EVERY
SATURDAY
Where brunch meets the beat. Every Saturday from 12 P.M. to 3 P.M., La Brunch at ¡VIVA! pairs bold Latin-inspired cuisine with live DJs, roaming musicians and dancers for an afternoon that lingers long after the last toast.
BOOK NOW
PA&WS PINTS b e e r f e s t
PUBLISHER MARIA BLONDEAUX maria.blondeaux@gmgvegas.com EDITOR SHANNON MILLER shannon.miller@gmgvegas.com
BEER FEST with a heart
R A I S E A G L A SS . S AV E A L I F E .
SEPTEMBER 19, 2026 Early Entry: 3PM General Admission: 4PM - 7PM
EDITORIAL
Senior Editor GEOFF CARTER (geoff.carter@gmgvegas.com) Managing Editor BROCK RADKE (brock.radke@gmgvegas.com) Arts & Entertainment Editor AMBER SAMPSON (amber.sampson@gmgvegas.com) Staff Writer GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ (gabriela.rodriguez@gmgvegas.com) Staff Writer TYLER SCHNEIDER (tyler.schneider@gmgvegas.com) Contributing Writers AVA CHATLOSH, GRACE DA ROCHA, HILLARY DAVIS, KATIE ANN MCCARVER Contributing Editors RAY BREWER, CASE KEEFER, DAVE MONDT Office Coordinator NADINE GUY
CREATIVE
Las Vegas Weekly Art Director CORLENE BYRD (corlene.byrd@gmgvegas.com) Marketing & Editorial Designer AMANDA LUNDQUIST Contributing Graphic Designers WESLEY GATBONTON, THERESE BAUTISTA Photo Coordinator LAUREN VINTON Photographers CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS, STEVE MARCUS, WADE VANDERVORT
DIGITAL
Publisher of Digital Media KATIE HORTON Web Content Specialist CLAYT KEEFER Associate Editor of Social Media EM JURBALA
ADVERTISING & MARKETING
Associate Publisher ALEX HAASE Senior Advertising Managers MIKE MALL, ADAIR MILNE, SUE SRAN Account Executives LAUREN JOHNSON, MELINA TAYLOR Events Director SAMANTHA LAMB Events Manager HANNAH ANTER Events Coordinator APRIL MARTINEZ Event Sales Coordinator YAZMINE VALMONTE
PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION
• Unlimited Beer Tastings • Live Music • Silent Auction + Charity Raffle SPONSORED BY
Vice President of Manufacturing MARIA BLONDEAUX Production Director PAUL HUNTSBERRY Production Manager BLUE UYEDA Multimedia Production Designer MARISSA MAHERAS Senior Traffic Coordinator DENISE ARANCIBIA Traffic Coordinator KIMBERLY CHANG Fulfillment Operations Coordinator CASANDRA PIERCE
GREENSPUN MEDIA GROUP
CEO, Publisher & Editor BRIAN GREENSPUN Chief Operating Officer ROBERT CAUTHORN Director of Human Resources SHANNA CHAVEZ GRAY Chief Financial Officer STEVE GRAY
GRAB YOUR TICKETS TODAY! silvertoncasino.com/ entertainment
Must be 21+. Ticket price includes taxes and fees. All sales are final. Entertainment subject to change without prior notice. Management reserves all rights.
I-15 & BLUE DIAMOND | 702.263.7777 | SILVERTONCASINO.COM
LAS VEGAS WEEKLY P.O. Box 94018 Las Vegas, NV 89193 702-990-2550 lasvegasweekly.com facebook.com/lasvegasweekly instagram.com/lasvegasweekly x.com/lasvegasweekly
All content is copyright Las Vegas Weekly LLC. Las Vegas Weekly is published Thursdays and distributed throughout Southern Nevada. Readers are permitted one free copy per issue. Additional copies are $2, available back issues $3. ADVERTISING DEADLINE EVERY THURSDAY AT 5 P.M.
T A B L E
O F
8 .1 3 . 2 6
C O N T E N T S
COVER STORY
16 ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
COVER ART Photo by Wade Vandervort
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
7
From the street to studios to Strip stages, breakdancing has strong roots in Las Vegas.
08
SUPERGUIDE Thirtysomethings take over Area15 with Dayshift, Derek Hough dances through BleauLive Theater and more this week.
24
NEWS Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo’s re-election campaign took a turn at a Las Vegas rally with President Trump.
26
SPORTS Bets to make on college football’s biggest questions heading into a new season.
28
THE STRIP The Vinyl Room spins a luxe listening lounge experience atop Mandalay Bay.
32
COMEDY Lizz Hader headlines her hometown with a show at Backstage Bar & Billiards.
34
FOOD & DRINK London’s Gymkhana brings authentic and elevated Indian food to the Strip.
fdgdfgdfgdfg (Courtesy)
Jeyna Ponce Photo by Christopher DeVargas
Want More? Visit us at lasvegasweekly.com.
8
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
8 .1 3 . 2 6
SUPERGUIDE THURSDAY AUG 13
FRIDAY AUG 14 BENSON BOONE With Ashe, 8 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.
PRESEASON: LAS VEGAS RAIDERS VS. ARIZONA CARDINALS 5 p.m., Allegiant Stadium, ticketmaster.com. Courtesy
SISTER ACT 7 p.m., & 8/15 (& 8/15, 2 p.m.), West Las Vegas Theatre, broadwayinthehood. org.
LAS VEGAS ACES VS. WASHINGTON MYSTICS 7 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com. LAS VEGAS AVIATORS VS. SACRAMENTO RIVER CATS Thru 8/15, 7:05 p.m. (& 8/16, 6:05 p.m.), Las Vegas Ballpark, ticketmaster.com. GIGI PEREZ With Camille Blackman, 8 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com.
SMOAKLAND 10 p.m., We All Scream, tixr.com.
KELLY CLARKSON 8 p.m., & 8/15, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com.
SOFT ECHO 8 p.m., Doberman Drawing Room, dobermandtlv.com.
BOYZ II MEN 8 p.m., & 8/15, the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com.
ALISON WONDERLAND 10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com. SUBTRONICS 10 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.
S P OT L I G H T E V E N T
DO IT ALL Courtesy
S U P E R G U I D E
VERTICAL HORIZON & TONIC 8 p.m., Green Valley Ranch Amphitheater, ticketmaster.com.
WHISKEY MYERS 8 p.m., PH Live, ticketmaster.com.
MADGRRL 10 p.m., Discopussy, posh.vip.
THE SWORD 7:30 p.m., House of Blues, ticketmaster.com.
NE-YO & AKON 8 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs.com.
GIPSY KINGS 8 p.m., Pearl Theater, axs.com.
BLEAKNESS With M.I.A., Uncivil Dissent, 8 p.m., the Griffin, dice.fm.
*Spotlight events are sponsored
LIZZ HADER 8 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, eventim.us.
BRANTLEY GILBERT 8 p.m., Sunset Station Outdoor Amphitheater, ticketmaster.com.
AZÚCAR BANDA & LATIN NIGHTS Las Vegas finally has its Latin party and it’s happening every Friday and Saturday on the Strip. Azúcar brings together a live banda performance, Latin DJ and an open bar with breathtaking rooftop views of the Las Vegas Boulevard at Sugar Factory. From reggaeton to cumbia, bachata to salsa, Azúcar is the most electric Latin night in the city. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, bachelorette or just an unforgettable weekend, this is the party you’ve been waiting for. Ages 21+. azucarvegas.com
8 .1 3 . 2 6
MUSIC
PARTY
ARTS
SPORTS
FOOD
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
COMEDY
MISC
SATURDAY AUG 15
Courtesy/Kennedi Carter
DO IT ALL
DAYSHIFT 30+ DAYTIME PARTY Something happens when you enter your 30s. Your biological clock shifts, your knees start to crack, and bingeing a season of King of the Hill in bed starts to sound better than a bar crawl at 2 a.m. Enter Dayshift, a millennial-coded party that begins at 5 and promptly ends by 9. It’s a party for people with priorities. It’s for those who want to dance under disco balls and DJs spinning ’90s jams and be home by the time the new Love Island episode has aired. Can you blame us? 5 p.m., $25, the Portal at Area15, area15.com. –Amber Sampson
JILL SCOTT With Akeem Ali, 8 p.m., Pearl Theater, axs.com.
LAS VEGAS ACES VS. MINNESOTA LYNX 5 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com. LAS VEGAS LIGHTS VS. BROOKLYN FC 7:30 p.m., Cashman Field, lasvegaslightsfc.com. THE MOONSHINERS BALL 6 p.m., Charleston Heights Arts Center, lasvegasnevada.gov. BOLERO THE SHOW 7:30 p.m., Plaza Showroom, plazahotelcasino.com. THE AUSTRALIAN PINK FLOYD SHOW 7:30 p.m., Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com. THE GUESS WHO 7:30 p.m., BleauLive Theater, ticketmaster.com. NICHOLAS COLE 8 p.m., Side Lawn at Sunset Station, ticketmaster.com.
