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P UBL ISHERMichael Skenandore

EDI T ORI A LEDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nicole Ely

MANAGING EDITOR Genevie Durano

SENIOR EDITORS Paul Szydelko, Xania Woodman

SENIOR EDITOR, A&E Geoff Carter

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Camille Cannon

SENIOR WRITER Lissa Townsend Rodgers

CALENDAR COORDINATOR Ian Caramanzana

SENIOR CON T RIBU T ING EDI T ORMelinda Sheckells (style)

CON T RIBU T ING EDI T ORSMichael Green (politics), Al Mancini (dining),

David G. Schwartz (gaming/hospitality)

A R TCREATIVE DIRECTOR Ryan Olbrysh

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Cierra Pedro

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Anthony Mair, Krystal Ramirez

V EGASSE V EN.COMTECHNICAL DIRECTOR Herbert Akinyele

ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Zoneil Maharaj

SENIOR WRITER, RUNREBS.COM Mike Grimala

ASSISTANT WEB PRODUCER Amber Sampson

PRODUC T ION / DIS T RIBU T IONDIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION/DISTRIBUTION Marc Barrington

ADVERTISING MANAGER Jimmy Bearse

DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Jasen Ono

S A L ESBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Christy Corda

DIGITAL SALES MANAGER Nicole Scherer

ACCOUNT MANAGER Brittany Quintana

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Alyse Britt, Robyn Weiss

IN T ERNS

Kayla Dean, Troy Fosgate, Tia Keys, Sierra Lomprey,

Jonmaesha Shadrick, Mitchell Weiss

Ryan T. Doherty | Justin Weniger

PRESIDENT Michael Skenandore

VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND EVENTS Keith White

DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS Michael Uriarte

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sherwin Yumul

LAS VEGAS’ WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE | FOUNDED FEBRUARY 2010

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YOU BARELY HAVE TO GET “LAS VEGAS blows up” out of your mouth before someone fnishes your sentence with … “its history.” That thought is so ingrained in the Las Vegas psyche that we seem to ac-cept it as a matter of course.

On the heels of the Las Vegas Club’s closing, however, comes news that a revived interest in casino history is spreading on Fre-mont Street. In late August, the Mu-seum of Gaming History, a 501(c)(3) nonproft organization, announced that it would install an exhibit in the Plaza celebrating the hotel-casi-no’s four decades of history.

The Plaza installation will be the second for the museum. Last summer it created an exhibit for El Cortez—exploring late owner Jackie Gaughan’s tremendous legacy through chips, dice, ashtrays, vari-ous artifacts and a 30-minute video that runs on a continuous loop. The display was initially slated for a six-month run. Its popularity, though, forced a change.

“It was extended to 12 months, then two years. As of today it is going to run indefnitely,” says Neal Silver-man, chairman of the Museum of Gaming History’s board of directors.

According to Silverman, these exhibits offer a chance for the Mu-seum—an offshoot of the Casino

Chip and Gaming Token Collectors Club—to get its work before the public at a relatively small cost.

“We have a nine-member board, and we are 100 percent volunteer,” he says. “Opening a museum is very costly, so we needed to do something a little different.”

So what will the Plaza display include? In addition to artifacts and memorabilia, the display will honor the careers of Jackie Gaughan and Sam Boyd, both of whom were associated with the property.

While Strip casinos frequently let milestone anniversaries pass without much of a fuss, the ap-proach is clearly a bit different on smaller, older, closer-to-the-ground Fremont Street. El Cortez has probably done the most to embrace its past: The recent open-ing of Siegel’s 1941 restaurant is a case in point. The D, renamed and remodeled, highlights its second-foor vintage casino, to say nothing

of the recently arrived replica of Brussels’ 500-year-old Manneken Pis statue. But looking to the past doesn’t mean being mired in nos-talgia; it’s possible to connect with contemporary audiences while still appreciating history. Manneken Pis, for example, has its own Twitter account (@MannekenPis_LV), and the all-volunteer museum uses its website (MuseumOfGaming-History.org) to stay connected to chip collectors and those who love Las Vegas history.

For the Museum of Gaming His-tory, the Plaza installation, which opens this January, is one in a series of exhibits that, it hopes, will get its passion in front of more Las Vegas fans. Silverman says that next summer the museum will unveil an exhibit in the Neon Museum’s lobby. After that, who knows?

“We would love to do something with the Flamingo or Caesars Palace,” he says, although the mu-seum has had no talks with those casinos yet.

Every trend starts somewhere. Could history displays become the next fad for Las Vegas casinos? Those who have toiled to preserve the past hope the answer is yes.

David G. Schwartz is the director of UNLV’s Center for Gaming Research.

