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16 FITNESS & OUTDOORS
Tips for living your best van life, plus nearby destinations.
Humoring hypotheticals of turning points and crucial moments in Las Vegas’ past.
30 NEWS
As public health agencies warn of vaping harms, Nevada State University goes tobacco free.
32 SPORTS
The Las Vegas Aces are on a historic high as the WNBA Playo s are underway.
36 THE STRIP
Drag darling Frank Marino celebrates four decades of Strip performances with a new residency at Virgin Hotels.
38 MUSIC
Our picks for new music by local artists, plus iHeartRadio Music Festival returns.
40 FOOD & DRINK
Rare Society brings steakhouse sophistication to UnCommons, plus Taco Escobar feeds Fremont East.
K-pop sensation Le Sserafim performs at Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas Sinfonietta brings Baroque favorites to Clark County Library and more this week.
Las Vegas Strip, 1982. (Las Vegas Sun File)
SUPERGUIDE
THURSDAY SEPT 18
FRIDAY SEPT 19
SPOTLIGHT EVENT
OKTOBERFEST DTLV
BARRY MANILOW
Thru 9/20, 7 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com.
SANTANA
7 p.m., & 9/20-9/21, 9/24-9/25, House of Blues, ticketmaster.com.
KAMI KEHOE
8 p.m., Swan Dive, swandivelv.com.
LAS VEGAS AVIATORS VS. SALT LAKE BEES Thru 9/20, 7:05 p.m. (& 9/21, 12:05 p.m.), Las Vegas Ballpark, ticketmaster.com.
SAN GENNARO FEAST
Thru 9/21, times vary, M Resort, sangennarofeast.com.
DON HERTZFELDT’S ANIMATION MIXTAPE
7 p.m., Beverly Theater, thebeverlytheater. com.
ALISON WONDERLAND
10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com
NINAJIRACHI
10 p.m., Discopussy, tixr.com
X CLUB
With Angel TFC, Lil Freaky, 10 p.m., We All Scream, seetickets.us
Fremont East transforms into a massive bier hall for the first-ever Oktoberfest DTLV! Two blocks, three days, nonstop fun. Daytime thrills include Bavarian games, stein hoisting, keg bowling and Sunday’s Dachshund Derby—tiny dogs with turbo energy. Saturday night heats up with the Nevada Stein Hoisting Finals, and Sunday crowns the world champion. Wolfgang Puck serves schnitzel, spaetzle, pretzels and brats, while Fremont bars o er Biermark-only menus with 70-plus biers on tap. After 9 p.m., the street glows neon as DJs spin and the dancefloor comes alive. It’s free to enter and a $10 wristband is required to drink—get yours online and enjoy your first bier free! Thru 9/21, East Fremont Street, oktoberfestdtlv.com.
6:30 p.m., Las Vegas Motor Speedway, ticketmaster.com.
XFC 53
4 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com.
HOWIE MANDEL & ARSENIO HALL
9 p.m., David Copperfield Theater, mgmgrand.mgmresorts. com.
JAY & SILENT BOB
10 p.m., Palazzo Theatre, ticketmaster.com.
CHEVELLE
CASH COBAIN
7 p.m., the Portal at Area15, area15.com.
BOB ANDERSON
7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.
FIDDLE & FERN ENSEMBLE
2 p.m., Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum, ritadeaninabbeymuseum. org.
STEVE AOKI
11 a.m., Palm Tree Beach Club, taogroup.com
TIËSTO
11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, taogroup.com
With Asking Alexandria, Dead Poet Society, 7 p.m., the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com.
2HOLLIS
With Nate Sib, Rommulas, 7 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com.
LIFE IS S**T FESTIVAL
4 p.m., Dive Bar, instagram.com/ lifeisshitfestival
ZEBRA
9 p.m., Fremont Street Experience, vegasexperience.com.
AYLA SIMONE
11 a.m., Daylight Beach Club, tixr.com
FRENCH MONTANA
Noon, Drai’s Beachclub, draisgroup.com
KASKADE
Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com
LE SSERAFIM
MARSHMELLO & G-EAZY
10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com
T-PAIN
10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com
JEEZY
10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com
LIL JON 10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com
SURF MESA 10 p.m., Discopussy, tixr.com
Most of the K-pop acts that have made their way to Las Vegas in recent years were already at the peak of their popularity when they came to town. Le Sserafim, on the other hand, is a newer arrival, still climbing global charts after a 2022 debut and a breakthrough first studio album, Unforgiven, in 2023. The five-member girl group gets its name by jumbling up “I’m Fearless,” and the confidence that lightning-flashes from their music follows suit, seemingly too powerful to come from newbies. Last year’s EP Easy stacked plenty of pop variation into five short tracks—a little trap, a little rock— and added plenty of hooks to the group’s live repetoire, which is sure to attract an equally diverse audience to Mandalay Bay Saturday night. 7:30 p.m., $255+, Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com. –Brock Radke
MICHAEL LINGTON & PAUL TAYLOR
8 p.m., Chrome Showroom, ticketmaster.com.
(AP Photo)
SUPERGUIDE
SUNDAY SEPT 21
MONDAY SEPT 22
LAS VEGAS SINFONIETTA: THE ART OF THE CONCERTO
THE DARKEST HOLLER
With Jacob Smigel, Mad Devine, 7:30 p.m., Dustland, thedustlandbar.com.
CHEYENNE ADAMS & THE DIRTY BUSINESS 7 p.m., the Underground, themobmuseum.org.
COLUM TYRELL
7 p.m., Wiseguys, wiseguyscomedy.com.
RL GRIME
10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com
MAX STYLER
10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com
Under the direction of Maestro Taras Krysa, classical music ensemble the Las Vegas Sinfonietta opens its sixth season with a performance celebrating the Baroque concerto Sunday afternoon. “This season is about more than repertoire—it’s about the form, function and expressive power behind each musical genre,” Krysa said in a statement. The opening program features familiar works by Vivaldi and Telemann along with pieces from Carlos Seixas, Giuseppe Torelli and more. “This is not just a concert of Baroque favorites,” Krysa said. “It’s a chance to rediscover music that deserves to be heard.” 3 p.m., $40, Clark County Library, lasvegassinfonietta.com. –Brock Radke
10 p.m., On the Record, ontherecordlv.com DO IT ALL
ROD STEWART
7:30 p.m., & 9/26-9/27, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com.
(Courtesy/Denise Truscello)
The World’s Largest Lantern Festival.
RISE Festival Celebrates 10 Years with Unforgettable Expansion and Immersive New Experiences
THIS FALL, RISE FESTIVAL RETURNS
RISE Festival returns to the Mojave Desert for its most ambitious celebration yet. From October 3–5, 2025, just 20 miles south of Las Vegas, RISE marks a decade of light, connection, and transformation with a historic 10-year anniversary event. Prepare for groundbreaking art installations, expanded guest spaces, and powerful moments of healing, harmony, and hope—culminating in the world’s largest and most breathtaking sky lantern release.
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, RISE INTRODUCES THE HORIZON
The Horizon Stage is a striking, open-air stage built to rival the most iconic venues in the world. Framed by the vast Mojave Desert, The Horizon will host a stellar lineup of internationally renowned artists, with RÜFÜS DU SOL, Calvin Harris, and John Mayer each headlining one of the festival’s three unforgettable nights. The lineup also features an eclectic mix of world-class performers spanning electronic, indie, folk, and experimental genres, including Disclosure, Goose, Ben Böhmer, Elderbrook, Oliver Heldens, LP Giobbi, Emmit Fenn, RY X, Patrick Watson, Coco & Breezy, RIVO, Forester, City of the Sun, Eduardo Castillo, and Carrie Keller.
lluminated by RISE Festival
THE PATH
A spacious exploration of art and meditation on the strikingly
THE COMPASS
The site of our collective artistic expression & the World’s Largest Sky Lantern Ceremony.
