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1 2 “Ice Burg”Time will tell whether franchise will

be a triumph or a failure.

By HUBBLE RAY SMITH

1 6 “We’re in the Big Leagues Now”With the NHL in the bag, what will

the NFL bring if it comes to fruition?

Politics by MICHAEL GREEN

Plus … New programs from Volun-

teers in Medicine of Southern Ne-

vada, Folies Bergere on exhibit, Seven

Days, Ask a Native and The Deal.

FEATURE

2 2 “Party Time”Your Fourth of July weekend guide.

NIGHTLIFE

2 5 “Gone Country”Vegas isn’t all EDM all day and all

night, you know.

By ROBERT SPUHLER

Plus … Seven Nights, how Vegas

Girls Night Out leaves the planning

to the pros, and photos from the

week’s hottest parties.

DINING

4 9 “Woof It Down”Welcome to the dog days of

summer dining. By AL MANCINI

Plus … Dish & Tell, Al Mancini

on Bottiglia and The Grape Nut.

A&E

5 5 “Viva Chick Flicks”Contrary to the Ghostbusters

backlash, female-led movies are

not a new idea—and they make

bank. By EMMILY BRISTOL

Plus … Seven’s 14, why today’s folk

bands don’t measure up, the artists

of Life Is Beautiful and Mary Roach

enlists humor in Grunt.

6 1 “The Bigger Man”Steven Spielberg has crafted

a modern classic in The BFG.

By GEOFF CARTER

SEVEN QUESTIONS

7 0 New NHL franchise owner

Bill Foley on the application

process, the timetable for the

front office and Vegas’ potential.

FEATURE

The Pets IssueCelebrities and their pets, exotic animals for the home, luxurious boarding facilities, a Q&A with a veterinarian and a splendid sanctuary in Utah.

J U N E 3 0 – J U L Y 6 , 2 0 1 6C O N T E N T S

Cover photo by Krystal Ramirez.

18Quico William Ramirez, a 4-month-old Sphynx, gets ready for the Fourth.

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LAS VEGAS’ WEEKLY CITY MAGAZINE | FOUNDED FEBRUARY 2010

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➜ BILL FOLEY made some smart de-cisions amassing his billion-dollar for-tune in the mortgage industry, so what the puck is he thinking to lay out $500 million for an NHL expansion fran-chise in Las Vegas? Maybe he sees it as a long-shot bet on a city that’s ready to support a major league sports team.

But history isn’t on our side. Minor league teams have come and gone like hard-luck gamblers, including the Thunder and Wranglers in hock-ey, the Silver Bandits in basketball, the Outlaws in arena football and the Legends in indoor soccer. The Triple-A Las Vegas 51s (formerly the Stars) have been around since 1983, but av-erage game attendance from 2010-14 was 4,569, lowest in the Pacific Coast League and far below the league av-erage of 6,154, according to the PCL.

Blame it on the heat. Blame it on the plethora of entertainment. Blame it on a majority of the popu-lation whose sports allegiance lies in other cities. Only the Runnin’ Rebels have drawn consistently.

So why is Foley confident about the NHL succeeding in Las Vegas? For one, he took more than 14,000 deposits on season tickets, though he concedes not all of those will be con-verted to actual sales. Season ticket-holders put down 10 percent, and Foley says he has $8-$ 9 million in

escrow. About 400 deposits came in the days just before the NHL Board of Governors unanimously voted to approve the expansion franchise June 22 at Encore. Las Vegas will be-come the NHL’s 31st team, joining the Pacific Division in 2017-2018.

“We did it,” Foley said during a news conference. “It wasn’t easy. Our great sports town now has a major league franchise. We’ll leave no stone un-turned in our dedication and pursuit of hockey in Las Vegas, not just for our team, but for the community.”

Second, he’s got T-Mobile Arena, a $375 million joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Anschutz Entertainment Group. Designed with hockey in mind, it’s steeply banked so every seat has a great sightline, and the luxury suites are “unbelievable,” he says.

“Plus we have nightclubs and all kinds of food service. It’s going to be great for hockey, and every day is going to be a party.”

And third, in addition to more than 2 million residents, Las Vegas welcomes 42 million visitors a year, including “snowbirds” from hockey territory in Canada and the United States. Foley is convinced T-Mobile Arena will be packed for just about every game, with season ticket-holders comprising 85 percent to 90 percent of attendance.

“I don’t think he can depend on visitors coming here primarily,” says John Restrepo, principal of RGC Eco-nomics in Las Vegas. “That’s part of it, but the primary (fan) base is local and I don’t know the size of that. It’ll be interesting to see how it unfolds.”

The decision to expand in Las Vegas followed months of extensive study, negotiations and delibera-tions, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said at the news conference.

“It was a fairly intense and com-plicated process,” he said. “We think this is a tremendously exciting op-portunity, not just for Las Vegas, but for the league as well.”

Vegas has long been a mecca for championship boxing, the UFC and major NASCAR races. The NFL may be pie in the sky, but the NHL is here and now. So while we wait to hear Cé-line Dion sing the Canadian national anthem when one of her country’s NHL teams visit and look forward to scoring our first goal, Foley will set about creating a winning culture and an internationally recognized brand with the Las Vegas team.

