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Beepi.com
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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
The Weeknd Photo courtesy
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. Due to the holidays, the December 22 edition of Industry Weekly will only be available inside Las Vegas Weekly magazine and online at lasvegasweekly.com/industry.
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He doesn’t just keep the party rocking in Vegas; Lil Jon’s reggaeton-flavored “Take It Off” with Yandel and Becky G has held down a spot on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart for weeks.
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RAK IM
DJ S CE NE
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DJ C-L. A. marquee dayclub
SA N DER VAN DO O RN
drai’s
LLOYD & JU ST INE S KYE tao
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jewel
hakkasan
FER G I E DJ omnia
DJ TUR BULENCE xs
MARK ETESON
VI R GI L ABLOH
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DJ D-MI LES surrender
MI GHTY MI
l i l j o n b y W o o d Y H u g h / T o n y T r a n P h o t o g r a ph y ; W E AR E T R E O BY M I K E K IR S C H BAU M
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The surfer-DJs have earned acclaim for their island-vibed remix of Twenty One Pilots’ smash “Ride,” a track that magically turns winter back to summer.
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Springtime in Texas? Yes, the Swedish superstar, back at XS this week, will headline the Euphoria festival in Austin in April.
DJ H O MICIDE
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LIGHT
Craig Anthony was among the DJs who made the recent Skam Artist Holiday Party in LA a night to remember. Get the Vegas version at Light.
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eaching back to the sounds of the 1990s is a hot trend for today’s R&B and hip-hop artists, but Abel Tesfaye remains rooted in the ’80s. The Weeknd’s third studio album, Starboy, has garnered tons of buzz thanks to two high-profile collaborative tracks with Daft Punk and its overall chart dominance; Starboy also set a new Spotify record for most global streams in a single day at 40 million. As was the case with previous release Beauty Behind the Madness, several
Starboy tracks recall the glory days of Michael Jackson, including “Love to Lay” and “A Lonely Night.” But the most significant song in this collection might be the Chicago house-influenced “Rockin’,” which The Weeknd has said was originally planned as the core of an entire record built around this infectious sound. Try to listen to it just once; it isn’t possible. As Vegas audiences already know from his former residency at Drai’s and will discover again when he performs at the Cosmopolitan and hosts
Photograph by Sipa/AP Images
soundscape
at Marquee during New Year’s Eve Weekend, The Weeknd has already proven during his brief yet meteoric rise that he can’t be pigeonholed with a single style. The Weeknd at the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan, December 30. –Brock Radke
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GM Grand and Hakkasan Group have teamed up again to create Level Up, a gaming lounge set to open December 29 in the space formerly occupied by Rainforest Cafe adjacent to Hakkasan Nightclub. “Level Up will be a popular highenergy gaming lounge that will offer our guests and visitors the newest entertainment experience to see and be seen,” MGM President and COO Scott Sibella said in a statement. “Our goal is to create a fun, social atmosphere featuring a variety of traditional games, as well as games
of skill, that showcase the industry’s leading technology.” The 12,000-square-foot Level Up will offer both free and pay-to-play gaming options. In addition to billiards, foosball, ping pong, QuadAir Hockey, Bubble Hockey, Sigma Derby, Giant Pac-Man and Connect Four, it will offer the Level Up Arena by Interblock, a 40-seat arena replicating casino table games “in a more social environment.” Level Up will also introduce an indoor laser golf course, allowing customers to play real-world golf courses on moving greens with laser guidance. A
private-lounge Golfstream Suite will be attached. The Live Lucky Bar will offer 24 craft beers and a specialty cocktail menu, and Level Up’s décor will include murals created by local artists. DJs and other entertainment will be featured live and across multiple screens. –Brock Radke
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Mou n t Green spun GMG H o l i day Pa rt y Photos by Wade Vandervort
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ersistence, patience and being an all-around nice guy have finally paid off for DJ and producer Jeff Retro. The Florida native moved to Las Vegas nine years ago and has been working his way up the nightlife ladder ever since, even when it’s meant pulling double duty as DJ and security guard at Blue Martini, sleeping on an air mattress in a friend’s apartment and playing gigs for free. For the past three years, he has found a stable home as a resident at Hakkasan, providing support for the megaclub’s superstars. And Retro’s dedication has now earned him his
first headlining gig on the Strip: Omnia on December 17. Retro first got the call to audition for Hakkasan days before the MGM Grand club opened. “I had 48 hours to prepare, but in reality I’d had 15 years to prepare me for it.” For the Omnia gig, he plans to ramp up the energy in the booth to command the prime-time slot. “I’m going to be a lot more interactive with the crowd,” he explains. “Music-prep wise, I spend hours every day working on mashups and bootlegs and originals, so all that preparation I do every week has been going on for the last three years.”
