2024-04-04-Las-Vegas-Weekly

Celebrating 50 years of fun and flavor!

HERBIE HANCOCK

FRIDAY APRIL 12

SICK NEW WORLD SIDESHOW FT.

STATIC-X & SEVENDUST

WITH DOPE & LINES OF LOYALTY

FRIDAY APRIL 26

CARLOS BALLARTA

TLATOANI

FRIDAY MAY 3

HERE TO

SUPERGUIDE

THURSDAY APR 04

TITUS

ANDRONICUS

Thru 4/6, 7:30 p.m., Cornerstone Park, nevadashakespeare festival.com

LPGA T-MOBILE MATCH PLAY Thru 4/7, times vary, Shadow Creek Golf Course, axs.com

MINISTRY & GARY NUMAN With Front Line Assembly, 7 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com

DON OMAR

8 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs. com

FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS

Thru 4/6, 7:30 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com

FUZZSOLOW

9 p.m., Fat Cat Lounge, fatcatlv. com

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

ELIMINATE With Godluck, Beef Deckington, 10 p.m., We All Scream, seetickets.us

FRIDAY APR 05

CHARO

7:30 p.m., & 4/6, South Point Showroom, ticket master.com

BONE

THUGS-NHARMONY With Mike

Xavier, 8:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com.

POP 200O TOUR

With Chris Kirkpatrick, O-Town, BBMAK, Ryan Cabrera, LFO, 9 p.m., Fremont Street Experience, vegas experience.com

THE SKIVVIES

7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter. com

HEARTBREAK CITY MUSIC FESTIVAL

With Saara, Fayzone, Jazzy Cadiente, OamCam, Imnxtjuly, Camryn Levert, 8 p.m., the Space, the spacelv.com

MIRANDA LAMBERT (CLOSING DATES) 8 p.m., & 4/6, Bakkt Theater, ticketmaster. com

FOREIGNER

8:30 p.m., & 4/6, Venetian Theatre, ticket master.com

TESLA

7:30 p.m., & 4/6, 4/10, House of Blues, concerts.live nation.com

FIRST FRIDAY

5 p.m., Downtown Las Vegas, flv.org

WINTER WINE FEST

6 p.m., Vegas Event Center, hfnv.org

JIM GAFFIGAN

8 p.m., & 4/6, Encore Theater, ticketmaster. com

PEPPY PIPER’S PLAYPEN

Thru 4/14, times vary, LVLT Black Box, poor richards.vegas

ILLENIUM With Damante, 10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv. com

JUICY J

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

TIËSTO

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

( Courtesy/Jason Altaan )

SATURDAY APR 06

BOXING: RICHARDSON HITCHINS VS. GUSTAVO

LEMOS

2:40 p.m., BleauLive Theater, ticket master.com

HENDERSON SILVER KNIGHTS VS. COLORADO

EAGLES

1 p.m., & 4/7, Dollar Loan Center, axs.com

LAS VEGAS LIGHTS VS. SAN ANTONIO FC

7:30 p.m., Cashman Field, lasvegaslightsfc. com

SPRING FORWARD

FAMILY MUSIC FESTIVAL

10 a.m., Water Street Plaza, cityofhenderson. com

LAS VEGAS

PHILHARMONIC: SCHEHERAZADE

7:30 p.m., Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter. com

SOCIAL DISTORTION & BAD RELIGION

7 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com

LARRY COLEMAN

7 p.m., B Side at House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com

LOVRO PERETIC

7:30 p.m., Alta Ham Fine Arts Black Box Theatre, unlv.edu

TEEN SUICIDE

With Awakebutstillinbed, Joe Vann, Peek, 6 p.m., Eagle Aerie Hall, dice.fm

PRIEST

With Julien K, September Mourning, System 6, 7 p.m., Sinwave, sinwave vegas.com

WE’RE ALL MAD HERE

With Charlotte de Witte, Tiga, Justin Jay, Danny Daze, 8:30 p.m., Area15, area15.com

REV RUN

9 p.m., Soak Pool, ticket master.com

LE YOUTH

With Grish, 10 p.m., Discopussy, see tickets.us

DAVID GUETTA Noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com

TIËSTO

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

DON TOLIVER

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

JA RULE

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

THE CHAINSMOKERS

10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com

STEVE AOKI

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

RON WHITE

8 p.m., the Chelsea, ticket master.com

DUKE DUMONT

Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zouk grouplv.com

GREAT VEGAS FESTIVAL OF BEER

Motley Brews’ 12th annual brewfest—the biggest beer event in Las Vegas—is back Downtown and you already know there will be too many varieties to taste; more than 300 from 60 di erent breweries. You already know the local favorites will be onsite with their latest creations, from Big Dog’s to CraftHaus to Neon Desert. But the Great Vegas fest is known for its food just as much as the beer, so here’s what you’ll be eating between sips: garlic jalapeño fries from Fast Eddie’s Burgers; melty ham and cheese hand-pies from Empanadas 702; souvlaki and baklava from Greek Delights; and in the VIP area, Half Bird’s fried chicken, Tacotarian’s plant-based bites and much more. 2 p.m., $50-$130, Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, greatvegasbeer.com –Brock Radke

LAURYN HILL

8:30 p.m., Dolby Live, ticketmaster.com.

( Courtesy/Mark Elzey )

SUPERGUIDE

SUNDAY APR 07

LANG LANG

The 41-year-old Chinese pianist Lang Lang was deemed controversial by classical music purists when he exploded onto the scene 25 years ago, with his charismatic style and dramatic flair rubbing some the wrong way. But his artistry has resonated with audiences of all ages—a necessity to keep classical music alive and growing—and he’s been hailed as one of the most communicative musicians in this or any genre. Last month Lang unveiled new album Saint-Saens, featuring the famous concerto “The Carnival of the Animals” performed with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and his wife, Gina Alice, as second pianist. Now a rare Las Vegas concert presented by the Philharmonic finds Lang performing works by Faure, Schumann and Chopin. 7 p.m., $45-$200, Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com.

–Brock Radke

SNAKEHIPS Noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com

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

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

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

MARVA SCOTT 2 p.m., Notoriety, notoriety live.com

PLAN YOUR WEEK AHEAD

MONDAY APR

08

VEGAS THRILL VS. ATLANTA

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

DJ E-ROCK 10:30 p.m., Jewel Nightclub, taogroup.com

RICH VOS Thru 4/10, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand. mgmresorts.com

QUINN DAHLE With Leonarda Jonie, thru 4/14, 8 p.m., LA Comedy Club, bestvegas comedy.com

TUESDAY APR 09

DRUM TAO 7:30 p.m., Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter. com

WILL BRADSHAW’S 6:30 p.m., the Wall at Area15, area15.com

TURNO 10 p.m., Discopussy, disco pussydtlv.com.

JUSTIN

CREDIBLE

WEDNESDAY APR 10

ENVIRONMENT-BUILT/NATURAL

With our pyramid, Eiffel Tower, Sphere and all the unique casino resorts, Las Vegas boasts quite a memorable built environment. On the other hand, the natural landscape of the surrounding Valley and Mojave Desert is a trademark entirely different. The former is completely fabricated and can be in constant flux, while the latter is more permanent and can take millenia to transform. UNLV student artists wrestle with the dichotomy of built and natural environments in Environment-Built/Natural, part of an event series offered in partnership with UNLV Fine Arts and Commercial Center’s Composers Room, featuring a Q&A session with the artists. 7 p.m., free, Composers Room, thecomposersroom.com. –Shannon Miller

JOSEPH SOUL 9 p.m., Easy’s Lounge, easysvegas.com LATE NIGHT DRIVE HOME 7 p.m., Beverly Theater, thebev erlytheater.com

THEE STILLNITES With Rhythm Ace & The New Tones, DJ Andy Munday, 9 p.m., Red Dwarf, reddwarflv.com

AUSTIN MILLZ 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com

BEN BRAINARD 7 p.m., Wiseguys Town Square, wiseguys comedy.com

LAS VEGAS AVIATORS VS. SALT LAKE BEES Thru 4/14, 7 p.m., Las Vegas Ballpark, ticket master.com

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

DJ PEE .WEE 10 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com.

UNLV’s annual series featuring nationally and internationally known guest lecturers

Earvin "Magic" Johnson

On Business and Basketball

Thursday, April 18, 2024 7:30 p.m.

Cox Pavilion

Tickets ONLY available at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office, Monday–Friday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

For information, call (702) 779-FANS, but tickets cannot be reserved by phone.

UNLV Faculty, Staff and Students may obtain tickets beginning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 27. A valid UNLV Rebelcard is required.

