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THE LATEST

1 4 “Troubleshooting the Rebels”Game tactics, balanced recruiting

must be new coach’s priorities.

By MIKE GRIMALA

1 6 “Cocksure of Themselves”Trump is just the latest in slide

toward hubris, incivility.

Politics by MICHAEL GREEN

Plus … Event, Seven Days,

Ask a Native and The Deal.

NIGHTLIFE

2 5 “No Average Joe”Omnia technical director

Joseph Muro’s journey

from darkness to the lighting booth.

By IAN CARAMANZANA

Plus … Seven Nights and

a Q&A with Hunter Siegel.

DINING

4 9 “Take Dinner Into Your Own Hands”Three restaurants where—for better

or worse—you’re the chef.

By GRACE BASCOS

Plus … Dishing With Grace

and Drinking.

A&E

5 5 “The Comedian Who Wasn’t”Open Mike Eagle is a rapper.

He just hangs with comedians.

By ZONEIL MAHARAJ

Plus … Seven’s 14, Colleen Green gets

ready for Neon Reverb and a Q&A with

Beach Slang frontman James Alex.

6 0 “#FreeKesha Isn’t Enough” Social media condemnation of rapists

is a solid start, but real justice for

survivors requires much more.

Social Media By EMMILY BRISTOL

SEVEN QUESTIONS

7 0 One Night for One Drop artistic director

Hassan El Hajjami on how he got

involved, his youthful doppelgänger

and the world’s water crisis.

FEATURE

“Spring Is in the Air”The new season has cast a ’70s spell on us—denim, forals and high shine.

M A R C H 1 0 – 1 6 , 2 0 1 6C O N T E N T S

Cover photograph by Anthony Mair. Alice+Olivia bomber jacket, gold Gucci skirt and Chloe clutch, Neiman Marcus in Fashion Show.

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Ramy Brook top, Vasari in Tivoli

Village. Free People flares and Chinese

laundry snake pumps, Macy’s in Downtown

Summerlin. Stella McCartney bag, Neiman Marcus

in Fashion Show. Vintage neckerchief,

Patina Décor.

PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP

Vegas Seven, 702-798-7000, 302 E. Carson Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89101

Vegas Seven is distributed each Thursday throughout Southern Nevada

c 2016 Vegas Seven, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Vegas Seven, LLC is prohibited.

LETTERS AND STORY IDEAS Comments@VegasSeven.com

ADVERTISING Sales@VegasSeven.com

DISTRIBUTION Distribution@VegasSeven.com

P U B L I S H E RMichael Skenandore

E D I T O R I A LEDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nicole Ely

MANAGING EDITOR Genevie Durano

SENIOR EDITORS Paul Szydelko, Xania Woodman

SENIOR EDITOR, A&E Geoff Carter

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Hubble Ray Smith

SENIOR WRITER Lissa Townsend Rodgers

STAFF WRITER Emmily Bristol

CALENDAR COORDINATOR Ian Caramanzana

S E N I O R C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I T O RMelinda Sheckells (style)

C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I T O R SMichael Green (politics), Al Mancini (dining),

David G. Schwartz (gaming/hospitality)

A R TCREATIVE DIRECTOR Ryan Olbrysh

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Cierra Pedro

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Krystal Ramirez

V E G A S S E V E N . C O MTECHNICAL DIRECTOR Herbert Akinyele

ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Zoneil Maharaj

SENIOR WRITER, RUNREBS.COM Mike Grimala

WEB PRODUCER Jessie O’Brien

ASSISTANT WEB PRODUCER Amber Sampson

P R O D U C T I O N / D I S T R I B U T I O NDIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION/DISTRIBUTION Marc Barrington

ADVERTISING MANAGER Jimmy Bearse

S A L E SBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Christy Corda

DIGITAL SALES MANAGER Nicole Scherer

ACCOUNT MANAGERS Brittany Quintana. Steven Kennedy

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Robyn Weiss

I N T E R N SMichaela Chesin, Scott Luehring, Soni Richards

Ryan T. Doherty | Justin Weniger

PRESIDENT Michael Skenandore

VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND EVENTS Keith White

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sherwin Yumul

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Sim Salzman

CONTROLLER Jane Weigel

LAS VEGAS’ WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE | FOUNDED FEBRUARY 2010

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TOP DOCSDoctors like to party, too, you know. More than 50

doctors including surgeon Dr. Souzan El-Eid and

pediatrician Dr. Colleen Morris trekked to the Keep

Memory Alive Event Center to celebrate their new

status as Top Docs at Vegas Seven’s inaugural Top

Docs event. Attendees enjoyed cocktails and passed

hors d’oeuvres courtesy of Southern Wine & Spirits,

Table 10 and Sprinkles Cupcakes while WENDOH

Media President Michael Skenandore and keynote

speaker Jeffrey Cummings, M.D., Sc.D., shared their

thoughts about the occasion. Sponsors included Land

Rover, Hilton and HealthCare Partners Nevada.

UPCOMING EVENTS • March 19 CBRE Cares’ Catch the Leprechaun Run [NPHY.org] • March 19 Shade Tree’s 5K Hero Walk [TheShadeTree.org] PH

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➜ THREE WEEKS INTO the 2015-16 season, UNLV appeared to be in the midst of a return to glory. The Rebels were cruising toward the NCAA tournament with a 7-1 record bolstered by wins over ranked teams such as Indiana (the eventual Big Ten regu-lar season champ) and Oregon (the Pac-12 champ). Exciting star players had the fan base buzzing with a fast-paced style of play. Coach Dave Rice looked like a hero at his alma mater. The Rebels were runnin’ again.

And then they weren’t. Since that high point on December 4, UNLV has gone 10-13 and the campaign has devolved into the basketball version of the Republican presi-dential primary season. Rice was kindly asked to leave after guiding the team to an 0-3 start in conference play. Assistant coaches began in-fghting, stepping over each other for the interim job. Derrick Jones, one of the team’s best players, was ruled ineligible by the NCAA. And the Mack became a tomb, as fewer than 10,000 people made it out to the last home game of the year on February 27 (contrary to the announced attendance). By just about ev-ery measure, the season has been a disaster.

