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Contents 7 mail An Evel Knievel metaphor

44 noise That time David Bowie

for local jam band Moksha.

8 as we see it Is Tony Hsieh

and Trent Reznor dueted. The Growlers got us wondering. And a lull in the Lana Del Rey enigma?

Banksy? Sweating like a crocodile with Zuu. Drones, drones, drones.

46 the strip What’s cracking

12 Q&A Lisa Pittman on why Shedonism is NYE for lesbians.

pride las vegas by leila navidi; sushisamba by adam shane

14 Feature | SHOW YOUR PRIDE So much to celebrate, and so many local faces and voices to tell the evolving LGBT story.

24 nights The man putting the “culture” in nightlife. Does the new Center Bar hit the bull’s-eye?

with Wayne Newton?!

48 fine art Fake artists using filthy realness to make you think.

49 stage Showgirls. The musical. 52 food SushiSamba = still tasty. Big Ern’s BBQ expands.

56 calendar Mew’s Jonas Bjerre lets us inside his Danish brain.

39 A&E Saul Williams makes poetry out of everything.

Zesty Nachos

on the Cover

Chicken & Sausage Quesadilla

Derrick Barry

40 pop culture Why Colbert still has room to grow.

41 screen Johnny Depp is scary in Black Mass, everyone is in trouble in Everest, and Scream Queens is ...

photograph By Christopher devargas wig by Steven Wayne of Wayne’s Wig World

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 • 7PM-? “show a little more, show a little less” YOUR GUIDE TO PRIDE As you’ll read on pages 14 to 21, our already vibrant city gets even more colorful this week with the arrival of the annual rainbow-splashed celebration that is Las Vegas Pride. For a comprehensive list of this year’s festivities, plus ways to keep the Pride party going all year long, head to lasvegasweekly.com. ON THE ROCKS Not if you’re drinking a premium single-malt with new Glenfiddich brand ambassador Jennifer Wren. She made her Vegas debut this week, and took time to sip and talk shop. Did she convert the Weekly’s resident Scotch hater? Find out, only online.

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MOST READ STORIES lasvegasweekly.com 1. The Kats Report: A Colosseum return reinforces Celine Dion’s spot among Las Vegas’ performing legends 2. Kerry Simon, 1955-2015: Saying goodbye to the quintessential Vegas chef

BURLESQUE ATTIRE ENCOURAGED

3. Concert calendar: Solid shows to catch in Las Vegas through the year’s end 4. Downtown Las Vegas gears up for Burning Man icon the Big Rig Jig 5. With his ‘last fight’ set for Saturday, Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s legacy seems more complicated than ever

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Join us for a burlesque themed night of live music, food, cocktails and memories

GET YOUR OM ON You may have crossed the Instagram hashtag #yogaeverydamnday, but how about all day, all weekend? Deepen your dedication (and ace your downward dog) at Vegas Gone Yoga! Festival’s third annual gettogether. Read more at lasvegasweekly.com.

Mail > RIP, Chef Simon was a culinary original.

ALL-TIME GREAT

THE QUEEN IS BACK

Many readers shared their condolences and sentiments following chef Kerry Simon’s death last week. We’ll always remember his many meaningful contributions to the Las Vegas community, as much as we’ll remember his food (see a portion of our online tribute on Page 9). The Weekly’s team of food writers share their favorite Simon dishes:

Celine Dion’s long-awaited, triumphant return to the Colosseum is a reminder that she’s one of the greatest Strip headliners of all time.

A few things come to mind (Kerry’s crispy rice tuna remains an all-time not-too-guilty pleasure), but I’d be remiss not to single out Kerry’s burger. Hubert Keller may have done the first celeb chef take and Bradley Ogden the first high-end version in Vegas, but Kerry and his team led the obsession with affordable burger perfection. It was and will forever be tough to beat. –E.C. Gladstone Undoubtedly the classic Iron Chef Burger. Many moons prior to my food writing, this single dish made me enamored with our celebrity chef—not one of the out-of-towners—and the accessible high-end comfort food he pioneered. –Jim Begley Halibut casino—you know, like clams casino?—was just the most luscious piece of fish with a crispy coating of bacon, Parmesan and garlic ... so good. Simon’s food will always be the most fun. –Brock Radke One night, he gave my wife a tip on how to make Brussels sprouts anybody would eat: Serve them raw, shaved thin, with lemon juice, olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano. So simple, so genius, so Kerry Simon. –Andy Wang

I was never a fan. Ever. Till I went and saw her show. Best voice I’ve ever heard live. And I’m almost 60 and saw all the greats. –T.J. Payne

DEEP GROOVE Our annual Music Issue delved into the eight-year jam odyssey known as Moksha.

The great thing about playing improvisational music is that nobody gets hurt if you don’t “make it” all the way ... but when you do, magic! Think of Evel Knievel. If he doesn’t make it to the other side of the jump ramp, he’s toast. Moksha makes it ... most of the time! –Lvsmojoe Probably the only thing I miss about that town. You guys need to come to San Diego! Send a box of fliers before you do! –Dougie Howard

TRUCKIN’ DOWNTOWN LA artist Mike Ross’ Burning Man installation the Big Rig Jig is on its way to the Fergusons Motel lot along Fremont Street.

Cool to look at. A permanent addition to Downtown? No thanks. Maybe the Flying J parking lot would be better. –Kenneth Torbicki The big question is, does it shoot any fire out into the air? –LasVegas360

LVWeekly@GMGVegas.com Letters and posts may be edited for length/clarity. All submissions become the property of Las Vegas Weekly.

AsWeSeeIt N e w s + C u lt u r e + S t y l e + M o r e

Clandestine art

What it’s like when Banksy asks to borrow your sculpture ∑ It seemed like a bad idea. For one, Downtown Project

planned to exhibit the tanker-truck sculpture Big Rig Jig at Life Is Beautiful. And two, who knows who these people really were? “Someone from Banksy emailed me in March and basically asked if they could use it,” says Tony Hsieh, who owns the Mike Ross sculpture. “They were very vague and just said it was for a project they were organizing in the U.K. They asked for confidentiality and apologized for having to be so mysterious and clandestine.” (The project turned out to be Dismaland, Banksy’s Bristol, England, “bemusement” park, where Big Rig Jig is showing until the exhibition closes September 27. Afterward it will ship here and settle on the Fergusons Motel lot later this year.) After a series of emails, Hsieh arranged a March phone call with Banksy’s manager—reportedly the only person who knows his identity or deals with the renowned street artist—but still wasn’t sure of the offer’s legitimacy. “In all seriousness, what happens if it disappears?” Hsieh says. “All we have is this intriguing email and phone call, and really it could’ve been anyone. … Everyone involved [on the DTP side] thought it was high-risk.” So Hsieh declined. Then he received this email, allegedly written by Banksy: “I feel strongly Big Rig Jig is probably the first sculptural masterpiece of the post-industrial age and we want to exhibit it accordingly. Importance is measured in influence, and you can never be sure, but I’m confident in 20 years time Big Rig Jig will be cited by a whole new generation of artists as a touchstone in modern sculpture. It should be in every textbook of art history that covers this age and this won’t happen from photos at Burning Man alone.” In May, Hsieh and his team began negotiating to trade the Big Rig Jig, which was supposed to be a centerpiece at Downtown’s Life Is Beautiful fest, for a Banksy work to exhibit in its place. But as the July shipping deadline approached, Hsieh still planned to say no. “We don’t know anything about shipping art, and if it disappears, who do we go after?” Hsieh says. “But the morning of, it was just one of those things. We were down to the wire and we were like, let’s just do it. … There was no rational reason for us to do it, but in the end we just went with our gut.” As for what Banksy might show at LIB, Hsieh offers few details. “It’s not going to be just a piece of work from him, meaning that there are moving, mechanical parts to it. We want people to discover it, [so] it may change locations.” –Kristy Totten

Exit from the gift shop Las Vegas’ legendary gift emporium swaps naughtiness for kiddieness

∑ Locals likely don’t give a further thought to the Bonanza Gift Shop on Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue, the 40,000-square-foot home to countless graphic tees, coffee mugs, miniature roulette wheels and other Vegasthemed tchotchkes. However, anyone casually driving past the self-proclaimed World’s Largest Gift Shop or attentive to social media might have detected a change on its memorable marquees, with curious “grand opening” signs below them. No, it hasn’t ditched its oft-photographed “If it’s in stock, we have it!” sign (yet). But to its left, where the words “Naughty Town” once presided, “Kidz Town” is now touted, and the store below it, which closes earlier than the stores on either side, has traded its R-rated, bachelorette-friendly duds for G-rated, kindergarten-friendly ones. Insert your favorite statement about the sanitizing of Las Vegas here. Store manager Molly Gabay confirmed that ownership changed a

8 LasVegasWeekly.com September 17-23, 2015

couple of months ago—celebrated quietly by a Labor Day weekend grand opening—which prompted other changes, such as merchandise upgrades and Naughty Town’s transition to Kidz World, as the name appears on Bonanza’s website (apparently, Kidz Town wasn’t big enough for all the kiddie goodness). Future developments may include food options, Gabay says, to make Bonanza “more like a shopping center.” Its previous owner was Lynn Morris of BMorris, Inc., and according to City of Las Vegas documentation, the space is being taken over by a group of managing members and trustees named New Bonanza LLC. The building now occupied by Bonanza Gift Shop has a colorful history. The Vegas Now and Then website asserts it was a shopping center, then a series of casinos, the last of which opened an adult bookstore which ultimately became Naughty Town. Now, Sin City’s largest gift shop is a little less sinful. –Mike Prevatt

AS WE SEE IT…

VEGAS’ FAVORITE CHEF Kerry Simon, 1955-2015

FROG SQUATS

postoperative, get a beverage from the fridge.” Then what? I wonder. I knew I wouldn’t be “banging it out till the wheels fall off’’ like the rest, but I want at least Zuu’s animalistic fitness leaps into the U.S. to walk out of here. Unification and encouragement are main tenets of the market in Las Vegas BY KRISTEN PETERSON program, so no one lets me bail. Aussie Nathan Helberg, founder of the England-based fitness program, says Zuu is James’ veins are popping off his face. Beyond that, it’s all about liberating movement, helping others and growjust teeth and snarl. Everyone’s hollering and my legs gave ing culturally. He and the hard-bodied rugby types here to out five minutes ago, but I’m plowing forward because we launch the Las Vegas program (free through September), feed off each other. This is what happens when you shred confirm the high-intensity training. your quads and accelerate your heart rate through animalI last 20 minutes. With “no spewing on the floor” a based fitness training. It’s deceptive. Depending on which hard-and-fast rule, I make for the door and stand YouTube video you watch, the Zuu looks simple outside only to learn a couple minutes later that and playful or brutal and grueling. The latter is Laura, a trainer and my partner in the exercise, the reality. WORLD ZUU is still doing her handstand against the wall. “She On all fours we move herdlike through the 4985 S. Fort won’t come down until you tap her,” Helberg says. carpeted room. Then we’re back to frog squats. Apache Road, My heart sinks. I failed her. Moving my rubber We break into the bear crawl, another animal worldzuu.com. legs across the room, I tap her on the shoulder movement that strengthens our joints. There’s the and then watch as she and the group bend and gorilla, the iguana, the crocodile, the flea. lunge their bodies repetitiously in unique ways together, “It gets pretty hectic in here,” Dirk, one of the owners, then move into one minute of gorillas. said at the beginning. “If you’re feeling that you’re getting

FLASH AND FUNCTION

ZUU BY STEVE MARCUS; KERRY SIMON BY JEFF DALY/AP

Interbike’s “candy store” has the next wave of safety innovations On a September Saturday, hundreds of cyclists rallied in memory of Matthew Hunt, his August death the eighth bicyclist fatality in Clark County this year. The community is crying out for better safety measures, from awareness of road-sharing laws to use of visibility gear. No doubt, this will be on the minds of retailers at Interbike. “Interbike is the largest bicycle-industry trade event in INTERBIKE the Americas, and what folks will CUSTOMER see when they come in are more APPRECIATION than 1,500 brands and the latest DAY September innovations in the world of cycling,” 18, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., says publicist Justin Gottlieb. While $20. Mandalay Bay the expo hall is limited to industry Convention Center, members through the week, Friday interbike.com. the doors open to “the cyclists who power our industry.” Attendees will be welcome to wander the displays, talk to reps and test badass new bikes on an indoor track, but some of the quieter triumphs of tech may grab even more attention. Of the many safety products Gottlieb highlighted, these are my favorites:

Garmin Varia Rearview Radar Touted as the world’s first cycling radar, Varia attaches to a handlebar stem and warns of cars coming from behind up to 153 yards. It detects multiple vehicles and indicates relative levels of speed and threat, and the taillight unit brightens and flashes accordingly.

Chef and restaurateur Kerry Simon, who died on September 11 at age 60 after fighting Multiple System Atrophy, was the quintessential Vegas chef, charismatic and talented, famous and fun. But he was much more than that. The fantastic dining landscape of today’s Las Vegas was really born when Simon arrived, because his first gig here was helping to build the dynamic restaurants at Bellagio. When he opened his eponymous restaurant at the Hard Rock Hotel 13 years ago, it immediately became the hottest place in Vegas. That’s because Simon knew what we wanted to eat and what kind of experience we wanted to have, because it’s what he wanted, too. His food has always been described as comfort food remade with Simon’s own twists, but he believed food can always be comforting, as much as he believed in the balance between indulgence and moderation. That’s why you could always find the best burger (the one that won him fame on Iron Chef) on his menu, alongside the best roasted organic chicken. I can’t think of anyone who embodied the spirit of Vegas hospitality as uniquely as Kerry Simon. A conversation with him was never just about food; it was about art and ideas and people and places, all the things he’s seen and done that were woven into something as simple as the perfect meatloaf. He never planned to open a restaurant or create a dish that would fit into a specific trend or serve a premeditated dining demographic. It was more, wouldn’t it be cool to do this? And he’d do it, and it would be cool, something new and interesting that’s exactly what you wanted, before you knew you wanted it. –Brock Radke

Revolights Arcs of LEDs built into the wheels cast 360 degrees of illumination around a cyclist, maximizing visibility to drivers and projecting light onto the ground, signs and obstacles. Giro Empire ACC Reflective The Santa Cruz company makes fantastic helmets, but its latest safety innovation goes on your feet. The Empire ACC packs performance and now reflectivity, its microfiber upper electrifying when light hits. Basically, your kicks are like glowsticks in the night. –Erin Ryan

SEPTEMBER 17–23, 2015 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM 9

AS WE SEE IT… cameras are a defining characteristic of our age—we’re obsessed with seeing and being seen; we are controlled by the near-constant urge to stop, save and broadcast our individual takes on reality simultaneously. To wit: In the drone exhibit hall, hundreds of conventioneers aim cell cams at the drones; drones aim cameras back at them; TV news crews aim cameras at both the crowd and the drones; Rio hotel surveillance cameras look down at the whole scene. One man strolls through, recording with a cell-cam perched high on a selfie stick; people shoot videos of big-screen videos playing footage recorded by drones buzzing through city streets, past traffic cameras and tourists’ cell-cams. Ad infinitum. One would think that all of this seeing would reveal something.

PYRAMID OF BISCUITS

THE BUZZ OF PROGRESS? A stroll through InterDrone opens a lens on a possible world to come BY STACY J. WILLIS

It started in the living room one evening when I heard a buzzing bug bouncing off the overhead light. A fly? Weird. Then two more. When I looked up, I saw that they were not flies at all, but bees. In the kitchen, five or six more buzzed at the light. Then, down the hallway, I heard a blood-chilling freight-train of a buzz: Dozens of bees were flying in through the vent, horror-movie style. A swift panic took over—I’m allergic to bee stings—and within 15 seconds, I was out the door and sealed inside my car. A cloud of bees hung over my small house. I called a beekeeper, who determined that they were not removable because the queen bee was gone and the drones had frenetically dispersed. So he exterminated them, and I returned to a house littered with honeybee corpses. In the years since, I’ve seen many stories about the dramatic and distressing decrease in the honeybee population. No one knows the exact cause, but there are many theories— pesticides, climate change, parasites. Honeybees are prolific pollinators critical to agriculture, to our worldwide food supply, to the ecosystem. So sometimes when I recall my own honeybee massacre, I feel blue. But then I remember that ominous buzz.

***** In the exhibition hall at the InterDrone conference at the Rio, I’m having unhappy sensory flashbacks caused by three drones buzzing overhead. They are each about 2-feet square, with four propellers, equipped with cameras and remotely controlled by gameboy-ish reps standing nearby. The crowd—itself

IN BRIEF

*****

buzzing—swarms around the display area to take videos and pictures. We’re here because drones are quickly becoming popular with curious hobbyists and purposeful businesspeople, most of whom appear to be giddy, middle-aged white men. They’re here from all over the world, though, to stay on top of trends in technology and regulation. The Federal Aviation Administration estimates that by 2030, more than 30,000 of these remote-controlled vehicles will be flying in the U.S. I first became leery of non-weaponized drones in 2013, when Amazon announced it would use them to deliver stuff. I imagined a noisy, trafficky, commodity-filled sky. But the potential uses are diverse, if no less sci-fi: Railroad companies could fly them ahead of trains to check track conditions; search-and-rescue teams

NAILING IT Remember when Fremont East’s self-described Salon of Beauty actually offered beauty services? It’s been more than nine years since Beauty Bar began and then quickly ended nail-polishing demonstrations, but the venue is now fully licensed with the Nevada cosmetology board and soft-opened its full manicure service (along with full bar offerings) on September 18. Beauty Bar Nails currently operates Tuesday through Thursday but aims to expand to five days. –Mike Prevatt

10 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2015

could see into hidden areas or deliver emergency supplies; engineers could use them for close-up inspection of bridges and dams, hydrologists and geologists to map remote regions. Also, criminals could use them to deliver drugs over prison walls (it’s already happened), the inept or malicious could fly them into commercial airplanes, and the puerile could use them to peep at neighbors. The list goes on. One of their fastest-growing uses is in agriculture. Drones can provide high-resolution crop inspection that allows quicker and more accurate response to problems. Drone use could produce more food, save farmers money and, ecologists say, eventually reduce the need for widespread pesticides. But the predominant appeal of drones right now seems to be this: Oh my God, I’m flying a camera. Ubiquitous

OUTDOOR SOUNDS The Valley is getting another music venue, and no, it’s not on the Strip or Downtown. Craig Ranch Regional Park in North Las Vegas will open its amphitheater with four performances in October, starting with Yesterday: The Beatles Tribute Show Band (October 9). The 3,000-capacity venue, which features both seats and a general-admission lawn area, cost a reported $8 million, $6.5 million of which was funded by a Clark County Commission grant. –MP

Honeybees have five eyes. Two of those eyes are called compound eyes because they have thousands of tiny lenses creating a mosaic of images. The other three eyes detect light and shadow as an extra defense against swooping predators. Bees see a broader spectrum of light than humans, and they see patterns we don’t see. Plus, they never sleep—those eyes are always at work. But the honeybee is dying from something it does not see—something we don’t yet see either—a side effect, perhaps, of the frenetic choices humans made along the way as we advanced in chemistry and technology? Or a predator we somehow overlooked? A few days after the InterDrone conference, I take a morning walk. It’s peaceful. I marvel at the quiet desert landscape, thankful there are no product-delivery or camera-toting drones buzzing overhead. Yet. When I reach the flowering shrubs that are frequently covered in bees, I begin to give them the usual wide berth. But then I stop to listen. The buzz seems small, intermittent, almost quaint. For a moment, I worry about the future of bees, of agriculture, of food, of civilization. Then I take Selfie With Bees.

