2026-01-08-Las-Vegas-Weekly by Greenspun Media Group

2025 BEST OF LAS VEGAS

INTERIM PUBLISHER MARIA BLONDEAUX maria.blondeaux@gmgvegas.com EDITOR SHANNON MILLER shannon.miller@gmgvegas.com

EDITORIAL

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CREATIVE

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T A B L E

O F

C O N T E N T S

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L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

Downtown Las Vegas in 2004 (AP Photo/Joe Cavaretta)

ON THE COVER

18 VEGAS STARTER KIT

The city reveals its true identity slowly. But you can unlock it through books, movies, music and more. COVER ART Photo Illustration

08 SUPERGUIDE

WEEKLY Q&A Building on a cult following, Guerrilla Pizza Company founder Robby Cunningham opens his first standalone shop.

SPORTS The Raiders escape a rough season with the best possible prize: the top pick in the NFL Draft.

NEWS UNLV declines an on-campus Vegas Loop station but approves digging nearby.

SCENE From a game-show competition to a galactic adventure, Area15 offers a host of new immersive activities.

MUSIC New releases from Brett Bolton, Jae Douglass and more from the local scene. FOOD & DRINK Venetian’s Via Via Food Hall offers a great variety of impeccable bites.

The Black Eyed Peas turn up the speakers at LIV at Fontainebleau, Keyshia Cole brings early 2000s R&B to Encore Theater and more this week. Want More? Visit lasvegasweekly.com.

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SUPERGUIDE THURSDAY JAN 8 S U P E R G

BLACK EYED PEAS FYI (Focus Your Ideas) and LG partnered up with Black Eyed Peas frontman and hitmaking producer Will.i.am to create the new Xboom speaker line, a portable product enriched by the FYI.Raidio AI-powered streaming service. So it only makes sense, with CES in town, to show off this tech with a splashy concert in an equally blinged-out nightclub—LIV at Fontainebleau—starring Will and the Peas along with Ty Dolla Sign, Hit-Boy, Estevie, Meka and more. It’s not just a party, it’s “a collision of sound, innovation and nightlife at the highest level.” 9 p.m., $36+, LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com. –Brock Radke

LAS VEGAS DESERT DOGS VS. SASKATCHEWAN RUSH 7:30 p.m., Lee’s Family Forum, axs.com. USA BMX NATIONALS Thru 1/11, times vary, Orleans Arena, usabmx.com.

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

UNLV HOCKEY VS. NIAGARA 7 p.m., City National Arena, rebelhockey.com.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS 7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

LON BRONSON BAND 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.

THE CHOIR OF MAN 7:30 p.m., Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com.

LORRAINE DIETRICH With No Surprises, West End, 9 p.m., Red Dwarf, reddwarflv.com.

DISNEY ON ICE Thru 1/11, times vary, Thomas & Mack Center, unlvtickets.com.

HARRY LUGE 10 p.m., Stoney’s Rockin’ Country, tixr.com.

DAVE TULL TRIO 7:30 & 9 p.m., & 1/10, Vic’s, vicslasvegas.com.

D S U P E R G U I D E

FRIDAY JAN 9

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

ALL YOUR FRIENDS INDIE PARTY 9 p.m., the Wall at Area15, area15.com. DUKE DUMONT 10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com. ZEDD 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com. THE CHAINSMOKERS 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com. DISCO LINES 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com.

DO IT ALL

LAVELL CRAWFORD Thru 1/11, times vary, Wiseguys, wiseguys comedy.com.

Courtesy

LAS VEGAS WEEKLY

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MUSIC

PARTY

ARTS

SPORTS

FOOD

COMEDY

MISC

SATURDAY JAN 10 VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. ST. LOUIS BLUES 7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

Courtesy

PRIDESTYLE WRESTLING: FULL CIRCLE 5 p.m., Vegas Theatre Company, pridestylepro.com. HOLOHOLO MARKET Noon, Fergusons Downtown, fergusonsdown town.com. BRAD GARRETT With Brendan Eyre, Kermet Apio, thru 1/11, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand.com. BOB ZANY 8 p.m., & 1/11, LA Comedy Club, best vegascomedy.com. DAMAGE INC 7:30 p.m., House of Blues, ticketmaster.com. SYNDEE WINTERS 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.

KEYSHIA COLE One of the most recognizable voices in modern R&B and soul has finally landed in Las Vegas. Keyshia Cole, best known for penning heart-rending anthems like “Love” and the Missy Elliott and Lil’ Kim collab “Let It Go,” kicks off the new year with a two-night run in celebration of her 2005 debut The Way It Is. Those around for that era couldn’t escape the self-proclaimed “Princess of Hip-Hop Soul” even if they tried. As a vocal powerhouse and songwriter, Cole has steeped her artistry in empowerment, vulnerability and female connection with her fellow music fans. You can expect nothing short of all the hits from this R&B icon, and perhaps a little more. 8 p.m., & 1/11, $85-$472, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com. –Amber Sampson

THE NIFTY NICKELS 6 p.m., Sand Dollar Lounge, thesanddollarlv.com.

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

SKYY TYRELL QUARTET 7 p.m., Maxan Jazz, maxanjazz.com. CASPIAN’S FIRST ANNIVERSARY PARTY 8 p.m., Caspian’s, caspianslv.com. LIL JON 10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com. MARSHMELLO 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com. CRANKDAT 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com. LAIDBACK LUKE 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com.

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

F O R M O R E U P C O M I N G E V E N T S , V I S I T L A S V E G A S W E E K LY.C O M .

P E R G U I D E

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SUPERGUIDE SUNDAY JAN 11

MONDAY JAN 12 MO MANDEL With Eddie Pence, thru 1/14, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand.com.

S U P E

S U P E R G U I D E

KYM WHITLEY 9:30 p.m., & 1/12, Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster.com. SURF SUNDAY BRUNCH 11 a.m., Red Dwarf, reddwarflv.com.

G U

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

EXHIBIT: FROM WHAT TO MY WONDERING EYES DO APPEAR Thru 2/24, times vary, Whitney Library, thelibrarydistrict.org.

KATRINA BREE’S BLUE NOTE TRIO 7 p.m., the Underground, themobmuseum.org. DOC ROCK & THE ASYLUM 8 p.m., Fat Cat Lounge, fatcatlv.com.

EXHIBIT: THE CHOICES OF MAN THROUGH THE LENS OF THE HOLOCAUST Thru 1/29, Mon.Thu. 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Clark County Government Center, clarkcountynv.gov.

THE HANG FEATURING THE B-LISTERS 6 p.m., Composers Room, the composersroom.com. MAURICE CRUTCHER TRIO 7 p.m., Maxan Jazz, maxanjazz.com. DJ FIVE 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com.

DO IT ALL NIKKI CARR Thru 1/18 8 p.m., LA Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy.com

Courtesy

MUSIC

PARTY

ARTS

SPORTS

FOOD

COMEDY

MISC

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SUPERGUIDE MUSIC

PARTY

ARTS

TUESDAY JAN 13

CLINT HOLMES 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.

JEREMIAH SEYER & NOAH SMITH 9 p.m., Fat Cat Lounge, fatcatlv.com.

R G U I

S U P E R G U I D E

D E

FOOD

COMEDY

MISC

WEDNESDAY JAN 14

SPORTS

DJ FRANZEN 10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com. ESCOBAR 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com.

SARAH’S STRIP! VEGAS VARIETY SHOW 7 p.m., Composers Room, the composersroom. com.

UNLV MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. BOISE STATE 8 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center, unlvtickets.com. NAOMI MAURO 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.

1973 LIVE: ALOHA FROM WESTGATE 6 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com.

STANLEY AVENUE 10 p.m., Sand Dollar Lounge, thesanddollarlv.com. JOHN CAPARULO 9:30 p.m., Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster.com. OPHIRA EISENBERG With Ryan Goldsher, Mike E. Winfield, Allan Havey, thru 1/18, 7 & 9:30 p.m., Comedy Cellar, ticketmaster.com. DJ PAULY D 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com.

DO IT ALL

Courtesy

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

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C U L T U R E

•

W E E K L Y

Q + A

Guerrilla Pizza Company’s Robby Cunningham on building a cult favorite and finally opening a brick-and-mortar

PIES FOR THE PEOPLE

Robby Cunningham (Photo by Christopher DeVargas)

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B Y

G A B R I E L A

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

R O D R I G U E Z

There’s a particular kind of heartbreak over losing a place that fed you right. For many Las Vegans, Guerrilla Pizza Company was that place, a dependable refuge for Detroit-style pies that showed up heavy, honest and so damn delicious—personal-sized squares with edges fried crisp in oil and cheese, an interior both thick and airy, crowned with a molten blend of cheese, fixings and a deliberate spoonful of sauce. It wasn’t flashy. It was just downright satisfying. And it became a cult classic because it never pretended to be anything else. The story of Guerrilla Pizza isn’t one of overnight success or tidy timelines. It’s a story about resilience, repetition, and the refusal to quit. Founder and self-proclaimed pizza papi Robby Cunningham started slinging free pies out of his house in 2019, cooking for anyone willing to believe in him and tell their friends. From leaving his bartending job to hand-deliver pizzas for donations, to having a temporary kitchen, the operation survived on grit, word of mouth and the confidence that the food spoke for itself. Now, with Guerrilla Pizza finally operating its own brick-andmortar restaurant Downtown, the Weekly dished with Cunningham about what it takes to keep the dream alive. How long did it take for you to develop the Guerrilla Pizza recipe? Well, like a week … about three tries. I was really lucky with it. I just wanted to make a little all-star pizza of all my favorite pizza places, you know, like Little Caesar’s sauce, this and that, Jet’s Pizza crust, just have some fun with it.

