2024-06-20-Las-Vegas-Weekly

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Contributing Writers GRACE DA ROCHA,HILLARY DAVIS, MIKE GRIMALA, KATIE ANN MCCARVER, AYDEN RUNNELS, RHIANNON SAEGERT, JACK WILLIAMS

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Fresa’s Skate Shop

Photograph by Wade Vandervort

16 COVER STORY

Roller skating is having a moment, and Vegas’ scene has something for everyone.

28 NEWS

What is the City of Las Vegas doing to help artists afford to live and work in the Arts District?

32 ART

Comic book artist Theo Tso expands his Indigenous superhero universe with impactful stories from the Rez.

10

SUPERGUIDE

Megan Thee Stallion graces MGM Grand Garden Arena, Havana After Dark launches at Resorts World and more happening this week.

ISSUE

34

MUSIC

Get to know Mercy Music’s bassist Jarred Cooper and his key three influential albums.

36

SCENE

The Composers Room provides a community gathering space to celebrate artists and entertainers.

40

FOOD & DRINK

Rise and shine! It’s breakfast time with three new spots for your morning meal.

Art by Theo Tso (Courtesy)

SUPERGUIDE

THURSDAY JUN 20

BRIAN NEWMAN AFTER DARK 11:30 p.m., & 6/26-6/29, NoMad, ticketmaster.com

HAVANA AFTER DARK

Resorts World’s cigar and cocktail spot Eight Lounge is launching a new monthly event this week on its 2,200-square-foot patio terrace. Havana After Dark will o er live music from Puro Vicente and the Space to Pace band, dance instructors showing you the way to the Salsa and the Mambo, DJs and premium cigars from Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Company. But you don’t have to smoke to have a smokin’ good time at this celebration of all things Cuban. 8 p.m., Eight Lounge, eightloungelv.com. –Brock Radke

SOFI TUKKER

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

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

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

COCKTAIL CABARET 6 p.m., Composers Room, thecomposersroom. com

NEVADA WOMEN’S FILM FESTIVAL Thru 6/23, times vary, UNLV, nw est.com

THE CONJURORS With DJ Leverage, 10:30 p.m., Gatsby’s Cocktail Lounge, gatsbysvegas.com

LADY GAGA 8 p.m., Dolby Live, ticketmaster.com

DEAD & COMPANY Thru 6/22, 7:30 p.m., Sphere, ticketmaster.com

MELVIN SEALS AND JGB 11 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com

TROPICA MAGICA 7 p.m., Swan Dive, swandivelv.com

REIN MANN DUO 5 p.m., Tivoli Village, tivolivillagelv.com

(Courtesy/Josh Adams)

THEN AND NOW: THE NEON BONEYARDLIGHTING UP LAS VEGAS

BILL MAHER

9 p.m., & 6/22, David Copperfield Theater, mgmgrand.mgm resorts.com

NATASHA LEGGERO

7 & 9:30 p.m., & 6/22, Wiseguys Town Square, wise guyscomedy.com

DILLON CARMICHAEL 10 p.m., Stoney’s Rockin’ Country, tixr.com

DJ NICO OSO 11 a.m., Daylight Beach Club, tixr.com

RITA RUDNER

Thru 6/23, 7:30 p.m., South Point Showroom, ticket master.com

GOLD RUSH CLASSIC PERUVIAN HORSE SHOW

Thru 6/23, times vary, South Point Arena, scpphc.org

WAKA FLOCKA Noon, Drai’s Beachclub, draisgroup. com

DJ PICKLE

Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com

LEGACY EN BLANC

7 p.m., Legacy Club, circalasvegas.com

HOUSE OF TELETUBBIES: TUBBLYAND RAVE

LAS VEGAS ACES VS. CONNECTICUT SUN

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

Thru 6/23, times vary, Clark County Library, thelibrary district.org

ABDI ALIMORAD: THROUGH A BLACK FRAME

Thru 7/9, times vary, Centennial Hills Library, the librarydistrict.org

BOXING: RAFAEL ESPINOZA VS. SERGIO CHIRINO

4 p.m., BleauLive Theater, ticket master.com

PINK TALKING PHISH ARE DEAD

11 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster. com

THE MOVEMENT

With KBong, Johnny Cosmic Aurorawave, 7 p.m., Event Lawn at Virgin, etix. com

9 p.m., the Portal at Area15, area15.com

PLEASUREKRAFT

10 p.m., Discopussy, seetickets.us

BLXST

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

STEVE AOKI

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

ARMIN VAN BUUREN 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com

TIËSTO

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

(Courtesy/John Russo)

SUPERGUIDE

SATURDAY JUN 22

SANTINO CARDINALE

With The Everyday Band, Sufi, 8 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com

THIRD EYE BLIND With Yellowcard, Arizona, 5 p.m., BleauLive Theater, ticketmaster.com.

REIK

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

HAUSER

8 p.m., Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com

WARRANT & LITA FORD

8 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com

DANIEL DONATO’S COSMIC COUNTRY

11 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com.

AMANDA KING & THE PROHIBITION THREE

8 p.m., the Underground, the mobmuseum.org

DJANGO VEGAS JAZZ FESTIVAL

6 p.m., Historic Fifth Street School, lasvegasnevada.gov

LAS VEGAS LIGHTS VS. MEMPHIS 901 FC

7:30 p.m., Cashman Field, lasvegas lightsfc.com.

VEGAS KNIGHT HAWKS VS. ARIZONA RATTLERS

6 p.m., Lee’s Family Forum, axs.com

NUWU PAHSATS SPEAKER SERIES: CRYSTAL WAHPEPAH

4 p.m., Springs Preserve, springs preserve.org

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

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

KASKADE Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

NESTO G 2 a.m., Club Ego, posh.vip.

BRRAY 10 p.m., Daylight Beach Club, tixr.com

MIKEY BARRENECHE & TOKYO 10 p.m., Discopussy, posh.vip.

RICK ROSS

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

RÜFÜS DU SOL

With Bob Moses, 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.

SWAE LEE

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

SIP & STRUT HAUTE TEA & COCKTAILS

2 p.m., Veranda, fourseasons.com

MEGAN THEE STALLION

The “Houston hottie with a model body” has done a few laps through Vegas, but this marks her first headlining show on the Strip—and it’s about damn time. Those familiar with the iconic rapper’s catalog can vouch for her authenticity as one of the best lyricists of the last decade. Who else could have followed in Lauryn Hill’s footsteps, becoming the second female rapper to win Best New Artist at the Grammys? Who else could have inspired a cultural movement with Hot Girl Summer? Who else could have beefed with Nicki Minaj, dropped a fiery diss track (“Hiss”) and lived to rap another day? As she rose to prominence, Megan also returned to school to obtain her degree in health administration, in hopes of bettering her community. By all means, she’s worthy of every bit of praise she’s received. with Glorilla, 8 p.m., $95+, MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs.com. –Amber Sampson

SUNDAY JUN 23 MONDAY JUN 24

PARTYNEXTDOOR

Hip-hop and R&B outlier PartyNextDoor has written and produced massive hits by Drake and Rihanna; had a song fuel a viral dance challenge on TikTok last year; and this year released a fourth solo album and planned a nearly sold-out tour named for one of the record’s standout tracks, “Sorry I’m Outside.” He may not be a household name, but his signature sound—pitched-up, auto-tuned vocals over somewhat somber rhythms and icy trap beats— is unmistakable, immediately evoking afterhours activities, intimacy and tension. He doesn’t have an official tour stop in Vegas, but Party still found a place to play at Fontainebleau, and the newest nightclub on the Strip feels like a vibe connection. 10:30 p.m., $30-$50+, LIV Nightclub, tixr.com. –Brock Radke

GREEN VELVET

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

TOO SHORT Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com

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

DARYL HALL AND ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS With Charlie Sexton, 7 p.m., BleauLive Theater, ticketmaster.com

TANK With Keri Hilson, Carl Thomas, 7 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, ticketmaster. com

KEN KLINE: THE PENCIL Thru 8/31, times vary, Sahara West Library, thelibrary district.org

