r-2017-01-12 by News & Review

Letters............................ 3 Opinion/Streetalk............ 5 Sheila.Leslie.................... 6 Brendan.Trainor.............. 7 News.............................. 8 Feature.......................... 11 Arts&Culture................ 14 Art.of.the.State............. 16 Film............................... 17

Drink............................. 18 Foodfinds...................... 19 Musicbeat.................... 20 Nightclubs/Casinos........ 21 This.Week.................... 24 Advice.Goddess............25 Free.Will.Astrology........26 15.Minutes.....................27 Bruce.Van.Dyke............27

Floods drench Northern Nevada RENo’s NEws & ENtERtaiNmENt wEEkly

VolumE

22,

issuE

JaNuaRy

12–18,

2017

2 | RN&R | 01.12.17

Email lETTErS To rENolETTErS@NEwSrEViEw.Com.

Disintegration Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review. I hope y’all survived the flood intact and unscathed. Overall, compared to ’97 and ’05, it seemed like everyone was more prepared—from city, county and state workers to business owners and concerned volunteers. I can’t remember Washoe County schools ever being canceled days in advanced like that before. (I’m sure it’s happened, just not since I’ve had kids in the district.) I was moved by columnist Sheila Leslie’s account of canvassing homeless folks down by the river, warning them to move to shelters or, at the very least, higher ground. It’s especially remarkable to hear how some folks would refuse to respond for fear of entrapment or shame or some other reason. It’s hard to give up a patch, no matter how small, once its been fought for and won. Read Sheila on page six. My own experience was less noteworthy. I had a mildly stressful drive across town on Sunday evening to evacuate my dear mom, who lives at a low elevation point in southeast Reno. It wasn’t a required evacuation, but they started closing up the roads near her home, and she got, understandably, worried. We figured better to get her out early before they closed more of the roads. And, either way, it was nice to bring the family together during a night like that when the weather raged with unpredictability. The trek was strange and cinematic. I was alone in the car, and there weren’t many other vehicles on the road. There were huge puddles and twice I had to stop, turn around, and adjust my route after bumping into a section of road that had been closed off. What’s nice about experiences like that, for me, is that it reminds me of the value of music. I had no choice but to experience that storm—and, as a loving, dutiful son, I had no choice but to rescue my mom. But I got to choose the perfect music for a stressful drive during a deluge. And I chose Disintegration by the Cure. And I was thankful that was the biggest decision I had to worry about—unlike those folks that Sheila had to help move away from the tiny shelters they call home.

—Brad Bynum bradb@ ne ws r ev i ew . com

Science is heard from Re “Exploding green heads” (Notes from the Neon Babylon, Dec. 29): I have read both the left and right sides of the RN&R opinion pages since Brendan and Sheila have been penning them. Although I am on the left side, I found that Brendan Trainor often had some wellexpressed thoughts around which a conversation could be started. But “Exploding Green Heads” should move the RN&R to dismiss Trainor as the alternate voice. I find nothing in this article to be suitable for public discourse, and I fault the RN&R for publishing it. Trainor is yet another climate denier, cherry picking information, and disinformation, to support deeply held beliefs on ideological grounds, contrary to facts. The global warming crisis is real, is threatening. Powerful markets and intense capitalism will not get us out of it. People who care about their children, their grandchildren, and even themselves need to hold public officials accountable to seriously address this threat. We did it in the case of the ozone hole; we did it in the case of tobacco health effects; we did it in the case of nuclear winter. It is deplorable to suggest, as Trainor does, that the “rich and strong” Earth will simply heal itself when we let the current trajectory go unchecked. David VonSeggern Reno Re “Exploding green heads” (Notes from the Neon Babylon, Dec. 29): In regards to the recent opinion article by Brendan Trainor where he, step by step, highlights his ignorance on every fact of climate science, nuclear waste and nuclear energy, and his overall mastery in complete ignorance of the subject, I’d like to step by step show how every single statement he made is part of the standard lies perpetrated by paid shills of companies like Exxon Mobil and the Koch Industries. I’d like to, but nobody is still dumb enough to believe any of the nonsense people like him have been spitting out for years. They don’t understand science, so they assume it must be fake, so deluded they are with the false belief in their own intelligence. You should be ashamed for giving such idiocy a forum to spread their agenda of ignorance. Jeffronimo Churchill Las Vegas

JANuARy 12, 2017 | VOL. 22, IssuE 48

I will continue to fight for an open process utilizing Congressional support to designate new national monuments.” It is strange that Senator Heller is opposed to this designation and is adamant about an open public process for the designation of places like Gold Butte when for decades Gold Butte’s advocates worked with local governments, sportsmen, off-road enthusiasts, opposition voices, supporters, and so many more to ensure that there was a well-balanced proposal to protect Gold Butte where all voices were heard. Governor Sandoval is even on record of having input. To paraphrase U.S. Rep. Dina Titus of Clark County, who has been a champion for Gold Butte, the only people who say there wasn’t public input around Gold Butte’s designation are just those who are opposed to it. Cathy Schmidt Reno

Weapons of cyber destruction Is anyone else concerned that that the U.S. has been attacked, and we lost the first battle? When Putin’s cyber attacks influenced the election process, we were defenseless. And, for those denying it made a difference, think of all those who believed the false news stories in days before the election. What’s worse is, our new Commander-In-Chief is in total deniability. Congress is concerned, but it will be years before anything is accomplished there. Thomas C Kincaid Reno

ERIK HOLLAND

Public input Re “Gold Butte preserved” (news, Jan. 5): Senator Dean Heller is quoted as saying, “For years, I have urged for all new land designations, especially ones in Nevada, to be considered in an open and public congressional process. ... Best of all, input from local parties guarantees local needs are addressed. In the future,

Josie Luciano, Eric Marks, Jessica Santina, Todd South, Marc Tiar, Brendan Trainor, Bruce Van Dyke, Allison Young Our Mission: To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages employees to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live. Editor Brad Bynum News Editor Dennis Myers Special Projects Editor Jeri Chadwell-Singley Arts Editor Kris Vagner Calendar Editor Kelley Lang Contributors Amy Alkon, Matt Bieker, Bob Grimm, Anna Hart, Ashley Hennefer, Shelia Leslie,

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01.12.17 | RN&R | 3

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Your flood experiences? asKeD at Bicentennial ParK, 10 ralston st. K atrina r amire z Warehouse worker

We were down by Idlewild, and then we were watching it go up. It went up pretty high. Yeah, daytime. And then we saw it [again] at night. It was going up more. So that was pretty cool.

Donna Ball arD TMCC staffer

We just drove into town yesterday at 5:30 p.m. And we live off of Vista, but we live north so we weren’t affected. This is actually the first we’ve really seen, and we were watching it on TV last night and worried about McCarran and Hidden Valley and those areas. John Ball arD Electrical engineer

Flood uncontrol One of the things that keeps problems from getting solved in Nevada is population turnover. People come here for jobs, move away for other jobs, and sometimes come back. It makes it difficult to develop institutional memory. How many Nevadans, having moved here in the last 20 years, have no memory of the 1996-1997 New Year’s flood? That undercuts the ability to develop a sense of urgency or to develop consensus. Still, chronic flooding has driven a good deal of flood control work over the past 60 years. The construction of upstream dams, dredging of the river channel, removal of reefs and islands, draining wetlands have all been done. There has been considerable questioning of whether some of these have been in line with science—and whether they have been effective. Flood control, mostly ignored before 1950, has gotten so much attention and money since then that it is now a permanent agency. There is also permanent funding, paid mostly by workers, naturally. For 17 years, a one-eighth percent sales tax hike has been dedicated to flood control. No one seems to know how much in local and federal funds have been spent for the purpose, but it is likely in the hundreds of millions over 66 years. It is fair to ask, with so much money put into flood control, for so many decades, why are we so unable to control floods? In December 1997, D. Brian Burghart wrote a long report on the causes of the New Year’s flood a year earlier: “A News & Review investigation into the causes of the flood reveals that federal policies made the flood much worse for Reno that it could have been. In fact, there may

not have been a flood at all if it hadn’t been for government shortsightedness. ... The flood of 1997 happened at least in part because of archaic government water policies that favor Lake Tahoe over Reno, and because the Army Corps of Engineers’ chose not to remove debris and sediment that was left in the Truckee as a result of the 1986 flood—thus choking the channel.” One thing we believe should be done is to remove the post of federal watermaster from the purview of the federal courts. The duties of the post are purely executive agency functions. Court masters traditionally function temporarily as court officers. This one has served the courts for the better part of a century. There may have been a time when the watermaster belonged under the authority of the courts to make sure the court’s water rulings were observed. But that post is too important in the management of the river to stay there. Public accountability does not come from a branch of government that is not elected. The watermaster should be serving under an elected chief executive. There also should be a more fair source of funding for flood control. The Washoe County legislative delegation should propose a source of funding, such as growth impact fees, that will provide some relief for overburdened sales taxpayers. Finally, there should be increased communication with the public in plain English terms that explain how much progress is being made from year to year. If the only time Nevadans are reminded to think about flood control is when floods happen, that is one more way accountability is subverted. Ω

We weren’t too far from flooding, but we’re on the wrong side of the freeway for any of that. Well, I guess it’s actually the right side of the freeway. … We had an appointment here [in downtown Reno]. … So we came early because we weren’t sure … how the roads were going to be. leo rogers Union carpenter

I was at Vine and Bicycle Lane ... and I walked over [by Idlewild]. ... Just kind of hanging out and watching the river flow. … I came back this way. … Then the cops came by and said, “You probably ought to leave. It’s not safe here.” But that was well before it crested. anDy Peluso Pizza shop owner

I came to the river [yesterday at] about 8:30 in the morning, and there was seven feet before I saw the river rise to the level it’s at as of yesterday and today. And the force of the water was phenomenal. ... It’s amazing how this little river we were able to walk across before, now is very dangerous.

01.12.17 | RN&R | 5

by Sheila leSlie

Are we in this together? “Who are you? Who are we? In times of crisis, these are life and death questions.” —Rebecca Solnit, from A Paradise Built In Hell During the flood of 2017, I pondered those questions as more than 100 people rallied in the cold to help persuade those living on the banks of the Truckee River to relocate to higher ground or one of the emergency shelters run by the American Red Cross. The volunteers included professional staff from agencies with experience in homeless services, such as the City of Reno, City of Sparks, Washoe County Social Services, Volunteers of America, Northern NV HOPES, the Veterans Administration, Veterans Resource Center, Washoe County School District, and Catholic Charities—strengthened by scores of community volunteers recruited through social media. Volunteers performed every task asked of them from shoveling snow and ice out of the parking lot so people could more easily board the vans for the Red Cross