When I made my third pizza I remember having my old co-worker, Rob Cat from Artifice, over at my house, and I’ll never forget ... we both took a slice and we were like ‘alright, this is it.’ It was one of those Marvel montages; it was insane. I felt like I hit a jackpot. The next time I made it, I did the exact same recipe … it’s been the same since 2019. It’s crazy that this business all started with you giving those pizzas away. I wanted to use my bartender mentality and give away a free pizza in exchange for a shoutout, you know? I’ll give you exactly what you want. I’ll deliver it to you. All you have to do is share it on your Instagram. And the cool thing is, I was actually putting out a good product. The food spoke for itself. I didn’t have to put a knife to anybody’s ribs to get them to do that. So, it blew up a bit and it was a really quick, wild ride. Then in 2020, Hard Hat [Lounge] reached out to see if I wanted to set up. They needed food in the gaming bars, since they were lifting regulations. I opened up October 1, 2020 as Guerrilla Pizza in the Hard Hat Lounge. You were operating out of the bar for two and a half years before you took a break. Can you tell us what you were up to during that hiatus? Hard Hat had to shut down … they had to do all these renovations. When it shut down, I decided to walk away. I got to live out a little dream of living up in Northern Michigan, where it’s

Detroit-style pizzas, Caesar salad, garlic parm wings, wild knots and hot churro bread at Guerrilla Pizza Company in Downtown Las Vegas. (Photo by Christopher DeVargas)

gorgeous in the summer, and I worked for one of my favorite breweries as a beer tender. I was only gone for six months, but everyone seemed to think I moved. I came back and started working at Carl’s Donuts. I was trying to expand my knowledge of baking and things like that, just to take a step aside from the pizza life for a minute because it got overwhelming. I also started working at Jet’s [Pizza] and learned a bit of dialing in certain systems and processes and procedures. I got to go backwards and learn the craft a bit more under my competitor, if you will, but also my inspiration. This location is quite the upgrade from your previous kitchen. Tell me about how the operation has changed. Obviously, space. With pizza, there’s so much with the fermentation process. You have to bulk create, and you burn through product very fast. The Hard Hat kitchen is fun when you’re trying to put proof of concept, but it’s

GUERRILLA PIZZA COMPANY 900 Las Vegas Blvd. South #120, 702-4440550, guerrillapizza. com. Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 a.m.

hard to have longevity in a space like that. It’s nice to be in a bigger spot where we can do high volume, because the demand was definitely something that was capping the ability. I’m incredibly blessed to have generated that amount of traffic and love. I was only around for two-and-a half-years, and to have gone that long is kind of wild. Then to still have that loyalty is incredible, too. You definitely have this very hungry community ready to support you. What are you most excited about with this new venture? I’m excited and eager to get back out there and to get crafty and creative again. We have the product incredibly dialed in ... with pizzas coming out perfect every time, which is such a joy. Now, I really want to see this thing the way I’ve always seen it, with multiple locations in the Valley and to expand across the globe, hopefully, but at least across America.

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L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

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Fantasía/Fantasy: A Decade of Practice 2011-2021

All the books, movies, music and more a newcomer or curious local needs to understand this place right now B Y L A S V E G A S W E E K LY S T A F F In this new year and in every other year, Las Vegas remains a place that everyone thinks they know. That’s what comes with being a young, fast-growing city that just happens to be one of the most recognizable destinations in the world. But even visitors who come to Vegas frequently will acknowledge there’s a lot to learn about this place, plenty of details just below the obvious (Strip) surface waiting to be discovered. And like any real city, you need to live it to truly understand its culture—but there’s always a bounty of pop culture that can provide a convenient and creative way in. So to christen this new year—and maybe offer a bit of direction for anyone who’s recently decided to live it and learn it—the Weekly has created this brisk and bouncy Vegas starter kit. Crack these books, catch these flicks and spin these tracks and you’ll be on your way to enlightenment ... or at least you’ll know enough to argue about stuff over drinks at your neighborhood pub.

Courtesy/Group Project LLC / Jimmy Luu

by Justin Favela Part biography, part graphic novel, part coffee table art book and a complete portrait of one of Las Vegas’ best homegrown artists, Fantasía/ Fantasy is a must-have for anyone who’s ever asked, “Why doesn’t Vegas have a strong art scene?”—and those who know it actually does. And it feels good in your hands: it’s printed on crepe paper, like what Favela uses to create his piñata-like works. –Geoff Carter

Flamingo Wash: The Era of Electromagnetic Radiation in Small Las Vegas

by Anthony Bondi Anthony Bondi is a living librarian of Vegas counterculture. He’s a brilliant collage artist, a terrific storyteller and, coincidentally, a longtime nudist. When Anthony Bourdain came to Vegas to shoot an episode of Parts Unknown, Bondi matched him insight for insight. Flamingo Wash is more than Bondi’s memoir, it’s a look at a different, darker and more wondrous Vegas. –GC

Grandissimo: The First Emperor of Las Vegas

by David Schwartz This biography tells the overlooked story of Jay Sarno, one of the architects of the Las Vegas Strip whose influence has endured through every decade since his rise to prominence in the 1960s. This fascinating character study has all the Old Vegas ups and downs you could ever ask for, illustrating Sarno as a true pioneer—one who figured out the trajectory of grand casino resorts before anyone else. –Brock Radke

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L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

Learning from Las Vegas

Las Vegas Then and Now

by Su Kim Chung To appreciate Las Vegas’ magnificent skyline, it helps to know what it used to look like. Las Vegas Then and Now uses historic photographs from UNLV Special Collections and pairs them with specially commissioned photos of the same spots. The sideby-side comparisons are striking. Where artesian wells once sprang up out of the ground, a complex of museums known as the Springs Preserve now exists. Once the city’s main business thoroughfare, Fremont Street was forever changed with the installation of the famous Viva Vision canopy. Now surrounded by a sea of resorts, the original Flamingo, one of the Strip’s earliest casinos, appeared as though it materialized in the middle of the desert. In a town that is constantly imploding and paving over its history, knowing where we’ve been keeps us tethered to the last shreds we have. –Shannon Miller

by Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown & Steven Izenour Duck, duck, duck … shed. If for nothing else, you should read this architectural primer to learn the difference between a “duck” (a building with a shape that says what it is; the Luxor and New York-New York are ducks) and a “decorated shed” (boxy buildings that rely on signage to distinguish themselves). You’ll be able to read our skyline like a book. –GC

The Meth Lunches

by Kim Foster Perhaps the only book on Las Vegas that’s given real and compassionate consideration to the lives of the vast number of Valley residents who struggle in poverty, addiction, hunger and incarceration, The Meth Lunches is at times harrowing, but Foster always manages to look to the light—even if it’s coming from an LED billboard. –GC

Vegas Gold: The Entertainment Capital of the World 1950-1980

Quiet Kingmaker of Las Vegas: E. Parry Thomas

by Jack Sheehan It seems as if the Strip creates and perpetually absorbs all the energy of Las Vegas, but once you’ve put some years in, you’ll discover that it’s just a big TV screen. Trace the power cord and you’ll find the outlet is often regular people doing a lot of hard work and taking big risks. The name of Utah-born banker and developer E. Parry Thomas might not be on a neon marquee (but that’s it on the Thomas & Mack Center) and yet few have done more to build Las Vegas, funding casinos, driving out the mob, mentoring Steve Wynn and other visionaries, and setting an early tone for community-altering philanthropy in Southern Nevada. Quiet Kingmaker is essential for a real behind-the-scenes understanding of Las Vegas. –BR

Sun, Sin & Suburbia: An Essential History of Modern Las Vegas

by Geoff Schumacher Schumacher has researched and written more stories about Las Vegas’ history, culture and politics than you’ve had comped drinks. The former Las Vegas Sun and CityLife editor and current VP of exhibits and programs at the Mob Museum pours many of them into this comprehensive city history, from our frontier beginnings to the 2008 crash. –GC

by David Willis This hefty coffee table book is all about the Vegas myth, but what a myth it is—and you’ve rarely seen it more beautifully depicted. All the usual suspects are present—Elvis, Liberace, Miss Atomic Bomb—but you’re also treated to gorgeous color photos of The Beatles, Ike and Tina Turner, Audrey Hepburn and many more living, working and playing in a Las Vegas big enough to matter, but still small enough for Dino to end his set early enough to wander over to watch Frank’s. The Glass Pool Inn lives on in these pages, as does pre-canopy Fremont Street and gaudy, shag-carpeted penthouse rooms suitable for Austin Powers. Everyone from Tom Wolfe to Barbara Walters chimes in on the Vegas mythos. Vintage postcards and airline travel posters, promotional shots and news photos are combined to present a dizzying and intoxicating look at a Vegas that no longer exists and perhaps never really did. –GC

