112

Our Collections, Ourselves | Vegas Seven Magazine | June 27-July 3

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

From hobo nickels to Elvis swag, how the odd art of "soulful materialism" shapes the lives that shape our city. Plus: A Basketball Bonanza, A Smith Center challenge, and a Look Back at EDC.

Citation preview

  • EvEnt

    VE

    GA

    S SE

    VE

    N

    Jun

    e 2

    7Ju

    ly 3

    , 20

    13

    14

    Photo

    s by

    Hew

    Burn

    ey

    [ upcoming ]

    July 4: Summerlin Council Patriotic Parade (Summerlin.com) July 13-14: Rock the Canyon Rally at Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort (RocktheCanyonRally.com)

    Sundown in downtownA wave of Caribbean culture sailed through the Las

    Vegas Natural History Museum on June 21 during

    the Sundown in Downtown party. The Calypso-

    inspired event drummed up more than 300 attend-

    ees, including a Jack Sparrow impersonator and a

    group of steel-drum performers who set the scene

    and the soundtrack for the evening. Guests toured

    the museums seven galleries, including its newest

    Sea Trek exhibit, while area restaurants includ-

    ing Mundo, the Barrymore and Casa Don Juan

    satisfied the crowd with small bites, with cocktails

    provided by Southern Wine & Spirits. All of the

    partying was paired with a cause: The proceeds

    generated help support the museums educational

    programs for underserved youth.

  • Unmask Your Venetian Summer

    CELEBRITY EVENTS NIGHTLY ENTERTAINMENT WINE WALKS ART DEMONSTRATIONS & EXHIBITS FASHION SHOWS

    venetian.com/carnevale# CARNEVALE LV

    C A R N E V A L ES U M M E R O F 3 0 0 E X P E R I E N C E S

  • th

    e l

    at

    es

    tV

    EG

    AS

    SEV

    EN

    Ju

    ne

    27

    July

    3, 2

    013

    22

    SluggiSh Aint BAd When You WAnt A loW RAteLast week plans were approved for a resort

    called Dynasty that will be built on East Fla-

    mingo Road with 794 rooms. Construction is at

    full-throttle on the north end of the Strip, where

    SLS Las Vegas will open next year with 1,600

    rooms. The $2 billion Resorts World Las Vegas

    will bring 3,500 more rooms when it debuts.

    Meanwhile a report by Moodys Investor Service

    indicates that a current oversupply of rooms will

    cause the economic recovery on the Strip to re-

    main sluggish. Sluggish isnt good for the casino

    industry, but its darn powerful if youre looking

    for a deal on a room.

    I found that out last week when the Las Vegas

    Advisor checked prices at 93 area hotels, finding

    53 casinos with rates of $50 or less (59 if you

    count outliers such as Buffalo Bills, Railroad Pass,

    etc.). Thats 57 percent of the sample. Of those 53,

    47 had rates of $40 or less, 30 had rates of $30

    and under, and fourEl Cortez, Hooters, Palace

    Station and the Quadwere below $20.

    Pretty amazing results, but it gets better. Sev-

    eral of the lowest rates were found on or near the

    Strip. In addition to the $18 rate at Hooters and

    $19.99 at the Quad, the rate was $26 at Harrahs,

    $27 at Wild Wild West, $28 at Riviera, $28 at

    Circus Circus, $29 at LVH, $30 at Excalibur, $31

    at Stratosphere, $32 at Flamingo, $35 at Ballys,

    $41 at Luxor and $46 at Planet Hollywood.

    Want more? Check out the higher-end: Golden

    Nugget $42, Monte Carlo $54, Palms (or Palms

    Place) $59, Paris $59, Hard Rock $65, NY-NY $60,

    The Mirage $76, Caesars Palace $78, Vdara $84,

    MGM Grand $90, Trump $90, MGM Grand Signature

    $92, Aria $109 and the new ultra-posh Nobu $149.

    As good as these low rates are, there are even

    better deals to be had when you consider some of

    the bundled offers that include resort credits and

    other add-ons. Last month turned up a $40 rate

    with a $50 bar tab at NY-NY and an $87 rate (two-

    night minimum) with a $100 food credit at Aria.

    Keep in mind that this list portrays the abso-

    lute lowest rate found, even if it was available

    for a single day in July, so you may not be able

    to duplicate these numbers exactly. Also, the

    rates dont include resort fees where ap-

    plicable (which is most places these days), so

    most are higher than listed. Still the list serves

    as a good road map that points you in the right

    direction for the bargains.

    Interestingly, this years survey numbers were

    almost identical to last years, indicating that

    while things may be improving in a lot of areas,

    theres still that problem of too many rooms. I

    expect things will remain sluggish when the new

    casinos arrive.

    Anthony Curtis is the publisher of the Las Vegas

    Advisor and LasVegasAdvisor.com. Photo

    by

    Adam

    Kane M

    acchia

    lAS VegAS fiRSt casino bowling alley opened in 1959 when the off-Strip Showboat added lanes as part of its successful effort to refocus on lo-cals, driving growth at the property for the next 20 years. Showboats success has made bowl-

    ing a mainstay of locals casinosso much so that the International Bowl Expo came to Paris Las Vegas this month (it ends June 28). Yes, its ironic that the expo settled on a ca-sino without a bowling alley, but the lanes have been the purview of locals casinos: Station has fve bowling alleys in the Valley, with lanes at Red Rock, Sunset Station, Texas Station, Santa Fe Station and Wildfre Sunset. According to Station chief marketing offcer Staci Alonso, the lanes are an integral part of those casinos identi-ties as all-around entertainment des-tinations. You dont have to decide exactly what youre going to do, she says, until you get to the property. Whether its bowling, a movie, din-ing or, of course, gambling, theres always something to do.It works, Alonso says, because

    its still fun. Its fun for my 12-year-old son, for me at 40 and for my mom at 70. Its got a diverse appeal.Station promotes both leisure

    and league bowling, and, with more than 2,000 bowling birthday parties a year across its Las Vegas properties, sees the game as a major business driver. Charity games and competitions are also major draws.In recent years, bowling has even

    made inroads into the upscale mar-ket, which is ftting, as the game

    is undergoing a national shift. According to a report by leisure consultant White Hutchinson, the demographic profle of the average bowler is younger and wealthier than it was during its 1960s heyday, and with nearly half of the more than 50 million people who bowl each year coming from households with incomes above $75,000 a year. The Palms 5,000-square-foot

    Kingpin Suite, which opened in 2005, features among its over-the-top amenities a fully functional two-lane bowling alley. Guests at the Hard Rock Hotels Real World Suite, though, have to make do with a single lane.Its no surprise, then, that a

    major new Strip development will feature bowling, but with a twist. When Linq opens between the Flamingo and the Quad, one of its flagship tenants will be Brooklyn Bowl. The Brooklyn original is almost the poster child for bowlings 21st century rein-vention: Bowlers can kick back on Chesterfield sofas to take in performances by everyone from Guns N Roses to DJ ?uestlove, or order food from Eric and Bruce Brombergs Blue Ribbon.

