2024-05-09-Las-Vegas-Weekly

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MAY 17 JUNE 15

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STAR JAM HOSTED BY SIXWIRE FEATURING SCOTT STAPP VOICE OF CREED

TOMMY DECARLO FORMERLY OF BOSTON

DEREK ST. HOLMES TED NUGENT'S BAND

KIOSKGAME IN MAY

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, KATIE ANN MCCARVER, AYDEN RUNNELS, RHIANNON SAEGERT, JACK WILLIAMS

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

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Account Executives MARY CHARISSE DIMAIN, LAUREN JOHNSON, ANNA ZYMANEK

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Events Director SAMANTHA LAMB

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Events Coordinator ALEXANDRA SUNGA

Events Intern MELINA TAYLOR

PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION

Vice President of Manufacturing MARIA BLONDEAUX

Production Director PAUL HUNTSBERRY

Production Manager BLUE UYEDA

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Photograph Courtesy/Las Vegas Aces (Candice Ward/Getty Images)

David

A’ja

UNLV’s

Canadian indie rockers Alvvays make their Vegas debut, Brunch Club University takes over Ayu Dayclub and more happening this week.

Entertainer teams up with Toni Braxton

the Love & Laughter engagement at the Chelsea.

classic Don Giovanni.

Palms.

Zippy’s saimin. (Courtesy)

SUPERGUIDE

THURSDAY MAY 09 FRIDAY MAY 10

JACK PROCTOR: AN ARTIST’S JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE

Thru 5/14, times vary, West Charleston Library, thelibrary district.org

LENS ON HENDERSON: A VISUAL RETROSPECTIVE

Thru 5/31, times vary, Henderson City Hall, cityofhenderson.com

OPERA LAS VEGAS: THE BILLY GOATS GRUFF

6 p.m., Windmill Library (& 5/10, 5/12, times & locations vary), operalasvegas.com

SAN GENNARO FEAST

Thru 5/12, times vary, M Resort, san gennarofeast.com

BARRY MANILOW

7 p.m., & 5/11, (& 5/10, 8 p.m.), Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com

THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS

7 p.m., House of Blues, concerts.live nation.com

DUKE DUMONT

10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com

PAULINE HERR

With Soundzzz, Talons, 10 p.m., We All Scream, seetickets.us

FEID

8 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com

INTERPOL

With El Mato a un Policia Motorizado, Viaje Nahual, 8 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs. com

KARL DENSON’S TINY UNIVERSE

7:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster. com

LOS BUKIS

8 p.m., & 5/11, Dolby Live, ticketmaster. com

SHANIA TWAIN

8 p.m., & 5/11, 5/15, Bakkt Theater, ticket master.com

SANTANA

7 p.m., & 5/11, 5/15, House of Blues, con certs.livenation.com

REO SPEEDWAGON

8:30 p.m., & 5/11, Venetian Theatre, ticketmaster.com

TONI BRAXTON & CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER

POWER OF LOVE GALA

5:30 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, keepmemoryalive. org

DAVID BLAINE

8 p.m., & 5/11, Encore Theater, ticketmaster. com

DJ SNAKE

10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com

8 p.m., & 5/12, the Chelsea, ticketmaster. com

VEGAS KNIGHT

HAWKS VS. SAN DIEGO STRIKE FORCE

7 p.m., Lee’s Family Forum, axs.com

SEBAXXSS

10 p.m., Daylight Beach Club, daylight vegas.com

RICK ROSS

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

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

7:30 p.m., & 5/11, T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

PLAN YOUR WEEK AHEAD

SATURDAY

MAY 11

THE ROLLING STONES

8 p.m., Allegiant Stadium, ticketmaster. com

MOUNTAIN’S EDGE

MUSIC FESTIVAL

With Authority Zero, Otherwise, The Higher, more, noon, Exploration Peak Park, seetickets.us

EXHUMED

With Skeletal Remains, Morbikon, Upon Stone, 7 p.m., Sinwave, dice.fm

LAS VEGAS

PHILHARMONIC: SAINT-SAËNS THUNDERING ORGAN SYMPHONY

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

ROGELIO RAMOS

8 p.m., Sahara Theatre, ticketmaster. com

ALVVAYS

Canada’s trend of indie gone international can be traced back to sensational bands like Arcade Fire, Tegan & Sara, Metric, and more recently, Alvvays. This indie-pop quintet has relied on the strength of a dreamy sonic palette, primed by the airy vocal work of singer and guitarist Molly Rankin, whose musical pedigree can be traced back to the award-winning folk group The Rankin Family. Alvvays’ 2014 self-titled LP cemented the band in listeners’ minds with a handful of memorable tracks like the shoegazey love letter “Archie, Marry Me.” On the band’s third album, 2022’s Blue Rev, Alvvays demonstrates growth in virtually every area, from the production to the jangly application of its bright melodies. Single “Belinda Says”—a swelling homage to The Go-Go’s Belinda Carlisle—even stacked up against musical contenders like Boygenius, Lana Del Rey and Arctic Monkeys at the Grammys this year for Best Alternative Music Performance. Needless to say, this scrappy indie outfit is on its way, and you won’t want to miss its Vegas debut. With Joanna Sternberg. 7:30 p.m., $30-$40, Brooklyn Bowl, tick etmaster.com. –Amber Sampson

MOTHER’S DAY WINE WALK

6 p.m., Downtown Container Park, eventbrite.com

ART FESTIVAL OF HENDERSON

9 a.m., & 5/12, Water Street Plaza, cityof henderson.com

DAVID GUETTA Noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial. com

STEVE AOKI

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

TIËSTO

11:30 a.m., LIV Beach, livnightclub.com

DEADMAU5 10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zouk grouplv.com

BIG SEAN

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

KYGO

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

DON TOLIVER

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

LIL JON

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

KOUNTRY WAYNE 7:30 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, ticketmaster.com.

(Courtesy/Cat Harper)

SUPERGUIDE

MADDS

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

TEMPTATION

SUNDAYS

OPENING DAY

Noon, Luxor Pool, temptation sundayslv.com

MILEY

SERIOUS

With A.C. Esme, Brock G, BB Shaine, Baby Sonic, St. Justus, 10 p.m., Discopussy, tixr.com

BRANDI CYRUS

Noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com

NEVADA HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATER AWARDS

3 p.m., Reynolds Hall, thesmith center.com

KAMELOT

With Hammerfall, Ad Infinitum, Upon Stone, 6 p.m., House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com

BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB

With Gengahr, 7 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticket master.com

BRUNCH CLUB UNIVERSITY

Maybe you’ve day-partied with one of our favorite local DJs, Maria Romano, and her merry musical friends at Brunch Club University, the roving bash that’s taken over Jing at Downtown Summerlin, the new General Admission sports bar at UnCommons, and other o -Strip spots. But maybe ... you haven’t. Correct this oversight when BCU hits the Strip this weekend at Resorts World’s transportive Ayu pool club. This party is already big on atmosphere and an energetic buildup; we can’t wait to see how it will fit the vibes at one of the Boulevard’s top daytime destinations. Noon, $20-$30+, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com. –Brock Radke

TRISTAN SELZLER QUARTET

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

LANDRY

With Dustin Chafin, thru 5/19, 8 p.m., LA Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy.com

FRANCISCO RAMOS With Lenny Schmidt, Trixx, thru 5/16, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand.mgmresorts.com.

NECO

10 a.m., Azilo Ultra Pool, azilolasvegas. com.

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

Embark on an epic journey along the road less traveled by exploring the wonders of Nevada. With stunning state parks, amazing hiking trails, haunted ghost towns, and star-studded night skies, it’s your perfect escape from the everyday.