A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Foley wants to name the team the Black Knights, which is the “good knight,” the one that protects the unprotected, he said. His Jacksonville, Florida-based company is called Black Knight Fi-nancial Services, and the company behind the NHL franchise is Black Knight Sports and Entertainment.

“I’m open-minded about the team name and colors, but I am the majority owner,” he points out. Any team name and logo would have to be approved by the league. Foley an-ticipates $4 million in revenue from sales of team jerseys, hats and other products in the first year.

Brian Gordon of Applied Analysis business advisory firm says Las Vegas is on the radar for all types of busi-ness and industry, and having an NHL team gives people one more reason to hop on a plane and come here.

“The biggest economic boost is like-ly sourced to incremental visitation,having people that may not have come to Las Vegas otherwise,” Gordon says. “These types of investments are what make Las Vegas known throughout the rest of the world.”

The NHL’s arrival marks a new chapter that may entice the NBA and NFL to follow, or it may be a cautionary tale of hubris or another footnote in the city’s history. How it’s written will likely depend not on tourists, but on Foley’s team and a community that has long sought to join the major leagues.

See Page 70 for Seven Questions with Bill Foley.

News, deals and

what the NHL means to

the NFL's prospects in Vegas.THE LATEST

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Ice BurgTime will tell whether franchise will be a triumph

or a failure By Hubble Ray Smith

THU 30 Two very cool things to note

about Springs Preserve this

week: 1) Admission is free June 27-30;

2) There’s a load of Star Wars-inspired

stuff going on. We’re especially excited

about the Jedi training, daily at 2:30

p.m. SpringsPreserve.org.

FRI 1 Ancient Rome had canals,

roads, complex machines,

advanced culture and military

infrastructure. Explore the place at

Ancient Rome: The Empire That

Shaped the World, through Sept. 11

at the Las Vegas Natural History

Museum. LVNHM.org.

SAT 2 What says “summer” more

than a good bodybuilding

competition? They’ll be wearing bikinis

(and mankinis), after all. The NPC/IFBB Patriot’s Challenge is on at

The Orleans, which means muscles,

spray tans, poses and preening.

OrleansCasino.com.

SUN 3 For the record, we believe

Independence Day

celebrations should happen on July 4.

But we’re not the boss of the country,

so we dutifully note that several

casinos and Lake Las Vegas are

shooting off their fireworks tonight.

MON 4 If you want the lowdown on

the best ways to celebrate

Independence Day, turn to our guide

on Page 23. We have activities for the

kids and over-21 alike, as well as the

best places in the Valley (and beyond)

to view the rockets’ red glare.

TUE 5 “Artners” You Killed Me First

and There She Is, both from

the L.A. street-art scene, are pairing up

for an exhibit dubbed NightShift, daily

through July 12 at the Eden Art Studio

and Gallery in the Arts Factory. YKMF’s

work centers on distorting images

found in pop culture, while TSI’s stuff

is more about disassociated themes

joined in broad, beautiful brush strokes.

Together, it’s powerful work. Check the

NightShift Facebook page for details.

WED 6 Super Summer Theatre at

Spring Mountain Ranch State

Park is cool, green and old-timey thanks

to Memphis, a love story set on Beale

Street in the ’50s. Shows through

July 23. SuperSummerTheatre.org.

Seven DaysThis week in your cityBy B O B W H I T B Y

Bill Foley.

Holly MadisonAuthor, reality TV star and former

Strip entertainer

The squad: Dogs Louis and Napo-

leon; ferrets Sid, Nancy, Frosty and

Mystery (a pet who got its name after

suddenly appearing in their habitat

after a guest-packed weekend at their

residence); chickens; and a beehive.

The digs: The chickens live in a coop

built by the Redwood Kings of Animal

Planet fame, while the ferrets have an

outdoor habitat with air conditioning

and heat. Not to be outdone, the fam-

ily’s dogs enjoy a “mini apartment” on

the side of the house.

Circle of life: “My husband grew up

with chickens on his grandparents’

farm in Italy, so the second we got a

house he started bringing home baby

chickens,” says Madison, noting the

family relishes being able to get fresh

eggs daily. They also harvest honey

twice a year.

Paying it forward: Madison is a

well-known animal activist. “All of

my dogs and ferrets come from a

shelter or rescue, so encouraging

pet adoption is close to my heart,”

she says. “The first dog I ever bought

was a Pomeranian, which I got at a

pet store in Beverly Hills years ago.

She was sick with kennel cough, and

that opened my eyes to some of the

issues in the pet industry and in turn

how many pets in shelters need a

good home.”

Carlos LopezTaiko drummer in Mystère

Name game: Martini is named for Lopez

and his wife’s favorite cocktail. He previ-

ously had a cat named Merlot.

Favorite hangs: The Chihuahua enjoys

Red Rock Canyon, but Lopez says Martini

likes being zipped up in his fleece vest on

cold winter mornings best.

All the right notes: Martini rivals her fam-

ily’s musical talents with some serious

yodeling skills. “[It] was discovered when

a neighbor got home, and Martini started

barking,” Lopez says. “My wife talked to

her in a high-pitched voice saying, ‘Tini

bow-wow,’ and that set her off! We can get

her howling just by talking to her or sing-

ing to her in a high pitch.” And the pup is

also into skateboarding, as Lopez discov-

ered one day. “I was just going to grab it

to go for a ride while we walked her. She

seemed so intrigued, so I popped her on

and she started to wag her tail.”