Now TrendingLately, Downtown casinos are all about the past

GETTING A GRIP ON GRIDIRON GLORYIf you haven’t heard by now, Las Vegas’ most

deeply branded football contest, The Great

Giveaway, at Station Casinos, is no more. Don’t

panic—it’s been replaced by a new contest

called Gridiron Glory that, played properly,

figures to be a better deal for most players.

Note the “played properly” part. This contest

has a few twists that must be considered to get

the most out of it.

The big change is that it’s now absolutely

free to play. Previously there was a $25 entry

fee that you could get back by playing all 17

weeks. The 17-week requirement no longer

exists; however, if you want to maximize your

return, playing all, or close to all, 17 weeks is

still the way to go. Here’s why.

The weekly cash prize for the player with

the most wins is $10,000, and if there’s a tie,

another $5,000 is distributed to the players

who lose the tiebreaker. But even if all 17

weeks pay out $15,000, that’s only $255,000.

Then there’s $100,000 more for the postseason

contests, for a total of $355,000, far below

the contest’s advertised $750,000 payout. The

other $395,000 is being paid out in “instant

prizes,” and the more you play, the more

instant prizes you’ll win.

At sign-up, you choose a “team helmet”

that moves down a virtual football field (on

the kiosk) after every winning pick. When you

reach the end zone you get an instant prize of

free-play, club points, comps or gifts. So any

player who plays enough to score a touchdown

comes out ahead. How much is enough? It

depends on how many yards a win is worth.

That’s not disclosed anywhere in the rules, but

based on the information available now, I think

two yards per win is likely. Your first drive

starts on the opposing 40-yard line, so you’ll

score your first touchdown after 20 wins,

which is about two to four weeks of play. Once

you score the first touchdown, you start again,

but from your own 20-yard line.

Keep playing and you’ll score more TDs for

additional instant prizes. But there’s another

reason to continue, which is to qualify for the

postseason contests with the additional $100K

in prizes. That requires playing all 17 weeks or

scoring four touchdowns. In the postseason, the

field will be significantly reduced, which makes

getting to this point is even more valuable.

One important piece of strategy is to play the

Thursday games. No other contest of this type

includes Thursday games, so many players

will forget them, giving a big edge—in both the

weekly contest and in qualifying for the post-

season—to those who do. Also, you can make

selections for four weeks at a time, which will

reduce the effort required to keep playing, and

continuing to play is the key here.

Anthony Curtis is the publisher of the

Las Vegas Advisor and LasVegasAdvisor.com.

Manneken Pis marks his territory

Downtown.

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B o l o r m a aWATER BOWL, ZUMANITY

A contortionist since age 11, Bolormaa has been with Zumanity since it debuted in 2003. She says she is currently getting back to show-ready shape after having her third baby, but you would never guess she wasn’t there already. “Fashion is really fun for me, [but] I’m not a tall fashion model,” she says. “Because I’m a contortionist, we can’t really be so tall. Luckily I have the talent to do other sorts of fashion [modeling],” like performing onstage for the 2012 Victoria’s Secret fashion show. Bolormaa describes her personal style as “funky, cool and classic,” and although she is personally interested in makeup and skin care, she equally loves purses. “I am obsessed with Prada bags.”

U l z i i b a y a rWATER BOWL, ZUMANITY

Ulziibayar started contortion when she was 5 years old, joined the Mongolian state circus at 7, then Cirque du Soleil at 9, and has been with the company for 20 years. Ulziibayar says growing up in the circus and watching other performers take pride in their looks influenced her sexy, chic style. “As a performer, fashion has always been a big part of our lives. Most of the performers around the world are glamorous looking. In [real] life, they want to be like that, too.” For fall, Ulziibayar loves knee-high boots. Shoes are her particular favorite—she has more than 100 pairs.

GIVENCHY KNIT TOPS.

NEIMAN MARCUS.

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B e t s y L u c a sCOMPANY ARTIST,

NEVADA BALLET THEATRE

Originally from Oregon, Lucas

joined the Nevada Ballet Theatre

in 2010. For her it’s all about

developing a critical eye for detail,

a skill she’s honed from spending

eight hours a day in front of the

mirror, making each subtle physical

movement perfect. “As an artist,

we have to be a little judgmental

of ourselves and make sure we

really like what we see, especially

when we are dancing. There is a lot

of self-coaching.” She thinks this

attention to detail is why dancers

are oftentimes so fashionable. For

fall, her favorite accessory is riding

boots, but she says pearls truly

embody her personality.

GIVENCHY PONCHO. NEIMAN MARCUS.

➜ See Lucas on the Mystère stage

in TI for the NBT Choreographers’

Showcase blending Cirque du Soleil

and ballet on Oct. 11 and 18, or at

The Smith Center for A Balanchine

Celebration, Nov. 7-8.

