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18 CELEBRATING HERITAGE
a men’s
08 Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert takes the stage at the Smith Center, Earl Sweatshirt brings bars to the House of Blues and more this week.
a powwow
14 WEEKLY Q&A Vegas musician Shawn Eiferman shares the legendary life of his bodybuilder father in a new biography.
26 NEWS Lee Canyon adds 100 jobs for the winter season, echoing Nevada’s outdoor recreation boom.
30 SPORTS Knight Flights launches an innovative, first-class way to travel to select VGK road games.
32 MUSIC Queens of the Stone Age brings inspiration from the Parisian catacombs to SEMA Fest.
38 FOOD & DRINK
Don’s Prime upholds the steakhouse standard with prime cuts and classic character.
The Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, Moapa Band of Paiutes and Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, as well as local tribal casino operators, pave the way for future generations.
COVER ART Elias Silva, 13, performs
fancy dance during
exhibition at the Palms on October 13. (Photo by Wade Vandervort)
nousAF and a member
(Photo by Christopher
SUPERGUIDE
THURSDAY NOV 6
SEMA FEST
3 p.m., Las Vegas Convention Center, semafest.com.
2 p.m., Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum, ritadeaninabbey museum.org
JESSE MCCARTNEY
With Ana Sky, 8 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, axs.com
AVATAR
With Alien Weaponry, SpiritWorld, 6:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com
ENTHEOS
With Fallujah, The Zenith Passage, Tracheotomy, 8 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, seetickets.us
ACID MOTHERS
TEMPLE
With with The Macks, Kings Kings, Trash Animals, 8 p.m., Swan Dive, dice.fm
SEM JACOBS
8 p.m., Rouge Room, rougeroomlv.com
LIL JON
10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com
STEVE AOKI
10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com
THE CHAINSMOKERS
10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com
KNOCK2
10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com
KYLE WALKER
10 p.m., Discopussy, tixr.com
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER IN CONCERT
The Emmy Award-winning animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender celebrated two decades of incredible storytelling and heart-pounding adventure this year. But Aang’s journey to master all four elements would be nothing without composer Jeremy Zuckerman’s iconic soundtrack. This weekend, fans will get to relive all three seasons onscreen with a live orchestra, led by conductor Emily Marshall. Marshall, who has conducted more than 200 shows of the previous Avatar tour, says the 20th anniversary concert will be full of surprises and rewarding arrangements. “The way the show is built, I kind of call it Avatar’s greatest hits,” she adds. Read more of our interview with Marshall at las vegasweekly.com.
With O set, NoCap, more, 7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.
BRUZ BROTHERS
1 p.m., Bootlegger, lvjs.org.
XENO & OAKLANDER
With Sacred Skin, Normal Bias, more, 7 p.m., Swan Dive, swandivelv.com.
UNLV WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. DEPAUL
2 p.m., Cox Pavilion, unlvtickets.com.
Courtesy NOX NOVACULA With Radio Vampire, VII Ghost, 9 p.m., the Gri n, dice.fm.
INDIGENOUS AMERICAN HERITAGE CELEBRATION
10 a.m., Water Street Plaza, cityofhenderson. com.
MONDAY NOV 10
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. FLORIDA PANTHERS
7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.
NIMESH PATEL
7 p.m., Wiseguys, wiseguyscomedy. com.
BYRON KENNEDY
With Mike Eshaq, thru 11/16, 8 p.m., LA Comedy Club, best vegascomedy.com.
HOMETOWN HEROES BEAT BATTLE
7 p.m., Swan Dive, eventbrite.com.
DAS BAND
10 p.m., Sand Dollar Lounge, thesanddollarlv.org.
LAS VEGAS JAZZ SUMMIT VOCALISTS
7 p.m., Maxan Jazz, maxanjazz.com.
DJ E-ROCK
10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com
6 PM & 8 PM
$4 MILLION. 2 DAYS. NOV 30 | DEC 1
QUALIFIER DRAWINGS
OCT 31, NOV 7, 14 & 21
NOV 30 AND DEC 1
GRAND FINALE DRAWINGS
SUPERGUIDE
TUESDAY NOV 11
EARL SWEATSHIRT
WEDNESDAY NOV 12
UNLV MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. MONTANA
7 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center, unlvtickets.com.
RAYO COCKTAIL POP-UP
6 p.m., Nocturno Cocktail Bar, opentable.com.
DAM SHORT FILM SOCIETY NIGHT OF COMEDY
7 p.m., Beverly Theater, thebeverlytheater. com.
FRANKIE MORENO
7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.
PERREO CAPITAL X SUPERSTRUCTURE: PAL MUNDO
7 p.m., Swan Dive, posh.vip
ROB GUSON
Earl Sweatshirt— the same guy who dropped a critically acclaimed album called I Don’t Like S**t, I Don’t Go Outside in 2015—finally found his zen with the August release of his aptly titled fifth studio album, Live Laugh Love. After rising to fame under a microscope as the teenage rap prodigy from LA’s alternative hip-hop collective Odd Future, Earl has spent more than a decade quietly but consistently delivering some of the most meticulously penned bars in the game over self-crafted, experimental lo-fi beats. His 3L World Tour will include friends like Detroit abstract rapper and painter ZelooperZ, Southern neo-soul singer Liv.e, and fellow West Coast underground rap scion Cletus Strap. 7:30 p.m., $55-$160, House of Blues, ticketmaster.com. –Tyler Schneider
8 p.m., & 11/14-11/15, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com.
JIAOYING SUMMERS
7:30 p.m., Copa Room, eventbrite.com.
ERIC FORBES 10 p.m., Ghostbar, palms.com
PAUZA 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13 &
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4
Vegas musician Shawn Eiferman shares the grand life of his father in Mr. Everything
ON THIS PAGE
Shawn Eiferman
OPPOSITE PAGE
Eiferman with Becky Davis
(Photos by Wade Vandervort)
BY BROCK RADKE
Everybody knows Shawn Eiferman, a Vegas institution of a musician who seems to have performed at every venue that ever existed. But previous generations of Las Vegans were equally familiar with his late father, George Eiferman, a legendary bodybuilder who won Mr. America and Mr. Universe, hob-nobbed with Golden Era celebrities in Hollywood, toured the country as a pioneering tness personality, and landed in Las Vegas to open a popular gym.
His incredible life story is told from his son’s perspective in the new book Mr. Everything, which Eiferman wrote with friend and longtime local educator Becky Davis. The singer, songwriter and guitar player originally got to work on a screenplay about his dad, encouraged by a chance meeting with a movie studio executive at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, then pivoted to the book while that project entered the developmental stage.
“I was at lunch with friends including Becky, who has written children’s books, and she was retiring from being a schoolteacher, and everybody at the table was like, you two are going to write this,” he says. “Then we got together every Monday for a year and just ate the elephant, one bite at a time. Couldn’t have done it without her.”
An inspiring story of an unlikely celebrity, a documentary of a complicated but loving father-son relationship, and a glimpse of another era of Las Vegas, Mr. Everything is available on Amazon and at everythingmreverything.com
What inspired you to actually sit down and write this book?
She thought it was important to come at it with a point of view, that this needs to be a son sharing all these beautiful, funny, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes s**tty stories about his dad.
So he was running around with famous people well before coming to Las Vegas.
He didn’t get out here until 1958 and he opened the rst 24-hour gym in the country on Boulder Highway near the old Showboat. Vegas wasn’t even close to Vegas as we know it. If there was a gym to be had, it was in somebody’s garage or in the basement of a casino. He saw an opportunity, and somebody recognized he was Mr. America and thought it would be cool to put his name on it. As soon as he opened, there was a ood of o -duty cops and remen coming in at all hours, casino workers, mob guys.