THE HORIZON
This is where we DANCE — an extraordinary venue, and an epic setting for a transcendent party in the desert.
beautiful Jean Dry Lake Bed.
BY DIANA EDELMAN
ON THE ROAD
5 TIPS TO LIVE YOUR BEST VAN LIFE
Imagine waking up at Zion National Park. You look out your window, taking in terracotta-colored rocks set against a vast blue sky while your kettle heats. After sipping on tea, you decide to take a quick hike before packing up and driving to Bryce Canyon. There, you’ll park and explore the rest of the afternoon. At night, you’ll cook dinner, check your email, and head to bed. But before sleep, you hit the automatic lock button—on your van. Which is also your home.
Travellers Kuga Campervan.
Canyon and Valley of Fire courtesy
VALLEY OF FIRE
GRAND CANYON
WELCOME TO VAN LIFE.
1. MAKE SURE IT FITS YOUR LIFESTYLE (AND BUDGET).
Whether renting or buying, your van’s layout should match your lifestyle. If you work remotely, you might want a standing desk. Essentials like a comfy mattress and pillows, a portable gas cooker, water container and even a satellite phone are all worth considering. Know your budget. At Travellers, rentals range from $57 to $200 per day with unlimited mileage, depending on the season. =Add food, gas and possible camping fees (unless you’re parking for free) and it’s still cheaper than a hotel. Buying? Graf estimates the spend is between $30,000 and $50,000.
2. MANAGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
Instagram might make van life look like a dream, but the reality is often rugged. It means nding showers and toilets … or using nature (responsibly). It means packing light, sharing tight quarters, and being okay with unpredictability.
What was once a niche lifestyle has become more mainstream, with more than 3.1 million Americans living full-time in vans or RVs, according to Harvest Hosts. Even more are renting vans for vacations instead of booking traditional hotels, especially with the U.S. ranking among the most expensive countries for travel.
Is van life right for you? Bastian Graf, sales and marketing manager for Travellers Autobarn, shares his top tips for van life newbies.
“You need to be someone who’s kind of a planner,” says Graf. “Even if it goes against the van life culture, which is, you can just park anywhere and enjoy, you still want to have an idea where you’re going.”
3.KNOW WHERE TO PARK LEGALLY.
National park and state park campsites (which have fees) are good, safe options for overnight stays.
Generally, Bureau of Land Management land and National Forest land have free dispersed camping. Apps like The Dyrt can help you nd these types of campsites. Around Las Vegas, they can be found near Lake Mead, Lovell Canyon, the Desert National Wildlife Refuge and Valley of Fire.
WHERE TO EXPLORE IN LAS VEGAS
for a while, leave your itinerary with a trusted contact and check in with them once you reach your destination. (If something goes wrong while you’re out of service, they can call for help.) And while you’re sleeping in your van, always lock your doors and leave the driver’s seat clear in case you need to drive away from the area where you parked.
5. STAY PLUGGED IN AND CONNECTED.
4. STAY SAFE.
For a cheap city option, Circus Circus o ers inexpensive parking. And some Walmart locations allow overnight parking. Just be sure to always park in legal, safe and well-lit areas.
It’s assumed that you’ll be going out to remote locations—if you’re not, you’re not doing van life right! Just be aware of your surroundings and take precautions to ensure the safety of yourself and your belongings.
According to Graf, campsites without electric hookups are typically 20%-50% cheaper. Plus, many national parks don’t o er them, so solar can be a lifeline. Travellers ==o ers solar panels with their rentals.
If you’ll be out of phone or internet service
“Solar power is business critical,” says Graf. Solar powers your fridge, outlets and lighting, the key things you need to live in your van. Whether for emergencies, admin or remote work, staying connected to phone service is non-negotiable. Because you’ll be traveling in and out of signal zones, a satellite phone or mobile Wi-Fi device is essential.
Las Vegas may be known for its casinos, dining and nightlife, but for van lifers it’s something more—a gateway to the American Southwest. Hitting the road in Vegas gets you to some breathtaking national parks in a matter of hours.
Locally, the most popular spots to take your van for the night to experience nature include Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire and Lake Mead. (Just be sure to steer clear of these parks in the summer to avoid extreme temperatures.)
To the west there are must-sees like Death Valley, Joshua Tree and its vast open skies, and the San Bernardino National Forest outside of LA. To the east, a pair of Utah gems, Zion and Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon’s magni cence in Arizona. –Diana Edelman
INTO THE VEGAS MULTIVERSE
EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES OF AN ALTERNATIVE HISTORY IF SIGNIFICANT LOCAL EVENTS, DEVELOPMENTS AND PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEHAVED DIFFERENTLY
BY LAS VEGAS WEEKLY STAFF
WHAT IF
WHAT IF THE FAMILYFRIENDLY ERA HAD NEVER BEGUN— OR NEVER ENDED?
The rst scenario is the less interesting and less believable of the two. Imagine that the period of themed, all-ages Strip attractions that we tend to call the “Family Vegas” era—arguably beginning in 1993 with the debut of Treasure Island’s pirate battle, the three Secrets of the Luxor Pyramid cinematic attractions and MGM’s Grand Adventures theme park, and concluding in 2008 with the closing of Star Trek: The Experience at the former Las Vegas Hilton—had never taken place. In that alternate reality, none of those attractions ever existed. Nor did the Race to Atlantis simulator ride at Caesars Palace, the Speed: The Ride launch coaster at the Sahara, the Desperado roller coaster at Primm, the still-operating Adventuredome at Circus Circus and the Big Apple Coaster (formerly the Manhattan Express) at New York-New York.
It’s nearly impossible to imagine a Vegas where none of those all-ages rides, shows and attractions existed, because that would still leave Caesars’ now-defunct Omnimax Theater and Magical Empire restaurant, not to mention the animatronic shows inside the Forum Shops; the Mirage’s volca-
no (sob) and white tiger and dolphin habitats; Circus Circus’ midway games and trapeze acts; the Venetian’s canal boats and short-lived Guggenheim Museum; the Wet ‘n’ Wild on the north Strip; and virtually all of Excalibur, from turret to turkey leg.
And it would preemptively eliminate current attractions like Sphere, Flyover, Arte Museum, the High Roller at Linq, Mystic Falls Park at Sam’s Town, the rides atop the Strat’s tower, Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum and the entirety of Area15, which recently expanded with the addition of Universal Horror Unleashed.
The lonesome death of Family Vegas can be attributed to several factors, but one above all: most of the attractions weren’t very good, even for the time. The Luxor’s rides were cringe-worthy kitsch; cultural appropriation with lap bars. MGM Grand’s theme park had few rides and very little theme. And Star Trek: The Experience … okay, that was kind of rad. But no one really seemed to believe in it: not the tourists, not the locals, not even the people who nanced and designed the damn things.
“Vegas experiments a lot, and that was something they tried. The whole town didn’t buy in, and probably for good reason,” said Las Vegas Advisor publisher Anthony Curtis in an interview in 2012. “Even those who did kind of short-armed it. … They built a ‘theme park,’ but the rides weren’t good. Kids who knew good rides laughed at it.”
Even so, it’s hard to get one’s head around a Vegas that didn’t at least try that stu . The idea of an attractions-free Vegas sort of appeals to Area15 CEO Winston Fisher, whose “immersive entertainment and events district” maintains an even balance between family and grown-up entertainment.
“There’d be a massive market opportunity to corner. You’d still have 40 million people coming [to Las Vegas] who would still like experiences. And there’d be nobody satisfying that demand; [Area15] would be the only thing.” Fisher chuckles. “I mean, it would be incredible. Oh my gosh.”
Which brings us to the second scenario: What if it had worked for the long term? What if the MGM Grand theme park had stood and ourished, and gained a variety of state-of-the-art attractions and thrill rides? What if Star Trek: The Experience had hung in long enough to be re-themed with characters from the J.J. Abrams reboot movies, or one of the new Paramount Plus Star Trek shows (which I confess I don’t watch at all)? Would Vegas have gotten more and better theme parks? Roller coasters from the airport to the hotels? A “lazy river” water attraction that encircles the entire Valley?