6 | RN&R | 01.12.17

shelters to finding an empty box for a cat whose owner, a veteran, agreed to abandon his camp on the river and come inside. Police from Reno and Sparks teamed up with case managers to tromp the river banks, discovering hidden camps in unlikely places and doing their best to persuade people of the coming danger. Drivers from Crossroads, a sober living facility housing many formerly homeless people, went above and beyond to transport people from the river, helping people pack up their camps and delivering their sometimes considerable belongings to the Record Street facility for safekeeping. It was a rough afternoon and not just because it was rainy, cold and icy. Some people refused to leave their spot under a bridge or a tent clearly in the flood plain. Some were stubborn, insisting the river wouldn’t flood, convinced the police agencies were using the storm as a ruse to clear the river camps. Others were paranoid and obviously mentally ill, squeezed into a dark bunker underground, more afraid of public

view than the rising water. At times, the volunteers had no choice but to walk away. And yet, there was a strong feeling of community in the small volunteer headquarters at the Record Street homeless complex. When the Crossroads van pulled up with people coming off the river, their belongings carefully stashed in large plastic bags, the volunteers welcomed the task of tagging and storing the property, and provided comfort and companionship to the people and their animals. The experience compelled me to re-read my friend Rebecca Solnit’s essay on “How to survive a disaster.” Solnit opens with, “It’s a myth that our reactions to danger are fight or flight. There’s a third option often pursued—to gather for reassurance, protection, strength and insight.” Solnit is fascinated by people’s behavior during a crisis, having documented earthquakes, hurricanes and major storms throughout the world. She observes that when “all the ordinary divides and patterns are shattered, people step up—not all, but

the great preponderance—to become their brothers’ keepers. And that purposefulness and connectedness bring joy even amidst death, chaos, fear and loss.” Solnit writes about the intense satisfaction people get from helping others during a disaster and the structural constraints of our society which divert us from acting so selflessly in our everyday lives. She maintains that disasters “demonstrate that the citizens any paradise requires—the people who are brave enough, resourceful enough, and generous enough—already exist.” She’s right. But how do we maintain this level of compassion and collaboration post-disaster? How do we harness the genuine goodwill of our citizens to look deeper into the root causes of homelessness and find the political will to effectively address affordable housing, mental illness and addiction? Perhaps we have yet to discover who we really are. Ω

by Brendan Trainor

The Gold Butte designation On Dec. 28, President Obama designated 300,000 acres around the Gold Butte ghost town near Mesquite as a national monument. Obama also designated 1.35 million acres in Southeast Utah as the Bears Ears National Monument. Republicans are upset. First Obama signed an order forbidding oil exploration in over 100 million acres in the Alaskan and Atlantic oceans. Now he is federalizing more Western land under the 1907 Federal Antiquities Act. Our lame duck president is seen as vindictively throwing roadblocks in front of incoming Republican Presidentdesignate Donald Trump. These designations are popular with environmentalists and the Utah Navajo and Nevada Paiute tribes. Gold Butte Monument will create a seamless wildlife corridor from Lake Mead to the Grand Canyon. It is home to the desert tortoise and features ancient Indian petroglyphs and curious rock formations. There is no doubt it has ecological value.

What Gold Butte also features are rancher Cliven Bundy’s cattle. Bundy’s ranch abuts the currently recognized Gold Butte and the family is fearful that, after so far defeating the BLM’s attempt to seize their cattle for back grazing fees and their sons’ acquittal of charges in Oregon for the Malheur Wildlife Refuge demonstration, the monument will be enlarged to encompass his ranch. Harry Reid supports Gold Butte partially as a blow against Bundy. When fellow Mormon Crescent Hardy lost reelection in U.S. House district 4, Reid saw his opening and pushed for the monument designation. The feds’ desire to take the land dates back at least 10 years. In June 2015, Bundy actually talked to two men posing as campers who later turned out to be federal surveyors. Later that night the men claimed they heard shots and left hurriedly. Bundy denies any knowledge, and no one was hurt or even thought they were actual targets. But with tensions

high, the incident was reported in the Las Vegas papers. Conservatives are enraged over President Obama’s timing and his decision to simply use executive authority, without public comment or congressional hearings, to lock up the state land. Gold Butte is popular with hunters, campers, shooters, off-roaders and other recreational users. In Utah’s Bears Ears especially there could be untapped energy resources. Under a national monument designation, energy development and recreational use would likely be severely restricted. Sen. Dean Heller and Gov. Brian Sandoval supported the project initially but now have spoken out against the lack of input from Nevada citizens in the process. The Bundy family is asking concerned Nevadans to contact state Attorney General Adam Laxalt’s office and ask him to sue to stop the designation. Their faith in the AG may not be misplaced. On Dec. 28, Laxalt issued a

legal opinion blocking the implementation of Question 1, the gun background check initiative passed by a slim majority last November. The reason is somewhat technical, but effective: Question 1 forbids Nevada from processing the new background checks on private gun purchases, and the FBI has refused to do them. The law was supposed to take effect New Year’s Day but now will not. The 2017 legislature will have to try to find a fix or write a new law to replace it. Good luck with that! President-designate Trump has promised to spend his first days in office repealing many of Obama’s executive orders. Under the Antiquities Act, however, he cannot just undo the naming of a National Monument. It will have to be done by Congress or the courts. Deplorables like the Bundy family won the Presidential election. They still have an uphill fight to preserve their way of life from federal interference. Ω

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by Dennis Myers

On the march

President Obama spoke at the Reno home of Valerie and Paul Keller in Reno on May 11, 2012.

The Reno Women’s March on Washington is one of more than 200 demonstrations expected to take place in cities across the country on Jan. 21, the day after President-designate Trump takes office. The rally is being called a “sister march” of the larger Women’s March on Washington that will take place in the nation’s capital on the same day. Similar marches are also scheduled for cities in 28 other countries around the world. The Reno march will take place between 9 and 11 a.m. The route starts at the U.S. District Court, 400 S. Virginia St., and ends at City Plaza. A Facebook page created for the event asks readers to join their “fellow concerned community members in a peaceful demonstration of solidarity, inclusion, and unequivocal rejection of hateful rhetoric displayed and espoused by the pending Administration.” So far, more than 1,000 people have confirmed their attendance via the Facebook event page, which can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/2jw68Cg. A website can be found here: http://bit.ly/2j4uOB8

PHOTO/PETE SOUZA

—Jeri Chadwell-Singley

amOdei, heller try tO blOck mOnuments Two of Nevada’s congressmembers didn’t waste any time. U.S. Sen. Harry Reid left office on Jan. 3. On Jan. 4, U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei and U.S. Sen. Dean Heller introduced legislation to prevent presidential action “designating or expanding national monuments without Congressional approval or local support.” Reid was instrumental in convincing President Obama to designate two new national monuments for Nevada—Basin and Range and Gold Butte. In a prepared statement, Heller called them “unilateral federal land grabs by the executive branch,” and saying they “should not be allowed. Public input and local support remain critical to the decisionmaking process of federal land designations.” Amodei said in his statement, “Whether you agree with our proposals or not, I have always supprted a public and transparent process which includes input from interest groups, local communities and elected representatives. Unlike all of our Nevada lands bills that allow stakeholders an opportunity to voice their concerns and ultimately reach a consensus agreement that achieves bipartisan support, the Obama administration has repeatedly bypassed Congress and local input.” However, defenders of Obama’s action say Heller and Amodei are rewriting history, that public input was obtained. For instance, in a letter to the editor on page 3 of this edition, Cathy Schmidt of Reno writes that “Gold Butte’s advocates worked with local governments, sportsmen, off-road enthusiasts, opposition voices, supporters, and so many more to ensure that there was a well-balanced proposal to protect Gold Butte where all voices were heard. Governor Sandoval is even on record of having input. To paraphrase Rep. Dina Titus from Las Vegas, who has been a champion for Gold Butte, the only people who say there wasn’t public input around Gold Butte’s designation are just those who are opposed to it.” —denniS MyerS

8 | RN&R | 01.12.17

Obama and Nevada President regularly aided state On Feb. 21, 2007, the powerful labor union AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) held a presidential forum in Carson City which was attended by all the candidates—Biden, Edwards, Gravel, Kucinich, Richardson, Vilsack, even the aristocratic Hillary Clinton, though she did not meet with reporters in a news conference afterward as other candidates did. All of the candidates, that is, except Barack Obama. He was in California, and his schedule was not busy, but Politico reported, “Obama refused because a.) he thinks it is too early to debate and b.) he has the guts to say no to a powerful labor union.” Commenter Taylor Marsh (a.k.a. Michelle Marshall) wrote on Huffington Post., “If anyone’s keeping score this early, this one beats a verbal gaffe or any blogger brouhaha by a mile, because it’s delivered by the candidate himself. Senator Obama, you just might have to kiss those Nevada union votes good-bye.” Obama went on to lose the Nevada precinct caucuses—in which he was endorsed by the state’s largest labor union—but carried the state against

John McCain in the November election. The debate may have been one of the few Nevada events he was offered that he declined over the years. He campaigned in Elko and larger markets during the campaign and returned repeatedly to the state as president, including this past August for the Lake Tahoe Summit. But if Obama skipped a debate during the campaign, it was one of the few times he neglected the Silver State. As president, he used the state as a forum particularly on two issues— immigration and renewable energy. Some Nevada officials became bogged down in other issues, using up substantial amounts of outrage on two comments Obama made about fun-in-the-sun destinations. One dealt with taxpayer funds being used by companies bailed out by taxpayers. In 2009, the President told an audience in Elkhart, Indiana, “You can’t get corporate jets. You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayer’s dime.” Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman: “That’s outrageous. He owes us an apology. He owes us a retraction.

What is a better place, I say, for them to come here. For them to change their mind and go someplace else and to cancel at the suggestion of the president of the United States, that is outrageous.” The other Obama statement dealt with personal restraint in difficult times. “When times are tough, you tighten your belts,” he said at a high school in North Nashua, N.H. in 2010. “You don’t go buying a boat when you can barely pay your mortgage. You don’t blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you’re trying to save for college. You prioritize. You make tough choices.” U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley of Nevada: “Enough is enough! President Obama needs to stop picking on Las Vegas.” Such comments would have passed with one day’s newsworthiness, but Berkley and others kept them alive and publicized them much more widely by taking umbrage. The London Economist observed that Obama’s critics had “very little faith in the general public’s ability to understand what Barack Obama says.” On more substantive economic issues, Obama poured federal resources into Nevada. On one occasion he stood in front of an array of solar panels near Boulder City that seemed to stretch for miles—an image that appears on this month’s High Country News as a symbol of Obama’s Western legacy, though it is also a demonstration of the limitations of solar, which eats up huge amounts of space. The president’s Clean Power Plan is aimed at curbing climate change by limiting carbon dioxide production from power plants. Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt has joined other states in suing to stop it. “Nevada stands as something of a green oasis for Obama’s clean-energy vision, with a rapidly growing solar industry, bipartisan political support for reduced carbon emissions and wide swaths of federally owned lands repurposed for massive renewable energy projects,” reported Bloomberg. Renewable projects went to the Moapa tribe as well as other entities. Obama’s emphasis on renewables melded nicely with that of Nevada’s senior senator, Harry Reid, who had

succeeded in killing two proposed coal Hispanic population in a swing state,” plants in Nevada and shutting down most of Bloomberg Politics noted. Nevada has one a third while promoting renewable projects. of the fast-growing Latino populations, Reid also chastised mogul Warren Buffett, an influx that’s shifted the state’s politics who owns NV Energy in Nevada, over towards Democrats in recent cycles.” Buffett’s determination to keep building “I know that some issues will be harder traditional power plants and his efforts to to lift than others,” Obama said in the first torpedo net metering. appearance. “Some debates will be more In 2015, Obama spoke in Nevada and contentious. That’s to be expected. But the took a shot at Buffett and NV reason I came here today is because of Energy by comparing them to a challenge where the differences more progressive states like are dwindling, where a broad Oklahoma and Texas that consensus is emerging, were promoting solar. and where a call for Customers “can tell [a] action can now be heard utility company that coming from all across they want renewable America.” energy and have solar Obama’s presence on the roof by the at those high schools weekend” in those could have been a factor states, he said. “That’s in the 48,000 petitions power. That’s the future. circulated by young It’s an American energy Latinos and sent to Laxalt revolution. Good utilities calling on him to drop his recognize this and are adapting immigration lawsuit against the business models to seize the opporpresident. The president’s cultivation tunities of this emerging energy reality.” of Latinos at a time when Republicans Obama twice spoke at Del Sol High could not seem to resist the temptation to School in Las Vegas on immigration issues, exploit the issue drove that group of voters in 2013 and 2014. “For Democrats thinking into the Democratic camp. about the 2016 races, there’s no better place Obama carried Nevada in both of his to set an immigration presidential campaigns. speech than a high Nevadans opposed the school with a two-thirds Iraq war by a wide margin, President Obama spoke at Copper Mountain Solar 1 Facility near and Obama’s 2008 opponent, Boulder City on March 21, 2012. John McCain, had successfully PHOTO/LAWRENCE JACKSON proposed a 20,000-troop escalation the previous year. The state was badly battered even before the autumn 2008 meltdown. Nevada had the highest foreclosure rate in the nation, one of the 10 highest job loss rates, and may have started losing population for the first time in the memory of any living Nevadan. Slightly more than a fourth of Nevadans approved of George W. Bush’s performance in office, and though McCain did a fair job of distancing himself in the minds of Nevadans from Bush, the Wall Street meltdown and bailouts in the weeks before the election ended any chance the Arizonan had in Nevada. Only 970,019 of 1,652,846 eligible Nevadans—or 58.6 percent—turned out to vote, but their 55 to 43 percent conclusion hardly called for a recount. Obama easily won reelection against Mitt Romney four years later, 52 to 46 percent. Ω

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E V E RY W H E R E . . .