ARTILLERY With RivetSkull, Warcurse, Vapor, 7 p.m., Sinwave, dice.fm

MOJAVE BLUE 5 p.m., Composers Room, thecompos ersroom.com

JUSTIN CARDER TRIO 9 p.m., Easy’s Cocktail Lounge, easysvegas.com

CARLOS RODRIGUEZ With Brady Mathews, thru 6/27, 8 p.m., LA Comedy Club, bestvegas comedy.com

NEVADA CLAY GUILD: DIVERSITY IN CLAY 19TH ANNUAL MEMBER EXHIBIT Thru 8/24, times vary, Sahara West Library, thelibrary district.org

JACK PROCTOR: AN ARTIST’S JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE Thru 9/10, times vary, Clark County Library, thelibrary district.org

DO IT ALL

(Courtesy)

SUPERGUIDE

TUESDAY JUN 25

WEDNESDAY JUN 26

WES WINTERS

7 p.m., Composers Room, thecompos ersroom.com

LAS VEGAS AVIATORS VS. SACRAMENTO RIVER CATS Thru 6/29, 7 p.m., Las Vegas Ballpark, ticketmaster.com

N-TYPE

10 p.m., Discopussy, posh.vip

LLOYD

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

STEVE AOKI

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

JOHN CAPARULO

9:30 p.m., Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster.com

LIONEL RICHIE

8 p.m., & 6/28-6/29, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com

GARTH BROOKS

8 p.m., & 6/28-6/29, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com

EMPIRE RECORDS With Noelle Chiodo, 6 p.m., the Lawn at Downtown Summerlin, summerlin. com

SCHPILT With Headwinds, Rally, 9 p.m., Red Dwarf, reddwarflv. com

COPA AMERICA: JAMAICA VS. ECUADOR

3 p.m., Allegiant Stadium, ticket master.com

DILLON FRANCIS 10 p.m., EBC at Night, wynn social.com

— Shari S., REAL CUSTOMER

This is a moment for roller skating. Old-school, four-wheeled roller skates—“quads,” skaters call them—gliding on oval floors underneath disco lights, or aggressively digging into outdoor trails. Think of Usher rolling out with his wheeled troupe during the Super Bowl 58 halftime show, doing spins, skating through the space between Will.i.am’s legs and having a hell of a good time. Watch Marvel’s Echo, which has a “Die Hard in a skate rink” episode. Better still, simply look up and down the 18b Arts District’s Main Street on any given weekend evening for the skaters taking advantage of the neighborhood’s extra-wide sidewalks, floating happily through the bar-hopping crowds.

This isn’t just a great cultural moment for skating; it’s a great moment to put on skates and have fun, period. And this classic all-ages activity is

BY SHANNON MILLER

thriving in Vegas, where nearly every flat surface has roll potential. Local skate shop owners say that since the pandemic, interest in roller skating has ballooned across the Valley. And undefeated boxing champ and Vegas resident Floyd Mayweather Jr. took his love of skating to a new level when he purchased Crystal Palace, a 35-plus-year-old skate rink on Boulder Highway, renaming it Skate Rock City.

The Weekly staff isn’t hell on wheels, though we’d like to be. (And at least one of us owns a pair of Riedell R3s.) We’ve talked with the skate shop owners, nightlife promoters and roller derby skaters driving Vegas’ skate mania, in the hopes that one of them can teach us to skate backwards. Seriously, how cool is that?

The Fabulous Sin City Roller Derby used to be a small operation, says Cindy Moreno. The derby skater and co-owner of Death Drop Roller Skate Shop (238 S. Decatur Blvd., deathdropskates.com) has seen remarkable growth in membership in her time.

“We used to be a small league of 15 to 20 skaters. Now, the league has about 120 members. Sixty-five of those are active skating members,” she says. “I feel like the skate revival started during COVID—not just for derby, but just for roller skating in general. The skate community called it a ‘skatedemic.’” Moreno, who opened the “by skaters, for skaters” Death Drop in 2021, says her No. 1 customer is new skaters and people getting

back into skating.

“We have a lot of skaters that are like ‘Oh, I haven’t skated in 25 years.’ And they’re buying new skates now. We also have customers that haven’t skated in that amount of time, and they bring these really old skates that they want to refurbish,” Moreno says. “A lot of them are nervous since they’re getting back into it. But it’s like riding a bike.”

The same goes for Amanda “Fresa” Quintanilla. The owner of Fresa’s Skate Shop, which opened in the Arts District in 2022, says 80% of Fresa’s customers are new to skating.

“They always come a little embarrassed or shy,” she says. “First of all, skating doesn’t have any age limit. [Too] big, small, round or

LEFT Cherry Jayne, Amanda Quintanilla and Ashley Duarte at Fresa’s Skate Shop. BELOW Fresa’s Skate Shop. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

Helmets and skates at Death Drop Roller Skate Shop. (Brian Ramos/Staff )

square—there’s no such thing when it comes to roller skating.”

Quintanilla has made it her mission to welcome as many people into the fold of the skating community as possible—and not just quad roller skaters. Her shop welcomes inline skaters as well, and even allows skateboarders on its indoor ramp. The inclusive environment stands in contrast to what she and her colleagues have experienced at local skateparks, which she says tend to be male-dominated and can be intimidating for new skaters.

“We want to make you feel comfortable,” Quintanilla says. “We cheer you on when you get that trick done or drop in.”

Fresa’s also hosts monthly “ride outs” where all wheels—skateboarders and bicyclists included— are welcome, creating opportunities to enjoy the emotional and social outlet that skating can be.

Attendees of all backgrounds at the May 18 rideout told the Weekly the roller skating community has welcomed them with open arms.

Skater On Ritthiphon says the activity is helping him to readjust to civilian life after serving in the army in the Middle East.

“Now that I’m retired and moved back to Vegas, back home, I find myself skating again just to help reintegrate back into regular society. And it helps me feel better, not just with exercise. I get to meet a lot of random people. ... And they don’t judge me by my past,” Ritthiphon says.

Quintanilla says it doesn’t take much for roller skating to make a difference in your life.

“If you are looking for an outlet, roller skating can open that for you. And I’m not talking about being hardcore at the park or hardcore tricks. It could be literally just putting your skates on and skating down the street for 20 minutes around the neighborhood,” she says. “It will just open your mind. And you’ll be like, ‘Man, why don’t I do this more often? Why don’t we do this every day?’”

There are lots of places to skate outdoors in Vegas, so how do you know where your precious skate time will be well spent? The Weekly asked skaters about their favorite skateparks and compiled this guide. Happy shredding!

Craig Ranch Regional Park

This 65,000-squarefoot, competition-style park is “the best skatepark in the U.S.,” according to Death Drop Roller Skate Shop owner Cindy Moreno. Transitional and street features appeal to a variety of skaters. “The surface is really smooth. It just has a lot for beginners, intermediate and advanced.”

Morrell Skatepark

Nestled in old Henderson off Boulder Highway and just west of Heritage Park, Morrell Skatepark has ramps for both kids and advanced skaters.

Mountain Ridge Skatepark

This above-ground skatepark is good for beginners in park skating, with plenty of flat ground and a variety of ramps to practice on.

Desert Breeze Park Skatepark

This in-ground skatepark is a favorite of local youths, and has a hockey rink for practice on flat ground.

Anthem Skatepark

This in-ground skatepark is frequented by neighborhood kids, as it’s right next to a middle school. The concrete jungle of bowls, ramps and rails satisfy advanced skaters, too.

(Brian Ramos/Staff )

BY AMBER SAMPSON & GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ

We’d be kidding ourselves if we said Vegas’ nightlife prospects weren’t stellar. But in a 24hour city where the next great party is always just a stone’s throw away, roller skating is a refreshingly di erent after-dark activity.

Crystal Palace Rancho (3901 N. Rancho Drive, crystalpalacerancho.com) has been rolling out a club alternative for adults since Micah Sanford’s family opened the rink in the early 1980s. “I don’t own nightclubs, and I don’t want to own nightclubs. I want people who are old-school skaters,” says Sanford. “That’s why I do 30-and-over [skate nights], because I want them to come and actually skate.”

Traditionally a place for families, Crystal Palace adjusts its scene into a ’70s and ’80s roller boogie every Thursday during its adult skate sessions, and it attracts exactly who it’s meant to.