So no matter what happens in this week’s Mountain West tournament, where the Reb-els have a slim but greater-than-zero-per-cent chance to win the crown, the next head coach of UNLV basketball is going to have his work cut out.

Whether the administration brings in an outside candidate (plenty of names have been thrown around already) or elevates a member of the current staff (un-likely), the job description will remain the same: Get UNLV to the top of the Mountain West, consistently, and win in the NCAA tournament, consistently.

Rice had particular trouble with the frst step. UNLV thinks of itself as a big fsh in the mid-major pond of the Mountain West, but Rice was never able to capture a regu-lar-season or tournament title. It was almost as if he tried to skip that step, as his blueprint to building UNLV back into a national brand was often at odds with building a consistent MWC winner. Rice scheduled nationally, and he recruited highly talented players with designs on playing in the NBA sooner rather than later. But the Mountain West is a league dominated by physical teams led by three- and four-year veterans, and Rice’s Rebels fell into a pattern of hot starts followed by diminishing returns once conference play be-gan. We saw it once again in January when Rice let the pace-oriented Rebels get dragged into three slow, low-scoring contests to open league play, with UNLV losing each game by a single possession. That skid led directly to Rice’s fring.

The new coach will have to do a better job of recruit-ing “program players”—guys who intend to play four years and get better every year, giving the Rebels a solid foundation that can compete against the grown men playing for San Diego State, Boise State and the rest of the league’s favorites.

That’s not to say the new coach should abandon all ef-forts at attracting fve-star recruits to Las Vegas. If UNLV wants to be relevant in the bigger picture beyond the MWC, star power is essential. Teams don’t win in March

without NBA-caliber talent, so in addition to construct-ing a stable of quality “program players,” he’ll also have to bring a certain number of players with high-end ability. It’s a delicate balance, but with high school powerhouses such as Findlay Prep and Bishop Gorman nearby and tal-ent-rich Southern California just a few hours away, the tal-ent is there, waiting for a deft recruiter to take advantage.

Despite his reliance on one-and-done players, recruit-ing was not Rice’s problem. Hardly a game goes by in the Mountain West without a top-shelf coach on the oppos-ing sideline, whether it’s Steve Fisher at San Diego State, Larry Eustachy at Colorado State, Larry Shyatt at Wyo-ming or Eric Musselman at Nevada-Reno. The league is full of brilliant tacticians who whip their squads into a frenzy when UNLV is on the schedule, and in order to compete for conference titles year-in and year-out, the Rebels will need a coach who can match wits with the rest of the X’s and O’s men in the Mountain West.

Of course, any coach who has proven himself capable of doing all that will probably command a salary higher than UNLV is capable of paying—without help. But with rumors of boosters fronting the money for a big-time hire, it’s opened the foodgates for Rebels fans to start throwing out names and dreaming about landing the perfect coach. The possibility of turning the program over to the legendary Rick Pitino has captured the imagination of the fans, and other accomplished side-line stars (former NBA coach Mike Brown, Pitt's Jamie Dixon, South Carolina's Frank Martin) have popped up in speculation.

This hire is hugely important for UNLV. The resources are in place for a quick turnaround and sustained suc-cess, but as we saw this season, things can go wrong in a hurry without the right man at the top.

THU 10 Does the basketball goodness

ever end around here? Yes,

but luckily for you, not yet. The Western

Athletic Conference men’s and women’s

tournament is here through Saturday,

with teams from Seattle to Missouri-

Kansas City. OrleansArena.com.

FRI 11 Henderson knows how to party.

Discover that for yourself at the

St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival,

5 p.m. today through Sunday. The parade

is at 10 a.m. Saturday, but whiskey tast-

ing, a car show and Irish dancing go on

all weekend. CityOfHenderson.com.

SAT 12 It’s a little early for the dog days,

unless you make it over to the

Bass Pro Shop at the Silverton. You’ll be

treated to the Dog Days Family Event,

two days of giveaways, seminars and

activities, through Sunday. BassPro.com.

SUN 13 If you’re wondering where to

find 90 of Vegas’ finest arts

and crafts vendors in one place, mystery

solved: the Suncoast, at the Las Vegas

Artisan Craft Festival Expo, 10 a.m. to

5 p.m. Entertainment, food, crafts—it’s all

there. ArtisanCraftFestival.com.

MON 14 John Steinbeck recalled his

time as a war correspondent

when he wrote, “It is in the things not

mentioned that the untruth lies.” The

statement also aptly describes silencing

critics. Black Mountain Institute explores

that topic at 7 p.m. in Breaking Silence,

with three women writers who reveal the

myths and untruths of society through the

stories of silenced women. UNLV.edu.

TUE 15 You can always count on the

South Point to bring the yee-

haw! Through March 20, it arrives in the

form of the Silver Dollar Circuit Quarter

Horse Show and Western Gift Expo.

Expect expert riding, endless shopping

and country-size good times.

SilverDollarCircuit.com.

WED 16 Are you overweight? Do you

live, work or play in Hender-

son? Register for Lighten Up Hender-

son, a citywide online weight-loss com-

petition, and see how many pounds you

can shed in eight weeks, beginning April

9. Lose a bunch, maybe win a prize.

CityOfHenderson.com. PH

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News, deals and political

incivility sinks to new depths. THE LATEST

Troubleshooting the RebelsGame tactics, balanced recruiting must be new coach’s priorities By Mike Grimala Seven Days

A curated guide to this week in your cityBy B O B W H I T B Y

The era of Dave

Rice: solidrecruiting,

disappointing records.

PHOTOGRAPHER Anthony Mair / STYLIST Kris Kass / STYLING ASSISTANT Garen Romeo / HAIR Shantel Gauna / MAKEUP Natasha Chamberlin using MAC Cosmetics

PHOTO ASSISTANT Javon Isaac / MODEL Terra/Elite / ON-SET CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ben Ward / LOCATION Nico Santucci’s Parisian Palace

T H E N E W S E A S O N H A S C A S T A ’ 7 0 S S P E L L O N U S — D E N I M , F L O R A L S A N D H I G H S H I N E

Gucci dress, Neiman Marcus in Fashion Show. Boots, Zara

in Fashion Show. Vintage sunnies,

Patina Décor, 1300 S. Main St.