Culinary scene: The rescued pup struck

it big with the Lopez family: She dines

on homemade chicken breast boiled with

carrots and rice, and is also a big fan of

strawberries and bananas and the occa-

sional waffle.

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BY THE NUMBERSThere’s no doubt that pets are a

big deal. Here are some numbers,

courtesy of the American Society

for the Prevention of Cruelty to

Animals. –Emmily Bristol

7.6 millionNumber of animals that go to

shelters each year (about 3.9

million dogs and 3.4 million cats).

2.7 millionAnimals adopted from

shelters each year.

70-80 millionEstimated pet dogs

in the U.S.

74-96 millionEstimated pet cats in the U.S.

1-24-6

Most common reason people

relinquish their pets:

Residence does not allow pets.

41%Cats in shelters

that are

euthanized.

31%Dogs in

shelters that

are euthanized.

Average number of

litters a fertile cat or

dog produces a year.

Average number of

kittens or puppies

per litter.

Social Media Stars➜ The internet was

invented for looking

at adorable photos of

puppies and kittens,

especially during work

hours. Check out these

fur babies giving the

Kardashians a run for

their Instagram fame.

After four years of fandom

and celebrity phrase, Grumpy

Cat, the grumpiest cat in the

world (according to his Insta-

gram), has 1.6 million follow-

ers. Grumpy Cat has been

stealing our hearts since her

first post in 2012, and now

boasts memes, shirts and

a wax figurine at Madame

Tussauds right here in Las

Vegas. (@realgrumpycat)

The underbite of Tuna the

“Chiweenie” has stolen

the hearts of 1.8 million

Instagram lovers around

the world. A cross between

a Chihuahua and a wiener

dog, the rescue with a re-

cessed jawline and wrinkly

neck stars in hilarious and

heartfelt moments that are

tailor-made for Insta-fame.

(@tunameltsmyheart).

Doug the Pug, with a

cool 1.8 million Instagram

followers, has his own

Facebook page, Twitter

account and Snapchat,

and he recently wrote his

first book. What can’t this

connoisseur of culture do?

(@itsdougthepug)

Marnie the Dog has just

under 2 million followers

and no wonder: The

14-year-old shih tzu “loves

walks and parties, hates

being alone and is a lady!”

(@marniethedog)

Marutaro has more follow-

ers than most celebrities.

Between napping with

various stuffed friends and

activities around the neigh-

borhood, the fluffy-faced

Shiba Inu has taken the

world—and by that we mean

his 2.4 million followers—

by storm. (@marutaro)

—Ally Tatosian

➜ Independence Day falls on a Monday this year, which is good news for us. We’ve got an entire extended weekend chock-full of parties to hit up before we watch the big bang. Here are your choices to honor the day that 13 colonies declared themselves a new nation. The celebrations are going to be so grand, we wouldn’t be surprised if we caught Will Smith firing up his victory cigar before the ’works.

THU 30 Kickstart your weekend with a mainstay: DJ Esco’s “coolest party in the world” has taken place every Thursday at Drai’s

for months, so if you have yet to check it out, now’s the perfect time. There will be tourists aplenty this weekend, so you might just meet your new best friend. Speaking of, given the occasion, we anticipate Esco’s best friend, Atlanta rapper Future, will make an appearance. (In the Cromwell, 10:30 p.m.,

DraisNightlife.com.)

FRI 1 Wishing you had a say in the Life Is Beautiful lineup? Take matters into your own hands and head to Brooklyn Bowl, where you can choose who takes the remaining spot in the festival. The bracket-

style competition heats up in the third of four rounds. Will your favorite local band take the cake? Show up and find out in the Road

to Life Is Beautiful Battle. (At the

Linq 6 p.m., Vegas.BrooklynBowl.

com.) If guitars aren’t your thing, hit up Omnia for a set by superstar DJ Calvin Harris. He’s back in tip-top shape following a car accident in May—just weeks after he dropped his collaborative single with Rihanna, “This Is What You Came For.” He’s no longer seeing Taylor Swift, so give the man some support because he’s been through a lot in the past few months. And if you’re not into his stuff, you can

check out Generik, who opens, and OB-One at Heart of Omnia. (In Caesars Palace, 10:30 p.m.,

OmniaNightclub.com.)

SAT 2 With the temperatures turned up and the grill fired up, we’re feelin’ some “Type of Way.” Hit up Sky Beach Club to hear that tune, which brought Atlanta rapper Rich Homie Quan into the spotlight. Like DJ Khaled, he quickly came through with another one when he joined Young Thug on Rich Gang’s “Lifestyle.” Although it was undoubtedly the anthem of 2014, the two began a feud that would dissolve Rich Gang and fuel two solo careers. Ask Quan for an update tonight, and check out “Check” poolside. (At Tropicana,

noon, SkyBeachClubLV.com.) If you’re looking to indulge in a full day of fun with a soundtrack that consists of music from two completely different genres, hit up the Cosmopolitan. It begins with a set by trap/progressive house giant Carnage at Marquee Dayclub. Show Papi Gordo that the Las Vegas chapter of #ChipotleGang is alive and well

when he drops “Rari (featuring Lil Yachty, Famous Dex and Ugly God).” After all that Chipotle worshipping, spoil yourself with a glorious slice of secret pizza, then switch it up with Tritonal. The Austin, Texas-based progressive house duo wrapped up its album, Painting With the