DEVILDRIVER With Upon a Burning Body, Ov Sulfur, 6 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com. EL MALILLA 9 p.m., the A-Lot at Area15, area15.com. MINDI ABAIR 5 & 8 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com. SISTO With Flamethrower, Hed SPC, more, 8 p.m., the Wall at Area15, area15.com. SONIA BARCELONA 7:30 p.m., Winchester Dondero Cultural Center, clarkcountynv.gov. PSYCHOSONIC With The Hideaway, Cherry & the Sours, 9 p.m., Red Dwarf, reddwarflv.com. TIËSTO 11 a.m., Palm Tree Beach Club, taogroup.com. ILLENIUM 11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, taogroup.com. DENNIS QUIN 9 p.m., Rouge Room, rougeroomlv.com. JERMAINE DUPRI 10:30 p.m., Tao Nightclub, taogroup.com. ODESZA 10 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com. GORGON CITY 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com. DJ DIESEL 10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com. CLASSMATIC 10 p.m., Discopussy, tixr.com
F O R M O R E U P C O M I N G E V E N T S , V I S I T L A S V E G A S W E E K LY.C O M .
9
10
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
8 .1 3 . 2 6
SUPERGUIDE
MUSIC
SUNDAY AUG 16 INTERPOL With Julie, 8 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com.
MIMI & THE RIVIERAS 7 p.m., the Underground, themob museum.org.
PREACHER LAWSON 9:30 p.m., & 8/17, Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster. com.
FENIX FLEXIN 11 a.m., Tailgate Beach Club, tailgate beachclub. com.
PARTY
ARTS
SPORTS
FOOD
DJ SNAKE 11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, taogroup.com.
DEORRO 11 a.m., Omnia Dayclub, taogroup.com.
NIC VANS 11:30 a.m., LIV Beach, livnightclub. com.
EXHIBIT: STORIES OF SOUTHERN NEVADA Thru 9/10, Mon.-Thu. 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Henderson City Hall, cityof henderson.com. MONDAYS DARK 8 p.m., the Space, mondaysdark. com. SISTERS IN SWING 7 p.m., Maxan Jazz, maxanjazz.com. VICE 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com. BRAD GARRETT With Drew Thomas, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand.com. GREG HAHN Thru 8/23, 8:30 p.m., Laugh Factory, ticketmaster. com.
DO IT ALL Courtesy
S U P E R G U I D E
MISC
MONDAY AUG 17
DEREK HOUGH 8 p.m., BleauLive Theater, ticketmaster.com.
FILM: THE END OF THE TOUR Generational standouts Jesse Eisenberg (as journalist David Lipsky) and Jason Segel (as novelist David Foster Wallace) both received critical acclaim for some of their best performances in this underrated 2015 film tracking Lipsky’s five-day-long interview with Wallace after the latter’s landmark work Infinite Jest had been published. Revisit (or discover) this funny and emotional movie with invaluable insight through a Beverly Theater Q&A with director James Ponsoldt, who also worked on memorable dramas The Circle and The Spectacular Now. 1:15 p.m., $12, Beverly Theater, thebeverlytheater.com. –Brock Radke
COMEDY
12
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
8 .1 3 . 2 6
SUPERGUIDE TUESDAY AUG 18
MUSIC
PARTY
ARTS
SPORTS
FOOD
MISC
WEDNESDAY AUG 19
OAKWOOD 6 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, eventim.us.
ABSTRACT RUDE With Dotwav, Uhmeesa Fuego, more, 7 p.m., Bizarre Bar, eventbrite.com.
LAS VEGAS ACES VS. ATLANTA DREAM 7 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com.
ELLA RED 7:30 p.m., B Side at House of Blues, ticketmaster.com.
ROD STEWART 7:30 p.m., & 8/20, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com. THE FUNK JAM 10 p.m., Sand Dollar Lounge, thesanddollarlv.com.
ALTURA LATIN NIGHT SWIM 10:30 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.
HARRISON GREENBAUM With Owen Smith, Sophie Buddle, Butch Bradley, thru 8/23, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m., Comedy Cellar, ticketmaster.com.
DJ FRANZEN 10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com. NICO BERNARDINI 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com.
80S NIGHT 10:30 p.m., Caspian’s Cocktails & Caviar, caspianslv.com. S U P E R G U I D E
COMEDY
ROB GUSON 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com.
DO IT ALL
Courtesy/Drew Elaine
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
8 .1 3 . 2 6
Red = Top picks
CA
ON NY
ELKHORN
ANN
CRAIG
BUFFALO
Trigono Hills Park
DURANGO
Refreshment awaits at dynamic parks across the Valley, so splash your way through the end of summer at these neighborhood play places.
FORT APACHE
Centennial 95 Hills Park
SIMMONS
E KYL
CHEYENNE
NC
Photos by Steve Marcus
JONES
FAR HILLS
RAINBOW
RAMPART
LAKE MEAD
DESERT INN
95
CHARLESTON
15
SPRING MOUNTAIN
215
WINDMILL
Town Square Park LAS VEGAS BLVD.
RUSSELL
DECATUR
BUFFALO
DURANGO
FLAMINGO
FORT APACHE
HUALAPAI
Maslow Park 4900 E. Lana Drive Molasky Family Park 1065 E. Twain Ave. Mountain Crest Park 4701 N. Durango Drive Mountain View Park 1959 Wigwam Parkway Nathaniel Jones Park 8800 Sparkling Chandon Drive Olympia Sorts Park 4885 Starr Hills Ave. Paul Meyer Park 4525 New Forest Drive Pebble Park 8975 Topaz St. Red Ridge Park 7027 S. El Capitan Way Bob Price Park 5852 E. Lake Mead Blvd. Ron Lewis Park 1970 Tree Line Drive Somerset Hills Park 10801 Valencia Hills St. Spring Valley Community Park 7600 W. Flamingo Road Sunset Park 2601 E. Sunset Road Town Square Park 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. South Von Tobel Park 3586 Tokyo Court Whitney Park 5712 Missouri Ave. Winchester Park 3130 McLeod Drive
HO
UNINCORPORATED CLARK COUNTY Alexander Villas Park 3620 Lincoln Road Charlie Frias Park 5250 W. Tropicana Ave. Cougar Creek Park 6635 W. Cougar Ave. Desert Inn Park 3606 Vista Del Monte Drive Duck Creek Park 8650 Pollock Drive Echo Trail Park 5655 Buffalo Drive Exploration Peak Park 9275 S. Buffalo Drive Joe Shoong Park 1503 Wesley St.
RA
BY LAS VEGAS WEEKLY STAFF
RAMPART
14
BLUE DIAMOND SILVERADO RANCH
Exploration Peak Park
VIA INS
8 .1 3 . 2 6
15 CENTENNIAL
Keeping cool at a splash pad
NELLIS
HOLLYWOOD
LAMB
5TH
Tropical Breeze Park
MARYLAND
Baker Park
BO
PASEO VERDE
SA
IN
T
O
SE
SUNR
VOLUNTEER
SPIRADA
IDGE
GIBSON
215
PEBBLE
R
STEPHANIE
VALLE VERDE
GREEN VALLEY PKWY.
