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N O V E M B E R
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about us
g r e e n s p u n m e d i a
g r o u p
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) Associate Creative Director Liz Brown (liz.brown@gmgvegas.com) Designer Corlene Byrd 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
lasvegasweekly.com/industry lasvegasweekly.com /lasvegasweekly /lasvegasweekly /lasvegasweekly
on the cover
Akira Black Photo by Jon Estrada
T o
a d v e r t i s e
Call 702-990-2550 or email advertising@gmgvegas.com. For customer service questions, call 702-990-8993.
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LI L J O N
OMNIA
The Surinamese-Dutch “dirty house” DJ and producer always brings different flavors to the big room at Omnia, meshing musical genres with creativity and precision.
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HAKKASAN
He opens the weekend with his About Last Night residency at Hakkasan, and he’ll be back in town at Jewel later this month.
RU CKU S
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JEWEL
After blending the old-school and the new with Rev Run for his previous set at the intimate Aria club, Ruckus goes solo Friday night.
C h u c k i e a n d R u c k u s b y A a r o n G a rc i a ; L i l J o n b y J o e J a n e t ; D e e J a y S i l v e r b y K e y L i m e P h o t o
big this week
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With PBR World Finals Week taking over the Strip, Dee Jay Silver’s country-rock twists should rock the house atop Mandalay Bay.
1 oak
DJ S H IF T
wed
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D EE JAY SI LV ER
intrigue
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T-PAIN omnia
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DJ GU STO
drai’s
NE LLY & K E LLY ROW LAND jewel
T H E CH AINS MO K E RS
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drai’s
L A L E AK E RS
07 mon
After his Wynn debut over Halloween weekend at Intrigue, the English deep-house DJ gives Surrender at Encore a spin.
light
KO NFLIKT
surrender
H ARDW E LL
sat
SURRENDER
surrender
DJ FIVE
DJ SNAKE
hakkasan
ST E V E AOKI
YE LLOW CLAW
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S LANDER
light
DJ E-R OCK
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omnia
3LAU
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soundscape
F O R
M O R E B e l l
B i v
D e v o e r i d e s w a v e
t h e i n t o
D a y l i g h t f o r
S o u l
T r a i n W e e k e n d
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oward the end of the recently released Netflix concert film Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids—filmed in January at MGM Grand Garden Arena during the final days of JT’s 20/20 Experience Tour—Timberlake and his backup singers take a break from cranking out one of his many hits to cover one of their favorite hits from the early ’90s. Okay, one of everybody’s favorite hits from the early ’90s. And as the rolling snare beats and horn blasts that open Bell Biv DeVoe’s classic “Poison” reverberate through the arena, the crowd goes wild. It’s one of the most memorable moments of Timberlake’s show, now immortalized
through Jonathan Demme’s film. “Poison” might have seemed like a disposable R&B-and-hip-hop mashup back in the day, but BBD’s smash has proven timeless. Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe will no doubt perform it this weekend when the group anchors the Soul Train Day Party at Daylight Beach Club at Mandalay Bay, one of several concerts and events built around the annual Soul Train Weekend; the awards show takes place Sunday at the Orleans Arena. With so much ’90s nostalgia going around, Bell Biv DeVoe continues to
tour and perform across the country; that popularity should only increase with January’s broadcast of BET’s original biopic on New Edition, the group that birthed BBD. And Bell Biv DeVoe is still releasing new music, too, with new album Three Stripes due early next year. Soul Train Day Party with Bell Biv DeVoe & Kid Capri at Daylight at Mandalay Bay, November 5. –Brock Radke
P HO T OGRA P H B Y S C O T T RO T H / A P P h o t o
B A C K
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in the moment
I n t r i g ue O okay
oct 27 Photographs by Danny Mahoney
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visionary
A r o u n d T H E
W OR L
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A k i r a B E Y o n D
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Born in Korea and raised in Colorado, Back made his name in Vegas when he opened Yellowtail at Bellagio, consistently one of the most popular and successful Japanese restaurants on the Strip. Unlike others who brought their concepts and cuisine to Las Vegas, Back founded his empire here. In 2014 he opened Akira Back restaurants in Jakarta and New Delhi, expanding and innovating upon his own upscale, fun fusion of Japanese and Korean flavors. The former professional snowboarder is planning to expand the AB brand to Seoul, Dubai, Singapore, LA, Toronto and Dallas, and he has also developed a Korean barbecue/American steakhouse hybrid concept, opening soon in Seoul and Hawaii.