Dreams, last month, so see if they give us a taste of that new-new. (In the Cosmopolitan, 10 p.m.,

MarqueeLasVegas.com.) Feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the big-name talent? Keep it local with Bombay Heavy at Bunkhouse. The Las Vegas-based Brit-rock sextet reminds us of a dirtier version of ’80s Brit-pop sensation the Stone Roses. Be transported to a grimy Manchester club with the swing of “As a Matter of Fact.” (124 S. 11th St., 10p.m.,

BunkhouseDowntown.com)

SUN 3 The country song goes “save a horse, ride a cowboy,” but given this godforsaken heat, we just want to ride something that gets us from point A to point B, stat. Take a Cadillac, for example. Nashville country trio The Cadillac Three hits up the Foxtail Pool to kick off its Neon Cowboy concert series. Singer-guitarist Jaren Johnston penned some of country music’s most popular hits such as Tim McGraw’s “Southern Girl” and Keith Urban’s “You Gonna Fly.” Now hear his original work, and pull out a lighter during the slow sway of “White Lightning.” (At

SLS, 7 p.m., FoxtailLasVegas.

com.) Not a country fan? Take a dip with Alesso at Encore Beach Club. The Swedish mix master finally unleashed the long-awaited visuals for “I Wanna Know (featuring Nico & Vinz)” in April, which sort of plays out like a romantic thriller, complete with firearms. Forget the weaponry, but catch the Swede spin. (In Encore, 10 p.m.,

EncoreBeachClub.com.)

MON 4 Celebrate our nation’s day of independence by catching a real turntable vet. Fergie DJ picked up DJing as a teenager, and loved the craft so much, it led to opportunities that unfolded into a career in music. He began producing, presenting a show on BBC Radio 1, writing for Mixmag and receiving offers for a reality television show. (Un)fortunately, the Irish DJ declined the latter, so we’ll just have to follow him on social media to stay in the loop with his party antics. Or better yet, catch him live. Do that at Wet

Republic before you watch the fireworks. (At MGM Grand, 11 a.m.,

WetRepublic.com.)

Party Time!Your Fourth of July weekend guide

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➜ While fireworks are the main event for

most Fourth of July celebrations, there’s

a wealth of things to do around the Valley

and beyond during what for many will be a

three-day weekend. We round up the best

activities and fireworks displays for the

under-21 set.

CAESARS PALACE Marking its 50th

anniversary, Caesars is planning its largest

Independence Day celebration ever with a

spectacular 13½-minute fireworks display

shot off from the Julius Tower at 9:10 p.m.

on Sunday, July 3. The best views will be

from the fountains in front of the casino.

MANDALAY BAY Part of a two-day beach

party at Mandalay Bay, fireworks are

scheduled for both Saturday, July 2, and

Sunday, July 3, following concerts by the

rock band 311. The party is held at the

resort’s elaborate beach and swimming

pool area. Tickets are $57 to $64, and the

show starts at 8:30 p.m. each night.

PALACE STATION Locals-oriented Station

Casinos is kicking off its 40th anniversary

at 9 p.m. on Friday, July 1 with a traditional

fireworks show at Palace Station, which

opened as a 5,000-square-foot casino on

July 1, 1976. The show, produced by Grucci’s

of New York City, will begin a monthlong

celebration of Station Casinos’ history.

CASHMAN FIELD Take in a minor league

baseball game and fireworks presented

by the Orleans and Gold Coast casinos

on Monday, July 4, at Cashman Field,

following the Las Vegas 51s’ game against

the Salt Lake Bees. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

If you miss that show, there’ll be another

one on July 8 following a doubleheader

against the Albuquerque Isotopes.

ADOPT A PET The Animal Foundation is

once again hosting its pet adoption event

at its shelter, 655 N. Mojave Road. In

honor of the Fourth, it’s $7 to adopt a dog

or cat, which has been checked out by

local veterinarians, spayed or neutered,

current on all vaccines and implanted with

a microchip to help find them if they get

lost. The special rate applies to any animal

that has been at the shelter at least four

days, and all fees are waived for pit bulls

and rabbits. It’s a great deal compared to

the usual $105-250 for a dog or $25-50 to

adopt a cat from the shelter. Plus, you get

the good feeling of providing a loving home

to an animal and helping the nonprofit

Animal Foundation in its goal to become a

no-kill shelter by 2020.

YANKEE DOODLE AT THE POOL Continuing

a tradition, the City of Las Vegas is hosting

the all-ages Yankee Doodle at the Pool

water party at its aquatic centers on July

1. The cost is $2 for ages 4-17, $3 for ages

18-49, $2 for seniors (50+), and free for kids

under age 3. The times vary by pool location.

Participating pools include Baker Pool, 1100

E. St. Louis Avenue; Carlos L. Martinez and

Darrio J. Hall Family Pool at Gary Reese

Freedom Park, 889 N. Pecos Road; Doolittle

Pool, 1950 N. J Street; Garside Pool, 250 S.

Torrey Pines Drive; Municipal Pool, 431 E.

Bonanza Road; and Pavilion Center Pool, 101

S. Pavilion Center Drive.

MISSION HILLS PARK Celebrate Independence

Day in Henderson with live entertainment

and a traditional fireworks display at Mission

Hills Park, 551 E. Mission Hills Drive. Bring

a blanket and enjoy a night of family fun on

Sunday, July 3, from 6-9 p.m. Shuttle service

will run from Foothill High School, 800

College Drive, starting at 5:30 p.m.