Or perhaps: How about an entire district of interactive attractions? The world’s second-tallest Ferris wheel? A gigantic, spherical theater that turns The Wizard of Oz into a wildly colorful, immersive burst of cinematic delirium? Perhaps the real “what if” question is: What if we simply admit to ourselves that Vegas fails only upward, even in the attraction space?
“We’re Vegas born, which is really cool,” says Area15’s Fisher. “We’re part of that ecosystem and the fabric of what makes Vegas great, which is creativity and boldness in expression. That’s what this city stands for, to me. … It is just a great entertainment city, and unabashed fantasy works really well here. Most people are scared of that, but Vegas’ history was not fearing that. Area15 was born in the right city, inspired by an incredible past.” –Geo Carter
WHAT IF
HOWARD HUGHES NEVER CAME TO LAS VEGAS?
On July 7, 1946, billionaire investor Howard Hughes was personally test ying his aviation company’s XF-11 prototype aircraft in California when the plane malfunctioned, causing him to crash into three Beverly Hills houses and su er life-threatening injuries. He was not expected to survive.
Remarkably, Hughes lived for another thirty years. In that time, he’d turn out his deep pockets to purchase and fund numerous ventures, including six Las Vegas casino resorts between 1966 and 1970. While he reportedly never left his Desert Inn suite during his four-year stay, the meticulous Hughes—heir to a massive oil-drilling tool fortune, acclaimed lm producer and in uential aviator—ultimately wielded his obsessive-compulsive proclivities and endless bankroll en route to reshaping Sin City forever.
Today, his Strip shopping spree is widely credited as a key reason why the city was able to rid itself of its mob in uences and enter a new era of widespread appeal and growth and family-friendly attractions in the later half of the 20th century.
But what if Hughes never lived to see the Desert Inn? What if his frequent recklessness—allegedly one of the reasons he nearly perished in 1946—instead led to his untimely demise?
Geo Schumacher, veteran local journalist, historian and vice president of exhibits and programs at the Mob Museum, says that
outcome would have yielded a far di erent future for Nevadans.
“It strikes me that if Howard Hughes had never come to Las Vegas, we would have probably had to su er with the mob longer than we did, and I think the Strip would look di erent than it does today,” he says. “The monopoly pieces would be in di erent places, for sure, and Summerlin might not exist at all. Overall, it would have slowed Las Vegas’ growth into a metropolis, and we would not be as mature a city.”
Schumacher’s interest in Hughes’ life began when he was working on his rst book, Sun, Sin & Suburbia: The History of Modern Las Vegas. He found it impossible to contain Hughes’ impact in just one chapter, leading him to pen his second book, Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia & Palace Intrigue, in 2008. In it, Schumacher traces how Hughes invested more than $200 million to help Vegas evolve into a world-renowned destination.
“He knew he was going to buy property, mining claims, golf courses and airports, because his intention was to become a big sh in a little pond in Nevada,” he says. “He did not, at rst, plan to buy casinos. It was not really in his mindset to be a casino operator.”
But Hughes’ outlook shifted a few months into his stay, when mob-connected Desert Inn proprietor Moe Dalitz tried to evict him. Instead, Hughes spent over $13 million to buy the building outright. That fateful decision kicked o a casino purchasing run that included the Sands, Castaways, Frontier, the Landmark and Silver Slipper.
Schumacher says those moves coincided with a “perfect storm of opportunity.” At the time, both Las Vegas civic leaders and the federal government agencies were “eager to shut down the mob,” while Hughes just so happened to be “willing to pay top dollar” for these mob-owned properties.
“I don’t think Hughes cared one way or the other about the mob. I don’t think that really came into his eld of vision,” Schumacher says. “The context is important, though, because we’re talking about the late 1960s. There was a lot of pressure from the FBI and Justice Department, and these mob guys were aging and many of them also wanted out.”
Former Nevada Gov. Paul Laxalt rightfully saw Hughes’ investments as a boon for the state and worked to expedite things by ushering the Corporate Gaming Act through the state legislature in 1969. Schumacher says the landmark legislation opened the oodgates for corporations to buy into Las Vegas.”
“Had that not happened, I think the mob still would have been with us longer, which also might have delayed the megaresorts of the ’90s,” he says.
Hughes bought the land that would become the successful and in uential master-planned community Summerlin in 1952, though it wasn’t established until almost 40 years later. And while Schumacher says Hughes “was not a great philanthropist,” his e orts to streamline casino licensing policies coincided with an agreement to contribute to Nevada’s postsecondary education system.
“That indeed became the seed money for the community colleges that we have in Nevada today, and he also gave a signi cant amount of seed money for the development of the medical school at the University of Nevada, Reno,” Schumacher says. “He was obviously an eccentric guy who played into the script of Las Vegas sort of being a place for outcasts and weirdos, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It’s kind of who we are. He helped to give us this larger-than-life identity ... Now, you can ask anybody in the world about Las Vegas and they’ll know what you’re talking about. I think Hughes played a big role in all that.”
–Tyler Schneider
WHAT IF
HOOVER DAM HAD NEVER BEEN BUILT?
Believe it or not, water used to shoot up from the ground in Las Vegas. In fact, that’s how Las Vegas got its name—from travelers on the Old Spanish Trail who referred to it as “the meadows.”
“We had these open artesian wells that just owed naturally,” says hydrologist and UNLV associate professor David Kreamer. “If you look at old pictures of Las Vegas, you can see the water just shooting up out of these pipes in the ground.”
To support the people who moved to Las Vegas in the early 20th century, water management was “pretty much totally groundwater,” he says.
But it couldn’t have stayed that way for long. As the population continued to grow into the hundreds and thousands, groundwater became scarce and would have been “completely decimated” had the government and its engineers not come up with a di erent way of getting water to residents.
While Las Vegas does still use a certain amount of groundwater each year, 90% of the water that supports a growing population of
2.3 million in Southern Nevada comes from Lake Mead. The human-made reservoir was created in 1936 after the construction of Hoover Dam on the Colorado River.
What if that dam had never been built?
“Without that, we’d be in a lot of trouble,” Kreamer says. “The resources probably would not have been there to sustain the population growth we’ve seen. And certainly, agriculture in California wouldn’t have been as prominent. Forty million people depend on the Colorado River, and that’s not even including the fruits and vegetables that are grown that serve other parts of the country.”
The construction of Hoover Dam was not only essential to supplying water to Las Vegas, it was also vital to the development of the Southwest, helping control irrigation for California’s powerhouse agriculture industry and producing enough hydropower to serve 1.3 million people in Nevada, Arizona and California.
Entertaining hypotheticals, we most likely would be overdrawing our groundwater, which actually led to the ground sinking in the past.
“In the 1940s, the groundwater levels in the Las Vegas Valley were going down, and we had signi cant problems with ground subsidence. If you pump water out of the ground, the ground surface can actually collapse, and cracks begin to appear in houses. This happened in Winchester and other places,” Kreamer says.
On a positive note, without the dam and reservoir system along the Colorado River, there would be less evaporation of river water—an issue that has been exacerbated by climate change. (Because reservoirs create more surface area for the water they contain, they’re prone to water loss through evaporation.) Kreamer estimates that Lake Mead alone loses 600,000 acre feet per year, a “signi cant percentage,” to evaporation.
“Without the dam, there would have been more water in the river. But it would have been uncontrolled,” he says. “I think the advantages of Hoover Dam to agriculture and population in the Las Vegas area have outweighed the negative aspects of water loss [in the reservoirs].” –Shannon Miller
Photo illustration
WHAT IF
NIGHTCLUBS NEVER TOOK OVER THE STRIP?
Entertainment and nightlife have long stood as the backbone of Las Vegas tourism. It’s always evolving, always ready for a new twist inspired by current pop culture. But what if it had taken a di erent turn?
