BRETT’S VEGAS VIEW
Date: July 1, 2018
HOUSE OF BLUES HOLDS CRAFT BEER AND MUSIC FESTIVAL
Local Brews Local Grooves craft beer and music festival will be held at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay on Saturday, July 14 with doors opening at 6 p.m. The event will showcase more than 20 different breweries from the southwest and elsewhere including Bad Beat, Crafthaus, Big Dog’s, Joseph James, Lovelady, Lagunitas, and Ninkasi paired with musical performances from Mike Xavier, Silversage, The Revival, Glass Pools, PureJoyPeople, and Teddi & The Northern Lights.
The House of Blues team will present a specialty menu and guests will be able to visit brew masters and hear from experts on perfect brew and food pairings. Tickets start at $40.
Following the evening festivities, there will be an after-party in the Foundation Room. Access will be complimentary with a festival show ticket.
RIO INTRODUCES THE WALL GAMING LOUNGE
The Rio jumps into the esports arena by introducing The Wall Gaming Lounge, the first phase of Las Vegas’ newest interactive space by Hybrid One. The Wall, a multi-phased, 24,000-square-foot project located in the Masquerade Village area, is the first permanent esports venue for Caesars Entertainment.
The Wall boasts ample gaming and lounge space highlighted by 30 high performance Alienware gaming PCs along with some console gaming stations. Graffiti artwork inspired by all of today’s hottest games provides the gamer’s vibe. There is a focus on cash tournaments and daily challenges. The Wall features a self-serve beverage wall and mobile food/drink ordering.
The Wall at the Rio is highly interactive and allows guests to enter the space and feel immersed in a highly-visual and dynamic gaming atmosphere. Visitors can compete like an esports professional or spectate in a social, ultramodern atmosphere.
With completion expected this fall, the next phase will feature additional chef-driven food and beverage offerings from The Wall, and competitive gaming experience.
The Wall is open Thursday-Sunday from 4 p.m.–2 a.m. Free self-parking is available.
JEFF CIVILLICO NAMED SPOKESMAN FOR NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
Family-friendly entertainer and Strip headliner of his own show at The LINQ, Jeff Civillico has been named “Ambassador” for the Las Vegas Natural History Museum. This is the first time in the museum’s 27-year history a celebrity has partnered to further promote local and national recognition for the educational venue’s current growth and expansion. Civillico’s role will include being the celebrity ambassador in marketing, special events, corporate development and special programming.
The museum’s current signature annual events include: Sundown in Downtown/Booze and Bones festive in June; the annual gala, The Dinosaur Ball on Saturday, Oct. 20 at Enclave, which will feature Civillico as the evening’s entertainer and emcee this year; and December to Remember, a cultural celebration, which converts the museum’s Grand Hall into a gallery of lights, trees, and wonderful traditions from around the world for a five-week celebration. The museum also produces the annual Las Vegas Science & Technology Festival boosting awareness and education on science and technology citywide partnering with many local businesses and establishments with nine days of events and happenings in May.
CANNABITION WILL BE CITY’S FIRST IMMERSIVE CANNABIS MUSEUM
Nevada’s “Canna-versary,” the one-year mark since the sale of recreational cannabis was legalized, was celebrated on July 1. To celebrate, Cannabition—Las Vegas’ first and only immersive cannabis-themed museum will open Aug. 2 at Neonopolis.
Cannabition will feature elaborate cannabis-inspired installations created by leading experiential art and exhibit designers. Visitors will be able to interact with monumental art pieces including a slide emptying into a pool of handmade foam “nugs” and at 23 feet, the world’s largest water pipe known as “Bongzilla.” There will be 10 educational and photogenic exhibits exploring the historic, botanical and lifestyle aspects of cannabis.
Meanwhile, a 420 Scavenger Hunt has been launched throughout Downtown and runs until Tuesday, July 10 (7:10) at 4:20 p.m.