SISTER CITY? “It’s the Vegas of Northern Europe without the lights and the lap dances,” hotel owner Adam Hobbs told The Wall Street Journal in an article published last week. But without an overabundance of glowing signage and strippers, why is Danish island Ærø being compared to Las Vegas? Lax marriage laws. WSJ reports 2,400 of 2,460 weddings performed there last year were the unions of visitors. But what’s a wedding reception without the lights and lap dances? –Mark Adams

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Weekly Q&A

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What a

girl wants Lisa Pittman (aka Pride’s gift to women) talks Shedonism, community and dope music

Excess. Indulgence. Debauchery. Pleasure as a way of life. Sounds like Vegas, but it’s actually Shedonism, “the feminine art of being sinful.” The official girls’ party series of Las Vegas Pride is in its fifth year, and founder Lisa Pittman doesn’t just want to bring the good times—the self-proclaimed “Pride junkie” wants to make Las Vegas a can’t-miss destination for the annual celebration of LGBT culture. ¶ A longtime local and veteran DJ, Pittman is also known for her work in the booth, spinning across the Valley—including residencies at Marquee and the Sayers Club—and traveling across North America to play at nightclubs and for special events, like last month’s gay-pride celebration in Vancouver, Canada. ¶ For Vegas’ rendition, she’s secured a Shedonism lineup including star-studded entertainment—with performances by Lil Debbie, Da Brat and Nina Sky, and slick sounds from local ladies on the decks, including Alie Layus and C.L.A. She pressed pause on her crazy schedule to talk about her hometown’s gay scene, the enduring power of Pride and the beginnings of Shedonism, which she affectionately calls “New Year’s Eve for lesbians.”

What motivated you to found and produce Shedonism? At the time I threw

eration has to be proud and really celebrate the accomplishments that we have made.

parties for women, and [I knew] there was an interest in not only weekly parties, but yearly parties. You want to establish Las Vegas as a When Pride would come around “destination Pride” city. Where are we girls would say there’s nothing for at with that goal? As conservative girls, or everything’s always driven as Las Vegas has been for such a for the boys, or the Pride board is liberal city (laughs), we’re getting all guys so they hire [talent] that there. And we have some really the guys like. … Pride is an event cool elements to our Pride that are that tries to be fair and all-encomunique to Las Vegas. We have the passing, [so] I reached out only nighttime parade, you to Pride and I said, hey, why still see the glitz and the don’t I be the spokesperson SHEDONISM glamour and the city lights. for the women and create an September 17-21, … We do things different event for them? in Vegas because we’re a times, covers nighttime city, so of course, and venues vary, The LGBT community has shedonismvegas. our Pride is a little different. But that’s the uniquemade significant strides in com. ness. … It’s just a matter recent years, with marriage of people coming here and equality, non-discrimination expanding our Pride. legislation and more. Why is Pride still important? Every time I attend a Pride, it’s just as important as when You DJ all over the country. What’s the I was 21 and I was going to my first major difference you notice between Pride. … It’s really important for the Las Vegas’ LGBT nightlife scene and young generation. It’s really importhose in other cities? We’re just such tant for the 18-year-olds, for 21-yeara transient town. People live here olds, for people who are tourists for a short period of time and then that happen to stumble upon the they move away, and because of Pride Parade. It offers visibility to that, I feel like it’s hard to establish the community, and it offers visa really great gay community. … ibility to people who are still young. And the fact that there’s so much They’re looking for people who are great entertainment on the Strip, like them, you know? … It’s a great it’s hard for gay bars, gay clubs, visible recognition of the commuto compete with that. In this day nity for people who might not find and age, with it being so liberal, it, see it or be exposed to it [by] any there’s no reason why you can’t go other means. … And that next gento Wet Republic to meet someone

that you’d want to meet. How has the scene here evolved? I’ve

seen it change. … I’ve seen gay club nights [and] events being promoted in [the] mainstream, I’ve seen [gay] events being hosted by places like Marquee, which is a major nightclub in the city. So the thing that’s amazing to me is the acceptance of the gay scene in [mainstream] nightlife. You DJ at some of the hottest clubs around town. What do you like to spin? What can clubgoers expect from a Lisa Pittman DJ set? If I’m in the

hip-hop room at Marquee, then I’ll play an amazing hip-hop set. And if I’m at the Sayers Club, I will go more into indie-rock and funk and

what I feel like the room needs. A more eclectic vibe, because the people who are there are music lovers. … The overall feeling is that what you can expect is a really dope set! (laughs) You also DJ on the radio. What’s the appeal of that medium? Radio is a very

powerful tool, and I love it. I actually love to play live in the studio and live interaction, people call in and they talk to you on-air. It’s just a different element. Because I’m a DJ, I don’t get to talk to that many people and you don’t necessarily get great feedback right away … but when you’re on the radio there’s an opportunity for people to interact with you and give feedback, so it’s a great tool. –Mark Adams

September 17–23, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com 13

By definition, pride is an inwardly directed feeling. You respect yourself. You believe you deserve respect from others. But Pride has always been an outward explosionâ€”a vital, very public statement about humanity and solidarity wrapped in a glittering, candy-colored, usually bare-chested (or bare-everythinged) party. This year especially, on the heels of landmark rulings for equality and significant social strides, thereâ€™s so much to celebrate. But along with its cavalcade of joy, Pride is a time to take a breath and think about the next step forward.

photograph by l.e. baskow

> mr. and mr. Dan Mathews and Jack Ryan kiss at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign after their wedding in 2014.

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eave it to a Facebook post to stir things up. In 2011, thenlocal news anchor and LGBT community member Chris Saldaña shared a link about the first active-duty military ever to march in San Diego’s Pride Parade. A lively, if largely cynical discussion about Vegas’ event and general LGBT engagement followed, with Saldaña asking commenters what they were doing to better Las Vegas Pride or help LGBT-advocacy groups like Golden Rainbow. You could almost hear the exasperation when he finally wrote, “I ask you again, have you done something to get involved?” Only one commenter chimed in, to say he hadn’t. The episode was in keeping with what I’d always heard and observed: Most aren’t moved to action. But local apathy is hardly confined to the LGBT community, and it might be anecdotally exaggerated, according to those working toward elevating the gay experience here. If people are less engaged with the community and its causes, one reason could be occupational realities. We’re a 24-hour town. Many LGBT professionals are in hospitality, gaming and entertainment and are sweating through their shifts during the evening parades and galas. “Let’s be real; when I was a restaurant manager, 80 percent of my staff was gay, and they all worked,” says Ernie Yuen, executive director of Southern Nevada Association of Pride, Inc., which produces Las Vegas Pride every September. “They never went to these gay events.” But they might’ve gone to a gay nightclub or bar, where LGBT community members—especially gay men—are most visible. Not everyone connects through nightlife. But, according to Yuen, one might attend Pride-related bingo or a hiking excursion, or keep up with the community through social media. There’s also the possibility that some people just don’t feel the need to celebrate Pride or get involved with causes. Alienation has united LGBT people elsewhere, but those in Las Vegas—especially without their own “gayborhood”—are well-integrated in the mainstream. “We pretty much blend in,” Yuen says. Inaction might be more about not knowing how to initiate involvement, or not getting a response when they reach out. This is a particular concern of Chris Alexander, volunteer coordinator for the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada. As a native Las Vegan, he feels the LGBT community is generally well-

intentioned but less engaged, largely because Vegas is so transient. But at the Center, the obvious hub of activity, he sees one or two volunteer applications a day—highly uncommon for a nonprofit, he says. “Everyone wants to help out at the Center—seniors, youth, the trans community, straight allies, and the financial companies and casinos want to send groups of people. We have the resources, and they’re coming in. It’s just putting them to the best use.” Though he can rattle off reasons many local LGBT people seem absent, Yuen believes they’re actually very engaged, especially when it comes to charity galas, transgender causes, family events and certain fights that touch the whole community. Marriage equality drove activism. But its triumphant settlement begs the question: What should the community—active or not—focus on now? Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada Associate Director Laura Martin says there’s more to improving the lives of LGBT Las Vegans than “safe issues” regarding marriage and the workplace. “It’s health care; having a safe place to live; not being harassed by police. It’s about being a resident in Nevada and being able to live with dignity.” Beyond fundamentals, Martin, Alexander and Yuen agree that the transgender rights movement is one of the biggest concerns, if not the biggest. Not because celebrity has drawn the spotlight. Because trans people face higher occurrences of violence, discrimination and harassment. “People don’t understand what it’s like to be transgender,” Martin says. And that includes gay and lesbian people. Parts of the community not acknowledging or understanding the others is a problem not unique to Vegas, nor is the imbalance of the concerns of individuals taking precedence over those of the community, though Alexander thinks the city’s lack of a “gay ghetto” has impeded LGBT cohesion. “It’s cliche, but everyone [must] get together and realize that within our differences there are commonalities. It takes more awareness of each different group and what their needs are.” “You ask what’s next. It’s like pick-up sticks,” Yuen says. “You pick the things you want to do and stick with that. I’m going to help the trans community, or I’m gonna help the gay youth and get them off the streets. My mom said it best: You need to pick your battles.”

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What’s now known as the Fruit Loop, a cluster of LGBT nightclubs and businesses on Naples Street near UNLV, wasn’t always a gay epicenter. Even in the 1950s and ’60s it was a happening hangout, home to several restaurants and clubs, before taking on the Fruit Loop name in the 1970s. “There was some controversy about that name in the gay community,” historian Dennis McBride says. “Some thought it was demeaning, but you own it and take the teeth out of it.” Here, McBride takes us through a Loop of time. –Kristy Totten

GIPSY An Italian restaurant in the ’60s, this spot transformed into Disco Fever nightclub in 1978, then Studio 4, where singer Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane hung out. In 1980 it became Village Station, then the gay nightclub Gipsy in 1981. The last significant gay bar raid in Las Vegas happened at this address on Halloween 1980, McBride says, when undercover agents went in to initiate sexual contact with patrons. “They had a camera crew outside and filmed the bust.” PIRANHA In 1957, it opened as Kelly’s Tavern. The attached diner was a Chinese restaurant called the Hong Kong Room. In 1981 the bar became Gelo’s, then Angles-n-Lace in 1989. Lace was the

LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2015

name of the back bar, which catered to lesbians. Icon opened there in 2002, transitioning in 2004 to Piranha and 8 1/2 Ultra Lounge. GET BOOKED The Loop’s lone bookstore was once known as Bright Pink Literature, the first commercial shop in town to specialize in LGBT books. It became Get Booked in 1993 and moved from the west side of the street to its current location in 1996. QUADZ The 24-hour gaming bar’s space was once the Buffalo, a leather bar that moved from the airport area to Naples in 1983.

FREEZONE This veteran LGBT haunt opened its nightclub in 1998. It was previously the Jungle Club. “When Gipsy first opened, the county required [businesses to add] new curbs and sidewalks,” McBride says. “The Jungle Club didn’t have to do anything because it was straight.” CLUB UNITY This supper club is the newest kid almost on the block, as it’s just east of the Loop’s core, offering a full menu, free entertainment, dancing and an outdoor lounge.

Pride is one of those phenoms that gets the whole city celebrating, so keep your eyes peeled for spinoff events through the weekend (and beyond). Here’s a taste of the calendar, and more details are at lasvegasweekly.com. SEPTEMBER 18: Pride Parade PreParty, 3 p.m., Downtown Crown (& Anchor); Pride Night Parade, 7 p.m. grandstand pre-show & 8 p.m. parade, Downtown on 4th Street between Gass and Ogden; Pride Shenanigans, 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Charlie’s; Pride Official Festival Pre-Party, 10 p.m., Piranha; Sin Girls After-Parade Party, 10 p.m., Fremont Country Club; Adrenaline, 10 p.m., Chateau; Stripper Circus, 10 p.m., Share; Drag Kings Unite, 10:30 p.m., Artifice. SEPTEMBER 19: Las Vegas Pride Festival all-ages celebration with exhibitors, entertainment, dancing and food, noon-10 p.m., Clark County Government Center; Eve, noon, Lux Pool at SLS; Bearracuda, 9 p.m., Oddfellows; Pride Festival AfterParty, 10 p.m., Share; Envy All Girls Dance Party, 10 p.m., Body English.

Back in the early ’80s, when a mysterious “gay cancer” was taking lives across America and the government did nothing to address it (the president wouldn’t even discuss it publicly), the message seemed clear: Gay lives don’t matter. But life and death and homosexuality were even more bizarrely contextualized when Vietnam veteran and activist Leonard Matlovich, a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient discharged for being gay, died in 1988 from AIDS complications and arranged for his tombstone to read: When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one. Times have changed, of course, but with members of the LGBT community celebrating marriage equality and favorable visibility in media, politics, education and other realms, there’s still a life-and-death-related issue sending many back into the closet—the doctor visit. Equality organizations and health agencies press the importance of LGBT people coming out to their doctors, emphasizing health-care disparities even while reporting statistics of discrimination in the industry. According to Human Rights Campaign, more than half of lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans have said they’ve been seriously discriminated against when seeking health care, with 70 percent in the trans community reporting discrimination. It’s a paradox Dina Proto, a registered nurse and president of the Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Nevada, is familiar with after 20 years in health care. She says risk factors for LGBT patients differ for various reasons from those of heterosexual counterparts, but doctors can’t address them when they don’t know about their patients’ lives. “We’re susceptible to substance abuse issues. Lesbians are one and a half times more likely to smoke. With gay men there are more risks for cancer—prostate, anal and testicular. Lesbians have higher risk factors for breast cancer. People go without health care for ILLUSTRATION BY HOPE NULF/DOODLE ME HOPE; LAS VEGAS PRIDE SUN FILE

a long period of time. Many lesbians forego breast exams and annual pap smears.” The Human Rights Campaign’s nationwide Healthcare Equality Index evaluates facilities based on four criteria: patient and employee non-discrimination, equal visitation and training in LGBT care. In 2014 it looked at 1,507 facilities, including 23 in Nevada. Seven in Las Vegas responded favorably to all four. This summer Nevada banned transgender discrimination by in-state health insurers, and it prohibits health-care discrimination based on sexual orientation. But that, and the blanket guarantee of confidentiality between doctor and patient, does little sometimes to alleviate concerns that LGBT disclosures might result in hostile treatment, neglect or insurance companies revealing sensitive information to employers. Even at the Huntridge Family Clinic, a local practice with an emphasis on the LGBT community, staffer Katie Cleaves says patients are hesitant. “Our whole purpose here is to make people feel completely comfortable. Sometimes we get people in here who won’t even come out to us until later.” Proto says health-care providers might not be knowledgeable about LGBT issues, that advancing change is a process dependent on patients, the community and the industry. She encourages patients who find a physician helpful and receptive to alert the Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. “There are many physicians and health-care providers and ancillary staff who are open and receptive, and I’ve worked with some who are not,” Proto says. “The nurse in me says that as a health-care professional, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me. It’s important to be honest with your physician. Nothing is worth your life. Share who you are.” –Kristen Peterson

SEPTEMBER 20: Pride Pajama Brunch, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., DW Bistro; Hangover at the Spa, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Entourage; Pride T-Dance, 1-7 p.m., $10-$20, Luxor pool; True Colors Pride Concert with the Las Vegas Mens Chorus, 6 p.m., $15, Flamingo Library; Eden Girls Pool Party, noon5 p.m., Lux Pool at SLS; Salvation Shedonism Closing Party, 10 p.m., Sayers Club at SLS; Stripped Pride Closing Party, 10 p.m., Fuso Rooftop Nightclub at Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club; El Deseo Pride Latin Party, 10 p.m., Piranha Nightclub.

SEPTEMBER 17–23, 2015 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM 17

By Leslie Ventura

“I’ve never really been comfortable identifying as a lesbian or identifying as female after learning that there are folks who live not as their born gender,” says T Cutter, a queer, transmasculine person of color. Cutter moved from Hawaii to Las Vegas 15 years ago and graduated from UNLV with a degree in women’s studies and sociology in 2014. “It wasn’t until maybe last year that I started meeting other trans folks, gender-queer folks, and learning how they express their identity. Being in that circle opened my eyes.” When Cutter decided to identify as transgender, it seemed the only option was to be a trans man. “’Cause I was female, but I never felt comfortable owning that. I would just stay up at night thinking, I don’t want to be a man. Not that I hate men; it just didn’t feel like something I’d ever be comfortable with passing through the world as.” Cutter has been on a low dose of testosterone since October. He sees subtle changes—his voice is deeper and he’s got a bit more hair—but above all he’s noticed the way men treat him, calling him “bro” and being more passive than before. In a way, these less obvious social cues have made the transition feel more real. “I was just like, ‘I’m actually doing this.’ It made me very emotional on top of the fact that I’m putting things in my body that alter [it],” Cutter says. Androgyny has always been appealing to him. He recalls that his family always called him Terry and that, as a child, people thought he was a boy. “I just went with it. It excited me that people thought I was not a girl. All I want is this magic wand to wave and everybody to see everybody for who they are and not their gender.”