AP Photo

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

The Hangover

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AP Photo

Diamonds Are Forever

Casino

When you think about the mob’s indomitable hold on Las Vegas and its end, you think of Casino. Martin Scorsese’s classic mafia movie is an unflinching deep dive into a mob-run resort thriving in an age of organized crime and opulence. Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci star as Ace Rothstein and Nicky Santoro, characters based on real-life mobsters Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal (who secretly ran the Stardust, among other casinos) and the violent taskmaster Anthony Spilotro. It’s a crime epic for the ages, one with bite and knee-breaking brutality that reminds us how greed, betrayal and fealty shaped our town. The mob’s influence can’t be overstated in this film, but it’s also not a complete glorification. We see the fall of a shadowy empire and its grip on Old Vegas as we knew it. –Amber Sampson

Cool World

This weird animation/ live action hybrid from 1992 is directed by Fritz the Cat’s Ralph Bakshi, features a young Brad Pitt, and has an underrated David Bowie theme. But you should watch it only to see Fremont Street transformed into a cartoon hellscape. See also: Things Are Tough All Over with Cheech and Chong (1982) and Leprechaun 3 (1995). –GC

Most of the action in this late Sean Connery-era James Bond movie happens in Strip hotels, primarily Circus Circus, the Tropicana, the Riviera and the International, now known as Westgate. (The latter doubled as The Whyte House, lair of Howard Hughes analogue Willard Whyte). Two city funeral homes, Palm Downtown Cemetery and Palm Boulder Highway Mortuary, play money-laundering operation Slumber, Inc. But the Fremont Street car chase, made a quarter-century before the canopy was built and with the Plaza still under construction, is flat-out iconic— not just for Las Vegas, but for the Bond franchise as well. Bond drives an American muscle car for a change—a Ford Mustang Mach 1—and pulls some crazy donut turns in Fremont’s intersections, skidding dangerously close to onlookers. But its most remarkable scene is a brief aerial shot: Bond drives through the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo … and the Strip is bracketed by largely open desert. –GC

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

You should read the book first, if you haven’t already. But Terry Gilliam’s 1998 runand-gun adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s druggy travelogue manages to resurrect a bygone Vegas, from Circus Circus’ Horse-a-Round Bar to a Strip where marijuana use is an exception and not the rule. –GC

Frank & Lola

Filmed in Downtown Las Vegas just as the Downtown revival was beginning to take hold— filming locations include Carson Kitchen, Commonwealth and the El Cortez—this 2016 neo-noir, starring Michael Shannon and Imogen Poots, is flat-out beautiful to look at. For the first time, a film gave the clear impression that people live in Vegas by choice. It’s a real place where we live, love and suffer. –GC

GLOW

Playwright and producers Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch were the ultimate tag team when it came to recreating the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling in this Netflix series. The inherently campy dramedy starring Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin is based on the real-life cast who filmed the syndicated wrestling show at the Riviera in the 1980s. G.L.O.W. captured lightning—and a bit of glitter—in a bottle. The spandex was flashy, the stunts over the top and the storylines even more so. Locals like Folies Bergere showgirl Lauri Thompson even squared off in the ring as the spunky Susie Spirit. And Netflix’s GLOW honors those wrestling divas through its own fictionalized characters. In the third season, the women settle into their Las Vegas residency and it’s a nostalgic blast to see all the big lights and buffets. But there’s moments of reflection too, like when they visit Red Rock Canyon. G.L.O.W. arrived in Vegas at a very special time, and GLOW offers a colorful way to revisit. –AS

There are those who would argue an off-therails bachelor party with accidental extreme intoxication could be the most obvious Vegas cliché to build a movie upon, and therefore such a comedy caper couldn’t have anything profound to say about actual Vegas. But the idea of escapism with some degree of debauchery is still closely connected with the perception of Vegas for many people, not just the bored white men in this movie. Whether or not you wake up with a tiger in the bathroom, the possibility of it—and the infinite potential of the story you’ll have to tell—is the powerful force that has drawn anyone and everyone to Las Vegas. Some kind of adventure always awaits. Maybe Mike Tyson will be involved. –BR

The Last Showgirl

The team behind Gia Coppola’s 2024 film didn’t just parachute into Las Vegas and presume to know how to represent our city on screen. They consulted local Las Vegans and even utilized local Spiegelworld performer Gypsy Wood’s home as a set for the main character’s house. In a Golden Globe-nominated performance by Pamela Anderson, Shelly struggles to come to terms with the closing of a show in which she’s been performing for decades. The Blue Angel, a still-standing statue which originated from a defunct motel of midcentury Vegas, makes several appearances as a tender Hail Mary reference. And as showgirls make quick changes in between numbers, it’s a treat to go backstage and get up close to the gorgeous Jubilee costumes loaned by Caesars Entertainment. The movie is a true ode to Vegas workers, entertainers and our visual culture. –SM

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Tim Burton’s outrageous 1996 sci-fi comedy isn’t strictly a Vegas movie, but the city features heavily. It includes the implosion of the Landmark hotel tower, a chase through an early version of the Neon Museum boneyard, and Tom Jones performing “It’s Not Unusual” with a band of Martians at the Luxor. So implausible. The Luxor. –GC

Ocean’s Eleven

Yes, the 1960 original has the Rat Pack and a bunch of defunct hotels. But this 2001 Steven Soderbergh heist movie featuring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon is something the original is not: a sentimental and even alluring depiction of the city we work in, and the mythology that fuels it. –GC

Showgirls

Moviegoers in Las Vegas and everywhere else were equally displeased when this notorious bomb hit theaters in 1995, but 30 years later, Showgirls has become a campy and fun cult classic. There’s even a little truth to be found in this version of Vegas, primarily the reassuring knowledge that sexy stage spectaculars like Goddess (now starring Nomi Malone!) were once the main attraction along the Strip. –BR

AP Photo

Mars Attacks

Swingers

Make no mistake: This is a movie about life in Los Angeles. There’s only a wee bit shot in Las Vegas (mostly at the Stardust and Fremont casinos) and yet the first thing anybody remembers or says about Swingers is “Vegas baby, Vegas!” And that’s because LA folks taking a last-minute trip to Vegas is definitely a thing, though maybe slightly less than it was in 1996. And LA folks coming to Vegas all the time—often moving to Vegas and influencing local culture in every way possible—is absolutely a thing, actually one of the biggest things to ever happen in Las Vegas. –BR

Guest Pick: Hacks Selected by artist Justin Favela “HBO’s Hacks is a good representation of old-school Vegas and how the city was run—and in a lot of ways, is still run, when it comes to comedians headlining at a Strip casino and the deals they do, the sacrifices they make and the unspoken rules that apply. Sure, it’s a comedy, it’s wacky, it’s about showbiz, but it’s close to accurate in a lot of ways, like the way that they portray the mayor as just hanging out, drunk, getting into mischief. … It’s modern Vegas, but it’s also a throwback, celebrating the dying art of the old dinner casino act. And viewing it as [a Vegas local], it’s fun to see how Hollywood portrays Las Vegas. You’re like, ‘Yeah, that’s in Burbank; we don’t have those kinds of trees.’ But care was taken to also shoot some things on the Strip, which is cool.”

Viva Las Vegas

You couldn’t ask for a better city time capsule than this 1964 Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret musical. It rambles from Strip hotels (Tropicana, Flamingo) to UNLV (its former gymnasium, now the Barrick Museum) to the great outdoors (Lake Mead, Mount Charleston). –GC

Guest Pick: Parkway of Broken Dreams Selected by filmmaker Shahab Zargari “Parkway of Broken Dreams is a documentary by Pj Perez about the vibrant 1990s arts and music scene along Las Vegas’ Maryland Parkway. It uses archival footage and interviews to show how poets, musicians, and creatives built a thriving culture that later faded away. While the film spotlights what Maryland Parkway looked and sounded like in the ’90s (hint: nothing like it does now), it also offers a very realistic portrait of Vegas artists, poets and musicians, told by those who lived it. It’s a look at how Las Vegas creatives are scrappy, hungry and not afraid to experiment, yes, but also about how we support each other with or without sponsors or big money.”

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“Vegas” by Big Thief

“Las Vegas Man” by Suicide

“Heaven or Las Vegas” by Cocteau Twins

“The Happening” by the Pixies

These alt-rock legends regularly slip Vegas references into their albums, but this nod to our UFO lore takes the cake. Frontman Black Francis fixates on a highly classified “ranch they call No. 51.” It’s virtually undetectable “unless you’re flying by,” but our otherworldly visitors have found us. The track escalates as Francis describes a close encounter with a spaceship that lands on the Strip. “They’ve come this far, I’ve lived this long. At least I must just go and say hello,” he sings, proving that the truth is out there, and the Pixies believe. –AS

The second single off Cocteau Twins’ eponymous sixth album is a dizzying blur of melodies. Some might confuse it with The Weeknd’s darkly sensual track of the same name (Abel Tesfaye himself has cited Vegas and Cocteau Twins as pivotal parts of his sound), but it’s truly this trio’s own, prismatic and blissful, dreamlike and in sharp contrast to the role Vegas plays in the song. With temptation being a theme of “Heaven or Las Vegas,” vocalist Elizabeth Fraser paints a portrait in which she’s caught somewhere in between vice and virtue, innocence and iniquity, heaven and the sinful archetype of Las Vegas. While recording this album, Fraser navigated motherhood and a rough relationship with guitarist Robin Guthrie, who had struggled with addiction. Wrestling with that tension, of purity versus depravity, mirrors how many outsiders looking in tend to see our city as sin personified. –AS