My dad passed away 20-plus years ago but anytime I’m around, I might be at the gym wearing an Eiferman’s Gym T-shirt, and somebody will stop me and tell me a story about their time at the gym. Or how they met him a thousand years ago when he was dating Mae West, so many crazy, amazing stories. The ripples are interesting. And at the end of those conversations, they will always say, “This would make a great movie,” or, “Have you ever thought about writing a book?”
How did you decide which of those amazing stories to include?
The stu he was famous for was inside this unique bubble. It wasn’t until [Arnold] Schwarzenegger that anyone elevated the bodybuilding world or capitalized on any kind of celebrity. My dad’s best friend was [actor and bodybuilder] Steve Reeves. There was this whole Hollywood scene at Muscle Beach [in Venice Beach, California] in the 1950s, and after he won Mr. America, he just kinda became this beach bum bodybuilder hanging out with these stars. The four big women in his life were Liz Taylor, Mae West, Debbie Reynolds and Marilyn Monroe.
But Becky really approached the book like a historian.
Substance Summons WAX MOTIF
for a Halloween House Takeover
So imagine me, this brat walking around, cleaning up, picking up towels, and my dad was very clear with me: “Do you know who that guy is?” I’d say no, and he’d say, “Neither do I. It could be a janitor, or a guy who owns the sandwich shop, or a mob boss.” The lesson was, treat everyone how you want to be treated, because my dad didn’t want his car to blow up because his sassy son said something to the wrong guy.
Did the gym change when he moved to Commercial Center?
That was where it got interesting. Sylvester Stallone came in to work out for the third Rocky lm with Mr. T. There were a bunch of o season athletes, like some of the Pittsburgh Steelers, that would come in to train. And we were right around the corner from the International [now Westgate], and that was during Elvis’ time. This is not really in the book, but they found out Mr. Universe was around the corner and called up George Eiferman to come get Elvis to work out. I got to meet him. He signed a red silk scarf for me.
Did that early exposure to the entertainment world set you on your path as a musician?
Oh yeah. My mom was an opera singer and there were a lot of musicals and operas from her side. Every lunch we ever had in the Commercial Deli growing up, there was some famous singer in there, somebody from the Rat Pack or Jerry Lewis or Ben Vereen or Debbie Reynolds, just eating a pastrami sandwich and hanging out. My parents put me in plays and musicals early on, so I caught the bug.
I think if I lived anywhere else, I wouldn’t have the career I’ve had. If I was in Nashville, I’d be a bartender. But growing up in the entertainment capital and being surrounded by all this, that’s how I got to this point. And I’m a little bit out to pasture with music right now, since I’ve been working on [other projects] and the book. … But I’ve been playing music for 40 years in this town and I still love doing it. Here, I’ve got a global audience in front of me every night. Vegas has been very good to me.
We’re turning up the decibels with
Brace for chaos as the legend, Kill The Noise, takes over SUBSTANCE for a night that’ll rattle your core. 10PM | SUBSTANCELV.COM 450 FREMONT ST. #270 | 21+
UPCOMING EVENTS
NOVEMBER 7
Riot Ten @ Substance
NOVEMBER 14
Kill The Noise @ Substance
NOVEMBER 21
AC Slater @ Substance
NOVEMBER 26
GRAVEDGR @ Substance
Scan to get your tickets now or get ghosted by FOMO.
Water is life, especially in the desert. The Indigenous people of the area today known as Southern Nevada know this.
BY SHANNON MILLER
The Las Vegas Wash, for example, was once an important trading ground for the Southern Paiutes who lived by Sunrise Mountain. Prior to the intrusion of white explorers and settlers, small groups or “bands” of Southern Paiutes hunted, gathered and farmed freely along the mountains and Colorado River tributaries in Southern Utah, Southern Nevada, Southeast California and Northern Arizona.
South of the Southern Paiutes, the Mojaves’ domain included the Ireteba Peaks around modern-day Nelson, Searchlight and Laughlin,
Mojave National Preserve and down to Needles and Blythe, California. Known in their native language as Pipa Aha Macav, or “the people by the river,” the tribe traditionally relied on wildlife migration to the Colorado River to sustain them.
The three federally recognized tribes that reside in Southern Nevada today are the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, Moapa Band of Paiutes and the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe. As the original stewards of the land, they remain concerned with the management of water and other resources for the sake of future generations.
“That’s part of our way of life—not living for today, but looking seven generations ahead,” says Las Vegas Paiute
“We have to be aware of where we’re at with that precious resource. It’s a gift from the creator that was given to us to survive.”
Today, the tribes have found other resources to sustain themselves— they’re leading the way on solar energy in Indian country, they’ve established formidable industries in cannabis and tourism, and they continue to educate and bring cultural awareness to non-Native people and entities.
For Native American Heritage Month, the Weekly spoke with tribal leaders in Southern Nevada about their histories, culture and how they use their resources to ensure a better future for their relatives and neighbors.
Nino Alvarez, traditional dancer, in a land acknowledgment ceremony for Carolyn G. Goodman Plaza on September 20. (Christopher DeVargas/ Photo Illustration)
Tribe Chairman Benny Tso.
The word Paiute comes from the Ute language with “pa” meaning water, but the Southern Paiutes refer to themselves as Nuwu or Nuwuvi. Traditionally, they lived in decentralized groups and would camp along springs, rivers and lakes in the arid Southwest.
“We had small bands, 30 to maybe 50, spread out because of the natural resources. [All] people can’t live in one area without consuming all of the natural resources,” says Darren Daboda, tribal historic preservation officer for the Moapa Band of Paiutes.
The Old Spanish Trail and Mormon settlements in the 1800s and the arrival of the railroad in Southern Nevada changed that paradigm forever, exacerbating a slave trade of Nuwu people, disrupting the delicate desert ecosystem and depleting food sources.
The Moapa Band of Paiutes reservation was established by President Ulysses Grant by executive order in 1873. Two years later, the government shrank it from 2.4 million acres to just 1,000 acres.
“We lost hunting rights, water rights, mineral rights,” Daboda says, adding that the initial 2.4 million acres started in present-day Lincoln County, went down to Beaver Dam,
Arizona, into Gold Butte and down to Boulder Beach at Lake Mead.
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed an executive order to expand the reservation by 70,000 acres. It currently sits about 25 miles north of Las Vegas, with the Valley of Fire State Park to the east and Interstate 15 running through it. Of the tribe’s 312 enrolled members, a portion live on the reservation.
As the tribe is working to introduce a bill that would expand its reservation by up to 45,000 acres, they’re leasing much of the land they have for solar development. The tribe led the first large-scale solar project built on tribal land in the U.S., the Moapa Southern Paiute Solar Installation.
The 2,000-acre, 250-megawatt solar array opened in 2017 and is operated by First Solar. According to the company, it generates enough energy to serve approximately 111,000 homes, with power going to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
Behind that followed a 200-megawatt project developed by EDF Renewables on 2,200 acres—enough to power 76,000 Nevada homes, according to the company. A 75-megawatt battery storage system became fully operational in 2023. Thirdly, the 300-megawatt, 2,200-acre Eagle
Darren Daboda, tribal historic preservation officer for the Moapa Band of Paiutes, poses on tribal land near Moapa. (Photo by Steve Marcus)
Moapa Paiute Travel Plaza
(Photo by Christopher DeVargas)
Shadow Mountain Solar Plant developed by Arevon Energy was completed in 2023 and also serves NV Energy.
The projects created hundreds of temporary construction jobs in the local community. NV Energy representatives said the Eagle Shadow Mountain plant brought the utility one step closer to achieving the goal of having 50% of total energy sources be renewable by 2030.