LAKE LAS VEGAS If you want to escape

the city lights, take a 20-mile trip to Lake

Las Vegas for the resort’s annual fireworks

display at 8:40 p.m. on Sunday, July 3.

There will be live music, kids’ activities

and barbecue stations set up in Monte Lago

Village starting at 3 p.m. The Henderson

Symphony Orchestra performs at 7 p.m.

SUMMERLIN For the 22nd year, the

Summerlin Council Patriotic Parade will

wind its way through the heart of the

master-planned community. This year’s

event boasts 70 participants, including the

giant, inflatable balloon characters popular

in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. Parade

festivities start at 8:30 a.m. on the Fourth at

Hills Center Drive.

BOULDER CITY The 68th annual Damboree

starts at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast

at Bicentennial Park, followed by a parade

at 9 a.m. Festivities continue with a flag-

raising ceremony and national anthem at

Broadbent Memorial Park, 1100 Colorado

Street, along with food, games and

entertainment. Then it’s over to Veterans

Memorial Park for more fun and games at 6

p.m. and a fireworks show at 9 p.m.

MESQUITE Eureka Casino Resort in

Mesquite has its Fourth of July with

Rockets over the Red Mesa. The event

starts at 6 p.m. and features food, a

vendor village and a performance by the

32-piece Nevada Pops Orchestra and ends

with fireworks.

Kids, Puppies and Fireworks, Oh, My!Family-friendly fun for Independence Day

BY EMMILY BRISTOL AND HUBBLE RAY SMITH

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NIGHTLIFE

With the top dance-music stars tied up in residencies split between two nightlife groups (seven of the Top 10 in DJ Mag’s Top 100 poll are signed with Hakkasan Group, three with Wynn Resorts), counterprogramming has be-come vital for resorts looking to attract younger concertgoers. And some of those are reaching out to country music, a genre long represented in Las Vegas by legacy acts, to bring in new audiences.

“Rehab is going strong with the EDM stuff, and in the past it was on the hip-hop side,” says Chas Smith, vice presi-dent of entertainment at the Hard Rock. “And we’re seeing such a strong following on the country side that we decided that one day a week, we’ll do a country mash-up, but also tie in pop.”

Hard Rock Hotel has been book-ing country music acts for The Joint since Kenny Chesney helped open the renovated venue in 2011; this year, it’s already hosted Chris Stapleton, the only performer in 2016 to play both the indie music trendsetting Coachella Music & Arts Festival and its country sibling, Stagecoach. On July 1, the resort

also welcomes Dee Jay Silver back to its poolside party, after the DJ and pro-ducer’s recent run on country super-star Jason Aldean’s national tour. But the genre is making inroads through-out town. The Cosmopolitan, tradi-tionally associated with dance music at Marquee and the indie rock sounds of its poolside concerts, brought Grammy Award-winning The Band Perry to the Chelsea in late April and will wel-come 24-year-old star Hunter Hayes in August. The Foundry at SLS Las Ve-gas launched its Neon Country series (sponsored, in the interest of full dis-closure, by Vegas Seven parent WENDOH Media) in May with the duo Dan + Shay.

These are not the undeniably tal-ented, but older-skewing resident art-ists of years back such as Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw or Faith Hill. These are the artists on the charts, on country ra-dio and on the minds of younger fans today. (That said, Brooks and wife Tri-sha Yearwood bring their world tour to T-Mobile Arena for six shows in June and July, and superstars Reba McIntire, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn have a

resident show with nine July dates at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.)

“Over the last three years, country music has been more out in the fore-front of [pop] music and culture,” says Fedor Banuchi, the Cosmopolitan’s vice president of entertainment. “You’ve got pop stars singing country songs on the Grammys.”

One development that has helped establish country music as a viable draw here has been the introduction of two festivals dedicated to the genre. The American Country Music Party for a Cause has gone from its inaugural two nights at The Orleans in 2013 to—after spending last year in Arlington, Texas—a three-day affair at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds this past April. And in 2014, the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival came to town with one of the highest-profile lineups of stars that the city had ever seen with Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton as headliners, and Dierks Bentley and Hunt also on the roster.

“The first [Route 91] was a huge sur-prise to some to see the reaction, not just

from the tourists who came to town for the event, but from the locals that were showing up,” says JoJo Turnbeaugh, se-nior vice president of programming for iHeartMedia and program director for country music station The Bull 95.5-FM.

But the biggest reason for country’s infusion into Las Vegas’ music mix may be the genre’s transition itself. Newer artists have watched the crossover suc-cess of artists such as Taylor Swift, who has gone from 16-year-old country mu-sic prodigy to worldwide pop superstar. Now, a tour through country radio in-volves acts with pop (Hayes), rap (Hunt), rock (Eric Church) or jam band (Zac Brown Band) influences. And younger fans who listen to music on streaming playlists rather than genre-defined radio or television stations are more likely to have a country song or two on a playlist, making transitions (such as B-Radical’s) between artists the likes of Be-yoncé and Hunt easier to understand.

“We had The Cure here the other night,” Banuchi says, “and I looked around and recognized a lot of the fac-es that were here for Eric Church.”