702-776-6222.

Get the LookInspired by all those American

hustlers out here, our get-dressed

inspo for spring is vintage print

scarfs, peachy lenses, bell

bottoms, cropped frayed denim

and colorful stripes.

The Parisian Palace is a temple of gold-leaf decadence and serves as the perfect backdrop to the disco-fabulous fashion trends for

spring 2016. Owned by Nico Santucci, a restaurateur and designer, this estate is one of Las Vegas’ most outrageous homes. Featured on dozens of television

shows and films, including ABC’s The Bachelor, VH1’s Supergroup and DJ Afrojack’s music video “The Spark," the rooms have hand-painted ceilings that

took more than 10 years to complete. Built in 1949, the palace has been a work in progress for Santucci, who has added modern amenities such as an indoor

Indonesian salt bath, an outdoor lagoon with grotto, a full-size Brunswick bowling alley, a nightclub and a movie theater. ParisianPalace.net

Gucci stripe blouse and Chloe leopard bag, Neiman Marcus in Fashion Show. 3X1 jeans and Vince mules, Vasari in Tivoli Village. Vintage sunglasses, Patina Décor.

Opposite Page: Turban, Topshop in Fashion Show. Chelsea and Violet dress, Dillard’s in Downtown Summerlin. Chinese Laundry shoes, Macy’s in Downtown Summerlin.

Bodysuit, Topshop in Fashion Show. Vintage Neiman Marcus hat, Patina Décor.

Opposite Page: Vintage fur coat and necklace, Patina Décor. Hervé Leger dress, Neiman Marcus in Fashion Show. Chinese Laundry shoes, Macy’s Downtown Summerlin.

Bonus!For more looks from this

shoot and the seven hottest

men’s trends for spring,

visit VegasSeven.com/ SpringFashion2016.

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No Average

JoeOmnia technical director

Joseph Muro’s journey from darkness to the lighting booth

By Ian Caramanzana

Your city after dark and photos from the week’s hottest parties and Canada’s musical treasure

NIGHTLIFE

➜ LET’S GET THIS OUT

of the way: Joseph Muro, 39, is the techni-cal director at Omnia, Caesars Palace’s $107 million nightlife be-hemoth. He oversees the crew that runs the club’s audio and video aspects, deals with art-ists and their managers and stage-manages the DJ booth on a nightly basis. But behind the multicolored confetti, 22,000-pound kinetic chandelier and world-class DJs is a man who’s defed the odds by working in virtually every aspect of Vegas’ sprawling nightlife and entertainment worlds while struggling with crippling alcoholism.

How’d he do it? The answer lies with Muro’s passions. His story begins in Henderson, where he quickly developed his interests in music and produc-tion while attending Basic High School. He would create mix CDs with his father to make commutes more bear-able. “Honestly, that was my frst exposure to DJing and program-ming,” Muro says. “And I didn’t even know it!” At the time, he was into bands such as The

Police and NWA. “We’d switch off every other track. They were actu-ally solid mixes.” He enrolled in Basic’s the-ater program, where he worked behind the scenes and got his frst taste of production while starting a rock/rap band called The Kick Worms. Muro graduated in 1996, and brought his two worlds together by pursu-ing a recording arts degree in production at Florida’s Full Sail University.

Degree in hand, Muro returned to Las Vegas, quit his band and landed a gig with Station Casinos to open Sunset Station’s Club Madrid as an audio engineer and stage manager. He would spend the next seven years there, work-ing with acts such as Quiet Riot and Louie Louie, while explor-ing another aspect of Las Vegas nightlife by DJing. Spinning under the moniker Boomer, Muro made connec-tions with 98.5 KLUC’s Chet Buchanan and DJ Hollywood along the way—so much so that he saw glimpses of a potential career.

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He eventually DJ’d on air and landed residency at The Drink. “I was torn between my work in production and DJing,” he says. “If I DJ’d full time, it would be a huge risk because back then DJs weren’t making money like they do now.”

With new opportunities and new avenues in view, Muro was enjoying a promising, fruitful professional life, but his personal life was a different story. In late 2004, after suffering from a relationship breakup, Muro turned to alcohol to cope with his dis-tress, which made his already alarm-ing addiction even worse. “That’s when I realized I had an alcohol prob-lem. I was still doing stuff, still getting all of these amazing achievements and making the right decisions, but with a clouded mind, and defnitely not [functioning] at 100 percent.”

While Muro juggled his ventures with battling addiction, he received an offer from N9NE Group to open the then forthcoming Playboy Club at the Palms’ all-new Fantasy Tower as an au-dio/visual technician. That eventually put him at the helm of running Moon and Rain nightclubs, where he worked alongside some of the biggest-name DJs at the time. This was in 2004—be-fore the DJ boom. “I was working with DJ Jazzy Jeff, Snoop Dogg, Mix Master Mike and so many others. It was

humbling,” he says. Muro also worked with the late DJ AM, who left a last-ing impact in his life and Las Vegas’ nightlife world. “AM was the one who changed everything. He was the frst celebrity DJ—everybody had eyes on him. We, the staff, were foored. He was a great guy.”

Then in 2012, Muro hit rock bottom after a barrage of disparaging circum-stances. His father passed away, his mother was diagnosed with an illness and he was still mourning the loss of two of his major infuences, DJ AM and Michael Jackson. Muro contin-ued drinking to cope, and became a functioning alcoholic—repeating a vicious cycle of working and drinking on a daily basis. “I was the alcoholic who couldn’t go home. I was fne after every big night, every big show, but I couldn’t go home. I had to fnish the night off by going to bars and clubs and drinking,” Muro says. This led to his ffth DUI, which he claims was his turning point. “This time it was for real. This time I was in front of a judge. It was get sober or go straight to prison. I’m not prison material. I sat back and realized who I’ve worked with and refected on my talents. I told myself, ‘You need to utilize these in a good way!’”

