The B-52s Take This Town By Storm | Vegas Seven, Seven Nights | June 29 - July 5, 2017

7 The B-52s take this town by storm

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FREE June 29–July 5, 2017

W HA T TO DO

AF T ER DARK

By JASON R. LATHAM

TASTE: Brooklyn Bowl puts live music on

Ansel Elgort (pictured) stars in Baby Driver, out in theaters this week.

hold tonight just so you can get down there and enjoy a happy hour menu by Blue Ribbon. That fried chicken will have you drooling like a million Homer Simpson memes. 5–7 p.m. and 11 p.m.–close, at The Linq Promenade, brooklynbowl.com

Also, Saturday Night Live alums Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz bring their Reunited residency show back for another round at The Foundry inside SLS. 9 p.m., $49, foundrylv.com

DANCE: If all that grubbing puts you in the

where the Nobody Safe Tour arrives with Future, Migos, A$AP Ferg, Kodak Black and Zoey Dollaz. 8 p.m., $30–$125, t-mobilearena.com

mood to dance, catch Tiësto at Hakkasan Las Vegas inside MGM Grand. DJ Turbulence spins in the Ling Ling Club. 10:30 p.m., $30–$50, hakkasanlv.com And down the Strip at Wynn Las Vegas, Los Angeles–based DJ duo Slander plays Intrigue Nightclub. 10:30 p.m., $20–$30, intriguevegas.com

FRIDAY 30 SEE: In a summer crowded by movie se-

quels, there has to be room for at least one original idea. Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver could be the breakout hit we’ve been craving. Theaters, tickets prices and showtimes vary, fandango.com

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HEAR: It’s on at T-Mobile Arena tonight,

Meanwhile, House of Blues is hosting New Wave Rave, with Duran Duran and the Cure tribute acts Planet Earth and the Cured, respectively. Special guest East Side Riot is also on the bill. 7 p.m., $12, inside Mandalay Bay, houseofblues.com For so long we’d been asking Las Vegas hotels, “Would it kill you to play some Foghat?” Thank the maker that Golden Nugget Hotel heard our pleas. See the legendary rock band tonight.

8 p.m., $32–$119, goldennugget.com DANCE: Grab your bikini but leave your

sunscreen at home for Nightswim at Encore Beach Club, where EDX is behind

the booth. 10:30 p.m., $25–$35, at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, encorebeachclub.com DJ Spider is spinning at Mandalay Bay’s Light Nightclub. 10:30 p.m., $26–$39, thelightvegas.com

And Calvin Harris just dropped his new album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, today, so listen for those tracks when you see him at Omnia Nightclub inside Caesars Palace.

10:30 p.m., $40–$75, omnianightclub.com

SATURDAY 1 EXPERIENCE: Orleans Arena is hosting a night of indoor soccer. It’s Las Vegas Legends vs. Mexico National Team, and you can be there to cheer and get rowdy (within reason). 7 p.m., $19–$37, at The Orleans, orleanscasino.com

When the game is over, go Downtown and take a dip in the rooftop pool at the Plaza Hotel & Casino. This week’s edition of the hotel’s Pool Nights promo includes fireworks and ’80s tribute band Flashbax.

7 p.m., plazahotelcasino.com HEAR: British EDM duo Snakehips brings its summer tour to Hard Rock Live on the

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRISTAR PICTURES

THURSDAY 29

LAUGH: Australian comedian Jim Jefferies, star of Comedy Central’s The Jim Jefferies Show, is performing the first of two weekend gigs (the second is Saturday) at The Mirage. 10 p.m., $50, themirage.com

PROGRAMMING YOUR

POOL PARTY PLAYLIST

SAMPLE THE STARS SPINNING IN THE WEEKEND SUN You can’t make it to every party on the calendar, so here are some choice tracks from the must-see artists performing poolside this weekend.

FRIDAY 30

Audien is at Drai’s Beach Club, so drag “Serotonin”

into your playlist. From the rooftop of The Cromwell, you’ll be screaming, “I never want to come down from you!” 11 a.m., $20–$30, draisbeachclub.com

Rammstein

“Steady 1234” is the DJ Vice track you’ll want to hear during his Encore Beach Club set. 11 a.m., $20–$50, at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, encorebeachclub.com

Strip. Promnite and Scotty Rocks are the opening acts. 8 p.m., $22–$25, hardrock.com/live And for the metal fans, Rammstein rolls into T-Mobile Arena with Korn and Stone Sour.