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L e a H i n zAERIAL HOOP, ABSINTHE

Lea Hinz celebrated her one-year anniversary with Spiegelworld’s show Absinthe in July. Being a performer has allowed her to be more outgoing when it comes to her personal style. “If I feel like I need to wear green with yellow stars and blue dots, I will probably do that,” she says. “Back in the day when I was young, I was probably too shy.” Her favorite thing about dressing for fall? Jeans, which she wears on and offstage. The character she developed for Absinthe, The Girl in Jeans, is meant to represent an everyday person you would meet on the street. “I do love jeans in private [too]—ripped jeans, a little bit washed out, high-wasted, low-waisted—I don’t care. They are all awesome.”

TOPSHOP HAT.

TOPSHOP FASHION SHOW.

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B e r n a r d H . G a d d i sFOUNDER/ARTISTIC

DIRECTOR OF LAS VEGAS

CONTEMPORARY DANCE

THEATER AND PRINCIPAL

DANCER IN MYSTÈRE

With more than 32 years of

dance experience, Bernard

H. Gaddis puts as much detail

into his personal style as his

choreography and costume

design for LVCDT, and his

lines are equally beautiful in

both dance and wardrobe. “I

always believe that a well-

tailored piece of clothing will

last you a lifetime and will

never go out of style.” He has

pieces that he’s owned since

he was 17 because they still

fit. “I find that my clothes that

I keep, they’ve gone back in

style two or three times.”

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO BAG.

DVF MAXI DRESS. NEIMAN

MARCUS. MODEL’S OWN

TROUSERS AND GLASSES.

➜ See Gaddis in Mystère

and the upcoming LVCDT

performance Simply Ella, a

tribute to Ella Fitzgerald,

which includes Alvin Ailey’s

Night Creature, at The Smith

Center on Nov. 13.

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NIGHTLIFEYour city after dark, photos from the week’s hottest parties and the duo that uses music to transcend political lines

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She’s Got ItDJ, event producer and

wordsmith Lisa Pittman

readies for the biggest

Shedonism yet

By Ian Caramanzana

SHEDONISM MIGHT BE A MADE-UP WORD, but the culture and events that revolve around it are a grand reality. Since launching in 2005 the “sinful women’s weekend and hotel takeover” has turned Las Vegas into a lesbian des-tination, at least for a few days. This year’s main event takes place Sep-tember 17-21 at SLS (ShedonismVegas.com), and features such talent as DJs Alie Layus, Angie Vee and C.L.A. We chatted with Shedonism’s founder and

“executioner” Lisa Pittman about the event’s history and future.

“Hedonism” is in the dictionary, but

“shedonism” is not. What is it exactly?

I was driving in my car in Las Vegas and putting a bunch of words together. I re-member thinking, “I want [this event] to be something that people will re-member—something that’ll encompass the Vegas experience and make it liber-ating for the LGBT community.” I want-ed to bring something they’ve never seen before—not in Vegas, at least.

The concept of Shedonism is to have the Las Vegas experience and make it enjoyable for women, but for the les-bian travelers specifcally. Vegas is an amazing place but it’s geared toward the mainstream, even though every-body has a great time. [As] women, you go out, and you don’t really have that great of a time because guys are holding onto you, or you might not be interested in talent, or other fac-tors. Basically, my whole concept is to carve a niche in the city I love—the city I’m from—and give that to the gay and lesbian community so they can expe-rience Vegas—their best Vegas.

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What’s is the role of the “executioner”?

I make it all happen. The [Shedonism] concept happened a long time ago. I took it to other cities. [I remember] in the early 2000s, I was trying to hold an event at Hard Rock Hotel, and I was laughed at. They said, “Listen, we’re at 90 percent occupancy all year long. We’re not gonna put our cur-rent clients in jeopardy if these aren’t A-list clients.” Ever since that day, I told myself, “This is gonna happen. It might take awhile, but it’s gonna happen.” Las Vegas continued to grow, which created more available spaces for me to take my business. Then the recession hit, which, in reality, opened up so many doors. Businesses became hungry for anything and ev-erything, including gays. So the [gay] events entered the Strip—the Cosmo-politan, SLS and eventually the Hard Rock after a decade. Now it’s wide-spread. Gays are trending!

How has Shedonism changed since

2005?

It’s defnitely gotten bigger. Shedo-nism changes every year, and that’s part of the beauty of it. You can go to a party that’s the same thing every year. Like in Miami, you’ll stay in the same hotel and dance on the same

beach. But this is Las Vegas. The con-cept changes with the city, and there’s always potential for new venues, new hotels and great spaces.

What else have you been up to?

I do Marquee in the Cosmopolitan, Sayers Club in SLS and other weekly Vegas residencies. I also travel. I’ve played national Pride events and fes-tivals. Shedonism is a different animal than when it was born, because of all the things going on in my [DJ] career. I want it to be the biggest party for all lesbians in the biggest party city.