    Its not just bowling, says Brook-lyn Bowl co-owner Charley Ryan. Its a conspiracy to get people off their couches to a place where they can interact with each other. We put bowlers in the catbird seat for the live music, on a sound system better than anything they have at home. Thats why Brooklyn Bowls bowling lanes are higher, instead of lower, than the surrounding area: They are a VIP section.But more traditional bowling is,

    if anything, growing in Las Vegas. The South Point recently announced plans to build a $30 million bowling center that will host United States Bowling Congress championship events starting in 2016.Alonso credits Renos recent

    renaissance on mens and womens bowling competitions being held concurrently for the frst time, which boosted visitation and spending. She sees a similar effect in Las Vegas. With more competi-tions coming, she says, its good for the economy. It doesnt hurt that Station owns more lanes than anyone else in Las Vegas.So while Brooklyn Bowl high-

    lights the next generation, there are plenty of places around Las Ve-gas where traditional competition and league bowlers are welcome. Participants at the International Bowl Expo, looking for clues to keeping their game relevant, have a case study in their host city.

    David G. Schwartz is the director of UNLVs Center for Gaming Studies.

    Pin InterestWhy bowling works in Las Vegas

    New Yorks Brooklyn Bowl, coming soon to Las Vegas Linq.

  • nightlife

    46

    See more photos from this gallery at SpyOnVegas.com

    Photo

    gra

    phy

    by

    Am

    it D

    adla

    ney,

    Jesse S

    uth

    erl

    and, J

    osh

    Metz

    and T

    ony

    Tra

    n

    VE

    GA

    S SE

    VE

    N

    Jun

    e 2

    7Ju

    ly 3

    , 20

    13

  • ElEctric Daisy carnival 2013Las Vegas Motor Speedway

    VE

    GA

    S SE

    VE

    N

    Jun

    e 2

    7Ju

    ly 3

    , 20

    13

    47

  • VEGAS SEVEN

    Jun

    e 2

    7Ju

    ly 3

    , 20

    13

    54

    Nightlife

    When Paul OakenfOlds Perfecto at Rain became a renowned residency, his signature sound and persona were only a part of the appeal. Behind the literal and fgurative curtain was a dancer-turned-show producer who would hugely impact the visual landscape of Las Vegas nightlife. At that time, Gen Clearys dance/production company Belluscious had been gaining traction with its corpo-rate division, Stage Spectacle, providing clients such as Cha-nel, Mercedes-Benz and Mc-Donalds a more empowering,

    commercial brand of female glamor inspired by 1930s- and 1940s-era musicals.Amid such corporate success,

    Cleary hesitated to take on another full-time club commit-ment. But she agreed, then had 10 days to create the Perfecto performance from scratch, an undertaking that necessitated the deconstruction of Rains ceiling to add rigging points for aerialists. That six-month trial production deal turned into a four-year stint just as the U.S. electronic-dance-music move-ment was gaining momentum.

    Today Cleary produces shows for Marquee, Hakkasan, XS and other such nightlife behe-moths. Shes driven, she says, by a personal obsession to fnd an organic symbiosis with the music, with the performances and with the visual to break that wall between the audience and the performer.But her story begins way

    before that when, at 5 years old, she took the stage as a tap dancer in Montreal. She turned pro at age 7 and was touring the U.S. by 13. In New York, she caught the eye of Fred Kelly (brother of famed dancer Gene Kelly), who became her mentor and introduced her to the par-ticulars of Broadway showbiz. How you wow the audience, Cleary explains, by integrating the music with the costumes, set designs, performances and storylines. By adulthood, Cleary was a

    full-time tap soloist. Unfor-tunately her 5-foot-11 stature

    pigeonholed her as a French-cabaret-style dancer. Then, tragically, a 1998 car accident at 17 broke her pelvis and compro-mised her walking ability. Danc-ing was out of the question.But Cleary saw an opportu-

    nity: Commercial dancing was booming in L.A., while the art of old-fashioned performance was getting lost. She formed a dance company out of Montreal to elevate womens status in the entertainment business and to combat the pervasiveness of sexual objectivity. Cleary was leading a para-

    digm shift on the performance side. Lets forget about the word sexy and go with sassy. When youre onstage you have to teaseyoure creating dream and passionbut you dont have to act as if youre having sex.Belluscious turns 10 this year,

    as she coordinates choreogra-phy, costume design and set designs to tell stories that com-plement the music. She also

    manages the dancers she em-ploys. Clearys frst big client was the Benson & Hedges tour that brought top European house-music producers, such as David Guetta, Paul van Dyk and Bob Sinclair, to Canadian clubs years before EDM gained mass appeal in the U.S. When the celebrity-host nightclub phenomenon started hitting, she worked with the stars of the moment, including Car-men Electra, Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. Venues and producers wanted more than a talking head, they wanted a show, and Cleary became the it-girl for this emerging form of nightlife entertainment. When Rain and 9Group

    signed Oakenfold for the Perfecto residency, Cleary was asked to help create interaction between performers, guests and the DJ. She helped the DJ to treat our music, our visuals, our branding like a pop star, as if youre a Madonna treat the product just like a musical, like a rock star or a pop star. Soon Cleary was working with the likes of Rihanna, Avicii and LMFAOs Redfoo. In the past two months,

    Cleary has opened 17 more shows. Shes currently the cre-ative director for the Cosmo-politan, and manages visuals for every residency at Marquee. Shes excited how the clubs stage lets her get back to my roots, to try to break the clich of what a go-go dancer is and how to elevate it. She also cho-reographs the dancers at Bond. Cleary is also the resident

    creative and performance director at Hakkasan, where she produces shows for Tisto, Steve Aoki and the other residents. For the Calvin Harris show, the women wear heavy helmets rigged with three fat-screen TVs. They cant see anything at all, and theyre choreographed! she says, laughing. Theres another act I created where the girls are pretty much on giant hamster wheels; the wheels spin and they can do 360s in it. The girls are insane!What does all this creative

    insanity have in common? Whether theyre go-go danc-ers or whether theyre onstage, we train them and we push them, Cleary says. The key for her performers is to focus on one person or a couple of people when they dance. Even though they are far away, that person is gonna feel it and feel part of it.