The General Public may obtain tickets beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 29.

THE WEEKLY Q&A

VITAL VOICES

BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ

“I don’t think people realize that it becomes dangerous to be outspoken.”

Eztli Amaya, co-founder of Fifth Sun Project, a grassroots-led community initiative, comes to this conclusion toward the end of our conversation. It’s a Friday afternoon and we’re sitting in a co ee shop with her 4-year-old daughter whose only concern is a craving for a cake pop. Her mother’s concerns for awareness and advocacy eclipse any dessert.

Founded in 2016 by Amaya and sisters Estefania and Giovana Rangel, Fifth Sun Project emerged out of necessity. The multifaceted collective, focused on Indigenous activism, serves as a beacon of progression and resilience, carving out a vital space for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) communities in Las Vegas. Fifth Sun’s programming includes a street vendor relief fund, self-defense classes and events focused on cultural resistance and awareness. They also host live music and DJ events with food vendors, artist booths and more.

Amaya spoke with the Weekly about Fifth Sun’s approach to addressing issues both local and global.

Have you always had an activist nature?

I started o with animal rights. I’ll be vegan for 11 years this spring, and I was involved with local groups that were organizing around animal rights and liberation. Then I got involved with Food Not Bombs and learned about mutual aid, the needs of our community and what’s not accessible.

Fifth Sun Project’s Eztli Amaya on the importance of community empowerment

How many people are a part of Fifth Sun, or have their hands in helping you manage events and projects?

It was always my idea to turn it into a collective. I wanted to set up this platform for anyone to use, whether they’re artists, activists, writers, journalists or documentarians.

What’s one outstanding protest or event that has really struck you and become memorable?

How does it feel, knowing you can bridge gaps between groups of people and create connectivity?

It feels necessary but it’s not something for me personally to celebrate. I have a lot of self-criticism, and it’s hard for me to ever feel accomplished or feel some kind of victory. The work is never done and I know it’s going to end up draining me and making burnout happen faster, but organizing is how I cope.

Another thing that brought me deeper into activism was environmental injustice. That’s around the time the North Dakota Access Pipeline was being built and I reached out to Fawn Douglas [local artist and activist] and asked, how can I help? How can we get other communities to basically give a sh*t about this? We caravaned up there, took supplies and stayed for ve days to protest.

What was the initial spark that moved you to start Fifth Sun Project?

our own thing, so from there, we started just throwing house shows, and all of them bene tted a cause.

How has Fifth Sun evolved? How did you get the community to listen?

I wanted to give back to our community. I wanted to give to the East Side. I told Estefania [Rangel] that we needed to start

I think by putting culture rst. In communities of color, we’ve lived through this colonial system, we’ve been assimilated, fed propaganda, and stripped of our roots—it kind of desensitizes you to empathy. I think community building is where you can see that we all care about each other and come from the same place.

What are some of your favorite parts of the arts and music scene today?

Super recently, it was the Hands O Rafah National Day of Action and was almost a week after Aaron Bushnell took his own life. I de nitely feel more connected to all of the Palestinian martyrs that I’ve been witnessing, but [there’s] something about him. It’s almost a familiar feeling, like something that I contemplated doing. I was mourning all week and thought that we needed a space to normalize this because if you’re not normalizing mourning and you’re just going about your day, something’s not right. So we did the protest rally and dedicated a good portion of it to the vigil and had over 300 people show up, which is one of the biggest protests we’ve had.

What other challenges are facing the group?

More recently, because we’re so vocal about being pro-Palestinian, we’ve had funding retracted from some folks. We’ve had spaces that agreed to host us cancel because of threatening anonymous phone calls. But again, the focus is resistance and resilience, so we’re not going to let that stop us.

It’s not the scene that I grew up with. With Scrambled Eggs [art collective], it’s admirable to see how involved and how connected they are to issues and how they’re using their art to express that. And they don’t let themselves get institutionalized.

Eztli Amaya gives remarks alongside dancer Geovanni Saucedo Rivera Cabrera during a demonstration for Palestine on the Las Vegas Strip on November 12, 2023. (Courtesy/Rick R.L.)

Eztli Amaya (Wade Vandervort)

SECURE GROWTH

UNLV’s new institute aims to keep Las Vegas tourism and events at the highest safety standards

BY BROCK RADKE

(Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

What determines success for Las Vegas events?

Super Bowl 58, held at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, achieved all sorts of superlatives, including an estimated 330,000 people visiting for the weekend and an estimated net spending impact between $500 million and $800 million. Gamblers in Nevada wagered a record $185.6 million on the game, up 21% from the previous year, and Harry Reid International Airport screened on all-time single-day record of 104,000 passengers the Monday after the game. And Las Vegas’ rst Super Bowl was the most watched TV program of all time, averaging 123.4 million viewers across all platforms and elevating the tourist destination’s already impressive global awareness.

But gures and estimates as well as the actual, logistical experience of such an event could only ever be the second-greatest measure of success. Safety always comes rst, and while Las Vegas arguably has always prioritized it so, the community’s key shareholders are taking innovative steps to raise those high standards.

“Safety is the utmost priority for any tourist destination, including Las Vegas. Whether you’re the Super Bowl or Formula 1, a concert promoter, or coming as a tourist, you want to know the community is doing everything it can to put on safe and secure events,” says Robert Ulmer, dean of the UNLV Greenspun College of Urban A airs.

“People generally understand we are living in an uncertain, unpredictable world, but what are you doing to ensure that safety, and what are you doing to learn from those events?”

fairs launched the rst-of-its-kind Tourist Safety Institute in September, drawing upon the university’s research expertise in crime science, trauma care, crisis communication, con ict resolution, crowd management and many other areas of study.

What UNLV is doing, in partnership with authorities, municipalities and community stakeholders, is diving deep into research on Las Vegas tourism, new special events like the Super Bowl and the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, and collaborating to produce solutions and policies that will keep the city’s key industry secure in the future. The College of Urban Af-

The institute is already conducting research projects with plans to create accessible digital reports, case studies, podcasts and more, essential information that will bene t Las Vegas Strip resorts and casinos, event venues, Clark County, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and other agencies. Safety on the Strip goes beyond tourism-related criminal activity. Ulmer says there are studies at the micro level that focus on criminology of speci c events, while other projects take into account communication and government coordination, transportation, public policy and criminal justice, health and wellness and environmental impact. The goal is to make Las Vegas the same kind of leader in safety as it is known in tourism, and to build resilience to various challenges before they arrive.

As the institute continues work on its initial projects, the Weekly conducted a thorough check-in with Ulmer to explore its capabilities and potential.

Was the Tourist Safety Institute already in development prior to the October 1 shooting in 2017?

Yeah, we had been working on this for six or seven years, building partnerships and collaborations and just talking to all the di erent partners about why this is an important initiative. This is the rst of its kind worldwide, an institute like this that’s designed to build resilience in a community, and for the community to be able to address challenges in advance through collaboration and coordination. And then as we have more events, and I think we do events better than anyone in the world, it’s about what can we do to make them better and to share that process with the world.

One of the institute’s areas of focus is described as “addressing tourist vulnerabilities.” What does that mean?

One of the things we’re looking at is opioid overdoses. If you look at the Strip, or really anywhere, we are looking at Narcan training and GIS [geographic information system] mapping of where these overdoses are happening, then doing specific training in those areas to help protect people that may be impacted. What we want is to look at these [tourist] areas where we understand there is some disorder—the work that’s been done with [Strip] overpass ordinances is another area—and ensure people understand where they’re going and what they’re getting into. We’ve been engaged in these activities … so we can help more people and support tourists should they experience something while they’re here, and that’s something not a lot of communities can say they’re doing. It goes beyond crowd management and emergency medical services, but those are things you can continue to build upon and better support people when they come here.

How does transportation play into safety? Wouldn’t more and better ways to move people

around be an incredible tool for safety and e ciency in Las Vegas?

De nitely. When you have new major events, you have to think about increased tra c volume, logistical operations, delays in emergency response time and how do you get emergency vehicles around. Again, Las Vegas does this better than anyone. You think about F1 and how hotel property employees had challenges getting to work, commuting, parking and arriving on time. We are working with the College of Engineering on this and collaborating and working with our partners to gure out how we can handle this most e ectively. When there’s this in ux of people [for events] and it’s awesome that it helps the economy, but at the same time there are increased challenges we need to address as a community, and that’s where the institute again can really help, especially in thinking about the wide variety of di erent impacts on transportation around tourist destinations.