6:30 p.m., $50–$250, t-mobilearena.com LAUGH: Deuce Bigalow (and don’t forget Judge Dredd) star

Rob Schneider is in town for a pair of Saturday-

and Sunday-night shows at Tropicana Las Vegas.

9 p.m., $40–$70, troplv.com

DANCE: Take your pick of the prime talent performing

at Las Vegas nightclubs tonight.

How long has it been since you caught up with

Wiz Khalifa? Get reacquainted at Drai’s Night-

club on top of The Cromwell. 10:30 p.m., $40–$60, draisnightlife.com Australian twin sisters Miriam and Olivia Nervo are back in town, and this time the DJ duo is taking over Aria Resort & Casino’s Jewel Nightclub.

10:30 p.m., $20–$30, jewelnightclub.com

MONDAY 3 SEE: Does Top Gun still hold up? It’s been awhile, but

since Tom Cruise recently promised a sequel, you might as well catch the original at The Cosmopolitan’s Dive-In Movies at Boulevard Pool. 7:30 p.m., $5, cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

HEAR: How lucky to get the Iron Maiden tribute on Sunday night and the real deal Monday at T-Mobile Arena? The metal legends bring The Book of Souls World Tour to town for one night only. 7:30 p.m., $40–$100, t-mobilearena.com DANCE: Yes, it’s only Monday. So if you really, really

need to shake your ass, do it with Steve Aoki at Jewel Nightclub’s Flawless Mondays party. Bonus: Free entry for locals! 10:30 p.m., $20–$30, jewelnightclub.com

TUESDAY 4

Jerzy takes the reins at The Venetian’s Tao Nightclub.

10:30 p.m., $19–$32, taolasvegas.com

And Alesso plays XS Nightclub. 10 p.m., $20-$30, at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, xslasvegas.com

DANCE: Drai’s Beachclub is hosting Bottles &

BBQ, featuring sets by local DJs. 10 p.m., $20–$30,

draisnightlife.com

EXPERIENCE: Find a seat for Station Casinos’ July 4

SUNDAY 2

fireworks show. It’s happening on the east and west side, at Green Valley Ranch Resort and Red Rock Resort, respectively. 9 p.m., stationcasinosevents.com

HEAR: Can your ears handle Metal Wars at Brooklyn

Bowl? Iron Maiden tribute act Somewhere Thru Time and Ozzy Osbourne tribute Mr. Crowley will face off for your love and approval. 7 p.m., $10, at the Linq Promenade, brooklynbowl.com DANCE: If you haven’t already, introduce yourself to

2017 Life Is Beautiful Music & Art festival performer Matoma at Hakkasan Las Vegas. 10:30 p.m., $20–$30, inside MGM Grand Las Vegas, hakkasanlv.com

WEDNESDAY 5 HEAR: The man who powered a million baby-making

mixtapes is back. Keith Sweat resumes his residency at Flamingo Las Vegas, and we’ll see you in the front row. 7:30 p.m., $59–$99, flamingolasvegas.com

DANCE: After Keith Sweat—if your knees aren’t too wobbly to dance—you can hit up Surrender Nightclub for RL Grime. 10:30 p.m., $25–$35, inside Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, surrendernightclub.com

Or swing by 1 OAK for Industry Night. 10:30 p.m., $20–$30, inside The Mirage, 1oaklasvegas.com 7

June 29 –July 5 , 2017 vegasseven.com

And because he’s playing Mandalay Bay’s Daylight, we’re adding DJ Ikon’s trap remix of “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” to the mix. 11 a.m., $20–$30, daylightvegas.com

SATURDAY 1

If Wet Republic and Steve Aoki are calling your name, pull up “I Love It When You Cry (Moxoki)” and “Back 2 U.” 11 a.m., $30–$50, at MGM Grand, wetrepublic.com Rehab is bringing Puff Daddy to the stage. Not Diddy— Puff Daddy—so let’s go way back and pull out “Come With Me” from the Godzilla soundtrack. Who remembers that one? We do! 11 a.m., $40–$60, rehablv.com LMFAO’s Sky Blu has renamed himself 8ky and will be lighting up Flamingo Las Vegas’ GO Pool. Add “Automatic” from his Fxck Yeah: Chaos to Consciousness album to your playlist, and throw in “Sexy and I Know It”—just because. 9 a.m., $15, gopoolvegas.com “Epiphany” is the perfect track to play before you see Andrew Rayel at Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan. 11 a.m., $23–$42, marqueelasvegas.com And where do we start with Marshmello? First, pull “Ritual” over to your playlist ahead of his Encore Beach Club performance. If that doesn’t fill you up, add “Keep It Mello” and “Chasing Colors.”