Are you trying to focus on your career as

a gay DJ or mainstream DJ?

I’ve never identifed as a gay DJ. Studio 54 was my frst residency. Then I went to Tao, the Palms and then Marquee. Now I stay with Tao Group. I do gay events here and there, but I was always a mainstream DJ.

What differences do you see between

the two?

The crowds are different in terms of energy. The room changes with the kinds of energy the crowds bring—a roomful of guys or a roomful of in-dustry people is vastly different from a roomful of girls or an 18-and-up

crowd. Industry crowds and guys aren’t so energetic. Lesbian clubs, in particular, are different. It’s all women in the room, and the energy is differ-ent. But it differs from place to place, venue to venue and city to city.

What were some of your favorite

Shedonism moments from years past?

I love when it’s over! I swear to God—it’s like delivering a baby. There’s preparation, and when you fnally have the “baby,” you feel a sense of relief. But really, with everything in life, you face a series of successes and failures, and you remember every part and detail. You take those, move on and create bigger and better events with the goal being “don’t make the same mistake twice.” There are so many moving parts in Shedonism, with all of its people, events, enter-tainers and crowds.

What can we expect this year?

This might just be one of the best years. It’s being held at a brand-new, beautiful hotel on the Strip with a ton of amenities. That’s never happened before, and I think girls are really gonna like it. With gay bars, there’s an evolution—they always come from suc-cessful bars that have failed, then they

eventually become gay bars. They’re kinda like the little sisters or brothers of other bars in that they’re a niche market. Shedonism used to be that way, but it’s not like that anymore; we’re no longer having [the parties] in hand-me-down spaces, like the gay community is accustomed to. We’re having it at the best venue, and getting the best people in the business. It’s a whole different level.

What about in the future?

The goal of Shedonism is to take over a main hotel in Las Vegas—every sin-gle room. We want that many people to know our name and our event. It’ll be its own gay city—its own world—for the weekend.

Where would you like to see it happen?

I’m a big fan of Hard Rock Hotel. It’s got its own scene that embodies what our event is. We’re rebels—we don’t necessarily ft into society as a whole. We’re fghting for our space and our place just to have a great time. I’d like to eventually have it at the Delano, Mandalay Bay or MGM, but it’ll always be annual—never more than once a year. Right now we’re just building and going with the fow. I’m just here to de-velop it and letting the rest happen.

Scenes from Shedonism 2014: Eden at Rumor, Salvation atCommonwealth (bottom right) and Envy at Rain (bottom left).

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com

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MARQUEE DAYCLUBThe Cosmopolitan

[ UPCOMING ]

Sept. 11 DJ M!keAttack spins

Sept. 12 Vice spins

Sept. 13 Havana Brown spins

TRYST NIGHTCLUB TO CLOSE AFTER HALLOWEENAfter lasting a decade as one of the city’s must-see nightlife venues, Tryst nightclub will close. Staff members were reportedly notified on September 3 that the venue will shutter following Halloween for a total remodel. Sources hint that this could take up to six months.

While abrupt, this news is not exactly shocking, as the property has already announced a string of changes this summer. First we learned that Paul Bartolotta would decamp from his namesake Italian-inspired seafood house on the Esplanade, and that Botero’s Mark LoRusso would take the reins. Then Joe Zanelli of Andiron Steak & Sea was announced as LoRusso’s replacement at Botero, which will shutter for a new concept in November. Managing partner Jesse Waits also departed Wynn in July for the impending Alon resort, set to open in 2018 on the former site of the New Frontier.

Tryst opened on New Year’s Eve 2005, replacing the short-lived La Bête nightclub. While details about Tryst’s replacement are still scarce, Michael Weaver, Wynn’s senior vice president of marketing and communications, has confirmed the closure, and that a new look is forthcoming.

One insider who has reportedly seen renderings of the new venue calls it simply, “gorgeous.” - David Morris

PARTIES

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com

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LAXLuxor

[ UPCOMING ]

Sept. 10 Throwback Thursdays with Aybsent Mynded

Sept. 11 Aybsent Mynded and Charlie Darker spin

Sept. 18 Brenmar spins

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DINING

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Restaurant reviews, news and a very important date with a margarita festival

“It’s handled very cleanly and very conservatively by

a family member who appreciates the animal and

the life it sacrifces.” {PAGE 52}

Fourth Meal-ReadyFremont East’s new burger spot delivers on the basics

By Al Mancini

IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY OTHER week I’m writing about a new restaurant open-ing on either Fremont East or Carson Avenue. And for the most part, they’re pretty sophisti-cated establishments, offering serious food. But let’s face it, when you’re Downtown taking in a live show or enjoy-ing some cocktails, you don’t always want some-thing sophisticated. In fact, you might just want a burger and fries. And that is exactly what Flip-pin’ Good Burgers and Shakes has to offer.