Instead of becoming the global epicenter for mega clubs and DJ-driven partying, what if Vegas stuck with what it did best before that evolution: lounge culture, live music and sophisticated nightlife?
If you could drop into this alternate reality, you’d nd a di erent kind of Vegas after dark.
“I remember I would be rivaling the audience,” says Frank Marino, legendary Strip headliner known for performing as Joan Rivers for decades. “The women at the time would come in their minks, furs and designer dresses, and the gentlemen would have suits or tuxedos on.”
If those times in the ’70s and ’80s would have overpowered the casino nightclub boom that began in the ’90s, today’s scene could be without crowds dripping in fast fashion. Instead, picture a glamorous mix of 20-somethings in tted suits and cocktail dresses, sipping martinis in intimate lounges while a bandleader, not a DJ, takes the spotlight.
“We had the Shark Club, we had Tramps, and we had the Gipsy,” Marino remembers. These independent, standalone nightclubs attracted mostly local crowds that would gather to dance ‘til sunrise without needing to set foot in a casino.
With that experience in greater demand, naturally it was time for the big casinos of the day to start building their own nightclubs, pioneering places like Ra, Club Rio, Baby’s, Studio 54 and more.
“Nightclubs were owned by independent operators in the ’90s,” says Damian Costa, a former entertainment executive at Caesars and current head of Pompey Entertainment. “But Las Vegas wanted it to become less independent. ... They started competing with each other and could build to whatever scale they wanted. It was worth so much money to these properties not only
because you got the spend from the customer, you got direct control as a big gaming establishment as well.”
Vegas lounge culture faded as a result. Marino doesn’t hold back on his feelings about the changes: “Every casino-hotel decided to have ultralounges and try to have nightclubs and discos. ... It was just saturated. So they killed it by having too many.”
If Vegas never went so deep down that rabbit hole, casinos might have doubled down on amplifying the lounge scene with lush decor, enhanced cocktail service and performances that held your attention.
Costa believes that without the surge from electronic dance music, Vegas would have seen a rise in “crooners or songsters” whose live shows would cut through.
“You get to see a bit of it on social media,” he says, “but to be able to sit with them for 75 minutes and look at the person next to you, and get validated that what you like and what you listen to, that makes you feel good.” That’s a common theme at his venue, the Composers Room in Commercial Center.
Former Weekly sta er and current Nevada Public Radio producer Mike Prevatt recalls the rst stirrings of change during the rise of EDM in the 2000s.
“That EDM wave of mega clubs just got so overwhelming that people started to look for something a little more subtle,” he says. As nightclubs grew louder and more in-your-face, “there was rumbling for people that didn’t want an aggressive sound ... they wanted a place that was a little mellower, a little easier to get into, but for adults and still sophisticated.”
What might Vegas have looked like if vintage lounge culture had survived and thrived? Prevatt believes it would have had to “evolve with culture,” much like it did in the ’50s and ’60s with the Rat Pack and jazz. “Vegas is always changing, whatever people are into on the Strip,” he says. “It becomes something completely di erent or signi cantly evolved.”
–Gabriela Rodriguez
Photo illustration
WHAT IF
THERE WAS NO ATOMIC TESTING IN NEVADA?
Las Vegas’ post-war popularity exploded in 1951, thanks in part to one unique attraction: atomic bombs. For more than 40 years, the Nevada Test Site operated just 65 miles northwest of Downtown, serving as one of the largest nuclear testing facilities in the country and a town-altering development for Las Vegas.
“Still today, you’re always a few degrees of separation away from somebody who worked at the test site,” says Andy Kirk, UNLV professor of history and author of Doom Towns: The People and Landscapes of Atomic Testing. “It had a big impact on Las Vegas and really was an important driver of demographic change in the 1950s and 1960s forward.”
Matthew Malinowski, director of education at the Atomic Museum, echoes that sentiment. “The test site brought skilled workers to town. It led to new university programs and brought families here for good paying jobs,” he says.
“It really did have this large-scale impact on population growth within our community. The 1953 Las Vegas High School yearbook has a mushroom cloud on the cover of it, showing that pride and patriotism in the test site.”
that shaped Las Vegas. Kirk points to two: The creation of the Hoover Dam and Henderson’s Basic Magnesium, Inc., the largest magnesium production plant in the world during World War II.
“There was a strong tradition of embracing big federal projects that were in service of national e orts,” Kirk says. “The Nevada Test Site came on the heels of these big federal projects, and Hoover Dam and Basic Magnesium brought very favorable attention to Nevada during a time when Nevada and even Las Vegas were not really on the radar screen of most Americans.”
Atomic testing and all federal projects related were a “signi cant source of economic diversi cation,” Kirk says.
But what if that never happened in Nevada? Kirk says the government also considered Utah for a continental test site. If that had happened, Salt Lake City could’ve captured more residents and workers and the economic engine that came with testing.
Another loss: the iconic Downtown bar Atomic Liquors, where folks used to watch the tests from the roof, might not exist.
history and heritage, I see that as being a driver for what continued here,” Malinowski says. “If we weren’t the Atomic City, I think our growth could have potentially slowed. We could have had different in uences on architecture and design than we have now. It could have had a whole e ect on what the Strip became and what Downtown was like.”
It’s hard to imagine sunbathers watching mushroom clouds from rooftops, but it happened. And that early enthusiasm can be traced back to earlier projects
“In a way, the nuclear testing also gave Las Vegas this other element of mystique. Our city is always striving for what’s next and what’s spectacle. And when you have nuclear testing occurring in your backyard as part of your
Without the test site, “there might have been an earlier e ort to think about ways to expand the economy beyond tourism,” Kirk says, adding that atomic testing was one of many trends the tourism industry capitalized on.
“And that’s really been immortalized in American pop culture—the atomic cocktails, Miss Atomic Bomb, who was recently identi ed,” he continues. “Celebrating Las Vegas’ connection to this most dramatic aspect of the Cold War did have a big impact on the way Las Vegas was seen nationally.”
illustration
Though Nevada prospered in many ways through this atomic legacy, it did come at a cost. Downwind communities that were exposed to radiation su ered unspeakable horrors—cancer, birth defects, premature deaths. Those a ected would prefer that atomic testing never happened, and they’re certainly not alone. For them, this alternative history isn’t speculation— it’s a wish for what should have been.
–Amber Sampson
Photo
WHAT IF THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS WERE BAD?
Las Vegans are rightfully ckle when it comes to doing stu on the Strip. And pretty much every sports fan and journalist across the country expected the inaugural season of the NHL expansion team in Vegas to be a losing a air. So it wasn’t unreasonable back in 2017 to question whether the Golden Knights would garner strong local support.
In retrospect, it’s wholly unreasonable. We will always and forever be loyal fans. We buy and wear all the gear. We take our seats in the Fortress every year. And we shout “knight” during the National Anthem, even when we’re at a di erent sporting event. We are Vegas Born, even if we’re not literal natives, because we were born again with this team.
And we don’t really even need to do the whole “what if” thing, because this was always going to happen. There were three factors that connected the Golden Knights to the community in the most powerful way during that magical rst season. There was the October 1, 2017 mass shooting on the Strip, and the way we responded to it together. “Vegas never really had a place to go if something happened and we all needed to join together,” says Ken Boehlke, who created the Sin Bin podcast to cover the team well before the Knights rst took to the ice. “All of a sudden, nine days after the worst thing imaginable occurs, and we’ve got the meeting place. We can go be with this team that is ours, and go heal here together.”
The second and most obvious
factor is that our new “Golden Mis ts” just kept winning, all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. But the third factor is perhaps the most enduring and undeniable: Las Vegans were starving for something to call our own. The rst major league sports team to start here—not move here—was always going to make this connection.