PECOS
EASTERN WIGWAM
ER
WARM SPRINGS
LD
PARADISE
U
515
TROPICANA
HEIG
HTS
Water Street Plaza 11
CITY OF LAS VEGAS All-American Park 1551 S. Buffalo Drive Alyn Beck Memorial Park 9220 Brent Lane Angel Park 241 S. Durango Drive Baker Park 1020 E. St. Louis Ave. Bill Briare Family Park 650 N. Tenaya Way Bob Baskin Park 2801 Oakey Blvd. Bruce Trent Park 8851 Vegas Drive Centennial Hills Park 7101 N. Buffalo Drive Douglas A. Selby Park 1293 N. Sandhill Road East Las Vegas Family Park 4480 E. Washington Ave. Estelle Neal Park 6075 Rebecca Road Gary Dexter Park 800 Upland Blvd. Gilcrease Brothers 10011 Gilcrease Ave. Justice Myron E. Leavitt and Jaycee Community Park 2100 E. St. Louis Ave. Kianga Isoke Palacio Park at Doolittle Complex 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd. Lorenzi Park 3333 W. Washington Ave. Patriot Park 4050 Thom Blvd. Polly Gonzalez Memorial Park 5425 Corbett St. Rainbow Family Park 7151 W. Oakey Blvd. Raptor Play Park in Thunderbird Family Sports Complex 6075 N. Durango Drive Rotary Park 901 Hinson St. Sunny Springs Park 7620 Golden Talon Ave. Stupak Park 300 W. Boston Ave. Teton Trails 7850 N. Bradley Ave. Trigono Hills Park 3805 Cliff Shadows Parkway West Charleston Lions/ Essex Circle Park 600 Essex Circle Winding Trails Park 7250 N. Ft. Apache Road Woofter Family Park 1600 Rock Springs Drive
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
15
HENDERSON Acacia Park and Acacia Demonstration Gardens 50 Casa Del Fuego St. Amador Vista Park 1562 Amador Lane Aventura Park 2525 Via Firenze Bark Park at Heritage Park 350 S. Racetrack Road Capriola Park 2155 Via Firenze The District at Green Valley Ranch 2240 Village Walk Drive Dundee Jones Park 10550 Jeffreys St. Esselmont Park 2725 Anthem Highlands Drive Hayley Hendricks Park 811 Ithaca Ave. Hidden Falls Park 281 W. Horizon Drive Madeira Canyon Park 2390 Democracy Drive Mission Hills Park 551 E. Mission Drive Montana Park 3495 Via Altamira Paseo Vista Park 2505 Paseo Verde Parkway Reunion Trails Park 44 Chapata Drive Saguaro Park 600 Pounds Way Water Street Plaza 240 S. Water St. Wells Park 1640 Price St. Weston Hills Park 950 Weston Ridge St. NORTH LAS VEGAS Aliante Nature Discovery Park 2627 Nature Park Drive Craig Ranch Regional Park 628 W. Craig Road Nicholas Flores Park 4133 Allen Lane Hartke Park 1700 N. Bruce St. Joe Kneip Park 2800 Judson Ave. Prentiss Walker Park 1509 June St. Tropical Breeze Park 1505 E. Tropical Parkway
16
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
Jeyna Ponce of Battle Born crew
8 .1 3 . 2 6
8 .1 3 . 2 6
Las Vegas breakdancer Jeyna Ponce spends more time on her hands than she does on her feet. Her upper body strength makes gravity-defying power moves like flares and full-stop freezes look effortless. And when the battle takes a turn, she can whip into a windmill, blurring across the stage in one continuous sweep. The physicality of her performance is almost superhuman. And yet, breakers like Ponce aren’t born by otherworldly means. They’re made locally. “There’s such a strong community here that helps allow the next generation to grow,” says Ponce, a multi-time cypher champion of Red Bull BC One. “I just did a competition in San Diego, and me and a few other b-girls from Vegas were there, and it was a top 16 bracket. In the semifinals, three out of the four semifinalists were Vegas b-girls. “The scene is very advanced here. Everybody is a tight-knit community. The level is getting higher.” Las Vegas’ breaking reputation precedes it, even among people who’ve never set foot on the Strip or seen a First Friday dance cypher pop off at Downtown’s Ninja Karaoke. “It’s a very special place for breaking, and not a lot of people know about it,” says Etienne Carreira, a veteran breaker who co-created Battle Born crew and Alchemy Breaking Academy with his brother Guillaume. “People that aren’t connected in the breaking scene, they don’t think of Vegas and breaking. But anywhere in the world that knows about breaking knows about Vegas.” Legendary crews like Battle Born, Full Force and Knucklehead Zoo have spent three decades building the Vegas identity—and helping dancers break into bigger things. Full Force co-founder Ronnie Abaldonado, a world-renowned breakdancer, Red Bull BC One commentator and District
Arts academy founder, has seen the fruits of his labor firsthand. Despite larger markets in LA and New York, Vegas remains a proving ground for prominent dancers. “We’re showing these kids or teenagers that are coming up that there’s opportunity, whether you want to make a living touring, traveling and battling, or if you want to work in a residency show like Cirque du Soleil and Jabbawockeez,” Abaldonado says. “People come here because they see the opportunity and they see that we have a rich, healthy scene.” This community of breakers shares a deep history, one that’s built on the academies that trained them, the shows that employed them, and the founders who built the infrastructure to launch a new generation into the spotlight.
Photos by Christopher DeVargas
BY AMBER SAMPSON
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
Before MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew returned breakdancing to the mainstream, Las Vegas needed Full Force. Abaldonado formed the crew with his brother in 1995 at a time when the city’s breakdancing scene had no rhythm. Elite competitions like Red Bull BC One didn’t exist yet. The closest thing the culture had was Battle of the Year, hosted annually in Germany. Still, locals took on every battle they could find, joining cyphers—casual gatherings where dancers can show off and collaborate—at Jaycee Park on the eastside and challenging other dancers at the Boulevard Mall. “There was nothing really structured like you see today,” Abaldonado says. “As kids, we would watch these movies of crews battling. So we were always on a mission to find other crews that shared the same common ground, same interest, and battle them.” Everything changed once Full Force started competing beyond Vegas. Word spread of their finessed footwork and crazy style points. By 2007, Abaldonado was a world champion, having taken the Red Bull BC One World Final in South Africa. And Knucklehead Zoo and Battle Born were right there, each crew building a reputation of their own. “We grew up together since the late ’90s,” Abaldonado says. “Battle Born came out in the early 2000s, and it was like this healthy competition that we had coming up. It helped us get better.” In 2008, the breaking scene they’d quietly been building blew up with ABDC. “I think America’s Best Dance Crew even had a stronger impact than the Olympics because it was a standalone event that just focused on dance alone,” says Abaldonado, who was an analyst and commentator when breaking made its Olympic debut in the 2024 games in Paris. Jabbawockeez, a San Diego-based crew with ties to the Full Force collective, won ABDC’s first season. Five months later, Super Cr3w, a Vegas mega-squad made up of dancers from Full Force, Knucklehead Zoo and Battle Monkeys, won season 2. To Abaldonado, those back-to-back wins solidified Vegas as a breaking capital.
17
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
“It comes from discipline and passion and the courage to step into places where you belong, and I’m just very proud to show that women can also be powerful forces in this culture. I hope other women know that there’s space for them to be strong and competitive and unapologetically themselves.” –Jeyna Ponce, member of Battle Born crew
8 .1 3 . 2 6
After ABDC, doors opened for its dancers. As word traveled that Super Cr3w featured Abaldonado and other Vegas breakers, teaching opportunities became more abundant. Commercials, tours and TV appearances flooded in. The Strip became an economic engine for Vegas dancers. In 2010, Jabbawockeez made history as the first dance crew to headline a Strip residency at the Monte Carlo. Over the next 16 years, the masked crew’s success would lead to long-running productions at Luxor and MGM Grand, proving that street dance could pack out a Strip venue. But Vegas productions had begun targeting b-boy talent prior to that. When the aquatic spectacle Splash opened at the Riviera in 1985, it was one of the first Strip shows to feature breakdancers as a specialty act. MADhattan enlisted them again in its 1997 variety production at New-York New-York. Cirque Du Soleil followed suit in 2006, debuting the iconic The Beatles LOVE at Mirage with a mix of acrobats and breakers, including a member of Full Force. Etienne and Guillaume Carreira share a long history with Cirque, having performed in both The Beatles LOVE and Michael Jackson ONE. Raised by two profes-
Jabbawockeez
sional dancers, the brothers grew up steeped in showbiz—a Vegas childhood, they’ve noticed, that is uniquely common. “We have a bunch of students, a handful at least, where their parents are Cirque performers,” Etienne says. “Just seeing physical activity from a young age, seeing people do amazing things, or watching the shows and being exposed to these things, it opens up a kid’s mind—there is no ‘This is not possible.’ It becomes, ‘This is what the people around me do, so I can do this as well.’” After high school, the Carreiras moved to LA to dance professionally. But it wasn’t until their mother passed away from cancer that the brothers fully embraced breakdancing as an outlet for their grief. “I was still really timid and not confident,” Guillaume says of those early days. “The passing of our mom was kind of the catalyst of like, fu-that. We just went through the hardest thing that somebody could go through. Why am I scared to dance in front of people?” “When you battle somebody, it’s like a fight without fighting,” Etienne adds. “We used training and battling as therapy, to get all those feelings out without really talking. We’re young men and we have all this angst, and honestly I was filled with anger and didn’t understand what was going on. That’s really when I took it seriously. I think both of us did.” That therapy never truly stopped. Even now, with successful careers behind them, both brothers say battling gives them something choreographed dance never could. “I discovered who I was through this dance,” Etienne says. “As a dancer, when you’re looking to get booked for jobs, you’re almost a chameleon. There’s very little freedom to express who you are. You are playing a character or playing a role, whether you’re in a show or in a music video. It’s very rare that they’re like, okay, be you.” For decades, a Strip gig meant stability, a steady paycheck dancers could build a life around. But the brothers have noticed a recent shift due to fewer production shows and available jobs. “The model is just changing,” Etienne says. “I think if you come here and you think you’re gonna get into a show and settle down and buy a house from that show, I think that model is gone.” But that’s not to say that the door local breaking crews forced open has suddenly closed. “I’m an optimist. If you want to come here and work as a dancer, you can come here and work as a dancer,” Etienne says. “I truly believe people can do whatever they set their mind to.”