Go on, get a little out there. Explore Your State at TravelNevada.com

SUPERGUIDE

TUESDAY MAY 14

WEDNESDAY MAY 15

LAS VEGAS ACES VS. PHOENIX MERCURY

7 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs. com

LAS VEGAS AVIATORS VS. EL PASO CHIHUAHUAS Thru 5/18, 7 p.m., Las Vegas Ballpark, ticketmaster.com

COME FROM AWAY

7:30 p.m., & 5/15, Reynolds Hall, the smithcenter.com

MESSA

With Plague Doctor, Psalm, Silent Movie Cinema, 7 p.m., the Usual Place, dice.fm

WALE

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

NGHTMRE

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

EKKSTACY

With Alexsucks, 8 p.m., Beverly Theater, thebeverlytheater.com

IDLES

The concept of danceable post-punk has been around for a minute, at least since Gang of Four became one of its foundational practitioners in the late 1970s. Yet the number of modern-day acts with a mastery of this sound is almost vanishingly small, which is why groups that have it on lock—like Leeds, England five-piece Idles—hit you like a wet slap. You can dance to Idles; you can mosh to Idles; you can co-opt their lyrics as personal statements of identity. (“Strong like bull/vu-vu-vulnerable” is one of my personal favorites.) For these exact reasons, Idles’ latest album Tangk is one of the best records of 2024 so far. Hear it performed at full, move-your-body volume at Brooklyn Bowl, along with songs from several other albums that feel just as revolutionary. With Protomartyr. 7 p.m., $43-$65, Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com. –Geo Carter

THE FALL OF TROY

With The Number 12 Looks Like You, Rhododendron, Post NC, 7 p.m., the Usual Place, dice.fm

SADISTIC RITUAL

With Cielo Impuro, D’Angeled, 8 p.m., the Gri n, dice.fm.

MATRODA 11 a.m., Marquee Dayclub, taogroup.com

SKRILLEX

With Jyoty, Kenny Beats, noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com

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

— Shari S., REAL CUSTOMER

THE AUDIENCE IS LISTENING

Piecing It Together host David Rosen takes his podcast from the recording studio to the multiplex

David Rosen (Courtesy/ Gina Mizzoni Photography)

THE WEEKLY Q&A

BY GEOFF CARTER

David Rosen is excited to talk to you about the last movie you saw. The Vegas-based lm, television and commercial composer hosts a weekly podcast, Piecing It Together, that breaks down new and classic lms by the works that inspired them—in essence, guring out where their “puzzle pieces” may lie. (For example: The weird, kinky bricolage that is Poor Things is likely inspired by The Wizard of Oz, The Island of Dr. Moreau and the 1990 cult classic Frankenhooker.)

Recently, Rosen has taken the podcast itself to the movies. He’s begun recording live episodes of Piecing It Together immediately after screenings at Maya Cinemas and other Valley theaters, widening his detective search from his panel of guests to the audience at large. He chatted with the Weekly about spreading the thrill of moviegoing to new converts.

I just listened to the episode about Mike Cheslik’s wild comedy Hundreds of Beavers and had my own puzzle piece to throw in: It reminded me of Kerry Conran’s Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, in the sense that both used their low-budget approach to a stylistic advantage.

I like that. I mean, that’s de nitely a movie where it all comes together in post. I don’t know if you heard the interview I did with [Cheslik], but that movie was all storyboards; there wasn’t even really a script. And everything was just like edit, edit, edit, then shoot some more, then edit, edit, edit. Yeah, just like Sky Captain; that’s pure post-production.

Are we getting you on an episode one of these days? The invitation’s open.

Maybe, if I can overcome my fear of audiences. How are the live episodes of Piecing It Together coming along? What’s next?

We have one announced show coming up at Maya Cinemas on May 23, on Furiosa. And I’ve already scheduled four more with Maya Cinemas. They’ve been an awesome partner in doing these live shows. And I’ve also had a great collaboration with Downtown Cinemas; we have one booked over there as well, which we’ll be announcing soon enough. Thankfully these last three or four live episodes—I’ve done 15 of them now; Furiosa will be number 16—have nally started to break over 20 people

sticking around after the movie to listen to us talk about it. And the audience participation has been great. I feel like we’re nally starting to really grow it to the point where we’ll get a good crowd out and get people to stick around … even the people who just happen to be at a Thursday night showing of the movie and didn’t even know there was a podcast happening.

I imagine sitting in a theater watching a movie, then talking about it in the same theater, makes the episodes feel more spontaneous.

Absolutely. You have to think on your toes, which is exciting. When I do the podcast online—I have 370 episodes now— it’s usually just one-on-one, whereas this is always a panel of four. That makes the whole thing a little bit livelier, and then getting that audience participation is something that I’m just super excited about. I always ask the people who listen to the regular podcast to send in their puzzle pieces, but I’m getting them right there in the theater. … It just makes the whole thing more exciting and gives it more of a community-type aspect.

Have you personally made surprising discoveries in making Piecing It Together, in terms of classic movies you’d never seen before? Last year, my big discovery was [British director] Ken Russell. I dove deep into Ken Russell and found out, “Oh, wow, this dude is for me.” I love

every single one of his movies that I’ve watched so far.

But I mean, the main thing I nd by doing this show, and by producing [the Josh Bell/Jason Harris podcast] Awesome Movie Year, is just how much is out there. I’m a big, big proponent of the theatrical experience and I love new movies, but there’s just so much out there, going back into cinema history. We just did Awesome Movie Year 1939, which was the furthest back we’ve ever gone on that show, and there’s a lot of great stu there that I might not have gotten to if I wasn’t doing a podcast. It’s exciting to push myself towards di erent years, di erent lmmakers and all this stu that you don’t see if you’re just going to the movies on a Friday night … though going to the movies on a Friday night is the best.

Truth. Was there a moment after COVID, when streaming was ramping up, when you worried that moviegoing might not bounce back?

I de nitely had worries. The pandemic was a big part of it, but also shifting attitudes and the economy. There’s no denying how expensive it’s gotten to go out to the movies—but the streaming companies also keep raising their prices, so it’s not like it’s getting cheaper at home.

I don’t blame people when they don’t want to go out to the movies, but the theatrical experience is still so much fun. I think it’s by far the best way to see a movie, whether it’s a new movie or an old movie. It really makes me happy when something like Dune, or last year’s whole “Barbenheimer” thing, really captures the imagination and people actually start showing up for these movies.

That’s also a big part of why I’m doing the live shows—getting people excited about going out and watching a movie together. … I want the people that show up at my screenings to see, like, “Oh, it is fun to watch movies with other people.”

Anya Taylor-Joy in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. (Warner Bros. Pictures)

FRIDAY, MAY 10

HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS TRIBUTE BAND

SATURDAY, JUNE 1

AN EVENING WITH SATURDAY, JUNE 15

(From left: A’ja Wilson by Wade Vandervort; Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray by Steve Marcus)

Nothing will come easily as the Las Vegas Aces push for a third straight WNBA title

Repeating as WNBA champions was one thing. Now the Las Vegas Aces are tripling down.

No WNBA team has won three straight championships since 1997-2000, when the Houston Comets won four in a row in the league’s first four years of existence, but the Aces are uniquely positioned to make a run at a third crown in 2024. Continuity is key, and the Aces’ cornerstone players need no introduction. A’ja Wilson is a two-time MVP, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young are two-time AllStars, and Chelsea Gray is ninth on the league’s all-time assists list. The first three on that list are former No. 1 overall picks. That group remains unchanged from the last two seasons. Even coach Becky Hammon is back.

But no two teams are ever exactly alike, and that goes for the Aces. The supporting group has undergone some restoration, and that tinkering around the edges may end up determining whether Las Vegas is holding another championship parade in October.

Most notably, all-time great Candace Parker retired on the eve of training camp after 16 years in the WNBA. Parker signed with Las Vegas last season, and though she only managed to suit up for 18 games, her versatility, playmaking and veteran guile allowed her to make an impact, averaging 9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest.

Veteran Kiah Stokes took over for Parker and started eight of nine playoff games alongside the Aces’ core four, and she returns this year. Las Vegas tried to add some size in the draft as well, selecting

6-foot-6 Angel Jackson from Jackson State and 6-foot-5 Elizabeth Kitley from Virginia Tech.

The Aces also drafted perimeter forward Kate Martin, who made it to consecutive national championship games at Iowa.

