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COMMUNITY + CULTURE + DESIGN + FLAVOR MAKING LAS VEGAS HOME

BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

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Page 1: BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

C O M M U N I T Y + C U LT U R E + D E S I G N + F L AVO R

MAKING LAS VEGAS HOME

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50th ANNUAL ART IN THE PARK

F E AT U R E D A RT I ST

OCTOBER 6 & 7, 2012BO

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9am to 5pm / Hundreds of Fine Art, Fine Craft & Traditional Craft Artists / FREE Admission! / Benefiting Boulder City HospitalFor more information, maps and directions, please visit: www.artinthepark.org or call: 702-293-0214

Robert A. Fleming, booth # 179

Family Doctorsof

Boulder City

MAGAZINE

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January 12 February 16 March 9 April 6 May 4

October 20 November 3 November 17 December 8

Wells Fargo is proud to support Las Vegas Philharmonic.

Thanks to the support of loyal donors, the Las Vegas Philharmonic is now the third largest arts organization in the state and six-time recipient of the Best Performing Arts Group award, and has grown into a nationally recognized orchestra that is known for its artistic innovation and excellence.

To order your subscription for the 2012-2013 season, call the box o�ce at 702.749.2000 or visit the website at lvphil.org.

2012-2013 Season Single Tickets Go on Sale August 15th!

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Revitalizing Las Vegas one performance at a timeBank of America is proud to be a member of the community of funders that

helped make the dream of a world-class performing arts center a reality. As a

catalyst of the economic revitalization of Las Vegas, The Smith Center project —

from groundbreaking to completion — has created thousands of jobs. Future

performances will continue to infuse our local economy with a projected

$29 million annually.

© 2012 Bank of America Corporation

Juan Mendez is one of the 2,600 people from Clark County employed by The Smith Center development project.

AD-01-12-8859 Las Vegas_6.indd 1 2/24/12 8:15 AM

Revitalizing Las Vegas one performance at a timeBank of America is proud to be a member of the community of funders that

helped make the dream of a world-class performing arts center a reality. As a

catalyst of the economic revitalization of Las Vegas, The Smith Center project —

from groundbreaking to completion — has created thousands of jobs. Future

performances will continue to infuse our local economy with a projected

$29 million annually.

© 2012 Bank of America Corporation

Juan Mendez is one of the 2,600 people from Clark County employed by The Smith Center development project.

AD-01-12-8859 Las Vegas_6.indd 1 2/24/12 8:15 AM

Bank of America is proud to be a member of the community of funders that helped make the dream of a world-class performing arts center a reality. As acatalyst of the economic revitalization of Las Vegas, The Smith Center project — from groundbreaking to completion — has created thousands of jobs. Future performances will continue to infuse our local economy with a projected $29 million annually.

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blvdslv.com BLVDSLasVegasMUSIC + ENTERTAINMENT5

what’s inside

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ISSUE 33: MUSIC + ENTERTAINMENT

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On the CoverDusty Sunshine cools it down for photographer Corlene Byrd

Community 10 Judy AlbertiEntertainment exec packs ‘em in with musical acts and an annual toy drive12 Ryan PardeyLocal musician muses on creatively coming of age alongside Las Vegas14 Fall A&E PreviewEnjoy a taste of some of the exciting experiences on the cultural menu this fall18 Fans With a PlanLearn about the Savar brothers’ ideas for building community while investing in local talent20 Girls Rock VegasHeather Rampton’s nonprofit helps girls build confidence through music

Culture26 Dusty Sunshine If you don’t know these genre-defying indie folk musicians, you will soon28 Jewish Repertory TheatreThis new professional company is an exciting addition to the local theatrical landscape30 Light Forge StudiosFilmmaking brothers Jerry and Mike Thompson gain fans with silly and sincere story telling33 Child ProdigyDespite her vast talent, Emily Richardson refuses the “wunderkind” label36 Upcoming Events

Design

40 At Home with Warwick StoneRestaurant-as-rock-repository pioneer has created a refuge of calm at home

44 The Magic MakerWhen magicians need some magic aides, Chris Barnes turns ideas into reality

45 Five Musical AppsMusic at the touch of a thumb

46 Sound Masters of LVTalbot Snow turned a passion for sound into a successful recording studio

Flavor

50 Bar + BistroFeaturing eclectic cuisine with a Latin flavor, this hotspot also has extensive options for vegetarians and vegans

52 Must Haves54 Casa di AmoreSpecializing in classic Italian cuisine, this old school charmer bills itself as “Vegas the way it used to be”

56 IMHO Clint Holmes The resident entertainer writes about the legacy of originality

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6MUSIC + ENTERTAINMENTBLVDS Las Vegas blvdslv.com

Jan Craddock President & Publishersherri Kaplan COO & Co-PublisherPat marvel Consulting EditorHektor D. esparza Managing Editorvictoria Hart Creative Directorgreg Warden Senior Photographer

EDITORIAL BOARDBrianPacoAlvarezDuretteCanditoLisaChasteenShellyCochranChrisCutlerAudrieDodgeKendallHardinNancyHigginsLuAnnKutchDawnLaBonteRobMcCoyJillianPlasterJasonRothKimberlyMaxson-RushtonKarenRubelRickSellersEricStrainKimberlyTrueba

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSJackChappellChrisCutlerJoshuaEllisAmeyEsparzaChristinaGibsonClintHolmesJarretKeeneValerieMillerJillianPlasterEricSchellhorn

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSSpencerBurtonNathanDouglasDonParnallCheckoSalgadoLoganPochatkoGregWardenGirlsRockVegasHLFilmWorksJewishRepertoryTheatreLasVegasPhilharmonicLightForgeStudiosNevadaBalletTheatreNevadaSchooloftheArtsStudiowestphotography.com

Entertainment in Las Vegas is a big subject to take on. Just the live music aspect, with its many hyper-disparate styles and scenes, is enough to make this editor’s head spin. Factor in theatre, film and the reemergence of performance art, and it’s clear there is too much to cover in one issue.

Indeed, on any given weekend

in Las Vegas there is a real problem of choosing which events to make and which events to miss. It’s a good problem to have for a city coming into its own and besides bemoaning the conundrum of deciding which stories will make it into the issue and which stories will not, I am not complaining.

We took an all-inclusive shotgun approach with our lead feature in the community section via a fall preview which includes offerings from Nevada Ballet Theatre, The Las Vegas Philharmonic, Henderson Symphony Orchestra, The Rainbow Youth Company Theatre and more. Taking a very hands-on approach to community building in the independent arts and music scenes are Evan and Hal Savar. These brothers bring together dozens of performers and hundreds of patrons every week at different venues across the valley at events called 1 Crazy Happy Hour.

Rounding out our Community department for this issue is a story on the impactful local nonprofit Girls Rock Vegas.

Though it was a tough choice to make among many solid area musical acts, Dusty Sunshine made the cut (and the cover) as this issue’s featured band with an outstanding six-piece line up playing a unique take on indie-folk and Americana.

And speaking of Vegas originals, UNLV grads Mike and Jerry Thompson make inspiring short and feature films at Light Forge Studios, while Talbot Snow records and produces for priests, Christian rappers and adult entertainers at Sound Masters LV.

This issue’s IMHO guest writer is Clint Holmes. He loves this city and has a great respect for the entertainers that put it on the map but knows that if a new crop is to arise, the city’s venues will have to give them a shot under the spotlight.

Finally I would like to announce that I will be moving out of the spotlight here at BLVDS as its managing editor. I have enjoyed a great year at the helm of a publication which I have no problem boasting has just about the most heart of any I have worked for in this wonderfully strange and amazing city. I have no doubt BLVDS will continue to be a great community magazine, championing all the inspired people and ideas that make Las Vegas a place worth calling home.

Thank you,

Hektor David Esparza

Copyright2012byBLVDS,Inc.,allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedortransmitted

inanyformwithoutwrittenpermissionfromBLVDS,Inc.Everyeffortwasmadetoensuretheaccuracyofthe

informationinthispublication,however,BLVDS,Inc.assumesnoresponsibilityforerrors,changesoromissions.

BLVDS,Inc.acceptseditorialandphotographysubmissions.Sendallsubmissionsto:[email protected].

Letter from the editor

maKing las vegas Home

BLVDS fans follow us! email : [email protected] call : 702.386.6065 see : blvdslv.com like : facebook.com/blvdslv follow : twitter.com/blvdslv mail : 241 W. Charleston Blvd., #173 Las Vegas, NV 89102

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the groundbreaking BROADWAY musical

EXPERIENCE THE NEXT SPELLBINDING SEASON AT THE SMITH CENTER

TheSmithCenter.com | 702.749.2000 | 361 Symphony Park Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89106

SEE ALL EIGHT SHOWS FOR AS LITTLE AS $207

Wicked August 29 – October 7, 2012

The Addams Family November 20 – 25, 2012

Anything Goes February 5 – 10, 2013

West Side Story February 26 – March 3, 2013

Shrek the Musical March 19 – 24, 2013

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast April 16 – 21, 2013

SEASON SPECIALS* | La Cage Aux Folles August 14 – 19, 2012 | American Idiot June 11 – 16, 2013

2012/2013 BROADWAY LAS VEGAS SERIESSponsored by

Billy Elliot the Musical May 14 – 19, 2013

Catch Me If You Can June 18 – 23, 2013

*Not included in the Season Ticket Package

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people + places

< “Walk in the Park” painting by Paula Livingston on view at TastySpace in Emergency Arts, tastyspacelv.com.

IN THIS SECTION

10 Judy AlbertiEntertainment exec packs ‘em in with musical acts and an annual toy drive

12 Ryan PardeyLocal musician muses on creatively coming of age alongside Las Vegas

14 Fall A&E PreviewEnjoy a taste of some of the exciting experiences on the cultural menu this fall

18 Fans With a PlanLearn about the Savar brothers’ ideas for building community while investing in local talent

20 Girls Rock VegasHeather Rampton’s nonprofit helps girls build confidence through music

community

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Judy Alberti was studying engineering at the University of Wyoming when she realized something wasn’t quite right. Deciding a drastic change was in order she enrolled at UNLV, and a few years later she graduated with a communications degree. She found the energy of the local entertainment industry irresistible and decided to make Southern Nevada home.

