2024-03-21-Las-Vegas-Weekly

PUBLISHER MARK DE POOTER

mark.depooter@gmgvegas.com

EDITOR

SHANNON MILLER

(shannon.miller@gmgvegas.com)

EDITORIAL

Senior Editor GEOFF CARTER (geo .carter@gmgvegas.com)

Managing Editor BROCK RADKE (brock.radke@gmgvegas.com)

Sta Writer GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ (gabriela.rodriguez@gmgvegas.com)

Sta Writer AMBER SAMPSON (amber.sampson@gmgvegas.com)

Contributing Writers EMMA BROCATO,GRACE DA ROCHA,HILLARY DAVIS, MIKE GRIMALA, CASEY HARRISON, KATIE ANN MCCARVER, AYDEN RUNNELS, RHIANNON SAEGERT

Contributing Editors RAY BREWER, JUSTIN HAGER, CASE KEEFER, DAVE MONDT O ce Coordinator NADINE GUY

CREATIVE

Art Director CORLENE BYRD (corlene.byrd@gmgvegas.com)

Senior Designer IAN RACOMA

Photo Coordinator BRIAN RAMOS

Photographers CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS, STEVE MARCUS, WADE VANDERVORT

DIGITAL

Publisher of Digital Media KATIE HORTON

Web Content Specialist CLAYT KEEFER

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Publisher of Branded Content & Special Publications EMMA WOLFF

Special Publications Editor SIERRA SMART

Senior Advertising Managers MIKE MALL, ADAIR MILNE, SUE SRAN

Account Executives MARY CHARISSE DIMAIN, LAUREN JOHNSON, ANNA ZYMANEK

Sales Executive Assistants APRIL MARTINEZ

Events Director SAMANTHA LAMB

Events Manager HANNAH ANTER

Events Coordinator ALEXANDRA SUNGA

PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION

Vice President of Manufacturing MARIA BLONDEAUX

Production Director PAUL HUNTSBERRY

Production Manager BLUE UYEDA

Associate Marketing Art Director BROOKE EVERSON

Marketing Graphic Designer CARYL LOU PAAYAS

Production Artist MARISSA MAHERAS

Senior Tra c Coordinator DENISE ARANCIBIA

Tra c Coordinator ALEX HAASE

Distribution Relations Liaison JIDAN SHADOWEN

Fulfillment Operations Coordinator CASANDRA PIERCE

Route Administrator KATHY STRELAU

GREENSPUN MEDIA GROUP

CEO, Publisher & Editor BRIAN GREENSPUN

Chief Operating O cer ROBERT CAUTHORN

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EVERY THURSDAY AT 5 P.M.

The

James

works on beet pasta at the new location of

SUPERGUIDE

THURSDAY MAR 21

FILM: PERFECT DAYS

Wim Wenders has made a number of lyrical films that, directly or indirectly, document the pursuit of happiness. An angel tumbles from heaven to gain it in Wings of Desire, an aimless woman is motivated to chase it across continents in Until the End of the World … and in his latest film, Perfect Days, a man finds it in the bathroom. Given an opportunity to make a documentary about Tokyo’s architecturally stunning public toilets, Wenders instead uses them to tell the story of Hirayama (Kōji Yakusho), a quiet, beatific man whose job is to clean them. Perfect Days looks for happiness in places most wouldn’t think to check—in old books, in cassettes of favorite songs, in the way sunlight filters through trees—and it considers the lengths we’ll go to make a peaceful life for ourselves, even if it means scrubbing the odd urinal. 4:45 p.m., $10, Beverly Theater, thebeverlytheater.com. –Geo Carter

ICONS OF CONTEMPORARY ART

Thru 3/31, daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, bellagio. mgmresorts.com

READING: ANDREA

ABI-KARAM 7 p.m., Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, unlv.edu

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. SEATTLE KRAKEN 7:30 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com

HUMAN NATURE 6:30 p.m., South Point Showroom, ticketmaster.com

Courtesy/Bellagio

MATT STELL 9 p.m., Stoney’s North Forty, tixr.com

DC THE DON With Midwxst, 8 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com

RE-BURIED

With Excerebration, 8 p.m., the Gri n, dice.fm

KOFFIN KATS With Damned by the Night, The Krank Daddies, 8 p.m., the Usual Place, theusual place.vegas

NELLY 10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com

(Courtesy/Black Raven Films)

(

Gallery of Fine Art)

PLAN YOUR WEEK AHEAD

FRIDAY MAR 22

O.T. GENASIS

10:30 p.m., Tao Nightclub, taogroup.com

ALISON WONDERLAND

10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zouk grouplv.com

DUBLOADZ With Iky Vicky, K4inen, 10 p.m., We All Scream, seetickets.us

FJAAK 10 p.m., Discopussy, seetickets.us

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND

7:30 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

STEPPADELIC BENEFIT SHOW FOR WILL HENDERSON With Viaje Nahual, Default Valentine, 8 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com

LANY

GAP BAND 2.0

7 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, dice.fm

MIRANDA LAMBERT

8 p.m., & 3/23, 3/27, Bakkt Theater, ticketmaster.com.

WU-TANG CLAN

9 p.m., & 3/23, Theater at Virgin, axs.com

FOREIGNER

8:30 p.m., & 3/23, 3/27, Venetian Theatre, ticket master.com

DANCING WITH THE STARS LIVE 8 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, ticketmaster.com

PREACHER LAWSON

9 p.m., Treasure Island Theatre, tickets.treasure island.com

NATE BARGATZE

7:30 & 10:30 p.m., & 3/23, Encore Theater, ticket master.com

JIM BREUER

9:30 p.m., & 3/23, Summit Showroom, ticketmaster.com

G LEAGUE IGNITE VS. SALT LAKE CITY STARS

7 p.m., & 3/23, Dollar Loan Center, axs.com

NEVADA CONSERVATORY THEATRE: MUD

7:30 p.m., & 3/23 (& 3/24, 2 p.m.), Alta Ham Fine Arts Black Box Theatre, unlv.edu.

YOI TOKI 9 p.m., House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com.

SOMMER RAY 11:30 a.m., LIV Beach, livnight club.com.

ANDREW RAYEL

11 a.m., Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv. com.

AFROJACK

10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynn social.com

TIËSTO

10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com

WIZ KHALIFA

10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, drais group.com

ALESSO

10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com

TOO SHORT

10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com

A decade after releasing its self-titled LP, LANY has only gotten better with age. The Los Angeles-based duo found a niche in the indie-pop scene with a pensive catalog of forthright love lyrics and soothing basslines to boot. Drummer Jake Clifford Goss’ energetic drum work lights up tracks like “Dancing in the Kitchen,” while the melodic vocals of Paul Jason Klein drive home feelings of love lost and being lovelorn. LANY’s fifth album, A Beautiful Blur, marks the first LP without band member Les Priest, who left the band in 2022 to pursue a career as a producer, but the duo has used that opportunity to explore a louder, more drum-dominated style that’ll sound great in the Chelsea. 7:30 p.m., $36-$83, the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com. –Amber Sampson

SUPERGUIDE

SATURDAY MAR 23

(Courtesy/JYP Entertainment)

DIDI WEST

6 p.m., SoulBelly BBQ, soulbellybbq.com

THE IMPLOSIONS

With Freezing Hands, Las Nalgonas, 9 p.m., Red Dwarf, reddwarflv. com

KENDOLL 9 p.m., the Wall at Area15, area15.com

FILM: BOOM TOWN 2 p.m., Clark County Library, the librarydistrict.org

SPRING PLANT SALE 9 a.m., Springs Preserve, springs preserve.org

PIRATE FEST LV 10 a.m., & 3/24, Craig Ranch Park, piratefestlv.com

JODECI

7:30 p.m., & 3/24, House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

7:30 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com

LAS VEGAS LIGHTS VS. EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC 5 p.m., Cashman Field, lasvegas lightsfc.com

TACOS & TAMALES FESTIVAL

10 a.m., & 3/24, Desert Breeze Park, tacosand tamaleslv.com

WINE WALK WISH 6 p.m., Tivoli Village, eventbrite.com

TIËSTO

11:30 a.m., LIV Beach, livnight club.com

SWAE LEE

10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com

THE CHAINSMOKERS

11 a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynn social.com

LOUIS THE CHILD

11 a.m., Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv. com

NGHTMRE

ODESZA

With Phantoms, 10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zouk grouplv.com