P h o t o g r a p h by J o n E s t r a d a
V e g a s
s u c c e s s
as Vegas is awash in globe-trotting, superstar chefs, but even among the kitchen celebrities and world-conquering culinary artists that operate on the Strip, Akira Back is a rarity.
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e x p a n d s
“I feel like this next year is really going to change things,” Back says. “After that, I’m slowing down. Since [opening AB] I’ve turned down a lot deals. So many people in the industry and customers know these restaurants in Las Vegas. It has really helped me grow.”
Back also opened Dosa, a small finedining restaurant, this year in Korea, a very personal project. “It was special, and there was a lot of expectations,” he says. “Even there, everyone thinks of me as the Las Vegas guy. They love it because of Las Vegas.” But Las Vegas is home today, and it’s common to catch the chef in Yellowtail and Kumi at Mandalay Bay, both unveiling new menu items this month. The growth of his own brand around the world has only strengthened his Vegas endeavors. “It’s pretty amazing how Kumi and Yellowtail keep going up, keep growing when there is so much Japanese restaurant [competition] on the Strip,” Back says. “Every time another one opens, it helps us. For me, it’s perfect timing.” Yellowtail at Bellagio, 702-730-3900; Kumi at Mandalay Bay, 702-632-9100. –Brock Radke
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
in the moment
j ewel ST e v e ao k i
oct 28
Photographs by Mike Kirschbaum/ Tony Tran Photography
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orn to a Chinese-Jamaican family in Kingston and raised in South Florida, Leighton Walsh got his start in music by selling cassettes outside clubs and parties. During college at Clark Atlanta University—he earned his master’s degree in journalism— he took a few turns on the mic, and Walshy Fire was born. Looking to blur the lines between “selector” and MC, he took his extensive knowledge and appreciation for dancehall music to New York City and dug deeper into DJ culture. When he returned to Miami, he quickly fell in with the Black
e P
Chiney collective of musicians and producers incorporating Caribbean sounds into clubs and beyond. Black Chiney inspired the formation of Major Lazer, Diplo’s genrespanning side project (Walshy is the MC), which has produced some of the biggest dance tracks in the world the past two years, hailing from its Peace Is the Mission album. And Walshy has done more than co-write bangers like “Blaze Up the Fire” and drop memorable vocals on “Too Original.” He curated the reggae-fused soundtrack for the upcoming ski film Be Inspired,
and earlier this year followed in the Vegas footsteps of Diplo with his own DJ residency at Intrigue. Up next, he’ll headline XS with Major Lazer to ring in the new year. It doesn’t get any bigger than that. Walshy Fire at Intrigue at Wynn, November 3. –Brock Radke
photo by Danny Mahoney
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I N D U S T R Y
one track mind
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M u s i c a l B R UNO M A R S B Y P a u l S a n c y a / AP ; K a y t h e r i o t b y C h r i s t o p h e r D e v a r g a s
M a g i c
K a y t h e
R i o t
c a n ’ t
s t o p
p l a y i n g B r u n o M a r s ’ n e w
s m a s h
B
runo Mars has swagger for days—everybody knows that. But it’s the funk and soul of the great performers before him that have made him the pop protégé he is today. That’s why resident Tao and Foundation Room DJ Kay the Riot can’t get enough of Mars’ latest, “24K Magic.” “I fell in love with the track because of its funk influence. It immediately makes you want to dance,” she says.
“Being an open-format DJ, it works perfect to bridge the gap between old-school and current music. It allows me to play tracks that I really love but might not necessarily be able to make work on the regular. I can drop a James Brown track or Zapp & Roger track and get away with it. The younger generation might not even know who those artists are, but it’s educating them to the originators who gave birth to that style.”