“These are people who have been around forever,” Sanford says. “Most, I’d say, if I skate 110 people, 80 of them have their own skates.”

Locals who came of age at Crystal Palace Rancho—and its former sister location on Boulder Highway, which Floyd Mayweather bought and

renamed Skate Rock City in 2021—can recall the magic of a retro rink with an older, more experienced crowd. Jam skaters would make good use of the rink’s maple wood ooring, expressing themselves through fancy footwork one degree removed from 1979’s Skatetown U.S.A. Speed skaters would put comic book heroes like The Flash to shame, and moonwalking on wheels wasn’t so much a rarity as it was a staple. Watching skaters nesse their way backwards and rst dates cautiously hold hands on the rink never got old in a place like Crystal Palace.

Sanford, who grew up speed skating and played professional ice hockey for the Las Vegas Wranglers (alongside former Vegas Golden Knight Deryk Engelland, by the way), refused to let his family sell the rink when they were ready to. The memories there held far too much meaning.

“I was o playing pro hockey and I quit everything, came back home and said ‘No, we’re not gonna sell the family business. I’ll take it back over,’” he says.

Since then, it’s remained a place to play for older adults seeking a good night out. But for younger adults who still want to party hard—on

wheels—there’s a good roll-bounce happening in Downtown Las Vegas.

Since its launch in 2006, Down & Derby (at Gold Spike, 217 Las Vegas Blvd. North, sk8party. com) has been enticing partiers to relive their childhood on every second and fourth Thursday of Vegas’ warm-weather months. The 21-and-over party rolled through a variety of venues before eventually gliding into Gold Spike in 2016, where it found an ideal home.

Down & Derby founder Richard Alexander describes it as “a throwback to a fourth grade birthday party, but for adults.” Seeing the swarm of quad skaters and rollerbladers circling the pavement of Gold Spike’s backyard is enough to trigger your skating muscle memory. Nostalgia, specialty cocktails, a bumping DJ and friendly attendees keep crowds in motion—whether they’re dusting o an old pair of skates or slipping on a pair of $10 rentals.

Beyond its reputation of being a poppin’ skate event, Down & Derby is a vibrant celebration of community gathering that boasts a variety of themed nights. One week you could be grooving at disco night, the next you’re limbo-ing at the

Crystal Palace (Wade Vandervort/Sta )

neon cowboy party. “The core theme for skating includes spandex, short shorts and afros,” says Alexander. “People love to dress up, and costumes are always going to be cool.”

Regular attendees who start off renting skates eventually invest in their own for the next season, Alexander says. First-timers who’ve never attempted to skate before are helped along by the pros in attendance.

Down & Derby’s founder believes this event is a key player in the eclectic mix that makes Downtown so special. “It’s another event on that hit list of great things to do,” Alexander says.

For those who’ve yet to cross the drinking age threshold, Crystal Palace Rancho and Skate Rock City both welcome all age groups, though you should check their individual schedules before you visit. For example, Skate Rock City (4680 Boulder Highway, skaterockcity.com) hosts weekly late-night sessions for 18-and-over guests, as well as all-ages skate sessions and even a special skate night for seniors (age 50+). In this way, Vegas’ skate rinks guarantee a four-wheeled good time to everyone who wants it. And everyone should.

Let’s talk roller-skating jams for a second. There are songs closely associated with skating—Zapp’s “Mo’ Bounce to the Ounce,” M’s “Pop Muzik,” Dazz Band’s “Let It Whip,” and many, many others—and songs directly written for skating, like Vaughan Mason & Crew’s “Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll,” Silk Sonic’s “Skate,” and De La Soul’s “A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays.’” (Olivia Newton-John and ELO’s “Xanadu” is not specifically about skating, but if you need it to be, then you do you, boo.)

The authors of this feature would happily skate to any of those, but given a choice, we’d request these from the DJ. If you hear one of these at your rink, there’s a chance we’re there. Look for the skaters falling over, a lot

A Tribe Called Quest, “Jazz (We’ve Got)”

Beyonce “Heated”

Aaron Carter “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)”

Childish Gambino “Summertime Magic”

DJ Shadow “Midnight in a Perfect World”

Miike Snow “Animal” (Mark Ronson Remix)

Muna featuring Phoebe Bridgers “Silk Chiffon”

Part Time “Lies in the Eyes of Love”

The Rolling Stones “Miss You”

The Stooges “I Wanna Be Your Dog” TSHA “Sister”

SCAN ME TO LISTEN NOW!

(Courtesy/Eric Ita)

DOWN & DERBY

(Courtesy)

(Courtesy/Kevin Daniels)

BY GEOFF CARTER

Fabulous Sin City Roller Derby in action. (Courtesy/Lawton Howell)

It’s a lot to unpack, but let’s give it a shot: Flat track roller derby is a contact sport played on an oval track by players in quad skates. The games are commonly called “bouts,” and the two-minute-apiece contests within those bouts are “jams.” There are three positions on the track: The jammer, who scores points by lapping opposing players; the pivot, who can control the speed of play; and the blockers, who knock jammers off their pace and sometimes off the track entirely.

I’m leaving much out, but admittedly I’ve never studiously read the WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association) rulebook, let alone played derby myself. Everything I know about flat track derby I learned by watching it being played, beginning in the mid-2000s when some cool, stalwart and fearless women resurrected the sport, whose popularity first peaked in the 1950s-1960s, in a new, punk-rock DIY idiom. Among the WFTDA’s founding leagues was Las Vegas’ own Fabulous Sin City Roller Derby (sincityrollerderby.org), which played its first season in 2005. The gender-inclusive league is now well into season 19, and they can’t stop, won’t stop.

“Like we all say, we sacrifice our bodies to save our souls, and that’s pretty much all it is,” says FSCRD skater and general manager Pain Gretzky. (Almost forgot: The skaters choose their own player names, and they’re awesome. Some of FSCRD’s other current skaters include Buzz Fightyear, Nitro Glistenin’ and Slim Skatey. Gretzky—who, like most derby players I’ve known, prefers not to use her “government name” when it’s not required—plays for one of the FSCRD’s travel teams and for its in-league Notorious VIP squad.)

“We’re all going through something, and derby has just been a huge outlet for me personally,” Gretzky says. “You know, just being able to disassociate safely.”

In a way, it’s like that for fans, too. Derby brings together elements of a lot of sports fandoms—the athleticism of basketball, the speed of hockey and a bit of the kayfabe of professional wrestling—into a tremendously satisfying hour of whips, hip-checks and grand slams. Once you realize that the skaters who seem like bitter rivals on the track are working together behind the scenes to keep this 100-strong, all-volunteer league rolling, it’s easy—and terrific fun—to lean into the cheery bloodsport of the bouts.

“I can’t speak for everyone, but [derby] is my only way to actually have friends,” Gretzky says. “My only friends are derby people, and they’re the only people I trust with my life and my children.”

As it has for many WFTDA-affiliated leagues, FSCRD’s popularity has waxed and waned. They once played bouts to a sizeable audience at the Riviera, but today the crowds are smaller, and the league is currently looking for an indoor venue to call home.

“We could even use a warehouse,” Gretzky says. “We tell everyone all the time, ‘We’ll rent your shanty warehouse as long as it’s big enough for us and we can put our track down and we can have fans.’ We will do all that, and we can pay for it.”

In the meantime, FSCRD is playing outdoor bouts at West Flamingo Park. (“We’re just subjected to the elements at this point,” Gretzky jokes.) Their next home bout is June 29, and features the league’s four in-house teams squaring off: The Flying Aces against the Notorious VIP, and the Stardust vs. the Hoover Damned. (These names! You gotta love it.) If you’ve never seen a derby bout, start now. And if you’ve seen a bout or two, it’s a great time to return to the Vegas sports entertainment franchise that preceded the Knights, Raiders and Aces. You can support Fabulous Sin City Roller Derby from the stands … or, if you were born rolling, from the track.

“Las Vegans and Nevadans saw rsthand the carnage these devices can cause, and it saddens me that such violence was not enough for six of the justices sitting on the court.”

