pm, $10. 6611 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702435-2855. Vinyl Whitey Morgan, Cody Jinks 5/19, 8 pm, $25-$125. Atreyu, Sworn In,
Islander 5/20, 6 pm, $21-$24. Sin City Sinners All-Stars 5/20, 11 pm, free. PVRIS, Lydia, Cruisr, Beach Weather 5/21, 7:30 pm, $18-$35. O-Town, Dan Godlin 5/22, 8 pm, $25-$45. The Company Men 5/23, 6 pm, $20. Voivod, King Parrot, Child Bite 5/28, 10 pm, $15. ZoSo: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience 5/29, 9 pm, $20. Hard Rock Hotel, 702-693-5000. Westgate (Ballroom) Primer Gran Baile Festival 5/27, 8 pm, $55-$70. 3000 Paradise Road, 702-732-5111.
DOWNTOWN 11th Street Records Good Grief 5/27, 7 pm, free. 1023 Fremont St., 702527-7990. Backstage Bar & Billiards Sticky Fingers, Bootleg Rascal 5/20, 8 pm, $12-$15. Vyces, Valor & Vengeance 5/21, 8 pm, free. Erendil, Nevula X, Cielo Impuro, DJ Joseph 5/21, 10 pm, free-$10. Ooklah the Moc, Josh Heinrichs & Skillinjah, For Peace Band, ST1, Greg Joseph Project 5/23, 8 pm, $15-$20. Mariachi El Bronx, Green Machines 5/27, 10:30 pm, $20. The Briefs, The Stitches, Clorox Girls, DFMK 5/28, 10:30 pm, $20. 601 E. Fremont St., 702-382-2227. Beauty Bar Notorious B.I.G. Tribute ft. Hassan & Brother Mister 5/21, 9 pm, $5. Revival Beat Battle 5/22, 9 pm, free. Jack Beats, RhyminSlang, P. Snugs, HeyU 5/24, 9 pm, $12$15. Voodoo Glow Skulls, Guilty by Association, The Civilians, The Pluralses 5/26, 8 pm, $10. The Israelites, The Revivers, The Delirians, Jackie Mendez 5/27, 10:30 pm, $17. Pears, No Red Alice, War Called Home 5/28, noon-3 pm, free. Agent Orange, The Grabbers, Sealion 5/28, 10:30 pm, $17. Success, Go Bold, Neutralboy 5/29, noon-3 pm, free. Chuck Ragan 5/29, 10:30 pm, $17. 517
Fremont St., 702-598-3757. Bunkhouse Saloon Fea, Kristeen Young, Teddi and the Northern Lights, Close to Modern 5/19, 8 pm, $5-$7. The Sloths, The Astaires, The Laissez Fairs, The Van Der Rohe 5/20, 9 pm, $5. Ambry Underground, No Tides 5/21, 9 pm, $5. Pet Tigers, Machine, The Real Ulysses 5/25, 8 pm, $5. Le Butcherettes, Supermoon, Muave 5/28, 9 pm, $10-$12. Las Vaudeville 5/27, 7 pm, $7. 124 S. 11th St., 702-854-1414. Clark County Government Amphitheater Vincent Herring, Streetology, Las Vegas Academy Jazz Combo 5/21, 5 pm, free. Jesse J, Will Donato, Las Vegas Academy Jazz Combo 5/28, 5 pm, free. 500 S. Grand Central Parkway, 702-455-8200. Fremont Country Club Ministry, Excel, 45 Grave 5/26, 10:30 pm, $20. Good Riddance, H20, Death by Stereo, Spanish Love Songs 5/27, 10:30 pm, $20. Leftover Crack, D.I., Los Skarnales, Starving Wolves 5/28, 10:30 pm, $20. Angelic Upstarts, Chron-Gen, Pistol Grip, Lion’s Law 5/29, 10:30 pm, $20. 