MORE TO SAY Find extended profiles at lasvegasweekly.com.

photographs by christopher devargas

“My day is very simple,” says Lisa St. Laurent, a 45-year-old bartender at the Las Vegas Lounge and Miss Pride 2015. “I’ve been [at the Lounge] 16 years. It’s a bar that caters to trans [people], anyone who cross-dresses, whatever. We get gay guys and lesbians and couples, people that are curious or have a taste for it.” St. Laurent says realized she was trans as a teenager, but like some trans people, she originally thought she was gay. With a father in the Marines, St. Laurent “didn’t want to be a disappointment,” so she moved out at 14. “The day I moved out, I ran across this trans girl, and she introduced herself. I didn’t know. I thought this was a beautiful black girl in front of me. She said, ‘Oh, I’m not a girl,’ and explained the situation. And that was it—the deal was sealed.” More than 32 years after her transition, St. Laurent says there are still a lot of stereotypes regarding the trans community that need dismantling, even in places where inclusiveness seems vital to the mission statement. “In 2005 I went to the local Center, and I wanted to help my sisters and reach out to them,” St. Laurent adds. “The Center basically looked at me and wouldn’t help me. They thought I was like everyone else and pretty much closed the door in my face. People, straight and gay, don’t understand the unknown, so you get a lot of discrimination.” Now, St. Laurent is respected throughout the community, “but when I first came on the scene, I would get a lot of flack,” she says. “I was a working girl at one point … but that part of my life I own. I’ve never done drugs. I don’t drink. I’ve been very fortunate in my life.”

photographs by christopher devargas

Before transgender issues started gaining mainstream visibility, marriage and family therapist and Gender Justice Nevada Director Jane Heenan was fighting for trans rights. Having moved to Las Vegas in 1994, Heenan has worked extensively with local communities to create a safe space for gendernonconforming people. “I have been queer since I can remember,” Heenan says. “Like a lot of trans folk, I was not a part of the queer communities in any kind of conscious way when I was younger. I hid this stuff.” As a therapist in the ’90s, Heenan led group sessions for trans people, and in 1999 Heenan challenged the employment non-discrimination bill proposed by then-Nevada State Assemblyman David Parks, because it didn’t include protections for gender identity. “We invisible-ize trans-queer people. We omit and exclude these things that are true, because it doesn’t fit the party line—it doesn’t fit the way the story is supposed to be told,” Heenan says. The bill passed without protections for gender identity or expression, and it wasn’t until 2011 that legal protections were finally extended to trans people. Considering that legislation a celebratory milestone, Heenan planned to move to Oregon. “Somebody told me, ‘You know, Jane, that’s great, but they’re just words on a page. We really need to do something further to help support these things.’ That’s really what Gender Justice Nevada comes out of.” Now in its fourth year, GJN offers inclusive therapy groups, 24-hour hotlines, legal assistance, outreach and more. Despite being director, Heenan doesn’t identify as a leader so much as an anarchist. “I’m doing this ’cause people are telling me we need to do this in order to make a difference in people’s lives, and I know we are making a difference.”

“The first Pride parade I was in, I marched down Hollywood Boulevard,” recalls clinical psychologist and sex therapist Tiger Devore. “The Christians on the sidelines, with their big signs with all the quotes from the Bible, were throwing rocks at us. We had to be put into a pen behind a chain-link fence surrounded by police so that no violence would be done to us.” That was 1974. Devore was only 16. An intersex person, Devore has been working to bring awareness to intersex and sexually different people for 30 years, and has celebrated Pride even longer. “I’ve seen Pride become this open celebration where hundreds of thousands of people can show up and come in contact with their community in relative safety … and feel like they belong to a community they can identify with.” Born in 1958 with ambiguous genitalia, Devore underwent several unnecessary medical procedures as a young child. “I suffered under a lot of childhood surgeries that I couldn’t give consent for and were pretty mutilating and terrible,” Devore says. And while the standard of care for intersex infants and children is improving, Devore says it’s still riddled with medical inaccuracies. “We tried the best we could to make [intersex kids] into boys or girls. [Now], we’re doing the best we can worldwide to change that, so that bodily integrity and right to self-determination are basic human rights of the child. “Gender is something that is part of how our brains are wired, part of hormonal influence in utero. There are those of us who are male, those who are female and those who are somewhere inbetween. That’s why I identify as intersex. I’m not like guys. I’m not like girls. My emotional structure isn’t that way. That’s the truth of my experience and a lot of other intersex people that I have known.”

Kristina Hernandez was always feminine, “drawn to dolls and fashion and sparkly things,” her mother Laura remembers. But when Kristina, born biologically as a boy, told her mother she was a girl at age 4, Laura panicked. “I always thought I was super-progressive until she said, ‘I’m a girl.’ I was like, ‘Oh no, I screwed up; I need to fix this.’” Laura spent years trying to “undo” her daughter’s femininity, entering her in taekwondo classes and buying superhero toys, hoping her interest in girly things would fade. It didn’t. “It was starting to get scary. I thought she might hurt herself, so I started searching around for a gender therapist,” Laura recalls. The Hernandez family started to see Gender Justice Nevada Director Jane Heenan, and soon, Kristina had her mother’s support to transition. “What I needed was a kick in the ass,” Laura says. “I needed somebody to be firm with me, to say, you need to see your child.” Of the reaction at school, Kristina, now 13, says, “I had days where I’d be an hour late because I wouldn’t get out of the car. I always felt like I was going to walk in and be judged—and I was. The kids aren’t even the problem; it’s the administration.” Kristina recounts the obstacles she faced: not receiving school lunches because her ID said she was male, having to use the bathroom in the nurse’s office and changing for P.E. in the counselor’s room. “There was no kind of consideration, no protection for her at all,” Laura says. Despite years of struggle, Kristina’s situation has improved tremendously. In 2014 she was cast as the lead in the 2015 Student Academy Award-winning film Stealth, the story of a young transgender girl named Sammy. “For another actress, they’re just playing a role,” Laura says. As for her daughter, Kristina puts it best: “This is my life.”

September 17–23, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com 19

DERRICK BARRY Entertainer, Divas Las Vegas “I’ll be celebrating the love I share with my partners, artist Nick San Pedro and model Mackenzie Claude. My family is coming out ... well, they are visiting to celebrate their first Pride with me, which is perfect because both of my sisters are finally 21! When I moved here 11 years ago, I found the bright lights of Las Vegas so inspiring. They were colorful and bold. I knew that is exactly how I wanted to live my life. I came out because I had nothing to hide, and I am proud of the person I have become. Animated and full of contrast, my life represents every color in the wheel.” (See Derrick in drag on this week’s cover.)

NELSON ARAUJO Nevada State Assemblyman “We in Las Vegas have come a long way. I myself, as a part of the LGBT community, am ecstatic about a lot of big wins, with the understanding that we still have a lot of work to do. We’re ready to move forward to advance an equality agenda until we have full, equal rights for everyone, including the trans community and the lesbian community. This is a unique opportunity for us to look at the history behind the movement and to be grateful for where we are today.”

“I’ll be celebrating the giant strides the LGBT community has made this year—especially marriage equality. Just a few months ago, there were states where I couldn’t get married, which still seems so unbelievable to me. Thanks to more and more people opening their hearts and minds, America has changed for the better this year, and that’s something to celebrate. After Pride is over, it’s back to the fight for equal freedoms for all Americans. There are still more than 30 states where you can be fired from your job simply for who you love.”

HOPE NULF Illustrator and special education teacher “I think Pride Week is more about the future. Those who are active in the community— whether it’s a teacher or a grocer or a policeman—I like to think we’re doing it for people who aren’t yet out. It’s about celebrating change, but more than that it’s about celebrating that people won’t have to go through what we went through. Since I’m a teacher and since I run the GSA in my school, I really celebrate for my kids who are out, or who have yet to come out. When they do there will be a community waiting for them.” (See another illustration by Hope on Page 17.)

derrick barry by christopher devargas / grooming by tai shane / hand models and assistance nick san pedro and mackenzie claude; hope nulf illustration, self portrait

DAWN CHRISTENSEN Director of national diversity relations, MGM Resorts International

B y M ar k A dams

“What—no ring?” How’s that for a greeting from your great-aunt? It was directed at my twin sister a few years back at a family gathering, and while we’re obviously the same age, all I got was a polite hello and requisite cheek-pinch. I chalked it up to the idea of bachelordom seeming more socially acceptable than spinsterhood to a widowed octogenarian, but it got me thinking: Will this ever happen to me? My curiosity had layers, as this was in the era of “commitment-ceremony Nevada.” But after the Silver State began granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples last October and June’s Supreme Court decision made marriage equality the law of the land, I’m wondering if I’ll hear echoes of my great-aunt next month at my 10-year high school reunion. So I polled gay and lesbian friends to see if they’re getting the question, and if they feel pressure to answer a certain way. “We just spent the [Labor Day] holiday in San

Diego with my family, and quite a few of them were talking about marriage equality with me and asking, ‘You guys have been together six years, have you thought about getting married?’” Ross “R.J.” Rolewicz says of the experience for him and his boyfriend. “It’s something we’ve talked about over the years, but obviously for the longest time we knew it was going to be more of a struggle, as it wasn’t legal in all 50 states.” Rolewicz doesn’t mind the marriage question. In fact, he sees it as a show of support for his relationship. But gay or straight, if a couple isn’t on the same page or chooses to be more private, it can be pretty awkward. “It’s great to show support, but you shouldn’t ask couples, because you don’t know if that’s where they’re at yet,” says a lesbian coworker who has toyed with walking down the aisle in an AstroTurf tuxedo after facing the question a few times. She doesn’t like the idea of putting people on the spot

Bastille on 3rd Formerly Snick’s Place, Downtown’s sole gay watering hole has the distinction of being the oldest gay bar in Las Vegas. In March 2015, the owners of the Garage purchased the space, giving the dive a facelift and offering Arts District bar-crawlers some of the same drink specials that made their first bar such a hit with the community. 1402 S. 3rd St., 702-385-9298, bastillelv.com.

FreeZone The Fruit Loop staple might be the most lesbian-friendly gay bar in town—and that’s not restricted to its weekly Girls Night promo. Outlasting nearby spots like Angles and Buffalo, its permanence has solidified its stance on the standard Loop crawl. Whether your destination is Quadz, Piranha or the newly opened Unity, chances are your night on Naples will involve knocking back cheap-ass cocktails during a FreeZone drag show. 610 E. Naples Dr., 702-794-2300, freezonelv.com.

Charlie’s Las Vegas The Western bar has long been a hangout for gay cowboys and the bear community, but its laid-back atmosphere and fun-loving promotions have attracted a diverse following (count the twinks on underwear night). You’ll find line-dancing to diva hits as well as Tuesday’s “Trouble Dare” game night. Don’t miss its “Hungry Hungry Homos” finale, a hilarious riff on the classic kid’s game, with gay men scrambling to collect plastic balls while riding dollies on their stomachs. 5012 Arville St., 702-876-1844, charlieslasvegas.com.

The Phoenix Formerly Escape Lounge, the Phoenix also boasts an extremely eclectic clientele. With a Burning Man-inspired Burner Mondays promo, a projector screening Wii and Xbox scenes for “gaymers,” the monthly Lady Nation lesbian night and a decent draught beer selection (Green Flash’s IPA at a gay bar—what?!), everyone is welcome at the neighborhood bar. 4213 W. Sahara Ave., 702826-2422, facebook.com/thephoenixlv.

to define their relationship, to the point of finding it offensive. “I think any pressure in that sense has much more to do with age than it does with marriage equality,” suggests Ryan Foley, adding that his interaction with friends, family and coworkers about his legal right to tie the knot is more about being seen as equal in the eyes of the law. Foley says that a coworker called the day the Supreme Court decision was released, leaving a voicemail expressing her happiness and how it was a “great day” for America. “For me, that’s kind of what the personal impact of it was. It was just to see my mom happy that I’m now considered a full, equal citizen.” I’d have to agree. But being a single gay man approaching his 30th birthday, I also agree with the text message my senior prom date (my straight, female senior prom date) sent that same historic day: Now let’s find you a hottie husband!!!

Pride702 Club On the scene late last year, the underthe-radar Pride702 is decidedly Latin-focused, with Latin go-go boys, its Las Reinas drag show and a soundtrack of exclusively Latin and international music. Its opening is a huge win for East Las Vegas, which isn’t home to many other gay bars. Go get your orgullo on! 3977 Vegas Valley Dr., 702-373-0445, pride702club.com. Share Nightclub One of the Valley’s few gay nightclubs, Share is the closest thing you’ll find to the mainstream danceterias lining the Strip. The venue has become known for its scantily clad shot boys and go-gos (some of them skilled on the stripper pole), perpetual free cover and its weekly Stripper Circus promo. Did we mention the private rooms? 4636 Wynn Road, 702-258-2681, sharenightclub.com. –Mark Adams

September 17–23, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com 21

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NIGHTS

> JENNY ON THE BLOCK J-Lo won’t be sitting around at Chateau on Saturday.

HOT SPOTS

September 18, 10:30 p.m., $75+ men, $50+ women.

JENNIFER LOPEZ AT CHATEAU

BRENMAR AT LAX When’s the last time you partied at Luxor? It’s not Club Ra anymore, you know. Friday is a good night to give LAX another shot when Chicago bass/R&B DJ Brenmar rolls through. September 18, 10:30 p.m., $30+ men, $20+ women.

Her residency at Planet Years of operation of Hollywood’s Axis Theater doesn’t Tao’s first location, in start until January, but J-Lo wants RLVTN POOL AT PARADISE POOL New York City. to party now. Who are we to stand The 18-and-over bass bash goes the in her way? DJs Strip and Baroud fuel nightswim route when 12th Planet, the rooftop party under Vegas’ Eiffel Kayzo, AB the Thief, Halfway House and Tower. September 19, 10:30 p.m., $30+ men, others invade the Hard Rock Hotel’s back$20+ women. yard beach. September 19, 8 p.m., $25-$35.

LIL KIM AT THE HUSTLER CLUB Hustler marks its fifth anniversary this weekend with performances from Bubba Sparxxx, Kiss Army and Chingy, but you’re going to want to tell the story of the time you saw Lil Kim take the stage in a Vegas gentleman’s club. September 18, 10 p.m., $45+, $10 for locals.

FETTY WAP AT FOXTAIL Fetty (and Lil Wayne) killed this club on Labor Day Weekend, right as details of his self-titled debut album came out. He takes a quick break from Chris Brown’s One Hell of a Nite tour to do Foxtail again, twice on one Saturday. September 19, 10:30 a.m. & 10:30 p.m., $33+ men, $22+ women.

THE WEEKND AT DRAI’S Abel Tesfaye has per-

10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY AT TAO The iconic

formed many times at Drai’s Live now, as he is the original resident. But this is his first show here since he released Beauty Behind the Madness and conquered the universe. Extra hugeness should ensue.

nightclub at Venetian celebrates a momentous milestone with a live performance by Puff Daddy and the Family and music from its original resident DJ Vice. September 19, 10 p.m., $40+ men, $20+ women.

FITNESS GURLS SWIMSUIT ISSUE PARTY AT AZURE Palazzo has a pool club? Not really, but a

magazine’s swimsuit-issue party is a good reason to make it so. Mingle with fitness pros Claire Rae, Ana Delia, Hope Beel and more Sunday afternoon. September 20, 1 p.m., $20+, no cover for locals. WE EVERYWHERE WEDNESDAYS AT GHOSTBAR

CLUB HOPPING Nightlife News & Notes Tryst is closing. Originally opened as La Bete in 2005, the club was quickly refashioned into Tryst by Victor Drai and set the tone for the Wynn-Encore club dynasty of today with XS, Surrender and Encore Beach Club. Expect the club to close after Halloween with a new concept forthcoming. Fans voted to give Steve Aoki the title of America’s Best DJ in a DJ Times poll conducted online and at several

24 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2015

Local clothing and culture shop Knyew debuted its monthly Wednesday night party during MAGIC with DJs Franzen, Neva and Crooked. Expect similar swag for the second installment at the Palms. September 23, 8 p.m., $20+ men, $10+ women.

festival events across the country. Aoki is preparing to release his two recent albums as the deluxe package Neon Future Odyssey on October 2. The world’s largest traveling bassmusic show returns to Las Vegas on October 1. The Safe in Sound Festival takes over the Joint with headlining acts Bro Safari, Datsik, Zomboy, Dirty Phonics, Terravita and more. –Brock Radke Our pick for best music festival this year was bestowed on the Robot Heart crew’s inaugural Further Future, which doesn’t boast the biggest names but that’s what we like about

it. For the first time in the desert, we got to see acts we’d dreamed about traveling to see. Little People, Bob Moses, Kiasmos, Lone, The Orb and many more impressive talents played for three nonstop days of music, augmented with education and wellness experiences. FF recently announced its return dates for 2016, April 29-May 1. Details regarding lineup, programming and venue—it was held at Moapa River Indian Reservation in May—are likely a long way out. For the latest updates, like the fest’s page at facebook.com/ furtherfuture. –Deanna Rilling

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NIGHTS

The return of something different

Embassy offers nightlife alternatives off the Strip The phrase “cultural nightlife” could easily be one of those empty marketing slogans that might mean anything but doesn’t mean much. When Zaher “Z” Fakih uses it to describe something he’s actually doing and has been for a while, the meaning becomes clear. It’s about a true alternative. “Where is the culture of nightlife?” he asks. “Everyone is running from this idea of fake Las Vegas. Locals need a spot to get away from all that. This is a spot where everything is real.” The nightclub and hospitality impresario who brought a higher standard of hookah to the Valley with the Shisha Lounge (2005) and Almaza Hookah Cafe (2006) before expanding his vision with Nu Sanctuary (2010) and Oracle Nightclub (2012) is starting fresh with a new venue, a bigger one in a great location where his goals to create diverse, locals-oriented nightlife options have solidified. In May, Embassy Nightclub took over the EMBASSY 30,000-square-foot former home of Jaguars, NIGHTCLUB just off the Strip and a block away from 3355 Procyon St., Chinatown. The theme will soon be illus- 702-609-6666. trated by giant flags of various countries out- Thursday-Saturday, side the club, and it’s a welcoming one. Fakih 10 p.m.-6 a.m.; continues to serve his strong Latin following Sunday, 3-8 p.m. with Viva Thursdays and predominantly Hispanic music/programming on Fridays, too. Global Saturdays lean into hip-hop with an open format, and Sunday’s Runway Day Club promotion came out swinging during fight weekend with host model Jesse Mae and stalwart Bay-to-Vegas DJ Franzen. Embassy has four bars, one upstairs. The music could be coming from the DJ booth or from a singer performing on the secondfloor balcony or from a band playing on the grand staircase. Plans for the upstairs space include a Champagne cabaret, and Fakih says he might look into parking-lot festivals with food trucks and other outdoor entertainment. Late this month, he’ll add Eight restaurant and lounge to the first floor, serving Latin American fusion and tableside hookah. “This is going to be home for a long time,” he says. “We went from a 3,500-square-foot hookah lounge in a Smith’s shopping center to clicking 900 people at the door here ... it’s a great thing.” Fakih says he was approached to help renovate and operate vacant casino venues at Bally’s (Victor Drai’s former Liaison) and the Palms (the Moon and Playboy Club spaces) before the Embassy location became available, and decided to continue to develop local nightlife ... for now. He might make the jump to the Strip eventually. Anyone looking for something different—much different— from the Vegas megaclub scene may have already found Embassy. Now Fakih has a better venue, yet the prices haven’t gone up—still free for ladies and $10 for the rest. That’s as welcoming as it gets. –Brock Radke

> party culture Zaher Fakih is dedicated to creating nightlife that captures “real” Vegas.

New center of attention

26 LasVegasWeekly.com September 17-23, 2015

zaher fakih by zack w.