It only makes sense that Mars, a 17time Grammy nominee, would land the first residency at MGM’s new Park Theater, where he’ll pump some of that classic soul back into Las Vegas. –Leslie Ventura
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
in the moment
light J. Co l e
oct 29
Photographs by Seva Kalashnikov
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WHY TAKE IT TO THE STRIP,
WHEN YOU CAN TAKE IT TO THE EDGE? Open Tuesday – Saturday 5pm - 10pm HAPPY HOUR | $10 Martinis & Appetizers Tuesday through Friday, 5pm - 7pm
WINO WEDNESDAYS | $7 Wines By The Glass THROWBACK THURSDAYS | $7 Old School Cocktails
3000 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, NV 89109 • 702.732.5277
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in the moment
H a kkasa n t h e Ch ains mo k e rs
oct 28 Photographs by Joe Janet
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night bites
F o r w a r d f o r
Photograph by Jeff Green
F A L L N e w s e a s o n a l d i s h e s
a t
An d r e a ’ s o p e r a t e o u t s i d e t h e
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he latest seasonal additions to the menu at Andrea’s—the ever-hip, Forbes four-star award-winning restaurant at Encore—are exactly what we’ve come to expect from executive chef Joseph Elevado and his team: wildly creative flavor combinations with occasionally exotic leanings applied to everyone’s favorite fall ingredients. Gently seared Hudson Valley foie gras is paired with persimmons, almonds and star anise honey atop a traditional egg toast, a luxurious dish with a bit of electricity. Foie shows up again with diver sea scallops, plated with toasted farrow, bright edamame and a
reduced soy-mirin-veal sauce. If you’re looking for an addictive dish that could easily turn into the city’s next buzzy bite, check out the Jidori fried chicken leg, served with serrano chili and papaya salad with the memorably savory fish sauce caramel. The rare and acclaimed Japanese A5 Wagyu beef is available as nigiri sushi this season, and Elevado continues educating his upscale diners on the merits of his native Filipino cuisine with the pan-seared snapper “pinakbet,” delicate fish with kabocha squash, long beans, pork belly and shrimp paste.
At this point, we expect to be thrilled by the new food at this boundarypushing restaurant. Even when we know it’s coming, the surprise is still there. Andrea’s at Encore, 702770-5340; Sunday-Thursday 6-10:30 p.m., Friday & Saturday 6-11:30 p.m. –Brock Radke
NEW YEAR’S EVE
SATURDAY • DECEMBER 31
cheap trick
UPCOMING SHOWS SATURDAY • NOVEMBER 5
alejandra guzman
SATURDAY • NOVEMBER 12
MS. LAURYN HILL
SATURDAY • NOVEMBER 19
LUKAS GRAHAM
METHOD MAN & REDMAN WITH SLICK RICK
FRIDAY • DECEMBER 2
SATURDAY • DECEMBER 3
FRIDAY • NOVEMBER 18
FRANKIE BALLARD
JENNIFER NETTLES
I N D U S T R Y
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ollar bills transform into hundreds, coins mutate in size, forks dramatically bend and your playing card appears from a stack. It’s magic, and you can experience it, thanks to bartender Chris Hanna way out at Wildfire Anthem.
C H R I S H A N N A S H A R E S H I S T R I C K S T H E
M I X O L O G Y
O F
T R A D E
“My parents wanted me to be a magician, but I actually wanted to be a doctor,” Hanna jokes. “My great uncle was a magician, [but] he just did it as a hobby, like most people. One of my favorite things when I work is when people ask, ‘What do you do for your real job?’”