STEVE AOKI

10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com

FRENCH MONTANA

10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, drais group.com

11 a.m., Wet Republic, taogroup.com

ZEDD

DON’T TELL COMEDY

10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com

7 p.m., Fergusons Downtown, donttellcomedy. com

THE ISLEY BROTHERS

There are very few acts in any genre that have accomplished the unique feat the Isleys have: starting with the ubiquitous “Shout” in 1959 and continuing through “Contagious” in 2001, the soul-funk-R&B group-turnedduo has charted a song on the Billboard Hot 100 in six di erent decades. As impressive as that may be, it only begins to explain the Isleys’ remarkable impact and influence on generations of hip-hop and R&B artists, evident via countless samples (“Footsteps in the Dark” is Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day”) and covers (Aaliyah’s unforgettable version of “At Your Best”). From gospel to original rock and roll to Motown to quiet storm, only the Isleys have conquered so consistently. And the singular voice of 82-year-old Ronald and all-around musicianship of 72-year-old Ernie are still on display today, though not onstage as frequently as we’d like. Fortunately, Vegas is the place for legacy acts, and what a legacy. 8 p.m., $63-$210+, Pearl Concert Theater, ticketmaster.com. –Brock Radke

( AP Photo )

PLAN YOUR WEEK AHEAD

SUNDAY MAR 24

LAS VEGAS SINFONIETTA: MOSTLY BACH

Ukrainian-born conductor and National Endowment for the Arts Award winner Taras Krysa, director of orchestras at UNLV and music director of the Las Vegas Sinfonietta, will travel to the Ukraine later this month to lead performances by the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Symphony of Ukraine. “In times of crisis, music has the power to heal, to inspire, and to unite,” Krysa said in a statement. “It is our duty as artists to stand with Ukraine, to continue to perform, and to show our support for the Ukrainian people.” Before this significant journey, catch him conducting the Sinfonietta in a performance of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, arranged for strings by Dmitry Sitkovetsky. 3 p.m., $40, Clark County Library, eventbrite.com. –Brock Radke

VEGAS THRILL

VS. SAN DIEGO MOJO

4 p.m., Dollar Loan Center, axs. com

EYES SET TO KILL

With Outline In Color, Discrepancies, Lightworker, Alibis, 7 p.m., Sinwave, dice.fm

DOUG TAYLOR

6:30 p.m., Bootlegger Bistro, bootleggerlasve gas.com.

MONDAY MAR 25

ROBIN SCHULZ

11:30 a.m., LIV Beach, livnight club.com.

CLAPTONE

11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, taogroup.com.

DIRTY SOUTH

With Grish, 4 p.m., We All Scream, seetickets.us.

STRAIGHT AHEAD TRIO

7 p.m., Maxan Jazz, maxanjazz.com

G LEAGUE IGNITE VS.

SOUTH BAY LAKERS

7 p.m., Dollar Loan Center, axs.com

DJ SOURMILK

10:30 p.m., Jewel Nightclub, taogroup. com

NATE CRAIG

With Dustin Nickerson, Andy Huggins, thru 3/28, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand. mgmresorts.com

NICK GUERRA

With Lee Syatt, thru 3/31, 8 p.m., LA Comedy Club, best vegascomedy.com

S U P E R G U I D E

DO IT ALL

(Courtesy/Gabriella Benavidez)

SUPERGUIDE

TUESDAY MAR 26 WEDNESDAY MAR 27

BUCKETS

Buckets embodies the best elements of modern indie rock—fluctuating guitar ri age, hooking verse work, lo-fi tinted vocals and an electrifying onstage presence. Formed in 2021, Tanner Houghton, Sasha Massey, Mitch Rossiter and Hiram Sevilla have impressively succeeded in making noise that sounds like a declaration of self-discovery. Now on the road for their sophomore album Good Luck Bad Dog, the LA 4-piece is set to bring its emotional but still rock n’ roll sound to Gri n’s back room. Supporting the touring quartet are a couple of freshly hatched local acts, Simple Fishes and Ms. Mrs. 8 p.m., $15, the Gri n, dice.fm. –Gabriela Rodriguez

BOW WOW

10 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com

TEDDY SWIMS

With Freak Freely, Karl Michael, 7:30 p.m., the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com

FUNNY GIRL

Thru 3/31, 7:30 p.m. (& 3/30-3/31, 2 p.m.), Reynolds Hall, thesmith center.com

VEGAS THRILL VS. GRAND RAPIDS RISE

7 p.m., Dollar Loan Center, axs.com

RITA RUDNER

Thru 3/28, 6:30 p.m., South Point Showroom, ticket master.com

LIL JON 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com

DAVID BLAINE

8 p.m., & 3/29-3/30, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com

JIMBO’S DRAG CIRCUS

7 p.m., House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com

INTERNATIONAL MOUNTED MILITARY INVITATIONAL

Thru 3/30, times vary, South Point Arena, horsecavalry. org

EMO NIGHT TOUR

10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynn social.com

MICHAEL GRIMM

7 p.m., Myron’s, the smithcenter.com

SUN ATOMS

With Supergloom, Orange Eats Creeps, 8 p.m., the Usual Place, theusualplace. vegas

STEVE BYRNE

9:30 p.m., & 3/28, Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster.com

DO IT ALL

( Courtesy )

There’s nothing bigger than the Super Bowl, but Las Vegas grabbed some extra headlines this year when it was announced that Allegiant Stadium hosted the first Super Bowl to be powered 100% by renewable, carbon-free energy—a significant accomplishment in sustainability for the 65,000-seat game changer that opened just west of the Strip in 2020.

“I don’t know if people really understand what it means … that we have our own power source so we’re giving credits back to the city, not using credits at the stadium,” says senior director of facility maintenance Samantha Cuen Salazar. “There are a lot of different initiatives that have been going on here since the beginning, but we were really proud to achieve LEED Gold Certification in 2023 and to be able to expand the sustainability program.”

Cuen Salazar and her team handle everything from the locker room facilities and hosting artists for the stadium’s concerts to managing janitorial, landscaping and environmental services—essentially top-to-bottom responsibilities at the biggest event center in Las Vegas. It’s a task not suited for mere mortals; appropriately, Cuen Salazar helped open T-Mobile Arena in 2016 and the Las Vegas Ballpark in Downtown Summerlin in 2019. She came in as a bit of a ringer, and prior to those experiences, she worked in the resort industry on the Strip.

“I was at Aria and I used to look out the window at the arena coming up and thinking, that’s kinda cool,” she says. “I feel honored and privileged to say I opened up our city’s free-standing sports venues.”

Allegiant Stadium originally opened for Raiders games

SUSTAINING SUCCESS

Attention to detail keeps things sharp for Allegiant Stadium’s Samantha Cuen Salazar

BY BROCK RADKE

with no fans in seats during the pandemic. Did starting off under those unusual and challenging circumstances benefit or enhance the approach to managing and operating the facility today?

It definitely put things into a different perspective, showed things in a different light. We’re always looking at overall best practices for our guests, but it also just put us in a place where we keep a finer eye, a closer eye on everything taking place … and to be able to make changes as we go to ensure we stay on top of everything.

There are so many interesting features at the stadium and guests have become familiar with lots of them, but I feel like the lanai doors just behind the Al Davis Memorial Torch haven’t received enough attention.

Last year we did start opening and utilizing the lanai doors a little more, and all of that is based on weather. Las Vegas can be a bit windy. But it is a really nice piece of the facility and the tour guests get a great view of the city when we have those doors in action. I do think the torch has

been focused on, the field tray has been focused on, there’s been a lot of chatter about the ETFE roof. This stadium has had some focus or been touched on in each space. But we are working on what it could look like to have a major event with [the doors] being a possible component.

Las Vegas hosted its first Super Bowl with style, but you hosted the actual game. What was that like from a venue management perspective?

It was such an honor to be part of such an amazing event, and having the Super Bowl come in meant there are lot more parts of the stadium that change a lot. Around the outside, there was a lot to do to build those activations, and there were times when you stop and look at the landscaping and think, wow, can we get this back together again?