Even if the Golden Knights struggled to win each season, “I still think people would have been connected to it pretty heavily,” Boehlke says. “Whoever that rst team would have been would have massive success because it was the rst opportunity for people to have something to call their own, a logo that is ours now. If you’re in another city and you see a Raiders hat, that doesn’t mean you’re from Vegas. But if you’re wearing a VGK hat in Boston, people know where you’re from.”
The passion would have endured even if the Ls stacked up, but perhaps other sports teams wouldn’t have been so quick to join the party had the Golden Knights not achieved that ultimate success in year one. The hockey team also quickly proved the theory that fans from other cities would happily travel to see their own team play in Vegas.
“The speed at which teams rushed to get here wouldn’t have happened. I think they’d wait a little longer to see if there was longevity, if [Vegas] could actually support it,” Boehlke says. “It became obvious the Raiders were coming, but not everyone might have been as gung-ho to make that happen. It would have taken longer.” –Brock Radke
Photo illustration
IN THE NEWS
LVMPD announces launch of drone system
Metro Police announced the next stage of its drone operations, advancing from using the small aircraft in the field to a system of 13 skyports storing the department’s drones for remote deployment.
Metro started its drone initiative, Project Blue Sky, in October. Since then, the technology has been used to locate suspects in 169 instances and aided in 386 arrests, Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said at a press conference.
Metro’s skyports, which are designed to accommodate three drones each, will be scattered
among local police and fire stations. Koren said that would give Metro “coverage in nearly all of our key areas across the valley,” and would result in faster response times, “better decision-making for officers and, ultimately, more lives saved.”
Pilots at a central location will be able to respond to requests for police services and put a drone overhead “almost in seconds,” Koren said. Where the remote pilots will be stationed hasn’t yet been finalized.
The crew will be made up of a “mix of commissioned officers and civilian specialists.”
ENVIRONMENT
Save Red Rock seeking volunteers for Public Lands Day
Koren also addressed potential privacy and civil liberty concerns from using drones, telling reporters that every flight is related to an active incident and logged. Drone cameras will also be pointed upward while traveling to avoid collecting “unnecessary data,” Koren said. Locals can expect to see Metro’s remote drones in the sky in a few weeks where skyports are operational. Metro is looking to have each skyport complete by the end of the year and is already conducting test flights, Koren said.
–Kyle Chouinard
For National Public Lands Day on September 27, nonprofits Save Red Rock and Brett Torino Foundation are partnering with the U.S. Forest Service to host a day of volunteerism and education at Lovell Canyon, located about 40 miles west of town. Activities include litter pickup, sign and route restoration, fence repair and more. Volunteers are encouraged to sign up in advance at saveredrock.com. –Shannon Miller
“Instead of taking that potential exit ramp on the road to increasing armed aggression against communities, the Supreme Court has basically greenlighted it. When (immigration enforcement agents) do this again in Chicago or Las Vegas or any other community in the country, it would seem a key tool that might have helped constrain the government … has been taken away.”
–Michael Kagan, director of the UNLV Immigration Clinic, in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision on September 8 allowing federal agents to stop and detain people based on race, language or where they work
PICK-ME-UP
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority debuted a redesigned rideshare pickup area at Harry Reid International Airport during Mexican Independence Day weekend. Showgirls were there to celebrate the updated space, which features additional seating and a neon selfie wall.
Courtesy/Denise Truscello/Getty Images for LVCVA
MARIAH CAREY’S CHRISTMAS SHOW RETURNS TO THE STRIP
Mariah Carey’s Christmas concert has long been a Las Vegas Strip staple at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. This year the superstar songstress brings a new version of the holiday spectacular to Dolby Live at Park MGM for 10 shows from November 28 through December 13. Tickets for Mariah Carey’s Christmastime in Las Vegas go on sale September 20 via Ticketmaster. Carey and Live Nation will donate $1 from every ticket to The Fresh Air Fund’s Camp Mariah, a career awareness program for children ages 11-15. –Brock Radke
Photo by Wade Vandervort
Join us Friday, October 10 officially proclaimed Junior Achievement Day in Las Vegas — for a spirited evening of wine, beer, and spirits tastings, gourmet bites, and an exclusive behind-the-scenes fashion experience with designer Sondra Falk Couture.
jasnv.org
Friday, October 10
7:00 - 10:00 PM (VIP entry at 6:00 PM)
Junior Achievement Inspiration Center
4440 E. Tropicana Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89121
Reserve your spot now!
JOB LISTING
Richtech Robotics Inc is hiring for a mechanical engineer working at 2975 Lincoln Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89115. A master’s degree in mechanical engineering is required. Job duties are to create and review technical drawings, schematics, or reports. Research, design, modify and install mechanical components of robotic products and equipment. Confer with engineers, technicians or other personnel to implement operating procedures, resolve mechanical malfunctions, and provide technical information. Investigate mechanical failures or difficulties to diagnose faulty mechanical operation and recommend remedial actions. Up to 50% travel time in the United States and globally. Salary: $106,766/yr. To apply, send resume to Fi Chen, VP of Finance & Operations at 2975 Lincoln Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89115
HELP WANTED
V Management Group, Inc. is in need of a Business Analyst. Job location: Las Vegas, NV. Salary: $76294/yr. Send resume to 9728 Gilespie St., Las Vegas, NV 89183
Health care costs are projected to rise by nearly 9 percent in 2025, according to a recent Bene tsPRO article, and both employers and employees are feeling nancial pressure. Supplemental health products such as critical illness, accident, cancer and hospital indemnity insurance are emerging as smart, exible solutions to help ease this growing burden.
John Feeney, vice president of group sales and market development at Renaissance Bene ts, discusses how employers can leverage supplemental bene ts to help manage rising expenses.
How do rising healthcare costs impact the need for supplemental benefits?
When o ered as a voluntary bene t, supplemental products allow employers to maintain a competitive bene ts package without increasing medical plan spending.
For employees, supplemental health bene ts can help ll coverage gaps, o ering added protection and nancial support for deductibles, copays and other out-of-pocket costs. They can also help o set costs associated with high-deductible health plans.
What types of supplemental health products are employers and brokers most interested in?
What’s driving interest now are exible, easy-to-administer options that provide meaningful coverage and are simple for employees to use. To meet these needs, Renaissance introduced RenSecureHealth, an innovative supplemental health plan designed to augment traditional medical coverage. It provides broad coverage for more than 13,000 medical illnesses or injuries and direct cash payouts for a covered diagnosis, typically within 72 hours. We are already seeing strong interest in this o ering from employers and brokers.
What should employers and brokers look for when choosing an insurance carrier?
They should nd an insurance company that o ers comprehensive coverage backed by technology that simpli es the process from enrollment to claims. Fast, reliable payouts, exible funding options and personalized support are also important.
At renaissancegroupbene ts.com, employers can explore how supplemental health bene ts and other ancillary bene ts such as dental, vision, life and disability insurance can help them manage costs and support their employees.
NO SMOKE
BY TYLER SCHNEIDER
The ght to keep cigarette smoke and vape clouds o Nevada’s college campuses has been decades in the making, but Nevada State University’s recently enacted tobacco-free policy means 8,400 more students will see added pressure to curb or quit the habit this fall.
It joins nearly 2,500 other campuses that have adopted similar policies nationwide, including UNR in 2015 and UNLV in 2022. With nicotine use among young adults rising, local public health advocates are still working to encourage similar bans at other Nevada institutions like the College of Southern Nevada.
The issue is of particular concern for college students, who tend to use easier-to-conceal avored nicotine vapes and e-cigarettes more than any other demographic. According to the Center for Disease Control’s 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey, adults age 21 to 24 were the “most likely to use electronic cigarettes” in 2023, with 15.5% of respondents in that range reporting using them at some point that year. In response, the Southern Nevada Health District also declared youth vaping a “persistent public health threat” last month.