Retro’s production work includes a new remix of Noel Sanger’s “No Greater Love” with a fellow Hakkasan resident (and the guy who taught him how to spin), DJ Mondo. “I’d say it’s in my top three all-time favorite records,” Retro says. “I probably have four or five copies of that record because I played it so much.” Jeff Retro at Omnia at Caesars Palace, December 17. –Deanna Rilling
Spend your Holidays on the Edge Large Parties, Family Gatherings, Romantic Dinners all at the Edge of your fingertips.
3000 PARADISE ROAD LAS VEGAS, NV 89109
702.732.5277
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I n t r i g ue Staffo rd B rot h e rs
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industry beyond
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ream Hotels’ West Coast flagship resort, Dream Hollywood, is set to open February 1, and its aim is to do much more than assist the ongoing revitalization of the iconic neighborhood. “I truly believe this is going to be a real destination,” says general manager Ayo Akinsete, a native of southeast London who also opened Dream Downtown in the meatpacking district in New York City. “There’s really nothing like this in LA, nothing of this scope where you have a hotel with seven different food and beverage and nightlife offerings. We’re going to offer these vast experiences and still be able to curate everything to each guest’s preferences.” The sixth Dream hotel will feature 178
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guest rooms and sweets designed by the Rockwell Group, “blending the surreal and contemporary”—Dream’s design philosophy—with the city’s mid-century modern architecture. “The building is so unique looking, and there is meant to be this indooroutdoor feel throughout the whole property,” Akinsete says. “There are floor-to-ceiling windows with direct views of the Hollywood hills, and we’ve pulled inspiration from the houses in those hills. The roof has a direct view of the Hollywood sign. It’s impossible to miss.”
10,000-square-foot rooftop restaurant and bar with a pool equipped with a hydraulic floor that rises up to disperse the water and create a memorable walkway space. Tao Group’s Beauty & Essex, which opened recently in Las Vegas at the Cosmopolitan, will be part of Dream Hollywood’s extensive offerings, with more nightlife and F&B partners on the project set to be revealed soon. –Brock Radke
Other interesting features include a tree-lined, stone-laden alleyway with retail shops and outdoor seating for restaurants and bars, and a
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LAX Mary J. B l i ge
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elly Cardenas might be the most tenacious man in the beauty industry. Behind his bleached-blond dreadlocks and rock ’n’ roll swagger is a burgeoning salon empire he grew himself, with locations in Las Vegas; Carlsbad, California; Salt Lake City and Chicago. His most recent location, a Paul Mitchell Focus Salon, opened inside the Hard Rock Hotel in November, and it couldn’t be a better fit. “If you come to the Hard Rock and get this experience, you’re never going to be the same,” Cardenas says about his second Vegas location. “I believe this is going to change the way people do business in the professional beauty industry.” Because of Cardenas’ outsider approach, he has created a culture he says you won’t find at any other salon. “We only focus on the true relationships of our team,” he says. “If we get along, our guest is going to feel that. I want it to become the industry standard.” Happy stylists, after all, make happy customers. But Cardenas goes above
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and beyond. He wants clients to leave informed about their hair. “We as hairdressers do true education based off of who you are, your lifestyle, your hair texture and what your maintenance is truly going to be,” he says. “And then we tailor-fit it for you—not what’s in [a] magazine.” From the relaxing shampoo and cut to the styling, Cardenas’ staff offers something truly individualized. Salon president Marc Jay—who started as a customer—agrees. “From the moment you walk in, you get treated like you’re a best friend,” he says. “[You] can get [your] hair cut anywhere. It’s about that experience you give that customer.” Kelly Cardenas Salon at the Hard Rock Hotel, 702-693-5522; Sunday & Monday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. –Leslie Ventura
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M A I N A T T R A C T I O N Y A R D B I R D E L E V A T E S C H I C K E N A N D W A F F L E S ( A N D
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t starts with the chicken. Yardbird has plenty of other delectable choices, but a meal here without the famous fried fowl is incomplete. In fact, one could say that this perfect poultry is the reason the Miami hot spot became so hot in the first place, and gave the brand the chance to expand to Las Vegas. There are a number of ways to try the bird—on a biscuit, on its own, barbecued instead of fried—but the move to make is the Chicken ’n’ Watermelon ’n’ Waffles. Chicken and waffles has become a staple on many menus, but nobody does it like Yardbird. Here, the waffle—the foundation of the dish,
which so often doesn’t hold up to the chicken—is laced with Vermont sharp cheddar cheese, making it sturdy and savory. The nooks soak up all the excess honey hot sauce and bourbon maple syrup, providing that breakfastdessert pleasure few dishes can. Yardbird’s fried chicken, perhaps the finest in the city, is first brined for 27 hours and then dredged. Word on the street is that it’s fried in bacon fat, taking it to its final, sinful place: tender and juicy with perfectly crispy skin. Really, it deserves a medal of achievement. Also, the chilled spiced watermelon
lives up to its name, bringing a bit of heat with the sweet. It cleanses and refreshes the taste buds and somehow seems to create more room in the stomach, egging you on for another bite. Yardbird at Venetian, 702297-6541; Monday-Friday 11 a.m.midnight, Saturday & Sunday 10 a.m.-midnight. –Jason Harris
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tylish Vdara lobby bar Vice Versa is one of the great new hideaways on the Las Vegas Strip. Perfectly positioned at the chic, casino-less hotel between Aria and Bellagio, the lounge and patio provide an ideal escape from the often hectic pace of the Boulevard. It’s a lovely spot to relax with a nosh and a sip.