After playing with a phenomenon like Caitlin Clark in college, Martin knows a thing or two about augmenting great players—a trait that should help in her quest to earn a spot on Las Vegas’s star-studded roster.

“They’re back-to-back world champs,” Martin said after one particularly grueling camp practice. “It has obviously been super competitive. The intensity is definitely more than college. That’s evident. The pace has been very fast. The physicality has been tremendous. I’m getting used to that.”

While Hammon works out the kinks with the remodeled roster, the rest of the WNBA doesn’t intend on sitting around and letting the Aces hoard rings like they’re some kind of Middle Earth fellowship.

Contenders and wannabe contenders alike have spent the offseason trying to catch up. The New York Liberty, last year’s WNBA Finals fodder, return all five starters and are counting on better chemistry between Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot to close the gap. The Seattle Storm signed Nneka Ogwumike and have Skylar Diggins-Smith returning from maternity leave. The Dallas Wings drafted Ohio State guard Jacy Sheldon at No. 5 overall after being swept in the Western Conference finals by Las Vegas.

And don’t discount the Indiana Fever, who are building

their potential contender the same way Las Vegas did—with consecutive No. 1 picks. The Fever took Aliyah Boston No. 1 overall last year, and after finishing with the league’s worst record in 2023, they added Clark, perhaps the best prospect to ever enter the WNBA.

In short, everyone wants a piece of the Aces.

Gray has won three championships in her nine years in the league—one with the Los Angeles Sparks and now two with Las Vegas—and she understands that being at the top of the mountain means fending off all challengers.

“We’re always the target, man,” Gray said. “That’s just part of it and being part of this league.”

Hammon said Gray meticulously follows roster moves around the league and takes note of how opponents are stacking up in their collective attempt to derail the Aces’ three-peat.

“She watches everything,” Hammon said. “Everything in every league. She don’t miss nothing.”

As the league changes around them, the Aces know they’ve got to adapt in order to remain on top.

“Having a core group is always great, because that chemistry, that comfortability, that knowledge of each other is there,” said veteran forward Alysha Clark. “But I think every year, you have to come in with a different mindset. Last year doesn’t count. It doesn’t matter what we did. This is a new year. Even though we have some of the same players, this is a completely different team.”

–Las Vegas Aces forward Alysha Clark

A’ja Wilson is the first undeniable superstar of the Las Vegas major league sports era

BY BROCK RADKE

Who would you put on the Mount Rushmore of Las Vegas sports?

It can be a fun debate, one of those good-natured arguments between dedicated fans—and especially interesting to consider today, now that our city has multiple major league professional teams.

Andre Agassi has to be up there, right? And Greg Maddux. Are we including coaches? Because Tark feels like a necessity.

In 2022, The Sporting News compiled a bunch of Mount Rushmores, building a panel to select four standouts from 13 different cities. Chicago, for example, boasts Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, Ernie Banks and Bobby Hull—solid selections for a city with a rich sports history.

Las Vegas was not one of those 13 cities. But that’s fine, because we’ve only had these pro teams since 2017. Maybe we need to build two Mount Rushmores, one for our prepro era and one for the rich history Vegas is building today.

It will be a fun debate for the future, but there’s already a clear and singular choice for the first inclusion—A’ja Wilson is the one true sports hero of the current Vegas era.

The foundation of the Las Vegas Aces franchise since she was chosen with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft—the same year the team began playing at Mandalay Bay after moving from San Antonio—Wilson has notched a Hall of Fame-caliber career in just six

seasons. While leading the Aces to back-to-back championships, she’s tallied two league MVP trophies, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, Finals MVP honors in 2023, five WNBA All-Star appearances and a 2022 Olympic gold medal. Her pro career numbers: 19.9 points per game, 8.7 rebounds per game, 49.1% shooting.

But her performance on the court is just part of the story. Wilson is not just one of the league’s brightest stars; she’s evolved into one of the most prominent faces of women’s athletics around the world.

She established the A’ja Wilson Foundation with her parents very early in her pro career, a resource for children and their families who struggle with dyslexia. She has spoken and written openly about her own dyslexia journey and mental health issues, and this past February released the instant New York Times best seller Dear Black Girls, an inspiring memoir that has been called a must-read for teenagers and young adults.

Wilson is down-to-earth yet unapologetic, passionate about her mission and capable of great vulnerability at the same time, and that’s why she’s so easy to connect with. Her personality is magnetic, attracting big-time endorsements along with new fans and followers. She’s a young leader that people can identify with, and that’s why she was chosen as one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2024. Has any other Las Vegas athlete achieved that recognition?

Continued on page 22

Continued from page 21

“A’ja Wilson is not just a champion; she is a symbol of resilience, compassion, and unwavering dedication,” wrote another icon, Tom Brady, in Time. “Her story is a reminder that with passion and fearlessness, anyone can achieve greatness.

“I know she has so much more she wants to achieve ... and I get to be in a front-row seat watching and admiring!” (Brady has an ownership stake in the Aces. Wonder why? The answer is A’ja.)

There will certainly be some Vegas Golden Knights (and maybe even a Raider) on this future Mount Rushmore, but only Wilson has achieved the complete dream of any local fan—team championships, elite individual accolades and the overall community impact of being the “franchise player.” Of course she hasn’t done it alone, and she’s quick to show her appreciation for players, coaches and supporters.

Perhaps most meaningful, Wilson is one of the most popular and visible players in the world when women’s basketball has never been more popular or visible. The WNBA has been surging since it celebrated its 25th season during the pandemic, and TV is nally coming around to the long-held belief that audience demand for women’s sports (especially basketball and soccer) has outpaced available programming.

The exhibition game between Iowa and DePaul in October at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City set a new NCAA women’s basketball attendance record of 55,646. In March, the Aces became the rst team in WNBA history to sell out season ticket memberships. And the Aces are just one of the teams that has moved a game against Indiana, the pro squad that drafted

Iowa’s superstar Caitlin Clark, to a larger arena to accommodate more fans. The Indiana Fever will have 36 of its 40 games on national television this season—the Aces will have 35— and the WNBA has expanded its broadcast options overall, including ESPN platforms carrying every playo game.

Always advocating, Wilson has made the call for the media and the public to continue demonstrating this relatively new support for women’s sports—to prove we are worthy of the excellence that has been around for a long time.

“I hope that anyone [who is] invested and paying attention to it, continues to invest in it,” she said at the Time 100 Summit in April. “Buy that jersey. Go to that game. Take someone else.

Put your money where your mouth is and invest in these women.”

Las Vegas is fully invested in A’ja Wilson, who will lead the Aces into another exciting season in a very special way. The team will play the Puerto Rican national team in an exhibition game on May 11 at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.

Outside the arena, a statue of Wilson—a native of nearby Hopkins—was installed in 2021, honoring her stellar collegiate career and its 2017 national championship. It’s where it all started, and it’s where Wilson’s mentor and WNBA legend Dawn Staley just brought home a third NCAA title as South Carolina’s coach.

It’s another dream come true for this one-of-a-kind Las Vegas hero.

LAS VEGAS ACES 2024 HOME

(From left: 2023 portrait by Wade Vandervort/Sta ; action shot by David Becker/ Courtesy/Photo Illustration)

The west rim is heart-pounding, soul-searching, bucket-listchecking adrenaline rushes you’ve never felt or seen before, including one of the largest glass cantilever bridges in the world that will have you stepping 4,000 feet out over the Grand Canyon floor. Skywalk is just one of the ways you can jolt your senses and ignite your spirit at Grand Canyon West. Plan your adventure today.

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IN THE NEWS

“People want to be able to go home and be at peace. You don’t want to worry about: Am I going to be ooded out tonight? Is there any risk of anything happening?”

- Adrianne Todman, acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, after the Biden administration announced a $3 billion fund for housing agencies to make repairs to public housing

The Lady Rebels softball team is the No. 2 seed in the Mountain West tournament, and will play UNR or Colorado State at 3 p.m. May 9.