I did the whole one-last-drink thing at the Hard Rock Hotel’s Center Bar before they shut it down for renovation. I reminisced with friends about crazy nights here. I gave in to cheesy Vegas sentimentality, and as a result, I was convinced I’d hate whatever replaced it. So I went back, to hate on it. Except I love it. ¶ Unveiled early this month, the Center Bar renovations mean much more to the property than just a spruced-up drinkery. The sleek new design brings in a memorable LED installation on top of the bar, hi-def screens showing sports and music videos and a spinoff lounge area—much different but still cool. More importantly, the Center Bar feels better connected to the surrounding casino space, not just an island planted in the middle of it. Everything is diffuse. Chilling in the lounge could certainly lead to dinner at Nobu. An extra Fu Fu Cachu (Malibu and pineapple) or Cîroc Obama (it’s chocolatey) and you might need to visit the also-new Pizza Forte a few steps away, which is legitimately delicious and open until 3 a.m. on weekends. ¶ Nostalgia aside, the Hard Rock’s heart needed to be replaced. The new model is nothing like before, and that’s not a bad thing. Go see (and drink) for yourself, and maybe make some new stories to tell. –Brock Radke

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LAS VEGAS WEEKLY CLUB GRID

VENUE

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

1 OAK

Closed

DJ set; doors at 10:30 pm; $40+ men, $30+ women

ARTISAN

Lounge open 24 hours

DJ Kid Conrad

Mel Debarge

Midnight; $10, no cover for women, locals; lounge open 24 hours

DJ Que

Doors at 10:30 pm; $30+ men, $20+ women

CHATEAU

Closed

Doors at 10:30 pm; $30+ men, $20+ women

DRAI’S NIGHTCLUB

EMBASSY NIGHTCLUB

FOXTAIL NIGHTCLUB

Afterhours

Doors at 1 am; $30 men, $20 women, industry locals w/ID free

Quintino

SATURDAY DJ E-Rock

Doors at 10:30 pm; $40+ men, $30+ women

Artisan Afterhours Artisan Afterhours

THE BANK

DRAI’S AFTERHOURS

Afterhours

Doors at 1 am; $30+ men, $20+ women, industry locals w/ID free

The Weeknd

Midnight; $10, no cover for women, locals; lounge open 24 hours

DJ Skratchy

With DJ G-Squared; doors at 10:30 pm; $30+ men, $20+ women

Jennifer Lopez

Live, with Strip & Baroud; doors at 10:30 pm; $30+ men, $20+ women

Afterhours

Doors at 1 am; $30+ men, $20+ women, industry locals w/ID free

Doors at 10:30 pm; $30+ men, $20+ women

Live; doors at 10:30 pm; $75+ men, $50+ women

Doors at 10:30 pm; $30+ men, $20+ women

Viva! Latin Thursdays

Rosa d’Oro Fridays

Global Saturdays with Mr. Bob

Doors at 10 pm; $10 men, no cover for women

Closed

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GHOSTBAR

Doors at 8 pm; $20 men, $10 women

HAKKASAN

With DJ Crooked; doors at 10:30 pm; $40+ men, $30+ women

Tiësto

ARCHIVES

SONIC FLASHBACK

David Bowie with Nine Inch Nails // October 19, 1995 // Thomas & Mack Center BY DENNIS MITCHELL

44 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2015

“Subterraneans” from Bowie’s haunting Low album. Wearing a stylish trench coat, he walked out with NIN still onstage, starting a gradual changeover of musicians between the two bands, barely noticeable because of the smoke machines. The big moment proved well worth the wait. Bowie and Reznor traded vocals on each other’s songs—“Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps),” “Reptile” and newer Bowie song “Hallo Spaceboy,” as the moshing came to a stop with all eyes forward. The joint set ended with Reznor, Bowie and guitarists Carlos Alomar and Reeves Gabrels delivering a stunning “Hurt.” A smooth lyrical tradeoff evolved and intensified into a mesmerizing duet that proved to be the single most memorable moment of the evening. Bowie and his band followed with mostly newer material and none of his major hits, though he did include a few vintage album tracks and an encore of “Under Pressure.” Moshers moved away from the stage en masse as soon as the Bowie/Reznor set ended, as middle-aged Bowie fans shuffled down to take their spots—a sort of low-level reverse changing of the guard. Twenty years later, both artists are still with us, still producing new music. Since sequels almost always suck, it’s a good thing this impressive double bill remains a one-of-a-kind experience.

DAVID BOWIE BY BOB CHILD/AP; HI-FI REACTOR BY GREG THILMONT

The news of David Bowie and Nine Inch Nails touring on the same bill in 1995 was met with the kind of anticipation you’d expect, especially when word came that part of the show would involve them performing together. The concept represented the merging of a performer whose name had become synonymous with the ability to assume different personas, with a band that had become important by delivering its own brand of powerful drama, visually and aurally. It was a brave pairing of huge artists bridging two very different generations. I had also thought of it in terms of a changing of the guard, with Bowie having slowed the frequency of his tours while Nine Inch Nails’ popularity was still surging. Just as those transitions had taken many years, the concert at the Thomas & Mack had its own gradual evolution, with NIN taking the stage first. The openers blasted through a mini-retrospective of the first three records, as Trent Reznor pled, writhed and punched the air. As the show unfolded it was hard to imagine how Bowie would meld with the dark intensity of a fog-filled, strobe-flickering arena reverberating with “Closer.” I had only seen Bowie once before, at the 1983 US Festival with an exhausted audience of more than 100,000, so even a second-tier seat at the T&M was intimate by comparison. As NIN wrapped up its set, I couldn’t believe my ears as tones shifted to those of

Adrenaline Sports Bar & Grill might have appeared dim and quiet from the outside Sunday night, but inside it was filled with a prismatic spray of lights and a wash of resonating sound. Hi-Fi Reactor, a Las Vegas multimedia collective, set up for the fourth installment of its Second Sundays residency in the former Cheyenne Saloon, set off the corner of West Cheyenne and North Rancho. For 45 minutes or so, three musicians and a computer “geek” played behind a semitransparent screen, unleashing a nearly seamless stream of music and projected imagery. They’ve asked not to be named personally, as they are aiming for what they call an “ego-less” experience. For description’s sake, then, Hi-Fi Reactor comprises a guy playing crunchy electric guitar punctuated with some flamenco-like flourishes; a lady pounding on a traditional trap drum kit; a second dude rhythmically handslamming a bodiless congabongo travel rig; and the HI-FI aforementioned geek—their REACTOR term!—a guy running a couple Next shows: of laptops. On some evenings, October 11 & a fourth man adds spokenNovember word lyricism, but not during 8, 8 p.m., this particular show. Adrenaline Does this sound a bit Sports Bar & obscure and mysterious? Grill, 702-645- Well, the music dwells in 4139, face a realm not far from Trent book.com/hifi. Reznor’s soundtrack and reactor. vocal-less oeuvre. Tool is a good comparison point, too. Hi-Fi Reactor has a ’90s alterna-metal tinge with a dubstep undercurrent, yet still comes off as contemporary. It would be completely apropos at any Burning Man-influenced event. The video work is custom-made by Hi-Fi Reactor, which films some segments live, especially the nature scenes. Other parts are pure digital tableaux. The music is synced to the light show in the manner of an orchestral score. Cheesy fractal screensaver imagery is nowhere to be seen, in case you might be worried. Sunday was my first time seeing the ensemble, and I thought it was engaging and cinematic. It was serious music without being tedious. It is certainly not EDM, just to be clear. –Greg Thilmont

A&E | noise C O N C E RT

> She Never Promised You a Rose Garden Lana’s back.

15 questions about The Growlers (September 11, Vinyl)

A L B U M | A RT P O P

Unexceptional honeymoon

Lana Del Rey’s latest album fails to advance her musical legend

The growlers by Wayne Posner/Kabik Photo Group

The downside is that the second half of Honeymoon Lana Del Rey has more in common with Morrissey slides into monotony fast. Such dullness also infects than any of her other pop-music peers. Like Moz, she the album’s lyrics, which tend toward one-dimensional possesses a cult of personality that overshadows her depictions of cunning women, all-consuming eternal musical endeavors. And like the ex-Smiths leader, she’s romance and dramatic dalliances with bad decisions. both brutally candid and completely enigmatic, making Worse yet, the dominant imagery is recycled her a blank canvas onto which loyal fans can from other sources with no added wit (a lover project their own fantasies and desires. It’s a described as “cold as ice”; the phrase “nothing genius way to build a career, but it can just as gold can stay”)—but plenty of cinematic absureasily lead to clichéd music. dity (the Italy-set “Salvatore” and its repeated That’s the unfortunate takeaway from references to “soft ice cream”) and misguided fourth album Honeymoon, which Del Rey coedginess (the “Art Deco” lyric “Baby, you’re so produced and co-wrote with longtime collaboghetto/You’re looking to score”). rator Rick Nowels. Like her previous records, When Del Rey drops the stoic façade this one has no shortage of retro-chilled ’60s on fame-addled desert noir highlight “God pop delicacies—the string- and flute-swept Lana Del Rey Knows I Tried” (“I feel free when I see majesty of “Music to Watch Boys To,” the Honeymoon no one/And nobody knows my name”) or torchy, harmony-stacked title track, the hornaaacc exhibits vocal vulnerability on the trip-hop flared, Spanish-pop ballad “24”—merged with throwback “The Blackest Day” and the jazzy, modern touches like trap beats and dense, omiTori Amos-y “Terrence Loves You,” she hits the mark. nous electronic programming. As the leisurely seduction But overall Honeymoon doesn’t live up to its potenof “Freak” underscores, however, the album is more of a tial—or add anything revelatory to Del Rey’s mystique. slow burn than 2014’s Ultraviolence, with sparser instru–Annie Zaleski mentation, sleepier tempos and languid rhythms.

The Orange County psych-rock band kicked off its 31-show fall 2015 tour in Vegas, playing two shows to a fervent young audience, fond of throwing drinks and the occasional ladies’ undergarment. Does singer Brooks Nielsen have a lipstick kiss on his cheek? Nice bow tie, right? Does he remind you of Johnny Depp in Fear and Loathing, twisted but magnetic, romantic even? Who threw that tan Granny bra? They didn’t have a cuter one? Do you detect Dylan? The Doors? You hear Sublime?! What kind of music did the sextet listen to as teenagers? Speaking of teenagers, am I too old to be here? Can you believe the bar is so empty? Was that a fist fight or a moshpit? It wasn’t a moshpit? Where did the bow tie go? And more importantly, when are they coming back? –Kristy Totten

A L B UM | R OCK

A L B UM | E L EC T R O N I C

DAVID GILMOUR Rattle That Lock aaacc

Nero Between II Worlds aaacc

David Gilmour’s latest solo album emerges nearly a decade after its predecessor, but the roots of Rattle That Lock go back further. The piano intro on “A Boat Lies Waiting,” a remembrance of late Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright, was recorded almost 20 years ago, and you can hear Gilmour’s then-baby son, Gabriel in its background. Now 18, Gabriel contributes piano to “In Any Tongue,” one of the album’s most striking tracks. It’s one of several cuts showcasing the legendary Floyd guitarist’s signature clean tone and deliberate style. As an album, though, Rattle That Lock feels frustratingly uneven. Soaring instrumental “Beauty” seems stylistically out of place next to the smoky jazz of “The Girl in the Yellow Dress.,” and the musical segues and sounds he typically employs with Pink Floyd and in his solo work aren’t present here, leaving things a bit haphazard. There are good songs to be found, but they don’t sit well as a cohesive body of work. –Matt Wardlaw

Even if you’re not hanging out at EDM nightclubs or perusing Dancing Astronaut every day, chances are you’ve heard some of Nero’s biggest tunes. Whether stumbling upon “Into the Past” in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, witnessing Dr. Dre pitch paintballs to the sound of “Me & You” in a Beats ad or watching Nero collect a Grammy in 2013 for the Skrillex remix of “Promises,” the British trio has been in the air. Between II Worlds, which follows 2011 debut Welcome Reality, attempts to shed the incorrectly diagnosed “dubstep” stigma. Songs like deep-house tinged “Two Minds” and the industrial driven “Satisfy” could be the next tracks you find in clubs or commercials, while album opener “Circles” makes good with Alana Watson’s airy, reverbed vocals. This sound can make much of the album sound a bit too ethereal, as things get sleepy on “Into the Past (Reboot),” yet the mostly instrumental title track is lush and lovely. –Mike Pizzo

September 17–23, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com 45

A&E | the strip > THE WAYNER You can tour his museum but please don’t touch his monkey.

T H E K AT S R E P O RT

Wayne’s casa es su casa

A sitdown with Mr. Las Vegas as he opens his home to the public By John Katsilometes

46 LasVegasWeekly.com September 17-23, 2015

of course, never was built. Newton has made several thousand phone calls to servicemen and women overseas. This is not a revelation, as Newton’s dedication to the military is well-known. But once, on the fly, he fulfilled a request to call the wife of a good friend of mine who was seriously ill—just took down the number and called from the Red Room’s red phone. Newton does not golf. Why? “You’d never get me off the course,” he said during a party at the Frank Sinatra Celebrity Pro-Am in 1998, the year Sinatra passed away. Newton does not gamble. Who

has the time? But he is the rare entertainer to have held a gaming license, in the early 1980s when he held financial interest in the Aladdin. Newton would have made many more TV and film appearances but for … “The fact that they wanted me to depict Las Vegas or myself in some kind of unfair and negative way,” he says. “I have turned down many roles in movies and on TV—including series—for that reason.” Newton does not Tweet. Nor does he manage or use any of the social-media platforms under his name, or text, or carry a cell phone, or use a computer. At all. But he’s great fun at the counter.

photograph by christopher devargas

mansion, where Newton conducted We sat at the bar, Wayne Newton many of his one-on-one interviews and I—wait, no, we sat on the bar—at by a desk once owned by Franklin the entrance of Casa de Shenandoah Roosevelt; a gift shop across the street museum. And as we sat on that counfrom the ranch that houses a movie tertop, unable to find a pair of bartheater playing a 15-minute documenstools, Mr. Las Vegas said, “By now, tary of Newton’s life and career; and you probably know more about me an array of military mementos and than I do.” jacket from Newton’s service overThat’s a concept at once frightenseas as the USO’s Celebrity Circle ing and … possible. The Wayner and I Chairman. have conducted many interviews over This does not count the up-closethe years. During these sessions we’ve and-personal look at Newton’s many occupied Rolls-Royces on the Strip, Arabian horses, peacocks, Charlie the and motorboats on Flathead Lake penguin and, yes, Boo the monkey. and a golf cart at Shenandoah. We’ve It seems they have it all covered at summoned the horses, penguins and Wayne Newton’s Casa de Shenandoah, love birds (real love birds) for photo and maybe they do. I have yet to take shoots. We’ve hung with friends and the full tour, but there’s an off-chance family, singers and musicians, and there are some elements to Newton’s even a little monkey named Boo. life that have been missed. Let’s fill in This week, Newton opens Casa those blanks: de Shenandoah to the public, an attraction five years in development Wayne Newton is a bad driver. that was at the center of a volley This was a now-infamous of lawsuits between the revelation from a night Newtons (Wayne and his many years ago, specifically wife, Kathleen) and their New Year’s Eve 1999. During business partners, Texas Wayne a mad dash out of the sincebanking magnates Lacy Newton’s imploded Stardust hoteland Dorothy Harber and Casa de casino to make an interthe onetime manager of the Shenandoah view with Connie Chung, property, Steve Kennedy, Monday-Saturday, Newton crisscrossed who shared financial stake 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; $35through the property’s in the company CDS LLC. $95. 3310 E. Sunset In June 2013, the Newtons Road, 702-547-4811. west parking lot, made a left turn against one-way reached a financial settletraffic on Industrial Road, ment with the Harbers and and nearly sideswiped a limousine on moved to an estate two miles away on the Strip while cutting through three East Oquendo Road, but were lured lanes of traffic to reach the Bellagio, back in a new arrangement with the where Chung awaited. On the drive Harbers in which Mr. Las Vegas has back to the hotel, he stopped just assembled a lavish museum and tour inches from a 6-foot potted plant at on the 52-acre ranch. the VIP entrance. This would be the The museum tour, guided by last time I ever took the passenger’s Newton on video screens, features seat in a car driven by Wayne Newton. a series of Rolls-Royces previously owned by Johnny Cash, Steve The Echelon project helped cut McQueen, Liberace and Harrah’s short one of Newton’s runs on the founder Bill Harrah; a gold microStrip. Boyd Gaming chairman Bill phone Frank Sinatra gave to Newton Boyd told me a few years ago that back in the 1970s; the letter Elvis he and Newton agreed to cut short wrote from his Las Vegas Hilton suite Newton’s 10-year run at the Stardust that sparked the Newton song, “The because the casino company had Letter”; a Stradivarius owned by Jack committed to the multibillion-dollar Benny; the canoe ridden by Katharine resort on the Strip. “We made up our Hepburn and Henry Ford in “On mind that we were going to implode Golden Pond”; a set of costumes, [the Stardust] and build Echelon,” including a faded-purple, WesternBoyd said in 2009. A five-year buyout styled outfit made by Newton’s mothclause in the original contract was er, Evelyn Marie, when he was 4 years exercised in 2005, a year before the old; Newton’s famed Fokker F28 priStardust was knocked down. Echelon, vate jet; the Red Room in the main

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A&E | fine art

> coffee, coffee everywhere Adam Turl’s 13 Baristas presents canvases brushed with acrylics and real coffee grounds.

Messy hope

48 LasVegasWeekly.com September 17-23, 2015

famous 19th-century painting “The Wanderer Above the Mists” and combines it with a mod spaceship, producing a rich comic incongruity. In “BARISTA F WAS GOING TO BE A GREAT MAN,” the portrait of a guy in a baseball cap seems doubtful of his ability to attain his dream. The subtext of absurdity extends to Turl’s materials. The canvases have been brushed not only with acrylics, but also with coffee. All carry the collective’s signature, a stylized coffee cup with a Tàpies/Malevich cross in the middle.