Photo by Christopher DeVargas
18
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
19
Photo by Wade Vandervort
8 .1 3 . 2 6
For more on Imani Blake, turn to page 38
Full Force crew
Like many art forms, breakdancing is a young person’s game. In the ’70s, kids in the South Bronx congregated at the cardboard, mastering downrock and dizzying head spins to the sounds of break beats. That youth is exactly what Vegas’ founding crews have spent more than a decade investing in. “We’ve all competed at the highest level all across the world,” Etienne says. “Because of that, our youth in Las Vegas are by far, skill-wise and number-wise, the best in the nation because all three of the Vegas camps teach kids.” Abaldonado likens the community of dancers and their studios to Netflix’s Cobra Kai—everyone has a dojo. “Our studios actually support each other,” he adds. “We have students that will come and train with [Knucklehead Zoo’s] Zoologic at District Arts, and then the next week they’ll go to Alchemy, which is
Battle Born’s studio. At the end of the day, our mission is to represent Vegas. We want the best for our kids.” Imani Blake, a professional dancer of 10 years, is proof the model works. Her father was an OG member of Full Force, and while it was watching her older brothers dance that pulled her toward the crew, community is what made her commit. She’s since become a Red Bull Dance Your Style veteran, inheriting her family’s style and ability to become one with any beat. “She’s proficient in all different styles,” Abaldonado adds. “She could pop, she could lock, she could house, she could hip-hop freestyle, and she could break, which is very rare.” “It means the world to me because this is the life that I dreamed of when I was a little girl watching them do their thing, and [thinking,] I want to be there one day,” says Blake. “I want to travel the world doing what I love and doing what they’re doing.” Ponce’s lineage has also helped her develop into the powerhouse she is now. The technical danc-
er turned b-girl champ hails from a bloodline of breakers, with family in Full Force, Jabbawockeez and Super Cr3w. A member of Battle Born, she was mentored by her “break dads,” the Carreiras, and credits her childhood immersion in breaking culture with getting her into the art form. “The dance culture in Vegas has provided so much opportunity that it’s actually taken me far past Vegas. I’ve been able to represent Vegas internationally and perform on stages around the world, work at major brands, do commercials, perform on luxury cruise ships, dance for celebrities, dance on TV, teach master classes in the U.S.,” Ponce says. “Breaking has given me a platform to show that strength doesn’t have a gender,” she continues. “It comes from discipline and passion and the courage to step into places where you belong, and I’m just very proud to show that women can also be powerful forces in this culture. I hope other women know that there’s space for them to be strong and competitive and unapologetically themselves.”
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
The next chapter of Vegas’ breakdancing scene is already being written. In 2024, the Carreira brothers launched the Elite Breaking League, debuting at the Theater at Virgin with internationally recognized b-boys and b-girls. Etienne says by packaging the EBL as “sports entertainment,” it becomes more digestible and awe-inspiring to the average viewer. “You cannot buy those skills. They are earned through blood, sweat and years. It’s the great equalizer; it allows us to come together. And that’s super valuable,” he says. “I think breaking has never been packaged properly to get to the masses. That was and is our main goal with the Elite Breaking League.” The Carreiras haven’t stopped there. BRKN THRU, their youth breakdancing battle series filmed at Area15 and airing on YouTube, is already spotlighting the scene’s next wave of talent. The one piece of advice Abaldonado has for the next generation is to not grow comfortable. “There was a time for us where we were training every day,” he says. “I think that maybe this new generation, they get complacent, and they probably either already think they’re the best, or they don’t realize how much harder you have to work.” Abaldonado is focused on leading my example and bringing more international talent to Vegas to give the scene real exposure. Now in his mid 40s, he’s an OG. But you’d never guess it by watching him. “I know that I’m an elder in the breaking scene, but I’m showing everyone that you could still do it at this age. I don’t even feel my age at all,” Abaldonado says. “The moral of the story is breaking is the fountain of youth, mentally, physically and spiritually.”
8 .1 3 . 2 6
From left, Guillaume and Etienne Carreira at Alchemy Breaking Academy
Photo by Christopher DeVargas
20
FREE TO BE
fearless.
Believe you will succeed. Your neighborhood library helps you to achieve that goal. It is the place where all are invited and everything is free. You will find learning and are youhelp,searching personal growth, technologyWhat skills, homework small businessfor? and career support, community, culture, art galleries, and live performances. Visit us in person or at TheLibraryDistrict.org and discover the power of a library card.
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
8 .1 3 . 2 6
N E W S
IN THE NEWS
22
|
I N
T H E
N E W S
FRESH START
A Matt Kelly Elementary School student receives a free backpack during a welcome back event on August 10, the first day of school for the Clark County School District. (Staff/Wade Vandervort)
LOCAL GOVERYMENT
Henderson Animal Protection Services begins its first major facility upgrade in 30 years For three decades, Henderson Animal Protection Services has operated in the same-sized facility even as the city around it has grown. A week after the Henderson City Council unanimously approved an $8 million overhaul of the shelter, located at 300 E. Galleria Drive, city officials are moving forward on renovations aimed at easing one of the most visible symptoms of Southern Nevada’s animal overcrowding crisis: outdated, undersized facilities straining to keep up with a growing region. Henderson is one of several Southern Nevada jurisdictions racing to re-
spond as local shelters buckle under an influx of stray animals. The plan calls for new dog and cat quarantine areas, a separate dog isolation space and an isolation play yard for sick or vulnerable animals. A new recovery area directly connecting to the veterinary treatment rooms will nearly double the size of the current medical space. Kennels in the north and south wings of the building will be replaced, while planned sewer upgrades will help make kennel cleaning faster and more efficient— improving sanitation.
PUBLIC HEALTH
Impound rooms for dogs and cats with direct outside access are also set to be added, allowing animals to be moved more safely into the building. The plan also calls for renovated restrooms and laundry facilities, and a new locker room for volunteers to store their belongings, said Lance Olson, director of public works. Essential services are continuing during construction, but temporary animal housing and medical staff workspace will be set up at the Moser Building, off North Moser Drive, until construction is complete. –Grace Da Rocha
ENTERTAINMENT
During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend November 19-21, fans will need a ticketed T-Mobile Zone at Sphere experience to attend performances by Sean Paul and others at the T-Mobile stage. Paul, the Grammy Award-winning dancehall artist known for “Temperature,” performs November 21. Electronic duo Disclosure, known for the global hit “Latch” featuring Sam Smith, takes the stage November 20. DJ Duo Two Friends headlines November 19 and additional performers on various days include Ja Rule, Natasha Bedingfield and Gorgon City. The Backstreet Boys are scheduled to perform at Sphere on November 21 as part of the inaugural F1 Afterparty, the official post-race show, available as a separate ticketed add-on. Set beneath the Sphere, the T-Mobile Zone offers views of the racetrack. Ticket options include three-day grandstand seats and three-day general admission standing-room access. Tickets and packages are available at f1lasvegasgp.com. –Las Vegas Sun staff
AP Photo/Amy Harris
Sean Paul, others to headline F1 race weekend
“We are harming children by making it more difficult for them to get preventative care through vaccinations. ... This is not something that is based on facts or science. This is something that is based off of an incessant need to prove that there is a correlation and causation of vaccinations with the rise in rates of autism.” –Christina Madison, Las Vegas-based pharmacist on President Trump’s August 10 executive order calling for fewer childhood vaccines
LIVE THE VEGAS EXPERIENCE LIKE A PRO Download the insider’s guide to dining, shopping, entertainment...and save money too!
1,000+ VEGAS HOT SPOTS ENABLE LOCATION TO UNLOCK NEARBY DEALS
ENJOY EXCLUSIVE OFFERS
FIND WHAT’S NEAR YOU—FAST
DOWNLOAD THE APP FOR FREE
SEARCH IT. FIND IT. GO.
EXPLORE OUR COMPLETE EVENTS CALENDAR
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
8 .1 3 . 2 6
N E W S
•
P O L I T I C S
W
Picking apart Nevada gubernatorial candidates’ campaign ads and appearances BY TYLER SCHNEIDER
ith fewer than 100 days until the November 3 general election, it’s time again to brace for a fresh wave of campaign signs, mailers and attack ads. All eyes are on Nevada’s gubernatorial contest, where Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo and Democratic nominee and current Attorney General Aaron Ford seek to differentiate themselves on key issues like affordability, education and housing. One recent poll, conducted by Public Policy Polling for the Democratic Governors Association in mid-July, has them in a 44% dead heat among 558 likely voters, with 12% undecided. Another, conducted by the Tarrance Group at the end of July for the Republican Governors Association, has Lombardo leading by seven points among 550 likely voters. UNLV assistant professor Kenneth Miller, who studies campaign financing and advertising, offers some insight into their messaging tactics in the final stretch. THE MONEY
Photo illustration/AP Photo & Shutterstock
24
Lombardo has been dipping into his massive war chest early and often, with AdImpact reporting that he’s outspent Ford roughly 168 to 1 since December. According to his second-quarter contributions report filed on July 15, Lombardo’s campaign had $9.2 million on hand to Ford’s $2.6 million. The incumbent has also been boosted by a pair of allied political action committees, with the Better Nevada PAC and Nevada Way PAC raising a combined $14 million for pro-Lombardo messaging in the second quarter. In that same period, the Ford-affiliated Forward Nevada PAC drew $1.1 million. Miller attributes Lombardo’s heavy PAC advantage to the funding from “large, wealthy sources” who would otherwise “be limited in how much they can donate directly to his campaign.”