You may not know this band, but you know its sound and legacy: Suicide was one of the first bands to call itself “punk,” and its dark, relentless electro inspired everyone from Nine Inch Nails to Sleaford Mods. Being seen by Suicide, even in a minor track like this, is kind of a huge honor. Makes Vegas cooler by association. –GC

“Leaving Las Vegas” by Sheryl Crow

Figures that LA gets the Sheryl Crow song that begins “All I wanna do is have a little fun before I die” and Vegas gets the one that starts off with “Life springs eternal on a gaudy neon street/not that I care at all,” and becomes steadily more pessimistic about the town. The disillusioned showgirl of the lyrics even gets so bored with Vegas that she flees to Barstow for a date with a trucker— Barstow? For serious? Still, Crow neatly captures the “I’ve had enough” speech every Las Vegan eventually gives, down to the bit where we insist, “And I won’t be back. Not this time.” (Yes, you will. Everyone comes back. I went away for 10 years and came back, so gimme a break.) And “Leaving Las Vegas” has something few songs about Vegas (that aren’t by the Killers) possess: A rousing, sing-along chorus. “I’m leaving Las Vegas! Lights so bright! Blackjack on a Saturday night!” –GC

“Ooh Las Vegas” by Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris

This upbeat country rocker is perhaps the happiest song ever written about losing your money and your soul. “Every time I hit your crystal city you know/ You’re gonna make a wreck outta me,” Parsons harmonizes with Harris, barreling joyfully and headlong into disaster. It’s the pragmatic twin of “Viva Las Vegas,” and a better song, too. –GC

“Paper Rain” by Andrew McMahon

“Paper Rain” fully embraces the “anyone can make it in Vegas” mentality. McMahon describes a desperate drive to climb out of debt and win big, passing “the lake as fake as a showgirl’s lashes,” and pawning the last of his precious metals in hopes of turning his luck around. It’s every tourist’s dream. –AS

“Queen of Las Vegas” by The B-52s

Buried on side 2 of the B-52s’ third album Whammy, “Queen of Las Vegas” is not the band’s best song about taking money that’s not yours. (That would be “Legal Tender,” side 1.) But it’s found a place in the band’s residency setlist at the Venetian, and that’s neat. First they sang it, then they became it. –GC

“Holed up in Vegas for only one week,” is how Big Thief vocalist and guitarist Adrienne Lanker opens this intimate snapshot of a relationship on the road. Vegas as escapism isn’t anything new. Millions do it every year, the transience allowing them to be whoever they wish for the week. But under marching melodies and vulnerable visuals, Lanker sings about finding something real in a town of daydreams. –AS

“Vegas Lights” by Panic! At the Disco

It was track 3 on 2013 album Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!, didn’t even make the cut as a single. This was back when Panic was a band and not just the main project of Brendon Urie, who described “Vegas Lights” as something of an anthem for a night out club-hopping. And then, in 2017, it became an undisputed Vegas anthem, booming through T-Mobile Arena every time the Golden Knights score a goal. And there were a lot of goals back then, and ever since. It was simply meant to be, given the last line of the chorus: “We’re winning till the curtain’s coming down.” –BR

“Viva Las Vegas” by Elvis Presley

You may like it, may be sick of it. But as a city theme, we could do worse than this Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman tune, written for the 1964 Elvis Presley film of the same name. See also: Covers by ZZ Top, Dead Kennedys, Bruce Springsteen, The Killers and many more. –GC

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Guest Pick: “For Vegas”

Selected by musician Coco Jenkins “My favorite piece of media that represents the vibe of Vegas is a song called ‘For Vegas’ by local beatmaker and rapper Trade Voorhees. It’s a timeless track featuring Drew Price, who’s still active in the scene, and Sean Rose. The sample that Trade uses is “Dimension 5ive” by The 5th Dimension. It’s a classic ’70s jazz tune. And to me, the sample helps connect you with the Frank Sinatra-type of Vegas. It’s not from that era, but it could still live in a jazz lounge or in a Vegas lounge. It would be the evolution of the Rat Pack era. I also really align with Trade’s hook: ‘I do this for Vegas/I run around other cities/And do this for Vegas.’ I wish I wrote this song, that’s how Vegas it is. I feel like it encapsulates how I feel, how the city should feel and anybody who’s moving for Vegas culture. To me, it should be the Vegas anthem—until I write a new one.”

Photo by Christopher DeVargas

LEARNING ON THE JOB

When I accepted a job at the Weekly almost a year ago, I had never been to Las Vegas even once in my life, and I’d also never gambled at a casino. The brash decision to shed A transplant’s take on my Midwestern roots for the blind allure of desert living was year one in Las Vegas undoubtedly informed by the Sin City mythos I’d consumed BY TYLER SCHNEIDER as a fan of popular media like Fallout: New Vegas and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but the exciting, off-the-cuff adventures that fueled my perceptions are just one of several truths I’ve discovered as a local. To avoid burying the lede, I’ll say that the Strip is about as diverse and consumerist as I anticipated—though that doesn’t mean I’m not still frequently struck by the sheer absurdism and grandiosity of it all. Are we just pretending this is normal? Beyond that, the little surprises—like the fact that I can see mountains from my apartment windows and learning that highways can inexplicably just end—have somehow left an even stronger impression. Winters here are just nice fall days back in Chicago, whereas the dastardly summer heat is more or less as insufferable as a zero-degree windchill. Cacti can grow berries. My dog and I kind of miss seeing squirrels. And after a handful of tragic slot spins and overly ambitious roulette bets, gambling already seems pretty dumb. With that said, I also have Lake Mead—or what’s left of it—virtually in my backyard, and I quite enjoy taking a trip to Boulder City to remind myself that the fast-paced life of the Valley isn’t inescapable. Back in town, I’ve rubbed elbows with anyone from the bougiest of casino execs to Bryce Harper’s high school coach, sly political aspirants, Maya Angelou’s former tour manager, tenacious Arts District pioneers, a remarkable woman who defies her own Alzheimer’s diagnosis through poetry and many more. In 2026, I’m looking forward to furthering a newfound kinship with pockets of the Valley’s outsized Filipino and “Ninth Island” communities, whom I’ve found to be unashamedly authentic and amicable across the board. I’m also intent on delving further into the intersection of classic Vegas iconography and the sleek realities that mark its future. I still have plenty of unanswered questions. How long can Circus Circus continue to hold out as the lone surviving gritty, unapologetic caricature of everything I thought this place would be? Where are you guys hiding all the pierogies? And will the Raiders learn how to tank with grace next season?

Photo by Steve Marcus

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IN THE NEWS

HOT SHOT

A view of the Hard Rock Las Vegas’ guitar-shaped hotel tower under construction on Las Vegas Boulevard at the former site of the Mirage. The building is expected to stand at 41 stories. (Steve Marcus/Staff)

TOURISM

Tourism officials unveiled a $600 million overhaul of the Las Vegas Convention Center, saying it will help keep the region’s convention calendar packed and the economy for that sector humming for years. On January 5, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority leadership and the organizers and producers of CES— the annual consumer electronics showcase—cut the ribbon on the expansive renovation project, which included connecting the North and South halls and extending the ribbon roof design from the West Hall. The finished renovations come just in time for what LVCVA President and CEO Steve Hill said will be one

tourism industry, which experienced a sluggish 2025. Visitation to the city was down 7.4%, or 2.8 million people, through November compared with 2024, according to LVCVA data. However, convention attendance was relatively stable, bringing in around 5.7 million people and falling 0.6% through November compared with 2024. In 2016, the Nevada Legislature approved the Southern Nevada Tourism Improvement Act. That made way for helping to finance the NFL’s Raiders with the construction of Allegiant Stadium and the expansion and improvements just completed at the Las Vegas Convention Center. –Kyle Chouinard

Majestic Repertory Theatre expands two shows to LA Courtesy

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of the best show calendars Las Vegas has seen. “If you look at our building, we are packed. If you look at Mandalay (Bay), if you look at Venetian, they have very little room to offer in this coming calendar year,” Hill said of Las Vegas’ three largest convention centers. “It’s a signal of how important Las Vegas is to the meeting industry.” Last year, the Las Vegas Convention Center played host to around 1.06 million trade show attendees. The LVCVA is projecting a moderate boost in trade show activity this year, with 1.23 million expected attendees at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It’s welcome news for the Las Vegas

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LVCVA rolls out $600M convention center overhaul

Midway through its 10th season, Majestic Repertory Theatre is expanding to new audiences. The Downtown Las Vegas theater recently announced that it’ll bring two cult favorite horror productions—Empanada Loca and The Craft’d: An Unauthorized Musical Parody—to Los Angeles this February with their original casts. Artistic director Troy Heard’s darkly comical take on the 1996 film The Craft garnered viral attention in 2022 and again last fall. Meanwhile Empanada Loca, a grisly, one-woman horror tale that originally premiered off-Broadway in 2015, has returned to Majestic several times, delighting live theatergoers with a taste for terror. –Amber Sampson

SPORTS

More VGK players headed to Winter Games Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin has been named to the 2026 U.S. Olympic men’s ice hockey team, joining previously selected forward Jack Eichel in Italy next month. VGK forwards Mitch Marner and Mark Stone, defenseman Shea Theodore and head coach Bruce Cassidy will be part of Canada’s Olympic hockey squad, and forward Tomas Hertl has been named to the Czech Republic team. The games begin February 6 and will be streamed on Peacock. –Staff