Alberti learned that the city she fell in love with was also the most competitive entertainment market in the country. It’s become even more competitive in the last decade as several casinos have enhanced their properties with large amphitheaters. As vice president of entertainment for Station Casinos, Alberti is responsible for booking venues ranging from a few dozen guests in small pubs to 11,000 in the Red Rock Amphitheater. She says the larger venues pose the most challenges. There are relatively few performers available that can sell out concert halls of this size and the venues are in competition with each other to secure the biggest acts. But Alberti cautions against thinking Red Rock Casino is losing this fight. In fact, this venue, as well as other off-Strip casinos, have seen stronger ticket sales lately, especially to locals.

While competing for big names may seem to be enough of a challenge, Alberti is not just responsible for the booking of a handful of shows and venues per month, she is responsible for 29 stages capable of collectively showing to 30,000 people. Jazz, hip-hop, country, Irish, calypso, or punk? Acoustic or electric, alternative or mainstream? Despite a broad range of musical genres and diverse audience demographics, Alberti has demonstrated a knack for bringing the right performers to their best-suited venues with ticket prices within reach of their fans. One aspect of her job Alberti truly enjoys is helping developing artists. Michael Grimm began performing at Hank’s Steakhouse inside Green Valley Ranch and went on to win America’s Got Talent 2010. He is now playing at much larger venues nationwide. Another local band, Loophole, plays original light-rock tunes at Green Valley Ranch once a month while plotting its next steps up the music industry ladder.

Each year, Alberti oversees Station Casinos’ partnership with KWNR radio station, Star Nursery and other local organizations and entertainers to host “Toys for Tickets.” This charitable enterprise she created collects toys in exchange for free concert tickets. Donated toys are provided to local children through Children’s Advocacy Alliance. The program started small but has grown to now collect nearly 3,000 toys each year.

Alberti makes a focused effort to see that the concerts are special experiences for the contributors by helping to secure the most sought-after performers. The Band Perry, Sara Evans and even Toby Keith have performed as part of this toy drive, delivering great returns to the audiences and the children.

What would you like to see in the near future for the local music industry?I would like to see more opportunities for the development of new artists.

Who are some of your favorite performers and which were the most memorable concerts?I really love Waylon Jennings. We were able to have him at Texas Station twice before he passed away.

Which bands would you put together for a dream line-up, a super show?It would be impossible. It could never happen but I would say Gypsy Kings opening for Bob Seger with Toby Keith as the headliner.

JUDY ALBERTI

Entertaining Las VegasPhotograph by Logan Pochatko

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Musician and local scene mainstay Ryan Pardey sees himself as part of a unique generation of Las Vegas residents that have come of age at the same time the city did. “We were kids when the population was 250,000 back in the early ‘80s and got to see it change into what it is now, a city of over 2 million.”

Pardey and his peers were fortunate to have had an influence on the cultural landscape. “We really got to be part of how this city developed, many of us did.” Indeed, he and his fellow Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Visual and Performing Arts grads made waves locally and on the national scene since leaving the performing arts school in the late ‘90s. In his senior year there Pardey played the lead role of preacher C. C. Showers in a production of The Diviners. The cast included actors Matthew Gray Gubler (Criminal Minds), Baron Vaughn (Fairly Legal) and Rutina Wesley (True Blood).

Later, while serving as owner-operator of the late ‘90s, early ‘00s cultural hub, Café Espresso Roma, near UNLV, he produced intimate concerts pairing national touring bands with emerging Vegas groups. His work there helped find a local and then national audience for The Killers, one of Vegas’ biggest music success stories to date.

His own band, Halloween Town, has a devoted local following, and Pardey’s stamp of approval on other acts carries weight in the music scene. Halloween Town’s debut album, Zafra Ct., is named for the street in Las Vegas on which he lived from 1980 to 2008 with his family. His father, Rod Herm Pardey, and brother, Rod J. Pardey, are accomplished professional poker players. Big brother Rod is also a singer/ songwriter. While entertainment and gambling are usually relegated to minor roles in a city, in Las Vegas and in the Pardey family, they occupy center stage.

To Ryan Pardey, the city leaves a noticeable, if not easily defined mark on the kinds of creative people it produces. They are sophisticated, yet humble. They know how to be professional and also when not to take themselves too seriously. They can appreciate an over-the-top production show or a modest concert at an intimate venue. His own favorite music venues include The Royal House where he has booked numerous concerts in the recent past and Downtown stages like the performance area set up for the Beauty Bar in the alley behind the establishment. “I like playing there, with the right audience at the right time . . . The noise of the city, sirens and all, mixing with the music and resonating between these buildings. Could you be anymore connected? ”

What’s a surprising fact some of your friends and fans may not know about you?

I worked the lost and found room at Electric Daisy Carnival. I was able to get about ten iPhones back to their owners. I’m fascinated by all the festivals. I wanted to see what that one was about but couldn’t afford a ticket.

If you could do whatever you wanted what would your life look like?

First I would get a boat and a crew and we would sail around the world. And then we would rebuild Las Vegas. I would build my dream coffee shop and dream music venue.

What do you see for your future in music?

I’m not sure what I am going to get into next. I guess I’m still looking for the work that is going to define me.

RYAN PARDEY

Waiting for His Defining MomentPhotograph by Spencer Burton

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Leader of the Pack: The Ellie Greenwich Musical

More than any other woman songwriter (with the exception of maybe Carole King), Ellie Greenwich left an indelible mark on ’60s American pop music. The energetic songs she penned—“Be My Baby,” “Da Doo Ron Ron,”—are deathless, and her life is tunefully immortalized in this acclaimed Broadway jukebox-musical biography. The story centers on a teenage Greenwich living in Brooklyn. Over time, she forms a doo-wop trio, succeeds as a hitmaker, wins and loses love, and ultimately perseveres. A remarkably intimate and epic look into the life of an artist. Bring a blanket/chair and a picnic dinner to the general-admission seating in the grass. 6 p.m., Sept. 6-8, 13-15, 20-22, $12, unlvtickets.com -J.K.

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers – An Evening of Bluegrass and Comedy

Sure, we all know Steve Martin as the legendary stand-up comedian and Hollywood funnyman. But did you know he’s also a gifted banjo-picker? He and his band earned a Grammy nomination for their No. 1 bluegrass album, last year’s Rare Bird Alert. This is no flash-in-the-pan praise, as Martin and Co. have toured extensively, playing everything from the New Orleans’ Jazzfest to the Newport Folk Festival while winning “Entertainer of the Year” at the 2011 International Bluegrass Association Awards. On the heels of this triumph, Martin and his Rangers arrive at the Smith Center to tickle your funnybone and satisfy your bluegrass cravings. 7:30 p.m., Aug. 22, $26-$99, Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com -J.K.

Parker Quartet

This Grammy Award-winning ensemble, which The New York Times hailed as “extraordinary,” arrives in Las Vegas to satisfy lovers of classical music. Despite their youth (late 20s), the musicians—violinists Daniel Chong and Karen Kim, violist Jessica Bodner and cellist Kee-Hyun Kim—perform at a level of mastery typically reserved for seasoned veterans. And some of the music you can expect to hear during this performance is nothing short of fantastic: Claude Debussy’s novel String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10; Johannes Brahms’ String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 51, just to name a couple. Technically brilliant and emotionally resonant, the Parker Quartet will dazzle and delight. 7:30 p.m., Oct. 23, Doc Rando Recital, Lee & Thomas Beam Music Center, $25, 702.895.2787. pac.unlv.edu -J.K.

With So Many Cultural Offerings, Now is the Time to Take in Some of Vegas’ Best of the Performing Arts

By Hektor D. Esparza and Jarret Keene

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FALL A&E PREVIEW

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Henderson Symphony Orchestra – From Russia with Love

For 26 years, the Henderson Symphony Orchestra has thrilled classical audiences in Southern Nevada with performances of every conceivable masterwork, from Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 to the soundtrack to Charlie Chaplin’s

silent-film classic Modern Times. Now the 65-piece collective digs into a cycle of amazing Russian compositions—everything from M. Mussorgsky’s “Dawn on the Moscow River” to Tchaikovsky’s Roccoco Variations to S. Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 to Stravinsky’s “Scherzo a La Russe” to Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on Theme of Paganini.” If you haven’t yet heard the Henderson Symphony, this

is a wonderful opportunity to catch the ensemble as they perform an outstanding piece of music. It’s also a great chance to hear a outdoor concert at the Henderson Pavilion. 8 p.m., Oct. 12, Free, hsorch.org. -J.K

Rainbow Company Youth Theatre – Tom Sawyer

Currently in its 35th season, The Rainbow Company Youth Theatre is one of the longest lived cultural institutions in Las Vegas. At the core of the Rainbow Company is its collection of 40 dedicated students, ages 10 to 18, selected annually by open auditions from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

The Rainbow Company Ensemble members work in every aspect of each production. From costumes and make-up, to sets, lights, sound and backstage crew responsibilities, everything is handled by Ensemble members under the tutelage of professional department directors and designers. This fall, the company will present Tom Sawyer at the Charleston Heights Arts Center. October 5, 6, 12 at 7 p.m. October 7, 13, 14 at 2 p.m. rainbowcompany.org. -H.D.E

The Symphonic Rockshow

Imagine this for a moment: the biggest, baddest rock-radio anthems of all time—Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir,” Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” The Who’s “Who Are You,” Rush’s “Tom Sawyer”—performed by powerhouse band Yellow Brick Road (Las Vegas’ long-running classic-rock tribute act), a 25-piece orchestra and mega-talented singer/musician Brody Dolyniuk. On top of this add synchronized laser lights and an immersive multimedia experience, and you have the recipe for a mind-blowing evening of live music that can’t be topped. For anyone seeking a rock concert on the grandest scale, the Symphonic Rockshow will more than suffice. 8 p.m., Aug. 24, $24-$7, Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com -J.K.

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Nevada Ballet Theatre – George Balanchine’s Jewels

Presently in its 40th season, Nevada Ballet Theatre is still a driving force in the ongoing presence of live performing arts in Southern Nevada. With a full schedule of performances, cultivation of area talent and a commitment to outreach and education, Nevada Ballet Theatre garners respect at the national level while inspiring thousands of people in the Las Vegas Valley every year. Three acclaimed companies; Nevada Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Ballet West will come together to perform George Balanchine’s three-part masterwork Jewels, which is inspired by the lasting beauty of rubies, emeralds and diamonds. Performances are Saturday, October 13 & Sunday, Oct. 14, nevadaballet.com. -H.D.E.