Clark County, the LVMPD and other local agencies must be excited to learn from the research from the institute. Have casino companies and other businesses been equally eager to partner?

Yes, everybody has been really positive and engaged and wants to be part of it, on all sides. And people want to share what they have learned. I think we have a community that aspires to be at the highest level in terms of collaboration and engagement, and resilience is part of the DNA of the state of Nevada. And it’s a really exciting time for Las Vegas and Nevada. We continue to do amazing things that the world watches, and I think we’re showing as a state and a community that we’re progressive and we want to address challenges before they happen. We’ll continue to put on the most exciting, fun, innovative events, and we’ll continue to extend our lead when it comes safety and security around those events. The world wants to come here because they know they can have absolutely the best experiences.

NEWS IN THE

1

NEW POT LOUNGE

Planet 13, which bills itself as the “world’s largest dispensary,” will open its Dazed lounge on April 5. It is the second state-regulated cannabis consumption lounge to open. The lounge will offer cannabis products, VIP booths with table service, cannabis cocktails and entertainment.

2

FONTAINEBLEAU SHOWS

Smashing Pumpkins will bring the World is a Vampire tour to Fontainebleau’s BleauLive Theater on September 27 with special guest Pvris. And on December 15, Heart will bring its Royal Flush tour to the theater. Tickets for both go on sale April 5 at fontainebleaulasvegas.com.

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Stevie Van Zandt serves as teacher for the day at the Rock Academy of the Performing Arts at the Delta Academy during his tour stop with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The academy teaches “History of Rock and Roll” as an elective course. (Rob DeMartin/Courtesy)

MONEY FOR TRANSIT PROJECT

The Department of Transportation

awarded $150 million to the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada for the Maryland Parkway Bus Rapid Transit project to connect a 13-mile stretch from the South Strip Transit Terminal to the Las Vegas Medical District.

DOLLAR LOAN CENTER GETS A NEW NAME

The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson is being renamed Lee’s Family Forum, officials said April 2.

The 200,000-square-foot facility is a partnership between the City of Henderson and Vegas Golden Knights. It hosts the Silver Knights, Vegas Knight Hawks indoor football team and Vegas Thrill, a professional women’s volleyball team.

The new name comes via a multiyear extension of Foley Entertainment Group’s partnership with Lee’s Discount Liquor, officials said.

“Family is at the heart of what we offer at Lee’s Family Forum, so it’s a fitting celebration of a family we have been fortunate to know and work alongside for years,” said Kerry Bubolz, Foley Entertainment Group president and CEO, in a statement.

The family has been strong supporters of the Golden Knights since 2015, when owner Bill Foley started working to bring the expansion franchise here. Visitors to the arena will see visual history of the Lee family and Lee’s Discount Liquor, which was founded in 1981 by the late Hae Un Lee, officials said. The business was later operated by Kenny Lee, who died in November 2021 in a car crash.

“This is an exciting opportunity to expand upon our partnership with the Foley Entertainment Group and promote our company to the passionate fans of the Henderson Silver Knights, Vegas Knight Hawks, Vegas Thrill, and all of the other events at (the arena),” said Nami Lee, CEO of Lee’s Discount Liquor, in a statement. “On a personal level, we’re naming this arena as a gift to our beloved Kenny and Mr. Lee, because they are no longer with us, but we want to continue honoring their legacies and remembering them. We also want this arena to be a gift to the families in the Henderson community, where our family-owned company is headquartered, for many years to come.” –Ray Brewer

DATA BREACH AT&T said a dataset found on the “dark web” contains information such as Social Security numbers for about 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former account holders. The company said it has already reset the passcodes of current users and will be communicating with account holders whose sensitive personal information was compromised.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman presents a key to the city to James Trees, chef at Esther’s Kitchen, during an appearance at the restaurant March 28. The restaurant recently expanded. (Timeless Cuisine/Courtesy)

UNLV BASKETBALL FAMILY MOURNS LOSS OF AN ICON

Jarvis Basnight, the high-flying post player from the UNLV 1987 Final Four team who many people believe is the best dunker in program history, died in late March at age 59.

“He was a true Runnin’ Rebel,” said Eldridge Hudson, a former teammate and longtime friend. “For our team, we were a band of brothers. That ’87 team, we made a pact to always stick together. That’s why

$150M

we were No. 1 the whole year and got to the Final Four.”

Basnight’s legendary dunks, such as one he put down against Pacific, still live on through websites such as YouTube.

The 1987 squad finished with a 37-2 record, losing in the Final Four, 92-87, to eventual champion Indiana.

“We genuinely love each other to this day,” Hudson said. “We have an unbreakable bond.” –Ray Brewer

MOVIE STUDIO WILL BRING STUDENTS CLOSER TO THEIR DREAM ENTERTAINMENT

The Clark County Zoning Commission unanimously approved multiple variances paving the way for the development of Summerlin Production Studios complex in partnership with media giant Sony Pictures Entertainment.

The proposed film production studio would span 30.8 acres to accommodate multiple stages, operations spaces, conference rooms, “flex” areas, bungalows and multipurpose spaces for both indoor and outdoor use. It’s a $1.8 billion project that will be initially funded by Sony and Howard Hughes, the developer of Summerlin.

“It is an inspiration; it will provide some place or some more hope, I’ll say, besides saying, ‘OK, I have to at least go and live in LA for long enough,’ ” said Roland Wainwright, a film student at College of Southern Nevada. “With Sony studios being in Las Vegas, hopefully it gives something to aspire toward.” –Grace Da Rocha

That’s how much money the Department of the Interior has set aside for maintenance planned over the next 10 years at Hoover Dam. One of the most pressing projects involves replacing the gate stems that raise and lower the dam’s gates, letting water into the dam and toward the 17 hydroelectric generators that create electricity for millions of people in the American Southwest.

THERE WERE 8.8 MILLION JOB OPENINGS IN THE U.S. IN FEBRUARY, THE LABOR DEPARTMENT REPORTED APRIL 2.

TOK OF THE TOWN TOK OF THE TOWN

TOK OF THE TOWN

Las Vegas businesses weigh in on a congressional bill that could result in a nationwide ban of TikTok

BY SHANNON MILLER

In just three years, local business owner Alexandra Lourdes has grown her TikTok following from zero to 1.9 million. The co-founder of Café Lola and Saint Honoré Doughnuts & Beignets uses the social media platform to give a “behind the scenes look” at what it’s like to be the owner of a restaurant and a working mom. The app has allowed her to reach more people and helped grow her business.

“We initially were just using Instagram and Facebook, but when we got on TikTok … I noticed videos would just go super viral,” Lourdes says. “And it would make a huge impact because it was going viral to the right people … who were either traveling to Las Vegas or who lived here. When they open their phone, they all of a sudden see this video ... [and] we would have lines out the door all day long.”

When Lourdes joined TikTok in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, she and business partner Lin Jerome had three restaurants. Today, they have seven locations across the Las Vegas Valley. She says she meets people from all over the world who discovered her restaurants through TikTok.

“Their algorithm and their recommendation feature is so beneficial for small businesses, because sometimes you don’t have those marketing dollars that a huge corporation has, a whole marketing team behind them,” Lourdes says. “For me to be able to post a video and be able to reach millions of people for free … that’s so valuable.”

Lourdes is one of 170 million U.S. TikTok users. Many of those users are up in arms as Congress considers a bill that could result in a ban on TikTok on all devices nationwide.

The U.S. House passed a bill on March 13 that would require the Beijing-based owner ByteDance to sell TikTok within six months of the bill’s enactment. Lawmakers have said the crackdown stems from concerns about user data privacy and national security, based on the belief that the Chinese government could somehow access user data and influence the app’s algorithm, which determines what content it serves to users.

According to a February threat assessment released by the American intelligence community, “TikTok accounts run by a [People’s Republic of China] propaganda arm reportedly targeted candidates from both political parties during the

U.S. midterm election cycle in 2022.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation for years has said that TikTok could pose national security risks, warning that the Chinese government may be able to control the data of millions of users and influence users through the app.

TikTok has always denied that it could be used as a tool of the Chinese government. According to the Associated Press, the company has said it never shared U.S. user data with Chinese authorities. To date, the U.S. government has not provided concrete evidence that TikTok has shared U.S. data with Chinese authorities.

If the bill passes and ByteDance decides not to divest, then TikTok would be prohibited from app stores until divestiture occurs, according to the bill.

After an overwhelming 352-65 vote to pass in the House, the bill has moved on to the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told the New York Times that he has not decided whether to bring it to the floor.