10:30 a.m., $30–$50, at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, encorebeachclub.com

SUNDAY 2

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s Rehab Beach Club is bringing out Flo Rida for the pre–Independence Day crowd. There are so many hits to choose from, but we’re going with “I Don’t Like It, I Love It” from 2015’s My House. We should also add “Right Round,” and throw “Cake” in there, too. 11 a.m., $30–$50, rehablv.com And what’s this? DJ Snake at Encore Beach Club?

Like we needed an excuse to add “Turn Down for What” to the mix. Drag his Major Lazer collaboration, “Lean On,” over, too. 11 a.m., $20–$30, at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, encorebeachclub.com Now that you have 17 tracks for your pool playlist, are you thinking about skipping the Strip? If the answer’s yes, just kick back with your headphones at Downtown Grand’s Citrus Pool Deck . 9 a.m.—7 p.m., downtowngrand.com –J.R.L.

On The

Annual Cornhole Tournament Saturday, July 1 Over $3,000 in cash and prize giveaways!

Reserve your spot today: (702) 785-9106 Live Entertainment by ULTRA DJs Daily Saturday Bikini Contests with over $2,500 in cash and prize giveaways!

Summer-long Beer Bucket, Shot and Specialty Cocktail Specials

[ HEAR THIS ]

40 YEARS OF PARTY

ROCK (LOBSTER) B-52S SINGER KATE PIERSON ON MUSICAL INSPIRATION AND THE POSSIBILITY OF A “LOVE SHACK” LAS VEGAS RESIDENCY

By Lissa Townsend Rodgers

“VEGAS

is just one of those places that is always full of surprises. It’s got such a great kitschy retro vibe,” Kate Pierson says. And if anyone knows surprising, kitschy and retro, it’s the redheaded singer for the B-52s.

The Athens, Georgia, band has been topping party-time playlists for almost 40 years, from “Rock Lobster” onward, through videos, movies, world tours and the Billboard charts.

Pierson herself has collaborated with artists from Iggy Pop to Sia and recently released several solo projects, including her Guitars and Microphones album. She’s also the owner of Kate’s Lazy Desert Airstream Motel just outside Joshua Tree National Park, which bears the marks of her eccentric personal style. “It’s been a great creative outlet for design, fashion and for shopping,” she says, laughing. Ahead of the B-52s’ three-night run at House of Blues (July 7–9), Vegas Seven talked to Pierson about the band’s diverse fan base, her musical influences and getting Cleopatra up on Caesars Palace’s stage.

The B-52s have always had a diverse fan base. Is it fun to look out and see all kinds of people in the audience?

I’m really proud of the age range of our audience nowadays. It’s not just older people—it’s really a mixed bag.

We have a lot of young people. It’s just because of the range of stuff you

June 29 –July 5 , 2017 vegasseven.com

can look at on YouTube—they just know the history of rock ’n’ roll and can pick and choose. People feel free to dress up; there are always some fans wearing wigs or boas, or costumes or colorful outfits. It’s really entertaining to see people dance, having fun and busting loose. It’s entertaining for us because we try to make it a party. I’m sure some of the same fans will be [at shows] each night. Some of the hardcore fans will make a party of it.

Tell me about your early musical inspirations.

Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a singer. My father was a guitar player—he played at home, and I took piano lessons, but I just always wanted to be a singer. My dad had a lot of hipster records, Frank Sinatra and all the big-band stuff. I loved Delta blues—I think blues is a big inspiration for a lot of people. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, the Mamas and the Papas, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan came thrashing at me. I mean, there was all this great stuff happening—you could turn on the radio and hear something great.

With the band, when we started, we were inspired by a lot of the classic music. You know, we played African music. We would check out pygmy music, we’d go out in the country in the cow fields and the cows would surround us and bob their heads to the music. We would

Photography Pieter M. Van Hattem play Perez Prado, and we really learned a lot of different kinds of music. I love hearing music from all parts of the world, and it’s now so accessible.