Las Vegas Little Theatre – David Mamet’s November

August 17-26, LVLT will present November by David Mamet in association with Poor Richard’s Players. The satirical comedy November centers on incorrigible fictional President Charles Smith in the days leading up to his second election. Previous productions of the play have been described as hilarious, nonpartisan, and decidedly not PC. Over the years numerous critically acclaimed and award-winning plays have been presented by LVLT, such as Master Harold...and the Boys, Purple Hearts, Master Class, The Woolgatherer, and A Streetcar Named Desire, among others. The LVLT mission is: “To increase the awareness of theatre arts in Southern Nevada, provide quality productions, and to offer educational, hands-on opportunities in all facets of theatre production.” Tickets for November are $12 for adults, $11 for seniors and students and $10 for LVLT Season Ticket holders, lvlt.org. -H.D.E

Las Vegas Philharmonic – A Year in Pictures

For its first complete season at The Smith Center’s Reynolds Hall, the Las Vegas Philharmonic’s nine concert programs have the theme, “A Year in Pictures.” The season opens on October 20 with a lively program comprised of Beethoven’s Concerto for violin, cello and piano and the colorful aural gallery walk, “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Mussorgsky. A season highlight will be the first-ever performance in Reynolds Hall of Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” at the November 17 concert. This is the piece of music Tim Bavington’s Symphony Park sculpture is inspired by. Bavington’s painting of Fanfare is displayed in the Reynolds Hall foyer. Full concert details and the Las Vegas Philharmonic’s 2012-13 brochure are available at lvphil.com. -H.D.E

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Savar Brothers’ See a Better WayFANS WITh A PLAN

Evan Savar is on a mission. He wants more local artists and musicians to gain financially from their talent and hard work while building community and stimulating the local economy. Savar has a plan to make his vision a reality. Revenue to sustain programming is generated at live music and arts events he created called “1 Crazy Happy Hour” and by his new website concept, Fanbooked.

A suitable venue for his Happy Hour events can be a bar, restaurant or hotel. The place must have a stage or space that can be used as a stage and an area to hang art. Establishments that could use a boost in the form of new visitors are usually a little more eager host the events.

Describing “1 Crazy Happy Hour,” he says, “Basically we are bringing about 20 to 30 different artists to each event and we

don’t charge them anything. The idea is just to make a really engaged community and we are creating a website to help people sponsor that.”

The venues show a marked increase in business from the new faces visiting specifically for the art and music events. As Dana Boyce, food and beverage marketing manager for The Siegel Group says, “We started with “1 Crazy Happy

By Hektor D. Esparza | Photography by Checko Salgado

Sabriel Hobart known for her sweet, soulful voice and prolific lyrics performs at “Fanfest” at The Artisan

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Hour” at Rumor and we have a big monthly Fanbooked “Fanfest” event at The Artisan. He fills up the whole hotel.”

“I don’t like it when an artist has to pay to perform. I don’t like to see that at all,” says Savar of a model in practice where visual artists and musicians pay a fee to perform or exhibit at local hotel lounges, bars and other venues.

Savar thinks the musicians and visual artists he and his supporters recruit to perform or exhibit at Happy Hour events bring value and requiring them to pay is counterintuitive.

He says Las Vegas has many talented artists that are worth supporting and, moreover, are worth investing in. That is where Fanbooked comes in. He says, “It’s kind of like Groupon meets Kickstarter.”

A patron is introduced to an artist via the website or at one of the Happy Hour events. Should he decide to become a fan as well as a sponsor, the patron can then sign up on Fanbooked to make contributions in support of the artist at a minimum of $10 per month. Once they have become a sponsor, patrons may keep track of their chosen artist’s upcoming performances or exhibits via the Fanbooked website or by email notifications. They can also see their rising star’s particular goals such as making a music video, recording an album or landing a paying gig. Perks of being a fan can include receiving concert tickets or merch for free or at reduced prices and getting free drinks at Happy Hour events.

To help the artists and musicians get good value along the way Savar says, “We negotiate different deals with recording studios, photographers, designers. It’s a strength in numbers kind of thing. So if it is $60 per hour to record at a studio we will propose to record 15 artists at a lower rate. So we go out and negotiate these deals and it’s working.”

Photographer and Happy Hour exhibitor Michael Maze says, “The attendees that have been coming are art enthusiasts and, most importantly, art buyers.”

While Savar says he really isn’t looking to become wealthy from his efforts, he does want to be compensated for his time as a facilitator, finding venues for original art and music. He wants to make a living doing something he enjoys and help others do the same. Check it out, visit fanbooked.com.

Sabriel Hobart’s band lights up the main stage. From left: Ed Lacala on bass, Blue Sheffer on piano, John Lloyd on guitar, and Daniel Rossi on drums.

Evan Savar with Fanbooked cofounder and partner Hal Savar

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Young Women Find Confidence Through Music

GIRLS ROCk VEGAS

Girls growing up in a modern, image driven society face many obstacles and challenges on their paths to becoming happy, healthy adult women. In Las Vegas, the challenge of forming a positive self-image and an understanding of her place in the world is exacerbated by the presence of an entertainment industry that sends many mixed messages. This is just one of the reasons Heather Rampton started the nonprofit Girls Rock Vegas (GRV). As a musician and schoolteacher, Rampton doesn’t

have to search her mind much to come up with good reasons for girls to get a rocking education in music.

Rampton says learning to play music is a huge confidence builder, and that about two thirds of the girls who study with the organization have never picked up an instrument before. “We are not trying to turn them into professional musicians. We teach them what they need in order to be able to write a

By Amy Esparza | Photography by Girls Rock Vegas

Getting a rocking

education in music

is fun and cool.

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song in five days. It sounds crazy but they always do it and they always do an amazing job. And if they can do that then they can do anything,” she says.

Rampton, who serves as GRV’s executive director, got the idea to start GRV after watching the documentary Girls Rock: The Movie. “I called them to donate some money and to see if I could volunteer. They encouraged us to start our own camp here in Las Vegas, and through the help of the Girls Rock Camp Alliance and with the support of amazing volunteers and grant makers, we were able to start our own camp four years ago.”

The Alliance provides guidance and hosts an annual event to help different groups share ideas, but each of the many Girls Rock organizations are their own independent nonprofits with a local head executive and board of directors. Together with many volunteers and a board that includes Valley High School band teacher Candace Chun Baldwin, GVR offers Girls Rock Vegas Summer Day Camp, Ladies’ Rock Retreat, and an after school program in collaboration with Clark County School District’s After School All Stars.

“I have been privileged to be a part of GRV since its inception,” says Baldwin, “I get to do something I love and am passionate about, which is teaching and making music. And I know I make a difference in the lives of these girls.”

In 2009 GRV was able to hold their first camp with 13 girls attending. There were about 33 the second year, 38 in 2011 and 50 who attended summer camp 2012.

Baldwin says, “To see some of them

come back year after year, and others coming in for the first time, and all of them leave with heads held high with a positive outlook believing that they do indeed rock . . . It makes the hard work worth it.”

Coco Jenkins, bass player for the band Rhyme & Rhythm and GRV volunteer staff member says, “I love GRV because it makes me believe in a future where female musicians aren’t female musicians, they are just musicians. I love that we are pushing girls to do things that they may never have had the opportunity to pursue and learn about.”

Of the camp experience Rampton says, “We ask a lot of the girls: to come to a camp that they are not familiar with and form a band with total strangers (most of the time). We ask them to pick up an instrument they have never played before and to write and record a song. And after five days they perform that song in front of hundreds of people. That takes a lot of guts.”

Girls Rock Vegas is a 501c3

non-profit organization

dedicated to empowering

young woman through music

creation and performance.

Girls Rock Vegas

[email protected]

girlsrockvegas.org

Page 24: BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

IvIns, Utah Tuacahn Amphitheatre is

surrounded by majestic red cliffs near Snow Canyon State

Park in Southern Utah.

Nov 16 - Dec 29

JUNe 5 - oct 20

Winner of 8 tony awards... Including Best Musical!

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Dan Domenech as Aladdin, Haley Carlucci as Jasmine

nOv 16 - DEC 29In the Cox Auditorium at Dixie State College

as Aladdin, Haley Carlucci as JasmineDan Domenech as Aladdin,

nOW - OCt 19In the Amphitheatre

JUNe 5 - oct 20

wards... Including Best Musical!Winner of 8 tony tony t awards... Including Best Musical!awards... Including Best Musical!awards... Including Best Musical!WInnER OF 8

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nOW - OCt 20In the Amphitheatre

Paul vogt as edna turnblad, Joline Mujica as tracy turnblad

866.321.5063Tuacahn Amphitheatre is locatedjust 2 short hours from Las Vegas, surrounded by the red cliffs of SouthernUtah near Snow Canyon State Park.

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surrounded by the clis of Zion National Park

SATURDAY, AUGUST 11ERIC DODGE UNPLUGGED JOURNEYUnplugged features modern country music with a classic old fashioned twist. Tickets $10. Start time: 8:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 25KID FIDDLERS�ey do more than just '�ddle around'! �ey all play many instruments, sing and dance! �is is a musical bonanza variety show that folks of all ages will fall in love with! Tickets $10-8:00 p.m

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1I LOVE ROCK N’ ROLLAn evening of great music from classic rock to jazz featuring hits from Heart, Vixen, Joan Jett, Blondie and more.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 11ERIC DODGE UNPLUGGED JOURNEYUnplugged features modern country music with a classic old fashioned twist. Tickets $10. Start time: 8:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 25KID FIDDLERS�ey do more than just '�ddle around'! �ey all play many instruments, sing and dance! �is is a musical bonanza variety show that folks of all ages will fall in love with! Tickets $10-8:00 p.m

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1I LOVE ROCK N’ ROLLAn evening of great music from classic rock to jazz featuring hits from Heart, Vixen, Joan Jett, Blondie and more.