HOT SHOT Star Wars Day at the Sahara West Library in Las Vegas drew a crowd of enthusiasts dressed as their favorite characters from the iconic film franchise. May the Fourth be with them all, always. (David Becker/Las Vegas-Clark County Library District/Courtesy)

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Democrats turn up pressure on Brown

Democratic Nevada representatives and local policy advocates on May 2 criticized Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sam Brown for his endorsement two years ago of plans to store the nation’s nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in nearby Nye County. Brown spoke in favor of the project at a fundraising event in 2022. The Los Angeles Times reported on a 2022 recording in which Brown called Yucca Mountain a potential “great source of revenue” for Nevada. Although Congress approved funding for the site in 2002, Nevada legislators of bipartisan stripes for decades have blocked Yucca Mountain from becoming operational. “Sam Brown is one of the extreme few who believes that this is something that would make sense for Nevada,” state Assemblyman Howard Watts said. “It puts him dramatically out of touch with the people of this state.” –Ayden Runnels

BY THE NUMBERS

$66M

COURTS

That’s how much money Clark County approved for “Welcome Home” funds for the construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing units for extremely low-income residents of Southern Nevada. The funding will support the construction and rehabilitation of nine projects.

VOTING RIGHTS LAWSUIT

The ACLU of Nevada on Monday filed a lawsuit against Elko County for allegedly failing to comply with a Nevada election law.

Assembly Bill 286 was passed in the 2023 legislative session and requires jail administrators to implement procedures to ensure eligible voters who are detained—including those held pre-trial and those with misdemeanor sentences—can register to vote and cast a bal-

lot. The ACLU says it filed the lawsuit after sending the county a demand letter to comply with the law, which went into effect January 1.

“People who are incarcerated in county and city jails retain their constitutional right to vote. AB286 was specifically designed to curtail the disenfranchisement that people detained in these jails experience during our elections. The refusal to comply with the parameters of AB286 is

a disservice to our democracy. Anyone who maintains a lawful right to vote shouldn’t be denied that right,” reads a statement from ACLU of Nevada voting rights attorney Sadmira Ramic. According to the nonprofit, public records received from Elko County show that Elko County Jail is not in compliance with the law.

Elko County did not immediately respond to a request for comment. –Shannon Miller

Cautious optimism

Leaders in Nevada’s multimillion-dollar legal cannabis industry are welcoming news that the Biden administration is working to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, but they say the devil will be in the details. The Associated Press reported that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will recommend a reclassification of marijuana from a Schedule I drug, where it currently resides alongside LSD and heroin, to a Schedule III drug. The reclassification would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the most dangerous drugs. Las Vegas cannabis industry leaders, however, are stressing the changes would not legalize marijuana outright and still leave the industry in a regulation pickle. Nevada is one of 38 states that has legalized medical marijuana sales and one of 14 states to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Both remain illegal under existing federal law. The reclassification comes with a hefty rulemaking process—including a public comment period and a review by an administrative law judge—that could decide the breadth of access to the drug under its new scheduling. Litigation challenging the judge’s ruling is also highly likely, further delaying the final approval for years. –Ayden Runnels

LAS VEGAS TO HOST WRESTLEMANIA

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority announced that Las Vegas will host Wrestlemania 41 in 2025 at Allegiant Stadium. The dates are April 19 and 20. According to the WWE, Wrestlemania delivers more than $200 million in economic impact for host cities.

MONEY FOR

SHARED-USE TRAIL

U.S. Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nevada, announced $1 million from the Nevada Department of Transportation to help construct the Red Rock Legacy Trail. The shareduse pathway for bikes and pedestrians is intended to prevent accidents on the busy State Route 159, where deadly accidents involving motorists and bicyclists have previously occurred.

CANNABIS EXHIBIT

Planet 13 dispensary has announced an interactive exhibit about cannabis opening this summer. Previously located Downtown as a popup, Cannabition will occupy 12,000 square feet, span two stories at the entertainment complex and “ignite curiosity about the past and future of cannabis,” according to a press release.

TIKTOK SUES TO BLOCK BAN

TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance are suing the U.S. over a law that would ban the popular video-sharing app unless it’s sold to another company, arguing that it relies on vaguely painting it as a threat to national security to get around the First Amendment. The widely expected lawsuit filed May 7 may be setting up what will likely be a protracted legal fight over TikTok’s future in the United States—and could end up before the Supreme Court. If TikTok loses, it says it will be forced to shut down next year.

ENGINEERING OUR FUTURE

UNLV’s StepUp & StartUp intern program bolsters the engineering talent pool for local startups and relocating businesses

BY AMBER SAMPSON

Tina Quigley, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, had her reservations about LOCATE Las Vegas. The initiative, which entrusted the developmental authority with courting 17 global company leaders in hopes of attracting them to Southern Nevada, already felt like an expensive, time-intensive task. Add on the pressure of doing it during Super Bowl LVIII weekend and they certainly had their work cut out for them.

UNLV’s Advanced Engineering Building

(Josh Hawkins/UNLV Photo Services)

“I was very worried about the types of companies we would be able to get. Were they just coming for that extended weekend so they could get to the Super Bowl?”

Quigley says. “It wasn’t until we started identifying the companies and having these vetting conversations with them that I started realizing, ‘Oh my gosh, I think there are companies who are really truly … interested.’”

Over three days, the touring leaders had a rare look behind the curtain, visiting off-Strip destinations like Red Rock Canyon, and learning about our business ecosystems. They met with more than 150 stakeholders, chief among them being Rama Venkat, dean of UNLV’s Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering, who Quigley credits as being one of their most important assets.

“He met with the companies that had any type of engineering-related need or scientific technique, and he was a great partner,” she says. “As a result, some companies I think will probably land here before the year is even over.”

Due to non-disclosure agreements, Quigley couldn’t name the companies who participated in the initiative, but she confirmed at least seven of them met with Venkat, intrigued by the College of Engineering—and rightfully so. In February, UNLV unveiled its new three-story, 52,000-square-foot Advanced Engineering Building, a shiny indicator of just how essential the engineering sector has become, and that’s supported by the stats. The college is rapidly growing, with a 25% enrollment increase of engineering and computer science majors projected by 2030, Venkat told the Weekly in March.

All that considered, it’s no wonder the LOCATE Las Vegas companies saw an attractive prospect.

“It is really valuable that the UNLV School of Engineering is growing. Because now we have a true talking point for these companies to say, ‘Hey, your workforce is here,’” Quigley says.

To ensure that the workforce remains here, UNLV’s College of En-

gineering has pioneered the StepUp & StartUp Internship Program, connecting engineering students from underrepresented groups with local startups. The SUSU program, now in its second year, is funded by the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development, making it possible for these startups to actually pay their interns.

Alejandro Chacon, internship coordinator, has been with the program since the beginning and has already seen three students get hired in full-time roles.

BLT SMRT and on track to secure his first engineering job.

“In software engineering, it’s very common that you don’t find your first job for maybe a year or more after you graduate from college. To avoid that I was getting certificates. I was doing a lot of extracurriculars, trying to build up my résumé, but nothing compares to experience,” says Kano, who at age 9 taught himself how to code by watching YouTube videos. “I was kind of worried if I was gonna get a job and how long that would take. But I’ve already been working for a year now.”

Kano sees the program as a

“That’s the goal, that eventually my students will end up staying here in Las Vegas, working here in Las Vegas and having a really strong pool of engineers,” says Chacon, who steers students through the process of preparing for interviews, and shaping up their résumés and portfolios.

For Marcos Kano, a 19-year-old senior double majoring in computer science and math, joining the SUSU program “completely changed the game.” Kano first landed an internship with Arete Games, aiding in the release of a mobile video game. Now he’s interning with local tech company

satisfying way to get paid and “learn exactly what I wanted to learn.”

In its first year, the engineering program doled out 50 paid internships at 24 local startups. Chacon says employers undergo an intensive vetting process, with Black Fire Innovation, Manufacture Nevada, StartUpNV and Zero Labs helping connect UNLV with startups.