WAT E R , WAT E R

Floods drench Northern Nevada

eople flocked to downtown Reno Sunday evening— recording cellphone videos and snapping selfies next to the churning Truckee River, even as city police on PA systems warned that a potential levee failure west of downtown could spell disaster for those hovering too close to the river’s edge. Later in the evening, the crowds thinned as people left the streets but continued using social media to discuss the flood. The official hashtag— #NVFlood2017—designated by Washoe County officials saw plenty of action throughout Sunday evening and into Monday as flooding and mudslides were reported from Lemmon Valley to the Virginia City Highlands and farther south toward the capital. According to the county’s website, the river reached its highest point in downtown Reno late Sunday night. Many streets in the Sparks industrial area were inundated when the river overflowed its banks there Monday morning. This week marks the latest in more than a dozen wintertime floods that have hit the region in recorded history. The last was in 2005, but according to a University of Nevada, Reno Cooperative Extension report, major floods also occurred “in 1862, 1875, 1890, 1904, 1907, 1928, 1937, 1943, 1950, 1955, 1963, 1986” and, of course, 1997. Thankfully, no flood-related injuries were reported this time around. But the cities of Reno and Sparks, and Washoe County were still—as of press time— trying to get an estimate of the damage done by the flood and rain across the region. Ω

An excavator parked on the Sierra Street Bridge plucked logs and debris from the river. Fans on social media dubbed the operator #craneguy. There were several excavator operators working along the Truckee River during the flood. Photo/JERI ChADWELL-SINGLEY

“ WAT E R , WAT E R E V E RY W H E R E . . .” continued on page 12 01.12.17 | RN&R | 11

“ WAT E R , WAT E R E V E RY W H E R E . . .” continued from page 11

2 Photo/JERI ChADWELL-SINGLEY

1. Onlookers gathered around the BELIEVE sculpture in City Plaza on Sunday. Most of the bridges in downtown Reno were closed later that afternoon, including the Virginia Street Bridge. 2. Water flooded the sidewalk and poured off the curb Sunday afternoon at Roy Gomm Elementary School. 3. Ditches, storm drains and gutters, like this one near Reno High School, flooded as rain poured all day Sunday. 4. Homeowners Ben and Camille Bailey filled sandbags at Dorostkar Park on Mayberry Drive Sunday afternoon. 5. Ross Manor, which recently sold for $7.3 million, was one of many downtown Reno buildings protected by sandbags. While the river did not overflow its banks in

Reno, Sparks was not so lucky. By Monday afternoon, parts of the Sparks industrial area were under several feet of water. 6. People could be found by the river from Verdi to Sparks Sunday, despite warnings from police and city and county officials. In Reno, the stairs and walkways to the river were blocked to keep people away from the churning waters. 7. Ducks dallied on steps leading to the river near Wingfield Park in Reno early on Sunday. A few hours later these same stairs were under water as the river rose and crested.

Photo/ERIC MARKS

Photo/JERI ChADWELL-SINGLEY

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Photo/JERI ChADWELL-SINGLEY

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a Cure for Wellness

beauty and the beast

Split

old AcquAintAnce be forGot by bob Grimm

2017

has to be a better year for blockbusters, right? Will we return to eating popcorn with glee rather than having it nestle on our tongues while our jaws hang open in total disgust and disbelief? I think that bags of popcorn lasted a lot longer in 2016, more than any other year. Theater managers were all, like, “Why isn’t anybody getting refills? Did you over-salt the popcorn again, Jacquie? You’re fired!” Here’s a list of some upcoming movies. Many of the smaller, more artsy films don’t have release dates yet. It’s a very busy year, and I didn’t have room for some big ones, but this is a good sampling. Well, I guess you can be the judge of that.

14 | RN&R | 01.12,17

bgrimm@newsreview.com

Split (Jan. 20) James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy star in a new split-personality thriller from M. Night Shyamalan. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m kind of looking forward to this one.

XXX: RetuRn of XandeR Cage (Jan. 20) Vin Diesel returns to the franchise he started, or at least his stunt men do. It’s triple X-rated, apparently. Naughty!

fifty ShadeS daRkeR (feb. 10) Guys, go see this one with your partner on Valentine’s Day, and then use it as leverage to see the next one on this list.

John WiCk: ChapteR 2 (feb. 10) Yeah, man! Keanu kicking ass is a solid antidote for having to sit through all that lubby-dubby, bondage bullshit. I hope this is as good as the first one. Don’t want to see Keanu getting caught up in something shoddy, like Charles Bronson did with the whole Death Wish thing.

a CuRe foR WellneSS (feb. 17) This is some weird-assed movie from Gore Verbinski involving horrific goings-on at a wellness center. Perhaps somebody took a dump in an

Goodbye, lackluster blockbusters of 2016! Here’s hoping 2017’s movies are 50 shades brighter. isolation tank? Looks a little like Altered States meets Apocalypse Now. Wait, this suddenly became a very cool prospect, minus the tank dump thing.

the gReat Wall (feb. 17) Looks like Matt Damon is going to China and doing the whole Legolas/Hawkeye routine for director Zhang Yimou. This can’t be good, right?

logan (MaRCh 3) This is Hugh Jackman’s supposed swan song as Wolverine, and it’s apparently shooting for an R rating after the success of Deadpool.

t2: tRainSpotting (MaRCh 3) Danny Boyle returns with most of his cast for the second Trainspotting chapter, 21 years after the original. Is creepy ceiling baby coming back, too?

singing the same songs and wearing the same clothes! I thought Emma Watson was taking a long break.

ChipS (MaRCh 17) Yes, the motorcycle cop TV show is getting a movie. I still remember how traumatized I was after Erik Estrada got in a real motorcycle accident back when the TV show originally aired in the ’70s. I was a sad, lonely child.

life (MaRCh 24) A bunch of space travelers—including Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds—discover extraterrestrial life. As is often the case in alien movies, the extraterrestrial life form turns out to be a major asshole.

ghoSt in the Shell (MaRCh 31) Scarlett Johansson doing the cyborg thang.

kong: Skull iSland (MaRCh 10) Legendary rebooted Godzilla with major success, so now they intend to do the same for Kong, even making him a lot larger in stature so that he can battle Godzilla in a future movie. Geek-gasm.

beauty and the beaSt (MaRCh 17) Will Disney take the remake machine a little too far with this one? Come on, they’re

faSt & fuRiouS 8 (apRil 12) Charlize Theron joins Vin Diesel in another franchise he started. Vin Diesel is such a dickweed.

guaRdianS of the galaXy Vol. 2 (May 5) Oh wait, Vin Diesel is Groot. He’s not a total dickweed, just partial.

Snatched (May 12)

the darK tower (July 28)

Amy Schumer in a comedy with Goldie Hawn. Goldie has not been in a movie in 15 years.

This should/could be a big year for Stephen King. After a lot of starts and stops, the saga of Roland the gunslinger finally makes it to the screen, to be followed soon thereafter by a much hyped remake. See next blurb.

alien: covenant (May 19) When Ridley Scott put the temporary kibosh on Alien 5, Neil Blompkamp’s attempt to restart the Ripley saga, I was a little worried. Having seen the gory trailer for Scott’s Prometheus sequel/Alien prequel, I have ceased to worry.

it (SePt. 8)

NOVEMBER 19, 2016 – JANUARY 22, 2017

Pennywise finally gets a big-screen budget. If they make this PG-13, I’ll be pissed.

Baywatch (May 26)

Blade runner 2049 (oct. 6)

Another movie remake of a lousy TV show. When are we getting a Happy Days or Little House on the Prairie movie? You just know somebody is going to remake Bonanza.

This sequel, sans Ridley Scott, costars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. I’m betting Ford acts craggy in it. Not a dig on Ford. He makes craggy cool.

PirateS of the cariBBean: dead Men tell no taleS (May 26)

Hell yeah, now we’re getting somewhere!

My little Pony: the Movie (oct. 10)

Johnny Depp is a dirty pirate whore!

wonder woMan (June 2) DC tries to get back on the good foot, but my hopes are not high.

the MuMMy (June 9) Tom Cruise runs and runs and runs and runs …

carS 3 (June 16) The first Cars was OK, and the second one was total garbage. Pixar slums for another year with yet another sequel. The ride at Disneyland is super badass, though.

the Beguiled (June 30)

Saw: legacy (oct. 27) My worst news about the 2017 movie year thus far. Mother of Christ, I really wanted these films to go away.

thor: ragnaroK (nov. 3) This one promises a Hulk fix. Honestly, they should call it Hulk … and that Hammer Guy, Too, but Who Cares? Hulk!!!

JuStice league (nov. 17) Up until this point, the year looks to have a lot of fun and promise, but this cinematic pothole exists right before Turkey Day. Zack Snyder is a clueless, lost man in the DC universe.

Sofia Coppola returns. That is all.

tranSforMerS: the laSt Knight (June 23) Michael Bay directs, and this should end his streak at two decent films in a row—Pain & Gain and 13 Hrs.

SPider-Man: hoMecoMing (July 7) Tom Holland is a great actor and a fine acrobat, two factors that should make him a fun and appealing Spidey.

Murder on the orient exPreSS (nov. 22)

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Star warS: ePiSode viii (dec. 15)

MAJOR SPONSORS

Will this be the last we see of Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia? As Rogue One proved, she can be in a movie without actually doing anything. Carrie Fisher being gone is so weird.

war for the Planet of the aPeS (July 14)

JuManJi (dec. 22) Oh, look, it’s another remake. And, oh look, Dwayne Johnson is in this one, too.

Christopher Nolan World War II epic. Yes, please.

Closing January 22, 2017

Johnny Depp shows up in this remake. He’s a dirty pirate whore!

Apes continue to inexplicably take over Earth from humans in this undeniably entertaining film series but, still, we have a lot of shit that will blow up marauding apes real good. Seems a little implausible.

dunKirK (July 21)

L AST C H A N C E

The Bretzlaff Foundation Clark/Sullivan Construction; Eldorado Resorts; Sandy Raffealli, Porsche of Reno

Pitch Perfect 3 (dec. 22) If anything, you have this to look forward to come Christmastime. That, along with your yearly case of the flu because you didn’t get the damn shot, you knucklehead. The barfing flu has to be better than these movies. Ω

This exhibition is drawn from the Barbara L. Gordon Collection and is organized and circulated by Art Services International, Alexandria, Virginia. Attributed to Edward Hicks, The Peaceable Kingdom with the Leopard of Serenity, 1846-1848, oil on canvas.

01.12,17 | RN&R | 15

by KRIS VAGNER

k r isv @ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

Lindsey Bath’s “Really, What’s the Difference?”is part of an exhibit on race by TMCC students.