Make no mistake about it: This is fast food. The rolls, patties and cheese are a touch better than what you’ll fnd at a McDonald’s or Burger King, but not quite as good as Smashburger. (One of my friends disagrees with me on the rolls, which she loves.) Each of the six preparations is available as either a single or a double stack. If you re-ally want to dig into the beef, be sure to double up, because the patties aren’t terribly thick, and sometimes get overpow-ered by the toppings.

This being a burger spot, I have concen-trated my attention on the hamburgers, fries and shakes, and have yet to move on to the sliders and chicken offerings (though early reports tell of a fantastic chicken sandwich). At the top of my list is the Farm Burg-er, which comes topped with a fried egg, grilled onions, smoked bacon, ketchup and American cheese. While the entire combination is excel-lent, I was amazed by the preparation of the egg. Cooking an egg properly is deceptively simple,and far too frequently botched at even a high-

end restaurant. Perhaps I just lucked out, but mine was better thanwhat I’ve had at many gourmet restaurants, with a runny yolk that oozed out of its center at the slightest poke of a plastic fork.

I also really liked the bacon cheeseburger, topped with lettuce, to-mato, grilled onions, ba-con and melted cheese. But that burger also has Flippin’ Sauce, which is little more than a spin on Russian dressing, and will completely dominate the burger if you don’t get a double portion of meat. That said, while I’m not generally a fan of Russian dressing, these guys de-liver a tasty version.

I found the basic Flip-pin’ Good Cheeseburger about as generic as you can imagine. And The Flame, which comes topped with lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, grilled jalapeños, pep-per jack cheese and a spicy Flippin’ Sauce, was sadly lacking in heat.

The folks at Flippin’ Good are very proud of their hand-cut fries made in cholesterol-free oil, and rightfully so. These fries are much better than what you’ll fnd at most fast-food burger chains. The menu will tempt you to drench them in sauces like the aforementioned Flippin’ Sauce, a cheese blend or a bit of both, but do your-self a favor and resist, so that their crispy good-ness isn’t drowned out.

Given its location in Downtown’s prime cocktail corridor, it’s no surprise that Flippin’ Good serves booze. The beer selection consists of Bud Light, Goose Island, Banger Brown Ale and Una Mas Amber Lager on tap. They also have eight favors of

Your order: A double Farm Burger, hand-cut fries and a frosty concrete.

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GET FAMILIAR

WITH UPCOMING

MUSIC FESTIVALS

iHEART RADIO This mass gathering of

stars has sold out, but you can try your

luck at iHeart.com to see Kanye West,

Sam Smith, The Weeknd, Disclosure and

pretty much every artist whose song you

can’t get out of your head. Sept. 18-19,

MGM Grand Garden Arena, iHeart.com.

KAABOO You’ll need to travel to this one,

but music from No Doubt, the Roots,

Dawes and dozens more, comedy from

acts including Joel McHale and Lewis

Black, and actual restrooms to boot … all

of that’s got to be worth a drive to Del

Mar. Sept. 18-20, KaabooDelMar.com.

LAS VEGAS JAZZ FESTIVAL Erykah

Badu, Musiq Soulchild, Toni Braxton,

Brian McKnight, the Isley Brothers,

Anthony Hamilton and 11 other smooth,

soulful acts. Need we say more?

Sept. 25-27, Henderson Pavilion,

LVJazzFestival.com.

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL A solid mix of

legends (Stevie Wonder, Duran Duran),

contemporary heavyweights (Kendrick

Lamar, Imagine Dragons) and up-and-

comers (Halsey, Shamir) round out Life

Is Beautiful’s third go-round. Sept. 25-27,

Downtown Las Vegas, LifeIsBeautiful.com.

WINE AMPLIFIED Bottles full of bub!

Wine Amplified has blossomed into a

full-on music festival featuring 50 Cent

and G-Unit, Panic! at the Disco, Passion

Pit, Fitz and the Tantrums, Cold War Kids

and more. Oct. 9-10, MGM Resorts Village,

WineAmplified.com.

ROUTE 91 HARVEST FESTIVAL Got a

thing for Tim McGraw? The country

crooner co-headlines this second annual

trip down Route 91, with Keith Urban

and Florida Georgia Line. Oct. 2-4, MGM

Resorts Village, RT91Harvest.com.

POW WOW MUSIC FEST Where can you

find Tyga, DJ Mustard, Riff Raff, Lil Dicky

and roughly 50% of the Wu-Tang clan?

In Pozo, California, naturally. Join us

now in finding the place on a map. Oct. 3,

PozoSaloon.com.

HEMPFEST Weed ain’t fully legal yet, but

celebrating it is. Hempfest returns for

another hit of music (Afroman, Chanel

West Coast), vendors, carnival rides and

talks by Tommy Chong and state Senator

Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas. Oct. 3,

Clark County Government Amphitheater,

LasVegasHempFest.com.