601 E. Fremont St., 702-382-6601. Fremont Street Experience (3rd Street Stage) Joan Jett & The Blackhearts 5/28, 9 pm, free. Fremont St., vegasexperience.com. Golden Nugget (Gordie Brown Showroom) Aaron Neville 5/20, $21$141. Eric Burdon and The Animals 5/27, $53-$162. Shows 8 pm. 866946-5336. Hard Hat Lounge Aloha Saturdays 5/21, 9 pm. Kella Bo Bella 5/22, 8 pm. Poet, Kendoggy, Squirrel, Charlie Madness 5/26, 8 pm, $5. Fang, Verbal Abuse, Infirmities, No Brainer 5/27, 9 pm, $10. Las Vegas Punk Fest ft. Mad Parade, Anti-Social, Boxheads, F*ck Sh*t Piss, Sad Boy Sinister, The Has Beens, Agent 86 5/28, 9
CHECK OUT OUR COMPLETE CALENDAR LISTINGS AT LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM/EVENTS 32W LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM MAY 19-25, 2016
Adrenaline Sports Bar and Grill Word in Edgewise, Found in Fiction 5/21, 9 pm, free. Sin City Sinners All-Stars 5/28, 8 pm, free. 3103 N. Rancho Drive, 702-645-4139. Aliante Casino + Hotel + Spa (Access Showroom) Richard Elliot 5/21, 8 pm, $33-$63. (The Deck) Jazz Under the Stars ft. Lin Rountree 5/26, 7 pm, $21$25. (All-Star Friday Nights) Chocolate Harmony 5/20. Rhythm Nation 5/27. All-Star Friday Nights shows start at 9 pm, $10. 702-692-7777. Boulder Dam Brewing Mike Wojniak 5/19, 7 pm. Wes Willams Band 5/20. Out of the Desert 5/21. Shows 8 pm, free. 453 Nevada Way, Boulder City, 702-243-2739. Boulder Station (The Railhead) John Michael Montgomery 5/21, 8 pm, $25-$45. 702-432-7777. Count’s Vamp’d Stephen Pearcy, Chaotic Resemblance 5/20, 9 pm, $18-$22. Journey Unlimited, Heart Alive 5/21, 9 pm, free. Joe Lynn Turner, TailGun 5/26, 9 pm, $18-$22. Count’s 77, Strange Mistress 5/27, 10 pm, free. 6750 W. Sahara, 702-220-8849. Craig Ranch Regional Park Amphitheater Secret Garden Family Reunion ft. Al B. Sure & Friends, Gregg Austin, La Mar Le Warren Experience, Tre’sure & DreamStone & more 5/29, 7 pm, $20-$30. 628 W. Craig Rd., 702-633-2418. Dispensary Lounge JoBelle Yonely 5/20. Naomi Mauro 5/21. Joe Darro 5/25. Lisa Nobumoto 5/27. Gary Fowler 5/28. Shows 10 pm, free. 2451 E. Tropicana, 702-458-6343. Dive Bar Skold, Candy Warpop, EMDF, Dark Altar, Lennon Midnight 5/20, 8 pm, $12-$15. Luicidal, Rule of Thumb, I.D.F.I., SFT, Sheiks of Neptune 5/21, 9 pm, $8-$10. Shawn James & The Shapeshifters, Whiskey Breath 5/22, 8 pm, $5. No Effects, Vegascendents, Mocksparrer 5/26, 9 pm, free. 4110 S. Maryland Parkway, 702-586-3483. Elixir Michael Rick Foell 5/20. Kelly Dorn 5/21. Nick Mattera 5/27. Tim