In desperation, Muro made efforts to sober up and search for other oppor-

tunities as the Palms’ nightlife depart-ment underwent a corporate takeover. “It was tough. I had to reintroduce myself as a new person, tell everybody, ‘This is a new me.’” He reached out to Gerardo Gonzalez, his colleague at N9NE Group who left the company (now technical director for Hakkasan Group), and asked if there were any other opportunities, but to no avail.

Muro received a call from Future Restaurant Group owner Michael Cornthwaite a week later, who recruit-ed him to work on projects at Con-tainer Park and Inspire Theatre. This eventually gave him opportunities to manage events while simultaneously attending AA meetings in Henderson. While this may seem like a departure from nightlife, Muro fgures it allowed him to see the other side of the coin. “It was a breath of fresh air, a different point of view, and it was a great learn-ing experience.” Eventually, he was able to reconnect with the nightlife world via Inspire Theatre, which became a sort of playground for Muro, who brought Boomer back while exploring new ideas in production. He equated it to managing and spinning at his own nightclub. “It was great: During the week, I was the production guy in a really cool venue in the best part of the city, and during the week-ends I was spinning as Boomer.”

With escalating turbulence and changes Downtown, Muro wanted to explore other options. “I was doing fne, and I knew Fremont was gonna be fne, but I was ready to do something else,” he says. He reached out to Gon-zalez once again, who welcomed him with open arms. “He told me, ‘Dude, I actually need you to run Omnia. I’ve seen you change. I’ve seen what you’ve done and I know you’re ready to do it mentally.’ And I was thrown aback. Only a few years ago, I was at the worst part of my life, and now I was given the opportunity to run the best nightclub in the world.”

Muro hopes to continue work-ing at Omnia with a clear focus and clear mind. He refects daily on his accomplishments. “I sit back every-day and tell myself, ‘Wow, I run this place. This is the result of my sobriety.’” Muro wants to further his career with Hakkasan Group, and is excited to be a part of the May 19 opening of Jewel in the former Haze footprint. Recently, he was asked to speak at the prestigious Live Design convention, which he refers to as to “the SEMA of nightlife production.”

“I want to share my story with the world,” he says. But he hasn’t left DJing completely. “Every now and then, I take Joe time and take Boomer time by going Downtown to drop a set.”

NIGHTLIFE

Muro as Boomer through the years.

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THU 10It’s been about a month; by now, you should have digested Kanye West’s highly anticipated seventh album, The Life of Pablo. West has described the album as a “gospel record” and, while the subject matter strays away from all things heavenly, it does feature beautiful strings and airy, harmonized vocals on several tracks. Even if you haven’t heard the seminal work, we’re sure you’ve seen the social media storm surrounding the re-lease of the album and his supple-mentary clothing line, Yeezy Sea-son 3. West sneakily teased pieces from his Adidas Yeezy Season clothing line and announced many name changes to the album several hours leading up to its release. He finally debuted the two simultane-ously at Madison Square Garden on February 11. The guy’s living an incredibly stressful, yet fruitful life. Just ask the Chainsmokers, whose song aptly titled “Kanye” is a testament to the Chicago producer/rapper/designer’s superior, uncom-promising attitude toward his art. The electro house tag-team is sure to drop it at Hakkasan, where you can voice your admiration for the self-proclaimed “God,” and dance to other hits including the melodic “Roses,” (In MGM Grand, 10:30 p.m.,

HakkasanLV.com.)

FRI 11“It’s a Trap!” Hold the Star Wars and head to the Foundry, because Australian basshead What So Not will be there. He’s best known

for his rambunctious trap banger “Jaguar,” which features an anonymous woman screaming “Jaguar trap!” before the tune kicks into bumpin’ melodic trap. Since its 2014 release, the song has racked up 12.7 million views on SoundCloud. It’s sort of a more frightening, less nerdy version of the Sci Fi series’ hilarious tagline. See how it sounds in the mix to-night. While you’re there, don’t miss supporting sets by Hunter Siegel

(see our interview on Page 32) and Venessa Michaels. This is one trap we wouldn’t mind getting stuck in. (In SLS, 7 p.m., FoundryLV.com.)

SAT 12The freaks come out at night, right? Well, so do the animals. Disclosure’s Wild Life residency at Light comes back to life with a stacked set. Aside from crafting tunes that bridge the gap between house and pop, the brothers Lawrence are known for their eclectic tastemaking abilities. That can be seen in the booking tonight, which features a stacked bill consisting of Seth Troxler and Tiga. You might catch a new favorite. (In Mandalay Bay, 10:30 p.m.,

TheLightVegas.com.)

SUN 13In case you haven’t noticed, tem-peratures are heating up, which means pool-party season will soon be in full bloom. Celebrate

the premature temperature in-crease by dressing down and par-tying at Wet Republic. MGM’s pool club caps off its opening weekend with a DJ two-fer that consists of sets by local spinner Jeff Retro and British radio host/DJ/produc-er Mark Eteson. The latter calls himself a secret agent, which we could totally believe since he moved to Las Vegas in fall 2013 after he landed a residency with Hakkasan Group. Anyways, we think the abrasive bounce of “The Gathering” might complement a secret data compromise scheme

or a high-action foot race across Strip rooftops. We’re not trying to give our dear readers any bad ideas, but maybe you can beat Jason Bourne in getting some white-knuckle car-chase action on the Strip. Skrrt! (At MGM

Grand, 11 a.m., WetRepublic.com.)

MON 14Mad Decent bass-mongers Slander released its latest single, “Breathe” (featuring Matthew Steeper and Haliene), in late January, and already it’s surged to the top of our “must-listen” summer playlist. The trap-inspired tune features angelic vocals courtesy of Haliene, a bludgeoning trap climax and a huge, melodic synth lead. It’ll go swimmingly with the warmer weather we’re experiencing. Hear it tonight, along with other “heaven trap” songs including “Love Again” and “Gud Vibrations” at XS. (In

Encore, 10 p.m., XSLasVegas.com.)