Clockwise from top left: Carrie Underwood at the 2016 ACM Party for a Cause; Chris

Stapleton at The Joint in April; Garth Brooks at the T-Mobile Arena on June 24; and Dan + Shay at the Foundry’s Neon Country series.

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➜ IT’S FRIDAY NIGHT, and Lisa’s finally broken up with Todd. Not man-bun barista Todd, but lifeguard Todd, the one who never wears socks. This calls for a celebration. But Brenda’s on a budget, Carla’s dying to hit Omnia because Calvin Harris is single again, Sonia’s craving Giada’s, and Morgan’s set on seeing a Strip show. So, what do you do when the members of your girl gang all want different things? You call Vegas Girls Night Out (VegasGirlsNightOut.com).

“The most important thing [to know] about Vegas Girls Night Out is that it’s [about] women—women helping women,” says Bri Steck, founder and CEO of the boutique concierge service that launched in 2015. “We’re here because we feel like we know best what a woman would want.”

And they do. Vegas Girls Night Out caters to a gal’s every whim. You can book a night out for almost anything: bachelorette party, divorce party, I-need-a-stiff-drink-and-a-steak party. Everything the company sells, Steck

says, her team experiences first-hand. There’s no limit to what you can do.

“Whatever excuse you want to party, we have it for you.”

Vegas Girls Night Out offers a plethora of party packages from which to choose. Steck says the most popular booking is the Thunder Storm Through Vegas package, which nets you and your girls VIP tickets to Thunder From Down Under, a limo ride to the Welcome to Las Vegas sign with a bottle of bubbly and access to up to nine nightclubs with open bar at select venues. And that’s just a standard package. Steck says she can even arrange for her customers to meet the performers of the male revue if they’re willing to pay a little extra. More expensive packages will get you in the first 10 rows of Britney Spears’ Piece of Me and a photo with the star, but Steck’s goal isn’t to upsell. She’s working hard to offer everyday customers something that works within their budget.

“We can go above and beyond, but we try to make it affordable so that

you don’t have to spend crazy money to have a good time in Vegas,” she says. “And you can be local. You don’t have to just be a tourist.”

The majority of Steck’s packages cost $200 per person or less. But if none of what you see on Vegas Girls Night Out’s website suits you, they’ll create a custom package just for you.

Steck’s ability to pull so many strings is a testament to her career. The Las Vegas native comes from a background in entertainment public relations and marketing, so to say relationships matter to her is an understatement. In 2012, she created Night School 4 Girls, a pole-dancing class targeted toward women looking for a sexy night out. Certain classes came with bonus Thunder tickets, which Steck had easy access to since her husband is co-owner and co-producer of the show. With time, Steck’s clients began asking for more late-night options, so she launched Vegas Girls Night Out to meet that need. The concierge service has made an impression on Las Vegas’ entertainment landscape, and not just with the ladies.

“Because we send so many girls, the nightclubs treat us very well and treat our guests well,” Steck says. “I don’t work with them as a traditional promoter does [with] paying and billing. I’m just sending you people. Just make sure you take care of them.”

Restaurants also share this sentiment toward Steck’s concierge service. If you and your ladies want to indulge in a fine dinner on the Strip, that can be arranged. Dining partners such as Carmine’s, Giada’s and Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill offer a prix-fixe

menu, which you can pay for in advance, and that includes tax and tip. No more splitting the check a dozen ways.

Cultivating these partnerships wasn’t always easy. In the early stages of the company, Steck says some of the men in the nightlife industry had a hard time understanding the concept. “It took them realizing the power that we have behind us … and all of our partners seeing what we can do for them that [made them say],

‘OK, we’re on board.’” These trials are what make Steck

the entrepreneur she is today. One of the bigger lessons she says she’s learned is “don’t take things personally. It’s a business. Sometimes women react off of emotion, so you have to think more like a man.”

This way of thinking is what sets Ve-gas Girls Night Out’s business model apart from other concierge services. On top of the business-to-customer sales the company makes, it also does business to business, offering an affil-iate program where other businesses can buy packages at a discounted rate to sell on their own websites.

If you’re thinking of planning a night out, it’s best to plan ahead. Steck says the second quarter of the year is bachelorette season, so some women are calling six months in advance, and locals are eligible for a discount. Vegas Girls Night Out defies the bullish approach some businesses take. Instead of fiercely competing and aggressively up-selling, the company acknowledges it’s the people that make it successful. As Steck says, “It’s all about relationships.” P

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NIGHTLIFE

This One’s for the Ladies

Vegas Girls Night Out takes the pain out of your

Champagne campaign By Amber Sampson

JEWELNIGHTCLUB.COM \ OPEN MONDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY \ 702.590.8000JEWELNIGHT

UNVEILINGMON JUL 18 WITH SPECIAL GUEST

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Restaurant reviews, news and Clique Hospitality expands

I loved the delicate sweetness of large

zucchini flowers stuffed with lemon-kissed

ricotta cheese and fried to a golden brown.

BOTTIGLIA | PAGE 52

DINING

➜ The temperature Downtown hovered between 105 and 110 degrees on a recent Sunday afternoon. But Lisa Levine and Andrew Woods had forsaken Glutton’s air-conditioned dining room to eat and drink on the patio. “We’ve got great shade out here, so it’s not too hot,” Levine said. “There’s a little breeze going on. So we’re good.” But the real reason they weren’t giving up on dining al fresco was their Bichon Frise, Lacey, seated at their feet.