(Laughs.) But the NFL was great, and each partner involved was really amazing to deal with, and they really just came in January and took over and it was remarkable to watch the change happen. You’re hoping everything was

perfect for the fans and all the guests, and I think we all accomplished a memory that stays always. And then once they’re gone, you want to ensure everything is back in place and we were able to do that and host a big rugby event 18 days later, so that was also an amazing accomplishment between the two.

It feels a little hectic to think you can host the biggest event on the planet and then break it down and set up for another huge sporting event that quickly, but that seems like the current pace across Las Vegas.

I think so. You certainly see other large stadiums like SoFi [in LA] that would have the same [process], but I feel like at this stadium, it is done with that Las Vegas standard. Something I learned from the five-star hotel process was to do those daily walks and critique everything, and try to push and implement improvement daily. And running an arena and providing the same quality as one of our amazing Strip resort properties here, it’s a constant effort.

After so many massive events in just a few years, is there something coming up at Allegiant that might move the needle?

The NCAA Tournament is going to be something new and different when the Final Four is here in 2028, and preparation to host an event like that is just different. The Super Bowl obviously takes years to plan, and rugby was completely different, we’ve hosted soccer and that was huge, and some of the concerts we’ve had are now coming back. But I think that will be the next big one to come as far as something that will take over in a different way, and something that has a lot of components.

Samantha Cuen Salazar, senior director of facility maintenance at Allegiant Stadium. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

Local chef makes good

With a new, bigger Esther’s Kitchen, James Trees is doubling down on his beloved hometown

BY GEOFF CARTER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

Inever wanted to own a restaurant,” James Trees says.

Really?

“Oh, yeah. I always thought that the way to be successful in this business was to get paid a lot of money for your opinion. That’s what Michael Mina does, right? He doesn’t have to operate his restaurants day-to-day.”

Trees knows he’s skirting irony in saying that. For one thing, he has three Valley restaurants to his name—the wildly popular Arts District destination Esther’s Kitchen, and two Lev Group co-ventures in the Summerlin-adjacent Tivoli Village, Ada’s Food + Wine and Al Solito Posto—and there are more on the way. And while his opinion is demonstrably valuable, it’s hard to believe that Trees could avoid the kitchen for any length of time. He loves it too much for that.

“Hey, you want to see the kitchen?” he asks. We walk through the new, vastly expanded Esther’s, located on Main Street inside the space that formerly belonged to antique dealer Retro Vegas. Trees extended the already spacious building, adding more back of house space and guest bathrooms, bringing the square footage up to nearly 11,000—roughly ve times larger than the original Esther’s location on California Avenue. The dining room is now big enough to accommodate the crush of locals and visitors booking tables at Esther’s nightly; the bar area big enough to take walk-ins. A private dining room can be quickly created by closing a wall of glass doors. They’ve even added a luggage storage room to accommodate airport-bound guests.

Once in the kitchen, Trees points out its numerous upgrades, which include larger prep areas, a high-capacity dish station and an impressive bread oven that will produce loaves not just for Esther’s but his other restaurants as well. (It’s not yet operational at the time of our interview; Trees calls it “an $85,000 paperweight.”) He raves about the wood re hearth, custom-built by Gary Knackstedt of NorCal Ovenworks, like he’s talking up a new Lexus sedan.

“Everything that we did in this space was to solve a problem,” he says. “The bar is now the size it should be for the guest count that we have. Our tables are much more stretched out; we don’t need to jam 70 seats into a

small space. We don’t have to stack the kitchen with a ton of tickets, because now we can progress throughout the night using tables two times instead of four times. That’s the idea with everything that we’ve done here.”

One problem-solving element he doesn’t have to point out is the crew, which is working that brand-new kitchen as if it’s always existed. Trees o ers gentle high- ves to nearly everyone who doesn’t have their hands full. He thanks everyone profusely, often adding, “I appreciate you.” And when crew members approach him with questions or updates they’re bursting with enthusiasm, like they’re about to relay the best news he’s ever heard.

For Trees, it’s evident that the news is great across the board. Since opening in January 2018, his seasonal Italian restaurant has become a local institution so beloved it had to more than quadruple in size to squeeze in all its fans. It has an artful look, conceived by his sister Amanda, that’s wholly becoming to its neighborhood. And it’s sta ed by people who excel at what they do and have an earned, unwavering faith in the boss.

“We have a lot of pros here that al-

ready kind of know what they’re doing, so [Trees] has a lot of trust in myself, my front of house team, Chef Dylan [Jobsz], Chef Sean [O’Hara] and everybody in the back,” says Keith Bracewell, Trees’ director of operations. “Our goal is to get him to not be here all the time. … I don’t want him managing. I want him doing what he’s passionate about doing, allowing him more time to be creative. I want him to go around the room and talk to people—shake hands, kiss babies, maybe have a glass of wine—and enjoy it. People gravitate to him, because he is that guy.”

But she was very supportive when she realized that you could have success without a lot of education.”

THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD

“We come from an education background on my mom’s side, who was very into education: You had to go to college,” Amanda Trees says. “And a creative background on my dad’s side, who was a musician our whole lives and didn’t have his rst job until he was 50 [laughs]. She was probably scared of us doing our creative side.

James Trees’ CV has some schooling in it, but it quickly gives way to working kitchens. He began cooking at Las Vegas High School and earned an internship at the Mirage after just two years of training. He attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and went on to work under such big-name chefs as Bradley Ogden, Luke Palladino, Eric Ripert, Jacques Van Staden, and, yes, Michael Mina, for whom he opened ve restaurants. He appeared on Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares until he began to miss being in the kitchen, taking the chef de cuisine position at Ray Garcia’s farm-to-table spot Fig in Santa Monica and working with several other prominent LA chefs. It was a good time for him.

“I had the best job in the world; I was a corporate chef in Venice, California. I got to run Pit re Pizza and Superba [bakery] with Paul Hibler,

and I was livin’ the dream, walking on the beach seven days a week,” he says. “But I saw a monumental shift in the kind of person who was moving to Las Vegas.”

Trees loves his hometown with a passion and has a longtime local’s understanding of what it wants and needs. He’s prickly about largescale events like Formula 1 (“When people come in and use our town the way someone like that did, it’s offensive to me”) and has an abiding respect for the brand of hospitality Vegas was built on. In fact, he abandoned projects at two Strip hotels because “their philosophy on hospitality and my philosophy on hospitality were so far apart, that it didn’t make sense to continue.”

And during those visits back home—for pop-ups, for holidays, to visit with his sister—Trees saw that Vegas was becoming “less transient” in nature. Increasingly, its residents were putting down permanent roots.

Trees intuited that Las Vegans were ready for the kind of dining he knew in LA—neighborhood spots with relaxed vibes, and with kitchens that drew their ingredients from family-run ranches and farms. He looked to the Arts District, which already had such burgeoning neighborhood-focused businesses as Makers & Finders, Vesta Coffee Roasters and Makeshift Union, and

THE NEW ESTHER’S KITCHEN EXTERIOR

decided to open Esther’s Kitchen there, in the corner space of a renovated hotel, in early 2018.

Esther’s, named for Trees’ great aunt, was run by some of Trees’ oldest friends and young, hungry talents like Bracewell. It immediately established itself as a praiseworthy spot—not just for the Arts District, but for the Valley as a whole. Esther’s served up housemade polenta with truffle butter and sherry, ricotta gnudi with whole beets and pistachio pesto, and cacio e pepe with

housemade chitarra and tossed with pecorino and Tellicherry peppercorns. And every meal could begin with outstanding cocktails and fresh sourdough bread, which the author of this piece always orders with fresh burrata and always will.

Despite raves from guests and some significant national recognition—Trees was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2020—the success of Esther’s was never completely assured. Road work on California Avenue resulted in reduced

parking and dirt sidewalks in front of Esther’s for more than a year. And the COVID pandemic shutdowns of 2020 forced Trees to reduce his staff, save for a small kitchen crew— who kept themselves occupied by baking sourdough loaves, which Trees offered to his Downtown neighbors free of charge.

“What’s crazy about that is that people refused to not give us money for [the bread]. We started bringing back staff members because of that, and those little to-go dinners. By the time we were allowed to open, we already had like 60% or 70% of our kitchen staff back to work.”

He adds that no one working at Esther’s during the pandemic took a pay cut or lost their benefits. “I would have rather gone out of business than have had to tell them they can’t pay their rent. All the undue burden that would have caused them so that, what, I can have couple extra bucks in the bank?”