“We’re the biggest in Indian country for solar. ... We became a partnership with these companies and said, if you’re going to thrive, how are we going to thrive at the same time?” Daboda says, adding that the tribal council is working toward a fourth solar project to be located on the reservation.
Future economic development e orts may revolve around the tribe’s “truck stop on steroids,” the Moapa Paiute Travel Plaza on Interstate 15. The plaza sells alcohol, cigarettes and reworks and currently em-
THE TRIBES OF SOUTHERN NEVADA
ploys 66 people on the reservation. It serves as an important stopping point for people visiting Valley of Fire State Park.
The tribe has left its mark on the state park’s new visitor center opening November 22, as well as at other natural sites throughout Southern Nevada, Daboda says.
“We’ve been involved in some of the design and in updating the interpretive signs. We’re also working with Sloan Canyon and Red Rock on an ethnographic study, because Sloan Canyon is working on its own visitor center, too. We want to update that site, and same with the interpretation at Red Rock, because it’s talking about [us] in past tense. We want to make it forward to the present,” he says.
Daboda says the tribe also has worked with the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway and Desert National Wildlife Refuge (which includes the Corn Creek, Ash Meadows and Pahranagat areas) to conduct ethnographic
studies and provide interpretive signage.
It’s important to educate visitors on the distinct history and customs of the Southern Paiutes, and work toward greater collaboration in the future, he adds.
In the land acknowledgments Daboda does with the solar companies that lease land from the Moapa Band of Paiutes, he emphasizes the importance of unity when working toward a brighter future for not just Natives, but for everyone on the planet.
“I always end the land acknowledgment with the message that there’s one race, and that’s the human race. Collectively, we need to get along. For us to continue on this planet consuming its natural resources, it’s not going to be viable in the future,” he says.
“Our philosophy is a holistic approach. How do we preserve and protect and teach the next generation? We have to have hope.”
“We pride ourselves on being able to go back to our roots and look at where we came from, and incorporate how we walk between 2025 and our traditional cultural ways.”
–Benny Tso, Chairman, Las Vegas Paiute Tribe
Las Vegas Paiute Tribe Chairman Benny Tso poses in front of the tribe’s new health and wellness center on its reservation Downtown.
(Photo by Christopher DeVargas)
A land acknowledgment is not merely a performance; it’s an expression of intent to have good, reciprocal relations with the tribe.
“A land acknowledgment is the bare minimum that any entity or business or organization can do. It’s really about the relationship and what’s being done moving forward,” says Las Vegas Paiute Tribe enrolled member Fawn Douglas.
Douglas performed a land acknowledgment at the recent opening of Las Vegas’ Civic Center. The gallerist (see page 36) also serves as Ward 3 Art Commissioner for the City of Las Vegas.
“It’s on Paiute land. ... But I’ve worked closely with the City of Las Vegas on a number of things [including] educating the public about Southern Paiute history. It felt really good to do it there, to be able to acknowledge and really welcome the people to Southern Paiute lands,” Douglas says.
Less than two miles away from Civic Center, Las Vegas Paiute Colony is a 31-acre reservation in an urban sea. The plot of land north of Downtown was created in 1911 when ranch owner Helen J. Stewart sold 10 acres of her land to the United States to establish a day school and provide homes for the Native American laborers working in and around Las Vegas.
In the 1950s and ’60s, there were several attempts by the federal government to sell the land and relocate the Nuwu to other reservations. Before that could happen, the tribe’s constitution and bylaws were approved by the Secretary of the Interior in 1970 under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934.
In 1983, Congress transferred 4,000 acres north of Kyle Canyon, called Snow Mountain,
to the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe. Since, the land has become yet another site for the tribe’s economic development with the opening of a golf course in 1995. About 75% of the tribe’s 48 enrolled members live at Snow Mountain or at the Las Vegas Paiute Colony.
“Federal recognition is important because it gives us our sovereign right, which we cherish. To be able to provide for our people and have the businesses we have and thrive, that’s what it means. It means our existence is secure,” says Las Vegas Paiute Tribe Chairman Benny Tso.
Tso relied on that sovereign right when he ushered the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe through ventures into the cannabis industry. The tribe successfully lobbied for the passage of Senate Bill 375 in 2017, which opened the door for legal negotiations on the use and sale of marijuana on tribal lands.
The tribe then contracted with the state and created its policies and procedures. NuWu Cannabis Marketplace opened in 2017 and later added a tasting lounge.
“We opened the largest cannabis dispensary at the time in the nation [at] about 16,000 square feet. Up until 2018, we started packaging and processing our own products and got into some partnerships with other cannabis companies,” he says.
Deryn Pete, Las Vegas Paiute Tribe Chairman from 2022-2024, set in motion the development of a 110,000-square-foot grow facility and Tso helped get it to the finish line. Tso says it just had its first harvest.
On November 8, the tribe is combining the two economic drivers—cannabis and golf—to host “the first consumption golf tournament” known as the Vlasic Classic at the Las Vegas
Artist and gallerist Fawn Douglas performs in a land acknowledgment ceremony at Carolyn G. Goodman Plaza in front of Las Vegas City Hall on September 20. Douglas and her partner UNLV history professor A.B. Wilkinson founded the nonprofit IndigenousAF to support arts and education projects which “strengthen Indigenous cultures, knowledge and identity.” They’re planning an Indigenous American Heritage Celebration on November 9 at Henderson’s Water Street Plaza with art workshops, powwow and hoop dancers, bird singers, storytelling and other performances.
Paiute Golf Resort. The three-course resort at Snow Mountain reservation is considered the first master-planned, multi-course golf facility built on a Native American reservation.
“It’s a charity golf tournament that focuses on the Last Prisoner Project program for wrongfully incarcerated people. ... Whether you consume cannabis or not, it’s going to be a huge event,” Tso says.
Between the success of the NuWu cannabis brand and the tribe’s golf course (which has weddings booked out through the end of 2026, Tso says), the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe has created abundance from limited economic opportunities. But their business is not all about profits. It’s about keeping the Nuwuvi legacy alive.
“We’re trying to see how we can improve our economic development while having the land, the culture ... incorporated in our plans. ... That’s what we pride ourselves on—being able to go back to our roots and look at where we came from and incorporate how we walk between 2025 and our traditional cultural ways,” Tso says.
On the topic of land and natural resources, Tso says it’s important for Indigenous people to have a seat at the table and a platform to share their concerns.
“The only thing we can do is educate and do our part. We need to take a real look at depleting resources, because without that, there’s no life. Once that’s depleted, there’s no going back. ... We try to be responsible with that and send that message along to our neighbors,” he says.
NuWu Cannabis Marketplace (Photo by Christopher DeVargas)
Teens from the Fort Mojave area and various tribes participate in a youth bird song dancing competition during the Fort
Indian Days festival in Needles, California on October 17.
“When we think of Native American Heritage Month or the celebration of culture, we often think of it through a lens of integration so that we can have more acceptance and awareness.”
–Ashley Hemmers, tribal administrator, Fort Mojave Indian Tribe
The Fort Mojave Indian Tribe isn’t a tribe from just Southern Nevada. Its 42,000-acre reservation is located along the Colorado River in Arizona and California, too.
Today, the tribe has 1,448 enrolled members with about 75% living on the reservation.
“In our history, the United States tried to relocate the Mojave away from our homelands. Those at Fort Mojave remained—and that’s really important, because they did relocate many Mojave to a southern tribe,” explains Tribal Administrator Ashley Hemmers.
In 1865, the U.S. government created the Colorado River Reservation near modern-day Parker, Arizona. Hundreds of Mojave relocated there, while those at Fort Mojave, a military outpost south of modern-day Bullhead City, Arizona, stayed put.