“The concern that lawmakers raised is … that there’s the potential that the Chinese government could meddle in the app, its algorithm or its data and gain access to things about American citizens,” says Greg Moody, director for UNLV’s cybersecurity program.

He emphasizes that concerns about data privacy and national security aren’t unique to TikTok. Facebook has had data breaches like the Cambridge Analytica incident that was said to have interfered with 2016 presidential campaigns.

Lawmakers’ main point of contention with TikTok is just that TikTok is owned by a Chinese company, Moody says.

“They’re being singled out because of state law in China [and] adversarial relations with the Chinese government. But does that mean that using Facebook or any of Meta’s other apps, Instagram or any other platforms is safer? No, they all have absurd amounts of data about us; if you use it, you have a risk of it being breached,” Moody says. “And the fact is, in the case of Facebook we know that they have breached their data multiple times. And there’s been no such reported leak about TikTok, at least at this point.”

Furthermore, TikTok data for U.S. citizens is not housed in China. According to Axios, TikTok agreed to partner with software giant Oracle

“It would make a huge impact because it was going viral to the right people … who were either traveling to Las Vegas or who lived here. When they open their phone, they all of a sudden see this video ... [and] we would have lines out the door all day long.”

–Alexandra Lourdes co-founder of Café Lola and Saint Honoré Doughnuts & Beignets

and in 2022 began routing all its U.S. user data to Oracle’s cloud infrastructure headquartered in Texas. Oracle then began vetting TikTok’s algorithms to ensure they’re not manipulated by Chinese authorities.

“All the data for U.S. citizens is not housed in China; it’s housed in a giant data vault in Texas. And the workers that have access to the data, none of them are Chinese citizens. They’re all U.S. citizens,” Moody says. “Do I think this concern from lawmakers is highly warranted? No. I think TikTok is aware of this concern, and they’ve been very proactive and structured things in a way so that they can reduce this potential risk if the Chinese government were to do that.”

However, lawmakers and some business owners are not convinced by TikTok’s efforts to secure user data and to ensure that there is no Chinese interference. Statements from three of Nevada’s U.S. Representatives who voted for the

bill—Republican Rep. Mark Amodei and Democrats Rep. Susie Lee and Rep. Dina Titus—all cite data privacy and national security concerns.

“As long as TikTok is Chinese-owned, our national security is at risk because the government of China—which views America as an enemy—has the ability to collect personal data on our kids and citizens,” Lee said in a partial statement.

Tom Taicher, owner and CEO of Nectarlife, a Las Vegas-based company that makes bath products sold in 16 locations worldwide, says he thinks a ban would be worthwhile if it means protecting U.S. national security. He says there are other, safer alternatives for businesses to do free marketing on social media.

“YouTube came up with Shorts. Instagram has the Reels. And, to be honest, it’s exactly the same as TikTok. So, if they ban TikTok, the creators will shift to Shorts on YouTube or Reels on Instagram,” Taicher says. “It’s not really going to make a difference.”

On the other hand, Lourdes points out that TikTok is not just about small businesses, but also communities and support groups that use TikTok, from people going through illnesses who are finding advice and connecting to health care, to campaigning to free wrongfully convicted prisoners through the app.

“The way that you can make connections and community is just unparalleled,” she says.

Las Vegas Weekly reached out to Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Sen. Jacky Rosen to find out their views on the proposed legislation. They provided the following statements.

“Senator Cortez Masto believes TikTok’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party are deeply concerning and that we need more information about how the app is distributing the large amounts of data it collects. She is currently reviewing this specific legislation,” said a spokesperson for Cortez Masto.

“Senator Rosen recognizes that TikTok has become a popular and widely used platform across the country. She also believes that we must do more to protect Nevadans’ data from undue influence by the Chinese government and intrusion from foreign adversaries. She is reviewing the legislation passed by the House and other bipartisan proposals under discussion to address this issue,” said a spokesperson for Rosen.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS

On behalf of the Lee Business School Executive MBA Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, I would like to congratulate the 2024 40 under 40 honorees again for their accomplishment. It was an honor to address you at the event and meet so many of you in person.

If you or someone you know wants to earn their MBA by next year, contact me to discuss how the Executive MBA can help you achieve this goal and build a lifetime of professional connections.

Sincerely,

NADINE BENTIS, ED.D. Director, O ce of Executive Education Lee Business School University of Nevada, Las Vegas

nadine.bentis@unlv.edu 702-895-4646

GLOWING UP

Our future is in buildings that tell their stories with LED light

Las Vegas is a young city, but it’s old enough to have eras. We’ve seen the coming and going of the Rat Pack era, the themed casino era and others, accumulating like rings on a tree. It’s likely that the era we’re living through now will be remembered as the “sports entertainment era,” or potentially, “the era Vegas ran out of housing and/or water.”

EXTENDED RESIDENCY BY GEOFF CARTER

However, there’s a real possibility that we’ll remember this period as when Vegas’ casino towers became art, due to advances in LED lighting technology—and more signi cantly, because of evolving ideas of how that technology can be used. If old Vegas was de ned by pillar signs practically dripping with neon and chaser bulbs, new Vegas is all about taking the relentless visual dynamism of those signs and putting it onto the buildings themselves.

“When you think of cyberpunk, futurism and all that Blade Runner-like stu that was happening in the ‘70s and ‘80s, neon had been

around for 50 years. And it was still cutting-edge,” says Brian Henry, a commercial designer who’s had a hand in creating much of the Strip’s LED signage. “For better or worse, LED is probably going to become that. It’s e cient, and buildings do need to have some sort of lighting to distinguish themselves. It just makes sense to use it. It’s beautiful, too.”

The Sphere is the big and obvious example of Vegas’ recent LED glowup, but there have been other, more subtle changes in our skyline. Circa opened in 2020 with an enormous, hi-de nition LED sign on one side of its 35-story tower and rippling LED light e ects on the other. One entire face of the Resorts World tower is an LED sign clearly readable from miles away. Mandalay Bay and the Delano swapped out their horizontal gold neon strips for LEDs that can change color and display scrolling messages like “Happy New Year.”

And the Rio, halfway through a top-to-bottom refresh, replaced its failing red-and-blue neon with a lighting hardware package, supplied by light display rm ClearLED, that doesn’t stop at revitalizing the resort’s Ipanema and Masquerade towers. It recontextualizes them.

“We had always intended to replace what we had and keep the spirit of the Rio, so it wasn’t going to be an advertising board,” says Marty

Millman, vice president of construction and development services at Dreamscape Companies, the new owner-operators of the Rio. “We always knew that we wanted to keep it non-representational.

“I am in Manhattan. We jaded New Yorkers will look at (the lighting of) the Empire State Building each night to see what’s going on—if there’s a message, or a show. It looks di erent; it keeps the interest going.

THE STRIP

That was kind of our model: We want people to look at the Rio again and again, even the people who are blind to it because they might have driven past it for 35 years.”

He describes exactly what happened to me one night on my commute home. Speeding past the Rio, I noticed that its always-red Ipanema tower was instead a cool blue. The following night, I pulled off the I-15 entirely to watch both towers

rippling with the vibrant pastel colors of the Rio’s classic neon pillar sign. For the first time in a long time, I admired the curvy lines of the Masquerade tower. I could have been looking at a brand-new resort.

Applying color and light to Vegas’ resort towers is not a new idea. (Henry fondly remembers the “beautiful aqua” of Caesars Palace’s original tower: “I mean, that building was just stunning.”) But LED lighting hardware like the Rio’s offers endless changeability and granular detail— an inviting artist’s palette. And Millman, a longtime fan of a beloved jam band out of Burlington, Vermont, knew exactly which artist to invite.

“I’m a big Phish fan of 34 years or so,” Millman says. During the COVID shutdown, the band streamed their filmed concerts, and Millman noticed that during one of the more recent of those shows, Phish’s artistic lighting director Chris Kuroda— whose improvisational talents in painting with light inspired fans to name him an unofficial fifth member of the band, or “CK5” for short—had begun using lights arranged in linear patterns, similar to what the Rio was planning to do. It was an “aha moment” for Millman and Dreamscape, who promptly reached out to Kuroda.

“What we want is to put on a show,” Millman says. “We want authenticity. We want subtlety, to some degree. And we knew that he could program the lights from an artistic perspective, where it’s a gift to Las Vegas. … We knew we’d have some great new LED screens where we can tell everybody how great the Rio is and what our new offerings are. But we wanted the facade to be noticed.”

A couple of years post-COVID, Kuroda, Millman and Kuroda’s design associate Andrew Giffin camped out in one of the Rio’s Palazzo suites over the period of a week, from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. nightly, programming the Rio’s lights on the spot. Kuroda and Giffin created a piece of software that allowed them to design the sequences pixel by pixel.