Hanna, originally from the LA area, is a bartender at the southeast-neighborhood favorite but also an entertainer and master of close-up magic. He has been perfecting his tricks since age 5, when his parents bought his first magic kit for Christmas, and began performing professionally after high school. He draws inspiration from his favorites: Lance Burton, Penn & Teller and Bill Malone. Hanna moved to Las Vegas more than three years ago, aiming for a casino residency and special-event gigs at high-end restaurants. He performs at plenty of private events apart from the entertainment he provides from
behind the bar Mondays and Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Fridays from midnight to 8 a.m. “When I first started [at Wildfire], the graveyard numbers went up,” he says. “One couple came in, and then the next night they brought in eight people to see the magic. It blew my mind.” –Rosalie Spear
PHOTOGRAPH BY MONA SHIELD PAYNE
i am industry
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in the moment
Hy de Ve g as X I V SESSIO NS Photographs courtesy
oct 30
I N D U S T R Y
W E E K L Y
in the moment
LAX K id ’ N p l ay
oct 27
Photographs by Powers Imagery
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GHOST BAR
11/4 DJ Shift. 11/5 DJ Gusto. 11/9 DJ Turbulence. 11/11 DJ Karma. 11/12 DJ Gusto. 11/16 DJ Wellman. 11/18 DJ D-Miles. 11/19 DJ Gusto. Mirage, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-693-8300.
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11/3 Benny Black. 11/4 Exodus & Mark Stylz. 11/5 GBDC National Doughnut Day. 11/6 Exodus. 11/7-11/8 Seany Mac. 11/9 DJ Presto One. 11/10 Benny Black. 11/11 Exodus & Mark Stylz. 11/12 GBDC Pizza Party. 11/13 DJ Shred. Palms, nightly, 702-942-6832.
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L I GH T 11/4 T-Pain. 11/5 Nonito Donaire Fight Afterparty. 11/9 Blueprint Sound Takeover. 11/11 DJ Five. 11/12 DJ E-Rock. 11/16 DJ E-Rock. 11/18 Eric DLux. Mandalay Bay, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-632-4700.
BANK HAK KASAN
11/3 Kid Conrad. 11/4 DJ Que. 11/5 DJ C-L.A. 11/6 DJ Karma. 11/10 Kid Conrad. 11/11 DJ Que. 11/12 DJ Kittie. 11/13 DJ Karma. 11/17 Kid Conrad. 11/18 DJ Que. 11/19 DJ Kittie. 11/20 DJ Karma. Bellagio, Thu-Sun, 702-693-8300.
11/3 Lil Jon. 11/4 DVBBS. 11/5 Steve Aoki. 11/6 Fergie DJ. 11/10 Tiësto. 11/11 Above & Beyond. 11/12 Tiësto. 11/13 Rev Run & Ruckus. 11/17 Steve Aoki. 11/18 Showtek. 11/19 Steve Aoki. 11/20 DVBBS. MGM Grand, Wed-Sun, 702-891-3838.
M AR QU EE 11/4 Vice. 11/5 Carnage. 11/7 Cash Cash. 11/11 Politik. 11/12 Cedric Gervais. 11/14 Vice. 11/18 Tritonal. 11/19 Cash Cash. Mon, Fri-Sat, Cosmopolitan, 702-333-9000. OM N I A
DRAI’ S HYDE 11/3 Ross One. 11/4 Nelly & Jermaine Dupri. 11/5 Nelly & Kelly Rowland. 11/6 LA Leakers. 11/11 Rae Sremmurd. 11/12 Trey Songz. 11/13 DJ Franzen. 11/17 Steel Panther. Cromwell, Tue, Thu-Sun, 702-777-3800.
EM BASSY 11/4 Monchy & Nathalia. 11/5 Jesse Vargas. 11/11 Los 4. 11/16 Los Recoditos. 11/18 Tego Calderon. 11/19 Gente de Zona. 3355 Procyon St, Thu-Sun, 702-609-6666.
Bellagio, nightly, 702-693-8700. IN T RIGUE 11/3 Walshy Fire. 11/4 Konflikt. 11/5 PacquiaoVargas Top Rank Afterparty. 11/10 Stafford Brothers. 11/11 DJ Gusto. 11/12 Dillon Francis. 11/17 Yellow Claw. 11/18 Jerzy. Wynn, Thu-Sat, 702-770-7300.