Gray area Colour Blinders “We’re all slaves to our own fears,” said Haley Deiro, an art student at Truckee Meadows Community College. “That’s where prejudice starts.” She drew that conclusion last year in a class called—nope, not “Race and Gender,” not “Principles of Sociology”—it was an art class, “Introduction to Printmaking.” The students in that class collaborated with students from other departments— including English, political science and psychology—on a research project. A TMCC group called Faculty for Radical Empowerment and Enlightenment (FREE), brought them together. Since 2003, that group has assigned interdiciplinary projects on big-picture topics—among them censorship, evolution and democracy. This time around, the topic was race. Art instructor Candace Garlock showed her students work by prominent artists who’ve addressed race in America and asked them to consider, “What is racism? How do we understand racism?” “The hardest part was—they had to individualize it,” she said. “They had to figure out their own identity while they were researching. It was really, really hard.” “I think it forced me to broaden my view,” Diero said. “I am a blond-haired, blue-eyed white woman. I’m not a minority. I don’t know how that would feel. I had to be more empathetic toward people who [experience discrimination].” She accessed the idea of prejudice through her own experiences as a woman in her 20s contending with unreachable societal standards of beauty. The research and soul-searching culminated in an exhibit of wood-block prints, which is on display in the hallway gallery at TMCC Meadowood Center. Each 16 | RN&R | 01.12.17

PHOTO/KRIS VAGNER

print is a graphically bold, black-and-white, poster-sized image, but that’s where the similarities stop and the nuances begin. The art students—predominantly white— devised their own visual languages to explore racism from different perspectives, whether they’d experienced it personally or not. Where Diero used doves to symbolize peace, for example, classmate Cassandra Bowers’ dove is crashed and bleeding. Brandy Shaw considered the lies and omissions she and fellow Native Americans had been presented with as children. She drew a school desk scratched with epithets—“savage,” “STFU”—and a textbook titled “U.S. History Lies.” Angela Chan replaced the figures of a Chinese zodiac with images of Asian stereotypes—a mathematical formula, a small string instrument, an “A+” grade. Garlock said that another student, David Radonski, “was very thoughtful. He’s a white, young male. In a way it’s almost like everyone’s prejudiced against him as a person. … You’re afraid to say anything because people will tag you as a racist.” Alongside the prints in the exhibit are quotations the psychology students found and graphs made by math students to convey data on how things such as unemployment rates and arrest rates differ by race. The art students also wrote brief statements summarizing their insights, which come off as consistently professional and insightful. In Deiro’s, she noted that, while discrimination can be regulated by law, prejudice itself is more deep-seated and less controllable. As a group, these students show that a beginning art class can be an effective launch pad for some thoughful conversations on a complex topic. Ω

Colour Blinders, an exhibit of wood-block prints by TMCC students examining race, is on exhibit through Jan. 31, TMCC Meadowood Center, 5270 Neil Road. The gallery is in a hallway on the first floor.

by BoB Grimm

b g ri m m @ne w s re v i e w . c o m

SHORT TAKES

A Monster Calls

This is a well-meaning movie with good heart, but it was better when it was called The Iron Giant. J.A. Bayona’s film of the Patrick Ness book tells the tale of Conor (Lewis MacDougall), a young boy whose mother (Felicity Jones) is dying. Conor is, understandably, having issues, not just with the impending loss of his mother, but bullies at school and a domineering grandma (Sigourney Weaver) he doesn’t quite understand. When things come to a boil, a tree monster (voice of Liam Neeson) shows up to offer guidance and tough love. MacDougall gives a respectable performance, as do Jones and Weaver, but the film never really works as a whole. The relationship between the boy and the imaginative monster never makes much sense, so the human interactions wind up being far more interesting. Problem is, this movie is called A Monster Calls, and much of the film leans on the effectiveness of the monster scenes. There are moments where everything jells, but just moments.

“Say hi to your mother for me!”

Marathon man

Wolff is on target as the baseball cap-wearing, oblivious douche that doesn’t know how to say no to his brother. There’s nothing sympathetic about the portrayal of his brand of evil in this movie. He’s a The latest collaboration between director Peter cold-hearted, ignorant villain, and Wolff captures that Berg and actor Mark Wahlberg, Patriots Day, stands essence. As Dzhokhar’s older brother, and bombing as not only a valuable tribute to the victims and mastermind, Tamerlan, Themo Melikidze delivers a heroes of the Boston Marathon bombings, but a solid, chilling rendition of radicalism and psychotic egotism. meaningful, gritty look at what it took to take down Michelle Monaghan is effective as Saunders’ the terrorist Tsarnaev brothers. wife, as are John Goodman as police commissioner Wahlberg plays Sgt. Tommy Saunders, another Ed Davis and Kevin Bacon as FBI Special Agent one of those fictional composite characters that often Richard DesLauriers. J.K. Simmons is hard edged show up in historical dramas. You may forgive this and a little bit funny as Sgt. Jeffrey Pugliese, who kind of artistic license, because the goal of Patriots took part in the showdown that claimed the life of Day is to take you through the entire drama, from the Tamerlan. Jimmy O. Yang is memorable as the man bombing itself, through to the capture of Dzhokhar the brothers carjacked. Tsarnaev (Alex Wolff) inside a boat in somebody’s This is definitely one of 2016’s better ensembles. backyard. While the film got a wide release in 2017, it got a There probably wasn’t a single limited release last year to qualify person who was at all of the events for awards considerations. Berg, leading to the ultimate capture like Jeff Nichols (Midnight of the final living suspect in the Special, Loving) had two good bombings. It’s best to just view movies in 2016 with this and the Wahlberg character as a partial Deepwater Horizon. representation of the heroism and Director: Peter Berg He’s no stranger to historical Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Alex Wolff diligence that led to that arrest. drama. Ever since Berg nearly The film begins with Saunders derailed his promising directobitching about being on street rial career with the abysmal Battleship, it’s all he’s security detail for the Boston Marathon, serving out done on the big screen. Lone Survivor, Deepwater a probationary period on the Boston police force. He Horizon and now Patriots Day, all Wahlberg collabshows up in the “clown suit,” takes some ribbing from orations, are based on real-life events. Much to Berg’s fellow cops and detectives, but generally sports a good credit, all of those events are represented with great attitude and does the gig with an admirable level of detail, emotional honesty and integrity. They are also conviction. The event itself actually gets his spirits a very entertaining. Right now, he’s kicking Spielberg’s little up. Then, as runners are crossing the finish line, ass in the historical drama department. the bombs go off. The film is about heroes, the heroes who worked The film doesn’t shy away from the carnage to find the perpetrators, and the selfless, persevering caused by those bombs and the tragic mess they left heroes who were standing close to an explosive device behind, and it shouldn’t. It earns its R rating. The when it went off. You’ll walk away from this movie movie dives into the bombing aftermath, then straight feeling that Berg, Wahlberg and company did all of into the investigation and tense standoffs that occurred these good people justice with Patriots Day. Most in rapid succession. importantly, it’s a moving tribute to those who lost Wahlberg has done some of his best work in Berg their lives. films (Deepwater Horizon and Lone Survivor), and Some might say “too soon” for the existence of this film represents the apex of their collaborations. a film such as this one. I say it’s never too soon to Yes, the character he’s playing isn’t totally real, but honor the good people of Boston. Ω it’s an honorable deviation.

Patriots Day

12345

Hidden Figures

Katherine Johnson, one of the most brilliant mathematicians of the last century—and still going at age 98—gets the movie she deserves with Hidden Figures, an entertaining, enlightening and educational look at the contributions of her and her cohorts to NASA and space flight in the late 1950s and after. Johnson was part of a segregated division at NASA in the ’50s, a wing of mathematicians who did the work that actual computers do today. The movie depicts the humiliation she and two other historical African-American figures, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, went through while solving equations that helped put men safely into space and return them to their families. The women had to put up with a lot of racist bullshit on their way to, during and after work, and the film shows their hardships, albeit in PG fashion. There was a stretch where Johnson was making monumental calculations for the likes of Alan Shepard, yet she wasn’t allowed to use bathrooms in her building or drink from the same coffee pot as her white counterparts. Taraji P. Henson plays Johnson, the “smart one” astronaut John Glenn personally demanded check the coordinates before his historical flight launched. Octavia Spencer is her usual great self as Vaughan, doing the work of a supervisor without the title and curious about that new IBM thing they just installed down the hall. Vaughan would become crucial to the implementation of computers at NASA, as well as being the agency’s first African-American supervisor. As Jackson, NASA’s first female African-American aeronautical engineer, singer Janelle Monae is so good, it’s easy to forget that this is just her second movie role. As a composite, fictional character named Al Harrison, Kevin Costner does some of his best acting in years.

La La Land

This is an all new, original musical from director Damien Chazelle (Whiplash) that’s surprisingly low on melodrama while full of vibrancy, beautiful tunes, outstanding set pieces and a stunning sense of realism for a movie where the characters bust out singing. It’s the best original movie musical ever made. The story follows wannabe actress Mia (Emma Stone) and jazz composer Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) as they try to make it in crazy Los Angeles. They meet, they don’t like each other much at first, but then they fall in love, which provides Chazelle and his performers ample opportunities for musical numbers that surprise at every turn. In one of the year’s greatest scenes, the film opens on an L.A. traffic jam that evolves into a full-blown dance number featuring many extras and top notch editing and camera work that make the whole thing look like one shot. This solidifies Gosling as one of the best actors of his generation. He can wow you with insightful indies and carry big budget blockbusters. Now, with La La Land, he takes his game to a new level. He proves he can pretty much do anything when it comes to movie characters. He can sing with the best of them, he’s definitely no slouch when it comes to dancing, and he sure can play the piano after a

few months of intensive training for the movie. Stone doesn’t just make her mark with a beautiful voice and expert footwork—she embodies the character with the honest and almost tragic drive to “make it” in the business.

Manchester By the Sea

Passengers

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Be prepared to get your heart ripped out by Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams in this—one of the more emotionally powerful movie experiences of 2016. Affleck plays Lee, uncle to Patrick (Lucas Hedges), who must return to his hometown and raise his nephew after his brother (Kyle Chandler) dies. Lee is a true mess, and we learn through flashbacks what got him to his messed up state. He’s battling some major past tragedy on top of his brother’s death, and there’s no telling how things will work out for him and Patrick. The flashbacks are brutal, revealing things that go beyond terrible, and it’s no wonder Lee has coping issues. Affleck has turned in good work before, but nothing like what he does in this film. He’s incredible. Williams turns in a blistering performance as Lee’s ex-wife, and a scene Affleck and Williams share together is guaranteed to knock you on your ass, and will probably earn them both Oscar nominations. Hedges is mighty good as the confused teen dealing with the loss of his dad and the presence of his somewhat strange uncle. Kenneth Lonergan directs from his own screenplay, and he’s put together some kind of movie miracle. His last big film was You Can Count On Me 16 years ago.

Two of Hollywood’s biggest, most lovable stars labor away in the pretty but dumb Passengers, a movie that doesn’t have the guts to be as ugly as it should be. Chris Pratt plays Jim Preston, a mechanic dedicated to starting a life on a distant planet. He and 5,000 other passengers are in suspended animation aboard a ship taking a 125-year journey. That ship has an unfortunate encounter with a meteor shower, and Jim’s sleeping pod awakens him … with 90 years to go on the trip. What to do, what to do, what to do? Jim gets it into his mind to do a very bad thing, and that’s when Jennifer Lawrence’s character comes into play. The movie is good-looking for sure, and I really liked the design of the ship. That’s essentially what’s keeping Passengers from getting my lowest rating. That, and the fact that Jennifer Lawrence really can act, even when she’s in a junk-food movie. She can salvage the most mundane of dialogue and almost make it sound good. Almost. Passengers won’t frustrate you so much for what it is, as for what it could have been. Imagine if somebody like Stanley Kubrick got ahold of this premise. Oh man, that would’ve been a movie to be reckoned with. This could’ve been one of the sickest science fiction epics since Alien.