“I believe the students in our community do what they see other people doing. They build their career aspirations, the bulk of them, from what they

see their parents, their uncles, their sisters, their brothers doing,” says Lauri Perdue, vice chairwoman of the LVGEA. “We have a great opportunity here to change that narrative and help our young people see pathways to engineering, see pathways to fintech, see pathways to biomed.”

The scope of the industry is broader than some might think, and programs like SUSU bring awareness to that, Perdue says.

“[Students] start to worry because they hear about Meta and Amazon and all of these companies that are letting [people] go and you have to say, hey, they’re not the whole industry,” Chacon says. “I have my civil engineers and my construction engineers who are still very focused on designing and transportation. And with Las Vegas changing the way it is, being a sports mecca, and transportation with Brightline West coming in, all of that is exciting for my students.”

Perdue, who has piloted a new Talent Pipeline Council made up of education representatives, government agencies and other stakeholders to address workforce challenges, agrees that this is prime time for aspiring engineers, thanks to developments like Brightline West.

“They don’t have to create the storm drains of our city, there are sexy new projects in this city that would bring them in,” she says.

So if the LVGEA is looking to expand and diversify our economy wherever it can, engineering is as good a place as any to start.

“We have to be pumping up the workforce, but we have to have a place for that workforce to land in order for it to be worthwhile for the university to invest in that workforce,” Quigley says. “It really is very small baby steps in terms of industry, education and partnerships. And that’s the only way to do it.”

(Josh Hawkins/UNLV Photo Services)

FRESH FEST

The Mountain’s Edge Music Festival aims to blend live music and community

BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ

Festival season is a beautiful time of year in Las Vegas. Techno enthusiasts have Electric Daisy Carnival, R&B listeners look forward to Lovers & Friends (sorry, too soon?) and thrashers have Punk Rock Bowling. And while these mega-fests attract national crowds, there’s something special about a homegrown, family-friendly musical gathering.

For those seeking an outdoor experience with local charm, Mountain’s Edge Music Festival has what you’re looking for. Tucked away in the picturesque Exploration Peak Park, this hidden gem stands as a beacon of community spirit.

Formerly known for country music vibes, the festival has undergone a transformation, shedding its genre ties to embrace and showcase a diverse range of musical styles. “We’re going to bring in new music and some veteran artists that already have a good following that can draw a good crowd,” says Austi Martines, the lifestyle director for Mountain’s Edge Master Association.

In its previous iteration in 2018, the festival was solely dedicated to country music. This time around, it’s a community-driven endeavor organized by the association and spearheaded by Martines herself. Drawing from her personal experiences and passion for

music festivals, Martines has curated an eclectic lineup featuring acts like Authority Zero, Otherwise, The Higher and more. Local bands include the synth-driven post-punk act Social Order, indie rock outfit Theguiltyparty, and Carol-Lyn’s All Stars, a cover band that plays fan-favorite tracks from Journey, Pat Benatar, Heart and more. Martines is personally looking forward to seeing Neon Union, a country music duo recently nominated for New Duo/Group of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards. From punk and hard rock to pop and country, there’s something for every musical palate.

The festival promises a variety of attractions beyond music. VIP ticket holders ($70) can indulge in a deluxe experience, complete with tasting stations featuring spirits and beers,

May 11, noon, $20-$70. Exploration Peak Park, seetickets.us.

a taco plate, special viewing sections, and air-conditioned bathroom access. For those looking to add some flair to their festival experience, an airbrush tattoo station awaits, offering temporary tattoos that last for days.

Foodies will rejoice at the array of culinary delights served up by six different food trucks, catering to both savory and sweet cravings. And for those seeking a break from the musical festivities, yard games like cornhole, giant Jenga, and Connect 4 provide the perfect opportunity to unwind.

“Vegas is growing so fast, and we’ve seen a decrease in our attendance levels in the outdoor events,” Martines says. “It’s very rare that we have these really small music festivals within Las Vegas, especially ones that are family-friendly.”

Organizers are keenly aware of the importance of creating a wholesome yet exciting environment, aiming to revitalize outdoor events in the rapidly growing neighborhood.

“I am doing this for the community,” Martines says, underscoring the festival’s role in fostering a sense of unity and camaraderie among residents.

With its diverse lineup, culinary delights and array of activities, Mountain’s Edge Music Festival is poised to usher in a new experience for live music and community engagement.

Opposite Page: Neon Union Below: Otherwise (Courtesy)

MOUNTAIN’S EDGE MUSIC FESTIVAL

MUSIC

DOG PARTY with Sweet Gloom, May 23, 9 p.m., Red Dwarf, reddwarflv.com.

MUSIC

DOG’S DAY OUT

Sister rock ’n’ roll duo Dog Party barks back with a new LP and gig at Red Dwarf

BY AMBER SAMPSON

Gwendolyn and Lucy Giles grew up playing together—just not in the traditional recess sense. From the time the Sacramento sisters were 8 and 10 years old, they were jamming and writing original music as Dog Party.

“I always like to say that we’re like rock ’n’ roll with a sprinkle of pop and a dash of punk,” says Lucy, a vocalist and drummer who hat-tips The White Stripes as an inspiration. “We’re just wicked guitar tones, bombastic drumming and sick harmonies. We’re sisters, so we have blood harmonies that will rattle your bones.”

On top of hopping into the minivan for sports practice, the tweens were hustling to their first dive bar gigs with SoCal punks Agent Orange. The sisters went on to release their first two LPs on family friend Zach Goodin and Bud Gaugh of Sublime’s Half of Nothing Records, with more reflective, coming of age work dropping on Asian Man Records.

Roughly 17 years, one tour with Green Day and six albums later, Dog Party is still a force of nature. The sisters moonlight as vinyl-spinning DJs, with Gwen (guitar/vocals) working for The Emo Night Tour. They also recently founded Sneak Dog Records

with Teens in Trouble rocker Lizzie Killian to support other women-fronted projects.

The duo tapped Ryan Perras of San Jose’s District Recording Studio to work on their seventh LP, Dangerous, capturing what Lucy calls the “Dog Party ethos.” The drummer views it as “a more elevated version” of the band’s bulleted rock epic Lost Control. The sisters also tease more “push-pull harmonies” on songs such as “Fallen”—“The only positive song on the record,” Lucy jokes—and experimentation with guitar tones.

“We really had some beautiful tremolo or reverb using vintage equipment that sounds so good,” Lucy adds.

“There’s some guitar work in there that sounds just like George Harrison.”

They’ll be returning to Red Dwarf on May 23, with Dangerous releasing May 17.

“I am a big fan of tiki, so I’m always happy to be there. We have been honored to play the Punk Rock Bowling stage twice, so it’s always fun to just bring our energy back to Vegas,” Lucy says. “What you can expect is some really cool harmonies, some loud guitar and—”

“High energy rock ’n’ roll,” Gwen adds.

Dog Party

(Courtesy/Kevin Gomez)

FEELING THE LOVE

Cedric the Entertainer and Toni Braxton onstage at Cosmo.

(Denise Truscello for the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas)

Cedric

the

Entertainer

teams with Toni Braxton for a fresh vibe

BY JULIE SEABAUGH

Multi-hyphenate comedy superstar Cedric the Entertainer discussed his new Love & Laughter engagement with Toni Braxton sitting in his Cosmopolitan hotel room, taking a rehearsal break, then anticipating both the April 27 premiere and the weekend of his 60th birthday. Over the years in Las Vegas he’s hit the Flamingo with the Def Comedy Jam tour, Mandalay Bay for the Comedy Get Down with George Lopez, the Joint at the old Hard Rock as a solo act, MGM Grand Garden Arena with the Kings of Comedy tour and more. “There’s lots of venues,” he says, but the pair’s Chelsea theater run continuing May 10 and 12—and beyond—“is something really special.”

How did the idea for this pairing come about?

One of my business partners and Toni’s manager, they knew each other. Her manager is based in Vegas, and they wanted something a little di erent, a show that had a little bit of music and a little bit of comedy, and they hadn’t been able to crack it open. Then they realized that me and Toni knew each other.