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UNLV declines a Vegas Loop station on campus, approves digging near Thomas & Mack BY GRACE DA ROCHA

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A Tesla drives through a tunnel in the Vegas Loop to the Las Vegas Convention Center. (AP Photo/ John Locher)

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The Vegas Loop has lost one potential stop on its route, with UNLV deciding to put the brakes on adding a station to its campus, citing parking enforcement difficulties and concerns with people abusing parking availability. Interim President Chris Heavey told members of the Nevada System of Higher Education’s Board of Regents on December 4 that the university has officially declined the Boring Company’s offer to build a station on campus for free. University officials did get permission from the regents to sell part of a parking lot east of University Center Drive between Tropicana Avenue and East Naples Drive to the Boring Company so it can tunnel underneath it. The tunneling would be about 50 feet underground, said Heavey, and no disruptions to campus activities or traffic are expected. Elon Musk’s The Boring Company is aiming to install 68 miles of tunnels underneath the city with 93 stations, including stops at Allegiant Stadium, the Las Vegas Medical District, Fremont Street, various Strip hotels, Chinatown and near the Harry Reid International Airport. Currently, it has completed eight stations in the Strip corridor—five at the Las Vegas Convention Center, one at Resorts World in 2022, another at Westgate in January 2025 and the most recent one at Encore in April. Students remain concerned about the approved plan for the Boring Company to tunnel underground near the university. “The company’s recent business and community malpractices have caused great concern for myself and members of the graduate professional community here at UNLV,” said graduate and professional student body president Devin Lopez, who spoke at the December NSHE meeting. “I believe that rushing through this process will put students, faculty and staff’s health in danger if the company continues operations as it has done in recent years.” In January, ProPublica and City Cast Las Vegas reported the Boring Company had allegedly

worked to evade county and state oversight requirements for environmental and labor matters, showing videos from a Clark County official documenting water waste from a Boring Company worksite near UNLV spilling onto a public street. The Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 2023 fined the company more than $112,000 after an investigation following worker complaints of “‘ankle-deep water in the tunnels, muck spills and severe chemical burns.” Nevada state regulators have since accused the Boring Company of violating environmental regulations nearly 800 times in the last two years, according to an October 10 story from ProPublica and City Cast Las Vegas. “The Vegas Loop is a unique, first-of-its kind system designed to help relieve congestion in the resort corridor,” the county said in a February 2025 email to the Las Vegas Sun. “It is subject to compliance with existing fire and building codes, and Clark County has been working with the Boring Company to add additional safety enhancements for the public and emergency responders as the system expands. These additional measures include placing response vehicles in passageways inside the tunnels, upgrades to camera software for an additional layer of fire/smoke detection inside the tunnels, ongoing evaluation of tunnel sprinklers, and ongoing monitoring and training of drivers.” It was also revealed by Fortune in November that three citations issued from Nevada OSHA to the Boring Company for Clark County firefighters burned by chemicals were suddenly withdrawn after a company official met with senior state officials. •••••

Several years ago, talks began between UNLV and the Boring Company about connecting the main campus to the Vegas Loop “Teslas in tunnels” project by erecting a station on a part of the Thomas & Mack Center parking lot.

The Board of Regents in 2023 approved two separate intents to sell land and easements to the Boring Company, first for a spot on the Maryland Parkway campus and another alternative site on Paradise Road. Negotiations continued through 2024 and early 2025, but a final purchase and sale agreement was never reached and the Boring Company notified UNLV in May 2025 that it would not continue pursuing a location at the Paradise campus location, according to a briefing paper given to regents. In an email to the Las Vegas Sun from February, county spokespeople confirmed the Boring Company had broken ground on tunnel work that would connect the convention center to a station at a lot on Paradise Road and University Drive near the Thomas & Mack. The line is also planned to connect with a station being built at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. “We’ve had quite a few discussions with the Boring Company, including contemplating putting a station in the Thomas & Mack Center parking lot, and our team, after considering the various pluses and minuses of that, decided to simply recommend an underground easement,” said Heavey. “We do see this as an important community project which has been supported by the county; which is supported by the (Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority); and which potentially has many benefits to the residents of Southern Nevada.” Heavey said that one of the main reasons UNLV turned down the offer to build a station on campus was because parking service does not connect directly to the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, which means the types of tickets given to people aren’t enforceable beyond UNLV’s campus boundaries. Because of that, concerns arose regarding how to manage parking that might be associated with the station. Heavey added that university officials were also worried that the Thomas & Mack Center’s parking lot could become a “free

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parking lot for the airport,” where people might leave their cars and access the airport using the Vegas Loop. Tickets being unenforceable beyond the campus borders means that problem would leave the university with “very little ability to control that.” •••••

As part of the UNLV community, Lopez is concerned about the alleged environmental violations and public health and safety risks, pointing to the “green sludge pool” that had been left after the Boring Company was caught dumping drilling and construction fluids off Paradise Road. Though the pool has since been removed, Lopez explained to regents that there has yet to be a scientific analysis of how those chemicals could impact the health of residents, students and employees at businesses in the area—including UNLV. He also criticized the Boring Company for alleged “corruption of elected officials” and the chemical burns sustained by the firefighters in the tunnels. Tyler Fairbanks, a manager of the Boring Company, told regents that “it’s extremely important” to get UNLV students excited about what they’re building, and explained that third-party environmental inspectors check on their construction sites every week to ensure regulations are being followed. “We’re absolutely committed to ensuring that we are environmentally compliant, that we are compliant from a safety stand point. It’s actually the most important thing for our company,” Fairbanks said.

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Raiders’ nightmare season ends with ultimate prize—the No. 1 overall draft pick

DRAFT DREAMING

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Ashton Jeanty’s eyes lit up bright enough to outshine the diamond-bedazzled beanie covering his head when asked about the Raiders earning the No. 1 overall draft pick minutes after their season had ended. For the last several weeks, the Raiders picking first in 2026 NFL Draft was a dream of the fan base and maybe the front office. But after the Raiders finished the 2025-2026 campaign with a 3-14 record and secured the positioning as a result of how the NFL’s Week 18 played out, Jeanty’s response showed that the players are excited about the possibilities too. “That type of pick can change an organization,” the firstround drafted rookie running back said. “Just praying we can make the right pick.” Hundreds of mock drafts begin flooding in annually in mid-January, and the wave can often feel unnecessary or overblown to those who aren’t into scouting and would rather enjoy the conclusions of both the college football and NFL seasons first. But not for Raiders’ fans this year. The 2026 NFL Draft, scheduled to begin April 23 in

Pittsburgh, might be the most important one in Raiders’ history. It’s only the second time the silver and black have ever held the No. 1 overall pick, following 2007 when they infamously chose LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who’s widely considered the biggest draft bust in history. The odds are overwhelmingly skewed in favor of them choosing a quarterback again this time around—either Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza or Oregon’s Dante Moore. The former won the Heisman Trophy and is considered the safer choice, but perception can change. That’s especially true considering Mendoza and Moore face off on January 9 in the College Football Playoff semifinals in Atlanta with the winner then having the chance to claim the national championship. Las Vegas could also conceivably trade out of the No. 1 pick for a king’s ransom—Chicago famously got two firstround picks, a second-round pick, a fourth-round pick and a starting receiver in D.J. Moore by going that route in 2023—and wait until next year’s supposedly richer quar-

terback class to address the most important position. But that might not be a popular option considering how long the Raiders have already pushed back committing to a rebuild. They haven’t chosen a quarterback in the first round since Russell and not even in the second round since Derek Carr (in 2014), who holds virtually all of the franchise’s all-time passing records. The Raiders have made more win-now moves since moving to Las Vegas in 2020 but only have one postseason appearance (in the 2021-2022 season) and no playoff victories to show for it. The philosophy seemed to finally start changing late this season. The front office shut down many of the team’s best players like edge rusher Maxx Crosby and tight end Brock Bowers instead of having them play through nagging injuries, despite protests from Crosby and now fired coach Pete Carroll. That gives Las Vegas a better chance to succeed in the draft with prime positioning, for not only its first pick but many of the other nine it holds throughout the seven-round format. Problem is, the Raiders have a reputation as the worst draft-

Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty might be taking the ball from a highly touted rookie quarterback next season. (Photo by Steve Marcus)

ing team in the NFL over the last two decades. That curse was supposed to be broken in 2024 when then general manager Tom Telesco assembled a class that made an immediate splash led by Bowers in the first round, guard/ center Jackson Powers-Johnson in the second and tackle DJ Glaze in the third. But Glaze had a sophomore slump this year and contributed to the Raiders fielding the league’s worst offensive line, while both Bowers and Powers-Johnson struggled with injuries. The 2024 class, the first under general manager John Spytek, wasn’t as impactful. Jeanty set the franchise rookie record with 1,321 scrimmage yards but that was only five more than Josh Jacobs in 2019 and required 30 more touches. Jeanty finished 47th in the league among qualified running backs with 3.7 yards per carry and won’t be an Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist despite entering the season as a prohibitive favorite to win the award. Most of Jeanty’s fellow 2024 draftees didn’t even get on the field until late in the season when the Raiders were eliminated from playoff contention. The optimistic view is that Carroll was unfairly holding them back. There could be some merit to that belief with players like guard Caleb Rogers, tackle Charles Grant, defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway and defensive tackle JJ Pegues showing promise in the final two games. It can’t take that long with the Raiders’ 2026 class. The future of the franchise depends on picking successfully, now more than ever before. “All the cornerstone guys we got, the key pieces,” Jeanty said when asked what gives him confidence for the future. “Obviously we’ll bring in some more guys … We can keep building the culture.”