Calendar Mendoza 5/28. Music from 8-11 pm, free. 2920 N. Green Valley Parkway, elixirlounge. net. Fiesta Rancho (Club Tequila) Sherry Gordy Summer Breeze Birthday Bash 5/20, 8 pm, $5-$10. 702-631-7000. The Golden Tiki Thee No Count vs. Professor Rex Dart 5/20, 9 pm, free. Professor Rex Dart vs. Mikhail Kennedy 5/21, 9 pm, free. 3939 Spring Mountain Road, 702-222-3196. Henderson Pavilion LeAnn Rimes 5/20, 7:15 pm, $20-$75. 200 S. Green Valley Parkway, 702-267-4849. Hoover Dam Lodge Reylee 5/27, 7 pm, free. 18000 Highway 93, Boulder City, 702-2935000. M Resort (M Pavillion) Survivor 5/28, 7 pm, $32$46. 12300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 800-745-3000. OMD Theater So This Is Suffering, Fighting the Phoenix, Mothersound, Paralys, Social Amnesia 5/20, 8 pm, $10. Colonist, Spider Funeral, Amelia, Murkocet 5/21, 8 pm, $10. Jaydonomega Inc., WP Music, T. Jones, Kash Mack, Millsonwheels 5/26, 6 pm, $15. In Rapture, Royale 5/27, 8 pm, $10. 953 E. Sahara Ave., #B-30, 702-742-4171. Opportunity Village Ralph and Betty Engelstad Campus OVation 5/26, 6 pm, free. 6050 S. Buffalo Drive, 702-262-1515. Red Rock Resort (Rocks Lounge) In Its Entirety 5/20, 7:30 pm, $15. 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., 702-797-7777. The Sand Dollar Lounge Ronnie Foster Trio 5/19, 5/26. Chris Tofield 5/20, 5/27. To the Moon 5/21. Joe D’Ambrosio 5/22. Jimmy McIntosh 5/24. Matt Reeves Band 5/25. Shows 10 pm, free. 3355 Spring Mountain Road, 702-485-5401. Silverton (Veil Pavilion) Little River Band 5/28, 8 pm, $29-$59. 3333 Blue Diamond Road, 702-263-7777. South Point Gary Puckett and The Union Gap Band 5/20-5/22, 7:30 pm, $23-$32. The Bronx Wanderers 5/27-5/29, 7:30 pm, $23-$32. 702796-7111. Sunset Station (Club Madrid) David Cook 5/20, 8 pm, $20-$40. Otherwise: Back to the Roots - Acoustic Duo 5/21, 8 pm, $5-$10. 1301 W. Sunset Road, 702-547-7777.
Comedy Double Barrel Roadhouse (Bonkerz Comedy Club) Jimmy Earll 5/19. Kathleen Dunbar 5/26. Shows at 7 pm, free. Monte Carlo, 702222-7735. Mirage Ray Romano, David Spade 5/20, 10 pm; 5/21, 9 pm, $87-$120. Jim Norton 5/27, 10 pm, $33-$54. Gabriel Iglesias 5/28-5/29, 10 pm, $65-$76. 702-792-7777. Palms (The Pearl) Chris Tucker 5/28, 8 pm, $46-$92. 702-942-7777. Suncoast (Showroom) Aries Spears 5/285/29, 7:30 pm, $38-$49. 9090 Alta Drive, 702-636-7075.