“I think there’s about 60 looks. We’ve got 10-minute looks that are slow and evolving, and then every 10 minutes there’s something a little bit more exciting that happens fast and speeds up,” Millman says. “They also designed programming to randomize how that’s all selected, so no two nights are going to be the same.”

The Rio’s Phish-adjacent lighting

should debut soon. (Testing of the sequences is ongoing at the time of this writing, and Millman says that Kuroda, now on tour with the band, continues to send new ideas.) But as exciting as that sounds, it’s only half as exciting as what it represents in the long term. Rio and Sphere could mark the beginning of a new Vegas— one with the candy-colored skyline of a Tokyo or Hong Kong, a Vegas where buildings begin to tell their stories long before you’re close enough to read their signage. If we’re to live in Blade Runner times, with the threat of dystopia looming, this new era should at least be pleasing to the eye.

“There’s things that I miss and things I wish we could revisit, but those times are past,” Henry says.

“I love neon. I think it’s a beautiful thing (and) the people that made it were artisans and craftsmen, like mad scientists. … But we have to move forward. (LED lights) are improving, and I think that there’s a lot that LEDs and controlled lighting brings to Vegas.”

(Wade Vandervort/Staff)

FILM

WESTSIDE STORIES

New documentary Across the Tracks reveals essential Las Vegas history

BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ

Storytelling is the centerpiece of good entertainment, and our city has a lot of stories to tell. Las Vegas has been long obsessed with being ahead of the curve in all things entertainment, food and gaming. But with a reputation for building up new resorts as fast as it tears them down, Las Vegas is a city in constant flux. Often, important stories of our past are simply forgotten.

Across the Tracks: A Las Vegas Westside Story is a new documentary that aims to unveil an often overlooked side of our town’s story. Filmmaker and producer Emmett Gates, delves deep into the heart of Black Las Vegas and shows just how vibrant and significant this community’s presence was in the city’s early days.

”We’re called the Entertainment Capital of the World—Black Americans have always had a centralized role, even when we weren’t invited to participate,” Gates tells the Weekly. “These are people that had a cultural output, but people didn’t want them in their neighborhoods. I wanted to focus on that irony.”

Premiering at both the Sundance Film Festival and locally at the Plaza, Gates’ film serves as proof of the enduring spirit of those who established our Historic Westside community. Through firsthand accounts spanning decades, the viewer witnesses the beginnings of that community in the 1940s, and follows it to the present day. Supporting these firsthand experiences are contemporaneous

Vegas historians, Claytee D. White, Dr. Tyler D. Parry, Bob Stoldal and Michael Green also helped shape the story. Gates says, “Together we were able to find nuggets of information that even the most seasoned Las Vegas and might be surprised to learn about.”

”Generally, if somebody says Vegas history, we jump to the mob, or look at the cowboys and casinos, and all of these have been well documented,” says Gates. “Although this story is not unique, because every major city pretty much has the same kind of history, this is Vegas, and this is our story.”

One of the documentary’s most compelling aspects is the explorations of the struggle for equality during the era of segregation and Jim Crow laws. The film recounts the wellknown instances of discrimination against Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis Jr., but it also educates us on the bold activism of Josephine Baker, the iconic 1920s singer, dancer and actress who refused to perform unless her audience was integrated.

This vision is brought to life with the expertise of cinematographer Robert Perez, and through the filmmakers’ commitment to authenticity we’re met with an interesting and dynamic piece of storytelling that not only educates and entertains, but also should also resonate with audiences who have never visited the Historic Westside.

For Gates, preserving the past isn’t just a passion project—it’s a personal mission. “If you do not preserve the history, it will get rolled over and forgotten for future generations,” he says. “I don’t want people of color’s history to suffer that same fate.” Follow

Scenes from Across the Tracks: A Las Vegas Westside Story (top) and D Street in the Historic Westside. (Courtesy) photos, stories and footage from such sources as the Las Vegas Sun and the defunct Las Vegas Age, along with records provided by UNLV and the Nevada State Museum.

REFORMED REVUE

Virgin’s Lady Like burlesque blends vintage charm with modern fl air

BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ

Class is now in session at Lady Like charm school, where the 24 Oxford stage serves as an unconventional classroom and the witty Headmistress leads the audience through a playful yet sexy exploration of what it means to embody the grace of a woman.

The variety-burlesque show, previously performed at the Mosaic Theater on the Strip, found a new home at the intimate Virgin Hotels space last fall. Produced by Jaimee Gallego and Charles de Portes along with associate producers Maren Wade and Summer Soltis, Lady Like describes itself as “retro modern burlesque.” It seamlessly blends the vintage charm of the 1950s with a contemporary air. Through a series of theatrical sketches and song and dance numbers, the show sheds light on societal norms from days past while maintaining a light, satirical and interactive atmosphere.

Featuring a cast of talented dancers and specialty acrobatic performers, every move-

ment is a display of sultry athleticism.

“Each dancer participates in about ten dances each, and we all have our own characters,” says dancer Taylor Jayne. “We had an acting coach when we were rst opening the show and we decided who’s going to be the class clown or who’s the irt.”

Jayne herself embodies the role of the class clown, often infusing a goofy persona while balancing an alluring demeanor.

The show’s soundtrack is also one of the wheels transporting the audience through eras. Each scene’s tone is set by time-hopping tracks like Drake’s “Hotline Bling” and Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’,” so no matter your generation, there are a handful of fun and recognizable songs to sing along.

Of course, this is still burlesque, and the

striptease is to be expected. But one of the best parts of the show is the costuming. Lady Like weaves a visual symphony through clothes— even when there aren’t many—into the production. In a glammed-out, doo-wop singing number, the gals sport gown-length velvet dresses, and in the beginning of the lesson, the dancers come out in irty pink suits. Jayne says the crew presets 50 costumes and props before the show to ensure smooth transitions.

Beyond the meticulously rehearsed production, Lady Like is truly just about having fun. The performers often leave the stage to interact with their audience and make you feel like a part of the show.

“It has a lot of personality,” says Jayne. “It’s a good way to see top entertainment in Vegas, have a good night out and see a bunch of beautiful women empowering each other.”

LADY LIKE Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m., $59-$99. 24 Oxford, etix.com

Taylor Jayne performs in Lady Like. (Courtesy)

FEAR FACTORS

Black Mountain Institute hosts horror author, screenwriter and scholar Tananarive Due at the Beverly Theater

BY AMBER SAMPSON

If Jordan Peele’s 2017 lm Get Out spurred a resurgence of Black horror in cinema, Tananarive Due’s novels have made a similar impact on literature.

The award-winning author, who wrote for Peele’s Paramount+ revival of The Twilight Zone and teaches a UCLA class inspired by his directorial debut, stands at the forefront of reputable Black horror and Afrofuturistic sci- writers who have reshaped the narrative with their worlds and words. From the Southern gothic Vodou rituals of The Good House to the creepy changeling child in Ghost Summer Stories, Due’s works possess a potency that lingers long after the last page. Currently, she’s co-authoring a new short story with her husband for The End of the World As We Know It, a new apocalyptic anthology based in the universe of Stephen King’s The Stand

“Writing scary stories about people who are in these impossible situations really helps me feel

less afraid in life,” says Due, who will lead a book discussion at the Beverly Theater on April 5, hosted by UNLV’s Black Mountain Institute. “I’m writing example after example of people who stand up to the unknown. Sometimes they win. Sometimes they don’t. But I think the point really is that we stand up.”

At home, Due had a great role model for that. Her late mother, Patricia Stephens Due, was an avid horror fan and a civil rights activist who’d fought her share of real-life monsters. Horror, in so many ways, had become a salve to her, “a way to treat racial trauma,” Due says.

“Those of us who’ve listened to our parents’ and grandparents’ stories we know about the horrors and the heartaches, and it’s not that we can completely erase them, or should,” she says. “But is there a way to take those memories and show them through a di erent prism?

“There were endings where people stood up and fought back. That’s the energy I want to bring to my work, that these characters are overcoming unbelievable obstacles, just as we do and have throughout history.”

In The Reformatory, she accomplishes just that. The 2023 novel, loosely based on the abuse at Florida’s Dozier School for Boys, took Due seven years to write, “and I think that speaks to what a scary project it was for me at every turn,” she says. After discovering her

great uncle had died at the school in 1937, his body having been buried in an unmarked grave, Due wrestled with how to approach this painful piece of history.

Ultimately, she decided to rewrite it as an equally terrifying ghost story— with an empowered Black boy as the hero.