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INTERSTELLAR ARC

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Exploring Area15’s new interactive entertainment offerings and why we love them The phrase “choose-your-ownadventure” easily applies to Area15’s massive, experiential entertainment district. And with a 20-acre expansion underway, it’s developing into an even larger theme park of possibilities. Area15’s new Zone 2: The Terminals introduced us to fall’s attraction of the season, Universal Horror Unleashed, but even more experiences have rolled out since then. Here’s a look at what’s piqued our interest.

Courtesy/Area15

ADVENTURE TIME

The duration of your voyage on the Interstellar Arc—a massive spacecraft that travels from Earth to a distant habitable world called Arcadia—is 262 years. You spend most of it in cryogenic sleep: In practice, you only get one hour to explore the ship. Still, what a deal, right? A 262-year vacay beginning at $74, and cheaper still for locals and military. It costs more to go to Disneyland, for heaven’s sake. And a day there only feels like 262 years. Designed by Felix & Paul Studios, a Montreal-based virtual reality creative group that has collaborated with everyone from NASA to Eminem to Funny or Die, Interstellar Arc is VR as you’ve never experienced it. Yes, you wear a VR headset; yes, you appear in the virtual world as a generic figure in a spacesuit. But the scale of the experience is mind-blowingly epic. Set inside a massive building at the entrance of Area15’s new Zone 2, you wander through a generated environment for every second of 60 minutes, guided by real handrails and an imaginary avatar that looks like a glowing blue fox. You get peeks at alien worlds, opportunities to snap “photos”of the spacecraft’s gorgeous interior, and an unexpected cameo that will cause science nerds to leave their bodies and ascend. Interstellar Arc, the experience, is technically advanced and eye-popping. But I felt something unexpected while exploring the interior of Interstellar Arc, the spacecraft: Optimism. Bliss, even. For an hour and 262 years of your life, you may believe that a better universe is possible. And you’ll definitely believe you can go there. (interstellararc.com) –GC

BY AMBER SAMPSON & GEOFF CARTER

GREAT BIG GAME SHOW

When we think of iconic TV game shows like Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud, the throughline is the irresistible urge to snuff out the competition and win. Under the spotlights, the applause of the crowd at the base of your neck fuels that ambition unlike anything else. Great Big Game Show nails this feeling by pitting you against another team in a head-to-head challenge of speed, skill and luck. The hour-long experience ($43 per person) fully immerses you into a true-toform game show studio with professional lighting and props, as a live host guides you through a series of nail-biting mini-games. My first few rounds featured pop culture trivia and a letter-guessing game similar to Wheel of Fortune and Wordle. Naturally, I crushed both (though admittedly I might be an unreliable narrator—it all gets a little fuzzy when you’re barking out answers and pummeling the trivia buzzer in your battle to victory, okay?). And damn, did I feel like a winner. Most studios can accommodate up to 14 people, so bring your trash-talking friends, or go head-to-head with just one. (greatbiggameshow.com) –AS

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Deep in the snow-capped Himalayan mountains, an expedition searching for a precious jewel vanishes without a trace. Legend has it that a mighty Yeti guards the location of the treasure. Can you and your friends pick up the trail before it goes cold for good? That’s just one of the adventures The Escape Game has in store for puzzle lovers who seek a rewarding challenge. The Escape Game features five radically different room scenarios, from gathering espionage intel in a Middle Eastern night market to breaking out of the slammer and discovering the secrets of centuries-old ruins. Some moments—and puzzles—feel straight out of an Indiana Jones film, and the sets appear just as alive with their gritty ambiance and weather-beaten backdrops. Tickets start at $43 and difficulty levels in each room vary. Bring your thinking cap, some friends and make your great escape. (theescapegame.com) –AS

Courtesy/Area15

BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ

Barbie has made her way to Las Vegas with more than just a dollhouse with a killer Instagram angle. After conquering cities like New York, Chicago and Miami in a pink storm, Bucket Listers and Mattel have brought the Malibu Barbie Cafe to Area15, turning what could be a simple pop-up into a sensory overload. Inspired by the sun-kissed Malibu Barbie MALIBU from 1971, this immersive wonderland is a BARBIE playground for anyone who’s ever dreamed of CAFE Thru March living in a plastic-perfect world. 31, daily For a $25 entry fee (which includes a $10 11 a.m.-10 food credit), you’re handed a chance to step p.m., $25+. into her beachy domain. The cafe serves up Area15, malibu both sweet and savory themed bites, with a barbiecafe. cocktail menu that would make Barbie herself com. proud. Think piña coladas and margaritas, drinks that whisper “vacation” with every sip. The best treat is the seemingly endless photo ops. Everywhere you turn, there’s another spot begging for your best Barbie pose. And don’t skip the mini roller-skating rink. It requires only a $1 donation going to Girls Inc., a charity partner dedicated to empowering young women. Plus, if you’re looking for exclusive Barbie merch, you’re in luck. From dolls to totes, they’ve got it all.

Barbie Cafe by Steve Marcus

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1.08.26

LOCAL SPIN

NEW RELEASES FROM THE LAS VEGAS MUSIC SCENE

BY AMBER SAMPSON & GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ

Brett Bolton

EP1 The multimedia wizard behind the stage visuals for Billie Eilish, Paramore, Purity Ring, U2 and countless others returns with his first audiovisual EP— and it’s a treat for the senses. The five-track EP offers a window into Bolton’s process, in which he combines his drums, touchpad and real-time AV systems to create an experience that transcends both sound and color. On YouTube, live videos of Bolton performing the EP puts his artistry into perspective. Visuals evolve in pursuit of his drumming, electronic soundscapes blurring into chromatic cool blues and fringed geometrics onscreen. The visuals serve as more than just a companion to the EP, they’re essential. Bolton’s tracks take on such a fluid form, it’s hard to realize when one ends and the other begins. This is the ultimate EP if you enjoy music with a fair amount of color. (brettbolton. net) –AS

Jae Douglass

Infected Jae Douglass leans hard into genre-blurring on Infected, a five-track EP that feels both playful and emotionally earnest. Released in November, the project captures the rising artist sharpening his R&B identity while weaving in hip-hop and indie-leaning production. The record hums with the intoxication of new love, caught in a space where certainty and disbelief coexist. On “Nice,” he sings, “How long has life been hiding you from me/How long until I wake up from this dream,” capturing the vulnerability that runs throughout the record. The title cut shows flashes of emotional clarity, with the latter’s guitar-led finale pushing the EP into its most compelling, dreamlike territory. “Photo Booth” stands out, pairing trap-infused beats with introspection in a way that feels focused, confident, and closest to Douglass’ core voice. (sound cloud.com/jaedouglass) –GR

Quinn Ayers & Craig Lone

Runitback! The followup to melodic rap singer Quinn Ayers’ confessionally driven Necessary Emotions ratchets up the bass and the bangers, with DJ Craig Lone seasoning the pot. The 15-track LP has a palpable swagger to it, especially on woozy slow burns like “Preshuh!” and the strutting hook of “Feelso!” Ayers, as a quintessential lover boy, still wrestles with toxic women but the mood of the album feels less brooding and more kinetic. “Feelsumn!” for example bursts with a brightly pitched-up flow and an electropop bass that could live on the dancefloor of any Downtown club. Ayers and Lone shift gears just enough to keep you guessing. The production is also a character in itself. Resonant guitar work simmers on “Top!” while the hard-hitting “Freestyle!” introduces live percussion. On Runitback! Ayers and Lone sound like they’re having a blast, and that energy is contagious. (quinnayersmusic. komi.io) –AS

Rhaina Yasmin

Magician Magician arrives with the quiet confidence of a record that already knows its emotional damage. On her November EP, Rhaina Yasmin invites listeners not merely to feel, but to linger with nostalgia, grief and the dull ache of what once felt permanent. Across five tracks, the singer-songwriter constructs an intimate indie-folk world. Her stripped-back guitar work and controlled vocals cut close to the bone, refusing melodrama while still leaving a bruise. The acoustic opener “Your Daughter” immediately sets the tone. Her ethereal vocals float atop environmental textures, evoking the sacredness of the outdoors while grounding the song in the complexity of what it means to be a good daughter. “Dagger” pivots toward a more kinetic indie pulse, layering plugged-in riffs and unresolved tension. Magician has been long awaited and reflects Yasmin’s profound musicianship. (linktr.ee/ rhainayasmin) –GR

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

1.08.26

MAKING THE ROUNDS C U L T U R E

•

F O O D

D R I N K

A sample of our favorite bites at Venetian’s Via Via Food Hall

Via Via Food Hall photos courtesy/Key Lime Photography

BY AMBER SAMPSON Every casino resort with a fancy food hall understands the importance of variety. Most people want to eat around the world in one sitting. But every now and then you just want a great bite from coast to coast. Venetian’s Via Via Food Hall, which arrived in the summer of 2025, is full of delicious concepts from some of the best food cities in the country—LA, New Orleans and New York. Here are some of the tastiest things we tried on a hungry afternoon.

