The
HIT LIST TARGETING THIS WEEK'S MOST-WANTED EVENTS
By Ian Caramanzana
[ STAGE ]
Kabuki Spectacle Lights Up the Bellagio Fountains
The ancient Japanese art form
Kabuki transforms the Fountains at Bellagio into an epic battle scene August 14-16. Old world meets new tech when actor Ichikawa Somegoro performs in “Fight With a Carp,” a death-defying spectacle that pits his character against his ex-lover, a
[ HEAR NOW ]
Almost Normal Covers Bon Iver’s 'Skinny Love' Named the Best Live Music Act in our 2015 Best of the City issue, the multitalented Andrew Zakher and Ashley Lampman of Almost Normal debuted their cover of folk hero Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love” in June at Triple B. The airy synth-pop makeover and Lampman’s chilling vocals instantly mesmerized the crowd. Like their cover of Eiffel 65's “Blue,” their take on “Skinny Love” is not an imitation but an almost unrecognizable re-imagining. – Zoneil Maharaj
Black Camaro’s Sophomore Album Gets a Facelift To completely understand Hang Glider 2025, you need some context: According to the veteran local band’s Bandcamp page, it’s a “remixed and actually mastered” version of its 2005 sophomore effort, Hang Glider. The band celebrates the album’s 10th anniversary “sans the lazy mistakes and gratuitous secret tracks recorded when they were young and naive.” Essentially, it’s the same album delivered in a shiny new package. And it sounds great. The re-master adds a new depth to the album—the triumphant trumpets in “Apple Core” sound big and bright, and the playful xylophones in “RE: The Sun” ring crisply in the song’s multilayered instrumental madness. Singer/guitarist Brian Garth’s vocals are more pronounced—especially in the Modest Mouse-esque ballad, “Where the Glider Flies.” And the charging riff of “Shit and Champagne” hits
K ABUKI COURTESY OF BELL AGIO
harder than ever. ¶ Unfortunately, though, the album chronicles a time when the band was still struggling to find its sound, and it lacks cohesion as a result. The punk fury of “Black Jenny” does not meld well with the indie sing-along of “Put That Bottle Down.” Neither does the neo-pyschedelia of “Karaoke Killed the Colonel” mesh with the folk flair of “Rendezvous.” But this is where the amusement of nostalgia kicks in; listeners are transported to a time when Black Camaro was in its infancy. It’s like revisiting the demo tapes of a band destined for greatness. (Self-released) ★★★✩✩ – Ian Caramanzana
ON AIR The Aug. 13 edition of the Downtown Podcast talk show features Sailor Jerry brand ambassador Paul Monahan and a live performance by local neo-psychedelic band fishBOL. Join the audience at 9 p.m. at Fremont East Studios—because if we know anything, it’s that booze and music is an ideal pairing. DowntownPodcast.tv. NOT DESSERT Thanks to rare photography website LimitedRuns.com, you can see one of America’s iconic beauties in all her bodacious glory Aug. 13-15 at Caesars Palace. Marilyn Monroe: Red Velvet Collection features 21 large-format color separations of the American icon. It’s the closest we’ll get to seeing her in the flesh. LimitedRuns.com. THE ROCK PACK What if Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin created their hits today? That question is answered in An Evening with Reckless in Vegas, 8 p.m. on Aug. 14 at The Smith Center. The power trio performs rockin’ versions of hits by 1960s Vegas acts including the Rat Pack and Elvis. TheSmithCenter.com. GABBA GABBA, HEY! Rock ’n’ Roll High School screens at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 14 at Huntridge Circle Park. Head Downtown and enjoy the 1979 film about a group of high school rockers in their quest to combat a tyrannical administration. The film features punk rock legends the Ramones, so beware of “pinheads” in the audience. Facebook.com/ CinemaIntheCircle.
VegasSeven.com
[ ALBUM REVIEW ]
Rock 'n' Roll High School.
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stage constructed on the lake. Bellagio, Fri., 9:15 and 11:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun., Bellagio.com. – Kayla Dean
August 13–19, 2015
woman who is really a carp. The free 30-minute shows, featuring giant projections by Panasonic, take place on a 165-foot
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