    The RingleaderWhen tragedy cut her dance career short,

    Gen Cleary turned lemons into nightlife gold

    By Sam Glaser

  • nightlife

    VEGAS SE

    VEN

    Jun

    e 2

    7Ju

    ly 3

    , 20

    13

    58

    Gareth emery has been consis-tently proclaimed the U.K.s top DJ by DJ Magazine, and with bangers such as Con-crete Angel and Last Time to his credit, its clear why. With an artist album due out later this year, a new bride and having just helped launch the EDM social media platform Vidiam, hes certainly busy,

    although we did manage to catch up with the Marquee resident to download all that he has going on. He plays Mar-quee Dayclub on June 29.

    How does being the highest-ranked British DJ affect your approach when you bring your sound to the U.S.?For the last four years Ive

    been doing 100-plus shows here, so its been reasonably well-received. Obviously, you can always [try to reach] more people, but its difficult to say

    what my sound is. Its kind of a mix of everythingsome house, some progressive, some trance. Its very melody heavy because thats the background I come from, a musical one. People will often say that they can tell a track that I will play or thats by me. They cant exactly put into words what that quality is that they pick out, but they know its me. So its kind of a nice thing. I play music I like and do my own thing.

    Is that what you mean when you say your sound is, Simple yet effective?Exactly, yes. I dont like stuff

    thats overly complicated. It doesnt necessarily mean it has to be cheesy. A lot of stuff you hear today is very generic. You can be simple but intelligent, and you can be simple with a melody that you have never heard before. So its got to be smart music, and its got to be innovative and different from whats come before. What I do is essentially music for dance foors. You can get away with less complexity in a club than with something that some-body would listen to at home.

    Whens your artist album slated to debut?When its fnished! Ive been

    working hard on it, and have got some great material. I try not to commit too heavily to release dates, but later this year.

    What else is in the works?Ive got a new single with

    Krewella called Light and Thunder that Im really excited about. We met at a show in Chicago back in Au-gust and talked about doing something. I sent them an instrumental I was working on, and they sent me back a vocal. It should be out within six weeks.

    Does it bother you when peo-ple label you as a trance DJ?No, I dont mind it. Ive

    come around. There is this thing where people think I try to get away from trance, but thats not really the case. What Ive always done is played music I like. If you go back and listen to my first podcast

    in 2006, the first record I ever played was a Funkagenda record. It was difficult to play those songs in my club sets back then when I was playing rooms where people were banging it out. For me, the transition was when people I was excited about stopped making trance. The quality really dipped, and a lot of the house guys actually picked up the trance melodies and were making better trance than some of the trance guys were making. I was thinking that this music has the spirit of why I got into this in the first place. Its this new sort of house music rather than the really underground stuff. Ill always have some house

    in what I play, but if people think they are coming to see a house or trance DJ, thats all great. Ill deliver my soundsthe [Sound of] Garuda sound, and whatever box they want to put that in is cool with me.The only thing that bugs me

    is when they expect a set of mine to be like a set of, say, Armin van Buurensthats not what Ive ever been, and that was never my sound. And I think occasionally there is a misconception in that respect. The vast majority of my fan base is great in that they get that it is a mixed bag, and thats a good thing for me.

    Can you talk about the evo-lution of your sound from Nervous Breakdown to Concrete Angel?[Nervous Breakdown] was

    a hard house or hard trance record, a style that doesnt really even exist anymore, which was played by some harder guys such as Eddie Halliwell, Lisa Lashes and people known for delivering extreme, high-energy music. My first record that I identify with as being really me was Mistral, which was played by Paul van Dyk, Tisto and Armin van Buuren. The crazy thing is that somebody made a bootleg of Mistral versus Tokyo, two tracks eight years apart, and they sound similar and flow into one another; so if anyone thinks Ive changed my sound, this could literally be one track!

    For more on Emerys evolution of sound, his Sirius show, his work with Vidiam and his home life, check out VegasSeven.com/GarethEmery. Follow him @GarethEmery, or watch him push out content on Vidi.am.

    Smart MusicAcross-the-pond sensation Gareth Emery brings his simple,

    intelligent sound to Marquee Dayclub

    By David Morris

  • Gastro Fare. Nurtured Ales. Jukebox Gold.

  • Dining

    VE

    GA

    S SE

    VE

    N

    Jun

    e 2

    7Ju

    ly 3

    , 20

    13

    82

    drinking

    Photo

    by

    Kin

    Lui

    [ Scene StirS ]

    Aces & Ales TenAyA, on der wine bus, And sAve The dATe I have seen the light. Actually, it was

    pitch-black when I entered the new Aces

    & Ales on June 22 at 2801 N. Tenaya Way,

    and they were still installing the sign. The

    neighborhood is part of that pocket of the

    northwest where everything is either a

    medical service or a service to medical

    services; I would classify this as the lat-

    ter. Open 24 hours, the cavernous space

    trumps the Nellis Boulevard location by

    28 taps. The kitchen wasnt serving yet,

    so I sampled a Ballast Point Brewing Co.s

    Habanero Sculpin IPA (hot!) and sipped a

    Rogue Ales Hazelnut Brown Nectar. The

    place still has that new bar smell! Better

    hurry before Tasting Tuesdays starts up,

    and the place takes on that something just

    came out of the fryer smell.

    The week started as it endedthat is,

    with me drinking beer in Summerlinat the

    Big Dogs beer-tasting dinner at Embers

    Grille & Spirits (EmbersLasVegas.com).

    The collaborative affair paired five courses,

    including seared blackened tuna, a grilled

    filet and warm chocolate cake with Big

    Dogs brews, including my favorite, the Red

    Hydrant English brown ale. The next dinner

    is 6:30 p.m. July 15, with five courses

    paired with Firestone Walker beers, includ-

    ing Union Jack West Coast IPA, Wookey

    Jack Unfiltered Black Rye IPA, Parabola

    Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout and

    DBA Double Barrel British Pale Ale, for $50

    per person. Call 778-2160 to RSVPthe

    menu looks delish.

    Speaking of Big Dogs, save the date:

    6 p.m. to midnight July 20 for Big Dogs

    Summer Beer Fest (BigDogsBrews.com/

    Festivals/Summerfest) at 4543 N. Rancho

    Drive. More than 50 brews will be on

    offer, as well as barbecue platters. Live

    reggae music and raffle prizes will keep

    you occupied, as if the 50-plus beers alone

    couldnt do that.