8 .1 3 . 2 6
This list includes $5 million from the Republican Governors Association, $2.5 million from local megadonor Robert Bigelow, $1 million from Station Casinos, and at least $4 million from the Service First Fund—a dark-money nonprofit that isn’t required to disclose donors. Nonetheless, Miller says “campaign spending has very, very small effects early on.” Indeed, when Lombardo defeated then-Democratic incumbent Steve Sisolak in 2022, he did so despite being outraised by a 3-2 margin. “The overwhelming majority of voters aren’t paying any attention to this gubernatorial race right now, and they won’t be paying much attention until September or October,” he says. “So, the spending that happens now is not going to move the needle very much.” THE ADS The Better Nevada PAC struck first with the February release of “High Flying Ford,” which hammers Ford for traveling out of state for 137 days in 2024. It doubled down in June with “Workers,” which features Nevada employees questioning Ford’s candidacy in response to a claim that he spent 420 days outside of Nevada since 2019. A related KTNV investigation found that more than half were spent at federal court dates or conferences tied to Ford’s AG duties. Lombardo’s campaign launched its first official ad in March, adding several more this summer. They emphasize his record on what Miller calls “kitchen table issues”— from “job growth, state savings and investment” to “education, housing and crime policies.” He says this messaging aligns with Lombardo’s early strategy of distancing himself from President Donald Trump, whose national approval rating hovers in the mid-to-low 30% range. Miller says this is far easier in a cycle that isn’t pulling in as much national money due to a lack of competitive Congressional races.
“Lombardo wants to make this about purely Nevada concerns and not a referendum on national politics,” Miller says. “You’ll notice in campaign advertising that he does something that Republicans almost never do—he doesn’t mention Trump. He’s running as far from the president as he can, because that’s his pathway to win.” This analysis was partially spurred by Lombardo’s decision to skip an April Trump event at the AC Hotel Las Vegas Symphony Park. But Lombardo did show up last week at an August 5 Trump rally at Red Rock Resort, noting in a brief speech that Trump’s No Tax on Tips policy “benefits more people in the state of Nevada than anywhere else.” “He cares about America,” Lombardo said of Trump. “Quite often, when the press and the media runs him down, they think about he’s taking care of his billionaire friends. But those billionaire friends provide jobs. And unless you take care of them, those jobs are absent.” Ford pounced on the chance to further link the two on economic issues in a social media statement, writing: “While Lombardo chooses to be a human doormat for Trump, I’ll keep fighting to lower costs and put money back in Nevadans’ pockets.” Ford’s first TV ad, “Enough,” didn’t drop until July 28. In it, he notes that, as a former middle school math teacher, he knows “the Lombardo-Trump economy doesn’t add up,” before tying Lombardo to Nevada’s expensive housing prices, high unemployment rates and 48th ranking for education. On August 5, Lombardo struck back with an ad titled, “Math,” in which he employs local educators to again hit Ford on his alleged 420 days of absence. “We were here teaching,” the teachers said. “You know who else was here? Joe Lombardo.” “Lombardo’s strategy is to play the center as best he can, and Ford will try to paint him as closely as possible to the national Republican brand,” Miller explains.
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
25
Ask an Attorney: Rock Rocheleau, Esq.
WILD CARDS A now-public video of a May traffic stop where Lombardo received a warning after telling a Las Vegas Metro officer, “I’m Joe Lombardo,” drew some buzz this summer. But Miller doubts that this incident, nor criticism of Ford’s travels, will “amount to much.” “Traveling out of state is not really a big deal,” he says of Ford. “Both will be long forgotten by the time we get to late September and early October.” Nevada’s significant Latino population could be the true differentiator. The recent Public Policy Polling survey found that 68% of Latino respondents held “an unfavorable opinion” of Lombardo, who has released Spanish ads to chip away at that gap. Ford, a fluent Spanish speaker, has made courting these voters a cornerstone of his campaign. Miller notes that Latino voters also skew younger—a demographic that’s turned out at higher rates in recent cycles. Lombardo leveraged unpopular COVID-era policies to unseat Sisolak in 2022, but his reelection bid will now hinge on his ability to withstand similar criticism from Ford. “The local and state level economy hasn’t been great, and incumbents always take some heat on that,” Miller says. Although Miller believes Lombardo will “consistently and heavily outspend Ford” through November, he doesn’t anticipate a “runaway race” for either side. “That’s probably going to have an effect, but it’s going to take a while for that to materialize in polls,” he says. “And if the polls continue to show this thing as tight as they’ve been showing it, Lombardo will probably turn increasingly negative as it gets closer.”
Question: What is a “No Fight Divorce”? Answer: Most people picture divorce as a long, expensive courtroom battle. But for many couples, there’s another option: a No Fight Divorce. In a No Fight Divorce, both spouses agree—or are willing to work toward agreement—on major issues such as property division, debts, spousal support and, if children are involved, custody and child support. Instead of litigating, they resolve matters cooperatively and file the required paperwork with the court. The benefits can be significant. A No Fight Divorce is often faster, more affordable and less stressful than contested cases. They also offer greater privacy and can foster better long-term co-parenting relationships. A No Fight Divorce isn’t right for every situation, but when both spouses are willing to work together honestly, it can provide a smoother path forward. Scan here to learn more:
Created and presented by Right Lawyers Divorce and Custody Attorneys
26
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
8 .1 3 . 2 6
Bets to make on college football’s biggest questions heading into a new season BY CASE KEEFER College football betting season is here with future wagers posted across town ahead of opening kickoffs on August 29. Four markets loom above the rest in the sport’s new landscape. The national championship and Heisman Trophy are annual staples, but with the Big Ten and SEC having taken over as the two power leagues above all others, their conference races are just as heavily discussed. Here’s the best bet on the board in Las Vegas for each of the four markets to start a portfolio going into the season, with a longer-shot option to also consider.
BUILDING BLOCKS Oregon quarterback Dante Moore (AP Photo/ Lydia Ely)
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Notre Dame at +675 (i.e. risking $100 to win $675) (Circa Sports) Longshot consideration: Texas Tech at 22-to-1 (South Point) With the way money flowed in on them weekly late last season, the Fighting Irish arguably wouldn’t have closed an underdog to any team in last year’s College Football Playoff despite getting left out of the field. Now they rank first in the nation in returning production to look like the team to beat. Notre Dame’s roster may technically grade out neck-in-neck with two other programs in terms of overall quality—Ohio State and Texas—but they face the much easier schedule. Notre Dame is unlikely to be favored by less than a touchdown in a single game. Act now because the market is already signaling that it will be as bullish on Notre Dame as it was last year. Similar to Notre Dame, Texas Tech brings back a stacked roster (No. 12 in returning production with the 10th highest-paid roster per College Football Front Office) to go against a weak schedule. The Red Raiders should romp the Big 12 once again and receive prime College Football Playoff position.
HEISMAN TROPHY Keelon Russell 30-to-1 (STN Sports) Longshot consideration: Byrum Brown at 70-to-1 (Circa Sports) This season features one of the top quarterback classes ever in college football, so it’s difficult to foresee the award going elsewhere. The passers for each of the primary teams bet on here (Notre Dame’s C.J. Carr at 7-to-1, Texas’ Arch Manning at +825 and Oregon’s Dante Moore at 12-to-1) all make a lot of sense. But it’s hard to differentiate between them, and historically the preseason favorites haven’t fared well in the Heisman pool. So maybe the right move is going down the board and making an upside play on Russell, a sophomore blue-chip recruit expected to debut as a starter this season at Alabama. Russell may have competition in his own state. Former South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown followed coach Alex Golesh to Auburn and has the same statistic-padding, dual threat ability as Russell. His current price is too high.
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP Oregon at +280 (BetMGM) Longshot consideration: Penn State at 20-to-1 (South Point) Moore shocked many by returning to college when he quite possibly would have become the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft. One look at the weapons around him can partially explain the decision. He has an embarrassment of riches at wide receiver with Dakorien Moore, Jeremiah McClellan and Evan Stewart. Oregon has to play at Ohio State but otherwise has a manageable schedule. The program’s only losses in the last three years have come against teams that reached the national championship game. Meanwhile, Penn State drew the easiest schedule in the Big Ten and could emerge as Oregon’s conference championship game opponent. The Nittany Lions also have a sneaky experienced roster with new coach Matt Campbell bringing over the bulk of his starters from last year at Iowa State.