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800-PLAYTIXwww.bard.org

Also playing in 2012 June 21 — October 20

The Merry Wives of WindsorMary StuartTitus AndronicusScapinTo Kill a MockingbirdStones in His Pockets Hamlet

For tickets, call 702.749.2000

or visit NevadaBallet.org

Premiere Season at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts

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DECEMBER 2012The Magic Begins

World Premiere

Sponsored by the Caesars Foundation

This is The Nutcracker like you’ve never seen it before – a brand-new

original production complete with orchestra featuring new

sets and costumes.

Choreographed by Artistic Director James Canfield, his highly-anticipated rendition will be a treat for all ages and is sure to

become a Las Vegas favorite.

Seven Performances Only

Saturday, December 15 – Sunday, December 23, 2012

Reynolds Hall

GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THREE-PART MASTERWORK Emeralds Rubies Diamonds with orchestra

Performed by Ballet West, NBT and Pacific Northwest Ballet

Sponsored by Van Cleef & Arpels

Saturday, October 13 - 7:30 pm & Sunday, October 14, 2012 - 1 pmReynolds Hall

Three Acclaimed Companies. Two Wondrous Nights. One Beloved Ballet. Join us for this historic presentation.

Ballet West’s appearance underwritten by Beano Solomon

Jewels Choreography by George Balanchine

© The George Balanchine Trust

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078916.01_SNWA_Ref 078572.01_Ethics/Incentives Plants Flip_Print_BLVDS_7/22_FP Trim 8.75" x 8.75"_Live: 8.25"x 8.25"

Give your plants time to soak it all in. Get drip tips from snwa.com. It’s a desert out there. Be

Page 27: BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

enter-tainment + activities

< “PIXEL-Random” (detail) painting by Mikel Patrik. See more of his work at Emergency Arts or visit ArtisticLifestyles.com

culture

IN THIS SECTION

26 Dusty Sunshine If you don’t know these genre-defying indie folk musicians, you will soon

28 Jewish Repertory TheatreThis new professional company is an exciting addition to the local theatrical landscape

30 Light Forge StudiosFilmmaking brothers Jerry and Mike Thompson gain fans with silly and sincere story telling

33 Child ProdigyDespite her vast talent, Emily Richardson refuses the “wunderkind” label

36 Upcoming Events

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26 MUSIC + ENTERTAINMENT BLVDS Las Vegas blvdslv.com

If you were to hear a Dusty Sunshine song playing on the radio, chances are, unless you knew better, Las Vegas is probably the last city you would associate with this ethereal six-piece indie folk act. With distinct and beautifully crafted songs evoking spiritual soundscapes of the American south and beyond, this Las Vegas-based band is having no problems distinguishing itself as a formidable force to be reckoned with on any stage it graces. Having finished a tour in mid-July that included venues in Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico and Arizona, it’s a safe bet that Dusty Sunshine has made fans in these cities too. What would be surprising is if Dusty Sunshine were not to become Las Vegas’ next big musical export to the national scene.

But their future didn’t seem as assured at the beginning. Says Megan Wingerter, “It wasn’t effortless. It was a bit of a struggle at first, putting individual ideas aside of what it should sound like. But now we are much more cohesive.” Wingerter contributes

vocals to the band’s signature four-part harmonies. She also brings classical training on violin, viola, mandolin, autoharp and keys to the multifaceted group.

Commenting on Dusty Sunshine’s genre-blending sound, Heidi Guinn (vocals, guitar) offers, “We were never trying to do anything specific. What we have now is very natural. It’s not a forced thing at all.”

Each of the band’s members has been in, or is still actively playing in, other groups with disparate styles. Among other side projects, bassist Jason Aragon also plays in the alt. country band The Clydesdale. Percussionist Courtney Carroll is part of the electro-pop duo Kid Meets Cougar.

Speaking to how their different backgrounds have meshed, Guinn says, “For our first album we experimented with a lot of

Dusty sunshineIndie Folk Rocks VegasBy Hektor D. Esparza | Photography by Corlene Byrd

From left: Heidi Guinn- vocals, guitar, Megan Marie Wingerter- vocals, violin, viola, mandolin, autoharp, keys, Courtney Carroll- drums, Summer Soll- vocals, guitar, banjo, Chani Riiell Leavitt- vocals, keys, autoharp, Jason Aragon- bass

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different genres and now we have found our niche in Americana, roots, gospel and folk. It’s a nice place to sit, musically speaking.”

Aragon says, “It’s a new take on folk and Americana, a modern version if you will. People have done similar things but this is more contemporary.”

Addressing the resurgent interest in folk that allows this band to be well received while flexing their musical muscles, Guinn says, “Who wouldn’t want to be part of something unique and on the cusp of what is happening everywhere now?”

Another unmistakable influence most of the members of Dusty Sunshine share is religion. Wingerter and band-mate Chani Leavit (vocal, keys, autoharp) were both raised Mormon. Heidi Guinn and Summer Soll (vocals, guitar, banjo) were raised as Jehovah’s Witnesses. “The hymns are beautiful and have really had an influence on my music,” says Wingerter. “Before We Rise,” a song from their first album, demonstrates the band’s capacity for deeply contemplative lyrics and tones. “Devil’s Choir” explores coming to terms with a faith and worldview presented during one’s youth that needs revision when faced with the challenges of adult life.

On the lighter side is the song “Hustler,” which lays sassy, flirtatious lyrics over gypsy-like rhythms. “The Perfect Man” is an upbeat and danceable song about a longsuffering woman who is failing at falling in love.

Where there is some disagreement within the band is whether Dusty Sunshine is best heard live or as the product of a skillfully produced recording. With many instruments and many voices it can be quite the challenge creating a live version of the sonic experience intended when the songs were written. All of its members say they relish interaction with the audience but that the sound quality can vary wildly depending on the venue and who is manning the soundboard. For their upcoming five-song EP, everyone in the band agrees that what fans will hear are instruments and vocal harmonies captured precisely as they were intended.

Check out th Dusty Sunshine video An

Awkward Moment by Corlene Machine.

Just scan this QR Code with your

smart phone using a QR Code reader

app like RedLaser.

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JeWish RePeRtORy theAtReLas Vegas Welcomes a New Voice

For a town as modern and diverse as Las Vegas, until just recently its cultural offerings were obviously lacking when compared to those of other destination cities. The perspective many visitors held was that theater here consisted of huge production shows, acrobatic performances, showgirls and over-the-top comedians. Aimed to attract tourists to Las Vegas, the Strip shows did not provide residents with a professional cultural outlet like the ones found in other major cities like New York, L.A. and San Francisco.

Enter Norma Morrow and Charlene Sher. The two actresses met a few years ago when they co-starred in The Nevada

Conservatory Theatre’s The Diary of Anne Frank and quickly became friends. Seeing the need for a professional theater in Las Vegas, the two decided to do something about it.

“Las Vegas is a cosmopolitan city,” says Sher, “and it should have all of the amenities of such a city. Las Vegans shouldn’t have to travel to other places to attend the theater, so we decided to bring it to them.”

“Our common love of and passion for the theater brought us together,” adds Morrow, “and we knew that the one big thing missing in town was a real professional theater.”

Fueled by their personal investment, professional and personal contacts and, most importantly, their fierce dedication to the arts, Miller and Sher founded The Jewish Repertory Theatre of Nevada. Bringing professional actors and directors (all must have union credentials) to Las Vegas was a gutsy move, but it has paid off. Interest in and attendance at the plays —The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Light Up the Sky, Rumors, Jewtopia Live!, The Fab Four, and others—has been tremendous from the beginning, and shows consistently sell out. While most of the JRTN’s offerings are held in smaller venues, Golda sold out both performances in the 2,050-seat Reynolds Theater at The Smith Center.

By Chris Cutler | Photography by Jewish Repertory Theatre of Nevada | Insert Photograph by Don Costello

Light Up The Sky

From left: Charles Dennis, Catherine Hicks,

Michael Laskin, Mary Gregory and Norma Morrow

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“The Smith Center has been supportive from the beginning,” says Morrow. “We have an agreement to hold two of our four shows there each season.” In addition, the women have a wonderful working relationship with The Suncoast and hold other plays there.

The Suncoast will host the JRTN’s first play of next season, The Pianist of Willesden Lane (October 6-7). Starring Mona Golabek, the play is the story of Lisa Jura, Golabek’s mother, a piano prodigy who survived the Holocaust because her parents bought her passage on a Kindertransport to London. Golabek, herself an award-winning pianist, weaves music with her mother’s story of survival and resilience.

The play, which premieres in Los Angeles, will stop in Las Vegas before it begins its national tour. “To have a show of that quality before any other town is such an honor,” Sher says, adding, “And to have the support of and affiliation with The Smith Center and The Suncoast is so encouraging.”

Morrow and Sher are not letting their success stop with the JTRN’s performance season. In cooperation with the Clark County School District, the two women recently launched “ELEVATE . . . Youth Education Through The Performing Arts” for area students. Through the plays the troupe performs for students, the women hope to give voice and visibility to the realities and diversities of life. The first play featured during the last school season was The Diary of Anne Frank, and a Holocaust survivor spoke to the students after the performance.

“Children are deeply affected by bullying and hatred,” says Sher. “We want them to

see what happens when the hatred goes unchallenged.”

Adds Morrow, “And while the plays are entertaining, we want them to see something that will make them think. We want them to realize they are responsible for the choices they make.”

The Jewish Repertory Theatre

of Nevada (JRTN) continues to

bringing culture to Summerlin

with Neil Simon’s Rumors.

Performed in March 2012 to sold

out crowds, JRTN is keeping the

suburbs in good company.

Top from left: Randy Morrison,

Susan Lowe, Gary Grossman,

Steven Macht, Jerry Soroka ,

Norma Morrow and Charlene

Sher. Left photo: Charlene Sher

and Norma Morrow.

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LIghT FoRgE STUDIoSLocal Brothers Hammer Out a Living Doing What They LoveBy Hektor D. Esparza | Photography By Light Forge Studios

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Brothers Jerry and Mike Thompson, creators and principles of Light Forge Studios, are arguably among the fastest rising stars of the local independent fi lm community. Though quick to say their fi lmmaking careers are still very much in the incubation stage, they are also confi dent they’re headed in the right direction. With the break out success of 2009’s feature Thor at the Bus Stop, and two back-to-back “Best Film” wins in the 2011 and 2012 48 Hour Film Project, it is easy to see why.

The story of how they got to where they are is much like the stories they tell in their fi lms—quirky, humble and inspiring.