In the 1890s, Fort Mojave was converted into a boarding school run by the U.S. Department of the Interior—part of a broader U.S. program of forced assimilation or eradicating Native language and
culture. A compulsory education law was passed. Children were separated from their families. The school used forced labor largely for farming, and often children were treated with severe abuse. The school operated until 1930.
During World War II, some Mojave children were sent to Poston Japanese internment camp in the Colorado River Reservation in Arizona.
Today, Hemmers says much of the tribe’s work revolves around “healing and recovery” and building a foundation for families to thrive.
“What we do is rebuild and continue to improve the impacts and move away from the cycles of harm that tried to destroy us. Our community has fought very hard to make sure our children have opportunities that their parents didn’t have,” she says.
“We do it through soft measurements like education and health. ... We have almost 100% [high school] graduation rate. We have pathways to higher ed. We’ve improved economic metrics for younger families. We’ve worked on housing and economic opportunities that can break cycles of poverty.”
At the tribe’s recent Fort Mojave Indian Days celebration, Mojave and Hopi man and vendor Jonathan Moore, 55, discussed how the generational trauma imposed by the boarding school is waning.
“There was no language. There was no ceremony. There are people my dad’s and mom’s age that grew up [with that] totally erased. I wasn’t taught my language because they didn’t want me to get in trouble. My daughter, she’s picking it up,” he said.
The celebration on October 17 revolved around youth dancing to bird songs. At the front of the amphitheater, three men stood in a line, each in front of a microphone and with a gourd, an instrument similar to maracas.
Girls in ribbon skirts and shawls swayed, hopped and moved their arms in harmony with the singing and gourds. Audience members sang and clapped along. The emcee then invited couples 17 and younger to the floor. In ribbon shirts, boys rattling gourds linked arms with the girls and paraded around the amphitheater. Vendors
by Christopher
Mojave
Photos
DeVargas
Jonathan Moore
Ashley Hemmers
THE TRIBES OF SOUTHERN NEVADA
made rounds through the crowds selling lemonade and other treats.
In its 49th year, Fort Mojave Indian Days is open to anyone in the surrounding area. Because the tribe’s land is divided into so many di erent jurisdictions, cultural awareness within surrounding communities is crucial, Hemmers says.
“When we think of Native American Heritage Month or the celebration of culture, we often think of it through a lens of integration so that we can have more acceptance and awareness. We’re all neighbors. We should learn about each other,” she says.
That integration with the community— Native and non-native—has proven fruitful in other e orts, like the campaign to designate Avi Kwa Ame— which includes the Newberry Mountains near Searchlight and Laughlin—as a national monument.
“As Fort Mojave people, we believe that’s where we’re created from. That’s where our oral traditions come from. That’s where our history comes from,” Hemmers says.
A broad coalition of outdoor enthusiasts, city dwellers and Indigenous-led groups who found themselves on the same side as the tribe pushed local governments and congressional representatives and ultimately the president to recognize and establish the National Monument under the Antiquities Act. The 500,000-acre Avi Kwa Ame National Monument was created by President Joe Biden in 2023.
It’s not exactly an instance of “land back” or the return of land to Native Americans, as it requires agreements with multiple jurisdictions and the federal government. The land remains under the Bureau of Land Management. However, the Fort Mojave tribe utilizes its seat at the table to promote land stewardship for the good of all parties involved.
“For Fort Mojave, we have to live through those levels of jurisdiction every day of our life, because we have to engage with Nevada and California and Arizona and engage with the federal government. When we think about land back in our jurisdiction, ... our call is to remind all of the jurisdictions of our responsibilities as stewards of the land to preserve it for the protection of the people who rely on it.”
Tribal gaming is finding a foothold in Las Vegas resort corridor
BY TYLER SCHNEIDER
More than 40% of the federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States own at least one casino. All together, they account for 532 establishments in 29 states, according to the National Indian Gaming Commission. Yet only one of those is operating today in Las Vegas.
That would be the Palms, which became the first Native American-owned and operated casino in Southern Nevada when the San Bernardino-based Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation purchased it in 2021. It will likely remain the only one through 2027, when the Seminole Tribe of Florida-owned Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is expected to open at the former site of the Mirage.
Since the acquisition, tribal leaders like San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority Vice Chairwoman Carla Rodriguez have gradually ushered in aesthetic changes like new artwork at the Strip-adjacent property that better reflect its ownership and history.
“It’s changing it to who we are as a tribe,” Rodriguez says. “Being the first in Nevada, we’ve got to put our mark and personality on it, right? This is the start of doing that.”
Another milestone came when the Palms hosted its first Pow Wow Exhibition—a standalone version of a traditional cultural celebration centered around Native American music and dance—on October 13. Held on Indigenous Peoples Day, the event drew more than 500 guests across a pair of 90-minute sessions that featured drum groups, singers performing bighorn sheep and bird songs, and dozens of dancers showcasing vibrant styles like the grass dance, jingle dress, and traditional regional variations.
In addition to the camaraderie and catharsis experienced by the tribal members in attendance, co-organizer Tom Ramos says the exhibition served as a perfect opportunity to provide an “educational experience” for a whole new cast of newcomers—casino guests. For him, that visibility is crucial.
“There are not very many of us left, I think, in all tribes, and this gives us a chance to show what our culture has to o er and what once roamed this whole land here,” Ramos says. “Hopefully, it’ll make room for more.”
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Photo by Wade Vandervort
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POLITICS
Rep. Titus trying to ward off Trump’s nuclear test plans with legislation
U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., introduced legislation Friday to prevent nuclear weapons testing in the United States just after President Donald Trump said testing would resume for the first time in decades.
Trump said the change in posture was due to “other countries testing programs,” naming Russia and China in a Truth Social post. However, Vice Adm. Richard Correll, Trump’s pick to lead United States Strategic Command, whose purview includes nuclear weapons, said on October 30 that neither country had conducted “a nuclear explosive test.”
The president told reporters that “we have test sites” in response to a question about where testing would take place. The most recent U.S. nuclear weapons test, which was conducted underground, was
performed in 1992 at what is now the Nevada National Security Site. That’s 65 miles from Las Vegas.
Titus wrote on social media October 31 that Trump had put his “ego and authoritarian ambitions” ahead of Nevadans.
The announcement “not only goes against the arms control and nonproliferation treaties that the U.S. has spearheaded since the end of the Cold War, it also puts Nevadans back in the crosshairs of toxic radiation and environmental destruction,” she wrote.
The new legislation would add the prohibition into the Atomic Energy Defense Act, according to a draft version of the bill shared with the Las Vegas Sun. However, it would not limit “subcritical” nuclear tests, which cannot create a nuclear chain
reaction.
U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen said last week that the Nevada National Security Site has been conducting safe, nonexplosive experiments to “certify the reliability, the safety, the effectiveness of our nuclear stockpile” since President George H.W. Bush signed a testing moratorium in 1992.
During the era of nuclear testing, “millions of peoples and acres of land were contaminated by radiation. And my state of Nevada is still suffering the consequences,” Rosen said. “If this resumption happens, the amount of radiation exposure and destruction would be felt across the country and around the world. Make no mistake, this would be devastating and catastrophic.”
–Kyle Chouinard
“This isn’t immigration policy, it’s cruelty dressed up as bureaucracy and what our Constitution is designed to prevent against.”
–Athar Haseebullah, executive director
of ACLU of Nevada, which filed, with the UNLV Immigration Clinic, a
class
action lawsuit this week challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s mandatory detention policy that denies bond hearings to immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for years.
Hundreds of cars lined up at the Thomas & Mack Center parking lot on November 1 as people waited for the opening of an emergency food distribution site hosted by Three Square Food Bank. The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) had its benefits lapse for the first time ever on Saturday because of the government shutdown.