–A partial statement from Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford on the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn a Trump-era ban on bump stocks, a device used in the October 1, 2017 mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip

WHOLE MOOD

Coinciding with the release of Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 on June 14, a Las Vegas Airbnb allows guests to travel inside the mind of Riley and spend time in her feelings. Free bookings can be requested through June 22 for onenight stays July 1-16 at airbnb.com/insideout2 (Ryan Lowry/Courtesy)

1

NEW F1 TICKETS

Formula 1 has announced a new ticket option, GA+. Starting at $1,350, it includes “premier” views of the Koval Straightaway November 21-23. The ticket is standing-room-only with access to unassigned bleacher-style seating on a first come, first served basis. Tickets go on sale June 24 at f1lasvegasgp.com/tickets

New hotel concept coming to Vegas

BY THE NUMBERS

While a rental-property company like Airbnb gives customers a variety of places to stay, from a studio apartment to a six-bedroom villa and anywhere in between, it cannot guarantee consistency in the guest experience. And while a classic hotel brand may be able to do the latter, it can usually only offer guests a limited amount of physical space. Otonomus Hotel hopes to bridge the gap between the two.

The new hospitality concept, coming to Las Vegas in less than a year, will offer guests the ability to book a number of rooms, while also utilizing artificial intelligence to personalize and enhance their experience. Slated to open in February 2025, the property—a hybrid hotel-apartment complex—will be located on 13 acres at the corner of Russell Road and Decatur Boulevard, not far from Allegiant Stadium.

It’s the first-ever AI-powered hotel with proprietary AI technology to do so, claimed Philippe Ziade, CEO and Founder of developer Growth Holdings. –Katie Ann McCarver

$16.2M

HEALTH CARE

That’s the payout for contestants and stock contractors in the 2024 National Finals Rodeo, set for December 5-14 at the Thomas & Mack Center, per a new 12-year agreement between Las Vegas Events and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Read more at lasvegassun.com.

Supreme Court preserves access to abortion pill

The Supreme Court in a June 13 ruling unanimously rejected a bid to attempt to restrict access to a medication that was used in about two-thirds of U.S. abortions last year. The case, brought by the anti-abortion group Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, sought to dampen medical professionals’ ability to prescribe mifepristone, claiming the federal Food and Drug Administration had overly relaxed its regulation on the medication. The FDA approved mifepristone’s use in 2000 for pregnancies up to seven weeks, and extended that to 10 weeks in 2016.

Justices ruled that the alliance had no standing—the legal principle that requires plaintiffs to show that they have suffered

direct and concrete injuries in order to sue—to bring its claim to court.

Las Vegas-based company GenBioPro is the manufacturer of generic mifepristone and had filed a brief with the Supreme Court earlier in the year warning of “severe” consequences if the drug was restricted. GenBioPro CEO Evan Masingill said threats to abortion care and access to mifepristone were still rampant.

“While the Supreme Court’s ruling maintains access to mifepristone for medical abortions, the threat to mifepristone’s well-established FDA approval and the FDA’s regulatory authority remains,” Masingill said in a statement. “We know politically motivated attacks from extrem-

DOUBLE THE FUN

2 3

Zouk Nightclub at Resorts World and Drai’s Beachclub & Nightclub at the Cromwell announced a shared residency with Grammy Award-winning rapper Lil Wayne. The first two performances are set for June 29 at Drai’s and July 12 at Zouk. Electronic music superstar Tiësto is the only other artist with a shared residency on the Strip at Tao Group venues and LIV Nightclub at Fontainebleau.

ists against mifepristone will not end here.”

Lindsey Harmon, president of Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom, also emphasized continued threats to abortion access.

“While this is the right decision, we understand that this is only one small victory in a series of attacks that continue to happen on abortion access in this country,” she said. “We can’t take anything for granted in a postDobbs world.”

The high court is separately considering another abortion case about whether federal law on emergency treatment at hospitals overrides state abortion bans in rare emergency cases in which a patient’s health is at serious risk. –Ayden Runnels

NOSTALGIA FIX

The Friends Experience, an immersive attraction based on the popular sitcom, is expanding to Las Vegas. Guests can enjoy behind-the-scenes content and photo opportunities within life-sized set recreations. The attraction has traveled to 24 locations across eight countries, and has a permanent location in New York. The MGM Grand location is expected to open later this year.

SPORTS Athletic facility to bolster Vegas’ sports programming

Las Vegas once again has solidified itself as a sports destination, with the announcement that Z Athlete Factory, a company that provides training and courses for athletes, will be locating its new headquarters in Las Vegas.

According to a news release from the company, the Z Athlete Village will include a sports performance and technology center utilizing artificial intelligence, “the world’s largest indoor track and field arena,” a 2,600-seat aquatics center, an Olympic-caliber gymnastics center and indoor courts.

“We are thrilled to announce our relocation and planned launch of Z Athlete Village, a revolutionary hub for athletic training, sports performance, and events for competition,” CEO Zig Ziegler said in a statement.

The development will also feature more than 1,000 “condotel units available for investment or acquisition by real estate investors,” according to the company.

The $1.2 billion project will be built in phases with a projected completion date in mid 2028, just before the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“Upon opening, Z Athlete Village and its venues will change the landscape of sports in Las Vegas, paving the way to expand the portfolio of sports programming that the destination can host,” said Lisa Motley, vice president of sports and special events for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “We’re excited to help make this campus a reality.”

Z Athlete Factory has narrowed down its location to two sites, with the final selection to be under contract within the next 30 days, according to the company. –Staff

AFFORDING THE ARTS DISTRICT

Artists weigh in on what needs to be done to keep arts in the neighborhood

BY SHANNON MILLER

When artist Priscilla Fowler opened her first gallery in the Arts District in 2016, her rent was under $1,500 per month. She’s moved a few times since then until she ended up at her current location on Main Street just south of Colorado Avenue.

Compared to her last location at the corner of Utah Avenue and Commerce Street, “it’s been much better for us,” she says. “Our numbers are back up to what they were. … And we had 260 people this past First Friday.”

But despite a spike in business, she’s afraid that another rent hike might force her to close her doors. She pays $3,909 monthly on her current space.

“It just pains me to think I might have to close it,” she says. “I’ve never had any trouble getting people who want to show. Right now I have about 50 artists. Maybe 7% or 8% of them are from out of town, but the rest are local. … I love the people I’ve got. I think they’re fabulous.”

Her gallery, Priscilla Fowler Fine Art, announced a membership program in an effort to increase her operating income. Memberships for students, artists and seniors are available for $30 per year, and individual memberships for all other groups start at $50 annually.

been cropping up for a while now. And it’s not uncommon in areas that are kind of going through a gentrification process, that property values [increase] substantially. And so rents are increasing substantially. And if that organic kind of process continues to happen, then naturally artists will be forced out because the area becomes unaffordable,” Weller says.

The city’s key effort to address affordability for artists is by bringing in the nonprofit affordable housing developer ArtSpace, which operates 57 buildings in 35 cities across the U.S. The company already has a 35-unit project in Reno that was completed in 2000. Such a development could take years to get shovels in the ground, however.

“We’ve probably had about 20 people sign up so far. My goal is to pay the rent with the membership,” she says.

Fowler isn’t the only artist struggling to pay rent in the Arts District. The nonprofit Vegas Theatre Company has seen their rent increase 40% since the pandemic.

“At the moment, we’re paying $5,334 to rent our theater every month. That doesn’t include other overheads of storage, electricity, utilities, compliance, insurance. And before the pandemic, that number started with a three. So it’s gone up considerably,” says Daz Weller, artistic director.

Most neighborhoods saw rents increase after the pandemic. But what’s significant about the Arts District is that it’s supposed to be a place where artists can afford to be.

According to a survey conducted for the City of Las Vegas in 2023— which received more than 300 responses from artists across the Valley, Arts District businesses and visitors—87% of respondents said they were very concerned about the overall loss of arts in the Arts District. And 73% of respondents were very concerned with the loss of artists and creative spaces in the neighborhood.

“This is a conversation that’s

Since fall 2022, the City of Las Vegas has been working with consultant Jamie Giellis, who is based in Denver and president of consulting firm Centro, to find a path forward to keep artists and the arts in the Downtown district. Giellis, who helped with the “revitalization” of Denver’s River North Art District, spearheaded the survey for the city and conducted approximately 100 interviews with artists and art organizations, business owners, property owners, developers and community organizations who have a stake in Vegas’ Arts District.