You’ve collaborated with so many musicians. Is there anyone who you’d like to work with who you haven’t yet or would like to work with again?

I’d still like to work again with Iggy Pop and Michael Stipe. I did a solo record a few years ago and I wrote a lot of songs with Sia, who is just the most wonderful girl—I love her songs and her voice.

You have a great, distinctive sense of style. Any tips for the rest of us?

Thank you! I’ve run the gamut: I’ve done pants and jackets and corsets and miniskirts and jumpsuits and pantsuits. Sometimes I’ll look at pictures of other rock ’n’ roll women, and that’s always an inspiration.

I’ve worked with fashion designers.

I’ve worked with Todd Oldham and I’ve gotten a lot of stuff from Julia Gerard, who [owns] Peace Gallery on Melrose [Avenue]. I look at things worn on the street.

The band just did a show in Croatia and [my wife] Monica and I went to Venice, Italy, first, and we stumbled upon this amazing store called Mancini Fiorella’s. She had incredible jackets [and] outfits. …

Sometimes you just have to be on the lookout and have your fashion sensors ready—your fashion antenna.

What I would advise people is just to be creative and wear something that flatters you.

Would you ever want to do a Las Vegas residency?

We’ve never done a residency anywhere. Most of our [bookings last] one or two nights—it would be great to stay in one place and develop, change every night a little bit and also have a nice cozy “Love Shack” set.

One time we played in Vegas, we were at Caesars, and just by chance, [before] the encore, we had come offstage and there were Caesars people in costume and we invited them to dance on “Rock Lobster.” So we had a little fun [with] some dancers in costumes—Vegas it up a little bit. That’s what’s great about Vegas: There’s nothing too showy, nothing too over the top. 7

The B-52s July 7–9, 7:30 p.m., tickets start at $60, House of Blues inside Mandalay Bay, houseofblues.com/lasvegas Pictured left to right: The B-52s’ Cindy Wilson, Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson.

Power Rangers [ BEHIND THE BAR ]

PULLING BACK THE CAPE ON THE ADVENTURES OF A FEW FREE-SPIRITED BRAND AMBASSADORS

By Xania V. Woodman Photography By Krystal Ramirez

From left: Trevor Schneider, Charlotte Voisey, Sebastien Derbomez and Mark Stoddard

B

rand ambassadors: How they just seem to swoop in out of the blue, drop the knowledge hammer at festivals, parties and tasting events, and then fly off into the sunset, leaving a social media trail of wittily hashtagged adventures in their wake. Best gig ever, right? But have you ever pondered the origin stories of these wild-mannered spirituous superheroes? We rounded up some William Grant & Sons brand ambassadors to find out exactly how they acquired their superpowers.

June 29 –July 5 , 2017 vegasseven.com

lations, and aspiring to join the State Department, CIA or foreign service. The student and bartender (later, a certified sommelier and bar owner) routinely saw his two worlds collide. “I was studying world history, imperialism and colonialism, but at the same time, I started to dive a little bit deeper into the history of alcohol.

And I saw a lot of parallels,” Stoddard says. “Throughout human civilization—doesn’t matter if we’re going back to Egypt or into recent times—humans have had a very deep relationship with alcohol. It could’ve been medicinal, religious, ceremonial or recreational.” A keen observer and storyteller, Stoddard uses his grasp of world history and alcohol history to connect with consumers and industry members. “I think I made the right choice. [The other path] would’ve been a lot more bureaucratic paper pushing, and the parties that we throw as liquor ambassadors are much more fun.”

SEBASTIEN DERBOMEZ, MR. MONKEY SHOULDER BLENDED MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

Scotch is a complex spirit that warrants ample explanation—which can sometimes knock the wind out of a good party. Therefore, repping for the mixable, youthful, social side of blended malt Scotch whisky is Derbomez, a charming and polite Frenchman by way of the U.K., Australia and U.S. with an accent that attests to his travels. Graduating with a degree in mathematics and electrical engineering, the man known as Seb became a schoolteacher and therefore is well equipped to help consumers and bartenders monkey around with his product, named in tribute to history’s maltmen, who turned malting barley by hand with a heavy iron implement. Derbomez is every bit the vivacious party animal, often outfitted head to toe in monkey-logo’d gear (even on the slopes!), but he is still very much a teacher. Albeit a cool one: “Enjoy your whiskey the way you want it—we just want you to have fun. Play with your whiskey. Forget about the stuffy rules.”