Our kids used to date when they were younger, 15, 16. So we would have to drive over to each other’s house, and sit as the parents while they visited, hung out, and watched movies. Toni and I became friends and enjoyed hanging out, laughing, and I found her personality to be quirky and funny. People who only see her as this beautiful singing diva don’t know she’s funny and cool to hang out with. So we both loved the idea when it was presented to us.

If Toni gets to be funny, does that mean you get to sing?

It’s bigger than people think it’s going to be. We’ve really

worked on a Sonny & Cher, Donny & Marie kind of vibe. Although you do get all of her beautiful songs, and some amazing hilarity from me. We got a 16-show deal, and are in early talks to extend that already. Love and laughter is the combination of the things we need right now. We’re living in some very cynical times. We take these very polarized positions on

May 10 & 12, 8 p.m., $100-$252. The Chelsea,

things, but we recognize a good song as something we’re all familiar with, something that we love. It just brings us together. Same with laughter. You can sit in a room with somebody you don’t know, and if y’all share a laugh, it’s a connection. We’re all together, feeling the love, and getting to laugh, and that’s what the show is about.

I’m de nitely going to sing. Toni encouraged me, like, “You’ve got a nice voice! Let’s have some fun!” So I’m looking forward to showing o my voice so people know I can sing a little bit.

Tomorrow is your 60th birthday. How does it feel? When you were young, you could look at somebody 60 years old, like, “Oh, they’re about to be folded up in the box.” But I’m running around, I feel young, I got on young clothes. I’m doing some refreshing in my life. We renewed The Neighborhood I’m doing this new residency. I got the book out [Flipping Boxcars]. I’m just really excited about all possibilities and prospects, and just look at it as another day on the calendar.

CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER & Toni Braxton.

ticketmaster.com.

(Denise Truscello for the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas)

Three reasons to see Don Giovanni

1

MONEY When Cohen was researching 1980s Wall Street, he found characters who had so much money, they didn’t know what to do with it. Land Van-Buuren says money is a motivator and plot driver in Don Giovanni. “When you take a story like this, you have the people who are hangers-on or will do whatever it is just to stay attached to that money,” she says.

THE DEVIOUS DON

Vegas City Opera infuses Don Giovanni with 1980s Wall Street

BY SHANNON MILLER

What happens when you mix an 18th century classical opera with 1980s Wall Street?

“A night of debauchery,” says Ben Cohen, the director of Vegas City Opera’s Don Giovanni.

“The whole opera is taking place at one huge, crazy ‘80s party. Don Giovanni’s house is filled with cocaine, lots of alcohol, drugs, sex, crazy hairdos and fun suits,” Cohen tells the Weekly

It’s fittingly parallel to the setting of the 1787 opera written by Mozart, which revolves around a legendary 14th-century libertine Don Giovanni, a man of high status and low morals and an infamous seducer of women. The production, playing May 17-18 at Charleston Heights Arts Center, promises to modernize age-old themes.

“With the opera, all of these stories are really about people and greed and money and love. It’s universal. So these stories are still so incredibly relevant,” says Ginger Land-van Buuren, executive director with Vegas City Opera.

Cohen says 1980s Wall Street shares some historical parallels to

the setting of Don Giovanni, and serves as a backdrop to a story that tells a lesson about karma.

“It’s a tale about how greed and power can affect a person, and how that can affect the people around him,” Cohen says. “During that time in the 1980s … there was a lot of illegal activity going on in Wall Street. There was a lot of insider trading. … Until it all comes crashing down on Black Monday.”

The production company is updating Don Giovanni not only with mountains of coke and shoulder pads, but also with music. Under the direction of maestro Paul Schrage, Vegas City Opera and members of the Las Vegas Sinfonietta will bring more contemporary sounds into the score.

“Some orchestra members are going to be electrified … [So] every once in a while, you’re going to hear the cello or the first violin rock out a little bit,” Land-van Buuren says.

The opera will be sung in Italian and have English subtitles on a projector over the proscenium. The nonprofit Vegas City Opera aims to tell the stories of opera in a “distinct and accessible way,” and that rings true for this production, as well.

“I think it’s really exciting for the audience to see such a classic and well-known story told in a new perspective that they can relate to,” Cohen says.

2

MUSIC While opera can come off as a little old-fashioned for 21st century audiences, Vegas City Opera shows that it doesn’t have to be. They update the score with ‘80s flourishes. “You’re going to feel like it’s a 1980s party with a beautiful warmth of classical sound underneath,” Land-van Buuren says.

3

KARMA While he is a man of status, Don Giovanni is also a rapist, murderer, liar and a general villain. “Women were obsessed with him, and he had power and money,” Cohen says. His abuse of power and mistreatment of people come back to bite him, in the end. “It’s a story to show morals. … If you act and treat people badly, you will pay.”

(Courtesy)

YÄCHTLEY CRËW

THE TITANS OF SOFT ROCK

FRIDAY & SATURDAY | MAY 10 & 11

KOUNTRY WAYNE

SATURDAY | MAY 11

AMON AMARTH

METAL CRUSHES ALL TOUR WITH CANNIBAL CORPSE, OBITUARY & FROZEN SOUL

FRIDAY | MAY 24

BABYFACE

LIVE IN LAS VEGAS

SATURDAY & SUNDAY MAY 25 & 26

SATURDAY & SUNDAY | MAY 25 & 26

FOOD & DRINK

LOGICAL EXPANSION

Island favorite Zippy’s fi nally arrives in Las Vegas

BY BROCK RADKE

Las Vegans are very aware of Hawaiian food, but until October of 2023, uninitiated locals may have only ever sampled Zippy’s famous chili and not the myriad other o erings from the well-known Honolulu-based eatery.

Founded in 1966, Zippy’s opened its rst mainland store in southwest Las Vegas in the fall. Its signature dish, the slightly sweet, meaty chili, has been available for years locally in frozen form at some Asian markets, poke spots and Walgreens stores.

“For me, the chili is my favorite item on the menu, something I grew up with, the ultimate comfort food,” says Zippy’s COO Jay Kaneshiro. “I like the original chili with beans, but some prefer no beans and the vegetarian version is also very tasty. It reminds me of get-togethers, potlucks or picnics, and it’s just very soothing to my soul.”

Zippy’s food represents exactly that to plenty of Hawaiians, on the islands and here in Vegas. There are 22 locations on Oahu, Maui and Hawaii island, and this expansion has been in the works for years, even if it was delayed a bit by the pandemic, Kaneshiro explains. “There are a lot of ties between Las Vegas and Hawaii so it just made sense that the rst location outside Hawaii had to be in Vegas.”

The sleek store on Badura Avenue near the Beltway opened up with a limited menu, but more items are being introduced all the time, bringing the Vegas restaurant on par with other locations; Zippy’s is a combina-

tion of fast-casual take-out, a full-service dine-in restaurant and a retail bakery.

Kaneshiro says the dishes most beloved in Hawaii are also popular here. It starts with the chili, of course—in a bowl with cornbread ($8-$9), with rice ($7-$8), or scattered over French fries with plenty of cheese ($6).

Another island favorite that may not be the focus at local plate lunch eateries, saimin ($7) o ers chewy, ramen-esque noodles in a simple, savory broth with sh cake and char siu pork. Combination plates o er seemingly in nite options of crispy fried chicken katsu, hamburger steak, Korean-style fried chicken, teriyaki beef, breaded hoki sh and more, and Zippy’s also brings breakfast to the table. The Meat Lover’s plate ($14) starts your day with eggs, bacon, Portuguese sausage, Spam, corned beef hash and rice; if you come to eat early, come hungry.

Sweets run the gamut from apple pie and Chantilly cake to fresh doughnuts and the delightful chocolate haupia cake ($21), and you’re gonna want to take one of those home.

Although Zippy’s is taking a slow and steady approach to expansion, other Vegas Valley locations seem like a natural progression.

“This location has been very popular with locals already, and we de nitely appreciate everyone introducing Zippy’s to their friends and family,” Kaneshiro says. “We just want everyone to feel invited to experience everything we have to o er.”