ENTERTAINMENT
GREEN VALLEY RANCH TO REMODEL REGAL THEATRE
As part of a $200 million property-wide transformation, Regal cinema at Green Valley Ranch Resort will get a “comprehensive renovation.” According to a news release, the Henderson favorite is in the middle of a phased remodel “to elevate the cinematic experience not only on the screen but throughout the entire visit.” The renovation will introduce a new lobby and promenade, an updated concession area with a new bar serving craft beverages, and a lounge with plush seating. Each auditorium will be updated with recliner seating, enhanced acoustics and projection systems. The cinema will be open and operating throughout the remodel, expected to be completed in mid 2026. –Staff
HOT SHOT
(Photo by Steve Marcus)
TAKE IT OUTSIDE
Lee Canyon adds nearly 100 new jobs, echoing Nevada’s outdoor recreation boom
BY TYLER SCHNEIDER
Economic diversification has been a stronger focus since the pandemic exposed the flaws of Nevada’s reliance on gaming and tourism. The state has since taken steps to bolster emergent industries like manufacturing, energy, and logistics, while policymakers have their sights set on courting film studios through agreeable tax incentives.
Underneath those efforts, however, another sector has been quietly booming—and it’s been right under our noses this whole time.
“Las Vegas has always held a space for out-
door recreation, but it’s just become a lot more popular, widespread and mainstream now,” Lee Canyon events coordinator Johnny DeGeorge says. “I think the biggest message is that we’re kind of on the edge of explosive growth.”
The most recent numbers from the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation seem to support his assertion. From 2022 to 2023, the Silver State’s outdoor recreation economy grew by 12.8%—the fourth highest in the U.S.—including an annual job growth rate of 5.8% that outpaced all but Alaska. This amounted to $8.1 billion in value-added GDP in 2023, or 10th among all states.
Locally, this surge can be seen in places like Lee Canyon, a ski resort and recreation area roughly 35 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Since 2019, the mountain has seen more than $18 million worth of investments beginning with the construction of a new 10,000 squarefoot lodge that year. It went on to expand to a year-round programming schedule in 2021, followed by the introduction of a new downhill mountain bike park in 2022. Other infrastructure improvements, like new state-of-the-art chair lift systems, are ongoing.
According to Lee Canyon HR coordinator Ari Brundrett, these additions have facilitated the need to hire nearly 100 new and 300 total seasonal jobs this winter. It’s reflective of a larger trend in which Nevada gained more than 17,000 outdoor recreation jobs from 2020 to 2023.
“We’re opening more lifts, so the big need is really for more lift operators. But we’re also looking for ski and snowboard instructors, people to work in ticketing, rentals, retail, food and beverage, and smaller departments like mountain maintenance and snow operations,” Brundrett says.
To fill these positions, Lee Canyon hosted the first of two local hiring fairs on October 25, with a second planned for November 8. More than 100 attended the first session, which Brundrett says led to at least 50 new hires. She and DeGeorge are among 50 yearround staffers.
“If we have a really booming winter season with lots of snowfall, we might even do another push for hiring later,” Brundrett says, adding that there will likely be opportunities for some seasonal part-timers to grow into year-round gigs in the future.
For DeGeorge, Lee Canyon’s growth is just one local indicator of Nevada’s ascent within the notoriously active greater Mountain West. A 2020 UNLV study on the region’s outdoor recreation economy placed our state far ahead of New Mexico, just behind Utah and
at around half the output of both Arizona and Colorado. But it’s been making massive gains.
“In places like Denver, outdoor recreation is really considered somewhat of a normal way of life. Here, it’s almost been more like a subculture,” the Valley native and avid mountain biker says. “But I think it’s been transforming more toward the front over the years, because outdoor recreation is just much more noticeably present now than it was when I was growing up.”
In part, Nevada’s rise can be traced to a relatively recent emphasis on creating more resources for outdoor recreation businesses, including the formation of the Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition in 2018 and the Nevada Legislature’s decision to establish both the Nevada Division of Recreation and the Nevada Outdoor Education and Recreation Grant program in 2019.
Coalition executive director Mandi Elliott tells the Weekly the sector may also stand to capitalize on concurrent economic and cultural shifts like consumer backlash over high prices at Strip resorts and the proliferation of outdoor-centric social media influencers.
“We benefit those who are just getting tired of all the neon lights,” she says. “People are feeling so inundated with technology, advertising, AI and the corporate grind that many of them are really craving touching grass.”
On the flipside, Elliott acknowledges that some of those same factors that have contributed to Las Vegas’ tourism slump—like the Trump tariff policies and a sustained exodus of Canadian visitors—also pose some threats to its outdoor business landscape.
She cites one Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition member who manufactures yoga mats that has had trouble sourcing affordable rubber, a material that doesn’t grow in the U.S., plus other members who are “fearful” over the Trump administration’s efforts to put some of the state’s more than 50 million acres of public land up for sale.
Still, Elliott believes the collective “rising tide” of Nevada’s outdoors economy will be enough to overcome those unknowns. For one, mountain biking has seen a massive “revival” lately. And as a frequent climber herself, she’s personally seen more “attention around the incredible climbing crags” that can be found throughout the state.
There’s a lot to look forward to. The Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation is planning to release data for 2024 by year’s end, followed by an updated 10-year Nevada Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan in late 2026.
DeGeorge, who organized Lee Canyon’s inaugural mountain bike racing series over the summer, is optimistic about what the numbers will yield.
“There are so many places in the West that are recognized as outdoor hubs, and I think Vegas is really kind of in that book now,” he says. “And the main contributing factor is that passionate individuals are leading the charge.”
Photos courtesy
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WADE VANDERVORT
Knight Flights launches as an innovative, fi rst-class way to travel to select VGK road games
BY CASE KEEFER
In less than a decade since the franchise was formed, the Vegas Golden Knights have already become known around the NHL for having one of the better traveling fanbases.
That reputation only gures to grow starting this year with a new avenue for fans to reach road games. Las Vegas is synonymous with VIP experiences, and now there’s one for local fans who want to experience the Golden Knights outside of T-Mobile Arena.
Cirrus Aviation, a locally-based, longtime sponsorship partner of the Golden Knights, launched Knight Flights with an October 8 away game at the San Jose Sharks. Trips are scheduled for seven more games this regular season.
The service includes a roundtrip seat on a 15-passenger private jet, a lower-bowl game ticket and black-car ground transportation to and from the away arena. Prices start at $1,995, not cheap but a discount compared to similar packages available in other cities for events like major golf tournaments and football
games that can run up to $10,000, according to Cirrus President Eric Grilly.
The open-to-fans, private-jet experience is unprecedented in hockey, so we caught up with Grilly to discuss how it’s going, why the Golden Knights were the right partner and more.
What was the genesis of this idea?
We’ve got a Stanley Cup-winning hockey team here, and we’ve done work with them. We’re big fans of theirs. So, we started brainstorming things that we could do together, talking to our clients, talking to their customers, looking at our capabilities, and there seemed like a great opportunity for us to transport people out to away games.
How much did it help knowing there would be a demand with the passionate nature of the Golden Knights’ fan base?
They put an incredible product on the ice every single year they’ve been here. They’re competitive every year. They’re a fun team to get behind. If you’ve been to our city, you’re going to see a ton of Golden Knights’ license plates. This town has embraced the Golden Knights. I think the
Golden Knights have done an incredible job with boots on the ground years before the puck dropped. I think they’ve done a fantastic job building a relationship with the Las Vegas community. You’ve got unbelievable fandom, and we’re certainly capitalizing on that.
How did the first flight go?