Performing Arts Baobab Stage Theatre Inflight: The Musical 5/19-5/21, 7 pm, $23. 6587 Las Vegas Blvd. S., baobabstage.com. Cockroach Theatre Bright Side 5/19-5/21, 5/26-5/28, 8 pm; 5/22, 5/29, 2 pm, $16-$20. Art Square Theater, 1025 S. 1st St., #110, 702818-3422. Faith Lutheran Performing Arts Center Crazy for You 5/20-5/21, 7 pm; 5/22, 4 pm, $6-$20. 2015 S. Hualapai Way, faithlutheranlv.org. Italian American Club Rich Little Presents James DeFrances 5/20, 8 pm, $25. Happy Days II 5/22, 4 pm, $20. 2333 E. Sahara Ave., 702-457-3866. Las Vegas Little Theatre (Mainstage) Tuna Does Vegas 5/21-5/22, 8 pm, $20-$25. 3920 Schiff Drive, LVLT.org. Onyx Theatre Titus Andronicus Jr. 5/19-5/21, 5/26-5/28, 8 pm; 5/22, 5 pm, $20. 953 E. Sahara Ave., 702-732-7225. Smith Center (Reynolds Hall) Dreamgirls 5/28, 1 pm, $34-$64. (Troesh Studio Theater) Dixie’s Tupperware Party 5/195/21, 7 pm; 5/21-5/22, 3 pm, $33-$40. 702749-2000. Starbright Theatre Showgirl Follies’ Merci 5/21, 7 pm, $20. 2215 Thomas Ryan Blvd., 702-240-1301. UNLV (Rando-Grillot Recital Hall) Dorothy
Young Riess 5/20, 7:30 pm, free. (Artemus W. Ham Hall) Inspire the World ft. The Lique, Cameron Calloway, Gary Fowler, Jennifer Fowler 5/22, 3-6 pm, $25-$50. Desert Chorale: Annual Memorial Day Concert 5/27, 7:30 pm, free. 702-895-3332. Velveteen Rabbit The Cat’s Meow 5/23, 7 pm, $25-$30. 1218 S. Main St., 702-685-9645. Winchester Cultural Center Baile y Movimiento 5/21, 3-7 pm, $10-$15. Winchester Star Catchers Spring Dance Recital 5/27, 6 pm, $7. 3130 S. McLeod Drive, 702-455-7340.
Special Events American Patriot Fest 5/21, 10 am-6 pm, free. Craig Ranch Regional Park, 628 W. Craig Road, americanpatriotfest.com. Badass Dash 5/28, 8 am, $20-$60. Sam Boyd Stadium, 7000 E. Russell Road, badassdash. com. Billboard Music Awards 5/22, 5 pm, $75-$913. T-Mobile Arena, t-mobilearena.com. Brews & Blues Festival 5/28, 4-8 pm, $35-$75. Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd., springspreserve.org. Dare to Walk for Epilepsy 5/21, 8:30 am, $15-$30. Sunset Park, 2601 E. Sunset Road, epilepsy.com. Down2Earth Endurance Race 5/29, 10/30, 7 am, $40-$105. Red Rock Canyon, worksmartplayharder.com. High Desert International Film Festival 5/26-5/29, times vary, $3-$150. Pahrump Nugget, 681 Highway 160, hdiff.net. Ice Cream Festival 5/21, 10 am-4 pm, $8-$10. Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd., springspreserve.org. Jazz and Wine Festival 5/20-5/21, all day, free. Tivoli Village, 440 S. Rampart Blvd., tivolivillagelv.com. Las Vegas Epicurean Affair 5/26, 7-10 pm, $115$165. The Palazzo Pool Deck, 702-607-7777. Smooth JazzFest 5/21, 6-9 pm, free. Police Memorial Park, 3250 Metro Academy Way, 702-229-3514. Vegas Pet Expo 5/21, 10 am-6 pm; 5/22, 11 am-4 pm, free. Cashman Center, 850 Las Vegas Blvd. N., vegaspetexpo.com. The Writer’s Block The Bourbon Book Club: All The Pretty Horses 5/26, 6 pm, free. 1020 Fremont St., thewritersblock.org.
Sports Knockout Night at the D 5/21, 8 pm, $15-$100. Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, 200 S. 3rd St., 800-745-3000. Las Vegas 51s Nashville 5/23-5/26, 7 pm. Memphis 5/27-5/28, 7 pm; 5/29-5/30, noon. $11-$16. Cashman Field, 702-943-7200. Real MMA 5/27, 7 pm, $27. Sam’s Town, 5111 Boulder Highway, 702-456-7777. Showtime Championship Boxing Triple Header 5/21, 3 pm, $39-$149. The Chelsea, Cosmopolitan, 702-698-7000. UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs Garbrandt 5/29, 4 pm, $54-$179. Mandalay Bay Events Center, 702-632-7777. Ultimate Gambler Golf Tour 5/28, 2 pm, $200-$800. Desert Pines Golf Club, 3415 E. Bonanza Road, ultimategambler.com/golf.