Bracewell, who first transitioned into a management role at Esther’s during the shutdown, says the care and integrity Trees showed during the pandemic is part and parcel of what makes Esther’s such a success.

“James and I have kind of a different relationship than I’ve had with a lot of the owners that I’ve worked for,” Bracewell says. “He really takes

The Esther’s Kitchen crew, circa 2018. (Courtesy)

care of his staff. He means what he says, and he executes on a higher level, and he just holds everybody accountable and to a higher standard. I think that excellence shows in how busy we are and, obviously, it’s represented in the food.”

It also shows clear across town, at Trees’ two Tivoli Village establishments. As reservations at Esther’s became harder to get, my girlfriend and I would often go to Al Solito Posto, which doesn’t have the same relaxed, cozy LA vibe as Esther’s— kind of impossible to pull off in a space formerly occupied by a chain restaurant—but it feels nice, in any case, and the food is excellent.

I tell Trees a story about the first time we visited Al Solito Posto, in spring 2021: Our server made a miniscule error, and before we’d even noticed it, the server appeared at our table with a complimentary bottle of wine. Good stuff, too.

“You’re talking about a case of empowerment,” Trees says, explaining that likes to find workers who are disillusioned with working in restaurants on the Strip—where an 8-hour day balloons to 11 hours thanks to gridlock resort corridor traffic, checking out a uniform, mandated break times and traversing casino floors bigger than football fields.

“I find people who are in love with this business. I find out what they like to do. I like to make sure that they’re at the top of their game. And then we build them up by empowering them, like your server. … So many things in this world are complicated. Restaurants are easy. I tell all my servers now that if something’s wrong on the table, fix it. I tell them, ‘It’s your job to make people love this restaurant and make it their favorite restaurant of all time.’”

At that, I mention how much I enjoyed a recent visit to Ada’s, partially because of its terrific food, wine and servers, but mostly because their lead sommelier, Kat Thomas, is a hoot-and-a-half. Every time she brought a new bottle to the table, she’d describe it in the richest possi-

Housemade sourdough bread, duck confit pizza, yellowtail crudo, vitello tonnato, egg tagliatelle, radiatore, beet pansotti, and the Pachamama Farms pork chop with butcher beans and tomato-braised lentils at Esther’s Kitchen.

at the detriment of artists,” he says. really love this neighborhood, and I

50%

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NEWS IN THE NEWS

“

If I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole—that’s going to be the least of it. It’s going to be a bloodbath for the country.”

–Former President Donald Trump,

speaking —at least initially—about auto manufacturing March 16 in Ohio

STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

MENTAL HEALTH

3,000-mile walk stops in Las Vegas

BAREFOOT JOURNEY AIMS TO RAISE AWARENESS

A man who is attempting to walk barefoot from LA to New York to raise awareness for men’s mental health will stop on the Las Vegas Strip on March 22.

The 37-year-old Anton Nootenboom, better known on Instagram as the Barefoot Dutchman, plans to travel through 13 states, logging 7.5 million steps over approximately 240 days in partnership with the shoe company Barebarics.

“We came up with the campaign Brave Men Talk to really, especially here in the states, change perception,” Nootenboom says. “A lot of men feel it’s a weakness, and I want to change that perception and turn it into bravery.”

The Dutch army veteran started his 3,000-mile trek in February and is attempting to break his 2021 Guinness World Record in which he walked 3,019 kilometers (1,876 miles) barefoot along Australia’s East Coast.

Nootenboom will host a meet and greet at the Bellagio Fountains on March 22 at noon. Follow him on Instagram (@thebarefoot_dutchman) to keep track of his journey. –Amber Sampson

Visit lasvegasweekly.com for more of this story.

No Big Dance this year

UNLV forward Kalib Boone (10) consoles teammate Luis Rodriguez (15) after a 74-71 loss to San Diego State in overtime of the Mountain West Conference tournament quarterfinal March 14 at the Thomas & Mack Center. The Scarlet and Gray had won five of six games going into the tournament before coming up short, but the team was selected to play in the National Invitation Tournament. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

Punk rock fest tickets

Tickets for Punk Rock Bowling’s club shows— where bands from the festival lineup play in intimate club venues throughout Downtown—are now on sale. Thirty-one club shows will take place over May 23-27. The Punk Rock Bowling festival will take place at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center from May 25-27. Tickets for club shows and the festival are available at punkrockbowling.com.

First pitch at Circa

To celebrate the first day of baseball, former MLB pitching great and Vegas legend Greg Maddux will throw out the first pitch at Circa’s sportsbook on March 28. The opening day ceremony will take place atop an official mound in front of the 78-million-pixel sportsbook screen. There will also be food vendors and free drinks for moms.

The Golden Knights play Columbus on March 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Locals can get their artwork on the Sphere

Las Vegas community members will have the opportunity to see their artwork displayed on the Exosphere—the viral outer shell of the Sphere that has gained worldwide attention over the past year for its repertoire of designs, including advertisements for movies, grinning emojis, giant basketballs and more.

The event and entertainment venue, which opened in September near the Strip, announced a partnership with the Clark County School District and UNLV that will allow local students from fourth grade through college to compete in the “Sphere XO Student Design Challenge” for a chance to have their art displayed on the Exosphere. It’s the first time the Sphere has sought local art for its displays.

O cials said the design challenge will select eight students from a pool of more than 100,000 to have their creation cast on the world’s largest LED screen, which is made up of 1.2 million LED pucks.

The inaugural program will launch this month and culminate on the Fourth of July, when the eight winning works will be displayed on the Exosphere to celebrate its first anniversary.

Sixty high school and college students will be selected to participate by their administrators, based on a “demonstrated passion for art and digital design,” according to a news release. –Katie Ann McCarver

LAS

Christian Wilkins, a 6-4, 310-pound defensive tackle, yells “Raiders!” at the start of a news conference at the Intermountain Health Performance Center/ Raiders Headquarters in Henderson. Wilkins joins the Raiders after spending the past ve seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He joins star edge rusher Maxx Crosby on what is expected to be one of the most formidable defensive line pairings in the NFL, which is why the Raiders made him the fth highest-paid defensive player in the league with a contract that guarantees four years and $82.7 million and could escalate to $110 million. (Steve Marcus/Sta )

BY THE NUMBERS

That’s how many participants had their heads shaved at the 15th annual St. Baldrick’s Foundation event March 16 at New York-New York. The event raised more than $171,000 for childhood cancer research.

FLEETING FLIGHT

Wildlife experts work on conservation, public awareness as migratory birds flock to Southern Nevada

A flock of Gadwalls takes flight at Clark County Wetlands Park. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

NEWS

BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ

Beyond Las Vegas’ miles-long strip of glittering lights and casino resorts lies a vast natural expanse that’s home to a seasonal phenomenon. Every spring and fall, migratory birds grace our skies. Their journey, known as the Pacific Flyway, stretches from Alaska and Canada, through California to Mexico and South America. ¶ On the flyway path, Southern Nevada is a crucial pit stop that provides diverse habitats, from wetlands to desert oases, and refueling opportunities. Recently, a traveler on that path, a yellow-billed loon—one of the 10 rarest birds that breeds in the continental U.S., according to the National Park Service—made international news by landing in the Bellagio’s Strip-front lake, halting the resort’s fountain shows. ¶ This rare loon’s Vegas visit illustrates a concern among naturalists: When our winged friends traverse the Valley, they’re met with a bustling urban landscape, unnatural human interactions and global warming issues that can harm or disturb their migration. ¶ The Weekly spoke with experts to learn more about the effects of urban sprawl, the conservation efforts of local wildlife authorities and bird-human interactions.

CONSERVATION EFFORTS

Dangers posed by renewable energy installations like solar and wind are becoming increasingly unavoidable for our feathered friends. Solar energy plants present the risk of birds mistaking solar fields for bodies of water, leading to fatal collisions. Similarly, they run the risk of colliding with wind turbines.

“There’s the challenge of being able to generate the greenest energy possible for the environment and decrease global warming, versus the impact it has on these species,” says Rob Vinson, wildlife refuge manager with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

In the face of growing threats posed by climate change and human activity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is at the forefront of protective services and monitors migratory bird populations. USFWS uses a range of initiatives to track their migration patterns, assess habitat use, and ease the impacts of environmental changes.