Elder sibling Jerry Thompson was three years into studies at UNLV as a biochemistry major when he decided to become a fi lm student. It wasn’t a move inspired by the kind of reckless passion often associated with a visionary auteur willing to endure the life of a struggling artist just to have a shot at sharing his talent with the world. The fi lmmaking bug had bitten Jerry and younger brother Mike when they were children, but it wasn’t until Jerry was in college that either of them decided it was what they wanted to do for a living. Jerry was studying the hard sciences because he planned to enter a profession that would earn him a comfortable living. Being practically-minded, he made the switch only after falling into gainful employment as a caricature artist and realizing a good living could be made doing something he enjoyed. As he says, “Growing up I had never really met any people who were artists for a living. I got good grades in school so I thought I needed to be a doctor or a lawyer because that is what smart,

hard-working people did. The thought of making a survivable living doing things that I love and that I would do for free or even pay to do just didn’t seem realistic.”

To complete a fi lm degree, Jerry switched from a course load of advanced science and math, to classes like Tae Kwon Do, fencing and a variety of art classes as well as fi lm studies. His younger brother Mike followed him to UNLV Film School. Jerry graduated in 2001 and Mike in 2005. While there, they were taken under the wing of fi lm professor David Schmoeller who was instrumental in encouraging and funding their fi rst feature fi lm, Thor at the Bus Stop.

Thor was accepted to several fi lm festivals, an accomplishment even for more experienced fi lmmakers. As Jerry describes the submission process, “It’s like throwing a dart in the dark at a moving target.”

At the highly competitive Austin Film Festival, Thor, with its paltry $9,000 budget, was competing against fi lms with budgets in the range of $1-3 million.

“Every festival is different,” says Mike “The Austin festival is all about screenwriting and I think that is why we had a little more success there. We had no money but they liked the story. That felt good.”

“Here’s the thing: making a movie is hard. Making a bad movie is hard. Making a good movie is almost impossible,” says Jerry of their accomplishment.

Writing, character consistency and a cogent story line are what the Thompson brothers take perhaps most seriously

in their productions. They have made about 15 short fi lms which include The Maltese Hamster, a comical homage to Bogart era fi lm-noir, The Clothespin Parable, a cautionary tale on the perils of chasing vain ideals of love and romance, and Super Awesome Buddy Squad, an absurdist take on the comic book super hero genre. A common thread of human decency and goodness is woven through all. As Mike describes them, “The type of fi lms that we like to make are comedies with a little bit of quirk and we try to get a lot of heart in them—a philosophical message hidden in a silly universe.”

The Thompson brothers are currently working on another feature titled Popovich and the Voice of the Fabled American West. When not working on that, they are busy at Light Forge Studios building connections in the local fi lmmaking community while churning out music videos for up-and-coming Las Vegas bands, and making commercials and corporate training videos.

You’ve read about it, now view the video samples from Light Forge Studios. Just scan this QR Code with your smart phone using a QR Code reader app like RedLaser.

Page 34: BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

RECORDA SONGRECORDA SONG

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DO IT ALL AT SOUND MASTERS!Fresh 52 Farmers & Artisan MarketSAT: Tivoli Village, Alta & Rampart SUN: Sansone Park Place 9480 S. Eastern

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Air Markets

– LOCAL Seasonal Tree Ripened Produce

– Handmade LOCAL Indie Artisans

– Chef Demos

– Special Events and FREE Kids Art Park

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– Be Green and Bring Your Reusable Bags

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Talking with 12-year-old Emily Richardson about her memories of practicing violin at age 3, the Nevada School of the Arts student doesn’t mince words.

“Tears,” she says, laughing. “I remember crying. A lot. The first pieces I learned were ‘Hot Cross Buns’ and ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.’”

Emily today has performance credentials that elicit envy in other musicians. Last year she performed the third movement of Dmitry Kabalevsky’s concerto with the Las Vegas Philharmonic in UNLV’s Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall.

“It was my first time playing with an orchestra,” she says. “I was nervous because my violin teacher, Ms. Shakeh Ghoukasian, who’s also dean of the Nevada School of the Arts, is in the group.”

ChilD PRODiGyDespite her Vast Talent, Emily Richardson

Refuses the ‘Wunderkind’ Label

By Jarret Keene

March was especially busy for Emily. She played Beethoven’s Romance No. 2, Opus 50 with the Henderson Symphony Orchestra in an outdoor pavilion. That was followed by a performance with her school’s Vivace Violin Ensemble at the dedication of the new city hall building in downtown Vegas.

“I’d never played outdoors before, so that was a challenge,” says Emily. “It was very windy.”

She admits she’s an indoor person. After school and rehearsing three hours daily, she curls up on her sofa, digging into young adult books (Harry Potter), classic novels or current nonfiction.

Although she adores the music of old-school composers like Bach and Mozart, she idolizes contemporary performers like Hilary Hahn and Ryu Goto.

“Like them, I want to make recordings,” she says. “I’d also like to tour.” Then she adds too-humbly: “But I don’t think I’ll get that far. I’m not a prodigy.”

Don’t tell Emily’s Tiger Mom (a reference to Amy Chua’s famous book on Asian-American mothering). She reminds me that Emily won a competition called the American Association for the Development of the Gifted and Talented (AADGT) in April, which enabled the Vegas prodigy to perform an unaccompanied piece by Bach at Carnegie Hall. Indeed, even if Emily confesses that rehearsal is “boring,” she says the moments she’s onstage make it all worth it.

“That’s what you learn to accept,” she says. “In the end, you don’t regret practicing.”

Page 36: BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

Your Community Connection

From farmers markets to outdoor concerts,

BLVDS magazine is covering the wonderful things

happening in your neighborhood. Stay up to date

on all the unique events your city has to o�er.

Check Out Our New Website with a robust calendar of events, and

all the stories that matter most to you.

Something interesting happening in your neighborhood? Tell us about it!

email : [email protected] call : 702.386.6065see : blvdslv.comlike : facebook.com/blvdslvfollow : twitter.com/blvdslvmail : 241 W. Charleston Blvd., #173 Las Vegas, NV 89102

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Saturday, October 6, 2012Sonata Park

Saturday, October 13, 2012Discovery Park

Saturday, October 20, 2012River Mountain Park

Saturday, October 27, 2012Lake Las Vegas

Green show at 6:00 p.m.

Performances at 7:00 p.m.Complimentary Admission

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Page 38: BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

36 MUSIC + ENTERTAINMENT BLVDS Las Vegas blvdslv.com

even

tsAuGust 2012

Philip Denker - screensaverNow -Aug. 18 Winchester Cultural Center

“you are here” exhibition Now -Sept. 2 artslasvegas.org

Chris Bauder Art exhibition- lush Now - Sept. 29 brettwesleygallery.com

idolize this: street Art by Greg Frederick Now - Aug. 31 getupgallery.com

Jelaine Faunce Art exhibition “Fractured neon” Now -Sept. 7 tastyspacelv.com

“Where the Cowboy Once Roamed” Photo exhibitNow -Sept. 16Nevada State Museum LV, museums.nevadaculture.org

hairsprayNow -Oct. 20Tuacahn AmphitheatreTuacahn.com

utah shakespeare FestivalNow -Oct. 21 Utah Shakespeare Festivalbard.org

torn From home: My life as a RefugeeNow -Dec. 17Lied Discovery Children’s Museumldcm.org

BuGs!Now -Sept. 1 Springs Preservespringspreserve.org

Joseph and the Amazing technicolor DreamcoatNow -Aug. 25Super Summer Theatresupersummertheatre.org

star nursery Kids Gardening ClubAug. 11 Star Nurserystarnursery.com

Mount Charleston Arts and Crafts showAug. 11 -12The Resort on Mount Charleston

eric Dodge unplugged JourneyAug. 11 Tanner Amphitheaterdixie.edu/tanner/index.html

Diana KrallAug. 13The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

2012 Women’s leadership ConferenceAug. 14 - 15MGM Grand Hotel & Casino mgmresorts.com/womensleadershipconference

la Cage Aux FollesAug. 14 - 19 The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

Barbara CookAug. 16 - 19The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

the treat las VegasAug. 21 - 25 Cosmopolitan of Las VegasGetmoremetime.com

steve Martin and the steep Canyon Rangers – An evening of Bluegrass and ComedyAug. 22The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

A.R.t. evolution Presents Wil CormierAug. 23 Brandartevolution.brandltd.com

the Glass MendacityAug. 24 - Sept. 10 Las Vegas Little Theatrelvlt.org

symphonic Rock showAug. 24 The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

AFAn Black and White PartyAug. 25Hard Rock Hotel

star nursery Kids Gardening ClubAug. 25 Star Nurserystarnursery.com

sPeCtRuM and RADiAnCeAug. 25The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

Fall las Vegas Restaurant WeekAug. 27 - Sept. 2 Benefi ting Three Square Food Bankhelpoutdineoutlv.org

WickedAug. 29 - Sept 7The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

lV Premiere of ClOseR by Patrick MarberAug. 31 - Sept. 15 The Box Offi ceatlastheatre.org

sePteMBeR 2012Rock Around the ClockSept. 1 Tanner Amphitheaterdixie.edu

leader of the PackAug. 6 - Sept. 22 Super Summer Theatresupersummertheatre.org

First FridaySept. 7 18b Arts Districtfi rstfridaylasvegas.comev

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GET FULL DETAILS ON THESE EVENTS AND MANY MORE AT BLVDSLV.COM

Sign up for our Bi-Weekly Events Newsletter by Emailing [email protected] with SUBSCRIBE in the Subject Line.

Page 39: BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

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blvdslv.com BLVDS Las Vegas MUSIC + ENTERTAINMENT 37

Sign up for our Bi-Weekly Events Newsletter by Emailing [email protected] with SUBSCRIBE in the Subject Line.