The rst ight was nearly sold out, and we’ve already sold out another one. The trajectory of the other ights, the demand is quite strong. I wasn’t there but reports from our chaperone was that it was a great experience. You take o here at 5 p.m., you’re there 45 minutes later, met by private transport, a catered ight with a cabinet attendant in a large cabin aircraft. What’s not to like about that? It’s rst class all the way. You get a VIP ticket, watch the game, private transportation back to the airport and we’re home at 11, in bed before bedtime.
What was the feedback from the customers?
UPCOMING KNIGHT FLIGHTS
DATES
Nov. 20 at Utah
Mammoth
Nov. 22 at Anaheim Ducks
Nov. 24 at Utah Mammoth
Jan. 1 at San Jose Sharks
Jan. 14 at Los Angeles Kings
Feb. 1 at Anaheim Ducks
Feb. 25 at Los Angeles Kings
Visit cirrusav. com/knight flights/ for ticket information.
It was ve stars across the group. I think we’ll have some return customers. Coming from the perspective of someone in the aviation industry, what have you made of Las Vegas’ growth as a sports city?
Las Vegas has become a fervent sports town. Knight Flights is really phase one of our rollout program but there will be more and more curated experiences that our members will be invited to participate in. I think there will be a foundation in sports but we can expand beyond that. In 2028, we’ll have a Major League Baseball team playing here and I believe then soon thereafter we’ll have an NBA team. We’re excited about being a part of it.
What are the plans for evolving this idea?
I think it’s going to be one step at a time. We’ve got seven more games this year and want to make sure we provide an excellent experience and have a full aircraft. We’re actually doing a new one, called Race Flights, for Formula 1, but our ability to have success will drive our interest in deploying more of these programs.
Queens of the Stone Age bassist Michael Shuman on going beneath Paris and bringing the noise back to Vegas
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
Twenty-nine years after Kyuss dissolved and Queens of the Stone Age emerged, Josh Homme’s ever-evolving project continues to dig deeper—this time, down to the Paris Catacombs.
On its current tour inspired by the new EP and concert lm Alive in the Catacombs, QOTSA sounds less like the desert rock titans that shook the mainstream rock genre with Songs for the Deaf and more like sonic archaeologists, brushing dust from their own bones.
The band pulled together the ensemble arrangements and in less than a week collaborated with three Parisian string players who tied the project’s essence together.
“We have di erent string players and horn players in every city, so it’s scary because you’ve never met these people. You have no idea if they’re going to fully understand it, if they’re prepared. But they’re professionals. They’re professional musicians, unlike us,” jokes Shuman.
“The ve songs are deep cuts o our records that we reimagined for the speci c lm in the catacombs,” says bassist Michael “Shoes” Shuman. “There’s no point in going down there and pretending to be a loud rock band in a very unwrought space. We knew we wanted to do this somewhat orchestrally.”
The tour is a short, intimate run through historic theaters in North America.
“It’s been really fun to do something we’ve never done before,” he says. “They’re smaller shows, they’re seated, and we’re playing a bunch of deep cuts ... it’s really for the fans.”
SEMA FEST
November 7, 3:45 p.m., $95+.
Las Vegas Convention Center Bronze Lot, semafest.com.
The lm and EP, both recorded in the massive underground labyrinth, bring new atmosphere to tracks like “Running Joke/Paper Machete,” “Villains of Circumstance” and “Suture Up Your Future.” The arrangements are truly beautiful. They sway like lullabies before pitching you headrst into despair. Homme’s vocals capture a strange elegance and pain that’s ampli ed by the space and driven by the acoustic whispers of the instruments.
But between those specially curated performances, along with the Black Crowes and Neon Trees, QOTSA will plug in and crank it back up at SEMA Fest on November 7. “We’re not here to piss people o or not play the songs they want to hear,” Shuman says. “They spent their money—this is their night out. We want to give them a good time.”
Working under those conditions wasn’t easy. Homme, who’s been struggling since his cancer diagnosis in 2022, pushed himself through the recording.
And SEMA feels like home turf. The band’s love of classic machines runs deep. Homme has a 1967 Camaro that’s been resurrected by Dallas’ Gas Monkey Garage, which has an annual presence at the event.
“The process was extremely difcult. Josh [Homme] was dealing with some major health issues, which actually caused us to cancel the rest of our tour. So, this is the last thing we got to do before we went home, and I’m shocked that he even made it through,” says Shuman. “It was extremely emotional, extremely vulnerable and very existential, doing the catacombs and doing it under the duress that we were under.”
“I’m not a huge car guy, but the four other dudes, you know, ride motorcycles. ... Especially Troy [Van Leeuwen] and Josh, they love classic cars,” says Shuman.
As for the state of rock, Shuman, who’s been with the band for 19 years, sounds both nostalgic and cautiously hopeful. “I think rock music is making a resurgence,” he says. “It’s exciting to see bands from the ’90s and early 2000s coming back and selling big venues. It feels like rock is starting to poke its head out again.”
Queens of the Stone Age (Courtesy/Andreas Neumann)
FINDING THE MAGIC
Pompey Entertainment launches the Strip’s fi rst magic speakeasy with the Magicians Room BY AMBER SAMPSON
Damian Costa found the magic almost immediately. The entertainment industry veteran worked at Caesars Entertainment with some of the best magicians in the business, and after moving on and founding Pompey Entertainment with partner Nick Cordaro, he produced o -Strip sensation Late Night Magic and other shows—on top of managing Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club and the Composers Room.
“Magic is di erent. Magic is, ‘You’re going to become a part of my world, and once I convince you that all of this is happening, your imagination just goes wild,’” says Costa. “It really brings me back to my youth. It brings me back to being 8 years old and just being captivated by the world that can be, and I think we need more of that in our world.”
With the Magicians Room, the Strip’s rst magic speakeasy at the Linq Promenade, Costa seeks to add “a little bit more imagination in our day” with four award-winning magic acts all under one roof and around the clock.
“We’re all magic, all the time,” Costa says. “[It’s] just like a movie theater. I want to go see great world-class magic, where can I go? I
go to the Magicians Room, and there’s always something amazing there.”
Joined by the adults-only Late Night Magic and the mind-reading spectacle of The Conjurors, the Magicians Room will house master illusionist David Goldrake and comedy magician Farrell Dillon throughout the day, but magic fans will have to nd it rst. The 200-seat venue features a hidden entrance inside a claw machine arcade. Follow the white rabbit or take the “human crane” elevator to gain access to a wondrous world.
Costa and Cordaro’s respect for the trade has led them to spare no expense. The Magicians Room will enhance its intimate showroom setup with hologram and augmented reality technology, boozy elixirs, bento boxes for quick bites and the Levitate Lounge for VIP events. The Composers Room’s Haunted Brunch will also land at the Magicians Room in December, with the mind-bending magician Samed making periodic appearances.
“I like to think that we’re very good at making sure that people know that our artists matter and our audience matters,” Costa says. “Everything else is kind of just to deliver that.”
THE MAGICIANS ROOM Linq Promenade, 702-840-1312, the magiciansroom. Daily, 2 p.m.-midnight; showtimes vary.
FOR THEIR NEXT TRICK …
Meet the award-winning headliners of the Magicians Room
Late Night Magic Showbiz veteran Douglas “Lefty” Leferovich emcees this award-winning adult magic show from the Orleans, bringing a rag-tag cast of magicians and mentalists who will stop at nothing to reward you with a weird and wonderful time.
Farrell Dillon A mainstay at Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, Dillon brings laughs and loads of illusions to the Magicians Room. Parents looking for a family friendly outing will love this daytime show.
David Goldrake A mystery man like no other, Goldrake has performed repeatedly at LA’s Magic Castle and dazzled the world with his illusions and underwater escapes.