Dog owners in many cities take their pups everywhere. But canine-friendly establishments, especially ones that serve food, are still hard to come by in Las Vegas. Glutton (616 E. Carson

Ave., 702-366-0623, GluttonLV.com), however, has welcomed pets on the patio since opening just over a year ago. The eatery regularly hosts large and small dogs and even pot-bellied pigs.

“In the surrounding area, at the Ogden and some of the condos and homes over here, people walk their pets on the weekends a lot,” chef-owner Bradley Manchester says. “And with having a separate entrance to the patio, you don’t have to go through the restaurant. A couple of months ago, when the weather was a lot nicer, you could come here on a Saturday or a Sunday and the patio would be full of pets, which made me start push-

ing it a little bit more to get the word out there.”Glutton provides water bowls and house-made

biscuits for its four-legged clientele. And you’re welcome to order people food for them, such as the burger patty Lacey had finished shortly before I spoke to her masters.

Another Downtown favorite catering to pet own-ers is Mingo Kitchen & Lounge in the Arts District (1017 S. First St., 702-685-0328, EatMixMingo.com). Owner Mingo Collaso and his crew provide dispos-able dog bowls of water on the patio, as well as bags and “spill kits” for cleaning up after accidents. They also offer “Pawttle Service,” a patio menu of happy hour drinks for us bipeds as well as Bowser Beer (beef or chicken gravy), Bowser Bits (pretzel bits with peanut butter and sweet molasses) and either chicken or vegetables with rice.

The program has been a big hit. “We’re near SoHo and Newport [Lofts],” Collaso says, “so people come in with their dogs all the time. Especially now that we have an indoor/outdoor bar.” While dogs have been the dominant four-legged species served,

Woof It DownWelcome to the dog days of summer dining By Al Mancini

Fashionable pups Freddie and Marley belly up to the bar at Downtown’s Mingo Kitchen & Lounge.

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INDIE ROCK

All-Night Visitors

What we whisper what we shout (self-released)

In the video for All-Night Visitors' “Poor Thing,” a scantily

clad woman takes us through the rooms of an abandoned

motel (the long-dormant Fergusons, on Fremont Street).

The cast of eclectic characters we encounter—from

mob-like figures watching a ballerina over cigars and

whiskey to a troubled-looking stockbroker playing Five

Finger Fillet—are a perfect metaphor for the local band’s

dense brand of indie rock. It’s huge: Walker Rose’s

brainchild explores how fun singer/songwriter tunes can

be when they’re cranked to 11, and tossed with backing

vocals, horns and a barrage of percussion. “Trapdoor

Sky’s” playful contrast between piano and synths mingle

nicely with Rose's gruff vocals; “Long Gone” has a god-

damn xylophone solo. It’s ambitious tunes such as “Poor

Thing”—which begins as a smokey syncopated ballad that

transitions into a funky upbeat rock tune, and back—that

prove All-Night Visitors are shooting for the national level.

We’ll gladly stay all night. ★★★★✩ –Ian Caramanzana

➜ MOST PEOPLE MAKE A FUNNY FACE WHEN

you tell them you’re reading a science book for pleasure. It’s an expression of horror and confusion, a look that says “it sucks to be you” and “that’s wasted time you’ll never get back.” But once you explain you’re reading a new Mary Roach book, pity is often replaced with acute interest, followed by three inevitable questions: “What’s it about? Is it funny? Can I borrow it when you’re finished?”

Mary Roach writes science books for a liv-ing, but not the kind of science books you struggled to read back in school. Roach’s books are hilariously smart, endlessly informative and utterly entertaining. Her first book, Stiff (2003), was about cadavers and the various ways dead bodies are used after being donated to science. Subsequent Roach efforts tackled the afterlife (Spook, 2005), sex (Bonk, 2008) and the alimentary canal (Gulp, 2013). In each book, Roach combines hard science with a childlike curiosity (Can a dead man get an erection? Can constipation kill you?) and the trenchant wit you’d expect from an observational humorist riffing in front of a brick wall.

Her latest book, Grunt (W. W. Norton, $27), examines military science. No, not the folks working on more efficient weapons or new strategies for world domination. Roach talks with the designers who clothe soldiers year-round, the tireless researchers who lose sleep over just how little sleep sailors get on nuclear submarines and the doctors who sweat over heatstroke and lost limbs. As Roach says in her introduction, she’s “interested in the

parts no one makes movies about—not the killing, but the keeping alive.”

Grunt takes readers on a memorable field trip to U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Develop-ment and Engineering Center for a lively dis-cussion on flame-resistant fabric. In a chapter on armored combat vehicles and the damage done by RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades), Roach reports on a new line of vehicles that are mine-resistant and ambush protected. Once the Army realized the standard automotive crash-test dummy was unsuitable for testing the specific trauma caused by explosive devices in the field, a new dummy (WIAMan, the War-rior Injury Assessment Manikin) was devel-oped to better understand (and ultimately prevent) damage from underbody explosions.

Elsewhere, Roach discusses hearing loss with a group of audiologists and learns how ear-plugs can adversely affect soldiers’ “situational awareness.” She talks explosive diarrhea with a Navy researcher (in a chapter called “Leaky SEALS”) and visits a ballistic missile subma-rine to learn more about the sleep patterns of sailors. For those readers who might get weak-kneed reading about genital transplants, there’s a breezy chapter on stink bombs.