Vinson highlights the impact of climate change by citing the example of black-bellied whistling-ducks, a bird native to the South American tropics that are expanding their ranges northward due to warming temperature. “Within the last

decade, their expansion has moved all the way up to where they’re very common up in Ohio, Illinois, Mississippi … that’s due to climate change,” Vinson says.

Severe droughts and alterations to water systems can also lead to habitat loss and resource shortages.

Recognizing these challenges, USFWS utilizes advanced tracking systems such as the Motus Wildlife Tracking System and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) to monitor bird movements and habitat use in real time. North of Las Vegas at the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex, the Motus system maintains a network of towers across key habitats. With this, researchers can collect data on bird migration patterns, stopover sites and foraging behavior. Similarly, GSM enables researchers to attach tracking devices to individual birds.

“The data collected through these tracking technologies allows us to predict future bird behavior and reproduction rates,” Vinson says. “With this, USFWS can develop conservation strategies.”

These tracking systems help researchers determine which species are at risk of being endangered and make decisions about habitat restoration, establishing protected areas and public awareness campaigns.

BIRD-HUMAN INTERACTIONS

Residents of urban neighborhoods may inadvertently host nestlings or baby birds. Claire Clarke, urban wildlife education coordinator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, advises people to be proactive about birds nesting in their yards, no matter how cute they may be.

“As we are getting into the breeding season for Mallard ducks, especially this time of year, the males and females are starting to scope out nice areas, so that they could build a nest and have access to water very shortly after those chicks hatch,” Clarke explains.

“We want to prevent the nest from becoming active in the first place. So if you notice that there’s a pair of ducks hanging out in your backyard, do what you can to discourage them from getting too comfortable.”

Clarke suggests trimming bushes and shrubs to remove potential nesting sites. And if you notice a nest is being constructed without eggs present, go ahead and dismantle it by removing sticks, twigs, leaves and grasses before it becomes an active bird-boarding spot.

However, once eggs are laid, the nest is considered to be active and is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. In this case, residents, now the hosts, are advised to wait

until the eggs hatch and the fledglings leave the site before taking any action.

“If you come across a baby bird, and it has no feathers, is completely naked with its eyes still closed, there’s a good chance that it’s what’s considered a hatchling,” said Clarke. “This age class is still very reliant on their parents, so they’ll need their mom or dad bird to come and bring them food, regurgitate that food for them and keep them warm.”

Clarke says that if a hatchling is found on the ground, it’s all right to carefully place it back in its nest. But if the nest is missing due to factors like a windstorm, an artificial nest made with a shallow box can replace the real thing, as long as it’s placed in the general area where the chick was discovered to ensure the parents can find their baby.

As the hatchling grows, it will practice hopping around and foraging for its own food. “They’ll learn how to find safe spots and avoid predators,” explains Clarke.

This natural learning process is crucial for young birds’ development. And while it’s tempting to want to help the chick, Clarke says, “In general, wildlife doesn’t need our assistance … so it’s kind of a matter of evaluating the situation, and oftentimes, it’s just a younger bird learning how to become a regular bird.”

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UP TO SPEED UP TO SPEED

Fast freshman phenom Amarachi Kimpson helps give UNLV a better chance than ever at winning an NCAA Tournament game

BY MIKE GRIMALA

The UNLV women’s basketball program has never advanced past the rst round of the NCAA Tournament, but the team has one player with Final Four experience—freshman guard Amarachi Kimpson.

Kimpson, a Texas native, attended last year’s semi nal matchup between Iowa and South Carolina in Dallas as part of a high school all-star outing. And she got to witness an all-time classic, as Caitlyn Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes knocked o the previously undefeated top seed.

“We got tickets to the game and had pretty decent seats,” Kimpson says with a wide smile. “Very crazy. To see sold-out crowds, everybody supporting each other, it was really good.”

OK, so it’s not playing experience, but that hasn’t slowed Kimpson so far. The rst-year spark plug has ingrained herself as a key contributor to this year’s UNLV team as it once again eyes the rst NCAA Tournament victory in school history.

No. 10 seed UNLV will look to solidify this season as the best in program history when it takes on No. 7 seed Creighton in the rst round of the Big Dance at 4 p.m. March 23 in Los Angeles. The game will be broadcast on ESPN News, with the victor meeting the winner of a game between No. 2 seed UCLA and No. 15 seed Califor-

nia Baptist on March 25.

The Scarlet and Gray are a veteran-led group, starting with senior center Desi-Rae Young, who just earned her second Mountain West Player of the Year award after averaging 17.1 points and 9.1 rebounds a game. Junior point guard Kiara Jackson, junior shooting guard Alyssa Durazo-Frescas and junior forward Alyssa Brown are starters who have also been part of tournament runs the past two years.

But when UNLV needed a bucket late in the Mountain West tournament semi nal against Colorado State, it was Kimpson whose number was called.

Head coach Lindy La Rocque designed a series of isolation plays for Kimpson, and the youngster delivered each time, scoring at will to push UNLV across the nish line of a 62-52 win—its toughest test of the conference tournament.

Kimpson nished with a team-high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting that night. Now the Scarlet and Gray are counting on the Mountain West Freshman of the Year to provide that kind of impact on the biggest stage.

Kimpson came o the bench for all 32 games this season (she was also named Mountain West Sixth Player of the Year) and posted averages of nine points and two assists per game while nailing 40.3% of her 3-pointers.

She got more aggressive—and more effective—as the season went on, culminating in her sensational MWC tournament showing.

Creighton will surely come into the rstround contest with a plan to defend Young, but Kimpson could be the X-factor. La Rocque is more than ne with that.

“She continues to get better and grow into her own as a player,” La Rocque says. “The con dence that our team has in her is through the roof.”

Kimpson’s speed and relentless style have added another gear to UNLV’s high-powered o ense. The Scarlet and Gray rank 17th in the nation in scoring at 79.2 points per game, and they topped the 100-point mark in each of their nal two regular-season contests.

Though she’s surrounded by accomplished veterans, Kimpson has the green light to attack whenever she sees an opening.

“I just try to bring the most energy I can every game,” Kimpson says. “That’s kind of what’s brought me here.”

Her athleticism consistently wows her teammates, both in practice and on game day. After she contorted in the air to nish a 3-point play late against Colorado State, Young rushed over to chest-bump Kimpson, who was immediately surrounded and congratulated by her squad.

Brown, the Mountain West tournament MVP, praised Kimpson for bringing another dimension on both ends of the court.

“She’s a great point guard,” Brown says. “She’s de nitely very explosive. Her hang time is crazy. She’s given us a lot of points. Defensively she’s a bigger, physical guard, so she helps a lot on defense and o ense.”

La Rocque especially enjoys pairing Kimpson with Jackson, an All-Mountain West point guard who also possesses topend speed. Most teams can barely keep up with one of them, so teaming them together can break an opposing defense.

“For our style of play, I love playing two point guards at a time,” La Rocque says. “It’s like having two or three brains out there. And both her and Kiara have the ability to play not just on the ball, but o the ball. I think it really helps them both. They take a little of the pressure o each other.”

UNLV heads into the NCAA Tournament on a 15-game winning streak, with a Mountain West regular-season title and conference tournament championship behind them.

Just like the past two years.

Most of the team has been there, done that, but not Kimpson.

How is she going to react to taking the NCAA Tournament stage for the rst time?

“I have no idea,” Kimpson says with a laugh.

If the rest of the season is any indication, she’ll gure it out quickly.

UNLV Lady Rebels guard Amarachi Kimpson (33) drives against Colorado State in the second half of the Mountain West Conference semifinal on March 12. (Steve Marcus/Sta )

BETTING THE BRACKET

Analyzing future odds to make the Final Four and win the national championship

BY CASE KEEFER

Houston’s Cedric Lath (2) and Iowa State’s Hason Ward (24) battle for the ball during a Big 12 Conference tournament game March 16 in Kansas City.

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Brackets are due before the start of the NCAA Tournament, but the betting window stays open. Sportsbooks post game lines and reopen futures odds quicker than ever given sports betting’s soaring nationwide popularity. ¶ The latter is why there’s still value in thinking long term. Opportunities abound every step of the tournament. ¶ So let’s go through the bracket one last time and find regional bets to make along the way before ultimately landing on a champion. ¶ The exact prices might change once the games start, but use this as a reference to where they started and as a guide for bets to consider as the field starts to trim.