“We heard a lot about live-work space, because artists can’t necessarily afford to have housing and then rent a studio. It’s obviously more efficient to have space where they can live and work together, and be together with other creatives. So that led us to ArtSpace,” Giellis tells the Weekly.

The Weekly reached out to the office of Las Vegas Councilwoman Olivia Diaz, whose district includes the Arts District, for comment on the city’s affordable housing initiatives and how they’re addressing the issue of rising rents in the neighborhood. They did not respond.

The Weekly also reached out to the City of Las Vegas to ask whether they’re working on revising codes and zoning in the Arts District to help with affordability issues. They did not immediately respond to our request.

Giellis suggests that the answers to those and other questions don’t come easily.

“What control does the city have over affordability when we’re a market-driven society in America? What do you do to pull the levers you can pull around affordability? ... We’re looking at what

to continue to do around policy tools that could be either a carrot or a stick. How much do you require of a developer or investor in an area? … What tools could you use to incentivize people to do something? And so that’s the other piece that’s in motion. It’s sort of in its infancy right now.”

One approach the city is taking is setting up a Business Improvement District (BID) in the Arts District, which could help increase visibility and foot traffic, and increase profits for businesses. If it was created, property taxes would be collected and, under the legal requirements of an ordinance, the money would be transferred to a nonprofit set up to run the BID.

“And then the board [of direc-

tors] is in charge of executing and utilizing those funds to what’s been set out in the [ordinance],” Giellis explains.

Funds could be used for increasing police presence, “addressing homelessness,” enhanced cleaning and marketing. Weller, who is on the steering committee for the creation of the BID, says this would be “the best first step” to improve walkability and visitation to Arts District businesses.

“Because we can pool our resources and create strategic marketing, first and foremost to spread the word about how great it is down here. … And on top of that, we can implement clean and safe programs, which is marketing in itself,” Weller says.

Aside from affordable housing initiatives and the creation of a BID, engagement from the private sector is another important component to the survival of arts organizations, especially of nonprofits like his.

“There’s a real role for the philanthropic sector to play in helping keep artists here. Vegas is [last in the nation] for philanthropy toward the arts,” Weller says.

He’s not exaggerating. According to a Forbes analysis of charitable giving in 50 states, Nevada ranked lowest for “informal helping,” and in the bottom 10 states for overall generosity.

“I think our community, if they understood the urgency and the need, they would turn up. If we an-

nounced we were closing our doors because we couldn’t afford to be here any more, we would have so many allies turn out,” Weller says.

“Now is the time to turn out. The need is immediate for us. We can’t hold on for two years, while grant programs and things like that are created.”

Fowler believes the city could play more of a role in helping artists, such as they’ve done for startups.

“There needs to be stronger advocates within the city for people like me. … If it’s the Arts District, why are they not helping the artists?”

Priscilla Fowler Fine Art Gallery (Wade Vandervort/ Staff)

BY AMBER SAMPSON

Theo Tso visibly relaxes the longer he’s in his studio.

“This is the sanctum,” he says, gesturing to the framed sketches on his wall during our Zoom call. “This is where the magic happens.”

The self-taught comic book artist, who lives on the Las Vegas Indian Colony where his tribe of Southern Paiutes resides, grew up leafing through his father’s comic stash in their old shed. He read all about the mystical Dr. Strange. He pored over the sci-fi anthology of Tales of Suspense. And ultimately, he became his own damn hero.

“I was always telling people ‘Oh yeah, follow your dreams.’ But mine was slowly slipping away. So I actually retired, rented this space out here and I’m actually working on my comics just about every other day,” he says.

One comic in particular has kept Tso at the grindstone all these years, and that’s Captain Paiute: Indigenous Defender of the Southwest. The fictional Native American hero, with his bulging biceps and wind-swept hair, is a symbol for an underappreciated population.

“When I created Captain Paiute back in the day, my platform was that Batman and Superman would never come to the reservation. If they did, they wouldn’t know what to do with our traditions. They wouldn’t know how to handle our situations on a daily basis,” says Tso. “We’re a unique people who, to this day, still have to fight for identity. It gives the native kids, the little boys and little girls, somebody they can look up to, a hero of their own.”

At Rancho High School, Tso remembers reading Tribal Force, a ’90s comic book created by Jon Proudstar, who plays Leon in the hit FX show Reservation Dogs. Up until that point, Tso hadn’t seen much Native American representation in comics, and if he did, they were rife with stereotypes and tomahawks. “I thumbed through that book till I wore the

ART NATIVE NARRATIVES

Las Vegas comic book artist Theo Tso expands his Indigenous superhero universe with more impactful stories from the rez

pages out,” he says. “I was just in awe of the story and how these characters came together.”

Tso’s comic book drawing really started to advance in high school, and he found himself influenced by Todd McFarlane, best known for his detailed artwork in The Amazing Spider-Man. Under the tutelage of his teacher, Vicki Richardson, who founded North Las Vegas’ Left of Center Gallery, Tso—or “Teddy,” as she affectionately called him—found the

THE ART OF THEO TSO, CREATOR OF CAPTAIN PAIUTE COMICS Spring Valley Library, 4280 S. Jones Blvd., thelibrarydistrict.org. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Theo Tso (below); some of his comic book art (right). (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

He can use the power of water, he can manipulate it.”

But he also returns the water back to the earth, “drawing on the aspect of, we were stewards of the land. We took care of the land. We put back what we took,” Tso adds. Across panel frames, Captain Paiute can be seen conjuring steam and tidal waves, beating back the forces of evil and calling out people who mock tradition by wearing tribal regalia as a costume. There’s a teachable moment within these vibrant, action-packed pages. And Tso’s ready to educate.

courage to keep drawing.

A decade ago, the first issues of Captain Paiute were created. Early iterations of the hero looked too much like Batman, so the character went through several revisions. But his ability to wield the power of “pah” remained.

“My people were water people, we were always by the water, that’s why they call us Paiutes. ‘Pah’ means water in my language, so I kept that aspect,” Tso says. “Since we’re in a desert, water’s sacred.

This year, he announced Captain Paiute would be rebooted with the character’s Indigenous name, Nuwuv, which means “the people.” And Tso plans to introduce new characters to his comic book universe, including a more hardcore hero who takes justice into his own violent hands. One sobering tale will also touch on the mass sterilization of women that happened on reservations in the ’60s and ’70s. Shining light on injustices many might not know about is a must for Tso.

The artist plans to release a magazine of comic book stories quarterly later this year. But if you can’t wait for that, check out his exhibit at the Spring Valley Library, running through July 14.

“I’m just doing it for the rez kids, and basically for my kids to say, ‘Hey, if your old man can do this, you can do anything,” Tso says.

WITH MERCY MUSIC BASSIST JARRED COOPER

BY AMBER SAMPSON

Speedrunners don’t hold a candle to Jarred Cooper. The Vegas bassist and video gamer is as nimble as he is precise, shredding through Mercy Music’s most breakneck material in a feverish daze of dexterity.

“I’ve made it my mission to make finger bass sound good,” says Cooper, who fronts the pop-punk band with longtime friend and guitarist Brendan Scholz. “I want little kids to look at the bass player and say ‘Whoa, I wanna do that.’”

On top of being in Mercy Music, and an All and Descendents tribute band called Not, Cooper’s also a rockstar dad whose daughters keep him focused while Mercy Music is on tour. We caught up with Cooper on the road to discuss three key albums that inspired his bass craft.

The O spring Americana (1998)

“This is the album that started my musical journey. I was a late bloomer when it came to getting into music. I think I was in middle school, walking through a Best Buy or Target, and they were playing the video for ‘Pretty Fly for a White Guy.’ I stopped and watched the whole thing and my mind was blown. Ever since then, I’ve been a mega O spring fan. Shortly after that, I got a guitar.”