SEC CHAMPIONSHIP Texas at +330 (Boyd Sports) Longshot consideration: South Carolina at 55-to-1 (STN Sports) Time to flip the schedule paradigm. Teams like Notre Dame and Penn State are attractive because of the ease of their opponents, but Texas is the opposite. The Longhorns are set to face the toughest schedule in the nation but, because of that, their odds are inflated. Led by Manning and a strong transfer portal class, they should have enough to navigate it. Georgia is favored to win its third straight SEC championship, but Texas is much superior if it reaches its potential. One team in the middle of the conference should rise, so why not take a shot with a buy-low side like South Carolina with a superstar quarterback in LaNorris Sellers? The Gamecocks were as low as 15-to-1 to win the SEC at this time a year ago and, though they had a disappointing season, most of the starters return to give it another chance.
Where Lovers Shop LARGEST TOBACCO LARGEST TOBACCO SELECTION IN SELECTION IN NEVADA NEVADA!!
LAS VEGAS’ PREMIERE ADULT RETAIL STORE!
NOVELTIES DANCEWEAR LINGERIE
Unbeatable Prices & No Additional Taxes! OVER 68+ PREMIUM & GENERIC BRANDS 2 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS OVER 1,300 VARIETIES OF CIGARS AT THE DOWNTOWN LOCATION
FETISH MASSAGE OILS SMOKE SHOP AND MORE!
Sign Up for our SMS Club for exclusive deals! LAS VEGAS PAIUTE TRIBAL SMOKE SHOP & CIGAR SHOPPE
Mon-Sat 7am-7pm Sun 8am-5:30pm 1225 N. Main St. Las Vegas, NV 89101
SNOW MOUNTAIN SMOKE SHOP & GAS STATION
Mon-Sun 6am-7:30pm Pay-at-Pump Open 24/7 US 95N @ Exit #99 Snow Mountain
4335 W Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89103 702-367-8009
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
C U L T U R E
8 .1 3 . 2 6
Mandalay Bay’s new Vinyl Room brings a refined listening experience to an iconic Strip space
• T H E
S T R I P
Interior photos courtesy/Evan Joseph
28
8 .1 3 . 2 6
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
29
Audiophile cocktail
Few forget their first elevator ride to the 63rd floor of Mandalay Bay and the Foundation Room. It was perched so high, sunsets and entire cityscapes stretched on from the outdoor patio. Inside, maximalist decor saturated every corner. The Foundation Room transported people to a rare space of luxury, one where everyone could feel on top of the world. After 26 years of that feeling, the Foundation Room has closed its doors, and the Vinyl Room has taken its place. Inspired by the Japanese listening lounges of the ’70s—intimate, phone-free and focused on high-fidelity sounds— the Vinyl Room is dedicated to Las Vegas’ rich music history. “We really wanted to create a space that celebrates it. There’s so many different choices for entertainment in Las Vegas, but nothing that exactly pays homage to all the entertainers,” says Kurt Melien, president of Live Nation Las Vegas, which operates the venue as well as Mandalay Bay’s House of Blues. “This is a room where you have the opportunity to explore and discover your favorite music on the wall. Every single
artist that’s on the wall has a connection to Vegas, or has played Vegas at some point in the past.” Vinyl Room swaps out the Foundation Room’s ornate excess for retro warmth with wood tones and exposed brick. But thankfully, some things never change—like the incredible view. “It’s sort of the one thing that’s a must preserve for the Vinyl Room-Foundation Room history,” Melien says. And the lounge’s Asian-inspired menu still offers the same level of quality. Shareables like the Sushi Tots and Chili Crunch chicken wings pair fabulously with music-inspired cocktails like the Life On Mars and Smoke on the Water. Memberships also afford record enthusiasts perks like private listening spaces, exclusive events and specialty menu tastings. More than 4,000 records furnish the walls of the Vinyl Room. But even that feels like a fraction of what’s playable. For the record: Las Vegas has hosted more legendary residencies than almost any city on the planet. Celine Dion. Janet Jackson. Bruno Mars. Aerosmith. Elton John. Cher. Backstreet
Boys. Lady Gaga. Diana Ross. The list goes back decades. And we haven’t even scratched the surface of the touring artists who’ve headlined the Strip or just passed through. These artists have never sounded better than in this room. The venue spared no expense with its audio system. MasterSounds Clarity-M speakers, Fulcrum Acoustic reference monitors and Full Fat Audio amplifiers combine to pump out the highest quality of sound you can hear. A live DJ will man the turntables and take requests, but don’t expect a loud club experience. Melien says the goal isn’t to “blast you off the floor” with Vinyl Room’s sound. It’s to help you gain a new appreciation for the ritual of record-playing in an intimate setting, a trend that’s currently taking Vegas by storm. “We’re sort of swimming right along with pop culture, and I think it’s authenticity,” Melien says. “The authenticity of the vinyl print and the vinyl experience is what makes this, I think, so unique. There’s a nostalgia factor to this that I think is what we all desire, what we all look for sometimes.”
Lobster salad
Sushi Tots
Food and beverage photos courtesy/Vinyl Room
BY AMBER SAMPSON
30
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
8 .1 3 . 2 6
Artist Brian Gibson adjusts lighting on his artwork titled “Automatic Fool” at Recycled Propaganda. Also displayed: “Flower Power Outage,” center, a collaboration with Deana Khoshaba and Brett Sperry, and “Prince Circa ‘99.” (Photo by Steve Marcus)
‘AN EXTENDED HAND’ BY GEOFF CARTER
Brian Gibson’s One Day, You’ll Understand embodies gratitude to his patrons and mentors
“Patronage is a recurring theme with me,” Brian Gibson says. “People keep giving me an extended hand, and I take it.” The experimental musician, video artist and abstract impressionist painter speaks of the places and people who have enabled him to create and share his art, from Nancy Good’s now-defunct Core Contemporary gallery, to Downtown-based interior design studio Inside Style, to the Goldwell Open Air Museum in Beatty. Patronage has allowed Gibson to grow and take risks as an artist, and he couldn’t be more grateful for it. “The name of the show came from
[artist and PeaceNart Studio gallerist] Alexander P. Huerta, who passed away a couple years ago,” Gibson says. “Izaac [Zevalking, of Recycled Propaganda] once said to him, ‘Hey, man, why are you always giving away your wall space for free? To these artists who don’t pay anything?’ Huerta goes, ‘One day, you’ll understand.’ “Izaac knows what it’s like to have a platform and to see people hungry to do stuff, and he extended his hand out to me,” Gibson adds. “I’m taking full advantage of that.” Gibson’s Recycled Propaganda show, named for Huerta’s risk-taking, allows the artist to fully showcase what those various residencies have allowed him to do. One such piece, “Flower Power Outage”—a mixed media collaboration with Brett Sperry and Deana Khoshaba, from Gibson’s residency at Sperry’s closed Cube LV gallery—reflects Gibson’s prodigious creativity; it’s five by seven feet, with excess canvas that “drips” onto the floor. “Prince, Circa ’99” is a five-foot square hand-em-
C U L T U R E
•
A R T
bellished giclée, as is “Fate; Altered.” The show also includes smaller works for purchase, not hanging on the walls. And on weekends, in a nod to the residencies that shaped the show, Gibson will hang out with these works and create more, taking breaks to relate the stories that go with them. “Those stories have mostly lived in my head,” he messages me. “This is the first time they’re attached to the paintings, in the same room, with me there to tell them.” And on August 29, Gibson will contin-
8 .1 3 . 2 6
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
uously screen In Relative Obscurity III: Stay Here, the latest installment in his ongoing video and music series, created at Goldwell’s Red Barn Arts Center. (Photographer Holly Lay documented the project and created a photo book to accompany it; you can see that, too.) That August Saturday—really, any weekend day this month—is a perfect day to embrace all things Brian Gibson, while throwing a bit of love to Jeff Lewis’ Artsy AF show next door. Spreading the patronage. Extending a hand.
31
BRIAN GIBSON: ONE DAY, YOU’LL UNDERSTAND Thru August 31, Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday & Saturday 10 a.m.– 9 p.m, free. Recycled Propaganda, recycled propaganda. com.
Brian Gibson at home in Las Vegas (Photo by Steve Marcus)
The Neon Museum’s Movies Tour unveils the magic behind some of the most memorable movie moments set against the vibrant backdrop of Las Vegas. From classic films to modern blockbusters, The Neon Museum becomes a reel of memories, transporting visitors into the heart of the movies.