EAST REGION

No. 1 seed Connecticut got no favors with the opponents slotted around it despite being the defending champions and overall top-ranked team.

The Huskies could have to play another Final Four team from last year, No. 8 seed Florida Atlantic, in the second round. Then, in the Sweet 16, they would most likely face a national-championship game rematch from last year against No. 5 seed San Diego State or a historically strong No. 4 seed in Auburn. The Tigers won the SEC Tournament, just as No. 2 seed Iowa State prevailed in the Big 12 event and No. 3 seed Illinois came out of the Big Ten bracket.

BYU is also a historically strong No. 6 seed.

The Huskies are the most likely team to come out of the gauntlet—they do get the benefit of the final games being played close to home in Brooklyn, N.Y.—but their probability is less than odds that currently have them as short as -120 (i.e. risking $120 to win $100) to reach the Final Four.

It’s a better bet to bundle a couple of the other teams together, and gamble on Connecticut finally falling victim to a tournament off-night.

Bets to win: Iowa State at +450 (i.e. risking $100 to win $450) and Auburn at +475

WEST REGION

This could be the best bracket to tap a long shot— at least in the top half.

No. 1 seed North Carolina is the most vulnerable team on the top line as it’s not explosive enough offensively. The Tar Heels could be at a talent disadvantage, or at least standstill, as soon as a prospective second-round matchup against No. 9 seed Michigan State.

No. 4 seed Alabama spent most of the year with the top-rated offense in the nation. No. 5 seed St. Mary’s would have been an ideal sleeper candidate if healthy but the loss of local product/ Liberty High graduate Joshua Jefferson cuts deeply into its chance.

There’s a much clearer divide at the bottom of the region. No. 2 seed Arizona is going to be a big favorite in every possible matchup—perhaps even by double digits.

The Wildcats are well-rounded and should have partisan crowds in nearby Los Angeles for the final two games. They couldn’t have dreamed of a better setup to reach their first Final Four in 23 years.

Bet to win: Arizona at +210

SOUTH REGION

No. 1 seed Houston arguably wound up with the path that Connecticut deserved as the tournament’s top-ranked team.

The South Region is pillow soft, and the Cougars should be the odds-on favorite to get through it. No. 3 seed Kentucky and No. 4 seed Duke are trendy picks to add to their March Madness legend.

The potential of Houston having to beat both in a span of three days is daunting because of their NBA-level talent. But given their inconsistency all year and defensive flaws, it’s more likely that either the Blue Devils or Wildcats trip up somewhere ahead of time and save the Cougars the headache.

No. 2 seed Marquette is a more complete team than Duke and Kentucky but it’s difficult to have much confidence in the Golden Eagles given a dire injury situation led by star point guard Tyler Kolek’s recent absence. Kolek is expected to play in the NCAA Tournament, but it’s unlikely he’ll be fully healthy.

Bet to win: Houston at +130

MIDWEST REGION

Any of the top five seeds could come out of this region.

No. 1 seed Purdue has the probable back-to-back national player of the year in center Zach Edey, but potential problems loom in the Sweet 16. No. 4 seed Kansas has its own 7-footer who’s battled Edey over the years in Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson (assuming he’s healthy), while No. 5 seed Gonzaga has a backcourt advantage led by red-hot point guard Ryan Nembhard.

The star power doesn’t end there, as on the bottom part of the bracket, No. 2 seed Tennessee has a national-champion upside with unstoppable wing Dalton Knecht. No. 3 seed Creighton’s 7-foot big man Ryan Kalkbrenner isn’t as offensively elite as Edey or Dickinson but he’s even better defensively.

Tennessee vs. Creighton might be the best potential Sweet 16 matchup, and either team could come out alive.

In a region with so much parity between the top five teams, the best approach is just taking the longest shot to win. There’s rarely a year without one surprise team in the Final Four.

Bet to win: Gonzaga at 12-to-1

FINAL FOUR

The Final Four is in Phoenix, which is no small edge to Arizona. Bulk-scoring guard Caleb Love should continue his NCAA Tournament legend—he brought North Carolina to the championship game as a No. 8 seed two years ago—and lead the Wildcats over either Iowa State or Auburn in one of the semifinal games.

In the other, Houston’s physicality would rattle Gonzaga. The Cougars are the best defensive team in the nation, and it’s about time that pays off in the tournament.

Houston would also hold a major coaching advantage in this prospective Final Four with genius tactician Kelvin Sampson on the bench. Houston flummoxed Arizona in a Sweet 16 matchup two years ago, cruising to a 72-60 upset win as a No. 5 seed.

It wouldn’t take an upset this time; Houston would beat Arizona. Houston’s future odds didn’t diminish after the overall bracket was revealed, and given its draw, they should have.

Bet to win: Houston at 6-to-1

THE STRIP

Miranda Lambert may have had too much fun with her Vegas residency to not come back for more

BY BROCK RADKE

When the biggest names in music settle in for their over-the-top Las Vegas residency production shows, they obviously take advantage of all the Strip has to o er, hitting up all the hot spots, nightclubs and restaurants when they’re not performing onstage. Right? Right.

When country superstar Miranda Lambert is in town for her Velvet Rodeo show at Planet Hollywood’s Bakkt Theater, she’s hanging with family and friends in a suburban rental home and cooking favorite crockpot recipes from her New York Times bestseller cookbook, Y’all Eat Yet?

“I literally Instacarted a crockpot last time I was there and did all the crockpot things,” she tells the Weekly. “I throw it together, leave for the show and come home and eat after. It was the best.

“And I was actually texting with Carrie [Underwood] because I nally saw her show [at Resorts World] for the rst time and it was incredible, and it was, ‘What are you making today? Sourdough?’ We laughed about it, how it’s ‘very rock and roll.’ We just can’t tell people what we’re actually doing.”

It checks out for Lambert, who opened her rst Vegas residency in the fall of 2022 and has taken care of her fans with a somewhat stripped-down production, relative to other residencies. She’s

LAST RODEO?

basically throwing a honky-tonk party during every concert, reeling o her hits and making the audience feel like they’ve discovered the biggest possible version of a bar gig in the type of Texas saloon where she cut her teeth in the industry.

She knew what she wanted to do onstage, but “I didn’t know what to expect from being in Las Vegas,” Lambert says. “People ask, how is it? And it’s a normal life o the Strip, people just doing life. So I’ve been living in the ‘burbs, which I’ve loved, cooking dinner and taking walks with the dog and then I get to go clock in and go to work.

“I’m just thrilled I was o ered this opportunity to do something so di erent, and it’s given me a rest from the bus. I’ve been touring for 20 years so it’s nice to have a break, especially in a town that’s so amazing. It’s been a really great run.”

Indeed, the run is coming to its nale. Lambert is back on the Strip this week and the last Velvet Rodeo concert is scheduled for April 6; after that she’ll be hitting the road again for all the big spring and summer country fests.

She’s also taken advantage of some extra time o the tour grind to write new music, so fans can expect something soon. “I have some things up my sleeve right now,” she says. “Making records is such a big part of what we do and we wouldn’t

have made it to a residency or have the di erent brands or my charity if the music didn’t drive it all. So I’m keeping that rst and foremost, no matter what I’m doing.”

That charity, MuttNation Foundation (which promotes the adoption of rescue pets and supports animal shelters across the country) has received a dollar for every ticket sold to the residency show. Connecting her new Vegas life to all those various endeavors has also been a positive experience, she says, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Lambert return for another run or something new on the Strip.

“I think the beauty of Vegas is once you get in the Vegas bubble, they kinda let you in forever, which is an awesome thing to be a part of,” she says. “You can go back and reinvent yourself as an artist three or four years down the road, do something di erent, and I love that and would be excited about that if the opportunity arises.”

March 22, 23, 27, 29, 30 & April 3, 5, 6, 8 p.m.,

(John Shearer/Courtesy)

MIRANDA LAMBERT: VELVET RODEO

$69-$250+. Bakkt Theater, ticketmaster.com

CULTURE

WITH TED SABLAY

BY AMBER SAMPSON

Ted Sablay has been around to see it all. The seasoned guitarist has been a staple of the Killers’ touring band for the past 17 years. He’s rubbed elbows with Bruce Springsteen. He’s performed for the Obamas. He’s endured long enough to see himself become a solo artist with a tuneful LP and another on the way. When he isn’t mentoring the next generation of musicians or touring, Sablay spends time with his wife and adorable new rescue pup, Sade Milky Way (pictured here). Recently, we spoke with Sablay to discuss three key albums that have inspired his guitar playing and singing.