ZIPPY’S 7095 Badura Ave., 702-9978117, zippys.com. Sunday-Thursday, 6 a.m.-midnight; Friday & Saturday, 24 hours.

Assorted Zippy’s specialties (above) including Spam musubi (below). (Courtesy/Zippy’s Restaurant)

 Vegas Unstripped, the indoor-outdoor food fest founded to highlight the incredibly talented chefs who drive the local culinary scene, has been appropriately situated in the Arts District in Downtown Las Vegas ... until now. It’s moving to the Palms Casino Resort, setting up shop poolside on May 18, but the format stays the same: Chefs from your favorite local restaurants will craft special one-nightonly dishes that will be sampled for the all-inclusive price of $150,

and there’ll be cocktails, entertainment and art all rolled into the fun.

You probably already know those details, but you might not now that this event has grown every year; that the chefs and their sta donate their time; that the cost to present the event is largely covered by your ticket purchase; and that net proceeds get donated to underserved local charities. It’s a

uniquely structured community food event, and it truly attracts top talent; among this year’s chefs are Chopped winner Johnny Church, James Beard nominee Francesco Di Caudo of

Basilico, Fine Company’s Roy Ellamar, Milpa’s DJ Flores, Honest Hospitality’s Gary LaMorte, Partage’s Yuri Szarzewski, and Gina Marinelli of La Strega and Harlo Steakhouse. –Brock Radke

(Courtesy/Vegas Unstripped)

TECHNOLOGY

LAS VEGAS AN IDEAL LOCATION FOR COMPANY TO KEEP

PACE WITH EVOLUTION OF COMMUNICATION

BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF

When Nordis Technologies started out, it was as a print company for businesses to disseminate communications to consumers or other businesses, like bills and other transactional documents.

It did the behind-the-scenes work for clients that send out those communications daily, said Ronnie Selinger, Nordis president, CEO and founder.

As technology has evolved, however, so has Nordis and what it has to o er.

So much so, in fact, that the Coral Springs, Florida-based company recently decided to move its Las Vegas operation into a bigger, 30,000-square-foot facility in the northeast valley.

“We are printing pretty much 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Selinger said. “So we’ve got a lot of print going on in both locations—and, in between that print, we’re also handling a lot of digital communications, we’re handling a lot of the text communications and we’re handling actual payments, also.”

The company is home to machinery that can essentially print everything in one go, Selinger said, with the size, color and transactional information a company may need.

Sending a bill or similar communication is not as simple as one may think, he emphasized, because compliance and nondisclosure language varies based on state, and consumers also disagree on how they want to receive it. While some may opt for physical mail or email, others may want a text message, he said.

Nordis’ solution is Expresso, a communication-management engine and “nonstop shop” for companies that takes care of the compliance issue and consumer delivery.

“Companies of all makes and models, of all sizes, are managing communications and billing, and that’s basically one of the core functions of what they have to do,” he said. “And, in most cases, that provides their cash ow.”

Las Vegas was attractive to Nordis for the company’s second location because of the city’s workforce and the fact that it’s not under the same threat of natural disaster as the company’s headquarters in

Florida, Selinger said.

Not to mention, he added, Nordis already had customers in Las Vegas, and the economy was strong here.

Tina Quigley, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, said that because there’s so many digital transactions within the resort corridor, the city receives a lot of attention from ntech, or digital banking, companies.

“Since several of them have clients right here, it makes sense that we would work to start to attract these types of companies as well,” said Quigley, who noted that ntech is one of the industries targeted by the LVGEA for growth.

The workforce that UNLV is pumping out through its nance program is also a huge asset, she said, building up a pipeline of employees for ntech companies.

“Another asset that we have is our cost-of-living compared to other coastal cities, at least,” Quigley said. “And the ... fact that our airport has so much direct service, both nationally and internationally, makes it attractive for some of these companies who need to be connected to the rest of the world.”

Nordis opened its original, approximately 13,000-square-foot Las Vegas facility near Harry Reid International Airport about eight years ago.

With the growth of the location and its inventory—as well as new, sizable equipment coming in to broaden the company’s operations—it was time for a change. The company, which Selinger noted has nearly 50 local employees, recently settled into a new Las Vegas facility on Pecos Road.

“We are really looking to grow that facility and that footprint so that we can produce even more documents out of Las Vegas,” he said.

Going forward, Nordis will delve even deeper into payment technology solutions, and seek to create a better electronic experience for its clients and their customers, Selinger said.

“I think most people don’t even realize,” he said of the challenge that delivering communications in di erent forms can be and how essential it is to cash ow. “They get a bill that shows up in their email or they get a bill that shows up in their mailbox, and I don’t think anyone really stops and thinks about how that all happened.”

Inside Nordis Technologies’ Las Vegas plant (below); CEO Ronnie Selinger (inset). (Courtesy)

BY RINA FOSTER

In the past year, our community has seen cybersecurity threats affect prominent organizations such as MGM Resorts International, the Clark County School District and countless others. In fact, 63% of small-business owners report having been victims of cyberattacks, according to the Nevada Small Business Development Center. Small- to medium-sized businesses are particularly at risk because hackers view them as easier targets.

As the advancement of AI technology gains momentum, local businesses may face a rapidly growing cyberthreat in deepfake attacks. This fabricated content can damage reputation, erode consumer trust and ruin credibility. And yet, while 80% of companies acknowledge the threat of deepfakes, less than 30% have acted.

No matter your level of security, due diligence or control, the reality is that organizations are prone to a multitude of risks that can attack from every angle—deepfakes are just one risk you should be preparing for.

UNDERSTANDING DEEPFAKES

Deepfakes are AI-generated content, often using deep learning techniques to manipulate or fabricate visual and audio elements in a realistic manner. These creations can range from fake videos of company executives making false statements to

Business owners must cultivate crisis readiness in

the

age of deepfakes and cyber threats

forged audio recordings that mislead clients or partners.

The technology has advanced so much in recent years that it now poses a real security threat to organizations, necessitating a proactive approach to detecting and mitigating the spread of misinformation in an increasingly digital landscape.

This year, a Hong Kong multinational company fell victim to a sophisticated deepfake attack where the face and voice of the company’s chief financial officer was used to convince his finance team to execute fraudulent transfers. The attack cost the company $25 million.

Last year, three New York City high schoolers posted a deepfake video of a middle-school principal on TikTok. The perpetrators programmed the deepfake version of the principal to spout violent, racist comments about Black students.

Before law enforcement officials eventually uncovered the truth behind the video, the short-term chaos it caused was distressing. Parents blasted the school district for what they mistakenly believed was a systemic problem, even threatening lawsuits. The school was unprepared to deal with such a crisis and displayed a clear failure in communication while the situation was continuing, resulting in ongoing distrust.

If three high schoolers could create

such a strong threat through generative AI, imagine how someone with more resources and experience could disrupt your business with a deepfake attack. Here’s how to prepare for such a risk.

 Crisis-ready strategies: With the right strategies in place, you can safeguard your business’ reputation and retain trust with stakeholders.

 Audit and assess: Conduct an audit of your organization’s mindset and culture. The way an organization chooses to interpret the word ‘crisis’ has a direct impact on the way it will approach crisis management and preparedness. Knowing your organization’s mindset and culture will allow you to understand where you sit on the spectrum of crisis readiness and help identify areas that will require dedicated focus.

 Know your areas of high risk: Every organization has a handful of high-risk scenarios that are the most likely to occur, like data breaches and deepfakes, employee misconduct, product recalls and employee protests, to name a few. Start by making a list of your top three to five high-risk scenarios and uniquely prepare for each one.

 Develop the program: Having a crisis-ready culture doesn’t mean having a plan with scenarios that sits on a shelf that addresses operationally how you’ll handle a crisis. Plans give you steps to follow; programs strengthen your culture. Think in terms of a crisis-ready program and develop governance. How

does your organization define a crisis? What is the process for declaring a crisis? Who within the organization makes up the crisis management team? What are their roles and responsibilities? Once you’ve answered foundational questions, then start to build scenario-specific playbooks that can guide your organization through the first 24-48 hours of a breaking crisis.