Galleries Arts Factory 107 E. Charleston Blvd, 702-3833133. Galleries include: Eden Gallery “The Collective” by Cirque du Soleil employees Thru 6/14. Thu-Mon, 11 am-11 pm. #215, 702-706-7103. Wonderland Gallery Stacy Rink: A Vague Sense of Unease Thru 5/27. Tue-Sun, noon-4 pm. #110, 702-686-4010. Clark County Government Center Rotunda Myranda Bair: “High Noon” Thru 7/8. Artist Reception 5/20, 6-8 pm. Mon-Fri, 8 am-5 pm. 500 Grand Central Parkway, 702-455-7030. Clay Arts Vegas Sweet and Slippery Slope: The Art of Sex and Sexuality May. Mon-Sat, 9 am-9 pm; Sun, 11:30 am-6:30 pm. 1511 S. Main St., 702-375-4147. Historic Fifth Street School (Mayor’s Gallery) Las Vegas Artists Guild Spring Exhibit Thru 5/21. “Aesthetics Primary” 5/26-9/29. 401 S. 4th St., 702-229-3515.
THE DREAM FLIGHT CIRRUS AVIATION PRIVATE HANGAR 5/14/16 PHOTOG: WADE VANDERVORT
THIS WEEKEND!
FINAL SHOWS!
MAY 22 CAGE THE ELEPHANT WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
PORTUGAL. THE MAN AND TWIN PEAKS
THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY SAT, MAY 28.............................................................................RVLTN PRESENTS KNIFE PARTY + MORE
VANS WARPED TOUR
THU, JUN 16............................................................................BASSRUSH MASSIVE LAS VEGAS
FEATURING EXCISION, DATSIK, SNAILS, DELTA HEAVY, BOOMBOX CARTEL AND TEDDY KILLERZ
FRI, JUL 1..........................................................................................BRIAN WILSON
PET SOUNDS 50TH ANNIVERSARY WITH SPECIAL GUESTS AL JARDINE & BLONDIE CHAPLIN
SAT, JUL 2......................................................................................BRIT FLOYD THE WORLD’S GREATEST PINK FLOYD SHOW SPACE AND TIME CONTINUUM WORLD TOUR 2016
FRI – SUN, JUL 8, 9 & 10..................WIDESPREAD PANIC
WITH SPECIAL GUEST DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND
FRI, JUL 15.................................................................................TWENTY ØNE PILØTS –
SOLD OUT
EMØTIØNAL RØADSHØW WITH SPECIAL GUESTS MUTEMATH AND CHEF’SPECIAL
SOLD OUT SAT, JUL 23 & SUN, JULY 24............................................................BLINK-182 WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
A DAY TO REMEMBER, THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS & DJ SPIDER
FRI, JUL 29.................................................................................NEW EDITION THIS ONE’S FOR YOU TOUR
WITH SPECIAL GUEST KENNY “BABYFACE” EDMONDS
THU-SUN, AUG 25-28...........................PSYCHO LAS VEGAS 2016 WITH ALICE COOPER,
ELECTRIC WIZARD, DRIVE LIKE JEHU & MORE
TUE, AUG 30....................................................................DEFTONES SAT, OCT 8...............................................................................CYNDI LAUPER SAT, JUN 25
TUE, AUG 9
SAT, NOV 26........................................................................SCOTT BRADLEE’S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX
FLAVOR FLAV MAY 21 SP ECI AL DJ S E T
11PM - 1AM | NO COVER
FOR VIP PACKAGES & RESERVATIONS CONTACT JOINTVIP@HRHVEGAS.COM OR 702.693.5220 AXS.COM
|
888-9-AXS-TIX
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HARDROCKHOTEL.COM/THEJOINT
GR A N D OPE N I NG W E E K E N D
JA MI E FOX X T H U 1 9 M AY
S P ECI A L G UE S T PER FOR M A NCE
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S AT 21 M AY
F R I 2 0 M AY
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