Keith Richards Talk Is Cheap

“Whereas Mick Jagger has a reputation for being very career-driven and on trend, Keith Richards is all about ‘We need to get back to the roots.’ He did that on this record. Keith Richards has a few quotes he’s said, like ‘Everyone talks about the rock, but no one talks about the roll.’ I have more of a roll. I don’t melt faces, but it’s not yacht rock either. A lot of that comes from this whole Keith Richards thing.”

U2 Achtung Baby

“I moved to Vegas in 1991 the month

Achtung Baby came out. When you move anywhere, you don’t know anyone. I was 15 and a guitar player, so I just disappeared into that record. [Edge] was influenced a lot by Manchester music, and through that … I started learning more about Manchester, then from there it was the Stone Roses, and I learned about the Smiths. That’s a whole second act with my guitar playing.”

Jakob Dylan Seeing Things

“It’s Jakob Dylan’s first solo record. It’s almost in the vein of Springsteen’s Nebraska or Johnny Cash’s American Recordings. I wasn’t looking for another guitar mentor, but it was great in terms of learning how to work with those colors. If your voice isn’t super high, but there’s an interesting quality to it, then you really get your lyrics going and you really get your sense of rhythm in your vocal phrasing.”

BY SHANNON MILLER

From Bugsy Siegel to Frank Rosenthal, organized crime has a special place in Las Vegas history. And, as posited by local journalist and author Lissa Townsend Rodgers, women have a special place in the history of organized crime.

Published by the locally based Huntington Press, Shameless: Women of the Underworld delves into the lives of six women who made a name for themselves in their respective circles of criminals. Most historical accounts seek to cast gures like Kathryn Kelly, Bonnie Parker, Stephanie St. Clair, Virginia Hill, Geri Rosenthal and Liz Renay as supporting acts to their male counterparts and companions. Rodgers brings their stories to center stage in the book and at a reading and book signing at the Mob Museum on March 26.

They’re stories that defy society’s roles for women. As she notes in her introduction, “If the America of the early to mid-20th century was a time when women knew their place, the gender roles and rules were even more rigid in the underworld of the era.”

“Obviously, it was much worse back then,” Rodgers tells the Weekly. “As serious and as much as it was in everyday life, it was even worse in the world of the mob, where you clean things, you tidy things, you’re a side piece, you keep your mouth shut.”

While society’s and the underworld’s expectations for women were rigid, the author highlights how the crime queens broke that

Las Vegas author sheds light on historic women in organized crime with new book

mold—whether it was Virginia Hill, widely known as Bugsy Siegel’s girlfriend, using her sexual prowess to work her way up in the mob; or Bonnie Parker, Clyde Barrow’s other half, posing for an immortal photo with cigar in mouth, shotgun in hand and one foot perched on a car fender.

Years of extensive research not only roots the stories in factual history, but also makes readers feel as though they’re a y on the wall. The author weaves together rsthand accounts, news reports from the time, menus, guests lists and various sources to paint vivid scenes and transport readers back in time. Take this example from Geri Rosenthal’s chapter:

“In the early ‘70s, the Stardust glowed with smoke mirrors, pink neon and action. It was Vegas at its post-Rat Pack zenith, the stars and spangles of Strip signage blitzing and glimmering, everything humming from senatorial suite and steakhouse to sports book. Dancers cha-cha-ed with giant bananas onstage at the Lido show as Siegfried & Roy made another tiger disappear. Saudi Arabian arms dealers dropped a ten-grand ‘courtesy bet’ at the tables, Eartha Kitt purred languidly on the rotating stage

in the lounge.

“And in the middle of it all, the mad queen of a crazy town was Geri, in a Halston halter and diamond-ruby necklace, blown out of her mind on Percodan and vodka rocks, ready to throw a drink, start a ght, kick down an empire.”

Not only the women’s surroundings, but also their inner lives take shape in the narratives Rodgers crafts. She captures their emotional states, from the highs of thrilling heists to the lows of ending up penniless and mysteriously dead.

Las Vegans may nd themselves particularly drawn to the chapters about Virginia Hill, Liz Renay and Geri Rosenthal, whose plots all touched Sin City at one point or another. And for many of the crime queens featured in the book, Shameless o ers history previously untold.

“There are so many great stories that people don’t tell,” Rodgers says of the subjects of her book. “For a lot of them, it’s the only serious record that’s in one place.”

SHAMELESS: WOMEN OF THE UNDERWORLD March 26, 7 p.m., $20-$35. Mob Museum, themobmuseum.org.

There’s a chance you won’t believe us. Even after your meal. We serve imaginative, inspired plant-based cuisine, so decadent you’ll just have to take our word for it.

BBQ Mexicana expands with its first free-standing, drive-thru spot

BY BROCK RADKE

How did a California-based celebrity chef duo change baseball in Las Vegas forever?

James Beard Award winners Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, operators of the beloved Border Grill at Mandalay Bay for nearly 25 years, expanded their BBQ Mexicana concept with a concession at the brand-new Las Vegas Ballpark at Downtown Summerlin in 2019. That prompted a serious sports-food question: Why are we eating hot dogs when we could be eating burnt-end brisket burritos?

“When we started at the baseball stadium, the difference was that it was all local, and people were very responsive to it,” says Feniger. “That gave us the confidence to try this as a drive-thru casual concept and really see how we do off the Strip and not in a stadium, but it was also because we had built somewhat of a following at the stadium.”

Feniger and Milliken originally launched BBQ Mexicana in collaboration with longtime former Border Grill executive chef Mike Minor with a graband-go spot at Mandalay Bay. Then came concessions at the ballpark, Allegiant Stadium and T-Mobile Arena. Besides that irresistible burrito—slow smoked brisket wrapped up with crispy potatoes, cheese, red rice, coleslaw, barbecue sauce and chipotle mayo— there are tacos, bowls and salads; kid-friendly fare like chicken tenders and quesadillas; and fun sides that go beyond chips and salsa to form a completely satisfying take-home meal, stuff like chili-lime broccolini and chipotle mac and cheese.

Now all those expanded menu offerings are ready and waiting at the BBQ Mexicana that opened this month at Sunset and Durango.

“We have fallen in love with Vegas and we always tried to push ourselves to stay connected with the local community—that was a big priority from the very beginning at Border Grill,” Feniger says. “With this concept, we always felt like there was a market for families and just anybody to be able to go somewhere and get high-quality food but not have to go sit down and have a big check, or if you just want to pick up something quick and take it home.”

A drive-thru eatery serving organic rice and beans and meats that have been smoked for 14 hours is an uncommon practice, she says. And if you’ve eaten that burrito at the ballpark or anywhere else, you’ve tasted the difference.

“We’ve added more tacos for people who might not want to have a big burrito. They’re filling,” Feniger adds. “We’re also doing beer and wine and a margarita, and there are plenty of seats inside so you can come in and have a marg and bring the kids for a fried chicken taco or mac and cheese. We want to make it fill a need for everyone.”

Beyond burritos: BBQ Mexicana’s expanded menu at the new southwest location covers all the bases. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

Vegas Inc is seeking nominations for the 2024 Angel Awards. These awards recognize Southern Nevada’s most philanthropic businesses and nonprofits. Nominate to help us honor the kindness and generosity of some of the community’s most service-minded individuals and organizations.

DEADLINE APRIL 1

NOMINATIONS HERE:

UPCOMING

SHOWS IN THE INTERNATIONAL THEATER

FRANKIE VALLI AND THE FOUR SEASONS THE LAST ENCORES

APRIL 4 - 6

OCTOBER 24 - 26

APRIL 11

TYLER HENRY

HOLLYWOOD MEDIUM

STAR OF NETFLIX - LIFE AFTER DEATH

APRIL 25

ELLE KING

MAY 17 & 18

AIR SUPPLY THE LOST IN LOVE EXPERIENCE

MAY 31 & JUNE 1

I think it can be really challenging to manage a lot of moving parts—employees, your own schedule. So I try to take time to reflect and to think about my day, my week, my month, my quarter, my year.”

BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF

Las Vegas local Kim Nguyen opened her business, Base Roots, as an online storefront on Amazon about six years ago. Since then, the home decor shop has virtually grown nonstop, giving shoppers the opportunity to make their home their own, using ceramic planters and vases, floating shelves and other whimsical but functional furnishings.

Vegas Inc sat down with Nguyen to learn more about Base Roots, how it’s grown and her goals for the future.

Can you walk me through establishing Base Roots?

I started Base Roots in 2018.

I was living in California at the time. I was moving to different apartments, from San Francisco to LA. So it was every couple of years, and I was thinking versatile home decor could move along with me, no matter the new space. And the term Base Roots, it’s in essence like your home base—your foundation.

My first initial products were around indoor plants that make (it) feel more homey inside, and since then we’ve expanded.

How would you describe the store and its products to some-

Home decor entrepreneur plants roots of business without being rooted to location, at home or

one who doesn’t know anything about it?

The products range from smaller home decor, so … shelves, baskets, hanging decor, a lot of planters and vases. Every product includes natural elements whether it’s its design, so the sun or the moon, also the materials that we’re using. … We’re also really thoughtful about the packaging. We try to ship minimalistic, in offsetting our carbon footprint, which is a program through Amazon.

In what ways can an Amazon store be more beneficial than a brick-and-mortar outlet?

With Amazon, we started from the very, very beginning, and it’s grown tons because of the fulfillment, the warehouse, the customer service, as well as (the) platform’s customer searching on there. It’s made it really a lot easier than we thought possible. We do a little bit of wholesale, but it’s very, very minor … But over the years, it’s really mostly grown on Amazon. And after around two years, we expanded internationally to the UK and EU, and we grew over 70% just that year.

And then after, we launched in Canada, and that was all through the help of Amazon. We got account managers to help with the taxes and different laws around there and also the shipping and translation. So

we’ve been really fortunate enough to work closely with a few different teams and programs within Amazon … so yeah, it’s been a really good partnership with them.

What has it been like to watch Base Roots grow over the years?

Because of COVID—where factories (and) businesses were closed down (and) a lot people (were stuck) at home … a lot more people were wanting to decorate their space, working from home as well. … And so, in being able to grow internationally, I think that internationally, people are more open to buying online versus I think they were more shopping at brickand-mortar in the past, so it’s good to see that side as well.

How do you hope to grow the business going forward, or what may be on the horizon?

To grow the business, we are focusing on social media. And fortunately, we get a lot of really great content from our customers. Great reviews, great photos, great videos … and so we want to be able to partner with them, and push more of that content on our channels and see how we can grow in my way.

It’s Women’s History Month, and we just recently celebrated International Women’s Day. What

would you say to other women business owners who may just be starting out?

It’s really important to connect with yourself and connect with others. I think it can be really challenging to manage a lot of moving parts—employees, your own schedule. So I try to take time to reflect and to think about my day, my week, my month, my quarter, my year—big picture, long term. … And, although they’re not alone, I think it can be quite lonely at times, especially starting off. And so reaching out to others, such as a like-minded community or an industry-specific group, I feel like there’s a lot more events and women business owners that want to connect with others as well. People love talking business and feeling that mutual support and passion for each other.

How has the community in Las Vegas fostered your entrepreneurial spirit or pushed your business forward?

The entrepreneurs here—it’s amazing. It’s been a wide range of types of businesses, and I feel like people here are very open-minded; they’re very friendly. They like to have fun. So, it’s been great to have that sense of community here, as well. I know a lot of people are moving into the space and wanting to explore and grow more as well, so it’s been really great to see and be a part of.

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VEGAS INC NOTES

Highlights of the best in business

The Down Syndrome Organization of Southern Nevada hired B&P Advertising, Media and Public Relations to handle its public relations needs.

Wineaux, the wine bar from James Beard Award-winning Chef Shawn McClain, sommelier Nick Hetzel and restaurateurs Richard and Sarah Camarota, opened its doors February 24 at UnCommons.

The Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents approved the renewal of Kumud Acharya’s four-year contract as president of Desert Research Institute. Acharya’s first term was marked by notable achievements and leadership, particularly in navigating challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and financial constraints. His strategic priorities focusing on optimizing performance, elevating awareness, and cultivating engagement have

JOB LISTING

Structures Repair Engineer sought by Allegiant Air LLC (Las Vegas, NV). Review aircraft damage reports, proposed repairs, and Airbus solutions to ensure that repair directions are in line with engineering standards and company requirements. Requires Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering. Requires 3 years of: work experience using AirbusWorld, Windchill, Arbortext, Jira (project tracker) and Microsoft (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access) applications; experience with Airbus A319 and A320 cabin certification requirements, flammability evaluations, weight loading analysis and interior reconfiguration development requirements; experience developing aircraft interiors engineering drawings (parts and installation), modifications, repairs, substantiation reports, and component build specification documents for Airbus A319 and A320 interior components; experience in communicating with aircraft Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), Designated Engineering Representatives (DER) and FAA for company developed projects to ensure aircraft interior safety and compliance to regulatory requirements; experience in reviewing and implementing of FAA Airworthiness Directives (AD), Alternate Methods of Compliances (AMOC), Service Bulletins (SB) for Airbus A319 and A320 interior items. Requires 2 years of: experience with creation and development of Airbus A320 Supplemental Type Certificates (STC) for aircraft interiors; and experience managing outsourced interiors projects. This involves review and approval of engineering drawings, installation documents, flammability test reports, substantiation reports and obtained FAA Form 8110-3s for the project. Work at Las Vegas office. Involves little domestic travel. Salary $81,515 to $95,000/year.

Email resumes to recruitment@allegiantair.com or apply online at www.allegiantair.jobs/

helped drive the institution forward. The board also renewed the four-year contract for UNLV President Keith Whitfield. During his time as president, graduation rates have increased and Whitfield has focused on removing unnecessary roadblocks in student services, optimizing financial aid, and enhancing the enrollment process. In addition, the board unanimously voted to posthumously grant the Distinguished Nevadan Award to Regent Emeritus Jason Geddes. The board approved the naming of the Regents’ Rising Researcher Award after Geddes, who died in January after serving on the board from 2006 to 2022.

Aristocrat Gaming was awarded “Best Overall Supplier of Slot Content” for the sixth consecutive year at the annual EKG Slot Awards. The company also earned multiple other distinctions, including “Top Performing NEW Core

Video” for Coin Trio: Fortune Trails; “Top Performing Game-EMEA” for Mo’ Mummy: Valley of Riches; “Most Innovative Land-Based Game” for NFL Super Bowl Jackpots. Additionally, Anaxi, a division within Aristocrat Leisure Limited, took home “Top Performing Omni-Channel Slot” for Buffalo. The EKG Slot Awards are produced by Eilers & Krejcik Gaming and recognize excellence in slot game development in the casino gaming industry.

Bank of Nevada announced that division CEO Bob Cerminaro has joined the Vegas Chamber’s board of trustees. He will serve a two-year term. Cerminaro oversees the operations of Bank of Nevada and First Independent Bank, divisions of Western Alliance Bank. Cerminaro is a veteran of the banking industry and has held senior-level commercial, corporate and investment banking leadership roles over the past 25 years.

JOB LISTING

Pulmonologists (F/T) needed to work for Allison, Curtis, Kingsley, Meoz, Michael & Sanchez, PC. Headquarters are in Henderson, NV. Will be reqd to travel to various unanticipated clinic & hospital sites within the same MSA area. Day trips only. No overnight travel reqd. Frequent evening & weekend call. Must have M.D. or foreign deg equiv; Must be board certified in Internal Medicine & Pulmonary Disease; Full & unrestricted NV Medical License;

Reply by resume to George Tu, 400 N. Stephanie St., #300, Henderson, NV 89014.

APRIL 11-14, 2024

GOLF’S BIGGEST TOURNAMENT VIEWING PARTY

GOLF’S BIGGEST TOURNAMENT VIEWING PARTY

Tee off into the ultimate golf tournament viewing party on our massive screens. Indulge in traditional fare at genuine tournament prices, sip on refreshing cocktails, soak up the poolside vibes, and revel in all the excitement of golf’s finest event. Swing by and join us for a celebration you won’t want to miss!

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AUTHENTIC TOURNAMENT FARE

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APRIL 6 | 1PM – 4PM