NEONMUSEUM.ORG (702) 387-6366
32
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
8 .1 3 . 2 6
C U L T U R E
•
C O M E D Y
LIZZ HADER August 14, 8 p.m., $15+. Backstage Bar & Billiards, eventim.us.
Comedian Lizz Hader returns to Las Vegas for a hometown headlining show, bringing her sharp observations and stories of life
very comedian has an origin story. For Lizz Hader, it started in a smoky neighborhood bar in Las Vegas, at an open mic she discovered through a small Facebook group. Watching strangers turn personal experiences, pain and the state of the world into side-splitting laughter—or even just a chuckle—left her captivated with the craft. And before long, she was behind the microphone herself, practicing punchlines and putting in the work. Fast forward a few years, and she’s hopped from Vegas to Los Angeles and now Chicago, but the desire to write and tell jokes has never let up. Now, she’s returning to headline her own show at Backstage Bar & Billiards. “A lot of the show is a collective story of how I feel about life right now,” Hader says. “I also talk about a lot of Las Vegas. ... It is a show for the desert people and everyone who’s ever made a bad decision in their life.” Growing up in a city built around adult tourism certainly gives Hader plenty of material to work with, but it’s a broader worldview and social commentary that ties her sets together. She often stands languidly, with the mic in hand as she lets the absurdity slip off her tongue, casually adjusting her glasses as she pauses for laughter. It’s hard not to hang off her every word when she’s divulging details of her experimental phase of sexuality, her love-hate relationship with food poisoning, and the feeling
Co ur te sy
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
of being the hottest person at Walmart. “I like to just give my perspective of how I see the world and about the things that I think are wrong and right and weird and odd and frustrating,” she explains. But no matter how strange the world gets, Hader says the comedy community has kept her grounded. “I’ve made all my best friends through comedy,” she says. “The [Vegas] local scene was wonderful because everyone was very supportive of each other ... Wiseguys really still is the heart of it.” Through roast battles, hosting gigs, and
nights spent chasing the next laugh, Hader found her voice, something she says comes from sitting with old memories and finding the humor in “how reckless and stupid I was.” Most of those flashbacks stem from her adolescent years in Las Vegas, a hometown that still feels surreal for her to say out loud. All those little local details, from underage hotel parties on the Strip to late-night hangs at whoever’s house had the best AC, slip into the act. And while comedy has taken Hader far from the city that raised her, it still lingers in every warped memory and feeds her drive to keep setting up the next punchline.
August Deal!
10
99
$
(TAKE OUT)
Spaghetti & Chicken Mixed Plate AVAILABLE ALL DAY THROUGH AUGUST 30, WHILE SUPPLIES LAST Limit of 5 plates per order. Dine In prices slightly higher. Offer is non-discountable and cannot be combined with any other offers. Sorry, no substitutions. Other restrictions may apply.
FOUR LOCATIONS IN NEVADA TO SERVE YOU! • BADURA AVE. • W. CHARLESTON BLVD. • S. EASTERN AVE. • CAMINO AL NORTE
© 2026 DFO, LLC. At participating restaurants for a limited time only. Selection and prices may vary. While supplies last.
DINE IN
TAKE OUT
BAKERY
zippys.com
60 YEARS OF SERVING HAWAI‘I COMFORT FOOD
34
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
8 .1 3 . 2 6
C U L T U R E
ef Be
GYMKHANA Aria, 702-590-9520, gymkhanarestaurants.com. Sunday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 5-10:30 p.m
•
F O O D
+
D R I N K
er fry epp p rib ort sh
Gymkhana brings its refined and authentic Indian fare to the Strip BY GENEVIE DURANO ince Gymkhana debuted on the Strip late last year, it has outpaced every expectation. “We thought we’d do well, but the response has been overwhelming,” executive chef Srikant Kumar tells the Weekly. He credits a simple rule: Don’t tamper with what works. “When we change countries, we stay true to Gymkhana’s identity,” the chef says. The London restaurant— rooted in North Indian cooking with Southern and Western flourishes—has crossed the pond exactly as it is: premium ingredients, with none of the authenticity lost in transit.
That identity carries weight. Founded in 2013 in Mayfair, the upscale district of central London, by the Sethi siblings of JKS Restaurants, Gymkhana earned its first Michelin star in 2014 and a second in 2024, becoming London’s first two-Michelin-starred Indian restaurant. The Las Vegas outpost at Aria marks the concept’s U.S. debut (other locations are in Riyadh and Doha). Kumar came up through the Oberoi in New Delhi, learning the classical technique and discipline that anchor his cooking, then refined his sense of luxury at Amal in Dubai. But it was Karma Modern Indian in Wash-
ington, D.C., where he learned to read an American room: how a U.S. diner expects Indian food to arrive, and what it takes to win them over. So Gymkhana Las Vegas is the London menu, faithfully rendered, plus a handful of dishes built exclusively for this city. Chief among them is the Goan lobster curry, reimagined for the Strip. In the U.K., the dish uses Goan prawns; here, Kumar swaps in Maine lobster—sweet, fresh and doing the heavy lifting. The sauce is a rich coconut base brightened with palm vinegar, cumin, onion and garlic. “The hero of the dish is the live lobster,” he says. The Vegas crowd
agrees. It sells out most nights. This is also the first Gymkhana menu anywhere to feature beef. The Wagyu Keema Naan ($28)—spiced Wagyu mince baked into the bread, served with cucumber-cumin raita— disappears fast, while the beef short rib pepper fry ($32), stirfried with South Indian spices and flaky Malabar paratha, is gently spiced rather than fiery. “We didn’t go wrong there,” Kumar says. More beef dishes are coming. The tandoor oven sits at the center of it all with masala lamb chops ($75) and the tikkas ($28– $34), charred to perfection. “It’s more instinctive than
8 .1 3 . 2 6
Chicken butter masala
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
Gol Guppas
time-based,” Kumar says of cooking over live fire, and getting a kitchen to that level takes people, not just equipment. London chefs flew in for the first two months to train the team, Indian cooks came from home, local staff filled out the line. The collective is a point of pride for Kumar.
If it’s your first time at Gymkhana and you’re unsure where to start, you can’t go wrong with Gol Guppas ($24), those crisp little shells of fried wheat puffs, potatoes and moong lentil sprouts; and Aloo Chaat ($26), crispy fingerling potatoes, sweet yogurt and
tamarind chutney. Move on to the tandoori masala lamb chops, smoky and charred straight off the fire, and finish with butter chicken ($36), a familiar dish elevated here, and garlic naan for mopping up every last bit of sauce. It’s a run that hits every section
of the menu and shows off exactly what Gymkhana does best. For Kumar, the one sentence he hopes to hear from diners on their way out is this: They just had the best Indian meal of their lives. Given the enthusiastic response so far, plenty already have.
Lasooni wild tiger prawns
Photos courtesy of AVABLU
35
JOB LISTING
36
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
8 .1 3 . 2 6
PREMIER CROSSWORD “AVENUES OF EXPRESSIONS” BY FRANK LONGO
Software Developer, EZTaxReturn LLC. Job Site: Las Vegas, NV. In-office attendance req 3x per week. Telecommuting permitted 2x per week. Develop/ maintain tax software, incl. workflows, e-filing, forms, validation, automation, integrations, and UI; Ensure accuracy, security, compliance, testing, debugging, documentation, support, and cross-functional delivery. To apply, email: cherry.tobiano@eztaxreturn.com
2020 KING FEATURES SYNDICATE
JOB LISTING AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC seeks candidates for the following (multiple positions available) in Las Vegas, NV. Apply at: https://www.amazon.jobs/en/, referencing job ID AMZ27595.1: Supply Chain Mgr II (Job ID: AMZ27595.1). Create and manage the execution of supply strategies from NPI (New Product Introduction) to production for a category, department, or project to meet customer needs. Plan, schedule, coordinate, track, and expedite material issues with wafer foundry, IC assembly and test houses, module contract manufacturers, and component suppliers. The pay range for this position in Las Vegas, NV is $114608 - $128600 (yr); however, base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience A sign-on bonus and restricted stock units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. This information is provided by Nevada Equal Pay Act. Base pay information is based on market location. Applicants should apply via Amazon’s internal or external careers site.
Las Vegas Square & Round Dancers Learn Modern Square Dancing
first class free
Be Fit. Be Healthier. Be the Best Version of You. No Experience Needed.
Great For All Ages - teens to seniors.