To participate, individuals and teams can register online at Cannabition. The hunt will take participants to 25 of Downtown’s popular arts, cultural, dining and drinking destinations as well as a few obscure locations. Participants earning the most points will be announced at a 710 awards party at The Nerd bar at Neonopolis on Tuesday, July 10 from 8 p.m. to midnight and awarded from a pool of 42 prizes.
Note the term 420 or four-twenty is known as code for “consumption of cannabis,” and 710 specifically refers to cannabis concentrates such as hash oil.
TONY N’ TINA’S WEDDING OPENS AT BUCA DI BEPPO AT BALLY’S
“Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding” is an interact dinner show, which has been around what seems like forever. The wedding-themed satire has appeared in many different locations in Las Vegas over the past couple decades; however, this new location at the Buca de Beppo Italian Restaurant in Bally’s is a winner.
While the dinner event is held in an elongated dining room away from the main restaurant, it’s the confined area making it a fun environment. There is no way to be left out of the adlib action taking place all the time. Participants are treated like guests at a real wedding reception, but this is anything but normal. The cast helps makes it fun with characters such as a stripper girlfriend, pregnant bridesmaid and drunken priest.
The dinner show is Friday through Wednesday at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $119.75.
HIP-HOP ARTIST PLAYBOI CARTI WILL PERFORM AT THE JOINT
Breakout hip-hop artist, Playboi Carti will be touring this summer following the surprise release of his new album, “Die Lit,” this year on May 11. A week following the release, Carti made a surprise appearance on the season finale of “Saturday Night Live.” He joined the show’s musical guest Nicki Minaj for a performance of “Poke It Out.” Minaj is featured on the track included on “Die Lit.” The Atlanta-born rapper will perform at The Joint at Hard Rock on Sunday, July 29 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $39.50.
MICHAEL CHE WILL VISIT COMEDY CELLAR AT THE RIO
Comedian Michael Che will bring his 2018 Summer Tour to the Comedy Cellar at the Rio with special guest Cipha Sounds. The “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) star will perform two shows, 7 and 9 p.m., on Wednesday, July 11. Tickets are $45.
Che is currently the co-anchor of SNL’s “Weekend Update” segment where he is also a co-head writer for the show. Che has performed stand-up on NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and on CBS’ “Late Show with David Letterman.” In 2016, he released his first hour-long stand-up special “Michael Che Matters” on Netflix.
Cipha Sounds is more than an average DJ. He has combined comedy with being the official DJ for Comedy Central’s “Chappelle’s Show,” and on his tours. He is a regular DJ at SNL after-parties and appeared in Che’s Netflix Special. He is now Che’s go-to DJ and opening act on the road.
NEON MUSEUM NEWS AND ELVIS’ STAR
With the Neon Museum garnering national and international attention, it has gotten to the point where visitors have been turned away because tours have been sold out.
This prompted in early June, offering self-guided tours with Historical Interpreters (guides) on hand to answer questions regarding the collection from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a one-time admission of $19.
There was a significant change made to peak-time nightly tours. Late night tours, previously available only on weekends, are now available seven nights a week. The last tour begins at midnight and finishes at 1 a.m.
Hot Yoga has returned to the Neon Boneyard on Saturdays with an expanded schedule this summer. The cost is $18 with Neon Museum members receiving $8 off. Starting time is 4:30 p.m. for all sessions.
Elvis Presley’s star has been installed on the Electric Promenade donor’s walk, which leads from the distinctive La Concha visitor’s center to the main Neon Museum Boneyard. The star was originally part of the Las Vegas Walk of Stars in front of the now-demolished Riviera. When the Riviera’s sidewalk portion of the Las Vegas Walk of Stars was dismantled in early 2015, the Viva Las Vegas Club received possession of the Elvis star, which was slightly damaged. Club members decided to donate the original star to the Neon Museum, while a new star was created and reinstalled along the Walk of Stars.
MGM RESORTS’ LOVE ALBUM WINS AWARDS AT CREATIVITY FESTIVAL
MGM Resorts International’s “Universal Love” album, which is a collection of reimagined wedding songs for the LGBTQ community released last April, won five Lions at the 65th annual Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.