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sePteMBeR 2012Clint holmesSept. 7 - 8The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

lucked up: Art Works by trxtr Sept 7 - 29 getupgallery.com

Art Works by Jow Sept. 7 - Oct. 2 tastyspacelv.com

Paintings by Giovanni Morales Sept. 6 - Oct. 27 brettwesleygallery.com

star nursery Kids Gardening ClubSept. 8 Star Nurserystarnursery.com

estebanSept. 13 The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

side ManSept. 14 - Sept. 30 Las Vegas Little Theatrelvlt.org

Pancho sanchez and his latin Jazz BandSept. 14 - Sept. 15 The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

Keys of hope Fundraiser for Catholic Charities and Jaguar Raffl e DrawingSept. 14Spiedini Italian Ristorantecatholiccharities.com

21st Annual ho’olaule’a Pacifi c islands FestivalSept. 15 - 17Henderson Events Plazahendersonlive.com

estebanSept. 17 The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

super Run Classic Car showSept. 20 - 23Henderson Events Plazahendersonlive.com

Celebrate Debussy’s 150th!Sept. 20 UNLV Performing Arts Centerpac.unlv.edu/

2012 las Vegas Greek FestivalSept. 21 St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Churchlasvegasgreekfestival.com

Prelude to the Allegro international Guitar Competition Sept. 21featuring Sergio Assad, Roland Dyens, and Christopher McGuireUNLV Performing Arts Centerpac.unlv.edu

star nursery Kids Gardening ClubSept. 22 Star Nurserystarnursery.com

Bowl 4 the Kids!Sept. 22 Suncoast Hotel Casinocure4thekids.org

Ashton Zyer titled “takin’ Over Me”Sept. 22 The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

“My Mother’s italian, My Father’s Jewish and i’m in therapy”Sept. 28 - Oct. 1 The Smith Centerthesmithcenter.com

the second City touring CompanySept. 28UNLV Performing Arts Centerpac.unlv.edu

hemophilia 1 Mile Walk/5K RunSept. 28 Town Square Las Vegashemophilia.org/walk

2nd Annual, “this One’s for the Boys!” Sept. 29 UNLV Track and Field Stadium21stCenturyCARE.org

Asian harvest Moon FestivalSept. 29 Springs Preservespringspreserve.org

4th Annual harvest of hope Celebration GalaSept. 29 M Resort Spa and Casino link2hope.org

2012 Justin timberlake shriners hospitals for Children OpenOct. 1 - 7 TPC Summerlinjtshrinersopen.com

tom sawyerOct. 5 - 14 The Rainbow Company Youth Theatrerainbowcompany.org

GET FULL DETAILS ON THESE EVENTS AND MANY MORE AT BLVDSLV.COM

Page 40: BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

INSIDE THE WORLD MARKET CENTER 702-457-0500 www.PlumeSamples.com

Luxury furniturebelow wholesale

Plume features floor samples from many of the showrooms throughout the World Market Center.

Open year-round, all of the floor samples are for sale and ready for immediate delivery. You’ll find pricing

below retail and usually below wholesale!

ur•ban ranch adj \' er-b en\ : noun \’ranch\ :

of, relating to, characteristic of, or constituting a city; a farm or area devoted to a particular specialty, typically in the Western U.S.; EXAMPLES OF USE: specializing in bringing hand-selected, art-ful and sustainable details for the urban ranch lifestyle, including, but not limited to, specialty door and cabinet hardware, lighting, custom wine cellars, gourmet food, candelabras, gifts and other decorative accessories, as well as personal adornments like jewelry and unique clothing; ORIGINS: 1610-20; <Latin urbanus, from urbs city and 1800-10, Americanism; <Spanish rancho rancho.

Open Tues through Fri 10-6 and Sat 10-46985 W Sahara, Ste 105, Las Vegas, NV 89117

702.368.2601 | www.urbanranchgeneralstore.com

Formerly Durette Candito Design

Page 41: BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

design

archi-tecture + style

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< “Alone Again” (detail) lazer etched skateboard by artist Jason Thielke on view at Get Up Gallery in Emergency Arts. getupgallery.com

IN THIS SECTION

40 At Home with Warwick StoneRestaurant-as-rock-repository pioneer has created a refuge of calm at home

44 The Magic MakerWhen magicians need some magic aides, Chris Barnes turns ideas into reality

45 Five Musical AppsMusic at the touch of a thumb

46 Sound Masters of LVTalbot Snow turned a passion for sound into a successful recording studio

Page 42: BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

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At Home WitH WArWick StoneHard Rock Hotel Designer Favors Reserve Over Ruckus

By Eric Schellhorn Photography by Checko Salgado

The home’s main

living area, with its

floor-to-18-foot-ceiling

windows, is cavernous,

acoustically correct and

conservative in its use

of kickass keepsakes.

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The first thing you notice upon entering designer Warwick Stone’s late-century modern Rancho Bel Air home is all the stuff that isn’t there.

There’s no ’59 sunburst Les Paul signed by Jimmy Page; no complete set of Keith Moon’s battered drum heads; no glass display case containing Iggy Pop’s blood-stained T-shirt from the Stooges’ final 1974 performance; and no original, handwritten lyrics to Sly Stone’s “Luv ‘n’ Haight.”

Their absence is surprising because these are the kinds of musical miscellany that Stone, known to some professional associates as the “Sultan of Stuff,” has spent 30 years tracking down, acquiring and artfully deploying as museum pieces in commercial settings. He pioneered the restaurant-as-rock-repository back in the early 1980s, when he gave the Hard Rock Cafe in Los Angeles its signature look. And to this day, he continues to celebrate and fetishize the music and its artifacts through his design work for the Hard Rock Hotel chain, a client of his consulting practice, Warwick Stone Creative Services.

But the craftily-cluttered Hard Rock sensibility is nowhere in evidence at the home he shares with partner Bethany Swain, a cellist with the Henderson Symphony, and two young children, Beatrix and August. The home’s main living area, with its floor-to-18-foot-ceiling windows, is cavernous, acoustically correct and conservative in its use of kickass keepsakes.

Sure, the vintage Pioneer reel-to-reel deck in the audio cabinet will occasionally spin the original quarter-inch tapes played over the Hard Rock Cafe’s loudspeakers in 1982 (a curious compendium of Hank Williams

Sr., 1950’s doo-wop and the Pretenders.) A hefty, freestanding porch swing acquired at auction from the collection of former Guns ‘n’ Roses guitarist Slash takes center stage in the courtyard. And the wandering eye will eventually happen on the original pencil rendering of the Hard Rock Hotel guitar sign, modeled on an actual instrument owned by Pete Townshend of The Who, that today hovers over Harmon Ave.

But the aesthetic here is worlds away from the designer’s professional creations. Stone says that when he and Swain bought the house in 2009, he envisioned it as a kind of refuge from the busy environments he typically creates for clients.

“Keeping it simple was the goal, that’s all...it’s a lovely open space, and we want to keep it lovely and open and not clutter it up too much,” Stone says. “In my restaurant work, part of what I do is clutter. I’m really good at getting a lot of fussy stuff in there—lots of pictures and bits and pieces on the walls, and lots of eye candy. I had to be disciplined to keep everything in the house simple, without being stark.”

The home’s open-concept kitchen is another point of pride for Stone and Swain. The stainless steel panels plastered over the face of their built-in refrigerator have been emblazoned with a vintage photo of Fremont Street. The zebra-stripe countertops were manufactured from a stock of maple and walnut left behind by one of the home’s past owners, a woodworking hobbyist. But the dominant color scheme in their kitchen is basic black and white.

While the house is clearly conceived as a living work of art, Stone, a tailor by

training who launched his career making everything from pants to leather jackets to stage costumes for clients such as Freddy Mercury, Fleetwood Mac, Foghat and the Manhattan Transfer, is quick to describe it as a work in progress. “We still have a lot of work to do,” he says with a sigh.

He is equally humble about his track record as a designer.

“The secret of being a professional designer is to have a theme of your own that you carry on for years and people can look at it and say, ‘Oh, that’s such-and-such’s work,’” Stone says. “But I don’t think that I have that. My restaurants are messy and my house is trying to be neat.”

Page 44: BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

Mountain Falls Golf Club5001 Clubhouse Drive

Pahrump, NV 89061

SWING for the KIDSCelebrity Golf Tournament

www.MountainFalls.com

Bene�ting

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Friday, September 21, 2012For More Information

702-262-0037

Celebrity Golf Tournament

*Not actual vehicle. For illustration purposes only.

FACT: Nevada is one of the most dangerous states for pedestrians.You've told us you're tired of pedestrians, especially our children, dying and being injured on our roads.

WHEN YOU DRIVE:WHEN YOU DRIVE:Pay attention! Respect pedestrians. Slow down near cross-walks.

WHEN YOU ARE A PEDESTRIAN:Pay attention! Look both ways before crossing. Always stay focused on the traffic while you are crossing the street. Don't assume all cars will stop for you. Wear bright clothing. Don’t wear dark cloths at night.

For the rules of the road regarding pedestrians go to KTNV.COM and click on CROSSWALK DANGER in THEBIG BLUE BOX.

KTNV.COM

MAKING LAS VEGAST O G E T H E R W E ’ R E

A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE

BE SMART. BE SAFE. BE SEEN

Classes | Café | Products | Services | Membership & EventsReiki | Kangen Water | Sound Therapy | Essential Oils | Herbal Supplements

3199 E. Warm Springs Rd. 702.485.4985 GaneshaCenter.com

ganesha centerSanctuary for the Spirit

Page 45: BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

702.287.0044www.getinvision.com [email protected]

KICK STARTYOUR CREATIVITY

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Page 46: BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

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Do you need to make a hearse appear in the middle of a street from a swirling ball of fire? Or, is walking up the side of the 38-story Planet Hollywood tower more your thing?

Perhaps this isn’t common in the lives of most Las Vegans, but certainly in the lives of some. Those would be the world-famous magicians who call Vegas home. And the man they call to make the magic happen is Chris Barnes.

Barnes is a magic maker, the go-to guy who the likes of Lance Burton, Criss Angel and Steve Wyrick go to for their “furniture,” the magic apparatus that make possible the impossible—like disappearing a full size train from the stage of America’s Got Talent, an illusion performed in front of a live audience, skeptical judges and millions of television viewers by Las Vegan Murray the Magician.

It’s not just Barnes’ stuff that’s magic. He’s led a charmed life as well: plucked from obscurity with a walk-on job at age 14 with magician Steve Wyrick. He was working at a Houston, Texas, convention center when opportunity appeared. Wyrick needed a “soda jerk” for a scene in one of his shows and he drafted Barnes.

Things clicked and soon Barnes was traveling with the Wyrick crew. By age 17, he’d performed around the world at venues that included the White House and before royalty in Monaco.