“Even with that fantasy element, there was so much reality infused in the story that it still was di cult to write,” Due says. “I didn’t want to sugarcoat the fact that this was a terribly violent place. But I also couldn’t stew in that violence. I had to nd a way to give the story redemption and to give the story hope.”

It’s shocking to think these kinds of stories almost didn’t see the light

of day. Before her 1995 debut novel The Between, Due predominantly focused on white characters and white stories.

“I started out as a child writing Black stories, but the more I was exposed to the canon in high school and college and graduate school, I began to gravitate toward erasing myself and my experiences from my own ction,” she says.

The Between was a reclamation of Due’s own identity after years of trying to “ nd my way back to writing my own Blackness, writing Black women and even writing horror,” she says.

It also scared the hell out of her.

“I don’t write late at night anymore,” she laughs.

(Courtesy/Melissa Hibbert)

7 - 9 PM | FRIDAY JUNE 28

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ALL’ANTICO VINAIO 8533 Rozita Lee Ave. #100, 725-276-0105, allanticovinaiolasvegas.com. Sunday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday-Saturday 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

All’Antico Vinaio stacks quality ingredients sky high. (Courtesy)

SANDWICH SUPREMACY

Italian import All’Antico Vinaio exceeds the hype

BY JIM BEGLEY

If you haven’t heard of All’Antico Vinaio, you’re missing out on one of the buzziest new eating experiences in the Las Vegas Valley, appropriately situated at the exciting UnCommons complex in the southwest. The storied Italian sandwich emporium based in Florence opened its fth location in January and has maintained consistent lines out the door ever since.

If you are aware but have been hesitant to drop in, don’t be. Those lines might be daunting, but things move quickly—the goal is to have customers wait no more than 10 minutes once in the door. And since you’re waiting near the counter, you get a lot of time watching the sta slicing meat, doling out samples and generally just cutting up—not the worst way to pass the time.

No matter the delay, All’Antico doesn’t disappoint. The sandwiches aren’t over owing in a Katz Deli way, but rather well-stu ed without overwhelming, and the ingredients are top notch.

All’Antico uses a house-made schiacciata—often mistaken for its more-common brethren focaccia, which is thicker and spongier—for all its sandwiches, baking in-house daily and rewarming prior to serving to keep the bread crispy and chewy. Roast beef, turkey and porchetta (pork roast) are also made in-house, while other meats are sourced from Italy.

Perusing the menu can be a Rosetta Stone-worthy Italian lesson. The Favolosa ($19), the sandwich which Saveur named the one of the world’s best in 2016, layers fennel- avored

sbriciolona salame with sharp pecorino cream, artichokes and spicy eggplant. Mortadella (think classy bologna) is traditionally made with pistachios, but instead, La Paradiso ($18) uses pistachio bits and cream, along with mild stracciatella cheese, to complement the nut-free version of the meat. If you like pistachios even a fraction as much as I do, you’ll love this sandwich.

L’Inferno ($17) delivers a bit of heat from its nduja, spicy spreadable sausage, combining with porchetta, grilled vegetables and arugula, with the greens providing a welcome contrast. A regular special, The King ($23) lives up to its moniker, ruling with an umami-laden iron st where culatello—a rare pork cut similar to prosciutto only available in the States since 2017—along with parmigiano cream and arugula bask in an earthy tru e cream. Consider yourself lucky if it’s available when you visit.

Almost as good is La Broadway ($15), a vegetarian option combining some of the best ingredients from the other sandwiches, including pistachio cream, stracciatella and spicy zucchini, along with sun-dried tomatoes. You don’t need the meats to enjoy yourself here.

Indoor seating is eeting at All’Antico but UnCommons o ers plenty of outdoor common-area space to partake in this Italian excursion. And if you don’t want to brave the lines, these sandwiches are now available exclusively on Uber Eats. It takes some of the fun out of the experience but none of the deliciousness.

BY GEOFF CARTER

WHATABURGER IS SHAKING UP THE STRIP

 Here are a few fun Texas facts. Whataburger, the fast-food chain, was founded in Corpus Christi in 1950; today, it’s headquartered in San Antonio. Dr Pepper, the soft drink, was created by Waco-based pharmacist Charles Alderton in the late 1880s—and it’s rumored that its top-secret recipe is secured, in pieces, in the vaults of two separate Dallas banks.

That brings us to the present day, and the fulfillment of decades of Lone Star State innovation: the Dr Pepper shake, a Whataburger o ering available through summer. You can order one today, right here and right now, at Whataburger’s new ‘round-theclock, 365-days-a-year location on the Strip, just at the front of CityCenter. It’s a simple pleasure—Dr Pepper syrup added to Whataburger’s vanilla shake— but it satisfies in a rare way, hitting the sweet spot between fast food shake and ice cream float. The two tastes complement each other so completely, it’s a wonder they weren’t created at the same time.

Naturally, you’ll want fries with that shake—and maybe a Hatch green chile burger, a jalapeño and cheese Whataburger, a honey-barbecue chicken strip sandwich, or a classic double- or triple-meat Whataburger. Or, if you’re not feeling like a burger, step to the counter at Parry’s Pizza and Taphouse—Whataburger’s neighbor in the space—and get an order of wings, available in a variety of styles.

Our city is unique among fast-food destinations; there aren’t many places where you can get an In-N-Out, Five Guys or White Castle burger on the same day. Now that Whataburger has landed with its rib-sticking, Texas-sized sandwiches, Vegas is practically a burger universe—and at least one doctor is giving you the go-ahead to explore it.

(Courtesy)

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson (36) takes o his mask during a break in the second period against the Seattle Kraken at T-Mobile Arena on March 21. (Steve Marcus/Sta )

Logan Thompson fi ts the bill for the Golden Knights as a red-hot goalie heading into the Stanley Cup Playo s

BY CASE KEEFER

The Golden Knights may need to start calling their goaltender “Air Logan.”

Logan Thompson earned the nickname March 25 in St. Louis by going airborne to stop a penalty shot from Blues leading scorer Pavel Buchnevich in overtime of Vegas’ biggest game of the season up to that point. The Golden Knights secured victory 19 seconds later when William Karlsson drew a couple defenders at the other end before tapping a pass to Jonathan Marchessault, who wristed in a shot for a 2-1 victory.

“The word ‘clutch’ is what we’re looking for,” Karlsson said of Thompson after the game. “He’s very clutch. Obviously a huge save on their penalty shot in OT. That’s what we need from our goaltender this time of year.”

Thompson was spectacular throughout Vegas’ penultimate regular-season road trip of the year, a four-game stretch that started with the win against St. Louis. And the Golden Knights needed it badly as their season-long grasp on a playoff spot had started to slip with injuries mounting and goalie play declining.

Thompson halted the slide by shutting down the two teams chasing the Golden Knights closest in the standings, the Blues and Minnesota Wild. Against the Wild, the final game of the trip five days after facing the Blues, Thompson turned away 32 shots and gave up only one goal—that during a five-minute major penalty.

His final save came with the Wild pulling their goalie for a 4-on-3 advantage in overtime and once again led to the game-winner as Marchessault got a hold of the loose puck and scored on the empty net for another 2-1 victory.

“A great save by Logan there again,” Marchessault said. “He’s been tremendous for us these past few weeks and I’m happy for him to get the win.”

With eight games left to play in the regular season, the Golden Knights were no longer at risk of

SPORTS

missing the playoffs and therefore a chance to defend their Stanley Cup title. They hadn’t technically clinched a postseason spot yet but it was a mere formality as the 3-0-1 road trip at least momentarily boosted them from a wild-card position to the No. 3 seed in the Pacific division.

The only loss came in the game where Thompson didn’t play, a 5-4 overtime defeat to the Nashville Predators with Henderson Silver Knights stopper Jiri Patera in the crease. Thompson has lifted the Golden Knights whenever he’s played, putting together a streak of six straight appearances with only one goal allowed.

“I’m happy for Logan,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “He’s battled hard in there.”

Vegas will need Thompson to keep battling hard and flying high if it wants to be a factor in the playoffs. As the Golden Knights know first-hand, it almost always takes excellent goalie play to make a push toward the Stanley Cup Final.

All indications are that Thompson is the best, if not only, candidate to fill the role in Vegas this year.

It wasn’t supposed to be that way, as Thompson and Adin Hill, who was unstoppable in last year’s championship run, entered the season sharing time in net. The expectation, though it was never explicitly stated, was that Hill would reclaim the permanent spot come playoff time.