The Conjurors Through mysterious mentalism and interactive illusions, Matthew Pomeroy and Natasha Lamb continue to experiment with new and unnerving ways to blow a skeptic’s mind. Don’t miss their debut at the Magicians Room in March.
The entertainers of the Magicians Room at The Linq (Photo by Wade Vandervort)
•
Brian Martinez’s Cosmic Chicano is too epic to be contained in frames
BY GEOFF CARTER
Brian Martinez wants to take you on an adventure. A member of the Scrambled Eggs artist collective, the local painter, sculptor, screen-printer and urban muralist presents a transcendent solo show in Cosmic Chicano, showing at Nuwu Art Gallery & Community Center through November 22 (with a closing reception talk by Martinez on November 21 at 6 p.m.).
Cosmic Chicano is an autobiography, “an exploration of Mexican American identity” and a burst of colorful, organic creativity, metaphorically viewed through a lucha libre mask—a signi er of Chicano pride, appearing in multiple pieces throughout. The themes expressed in Cosmic Chicano—autoethnography, Meso-American cosmology—are so enormous that many of the pieces run out of their frames, spilling their painted backdrops onto the walls themselves. Here, in his own words, Martinez takes the Weekly on a guided tour of his boundless universe.
BRIAN MARTINEZ: COSMIC CHICANO
Thru November 22, Thu.-Fri. 4-8 p.m.; Sat. noon-4 p.m., free. Nuwu Art Gallery & Community Center, nuwuart.com.
acrylic on oil and wood
WHY THIS SHOW, NOW?
“I had a plan to have a solo exhibition every year, but at age 26 I stepped back from that goal and basically took a three-year hiatus from showcasing solo. That’s where Cosmic Chicano was born: I was like, let me just create without any pressure. And I started nding my intention, my voice and my natural output without overthinking it.
“I realized that I had these two parts of me. There’s the cosmic side; that’s the more spiritual. The Chicano part is the lived experience: Who can I connect with, and who has also lived the same experience as me? Cosmic Chicano brings these two parts of myself together.”
THERE ARE LUCHADOR MASKS EVERYWHERE. WHAT’S THAT ABOUT?
“Someone who visited the show recently said, ‘Oh, the luchador mask is like your lab coat.’ Art for me has always been like, ‘I want to learn about the world,’ and I love this idea that my luchador mask is my lab coat. I don’t actually wear a mask in the studio; it’s metaphorical. [Laughs.] With this exhibition, I’m starting with my own roots and my own culture and myself. The mask puts me into my work in a way where I’m not just doing a bunch of self-portraits. It’s kind of my lens into learning about Chicano history in America.
“In luchador and lucha libre culture … the luchador mask will sometimes pass down from person to person. It’s like you step into a persona. When I wear the mask at shows, it really feels like a persona, like I can escape myself. It’s almost like I blend into the work. I’m super shy, and it brings me out of my shell a little bit.”
CAN YOU EXPLAIN “ECLIPSING BINARIES?”
“I wanted a Mexican American visual piece to merge both cultures. … With this exhibition, I’m not directly screaming ‘f**k ICE,’ or ‘f**k this s**t.’ It’s like, we’re here, and there’s strength and there’s community. We’re not scared to be who we are.”
TELL US A BIT ABOUT “NIGHTMARE OF THE WORLD ENDING.”
“That piece holds like a special place for me, because it was my indicator that I was ready for another show. … [In May 2024] I was driving back from San Diego when my idea for ‘Nightmare of the World Ending’ came to me. It arrived so suddenly, and it was such an ‘aha’ moment, that I told my wife, ‘Give me your phone. I need to do an audio description of what I’m seeing right now.’ Eventually, we stopped and I sketched it out, and I was sketching that one out I had this rush of, like, ‘Okay, the show is ready. This is my starting point.’”
Don’s Prime upholds the steakhouse standard with well-sourced cuts and classic character
The internet is sort of obsessed with steak. Hundreds of videos exist on TikTok and Instagram of nature-loving grill guys, the ones searing juicy tomahawks by the creek or at stunningly high altitudes, overlooking a grand view. But truth be told, a great steak doesn’t require any showstopping presentation—it is the showstopper.
Don’s Prime at Fontainebleau delivers just that with its classic vibe, tableside carvings, approachable lounge menu and world-class American Wagyu beef program.
A tribute to Fontainebleau Development chairman and CEO Je rey So er’s late father, Don’s opened in 2023 with all the swagger and sophistication of a decades-old steakhouse institution. The dining area is gorgeously furnished with accents of marble, warm burgundy tones and bold greens becoming more pronounced as you explore the
halls. It’s charming, to say the least, and rife with a sense of celebration. Don’s is where you go to delight.
Fontainebleau’s “ocean-to-table” seafood program in Miami Beach is legendary, with the seaside resort famously investing in its own aquarium of freshly caught sh, so we’d expect nothing less from Don’s Prime. The chilled and roasted seafood platters o er a bounty of fresh fare, from Eastern and Paci c oysters to king crab and briny clams baked in chile butter. Lighter bites like the bigeye tuna tartare and jumbo lump crabcake should also satisfy, if you’re not up for sharing.
It’s as close to the sea as desert diners will get, but Don’s really carves a name for itself with its prime cuts of beef.
Fontainebleau’s exclusive partnership with Colorado’s Cross Creek Ranch enables the culinary team to put out the most ethically sourced and quality meat on the market—for the entire property. Cross Creek Ranch breeds
livestock from an A5 lineage, the highest possible grade of Japanese beef available. The Vegas team selects its cattle from birth, determining how it’s raised and what it eats, and the resort utilizes every part of the cow; Don’s receives some of the best cuts, Chyna Club uses the bones for its broth and LIV Beach gets Wagyu beef for hot dogs.
That appreciation for the animal is what sets this steakhouse apart. Don’s cuts are fatty and exceptionally rich, an indulgence but also a full-on experience. The in-house dry aging program breaks down bers and tenderizes the meat to plump perfection. Domestic cuts include the New York strip, bone-in ribeye, let mignon and porterhouse, but executive chef Patrick Munster suggests the No. 1 seller: the 40 oz. Snake River Farms tomahawk ($245).
“We usually dry-age it anywhere from 30 to 35 days, that’s the sweet spot,” Munster says. “They’re awesome.
Really great steak, fun to share. I think Snake River Farms is probably the best domestic Wagyu that you can get.”
The A5 Japanese Wagyu (4 oz. $220, 8 oz. $420) is as close to the source as you can get, but sometimes we don’t have time for the full steakhouse experience. Luckily, Don’s Prime has a robust, approachable lounge menu featuring scrumptious lobster rolls with caviar ($38); oysters Rockefeller ($36) topped with a whipped gouda cream sauce, spinach and parmesan breadcrumbs; and Don’s Lounge Burger ($48), a coma-inducing delight with Cross Creek Ranch patties stacked atop glazed pepper bacon and a yolky, sunny-side up egg ready to be drizzled on. Those bites can be enjoyed in the lounge along with its own bar from 5 to 8 p.m.
Don’s Prime has proven it isn’t cutting any corners with its concept. It’s approachable, elegant, and showy when it counts—just how every steakhouse should be.
Steak at Don’s Prime (Courtesy/Bill Milne) Courtesy
NEW BLOW DRY BAR HAS SMALL-TOWN CHARMS
BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF
Amother-daughter duo has brought the rst Blo Blow Dry Bar to the Valley, o ering what they describe as a positive and electric environment for women looking for a place to go and receive anything from tape-in extensions and makeovers to a self-esteem boost.
It was important to mom Azure White and daughter Bailee Read that the environment for the salon, which they recently franchised in Southwest Las Vegas, was family-oriented, girl-friendly, free of judgment and ultimately a place where guests can just be themselves, White said.