    Mid-week, I found myself drinking 42-

    year old riesling in the parking lot of Lotus

    of Siam. Id better explain: Penny Chutima,

    daughter of the Lotus family, invited me to

    meet up with the Wines of Germany Ries-

    ling & Co. Road Trip, a group of die-hard

    riesling fans hell-bent on demonstrating this

    wines versatility and variety. The 18-foot

    trailer set off from L.A. the night before, and

    stopped in Las Vegas June 20 on its way

    to New York. The pop-up wine bar featured

    stools, a bar top and a screen to help us

    spell words like Siefersheimer, rziger Wrzgarten and Hermannshhle. And they were diverse indeed, varying in vintage

    from 2011 to 1971, and in style from off-dry

    to definitely sweet, but always with enough

    acidity to keep us refreshed and munching

    happily on Lotus sour pork sausage. From

    now on Ill just say Ja to riesling. X.W.

    PrePAring for A blowout Fourth of July barbecue? Youll need some patriotic provisions, including a killer cocktail that is as American as apple pie. Light Group corporate mixologist Mi-chael Monrreals Apple Pie cocktail at Citizens Kitchen & Bar is all-American, right down to its American Harvest organic vodka (made from American winter wheat and water from beneath Idahos Snake River Plain) and Denver-made Leop-old Bros. New York Sour Apple liqueur (a small-batch blend

    of sour and sweet Upstate New York apples, eau-de-vie and a sour mash of malted barley). Apple juice, lemon juice and agave syrup make up the balance, and all in proportions that have punch written all over them. Multiply the recipe to have enough to offer your over-21 guests, fll a punch bowl and toss in some thin apple slices and cinnamon sticks. Or, if you will be outdoors pour it all into a fancy drink dispenser and stand backthis one is bound to go off like Roman candles.

    Merican Pie

    Get the recipe for Michael Monrreals Apple Pie cocktail at VegasSeven.com/Cocktail-Culture.

  • VE

    GA

    S SE

    VE

    N

    Jun

    e 2

    7Ju

    ly 3

    , 20

    13

    87

    While their cultural programming recedes a little, should your donations expand a bit? Unless were total hypocrites, the answer would have to be yes. Collectively, we crow about culture as a

    Smith Center priority, Still, our wallets, credit cards and checkbooks favor the same entertain-ment genresmusicals and headlinersavailable on the Strip (though other eclectic acts do well) and the center obliges with affordability. Com-paratively, the Smith Broadway series is a steal.Now a resident production at Harrahs, Million

    Dollar Quartet prices its cheapest tickets at $69, but at its pre-Strip tour stop at The Smith Center a year ago, they began at $27. Rockin to Jersey Boys at Paris Las Vegas sets you back at least $55, while the recent Catch Me If You Can at Smith started at $24. Explaining the increase in their fundrais-ing goal to $3.2 million, Martin says that selling well on those Broadway visitors also contributes to a misconception among some patrons and potential donors.There is this perception that The Smith Center

    was expensive [$470 million] and were selling out all the Broadway shows so we must be making a fortune, Martin says. But as long as we make ticket prices affordable, and continue to do all the educational programs and community outreach we do, we will always have to rely on community support. Its going to take a while for people to clearly understand that a great community asset like this requires some care and feeding.Exactly how much care and feeding? Were

    going to ask a few more people to give another $10 here and $100 there so we can do all the mission-critical things without tripling ticket costs, Martin says, adding that fundraising is a different conversation now with consum-ers than it was with million-dollar contributors while the center was under construction.Whether that also makes it a more diffcult

    conversation with middle-class patrons watching their pennies in a still-uncertain economy will be a crucial issue as the new season draws near.

    Damn that word, cultureat once a selling point and a turnoff, connoting sophistication but smacking of snobbery, a valued ideal at odds with mass appeal. In that ancient, eternal pull-tug be-tween art and commerce, how do you convince people to embrace it?If I dont know who the performers are, its all

    the more reason for me to go, urges Patrick Duffy, president of the Las Vegas Art Museum, a member of The Smith Centers board of directors and a major donor. It blew my mind on around 10 oc-casions. Im like, Am I glad I got off my ass to see these performers.Ideally, thats a philosophy to which every

    Smith attendee should adhere, but many cant, having limited leisure dollars to spread around and doling them out cautiously for the perform-ers they consider sure bets for a good time. Is the answer in an approach to program-

    ming thats autocraticor democratic? It takes mining some data and fnding out what our constituency wants, Duffy says. Its not the few speaking for the many.Counterintuitive as it seems, should, in fact, the

    few sometimes speak for the many, pouring more cultural offerings into the schedule and promoting them heavily until the populace fnds its artistic footing? Isnt that part of the underlying mission of a performing arts centerto persuade us to ap-preciate what we never expected we could?Come August, culture at The Smith Center

    steps back a bit.Cant we step forward a little?

  • VE

    GA

    S SE

    VE

    N

    Jun

    e 2

    7Ju

    ly 3

    , 20

    13

    88

    Music

    The Bunkhouse saloon will no longer be a Downtown live-music venue for the

    summer. Promoter Patrick Trouts last

    scheduled show there is June 29, and hes

    going out with an all-star Las Vegas indie-

    rock blowoutincluding Avalon Landing, The Big Friendly Corporation and The Clydesdale, Crazy Chief.

    The Downtown Projecta Zappos-

    affiliated revitalization group bent on

    changing the gritty

    urban core into a

    thriving entrepre-

    neurial and cultural

    zonebought the

    bar in January.

    Apparently, its time

    to begin remodeling

    the joint, which in recent years was a top

    place to catch cult and cutting-edge na-

    tional acts from every conceivable genre.

    The Bunkhouse is slated to reopen in

    September. Im told live music will return

    and that the venue will serve, according

    to a Downtown Project PR person, as a

    cornerstone of the music scene Down-

    town. But I wouldnt bet on seeing much

    underground rock there. After all, death

    metal and crust-punk dont really jibe

    with Tony Hsiehs delivering happiness

    paradigm, right?

    Hot on the heels of releasing their

    debut album Oderint Dum Metuant (which

    I reviewed in Vegas Sevens May 13 issue),

    gritty blues-rockers the Psyatics swing

    into Double Down Saloon at 10 p.m. June

    28. The Las Vegas trio is led by singer-

    bassist Rob Bell, who extends the sound

    and fury of his earlier band, Yeller Bellies.

    I havent yet caught a live set by the Psyat-

    ics. Based on what I hear on their CD, Im

    anxious to confirm that blustering, heavy-

    guitar-riffing tunes such as Bourbon

    Sway still sound swig-worthy in a bar

    like Double Down. My wager is yes. Also

    on the bill: Aluminum Falcon, Stagnettis

    Cock, No One Listens and Swampass.