The compilation album, produced by MGM in conjunction with global advertising agency McCann, features six newly recorded versions of love songs giving same-sex couples a soundtrack featuring pronouns changed to reflect the world of LGBTQ relationships. The boundary-changing songs are performed by beloved artists, including Bob Dylan, Kesha, St. Vincent, Valerie June, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, and Kele Okereke of Bloc Party.
MOB MUSEUM HOSTS TALK ON DOPING IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS
Jeff Novitzky, a former federal law enforcement agent, will discuss The War on Doping in Professional Sports at The Mob Museum on Saturday, July 7 at 2 p.m. Novitzky with an athletics background, relentlessly pursued celebrity dopers including Barry Bonds, Lance Armstrong, Marion Jones, and others. He will share his experiences and techniques used from some investigations, along with evidence he collected against athletes who cheated.
DINING AND COCKTAIL NEWS
Last week, SUSHISAMBA® Las Vegas Executive Sous Chef Thomas Tapat, took home the grand prize of $10,000 on Food Network’s reality-based cooking show “Chopped.” Four chefs competed on an episode titled “Think Small,” with each taking a mystery basket of ingredients and turning them into dishes judged on creativity, presentation, and taste. SUSHISAMBA is located at the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Palazzo.
All summer, Ferraro’s Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar is offering a changing rotation of prix-fixe menus inspired by Italy’s most renowned culinary regions. Calabria’s menu is featured June 29–July 12. Other regions to be showcased include: Sicilia July 13–26; Toscana July 27–Aug. 9; Veneto Aug. 10–23; and Campania Aug. 24–Sept. 7. Each Summer Regional Menu is $49.
Masso Osteria at Red Rock Resort, owned by celebrity Chef Scott Conant, has launched an all-new Social Hour menu, available daily at the bar and lounge 5-7 p.m. The menu dishes are priced between $3.50 and $15 and made with refined Italian ingredients. Gourmands can pair bites with seasonal selections of $5 glasses of wine, $6 cocktails and $4 select brews.
The Top of the World restaurant at the Stratosphere has a new craft cocktail menu developed by Jason Shullo, who recently joined the parent company, Golden Entertainment, Inc., as corporate director of beverage. Shullo has developed award-winning beverage programs for STK locations across the country. New selections include: the Grin & Pear It; the Spiced Sunrise; the Key Lime Pie; and the Clingstone.
Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant in Downtown Summerlin has fresh new cocktails available through the end of summer. New Summer Coolers include: the peach ginger cooler; the raspberry vanilla cooler; and the blueberry lemon spritzer. Each cocktail is $11.
Leaving no promo opportunity overlooked, Freed’s Bakery, well-known for its exposure on Food Network’s “Vegas Cakes,” will celebrate Shark Week’s annual, week-long TV programming block with shark cupcakes, available July 22-29. The limited-edition themed creations are $3.25 each or $34 per dozen. Family-owned Freed’s Bakery is located at 9815 S. Eastern Ave.
LIBRARY DISTRICT HOLDS BOOK AND AUDIO/VIDEO SALES
The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Foundation’s Big Summer Book Sale will be held July 5 and 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and July 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Sahara West Library at 9600 W. Sahara Avenue. Shoppers will discover thousands of books, ebooks, DVDs, CDs, LPs and more items. All proceeds and donations go to fund new resources and priority projects for the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District and Foundation. Book sales are free and open to the public.
Several future book sales include: The Teacher’s Book Sale – Saturday, Aug. 4 at the Clark County Library; Centennial Hills Library Book Sale – Aug. 24 and 25; and Sahara West Winter Sale – Dec. 6, 7, and 8. Hours for each sale are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
TROPICANA WILL HOST 64th MISS RODEO AMERICA PAGEANT
The 64th Miss Rodeo America Pageant will be held at the Tropicana this Dec. 2-9. The seven-day contest will return to Las Vegas and feature more than 30 contestants. The competition will be held in conjunction with the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Reigning State Rodeo Queens will enter to win the sought-after crown by competing in the areas of appearance, horsemanship and personality. The winner will receive more than $20,000 in scholarships and become the official representative of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association appearing at more than 120 rodeo performances as well as schools, children’s hospitals, civic groups and other events to educate the public about the sport of rodeo. Tickets will go on sale on Aug. 15.