1.08.26

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

Fried bologna sandwich at Turkey and the Wolf ($16) Chef Mason Hereford doesn’t hold back with his sandwiches. The founder of New Orleans favorite Turkey and the Wolf has a history of creating playful, inventive sandos, like the Ultimate Collard Green Grilled Cheese, and my personal favorite, fried bologna. This is the sandwich of my childhood. It’s a combination of fried bologna, melted American cheese, hot and tangy mustard and potato chips wedged between two pieces of Texas toast. It nails that sweet spot of texture, crunch and acidity while also being pleasantly nostalgic.

Tokyo Shio at Ivan Ramen ($18) This esteemed ramen shop earned its stripes in Tokyo before becoming a Manhattan staple. Via Via marks its first and only West Coast location, so I couldn’t resist seeing what all the hype was about. My bowl of Tokyo Shio, with its roasted tomato and oceanic hint of dashi, delivered a hit of umami I wasn’t fully expecting but welcomed. Ivan’s toasted rye noodles were springy and flavorful, and they soaked up that broth beautifully. Frankly, I couldn’t stop slurping … and slurping and slurping.

The Hotboi at Scarr’s Pizza ($10) Scarr’s Pizza lands on a lot of New York tourists’ bucket lists, and we Las Vegans are lucky enough to have one. The beloved pizza shop mills its flour in-house, creating dough that’s both chewy and flavorful. With that in mind, I went for a Sicilian-style slice of Scarr’s Hotboi, which features jalapeños, Ezzo’s pepperoni and Mike’s Extra Hot Honey. Trust me, that syrupy sweet drizzle balances the jalapeño kick nicely, delivering perfection bite after bite. The crust also came out beautifully baked, next-level fluffy and full of air pockets. That’s how you serve a slice.

Jumbo tenders at Howlin’ Ray’s ($15) Nashville hot chicken by way of LA? All right, I’ll bite. Before I committed to a chicken sandwich, I wanted to try the Howlin’ Ray’s tasty tenders alone, without all the fanfare—though sauce remained a must. The orange-hued Comeback Sauce is a game changer on this chicken. The tenders were already quite crunchy, terrifically seasoned, but that tangy blend of spices launched it to another level. Pair it with housemade spicy dill pickles and this is a truly tasty take on Nashville hot chicken.

Dining news

Kyuramen/Courtesy

Exciting openings with Milk Bread, Kyuramen, How Ya Dough’n and more Elevate Hospitality Group has opened Milk Bread, a bakery with Japanese and Filipino influences, at 3431 South Jones Boulevard. It’s open Wednesday through Monday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Eggslut has opened a second local casino eatery at the Rio. It’s open daily for breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. Tao Group Hospitality has reimagined its Caesars Palace restaurant as Stanton Social Italian, offering modern twists to classic Italian dishes. It’s open Wednesday and Thursday 5-10 p.m. and Friday through Sunday 4:30-10:30 p.m. Well-known ramen brand Kyuramen has opened its first Nevada location alongside sister concept TBaar at 10170 South Eastern Avenue in Henderson. Founded in 2019 in New York, Kyuramen has more than 70 locations across the country and has sold more than 500,000 bowls of its signature Tokyo Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen. Sourdough pizza spot How Ya Dough’n has opened on the Strip on the third-floor rooftop of the BLVD complex across from Aria. Handel’s Ice Cream has opened a store in North Las Vegas at 6180 North Decatur Boulevard, open daily from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Butcher & Thief, a steakhouse from the team behind Carson Kitchen, has opened at The Bend at 8670 W. Sunset Road. It’s open for lunch and dinner Sunday through Thursday 11:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Clique Hospitality has opened Nashville fried chicken concept Lucky Bird at the Proper Eats Food Hall at Aria. Stephano’s Greek and Mediterranean Grill will celebrate the grand opening of its fourth Las Vegas location January 17 at 7541 West Lake Mead Boulevard. The first 100 guests will receive a $4 gyro, a Stephano’s swag bag and a $10 voucher to use on a future visit. Seventy Six by Station Casinos is set to open its third local tavern on January 22 at 1120 Vitality Drive in Henderson. Two more locations of Zippy’s, the Hawaiian comfort-food hot spot, are set to open in early 2026 at 10810 West Charleston Boulevard and 5485 Camino Al Norte in North Las Vegas. Red Rock Resort continues the refresh of its food court with the scheduled spring addition of Good Pie, serving pizza by the slice and whole pies for dine-in or takeout, and an outlet of smashburger favorite With Love, Always.

VEGAS INC BUSINESS

1.08.26

NONPROFITS

Seeds of Relief event (courtesy)

DEBT BURDEN LIFTED FOR THOUSANDS OF NEVADANS

B U S I N E S S

BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF

ongtime Las Vegas resident Maria Yañez owed over $4,500 in medical bills spanning back nearly a decade—until recently. In mid-November, Yañez received a letter pertaining to both bills one from a hospital stint in 2017 and another from a lumbar surgery and ambulance ride in 2019. “When I received this letter, the first thing I thought was, ‘Oh, more bills,’” said Yañez, who spoke Spanish through a translator. “So I didn’t pay attention to it.” Yañez, who was recently laid off from her job, said she didn’t take a closer look at the letter until she heard that a nonprofit had recently eliminated medical debt for several Nevadans, all of whom had no notice. She was one of the beneficiaries of this new program and nearly cried, Yañez said, having been on the brink of declaring bankruptcy. “I feel very blessed that I was selected for this blessing,” she said. “Because it is very, very stressful to have all these bills hanging over your head, and all you can think is like, paying the bills.” Yañez owes the dismissal of her medical debt to Seeds of Relief, a new economic relief program launched by the Latino civic-engagement nonprofit Somos Votantes and its sister organization Somos Votantes Education Fund,

which is focused on educational and charitable programs that provide Latinos with the resources needed to thrive. Emmanuelle Leal-Santillan, national communications and media director for Somos Votantes Education Fund, said the first wave of Seeds of Relief eliminated over $133 million of medical debt for over 128,000 Nevadans in Clark and Washoe counties. “The No. 1 issue that is affecting not only Latinos but everyone in our community is the cost of living,” he said. “People are really struggling to make ends meet. ... They’re struggling with the high cost of health care, of gas, of groceries.” Thousands of people received a letter in the mail the week of Thanksgiving, informing them that Somos Votantes had eliminated their medical debt, Leal-Santillan said. There had been no application process. People qualified for the program if their medical debt was 5% or more of their annual income, he said. Somos Votantes Education Fund partnered with national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt, he added, which on the former’s behalf negotiated with hospitals and collection agencies to make the most of the donations. “We have a really great network of generous donors that believe in our work,” Leal-Santillan said. The group purchased over $133 million of

medical debt, and eliminated it instead of collecting it. The launch of Seeds of Relief followed months of events by the organization, including backpack giveaways, free haircuts, gift card giveaways and more, to help relieve cost-of-living struggles, Leal-Santillan said. In Nevada, the price of health care is high so that many people are “drowning” in medical debt, he said, and can become trapped in an endless cycle of stress and financial difficulty. Because of the sensitive nature of medical debt and privacy laws, Somos Votantes Education Fund does not actually have the information of the tens of thousands of people whose debt it eliminated, Leal-Santillan said. So, the organization launched a very public community awareness program to let people know they could receive a letter about it, and their stories began to trickle in. Many were like Yañez, and assumed it was just another bill. “They just couldn’t believe that they no longer had to worry about that medical debt,” Leal-Santillan said. “There are other instances of people who were ... struggling to pay for groceries ... to pay for gas—who were either recently laid off, or whose hours had been cut— and so these medical debt bills were just piling up. ... They were just really, really happy.” This was only the first wave of Seeds of Relief, and Leal-Santillan said the next could potentially include more medical-debt relief or credit-card debt relief. The organization is actively exploring next steps, he said. Yañez, who saw $4,528 in medical debt erased, said she wants people to know that Seeds of Relief and its first wave are real and to be aware of what it means for them. “It was just a blessing,” she said.

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VEGAS INC NOTES Highlighting the best in business

1.08.26

Nevada Donor Network in 2025 earned recognition as a Tier 1A Organ Procurement Organization, the highest performance designation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. The network’s work resulted in the recovery of lifesaving and healing gifts from 262 organ donors, 1,090 tissue donors, 1,586 cornea donors and 2,957 mothers donating birth tissue. The donations resulted in 795 organs transplanted, along with over 300,000 tissue grafts, and sight restoration to over 3000 recipients. A recent report from Northwest Registered Agent lauded StartUpNV, a statewide nonprofit incubator and accelerator for Nevada-based startups, for “helping to nurture new businesses with access to mentorship and capital.” The three StartUpNV-affiliated venture capital funds—FundNV, AngelNV and 1864 Fund—have had 475 investors invest $14.3 million in 27 startups since 2021.