TUE 15Are you one of Nervo’s close to a million Twitter followers? If so, you’re among the many

who’ve witnessed the Australian progressive house duo’s fitness journey. The two have been chronicling their “exercise program” since early last month. So far, some activities include walking up 1,000 steps in a forest, jumping on trampolines and swimming in beautiful Australian pools. See if the sweating is doing the two any good at Omnia, then break the sweat by raising the roof during “The Other Boys.” Too tired? DJ Five and Eric D-Lux team-up as FAED to spin at the intimate Heart of

Omnia. (In Caesars Palace, 10 p.m.,

OmniaNightclub.com.)

WED 16How about some soothing roots reggae to help you get over that midweek slump? Backstage Bar &

Billiards welcomes Los Angeles’ Iya Terra. Since releasing its first EP in 2014, the quintet has blessed the west, giving hundreds a dose of its tranquil, easygoing tunes. We can’t think of a better way to wrap up the week than ridding yourself of those irie vibes. (601 Fremont, 9 p.m.,

BackstageBarAndBilliards.com.) WH

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Seven NightsYour week in partiesBy I A N C A R A M A N Z A N A

What So Not.

FAED.

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➜ HUNTER SIEGEL is one of Canada’s greatest musical treasures—right up there with Celine Dion, Drake and Justin Bieber, of course. The Toronto-based DJ and producer will make his way to the desert to play the Foundry in SLS on March 11 courtesy of Las Vegas’ new dance-music outft, Momentus Events. Siegel’s taste is decidedly eclectic, as he draws inspiration from both The Prodigy and Kanye West. But if there are two cultural trends of which he’s not a fan, they’re “brotem poles” and kissing and telling. So shhhh …

In past interviews, you’ve listed among

your influences The Prodigy, Nine Inch

Nails and Kavinsky—all very #TBT types

of musicians. How do you feel about

today’s kids not knowing who they are?

Did I [mention] Kanye West?

No, Kanye wasn’t on there.

I wanted to put him as No. 1 because he’s been one of the most infuen-tial artists to me of all time. But I just didn’t want to deal with having to explain that to a bunch of people who would just be like, “What is this shit?” I wanted to keep it more in the world of electronic producers that I take direct inspiration from. But I care more if a DJ doesn’t know [The Prodigy] than if a random fan doesn’t. Because I expect more of someone who is a creator of art, to know the roots of what they’re into.

Have you listened to Kanye’s new album,

The Life of Pablo?

Yeah, I love it. It’s amazing. I was talk-ing to my buddy [Matthew Progress] last night. He is a rapper I’m going to be working with. I recorded his frst-ever digital recording of his voice when he was way younger and we just relinked up recently. He’s the only guy I know who’s as big of a Kanye fan as I am. We were talking about it, and it’s crazy because every Kanye fan has a different favorite track on the record. There’s no, “Everybody likes this one.” Whereas, with other albums there are defnite favorite tracks. With this album, it’s so across the board.

You’ve said before that when you’re trying

to make music, you listen to older tracks

instead of new music. Do you still do that?

It’s important to not go out and pe-ruse Spinnin’ Records before you’re going to write a song. Because you’re just going to end up being affected by what you just heard. Before I sit down, I’ll do a little mental palate cleanse. I’m going to listen to some stuff that is absolutely classic—The Prodigy or Nine Inch Nails or some-thing old that still stands up—and try to draw inspiration and be like, “How can I get in this mind state of making a classic track?”

Did you used to listen to The Prodigy

and Nine Inch Nails before dance music

was a huge thing?

My cousin was a DJ in New York, so he made really crazy electronic music. He’d send me mixtapes and stuff like The Prodigy. I was really into drum ’n’ bass when I was younger, so that’s where I got into electronic music. But The Prodigy was probably the frst album. This kid was a family friend, and I used to go to his house where his brother would rage and would get me really messed up. He was really into tons of electronic music. He had a bunch of CDs. He would steal CDs, dance and be like, “I want to be at

a rave!” We were 12, probably even younger. This kid was into really cool music. But when I think of it now, he was defnitely an old equivalent of a brotem pole bro, you know?

What is that?

The kind of dude who puts another dude on his shoulders like three rows back from the main stage. I can’t believe you don’t know what a brotem pole is. It’s when multiple bros sit on each other’s shoulders.

That’s terrifying.

It is terrifying.

What audiences are most receptive

to your sound?

For some reason, L.A. just fucks with me and that’s great because I fuck with L.A. It’s always random, like, “What’s your favorite show?” And you’re like, “It was in Boise, Idaho.”

What else are you up to these days?

I’ve got a track coming out on Owsla on March 24, right after [I play] Ultra Fest. It’s with Autoerotique and it is a heater. I’ve got a lot more stuff com-ing with him, [too]. I have some other EP offers and stuff in the works with a couple of other guys.

Can you give names?

I’m not going to give names and blow the collabs out. If an artist is like, “I’m doing a track with Skrillex,” that track vanishes for him and it’s gone. Then the surprise is over. And bigger artists see the little guy fooling around, tell-ing every single person he can.

It’s like kissing and telling.

Yeah! One hundred percent. I don’t even show my friends music a lot of the time. I like everyone to be surprised. It’s cool when your homie hears your music like, “Whoa, this is crazy!” That’s very defning for how good your stuff is. If you put out a track that your boy hasn’t heard and he hits you up like, “Oh, my God!” you know you’re on to something.

This article should be coming out while

you’re in town. Think you’ll pick up a copy?

This is my frst print piece. I take all my frsts, and I either frame or mount them. I have my frst photo in print and I have my frst review, like an “artist to watch” thing in the paper. And my frst vinyl on the wall. I’m collecting it all. And in my new studio, I’m going to put all of it up. Over time, those things will change, like … frst Grammy.

NIGHTLIFE First

CutCanadian DJ Hunter Siegel

makes his Momentus Events

debut at the Foundry

By Kat Boehrer

PARTIES

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com

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THE SAYERS CLUBSLS

[ UPCOMING ]

March 10 White Label Thursday with Presto One

March 12 Ashley Red performs

March 17 White Label Thursday with Crykit and Yo Yolie

PARTIES

See more photos from this gallery at SPYONvegas.com

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March 11 50 Cent and Jeremih perform

March 12 Chris Brown performs

March 13 Fabolous performs

➜ WHAT’S THE POINT OF

going out to eat if you have to do the cooking yourself? It turns out, the interac-tive experience of gather-ing around the table and cooking your own meal lends to a more intimate, social affair. Yes, there’s the part where you have to pay attention, making sure your meal doesn’t get overcooked (shrimp fondue, I’m looking at you), but with a big group and multiple burners, pots and plates flled with meats and vegetables all piled on the table—everyone is in this together; either we all eat, or none of us do. Of course, the real reason I love cooking at the table in restaurants is this: Unlike that dinner party at home, no one has to do the dishes.