The Toy Dolls Dig That Groove Baby (1983)

“I found this album through Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. This was shortly after I picked up a guitar and … for whatever reason, it clicked with me. That’s all I wanted to play. [Brendan’s] high school band, Absent Minded, would practice at his mom’s house every day, and I would go over there. One day, Brendan got behind the drum kit, he gave me his guitar, and we started doing Toy Dolls covers. That’s what started my and Brendan’s music together.

[Michael “Olga” Algar’s] guitar playing is so unique. I still try to emulate him when I play guitar to this day.”

Descendents Somery (1991)

“Descendants bass player Karl Alvarez ... in all my bass playing, I’m just copying Karl. I heard Karl playing bass, and I instantly thought,

‘That’s what I want to do.’ I learned Karl didn’t play with a pick, he plays with his fingers, and I never picked up the pick again. I play bass the way I do now because of that album.”

Photograph by Wade Vandervort

DL HUGHLEY

FRIDAY | JULY 5

IL DIVO

SATURDAY | JULY 6

SATURDAY JULY 13

JEWEL AND

MELISSA ETHERIDGE

WEDNESDAY | JULY 24

SCENE IT’S SHOWTIME

Kelly Clinton (right) welcomes surprise guest (and husband) Clint Holmes to the Composers Room stage on June 13. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

The Composers Room fosters a community of local entertainers

BY SHANNON MILLER

“The show must go on.” It’s impossible to know how many times this classic expression has been uttered in the Entertainment Capital of the World. But it’s worth asking: What is a good show when the artist is not at the center of it?

The Composers Room Showlounge & Restaurant, which Pompey Entertainment opened in Commercial Center in November, provides a space for artists to make the show their own—where the experience is a product of their talent, and is in no way obstructed by the demands of the venue.

“We like to think of ourselves as noncompetitive. A lot of our artists are even performing at our neighboring properties. And I think it’s all great—to celebrate the entertainer and not try to put a bunch of limits on them if they’re going to play at our place,” says Damian Costa, founder of Pompey Entertainment.

Pack in the nightclubs and in the lounges, where entertainers come and support entertainers and really build this community together,” he says, adding that that still happens today, with, for example, Clint Holmes visiting to watch his wife Kelly Clinton on stage, or Donny Osmond coming by to hang out.

“We have history. And it’s a very rich history ... that people are starting to take a liking to. People want to know the story of how we got to be the city that we are, and I think that will set us apart.”

COMPOSERS ROOM

SHOWLOUNGE & RESTAURANT

953 E. Sahara Ave. #E1A, 702-573-7710, thecom posersroom.com. Monday-Saturday, noon-midnight; Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-midnight.

That was evident at a May 30 installment of The Sit In with Kelly Clinton at the Showlounge Stage. The singer had fun with the crowd, teasing audience members between songs and inviting special guests on stage.

Singers Tony Arias and Skye Dee Miles and composer Keith Thompson are just a few more local musicians who regularly grace the Showlounge Stage, one of two stages at the storied venue.

Commercial Center has been around since 1963, and the space that now holds the Composers Room used to be Commercial Deli, a hangout for members of the Rat Pack. Costa says the venue celebrates that history.

“If you look around the room, 30 of the 130 [guests] are entertainers. We talk about the Rat

The Composers Room also looks ahead, partnering with UNLV’s College of Fine Arts to spotlight emerging artists through their Parking Lot Plays “car theater” series and other arts and performance events.

Costa has a history of establishing entertainment at the South Point and Caesars Palace. Pompey now manages Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club and The Duomo at the Rio.

In contrast, the Composers Room set out to reach locals with Strip-caliber acts. And it has done a good job of that—better than expected.

“To get into the community with Strip-style entertainment was one of our goals. This has had such a community outreach that I have become a little addicted to it. … It’s very different from the corporate hustle of the Strip,” he says.

“It’s so refreshing and so inspiring. Not to take away anything from the business of tourists … but there’s something special about being in a neighborhood of people taking care of one another.”

DjangoVegas

FEATURING

Saturday, June 22 | 6 p.m.

Doors 5:30 p.m.

Historic Fifth Street School 401 S. Fourth St.

A reawakening of classic jazz with a French twist. Starting in Paris in the 1930s, this vintage style of jazz offers flairs of swing and bebop inspired by the genius stylings of Django Reinhardt, the namesake of this jazz festival.

Tickets $25

(price includes all fees)

Purchase tickets at lasvegasnevada.gov/discover

All ages welcome.

Drinks will be available for purchase from Big Dog’s Brewing Company.

Food will also be available for purchase.

of Las Vegas featuring Frankie Moreno

Hot Club

Hot Club of San Francisco

John Jorgenson Quintet

FOOD & DRINK

BREAKFAST CLUB

Taste these three hot new morning meal spots in Las Vegas

BY AMBER SAMPSON & GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ

Some mornings, the promise of a steaming cup of coffee, crispy bacon and a towering stack of pancakes is the only thing that gets us out of bed. Breakfast is a universal ritual and there’s beauty in its simplicity. And here, three new local spots are taking the essential elements of the morning meal and adding their own unique spin—and drawing swarms of locals and tourists.

MORNING NEWS

A breakfast joint by the brilliant minds behind Herbs & Rye? We’ll take it! Buzz around this new Sahara Avenue gem started building last fall, and since then, getting into Morning News has been like trying to infiltrate Buckingham Palace. Joining the waitlist is a must, but once you try the grub, you’ll want to broadcast it to the world.

Morning News’ aesthetic is modest but its personality really shines through in the menu, where cute cartoon characters of waffles and adorably bucktoothed eggs line the pages. Savor sweet stacks like the Banana Fosters pancakes ($15), drizzled in Nutella and caramel with banana compote; the Cherry Cheesecake ($14), stuffed with cheesecake chunks; and the Churro ($15), a treat of caramel-filled churros dusted in cinnamon sugar with

EARLY BIRDS

a waffle cone of vanilla ice cream wedged on top like an indulgently over-the-top garnish.

Prefer the savory side? Heap on the Hollandaise with Morning News’ pork belly ($18) and honey ham ($15) benedicts, or double down on the sausage with one of their stacked breakfast sandwiches. But be warned, early riser: classics like the chorizo poutine ($16) and the Panko Loco Moco ($16), a beautiful mound of fried Spam and rice coated in a thick beef gravy, might send you back to bed. 3154 W. Sahara Ave., 702-220-3239, morningnewslasve gas.com. Daily, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. –AS

In the southwest corner of town we’ve recently seen a blossoming of restaurants, and thanks to the visionaries behind La Neta and Juliet Cocktail Room, Early Birds, opened in March, is where the unsatiated flock. The stunningly bright dining room features a faux skylight, green and gold accented wallpaper, lush greenery and retro Saturday morning cartoons on the TVs, making the space as Instagrammable as the food.

The drink menu reads like a cocktail lover’s dream, and for those in need of a brunchy caffeine kick with their cocktail, the Italian, Spanish or Irish spiked coffees will satisfy.

Early Birds’ pancakes are already the talk of the town and we insist on trying a stack of Lemon Poppy ($15)—two thick circles of batter griddled to perfection and topped with a lemon poppyseed drizzle and blueberries. And since we’re creeping up on the release of season 3 of The Bear, you’ve got to order the French omelet ($17) inspired by the show. A fluffy blanket of eggs house a layer of smooth herbed cheese, topped with crunchy potato chips and chives. 5025 Blue Diamond Rd., 702-473-0362, ear lybirdseat.com. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. –GR

BESPOKE KITCHEN ALL DAY CAFE

What happens when a successful ramen spot branches out into breakfast? You get an instant classic like Bespoke Kitchen. The creators of Tomi Ramen opened the cafe early last year and share the same plaza with it in case foodies ever get tempted to make the rounds. On weekends, lines often snake outside the door, so it’s recommended you secure a spot early.

Unlike Tomi’s compact and long indoor design, Bespoke nails a vibe that’s both spacious and natural, boasting beautiful plants that seem to grow out of every corner. The ’gram feed will love this place, but before you post, you need to taste.