There was a quick little moment in the very first Star Wars (now known as Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) where a character mentions rebels possibly obtaining vulnerability secrets regarding the Death Star. That group of people actually gets their own movie in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a Star Wars spinoff that’s technically another prequel. In fact, it tells a story that leads right up to where A New Hope begins. It’s also a little different from your typical Star Wars movie in that it doesn’t mainly deal with the Skywalker saga—although a couple of them make notable appearances—and doesn’t prominently feature the John Williams score (although that makes some appearances, as well). Director Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) goes for something a little different here, a tonal shift that reminds of the big change The Empire Strikes Back brought to the saga. The result is a different kind of Star Wars film that’s immensely entertaining and fun. Felicity Jones is terrific as Jyn, a woman who finds herself with strange ties to the Death Star, and becomes part of the effort to destroy it. Star Wars fans will delight in all of the tie-ins and cameos, while newcomers will simply have a blast with an action movie that delivers on many fronts.

01.12.17 | RN&R | 17

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Tap Master abby Tinseth and bartender Jared Trevey work the taps at Whole Foods.

Whole beers

Photo/Eric Marks

options have beer aficionado written all over them. No other supermarket has a draft list on their Facebook page, trust me (not up to date, but still). Add a comparable wine I’m sure by now you see me as some kind list, a few handcrafted cocktails, a couple of Don Draper/Bukowski/Dean Martin of TVs, and a happy hour, and this, by all barfly and drinker extraordinaire. appearances, is a bar. In a supermarket. It’s Apparently we haven’t been properly introstill kind of hard to wrap my head around duced. In real life, I’m a mild-mannered stopping in for a Double IPA while picking average guy with a day job, wife and kids, up a loaf of bread, organic avocados and responsibilities to work, home ownership, some salmon fillets. pets—some version of the American This makes for a “mostly a bar but not dream. I’m sure many of you, like us, have a bar” situation. Middle of the weekday, struggled with kids on winter break needing grabbing lunch, I’ve learned before, is not care while you work. In this case, my work exactly a display of tranquility at Whole requires me to go out for a drink. So what Foods. The salad and hot food bars next to does a middle-aged, middle-class guy with the pizza, burrito and sandwich counters, a taste for quality drink and two kids in tow all quite popular for a somewhat healthy turn to in the middle of a weekday? meal, makes for a frenzied Let’s answer that experience. Dragging around question with another my littles, navigating the question: What do you crowded salad bar, paying get when you combine at the checkstand alongside a supermarket, coffee shoppers of GMO-free bar, salad bar, prepared 6139 S. Virginia St., 852-8023 veggies and organic dog hot food, and a bar, add food, then proceeding to the a mix of customers with Tap Room to squeeze into a bench seat and some disposable income and a vaguely grab a beer—it was almost too overwhelmenvironmental ethic, and blend thoroughly? ing. It’s like Whole Foods wanted a bar but Whole Foods Tap Room, that’s what. This maybe didn’t want it to be, you know, a may be the most chaotic place in town to bar, so they try to accommodate everyone have a drink. else, too. Picnic benches were filled with I don’t know about you, but the name lunching families, 20-somethings enjoying “Tap Room,” to me, implies beer. Beer sushi and kombucha, a retiree having a enjoys a near monopoly among beverages sandwich and a coconut water while watchto the phrase “on tap” as a serving method. ing a game on TV. You can even order Taprooms are typically in breweries or are food at the bar like a proper pub. Come beer-centric establishments. It’s not unreaone, come all! From my casual glances, sonable to expect a “Tap Room” to focus only a small minority actually were partakon beer. It seems like that’s what they had ing in anything from the Tap Room. in mind—the logo features a tap handle and So that’s what we have. I need to stop the store’s retail beer selection is among trying to figure it out and accept it for the best in town. Beer is clearly important what it is. It’s a beer-focused bar with an here. The list of draft choices is obviously excellent tap list, in a supermarket, with curated with high quality and variety in seating for people enjoying gelato, pizza mind. From imperial stouts to saisons, slices and tofu. Next step? Cup holders in locals, sours and more, the dozen or so carts—drink while you shop! Ω

Whole Foods Tap Room

by Todd SouTh

Lily’s China Bistro in Carson City features housemade noodles.

Noodle around

PHOTO/ALLISON YOUNG

Fried rice was literally just that—white rice tossed in a wok with some soy sauce and oil, not much flavor on its own, but OK to sop up sauce from the entree. The chow mein was excellent, with crispy bits of veg and absolutely delicious housemade noodles. The salad was a bit of shredded Lily’s China Bistro initially appeared to cabbage in mildly salty dressing, sort of a be an inexpensive Chinese take-away of briny slaw. I enjoyed it. Sugar chips were the “faded photo menu on the wall, instant fried, sweetened pieces of wonton wrapper, regret after eating” variety. However, which weren’t bad but didn’t add a lot to signage indicating the presence of housethe meal. made noodles caught my attention, and As for entrees, the meat and veggies once inside, I realized the food may be were fine in the General’s chicken affordable, but the place ain’t cheap. ($7.45), but it was quite sweet, lacking Tables are set with forks, but I like to any heat despite the dried pepper pods. eat small bites and noodles with chopsticks. Perhaps ordering “extra spicy” would The staff seemed a bit bemused but cheerhelp. Similarly, the kung pao chicken fully honored my request. Instead of food ($7.25) lacked the punch I expect from this portraits, the room is decorated with painted Szechuan classic. Lemon shrimp ($7.89) Chinese landscapes, paper lanterns and was tart and sweet, though surprisingly less similar adornments. They’ve done a nice so than the General’s sauce. The deep-fried job elevating the building from its recognizbatter on the shrimp held some crunch able fast-food past. despite the deluge of My group and I goo. Even better was ordered a variety of lunch snow pea shrimp ($8.99), specials, available with a 1280 S. Carson St., with a delicate ginger choice of hot and sour or Carson City, 885-8080 sauce that allowed the egg flower soup, a vegetaLily’s China Bistro is open Monday through carrot, water chestnut, ble egg roll, Chinese salad, Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. bamboo shoot and steamed or fried rice, stir-fried shrimp to entree and sugar chips. shine. Orders of Szechuan beef ($7.45) and Brown rice or vegetable chow mein can be twice-cooked barbecue pork ($7.25) finally substituted for an additional 75 cents. Pots brought some spicy kick. The beef was of green tea were shared ($1), which is only tender and the veggies al dente, but the pork notable because it actually had a deep color was a bit dry. The sauce on the pork dish and more flavor than the hot water usually was best of the bunch. served in such places. The lone hold-out from lunch specials The service was very quick and was a broccoli chicken noodle bowl efficient. Within moments of ordering, we ($6.50), featuring a pile of housemade lo had cups of hot, delicious soup, then barely mein noodles tossed in something savory, enough time to finish them before our topped with fresh stir fry from a variety of plates arrived. It’s no wonder the drive-thru options. Very simple, very delicious, and it window is still in action. This kitchen is appeared to be the take-out window’s most cranking out fresh food in record time. popular item. I will definitely be driving The egg roll was crispy and not greasy, thru for some of those fantastic noodles in served with a small dollop of dipping sauce. the near future. Ω

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01.12.17 | RN&R | 19

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On a Sunday night at the Hangar Bar in Stead, singer songwriter Canyon White took the stage for open mic night around 8 p.m. The start time always coincides with the end of the last NFL game of the day. Half a dozen locals chatted and drank domestics while White set up her guitar in front of the flat-screen TVs next to the jukebox. She looked at home in front of the tie-dye banner bearing her name, a simple PA and a bongo drum—she’s done this before. “Being at the Hangar for 16 years, once a week, really challenges me,” she said. “I found my voice. I consider myself one of the blessed ones, and that’s kind of what the open mic has done for me.” White’s open mic could very possibly be the longest running engagement in Reno. She acts as MC and headliner, playing requested classics, leading singalongs and dipping into her repertoire of over 300 original songs she’s compiled in her 30-plus years of playing music. However, she’s always ready to cede the floor to anyone with a song to sing. “I use all the energy I have for my project, which is music,” said White. “And not just my music, but to support other people’s music. I’m encouraging those who have been in it for 40 years to say, ‘Don’t be discouraged. Your time could be now. You never know who’s listening.’” White’s musical range skates between blues-rock and country with an earthy soul, mellow vocals and an acoustic steel-string. She finds a smoky, Melissa Etheridge-like rasp on the high end of her more powerful rock numbers.

PHOTO/MATT BIEKER

She got her start playing trumpet in the Washoe County school system. “I went to college and discovered the guitar,” said White. “At some point in my freshman year, I hit the road as a roadie for other people—carrying their stuff— and they’re my influences. People that no one knows, just road warriors who go out and play their songs.” While Willie Nelson did hear of one her songs once, and that’s enough for White to “die a happy woman,” she said, the primary goal for her career has never been fame or recognition, but to put on the best show she can and help others do the same. “I understand about competition,” she said. “You want to beat the other guy. You want to be the best. But in music I don’t need that at all. I feel it’s a cooperation. I know every new club that opens up. I know every new festival that comes and goes. I know the names that come and go, and I’m proud of every one of them.” White considers her wins in RN&R’s “Best of Northern Nevada” readers’ polls to be among her crowning achievements. She was voted Best Local Musician and Best Songwriter in both 2015 and 2016. “This has been my job, my gig, my goal, my dream,” she said. “So that has meant something to me because that is my community giving me a ‘atta girl.’” She plans to release a “best of” compilation, her fourth self-produced album, at some point this year. She often says she considers herself Reno’s best-kept secret, but fans can join her onstage at The Hangar or at one of the other open mic nights she hosts in Carson City. “The fact that I’m getting some recognition is really—I’m OK with that, but that’s not the point,” said White. “To me it will always be about the song. I’m a slave to the song.” Ω Canyon White hosts open mic nights Sundays at the Hangar Bar, 10603 Stead Blvd., Fridays at A To Zen Gifts & Thrift, 1801 N. Carson St., Carson City, and Tuesdays at Living the Good Life, 1480 N. Carson St., Carson City.

3RD STREET 125 W. Third St., (775) 323-5005

5 STAR SALOON 132 West St., (775) 329-2878

BAR OF AMERICA 10042 Donner Pass Rd., Truckee; (530) 587-2626

CEOL IRISH PUB 538 S. Virginia St., (775) 329-5558

COMMA COFFEE 312 S. Carson St., Carson City; (775) 883-2662

COTTONWOOD RESTAURANT & BAR 10142 Rue Hilltop, Truckee; (530) 587-5711

DAVIDSON’S DISTILLERY 275 E. Fourth St., (775) 324-1917

THURSDAY 1/12

FRIDAY 1/13

SATURDAY 1/14

The Frank Perry Jazz Combo, 8pm, no cover

The Mener, 9pm, no cover

Blue Haven, 9pm, no cover

DG Kicks, 9pm, Tu, no cover

Pass the Torch Party, 9pm, $5 after 10pm

Karaoke, 9pm, Tu, W, no cover

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

Rustler’s Moon, 8:30pm, no cover

Coburn Station, 9pm, no cover

Pub Quiz Trivia Night, 8pm, no cover

Michelle Moonshine, 9pm, no cover

The Clarke Brothers, 9pm, no cover

In Stride Music, noon, no cover

Moon Gravy, 7pm, no cover

Matthew Szlachetka, 7pm, no cover

Rico/Leroy, 8pm, no cover

Voodoo Cats, Blacklisted, 9:30pm, no cover

ELBOW ROOM BAR HANGAR BAR HELLFIRE SALOON HIMMEL HAUS THE HOLLAND PROJECT

World of Pain, No Zodiac, Easy Money, Separated, Pressure Drop, 8pm, $10

140 Vesta St., (775) 742-1858

LAUGHING PLANET CAFE 941 N. Virginia St., (775) 870-9633

Canyon White Open Mic Night, 8pm, no cover

Open Mic Night, 9pm, M, no cover Trivia Night, 9pm, W, no cover

3819 Saddle Rd., South Lake Tahoe; (530) 314-7665

246 W. First St., (775) 329-4484

CW and Dr. Spitmore, 11:30am, Tu, Dave Leather, noon, W, no cover

VooDooDogz, 8pm, no cover

3372 S. McCarran Blvd., (775) 825-1988

THE JUNGLE

Diego’s Umbrella Traditional Irish Tune Session, 7pm, Tu, no cover

Karaoke w/Nitesong Productions, 9pm, Tu, no cover

Serenity Awaits, 9:30pm, no cover

Karaoke Kat, 9pm, no cover

10603 Stead Blvd., Stead; (775) 677-7088

71 S. Wells Ave., (775) 384-1652 1) Showroom 2) Bar Room

Post show s online by registering at www.newsr eview.com /reno. Dea dline is the Friday befor e publication.