There’s plenty of laughter to be had in Grunt, but never mistake Roach’s wonderful sense of humor for disrespect. She’s a journalist first, a humorist second. Or maybe it’s a tie. Either way, reading Mary Roach makes my mind feel full, the way your stomach does after an ex-traordinary meal. Like her other books, Grunt comes highly recommended. ★★★★✩

[BOOKS ]

Army SmartsMary Roach makes science engaging and

fun—again—in Grunt By M. Scott Krause

(STREET ART AND MORE)

L I F E I S B E A U T I F U L A N N O U N C E S A R T L I N E U P

➜ JustKids and Life Is Beautiful want you to Obey. The visual arts lineup for Life Is Beautiful 2016 has been announced, and at least one name jumps out: This Sep-tember, we’ll have a Shepard Fairey original painted on a Downtown wall. The rest of the street art lineup is an all-star international crew practically ripped from the pages of Juxtapoz: Bezt (Poland), Tristan Eaton (U.S.), Fafi (France), Felipe Pantone (Spain), Martin Whatson (Nor-way), Dulk (Spain) and Mark Drew (U.S.), with more still to be announced. Also: The festival will feature art in-stallations by Crystal Wagner and Amanda Parer; Simon Heidjens’ Silent Room, a big hit at South by Southwest; and, at long last, the Downtown debut of Mike Ross’ Big Rig Jig, the Burning Man piece last seen at Banksy’s Dis-maland “bemusement park.” For more information on the artists of Life Is Beautiful, visit LifeIsBeautiful.com.

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Have you had a quiet moment to yourself

to think about what you’ve accomplished?

[The night of the vote and announce-ment], we got home about quarter to 10. My wife and I and one of our sons came back [to our suite] and we were just sitting around kind of talk-ing about it, how much fun it was and how much fun it’s going to be. So we had a good reflective time. And then I started watching TV. Everyone wants to see themselves on TV [laughing].

How did you think you came across

on television?

I’m told I came across OK. I thought I looked fat and old [laughing]. Other than that, it was OK.

If you could go back to the beginning

of this process, what advice would you

give yourself?

When we started the ticket drive, we were very naïve. We spent a lot of money on things we probably didn’t

need to spend money on, and we kind of over-invested. I justified it by saying, “Well, we were always going to spend a lot of money on a ticket drive at some point,” just because we messed up a little bit and we spent $100,000 when we probably didn’t re-ally need to do that. We’re going to be very careful about who we hire, how we hire people, how we get our orga-nization put together, and make sure we do it right. If anything, we’re going to be more patient now as opposed to impatient, which is what we were when we started the ticket drive.

Do you have a model for how you want

to build your organization?

The business part of the company is go-ing to be very similar to other businesses I’ve been involved in. When we buy a company or when we start a company, we start building that company from the ground up, so I’ve got a pretty good feel for how to do it and how not to waste

money and how to help people stay focused. On the hockey side, we really need to get some experienced people who know what they’re doing, who will help us with our scouting, our expan-sion draft, free agency and the regular NHL draft. That’s more technical and something I don’t know much about. On the business side, I’ve kind of got it.

How are you going to structure the

front office?

Well, you’re looking at the chairman, CEO and president. We’re going to have a general manager, we’re going to have an executive vice president of the front office. I’m going to have a chief operat-ing officer who’s going to be working closely with me and with the other de-partments and be my eyes and ears. But I’m going to eliminate a couple of posi-tions, and I’m going to take them on. If this thing gets screwed up, it’s going to be my fault and not anyone else’s.

Is that the fun of owning a team? Being

involved and making those decisions?

Absolutely. In the companies I’ve been involved with, I’m intimately involved until I don’t need to be. And when I don’t need to be, I step aside and let someone else do what they’ve been hired to do. But until I’m sure they’re doing what I need them to do, I’m go-ing to keep an eye on it. So I’ll be heav-ily involved. Plus it’s going to be fun. This is really going to be a fun deal.

Do you have a timetable for building

the front office?

We need to get our scouting network right away. We need to bring in the first person on the hockey side pretty quickly, but we’ve got to go through a process with the league. The league has got names for us they want us to talk to, and we’re going to present names to the league that they clear, and then we can go to the teams and get clearance to talk to those individuals. So this is going to be a pretty hectic 30-45 days. In the meantime, we’ll get our front office side and we’ll start coming together in terms of social media, marketing, public rela-tions, ticketing, logo, team parapherna-lia and so on. So we’ve got dual tracks.

What kind of potential does the Las Vegas

market have when it comes to building

the team’s brand?

With 42 million visitors a year here, we’re going to be an international brand. We’re going to brand it with our jerseys, our hats, our T-shirts. People will go back to Shanghai and Tokyo, and they’ll be wearing our jer-sey with our logo. We’re going to help the NHL a lot in terms of their brand building, but when people think of hockey in America, they’re going to think of this team.

What did other NHL owners say to Foley after Las Vegas joined the NHL? Read the full interview at VegasSeven.com/Foley.

Bill FoleyThe owner of the new NHL franchise on the

application process, the timetable for the front office and Vegas’ potential By Mike Grimala