– Camille Cannon

s we approach the outro of 2015, there will no doubt be a contest to see who will fnish the year strong. Will Kanye

surprise us with Swish? Will Frank Ocean fnally release Boys Don’t Cry? Will Meow the Jewels and Run the Jewels 3 both happen before 2016? While we keep our fngers crossed for those in limbo, we can rest easy knowing we’ve got some solid re-leases on the calendar.

As if Young Thug’s rhymes weren’t unintelligible enough, the melodic babbler has named his debut album Hy!£UN35 (Sept. 24), the title apparently leetspeak for “Hi-Tunes.” The project comes after his unexpectedly excellent Barter 6 mixtape and his surprising dancehall collaboration with Jamie XX and Popcaan, “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times).” If you’re into deciphering codes, Hy!£UN35 will be another lyrical Rubik’s Cube.

October looks like it’ll bring a lot more treats than tricks. First up is Louisville’s Bryson Tiller,

the latest half-R&B, half-rap Inter-net sensation. His singles “Don’t” and the Street Fighter-sampling “Sorry Not Sorry” have earned him comparisons to Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR, a co-sign from Timbaland and rumors of major label biddings. Let’s see if he lives up to the hype when his TRAPSOUL (Oct. 2) mixtape drops.

If Wavves’ collaborative project with Cloud Nothings, No Life for Me, released in June, wasn’t enough, the SoCal punk outft strikes again with their ffth studio album, aptly titled V (Oct. 2). It already sounds as fun as you’d expect. New joints “Way Too Much” and “Flamezesz” are righteous surf-punk jams.

Neon Indian broke a four-year silence when the one-man electronic act dropped the funky, tropical-tinged “Annie” in May. He followed that up in August with the groovy synth-pop of “Slumlord” and the announcement of his new LP, VEGA INTL. Night School (Oct. 16). Though the album is inspired by his adventures in the dark, what we’ve heard so far is certainly ft for a day in the sunshine.

The holidays inevitably bring forth some extra-cheesy Christmas albums, but I have high hopes that Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings’It’s a Holiday Soul Party (Oct. 30) will extend beyond a seasonal novelty. The release will feature original cuts and traditional holiday tunes—given retro-soul makeovers, of course. There’s even an “8 Days (of Hanukkah)” on the track list. Break out the menorah and let’s get funky.

But before the holidays actually hit, the music world will get a gift from Jordan Asher, a.k.a. Boots. Aquaria (Nov. 13) is one of the most-anticipated albums of the year for good reason. After co-writing and producing much of Beyoncé’s self-titled 2013 record, Boots dropped a mixtape featuring a host of criti-cally acclaimed artists, and released the short flm (and accompanying soundtrack) Motorcycle Jesus. His music is painted from an electronic palette, but touches everything from hip-hop to industrial rock. Aquaria will be co-produced by El-P of Run the Jewels, too. Imagine if Beyoncé hops on a track.

FALL ARTS PREVIEW

SOUNDS FROM THE OUTRO: HIP-HOP, SURF ROCK AND

SHARON JONESBY ZO N E I L M A H A R A J

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f i had to bestow a general theme on fall’s most-anticipated flm releases, it would prob-ably be Things I Don’t Want to Happen to Me,

But That I Still Want To Watch. And I’m not even talking about the fnal installment of The Hunger Games, which, compared to the Republican debates, looks positively civil. Here are fve such stories I look forward to not actually experiencing.

THE WALK

September 30

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Philippe Petit, the real-life, some-how still-breathing Frenchman who walked across a high wire stretched between the Twin Towers in 1974. There’s already a popular docu-mentary, Man on Wire, about Petit’s incredible feat, but The Walk director Robert Zemeckis has mind-bending CGI on his side.Why I Don’t Want It to Happen to Me:

The vertigo, the likelihood of falling to my death.Why I Still Want to Watch: The entire plot revolves around the World Trade Cen-ter buildings, so it’s a chance to see the fallen towers rise again. In 3-D, no less.

EVEREST

September 18

As the title implies, this is a movie about Mount Everest. Specifically, it’s a movie about the 1996 blizzard that killed eight people. Jake Gyllenhaal and Jason Clarke play two seasoned climbers who take separate groups up on doomed expeditions, and Keira Knightley plays the pregnant wife of one of them, because God forbid there’s a disaster movie that doesn’t involve a long-distance phone call that makes pretty people ugly-cry.Why I Don’t Want It to Happen to Me:The vertigo, the wind chill factor, the likelihood of falling to my death.Why I Still Want to Watch: A gripping true story with an A-list cast rarely fails.