JW Marriott Las Vegas and Rampart Casino announced a property-wide rebrand, officially uniting the resort and casino under a new identity, The Resort at Summerlin. The rebrand marks a significant milestone in the property’s $75 million, multiyear renovation. Cirrus Aviation Services announced three senior leadership appointments. Tami Beutel has been named vice president of charter sales and flight support, Alexandria Hurley joins as head of public relations and communications, and Brian Harlan has been appointed director of safety. Beutel has nearly 30 years of aviation experience, including as a military helicopter pilot. Hurley has more than a decade of experience leading public relations, public affairs, and crisis communications. Harlan brings more than 13 years of experience across Part 135 and Part 145 operations, with expertise in safety management

systems, regulatory compliance, aircraft onboarding, training administration and technical publications. Gov. Joe Lombardo announced his appointment of Laura Rich as director of the Nevada Department of Human Services. Rich, a seasoned executive with more than a decade of leadership experience in statewide health policy, previously served as executive officer of the Public Employees’ Benefits Program and most recently worked in senior roles advising health and human services agencies across the western United States. Play Social Inc., the creator of the Play Playground social game experience, appointed Phil Royle as its new CEO. He has previously been vice president of LegoLand development & operations, and later became the first employee of LegoLand New York Resort.

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1.08.26

PREMIER CROSSWORD “ANIMATED OPENERS” BY FRANK LONGO

HOROSCOPES WEEK OF JANUARY 8 BY ROB BREZSNY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Mystics drone on about letting go, but I praise the art of holding on tenderly and fiercely. Some treasures deserve your passionate grip. Devote yourself to your dreams with ardent intensity. What looks like stubbornness to outsiders is actually fidelity to a vision they cannot yet see. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Since the 19th century, U.K. students have practiced “night climbing,” scaling spires and bridges for adventure. You are ready for your own symbolic version. Seek out vantage points you have previously dismissed or deemed off-limits. Be safe, but be joyfully exploratory; the view from the frontiers will change you. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You are becoming a maestro of nuanced subtexts. While others assume situations are static, you have the power to tease out creative possibilities and decode contradictory truths. Use this superpower with kindness, Gemini. Avoid the temptation of clever mischief in favor of inspired guidance and compassionate leaps. CANCER (June 21-July 22): The African honeyguide bird leads humans to beehives; the people harvest the honey, and the bird eats the wax. Use this metaphor for 2026. You have a heightened ability to find mutual benefit with unexpected allies. Listen for signals that say, “Come with me, and we will both gain.” LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Construction on Notre-Dame in Paris lasted from 1163 to 1345. Generations of artisans labored with devotion, never seeing the finished masterpiece. In the coming months, you should lay stones for creations that may take years to complete. Redefine what faith means to you and summon it in abundance. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): It is time to decommission your inner censor. To enjoy the liberating grace period ahead: Shed outdated taboos, indulge in healthy pleasures, and re-evaluate why you find certain “fun” activities questionable. Be receptive to rebellious urges and compassionate toward the parts of yourself you once regarded as wounded.

2020 KING FEATURES SYNDICATE ACROSS 1 Amusement park feature 5 Suds makers 10 Give the boot 15 Koi, for one 19 “-- Tú” (Mocedades song) 20 “-- vincit amor” (“Love conquers all”) 21 Fiesta snacks 22 On -- with 23 “No. 5” fragrance designer [2017] 25 Love, in Lido 26 Writer Austen 27 Suffix with propor hex28 Chaney of old chillers 29 Staples of the auto motive industry [2006] 32 Either vowel in “no-go” 34 Yield formally 35 Lax quality 36 Leading Neapolitan painter of the late 17th century [2021] 40 Something to sleep on 41 Eye sore 42 “-- you in?” 43 Nebraska city 46 1,000-kilo unit 51 Letters after kappas 55 Foofaraw 56 Apply very heavily, as makeup 57 Sap-sucking pest 60 Significant advancement [2020] 63 Cubs’ city 66 Phone bug 67 Letter after sigma 68 Tennis situation after deuce 69 Something to sleep on

70 Aldous Huxley novel [2012] 75 Savings plan, for short 76 Director Preminger 78 Squeak (out) 79 -- Grande 80 Lou Grant Emmy winner 82 Unbearably monotonous [2020] 87 “Me and Bobby --” (1971 song) 88 More chichi 89 Carrere of Hollywood 90 Tough nut to crack 93 Use up 94 PC whizzes 96 Great anger 97 Korbut of gymnastics 101 Off-road vehicle, in brief 103 Of acceptable quality [2009] 107 Instrument players, e.g. 113 German “a” 114 Syrian president until 2024 115 1954 poetry collection by Pablo Neruda [2023] 117 G-man’s gp. 119 French pal 120 Lying upon 121 Shy 122 What the first words of eight key answers in this puzzle are 125 Loyal 126 Revise, as text 127 Singer Menzel 128 Queenly role for Liz Taylor 129 “You folks,” in Dixieland 130 Classroom furniture 131 Horse sound 132 Composer

Jeromexx DOWN 1 Remembers 2 Remove wrinkles from 3 Respectable behavior 4 Paul Anka’s “-Beso” 5 Arty NYC area 6 Muscat’s land 7 Actress Jillian 8 -- together (assembled bit by bit) 9 Rival of Lipton and Tetley 10 LAX guesses 11 Actor Malcolm- -Warner 12 Cut-rate, in adspeak 13 Spanish city, or an old Chrysler model 14 Fly of Africa 15 Louisiana cooking style 16 Quickly 17 Sorts by grade 18 Remove wrinkles from 24 Jam up 30 Nevada city 31 Sale label 33 Celtic language 34 Set of beliefs 37 “-- so sorry!” 38 Sphere 39 Actor Sharif or Epps 44 Append 45 “-- it!” (“Get a move on!”) 47 Pod veggie 48 Having to have 49 “Absolutely not!” 50 Trap in a net 52 Very little, as of ointment 53 Poker stake 54 Duck relative 56 Was able to 57 Approaches

aggressively 58 Occasion to snap a celeb 59 #1 song, say 61 Copycatting 62 Unusual 64 Garson of Mrs. Miniver 65 Sturdy trees 71 Sporty Chevy 72 Old Nintendo consoles 73 Refuse to 74 Title for Joan Collins 77 Actress Lena 81 Young codfishes 83 Infer 84 Singer Ocasek 85 Honolulu’s island 86 False front 91 Rocky III co-star 92 Pod veggie 94 Break for Earl Grey, say 95 Floored it 98 Frenchman who explored the Mississippi 99 Frasier star Kelsey 100 He’s All That actress -- Rae 102 Slightly colored 104 Clasp for neckwear 105 Like some football kicks 106 Innocent sort 107 Unlike vegan food 108 Extremist 109 Capital of South Korea 110 Urge to act 111 Identifies 112 Move quietly and furtively 116 Chances 117 Viper’s tooth 118 Male homie 123 Sundial’s “12” 124 “How gross!”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Early daguerreotypes required minutes of perfect stillness to capture magic. Let the “long exposure” be your metaphor. The most useful truths will reveal themselves if you give them time to develop. Resist filling every silence and do not rush your projects. Find patient fun as the mysteries coalesce. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In 1907, Pablo Picasso painted “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.” Its radical departure from artistic norms stunned even his friends, yet it became the foundation of Cubism. You are entering your own “Les Demoiselles” phase in 2026. Do not be discouraged if your innovative changes rattle others’ comfortable assumptions. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You have a passion for sharing lessons learned from your many adventures. Beyond teaching, you possess a gift for helping others reach the places where enlightenment occurs. During the coming months, your ability to inspire and clear the way for new perspectives will be at a peak. I hope you provide these blessings in abundance. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The coming months are ripe for sacred audacity: boldness guided by kindness. Act as a “Benevolent Initiator,” kindling beginnings through incremental nudges rather than grand disruptions. If you hesitate to speak your mind, deliver a modest version now and a stronger one later. Make gradual momentum your ally as you take elegantly simple steps toward your future. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Safety is the infrastructure that allows adventure to be expansive. Cultivate a “cozy bravery” by relaxing deeply and building a support system for your future boldness. By the second half of 2026, you will be prepared for experimental fun. For best results, decide who supports you best and make it attractive for them to do so. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In the Andes Mountains, farmers create chuño—a freeze-dried potato that lasts for years—by exposing it to freezing nights and sunny days. The coming months are an ideal time to build reserves. Turn what you have grown into long-lasting resources that will nourish you well into the future.

N O M I N AT I O N S NOW OPEN Vegas Inc’s Health Care Headliners showcases the physicians, nurses, EMTs, administrators and more who are making a difference in Southern Nevada’s medical community. Nominate today to honor a medical professional who represents the best of health care in the Valley.

DEADLINE IS JANUARY 19 S U B M I T YO U R N O M I N AT I O N S H E R E L A S V E G A S W E E K LY.C O M / H E A LT H C A R E H E A D L I N E R S

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1.08.26

BACKSTORY

P H O T O G R A P H Y

Photo by Corlene Byrd

THE FOG AND THE LIMOUSINE | THE STRIP | JANUARY 1, 2026 Well, I see the heptapods have overjuiced the fog machine. A deep-voiced, whispered narration comes over the imaginary loudspeakers: Look up and to the left, it’s 2026! Slow motion, color-bathing clouds linger, accentuating light pollution like cotton candy over Gotham City. It’s a rare chance to see if my defroster even works, and ponder if Copperfield had anything to do with this. Fog plays hard to get. A substance that is there until you chase it, it truly is no different than the future, just ask the heptapods. They said that a Blade Runner called, but just mist you. This year, may you retain the ability to discern the difference between man and machine. –Corlene Byrd

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