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 1/16-1/18

Lady an the Tramps, 8pm, no cover

2002 Victorian Ave., Sparks; (775) 358-6700

JUB JUB’S THIRST PARLOR

SUNDAY 1/15

1) Nef The Pharaoh, Guilty One, 7:30pm, $10

1) This Wild Life, Royal Teeth, Oyster Kids, 7pm, W, $15 Outspoken: Open Mic Night, 7pm, M, no cover

Jan. 15, 10 p.m. Crystal Bay Club 14 Highway 28 Crystal Bay 833-6333

Comedy 3rd Street, 125 W. Third St., 323-5005: Comedy Night & Improv w/Patrick Shillito, W, 9pm, no cover Carson Nugget, 507 N. Carson St., Carson City, 882-1626: DC Ervin, F, 7:30pm, $13-$15 The Improv at Harveys Cabaret, Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, (800) 553-1022: Allan Havey, Th-F, Su, 9pm, $25; Sa, 9pm, $30; Ben Gleib, W, 9pm, $25 Laugh Factory at Silver Legacy Resort Casino, 407 N. Virginia St., 325-7401: John Mulrooney, Th, Su, 7:30pm, $21.95; F-Sa, 7:30pm, 9:30pm, $27.45; Jackson Perdue, Tu, W, 7:30pm, $21.95 Reno-Tahoe Comedy at Pioneer Underground, 100 S. Virginia St., 686-6600: DC Ervin, Th, 8pm, $10-$15; F, 9pm, $13-$19; Sa, 6:30pm, 9:30pm, $13-$19

Jazz Jam Session Wednesdays, 7:30pm, W, no cover

01.12.17 | RN&R | 21

THE LOFT THEATRE-LOUNGE-DINING 1021 Heavenly Village Way, South Lake Tahoe; (530) 523-8024

THE LOVING CUP 188 California Ave., (775) 322-2480

MIDTOWN WINE BAR 1527 S. Virginia St., (775) 800-1960

Nahko and Medicine for the People Jan. 15, 8 p.m. MontBleu Resort 55 Highway 50 Stateline (800) 648-3353

THURSDAY 1/12

FRIDAY 1/13

SATURDAY 1/14

Magic Fusion, 7:30pm, $19-$37

Magic Fusion, 7pm, 9pm, $19-$37

Alias Smith Band, 8pm, no cover

Mo’z Motley Blues, 8pm, no cover

DJ Trivia, 6:30pm, no cover

MORRIS BURNER HOSTEL 400 E. Fourth St., (775) 327-1171

PADDY & IRENE’S IRISH PUB 906-A Victorian Ave., Sparks; (775) 358-5484

Tammy Tam Tam, 6:30pm, Tu, no cover Strictly Business, 7:30pm, W, no cover

Renegade, 8pm, no cover

Bonanza King, 8:30pm, no cover

Käthärsis (open mic), 7pm, no cover

Hippie Church—A Mo’ Flow Jam, 9pm, M, no cover

Acoustic Wonderland singer-songwriter showcase, 8pm, no cover

U Play Wednesday (open mic jam), 8pm, W, no cover

PIGNIC PUB & PATIO

Open Spike Night w/Spike McGuire, 7pm, Tu, no cover

235 Flint St., (775) 376-1948

RED DOG SALOON 76 N. C St., Virginia City; (775) 847-7474

ROCKBAR THEATER 211 N. Virginia St., (669) 255-7960

THE SAINT 761 S. Virginia St., (775) 221-7451

This Wild Life Jan. 18, 7 p.m. Jub Jub’s Thirst Parlor 71 S. Wells Ave. 384-1652

Open mic and jam, 7pm, no cover Greg Golden, Blackwater, Max Volume, 7pm, $10

Rockaraoke, 8pm, no cover Mel & Gia, 9pm, no cover

Vague Choir, PUSHBoX, Moons of Vega, 9pm, no cover

Lumbercat, The Happy Happy Joy Joy Family Band, 9pm, Tu, no cover

Three Rounds, The Shames, Viva Revenge, The Habituals, 9pm, $6

2 Ball Screwball, Murderock, American Slacker Society, 9pm, M, $5

Mr. Rooney, 9pm, no cover

Saturday Night Dance Party, 9pm, no cover

Tuesday Trivia, 8pm, Tu, no cover Music Industry Night, 8pm, W, no cover

Limbo State, Evil Ash, 9pm, $5

Left of Reason, The Electric, 8:30pm, $7

Rick Monroe, Grace Hayes, 8:30pm, W, $5

715 S. Virginia St., (775) 786-4774 1237 Baring Blvd., Sparks; (775) 409-3340

Players Buffet Open Mic Jam hosted by Greg and Adrian, 8:30pm, no cover

ST. JAMES INFIRMARY 445 California Ave., (775) 657-8484

STUDIO ON 4TH 432 E. Fourth St., (775) 737-9776

WHISKEY DICK’S SALOON 2660 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe; (530) 544-3425

First Take featuring Rick Metz, 6pm, $5 Karaoke with Steve Starr, 8pm, no cover

Coop da Loop, 8pm, no cover

SHEA’S TAVERN SPARKS LOUNGE

Magic Fusion, 7:30pm M, Tu, W, $19-$37

Ladies Night, DJ/dancing, 10pm, free for women before 11pm

2100 Victorian Ave., Sparks; (775) 772-6637 10007 Bridge St., Truckee; (530) 587-8688

Magic Fusion, 4:30pm, 7:30pm, $19-$37

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 1/16-1/18

Live jazz, 8pm, no cover

MILLENNIUM NIGHTCLUB MOODY’S BISTRO BAR & BEATS

SUNDAY 1/15

The Floor, 9pm, no cover

Audiodub, Two Peace, 9pm, no cover

opEns fRidAy at BRÜKA THEATRE

jAnuARy 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28 fEBRuARy 2, 3, 4 @ 8pm mATinEE jAnuARy 22 @ 2pm 2017 TicKETs-in AdvAncE $18 – sTudEnTs/sEnioRs/miLiTARy $20 – gEnERAL Admission $25 – AT THE dooR

BRÜKA THEATRE 99 n. viRginiA sT. REno 775.323.3221 | www.Brüka.org 22 | RN&R | 01.12.17

THESE TH

DON’T DO

MIX M

Think you know your limits? Think again. If you drink, don’t drive. Period.

ATLANTIS CASINO RESORT SPA

3800 S. Virginia St., (775) 825-4700 1) Grand Ballroom Stage 2) Cabaret

BOOMTOWN CASINO HOTEL

2100 Garson Rd., Verdi; (775) 345-6000 1) Event Center 2) Guitar Bar

THURSDAY 1/12

FRIDAY 1/13

SATURDAY 1/14

SUNDAY 1/15

2) Kick, 8pm, no cover

2) Kick, 4pm, no cover All In, 10pm, no cover

2) All In, 8pm, no cover

2) Joey Carmon Band, 8pm, M, Tu, W, no cover

2) Jason King Band, 6pm, no cover

2) Paul Covarelli, 5pm, no cover Rebekah Chase, 9pm, no cover

2) Crush, 6pm, no cover

2) Tandymonium, 6pm, M, no cover Scot Parsons Project, 6pm, Tu, no cover Tandymonium, 6pm, W, no cover

2) Just Us, 8pm, no cover

1) Afrolicious, 10pm, no cover

1) Dorothy, The Georgia Flood, 9pm, no cover

1) Diego’s Umbrella, 10pm, no cover

2) Left of Centre, 10:30pm, no cover

1) Sheep Dip 53, 8pm, $40-$45 2) Left of Centre, 10:30pm, no cover 3) DJ Roni V, 9pm, no cover

2) Left of Centre, 10:30pm, no cover

2) Lex Thursdays, 10pm, no cover

2) DJ Mustard, 10pm, $15 3) Grand Country Nights w/DJ Colt Ainsworth, 10pm, no cover

1) R. Kelly, 8pm, $71.56-$126.61 3) Grand Country Nights w/DJ Colt Ainsworth, 10pm, no cover

2) DJ/dancing, 10pm, $20 3) Arty the Party, 9pm, no cover

1) Country Artists Tribute Show, 7:30pm, $32-$42

1) Country Artists Tribute Show, 7:30pm, $32-$42 3) Take 2, 9pm, no cover

1) Country Artists Tribute Show, 7:30pm, $32-$42 Decadence, 10pm, $32.75 3) Take 2, 9pm, no cover

2) Karaoke w/Dreu Murin, 10pm, no cover

1) Nathan Owens & Steve Owens: Pop, Rock & Soul, 8pm, $25

1) Nahko and Medicine for the People, The Late Ones, 8pm, $25-$30

3) DJ/dancing, 6pm, no cover Justin Lee Band, 9pm, no cover

3) DJ/dancing, 6pm, no cover

3) DJ/dancing, 6pm, W, no cover

2) Whiskerman, 7pm, no cover

2) Whiskerman, 8pm, no cover 3) The Latin Dance Social, 7:30pm, $10 before 10pm, $20 after

2) Whiskerman, 8pm, no cover

2) Tyler Stafford, 6pm, no cover

2) Tyler Stafford, 6pm, M, Tu, W, no cover

2) DJ Ivan, 9pm, no cover 4) DJ MoFunk, 9pm, no cover

2) Big Bad Boogie Rock, 9pm, no cover 3) Fashion Fridays, 9pm, no cover 4) Halie O’Ryan Band, 9pm, no cover

2) Big Bad Boogie Rock, 9pm, no cover 3) Seduction Saturdays, 9pm, $5 4) Halie O’Ryan Band, 9pm, no cover

2) DJ Ivan, 9pm, no cover 3) Sunday Funday Industry Night, 10pm, no cover 4) Kronik, 9pm, no cover

2) AMP Ent DJ, 9pm, M, no cover DJ Ivan, 9pm, Tu, W, no cover

CARSON VALLEY INN

2) Just Us, 7pm, no cover 1627 Hwy. 395, Minden; (775) 782-9711 1) Valley Ballroom 2) Cabaret Lounge 3) TJ’s Corral

CRYSTAL BAY CLUB

14 Hwy. 28, Crystal Bay; (775) 833-6333 1) Crown Room 2) Red Room

ELDORADO RESORT CASINO 345 N. Virginia St., (775) 786-5700 1) Theater 2) Brew Brothers 3) NoVi

GRAND SIERRA RESORT

2500 E. Second St., (775) 789-2000 1) Grand Theater 2) Lex Nightclub 3) Sports Book

HARRAH’S LAKE TAHOE

15 Hwy. 50, Stateline; (775) 588-6611 1) South Shore Room 2) Peek Nightclub 3) Center Stage Lounge

HARRAH’S RENO

219 N. Center St., (775) 788-2900 1) Sammy’s Showroom 2) The Zone 3) Sapphire Lounge 4) Plaza 5) Convention Center

MONTBLEU RESORT

55 Hwy. 50, Stateline; (800) 648-3353 1) Showroom 2) HQ Center Bar 3) Opal Ultra Lounge 4) Blu

NUGGET CASINO RESORT

1100 Nugget Ave., Sparks; (775) 356-3300 1) Celebrity Showroom 2) Nugget Grand Ballroom 3) Gilley’s

PEPPERMILL RESORT SPA CASINO

2707 S. Virginia St., (775) 826-2121 1) Tuscany Ballroom 2) Terrace Lounge 3) Edge

SILVER LEGACY RESORT CASINO 407 N. Virginia St., (775) 325-7401

1) Grand Exposition Hall 2) Rum Bullions Island Bar 3) Aura Ultra Lounge 4) Silver Baron Lounge