This growing concern comes despite years of warnings that these products pose health threats that mirror those of traditional cigarettes, including respiratory and
As public health agencies warn of vaping harms, NSU goes tobacco free
cardiovascular complications and cognitive impairment. According to the most recent Nevada Adult Tobacco Survey, which interviewed 800 Nevadans in late 2023, the number of respondents who recently used electronic cigarettes and vape products increased from 36.8% in 2022 to 37.7% in 2023.
Notably, 61% of those surveyed also supported prohibiting smoking and vaping anywhere on college campuses—a policy that SNHD health educator Cassandra Meraz says is important for deterring students from becoming lifelong consumers. While the new policy at NSU is promising, she now sees CSN as the last major domino to topple in the quest to normalize campus bans statewide.
With an enrollment of more than 30,000, CSN’s student body is the second largest in the state behind UNLV’s 33,000. Last year, the Associated Students of the College of Southern Nevada sent a letter in support of a tobacco ban to CSN leadership. Clarissa Cota, vice president of external relations and campus operations, says the goal is to have an approved tobacco policy by the end of the fall semester.
“CSN is currently reviewing its smoking [and] vaping policy, which was drafted last year. The policy will need to move through our existing policy review procedures, including input from our shared governance groups,” Cota says.
Assistant professor of communications Seseer Mou-Danha championed the tobacco-free policy at NSU. She took up the issue after a student brought it to her attention during a 2024 NSU Sustainability Council meeting.
She proceeded to assemble the Sustainability Council’s Breathe with Ease team to address that concern, which then partnered with the health district, the Truth Initiative and other campus groups and state health organizations to successfully lobby the school’s faculty senate to approve the new smoke-free policy in spring.
As part of that push, Mou-Danha secured a $20,000 grant from the health district to help facilitate the transition. UNLV saw similar funding in 2022, Meraz says, noting that the money will help NSU “spread the messaging on their campus related to the policy” through signage and other promotional e orts.
Meraz cites the UNLV ban—which prohibits students, sta and visitors alike from using any nicotine-based product, including vapes and smokeless tobacco like Zyn, on all university-owned properties, grounds and vehicles—as “the gold standard of what people want to see” at other Nevada colleges. NSU’s ban is nearly identical.
For advocates like Mou-Danha, campus smoke-free policies are more about changing social expectations and raising awareness than they are about issuing harsh penalties. Under the NSU ban, she says a rst violation “will be addressed through education,” while “repeated instances may result in verbal redirection or written documentation.” Just as important, though, are related e orts to connect students and sta with programs designed to help them quit.
Meraz and Mou-Danha believe campus bans are a crucial step toward o setting the more than $75 million the greater tobacco industry spends to market its products in Nevada each year. For comparison, the state spent just $3.5 million on tobacco control programs in 2023.
“Smoking quickly becomes an addictive behavior, and younger people are especially susceptible to the practice,” Mou-Danha says. “Policies like this reduce smoking behavior among college students as documented in extensive research, and adopting a no-smoking policy also makes schools eligible for smoking cessation support provided by the Southern Nevada Health District.”
Las Vegas Aces on a historic high with WNBA Playoffs now underway
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson applauds after the Aces defeated the Chicago Sky 92-61 at T-Mobile Arena on September 9. (Photo by Steve Marcus)
REWRITING THE
BY CASE KEEFER
The Las Vegas Aces ended the 2025 WNBA regular season in the same fashion they’ve spent the last month—by smashing records.
The Aces’ 103-75 victory over the Sparks on September 12 gave them a 16th straight win, the most of all time to close a WNBA season. Las Vegas connected on a WNBA record 23 three-pointers in the game, and combined for 35 assists, the second-most of all-time in the league.
Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young became only the third pair of teammates to ever both have 10 or more assists in a single game. Oh, and surging Most Valuable Player frontrunner A’ja Wilson had 23 points, 19 rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals—a stat line never before reached in the WNBA.
“If anything, it just reminds me of how we practice,” Wilson said, shrugging off the historic performance. “I think sometimes our practices look like this, when we’re just clicking on all cylinders and we’re feeling good. It feels great to see it in games and see it working for us.”
Las Vegas has enjoyed all the accolades and benchmarks that have come along with turning its season around but has tried not to put too much into them.
Maybe that’s partly because chasing history was so openly front and center for last year’s team that ultimately fell short.
The Aces were looking to become the first team since the 1997-2000 Houston Comets, when the WNBA was formed, to win three consecutive titles. They didn’t get there, falling in the playoff semifinals to the New York Liberty. But they’ve got a chance to rectify the disappointment with this year’s postseason.
No team since the Comets has won three titles in four years either, and the Aces have now put themselves in prime position to pull it off. They were at risk of dropping out of the eight-team bracket after a humiliating 111-58 defeat to the Minnesota Lynx on August 2 but haven’t lost since to capture the No. 2 seed.
They face the No. 7 seed Seattle Storm in the first round and then would meet either the No. 3 seed Atlanta Dream or No. 6 seed Indiana Fever with a victory. The Aces beat Seattle 102-77 in Game 1 on September 14; as of press time, Game 2 of the first-round, best-of-three series was set for September 16 in Seattle.
“I think this is going to be one of the best playoffs we’ll see in the W because everyone is just playing really well at the right time,” Wilson said. “But we’ve got to buckle in on our matchups and assignments. We’ll go back and look at past games and see what worked and
what didn’t and then go out there and just play the Aces basketball that we’ve been playing and let the ball find who needs to be shooting it at the right time and the right place.”
Wilson is cautioning that the playoffs might not be easy, but the Aces did catch a break with the draw. The two favorites for most of the year, the No. 1 seed Lynx and the defending champion/No. 5 seed New York Liberty, are both on the top half.
Las Vegas earned its way to the bottom half with the No. 2 seed, meaning it wouldn’t have to play Minnesota or New York until the WNBA Finals, if it advances that far.
Last year, the Liberty was the only team rated ahead of the Aces by the betting market, but a mediocre regular season led to a semifinal collision where the former won the best-of-five series in four games.
New York hasn’t been as statistically dominant this season, but it’s dealt with a nonstop run of injuries. The Liberty is just now fully healthy again going into the playoffs.
But the Aces emerged to become the team everyone else wanted to avoid given their scorching form.
“I really felt like they were this the whole time and it just took a little longer than I’d like it for it to develop chemistry-wise and trust-wise and ball movement-wise,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “But they got there. They really buckled in and started figuring out that they’re better together. They’re at their best when they make the person next to them the best player on the floor.”
Hammon deserves more of the credit than she’s giving herself, too. She revived the Aces’ offense by shifting star guard/offseason acquisition Jewell Loyd to the bench.
Loyd has taken off in the sixth-woman role, playing more naturally when she gets some of her own minutes rather than trying to force a clunky fit as Wilson’s near-permanent sidekick.
The front office also struck gold. Las Vegas traded a first-round pick midseason for former Dallas Wing NaLyssa Smith, who slotted into the starting lineup seamlessly. And Wilson has raved about the offseason acquisition of veteran forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, who made her Aces debut in the penultimate game of the season just two months after giving birth.
The history they sought last year might not have come to fruition, but the Aces are making their own in a different way this season. Everything is in place for it to continue.
“It’s special. This is a special group,” Hammon said. “It’s a group that had to find its way and had to find its way together. The story, it’s been a heck of a journey.”
FRANK
DIVAS, DRAG &
September 19-21, times vary, $59+. 24 Oxford, etix.com.
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
Las Vegas legend
Frank Marino marks four decades as a headliner
Picture Frank Marino under the spotlight, sequins catching the light like a disco ball made of flesh, and you’ll understand why he’s still standing. Not just standing—strutting, shimmying, and serving like the lovechild of Joan Rivers and Liberace.
Forty years as a Las Vegas Strip headliner. Longer than most marriages, longer than most trends, longer than some empires.
Marino didn’t just survive Vegas, he owned it, teased it and threw it back in your face with a glittery wink. When his debut show An Evening at La Cage opened at the Riviera in 1985, it was supposed to be a three-month experiment. Marino thought bigger.