the Vdara Mule, a refreshing treat appropriate in any season. Fresh ginger, lime and soda blend beautifully with your choice of vodka, tequila or rum. If it’s whiskey that works for you, Sinatra’s Manhattan mixes the complex, memorable Jack Daniels Sinatra Select with bitters and sweet vermouth.
Given these surroundings, Vice Versa’s cocktails are edgier and more interesting than they have to be. The menu offers a mix of classics and signature creations, starting off with
If you want to move in a more modern direction, the Smoked Peach utilizes Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon with peach puree, lemon and nutmeg, while the Vdara version of Pumpkin
Spice means El Dorado rum complemented with old fashioned bitters, pumpkin syrup and burnt cinnamon. These are unique flavors designed to match a one-of-a-kind destination. Vice Versa at Vdara, 702-590-2030; Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-1 a.m., Friday & Saturday 11 a.m.-2 a.m. –Brock Radke
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Photographs by by Mike Kirschbaum
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atherine Quiba moved to Las Vegas from the Philippines when she was 9 years old, grew up in Sin City, studied sports medicine and related fields at a vocational high school and went on to major in pre-med biochemistry at UNLV. She never really thought she’d work in nightlife, but then she turned 21. “I was definitely isolated from the industry and not really allowed on the Strip, obviously, when I was younger,” she says. “But as I grew older and came to understand what Vegas has to offer, I became more exposed. It’s like you meet one person in this industry and then the domino effect.”
She took a liking to the various industry-night parties on the Strip, and one of her favorites—Wild at Heart at Omnia on Tuesdays—helped lead her to Hakkasan Group, where she auditioned when she had just turned 21. Quiba snagged a server gig at the company’s newest venue, Jewel at Aria. “It’s unreal to come to work and get to celebrate every night,” she says. “It’s a beautiful venue. It’s hard to get used to the architecture and lighting and visuals. This is just a really cool workplace.” Interacting with so many different people has also helped broaden her horizons. That’s not to say she won’t
wrap up her degree in biochemistry soon, but she’s keeping her future options open. “My whole family is in the medical field, so that’s really what I’ve been exposed to, but working in this industry helps you see the different aspects of your interests. I’ve met people who work in real estate and interior design and other things I’ve been interested in but not yet passionate about, and you think, ‘I could see myself doing this.’” –Brock Radke
Photograph by Christopher Devargas
i am industry
TH E
PHIL ANTHRO P I C
EVE NT
O F
TH E
YE AR
MONDAY DECEMBER 19th
3 Year Anniversary Celebrate 2016’s 11 Featured Charities & welcome the 22 Featured Charities for 2017
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HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO 4455 PARADISE ROAD LAS VEGAS, NV
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He a rt of O m n i a DJ Cro oke d
Photographs by Aaron Garcia
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12/16 DJ Nova. 12/17 DJ Gusto. 12/30 PartyNextDoor. 12/31 Lil Jon. Mirage, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-693-8300. TH E
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12/16 DJ Que. 12/17 DJ C-L.A. 12/18 DJ Karma. 12/23 DJ Que. 12/30 DJ Que. 12/31 DJ Ikon. Bellagio, Thu-Sun, 702-693-8300.