CHARLOTTE VOISEY, MADAME DIRECTOR

TREVOR SCHNEIDER, MR. REYKA VODKA

If it looks like Reyka Vodka’s U.S. ambassador is having serious fun spreading the gospel of Icelandic volcanic-rock-filtered spirits, that’s probably because he is.

But Schneider’s affable, high-energy manner and confident ease addressing a crowd are not accidental. The former Manhattanite routinely calls upon his previous double life as a bartender and screen actor with latenight talk show host aspirations to build rapport with any audience. Over time, his paths merged: “[Hospitality] became more of a love and became the real passion because the bar became my stage,” he says, and those acting chops have come in handy. “Ninety percent of my job has to do with interaction—the way I dress, the way I carry myself, the way I interact with people, the way I tell the story of Reyka, the way I get

behind the bar and make cocktails. Pretty much the last 10 years of my experience is embodied every day in my job.” Still, don’t let Schneider’s poise and polish fool you: he can and often does let his hair down.

MARK STODDARD, MR. HENDRICK’S GIN

Curiosity comes with the job at Hendrick’s Gin. The delightful English cucumber- and Bulgarian rose-forward gin embodies the spirit of exploration, aligning its brand with all that is “unusual,” “peculiar” and “wondrous.” As ambassador to the Western U.S., a tweedy and ginger Stoddard has access to toys such as the Hendrick’s Negroni Machine (with mechanical arms that prepare drinks at the pull of a lever) and hands out tiny cocktail field guides. But Stoddard’s adventurous streak dates back to his days studying international re-

For every team of operatives, there must be a leader—the M to James Bond, the Colonel Nick Fury to The Avengers. As director of brand advocacy for William Grant & Sons USA, Voisey represents the entirety of the portfolio, mentoring and managing its 25 ambassadors, and she educates consumers and beverage professionals through live events as well as her online show, The Perfect Pour. But before joining the team in 2006 as the first Hendrick’s Gin ambassador, Voisey was a student of international hospitality management, which took her to London, Spain, Argentina and back, working in restaurant and bar operations. “It’s quite a normal path these days for a bartender to go into brand ambassador work because of the skill sets needed. But I find that I draw upon my bartender experience for a different reason than the most obvious, and that is the idea of multitasking, keeping calm and being everything to everyone,” Voisey says. The subsequent years spent in the ranks of the team she now leads means that Voisey can instantly connect with her colleagues while maintaining a bird’s-eye view of the overall mission. “Mostly it’s advice. They are going through the steps of their career, steps that I already went through. So it might be advice on how to handle certain situations, inspiration about how to break through the clutter and make a name for themselves, or they’ve seen what I’ve done but they’re not quite sure how I got there—also just morale and support. That’s not necessarily what they ask me for, but it’s definitely what I see that they need and, in the perfect situation, could provide for them.”7 Meet additional brand ambassadors Vance Henderson (Drambuie), Ashley Marsh (Sailor Jerry) and Jennifer Wren (Glenfiddich) at vegasseven.com/spiritedsuperheroes.

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Amaro’s Disappearing Act

By MARISA FINETTI Photography ANTHONY MAIR

[ DRINK THIS ] We are all obsessed with something. Some people are into vintage pottery. Others, sugar packets and Do Not Disturb hotel door tags (who knew?). But the sommeliers and mixologists at Carnevino are infatuated with amaro. First sold as a health tonic in the 1800s in Italy, the bittersweet digestivo has become a thriving star of cocktail culture.

Enter the deliciously balanced Watch Me Disappear ($17), a savory, spicy and refreshing libation that utilizes Italy’s rock-star amaro, the Vecchio Amaro del Cappo. The melange of 29 botanical herbs, flowers, fruits and roots is intensely pleasurable, providing a seductive sensorial tapestry. At the base of the drink is Mexico’s spirit, tequila (here, Casa Dragones Blanco), which makes fast friends with a kick of ginger liqueur from Domaine de Canton, the lightly bitter and sweet orange essence from Contratto’s Aperitif and the energizing amperage from the fresh lime juice. Work your way around the lip-and-tongue-friendly savory and salty zing, which invites you to sip the aptly named cocktail until it magically “disappears” ... and let the crush start all over again. 7

Carnevino inside The Palazzo carnevino.com Instagram: @carnevino Twitter: #carnevino

June 29 –July 5 , 2017 vegasseven.com