11/4 Hardwell. 11/5 Chuckie. 11/8 3LAU. 11/11 Calvin Harris. 11/12 Krewella. 11/15 Fergie DJ. 11/18 Afrojack. 11/19 Chuckie. Caesars Palace, Tue, Thu-Sun, 702-785-6200. S U R R EN D ER 11/4 Slander. 11/5 Yellow Claw. 11/9 Duke Dumont. 11/11 Grandtheft. 11/12 Alison Wonderland. 11/16 Yellow Claw. 11/19 Yellow Claw. Encore, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-770-7300.
JEW EL TAO
F O U NDATIO N
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11/4 DJ Kittie. 11/5 Dee Jay Silver. 11/11 DJ CX. 11/12 DJ Baby Yu. 11/18 Anthony Pisano. 11/19 DJ Crespo. Mandalay Bay, nightly, 702-6327631. F OX TAIL 11/4 Kid Conrad. 11/5 Borgore. 11/11 DJ Hollywood. 11/12 Borgore. 11/18 DJ Wellman. 11/19 DJ Hollywood. SLS, Fri-Sat, 702-761-7621.
11/4 Ruckus. 11/5 The Chainsmokers. 11/7 Savi. 11/11 Justin Credible. 11/12 Lil Jon. 11/14 Party Favor. 11/18 DJ Shift. 11/19 Lil Jon. Aria, Mon, Thu-Sat, 702-590-8000.
11/3 Ty Dolla $ign. 11/4 Politik. 11/5 Justin Credible. 11/10 Enferno. 11/12 DJ Five. 11/17 Justin Credible. 11/19 Eric DLux. Venetian, ThuSat, 702-388-8588.
L AX 11/3 DJ R.O.B. 11/4 Eric Forbes. 11/5 DJ J-Nice. 11/10 Twista. 11/11 Eric Forbes. 11/12 DJ Scooter. 11/17 Trick Daddy. 11/18 DJ Scooter. 11/19 Ja Rule. Luxor, Thu-Sat, 702-262-4529.
XS 11/4 DJ Snake. 11/5 Alesso. 11/7 DJ Five. 11/11 RL Grime. 11/12 Diplo. 11/18 DJ Snake. 11/19 Zedd. Encore, Fri-Mon, 702-770-0097.
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Photograph by Aaron Garcia
notebook
Steve Aoki is set to perform a special “Love Trumps Hate” set in support of Hillary Clinton at UNLV’s Cox Pavilion November 3 at 5 p.m. The show comes one day before the end of early voting in Nevada. ... Caesars Palace has replaced its Seahorse Lounge casino bar with Alto Bar, which opened October 28. Just around the corner from Omnia, Alto is Caesars’ largest casino bar, now equipped with a handful of private booths boasting their own personal TVs and audio, and a private dining space accommodating up to 30 with a 70-inch TV screen. ... In other casino bar updates, the Venetian’s recently shuttered Bourbon Room—an ’80s-themed accessory to the departed Rock of Ages show—will become David Rabin’s new concept, the Dorsey, in December. Rabin is the man behind Cafe Clover, the Skylark and the Lambs Club in New York City, and barman Sam Ross of NYC’s Attaboy will compose the craft cocktail menu. ... If Vegas nightlife is supposed to slow down in fall and winter, Marquee didn’t get the memo. The Cosmopolitan club has brought back its offseason day party within the Marquee Dayclub Dome on Saturday, headlined this weekend by Tritonal with MikeAttack and Cedric Gervais playing later this month. As for New Year’s Eve, it’s no surprise, but it’s big: The Weeknd makes a December 31 appearance at Marquee after his December 30 concert at the Chelsea.
WINNER OF 2016 B E S T W E E K LY O R N O N - D A I LY N E W S PA P E R W E B S I T E
P R E S E N T E D TO
LAS VEGAS WEEKLY.COM
Congratulations to the winners in other categories including T h e Wa l l S t r e e t J o u r n a l , T h e B o s t o n G l o b e , E S P N , C N N M o n e y a n d m o r e !
SAVI
NOV 7
PARTY FAVOR NOV 14
FAED
NOV 21
JUSTIN CREDIBLE NOV 28
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