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12/15 WeAreTreo. 12/16 Fergie DJ. 12/17 BRKLYN. 12/29 Steve Aoki. 12/30 Tiësto. 12/31 Drake. 1/1 Mark Eteson. MGM Grand, Wed-Sun, 702-891-3838.
12/16 Andrew Rayel. 12/17 Dayclub Dome with Sander van Doorn. 12/17 Tritonal. 12/19 Andrew Rayel. 12/23 Cash Cash. 12/24 Dayclub Dome with M!KEATTACK. 12/24 Andrew Rayel. 12/25 EC Twins. 12/26 Eric DLux. 12/30 Benny Benassi. 12/31 Dayclub Dome with Cash Cash. 12/31 The Weeknd. 1/1 Dayclub Dome with Dash Berlin. Mon, Fri-Sat, Cosmopolitan, 702-333-9000.
HYDE
OM N I A
Palms, nightly, 702-942-6832. HAK KASAN
CH ATEAU 12/30 DJ Casanova. Paris, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702776-7770. DRAI’ S 12/16 DJ Esco. 12/17 Lloyd & Justine Skye. 12/18 DJ Franzen. 12/22 Ross One. 12/23 DJ Sourmilk. 12/29 G-Eazy. 12/30 Kid Cudi. 12/31 Kendrick Lamar. 1/1 Rae Sremmurd. Cromwell, Tue, Thu-Sun, 702-777-3800.
12/16 DJ Crooked. 12/20 Konflikt. 12/21 DJ D-Miles. 12/23 DJ Karma. 12/24 Greg Lopez. 12/27 Joe Maz. 12/28 DJ D-Miles. 12/30 DJ Direct. 12/31 NYE Black Tie Masquerade. Bellagio, nightly, 702-693-8700. IN T RIGUE 12/15 Grandtheft. 12/29 Marshmello. 12/31 Chuckie. Wynn, Thu-Sat, 702-770-7300.
12/16 Mark Eteson. 12/17 Jeff Retro. 12/30 Kaskade. 12/31 Calvin Harris. Caesars Palace, Tue, Thu-Sun, 702-785-6200. S U R R EN D ER 12/21 Mighty Mi. 12/23 David Clutch. 12/28 RL Grime. 12/30 Yellow Claw. 12/31 DJ Snake. Encore, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702-770-7300. TAO
JEW EL EM BASSY 12/16 Rakim. 12/23 Yomo. 12/31 Oro Solido. 3355 Procyon St, Thu-Sun, 702-609-6666. FO U NDATIO N
RO O M
12/16 DJ Sam I Am. 12/17 Greg Lopez. 12/23 DJ Seany Mac. 12/30 DJ Mark Mac. 12/31 Find Your Karma NYE Party. Mandalay Bay, nightly, 702-632-7631.
12/16 DJ Turbulence. 12/17 Lil Jon. 12/30 DJ Irie. 12/31 Steve Aoki. Aria, Mon, Thu-Sat, 702590-8000. L AX 12/28 Aybsent Mynded. 12/29 DJ R.O.B. 12/30 Eric Forbes. 12/31 Ginuwine, Ying Yang Twins & Warren G. Luxor, Thu-Sat, 702-262-4529. LIGHT
FOX TAIL 12/30 Borgore. SLS, Fri-Sat, 702-761-7621.
12/16 DJ Scene. 12/17 DJ Homicide. 12/21 Blackout Artists Holiday Party. 12/28 Disclosure. 12/30 Metro Boomin. 12/31 Ludacris. Mandalay Bay, Wed, Fri-Sat, 702632-4700.
12/15 Jerzy. 12/16 Dainjazone. 12/17 Justin Credible. 12/22 DJ C-L.A. 12/24 DJ Wellman. 12/29 Ty Dolla $ign. 12/30 Jermaine Dupri. 12/31 French Montana & DJ Khaled. Venetian, Thu-Sat, 702-388-8588. XS 12/16 Virgil Abloh. 12/17 Alesso. 12/30 Alesso. 12/31 Major Lazer. 1/1 Marshmello. Encore, FriMon, 702-770-0097.
NOVEMBER 18, 2016 — JANUARY 15, 2017
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Escape Vegas for a SoCal Weekend Round trip prices starting at $4K for up to 8 PEOPLE. At $500 per person flying privately is now affordable. Subject to empty leg availability. Times and airports must be flexible. Seats are not for sale individually.
Book your flight by calling (702) 660.6546 or for more information visit www.cirrusav.com