Then he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, eventually becoming one of the Marines’ elite snipers. After the Corps, he got a college degree from Sam Houston State University and toyed with the

idea of becoming a police officer. Eventually he returned to the world of magic and stage managed shows for Wyrick and others.

Barnes came to Las Vegas 14 years ago and at age 24 opened his own business, “Cree8,” a design and fabrication company, now headquartered in a battleship-gray Las Vegas Art Center area warehouse as drab and unassuming as Barnes’ work is spectacular.

Barnes has seven regular employees and hires others when a project entails specialized skills. Depending on the illusion, the job can require experts in fine woodworking, metal fabrication, electrical gear, hydraulics – whatever it takes to make a magician’s concept become reality.

In Las Vegas, Barnes and his crew work an off-beat schedule as unconventional as their work and their clients. Because of the heat, the work day begins at about 7 p.m. and runs through the early morning hours. That works, too, for clients who come by after a nightly performance.

“They’re all crazy,” Barnes laughs. “They’ve got a great idea, but no idea how to do it. That’s my job. Every day is different because every project is different. That’s good because I get bored easily,“ Barnes says.

The most difficult illusions are those done in public spaces. Studios and stages provide controls for lighting, placement, audience seating and sightlines. Public space magic doesn’t, so walking up the side of a casino is just that much harder than it might appear at first glance.

CHRIS BARNES The Magic MakerBy Jack Chappell

Photography by HL Film Works

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Barnes said he hasn’t found anything he couldn’t do, but the toughest parts of the job are the same old nemeses faced by all businessmen—bringing in the job on time and on budget. Of course his customers not only think he can make magic, but work magic as well with timelines and funds.

One might think that making magic stuff is a self-limiting business. How many magicians are there that need “big magic?” Turns out that the same skills, knowledge and aptitudes apply to making motion picture special effects. With the current vogue for horror films, Barnes has expanded there.

Of course people don’t just like to be scared out of their wits in movie houses, so his current project takes him to Times Square in New York City. With “Times Scare” he’s turning three vintage 1800s buildings into a super-haunted house complex complete with a bar and café in a crypt. Fittingly, one building was a crematorium in the 1940s and several murders were committed on the compound’s premises. The challenge, he said, is to extend Halloween to 365 days a year.

Then, of course, there’s the reality show based on the exploits and excesses of Barnes and his motley crew of employees. “The Magic Maker, Where Reality is an Illusion,” is a joint project with Haydon Lane of HL Filmworks, a West Coast production company that began in Las Vegas.

Lastly, the answer to the one question that everyone wants answered: “No, I won’t tell you how it’s done.” But we do know the price of making a hearse and coffin appear on a public street from a tornado of fire. It’s a cool $200,000.

Bored with using your iPhone or iPad as just a phone, instant messenger, Facebook and Twitter client, video camera, movie player and catapult of rage-filled feathered friends? There are a ton of apps that can also turn your wifty iDevice into the kind of synthesizer and recording studio that the Beatles would have cheerfully killed the Maharajah to get their hands on, most of them for the price of a cappuccino. You don’t even need to be a musical virtuoso in most cases—just let your thumbs do the grooving!

ThumbJam ($8.99)

ThumbJam turns your iPhone/iPad screen into a virtual touch performance pad, taking advantage of

the device’s Multi-Touch capabilities to allow you to perform in ways a piano-style hardware keyboard can’t (such as playing a virtual theremin, Brian Wilson-style). You can loop your performance, record from your microphone, and output your jam directly to the Net.

GarageBand ($4.99)

A companion to the Mac desktop version, GarageBand for iOS is a full-fledged recording studio

on your mobile device. Record live music, play the built-in instruments (including a cool strummable virtual guitar) and upload everything to your MacBook for mixdown.

Bebot ($1.99) If

you’re not into all the bells and whistles, Bebot is an adorable app that’s like a stripped-down

ThumbJam, featuring a cuddly onscreen robot who “sings” as you play. It’s surprisingly versatile, but also simple and fun for even small kids to play with.

djay ($19.99)

Looking to rock the wheels of steel, but don’t feel like shelling out for a pair of Technics turntables

and a mixing board? Look no further than djay, which allows you to mix, spin and beat-match tracks from your iTunes library wherever you are. A bit more expensive than some of the other offerings here, but can you really put a price on becoming the next Skrillex?

TouchOSC ($4.99)

If you’re a serious musician/producer, TouchOSC allows you to design custom touch interfaces for

your iDevice that can control your synth or digital audio workstation wirelessly via MIDI or OSC (Open Sound Control). It’s not for the beginner, but advanced music geeks will dig the extensibility and customization options.

All apps available in the iTunes App Store.

A MUsiCAL TOUCH FOR THe AUDiOPHiLe

By Joshua Ellis

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46 MUSIC + ENTERTAINMENT BLVDS Las Vegas blvdslv.com

Talbot Snow could be crunching numbers right now. Instead, he’s mixing tracks and shooting videos, providing production services to everyone from strippers to priests. In 1989, the one-time accounting student began by making high-quality recordings on mix tapes in his Las Vegas home. But as friends increasingly clamored for Snow to help them produce and record, the would-be-accountant began to rethink his career goals.

“I started it as a personal hobby, and then people started asking me to record for them,” he says. Initially, he turned down many requests. “But then I started helping them. At first, I did it for free. Later, I started charging.”

Today, Snow’s Sound Masters studio is bigger, and in a newer location operating in a converted house near Desert Inn Road and Eastern Avenue. Of course, the equipment has gotten fancier and, in addition to a proper sound room, the place is outfitted with an area for photo and video

production. Among the studio’s eclectic clients: missionaries, entertainers, lawyers and exotic dancers. “One day, I did music production and video editing for a pastor,” Snow recalled. “The next day, I photographed pole-dancers.”

From houses of worship to hotel-casinos, Las Vegas offers a unique market to the recording industry. Talbot has worked with: Paul Teutul Sr. of O.O.C. American Chopper, Austin “Chumlee” Russell of TV’s “Pawn-Stars,” champion boxer Manny Pacquiao, Smash Mouth, King Errisson, and performers from Mystere, Zumanity and Blue Man Group, to name a few.

From rap and R&B, to metal and country, Sound Masters covers a wide variety of genres. Snow also offers HD video production, and photography, while his wife Victoria covers graphic and website design.

Like most people working in creative fields, Snow has his favorite projects. Some of his top picks include DRAGON, which Snow

describes as “a Black Eye Peas style project under development.” Also included in his favorites are Chris Beckman’s pop-rock project 90 Point Jasper, family country band Mama’s Wranglers, rap artist Billy 5 Star and Michael Lowery, a local church pastor and musician who includes secular music in his repertoire.

Using his musical expertise to support devotional purposes, on a recent Sunday Snow found himself visiting a Baptist church to help them select singers for a new traveling choir they’re developing. “It’s something I did to help promote inter-faith relations and local talent.”

For more information call 702.524.8649 or visit SoundMastersLV.com.

sOUnD MAsTeRs of LVA Passion for Sound Begets a Boutique Recording Studio

By Valerie Miller | Photography by Nathan Douglas

© H

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Tablot Snow and his merry band of misfits. From left: MC-DC, Emily Sparkman, Chris Beckman, Blake Snow, Michelle King, Talbot Snow, Victoria Hart, Victoria Cooke, Mackenzie Lloyd, Nephi Oliva, and Barry Lauria

Hear the music and watch the videos: scan this with your smart phone using a QR Code reader.

Page 49: BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

American Family Life Insurance CompanyHome Office – Madison, WI 53783www.amfam.com © 2006 002004 – 1/06

A reminder about 401(k) rollover options. A “window office” reminder.

If you left money in a previous employer’s 401(k),

it may have been the right thing to do at the time.

But remember, you may have given up a lot of

control over how that money is managed. Call

today for a free, no-obligation look at other rollover

options. So you can check it off your list, and off

your mind. Reba Labat Agency, LLC101 S. Rainbow Blvd. Suite 17

Las Vegas, NV 89145Bus: (702) 880-7142

[email protected]

American Family Life Insurance CompanyHome Office – Madison, WI 53783www.amfam.com © 2006 002004 – 1/06

A reminder about 401(k) rollover options. A “window office” reminder.

If you left money in a previous employer’s 401(k),

it may have been the right thing to do at the time.

But remember, you may have given up a lot of

control over how that money is managed. Call

today for a free, no-obligation look at other rollover

options. So you can check it off your list, and off

your mind. Reba Labat Agency, LLC101 S. Rainbow Blvd. Suite 17

Las Vegas, NV 89145Bus: (702) 880-7142

[email protected]

Page 50: BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

Come GROW & Learn with usThis Fall!

Upcoming Dates:August 18th

Septmember 1st, 15th, 29th

October 6th & 20th

at 10 AMJoin us for FREEgardening fun!

Ages 3-11 welcome with parent or guardian

The Right PriceThe Best Advice!

Scan here to visit us online!

Dr. Q’s Fall Gardening Tips• Fall is for Planting! Even here in the desert. Temperatures will be cooling soon, so plan now for the approaching planting season. This is a great time to plant trees and shrubs.• We have a fall vegetable gardening window that allows us another chance to enjoy fresh veggies! Plant beans, peas, lettuce, herbs, leafy greens, leeks, radishes, spinach, and more.• Buy spring flowering bulbs early for best selection, but wait to plant until cooler weather sets in. Store in a dry, cool, dark location until then.

or go towww.starnursery.com

Seminars

• August 25 - Starting Fall Veggie & Flower Seeds

Visit us online for ourSeptember & October schedule.

An understated house in the Rancho Nevada

neighborhood needed some attention.

With three well known local interior

designers, a furniture shop owner,

an architect, and a landscape designer

watch this house go from Double Wide to

Cool and Poolside in the next edition of

BLVDS LV magazine.

Page 51: BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

flavor

dining + retailIN THIS SECTION

50 Bar + BistroFeaturing eclectic cuisine with a Latin flavor, this hotspot also has extensive options for vegetarians and vegans

52 Must HavesEvery thing you need to get ready for your next big concert

54 Casa di AmoreSpecializing in classic Italian cuisine, this old school charmer bills itself as “Vegas the way it used to be”

56 IMHO Clint HolmesThe resident entertainer writes about the legacy of originality

< “Fat Fries” (detail) painting by Jelaine Faunce on view at TastySpace in Emergency Arts, tastyspacelv.com.©

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Bar + Bistro in The Arts Factory building has been through several changes over the last five years, but the colorful artsy space has only recently become alive with the build-out of the attached funky mixology bar and a new tapas style menu from Chef Beni Velázquez. His small plates concept fits perfectly into the growing and diverse arts district, and Bar + Bistro is fast becoming the favorite gathering spot for those in touch with the underground Vegas art world.