    Theres a cool singer-songwriter

    showcase 10 p.m. June 28 at Beauty Bar.

    The Revive Vegas event benefits the local

    chapter of the American Foundation for

    Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and features

    two of my favorite acoustic artistsMercy

    Music (a.k.a. Brendan Scholz) and Paige

    Overton (who fronts

    The Clydesdale). Also

    on the bill are two

    guys from punk band

    The Core who often

    trade in their electric

    guitars for unplugged

    six-strings: No Red

    Alice (Sal Giordano) and Brock Frabbiele.

    Heres a chance to catch some of the citys

    best songwriters in a format emphasizing

    lyrics and vocals. All proceeds will go to

    AFSPs Out of the Darkness community

    walk, designed to help prevent and raise

    awareness of suicide.

    From the badlands of Las Cruces, New

    Mexico, comes gnarly sludge-rock duo

    Oryx, splitting the musical difference be-

    tween Black Sabbath-style doom metal and

    heavy ambient noise. The musiciansa guy

    on fuzzy down-tuned guitar and tortured

    screaming, a gal on clanging-like-a-pos-

    sessed-garbage-truck-on-fire drumsdont

    leave any room for nuance. Oh, and in case

    you dont know, oryx are horned antelope

    from Southern Africa now found at White

    Sands Missile Range. Big-game hunters in-

    troduced them into the ecosystem 30 years

    ago so theyd have something to shoot.

    Oryx crashes into The Dive at 9 p.m. July 2.

    Local avant-rockers China open.

    Your Vegas band releasing a CD soon?

    Email [email protected].

    Bunkhouse Break, suicide soluTion, anTelope hunT

    The Clydesdale say farewell to the Bunkhouse.

  • a&e

    VE

    GA

    S SE

    VE

    N

    Jun

    e 2

    7Ju

    ly 3

    , 20

    13

    90

    concerts

    She &

    Him

    photo

    by

    Eri

    k K

    abik

    ; J

    essi

    ca H

    ern

    andez

    and t

    he D

    eltas

    photo

    by

    Lin

    da E

    vans

    Jessica Hernandez and tHe deltasBeauty Bar, June 22

    It was this 3-year-old Detroit bands first time in town, which may have contributed

    to the sparse attendance, with more than a few taking off after locals Trevor and the

    Joneses and Von Kin finished their sets. But those who stuck around or wandered in

    later were amply rewarded. Led by Hernandez, a tiny chick with some badass pipes,

    the six-piece ensemble opened to a small stage-side audience but by the end, most of

    the bar campers were up grooving and grinning to a raucous musical banquet.

    Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas arent stuffed easily into a genre-box. Channeling ragtime

    keys, Romani flash and grindhouse themes, their tight musicianship turns this potentially

    confusing stew into smartly textured compositions that reach out and pull you on the floor.

    Sorry I Stole Your Man begins with calliope keys and transitions with a ripping trombone

    slide into something akin to a ska/zydeco thump over which Hernandez teases out her

    backhanded apology. And I would swear Caught Up is channeling some gin joint ghosts or

    70s exploitation flick. Hernandez punches above her weight with vocal power and precision

    that, on tunes such as No Place Left to Hide, is both seductive and mesmerizing.

    Kurt Rice

    sHe & Him Cosmopolitan Boulevard Pool, June 19

    After a rousing if not syrupy performance by opener Tilly and

    the Wall (the Omaha, Nebraska, band has a tap dancer as part

    of its rhythm section), nostalgic retro-pop group She & Him felt

    subdued. Composed of twee New Girl actress Zooey Deschanel

    and singer-songwriter M. Ward, the duo offered sunny vocals

    and driving guitar solos. Although stiff and somewhat awkward

    onstage, Deschanel skillfully worked her way through songs

    from their newest album, Volume 3, as well as their back catalog.

    The appropriately beachy Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, I Could

    Have Been Your Girl, In the Sun and Take It Back were the

    shows standouts. Ward even performed some of his masterful

    solo work. Despite being slightly upstaged by the openers, She

    & Him was breezy, warm and funall the things a summer

    poolside concert should be. Danielle Smith

  • VE

    GA

    S SE

    VE

    N

    Jun

    e 2

    7Ju

    ly 3

    , 20

    13

    95

    stage

    Now thats Vegaswith a message/les-son tossed in.Anyone who cant have a blast at the

    Venetians Priscilla Queen of the Desert is a big-time party poop (if so, what are you doing in Vegas?).Defaulting to that gay buzzword,

    Priscilla is fabulousa rollicking, eye-popping, madcap spectacle that lifts you up as it follows two drag queens and a post-op transsexual through the Aussie desert on a hot pink bus (rear entry on request reads its back door). Pleasures are plentiful: lovable lead

    characters; incredible costumes (about 500) smothered in sequins and feathers and wild imagination (fuorescent green cupcake skirts!); a rainbow coalition of wigs and disco-era outfts; danc-ing paintbrushes (seriously); angels descending from the rafters; and witty, raunchy writing (sample exchange: go take your hormones; I think I just heard a whore moan.)Set to 60s-80s hits (I Say a Little

    Prayer, I Will Survive, Its Raining Men and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun), it also deploys them cleverlysongwrit-ers Burt Bacharach and Hal David would chuckle over a drag queen holding a wig and crooning, While combing my hair now, and wondering what dress to wear now. Plus a hilarious take on MacAr-thur Park is worth the admission price. Finally, there are gentle messages about homophobia and acceptance.On an extended tour stop through

    August 18, Priscilla is likely a good ft for a largely tourist audience. Gay or straight, its sex jokes would be a riskier draw at The Smith Center.Watching Priscilla, I refected on

    HBOs Liberace biopic, Behind the Candelabra, in which, beftting the 70s-80s setting, gays were treated like a secret society, and the prin-cipal characters shadier sides were exposedthe late headliner as a

    promiscuous heel and his young lover as a druggie opportunist. Drawing a Vegas timeline from that to the out-and-proud, loud-and-likable Priscilla is heartening. However, even as states increasingly

    legalize gay marriage and its cham-pioned by the president, Priscilla isnt

    a pure statement of liberation yet. While many gay activists lauded its unapolo-getic embrace of gay pride, some accused it of caricaturing gays.

    Even the show itself seems to feet-ingly betray itself in a scene where goons paint fuck off faggots on the bus. Says one of the drag queens, sadly: Never forget the price of our choices. Is that the choice of drag performing? Or choice of sexuality which is what gay-bashers claim it is, rather than a biological imperative?Producers should reconsider the

    ambiguity of that line.Remove politics, thoughexcept the

    message of acceptanceand Priscilla may be the most fun two hours (no intermission) you can spend on the Strip until temps drop to a bone-chilling 80. Borrowing a phrase, youll have a gay ol time.