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 1/16-1/18

2) Patrick Major, 6pm, Tu, W, no cover

2) Live Band Karaoke, 10pm, M, no cover Garage Boys, 10:30pm, W, no cover

3) Buddy Emmer Band and guest, 8pm, Tu, no cover

DJ Mustard Jan. 13, 10 p.m. Grand Sierra Resort 2500 E. Second St. 789-2000

Karaoke Corkscroo Bar & Pizzeria, 10 E. Ninth St., 284-7270: Bobby Dee Karaoke/Dance Party, F, 8pm, no cover La Morena Bar, 2140 Victorian Ave., Sparks, 772-2475: Karaoke, Sa, 9pm, no cover The Man Cave Sports Bar, 4600 N. Virginia St., 499-5322: Karaoke, Sa, 8pm, no cover O’Cleary’s Irish Pub, 1330 Scheels Drive, Ste. 250, Sparks, 359-1209: Bobby Dee Karaoke/Dance Party, Th, 6pm, no cover The Point, 1601 S. Virginia St., 322-3001: Karaoke, Th-Sa, 8:30pm; Su, 6pm, no cover Spiro’s Sports Bar & Grille, 1475 E. Prater Way, Ste. 103, Sparks, 356-6000: F-Sa, 9pm, no cover West Second Street Bar, 118 W. Second St., 384-7976: Daily, 8pm, no cover

01.12.17 | RN&R | 23

FOr tHE WEEK OF JAnUArY 12, 2017 For a complete listing of this week’s events or to post events to our online calendar, visit www.newsreview.com.

day of event. Second F of every month, 1-3pm. $7 general, $6 NMA members. Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St., (775) 329-3333.

CLASSIX & COCKTAILS: Reno Philharmonic presents this classical listening party and happy hour event. Learn more about Shostakovich’s famous work, Symphony No. 9 in E-flat major, op. 70, as well as the historical context and inspiration behind the composition. The Reno Philharmonic Orchestra will perform the work during its Classix 3 concert on Jan. 15 and Jan. 17. Th, 1/12, 5:30pm. Free. Stamp Social Club, 50 S. Virginia St., (775) 323-6393.

COME IN FROM THE COLD: This family

Classix Three: Liberation

1/17:

The Reno Philharmonic Orchestra presents the third concert of its 2016-2017 Classix series. The program, titled “Liberation,” will feature pieces that have connections to either military triumph or personal freedom. Richard Wagner’s first major work, Rienzi, features a tale of heroic uprising that eventually ends in betrayal. Johannes Brahms pays tribute to a friend’s motto “Free but Lonely,” in Double Concerto for Violin and Cello in A minor, op. 102. The concert ends with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9, which celebrates Russia’s victory over Germany in World War II. Violinist Simone Porter (pictured) and cellist Nathan Chan are the guest soloists for the Classix Three concert, which begins at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 15, and at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia St. Tickets are $33-$89. Call 323-6393 or visit www.renophil.com.

EvEnts

weather may cancel the festivities. Sa, 1/14, 11am-3pm, Su, 1/15, 11am-3pm, Sa, 2/18, 11am-3pm, Su, 2/19, 11am-3pm. $12

ANIMAL ARK OPEN JAN-FEB HOLIDAY WEEKENDS: Put on your winter coat and lined boots then come out to the Animal Ark on the holiday weekends in January and February. The cold weather is perfect for viewing the Ark’s lynx, bobcats, cougars, wolves and other wild residents. Call on event days prior to your departure from home as severe

RN&R

adults, $11 seniors ages 62+, $10 children ages 3-12. Animal Ark Wildlife Sanctuary and Nature Center, 1265 Deerlodge Road, (775) 970-3111.

ART AFTERNOON: WORKSHOP AND SOCIAL FOR SENIORS: Enjoy a guided tour and a studio

01.12.17

art class along with light refreshments. Registration is available online or on the

entertainment series 2017 season continues with a performance by Sierra Silverstrings. Seating is limited to 200 people. Sa, 7pm through 3/18. $3 suggested donation. Western Heritage Interpretive Center, Bartley Ranch Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch Road, (775) 828-6612.

CONTRA DANCE TO LIVE MUSIC: Arrive at 7:15pm for a beginners session. Callers walk you through the dances while local and regional bands play Celtic music. First-time dancers will get half off price on two future dances. Second Sa of every month, 7:30-10:30pm through 12/9. $8-$10. Historic Southside School Annex, 190 E. Liberty St., www.sierracontra.org.

DR. MLK, JR. BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION DINNER: This annual event celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and aims to spread cultural awareness to the community. Theme: “Where Do We Go from Here? Community or Chaos.” M, 1/16, 7pm. $65. Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, 3800 S. Virginia St., www.nnbcas.org.

EXPLORING SATURN: Science Saturdays include interactive simulations and workshops to integrate learning, fun and imagination for children ages 8 to 12. Each monthly event features a different theme relating to space and technology, where participants can become an astronaut or scientist for the day. Sa,

1/14, 9:30am-1pm. $12. National Automobile Museum, 10 S. Lake St., (775) 333-9300.

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS: The basketball

team brings its global tour to Reno. Th, 1/12, 7pm. $30-$87. Reno Events Center, 400 N. Center St., (775) 335-8800.

MLK DAY OF SERVICE—TMPF BIOBLITZ: During the Day of Service BioBlitz, volunteers will catalog all living things in the park as part of an annual phenology project to garner a better understanding of the plants, animals and other wildlife and how their populations are changing. Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation will provide more detailed field guides, pictures and tools such as aspirators, magnifying glasses and forceps, as well as bags and trash picker kits for clean up at the park. M, 1/16, 9am-noon. Free. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, 305 Coretta Way, (775) 453-0566.

SATURDAY NIGHT STAR PARTY: The Jack C. Davis Observatory hosts free star parties every Saturday night year round, starting at sunset (except when there is snow on the roads). The evening starts with a lecture on one of numerous topics and then concludes with guided star viewing by one of the observatory’s astronomers. Sa, 6pm. Free. Jack C. Davis Observatory, 2699 Van Patten Drive, Carson City, (775) 857-3033.

SHEEP DIP 53: The annual fundraiser show is dedicated to exposing the foibles and follies of the Truckee Meadows (and, sometimes, the whole USA) with laughter, skits, songs and dance. The show is performed every year by locals, members of the media and a few of our (infamous) politicians. Sheep Dip raises funds that support charities in the Reno/ Sparks area. F, 1/13, 8pm, Sa, 1/14, 8pm. $40-$45. Eldorado Resort Casino, 345 N. Virginia St., http://sheepdipshow.org.

WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT AFGHANISTAN: Aid worker Bob Stapp will share his experiences of his time visiting and working in Afghanistan. W, 1/18, 5-6pm. Northwest Reno Library, 2325 Robb Drive, (775) 787-4100.

Art ART INDEED! SIERRA MEMORIAL ART SPACE: Extravagant Illusion. The abstract art gallery is open for Let’s Talk Abstract Art on Jan. 17 and the Riverwalk Wine Walk on Jan. 21. Gallery hours are 3:307pm Monday-Thursday or by appointment. Tu, 1/17, 5:45-7:30pm, Sa, 1/21, 2-5pm. Free. 142 Bell St., (775) 846-8367.

HOLLAND PROJECT GALLERY: Spaces. The subjects of Alex Vitale’s exhibition are impacted by their transgender and nonbinary gender identity, as they seek to represent a space that is neither male nor female. Including both photography and video work, Spaces is on view in the Holland Project Gallery. Tu-F, 3-6pm through 1/27; Purple Domino. Holland Project features Courtney Asztalos’ exhibition of photography work in the front and hallway spaces of the gallery. Her portraits of female protagonists cast in neon light explore the masked realms of her subjects while also touching on notions of post-humanism and the idea of the “monstrous beyond gender.” Tu-F, 3-6pm through 1/27. 140 Vesta St., (775) 742-1858, www.hollandreno.org.

THE LASTING DOSE GALLERY: Cock of the Walk Opening Night. Lasting Dose Gallery presents its Year of the Rooster-themed art show. Sa, 1/14, 8-11pm. Free. 888 S. Virginia St., (775) 324-0666.

MCKINLEY ARTS & CULTURE CENTER: Light Abundant: Lainie Vreeland, The abstract painter creates innovative and imaginative compositions centered on water, forms and plant life as they interact with light. M-F, 9am-5pm through 2/24, Th, 2/2, 5-7pm; Extravagant Chemistry. West Gallery in McKinley Arts & Culture Center present new work by abstract painter Liz Penniman. M-F, 9am-5pm through 2/24, Th, 2/2, 5-7pm. Free. 925 Riverside Drive, (775) 334-2417.

by AMY ALKON

Meme streets My girlfriend of six years is breaking up with me. How do I let our friends and my family know? I’m thinking a mass email telling my side of the story. Then I wouldn’t have to have the same conversation over and over with different people. The ability we have online to dispense a little information to a whole lot of people, immediately, effortlessly, is about the coolest thing ever—and the Frankenstein’s monster of our time. Consider that anything you email can be rapidly shared—and shared and shared and shared. For example, novelist and professor Robert Olen Butler emailed five of his grad students the sad—and rather creepy—details of the demise of his marriage, asking them to “clarify the issues” for other students who wanted to know. The email quickly made the rounds in the literary world and ended up in The New York Times and on Gawker, where they “clarified” that his wife had left him to become one of four women in “Ted Turner’s collection.” But even a less tawdry, less tycoon-filled breakup email may go more viral than one might like. Anthropologist Jerome Barkow, who studies gossip, explains that we evolved to be keenly interested in information that could have some bearing on our ability to survive, mate and navigate socially. As Barkow puts it, and as is borne out by others’ research, gossip about how soundly somebody’s sleeping is unlikely to be as spreadworthy as whom they’re sleeping with.

However, our propensity to spread gossip may be both the problem with emailing your news and the solution to getting it out there. Consider going old-school: Ask a few, um, chatty friends to put the word out to your circle, answer any questions people have, and let your wishes be known (like if you aren’t ready to talk about it). All in all, you’ll get the job done, but in a much more controlled, contained way—one that reflects this bit of prudence from political writer Olivia Nuzzi: “Dance like no one is watching; email like it may one day be read aloud in a deposition.”

Thinking from the right side of the crotch I’ve been seeing this woman for two months. I really like her. She’s made some mistakes—two bad marriages, some promiscuity, running from debts—but she’s determined to change. My friends think she’s bad news. But our relationship—though mostly sexual so far—has been terrific. Shouldn’t my intuition count more than my friends’ opinions? Intuitions (a.k.a. “gut feelings”) are conclusions we leap to—automatically, without the intervention of rational thought. Our mind flashes on this and that from our past experience and up pops a feeling. The problem is we’re prone to overconfidence that our intuitions are

correct—mistaking strong feelings for informed feelings. Psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Gary Klein find that certain people’s intuitions are somewhat more likely to be trustworthy—those who repeatedly encounter the same situation, like a surgeon who only does appendectomies. Her hunches about a patient’s appendix are more informed because they come out of repeated experience and because she presumably gets corrective feedback when she guesses wrong (though, ideally, not from a monitor making that awful flatlining sound). But Kahneman tells the McKinsey Quarterly, “My general view … would be that you should not take your intuitions at face value.” In fact, you need to go out of your way to look for evidence that your intuitions are wrong. In this case, it will take time and challenges to her character—and your actually wanting to see whether she acts ethically or does what’s easiest. In other words, your hunches can tell you things—things that need a lot of post-hunch verification through applying higher reasoning (which, again, doesn’t simply mean calling upon any organ that’s higher than your knees). Ω

Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave., No. 280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or email AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com).