 Employee training and awareness: No matter where a crisis originates, or who detects it, your team should be trained and empowered to first identify it as a risk, and then to quickly assess its immediate potential impact. Invest in regular training sessions to educate employees about common cyberthreats and deepfake awareness. Conduct simulated crisis scenarios to test employees’ responses and their ways of working together and lines of communication.

 Bring in the experts: Oftentimes, bringing in outside experts with real-world experience helps to bring a level of credibility that offers additional weight and support for your objectives. Experts can help you anticipate potential risks and formulate a plan to prevent communication barriers. In the case of cybersecurity and deepfakes, collaborate with cybersecurity firms to gain additional insight. These firms can help evaluate your operational processes.

ONE FINAL NOTE

Inevitably when more people are looking for and pointing out threats, more threats will be found. That is the point. Being able to identify and solve for risk helps mitigate issues and crises. And, while planning and exercises are a big part of building a crisis-ready culture, so is the ability and mindset to be versatile, flexible and adaptable.

Rina Foster is a crisis communications expert and accredited public relations adviser with 84 Communications, a strategic communications and reputation management firm she founded in 2018.

VEGAS INC NOTES

Three Square Food Bank announced Edmund Wong as chief operating officer. He oversees organizational growth with an emphasis on helping build upon operations and culture. Wong previously served as CEO and vice president of food and beverage for the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas.

Trent Jarvis is the new vice president business relationship officer at GenuBank. He has over seven years of experience in relationship management and business banking, including serving as business development officer and senior branch relationship banker with Nevada State Bank. In his new role, Jarvis will develop and implement targeted strategies to drive new business growth and achieve sales targets. GenuBank also announced its approved status as a Platinum Partner bank with the Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts program. Platinum Partner banks pay 2% or more

on IOLTA accounts, which increases funding to provide at-risk Nevadans with legal aid for addressing critical legal issues.

Select Health announced Jason Worthen as the new president for the Desert Region, overseeing operations in Southern Nevada. Worthen joined Select Health in November 2022 as Medicare assistant vice president, then served as vice president of government programs. Most recently, he served as the interim leader of the Select Health Desert Region. Worthen has over 30 years of experience in the health care industry.

The Southwest Medical Surgery Center – Charleston, at 2450 W. Charleston Blvd., received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, an increase from its previous A rating.

The UNLV Research Foundation ap-

TESTOSTERONE

proved an agreement with Gardner Nevada Tech Park Studios to oversee development of a 34-acre media production and multi-use facility complex at the Harry Reid Research & Technology Park. Gardner, the master developer of the research park, will work with Birtcher Development and studio operator the MBS Group to create the planned Nevada Studios Campus.

The Mob Museum announced that Ashley Miller, vice president of marketing, communications and sales, was honored as one of PRNews’ Top Women of 2024 in the Motivators category. This recognition is awarded to women who have demonstrated leadership and innovation in public relations. Under Miller’s leadership, the organization routinely earns more coverage for its exhibits and programs in media outlets than other nationally renowned museums and has become Nevada’s most visited museum.

Director of Revenue Management wanted by Caesars Enterprise Services, LLC for Las Vegas, NV office. Manage a team of pricing analysts & experts; provide daily support to the Directors and VPs of Revenue Optimization. Salary: $96,400 - $160,667 /year.

To apply, send resume to kfurry1@caesars.com and reference Job # 1004.

PREMIER CROSSWORD HOROSCOPES

“FUN

‘N’ GAMES”

BY FRANK LONGO

e g.

22 Well-spoken

23 Whole bunch of baby felines?

25 Regions, weatherwise

26 Some reddish deer

27 Sex educator Shere

28 Jokester Jay 30 Viscous stuff

31 DVD- -- (data holders)

32 Make angry

33 Dogs that hunt egrets?

37 Fade away

38 B A., e g.

39 Corp. exec in charge of ads and branding 41 Locale

“Oh, gotcha” 43 Snacks that help physicists build atomic bombs?

47 Campus digs 49 Text-scanning device: Abbr.

50 French for “the king”

in a rabbit colony?

112 Woodsy den

U-boats, e.g.

Feel unwell

Andean land

French essayist Simone

Singer Horne

Nag 122 Answer from poet Countee? 126 Greek goddess of wisdom 127 Phoenician goddess of fertility 128 “Could be”

Ravens’ gp.

“Send me”

“Yes, yes!,” in France

Suffix with Benedict

Roads: Abbr

Bun worn at the back of the neck

Savvy about

Fight arbiter

Co.

ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Children are often smitten by the glimmering, unblemished mystery of Disneyland. But after a while, the infatuation unravels. Waiting in long lines to go on the rides is exhausting. The food is unappetizing. The actor impersonating Mickey Mouse may shuck his big mouse head and swill a beer. Likewise, a slow-motion jolt might vex you initially, but it’s a healthy sign. It will lead to a cleansed perspective that’s free of illusion.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Keizoku wa chikara nari is a Japanese proverb that means “To continue is power.” Make that your motto. Everything you need to happen and all the resources you need to attract will come your way as long as your overarching intention is perseverance. If you can overcome urges to quit your devotions, you will gain a permanent invigoration of your willpower.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Do you believe there are divine beings, animal spirits, and departed ancestors who are willing and able to help us? If so, they will be extra available for you in the coming weeks. Remember one of the key rules about their behavior: They love to be asked for assistance; they adore it when you express your desires for them to bring you specific blessings and insights.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Experiment with the counsel of poet and painter William Blake (1757–1825). Exert a measure of caution as you explore his daring, unruly advice, which is: 1. The road to excess leads to the palace of wisdom, for we never know what is enough until we know what is more than enough. 2. If the fool would persist in his folly, he would become wise. 3. No bird soars too high if it soars with its own wings. 4. Exuberance is beauty.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): It’s a great time to expand and intensify your concepts of what you want to accomplish with your one wild and precious life. You will attract unexpected help as you shed your inhibitions about asking for what you really want. Life will benevolently conspire on your behalf as you dare to get bolder in defining your highest goals. Be audacious!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You may temporarily be too smart for some people who are fixated on conventional and simplistic solutions. You could be too brilliant for those who regard cynicism as a sign of intelligence. Don’t dumb yourself down. Instead, be crafty and circumspect. Act agreeable and humble, even as you plot to turn everything upside-down and inside-out.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You will transform from a crafty sleuth to an eager explorer. You will finish your wrestling matches with tricky angels and wander off to consort with big thinkers and deep feelers. You will finish your yeoman attempts to keep everyone happy in the human zoo and instead indulge your sacred longings for liberation and experimentation.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Keep deepening and refining the art of intimacy. Learn more about how to feel close to people you care for and how to creatively deal with challenges you encounter in your quest to become closer. Dream up innovations to propitiate togetherness. If you do, your identity will come into brighter focus. You will know who you are with greater accuracy.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You could offer a workshop on the perks of wobbliness. This may be one of those rare phases when you could take advantage of your so-called negative feelings. Is it possible that lurking just below the uneasiness are sensational revelations about a path to liberation? To pluck these revelations, you must get to the core of the uneasiness.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): During the past 11 months, life has offered you unprecedented opportunities to deepen and ripen your emotional intelligence. You have been vividly invited to grow your wisdom about how to manage and understand your feelings. There’s still more time to work on this project. In the coming weeks, seek out breakthroughs that will climax this phase of your destiny.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Naturalist and author Henry David Thoreau declared, “We need the tonic of wildness.” Amen! Exult in all that is mysterious, unsurveyed and unfathomable. Deepen your connection with the natural world because “it is cheerfully, musically earnest.” Share in Thoreau’s belief that “we must go out and re-ally ourselves to Nature every day. We must take root, send out some little fiber.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Here is your homework. 1. Someone in your inner circle is close to ripening a latent talent that would benefit you. Assist them. 2. There is pending gift or legacy that you have not yet claimed or activated. Consider how to get it fully into your life. 3. You now have the wherewithal to summon the confidence you need to call on and use a half-dormant potency. 4. Replace a wasteful habit with a positive new habit.