Bespoke’s signature Croffles ($10), a cross-breed of a croissant

and waffle, should be your first order for the table, as each variation features fresh fruit and a whipped mascarpone cream that cuts through the sweetness. Next, spring for the Bespoke Breakfast Board ($29), which offers a nice sampling of baby pancakes, waffles, sausage and bacon. Tomi’s influence becomes more obvious when we get to the bulgogi egg benedict ($15) and the corn hash chashu ($15), a perfect, textured bite of braised pork, rice and an over-easy egg. Aren’t you glad you didn’t hit the snooze button? 2600 W. Sahara Ave. #101, 725278-8464, bespokealldaycafelv. com. Monday-Friday, 7:45 a.m.-3 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday, 7:45 a.m.-5 p.m. –AS

Banana Fosters Pancakes (Courtesy/Kei Chua)

Churro Waffles (Courtesy)

Bulgogi Benedict (Christopher DeVargas/Staff)

SPORTS PICKS

Everything you need to know for 2024 NHL Draft at Sphere

BY JACK WILLIAMS

The NHL is back in Las Vegas. For the rst time since the 2022 All-Star Game, the league has chosen Vegas to host two of its premier events.

The NHL Awards serves as the de facto puck drop of the three-day stretch of events starting June 27, when the ceremony is held locally for the rst time since 2019, at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

Sphere will then host a one-of-akind NHL Draft the next two days. It’s the rst sporting event Sphere has hosted and a going-away party of sorts for the draft as a big, centralized event.

“The NHL is proud to bring the rst sports event and the rst live television broadcast to Sphere,” NHL senior executive vice president Steve Mayer told NHL.com. “Together with the amazing team at Sphere, we plan to deliver an NHL Draft like no other.”

Here’s what you need to know about the NHL’s premier event in one of Vegas’ most unique venues.

AND PUCKS

Attending the draft

The NHL wants to create a high-energy environment by packing the 17,600-capacity Sphere, and pushed ticket sales consistently during its Stanley Cup Final broadcasts.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and range from $35 to $319 for Friday night’s rst round and $35 to $143 for Saturday’s second through seventh rounds.

The rst round starts at 4 p.m. local time. The second through seventh rounds kick o at 8:30 a.m.

The awards ceremony at Fontainebleau is more exclusive, but limited tickets are available through Ticketmaster and range from $85 to $125.

How will it look?

All eyes will be on how the NHL utilizes Sphere’s world-class production capabilities. The NHL Draft will be the rst sports-related event the venue has hosted, potentially opening up opportunities for professional leagues like the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball to use the venue for

its future events.

“Sphere continues to establish itself as a premier destination for some of the most highly anticipated events in sports and entertainment,” executive vice president of marquee events and operations for MSG Entertainment Joel Fisher told NHL.com.

“We’re pleased to welcome the NHL Draft, and look forward to showcasing Sphere’s next-generation capabilities both in person and around the world via the rst live

television broadcast from the venue.”

A clear first pick

There’s little doubt Boston University center Macklin Celebrini will go first overall to the San Jose Sharks. It becomes a little cloudy after that with a logjam of talented prospects considered promising though not generational.

The Chicago Blackhawks pick second while the Anaheim Ducks will be on the clock for the third pick. Celebrini recorded 64 points in

38 games in college this year and had eight points in five games with Team Canada in the World Junior Championships.

The hometown Golden Knights will be looking to find their own difference-maker a little further down as they hold the 19th overall pick.

Multiple options for VGK

The Golden Knights may have a first-round selection this year, but don’t hold their own top pick again

until 2027 after dealing their 2025 and 2026 first-rounders for Tomáš Hertl and Noah Hanifin, respectively, at last season’s trade deadline.

That means the pressure is on to nail this year’s selection—especially considering they don’t pick again until the sixth round, another result of their aggressive trading strategy.

They should have plenty of choices, and draft experts are split on whom they should

target. Five of the foremost possibilities are Trevor Connelly (The Athletic and FanSided), Adam Jiříček (ClutchPoints), Stian Solberg (MyNHLDraft), Jett Luchanko (The Score) and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård (ESPN).

The 18-year-old Connelly stands out as one of the top overall prospects and best American skaters in the draft, but he could tumble down draft boards out of character concerns.

In March 2022, he posted a photo of his friend posing with a swastika made out of children’s books. He has since apologized for posting the photo.

Last centralized NHL Draft?

The draft is set to be the last centralized edition of the event for the foreseeable future. The league has announced that after the 2024 draft, teams will stay in their home cities instead of converging on one location.

“We were very comfortable, and still are, with the format that we’ve been using,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “It’s different than anybody else uses, and we kind of liked it.”

“This was an organic proposal that a number of clubs suggested, and we said we’re not going to fight it. We’ll take a poll of all the clubs and the overwhelming majority want to make a change.”

The draft may therefore lose its big-event feel, but at least it’s going out on a high. Sphere should provide a fitting farewell spectacle.

(Shutterstock/Photo Illustration)

EDUCATION

APEX LAS VEGAS PUTS THE

‘FUN’

IN FUNDRAISING FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS

In just over a decade, the Las Vegas location of Apex Leadership Co. — a national fundraising organization for schools — has grown from three to about a dozen employees, and from servicing six schools to 10 times that.

The group used to only sporadically visit a school every two weeks, said Crystal Nowery, operations director for Apex Las Vegas. Now, she said, visits happen at three or four schools every two weeks. That level of growth has been really inspiring, she emphasized.

“What I’ve really seen is, we went from ‘Who are you? What do you do?’ to a household name amongst a lot of the teachers and principals,” said Nowery. “And I’ll go into a school and other teachers — maybe it’ll be a new teacher at that school — and they’ll be like, ‘Oh, yeah, you guys were at this school and you’re at that school. I know who you are.’”

The 10-day program starts with a “teacher huddle,” she said, when school instructors and the Apex team talk about expectations. On day two, all the students come together for a pep rally, where Apex employees — known as “athletes” — introduce a leadership theme that changes yearly, the lessons they’ll be teaching and the prizes available for students to earn.

Over the next several days, Apex athletes go into every single classroom on the school’s campus — which, Nowery noted, could be a public, charter or private school — and teach leadership skills to students.

Meanwhile, students raise pledges for a tness-based fundraiser at the end of the program, and may garner a reward for their classroom depending on how many they raise.

“And so they might earn an extra recess, or they get to pie one of the Apex team members in the face, or they get kickball or a root beer oat party,” she said. “There’s lots of di erent things that we do. And we facilitate all of that.”

The second-to-last day is event day, which includes a tness-centric activity like a fun run or an obstacle course. Students participate and raise money through their pledges. For example, in a fun run, they may earn $1 or $2 per lap. They typically run between 26 and 36 laps, Nowery said.

letes facilitate the entire event. We provide everything for the school.”

The last day of the program is the athletes’ opportunity to say goodbye to the students and teachers, and throw any nal congratulatory parties.

“And then we start all over on the next Monday,” Nowery quipped.

On average, the program raises around $40,000 to $45,000 for a school, said Frank Endellicate, owner of Apex Las Vegas. Some schools have even raised $180,000, he added.

In the past, schools have used the money for campus beauti cation projects, to establish a school garden, to hire a counselor that they previously couldn’t a ord and even to expand their physical campus, Nowery and Endellicate said.

“We’ve helped fund actual new buildings to be built so that way they can make the schools bigger and better,” Endellicate said. “Whether it be adding theater rooms or gyms or just more classrooms. (It’s) pretty incredible.”

Nowery noted that Apex also encourages schools to give 10% of whatever a class raises back to the teacher, to use in their classroom.

The Apex athletes bring a ton of energy to the school campus environment, as does the program, Nowery said. Oftentimes the Apex team will take time to help a teacher in need, she said, like working one-on-one with a student who may be struggling socially or just needs someone to look up to.

“And it changes that student outlook for the year,” she said. “I love hearing those stories, and I hear it two or three times out of the school year — which is enough — which means that we’re making a di erence. And if we change one student’s life, then, that’s amazing. That’s awesome.”

Being a part of what Apex is doing is an incredible and rewarding opportunity, Endellicate said. When athletes are getting pied in the face or dumping baked beans on a principal’s head, that’s a one-of-a-kind job, he said.

“What we do is a ton of fun, and, really, it’s a privilege,” he said. “What we get to do in schools — interact with the kiddos and just have a blast, all while raising much needed funds for the schools — it truly is the greatest job in the world.”

BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF

“On the event day itself, there’s a lot of energy,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun. Our ath-

The Las Vegas Valley is extremely diverse, and its schools re ect that, Nowery said.

Crystal Nowery, Frank Endellicate and the Apex Las Vegas team. (Courtesy)

VEGAS INC NOTES

The 89 lights around the circumference of the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign were flipped to green in a brief ceremony in recognition of Mental Health Action Day and Month. As part of the event, Clark County commissioners recognized Boys Town Nevada and declared it “Boys Town Nevada – Mental Health Action Awareness Day.” The recognition was supported by Molina Healthcare, Silvia and Kevin Buckley of Freedom House Sober Living and First Real Estate Companies

Assistance League of Las Vegas, an all-member volunteer nonprofit that transforms the lives of children and adults through community programs, has a new president and board of directors for 2024-2025. Duties include operating the award-winning Thrift Shop and the nonprofit’s community programs, such as Operation School Bell, which provides more than 5,000 local stu-

JOB LISTING

dents a year with the new clothing they need to succeed at school. The new board is: Sylvie Courtemarsh, president; Sue Trock, president-elect; Sue Severino, vice president chapter services; Sandy Mullally, vice president membership; Tammy Vaaler, vice president philanthropic; Brandon Davis, vice president fund development; Deon Poort, vice president community programs; Tay Fried, vice president finance; Christine Santiago, vice president strategic planning; Kathryn Cummings, vice president marketing; Gloria Rice, recording secretary; Julie Slack, treasurer; Erin Bendavid, assisteens representative; Betsy Angelcor, Desert Sage representative; Diana Anderson, parliamentarian.

The Nevada Transplant Institute announced the inauguration of its board of directors, marking a significant milestone in its mission to revolutionize access to life-saving transplantation services in

QUALITY ASSURANCE ANALYST sought by Paysign (Henderson, NV) to create, maintain, manage, and enforce test procedures and plans for all internally developed company software applications and systems; define, document, and coordinate creation of test environments and systems, including automated software test tools; ensure that applications, projects, and systems are sufficiently tested and suitable quality for release; plan, manage, and execute regular performance and regression testing across suite of internal applications; perform API level testing, system testing, black box functional testing, UI testing, security, and white box testing, etc. Requires Bachelor’s in Computer Science, Software Engineering or related; 2 years experience in Quality Assurance AND with automated testing and creating/maintaining test environments. Send resume and salary requirements to: Mary Zink at mzink@paysign.com

Nevada and the region. They are: Joe Ferreira, founding chair; Dr. Brian Erling, president and CEO, Renown Health; Jim DeVolld, managing director, commercial banking, First Independent Bank; Dr. Thiago Beduschi, chief of the University of Florida Division of Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery and director of the UF Health Abdominal Transplant Center. Guiding NTI as its director and executive vice president is Dr. Ernesto Molmenti, who has authored over 500 peer-reviewed manuscripts/chapters and written six textbooks translated into multiple languages.

Proper Eats Food Hall, located inside Aria resort, welcomed a new fresh and healthy option with the opening of Happy Leaf. It will be the tenth station to join the food hall and is located between Food Network star Judy Joo’s Seoul Bird and Grammy-nominated Steve Aoki’s Pizzaoki.

PREMIER CROSSWORD HOROSCOPES

BY FRANK LONGO

ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Being logical and reasonable is great. But so is being intuitive and open to mystical perceptions. Don’t trust every feeling as an infallible source of truth, but rely on them to guide your decisions. In the coming weeks, you should give more weight than usual to the second set of perspectives. Proceed as if logic alone won’t provide the insights you need most.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In their book Your Symphony of Selves, Jordan Gruber and James Fadiman say each of us is a community of multiple selves. It’s perfectly natural and healthy for us to be an amalgam of various voices, each with distinctive needs and forms of expression. We should celebrate our multifaceted identity and honor the richness it affords us.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the second half of 2012 and the first half of 2013, you launched a journey that will finally culminate soon. The innovations you activated during that time have mostly ripened, though not entirely. The hopes that arose in you have brought mixed results, but the predominant themes have been entertaining lessons and soulful success. Give yourself a congratulatory gift. Luxuriate in a ritual celebration to commemorate your epic journey.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You may have metaphorical resemblances to a lightning rod in the coming weeks. Do not stroll across open fields during thunderstorms. On the other hand, be fully available to receive bolts of inspiration and insight. Put yourself in the presence of fascinating events, intriguing people and stirring art. Make yourself ready and eager for the marvelous.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “It’s hard to get lost if you don’t know where you’re going,” said experimental filmmaker Jim Jarmusch. He’s implying that there’s potential value in getting lost. Unexpected discoveries might arrive that contribute to the creative process. But that will only happen if you first have a clear vision of where you’re headed.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Does any person or institution own a part of you? Has anyone stolen some of your power? Does anyone insist that only they can give you what you need? If there are people who fit those descriptions, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to fix the problems. You can summon the ingenuity and strength to reclaim what rightfully belongs to you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In ancient Greek myth, Sisyphus was required to push a boulder from the bottom to the top of a hill, for eternity. If there have been even minor similarities between you and him, that will change in the coming months. You will finally succeed—is this your fifth attempt?—in finishing a task or project that has, up until now, been frustrating.

convoked the Council of Trent [1468]

30 Via walking 33 Rolling car part, in Leeds

34 Suffix with Rock

35 Lead singer on the 2010 hit “Pumped Up Kicks” [1984]

39 And more: Abbr

41 “Always on Time” rapper [1976]

Actress Mazar of Younger 8 Smile widely

Suffix with north

Hoarse

Rug

Healing plant

Skiing site

Classic neon diner sign 15 Mountain climber, e g.

TV actress Anderson

Brazilian berry

African nation

Klemperer and Preminger

-- rug (dance)

Raw metal

Quad VIP

by 6 Recedes

Elis’ college

Noisy fights

Merry song syllables

Stitch

Mai --

Right-angled annexes 40 Covert U S. org.

Steak- -- (frozen beef brand) 43 Mauna --

the number in brackets is for the people featured in this

Stockholm is its capital

1996 Mario Puzo novel, with “The”

Farming-related prefix

“Correct--I’m wrong”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Is it possible to reap spiritual epiphanies while having sex? Can intense physical pleasure be a meditation that provokes enlightened awareness? Can joy and bliss bring learning experiences as valuable as teachings that arise from suffering? Yes, yes, yes. You are primed to harvest divine favors as you quest for delight.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Your animal magnetism and charisma could be wildly potent in the coming weeks. As a result, you may be susceptible to narcissistic feelings of entitlement. You will be extra attractive, maybe even irresistible. Harness your personal charm to spread blessings everywhere you go. Activate a generosity of spirit in yourself that awakens and inspires others.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You’ve had thousands of crucial teachers. There would be no such thing as you without their life-changing influences. You are close to getting a major download from a guide. At the very least, you will engage with an educational source. Be grateful for them every day.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A bricoleur is a collector and seller of junk who reuses the castaway stuff in new ways. Tune in to splendor that might be hidden within decay, treasures that are embedded in trash and bliss that can be retrieved from pain. In the coming weeks, if you so desire, you can specialize in this specialty.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Some people imagine that being creative means having nonstop spontaneous fun. They think it’s primarily exuberant, adventurous and liberating. More often, the creative process involves meticulous organization and discipline, periods of trial-and-error experimentation and plenty of doubt and uncertainty. It’s hard work that requires persistence and faith. You are now in a phase when the freewheeling aspects of creativity will be extra available. You’re more likely than usual to enjoy spontaneous fun while dreaming up novel ideas and fresh approaches.

BACKSTORY

DESERT BREEZE PARK | SUNDAY, JUNE 16 | When’s the last time you gleamed the cube? Digital cube gleaming is not a recognized sport, but everything I ever needed to know about it, I learned from the California Games half-pipe on the Commodore 64. Back then, airborne hoverboards, the fictional predecessor of the somehow de-elevated non-airborne modern hoverboard, were available only in your dreams. However, it does ease my mind to know kids can still fly. –Corlene Byrd

(Brian Ramos/Staff)