But that may turn out neither possible nor preferred. Hill is currently sidelined for the second time this season with a lower-body

Anaheim Ducks right wing Troy Terry controls the puck in front of Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson during a 2022 game in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo)

injury and his status for the playoffs is unknown.

But he wasn’t playing well before getting hurt, having given up at least three goals in seven straight starts—during which the Golden Knights went 2-5—before exiting a March 23 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Cassidy had vowed to stick with Hill and help him through the rough stretch, though he referenced the goalie needing to navigate mental hurdles and poor third-period play.

Now the gameplan instead might be for the Golden Knights to ride Thompson as far as he’ll take them. Teams don’t typically play more than one goalie in the playoffs, even if that was their modus operandi during the regular season.

And it’s not always the goalie everyone expects. Hill himself came off the bench last year, as Vegas got through an opening-round series with Winnipeg and the first two games of a showdown against Edmonton with since-departed Laurent Brossoit in net.

But Brossoit got hurt to thrust Hill, who hadn’t played in two months with his own injury, into action and prompt a legendary run in which he went 11-4 as a starter for the rest of the playoffs.

Thompson, who was also unavailable due to injury, was along for the ride but later admitted it was difficult to watch while itching for the chance to play in the postseason for the first time in his career.

APRIL 5 at Arizona Coyotes, 7 p.m. on Vegas 34

APRIL 8 at Vancouver Canucks, 7 p.m. on Vegas 34

APRIL 10

at Edmonton Oilers, 5:30 p.m. on Vegas 34

APRIL 12

vs. Minnesota Wild, 7 p.m. on Vegas 34

APRIL 14

vs. Colorado Avalanche, 12:30 p.m. on TNT and Max

APRIL 16

vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 7 p.m. on ESPN+ and Hulu

APRIL 18

vs. Anaheim Ducks, 7 p.m. on Vegas 34

The 27-year-old has shown more than enough to prove he should be capable and worth trusting. Even before his latest ascent, Thompson emerged as a potential top-tier goaltender at the start of last season en route to an All-Star Game nod.

He’s since been forced to wait his turn, but the time for patience is over. The Golden Knights now look like Thompson’s team.

“He’s playing really good hockey,” forward Anthony Mantha said of Thompson. “Hopefully he’ll keep going, and we’ll do our best in front of him.”

LOCAL COMPANY STAYS AHEAD OF THE CURVE ON WATER FILTRATION

BY EMMA BROCATO VEGAS INC STAFF

Multipure has been in the water filtration business for more than 50 years. Like most industries, there has been one constant: change.

“As time has gone on, more and more contaminants are identified, ways of measuring those contaminants have to be developed. Standards have to be developed,” says Zachary Rice, president of Multipure.

Rice is the second-generation owner of Multipure, a company based in Las Vegas that manufactures and sells water filters for use in individual consumers’ homes.

The company was founded in 1970 by his father and uncle. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was founded the same year.

Fifty years ago, most consumers accepted their tap water without question, Rice said. Things like water filters and bottled water were not yet commonplace. But gradually, the EPA began identifying contaminants in tap water and developed monitoring strategies.

Rice says Las Vegas is a younger city with relatively newer water infrastructure, meaning concerns with drinking water are minimal but not nonexistent.

“We are located on the mountainous part of the United States, so there’s arsenic,” Rice said. “Anytime you’re in a mountainous region, usually you can find naturally occurring arsenic.”

The Southern Nevada Water Authority is responsible for keeping urban drinking water under the federal limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb) for arsenic. Rice estimates that urban drinking water in Las Vegas contains about 2 to 3 ppb of arsenic, but Multipure’s filter can reduce that number to zero.

Residents of rural, mountainous areas in Nevada and California often have elevated levels of arsenic in their well water. These communities struggle to meet the EPA standards for arsenic.

“There are small communities around the western part of the United States where it does not economically make sense for them to have to install equipment to be able to meet the EPA’s requirement,” Rice says. “So what they do is they identify the kind of consumer-ready products, and they just buy everyone in the community that product

and that’s how they can meet the standard.” Multipure fills this need, as it’s one of the only at-home filters in the United States that is able to remove arsenic from drinking water.

And the company continues to push the limits in the water filtration industry, now one of few certified to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, from drinking water, Rice said.

Over 10 years ago, Multipure entered its filter into a study about PFAS in drinking water.

“Here’s the thing: We hadn’t even engineered them at that time to really target PFAS,” says Kenton Jones, vice president of operations at Multipure. “But it was found that the filters at the time, as they came from the factory, were already taking this stuff out of the water.”

Concerns have mounted nationally over the presence of PFAS as a “forever chemical” in tap water and bottled water. Rice says the drinking water industry is working to determine the standard for safe levels of PFAS, as well as the health risks associated with exposure.

And, he says, using a system like the ones his company provides is better for the environment because the widespread use of single-use plastic water bottles contributes to pollution.

Multipure filters are carbon-based and last an average of one year—about 750 gallons—before needing to be replaced. In addition to its under-the-sink filtration system, Multipure also offers a showerhead attachment filter to reduce potential skin and hair issues caused by contaminants found in Las Vegas’ hard water.

Multipure’s water treatment system is recognized by NSF International—the public health standard certification group—for being able to remove viruses, bacteria and protozoan cysts. Therefore, Jones says, consumers could use this product to safely drink water straight out of Lake Mead or the ponds at Sunset Park—after some preliminary straining of the large particles, of course. He has done this himself before.

“Having companies like Multipure whose mission is to make a tangible improvement in the quality of people’s lives in terms of their health … I feel incredibly proud to be just a tiny little part of that equation, to be a tiny little part of that effort,” Jones says.

Zachary Rice, president of Vegas-based water filter manufacturer Multipure. (Brian Ramos/Staff)

VEGAS INC NOTES

Highlights of the best in business

Eric Walther, a shareholder in Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s litigation department, joined the executive advisory board of the Darren Waller Foundation, which equips youths to avoid and overcome addiction to drugs and alcohol, and supports youths and their families during their recovery and treatment journey.

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released an exterior rendering of the new Lone Mountain Nevada Temple to be located southwest of Hickman Avenue between North Grand Canyon Drive and Tee Pee Lane. It will be the state’s fourth temple. Temples differ from the church’s neighborhood meetinghouses (chapels), which are used weekly for Sunday worship services and are gathering places for weekday activities and events.

Venuetize, Everi Holdings’ mobile

technology and e-commerce platform for the sports, hospitality and entertainment industries, has been selected by Las Vegas Ballpark as the cornerstone for its fan engagement mobile strategy. Venuetize gives Las Vegas Aviators fans a refreshed user experience, migrating from their experience within the Summerlin district app, which will continue to support the Summerlin and Downtown Summerlin community. Venuetize offers fans a hub for accessing, transferring and buying tickets, as well as viewing venue maps. It also includes a built-in mobile wallet that facilitates digital payments at concessions at the venue.

David Livingston is the newest member of SVN: The Equity Group’s Las Vegas team. As vice president, Livingston will focus on medical and professional office investments, sales and leasing. Starting at Homestead Realty, Livingston nav-

Network Engineer 2 (Nevada Power Company d/b/a NV Energy in Las Vegas, NV). Duties include develop, plan, design resource requirements, cost estimates projects; Monitor systems operations, install, configure, maintain Cisco and Extreme network hardware and associated software. Maintain Cisco ISE infrastructure; Troubleshoot wireless networking issues; Vulnerability management of network devices. Technical resource to team members & customers. Requires Bachelor’s or its foreign educational equivalent in Computer Science, Information or Digital Technology or in related plus 2 years of experience as Network Engineer or Network Administrator or in similar role including experience with Wireshark or similar packet capture tools, with Cisco routing/switching/wireless, in datacenter environments, installing, removing hardware, hands on with common networking routing protocols. Cisco CCNA Certification Required. Hybrid position must work at least 3 days per week at worksite. Wage Scale: $92539 - $123,700. Must live within the metropolitan statistical area of the worksite located at 7155 Lindell Road, Las Vegas, NV 89118.

Email resumes to: Timothy.Lindquist@nvenergy.com

igated the acquisition of bank-owned and distressed properties for domestic and international investors, converting them into profitable long-term investments. Most recently, he worked at Sun Commercial Real Estate’s investment services group.

Golden Entertainment announced that Blake Sartini II, executive vice president of operations, is now chief operating officer. Sartini joined Golden in June 2007, working with its tavern operations and building a tavern portfolio of 69 locations. Steve Arcana’s role changed from chief operating officer to chief development officer. In this newly created role, Arcana will be responsible for new tavern development, finding new third-party food and beverage concepts for casino resorts, and exploring opportunities to unlock value in the company’s excess real estate in Las Vegas, Laughlin and Pahrump.