“From day one, I knew it was going to be a longterm event,” he tells the Weekly. “We signed a threemonth contract that ended up being 25 years.”
This is the kind of longevity you can’t fake. No one grinds through decades in drag unless they’re powered by pure devotion to the craft. “I really
think that’s what keeps my energy going,” he says. “The fact that I could get dressed up every day.”
Marino’s not your average queen—he’s an institution, a rhinestoned time machine, a living vestige of when Vegas was more than bottle service and LED screens, when you could smoke indoors without shame, and when the city’s pulse ran on pure, unapologetic spectacle.
Back in the day he’d do three shows a night, then head to another hotel for dinner and cocktails, catch a lounge act like Cook E. Jarr or Bob Anderson, then hit an off-Strip nightclub until morning. He became recognized for his impersonation of Joan Rivers—maybe became her in a spiritual cabaret possession—but he’s long since morphed into someone else and performs as himself these days. “I stopped doing Joan Rivers about five years after she passed,” he says. “But I guess I’m still very Joan. People will assume I’m doing her because of the New York accent, the blonde wig and the persona.”
He nods to Kenny Kerr’s Boy-lesque for making the queer community shake hands with mainstream Vegas audiences. The female impersonation revue—the first known on the Strip—ran for over a decade at the Silver Slipper starting in 1977.
“Kenny really opened the door for people to see this kind of performance in a higher realm than just the gay bars or underground clubs,” Marino says. “He opened the door, and we busted it down.”
Now, his Divas, Drag & Drinks residency at 24 Oxford at Virgin Las Vegas is a carousel of pop deities—Gaga, Beyoncé, Celine—but Marino remains the gravitational center. He emcees a dazzling 75-minute production with impersonations of stars from every generation. Audiences get a kick out of the queens paying tribute to their respective celebrity through song, choreography and costume while sipping on cocktails and singing along.
Drag is mainstream now. RuPaul has an empire.
TikTok queens are born daily. But Frank? Frank was drag before drag knew how to market itself.
“In the beginning, people came because it was, for lack of a better word, naughty,” he says.
“Something they couldn’t see back in their hometown. In Vegas, they could let their hair down.”
Now they show up in tank tops and fanny packs. Marino remembers when the audience was dressed better than some performers: minks, gowns, tuxedos. That’s gone. So is the Riviera. But he’s still here, getting nervous before each show.
“I used to think it was strange,” he says. “Then someone said, ‘If you weren’t nervous, it wouldn’t matter to you.’”
MARINO’S
DRINKS
An Evening at La Cage (Courtesy)
Courtesy
New music from Joshuajaye, Decaying Tigers, Spelling Hands and other Las Vegas artists
BY AMBER SAMPSON
Joshuajaye, House of Jade
Vegas emcee Joshuajaye builds a strong foundation with House of Jade, a six-song EP with great bones for a DIY project recorded at his home studio and produced by YFC Notus. “House of Jade is a metaphor for my mind, and the EP is a tour through that house,” the rapper said. “Because this project was so close to heart, I wanted to do it all in-house, even if it’s not industry standard.”
The intro begins with a heated spoken word, boldly introducing Joshuajaye as a wordsmith with something to say. Each song chronicles a different chapter of his life, and that’s showcased on cerebral flows like “Letter 2 My Past,” where he imagines conversations he’d have with his younger self over languid trap beats. This rap retrospective is worth several listens. Available on major streaming platforms.
Decaying Tigers, Our Future Selves
Decaying Tigers’ 2023 chiptune epic Circuit Circus playfully paid tribute to everything from Pokémon to Tetris. On Our Future Selves, the trio returns to its 8-bit origins with bite-sized dance tunes that give Game Boy era soundtracks a run for their money. “Bowser’s Basement” fully embraces digitized doom, while “Optical Illusion” channels heavy grunge riffs that meld surprisingly well with the brighter notes. The band simply rocks here, swept away in a microcosm of retro soundscapes that revive so much of what makes video games so great. decayingtigers.bandcamp.
Spelling Hands, “Somewhere Else”
On “Somewhere Else,” vocalist Michael Angelo and beatmaker Bryan Bermudez produce a mesmerizing club track that captures all the essence of a dark industrial warehouse rave. Bermudez’s brooding techno beat builds a mood, while Angelo’s cold and calculated vocals carry it to the chorus. “Thought you were an angel/Sent from heaven,” he sings. “But you come from/Somewhere else.” The duo conjures another floor-filling heater here. linktr.ee/ spellinghands
Roman Candle, “Fire in the Night Sky Forever”
Vegas’ biggest hardcore band has been on an upward trajectory. Roman Candle kicked o its rst round of U.K. shows this month and recently signed to Sumerian Records, joining label mates like Kittie, Poppy and Sleeping With Sirens. The band’s newest single is an ear-blasting cut of pure carnage. Frontwoman Piper Ferrari is a force of nature as she tornadoes through lyrics, screaming under a thrashing swell of guitar ri s and aggressive distortion. It’s an arresting combo, and no one does it quite like Roman Candle. linktr.ee/romancandlex
Joobilee, “F**k You”
Everything about this pissed o single has bite. It’s shoegazey and raw, drowning in fuzzy distortion and screeching feedback that feels personal—like payback.
“Who are you to tell me what I can and can’t do?” Joobilee’s lead singer asks, ire evident and feelings unguarded. But then the outburst dissolves. The track peters out over soft acoustic strings, mirroring just how anger seems to burn itself out too. linktr.ee/joobilee
WE HEART MUSIC FESTS
Emo, punk rock, hip-hop, metal ... Las Vegas has become home to all the genre music festivals in the last few years, but there’s nothing that takes us to pure pop the way the annual iHeartRadio fest can. It’s not the same format, since artists perform shorter sets with just a few songs, but it’s tough to beat the star power of the two-day T-Mobile Arena event.
IHEARTRADIO MUSIC FESTIVAL
September 1920, 7:30 p.m., $72+. T-Mobile Arena, axs.com
This year’s edition features current and past Strip resident artists Mariah Carey, Diplo, John Fogerty, Maroon 5 and Tim McGraw, plus Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll, GloRilla and more. In the past, iHeart has served up plenty of next big things alongside legacy artists, and while there are fewer up-andcomers on this lineup, the festival will bring the pop girlie of the moment—Tate McRae. The dancing dynamo was already trending before her MTV Video Music Awards performance on September 7 tore down the internet, and since her Miss Possessive tour doesn’t have a Vegas date, this will be our only chance to see her burn up the stage.
Bonus fun: The festival is bringing back its House of Music fan experience, free for visitors on both days
starting at 4 p.m. at Toshiba Plaza, o ering interactive
o ering interactive rooms and musical artifacts inspired by this year’s and strut
this year’s slate of artists. Get that choreo down so you can serve it up and strut on the catwalk just like Tate.
–Brock Radke
RARE SOCIETY
6880 Helen Toland St. #100, 702-3303850, raresociety.
Rare Society brings steakhouse sophistication to the southwest
BY GEOFF CARTER
Rare Society dry-ages its steaks right on the premises, in handsome glass-front cabinets that face into the dining room. It’s a nifty feature, almost a preview of coming attractions. While you enjoy one of the Southern California-born steakhouse’s prime cuts, you can side-eye the cuts in the cabinets and think, “ooh, next time.”
You’ll want to come back sooner rather than later. Rare Society, a recent addition to UnCommons’ cluster of stellar dining experiences—Amari, Blue Bottle, Salt & Straw, Todo Bien, Urth Caffe, say when—stands out in a city that also boasts a cluster of great steakhouses. It stands apart even before you’re seated, with a modern yet cozy dining room that favors neighborly interaction. I love traditional steakhouses, with their high-backed booths and subdued lighting, but Rare Society’s open, airy vibe and mirrored ceiling makes the experience feel more warmly social, from the wait staff through to your fellow diners. The menu matches the winning ambiance. Everything is lovingly prepared and carefully
finessed. The Gold Standard section of the cocktail menu has a prime example: the Rare Old Fashioned ($27), made with bourbon that’s been washed with dry-aged beef and blended with rosemary oleo; it’s as smooth as they come.