“From our employees to our guests—everyone—our intention is to have that ‘girls’ feeling of, you’re in the bathroom and you’re getting ready together, and everyone’s getting their hair done, someone’s doing their eye makeup in the back corner with a mirror, and there’s music going and we’re just laughing,” Read said. “And I’m so happy to say that almost every single day that I walk into that bar, that’s exactly what’s going on.”
It’s exciting to be giving something back to the community she and her family have been a part of for so long, said Read, who was born and raised in Las Vegas. Her mother has lived in the Valley since age 5.
“We’re a little bit of control freaks,” said Read, who has a marketing background and runs all of the business’s events and community outreach. “So, if we were going to do it, we were going to do it ourselves, and we were going to do it together.”
The pair chose to franchise Blo because they believed it was best suited for a family-owned concept, said White, a cosmetologist of three decades. She’s also a luxury real estate agent, White said, which is how she and her daughter determined Rainbow Boulevard was the market for their business.
Read and her sister, both of whom White called her “best friends,” practically grew up in the salon with their mother, so opening Blo was an easy transition. Though it’s Read and White driving the venture, it’s become an entire family a air, with Read’s sister helping and White’s husband taking care of payroll and other such business.
With Blo, Read said, the mother-daughter duo had a lot of control over the store’s environment and could make it “as perfect” as they wanted.
When the pair attended a franchisee conference for the brand last winter, Read said, they knew they would bring it back to their hometown and make it the best it could be—especially as the Valley’s rst Blo.
“Like, we are going to make Vegas explode
with so much joy of having this, and then we’re going to make everyone else explode with so much joy that we’re part of their company,” Read said. “So we were really excited to be the breakout. We are big personalities. We’re not afraid to shout from the mountaintops for something that we want or think that is right. So being the rst ones was almost more enticing to us. Rather than coming into a marketplace that had another location, we loved the fact that we were going to be the rst.”
And one month in, clients, were saying that the store was very accepting, White said.
“Every single time they’re like, ‘It’s so homey and here I feel so pretty. It was such a positive experience,’” White said. “And that’s what’s important to us.”
Like Cheers, White emphasized, she and her daughter wanted Blo to be a place where everybody knows your name.
“It’s girlhood,” Read said. “We love the variety of personalities that come in from guests and from employees. And it’s a space that everyone just gets to have the chance to be themselves.”
While it can feel overwhelming to be working with family—meaning shop talk is intermingled with personal business—Read said it’s in her family’s nature to “go, go, go” at all times.
“One thing that I feel like we would say all the time before opening is that we created our dream team, and now that we are open, we really see it,” she said.
And they’re not done yet. The long-term goal is to open multiple locations, White said.
She’s very proud of her daughters, White said, seeing how they treat employees and the women who come into the salon. The venue’s nearly dozen stylists have become like family, she said.
Azure White, left, gives a blowout to her daughter Bailee Read at Blo Blow Dry Bar.
(Photo by Wade Vandervort)
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Join us for a seminar near you to explore your plan options, ask questions, and feel empowered to choose the plan that’s right for you.
To meet virtually, go to: Alignmenthealthplan.com/join Or to call, on the day and time of your seminar call: 1-866-789-6243; Conference ID: 929 259 974#
To register for a seminar, or to view a complete list of all seminars call 1-888-690-1452 (TTY: 711) or go to: AlignmentHealthPlan.com/seminars
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VEGAS INC NOTES
Hope For The City announced a partnership with The Maxx Crosby Foundation, whose commitment will tackle hunger, support youth drug prevention, and uplift more than 100,000 local children and families. This gift will deliver food, resources and hope to vulnerable people all year long. The foundation is also joining the starting lineup as a title sponsor of the Electric City Light Show, a drive-thru holiday experience running in Las Vegas from November 12 through January 4.
WOW Carwash delivered more than $3,500 of school supplies to Charles Silvestri Junior High School in Las Vegas. The partnership is the first of WOW’s Adopt A School program.
Tutor Perini Building Corporation announced a new leadership team. Mike Cherwin has been appointed president, bringing over 30 years of experience
delivering large-scale hospitality and gaming, high-rise residential, and advanced manufacturing projects throughout the western United States. Chris Cosenza joins as vice president of business development; Chris Casuga is vice president of preconstruction services.
The Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada hosted its 27th annual Halloween Bash, in partnership with Ellis Island Casino & Hotel, welcoming more than 650 children and families for celebration at Grand Prix Plaza. Families enjoyed trunk-or-treating, carnival games, prizes, rides, food and music, all set between Turns 2 and 3 of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit. The event provides children facing cancer a chance to simply be kids again, connecting away from treatment and hospitals. Since its inception, the Halloween Bash has raised more than $1.2 million to support Candlelighters families, with
this year’s event raising over $280,000. More than 50 individuals and organizations sponsored the event, including Hannah Lu Hodgman, 1Care Hospice, Dana White, Thomas Dermatology, Tito & Sandee Tiberti, Fowler Electric, Konami Gaming and Par 3 Landscaping.
The Athletics teamed up with the Public Education Foundation and Clark County School District Book Bus to bring books, school supplies and smiles to students and teachers at Iverson Elementary School. Team representatives assembled and delivered Classroom in a Box kits to teachers, filled with supplies for 30 students. The A’s presented the supplies to administrators and then provided students with bags of team swag. Each student selected two free books to take home. A’s broadcaster Chris Caray and team mascot Stomper led the celebration, delivering supplies and even joining students for recess.
Administration Coordinator
Manage administrative operations, plan organizational event, Mail resume to job site: UPLUS ACADEMY LLC, 3660 N Rancho Dr, Suite 113, Las Vegas, NV 89130 No Calls.
MGM Resorts International Operations, Inc. seeks a Digital Software Engineer in Las Vegas, NV to be responsible for taking technology innovations to the next level. Developing production grade code through vision, definition, planning, execution, deployment and sustainment. Apply online at https://careers.mgmresorts.com/global/en job number: 268569 or E-Mail resume to resume@mgmresorts.com and reference job number: 268569.
BACKSTORY
POW WOW EXHIBITION AT THE PALMS | OCTOBER 13, 2025 The latest in a long line of expert Native American traditional dancers, Nichole Nordwall wasn’t the only member of her family who showcased her culture at the Palms’ Pow Wow Exhibition. Fresh off their own renditions of styles like men’s northern traditional and jingle dress, Adam and Stephanie Nordwall watched with immense pride as their daughter delivered a fancy shawl dance marked by athletic footwork and equally vibrant regalia. Adam Nordwall, who calls Nichole “the driver’s side princess” of their ongoing North American powwow circuit, says they were all eager to represent their tribes in a “groundbreaking” event hosted by the first tribe to fully own and operate a Las Vegas casino—the California-based Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation. “It’s something else to be able to say I’ve seen this little gaming hall in Southern California grow to where they’re at and then expand to the Palms—like watching your children grow,” he says. “I really hope that me and my family can be part of that longevity in being able to share our beautiful, powerful culture with the people of the Las Vegas Valley and its visitors.” –Tyler Schneider
Photo by Wade Vandervort
PRESENTED BY
IN PARTNERSHIP
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS AND WADE VANDERVORT
WITH PLATINUM SPONSOR
BRING BARRY’S HOME FOR Thanksgiving
Let us set the table with Barry’s curated to-go meals, bringing a touch of gourmet to your home. Our meals are designed to be taken home and cooked to perfection, each meal includes a step-by-step card on how to prepare, so you can enjoy a restaurant-quality feast with ease.
Includes: half or whole organic turkey plus traditional stuffing, baby glazed carrots George Maloof Creamed corn, green bean casserole mashed potatoes, roasted yams fresh cranberry sauce, turkey gravy