Turl uses coffee the way other artists have used wax, or thread, or honey—as a way to tell a story. 13 Baristas is a tale about a fake arts collective, but also a narrative about activism, social realism, post postmodernism and art history. It’s a theatrical commentary about workers in society, a 3D graphic novel in which the viewer walks among the pages. Despite the doomed, political outcry of the 13 Baristas, their show is, finally, hopeful. Instead of the hammerand-sickle, Turl gives us hammerand-palette. It makes you think.

photographs by l.e. baskow

The creation of Adam Turl, 13 Baristas is a complex, immersive installation emitting competing signals. The backstory is explained in the “final issue” of 13 Baristas Art Collective, a tabloid distributed to Concrete messages from gallery goers. According to one artifictional artists cle, the artist-activists were arrested By Dawn-Michelle Baude or disappeared in order to silence their protests against injustices of class, economics, race and gender. The Brett Wesley Gallery is, All that’s left of the movement is a temporarily, a mess. Look at those studio full of artifacts documenting unsightly smears, the horribly stained the struggle, with a milky portrait mattresses, dirty curtains, garbage and of Malcolm X presiding from the coffee cups—countless Styrofoam cofcentral easel. fee cups. Twenty-eight robust The premise suits a dysblack and white paintings topian 2015, but Turl sets hang on the walls. A disorient- aaaac ing mix of anger and aggres- 13 BARISTAS his doomed arts collective decades in the future, in the sion, sadness and loss clobbers Through 2030s, when the plight of viewers when they cross the October 31; minimum wage, downwardly threshold. Crime scene? No Thursday & blood. The essence of life here Friday, noon-6 mobile workers has reached is coffee. The smell lingers in p.m.; Saturday, an ungovernable crisis. If he’d stopped there, the air; the grains grate under- noon-4 p.m. the installation with its slofoot; the used filters slough in Brett Wesley gan paintings would funcmessy piles on the floor, along Gallery, 702tion only as political-prowith dirty laundry and paint 483-8844. test art. Instead, not only cans. It looks like an artist-stusociety, but art itself, is the target. dio-cum-homeless-crash-pad, which Sly, jokey disclaimers abound. For is exactly what it is: the former home example, in a painting captioned base of a shadowy, fictional art collec“THE CERTAINTY OF MATH,” tive that lends its name to the exhibiTurl takes the sober figure from the tion, 13 Baristas.

A&E | stage

> laUGH DANCE Performers lap it up in the musical parody of Showgirls.

L I ST

Other awful movies we wish were musicals Waterworld Sea battles, giant props, floating communities all staged on water … what could possibly go wrong? Speed 2: Cruise Control Poor dialogue enhanced by explosives, lighting techniques and stunts—aka the perfect Vegas production. Ishtar Never mind ridiculous turns and a nonsensical plot; physical comedy and semi-hilarious lines beg for a live and unarmed audience.

REVIEW

Two wrongs

photograph by bill hughes

As a movie, Showgirls was appealingly bad, and the musical is ... By Jacob Coakley suit as Tony Moss. Costumes were excellent throughout, In an email promoting the new musical Showgirls at including a stupendous amount of wigs. The set captured the Onyx Theatre (a parody of the so-bad-it’s-good-orthe Vegas “classy”/tawdry energy of the show, and Heard maybe-it’s-just-really-bad NC-17 movie about strippers, transitioned well between various locales. showgirls and Vegas), director Troy Heard calls it “The But the jokes were mainly winks at the awfulness of the Most Important Theatrical Event in the History of Western source material—repeated elbow nudges reminding the Civilization.” Consider it the marketing version of Poe’s audience that anything this bad must be funny, right? And law, clearly delineating that you can’t take it seriously, and for a musical, there were surprisingly few peoturning irony into a shield: If you’re not enjoyple who could actually sing. Granted, everyone’s ing yourself you’re clearly not in on the joke, and vocal performance was hindered by a truly awful you’re asking for too much from a show that isn’t aabcc sound mix, but even so, far too many actors had meant to be taken seriously. SHOWGIRLS I take things seriously, even comedy. It’s not Through October problems staying on pitch, keeping rhythm and even supporting their voices. It didn’t help that that I don’t like to have fun or don’t understand 3; Thursdayall the numbers were parody versions of Prince irony. I just want the makers of a show to give Saturday, 8 songs, which can be demanding vocally. Even it the same respect—even in search of ridiculous p.m.; Sunday, 5 though they were arranged to be shorter, they felt comedy—that they’re asking of the audience. In p.m., $20. Onyx long, and the lyrics were largely just placeholdthis sense, Showgirls let me down repeatedly, Theatre, 702ers to repeat one joke in each song. (“Little Red never feeling more than a rushed, one-note joke. 732-7225. Corvette” into “Little Red Tampax” being the It wasn’t all bad. Kady Heard went all in for best, versus “I Will Pool Sex You” shoehorned into her portrayal of Nomi, the stripper with a heart “I Would Die for You.”) of crazy bitch who claws her way to the top of the Vegas Nomi never really becomes a star, and this show never showgirl world. She was supported by a strong cast, includreally rises above its hacky roots. Whether or not it matters ing Natalie Senecal as her infatuated quasi-lesbian roomseems to be a moot point. The night I saw it the rest of the mate Molly; Amanda Kraft chewing scenery (in a good audience seemed to agree with Heard’s email, reveling in a way) as diva queen Cristal; and Ross Horvitz sleezing his riotous party that I—despite being present for—definitely way through multiple roles. Stephen Sissoon was hilarious didn’t feel part of. in drag as Mama Bazoom and rocked a fabulous orange

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room would be swirling with Lucia Berlin’s A Manual for pages, like Safeway lot pigeons.” Cleaning Women is sure to be laudNever one to miss a beautiful ed as a model of short-story writpedestrian image, Berlin’s charing. Berlin’s skill in telling these acters draw connections to the witty, grease- and blood-smudged things they touch. Through her tales means they are great reads— colorful style in these semi-linked quick moments of suffering and stories, we come to know a cadre of weird shared joy. They draw personalities, but most important attention to the dark corners and is a cohesive semi-autobiographirusted-out cars where real life cal narrator. Sometimes she’s the happens in its ugly glory. bystander, observing others down Berlin worked in emergency on their luck, and sometimes rooms and did some time in rehab. she’s the hapless protagonist, the She fought and won a battle with mother unable to pull herself away alcoholism and worked as a cleanfrom a bottle to be with her ing woman, a teacher and a children. Each time Berlin professor before her death aaaac presents a view of humanin 2004. She was real peoA MANUAL ity and family that’s both ple, and so are her characFOR heart-warming and raw. ters. This posthumous colCLEANING Her stories take place lection, 43 of her previously WOMEN in California, Colorado published short stories, is By Lucia and Mexico, in schools, the world’s chance to see Berlin, $26. hospitals and dive shops. beauty in rusted ruins. Her characters often work A Manual for Cleaning jobs where they serve others, or Women reflects a masterful view are reliant on the help of others. of the world, a celebration of art in Whether she’s describing a young the ordinary. girl’s fish-out-of water experience Berlin’s stories are a delightin Catholic school or the time a ful tumble of brand names, fraggrandfather asks his granddaughments of foreign language and vister to pull all of his teeth at once, ceral images. Her characters see Berlin knows how to keep the the world in beautiful metaphors reader turning the page. These are drawn from real life. “Whenever stories you won’t forget, whether Ter read a book, rarely—” the narfor their haunting subject matter rator says in the title story, “he or the fact that Berlin can change would rip each page off and throw everything in an instant. This colit away. I would come home, to lection is a hell of a great read where the windows were always drawn from a hell of a hard life. open and broken and the whole

A&E | scene

Perfect spiral

The Rebels are 0-2 on the field, but they’re still undefeated in tailgating By Mark Adams

photographs by l.e. baskow

> PARTY TIME, excellent UNLV tailgates have ramped up to celebrate the “New Era.”

“Go UNLV!” a UCLA Bruins fan laughs as we stroll past his crew’s setup. “Are you ready to lose?” With the Rebels projected to fall by around 30 points, we simply raise our Bud Light cans and cheer. “Yeah, but we’re still going to party harder than you are!” And that’s when fans of the opposing team invite us over for Fireball shots. What?! That camaraderie might not be the norm for a UNLV tailgate, but the smack-talking definitely is. It’s easy to lob insults at one of the lowest-ranked programs in collegiate pigskin. But it never stops us Rebel fans from hauling our coolers and grills down for the game-day tradition outside Sam Boyd Stadium. And this year, under the direction of new coach Tony Sanchez, the party has been amped up. That’s obvious in the lead-up to the first home game, just west of the stadium on a grassy knoll once taken over by the UNLV Alumni Association’s pre-game bash. Now dubbed the Rebel Block Party, its name emblazoned on a giant inflatable arch, the space is a pre-party hub for all. Scarlet-and-gray fans dance to the music of Las Vegan Jeremy Cornwall, grub on food-truck treats from StripChezze, Roadrunner Grill and Smoke’N Sams BBQ and cheer the UNLV Star of Nevada Marching Band through a spirited performance of the “Win With the Rebels” fight song, emphatically shouting the “U-NL-V! Go! Fight! Win!” call. Children gleefully play in a giant bounce house, and adults throw their tightest spirals aiming for targets in an inflatable booth. These are all new elements to UNLV’s tailgate party, part of Sanchez’s “New Era” plan. The team itself is even involved, walking through the space before warmups to exchange high fives with fans. Meanwhile at Star Nursery Field, the tailgate I knew from my own UNLV days (which costs $10-$30 per person today) is still going strong. Rebel-branded flags wave in the wind as the smell and smoke of charcoal grills fill the air. Ping-pong balls fly into red Solo cups and bean bags into cornhole boards all around, and you can catch snippets of beer pong and Baggo banter as you walk down the grassy paths. The massive party is supervised by Metro’s mounted unit, which attracts lots of moms with their kids, the little ones hoping to pet the horses. The free tailgate on the opposite end, which requires no entry fee for vehicles, also feels vibrant with Rebel spirit, though given Sanchez’s new tailgate touches—plus a reversal of the policy requiring game tickets at the Star Nursery field gates—we could see migration by the fans parking south of the stadium. All in all, the scene has me pumped for the season, win-loss record be damned. Even those shot-sharing UCLA fans had some enthusiasm for our team: “You’ve got a good coach. We’re excited to see what happens in the next three or so years.” I know I’ll be there to find out. September 17–23, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com 51

FOOD & Drink > CULINARY CONVERGENCE SushiSamba’s crispy Hokkaido scallops are a fusion classic; (right) hamachi kama from the robata grill.

Bringing Brazil to Vegas Via Brasil hosts a parking-lot food and culture fest

Adam Gomes knows once you’re in the family restaurant biz, you never really get out. Born in Brooklyn, he worked in his family’s restaurants from the age of 13, and even though he studied BRAZILIAN and worked in graphic design, he never really got out. “When you start in that industry, you tend OUTDOOR to stick with it,” he says. FESTIVAL In 2008, he expanded his family’s business—which includes Churrascaria Plataforma in September 20, 4 Manhattan, considered tops among the country’s Brazilian steakhouses—by opening Via Brasil in p.m., $12. Via Brasil Las Vegas. This weekend, for the second time, Gomes brings another chunk of his family’s food Steakhouse, 1225 S. culture to town with the Brazilian Outdoor Festival. Live music and dancers, lots of food and a Fort Apache Road, carnival-style atmosphere will take over the steakhouse’s parking lot, at the southwest corner of 702-804-1400. Charleston and Rampart boulevards. “The focus is the celebration of Brazilian Independence Day on September 7, so in New York we have this huge party every Labor Day Weekend,” Gomes says. “It’s a million-plus people, with people coming from all over just for this one day. We wanted to bring a piece of that to Las Vegas.” Samba dancers, fire-breathers, stilt-walkers and capoeira performers (martial arts and acrobatics meets dance) will entertain while we feast on all the grilled goodness Via Brasil has to offer, and then some—off-menu street-food snacks like Brazilian kibbi will be available, too. The event benefits Opportunity Village, and there’ll be more entertainment inside the restaurant, which is open for dinner as usual starting at 3 p.m. The last festival, in 2013, attracted 4,000 people, so plan to come early. Las Vegas’ Brazilian community may not be as massive as New York City’s, but as Gomes says, “word travels fast.” –Brock Radke

52 LasVegasWeekly.com September 17-23, 2015

SushiSamba by Adam Shane; adam gomes by spencer burton

ICYMI

FUSION FUN

Vibrant Japanese creations are waiting to be discovered at SushiSamba BY BROCK RADKE

MON AMÍ

each). Tiny, crispy, raw fish tacos are favorite appetizers Nikkei is the combination of Japanese and everywhere, and these are as good as you’ll find. Peruvian cuisines, two styles of cooking and There are a handful of larger entrées, but you’ll eating that might appear to be disparate but get a better taste of the place if you dabble in smaller actually meld together beautifully. Nobu Matsuhisa plates. New menu highlights—and dishes you won’t is the essential designer of this hybrid, his signature find elsewhere—are the crispy egg ($24) with lay“Nobu style” born from his early years working and ers of phyllo, shiitake mushroom, living in Peru and Argentina after asparagus and truffle with kabocha completing his training as a classical gnocchi, and the inventive foie gras sushi chef. seviche ($28) with heirloom tomato In Las Vegas, there are two Nobu and potato crisps. Seviches and tirarestaurant locations, but there’s a ditos, raw seafood prepared with citdifferent restaurant that dives deeprus and other fresh, acidic dressings, er into this fusion and offers a more are a staple of Peruvian cuisine and broad array of nikkei-style dishes. SushiSamba’s menu. SushiSamba opened in 2008 in the But you don’t have to go raw. The upper corner of the Grand Canal robata section offers charcoal-grilled Shoppes at Palazzo. It serves hotel meats and vegetables, perfect to pair guests and conventioneers in the with Latin-anchored side dishes like same way Tao is the de facto sushi blissful purple potato mash, cocospot at Venetian—they’re the only nut rice and sweet plantains (all places to get Japanese food in the $7). Everything from filet mignon to towering twin resorts. whole squid comes off that grill. My But SushiSamba is much more pick is the perfectly charred hamachi than sushi, and two years ago it added SUSHISAMBA Palazzo, 702kama ($13), the unctuous, fantastic Maui native Joel Versola, a veteran 607-0700. Sunday-Wednesday, yellowtail collar. of the former Shintaro at Bellagio 11:30 am.-1 a.m.; ThursdayThese items are just the beginand both local Nobu restaurants at Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m. ning. SushiSamba also does tempura, the Hard Rock and Caesars Palace, “Nobu-style” classics like tuna tataki as executive chef. Just as the master ($16) and crispy rock shrimp in spicy mayo sauce Nobu learned and then demonstrated, this kitchen understands fusion is not about a freewheeling flavor ($18), full-on churrasco platters of grilled beef with rice, beans and greens on the side, and even a selecmashup; it’s about composing harmony with the right tion of A5-graded Japanese Wagyu. Versola and crew choices of ingredients and presentation. will plan a custom tasting menu for you, and they Familiar nigiri, sashimi and rolls are still available, but take advantage of SushiSamba’s more unique creations, recently introduced yuzu- and miso-infused freshly like the El Topo roll ($15), which adds melted mozza- grated wasabi to complement the already vivid flavors coming out of the kitchen. Funny that such rella and crispy onions on top of salmon, jalapeño and vibrant food exists in such a quiet location. If you shiso leaf. That’s a SushiSamba signature, as are crispy haven’t visited yet, you’re overdue. Hokkaido scallops ($7 each) and yellowtail taquitos ($6

BIG ERN’S IS MOVIN’ ON UP If you’ve ducked into Downtown Container Park’s friendly barbecue depot BIG ERN’S recently, you may have noticed some BBQ Container new food. Big Ern’s has fiery chicken-and- Park, 702-834sausage jambalaya and tender-crisp fried 7845. Sundayokra. There’s rich, hearty collard greens Thursday, with chunks of smoky pork and creamy, 11 a.m.-11 no-mayo potato salad, and the kitchen p.m.; Friday & has new-and-improved the gooiest mac Saturday, and cheese ever. 11 a.m.-1 a.m. > SAVORY SIDES Sampling Ern’s new collards, jambalaya and okra. Also with the new side dishes comes renewed focus on making the most of its smoked meats, from sweet pulled pork saturated with spicy sauce to meaty baby back ribs and some of the best brisket in the city. Ernie Loya, who started serving it up even before Container Park opened from a tent erected during construction, recently brought on veteran chef Ken Brown to upgrade the menu, and not just to keep Downtowners happy. Big Ern’s is expanding with a larger restaurant location at Fiesta Rancho, the northwest neighborhood casino. Set to open around October 1, the bigger Ern’s brings new challenges. With this food, Loya, Brown and company are ready to rock it. –Brock Radke

INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 oz. Absentroux (French wine-based aperitif) 2 oz. Mionetto Prosecco 2 oz. Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic Water Grapefruit slice, sprig of thyme (garnish)

METHOD Build drink over ice in a 14-ounce white wine glass. Stir and garnish with a grapefruit slice and a sprig of thyme. Serve.

You should be sipping this drink while sitting on a vine-covered terrace and dreamily gazing out onto the Mediterranean Sea, but since most of us will be drinking it in our living rooms, we can at least pretend. Absentroux is herbal and botanical, and when combined with the crisp bubbles of both Prosecco and tonic, it creates a cocktail that’s truly exceptional.

Cocktail created by Francesco Lafranconi, Executive Director of Mixology and Spirits Education at Southern Wine & Spirits.

SEPTEMBER 17–23, 2015 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM 53

A&E | Short Takes like a cross between Adventures in Babysitting and Boyz N the Hood. –JB Theaters: TC

Special screenings

Ex With Benefits (Not reviewed) Coleen Garcia, Derek Ramsay, Meg Imperial. Directed by Gino M. Santos. 102 minutes. Not rated. In Filipino with English subtitles. A woman continues seeing her ex-boyfriend even after they break up. Theaters: ORL

Alleluia! The Devil’s Carnival 9/22, movie screening plus filmmaker Q&A, live entertainment, 7 pm, $25-$69. Giordano Theatre, 3200 Las Vegas Blvd. S., thedevilscarnival.com. Lincoln Center at the Movies 9/24, broadcast of San Francisco Ballet performance of Romeo & Juliet, 7 pm, $16-$18. Theaters: COL, ORL, SF, SP, ST, VS. Info: fathomevents.com.

Fantastic Four AABCC Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell. Directed by Josh Trank. 100 minutes. Rated PG-13. Trank’s rebooted Fantastic Four stacks the deck in the wrong direction, spending far too much time getting things going and caring very little about these particular superheroes. This the fourth feature-film version in this franchise, counting a 1994 lowbudget mishap, and it just seems as if it’s doomed. –JMA Theaters: ST, TX

The Maze Runner Double Feature 9/17, The Maze Runner, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, 5:30 & 6 pm, $6-$11. Theaters: AL, FH, RP, SS, TS, TX Midnight Brewvies Mon, movie plus popcorn, midnight, free. Elixir, 2920 N. Green Valley Parkway, Henderson, 702-272-0000. Outdoor Picture Show Sat, dusk, free. 9/19, Paddington. The District at Green Valley Ranch, 2225 Village Walk Drive, Henderson, 702564-8595. Psycho 9/20, 9/23, film plus introduction from Turner Classic Movies, 2 & 7 pm, $5-$12.50. Theaters: COL, ORL, SF, SP, ST, VS. Info: fathomevents.com. The Reflektor Tapes 9/23, concert documentary featuring the Arcade Fire, 7 pm, $7-$10.50. Theaters: PAL Sci Fi Center Mon, Cinemondays, 8 pm, free. 9/19, The Devil’s Carnival with live shadow cast, 8 & 10 pm, $10. 5077 Arville St., 855-501-4335, thescificenter.com. Tuesday Afternoon at the Bijou Tue, 1 pm, free. 9/22, The Princess Comes Across. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, 702-507-3400.