The space is more creative than its name suggests, though it does aptly describe the two equal sections into which it’s divided. Joined by a small door and shared outside patio, both are adorned with the work of talented local artists. The decor continues on the bodies of the tattooed staff with Technicolor hair on the part of their head that isn’t shaved. Most of them are aspiring artists and performers who enjoy working where they can be immersed in downtown culture. On any given night the Bar is abuzz with live poetry readings and bands, creating a dynamic high-energy atmosphere rare amongst our city’s local hangout spots.

Chef Velázquez is well suited for the environment, as his career path seems to have finally come full circle. The New York City native pursued an acting career in his twenties as a student at Lee Strasberg and was a member of a band for 15 years before entering the culinary world.

By Jillian PlasterPhotography by Studio West Photography

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Latin Fusion Cuisine at The Arts Factory

BAR + BISTRO

Chef Beni Velázquez thinks of himself

as an artist of culinary delights.

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The food offered in the Bistro part of the operation is as eclectic as the place in which it is served. Velázquez took inspiration from the artists and patrons in determining the kind of menu he should offer, ultimately assessing that he could be as creative as he wanted and did not have to stick to a single cuisine. The Puerto Rican chef describes his menu as “Eclectic Latin Fusion,” emphasizing Central American flavors. Of late, the term “fusion” is overused when it comes to describing a restaurant’s theme, but it is difficult to otherwise describe individual dishes that combine the flavor profiles of several different cuisines. Velázquez says not only can you find four or five countries’ influences on the menu as a whole, but also on every plate.

He caters to those who don’t eat meat by using vegetarian bases for all his dishes,

so almost anyone should be able to find something that fits within their dietary restrictions. In addition to the variety of vegetarian options, the Bistro has one of the most extensive vegan menus in town. Though he was hesitant to create a vegan menu (one must have different sets of pots, separate fryer oils, and separate storage areas), popular demand swayed him. He creatively mimicked the items on his regular menu and ensured the options were balanced and satisfying.

Menu favorites include the Stuffed Vegan Piquillo Peppers, Cordero Australian Lamb Chops, and Chopped Latin Chicken Salad with jicama, manchego cheese, chimichurri dressing and loads of avocado. The fried Alcapurrias Croquettes made with Kobe beef, sofrito and mashed plantains are also worth trying, as are

the Paella and Baby Back Costillas Pork Ribs with honey BBQ sauce.

A hangover brunch is offered on Saturdays and Sundays, and often includes live music. The top options on this menu are the Cangrejo Benedict Mofongo with crab cakes and quail eggs, and a luscious Brioche Flan French Toast with agave nectar syrup. He soaks the latter overnight in his flan base, then sears and bakes the pieces so the inside is light and fluffy but the exterior remains crispy. If you must choose one dish to try, this should be it!

Bar+Bistro @ The Arts Factory107 E. Charleston Blvd. #155 Las Vegas, NV 89104702.202.6060 | barbistroaf.com

© C

rist

ian

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rres

A luscious Brioche

Flan French Toast with

agave nectar syrup

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MuST HAVeS Created or Cultivated by People who Live in Southern Nevada

Photography by Greg Warden

< Handmade in the Arts District

Handmade jewelry, handbags and accessories from the Gipsy Den in the arts district made by audiophile/ designer/ boutique owner KT Cewe. These items are one-of-a-kind and have a look and feel evocative of the vintage boutique gift shop in a vibrant part of the city. Gypsy Den 213 E. Colorado, Las Vegas, 89104 etsy.com/shop/TheGypsyDenLasVegas

Professional Grade Cosmetics >

Locally owned L Makeup Institute & Agency offers classes, services, workshops and products for the discriminating makeup artist and consumer. Shown here are Kryolan professional makeup products designed specifically for the entertainment industry. These items are crafted to stand up under theatre lights, in the photo studio or on the runway. L Makeup Institute & Agency 241 West Charleston Boulevard, Las Vegas 89102 lmakeupinstitute.com

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Cowtown Guitars >

Now in its new downtown location, visit Cowtown Guitars for vintage guitars, bass guitars and above average boutique gear including Morgan Amps, Echo Park Guitars, Keeler Designs and Spaceman effects. Cowtown offers free expert appraisals by Jesse Amorosa, as seen on TV’s Pawn Stars. Cowtown Guitars 1009 S. Main Street, Las Vegas 89101 cowtownguitars.com

>

Jazz T’s

Jazz T’s original artwear by drummer Mike Candito feature four different “sixty second sketches”, each available in black ink on a white t-shirt for $20 or gold ink on a black t-shirt for $25. $5 per shirt for shipping and handling. Available in medium, large and extra-large. To order, contact [email protected]

< Alien Tequila

This locally-conceived, out-of-this-world tequila won two gold medals at the 2009 San Francisco Spirit Competition. Since then, it has reportedly only gotten better. Try Alien Silver for a clean taste, Reposado for floral notes, or Anejo for a broad flavor profile with smoky hints of vanilla. Available at Total Wine & More and Lee’s Liquor locations as well as Mundo: A Culinary Haute Spot. alientequila.com

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A Taste of Old VegasBy Hektor D. Esparza

Photograph by Logan Pochatko

Casa di Amore is an unapologetic tourist destination with about 65 percent of its clientele visiting from hotel rooms rather than area neighborhoods. Its décor and operational model is clearly designed to deliver nostalgic experiences to visitors desiring a taste of Vegas that doesn’t exist on the Strip anymore. But it’s done well, and any Las Vegan who is comfortable with the city’s roots should be able to appreciate the restaurant’s charms without feeling like a rube.

Stepping into the quaint brick building on East Tropicana near McLeod Drive, the first thing you notice is the exquisitely curated collection of classic Las Vegas iconography. Images include photos of marquees at bygone Rat Pack-era haunts like the Sands, Stardust and Dunes. “Old Blue Eyes” Francis Albert Sinatra is the most honored of the classic entertainment pantheon with numerous images dominating the lush interior. Other lords of vintage Vegas entertainment are represented as well. A photo of a Sahara Hotel marquee boasting a Johnny Carson residency is not something you see every day, and there are even some uncommon images of Elvis sharing the space.

Of course, the real star of Casa di Amore is the food. As Manager Kathleen D’ Esposito says, “It is traditional Italian-American

food: lasagna, cannelloni. Our two biggest sellers on the menu are the Baked Lasagna and the Chicken Parmigiana. The third is probably our Osso Bucco.”

The restaurant features live entertainment every night it is open, usually by resident crooner George Bugatti who everyone says sounds just like a young Sinatra.

Making the experience complete is service fit for a mob boss. Says D’ Esposito “The waiters are not in training. The service is seamless. They take really good care of the guests.” But like everything else here, the wait staff’s style is decidedly old school. So while they may be well-mannered, there’s little doubt who is really running the show.

Casa di Amore2850 East Tropicana Avenue702.433.4967 | casadiamore.com

CASA DI AMORe

Michael Delano

sings Rat Pack

era favorites

while you dine on

classic Italian eats

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HEALTH COVERAGE MADE EASYSolutions with choices are easy, just call.

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Dramatic geometric abstract original paintings available from 5”x5” to over 60”x60”. Custom sizes and colors available upon request. Printed reproductions also available. Visit mikelpatrik.com to explore the limitless opportunities.

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IMHOTaking a Stand For the New Vegas Originals

By clint Holmes

Photograph by checko Salgado

I am an entertainer. I love my job. I have many friends who are entertainers, and

they all love their jobs. Who wouldn’t? Here is our job description: We share our talents with you and in return, you give us your undivided attention and applaud for us.

It’s a good deal.

I admit to having a passion for what I call “In One” performers; those performers who can command a stage by the strength of their talent and personality, night after night after night. To me, they are a bit like gladiators

boldly taking center stage where there is nowhere to hide under the spotlight.

The great ones—Sinatra, Sammy, Elvis, Wayne, Cosby, Rivers, Rickles and their ilk—all have an indelible connection to our city. The “In One” art form is a large part of what Las Vegas was built on and I, for one, don’t want that to become a thing of the past.

When I became a resident entertainer in Las Vegas at the turn of the century, I considered myself extremely fortunate. Harrah’s gave me every opportunity to succeed. At the beginning, when the crowds were small, I got encouragement from management and more billboards and cab-tops than I could count, and most importantly, time.

Things are different now. Lounges are being converted

into casino space and the vast majority of headliner shows have to arrive independently financed. The entertainer now has to rent the showroom and pay for whatever promotion they can afford.

Obviously, it makes perfect corporate sense to make sure every venue is profitable. However, with a couple of wonderful exceptions, the new “In Ones” aren’t being given time and, in fact, have no place to build and develop a following and become a unique and exciting part of a city that was built on originals. The showrooms didn’t make a profit on Sammy, Frank and Dean, but the pure excitement they brought spilled into the casinos and restaurants and the entire city became the beneficiary. Even as I write this I’m developing a bruise from banging my head against the wall, so I will try to wrap this up and get back to rehearsal!

When the billboard announces in big bold letters, “The Rat Pack Is Back!” a voice in my head screams, “NO, it’s not!” No disrespect to the generally fine shows that help keep that golden era alive, or to any show that creates work for local entertainers, but while imitation is the highest form of flattery, originality is the highest form of art.

The Rat Pack will never really be back but I believe, given the readiness of the performers to give their all, and the willingness of the venues to recognize their potential and find ways to help them grow, there is a new core group of “In Ones” ready to find their swagger right here at home.

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She was bullied at school… Became disruptive & withdrawn… Her grades were

sinking and her parents didn’t know what to do… Until they brought Angela to...

White Horse Youth Ranch!

“The change in this girl was inspirational,” said Amy Meyer, WHY Ranch President & Founder. “She made new friends and her

self-esteem went through the roof!”

Page 60: BLVDS Aug/Sept 2012 "Music & Entertainment

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