DOH KOREAN BARBECUE

While the grill is in front of you, Korean ’cue is a little more hands-off. Servers will often migrate from table to table fipping the various cuts—thin-sliced brisket, pork belly, marinated beef or pork bulgogi—as needed, moving them about the metal plates to cooler spots. Or they might go full-on ahjumma (that’s “auntie”) on you and start putting the sizzling meat right onto your plate once it’s done. Unlike a lot of spots that might have only a heavy-duty ventilation hood a few feet over your grill, Doh (sister to Doh Sushi & Tapas and relative of Tofu Hut, both on Spring Mountain Road) has long, silver tubes coming down from the ceiling close enough to suck the smoke up as it wafts from the grill, making sure you don’t leave the place smelling like you’ve been cooking meat over an open fame all night (though some might argue that’s a plus).

There’s an assortment of six or so tiny dishes that arrive with your raw meat called panchan, various pickles and snacks that are meant to be eaten with your barbecue. There will obvi-ously be spicy red kimchi, the classic fermented spicy cabbage; fsh cakes in an 49

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Restaurant reviews, news and so much more than green beer

DINING

Take Dinner Into Your Own Hands

Three restaurants where—for better or worse—you’re the chef By Grace Bascos

Meat with

panchan at

Doh Korean

Barbecue.

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Get the latest news on local restaurant openings and closings, interviews with top chefs, cocktail recipes, menu

previews and more in our weekly Sips and Bites newsletter. Subscribe at VegasSeven.com/SipsAndBites.

DINING

A ST. PATRICK’S DAY DINING CRAWL THAT SHAM-ROCKS!➜ My favorite drinking holiday is once again

upon us, but with the misfortune of landing

on a Thursday. Purists such as myself would

normally celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with prime

day-drinking the weekend before, which is what

Irish-centric cities such as Chicago and Boston

do. But, this is Las Vegas, and we have no prob-

lem partying on a school night. If you’re going to

do it right, you need to lay down a good base.

I’d start with the Irish breakfast at Rí Rá (in

Mandalay Bay, 702-632-7771), which features

two eggs, Irish sausages and rashers (that’s

bacon made from pork loin instead of the

belly), black and white puddings, grilled toma-

toes and mushrooms and toast. And I would

definitely order the side of baked beans, and

wash it all down with a breakfast Guinness,

of course. The next few hours can be spent

drinking green beer and convincing people

that I’m Irish at either of the Strip’s biggest

outdoor parties: Celtic Feis at New York-New

York or O’Sheas Bloq Party at the Linq.

To keep myself in check while at the Linq,

Tilted Kilt’s specials of Scotch eggs ($7) and

beer-battered fish ’n’ chips ($14) should hold me

over until I am overcome with the desire to eat

something that is not deep-fried or liquid bread.

The next stop on my St. Paddy’s Day journey

will take me Downtown to Triple George Grill

(201 N. Third St., 702-384-2761) for potato

leek soup with Irish cheddar, green oysters

and another Scotch egg with pickled red

onions and cornichon, followed by a fortifying

shepherd’s pie made with ground beef,

mashed potatoes and vegetables.

For my final destination, it’s not the setting,

but the man, who makes Crush (in MGM Grand,

702-891-3222, CrushMGM.com) a must-stop on

March 17. Self-styled “funologist” John O’Donnell

mans the bar at the emerald casino, serving up

beer and whiskey, all with a dash of his Irish

charm and brogue, which will undoubtedly

become more pronounced as the night goes on.

By this time, I’ll be making a big to-do of the fact

that I haven’t eaten any corned beef and cabbage

yet, but chef William DeMarco’s got me covered

with a spread that includes the traditional meat-

and-veg pairing plus Irish soda bread and draft

beer for $20.16. The dulcet tones of bagpipes will

play throughout the night, playing such standards

as “Danny Boy,” “Amazing Grace” and, uh, other

songs that sound good on bagpipes.

Remember: Celebrating St. Paddy’s Day isn’t

a sprint, it’s a marathon. Eat well and drink

something that isn’t green or brown every

once in a while, so that when you raise your

final pint with a “Sláinte!” at the end of the

night, even faux-Irish eyes will still be smiling.

Grace Bascos eats, sleeps, raves and repeats.

Read more from Grace at VegasSeven.com/

DishingWithGrace, as well as on her dining-

and-music blog, FoodPlusTechno.com.

earthy, red sauce; pickled daikon radish; and a mayonnaise-based macaroni salad to give your mouth some relief from the spice. For dipping, there’s sesame oil or red bean paste, along with a slightly sweet soy sauce with jalape-ños and onions. With so many ways to dress up your meat, it’s possible to never have the same bite twice. 7920 S. Rainbow Blvd., 702-538-7887.

SWISH SHABU SHABU

Similar to Chinese hot pot, Japanese shabu-shabu begins with a wide, metal pot of seaweed (or miso) broth that is brought to the table, then set on the hibachi burner to heat. Beef is the star here, sliced paper-thin so it cooks quickly—well-marbled rib eye is standard, but Kobe, salmon and shrimp are options as well, all served with leaves of bok choy, carrots, tofu, shiitake mushrooms and udon noodles. Vegetar-ians aren’t forgotten with a huge platter of mushrooms, includ-ing clusters of enoki, trumpets, maitake and matsutake varieties.

The dish’s name is onomatopoeic for the sound the meat makes as it’s dragged through the broth—a quiet swish swish. After the beef takes a swim in the bubbling cauldron, dip it in either a bright ponzu or sesame sauce and take a bite! The meat and vegetables favor the broth as well, so once you’ve exhausted your protein, that’s the time to add in the thick, chewy udon to the soup. A few minutes later, you have your fnal course. 5115 Spring Mountain Rd., 702-522-9345.