ACROSS 1 Indian royals 6 Atop browned bread 13 Final achievement 20 The L Word co-creator Chaiken 21 Direct course 22 Augment 23 Legislative body in France until 1789 25 Having been expatriated 26 Years on end 27 Reserved 28 Arafat’s gp. 31 Note after fa 32 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Pulitzer winner 38 “E pluribus --” 40 Nasty 41 Sci-fi dark warrior Kylo 42 Catch sight of 43 Monterey Bay locale 48 Like wood that’s been cut up 51 Puzzle cube creator Erno 52 Soul queen Franklin 55 Org. OK’ing meds 58 As easy as -61 Food regimen that includes lots of vegetables and olive oil 66 Tight-fitting undergarment 68 Retrovirus molecule 69 Helpful hints 70 “QED” part 71 Feline nails 72 Fliers in Over the Rainbow 75 Film segment
76 Designer Mode of The Incredibles 77 Counterpart of “sir” 78 Counterpart of “sis” 79 Oak nuts 80 Language of the Amish 85 Used a couch 86 Go for it 87 Singer Grande 88 Actress Watts 90 Bo-o-oring 91 Imperial stout that’s popular in Poland 98 91-Across, for one 101 Org. giving tows 104 Actor Robert De -105 Equivalent 106 Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, e.g. 113 Tach abbr. 114 Gardener, e.g. 115 Sly chuckle 116 Suffix with schnozz 117 In addition 118 Send via a post office 120 Where to find the avenues that start seven long answers in this puzzle 26 Google program for targeted marketing 127 Enlightened 128 Kind of navel 129 Must 130 Rambles on 131 Pertaining to the schnozz DOWN 1 Is rebellious 2 City in the Allegheny Mountains 3 Enterprise captain Picard 4 Pantry pest 5 Catch sight of, biblically
6 7 8 9 10 11
Maternity ward doc Once named A fifth of fifty Bullring holler Part of ATC Professor for Harry Potter 12 Part of ATM 13 Luau souvenir 14 Declare void 15 Egg coverer 16 Certain claim on property 17 Inner selves, to Jung 18 Letter-shaped carpentry vise 19 Itsy-bitsy 24 That woman 29 Have a debt 33 Rapper Minaj 34 -- -friendly 35 Kin of reggae 36 Method: Abbr. 37 Foot arches 39 Old Russian space station 44 Vile vapors 45 “Yeah, sure!” 46 El -- (hero of Spain) 47 Road goop 49 Cries of discovery 50 Pallid 53 Custom car tricked out to look junky 54 Oklahoma city 55 Bosses axing people, say 56 Enterprise counselor Troi 57 Bear witness 58 Say “OK” to 59 More fearless 60 Nook and -62 Marshall Plan president 63 Butyl ending 64 Torah expert 65 Like Erté’s art 67 Goose’s kin
72 Rodgers and Hammerstein show tune about an island 73 Molten rock 74 Svgs. plan for the golden years 75 Average joe 77 Gore Vidal’s “-Breckinridge” 79 Rent- -- (hired security guard) 81 Tonka star Mineo 82 Seize 83 Alliance 84 Tic- -- -toe 89 Auditing gp. 90 Fought noisily in a bar, say 92 Year, in Brazil 93 Actress Tyler of Onegin 94 Bi- plus one 95 Plaid cloths 96 Big retail outlets 97 Change the look of 98 Guy who collects illegal payoff money 99 Investment dot-com 100 Cross actress Mumford 102 Herr’s “Alas!” 103 Sci-fi primates 107 Superbright colors 108 Depend on 109 Old Valerie Harper sitcom 110 Viral illnesses 111 Tarzan player Ron 112 Polio vaccine creator Albert 119 Macero of jazz sax 121 Petty peeve 122 Frequently, to poets 123 As easy as -124 Atop, to poets 125 Words before rant or roll
HOROSCOPES WEEK OF AUGUST 13 BY ROB BREZSNY ARIES (March 21-April 19): I mischievously plucked a discarded love note from a post office trash can addressed to a “Lush and Luminous Aries Laugh-Lover.” It proposed being “rowdy investigators of wonders and miracles.” I was shocked an Aries discarded such a tempting offer. Avoid making comparable errors soon. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Ancient Roman roads remain usable 2,000 years later because workers dug deep foundations and layered stones meticulously. In the coming weeks, Taurus, I recommend carrying out similar groundwork to optimize your stability. Your ingenious attention to detail will make your future safety zone shatterproof. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I appoint you Chief Role Model for being a smart lover in all situations, not just romance. Additionally, I bestow the title of Chief Administrator of Amazing Grace to inspire elegant interventions where you have influence. Cultivating this generous spirit is crucial to attracting what you want most, Gemini. CANCER (June 21-July 22): I prefer to invoke the word “sacred” sparingly so that when I do, you feel a genuine shiver of awe—like right now. I predict marvelous encounters will soon flood you with reverent feelings and turn your inner life deliciously upside down. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Given how vibrant you feel, I understand having zero interest in confronting The Dilemma That Refuses to Fade. However, you currently possess an unprecedented advantage over this stale energy drain. While you may not completely vanquish it, you can sharply curtail its ability to meddle with your life. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo mathematician Katherine Johnson guided NASA’s early space missions by asking the right questions until numbers disclosed their hidden patterns. Be like her in the coming weeks, Virgo. Instead of forcing quick answers, dream up the smartest questions. Well-crafted inquiries will unlock sweet insights that brute effort cannot. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the art of mosaic-making, tiny fragments of stone or glass are fitted together to compose luminous images. Let’s deploy this as a metaphor for your life, Libra. Consider that you are assembling minor details into a beautiful masterpiece. You may not be fully aware of the final design, but your higher self is in charge.
Gather, learn, network, or throw a legendary party All from our dedicated event space.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Spacecraft engineers practice failures in simulations so success becomes more likely. Your current assignment is similar, Scorpio. Do not worry about disaster, but rehearse courage. Visualize yourself responding with creativity and grace to life’s surprises. Your confidence will thrive with this inner practice in collaborating with uncertainty. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A horizon moves with you; you never reach it. Some of your personal goals work similarly. They are orientations, not actual destinations. In the coming weeks, distinguish between your horizon goals and destination goals. Some guide your direction indefinitely without ever needing to be attained. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Here is my premium advice provided at a low cost: Go toward where you must belong in the future rather than retreating to familiar places. Heed the subtle pull of the life calling you from ahead, and visualize in detail the situation where your new, majestic self will thrive.
1685 Japan.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Single Aquarians face an auspicious period for cultivating admirers. Your allure is remarkably high. If you are in a monogamous bond, avoid sabotaging it with daydreams of multiple lovers. Instead, conspire with your partner to expand your relationship’s flavors by stepping into different personas together, perhaps imagining you live in 1453 Italy or
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The speed of thought can zip along at over 200 miles per hour—the rate at which signals travel through neurons. Electrical impulses in computers, on the other hand, may travel much faster. But your thoughts are creating meaning, not just moving data. This slowness is where the richest reality unfolds. In the coming weeks, Pisces, avoid imitating machines. You need to ruminate, meditate, and muse as gently and unhurriedly as you dare.
T H E T O TA L
YOUTH RESET Look Better. Feel Younger. Heal Faster.
Why settle for surface-level beauty? GHK-Cu works at the cellular level to reset your body's regenerative potential. From skin elasticity to immune support, discover the peptide top athletes and celebrities swear by. BEAUTY Radian skin & skin elasticity STRENGTH Lean muscle & performance
RECOVERY Faster Healing & Repair
HEALING Immune support & longevity
Full 3-Month Treatment Cycle
Scan to book your consultation at IUVENTUS
ONLY $350
702.457.3888
38
L A S V E G A S W E E K LY
8 .1 3 . 2 6
P H O T O G R A P H Y
IMANI BLAKE AKA ILLMANI, FULL FORCE DANCER, JULY 22, 2026 When she steps onstage, iLLmani is that girl. She absorbs the groove in her bones, her body shifting, popping, locking to any and every rhythm thrown her way, a true chameleon of styles. “You could see someone and you could just tell that they have it. They’re a natural, like it’s encoded in their DNA. With someone like Imani, it is, literally,” says Ronnie Abaldonado, co-founder of the Full Force crew. “Her dad is OG Full Force. She’s been dancing since she was a kid, and her older brother was at one point one of the best in the USA.” Born Imani Blake, her lineage of accomplished dancers has led her on the path to becoming a Red Bull Dance Your Style veteran who’s competed in qualifiers across the country. When Blake isn’t battling national contenders, she’s performing in crew battles with Full Force in her hometown of Las Vegas, where she hopes to one day join an artist tour or even a residency. Regardless of what comes next, she’s going to dance her way through it. “For me, it’s so important because I feel like God’s given me gifts to do what I’m able to do to heavily inspire people,” she says. “Who am I not to use those gifts and share them with the world?” –Amber Sampson
Photo by Wade Vandervort
BACKSTORY
TA ST I N G E X P E R I E N C E
SEPTEMBER 12 | 1PM - 4PM TEQUILA TASTING STATIONS STREET FOOD FAVORITES LIVE DJ MILLION DOLLAR VIEWS
Visit CircaLasVegas.com or scan to learn more. 702-247-2258 | 8 Fremont Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101 @LegacyClub | @CircaLasVegas