New this week

> police protection Kate Mara in Captive.

Page 42. Theaters: AL, CAN, GVL, PAL, RR, SP, SS Grandma (Not reviewed) Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner, Marcia Gay Harden. Directed by Paul Weitz. 79 minutes. Rated R. A poet and her granddaughter spend a day trying to find the funds for the younger woman’s abortion. Theaters: BS, GVR, SC, SF, SP Katti Batti (Not reviewed) Kangana Ranaut, Imran Khan, Manasvi Mamgai. Directed by Nikhil Advani. 135 minutes. Not rated. In Hindi with English subtitles. A woman abruptly leaves her seemingly perfect relationship with her boyfriend after five years. Theaters: VS

Bhale Bhale Magadivoi (Not reviewed) Nani, Lavanya Tripathi, Murali Sharma. Directed by Maruthi Dasari. 140 minutes. Not rated. In Telugu with English subtitles. A scientist with short-term memory problems tries to impress the father of the woman he’s fallen in love with. Theaters: ST

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials aaccc Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster. Directed by Wes Ball. 131 minutes. Rated PG-13. See review Page 41. Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, COL, DI, FH, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TS, TX

Black Mass aaacc Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch. Directed by Scott Cooper. 122 minutes. Rated R. See review Page 41. Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, DI, DTS, FH, GVL, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS

Veteran (Not reviewed) Jeong-min Hwang, Ah In Yoo, Hae-jin Yoo. Directed by Seung-wan Ryoo. 124 minutes. Not rated. In Korean with English subtitles. A detective targets a young millionaire who runs a crime syndicate. Theaters: VS

Captive (Not reviewed) Kate Mara, David Oyelowo, Michael K. Williams. Directed by Jerry Jameson. 97 minutes. Rated PG-13. When a recovering drug addict is held hostage by an escaped convict, she uses an inspirational self-help book to reach out to him. Theaters: RR, SF, TS

Now playing

CT Fletcher: My Magnificent Obsession (Not reviewed) Directed by Vlad Yudin. Not rated. Documentary about bodybuilder and motivational speaker CT Fletcher. Theaters: PAL Everest aaacc Jason Clarke, Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur. 121 minutes. Rated PG-13. See review

90 Minutes in Heaven (Not reviewed) Kate Bosworth, Hayden Christensen, Hudson Meek. Directed by Michael Polish. 121 minutes. Rated PG-13. After a serious car accident, a man awakens claiming to have seen heaven. Theaters: BS, SC, SF American Ultra aabcc Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Topher Grace. Directed by Nima Nourizadeh. 96 minutes. Rated R. Small-town stoner Mike (Eisenberg) discovers that he’s the product of a secret CIA program that turned him into an ultimate weapon, and now assassins are after him and his girlfriend (Stewart). As Mike maims and kills

54 LasVegasWeekly.com September 17-23, 2015

more thugs in increasingly brutal ways, the low-key stoner comedy becomes an ugly, cynical bloodbath. –JB Theaters: COL, DTS, FH, ST, VS Ant-Man aaabc Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly. Directed by Peyton Reed. 117 minutes. Rated PG-13. Semi-reformed thief Scott Lang (Rudd) is recruited by scientist Hank Pym (Douglas) to steal a version of a size-changing suit from a greedy technocrat. Ant-Man plays things relatively safe, but it’s still a different sort of Marvel superhero movie, a looser, funnier and lower-stakes story than Marvel’s typical world-ending spectacles. –JB Theaters: BS, CH, COL, RP, RR, SS, TX Avengers: Age of Ultron aaabc Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth. Directed by Joss Whedon. 141 minutes. Rated PG-13. The Marvel superheroes (including Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and more) team up for their latest adventure, taking on evil robot Ultron. Writer-director Whedon manages to include an impressive amount of character development and clever dialogue, although eventually the action set pieces and cluttered plot steamroll over the drama. –JB Theaters: TC Cartel Land aaabc Directed by Matthew Heineman. 98 minutes. Rated R. Heineman’s documentary focuses on two very different vigilante groups fighting drug cartels on either side of the Mexican border. Heineman gets astonishingly close to heated gun battles, and he uses careful editing to show how both groups are ultimately almost as ruthless and menacing as the criminals they are up against. –JB Theaters: VS Dope aaabc Shameik Moore, Kiersey Clemons, Tony Revolori. Directed by Rick Famuyiwa. 105 minutes. Rated R. Geeky inner-city teenager Malcolm (Moore) has to fend off dangerous characters when he ends up with a backpack full of drugs meant for someone else. Writer-director Famuyiwa mixes winning comedic moments with serious, life-or-death situations, often at the same time,

The Gallows abccc Reese Mishler, Pfeifer Brown, Ryan Shoos. Directed by Chris Lofing and Travis Cluff. 80 minutes. Rated R. There’s nothing exciting or original about this found-footage horror movie, which puts a group of unpleasant teens at the mercy of a vengeful spirit in their high-school auditorium. The acting is subpar and awkward, the dialogue is full of clumsy exposition, and the scares are minimal. –JB Theaters: TC The Gift aaacc Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton. Directed by Joel Edgerton. 108 minutes. Rated R. Married couple Simon (Bateman) and Robyn (Hall) run into Gordo (Edgerton), a creepy loner from Simon’s past who appears way too eager to befriend the couple. Writer-director Edgerton subverts expectations with his stylish, elegant thriller, although he eventually succumbs to a cheap, sensationalistic twist ending. –JB Theaters: COL, DI, RR, SF, SS, ST, VS Hitman: Agent 47 (Not reviewed) Rupert Friend, Zachary Quinto, Hannah Ware. Directed by Aleksander Bach. 96 minutes. Rated R. A genetically engineered assassin targets the corporation that created him. Theaters: BS, COL, ORL, SC, SHO, SS, TX Inside Out aaabc Voices of Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind. Directed by Pete Docter. 94 minutes. Rated PG. Pixar’s latest animated feature takes place almost entirely inside the brain of an 11-year-old girl, focusing on the five core emotions—Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger—who control her behavior. It’s a funny movie with a remarkably wise message, but parents of pre-teen kids be warned: It will wreck you. –MD Theaters: COL, DI, RP, RR, TX Insidious: Chapter 3 aaccc Stefanie Scott, Lin Shaye, Dermot Mulroney. Directed by Leigh Whannell. 97 minutes. Rated PG-13. This horror prequel features none of the main characters of the previous Insidious movies, instead focusing on an earlier case handled by psychic Elise Rainier (Shaye). It’s an underwhelming, standard-issue ghost story, relying mostly on jump scares, without the sense of dread that made the original movie stand out. –JB Theaters: TC Jimmy’s Hall aaacc Barry Ward, Simone Kirby, Jim Norton. Directed by Ken Loach. 109 minutes.

Rated PG-13. Based on the life of Irish activist Jimmy Gralton (Ward), Jimmy’s Hall is a bit predictable and heavyhanded. But director Loach uses its somewhat broad conflict to tell a story about the bitter divide among the Irish people in the 1930s, and the actors bring nuance to their sometimes thinly drawn characters. –JB Theaters: VS Jurassic World aabcc Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins. Directed by Colin Trevorrow. 124 minutes. Rated PG-13. The fourth movie in the series about genetically engineered dinosaurs returns to the theme-park setting, with a new deadly dino wreaking havoc on the fully operational park. Two decades after the groundbreaking original, this sequel arrives as just another overstuffed, CGI-filled blockbuster about people running and yelling. –JB Theaters: CH, COL, DI, ORL, SC, ST, TX Learning to Drive aaacc Patricia Clarkson, Ben Kingsley, Grace Gummer. Directed by Isabel Coixet. 90 minutes. Rated R. Working again with Spanish-born director Coixet (Elegy), Kingsley and Clarkson are a Sikh cab driver and a New York book critic, respectively, who form a mismatched friendship. The movie’s cute and a little too pat, but it finds time to breathe life into its two characters, and the performances repay the effort. –JMA Theaters: DTS, GVR, ST, VS The Man From U.N.C.L.E. aabcc Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander. Directed by Guy Ritchie. 116 minutes. Rated PG-13. Based on the 1960s TV series of the same name (and set in that time period), U.N.C.L.E. features Cavill and Hammer as American and Soviet secret agents, respectively, forced to team up against a poorly defined threat. Director Ritchie throws buckets of style onto the screen but fails to generate an interesting plot. –JB Theaters: FH, GVR, RR, SC, TX Max abccc Josh Wiggins, Thomas Haden Church, Lauren Graham. Directed by Boaz Yakin. 111 minutes. Rated PG. This shamelessly manipulative family drama follows sullen teenager Justin (Wiggins) as he learns important life lessons while taking care of the military dog left behind by his late brother. The heavy-handed message is matched by the terrible dialogue, one-dimensional characters and sloppy third-act attempt at generating suspense. –JB Theaters: TC Meru aaacc Directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi. 87 minutes. Rated R. This documentary about three mountain climbers attempting to be the first to reach a dangerous Himalayan summit offers some amazing visuals but gets bogged down in a slow middle section. It doesn’t add anything new to the extreme-sports subgenre, but for audiences fascinated by mountain climbing, Meru is worth watching on a big screen. –JB Theaters: VS Minions aabcc Voices of Pierre Coffin, Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm. Directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda. 91 minutes. Rated PG. In the two animated Despicable Me movies, the little yellow pill-shaped creatures were reliable sources of pratfalls, pranks and puns, but given the task of carrying their own 90-minute feature, they quickly wear out their welcome. It’s just a series of silly set pieces barely held together by a halfformed plot. –JB Theaters: COL, SF, ST, TX, VS

A&E | Short Takes Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation aaabc Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie. 131 minutes. Rated PG-13. The fifth movie in the action series finds Cruise’s secret agent Ethan Hunt once again on the run after being disavowed by the very government he works for. While not the strongest in the remarkably consistent series, it’s still entertaining and exciting, an example of the best in blockbuster filmmaking. –JB Theaters: BS, CH, FH, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TX Mistress America aaaab Greta Gerwig, Lola Kirke, Matthew Shear. Directed by Noah Baumbach. 84 minutes. Rated R. Flighty and exuberantly friendly New Yorker Brooke (Gerwig) befriends her stepsister-to-be, college freshman Tracy (Kirke), and the two form a dysfunctional bond. Mistress America is a bubbly comedy filled with sharp, hilarious, quotable lines, but it also carries an undercurrent of sadness that makes it poignant and affecting. –JB Theaters: SC Mr. Holmes aaacc Ian McKellen, Laura Linney, Milo Parker. Directed by Bill Condon. 104 minutes. Rated PG. McKellen plays the retired 93-year-old Sherlock Holmes, who tools around his rural estate tending to the bees in his apiary and fighting against his failing memory. The tone is more contemplative than suspenseful, and the resolutions to the various mysteries rely on sentiment over deductive reasoning. –JB Theaters: SC No Escape abccc Owen Wilson, Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan. Directed by John Erick Dowdle. 103 minutes. Rated R. Wilson and Bell are miscast in serious roles as an American married couple who’ve just moved with their two young daughters to an unnamed country in Southeast Asia, hours before an armed coup begins. The action that follows is mostly laughable when it isn’t tedious or insulting. –JB Theaters: BS, CH, COL, DI, FH, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TX

San Andreas aaccc Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario. Directed by Brad Peyton. 114 minutes. Rated PG-13. Johnson plays a fire department rescue pilot who attempts to save his wife and daughter when a series of massive earthquakes strike California in this moronic, mushy, painfully predictable disaster movie. Its wholesale devastation of California is an impressive feat of special effects, but the destruction eventually becomes repetitive. –JB Theaters: TC

1983 original, replacing previous patriarch Clark (Chevy Chase) with his son Rusty (Helms), taking his family on a cross-country road trip. Relying heavily on nasty gross-out humor, it’s a series of belabored, poorly executed jokes, a sad re-creation of a once-beloved comedy franchise. –JB Theaters: COL, ORL, ST The Visit aaabc Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Deanna Dunagan. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. 94 minutes. Rated PG-13. Teenage siblings Becca (DeJonge) and Tyler (Oxenbould) start noticing strange things while visiting the grandparents they’ve never met before. Shyamalan brings impressive skill to the disreputable found-footage genre, effectively mixing comedy and scares and adding cinematic flair to the genre’s typically artless style. –JB Theaters: BS, CAN, CH, COL, DI, FH, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TX

Shaun the Sheep Movie (Not reviewed) Voices of Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Omid Djalili. Directed by Mark Burton and Richard Starzak. 85 minutes. Rated PG. Shaun the sheep must find his way home to his farm from the big city. Theaters: COL, VS Sinister 2 (Not reviewed) James Ransone, Shannyn Sossamon, Robert Daniel Sloan, Dartanian Sloan. Directed by Ciarán Foy. 97 minutes. Rated R. A single mother and her two sons move into a haunted house. Theaters: GVR, PAL, ST, TX Southpaw aabcc Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker, Oona Laurence. Directed by Antoine Fuqua. 123 minutes. Rated R. Former boxing champion Billy Hope (Gyllenhaal) attempts to mount a comeback in this contrived melodrama. The direction and the performances end up pounding the audience as hard as Billy in his early fights, and there isn’t much relief in his eventual drawn-out triumph. –JB Theaters: DI, DTS, ORL, ST, VS The Stanford Prison Experiment (Not reviewed) Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Tye Sheridan. Directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez. 122 minutes. Rated R. Drama based on the true story of a psychological experiment enlisting college students as prisoners and guards in a mock penitentiary. Theaters: TC

The Perfect Guy (Not reviewed) Sanaa Lathan, Michael Ealy, Morris Chestnut. Directed by David M. Rosenthal. 100 minutes. Rated PG-13. Leah (Lathan) discovers that her charming new boyfriend (Ealy) has a dark, dangerous side. Theaters: CAN, CH, DI, FH, GVL, GVR, ORL, PAL, SHO, RP, SF, SP, SS, ST, TX, VS

Straight Outta Compton aaacc O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell. Directed by F. Gary Gray. 146 minutes. Rated R. Seminal ’80s hip-hop group N.W.A. gets the musical-biopic treatment, with Ice Cube played by his dead-ringer son (though it’s Mitchell, as Eazy-E, who’s the potential breakout star). It’s fairly standard-issue, but the time is definitely right for a cathartic portrait of the group that sang “F*ck Tha Police.” –MD Theaters: BS, CAN, CH, FH, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TX

Pixels aaccc Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Josh Gad. Directed by Chris Columbus. 105 minutes. Rated PG-13. When aliens invade Earth with replicas of ’80s video-game characters, the president (James) calls on loser Sam (Sandler) and his fellow video-game nerds to save the day. Based on a 2010 short, Pixels is mostly genial and family-friendly, but also plodding and frequently boring, with listless performances and a moronic plot. –JB Theaters: CH, COL, DI, ORL, SF, ST, TX, VS

Ted 2 aaacc Mark Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried, voice of Seth MacFarlane. Directed by Seth MacFarlane. 115 minutes. Rated R. MacFarlane’s foul-mouthed teddy bear is back, struggling to overturn a legal decision that he’s not a person, with the help of thunder buddy Wahlberg and a bong-toting civil-rights attorney (Seyfried). Like the original, it’s very hit-and-miss, joke-wise, but the relaxed chemistry between the actors gives the gags an appealing context. –MD Theaters: TC

Ricki and the Flash aabcc Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Mamie Gummer. Directed by Jonathan Demme. 101 minutes. Rated PG-13. The title character (Streep) is a onetime suburban wife and mother who ditched her family to follow her rock ’n’ roll dreams in LA. Those dreams never came true, and now she’s attempting to reconnect with her grown kids in this awkwardly paced story, with weak comedy and weaker drama. –JB Theaters: COL, SC

Terminator Genisys aabcc Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney. Directed by Alan Taylor. 126 minutes. Rated PG-13. The fifth movie in the series about the battle between humans and machines for control of the future rewrites events of the first, but fails when it comes to creating its own story. With a convoluted plot that’s full of holes, Genisys often feels like a glorified piece of fan fiction. –JB Theaters: ST, TC

> grumpy old woman Lily Tomlin as the title character in Grandma.

Trainwreck aabcc Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson. Directed by Judd Apatow. 125 minutes. Rated R. Comedy Central star Schumer wrote the latest film directed by Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, This Is 40), and also plays the lead, a commitment-phobic journalist who falls for a surgeon (Hader) she’s profiling. It’s a perfectly ordinary rom-com that merely swaps the genre’s standard gender clichés. –MD Theaters: DTS, GVR, SC The Transporter Refueled (Not reviewed) Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol, Ray Stevenson. Directed by Camille Delamarre. 96 minutes. Rated PG-13. Former mercenary and current specialops driver Frank Martin faces off against

Theaters (AL) Regal Aliante 7300 Aliante Parkway, North Las Vegas, 702-221-2283 (BS) Regal Boulder Station 4111 Boulder Highway, 702-221-2283 (PAL) Brenden Theatres at the Palms 4321 W. Flamingo Road, 702-507-4849 (CAN) Galaxy Cannery 2121 E. Craig Road, North Las Vegas, 702-639-9779 (CH) Cinedome Henderson 851 S. Boulder Highway, Henderson, 702-566-1570 (COL) Regal Colonnade 8880 S. Eastern Ave., 702-221-2283 (DI) Las Vegas Drive-In 4150 W. Carey Ave., North Las Vegas, 702-646-3565 (DTS) Regal Downtown

a group of criminals out for revenge. Theaters: CH, FH, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TX, VS Un Gallo Con Muchos Huevos (Not reviewed) Voices of Bruno Bichir, Carlos Espejel, Angélica Vale. Directed by Gabriel Riva Palacio Alatriste. 99 minutes. Rated PG-13. In Spanish with English subtitles. A young, timid rooster must stand up to an evil rancher who threatens his family. Theaters: BS, CAN, ORL, SC, TX Vacation aaccc Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Skyler Gisondo. Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein. 99 minutes. Rated R. This franchise sequel/reboot recycles the plot of the

Summerlin 2070 Park Center Drive, 702-221-2283 (FH) Regal Fiesta Henderson 777 W. Lake Mead Parkway, Henderson, 702-221-2283 (GVR) Regal Green Valley Ranch 2300 Paseo Verde Parkway, Henderson, 702-221-2283

A Walk in the Woods aabcc Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, Emma Thompson. Directed by Ken Kwapis. 104 minutes. Rated R. Redford and Nolte attempt to hike the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail in this adaptation of Bill Bryson’s bestselling 1998 memoir. Bryson was only 44 at the time, however, whereas Redford is 79 (and Nolte 74); consequently, the movie version has a distinct grumpy-old-men vibe. –MD Theaters: BS, CH, FH, GVR, ORL, PAL, RR, SC, SF, SP War Room (Not reviewed) Priscilla Shirer, T.C. Stallings, Karen Abercrombie. Directed by Alex Kendrick. 120 minutes. Rated PG. A couple turns to prayer to save their troubled marriage. Theaters: FH, RR, SF, SP, ST, TX, VS Welcome Back (Not reviewed) Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Paresh Rawal. Directed by Anees Bazmee. 152 minutes. Not rated. In Hindi with English subtitles. A man falls in love with a beautiful woman, unaware that her brothers are powerful criminals. Theaters: VS JMA Jeffrey M. Anderson; JB Josh Bell; MD Mike D’Angelo

(SF) Century Santa Fe Station 4949 N. Rancho Drive, 702-655-8178 (SHO) United Artists Showcase 3769 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-221-2283 (SP) Century South Point 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-260-4061 (SC) Century Suncoast 9090 Alta Drive, 702-869-1880

(GVL) Galaxy Green Valley Luxury+ 4500 E. Sunset Road, Henderson, 702442-0244 (ORL) Century Orleans 4500 W. Tropicana Ave., 702-889-1220

(SS) Regal Sunset Station 1301-A W. Sunset Road, Henderson, 702-221-2283 (TX) Regal Texas Station 2101 Texas Star Lane, North Las Vegas, 702-221-2283

(RP) AMC Rainbow Promenade 2321 N. Rainbow Blvd., 888-262-4386

(TS) AMC Town Square 6587 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-362-7283

(RR) Regal Red Rock 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., 702-221-2283

(TC) Regency Tropicana Cinemas 3330 E. Tropicana Ave., 702-438-3456

(ST) Century Sam’s Town 5111 Boulder Highway, 702-547-1732

(VS) Regal Village Square 9400 W. Sahara Ave., 702-221-2283

For complete movie times, visit lasvegasweekly.com/movies/listings. September 17–23, 2015 LasVegasWeekly.com 55

Calendar LISTINGS YOU CAN PLAN YOUR LIFE BY!