F. PIGALLE

So many things can go wrong with fondue: scalding cheese that burns the roof of your mouth, bubbling hot oil that could splatter at any time, melted chocolate that could break and become an oily mess. But then I experienced fondue at F. Pigalle, which makes the Swiss

specialty decidedly more Parisian with its Red Light-District décor. Chef Sam Marvin has taken all of the guesswork out of your hot-dip options—including oil, cheese or broth—which are gently heated over tea lights.

As you may have guessed, beef is the meat of choice. Stab a cube of tri-tip steak with your designated skewer, pop it into the oil and ap-preciate for a brief moment the pleasant bubbling sound. Medium-rare is where it’s at, so the beef only needs to cook for about 30 seconds. Pull it from the oil (and yes—it’s hot!), give it a second to cool, or send it for a dip through any of the accompanying sauces (chimi-churri, steak sauce and béarnaise,

to name a few) and pop it in your or your date’s mouth. (I’m partial to hooking my arm through that of my dining companion for optimum hilarity). Cheese lovers should need no instructions to operate the prof-fered cubes of bread, Genoa salami and Granny Smith apples—you could eat a leather shoe if it were dunked into the creamy, melty mixture of Emmental and Gruyère cheeses spiked with Chablis and kirsch. Chocolate follows the same drill, except that the silky, rich Bel-gian chocolate enrobes strawber-ries, Rice Krispies treats or pound cake. Like the restaurant’s grafftied walls, this DIY dessert has passion written all over it. 508 Fremont St., 702-550-4797.

Shrimp fondue at F. Pigalle.

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DRINKING

A Healthy DoseThe Juice Standard squeezes liquor into its cold-pressed offerings By Xania Woodman

➜ ”IF YOU’RE GOING to be bad, be really good at it.” That’s the bottom line for Marcella Williams and her business partner, Jamie Stephenson, founders and co-owners of the Juice Standard (JuiceStandard.com). The pair opened their cold-pressed juice concept’s third location on Leap Day, February 29, in the Cosmo-politan, but their new kiosk on the second foor between All Saints and Holsteins has something their two neigh-borhood juiceries don’t: a liquor license.

If you’re gobsmacked at the thought of someone defling your greens juice with vodka, try to remem-ber where you are and then think of it as more like someone putting the fresh-est, healthiest mixers avail-able into your cocktail.

“We’ve always believed in a healthy balance,” Wil-liams says. “I mean, this is Las Vegas. For me, [creating this menu] was like going back to Day 1, when we got to create a bunch of juices. I was inspired and excited to create new recipes, but with alcohol.” In addition to the nine cocktails, Wil-liams and Stephenson have also launched a brand-new juice blend in honor of the property: Bee Cosmopolitan combines alkaline water, detoxifying bentonite clay, lemon, agave and beet juice. Order the Sex Panther and have it mixed with vodka, triple sec and lemon for a Cosmo that is both the cause and the cure.

The rest of the cocktails ($14) follow a similar pattern: a base of one of the Juice Standard’s seven organic, cold-pressed juice blends or four nut milks, a healthy dose of spirits and a dash of other modifers that bring the drink close to something you may have had before. Bloody Mary fans will love the Hail Mary, which pairs the greens-packed Bee Resilient with gin, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, lemon, salt and Tabasco. Dudes will happily

abide by the Happy Russian, which brings together Bee Happy nut milk with vodka, Kahlua and optional crème de menthe, peppermint oil or a shot of espresso. Being relatively low-calorie and easy to mix, vodka plays into fve of the drinks; the rest of the menu raids the liquor cabinet for bourbon (Queen For a

Day), tequila (Spice of Life) and rum (Living Legend).

Before they were juice mavens, Williams and Stephenson had their own very personal juice journeys. Williams, the company’s COO and a mother of three children under 10, including twins, says she quickly became adept at sneaking healthy

foods into her kids’ meals. Smoothies were the gateway to juice, crammed with spinach, avocados, kale and other good-for-you goodies. “I found that if I put just enough beet in, it would turn pink and they would suck it down,” she says.

Stephenson, the company’s CEO, witnessed her stepfa-ther’s own transformation

frst-hand when he was diag-nosed with Stage 4 colon can-cer and given seven months to live. Her mother cleaned out the pantry and stocked only fresh, healthy foods and produce for the family. “Five years later, we were all sitting around with Walter on his birthday. Food did that,” she says. “Nutrition really helps heal the body. We’re just here to spread the juice.”

A former portrait photog-rapher, Stephenson loved her career, but dreaded the act of selling her work. “I knew a long time ago that I was meant to do something meaningful, but here I am now, fnally realizing that what I’m really good at—and what I fnd very easy to sell—is something I really believe in.”

With three stores now open in less than two years, preparation is already under way for the Juice Standard to make that four. “We plan to open a production facility in which we will make all of our juices, and bottle and label them like we currently do, but in a much bigger space,” Stephenson says. “We’ll also create a kitchen for kale chips, salads, chia puddings. We’d like to get into kombu-cha, kimchi and all kinds of really great, healthy, yummy, grab-and-go foods.” Plans call for the facility and its small storefront to open by the end of the year.

Want to get your juice fx when it’s freshest? Deliveries to the Cosmopolitan location are made daily right before the kiosk opens at 7 a.m., and again between 10 a.m. and noon—and the cocktails are available the entire time.

“I live here, and I believe in health,” Stephenson says. “Of course I believe in consum-ing lots of plants, but I was raised with a pretty good understanding of what it is to live a good life, to try a bit of everything. Life is a buffet.”

The Juice Standard isn’t the only juicery in town embracing the bottle. Find out who else just got their liquor license at VegasSeven.com/JuiceAndBooze.

Marcella Williams (left) and Jamie Stephenson.

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It’s a world-famous alternative comedy space. I arranged to perform there once as part of a com-edy show, and then I started getting asked to come back. Once I saw how natural that was in terms of what I do, I started making efforts to get booked on more shows like that. It’s just a really good ft, in terms of how I write a lot of my stuff and how comedy audiences listen. It’s a different sort of audience than a hip-hop audience. A lot of times, it suits me better.