    STRIP POSTSCRIPT: Bump and grind and shake and shimmy? Gimme! Introducing the frst Las Vegas Burlesque Festival, set for October 10-12, with more than 70 performances scheduled at Boomers Bar and the Clarion Hotels Wolf The-ater. Promising opulent costumes and dazzling dancers, the event is produced by Cha Cha Velour and includes appearances by Kalani Koko-nuts and Blanche DeBris. Performer applications are available through LVBurlesqueFest.com.Ive already submitted mine.

    Got an entertainment tip? Email [email protected].

    Priscillas drag queeNs are kiNg-size fuN

    Photo

    by

    Joan M

    arc

    us

  • VEGAS SE

    VEN

    Jun

    e 2

    7Ju

    ly 3

    , 20

    13

    96

    Movies

    A&E

    it begins the way global epidemics have begun once or twice before in the movies: with a nice American family around the kitchen table, television droning in the background, delivering news reports of a mutating virus. OK, pass the OJ! Lets get on with the rest of our undead-plagued lives, shall we?We shall. And we shall

    overcome. World War Z, the messy, fairly entertaining Brad Pitt zombie picture directed by Marc Forster (Monsters Ball, Quantum of Solace), barely hangs together in story terms, and Forsters direction is more about nervous traffc manage-

    ment than tonal certainty or action fnesse. But in the key sequences, pitting our man Pitt (playing a vaguely defned United Nations investigator/world saver) against some superfast and rabidly hungry swarms of unhumanity, the stakes are high and the excite-ments there and the results, as previously stated, are messy but fairly entertaining.Sequels are desired, clearly.

    The massively budgeted World War Z (production costs, not including the selling part, soared north of $200 million by most reports) would have to be re-ally, really popular to warrant another chapter in the zombie-

    wompin days and nights of Ger-ry Lane, played by Pitt, whose panic meter never exceeds 30 percent. Amazingly terrible things are happening all around him, and to him, all the time. Yet he soldiers on, glamorously, kill-ing the already killed, saving the save-able, guided by his love for a good woman (Mireille Enos), their two gold-plated young daughters and an adopted-on-the-fy Newark, New Jersey, survivor of the outbreak.The frst big blowout in World

    War Z fnds the Lanes in traffc in downtown Philadelphia (the scenes were shot in Glasgow, Scotland). Suddenly: zombie attack! In a matter of minutes,

    many of the worlds cities are in fames. The conceit of World War Z, based very loosely on Max Brooks novel, is that it takes only 10 or 12 seconds for a chomped human to join the un-dead hordes. 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later got there frst, and did it better, but in general its clear: Fleet-footed zombies are better than slow ones.Driving a stolen camper into

    a trashed-out, looter-friendly Newark, the Lanes are rescued by U.N. forces and relocated to an aircraft carrier, where Gerrys old boss (Fana Mokoena) monitors a rapidly disintegrat-ing crisis. From there World War Z sends Gerry off on a series of ad hoc missions, frst to South Korea, then to Israel, then to Cardiff, Wales, to fnd the elusive origin of the zombie problem, and/or concoct a cure.Forsters visual strategy is

    similar to that of Man of Steel di-rector Zack Synders: Keep the camera too close to everyone and everything, handheld style, for maximum fake realism and jiggliness. Both Forster

    and Snyder might beneft from being sent to directorial re-education camp to learn the value of an extended take not designed to induce nausea. As in Quantum of Solace, half the time in World War Z you dont know whos hacking whom.The simplest setups and

    payoffs save the movie from utter confusion. In Jerusalem (these scenes were shot in Malta, with lots of extras and thousands more digital extras), the immensely tall concrete barriers prove no match for the scrambling zombie enemy. Later, on a fight to Wales, Gerry and an Israeli commando (Daniella Kertesz, in the flms fercest and best performance) fnd themselves sitting in what appears to be frst class, when a zombie comes out of nowhere (well, the toilet, actually) to attack a fight attendant in the rear of the cabin. A better, more subversive director than Forster mightve done something with this condescending setupmy God, what is happening back there, in coach? But even in his better flms (Finding Neverland, Stranger Than Fiction) Forster has betrayed not even a trace element of humor. Like it, dont like it or like parts of it, World War Z has no interest in splattery high spirits. It got by, barely, with a PG-13 rating, though you sense an R-rated version just dying to bust out.The movies travails have

    been extensively chronicled. World War Z went into produc-tion without an ending, and the rewrites and reshoots threw out much of the fnal third (a zom-bie battle in Moscow, alluded to briefy in an epilogue) in favor of a new climax, set in a remote World Health Organization of-fce in Cardiff. There Gerry and his fellow survivors match wits with their undead adversaries, in dark hallways and a warren of biohazardous lab facilities. Its a strangely modest climax to a globe-trotting movie. In its way, it satisfes; at least World War Zs laborious reshoots steered the thing away from generic scenes of mass destruction, toward old-fashioned human-scale zombie vanquishing problem solving. The epilogue and at-tendant voiceover narration that caps it? Pure desperation. But thats the movie all over: inept one minute, enticingly dire the next.

    World War Z (PG-13)

    Dead Man RunningWorld War Z brings on a feet-footed zombie apocalypse

    By Michael PhillipsTribune Media Services

    Brad Pitt, sex symbol and undead exterminator.

  • A&E

    VEGAS SE

    VEN

    Jun

    e 2

    7Ju

    ly 3

    , 20

    13

    98

    movies

    [by tribune media services]short reviews

    what is Pixar doing, settling for adequacy?

    Monsters University, the weirdly charmless sequel to the animated 2001 Pixar hit Monsters, Inc., is no better or worse than the average (and I mean average) time-flling sequel cranked out by other animation houses. But theres no point in talking about the movie without putting it in context with the reasons so many responded to Pixars best over the past few years.Pixars bestWall-E, Ratatouille

    and Up for me, along with a remarkable second tier of The Incredibles, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo and the Toy Story tril-ogyfollowed blueprints and formulas up to a point. But the various artists at Pixar, now af-fliated with Disney, made their reputations on knowing when to throw all that away, and fol-low their instincts.