> MEW MAN GROUP Bjerre (center) and the Danish rockers play the Sayers Club Saturday.

THREE QUESTIONS WITH MEW VOCALIST JONAS BJERRE It’s been about six years since you toured the States. Why such a long break? It was a break from everything, really. The last tour we did took us to Southeast Asia and places like that, and we were a little bit spent. We used to live together, too, so it was just full-on band. … [Then] we played South by Southwest this year, and it was such a great experience, it really made us feel like coming back. You guys are obviously talented

LIVE MUSIC T H E ST R I P & N E A R BY Brooklyn Bowl Ms. Lauryn Hill 9/18, 9 pm, $55-$115. Lettuce, Vibe Street 9/23, 9 pm, $20. Mike Love 10/2, 9 pm, $10-$15. Nashville Unplugged 10/3, 9:30 pm, $25-$50. Hiatus Kaiyote 10/5, 9 pm, $20-$35. The Word, Amy Helm & The Handsome Strangers 10/6, 8 pm, $20-$30. Dark Star Orchestra 10/8, 8 pm, $25-$28. My Morning Jacket, Strand of Oaks 10/9-10/10, 9 pm, $50. Blues Traveler, Matt Jaffe 10/22, 8 pm, $28-$33. Pepper, Ballyhoo! 10/24, 8:30 pm, $25-$27. Deftones 10/27, 8 pm, $27$42. Rusted Root, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Moksha 10/29, 8 pm, $27-$32. Trey Anastasio Band 10/30-10/31, 9 pm, $43-$50. Linq, 702-862-2695. The Colosseum Celine Dion 9/299/30, 10/2-10/3, 10/6-10/7, 10/9-10/10, $55-$250, 7:30 pm. Elton John 10/1310/14, 10/16, 6:30 pm, $55-$500. Reba, Brooks & Dunn 12/2, 12/4, 12/6, 12/9, $60-$205. Mariah Carey 2/2, 2/5-2/6,

musicians, but unlike some other Mew has been a band for more progressive-rock bands, your than 20 years. What’s left to music remains accessible. How accomplish musically? I think it’s do you keep from overindulging about trying to make the most on the technical side? natural album you We obviously enjoy can, where it just feels MEW with some prog-rock, but completely unhindered. The Dodos. I don’t like when it The really magical September 19, becomes too virtuoso, moments are the ones 9 p.m., $13. The when it’s like, “Hear how where you don’t have Sayers Club, many notes I can play in any idea where they 702- 761-7618. a minute.” That doesn’t come from—you just really connect with me; grab it out of the air. If that just becomes showing off, we could make an entire album and we’re not interested in that at like that, that would be the goal. all. We’re interested in conveying –Chris Bitonti ideas, figuring out new ways of writing and expressing something For more of our interview with that’s important to us. Bjerre, visit lasvegasweekly.com. The Bunkhouse Series at the Sayers Club at SLS is sponsored by Southern Wine & Spirits, Live Nation, Downtown Container Park and Greenspun Media Group.

2/10, 2/13-2/14, 2/17, 2/19-2/20. 8 pm, $55-$250. Rod Stewart 3/19-3/20, 3/23, 3/25-3/26, 3/29, 4/1-4/2, 4/5, 7:30 pm, $49-$250. Caesars Palace, 702731-7333. The Cosmopolitan (Boulevard Pool) Damian Marley, Stephen Marley, Morgan Heritage, Tarrus Riley 9/24, 8 pm, $43. Asian Moon Festival ft. Edison Chen, Love Cubic 9/26, 9 pm, $68. Flogging Molly, Sean Wheeler & Zander Schloss 10/2, 8 pm, $40. Counting Crows, Citizen Cope 10/3, 7:30 pm, $55. Garbage, Torres 10/10, 8 pm, $40. Father John Misty, Mikal Cronin 10/15, 8 pm, $23. The Neighborhood, Bad Suns, Hunny 10/30, 8 pm, $25. (Chelsea) Neil Young & Promise of the Real 10/11, 6:30 pm, $65. Sam Hunt, Carter Winter 12/4, 8 pm, $30. 702-6987000. Double Down Ossum Possum, Firewater Folklore, Lawn Mower Death Riders, Sissy Brown 9/18, 10 pm. Geezus Cryst & Free Beer, Stagnett’s Cock, Swamp Pussy, Sector 7-G 9/19, 10 pm. The Blooze Bros., No Cigar, Gold Top Bob 9/20,

10 pm. Bargain DJ Collective Mon. Unique Massive Tue, midnight. The Juju Man Wed, midnight. Shows 10 pm, free unless noted. 640 Paradise Road, 702-791-5775. Flamingo Olivia Newton-John 10/2710/31, 11/17-11/21, 7:30 pm, $69-$139. Donny & Marie 9/29-10/3, 10/6-10/10, 10/14-10/17, 10/20-10/24, 11/3-11/7. 11/10-11/14, 7:30 pm, $105-$237. 702733-3333. Gilley’s Austin Law 9/17, 9 pm; 9/189/19, 10 pm. Brian Lynn Jones Band 9/25-9/26 10 pm; 9/24, 9 pm. Shows $10-$20 after 10 pm unless noted. Treasure Island, 702-894-7722. Hard Rock Hotel Pool Blue October 9/18, 9:30 pm, $30. Live, Elvis Monroe 10/2, 9 pm, $35. 702-6935000. Hard Rock Live Tremonti, Trivium 10/11, 6:30 pm, $25. Skinny Puppy, Youth Code 10/30, 8 pm, $29. Mayday Parade, Real Friends, This Wild Life, As It Is 11/15, 5:30 pm, $26. Hard Rock Cafe (Strip), 702-733-7625. House of Blues Carlos Santana 9/189/20, 9/23, 9/25-9/27, 11/4, 11/6-11/8, 11/11, 11/13-11/15, $90-$350, 8 pm. Hair

Nation 9/24, 7 pm, $12. Hemlock 10/2, 6 pm, $10-$13. The Tragically Hip 10/3, 7:30 pm, $43-$55. Halestorm 10/17, $30. Seether 10/20, 6:30 pm, $33-$43. Korn 10/23, 7:30 pm, $50. The Adicts 10/30, $17-$20, 6:30 pm. Ghost 10/31, $25. . Mandalay Bay, 702632-7600. The Joint Joan Jett and the Blackhearts 9/18, 8 pm, $40-$150. Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach, In This Moment, From Ashes to New 9/19, 6:15 pm, $50-$125. Safe in Sound Festival ft. Bro Safari, Datsik, Zomboy 10/1, 8 pm, $36-$46. Scorpions, Queensrÿche 10/7, 8 pm, $60-$250. UB40, Ali Campbell, Astro, Mickey Virtue 10/16, $40-$55. Shinedown, Breaking Benjamin, Nothing More 10/22, 7 pm, $40-$175. J Balvin, Becky G 10/24, 8 pm, $60$200. Rick Springfield, Loverboy, Avalon Landing 10/25, 8 pm, $40$175. Hard Rock Hotel, 702-693-5222. Mandalay Bay (Events Center) BIGBANG 10/2, 8 pm, $75-$239. Roberto Carlos 11/20, 8 pm, $100$175. Maroon 5 12/30-12/31, 8 pm, $100-$225. (Beach) O.A.R. 9/18, 9 pm, $36. Lost ’80s Live ft. ABC, Wang Chung, Naked Eyes & more. 9/26, $35. 702-632-7777. MGM Grand (Garden Arena) iHeartRadio Festival ft. Kanye West, Sam Smith & more 9/18-9/19, 7:15 pm, $161-$528. Madonna 10/24, 8 pm, $43-$383. Latin Grammy Awards 11/19, 8 pm, $125-$500. Andrea Bocelli 12/5, 8 pm, $78-$403. Mötley Crüe 12/27, 7 pm, $25-$150. 702-8917777. Orleans (Showroom) The Temptations 9/19-9/20, 8 pm, $40. Jamey Johnson 10/10-10/11, 8 pm, $44-$66. Bret Michaels 11/21-11/22, 8 p, $66-$94. (Bourbon Street Lounge) NiteKings 9/23, 9/30, 4 pm, free. Jukebox Heroes 9/17-9/19. 9 pm, free. Chyna 9/24-9/26, 9 pm, free. (Brendan’s Irish Pub) Killian’s Angels 9/18-9/19, 9 pm, free. Dollface 9/25-9/26, 9 pm, free. 702-365-7075. Palace Station (Jack’s Irish Pub) Forget to Remember Fri & Sat, 9 pm, free. 702-547-5300. The Pearl Oliver Dragojevic w/UNLV Symphony Orchestra 9/26, 8 pm, $69+. Gregg Allman 10/9, 8 pm, $39. Judas Priest, Mastodon 10/17, 8 pm, $73+. Godsmack, Red Sun Rising 11/14, 8 pm, $53-$93. Puscifer 12/12, 8 pm, $43-$103. Palms, 702-942-7777. Planet Hollywood Britney Spears 10/14, 10/16-10/17, 10/21, 10/23-10/24, 10/28, $60-$195. Janet Jackson 10/10, 8 pm, $68-$198. 702-234-7469. Rí Rá The American Diddle Idols 9/17, 9 pm, free entry. Mandalay Place, 702-632-7771. Route 91 Harvest Festival ft. Florida Georgia Line, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw & more. 10/2-10/4, $199. MGM Resorts Village, rt91harvest. com. The Sayers Club Mew, The Dodos 9/19, 9 pm, $13. Saul Williams 9/21, 8 pm, $20-$25. Legendary Shack Shakers 9/21. Lovesick Radio 9/30, 10 pm, $10 (locals free). The Mynabirds 10/7, 9 pm, $10-$12. Almost Normal 10/14, 10 pm, $10 (locals free). Doomtree, Astronautalis 10/18. Crash Kit 10/21, 10 pm, $10 (locals free). The Dirty Panties 10/28, 10 pm, $10 (locals free). Eliza Battle 11/4, 10 pm, $10 (locals free). Deerhoof, Cy Dune, The Anti-Job 11/5, 9 pm, $12-$15. In the

CHECK OUT OUR COMPLETE CALENDAR LISTINGS AT LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM/EVENTS 56 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2015

Valley Below 11/13, 9 pm, $12-$14. The Polyphonic Spree 11/18, 9 pm, $25-$27. The Solid Suns 11/25, 10 pm, $10 (locals free). Buckin Fridays Fri, 10 pm, $10. SLS, 702-761-7618. Tuscany Danny Lozada Sun & Thu 10 pm, free. Kenny Davidsen Celebrity Piano Bar Fri, 10 pm, free. Live music Sat, 10 pm., free. 255 E. Flamingo Road, 702-893-8933. Vinyl Rusty Maples, Brumby, The National Parks 9/18, 8 pm, free. Blue October 9/19, 9 pm, $30-$45. Todd Snider 9/20, 9 pm, $26-$45. Viva Ska Vegas ft. Hub City Stompers, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Interupters & more 11/7, 5 pm. The Set List: Thriller 10/8, 11 pm, $25-$35. Get the Led Out 10/9, 9 pm, $25-$45. ZZ Ward 10/14, 8 pm, $25-$45. New Kingston 10/18, 8 pm, $12-$20. The Sword, Kadavar, All Them Witches 10/21, 8 pm, $20-$35. The Internet 10/23, 9 pm, $15-$35. Be Like Max 10/24, 7 pm, $20-$35. Corrosion of Conformity 10/25, 8 pm, $17-$35. Hard Rock Hotel, 702693-5000. Wine Amplified Festival ft. Panic! at the Disco, 50 Cent & G-Unit & more 10/9-10/10, $59-$249. Las Vegas Village, wineamplified.com. Wynn (Eastside Lounge) Michael Monge Wed & Thu, 9 pm, $10. 702770-7000.

D OW N TOW N Artifice Insect Surfers, Thee Swank Bastards, The New Waves 9/27, 9 pm, $5. Vegas Jazz Tue, 7 pm, $15. Thursday Request Live First Thu, 10 pm, free. 1025 S. 1st St., Ste. 100., 702-489-6339. Backstage Bar & Billiards Nations, Amarionette, Distinguisher, Words From Aztecs, First Class Trash 9/19, 8 pm, $7-$10. Murs, Red Pill, King Fantastic 10/1, 8 pm, $15-$18. Marty Friedman 10/2, 8 pm, $20$25. Conflict, Total Chaos, Hard Pipe Hitters, Brutal Resistance, D.I. 10/8, 7 pm, $20. My Life WIth the Thrill Kill Kult, Candy Warpop, EMDF, Midnight Feature 10/9, 8 pm, $15-$20. Wanda Jackson, Delta Bombers, The Yawpers, DJ Lucky La Rue, Catman Eddy Bear & The Cubs 10/31, 8 pm, $20. Tankcsapda 11/6, 8 pm, $35. 601 E. Fremont St., 702-382-2227. Beauty Bar Black Pussy, Ape Machine 9/17, 9 pm. Holes and Hearts, Misty Day Band 9/18, 9 pm. Everlast 9/19, 9 pm. Lord of Metal, Wrvth 9/24, 9 pm, free. Shannon & The Clams, Cool Ghouls 9/27, 9 pm. Crizzly 9/29, 9 pm, $10. JT Woodruff 10/1, 9 pm, $8. The Decline, War Called Home, In Theatres Friday 10/3, midnight. Gardens & Villa, James Supercave 10/8, 9 pm, $8. Cash’d Out 10/9, 9 pm, $10. Riverboat Gamblers 10/11, 9 pm, $10. Joey Cape, Walt Hamburger, Laura Mardon 10/13, 9 pm, $10. Swingin Utters, The Bombpops, Success 11/17, 9 pm, $12. The Rocket Summer 11/20, 9 pm, $12. Nikki Lane 12/3, 8 pm. Everlast 12/5, 9 pm, $18. 517 Fremont St., 702-598-3757. Downtown Container Park Daniel Park 9/18, 9 pm. Tyler Ward 9/18, 10 pm. Cameron Calloway 9/19, 7 pm. Avalon Landing 9/19, 9 pm. Life is Beautlful Emerging Artists Showcase 9/25-9/27, 8 pm. 707 Fremont St, downtowncontainerpark. com.

CALENDAR

TO SUBMIT LISTINGS: Email listings@gmgvegas.com. Submissions received after Friday will be published in the following week’s issue.

Downtown Las Vegas Events Center Daughtry 10/17, $35. All Time Low, Sleeping with Sirens, One OK Rock, Neck Deep 10/24, 6 pm. Rise Against, Killswitch Engage, Letlive 11/21, 8 pm, $40-$80. 200 S. 3rd Street, dlvec. com. Griffin Together Pangea, White Reaper, Leather Lungs, DJ Fish 10/31, 9 pm, free. Live music Wed, 10 pm, free. 511 Fremont St., 702-3820577. Hard Hat Lounge The Funk Jam Wed, 10:30 pm, free. Florescent Flames Second Sat, 9 pm, free. Foundation Factory Fourth Sat, 8 pm, free. 1675 Industrial Road, 702-384-8987. Life Is Beautiful Festival ft. Stevie Wonder, Imagine Dragons, Kendrick Lamar & more. 9/25-9/27, 2 pm, $255. Downtown, lifeisbeautiful.com. Life is Sh*t ft. Illicitor, Leather Lungs, Dangerboner, The WIld Lungs, Shovel, The Astaires, Sampy Pussy, Blood Dumpster, Headwinds, Toxic Dump, Darby O’Gill Trio, No Tides 9/25, 5 pm, $5. Dive Bar, 702-5863483. LVCS Krisiun, Origin Aeon, Alterbeast, Soreption, Ingested 9/17, 8 pm, $17$20. Sadistik, Sapient, Ceschi, Early Adopted, Graves 10/4, 9 pm, $7-$10. 425 Fremont St., 702-382-3531. The Smith Center (Reynolds Hall) Paul Anka 9/18, 7:30 pm, $29-$149. Kenny Loggins 11/10, 6:30 pm, $39$179. The Tenors 2/20, 7:30 pm, $24$95. (Cabaret Jazz) Mark O’Toole 10/2, 7 pm, $39-$49. Ann Hampton Callaway 10/3, 3 & 7 pm, $39-$59. Clint Holmes 10/9-10/10, 11/6-11/7, 12/3-12/5 8:30 pm; 10/11, 11/8, 12/6 2 pm; $37-$46. Goapele 10/15-10/16, 7 pm, $29-$69. Lon Bronson All-Star Band 10/17, 7 & 10 pm, $20-$35. George Bugatti & Vincent Falcone 10/19, 7:30 pm, $39-$45. Jane Monheit, Jim Caruso & Billy Stritch 10/23, 7 pm; 10/24, 6 & 8:30 pm; $39$65. Glenn Williams: Remembering Robert (Goulet) 10/25, 2 pm, $25. Reckless in Vegas 10/30, 8 pm, $35$45. 361 Symphony Park Ave., 702749-2000.