Why do you

think that is?

It comes down to listening. Not all comedy fans are the kind of comedy fans who would go to a place like the Upright Citizens Brigade, [but] humor is very prevalent in my mu-sic, and it’s a humor akin to the style done there. That audience dials in pretty easily.

You went to college with

Hannibal Buress. Has he

influenced the comedy

aspect in your music?

I wouldn’t say “in-fuenced.” When we went to school together, he was just starting comedy. It’s just been really, really cool to see how his career has taken off, like from literally starting. I just interviewed him on my podcast and we talked about this—the week he started from not being a comic to “OK, I’m doing this open mic” to “I’m doing every open mic” to “I’m touring.” It’s really been amazing to see his career and art

develop over time. He’s really awesome at it. The way his career has blown up is a testament to that. But he’s not much of an infuence in terms of how I make music, because I’m just a fan of stand-up in general.

Would you ever venture

into stand-up yourself?

I dabble. It’s fun. The best stand-up guys, they’re constantly crafting jokes. That’s just how their minds work, but my mind at this point might be constantly think-ing of rap lyrics or song ideas. To really be good at it, I’d have to take away a lot of mental resources from my music, and at this point I’m not that hungry to do that.

You’re also a father.

How do you find time

to fit everything in?

It’s a lot sometimes, but if I’m making use of all the hours in the day properly, then I’m doing all right. It’s not completely overwhelming. I look at these things like they’re my jobs, and I give them what I think is the appropri-ate workday. That’s how I structure it, and it works. I don’t know if I can add another thing, but for now, it’s right where it should be.

What can we expect

when you come to

Vegas next month?

I rap. I’m a rapper, man. I enjoy rapping and I enjoy enter-taining. It’s fun. It’s dark sometimes. We’ll laugh. We’ll throw our hands up a little bit. We’ll move around. It’s tight.

OPEN MIKE EAGLE

WITH THE LIQUE, CAMERON CALLOWAY,

ON THE OTHER HAND, FAILURE

MACHINE AND ALL NIGHT VISITORS

8 p.m. (Open Mike Eagle at 1 a.m.) March 12,

Backstage Bar & Billiards, $15, 702-382-2227,

NeonReverb.com.

M A R K E T P L A C E

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You originated the character

of the Walrus and performed

in The Beatles LOVE for many

years. Then you were the

artistic and creative director

for Light nightclub when it

was partnered with Cirque du

Soleil. When did you find out

you were going to direct One

Night for One Drop?

I left [Light], and I went to [One Drop’s] after-party last year. I didn’t have a wristband, so I pretended to be one of the working artists. I saw Jerry Nadal [senior vice president, Resident Shows Division, Cirque du Soleil], and told him about an idea that I was work-ing on. A week later, I made a presenta-tion for a show about my life when I was a young boy visiting my grand-mother in Morocco. I was shocked that she didn’t have water at home. Jerry told me that we had to meet Russ Petroni, pro-ducer of One Night for One Drop. I heard they had 20 different artistic directors they were considering. I [went back to] France because my contract was fnished at Light, but they called me in July and said, “Congratulations, we like the concept and story.”

What stood out to you on those

visits to Morocco?

My grandmother walked every day to a well. One day I said, “I will go with you.” I was shocked. As a kid, I didn’t understand: How come you don’t have water at home? To take a shower, she had to get water and put it in the oven to heat it

up. When I frst saw One Drop 2014, in the Michael Jackson Theatre, as I was watching the show, I said, “I would like to put my story onstage.”

Will all of the scenes relate

to your personal story?

It’s about a little boy fall-ing into a waterhole. And the little boy is going to visit this world and he will have this talisman for the characters on-stage. You’re going to see some of my story inside it, and he may or may not return to his family.

Why did

you decide

to include

non-Cirque

du Soleil

performers

into the show

this year?

Fifty per-cent of our performers [work with]

Cirque du Soleil. Then we have performers from other shows [such as] Jubi-lee!, [singer] Leona Lewis and my dear friend Miles “Baby Boogaloo” Brown [who stars in ABC’s Black-ish]. I met him six years ago on America’s Got Talent when he was 4. We did that show, and we kept in touch. We train together, we travel together, we compete to-gether and we did a music video together. I was teach-ing him some [moves], how to dance, how to react. When I did [the concept for One Drop], I wanted to have a little boy playing me. I called his father. I was scared because he had become very popular and he was on a hit show and I didn’t think he was able to do it. His mother was crying. She was surprised,

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Hassan El HajjamiOne Night for One Drop’s artistic director

on how he got involved, his youthful doppelgänger and the world’s water crisis

By Melinda Sheckells

“The artistic director has called us to ask our son to play the lead role!” It was intense for them.

This is the first time One Drop is not happening at

a Cirque du Soleil theater. What challenges does

The Smith Center present?

We are accustomed to working on Cirque du So-leil stages. It’s like we have to do a Cirque show in a blackbox. It’s a big challenge because we have only two days to put it together [once we move into the theater]. We [rehearse] on the Zarkana stage. We have to rehearse the show in sections. It is a work in progress. [It requires] a lot of time, [there is] pressure and stress—from the props and choreography. It is very complicated.

What is one thing you are hoping audience members will

take away from the show?

I hope I change [their] lives. [We are sharing a dire situation that millions of people] don’t have access to water and don’t have water to drink. This is my opportunity to make a change. That’s why I put all my heart and energy into this concept.

What are you going to do after One Drop?

Go back to France, relax and wait for the next opportunity to create a show and dance. I cannot live without dancing. It would be like cutting off my arm. I’m an artistic director, a conceptual director, but I am also an artist. Even when I was a director, I was onstage dancing. A lot of choreographers don’t do that because they are scared, but I’m not scared. I just let go and don’t take it seriously. I love to put a smile on your face and do whatever it takes to make you happy. My life is like that.

ONE NIGHT

FOR ONE DROP

March 18, 7 p.m.,

$100-$325,

The Smith Center,

OneNight.

OneDrop.org.