01.12.17 | RN&R | 25

FRee will astRology

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): In Norse mythology,

Yggdrasil is a huge, holy tree that links all of the nine worlds to each other. Perched on its uppermost branch is an eagle with a hawk sitting on its head. Far below, living near the roots, is a dragon. The hawk and eagle stay in touch with the dragon via Ratatoskr, a talkative squirrel that runs back and forth between the heights and the depths. Alas, Ratatoskr traffics solely in insults. That’s the only kind of message the birds and the dragon ever have for each other. In accordance with the astrological omens, Aries, I suggest you act like a far more benevolent version of Ratatoskr in the coming weeks. Be a feisty communicator who roams far and wide to spread uplifting gossip and energizing news.

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You have a divine

mandate to love bigger and stronger and truer than ever before. It’s high time to freely give the gifts you sometimes hold back from those you care for. It’s high time to take full ownership of neglected treasures so you can share them with your worthy allies. It’s high time to madly cultivate the generosity of spirit that will enable you to more easily receive the blessings that can and should be yours. Be a brave, softhearted warrior of love!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I love and respect

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Tinker Bell, Kermit the Frog, Shrek, Wonder Woman, SpongeBob SquarePants, Snow White, Road Runner, and Calvin and Hobbes. They have provided me with much knowledge and inspiration. Given the current astrological omens, I suspect that you, too, can benefit from cultivating your relationships with characters like them. It’s also a favorable time for you to commune with the spirits of Harriet Tubman, Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie or any other historical figures who inspire you. I suggest you have dreamlike conversations with your most interesting ancestors, as well. Are you still in touch with your imaginary friends from childhood? If not, renew acquaintances.

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CANCER (June 21-July 22): “I never wish to be

easily defined,” wrote Cancerian author Franz Kafka. “I’d rather float over other people’s minds as something fluid and nonperceivable; more like a transparent, paradoxically iridescent creature rather than an actual person.” Do you ever have that experience? I do. I’m a Crab like you, and I think it’s common among members of our tribe. For me, it feels liberating. It’s a way to escape people’s expectations of me and enjoy the independence of living in my fantasies. But I plan to do it a lot less in 2017, and I advise you to do the same. We should work hard at coming all the way down to earth. We will thrive by floating less and being better grounded; by being less fuzzy and more solid; by not being so inscrutable, but rather more knowable.

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hereby forgive, completely and permanently, all motorists who have ever irked me with their rude and bad driving. I also forgive, totally and forever, all tech support people who have insulted me, stonewalled me or given me wrong information as I sought help from them on the phone. I furthermore forgive, utterly and finally, all family members and dear friends who have hurt my feelings.” Now would be a fantastic time for you to do what I just did, Leo: Drop grudges, let go of unimportant outrage, and issue a blanket amnesty. Start with the easier stuff—the complaints against strangers and acquaintances—and work your way up to the allies you cherish.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): There are some

authors who both annoy me and intrigue me. Even though I feel allergic to the uncomfortable ideas they espouse, I’m also fascinated by their unique provocations. As I read their words, I’m half-irritated at their grating declarations, and yet greedy for more. I disagree with much of what they say, but feel grudgingly grateful for the novel perspectives they prod me to discover. (Nobel Prize-winner Elias Canetti is one such author.) In accordance with the current astrological rhythms, Virgo, I invite you to seek out similar influences—for your own good!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Now would be an

excellent time to add new beauty to your home.

Are there works of art or buoyant plants or curious symbols that would lift your mood? Would you consider hiring a feng shui consultant to rearrange the furniture and accessories so as to enhance the energetic flow? Can you entice visits from compelling souls whose wisdom and wit would light up the place? Tweak your imagination so it reveals tricks about how to boost your levels of domestic bliss.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In 2017, you will

have unprecedented opportunities to reimagine, revise and reinvent the story of your life. You’ll be able to forge new understandings about your co-stars and reinterpret the meanings of crucial plot twists that happened once upon a time. Now check out these insights from author Mark Doty: “The past is not static, or ever truly complete; as we age we see from new positions, shifting angles. A therapist friend of mine likes to use the metaphor of the kind of spiral stair that winds up inside a lighthouse. As one moves up that stair, the core at the center doesn’t change, but one continually sees it from another vantage point; if the past is a core of who we are, then our movement in time always brings us into a new relation to that core.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The Tao Te

Ching is a poetically philosophical text written by a Chinese sage more than two millennia ago. Numerous authors have translated it into modern languages. I’ve borrowed from their work to craft a horoscope that is precisely suitable for you in the coming weeks. Here’s your high-class fortune cookie oracle: Smooth your edges, untangle your knots, sweeten your openings, balance your extremes, relax your mysteries, soften your glare, forgive your doubts, love your breathing, harmonize your longings and marvel at the sunny dust.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I recently dis-

covered Tree of Jesse, a painting by renowned 20th-century artist Marc Chagall. I wanted to get a copy to hang on my wall. But as I scoured the internet, I couldn’t find a single business that sells prints of it. Thankfully, I did locate an artist in Vietnam who said he could paint an exact replica. I ordered it, and was pleased with my new objet d’art. It was virtually identical to Chagall’s original. I suggest you meditate on taking a metaphorically similar approach, Capricorn. Now is a time when substitutes may work as well as what they replace.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “It is often safer to be in chains than to be free,” wrote Franz Kafka. That fact is worthy of your consideration in the coming weeks, Aquarius. You can avoid all risks by remaining trapped inside the comfort that is protecting you. Or you can take a gamble on escaping, and hope that the new opportunities you attract will compensate you for the sacrifice it entails. I’m not here to tell you what to do. I simply want you to know what the stakes are.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “All pleasures are

in the last analysis imaginary, and whoever has the best imagination enjoys the most pleasure.” So said 19th-century German novelist Theodor Fontane, and now I’m passing his observation on to you. Why? Because by my astrological estimates, you Pisceans will have exceptional imaginations in 2017—more fertile, fervent, and freedom-loving than ever before. Therefore, your capacity to drum up pleasure will also be at an all-time high. There is a catch, however. Your imagination, like everyone else’s, is sometimes prone to churning out superstitious fears. To take maximum advantage of its bliss-inducing potential, you will have to be firm about steering it in positive directions.

You can call Rob Brezsny for your Expanded Weekly Horoscope: (900) 950-7700. $1.99 per minute. Must be 18+. Touchtone phone required. Customer service (612) 373-9785. And don’t forget to check out Rob’s website at www.realastrology.com.

by KRis VAgNER

Storybook illustrator PHOTO/KRIS VAGNER

Lisa Kurt—painter and transplant from the Northeast—illustrated the 2016 children’s book Sarla in the Sky by Anjali Joshi. Her current exhibit, Somewhere in the desert there’s a forest, contains storybook-style paintings of somber-faced children with cute, friendly forest animals, wall murals of a forest and colored tumbleweeds suspended from the ceiling. The exhibit is on view at Sierra Arts, 17 N. Virginia St., through Jan. 27. A reception is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. Jan. 19. For information, visit lisakurt.com or sierra-arts.org.

something you think about when you’re painting?

I’m not from the area. In fact, I grew up in Massachusetts. The woods there have such a different feel, compared to the way nature is out here. New England woods versus the high mountain desert, both magical places, both in a different way. … [In the Northeast] you see them represented in media, but seeing them for the first time in real life, it’s like “Wow, that’s real!” It is like seeing a mythic creature come to life in a way.

Absolutely, yeah. Coming from the Northeast, I was always seeking out the familiar, as in—what looks like home? … There are places in Reno that are very lush and green. I would seek that out initially. … Being up in Virginia City—I did a residency there—I was just, like, “Wow. If there’s not magic there, I don’t know where there is magic.” The first time I ever went to the redwoods, seeing trees that large … it just immediately made me think of a whole mess of stories and narratives. Same with the desert. And the desert, I would say, has really sparked my narrative and storytelling, especially in the last few years.

I can see in your work threads that might suggest a transition from one place to another. Is that

To what degree are your pictures fantasy? How much is biography? How much is realism?

Tell me about your fascination with tumbleweeds.

There’s always a combination of my childhood, what I’m experiencing now, and then a total fantasy story made up in my head. A lot of times me and my son will just go for walks. We watch a lot of Miyazaki. We’re like, “Where do you think Totoro lives? Do you think there’s sprites in there?” The idea of building a world, a lot of the artists I admire do that. Like David Lynch, for example, he has these different stories, these different movies, but it all revolves in this relatively-the-same world. That’s what I’m interested in creating, is this world. It’s always a combination of, maybe something from my childhood—it might just be a part of the woods, or it could have been a camping trip, or a story, or whatever. ... I hike a lot around the area.

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Do your son’s perspectives play into your world creation? My son Archer is 6. … Having a kid and doing things with him reignites my own childhood in a way. You see things through their eyes for sure. He loves a good story. We talk about ghosts a lot. Things don’t scare him easily.

I see a combination of somberness or loneliness in your human characters—and animals that look like comfortable kindred spirits. I love animals, and I always have. If I could I would have more. ... I’ve always been drawn to the idea of what they offer—friendship, companionship, sort of a spiritual connection to nature as well. Ω

by BRUCE VAN DYKE

More bile for the Trumpets I learned a long time ago. I don’t listen to Rush. I don’t watch Hannity. All they do is piss me off, usually within seconds. Who needs the agitation? Which is why I find it strange that there appear to be actual Trumplodytes reading This Space. I mean, Jesus, folks, you know I’m gonna say something, sooner or later, that will just get you all agitated and pose a threat to the integrity of your undergarments. Are you masochists or what? If so, that would explain a lot, actually. I gotta admit, there’s a very positive upside to Trump being a running dog lackey of Vlad the Derailer. Now that the USA will soon be Ameristan, we probably won’t have to worry about Vlad’s nasty little cyber-terrorist hit squads seizing our power grid or taking control of instant replay or something equally malicious. We take care of new friends, da!

Notice in Trump’s statement after being briefed by intelligence about the certainty of Russian hacks, the Charlatan In Chief made yet another comment about how there’s no proof of any tampering of election machines. Of course there isn’t. That’s just Don, once again, reaching out to his hefty base of poorly educated MAGA muttonheads who can’t grasp anything more complex in this scenario. Nobody’s ever asserted that the Russians directly hacked into election machines so as to change Clinton votes for Trump. Puh-leez. Gimme a fucking break. You don’t do anything so crude as to hack election machines. All you need do is constantly slime your opponent with embarrassing minutiae designed to convince Da Folks that she’s “evil” and “crooked.” Then, Da Folks, who’ve already been nicely softened up and radicalized by an incessant barrage of nega-

tivity (Repetition Equals Truth!), will go out on Voting Day and act as your agents. It’s perfect. Da Folks will go to their polling places and willingly participate in the coup, electing the Chosen One without a shot being fired. It’s tidy, neat and positively brilliant. I have to give them Russkies credit. Hey, let’s check in on our old buddy Carl Paladino! This week, we find that this racist greaseball and Trump’s good buddy (Don’s campaign chairman in New York), still sits on the Buffalo School Board, even after his disgusting comments about the Obamas. When that board asked for his resignation, Carl said basically FOAD. Of course, Trump could end this embarrassment with one stinking tweet, but he’s too busy yapping about the ratings for some moronic reality show or getting his feelings hurt by an actress. Seriously. Is this shit really happening? Ω

01.12.17 | RN&R | 27

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