Nestled

Rendezvous with a view.

beneath the Eiffel Tower of Paris Las Vegas, Chéri Rooftop is the place to sip, show off, and take it all in—with picturesque views, photo-worthy cocktails, and fashion-forward Parisian charm.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): An embrace of life’s holiness is possible through luminous joy, boisterous triumph and exultant breakthroughs. Propagandists of the potency of misery are stuck in a habit of mind that’s endemic to the part of civilization that’s rotting and dying. Soon, you will have opportunities to glide into sacred awareness on the strength of your lust for life and joie de vivre.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Will humans succeed in halting the decimation of the environment? Will we neutralize the power of fundamentalism as it fights to quash our imaginations and limit our freedoms? Now is an excellent time to ponder the world we are creating for our descendants—and resolve to do something in loving service to the future.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The genius polymath Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) contributed much treasure to science and engineering. You, too, will generate many new approaches and possibilities in the coming months—not Galileo level, but still: sufficiently unprecedented to rouse the resistance of conventional wisdom.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Now would be a perfect time to prove your love. How? You might begin by being extra considerate, sensitive, sweet and tender. Add sublime, scintillating touches, too. Maybe you will tell your beloved allies beautiful truths about themselves—revelations that make them feel deeply understood and appreciated. Maybe you will give them gifts or blessings they have wanted for a long time but never managed to get for themselves.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Naturalist and ornithologist William Henry Hudson (1841–1922) said, “I am not a lover of lawns. Rather would I see daisies in their thousands, ground ivy, hawkweed and dandelions with splendid flowers and fairy down, than the too-well-tended lawn.” Adopt his attitude toward everything in your life for the next few weeks.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You are skilled at helping people access their resources and activate their potentials. If you are not rewarded for this service, figure out how to correct the problem. If you are feeling extra bold, upgrade your skills at helping yourself access your own resources and activate your own potential, and being straightforward in asking the people you help to help you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A solar eclipse may purge and cleanse stale old karma. On some occasions, it has flushed away emotional debts and debris that have been accumulating for years. It’s a favorable time to be brave and daring as you upgrade your best relationships. What habits and patterns are you ready to reinvent and reconfigure?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): At your best, you are not an invasive manipulator but a catalysts. You are an instigator of transformation, a resurrector of dead energy, an awakener of numb minds. The people you influence may not be aware that they long to draw on your influence. They may think you are somehow imposing it on them, when, in fact, you are simply being your genuine, intense self, and they are reaching out to absorb your unruly healing.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): It’s prime time to shower big wild favors on your beautiful self. Get the fun underway with a period of rigorous self-care: a physical check-up, perhaps, and visits with the dentist, therapist, hairstylist and acupuncturist. Try new healing agents and seek precise magic that enhances and uplifts your energy.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The coming days will be a favorable time to wrestle with an angel or play chess with a devil. You will have extraordinary power in any showdown or collaboration with spiritual forces. Your practical intelligence will serve you well in encounters with nonrational enigmas and supernatural riddles. Never assume that any being is holier or wiser than you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Your featured organ of the month is your nose. This may sound beyond the scope of predictable possibilities, but you will make robust decisions and discriminating choices if you get your sniffer fully involved. So favor and explore whatever smells good. Cultivate a nuanced appreciation for what aromas can reveal. If there’s a hint of a stink or an odd tang, go elsewhere.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

When is the best time to ask for a raise or an increase in benefits? The time that’s 30 to 60 days after your birthday is most likely to generate good results. Another phase is 210 to 240 days after your birthday. Keep in mind that these estimates may be partly fanciful and playful and mythical. But then, fanciful and playful and mythical actions have an honored place in astrology. Self-fulfilling prophecies are more likely to be fulfilled if you regard them as fun experiments rather than serious, literal rules.

APRIL

IS CELEBRATE ALL THINGS

STEAM Events Happening All Month Long:

SOCIAL MEDIA

MONDAY – LEARN HOW TO MAKE CONTENT FOR SOCIAL MEDIA

Clark County Library – Best Buy Teen Tech Center

Every Monday during April 3:30 p.m.

For ages 12-17, 18 with current and valid high school I.D.

FUN WITH STEM

East Las Vegas Library

Every Tuesday & Thursday during April 11 a.m.

For ages 3-5

BATTLE OF THE BOTS

East Las Vegas Library

Every Wednesday during April 4 p.m.

For ages 9-14

STEAM ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

Mesquite Library

Every Thursday during April 4 p.m.

For grades K-5

CLUB STEAM Enterprise Library

Every Thursday during April 4:30 p.m.

For grades K-5

SCHOOL-AGE STEAM

Spring Valley Library Friday, April 5 & 12 4 p.m.

For ages 6-11

SINK OR FLOAT: TITANIC EDITION

Sunrise Library Friday, April 5 4 p.m.

For grades K-5

UP & ATOM

West Las Vegas Library

Every Sunday during April 3 p.m.

For ages 0-11

TEAM BUILD: STEAM – COLLABORATE AND LEARN STEAM SKILLS

Clark County Library –Best Buy Teen Tech Center

Tuesdays April 9, 23 & 30 3:30 p.m.

For ages12-17, 18 with current and valid high school I.D.

TEEN ZONE GARDENING

STEAM: WALKING WATER

Windmill Library Wednesday, April 17 at 4:30 p.m.

For grades K-5

STEAM TEAM: TESSELLATIONS

Sunrise Library Friday, April 19 4 p.m.

For grades K-5

CATERPILLAR RACING

Windmill Library Wednesday, April 24 4:30 p.m.

For grades K-5

BRIDGE BUILDER

Sunrise Library Friday, April 26 4 p.m.

For grades K-5

TODDLER EXPLORATION

Rainbow Library Tuesday, April 9 4 p.m.

For grades 6-12

JUNK DRAWER CHALLENGE

STATION: MAGNETS

Sunrise Library Tuesday, April 30 10:30 a.m.

For ages 18 months to 3 years

Sunrise Library Tuesday, April 16 4 p.m.

For grades K-5

STEAM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ARTS & MATHEMATICS)

Science Is Everywhere Day(s)

In celebration of this year’s Las Vegas Science Festival & Technology Festival, many of our branches are participating in Science is Everywhere Day!

VOLCANO SCIENCE

Searchlight Library Saturdays April 20 & 27 12 p.m.

For ages 3-17

SCHOOL-AGE STEAM

Spring Valley Library Friday, April 26 4 p.m.

For ages 6-11

TEEN VIP

Spring Valley Library Saturday, April 27 3 p.m.

Teens in grades 6-12

POOL NOODLE

ART BOTS

Spring Valley Library Sunday, April 28 3 p.m.

For ages 6-12

DIY MAGNIFYING GLASS

Blue Diamond Library Saturday, April 27 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

For ages 3-17

TAKE & MAKE STEAM

EXPERIMENT KIT

Rainbow Library Sunday, April 28 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

For grades K-5

CAMERA MAGIC Enterprise Library Sunday, April 28 11 a.m.

All ages

LET’S BE ZOOLOGISTS!

Windmill Library Sunday, April 28 11:30 a.m.

For ages 0-11

SCIENCE IS MY SUPERPOWER

Mesquite Library Sunday, April 28 1 p.m.

Grades K-8

EVERYDAY SCIENCE

West Charleston Library Sunday, April 28 2 p.m.

For families with children ages 0-12

UP & ATOM

West Las Vegas Library Sunday, April 28 3 p.m.

For families with children, all ages

SCIENCE IS EVERYWHERE DAY CRAFT

East Las Vegas Library Sunday, April 28 4 p.m.

For grades K-5

SCIENCE IS EVERYWHERE

Summerlin Library Tuesday, April 30 4:30 p.m.

For ages 3-17

Space may be limited and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. For even more STEAM Month events, please visit TheLibraryDistrict.org/Events or scan the QR code. All Library District STEAM events are free, but because space is limited, tickets may be required. Please arrive at each library branch’s Youth Services Desk 30 minutes prior to the event to obtain tickets.

KENTUCKY DERBY EVENT

MAY 4 | 2PM - 5PM

Sound the trumpets, it’s time to run for the roses!

Grab your derby attire to cheer on your favorite jockeys with a mint julep in hand. From the moment the gates open, you’ll have a front row seat 60 floors above for the most exciting two minutes in sports.

SPRITZ & MINT JULEP BAR

DERBY HAT CONTEST

RACE VIEWING WITH FULL AUDIO

DERBY-INSPIRED BITES