STEVE JOBS

October 9

As the title implies, this is a movie about Steve Jobs. Specifcally, it’s a movie about the time the late Apple co-founder killed eight people. Wait … sorry, I cut and pasted that too soon. This is just a nonviolent biopic about Steve Jobs, who is not a murderer. But it’s written by Aaron Sorkin, directed by Danny Boyle, and stars Michael Fass-bender, so it’s got both buzz and brawn. Why I Don’t Want It to Happen to Me:In this case, “it” refers to Steve Jobs, who the film depicts as a total night-mare of a perfectionistic boss.Why I Still Want to Watch: Crackerjack dialogue, a window into the mind of a genius. Also, turtlenecks.

THE MARTIAN

October 2

Sadly, this is not a Steve Jobs-ian study of the popular Looney Tunes charac-ter, Marvin, but it’s almost as good: A Ridley Scott-directed sci-f action drama about an astronaut (Matt Da-

mon) on a mission to Mars who’s left for dead when his team has to evacu-ate the red planet in a hurry. Why I Don’t Want It to Happen to Me: The claustrophobia, the loneliness and the complete lack of oxygen.Why I Still Want to Watch: Matt Damon. On Mars.

BRIDGE OF SPIES

October 16

Steven Spielberg. Tom Hanks. The Cold War. Any one of these three nouns individually would be enough to set Oscar voters’ hearts afre, but in combination, there is a real danger that the Dolby Theater may actually burn to the ground. Nevertheless, 20th Century Fox is proceeding with the release of this historical thriller co-written by Joel and Ethan Coen (and there’s another potentially fammable set of nouns), which stars Hanks as a Brooklyn lawyer who’s asked by the government to negotiate the release of an American spy cap-tured by the Soviets.Why I Don’t Want It to Happen to Me:Espionage is one of those professions that comes with a high risk of being shot with a poisoned dart.Why I Still Want to Watch: When Spielberg directs Hanks in a period piece based on a true story, we get movies like Catch Me if You Can and Saving Private Ryan. (The Terminal doesn’t count.)

BETTER YOU THAN ME: THE MARTIAN, EVEREST, THE WALKBY U N A L A M A R C H E

FALL ARTS PREVIEW

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SHOWGIRLS!

THE MUSICAL!

After a run Off-Broadway

in New York, Showgirls

the Musical comes home

to Sin City, where actual

showgirls can join its cast.

Nomi Malone’s climb from

stripper to Strip star is

related through plenty of

pelvic thrusts and jazz

hands, as well as tunes

such as “Don’t Lick That

Pole, Girl!” and “Let Me

See Those Tits.” 953 E.

Sahara Ave. Suite 16B,

Sept. 10-12, 17-20, 24-26;

Oct. 1-3, OnyxTheatre.com.

LULA WASHINGTON

DANCE THEATRE

WITH KAMASI

WASHINGTON AND

MARCUS L. MILLER

The Lula Washington Dance

Theatre fuses ballet, mod-

ern and African dance into

provocative pieces. A pair

of live jazz bands will join

the company to present

pieces such as “Beautiful

Venus and Serena,” which

finds the ballet in a back-

hand. Reynolds Hall, Sept.

16, TheSmithCenter.com.

THE BOOK OF MORMON

Two young missionaries

journey to Uganda in this

wildly popular and gleefully

profane musical satire from

the creators of South Park

and, inexplicably, one of

the songwriters of Frozen.

Through song, dance, and

cameo appearances by

Jesus and Darth Vader, this

musical mocks everyone's

beliefs—while acknowl-

edging that holding those

beliefs is often necessary.

Reynolds Hall, Sept 22-27,

29-30; Oct. 1-4, 6-11, 13-18,

TheSmithCenter.com.

A SUMMONS FROM THE

TINKER TO ASSEMBLE

THE MEMBERSHIP IN

SECRET AT THE USUAL

PLACE

A Public Fit Theater

Company earned praise

and awards last year for

its first full production,

Foxfinder. It returns with

an original work based on

Fritz Lang’s classic Ger-

man Expressionist film,

M, which follows a child

murderer and the parallel

efforts of the police and

other criminals to stop him.

100 S. Maryland Pkwy., Oct.

15-18, 22-25, 29-31; Nov. 1,

APublicFit.org.

MISS MARGARIDA’S

WAY

In this interactive theatri-

cal experience from Table

8 Productions, the audi-

ence assumes the position

of eighth graders on their

first day in the tyrannical

Miss Margarida’s class.

This 1971 black comedy

was censored in author

Roberto Athayde’s native

Brazil, but remains rel-

evant today as a critique of

how educational systems

can enforce conformity.

Troesh Studio Theatre, The

Smith Center, Oct. 22-25,

Table8LV.com.