The Wild Card ($17) is as good as its name: a sweet-tart gin sipper with raspberry, elderflower, lemon and a bit of red bell pepper. A non-alcoholic beverage, the Staycation ($14) shows similar care in its making: it’s a perfectly balanced mashup of white cane spirit, cranberry, lime, orgeat, pineapple and mint. You’ll be tempted to go nuts just with the starters. The hamachi crudo ($22), flavored with red curry aioli, pickled pineapple, peanut crunch, serrano and yuzu, is heaven’s own chosen. Ditto the truffle-buttery, pleasantly puffy Parker House rolls ($15), a solid argument against your mother’s well-intentioned warning not to fill up on bread.
A fatty and fabulous slab of bacon ($19)—behaves more like pork belly, really—comes slathered in a gochujang glaze that kind of demands a Parker roll mop-up. And the wood-grilled lamb lollipop ($9), served with a smoked paprika and pickled
mustard seed chimichurri, is a tender delight. And then come the steaks, straight outta dry aging. The 8-ounce Snake River Farms Wagyu Denver ($57), as the old saying goes, practically melts in your mouth, and I could swear I felt it happen in real time. I imagine the 16-ounce Cedar River Prime Bullseye Ribeye ($68) and the mammoth Snake River Farms Wagyu Tomahawk ($285) are similarly tender and juicy, seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper and slowgrilled to perfection over American red oak. A variety of $5 sauces, from bearnaise to Santa Maria-style salsa, provide a divine finish. Chef Brad Wise accompanies them with a dream assortment of sides: truffled cream spinach ($14), lobster and king crab mac with Old Bay breadcrumbs ($49), woodfired broccolini with za’atar and sumac yogurt ($17), ricotta ravioli in a Wagyu beef Bolognese ($16) and much more. If you’re not sure what to get, peek up at the mirrored ceiling and see what everybody else is having. Or just ask someone. Everybody’s only too happy to praise what’s on their plate.
Courtesy/Matt Furman
Taco Escobar brings fun, “fabled” food and cocktails to Fremont
East
BY SHANNON MILLER
Legend has it that Taco Escobar had invincible prowess, and an unwavering commitment to inspiring and uplifting the tired and hungry. The fabled Mexican luchador’s spirit lives on through scratchmade classic tacos and margaritas at a new bar and restaurant in Fremont East.
TACO
ESCOBAR
Lev Group, the hospitality company also behind Evel Pie across the street, leans into the luchador mascot at Taco Escobar. Posters of the ctional ghter are pasted all around the perimeter of the 2,000-squarefoot space; his masked shrunken heads (perhaps a nod from Lev’s Golden Tiki) look down at you from the restaurant’s skylight, and even the bathroom is adorned with images of him.
That commitment to the bit inspires a thirst to know more about the legend, and you can do that through Taco Escobar’s delicious and simplistic menu. (It’s not like the spiral-bound binder you might get at Lindo Michoacan or Nacho Daddy.) Six di erent proteins are available for the tacos ($4-$6), the quesabirria ($10) being the crown jewel with guajillo-braised brisket and rich consomé.
Other street foods like the Burrito Campana and mulitas round out the food menu. And to quench visitors’ thirst, there are six varieties of margaritas ($8-$13) and other classic cocktails—micheladas ($8), palomas ($9-$12) and sangria ($10)— as beloved in the barrio as Escobar himself. Whether you want to play along as a loyal luchador fan or just need something to fuel your Fremont East adventures, you can root for the hero here.
Camaron taco
(Photo by Wade Vandervort)
PREMIER CROSSWORD
FRANK LONGO
HOROSCOPES
BREZSNY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Hindu goddess Durga rides a tiger and carries weapons, yet she smiles. I suggest you adopt her attitude. Can you be a storm of joy and benevolence? I see you speaking rugged truths with warmth and charm, helping people climb out of sadness. You will magnetize others to participate in shared visions of delight.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Fellow Taurus Maya Deren first expressed her extravagant creative urges as a writer, poet, photographer, clothes designer and dancer before becoming a experimental filmmaker of great influence, saying she had “finally found a glove that fits.” In the coming months, you, too, will find a glove that fits. And it all starts soon.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In medieval times, alchemists believed mercury was a sacred substance. It’s the only metal that’s liquid at room temperature. I nominate mercury as your power object. You may be the only person in your circle who can navigate paradox and speak in riddles and still make sense. It’s wisdom wrapped in whimsy.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the western Pacific Ocean, a species of octopus builds its lair from coconut shells, a unique use of tools by an invertebrate. Let’s make the coconut octopus your power creature. You will have extra power to forge a new sanctuary or renovate one, metaphorically or literally.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I invite you to contemplate the meaning of the phrase “invisible architecture.” Structures are taking shape within you that may not yet be visible. Bridges are forming between once-disconnected parts of your psyche. Be patient and take notes. Intuitions arriving soon may be blueprints for future greatness, not just for yourself, but for your soul-kin, too.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A supple clarity is crystallizing within you, a knack for limber discernment. I predict you will have an extra potent gift for knowing what truly matters, even amidst chaos. As this superpower reaches full ripeness, you can aid the process by clearing out clutter and refining your values. Be alert for divine messages in seemingly mundane circumstances.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The ancient Mesopotamian goddess Inanna descended into the underworld, where she was stripped of everything before she could be reborn. Scholars say she was on a quest for greater knowledge. I propose we make her your guide, Libra. You are at the tail-end of your own descent. Soon you will feel the first tremors of return.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In ancient Rome, Tyrian purple dye was used exclusively for royalty. It had a humble origin: murex snails. A modest curiosity could lead to a major breakthrough. A passing fancy might ripen into a rich blessing. Seemingly nondescript encounters may evolve into precious connections.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Bees can see ultraviolet patterns in flowers that are invisible to humans. These “nectar guides” direct them to the flower’s nectar. I suspect that life is offering you subtle yet radiant cues. To be fully alert, you may need to shift and expand the ways you use your five senses. Follow the shimmering glimmers.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut declared, “I have restored what had been ruined.” You now have a similar gift, and if you harness it, you will gain an enhanced capacity to unify what has been scattered and to reforge what was broken. To fulfill this potential, you must believe in your own sovereignty. Make beauty where there was noise.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the high Himalayas, the Brahma Kamal flower blooms only at night and for a short time, and its scent can heal grief. This will be your flower of power, Aquarius. It signifies that a rare and time-sensitive gift will be available. Leave space for mystery to arrive unannounced. It may assuage and even heal sadness or confusion.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The human heart beats 100,000 times per day. Although you Pisceans aren’t renowned for your stability, I predict that in the coming weeks, you will be as staunch, constant and secure as a human heart. What do you plan to do with this grace period? What marvels can you accomplish?
BACKSTORY
SPHERE ANNOUNCEMENT AT WYNN LAS VEGAS | SEPTEMBER 11, 2025 Sphere has been on a streak of firsts lately, from the Backstreet Boys becoming its first pop act to DJ Sara Landry set to shine as its first female headliner on October 17. As announced recently at the Wynn Event Pavilion, Mexican megastar Carín Leόn will join them as the first Latino artist to perform at Sphere. The Grammy winner will headline a limited engagement during next year’s Mexican Independence Day festivities, September 11-13. Widely regarded as a “global ambassador of Mexican music,” Leόn has achieved major crossover success. He’s collaborated with Kacey Musgraves, Leon Bridges and Bon Jovi. He’s performed around the U.S., from the Coachella festival to the Grand Ole Opry. And next year, he’ll fill the most technologically advanced venue on the Strip with a grand display of regional Mexican flair. –Amber Sampson