CELEBRITY TIDBITS
In honor of Khloé Kardashian’s birthday last week, Madame Tussauds Las Vegas presented her first wax figure complete with a flower wall. The “Revenge Body” star’s figure is dressed in her own donated outfit: Good American high-waisted jeans; sexy black lace bodysuit; and Christian Louboutin pumps.
Gwen Stefani debuted her headlining residency show “Gwen Stefani – Just a Girl” inside Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood last week.
Had a couple of recent losses in Las Vegas last week starting with Richard Harrison, best known to viewers of the History Channel reality series “Pawn Stars” as “The Old Man.” He passed away after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease.
Dear friend and incredible singing talent Jeneane Marie, lost her battle with cancer. Her career included Frank Sinatra having her open for him. She also opened for many headlining stars such as Wayne Newton, George Carlin, Liberace, Don Rickles, BB King, Mel Torme, Josh Grobin, Tanya Tucker, Bette Midler, and Barbra Streisand to name only a few.
Las Vegas resident superstar and Caesars Palace headliner Celine Dion launched her 22-city Asian-Pacific tour last week with a two-hour, sold-out performance inside the Tokyo Dome last. The Colosseum at Caesars Palace was built exclusively for Dion’s first show residency, “A New Day…,” which began in March 2003. She performed her 1,000th show at The Colosseum on Oct. 8, 2016.
Las Vegas-band Dorman will make its debut at the House of Blues as an opener for headlining act Kenny Medcalf, an Elton John tribute artist, on Friday, July 6 at 8 p.m. Dorman’s previous public appearance was at NASCAR on March 4.
ABOUT TOWN NEWS
A Quilts for Vegas exhibit showcasing 250 quilts created by volunteer quilters for victims of the Oct. 1 - Route 91 Harvest festival shooting is on display in the Clark County Government Center’s rotunda through July 20. Afterwards, the handmade creations will be shipped to survivors and family members of the victims who were killed.
Beer Park at Paris will host a viewing party for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 226 fight between Stipe Miocic and Daniel “DC” Cormier Saturday, July 7 starting at 7 p.m. Following the fight, Cormier will host a knock-out after-party at Chateau Nightclub & Rooftop beginning at 10:30 p.m. Tickets start at $30 and are available online.
The South Point Arena and Equestrian Center has partnered with national recreational vehicle brand, Van City RV, to become an exclusive sponsor of the new Van City RV Horse Trailer Parking Area. The 25-acre premium lot features high-end lighting, custom fencing and a welcoming ranch style arch entrance. The area also offers a secure and convenient location to park horse trailers with close-proximity to the arena.
Retail boutique Eden in Love in Town Square is “paw-tnering” with the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) with a festive “Christmas in July” shopping fundraiser for the entire month of July. Shoppers in the store will be able to make donations to purchase an “ornament” from the Christmas tree. Eden in Love will accept donations up to $30 and will match the donation with a discount off their entire purchase.
Brooklyn Bowl at The LINQ Promenade is celebrating National Fried Chicken Day with a VIP Bowling Lane and all-you-can-eat fried chicken giveaway for Method Man & Redman on Friday, July 6. Anyone who purchases or with a ticket to the Method Man & Redman concert will be entered for the chance to win. Tickets for Method Man & Redman start at $37.50. The giveaway also includes two pitchers of beer.
The local F.I.O.R.E. group will celebrate its 14th birthday on Thursday, July 12 at 11:30 a. m. at The Italian American Club with special guest Anthony Carnota, who is known as the “Spanish Liberace.” Tickets are $25.