CASA VALENTINA

The most recent play by

Harvey Fierstein is based

on an actual resort in

upstate New York that

catered to heterosexual

cross-dressers in the '60s

and '70s. Casa Valentina

has its whimsical make-

over moments, as well as a

more serious consideration

of how gender defines—or

does not define—our sexu-

ality. 3920 Schiff Dr., Oct.

23-25, 29-31; Nov. 1, 5-8,

LVLT.org.

GROUNDED

George Brant’s harrowing

one-woman play tells the

story of an Air Force pilot

who, after taking maternity

leave, becomes a drone

operator. At first, firing

missiles in Afghanistan

from a trailer outside of

Las Vegas seems easier

than leaving her family,

but it gradually takes a

psychological toll. Art

Square, 1025 First St., Nov.

19-22 and Dec. 3, 5-6, 10-13,

CockroachTheatre.com.

CIRQUE SPECTACULARS and occasional Broadway transplants

are fine for tourists, but there are plenty of offbeat theater

choices to be found beyond the Strip.

THE WORLD'S A STAGE FOR SHOWGIRLS AND DRONES

BY L I S S A T O W N S E N D R O D G E RS

STAGE

Lula Washington Dance Theatre soars at Reynolds Hall.

M A R K E T P L A C E

$9.95Join the NEW Name in Fitness! 5 Las Vegas Locations: Las Vegas Northwest/Las Vegas South/ Las Vegas Centennial/ Las Vegas Aliante/ Las Vegas Southeast

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How did you decide to become

a conductor?

My grandparents were very supportive of my musical interests. One [grandmother] was a pianist and loved to play at family gatherings. She was the life of the party, and I wanted to be like her! What really started me out on a pro-fessional path, though, was my (Edward C. Reed High School in Sparks) band director. He was an inspiring and remark-able educator. From that mo-ment on, I knew that I wanted to be a professional musician.

In high school, I had a

friend who was similarly in-terested in music and we dis-covered it at the same time. When you’re in high school, you are always looking to belong, and being involved with music was what helped me belong to something.

I always thought high school

students liked only rock music.

I think that music is music, no matter what the form. What classical music affords is the same as all other forms of music, and that is its ability to tap into emotions in a unique way. You can’t quite create

that same response through painting or other art forms.

You’ll see that with chil-dren’s reactions when attend-ing a concert. I conduct many educational concerts for the San Francisco Symphony and elsewhere. There is nothing like seeing 2,700 young people actively engaged with the mu-sic being performed for them by more than 60 musicians.

Adults experience similar reactions. It’s exciting to talk to someone who had never heard the Las Vegas Philhar-monic before after they have experienced its power. It is

overwhelming for someone to have the opportunity to hear music in that way. It is an honor to present it to them.

You conduct the San Francisco

Symphony and the San Francisco

Symphony Youth Orchestra, and

you are music director of the

California Symphony and the New

Hampshire Music Festival. How

do you juggle all of those roles?

They are not all equal. The San Francisco Symphony is a major symphony orchestra that performs about 150 concerts throughout the year, as op-posed to the Las Vegas Philhar-

monic, which [will perform 18 concerts this season]. In New Hampshire the season is fve weeks out of the summer. So while it is still somewhat of a jigsaw puzzle, everything works out quite nicely!

Your opening concert in Las Vegas

is Beethoven & Brahms, but

you’re also including a work by

a living composer, Dan Visconti.

Why is there such a mix?

In any great museum, you also have exhibits of artwork from today. It must be the same way forward for an orchestra. You can’t just play Beethoven and Brahms and expect the art form to remain relevant.

Your family has roots in

Las Vegas dating back to 1959,

and you know the Strip is filled

with entertainment choices.

Why should people attend the

Las Vegas Philharmonic?

We offer something that you can’t experience with any other concert in Las Vegas. What I’m trying to achieve with the Las Vegas Philharmonic is for it to become an integral part of the community and a cultural representative of what Las Vegas has to offer. It is already that to a certain degree, but I want to greatly expand its presence and importance to the community. That is my overreaching goal. When you come through the doors of The Smith Center, you have an experience you cannot fnd anyplace else.

And when the audience walks out

the door after a concert, what do

you hope they’ve learned, heard

or experienced?

The most important thing is that they are feeling—that they felt the passion and engage-ment the artists are trying to get across to them. They will realize that all of the myths one might feel about these art forms are not true. Get a ticket and just come to a concert. That’s all I ask.

So you started all of this,

in a way, thanks to your

grandparents’ support. Did they

ever see you conduct in concert?

Yes. They saw me conduct and they all had smiles on their faces from ear to ear. That was enough for me!

Donato CabreraThe Las Vegas Philharmonic conductor on how he discovered his passion,

juggling roles around the country and what he hopes to impart to audiences

By Nancy Dunham

LAS VEGAS

PHILHARMONIC

Beethoven & Brahms,

7:30 p.m. Sept. 12, $26-

$96, TheSmithCenter.com