    Cars, one of Pixars weaker efforts, turned into an $8 billion global merchandise bonanza that made a sequel statistically impossible to

    avoid, though Cars 2 neednt have been quite so mechani-cal and bizarrely nasty. This brings us to Monsters University, a flm roughly on the Cars 2 achievement level.Three credited writers

    labored to bring forth three or four good jokes amid a weary-ing tale of college anxieties and relentless peer pressurejust what the preteens need to inculcate a sense of higher-ed dread. Its a prequel by defni-tion, not a sequel, and the writers clearly have studied the Oz-prequel musical Wicked for pointers.We meet chipper, one-eyed

    Mike (Billy Crystal repris-ing his vocal chores) as a tot, dreaming of attending Monsters U. someday. The day arrives, though when he meets his future best friend Sulley (John Goodman), theyre polar opposites: Mike the studi-ous, hardworking if innately unfrightening monster-in-training, Sulley the shambling natural saddled with poor study habits and a bullying

    arrogance egged on by his recruitment by the meanest fraternity on campus.How these two become

    friends is the crux of the screenplay, which spends an awful lot of time grind-ing through the annual Scare Games competition (The Hunger Games with fewer fatalities but more verbal taunts). For various reasons, the games bring Mike and Sulley and a bland group of supporting monsters onto the same team, where they learn the virtues of teamwork and playing to ones eccentric strengths.With that lesson, how did

    Monsters University turn out so defantly conventional? So many questions. Was it really

    a good idea to have Mike and Sulley at each others throats for so much of director Dan Scanlons feature? Is it really a promising notion, satiric or otherwise, to pull a humiliat-ing variation on the pigs-blood bit from Carrie? Theres more genuine wit and inven-tion in the four-minute short Mikes New Car, made a year after Monsters, Inc., than in the entirety of this college-is-hell instructional video.The animation studios

    triumphs, and even its solidly worthwhile accomplishments, appeal to a wonderfully wide age spectrum. Monsters Univer-sity tries (and may well succeed fscally). As usual, the actors are not the problem. Helen Mirren

    voices the fearsome Hogwartian headmaster (a dragon), and Steve Buscemis a valuable ad-dition to the crew as Mikes frst college roommate, a chame-leon. I enjoyed composer Randy Newmans hard-driving varia-tions on the theme of College Fight Song (plus a few bars of the old standby Gaudeamus Igitur). Its nice seeing some of the better-known Monsters, Inc. critters show up as junior versions of themselves. But this time the calculation is all too evident.Pixar has worked wonders.

    Just not lately, and not yet with sequels.

    Monsters University (G)

    Man of Steel (PG-13) The latest Superman effort takes a dark and

    grim turn similar to producer Christopher

    Nolans Dark Knight trilogy. Familiarly, as the

    planet Krypton is destroyed, Jor-El (Rus-

    sell Crowe) sends his powerful son Kal-El to

    Earth, specifically Kansas. Raised by farmers

    (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane), the newly

    named Clark Kent grows up to discover his

    special abilities. In time, he meets journal-

    ist Lois Lane (Amy Adams) and battles the

    incredibly destructive General Zod (Michael

    Shannon) as Superman. The film is solid, but

    the destruction is excessive.

    This Is the End (R) Somehow, this apocalyptic farce works. Co-

    filmmakers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg take

    a simple premise, invite a ton of their comic

    friends along to play alternate versions of

    themselves, and make an End-of-Days picture

    thats incredibly crude and wildly entertaining.

    Rogen invites his friend Jay Baruchel to L.A.

    Theyre invited to James Francos party, along

    with tons of other actors (Jonah Hill, Michael

    Cera, Paul Rudd, etc.even Emma Watson!).

    Then the world begins to end and all bets are

    off. There are a ton of laughs here, and its

    worlds better than any Hangover.

    The Internship (PG-13) This reteaming of Vince Vaughn and Owen

    Wilson plays like a commercial for our search

    engine overlords, Google. By the end of the

    picture, that already-too-familiar logo is

    seared into your psyche. L.A. wristwatch

    salesmen Billy (Vaughn) and Nick (Wilson) find

    themselves out of work. Eventually, the duo

    video-conference their way into a summer

    internship at Google headquarters. There, they

    team up with a few fellow outcast interns in

    a competition to see which team wins those

    coveted full-time jobs at summers end. Not

    many laughs here. Just Google.

    The Purge (R) In the not-too-distant future, America has

    one night a year of catharsis, when citizens

    give in to their violent impulses. Murder

    and mayhem abound, as the well-off can

    hunt the homeless. Or just seek revenge.

    Ethan Hawke plays a well-off salesman

    who holes up with his family in their heavily

    secured home for the night. Unfortunately,

    his children let some outsiders in, including

    a hunted homeless vet. Naturally, this brings

    the vengeful hunters down on their happy

    home. The message and violence are heavy-

    handed. Youve seen better.

    c studentPixars Monsters, Inc. prequel makes

    the grade but doesnt set the curve

    By Michael PhillipsTribune Media Services

    Billy Crystal returns to voice the studious monster, Mike.

  • VE

    GA

    S SE

    VE

    N

    Jun

    e 2

    7Ju

    ly 3

    , 20

    13

    99

    movies

    Now You See Me (PG-13) This super-slick magicians heist picture

    has little up its sleeve. A group of magi-

    cians: Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Henley

    (Isla Fisher), Merritt (Woody Harrelson

    and Jack (Dave Franco) attempt the

    ultimate caper. Tonight, they tell the

    audience, were going to rob a bank.

    Which they do, a continent away, raining

    currency down on the audience. Good

    turns by Morgan Freeman and Mark

    Ruffalo cant mask the fact that theres

    too much explaining involved in this

    twisted plot.

    After Earth (PG-13) The latest from M. Night Shyamalan, no

    longer Mr. Plot Twist, is a two-biller

    showcasing the Smiths, Will and Jaden.

    Humanitys treatment of Earth has led to

    mass exodus. The planet is overrun by

    animals and bugs, all genetically evolved

    to kill humans. Cypher (Will Smith) takes

    his son, Kitai (Jaden Smith), on security

    patrol of Earth, but one crash landing

    later, father and son are stuck. Kitai must

    locate a beacon and navigate all kinds

    of danger along the way. Moderately

    entertaining.

    Fast & Furious 6 (PG-13) The sixth installment of this car-thieves-

    with-honor franchise is a surprising and

    unlikely delight. Dom (Vin Diesel) wants to

    return home to L.A. after stealing $100 mil-

    lion in Brazilian drug money. Federal agent

    Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), who had been

    after Dom and his gang of thieves, actually

    needs them to catch a British terrorist. The

    gang comes back together for a slew of

    incredible chase scenes, ridiculous amounts

    of downshifting and full exoneration. Direc-

    tor Justin Lin knows what hes doing here.