THE ’BURBS Cannery Tal Pearsall Thru 9/26, Wed & Thu, 8:30 pm, free. The Beach Boys 9/19, 8 pm, $33. Luggnutt 9/30-10/17, Wed & Thu, 8:30 pm, free. 2121 E. Craig Road, 702-507-5700. Eagle Aerie Hall Secrets, A Friend a Foe, From Where We Came, I Am of Terra 11/3, 5:30 pm, $12-$15. 310 W. Pacific Ave., 702-645-4139. Green Valley Ranch (Hanks) Dave Ritz Tue, Thu, 6 pm; Sat, 7 pm. Rick Duarte Wed, 6 pm. Nick Mattera Fri, 6 pm; Sat, 7 pm. Shows free unless noted. 702-367-2470. Rampart Casino (Addison’s Lounge) Wes Winters Tue, 6 pm. Mark O’Toole Wed, 6 pm. Shows free unless noted. JW Marriott, 221 N. Rampart Blvd., 702-507-5900. Red Rock (Rocks Lounge) Fleetwood Nicks 10/9, 7:30 pm, $15. Zowie Bowie Fri, 10 pm. The Dirty Sat, 11 pm, $10. David Perrico Pop Strings Orchestra Sat, 11 pm, free. (Onyx) Jared Berry Fri & Sat, 9 pm. The Dirty Sat. 11 pm, $10. (T-Bones) Dave Ritz Wed, 6 pm; Fri, 7 pm. Rick Duarte Thu, 6 pm; Sat, 7 pm. Shows free unless noted. 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., 702-797-7777. Santa Fe Station (Revolver) Bro Country Thu, 8 pm. (4949 Lounge) Jared Berry Thu, 7 pm, free. 4949 N Rancho Drive, 702-658-4900. Sienna Italian Authentic Trattoria Vegas Good Fellas Thu, 7:30 pm. Red Velvet Fri & Sat, 8:30 pm. 9500 Sahara Ave., 702-360-3358. Silverton (Veil Pavilion) The Fabulous

Thunderbirds ft. Kim Wilson 10/10, 8 pm, $29. 3333 Blue Diamond Road, 702-263-7777. South Point Joey Diaz 9/18-9/20, 7:30 pm, $15-$25. Frankie Avalon 9/25-9/27, 7:30 pm, $45-$55. Winter Dance Party 10/2-10/4, 7:30 pm, $20+. Tower of Power 10/16-10/18, 7:30 pm, $45-$55. Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers 10/23-10/25, 7:30 pm, $45$55. The Lettermen 10/30-11/1, 7:30 pm, $25-$35. Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns Mon, 10:30 pm, $5-$10. Dennis Bono Show Thu, 2 pm, free. Wes Winters Fri & Sat, 6 pm, free. Spazmatics Sat, 10:30 pm, $5. 702797-8005. Suncoast Sonny Turner 9/19, 7:30 pm, $16. 9090 Alta Drive, 702-636-7075. Sunset Station (Club Madrid) Yellow Brick Road Fri, 9:30 pm. Zowie Bowie Sat, 10 pm. (Gaudi Bar) Ryan Whyte Maloney, Cali Tucker Fri, Sat, 7 pm. Willplay Sat, 7 pm. (Rosalita’s) Tony Venniro Fri, 7 pm. Peter Love Sat, 7 pm. (Sunset Amphitheater) George Thorogood & The Destroyers 9/19, 8 pm, $24-$60. 1301 W. Sunset Road, 702-547-7777. Texas Station (A-Bar) Darrin Michaels Fri & Sat, 7 pm. (South Padre) VooDoo Band Fri, 9 pm. Yellow Brick Road Sat, 9 pm. 702-631-1000.

E V E RY W H E R E E L S E Boomers Live music Wed, 10 pm, $5-$10. 3200 Sirius Ave., 702-3681863. Boulder Dam Brewing Marty Feick 9/18. Sissy Brown 9/19. Sean Mullaney 9/25. Scorched 9/26. Thu, 7 pm; Fri & Sat, 8 pm. Shows free unless noted. 453 Nevada Way, Boulder City, 702-243-2739. Boulder Station (Kixx Bar) Reflection Fri & Sat, 8 pm. 702-432-7777. Count’s Vamp’d Super Troup, Brazen 9/17, 9:30 pm. Sin City Sinners w/ Eddie Ojeda 9/18, 10 pm, free. Tinnitus, Not Nirvana 9/19, 10 pm, free. John Zito Electric Jam 9/23, 9 pm, free. Reservoir Dogs 9/24, 9:30 pm, free. Count’s 77, The Bones 9/25, 9:30 pm, free. Lynch Mob 9/26, 9 pm, $15. 6750 W. Sahara, 702-2208849. Dispensary Lounge Uli Geissendoerfer Trio Fri & Sat, 10 pm. 2451 E. Tropicana, 702-458-6343. Dive Bar The Goddamn Gallows, The Scoundrels, The Sawyer Family, Eliza Battle 10/17, 9 pm, $8-$10. D.R.I. 10/28, $20-$22. One Eyed Doll 10/30, 9 pm, $10-$12. 4110 S. Maryland Parkway., 702-586-3483. Eastside Cannery (Marilyn’s Lounge) Claudine Castro Band Mon, 10 pm. Phoenix Wed, 9 pm. Spazmatics Sun, 9 pm. Shows free unless noted. 702507-5700. Fiesta Rancho (Club Tequila) Sherry Gordy: Take the Stage Thu, 7 pm, $5-$10. 702-631-7000. Milo’s Cellar Live Music Thu, 8 pm, free. 538 Nevada Hwy., 702-293-9540. Sam’s Town Los NiteKings Sun, 7 pm, free. Shows free unless noted. 5111 Boulder Hwy., 702-284-7777.

COMEDY Boomers Side Splitting Sundays Sun, 9 pm, free. 3200 Sirius Ave., 702368-1863. Caesars Palace (The Colosseum) Jerry Seinfeld 9/18-9/19, 7:30 pm, $83-$165. 702-731-7333. The D Laughternoon Starring Adam London Daily, 4 pm, $20-$25. 702388-2111.. Hard Rock Hotel (The Joint) Jim Jefferies 10/3, 8 pm, $45. (Vinyl) Andrew Dice Clay 9/25-9/27, 9 pm,

$59-$103. Kevin Smith 10/2, 10 pm, $40-$45. 702-693-5000. Harrah’s (Main Showrom) Mac King Tue-Sat, 1 & 3 pm, $33. (The Improv) Tue-Sun, 8:30 pm; Fri & Sat, 10 pm; $30-$45. 702-369-5000. Luxor Carrot Top Wed-Mon, 8 pm, $50$60. 702-262-4900. MGM Grand (Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club) Nightly, 8 pm, $43-$87. 702891-7777. Mirage Jay Leno 9/18, 11/20-11/21, 10 pm; 9/19, 9 pm, $60-$80. Nick Swardson 10/9, 10 pm, $55-$66. Ray Romano 10/2-10/3, 10 pm, $55-$77. 10/23-10/24, 10 pm, $60. Daniel Tosh 9/25, 10/16, 11/13, 10 pm; 8/29, 9/26, 10/17, 11/14, 7:30 pm. 702-792-7777. Onyx Theatre The Get 9/18, 9/25, 10 pm, $10. 953 E. Sahara Ave., 702-7327225. Orleans (Showroom) Frank Caliendo 9/25-9/26, 8 pm, $35. Don Rickles 10/17-10/18, 8 pm, $88-$110. 702-2847777. Palms (The Pearl) Bill Maher 10/24, 8 pm, $49-$99. 702-942-7777. Planet Hollywood (Las Vegas Live Comedy Club) Edwin San Juan Nightly, 9 pm, $56-$67, V Theater. (PH Showroom) Jeff Dunham WedSun, 7 pm; Sat-Sun, 4 pm, $72.. (Sin City Theatre) Sin City Comedy & Burlesque Show Nightly, 8:30 pm, $38-$49. 702-777-2782. Quad Jeff Civilico Sat-Mon, Wed-Thu, 4 pm, $39-$50. 888-777-7664. Rampart Casino (Bonkerz Comedy Club) Thu, 7 pm, free., 702-507-5900. Red Rock (Rocks Lounge) Mark Curry 10/17, 8 pm, $25-$35. Orny Adams 11/21, 8 pm, $25-$35. Hal Sparks 1/23, 8 pm, $25-$35. Justin Willman 2/20, 8 pm, $25-$35. 702-797-7777. Rio Eddie Griffin Mon-Thu, 7 pm, $73$136. 702-777-2782. Sapphire Gentlemen’s Club Sapphire Comedy Hour Sat, 8 pm, $20. 3025 Industrial Road, 702-796-6000. The Sayers Club (Bonkerz Comedy Club) Thu-Sat 8 pm, $10. SLS, 702761-7000. South Point Dave Coulier 10/9-10/11, 7:30 pm, $15-$25. Jay Mohr 11/6-11/7, 7:30 pm, $25-$35. 702-797-8005. Tropicana (The Laugh Factory) Michael Finney, Lou Dinos, Bob Kubota Thru 9/20. Harry Basil, Lou Dinos, Jimmy Carroll 9/21-9/23. Tom Wilson, Andy Hendrickson, Jimmy Carroll 9/24-9/27. Nightly, 8:30 & 10:30 pm, $35-$55. 702-739-2222. Treasure Island Wanda Sykes 9/25, 9 pm, $53-$88. Margaret Cho 10/16, 9 pm, $44-$72. Bill Engvall 10/23, 12/4, 9 pm, $53-$83. 702-894-7111.. Venetian Loni Love 10/10, 9:30 pm, $40-$60. Whitney Cummings 9/19, 11/28, 9:30 pm; 1/2, 8 pm, $50-$118. Lisa Lampanelli 9/26, 9:30 pm; 10/31, 8 pm; 12/26, 8 pm, $50-$118. Jennifer Coolidge 10/3, 9:30 pm, $40-$96. Roseanne Barr 10/17, 9:30 pm, $50$118. 702-414-9000.

PERFORMING ARTS Brooklyn Bowl Alice: A Steampunk Fantasy 10/13, 10 pm, $15-$30. 702862-2695. Christ Church Episcopal Ty Woodward 10/2, 7:30 pm, $15. Advent-Christmas Recital 12/6, 4 pm, $15. 2000 S. Maryland Parkway, sncago.org. Erotic Heritage Museum Judy Forever in My Heart 11/8, 2:30 pm, $18-$20. 3275 Industrial Rd, 702794-4000. Italian American Club Voices of Rudy: The Journey to the Movie 11/13, 7:30 pm, $30. 2333 E. Sahara Ave., 702-457-3866.

Las Vegas Little Theatre Art Thru 9/20, 8 pm, $14-$15. 3920 Schiff Drive, 702-362-7996. Las Vegas Philharmonic Passport to the World 10/24, 7:30 pm, $26-$96. Cabrera Celebrates Sibelius 11/21, 7:30 pm, $26-$96. The Snowman 12/5/12-6, 2 pm; 12/5, 7:30 pm; $26$96; 12/6, 2 pm, $46-$96. Cabrera Conducts Rachmaninoff 1/9, 7:30 pm, 1/10, 2 pm, $26-$96. Spotlight Series 2/16, 4/26, 5/3, 7:30 pm, $168. Smith Center, 702-749-2000. Nevada Ballet Theatre A Balanchine Celebration: From Tchaikobsky to Rodgers & Hart to Gershwin 11/7, 7:30 pm., 11/8, 2 pm, $29-$139. The Nutcracker 12/12, 8:30 pm, 12/13, 1 & 5:30 pm, 12/18, 7:30 pm, 12/19, 2 pm $ 7:30 pm, 12/20, 1 & 5:30 pm, $29-$179. Smith Center’s Reynolds Hall, 702749-2000. Onyx Theatre Showgirls the Musical Thru 10/3, Thu-Sat, 8 pm; 9/20, 5 pm, $25. Don’t Quit Your Day Job Sat thru 9/26, 10 pm, $10. Full House: The Very Special Episodes Fri, 11 pm, $15. 953 E. Sahara Ave., 702-732-7225. Smith Center (Reynolds Hall) The Book of Mormon 9/22-9/27, 9/299/30, 10/1-10/4, 10/6-10/11, 10/13-10/18, 7:30 pm, 9/26-9/27, 10/3-10/4, 10/1010/11, 10/17-10/18, 2 pm, $36-$160. Room on the Broom 10/21, 6:30 pm, $15-$23. Ragtime 10/27-11/1, 7:30 pm; 10/31, 2 pm; $30-$130. Simply Ella 11/13, 7:30 pm, $35-$125. God Lives in Glass 11/15, 3 pm, $19-$79. Elf the Musical 11/24-11/29, $29-$129. $34. 702-749-2000. Treasure Island (Mystère Theatre) A Choreographers’ Showcase 10/11, 10/18, 1 pm, $25-$45. UNLV (Rando-Grillot Recital Hall) Christopher Houlihan 10/9, 7:30 pm, free. Pacifica Quartet 10/22, 7:30 pm, $27-$30. Thomas Strauss 11/1, 7:30 pm, free. Larry Del Casale & Carlos Barbosa Lima 11/21, 8 pm, $45. Amernet Quartet ft. Rachel Calloway 1/28, 7:30 pm, $27-$30. Andrew York 2/20, 8 pm, $41-$45. Chelsea Chen 2/26, 7:30 pm, free.Jens Korndorfer 4/8, 7:30 pm, free. Duo Deloro 4/13, 8 pm, $41-$45. Dorothy Young Riess 5/20, 7:30 pm, free. (Artemus W. Ham Hall) National Circus and Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China 10/2, 8 pm, $20-$70. Well Strung 10/24, 8 pm, $20-$70. Rockapella’s Holiday Concert 12/5, 8 pm, $20-$70. Sarah Chang and Julio Elizalde 2/6, 8 pm, $25-$75. Polish Baltic Philharmonic 3/17, 8 pm, $25-$75. Orlowsky Trio 4/2, 8 pm, $20-$70. 702-895-3332.

SPECIAL EVENTS American Horror Story Burlesque 9/19, 7:30 pm, $10. Artifice, 702489-6339. An Executive Chef’s Culinary Classroom With Executive Chef Edmond Wong. 9/29, 10/13, 11/10, 7 pm, $135. Bellagio, 866-406-7117. Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction 9/24-9/26, 8 am, $10-$55. Mandalay Bay Events Center, 702-632-7777. Bill O’Riley and Dennis Miller: Don’t Be a Pinhead 12/5, 7:30 pm, $86-$501. The Colosseum, Caesars Palace, 702-731-7333. Disney Live! Three Classic Fairy Tales 10/2-10/4, times vary, $22-$72. Orleans, 702-284-7777. Fetish & Fantasy Halloween Ball 10/31, 10 pm, $50-$100. The Joint, 702-693-5222. Gingerbread Fair & Pantry 10/10, 9 am, free. Green Valley Presbyterian Church, 1978 Wigwam Parkway, 702-454-8484.

Lebanese Festival 10/9-10/11, times vary, $3. St. Sharbel Catholic Church, 10325 Rancho Destino Road, 702-616-6902. M.E.N.U.S. presented by Epicurean Charitable Foundation 10/9, $500. The Beach at Mandalay Bay, 702932-5098. Monday’s Dark with Mark Shunock 9/21, 10/19, 11/16, 9:30 pm, $20-$30. Vinyl, 702-693-5000. Motley Brew’s Downtown Brew Festival 10/24, 5 pm, $35-$80. Clark County Amphitheater, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway, downtownbrewfestival.com. Nitro Circus Live 11/21, 8 pm, $42$128. MGM Grand Garden Arena, 702-891-7777. Christopher Norment Book Signing 11/17, 7 pm, free. The Writer’s Block, 1020 Fremont St., 702-550-6399. Jessica Lee Richardson Book Signing 10/24, 7 pm, free. The Writer’s Block, 1020 Fremont St., 702-550-6399. Las Vegas Burlesque Festival 10/810/10, 8 pm, $50-$150. Gold Coast, 702-367-7111. One Drop Walk for Water 10/17, 8 am, $20-$25. Smith Center, onedrop. org. The Joy of Sake 9/19, 7 pm, $75-$125. Caesars Palace, joyofsake.com. Sevens Live Music, comedy & spoken arts. Tue, 7 pm, one-drink minimum. Silver Sevens, 4100 Paradise, 702733-7000. Suicide GIrls: Blackheart Burlesque 11/20, 8 pm, $25. Vinyl, 702-6935000. Switch: Trans* Clothing Swap Thu, 5 pm, free. Gay & Lesbian Community Center, 702-733-9800. Vegas Gone Yoga Festival 9/199/20, 8 am-4 pm, $89-$169. Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd., vegasgoneyoga.com. Vegas Valley Book Festival 10/1510/17, times vary, free. Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St., vegasvalleybookfestival.org. Windmill Music Club Last Sun, 4 pm, free. Windmill Library, 7060 W Windmill Lane, 702-507-6030.

SPORTS Boxing: Cotto vs. Canelo 11/21, 2 pm, $150-$2,000. Mandalay Bay Events Center, 702-632-7777. Frozen Fury XVII: LA Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche 10/3, 7 pm, $53-$255. MGM Grand Garden Arena, 702-891-7777. Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend 9/17-9/19, 7 pm, $72+. Orleans Arena, 702284-7777. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings 10/13, 7 pm, $25-$500. MGM Grand Garden Arena, 702-891-7777. MetroPCS Friday Night Knockout Óscar Valdez vs Chris Avalos, Jesse Hart vs Aaron Pruor Jr. 9/11, 4 pm, $20-$100. Cosmopolitan, 800-7453000. Monster Energy Cup 10/17, 6 pm, $56-$76. Sam Boyd Stadium, unlvtickets.com. Mylan World Team Tennis Smash Hits 10/12, 7 pm, $45-$125. The Colosseum, Caesars Palace, 702731-7333. PBR World Finals 10/21-10/24, 6 pm; 10/25, 1 pm, $30-$170. Thomas & Mack Center, unlvtickets.com. Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl 12/19, 12:30 pm, $24-$110. Sam Boyd Stadium, unlvtickets.com. UNLV Football Idaho St. 9/26, 6 pm, $7-$22; San Jose St. 10/10, 6 pm, $17$53. Sam Boyd Stadium, unlvtickets. com.

CHECK OUT OUR COMPLETE CALENDAR LISTINGS AT LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM/EVENTS SEPTEMBER 17–23, 2015 LASVEGASWEEKLY.COM 57

The BackStory

LUCKY DRAGON HOTEL-CASINO SITE | NEAR SAHARA AVENUE AND THE STRIP | SEPTEMBER 11, 2015 | 11 A.M. A faint chill is starting to overtake the heat of summer, grocery stores are putting out holiday decorations months in advance and people are already breaking out their knit sweaters. On a steamy afternoon, however, I did not expect to see a whimsical tree hovering in the sky. The Penta Building Group hosted a special “topping off” ceremony to celebrate a milestone on the Lucky Dragon’s outer structure. For a brief moment, I thought I saw the Grinch atop his mountain north of Whoville, but it was just a proud worker tethered to the roof awaiting the tree’s arrival. The crowd of workers didn’t bust out into carols, but suddenly I realized I only have 98 days left for my Christmas shopping! –Mikayla Whitmore