    The Hangover Part III (R) It wont take long to sleep off the third,

    highly forgettable installment of this fran-

    chise. Alan (Zach Galifianakis) buys and

    accidentally decapitates a (digital) giraffe,

    giving his dad (Jeffrey Tambor) a heart

    attack. The Wolf Pack (Bradley Cooper,

    Ed Helms and Justin Bartha) drive him

    to a rehab facility in Arizona. On the way,

    theyre carjacked by a mobster (John

    Goodman). And of course, Mr. Chow (Ken

    Jeong) is around as well. Theres hardly

    a laugh in the entire thing.

    Star Trek Into Darkness (PG-13)

    Director J.J. Abrams second installment

    in the classic franchise reboot is fantastic.

    Life on Earth in the 23rd century is eerily

    familiar: a massively destructive act of

    terrorism sets into motion a tale that leads,

    early on, to an attack on Starfleet; a test of

    leadership for James T. Kirk (Chris Pine);

    and the introduction of an also-familiar

    adversary in Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch).

    The result is tons of fun. The Enterprise

    and its crew have never looked better.

    Epic PG Twentieth Century Fox and Blue Sky Stu-

    dios present Adequate? This deceptively

    named animated feature just doesnt

    provide much. A girl (Amanda Seyfried)

    discovers an alternative and tiny universe

    in the forest where warriors (Colin Farrell

    and Josh Hutcherson) fly on the backs

    of hummingbirds. Quenn Tara (Beyonc)

    must pick a special flower to regenerate

    the forest. And the plot gets ever-more

    convoluted from there. Lets just put it this

    way, its no FernGully.

  • 7 q

    ue

    st

    io

    ns

    VEGAS SE

    VEN

    Jun

    e 2

    7Ju

    ly 3

    , 20

    13

    110

    Photo

    by

    Anth

    ony

    Mair

    How has Pawn Stars affected your life? Its turned it upside down. A

    museum director is about the most anonymous job you can have. Your face isnt out there; youre the guy in the back room. You run into this oddity of celeb-rity. Its increased museum at-tendance 66 percent in less than three yearsits wonderful, its doing exactly what we want. But on a personal basis, it means that I cant speak to peoples IQ on the freeway if somebody cuts me off. I was in the Sacramento air-

    port and a TSA agent pulled me around the metal detector and gave me a pat-down because he wanted to talk about the show. Ill talk to youyou dont have to touch me there, you know, thats OK! You dont understand how much you like anonymity until you dont have it anymore.

    Do you have a standard line you use when youre recog-nized?Have you been to the Clark

    County Museum? If not, youve got to come see us. Weve got

    30 acres, 20 restored buildings, a ghost town, walking trails and nature areas. At two bucks a head, its the best bargain in the Valley. The nicest thing about it, we dont have any function-ing slot machines here, so you actually save money when you come out and see us.

    Youre Pawn Stars go-to guy for artifacts. How do you seem to know everything?You cant know all these

    things. You have to research. Theyll send me a picture. Ive

    got 20,000 books at home; I have 30,000-40,000 books here at the museum. Yes, I use Google and online resources. Ive been in the feld long enough to have friends in museums all over the U.S. Ill call them up and ask what they know about this.

    Any item that has come close to stumping you?When I did the Soviet ICBN

    launch keys: There are only fve pairs of those in the U.S., and the Soviets werent really big on telling us how they were going to destroy the U.S. This didnt make the front page of Pravda. I was able to track down an image of the city fag for the town of Leninsk, which is now Baikonur. And the city fag for Leninsk used the image of the launch key as a central device on the fag. OK, now I can tie that back in with the rocketry. I understand enough about their electronics to know why theyd be using titanium and not steel. So I was then able to start putting pieces together.

    Whats a public collections role in the life of the com-munity?We are the memory. We are

    the place you can fnd out why you exist. If you want to understand why we put 2 million people in the middle of the desert, you come here and you can learn that. ... I love collectors; I am a collector; Im not saying anything bad about them, but they will eventu-ally go away. We will not. We are the one spot where this information is going to be held in perpetuity.Second, we are the place that

    gives people coming into the area some sense of the area. What is it about this place that makes it a community? You take in what it is that you personally want. You look at one of the houses and you see some-thing that your grandmother had, and you make a connection with that, but your 8-year-old daughter whos walking through with you sees something else, and she makes a connection. And then you can make a con-nection across those genera-tions, but youre also making a connection throughout the culture of the community.

    What item came into the museum that caused your pulse to quicken?It was a scrapbook from the Kit

    Kat Club, a gay club in North Las Vegas dating from 1942. There are no photographs from the Kit Kat Club, and this guy comes in with a scrapbook from it with photographs of some of the entertainers and a couple of the interiors. These dont exist any-where; it was a wonderful fnd.

    What do you personally collect?I collect anything to do with

    bridges and bridge engineer-ing7,000 books, photographs, 10,000 postcards, bridge plans, postmarks from towns named for bridges, stamps with bridges on them and nameplates off of bridges, much to my wifes dismay. I also have about 97 fraternal swords and 20-30 military swords. Law-enforce-ment badges and badges for weird reasonsdoes the parcel room need a badge? Does the ticket-taker need a badge?

    Whats out there that Mark Hall-Patton knows belongs in a museum? And how is social media changing the curating industry? Find out at VegasSeven.com/HallPatton.

    Mark Hall-PattonThe museum administrator and Pawn Stars expert on the efects

    of fame, the role of public collections and the one museum artifact

    he was shocked to receive

    By Paul Szydelko

    A life-size cArdboArd cutout of Mark Hall-Patton greets visitors in the lobby of the Clark County Museum on Boulder Highway in Hendersona vigilant stand-in for photos when Hall-Patton is not there and an ever-present symbol of celebrity rarely achieved by a museum administrator. History Channels Pawn Stars, seen in more than 150 countries and dubbed into more than 30 languages, has made a star of Hall-Patton, something he could not have envisioned when he was frst asked by Downtowns Gold & Silver Pawn Shop to evaluate an item in February 2009. Since then he has ap-peared in more than 100 episodes, and the 35-year museum administrator, a Valley resident since 1993, cant go many places without being recognized.

  • 003_Z004_Z005_Z006_Z007_Z014_Z015_Z019_Z022_Z023_Z025_Z036_Z039_Z040_Z041_Z043_Z045_Z046_Z047_Z048_Z049_Z050_Z051_Z052_Z053_Z054_Z055_Z057_Z058_Z059_Z060_Z061_Z062_Z063_Z064_Z065_Z067_Z068_Z069_Z070_Z071_Z072_Z073_Z074_Z075_Z076_Z079_Z082_Z087_Z088_Z090_Z095_Z096_Z097_Z098_Z099_Z105_Z106_Z107_Z108_Z109_Z110_Z111_Z112_Z